Canada-U.S.
New Canada-U.S. Institute Created
The University of Western Ontario has established a think tank devoted to the study of the relationship between the U.S. and Canada. The institute will examine the various policies of the two countries, while striving to understand how they can best advance their own national interests within the bilateral relationship. Read

Foreign Affairs
Canada-Korea Cooperation at the G-20
The 2010 G8/G20 Summits provide Canada with a unique opportunity to influence multilateral engagement and, at the same time, improve its bilateral relationship with South Korea, asserts the Asia Pacific Foundation’s Barry Carin. Read

The Future Role of NATO
Canada should not ‘overburden or undervalue’ NATO but rather respect its role in the battle against global terrorism and its protection of liberal societies, says the Canadian Defence & Foreign Affairs Institute. A new policy paper explains the future role of NATO and its relationship to Canada. Read

Working With China
China will become an ever more significant and influential, if not indispensable, player on the world stage, writes Barry Carin and Gordon Smith of the Canadian International Council. They contend that Canada must pursue international cooperation, particularly with China, in order to deal effectively with issues pertaining to security and prosperity. Read

Economy
Unemployment Rates in Western Canada
The Canada West Foundation has issued its monthly report on youth unemployment in the West. The study examines the unemployment rates in the final months of 2009 and their effect on the male population and their desire to search for work. Read

Energy and Environment
Reform in Consumer Electricity Pricing
The C.D. Howe Institute has released a new study analyzing electricity pricing in Canada. The author Donald Dewees argues that Ontario should implement a pricing scheme that encourages conservation by consumers, reduces the strain on the generation system, and covers the cost of operation. Read

Public Policy
Poverty and Voter Turnout
The Caledon Institute of Social Policy recently hosted an all-candidate poverty forum in Abbotsford. The purpose of the event was to re-ignite voter interest in elections and engage the population in a conversation about poverty and the role of the government in its reduction. Read

Improving Public Service Sectors
New research out of The Centre for the Study of Democracy at Queen’s University seeks to find out why the public sector is demoralized. The findings reveal serious concerns, among employees, about internal management issues that affect employee engagement, performance and implementation. The authors put forth recommendations under three broad categories: capacity and performance; attracting and retaining employees; and accountability. Read

Alberta Must Go Conservative
Over the past several years Alberta's Progressive Conservative government has turned its back on the conservative policies that created the foundation of Alberta's prosperity, claims the Fraser Institute. They say Alberta’s current problems can be easily remedied by a reversion to a past defined by constrained spending, smaller government, innovative program reform, lower taxes, and a clear focus on the investment climate. Read

Population Change in Atlantic Canada
The Atlantic Institute of Market Studies has released a new research report in conjunction with McMaster University examining the population decline in the Atlantic Provinces, particularly Newfoundland. The authors are concerned with the burden of an aging population on Provincial resources and future generations. Read

Science and Technology
NEPTUNE Canada Explores Ocean Frontier
NEPTUNE Canada--a system of high-speed fiber optic cables and high-tech equipment that transfer data from the ocean floor to a University of Victoria-based data archival system--offers unprecedented opportunities for all researchers involved in the ocean and earth sciences. The real-time interactive design of NEPTUNE Canada will give scientists the ability to respond to rare oceanic events, observe ocean change over decades, and adjust experiments and sampling over time, all via the Internet. The opportunity for international collaboration and interdisciplinary studies of geological, physical, chemical, and biological systems on this scale is truly unique. Read I Homepage

News from Canadian Universities
New HIV Vaccine Can Control HIV Progression
Researchers from the University of Toronto and Mount Sinai Hospital have made significant findings about how a new HIV vaccine candidate (Delta 5) can reduce, and in some cases stop, HIV progression by triggering natural immunity. Read

Researchers at McGill University Involved with New Study on Cancer Treatment
Researchers at McGill University and the Lady Davis Institute for Medical Research at the Jewish General Hospital in Montreal have discovered a previously unsuspected link between two different genetic pathways, which suppress the growth of cancer tumours. This breakthrough could lead to new treatments for some of the deadliest and most intractable forms of cancer; including prostate cancer, brain cancer and melanoma. Read