Canada and the EU in the Arctic: a region for enhanced co-operation
Over the past decade, the level of international attention paid to the Arctic has grown exponentially. Where interest in these regions was previously very much the business of the eight Arctic states, the threats brought by climate change, coupled with geopolitical shifts and the potential exploitation of significant resources on land, at sea, and under […]
Pandemic underlines need for better northern housing: Vandal
Northern Affairs Minister Dan Vandal has been busy during the pandemic. Phone calls start around 8 a.m. and stop whenever they stop. Mr. Vandal (Saint Boniface-Saint Vital, Man.) is the first person to hold the standalone title of Minister of Northern Affairs. Previously, the responsibilities for northern economic development and relations with Indigenous and territorial […]
Government must do more to help northerners and their businesses bounce back
As the number of confirmed cases of COVID-19 continue to decline across the country, it feels as though we are at a point in the crisis where all of us are trying to catch our collective breath, take stock of where we are, examine what is working and what isn’t, and ready ourselves for whatever […]
The North
Mr. Rajotte goes to Washington
It seems fitting, before discussing the intricate and somewhat frayed bilateral relationship between Canada and the United States, to first acknowledge the recent passing of Allan Gotlieb, an esteemed public servant, a visionary diplomat, and Canada’s longest-serving ambassador to the United States (1981-1989). And while the geopolitical tensions of the Cold War have long passed, […]
Look to the new NAFTA for the roadmap to the future of the Canada-U.S. bond
Canadian leadership needs to move beyond COVID-19 border controls and turn to implementing the Canada-U.S.-Mexico Free Trade Agreement. In what is already a divisive U.S. election, we must also avoid anything that could be construed as interference. The Nov. 3 elections will decide not just the presidency, but also, crucially, one-third of the Senate plus […]
Get ready for the politics of misery
OAKVILLE, ONT.—You’re probably aware of the expression, “misery loves company.” But did you know that old adage can actually provide the basis for an entire political ideology? Yup, it’s true. After all, if politicians can’t alleviate the suffering of a population that’s under distress, the next best thing they can do is promise that everyone will at […]
Feds’ proposal for national testing framework may invite pushback from provinces, but experts say standards ‘essential’ as economy reopens
As the federal government eyes the development of a national testing and contact tracing framework, public health experts are welcoming the commitment, saying it is crucial that it be drafted collaboratively, to ease any worries that Ottawa is overstepping its bounds. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau (Papineau, Que.) told reporters earlier this week in his daily […]
The 1980 referendum campaign: a shining Canadian moment
OTTAWA—Forty years ago today, I was standing in the Verdun Auditorium in south-centre Montreal, when a woman said to me in French, “This is proof we can be good Québécois and Canadians at the same time.” It was a key message of the tumultuous six weeks that led to the historic victory of the “No” […]
Push to reopen the economy fuelled by disinformation, political gaslighting
OTTAWA—Donald Trump’s gaslighting of America is rapidly turning into Canadian policy. This is being orchestrated through an aggressive disinformation campaign, controlled and co-ordinated by the White House. On May 11, thousands of children in Quebec returned to school after an eight-week absence as a result of measures undertaken to stop the spread of COVID-19. […]
