One spill is too many but pipelines are much safer than rail for transporting oil
By Kenneth P. Green, Elmira Aliakbari and Ashley Stedman The Fraser Institute State regulators in Nebraska recently approved the Keystone XL pipeline, ending nine years of regulatory and political limbo across multiple jurisdictions. TransCanada Corp. can now build its pipeline. That’s welcome news for all Canadians, especially those concerned about oil transportation safety. More Canadian…
Homebuilders were asked how long they wait for permit approvals, how much it costs, how often rezoning is required and the scope of local opposition
By Kenneth P. Green and Josef Filipowicz The Fraser Institute There’s no silver bullet for Vancouver’s perennial housing woes. But trimming the red tape would help. Housing markets are incredibly complex, reflecting the ongoing interaction between demand and supply. So far, the provincial government, and Vancouver city hall, have targeted pockets of this interaction, including foreign…
Spending on exploration – the lifeblood of the industry – dropped for the fourth consecutive year and is at its lowest point since 2005
By Kenneth P. Green and Taylor Jackson The Fraser Institute In recent years, depressed commodity prices have plagued Canada’s mining industry. One recent report showed that spending on exploration – the lifeblood of the industry – dropped for the fourth consecutive year and is at its lowest point since 2005. Amid conditions like these, when…
Congestion costs the area's economy billions of dollars a year, reducing people’s job options, delaying deliveries and increasing emissions
By Steve Lafleur and Ken Green The Fraser Institute Road tolls are essential to ease the gridlock that threatens to strangle Toronto’s economy. Toronto Mayor John Tory wants to introduce road tolls on the Don Valley Parkway and the Gardiner Expressway, and city council has endorsed the move. The provincial government must now approve the tolls…
The province’s “green dreams” have resulted in serious consequences for Ontarians and their families
By Kenneth P. Green and Taylor Jackson The Fraser Institute The Ontario Government has suspended its latest round of renewable energy plans – a move that will save consumers money. While this may be a step in the right direction, the government’s “green dreams” have already done a lot of damage in the province. A…
Reduce housing barriers to help ensure that Canada’s largest urban area remains affordable and keeps attracting the best and brightest
By Kenneth P. Green Josef Filipowicz The Fraser Institute Housing headlines are everywhere. Federal Finance Minister Bill Morneau recently announced a raft of housing reforms. Ontario Premier Kathleen Wynne and Toronto Mayor John Tory recently rang alarms bells on housing. And according to a report released recently by the Toronto Real Estate Board, Toronto house prices…
Ontario’s plan will take even more money from already heavily-taxed consumers and businesses, and fuel more government spending
By Ben Eisen and Kenneth P. Green The Fraser Institute Ontario’s climate change strategy is just another example of the tax-and-spend approach that has undermined the province’s economy for years. A recent opinion column from the Brookings Institution in the United States observes (based on the vast laboratory that is California) that cap-and-trade is a flawed…
The cumulative value of lost production from 2027 to 2040 could total C$150 billion (in 2015 dollars), with negligible environmental benefit
By Kenneth P. Green and Taylor Jackson The Fraser Institute Alberta’s energy industry has been hit hard by the decline in oil prices, but the province is still home to the world’s third largest oil reserves, and despite a temporary glut, oil will still largely power the world for the foreseeable future. However, just how…
Atlantic Canada premiers should focus on opportunities to make energy more affordable for their citizens, rather than making it more expensive
Last week, the premiers of Atlantic Canada met with federal Environment Minister Katherine McKenna to discuss energy planning for the region’s future. Things discussed included the building of a “clean electricity future,” and a “national price on carbon,” which was described as “impending” in a news article covering the meeting. Atlantic Canada is, indeed, a…
By imposing a tax on already signed agreements, B.C. is demonstrating a worrisome indifference to the rule of law
By Kenneth Green Josef Filipowicz and Steve Lafleur The Fraser Institute Mike de Jong, B.C.’s finance minister, recently and unexpectedly announced an additional property transfer tax of 15 per cent on foreign nationals purchasing residential property in Metro Vancouver. Whatever the merits of this policy, many have overlooked a troubling element of its implementation –…
By Kenneth P. Green, Elmira Aliakbari and Ashley Stedman The Fraser Institute State regulators in Nebraska recently approved the Keystone XL pipeline, ending nine years of regulatory and political limbo across multiple jurisdictions. TransCanada Corp. can now build its pipeline. That’s welcome news for all Canadians, especially those concerned about oil transportation safety. More Canadian…
