Looking forward from the cannabis front lines with Delta 9

 Photos courtesy: Delta 9 Where were you the moment that cannabis became legal for recreational consumption? It’s a day that is going to be ingrained in our nation's history, and while many Canadians never thought that they would see the day come, there were those who have been waiting for

The Scientific Link Between Culture and Health for Canada’s Indigenous Populations is Strong

 Wab Kinew has been telling scientists and health care professionals for years that culture is medicine. Epidemics of obesity, diabetes, infectious diseases and suicide that plague First Nation children across Canada are complex and multi-faceted.  Yet government solutions often focus on simplistic bio-medical approaches – when they address the crises

A Sugar-Sweetened Beverage Tax is not the Answer

 There has been increasing interest in the use of a sugar-sweetened beverage tax to curb the burden of obesity in Canada – call it a ‘pop tax’ if you like. A recent Senate report on obesity in Canada recommends assessing the possibility of a sugar-sweetened beverage tax and points to

Advanced Directives for Assisted-Dying a Dangerous Step

 The moment we are born, our lives take flight; and the longer we are airborne, the greater the chance of encountering turbulence along the way. While every flight is destined to land, some landings are harder to contemplate than others. The parliamentary committee tasked with advising the federal government on

We Must Speak for Those Who Can’t

 Hospitals and health facilities across the country are not equipped to deal with physician-hastened death. On June 6, the Supreme Court of Canada’s decision making physician-hastened death legal will come into effect. A parliamentary committee asked to help the government plot how that would roll out in Canada has made

We Have Built a Sickness Care System Rather Than A Health System

 We have designed that system for the convenience of practitioners, not patients: Convocation speech delivered to graduating MDs at the University of Manitoba on the receipt of an honorary doctorate. Mr. Chancellor, Mr. President, distinguished guests, soon-to-be MDs and their deeply indebted family members. I’m touched and humbled to receive an

Why We Need to Rethink the Nursing Home Model

 We don’t need more nursing home “beds,” we need more care options so people have choices How many nursing beds are needed in Canada to care for frail, elderly people with high care needs? That’s a question that policy makers across the country are grappling with, given the aging population

Canada Council for the Arts Awards the 2014 Killam Prize to Canada’s Top Scholars and Scientists

 Professor D.R. Fraser Taylor, Carleton University   The Canada Council for the Arts has recently awarded the Killiam Prize to five Canadian Scholars and Scientists who have pushed boundaries in their respected fields.  Each winner has been awarded $100,000, made possible through the Killiam Trust fund. This fund, among other