Category Everyday economics
Competition matters, not ownership.
A Montréal-Toronto ticket on the Greyhound bus costs $30, advance fare. An Ottawa-Toronto ticket costs $49 (no advance fare is available). Since the Montréal-Toronto bus stops in Ottawa, savvy customers buy a Montréal-Toronto ticket, and just hop on the bus in Ottawa, saving themselves $20. Why does the bus ride from Montréal to Toronto cost […]
The theft-proof bicycle helmet
I figured my bicycle helmet would never get stolen. Helmets, by offering protection in the event of an accident, appeal to those who are averse to risk, who worry about bad things happening. Thieves love risk, or are at least indifferent to it, as evidenced by the fact that they engage in risky behaviour like […]
When men and women are miles apart….
The Globe and Mail website doesn't cope with data and graphics easily, so I'm reproducing my most recent Economy Lab post, along with data tables that couldn't be included in the G&M piece, here:
Mary Jane and Milton
Milton Friedman – Nobel Laureate in Economics and adviser to Ronald Reagan – supported legalizing and taxing marijuana. Stephen Easton's classic paper advocating marijuana legalization was published by the Fraser Institute. Why do so many right-leaning economists favour marijuana legalization? Conservative economists typically believe that a person is a best judge of what is in […]
Drugs heal, drugs hurt.
There are those who use drugs, and there are those who could, potentially, benefit from drugs. The two groups do not always coincide:
Who owns her body?
Girl Model tells the story of a Russian child, Nadya, who goes to Japan to break into modeling. She is 13 years old, alone, powerless, penniless – and speaks not a word of English or Japanese. [Spoiler alert]
Visualizing GDP Performance
Statistics Canada just released its GDP statistics by industry for the provinces and territories for 2011.
A river keeper’s story
There is a canoe put-in on the Rideau River known as "Thomson's Landing." It is marked by a six foot high stake, against which Mr Harry Thomson (for whom the put-in is named) tracked the height of the Rideau River's spring flood for almost 50 years.
Wanted: power tools for girls
I became a feminist because I wanted to be free: to go for long walks and look up the stars, to wear whatever I wanted, to be able to look after myself and not have to rely on others. I've lived my life in a time and place where I've been able to have those […]
Gasoline Prices
Well, the Family Day long weekend is upon us and gasoline prices here in Thunder Bay have spiked up again. Last week, gasoline in Thunder Bay was about $1.17 a liter and right now it is about $1.30 though prices are a bit lower on the south side of town. Thunder Bay's prices have been […]
Worthwhile Canadian Initiative 
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