Yesterday, Stephen Harper urged his fellow politicians at the G8 summit in Italy not to spend any more money until the first round of stimulus is done working. So, did his plea resonate with his cohorts? Not exactly.

The G8 summit kicked off in Italy today and naturally the economy tops the agenda. As in the previous summits since the global financial meltdown began, Canada will present itself, and its economic record, as a shining example for the rest of the developed nations to follow.

Ontario's Ministry of Research and Innovation unveiled a new $250-million plan today to stimulate the province's moribund venture capital industry. You can read my story on the initiative here. Please comment below—whether you're an early-stage investor, entrepreneur, or just concerned about the innovation economy, I would like to hear your ...

For those of you who missed it, we just this week held our annual Canadian Business Outlook '09 event, which featured the prognostications of such top-notch Canadian economists as David Wolf (Merrill Lynch), Benjamin Tal (CIBC), Derek Burleton (TD) and Sherry Cooper (BMO).