StatsCan to share monthly death data, says official
Statistics Canada plans to share figures monthly on the number of deaths across the country, a move that speeds up the routine process and which could provide more insight into the pandemic, a House committee heard Tuesday. Jeff Latimer, director general and strategic adviser for health data with Statistics Canada, told the House Health Committee […]
Government spending tops $392-billion, and counting, for 2020-21
The federal government has topped $392-billion in approved spending for the current fiscal year, with two appropriation periods still remaining that will raise that total higher. Parliamentarians approved $6-billion in new spending by the government for this year when they passed the appropriations Bill C-19 last month. The bill aligned with parts of the supplementary […]
Effective handling of COVID-19 pushes Liberals into majority territory; Conservatives must ready an alternative vision, say pollsters
Justin Trudeau’s Liberals are in majority territory in public opinion polls chiefly because of their effective management of COVID-19, but opposition parties that have been relegated to the sidelines during the pandemic should get ready to make themselves relevant in the coming months by offering a clear alternative vision for Canada’s future and how to […]
Lack of privacy oversight could hurt buy-in for COVID contact-tracing app, say critics
As a new national app to help trace the contacts of those who have tested positive for COVID-19 prepares for a test rollout in Ontario, opposition MPs say it hasn’t been sufficiently scrutinized by the federal and provincial privacy commissioners and that Canada’s privacy laws don’t provide enough protection for users, which could lead to […]
The chief medical officers have taught us many things—including how to communicate
Canada’s chief medical officers (CMOs) have been celebrated in the media and online. They have dominated the spotlight and elbowed out politicians, celebrities, and professional athletes. Among the many important lessons that we can learn from them is the importance of authenticity. They have built trust and support in the good, old fashioned way—they’ve earned […]
The lessons of COVID-19 and international co-operation in the Arctic
The COVID-19 pandemic has become a game changer in many aspects. Firstly, this epidemiology drama has tested our practical resilience to tangible global threats. The leaders and national health systems of various states were prepared (or unprepared) differently for dealing with new realities; and the figures of those infected, tested, recovered, and deceased speak for […]
‘I felt silenced’: voices missing from Upper Chamber’s systemic racism debate, say some Senators, highlighting need for hybrid model
Witnessing the Red Chamber debate on systemic racism from afar was tough on Senators who have lived the experiences but couldn’t be in Ottawa, and while some accepted the pandemic made that unavoidable, others say it demonstrates why virtual sittings are so important. It was hard for Progressive Senator Lillian Dyck to watch a colleague […]
On the bubble: Atlantic Canada’s plan getting mixed reviews
OTTAWA—The premiers of Canada’s four Atlantic provinces are opening the region up for interprovincial travel among themselves this Friday, July 3. It could be the first step to opening Atlantic Canada to the rest of the country. But in the East, there is concern. Premiers Dwight Ball, Stephen MacNeil, Blaine Higgs, and Dennis King are […]
Mounting deaths stemming from police wellness checks a ‘wake-up call,’ says Senator
It’s time to “reset” how police and health professionals respond to people in crisis, says a Senator and former leading psychiatrist, in the wake of several police wellness checks that ended in the deaths of the people being checked on. Still, Independent Senator Stan Kutcher doesn’t echo the “well-intended” call that officers be removed from […]
Canada’s future workforce must be truly diverse and highly skilled at problem-solving
Last month, thousands of Canadian students graduated and will have to face quickly changing workforce realities. For policy makers, parents, and teachers, the “new normal” workplace and evolving labour demands should make them question if our current system is geared towards teaching young people the most relevant skills, in the most effective ways. As we contemplate the future of skills development, […]
