Manitoba has a problem. Actually, it has a lot of problems but proper cell phone and internet service is a glaring one. Many years ago, as in about 150 years ago, Manitoba, as it is today, was a land of opportunity. Farming was starting to take hold, the fur...
Crown Corporations
Improving Transportation Access and the Economy in Winnipeg
The debate continues about the Route 90 expansion (Kenaston Boulevard) and whether it is a good investment for Winnipeg. Some arguments have been tabled to the extent that there is no use in expanding highways, or that transit would be better, or that nothing should...
MPI to Take a Large Loss?
Unsurprisingly, with a government automobile insurance monopoly, MPI’s history is marked by politics
Cox: Downtown Rethink
This article entitled People in Toronto won't stop working from home and it's impacting the city paints a relatively negative picture about downtown prospects - noting that Toronto office vacancy rates have just hit their highest level since 1995. Looks like the...
Featured News
Traditional Teaching is not Obsolete
Artificial intelligence has come a long way. Unlike the rudimentary software of the past, modern-day programs such as ChatGPT are truly impressive. Whether you need a 1,000-word essay summarizing the history of Manitoba, a 500-word article extolling the virtues of...
Ottawa’s Policies Defeat Its Critical Minerals Push
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau made a recent rush visit to the Saskatchewan Research Council’s experimental rare earth refining facility in Saskatoon. He touted his government’s efforts to promote rare earth discovery, development, and extraction, along with the...
Time for Real Change at Manitoba Hydro (Part 3 of 3)
Governments continue to mismanage publicly owned utilities, from East to the West. Newfoundland and Labrador’s government, still reeling from a 1969 agreement providing Churchill Falls’ electricity to Quebec at meagre prices (to 2041), built another utility...
Manitoba Hydro, a Wounded Utility (Part 2 of 3)
Hydro was once heralded as “Manitoba’s oil”. The Limestone Dam was finished in 1990, twice the size of Keeyask (still under construction) – at one-sixth its cost. With Limestone running, residential and industry customers could look forward to having cheap and...
Grounded in More Ways Than One: A Valuation & Strategic Appraisal of the Calgary International Airport
Divesting YYC will benefit taxpayers The Calgary International Airport WINNIPEG, MB, December 18, 2020 - The Frontier Centre for Public Policy has just released Grounded in More Ways Than One: A Valuation & Strategic Appraisal of the Calgary International Airport...
Careful About Dismantling Manitoba Hydro’s Opportunities (Part 1 of 3)
Months late, Manitoba Hydro has finally reported its poor financial results for 2019-20 and the first quarter of the current year. It also has disclosed that it has sold its long-standing 40% stake in electrical engineering consultancy Teshmont (to global engineering...
Continually Bleeding Cash: A Valuation & Strategic Appraisal of CBC, the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation
WINNIPEG, MB, December - The Frontier Centre for Public Policy has just released Continually Bleeding Cash: A Valuation & Strategic Appraisal of the CBC, the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation by Ian Madsen, a senior policy analyst with the Frontier Centre. This...
Could Canada’s Airports go Bankrupt? (and Could That be the Best Thing for Them?)
Name something you can find only in Canada. If we eliminate easy answers such as wildlife oddities, three-down football and maple-flavoured pastries and focus instead on major transportation infrastructure hubs, there’s just one correct response: the unique and...
Bluesky Opportunity for the Bluenose Province : A Valuation and Strategic Appraisal of Halifax Robert L. Stanfield International Airport (YHZ)
Taxpayers Will Benefit If YHZ Is Privatized - Selling off all, or part of, Halifax’s International Airport YHZ is the airport serving the metropolitan Halifax-Dartmouth, Nova Scotia that is ultimately managed and owned by the federal government. The airport has...
Opportunity Takes Flight on the Prairies: A Valuation & Strategic Appraisal of Winnipeg J.A.Richardson International Airport
YWG is the airport serving the metropolitan Winnipeg area that is ultimately managed and owned by the federal government. The airport has positive operating cash flow and positive returns on assets, equity, and capital employed. But as it stands, the airport’s debt...
No Wow and No Ow at YOW: A Valuation & Strategic Appraisal of Ottawa MacDonald-Cartier International Airport
Divesting YOW will free Ontario taxpayers Privatizing Ottawa International Airport WINNIPEG, MB, March 30, 2020 - The Frontier Centre for Public Policy has just released No Wow and No Ow at YOW: A Valuation & Strategic Appraisal of Ottawa MacDonald-Cartier...