Saab AB, Lockheed Martin, Boeing: May the best plane win

 You’d think a country with a vast arctic frontier sitting on top of the 2nd-largest geographical footprint on the planet would make defence and territorial surveillance, and therefore military procurement, a top policy priority. Not this country. The sad tale begins with the Ross rifle, the Canadian-made preference to the

Remembering the Politics of Fear

   The recent debate over the admittance of Syrian refugees is ominously reminiscent of events that took place over a century ago in Canada. Indeed, Syrians were among the hundreds of thousands of immigrants who entered Canada, aggressively recruited by Canadian government agents and their proxies throughout Europe, the Ottoman

Killing the Goose

 What continues to puzzle me is the human compulsion to ruin a good thing by wanting too much, pushing too hard, poisoning wells and destroying resources. Among the root causes are recklessness, opportunism, arrogance, greed and folly. An unfortunate aspect of human nature is that, often, enough is not enough.

Why Zika Matters to Canada

 Three ways Canada can help stem the spread of the Zika outbreak The World Health Organization (WHO) recently announced that clusters of microcephaly that are possibly linked to the Zika virus constitute a “public health emergency of international concern.” This virus has captured the attention of the international community because

Shaw Creating Turbulence in Canadian Telecom by Acquiring Wind Mobile Corp.

 What Happened? Shaw Communications Inc. announces a $1.6 billion (Enterprise Value) acquisition of Wind Mobile Corp., a privately held wireless carrier with subscribers and infrastructure in Ontario, Alberta & British Columbia. Wind has earned expected revenue of $485 million in 2015, implying Shaw is paying a multiple of 3.3x estimated revenue. With this

The Planet is Dying of Consumption and Only Citizens can Halt the Process

 At the 2015 Paris Climate Conference, COP21, the focus has been on promises countries make to reduce their greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. These macro level commitments are always made with varying degrees of sincerity because few political leaders will be willing to cause real or even perceived damage to their

From Ottoman to Ottawa

 Canada is a nation of immigrants with a long and proud tradition of celebrating diversity. Part of that diversity includes citizens of Turkish origin. Turks first arrived in Canada in 1901 in small numbers from the Ottoman Empire, working mainly in Ontario in mining and logging camps. However, deteriorating relations between the Ottoman Empire and

Pharmacare is for Kids Too

 Written by Avram Denburg and Steve Morgan You are the parent of a sick child. You have a limited budget and you must decide to buy the medicine the doctor prescribed for your child or provide food and shelter for your family instead. What do you do? Sadly this dilemma is one too

Some of the Most Complex Needs of My Patients Stem from Poverty and not Disease Alone

 Why Canadian children need a champion. A young girl is referred to a pediatrician's office for inability to pay attention in the classroom. The child’s teacher is concerned she has attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), and possibly, a learning disability. I am a second year medical student working in the

Do Canadians Spend Too Much on Taxes?

 Here’s why that’s the wrong question “There are lies, damned lies and statistics” is the well-worn phrase, but nothing better sums up the recent Fraser Institute scare mongering about taxes being the single largest budget item of Canadian households.  “Your family’s largest expense may surprise you,” the ideological-driven think tank

Kazakhstan: A Land of Opportunity

 Photo credit: ninara on flickr What Canadians Can't Miss It’s raining reforms in Kazakhstan. The Kazakh government’s recent economic reforms are preparing the soil for better business conditions. More Canadians should be there, among other nations, seeding their business ideas on Kazakh lands. Since the beginning of this year, foreign

Former PM John Turner and the Arctic Youth Corps

 Should Justin Trudeau’s Liberals revive a 1965 Throne Speech promise? "I really became a Canadian when I got to know Canada north of the 60th parallel... I have never felt more Canadian than when alone with my thoughts in the remote northern vastness." —Former Prime Minister John Turner Former Prime

Provincial Health Ministers Right to Push for National Pharmacare Program–But What Kind?

 Quebec’s outdated drug coverage policies should not be model for rest of Canada In spite of very high expenditures for drug coverage, one in 10 Canadians cannot afford to fill their prescriptions. The current patchwork of public and private plans across the country means that Canadians are covered for their

In Defence of Parliament

 As I watch the frenzied, over-the-top media coverage of the supposed Senate scandal, I'm reminded of the famous Will Rogers adage. “All I know is just what I read in the papers, and that's an alibi for my ignorance.” Lost in this mass media morass is balance and proportionality. There

Take Time for Truth

 By Professor Richard Feist. In his sonnets, Shakespeare pines over the sad fact that the great monuments we build in brass and stone—even the world’s boundless sea—are helpless before the onslaught of time. Time’s terrible hand will “blunt the lion’s paws” and “pluck the keen teeth from the fierce tiger’s

Celebrating the Flower of Freedom

 This month the 2015 Canadian Tulip Festival marks the 70th anniversary commemorating the close ties between Canada and the Netherlands. The close ties between the countries can be traced back to the liberation of the kingdom of Netherlands, when Holland’s Princess Juliana and her family sought refuge from the invading German military during the Second World War. In 1943,

Putting Healthcare on the Federal Election Agenda

 A federal election could be called any time in the next few months, judging by the media coverage and the ramping up of political activity. Many issues have been crowding into the media headlines in anticipation of the election -- but with a notable absence of any consideration of healthcare

Moving the Crops that Feed the World

 One of the romantic visions often held of Canadian railways (and American for that matter) is that of the long lines of hopper cars filled with gleaming golden wheat and other grain and oilseed crops, on their way to feed people all over the world. That vision was challenged in

Ending Homelessness in Canada Receives Failing Grade

 Homelessness Remains a National Crisis Homelessness in Canada remains a national crisis despite the best efforts of social groups, housing advocates and all levels of government. In the 2014 State of Homelessness in Canada Report Card, the most startling number remains that on any given night 35,000 Canadians have no

Prescription Drug Costs Hurting Canadians: Why the Public Health System Needs to Evolve

 This week, health ministers from across Canada will gather in Banff to discuss issues of common interest and explore opportunities to work together. Pharmacare--a program that would see all prescription drug costs covered through a publicly funded system instead of out-of-pocket--will almost certainly be on the agenda. Decision makers often

Letter To The Editor: A Response From The Canadian Centre on Substance Abuse

 The following letter from Rita Notarandrea, CEO of the Canadian Centre on Substance Abuse, is a response to our August 27th article Canada Slow to Respond to Prescription Opioid Crisis by Dr. David Juurlink. I agree with Dr. Juurlink’s assertion (in his August 27 article, Canada Slow to Respond to

Working to Build a New Ottawa: Martin Canning

 There is a change happening in Ottawa, according to city councillor hopeful Martin Canning, and he wants to be a big part of that change. Canning’s campaign began in January with the launch of his website and vision, ‘New Ottawa’. The Somerset ward candidate defines New Ottawa as the most

Why Our Governments Need to Address Poverty Now

 Canadians might be surprised to learn that 86 families now hold more wealth than the poorest 11.4 million Canadians. Is this a Canada to be proud of? Hardly. According to many studies, the Canadian poverty rate remains high. A recent OECD report shows that the very rich are taking an

Why Canada Shouldn’t Compete with the U.S. for the Worst Performing Health System in the Developed World

 B.C. Court Challenge Looming The latest Commonwealth Study ranked Canada’s health care system a dismal second to last in a list of 11 major industrialized countries. We had the dubious distinction of beating out only the Americans. This latest poor result is already being used by those bent on further

Settling for a Greener Ottawa: Ecology Ottawa Puts Federal Efforts On Blast

 For the first time in 10 years the City of Ottawa has prepared a new plan to fight climate change.  The Environmental Council passed The 2014 Air Quality and Climate Change Management Plan (AQCCM) with only one member dissenting. The 160-page plan will now go on to the Full Committee