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Brendan Haley @brhaley.bsky.social · 16d

Bruce Doern writing in 1983 on "mega-project" industrial policy in Canada

"The Liberals also succumbed (certainly not for the first time) to the perceived need to produce policies for show"

"an almost unthinking 'resources first', 'let's cash in on the mega-projects approach'"

#cdnpoli #elbowsup

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Brendan Haley @brhaley.bsky.social · 16d

I'm writing something on why Canada develops megaprojects instead of innovation systems

In 1957 staple theorist WT Easterbrook wrote Canada puts "a high premium on bigness in entrepreneurship" - that our capitalists seek security in gov't infrastructure projects.

#cdnhist #cdnpoli #elbowsup

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Brendan Haley @brhaley.bsky.social · 18d

Energy advocate critical of Nova Scotia premier’s response to rising power rates www.halifaxexaminer.ca/economy/ener...

Energy advocate critical of Nova Scotia premier’s response to rising power rates - Halifax Examiner

"They’ve done nothing about energy poverty and they have been in power almost five years now," Chris Benjamin said.

www.halifaxexaminer.ca

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Brendan Haley @brhaley.bsky.social · 20d

This might be of interest

www.policyalternatives.ca/news-researc...

The Staple Theory @ 50 - CCPA

Download

www.policyalternatives.ca

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Reposted by Brendan Haley

Brendan Haley @brhaley.bsky.social · 24d

This is indeed what we have been advocating for

It is the first national energy efficiency program accessible to all low-income Canadians in decades

Next step is a national framework to eliminate energy poverty to direct and stabilize a program like this

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Reposted by Brendan Haley

Aaron Wherry @aaronwherry.bsky.social · 26d

I wrote about that proposal at the time.

www.cbc.ca/news/politic...

Could the Liberals' carbon tax troubles light a fire under the move toward heat pumps? | CBC News

Whatever else the Liberal government's carbon tax contortions have done, they may have boosted the cause of energy efficiency — particularly for low-income households. And there are now calls for the ...

www.cbc.ca

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Reposted by Brendan Haley

Aaron Wherry @aaronwherry.bsky.social · 26d

I'll defer to @brhaley.bsky.social on the detailed analysis, but on first glance this new federal program for targeted retrofits...

natural-resources.canada.ca/energy-effic...

... seems to look a lot like what a group of experts proposed in 2023.

irpp.org/research-stu...

Retrofit Reset: Prioritize Low-Income Households

To reduce energy costs and climate risks faced by low-income households, the federal government should establish a new free retrofit program aimed at making about 100,000 homes per year more affordabl...

irpp.org

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Brendan Haley @brhaley.bsky.social · 24d

This is indeed what we have been advocating for

It is the first national energy efficiency program accessible to all low-income Canadians in decades

Next step is a national framework to eliminate energy poverty to direct and stabilize a program like this

2 8

Brendan Haley @brhaley.bsky.social · Sep 5

most federal investments in housing don’t include requirements for high-performance envelopes - that keep homes safe during extreme heat, poor air quality or cold snaps writes Jillian McArthur is

www.nationalobserver.com/2025/09/05/o...

A home built for yesterday can’t withstand tomorrow

Canada is about to build millions of new homes. This is a once-in-a-generation nation-building project, the kind we haven’t seen since the postwar boom.

www.nationalobserver.com

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Brendan Haley @brhaley.bsky.social · Sep 4

The Greener Homes Loan Program is running out of money.

We need MPs to act now to secure long-term funding so the program continues without interruption.

ujoin.co/campaigns/39...

Help us keep the Greener Homes Loan Program funded!

<p>The Greener Homes Loan Program is running out of money. This popular program has helped Canadians make their homes more affordable, comfortable, and efficient with upgrades like heat pumps, insulat...

ujoin.co

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Brendan Haley @brhaley.bsky.social · Sep 2

Bringing Inuit Food Security and Sovereignty into Canadian Nation-Building Narratives

yellowheadinstitute.org/2025/bringin...

Bringing Inuit Food Security and Sovereignty into Canadian Nation-Building Narrative

Over the past year, the Canadian state has renewed its focus on Arctic sovereignty, investing in military infrastructure and extractive projects under the guise of national security. In this Brief, Ye...

yellowheadinstitute.org

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Brendan Haley @brhaley.bsky.social · Aug 31

Want an example of how to save money and increase productivity in the public service?

Here’s an example of where the waste is - political ass covering.

www.nationalobserver.com/2025/09/02/o...

Inside Transport Canada's pointless coverup

What an Access to Information request into a weeks-long runaround to dodge a simple answer to a question about a North Atlantic right whale surveillance program reveals about the inner workings of the...

www.nationalobserver.com

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Brendan Haley @brhaley.bsky.social · Aug 25

Funding shortfall looms for signature energy retrofit program in Canada

#cdnpoli #energysky

www.corporateknights.com/energy/fundi...

Funding shortfall looms for signature energy retrofit program in Canada

About 3,500 new loans are approved every month under the federal Greener Homes Loan program. Advocates forecast it will be out of cash by mid November.

www.corporateknights.com

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Brendan Haley @brhaley.bsky.social · Aug 22

Canada is abuzz with talk of nation-building projects, but they are mostly about energy supply like pipelines and transmission.

This blog gives 5 reasons why saving energy would make a good nation-building project.

#energysky #cdnpoli #elbowsup

www.efficiencycanada.org/5-reasons-im...

5 reasons improving energy efficiency is a good nation-building project - Efficiency Canada

Energy efficiency deserves to be treated as a nation-building project — one that the federal government should lead.

www.efficiencycanada.org

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Reposted by Brendan Haley

John Woodside @woodsideful.bsky.social · Aug 21

Pressure is on the federal government to refill dwindling coffers — set to run dry this year, an access to information request reveals — of its loan program to help Canadians improve energy efficiency in their homes. www.nationalobserver.com/2025/08/21/n...

Federal retrofit loan program is set to dry up by year's end unless Carney steps in

The multi-billion dollar Canada Greener Homes Loan program that gives zero interest loans to Canadians to retrofit their homes was so popular it got a $600 million top up last year. But within months,...

www.nationalobserver.com

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Brendan Haley @brhaley.bsky.social · Aug 21

Funds Running Short for Green Energy Loans as Carney Urged to Prevent ‘Boom and Bust’ www.theenergymix.com/funds-runnin...

Funds Running Short for Green Energy Loans as Carney Urged to Prevent ‘Boom and Bust’

The Carney government is just a few months away from running out of funds for a signature home retrofit loan program that could be a cornerstone of its effort to cut energy costs and climate pollution...

www.theenergymix.com

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Brendan Haley @brhaley.bsky.social · Aug 21

Federal retrofit loan program is set to dry up by year's end unless Carney steps in

www.nationalobserver.com/2025/08/21/n...

Federal retrofit loan program is set to dry up by year's end unless Carney steps in

The multi-billion dollar Canada Greener Homes Loan program that gives zero interest loans to Canadians to retrofit their homes was so popular it got a $600 million top up last year. But within months,...

www.nationalobserver.com

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Brendan Haley @brhaley.bsky.social · Aug 20

Ontario summers are only getting hotter — but renters and vulnerable people are left without protections. A network of groups is urging the province to set a max indoor temp, adopt heat stress rules for workers, ensure cooling in schools and more. www.nationalobserver.com/2025/08/19/n...

Ontario urged to adopt a temperature maximum in extreme heat era

The demand is one of several made by a network calling itself The Heat Collaborative, which is also calling on the province to adopt heat stress rules for workers, ensure cooling in schools and more.

www.nationalobserver.com

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Brendan Haley @brhaley.bsky.social · Aug 12

Vass Bednar likens inter-provincial trade barrier talk to household cleaning instead of dealing with big issues - brilliant

thewalrus.ca/provincial-t...

Yes, Provincial Trade Barriers Are Silly. No, Fixing Them Won’t Save Us | The Walrus

What looks like reform is really just a long-avoided chore

thewalrus.ca

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Brendan Haley @brhaley.bsky.social · Aug 11

www.pembina.org/blog/meeting...

Meeting this moment means getting retrofits right | Pembina Institute

Canada is gearing up to launch nation-building projects that jumpstart economic development and affirm Canadian sovereignty. But as we recently shared in our op-ed, expediting approvals for a handful ...

www.pembina.org

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Brendan Haley @brhaley.bsky.social · Aug 4

“The current narrative on nation-building focuses on roads, bridges, housing and energy systems. But natural infrastructure must also be part of this strategy. Investing in and preserving these ecosystems is both an environmental and economic imperative.”

policyoptions.irpp.org/magazines/pr...

Canada must improve environmental reviews to speed major projects

Canada’s Bill C-5 aims to streamline growth—but risks long-term harm without stronger environmental and safeguards for Indigenous rights.

policyoptions.irpp.org

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Brendan Haley @brhaley.bsky.social · Jul 25

New Brunswick’s Sappyfest turns 20: Photos from two decades of the culture fest’s best moments

www.theglobeandmail.com/arts/article...

New Brunswick’s Sappyfest turns 20: Photos from two decades of the culture fest’s best moments

Ahead of the event’s 20th iteration, its unofficial photographer Colin Medley takes a look back at the arts and culture festival’s best moments

www.theglobeandmail.com

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Brendan Haley @brhaley.bsky.social · Jul 24

Me and Carol Maas write in The Hill Times on why energy efficiency can be part of a "A made-in-Canada strategy to cut trade risks, support Canadian businesses, and build resilience in uncertain times."

www.hilltimes.com/story/2025/0...

The economic case for energy efficiency

A made-in-Canada strategy to cut trade risks, support Canadian businesses, and build resilience in uncertain times.

www.hilltimes.com

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Brendan Haley @brhaley.bsky.social · Jul 23

Nice run-down of the ENERGY STAR program under threat in the US, and implications for Canada

www.reminetwork.com/articles/ene...

ENERGY STAR caught in legislative limbo - REMI Network

Energy Star program funding is in legislative limbo while the budgeting process plays out in the United States House of Representatives and Senate

www.reminetwork.com

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Brendan Haley @brhaley.bsky.social · Jul 23

Carney’s “nation-building” is nothing but a blast from the past

policyoptions.irpp.org/magazines/ju...

Carney’s “nation-building” is nothing but a blast from the past

Mark Carney promised bold change. But Canada needs more than old ideas to face global disruption and build a resilient future.

policyoptions.irpp.org

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