Changes in trends occasioned by digitization has had some adverse financial effects on Canada Post Corporation (CPC). Particularly, there is a shift in demand for traditional mail leading to a decline in mail volumes. Parcel volumes, however, are increasing owing to...
Yukon Energy Corporation (YEC) is a sprawling generator and distributor of electric power to customers in Yukon Territory. It could be worth as much as $212M were it divested, making the assumption that its chronic heavy capital investment program will end soon. As a...
Hydro-Québec, (HQ), is the electric power utility for Quebec, Canada’s largest province by area, and is owned entirely by the provincial government. It could theoretically be worth as much as $162B were it divested; or, far less if investors believe that its...
Recently the Insurance Corporation of British Columbia (ICBC) has been experiencing significant losses. These losses have been offset by transfers from its optimal business. Without transfers, the basic business capital would have fallen below the regulatory minimum....
A few weeks ago, Albertans voted to reduce the inequities in the federal equalization program. The deficit between the dollars that leave to and come back from Ottawa has recently been as high as $27 billion in one year. During times of crisis, it feels like salt in...
One of the most widespread economic myths is that inflation—the reduced purchasing power of a currency—is a win for a nation, a sign of a booming economy. For the privileged classes in government and with initial access to monetary expansion, it is a win. For everyone...
A recent CBC radio report focused on the woes of an overbooked airline traveller. Missing was an analysis of the airline perspective. Overbooking is not, as consumer advocate Gabor Lukacs claims, a “deceptive practice.” Ralph Nader used the same language in his...
The NDP government has and is pressuring (if not bullying) Manitoba Hydro into pursuing a massive $20-billion plus expansion of its transmission and hydro-electric generation infrastructure, a plan based on the premise of profitable sales of excess power to American...
Paul Hannon and Alex Macdonald, Wall Street Journal, October 11, 2013 Shares of U.K. postal service Royal Mail PLC RMG.LN -2.20% soared on their first day of trading, rising 38% above the government's original offer price and...
The rate practices, requirements and options of BC Hydro were recently leaked to the media by the Canadian Office and Professional Employees Union (COPE), which represents the unionized staff of the utility. Apparently, senior BC public servants and BC...
A Frontier Conversation with Leonard Gilroy. Frontier Centre: Briefly can you describe the traditional procurement process? Leonard Gilroy: In a traditional procurement process for infrastructure, you tend to see a lot of bifurcation of the steps along the way. You...
Mary-Jane Bennett shows why Thomas Mulcair is wrong to link the July rail disaster at Lac-Mégantic to “years of government deregulation” and why a return to over-regulation of rail in Canada would be a serious mistake.
The financial sections of the Crown corporation's 2012-13 Annual Report focuses on two myths - that its reported profit of $92 million is adequate, having arisen from prudent and profitable operations, and, secondly, that the Utility's financial position is 'strong',...
The rail tragedy at Lac Mégantic, Québec, has opened a debate about the safety of railway in urban areas. Some argue a safety measure would be the relocation of rail lines away from urban areas. Those against this option make economic arguments about community sustainability and the high costs of relocation.
Portage & Main is one of Winnipeg’s most prominent intersections, but because it undermines local retail and residential development by dissuading pedestrians. Opening it up to pedestrians is a necessary condition for any successful neighbourhood revitalization scheme.