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Tuesday, November 25, 2025

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Erika Simpson

Why Canada should oppose Trump’s Golden Dome proposal

  • A comprehensive ballistic missile defence system is viewed by many defence analysts as potentially destabilizing as it could be perceived as enabling a nuclear
Opinion | BY ERIKA SIMPSON | November 19, 2025
Donald Trump
Donald Trump
U.S. President Donald Trump’s Golden Dome goes well beyond NORAD modernization, and would represent a major policy shift in Canada’s defence posture, writes Erika Simpson. White House photograph by Joyce N. Boghosian

Why Canada should oppose Trump’s Golden Dome proposal

Opinion | BY ERIKA SIMPSON | November 19, 2025
  • A comprehensive ballistic missile defence system is viewed by many defence analysts as potentially destabilizing as it could be perceived as enabling a nuclear

Why Canada should oppose Trump’s Golden Dome proposal

Opinion | BY ERIKA SIMPSON | November 19, 2025
  • A comprehensive ballistic missile defence system is viewed by many defence analysts as potentially destabilizing as it could be perceived as enabling a nuclear
Donald Trump
U.S. President Donald Trump’s Golden Dome goes well beyond NORAD modernization, and would represent a major policy shift in Canada’s defence posture, writes Erika Simpson. White House photograph by Joyce N. Boghosian

Iran’s uranium enrichment: myths, realities, and what Canada should understand

  • Canadians deserve an informed debate about the potential proliferation dangers of these new reactor designs, especially as the intention is to export them around
Opinion | BY ERIKA SIMPSON, GORDON EDWARDS | June 29, 2025
Atomic bomb mushroom clouds pictured over Hiroshima, Japan, on Aug. 6, 1945, left, and over Nagasaki, Japan, on Aug. 9, 1945. Images courtesy Wikimedia Commons

Iran’s uranium enrichment: myths, realities, and what Canada should understand

Opinion | BY ERIKA SIMPSON, GORDON EDWARDS | June 29, 2025
  • Canadians deserve an informed debate about the potential proliferation dangers of these new reactor designs, especially as the intention is to export them around

Iran’s uranium enrichment: myths, realities, and what Canada should understand

Opinion | BY ERIKA SIMPSON, GORDON EDWARDS | June 29, 2025
  • Canadians deserve an informed debate about the potential proliferation dangers of these new reactor designs, especially as the intention is to export them around
Atomic bomb mushroom clouds pictured over Hiroshima, Japan, on Aug. 6, 1945, left, and over Nagasaki, Japan, on Aug. 9, 1945. Images courtesy Wikimedia Commons

NATO’s dangerous new trajectory of expensive targets

  • Mark Carney’s pledge to meet NATO’s new spending target risks defining Canada’s future by bombs and budgets rather than by peacebuilding and principle.
Opinion | BY ERIKA SIMPSON | June 25, 2025
Mark Carney
Mark Carney
Prime Minister Mark Carney could have resisted NATO’s increasingly militarized path. Instead, his increased spending pledge entrenches Canada deeper within the orbit of U.S. defence interests, writes Erika Simpson. The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade

NATO’s dangerous new trajectory of expensive targets

Opinion | BY ERIKA SIMPSON | June 25, 2025
  • Mark Carney’s pledge to meet NATO’s new spending target risks defining Canada’s future by bombs and budgets rather than by peacebuilding and principle.

NATO’s dangerous new trajectory of expensive targets

Opinion | BY ERIKA SIMPSON | June 25, 2025
  • Mark Carney’s pledge to meet NATO’s new spending target risks defining Canada’s future by bombs and budgets rather than by peacebuilding and principle.
Mark Carney
Prime Minister Mark Carney could have resisted NATO’s increasingly militarized path. Instead, his increased spending pledge entrenches Canada deeper within the orbit of U.S. defence interests, writes Erika Simpson. The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade

Northwestern Ontario nuclear waste site selection raises concerns

  • The selection process has overlooked the broader impact on local and Indigenous populations near highways that could be used to transport nuclear waste north.
Opinion | BY ERIKA SIMPSON | December 12, 2024
Stephen Lecce
Stephen Lecce
Ontario’s Energy Minister Stephen Lecce, pictured in June 2023, has emphasized the need to invest in energy infrastructure to meet meet rising electricity demand over the next 25 years. The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade

Northwestern Ontario nuclear waste site selection raises concerns

Opinion | BY ERIKA SIMPSON | December 12, 2024
  • The selection process has overlooked the broader impact on local and Indigenous populations near highways that could be used to transport nuclear waste north.

Northwestern Ontario nuclear waste site selection raises concerns

Opinion | BY ERIKA SIMPSON | December 12, 2024
  • The selection process has overlooked the broader impact on local and Indigenous populations near highways that could be used to transport nuclear waste north.
Stephen Lecce
Ontario’s Energy Minister Stephen Lecce, pictured in June 2023, has emphasized the need to invest in energy infrastructure to meet meet rising electricity demand over the next 25 years. The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade

Nuclear stations in Russia-Ukraine war provide warnings for Canada

  • The legacy of strikes on nuclear sites has made evident that nuclear power plants and waste disposal sites could become targets in conflict zones.
Opinion | BY ERIKA SIMPSON | September 2, 2024
The Bruce Nuclear Generating Station near Kincardine, Ont. Natural Resources Canada can learn from the attacks on Kursk and on Ukraine’s own Zaporizhian nuclear power plant, writes Erika Simpson. Photograph courtesy of Wikimedia Commons/Chuck Szmurlo

Nuclear stations in Russia-Ukraine war provide warnings for Canada

Opinion | BY ERIKA SIMPSON | September 2, 2024
  • The legacy of strikes on nuclear sites has made evident that nuclear power plants and waste disposal sites could become targets in conflict zones.

Nuclear stations in Russia-Ukraine war provide warnings for Canada

Opinion | BY ERIKA SIMPSON | September 2, 2024
  • The legacy of strikes on nuclear sites has made evident that nuclear power plants and waste disposal sites could become targets in conflict zones.
The Bruce Nuclear Generating Station near Kincardine, Ont. Natural Resources Canada can learn from the attacks on Kursk and on Ukraine’s own Zaporizhian nuclear power plant, writes Erika Simpson. Photograph courtesy of Wikimedia Commons/Chuck Szmurlo

Arctic disputes won’t all be solved with more arms

  • There are less militaristic and less costly ways to assert sovereignty over Canada’s North and enhance world peace.
Opinion | BY ERIKA SIMPSON | November 22, 2023
A CC-177 Globemaster arrives in Resolute Bay, Nunavut, on Feb. 13, 2016. The rapid pace of climate change means that mounting threats other than Russia and China need urgent attention, writes Erika Simpson. DND photograph by MCpl Louis Brunet

Arctic disputes won’t all be solved with more arms

Opinion | BY ERIKA SIMPSON | November 22, 2023
  • There are less militaristic and less costly ways to assert sovereignty over Canada’s North and enhance world peace.

Arctic disputes won’t all be solved with more arms

Opinion | BY ERIKA SIMPSON | November 22, 2023
  • There are less militaristic and less costly ways to assert sovereignty over Canada’s North and enhance world peace.
A CC-177 Globemaster arrives in Resolute Bay, Nunavut, on Feb. 13, 2016. The rapid pace of climate change means that mounting threats other than Russia and China need urgent attention, writes Erika Simpson. DND photograph by MCpl Louis Brunet

Fears of nuclear meltdown and war over the Black Sea should push global community to action

  • A new route to peace, like a proposed U.N. Emergency Peace Service, could be used to protect Europe’s largest nuclear power plant.
Opinion | BY ERIKA SIMPSON | August 17, 2023
More people are rejecting the idea that men at the apex of power, such as Russian President Vladimir Putin, should control the fate of billions of people with one person’s decision to use nukes, writes Erika Simpson. Photograph courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

Fears of nuclear meltdown and war over the Black Sea should push global community to action

Opinion | BY ERIKA SIMPSON | August 17, 2023
  • A new route to peace, like a proposed U.N. Emergency Peace Service, could be used to protect Europe’s largest nuclear power plant.

Fears of nuclear meltdown and war over the Black Sea should push global community to action

Opinion | BY ERIKA SIMPSON | August 17, 2023
  • A new route to peace, like a proposed U.N. Emergency Peace Service, could be used to protect Europe’s largest nuclear power plant.
More people are rejecting the idea that men at the apex of power, such as Russian President Vladimir Putin, should control the fate of billions of people with one person’s decision to use nukes, writes Erika Simpson. Photograph courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

When planning nuclear waste sites in Canada, consider Ukraine’s potential nuclear crisis

  • As more countries learn from the Ukraine war, the risk is that many inter-related problems surrounding nuclear power beset future generations for thousands of
Opinion | BY ERIKA SIMPSON | July 6, 2023
An aerial view of the Bruce Nuclear Generating Station—the world's largest nuclear generating station—on the shore of Lake Huron, near Kincardine, Ont. Photograph courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

When planning nuclear waste sites in Canada, consider Ukraine’s potential nuclear crisis

Opinion | BY ERIKA SIMPSON | July 6, 2023
  • As more countries learn from the Ukraine war, the risk is that many inter-related problems surrounding nuclear power beset future generations for thousands of

When planning nuclear waste sites in Canada, consider Ukraine’s potential nuclear crisis

Opinion | BY ERIKA SIMPSON | July 6, 2023
  • As more countries learn from the Ukraine war, the risk is that many inter-related problems surrounding nuclear power beset future generations for thousands of
An aerial view of the Bruce Nuclear Generating Station—the world's largest nuclear generating station—on the shore of Lake Huron, near Kincardine, Ont. Photograph courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

Prigozhin’s mad race to Moscow a pivotal event and it’s shaken Russia to its core

  • The failed rebellion portends that Putin will lose his grip on power, that Russia could become even more of a pariah rogue state, and
Opinion | BY ERIKA SIMPSON | June 29, 2023
Russian President Vladimir Putin, left, Wagner Group leader Yevgeny Prigozhin. Caught in a prisoner’s dilemma—with no satisfactory choices—Prigozhin is a former convict who led a private army including thousands of prisoners who remain desperate with little to lose, writes Erika Simpson. Photographs courtesy of Wikimedia Commons/illustration by Neena Singhal

Prigozhin’s mad race to Moscow a pivotal event and it’s shaken Russia to its core

Opinion | BY ERIKA SIMPSON | June 29, 2023
  • The failed rebellion portends that Putin will lose his grip on power, that Russia could become even more of a pariah rogue state, and

Prigozhin’s mad race to Moscow a pivotal event and it’s shaken Russia to its core

Opinion | BY ERIKA SIMPSON | June 29, 2023
  • The failed rebellion portends that Putin will lose his grip on power, that Russia could become even more of a pariah rogue state, and
Russian President Vladimir Putin, left, Wagner Group leader Yevgeny Prigozhin. Caught in a prisoner’s dilemma—with no satisfactory choices—Prigozhin is a former convict who led a private army including thousands of prisoners who remain desperate with little to lose, writes Erika Simpson. Photographs courtesy of Wikimedia Commons/illustration by Neena Singhal

NATO allies should take Canada’s lead and spend less on defence

  • When defence spending is expressed as a percentage of GDP, Canada appears to be a laggard. But if measured per capita, Canada ranks high.
Opinion | BY ERIKA SIMPSON | April 24, 2023
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, left, with Defence Minister Anita Anand. Last week, Trudeau's government committed $62.3-billion in new military spending over the next 20 years, including its purchase of 88 F-35 fighter jets. The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade

NATO allies should take Canada’s lead and spend less on defence

Opinion | BY ERIKA SIMPSON | April 24, 2023
  • When defence spending is expressed as a percentage of GDP, Canada appears to be a laggard. But if measured per capita, Canada ranks high.

NATO allies should take Canada’s lead and spend less on defence

Opinion | BY ERIKA SIMPSON | April 24, 2023
  • When defence spending is expressed as a percentage of GDP, Canada appears to be a laggard. But if measured per capita, Canada ranks high.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, left, with Defence Minister Anita Anand. Last week, Trudeau's government committed $62.3-billion in new military spending over the next 20 years, including its purchase of 88 F-35 fighter jets. The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade

Nuclear waste abandonment risks the dangers of amnesia

  • Broad-stroke reassurances from supporters of a proposed deep geological repository for Canada’s nuclear waste have failed to allay important environmental and security concerns.
Opinion | BY ERIKA SIMPSON | April 13, 2023
An anti-nuclear sign on a farm in South Bruce, Ont., next to the proposed site of a deep geological repository for nuclear waste. The Nuclear Waste Management Organization should consider other options, such as a rolling stewardship model, which actively plans for retrieval and periodic repackaging of nuclear waste, writes Erika Simpson. Photograph courtesy of Michelle Stein

Nuclear waste abandonment risks the dangers of amnesia

Opinion | BY ERIKA SIMPSON | April 13, 2023
  • Broad-stroke reassurances from supporters of a proposed deep geological repository for Canada’s nuclear waste have failed to allay important environmental and security concerns.

Nuclear waste abandonment risks the dangers of amnesia

Opinion | BY ERIKA SIMPSON | April 13, 2023
  • Broad-stroke reassurances from supporters of a proposed deep geological repository for Canada’s nuclear waste have failed to allay important environmental and security concerns.
An anti-nuclear sign on a farm in South Bruce, Ont., next to the proposed site of a deep geological repository for nuclear waste. The Nuclear Waste Management Organization should consider other options, such as a rolling stewardship model, which actively plans for retrieval and periodic repackaging of nuclear waste, writes Erika Simpson. Photograph courtesy of Michelle Stein

The global implications of Xi Jinping’s formidable power

  • Already, the Chinese Communist Party has built one of the world’s most effective digital surveillance systems; in future, it could strangle any remaining shreds
Opinion | BY ERIKA SIMPSON | October 26, 2022
Xi Jinping
Xi Jinping
Chinese President Xi Jinping has been proclaimed for a third term in power along with six men who now make up the totalitarian party’s internal leadership cabal. Photograph courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

The global implications of Xi Jinping’s formidable power

Opinion | BY ERIKA SIMPSON | October 26, 2022
  • Already, the Chinese Communist Party has built one of the world’s most effective digital surveillance systems; in future, it could strangle any remaining shreds

The global implications of Xi Jinping’s formidable power

Opinion | BY ERIKA SIMPSON | October 26, 2022
  • Already, the Chinese Communist Party has built one of the world’s most effective digital surveillance systems; in future, it could strangle any remaining shreds
Xi Jinping
Chinese President Xi Jinping has been proclaimed for a third term in power along with six men who now make up the totalitarian party’s internal leadership cabal. Photograph courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

Russian-Ukraine war brings nuclear risk to level not seen since Cuban missile crisis

  • The Russian-Ukraine crisis may pose a greater risk of nuclear use than the Cuban missile crisis 60 years ago this month. According to the Ukrainian
Opinion | BY ERIKA SIMPSON | October 10, 2022
Last month, Putin’s thinly veiled nuclear threat as he ordered a partial mobilization of 300,000 reservists stated that Russia would “use all the means at our disposal” to defend its territory, writes Erika Simpson. Photograph courtesy of Flickr

Russian-Ukraine war brings nuclear risk to level not seen since Cuban missile crisis

Opinion | BY ERIKA SIMPSON | October 10, 2022
  • The Russian-Ukraine crisis may pose a greater risk of nuclear use than the Cuban missile crisis 60 years ago this month. According to the Ukrainian

Russian-Ukraine war brings nuclear risk to level not seen since Cuban missile crisis

Opinion | BY ERIKA SIMPSON | October 10, 2022
  • The Russian-Ukraine crisis may pose a greater risk of nuclear use than the Cuban missile crisis 60 years ago this month. According to the Ukrainian
Last month, Putin’s thinly veiled nuclear threat as he ordered a partial mobilization of 300,000 reservists stated that Russia would “use all the means at our disposal” to defend its territory, writes Erika Simpson. Photograph courtesy of Flickr

NATO’s new world order relies on multilateralism to strengthen its nuclear defence posture

  • Last week’s NATO Summit in Madrid launched the military alliance’s new strategic concept that focused on Russia’s threats to use weapons of mass destruction
Opinion | BY ERIKA SIMPSON | July 6, 2022
At last week's NATO Summit, the military alliance agreed on a new strategic concept, which NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, pictured on June 30 in Madrid, called 'the blueprint for NATO into the future, more dangerous world.' Photograph courtesy of NATO

NATO’s new world order relies on multilateralism to strengthen its nuclear defence posture

Opinion | BY ERIKA SIMPSON | July 6, 2022
  • Last week’s NATO Summit in Madrid launched the military alliance’s new strategic concept that focused on Russia’s threats to use weapons of mass destruction

NATO’s new world order relies on multilateralism to strengthen its nuclear defence posture

Opinion | BY ERIKA SIMPSON | July 6, 2022
  • Last week’s NATO Summit in Madrid launched the military alliance’s new strategic concept that focused on Russia’s threats to use weapons of mass destruction
At last week's NATO Summit, the military alliance agreed on a new strategic concept, which NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, pictured on June 30 in Madrid, called 'the blueprint for NATO into the future, more dangerous world.' Photograph courtesy of NATO

New ways forward to promote peace in the face of Russia’s invasion

  • If Russia does not achieve a conventional forces victory in eastern Ukraine, Russian President Vladimir Putin might resort to using weapons of mass destruction,
Opinion | BY ERIKA SIMPSON | May 4, 2022
Latvian President Egils Levits, left, Canada's Minister of Defence Anita Anand, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg at Ādaži Military Base on March 8, 2022. The war in Ukraine finally pushed Canada to commit about $8-billion in new military spending in the 2022 Budget, writes Erika Simpson. Photograph courtesy of NATO/Flickr

New ways forward to promote peace in the face of Russia’s invasion

Opinion | BY ERIKA SIMPSON | May 4, 2022
  • If Russia does not achieve a conventional forces victory in eastern Ukraine, Russian President Vladimir Putin might resort to using weapons of mass destruction,

New ways forward to promote peace in the face of Russia’s invasion

Opinion | BY ERIKA SIMPSON | May 4, 2022
  • If Russia does not achieve a conventional forces victory in eastern Ukraine, Russian President Vladimir Putin might resort to using weapons of mass destruction,
Latvian President Egils Levits, left, Canada's Minister of Defence Anita Anand, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg at Ādaži Military Base on March 8, 2022. The war in Ukraine finally pushed Canada to commit about $8-billion in new military spending in the 2022 Budget, writes Erika Simpson. Photograph courtesy of NATO/Flickr

The war in Ukraine will have global consequences

  • The United States and Canada are NATO members protected under the 1949 North Atlantic Treaty’s Article 5 commitment—that “an armed attack against one of us is
Opinion | BY ERIKA SIMPSON | February 24, 2022
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, pictured Feb. 24, along with Defence Minister Anita Anand, Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland, and Foreign Affairs Minister Mélanie Joly, reacting to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. It is time for the U.S. and Russia to return to the bargaining table and negotiate another type of Intermediate Nuclear Forces Treaty, writes Erika Simpson, and in the aftermath, Canada should have no hesitation in helping the European allies build up their conventional forces, but not their nuclear forces. The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade

The war in Ukraine will have global consequences

Opinion | BY ERIKA SIMPSON | February 24, 2022
  • The United States and Canada are NATO members protected under the 1949 North Atlantic Treaty’s Article 5 commitment—that “an armed attack against one of us is

The war in Ukraine will have global consequences

Opinion | BY ERIKA SIMPSON | February 24, 2022
  • The United States and Canada are NATO members protected under the 1949 North Atlantic Treaty’s Article 5 commitment—that “an armed attack against one of us is
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, pictured Feb. 24, along with Defence Minister Anita Anand, Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland, and Foreign Affairs Minister Mélanie Joly, reacting to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. It is time for the U.S. and Russia to return to the bargaining table and negotiate another type of Intermediate Nuclear Forces Treaty, writes Erika Simpson, and in the aftermath, Canada should have no hesitation in helping the European allies build up their conventional forces, but not their nuclear forces. The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade

Ukraine crisis, 1962 Cuban missile crisis share disturbing similarities

  • The Bay of Pigs fiasco taught U.S. President John F. Kennedy to be more skeptical of the advice that came to him from the
Opinion | BY ERIKA SIMPSON | December 22, 2021
A Canadian military training instructor demonstrates a magazine loading technique to Ukrainian soldiers during Operation Unifier in Starychi, Ukraine in 2017. NATO continues to send more forces including members of the Canadian Armed Forces to Operation Reassurance in Central and Eastern Europe in order to signal its willingness to deter and reinforce NATO’s collective defence, writes Erika Simpson. Photograph courtesy of the Department of National Defence

Ukraine crisis, 1962 Cuban missile crisis share disturbing similarities

Opinion | BY ERIKA SIMPSON | December 22, 2021
  • The Bay of Pigs fiasco taught U.S. President John F. Kennedy to be more skeptical of the advice that came to him from the

Ukraine crisis, 1962 Cuban missile crisis share disturbing similarities

Opinion | BY ERIKA SIMPSON | December 22, 2021
  • The Bay of Pigs fiasco taught U.S. President John F. Kennedy to be more skeptical of the advice that came to him from the
A Canadian military training instructor demonstrates a magazine loading technique to Ukrainian soldiers during Operation Unifier in Starychi, Ukraine in 2017. NATO continues to send more forces including members of the Canadian Armed Forces to Operation Reassurance in Central and Eastern Europe in order to signal its willingness to deter and reinforce NATO’s collective defence, writes Erika Simpson. Photograph courtesy of the Department of National Defence

Canadian-organized airlift needed to bring food, medical provisions to Afghanistan

  • The well of human sympathy upon seeing Kabul’s international airport besieged has dried up too quickly. Pleas to heed the chorus of desperate Afghans
Opinion | BY ERIKA SIMPSON | November 24, 2021
Afghan women, pictured May 7, 2012, lining up at a UN World Food Program Distribution Point in Herat, Afghanistan. The onerous 14-year military commitment by Canada to Afghanistan means we need to spearhead emergency solutions for Afghanistan’s bereft citizens, before millions of deaths occur this winter due to famine and mass starvation, writes Erika Simpson. Photograph courtesy of Flickr/United Nations/Eric Kanalstein

Canadian-organized airlift needed to bring food, medical provisions to Afghanistan

Opinion | BY ERIKA SIMPSON | November 24, 2021
  • The well of human sympathy upon seeing Kabul’s international airport besieged has dried up too quickly. Pleas to heed the chorus of desperate Afghans

Canadian-organized airlift needed to bring food, medical provisions to Afghanistan

Opinion | BY ERIKA SIMPSON | November 24, 2021
  • The well of human sympathy upon seeing Kabul’s international airport besieged has dried up too quickly. Pleas to heed the chorus of desperate Afghans
Afghan women, pictured May 7, 2012, lining up at a UN World Food Program Distribution Point in Herat, Afghanistan. The onerous 14-year military commitment by Canada to Afghanistan means we need to spearhead emergency solutions for Afghanistan’s bereft citizens, before millions of deaths occur this winter due to famine and mass starvation, writes Erika Simpson. Photograph courtesy of Flickr/United Nations/Eric Kanalstein

A plea to heed the chorus of Afghans urging Canadian aid

  • Canada fought with NATO against the Taliban and played a strong role in rebuilding Afghanistan. More than 40,000 members of the Canadian Armed Forces
Opinion | BY ERIKA SIMPSON | August 25, 2021
A British Royal Air Force Chinook helicopter pictured firing flares over Afghanistan in 2015. Western University professor Erika Simpson, who initially advised colleagues to take any form of transportation available to them to get out of Kabul and into India or Pakistan, now says that's too dangerous. Photograph courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

A plea to heed the chorus of Afghans urging Canadian aid

Opinion | BY ERIKA SIMPSON | August 25, 2021
  • Canada fought with NATO against the Taliban and played a strong role in rebuilding Afghanistan. More than 40,000 members of the Canadian Armed Forces

A plea to heed the chorus of Afghans urging Canadian aid

Opinion | BY ERIKA SIMPSON | August 25, 2021
  • Canada fought with NATO against the Taliban and played a strong role in rebuilding Afghanistan. More than 40,000 members of the Canadian Armed Forces
A British Royal Air Force Chinook helicopter pictured firing flares over Afghanistan in 2015. Western University professor Erika Simpson, who initially advised colleagues to take any form of transportation available to them to get out of Kabul and into India or Pakistan, now says that's too dangerous. Photograph courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

U.S., NATO Afghanistan withdrawal impacts counterterrorism operations, progress for Afghan women

  • The drawdown of U.S. troops in Afghanistan was expected in November, so it came as a surprise when the United States and all 30
Opinion | BY ERIKA SIMPSON | April 21, 2021
Afghan national police and army personnel and U.S. army soldiers patrol in July 2009 in Zabul province, Afghanistan. Photograph courtesy of the U.S. Army

U.S., NATO Afghanistan withdrawal impacts counterterrorism operations, progress for Afghan women

Opinion | BY ERIKA SIMPSON | April 21, 2021
  • The drawdown of U.S. troops in Afghanistan was expected in November, so it came as a surprise when the United States and all 30

U.S., NATO Afghanistan withdrawal impacts counterterrorism operations, progress for Afghan women

Opinion | BY ERIKA SIMPSON | April 21, 2021
  • The drawdown of U.S. troops in Afghanistan was expected in November, so it came as a surprise when the United States and all 30
Afghan national police and army personnel and U.S. army soldiers patrol in July 2009 in Zabul province, Afghanistan. Photograph courtesy of the U.S. Army

NATO expansion not the answer as Ukraine crisis brews, but nuclear weapon free zones needed

  • NATO officials are accusing Russia of aggressive behaviour on Ukraine’s eastern front, and an increase in Russia’s pattern of “repressive behaviour at home and
Opinion | BY ERIKA SIMPSON | April 12, 2021
A Canadian military training instructor demonstrates a magazine loading technique to Ukrainian soldiers during Operation Unifier in Starychi, Ukraine in 2017. Photograph courtesy of the Department of National Defence

NATO expansion not the answer as Ukraine crisis brews, but nuclear weapon free zones needed

Opinion | BY ERIKA SIMPSON | April 12, 2021
  • NATO officials are accusing Russia of aggressive behaviour on Ukraine’s eastern front, and an increase in Russia’s pattern of “repressive behaviour at home and

NATO expansion not the answer as Ukraine crisis brews, but nuclear weapon free zones needed

Opinion | BY ERIKA SIMPSON | April 12, 2021
  • NATO officials are accusing Russia of aggressive behaviour on Ukraine’s eastern front, and an increase in Russia’s pattern of “repressive behaviour at home and
A Canadian military training instructor demonstrates a magazine loading technique to Ukrainian soldiers during Operation Unifier in Starychi, Ukraine in 2017. Photograph courtesy of the Department of National Defence

Conditions-based negotiations, renewed NATO troop commitments needed in Afghanistan

  • NATO defence ministers held discussions last week to address the military alliance’s mission in Afghanistan, reaffirming its commitment. The Taliban insurgent group has no
Opinion | BY ERIKA SIMPSON | February 22, 2021
The last Canadians involved in the NATO training mission in Afghanistan board an American Chinook helicopter on March 12, 2014 as they leave Kabul, Afghanistan. Conditions-based negotiations, renewed and smaller NATO troop commitments, as well as a commission that disarms the parties could lead to success in Afghanistan over time, writes Erika Simpson. Canadian Armed Forces photograph by Patrick Blanchard

Conditions-based negotiations, renewed NATO troop commitments needed in Afghanistan

Opinion | BY ERIKA SIMPSON | February 22, 2021
  • NATO defence ministers held discussions last week to address the military alliance’s mission in Afghanistan, reaffirming its commitment. The Taliban insurgent group has no

Conditions-based negotiations, renewed NATO troop commitments needed in Afghanistan

Opinion | BY ERIKA SIMPSON | February 22, 2021
  • NATO defence ministers held discussions last week to address the military alliance’s mission in Afghanistan, reaffirming its commitment. The Taliban insurgent group has no
The last Canadians involved in the NATO training mission in Afghanistan board an American Chinook helicopter on March 12, 2014 as they leave Kabul, Afghanistan. Conditions-based negotiations, renewed and smaller NATO troop commitments, as well as a commission that disarms the parties could lead to success in Afghanistan over time, writes Erika Simpson. Canadian Armed Forces photograph by Patrick Blanchard

Canada still has obligation to participate in good faith in negotiations on nuclear disarmament

  • In the face of nuclear threats and renewed spending on nuclear arms, 122 nations, from Austria to Brazil to Ireland—not including Canada—proposed a UN
Opinion | BY ERIKA SIMPSON | January 25, 2021
Bob Rae
Bob Rae
Canada's UN ambassador to the UN Bob Rae, pictured in a file photograph, and the Trudeau government face calls to consider the humanitarian impact of use of nuclear weapons and to sign onto the UN ban treaty. The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade

Canada still has obligation to participate in good faith in negotiations on nuclear disarmament

Opinion | BY ERIKA SIMPSON | January 25, 2021
  • In the face of nuclear threats and renewed spending on nuclear arms, 122 nations, from Austria to Brazil to Ireland—not including Canada—proposed a UN

Canada still has obligation to participate in good faith in negotiations on nuclear disarmament

Opinion | BY ERIKA SIMPSON | January 25, 2021
  • In the face of nuclear threats and renewed spending on nuclear arms, 122 nations, from Austria to Brazil to Ireland—not including Canada—proposed a UN
Bob Rae
Canada's UN ambassador to the UN Bob Rae, pictured in a file photograph, and the Trudeau government face calls to consider the humanitarian impact of use of nuclear weapons and to sign onto the UN ban treaty. The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade

In understanding the makings of an extremist, there’s a lot of work ahead

  • The violence on Capitol Hill was badly co-ordinated by Trump’s rabid supporters against democratic institutions during one afternoon on Jan. 6, and there may
Opinion | BY ERIKA SIMPSON | January 14, 2021
Prosecutors expect to arrest hundreds tied to the Capitol riot on Jan. 6, 2021. Barricades have been set up to fortify security on the Capitol in anticipation of further unrest leading up to Joe Biden's inauguration on Jan. 20. Flickr photograph by Victoria Pickering

In understanding the makings of an extremist, there’s a lot of work ahead

Opinion | BY ERIKA SIMPSON | January 14, 2021
  • The violence on Capitol Hill was badly co-ordinated by Trump’s rabid supporters against democratic institutions during one afternoon on Jan. 6, and there may

In understanding the makings of an extremist, there’s a lot of work ahead

Opinion | BY ERIKA SIMPSON | January 14, 2021
  • The violence on Capitol Hill was badly co-ordinated by Trump’s rabid supporters against democratic institutions during one afternoon on Jan. 6, and there may
Prosecutors expect to arrest hundreds tied to the Capitol riot on Jan. 6, 2021. Barricades have been set up to fortify security on the Capitol in anticipation of further unrest leading up to Joe Biden's inauguration on Jan. 20. Flickr photograph by Victoria Pickering

Trump’s incendiary rhetoric puts deterrence as credible strategy at risk

  • This week’s looting of the bastion of American democracy during the sacred transfer of power from the Trump administration to the incoming administration of
Opinion | BY ERIKA SIMPSON | January 7, 2021
A mob of Trump loyalists stormed and breached the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, as Congressional leaders convened to certify the victory of Joe Biden. Screen capture via NBC's YouTube channel

Trump’s incendiary rhetoric puts deterrence as credible strategy at risk

Opinion | BY ERIKA SIMPSON | January 7, 2021
  • This week’s looting of the bastion of American democracy during the sacred transfer of power from the Trump administration to the incoming administration of

Trump’s incendiary rhetoric puts deterrence as credible strategy at risk

Opinion | BY ERIKA SIMPSON | January 7, 2021
  • This week’s looting of the bastion of American democracy during the sacred transfer of power from the Trump administration to the incoming administration of
A mob of Trump loyalists stormed and breached the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, as Congressional leaders convened to certify the victory of Joe Biden. Screen capture via NBC's YouTube channel

Trump administration’s drawdown of troops in Afghanistan risks putting peace, progress in the country in danger

  • The conflict in Afghanistan is one of the bloodiest in the world, and the tenacity of the Taliban, the Islamic State, and the al-Qaeda
Opinion | BY ERIKA SIMPSON | November 25, 2020
Members of the 6 Mobile Strike Force Kandak move into position during their validation exercise at the Consolidated Fielding Centre, Kabul, Afghanistan during Operation ATTENTION on Sept. 2, 2013. Photograph courtesy of the Canadian Armed Forces, by Sgt. James Funk

Trump administration’s drawdown of troops in Afghanistan risks putting peace, progress in the country in danger

Opinion | BY ERIKA SIMPSON | November 25, 2020
  • The conflict in Afghanistan is one of the bloodiest in the world, and the tenacity of the Taliban, the Islamic State, and the al-Qaeda

Trump administration’s drawdown of troops in Afghanistan risks putting peace, progress in the country in danger

Opinion | BY ERIKA SIMPSON | November 25, 2020
  • The conflict in Afghanistan is one of the bloodiest in the world, and the tenacity of the Taliban, the Islamic State, and the al-Qaeda
Members of the 6 Mobile Strike Force Kandak move into position during their validation exercise at the Consolidated Fielding Centre, Kabul, Afghanistan during Operation ATTENTION on Sept. 2, 2013. Photograph courtesy of the Canadian Armed Forces, by Sgt. James Funk

We lost the Security Council vote in 21 seconds. Now what?

  • Any popularity contest, whether it be high school or the UN Security Council speaks volumes about the voters, and not just about the aspiring
Opinion | BY ERIKA SIMPSON | June 17, 2020
Canada failed to secure enough votes for a Security Council seat, losing to Norway and Ireland on June 17. Photograph courtesy of Pixabay

We lost the Security Council vote in 21 seconds. Now what?

Opinion | BY ERIKA SIMPSON | June 17, 2020
  • Any popularity contest, whether it be high school or the UN Security Council speaks volumes about the voters, and not just about the aspiring

We lost the Security Council vote in 21 seconds. Now what?

Opinion | BY ERIKA SIMPSON | June 17, 2020
  • Any popularity contest, whether it be high school or the UN Security Council speaks volumes about the voters, and not just about the aspiring
Canada failed to secure enough votes for a Security Council seat, losing to Norway and Ireland on June 17. Photograph courtesy of Pixabay
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On guard for thee: global citizenship and Canada-U.S. relations

  • To suggest the United States would station troops along the longest undefended border in the world slashed a psychological wound between Canada and the
Opinion | BY ERIKA SIMPSON, MICHAEL SIMPSON | May 27, 2020
U.S. President Donald Trump, left, and International Development Minister Karina Gould. In February, Trump proposed slashing 21 per cent of foreign aid, while Canada recently quietly announced $159.5-million in humanitarian aid to a plethora of worthy organizations. White House photograph by Andrea Hanks, The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade

On guard for thee: global citizenship and Canada-U.S. relations

Opinion | BY ERIKA SIMPSON, MICHAEL SIMPSON | May 27, 2020
  • To suggest the United States would station troops along the longest undefended border in the world slashed a psychological wound between Canada and the

On guard for thee: global citizenship and Canada-U.S. relations

Opinion | BY ERIKA SIMPSON, MICHAEL SIMPSON | May 27, 2020
  • To suggest the United States would station troops along the longest undefended border in the world slashed a psychological wound between Canada and the
U.S. President Donald Trump, left, and International Development Minister Karina Gould. In February, Trump proposed slashing 21 per cent of foreign aid, while Canada recently quietly announced $159.5-million in humanitarian aid to a plethora of worthy organizations. White House photograph by Andrea Hanks, The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade

We don’t know how this virus began, but we know how we can learn from our response

  • The internet is awash in conspiracy theories that the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak was due to an accidental or deliberate escape from a Chinese
Opinion | BY ERIKA SIMPSON | April 8, 2020
The United Nations Security Council has not been able to schedule face-to-face emergency summits because physically convening all UN-recognized countries to discuss realistic strategies for quarantining citizens creates problems, especially in New York City, and at international ports of entry. Flickr photograph by Michelle Lee

We don’t know how this virus began, but we know how we can learn from our response

Opinion | BY ERIKA SIMPSON | April 8, 2020
  • The internet is awash in conspiracy theories that the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak was due to an accidental or deliberate escape from a Chinese

We don’t know how this virus began, but we know how we can learn from our response

Opinion | BY ERIKA SIMPSON | April 8, 2020
  • The internet is awash in conspiracy theories that the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak was due to an accidental or deliberate escape from a Chinese
The United Nations Security Council has not been able to schedule face-to-face emergency summits because physically convening all UN-recognized countries to discuss realistic strategies for quarantining citizens creates problems, especially in New York City, and at international ports of entry. Flickr photograph by Michelle Lee

Potent threat of biochemical weapons deserves greater attention

  • There were approximately 10,000 ISIS prisoners in camps across northeastern Syria, but already more than 800 suspected detainees have escaped due to Turkey’s military
Opinion | BY ERIKA SIMPSON | November 20, 2019
Soldiers in the 20th CBRNE (Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear, Explosives) Command are pictured at the U.S. Army's Yongsan Garrison in South Korea. The American government and NATO allies have spent billions on preparing against possible attacks from biological weapons since 2001—Canada needs to spend more, writes Erika Simpson. Photograph courtesy of U.S. Army

Potent threat of biochemical weapons deserves greater attention

Opinion | BY ERIKA SIMPSON | November 20, 2019
  • There were approximately 10,000 ISIS prisoners in camps across northeastern Syria, but already more than 800 suspected detainees have escaped due to Turkey’s military

Potent threat of biochemical weapons deserves greater attention

Opinion | BY ERIKA SIMPSON | November 20, 2019
  • There were approximately 10,000 ISIS prisoners in camps across northeastern Syria, but already more than 800 suspected detainees have escaped due to Turkey’s military
Soldiers in the 20th CBRNE (Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear, Explosives) Command are pictured at the U.S. Army's Yongsan Garrison in South Korea. The American government and NATO allies have spent billions on preparing against possible attacks from biological weapons since 2001—Canada needs to spend more, writes Erika Simpson. Photograph courtesy of U.S. Army

SNC-Lavalin nuclear contracts at risk if it’s convicted

  • If SNC-Lavalin is denied a deferred prosecution agreement and is convicted of fraud and corruption, this could prevent the engineering company from bidding on
Opinion | BY ERIKA SIMPSON | April 10, 2019
An aerial view of the Bruce Power site in the Municipality of Kincardine in Ontario. SNC-Lavalin is part of a consortium awarded the centrepiece of Bruce Power’s Major Component Replacement project, which is set to extend the life of six reactors over 13 years starting in 2020. Photograph courtesy of Bruce Power

SNC-Lavalin nuclear contracts at risk if it’s convicted

Opinion | BY ERIKA SIMPSON | April 10, 2019
  • If SNC-Lavalin is denied a deferred prosecution agreement and is convicted of fraud and corruption, this could prevent the engineering company from bidding on

SNC-Lavalin nuclear contracts at risk if it’s convicted

Opinion | BY ERIKA SIMPSON | April 10, 2019
  • If SNC-Lavalin is denied a deferred prosecution agreement and is convicted of fraud and corruption, this could prevent the engineering company from bidding on
An aerial view of the Bruce Power site in the Municipality of Kincardine in Ontario. SNC-Lavalin is part of a consortium awarded the centrepiece of Bruce Power’s Major Component Replacement project, which is set to extend the life of six reactors over 13 years starting in 2020. Photograph courtesy of Bruce Power

Totally fluent in what it meant to be a professor: remembering Robert Young

  • Professor Robert Young exemplified what it means to be a professor and one of Canada’s most prominent public intellectuals. The Western University political science
Opinion | BY ERIKA SIMPSON | November 22, 2017
Western University political science professor Robert Young died Aug. 15 after a career in which he touched the lives and work of many, writes Erika Simpson. Photograph courtesy of Western University

Totally fluent in what it meant to be a professor: remembering Robert Young

Opinion | BY ERIKA SIMPSON | November 22, 2017
  • Professor Robert Young exemplified what it means to be a professor and one of Canada’s most prominent public intellectuals. The Western University political science

Totally fluent in what it meant to be a professor: remembering Robert Young

Opinion | BY ERIKA SIMPSON | November 22, 2017
  • Professor Robert Young exemplified what it means to be a professor and one of Canada’s most prominent public intellectuals. The Western University political science
Western University political science professor Robert Young died Aug. 15 after a career in which he touched the lives and work of many, writes Erika Simpson. Photograph courtesy of Western University

Brexit vote could allow for nuclear weapons rethink

  • If Britons vote on June 23 in favour of Brexit, it is expected that Scotland will hold another referendum that could lead to its re-establishment as
Opinion | BY BILL KIDD, ERIKA SIMPSON | June 22, 2016
A Trident submarine heads out from its base in Scotland in August 2007. Britain’s nuclear-armed subs are in need of replacement, which could cost 167 billion pounds. Flickr photograph by JohnED76

Brexit vote could allow for nuclear weapons rethink

Opinion | BY BILL KIDD, ERIKA SIMPSON | June 22, 2016
  • If Britons vote on June 23 in favour of Brexit, it is expected that Scotland will hold another referendum that could lead to its re-establishment as

Brexit vote could allow for nuclear weapons rethink

Opinion | BY BILL KIDD, ERIKA SIMPSON | June 22, 2016
  • If Britons vote on June 23 in favour of Brexit, it is expected that Scotland will hold another referendum that could lead to its re-establishment as
A Trident submarine heads out from its base in Scotland in August 2007. Britain’s nuclear-armed subs are in need of replacement, which could cost 167 billion pounds. Flickr photograph by JohnED76

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