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Explains how Canada's pulp and paper makers have grown fat on cheap trees, cheap power and political largesse, and describes how to make them more competitive in the 90s. Niche marketing; Embracing new technologies; Diversification; Modernization; Environmental pressure; What is weakening the industry; Integration; Globalization; Conservation.

The article discusses that a financial crisis in Canada has begun because non-bank asset-backed commercial paper has become illiquid in the amount of about $7 billion Canadian dollars. Investors are unable to get their money out for use causing major write-downs. No new investors are stepping up to allow rollover to occur and more paper to be issued.

The article discusses the collapse of the asset-backed commercial paper (ABCP) market in Canada. One company holding frozen ABCP wants the government to investigate ABCP dealers, including Coventree Inc. A memorandum issued to dealers by Coventree on July 24, 2007 may have provided material information investors say should have been shared with them.

The article discusses the impact of the crisis in asset-backed commercial paper financing on Baffinland Iron Mines Corp., a Canadian company that sought short-term financing through the investments. Factors leading to the collapse of the Canadian commercial paper market are discussed, including lack of transparency and the inability of credit rating agencies to evaluate the assets.

Presents information on the performance of stocks in the paper and forest products industry in 2001 in Canada. Discussion of how real consumption of pulp and paper products has continued to fall since January 2001; Concern that profits in the industry could sink even further; Mention of Slocan Forest Products Ltd.; Performance of Bowater Inc.

Evaluates the paper and forest products industries in Canada as of July 8, 2002. Topic of stock prices in the industries; Mention of the Toronto Stock Exchange Paper and Forest Index; Suggestion that Domtar Inc, a producer of paper, might present fewer risks for investors; Discussion of the lumber industry.

Focuses on John Weaver, president and chief executive officer of Abitibi-Consolidated, the world's largest newsprint producer. Problems that have hit the industry; Biographical information; His short term and long term plans for the Canadian company. INSET: From mills to millstones.

This article presents the author's views on Canada's asset-backed commercial paper (ABCP) trusts. ABCPs are short-term papers for funding investments in longer-term assets. The author reflects on problems with Canadian ABCP trusts in the frozen market and why investors are angry and want to know who to blame for their losses. The author also notes the importance of confidence in Canada's financial system.

Focuses on Canadian paper company Abitibi, the world's largest newsprint producer. Background on the company, which traces its history through its six founding companies, primarily Abitibi-Price, Stone Consolidated and Donohue; Comments of Chief Executive officer John Weaver; Financial details; Expansion of the company; Exports.

The article reports on a bioactive paper being designed in Canada, which would help protect humans from bacteria and viruses. The Sentinel Bioactive Paper Network consists of Canadian universities, government and business partners researching the antibacterial product. The hope is for a paper that can detect, warn and destroy bacteria upon contact. Data from the Public Health Agency of Canada is provided and network director Bob Pelton quoted.

The article mentions the popularity of the luxurious wool cashmere which comes from the Asian mountain goat, chyangra. Karl Spilhaus, president of the Boston-based Cashmere and Camel Hair Manufacturers Institute, says "It's probably the finest animal fibre that's really in commercial production. It is also a finite resource--less than 20,000 tons annually--so you can't find a bargain in cashmere, any more than you could in gold or diamonds." The wool also makes great men's clothing. "The most common items are the cashmere sweater, the cashmere scarf and the cashmere sports blazer," says Larry Rosen, chairman and CEO of Canadian men's wear retailer Harry Rosen. Cashmere is so universally associated with luxury that it seems marketers will try to tie any product in with its allure. In 1999, Canadian paint company Sico Inc. launched a high-end interior latex line called Cashmere. Last year, Scott Paper launched a new toilet paper called Cashmere from Cottonelle. The company commissioned eight Canadian designers to come up with the "White Cashmere" collection for the launch of the toilet paper last August, their extravagant one-off runway creations got plenty of attention. Scott Paper now plans to change its brand name from Cottonelle to Cashmere by 2007. Toronto designer Tam Boyko of Heaven Cashmere was one of the contributing designers. Her shawl-collared women's wrap cardigan is the only piece from last year's White Cashmere collection that's available for sale.

Profiles Canadian newspaper publishers David Black and Conrad Black. The competition between the two; How each got his start in the newspaper business; Careers of both; Biographical information.

This article presents an editorial on how the National Bank of Canada held to a system of credit rating in the midst of the credit crunch. The author maintains National did the right thing when the market for non-bank asset-backed commercial paper (ABCP) froze in August, 2007, and the Montreal, Quebec-based bank bought up pools of debt from funds it controls and through its subsidiary, Altamira Investment Services.

Examines Canada's most unusual paper shuffle, involving New Brunswick's Irving family and their newspapers, `Telegraph Journal' and `Evening Times Globe.' Brothers Jack, Arthur and J.K. Irving; Valerie Millen, general manager, hired to halt the papers' financial slide and make them better; Editor Neil Reynolds; Details; The effect on the province of New Brunswick. INSETS: No business too big or too small (Irving family businesses);All the news that's fit to revile.

The article examines why Canadian legislators assign the majority of securities enforcement and regulation to self-regulatory organizations (SROs) and ad hoc committees. The problem of asset-backed commercial paper being linked to poor investments that required individuals to seek short-term loans is discussed. It is also attested that the International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) is guilty of mistreating investors due to conflicts of interest.

The article looks at the history of Sunday newspapers in Canada. Topics include secularization of Canadian labor laws in the 1970s which allowed for Sunday deliveries, the financial situations of newspaper publishers as more people read their news through digital media, and cancellations of Sunday newspaper editions in Canada as of June 2012.

Focuses on Emmie Leung, chief executive officer of International Paper Industries Ltd. of North Vancouver, British Columbia. The success the company has had since 1993; How she got into the business; Company revenues for 1998.

Focuses on Alberta Education, winner of the 1998 Canadian Information Productivity Awards. Development of a system for record keeping; How schools in Alberta are connected to each other and to the Internet; How the system has helped make administration more efficient. INSET: Human Resources Development Canada.

This article focuses on Canada's environmental campaign to cut the use of plastics bag use. By 2012, Ontario Premier Dalton McGuinty hopes for a 50% voluntary reduction in plastic bag use. This 50% amounts to about 1 billion plastic bags, which will result in a loss of $20 million for plastic manufacturer PCL Packaging.

This article briefly discusses news relating to direct mail marketing in Canada. The development of a direct mail marketing periodical called "Sorted News" by the Canada Post is described. The potential for an increasing volume of direct mail marketing in Canada following the establishment of a do-not-call list that limits telemarketers is noted. The plans for a direct marketing campaign by the Royal Bank of Canada are also described.

Profiles forensic accountant Tedd Avey, the Toronto-based president of Kroll Consulting Group. Details on his job, which is to uncover any suspicious accounting practices of companies; Differences between a forensic accountant and a regular accountant; Observation that venture capitalists and potential business partners are increasingly hiring forensic accountants to investigate companies before they enter a contract, merge, or invest; Details on infamous cases Avey has investigated.

The article focuses on the corporate formality of annual reports. Of particular focus is a report published by Enterprise.com, a Belgium-based consultancy, which ranks 300 international companies based on their annual reports, and how Canadian businesses ranked. Overall, eighteen Canadian companies made the list, with Telus Corp. ranking first. Factors the report considered when compiling the rankings included performance reporting, financial review and management discussion of strategy.

Argues that tariffs on steel are unnecessary in Canada. Complaints of Canadian steel companies about low prices of imported steel; Benefits of low priced steel for consumers and manufacturers; Recovery from low steel prices due to overcapacity and weak markets; Opinion that the government should focus on importers who illegally dump steel.

Discusses the possible results of a readership study of Canada's 'The Globe and Mail' and 'The National Post.' Marketing strategy of the 'Post's' publisher Conrad Black to give away free papers to boost subscriptions; Leak of readership numbers from the Newspaper Audience Databank (NASbank) that the 'Globe's' readership numbers are down; Speculation about whether the owners of the 'Globe' will sell.

Profiles a number of executives in the lumber industry in Canada. Softwood lumber tariffs; Kruger Incorporated's acquisition of Scott Paper Limited in Montreal, Quebec; Cascades Incorporated and Boralex Incorporated in Drummondville, Quebec; Tolko Industries in Vernon, British Columbia; Others.

In this article the author surveys the Canadian timber industry as it stood in early 2008. A number of experts state that the market for wood and paper products is poor and that investment in timber stocks would be unwise. The purchase of tracts of trees by large institutional investors is described. Some timber stocks and mutual funds are recommended.

The article offers information on the environmental initiatives of Canadian companies that made it to the 2010 Green 30 list of "Canadian Business" magazine. Global human resources consulting and outsourcing firm Hewitt Associates compiled the information provided by the organizations. Highlighted are the key programs, practices, values, leadership behaviours, and actions that enabled the companies to earn high marks from their staff.

The article discusses the newspaper industry in Canada as of March 2013, with information on the trend for digital publishing and reduced revenues from print advertising. Topics include paywalls on newspaper websites which prohibits access except for online readers with a paid subscription, digital subscriptions to news content, and paywall models by newspapers including "The New York Times" and "AllNovaScotia.com."

Discusses how the Canadian company Thomson Corp. became a successful electronic publisher. How Roy Thomson founded the company in 1934; Transformation of Thomson Corp. from a newspaper chain to an international provider of products and services; Consideration of how Ken Thomson reorganized the company between 1985 and 1997; Acquisition of legal, educational, and health publishers; How the Thomson family is the company's principal shareholder; Electronic publishing of legal, financial, educational, and reference material.

Reports on Canadian businessmen Ron Stern and Bob Silver, who have purchased the Winnipeg Free Press and the Brandon Sun newspapers. Background information on the two entrepreneurs; Other holdings of the two.

Reports on the decision of Thomson Newspapers Corp. to sell 21 of its papers located in towns that encircle the media planet in Toronto, Ont. Move as part of a long-term strategic repositioning; Challenges faced by newspaper publishers in Toronto.

This article discusses the financial prospects for the paper and lumber company Abitibibowater Inc. during 2009. The economic issues posed by the decline of newspapers as a means of communication is presented as one issue facing the company. the debt levels held by Abitibibowater, which was formed by the merger of two forest products companies in 2007, are also noted.

The article reports on the career of Canadian entrepreneur Chad Wasilenkoff. Starting with the help of his mom, at age ten he sold used golf balls, video games, bikes and Apple II computers for profit. He attributes his success to his early attempts to find value. The article describes Wasilenkoff's work with Dynasty Metals & Mining, Titan Uranium and Fortress Paper Mills as larger scale financial successes.

The editor comments on business thinkers in Canada. Economists Don Drummond and Gillian Manning wrote a paper, Time to Eliminate the Foreign Property Rule for Canadian Registered Pension Plans, that is well worth reading. It's the most cogent and concise argument I've read against the silly 30% limit on non-Canadian content in our RRSPs. Not only does it deflate the fallacies the 30% limit is based upon--that open borders for RRSP--included assets would create a flight of capital or are somehow unpatriotic--but they also point out that the cap basically benefits nobody. The second mind I wanted to mention is that of Roger Martin, dean of the Rotman School of Management at the University of Toronto. He's also chair of the Institute for Competitiveness & Prosperity, a not-for-profit organization whose mandate is to measure the economic progress of Ontario, but whose findings have relevance for the entire country. Martin recently presented a paper entitled Realizing Canada's Prosperity Potential to the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. Martin's basic argument is that a "prosperity gap" exists between Canada and the United States, and that the way to close it is to increase our productivity. The other big point Martin makes is that the time is long past due for Canada to revamp its allegedly progressive and needlessly complex tax system--in which, perversely, the lower middle class pays the highest marginal rate of any income group.

This article criticizes a study accusing Canadian banks of tax fraud. Over the years, I have found that some excellent scholarly papers are worth reviewing in columns to help Canadians think more clearly about public policies. Such is the case of a recent study written by Léo-Paul Lauzon, Marc Gendron and Denis Hasbani at the University of Quebec at Montreal, and entitled Canadian Banks and Tax Avoidance Carried Out in Tax Havens. The authors claim the banks avoided paying $5.7 billion in tax over the 2000-03 period. The authors also (incorrectly) focus only on tax havens, forgetting that most countries have corporate tax rates significantly less than Canada's. How sad it would be if public policy were based on a discriminatory attack on banks rather than on a proper understanding of corporate tax policy.

The author comments on the views of economist Sherry Cooper. She is BMO's economic guru--whose big claim to fame is a PR stint as a hate-mail manager for Paul Volcker, Alan Greenspan's predecessor--is a self-marketing machine. The Bay Street "doctor" introduces herself as the most-quoted economist this side of the border. She also appears on TV hundreds of times per year while writing books, a newspaper column and giving speeches "all over the world." Now, I'm not suggesting Cooper should spend more time studying events. In 2001, Cooper made headlines warning Canada to adopt the U.S. dollar. Cooper insisted nobody on the planet would ever prefer the Canuck buck over Uncle Sam's reserve-quality paper, which is why she said Canada had. to give Washington control of monetary policy before we hit 50¢US. The loonie is now over 80¢US, so Cooper is obviously no Kreskin. Nevertheless, she recently made the papers again by renewing the call for dollarization. Our soaring currency, she argues, simply means Canadians would get a better deal. Maybe. But adopting the greenback (which would have significant political, economic and social startup costs) is still nuts.

Profiles a number of executives from Canada who run conglomerates. The Irving family, which controls the largest oil refinery in Canada; Work of James Pattison for the largest private company in Canada; Global investments of Fred and Ron Mannix in energy, mining, and real estate; Losses of Gerald Schwartz in Celestica Inc.; Paper empire which is run by the Belkin family.

The article discusses counterfeiting in Canada and Wesley Weber, Anthony Caporale, Dustin Kossom and Ryan Hodare who made money in Town of Lakeshore, Ontario. Last year, the Bank of Canada reported a record $12.7 million in counterfeit currency in circulation, up from $4.9 million in 2002. Police don't know much about how Weber's ring distributed its product. Counterfeit currency tends to circulate in the same manner as other illegal commodities.It typically sells on the black market at some fraction of face value. Clever though Weber was at forgery, his compulsive criminal behaviour left him vulnerable. His own lawyer would later describe him as a "one-man crime wave." Weber's recklessness in spending his own product was a big liability, too. His fingerprints were found on the imitation gift certificates he'd passed at the malls. Weber figures the ring had cashed $200,000 in counterfeit. Weber's ring scrambled to keep up with demand; they invested in technology and refined their processes. Output mushroomed, and as the purchases grew, market forces dictated that Weber--who was under house arrest at the time--reduce his price. And this year, another major counterfeit operation was shut down: a joint investigation involving Toronto police, Ontario Provincial Police, Peel Regional Police and the U.S. Secret Service cracked a ring in Toronto in March, seizing almost $3 million in imitation Canadian $10 and $20 notes. INSETS: COUNTERFEIT DETECTION;Stupid counterfeiting tricks.

In a year when prices for lumber and pulpwood hit their lowest levels in a decade, forestry companies such as Canfor Corp. were already smarting. On top of that, Canfor had to pay $107.6 million in punitive duties in fiscal 2002 due to Canada's softwood lumber dispute with the US. The Vancouver company--the largest softwood lumber producer in Canada and fourth-largest in the world--still managed to carve out a profit of $11.5 million on revenue of $2.1 billion. CEO David Emerson is fighting a more grassroots campaign: to change the image of forestry. Since signing on as CEO in 1998--after overhauling the Vancouver International Airport Authority--he has led Canfor's initiative to gain certification from the Canadian Standards Association and American Forest & Paper Association. Tim Hortons is one of Canada's top 75 companies of all time because the food chain makes the best darn coffee in the country. It qualifies because, although it's been owned by American giant Wendy's Internat

Examines value investing and suggests that the ugly ducklings of equities may be poised to turn into beautiful profitable swans. Why `value' stocks (those in the bottom quartile of the market as measured by their price in relation to book value) have not paid off in Canada since the start of the bull market in late 1990; Attention now being paid to cyclical companies; How papers, base metals and steels are now poised to recover; More.

The article reports on the efforts of currency makers to stay ahead of counterfeiters by combining the latest developments in chemistry, physics and material science. New bills will be introduced by Canada and the U.S. in 2011, with U.S. officials unveiling a new 100 U.S. dollar bill which features a wide ribbon as an anticopying measure. On the other hand, Australia has adopted a plastic bill.

Discusses a paper written by Canadian Industry Minister Allan Rock on innovation strategy and improving productivity. View of Rock that Canada must increase its spending on research and development and encourage the growth of several world-class technology clusters; Belief that Rock's innovation strategy provides few new creative ideas and fails to ask tough questions like which past policies have failed Canada.

Comments on the sale of Canada's 'National Post' newspaper by founder Conrad Black. Opinion that, through the paper, Black did a service to Canadian journalism; Speculation regarding the future of the paper under liberal owners.

The author reports on economic predictions that have been made regarding the Canadian forestry industry in 2009. Financial difficulties that the lumber industry experienced which led to the elimination of more than 27,000 jobs in 2008 are mentioned, including problems the industry had with the mountain pine beetle. The opinions of the Forest Products Association of Canada (FPAC) regarding governmental industry bailouts are presented.

This article reports on the 2008 subprime financial crisis in the U.S. and Canada and the near-failure of investment bank Bear Stearns. When Bear Stearns was struggling to fund its operation, the U.S. Federal Reserve orchestrated the shift in its control to the firm JPMorgan. The article discusses the significance of this event to Wall Street history, as well as similar problems with asset-backed commercial paper trusts in Canada.

This article reports on the 76th annual conference of the Prospectors & Developers Association of Canada (PDAC) in 2008 and the commodities sector in the Canadian economy. The article discusses the participants in the conference, including entrepreneurs and celebrities associated with the mining industry. The booming commodities market and its connection to the paper asset and mortgage problems in North America are addressed, as well as when commodity prices are expected to begin falling.

Shawinigan has spawned more than "little guy" Jean Chrétien. The town is the cradle of Quebec's industrial might. In the first decades of the 20th century, Shawinigan Water and Power (SWP), the province's largest-and last-private hydro-electric company, exploited the Saint-Maurice River system's raging waterfalls to lure electricity-hungry industries like aluminum and pulp and paper to the region. SWP's other major contribution to Quebec's economy was in chemicals, producing acetone (used in British bombs during the First World War) and acetylene, a fuel for Montreal's street lamps, later used to make solder. In fact, SWP was a highly diverse company that influenced many sectors of Quebec's economy, says Claude Bellavance, director of the Centre d'études québécoises at the Université du Québec in Trois-Rivières, and author of a 1994 book on the company.

Focuses on the effort of Conrad Black, chairmen of Southam Inc., to launch a new daily Canadian newspaper in 1998. Black's work as a newspaper owner; How Black has never launched a newspaper from the bottom up; The uncertainty surrounding Black's decision.

The article looks at the decline of the personal cheque in Canada as of 2013, discussing Westminster Savings Credit Union customers' option of depositing a paper cheque using a smartphone app (mobile device application) and offering statistics about the history and economics of personal cheques.

The article discusses Canadian small-cap companies whose average one year return was 41% which was better than the medium-and large-cap stocks. Aurelian Resources Incorporated, on the Investor 500 list for the first time, had a return of 1,099.7%. Enterra Energy Trust had a loss of 62.4%. There are 49 small-cap industries including paper, biotechnology, airlines, and hotels.

Mentions the question of whether health care services should be public or private in Canada. The country's slowness in undertaking privatization programs; State-owned enterprises in Canada; Data from a recent paper by Bernardo Bortolotti who found private firms operate more efficiently than public ones; Outlook for public-private partnerships.

When Ontario's Ministry of Health imposed standardized severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) screening at all health care facilities, long lines began snaking out of hospitals--mostly staffers waiting to start their shifts. The hold-up: a paper questionnaire. With as many as 800 employees lining up at Kingston General Hospital at each shift change, staff barely had time to fill out the forms, let alone file them. Three of the lab's researchers spent 72 straight hours building an electronic version of the questionnaire, along with an employee bar coding system. Seven health care facilities are now using the software, which goes for a small donation to the lab. He says it's only a matter of time (and funding) before hospitals use such software to screen employees and visitors for everything from chicken pox to respiratory diseases. In the meantime, expect SARS screening to continue for the rest of the summer.

Reports on competition between the Canadian newspapers the 'National Post' and 'The Globe and Mail.' Mention of self-congratulatory headlines of each boasting superiority over the other; Circulation estimates; Question of whether readers are getting credible, unbiased information regarding the newspaper industry.

Reports on the efforts of the Canadian government to examine the consolidation of the media. Concern of journalists, academics and others that corporations control too many public information sources; Mention of past attempts to address the issue, including the 1970 Special Senate Committee on Mass Media and the 1981 Royal Commission on Newspapers; How studies commissioned by the government as of April, 2001 will serve as the basis for future decisions regarding the government's media ownership policy.

Reports on the increase of trash in Toronto Transit Commission (TTC) subways and streetcar stations. Assertion that the introduction of three free daily newspapers at the same time has added to the problem; Agreement between the TTC and Swedish-based Modern Times Group (MTG) AB, which produces the tabloid 'Metro'; Speculation that trash would decrease if Toronto's mayor and the heads of the Toronto-based newspapers rode the subway.

Information on several papers discussed at Electronic Entertainment Exposition held in June 2011 at Los Angeles Convention Center, California, is presented. The exposition is held for videogame industry and topic includes new blockbuster games, video-game market and developers and Canada's video-game industry.

The article reports on the failure to convict Toronto, Ontario gemologist Donald MacKay for illicit trading of diamonds which reflects the difficulty of policing diamond smuggling. MacKay was arrested and charged by Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) officers on February 27, 2008 for possession of a quantity of rough diamonds. The dismissal of the case is also considered a big blow to efforts by the international certification scheme Kimberley Process to curb trading of blood diamonds.

The article explores the competition among Canada's biggest media companies in response to the emergence of digital platforms, social networking and the rise of smartphones. The media companies involved in the competition include Torstar Corp., Quebecor Inc., and Postmedia Network Inc. Information is also presented on various initiatives undertaken by the media companies to stay ahead of the competition.

Several charts are presented that list Canada's 500 largest publicly traded companies, including the 50 largest-capitalization companies, the 150 mid-capitalization companies, and the 300 small-capitalization companies.

The article presents a timeline of important events related to Canada's intellectual property regime is presented from the implementation of the Canadian Copyright Act in 1924 to a promise made by the Conservative government to modernize copyright laws in 2010.

The article reports on the efforts of forensic accountants in investigating employee fraud using a wide range of technological tools. Among the executives who were involved in high-profile expense scandals were Kelly McDougald, former chief executive officer (CEO) of Ontario Lottery and Gaming and Australian railway executive Tas Sinadinos. A survey found that as many as one-quarter of employees typically admit to submitting expenses incurred outside company policies. A comparison of employee fraud investigations in the U.S. and Canada is presented.

A list of the 250 largest small-cap companies headquartered in Canada based on market capitalization is presented.

The article discusses the corporate turnaround of Algoma Steel Inc. of Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario in Canada. The company, which was on the verge of bankruptcy, received a new CEO, Denis Turcotte, in 2002. Turcotte's business practices, which helped turn the company into the most efficient steel producer in the world, are discussed.

The article explains why Canadian health-care providers are spending millions on digital records, and will continue to spend. The goal is for doctors to access electronic records instantly to make informed diagnoses and save time, thereby saving lives. Across Canada, health regions and hospitals are pumping billions into technology in order to upgrade their antiquated health records systems. Most of the electronic health record software comes from large U.S.-based multinationals. Implementing these technologies, and seeing the benefits, will take time.

The article discusses Canadian business trusts. George Kesteven, president of the Canadian Association of Income Funds, has appeared at Senate banking hearings on the income trust market. Forensic accountant, Al Rosen, has identified five good business trusts, including Aeroplan Income Fund and Clearwater Seafoods Income Fund. Mark Rosen mentions the significance of maintenance capex in trusts. INSET: WHOM DO YOU TRUST?.

Lists the 100 richest people in Canada, the amount of their wealth, and where they made their money. Kenneth Thomson and family, the information distribution, publishing sector; Robert Beamish, foam products; André Chagnon, cable television, broadcasting; Bob Gaglardi, the real estate, hotels, and restaurants sector; Albert Latner, real estate and laboratory services; Others.

Profiles Pierre Côté, the president and chief executive officer of Rogers-Lantic, the merged company of Rogers and Lantic Sugar Ltd. that operates under the Roger Sugar Income Fund. Biographical information; Discussion of how Côté will manage the merged company, Canada's largest sugar producer and marketer; Comments on the Canadian sugar market and competitors to Rogers-Lantic, including Redpath; Outlook for the company's further expansion.

Ranks the top 100 wealthiest people in Canada as of December 31, 2001. Kenneth Thompson, a publisher; Galen Weston, in the grocery business, retail, and real estate; Business activities of the Irving family; Bernard Sherman of Apotex, Inc.; More. INSETS: Wealth creators;Dearly departed;Bubbling under.

Offers stock recommendations for a variety of Canadian companies. Petro-Canada; MediSolution Ltd.; Moore Corp.; Sobeys Inc.; Teck Corp.; ATI Technologies Inc.; Cascades Inc.; Hudson's Bay Co; Investors Group; Alcan Aluminum Ltd.

Presents the results of a question and answer session with a panel of Canadian investing experts. Advice on investing from Sherry Cooper, Bill Gillespie, Satish Rai, and Kirk Dixon; Predictions regarding economic trends and stock market activity as of September, 2000; Speculation regarding the long term value of technology stocks.

Introduces the results from the 'Canadian Business' study entitled 'Investor 500,' which ranks Canada's top performing companies, as of July 2000. Includes, NHC Communications Inc., BakBone Software Inc., eDispatch.com Wireless Data Inc., and SureFire Commerce Inc.

The article examines industrial relations at automobile industry company Toyota Motor Manufacturing Canada. Efforts by Unifor, a labor union created by a 2013 merger of the Canadian Auto Workers and Communications, Energy & Paper-workers unions, to organize the company are examined in relationship to previous failed attempts by other unions. Worker complaints over a change by Toyota to a defined-contribution pension plan for new employees are discussed.

Identifies successful Canadian investment analysts, according to Brendan Wood International Ltd., as of January 1999. Importance of analysts to financial markets; List of analysts according to the markets they analyze, including banks, base metals and minerals, biotechnology, pharmaceuticals and healthcare, and other categories; Ranking of Canadian investment dealers based on the number of ranked analysts in their research departments.

Presents a list of those companies and institutions in Canada that have won 1997 Canadian Information Productivity Awards for their innovative use of information technology for the betterment of public service. Nineteen award-winners, with a brief description.

Presents information on Canadian publisher Sun Media Corp. and its chief executive officer, Paul Godfrey, following its management buyout of Rogers Communications Inc. and its purchase of `The London Free Press,' of London, Ontario. Sun Media still struggling to make a profit; History of the company; State of its publication `The Financial Post'; Conrad Black's attempt to buy control of `The Financial Post.'; Black's threats to start a national daily of his own.

Reports on the lagging financial situation of MacMillan Bloedel Limited (MacBlo) located in Vancouver, British Columbia. MacBlo as one of Canada's largest forest product companies; Financial figures for MacBlo; MacBlo's migrating from traditional emphasis on timber and pulp to higher-margin value-added activities; The possible breaking up of MacBlo; Comments from president and CEO of MacBlo, Bob Findlay; The success of other logging companies on the West coast of Canada.

Examines the Master of Business Administration (MBA) degree program designed by Henry Mintzberg, who has criticized traditional MBA programs. Background of Mintzberg, a professor at McGill University in Canada; His criticism of conventional programs, that they train the wrong people, using the wrong methods, for the wrong reasons.

Claims that even though Canada has already had more than its share of industrial strategy disasters, a new group of schemers is gearing up to repeat the worst excesses of the past. Crude economic policies of the past; Calls for new initiatives that will stimulate the economy; `Investments in Failure--Five Government Corporations that Cost the Canadian Taxpayer Billions,' by Sandford Borins and Lee Brown; More. INSETS: Where the money went.;Meddlers' who's who..

Presents the 1992 `Canadian Business' list of Canada's 500 largest companies.

Discusses Japanese investment in Canadian industry. Low percentage share; Japanese corporate interests widely dispersed; Developing Japanese investment in natural resources, high technology, automobiles, and real estate. INSET: How Canada stacks up; The five big winners; Three studies in....

The article discusses ethanol as an alternative energy source. Before Canada ratified the Kyoto Protocol, farmers in eastern Ontario dreamed of a locally owned and operated $56-million ethanol plant that could convert corn starch into ethanol, a low-emissions fuel that can be used to power vehicles. On the cusp of construction after 13 years in development, the 2,800-farmer-strong Seaway Valley Farmers Energy Co-operative now faces another possible setback--their plant's product might not be so energy-efficient after all. The controversy started when a joint study released in June by Cornell University and the University of California-Berkeley concluded that the process of converting field corn into liquid ethanol, as Seaway's plant will do, consumes 29% more fossil fuels than the value of the energy in the product. The paper, by Cornell's David Pimental, an ecology and agriculture professor, and Berkeley's Tad Patzek, a civil and environmental engineering professor, traces power consumption back to the farming of the corn in the farmers' fields, and the two make no bones about their opinion. "In terms of renewable fuels," says Patzek, "ethanol is the worst solution." Their critics dismiss their data as out of touch with modern agriculture. But given the amounts Canadian governments are throwing at ethanol--$140 million next year from just one federal department--it's time for a more critical stance. After reading the American study, more will be tempted to see ethanol funding as another farm subsidy in disguise.

This article presents an interview of Sir Graham Day by writer John DeMont Growing up in north end Halifax hardened me up pretty early. So I thought, screw you, and I hooked off school and went down to the Canadian Conservatory and used my paper route money to take voice lessons. When I left university, I had no money but no debt, and one suit. I was practising law in Windsor, N.S., and the CBC was going to do a replacement for Don Messer. At first I was part of the Singalong Jubilee chorus. I ended up trying to train the chorus. The nature of the game is that it is impossible to do the job dispassionately without it capturing more of the soul than I really wished. The break in the chain came when I received an offer from Canadian Pacific. Taking the job in Montreal for CP was the seminal change in my career. I was offered a job in the U.K. It was to run a shipyard [part-owned by the British government]. And this was a guy at 38 who had never run anything. I said to the minister responsible, "Minister, why me?" And he said, "Well, let me put it this way: the job is very difficult, and if you make a hash of it, always remember that it is easier for us to shoot the colonial than it is to shoot the native." I have reached the stage where excitement is not one of the top 10 things on my list. Now my life is pretty simple. I won't be writing any memoirs. The Official Secrets Act may be a dodgy piece of legislation, but you take the Queen's shilling and keep your mouth shut."

The article focuses on implementing codes of ethics in business. For more than 20 years, the Royal Bank of Canada has relied on a corporate code of conduct to guide employee behaviour, according to Christina Donely, senior adviser on employee relations and policy governance. A recent survey conducted by the Canadian Centre for Ethics & Corporate Policy found that corporations that create a code of ethics are often flummoxed when it comes to turning it into more than just pieces of paper stashed away on a dusty shelf. And, as it stands, Canadian regulators don't seem much interested in how a code of conduct and ethics is implemented. For example, following in the footsteps of the corporate governance standards legislated by the U.S. Sarbanes-Oxley Act, the Ontario Securities Commission and the securities regulators of 10 other provinces and territories proposed a policy in mid-January calling for all public companies to adopt a written code of business conduct and ethics--or to at least explain why they don't have one. The Institute of Business Ethics in London, a charitable organization founded to encourage high standards of corporate behaviour, recommends using a framework that addresses issues as they affect different constituents of your company: shareholders, employees, customers, suppliers, and the local, national and international communities.

When it comes to writing something of an intimate nature, the instrument of choice for Toni Onley is the fountain pen. An elegant fountain pen is more than a tool; it's functional art. "A fountain pen is the champagne of writing instruments," says Robert Culmer, owner of Montreal's Peel Pen Shop, the oldest specialty shop selling writing instruments in Canada. If you're hunting for a distinctive pen, then the pinnacle of the Montblanc collection is the Solitaire Royal Le Grand fountain pen, which is covered in 4,810 diamonds from tip to cap. If you're into gems, you may prefer a pen from Montblanc's Bohème series which, at $1,100 features a synthetic amethyst on the clip and a retractable nib. Within several months of regular writing, the nib will actually mold itself to your writing style--which is why you should never lend your fountain pen. An important improvement was made to fountain pens by Lewis Edson Waterman, a New York insurance salesman, who devised a feed regulator that allowed air into the ink reservoir as the ink flowed out, reducing blotching and skipping.

People in retrospect sometimes dismiss the 1950s with the term for a style of cigarette packaging at the time--"Flat Fifties." But surely that's refuted by a decade when Canada's GNP doubled, the value of manufacturing nearly did, petroleum production increased fivefold, as did iron ore output, while the Canadian dollar, still a paper bill, exchanged at a premium with the US greenback. Despite earlier Canadian nervousness about a pugnacious America, the Korean War throttles up Canada's economy to new heights. Bigger military budgets build up the aircraft, electronics and shipbuilding industries and their suppliers. Further, such industries are able to shift readily to peacetime projects, notably in electronics in the new TV and stereo age. The 1950s also brought Canadian TV, produced the polio vaccine, the first jetliners and pioneer computers. Not to mention rock 'n' roll and Elvis. The present may have a hard time matching all that. INSET: Multimillionaire E.P. Taylor is off to the races.

Reports on C.J. Graphics Inc., of Toronto. Founder of the company, Jay Mandarino, and his specialization in printing business cards; Famous personalities Mandarino has printed for, including the Queen Mother and Jimmy Carter; Author's experiences with business cards; Annual sales of the company.

Profiles a number of businesspeople in the mass media and communications industries. Rumors that Kenneth Thomson might buy Reuters Group PLC news agency or the "Globe and Mail" back from BCE Inc.; Losses of the family of Charles Bronfman; Work of Allan Slaight for a private multimedia company in Canada; Outlook for Edward Rogers, Jr. to retire earlier than 2003.

Discusses the plans of CanWest Global Communications Corp. to create an integrated communications network. Purchase of Hollinger Inc.'s assets by CanWest, which includes newspapers and Internet portals; How Izzy Asper, executive chairman of CanWest, hopes to offer advertising across its newspaper, television and Internet properties; Problems with distribution for CanWest's television and Internet content.

This article discusses the Canadian forestry industry and how the high Canadian dollar, tight government regulation, increased competition from international producers, and falling demand have all contributed to making profits difficult. A U.S. housing slowdown, and companies contending with beetle infestation are also contributing factors. The fact that Canadian producers are also facing decreased demand for newsprint due to the Internet is also mentioned.

Profiles Karel Velan, owner, president and chief executive officer of Velan Inc., Canada's largest manufacturer of valves. His theory concerning the timing of an initial public offering (IPO); Velan's stock performance; The company's seamless transition from private to public; Comments from Stephen Jarislowsky on how well-run the company is; Comments from Velan.

Examines the decentralized management approach of Golder Associates Corp., a Canadian engineering and environmental consulting firm. Lack of a head office and centralized management; Use of telecommunication; Comments from President Hal Hamilton; Employee ownership; Projects, including the Confederation Bridge between Prince Edward Island and New Brunswick.

Reports that the Canadian natural resource industry is alive and well thanks to extraordinary reductions in production costs. Falling prices and global competition; The forest products and mining industries churning out more product with fewer workers; Investment in more productive equipment.

Describes a unique Canadian federal program which help business research and development by picking the brains of Canada's university research establishment through the joint-venture Industrial Research Chair program. Joint government industry and university funding; A list of several professors, corporate sponsors and funding amounts.

The article discusses 2007 performance forecasts for Canada's manufacturing sector. Overall, manufacturing is predicted to see little or no gains. The sectors most likely to see little growth are auto, rubber, plastics, textile/clothing, wood, paper, furniture, and electrical equipment. However, machinery, electronics, chemicals, petroleum and coal products, and aerospace are expected to improve in 2007.

Looks at tax-deferred retirement accounts in Canada. Author's view that the move to mutual funds from GICs through the 1980s and the 1990s became a shared exercise in prosperity as demand for equities pushed up prices; Question of what happens when baby boomers draw down their retirement accounts; Suggestion that when boomers retire, a sell-off in equities could drive markets down fast.

Presents charts rating the best and worst industries based on one-year return, profitability and revenue growth. Best and worst industries by 1-year return, specialty stores and electronic equipment respectively; Best and worst industries by profitability, tobacco and electronic manufacturing services, respectively; Best and worst industries by revenue growth, precious metal/mining and heavy electric equipment, respectively.

The article profiles Maureen Kelly of Russel Metals Inc. who was rated by "Canadian Business." The Mississauga-based company is a metals distributor under constant pressure to manage inventories, meet just-in-time delivery demands, and provide customized processing of steel for its customers. Maureen Kelly has thrived as Russel's vice-president of information systems, overseeing the IT requirements for 58 metals service centres across Canada, and four in the U.S. She and her staff of 29 have digitized the company's paper systems with central document management, electronic funds transfers and e-mailing documents. At the same time, Kelly has reduced IT costs every year of her tenure.

This article provides tips for setting up a successful workplace volunteer program. Rumour has it that the top brass sometimes get junior staffers to fill in their slots at the local food bank or charity run. Most employees will not want to volunteer if it means returning to a desk piled high with papers. How do you know which charity to support? Ask your employees. Getting employee input on how a volunteer program will roll out is also critical. For those who do take part in corporate volunteer programs no good deed should go unpublicized.