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...

Lethbridge County introduced a new business tax on confined feeding operations (CFO), notably feedlots, in 2016. It was expected to bring in $2.5 million for county road maintenance in 2017. However, the tax could have a detrimental impact on feedlot owners and is not the fairest way to amass...

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...