TODD HIRSCH | ECONOMIST | SPEAKER | AUTHOR
  • About Todd
    • The Owl - A Daily Economic Update
    • Commentary
    • Books
    • Meet Todd
  • Speaker Request Form
  • About Todd
    • The Owl - A Daily Economic Update
    • Commentary
    • Books
    • Meet Todd
  • Speaker Request Form

WILL ALBERTA SURPASS B.C. IN POPULATION? NOT IF, BUT WHEN

3/22/2013

0 Comments

 
Picture
It’s been an ongoing trend for decades now, and last year the stampede towards the West geared up even more. Population growth among the ten provinces varies, but the fastest growing region is decidedly the Prairies—with Alberta well in the lead.

According to the latest population estimates from Statistics Canada, Alberta’s population stood at 3.931 million as of January 1st of 2013. Ontario is still by far the largest province in the country with 13.56 million. Quebec (8.1 million) and British Columbia (4.6) follow in 2nd and 3rd spots.

But the pace at which Alberta is growing has the province catching up quickly. Between January 1 of 2012 and 2013, Alberta’s population grew by just over 3.0 per cent. That was more than double the national growth rate (1.1 per cent), and more than three times the rate of growth in either Ontario or Quebec. The trend is clearly towards growth in the Prairie region, with Saskatchewan and Manitoba also posting growth rates above the national average.

Alberta’s population is especially closing the gap with that of British Columbia; excluding Atlantic Canada, B.C. had the very slowest rate of growth at only 0.84 per cent. With only 0.7 million more people, its population is now only 1/6 larger than Alberta’s.

If both provinces continue to grow at the same paces they set last year, Alberta will surpass B.C. and become the third largest province within eight years.

0 Comments

Value, not cost, is the basis of education

3/15/2013

0 Comments

 
This column originally appeared in The Globe and Mail on March 14, 2013.

The placards made clear their demand: "Free tuition NOW." But if the picketing university students were honest, their signs would read: "I want someone else to pay for my education." Education is never free. Someone has to pay.

But the students' view that someone else should help pay for their tuition is a reasonable request. Society benefits tremendously from an educated work force, so taxpayers (and future taxpayers) should be expected to pay at least part of postsecondary education. The fight usually boils down to how much of the cost should fall on students, and how much on taxpayers.

At the root of the debate are the economic principles of cost and value. They're related, but they're not the same thing.


Read More
0 Comments

    Archives

    November 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    November 2017
    June 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013
    August 2013
    July 2013
    June 2013
    May 2013
    April 2013
    March 2013
    February 2013
    January 2013
    December 2012
    November 2012
    October 2012
    September 2012
    August 2012
    July 2012
    May 2012
    April 2012
    March 2012
    February 2012
    January 2012
    December 2011
    November 2011
    October 2011
    September 2011
    August 2011
    July 2011
    June 2011
    May 2011
    April 2011
    March 2011
    February 2011

About Todd
To request Todd for speaking 
The Owl - A Daily Economic Update
Meet Todd

Books
Blog