Perry Bellegarde: the path we must walk together
Indigenous priorities are Canada’s priorities. Whether it’s the economy, the environment, opportunities for growth, or measures to help the middle class and those struggling to join it, First Nations care deeply about these public policy matters. In 2015, the Assembly of First Nations introduced Closing the Gap, which spelled out the challenges facing First Nations, […]
Nurses, the unsung heroes of health care, go beyond traditional roles
Last month, I attended the 16th Annual Awards of Excellence in Nursing, a celebration of both the beginning of National Nursing Week and the recipients of these awards. This year’s theme during Nursing Week was #YESThisisNursing, a testament to the constantly changing and expanding roles of nurses in Canada. It’s a theme that is especially relevant to […]
Trudeau government’s promise on Indigenous education gets a failing grade
What would you do if education officials in your children’s school board falsified graduation rates or failed to track why so many children were unable to pass basic literacy tests? What would you do if, year after year, education officials covered their tracks by ignoring orders to compile useable data to ensure better education outcomes? […]
Indigenous Relations Policy Briefing
Trans Mountain buy adds to Liberals’ betrayal of Indigenous voters, say activists, NDP
The backlash to the federal government’s decision to purchase Kinder Morgan’s Trans Mountain pipeline project could cost the Liberals in 2019, as some Indigenous, environmental, and youth activists gear up to respond to what they see as a broken attempt at reconciliation, say activists, opposition MPs, and observers. On May 29, Finance Minister Bill Morneau […]
Global warming change can be abrupt, quite extreme, and once it happens it’s the new normal
LONDON, U.K.—Here are two interesting facts. One is that the winter temperatures in the Arctic this year were the highest ever recorded. On two days in February, it was actually warmer at the North Pole than it was in Zurich, Switzerland. At one location in Greenland, the temperature rose to 36 degrees C higher than […]
Here’s what MP Cathy McLeod ought to know about carbon pricing
Re: “Northerners deserve a government that has their back,” (The Hill Times, May 16, p. 17). Let’s have all the facts. In decrying Justin Trudeau’s “carbon tax,” Conservative MP Cathy McLeod fails to mention that under the Pan-Canadian Framework on Clean Growth and Climate Change, each province and territory is free to choose their preferred […]
Feds assembling Indigenous advisory team ahead of Indian Act reform
The federal government is putting together an Indigenous advisory panel to help it navigate what are sure to be complicated discussions over how to remove gender discrimination from—and make broader changes to—the Indian Act. After the government compromised on Senate-led amendments, Bill S-3 passed in December allowing all women to pass Indian status down to […]
Indigenous services minister says plan to eliminate water advisories is on track
Since November 2015, 62 long-term drinking water advisories for public systems on reserves have been lifted, says Indigenous Services Minister Jane Philpott. And despite adding 32 to the list in that time, she said the government is on track to meet its commitment of eliminating them all by March 2021. “It’s continuing in a very […]
Northern corridor research has ‘merit,’ say Tory politicians who want to see Liberal support
A dedicated trade corridor for the North and its closest neighbours would spur economic development for the country’s most remote regions, say Tory politicians who are frustrated with the government’s refusal to support a proposal that already has the endorsement of a Senate committee. But Transport Canada says money is already directed towards improving northern […]
