Portage Place was dealt a major blow when Landmark Cinemas announced the closure of the Globe Cinema. Having previously lost McNally Robinson as well as the Imax theatre and a few higher-end retailers, this will further the perception the mall is in a death spiral....
Year: 2014
What We Can Learn About Infrastructure from the Katz Years
Mayor Katz’s tenure has been notable for significant infrastructure successes and failures. On the one hand, we have the fire hall land swap deal and the new police headquarters. On the other hand, we have the immensely successful Chief Peguis Trail and Disraeli...
Does the Health System Work – With Ben Eisen
Radio
The Public Trusts Science, Not Politicians
Canadians have been deluged with reports about climate change for two decades, but polls still indicate that in most western countries, only about half of us believe in the science of the issue. Perhaps this is because most of what we hear comes from politicians and...
Featured News
Demand Fairness from Ottawa and Edmonton
A few weeks ago, Albertans voted to reduce the inequities in the federal equalization program. The deficit between the dollars that leave to and come back from Ottawa has recently been as high as $27 billion in one year. During times of crisis, it feels like salt in...
Inflation: They Win, You Lose: Politicos, Cronies Fleece Canadians with Monetary Expansion
One of the most widespread economic myths is that inflation—the reduced purchasing power of a currency—is a win for a nation, a sign of a booming economy. For the privileged classes in government and with initial access to monetary expansion, it is a win. For everyone...
Steve Lafleur Interviewed on CBC’s The 180 about the advantages of taxi de-regulation
Frontier Centre Policy Analyst Steve Lafleur makes the case for taxi de-regulation on CBC's The 180.
Drill, Baby, Drill! Standing Up for Oil Development Offshore
Offshore oil exploration has been banned in British Columbia since the early 1970s. To this day, despite talk of making Canada an “energy superpower”, the federal government and provincial government have failed to lift the moratorium, treating the issue as a...
7th Annual Local Government Performance Index
The Frontier Centre has released its 7th annual Local Government Performance Index. It measures 100 Canadian cities on their financial performance and overall transparency. Measuring almost 30,000 individual data points, the Index is designed to shed light on how...
LGPI 2014 Media Coverage
The Frontier Centre released the 7th Annual Local Government Performance Index last week, and it's had a great reception across the country. Unlike in the past, where we released one press release for the whole country, this year we released a separate press release...
Budget reflects triumph of politics over ideas
Jim Flaherty’s 10th federal budget represents the dominance of expediency and opportunism over ideas and values in modern politics. The 2014 federal budget increases spending on infrastructure and dishes out a few small goodies to interest groups but holds the line on...
Federal budget announces $305 million for rural and northern broadband
The federal budget provides for $305 million for rural and northern broadband access. There are no details yet on the structure of the program. How this is structured and delivered will be key to its success. There are a wide range of options of what...
Independent analysts join chorus of Hydro critics
Perhaps, and hopefully, the Selinger government and its captive utility, Manitoba Hydro, will listen to the latest voice in a growing chorus calling for a pause and a rethink of what Hydro euphemistically calls its "preferred" development plan. La Capra Associates, an...
Conciliatory Approach is best in New AFN-Ottawa Education Pact
A recent announcement on First Nations education proves what can be achieved by First Nations when they work together with government. This past Friday, Prime Minister Stephen Harper made a historic education announcement, alongside National Chief Shawn Atleo of the...
Islanders should take less, contribute more to EI, other programs
Souris Mayor Dave MacDonald recently told the Premiers’ Council on EI that recent changes to the federal EI program are killing his town. Unfortunately, Mr. MacDonald did not note that Islanders receive three times as much as they contribute to the EI program. This...