I love how this article starts with two totally false assumptions - that growth equals prosperity and that Canada needs external trade to get such growth. The falsehood is that Canada's real GDP per capita roughly doubled between 1970 and 2011 and the typical person saw none of it. They mostly live worse now - so much for growth being a benefit. Also consider that exports were 46% of Canada's GDP in 2000, but are down to about 31% now, yet real median incomes have actually increased despite that, as has GDP.  This article should get bookmarked as an excellent example of the old programmers axiom:  garbage in - garbage out.