Sustainable Development

Canadian Water Sustainability Index (CWSI)
Project Report
February 2007

With components of resource availability and demand, environmental and drinking water quality, and community water management capacity, the Canadian Water Sustainability Index (CWSI) is a framework for evaluating a community's relationship with its water resources. With this report, the first draft of the CWSI is explained and evaluated, and suggestions for improvement are advanced.

Horizons

Horizons: A Shift in Direction
Volume 9 - Number 3
Horizons
February 2007

The Policy Research Initiative has published Horizons for just over eight years. Over that time, it has metamorphosed several times. This issue marks the next step in that evolution: for the first time, all the articles in this issue have been subjected to rigorous anonymous peer-review. Following last summer’s readership survey, we have also adapted our editorial policies to better serve our readers. Thus, Horizons will no longer address a single theme per issue, although from time to time we may publish a thematic edition. Horizons is now also open to unsolicited contributors from the policy research community at large. This will allow us to diversify the contents of Horizons beyond those areas of current PRI investigation as can be seen in the present issue.

Sustainable Development

Canadian Water Sustainability Index
Briefing Note
February 2007

- The Canadian Water Sustainability Index (CWSI) is a composite water index, developed by the Policy Research Initiative to evaluate the well-being of Canadian communities with respect to fresh water.
- The CWSI was successfully field tested in six communities across the country. Participating communities provided suggestions and feedback that will greatly contribute to index improvement and refinement.
- Communities expressed an interest in the CWSI and would support further development of the index. They identified a number of policy applications for the CWSI, particularly for planning, marketing, communications, and education.

Sustainable Development

Does Pricing Water Reduce Agricultural Demand?
An Example from British Columbia
Briefing Note
February 2007

- The pricing program established in 2000 in the South East Kelowna Irrigation District (SEKID) has had a significant impact on the demand for water per hectare.
- The metering and education programs established in the same area in 1994 (six years before the pricing program) did not have a strong impact on water use.
- There was a long-term decline in irrigation water use per ha in SEKID prior to the metering and pricing programs, possibly due to the gradual replacement of older technology, a shift toward crops that are less water-demanding, or gradually heightened awareness over time.

Click here for the on-line appendix

Sustainable Development

Is There a Business Case for Small-Scale and Large-Scale Water Export to the United States?
Briefing Note
January 2007

- Water export will be pursued only it it is profitable for the parties involved.
- Most large-scale water export schemes are not likely to be profitable, and they are socially and environmentally unacceptable.
- Some small-scale water exports may be economical (such as to supply adjacent cross-border municipalities), but several significant factors weaken the business case.
- Commercial large-scale export of Canadian water is unlikely in the forseeable future.

Sustainable Development

Is Water a Tradable Commodity?
Briefing Note
January 2007

- Many have argued that trade agreements limit Canada's ability to prevent bulk water exports; though water is generally not a commodity in Canada, it may sometimes be in the United States.
- A Canada-US-Mexico joint statement excluded water from NAFTA, but this statement may have no legal force.
- The Boundary Waters Treaty of 1909 may confer some protection againt bulk export.
- While it is probably not subject to existing trade agreements, until it is tested in a court or tribunal, the status of water under trade agreements remains uncertain.

Sustainable Development

Geospatial Information Needs for Integrated Land/Marine Management
Other
October 2006

This report explores the future role of the existing information-sharing mechanisms, and more specifically of the Canadian Geospatial Data Infrastructure (CGDI), in supporting integrated land/marine management. Presented also are priorities to focus on in order to overcome the barriers for data sharing and to facilitate integrated land, water and marine planning.

Horizons

Engaging the Dragon
Volume 9 - Number 2
Horizons
August 2006

This special issue of Horizons offers insights on Canada-China relations in the context of social and economic policies. As Canada’s second largest trading partner, as well as, the top source of immigrants and international students, China’s economic and political emergence on the world stage will have implications for Canada. In this issue, policy researchers from Canada and China primarily focus on a number of topics including trade and investment, labour shortage, and poverty alleviation. A number of articles describe China’s drive to attract talents from overseas, including Canada. Hence, this issue draws attention to the topic of Canadian Diaspora—that is, Canadians living overseas—as a potential area of policy research.

New Approaches for Addressing Poverty and Exclusion

Communities Under Pressure: The Role of Co-operatives and the Social Economy
Synthesis Report
June 2006

How can organizations help individuals and communities respond to and benefit from globalization? Why should governments support some organizations but not others? How can research inform the development of best practices? One hundred or so researchers, policy makers and practitioners spent a day in March exploring these and other hard questions. This synthesis report provides some answers and suggestions for future research.

North American Linkages

European Integration and Convergence of the National Welfare States
Briefing Note
June 2006

To provide further information on the debate on whether economic integration leads to social policy convergence, this briefing note examines this issue in the context of European integration. European Union member countries are subjected to the same forces of globalization as other countries, such as trade liberalization, emergence of the knowledge economy, work force adjustments, and regional disparities. Coupled with an aging population and low birthrates, these factors present a complex set of challenges for many states at a time when past commitments in the form of generous health, educational, or welfare programs strain their financial resources. In addition, the European social policy uses different tools to modulate the social policies of member states. One would expect that in this context there would be a high degree of homogeneity and similarities between the domestic social policy regimes of European countries. However, as this note discusses, there is still resilience to the European model and large differences in national social policy regimes are still the norm.

North American Linkages

The Emergence of Cross-Border Regions Between Canada and the United States
Synthesis Report
May 2006

A series of regional roundtables were organized to complement the work of the PRI on cross-border regions. Almost 200 Canadian and American experts participated in a series of events held in Montreal, Winnipeg, Vancouver, Waterloo, Sackville, and Ottawa between November 2005 and March 2006 to discuss the findings of the PRI Interim Report and Leader Survey on Canada-US Cross-Border Regions: An Analysis. The Roundtable Synthesis Report highlights the substantial agreement on key benefits and challenges to the development of further cross-border regional linkages. It also discusses the potential policy implications and considerations that cross-border regions represent for the Government of Canada.

Sustainable Development

Public-Private Partnerships for Funding Municipal Drinking Water Infrastructure: What are the Challenges?
Discussion Paper
May 2006

The issue of public-private partnership is always complex, and this is even more so in the case of municipal water supply. This paper provides a critical review of the literature on this topic. Although there is a particular emphasis on lessonslearned from and for the Canadian context, Canadian experience of PPPs in the water sector is limited, so most of the relevant literature refers to experiences in other countries which are frequently non-analogous.

Sustainable Development

Can Water Quality Trading Help to Address Agricultural Sources of Pollution in Canada?
Project Report
May 2006

This report examines the extent to which water quality trading (WQT) and variants of this policy instrument can be applied in the Canadian context. Based on practices around the world, the report also provides some guidance on designing WQT systems. We do not purport to provide definitive answers to all questions, but provide policy makers with some basic tools with which to make their own evaluations.

Horizons

Freshwater for the Future
Volume 9 - Number 1
Horizons
May 2006

This issue of Horizons, explores the issue of freshwater, which is no longer taken for granted in Canada. In the wake of the evacuation of Kashechewan and the tragedies at Walkerton and North Battleford, the safety of our drinking water has become an issue. In the face of recurring droughts in the prairies and protracted legal battles for access to water in eastern Ontario, water supplies for agriculture and industry are no longer a given. Add to these the flooding in the Red River, possible cross-border contamination from the Devil’s Lake diversion, the spectre of bulk water exports to the United States, and a wide array of other freshwater issues capturing the public’s imagination and policy-makers’ attention, and the time is right for new thinking on freshwater policies for Canada.

Horizons

Work and Life Balance
Volume 8 - Number 3
Horizons
April 2006

This issue of Horizons explores the topic of work-life balance and its related consequences. While a few of the articles address work-life balance directly, many also speak to some of the fundamental causes and outcomes of the time-stress numerous Canadians feel. The subjects broached in a few of the articles include gender roles and the changing family, declining fertility rates, informal caregivers and, lifetime labour transitions. This issue of Horizons is not intended to exhaust the concerns related to work-life balance but rather to help further expand and advance the discussion on the ever elusive work-life balance.

New Approaches for Addressing Poverty and Exclusion

Why Financial Capability Matters
Synthesis Report
March 2006

According to Why Financial Capability Matters, a synthesis report based on the symposium “Canadians and Their Money,” oftentimes, Canadians may not be well prepared for making financial decisions. The report makes several recommendations towards improving our understanding of this capability and identifies possible next steps. Recommendations include pursuit of a national research agenda, an exploration of ways to improve and coordinate public policy around financial capability, a more active role for the private sector and an increased emphasis on the role of the community sector in serving vulnerable groups.

North American Linkages

North American Regulatory Co-operation: A Results Agenda
Other
March 2006

The December 8, 2005 Symposium held by PRI provided a platform to hear from international experts on the key issues, and to further inform the discussion of regulatory co-operation with practical lessons from experiences around the world. The Symposium’s goal was to identify those lessons that would help achieve concrete results for North America. This report makes a series of suggestions on how to build on the impetus provided by the SPP and put in place elements of a long-term business plan to implement effective and sustained North American regulatory co-operation.

North American Linkages

The Emergence of Cross-Border Regions (Montréal)
Roundtable Report
February 2006

A series of regional roundtables are organized to complement the work of the PRI on cross-border regions. The first of these regional roundtables was organized by the PRI in partnership with Canada Economic Development for Quebec Regions and took place on November 23, 2005. This Roundtable Report integrates into a cohesive document some of the key research findings, examples of regional initiatives and the comments and discussions by the roundtable participants. In particular, the report examines regional initiatives between Quebec and the US North-eastern region, and some of the policy considerations for the Government of Canada.

North American Linkages

The Emergence of Cross-Border Regions
Briefing Note
February 2006

This note provides a concise and accessible executive summary of the Interim Report and the results of a survey involving leaders from business, various levels of government, academia, think-tanks, cross-border organizations, and associations on the extent and significance of the emergence of cross-border regions.

Horizons

Social Economy
Volume 8 - Number 2
Horizons
February 2006

This issue of Horizons continues the exploration of the social economy in Canada, and strives to answer the interrelated questions: why should governments be interested in the social economy, and what is the appropriate role for government in this field? The articles in this issue are not intended to update readers on what exactly the social economy entails. Viewpoints in this regard differ, reflecting the great diversity of experience across Canada in this area. Rather, the aim is to help readers gain a better understanding of the different guises and areas of activity of this organizational form, which borrows from market practices and principles, as well as from both the government delivery of public services approach and the community model used by non-profit organizations.

North American Linkages

The Emergence of Cross-Border Regions
Interim Report
November 2005

Extensive economic and institutional linkages exist among fairly distinct groupings of neighboring and nearby provinces and states along the Canada-US border. The PRI Interim Report concludes that the thickness and intensity of these linkages is greatest in four distinct regions: the West, Prairies/Great Plains, Great Lakes/Heartland and East. The report also indicates that the regional dimension of the linkages between Canada and the United States may have important implications on public policy for the Government of Canada.

New Approaches for Addressing Poverty and Exclusion

Combatting the Social Exclusion of At-Risk Groups
Research Paper
November 2005

In Canada, it has been shown that some groups are particularly at risk of long-term poverty and social exclusion. They include lone-parents, older unattached individuals, off-reserve aboriginal individuals, recent immigrants, and persons with work-limiting disabilities. Equally vulnerable to social exclusion are children from low-income households. This paper offers a taxonomy of measures used in both Canada and Europe to help these groups and individuals out of their predicament. While most of the measures are familiar to policy makers and social activists, the challenge lies in the coordination and management of these approaches.

Population Aging and Life-Course Flexibility

Encouraging Choice: Aging, Labour Supply and Older Workers
Briefing Note
November 2005

The Policy Research Initiative has developed a report on population aging and future labour supply issues, with a focus on encouraging older workers to extend their working lives by delaying or phasing into retirement. The PRI concurs with much of recent OECD analysis, having cooperated in the production of that report. However, the PRI report uses a new analytical instrument (LifePaths) to look in more detail at Canadian labour supply factors. The result is a nuanced analysis tailored to the Canadian context.

Population Aging and Life-Course Flexibility

The Federal Public Service Case Study
Briefing Note
November 2005

As part of the interdepartmental project Population Aging and Life-Course Flexibility, the Policy Research Initiative has studied the likely consequences of aging on the federal public service workforce. This study was undertaken by the PRI in collaboration with Treasury Board Secretariat, the Public Service Commission, and Statistics Canada.

Population Aging and Life-Course Flexibility

Encouraging Choice in Work and Retirement
Project Report
October 2005

This report evaluates the extent of the economic risk to society posed by population aging and specifically the baby boom retirement. It emphasizes the need to maintain a healthy economy and fiscal prudence, while still respecting the opportunity and need for people to exercise choice in the best interests of their families, society, and themselves.

Horizons

Data for Policy
Volume 8 - Number 1
Horizons
October 2005

This issue of Horizons, explores the world of data for policy, with articles covering a wide range of data-related issues, including current challenges in addressing future data needs, the relative value of longitudinal surveys, the expansion of modeling in health and social policy development, data needs for reporting on the state of the nation, and the various ways in which data are accessed and used by policy researchers.

Sustainable Development

Water Quality Trading I: Scientific Considerations for Agricultural Pollutants
Briefing Note
September 2005

- Water Quality trading (WQT) and similar policy tools can be used to manage pollution from non-point sources including agriculture.
- WQT requires a basic scientific understanding of:
- the problem to be solved;
- how the pollutant of concern contributes to the problem;
- the sources of the pollutant;
- the fate of the pollutant in the environment;
- the management practices that can reduce pollutant load; and
- the affected watershed.
- Phosphorous, nitrogen, and sediment are the most suitable agricultural candidates for WQT in Canada.

Sustainable Development

Water Quality Trading II: Using Trading Ratios to Deal with Uncertainties
Briefing Note
September 2005

- Trading ratios are effectively exchange rates that establish equivalency between different pollution reduction measures.
- Trading ratios can be used in market-based pollution management tools, such as water quality trading (WQT), to ensure that the actions taken by the respective trading partners are environmentally equivalent.
- Scientific uncertainties regarding pollutant behaviour and the heterogeneity of a watershed can be factored into a WQT program through the use of trading ratios.

Social Capital as a Public Policy Tool

Social Capital in Action
Other
September 2005

The project established interdepartmental working groups to oversee the development of a series of thematic policy studies by experts on the best available evidence in areas of strategic importance to the Government of Canada. Eight specific policy and program areas are examined in a Canadian context: poverty reduction, healthy aging, settlement of new immigrants, educational outcomes of Aboriginal youth, youth civic engagement, community crime prevention, policing in First Nations communities, and the role of local associations in community development.

Social Capital as a Public Policy Tool

Measurement of Social Capital
Reference Document
September 2005

This report provides an analysis of efforts to measure social capital and concludes with key recommendations for future measurement efforts in a public policy context.

Social Capital as a Public Policy Tool

Social Capital as a Public Policy Tool
Project Report
September 2005

This report provides a synthesis of the key findings from the PRI social capital project in the areas of conceptualization, implications for public policy, and measurement efforts.

Social Capital as a Public Policy Tool

Social Capital: A Tool for Public Policy
Briefing Note
September 2005

This note provides a concise and accessible executive summary of the Project's findings and recommendations.

New Approaches for Addressing Poverty and Exclusion

Housing Policy and Practice in the Context of Poverty and Exclusion
Synthesis Report
August 2005

Housing challenges often play a role in poverty and exclusion as both a determinant and an outcome. Following a PRI-SSHRC Policy Research Roundtable on this topic and subsequent research by the PRI, this paper explores these connections, outlines the situation in Canada, and assesses ways to improve housing and poverty outcomes.

New Approaches for Addressing Poverty and Exclusion

What We Need to Know About the Social Economy
Other
July 2005

The guide provides background on the social economy, identifies research issues whose examination would support the development of policies and programs, provides suggestions for how this research might be conducted, and points to some useful information sources.

Sustainable Development

Wet Industry: An Opportunity for Strategic Municipal Water Demand Management
Briefing Note
June 2005

- Municipal water systems must satisfy peak demand. This can lead to wasted capacity in off-peak hours and increase the per-unit cost of water services.
- Leamington, Ontario, manages its water services jointly with wet industry to shift industrial demand from peak to off-peak hours. Flattening the demand curve, this reduces per unit costs and the need to expand infrastructure.
- Raising water prices may also reduce peak demand, but industry may then relocate to other sites where costs are lower.

North American Linkages

NAFTA Rules of Origin
Discussion Paper
June 2005

NAFTA rules of origin, although intended to distinguish between NAFTA originating goods and non-originating goods, can result in unexpected consequences and economic costs. In this study, we examine the empirical evidence addressing key issues related to the use of NAFTA rules of origin in Canada-US bilateral trade. Moreover, we examine the factors that influence importers’ decisions regarding the choice between using NAFTA and MFN status, and provide supporting econometric evidence.

Sustainable Development

Integrated Landscape Management Modelling
Other
June 2005

Integrated Landscape Management Modelling (ILMM) is a powerful tool for bringing a wide range of specialist expertise to bear on land-use decisions and environmental impact assessments. This report shows how a national capacity for ILMM could be developed in Canada.

North American Linkages

Policy Implications of a Canada-US Customs Union
Discussion Paper
June 2005

This discussion paper, prepared by the Centre for Trade Policy and Law, explores a range of challenging policy issues related to a potential Canada-US customs. The authors explore the principle elements of a customs union and find that through a process of policy convergence, Canada could enter a customs union with a modest increase in the level of obligations already inherent in current trade agreements.

Sustainable Development

Towards a National Capacity for Integrated Landscape Management Modelling
Briefing Note
May 2005

- Land-use management and Strategic Environmental Assessments (SEAs) need improved tools to consider complex interactions and cumulative effects of multiple land uses; Integrated Landscape Management Models (ILMM) could satisfy this policy need.
- Barriers to the development and use of ILMM include jurisdictional and thematic silos, uncoordinated data policies, and hesitency among potential users to be "early adopters."
- A variety of frameworks for a national ILMM capacity would help address these barriers; all need federal leadership.
- ILMM would be particularly useful to establish a clear, consistent, rigorous, and scientifically defensible process for Strategic Environmental Assessments.

Sustainable Development

Canadian Water Resources Journal
Other
April 2005
Canadian Water Resources Association

Special Issue: Economic Instruments for Water Demand Management

Other Research Activities

Exploring New Approaches to Social Policy
Synthesis Report
March 2005

This synthesis report presents our summaries from the recent PRI conference, Exploring New Approaches to Social Policy. The conference was held in Ottawa in December 2004.

Sustainable Development

Do European Water Abstraction Taxes Affect Competitiveness?
Briefing Note
March 2005

- The European Union (EU) recently adopted a Water Framework Directive supporting the application of economic instruments as a tool for integrated water resource management.
- One of the main challenges to implementing environmental tax reform is a fear of losing competitiveness as costs rise following the introduction of economic instruments.
- Tax rates imposed on industrial water abstraction across the EU are low when compared with the total water-related costs borne by industry, and industry is often exempted from the taxes.
- The fear of losing competitiveness is unfounded, since water-related taxes are a very small component of total production costs.

Sustainable Development

Federal Commitments to Freshwater: Three Generations of Sustainable Development Strategies
Briefing Note
March 2005

- Integrated water resource management (IWRM) principles are being broadly integrated in the government's thinking.
- In the area of water, broader environmental commitments are taking precedence over greening government operations.
- A significant shift in the third generation of sustainable development strategies (SDS) demonstrates the impact of co-ordinated, specific guidance.
- Further Reading

Sustainable Development

Market-Based Instruments for Water Demand Management I: The Use of Pricing and Taxes
Briefing Note
February 2005

- Pricing and taxes are proposed to internalize environmental externalities, reduce water use, allow for cost recovery and, more generally, raise state revenues.
- The lack of systematic ex-post evaluation and appropriate data, impedes assessment of pricing strategies.
- Implementation costs can make pricing/taxes non-cost-effective. The appropriate role of pricing and tax strategies for water demand management depends on local conditions and institutional contexts.
- User participation in strategy design can improve the odds of success.

Sustainable Development

Market-Based Instruments for Water Demand Management II: Water Markets
Briefing Note
February 2005

- Water markets seek to use the incentives provided by market setting to allocate water more efficiently and foster water use efficiency.
- Market design, implementation, and transaction costs can limit trading and anticipated efficiency gains.
- The environmental and social effects of water markets are not well documented.
- Achieving social and environmental benefits requires appropriate regulation, which contrains market operations.

Sustainable Development

Economic Instruments for Water Demand Management in an Integrated Water Resources Management Framework
Synthesis Report
February 2005

This report is a synthesis paper based in part on an Experts Symposium held in June of 2004. It reviews the use of economic instruments for water demand management, such as pricing and markets.

Sustainable Development

Integrated Landscape Management Models for Sustainable Development Policy Making
Briefing Note
January 2005

- Integrated landscape management models (ILMMs) are approaching a stage of maturity where they could be required for environmental impact assessments of large projects.
- ILMMs combine social, economic, and biophysical sub-models to produce comprehensive scenarios for decision makers.
- ILMMs allow different management scenarios to be evaluated over different spatial and temporal scales.
- Most ILMMs are developed for a specific area and focus on a theme.
- Further Reading and Links

Sustainable Development

Exporting Canada's Water I: Outside of NAFTA
Briefing Note
January 2005

- Exporting Canadian water outside of NAFTA is only economical as a luxury product.
- Water exports would not necessarily harm the environment, but would have little economic benefit to Canada.
- Water exports for humanitarian emergencies would not turn water into a commodity, but Canada is not the closest and cheapest source of water for most other countries.

Horizons

Poverty and Exclusion
Volume 7 - Number 2
Horizons
December 2004

A broader understanding of poverty, going beyond point-in-time income, suggests new and more comprehensive policy approaches for addressing issues of poverty and exclusion. This issue of Horizons features articles that analyze how poverty has evolved, the groups most affected, and appropriate tools and policies. Several of these topics were also examined at the PRI's December 2004 conference, Exploring New Approaches to Social Policy.

North American Linkages

Canada-US Regulatory Co-operation: Charting a Path Forward
Interim Report
December 2004

This interim report presents the PRI's research to date on the potential benefits of expanding regulatory co-operation between Canada and the United States, and the approaches available to Canada. The report presents options for a more strategic and concerted effort to improve regulatory co-operation with the United States in order to secure greater economic benefits, while simultaneously safeguarding and improving the integrity of the regulatory system.

Population Aging and Life-Course Flexibility

A Life-Course Approach to Social Policy Analysis: A Proposed Framework
Discussion Paper
December 2004

This paper presents a proposal for a framework to describe the goals and results of social policies. It suggests that a life-course approach, focusing on the trajectories of individuals through life, may be the proper foundation to build this framework. At a minimum, the proposed framework is providing a way of conceptualizing the relationships between individuals and society that is consistent with emerging thinking about social policy. It could also be a practical policy tool, leading to the real beginning of an evidence-driven social policy.

New Approaches for Addressing Poverty and Exclusion

Poverty and Exclusion: Normative Approaches to Policy Research
Discussion Paper
November 2004

The understanding of equality issues that informed our current social policy infrastructure predated the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms. Case law dealing with human, equality, and international rights has evolved significantly in the interim. Moreover, Canada's adherence to several international human rights agreements has not, by and large, been reflected in Canadian law or in domestic policy making. This report examines these normative shifts, and makes a case for the systematic, front-loaded integration of legal norms into horizontal policy development.

North American Linkages

Canada-US Regulatory Co-operation
Synthesis Report
October 2004

This report summarizes a joint Policy Research Initiative/Social Sciences and the Humanities Research Council symposium on Canada – U.S. regulatory cooperation held on October 29, 2004. Over 50 experts from government, academia, industry, non-government organizations and other research institutions participated in a rich discussion of key issues arising from the PRI's Interim Report Canada-U.S. Regulatory Cooperation: Charting a Path Forward.

Social Capital as a Public Policy Tool

Expert Workshop on the Measurement of Social Capital for Public Policy
Synthesis Report
September 2004

This document is a synthesis report from the Expert workshop on measuring social capital for public policy purposes, held on June 8th, 2004. It provides an outline of the presentations and discussions held by the experts . The exercise was to identify essential elements of a "toolbox" for analyzing social capital for purposes of developing and assessing government programs and policies.

New Approaches for Addressing Poverty and Exclusion

Financial Capability and Poverty
Discussion Paper
August 2004

This discussion paper, prepared by the Social and Enterprise Development Innovations (SEDI), focuses on developing financial literacy as a complementary strategy to asset building through a review of existing research and current initiatives in Canada and abroad.

Population Aging and Life-Course Flexibility

Views on Life-Course Flexibility and Canada's Aging Population
Discussion Paper
July 2004

This paper describes the methodologies used in, and the results coming out of, focus groups that were organized to better understand Canadians preferences concerning the allocation of time for work, care-giving, education and leisure, their preferences concerning the time at which they intend to retire. Canadians that participated to these focus groups were also ask for their opinions on policies that could support the reallocation of time over the course of life.

North American Linkages

The Emergence of Cross-Border Regions
Roundtable Report
June 2004

The Policy Research Initiative in partnership with the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council organized on June 21-22, 2004 a roundtable on the emergence of cross-border regions. More than 50 participants mostly from academia, think tanks and the Government of Canada participated in this event.

Horizons

North American Linkages
Volume 7 - Number 1
Horizons
June 2004

This issue examines some of the challenges the Government of Canada is facing in its management of our multi-faceted relations with the United States. Like Ulysses, who had to navigate between Scylla and Charybdis on the return from Troy to Ithacus, Canada has to steer certain public policies between twin perils, pursuing a balance between the risk of being engulfed by its giant neighbour, as a possible result of ill-considered integration, and the risk of losing important economic benefits if it steers away from North American integration.

Sustainable Development

Integrated Water Resource Management
Briefing Note
June 2004

- Integrated water resource management (IWRM) has become the new paradigm for freshwater policy development.
- IWRM integrates land use and water management at a watershed level, to optimize economic, social, and environmental outcomes simultaneously.
- There are as yet few large-scale examples of IWRM in practice; one of the best is the management of a watershed to protect New York City's drinking water supply.

Horizons

Sustainable Development
Volume 6 - Number 4
Horizons
March 2004

Balancing social, economic, and environmental concerns, sustainable development is a concept and an ideal that encompass es every aspect of human activity. From water to fire, this issue of Horizons provides an overview of several important aspects of sustainable development in Canada, and introduces phase two of the PRI's sustainable development project, which focuses on freshwater management.

Population Aging and Life-Course Flexibility

The Pivotal Role of Increased Choice in The Retirement Decision
Discussion Paper
March 2004

The Policy Research Initiative is exploring the hypothesis that major economic and social gains could flow from policy-induced changes in the allocation of time throughout life. This Discussion Paper presents the key research questions that are guiding the PRI's interdepartmental project on this subject. The paper reports on the evidence obtained so far, and outlines where more work is necessary.

Social Capital as a Public Policy Tool

The Opportunity and Challenge of Diversity: A Role for Social Capital?
Synthesis Report
March 2004

Included in this synthesis report of the PRI-OECD international conference, is an overview of the conference proceedings. In addition, Meyer Burstein, a policy expert in the field of immigrant integration, as well as a co-founder of the Metropolis Project, has provided a comprehensive analysis of the conference proceedings and of the potential policy role for social capital in this field.

Social Capital as a Public Policy Tool

Exploring the Promise of Asset-Based Social Policies
Synthesis Report
February 2004

The report provides a synthesis of the key issues discussed at a conference held in December 2003. The participants at the conference learned from existing research, policy, and practice in the area of asset-building and low-income savings, and had a chance to assess critically the appropriateness, merit, and applicability of an asset–based approach to social policy in Canada.

Sustainable Development

Advancing Sustainable Development in Canada: Policy Issues and Research Needs
Other
November 2003

This publication outlines the seven most important issues Canada faces in terms of sustainable development, aside from climate change. Analysts from approximately ten federal departments as well as researchers from the academic community provided input for the report.

Horizons

Social Capital
Volume 6 - Number 3
Horizons
November 2003

From the role of social networks in securing employment to the strengthening of community resilience in the face of economic challenges, the Horizons issue on social capital highlights preliminary findings from the PRI's Social Capital project, as well as bringing to the fore recent social capital research from Australia, New Zealand, and across Canada.

Other Research Activities

Not Strangers in These Parts: Urban Aboriginal Peoples
Other
October 2003

This recent publication focuses on issues affecting Aboriginal people living in urban areas. Edited by Professors David Newhouse (Trent University) and Evelyn Peters (University of Saskatchewan), this book features 16 papers, each analyzing different issues concerning urban Aboriginal people in Canada.