Canada’s impending unity crisis
OAKVILLE, ONT.—It’s been a relatively long time since Canada’s suffered through a gut-wrenching unity crisis. So yeah, we’re due for one. In fact, the resentment currently simmering in Western Canada—more specifically in Alberta—suggests we’re heading for a period of seriously ramped up regional tension. And make no mistake, resentment is growing in the West. As former interim […]
Eastern dealmakers watch feds fumble free trade opportunity
Free trade across America’s northern border is at risk of remaining frozen in the 1990’s as the veneer of hopeful rhetoric fades from the NAFTA negotiating table. That’s bad news in New England and Atlantic Canada where time-tested trading partners would have benefited from the fulfillment of a more modern, inclusive reboot of the deal. […]
It’s the federal government’s moment of truth on the environment
As the Trudeau government approaches the middle of its mandate, the prime minister faces a choice: Will he deliver on his promise to restore rigour and credibility to Canada’s process for making decisions about industrial projects like mines, dams and pipelines? Or will he back down from his campaign commitments and opt instead for a […]
Sacrificing caribou to save forestry is a fool’s errand—it’s time we stop playing the fool
Canada’s boreal forest is a place where jobs and wildlife protection, the economy and the environment, rise or fall together. That was the common-sense understanding between environmental groups and forest companies that drove the Canadian Boreal Forest Agreement (CBFA) in 2010. Somehow, seven years later, we seem to have lost track of that fundamental truth […]
The ramifications of the demise of Energy East
OTTAWA—I don’t understand why people believe that western Canadian separation is dead. It appears, at least on the federal level, that Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and the Liberals believe they can ignore Alberta and now Saskatchewan. In the past, the only province that threatened separation was Quebec. However, when Pierre Trudeau was prime minister the […]
Mackenzie Valley Highway a road to resources, jobs
I am a huge proponent of investing in infrastructure, and for the Northwest Territories this means primarily investing in road infrastructure. It is hard to know where to start when explaining the importance of road access to those who take road travel for granted every day. Did you drive more than 25 kilometres to work […]
“The Energy East pipeline project has been scrapped. Is this a good or bad thing for Canada? Why?”/by Laura Ryckewaert
Cameron Ahmad Liberal strategist “Robust debates are a fundamental part of our national discourse. Unfortunately, some politicians have chosen to use TransCanada’s decision—a private business decision—to stoke regional divisions. Canadians deserve better than leaders who ignore facts and context in favour of politically charged rhetoric. Their intellectually dishonest arguments pit our country’s regions against each […]
House subcommittee on International Human Rights has heard from local activists, community activists
Re: “House subcommittee hearings on mining in Latin America a public disservice,” (The Hill Times, Oct. 18, p. 15). The opinion piece on the House Subcommittee on International Human Rights study on human rights surrounding resource extraction in Latin America claimed that we have not heard from those most affected by this issue: the local […]
Energy East saga demonstrates the need for a climate test
TORONTO—This month’s cancellation of the Energy East pipeline sparked a divisive debate about the prospects for new fossil fuel infrastructure in a world moving rapidly to tackle climate change. But there’s a clear path forward to provide industry with policy clarity for future energy projects: the federal government must put in place a climate test […]
‘More likely to drive change than the carbon tax,’ advocates say clean fuel standard may lead to Canadian planes flying on biofuels
Potential aviation-specific regulations in Canada’s new clean fuel standard, set to take effect in 2019, might jumpstart domestic production of biofuels that may soon power jets for popular carriers such as Air Canada and WestJet, say advocates. The clean fuel standard (CFS), currently being conceived by Environment Canada, would lay out mandated thresholds for renewable […]
