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 […]
Here’s Taiwan’s trailblazing digital minister’s advice on how the feds can boost service to Canadians
Audrey Tang is not your typical cabinet minister. First off, she’s not really a politician. Ms. Tang, who has called herself an “anarchist,” was asked to be a minister in Taiwan’s government in 2016 after taking part in a protest movement that occupied its Parliament two years earlier. While some cabinet ministers are adept at […]
Feds face test in developing ethical standards for AI use
Every second, there are 8,262 tweets posted, 879 Instagram photos uploaded, 3,462 Skype calls made, 64,187 GB of internet traffic, 76,254 YouTube videos viewed, and 2.7 million emails sent. By the time you finish reading this, there will have been approximately 41 million Google searches. According to a 2016 estimate from IBM, 90 per cent […]
Canada’s research capacity in the North lags other countries
The changing Arctic is a new frontier of scientific discovery, industrial development, and socio-economic innovation. From China’s plan for a Polar Silk Road to Norway’s Nansen Legacy program on the Barents Sea and adjacent Arctic basin; from Russia’s intense extraction of its Arctic resources to Canada’s reconciliation with its Indigenous people; from the building worldwide […]
Government inaction is a roadblock to building a sustainable economy for Nunavut
“There is no relationship more important to this government than our relationship with Indigenous people.” How often have I heard that said in the House as the prime minister and his cabinet ministers rise to answer questions on Indigenous issues? Nunavummiut can be forgiven for questioning their sincerity. In Nunavut we share a vision that […]
