Canada’s soils are in crisis
Healthy soil is the heart of our food system and, by every conceivable measure, we are making our soil sick. In Ontario, soil organic matter—a key determinant of soil health—is now decreasing on 82 per cent of farmland. Since 1948, the soil organic matter in Essex County, in the province’s far south, has declined by […]
How to unlock the potential of Canada’s North
While the mining industry is truly pan-Canadian, with operations from coast to coast to coast, it is particularly significant to northern Canada. In the Arctic specifically, mining is the largest private-sector employer, responsible for the employment of approximately 8,500 people, or one in every six jobs. These numbers increase substantially when the Arctic regions of […]
Trudeau rebate bumps support for carbon pricing above 50 per cent, poll suggests
The Liberal promise to return directly to Canadians revenue from the upcoming carbon tax has shifted public opinion to give the Grits a slim edge in support and has “mollified” some opponents, according to a poll following last week’s announcement. After Prime Minister Justin Trudeau revealed the Liberals’ plan for provinces that opted not to […]
How to get northern infrastructure on track
National governments of every stripe around the world have understood that one of their fundamental responsibilities is to ensure that their citizens have access to critical infrastructure. Canada is no exception, except, it seems, when it comes to Canada’s North. Many historians would point to the building of Canada’s transcontinental railway, in the 1880s, as […]
Don’t squander the chance for Arctic Policy Framework to be a gamechanger for Inuit
Inuit welcomed the Government of Canada’s announcement in December 2016 that it would co-develop a new Arctic Policy Framework (APF) with Inuit, replacing Canada’s 2009 Northern Strategy and the 2010 Statement on Canada’s Arctic Foreign Policy. The inclusion of Inuit in the announcement as co-development partners signalled that there could be a potential shift by […]
When it comes to food security in the North, Inuit need a seat at the table
No one can survive without food. That is why I was not surprised to learn that Inuit left the federal government’s Indigenous Working Group on food security, nor was I surprised by the comments made by Shylah Elliott, a health policy analyst for Nunavut Tunngavik Incorporated (NTI), who called the working group “tokenism and optics” […]
Clean electricity crucial for Northwest Territories
In last year’s Hill Times special policy edition on the North, I stated I was eagerly awaiting news on Canada’s National Trade Corridor’s funding to begin to address our infrastructure gap, link our communities, and help bring down the cost of living and the cost of developing our resources and bringing them to market. I […]
ITK president Obed says he and Minister LeBlanc have pledged ‘new course’ on Nutrition North redesign
Months after major Inuit organizations walked out of departmental consultations on revamping the northern food subsidy program, one Inuit leader says he and the new minister for northern affairs have “pledged to set a new course” on the program’s redesign. Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami (ITK) president Natan Obed said he and Intergovernmental and Northern Affairs Minister […]
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 […]
