Reigniting the Canadian economy: the crucial role of technology in a time of monumental change
Looking back, COVID-19 has made the world of just a few months ago seem like a distant memory. Looking forward, it is very easy to be overwhelmed by what seems like a never-ending sea of uncertainty. The impact of disruptions to the Canadian economy will likely be felt for years to come as our governments […]
We are being cheap with our children
The COVID-19 pandemic has exposed deep flaws in our social policy. The most vulnerable amongst us have borne the brunt of the health, economic, and social crisis. This includes Canadian children who have seen their situation worsen, in the face of an existing crisis of their well-being before the pandemic. As we move towards relaunching […]
As hunger rises amidst pandemic, Canada can and should make an impact
“When we were home, we used to eat good things, now there is nowhere to farm—it is too dry,” said Martin, a refugee from South Sudan, living in Uganda’s Rhino Camp Settlement. By 2017, there were more than one million South Sudanese refugees in Uganda, forcibly displaced by violent conflict. Conflict, climate disasters, and economic […]
Economic inequality, COVID-19, and the butterfly effect
Back in 2013, when Beyoncé was Drunk in Love, Justin Bieber was breaking up with his pet monkey, and Donald Trump was still tweeting about Barack Obama’s birthplace, a literary phenomenon was born. The book Capital in the Twenty-First Century by French economist Thomas Piketty was published in the original French in August of that year. By May 2014, […]
Better history lessons could stave off false pandemic claims
OTTAWA—During last week’s vice-presidential debate in Salt Lake City, Utah, U.S. VP Mike Pence made a rather outlandish reference to the swine flu epidemic of 2009. In defence of President Donald Trump’s current handling of the COVID-19 crisis, Pence claimed that the Democrats had done a worse job of handling the swine flu. “When Joe […]
House first-quarter spending drops $7.4-million overall, largely thanks to COVID-19
Members of the House of Commons’ Board of Internal Economy recently got a preview of how the COVID-19 pandemic has affected Parliament’s books, and while offset by some new costs, like $1.4-million to run a virtual Chamber, the House spent almost $7.4-million less in the first quarter compared to last year. The House of Commons […]
Don’t expect the post-COVID economic recovery tide to raise all the boats
CALGARY—What were you thankful for this Thanksgiving? If you were lucky enough to spend it with your family, complete with the illustrious feast featuring a cornucopia of traditional food items, count your blessings. There are many people who weren’t able to do so and the structural discrepancies between the haves and have-nots are growing during […]
Tam says ‘extremely difficult balance’ lays ahead in second wave of COVID-19
The country’s top doctor called on leaders Tuesday to consider “fine-tuning” any reopening plans to avoid the possibility of more cases and a “yo-yoing” effect in the pandemic’s second wave. Speaking to reporters, federal chief public health officer Dr. Theresa Tam noted jurisdictions like Quebec and Ontario are facing an “extremely difficult” balance, as parts […]
Pandemic risks undoing progress at achieving gender parity
Sunita is 16. She has been married for four years. At the age of 12, she became a child bride—forced into marriage and out of education by her parents in the Indian state of Bihar. “It felt terrible because I was still very young and was attending school with my friends,” says Sunita. “All my […]
Now more than ever, the world needs data stewards
Canadians are surrounded by data that impact their opinions and actions. A recent innovative study from Statistics Canada estimated the value of the stock of data, databases and data science in Canada at $217-billion in 2018. From consuming suggested content on social platforms to apps that help us manage our interactions during a pandemic, data […]
