Now that municipal election season is over in Manitoba and Ontario, city councillors are transitioning into the ordinary business of governing. One of the first tasks will be hiring office staff. Some councillors will be tempted to hire as little staff as possible to...
Year: 2014
Surviving Sustainability
Surviving Sustainability is a comprehensive new series of papers of the Frontier Centre for Public Policy, and an area of research that is only sporadically treated in public policy analysis. This oversight means that a substantial negative impact on our economic...
Youth Curfews Are Not Good Policy
Over the decades, many communities in Canada have experimented with different versions of a curfew for children and adolescents. Most often, anyone under the age of 16 or 18 must be off the street by a specific time, such as 10pm. The aim is to reduce vandalism and...
Frontier Centre Releases A New Model to Implement Next Generation Telecom for Rural and Remote Saskatchewan
The Frontier Centre for Public Policy released a report today focusing on how to improve and expand telecommunications technology in rural and remote Saskatchewan. The report offers a model based on best practices from rural communities around the world. Frontier...
Featured News
The Man who Saved the Plains Indians
At the time of Confederation, Canada’s Plains Indians were in a desperate situation. The same European-introduced guns and horses that resulted in a briefly glorious golden age for them had also resulted in constant inter-tribal warfare and the rapid disappearance of...
Renewed Talk of Abolishing the Indian Act
Political attacks on the Indian Act are back in the news, and that is a good thing. However, Canadian politicians, including First Nation politicians, need a credible plan about what to do before we pull out the champagne. Attacking the Indian Act is not a big deal...
Research Oriented Universities Need To Find Better Balance
In less than a month, it will be back to class on Canada's university campuses. Some schools like the University of Alberta, are more focused on research, while others, like Brandon University, concentrate more on teaching undergraduates. Students enrolled in...
The Need for Rail Re-Alignment in White Rock and Surrey
The view from the southwest flank of Canada’s coastline—between Surrey B.C.’s Crescent Beach and the city of White Rock—is breathtaking. “It’s Canada’s Amalfi coast,” enthuses Erik Seiz, President of the Crescent Beach Property Owners’ Association. With its...
New Fracking Methods Have Less Surface Impact Than Traditional Fracking
The controversy continues over hydraulic fracturing, or 'fracking' , to enhance recovery of oil and gas. Some places, such as France and the state of New York, have banned fracking because of fears that it might harm ground water, or possibly cause an earthquake....
The Sooner CETA is Ratified, the Better
Last week the Harper Government announced that the highly anticipated Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) between Canada and the European Union had been finalized. The ratification process could take up to two years due to the complexities involved in...
Canadians Should Question The Designation Of Compulsory Trades
In five of Canada's provinces, including all three prairie provinces, barbers and hairstylists must be certified by a provincial regulatory body in order to do business. It's what's known as a compulsory trade. When a trade is voluntary, on the other hand, a person...
Transparency Law Good First Step
Early last week was the deadline for First Nations to comply with the divisive First Nations Financial Transparency Act (FNFTA). The FNFTA requires First Nations all over Canada to post their audited financial statements and the salaries and benefits of elected...
Why Families are Moving to Texas and Hipsters are Moving to Pittsburgh
Many municipal politicians, particularly in mid-sized cities, aspire to turn their city into the next trendy place, following in the steps of Portland or Brooklyn. Meanwhile, lesser fashionable places such as Houston, Phoenix, and Atlanta are swallowing up migrants...
Australia Repeals Its Carbon Tax
Australia has recently abolished what some have called the “world’s biggest carbon tax”. It was designed to combat climate change by reducing emissions of carbon dioxide that result from the burning of fossil fuels. Companies who produced emissions that exceeded a...
Incentives are needed to Improve Undergraduate Teaching
By now high school graduates have had their graduation celebrations, started their summer jobs, and many are getting ready for university. Some plan to attend research-oriented universities, such as the University of Manitoba, while others plan to attend...