School of Public Policy

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The School of Public Policy is Canada’s leading policy school. The School was founded in 2008 by renowned economist Jack Mintz with a vision to drive policy discourse with relevant research, outreach and teaching. Its faculty is composed of scholars with exceptional academic credentials and experienced practitioners in business, government and the non-profit sector.

School of Public Policy

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Open Access
Aboriginal Employment in the Alberta Oil Sands: Success and Barriers to Success
(2013-09) Jose, J. Susan; Flanagan, Thomas
As the baby boomer generation retires from the workforce, the current shortage of skilled workers is expected to increase dramatically. Alberta’s oil sands will experience those shortages intensely, especially as the Temporary Foreign Workers program, responsible for a significant amount of oil sands labour, reduces the number of available workers further still. As investment in oil sands development increases, so do the number of jobs, in contrast to a decreasing labour pool. Yet the Aboriginal population is both growing and younger than the non-Aboriginal population, and the time is right to increase Aboriginal representation in the workforce, for everyone’s benefit. The purpose of this paper is to identify differences in employment practices between successful Aboriginal employers and non-Aboriginal employers, and determine if those differences support successful employment or not. The methodology used was qualitative analysis based on a case study of Cold Lake First Nations. Although a small convenience sample, the data gathered provided a personal and honest, first-hand view, through an Aboriginal perspective. Data was gathered from various stakeholders, including energy companies, successful First Nations employers, First Nations workers and a First Nations employment and training agency. Analysis considered Aboriginal education and funding, Budget 2013 financial allocations to Aboriginal communities, employment sustainability within communities, and First Nations consultation and collaboration. Results found three significant differences in hiring practices between Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal employers which currently favor Aboriginal employers for the Aboriginal worker. Should energy companies wish to increase Aboriginal representation in their workforce, recognition of these differences is critical.
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Aboriginal Migration, Economic Incentives, and Community Well-being: A Proposal
(2012-08) Chowdhury, Nazmul; Kneebone, Ronald
City Migration Patterns:Data indicate that migration is not a major determinant of Aboriginal population growth in major Canadian cities and provinces. As the reserves have experienced net in-migration of First Nations since 1966, increase in the affiliation of individuals to Aboriginal identity due to the legal changes by the Bill C-31 and C-3, and natural growth have been the major contributors to Aboriginal population growth in cities. Small urban areas and rural areas have been losing Aboriginal population overall. The percentage of Aboriginal population residing in cities has increased due the changes in legal frameworks and natural growth. Provincial Migration Patterns: Provincial migration is a small factor in the geographical distribution of Aboriginal population. However, there has been a clear trend among the Aboriginal peoples to move out of Ontario, British Columbia, and Quebec to Alberta between 2001-2006. Statistics Canada projection indicates that Alberta may become the second largest home to Aboriginal populations by the end of 2017, following Ontario. Particularly, the Métis have been moving primarily to Alberta from all other provinces. Projection indicates that growth in the Aboriginal population in Alberta, Manitoba, and Saskatchewan may relegate British Columbia to the fourth largest position for hosting Aboriginal populations from its current second. Ontario is expected to remain as the largest home to the Aboriginal population until the projection period of 2017. Migration and Impact: International studies indicate that migration is positively correlated with well-being in the community of origin. Similarly, study findings strongly suggest that migration is positively correlated with Aboriginal well-being; particularly higher out-migration is correlated with higher education and income among the First Nations in Canada. Since First Nations have had net in-migration to the reserves since the 1960s, the paper examines such trends by focusing on the relative economic incentives between on-reserve and off-reserve locations. Policy Recommendation: The paper recognizes that the current balance between on-reserve and off-reserve economic incentives may need to be adjusted for the greater well-being of First Nations. In order to offset the gap in economic incentives between on and off-reserve locations, the paper recommends a tax credit to off-reserve First Nations members for investing in the reserves. The credit may generate additional capital for economic growth in the reserves on the one hand, and offset any gap in economic incentives between on and off-reserve locations on the other. Such a credit may transform the growing urban Aboriginal population as a source of opportunities for the on-reserve communities and increase economic growth in the reserves that may allow the band councils to initiate taxation in the reserves in the long run.
Open Access
Addressing Misleading Nutrition Marketing on Children's Foods
(2013-08) Veit, Christine; Emery, Herb
Childhood obesity is a complex issue with many contributing factors. Today, children live in an obesogenic environment that promotes the consumption calorie dense foods high in sugar, fat, and sodium. While much of the previous research has focused on linking the consumption of junk foods to obesity, an important area that has been overlooked until recently is how regular children’s foods are contributing to the childhood obesity epidemic. Today, a large proportion of children’s foods are being marketed with nutrition claims, health claims, and industry generated front-of-package nutrition logos despite the fact that they contain high levels, of sugar, fat, and sodium. A study by Elliott (2008) found that 89% of the children’s foods in Canadian grocery stores were marketed with nutrition and health claims, yet 63% of them could be classified “as of poor nutritional quality” due to their high levels of sugar, fat, and sodium. Similarly, a study by Colby (2010) examining a large sample of foods in the US found that 42% of children’s foods contained both nutrition marketing and high levels of saturated fat, sugar, and sodium. These regular foods which include granola bars, breakfast cereals, fruit leathers, and yogourts are often marketed with claims such as ‘excellent source of calcium’, ‘reduced fat’, and ‘made with real fruit juice’ in large font on the front of the packaging of children’s foods in order to appeal to parents. Claims that prominently single out one nutrient in large bold font of the front of a food package in a nutritionally inferior product high in sugar, fat, and sodium could be construed as misleading advertisement. The misleading information conveyed by claims on children’s food packaging can be framed as a problem of information asymmetry. Foods boldly displaying large nutrition claims that draw attention one nutrient in an otherwise unhealthy product interfere with parents’ ability to accurately judge the nutritional quality of the foods they are purchasing for their children. As a result, many uninformed parents swayed by health and nutrition claims may end up purchasing foods for their children that are high in sugar, fat, and salt. Regulated nutrition and health claims as well as unregulated industry generated nutrition logos constitute the two main sources of information asymmetry. Although the Food and Drugs Regulations lay out specific criteria for the use of nutrition and health claims, it falls short in two major areas: it does not prohibit foods high in sugar, fat, and sodium from carrying health or nutrition claims, nor does it prohibit food manufacturers from displaying their own unregulated nutrition logos on the front of children’s food packages. As a result, food manufacturers are free to continue aggressively marketing their unhealthy foods to parents with important consequences for children’s weight and their future health.
Open Access
Addressing the Externalities of Food Waste Generated Within the Retail Food Market
(2017-09-05) Boda, Kirsten; Kneebone, R. D.
An oversupply of food within the retail food market has led to high levels of food waste which generates various negative externalities. These externalities include the release of harmful greenhouse gasses, the foregone opportunity to divert food, and foregone cost savings to retailers. Thus, this paper explores the effectiveness of various public policy responses to the market-based incentives that are resulting in food waste within the retail food market. There is a current global trend towards government involvement in reducing food waste. However, Canada's existing regulations and guidelines simply aim to encourage retailers to donate excess food rather than directly regulate food waste. Conversely, local government efforts have focused mainly on reducing landfill use through compost and diversion programs. As a result, present food waste initiatives throughout Canada consist of a patchwork of policies and programs, while the appropriate role of government has remained relatively unexplored. In addition to disorganized initiatives, food waste policy in Canada has centered on influencing consumer behaviour rather than retailer behaviour. However, the retail food market is an important piece of the food supply chain that creates avoidable food waste. Although, current research indicates that numerous challenges exist for reducing food waste within the retail food market, it is essential that this sector is included in a comprehensive food waste reduction program. Thus, policy-makers are faced with the challenge of developing an appropriate policy response to the growing levels of food waste specifically within the retail food market. This paper uses a model of supply and demand to develop a conceptual model in order to explain why there is an oversupply of food within the retail food market and discuss the various policy responses governments can use to combat this waste. The policies explored include a tax on food waste, a subsidy to encourage the donation of food, and educational policy. The model demonstrates that retailers choose to maintain fully stocked shelves in order to receive a higher price from consumers, which results in food waste. Therefore, to reduce food waste in the retail food market, policy-makers must aim to increase the cost for retailers to maintain fully stocked shelves until the cost outweighs the benefit. Thus, while a subsidy and education can encourage the diversion and reduction of food waste, a tax is the most effective policy response to food waste because it forces retailers to internalize the cost of the negative externalities of food waste.
Open Access
Advanced Training for Healthcare Aides: A Solution for the Sustainability of Canada's Healthcare System in the Face of an Aging Population
(2017-09-15) Ledoux, Lisa; Kneebone, R. D.
This paper examines senior citizen demographics in Canada, their impact on the healthcare system, and what can be done to minimize the strain on public finances, of providing seniors with the best quality of care possible. The paper examines statistics surrounding senior healthcare usage, future projected usage, the complex health issues that ail seniors, and how advanced training for healthcare aide workers can address cost issues, health provision, disease, mental illness, and injury prevention through education, advocacy and an increased physical presence. The paper proposes changes and amendments to the current healthcare aide curriculum. Information on the current certification requirements are provided, as well as components of the competency profile used to design the healthcare aide program, followed by the recommended changes. Evidence is provided as to why advanced healthcare aide training is the best option for governments to choose when considering the options needed to keep the public healthcare system sustainable, efficient, and innovative, as opposed to maintaining the status quo.
Open Access
Age-friendly Cities and Calgary: Evaluating for Success
(2013-04) Anderson, Miranda; Brodie, Ian
The demographic bubble represented by the Baby Boomer generation is beginning to graduate into that stage of life known as senior citizenry and, as such, there will be a shift in the overall distribution of the global population from a majority of young people to a majority of older people. By 202, there will for the first time be more old people than there are young people in the world. The City of Calgary, however, lags far behind many other cities in Canada and in the world in terms of preparation for this change.
Open Access
Alberta 2007 Royalty Review: The Negative Impact on Labour Compensation and Investment
(2016-01) Otogwu, Chidom Douglas; Dahlby, Bev
The question to whether the 2007 royalty review in Alberta achieved its intended goal is one that was already answered by the government's decision to make adjustments to its response to the 2007 Panel's recommendations. However, the 2010 review did not show the areas and amount of loss Albertans incurred as a result of the 2007 royalty increase. This study, focusing on the oil sector, gives an estimate of the amount of wastes the 2007 royalty rate changes caused in the province through its impact on the oil and gas sector. The 2007 royalty increase caused a significant reduction in total workers' compensation and investment in the oil and gas sector.
Open Access
Alberta Beef Consumer Confidence - Analysis of the Alberta Beef Market
(2015-09) Eakins, Alex; Mintz, Jack
This capstone project aims to examine consumer confidence in the Canadian beef industry, specifically within the Alberta Beef market. Beef demand continues to increase alongside safety recalls by the Canadian government, drawing attention to the quality of the process. This report identifies what the market issues are and what policy suggestions can be made in order to improve confidence in the market. The research draws attention to two different areas- labeling for consumer transparency and implications of the cow/beef life cycle. Through in-depth interviews with industry leaders as well as current ranchers, it was found that government interaction is not always a necessary step in building consumer confidence and safety in the market. Two policy routes are recommended in improving confidence in the market; further automation and control at the beef processing stage and transparency marketing tactics in order to expose consumers to the decision making process.
Open Access
Alberta Heritage Savings Trust Fund: Securing Alberta's Future
(2013-09) Dhah, Harleen; Mansell, Robert
Alberta has an abundance of natural resource wealth. In recent decades the oil and gas component of the resource sector has accounted for a large proportion of the provincial government’s total revenue and, directly and indirectly, accounted for approximately half of total economic activity within the province. It has also made significant contributions to the economic growth in Alberta, allowing the province to have a high level of public services and a competitive tax regime that has further contributed to economic growth. The substantial non-renewable resource revenues (NRRRs) generated by the oil and gas sector are volatile and subject to decline over the long term. Along with resource depletion there are many risks to the sustainability of NRRRs arising from shifting energy markets, prices and costs, constraints in access to new markets and numerous environmental challenges. Given this, Alberta will need to save a higher proportion of its NRRRs in order to sustain prosperity and meet intergenerational equity objectives. Alberta’s current NRRR savings plan, the Alberta Heritage Savings Trust Fund (AHSTF) has not been as successful as originally envisioned. With only sporadic contributions from resource revenues, a lack of inflation proofing and frequent withdrawals of fund earnings to support government budget shortfalls, the real (or inflation adjusted) value of the fund per-person has fallen sharply since the early 1980s. In comparison there are other similar funds that have performed much better. Two, which provide an interesting contrast, are Norway’s Government Pension Fund—Global, and Alaska’s Permanent Fund. A comparative analysis of the their approaches applied to an Alberta context can provide useful policy direction in changing the AHSTF to better serve the objectives of sustainable prosperity and intergenerational equity for Alberta.
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The Alberta Oil Sands: Factors of Risk Perception and Outrage
(2012-09) Simpson, Catherine; Mansell, Robert
Every major project has some associated environmental, health and safety hazards and this is equally true for major energy projects. Environmental impact assessments, cost-benefit analysis and economic projections are tools used by regulators to determine the acceptability of hazards. Sometimes, however, the risks the public perceives to be associated with a given project are disproportionate to the actual hazards that exist. Peter Sandman uses the term outrage to characterize the verbal opposition, expressions of concern and political activism that occur as a result of inflated risk perception. Public outrage can create reputational challenges for projects, challenging their social licence to operate, delaying approval processes and slowing economic growth, despite regulatory approvals to ensure technical, health and safety. While much of the risk perception literature is applicable to the benefits of major projects, this paper will focus solely on the real and perceived environmental, health and safety costs. Any conversation around risk communication must acknowledge that public outrage can often lead to better project outcomes,, can be quite legitimate and is always important. Citizens have every right to be concerned and interested in any activity of both private and public undertaking that impacts their environment, health or social wellbeing. Public opinion is a crucial check and balance to industrial profit maximizing and corporate interests. However, the correlation between actual hazard and public outrage is remarkably weak. If a list of hazards is rank-ordered by "expected annual mortality ... and then rank-ordered (again) by how upsetting the various risks are to people, the correlation between the two rank-orders would be approximately 0.2". Such a weak correlation between actual hazard and public outrage makes it possible to manipulate public outrage, amplifying or attenuating it to suit a certain preference. Disproportionate risk perceptions confound rational, responsible decision making and challenge the development of good public policy. Assuming that "the oil sands have a reputational crisis not an environmental one", why do the oil sands provoke such outrage?3 What can be done to subdue public concern to a level that more appropriately befits the hazard level in order to facilitate improved policy discussions?
Open Access
Alberta Water Resources, Policies, Legislation and Goals: The Quest to Awaken "Sleeper Rights"
(2014-09) Aseniero, Faye Ann; Morton, F.L.
Water is arguably the most critical natural resource to Alberta’s future. The quantity and quality of water will shape the social, economic, and environmental dimensions of Alberta’s future. The quality of life in Alberta will depend on our ability to allocate this finite resource in both an efficient and environmentally responsible manner. The issue addressed in this research is how Alberta’s current water policies manage “sleeper rights” and why these policies need to be updated. Sleeper rights describe water licenses that are allocated to a water user but are not fully utilized. This allocated but under-utilized water is important because it helps Alberta’s major watersheds to meet its instream flow needs (IFNs). IFNs refer to the amount of water that aquatic ecosystems require to provide Albertans with safe and secure drinking water; healthy aquatic ecosystems; and reliable quality water supplies. By the end of 2005, the Alberta Environment and Sustainable Resource Development (AESRD) had allocated approximately 9.5 billion cubic metres of water throughout Alberta. By the end of 2010, this had increased to 9.9 billion cubic metres. The three sectors representing the highest water demands and allocations in Alberta are the agricultural sector (44.3%), commercial sector (29.5%), and municipal/ domestic sector (11.3%). However, not all of these allocations are fully utilized. By some estimates, as much as 45 percent of water allocated under license in Alberta remains unused.
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The Alberta Wetland Project: A Toolbox with only One Tool
(2016-09) Lorimer, Rachel; Moore, Michael
Wetlands are a crucial component of a watershed system: their ability to act as a buffer against flood and drought are economically and socially important for communities. Alberta historically included approximately 20% of its total area as wetlands, but over time a substantial fraction have been lost to urban, industrial, and agricultural development. Plans, strategies, policies, and legislation (acts) have all been developed to protect this natural resource but they are not always effective. The Alberta Wetland Policy was developed to mitigate wetland destruction in the province, however, there still remain a number of concerns about how the policy will ensure environmental protection to sustain them. The documents and concepts used in the current decision-making process do not always offer a successful prescriptive system for achieving long-term wetland conservation.
Open Access
Alberta's Carbon Policy: A Work in Progress
(2013-09) Hume, David; Mintz, Jack
Alberta’s current carbon abatement policies have not achieved the goals set out by the provincial government’s climate change strategy. With the legislation expiring next year, a new policy must be introduced to help improve Alberta’s environmental stewardship. What has recently begun to be talked about is increasing the current 15$ penalty levy to 40$ and increasing emissions reductions from 12% to 40%. This is a move in the right direction but if it will be enough to help the government achieve their goals and what the impact on the industry will be is still uncertain. By closer examining the current Alberta levy, looking at other carbon policies from around the world and assessing any new proposal through the tax criteria’s of efficiency, administration costs and comprehensibility and compliance costs, one can better evaluate the potential impact of an increase to the current Alberta carbon reduction strategy.
Open Access
Alberta's end-of-life Oil and Gas Liabilities
(2016-08) de Beer, Helene M. E.; Moore, Michael
Oil & gas end-of-life liabilities exist in different forms in Alberta. There are real liabilities that we can see, touch and count, in the form of rusting wellheads and pump jacks left in farmers' fields. There are future liabilities that we can anticipate; these exist largely in the form of currently producing wells that one day need to be abandoned and reclaimed once they stop being profitable. Last but not least there are the invisible liabilities, typically unpredictable, in the form of already abandoned and reclaimed well sites (also known as legacy sites). These could start leaking years after abandonment resulting in contamination of soil or groundwater. Irrespective of their form, oil & gas liabilities have the same three risks: financial risks (is there enough money for closure?), environmental risks (what is the impact on soil, water and wildlife?) and social-economic risks (what are the lost opportunities for our natural resources?).
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Alberta's Energy Challenges in 2013
(2013-09) Wiedman, Nicole; Morton, Ted
The energy challenges that Alberta faces today are different from those addressed in the 2008 Government's Plan, Launching Alberta's Energy Future: Provincial Energy Strategy (the "2008 Plan"). This project analyzes the differences between the current economic reality for Alberta energy and the economic assumptions underpinning the 2008 Plan and proposes a new policy for the Province. Due to the 2008 recession and its impact on the price of oil and the technological advances of fracking resulting in an oversupply of natural gas, many of the 2008 tools are less economically efficient. These policies need to be updated to be aligned with the current economic reality. The policy recommendations include: a new greenhouse gas strategy; a focus on market diversification to achieve greater market access; and a comprehensive public relations program to refute the increasing environmental challenges arising from misconceptions surrounding oil sand resource development; and lack of transportation infrastructure for oil sand products.
Open Access
Alberta's Energy Future in Carbon Capture and Storage: A Comparative Analysis of CCS Legislation
(2013-09) Lancashire, Megan; McKenzie, Kenneth
The interest in climate change policy by governments is greater than it has ever been before. With two Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) projects set to be in operation in Alberta by 2015, it is a good time to examine and evaluate the legislation that these projects will be operating under. By undertaking a qualitative cross-jurisdictional analysis, this report determines the best practices that exist within the written CCS legislation of other states when compared to Alberta’s law. By examining CCS legislation passed in Wyoming, Kansas, Montana and the States of Victoria and Queensland in Australia an understanding of the positive and negative elements of the written CCS legislation in Alberta is formed. In order to understand where the Albertan legislation fails, the report address three policy problems that currently sit within The Carbon Capture and Storage Amendments Act. These are: 1. Payments into the Post Closure Stewardship Fund 2. Monitoring Measurement and Verification (MMV) Plans 3. Time frames for the transfer of liability The report concludes that Kansas’ coverage of fees is preferable to look at for CCS in Alberta, the State of Victoria has the most comprehensive MMV plans to learn from and, that Montana’s time frames for the transfer of liability will ensure a smoother transition once liability is taken over by the government. Knowledge sharing from other jurisdictions is vital to determine where Alberta’s laws fall flat. In order to ensure that legal coverage for the sequestration of CO2 in Alberta is undertaken properly it is important that the Government of Alberta correct these policy issues in order to ensure a well-functioning legal environment is in place.
Open Access
Alberta's Water Challenge: Water Valuation as a Management Tool
(2013-08) Kline, Lindsay; Moore, Michael
Water is our most valuable resource. It sustains life, environmental ecosystems and the economy. In Alberta, an integrated approach to water management is integral to our water conservation efforts. This means that a connection must be made in the use of water by municipalities, the agricultural sector and energy industry, while ensuring that the needs of the environment are met. The objective of this Capstone Project was to research, analyze, and provide policy recommendations on water management issues in Alberta. Specific emphasis was on understanding the role water valuation should play in water management for Alberta’s agricultural, energy and municipal sectors. Research was gathered through literature reviews and interviews with fourteen Alberta water experts. Recent implementations of the Land-Use Framework (2008) and the Water for Life strategy (2003) demonstrate the province’s pragmatic approach to land and water management. However, tangible tools and management strategies in Alberta are limited when connecting water for people, food, energy and the environment. Increased population growth and economic activity as well as impacts of climate change will strain Alberta’s water resources. In light of these pressures, a renewed approach to water management is required.
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All that is Gold Does Not Glitter: Canadian Foreign Direct Investment and Gold Extraction in the Middle Cauca Gold Belt, Colombia
(2016-09) Kuchinski, Kaleigh; Dahlby, Bev
Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) can contribute to economic development not only by being a source of foreign capital, but also by providing employment opportunities, increasing competition, and most importantly transferring skills and knowledge i.e. spillover effects. However, these positive effects are not automatic for host countries and depend largely on the policies in place. Taking a closer look at Colombia, this capstone project examines policies used to attract FDI to Colombia, a country that has experienced over six decades of civil conflict, numerous human rights abuses and painful internal displacements. It posits the following questions: in war economies, are voluntary policies and tools enough to mitigate the negative spillover effects FDI has had in Colombia? Do voluntary principles guide corporations and ensure they do not violate human rights? It is found that FDI has contributed positively to Colombia’s economic development but more needs to be done in order for Colombia to fully benefit from FDI. The first section provides a general introduction to the paper and provides information on objectives, methodology and limitations of the study. The second section provides a brief overview of the rise of FDI in the wake of Colombia’s civil conflict. It will offer a snapshot of current policies and regulatory frameworks and highlight areas of institutional weakness in Colombia. Part Three provides a synthesis of key policies and instruments designed to hold Canadian extractive companies to account. The section then moves from a critical analysis of the instruments to examining whether these instruments are effective in the particular context of the Middle Cauca Gold Belt. The fourth section undertakes a case study in the Middle Cauca Gold Belt: Gran Colombia Gold to understand how policies and instruments are being implemented in practice and to identify implementation gaps. Part five explores evidence from other jurisdictions and four policy options. Finally, part six provides conclusions and concrete recommendations for how to strengthen the current framework and approach.
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Alternate Level of Care: Challenges and barriers for those who wait the longest
(2016-09) Cornez, MacNeil; Zwicker, Jennifer; Kneebone, Ronald
Each year numerous Albertans are admitted to a hospital but upon discharge are no longer able to return home, despite efforts to provide adequate support. Of these individuals who require continuing care services, some will have care needs exceeding the services that are able to be provided in available LTC beds. When the appropriate continuing care services are not available individuals admitted to acute care hospitals (but no longer requiring their services) continue to occupy a bed and are classified as requiring an “alternate level of care” or ALC. This creates inefficiencies in the utilization of acute care resources, has multiple impacts across the entire healthcare system, and most importantly prohibits patients from receiving the appropriate care in the appropriate setting. In Alberta, between 2012 and 2015, there were an average of 2,706,571 hospital bed days per year; ALC days accounted for 10% of all hospital days in 2012-13, increasing to 12.2% in 2014-15. For the Calgary zone specifically, 15.2% of all 2014-15 hospital days were classified as ALC days this translates into approximately 330,201 Alberta hospital days classified as ALC in 2014-15. This is a stark contrast from previous years; from 2006- 08 ALC days accounted for only 2.2% of all hospital days. This represents an increase of 10 percentage points, or five times as many ALC days in 2014-15 compared to 2006-2008.
Open Access
An Analysis of Canada's Corporate Social Responssibility (CSR) Strategy for the Canadian Extractive Industry
(2013-12) Adejuwon, Adebayo; Rioux, Jean-Sebastien
Canadians take pride in their country’s commitment to global poverty reduction through the delivery of Canada’s Official Development Assistance (ODA) programs which are funded through tax payer’s revenue. They also share their government’s vision of responsible mining abroad as encapsulated in the “Building the Canadian Advantage.’ This Capstone Project explores the implication of Canada’s policy shift which aligns the delivery its Official Development Assistance(ODA) programs to its economic interest abroad to determine whether the implementation of Canada’s International Extractive Sector (CSR) Strategy is a subsidy to Canadian mining corporations operating abroad by asking whether Canada would remain consistently committed to its Official Development Assistance(ODA) programs under this new policy regime and also whether Canada will be better off as a major foreign aid donor by adopting mandatory regulatory CSR strategy for its international extractive industry. The Capstone Project is explored through qualitative research technique using case study approach. To this end, a study of the cases reviewed by the CSR Counsellor’s Office between 2009 and 2013 in the performance of its dispute resolution role was carried out. Also, the research evaluated Canada’s partnership in the delivery of Official Development Assistance (ODA) for the same period. From available data and analysis carried out, there is no evidence which supports the claim that “Building the Canadian Advantage” is a subsidy to mining corporations operating abroad in the delivery of Canada’s ODA programs. Similarly, there is no direct evidence which suggests that corporations involved in the CSR Counsellor’s review partnered with CIDA in the delivery of Canada’s Official Development Assistance (ODA) delivery between 2009 and 2013. Along this line, this Capstone Project recommends that Government of Canada should continue to promote and support Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) best practices in its international extractive sector while it should also focus on delivering its Official Development Assistance (ODA) programs to vulnerable people around the world in demonstration of its commitment to global poverty alleviation and sustainable development. However, the Government of Canada should empower the Office of the Canadian Extractive Sector Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Counsellor in the performance of its oversight function in the implementation of the endorsed performance standards of the International Extractive Sector CSR Strategy by allowing the CSR Counsellor to exercise mandatory regulatory power over Canadian mining corporations operating abroad.