Revise and Resubmit at Journal of Urban Economics
Ice Roads
with Victor Aguirregabiria and Stephan Heblich
Abstract: This paper examines the impact of global warming on the presence of ice roads in Northern Canada, which are crucial for transporting essential goods to remote Northern communities, particularly First Nations. In recent decades, the operational duration of ice roads has diminished, resulting in a higher reliance on costly supply flights. To assess the consequences on food security, we exploit data from Nutrition North Canada, which offers subsidies for shipping costs by air, ice road, or sea to eligible communities. As expected, the reduced availability of ice roads has led to higher prices and lower consumption. Our study employs these insights to simulate potential future scenarios driven by ongoing climate change and evaluates the costs and benefits of policy measures aimed at mitigating the impact of dwindling winter roads.
My team and I helped the Competition Bureau with conceptualization, data analysis, interpretation of results and writing.