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...

When considering an increase in their non-residential property tax rates, Alberta municipalities must also take into account the adverse effects such an increase will likely have on business investment in their communities. Based on data on commercial and industrial permit values for 17 Alberta...

International labor migration has its positives and negatives. On the positive side, it is a source of cheap labor for a host country that has a growing economy but a labor shortage. On the negative side, the segment of the host country’s labor force that has to compete with foreign workers...

On October 1, 2014, Canada brought into force its Foreign Investment Promotion and Protection Agreement (FIPA) with China. Although the FIPA has various trade-related obligations, it is primarily an investment protection agreement aimed at ensuring Canadian investors in China and Chinese...

In this article, Trevor Tombe examines the sustainability of Canada's public debt in the face of steadily rising provincial debt, a severe economic shock from COVID-19, and mounting health-care costs associated with an aging population. He finds that while the federal debt is solidly...

Challenged by remote locations, small populations, rugged terrain and (at times) difficult climate conditions, Canada's territories rely heavily on imported goods to maintain their standards of living. At the same time, industries in the territories are highly reliant on access to export markets...