Dear Health Minister – Please Reinstate Funding for Cochrane Canada

 Cochrane is a key global healthcare resource that needs Canada’s involvement Imagine you’re our new Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau. Despite a grueling election campaign, you’re flush with energy and idealism in a country where “better is always possible.” One key priority is improving Canada’s prosperity but there are also many

Spirit of Math Schools

 Math is a language that few of us can speak. After more than a decade of school, many adults remember just enough to count pocket change and figure out their taxes. However, if you have a child who’s talented with numbers, Spirit of Math Schools can help them become fluent in this

We Need a Radical New Approach for Kids in Care

 Families seeking support services should not have to worry their children will be taken away from them Six advocates for First Nations children have gone on a symbolic hunger strike at the Manitoba Legislature to try to raise awareness across the country about Manitoba’s broken child welfare system. Why? Well, here’s one

OPSEU Unites for Equity

 OPSEU unit steward Rhonda Ferguson. The role and responsibility of OPSEU’s Provincial Women’s Committee is to advocate for women within the union, supporting their workplace needs and rights. The committee members often take on roles as mediators, advisors and investigators under OPSEU’s Harassment and Discrimination Prevention policy. They can also help with equity language

Should Eye Exams be Mandatory for School-Age Kids?

 Most Canadian children never have their eyes examined, yet one in six may have a vision problem. Currently only 14 per cent of Canadian children under the age of six receive professional eye care. Since the measles outbreak in North America a few months ago, more school districts and provinces

Algonquin College is making waves and winning awards

 Cheryl Jensen is making an impact. Jensen became Algonquin College’s eighth President just over one year ago in August, 2014. She brought 31 years of experience as a professor, dean and vice president and a reputation for  creating strategies that responded to both industry trends and to the needs of students, employees,

Four Things We Can Do to Improve Healthcare in Canada

 What’s next for primary care? Healthcare is the purview of the provinces in Canada, but health leadership–setting big picture goals, helping achieve best practices across the country and providing long-term, sustainable funding models–is the role of the federal government. As the federal election campaign wages, Canadians should be pressing federal

Many Shades of Dallas

 Photo by Matt Pasant. Sixth Floor Museum. Photo credit: Sixth Floor Museum There is an overwhelming feeling in Dallas,Texas that anything is possible. It is a city with guts and spirit, and while Dallas oozes wealth, it is also a city with a big heart, kind people and warm hospitality.

Canada’s Euthanasia Legislation: From the Perspective of Canadians with Disabilities

 By Peter McGrath. On Feb. 6, 2015, the Supreme Court of Canada struck down Canada’s assisted suicide law, opening the door to physician-assisted suicide. This is an incredibly complex topic, one fraught with moral and ethical issues. Peter McGrath, a Counsel in the Department of Justice, gives his opinion from

Former PM John Turner and the Arctic Youth Corps

 Should Justin Trudeau’s Liberals revive a 1965 Throne Speech promise? "I really became a Canadian when I got to know Canada north of the 60th parallel... I have never felt more Canadian than when alone with my thoughts in the remote northern vastness." —Former Prime Minister John Turner Former Prime

Working Together Towards Equality

 The Ontario Public Service Employees Union (OPSEU) comprises working men and women from a variety of fields. From education to health care to social services, OPSEU represents about 130,000 workers across Ontario. One of the many causes OPSEU fights for is gender equality, an important issue for so many of

Embracing eTextbooks: The Future of Learning

 Photo courtesy of Algonquin College All the resources you need in just a click of a mouse—or a tap of a screen. Algonquin College is transforming education through the use of etextbooks. Imagine having access to all the academic resources you needed for school in just a click of a

Universities Play Key Role in Reconciliation

 The success is staggering. The number of Aboriginal people and communities using education as a means to a greater future is rising. It’s a cause for celebration. Just 50 years ago, there were roughly 200 Status Indians taking courses at Canadian universities and colleges. In 2011, the number of self-identified

Daniels versus Canada

 The Métis Nation has long argued that the federal government has primary responsibility to deal with Métis as a distinct Aboriginal people, but successive governments in Ottawa steadfastly adhered to the line that Métis were a provincial responsibility. The provinces for the most part claimed that Ottawa had constitutional responsibility

Explore the Big Smoke Family Getaway

 If thoughts are moving from snow to long days and you are looking for holiday ideas, especially ones not involving a long road trip, load the kids in the car and head to Toronto. It’s one thing to go there for business but to experience the city as a tourist is

The Church and State Debate

 By Michael Coren Oh Mr. Lunney, whatever are you playing at? Long-time Nanaimo MP James Lunney announced recently that he was leaving the Conservatives because he could no longer speak as a Christian while being part of the party caucus. There was, he said, a nasty sense of religious persecution

Latin Expo 2015: Visit Latin America Without Leaving Ottawa

 Culture, community and commerce are coming together for one high-powered event that’s sure to spice up your Sunday. The third annual Latin Expo will take place at Ottawa City Hall on Sunday, May 17, 2015. “It’s like going to Latin America without getting out of Ottawa,” says Red MELOG public

Take Time for Truth

 By Professor Richard Feist. In his sonnets, Shakespeare pines over the sad fact that the great monuments we build in brass and stone—even the world’s boundless sea—are helpless before the onslaught of time. Time’s terrible hand will “blunt the lion’s paws” and “pluck the keen teeth from the fierce tiger’s

The Métis — Ignored No Longer

 There are emerging signs that the Federal Government is finaly recognizing Métis land claims. The people of the Métis Nation number 350,000 who are spread across much of Canada and some of the northwestern U.S.A. The definition of the members of the Métis Nation put forward by the Métis National

Kazakhstan’s Nursultan Nazarbayev Wins His Fifth Election

 Photo courtesy: Official site of the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan It came as no surprise, Nursultan Nazarbayev has won yet another election in the Central Asian country of Kazakhstan. The incumbent president knows his country and his people well. President Nazarbayev is an experienced politician. In his campaign, he

Five Things Everyone Should Know about the Relationship Between Poverty and Health in Canada

 With a federal election on the horizon, certain high level policy topics are bound to make the headlines beyond the personalities of the political leaders: the economy, energy prices, jobs prospects even climate change. But what seems surprisingly absent from the political hustings so far has been a fulsome discussion

How to Make the Social Determinants of Health Matter

 An Interview with Sir Michael Marmot Recently, I was fortunate to attend the Global Symposium on the Role of Physicians and National Medical Associations in Addressing Health Equity and the Social Determinants of Health held in London, England. The meeting was organized by the Canadian, British and World Medical Associations

Growing Income Gap Poses a Health Risk to All

 Certain Canadian commentators are bringing forth a strange critique of public health, suggesting that physicians and public health experts, charged with caring for the health of Canadians, should not concern themselves with the root causes of illness and stick to a narrow range of health interventions. Fortunately, Canadian health experts

Artfull Embassies

 Knock on the door of U.S. Ambassador Bruce Heyman and his wife Vicki's Lornado residence in Rockcliffe, and you are greeted by the beautiful work of American artist Eric Fishel. Take a few more steps inside and seven other major pieces of art will catch your eye. The Art in

Calling All Superheroes!

 Are you a geek? Well, it’s time to celebrate! The Ottawa Geek Market is back at the Nepean Sportsplex to celebrate all things superheroes and gaming from March 27 to 29. Imagine 40,000 square feet of shopping, games and superhero-themed activities! Is there anything else you would rather be a