Frontier Centre

Canadian air travellers have recently been hit with a $25 charge for checked baggage. WestJet moved first, and Air Canada followed suit just days later.

Airlines struggled when the recession hit in 2008, and some of them turned to baggage fees for relief.

But airlines in both Canada and the U.S. are once again profitable, and the baggage fees will only add to that profit. It could boost WestJet's revenues by more than $70 million over the next year, and by more than $40 million at Air Canada.

So far in Canada, travellers are complaining about the new fees, but paying up.

Surveys suggest that passengers are more concerned about things like a lack of legroom in the economy class.

But there's still hope that Southwest Airlines may lead the way in the opposite direction.

The large American carrier is roughly twice the size of the Air Canada, and it has a Bags Fly Free policy.

They're thinking of expanding into Canada, and airports in this country would love to have them.

This might encourage Air Canada and WestJet to reconsider baggage fees.

I’m Roger Currie. Join us again next week for more thoughts on the Frontier.

For more of our work, visit our website www.fcpp.org.

Canadian air travellers have recently been hit with a $25 charge for checked baggage. WestJet moved first, and Air Canada followed suit just days later.

Airlines struggled when the recession hit in 2008, and some of them turned to baggage fees for relief.

But airlines in both Canada and the U.S. are once again profitable, and the baggage fees will only add to that profit. It could boost WestJet's revenues by more than $70 million over the next year, and by more than $40 million at Air Canada.

So far in Canada, travellers are complaining about the new fees, but paying up.

Surveys suggest that passengers are more concerned about things like a lack of legroom in the economy class.

But there's still hope that Southwest Airlines may lead the way in the opposite direction.

The large American carrier is roughly twice the size of the Air Canada, and it has a Bags Fly Free policy.

They're thinking of expanding into Canada, and airports in this country would love to have them.

This might encourage Air Canada and WestJet to reconsider baggage fees.

I’m Roger Currie. Join us again next week for more thoughts on the Frontier.

For more of our work, visit our website www.fcpp.org.

Will Tishinski speech and Q&A at a Frontier Centre for Public Policy Breakfast entitled: Manitoba Hydro's Financial Quagmire.

Will Tishinski speech and Q&A at a Frontier Centre for Public Policy Breakfast entitled: Manitoba Hydro's Financial Quagmire.

Education researcher Michael Zwaagstra has a new handbook out from the Frontier Centre. Parents’ Guide to Common Sense Education in Saskatchewan covers issues ranging from standardized testing to report cards and teaching strategies. What issues are the most critical in education today?

Education researcher Michael Zwaagstra has a new handbook out from the Frontier Centre. Parents’ Guide to Common Sense Education in Saskatchewan covers issues ranging from standardized testing to report cards and teaching strategies. What issues are the most critical in education today?

The resignation earlier this year of Shawn Atleo as National Chief of the Assembly of First Nations strongly confirmed the need for reform of this important organization.

Internal divisions are preventing the AFN from being as effective as it should be.

First Nations chiefs elect the National Chief, who is always supposed to take direction from them.

But to be truly effective, the National Chief needs the authority to set the agenda for the Assembly and to make deals with Ottawa on behalf of First Nations.

The National Chief should be a voice of conciliation as he or she approaches government to talk about practical solutions.

All too often right now, the key issues of band governance and corruption are passed over at the Assembly of First Nations, perhaps because they draw criticism to the chiefs, who control the national leader.

Encouraging greater democracy and grassroots input to the organization could see these local concerns addressed more effectively.

This could be accomplished by having all individual members of the Assembly of First Nations elect the National Chief.

This would give the National Chief greater discretion, and would allow the Assembly to become a more representative and effective organization.

I'm Roger Currie. Join us again next week for more thoughts on the Frontier.

For more on Aboriginal policy, visit our website www.fcpp.org.

The resignation earlier this year of Shawn Atleo as National Chief of the Assembly of First Nations strongly confirmed the need for reform of this important organization.

Internal divisions are preventing the AFN from being as effective as it should be.

First Nations chiefs elect the National Chief, who is always supposed to take direction from them.

But to be truly effective, the National Chief needs the authority to set the agenda for the Assembly and to make deals with Ottawa on behalf of First Nations.

The National Chief should be a voice of conciliation as he or she approaches government to talk about practical solutions.

All too often right now, the key issues of band governance and corruption are passed over at the Assembly of First Nations, perhaps because they draw criticism to the chiefs, who control the national leader.

Encouraging greater democracy and grassroots input to the organization could see these local concerns addressed more effectively.

This could be accomplished by having all individual members of the Assembly of First Nations elect the National Chief.

This would give the National Chief greater discretion, and would allow the Assembly to become a more representative and effective organization.

I'm Roger Currie. Join us again next week for more thoughts on the Frontier.

For more on Aboriginal policy, visit our website www.fcpp.org.

Beginning next year, Manitoba will begin enforcing a province-wide ban on most uses of synthetic weed killers and other commercial pesticides.

All private yards and most public green spaces, such as sports fields, will be affected by the ban.

More expensive, and generally less effective alternative pesticides will still be allowed.

The legislation will be very costly for municipalities. Steinbach currently spends about 16,000 dollars to eliminate weeds in public spaces.

Next year they expect that cost to jump to 200,000 dollars.

Many are questioning whether the health benefits will really be worth the extra cost.

They point out that the pesticides that will now be banned were approved by Health Canada after rigorous testing.

The fear is that many will choose to not spray with the more expensive alternatives, and the result will be a flourishing of noxious weeds.

Several eastern provinces have already introduced similar pesticide bans, and on more and more sports fields, grass is being replaced by artificial turf.

The irony is that industrial-strength chemicals are needed to disinfect these fields because the fake grass does not naturally cleanse itself.

Other western provinces should consider all the possible harmful consequences of synthetic pesticide bans before following the lead of Manitoba.

I'm Roger Currie. Join us again next week for more thoughts on the Frontier.

For more on environmental policy, visit our website www.fcpp.org.

Beginning next year, Manitoba will begin enforcing a province-wide ban on most uses of synthetic weed killers and other commercial pesticides.

All private yards and most public green spaces, such as sports fields, will be affected by the ban.

More expensive, and generally less effective alternative pesticides will still be allowed.

The legislation will be very costly for municipalities. Steinbach currently spends about 16,000 dollars to eliminate weeds in public spaces.

Next year they expect that cost to jump to 200,000 dollars.

Many are questioning whether the health benefits will really be worth the extra cost.

They point out that the pesticides that will now be banned were approved by Health Canada after rigorous testing.

The fear is that many will choose to not spray with the more expensive alternatives, and the result will be a flourishing of noxious weeds.

Several eastern provinces have already introduced similar pesticide bans, and on more and more sports fields, grass is being replaced by artificial turf.

The irony is that industrial-strength chemicals are needed to disinfect these fields because the fake grass does not naturally cleanse itself.

Other western provinces should consider all the possible harmful consequences of synthetic pesticide bans before following the lead of Manitoba.

I'm Roger Currie. Join us again next week for more thoughts on the Frontier.

For more on environmental policy, visit our website www.fcpp.org.