A Pseudo Survey of of the State of Canadian Business

The Washinton Post has an interesting pseudo survey article (once you get past the first few paragraphs of hand-wringing about Bombardier and Nortel). The article presents an eye-opening summary of some of the Canadian firms that have had success in the face of international competition. It also nicely dispels the myth that foreigners are taking over Canadian businesses:

Canada [huh? what an over generalization] periodically worries about warnings that foreigners are gobbling up its companies and "hollowing out" Canada's corporate soul. Studies generally do not support the fears, however.

The C.D. Howe Institute, a business-oriented think tank, concluded that "hollowing out" is largely a myth, and that foreigners control about 20 percent of Canadian corporations -- about the same proportion as 15 years ago.

I have another nit to pick: on what basis does the writer think C.D. Howe is a "business-oriented think tank"? My own perception is that it is market-oriented. Check its site out and see for yourself.