Qingdao — China’s Coastal Gem Rooted in Tradition and Racing Toward the Future

 What a walk through Qingdao’s past and a visit to the world’s most advanced port revealed about China’s future. There’s one word that comes to mind when describing Qingdao: overlooked. Not by the Chinese—they know exactly what they have. But for many foreigners, including seasoned travellers, this stunning coastal city

The Mirage of Carney’s ‘New Direction’: Same Players, Same Problems

 Canada’s Economic Future at Risk: The Need for a Bold, Rebalanced Budget According to the C.D. Howe Institute’s 2025 Shadow Budget, Canada’s fiscal future is facing unprecedented challenges and if the federal government continues on its current path, Canadians may face even tougher times ahead. The country’s economic situation requires

Now Is the Time: Why Canada Should Invite Greenland to Join as Our Next Province 

 Canada and Greenland share more than just a maritime border; they share a history, a culture, and a future that could be brighter together. Recent developments in Greenland’s political landscape have highlighted a growing openness to change. The March 11, 2025 election saw the centre-right Demokraatit party emerge victorious, signalling

Secrets and Lies: Democracy Watch Calls on Liberal Leadership Contestants to Disclose Campaigners and Donors

 Democracy Watch issued a press release today, urging the Liberal Party of Canada and all Liberal leadership candidates to disclose the identities of their top campaign managers, staff, volunteers, and fundraisers. This call for transparency comes amid a leadership race marred by accusations of favouritism towards Mark Carney. The demand

Trump is the Economic Carpetbagger-in-Chief and Canada Should Yank His Rug

 “True friends stab you in the front.” – Oscar Wilde. Donald Trump, never one to let diplomacy, facts, or the truth get in the way of a good political stunt, is playing the role of the ultimate economic carpetbagger—slapping a 25 percent tariff on all imports with a separate 10

The Liberal Leadership Contest Goes From the Race for the Rose to the Turd Blossom

 For decades, the Liberal leadership race has been known as the "Race for the Rose," a nod to Pierre Trudeau’s iconic red rose, which symbolized youthful idealism, progressivism, unity, and a connection to the people through pragmatic governance. Trudeau chose the rose to reflect his image as a forward-thinking, charismatic

Crossfire: Canada’s Tough Trade Choices with China and the U.S.

 Ontario Premier Doug Ford’s call to ban Chinese software from vehicles, aligning with U.S. policies aimed at protecting national security, opens a debate on the economic risks of limiting trade with China. While security concerns are valid, Canada’s economic relationship with China—its second-largest trading partner—plays a role that is too

Rails and Rugged Beauty: The Wild West on the Rocky Mountaineer

 In 2008, I took the Rocky Mountaineer from Vancouver to Banff with my nine-year-old daughter. It was truly the trip of a lifetime, featuring a special Christmas excursion complete with activities for kids, like Santa appearing on a snowy hillside. Although the Rocky Mountaineer no longer runs winter trips, its
CMCH doles out bonuses despite failing to do their job

Canada’s Housing Crisis a Federal Fiasco as CMHC pay Themselves Big Bonuses

 Canada is in the grip of a housing crisis, and the federal government, along with the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC), is under scrutiny for its part in the debacle. With soaring home prices and dwindling affordability, many Canadians are finding themselves locked out of the housing market. Now,

Kristallnacht in Canada’s Parliament

 Antisemitism on full display in Parliament courtesy of Jagmeet Singh and the NDP-Liberal Coalition. “Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.” – George Santayana In recent years, Canada has seen a troubling rise in antisemitic incidents, prompting serious concerns about the roots and perpetuation of this

Turkish Ambassador to Canada Esra Demir on the Positive Bi-lateral Relations With Canada in a Period of World Conflict

 Esra Demir assumed her duties as the 28th Ambassador of the Republic of Türkiye to Canada on April 19, 2023, in the 80th anniversary year of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Türkiye and Canada. For eight decades, the diplomatic ties between the two nations have been characterised by cooperative

The existential crisis in the Conservative Party

 ABOVE: (CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT) Conservative leadership candidates Scott Aitchison, Roman Baber, Patrick Brown, Pierre Poilievre, Leslyn Lewis, and Jean Charest. There is an adage that perfectly fits the Conservative Party of Canada today, “‘Do You Want to Be Right . . . or do you want to win.” The answer to that question

Canadian think tank scolds Trudeau government for free spending ways

 C.D. Howe Institute concerned about mounting debt, calls for fiscal responsibility and economic growth In “Getting Serious: A Shadow Federal Budget for 2022,” authors William B.P. Robson, Don Drummond and Alexandre Laurin examine the federal government’s financial position and propose a change of course, from free-spending ways to fiscal responsibility

Pardis Parker — a modern-day court jester

 Officially, (like if you look him up online or google him) Pardis Parker is a Sri Lankan-born Canadian award-winning director, writer, actor, and comedian, the creator and star of Comedy Central's Mideast Minute and the co-creator of NBC's Uncivil, a writer for the New Yorker and New York Times, and

The five best MPs in the 43rd Canadian Parliament

 On election night in 2019, Justin Trudeau’s Liberals got 156 seats—14 short of the 170 needed for a majority in the 338-seat House of Commons. Canadian voters had decided that Justin Trudeau did not deserve a majority and that the Tories did not deserve to win. The total vote numbers told

The Green Party of Canada slides into irrelevance with antisemitic and racist behaviour

 I have always been fascinated by the amount of coverage the Green Party receives in the national media given that they have never lived up to their billing in terms of electoral votes or seats for more than three decades. Former Green Party leader Elizabeth May failed to bring the party success

China Explained

 Ottawa Life Magazine has been publishing a Canada-China Series since 2013. The series focuses on bi-lateral interests, business affairs, people-to-people relations, Chinese culture and the Chinese diaspora in Canada. Since 2018 there has been tension in the Canada Chinese political relationship. Ottawa Life Magazine has continued and will continue to publish

Canada’s hockey dad passes

 — Walter Gretzky was the ‘Great One’ for parents and amateur hockey coaches (PHOTO: VIA NHL.COM) Wayne Gretzky announced the passing of his father today at 82. I stopped and took a moment in my day to reflect on what a great person Walter Gretzky was and why I always had

C.D. Howe report calls for elimination of land transfer taxes on homes and other reforms

 The C.D. Howe Institute has released a study that concludes that taxes and charges on new and existing homes are a key driver of the cost and supply of affordable homes for Canadians. In “Gimme Shelter: How High Municipal Housing Charges and Taxes Decrease Housing Supply,” author Benjamin Dachis points

Canada recognizes importance of Canada-China relations on 50th anniversary

 Ottawa Life Magazine has been publishing a Canada-China Series since 2013. The series focuses on bi-lateral interests, business affairs, people-to-people relations, Chinese culture and the Chinese diaspora in Canada. Since 2018 there has been tension in the Canada Chinese political relationship. Ottawa Life Magazine has continued and will continue to publish

Carleton “Professors” cancel culture solution for Police is farcical

 Anyone following articles about the serious and systemic problems with police misconduct due to lax police oversight in Canada recognize that we need to rethink the role of police in society.  Whether it means carrying out substantive reforms around police recruitment and training or making significant amendments to the law

Ottawa Life’s 2019 Election Outlook: Orléans – What goes around comes around

 Orléans (formerly Ottawa—Orléans, Gloucester—Carleton and Carleton—Gloucester) is a federal electoral district in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, that has been represented in the House of Commons of Canada since 1988. The riding was created as "Carleton—Gloucester" in 1987. Its name was changed to "Gloucester—Carleton" in 1996, but then changed back to "Carleton–Gloucester"

Correct Me If I’m Wrong: fight for the Château Laurier continues

 Ottawa Life Magazine Publisher and Managing Editor Dan Donovan provides commentary on some of the big issues of the day with a witty and at times sarcastic look at our political masters and their zany ideas. In the series' first episode, he tackles the eyesore that is the Château Laurier extension.

Meet Mario Dion – Canada’s Overpaid Political Eunuch

 From left: Ethics Commissioner Mario Dion and Ottawa West Liberal MP Anita Vandenbeld Mario Dion is a career civil servant with a lacklustre record. In 2014, Canada’s former auditor general criticized him for his involvement in “gross mismanagement” of two separate case files while he served as the Public Sector Integrity

The Deep State: The Trudeau government, lobbyists and the legalization of corruption in Canada

 "There's no whore like an old whore" - Brian Mulroney on the Liberal Government in 1984 What many people outside of Ottawa don't understand is that there is a parallel system of government in Ottawa. This Deep State has more power than the elected MPs and ministers who are supposed to