Farmland sacrificed for urban sprawl – The Moral Economy

I’VE TRAVELLED around Saskatchewan recently, gathering impressions of life. Since those road trips, I’ve been trying to sort out a series of conflicting feelings. One of the most striking impressions, and the thing that bothered me most, was the number of For Sale signs. Every time I see one of those on farmland, I think […] Read more

Increased train use worth consideration – The Moral Economy

WHEN THE federal government allowed railways to abandon old lines, it did more than give up on widespread grain transportation by rail. It put a huge burden on provinces by forcing them to pay more for grain shipping through upkeep on heavily used roads, and it gave up on the opportunity to use railways for […] Read more

Newspapers change, but stories still told – The Moral Economy

GENERAL interest daily newspapers are making news these days, often by going out of business. In the United States, the Seattle Post-Intelligencer has stopped printing after almost 150 years. Denver’s Rocky Mountain News is gone. Smaller, local or regional papers face challenges. This makes me sad. Having been a broadcaster and writer for about 30 […] Read more


Stock markets seem biggest gamble of all – The Moral Economy

TO understand what’s happening in the economy today, you need to understand one fact. The New York Stock Exchange is the largest gambling casino in the U.S., maybe the world. The Toronto Stock Exchange is the largest gambling casino in Canada. Let me explain by talking about a mythical company, Acme Mechanical. It has buildings, […] Read more

Functional Parliament would be fine gift – The Moral Economy

The Christmas present that Canada needs this year, and needs desperately, is a Parliament that works. It would be a Parliament that deals with the real needs of real people in a frightening time. That depends on prime minister Stephen Harper. He’s the guy from Toronto who is part egghead economist and part ideological pit […] Read more


Election a five-week waste of voters’ time – The Moral Economy

WE HAVE just come through Canada’s 40th general election. A recent survey I heard about showed that roughly three-quarters of Canadians were not happy with the experience. I agree. Stephen Harper, lusting after a majority government, thought he saw his chance in September. Conservative popularity reached about 40 percent, enough to win a majority. So […] Read more

Taxing times, other election observations – The Moral Economy

I’VE BECOME increasingly suspicious of politicians who promise to lower taxes. Almost inevitably, people get hurt by tax cuts. Sadly, I believe we may soon be facing higher taxes, no matter who wins the upcoming federal election. Or else many of us will be doing far worse than we are now, meaning lots of people […] Read more

Small town searches for new possibilities – The Moral Economy

While a fog of gloom seems to hang over much of rural Canada, there are some bright spots – places that are growing or planning to grow, places thinking creatively about renewing themselves. One of them is Hafford, Sask., about an hour’s drive northwest of Saskatoon. In many ways it is a typical prairie community. […] Read more


Caring for animals, caring for people – The Moral Economy

TRYING to live out the common good of  fair treatment is a continuing struggle in our society. It is a moral and spiritual struggle that is basic to our notion of who we are as Canadians. Let’s consider two examples: the proper treatment of animals and the confidentiality or privacy in treatment of people. The […] Read more

Pay attention to rising cost of food – The Moral Economy

WHILE wheat prices have been strengthening, the world price of rice has doubled. While prairie producers are seeing better incomes, there have been food riots in Egypt and Somalia where rice is in short supply. These two developments are related. We need to pay attention. The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization has expressed “an increasing concern […] Read more