COVID-19: lessons learned and the path forward
It is said that one should never waste a good crisis. If that is received wisdom—and I believe it is—there is a treasure trove of lessons to be learned and addressed in Canadian health care from the COVID-19 pandemic. They come in different forms. Some include the accelerated adoption of technologies and practices that would […]
Road to recovery and lessons from the pandemic
As Canada slowly slides toward some form of normalcy during the lingering COVID-19 pandemic, deep assessments will commence on how the federal government has handled the once-in-a-lifetime health crisis; what lessons were learned in science and medicine; and how Canadians were impacted through a series of lockdowns and restrictions that changed the way they live […]
Tokyo Olympic Games a really bad idea, city under COVID-19 state of emergency
HALIFAX—A few weeks ago, I wrote that holding the Tokyo Olympic Games was always a bad idea. I was wrong. It is far worse than that. These Games amount to premeditated stupidity by governments that makes a complete mockery of their attempt to fight COVID-19 with reason and scientific fact at home. When you send […]
Roadmap to Recovery: Health, Innovation, & Technologies
Cannabis beverages in Canada: the glass is not even half full
Imagine trying to explain to a consumer why they can purchase only five cannabis beverages but can purchase 17 vape cartridges, 30 grams of flower, or 100 bottles of cannabis oil. You could start by explaining that Canada’s cannabis possession limit of 30 grams is based on dried cannabis or its equivalent. And that these […]
Raising minimum age for tobacco product sales in Canada is good public policy
Tobacco is the leading cause of preventable death in Canada, and is currently responsible for more than one in six Canadian deaths. Most people who use tobacco products start doing so as a youth or young adult. The use of vaping products and e-cigarettes has become a public health crisis. E-cigarettes are the most commonly […]
Politics in the age of conspiracy
OTTAWA—Yielding to conspiracy theories has been a human habit worth recording going back at least to the late 1800s, and has contributed to all kinds of mass hysteria, catastrophes, murders, and other mayhem. But this kind of thing has generally been associated with fringe elements of society. Until recently. At least in part because of […]
Beyond lip service: global care economy gets unprecedented boost from Canada
TORONTO—Women are at a breaking point. They have been on the frontlines of the pandemic response representing over 80 per cent of Canadian health-care workers. At the same time, they have experienced rampant job losses, reductions in pay and the devastating rise in gender-based violence. On almost every issue, women have been bearing the brunt […]
Post-pandemic euphoria will not last
TORONTO—No matter how rosy things may look as the pandemic lockdown draws to a close and shoppers rush out to spend, that should not be taken as sign that we are on the road to a new era of economic gain. After a period where shoppers found themselves locked in, spending is one way to […]
Are federal subsidies rewarding hospitality employers who undercut ‘inclusive’ recovery?
Banquet chef Julie Borris served prime ministers and other dignitaries at Sheraton Ottawa for 15 years until the pandemic hit. She expected to return to work once the COVID-19 crisis passed. Although hotel owner, Keck Seng, tapped nearly $500,00 from the Canada Emergency Wage Subsidy (CEWS), the hotel terminated over 80 per cent of its […]
