It's been a long time coming, but the Edmonton CFL team's name change was the right thing to do, says Inuk writer and researcher
It’s a good day in Edmonton. It’s a good day in Canada. It’s a good day for Inuit. After all the years that I and other Inuit Canadians have complained about the name of Edmonton’s team in the Canadian Football League, it’s good to know the franchise has finally decided it will no longer be…
We can’t simply watch global events unfold. We have a valuable contribution to make and we’re up to the challenge
Canada’s foreign policy has strayed from its traditional path, losing the traction it once had on the world stage. Canada’s last two attempts to secure a seat as a non-permanent member of the United Nations Security Council failed. Our international standing as a neutral middle power and an honest broker has lost its shine. Our…
The whitewashed fences of racist lies, hidden behind the pages of history books, are collapsing when exposed to truth
On June 30, the 60th anniversary of the independence of the Democratic Republic of Congo, King Philippe of Belgium expressed regret for the “acts of violence and cruelty” committed by his ancestor King Leopold II. The day also saw the state-sanctioned removal of another statue of this forgotten villain of history. Leopold II was the…
Pushing back against emboldened righteousness isn’t a task for the timid. J.K. Rowling is not timid
J.K. Rowling – the British author who created the stunningly successful Harry Potter series – is a political liberal. In 2008, she donated £1 million to the U.K. Labour Party. In 2016, she campaigned for Remain in the Brexit referendum. She’s a professed admirer of Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton. And so on. Despite these…
As other leagues rethink racist team names, the Eskimos' statement in support of Black Lives Matter rings hollow
In the space of a few hours on July 3, three North American sports teams announced they were going to reassess their racist names. Baseball’s Cleveland Indians, the Washington Redskins of the National Football League and the Edmonton Eskimos of the Canadian Football League have for years resisted calls to drop their team nicknames. But…
Media coverage, political tension between Canada and China may fuel ‘shadow pandemic’ of racist behaviour: U of A social psychologist
A majority of Chinese-Canadians say they’ve been victims of discrimination as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, according to new research by the University of Alberta and Angus Reid Institute. In the first survey of its kind since the pandemic was declared, more than 500 Canadians of Chinese ethnicity were asked about their experiences with discriminatory…
Immediate improvements for nursing home workforce needed before next crisis hits, says U of A researcher
Canada needs to take immediate actions to ensure nursing homes are ready for a possible second wave of COVID-19, according to the chair of an expert working group charged with solving Canada’s long-term care collapse. “If we do nothing else, in the short and longer term, the workforce has to be addressed,” said Carole Estabrooks,…
When will politicians consider the safety of the people to be more important than avoiding criticism?
On Nov. 29, 2019, two people were fatally stabbed and three injured by convicted terrorist Usman Khan. The attacker was shot dead by the City of London Police, after members of the public restrained him. Khan was convicted in 2012 of planning a terrorist attack. He was released from prison in 2018 after serving six…
Racism isn’t easy to discuss, but we shouldn’t shy away from it or we’ll never stop wounds from being inflicted
Is our society afraid to discuss the issue of racism? I don’t think it’s unreasonable to suggest most people would rather not broach this subject. It doesn’t constitute a pleasant conversation at the dinner table or coffee shop, and it can lead to tense moments with family members, friends and loved ones. But while racism…
New U of A graduate Asal Andarzipour found herself in a leadership role in the wake of the Flight 752 disaster
In the days following the tragedy of Flight 752, Asal Andarzipour desperately held things together. Two missiles struck the Ukraine International Airlines flight on Jan. 8, killing 13 Iranians with connections to the University of Alberta among the 176 victims. As president of the Iranian Students’ Association, Andarzipour was suddenly thrown into crisis management, fielding…