We analyze the prospects for institutional change in the alienated hinterland region of northwestern Ontario. Among the scenarios we examine are union with Manitoba, provincial status, and regional government. We find that there would be political benefits for the residents of the Thunder Bay,...

We investigate the influence of accreditation requirements on the speed of adjustment in the markets for eight building trades in 20 Canadian cities from 1971 to 2010. We aim to improve our understanding of how labour market institutions and regulations may impede adjustment in the markets for...

This paper analyzes publication activity and its Canadian content for a random sample of current academic faculty in Canadian economics departments using both descriptive evidence and time-dependent panel regression models. We find some support for Anthony Scott's (1993) hypothesis that...

This paper exploits the fact that a confluence of events in the mid-1990s caused Canadian provincial governments to re-examine the design of their social-assistance programs. Three provinces in particular - Alberta, British Columbia, and Ontario - chose to introduce substantial changes to the...

This paper reviews the recent history of federal and provincial deficits and debt in Canada with the purpose of investigating whether rules of behaviour need to be imposed on fiscal authorities as a way of controlling the growth of these deficits and debt. The evidence suggests that the need for...

We employ a methodology that distinguishes between discretionary and non-discretionary changes in provincial and federal fiscal policy. We find substantial variation in the discretionary policy of Canadian governments, across both time and jurisdictions. We uncover a marked asymmetry in the...