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, […]
‘Just not the same’: Parliamentarians plan Canada Day festivities around the COVID-19 pandemic
With major Canada Day celebrations across the country either halted entirely or mimicking Parliament in their move to a more virtual venue, some Hillites and MPs are still eager to get into the celebratory spirit as much as they can, while still paying respect to the past and those hit hardest by the COVID-19 pandemic. […]
Health innovation: investing now to face the crises of tomorrow
MONTREAL—Health innovation will play a key part in the battle against the devastating effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. As we have been doing since the beginning of the crisis, the leaders of the innovation ecosystem that includes our rich infrastructure of universities, SMEs, pharmaceutical and biopharmaceutical companies are joining efforts to protect and support the […]
Human Rights Watch’s call to return Canadians detained in Syria is ‘complicated’ by suspected links to terrorism, says Trudeau
Calls from a human rights group to repatriate dozens of Canadians held at detention facilities in Syria because of their suspected links to the Islamic State are “complicated,” says Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. Speaking to reporters from the Rideau Cottage in Ottawa on June 29, Mr. Trudeau (Papineau, Que.) defended his government amid a critical […]
Federal, provincial watchdogs still waiting for full privacy assessment on national contact-tracing app
The federal privacy commissioner says Health Canada only submitted documentation on the new voluntary national contact-tracing app to its office last Friday, June 19—a day after Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Ontario Premier Doug Ford announced the new app is set to roll out in Ontario on July 2. The Office of the Privacy Commissioner […]
Canada is falling behind when it could be an agri-superpower
We all know that global population growth and climate change are challenging the world’s leaders to find ways of protecting the food security of future generations. It’s a daunting task. At the same time, Canada faces a huge opportunity since our farms and food system will become even more important globally over time. The question […]
