The Métis — Ignored No Longer

 There are emerging signs that the Federal Government is finaly recognizing Métis land claims. The people of the Métis Nation number 350,000 who are spread across much of Canada and some of the northwestern U.S.A. The definition of the members of the Métis Nation put forward by the Métis National

Time for Improved Transparency and Openness in Pharmaceutical Drug Regulation

 Prescription pharmaceuticals have saved and improved many lives, but they can also be deadly. How can we make sure Canadians get the prescription drugs they need without causing unnecessary harm? The federal government plays a vital role in pharmaceutical drug regulation. We have many reasons to be proud of the

Improving safety—the mainstay of the pipeline industry

 Pipelines are a safe and efficient means of transporting large quantities of energy sources and fuels. These liquids and gases need to be kept in controlled conditions to ensure they do not pose any risk to the public and the environment. That’s why safety is the top priority for the

Canada Slow to Respond to Prescription Opioid Crisis

 In my first career as a pharmacist, I worked in more than 30 pharmacies across Nova Scotia, filling more than 100,000 prescriptions between 1990 and 1995. Some of these were for strong painkillers called opioids--drugs like morphine and oxycodone, which are chemically and biologically very similar to heroin. Back then,

Lac-Mégantic

 Everyone knows a Montreal Maine and Atlantic (MMA) train without engineer careened into Lac-Mégantic last July, derailed, exploded, killed 47 people, injured many others, destroyed the town’s centre, polluted lake and soil, and tore out the community’s heart. Blame has since been widely laid, from CEO Edward Burkhardt blaming the

Performance Review

 This spring, Canadians were astonished to learn that the former head of the Canadian Human Rights Tribunal – the federal authority responsible for investigating allegations of discrimination – was fired for “gross mismanagement.” The report filed by the Public Integrity Commissioner, following a two-year investigation prompted by a union complaint,

First Nations Taxation

 A message from Ottawa Life Magazine’s publisher Dan Donovan: Prime Minister Stephen Harper will meet in Ottawa with First Nations leaders this week to discuss treaty and aboriginal rights and economic development. The current state of Aboriginal relations in Canada is at an all-time low and the treatment of Canada's aboriginal community

First Nations Come Last

 On May 27, her last day after a decade as Canada's official watchdog, Auditor General Sheila Fraser gave this dire warning.: “If the First Nations and the Federal Government don't find ways of working together, the living conditions in reserves will remain worse off than everywhere else in Canada, and

Farmers In Crisis: While the Provincial and Federal Government Argue – Farmers Pay the Price

 Ontario's leading agricultural agencies recently signed a joint letter to Ontario Agriculture Minister, The Hon. Carol Mitchell, expressing their concern that the McGuinty government and the federal government do not have a strong enough sense of urgency about Ontario agriculture. "We are living the crisis every day on our farms

An Interview with Gen Ray Henault: There’s No Life Like It

 In this three-part series on the state of Canada's military preparedness, Ottawa Life's top writers examine Canada's peacekeeping deployments around the world, capacity and equipment challenges, and pressing infrastructure replacement needs. We begin our series on national defense with the first of three interviews with Gen. Ray Henault, Chief of

In opposition against “a Phantom Prime Minister”: An interview with Stephen Harper

 By: Peter Gill Ottawa Life Magazine: If you were Prime Minister, how would you deal with Canada's declining military? How much money do you think needs to be invested in it? Stephen Harper: A lot. Numbers have been thrown around by various groups. The consensus seems to be you need

Ottawa’s grand boulevard: Vision or nightmare

 By Jeannie Dempster In the mid-1800s, Parisian architects redesigned the entire city, replacing the twisty medieval streets with long, wide boulevards. Given the many violent uprisings of that era, the military favored the new roads, for they provided a much better view down the gun barrel at the angry mobs storming

226,527 City of Ottawa bylaws since 1850: Man, we are overgoverned

 By: David Ducharme A lot can be learned about a city and its inhabitants—its history, character, evolution—by perusing its bylaws. Yep, I said bylaws. While not exactly your high literature full of colorful prose, City of Ottawa archivist Louise Roy-Brochu thinks bylaws are pretty darn good reading. "I always enjoy