The month we learned that mental health is everybody’s responsibility
OTTAWA—In March of 2020, the world went into lockdown. We stopped going out to see friends, many stopped going to places of work and lost the hallway conversations with co-workers, and we started to look at neighbours with no small sense of fear. Anxiety started to grow. Some started to feel that “fight or flight” […]
‘Canadians are placing all their hopes and fears in the hands of government’ and successful political leaders should be honest, unscripted, say pollsters
The provincial premiers and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s approval ratings are currently rising over their handling of the COVID-19 pandemic, but pollsters are saying it remains to be seen how long their popularity will last, as their numbers fluctuate depending on their performance during different phases of this unprecedented crisis. “It [high polling numbers] will […]
‘Essential’ Hill workers told to bring ID, permission slip in wake of Quebec border crackdown
Hill workers crossing the bridge between Ottawa and Gatineau, Que., are being told to bring ID and a form proving they have a right to cross the provincial border for work after Quebec’s April 1 order banning all non-essential travel to the province as it broadened efforts to stamp the deadly spread of coronavirus. The […]
House officers in ‘preliminary discussions’ on Parliament’s return, contingency plans, says NDP whip
House officers are having “preliminary discussions” on possible contingency plans in the face of uncertainty over how soon Parliament can resume sitting amid the pandemic, according to the NDP whip. “We’ve started to have discussions about not knowing when the House will be able to sit again, and how we can have the government be […]
Trump administration’s demand for 3M to halt shipment of masks will ‘hurt’ Canada, U.S., Trudeau says
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says that the Trump administration’s request demanding that manufacturing giant 3M stop exports of U.S.-made N95 masks to Canada will “hurt” both economies, but stopped short of saying if his government is considering retaliatory measures. Speaking to reporters on Friday from Rideau Cottage, Mr. Trudeau (Papineau, Que.) said that Canada has […]
Senate leaders ready to take another crack at COVID-19 committee
Two Senate leaders are proposing a temporary new committee to study the government’s response to the COVID-19 crisis, a week after Senators failed to reach a deal to strike two committees for that purpose during a one-day Senate sitting. Senators are expecting to return for another whirlwind sitting soon, and Senate leaders are preparing to […]
Canada’s top doctor ‘voice of reason’ in face of uncertainty over COVID-19 fallout, say politicos, experts
Amid the COVID-19 pandemic that has upended nearly every facet of life, Canada’s chief public health officer’s daily briefings have become a ritualized affair for the homebound, with politicians, a TV critic, and health experts saying that Dr. Theresa Tam has settled into the role of steadily guiding Canadians through this all-consuming crisis. There’s a […]
It’s time to talk about a COVID-19 exit strategy
So we’ve declared war on COVID-19. The calculus for victory is straightforward. Without a vaccine or a broadly acquired immunity, the virus can be fatal. Our defensive tactic is social distancing by isolating ourselves in our homes both to protect ourselves and to keep possible symptom-free COVID-19 carriers from infecting others. For now, we’re quite […]
Dole out funding for COVID-19 ads soon, say experts, as ethnic media outlets face cash crunch
As Ottawa looks to reach communities that do not speak English or French during the COVID-19 pandemic by buying ad space in some ethnic and Indigenous media outlets, one expert fears these news organizations could come “under the gun” in the next few weeks if ads are not rolled out soon. “The viability and sustainability […]
Ottawa should declare northern flights essential as ‘decimated’ service puts Inuit at risk of losing ‘only link’ to key services, says ITK
The COVID-19 crisis “shines a light on” the inequities between northern Inuit communities and the south on infrastructure and access to health care, says Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami president Natan Obed, who is calling on Ottawa to fund and declare an “essential service” the air transportation that alleviates the gaps even as they widen with the […]
