In this issue:

FRASER FORUM BLOG POST
Canada’s Surprising Comparative Advantage—Selling Sand to the Sahara
by William Watson
Senior Fellow Prof. William Watson discusses the Canadian sand industry and its somewhat surprising customers.

The Quote Wall
Steven D. Levitt
A quote by Steven D. Levitt, co-author of the best-selling book Freakonomics.

The Book Corner
Community Revival in the Wake of Disaster
by Virgil Henry Storr, Stefanie Haeffele-Balch, and Laura E. Grube
Community Revival in the Wake of Disaster highlights the important role entrepreneurs play in rebuilding communities following a disaster.

FRASER FORUM BLOG POST
Game of Thrones: With Little Economic Competition, Growth Found Only in Conquest
by Aeon J. Skoble
Aeon Skoble explains how the world of the hit television show Game of Thrones is lacking the necessary characteristics for technological innovation.

INFOGRAPHIC
The Price of Public Health Care Insurance, 2017
A recent infographic that highlights what the typical Canadian family of four will pay for health care this year.

FROM THE ARCHIVES
Marijuana Growth in British Columbia: Why the Prohibition Cannot be Sustained
Revisit a revealing discussion from 2004 on the state of the underground marijuana industry in British Columbia.

VIDEO
Canadian Consumer Tax Index 2017
A brief comparison of the amount an average Canadian family pays in taxes and what they pay on basic necessities.

FRASER FORUM BLOG POST
Minimum Wage Hikes Will Hurt Young People, Immigrants
by Charles Lammam, Hugh MacIntyre, and David Hunt
A look at the consequences of raising the minimum wage, particularly for young Canadians and immigrants.

HOT TOPICS
What’s New From the Institute
A brief look into household debt compared to government debt in Canada
by Livio Di Matteo

A review of the Canadian equalization program and its shortcomings
by Ben Eisen, Joel Emes, and Steve Lafleur