StatsCan data suggests private sector PPE procurement out of step with science
Personal protective equipment is in high demand from Canadian businesses, but Statistics Canada data shows that much of the PPE businesses are after is designed to curb vectors of transmission that studies say aren’t the primary drivers of infection with COVID-19. Statistics Canada data released April 19 shows that throughout the pandemic businesses have focused […]
Liberals’ fiscal blueprint reflects pre-budget lobbying push, but gaps remain, say business groups
Business groups spent the majority of their March advocacy efforts focused on the April budget, lobbying that they say was successful in getting immediate concerns addressed to extend pandemic reliefs, though gaps still remain. The “vast majority” of the Canadian Chamber of Commerce’s 24 meetings were focused on the budget to push for pandemic-relief measures […]
A just recovery from COVID-19 must include climate justice
Earth Day not only celebrates the life-giving planet that sustains us, but also focuses our attention on the science and impacts of a changing climate. While today highlights the need for urgent climate action we must remember that climate change can only be addressed through climate justice. Canada can and must take action on climate […]
Setting up digital ID regime could provide boost to post-pandemic recovery
If the global pandemic has shown us anything, it’s that the need for reliable and secure data is paramount as businesses, governments, and Canadians from Vancouver to Quebec City to Charlottetown and everywhere in between move online. From receiving emergency pandemic benefits to ensuring health records are correct and helping children and youth with online […]
Canada continues to delay decision on COVID vaccines IP waiver
The Canadian government maintains it hasn’t made up its mind on a waiver that potentially could allow increased vaccine production around the world, a delay some say is equivalent to opposing the initiative. The waiver was brought forward to the World Trade Organization’s (WTO) Council for Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS) last October […]
New contract keeps distance interpreting definition deemed problematic by association
New contract terms for federal freelance interpreters are out, and while one proposed aspect flagged as problematic has been reversed, a definition of distance interpreting that’s been criticized as likely to open up the workforce to greater health and safety risks has been maintained. “Because they’re putting it down in the contract for the very […]
COVID or not, Freeland’s budget doesn’t shy away from challenging Canadians on their vision for the future
OTTAWA—Despite the immediate crunch of the third wave, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s government shows no signs of backing away from its plan to transform Canada into what many will see as a very different country in the post-pandemic era. In the most impactful budget in recent memory, Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland looked beyond COVID-19 on […]
Ottawa earmarks $18-billion on Indigenous spending
Budget 2021 lays out expansive spending on Indigenous services, reaching $18-billion over five years, to address longstanding inequities that Ottawa says have been exacerbated by COVID-19. The largest promises, typically over a five-year time frame, are assigned to infrastructure projects ($6-billion), pandemic support ($1.4-billion), addressing the “national tragedy” of missing and murdered Indigenous women and […]
The federal government is failing BIPOC Canadians in priority city hubs
The Institute for Clinical Evaluative Sciences recently examined who is receiving the vaccine in Toronto and other major cities. Its findings? Wealthy neighbourhoods with low COVID-19 rates had much higher vaccination rates than lower-income communities of colour with greater risk. In Toronto, Moore Park was the highest vaccinated postal code, city-wide. I used to live […]
Infrastructure-ready talent key to recovery
In times of economic downturn, investing in infrastructure is often viewed as a way to stimulate the economy and expedite recovery. U.S. President Joe Biden just announced a $2-trillion infrastructure plan, in part to spur economic activity. Here in Canada, despite less-than-ideal progress on a 12-year, $188-billion Investing in Canada Plan, the truth is that […]
