Lobby groups push feds to pivot to recovery phase, say more cash needed for key sectors
Associations are pivoting to recovery in their federal advocacy asks, with those among the most actively lobbying government in May pushing for flexibility on some of the government’s emergency measures and calling for more funding to protect at-risk industries. The busiest groups lobbying last month include members in the post-secondary education, oil, and forestry sector […]
Union heads worry too much left up to ‘discretion’ in public service back-to-workplace plan
Following weeks of consultation and the release of departmental guidelines on the easing of workplace restrictions for tens of thousands of public service workers, heads of federal departments and agencies are now planning for eventual increased access to federal worksites. But the president of Canada’s second-largest public service union says her organization was pushing for […]
Lives depend on new leadership skills for the 21st century
The double whammy of COVID-19—with its unprecedented fatalities and collapsing economy—plus race-related violence and property destruction the likes of which the United States hasn’t seen since the 1960s, says a lot about American leadership today. Rather than bringing people together and seeking to heal a wounded nation, President Donald Trump, in order to satiate his […]
Black businesses say they’re left out of procurement opportunities, COVID relief despite obvious gaps
Black-owned businesses say they have been devastated by COVID-19 and the government needs to “step in,” both through funding directly to the community and by revamping a federal procurement system that they say is leaving them out. It’s heartbreaking to see so many businesses closing and at risk, said Andria Barrett, president of the Canadian […]
‘It’s an ill wind that doesn’t blow some good’: tourism in the time of COVID
KAMOURASKA, QUE.—The temperature was an unusually hot 30 degrees. The tide was in and the water temperature of the normally frigid Saint Lawrence River was 24 C. As I slipped into the waves, I looked to the west and could see large clouds of smoke blowing over the neighbouring villages. It didn’t look good. Indeed, […]
Champagne says he repaid mortgages owed to state-run Bank of China, after facing scrutiny from opposition
Foreign Affairs Minister François-Philippe Champagne says he has fully repaid the mortgages he had with the state-run Bank of China after facing criticism from opposition parties about a potential conflict of interest. In his opening remarks before the House Health Committee on Tuesday, Mr. Champagne (Saint Maurice-Champlain, Que.) said he made the decision to refinance […]
Many Canadians with disabilities shut out of feds’ pandemic relief measures
The federal government recently announced a one-time, federal tax-free payment for recipients of the Disability Tax Credit, which intends to reduce financial barriers for persons with disabilities during the pandemic. This proposed bill failed to secure unanimous consent in the House of Commons for debate. In part, persons with disabilities are getting caught in the […]
Economic reconciliation can only begin when colonial practices are completely dismantled
NANAIMO-LADYSMITH, B.C.—Canada was built on the doctrine of terra nullius, the fallacy that when European settlers came to this land, it was empty and waiting to be “discovered.” From the outset European colonialism has excluded Indigenous people from decisions that affect their territory, their way of life, and their well-being. Since colonization, First Nations and […]
Hard-hit Indigenous businesses looking to recoup past gains post-pandemic
Indigenous businesses made up a fast-growing part of the economy before the COVID-19 pandemic, but were often hit harder than most by the resulting shutdowns. Now, Indigenous business leader Tabatha Bull says those businesses can play a big role in getting the country back on track—with a little bit of help. “We’ve seen some real […]
Investing in Indigenous conservation to create a more resilient economy
LUTSEL K’E, N.W.T.—Across Canada, people have done their part to reduce the threat of COVID-19 over the past few months. They have stayed home, observed social distances and supported medical workers. In Indigenous communities, many families have gone out on the land to further shield one another from illness. This shared approach to reducing the […]
