Child care is Trudeau Liberals’ greatest legacy, but everyone appears to have moved on
CHELSEA, QUE.—Ten years from now—perhaps sooner—the national child-care program launched by the federal Liberals last year, and finalized in recent months, could well be celebrated as the country’s most important social and economic reform since medicare. If it survives. So why isn’t anyone talking about it, “anyone” being most political pundits, opposition parties, provincial leaders—even […]
Where is our ‘can-do’ spirit? The world needs Canada to step up and stem the lasting health impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic
Early in the pandemic, collaboration was our first line of defence. We witnessed individuals and institutions working together—across divergent political parties, provincial, municipal, federal jurisdictions, and across a research community that spanned the entire planet. This collaboration brought us four vaccines endorsed for emergency use by the World Health Organization less than one year into […]
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 Peoples (UNDRIP), to develop an action plan, make annual reports on progress, and enable joint decision-making with Indigenous governing bodies. UNDRIP sets out the “minimum standard for the survival, dignity and […]
Canola sector tops environment lobbying in March with Net-Zero concerns
Canada’s canola industry took the lead in environmental advocacy in March, partly to address how that sector will fit into Ottawa’s target of reducing nitrogen emissions by 30 per cent by the end of the decade. “There’s an emission target put out there, and so growers would be concerned, naturally. They need to be able […]
Conference to honour career of Rosalie Abella, and more
The University of Ottawa’s Public Law Centre is partnering with several other legal and educational organizations to hold a conference to celebrate the life and achievements of Justice Rosalie Silberman Abella following her retirement from the Supreme Court of Canada last year. The two-day conference, ‘A Life of Firsts,’ will be held in person at […]
House is back for four consecutive weeks
MONDAY, APRIL 25 House Sitting—The House of Commons will return on April 25-May 20. It will break from May 23-27, and will sit May 30-June 23. It will break for the summer on June 23 and will return on Sept. 19 and will sit Sept. 19-Oct. 7, will break for one week, Oct. 10-Oct. 14, […]
A holding pattern for mental health: what are we waiting for?
Budgets 2021 and 2022 made great strides in filling the gaps in our universal health-care system and recognizing the social determinants of health. We are now entering an era of national childcare, dental, and pharmacare. Those programs, along with investments in housing, will reduce health and social inequities and improve people’s health and well-being. But […]
Holocaust Remembrance Day reminds us to be vigilant against rising bigotry, hatred, and anti-Semitism
Holocaust Remembrance Day (Yom HaShoah) takes place this year on April 28. This is an important and solemn historical commemoration that reminds all people to be vigilant against rising bigotry, hatred and anti-Semitism. Sadly, anti-Semitism is growing around the world, including here in Canada. Statistics over the past several years repeatedly state that Jewish people […]
Growth is the new mantra
TORONTO—Get ready. We are going to be blitzed with growth summits, growth conferences, growth speeches, and growth strategies. The federal budget, enthusing that, “we can be leaders in the economy of today and tomorrow,” while adding reassuringly that, “as the global economy changes, Canada has everything we need to thrive,” was the launch pad for […]
Canadians are concerned about the mental health of health workers; they should be
If the health workforce was a patient, it would be in critical condition. The public seems to get it. New results of a nation-wide survey by the University of Ottawa, conducted among members of the Angus Reid Forum from March 4-8, 2022, paint a troubling picture of how we feel about health workers. Overall, nine […]
