Category: Canada pandemic measures

One-Quarter of Canadians Over 45 Struggled to Access Health Care in 2020, Study Shows

In fall of 2020, 25 percent of Canadians between the age of 45 and 85 had challenges accessing health-care services during the first nine months of the COVID-19 pandemic, and 8 percent of those studied did not go to a hospital or see a doctor when needed, according to a new study. “Substantial unmet health…


Trudeau Fanning Protest Flames By Invoking the Emergency Act

Commentary Canada has been wracked with growing anti-mandate protests since the truckers’ Freedom Convoy descended on Ottawa over three weeks ago. The government and legacy media initially tried to ignore the growing convoy. As the convoy gained steam and interest across the nation while it moved through city after city towards Ottawa, the government tried…


It’s Time We Put Students First Rather Than Last

Commentary Finally, provincial governments are loosening public health restrictions. Based on what many health officials are saying, there’s a good chance that our country will be largely free of these restrictions by spring. This is happening not a moment too soon, particularly for our young people. Even though kids are in the age group that…


Charter’s Last Surviving Signatory and Former Premier Sues Ottawa Over Travel Vaccine Mandates

Brian Peckford, former premier of Newfoundland and the last surviving architect of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, has filed a lawsuit against the federal government on Jan. 26. Alongside five other applicants, Peckford’s team is challenging the Constitutional merits of the Trudeau administration’s mandates restricting travel for Canadians without a COVID-19 vaccination. And…


Sleeping Through the COVID-19 Pandemic

Commentary Everyone knows that Canada is in trouble. Like other countries, this country has been racked by various waves of COVID-19 for almost two years. But COVID-19 is not the most troubling issue. Let me explain. Remember at the beginning of the epidemic, we didn’t expect multiple waves of the virus to infect millions of…


Puzzling Aspects of the Pandemic Response

Commentary Our government’s latest lockdown because of the rising numbers of COVID-19 cases, mainly Omicron, has forced me to look more deeply into this crisis that has been with us for almost two years. Publicly there has been far less discussion of the price we have collectively paid, compared to the benefits gained, from lockdowns…


Canada’s Labour Shortage Worsened by Feds’ Pandemic Relief Programs, Say Analysts

News Analysis Canada’s labour market is facing a massive worker shortage, with some of the causes said to be long-term in nature, but businesses and analysts also say government pandemic support programs have exacerbated the problem. “As was the case prior to the pandemic, the future supply of workers, and the possibility of shortages impeding…


Extending Pandemic Jobs Program Aimed to Cost Extra $600 Million, PBO Says

OTTAWA—The parliamentary budget officer says extending a pandemic measure designed to avoid layoffs at companies will cost the federal treasury almost $600 million over three years. Most of the extra spending, about $404 million, will take place in this fiscal year under the costing estimate the budget office put out today, with $174 million next…


Travellers React as Stricter Public Health Measures Come Into Effect at Canadian Borders, Airports

A new Canadian health order requiring a three-day hotel quarantine for air travellers got off to a rocky start on Monday, as some passengers complained of long waits to access the hotel-booking system. Across Canada and abroad, travellers spoke of disconnected calls and hours or even days waiting on the line to make a reservation,…


Stricter Public Health Measures Now in Effect at Canadian Borders, Airports

OTTAWA—A mandatory three-day hotel quarantine for most travellers landing at Canadian airports comes into effect today, along with a suite of measures meant to prevent contagious COVID-19 variants from entering the country. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has said the tighter border controls are meant to keep everyone safe, not punish travellers. Anyone flying into the…