As COVID-19 runs ‘around unchecked,’ Trudeau urges renewed adherence to public health measures
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says while public health officials “understand this virus much better than before,” Canadians can’t afford to let their guard down while the country is in the grip of a second wave that could be grimmer than the first onset of the pandemic last spring. Speaking to reporters at Rideau Cottage on […]
Parliament should hit brakes on quick passage of new assisted-dying law
To meet the twice-renewed deadline imposed by the Quebec Superior Court in the Truchon case, the federal government is pushing its new medical-assistance-in-dying bill through Parliament before year’s end. They should go back to the drawing board and start again. Truchon ruled sections of the federal law on MAID that required death to be “reasonably […]
In face of scientific uncertainty, public health officials should adhere to the precautionary principle
On Nov. 3, the Public Health Agency of Canada updated its guidance on the routes of transmission of COVID-19 to recognize potential aerosol spread of the virus. While it elicited little fanfare, this critical move came in response to months of pressure from labour unions and health care advocates, who had urged PHAC to recognize […]
Worrying statistics on men’s mental health signal it’s time for an inquiry
November is the one month of the year when issues surrounding the mental health of men and boys emerge from the shadows of society. This is partly due to the awareness-raising campaigns of the Movember Foundation, as well as wider activities surrounding International Men’s Day. Such activity is important, given the research indicating a significant […]
Access to mental health services for Armed Forces in House Defence Committee’s sights amid rising suicide numbers
The House Defence Committee will soon begin studying access to mental health services for members of the Canadian Armed Forces with the aim of addressing suicide, after 2019 saw the highest number in five years. As part of the study, the committee will also specifically consider the merits of removing a provision of the National […]
Resist the MAGA-lite theatrics and make premiers accountable again
CALGARY—Canadian conservatism is showing itself to be a whiny bastion of imperious, incompetent, and now flailing mostly white men—and their co-conspirator women—who blame everyone else for their problems and shortcomings. It’s beginning to look like a lighter version of our MAGA-obsessed southern neighbours. What the pandemic has shown is that the so-called “Resistance”—as defined by […]
The civilizing effect (touch wood) of lockdown on social media
For all the incalculable personal tragedy and economic disruption the COVID-19 pandemic has produced, there have been, if not entirely countervailing positives, at least unintended consequences of the rare, uplifting variety. One of them is that social media seems to have become less toxic in lockdown. I have nothing beyond anecdotal evidence for this assertion, […]
‘Inevitable’ return to testy federal-provincial relations will showcase discord with differing priorities, say politicos and experts
As the collaborative approach between federal and provincial political leaders is collapsing, politicos and experts say it is an “inevitable” return to normal as policy priorities diverge. Gone are the days of cordial co-operation between Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and the premiers, as the prime minister urges the provinces to contain the spiralling second wave […]
Canada and credit bureaus can do more to help struggling Canadians
As Canadians struggle to deal with the pandemic and its negative impact on their finances, the challenge of making payments becomes more difficult as the pandemic continues and impacts struggling households. As of the end of September, the Canadian Bankers Association reported almost 760,000 Canadian homeowners have taken a mortgage deferral, with one million existing […]
Pandemic response showcasing resiliency, reliability of Canadian Forces
As Canada took pause on Nov. 11 to remember the brave Canadians who served and sacrificed so that we can live in freedom and democracy, we did so in a very different way than ever before, mainly through our television and computer screens. In private reflection, we mourned the loss of Corporal James Choi who died in a training incident at Wainwright, […]
