Time for widespread gender-neutral language in federal policy, legislation, say advocates
The very act of not being included in government policy is discriminatory, says Estefan Cortes-Vargas, former Alberta MLA, diversity consultant, and one of the first openly non-binary people elected in Canada, referring to the sparse use of gender-neutral language. It’s an issue the federal government says it’s trying to fix, piece by piece. This area […]
New language-learning app named after late Liberal bilingualism champion
A new CBC-based language-learning app, Mauril, hopes to instil the same love of language as its namesake, the late Liberal MP Mauril Bélanger. Mr. Bélanger, who died from ALS in 2016 at the age of 61, had a long history of fighting for Canada’s linguistic duality. He was decorated as Commandeur de l’Odre de la […]
Has the Hill changed for women in the workplace post-#MeToo?
In the years since the #MeToo movement rocked the globe, it has brought changes that women who work federal politics say range from the good, like opening the conversation, to the less positive, such as creating a rift between men and women in the workplace. Parliament Hill was no outlier when it came to the […]
Canada’s continuum of hate: time to address COVID-accelerated bigotry
OTTAWA—How big of a problem is hate-motivated violence in Canada? The fact is, no one knows. Only a small portion of all hate crimes are reported to police, with estimates of incidents going unreported ranging from 60 per cent to 95 per cent. That’s partly because many people, particularly newcomers to Canada, avoid involvement with […]
Canada must formally apologize for its historic role in the enslavement of Africans in this country and acknowledge the contributions of Black Canadians
American civil rights activist James Baldwin once asked, “how much time do you want for your ‘progress.’ ” Canadian Black politicians, leaders, professors, civil rights activists, and associations have for years called upon Canada to formally apologize for its role in the enslavement of Africans in this country. This long-awaited apology would bring about acknowledgment, recognition, […]
Quebec has to come to grips with systemic racism
MONTREAL—I love Quebec. It is why I moved back last fall, splitting my time between my ancestral home in Kamouraska and my pied-a-terre in Montreal. There are so many enriching aspects of life in this province, especially its people. Whether in the dynamic metropolis of Montreal or the countryside of the Lower Saint Lawrence, this […]
Time for political leaders to join Asian-Canadian community leaders to stamp out anti-Asian hatred
On March 23, the Chinese Canadian National Council’s Toronto chapter released a report, which found that a majority of Asian-Canadians who have been attacked physically, orally, and online since the pandemic started last March reported it was because they were being blamed for the spread of the COVID-19 virus in Canada. It found a total […]
‘Parallel pandemic of racism’: Asian-Canadian advocates call for House study on resurgence of anti-Asian hate
Asian-Canadian advocates are calling on Parliament to convene a committee study to examine the “disturbing rise” of racially motivated physical, verbal, and online attacks against Asians since the pandemic started. In a report released March 23, the Chinese Canadian National Council’s (CCNC) Toronto chapter found that a majority of those targeted reported it was because […]
Next budget a ‘critical moment’ in economic recovery for women, say experts
Following a year of economic dislocation that has hit Canadians from all walks of life hard, experts say the fallout from the pandemic has had a disproportionate impact on women, and that the next federal budget must include targeted support for those who have been hit the hardest. Carrie Freestone, an economist with the Royal […]
Anti-abortion group, Sloan instruct supporters to vote ‘no’ on proposals seen as hostile to SoCons at CPC convention
Anti-abortion advocates in the Conservative Party appear unlikely to force a debate on the virtual convention floor on abortion, but are vying to block passage of a raft constitutional amendments that they see as an attempt to diminish their influence. Campaign Life Coalition (CLC), an influential social conservative group, released a voting guide for its […]
