A ship without an anchor risks drifting into stormy waters. The same is true of governments that borrow and spend. More than six months into the global pandemic, it’s time for the Trudeau government to figure out what safeguards to put in place to ensure our temporary plunge into record deficits doesn’t become a permanent…
Until his death in 1970, Maj. Gen. Leslie R. Groves never had a single regret about the lives that were lost as a result of the Manhattan Project
Right up until practically the last minute, only an elite few knew about the building, testing and ultimate plans to drop the bomb on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. When the "gadget" was about to be tested, Maj. Gen. Leslie R. Groves – who ran the project from its inception – tried to explain it as the…
The majority of people who worked on the Manhattan Project were only told what they needed to know to do their jobs
While Oak Ridge, Tenn., would make U-235, the fuel for the Hiroshima atomic bomb, Maj. Gen. Leslie R. Groves looked for a site in the West that was far from population centres. It also needed a generous supply of electricity to run the bomb factories and water to cool the reactors. Hanford, Wash., downriver from…
The beginnings of the Manhattan Project can be traced to research into uranium-238 conducted at the University of California, Berkeley
The beginnings of the Manhattan Project can be traced to early science and technology research into uranium-238 conducted at the University of California, Berkeley. U-238 is the most common radioactive element, making up about 99 per cent of the Earth's supply of uranium. Uranium-238 does not sustain a fission chain reaction, however, and must be…
Maj. Gen. Leslie R. Groves and the Manhattan Project
On July 16, 1945, the world's first nuclear device was tested at a remote location in New Mexico, the Alamogordo Test Range, the Jornada del Muerto (Journey of Death). The word "bomb" was never used. Instead, it was referred to as the "gadget" or the "thing." The Manhattan Project was named after the Manhattan Engineer…
Managers often must have difficult conservations on staff work performance. Professional facilitator Robin Parsons discusses how leaders can prepare
One of the greatest challenges managers face is how to have a difficult conversation with a staff person. Managers often must have difficult conservations on work performance, matters of discipline or in cases of conflict. Professional facilitator Robin Parsons discusses how leaders can prepare for such conversations and handle at times unexpected discoveries. About Robin…Four of the 10 roles on the list are considered to be blue-collar: truck driver, welder, general labourer and heavy duty mechanic
Wondering what the most in demand jobs are this year? Randstad Canada, which is in the human resources services industry, has compiled a top 10 list which includes a range of sectors. But the growing need for skilled and blue-collar workers stands out, it said on Monday, and four of the 10 roles on the…
Canadian economic growth 1.7 per cent in 2019 followed by a slight decline of 1.6 per cent growth this year then growth of 1.8 per cent in 2021
None of the major trends of 2019 suggest impending economic doom for Canada, but nor do they point to much in terms of upside, says a new report by TD Economics. “In all cases, a ‘ho hum’ economic performance appears to be the best we can hope for . . . Some help will come…
Total annual revenue was up 7.1 per cent in 2018 compared to 2017, reaching $80.4 billion, but still four per cent below peak set in 2014
Just how important is the manufacturing sector to Alberta’s overall economy? Some data released by Statistics Canada recently indicates it is a vital source of jobs for the province and a key in growing the economy. “Zeroing in on Alberta, the sector’s total annual revenue was up 7.1 per cent in 2018 compared to 2017,…
Print advertising continued to slide, but the company pointed to an increase in digital revenue of $2.8 million or 8.7 per cent in the quarter as a hopeful sign
Postmedia, the owner of major daily newspapers across Canada, reported Thursday a net loss in the fiscal quarter ended November 30, 2019, of $3 million. A year before, the loss was $1.4 million. The company stated in a news release that revenue for the quarter was $156.7 million compared to $171.3 million last year, representing…
Also plans $1.5 billion of additional spending with Indigenous businesses and reclaim 1,500 decommissioned well sites
Cenovus Energy announced Thursday it is aiming to reduce its emissions intensity by 30 per cent by 2030. It also plans to achieve a minimum of $1.5 billion of additional spending with Indigenous businesses, reclaim 1,500 decommissioned well sites and complete $40 million of caribou habitat restoration work. “Our environmental practices, low-emissions oil sands operations…
As climate concerns mount, Canada’s challenge will be to better sell ourselves as a responsible, cleaner energy producer, says the report
Canada will remain a major producer and supplier of energy to the rest of the world and that role will increase as new oil pipelines are built and LNG export capacity comes on stream, says a new report by RBC Economics. "We expect Canadian oil sands producers, already large investors in clean technology, to continue…
Both export and import products declined and the trend was linked to disruptions in Canadian rail transportation
Canada's world merchandise trade deficit narrowed from $1.6 billion in October to $1.1 billion in November, Statistics Canada reported Tuesday. Merchandise exports declined 1.4 per cent in November to $48.7 billion, while imports were down 2.4 per cent to $49.8 billion. "Widespread declines across export and import products coincided with disruptions in Canadian rail transportation,"…
Alberta produced 18.3 million cubic metres of crude oil and equivalent products in October, down 4.9 per cent
Energy production in Canada declined in several sectors in October 2019, compared with the same month in 2018, according to Statistics Canada. The federal agency said production of crude oil and equivalent products (-1.7 per cent), natural gas (-1.3 per cent), and coal (-9.3 per cent), as well as electricity generation (-3.3 per cent) declined…
Alberta has regained its status as a magnet for Canadians moving from other parts of the country, albeit at lower levels than in previous years
A sign of a good economy is when people want to move from other parts of the country to get in on the action. For years when Alberta was firing on all cylinders it was a magnet for people living in other provinces who wanted to follow the yellow brick road to success that Alberta's…
The online-based firm predicts 2020 sales of 52,300 to 56,900 units and average prices of $379,700 to $383,400 across the province
Real estate in Alberta is set to begin a turnaround this year, in the view of one major real estate firm. Zoocasa, a full-service real estate brokerage that offers advanced online search tools, predicts 2020 sales will hit between 52,300 to 56,900 units (+4.1 to 4.2 per cent), while prices will inch up to the…
Top financial concerns are the rising cost of goods, the low Canadian dollar , low wages and household debt, according to CIBC survey
Canadians have had their fill of debt. For the 10th straight year, Canadians have told a CIBC poll that getting out of debt is their top financial priority. Numerous surveys and statistics over the past year have demonstrated how far into personal debt many Canadians have fallen. Now, those economic concerns are weighing on their…
The CFIB barometer in the province dropped by 6.4 points to 38.3, the lowest in the country in December
It has been a tough year for small business owners in Alberta and that was evident again on Friday with the release of the Business Barometer measure by the Canadian Federation of Independent Business. In December, the barometer in the province dropped by 6.4 points to 38.3. That is the lowest in the country, which…
TC Energy Corporation – the former TransCanada – has sold off a nearly two-thirds share of a controversial pipeline that will carry natural gas from northeast British Columbia to a contentious LNG export terminal in Kitimat TC Energy announced it will sell 65 per cent of the Coastal GasLink Pipeline Project to private equity firm…
Erin Berney, a lawyer with Field Law, discusses implications of the recent ruling for condo boards and owners
A recent court ruling puts a temporary ban on the ability of condo owners to use their units as rentals on the tourism site, Airbnb. Erin Berney, a lawyer with Field Law, explains the ruling and discusses what it might mean for the rights of both condominium boards and condo owners. If you own a…An increase of 0.4 per cent came after retail sales in the province had fallen below levels last reported in August 2017
Retail sales in Alberta reached $6.7 billion in October, up 0.4 per cent from the previous month, according to a report released Friday by Statistics Canada. The federal agency said the increase came after retail sales in the province had fallen below levels last reported in August 2017. “Despite the gain, the level of retail…
There were sales of $6.8 billion in the province -- down 0.4 per cent from September but up 1.5 per cent from October 2018
Wholesale sales in Alberta dipped slightly in October but grew better year-over-year than the Canadian average. Data released Thursday by Statistics Canada indicated there were sales of $6.8 billion in the province -- down 0.4 per cent from September but up 1.5 per cent from October 2018. Nationally, sales were down 1.1 per cent on…
Average weekly earnings of non-farm payroll employees was $1,185.83 in October, 3.8 per cent higher than a year ago
Alberta has the highest wages of any province in the country, even though its unemployment levels are high. Average weekly earnings of non-farm payroll employees was $1,185.83 in October, according to a report released Thursday by Statistics Canada. That is up 0.9 per cent from the previous month and 3.8 per cent higher than a…
The traveller accommodation index trended downward in November, falling 4.2 per cent year over year
The cost of living in Alberta rose in November at a rate slightly below the Canadian average, Statistics Canada reported Wednesday. The federal agency said the Consumer Price Index in the province was up 2.1 per cent on a year-over-year basis while in Canada it rose by 2.2 per cent. Both those numbers are up…
Fell by 35 per cent in Alberta, 1.9 per cent in Manitoba and by 1.4 per cent in Saskatchewan
A cold, wet spring and summer on the Prairies took a devastating toll on honey production this year in Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba, Statistics Canada reports. Production in Alberta, the largest honey-producing province in Canada, fell by 35 per cent to 25.1 million pounds, which was the lowest level since 2000, according to the federal…
Manufacturing sales in Alberta increased 1.6 per cent to $6.3 billion in October, as a result of higher sales in the food and chemical industries
Alberta manufacturing sales are recovering from a bad year, even as national national manufacturing sales are declining. Manufacturing sales in Alberta increased 1.6 per cent to $6.3 billion in October, following a 2.8 per cent decline in September. The gain was mostly attributable to higher sales in the food (+8.9 per cent) and chemical (+3.2…
Household debt service ratio rose from 14.82 per cent to 14.9 per cent – an all-time high, statistics from the federal agency indicate
Canadian households have more net worth but also a troubling level of household debt, data from Statistics Canada indicates. Net worth rose by $101.4 billion to $11.5 trillion in the third quarter of this year, primarily as a result of a $138-billion hike in the value of total assets. But at the same time the…
RBC Economics predicts the economy will grow by 1.7 per cent next year, while last week ATB Financial called for 0.9 per cent growth
Financial institutions operating in Alberta agree on one thing: there will be growth in 2020. They just can't agree on how much. A Provincial Outlook report by RBC Economics says oil production is set to rise materially, business investment will pick up and improving prospects for pipeline capacity expansion will shore up confidence in the…
There were drops in all regions except Fort McMurray and south central Alberta, reports the Alberta Real Estate Association
The real estate industry in Alberta saw year-over-year sales declines in November, with low volumes now at a five-year trend and the worst since 2010, the provincewide association reports. There were drops in all regions except Fort McMurray and south central Alberta, reports the Alberta Real Estate Association (AREA). A total of 3,525 units were…
The improvement will be driven by increased oil production, pipeline construction, an uptick in natural gas prices, tourism and population growth
Alberta’s economy will grow ever so slightly in 2020, according to a forecast released Thursday by ATB Financial. The Alberta Economic Outlook predicts GDP will grow by 0.9 per cent next year, driven by increased oil production, pipeline construction, an uptick in natural gas prices, a strong tourism sector and ongoing population growth. The financial…