Tannas joins Senate Internal Economy deputy chair slate
The Senate Internal Economy, Budgets, and Administration Committee approved a change to its roster of deputy chairs on Oct. 27, with Canadian Senators Group Leader Scott Tannas taking on a new role. Tannas joins Conservative Quebec Senator Claude Carignan and Progressive Senator Group (PSG) Quebec Senator Dennis Dawson as deputy chairs of the committee, which […]
Ancestral Algonquin remains likely ended up in bricks and mortar of Parliament Buildings: Global Centre for Pluralism report
The remains of Algonquin ancestors are likely embedded in the mortar of the original Parliament Buildings, because the sand used for the buildings came from a confirmed ancient Algonquin burial site across the Ottawa River, according to a report released by the Global Centre for Pluralism, which urges Canadians to consider this morbid fact when […]
Centre Block demolition work reaches a pinnacle (four, to be exact)
Almost three years in, demolition work continues inside the historic Centre Block building—now focused on high-heritage spaces on the second, third, and fourth floors—and soon, it will reach the top of the Peace Tower, with a mobile crane set to be erected later this fall to remove the four pinnacles that surround the tower’s clock […]
Some MPs hope for more transparency on Canada’s military response to invasion of Ukraine
With media reports of Canadian special forces troops operating on the ground in Ukraine and the announcement of successive military deployments in response to Russia’s invasion, there has been limited willingness for increased parliamentary consultations—though some MPs are hoping that will change. While the deployment of the Canadian Forces is under the executive’s jurisdiction, successive […]
Enough is enough: Hockey Canada scandals another reminder big changes needed to end sexual violence
Once again, Canada’s lack of leadership in combating sexual violence and harassment has taken centre stage. This time, it comes with shocking revelations involving Hockey Canada. Reports confirm the iconic organization had become so ensnared in a culture of sexual misconduct that it created a slush fund to settle claims of wrongdoing. Despite scandal after scandal, there […]
Liberal House leader accuses Conservatives of obstruction tactics ‘without purpose,’ Opposition House leader hits back
During a legislative session unfolding in the midst of an ongoing pandemic, the ‘Freedom Convoy’ making landfall just metres outside of West Block, and a particularly rancorous Conservative Party leadership race, 14 government bills ultimately received Royal Assent during the first session of the 44th Parliament, which sat from Nov. 22 to June 23. But […]
‘Anti-Trudeau’ movement ‘only just starting to be felt and understood politically’ despite muted Canada Day presence, say strategists, experts
In comparison to the “Freedom Convoy” that descended on Ottawa at the beginning of the year, those who marched through the nation’s capital on Canada Day were met immediately with a heavy police presence in a relatively muted atmosphere. But also unlike the events of January and February, those who demonstrated in Ottawa this time […]
Tempers flared in final days of Parliament due to ‘Freedom Convoy’ support and ‘pent up demand’ to keep government accountable, say MPs and politicos
Tempers ran hotter than usual as the last parliamentary session abruptly came to a close for the summer break on June 23, indicating a heightened sense of tension in Canadian politics, say some MPs and political observers. Green Party parliamentary leader Elizabeth May (Saanich-Gulf Islands, B.C.) said a more combative U.S.-style political discourse has crept […]
Policing the precinct requires a principled plan
For the second time in a decade, Parliamentarians are examining security following a “traumatic” incident that impaired the normal functioning of Parliament. In 2015, following the previous year’s intrusion of an armed assailant into Centre Block—and the confusion of interoperability of security personnel and the RCMP on Parliament Hill—the Parliamentary Protective Service (PPS) was created […]
‘This can never happen again’: downtown residents launch Ottawa People’s Commission to address failures to keep community safe during convoy protests
Ottawa residents have launched a citizen-led commission into the so-called “Freedom Convoy”—which turned into an occupation of the nation’s capital downtown core for nearly a month in February—to hear the voices of those who lived through it. The Ottawa People’s Commission on the Convoy Occupation was launched on June 27 in the Ottawa Public Library’s […]
