Aluminum, steel tariffs the latest in ‘laundry list’ of Canada-U.S. trade tussles
While Canadian, Mexican, and American negotiators were in Mexico City in the seventh round of discussion to bring down trade barriers through a revised North American Free Trade Agreement on March 1, United States President Donald Trump was seeking to erect another roadblock, adding to the “laundry list” of trade irritants stacking up in recent months […]
Strong, integrated, modern transportation system ‘fundamental’ to Canada’s future prosperity: Garneau
Transport Minister Marc Garneau has some heavy lifting to do with a few signature pieces for the Trudeau government’s environmental agenda. Most notably, Mr. Garneau’s (Notre-Dame-de-Grâce-Westmount, Que.) department is responsible for taking the lead on legislation barring crude oil tankers from traversing British Columbia’s ecologically sensitive North Coast, working with provincial and territorial governments to […]
Trans Mountain pipeline support to cost Liberals in 2019, but unclear how much, say pollsters
The federal Liberal government will pay a political price over its support for the $7.4-billion Kinder Morgan’s Trans Mountain pipeline expansion among First Nations and B.C. voters in the next election, say pollsters, but how high a cost remains to be seen. “There will be a political price to pay, and I think there’s an understanding […]
Anti-pipeline front fails in B.C. vote
The outcome of the first electoral engagement to take place against the backdrop of the B.C.-Alberta trade war was non-conclusive. That is not to say it was meaningless. On Feb. 14, the voters in the provincial riding of West Kelowna had the somewhat dubious honour to be the first to have the opportunity to use […]
Feds’ sweeping, new environmental assessment bill keeps power in ministers’ hands, say observers
The government’s new Impact Assessment Act includes hundreds of pages detailing changes to the environmental assessment process in Canada, but keeps ultimate power over approving natural resource projects in the hands of the federal environment minister and her cabinet colleagues. The broad discretion of the environment minister under the bill has drawn criticism from the […]
NDP MPs walk fine line in Alberta-B.C. pipeline dispute dividing their party
As NDP governments in Alberta and British Columbia feud over Kinder Morgan’s Trans Mountain pipeline, NDP MPs are treading a tight line in trying to support both provincial counterparts while also vocally in favour of vote-rich B.C.’s blockage of a pipeline they say never should have been approved. The two provinces are embroiled in a […]
Human rights ombudsperson will bring long-awaited accountability to Canadian mining
Nenita Andes Condez risked her life to visit Canada last spring. She was part of a KAIROS tour of Philippine leaders seeking accountability for mining operations from Canadians and government officials. Nenita is an Indigenous Subanen leader from the Philippine island of Mindanao. She advocates for her people in the face of complaints of human […]
People power: Canadians willing to shell out for clean energy
Energy issues can be a polarizing force in Canadian politics, all too often pitting region against region, or opening up divisions between rural and urban. So when we kicked off the Citizen Dialogues on Canada’s Energy Future in September, we didn’t know where these discussions would take us. The idea was to bring together randomly […]
Canada needs to think bigger to see true growth in its cleantech industry
The worldwide movement to fight climate change is electrifying unprecedented momentum in the global cleantech market. This momentum is characterized by a global race to innovate, develop, verify, and bring solutions to market. Canada has the potential to lead the pack. There’s no question we have the talent; Canada’s clean technology sector continues to punch […]
These provinces led in economic growth. They also price carbon pollution
Opponents of carbon pollution pricing have had a busy year, incessantly warning of the severe economic damage such policies will purportedly cause. Thankfully, proponents of clean growth have had a busy year too. Alberta wrapped up its consultation process on output-based allocations for large industrial emitters, Manitoba and Nova Scotia announced new carbon pricing systems, and the […]
