What Canadians Need to Know About Crypto Yield Farming and Taxes

 Cryptocurrency has expanded beyond mere speculation, offering new avenues like yield farming for investors to earn passive income. Yield farming, also known as liquidity mining, involves providing cryptocurrency to decentralized finance (DeFi) platforms, where funds are used to generate returns through lending, borrowing, or other forms of liquidity provision. While

Montreal Economic Institute Says Trudeau Taxes Since 2015 Are Damaging the Economy

 A study released today by the Montreal Economic Institute (MEI) sheds light on the detrimental effects of income tax increases in Canada since the Trudeau government was elected in 2015. The MEI is an independent public policy think tank with offices in Montreal and Calgary. Through its publications, media appearances,

Stay at home – 10 activities to do in the wake of COVID-19

 At-home movie nights From Netflix to Disney+, there are so many options to stream movies at home now! Make some popcorn and dim the lights to turn your den or basement into a home movie theatre. Have fun and make each movie night a different theme like “scary movies,” “80’s

Is it time for major tax reform?

 By Michael Wolfson On the same day that Minister of Finance, Bill Morneau, clarified the federal government’s proposals to limit “income sprinkling” as a way for high income owners of private companies to reduce their taxes, the Senate Finance Committee released its report recommending that all his tax changes should

An Open Letter to Justin Trudeau on Tax Fairness

 By Jake Leguee Rt. Hon. Justin Trudeau, P.C., M.P. Prime Minister of Canada 80 Wellington Street Ottawa, Ontario, K1A 0A2 Dear Prime Minister, My name is Jake Leguee, and I am a farmer in Saskatchewan. I am writing this letter to express my grave concerns with your plan for what you

Why it’s Never too Late for Low Income Canadians to File Their Taxes

 Those earning $40,000 a year or less may be eligible for a range of benefits. Most Canadians would like to see an end to poverty.  What if we told you that one organization, using the existing social benefits system, found a way to get $21 million into the pockets of

WHAT’S IN A NAME?

 Uber Insists its Drivers are Independent Contractors. There has been much talk recently on whether Uber drivers are in fact employees. And the answer depends very much on who you ask. Last year, a California Labour Commissioner ruled that an Uber driver was an employee because Uber controls the tools

It’s Time to Test a Basic Income

 Recently I tabled a motion in the Senate calling on the government to create a pilot project that would test a basic income in Canada, also known as a guaranteed annual income. Canadians face immense challenges. Many families struggle to pay the rent, and some can’t afford their children’s school

Spirit of Math Schools

 Math is a language that few of us can speak. After more than a decade of school, many adults remember just enough to count pocket change and figure out their taxes. However, if you have a child who’s talented with numbers, Spirit of Math Schools can help them become fluent in this

Some Thoughts on Aging

 I am withering away No matter where I lie My youth has left me bankrupt Old and gray and hung out to dry I can’t remember what I should forget Nor forget what I should remember My eyes are tired and my hair is white I fear some night that

Oil: A High-Stakes Game of Chance

 Popular wisdom has it that the only certainty in life is death and taxes. Until a few short months ago, most economists, politicians, political pundits and journalists would have added to that short list a perpetual increase in the price of oil. But, in today’s interconnected world, much can happen

Professional Incorporation: Are you taking full advantage?

 By Kash Pashootan Many self-managed professionals are already reaping the benefits of professional incorporation. When you incorporate, significant tax advantages, retirement planning, and estate planning opportunities become available. Prior to incorporating, it’s important to weigh the benefits and attributes, as well as consider the specific rules that govern your profession

Financial Literacy: An Essential 21st Century Skill

 It may surprise you to learn that November is Financial Literacy Month. And yet, financial literacy deserves to be given more prominence in today’s world of complex mortgages, loans, insurance policies, complicated investment products and sophisticated financial scams. As Leslie Byrnes, Vice-President, Distribution and Pensions at the Canadian Life and

Public Servants Series: Norway Shows Canada a Better Way

 In Canada, we have much to be thankful for. But as a society we still struggle with equality rights and, as wealthy as we are as a nation, we don’t provide a guaranteed standard of living to all our citizens, most notably many of our aboriginal people who still live

Giving Up On Government As An Agent For The Public Good…Is Not A Good Idea

 When I first got into the commercial polling business, about 70% of Canadians held a somewhat favourable impression of politicians. Today, more believe in the devil or that Elvis is alive than hold this particular point of view. Now, I know all of us smirk knowingly, from time to time,

Have you no shame — The shocking expenses of our unelected city managers

 By Claire Tremblay & Dan Donovan Shocking. That's how Auditor General Sheila Fraser described the waste of $100 million of taxpayers' money in her February 10 report to Parliament on the Liberal government's sponsorship fiasco in Quebec. But for jaded Canadian taxpayers, the waste of their hard-earned money is nothing

Citizen Cain: Claudette Cain on the campaign trail

 By Kate Heartfield Claudette Cain has been scrutinized by the media, the public and her peers for 20 years. Yet after all this time in politics, she is not an easy woman to pigeonhole. Her office at Gloucester City Hall is trimmed with flowered window treatments and a crocheted doily,

Bizarre Bylaws: It’s okay to ride your bike, but don’t Speed or coast

 By David DuCharme The City of Ottawa recently celebrated the 150th anniversary of a meeting by Bytown council on September 18, 1847 to choose a mayor of the town. This enactment gave council the power to enact laws and regulations for the internal government — known as bylaws. The town,

226,527 City of Ottawa bylaws since 1850: Man, we are overgoverned

 By: David Ducharme A lot can be learned about a city and its inhabitants—its history, character, evolution—by perusing its bylaws. Yep, I said bylaws. While not exactly your high literature full of colorful prose, City of Ottawa archivist Louise Roy-Brochu thinks bylaws are pretty darn good reading. "I always enjoy