Bernier still looking for a vein to tap into
As he travels west in search of support for his breakaway conservative party, Maxime Bernier has taken to introducing himself as “the Albertan from Quebec.” Albertans will have to decide from themselves whether a leader who reflects their values would, among other things, have Canada turn its back on the global fight against climate change […]
Quebec and Newfoundland and Labrador: neighbours that need to talk
OTTAWA—This month’s majority decision of the Supreme Court to reject Newfoundland and Labrador’s request to reopen the 1969 Churchill Falls power contract was not a surprise to anyone who has followed the case. With one exception (Newfoundland Justice Malcolm Rowe), the judges ruled there was no basis on which to reconsider the contract, which locked […]
In apologizing for turning away Jews fleeing Nazi persecution, Canada puts anti-Semites in a corner
This past weekend marked the 80th anniversary of Kristallnacht, the night of the broken glass. It was the night when Germany’s prevailing anti-Semitism exploded in unprecedented violence across the land. Synagogues were destroyed and burned down, Jewish people were attacked on the street and in their homes, and Germany was firmly ensconced in a movement—an […]
Canada’s soils are in crisis
Healthy soil is the heart of our food system and, by every conceivable measure, we are making our soil sick. In Ontario, soil organic matter—a key determinant of soil health—is now decreasing on 82 per cent of farmland. Since 1948, the soil organic matter in Essex County, in the province’s far south, has declined by […]
Clean electricity crucial for Northwest Territories
In last year’s Hill Times special policy edition on the North, I stated I was eagerly awaiting news on Canada’s National Trade Corridor’s funding to begin to address our infrastructure gap, link our communities, and help bring down the cost of living and the cost of developing our resources and bringing them to market. I […]
ITK president Obed says he and Minister LeBlanc have pledged ‘new course’ on Nutrition North redesign
Months after major Inuit organizations walked out of departmental consultations on revamping the northern food subsidy program, one Inuit leader says he and the new minister for northern affairs have “pledged to set a new course” on the program’s redesign. Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami (ITK) president Natan Obed said he and Intergovernmental and Northern Affairs Minister […]
Government inaction is a roadblock to building a sustainable economy for Nunavut
“There is no relationship more important to this government than our relationship with Indigenous people.” How often have I heard that said in the House as the prime minister and his cabinet ministers rise to answer questions on Indigenous issues? Nunavummiut can be forgiven for questioning their sincerity. In Nunavut we share a vision that […]
Liberals’ approach to the North is people-driven
Our government’s approach to the North is very much people-driven. Since coming into office in the fall of 2015, the government has made a substantial increase to the Northern Residents Deduction, targeted the Canada Child Benefit to those who need it most, and changed the rules around the Canada Workers Benefit to make it more […]
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 […]
