When inequality in Canada goes up, child well-being goes down
National Child Day has been celebrated across Canada every Nov. 20 since 1993 to commemorate the United Nations’ adoption of two documents describing children’s rights: The 1959 United Nations Declaration of the Rights of the Child and the 1989 United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child. Unfortunately, National Child Day 2016 received very little […]
Advocates demand feds step up help for veterans
Some veterans say they are angry with the government and say those who served need better support immediately to help deal with the trauma that so many struggle with. In the aftermath of an alleged murder-suicide in Nova Scotia last week, involving a man who was a veteran of the war in Afghanistan and his family, […]
Frailty and the new ageism
HALIFAX, N.S.—Should medicine be ageist? A young trainee doctor recently proposed to me that it should. Health care is overstretched, she argued. “We can’t do everything for everyone, so why spend money on old people, who have little chance of benefit?” For her, ageism is not all that bad—in fact, it’s a practical response to […]
By legalizing marijuana, Canada could breach global treaties
When Canada legalizes marijuana it may have to acknowledge the policy shift is in violation of international treaties, say some experts. “Internationally, you are probably looking at other jurisdictions moving in this direction, in Europe, in Latin America. Certainly the U.S. will continue to move in this direction, even with the change in government, I […]
Missing: a child and youth mental health strategy at provincial and national levels
Mental illness is the most common illness experienced by children and teens in Canada. Each one of us knows a child or a teen who is struggling with either depression, anxiety, an addiction, or a behavioural disorder like attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Mental illness not only causes high levels of distress in children, but […]
Keep liquor, pot stores away from schools
Coming soon to a neighbourhood near you: pot stores and marijuana marketing and, according to recent reports, I am not sure whether we will be going to the pharmacy or the liquor store or even a stand-alone pot store to get our stash before getting stoned. We will soon be able to legally buy a […]
Canada should lead on filling medical-cannabis research gap
This week, the recommendations of the federal task force charged with studying the legalization of marijuana were released publicly. With legislation expected as early as spring, any look ahead to 2017 should certainly include a vigorous debate on this complicated topic. For obvious reasons much of that discussion will concern how to steer a long-time illegal industry into legitimacy. It is […]
Making good on food promises
In 2012, the then-United Nations special rapporteur on the right to food, Olivier De Schutter, visited Canada at the government’s request. It was the first such mission to an industrialized country. Government ministers at the time were vocal in their disapproval that a UN office focused on food security should consider a rich country like Canada worth a visit. […]
Politics This Morning: All-party Special Committee on Electoral Reform to table its report
Today is Thursday, Dec. 1. Here’s what you should know before you start your day: The all-party Special Committee on Electoral Reform will be holding a press conference from 10:30-11:30 at the National Press Theatre to discuss the release of their report, which will be tabled at 10 a.m. The report will detail if, and […]
Canada’s on track to disappoint
Canada truly seemed to be back and here to help. A year after a recently elected Trudeau government made ambitious pledges at the Paris Climate Summit, Canada hosted the Fifth Replenishment Conference of the Global Fund to fight AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria, to which we pledged $785-million over three years. This is a laudable commitment, […]
