Insight

Ottawa’s ‘innovation budget’ won’t spur innovation

A key theme of the recent federal budget was innovation. The word “innovation” appears 261 times in the 280-page budget document. However, identifying themes and making them work are two different things. Innovation is certainly an important driver of economic ...

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Mentoring troubled youth fosters respect for others

The youth of any society constitute the promise of the future—and many of our youth are in trouble. They’re growing up in a divided society. Ethnic, gender and political tensions are at seemingly combustible levels—not just south of the border ...

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Trump blows against Canada’s competitiveness

competition

To the predictable howls of environmentalists, U.S. President Donald Trump has turned his pen on Barack Obama’s climate change policies—to the detriment of Canadians. Signing the Promoting Energy Independence and Economic Growth executive order (EO) while surrounded by coal miners, ...

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The origin of April Fool’s Day

On April Fool’s Day, we’re on red alert for pranks, hoaxes and fake news—and it’s been going on for centuries, from an era when court jesters were common. With no TV, movies or Internet, jesters, jokers or fools were the ...

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Quebec highway winter fiasco a political scandal

There was a time when Canadian universities defended academic freedom with passion, authority and gravitas. Those days are over: hurt feelings and crocodile tears now trump free speech on our university campuses. Here’s a pertinent example. Andrew Potter resigned last ...

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Snowed under in a political Potter’s field

There are times when timing alone tells you everything you need to know about what’s truly wrong. An example arose last week when the head of McGill University’s Institute for the Study of Canada abruptly resigned because of a highly ...

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Why French Canadians have a right to be offended

Much has been made about the resignation of Andrew Potter as director of the McGill Institute for the Study of Canada. His departure stems from a column Potter wrote in Maclean’s magazine in which he used a snow removal incident ...

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Oil industry must get smart about its messaging

First there was precision agriculture. Then came decision ag. Now there’s smart ag. These terms describe fundamental changes in agriculture to better produce crops or livestock. It’s all about maximizing yield while minimizing costs and environmental impact. They include everything ...

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Federal budget short on innovation or social value

It seems what’s old is new again in Budget 2017, presented to the House of Commons.budget shortfalls The big federal budget deficits of the 1970s and ’80s? They seem to have taken up permanent residency again in Canada. Federal finances ...

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Middle class will be hurt by capital gains taxes

In the lead up to today’s federal budget there have been on-going rumours that the federal government will raise capital gains taxes. Despite misperceptions that hiking capital gains taxes will only affect “rich” Canadians, in reality this policy will further ...

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