Committee to weigh ‘appearance’ of political interference with government status quo in NS shooting case
Despite two weeks of difficult questions and condemnations for Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and members of his cabinet, analysts and Liberal strategists aren’t convinced that the controversy over the alleged interference in the RCMP’s investigation of the 2020 Nova Scotia mass shooting is something Canadian voters are actually concerned about. While the Liberals’ political rivals […]
Quebec is shrinking because of its narrow parochialism
VICTORIA, B.C.—In the summer of 1975, my cousin David, a school principal in Montreal, packed up his family and all his belongings and drove here. His children were young, his wife was a nurse, and it seemed like a good move for all of them. Having done a lot of research, they chose Vancouver Island […]
Riding rejig proposes tightening representation around Alberta’s growing cities
Three more electoral map proposals are out as part of Canada’s ongoing redistribution process, including for Alberta, where the addition of three new seats has led to a tightening of ridings around cities other than Edmonton and Calgary, with Red Deer, for one, set to get its own electoral district. The new boundaries really show […]
Veteran Conservative staffer Martin Bélanger exits the Hill after 16 years
After working under three Conservative leaders, and two interim ones, senior Conservative staffer Martin Bélanger officially bid farewell to Parliament Hill on June 10. Bélanger was most recently a deputy chief of staff and senior Quebec adviser in the Conservative Official Opposition Leader’s Office (OLO), to both former leader Erin O’Toole and interim leader Candice […]
Writing a new chapter in the Northwest Territories’ mining story
As a government, it was reassuring to attend this year’s Prospectors and Developers Association of Canada convention in Toronto and hear messages from non-government experts that validate what we’ve been saying for quite some time: that the Northwest Territories’ reputation for strong environmental, social, and governance (ESG) performance, coupled with our incredible and still underexplored […]
Does the Constitution matter anymore?
GASPÉ, QUE.—I was always taught the Constitution was the supreme law of Canada. From high school to CEGEP to university and beyond into active politics, the message was: the Constitution matters. Even before the patriation of the Constitution and the inclusion of the Charter of Rights and Freedoms in 1982, the discussions revolved around obscure […]
Massive infrastructure and capacity gaps with regard to clean drinking water
As the heat of summer bears down on Ottawa, I reach for a glass of water and take a moment to reflect on the sad reality that being able to drink a glass of cold tap water, shower and do my laundry is a privilege. Despite Canada having almost one-fifth of the world’s fresh water, […]
Religion was both a blessing and a curse in Quebec
KAMOURASKA, QUE.—The original French version of O Canada was written in 1880 by a man who lived just down the road. Adolphe-Basile Routhier was a judge in Kamouraska, but also an author, poet, and ultramontane Catholic. The latter two characteristics were evident in the national anthem: the lyrics refer to knowing “how to carry the […]
‘Patchwork approach’ to drug decriminalization ‘shameful,’ shows ‘lack of leadership’ from feds, say advocates, critics
Despite the federal government leaving the door open to expanding the decriminalization of small amounts of drugs in the future, drug policy and human rights organizations across the country are criticizing the temporary exemption approved for British Columbia on May 31 as a “patchwork approach” that will leave many Canadians behind. “It’s incredibly disappointing,” said […]
Premier Legault’s failed Anglo charm offensive
KAMOURASKA, QUE.—Quebec politics is like hockey, columnist Lysiane Gagnon once wrote: les Québécois like a team that fights to win, and that’s the one they will support, or respect. The May 14 march of thousands of citizens through downtown Montreal to protest Bill 96 showed Anglo-Quebecers were, in the words of the 1970s film Network’s […]
