The Frontier Centre for Public Policy (FCPP) is a Canadian public policy

think tank A think tank, or policy institute, is a research institute that performs research and advocacy concerning topics such as social policy, political strategy, economics, military, technology, and culture. Most think tanks are non-governmenta ...

, founded to undertake research and education projects in support of economic growth and social outcomes that enhance quality of life. 2012 Annual Report http://www.fcpp.org/files/annual-reports/pdfs/annual-report-2012.pdf The group claims to be non-partisan, however, their views have been interpreted by some as

neoliberal Neoliberalism (also neo-liberalism) is a term used to signify the late 20th century political reappearance of 19th-century ideas associated with free-market capitalism after it fell into decline following the Second World War. A prominent fa ...

, or

right-libertarian Right-libertarianism,Rothbard, Murray (1 March 1971)"The Left and Right Within Libertarianism" ''WIN: Peace and Freedom Through Nonviolent Action''. 7 (4): 6–10. Retrieved 14 January 2020.Goodway, David (2006). '' Anarchist Seeds Beneath the ...

. Among the positions promoted by the Centre is

climate change denial Climate change denial, or global warming denial, is denial, dismissal, or doubt that contradicts the scientific consensus on climate change, including the extent to which it is caused by humans, its effects on nature and human society, or th ...

Publications and controversies

Canadian Indian residential school system

In September 2018, the Frontier Centre ran a radio ad which claimed to debunk myths about the lasting impact of the abuses of the

Canadian Indian residential school system In Canada, the Indian residential school system was a network of boarding schools for Indigenous peoples. The network was funded by the Canadian government's Department of Indian Affairs and administered by Christian churches. The school sy ...

that resulted in the deaths of 6000 Indigenous children and was classified as form of

cultural genocide Cultural genocide or cultural cleansing is a concept which was proposed by lawyer Raphael Lemkin in 1944 as a component of genocide. Though the precise definition of ''cultural genocide'' remains contested, the Armenian Genocide Museum defines ...

by a six-year study undertaken by the

Truth and Reconciliation Commission A truth commission, also known as a truth and reconciliation commission or truth and justice commission, is an official body tasked with discovering and revealing past wrongdoing by a government (or, depending on the circumstances, non-state act ...

. James Daschuk, a professor specializing in Indigenous health at the

University of Regina The University of Regina is a public research university located in Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada. Founded in 1911 as a private denominational high school of the Methodist Church of Canada, it began an association with the University of Saskatchew ...

, described the Frontier Centre's position as "egregiously wrong" and "knowingly turning its back on the facts."

Assembly of First Nations The Assembly of First Nations (AFN) is an assembly of Canadian First Nations (Indian bands) represented by their chiefs. Established in 1982 and modelled on the United Nations General Assembly, it emerged from the National Indian Brotherhood, wh ...

National Chief

Perry Bellegarde Perry Bellegarde (born August 29, 1962; Little Black Bear First Nation) is a Canadian First Nations advocate and politician who served as National Chief of the Assembly of First Nations from December 10, 2014, to July 8, 2021.

also denounced the ad for downplaying the extensive research and evidence on the negative impact of the residential schools. The Frontier Centre released a statement saying that ad was aimed at "a wider non-traditional audience" and was based on the think tank's own publications. The Centre published in 2021 an anthology of 13 articles criticizing editorial, legal and historical defects in the publications of the

Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada The Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada (TRC; french: Commission de vérité et réconciliation du Canada []) was a truth and reconciliation commission active in Canada from 2008 to 2015, organized by the parties of the Indian Reside ...

(2015). A general theme was that the TRC 500-page Summary, published first, does not reflect even-handedly the 3,000 other pages of the final report (in six volumes.)''From Truth Comes Reconciliation'', ed. Rodney A. Clifton and Mark DeWolf, Winnipeg, 2021.

Climate Change

In 2011 and 2012 the Frontier Centre put on its website and in letters allegations made by

Timothy Ball Timothy Francis Ball (November 5, 1938 – September 24, 2022) was a British-born Canadian public speaker and writer who was a professor in the Department of Geography at the University of Winnipeg from 1971 until his retirement in 1996. Ball th ...

against climate scientist Michael E. Mann, who issued a lawsuit. In June 2019 the Frontier Centre apologised for publishing "untrue and disparaging accusations which impugned the character of Dr. Mann." It said that Mann had "graciously accepted our apology and retraction". (story originally published by the '' National Observer'')

Funding

The Frontier Centre maintains its independence through having no government funding, a funding base that is diversified across industries and charities, and a "Firewall" between its board of directors which forbids any direct board involvement or influence in the centre's education efforts. Funding comes from private charitable foundations (63%) such as the

Aurea Foundation Peter Munk (November 8, 1927 – March 28, 2018) was a Hungarian-Canadian businessman, investor, and philanthropist. He was the founder and chief executive officer of a number of high-profile business ventures, including the hi-fi electronics co ...

and the

Heartland Institute The Heartland Institute is an American conservative and libertarian public policy think tank known for its rejection of both the scientific consensus on climate change and the negative health impacts of smoking. Founded in 1984, it worked wit ...

, businesses (18%), individuals (18%), and by events (1%).

References

External links

* {{Authority control Climate change denial 1997 establishments in Canada Think tanks established in 1997 Non-profit organizations based in Manitoba Organizations based in Winnipeg Libertarian think tanks Political and economic think tanks based in Canada