COVID-19 has shown us that we are not “all in this together” despite what politicians may want us to think.
The Supreme Court of Canada rejected the request to strike down national carbon pricing. The plan is key to reaching net-zero emissions by 2050.
THE CANADIAN PRESS/Adrian Wyld
In its decision, the Supreme Court of Canada recognized the gravity of climate change and upheld the idea that Parliament has the authority to act on matters of “peace, order and good government.”
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau listens to a speaker during a news conference in Ottawa on Dec. 7, 2020.
THE CANADIAN PRESS/Adrian Wyld
The pandemic has made politics raw because the impact of political decisions is felt immediately in the daily lives of citizens — and there are winners and losers resulting from those decisions.
Ontario’s new financial literacy curriculum covers financial literacy, including budget-making, credit cards and compound interest.
(Shutterstock)
Ontario’s new math curriculum was written by competent mathematicians relying on the latest research, and includes both coding and social-emotional learning.
Why has the Doug Ford government been so reluctant to take action amid the second wave of COVID-19?
THE CANADIAN PRESS/Frank Gunn
Is Ontario Premier Doug Ford’s mishandling of the second wave of COVID-19 a byproduct of his pro-business sympathies?
Hospital support workers wave to cars honking their horns in support as the protest inequality for essential workers at Rouge Valley Hospital in Toronto in June 2020.
THE CANADIAN PRESS/Frank Gunn
Provinces shouldn’t prevent Canadians from seeking compensation if an essential service provider’s unreasonable acts cause COVID-19 infection.
Ontario Premier Doug Ford announces the government’s plan for reopening schools at Father Leo J. Austin Catholic Secondary School in Whitby, Ont., on July 30, 2020.
THE CANADIAN PRESS/Nathan Denette
Ontario Premier Doug Ford has presented an image of deep concern and empathy for the victims of COVID-19. But he’s flailing when it comes to delivering proactive measures to fight the pandemic.
People protest to defund the police in front of Toronto Police Service headquarters on July 16, 2020.
(THE CANADIAN PRESS/Nathan Denette)
Amidst calls to defund the police, political leaders are increasing police budgets, arguing — incorrectly — that increasing police surveillance capacities will help provide accountability.
Will de-streaming lead to the equity education that Black parents and community members have long sought?
(Unsplash)
If Ontario’s de-streaming of high schools isn’t accompanied with other efforts to address cultural norms and values, streaming in many other forms and guises will continue.
Universities’ funding can’t be judged against metrics such as student employment or salary outcomes over which universities have little control.
(Shutterstock)
Albertans expect a draft agreement for performance-based funding for universities — but here’s why it should be scrapped.
Wheelchairs sit behind Camilla Care in Mississauga, Ont., on May 12, 2020. Fifty residents from the long-term care home have died from COVID-19.
THE CANADIAN PRESS/Frank Gunn
The extraordinary scope and scale of the COVID-19 disaster at Canada’s long-term care centres would seem to warrant a public inquiry. But there are no guarantees there will actually be one.
On Parliament Hill and at provincial legislatures across the country, politicians must resist pressure from industry and corporate lobbyists amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
THE CANADIAN PRESS/Sean Kilpatrick
The COVID-19 crisis has raised major questions about the viability of the economic, business and employment models that corporate and industry lobbyists are arguing for a return to.
Ontario needs to reconsider its current electricity demand problems and focus on conservation efforts.
(Gandosh Ganbaatar/Unsplash)
Energy-efficiency initiatives are consistently identified as the lowest impact and most cost-effective means of meeting energy needs. Why isn’t Ontario focusing on them?
Eabametoong First Nation (Fort Hope), seen here in 2012, is one of the communities located near the proposed Ring of Fire development.
THE CANADIAN PRESS/Ryan Remiorz
Ontario’s approach to assessing the environmental impacts of mining in the Ring of Fire region couldn’t address concerns about the cumulative consequences of development.
Susan Hoenhous and other teachers of the Elementary Teachers’ Federation of Ontario participate in a full withdrawal of services strike in Toronto on Jan. 20, 2020.
THE CANADIAN PRESS/Nathan Denette
For some teachers, this week’s rotating strikes in Ontario are a chilling reminder of the school fallout of 1995-2002, when Mike Harris was premier.
The Garzweiler surface mine produced 35 million tonnes of brown coal (lignite) in 2017. Germany plans to phase-out coal-fired power by 2038.
(Shutterstock)
Plans to reduce emissions quickly are seductive but can stall. Climate initiatives should end dependence on fossil energy and pursue a path towards a more just and equitable society.
New research shows Ontario doesn’t really need nuclear energy, and its absence would not have an impact on emissions in the province’s energy sector.
(Ferdinand Stohr/Unsplash)
MV Ramana, University of British Columbia and Xiao Wei, University of British Columbia
Nuclear power isn’t needed to meet Ontario’s electricity needs. And the absence of nuclear power won’t have any impact on emissions in Ontario’s energy sector.
Andrew Scheer rises to announce he’s stepping down as Conservative leader in the House of Commons in Ottawa.
THE CANADIAN PRESS/Adrian Wyld
The Conservative party’s problems with social conservatism will not be solved solely by electing a new leader. An entirely new approach is required.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau shakes hands with Ontario Premier Doug Ford on Parliament Hill in November 2019. Ford says he wants to work hand-in-hand with Ottawa. But apparently not when it comes to the environment.
THE CANADIAN PRESS/Adrian Wyld
There’s been one notable exception to Doug Ford’s supposed willingness to change direction: the environment.
Students walk on campus at the University of Guelph in Guelph, Ont., in March 2017. An Ontario court recently ruled in favour of student associations and struck down an Ontario government directive that threatened their survival.
THE CANADIAN PRESS/Hannah Yoon
The survival of Ontario student associations, and the services they provide, depends on whether the government finds a way to lawfully implement its Student Choice Initiative after a legal defeat.