One of my department’s brightest students was seriously intellectual and widely read, always taking an active and constructive part in seminars. The student was approached by two others who complained that the student took up too much space and time, and should step...
With the SNC Lavalin affair dragging down the federal government, the resignation of a key fossil fuel appointment as leader of the World Bank, and a new head of the Presidential Committee on Climate Security of the United States, the headlong rush into punitive...
Leaks from the Prime Minister’s Office concerning a potential appointment of Justice Glenn Joyal, Chief Justice of the Manitoba Court of Queen’s Bench, to the Supreme Court of Canada highlights differences between the treatment of judiciary appointments in Canada and...
When industry wants science to say something, how do they do it? Last Year The Nation showed us how in their special investigation, “How Big Wireless Made Us Think That Cell Phones Are Safe.” In 1993, a lawsuit alleged that cell phones caused a woman’s terminal brain...
Recently, there has been an increasing clamour from some circles for imposing a wealth tax upon Canadians. The usual government-expanding social ‘democratic’ pressure and interest groups are especially enthused by the idea and also claim it is ‘popular’ among the...
Underneath all the media brouhaha and institutional focus on bitcoin, a struggle is brewing in the crypto world: which altcoin will pick up the baton? A fierce competition is underway for the podium, with Ethereum having a clear first-mover advantage. Bitcoin, as...
Hallowe’en is fast approaching, and it is time for parents to ask themselves an important question: “How offensive do I want my child’s costume to be?” As tots prepare to take to the streets to beg for obesity-producing and tooth-decaying treats, they should also be...
Efforts to block and sabotage pipelines hurt jobs, economic growth, middle class, human safety The environmentalist war on fossil fuels has opened a new front: a war on pipelines. For years, activists claimed the world was rapidly depleting its oil and natural gas...
The federal government has reached an agreement in principle to settle outstanding class-action lawsuits relating to what has come to be called the “60’s Scoop”. Eight hundred million dollars will be set aside to settle claims of First Nations and Inuit children who...
Stuffed between the sections of the Globe and Mail last week was a fairly thick, glossy publication entitled Our Kids: Canada’s Private School Guide, an annual digest that I’ve browsed through occasionally, primarily out of an educator’s interest in the schools that...
British Columbia’s quandary: To keep Columbia Power, or add 15,000 teachers, nurses, or paramedics? There are two generally accepted methods for valuing a company: its intrinsic value as a cash-generating enterprise, and its standard market value in comparison with...
Hugh Hefner has finally died and I have competing Latin maxims battling in my head. On the one hand, De mortuis nil nisi bonum – “of the dead say nothing but good” – is a wise and charitable saying. On the other hand, so is De mortuis nil nisi verum– “of the dead...
In Western Canada, many university students fail to graduate. In fact, figures suggest that between 20 and 30 per cent of students at many North American universities do not progress beyond their first year, and less than 60 per cent of those enrolled in three- and...
We are indeed fortunate to live in a free and open democratic society, where we can go to the polls, cast our ballots, and all the votes count to elect people that represent our interests even if they are competing interests. Citizens rely on their local governments...
The Frontier Centre for Public Policy has just released the concept paper Financial Reorganization of Manitoba Hydro. This paper is authored by Graham Lane, a retired Chartered Accountant and former Chair of Manitoba’s Public Utilities Board. He has had a multifaceted...