It’s time to set the record straight: Canada should join UN Nuclear Ban Treaty
Canada has shown incredible leadership in banning landmines. Yet, when it comes to banning nuclear weapons, Canada has demonstrated no such thing. In fact, Canada has not signed or ratified the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons, claiming at the 72nd UN General Assembly that this treaty “has contributed to a further divide in […]
Canada must not be complicit in predatory organ-trafficking industry: Senator Ataullahjan
After five men were convicted in a Kosovo court for their role in an international organ trafficking ring in 2013, the prosecutor had a stern warning for the Canadian government: ban the purchase of organs in foreign countries. Seven years later, there is still no law in Canada to stop this abhorrent practice. The phenomenon […]
To level playing field for local news, start by standing up to Google, Facebook
Consider two simple, if sobering, facts. Alphabet, the parent company of Google, has a market value that is larger than the GDP of 175 of the world’s 195 countries. With 2.7 billion users, Facebook equals the two most populous countries in the world, China and India, combined. These are two of the wealthiest, most powerful companies in human history. They have a monopoly online […]
Addressing systemic discrimination in federal prisons
The battle against systemic racism in Canadian prisons has won all-party support following a Globe and Mail investigation that showed bias against Black and Indigenous men when assessing risk. This is a good first step. We can now probably expect that government-funded studies and reports will be commissioned and that much more ink will be […]
Atlantic Loop’s green-recovery potential lies with collaboration, renewable energy
Consensus is growing: Canada and the world must move quickly and decidedly to decarbonize electricity systems and entire economies in the coming years. This is the moment for big-picture, ambitious planning of projects and pathways that meet climate targets, keep energy affordable and reliable, support green careers, and keep the land, air, and water clean. […]
Social sciences and humanities research partnerships key to guiding innovation, policy
Canada’s Innovation and Skills Plan, launched three years ago, seeks to establish Canada as one of the most innovative countries in the world, to make us a nation of innovators. In this drive, it’s important to recognize that innovation is not just about patents, new technologies, and job creation, but also about enabling sound policymaking, […]
The opioid crisis: let’s learn from the success of cannabis legalization
Two years after its legalization in Canada, cannabis is moving from plant pariah to public policy precedent. Legalization is working. The early data from Statistics Canada shows a significant drop in users between the ages of 15 and 18. Quebec is now following the science by tightening its rules and prohibiting cannabis consumption by anyone […]
The 1995 Quebec referendum: recalling a ‘near-death’ experience
KAMOURASKA, QUE.—This has been quite a year for anniversaries in Quebec: the 50th since the October Crisis, the 40th of the 1980 Quebec referendum and, this week, the 25th of the “near-death” referendum of 1995. They are an opportunity to feel old, to reminisce, and for some analysts, to offer a different take on history. […]
Questions that need answers: research needs to keep pace with escalating cannabis issues
As a seasoned researcher in the field of cannabis and cannabinoid pharmacology, there are a few key areas where the current lack of information and knowledge gaps raise concerns. Some of these gaps in knowledge have been the topic of research for decades, while others have emerged much more recently. The changing and evolving landscape […]
The Canadian airline industry deserves to be supported now
Earlier this month, unions representing Canadian airline workers called on the federal government to provide $7-billion in aid to the hard-hit aviation sector. The plan has the support of the National Airlines Council of Canada, which represents the country’s largest carriers. Now normally, government aid to specific companies or industries is not something the Montreal […]
