Canada

With White Supremacist Policies, Is Ottawa a Credible Anti-Racist Ally?

20/02/21

Author:

Matthew Behrens

Link:

Trudeau at anti-racism rally. Image credit: Adam Scotti/PMO

February 19, 2021

Can a government that has spent millions fighting nine consecutive orders to end racist discrimination against 165,000 Indigenous children and which regularly ignores United Nations calls to respect Indigenous nations' right to free, prior and informed consent be an ally in the fight to end white supremacist violence?

Can a nation state that continues to honour white supremacists with street names, statues, and school mascots be a reliable anti-racist partner?

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Category:

Canada

Indigenous Peoples

Social

State of the Union

20/02/21

Author:

Luke Ottenhof

20 Feb 2021

The Globe and Mail (Ottawa/Quebec Edition)

OPINION

Luke Ottenhof - Freelance writer based in Kingston. His work has been published by The Guardian, Vulture, Toronto Star, CBC, Maclean’s and others.

It’s clear that workers can’t rely on established labour groups to push a more progressive approach on employment. Today’s young organizers should adopt the radical tactics that produced results for employees during the Winnipeg General Strike of 1919

Category:

Canada

Labour - Unions

Social

Winnipeg Solidarity's Statement on "Our Ecosocialism"

20/02/21

Author:

Solidarity Winnipeg

Link:

Solidarity Winnipeg

December 29, 2020

Adopted by Solidarity Winnipeg Members on December 23, 2020

Solidarity Winnipeg’s Basis of Unity says “We envision transforming society to achieve social and ecological justice on an anti-colonial basis. This can ultimately only be achieved by replacing capitalism with a more democratic society not driven by profit: ecosocialism.” This policy explains our common understanding of that goal.

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Category:

Climate Disruption Killing Off BC Salmon, Says DFO

19/02/21

Author:

Watershed Watch

Link:

Watershed Watch

February 11th, 2021

(A recap of DFO’s annual State of the Salmon assessment)

Many factors contribute to the decline of wild salmon in B.C. Habitat destruction, harvest, and bad aquaculture practices are all negative impacts, but the effect global warming has on salmon populations will be widespread, long-lasting and irreversible without urgent action.

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Category:

None of Ottawa's new travel rules apply to the largest group of people entering Canada — truckers

17/02/21

Author:

Sophia Harris

Link:

CBC News

Feb 16, 2021

Long-haul trucker, Luis Franco of Calgary said he fears driving to the U.S. because he said some Americans don't follow COVID-19 precautions such as wearing a mask. (Submitted by Luis Franco)

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COVID-19 illustrates why Canada needs more — and better — public banks

17/02/21

Author:

David McDonald

Link:

The Conversation

Public banks around the world are working towards the public good during COVID-19. The Canada Infrastructure Bank, however, seems focused on privatizing critical public services instead of ensuring vital infrastructure across the country is built or maintained, like this project to repair the bridge spanning the Halifax harbour in 2017. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Andrew Vaughan

February 16, 2021

Most Canadians could be forgiven for not knowing what a public bank is. We do have some — the Alberta Treasury Branch, the Business Development Bank, the Export Development Canada and the Canada Infrastructure Bank — but they are relatively low profile and have narrow mandates.

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Category:

Canada

Global

Social

Coming soon: A public database of global fossil fuel reserves

16/02/21

Author:

Carl Meyer

Link:

National Observer

Suncor refinery in Commerce City, Colo., in 2005. The registry is being spearheaded by the Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty Initiative, an effort to focus more on what’s happening with the planet’s fossil fuel supply. Photo from Suncor

February 16th 2021

Energy experts are working to produce the world’s first public and complete database of fossil fuel reserves in the lead-up to this year’s UN climate summit.

The “Global Registry of Fossil Fuels” would fill a major gap in public knowledge, where only expensive or proprietary databases on fossil fuel reserves have existed before, or ones that are not detailed enough or are designed for industry use.

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Category:

Instead of a universal basic income, governments should enrich existing social programs

16/02/21

Author:

Sirvan Karimi

Link:

The Conversation

A man steps out of the trailer he lives in at a homeless encampment at Strathcona Park in Vancouver in December 2020. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck

Amid the COVID-19 pandemic, the idea of a universal basic income (UBI) has been touted by those across the political spectrum as a prospective model of social security that would provide guaranteed cash to citizens.

But while UBI is desirable in principle, it’s not a magic solution to the intricate and perennial problems of poverty and income inequality. Furthermore, its implementation in Canada is not financially, administratively, politically or constitutionally feasible.

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Category:

Canada

Social

Book review: Squalid hate of racism can, and did, happen here in Canada

15/02/21

Author:

Tom Sandborn

Link:

the Vancouver Sun

Feb 12, 2021

With Allan Bartley’s Ku Klux Klan in Canada, he tells how this country has not been magically immune to hate mongers and authoritarianism

For many Canadians, there will be a strong temptation, as we watch the end of Donald Trump’s presidency, to indulge in one of our nation’s favourite pastimes, congratulating ourselves on how different our political life is from that alarming, lethal gong show down south. No QAnon shamans or rage-intoxicated, beard-braiding Bubbas with Bazookas for us! We are a civilized country.

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Category:

Canada

Social