Quebec premier changing Constitution unilaterally starts ‘slippery slope,’ say some Liberal MPs
Quebec Liberal MPs representing anglophone ridings are staying mum on the Quebec government’s controversial attempt to unilaterally change the Constitution, but some Liberal MPs from other regions of the country are warning that the move sets Canada down a “slippery slope” with unintended consequences that will set a precedent for other provinces to do the […]
More than a game: hockey fans in stands offer post-pandemic hope
OTTAWA—The healing and hope that sport provides was on full display over the last week. In both Montreal and Toronto, people, in small numbers, got to watch the Stanley Cup playoff series between the Montreal Canadiens and the Toronto Maple Leafs in person. Elsewhere, column miles are being laid down extolling the failure of the […]
Trudeau proving heir apparent of Mulroney, not his father, on constitutional issues
The recent tempest over Quebec’s proposed amendment to the constitution to recognize Quebec as a nation revealed an important detail about Justin Trudeau’s leadership: he will not be defined by his father’s ideology. When Premier François Legault announced his intentions to modify the Constitution, many expected the spirit of Pierre Trudeau to speak through his […]
Quebec is on the land of Indigenous Nations whether you like it or not
OTTAWA—Quebec Premier Legault wants to increase the use of French in Quebec through Bill 96, come hell or high water. As federal parties fell over themselves to show support and garner future votes, a House of Commons motion to tacitly approve of Bill 96 was stalled by MP Jody Wilson-Raybould. The eagle feather has been […]
O’Toole’s Quebec quandary
OAKVILLE, ONT.—The Conservative Party of Canada must be experiencing a disturbing case of déjà vu. I say that because, just like in times of yore, Quebec is rattling its nationalistic sabre, demanding the right to unilaterally amend the constitution to enshrine its status as a nation and its official language as French. This is a […]
The decline of French in Quebec is a nationalist myth
MONTREAL—Let Us Compare Mythologies. The title of Leonard Cohen’s first book of poetry seems pertinent in a new context: the introduction of the clumsy and fatuous Bill 96 by the CAQ government. The 100-page language law’s proposals are built on the mythology of the “decline” of French in Quebec. The bill was introduced last week […]
Unfinished political business piles up as pandemic drags on
OTTAWA—People with broken teeth are putting off visits to the dentist. In Ontario, you haven’t been able to get a replacement for a disintegrating licence plate for your car. Broken or outdated reading glasses go unimproved, personal care habits are out of bounds, remote family ties wear thin, and who visits a doctor unless absolutely […]
Come walk with me: Sen. Simons leads tour of ‘glories’ and ‘absurdities’ of hometown park
“When people think of Alberta, they probably don’t think of avant-garde, mid-century, modern heritage architecture,” Independent Senator Paula Simons said of Coronation Park, the area she decided to hold a virtual tour through. As a part of the annual global Jane’s Walk festival, citizen-led walking conversations are par for the course. The event celebrates the […]
It’s time for Canada to show it believes in Newfoundland and Labrador
HALIFAX—I remember the day I visited Joey Smallwood in his ramshackle bungalow on the Roaches Line, off the Trans-Canada Highway west of Conception Bay. By that time, he was no longer a great man. He was very frail, and had lost his ability to speak after a stroke. Smallwood without the spellbinding oratory was like […]
So, Ontario, how’s electing unqualified, anti-government populists working out for you?
OTTAWA—Ontario Premier Doug Ford’s handling of COVID-19 and the public response are reminiscent of the way things went with former U.S. president Donald Trump’s bumbling, deceitful tenure. On the life-and-death issue of paid sick days, Ford and his cabinet have taken such an outrageous, indefensible position that everyone is struggling to find ways to talk […]
