Climate Change

Clockwise from upper left: Justin Trudeau, Jagmeet Singh, Erin O'Toole, Annamie Paul, Maxime Bernier, Yves-François Blanchet

Canada’s ‘Small World’ Election

October 6, 2021 at 12:52 pm

The Known World how can something known become unknown in so little time Mi’kmaw poet Shalan Joudry   Which is in worse shape, the form or content of Canadian federal democracy? The shape it takes is doubly deformed, for while all ‘first-past-the-post’ systems are unfair, guaranteed to deliver only disproportionateRead More

Procrastination is Killing Us

Procrastination is Killing Us

September 29, 2021 at 1:06 pm

Great ideas to address climate change already exist — there are thousands of them — but they need to be categorized by the degree of impact they would have on climate change mitigation. Luckily, some authors have attempted this categorization. Drawdown: The Most Comprehensive Plan Ever Proposed to Reverse GlobalRead More

Climate Code Red

Climate Code Red

September 15, 2021 at 12:04 pm

During this week’s federal leaders’ debates, all participants verified they had worked together in a non-partisan way to battle COVID-19. COVID and its variants do not discriminate — everyone is vulnerable to some degree. And Canadians, because we were all at risk, pulled together in a way that mirrored whatRead More

Paul Strome’s Election Priorities

Paul Strome’s Election Priorities

July 28, 2021 at 2:06 pm

Editor’s Note: Spectator contributor Paul Strome sent along this open letter to candidates in the upcoming provincial elections, presented as a list of his chief concerns.   Reconciliation and the 94 recommendations of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission are not just federal issues. Murdered and Missing Indigenous Women and GirlsRead More

CBRM ‘Priorities’ List Has Gaps

CBRM ‘Priorities’ List Has Gaps

June 30, 2021 at 12:38 pm

CBRM council met this morning to discuss the results of its March 2021 closed-door, strategy-setting “workshops” at the Lakes Golf Club and Resort in Ben Eoin. Apparently, during the sessions, council articulated our vision: (I can’t wait until Tim Bousquet sees that — “vibrant” and “innovation” are two of hisRead More

Proposed Goldboro LNG Terminal (Source; Pieridae

Fool’s Goldboro?

May 26, 2021 at 12:17 pm

Canada is the only G7 country still emitting GHG emissions way above 1990 levels — 21% above. Compare that to the US, which is on par with its 1990 levels, the 27 EU countries that are 25% below their 1990 levels or the UK, whose emissions are 42% below 1990Read More

Canappalachia

Canappalachia

April 21, 2021 at 12:36 pm

I‘ve been learning about Appalachia (beginning with how to pronounce it) through a variety of means lately and what keeps jumping out at me are the similarities between that region and our own (by which I mean, variously, Cape Breton, the Maritimes and the Atlantic Provinces). These similarities include theRead More

Fast & Curious: Short Takes on Random Things

Fast & Curious: Short Takes on Random Things

February 19, 2021 at 10:30 am

Old Don Cameron Donald Cameron became premier of Nova Scotia in 1991 the same way Iain Rankin is poised to become premier next Tuesday: by winning the leadership of his party (the Tories) after the elected premier (John Buchanan) stepped down. When Cameron did lead the party to the polls,Read More

Quebec's "Running Electrically" symbol

Time for Electrifying Ideas

February 3, 2021 at 11:15 am

Most people who live in a ‘free country’ like Canada believe they have the right to a healthy environment. We feel we are entitled to all that is imbedded in that philosophy — clean water, fresh air, healthy food, etc. Those of us who live in a rural setting (18%Read More

The Fish that Stopped the Ship?

The Fish that Stopped the Ship?

December 2, 2020 at 1:06 pm

Author’s Note: As this year unlike any other grinds to a bleak close, I offer – in the spirit not of prophecy, but satiric thought-experiment – ‘alternate universe’ visions of the near future. And bear with me, dear reader, as I first appear to lose my mind…   “The extremelyRead More