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…Oil sands extraction declined largely because of shutdowns and maintenance of some production facilities. Crude oil extraction also falls
The natural resources sector in Canada continues to be challenged. A new report released Friday by Statistics Canada said real gross domestic product (GDP) of the natural resources sector fell 2.2 per cent in the third quarter, following a 2.8 per cent rise in the second quarter. The federal agency said the decline was largely…
Limited cash flow also a concern for business owners when it comes to investing in their companies these days, according to BDC survey
Many Canadian entrepreneurs will continue investing in their companies in 2020 despite growing uncertainty about world economies. But business owners in the Prairies are the most pessimistic, mostly because of low commodity prices and limited cash flow, says the latest annual survey by BDC. The study on investment intentions found that entrepreneurs in the manufacturing…
Albertans agree there is room to reduce red tape headaches considering the government has received over 4,000 suggestions to the cut red tape website
If you’re a small business owner one of the biggest challenges you face is dealing with red tape. It’s a frustration that entrepreneurs across the country have lamented about for years. And each year the Canadian Federation of Independent Business rolls out its Golden Scissors Awards to honour the governments and public servants who have…
Alberta’s provincial per-person debt grew by 184 per cent, also the largest increase among the provinces by a wide margin
Alberta government debt more than doubled since the year before the recession in 2007/2008, says public policy think tank the Fraser Institute. It's the largest increase among all provinces in that time period. “The Alberta government’s chronic deficits over more than a decade have built a mountain of debt,” Jake Fuss, economist at the Fraser…
Infrastructure projects have very long timelines and by the time shovels hit the ground the recession is usually over and recovery has begun, think tank argues
Looking to discretionary public infrastructure investments as a response to economic downturns may be a poor policy choice, suggests a new study released Wednesday by public policy think-tank the Fraser Institute. The Fiscal Policy and Recessions: The Role of Public Infrastructure Spending report said infrastructure spending is not an effective policy for stimulating the economy…
Households with an average income of $50,000 worry twice as much (2.25 hours) a day than households with an average income of more than $100,000
There’s no question that Canadians these days are worrying a lot more about their personal finances, according to new surveys from Scotiabank. The surveys indicate 65 per cent of Canadians with debt struggle to save or invest money while paying down debt and 67 per cent said they find the amount of information about investing overwhelming.…
The Prairies remain the exception where economic indicators remain weak as energy sector continues to be challenged these days
Results from the winter Business Outlook Survey from the Bank of Canada suggest that business sentiment in the Prairies remains weak while more broadly positive across Canada. “In aggregate, firms’ outlook is supported by expectations of healthy domestic and foreign sales,” according to the survey, released Monday. Key findings of the survey include: Expectations for…
Net income of $162 million in the three months ended November 30, 2019, fell from $186 million for the same period in 2018
Calgary-based Shaw Communications saw a near 13 per cent year-over-year decline in net income in its fiscal first quarter. The telecommunications company reported Monday that net income of $162 million in the three months ended November 30, 2019, fell from $186 million for the same period in 2018. “The decrease of $24 million was primarily…
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…
The second biggest worry for buyers is whether they can afford the mortgage payment, say more than half of Canadians
A new survey says 56 per cent of Canadians see qualifying for a mortgage as a barrier to homeownership. This is up six points from a year ago. The report by Zillow also found that this concern rises to 64 per cent for consumers who recently purchased a home, likely linked to the mortgage regulation…
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…