Canada’s Hub Cities: A Driving Force of the National Economy

Canada’s cities are not receiving the investment they need to fulfill their role as drivers of national prosperity. Canada’s Hub Cities: A Driving Force of the National Economy presents a study on convergence among Canadian communities, which demonstrates that when there is economic growth in a province or region’s “hub city”—its economically leading census metropolitan area—smaller communities in the province or region grow at an even faster rate. The finding of convergence between the performance of leading and lagging economies has an important policy implication: big cities—and hub cities in particular—should be targeted for strategic investment in order to produce a truly nationwide economic impact across Canada. This investment approach would produce “win-win” gains for big cities and smaller communities alike.