Committee to weigh ‘appearance’ of political interference with government status quo in NS shooting case
Despite two weeks of difficult questions and condemnations for Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and members of his cabinet, analysts and Liberal strategists aren’t convinced that the controversy over the alleged interference in the RCMP’s investigation of the 2020 Nova Scotia mass shooting is something Canadian voters are actually concerned about. While the Liberals’ political rivals […]
Quebec is shrinking because of its narrow parochialism
VICTORIA, B.C.—In the summer of 1975, my cousin David, a school principal in Montreal, packed up his family and all his belongings and drove here. His children were young, his wife was a nurse, and it seemed like a good move for all of them. Having done a lot of research, they chose Vancouver Island […]
Riding rejig proposes tightening representation around Alberta’s growing cities
Three more electoral map proposals are out as part of Canada’s ongoing redistribution process, including for Alberta, where the addition of three new seats has led to a tightening of ridings around cities other than Edmonton and Calgary, with Red Deer, for one, set to get its own electoral district. The new boundaries really show […]
Veteran Conservative staffer Martin Bélanger exits the Hill after 16 years
After working under three Conservative leaders, and two interim ones, senior Conservative staffer Martin Bélanger officially bid farewell to Parliament Hill on June 10. Bélanger was most recently a deputy chief of staff and senior Quebec adviser in the Conservative Official Opposition Leader’s Office (OLO), to both former leader Erin O’Toole and interim leader Candice […]
Writing a new chapter in the Northwest Territories’ mining story
As a government, it was reassuring to attend this year’s Prospectors and Developers Association of Canada convention in Toronto and hear messages from non-government experts that validate what we’ve been saying for quite some time: that the Northwest Territories’ reputation for strong environmental, social, and governance (ESG) performance, coupled with our incredible and still underexplored […]
Does the Constitution matter anymore?
GASPÉ, QUE.—I was always taught the Constitution was the supreme law of Canada. From high school to CEGEP to university and beyond into active politics, the message was: the Constitution matters. Even before the patriation of the Constitution and the inclusion of the Charter of Rights and Freedoms in 1982, the discussions revolved around obscure […]
Canada’s Arctic is warming faster than expected
CHURCHILL, MAN.—Hudson Bay, second in size only to the Bay of Bengal, brings the Arctic deep into Canada. I live in Churchill, a tiny community of about 800 on the tundra beside the bay. Churchill is the Polar Bear Capital of the World. In October and November, tourists flock here from around the world to […]
Ford’s brand strength, low public appetite for change key to PC win in Ontario, say politicos
The strength of the ‘Ford brand’ that easily overmatched what the Ontario Liberals and NDP had on offer, combined with a low-key communications and media strategy, pushed Ontario Premier Doug Ford’s Progressive Conservative Party into a second straight majority government, say politicos, with pollster Greg Lyle saying the premier “essentially won the job a year […]
Massive infrastructure and capacity gaps with regard to clean drinking water
As the heat of summer bears down on Ottawa, I reach for a glass of water and take a moment to reflect on the sad reality that being able to drink a glass of cold tap water, shower and do my laundry is a privilege. Despite Canada having almost one-fifth of the world’s fresh water, […]
Are we adequately prepared for emerging infectious diseases in the Canadian Arctic?
Imagine that the Canadian beef herd declined by 75 per cent because of some unknown disease, and then the same happened to the pork herd. Although at a higher cost, you likely would still have access to your preferred meat. And, purchased from the local grocery store, you’d be confident that the Canadian food inspection […]
