Nallai showed us there are no differences that we cannot overcome if we show the desire and ability to approach them with an open mind
The quiet passing a couple of weeks ago of a retired economics professor from Calgary’s Mount Royal University is a footnote in Alberta history worth noting. As an immigrant from Sri Lanka more than three decades ago, Vettivelu Nallainayagam not only helped shape the economics program at that school, but also became an influential fixture…
Despite a struggling economy, Calgary’s restaurant scene is more robust than ever, with new and exciting venues opening regularly. Last week, I attended the media preview of another great restaurant in the downtown area – NUPO, in the Hotel Arts, smack dab in Calgary’s up-and-coming East Village district. NUPO features a predominantly vegetarian menu with…
Somehow, the organizers of the Motorcycle Show in Calgary manage to pick one of the most bitterly cold weeks of January to hold their annual event. That's all right because it gives riders a little light at the end of the long, white winter tunnel. This year's show was the first of six to be…
For business, an ideology-driven agenda – whether from the right or the left – doesn’t create favourable conditions for investment
Common sense is not so common, observed the 18th century French writer Voltaire. Sadly, he could be talking about politics in Alberta today. Albertans have been whipsawed by two back-to-back political parties that govern more by ideology than common sense. The NDP governed from the ideological perspective that the state should tax more and use…
Alberta’s economy needs a break after five brutal years since oil prices fell, driving our economy into an agonizing period of stasis
We’re told 2020 could be the year Alberta’s economy turns the corner. So, if we do get some economic breathing room, what are we going to do with it? Alberta’s economy is ready for a break. It has been five brutal years since oil prices fell, driving our economy into a long and agonizing period…
When one government offers incentives and another one doesn't, then the comptetion to attract new businesses is no longer a level playing field
When Toronto-based Wattpad chose Halifax over Calgary as the site of its second headquarters last month, the question on many people’s minds was: Which of the two cited factors was the deciding one – concerns about Western separatism or cuts to Alberta’s tax credits for tech companies? The answer isn’t quite as simple as either/other.…
It was actually the federal Liberals and Alberta’s previous NDP government that did the heavy lifting needed to get the project started
It was more than a little disingenuous for Alberta’s still newish UCP government to stand up and claim last week that its “perseverance” led to the start of construction of the long-delayed Trans Mountain Pipeline expansion. “Perseverance has got us to this point,” clucked Alberta Energy Minister Sonya Savage. “When others were criticizing our energy…
The worst thing Alberta can do is let the Wexit debate linger. A never-ending debate will only trigger a permanent loss of economic power and status
When the topic of political separation comes up, there’s one thing most of us can agree on: it’s bad for business. Recent grumblings in Alberta about breaking free of Ottawa’s shackles – which are, less face it, profoundly annoying and bad for business in their own way – brought back memories of that other separatist…
As cathartic as it may be, it’s unclear that anything Kenney has prescribed will do much to improve the business climate in this province
Managing our own affairs is good for business. That, at least, is what Alberta’s premier would like us to believe, following a policy speech delivered to a conservative crowd in Red Deer on Saturday. But is it? It depends on how you turn the coin. Premier Jason Kenney said he was up all night writing…
It is, at 236 metres high, one of the tallest office towers in Calgary. It’s architecturally stunning – in part because of the design by world-famous architectural firm Foster + Partners, but also because of its massive scale. When it was completed in 2012, it was among the top 10 architectural projects in the world…
Albertans are looking for a government that can move beyond ideology to a clear-eyed vision for the future
Of all the Canadians sitting on the edge of their chairs Monday night watching the federal election results, it’s hard to imagine any who would be more anxious than the people of Alberta. The ability of this province to pull itself out of an agonizing economic malaise hinges very much on the makeup of the…
Combining the best of both internal combustion engine (ICE) and battery electric (BEV) technology
Just when you think you’ve settled on the perfect mate for your daily commute, a new love interest shows up. Canadians have slowly started to accept that electric vehicles (EV) will replace good old fashioned gasoline-powered cars as their daily driver. But industry leaders say EVs could eventually be eclipsed by a more convenient technology:…
There is a lot of intense chatter about just how many votes Justin Trudeau’s “brown face” and “black face” photos will cost his Liberal party in the upcoming federal election. Those discussions, while interesting for pundits, seem almost beside the point. The point, actually, is the cost on his stature with Canadians, with the world…
The Canadian experience doesn’t get any better than this
Paradise, Canadian style, is uniquely rugged: long summer days travelling endless twisty roads surrounded by jagged mountain beauty, ice-cold deep blue lakes and evergreen trees. The magically isolated Kootenay Region of south-central British Columbia does Canadian paradise particularly well. The tiny, laid-back City of Nelson is the natural home base for cyclists and motorcyclists who…
There are two important facts you need to know about the 2019 Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV. About 500 km. Eleven bucks. Yup, if you nerd it up and stick close to home, you can slash your fuel costs like crazy. I proved it in a week of city-only driving involving a series of trips that rarely…
The quiet passing a couple of weeks ago of a retired economics professor from Calgary’s Mount Royal University is a footnote in Alberta history worth noting. As an immigrant from Sri Lanka more than three decades ago, Vettivelu Nallainayagam not only helped shape the economics program at that school, but also became an influential fixture…
