The Frontier Centre has submitted the Bigmouth Buffalo Sucker as its nominee for the official provincial fish, since the Manitoba government has decided that it would rather hold a fish naming contest than a referendum on the PST increase.
Municipal Government
Urban Policy: A Time for a Paradigm Shift
This policy paper examines current attempts to increase urban densification in Canada’s metropolitan areas, and makes a common-sense but unorthodox argument that cities would be better off embracing urban dispersion.
New Farmer’s Market a Small Step in the Right Direction for Downtown Winnipeg
Rather than focusing on one big answer (e.g. stadiums, convention centres, etc), Downtown Winnipeg needs a lot of little solutions. The new farmers market spearheaded by the Downtown Business Improvement Zone (BIZ) is exactly the type of small scale project that can help with this process.
Two Sensible Parking Reforms (One of Which Will Never Happen)
The most recent edition of Access (the University of California Transportation Centre’s quarterly journal) ran two thought provoking pieces on parking policy. One was a piece on how to optimally allocate parking in urban neighbourhoods, written by economist turned parking guru Donald Shoup. For those familiar with his work, this piece holds up to his usual standard of excellence. The more controversial piece was written by Michael Manville, Assistant Professor of City and Regional Planning at Cornell University, and Jonathan Williams, a Transportation Planner in Seattle. They argue that cities should eliminate free parking for disabled people. While this one will no doubt spark outrage (hence, will never happen), it is an equally sensible proposal.
Featured News
Coal – Not Wind – is Keeping Saskatchewan’s Lights On
While it’s not the same minute-by-minute data provided by the Alberta Electric System Operator for their grid, SaskPower has begun breaking down where its power is coming from on a daily basis. And the data from Oct. 3 and 4 showed wind generated an average of just...
57 Policy Proposals for Future Leaders to Help Make the Canadian Economy Soar
Executive Summary The various federal political parties are all promoting the policy agendas they believe will foster a sustainably high quality of life for all Canadians. It remains to be seen whether they will attain the success that they aim to achieve. In some...
Cities have outgrown their role as mere creatures of the provinces
The Martin Prosperity Institute recently released the map pictured above, which compares the GDP of several US metropolitan areas to the size of national economies. For instance, the Boston-Cambridge-Quincy metropolitan statistical area (MSA) has a GDP of $311.3...
Big Society Needed in Winnipeg
I would have jumped at a chance to bid on a contract to mow the lawn and provide maintenance of parks.
To Protect Free and Fair Elections…
Let’s outlaw labour strikes within 4 months of an election….
Learning the right lessons from LA’s “Carmageddon”
Carmageddon has come and gone, and the world didn’t end. The catalyst for the predicted disaster was the closure of Interstate 405 in Los Angeles for construction for the weekend of the 16th and 17th of July. Freeway closures aren’t all that unusual, but the 405 is...
Inconvenient Truths About Light Rail
Transport Engineer Sturat Donovan on the troubles with light rail.
Removing Socialism From the NDP: Achieving justice not about state planning
Beyond the political implications of modernizing its image, removing old ideological baggage from its party constitution would help the NDP enter the world of smart policies.
Times are a-changin’ in Quebec (still)
As the Parti Quebecois unravels in Quebec, it changes the political landscape with a provincial election looming over the horizon.
Voters vs. the Welfare State
Canada’s Prime Minister Stephen Harper, by winning an outright majority of seats in his country’s parliament for the first time since assuming office, continues a remarkable series of national election victories, backed by voters demanding at least a pause, and perhaps some reversal, of the growth of the welfare state.
Ending a Century of Parking Problems: Parking pricing should be linked to demand
Rather than use flat hourly rates for parking, Canadian cities need to set price according to demand, as technology is increasingly allowing this to happen.