Once again our hopes rise. Or do they? At their recent national policy convention the Liberals voted to back a citizens’ assembly on electoral reform. Specifically, the convention resolved that “the Liberal Party of Canada urge the Government of Canada to establish a non-partisan National Citizens’ Assembly on Electoral Reform
Continue readingAuthor: Bill Longstaff
Views from the Beltline: Are we on a path to sustainability?
Humanity’s biggest challenge is sustainability. How does our avaricious species live within the natural constraints of the planet? Certain global trends suggest we may inadvertently be answering that question. Superficially appearing to be matters for concern, these trends may to the contrary be setting us on a path to sustainability.
Continue readingViews from the Beltline: Climate change—we make progress
Each spring, Canada submits The National Inventory Report to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. The report holds Canada accountable to targets it is committed to under the convention, including reducing emissions by 40-45 per cent below 2005 levels by 2030. To get expert perspectives on the report
Continue readingViews from the Beltline: Republican trans phobia
People generally like to keep things simple. Black and white, right and wrong, men and women. But of course things generally aren’t all that simple. More often than not there are annoying shades of grey. Gender would seem simple. It’s all determined by our sex chromosomes. Women have two X
Continue readingViews from the Beltline: Election manna: Calgary gets a new arena
The on-again, off-again project for a new arena in Calgary is on again. At twice the cost. Earlier this week The City of Calgary, the Calgary Sports and Entertainment Corporation (CSEC) and the province announced a $1.22 billion replacement for the Saddledome, a community rink, a public plaza and associated
Continue readingViews from the Beltline: Off with his head!
Canadians, it seems, are not particularly enamoured of Charles Philip Arthur George Windsor. According to an Angus Reid survey, 60 percent of us do not want Charles III as head of state and over half no longer want their country to continue as a constitutional monarchy at all. They don’t
Continue readingViews from the Beltline: The secret is equity, not wealth
No society has ever created wealth like the United States. And no other society does today. Its dynamic capitalism with freer markets and smaller welfare states than other industrial nations puts its economy consistently in the lead. In 2022, the U.S. accounted for a full 58 percent of the GDP
Continue readingViews from the Beltline: Americans aren’t so American anymore
A recent survey funded by The Wall Street Journal showed some dramatic changes in the attitudes of our neighbours to the south. For example, two of Americans’ most cherished institutions, religion and patriotism, have suffered a major decline in their popularity. Since 1998, those saying religion was very important to
Continue readingViews from the Beltline: Religion still making mischief
In a rapidly changing world, some things do remain the same. One such thing is religion’s capacity for mischief. Examples are legion. The mullahs of Iran, who as religious leaders might be expected to be moral leaders, oppress their own people and make trouble throughout their region. Saudi Arabia, an
Continue readingViews from the Beltline: How Americans came to love pot
Reading a Pew Research Center study about Americans and marijuana, I was surprised how rapidly support for legalization rose, and to what heights. From 16 percent support in 1989 edging up to 32 percent at the turn of the century and then soaring to 89 percent by 2019. Fifty-nine percent
Continue readingViews from the Beltline: Murdoch/Fox called to account
Rupert Murdoch is a man whose lack of ethics should preclude him from being within shouting distance of journalism. Yet he is the world’s most powerful media mogul. He owns hundreds of publishing outlets around the world, including The Sun and The Times of London newspapers in the UK; The
Continue readingViews from the Beltline: Two Albertas … or three?
Alberta has long been a politically divided province. The north inclines progressive, the south conservative. Edmonton currently only has one UCP MLA out of 20, and Calgary only three NDP MLAs out of 26. A new study by the Environics Institute, Spotlight on Alberta, adds some interesting details to the
Continue readingViews from the Beltline: Two Albertas … or three?
Alberta has long been a politically divided province. The north inclines progressive, the south conservative. Edmonton currently only has one UCP MLA out of 20, and Calgary only three NDP MLAs out of 26. A new study by the Environics Institute, Spotlight on Alberta, adds some interesting details to the
Continue readingViews from the Beltline: More good news from down south
Starting with the election of Joe Biden in November 2020, U.S. election results have been looking rather good. The midterms in 2022 were predicted to produce the usual midterm result—a rout of the incumbent president’s party. To the delight of the Democrats and progressives everywhere, it didn’t happen. The Republicans
Continue readingViews from the Beltline: More good news from down south
Starting with the election of Joe Biden in November 2020, U.S. election results have been looking rather good. The midterms in 2022 were predicted to produce the usual midterm result—a rout of the incumbent president’s party. To the delight of the Democrats and progressives everywhere, it didn’t happen. The Republicans
Continue readingViews from the Beltline: A healthy competition
Our federal government brought down its 2023 budget last week and it was very green. Dealing with climate change was front and centre. There were other good things, such as a big boost for dental care, and a few items missing, like pharmacare, but I would give it an A
Continue readingViews from the Beltline: A healthy competition
Our federal government brought down its 2023 budget last week and it was very green. Dealing with climate change was front and centre. There were other good things, such as a big boost for dental care, and a few items missing, like pharmacare, but I would give it an A
Continue readingViews from the Beltline: America may be broken, Canada not so much
Americans long had a reputation for being the world’s greatest flag wavers. According to a recent cross-border study by the Angus Reid Institute, that may no longer be the case. At least not relative to Canadians. Judging by a number of criteria, Canadians are a lot happier with their country
Continue readingViews from the Beltline: America may be broken, Canada not so much
Americans long had a reputation for being the world’s greatest flag wavers. According to a recent cross-border study by the Angus Reid Institute, that may no longer be the case. At least not relative to Canadians. Judging by a number of criteria, Canadians are a lot happier with their country
Continue readingViews from the Beltline: Some encouraging support for net zero
Below is an open letter that appeared as an ad in the National Post and The Hill Times. The letter recognizes that our “major trading partners have already moved aggressively and swiftly” toward a sustainable economy and strongly recommends we do the same. I was so impressed that these signatories—leading
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