Canadian cities face a myriad of challenges. Aging infrastructure and worsening traffic are undermining mobility, with immense costs. The Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area alone loses $6 billion in productivity due to gridlock each year, which is expected to increase...
Steve Lafleur
Coase, Pigou, and Sriracha Sauce
Huy Fong has been ordered to cease any odor emitting production by a California judge. This could lead to a shortage of their wildly popular Sriracha hot sauce. While foodies are upset, residents who sought the injunction against Huy Fong appear to have a legitimate...
Who should pay for Toronto transit projects?
Financing infrastructure projects is typically a complex process, involving transfers between provinces, cities, and neighbourhoods. While it is possible (though not easy) to track transfers between provinces, it is difficult to track transfers between cities, and...
The Condo Game: CBC’s Curiously Apocalyptic Documentary on Toronto’s Condo Market
CBC aired a documentary on Toronto's condo market on November 21st that can be viewed here. It is notable for two reasons. First, it provides a prognosis for Toronto that is much darker than the most negative mainstream sources would suggest. Second, while it hints at...
Featured News
Canadians on the Move, to Smaller Communities
The Canadian Dream is increasingly being realized in smaller areas For decades, Canadians moved to the larger cities (census metropolitan areas, or CMAs) with their economic opportunities. The latest estimates indicate that CMAs have 72 per cent of the nation’s...
Leadership Needed in Canadian Healthcare; Apply Within
When the Premiers were first called to a sit-down lunch to talk about healthcare with Prime Minister Trudeau, there was plenty of talk about the potential for systemic change, innovation and accountability. It seemed that Canadians and their leaders were finally on...
Manitoba’s Bad News Budget Ignores Grim Fiscal Realities
Manitoba is in a worrisome fiscal position. Unfortunately, the latest budget does nothing to fix the provinces long term challenges.
STC Subsidies Increase to $11.5 Million in 2012
STC’s 2012 Annual Report is out, and the numbers are disappointing. The bus service’s annual operating subsidy increased from $8.7 in 2011 to $9.2 million as ridership declined by 2 percent. The 2012 capital grant was $2.3 million compared to $2 million in 2011.
New York Beef Jerky Producer Wins Subsidy From City, Outsources to Pennsylvania
A recent story about Brooklyn based Kings County Jerky provides a wonderful illustration of how subsidy programs can go awry. The artisanal beef jerky producers have made such a name for themselves that they have to expand production. One might expect this to be the...
The Last Word on Crime and Police — For Now
The Frontier Centre recently released a backgrounder I co-authored over the last few months on the effect of police levels on crime. The conclusion was simple: the evidence suggests that Canadian cities have sufficient police resources. This has predictably ruffled some feathers. I’ll address some of the criticisms I’ve received, though, frankly, most of the points were already addressed in the paper.
Canadian Nanny State Squeezes Out Caffeine
A few months ago I wrote a piece for the Huffington Post on the political overreaction to a few deaths in the United States that were connected to energy drink consumption. Despite the fact that only 5 people in the United States have died after consuming energy drinks — due to pre-existing conditions — many politicians have decided that cracking down on caffeine is an appropriate regulatory response.
More Police Does Not Equal Less Crime: Canada’s Cities Have Sufficient Police Resources
Canadian cities are very safe relative to American cities. Some cities could reduce crime with a targeted police presence in relatively dangerous neighbourhoods. However, simply increasing police levels does not appear to be an effective anti-crime strategy, and police services could free up resources by adopting more efficient staffing policies.
Who’s Afraid of Ron Paul?
The Manning Centre for Building Democracy is currently holding its annual networking conference. Among their guest speakers is Ron Paul, a Texas congressman who made a high profile, though unsuccessful bid for the Republican Party presidential nomination in the last election cycle. Paul, a self-described “constitutional conservative” is a polarizing figure.
Manitoba Government Liquor Monopoly Decides That Absurdly High Beer Prices Aren’t High Enough
The Manitoba government has decided to increase the price of a 24 pack of beer by $3.90. For those who consume a case per month, that is the equivalent of a $46.80 tax increase per year. While some level of “sin tax” on alcoholic beverages may be warranted (particularly with liquors 70 proof and above), Manitobans already pay an immense premium for beer.
A Rejoinder to a Recent CCPA Article on Minimum Wages
President Obama’s pledge to increase the national minimum wage has spurred a vigorous debate over how to improve the living standards of low skilled workers. Economists are skeptical of minimum wage increases, pointing out that they increase unemployment. They tend to advocate an earned income tax credit (EITC) as an alternative.