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 Joseph Biden did not spell the end of democracy in America. Millions of Americans watched slack-jawed as a few thousand armed and masked insurgents broke windows and invaded Congressional offices, including […]
Focus on keeping industry, not politicians, in Canada
Canadian politics began 2021 with an almost obsessive focus on some elected officials leaving the country over the holidays. For Canadian workers, a more serious concern is whether trade-exposed and energy-intensive industries might leave the country in response to the carbon tax increase announced just ahead of the holiday season. Shortly before both controversies, Ottawa’s […]
Canada key ally in EU’s Eastern Partnership effort, says Estonian ambassador
As one of the world’s most ethnically diverse and multicultural nations, it’s in Canada’s DNA to support those who want to support democracy, the rule of law, and human rights. The European Union’s Eastern Partnership initiative is a key piece of an inclusive effort that’s of strategic importance in building a common space of stability, […]
Pandemic shouldn’t push plight of Hong Kong people from the public eye
Last year was a year of change and disappointment, and 2021 has already had a rough start. In brief for Canada, 2020 began with Snowmageddon in Newfoundland and Labrador, and quickly on its heels came a deadly pandemic that had already struck other parts of the world. Other tragedies continued unabated, with the mass shooting […]
How Ottawa can help Canadians stay healthy in mind, body, community spirit post-pandemic
COVID-19 has left its mark on virtually every aspect of our lives, and the sport, physical activity, and recreation sector has not been spared. Widespread cancellations of programs and events have affected not only the revenues of local community organizations, but the ability of Canadians to participate and enjoy the many physical and mental health […]
Trudeau brands himself as Canada’s Climate Change Churchill
OAKVILLE, ONT.—“We shall fight climate change at our gas stations, we shall fight it with our furnaces, we shall fight with growing confidence and growing strength with windmills and solar panels, we shall defend our planet’s environment, whatever the cost may be.” Okay, that’s not a real quote, but it’s the kind of Churchillian-style fighting […]
Arts and artists need a ‘new deal’
The government has recognized the necessity of fiscal stimulus not only to revive the economy, but also to support the most vulnerable. Artists and the arts sector are at serious risk during the pandemic. For example, a recent Nordicity report noted a survey of live music which indicated that 96 per cent of surveyed venues […]
With its track record on health innovation, Canada should double down on support for science
Canada excels at discoveries that save lives. The most recent examples have links to the COVID-19 mRNA and adenovirus-based vaccines. For the two mRNA-based vaccines from BioNTech/Pfizer and Moderna, each depends on the innovation of UBC’s Pieter Cullis. The company he co-founded, Acuitas, devised the oily coat used to protect the mRNA as it is […]
Jet-setting politicians shouldn’t be surprised when the public asks for heads to roll
OTTAWA—“Do as I say, not as I do” seems like an apt proverb for the times as more stories emerge about politicians who, during the holiday period or prior, thought they’d take some personal foreign travel when the rest of us were told by them not to. While it is true, based on available public […]
From annus horribilis to annus mirabilis?
While 2020 will deservedly be remembered as the annus horribilis—producing one of history’s most devastating pandemics causing millions of deaths and pushing tens of millions into extreme poverty (including in Canada and the U.S.)—2021 will also prove to be historically pivotal. It is the year during which governments, globally, will reassess how and with what […]
