From: Peter MacKenzie and Mark Zelmer To: Digital finance watchers Date: May 1, 2026 Re: How to Escape US Dollar Domination in Canada’s Digital Finance Future In the span of three weeks this March, Canada crossed two milestones in digital finance. First, the Bank of Canada, RBC, TD, and Export Development Canada completed Project Samara, […]
From: Glen HodgsonTo: Canadian Climate WatchersDate: April 24, 2026 Re: Flood and Fires: It’s (Still) Time for Some Insurance Plans Spring flooding is once again severe across the country, with climate change the likely driver. The bill isn’t in, but for thousands of homeowners and businesses, insured, and uninsured losses will be huge. This is yet another wake-up call. We need improved risk management and climate adaptation, since severe flooding, wildfires and other natural disasters are on the way. A […]
22 avril 2026 – Des changements ciblés dans la manière dont les règles prudentielles sont calibrées et appliquées par le Bureau du surintendant des institutions financières (BSIF) peuvent permettre de débloquer davantage de financement pour les entreprises canadiennes, selon un nouveau communiqué du groupe de travail de l’Institut C.D. Howe sur les exigences prudentielles du BSIF et le financement des entreprises. Le groupe de travail, composé de neuf membres et créé en 2026 en réponse aux déclarations du régulateur visant à accroître l’accès au crédit pour les entreprises canadiennes dans un contexte de défis mondiaux, avait pour mandat de formuler des observations et des recommandations ciblées sur les réformes proposées par le BSIF. Le groupe de travail a structuré ses recommandations en propositions à court terme et à long terme. À court terme, les membres soutiennent que la politique prudentielle peut avoir le plus grand […]
April 22, 2026 – Targeted changes to how prudential rules are calibrated and applied by the Office of the Superintendent of Financial Institutions (OSFI) can unlock more financing for Canadian businesses, according to a new communiqué from the C.D. Howe Institute’s Task Force on OSFI Prudential Requirements and Business Lending. The nine-member task force, established in 2026 in response to statements from the regulator on increasing credit to Canadian businesses amid global challenges, was mandated […]
Rethinking Prudential Rules to Strengthen Canada’s Economy Through Improved Business Lending Second and Final Meetings of the C.D. Howe Institute Task Force on OSFI Prudential Requirements and Business Lending Introduction The C.D. Howe Institute Task Force on Office of the Superintendent of Financial Institutions (OSFI) Prudential Requirements and Business Lending has met three times since […]
21 avril 2026 – Le Canada a effectué un travail remarquable pour inciter les Canadiens disposant de moins de 100 000 $ en actifs financiers à investir dans des fonds d’investissement. Par rapport aux autres pays de l’OCDE, les Canadiens sont ceux qui détiennent la plus grande part (20 %) de leurs actifs financiers dans […]
by Paul C. Bourque Canada has outperformed many OECD peers in providing widespread, affordable access to limited investment advice for modest investors. This success reflects a distinctive regulatory framework, most importantly a system of front-line self-regulation, alongside tailored mutual fund dealer rules and flexible compensation structures that have kept advice accessible at low cost. Access […]
April 21, 2026 – Canada has done a remarkable job persuading Canadians with less than $100,000 of financial wealth to purchase investment funds. Among our peers, Canadians hold the highest proportion (20 percent) of their financial assets in investment funds compared to other OECD countries. The country’s limited investment advice system is a rare success […]
Published in The Globe and Mail. In the span of three weeks this March, Canada crossed two milestones in digital finance. First, the Bank of Canada, RBC, TD, and Export Development Canada completed Project Samara, issuing Canada’s first tokenized bond. Today, when a bond is sold, an investment dealer manages the sale, the Canadian Depository […]
The C.D. Howe Institute’s toolkit for tracking the economy is a customized series of data sets from past Institute publications. These tools can be helpful for policymakers and other parties interested in analyzing monetary policy and financial stability decisions. These unique variables, which can all be found in past Institute work, include: The Leading […]
Published in The Globe and Mail. A priority project for the Ontario Securities Commission currently is to give smaller investors easier access to private assets (including private equity investments). This is consistent with a recent executive order directing the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission and Department of Labour to facilitate access to private equity by retail […]
From: Harvey NaglieTo: Financial market observersDate: March 4, 2026Re: Canada’s real industrial policy is risk aversion — and it is making us dependent Canada keeps announcing a “redo” built on growth, independence, and innovation. The country’s governing reflex keeps producing the opposite: slow decisions, vague rules, and a preference for restraint that is treated as […]
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From: Peter MacKenzie and Mark Zelmer To: Digital finance watchers Date: May 1, 2026 Re: How to Escape US Dollar Domination in Canada’s Digital Finance Future In the span of three weeks this March, Canada crossed two milestones in digital finance. First, the Bank of Canada, RBC, TD, and Export Development Canada completed Project Samara, […] 
From: Glen HodgsonTo: Canadian Climate WatchersDate: April 24, 2026 Re: Flood and Fires: It’s (Still) Time for Some Insurance Plans Spring flooding is once again severe across the country, with climate change the likely driver. The bill isn’t in, but for thousands of homeowners and businesses, insured, and uninsured losses will be huge. This is yet another wake-up call. We need improved risk management and climate adaptation, since severe flooding, wildfires and other natural disasters are on the way. A […] 
April 22, 2026 – Targeted changes to how prudential rules are calibrated and applied by the Office of the Superintendent of Financial Institutions (OSFI) can unlock more financing for Canadian businesses, according to a new communiqué from the C.D. Howe Institute’s Task Force on OSFI Prudential Requirements and Business Lending. The nine-member task force, established in 2026 in response to statements from the regulator on increasing credit to Canadian businesses amid global challenges, was mandated […] 
Rethinking Prudential Rules to Strengthen Canada’s Economy Through Improved Business Lending Second and Final Meetings of the C.D. Howe Institute Task Force on OSFI Prudential Requirements and Business Lending Introduction The C.D. Howe Institute Task Force on Office of the Superintendent of Financial Institutions (OSFI) Prudential Requirements and Business Lending has met three times since […] 
by Paul C. Bourque Canada has outperformed many OECD peers in providing widespread, affordable access to limited investment advice for modest investors. This success reflects a distinctive regulatory framework, most importantly a system of front-line self-regulation, alongside tailored mutual fund dealer rules and flexible compensation structures that have kept advice accessible at low cost. Access […] 
The C.D. Howe Institute’s toolkit for tracking the economy is a customized series of data sets from past Institute publications. These tools can be helpful for policymakers and other parties interested in analyzing monetary policy and financial stability decisions. These unique variables, which can all be found in past Institute work, include: The Leading […] 
Published in The Globe and Mail. A priority project for the Ontario Securities Commission currently is to give smaller investors easier access to private assets (including private equity investments). This is consistent with a recent executive order directing the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission and Department of Labour to facilitate access to private equity by retail […] 
From: Harvey NaglieTo: Financial market observersDate: March 4, 2026Re: Canada’s real industrial policy is risk aversion — and it is making us dependent Canada keeps announcing a “redo” built on growth, independence, and innovation. The country’s governing reflex keeps producing the opposite: slow decisions, vague rules, and a preference for restraint that is treated as […]