What happens when a country phases out coal generated electricity and then moves to shut down nuclear electricity generation? The answer is increased costs to consumers and lower income people being unable to afford to purchase electricity. I wonder if Russia will...
Les Routledge
The More You Learn – The Less You Trust
A lot of knowledge can lock one into group think.
CP Back to Work – Too Soon?
It looks like the federal government will move to order CP workers back to work and impose a settlement solution. As a farmer and a shipper, I wonder if this is the optimal course of action. Maybe it would be better to let the new management of CP take control and...
Andrew Coyne Commentary on EI
The system subsidizes jobs in seasonal industries, that is, at the expense of jobs in other industries.
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...
The Lost War
While many western nations are debating the merits of keeping troops in Afghanistan after 10 years, there is a much older war effort that needs to be discussed as well. The United States seems to have noted this war-weariness. During a visit to Mexico and Honduras...
Home on the Range
...and not a human in sight. Maybe this effort to reestablish buffalo makes sense, but I really question the prairie dog effort. Down here on my farm, I really look forward to fixing all the fences that were torn down by migrating moose last year. Next fall, I think...
The Other Pipeline Option – Go East Old Man
I will leave it up to the reader to judge the merits of this commentary suggesting a pipeline to eastern Canada for oil is desirable in a National Energy Strategy. The one thing I will assert is that all alternatives should be discussed in Canada at a time when our...
CD Howe on OAS Changes
I tend to agree with the recommendations of the CD Howe institute. The government should look at alternatives to simply raising the age of eligibility.
Essential Services
I do not understand how jetting people off to sun spots in the March break constitutes essential services.
Fracking In The News
This is a reasonably balanced article from the Globe and Mail. As a farmer and rural landowner, I have been somewhat concerned about the mantra coming out of the oil and gas industry that there is zero risk associated with fracking techniques. Finally the...
Conservative Commentary – For the Record
So before you ask, where is conservatism going, perhaps it would be better to ask: where has it gone?
Follow up on the Rural Tigers
It has been a while since I posted the idea that there is an emerging class of rural tiger communities emerging in western Canada.
OAS Reform Options – Let’s Start a Debate
I thank Andrew Coyne for stepping back from the OAS discussion and outlining some alternative routes forward.