Aboriginal education funding ‘10 years late’: Martin
The federal government has been praised for recently-announced investments in aboriginal education in this year’s federal budget, but the initiative is “10 years late,” says former prime minister Paul Martin, who struck his own agreement with Canada’s aboriginal peoples in 2005 only to have it abandoned after the Conservatives formed government the […]
National youth unemployment figures mask major regional disparities
Canada may boast a below average youth unemployment rate compared to its OECD counterparts, but the national average is hiding significant disparities between regions and social groups. The national unemployment rate for workers aged 15 to 24 was 13.6 per cent last year, but Newfoundland, Prince Edward Island, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, and […]
National Research Council will be ‘transformed’ to respond to private sector demand, says Science Minister Goodyear
It’s been less than a year since the Jenkins panel released its recommendations on federal R&D spending and the government is already well on its way to implementing many of the policies, but Minister of State for Science and Technology Gary Goodyear (Cambridge-North Dumfries, Ont.) says it’s too early to say for certain that […]
It’s time to nurture an emerging Canadian regenerative medicine industry
TORONTO—Canada is a world leader in regenerative medicine research and discovery, but excellent research is not enough. Canada needs to create jobs, by launching new companies, to profit from these discoveries and make sure the knowledge is being translated into products and therapies that will benefit Canadians. In regenerative medicine, as in other areas, […]
Feds investing more in science and technology ‘than ever in the history of our nation,’ says Goodyear
The life sciences sector is praising the federal government’s latest investments in scientific research and commercialization, but the industry says it will take a sustained effort before the emphasis on bringing innovations to market pays off. “This government has given more money to science and technology than ever in the history of our nation,” […]
Canada’s life sciences sector continues to drive innovation
Canada’s life sciences sector plays an important role in the Canadian economy and improves the daily lives of Canadians. The government of Canada has worked to sustain and grow this important sector by creating a strong business environment that attracts investment and by providing support for cutting-edge business innovation. The sector has been undergoing […]
Life sciences and the commodification of everything
SAANICH GULF ISLANDS, B.C.—It was once the case that the term “life sciences” meant the scientific study of living organisms. It meant biology, zoology, ecology, and even bio-ethics. In what must have been a public relations re-branding, “life sciences” has now adopted an almost entirely technological, commercial focus on genetically-modified products and pharmaceuticals. It […]
Feds shift funds away from basic science research to business-driven applied research programs
BURNABY-DOUGLAS, B.C.—Increasing productivity remains a tough challenge for all sectors of the Canadian economy, with one of the main concerns identified in the well-cited 2011 Jenkins report being “ Canada’s business innovation problem.” In Innovation Canada: A Call to Action, the Jenkins panel explains how Canadian businesses are much slower than our U.S. counterparts […]
Canada’s life sciences industry split on Canada-EU free trade agreement
Canada’s pharmaceutical and biotechnological research sectors say proposed changes to the country’s intellectual property regime will foster innovation and attract investment, but the generic drug and regenerative medicine sectors warn that the changes could have unintended consequences for the cost and quality of medicine in Canada. “We need to be as good as, if […]
Erasmus says AFN needs new approach with federal government
AFN National Chief Shawn Atleo, who was elected in 2009 and running for re-election next month, is being challenged by a number of candidates including an AFN regional chief who says the AFN needs a different approach to dealing with the federal government. “I have worked with a number of national chiefs and I found […]
