Enough talk, time to act on climate change
Julie Gelfand, Canada’s commissioner of environment and sustainable development, who tabled five audit reports last week, gave a “failing grade” to 14 government departments, including Environment Canada and Finance Canada, for their work to assess and to prepare for the risks of climate change. Only five of the 19 departments she looked at had identified […]
May slams feds’ environment assessment plan for ignoring expert panel
The government’s outline for changes to environmental assessment laws falls short of Liberal election promises, and doesn’t follow much of the advice from an expert panel the Liberal government assembled, says Green Party Leader Elizabeth May. The government released a “discussion paper” in June that gave a sneak-peek at the outline of a new environmental […]
Scheer should apologize for his apology
OAKVILLE, ONT.—Given the emotional and combative nature of politics, partisan jibes will always fly thick and fast, which means it’s important for politicians to learn the art of how to strategically parry insults. So how should a politician respond to an affront? Back in ancient Roman times the answer was you responded with savagery. For […]
Healthy communities need an urban forest strategy
Many Canadians may not know that September 27th marks National Tree Day, a day dedicated to celebrating the importance of trees and green spaces in Canada. As a country whose emblems are a leaf and a beaver, and whose historic industries have always been centred on natural resources, Canada’s forests are an integral part of our […]
Leap Manifesto ‘politically toxic’ topic for leadership contenders
When the New Democrats last considered the direction of their party, they were gripped by the debate over the Leap Manifesto, but reference to the divisive document has been completely absent from any of the four contenders’ platforms—and that’s by design according to party insiders. It would be “political suicide” for any of the leadership […]
Union worried feds could turn back on IT workers post-Phoenix
The head of one of the largest public service unions is warning the government not to contract to an outside company the ongoing maintenance of the problem-plagued Phoenix pay system once it’s working properly. “I have yet to get a commitment, although I will be seeking it firmly, that they will not contract out the […]
Canada needs national electricity infrastructure renewal plan
Climate change is rewriting our plans on how to protect our communities and livelihoods from Mother Nature’s vagaries. Historically infrequent, high impact scenarios are happening more often, with greater severity and disruptive impact. Hurricane Irma was the strongest Atlantic basin hurricane ever recorded outside the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea. The storm spent […]
Bombardier lobbied cabinet, ambassador in August, while Mining Association campaigned on environmental assessment review
The Mining Association of Canada topped federal lobbying statistics for a second month in a row in August, thanks to a campaign tied to the government’s reviews of the environmental assessment process and the Fisheries Act, while Bombardier used the month to contact Canada’s ambassador to the United States and other top officials in government […]
Heavy fuel oil must be banned from the Canadian Arctic
Over the last decades, Canada has taken successive actions to monitor and minimize the impact of human activities on our environment. For the Canadian Arctic, one of the key actions was the passing of the Arctic Waters Pollution Prevention Act (AWPPA) in 1985. Another has been making it compulsory for ships weighing 300 tonnes or […]
Canada should tackle a tougher climate target
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has reconnected Canada to its most enduring foreign policy tradition: internationalism, which above all demands pursuing multilateral solutions to international problems. But what does this mean for Canadian climate policy and climate diplomacy going forward? In short, it allows Trudeau the licence to take on a more ambitious greenhouse gas emissions […]
