‘It’s an ill wind that doesn’t blow some good’: tourism in the time of COVID
KAMOURASKA, QUE.—The temperature was an unusually hot 30 degrees. The tide was in and the water temperature of the normally frigid Saint Lawrence River was 24 C. As I slipped into the waves, I looked to the west and could see large clouds of smoke blowing over the neighbouring villages. It didn’t look good. Indeed, […]
Social change depends on each of us doing our part
KAMOURASKA, QUE.—As many readers of this column know, I am not much of a monarchist, but I admire the Queen. And while it was a painful childhood duty to watch her annual Christmas message, this year’s resonates with me months later. Recounting the decades of her reign, she said, “positive things can be achieved when […]
Pandemic underlines need for better northern housing: Vandal
Northern Affairs Minister Dan Vandal has been busy during the pandemic. Phone calls start around 8 a.m. and stop whenever they stop. Mr. Vandal (Saint Boniface-Saint Vital, Man.) is the first person to hold the standalone title of Minister of Northern Affairs. Previously, the responsibilities for northern economic development and relations with Indigenous and territorial […]
Mr. Rajotte goes to Washington
It seems fitting, before discussing the intricate and somewhat frayed bilateral relationship between Canada and the United States, to first acknowledge the recent passing of Allan Gotlieb, an esteemed public servant, a visionary diplomat, and Canada’s longest-serving ambassador to the United States (1981-1989). And while the geopolitical tensions of the Cold War have long passed, […]
The 1980 referendum campaign: a shining Canadian moment
OTTAWA—Forty years ago today, I was standing in the Verdun Auditorium in south-centre Montreal, when a woman said to me in French, “This is proof we can be good Québécois and Canadians at the same time.” It was a key message of the tumultuous six weeks that led to the historic victory of the “No” […]
Push to reopen the economy fuelled by disinformation, political gaslighting
OTTAWA—Donald Trump’s gaslighting of America is rapidly turning into Canadian policy. This is being orchestrated through an aggressive disinformation campaign, controlled and co-ordinated by the White House. On May 11, thousands of children in Quebec returned to school after an eight-week absence as a result of measures undertaken to stop the spread of COVID-19. […]
Quebec CPC membership votes more important than low leadership donations, say politicos
All four Conservative leadership hopefuls have reported low fundraising numbers in Quebec to start the year, amounting to three per cent of all funds raised this race in a province that will be key to the next leaders’ coronation. That doesn’t mean they aren’t active and recruiting support in Quebec, suggest some Conservative politicians, who […]
Liberal MP Kamal Khera joins nursing ranks after COVID-19 recovery
The only MP to have publicly revealed to have tested positive for COVID-19 and subsequently recovered has joined the front lines pitching in at a long-term care home in Brampton, Ont. Liberal MP Kamal Khera, who is a registered nurse, announced she was joining the front lines of the health crisis in March, but before she […]
We’re crazy with confinement, but does that mean we’re ready?
CHELSEA, QUE.—When it comes to when and how fast we should resume quasi-normal life as pandemic infection rates slow, the answer probably depends on how old you are, how broke you are, and where you live. Or so you would think. Yet Quebec, with more than half of the 50,000-plus cases in the country—and a […]
Mass shooting should prompt discussion on domestic violence, says Liberal MP
Canada needs to have a conversation about violence against women and ramp up support to address the problem, says Lenore Zann, the Liberal MP who represents the Nova Scotia riding where a gunman killed 22 and, police say, started the slaughter with an attack on his girlfriend. Finding out the rampage began that way “sends […]
