Illiteracy: Canada’s hidden shame
OTTAWA—There is a country where almost half of the adult population cannot read this column. You might presume it’s in the developing world. It’s not: it is Canada. And sadly, few Canadians acknowledge it, and fewer still are doing anything about it. Here are the numbers: about 45 per cent of adult Canadians do not […]
House subcommittee hearings on mining in Latin America a public disservice
The federal Liberals came into office promising to take action on human rights abuses associated with one of Canada’s largest and most controversial areas of foreign investment abroad: mining. But a rare study on the issue in the House of Commons Subcommittee on International Human Rights seems designed to justify the do-nothing status quo, since […]
Roots of Myanmar Rohingya crisis lie in global economy
The mass displacement of the Rohingya population in western Myanmar’s Rakhine State has escalated into one of the biggest human rights crises in recent history. Second only to people’s suffering is the tragedy that this conflict has wrought upon Myanmar’s international democracy movement, which has been torn apart by arguments over citizenship rights and condemnations of the […]
NAFTA 2.0, now with more Britain, could be a boon for Canada
NAFTA was what the British always wanted the European Union to be. It was a free trade agreement that eschewed political union for borders open not to people but to goods and capital. It included a court meant to deal with contract disputes and not the domestic tax policy of the constituent states. British entry […]
How desperate is Trudeau to keep NAFTA? Pretty desperate
TORONTO—How desperate is Justin Trudeau to keep NAFTA? Ask the Mexicans, now peering out from under the proverbial bus—where, you know, Trudeau pushed them. Pretty desperate. As they welcomed the Canadian prime minister to Mexico City on Thursday—and as they gamely extracted the Canadian-made stainless steel that had slipped between their shoulder blades, the Mexicans […]
Artificial intelligence has huge implications for our future
TORONTO—Where will Canada fit in the next Big Thing? Artificial intelligence, the OECD Digital Economy Outlook 2017 reports, is “going mainstream” and this has huge implications for our future— including our jobs and economic prosperity. AI is a core part of the next wave of the ongoing digital revolution that’s transforming our world, a revolution […]
Subtle form of adult supervision exercised daily in both Pyongyang and Washington, D.C.
LONDON, U.K.—Here’s the scenario. Late one evening Donald Trump is watching Fox News and a report comes on that North Korea is planning to launch a missile that can reach the United States. (Kim Jong-un’s regime has said it is going to do that one of these days—but only as a test flight landing in […]
Caribou need large tracts of intact forest to survive, feds should help this northern jewel
PETERBOROUGH, ONT.—The rarest gems, they say, are most precious. We delight in the exquisite and the exceptional—a rare bird, a remote destination, an impressionist masterpiece. While the experience may be brief, the value is enduring. Joy springs from the sheer knowledge such treasures exist. For years, I have sought a most elusive treasure. My pursuit […]
“Heritage Minister Mélanie Joly recently announced the government’s cultural policy road map. What do you think these plans?”
Cameron Ahmad Liberal strategist “Canadians are fiercely proud of our creators and cultural entrepreneurs, and our Government is committed to support Canadian creators and media. Last month, Minister Joly announced a forward-looking plan to continue to create space for Canadian voices. Canada’s first-ever strategy for a creative economy will help Canadian creators and cultural entrepreneurs […]
Canada has options if Trump kills NAFTA
TORONTO—If U.S. President Donald Trump deep-sixes the North American Free Trade Agreement, there are essentially three things that Canada can do. It can try to salvage a bilateral deal with the U.S. It can, in concert with Mexico, keep what remains of NAFTA on life support in the hope that Trump will eventually be replaced […]
