[Image-1] Medical marijuana patients in Canada won a major victory today, as a Federal Court judge ruled they’re once again legally allowed to grow their own medicine. Judge Michael Phelan’s ruling on Wednesday struck down the federal regulations introduced by Stephen Harper’s former Conservative government that restricted medical marijuana patients from growing their own cannabis. […]
Canada
Posted inNews + Opinion
Fighting for status: Canada’s off-reserve aboriginal population
National chief Dwight Dorey of the Ottawa-based Congress of Aboriginal Peoples has been meeting with indigenous men and women across the country, holding consultations regarding the Supreme Court of Canada’s anticipated ruling on whether aboriginals who live off-reserve are Indians under the Constitution Act and therefore entitled to the rights that fall under federal jurisdiction. […]
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How long is someone labelled a Come From Away?
[Image-1] We were looking for a metaphor that would make it more understandable for others to comprehend what immigrants are going through in the beginning, and we came up with this: Imagine that you came into a shiny prom, pleasant yet unfamiliar music is played and all dancers are arranged in pairs or groups. They […]
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The long-form census won’t recognize non-binary Canadians
[Image-1] The reinstated mandatory long-form census will still ask Canadians to identify as either male or female when it’s mailed out later this spring, ignoring the thousands of transgender individuals who don’t fit that sexual binary. Luckily, there’s a workaround. The census was restored by the newly-elected Liberal government in November after having been scrapped […]
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Talking Paris: Whatever happens, we’re already winning
[Image-1] Shit has officially gotten real at the Paris climate talks. Canada’s new Environment and Climate Change minister, Catherine McKenna, left the negotiating table at 7am this morning and returned five hours later for another round of overlapping meetings. Every room in the sprawling airplane-hanger compound that hosts the conference has at least three napping […]
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HRM makes statement of reconciliation to aboriginal community
Today at city hall, Halifax Regional Council took a bold step forward and made an official statement of reconciliation to the aboriginal community. It was an emotional vote for councillor Jennifer Watts, who fought back tears while stating this was the most important moment of her political career. After the unanimous vote passed, Watts left […]
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Canada offers refuge, with conditions
[Image-1] It turns out Ottawa’s plan to resettle 25,000 Syrians by December 31 was a lofty goal. A little too lofty. The Trudeau government announced recently about 10,000 Syrians would be brought to Canada by the end of the year. Another 15,000 are to arrive at the end of February. The vast majority of Syrian […]
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Paris to weigh heavily on Halifax International Security Forum
[IMage-1] Paris will be a hot topic of conversations this weekend when international government and military officials meet with academic and corporate leaders at the annual Halifax International Security Forum. As Stefon would say, this forum has everything: Peter MacKay, ISIS, a badass new Minister of Defence, wordplay, the military-industrial complex, Charlie Hebdo, New Brunswick […]
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Memories that are hard to forget
[Image-1] Newfoundlander Norman Crewe was a member of Canada’s Merchant Navy during the Second World War. He served in operations on the Atlantic Ocean and the Pacific, but many comrades aboard these enemy-targeted vessels carrying crucial equipment and supplies never returned home. Chances of survival were slim because convoy ships weren’t allowed to stop to rescue […]
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13 facts about Justin Trudeau’s badass new cabinet
[Image-1] 1 Justin Trudeau promised gender parity in his cabinet, and today he delivered. Asked why appointing an equal number of women was important, Trudeau replied “Because it’s 2015.” For what it’s worth, writes Tasha Kheiriddin at the National Post, that’s only three more female cabinet ministers than Stephen Harper had in his last cabinet. […]
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Ending the gay blood ban is easier said than done
[Image-1] If they’re not careful, the Liberals’ election promise to end Canada’s discriminatory gay blood ban could end up slipping through the bureaucratic cracks. The newly-elected Liberal government promised to end the restrictions Canadian Blood Services has in place preventing the donation of blood by men who have been sexually active with other men, but […]
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A letter to all first-time voters
[Image-1] Congratulations! You voted. Judging from the trend in voter turnout over the past 20 years, it’s fair to say that for many of you, it was your first time, or perhaps your first time in a long time. Some people are unquestionably happy about this. I’m of two minds on the matter. On the one hand, […]
