All students deserve a learning environment that is free of political indoctrination
If you’ve been around for a while, you probably remember the phrase “politically correct.” Being called politically correct was not a compliment. Instead, it meant that you had an unhealthy obsession with not offending anyone, even if you had to say some rather silly things in the process. For example, instead of saying husband or…
Are you suffering burnout?
Like many people, I was facing significant challenges and burnout last year. It was so bad that I told my team in September that I was going to take a three- to six-month sabbatical starting in December. However, by the time January rolled around, and after just a few weeks of holidays, I was ready…
Seven reasons why it is still hard to know when you are being lied to
"You're next in line for a promotion." "Let's have lunch sometime." "I'd love to read your report." "No, those pants don't make you look fat." We get lied to all the time. People are dishonest out of politeness, to avoid punishment, to protect others, or to deliberately mislead for personal gain. Some years back, Tim…
Progressive familial intrahepatic cholestasis (PFIC) typically leads to liver failure
It was a Friday afternoon, and Alexandra was running errands when she looked down at her five-month-old son Armando and thought, “You know, he looks really yellow, like jaundice, like a newborn would look.” She took him to their family doctor that same day and, by Monday, was told to go straight to the Stollery…
The British Empire enslaved human beings, destroyed functioning states, destroyed economies, and imprisoned and killed countless people
The period of mourning after the death of Queen Elizabeth II was unprecedented. In my experience, the passing of an older person is followed by a celebration of life, where people gather to pay their respects and honour the positive legacy of a person who touched their lives. The legacy of the Queen was her…
Bill C-11 is terrible news for Canadians, creators and consumers alike
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is taking Canada on a headfirst dive toward government censorship, with the Senate the only obstacle standing between Canadians and the vast ocean of government control. As Trudeau’s censorship law makes its way to the Senate, the stakes are high. Calling Bill C-11 a censorship bill is not hyperbole. “Bill C-11…
Almost 24 per cent now cutting back on food purchases, almost 70 per cent of whom are women
While inflation is showing signs of dissipating, food inflation appears to be on a totally different path. Food inflation has outpaced our general inflation rate for over 12 months now. Statistics Canada just announced that the food inflation rate for retail was 10.8 per cent and 7.4 per cent in food service. Canada ranks third…
But is the government truly committed to getting it done?
“To the people of Northeastern Ontario, you have my word. We will bring the Northlander back to Timmins and Cochrane,” said Premier Ford during his swearing-in ceremony at Queen’s Park this summer. Folks, this could only mean one thing; we’re getting our passenger train back ... right? Just like when it was promised to us…
Both sectors face inflationary pressures but are being dealt with very differently
As anyone who has ever spent time in the kitchen knows, when a pot is boiling over, you do not put a lid on it. You lower the heat. Adding a cover does nothing to reduce the cause of all the excess bubbles and steam. In fact, increasing the pressure within the vessel generates an…
The way he has handled the transition could lead to his reign being an unexpectedly impressive one
The magnificent celebration of the life of Queen Elizabeth II, the longest-serving monarch in British history, has come to an end. She arrived at her final resting place, St. George’s Chapel at Windsor Castle, on Monday. Elizabeth was buried in the King George VI Memorial Chapel, which she had commissioned for her late father in…
A secretariat to oversee equity officers won't empower students from disadvantaged backgrounds
Earlier this year, a group called Equity Matters asked the province of Manitoba to establish an education equity secretariat to oversee equity officers working in Manitoba schools. Equity Matters wants to ensure that all Manitoba students are reflected in the curriculum and at all public education system staff levels. They don’t want any student to…
Increases to the Marginal Effective Tax Rate taking even more of your hard-earned money
New Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre is correct when he says governments discourage work with taxes and clawbacks. The Marginal Effective Tax Rate (METR) measures what government takes from each new dollar earned in taxes and clawbacks of income-related government benefits. In his leadership acceptance speech and an August 19 video called “Make work pay,” Poilievre…
When we broaden our perspective, we can see that there are heroes all around us
In his book The Game, Ken Dryden grappled with our tendency to put sports heroes on a pedestal, and draws attention to the need to value everyone. Having been a National Hockey League player, Dryden is aware that he and his colleagues are normal people. While gifted in their area of expertise, they are relatively…
The human body needs the right fuel for optimal performance
When it comes to learning, registered dietitian Heidi Bates likens humans to “high-performance sports cars” that need injections of just the right fuel throughout the day. “If you’re not fuelling the body at regular intervals, the amount of sugar in your blood – which is really the fuel for your brain – will go up…
The West won’t dig itself out of the crisis unless it decisively responds to Putin’s strategic aim
The cost of living crisis is being misrepresented and mishandled by the political class. Misrepresented because only occasionally do politicians link the crisis to the Russia-Ukraine War and Putin’s use of hybrid warfare to destabilize the West; mishandled because, fundamentally, the solution lies not in economic measures but in ensuring first that Russia is defeated…