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The 1990s was a difficult period for Canada and the Canadian economy. From the beginning of the decade, it was clear that we had to grapple with the problems that had been hampering our economic performance through most of the 1970s and 1980s.

When I appeared before you last April, there was still a high degree of uncertainty in the global economy related to the 1997-98 financial crisis in emerging markets and the associated fall in world commodity prices.

The Bank of Canada raised its Bank Rate today by ¼ of one percentage point to 5½ per cent. The operating band for the overnight rate was correspondingly increased, and the Bank’s target for the overnight rate is now 5¼ per cent.

Both in Canada and elsewhere, much ink has been spilled over the past year on the pros and cons of different exchange rate regimes and the implications for monetary policy.

In a speech today to the Canadian Society of New York, Bank of Canada Governor Gordon Thiessen talked about Canada’s experience with a floating exchange rate and an independent monetary policy, despite close integration with the much larger U.S. economy.

To add to its presence in financial markets, the Bank of Canada has announced appointments to two new senior positions. Appointed are H. Ross MacKinnon as Director, Toronto Division and Jean-Pierre Aubry as Director, Montréal Division, both in the Financial Markets Department. In their new positions, Mr. MacKinnon and Mr. Aubry will contribute to the […]

This morning, we released our update to the November 1999 Monetary Policy Report. It gives the Governing Council's latest outlook for the economy and for inflation. Information received since November confirms that our economy performed well last year - expanding by close to 4 per cent between the fourth quarter of 1998 and the fourth […]

The Bank of Canada raised its Bank Rate today by ¼ of one percentage point to 5¼ per cent. The operating band for the overnight rate was correspondingly increased, and the Bank’s target for the overnight rate is now 5 per cent.

There has been a dramatic move among major central banks over the past decade towards greater transparency in monetary policy, Bank of Canada Governor Gordon Thiessen told the Metropolitan Halifax Chamber of Commerce in a speech today. This process has been driven not only by the general trend to greater accountability on the part of […]

Public sector institutions have been undergoing significant changes over the past decade. One of the most important changes has been the move to greater accountability. Public institutions are now required to be more open and to provide more information about their operations. Or, to use the word currently in vogue, to be more “transparent.”