Carney's vow. No democracy. Tariff list.  April 3rd 2025

… in 2007. *Sc 2210 Higher Learning: University of Saskatchewan. Design: Denis L’Allier.

Fun political fact about Canada’s Top 30 research universities. All but four are located in federal ridings held by Liberal or New Democrat MPs. Which four are the exception? The University of Calgary is located in the riding of Calgary Confederation, currently vacant but held by a conservative candidate since 1940; Ontario Tech University in the riding of Oshawa, also vacant, but where Conservatives have recently won; the University of Regina where Conservative Michael Kram took over Regina Wascana from longtime Liberal Ralph Goodale; and the one on this stamp, the University of Saskatchewan, where Conservative Cory Tochor is seeking re-election in the riding of Saskatoon—University. The stamp was issued on USask’s 100th anniversary.

Why is this quirk of our political geography significant? First, since major research universities are most often found in urban areas, often in downtown areas, this particular quirk is another signifier of the inability of Conservatives to win in the country’s urban cores.

Second impact of that quirk: The federal government gives billions a year to the country’s major research universities and so, by dint of the design of funding programs for researchers, that funding goes to sustain institutions, businesses, and employees in ridings mostly held by Liberals, sometimes by a New Democrat, but rarely by a Conservative and never by a member of the Bloc Québecois. And an inordinate amount of research funding goes to the University of Toronto, University of British Columbia, McGill University, the University of Alberta, and the University of Waterloo. Federal riding for each of those: Liberal, Liberal, Liberal, NDP and Liberal.