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Rose LeMay

Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern is leaving the building

  • At least New Zealand had the guts to talk about real change.
Opinion | BY ROSE LEMAY | January 23, 2023
New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern announced her resignation last week from the top job after six years in office. A new Labour Party leader will be elected by the caucus on Feb. 7. Ardern said she was burned out from the brutal job. Ardern sustained attacks on her character and threats against her life. Photograph courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern is leaving the building

Opinion | BY ROSE LEMAY | January 23, 2023
  • At least New Zealand had the guts to talk about real change.

Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern is leaving the building

Opinion | BY ROSE LEMAY | January 23, 2023
  • At least New Zealand had the guts to talk about real change.
New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern announced her resignation last week from the top job after six years in office. A new Labour Party leader will be elected by the caucus on Feb. 7. Ardern said she was burned out from the brutal job. Ardern sustained attacks on her character and threats against her life. Photograph courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

My new year’s predictions for reconciliation

  • This year will also be about growing recognition that First Nations, Inuit, and Métis peoples are doing some amazing things that benefit all Canadians. This
Opinion | BY ROSE LEMAY | January 9, 2023
Indigenous women, pictured Feb. 24, 2020, protesting against the the Coastal GasLink pipeline which will run from Dawson Creek through the Rockies, and through First Nations' land, to Kitimat where the gas will be exported. 'Maybe 2023 is the year in which Canada realizes it is really an Indigenous federation,' writes Rose LeMay.   The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade

My new year’s predictions for reconciliation

Opinion | BY ROSE LEMAY | January 9, 2023
  • This year will also be about growing recognition that First Nations, Inuit, and Métis peoples are doing some amazing things that benefit all Canadians. This

My new year’s predictions for reconciliation

Opinion | BY ROSE LEMAY | January 9, 2023
  • This year will also be about growing recognition that First Nations, Inuit, and Métis peoples are doing some amazing things that benefit all Canadians. This
Indigenous women, pictured Feb. 24, 2020, protesting against the the Coastal GasLink pipeline which will run from Dawson Creek through the Rockies, and through First Nations' land, to Kitimat where the gas will be exported. 'Maybe 2023 is the year in which Canada realizes it is really an Indigenous federation,' writes Rose LeMay.   The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade

Can Indigenous peoples trust police forces?

  • Policing in Canada has a racism problem, and it’s the white elephant that will keep coming back again and again.
Opinion | BY ROSE LEMAY | December 12, 2022
The first call to action from the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls final report goes essentially like this: admit there is racism against Indigenous peoples within policing. It’s a lamentable start that the report, which mentions police 419 times, has to demand that police start with the basics, writes Rose LeMay. The Hill Times photograph by Sam Garcia

Can Indigenous peoples trust police forces?

Opinion | BY ROSE LEMAY | December 12, 2022
  • Policing in Canada has a racism problem, and it’s the white elephant that will keep coming back again and again.

Can Indigenous peoples trust police forces?

Opinion | BY ROSE LEMAY | December 12, 2022
  • Policing in Canada has a racism problem, and it’s the white elephant that will keep coming back again and again.
The first call to action from the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls final report goes essentially like this: admit there is racism against Indigenous peoples within policing. It’s a lamentable start that the report, which mentions police 419 times, has to demand that police start with the basics, writes Rose LeMay. The Hill Times photograph by Sam Garcia

What to do with pretendians

  • Beware of any checklist or simplistic approach to defining identity. Indigenous identity is complicated.
Opinion | BY ROSE LEMAY | November 28, 2022
Participants in the National Truth and Reconciliation Day ceremonies, pictured Sept. 30, 2022, walking down Wellington Street in Ottawa. Belonging to a community must be set by that community with grace, not with an externally-imposed status card, writes Rose LeMay. The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade

What to do with pretendians

Opinion | BY ROSE LEMAY | November 28, 2022
  • Beware of any checklist or simplistic approach to defining identity. Indigenous identity is complicated.

What to do with pretendians

Opinion | BY ROSE LEMAY | November 28, 2022
  • Beware of any checklist or simplistic approach to defining identity. Indigenous identity is complicated.
Participants in the National Truth and Reconciliation Day ceremonies, pictured Sept. 30, 2022, walking down Wellington Street in Ottawa. Belonging to a community must be set by that community with grace, not with an externally-imposed status card, writes Rose LeMay. The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade

Reconciliation is not voluntary, so the National Reconciliation Council needs to be a commission, not a non-profit

  • Bill C-29 is finally in discussion. But a National Council of Reconciliation, set up as a non-profit, will lack the teeth to demand accountability. 
Opinion | BY ROSE LEMAY | November 14, 2022
Reconciliation is not a matter of policy open to the whims of senior bureaucrats nor is it open to conflicting priorities of the party in power. Reconciliation is Canada’s moral obligation, a necessary process that must be accountable to citizens, enforceable through public accountability, writes Rose LeMay. The Hill Times photograph by Sam Garcia

Reconciliation is not voluntary, so the National Reconciliation Council needs to be a commission, not a non-profit

Opinion | BY ROSE LEMAY | November 14, 2022
  • Bill C-29 is finally in discussion. But a National Council of Reconciliation, set up as a non-profit, will lack the teeth to demand accountability. 

Reconciliation is not voluntary, so the National Reconciliation Council needs to be a commission, not a non-profit

Opinion | BY ROSE LEMAY | November 14, 2022
  • Bill C-29 is finally in discussion. But a National Council of Reconciliation, set up as a non-profit, will lack the teeth to demand accountability. 
Reconciliation is not a matter of policy open to the whims of senior bureaucrats nor is it open to conflicting priorities of the party in power. Reconciliation is Canada’s moral obligation, a necessary process that must be accountable to citizens, enforceable through public accountability, writes Rose LeMay. The Hill Times photograph by Sam Garcia

Emergencies Act Inquiry is ripping the veneer off the myth of fair policing

  • The galling backdrop to this inquiry is that we haven’t named the foundational belief that underpins this whole thing. If it were thousands of
Opinion | BY ROSE LEMAY | October 31, 2022
Most of Ottawa's Wellington Street was blocked off by Freedom Convoy supporters, such as this one, pictured on Feb. 17, 2022, for more than three weeks last winter. This would not have been allowed to happen if the protesters were Indigenous people. This is what racism looks like on a grand, national scale, writes Rose LeMay. The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade

Emergencies Act Inquiry is ripping the veneer off the myth of fair policing

Opinion | BY ROSE LEMAY | October 31, 2022
  • The galling backdrop to this inquiry is that we haven’t named the foundational belief that underpins this whole thing. If it were thousands of

Emergencies Act Inquiry is ripping the veneer off the myth of fair policing

Opinion | BY ROSE LEMAY | October 31, 2022
  • The galling backdrop to this inquiry is that we haven’t named the foundational belief that underpins this whole thing. If it were thousands of
Most of Ottawa's Wellington Street was blocked off by Freedom Convoy supporters, such as this one, pictured on Feb. 17, 2022, for more than three weeks last winter. This would not have been allowed to happen if the protesters were Indigenous people. This is what racism looks like on a grand, national scale, writes Rose LeMay. The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade

Where are all the Indigenous women in c-suite offices, Canada?

  • OTTAWA—Where are all the Indigenous women in c-suite offices? In a sample of more than 21,000 women in leadership positions in corporate Canada, fewer
Opinion | BY ROSE LEMAY | October 17, 2022
Indigenous women, pictured Feb. 24, 2020, protesting against the Coastal Gas pipeline. In a sample of more than 21,000 women in leadership positions in corporate Canada, fewer than one per cent of c-suite roles are held by Indigenous women, according to the 2022 Annual Report Card on Gender Diversity and Leadership by the Prosperity Project. The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade

Where are all the Indigenous women in c-suite offices, Canada?

Opinion | BY ROSE LEMAY | October 17, 2022
  • OTTAWA—Where are all the Indigenous women in c-suite offices? In a sample of more than 21,000 women in leadership positions in corporate Canada, fewer

Where are all the Indigenous women in c-suite offices, Canada?

Opinion | BY ROSE LEMAY | October 17, 2022
  • OTTAWA—Where are all the Indigenous women in c-suite offices? In a sample of more than 21,000 women in leadership positions in corporate Canada, fewer
Indigenous women, pictured Feb. 24, 2020, protesting against the Coastal Gas pipeline. In a sample of more than 21,000 women in leadership positions in corporate Canada, fewer than one per cent of c-suite roles are held by Indigenous women, according to the 2022 Annual Report Card on Gender Diversity and Leadership by the Prosperity Project. The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade

Gee-Gees women’s rugby a reconciliation leader in Ottawa

  • OTTAWA—Gather around for a good news story. It’s about the University of Ottawa’s women’s rugby team, the Gee-Gees. The team has spent some serious
Opinion | BY ROSE LEMAY | October 3, 2022
During the Sept. 24 women’s rugby match between the Ottawa Gee-Gees and Bishop’s Gaiters, rugby fans were shown the beauty and strength of Indigenous cultures, writes Rose LeMay. Photograph courtesy of Greg Kolz

Gee-Gees women’s rugby a reconciliation leader in Ottawa

Opinion | BY ROSE LEMAY | October 3, 2022
  • OTTAWA—Gather around for a good news story. It’s about the University of Ottawa’s women’s rugby team, the Gee-Gees. The team has spent some serious

Gee-Gees women’s rugby a reconciliation leader in Ottawa

Opinion | BY ROSE LEMAY | October 3, 2022
  • OTTAWA—Gather around for a good news story. It’s about the University of Ottawa’s women’s rugby team, the Gee-Gees. The team has spent some serious
During the Sept. 24 women’s rugby match between the Ottawa Gee-Gees and Bishop’s Gaiters, rugby fans were shown the beauty and strength of Indigenous cultures, writes Rose LeMay. Photograph courtesy of Greg Kolz

We need to do something significant for National Day of Truth and Reconciliation

  • On Sept. 30, we all need to practice expecting Indigenous success.
Opinion | BY ROSE LEMAY | September 19, 2022
Algonquin Elder and University of Ottawa chancellor Claudette Commanda, pictured on the Hill on Sept. 30, 2021, at the first National Day for Truth and Reconciliation. The Hill Times photograph by Sam Garcia

We need to do something significant for National Day of Truth and Reconciliation

Opinion | BY ROSE LEMAY | September 19, 2022
  • On Sept. 30, we all need to practice expecting Indigenous success.

We need to do something significant for National Day of Truth and Reconciliation

Opinion | BY ROSE LEMAY | September 19, 2022
  • On Sept. 30, we all need to practice expecting Indigenous success.
Algonquin Elder and University of Ottawa chancellor Claudette Commanda, pictured on the Hill on Sept. 30, 2021, at the first National Day for Truth and Reconciliation. The Hill Times photograph by Sam Garcia

Disinformation has a long history in Canada

  • OTTAWA—A recent Ekos survey of Canadians found a disturbing relation between the amount of disinformation an individual agrees with, and the level of support
Opinion | BY ROSE LEMAY | September 5, 2022
A 'freedom movement' supporter wields a sign that reads 'monkey pox' but crosses out 'pox' and instead reads 'monkey business' at a 'freedom' rally in Ottawa on July 1, 2022. The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade

Disinformation has a long history in Canada

Opinion | BY ROSE LEMAY | September 5, 2022
  • OTTAWA—A recent Ekos survey of Canadians found a disturbing relation between the amount of disinformation an individual agrees with, and the level of support

Disinformation has a long history in Canada

Opinion | BY ROSE LEMAY | September 5, 2022
  • OTTAWA—A recent Ekos survey of Canadians found a disturbing relation between the amount of disinformation an individual agrees with, and the level of support
A 'freedom movement' supporter wields a sign that reads 'monkey pox' but crosses out 'pox' and instead reads 'monkey business' at a 'freedom' rally in Ottawa on July 1, 2022. The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade

The health-care system is in crisis, and we could have avoided it

  • OTTAWA—We are burning out the health-care workforce, and that’s on us. It’s our fault. In 2019, Canada spent about 10 per cent of its
Opinion | BY ROSE LEMAY | August 22, 2022
Minister of Health Jean-Yves Duclos. Canada’s health care costs more than it should because of a lack of national co-ordination, writes Rose LeMay. The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade

The health-care system is in crisis, and we could have avoided it

Opinion | BY ROSE LEMAY | August 22, 2022
  • OTTAWA—We are burning out the health-care workforce, and that’s on us. It’s our fault. In 2019, Canada spent about 10 per cent of its

The health-care system is in crisis, and we could have avoided it

Opinion | BY ROSE LEMAY | August 22, 2022
  • OTTAWA—We are burning out the health-care workforce, and that’s on us. It’s our fault. In 2019, Canada spent about 10 per cent of its
Minister of Health Jean-Yves Duclos. Canada’s health care costs more than it should because of a lack of national co-ordination, writes Rose LeMay. The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade

Why the Pope’s words continue to reverberate

  • The lasting impacts of the papal visit will continue to reverberate. It provoked some difficult reflections in churches and among Catholics across the country.
Opinion | BY ROSE LEMAY | August 8, 2022
Willie Littlechild, pictured here on July 25, 2022, in Maskwacîs, Alta., where he was born, listening to Pope Francis officially apologize to Indigenous people for the Catholic Church's role in running the residential schools in Canada for more than 100 years. Photograph courtesy of PMO/photograph by Adam Scotti

Why the Pope’s words continue to reverberate

Opinion | BY ROSE LEMAY | August 8, 2022
  • The lasting impacts of the papal visit will continue to reverberate. It provoked some difficult reflections in churches and among Catholics across the country.

Why the Pope’s words continue to reverberate

Opinion | BY ROSE LEMAY | August 8, 2022
  • The lasting impacts of the papal visit will continue to reverberate. It provoked some difficult reflections in churches and among Catholics across the country.
Willie Littlechild, pictured here on July 25, 2022, in Maskwacîs, Alta., where he was born, listening to Pope Francis officially apologize to Indigenous people for the Catholic Church's role in running the residential schools in Canada for more than 100 years. Photograph courtesy of PMO/photograph by Adam Scotti

We need the Canadian Museum on Residential Schools now

  • OTTAWA—July 1 is the 75th anniversary of the Auschwitz-Birkenau Memorial and Museum. The Auschwitz camp was started in 1940 near Oswiecim in Poland and
Opinion | BY ROSE LEMAY | July 4, 2022
Two Métis children with an Inuit child, pictured at the All Saints Residential School, Shingle Point, Yukon, 1930. A museum and memorial on residential schools would ensure that Canada never forgets what it did to Indigenous children from coast to coast to coast, writes Rose LeMay. Photograph courtesy of Library and Archives Canada

We need the Canadian Museum on Residential Schools now

Opinion | BY ROSE LEMAY | July 4, 2022
  • OTTAWA—July 1 is the 75th anniversary of the Auschwitz-Birkenau Memorial and Museum. The Auschwitz camp was started in 1940 near Oswiecim in Poland and

We need the Canadian Museum on Residential Schools now

Opinion | BY ROSE LEMAY | July 4, 2022
  • OTTAWA—July 1 is the 75th anniversary of the Auschwitz-Birkenau Memorial and Museum. The Auschwitz camp was started in 1940 near Oswiecim in Poland and
Two Métis children with an Inuit child, pictured at the All Saints Residential School, Shingle Point, Yukon, 1930. A museum and memorial on residential schools would ensure that Canada never forgets what it did to Indigenous children from coast to coast to coast, writes Rose LeMay. Photograph courtesy of Library and Archives Canada

What are you celebrating on National Indigenous Day?

  • OTTAWA—Tk’emlúps te Secwépemc announced the rediscovery of 215 unmarked graves a year ago. Over the past year, a number of other institutions for the removal
Opinion | BY ROSE LEMAY | June 20, 2022
Red Sky Performance dancers, pictured Sept. 30, 2019, at the Honouring National Day for Truth and Reconciliation ceremony at the Canadian Museum of History in Gatineau. Rose LeMay is suggesting that Canadians celebrate National Indigenous Day on June 21, 'I submit that we might celebrate truth. After 150 some years, we have finally pulled back the curtain on the truth of residential schools. They were not to educate, they existed to extinguish Indigenous peoples, and yet we are still here.' The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade

What are you celebrating on National Indigenous Day?

Opinion | BY ROSE LEMAY | June 20, 2022
  • OTTAWA—Tk’emlúps te Secwépemc announced the rediscovery of 215 unmarked graves a year ago. Over the past year, a number of other institutions for the removal

What are you celebrating on National Indigenous Day?

Opinion | BY ROSE LEMAY | June 20, 2022
  • OTTAWA—Tk’emlúps te Secwépemc announced the rediscovery of 215 unmarked graves a year ago. Over the past year, a number of other institutions for the removal
Red Sky Performance dancers, pictured Sept. 30, 2019, at the Honouring National Day for Truth and Reconciliation ceremony at the Canadian Museum of History in Gatineau. Rose LeMay is suggesting that Canadians celebrate National Indigenous Day on June 21, 'I submit that we might celebrate truth. After 150 some years, we have finally pulled back the curtain on the truth of residential schools. They were not to educate, they existed to extinguish Indigenous peoples, and yet we are still here.' The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade

Crisis of missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls needs action, now

  • OTTAWA—Why do we continue to lose Indigenous women and girls? Somewhere between 1,600 and 4,000 Indigenous women and girls have been lost in this
Opinion | BY ROSE LEMAY | June 6, 2022
Indigenous women, pictured at the Museum of History in Gatineau, Que., on June 3, 2019, at the public closing ceremony of the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls. The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade

Crisis of missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls needs action, now

Opinion | BY ROSE LEMAY | June 6, 2022
  • OTTAWA—Why do we continue to lose Indigenous women and girls? Somewhere between 1,600 and 4,000 Indigenous women and girls have been lost in this

Crisis of missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls needs action, now

Opinion | BY ROSE LEMAY | June 6, 2022
  • OTTAWA—Why do we continue to lose Indigenous women and girls? Somewhere between 1,600 and 4,000 Indigenous women and girls have been lost in this
Indigenous women, pictured at the Museum of History in Gatineau, Que., on June 3, 2019, at the public closing ceremony of the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls. The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade

Canada’s been growing its own strain of white supremacy for decades

  • OTTAWA—Canada has been growing its own virulent strain of white supremacy for decades. There has been another mass murder in the States and the
Opinion | BY ROSE LEMAY | May 23, 2022
A makeshift flower memorial at the intersection of Hyde Park Road and South Carriage Road, two days after a man in London, Ont., rammed his truck into Muslim Pakistani Canadian pedestrians at this intersection, killing four family members, on June 6, 2021. Mass shootings by white males is not senseless—they are following a pattern formed in racism. To call it senseless means we don’t have to dig in as to why Canadian society is growing a virulent strain of white terrorism, writes Rose LeMay. Photograph courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

Canada’s been growing its own strain of white supremacy for decades

Opinion | BY ROSE LEMAY | May 23, 2022
  • OTTAWA—Canada has been growing its own virulent strain of white supremacy for decades. There has been another mass murder in the States and the

Canada’s been growing its own strain of white supremacy for decades

Opinion | BY ROSE LEMAY | May 23, 2022
  • OTTAWA—Canada has been growing its own virulent strain of white supremacy for decades. There has been another mass murder in the States and the
A makeshift flower memorial at the intersection of Hyde Park Road and South Carriage Road, two days after a man in London, Ont., rammed his truck into Muslim Pakistani Canadian pedestrians at this intersection, killing four family members, on June 6, 2021. Mass shootings by white males is not senseless—they are following a pattern formed in racism. To call it senseless means we don’t have to dig in as to why Canadian society is growing a virulent strain of white terrorism, writes Rose LeMay. Photograph courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

What should our police forces know before they hit the streets?

  • OTTAWA—British Columbia recently released its report “Transforming Policing and Community Safety in British Columbia.” Essentially, the province and municipalities realized they have no control
Opinion | BY ROSE LEMAY | May 9, 2022
Protesters, pictured on June 5, 2020, on the Hill at a rally to call attention to anti-Black racism and police violence against Black people across Canada and the United States. There is an argument that we should demand that people have life experience before applying to police academies, writes Rose LeMay. The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade

What should our police forces know before they hit the streets?

Opinion | BY ROSE LEMAY | May 9, 2022
  • OTTAWA—British Columbia recently released its report “Transforming Policing and Community Safety in British Columbia.” Essentially, the province and municipalities realized they have no control

What should our police forces know before they hit the streets?

Opinion | BY ROSE LEMAY | May 9, 2022
  • OTTAWA—British Columbia recently released its report “Transforming Policing and Community Safety in British Columbia.” Essentially, the province and municipalities realized they have no control
Protesters, pictured on June 5, 2020, on the Hill at a rally to call attention to anti-Black racism and police violence against Black people across Canada and the United States. There is an argument that we should demand that people have life experience before applying to police academies, writes Rose LeMay. The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade

British Columbia leads with five-year-plan to implement UNDRIP

  • OTTAWA—In 2019, British Columbia legislated to review provincial laws to ensure they are consistent with the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous
Opinion | BY ROSE LEMAY | April 25, 2022
Jessica Wood, assistant deputy minister of British Columbia's Ministry of Indigenous Relations and Reconciliation Secretariat, is Gitxsan and Tsimshian. Screen capture image courtesy of YouTube

British Columbia leads with five-year-plan to implement UNDRIP

Opinion | BY ROSE LEMAY | April 25, 2022
  • OTTAWA—In 2019, British Columbia legislated to review provincial laws to ensure they are consistent with the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous

British Columbia leads with five-year-plan to implement UNDRIP

Opinion | BY ROSE LEMAY | April 25, 2022
  • OTTAWA—In 2019, British Columbia legislated to review provincial laws to ensure they are consistent with the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous
Jessica Wood, assistant deputy minister of British Columbia's Ministry of Indigenous Relations and Reconciliation Secretariat, is Gitxsan and Tsimshian. Screen capture image courtesy of YouTube

Remorse and reparations are what makes apologies real

  • OTTAWA—What makes a good apology? The senior leader needs to make the apology to show responsibility. The apology needs to be public to show
Opinion | BY ROSE LEMAY | April 11, 2022
Pope Francis, pictured at the Vatican on April 1, 2022, apologizing to Indigenous people in Canada for the 'deplorable' abuses they were forced to endure in Canada's Catholic-run residential schools. A delegation of Indigenous people from Canada was at the Vatican, but the Pope said he hopes to deliver an apology in Canada in late July. More than 150,000 Indigenous children were forced to attend the government-funded Christian schools for almost 100 years, and many children were abused, beaten, and sexually assaulted. Screen capture courtesy CBC News

Remorse and reparations are what makes apologies real

Opinion | BY ROSE LEMAY | April 11, 2022
  • OTTAWA—What makes a good apology? The senior leader needs to make the apology to show responsibility. The apology needs to be public to show

Remorse and reparations are what makes apologies real

Opinion | BY ROSE LEMAY | April 11, 2022
  • OTTAWA—What makes a good apology? The senior leader needs to make the apology to show responsibility. The apology needs to be public to show
Pope Francis, pictured at the Vatican on April 1, 2022, apologizing to Indigenous people in Canada for the 'deplorable' abuses they were forced to endure in Canada's Catholic-run residential schools. A delegation of Indigenous people from Canada was at the Vatican, but the Pope said he hopes to deliver an apology in Canada in late July. More than 150,000 Indigenous children were forced to attend the government-funded Christian schools for almost 100 years, and many children were abused, beaten, and sexually assaulted. Screen capture courtesy CBC News

When will the Thunder Bay Police be held to account?

  • OTTAWA—A few years ago, I attended a memorial for a First Nations youth who died in Thunder Bay. Like many other First Nations youth
Opinion | BY ROSE LEMAY | March 28, 2022
Sylvie Hauth, chief of police for the Thunder Bay Police Service, pictured in a Thunder Bay Police video explaining the police force's 'Breaking Barriers' initiative to end racism and break down barriers between Indigenous, and other racialized people and the police. Screen capture courtesy of Thunder Bay Police Service

When will the Thunder Bay Police be held to account?

Opinion | BY ROSE LEMAY | March 28, 2022
  • OTTAWA—A few years ago, I attended a memorial for a First Nations youth who died in Thunder Bay. Like many other First Nations youth

When will the Thunder Bay Police be held to account?

Opinion | BY ROSE LEMAY | March 28, 2022
  • OTTAWA—A few years ago, I attended a memorial for a First Nations youth who died in Thunder Bay. Like many other First Nations youth
Sylvie Hauth, chief of police for the Thunder Bay Police Service, pictured in a Thunder Bay Police video explaining the police force's 'Breaking Barriers' initiative to end racism and break down barriers between Indigenous, and other racialized people and the police. Screen capture courtesy of Thunder Bay Police Service

War, hate, propaganda … what’s next?

  • OTTAWA—Evidence is growing that Russia is perpetrating war crimes against the people of Ukraine. Russia is targeting civilians, hospitals, and nuclear power plants. Why
Opinion | BY ROSE LEMAY | March 14, 2022
Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland, pictured Feb. 24, 2022, with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Defence Minister Anita Anand at a press conference reacting to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. It’s time for the prime minister to start doing daily briefings with Anand and Freeland, and to share as much as they can to lead this country through our next crisis, writes Rose LeMay. The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade

War, hate, propaganda … what’s next?

Opinion | BY ROSE LEMAY | March 14, 2022
  • OTTAWA—Evidence is growing that Russia is perpetrating war crimes against the people of Ukraine. Russia is targeting civilians, hospitals, and nuclear power plants. Why

War, hate, propaganda … what’s next?

Opinion | BY ROSE LEMAY | March 14, 2022
  • OTTAWA—Evidence is growing that Russia is perpetrating war crimes against the people of Ukraine. Russia is targeting civilians, hospitals, and nuclear power plants. Why
Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland, pictured Feb. 24, 2022, with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Defence Minister Anita Anand at a press conference reacting to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. It’s time for the prime minister to start doing daily briefings with Anand and Freeland, and to share as much as they can to lead this country through our next crisis, writes Rose LeMay. The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade

Conservative party will do anything to get votes

  • Conservatives should stop with the partisan power-grabbing crap before we lose our country.
Opinion | BY ROSE LEMAY | February 28, 2022
Conservative MP Pierre Poilievre, who's running to be prime minister of Canada, supported the 'Freedom Convoy,' which occupied downtown Ottawa and the Parliamentary Precinct area for more than three weeks until police had to forcibly remove them. The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade

Conservative party will do anything to get votes

Opinion | BY ROSE LEMAY | February 28, 2022
  • Conservatives should stop with the partisan power-grabbing crap before we lose our country.

Conservative party will do anything to get votes

Opinion | BY ROSE LEMAY | February 28, 2022
  • Conservatives should stop with the partisan power-grabbing crap before we lose our country.
Conservative MP Pierre Poilievre, who's running to be prime minister of Canada, supported the 'Freedom Convoy,' which occupied downtown Ottawa and the Parliamentary Precinct area for more than three weeks until police had to forcibly remove them. The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade

See something, say something, do something

  • Nazi military names and colours worn openly on the street. Yellow stars worn as a symbol and perversion. Women being harassed for wearing masks and
Opinion | BY ROSE LEMAY | February 14, 2022
A Freedom Convoy supporter sits with gas cans on Wellington Street on Feb. 10, 2022 as the convoy’s occupation of downtown Ottawa enters the second week. If we have to bring in another police force, so be it. If we have to bring in the military, so be it. The alternative is that we might have to tell the story about how we failed to challenge white supremacy in our neighbourhoods in the winter of 2022, and how it all went so badly after that, writes Rose LeMay. The Hill Times photograph by Rose LeMay

See something, say something, do something

Opinion | BY ROSE LEMAY | February 14, 2022
  • Nazi military names and colours worn openly on the street. Yellow stars worn as a symbol and perversion. Women being harassed for wearing masks and

See something, say something, do something

Opinion | BY ROSE LEMAY | February 14, 2022
  • Nazi military names and colours worn openly on the street. Yellow stars worn as a symbol and perversion. Women being harassed for wearing masks and
A Freedom Convoy supporter sits with gas cans on Wellington Street on Feb. 10, 2022 as the convoy’s occupation of downtown Ottawa enters the second week. If we have to bring in another police force, so be it. If we have to bring in the military, so be it. The alternative is that we might have to tell the story about how we failed to challenge white supremacy in our neighbourhoods in the winter of 2022, and how it all went so badly after that, writes Rose LeMay. The Hill Times photograph by Rose LeMay

Leadership in an age of disinformation is impossible without respectful relationships

  • OTTAWA—Aggressive convoys, conflicts, and wars all share a similar foundation—a decision to speak and act over others regardless of their rights and absent of
Opinion | BY ROSE LEMAY | January 31, 2022
Conservative Party Leader Erin O’Toole, pictured on Dec. 6, 2021, on the Hill. Do we expect that political leaders and influencers in this country speak truth with a sense of responsibility to each other? Do we demand that political leaders and influencers speak with responsibility not only to their own followers but also to those who might disagree? If not, why not, writes Rose LeMay. The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade

Leadership in an age of disinformation is impossible without respectful relationships

Opinion | BY ROSE LEMAY | January 31, 2022
  • OTTAWA—Aggressive convoys, conflicts, and wars all share a similar foundation—a decision to speak and act over others regardless of their rights and absent of

Leadership in an age of disinformation is impossible without respectful relationships

Opinion | BY ROSE LEMAY | January 31, 2022
  • OTTAWA—Aggressive convoys, conflicts, and wars all share a similar foundation—a decision to speak and act over others regardless of their rights and absent of
Conservative Party Leader Erin O’Toole, pictured on Dec. 6, 2021, on the Hill. Do we expect that political leaders and influencers in this country speak truth with a sense of responsibility to each other? Do we demand that political leaders and influencers speak with responsibility not only to their own followers but also to those who might disagree? If not, why not, writes Rose LeMay. The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade

Instead of fining the unvaccinated, let’s fine the politicians who fan the flames

  • OTTAWA—Quebec Premier François Legault is forging a unique approach again: fine the unvaccinated. And immediately voices rise up in horror across the country to
Opinion | BY ROSE LEMAY | January 17, 2022
Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe, pictured on the Hill on Nov. 12, 2019, and who tested positive for COVID last week, choses a distinctly southern-U.S.-state approach, let COVID run free and we’ll all be free, writes Rose LeMay. The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade

Instead of fining the unvaccinated, let’s fine the politicians who fan the flames

Opinion | BY ROSE LEMAY | January 17, 2022
  • OTTAWA—Quebec Premier François Legault is forging a unique approach again: fine the unvaccinated. And immediately voices rise up in horror across the country to

Instead of fining the unvaccinated, let’s fine the politicians who fan the flames

Opinion | BY ROSE LEMAY | January 17, 2022
  • OTTAWA—Quebec Premier François Legault is forging a unique approach again: fine the unvaccinated. And immediately voices rise up in horror across the country to
Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe, pictured on the Hill on Nov. 12, 2019, and who tested positive for COVID last week, choses a distinctly southern-U.S.-state approach, let COVID run free and we’ll all be free, writes Rose LeMay. The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade

It’s not the first time a government tried to restrict what people can wear

  • OTTAWA—Elementary school teacher Fatemeh Anvari was forced out of her classroom in Chelsea because she wears a hijab, thanks to Bill 21 which rules
Opinion | BY ROSE LEMAY | December 20, 2021
The Low Down to Hull and Back News in Wakefield, Que., broke what became a national story about elementary school teacher Fatemeh Anvari who was forced out of her classroom in Chelsea because she wears a hijab, thanks to Bill 21 which rules that civil servants not wear any religious symbols. Image courtesy of The Low Down

It’s not the first time a government tried to restrict what people can wear

Opinion | BY ROSE LEMAY | December 20, 2021
  • OTTAWA—Elementary school teacher Fatemeh Anvari was forced out of her classroom in Chelsea because she wears a hijab, thanks to Bill 21 which rules

It’s not the first time a government tried to restrict what people can wear

Opinion | BY ROSE LEMAY | December 20, 2021
  • OTTAWA—Elementary school teacher Fatemeh Anvari was forced out of her classroom in Chelsea because she wears a hijab, thanks to Bill 21 which rules
The Low Down to Hull and Back News in Wakefield, Que., broke what became a national story about elementary school teacher Fatemeh Anvari who was forced out of her classroom in Chelsea because she wears a hijab, thanks to Bill 21 which rules that civil servants not wear any religious symbols. Image courtesy of The Low Down

There is no doubt the RCMP is a failed institution

  • OTTAWA—It must be nice to not to fear the national police. It must be reassuring to have a level of trust in them. That
Opinion | BY ROSE LEMAY | December 6, 2021
People, pictured in Ottawa on Feb. 7, 2020, at a rally in support of Wet’suwet’en land defenders. The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade

There is no doubt the RCMP is a failed institution

Opinion | BY ROSE LEMAY | December 6, 2021
  • OTTAWA—It must be nice to not to fear the national police. It must be reassuring to have a level of trust in them. That

There is no doubt the RCMP is a failed institution

Opinion | BY ROSE LEMAY | December 6, 2021
  • OTTAWA—It must be nice to not to fear the national police. It must be reassuring to have a level of trust in them. That
People, pictured in Ottawa on Feb. 7, 2020, at a rally in support of Wet’suwet’en land defenders. The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade
More Stories

Pretendians in our midst

  • OTTAWA—Pretendian: Canadian of settler descent and values who claims to be Indigenous in order to gain monetary benefit. And so deeply ironic. Indigenous peoples
Opinion | BY ROSE LEMAY | November 8, 2021
Indigenous women, pictured in Ottawa on Feb. 24, 2020, protesting against the Coastal Gas Pipeline. The question of Indigenous identity must go back to the grandmothers to determine. Grandmothers might just uphold a principle of grace—just like holders of counterfeit currency, the holder might not know it’s counterfeit. And grandmothers might just adopt people like we used to do traditionally. Reconciliation means the outsider never defines nor restricts an Indigenous individual’s identity nor belonging. It is up to the community, writes Rose LeMay. The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade

Pretendians in our midst

Opinion | BY ROSE LEMAY | November 8, 2021
  • OTTAWA—Pretendian: Canadian of settler descent and values who claims to be Indigenous in order to gain monetary benefit. And so deeply ironic. Indigenous peoples

Pretendians in our midst

Opinion | BY ROSE LEMAY | November 8, 2021
  • OTTAWA—Pretendian: Canadian of settler descent and values who claims to be Indigenous in order to gain monetary benefit. And so deeply ironic. Indigenous peoples
Indigenous women, pictured in Ottawa on Feb. 24, 2020, protesting against the Coastal Gas Pipeline. The question of Indigenous identity must go back to the grandmothers to determine. Grandmothers might just uphold a principle of grace—just like holders of counterfeit currency, the holder might not know it’s counterfeit. And grandmothers might just adopt people like we used to do traditionally. Reconciliation means the outsider never defines nor restricts an Indigenous individual’s identity nor belonging. It is up to the community, writes Rose LeMay. The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade

Legislate reconciliation, take it out of the whims of partisan politics

  • OTTAWA—When Germany was defeated in World War II, infrastructure was ruined, the economy destroyed, separated east from west, and some wondered if the country
Opinion | BY ROSE LEMAY | October 25, 2021
Learn and tell the truth. Canada has been a great country for many, but not for all. When leaders attempt to glorify its history, Indigenous peoples, pictured on the Hill on Sept. 30, marking Canada's first National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, are intentionally erased and their experiences denied. Criminalize residential school denial and hate speech against Indigenous peoples, writes Rose LeMay. The Hill Times photograph by Sam Garcia

Legislate reconciliation, take it out of the whims of partisan politics

Opinion | BY ROSE LEMAY | October 25, 2021
  • OTTAWA—When Germany was defeated in World War II, infrastructure was ruined, the economy destroyed, separated east from west, and some wondered if the country

Legislate reconciliation, take it out of the whims of partisan politics

Opinion | BY ROSE LEMAY | October 25, 2021
  • OTTAWA—When Germany was defeated in World War II, infrastructure was ruined, the economy destroyed, separated east from west, and some wondered if the country
Learn and tell the truth. Canada has been a great country for many, but not for all. When leaders attempt to glorify its history, Indigenous peoples, pictured on the Hill on Sept. 30, marking Canada's first National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, are intentionally erased and their experiences denied. Criminalize residential school denial and hate speech against Indigenous peoples, writes Rose LeMay. The Hill Times photograph by Sam Garcia

Might be time for Trudeau to bring on an Indigenous Elders’ Circle to provide advice

  • OTTAWA—On Sept. 29, the prime minister gave a particularly good speech on Parliament Hill in a special ceremony to honour the children lost at
Opinion | BY ROSE LEMAY | October 11, 2021
While the prime minister flew off for a family vacation on the first-ever National Indigenous Reconciliation Day, hundreds walked to Parliament Hill to mark the statutory holiday. The Hill Times photograph by Sam Garcia

Might be time for Trudeau to bring on an Indigenous Elders’ Circle to provide advice

Opinion | BY ROSE LEMAY | October 11, 2021
  • OTTAWA—On Sept. 29, the prime minister gave a particularly good speech on Parliament Hill in a special ceremony to honour the children lost at

Might be time for Trudeau to bring on an Indigenous Elders’ Circle to provide advice

Opinion | BY ROSE LEMAY | October 11, 2021
  • OTTAWA—On Sept. 29, the prime minister gave a particularly good speech on Parliament Hill in a special ceremony to honour the children lost at
While the prime minister flew off for a family vacation on the first-ever National Indigenous Reconciliation Day, hundreds walked to Parliament Hill to mark the statutory holiday. The Hill Times photograph by Sam Garcia

What does it take to do real reconciliation?

  • OTTAWA—Six years after the release of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s Calls to Action and here we are—struggling to get consensus in Canada to
Opinion | BY ROSE LEMAY | September 29, 2021
Not only do Canadians need to come to grips with the facts that the country has ardently fought against Indigenous rights, and just as resolutely stood idly by as children died. But Canadians are also coming to grips with the fact that the federal government is still not acting in the best interest of Indigenous kids, writes Rose LeMay. The Hill Times photograph by Sam Garcia

What does it take to do real reconciliation?

Opinion | BY ROSE LEMAY | September 29, 2021
  • OTTAWA—Six years after the release of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s Calls to Action and here we are—struggling to get consensus in Canada to

What does it take to do real reconciliation?

Opinion | BY ROSE LEMAY | September 29, 2021
  • OTTAWA—Six years after the release of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s Calls to Action and here we are—struggling to get consensus in Canada to
Not only do Canadians need to come to grips with the facts that the country has ardently fought against Indigenous rights, and just as resolutely stood idly by as children died. But Canadians are also coming to grips with the fact that the federal government is still not acting in the best interest of Indigenous kids, writes Rose LeMay. The Hill Times photograph by Sam Garcia

Don’t rush to raise the flag just yet

  • OTTAWA—It’s been four months since the news broke of 215 unmarked graves from Tk’emlúps te Secwépemc at the former site of the Kamloops residential
Opinion | BY ROSE LEMAY | September 20, 2021
Shoes and stuffed animals, pictured June 1, 2021, were left at the Centennial Flame on Parliament Hill to show respect for the lives of the 215 Indigenous children whose remains were found in May on the grounds of the former Kamloops Indian Residential School. The Hill Times photograph by Sam Garcia

Don’t rush to raise the flag just yet

Opinion | BY ROSE LEMAY | September 20, 2021
  • OTTAWA—It’s been four months since the news broke of 215 unmarked graves from Tk’emlúps te Secwépemc at the former site of the Kamloops residential

Don’t rush to raise the flag just yet

Opinion | BY ROSE LEMAY | September 20, 2021
  • OTTAWA—It’s been four months since the news broke of 215 unmarked graves from Tk’emlúps te Secwépemc at the former site of the Kamloops residential
Shoes and stuffed animals, pictured June 1, 2021, were left at the Centennial Flame on Parliament Hill to show respect for the lives of the 215 Indigenous children whose remains were found in May on the grounds of the former Kamloops Indian Residential School. The Hill Times photograph by Sam Garcia

Election or no, respect still missing in Canadian politics

  • OTTAWA—Let’s have an election! Why, asked the people? No good reason, he said, just because I want a majority! The void of reason to
Opinion | BY ROSE LEMAY | September 6, 2021
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, Conservative Leader Erin O'Toole, Bloc Québécois Leader Yves-François Blanchet, NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh, and Green Party Leader Annamie Paul. Canada's political parties aren't doing enough to promote diversity and respect, writes Rose Lemay. The Hill Times photographs by Andrew Meade

Election or no, respect still missing in Canadian politics

Opinion | BY ROSE LEMAY | September 6, 2021
  • OTTAWA—Let’s have an election! Why, asked the people? No good reason, he said, just because I want a majority! The void of reason to

Election or no, respect still missing in Canadian politics

Opinion | BY ROSE LEMAY | September 6, 2021
  • OTTAWA—Let’s have an election! Why, asked the people? No good reason, he said, just because I want a majority! The void of reason to
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, Conservative Leader Erin O'Toole, Bloc Québécois Leader Yves-François Blanchet, NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh, and Green Party Leader Annamie Paul. Canada's political parties aren't doing enough to promote diversity and respect, writes Rose Lemay. The Hill Times photographs by Andrew Meade

Once again, Indigenous trauma falls off the radar

  • If we have to do an election, then let’s talk about things that matter. What is the role of governments in the new world
Opinion | BY ROSE LEMAY | August 23, 2021
Officials and schoolchildren outside Providence Mission Indian Residential School, Fort Providence, Northwest Territories, circa 1920. Photograph courtesy of Library and Archives Canada

Once again, Indigenous trauma falls off the radar

Opinion | BY ROSE LEMAY | August 23, 2021
  • If we have to do an election, then let’s talk about things that matter. What is the role of governments in the new world

Once again, Indigenous trauma falls off the radar

Opinion | BY ROSE LEMAY | August 23, 2021
  • If we have to do an election, then let’s talk about things that matter. What is the role of governments in the new world
Officials and schoolchildren outside Providence Mission Indian Residential School, Fort Providence, Northwest Territories, circa 1920. Photograph courtesy of Library and Archives Canada

Time to dismantle Indigenous Affairs, ban feds from Indigenous education and child welfare, prosecute church leaders

  • OTTAWA—What does accountability look like in the face of mass graves of Indigenous children? A mass grave was just found in Bosnia and Herzegovina,
Opinion | BY ROSE LEMAY | July 26, 2021
Officials and schoolchildren, pictured outside the Providence Mission Indian Residential School, Fort Providence, N.W.T., circa 1920. A whole line of political and civil service leaders through history didn’t want you to know the truth—truly a Canadian pact of forgetting. Those who continue to spew some propaganda to uphold 'the good intent' of residential schools need to be held accountable, writes Rose LeMay. Photograph courtesy of the Library and Archives Canada

Time to dismantle Indigenous Affairs, ban feds from Indigenous education and child welfare, prosecute church leaders

Opinion | BY ROSE LEMAY | July 26, 2021
  • OTTAWA—What does accountability look like in the face of mass graves of Indigenous children? A mass grave was just found in Bosnia and Herzegovina,

Time to dismantle Indigenous Affairs, ban feds from Indigenous education and child welfare, prosecute church leaders

Opinion | BY ROSE LEMAY | July 26, 2021
  • OTTAWA—What does accountability look like in the face of mass graves of Indigenous children? A mass grave was just found in Bosnia and Herzegovina,
Officials and schoolchildren, pictured outside the Providence Mission Indian Residential School, Fort Providence, N.W.T., circa 1920. A whole line of political and civil service leaders through history didn’t want you to know the truth—truly a Canadian pact of forgetting. Those who continue to spew some propaganda to uphold 'the good intent' of residential schools need to be held accountable, writes Rose LeMay. Photograph courtesy of the Library and Archives Canada

Simon’s appointment represents hope and change

  • OTTAWA—Mary Simon’s appointment represents the type of change required for reconciliation. Known as simply Mary to many Inuit, the position of governor general is in
Opinion | BY ROSE LEMAY | July 12, 2021
The GG's role can be wielded in ways that influences national discourse, and there is no doubt that Mary Simon has the skill to do just that. Indigenous kids will have a strong role model in her on how to change the world, writes Rose LeMay. The Hill Times photograph by Sam Garcia

Simon’s appointment represents hope and change

Opinion | BY ROSE LEMAY | July 12, 2021
  • OTTAWA—Mary Simon’s appointment represents the type of change required for reconciliation. Known as simply Mary to many Inuit, the position of governor general is in

Simon’s appointment represents hope and change

Opinion | BY ROSE LEMAY | July 12, 2021
  • OTTAWA—Mary Simon’s appointment represents the type of change required for reconciliation. Known as simply Mary to many Inuit, the position of governor general is in
The GG's role can be wielded in ways that influences national discourse, and there is no doubt that Mary Simon has the skill to do just that. Indigenous kids will have a strong role model in her on how to change the world, writes Rose LeMay. The Hill Times photograph by Sam Garcia

This Canada Day is about remembering the thousands of children who demand to be heard

  • OTTAWA—Kamloops. Brandon. St. Anne’s. Marieval. And the list grows. The numbers are devastating, but they should not be news. The Truth and Reconciliation Commission
Opinion | BY ROSE LEMAY | June 28, 2021
Students of the Metlakatla Indian Residential School in British Columbia. Photograph courtesy of William James Topley/Library and Archives Canada

This Canada Day is about remembering the thousands of children who demand to be heard

Opinion | BY ROSE LEMAY | June 28, 2021
  • OTTAWA—Kamloops. Brandon. St. Anne’s. Marieval. And the list grows. The numbers are devastating, but they should not be news. The Truth and Reconciliation Commission

This Canada Day is about remembering the thousands of children who demand to be heard

Opinion | BY ROSE LEMAY | June 28, 2021
  • OTTAWA—Kamloops. Brandon. St. Anne’s. Marieval. And the list grows. The numbers are devastating, but they should not be news. The Truth and Reconciliation Commission
Students of the Metlakatla Indian Residential School in British Columbia. Photograph courtesy of William James Topley/Library and Archives Canada