Alberta is, once again, being subjected to neoliberal policies that threaten our livelihoods, our economy and the future of our province. Led by the most recent iteration of conservative coalitions, the United Conservative Party (UCP) is a blend of the misnamed Progressive Conservative Association of Alberta, and the short-lived right-wing populist Wild Rose Party. In […]
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This article updates one from the same author from May 2019. The premier of Ontario, Doug Ford, would have us believe that the deaths of 249 people (April 20) in residential care homes are just an unfortunate aspect of the COVID-19 crisis. In reality, it’s a case of a chronicle of deaths foretold. Step back […]
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As we enter the second month of the COVID-19 lockdown, I will share my thoughts, as an inner-city general practitioner in Toronto. Firstly, I do not consider myself as working on the frontlines. I have the good fortune of a well-paying job, a home that I partially own, adequate food on the table, am a […]
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With this global pandemic, with so many people’s lives being thrown into flux and uncertainty, it can be nice to remind ourselves of things that have stood fast and unchanging, the familiar things that remind us of our lives before the crisis. Don’t worry. Canada’s government continues to buy weapons of war to kill people […]
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The Lynn Valley Care Centre in North Vancouver was the site of the first death in Canada attributed to COVID-19. As of April 6, there have been at least 15 deaths at the facility, along with 46 residents and 24 healthcare workers infected. The infection was brought into the care home by a staff member […]
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“With lost jobs and lost wages due to COVID-19, many tenants are worried they can’t make the rent.” Such a statement, made by BC’s premier John Horgan just a week before April rent day, could have been an introduction to provide much reassurance and a solid plan for renters who are reeling under the economic […]
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Socialist Alternative interviewed Vesna Rosales, a small business owner in the west end of Toronto SA: Tell me something about yourself and your business. Vesna: I’ve had a nail and beauty salon business for the last 6 years. I manage it and do some reception work there. I also have an at home travel business […]
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Teck Resources Limited announced its decision to remove the Frontier mine from life support on February 23, 2020. The $20-billion project had spent the whole of its nine short years awaiting a federal bill of health that would never come. Its conception promised so much, the largest tar sands project ever seen, $12 billion in […]
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What a difference a few weeks and a major disease outbreak makes! Not that long ago, if I remember correctly, there was no money for pretty much anything but tax cuts and supports for business. Now, suddenly, there seems to be cash aplenty, to be sure, mainly for the rich, but with a substantial amount […]
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I work “full time” for a hotel. A cog in Vancouver’s tremendous tourism industry. Since I started work here, the fact that my contract stipulates “full time” availability with zero guaranteed hours has laid cold and squirming in the back of my mind, a worm undermining the small sense of security that comes with regular […]
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