The Bank of Canada COVID‑19 stringency index: measuring policy response across provinces Staff analytical note 2021-1 Calista Cheung, Jerome Lyons, Bethany Madsen, Sarah Miller, Saarah Sheikh We construct an index that systematically measures and tracks the stringency of government policy responses to the COVID-19 pandemic across Canadian provinces. Researchers can use this stringency index to analyze how the pandemic is affecting the economy. Content Type(s): Staff research, Staff analytical notes JEL Code(s): E, E2, E20, H, H7, I, I1, I18, R, R1 Research Theme(s): Models and tools, Econometric, statistical and computational methods, Monetary policy, Real economy and forecasting
May 23, 2003 The Bank of Canada: Moving Towards Transparency Bank of Canada Review - Spring 2003 John Chant During the 1990s the Bank of Canada made several changes that transformed its conduct of monetary policy. In the 1960s and 1970s, policy decisions were made in an environment characterized by instrument opaqueness and goal opaqueness, which tended to shield the Bank's operations from scrutiny and accountability. Since the 1970s the Bank has moved towards transparency and openness by rejecting multiple policy instruments and adopting a single, well-defined goal of inflation control. A recent survey has shown that the Bank of Canada is in the middle range of central banks with regard to its transparency and has lost points for not publishing the forecasts that shape its policy or the minutes and voting records of its governing body. Chant suggests that the public has benefited significantly from the changes the Bank has made, but that it should continue to support research on the benefits of low and stable inflation and continually inform other policy-makers and the public of the results. Content Type(s): Publications, Bank of Canada Review articles
June 7, 2018 Financial System Review: Assessment of Vulnerabilities and Risks—June 2018 This issue of the Financial System Review reflects the Bank’s judgment that high household indebtedness and housing market imbalances remain the most important vulnerabilities. While these vulnerabilities remain elevated, policy measures continue to improve the resilience of the financial system. A third vulnerability highlighted in the FSR concerns cyber threats to an interconnected financial system. Content Type(s): Publications, Financial Stability Report
January 6, 2006 Bank of Canada Review - Winter 2005-2006 Cover page Silver Presentation Salver The salver, which was bequeathed to the Bank of Canada by Lady Macmillan in 1967, is part of the artifact collection of the Bank of Canada Archives. Photography by Mone Cheng, Innovacom, Ottawa. Content Type(s): Publications, Bank of Canada Review
Perceived interconnections between Canadian banks and non-bank financial intermediaries under stress Staff analytical note 2025-26 Javier Ojea Ferreiro I study the links between Canadian banks and non-bank financial intermediaries (NBFIs) by observing co-movements in stock prices. Perceived interconnections increased before the COVID-19 pandemic but have since stabilized, with the strongest ties seen between large banks and NBFIs. The secured credit line extended to Home Trust, a non-bank mortgage lender that experienced severe funding stress in 2017, significantly reduced banks' risk exposure to NBFIs during this episode. Content Type(s): Staff research, Staff analytical notes JEL Code(s): C, C5, C58, G, G0, G01, G2, G21, G23, G3, G32 Research Theme(s): Financial system, Financial institutions and intermediation, Financial stability and systemic risk
March 11, 2021 COVID-19, savings and household spending Remarks (delivered virtually) Lawrence L. Schembri Restaurants Canada Toronto, Ontario Deputy Governor Lawrence Schembri talks about the Bank’s latest interest rate announcement and discusses how COVID-19 has affected savings and the outlook household spending. Content Type(s): Press, Speeches and appearances, Remarks Subject(s): Monetary policy, Economy/Economic growth, Inflation, Inflation targeting framework
December 18, 2001 The Resolution of International Financial Crises: Private Finance and Public Funds Bank of Canada Review - Winter 2001–2002 Andy Haldane, Mark Kruger Over the past year and a half, authors Andy Haldane of the Bank of England and Mark Kruger of the Bank of Canada have been developing a framework for the resolution of international financial crises that aligns incentives for all parties in a way that deals with the crisis and preserves the integrity of the international financial system. The framework is built on principles, not rules. It attempts to be clear about the respective roles and responsibilities of the public and private sectors. A central element in shaping private sector expectations is knowledge that the official sector will behave predictably. Constraints on lending by the International Monetary Fund are a key step in that direction. They ensure that private sector involvement is a crucial part of crisis resolution, and they help encourage debtors and creditors to seek co-operative solutions to a crisis. Characterized by constraints, clarity, and orderliness, the framework has the potential to reduce the incidence and cost of financial crises. Content Type(s): Publications, Bank of Canada Review articles
(Un)Conventional Monetary and Fiscal Policy Staff working paper 2023-6 Jing Cynthia Wu, Yinxi Xie We build a tractable New Keynesian model to study and compare four types of monetary and fiscal policy: policy rate adjustments, quantitative easing, lump-sum fiscal transfers and government spending. We find that tax-financed fiscal policy is more stimulative than debt-financed policy, and optimal policy coordination needs at least two of these four policy instruments. Content Type(s): Staff research, Staff working papers JEL Code(s): E, E4, E6, E61, E62, E63 Research Theme(s): Monetary policy, Inflation dynamics and pressures, Monetary policy framework and transmission, Monetary policy tools and implementation, Real economy and forecasting
Recent Evolution of Canada’s Credit-to-GDP Gap: Measurement and Interpretation Staff analytical note 2017-25 Timothy Grieder, Dylan Hogg, Thibaut Duprey Over the past several years, the Bank for International Settlements has noted that Canada’s credit-to-GDP gap has widened and is above thresholds indicating future banking stress. Content Type(s): Staff research, Staff analytical notes JEL Code(s): D, D1, E, E3, E32, G, G0, G01, G1, G2, G21, G3, G30 Research Theme(s): Financial system, Financial stability and systemic risk, Household and business credit
MSTest: An R-Package for Testing Markov Switching Models Staff working paper 2026-7 Gabriel Rodriguez Rondon, Jean-Marie Dufour We present the R package MSTest, which implements hypothesis testing procedures to determine the number of regimes in Markov switching models. The package provides several testing frameworks, including Monte Carlo likelihood ratio tests, moment-based tests, parameter stability tests, and classical likelihood ratio procedures. Content Type(s): Staff research, Staff working papers JEL Code(s): C, C1, C12, C15, C18, C6, C63, C8, C87 Research Theme(s): Models and tools, Econometric, statistical and computational methods, Economic models, Monetary policy, Real economy and forecasting