Defund the police? More like re-think how we fund them
KAMOURASKA, QUE.—A little less than two hours’ drive from here lies the city of Edmundston, N.B. With only 16,500 inhabitants, it is notable for straddling the borders of two provinces and two countries. But not much else. However, on June 4, Edmundston became the focal point of national media as an Indigenous woman, Chantel Moore, […]
The ‘afterlife of slavery’: defund, reform Canada’s prisons, advocates call, after watchdog says ‘very little’ has improved for Black inmates
Seven years after Canada’s prison watchdog report detailed the systemic discrimination Black men and women experience inside the country’s prisons, the office says “very little” has changed as advocates call for “aggressive” reform. Black Canadians continue to be overrepresented in federal prisons, in segregation, and in use-of-force incidents, said Correctional Investigator of Canada Ivan Zinger […]
Avoid painting all police officers with the same brush in push for reform
OTTAWA—Racism is pervasive in Canada. It is found almost everywhere. We can all do better to stamp it out and make meaningful personal, as well as societal, changes. I have made stupid comments, cracked jokes, and given others what I thought were playful nicknames that in hindsight were not appropriate and offensive. That was wrong […]
The never-ending outrage: Canadians need to finally come to terms with police brutality and racial injustice
OTTAWA—The video of RCMP officers attacking and punching Athabasca Chipewyan First Nation Chief Allan Adam is disturbing enough. But the truly shocking part of this episode was the conclusion by RCMP supervisors reviewing the incident that it was an appropriate use of force. Wood Buffalo RCMP said “it was determined (by supervisors) that the members’ […]
Speak out against racism, demand wholesale change in Canada’s police forces
OTTAWA—In the second quarter of 2020, racism and police brutality was brought to the forefront of the world’s consciousness. Black Americans, Native Americans, and allies closed down American cities as a measure of the stark and desperate urgency to change whole systems. Racism and police brutality have no place in any democracy. The movement crossed […]
America’s reality show election: Trump versus anarchy?
Like many journalists, some of my earliest professional experiences involved dealing with the police. As a radio reporter working the late shift in Vancouver, I learned to navigate the legalities and protocols of police reporting, and to respect the officers I dealt with both behind desks and at crime scenes. They were brave, competent human […]
Save us the ally song and dance—Canada needs action, not more faux-lidarity
OTTAWA—“Alright Mr. DeMille, I’m ready for my close-up.” This iconic line from Billy Wilder’s Sunset Boulevard sums up the Trudeau government’s flirtation with the advancement of social issues: from marching in Toronto Pride in 2016 while Black Lives Matter-Toronto protested for more inclusive spaces for queer people of colour and against police marching in Pride, […]
Though badly needed, curbing officially sanctioned racism may prove long and difficult
OTTAWA—Technology and the internet have led to deeply troubling questions about the ongoing health of politics and democracy. But a single invention, the camera phone, has opened the possibility of a singular, historic societal breakthrough by finally providing indisputable evidence of the appalling, deeply ingrained racial injustice and police brutality built into our governance systems. […]
Nearly 3,000 complaints filed against RCMP officers in 2018-19, up 13 per cent from year prior; excessive use of force one of most common complaints
Canadian residents filed 2,988 complaints about the conduct of RCMP officers in 2018-19, a 13 per cent increase from the year prior, and excessive use of force was one of the most common subjects of complaint. The complaints were filed to the Civilian Review and Complaints Commission (CRCC), an independent body that receives complaints about […]
Thousands gather at Parliament Hill in a show of solidarity against racism, police violence in Canada
Thousands took to the streets of downtown Ottawa on Friday for the “No Peace Until Justice” march to protest racism, police brutality, and systemic discrimination in Canada and across the world. Friday’s protest in Ottawa was one of several that took place across Canada, including demonstrations in Toronto and Winnipeg. The organizers began addressing the […]
