Sparks at Bank is a new platform for sharing insights, research and analysis from staff at the Bank of Canada. It’s designed for people who think deeply about the economy and policy but who also appreciate clarity and brevity.

We’re launching Sparks at Bank because great analysis can come in small packages.

Staff at the Bank of Canada are continually generating insights that matter—not just for economists and policy-makers but for anyone trying to make sense of what’s happening in the Canadian economy.

We want to share those insights in a way that makes them even more accessible and timely than our usual research publications.

What Sparks at Bank offers

Think of Sparks at Bank as a brief encounter you might have with one of our economists while getting coffee. Each Sparks at Bank article will tell you about some interesting analysis the economist has done. You’ll get the same kinds of insights we’ve been delivering through our traditional research papers but now in a simpler format.

Here’s what to expect from the articles on Sparks at Bank:

• They’ll be relevant. You’ll read analyses about key economic issues affecting Canadians. You can count on each article to provide the Bank’s usual independent, evidence-based research and analysis.
• They’ll go beneath the surface. You’ll get a better understanding of the forces behind ongoing trends and recent developments.
• They’ll be easy to read. You’ll get clear writing that doesn’t sacrifice substance.

It’s also important that you know what articles on Sparks at Bank won’t be:

• They won’t be a statement about official Bank policies. You’ll be reading views that are solely those of the authors and produced independently from the Bank’s Governing Council. You’ll find official Bank views in the Monetary Policy Report, the Financial Stability Report and the many speeches members of Governing Council deliver throughout the year.
• They won’t be full research papers. You’ll be getting a snapshot of some recent work, and you can still find complete research papers on our website.

What happens next

We’re kicking things off with three articles:

Then we’ll publish new articles regularly.

So visit Sparks at Bank regularly, where research and analysis meet the economic issues that matter.