Ex-MP Scott Armstrong on his new life as an unelected Conservative critic and staffer
With the Conservatives wiped off the electoral map in Atlantic Canada in the 2015 election, defeated former Nova Scotia MP Scott Armstrong took on a unique role, joining the official opposition shadow cabinet and becoming a paid Atlantic issues adviser in the official opposition leader’s office. That’s meant spending the last few months bouncing back […]
The Arctic is the planet’s canary
In the early days of the Industrial Revolution, before the advent of equipment capable of monitoring the build-up of dangerous gases, miners would take a canary down deep in the mine. Its tiny metabolism was far more sensitive to the gases than were the miners. If the canary keeled over, it was time to get […]
‘Sunny ways’ will not necessarily equal easy negotiations at Council of the Federation talks
Later this week, Canada’s Premiers will gather in Whitehorse for the summer meeting of the Council of the Federation (CoF). While the agenda for this latest meeting will include discussions on day-to-day matters that provinces and territories face unilaterally, a renewed wave of federalism being led by Ottawa provides the ideal opportunity to address larger, […]
Politics this morning: Trudeau to make youth council announcement
*An important note to our readers: tomorrow’s Wednesday edition will be an online only version of The Hill Times. There will be no physical paper or digital download, but you can still count on full coverage of all the usual insider news, global developments, and opinion pieces on our website, www.hilltimes.com. Happening today in the […]
Want to improve a child’s health? Sometimes that may mean giving their parents a raise
When parents bring a child into the clinic, they do so hoping for help to treat an acute illness or a longer-term problem. It might be something as simple as an ear infection, a chronic illness like asthma, or something more socially and psychologically complex such as ADHD. The expectation is that the child can […]
Bigger northern conservation area planned after Shell relinquishes permits
Parks Canada says that in the wake of Shell Canada relinquishing all its exploratory permits near Lancaster Sound, off the shores of northern Nunavut, an agreement on a National Marine Conservation Area could be in place by the end of 2017. In early June, Shell Canada announced that it was giving its offshore exploratory permits […]
Gas tax fund shouldn’t specifically be focused on climate change
Over the years, there have been many successful infrastructure programs that have been set up to assist provinces, territories, and municipalities. Municipal leaders and stakeholders, such as the Federation of Canadian Municipalities, played a key role in the development of the gas tax fund and it has been one of the most beneficial and important […]
WWF looks to sun, wind as cleaner energy sources in Nunavut
The World Wildlife Fund’s Canadian division is looking at opportunities for displacing a good chunk of the diesel used for electricity in Nunavut with wind, solar, and battery power. Diesel is used to generate virtually all the electricity used in Nunavut. It has proven to be a reliable source of energy in the harsh northern […]
Canada should restrict access to northern water corridors
The Canadian government should consider placing restrictions on the number of corridors allowed for access to the Arctic waters in order to reduce two important risks: loss of life and environmental impact. The risk of a marine accident in the Arctic is not a theoretical exercise. In August 1996, the Hanseatic cruise ship ran aground […]
Bloc leader Fortin brushing up on his English, taking classes this summer
PARLIAMENT HILL—Interim Bloc Québécois Leader Rhéal Fortin may not be a household name, but he says he wants to better communicate his party’s message to all Canadians and is working on his English-language skills to do so. Mr. Fortin, who represents Rivière-du-Nord, Que., will be spending a week of his summer break attending English-language classes in […]
