by Harvey Oberfeld
Keeping It Real…
June 2, 2025
At first glance, removing all inter-provincial trade/services barriers seems such a good idea.
After all, why should anyone in BC be prevented (or severely discouraged through rules/restrictions) from buying wine or cheese or beef or fruits/vegetables or any goods made in any other province of Canada?
Or vice versa?
Surely, producers/suppliers/manufacturers should be able to compete with those from other provinces, who must absorb extra transportation charges in addition to production costs!
And it just seems bizarre (maybe even stupid) that Canadians can easily find foods or products from many other countries on their shelves, while foods or products from other provinces are kept out.
“If British Columbia were to adopt a similar bill to those of Nova Scotia, Ontario and Prince Edward Island, or sign mutual recognition agreements with all Canadian provinces, the country’s economy could grow by an estimated $50.2 billion,” the Montreal Economic Institute calculated in a report last week. (Their full study is here: https://www.iedm.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/economic-note-052025.pdf.)
” Interprovincial trade barriers are potentially as costly as a 7% tariff on goods crossing provincial lines, inflating consumer prices by an estimated 7.8% to 14.5%,” a study by Queen’s University estimated.
“This artificial inflation stifles competition, hampers innovation, and curtails economic growth. The authors estimate that dismantling these barriers could boost Canada’s GDP by up to $161 Billion annually, or an additional $2,300 to $4,000 per Canadian per year. Yet, despite these potential gains, such barriers persist,” their report concluded. (You can read full details here: https://economicsandpolicy.ca/2025/03/31/interprovincial-trade-barriers-what-are-they-how-costly-are-they-for-canada-and-how-can-we-address-them/#:~:text=The%20paper%20underscores%20a%20startling,potential%20gains%2C%20such%20barriers%20persist..)
Protectionist trade barriers between provinces should have come down years ago … now especially important as our country faces sustained, aggressive economic attacks from the Mad Hatter in the United States.
“Buy Canadian” is not only a better idea: it’s now a key weapon in our struggle for economic survival!
So, assuming the produce and products meet national food safety standards, taking down those barriers should happen … NOW.
However, there’s another barrier that has also separated/divided the provinces: the provision of “services”.
Labour and services shortages in one province could also seemingly be easily solved by allowing workers from other parts of the country to migrate and set up shop where they’re needed.
But that deserves a lot more scrutiny.
What passes for satisfactory electrical work in Quebec may not meet BC requirements; construction specifications in Ontario may differ from those in Nova Scotia; and truck driving licencing controls in PEI may not meet restrictions in effect in Alberta.
What about professional services … especially in the health care field?
Licensing standards differ province to province; as do treatment protocols; and, even language proficiency requirements can be quite different.
And then there are the risks of allowing supposedly “skilled” construction, roofing, plumbing and electrical contractors from other provinces to show up after a major crisis (fires, floods, tornadoes), doing sub-standard work or, worse, taking deposits and then outrageously delaying or totally failing to perform.
That’s exactly what used to happen in Florida years ago, when contractors from other states (Alabama, Mississippi etc.) would show up after hurricanes that caused massive building/roofing/window glass damages .. and far too often, did substandard work or failed to perform at all after taking substantial deposits.
So Florida now forbids out-of-state contractors from operating there … unless locally licenced and qualified. (Yes, that means long delays for small projects to get done after major storms, but the risks of out-of-state “contractors” taking the money and disappearing has been all but eliminated … although there are still many complaints of rip-offs by Florida contractors! )
Canadian provinces should be cautious.
Provincial licencing and even examinations may make it more difficult to quickly drop existing “services” barriers … but without them, customers dealing with “from away” contractors could end up paying a much higher price than they ever imagined.
The inter-provincial barriers against produce and products should come down; but those involving provision of services … not so fast!
Harv Oberfeld
There should be no differences for licensing Doctors, engineers etc. to be the same across Canada. Just like doctors, nurses, engineers from other countries. To say that someone’s health is different in BC than Alberta is just stupid.
Excellent point Diane. But let me expand on that. The various provincial Colleges of Physicans and Surgeons and similar professional trade groups exist not to set and maintain a standard, they exist to establish a carte.
How does one demand more pay? By restricting the entrance of new members. If there is a “doctor shortage” then they can demand more pay. In various places in Europe they do not have this problem as it is a lot easier to get into medical school and the MDs have more freedom in where they practice.
Indeed, standards and codes should be the same across Canada. Just like commercial pilots. If you are a trained in the trades, and passed the all-Canada exams, then you should be able to go anywhere in Canada.
People’s health issues can be similar …but who treats them and how they can treat them DOES vary from province to province. From the Public Policy Forum: “Professional licensing requirements can vary significantly, creating hurdles for individuals and businesses seeking to operate in multiple provinces.” For example, in some provinces, dental hygienists are trained/licensed to administer anaesthesia; in others, they are not. Better get it right when hiring from away!! That’s why license reviews and even testing should not just be dropped.