He’s no nervous flyer: Nunavut MP nears goal to visit territory’s 25 fly-in communities
Last week was the first time in almost two months Independent MP Hunter Tootoo spent more than a couple days in his Iqaluit home. It was also the first time in a long while he’d slept more than two nights in the same bed. The Nunavut MP spent his summer travelling to more than a […]
Just when you thought positive politics was a thing, Ontario’s slugfest starts
OTTAWA—So much has been said and written lately about the positive, changing nature of Canadian politics. There are three main federal party leaders under the age of 46, all trying to strike a more upbeat tone with the electorate. And of course Jagmeet Singh is the first person of colour to lead one of the […]
Losing a bridge builder: the death of Gretta Chambers
The death of Gretta Chambers on Sept. 9 did not make national headlines, but it struck a profound chord with Quebecers. Chambers was one of that generation of great Montrealers who sought to build bridges to the francophone community at a time of tension and misunderstanding, and who did it with style and wit. I […]
Ontario: dope dealer extraordinaire
OTTAWA—While I know the chances of anyone shedding any tears for me is akin to a snowball in hell, it is hard not to feel like in Central Canada these days governments are out to stick it to the business community. You’ve read my laments about the federal Liberals’ plan to change the way private […]
Quebec separatism isn’t dead
KAMOURASKA, QUE.—My neighbour here flies his Quebec fleur-de-lis flag proudly. There is a fresh blue flag on his immaculate, six-metre flag post every summer. Down the road at the Kamouraska cemetery, the member of the legislature from 1936 to 1952, René Chaloult is buried. There is a monument in front of the church praising his […]
Macdonald’s other legacy: francophone migration south
KAMOURASKA, QUE.—Whenever friends visit from elsewhere, I make sure to bring them to a small graveyard and chapel located about five kilometres outside of the current town of Kamouraska. A large sign identifies it as “Le Berceau de [The Cradle of] Kamouraska.” Between 1691 and 1792, this was the religious and political centre from Rivière […]
Quebec unimpressed with NDP
MONTREAL—The numbers are in and they don’t bode well for the NDP in Quebec, regardless of the outcome of the party’s upcoming leadership vote. The enthusiasm that attended the 2011 orange wave has given way to widespread voter indifference as well as internal discomfort within the province’s depleted NDP ranks. None of the four candidates […]
Atlantic boost on front bench noteworthy in shuffle aimed at getting action, say strategists
The creation of a new portfolio and the splitting of Indigenous and Northern Affairs were the big surprises out of the recent Liberal cabinet shuffle, but also of note was Atlantic Canada’s increased representation on the front bench, says Greg MacEachern, a senior vice-president at Environics Communications. “The Liberal Party in the last election, in […]
Opportunities missed in rural Canada without adequate investments
When you travel throughout Canada there is a certain expectation of safety. At our airports, you expect innovative navigational aids to be used for safe landings and you expect the runway to be paved and well lit. When travelling by land, you anticipate our roads, especially the Trans-Canada Highway, to be safe and well maintained. […]
O’Regan’s humility will get him far in Ottawa
OTTAWA—Justin Trudeau changed up parts of his cabinet this week, in response to Judy Foote’s departure and an apparent dissatisfaction with the state of the Indigenous Affairs Department. Having worked in that department in a previous life, it comes as no surprise that yet another prime minister finds the place backwards. However, one of the […]
