Canadian citizens and Canadian corporations support Saskatchewan's money-losing rural economy with tax dollars. Some may resent it, but because there are relatively few Saskatchewan farmers and other rural residents, and relatively many Canadian taxpayers, the cost for each federal taxpayer is small.  Full story »

China is a Third World country – poor, backward apart from the odd showcase city, and, all told, an economic failure. Those who see in this tyranny of 1.3 billion an economic powerhouse that may soon overtake the West don't realize that this dragon has been blowing smoke and manufacturing mirrors.  Full story »

William Thorsell, CEO of the Royal Ontario Museum, doesn't need to fuss much about staying this side of the law. Yes, his museum's wildly unorthodox, $200-million glass-sheathed expansion will stretch - if not break - a dumpster-load of bylaws, planning codes and other rules governing Toronto developments. But in the end, Toronto's government will generally look the other way when it can and change the law when it can't.  Full story »

Finance Minister Paul Martin wants the country's economic picture to include information about the state of the air, forests and fisheries.

A set of environmental indicators, being developed over the next two years, will be used as yardsticks to track the country's natural resources, Martin told a breakfast meeting that was hosted by the National Round Table on the Environment and the Economy in Toronto yesterday.  Full story »

Montreal was once Canada's great financial centre. Then politics made Montreal unwelcoming to business and, over time, Toronto took over. Now Toronto has become hostile to business and companies are relocating outside the city and to more business-friendly Calgary. If Toronto remains hostile, Calgary will continue to outpace Toronto and could replace Toronto as the country's business and financial capital.  Full story »

Charlottetown Mayor Clifford Lee wants to beautify his city. So does Toronto Mayor David Miller, Vancouver Mayor Sam Sullivan and literally hundreds of other mayors across Canada who tout beautification campaigns for their towns and cities, often with the sponsorship of the Canada Lands Company, a federal Crown corporation that's big on beautification.  Full story »

To combat rising gun crime in Toronto, Mayor David Miller believes young hoodlums need positive role models. Good idea. To set an example, the Mayor should choose a good role model for himself: Rudy Giuliani.  Full story »

Two years after he was elected to office on a pledge to clean up government, Toronto Mayor David Miller continues to preside over a corrupt administration. This corruption is not limited to the high-profile cases for which Toronto is making a name for itself. Petty corruption is the stuff of daily life at city hall.  Full story »

Canada's mayors are thinking big transportation thoughts this week, full of hope that Next-Prime Minster Paul Martin will finance a new era of public transit lines, roadways, trains and other showcase projects.

While they're waiting, they might turn their mind to long-neglected little improvements. Though unsuited to ribbon-cutting ceremonies, taken together they would dwarf the benefit of any new infusions of cash they're likely to get.  Full story »

Canadians have become accustomed to corporate sponsorship of buildings, the branding of sports stadiums and even the renaming of movie theatres after banks, but now there's a push to expand the name game to public spaces – including Toronto's Lake Ontario waterfront.  Full story »