Finance committee voted to give a $2.9 million tax break to a new Porsche(!) dealership
Ottawa Mayor Jim Watson is preparing to take Ottawa taxpayers for quite a ride. Ottawa city council’s finance committee voted to give a $2.9 million tax break to a new Porsche dealership. Ottawa’s municipal politicians are literally planning to hand over millions of taxpayer dollars to a luxury car dealership. And they think this is…
Toronto and Ottawa are thriving but as long as large regions of Ontario struggle, the province and the country won’t meet their full economic potential
By Ben Eisen and Steve Lafleur The Fraser Institute Ontarians have suffered more than their share of economic pain over the past 15 years. For much of the 2000s, the province’s manufacturing sector was struggling and then the 2008-09 recession made things much worse. In the years that followed, the province’s recovery was unfortunately tepid.…
We could see as many as five Canadians teams in the playoffs – but more likely we’ll see two or three at this pace
For fans of Canada’s seven embattled National Hockey League teams, the man from Zamboni is a suitable talisman of their frustration. As most everyone now knows, a 42-year-old Zamboni driver – a kidney-transplant Zamboni driver – stepped in for the Carolina Hurricanes on Saturday night in Toronto to defeat the listless Leafs 6-3. When both…
Privatization would improve Pearson’s position as a global hub and boost competitive options for travellers
Ottawa’s plan to sell Canada’s airports appears to have been shelved, at least for now. That’s too bad. Privatizing Toronto Pearson International Airport could help pay for a needed rail link to the suburbs and surrounding cities, and make the airport more competitive globally. While many of the country’s airport authorities panned the idea, Pearson,…
What no one wants will now be built on some of the most historic land in the country, in an architectural environment in Ottawa that ought to receive heightened protection, not less
The Château Laurier fight is over. The hideous extension will be built and Major’s Hill Park in Ottawa will be despoiled as it will now dwell in the shadow of an enormous shipping container. It’s astonishing that the only ones who defended the hotel’s extension on the merits themselves were those being paid. What no…
The proposed addition looks like a giant air conditioner or shipping container. It's ugly and entirely out of place
Architecture, even of privately-held buildings, is never entirely a private affair. What's built affects not only those who live and work in the buildings, but passersby from the neighbourhood and, in the case of downtown Ottawa, from across the country. Even more is it the case with Ottawa’s grand dame of Wellington Street – the…
To maximize the value, viability and utility of the post office, it should be permitted free rein. That may mean selling it
One new CEO opening will top most stress-filled leadership positions: Canada’s chief mail delivery officer. There are many iconic symbols of Canada but – if it ever was one – Canada Post certainly has long ceded that status. The Crown corporation predates Confederation but hasn’t endeared itself to anybody for generations. Although the Canada Post…
A new survey says people are looking at journalism with new respect in these troubled times
It’s true. The 2018 survey by Cision of 1,355 journalists from across six countries discovered that perceived trust in professional journalists improved by 20 per cent this year. Cision is a global provider of media software. Yes, sadly, journalists felt underappreciated by 91 per cent of the general public up until last year. And fake…