Will greater diversification benefit our economy? While many think it will, few are explicit about what they mean by diversification or what an “ideal” level would be. Even fewer recognize that favoured policies to promote diversification could actually do more harm than good.There are many...

Approximately 60 per cent of Alberta's oil sands production is non-upgraded bitumen which, after being mixed with a diluting agent (diluent) to allow transport, is exported. A popular view within Alberta — and particularly among Albertan politicians — is that a much larger share of oil sands...

This paper is a follow-up to the School of Public Policy’s initial publication on the corridor concept published by Fellows and Sulzenko (2016). In it, they give a summary of the broad scope of the Canadian Northern Corridor (CNC) concept and The School of Public Policy’s CNC research...

The oil and gas sector is a key driver of the Canadian and Albertan economies. Directly and indirectly it typically accounts for roughly half of Alberta’s GDP, as well as one-third of the country’s business investment and a quarter of business profits — and rising global demand will only...

Canada’s short-term rental (STR) market has grown considerably in recent years, resulting in a heightened focus by local governments on adopting regulatory approaches to manage it. Indeed, since 2018, an increasing number of Canadian governments (largely cities) have introduced regulatory...

Once limited and relatively unknown, Alberta’s short-term rental (STR) market has, in the past five years, become a frequent discussion topic in news media and municipal council chambers alike. Facilitated by the arrival of online platforms, such as Airbnb, the now-thriving STR market is...

Over the past decade, home-sharing has evolved from fringe activity to encompass a booming short-term rental (STR) market of global scale. This rise has not been without criticism, as Airbnb and other STR platforms have been charged with exacerbating over-tourism, gentrification, and housing...

The World Health Organization has advocated the earmarking of health-related taxes to mobilize revenues to be spent on public health spending. While there are certain advantages and disadvantages in the use of earmarked taxes to fund healthcare, its ability to mobilize revenues will depend on...