Canada cannot afford a knowledge recession
As countries around the world continue to grapple with new dangers presented by COVID-19, Canada must also work to stave off a danger of a different kind: a knowledge recession. Last year ended with more hope than we have had in a while. With vaccines starting to roll out, it was possible to imagine a […]
Bring back core funding for women’s groups, say MPs as new report warns sector at risk of ‘financial devastation’
Canada should return core funding to women’s groups, say MPs after a report warns the sector faces “financial devastation,” with organizations struggling to stay in operation under the weight of the pandemic’s gendered impact. The report, released Tuesday, said a survey of women-serving agencies and equity-seeking organizations shows more than half of the sector has […]
Polarization in Canada, real or not?
OAKVILLE, ONT.—When it comes to politics, we Canadians are becoming increasingly polarized. Or are we? After all, maybe all the gloomy warnings we’re hearing these days about how our society is becoming divided along stark ideological lines is nothing but media hype or exaggeration. So, always eager to get to the bottom of things, I […]
Aerospace sector looks to government for help as pandemic grounds once high-flying industry
The Canadian aerospace sector and parliamentarians are calling on the government to help the once-mighty industry ahead of the Nov. 30 fiscal update, as the pandemic has slashed revenues, jeopardized jobs, and has cast a dark shadow on the medium- and long-term prospects for a return to some kind of normalcy. But even before the […]
After Bastarache report, dismantling the RCMP sounds like a public service
OTTAWA—Last week, the Final Report on the Implementation of the Merlo Davidson Settlement Agreement was released by former Supreme Court justice Michel Bastarache, and its contents were appalling. “One of the key findings of this report is that the culture of the RCMP is toxic and tolerates misogynistic and homophobic attitudes amongst its leaders and […]
Mexico calls on Canada to maintain new measures protecting migrant workers
The continuation and evolution of measures brought in to improve safety for Mexican workers in Canada after three deaths and multiple COVID-19 outbreaks is the top priority for this week’s talks between the two countries, says a Mexican diplomat in Canada. Held every year in person, this year’s week-long virtual binational Seasonal Agricultural Worker Program […]
Connecting work to education should be priority beyond pandemic
COVID-19 has disrupted labour markets unlike anything since the Great Depression. Young people have been especially hard hit by the economic slowdown, with school closures and a transition to remote learning. Youth were also among the hardest hit when employers reduced operations. One of the biggest disruptions has been a transition to remote work. Remote […]
The N-word is hate speech, not free speech
CALGARY—The aroma of burning crosses dotting the landscape of this “multicultural” nation sure smells like the anti-Black racism most “leaders” are purported to stand against. The proliferation of N-word usage, primarily among educators in publicly funded institutions is becoming a crisis of mental and emotional abuse that manifests itself in structural violence. Coined in the […]
Feds’ pandemic wage subsidy could be lifeline—if it gets it right
The Speech from the Throne gave workers laid off due to the pandemic reason for hope and worry. Recognizing that phasing out recovery benefit programs would be a mistake, the government moved to extend benefits like the Canadian Emergency Wage Subsidy until June 2021. CEWS was designed to keep workers affected by pandemic shutdowns connected […]
‘Six systemic crises’ confronting Canada, and politicians, policy-makers, health-care professionals need ‘systems thinking’ to tackle them, says public policy expert
Politicians, policy-makers, and health-care professionals have been too busy focusing on beating back the pandemic and trying to ensure Canadians are shielded from the worst of the economic fallout while there are six larger, systemic crises that have the potential to dwarf the trauma already experienced in this country if left unchecked, according to Irvin […]
