Rex Murphy and I see the world and country in much the same way. And we both hail from the Country’s eastern most Province. And he is a national treasure when it comes to articulating the concerns of Canadians about the governance of this place. A true wordsmith...
Blog
Peckford: So Why Only Bernier and Peckford Challenging Governments in Court Over Their Cruel Mandates and Lockdowns?
I encounter everyday people who are apologists for former or existing legislators. They don’t understand like you. They were not at the conferences leading up to the Charter and Rights and Freedoms. Balderdash! I wasn’t at the 1867 BNA Act talks either!! Nor was...
ArriveCan Adventures
I would like to share my near disastrous experience with ArriveCan. In early September 2022 I had to travel to Mexico on business. I was scheduled to return September 13 via WestJet, but had to change to September 14, Air Canada operated by United. I got to the Puerto...
Peckford: Liberty is Not a Commodity – It’s a Value
As I tried to sleep last night, the words of the lawyers and The Judge in my lawsuit kept swirling around in my mind. The Judge’s attitude seemed almost like they were debating the validity of a dog license! And recalling the words of my lawyer’s interviews some hours...
Featured News
Our Health Ministers Need to Take a Lesson from Hockey Coaches
Those of you who are tired of my rants about the demise of our once great health system will be pleased to know that this is my last editorial. I am retiring from the BCMJ Editorial Board; currently, I am the longest-serving member (more than 20 years). I have been a...
Zinchuk: Oilpatch Only Spending Half What It Spent in 2014
Back in the lofty, pre-Justin Trudeau government days of 2014, back when oil was booming, pipelines were planned to east and west coasts, and Alberta and Saskatchewan were swimming in money, around $81 billion was spent in capital expenditures (CAPEX) in the Canadian...
News report shows Manitoba bands in bad shape
A recent news report from the Winnipeg Free Press shows that 40 per cent of bands in Manitoba have outside managers to help with their finances. This is a record among Canadian provinces and territories. Saskatchewan also has a high number of First Nations...
Warden’s Rosy View
Publius read with interest former Manitoba Hydro’s former Chief Financial Officer’s claim that the Utility is in “the strongest financial position in its history” – Manitoba Hydro finances on firm footing (Winnipeg Free Press, November 25, 2013). Mr. Warden...
A Really Bad Argument Against De-Amalgamating the Toronto Megacity
Last Friday, Shawn Micallef, a Toronto Star author, wrote a very bad article about why he believes that de-amalgamating Toronto would be a bad idea. I wrote a letter to the editor to the Star, pointing out how ridiculous the article was, but they ran a letter from the...
Aboriginal Engagement and Economic Development
Who would have known that this is a busy week on aboriginal policy in Canada with the sideshow going on in Toronto that has dominated the news headlines? This week has seen heightened aboriginal engagement not through the protests we typically see covered by the news...
Isaac Asimov on Price Gouging
Every time a natural disaster strikes in North America, reports emerge of retailers increasing prices in some locations. This, of course, is generally prohibited, and leads to public shaming. There are, however, good reasons why price gouging needs to happen. The most...
66 million dollars spent on talking, none spent on aboriginal youth in B.C.
Yesterday B.C.’s children’s watchdog, Mary Ellen Turpel-Lafond, released a damning report of the provinces Ministry of Children and Family Development in spending close to $66 million over the last dozen years on “big, blue sky initiatives” for aboriginal youth. Yet...
Nisga’a begin private property experiment
The Nisga'a are a self-governing First Nation located in northwestern British Columbia. In 2008, the Nisga'a embarked on a revolutionary experiment in property ownership. They passed the Landholding Transiton Act, a piece of legislation that would allow individuals to...
Economic liberalization cuts poverty
A new video shows that poverty reduction targets in the developing world have already been met. The reduction has come from some of the most populous countries- namely China and India- reducing poverty levels through economic liberalization. The video also states...
First Nations election bill step in right direction
The federal government has re-introduced Bill C-9, the First Nations Elections Act. The bill died on the order paper when the House of Commons prorogued this summer. The bill recognizes that well-run electoral systems are key to First Nations governance reform. Bil...