Prime Minister Justin Trudeau recently proposed a federal ban on certain single-use plastics, in an effort to protect marine life and the beauty of Canadian shores. But the proposal fails to get to. . .
As the federal election approaches, the Liberal government’s record has become increasingly more difficult to defend. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s promise in the last election that he would . . .
When the Alberta government introduced its carbon dioxide emissions tax, ministers often claimed that if they hadn’t, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau would impose his own tax, leaving taxpayers worse. . .
Truthfulness alone constitutes the spiritual discipline of the Kali Yuga," the Hindu tell us. As we study the beliefs of our sisters and brothers, we realize how much we have in common - and. . .
While Canada's economy continues to grind out positive if unspectacular gains in employment and gross domestic product (GDP), below the surface the picture is less encouraging. For several years,. . .
In 2016, the economy had one of its most difficult years, with growth at a mere 1.3 per cent. Looking forward, it doesn't get much better. The federal Department of Finance predicts economic growth. . .
WINNIPEG, Man. - Organizations advocating for family caregivers are applauding Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's recent statement in recognition of family caregivers on National Carers Day. I'm less . . .
WINNIPEG, Man. - We've grown accustomed to seeing homeless people walk among us in countless North American cities. They're often in the shadows, and often show visible signs of duress from . . .
CHILLIWACK, B.C. - Does capital have a responsibility to all of society or is return on investment the only consideration? Opinion is changing rapidly in favour of social responsibility and it's . . .
CHILLIWACK, B.C. - Are you are one of the six million Canadians who have opened a tax free savings account (TFSA)? Have you ever wondered about the real purpose of these accounts? You're not . . .
NANAIMO, B.C.- "All natural" is a food marketer's delight. Customers love it, the words generate positive thoughts, and there's no official definition or standard at all. It means . . .
WINNIPEG, Man. - Canada's emergency departments are very busy. Every year, Canadians make about 16 million visits to emergency rooms and more than one million Canadians are admitted to hospital . . .
MONTREAL, Que.- As the April 30 tax deadline approaches, Canadians will be interested (though probably not happy) to know that this year marks the 100th anniversary of the federal income tax. . . .
OTTAWA, Ont. - There's something quasi quaint about the federal government introducing legislation to legalize marijuana. News reporting on the budding bill has generously employed terrible puns . . .
CALGARY, Alta. - A prevailing question is bouncing around the country: Should Canadians trust the energy sector? It preoccupies a fair number of people, including academics and politicians. Many . . .
TORONTO, Ont. - In the many thousands of words that have been written about the collapse of Canadian daily newspapers, there is a parallel good news story that has been untold. There are places . . .
HALIFAX, N.S. - Canada's cheese processing sector faces some dramatic changes. We'll soon find out who gets to import tasty, inexpensive European cheese under the newly-ratified Comprehensive . . .
Contrary to the CIHI news release's sugar-coated headline that "Most Canadians receive priority procedures within medically acceptable wait times," the report is actually another reminder. . .
VANCOUVER, B.C. - A key theme of the recent federal budget was innovation. The word "innovation" appears 261 times in the 280-page budget document. However, identifying themes and making . . .
VANCOUVER, B.C. - It's hard to keep track of all the federal government's broken promises on deficits and debt. And that's a problem. Fiscal credibility is important, not only for the country's . . .
CALGARY, Alta. - The youth of any society constitute the promise of the future - and many of our youth are in trouble. They're growing up in a divided society. Ethnic, gender and political . . .
VANCOUVER, B.C. - Last month during band elections on the O'Chiese First Nation in central Alberta, incumbent Chief Darren Whitford won his seventh straight term after a new electoral rule, which . . .
PRINCE GEORGE, B.C. - Children's rights advocate Marian Wright Edelman said, "The question is not whether we can afford to invest in every child; the question is whether we can afford not to.&. . .
OTTAWA, Ont. - Friday is World Health Day, which should remind us that the health of Canadians is interlinked with the health of people everywhere. Canadians know this best. In addition to being . . .
VANCOUVER, B.C. - To the predictable howls of environmentalists, U.S. President Donald Trump has turned his pen on Barack Obama's climate change policies - to the detriment of Canadians. Signing . . .
PRINCE GEORGE, B.C. - Former American president Jimmy Carter said, "The measure of a society is found in how they treat their weakest and most helpless citizens." Serving those in need . . .
OTTAWA, Ont. - There are times when timing alone tells you everything you need to know about what's truly wrong. An example arose last week when the head of McGill University's Institute for the . . .
HALIFAX, N.S. - Canada's agri-food sector has underachieved for too long. The new federal budget gives the sector the opportunity to re-imagine its potential. Finally, Ottawa wants to make the . . .
ANTIGONISH, N.S.- Much has been made about the resignation of Andrew Potter as director of the McGill Institute for the Study of Canada. His departure stems from a column Potter wrote in . . .
VANCOUVER, B.C. - A change in budgetary direction would spark real prosperity in Canada. Unfortunately, the current federal government has not learned from at least one predecessor. Former prime . . .
VANCOUVER, B.C.- Many of us are guilty of failing to learn lessons from the past and then going on to repeat avoidable mistakes. Alberta's 2017 budget is a prime example of this at the government . . .
OTTAWA - It seems what's old is new again in Budget 2017, presented to the House of Commons last week. The big federal budget deficits of the 1970s and '80s? They seem to have taken up permanent . . .
TORONTO, Ont. - How much should the federal government pay towards health-care costs? Hardly a week goes by without this thorny issue being disputed between federal and provincial governments - . . .
CALGARY, Alta. - In recent years, depressed commodity prices have plagued Canada's mining industry. One recent report showed that spending on exploration - the lifeblood of the industry - dropped . . .
VANCOUVER, B.C. - The recent federal budget adds fuel to the growing problem of policy uncertainty hovering over the Canadian economy. It's essentially status quo. It fails to chart a clear course . . .
VANCOUVER, B.C. - In listening to Finance Minister Bill Morneau deliver his government's 2017 Budget, it's clearly evident that the minister and his government believe their plan is working. &. . .
VANCOUVER, B.C. - In the lead up to today's federal budget there have been on-going rumours that the federal government will raise capital gains taxes. Despite misperceptions that hiking capital . . .
TORONTO, Ont. - Canadians often express pride in our universal health system, which provides publicly-funded doctor and hospital services. We don't have to worry about filing for bankruptcy to get . . .
HALIFAX, N.S. - Brazil, the largest exporter of meat products in the world, faces a food fraud crisis - and it seems federal authorities have been complicit. There's a lesson here for Canada. . . .
VANCOUVER, B.C. - Billed as a pre-budget briefing, federal minister and well-regarded economist Jean-Yves Duclos recently gave a high profile presentation on the purported worrisome state of . . .
HALIFAX, N.S. - Canadian seniors are a privileged group. The Conference Board of Canada reports that life expectancy today is 10 years longer than in 1961. And the average Canadian can expect to . . .
Version:1.0 StartHTML:0000000105 EndHTML:0000010047 StartFragment:0000002576 EndFragment:0000010011 VANCOUVER, B.C. - The Couillard government should be commended for its handling of the fiscal . . .
CHILLIWACK, B.C - Over the past few weeks, both Alberta Premier Rachel Notley and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau have travelled to the United States to drum up interest in the energy . . .
PRINCE GEORGE, B.C.- Just when we thought we had advanced as a society, putting disgraceful intolerance behind us and embracing and celebrating our ethnic diversity, we realize we still have a long. . .
St. John's, N.L.- Newfoundland and Labrador's 2017 budget needs to correct a public finance crisis, which has been ushered in by years of high spending and big drops in oil-based revenues. It's a . . .
VANCOUVER, B.C.- Alberta has seen its financial position erode markedly after several years of operating deficits and growing government debt. While some believe the boom-bust of provincial . . .
HALIFAX, N.S.- Canadians are cooking less and eating faster - and our obesity rates are at worrying levels. An increasing number of consumers are taking ownership of food systems, but taking . . .
VANCOUVER, B.C. - The Spanish philosopher and writer George Santayana famously said that "Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it." In Ottawa today, and in many . . .
VANCOUVER, B.C.- With the B.C. provincial election a few months away, the contentious issue of log exports has emerged once again. Some politicians, policy analysts and unions have argued for a . . .
VANCOUVER, Troy Media/ - It's budget day in Alberta, and some interest groups, including an organization called Public Interest Alberta, want the Notley government to eliminate government funding . . .
OTTAWA, Ont. - Can you imagine this? It's just a few years from today and there have been a lot of positive changes for persons living with disabilities and their families in Canada. We . . .
OTTAWA, Ont.- Canada can't expect to improve its economic growth without a better understanding of who is responsible for growth. At a conference in Ottawa last fall, where speakers included . . .
VANCOUVER, B.C. - While campaigning, and since coming into power, the Trudeau Liberals have talked a lot about wanting to grow the economy to better serve Canada's middle class. And they have . . .
CALGARY, Alta.- Doctors are frequently demoralized when they believe their patient has a treatable disease or condition but the patient won't take the diagnostic test. For example, patients . . .
VANCOUVER, B.C. - Late last year, the large trans-national insurance company Anbang announced its intention to purchase a majority interest in Retirement Concepts, a Canadian for-profit nursing . . .
VANCOUVER, B.C. - Over the coming weeks, the Trudeau government and several provincial governments will release budgets that will include plans to collectively spend hundreds of billions of dollars. . .
CALGARY, Alta. - A distraught young mother from British Columbia recently took her own life while in the grip of postpartum depression, leaving behind a grieving husband and infant son. She was a . . .
Nicole Letourneau and Cindy-Lee DennisMarch 12, 2017
CALGARY, Alta. - Two words define how we need to think about next-generation energy: trust and transparency. Independent of each other, they don't mean much. But make them codependent and an . . .
VANCOUVER, B.C. - There's a general, indeed a strong consensus, within the economic community that a properly designed carbon tax can both reduce emissions and improve the economy. We broadly agree. . .
CALGARY, Alta.- In 2004, the Supreme Court of Canada created the "duty to consult." The setting was British Columbia, where aboriginal title had never been ceded by treaty. The ruling . . .
HALIFAX, N.S.— The New Brunswick Medical Society (NBMS) has released the results of a survey about various health-related public policies. Chief among its recommendations is a tax on sugary drinks.. . .
VANCOUVER, B.C. — As the Liberal government finalizes its 2017 budget, there are increasing rumours that it may increase capital gains taxes. For a government squarely committed to improving . . .
CALGARY, Alta. — You can't go far on an energy journey these days without tripping over Elon Musk. And with good reason: he's something of a next-generation energy messiah. Personable and . . .
CALGARY, Alta. — Remember when former prime minister Stephen Harper was accused of muzzling scientists? Apparently little has changed under the Liberal government of Justin Trudeau. The CBC . . .
HALIFAX, N.S. — Food fraud isn't new - it's persisted for more than 2,000 years, despite mankind's best efforts. Perhaps technology can put an end to it. The first reported food fraud cases go . . .
HALIFAX, N.S. — How do we reconcile the growing popularity of halal foods in North America with the increasing number of attacks on mosques and the dreadful shootings in Quebec City? In the . . .
VANCOUVER, B.C. — The rise of the gig or sharing economy is one of the most visible trends shaping the contemporary labour market. Gig jobs are an example of what economists describe as . . .
OTTAWA, Ont. — I woke up Monday morning with mockery of Ottawa habits in mind. I ended the day in an attitude of quiet respect, sensing something meaningful in the shift. It began Sunday night. . .
HAMILTON, Ont. — Frail and critically ill patients can safely bike in the intensive care unit, even early in their stay. These exciting findings come from an in-bed cycle program that aims to get . . .
EDMONTON, Alta. — Canada's health-care system has a fundamental flaw: lack of a publicly-funded pharmacare program. But there are ways to manage your prescription medication costs. Our . . .
How could I have been so misled about so much for so many years? I've been obsessed with good health and nutrition since I was a teenager. As a young mom, I did everything possible to ensure my . . .
PRINCE GEORGE, — Irena Sendler, when asked about the thousands of Jewish children she saved during the Second World War, said, "I was no hero. I just did a regular thing." This is a . . .
HALIFAX, N.S. — Every year, news magazines and websites publish "best city" lists, ranking global cities that are the most attractive places to live. Unfortunately, most middle-class . . .
ORONTO, Ont. — There's nothing like an American health-care debate to make Canadians feel lucky. Donald Trump's first act as president was to sign an executive order taking the first step to . . .
VANCOUVER, B.C— As the old adage states, "You'll be known by the company you keep." As such, the implications for Canada's biopharmaceutical sector are rather dismal. While an . . .
WATERLOO, Ont. — A recent Canadian Press story carried a headline claiming that Canadians are content with our electoral system. Really? A better headline for the story by Terry Pedwell would. . .
HALIFAX, N.S. — The three-meals-a-day standard is slowly becoming more an ideal than a reality - ask McDonald's and millennials. More than a year ago, McDonald's Restaurants introduced all-day . . .
VANCOUVER, B.C. – Finance Minister Joe Ceci recently mused that Alberta's 2016-17 deficit may be lower than the eye-popping $10.8 billion projected in the Second Quarter Fiscal Update, due to . . .
CALGARY, Alta. — In this age of thought-leadership reports that flutter around like confetti, one document deserves immediate attention - particularly in Canada's resource sectors. The . . .
MONTREAL, Que. — Four years ago, at age 84, my dad survived a severe stroke. This otherwise fit person was put on a drug regimen and has been taking nine prescription drugs a day ever since. My. . .
CALGARY, Alta. — Just when you thought the state of the debate about reforming Canada's Senate couldn't get any sadder, federal Conservative Party leadership hopeful Kevin O'Leary has floated the . . .
KINGSTON, Ont. — The new year is a good time to put making end-of-life wishes at the top of your to-do list. It's a perfect time to tell family and friends your health-care preferences in case . . .
SARNIA, Ont. — It took until 1800 for the world population to reach one billion people. The second billion was reached in only 130 years (1930), the third billion in less than 30 years (1959), the . . .
CALGARY, Alta. — Not many patients would be happy to hear there's a lag of about 17 years between when health scientists learn something significant from rigorous research and when practitioners . . .
VANCOUVER, B.C. — It's easy to think that government debt doesn't matter. A prime example is the surprising lack of widespread media coverage of the federal government's recent long-term . . .
The federal Liberal government plans to impose a national coal phase-out is based on the same faulty arguments used in Ontario, namely that such a move will yield significant environmental benefits. . .
VANCOUVER, B.C. — Jason was in Grade 5 when he started having feelings for other boys. Because of those feelings, he was called names, beaten up in school and sexually assaulted. Since high school,. . .
VANCOUVER, B.C. — Over the past two years, Albertans have been hit with a wide range of tax hikes and fee increases including substantial increases to personal and corporate income taxes. On . . .
VANCOUVER, B.C. — As we enter a new year and consider the opportunity 2017 holds, it's a good time to reflect on the lingering disadvantage felt by Ontario parents who choose independent schools.. . .
OTTAWA, Ont. — Visiting Atlanta's Martin Luther King Jr. Center for Nonviolent Social Change, I once overheard a black boy ask his mother: "Why were white people so bad to us?" The . . .
FREDERICTON, N.B.— When Justin Trudeau shuffled his federal cabinet last week, it signalled he's taking the next United States president seriously. Finding the right mix of people to work with . . .
WINNIPEG, Man. — Mental illness is the most common illness found in Canada's children and teens. We all know a young person who struggles with depression, anxiety, an addiction or a behavioural . . .
Mariette J. Chartie and Marni BrownellJanuary 20, 2017
HALIFAX, N.S.— The great Canadian dairy crisis could be coming to a head. Donald Trump, as the 45th president of the United States, could bring about the end of Canada's infatuation with dairy . . .
