Urbanism
In my Ottawa Citizen column I discuss a successful public-private partnership I discovered when I took up ultimate. Domes in Ottawa are a rare example of something useful that was done right and that enjoys a great deal of success and no criticism that I can see. What lessons does
Politics
Many long moons ago I was employed as a talking head (“personality,” we used to say) on talk radio. My job was to report on, analyze and comment on the news, mostly political since that’s what our audience wanted to obsess about. In February 2005 then-finance minister Ralph Goodale
Urbanism
I’m not much of a bible reader but I do enjoy a great horror story so the one about the plagues of Egypt was always kind of attractive that way. I wondered this week what, in modern-day Ottawa, could count as plagues and I found a few things. Since
Travel
I had not seen a truck with the full Confederate flag treatment in this town before, I thought as I jogged past the jacked-up white Dodge wearing the gayest rainbow-pride Apple Watch and nothing but virtue-signalling Lululemon high-performance running attire. I was naive enough to hope that the displeasure of
Politics
Jean Chrétien is famous for having won three consecutive majority elections. That was in 1993, 1997 and 2000. He is the first prime minister to do that since Wilfrid Laurier, who started winning in the 19th century. Actually Laurier won four consecutive elections, as Macdonald had done before him. After
Politics
My column for the Ottawa Citizen this week discusses the recent spike in anti-semitic incidents and how we should at the very least let our Jewish neighbours know we’re there and we care. In my legal writing for National Magazine I have a piece on the impact of the
Français
In my Ottawa Citizen column this week I tried to shed light, instead of just blasting heat, on the tuition hike that you may have heard about. The short version: It’s perfectly defensible for Quebec to have a policy that favours Quebec students in post-secondary education. Provided it works.
Politics
In my Ottawa Citizen column this week I tear a strip off anyone who thinks paying people fairly and humanely for their work is a “cost” to be kept down. When a Texas-based chain of loud and garish gas stations treats its people better than you do, you know you’
Politics
Tomorrow is the third National Day for Truth and Reconciliation and in the Ottawa Citizen I offered some reflections on the ways non-Indigenous people should approach this work so that we can get to a place of healing and trust. In my legal writing for National Magazine you’ll find
Urbanism
My column in the Ottawa Citizen this week took the mayor to task for acting surprised at OC Transpo’s financial situation. Transit is a public service, not a business. It’s not meant to turn a profit. Oh, and there are other, more important things the mayor clearly doesn’
Politics
OK. I tried to resist taking apart this ad that the party and its leader so proudly unveiled at the end of their Quebec City convention. I swear I did. I got very busy with Other Serious Writing and reading and parenting and I did something like 12 workouts since
Politics
Unlike so many weak-kneed losers bleating about their freedom like they’ve graduated from the Preston Manning School of Ineffectual Whining, when someone tries to silence me I just write louder. Because that, friends, is how you fight toxicity. By being right up in its face, disturbing its shit. I