Quebec’s Dominique Anglade is a woman of many firsts
KAMOURASKA, QUE.—Dominique Anglade heads a lot of lists: first person of colour to be an official opposition leader in Canada; first woman to lead the Quebec Liberal Party; and the first fluently multilingual, as in speaks more than four languages (Creole, French, English, German, Spanish), party leader anywhere in Canada. And, I point out, she […]
‘It’s an ill wind that doesn’t blow some good’: tourism in the time of COVID
KAMOURASKA, QUE.—The temperature was an unusually hot 30 degrees. The tide was in and the water temperature of the normally frigid Saint Lawrence River was 24 C. As I slipped into the waves, I looked to the west and could see large clouds of smoke blowing over the neighbouring villages. It didn’t look good. Indeed, […]
No timeline yet for program to temporarily grant permanent residency to refugee claimants at front lines of pandemic: Mendicino
The federal government appears to be finalizing details around the process for temporarily granting permanent residency status to some refugee claimants working on the front lines of the pandemic, members of a House committee heard Wednesday. Immigration Minister Marco Mendicino (Eglinton-Lawrence, Ont.), who appeared before the Immigration and Citizenship Committee in Ottawa, said there are “significant […]
Open and honest dialogue with Indigenous communities guide COVID-19 response
First Nations, Inuit, and Métis face unprecedented and unique challenges during the COVID-19 pandemic. Significant socio-economic and health gaps put them at greater risk during these hard times. Regular, open, and honest dialogue with Indigenous leaders has guided and strengthened Canada’s approach to this pandemic, starting with the National Health Emergency Management Network, which was […]
Social change depends on each of us doing our part
KAMOURASKA, QUE.—As many readers of this column know, I am not much of a monarchist, but I admire the Queen. And while it was a painful childhood duty to watch her annual Christmas message, this year’s resonates with me months later. Recounting the decades of her reign, she said, “positive things can be achieved when […]
COVID-19 has made the North’s quest for equality a steeper climb
Even before COVID-19, Canada’s northern territories faced significant social, economic, and environmental challenges that create persistent gaps and inequalities between northerners and their fellow Canadians. Most troubling, are those challenges that keep our residents from truly thriving as people, like a critical lack of affordable housing, access to health care and education, and limited opportunities […]
Arctic research in Canada is adapting under COVID-19 restrictions
Travel restrictions and new research protocols have halted southern-based and international scientists from heading to Canada’s Arctic this summer to conduct their annual field seasons, but it has not halted all research and monitoring activities. COVID-19 restrictions will create notable holes in fundamental multi-year datasets, impact national and international project deliverables, delay research priorities, impose […]
Canada’s wide-ranging northern response to COVID-19
Canada’s Arctic and northern regions cover almost 40 per cent of Canada’s overall land mass. The health and safety of those who live and work in the North and isolated communities are our top priority. From Day 1, my colleagues and I have been in regular contact with territorial and provincial governments and First Nation, […]
COVID-19 exposes risks of social and economic inequity
The threat of COVID-19 and its potentially devastating impacts on Inuit Nunangat communities has put the daily vulnerabilities of Inuit families into focus for governments in a new way. Although sadly, it has taken a global pandemic to generate new attention and focus on long-overlooked challenges such as tuberculosis, crowded housing, violence, and limited access […]
Does a global pandemic signal the need for adjusted approaches to Arctic research?
I must admit, it’s not the sort of thing I ever really considered. I’ve been an environmental scientist working in Arctic Canada for 20 years. Much of my lab’s research takes place in Nunavut, at some of the most remote, picturesque, and harsh locations imaginable. We work collaboratively with federal departments and northern communities to […]
