Pandemic underlines need for better northern housing: Vandal
Northern Affairs Minister Dan Vandal has been busy during the pandemic. Phone calls start around 8 a.m. and stop whenever they stop. Mr. Vandal (Saint Boniface-Saint Vital, Man.) is the first person to hold the standalone title of Minister of Northern Affairs. Previously, the responsibilities for northern economic development and relations with Indigenous and territorial […]
Government must do more to help northerners and their businesses bounce back
As the number of confirmed cases of COVID-19 continue to decline across the country, it feels as though we are at a point in the crisis where all of us are trying to catch our collective breath, take stock of where we are, examine what is working and what isn’t, and ready ourselves for whatever […]
The North
Look to the new NAFTA for the roadmap to the future of the Canada-U.S. bond
Canadian leadership needs to move beyond COVID-19 border controls and turn to implementing the Canada-U.S.-Mexico Free Trade Agreement. In what is already a divisive U.S. election, we must also avoid anything that could be construed as interference. The Nov. 3 elections will decide not just the presidency, but also, crucially, one-third of the Senate plus […]
Nunavut politicians say feds must ‘step up’ prevention measures, fearing COVID-19 could spread ‘like wildfire’
Nunavut politicians are calling on the federal government to put aside more funds to prepare the territory, saying the $30.8-million promised last week is “a drop in the bucket” and not near enough to prepare for COVID-19 cases, which they warn could spread like wildfire in small communities. As the lone MP representing the largest […]
The case for a ‘For Indigenous, By Indigenous’ housing strategy
OTTAWA—When politicians and commentators discuss Indigenous peoples in Canada, it’s not often recognized that 87 per cent of Indigenous peoples in Canada live in urban, rural, and northern settings. Given that fact, it’s an unfortunate reality that the federal government is not living up to its housing obligations for Indigenous people living in urban, rural, […]
We are not really ‘The North’
OTTAWA—Thirteen years ago, I went to Whitehorse, the first time I had ever been north of the 60th parallel. It was a memorable visit, as I was enveloped by the northern lights, travelled around the region, and met people of all ages and backgrounds to talk about international policy. In doing so, I was part […]
Jason Kenney is shooting off his foot, not just his mouth
CHELSEA, QUE.—The major obstacle to Alberta’s future well-being at the moment is not Justin Trudeau. It is Jason Kenney. The Alberta premier’s belligerent and distorted attacks on “Ottawa,” and his deafness to the climate change concerns that influenced the outcome of the recent election, is winning him no friends in the rest of the country. […]
The Arctic is being overlooked in this election
The silence is deafening. Unless you live in the Arctic, as I do, you probably haven’t heard anything about the region that makes up more than half of Canada’s territory. That’s frustrating, given the attention the Arctic received before the election was called when the Government of Canada made a number of announcements and released […]
Arctic policy framework released ‘last minute’ ahead of October election, say experts
After nearly three years of waiting, the release of the Trudeau government’s much-anticipated Arctic policy framework was rushed ahead of the looming election, possibly with the aim of avoiding a campaign “vulnerability” for the Liberals, say experts. The Arctic and Northern Policy Framework was released with little fanfare on Sept. 10, just a day before […]
