For Canadian resource workers, a just transition is the best path forward
For a country as dependent on resource extraction as Canada, the global shift away from oil, gas, and coal toward renewable energy sources presents obvious challenges. In addition to accounting for nearly one-tenth of GDP, the fossil fuel industry employs more than 200,000 people across the country. What will become of these workers as governments […]
‘Small but mighty’: New Democrats say they’re up to the task as MPs pile on critic jobs
The NDP’s lead critics say they’re feeling good about their “small but mighty” caucus, which they say can bring change in a minority government and attention to their “critical work” by hammering home the party’s “widely popular” priorities. At the Nov. 28 critic announcement, NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh (Burnaby South, B.C.) said he was proud […]
Parliament security labour standoff nearing end of the road
As Parliament returns, MPs new and old may notice House of Commons security officers are still donning personal baseball caps and small white patches as part of a labour dispute that’s been ongoing since 2017—but an end is soon in sight. On Oct. 23, the Federal Public Service Labour Relations and Employment Board (FPSLREB) issued […]
There are steps Canadians can take to ensure we put our best foot forward
WATERLOO—VUCA. Volatility. Uncertainty. Complexity. Ambiguity. In the aftermath of a federal election—a war of words between our political parties—this post-Cold War term is one many people in business and policy worlds are dealing with every day. There’s more at work than just the machinations of government, though, as our leaders try to navigate changes of […]
It’s a new day for Indigenous rights in Canada
OTTAWA—On Oct. 24, 2019, British Columbia tabled legislation to align provincial law with the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP). In full partnership with the B.C. First Nations Summit, Union of B.C. Indian Chiefs, and the B.C. Region of the Assembly of First Nations, the provincial government co-developed law to start […]
What’s your issue? Taxes, climate change, health care top leaders’ campaign pitches this election
With less than a week to go until Oct. 21, there’s been plenty of lamenting over the issues that aren’t being talked about this campaign. So, what have the leaders spent their time spotlighting? And what issues have media definitively brought to the fore? The Hill Times took a look at the issues raised by or with […]
Planting the seed about the importance of soil health
What’s the big deal about soil? It’s all over the place. And, anyway, it only affects farmers, right? That might be your first reaction upon seeing this headline. That’s because we really don’t talk much about soil, one of our most precious resources. I want to change that. Of course, soil is important for farmers, […]
Senate’s mishandling of sexual misconduct scandal is a national disgrace
Institutional betrayal is one of those things that, to paraphrase a famed American jurist, is hard to describe in theory, but easy to recognize on observation. Right now, the Senate of Canada has institutional betrayal written all over it. Its journey down this ignominious path began when it took an inexcusably long time to act […]
Five decades later, the class of 1969 looks back
MONTREAL—I attended my 50th anniversary high school reunion here over the weekend. I helped organize it, which is a paradox, because I disliked high school. For one thing, I attended the same school for 12 years, from kindergarten to graduation. Familiarity does breed contempt, and consequently, scholastic indifference. Our high school was not untypical of […]
ISED working with BIOTECanada to get better, much-needed industry data
BIOTECanada, the industry association that represents more than 200 Canadian biotechnology companies, has been in talks with Innovation, Science, and Economic Development Canada for “over a year” in an effort to get much-needed, comprehensive federal statistics on the biotechnology industry in Canada, says BIOTECanada president Andrew Casey. The department did not respond directly to questions […]
