Senate should be ‘very careful’ of widespread rule changes and ‘unintended consequences,’ says retiring Sen. Day
After nearly two decades in the Upper Chamber, Joseph Day, the outgoing Senate Liberal-turned-Progressive Senate Group leader, said he feels he still has unfinished business. “There’s a lot of things that you want to make sure [to] get in place so that you’re confident that the decisions taken will be in the best interest of […]
Christmas in Ortona was ‘just another day’
OTTAWA—At this time of year, one of my favourite songs is about the “Christmas Truce” of the First World War. Called Christmas in the Trenches, one of the most evocative versions is by Canadian singer John McDermott. In December 1914, there was a pause in the fighting, and the English and German soldiers approached one […]
CPP benefits clawed back on Forces’ pensions, says Labelle
Veterans regret to inform that during the past federal election campaign, not one leader included their CPP benefit clawback issue in their election campaign platform. Their Canadian Forces Superannuation Act engagement contract has been breached. The sacred trust obligation promise made to our Canadian Forces personnel by prime minister Sir Robert Borden is no longer […]
Lest we forget
I am one of “those people” seen by Don Cherry. As an immigrant to Canada from the 1960s, I dutifully donned a poppy. A talk from a mayor at a memorial service in the Netherlands impacted my perspective. It was a lament on “lest we forget,” as he identified current atrocities across the globe. After […]
Don Cherry’s comments were wrong, but not on every front
OTTAWA—There is no question that hockey commentator Don Cherry’s controversial remarks and subsequent firing proved polemic well beyond the normal reach of the Hockey Night in Canada audience. But the Cherry saga was perhaps at its most divisive among the very veterans community the aging sportscaster was purporting to defend. The reason for this is […]
Canadian Armed Forces members deserve easier access to health care
Members of the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) voluntarily and selflessly dedicate their careers to keeping our country safe while putting their bodies through tremendously high physical stresses. Unsurprisingly, musculoskeletal (MSK) injuries are one of the most common occupational risks in the military population. In fact, MSK conditions are responsible for 42 per cent of career-ending […]
Don Cherry needs to own up to his mistake, apologize
OTTAWA—Don Cherry, in some quarters a Canadian icon, is now gone from Coach’s Corner on Hockey Night in Canada. The mouth that roared fell on Remembrance Day after nearly four decades on air. He took himself out by making ill-considered and inappropriate comments about people not wearing poppies. Comments that dripped with racism. Since his […]
Riding off into the sunset: two Tory Senators retire
Two Conservative Senators officially retired this month, though their last days in the Upper Chamber were during the heated final days of the 42nd Parliament. New Brunswick lawyer-turned-Senator Paul McIntyre retired on Nov. 2 after a decade in the Senate, while B.C. Senator Richard Neufeld’s last day was Nov. 6. He had spent seven years […]
The Hill remembers: in 43rd Parliament, 19 MPs and Senators have served in the military
Remembrance Day will hold a special significance for 19 Parliamentarians who have previously served in the Canadian Armed Forces. In Ottawa, to mark the end of fighting on the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month in 1918, the annual Remembrance Day ceremony will take place on Nov. 11 at the National […]
A Remembrance Day tribute
OTTAWA—Each November, I go back to Québec City, where my mother, her mother, and grandmother were raised and are now buried, to read the “Honour Roll” of the dead of the wars at the Anglican Cathedral, in Le Vieux Québec. While the English community in Québec City only numbers 5,000 people, the cathedral is filled […]
