Latest news with #Tombe
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Leading Experts Convene in Halifax for Economic Forum on Trade, Competition, and Growth
HALIFAX, NS, June 5, 2025 /CNW/ - Today, Halifax Partnership, the School of Public Policy at the University of Calgary, and the Public Policy Forum (PPF) co-hosted a dynamic economic forum, bringing together top policymakers, economists, and industry leaders from across the region to tackle one of Canada's most pressing economic challenges: unlocking growth by reducing internal trade and regulatory barriers. The event sparked lively discussions and fresh ideas on how greater interprovincial cooperation and smarter regulation can boost productivity and competition and fuel long-term prosperity across the country. Trevor Tombe, Director of Fiscal and Economic Policy with the School of Public Policy at the University of Calgary and a Fellow at PPF, delivered the keynote address, sharing findings from a new report, Unlocking Regional Growth: The Role of Internal Trade Costs in Atlantic Canada, released today by PPF. "The cost of doing business across provincial borders is quietly placing strain on our economy," said Tombe, whose research has shown that the Atlantic provinces are the most profoundly affected by internal trade barriers in Canada. "The Province of Nova Scotia, along with Ontario, Alberta, British Columbia, Manitoba and Prince Edward Island, is taking steps to improve trade and investment opportunities between provinces." According to his new research, the cost of moving goods between the Atlantic provinces is equivalent to a six per cent tariff, while the cost of trading services is nearly 39 per cent. "To put that in perspective," said Tombe, "the national averages are much lower—around 1.4 per cent for goods and 16.8 per cent for services. "Reducing internal trade barriers in Atlantic Canada is a low-cost, high-impact policy lever with the potential to significantly boost wages, productivity, and economic growth. This is not just good policy for Atlantic Canada, it benefits the entire country." The forum also featured insightful discussions with government and private sector leaders who shared real-world insights and perspectives on opportunities and challenges related to breaking down trade, competition, and regulatory barriers in Canada. Key public sector voices included Nova Scotia Finance Minister John Lohr, Halifax Mayor Andy Fillmore, Jeannine Ritchot, Assistant Deputy Minister, Multilateral Relations & Internal Trade, Intergovernmental Affairs, Government of Canada, and Angela Houston, Executive Director, Trade and Economic Policy, Nova Scotia Department of Intergovernmental Affairs. To find out how reducing trade barriers between provinces can drive economic growth across Canada find Trevor Tombe's full report here: Quotes "Nova Scotia is showing the country how to move forward in removing productivity barriers related to trade, regulation, and competition. Provincial trade agreements between Nova Scotia and a growing number of other provinces are leading the charge, making it easier for workers, businesses, and services to move freely across borders." - Ian Munro, Chief Economist at Halifax Partnership "Provinces hold the key to unlocking Canada's economic potential. By strengthening internal trade and labour mobility, we can reduce our reliance on volatile international markets and build greater resilience against external shocks like tariffs. It's time for provinces to step up and drive Canada's long-term prosperity."-Trevor Tombe, Professor, Department of Economics & Director of Fiscal and Economic Policy School of Public Policy, University of Calgary and Fellow, Public Policy Forum "PPF has had a long-standing interest in Atlantic Canada's economic prosperity, including the creation of our Atlantic Momentum index to track growth indicators over time. We look forward to documenting the positive impact of removing trade barriers, increasing productivity, and attracting investment throughout the region, as well as stories of change that will be a consequence of these actions."-Inez Jabalpurwala, President and CEO of the Public Policy Forum About the School of Public PolicyThe School of Public Policy at the University of Calgary is undertaking Canada's Productivity Initiative, a year-long national project that explores key drivers of Canada's lagging productivity and growth. The Halifax forum follows successful sessions in Calgary and Ottawa and will be followed by events in Vancouver, Montreal, Saskatoon, and Toronto, culminating in a comprehensive policy recommendations report to be released in late 2025. About Halifax PartnershipThe Halifax Partnership is Halifax's public-private economic development organization, dedicated to building an inclusive, thriving, and prosperous Halifax in collaboration with its Investors and partners. The Partnership is leading The Productivity Puzzle initiative, a series of events, discussions, and research designed to spark a broader conversation around Nova Scotia's critical productivity crisis and solutions that could improve economic growth, living standards, and future prosperity. Learn more at About Public Policy ForumThe Public Policy Forum (PPF) brings together leaders from across sectors to improve policy outcomes for Canadians. A non-partisan organization with a 30-year history, PPF fosters inclusive dialogue, delivers impactful research, and champions innovative approaches to policy development. SOURCE Halifax Partnership View original content:
Cision Canada
4 days ago
- Business
- Cision Canada
Leading Experts Convene in Halifax for Economic Forum on Trade, Competition, and Growth
HALIFAX, NS, June 5, 2025 /CNW/ - Today, Halifax Partnership, the School of Public Policy at the University of Calgary, and the Public Policy Forum (PPF) co-hosted a dynamic economic forum, bringing together top policymakers, economists, and industry leaders from across the region to tackle one of Canada's most pressing economic challenges: unlocking growth by reducing internal trade and regulatory barriers. The event sparked lively discussions and fresh ideas on how greater interprovincial cooperation and smarter regulation can boost productivity and competition and fuel long-term prosperity across the country. Trevor Tombe, Director of Fiscal and Economic Policy with the School of Public Policy at the University of Calgary and a Fellow at PPF, delivered the keynote address, sharing findings from a new report, Unlocking Regional Growth: The Role of Internal Trade Costs in Atlantic Canada, released today by PPF. "The cost of doing business across provincial borders is quietly placing strain on our economy," said Tombe, whose research has shown that the Atlantic provinces are the most profoundly affected by internal trade barriers in Canada. "The Province of Nova Scotia, along with Ontario, Alberta, British Columbia, Manitoba and Prince Edward Island, is taking steps to improve trade and investment opportunities between provinces." According to his new research, the cost of moving goods between the Atlantic provinces is equivalent to a six per cent tariff, while the cost of trading services is nearly 39 per cent. "To put that in perspective," said Tombe, "the national averages are much lower—around 1.4 per cent for goods and 16.8 per cent for services. "Reducing internal trade barriers in Atlantic Canada is a low-cost, high-impact policy lever with the potential to significantly boost wages, productivity, and economic growth. This is not just good policy for Atlantic Canada, it benefits the entire country." The forum also featured insightful discussions with government and private sector leaders who shared real-world insights and perspectives on opportunities and challenges related to breaking down trade, competition, and regulatory barriers in Canada. Key public sector voices included Nova Scotia Finance Minister John Lohr, Halifax Mayor Andy Fillmore, Jeannine Ritchot, Assistant Deputy Minister, Multilateral Relations & Internal Trade, Intergovernmental Affairs, Government of Canada, and Angela Houston, Executive Director, Trade and Economic Policy, Nova Scotia Department of Intergovernmental Affairs. To find out how reducing trade barriers between provinces can drive economic growth across Canada find Trevor Tombe's full report here: / Quotes "Nova Scotia is showing the country how to move forward in removing productivity barriers related to trade, regulation, and competition. Provincial trade agreements between Nova Scotia and a growing number of other provinces are leading the charge, making it easier for workers, businesses, and services to move freely across borders." - Ian Munro, Chief Economist at Halifax Partnership "Provinces hold the key to unlocking Canada's economic potential. By strengthening internal trade and labour mobility, we can reduce our reliance on volatile international markets and build greater resilience against external shocks like tariffs. It's time for provinces to step up and drive Canada's long-term prosperity." -Trevor Tombe, Professor, Department of Economics & Director of Fiscal and Economic Policy School of Public Policy, University of Calgary and Fellow, Public Policy Forum "PPF has had a long-standing interest in Atlantic Canada's economic prosperity, including the creation of our Atlantic Momentum index to track growth indicators over time. We look forward to documenting the positive impact of removing trade barriers, increasing productivity, and attracting investment throughout the region, as well as stories of change that will be a consequence of these actions." -Inez Jabalpurwala, President and CEO of the Public Policy Forum About the School of Public Policy The School of Public Policy at the University of Calgary is undertaking Canada's Productivity Initiative, a year-long national project that explores key drivers of Canada's lagging productivity and growth. The Halifax forum follows successful sessions in Calgary and Ottawa and will be followed by events in Vancouver, Montreal, Saskatoon, and Toronto, culminating in a comprehensive policy recommendations report to be released in late 2025. About Halifax Partnership The Halifax Partnership is Halifax's public-private economic development organization, dedicated to building an inclusive, thriving, and prosperous Halifax in collaboration with its Investors and partners. The Partnership is leading The Productivity Puzzle initiative, a series of events, discussions, and research designed to spark a broader conversation around Nova Scotia's critical productivity crisis and solutions that could improve economic growth, living standards, and future prosperity. Learn more at About Public Policy Forum The Public Policy Forum (PPF) brings together leaders from across sectors to improve policy outcomes for Canadians. A non-partisan organization with a 30-year history, PPF fosters inclusive dialogue, delivers impactful research, and champions innovative approaches to policy development. SOURCE Halifax Partnership
Calgary Herald
19-05-2025
- Business
- Calgary Herald
'Consequential:' Stakes are high as G7 financial chiefs meet in Banff
A gathering of many of the world's most powerful financial decision-makers at a mountain retreat in Banff this week could herald the most crucial series of G7 meetings in years. Article content Article content That's the view of a number of political and economic experts ahead of the G7 Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors summit, which takes place on the slopes of Sulphur Mountain from May 20 to 22. Article content Article content Strains in global alliances due to a U.S.-instigated trade war and a possible crossroads in the Ukraine-Russia war makes the gathering — and the more prominent G7 leaders' gathering in Kananaskis next month — potentially the most impactful in years, said University of Calgary economist Trevor Tombe. Article content Article content 'It could be one of the most important G7 meetings we've had in quite some time. It means it's going to be quite consequential,' said Tombe. Article content The meeting of finance ministers and bank governors from host country Canada, the U.S., Germany, the U.K., Italy, France and Japan could try to stake out common ground on the trade front to direct their fire against China, particularly on the crucial steel and aluminum front, he said. Article content And though the so-called trade deal brandished by U.S. President Donald Trump is largely dubious, it could provide the high-ranking officials with a blueprint they can build on, said Tombe. Article content 'It might be a bit ridiculous, but it took away some of the uncertainty . . . it might be extended to other economies,' he said. Article content 'If there's a desire to make some deals like with the U.K., it might be an opportunity (in Banff) to discuss what these deals might look like.' Article content It comes at a time when economists and world leaders worry about a global recession brought on by trade disruptions. Article content That turbulence has been evident in the past few days as Moody's downgraded the American credit rating, and U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent warned his country could increase tariffs against countries that fail to negotiate trade deals in 'good faith.' He's also admitted consumer prices at retail giant Walmart will likely increase due to tariffs.
CBC
06-05-2025
- Business
- CBC
Here's why Ottawa still covers most of the N.W.T.'s annual budget
This year, the territory is receiving about $1.8B through federal funding to cover its $2.5B budget It's the biggest source of revenue for the N.W.T. government this year, just as it was last year and the year before that: federal transfer payments. "Territorial Formula Financing is the largest source of the government's revenues and the primary driver of overall revenue growth," N.W.T. Minister of Finance Caroline Wawzonek told MLAs last week, during a committee meeting to help them understand how the funding works. In 2025-26, the N.W.T. is receiving about $1.8 billion through Territorial Formula Financing, a major chunk of revenue for its $2.5 billion budget to run the territory this year. The funding is also especially useful because it's unconditional, and can be spent however the territory wants. Why the N.W.T. gets this funding N.W.T. finance department officials said the formula for this transfer payment takes into account several factors including the territory's population growth, and spending on public services elsewhere in Canada. This year, the federal government has calculated that the N.W.T. will need $2.2 billion to deliver public services such as health, infrastructure, and education, that are comparable to what is available in the provinces. But the territorial government is only expected to be able to raise $386 million in revenue through taxes — less than a fifth of that $2.2 billion. The $386 million would include revenue from personal income taxes, business income taxes, property taxes, and other sources. "That gap is just so large relative to what we see elsewhere, that we need a special type of transfer," Trevor Tombe, an economics professor at the University of Calgary, told CBC News. Tombe says the Territorial Formula Financing from Canada bridges this gap, so the N.W.T. can offer public services similar to the provinces. He added it's unlikely the territory would ever be able to outgrow this support, pointing out that this year's Territorial Formula Financing is around five times as much money as the N.W.T. could get from taxes over the same period. He says the additional money is necessary to run a vast, sparsely populated territory. "N.W.T. is not unique," Tombe said. "Yukon and Nunavut are also quite reliant on Territorial Formula Financing for the simple reason that spending needs to be a lot higher to deliver comparable levels of public services compared to the tax base that actually exists in the territories." Population effect In the briefing, several MLAs told Department of Finance officials that most N.W.T. residents believe the funding is calculated solely based on population numbers, so increasing the territory's population would result in getting more money in total — but staff at the department said that's not completely accurate. Tombe explained the payment is based on how much spending on public services has increased across the country, as well the N.W.T.'s population. He said in the most recent aggregate figure, about $820 billion was being spent altogether across the provinces to deliver public services. That increased from about $767 billion the year earlier, a seven-per-cent increase in total provincial and local spending elsewhere. He said some of that increase in spending Canada-wide is because of population growth in other parts of the country. Tombe says the N.W.T.'s population growth is about 1.6 per cent slower than other places in the country — and this number is used to calculate how different the increase in funding for N.W.T. services should be than that national average. "If the population in N.W.T. is growing more slowly than what we observe elsewhere, then we want to deflate, you know, how much of an increase N.W.T. would get," Tombe said. The N.W.T.'s Territorial Formula Financing of $1.8 billion is up from about $1.7 billion last year, less than that seven per cent number to reflect the N.W.T.'s slower population growth. Currently, the N.W.T. gets about $42,000 of Territorial Formula Financing per person. "There's a lot going on under the hood," Tombe said.
Yahoo
03-04-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Chimpanzee dies weeks after arriving at new zoo
A chimpanzee has died just three weeks after being moved to a new zoo. Tombe, a 28-year-old male, was transported from Colchester Zoo to Belfast Zoo in March as part of a conservation programme. Belfast Zoo said initial findings suggested Tombe died as a result of a probable heart attack, but had not yet received the full post-mortem examination results. A Colchester Zoo spokesperson said he sired one female chimp in 2009, so keepers would "take comfort knowing his legacy lives on here". Tombe was moved to Belfast a male companion chimp, Tumba. He was born at Colchester in 1996 and on its website the zoo wrote it was "extremely sad" to hear of his passing on Friday. Referencing the European conservation programme, a spokesperson wrote: "These moves are common in zoos and help to effectively manage populations of different species as part of our wider species conservation efforts. "Belfast Zoo has a long history of caring for chimps and both Tumba and Tombe were settling into the group very well, which makes this loss all the more difficult." Belfast Zoo wrote: "Tombe will be deeply missed by his keepers and everyone who cared for him. "While his time with us was short, he was settling in well and we are pleased to share that Tumba has integrated into the wider chimpanzee troop, where he is thriving." Follow Essex news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X. Zoo announces death of 58-year-old chimpanzee Chimpanzees 'self-medicate' with healing plants Zoo chimpanzee reaches milestone birthday Belfast Zoo Colchester Zoo
