Snow presents many logistical challenges for Canadian cities. Street parking is difficult; snow plows exacerbate traffic congestion; excessive snow needs to be trucked out of the core; and melting snow turns streets and neighbourhoods into swamps. These challenges are...
Steve Lafleur
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.
Deregulate Taxis To Improve Mobility in Winter Cities
Few urban experiences are less pleasant than waiting for a taxi in the middle of a Canadian winter. When temperatures dip, demand soars. Ordinary citizens begin to hijack other peoples’ taxis to avoid intolerable waits. It’s every man, woman, and child for him, her,...
Minneapolis: A Model for Canadian Prairie Cities
Winter is challenging for Prairie residents, particularly those with limited mobility. Residents can attest to the fact that life is vastly different at -35c than at -10c. Minneapolis, MN provides lessons for how Prairie cities in Canada can promote mobility in the...
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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...
Toronto’s Successful Garbage Privatization
When Toronto privatized garbage collection west of Yonge street last year, ideologues on the left panicked. They argued that it would lead to worse service, pointing to initial collection delays when private collection began. A local union even created a complaint line. As I argued in a National Post article on the subject, this highlights all that is right with contracting out services: it’s much easier to hold private companies accountable than government.
Fuel Economy Gauges Nudge Drivers Towards Better Fuel Economy
Fuel efficiency is a major selling point for many car buyers, but it can be misleading. Fuel consumption varies widely based on how one drives. While average fuel consumption statistics are helpful information, it’s easy to forget that last point.
Observations from the Western Canadian Aviation Forum
The Winnipeg Airports Authority was kind enough to invite me to participate in their Western Canadian Aviation Forum. While it is a policy conference, most of the presenters are from industry and government, which provides a slightly different perspective than conferences that are primarily populated and presented by academics and scholars. I’ve accumulated a few observations over the past two days that I’d like to throw out for consideration.
The Ontario government should not try to set insurance rates
In an attempt to garner NDP support for the provincial budget, the governing Liberals have pledged to reduce auto insurance rates by 15 percent. While this makes for excellent retail politics, it doesn’t make any economic sense.
Mayor Katz highlights the biggest problem with Manitoba’s PST increase
The PST hike was ostensibly meant to fund infrastructure. Yet, as Sam Katz pointed out, it will actually reduce the ability of the City of Winnipeg to meet its own infrastructure obligations. Katz argues that while Winnipeg residents pay 61 percent of PST revenue, they’ll only receive $7 million of the $277 million from the PST increase.
Manitoba Aims to Expedite Subdivision Approvals
Finally, what appears to be some good news out of Manitoba. Winnipeg in particular needs to accommodate population growth for the first time in a long time. Modernizing the approval process for subdivisions could help meet that demand. Additionally, it should hopefully help take some pressure off of the rental market in Winnipeg, which has a vacancy rate of less than one percent.
Selinger’s Broken Tax Promise is the Least of it
The Selinger government is amending provincial balanced budget legislation to enable its surprise PST increase. More troublingly, it is taking clear measures to exempt itself from the legislation in the event of foreseeable financial challenges the government refuses to prepare for.
Suggestions for the Next Liberal Platform
The Liberal Party of Canada has now chosen its leader. Now the tough job of putting together a platform to meet Canada’s economic challenges begins. This column suggests some policy measures that would help modernize Canada’s economy.
Ontario Opposition Parties Should Embrace Toll Roads: We Can’t Build Our Way Out of Traffic Congestion
Ontario Premier Kathleen Wynn recently floated the idea of tolling Toronto area highways to pay for the region’s ageing roads and bridges. Opposition parties argue that this is merely a tax grab. In reality, road tolls are the best way to fight traffic congestion, and are a fair way to pay for roads.