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 […]
Outdated data infrastructure is stifling Canadian innovation in health
When clinicians care for patients, we generate enormous amounts of electronic clinical data. Every blood test, X-ray, or medication forms a rich repository of information. Combined across the health system, these billions of data points are the kind of ‘big data’ that could be used to improve patient care, make the health system more efficient […]
Canada should focus on game-changing technologies that can improve health care
With the federal election underway, Canadians across the country are going to be hearing a lot about health care over the next several weeks, and rightly so. With health-care spending exceeding 10 per cent of Canada’s GDP and accounting for nearly 50 per cent of many government budgets, it is an important topic and one […]
Canadian government needs to have a more unified China strategy across all domains including innovation and research direction
Questions have been raised around Huawei’s funding of 5G research in Canadian universities and whether the government should continue to allow this or not. Stimulating the debate are the current Canada-China geopolitical and trade tensions and the ongoing investigation around the potential national security threat of implementing a Chinese network infrastructure. The decision is still […]
Universities play a crucial role in Canada’s competitiveness
TORONTO—Talent and innovation—and therefore universities—play a crucial role in Canada’s competitiveness. Canadian prosperity was built on the foundation of a rich stream of natural resources and commodities; and has been fostered by liberal trade policies. Recent international developments are complicating the global trade of goods and services. We need new competitive advantages to sustain and […]
