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Is conservatism really on the rise in Canada? Blaine Higgs’ big loss in New Brunswick suggests not
Make no mistake, New Brunswick Premier Blaine Higgs lost big on Monday night. The province’s voters delivered a forceful rebuke of Higgs’ Progressive Conservatives similar to the 1995 election, when the party won only six seats against Frank McKenna’s Liberals. This time, the PCs were reduced to 16 seats while the Liberals won 31. The Greens dropped to two seats. This seat count downplays the Liberals’ 13-point popular vote lead in a tough political environment. Historically, the Liberals have had inefficient support that’s been concentrated in safe francophone ridings. This time, they made inroads with anglophones beyond Moncton. Higgs, among Canada’s...
The Canadian Arctic shows how understanding the effects of climate change requires long-term vision
Embrace change, they say, or become a casualty. This adage weighed heavily on my mind during my latest research trip to the Arctic. Repeatedly, I found myself clutching the .303 calibre rifle over my shoulder — a piece of equipment I once considered unnecessary. As my research assistants and I crossed the tundra of Victoria Island in northern Canada, firearms were only the most obvious addition to our gear. Each of us carried a whistle around our neck, a canister of bear spray on our hip, and new alertness in our routine. Back at our camp near Wellington Bay, Nunavut, an...
‘Nobody Wants This’ amps laughs about intermarriage in Judaism but intended humour hurts
Netflix’s new rom-com Nobody Wants This debuted with great success: it occupied the No. 1 spot on Netflix’s Top 10 list for two weeks. It has been praised by a range of critics for its humour, “millennial magic” and pitch-perfect casting. Nobody Wants This presents viewers with a mix of classic stereotypes of both Jewish women and men, and the contemporary issue of intermarriage — marriage of two partners who are members of different religions — in Jewish communities. It revolves around a young, ambitious rabbi, Noah (Adam Brody), who falls in love with a non-Jewish woman, Joanne (Kristen Bell). Joanne...
As a federal election campaign looms, Canadians must demand stronger ethics laws from politicians
Canadian politics is at a crossroads. When Prime Minister Justin Trudeau took office in 2015, his open letter to Canadians promised them accountability and transparency. As Trudeau’s time as prime minister seems to be winding down, however, his government has been subject to nearly two dozen conflict-of-interest investigations, with Trudeau himself even violating conflict laws. Partisan vitriol, electioneering and political brinkmanship are ramping up, with pressing issues like inflation, crime, climate action and housing set to dominate the political news cycle. What must not get lost amid these policy concerns is the urgent need to strengthen Canada’s governmental ethics...
To truly understand the health of a lake, you must look well beyond its shoreline
On the surface, most of Canada’s lakes and rivers look pristine. But below the surface, many are facing essential challenges to their health. Why? To better understand the health of Canadian lakes and rivers, we must look beyond the site itself to the whole watershed. Canada’s freshwater streams, rivers and lakes are inherently connected ecosystems. Driven by precipitation and gravity, the flow of water changes across seasons and location. Connected waterflows form watersheds. A watershed is the combined area drained by a body of water, including groundwater aquifers. All human activity within a watershed that affects the quality of flowing water —...
Apple Intelligence will help AI become as commonplace as word processing
When Apple’s version of AI, branded as Apple Intelligence, rolls out in October to folks with the company’s latest hardware, the response is likely to be a mix of delight and disappointment. The AI capabilities on their way to Apple’s walled-garden will bring helpful new features, such as textual summaries in email, Messages and Safari; image creation; and a more context-aware version of Siri. But as Apple Intelligence’s beta testing has already made clear, the power of these features falls well below what is on offer from major players like OpenAI, Google and Meta. Apple AI won’t come close to the...
Why Stephen Harper and Justin Trudeau have taken the same tepid approach to global affairs
Nine years ago, not long before Stephen Harper’s Conservative government was replaced by Justin Trudeau’s Liberals, retired diplomat Paul Heinbecker penned a brutal takedown of Canadian foreign policy. To Heinbecker, Harper’s appointment of five foreign ministers (and two more acting foreign ministers) over nine years indicated his government didn’t take the file seriously. That lack of seriousness helped explain why American presidents only visited three times between 2006 and 2015, leaving Canada “on the margins of global relevance.” Heinbecker concluded disparagingly: “The Harper government has turned foreign policy outside in. It has treated foreign affairs often as a means to cultivate...
Jasper’s wildfire recovery is challenged by its unique land classification and the approaching winter
On July 24, 2024, one-third of the structures in Jasper, Alta. were destroyed when the Jasper Complex Wildfire burnt an estimated 32,722 hectares. As a researcher of disaster and emergency management, I visited Jasper in October to observe disaster recovery efforts there. The Municipality of Jasper and its federal partners are actively managing the recovery. The municipality has submitted an application for $73.14 million in expenditures for reimbursement from Alberta’s provincial Disaster Recovery Program. For those outside of the disaster zone, the message is that Jasper still exists and it is open for business. In the meantime, visitors need to be aware...
B.C. election tells the tale of two British Columbias divided along ideological fault lines
The British Columbia election has turned out to be a nail-biter. Throughout the four-week campaign, the polls predicted a very close race between the incumbent NDP led by David Eby and a newly rejuvenated Conservative Party under the leadership of John Rustad. Those polls turned out to be accurate as no clear winner has emerged in the hours after British Columbians cast their ballots. The B.C. Liberal Party, a right-of-centre amalgam of Liberal and Conservative voters federally that had ruled the province between 2001-2017, disappeared from the scene, resulting in a political realignment — New Democrats vs. Conservatives — and matching...
Generative AI can boost innovation – but only when humans are in control
Generative artificial intelligence (AI) tools like ChatGPT or Dall-E are changing how creative work is done, particularly in industries that rely on innovation. However, AI use in the innovation process requires careful considerations. Our research shows that the key to success is understanding and leveraging the distinct but complementary roles that both humans and AI play. Innovation is vital for any business that wants to succeed today. In fact, 83 per cent of companies see innovation as a top priority, yet only three per cent are ready to turn this priority into action. This shows how much companies need to improve their...
More than money: The geopolitics behind Saudi Arabia’s sports strategy
There’s a saying in sports journalism: “The answer to all your questions is money.” But in the case of Saudi Arabia’s massive sports investment programs during the reign of Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman, money is not the whole story. In a simple sense, there is a clear profit motive. With US$925 billion in assets in 2023, Saudi Arabia’s sovereign wealth fund exists to convert oil revenues into even greater national income. Last year, the country’s Public Investment Fund reported $36.8 billion in profits. Since 2016, it has spent $51 billion on sports properties. The point is not to turn...
Jessica Campbell’s NHL coaching gig marks a pivotal turning point for professional hockey
Jessica Campbell has made history as the first full-time female coach in the National Hockey League, marking a significant milestone in professional hockey. Campbell was hired by the Seattle Kraken in July, and during the team’s home opener against the St. Louis Blues on Oct. 8, the crowd erupted into cheers when she was introduced as part of the team’s coaching staff. While the Kraken went on to lose to the Blues 3-2, the game was a pivotal turning point for gender equality and coaching in the NHL. Campbell’s appointment as a full-time assistant coach shows there’s a path forward for...
The B.C. election could decide the future of the province’s species at risk laws
With British Columbians going to the polls this week, a whole host of key issues are on the agenda. Among these issues stands the future of species at risk legislation in B.C. — and perhaps with it Canada as a whole. Canada, with its vast area, is home to 18 terrestrial and 13 aquatic ecozones and a staggering 140,000 plant and animal species. However, Canada’s abundant biodiversity is under threat from ongoing human-caused extinctions. As polar regions warm at an accelerated rate, Canada’s species face increased peril. Canada’s current laws aren’t doing enough to protect species at risk, and the time...
Canadians want politicians who reflect their views. Is that what they get?
Right now, in provincial election campaigns across Canada, voters are trying to work out which political parties and local candidates might be their best representatives. In British Columbia, the NDP and Conservative parties ran neck and neck ahead of this weekend’s election. In New Brunswick, the race between the Liberals and the Progressive Conservatives is equally tight. In Saskatchewan, Premier Scott Moe’s lead over the NDP appears to be more comfortable. In each of these elections — and in the important municipal elections that are also happening across the country in weeks and months ahead — voters face the task of working...
B.C. election: Debate over the rights of gender-diverse youth continues as their school safety declines
The treatment of sexual minority and gender-diverse youth in Canadian schools continues to be a contentious issue among parents and political parties, particularly in provinces like Alberta and British Columbia. In the run-up to the upcoming B.C. election, discussions around a sexual minority framework for schools and the SOGI 123 initiative are prominent. What is SOGI 123? Introduced into B.C.’s public schools in 2016, SOGI 123 aims to make schools safer and more inclusive for students of all gender identities and sexual orientations. The initiative provides resources to help educators combat and address discrimination and bullying, and foster supportive and inclusive environments...
Raising independent and resilient children: Lessons from TVO’s ‘Old Enough!’ and the science of love
There is an evolutionary need for parents to protect their children from harm. One of the most difficult and important aspects of parenting is allowing children to take the necessary risks which enable them to grow. TVO’s Old Enough!, based on a hit Japanese TV series, helps parents consider the balance between protection and creating space for children to develop independence and resilience. It shows very young children being provided the responsibility of running errands seemingly on their own. It should be noted there are protections in place, for example as seen in Episode 1. Viewers see four-year-old Parker with...
How the invasive spiny water flea spread across Canada, and what we can do about it
Across the tranquil waters of Canada’s vast network of lakes and rivers, a quiet invader is on the move. The spiny water flea, Bythotrephes cederströmii, is a microscopic predator that is forever altering the ecological fabric of aquatic habitats in Canada. Originally from Eurasia, Bythotrephes casts a long shadow over the ecosystems it invades. Its presence in Canadian waters represents an ongoing ecological challenge, one that intertwines the fate of native species with the spectre of climate change. This article is part of our series Our lakes: their secrets and challenges. The Conversation and La Conversation invite you to take a...
Canada’s medical cannabis system changed but didn’t disappear after recreational legalization
When Canada legalized recreational cannabis use on Oct. 17, 2018, there were concerns about the potential impacts. Would it trigger greater cannabis use, boost economic growth or otherwise affect the country’s health, safety and finances? Patients already using cannabis legally for medical purposes were especially concerned. They worried that recreational legalization might prompt physicians to stop authorizing cannabis treatments. Or that cannabis producers would abandon the small medical market to pursue the larger recreational one. After recreational legalization, the medical cannabis system did see declines. Between June 2018 and December 2022, the number of registered patients fell 32 per cent, while product...
Canada’s agricultural policies are falling short of health and sustainability goals
Oct. 16 marks World Food Day, a global initiative drawing attention to the “right to foods for a better life and a better future.” However, Canada’s food and agricultural policies are falling short of this objective. Canada’s current agricultural policies are not serving the well-being of the...
Donald Trump’s attack on overseas voters is erroneous and dangerous
I do research on racist and xenophobic speech. I am also an American citizen, and have voted from overseas since 1996 (first in the U.K., and now in Canada). This makes me especially well-placed to explain why Donald Trump’s Truth Social post about overseas voters in late September and Republican efforts to undermine those voters are factually wrong and politically dangerous. The current law giving Americans overseas the right to vote in federal elections is the Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act, which was signed into law by Ronald Reagan, a Republican president. The federal program to help American citizens...
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