N.W.T., Canada can work together for sustainable northern development
A year ago this week, I was in Ottawa to call for a national discussion on the future of the Northwest Territories. My red alert was motivated by the continued stagnation of the Northwest Territories economy, compounded by concerns that federal decisions and policies could create roadblocks to meaningful economic development and cut our people […]
Memo from Referendlandia: Brexit needs a re-vote
As any journalist old enough to have worked during the era of rolling constitutional crises knows, referendums are Canada’s third national specialty after hockey and export-grade Ryans (see: Gosling, Reynolds). During the 15 years when the country lived through three significant referendums—the Quebec independence vote of 1980, the national vote on the Charlottetown Accord on the […]
The right-wing roots of carbon pricing
Today’s fight over carbon pricing isn’t the ideological battle of the century. That would be a historic misunderstanding of our future by politicians fighting the last war. Despite Premier Doug Ford’s fulminations, this week’s embrace of pollution pricing by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau isn’t proof of a left-wing plot to pick the pockets of Canadians. […]
Every federal party sees opportunity in Quebec government
In the wake of the election earlier this month of a Coalition Avenir Québec government, Parliament Hill insiders and Quebec watchers have been scrambling to figure out how the new dynamics will play out in next year’s federal vote. It is testimony to the uncertainty that attends the arrival of an unknown untested quantity in […]
Canada made history last week, and it was a long time coming
OTTAWA—Canada made history last week, becoming only the second country in the world to sell legal cannabis. And judging by long lineups on the first day of sale, the decision was a long time coming. Marijuana distributers are predicting shortages for several months as product has been flying off the shelves in provinces with storefront […]
Support innovation in remote regions to build on Canada’s strengths
Since 2016, the government has taken essential and reassuring steps that demonstrate its commitment to transforming Canada into an innovative society. By unmuzzling federal scientists and establishing the chief science adviser of Canada’s office, the government sent a clear signal: science must be a pillar of federal government decision-making. The 2018 budget subsequently implemented the […]
Proposed Quebec ban on religious symbols isn’t freedom, it’s oppression
After defeating the ruling Quebec Liberals earlier this month, premier-elect François Legault’s Coalition Avenir Québec announced that some public employees may be banned from wearing religious clothing under a proposed “secularism law” in the province. Restrictions would be placed on all religious symbols, including a kippah skull cap or a hijab, and would apply to […]
Québec Solidaire vote may be more than a sign of youthful rebellion
KAMOURASKA, QUE.—The young woman who serves me my croissants and brioches at the local bakery surprised me today when she revealed she has an accounting degree from Université de Montréal and used to work for a heavy-equipment company. When the bakery closes for the season, she will do the books for the restaurant next door. […]
A turkey in the North shouldn’t cost $200
Many Canadians are hitting the gym this week to make up for their overindulgence on Thanksgiving turkey over the weekend. They may have splurged a bit on some expensive cheese or a prime cut of meat for dinner, but for people in the fly-in communities of Nunavut and other parts of the North, everyday food […]
Despite dairy concessions under USMCA, Trudeau Liberals’ ambitions in Quebec likely not in peril, strategists say
The Trudeau government’s decision to bow down to U.S. pressure to loosen restrictions on access to Canada’s dairy industry is a cudgel for opposition parties, but strategists say there are limits to how far they can ride the wave of backlash from the industry. The new NAFTA deal, renamed the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement, or USMCA, was […]
