Editorial: Something new on the long, bumpy, unfinished road to electoral reform
Canadians have not managed to forge a route to electoral reform yet, federally or provincially – despite at least 17 reports over the years, starting in 1923, all of which have recommended some form of proportional representation. For a list, with brief explanations and the outcomes, click this link. When BC voters were...
Opinion: Suggestions for Politicos' New Year Resolutions
It's that time of year again -- to propose a few New Year's resolutions for B.C.'s political class and this year there's a bit of a theme to the resolutions: transparency. No ill can come from it and it will fit into most holiday budgets to boot. First up: allow individuals who are the subject of an inquiry, or investigation,...
Opinion: Canada won’t perform an environmental review of most new oilsands projects. Here’s why.
The future of development in Alberta’s oilsands lies in underground, steam-assisted operations that represent some of the country’s fastest growing greenhouse gas emissions. These projects have never been subject to federal environmental reviews and that’s not expected to change with Ottawa’s new-and-improved assessment rules....
Opinion: Reach out, listen, be patient. Good arguments can stop extremism
By Walter Sinnot-Armstrong, for Aeon Many of my best friends think that some of my deeply held beliefs about important issues are obviously false or even nonsense. Sometimes, they tell me so to my face. How can we still be friends? Part of the answer is that these friends and I are philosophers, and philosophers learn how to...
Op/Ed: Climate 'State of Play' update
From ECOJUSTICE; by Charles Hatt and Alan Andrews As heatwaves and forest fires broke out across Canada last summer, Ecojustice analyzed the “climate state of play.” Now, we’re back with an update. In the months since Ecojustice’s last analysis of the ‘climate state of play’ in Canada, the...
COLUMN: From the Hill -- Government should expunge convictions
Cannabis was legalized in Canada this October, but unfortunately the federal government didn’t include one important piece in that legislation: expungement of the records of a half million Canadians with criminal records for simple possession of cannabis. These people are saddled with a criminal record for doing something...
COLUMN: Politicians who deny reality aren't fit to lead
When faced with conclusive evidence of a major threat to citizens, a true leader would do everything possible to confront it. So, what was the U.S. president’s reaction to a U.S. scientific report compiled by more than 300 scientists and endorsed by a dozen different agencies, including NASA, NOAA and the defence department,...
Opinion: Anti-Bill 69 rhetoric is not only misleading, it's irresponsible
By Anna Johnston, Staff Lawyer with West Coast Environmental Law There has been a rash of complaints lately about efforts to strengthen and streamline federal decision-making on projects that affect the environment through Bill C-69. They originate from a small but organized group based in Alberta, primarily connected to the...
Op/Ed: What Einstein meant by ‘God does not play dice’
By Jim Baggott ; from Aeon ‘The theory produces a good deal but hardly brings us closer to the secret of the Old One,’ wrote Albert Einstein in December 1926. ‘I am at all events convinced that He does not play dice.’ Einstein was responding to a letter from the German physicist Max Born. The heart of the new theory of quantum...
Letter: No Canadian needs to face cancer alone
To The Editor: In light of the Greyhound bus lines reducing service in British Columbia, the Canadian Cancer Society (CCS) wanted to take the opportunity to reach out to any people living with cancer who may be impacted by this withdrawal of service. No matter where you live, CCS is here to ensure that no Canadian has to face...
