GATINEAU, September 28, 2026 — Yves Ducharme, former mayor of Hull, first mayor of the amalgamated City of Gatineau and past president of the Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM), has shared his thinking with the Government of Canada on a tax credit that would encourage Canadians to travel in their own country. He explains the reasoning, and the conditions for it to work, in the first interview episode of Corridor Intelligence, Joseph Soares's analysis program, released today in French.
The idea is not new: Mr. Ducharme had it adopted unanimously by the FCM's general assembly during his presidency. It returns in a different context. "It's a good old new idea that carries even more weight now, given the tariff war with our neighbours to the south," he says.
The proposal requires that the entire stay take place in a province other than one's own or the one next door, over a five-year program. For Mr. Ducharme, the measure rests on two conditions: an amount large enough to change a destination, and absolute simplicity. "If it's too complicated to get your refund, people will give up. It has to be simple."
The interview asks the question Ottawa rarely asks before acting: how would anyone know the measure worked, rather than simply rewarding trips that would have happened anyway? Mr. Soares points to Ontario's 2022 precedent, a similar credit that was never evaluated.
"A good idea that actually gets through is rare. What interests me is what kills it along the way, and what decision-makers can do so that it doesn't," says Joseph Soares.
The episode also covers how Paul Martin freed municipalities from the GST in a single federal decision, and why cities have disappeared from Canadian political discourse. "It's as if we don't exist," the former mayor says.
Full interview, in French (18 minutes). Short clips are available to media on request.
About Corridor Intelligence
Joseph Soares served in Canada's Prime Minister's Office during the 2008 financial crisis and was Chief of Staff in the Senate of Canada during the pandemic. He now runs a management advisory firm that helps businesses and governments work through high-stakes challenges. Corridor Intelligence is his analysis program on power, institutions and decision-making, published in English and French. josephsoares.com