Alberta and Ontario are leading the pack in innovation as measured by patents filed per capita, according to a new report from the C.D. Howe Institute. In “Measuring Innovation in Canada: The Tale Told by Patent Applications,” authors Robbie Brydon, Nicholas Chesterley, Benjamin Dachis and...

Canada needs a better and faster payments system, according to a report from the C.D. Howe Institute. In “A Speedier and More Efficient Payments System for Canada,” author Mati Dubrovinsky finds that the Canadian economy would benefit from an upgraded payments system that creates lower...

Public alarms have sounded over the rising holdings of cash on Canadian businesses’ balance sheets. Critics have alleged the hoards reflect a market failure or collective business failure to invest productively in new machinery and equipment. A closer look at the situation suggests more to the...

The Canadian labour market suffered a severe blow during the last recession, with more than 430,000 persons losing their jobs and the unemployment rate reaching levels unseen since the latter half of the 1990s. Subsequently, the labour market has shown great resilience, and there are now 900,000...

Canada’s performance in business investment per worker relative to its peers is sliding, led by dismal performances in Quebec and Ontario, according to a new C.D. Howe Institute report. In “Capital Needed: Canada Needs More Robust Business Investment,” authors Benjamin Dachis, William B.P....

Policymakers should not overreact to perceptions of corporate ‘dead money’, according to a new C.D. Howe Institute report. In “It’s Alive! Corporate Cash and Business Investment,” author Finn Poschmann points out that corporate cash holdings, as a share of output, have not grown since...

Ontario electricity consumers will benefit from less risk and lower prices if the province moves to a capacity market for obtaining generation, according to a report from the C.D. Howe Institute. In “Rethinking Ontario’s Electricity System with Consumers in Mind,” author Michael Wyman...

Canadian provinces have parted ways when it comes to their share of public- versus private-sector investment, according to a new C.D. Howe Institute report. In “The Public Purse versus Private Wallets: Comparing Provincial Approaches to Investing in Economic Growth,” author Philip Cross,...

After several years of relatively robust performance, Canada is lagging its peers in business investment growth, according to a new report by the C.D. Howe institute. In “Equipping Canadian Workers: Business Investment Loses a Step against Competitors Abroad,” authors Benjamin Dachis and...