Politicians ‘should have known better’ than to travel, says ‘disappointed’ Trudeau
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau chastised politicians—including two in his caucus—who “should have known better” than to travel over the holidays and undermine public health messaging. “As leaders, we’ve been encouraging and exhorting Canadians to continue to do the right thing, so it is unfortunate to see a number of politicians not taking their own advice,” […]
With its track record on health innovation, Canada should double down on support for science
Canada excels at discoveries that save lives. The most recent examples have links to the COVID-19 mRNA and adenovirus-based vaccines. For the two mRNA-based vaccines from BioNTech/Pfizer and Moderna, each depends on the innovation of UBC’s Pieter Cullis. The company he co-founded, Acuitas, devised the oily coat used to protect the mRNA as it is […]
Jet-setting politicians shouldn’t be surprised when the public asks for heads to roll
OTTAWA—“Do as I say, not as I do” seems like an apt proverb for the times as more stories emerge about politicians who, during the holiday period or prior, thought they’d take some personal foreign travel when the rest of us were told by them not to. While it is true, based on available public […]
From annus horribilis to annus mirabilis?
While 2020 will deservedly be remembered as the annus horribilis—producing one of history’s most devastating pandemics causing millions of deaths and pushing tens of millions into extreme poverty (including in Canada and the U.S.)—2021 will also prove to be historically pivotal. It is the year during which governments, globally, will reassess how and with what […]
A year like none other in living memory
The year 2020 did not start off well and then quickly went downhill into an unforgettable quagmire from which we have yet to recover. There was the deliberate shooting down by Iran of a plane carrying many Canadians immediately after takeoff and all lives were lost. This was followed by blockades on Canada’s main rail […]
A COVID story worth remembering
KAMOURASKA, QUE.—This second wave of COVID-19 is infernal. This area of Quebec had been virtually impervious to the virus from the beginning. But now, like everywhere else, we are in lockdown from Christmas to the New Year. As COVID takes its toll, the spectre of death visits us in large numbers. We can see it […]
Protecting Canada’s vaccine supply chain against ransomware
The COVID-19 vaccine holds the promise of a post-pandemic world. Many are looking forward to the end of isolation and re-engaging in good old face-to-face social contact. However, there are many steps that need to be taken first. Canada is expecting to receive millions of doses by 2021, but the path to get here is […]
Priority vaccination can lighten the load on the shoulders of health-care workers
Canadians can see the light. A vaccine is on its way to Canada and the end of the COVID-19 pandemic is in sight. Now the Canadian government is tasked with providing an official recommendation on vaccine prioritization. We want health-care workers around the world to be first in line, and we want Canada to commit […]
There is no vaccine for grief
The holiday season is often a difficult time for those grieving the death of someone they care about. That aching absence will be felt more deeply this year for more than two million bereaved Canadians grieving deaths from all causes, both COVID-19 and non-COVID-19. In a pandemic, bereaved Canadians struggle with the impacts of loss and grief, separated from […]
New federal program for hard-hit sectors will help investors and banks—not workers
The federal government may well leave Canada’s most vulnerable workers behind in its effort to bail out hard-hit sectors like hospitality. Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland recently announced the Highly Affected Sectors Credit Availability Program (HASCAP), designed to give low-interest loans of up to $1-million, fully backed by the federal government, to hard-hit companies. Government support […]
