Official bilingualism costs $2.4B a year: study <br /> <br />As more and more Canadians speak languages other than English and French, the federal and provincial governments are spending $2.4-billion annually on official bilingualism, according to a new report from the Fraser Institute. <br /> <br />The 10 provinces spend a total of $900-million annually on minority language services, with the bulk going toward French-language education outside Quebec and English-language education inside Quebec. Ontario spends the most, doling out $623-million — or $1,275 for each minority member. While Quebec ranks third in overall spending at $51-million annually, it spends the least per minority member — mostly anglophones — at just $85 a head. <br /> <br />http://news.nationalpost.com/news/canada/official-bilingualism-costs-2-4b-a-year-study <br /> <br /> <br />Why Canada needs a better mortgage backstop <br /> <br />Headlines about new record highs for housing prices in Toronto are a reminder that Canadian prices remain well above historical trends. Naturally, numerous economic commentators follow such news with warnings of the potential risks from high house prices and high household debt. <br />The good news is that a housing crash remains unlikely. Unlike the U.S. in the early 2000s, Canadian lenders have maintained prudent underwriting standards. As a result, most borrowers are currently able to manage their mortgage payments. <br /> <br />http://business.financialpost.com/fp-comment/why-canada-needs-a-better-mortgage-backstop <br />Feds, province give grants of $42M each to Honda for Ontario plant <br /> <br />The federal and Ontario governments are each providing Honda Canada with grants of up to $41.8 million for upgrades and research and development at its operations in Alliston, Ont. <br /> <br />The government money, along with up to $408.3 million from Honda itself, will go toward vehicle-assembly technology, as well as the design and construction of a new paint shop that is expected to cut greenhouse gas emissions nearly in half. <br /> <br />The conditional grants and Honda investment will also go toward research and development “to support production of future vehicle models, including software upgrades and prototyping of new components.” <br /> <br />http://www.torontosun.com/2017/01/09/feds-province-give-grants-of-42m-each-to-honda-for-ontario-plant
