April 2, 2026 – Having reached the 2 percent of GDP defence spending benchmark, Canada must present a credible financial plan to augment its military capabilities and meet its new 5 percent defence spending target, according to a new report from the C.D. Howe Institute. In “A Steep Climb: Financing Canada’s NATO Commitment while Maintaining […]
From: Benjamin DachisTo: Ontario Municipal Owners of Electricity Distribution CompaniesDate: March 10, 2026Re: The Time is Coming for Solutions to Ontario’s Electricity Distribution Needs Ontario’s ambitions to build housing and electrify cars, home heating, and other things, is about to hit a bottleneck: municipally owned electricity distribution companies putting the bill for massive grid upgrades […]
From: Christopher WorswickTo: Concerned CanadiansDate: March 3, 2026Re: Hold the Outrage and Just Buy the F-35s Canadian anger toward Donald Trump is understandable, but there is a real risk that this leads to poor policy choices. A case in point is the growing pressure to revisit the decision to buy a fleet of American F-35 fighter […]
Published in The Globe and Mail. Canadian anger toward U.S. President Donald Trump is understandable, but there is a real risk that this leads to poor policy choices. A case in point is the growing pressure to revisit the decision to buy a fleet of American F-35 fighter jets. In economics, we think that governments should set policy […]
From: A.J. Goulding To: Major project observers Date: February 24, 2026 Re: Why Boring is Best for Nation-Building Canada is in the throes of major project mania. A renewed focus on major projects is welcome, provided they help build a stronger, more productive economy. And while the projects identified to date may all be worthy, they do […]
How will Canada’s new Defence Investment Agency strengthen our sovereignty? Canada’s top soldier, General Jennie Carignan, on the Arctic, a 400,000-strong civil defence force, and whether purchasing F-35 fighter jets from a key ally remains in Canada’s best interests.
How will Canada’s new Defence Investment Agency strengthen our sovereignty? Canada’s top soldier, General Jennie Carignan, on the Arctic, a 400,000-strong civil defence force, and whether purchasing F-35 fighter jets from a key ally remains in Canada’s best interests.
Published in Financial Post. Even as the gap widens between feeble capital investment in Canada and surging investment in the United States, so does the gap between the Carney government’s hype about investing for prosperity and its actual pursuit of debt-fuelled consumption. Last week, it announced its latest response to affordability concerns: the Canada Groceries […]
February 5, 2026 – Canada faces urgent economic, geopolitical, and climate pressures, and is seeking to accelerate approvals for major projects. However, without a clear, evidence-based method to assess and rank project proposals, the country risks delaying investments essential to economic security, clean growth, and Indigenous Reconciliation, according to a new report by the C.D. […]
by David Jones and Tasnim Fariha Canada’s Building Canada Act gives the federal government broad discretion to designate projects as being in the national interest but provides limited guidance on how such decisions should be made. This paper develops a rigorous, evidence-based methodology to support more transparent and consistent major project assessments by the Major Projects […]
From: David JonesTo: Major project watchersDate: January 12, 2026Re: The Canadian Curse: Execution Falters in Face of Uncertainty Canada talks a lot about nation-building. We talk about clean energy, critical minerals, trade corridors, and productivity. We talk about seizing opportunities created by global instability and reshoring supply chains. What we do far less effectively is […]
From: Tasnim Fariha and David JonesTo: Infrastructure watchersDate: December 18, 2025Re: High-Speed Rail Can’t Arrive Fast Enough Canada’s Toronto-Quebec City rail corridor was built for a different era – one far less crowded and connected than today. More than a century of population growth, economic expansion, and rising transport demand have placed a strain on […]
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April 2, 2026 – Having reached the 2 percent of GDP defence spending benchmark, Canada must present a credible financial plan to augment its military capabilities and meet its new 5 percent defence spending target, according to a new report from the C.D. Howe Institute. In “A Steep Climb: Financing Canada’s NATO Commitment while Maintaining […] 
From: Benjamin DachisTo: Ontario Municipal Owners of Electricity Distribution CompaniesDate: March 10, 2026Re: The Time is Coming for Solutions to Ontario’s Electricity Distribution Needs Ontario’s ambitions to build housing and electrify cars, home heating, and other things, is about to hit a bottleneck: municipally owned electricity distribution companies putting the bill for massive grid upgrades […] 
From: Christopher WorswickTo: Concerned CanadiansDate: March 3, 2026Re: Hold the Outrage and Just Buy the F-35s Canadian anger toward Donald Trump is understandable, but there is a real risk that this leads to poor policy choices. A case in point is the growing pressure to revisit the decision to buy a fleet of American F-35 fighter […] 
From: A.J. Goulding To: Major project observers Date: February 24, 2026 Re: Why Boring is Best for Nation-Building Canada is in the throes of major project mania. A renewed focus on major projects is welcome, provided they help build a stronger, more productive economy. And while the projects identified to date may all be worthy, they do […] 
How will Canada’s new Defence Investment Agency strengthen our sovereignty? Canada’s top soldier, General Jennie Carignan, on the Arctic, a 400,000-strong civil defence force, and whether purchasing F-35 fighter jets from a key ally remains in Canada’s best interests. 
Published in Financial Post. Even as the gap widens between feeble capital investment in Canada and surging investment in the United States, so does the gap between the Carney government’s hype about investing for prosperity and its actual pursuit of debt-fuelled consumption. Last week, it announced its latest response to affordability concerns: the Canada Groceries […] 
by David Jones and Tasnim Fariha Canada’s Building Canada Act gives the federal government broad discretion to designate projects as being in the national interest but provides limited guidance on how such decisions should be made. This paper develops a rigorous, evidence-based methodology to support more transparent and consistent major project assessments by the Major Projects […] 
From: David JonesTo: Major project watchersDate: January 12, 2026Re: The Canadian Curse: Execution Falters in Face of Uncertainty Canada talks a lot about nation-building. We talk about clean energy, critical minerals, trade corridors, and productivity. We talk about seizing opportunities created by global instability and reshoring supply chains. What we do far less effectively is […] 
From: Tasnim Fariha and David JonesTo: Infrastructure watchersDate: December 18, 2025Re: High-Speed Rail Can’t Arrive Fast Enough Canada’s Toronto-Quebec City rail corridor was built for a different era – one far less crowded and connected than today. More than a century of population growth, economic expansion, and rising transport demand have placed a strain on […]