Guest Essays (Open-Ed Contributions) and Research Briefs

Unpacking the real sources of rising food prices

C.D. Howe Institute, Intelligence Memos, November 27, 2023
 

Here's why an increase in Canada's carbon pricing can actually put money in your pocket

The Toronto Star, December 10, 2022
 

The bumpy road to greener mobility

The Hill Times, November 14, 2022
 

Canada's first-past-the-post electoral system highlights once again the need for reform

The Conversation, October 3, 2021
 

Charging Up!

The Campus Resident, April 26, 2021
 

How can our COVID-19 recovery be made green?

Vancouver Sun, May 16, 2020
 

Toward care-based automobile insurance in B.C.

Vancouver Sun, February 11, 2020
 

Care-based auto insurance saves money and ehances services for injured people

Georgia Straight, Febuary 28, 2020
 

Taxpayers will back a carbon tax if they get a cheque in the mail

The Conversation, July 12, 2018; also carried through The Canadian Press in the
National Post, Ottawa Citizen, and Montreal Gazette; with Sumeet Gulati
 

Lowering B.C. bridge tolls is popular politics, but misses the big picture

Globe and Mail, April 23, 2017.
 

A simple solution to Canada's climate challenge

Toronto Star, May 27, 2016; with Ambarish Chandra and Sumeet Gulati
 

New markets for Manitoba Hydro

Winnipeg Free Press, March 18, 2016.
 

Canada should follow America's lead in liberalizing marijuana laws

co-authored with Evan Woods, National Post, January 18, 2013
 

The Power of e-business (July 2, 2002)

A contribution to the special National Post Series on Competitiveness, sponsored by the Rotman School Institute for Competitiveness and Prosperity, Toronto
 

Interesting Bits of Applied Economics and Noteworthy Facts about Canada

Canada's International Trade and Investment Profile

This document currently contains four time charts depicting Canada's trade intensity (the sum of exports and imports relative to GDP) and its decomposition into goods and service trade, Canada's trade balance (exports minus imports, relative to GDP), Canada's capital flow balances (inflows minus outflows, relative to GDP), the industrial composition of Canada's exports between 1971 and 2003. Furthermore, the are charts detailing the country source of merchandise imports and country destination of merchandise exports. [Updated April 22, 2014; PDF file, 25kB]

Canada's Retail Gasoline and Diesel Prices

Five charts containing monthly average fuel prices since 2000 for diesel and regular gasoline, average surcharge for premium gasoline, price difference between diesel and regular gasoline, price differences across the country, and sesonal price effects. [Updated February 18, 2015; PDF file, 13kB]

Canada's Population Pyramid 1921-2001

This document contains 21 pages, each showing the age distribution of Canada's population in "pyramid" form in four-year intervals. By flipping through the pages one can visualize the movement of cohorts through the pyramid.
[Updated January 22, 2010; PDF file, 76kB]

Immigration into Canada 1955-2008

Number of immigrants into Canada by region of origin. [Updated June 25, 2013; PDF file, 6kB]

Gross Electricity Production in Canada by Energy Type 1977-2008

How much energy is produced by hydro, thermal, and nuclear plants? [Updated April 22, 2014; PDF file, 9kB]

Canadian Government Debt 1977-2005

This single-page chart shows the indebtedness of Canadian federal, provincial, and municipal governments, expressed as a percentage of current GDP [Updated February 20, 2008; PDF file, 32kB]

Canadian Crime Statistics

This is a 15-page document with time trends of major crime types and interprovincial comparisons (actual number of offences, crime rate, and crime rate relative to national average). The interprovincial comparisons cover the years 1990, 1995, and 2000. [Updated February 20, 2008; PDF file, 127kB]