Indigenous connectivity and federal funding: a priority or hope deferred?
In the Sept. 23, 2020, Throne Speech, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau promised to invest $1.75-billion into internet connectivity for all Canadians, with a focus on rural and Indigenous communities as part of that priority. “The prime minister said the government is now on track to connect 98 per cent of Canadians to high-speed by 2026, […]
Asking ‘Isaac Pewton’ to innovate out of a crisis
With Canadians’ mounting frustration and the dwindling prospects of exiting this pandemic any time soon, it is vital that we unite as a nation to innovate. How Canada continues to respond to the pandemic will also define how we respond to future global challenges. Leading the development of new vaccines, more effective personal protective equipment, […]
Dedicated B.C. regional development agency to bring bigger focus to tech sector, innovation: MPs and stakeholders
Parliamentarians and stakeholders from British Columbia are welcoming the government’s efforts to establish a new regional development agency for the Pacific province, saying it represents a shift from viewing the West as a “monolith,” will benefit the province’s flourishing tech sector, and will help spur innovation in more traditional resource-based industries. “The tech sector has […]
Canadians cannot continue to wait for high-speed broadband everywhere
The past several months have taught us a lot. One thing we know now, more than ever before, is how essential reliable and affordable high-speed broadband internet is for Canadians. With people sheltering at home, and with schools and businesses closed, Canadians need a fast and reliable internet connection to communicate for work and school […]
Innovation
Pandemic exposing critical gaps in health workforce planning
Health workers in Canada experience endemic levels of burnout directly related to understaffing and work overload. Leaves of absence from work for mental health and stress related issues are 1.5 times higher among health workers than the rest of the population. Increasingly, health workers are significantly reducing their hours worked, just to cope, or leaving […]
Intellectual capital is Canada’s most important natural resource
COVID-19 is taxing the world’s health-care systems like never before, and Canada is no exception. During this challenging time, one of the many lessons being relearned is that we need to keep mobilizing our intellectual capital so that we can continue to develop innovative products and solutions that benefit Canada and the global community. Globally, […]
New innovation minister should prioritize investment in digital infrastructure to ensure economic recovery
Congratulations to François-Philippe Champagne on his new role as minister of Innovation, Science, and Industry, one of government’s most important portfolios, at a crucial time for the Canadian economy. The past year has not been without challenges for all Canadians and all levels of government. The challenges before Minister Champagne and the rest of the […]
Carr’s cabinet post praised by Prairie stakeholders, but experts and MP wary of road ahead
After recovering from a blood cancer diagnosis that forced him out of cabinet after the 2019 election, Jim Carr is back in the new post as the special representative to the Prairies. The title is old—Mr. Carr has held it since the election—but the spot in cabinet is new. Prior to re-joining cabinet, Mr. Carr was […]
Finance Committee chair Easter top non-cabinet-MP target for lobbyists in 2020
The COVID-19 pandemic kept MPs away from Ottawa for most of the year, but that didn’t stop lobbyists from meeting with MPs to try and influence both the government’s and the opposition’s agenda. Liberal MP and House Finance Committee chair Wayne Easter was lobbied 190 times in 2020, the most for an MP not serving […]
