Bigger northern conservation area planned after Shell relinquishes permits
Parks Canada says that in the wake of Shell Canada relinquishing all its exploratory permits near Lancaster Sound, off the shores of northern Nunavut, an agreement on a National Marine Conservation Area could be in place by the end of 2017. In early June, Shell Canada announced that it was giving its offshore exploratory permits […]
Gas tax fund shouldn’t specifically be focused on climate change
Over the years, there have been many successful infrastructure programs that have been set up to assist provinces, territories, and municipalities. Municipal leaders and stakeholders, such as the Federation of Canadian Municipalities, played a key role in the development of the gas tax fund and it has been one of the most beneficial and important […]
WWF looks to sun, wind as cleaner energy sources in Nunavut
The World Wildlife Fund’s Canadian division is looking at opportunities for displacing a good chunk of the diesel used for electricity in Nunavut with wind, solar, and battery power. Diesel is used to generate virtually all the electricity used in Nunavut. It has proven to be a reliable source of energy in the harsh northern […]
Bloc leader Fortin brushing up on his English, taking classes this summer
PARLIAMENT HILL—Interim Bloc Québécois Leader Rhéal Fortin may not be a household name, but he says he wants to better communicate his party’s message to all Canadians and is working on his English-language skills to do so. Mr. Fortin, who represents Rivière-du-Nord, Que., will be spending a week of his summer break attending English-language classes in […]
Don’t underestimate Jason Kenney, putative frontrunner, ultimate political animal
OTTAWA—Jason Kenney is the ultimate political animal. He knows when to hold ‘em and when to fold ‘em. In Kenney’s lengthy political pilgrimage, he has been associated with the Liberals, the Reform Party, the Conservatives and Wildrose. He has been extremely successful in riding the crest of just about every new Albertan political wave. Kenney […]
Food insecurity: Not just a poor country’s problem
We are accustomed to thinking of food security as a poor country’s problem, something for national governments and the United Nations to solve. But a week-long trip to Whitehorse with the Pierre Elliott Trudeau Foundation was a stark reminder of the food-security challenges faced here in Canada. Listening at the first-ever Yukon Food Security Summit, organized by […]
Brexit vote not that helpful to Quebec sovereigntists
MONTREAL—There was a time, not long ago, when the Quebec sovereignty movement swore by the model of the European Union. In the lead-up to the 1995 referendum, it provided the template for the project of a post-secession partnership with the rest of Canada. Back then, most leading sovereigntists sincerely believed in an EU-style Canada-Quebec union […]
Jason Kenney as Alberta Conservative saviour? Good luck
OTTAWA—So Jason Kenney, the highest-profile social conservative in the Conservative caucus, is letting it be known that he’s got a dream: he’s willing to abandon plans to lead the federal party that appears keen to soften its edges on social issues to lead a merged provincial conservative party in the next Alberta election. It’s a curious […]
To live up to its obligations, Canada must reject Energy East
The Vancouver Declaration on Clean Growth and Climate Change begins by stating that “Canada stands at the threshold of building our clean-growth economy. This transition will create a strong and diverse economy, create new jobs, and improve our quality of life.” We agree with this. However, to make this happen, the government needs the courage […]
The federal-provincial approach to climate change: how is this going to work?
The Liberal government will have its work cut out for itself come September, when final reports resulting from the federal-provincial approach to creating a national strategy to combat climate change and meet Canada’s 2030 carbon reduction goal are released. The meeting of first ministers in Vancouver this past March resulted in the creation of four […]
