Soft skills to rule future jobs

 Over the next decade, the job market is going to change dramatically. Old jobs will disappear because of the rise of automation and new ones will arise from new technologies. This change has already begun in Canada, with experts pointing to the “quiet crisis” currently affecting our young people that

Why the Best Fit May Not be your Best Bet

 Hiring the right people is critical for a company’s future. Having been in HR for years, I’ve seen many examples of flawed hiring practices, with employers hiring people because ‘We had a good conversation and we liked him’. Other reasons I heard: the candidate ‘seemed like a nice guy’, ‘I

Becoming an Aging Society: Opportunities and Challenges

 Saint Paul University is interested in issues and conditions that affect the way humans live, relate and make meaning. As a centre of higher learning, it promotes excellence in teaching, research, and professional formation as part of the local, national and international academic community. It also collaborates with diverse faith

Ottawa Native Barbara Ann Scott is a Legend Among Champions

 For many Ottawans, January puts a focus on setting personal goals and maintaining new-found commitments. Whether the plan involves a new diet and exercise regime or an increased dedication to your job, the aim of any New Years Resolution is to improve day-to-day living. The question for many is where

Future Energy: It’s Time for Canada to Lead

 Over the past decades, oil became everything for Canada. It was sign of economic stability, new jobs and progress. Today, oil’s low cost is dragging down the country's economy. Environmental concerns are only rising. The new reality seems here to stay. On the bright side, Canada is now on the threshold of

Health Systems Around the World

 By Kathleen O’Grady Comparing the performance of health systems around the world just got a little easier. One morning, the media headline pronounces Canada’s health system should model that found in the Netherlands; the next week, we should follow Germany’s example, and yet another says Australia is leading the pack.

Change

 Photo courtesy of Jean-Marc Carisse. Voters Decided It Was Sunny Ways Rather Than Rainbows and Unicorns Ten years is a long time for any government to be in power. Stephen Harper led Canada through some tumultuous times. He deserves a great deal of credit for guiding Canada through the 2008

Blue Rodeo Slams Harper In New Protest Song

 It’s been merely a month, but yet another anti-conservative diddy has gone viral. Following the controversial suspension of federal government scientist Tony Turner, Superstar country-rock group Blue Rodeo are the newest band of Canadians protesting the Conservative party with their new hit, “Stealin’ All My Dreams.” In a recent trend,

Could This be the Best Campaign Ad Ever?

 In what may be the greatest campaign ad of our time, Wyatt Scott announced his MP candidacy for the new Mission-Matsqui-Fraser Canyon riding by flying on a giant Canada goose and then stabbing a dragon in the head. “My name’s Wyatt Scott, and I’m running for parliament!” he roared just

Stay Ahead of Pregnancy Posture

 Aside from the obvious belly growth in pregnancy, many lesser known changes occur within a woman’s body. The average healthy Canadian woman will gain about 30 pounds during pregnancy. Most of this weight is concentrated around the abdominal region. This added load puts extra stress on the back, hips, knees,

What You Need to Know About the Election

 On your marks, get set, go! The race is on. The federal election to determine Canada’s 42nd parliament and leader has begun. Set to end with the October 19 election, this campaign will be the longest in over a century (since 1872), running for a full 78 days. In Canada,

Universities Play Key Role in Reconciliation

 The success is staggering. The number of Aboriginal people and communities using education as a means to a greater future is rising. It’s a cause for celebration. Just 50 years ago, there were roughly 200 Status Indians taking courses at Canadian universities and colleges. In 2011, the number of self-identified

Will climate refugees in Canada finally spur action on climate change?

 Photo Credit: Eric Wüstenhagen Ryan Meili and Mahli Brindamour A young child arrives at the hospital emergency room in respiratory distress, his asthma worsened by smoke exposure. An elder has uncontrolled blood pressure because there wasn't time to get her medications when the evacuation orders came through. Scabies and other illnesses related

PowerCost Monitor: A Win for Your Pocket and the Planet

 Do you leave the light on when you’re not in the room? Do you forget to turn the TV off or leave your laptop charger plugged in? We all do it now and again, but the fact is, it’s hurting the environment and it’s costing you money. “Climate change is

How ‘Springing Forward’ Alters Sleep Patterns

 Photo credit: Dollar Photo Club Now that daylight savings time has come, we have been springing forward our clocks to enjoy longer days of sunshine at the expense of one hour of sleep. For some, this transition isn’t easy. Your body naturally functions on its own biological internal 24-hour cycle

Be Spellbound with the Magic of the Arthritis Society

 Do you believe in magic? The Arthritis Society is hosting an evening of wonder and awe at the National Gallery of Canada with Spellbound, in support of childhood arthritis. On Thursday, March 12, the National Gallery’s Water Court will be magically transformed into a spellbinding street fair. Featuring the entertaining

Five challenges for bending the health care cost curve in Canada

 By Greg Marchildon and Livio Di Matteo Why health reform remains a challenge Canadian economists received a pleasant surprise this year: expenditure growth on public healthcare in Canada finally appears to be slowing down. However, it is unclear if this slowdown is the result of explicit success in sustainably bending the cost-curve

The Canadian Doctor Who Prescribes Income to Treat Poverty

 By Trudy Lieberman Last fall when I visited Canada, I met a Toronto doctor named Gary Bloch who developed a poverty tool for medical practitioners. The tool assesses what patients might need other than prescriptions for the newest drugs. Bloch's idea was to zoom in on the social determinants of

Federal Government Moves to Strip Power from Top Public Health Scientist

 Demoting Chief Public Health Officer more about politics than promoting health Buried in the current omnibus budget bill being studied by parliament this week is a plan to demote the Chief Public Health Officer of Canada. He will no longer hold a deputy minister rank, he will have no direct

Health in all Policies Approach Gaining Traction Across Political Spectrum in Canada

 By Danyaal Raza and Ryan Meili When counselling patients on health, physicians often focus on lifestyle changes such as diet, exercise or smoking. This kind of advice can be important for the individual, but does little to change underlying drivers of health like income, education and employment. These factors are

Why does Canada’s Innovation Government Funding Support not Working?

 In spite of significant tax incentives from many levels of government, Canada continues to lag its Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) peer countries in innovation performance. The Conference Board of Canada report concludes the following: Despite a decade or so of innovation agendas and prosperity reports, Canada remains

A New Paradigm for Cancer Prevention

 There have been several advances in the treatment of cancer over the last 20 years. We have new targeted oncology drugs with fewer side effects and improved technology allowing for more sensitive and earlier detection. Evolving research guides oncologists not only when to use chemotherapy, but more importantly, when not

New Spirit of Cooperation in Rail

 Photo by Frederic Dekkal Everything old is new again, and a new spirit of cooperation in negotiations between the Teamsters Canada Rail Conference (TCRC) union and two of Canada’s biggest railways, CN and VIA Rail, has the potential to use old-style sitting down and talking to change a century of

Eat, Drink and Be Sustainable

 Ecology Ottawa has done it again. For the eighth consecutive year, the local environmental organization completely sold out the annual Eco Gala on Oct. 9. Just over 565 attendees gathered at the St. Elias Banquet Centre to celebrate the bountiful autumn harvest and the city’s active environmental community. It featured

Is it Time to Allow Assisted Suicide?

 Most Canadians do not have access to comprehensive palliative care This week, the Supreme Court of Canada has been hearing an appeal by the B.C. Civil Liberties Association that could grant terminally ill Canadians the right to assisted suicide. With this impending ruling and the passing of Bill 52 in