Commentary
Tune in regularly to Commentary on BIV.com, where you can find the latest insight into issues facing Vancouver, British Columbia and Canada
Canadian chamber chief wants us to advance the discussion
When I arrived in Ottawa as a reporter in the Parliamentary Press Gallery at 23, Perrin Beatty was already an ancient 31. He was by then a long-serving Progressive Conservative MP, elected at the...
Getting to the meat of what Canadians think of grilling
With a federal election expected in October, Canadian politicians are currently participating in what is affectionately known as the “barbecue circuit.” For the next few weeks, community events will...
Technological disruption unlikely to trigger labour doomsday
Today, economists and policy analysts interested in the future of work are confronted with a mix of conflicting evidence and forecasts. On the one hand are projections pointing to large-scale...
Canadian suspicion about Chinese investment is deepening
In October 2012, a survey I conducted asked Canadians about the proposed takeover of Calgary-based oil and gas company Nexen Inc. by China’s state-owned CNOOC Ltd. At that time, a majority of...
Editorial: Climate fight needs positive energy
The fight to clean up the world’s energy portfolio needs more than opposition forces. It needs champions of viable alternatives. It also needs informed public discourse if we are to progress beyond...
Unclear about Scheer and Conservative leader’s plan for Canada
The most apt description for an adult Canadian is progressive and conservative. We are socially liberal and fiscally not. We want government in our lives to help us be our best, help those in need,...
Corporate borrowers reap benefits from having banking advisers
A few years ago I wrote a column in Business in Vancouver encouraging corporate borrowers to write their own credit applications (“Assessing the New Do-It-Yourself Approach to Corporate Borrowing”–...
Survey reveals width of gap between Canadian, U.S. attitudes on abortion
In May 2011, after voters in Canada delivered what Stephen Harper described in his election night speech as a “a strong, stable, national Conservative majority government,” there was plenty of...
Erring on the side of cannabis caution in safety-sensitive workplaces
Canada is not the only country to legalize recreational marijuana. We now join company with South Africa, Georgia and Uruguay. I do not have a personal issue with the legalization of marijuana; I...
Most B.C. drivers support automated speed enforcement: survey
Late last summer, Research Co. took an early look at the views of British Columbians on the complex issue of automated speed enforcement. At the time, the Insurance Corp. of British Columbia had...