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...
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 […]
OP/ED: Minister’s statement on Save the Working Forest rally
Doug Donaldson, Minister of Forests, Lands, Natural Resource Operations and Rural Development, has released the following statement in response to the B.C. Forestry Alliance Save the Working Forest rally on Feb. 18, 2020, at the Parliament Buildings: “I spoke with members of the B.C. Forestry Alliance today because I wanted to hear about their concerns. […]
Column: Effects on real people, in the real world, right here in BC
Island Scallops on Vancouver Island has relied on stable ocean conditions since 1989. But CEO Rob Saunders says those started changing a little over a decade ago. Measurements showed dropping pH levels, indicating increased acidity. “We started to notice our larvae weren’t swimming very well; they weren’t feeding. They were dying at a tremendous rate,” […]
Letter: We need patient centred care, province-wide
Dear Editor, As I write this, patients are travelling long distances for consultations with specialists. Many of these journeys, for simple face to face meetings are made even though the required workup has been completed and the results forwarded. BUT - What if you could visit a GP, have the referral and information forwarded...
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 ...
OP/ED: Cautious Optimism for Provincial Wildlife Strategy
British Columbia’s hunters and anglers have long been the vanguard of wildlife conservation efforts in our province. Over the years, many of us have raised concerns about declining wildlife populations, large-scale habitat fragmentation and deterioration of true backcountry wilderness. Members of the British Columbia chapter...
Op/Ed: What’s next on corporate crime and remediation agreements?
By Jennifer Quaid; originally published in The Conversation About a year ago, the SNC-Lavalin controversy introduced Canadians to a new way of settling criminal charges — remediation agreements. Added to Canadian law via a budget bill in June 2018, the system was put to the test almost immediately when SNC-Lavalin sought a ...
COLUMN: From the Hill -- Canada's new Parliament, so far
It’s a new year, a new decade, and a time to look forward. The new parliament sat for two weeks in early December, time enough to get an indication how the government intends to move forward. Most Canadians want the government to work collaboratively with other parties to tackle the issues of our time, and the NDP is very ...
Editorial: An object lesson from Uzbekistan
A Kootenay man, environmental consultant Michael Keefer who lives in Rossland and Cranbrook, was invited to go to Uzbekistan for a conference on solutions to the Aralkum Desert problem. While there, he toured the area and took many hundreds of pictures. When I sat down with Keefer, who told me fascinating tales ...