Canada’s employment insurance (EI) system is failing its first major stress test since the COVID-19 pandemic. Unemployment rates continue to rise, exacerbated by challenging trade wars with the U.S. and China. Yet, as more Canadians find themselves without a job, the share of the unemployed that access EI regular benefits — income support for those […]

The federal government’s unpredictable, fragmented approach to funding acts as a constraint on First Nations that are seeking to build long-term governance and community capacity. Predictable, flexible multi-year funding arrangements such as the New Fiscal Relationship grant should be expanded. First Nations should only have to communicate with a single “window” in Ottawa for their […]

Canada’s impact assessment process is structurally fragmented. A new AI-enabled Sovereign Impact Assessment Agent (SIAA) would speed up assessments and save money by using the federal government’s extensive but fragmented troves of data on Canadian land, water, wildlife and atmosphere to pre-populate assessment applications, identify information gaps and help inform regulators’ final decisions. Delivery requires […]

When you travel along Highway 132 in Quebec’s scenic Gaspé Peninsula, rose-hued Percé Rock appears dramatically just offshore. The iconic wall of stone, rising 80 metres from the water and running 400 metres long, seems constant but has been evolving along with the dynamic region around it. When French mariner Jacques Cartier arrived in the […]

In the fall of 2026, the Bank of Canada and Government of Canada will complete their regular review of Canada’s Monetary Policy Framework. It will include an assessment of how well the inflation targeting framework, which aims to keep inflation close to two per cent, has served the Canadian people. While the Bank of Canada […]

Canada is facing a housing affordability crisis that is placing a growing burden on households, particularly lower-income households, for whom housing and energy are already the largest areas of spending. Although the residential sector has reduced its GHG emissions since 2005, decarbonization has not progressed at the pace required to meet Canada’s 2030 and 2050 […]

Canada’s renewed embrace of industrial policy and megaprojects signals a decisive shift toward an activist ‘nation-of‑builders’ strategy. However, a real test of its success is whether it can support lasting, community‑led prosperity in regions that depend on natural resource extraction or energy generation. In many such places, oil, gas, minerals and other commodities will remain […]

A one-time northern Ontario fur-trading post, Sault Ste. Marie’s fortunes changed when U.S. industrialist Francis Clergue built a hydroelectric power plant on the banks of the St. Mary’s River more than 100 years ago. The dam brought cheap power to the area and turned it into an industrial hub. Clergue also opened a steel mill, […]

Affordability pressures in Canada remain elevated. In 2024 — the most recent year for which there is comprehensive data — food insecurity reached record highs, nearly half of Canadians reported difficulty covering day-to-day expenses and housing costs outpaced incomes. Although indicators for 2025 and early 2026 show modest easing in housing prices and inflation, affordability […]

Canada’s economic landscape is profoundly changing. A shifting trade environment, global efforts to reduce emissions and other structural trends are reshaping industries and job requirements. With these shifts, opportunities arise, but so do uneven risks and impacts. Certain communities are disproportionately susceptible to the workforce disruption these changes will bring. In this Policy Brief, we […]