COLUMN: From the Hill -- COVID-19
I am writing this from my small Ottawa apartment. It’s Sunday and the spring sun is shining, beckoning me to walk down to the river. But I’ll obey my doctor’s orders and stay inside—although I received the good news yesterday that my COVID-19 test results came back negative, I was told to stay in self-isolation one more...
EXPLAINER: To understand BC's push for the Coastal Gaslink pipeline, think fracking, LNG Canada and the Site C dam
By Sarah Cox, for The Narwhal The pipeline at the centre of the Wet’suwet’en conflict is also central to the province’s long-running effort to attract multinational corporations and build up a liquefied natural gas export empire — all with infusions of public money. Here’s what you need to know...
Letter: That violent 'Greta' decal
A decal of a cartoon Greta Thunberg being sexually assaulted was posted on social media with the name of an Alberta-based company prominently on display. When questioned about it, the owner both acknowledged he was aware of the sticker and downplayed the clearly violent imagery of the rape of a minor. On the cusp of […]
Three new BC cases of Coronavirus, bringing total to 12
Adrian Dix, Minister of Health, and Dr. Bonnie Henry, B.C.’s provincial health officer, have issued the following joint statement regarding updates on the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) in British Columbia: “We are announcing three new cases of COVID-19 in B.C, for a total of 12 cases in British Columbia. All of these new cases...
Vancouver City Council supports free prescription birth control
On Tuesday, March 3, 2020, Vancouver City Council unanimously passed a motion calling on the Provincial Government to make all prescription contraception available at no cost under the BC Medical Services Plan. “Unless prescription contraception is free, people who don’t have much money won’t have the same access to it as...
Column: The woman who discovered global warming — in 1856!
Our book Just Cool It!: The Climate Crisis and What We Can Do features a chapter on climate science history. We include discoveries by well-known scientific pioneers, from Joseph Fourier’s 1824 research into the atmosphere’s ability to trap heat to Mikhail Budyko’s warnings about burning fossil fuels in the early 1960s to...
Op/Ed: Political drama, instability, money
Parties Manufacturing Drama to Raise Money Instead of Working Together to Solve Problems Peter MacKay’s claim that as Conservative leader he’ll force an early election was clearly aimed at a quick headline. He also wants the Conservative base to open their wallets. His latest missive should be treated with a hefty grain of ...
COLUMN: Pipeline actions signal need for true reconciliation
Actions by and in support of the Wet’suwet’en land defenders are as much about government failure to resolve issues around Indigenous rights and title as they are about pipelines and gas. Some Wet’suwet’en hereditary chiefs and their people are defending their rights to traditional practices, clean air and water and a healthy...
Column: Alberta`s war room is an attack on democracy
Canada is respected globally for the freedoms we who live here enjoy. It’s not perfect, but it’s a geographically and culturally diverse land with spectacular environments and friendly people. I’ve always appreciated having the freedom to speak my mind. A diversity of ideas and perspectives, based on facts and evidence,...
Column: From the Hill -- The new NAFTA -- CUSMA
This week in the House of Commons we are debating the new NAFTA agreement between Canada, the United States and Mexico, known by the acronym CUSMA. The original NAFTA was negotiated by Conservatives and signed by Liberals in 1994 with promises of more jobs and secure access to the largest market in the world. Supporters of ...