News Room

The Bank of Canada’s decision to keep interest rates unchanged came as a surprise to the market. But it didn’t surprise us. It is indeed true that inflation has been above the Bank’s upper target rate for nine months. Besides, there is little slack left to absorb in the labour market. Both employment levels, hours worked, and vacancies exceed pre-pandemic levels. What’s more, the level of economic activity in Canada is hovering around full production capacity.

Quick take  |  2-min read
January 26, 2022
Focus Area—Canadian Economics

The Omicron variant swept through the country before the holidays, with most provinces seeing record high cases and hospitalizations. This forced many provinces to impose stricter restrictions, with the common denominator being limited customer capacity for retailers. On top of that, steadily rising prices, waning household savings, and lingering supply chain disruptions are also taking their toll on the retail industry.

Quick take  |  2-min read
January 21, 2022
Focus Area—Canadian Economics

From boardrooms to living rooms, inflation remains the topic du jour. December’s CPI figures make that unlikely to change any time soon. Inflation has now been above Bank of Canada’s upper target range of three per cent for nine months. Gasoline and housing-related costs remain some of the strongest upward contributors to year-over-year price increases.

Quick take  |  2-min read
January 19, 2022
Focus Area—Canadian Economics

It’s human nature to want to improve things. But sometimes, in trying to make things better, we can end up making them worse. So knowing when to act, and when not to, is often a sign of wisdom. In other words, if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. And that is what’s needed as the Bank of Canada renews its mandate with the federal government for the next five years.

Op-ed  |  4-min read
November 29, 2021
Focus Area—Canadian Economics

We lead the world in the generation of solid waste per capita. Plastic waste pollution is one of the seminal environmental issues of our time. On this front, our performance has been poor. Only a quarter of plastic waste is collected, with just nine per cent being recycled. The “take-make-waste” paradigm of our linear plastics economy is unsustainable. A reset is overdue.

Op-ed  |  4-min read
September 27, 2021
Focus Area—Sustainability

Canadians have been enjoying the return of some simple pleasures over the last few months. As the vaccination rate has increased, people have been heading out to patios, booking vacations, and engaging in social activities. This is good news. But every rose has its thorn. Provincial and territorial reopenings have also brought with them a spike in prices.

Op-ed  |  4-min read
September 21, 2021
Focus Area—Canadian Economics

Can policy makers really have an impact on the economy, create jobs and even lift economic growth, or rather, should they just stay out of the kitchen? That’s a question I used to ask myself. After all, I started studying economics in the late 1980s when much of the thinking in academia was that Keynesian economics had gone too far. Governments were far too involved in the economy, taxing too much, spending too much, and many putting in place one boondoggle policy after another.

Commentary  |  3-min read
September 20, 2021
Focus Area—Canadian Economics

Over half a million Canadians live with dementia. This number is expected to nearly double by 2033. Dementia refers to a group of symptoms associated with a progressive decline in cognitive function characterized by memory loss, difficulties with thinking, behavior, language, and ability to perform everyday activities. Unpaid, informal caregivers, typically family, friends, and neighbours play a vital role in the lives of people with dementia while helping them reside safely at home and in their communities.

Commentary  |  4-min read
March 31, 2021
Focus Area—Health

The Conference Board of Canada is examining colorectal cancer care (CRC) pathways in Ontario and Quebec to understand how to align provincial guidelines, existing pathways for patient care, and a value-based model of healthcare for these patients. Patient care pathways are multidisciplinary stepped-care plans founded on evidence-based clinical guidelines and expert consensus.

Commentary  |  4-min read
December 16, 2020
Focus Area—Health