In 1966 the Canadian government announced the abrupt termination of a longstanding conditional grant relationship with the provinces in the domain of technical and vocational education. It sought to substitute a radically new arrangement whereby it would purchase occupational training for adults as an integral part of an over-all manpower policy. This book examines what ensued with particular reference to the province of Ontario and offers unique insights into the conduct of federal-provincial relations from the level of first ministers through that of operating officials down to the grass roots of individual Canadian communities. It also assesses the opportunities and limitations attendant upon a major departure in manpower policy. By focusing on the role of public servants with quite distinct professional orientations – economists and educationists – the book yields new insights into the contribution of appointed specialists to policy development.

J. Stefan Dupré (1936-2012) was a professor emeritus of political science and a past chairman of the Department of Political Economy at the University of Toronto.

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David M. Cameron is a professor emeritus of political science at Dalhousie University, Halifax, and was a consultant in policy development in the Ministry of State for Urban Affairs, Ottawa.

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Graeme H. McKechnie was a professor and past chairman of the Department of Economics at York University.

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Theodore B. Rotenberg is a lawyer at Burstein & Greenglass LLP.

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