When the doctor says sorry

 By Paul G. Thomas My introduction to the complex and emotional world of adverse events in healthcare occurred in 2001 when I chaired a committee to review an inquest report into the tragic deaths of twelve infants in a paediatric surgery program in Manitoba. Justice Murray Sinclair who conducted the

It’s time Canada had a national dialogue on basic income

 By Vinusha Gunaseelan A basic income guarantee has been back in the news a lot lately, thanks to Mark Zuckerberg, Richard Branson, Elon Musk and other tech giants who have been publicly endorsing the concept.  But it’s not just talk in Canada. Ontario is piloting a basic income across three cities, Quebec has brought

Two festivals combine for an evening of Ukrainian music

 All photos by Andre Gagne. September, 1891. With little more than what could be carried the first immigrants from the Ukraine left their homeland with all the fears, worry and wonder that accompany the following of hopeful dreams in an uncertain time. Hearing about the free land of Canada, a

The Good, the Bad and the Unintended Consequences of an Expanded CPP

 By Robert L. Brown Amazingly, eight of ten provincial finance ministers and the federal government have agreed to a modest increase in the Canada Pension Plan (CPP).  The two provinces who have not signed on are Manitoba, where the government is only four weeks old, and Quebec, which has chosen

How Doctors Can Tackle the Their Patients’ Poverty Without Leaving the Office

 Can a question asked in a doctor’s office contribute to ending poverty for patients and their families?  This is what we asked ourselves 10 years ago, as we set out to convince health providers to tackle poverty. There were two factors that pushed us into this work: first, the evidence

Canada has too many kids in care – and the situation is not improving

 It’s time for national leadership. What happens to kids who authorities determine can't live safely with their own parents or caregivers? Thousands of Canadian children are in this situation right now. Many children are sent to foster homes, while others are sent into other types of out-of-home care on behalf

Back to the Future

 Photo by Jean-Marc Carisse. Last night Liberal leader Justin Trudeau won a majority government in a historically long three-way race. Moving into his father's old house, Trudeau has created what many are calling Canada's first political dynasty. The Liberals swept across Atlantic Canada early on, taking every available seat in

We Need a Radical New Approach for Kids in Care

 Families seeking support services should not have to worry their children will be taken away from them Six advocates for First Nations children have gone on a symbolic hunger strike at the Manitoba Legislature to try to raise awareness across the country about Manitoba’s broken child welfare system. Why? Well, here’s one

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

The Brothers at Bluesfest

 Roots-rockers, The Bros. Landreth will be showcasing their unique “Canadiana” style at Ottawa’s Bluesfest this Sunday. With wailing electric guitars, thundering organs and naturally harmonious vocals, at first listen The Bros. Landreth may sound like they hail from the American south, and not from the isolated prairies of Manitoba. “Down

Learning to Walk

 What will the lasting legacy of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission be? As Cree youngsters in the north, we are taught the tradition of how to walk on the land and in the bush – with each foot fall carefully and quietly placed so as not to disturb the food

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

The Natural Way: Native Artist Peter Bighetty

 For native artist Peter Bighetty, art begins with a memory. Hailing from Nelson House, Manitoba, Bighetty’s family is originally from Pukatawagan Cree Nation. “Growing up, I was always fishing, trapping, and hunting, out and about in the wilderness. That’s where I get the ideas for most of my paintings,” Bighetty

Lingering legal wars of the officially recognized Métis Nation

 While Canada has made headway in addressing injustices of First Nation groups, it has largely overlooked the rights of Métis - another significantly large Aboriginal population. The Métis have been tossed back and forth between federal and provincial governments, each disputing its jurisdictional responsibility to deal with them as a

Three Things We Can Do to End Poverty in Canada

 Poverty degrades our economy, changes the nature of our cities and the cohesion of our society “Time to end poverty in Canada” has been the message from the Salvation Army coming across our TV screens this holiday season. A great idea from an organization that fights poverty every day in

Natural Beauty: Andrea Kolpaska’s designer jewellery

 Growing up in socialist Czechoslovakia, creativity was not always celebrated the way it should be. “Art was very much suppressed by the system so there were only a few artists that were able to survive” said jewellery designer, Andrea Kolpaska. She didn’t let that challenge stop her. She attended the

Reg Alcock navigates by an ethical compass

 By Jennifer O'Meara Treasury Board president Reg Alcock has been rocking the boat this past year, but then he always was a bit a monkey. It was a long time ago, when someone gave him a simian as a pet. Alcock needed to establish dominance, so he bit the monkey.