The short game and the long game of COVID-19
The COVID-19 pandemic has captured the attention of Canadians with an urgency and a level of grudging acceptance unlike any other medical or natural disaster in our lifetime. We have complied with imposed restrictions and privations that would have been thought impossible and unacceptable under normal circumstances mere days before they were imposed. Containment of […]
Women peacebuilders key to just recovery towards a post-pandemic world
These days in Canada we often hear the phrase “We’re stronger together.” But stronger how? And who, precisely, are “we?” COVID-19 has exposed the vulnerability of certain communities and, in my work in Canada and globally with Indigenous peoples, migrant workers, and women peacebuilders, I have learned that we are only as strong as the […]
‘Tedium and tiredness’ setting in on Trudeau’s daily press conferences, PM should consider cutting them down, say political players
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s almost daily press conferences were very valuable and useful in the early weeks of COVID-19, but he should now consider holding them only when he has something important to announce, or run the risk of overexposure. “There is the issue of overexposure, I don’t think that’s been an issue so far,” […]
Wind and solar groups unite in new national renewable energy association ‘during this period of historical global transformation’
As the coronavirus restrictions continue to ease across the country, a new national renewable energy association is getting ready to push to ensure “renewable energy and energy storage play a central role in transforming Canada’s energy mix during this period of historical global transformation,” reads a press release from the Canadian Renewable Energy Association. On […]
We may be in uncharted waters, but we aren’t lost at sea
As Canada navigates the COVID-19 pandemic from immediate response, to short-term relief, and, finally, long-term recovery, its leaders will face increasing scrutiny as to how much money is going where, and to what extent it will help us build back better. If this all feels vaguely familiar, it’s because we’ve seen it before. When the […]
‘The words leadership and Trump are an oxymoron’: U.S. and Canadian politicos trash Trump’s response to massive Black Lives Matter protests
Donald Trump has failed to show leadership while handling COVID-19 and the nationwide protests following the death of George Floyd, say political insiders, adding that by using inflammatory language to stoke racial tensions, the U.S. president is further undermining his own chances of getting re-elected on Nov. 3. “The words leadership and Trump are an […]
Amid three million unemployed, digital minister extols benefits of departmental cooperation, rapid rollout of online benefit-finder tool
For Canadians with eyes cast on the federal government for financial assistance in navigating the COVID-19 pandemic, multiple departments came together in recent weeks in an unprecedented, rapid display of cooperation to launch an online benefit-finder tool designed to quickly connect those in need to existing aid. According to Statistics Canada’s May 8 Labour Force […]
‘Piecemeal reforms have not saved the lives of Black people’: anti-racism, police brutality protests raise visibility, urgency of long-overdue reforms, say activists, some Parliamentarians
The scenes of solidarity expressed on the streets, where tens of thousands of people across the U.S., Canada, and Europe, have been marching for several days with their fellow Black compatriots, point to a growing recognition that it’s time to go beyond long-overdue “piecemeal reforms,” says an activist and some Parliamentarians. Robyn Maynard, author of […]
A more strategic approach to IP key to long-term recovery
TORONTO—In the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic and the shortage of personal protective equipment, ventilators, and related medical supplies, it has become commonplace to hear calls to reshore the manufacturing of these and far more items. As the global surge in demand for such products creates opportunities for new domestic suppliers, we should welcome this […]
Post-secondary institutions need further funding boost from feds
The federal government recently announced two important moves to help Canada’s post-secondary institutions through the COVID-19 pandemic. Ottawa unveiled $450-million in funding to Canada’s academic research community and made a major change to the study-and-work visas, which will allow international students to enrol in online courses while abroad in the fall and still be eligible […]
