Languishing in lockdown: mental strain ramps up as third wave of COVID crests
OTTAWA—Here we go again. Ontario is apparently being slammed by the third wave of this pandemic. And as surely as the sun rises, many medical professionals and others are calling for yet another lockdown. It is soul destroying and demoralizing. Perhaps by the time Easter is upon us we will know of our current fate, […]
April 19: next act in the politics of the pandemic
OTTAWA—Everything at the national political level seems obscured now by COVID-19, which belatedly registered here a little over a year ago with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s call for Canadians outside the country to come home because of the health emergency. In the long run, Trudeau and Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland will be remembered not […]
Forewarned, forearmed: to be prepared is half the victory against the next pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic has shown us how ruefully unprepared we were. However, we must forgo the blame game. We must make sure we learned the lessons, have in hand what is needed, and protect those at risk. How a society treats its most vulnerable is the measure of its humanity. In the aftermath, we see […]
New contract for freelance interpreters slated for April release
New contract terms for federal freelance interpreters will be published in April, according to Public Services and Procurement Canada. Contract terms proposed by the department last year led the International Association of Conference Interpreters’ (AIIC) Canadian branch to raise the alarm, with rep Nicole Gagnon, who herself works as a freelance interpreter on Parliament Hill, […]
Why Canadians need to take digital disinformation seriously
On March 20, rallies to protest COVID-19 restrictions were organized worldwide. Several of these so-called “freedom rallies” took place in Canada, including in Calgary, London, Victoria, and Vancouver. The previous weekend, thousands took to the streets in Montreal to protest lockdown measures that have been put in place by the Quebec government. Many held signs […]
Following ‘scathing’ AG report, Canadians still looking for answers about pandemic preparedness, says MP, experts
The federal government’s public health system was “substantially poorly prepared for a global pandemic”—and the government has to tell Canadians why early alerts surrounding COVID-19 weren’t issued, says NDP MP Don Davies, his party’s health critic, after the auditor general released a report last week. A closer examination of the Public Health Agency of Canada’s […]
Time between pandemics might shrink, and feds must redefine health security, say influenza, intelligence experts
Canada needs better, smarter infrastructure to prepare for the spread of viruses that will “weaponize themselves on the pathways of globalization,” say a vaccine scientist and a security expert. The wreckage from the COVID-19 crisis includes tens of thousands of deaths, billions of dollars lost by businesses large and small, and incalculable harm to the […]
Pre-budget pitches, virtual ‘Hill days’ push February lobbying
The promise of the first federal budget in more than two years, planned legislation to address online hate, and pandemic-related health concerns drove the lobbying efforts in February of some of the busiest groups as Parliament returned for its first sitting of 2021. Last month, lobbyists filed 3,223 communication reports in the federal registry, a […]
Public Health Agency unprepared for pandemic, ‘underestimated’ COVID-19: federal audit
The Public Health Agency of Canada “underestimated” the impact of COVID-19 in the early days of the virus’ spread and was not “adequately prepared” to respond to the pandemic, failing to address long-standing issues before the outbreak, according to Canada’s federal auditor. In a report tabled Thursday, Karen Hogan’s office found PHAC had not completed […]
The time to act on EI sickness benefit reform is now
Under normal circumstances, the government’s task of deciding what items to include in a budget is incredibly difficult. With no shortage of aspirational goals to achieve and election promises to fulfill, the choices are difficult. This year, the federal budget is being decided during a time of utmost unusual circumstances. COVID-19 will no doubt be […]
