Fundamental to human rights in Canada is access to a public education system that offers choice and quality to the taxpayers who pay for it
Choice and opportunity should be fundamental to public education, but sometimes the argument gets muddied by peculiar personal perspectives. We’ve seen an unprecedented movement in Canadian publicly-supported schools to accommodate the needs and rights of minority groups such as LGBTQ, with the introduction of gender-neutral bathrooms and curriculum updates. Social justice issues have taken up…
First Nations can’t veto development in northern Ontario. They must engage in good faith, just like business and governments, and not squander this opportunity
By Joseph Quesnel and Kenneth Green The Fraser Institute It’s often said that successful First Nations must operate at the speed of business, not the speed of government. That certainly applies to First Nations affected by the Ring of Fire mining proposal. Long delays and lack of communication between governments and the nine First Nation communities…
Canada needs laws to protect vulnerable transgender youth, who experience bullying at much higher rates than their peers
Conservative Sen. Donald Plett recently said, “I don't think there's any law in the world that will prevent children from bullying.” With all due respect, the Manitoba senator is wrong. He made the comment last week during discussion in the Senate about Bill C-16, which is designed to protect gender identity and gender expression in…
The only route to a better appreciation of the cultures in Canada is through exposure, questioning, expressing opinions – even if those opinions are wrong
If there’s ever going to be a watershed moment in protecting free speech in Canada, the recent controversy surrounding cultural appropriation could fit the role. The story began in a rather innocuous manner. Hal Niedzviecki, editor of Write magazine (the quarterly publication of the Writers’ Union of Canada), wrote in a column, “I don’t believe…
Nationalistic politicians' attacks on free markets and economic freedom driven primarily by the support and desires of rural voters
As France and Turkey show, populism and deepening urban/rural splits represent dangerous and confusing threats to prosperity. The populist economic urge is cropping up around the world, however dissimilar the countries may seem to be. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan secured his recent constitutional power grab through rural votes, while losing in the big three…
Contrary to decades of marijuana proponent propaganda, it’s not a drug like alcohol or caffeine. It's very purpose is intoxication
There’s something quasi quaint about the federal government introducing legislation to legalize marijuana. News reporting on the budding bill has generously employed terrible puns to create a sense of giggling excitement about it. A Canadian Press story advised that all of Ottawa is “buzzing” at the audacity that dope represents. Buzzing? Among the permanently buzzed, perhaps.…
Many Canadians are hypocrites: they want to have their energy cake and burn it, too
A prevailing question is bouncing around the country: Should Canadians trust the energy sector? It preoccupies a fair number of people, including academics and politicians. Many are intent on doing good by creating new ways of thinking through some of the country’s complex energy challenges. Creating trust is a cornerstone of this thinking. But trust must travel…
Western society has succeeded where other civilizations failed by being generous and inclusive but we can't stop now
It's difficult to find a person with good things to say about western civilization these days. In fact, many westerners are guilt-ridden over the horrors committed by their society. About systemic abuses of indigenous children in Canada's residential schools, Michael Peers, archbishop of the Anglican Church of Canada, was teary eyed and deeply remorseful. “I am…
De Beers decided to shelve plans to expand its mine because of the difficulty of dealing with continual protests from community members
Attawapiskat is emblematic of so many First Nations that need the money and jobs that come with developing resource partnerships yet waste these opportunities. Attawapiskat First Nation – an isolated northern Ontario reserve – played a prominent role in the Idle No More indigenous protest movement that erupted in 2012. Then-chief Theresa Spence complained to…
U of C's "cultural engagement" guidelines bear little resemblance to the complex relationship that existed between aboriginals and immigrants
A ceremony at the University of Calgary a short while ago invited all faculty members of the Royal Society of Canada to welcome newly-elected fellows into the ranks. It was presided over by one of the university’s vice-presidents. Other members of the senior leadership team were also present. The VP began the evening with the…
Choice and opportunity should be fundamental to public education, but sometimes the argument gets muddied by peculiar personal perspectives. We’ve seen an unprecedented movement in Canadian publicly-supported schools to accommodate the needs and rights of minority groups such as LGBTQ, with the introduction of gender-neutral bathrooms and curriculum updates. Social justice issues have taken up…
