Wet’suwet’en update
He waited as long as he could, too long in the opinion of many. He was obviously hoping that peaceful negotiation could bring down the rail barricades, in the best…
February 2020
Ruled by climate change deniers
Both the Horgan and Trudeau governments made symbolic commitments to the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP). Neither was sincere. Horgan passed UNDRIP into BC law…
The Great Gatsby — yes, that Great Gatsby — was the best-selling work of fiction in Alberta’s independent bookstores last week
Here are the lists of the top 10 fiction and non-fiction titles sold by independent booksellers in Alberta during the week ended Sunday, Feb. 16, 2020. The lists are compiled…
Justin Trudeau and the Day of Decision
He waited as long as he could, too long in the opinion of many.He was obviously hoping that peaceful negotiation could bring down the rail barricades, in the best Canadian…
A Bit about Cancel Culture and Academic Freedom
I’ve written before about how I support free speech but don’t support giving platforms to “White Nationalists” or neo-Nazis or any other racist group who could use the venue to…
The Price Ain’t Right
Back in August of 2018 our federal government bought us a pipeline. Not exactly a bargain, it set us back $4.5-billion. The pipeline, the Trans Mountain, carries oil from Edmonton…
Musical interlude
Tame Impala – Is It True
New column day
Here, on the attempt at a hostile takeover of the U.S.’ political system – and the need for Saskatchewan to update its campaign finance rules to avoid the same fate.…
Trudeau – the Barricades Must Come Down
Prime minister Trudeau has said “the barricades must now come down, the injunctions must be obeyed, and the law must be upheld.” It’s not clear whether Trudeau was referring to…
The Last Frontier – Teck’s Fuzzy Math
Vancouver mining company, Teck Resources, is increasing the pressure on the Trudeau government to approve its Frontier mine proposal for the Athabasca Tar Sands. Teck claims it will face a…
income support for low-income households in Alberta
Next week, Jason Kenney’s UCP government will table its second budget. With that in mind, I’ve written a blog post titled “Ten things to know about income support for low-income…
About that "Buffalo" Business.
Somebody should let Michelle Rempel in on this. This is a buffalo found in Africa, the Cape Buffalo. This is the water buffalo found in Asia. This majestic beast, however,…
Might is Not Right: A Historical Perspective on Coercion as a Colonial Strategy
Full-dress mounted parade by members of the North-West Mounted Police near Calgary, September 1901. I, like many Canadians, watched in horror as the RCMP’s invasion of unceded Wet’suwet’en territory in…
Buffalo Leap
This has been a crazy couple of weeks in our politics and let’s face it, we’re in a very fraught time. There are lots of tensions out there, lots of…
Far-Right Groups Engaging in Vigilantism
The RCMP raids of Wet’suwet’en territory set off a series of rail blockades in defense of the First Nations’ community. Some of the blockades have been in place for over…
Nobel Laureates Demand Trudeau Nix the Teck Frontier Bitumen Mine
A group of Nobel laureates have written an open letter to Justin Trudeau and his assistant pm, Christia Freeland, to reject the Frontier pit mine for the Athabasca Tar Sands.…
JP Morgan’s Schizophrenia
JP Morgan is perhaps the world’s largest investor in climate-wrecking fossil fuels. The bank has also realized that the fossil energy economy has mankind on a precipitous road to an…
Feeling Buffaloed Yet, Alberta?
So, yesterday Michelle Rempel, and 3 other CPC MPs from Alberta put their names to the so-called “Buffalo Declaration“. The name “Buffalo” is a nod to an early proposal to…
Shuttles: Filling Gaps in Transit
I love this story. I know … I’m such a ‘transit nerd’. (Is there such a thing?). Here are just some top-level reasons why: Smaller vehicles = less costly vehicles…