Is this you? As a journalist, you can create a free Muck Rack account to customize your profile, list your contact preferences, and upload a portfolio of your best work.
Claim your profile
Articles by Robert Roach
Modest Relief, Mounting Costs for America’s Seniors
By Robert Roach, Jr. This year will be a mixed bag for older Americans in terms of affordability. At the pharmacy counter, many seniors will finally see real relief. Prices will drop this year for 10 widely used, high-cost prescription drugs because of the Inflation Reduction Act, signed into law by President Joe Biden in 2022. Also the annual out-of-pocket cap for prescription drugs increased to $2,100 for Medicare Part D beneficiaries.
What could have been | The Twenty-Four
Before we get into the main topic of today’s Twenty-Four, we want to address President Trump’s social media post from Saturday in which he threatened to impose a 100% tariff on all Canadian goods entering the U.S. if “Canada makes a deal with China.” It’s not clear what kind of deal the President is referring to, but presumably it is a free trade agreement between Canada and China.
They came, so they built | The Twenty-Four
The Twenty-Four Housing starts set a record in Alberta in 2025 By Robert Roach 20 January 2026 2 min read They came, so they built: Housing starts set a record in Alberta in 2025 In the 1989 movie “Field of Dreams,” Kevin Costner’s character hears a disembodied voice tell him “if you build it, he will come.” The “it” in question is a baseball field and the “he” is the Costner character’s deceased father.When it comes to home construction, the risks are such that the line works better if it is...
Relatively boring (thankfully) | The Twenty-Four
The Twenty-Four Inflation still under control at the end of 2025 By Robert Roach 19 January 2026 2 min read Given all the disturbing news and economic uncertainty swirling around out there, it’s a welcome reprieve that the inflation rate in Canada, which was adding significantly to the drama not that long ago, largely cooperated in December.The monthly headline inflation rate in Canada ended the year at 2.4%, up from November’s reading of 2.2% and 0.4 points above the 2% target.
More on jobs in Alberta | The Twenty-Four
The Twenty-Four A look back at 2025 - part 2 By Robert Roach 13 January 2026 4 min read In yesterday’s Twenty-Four, we looked at how Alberta’s labour market performed last year in terms of employment growth and the unemployment rate.
Jobs in Alberta | The Twenty-Four
The Twenty-Four A look back at 2025 By Robert Roach 12 January 2026 2 min read In sports, we often look at, for example, how many goals a player scored last season or how many yards they rushed the year before as a way of assessing both past performance and establishing a benchmark against which to measure future performance.We do the same thing with economic indicators like employment growth and the unemployment rate with the calendar year serving as “the season.” With the job numbers now in...
Those French fries don’t grow themselves | The Twenty-Four
The Twenty-Four Alberta sets new potato production record By Robert Roach 6 January 2026 2 min read Economists are forever imagining themselves impressing people at cocktail parties by posing and answering “do you know” questions.
How does it feel? | The Twenty-Four
The Twenty-Four Uncertain and expensive By Robert Roach 24 November 2025 1 min read When Bob Dylan howls the question “how does it feel, how does it feel?” in his 1965 song “Like a Rolling Stone,” one of the implied answers is “not great.”Arguably, this is how many Canadians are feeling at the moment about the economy and the cost of living.Case in point: a recent Abacus Data survey shows that affordability is a major concern in Canada today with 62% of respondents citing the rising cost of...
The Seven, November 14, 2025 | The Seven
The Twenty-Four Major let down By Robert Roach 14 November 2025 9 min read In this week’s The Seven… Where’s the beef?
We are multi-family | The Twenty-Four
The Twenty-Four Residential construction intentions in Alberta By Robert Roach 12 November 2025 1 min read Residential construction has been one of the big economic stories in Alberta for some time now as builders seek to meet the demand created by the addition of almost 341,000 new residents over the last two years.Housing starts (we’ll get an update on these next week) are on track for a record-setting year, but new building permit data released this morning point to a slower pace going...
The upward trend continues | The Twenty-Four
The Twenty-Four Oil production in Alberta By Robert Roach 4 November 2025 1 min read As we wait for the federal budget to come out this afternoon (watch for our summary of its economic implications in tomorrow morning’s Twenty-Four), it’s an opportune time to take a look at a key driver of both the Canadian economy and federal revenue: Alberta’s oil production.
The Seven, October 31, 2025 | The Seven
The Twenty-Four Let's play ball! By Robert Roach 31 October 2025 8 min read In this week’s The Seven… Chop, chop - Interest rates in Canada and the U.S. Weak numbers - Canada’s economic output in August Fiscal watch - Tuesday is federal budget day Waves of change - AI and the future of jobs Interesting Fact: Red Deer’s population growth Chart of the Week: The link between exports and employment Waddaya want?
Grabbing a bite | The Twenty-Four
The Twenty-Four Restaurant and bar sales in Alberta By Robert Roach 30 October 2025 1 min read Released yesterday, the latest Statistics Canada data show that restaurant and bar sales in Alberta were robust in August, up 7.6% from the same month last year.*On a year-to-date basis, revenue was by up 5.9% over the first eight months of the year compared to the same period in 2024.Removing the effects of inflation, year-over-year revenue was 5.6% higher and year-to-date 4.8% higher, indicating...
Once more for good measure | The Twenty-Four
The Twenty-Four Bank of Canada cuts again By Robert Roach 29 October 2025 1 min read As we expected, the Bank of Canada announced this morning it is shaving another 25 basis points off of its trendsetting policy interest rate, taking it from 2.5% to 2.25%.The Bank cited “ongoing weakness in the economy” as the rationale for the cut.
A whole new ballgame | The Twenty-Four
The Twenty-Four Canada’s economy since the Blue Jays were in the World Series in 1993 By Robert Roach 28 October 2025 2 min read The last time the Toronto Blue Jays were in the World Series was 32 years ago.Today’s Twenty-Four looks at some of the ways the Canadian economy has changed over those three decades.Economic growth - More output per CanadianCanada had just emerged from the recession of 1990-1992 when the Jays won their first World Series in October 1992.
Fighting a cold | The Twenty-Four
The Twenty-Four New results from the Canadian Survey of Consumer Expectations By Robert Roach 23 October 2025 2 min read If someone asks you “how’s your cold?” and you answer “a bit better,” it likely means you’re still feeling pretty bad. This is a good way to summarize the latest results from the Bank of Canada’s Canadian Survey of Consumer Expectations.
Rolling with the punches | The Twenty-Four
The Twenty-Four A conversation with Dean Ransom, owner of Alberta Sound Framing By Robert Roach 20 October 2025 3 min read October 19 - 25 is Small Business Week in Canada. For any business owner, the ability to adapt is key to both survival and success.
Barrels and pipes | The Twenty-Four
The Twenty-Four Alberta’s growing oil production By Robert Roach 6 October 2025 1 min read Canada produces a lot of oil—the fourth largest amount of any country.
Head of the class | The Twenty-Four
In addition to the economic gravitas head offices lend to their location, they also boost the local economy by way of employment and demand for products and services. As a result, it’s not just bragging rights that are at stake when considering the number of head offices in a city or province.
Paying the cost | The Twenty-Four
The Twenty-Four Obstacles facing Alberta businesses heading into the fall By Robert Roach 28 August 2025 2 min read Costs remain top of mind for Alberta businesses, according to a recent survey.
Still in high gear | The Twenty-Four
The Twenty-Four Housing starts in Alberta By Robert Roach 18 August 2025 1 min read Driven by multi-unit projects, the streak of strong housing starts in Alberta continued in July.The number of housing starts in Alberta came in at 52,171 in July (seasonally adjusted annual rate)—32% higher than the five-year average.
The Seven, August 15, 2025 | The Seven
The Twenty-Four It depends who you ask By Robert Roach 15 August 2025 7 min read In this week’s The Seven… Making a little less stuff - Manufacturing Next week: Inflation in July A fly on the wall: The Bank of Canada’s interest rate deliberations Avoiding the neighbours - Canadian travel to the U.S. Interesting Fact: Economic anxiety Chart of the Week: Rent reduction Overall, Canada’s economy is not doing very well.
Before the flood | The Twenty-Four
The Twenty-Four U.S. inflation in July By Robert Roach 12 August 2025 1 min read With all the talk of U.S. tariffs, you might expect the inflation rate in our southern neighbour to be through the roof, but this is not the case.
The Seven, August 8, 2025 | The Seven
The Twenty-Four Summertime blues By Robert Roach 8 August 2025 7 min read In this week’s The Seven… The results are in: Jobs down in July A weak pulse: Canada’s GDP Sticker shock: Grocery prices Interesting Fact: U.S. imports of Canadian oil Chart of the Week:Too much of a bad thing: The inflation hangover “Sometimes I wonder What I'm a-gonna do But there ain't no cure For the summertime blues”Eddie Cochran, “Summertime Blues”When it comes to the economy, Eddie Cochran is wrong in that there...
Buying and selling | The Twenty-Four
The Twenty-Four House price trends in Edmonton and Calgary By Robert Roach 23 July 2025 3 min read If you ask someone what they think of current house prices, the answer will depend on whether they are a buyer or a seller.
The normalization of tariffss | The Twenty-Four
The Twenty-Four A snapshot of current U.S. trade policy By Robert Roach 9 July 2025 3 min read Uncertainty is a funny thing: you can get used to uncertainty and, in turn, feel less uncertain. In a sense, this is what has happened with regard to U.S. trade policy.Arguably, where everything is going to end up is just as uncertain as it was when Trump took office in January.
Good trade flows make good neighbours | The Twenty-Four
The Twenty-Four Trade between Alberta and Ontario By Robert Roach 8 July 2025 2 min read On Monday, the premiers of Alberta and Ontario signed two memorandums of understanding on interprovincial trade and infrastructure development. The two provinces are home to over 21 million people combined, representing 51% of Canada’s population. Despite being geographically separated, the two economies are more closely integrated than you may think.
A wild ride | The Twenty-Four
The Twenty-Four The Canadian dollar in 2025 By Robert Roach 30 June 2025 4 min read Since the beginning of 2025, we've seen heightened volatility across various financial markets. To help you understand and navigate these dynamic conditions, ATB's Economics team has invited experts from our ATB Capital Markets Fixed Income, Currencies, and Commodities (FICC) team to guest author The Twenty-Four.
Union Retirees Must Keep Fighting for a Fair Economy
By Robert Roach, Jr. CEOs made an average of $17.7 million in total compensation last year, according to the AFL-CIO’s latest “Executive Paywatch” report. Executive compensation has continued to rise steadily since 2016, increasing by 6% between 2022 and 2023. The gap between CEO and worker pay narrowed slightly, with CEOs making 268 times more than the average worker compared to 272 times more in 2022.
“Chipping” Away at the Right to Fundamental Research? | JD Supra
New Export Control Regulations Must Be Examined to Ensure Protection of International Research Collaborations U.S. government actions to enhance and protect U.S. technological innovation have been regularly featured in recent headlines. With the consistency of a drumbeat, press releases have announced new federal prosecutions, coordinated federal agency regulatory action, and bipartisan Congressional legislation designed to boost U.S. technology and protect it from malign foreign influences.
Polemics & Exchanges, September 2022
Robert Roach is CEO of the Charlemagne Institute, the publisher of Chronicles magazine, and a longtime Chronicles reader.
Ways Universities Can Improve Foreign Influence Compliance
Law360 (April 6, 2021, 5:56 PM EDT) -- During the Trump administration, many foreign powers around the world were viewed skeptically by the U.S. government. This seeped into many forms of regulatory oversight, including research. This skepticism was perhaps most evident toward China.
The Rise and Fall of the Jet Pack
The human body is not well-suited for flight. We’re somehow both bulky and gangly, with legs that kick and flail once they leave the ground. Our anatomy is not built to glide through the air—or even fall gracefully. We’ve tried to game nature with kites and gliders and wax wings. But no amount of self-flapping could lift us off the earth. So imagine the excitement in the 1950s, when the Army contacted Bell Aerospace Corporation to develop a device that would realize this fantastical idea.
5 Steps To Help Universities Manage Foreign Influence Risk - Law360
Law360 (September 3, 2020, 6:03 PM EDT) -- A recent op-ed piece in The Washington Post posed a compelling question: Why are U.S. institutions working with scientists linked to China's military modernization?[1] The author, former Beijing bureau chief John Pomfret, was reacting to the U.S. Department of Justice's July 23 announcement that it had charged three visiting researchers and one graduate student from China with visa fraud for allegedly lying about their affiliations with the Chinese...
Daily Legal News
Common Pleas Workers' Comp Date Filed June 4, 2020 Case Number 933077 Case Type Workers' Comp Judge Judge W. Jones Plaintiff Filed by. Robert R. Roach 757 Bayridge Blvd. Willowick, OH 44095 Plaintiff's Attorney Nager Romaine & Schneiberg 27730 Euclid Ave Cleveland OH 44132 Defendant City of Euclid, et al. 585 East 222nd Street Euclid, OH 44123 About your information and the public record.
Creating Systems Change in Your City: 4 Lessons From the Front Lines
The City Accelerator initiative is a collaboration between Governing, the Citi Foundation and Living Cities that aims to speed the adoption of innovative local government projects within and across cities that will have a significant impact on the lives of their residents, especially those with low incomes. Have you ever wondered what it takes to create systems change? Have you ever started with just one person or one department spearheading that change with the hope of bringing others along?
Telegraph-Journal
Canada is a big and diverse place. People, power, economic opportunities, public policy priorities, language and cultural nuances are not evenly spread from sea to sea to sea. It’s always been a struggle to make sure the various regions are working together, treated fairly and adequately represented at the national level. Lately, however, serious efforts to address regional issues have largely fallen by the wayside of Canadian politics.
Robert Roach: Reform Senate to heal regional divisions
Just when you thought the state of the debate about reforming Canada’s Senate couldn’t get any sadder, federal Conservative Party leadership hopeful Kevin O’Leary has floated the idea of selling Senate seats. Serious or not, O’Leary’s proposal is in keeping with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s vision of the Senate as little more than a blue-ribbon advisory panel. Trudeau wants the upper house to be filled with admirable Canadians who provide friendly, non-partisan advice to the government.
It's time to rally behind Canada's oil and gas sector
CALGARY, Alta. — Was Ontario's auto sector in worse shape during the global financial meltdown of 2009 than Alberta's energy patch was during the global oil glut of 2015? An internal federal government memo recently uncovered by the Canadian Press suggests it was. But which sector faced more pain (keeping in mind the price slump continues to cripple Canada's oil and gas sector) is the wrong question.
Surviving the Transition: How to Sustain an Initiative beyond a Mayor’s Exit
Editor’s Note: Elections are moments of civic renewal and disruption. Two dozen of the nation’s largest cities are preparing for potential political transitions following this fall’s general election. A firm called Equal Measure serves as the third part evaluator for the City Accelerator, a role it has played on behalf of institutions and initiatives for three decades. In this guest post, the evaluators offer their perspective on successfully working through transitions.
Show More
loading
Actions
Is this you?
As a journalist, you can create a free Muck Rack account to customize your profile, list your contact preferences, and upload a portfolio of your best work.Get in touch with Robert
Contact Robert, search articles and posts on X, monitor coverage, and track replies from one place.
Learn more about Muck Rack