theprovince.com/sports/toron... Darn I wish I could make it to this! At the Nat, 1pm on Friday....

Why bridge and tunnel politics helped make the B.C.-Ottawa pipeline truce happen www.cbc.ca/news/canada/...

It's basically a three-way trade TO ALBERTA: New pipeline to Metro Vancouver TO BRITISH COLUMBIA: $3 billion for Massey Tunnel TO CARNEY: No headaches about trying to get a pipeline through the North Coast

Taking a bit longer than normal to organize, but the Econ Sci Fi Book Club is on for Summer 2026, and the voters have chosen Leviathan Wakes. Meeting virtually in early August to discuss - sign up here if you want to join: sites.google.com/view/econsci...

I've worked with Canadian Tax Foundation CEO Heather Evans for a decade in my role as Co-Editor of the Canadian Tax Journal, published by the CTF. Heather is a great leader with excellent judgment. What a fine choice to lead the CRA. Glad she's on the job. www.pm.gc.ca/en/news/news...

Waved silk moss and yarrow. Also, helicopter pad atop Radar Hill.

Interesting. What drives insurance costs? a-> probabilities of a claim b-> costs of repair/replace (labour costs being big component) c-> regulations (mandated coveraged; minimums; limits to liabilities)

CRDCN is looking for a project manager/grant writer crdcn.ca/project-coor... Interesting work, great colleagues @crdcn.bsky.social

"Tax Crime, Organized Crime, and Public Finance" A Canadian Tax Journal Policy Forum. Find out more and submit proposals here: ctf.ca/EN/Publicati... Deadline is July 15th.

Learn more about @ubcvse.bsky.social 's Prof. Michael Barber, who is transforming first year ECON teaching at UBC. economics.ubc.ca/news/econ-10...

Learn more about @ubcvse.bsky.social 's Prof. Michael Barber, who is transforming first year ECON teaching at UBC. economics.ubc.ca/news/econ-10...

"Tax Crime, Organized Crime, and Public Finance" A Canadian Tax Journal Policy Forum. Find out more and submit proposals here: ctf.ca/EN/Publicati... Deadline is July 15th.

Landing spot for Kaz's 5th deck homerun last night. A good knock!

Red Maple. Planted in 2005. First pic is 2008 (during Moira flooding season....). 2nd Pic is today. It grew!

On the left, foxgloves on Bowen Island. Can be 6-8 feet high. Florettes on two strips on one side only. On the right, lupins in my mother's yard in Belleville. Imported from PEI by her. Maybe 3 feet high, florettes all around 360°.

So many dead/dying Ash trees around. Also, the geese-prevention fence is short and cute and I'm told it is effective.

Behold the mighty Moira River! Ontario can be pretty, at times.

Looks like this was from 1962, when my dad was a masters student at Queen's. Dr. D.C. Smith is this distinguished academic: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_C.... www.queensu.ca/encyclopedia... He was Principal as Queen's when I was there in the 90s. He was a young pup of 31 in 1962!

A mix of who I'd like to see and who I think are the best. I don't think the all-star team should be the 'max OPS at each position' team. I want to see stars! Really think Ern-Dog deserves it, especially after getting robbed in TWO gold glove categories last year.

The LFS surprise is only one month of data so one should be cautious. But, that said, this kind of surprise is exactly why most serious analysts of business cycles (CD Howe in Canada; NBER in US) look at the scope and breadth of data when considering a 'recession' call, not just quarterly GDP.

For the late/west coast crowd, my latest episode where @kevinmilligan.bsky.social and I talk about how economists tend to define recessions, and whether the current downturn meets that test #cdnpoli

Now in wide release, my latest YouTube episode where @kevinmilligan.bsky.social and I talk about recessions, and when a downturn actually qualifies as one #cdnpoli

Received a few informational emails from UBC about the world cup. Traffic, transit, some use of UBC facilities by teams. All normal things to be advised about in advance. But the emails refer crypically to a "global soccer tournament". Seems weird. Why not "World Cup". Copyright issues?

wahoo mcadoo! Please please DFA Sosa......

Looking for a fall job as a post-secondary student? 🍁🪙 Our fall student job opportunities are now open on our website. Join our team and develop your professional skills at the forefront of Canada’s economy! 🔗Apply now: https://bit.ly/49svsRb #JobOpportunities #StudentJobs

All you ever wanted to know about bread production, prices, markets, and political economy in early modern Spain, now on Early View! "The Bread of Toledo", Joint with David González Agudo at @uv.es. Open access: doi.org/10.1111/ehr....

What a thoroughly entertaining ballgame. Nice win guys! Yesavage. Valenzuela. Gimenez. Hoffmann. Rogers. Varland. Great team win.

If you are registered for the CEAs in Vancouver, you are registered for the online portion this Friday May 22. Please join me in the @cleforum.bsky.social session at 10:15-11:45 PDT (1:15-2:45ET) virtual.oxfordabstracts.com/e/cea2026/pr...

At the Nat for a doubleheader.

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This cartoon is sixteen years old but has not aged a day.

Dry season is approaching. But right now things are looking at their best! Lamb's ear, deer fern, brunnera, and vigilant meercats among the tassle ferns.

Today I'm at the blessing of the first tower of Sen̓áḵw, a landmark rental development built by the Squamish Nation on ancestral territory they won back in a court battle. It plans to welcome its first residents in the coming months. These three towers are phase 1 of a bigger plan.

UBC, SFU among thousands of universities affected by Canvas software cyber breach www.cbc.ca/news/canada/...

🚀 We’re hiring a Lead Architect! If you have a background in IT, systems architecture, cybersecurity, data platforms, and/or research infrastructure, we’d love to hear from you. Please share with your networks or tag someone who might be a great fit! 🔗 Apply here:

Guess where I am. No, guess. Just in transit, on my way to a workshop in Kingston. The UPExpress has really unlocked possibility of taking Via to Belleville/Kingston after a YVR-YYZ flight. For a solo traveler it is cheaper than rental car. Much less risk of falling asleep at the wheel too....

Upcoming event May 8-10: Vancouver School of Economics is proud to be hosting the Canadian Economic Theory Conference for 2026, with 30 presentations from leading economists from around the world. See who is presenting: economics.ubc.ca/events/event...

Just saw the Spring Economic Update is tomorrow. FYI I'm at the RDC all day tomorrow trying to get some papers out the door. No phones or internet in the RDC. So, not available for hot takes media calls on this. Enjoy your number crunching!

Brunnera season! On the left is in my garden. Jack Frost variant--notice the "painted" foliage. On the right is at UBC near Gage residences. Foliage is smaller and not painted. Flowers only bloom for a couple of weeks but the Jack Frost foliage gives fantastic coverage for 6 months of the year.

Hmm. Up front concessions / 'entry fee' before starting talks? Let me remind the capitulationists: 1--you don't make concessions to an unreliable counterparty. 2--I am the wallet inspector; please make donation via DM 3--I would enjoy playing poker with you. www.cbc.ca/news/politic...

Fairly good treatment of the (IMHO very dumb) idea of Canada joining the EU. It is important to emphasize BOTH: a) The transition would be very costly. (e.g. 10 years of 'harmonization' of our law with the EU acquis) b) the end point would not be good for Canada. (e.g. Euro currency, e.g. CAP)

New fronds on the Japanese tassle ferns. Brunnera patch emerging.

We’re hiring a Manager for Canada’s Productivity Initiative at @UCaglary! It's a great opportunity to help build a national partnership connecting universities, governments, and policy leaders. If it sounds like a fit, take a look and please share: careers.ucalgary.ca/jobs/176253...

Great job by Ross here, setting out why the gas tax cut is ill-considered. I like his final point that it is a sign of freedom and a free society to have prices fluctuate. Societies with stagnant prices that never move are not the kind of places you'd want to live.

Adam asks a fair question here that has been bandied about. Let me offer two arguments against a windfall tax that I would wager FIN officials would make when advising cabinet on what to do. I'll also offer my own assessment of the two arguments. 1/

Hmm. Around the world I see oil/gas price caps, subsidizing demand for things in short supply. We have seen this before. Doesn't end well!

I think a lot of people supporting 'join the EU' in a poll are just reflecting positive views about Europe. The EU is pro-democracy, has excellent pastries, and many fine cities and museums. I like all those things too! That's a good reason to visit or do business. It doesn't make us European.

Yet another round of polling about "joining the EU". Just begging pollsters to ask questions that distinguish between 1) "more co-op with EU" and 2) "joining" EU. 1) is fine. 2) would be boneheaded and is only advocated by those who don't actually know what EU membership means. Read thread....

Reflecting on world affairs this afternoon, I recalled a recent op-ed by a prominent economist who lamented that Canada had not paid the $1 Billion to be a member of the "Board of Peace." nationalpost.com/opinion/jack...

Out for a walk at Fairy Fen today. Happy Easter to all!