This and that for your Tuesday reading.- Dana Flavelle and Rachel Mendleson both cover Lars Osberg’s study on the harmful effects of inequality. But let’s highlight the key conclusion from the original source:(T)he continuation of a divergence in incom…

I confessed in this space three and a half years ago that I was among those who openly wept when Barack Obama was elected president of the United States. I had closely followed the plight of black Americans ever since I toured the deep southern USA in …

Assorted content to end your week.- No, there was never any doubt that any statement which could possibly be interpreted as insufficiently jingoistic in favour of the oil industry was going to give rise to a backlash from the Cons’ oilpatch base. But i…

This and that for your Thursday reading.- Drew Anderson comments on the support the NDP is winning among groups which have historically supported the Cons:Seniors and men. Until now they formed the rock-solid base of the Conservative Party. But they

This and that for your Thursday reading. – Drew Anderson comments on the support the NDP is winning among groups which have historically supported the Cons: Seniors and men. Until now they formed the rock-solid base of the Conservative Party. But they

There has recently been a renewed interest in the question of whether the ecological crisis means we need to see (or plan for) a stabilization or even a decline in economic growth. This week there is a major conference on degrowth in Montreal. York Uni…

There is a class war going on in Ontario, but it may not be the one that most of us, even on the Left, would like to believe. It is a war by all of our political representatives and a large proportion of our middle and upper classes on the poor a…

Thursday, April 5 was the final sitting day in the House of Commons before a two-week Easter break. And the debate was much less sharp than in previous days, as the primary bill up for discussion was supported by all parties.The Big IssueThat bill was …

Thursday, April 5 was the final sitting day in the House of Commons before a two-week Easter break. And the debate was much less sharp than in previous days, as the primary bill up for discussion was supported by all parties. The Big Issue That bill wa…

…hi. I accidentally published this post before I had even started it. Whoops. My apologies. So, this is the version that has words. Thank you, to everyone who offered to help with the cost of our daughter’s gravestone. We received … C…

Transportation Minister Blair Lekstrom is bringing in new legislation to crack down on fare evaders, allowing collection agencies to go after people who don’t buy tickets. If Lekstrom really wants to deal with fare evasion, then he needs to realize why people don’t pay the transit fares. If people can’t afford to buy a transit [...]

Monday, April 2 saw the second day of Peter Julian’s extended budget speech. And perhaps the point most worth noting is how many Canadians outside of Parliament took the opportunity have their voices heard in the budget debate. The Big Issue So l…

Monday, April 2 saw the second day of Peter Julian’s extended budget speech. And perhaps the point most worth noting is how many Canadians outside of Parliament took the opportunity have their voices heard in the budget debate.The Big IssueSo let’s foc…

The following is another excerpt from Dr. Ryan Meili’s new book, A Healthy Society: How a Focus on Health Can Revive Canadian Democracy, which fellow blogger Greg Fingas has been discussing. The road to Tevele is red sand and sloppy in the rainy season. The pick- up truck bounces in and out of ruts as [...]

We can’t afford to buy Evangeline a headstone. Not any time soon, anyway. We priced stones last week and the second smallest costs $900. It’s a flat stone measuring 24″x12″x4″, it’ll have her full name, her birth dat…

In an orgy of axe swinging and program bludgeoning last week, the federal government set their sights on taking a clean shot at the health and well-being of Canadian women. With all of the vitriol and paternalistic reining in recently, one can’t help but wonder if the government has lumped people with two X chromosomes [...]

With Alison Redford’s big re-election as Alberta premier last week, Alberta will now join the ranks of provinces with a comprehensive poverty reduction plan. This will leave B.C. and Saskatchewan as the only jurisdictions in Canada without a provincial…

Part 1 of the show looks at the health consequences of gentrification in Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside and the powerful community struggle against the Sequel 138 condo development with Downtown Eastside Neighbourhood Council board member Ivan Drury. &n…

Tuesday, March 27 saw a day dominated by the type of serious discussion about the role of the financial sector that we should expect in the years to come – even if the basis for that discussion was less than we should have hoped for.The Big IssueThe ma…

Tuesday, March 27 saw a day dominated by the type of serious discussion about the role of the financial sector that we should expect in the years to come – even if the basis for that discussion was less than we should have hoped for. The Big Issu…