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Confederation Line Inquiry Hearings About to Begin

On occasion, Canada organizes what are known as “public inquiries.” They differ in a few ways from your typical government audit or investigation, which are also common in Canada. Public inquiries are generally more expensive because a judge is appointed to oversee them, and they take longer and have more public outreach. They can also […]

The Meandering Mandate for Canada’s Infrastructure Bank

Terry Moe, the Stanford political scientist, wrote that political institutions are unique because they serve two different purposes. On the one hand, they help mitigate collective-action problems. On the other hand, they are weapons of coercion and redistribution. As a result, these institutions tend to be laden with rules because the officials designing them assume […]

An Epilogue for Cancelled Toronto Smart City Megaproject

The Waterfront Toronto Quayside project was intended to be the city of the future. Now, just under two years after the smart city initiative was canceled, Waterfront Toronto has selected a new team to develop the Quayside site. The new development will be not-so-smart, not-so-ambitious, and completely uncontroversial.