Weed or feed? A Canadian food security issue
In December, the University of Guelph and Dalhousie University released the 9th edition of Canada’s Food Price Report, and while the report paints a generally rosy picture of 2019 food prices, partly due to decreasing meat prices and small increases across most food categories, a sobering statistic from the report was that overall food prices are expected to increase by 1.5 to […]
Cannabis
USMCA IP provisions make for uneven playing field for Canadian, U.S. farmers
Farmers in North America generally did well in the new United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA). But there is one nasty surprise buried in the agreement that should unite all Canadian farmers—intellectual property rules that prevent circumvention of digital locks on electronics including sophisticated farm equipment like tractors and combines that will apply to Canadian, but not to […]
Canada’s agriculture system on the cusp of a circular revolution
The Canadian agri-food system is one of our best-kept secrets. It is one of our largest employers and is responsible for tens of billions of dollars in exports. It is an engine of economic growth and it means most Canadians spend only 10 per cent of their income on food. The food system also is […]
Canadian science needs non-partisan alliances to weather political winds of change
Today, Canada’s scientific community and its supporting bureaucracies seem to feel the political sun is shining on them. But political seasons change. What happens if political clouds and cold winds return? For politicians, civil servants, and scientists who emerged from the recent Canadian Science Policy Conference (CSPC) held Nov. 7 to 9 in Ottawa, one […]
Canada’s natural advantage drives prosperity in energy sector
The world is in the midst of something that has only happened a few times in history—a fundamental shift in the types of energy that drive our societies. The effects of climate change are making Canadians re-think how we power our factories, heat our homes and fuel our vehicles. That includes doing more with less, […]
Astronaut Saint-Jacques will be busy on his six-month ISS stay, says CSA head Sylvain Laporte
While astronaut David Saint-Jacques makes himself at home on the International Space Station, he will also be helping to contribute to life sciences experiments that will continue to have an impact long after he’s returned back to Earth, says Sylvain Laporte, the president of the Canadian Space Agency. Mr. Saint-Jacques will launch into space on […]
Lost in Space? Sector awaits long-promised national strategy as delays continue
As the Canadian space sector eagerly awaits a promised and overdue national strategy from Innovation Minister Navdeep Bains, stakeholders say they’re looking to the federal government for certainty on future funding and a firm commitment to re-establish Canada’s reputation as a key contributor on the global stage. The Trudeau Liberal government, as with past governments, […]
Return to the era of rule-making
In 1996, I started to write a book about the political evolution of the internet. In retrospect, this year served as the peak of excitement regarding everything the internet was going to be. Most commentators were understandably focused on the future of this wildly disruptive technology, but I chose to look at the past. Not […]
Budget bill’s Copyright Act changes undermine committee’s ongoing review, say critics
The Liberals’ decision to include changes to the Copyright Act in the year’s second budget implementation bill has effectively “castrated” the ongoing statutory review of the law, says NDP MP Brian Masse, vice-chair of one of the two committees engaged in the study. Bill C-86, clocking in at 854 pages, includes changes to intellectual property […]
