Renewables are driving a clean and just recovery towards a low-carbon economy
There is a clear and urgent need to hasten the transition to a low-carbon economy. Indeed, the transition we sorely needed over the past few decades has been so delayed and unenthusiastic that we now require a transformation in order to meet our Paris Agreement commitments, including limiting dangerous warming to 1.5 C. Nonetheless, the […]
While building back better we need #naturenow
Pre-pandemic, the climate crisis was already critical. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change had released its landmark report, the United Nations had declared 2020 a “Nature Super Year,” and a record number of communities across Canada declared climate states of emergencies. COVID-19 may have slowed our pace of life and created a temporary dip in […]
Integrated Youth Services: a pan-Canadian movement critical to addressing youth mental health
The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted the mental health of many Canadians and all signs point to a coming surge in the number of people needing support. But even prior to COVID-19, society had many concerns about mental health care, especially for youth. This is a critical age group, when early intervention can make a profound […]
On COVID, Conservatives are getting outflanked by Liberals
OTTAWA—On Dec. 8, history was made as Margaret Keenan, a 90-year-old grandmother from Northern Ireland became the first person in the world, outside of a clinical trial, to receive the Pfizer/BioNtech coronavirus vaccine. After nearly nine long months of living with COVID-19, this is reason for all of us to feel a little positive that […]
Canadian Armed Forces are the best in the world, but shouldn’t be at forefront of the vaccine team
OTTAWA—Last week, it was announced that the Canadian military has received formal orders to participate in planning the nationwide distribution of the COVID-19 vaccinations. In an interview with the Canadian Press, Chief of Defence Staff General Jonathan Vance admitted that long before the order was delivered, the Canadian Armed Forces had been preparing for such […]
Trudeau says Canada expects to receive up to 249,000 doses of Pfizer vaccine by end of 2020
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says Canada is poised to receive up to 249,000 doses of Pfizer’s vaccine candidate by the end of December, a few weeks ahead of its projected schedule, pending regulatory approval. In a briefing with reporters on Monday on the Hill, Mr. Trudeau (Papineau, Que.) said the government’s contract was “flexible enough” […]
Trudeau needs strong messaging, ‘coherent plan’ for rollout of vaccine, or he could suffer political consequences, say veteran political players
As the second wave of COVID-19 continues to grow, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s government needs to put out strong messaging, backed up by a “coherent plan” to articulate the rollout phase for a vaccine, say veteran political players. Senior cabinet ministers giving different dates for the first availability of the vaccine is creating “confusion” and […]
Feds say increased immigration targets key for economic recovery, but critics wary of ambitious plan’s feasibility
The government plans to welcome more than 400,000 newcomers to the country next year, but Conservative MP Raquel Dancho is warning that backlogs in Canada’s immigration system could be a problem. Ambitious immigration targets are part of the Liberal government’s economic recovery plan. The arrival of new permanent residents has plummeted this year as the […]
Climate and shifting markets define energy challenges for Canada
The state of energy policy in Canada, as it relates to fossil fuels, is defined by two major issues: the stalling out, with the possible exception of Quebec, of meaningful progress on climate change; and distress in the Alberta oil and gas sector, a product of weak demand and low commodity prices—trends that pre-dated the COVID-19 pandemic. The […]
‘There is no playbook in dealing with the pandemic’: how StatsCan has mobilized around urgent COVID-19 data collection
With the majority of people at Statistics Canada still working from home amid the COVID-19 pandemic, the agency has been working to become more agile in its collection of disaggregated data and the disproportionate effects of the crisis on vulnerable communities, according to Tina Chui, acting director of diversity and social statistics. “There is no […]
