All the best to Jack Layton
It was with some shock that I saw yesterday that Mr. Layton was temporarily stepping down as NDP leader (and leader of the Official Opposition) because of new cancer discovered…
Canadian Politics
The Facts About India’s Infant “Sex Changes”
Canadian and international press outlets reported last month that in India, the preference to have male children is so strong that parents are having their female infants surgically assigned (a.k.a.…
I guess the ‘almighty dollar’ spoke
Apparently, a majority government has changed the Conservative’s attitudes towards China: Canada’s relationship with China will be the “centrepiece” of its Asian diplomatic ties, said Foreign Affairs Minister John Baird…
toronto’s ford brothers: does a true word ever leave their mouths?
James posted this in comments yesterday, but it deserves its own thread: Top Five Ford Lies. If you haven't seen it yet, please go read.Of course, politicians with a privatization…
The State of Open Data Licenses in Canada and where to go from here
(for readers less interested in Open Data - I promise something different tomorrow) In February I wrote how 2011 would be the year of the license for Canada's open data…
canada moving backwards on youth crime plans that are proven failures
Further to my last post, how can we build a world without hate when the people in power are moving in the opposite direction?Last year I stumbled on a CPAC…
Province of BC launches Open Data Catalog: What works
As revealed yesterday, the province of British Columbia became the first provincial government in Canada to launch a open data portal. It's still early but here are some things that…
Harper’s Summer Job
Turns out the Prime Minister is a fan of the ‘Murdoch Mysteries’ period detective show and recently made a cameo appearance on it in the role of a police constable…
walkom: we sent our soldiers to die to impress our largest trading partner
This is probably the strongest truth-telling about Canada's experience in Afghanistan - and the revolting response to it at home - that I have seen in the mainstream media. Thank…
Money isn’t everything.
Seen on Facebook: Only after the last tree has been cut down, Only after the last river has been poisoned, Only after the last fish has been caught, …Only then…
The Beginning of Something: First we had the little page that would. Now we have the journalist who could
Last time I checked Kai's Nagata's blog, Why I Quit My Job, there were well over 100,000 views and 1000 responses to his coming out essay. Most of these were…
Vote for the Best Canadian Political Book
Samara Canada is running a neat little contest. They have a list of 12 Canadian political books from the past twenty-five years, and they’re asking people to come and vote…
A Canadian Republic (with a new anthem to boot)
It is worth remembering, every once in a while, that Canada remains a constitutional monarchy. Precisely because the monarchy has no de facto power, most of us - myself included…
Counting your chickens before they hatch
Prime Minister Harper is obviously feeling very good about himself right now. He (and Canada) hosted an immensely successful Kate and Will tour (which thankfully came a couple of months…
stop the mega-quarry: deadline for comments is midnight tonight
The deadline to submit comments to the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources, voicing your opposition to the Melancthon mega-quarry, is midnight tonight. Please:1. Sign the Avaaz petition: here.2. Submit your…
Fact Check on Aisle Three Please
Stories about Madeleine Gauron, a 76-year-old Quebec woman pronounced brain dead have been popping up in the (anti-abortion and) anti-euthanasia press. And almost exclusively in the anti-euthanasia press. The source…
Bringing cheer into the gloom
This was good to see: The town was not on the official royal itinerary, but the royal couple made a special stop with the hope of bringing much-needed cheer to…
Toronto City Councilor Records March, Calls For Toronto Pride Defunding (the continuing saga)
Borrowing a page from “Porno” Peter LaBarbera, Toronto city councilor Giorgio “Creepy” Mammoliti made it a point to film Saturday’s Dyke March during Toronto Pride Week festivities, in hopes of…
Monarchy, meh.
I think I am where most Canadians are on the Monarchy. I don’t really care about them. I don’t like it when people are fervently pro-Monarchy. Conversely, I don’t like…
Lots of Open Data Action in Canada
A lot of movement on the open data (and not so open data) front in Canada. Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA) Open Data Portal Launched Some readers may remember that…