Who We Are

The Receipts is produced and edited by Charles, an independent researcher based in Toronto. There is no editorial board, no institutional affiliation, no funding source, and no financial backer. Editorial decisions — what to cover, how to frame it, when to publish, and when to correct — are made by one person applying the standards described on this page.

This is not a newsroom. It is a primary-source analysis site built by a Canadian who got frustrated with the gap between what governments say and what the documents show, and decided to close it in plain language.

What We Do

We translate primary sources — laws, filings, audits, earnings reports, regulatory disclosures, transcripts, and official data — into plain language. We separate facts from interpretations, maintain a public corrections ledger, and apply the same analytical standards across every subject we cover: politics, markets, institutions, and power.

Our approach is numbers-first and skeptical by default. We ask what the data actually shows, what the historical parallels are, and what evidence would change our view.

What We Cover and Why

We cover what's affecting Canadians right now — the issues showing up in polls, in household budgets, and in the gap between what governments promise and what the data shows. We apply the same framework regardless of which party or level of government is involved.

Our coverage spans federal governance, provincial accountability, housing, immigration, affordability, climate policy, national security, and financial markets. Our provincial coverage includes Alberta, Ontario, British Columbia, and Quebec — different parties, different ideologies, same analytical standards.

Our Standards

Primary-source first. Every factual claim is sourced to a specific document: legislation, committee testimony, audit findings, SEC or regulatory filings, earnings reports, government records, peer-reviewed research, or official data releases. If we can't source it, we don't publish it.

Facts and interpretations are separated. Every piece uses labeled sections: Facts (cited), Context (what we might be missing), Interpretations (explicitly labeled as our analysis), and Falsifiers (what evidence would change our view). You always know which is which.

We don't claim intent. We describe mechanisms, incentives, and outcomes. We do not claim to know why someone made a decision. We do not use words like "corrupt," "illegal," or "fraud" unless an authoritative body has made that specific determination.

No positions held — in any direction. We hold no financial positions in any asset, company, or instrument we cover. We have no affiliation with any political party, think tank, lobby group, or financial institution. We do not call for votes, donations, political action, or specific investment decisions. Our only interest is in what the evidence shows.

The strongest counterargument is always included. Every interpretation includes the best honest case for the opposing view. If we can't articulate the counterargument fairly, we don't publish the interpretation.

Same standards, every subject. The analytical framework we apply to a government audit is the same one we apply to a market thesis. We apply the same scrutiny to institutions and actors we find credible as to those we find questionable. We publish pieces that challenge our own readership's assumptions, across every topic.

Source Types

For politics and governance: legislation, committee testimony, parliamentary records, audit findings, Auditor General reports, parliamentary budget officer analyses, freedom of information releases, and official government filings.

For markets and finance: SEC and SEDAR filings, earnings transcripts, Federal Reserve and Bank of Canada data, regulatory disclosures, academic research, official statistical releases, and primary data from government agencies.

Corrections Policy

We maintain a public Corrections Ledger. When we get something wrong:

  • We correct it quickly and visibly.
  • We record what changed, when, and why.
  • We never delete without a replacement note.
  • We link to both the original and corrected versions.

We treat corrections as a credibility feature, not an embarrassment. Every article displays its corrections status. The full ledger is published at /corrections/ and linked from the footer of every page.

If you believe something on this site is inaccurate, contact us at tips@thereceipts.ca with the specific claim and your evidence.

Editorial Accountability

Because this is a one-person operation, editorial accountability works differently than at a newsroom. There is no internal review process or editorial board. The accountability mechanisms are external and structural:

  • Every factual claim is sourced to a specific document the reader can check.
  • Every interpretation is labeled and separated from the facts.
  • Every piece includes falsifiers — the conditions under which the analysis would need to change.
  • Every piece includes the strongest counter-interpretation.
  • The corrections ledger is public and permanent.
  • The editorial standards on this page apply to every piece without exception.

The reader is the editor. The standards exist so that any reader can verify any claim, assess any interpretation, and hold this site accountable to its own rules.

What We Are Not

  • Not a news outlet. We analyze and contextualize; we don't break news.
  • Not investment advice. Nothing on this site should be construed as a recommendation to buy or sell any security.
  • Not opposition research or activist journalism.
  • Not a petition or activism platform. We do not call for votes, donations, or political action.
  • Not affiliated with any political party, think tank, financial institution, or interest group.
  • Not monetized through advertising. No ads, no sponsors, no paid placements. Reader support is optional and never expected.

Contact

For tips, corrections, or primary source documents: tips@thereceipts.ca

We take source protection seriously and use infrastructure designed to minimize the information we hold about you. We encourage you to take your own precautions — consider using an encrypted email provider and stripping metadata from files before sending.