Political opposition growing to new nuclear reactors
Many Canadians are anxious to see what our energy future will be. Politically, it’s a question that stirs passions from Alberta’s oil patch to Ontario’s cancelled wind farms. But political debate is picking up around our nuclear energy future. And with good reason. Government-funded expansion of the nuclear industry, and a simultaneous watering-down of regulations, […]
Championing a coup in plain sight, Trump’s latest outrage is a lesson in the dangers of post-reality extremism
OTTAWA—It’s interesting to look back at the comments by U.S. analysts in the early aftermath of the Nov. 3 election, when most were saying President Donald Trump’s refusal to concede, though troublesome, was likely to be short-lived. A month later, while many denizens of the White House have reportedly internalized the reality of Joe Biden’s victory, […]
Renewables are driving a clean and just recovery towards a low-carbon economy
There is a clear and urgent need to hasten the transition to a low-carbon economy. Indeed, the transition we sorely needed over the past few decades has been so delayed and unenthusiastic that we now require a transformation in order to meet our Paris Agreement commitments, including limiting dangerous warming to 1.5 C. Nonetheless, the […]
Bill 101 applying federally? Time for some constitutional common sense
KAMOURASKA, QUE.—I miss Eugene Forsey. The late, great former senator was a source of incredible insight into the Constitution. And he was always accessible: as a political assistant or journalist, if I had a question on constitutional law, I would phone him up and he would settle things with a succinct answer. He was a […]
While building back better we need #naturenow
Pre-pandemic, the climate crisis was already critical. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change had released its landmark report, the United Nations had declared 2020 a “Nature Super Year,” and a record number of communities across Canada declared climate states of emergencies. COVID-19 may have slowed our pace of life and created a temporary dip in […]
Changing dynamics need changing focus in natural resource sector
Canada’s natural resources have always been the backbone of our national economy, supporting workers and rural communities across the country, while driving central financial markets. But we live in interesting times, and changes in resource prices, international trade tactics, technological innovations, and global environmental concerns have significantly changed the dynamics of this critical sector. The […]
Feelings don’t mask the Liberal failings on the Indigenous file
CALGARY—Dec. 6, 1989, is a day when 14 women were massacred at École Polytechnique in an anti-feminist attack; it is now known as the National Day of Remembrance and Action on Violence Against Women. In Canada, this violence hasn’t changed, especially for Indigenous women. Canada has accepted the violence tax Indigenous women and girls pay […]
Is the time right for nuclear energy?
Right now, there is both a problem and an opportunity that nuclear energy—particularly in the form of small modular reactors—may be ready to step in and fill. The COVID-19 lockdowns of 2020 highlighted just how difficult it is going to be to reach our goals for decreasing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, the main driver behind […]
Resource sector making progress on reconciliation
The resource sector is moving hand in hand with Indigenous peoples in Canada and the outcomes will be theirs to own together—literally. From early equity to preferred procurement, Canada’s resource sector has been making strides toward implementing the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s Call to Action 92 (CTA 92), which implores the private sector to bring […]
It’s not too late to make Canada a world biodiversity champion with conservation finance
If you believe COVID-19 was a costly calamity and climate change a global disaster, just wait for the biodiversity crisis set to be in full motion 10 to 15 years from now. We are actually entering the sixth period of mass extinction since the Earth was formed. Between 1970 and 2016, more than 68 per […]
