My reading consists primarily of books on history and political philosophy, and does not include memoirs of has-been politicians. I would not have read Joe Clark’s How We Lead: Canada in a Century of Change had it not been a Christmas gift from my daughter. Had I relied on my prejudices, I would have deprived myself of an...

We are third year nursing students at UBC-Okanagan and are writing in regard to the growing amount of flavoured tobacco products available today. With National Non-Smoking Week upon us, we feel it is important to address this concern specifically because of the way these products are being marketed towards youth. When you...

The truly horrible derailment in Lac Megantic and the XL Foods recall saga are two significant events that shook Canadians’ faith in our regulatory system in the last year. The federal agencies that oversee the regulations, Transport Canada and the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA), were among the subjects covered in...

Last May I wrote about the keys to successful watershed management – how planning groups need to work hard to build understanding, support, and capacity through the entire planning process. Now, the RDKB and the Kettle River Watershed Management Plan Stakeholder Advisory Group (SAG) are building the foundations for long-term...

I want to start this op/ed piece by stressing that as far as I know, the recreation board has not raised their rates at this time. I don’t know if they are going to in the future. Regardless, I feel the recreation facilities need to be more affordable for everyone. Late last year there was some talk about the RDKB increasing...

A new year is a great opportunity to share my enthusiasm for my commitment to work hard for British Columbia’s seniors and their families. As Parliamentary Secretary for Seniors, I look forward to continuing to connect with as many British Columbians as I can throughout the province. What better time to reconnect with B.C.’s...

Another day, another $46,634. That is, if you’re among Canada’s top 100 CEOs, who pocketed that amount by 1:11 pm January 2, the first official day of work this New Year. This figure comes from the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives (CCPA), which releases a report every January on the hyper-inflated difference between ...

The Senate scandal that will continue to plague Stephen Harper when the House resumes sitting is far more than just a run of the mill scandal, of which Canada has had many over the years. This one seems to present the result of an accumulation of rot, amorality, casual thuggery and complete lack of shame, […]

“Civilization is the flower of humanity; its roots are not planted in societies of equal human beings. All our greatest cultural glories are growths out of hierarchy. Those who make our culture brilliant – our arts, architecture, sciences, in short, all beauty and creativity we humans have to show – have done it on the backs...

PM Stephen Harper’s inclination towards Christian Zionism and right-wing economic thinking marks him out as an important tool of the American neoconservatives, who have been powerful in shaping American foreign policy for the last generation. Harper and his right-wing philosophy are products of what has been termed the “Calgary School,” at the University of Calgary. […]