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The Free Press: Western alienation deeply rooted

Fiona Odlum — Fri, 04 Jul 2025 19:49:51 +0000

“A lot of this probably extends back a long way, right to 1870, the Riel rebellion — how Manitoba was integrated into this new Dominion of Canada, without really much representation from the people living in Manitoba,” says Fletcher Baragar, an associate professor of economics at the University of Manitoba.

“And (then) you had this system designed to use the (West’s) resources to build up the wealth and continuity of the country as a whole — designed not by people in the West, but in the East.”

Baragar is referring to prime minister John A. Macdonald’s National Policy of 1879.

To read the entire article, please follow the link to The Free Press.

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CBC Manitoba Radio Noon: Tariffs and Your Wallet: What Trump’s Global Moves Mean for You

Fiona Odlum — Tue, 08 Apr 2025 16:08:11 +0000

Carlos Yepez, Associate Professor of Macroeconomics at the University of Manitoba, joined host Marjorie Dowhos to talk about the economic impact of President Trump’s sweeping global tariffs.

Yepez spoke about how these changes ripple through global markets and what they could mean for jobs, prices, and the Canadian economy. Callers also weigh in with their own concerns and questions.

To listen to the entire conversation, please follow the link to CBC Manitoba Radio Noon.

Global Winnipeg: Which Manitoba sector will tariffs hit the hardest?

Fiona Odlum — Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:36:02 +0000

University of Manitoba economics professor, Fletcher Baragar was on Global News Winnipeg this week talking about which sector will get the hardest in the province if tariffs go into place next month.

To watch and listen to the entire interview, please follow the link to Global News Winnipeg.

CBC Manitoba: Anxious Canadian farmers brace for U.S. tariffs

Fiona Odlum — Wed, 29 Jan 2025 15:30:02 +0000

Manitoba farmers are bracing for possible tariffs from U.S. President Donald Trump, but there’s only so much they can do to prepare since 60 per cent of Canada’s agricultural exports go south of the border.

Associate professor of economics, Fletcher Baragar discusses the impacts the tariffs will have on the agricultural sector in Manitoba.

To watch and listen to the full story, please follow the link to CBC Manitoba.

CBC also wrote an online article for the story, follow the link to Farmers in southern Manitoba anxious, bracing for U.S. tariffs

Winnipeg Free Press: Sagging revenue, soaring spending contribute to Manitoba’s $2-B deficit

Fiona Odlum — Fri, 27 Sep 2024 19:17:14 +0000

“The public accounts update shows that concerns raised by academics, labour and community groups over the last year have been well-founded,” said Jesse Hajer, associate professor of economics at the University of Manitoba. “The income tax cuts implemented by the PCs in the 2023 budget, and maintained by the NDP in Budget 2024, are fiscally unsustainable and have created a structural deficit.”

To read the full story, please visit the Winnipeg Free Press.

The Brandon Sun: Economist shares mixed impact of lower Inflation

Fiona Odlum — Mon, 23 Sep 2024 20:51:01 +0000

As Canada’s inflation rate drops to its lowest level since February 2021, the effect on rural communities remains uncertain, economist Rosa Sanchez said.

Canada’s annual inflation rate fell from 2.5 per cent in July to reach the lowest level since February 2021. In Manitoba, inflation dropped to 1.3 per cent in August from 1.8 per cent in July, one of the lowest rates in the country.

Statistics Canada’s consumer price index report for Tuesday said the slowdown can be attributed in part to lower gasoline prices.

To read the full story, please visit The Brandon Sun.

Global News: Massive events like Olympics ‘not worth it’ for host cities, Manitoba economics prof says

Fiona Odlum — Wed, 31 Jul 2024 19:28:30 +0000

Winnipeg has hosted a number of notable events over the years, but nothing comes close to the size and scope of the Olympic Games.

According to a local economics professor, that’s a very good thing.

The University of Manitoba’s Ian Hudson says hosting a massive event like the Olympics — currently underway in Paris — is a losing proposition for most cities, despite the international attention.

To read the full story, please visit Global News Winnipeg.

CBC Manitoba: Manitobans worry about cost of living, crime and health-care waits, survey suggests

Fiona Odlum — Mon, 08 Jul 2024 18:55:16 +0000

An economics expert said people have been hit on three fronts since the COVID-19 pandemic — high inflation, a jump in interest rates and rising energy prices.

“Before the last couple of years, we had a pretty long period of time of relatively low or even falling inflation rates and extremely low interest rates,” said Fletcher Baragar, an associate professor of economics at the University of Manitoba.

“There are grounds for some optimism going forward. But changes such as falling interest rates and falling inflation rates — those are going to be gradual.”

To read more about this story, please visit CBC Manitoba.

CBC Manitoba: Manitoba government intends to ask Ottawa to get rid of carbon tax in province

Fiona Odlum — Thu, 28 Mar 2024 18:02:04 +0000

Gregory Mason, an associate professor of economics at the University of Manitoba, was among dozens of Canadian academics who released an open letter this week, defending the carbon tax in the face of increasing opposition.

He said it’s disappointing critics have “mangled the intent” of the tax, which is designed to nudge people into using greener forms of transportation. He also noted Canadians get quarterly rebate cheques to offset the price on pollution.

Mason said the rising cost of living shouldn’t be attributed to the carbon tax.

“I don’t think the inflation can be [blamed on] the carbon tax any more than the fact that my property taxes went up this year is increasing inflation,” he said in an interview.

For the full story, please visit CBC Manitoba.