Confederation was designed as an economic union from sea to sea, linked by infrastructure that crosses provincial borders
During the recent French and English language debates for the Conservative leadership, one of the two leading candidates accused the other of wanting to impose an oil pipeline on Quebec without its consent. Erin O’Toole, the Conservative MP for Durham, Ont., articulated his vision for a national energy corridor throughout Canada. He was then accused…
It’s absurd to think that physical distancing in schools will look like it does in grocery stores
These days, grocery shopping looks a little different than usual. People wait patiently outside the store in long, spaced out, lineups. Direction arrows show customers where to move next. Customers stand at least six feet apart in the checkout lines. Cashiers carefully disinfect their terminals before the next customer arrives. These measures are designed to…
Stores will open again, cars and trucks will begin to run and planes will fly. Our lives will continue – and life takes energy
Federal Green Party Leader Elizabeth May recently said “oil is dead” and her “heart bleeds for people who believe the sector is going to come back.” It’s foolish to assert “oil is dead” at any time, but it’s particularly ignorant to say it in the midst of an unprecedented global crisis. Canadians are relying on…
Leadership is complicated. Character counts, as do vision, competence, judgment and the ability to persuade or inspire. The PM misses the mark
Looking at Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s handling of the ongoing blockade fiasco, it’s difficult to avoid comparison with how his father, Pierre Trudeau, dealt with the 1970 October Crisis. Faced with the revolutionary FLQ’s kidnappings of British trade commissioner James Cross and Quebec provincial cabinet minister Pierre Laporte, the senior Trudeau moved decisively as prime…
The province's aversion to pipelines and its ban on fracking create serious problems. It's time to let free enterprise pave the way to a better future
Alberta Premier Jason Kenney has suggested to Quebec that pipelines would prevent events like the recent propane shortage caused by the CN Rail strike. The lack of propane hampered harvest for Quebec farmers, and endangered users of propane heating in seniors residences, hospitals and mobile homes. Critics have noted pipelines don’t usually carry propane. But…
It's time to break apart this dysfunctional nation so the various parts can repair their generations-long problems
By Colin Alexander Research associate Frontier Centre for Public Policy Canada’s recent federal election result exposes intractable challenges dating from Confederation in 1867. Wexit could allow Alberta to escape from a burden somewhat resembling the maladministration that afflicted Argentina, once one of the world’s richest countries. For the past half century, Canada has not been…
Quebec’s experience should offer a roadmap – and a cautionary tale – for Albertans intent on quickly divorcing from Canada
Whether they endorse or oppose the notion of an independent Alberta, Albertans would do well to proceed with caution. While Quebec went through two referendums in 15 years, it took decades for that province's sovereignty movement to develop. After the near-victory in 1995, the Bloc Québécois leader spoke about the need for “winning conditions” before…
For an issue that’s been so polarizing, the arguments against the pipeline expansion are surprisingly flawed
Nothing has been as divisive to national unity as the Trans Mountain pipeline expansion in the 25 years since the Quebec independence referendum. But unlike separation, this project – approved again last week by the federal government – is good for the country and will benefit all Canadians. Moving to Vancouver two years ago from…
Study of over 200 criminal convictions gleans critical insights about how Canadian organizations can reduce fraud
The first national study of its kind, Fraud Aware 2019: National Study on Reported Fraud Cases in Canada, has found that the most convictions and the largest reported losses due to fraud were seen in Ontario, Quebec, Alberta and British Columbia. Business advisory and accounting firm MNP LLP released the results of the study on…
The place of French in Canada 50 years after the Official Languages Act was first enacted shows we can and must do better
By Sen. Raymonde Gagné and Sen. René Cormier To mark the 50th anniversary of the Official Languages Act (OLA) and the International Day of La Francophonie, an open caucus was held at the Senate of Canada to reflect on the place of French in Canada. Professors Stéphanie Chouinard, Michael MacMillan and Benoît Pelletier addressed the following question:…
During the recent French and English language debates for the Conservative leadership, one of the two leading candidates accused the other of wanting to impose an oil pipeline on Quebec without its consent. Erin O’Toole, the Conservative MP for Durham, Ont., articulated his vision for a national energy corridor throughout Canada. He was then accused…
