Expenditure on research and development in higher education institutions in Canada increased from $8.1 billion in 2003/2004 to $9.0 billion in 2004/2005 (an increase of 10.5%).

This increase is the result of a rise in the contributions of three sources of funds: the higher education sector itself, the federal government, and private non-profit organizations. The higher education sector was the main contributor of funds for research and development (45% or $4.1 billion in 2004/2005). The main external funders were the federal government (26%) provincial governments (12%) business enterprises (8%) and private non-profit organizations (8%).

The health (+14.3%) and social science (+11.1%) fields benefited most from this increased funding as well as other natural sciences (+6.9%). Significantly, $7.2 billion (80%) was allocated to natural sciences and engineering (including health sciences).

The federal government's contribution increased by 7.1% over 2003/2004. However, the federal government's share of funding for research and development in higher education dropped marginally from 27% in 2003/2004 to 26% in 2004/2005. Health sciences and other natural sciences account for 84% of the federal funding for research and development in higher education.

Ontario and Quebec accounted for 67% of federal funds and 70% of the total research and development expenditures while the Atlantic provinces together accounted for only 6% of the total expenditures. This pattern is related to the differences in the number and size of higher education institutions in these provinces.

One in four Western Canadians would risk doubling their mortgages in a hand of double-or-nothing poker, according to national survey by online poker site PokerRoom.com. Canadian men are twice as willing as women to take risks in life; Quebecers are the most cautious, British Columbians the most reckless.

TORONTO - With Alberta's average housing price leaping 35 per cent in the past year, it's not surprising that one in four Western Canadians are willing to risk doubling their mortgage - or earn mortgage freedom - in a single hand of poker, according to a national survey by online poker site PokerRoom.com. In Ontario, exactly half of those surveyed said they would take the opportunity to wipe out their credit card - or see it doubled - in a double-or-nothing poker hand.

The national survey conducted by research firm Synovate gauged the risk tolerance of more than a thousand Canadian adults. The survey revealed that Canadians lose their inhibitions the further west you travel. On a scale of 1 to 10, with one being the least risky and 10 the most, Quebecers and Atlantic Canadians said they were the least willing to take risks in life, while British Columbians and Western Canadians (Manitoba, Saskatchewan and Alberta) said they were the most willing. Most Canadians, 21 per cent, ranked themselves as a "five" on their willingness to take risks, while the next highest rating was a "seven" (18 per cent).

"Canadians are often seen as conservative and cautious, but many have a sensation-seeking side," said Glenn Cademartori, North American spokesperson for PokerRoom.com. "Canadians relish a little thrill and entertainment, including risking their mortgage or credit card debt in a winner-take-all hand of poker. For many, it's a dream to be debt free, but if you ever had the opportunity to go 'double or nothing', how many people would actually take that risk?"

In fact, when asked to choose which financial burden they would be willing to risk in a double-or-nothing single hand of poker, 45 per cent of Canadians said their credit card debt, 18 per cent said their mortgage, 18 per cent said income taxes, 13 per cent said personal or student loan and seven per cent said car loan or lease.

Amongst the other findings:

Machismo may be a factor in Canadians' risk tolerance. Only 14 per cent of Canadian men, compared to 33 per cent of women, considered themselves among the low end of the risk scale, or least willing to take risks in life. The exuberance of youth: more than 37 per cent of those 18-34 years old gave themselves a rating of seven or higher on their willingness to take risks in life, while only 20 per cent of those more than 55 years old gave themselves a similar rating.

Wealth, or lack of it, appears to make some Canadians more cautious than others. More than one in three Canadians with household incomes of more than $ 75K placed themselves among the top end of the risk-taking scale, but only about one in four with household incomes of less than $ 25K classified themselves in the higher risk categories.

"Canadians take risks everyday: crossing the street, switching jobs, competing in sports or playing online poker. Each has an element of risk," said Cademartori. "The key to avoiding a letdown is to assess and then manage that risk. And Canadians are clearly smart risk takers: they are often among the top winners at PokerRoom.com online tournaments."

PokerRoom.com is the world's third largest online poker site with approximately six million players in nearly 150 countries. Initiated by two students with a passion for poker, PokerRoom.com now offers one of the safest and most entertaining online gaming experiences available, and has won numerous industry awards for its premium-quality graphics and ease of use.

OTTAWA - A new Decima Research study commissioned by the Canadian Wireless Telecommunications Association (CWTA) reveals that two-thirds (64%) of Canadian households report owning or having access to a wireless phone. This result represents a significant increase since the last time this study was conducted in 2000, when only 44% of Canadian households claimed wireless phone access.

Albertans continue to be at the forefront of wireless phone adoption with a household wireless penetration rate of 79%, while Quebecers represent the other end of the wireless penetration spectrum at 51%.

The research also estimates that approximately 8% of households that currently have access to a wireless phone have in fact replaced their traditional telephone line. This equates to approximately 5% of all Canadian households. The study reports that 17% of Canadian households that currently have a wireless phone, or plan to have one in the next 12 months, are likely to replace an existing wireline service with a wireless service.

Speaking May 16 in Toronto at "Work.Live.Play. - The Infinite Potential of Wireless", the industry's annual conference, CWTA President and CEO Peter Barnes said, "It is clear that Canadians now view wireless as an alternative to landline service in the home." "In addition to the longstanding competition within the wireless industry, we are now seeing wireless services compete in what has been viewed as the traditional local phone market," he added.

The 20% average increase in national wireless household penetration from 2000 to 2006, for the most part is consistent across all segments of the population. The increase in penetration has however been particularly sharp among the following segments: in Atlantic Canada - from 36% to 63%; among 18 to 34 year olds - from 45% to 74%; among older Canadians (55+) - from 24% doubling to 48%; and among university graduates - from 50% to 73%.

"Of particular interest from an age segment perspective is the fact that historically, Canadians in the 35 to 54 age bracket were typically the ones driving growth in wireless penetration," said Rick Nadeau, Decima's Vice President, Telecommunications and Cultural Affairs. "But in our most recent study however, all age groups are now contributing to the overall increase in wireless penetration."

The last six years have also seen an important shift in how Canadians use their wireless phones. Between 1998 and 2000, between 25% and 30% used their wireless phone as much for business purposes as for personal purposes. Results in 2006 suggest a more polarized use of wireless phones - they are being used either mostly for personal (60%) or mostly for business calls (29%), with the proportion using it evenly for personal and business calls diminishing to 8%.

A part of the study also examined usage of specific phone features among Canadian wireless phone users. Incidence of the most-accessed features include: text messaging (25%); taking pictures (15%); downloading content (15%); push-to-talk service (7%); instant messaging (6%); send or receive e-mail (6%); search information from the Internet (4%); multimedia messaging (3%); listening to music (2%); and downloading music (2%).

<< Other survey highlights include:

- Wireless phone penetration is not only widening, in other words spreading increasingly to more households, but also getting "deeper" within each household as 57% of households that have access to a wireless phone report having two or more wireless phones.

- Seven-in-ten (70%) respondents personally own their wireless phone, while the remaining obtain access through their employer, self-employment or through someone else in the household.

- With regard to types of wireless devices in the home, nearly all households use cell phones exclusively (91%), whereas 8% have a combination of cell phones and wireless PDAs within the household.

- This year's results suggest that the average wireless user is more "mature" or experienced compared to six years ago. In 2000, every one in four users had been accessing a wireless service for less than one year compared to only one in ten today.

- Half have used their wireless phone to help them out of an emergency situation.

- In a typical week, Canadian wireless phone users estimate they talk for slightly over one hour (71 minutes) on their wireless phones, a result which increases to 84 minutes among 18 to 34 year olds and drops to 45 minutes among wireless users over 55 years of age.

- About 16% of the households having indicated they do not currently own or have access to a wireless phone are likely to acquire one within the next year.

- Eight in 10 report feeling comfortable with technologies such as wireless communications devices and a similar proportion feels that wireless communications devices are easy to use.

- Slightly over half say that wireless communications are good value for money.

However, this new study has found that more than one-half engage in religious activities on their own at least on a monthly basis, even if it is just to say a little prayer or do some meditating.

According to the Ethnic Diversity Survey, conducted in 2002, nearly half of the people who do not attend religious services regularly, but who do engage in some kind of activity on their own, attach a high degree of importance to their religion.

Not surprisingly, those who regularly attend services and engage in personal activities are most likely to place high importance on religion.

Half of adult Canadians regularly engage in religious activities on their own

Public religious behaviour, religious affiliation and attendance have been declining among much of the population, but these developments capture only one aspect of peoples' religiosity.

To get a more complete picture, this study used the Ethnic Diversity Survey to examine private religious practices that people did on their own such as prayer, meditation, worship and reading of sacred texts at home or some other location.

The survey showed that Canadians do engage in such private religious behaviour either at home or in other locations, even though they may have little or no connection with religious organizations.

Note to readers
This release is based on a study in the May 2006 issue of Canadian Social Trends titled "Who's religious?"

The majority of the data came from the 2002 Ethnic Diversity Survey, conducted from April to August 2002. About 42,500 people aged 15 and over were interviewed by telephone in the 10 provinces.

The survey was developed by Statistics Canada, in partnership with the Department of Canadian Heritage, to provide information on the ethnic and cultural backgrounds of people in Canada and how these backgrounds relate to their lives today.

It covered topics such as religion, ethnic or cultural ancestry and identity, family background and social networks.

Survey data showed that over one-half (53%) reported that they engaged in religious activities on their own at least monthly, while about 11% did so a few times a year. (According to previous research, only about 32% of adult Canadians attended religious services at least monthly.)

The likelihood that people would engage in religious activities on their own was more prevalent in older age groups, as is the case with attendance at religious services.

Immigrants were also more likely to engage in private religious practices and attend religious services than the Canadian-born population.

Most striking was the proportion of Canadians who infrequently or never attend services, yet regularly engage in personal religious practices.

Of those who infrequently attended religious services over the year prior to the survey, 37% said they engaged in religious practices on their own on a weekly basis. And of those who had not attended any religious services over the previous year, 27% said they engaged in weekly religious practices on their own.

Overall, this group of adults who regularly engage in private religious practices, but infrequently or never attend religious services, represented 21% of the adult population.

Religiosity index: Less than a third of Canadians are "highly religious"

The four dimensions of religiosity — affiliation, attendance, personal practices and importance of religion — can be combined into a simple "religiosity index".

People may attend religious services or choose religious denominations to please their loved ones. So, an index which also captures the importance of religion and personal religious practices may be a better indicator of religiosity.

A high score on this index indicates that the individual attends religious services at least once a week, engages in personal religious practices at least once a week, and places a great deal of importance on religion.

Based on these criteria, 40% of Canadians have a low degree of religiosity, 31% are moderately religious and 29% are highly religious.

Religiosity is lowest among young people and higher among individuals in older age groups. Men are also much more likely to have low religiosity than women.

The degree of religiosity expressed by Canadians is associated with the religious background of their parents. Among individuals who said that neither of their parents had a religion, 85% had a low degree of religiosity and only 10% had a high degree.

In contrast, among individuals who reported that both of their parents had similar religious backgrounds, 32% had a low degree of religiosity and 33% had a high degree. This is consistent with other studies that show religious parents are most likely to pass their religion on to their children. This occurs most often when both parents have similar religious backgrounds.

About 4 in 10 (41%) of the immigrants who arrived in Canada between 1982 and 2001 had a high degree of religiosity, compared with 26% of people born in Canada.

However, there is considerable variation in levels of religiosity among immigrants from different regions of the world.

For example, high levels of religiosity were most prevalent among immigrants from South Asia (for example, India and Pakistan).

In contrast, high levels of religiosity were least prevalent among immigrants from East Asia (such as China and Japan) and Western and Northern Europe (countries such as France and the United Kingdom).

This study provides a statistical portrait of the strategies Canadian companies used in conducting R&D between 1997 and 2002. It is based on data from the Survey of Research and Development in Canadian Industry.

Between 1997 and 2002, the majority of R&D spending, around 62%, was of internal origin, that is, it was conducted by the performer. The remaining 38% was comprised of two groups: one group (representing 24%) performed R&D on behalf of another organization, that is, they contracted in. The remaining 14% was conducted by another R&D performer, that is, they contracted out.

An estimated 42% of R&D was conducted with no external partnerships.

Foreign-controlled firms were much more heavily involved in selling R&D services than their Canadian counterparts. About 22% of all foreign-controlled firms conducted R&D for outside organizations, more than twice the proportion of only 9% of domestic performers.

However, Canadian-controlled firms on average spent more on research and development. As a result, the 9% of Canadian-controlled performers allocated 23% of their total R&D spending to selling R&D services, virtually the same proportion as the 25% allocated by foreign-controlled firms.

MSN Canada / Ipsos-Reid online poll finds online communications like email and instant messaging playing a large role alongside more traditional forms

TORONTO - Survey results released May 2 by MSN Canada show that on average, Canadians connect with about 23 different people every day. Monday is by far the busiest day of the week for communicating (32 per cent), followed by Saturday (18 per cent) and Friday (17 per cent).

While face-to-face conversations are still the most common way to exchange ideas - accounting for 38 per cent of daily interactions - email is gaining fast, coming in a close second at 30 per cent. Other popular forms are mobile telephone (12%), home telephone (20%) and instant messaging (20%). The online poll of 1,013 Canadians was conducted by Ipsos Reid from March 31 - April 3, 2006, among visitors to the Sympatico.MSN.ca Web site.

Most survey respondents (83 per cent) say they feel communicating online has an overall positive effect on their life. Almost half (49 per cent) of those polled believe using the Internet to communicate has allowed them to be more outwardly social, while 45 per cent say it has helped them locate long- lost friends, and 39 per cent say it lets them act more like themselves.

Results of the survey also show that people choose specific ways to communicate with others, based on their relationship and the time of day. Thirty-three per cent prefer to contact a romantic partner or spouse via mobile phone (email was a distant second at 16 per cent), but use instant messaging over mobile phones to chat with old friends (11 per cent vs. 5 per cent). When it comes to communicating passionately romantic or angry messages, a whopping majority - over 90 per cent - still prefers face-to-face conversations.

While Canadians use different communications tools to interact with different people, when they get home from work they are just as likely to send instant messages as they are to chat on their mobile phones. Both communications tools were chosen by 20 per cent of respondents as a preferred means of connecting with people in the evenings.

"The sheer variety of online tools such as email, text-messaging and MSN Messenger are helping to break down traditional communications barriers," said Owen Sagness, vice president, MSN Canada. "The ability to connect any time, virtually anywhere, is having a dramatic impact on the way Canadian society is evolving. The tools are more than just a way to keep in touch - they are now part of the way Canadians socialize on a daily basis."

Those polled who prefer to communicate using text-based technologies such as email, instant messaging and SMS say they do so because it allows them to communicate anywhere and everywhere (74 per cent); is the easiest way to keep in touch (63 per cent); is fast (61 per cent); and allows them to communicate on their own terms, when time permits (58 per cent). Of these technologies, Canadians use email most often - an average of 7.3 times per day.

How and When Canadians Communicate

The survey results also highlighted some interesting communication habits that vary according to day of week and time of day:

- While 78% are likely to use email both during the work week and on weekends, there is a wide gap between the numbers using email only during the week (19%) versus only on weekends (2%), which indicates people use email much more at work than at home

- Mobile phone use increases when people are likely away from a computer, for example during their morning commute (9%) or on weekends (14%)

- More are likely to communicate by written letters or notes (15% vs. 9%) and by telephone call (12% vs. 5%) during the work week than on the weekend

- People are more likely to use email or instant messaging over mobile phones at times when they have access to a computer: email is more popular than mobile phones in the morning and during breakfast (18% vs. 3%); after 9 p.m., instant messaging and email (both 12%) are more popular than SMS messaging (2%)

The poll, conducted by PMG Consulting of Waterloo, Ontario, also found that Canadians are responsible gamers who self-regulate their spending and consistently play with a pre-determined limit. The poll's findings were released at the plenary session of the 10th annual Canadian Gaming Summit in Vancouver. The research also revealed that there are misconceptions about gaming in Canada, in particular with respect to responsible gaming and the perception by Canadians that more needs to be done to address problem gambling. Canadian Gaming Association President and CEO, Bill Rutsey, said the research points to a lack of public knowledge of the significant efforts already being undertaken by the industry to ensure responsible gaming.

"The PMG poll highlights that few Canadians are aware that the Canadian gaming industry contributes $7 billion to governments and charities and invests about $75 million annually on responsible gaming research and treatment - more per capita than any other country," Mr. Rutsey added. "As an industry, we need to do more to educate the public about the extensive efforts being undertaken by our members, to help Canadians to better understand the full scope of our efforts." According to Mr. Rutsey, some of the ways the industry can overcome these misconceptions include educating the public about how revenues are invested, and demonstrating to communities with gaming sites the significant economic and social contributions made by the industry to local businesses and municipalities. The Canadian gaming industry generates $14 billion in revenues a year and directly supports more than 50,000 jobs in Canada, including 8,500 jobs in British Columbia. The preliminary results of the PMG poll are part of the gaming industry's long-term approach to surveying the attitudes of Canadians towards gaming, and form part of its ongoing research.

The Canadian Gaming Association (www.canadiangaming.ca), formed in March 2005 and headquartered in Toronto, represents Canada's leading gaming operators and suppliers. The CGA speaks to issues of national and regional importance as the voice of the industry, with a mandate to foster a balanced understanding of gaming by bringing facts about the industry to the general public, elected officials, other decision makers and the media.

Prof. Alan Wildeman has been reappointed to a second five-year term as vice-president (research). The announcement was made today by president Alastair Summerlee.

“The University has experienced major growth in its research activities during the past five years,” said Summerlee, who chaired a committee that reviewed Wildeman’s first term in office, which began in 2001.

Each year for the past three years, U of G has been named Canada’s No. 1 comprehensive research university, a ranking that is based both on research income and output measures such as publications and research intensity. In addition, Guelph has been the top comprehensive university for four straight years in the annual “Top 50 Research Universities List,” which ranks Canadian universities based solely on sponsored research income.

“Dr. Wildeman has shown strong leadership and guidance in facilitating this growth while managing a research portfolio that is extremely complex and has undergone significant change,” said Summerlee.

The Office of Research mandate includes managing some $124 million in annual research funding.

Research and scholarship across the disciplines are of fundamental importance because they make Guelph a richer institution, they underpin innovation and they enhance the University’s ability to deliver outstanding education and training, said Summerlee.

“Alan has worked hard to build on Guelph’s reputation for its multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary research excellence, to foster important external partnerships that broaden the way the world sees us, and to improve the quality of the University’s research infrastructure.”

In 2002, Wildeman oversaw the extensive consultative planning process associated with the restructuring of services and facilities funded under U of G’s enhanced partnership with the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs (OMAFRA). The partnership includes the University’s campuses in Ridgetown, Kemptville and Alfred, numerous research stations and Laboratory Services.

Looking forward, Summerlee and Wildeman see three important priorities for the Office of Research. First, there will be a complete review of the office’s service mandate, looking at ways the office can support the growing research community and support how regulatory issues are introduced and managed. Second, U of G will be renegotiating the OMAFRA contract, which provides a vital component of the innovation agenda for agriculture and life sciences in the province. Third, the University will review the way research infrastructure is managed at the institution. Guelph will also continue to focus on the unique ways teaching and research are integrated and supported here.

“The University of Guelph is truly an extraordinary place for creative endeavours,” said Wildeman. “Our success is due entirely to the quality of our faculty, staff and students, and I am truly honoured to have been asked to serve another term. I look forward to continuing to help the Office of Research best support everyone’s aspirations and to working with the president and my colleagues to position Guelph so that it makes an even greater difference in the world.”

In addition to Summerlee, the review committee included deans, professors and staff members. They examined services, grant applications, ethics practices, technology transfer, international activities and commercialization under the Office of Research. The committee sought input and feedback from the U of G community on the areas of leadership, administration and management, relationship and partnership building, communications and oversight of the OMAFRA contract. The committee also sought and received wide feedback from members of internal and external communities associated with the University’s research enterprise.

New OnStar Overload Survey finds Canadians overwhelmed with multitude of day-to-day tasks and appointment; new in-car technology available to help shoulder the load

OSHAWA - Do the kids have soccer or music lessons tonight? Is my doctor's appointment this Tuesday or next? When is the car due for an oil change? These are all examples of daily minutia that contribute to four in 10 Canadians (44%) feeling overwhelmed by the sheer volume of tasks and appointments in daily life, according to the OnStar Overload Survey, a new survey of Canadians released in April.

"The stresses of daily life are all around us, from remembering to pick up milk to scheduling your next vehicle maintenance appointment," said Dave Mitchell, OnStar Canada. "While these tasks and appointments are not likely to go away, there are new technologies available to help you navigate this sea of responsibility and bring you added peace of mind."

Life Overload

- Women (51%) feel the pressure far more than men (35%).

- According to the OnStar Overload Monitor, adults aged 35-44 report feeling the most overwhelmed (58%), but those over the age of 55 report the least (36%) affected;

- More than half of Albertans (51%) feel inundated with the responsibilities of day-to-day life compared to one-third (35%) of those in Manitoba/Saskatchewan;

Can your car keep you on track?

To help Canadians manage their busy lives and check one more item off of the to-do list, OnStar's new Vehicle Diagnostics lets the expert - your vehicle - alert and remind you when it's due for scheduled maintenance.

Each month, your vehicle will automatically email you a detailed diagnosis on its engine, transmission, airbag, antilock brake, and OnStar systems, as well as your odometer reading and remaining oil life. This monthly report card provides peace of mind for drivers that everything is functioning properly under-the-hood or by alerting you if something needs attention right away.

"Until cars can talk, OnStar Vehicle Diagnostics is the best way to assess the performance of your vehicle's key operating systems," said Mitchell. "This monthly report card email provides invaluable information directly from your vehicle to help protect your investment and keep it running smoothly."

Forgetting or missing scheduled appointments is to blame for increased levels of stress and feeling overwhelmed amongst Canadians:

- More than forty per cent (43%) of Canadians admit they've forgotten to attend or schedule up to five appointments in the last year.

- Contrary to popular belief, the survey results defend the aging population as young adults are more likely than senior citizens to forget an appointment. More than half (55%) of those 18-24 admit to forgetting up to five appointments a year versus only one-third (33%) of those over the age of 55.

Staying on Track

Canadians are at least taking steps to remedy their absentmindedness by relying more on alarms and other reminder tools to keep their lives on track

- Overall, one-third of Canadians (31%) report increased usage of alarms or reminder mechanisms to help them keep track of appointments
- Quebeckers are the most reliant on reminders (41%); Atlantic Canadians the least (18%)

"As drivers, we've been taught to change our oil every 5,000 kilometres. However, today maintenance is more in-tune with your specific vehicle and driving habits," said Mitchell. "OnStar Vehicle Diagnostics closely monitors your vehicle's daily oil life and sends you an e-mail if it drops below 20 per cent, eliminating unnecessary oil changes. Not only does this mean less impact on your wallet, but less impact on the environment, too." OnStar Vehicle Diagnostics is exclusively for GM customers. No other manufacturer offers this unique, valuable and comprehensive diagnostic service to its customers remotely to the vehicle or directly to the customer's home computer.

The new monthly vehicle diagnostic service is offered to eligible OnStar subscribers at no additional charge. OnStar subscribers can always request a GM Goodwrench On-demand Diagnostics check at any time during the month by pressing their blue OnStar button. OnStar advisors perform "real-time" on-demand diagnostics checks for subscribers more than 1,200 times a month.

TORONTO - The ninth annual Survey of Mining Companies, released today by The Fraser Institute, holds good news for Canada's western provinces and bad news for the eastern provinces.

In this year's survey, companies responsible for a combined total of US$1.83 billion in international exploration (in 2005)-a third of the global total-rate the policy attractiveness and mineral potential of mining jurisdictions in North America and internationally.

Companies are asked to provide their opinions about the investment attractiveness of 64 jurisdictions around the world, on every continent except Antarctica, including the Canadian provinces and territories, the Australian states, selected US states, and jurisdictions across Europe, Asia, and Africa.

The Canadian Results

For the first time in the survey's history, British Columbia ranks in the top half of policy attractiveness. Until last year, British Columbia had languished in the bottom 10 spots on the ranking and was typically in the bottom five.

The three Atlantic Provinces in the survey-New Brunswick, Newfoundland, and Nova Scotia-all suffered declines in this year's survey, while Alberta is now seen to have the world's second most attractive policy environment.

Both Nova Scotia and Newfoundland lag British Columbia for the first time in the survey's history. New Brunswick remains ahead, though it has been consistently falling while British Columbia has been consistently rising.

"British Columbia may provide an object lesson for the Atlantic provinces," said survey coordinator Fred McMahon. "British Columbia's policy environment began changing for the better several years ago; however this only gradually resulted in better scores. Perceptions are slow to change in the mining industry-mining companies spend a long time pumping money into the ground before they start making money. If miners are going to invest, they need to know that a good policy today will still be in place when they start making their money back. Damage to a province's reputation can take years to repair."

Manitoba, Quebec, Saskatchewan, and Ontario continue to score highly compared to their global competition, while the Northwest Territories and Nunavut are close to the bottom of the rankings. The Yukon has made steady advances over the last three years and now is in the top third of the survey.

Policy Potential Index

The survey queries miners on 12 separate policy areas affecting mining. The Policy Potential index is a composite measure of these areas.

"The Policy Potential Index serves as a report card to governments on how attractive their policies are from the point of view of an exploration manager," said McMahon. "A jurisdiction's policy climate has taken on increased importance in attracting and winning investment in today's globally competitive economy where mining companies may be examining properties located on different continents."

Nevada obtained the highest score on this index, while Zimbabwe received the lowest.

This is the sixth straight year Nevada is rated as having the best mineral policies. The other top 10 policy jurisdictions are Alberta, Manitoba, Chile, Quebec, Mexico, Saskatchewan, Arizona, Ontario, and Utah. For the most part, last year's top 10 jurisdictions were either in this year's top 10 or nearly so.

Zimbabwe continues to set new records for its poor performance. Its last place score of 7.6 last year was the lowest score recorded in the previous four years. This year Zimbabwe's score fell to 2.4, the lowest in the survey's history. Also at the bottom were Papua New Guinea, DRC Congo, Venezuela, the Philippines, Indonesia, Russia, Zambia, Bolivia, and California.

Current Mineral Potential Index

Current Mineral Potential is based on respondents' answer to the question on whether a jurisdiction's mineral potential under the current policy environment encourages or discourages exploration.

Chile, Nevada, Mongolia, Quebec, Mali, South Australia, Ghana, Mexico, Ontario, and Western Australia hold the top 10 slots. All scored strongly last year and most were in last year's top 10.

Not surprisingly, the jurisdictions at the bottom of the list are also consistent with last year's poor performers-and in most cases with poor performers in the Policy Potential Index.

Colorado comes in last and is joined by California, Zimbabwe, Ireland, Wisconsin, Washington, Minnesota, Ecuador, DRC Congo, and Venezuela. These jurisdictions all scored near the bottom last year, with the partial exception of Ireland (39 out of 64 last year), which has generally fallen in this survey from last year's.

Best Practices Mineral Potential Index

From a purely mineral perspective, the most appealing jurisdictions are Nevada, Nunavut, Canada's Northwest Territories, Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, DRC Congo, Ghana, Mali, Peru, and Russia. All scored highly last year, except for Ghana and Mali, which were in the middle of the pack.

The least appealing jurisdictions are Nova Scotia, Alberta, Finland, Ireland, Wisconsin, New Brunswick, New Zealand, Sweden, Tasmania, and Spain. Not surprisingly, there is a large correspondence between these rankings and rankings in previous years.

Room for improvement

The survey also calculates which jurisdictions have room to improve their regulatory environments. Many of the jurisdictions with the greatest room to improve are developing countries where additional investment, and job, wealth, and capital creation are most needed.

These include the Zimbabwe, DRC Congo, Papua New Guinea, Zambia, China, Venezuela, and Peru. Except for China, miners indicated significant security problems with all of these nations, particularly DRC Congo and Zimbabwe. Nearly three-quarters of the respondents indicated they would not consider investment in these two nations due to security concerns.

However, some of worst performers are from the developed world and include Colorado, California, and Montana.

"Mining executives are becoming increasingly willing to invest their exploration dollars around the globe. Attractive geology is necessary, but not enough. Governments who want to maintain viable mining industries in their jurisdictions must enact favourable policies to encourage investment," said McMahon.