Political, health leaders among more than 80 new appointees to the Order of Canada
OTTAWA - The prime minister's incoming chief of staff and two doctors who led Canadians through the COVID-19 pandemic are among 83 appointments to the Order of Canada, being announced today by Gov. Gen. Mary Simon.
The list includes Marc-André Blanchard, who takes over in July as Prime Minister Mark Carney's chief of staff. Blanchard previously worked as a lawyer and as Canada's ambassador and permanent representative to the United Nations.
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Vancouver Sun
36 minutes ago
- Vancouver Sun
Bonnie Henry among more than 80 new appointees to the Order of Canada
OTTAWA — Dr. Bonnie Henry, who led B.C.'s COVID-19 pandemic response, is among 83 appointments to the Order of Canada being announced today by Gov. Gen. Mary Simon. Henry, who is also heading B.C.'s public health response to the drug overdose crisis, joins Dr. Theresa Tam, who retired in June as Canada's chief public health officer, among the new appointees at the officer level. Tam became a household name as she led the country's public health response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Start your day with a roundup of B.C.-focused news and opinion. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. A welcome email is on its way. If you don't see it, please check your junk folder. The next issue of Sunrise will soon be in your inbox. Please try again Interested in more newsletters? Browse here. The list also includes Marc-Andre Blanchard, who takes over in July as Prime Minister Mark Carney's chief of staff. Blanchard previously worked as a lawyer and as Canada's ambassador and permanent representative to the United Nations. More than 8,200 people have been appointed to the Order of Canada since its creation in 1967. Many are national household names including politicians, musicians, actors and writers. Many others are awarded for their contributions at a more local level to multiple fields, including science, medicine, education and the arts. The latest list includes several politicians, including former finance minister John Manley, who is being promoted to the companion level after initially being inducted as an officer of the Order of Canada in 2009. Companion is the highest level within the order, followed by the officer level, which are both generally awarded for contributions to Canada as a whole, or 'humanity at large.' A member of the Order of Canada recognizes distinguished service to a specific community or within a specific field. Maureen McTeer, a lawyer and author who has worked on gender issues and health guidelines, will be appointed as an officer. McTeer, who is married to former prime minister Joe Clark, is currently a visiting professor in the faculty of common law at the University of Ottawa. Canadian writer Miriam Toews and opinion researcher Bruce Anderson were also named to the Order of Canada. 'We proudly recognize each of these individuals whose dedication and passion for service not only enrich our communities but also help shape the fabric of our nation,' Simon said in a statement released with the list. 'Together, they inspire us to strive for greatness and to foster a future filled with hope and possibility.' Others appointed to the Order of Canada include biologist Ford Doolittle, musician Gilbert Donald Walsh, former senator Claudette Tardif and poet Louise Bernice Halfe, whose Cree name is Sky Dancer. Genealogist Stephen White received an honorary appointment. The governor general is expected to take part in Canada Day celebrations at Lebreton Flats Park on Tuesday, where she will preside over an Order of Canada ceremony, investing five people whose appointments were announced before today. The inductees being announced today will be invested in ceremonies to be scheduled at a later date.
4 hours ago
Did Trump make Canada Day great again? Some observers say, in a way, yes
Calls to #CancelCanadaDay (new window) were trending in 2021 after preliminary findings from a ground-penetrating radar survey at a former residential school in British Columbia had found some 200 potential unmarked graves at the now-national historic site (new window) . In 2017, protesters with Idle No More descended on Parliament Hill (new window) , calling for a national day of action called UNsettling Canada 150 on the country's 150th birthday. Enter, Donald Trump and his threats to annex Canada (new window) if the country doesn't voluntarily become the 51st state — something that's dominated headlines this year. There is a switch this year suddenly, said historian Matthew Hayday. The threat to Canadian sovereignty has galvanized Canadians, the University of Guelph department chair said. This year, he expects celebrations with the whole rhetoric of 'elbows up' and championing Canada. FRONT BURNERWhat is this new Canadian patriotism? (new window) Trump's taunts and very real tariffs may be driving a resurgence of patriotism, but while some Torontonians are heading to Ottawa to celebrate, some Indigenous people say their concerns remain and shouldn't be forgotten. July 1 can, in some ways, be a microcosm of a given year of what the national mood looks like, Hayday said. Rosary Spence and Lena Recollet participate in the Every Child Matters Walk on Canada Day, in downtown Toronto on July 1, 2021. (Christopher Katsarov/The Canadian Press) Photo: (Christopher Katsarov/The Canadian Press) A day shaped by tensions Earlier this year, Canadians across the country were boycotting American products (new window) and cancelling vacations plans to the U.S. (new window) Those sentiments may not be as potent now, but for many the sentiment lingers. Yao Ameyaw told CBC Toronto he's still avoiding spending money south of the border, and he'll be travelling to Ottawa for Canada Day. There is a bit of bad blood whether spoken or not, between us and America, he said. Patrick Shea and his wife will also be heading from Toronto to the nation's capital. He agrees Canada-U.S. relations have reinvigorated [Canadians] sense of nation and our sense of belonging together, but hopes the tensions die down soon. It may pass like a kidney stone, but it's going to pass. Fireworks explode in celebration of Canada Day. This year, the festivities touch a little closer to home. Photo: La Presse canadienne / Justin Tang For Tira Cardinal, who is Indigenous, the holiday is an opportunity to spend time with friends, but she won't be celebrating. I'm going to be wearing an orange shirt on Canada Day, she said, adding that she isn't surprised Indigenous issues aren't front of mind for many Canadians this year. People hop on the bandwagon for a lot of things. Unfortunately, I think that's how people in society are going to be. Brianna Olson-Pitawanakwat, a member of the member of Wiikwemkoong Unceded First Nation, said she'll be spending the day rallying around her community and highlighting their resilience and resistance. She's the co-founder of the Native Arts Society in Toronto, an art gallery and studio space dedicated to celebrating and showcasing Indigenous artists, many of whom are survivors of residential schools or the Sixties Scoop. [They] are struggling with displacement, and deserve to be honoured on this day, Olson-Pitawanakwat said. There's been a big push with what's happening south of the border for Canada to kind of relish in this hyper-nationalism. I think it's really important to recognize that like the boundaries of what we call Canada today would not exist without Indigenous peoples. Recent bills could move the pendulum of public opinion Already, the surge in patriotism — and protectionism — has led to threats against Indigenous sovereignty, Olson-Pitawanakwat said. She compares Bill 5 in Ontario to Stephen Harper's Bill C-45 (new window) , a controversial omnibus bill that made changes to the Indian Act, the Environmental Protections Act and Navigation Protection Act to make it easier for pipelines to be approved on Indigenous land without the consent of affected First Nations. That 2012 bill was part of what sparked the Idle No More movement that drove protests across the country and calls for Canada Day to be cancelled. Olson-Pitawanakwat says, like C-45, the Ford government's Bill 5 will also allow the government to expedite and approve energy project in Indigenous territories without local approval, namely when it comes to mining in the Ring of Fire. We cannot approve these things without free, prior-informed consent, Olson-Pitawanakwat said. Similar tensions are playing out at national level, too. Prime Minister Mark Carney has signalled Bill C-5 could be used to greenlight and fast-track new energy projects, including pipelines, mines and other resource-related initiatives. There's already fear and pushback in some Indigenous communities about what it'll mean for the consultation process — though both Carney and Ford have vowed their governments will consult. Right now, there is a lot more leeway for various actors to do things in the name of Canada, Hayday said. And as a result, Indigenous concerns more broadly are kind of getting shunted, he said. With the pendulum in one direction, this could be the moment that it starts to move the other way, Olson-Pitawanakwat said. This bill and the response are huge… and it's only going to become more present. Britnei Bilhete (new window) · CBC News
Winnipeg Free Press
5 hours ago
- Winnipeg Free Press
Back against the wall, Canada did right to appease Trump on digital tax
Opinion Giving in to a bully never feels good, but every once in a while, it's the smart thing to do. This week, Prime Minister Mark Carney did an abrupt about-face and announced that Canada was cancelling the digital services tax it had threatened to levy on tech giants including Amazon, Google and Meta. The tax, similar in nature and magnitude to similar levies charged in countries around the world, was an attempt to recoup some revenue from the tech companies that have generated billions in revenue as they provide digital services to Canadians without having to pay any tax. The idea of taxing digital services provided by companies in another country is, quite frankly, fairly common. CANADIAN PRESS FILES Prime Minister Mark Carney did an abrupt about-face and announced that Canada was cancelling the digital services tax. Nevertheless, U.S. President Donald Trump announced on Fox News Friday that he was going to abandon intensive tariff negotiations with Canada unless Carney abandoned the digital tax. Less than a day after Trump levelled his latest threat, Carney and the bombastic U.S. president had a call on Sunday night. When everyone awoke Monday morning, the tax was no more. The decision cost the Canadian treasury an estimated $2 billion in retroactive tax levies, and roughly $900 million a year going forward. Did Carney roll over and wiggle his legs in the air for Trump? Perhaps. But in this instance, the reason Carney backed down is arguably more important than the backing-down itself. The uncertainty that has been triggered in this country from the Trump administration's on-again, off-again tariff threats has taken a bite out of consumers and thrown many businesses in a broad array of sectors into financial disarray. Locking down a new continental trade deal is our last, best hope at getting off the Trumpian roller-coaster. Still, it comes at a price, both in terms of totally justifiable government revenues and pride. It doesn't really come with assurances that the mythical trade deal that Trump has been promising will put an end to his whimsical threats. Trump certainly has his own policy priorities; punishing countries that have economies built on manufacturing cheap goods that flood the American market has been his rallying cry for years. At the same time, however, he is susceptible to serving private interests that manage to curry his favour. That is certainly the case with the Big Tech companies that donated millions to his campaign and inauguration while bending a knee and capitulating to whatever nonsense Trump can imagine. The tech companies have eliminated diversity, equity and inclusion programs, stopped supporting Pride and other LGBTTQ+ organizations and events, and pledged to live under a self-imposed gag order on tariffs and the heavy-handed immigration deportations. All of this played a huge part in Trump taking up the fight to defeat digital tax schemes. Worse, those who have been following Canada-U.S. relations during Trump 2.0 will notice that what happened this weekend is an echo of the pattern Trump has established in his interactions with Canada. Will abandoning (for now) the notion of a digital tax guarantee that Trump won't pick some other issue as the straw that breaks the tariff negotiation's back? Nope, no guarantees. Trump is happy to threaten crippling tariffs on Canadian goods and services whenever he or his acolytes identify a new issue of derision. Since his inauguration in January, the critical issue that Trump linked to trade talks has changed repeatedly: illegal migrant traffic and border security; fentanyl; restrictions on U.S. banks doing business in Canada; demand-side management schemes for eggs, milk and cheese; defence spending; and, now, the digital tax. Trump threatens, Canada responds. On this particular issue, the response is particularly maddening. There is no persuasive economic or moral argument for allowing these gargantuan technology companies to continue earning money in Canada on a tax-free basis. It's not just Canada that thinks so. The member nations of the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development are currently trying to establish a standard global tax for digital services. Even though there are many countries that levy such a tax — including the United Kingdom, and most of the European Union, including France, Germany and Italy— most reasonable observers know that having a single, predictable tax rate in all countries would make much less of a political concern. Tuesdays A weekly look at politics close to home and around the world. Until the OECD gets its act together — and given recent struggles, it's not certain it will — Trump can pick off digital tax countries one by one using his tariff bazooka. In the day and age of 'elbows up,' Carney's critics may disparage him for giving in (again) to Trump. In the long run, this one issue is not worth losing a chance to put a lid on the violently raging pot that is Trump's trade policy. Leaning once again into the parlance of hockey, Canada needs to be calm and calculated. Give in, but don't give up. And then, take some numbers so that, at some later day, we can kick some butt. Dan LettColumnist Dan Lett is a columnist for the Free Press, providing opinion and commentary on politics in Winnipeg and beyond. Born and raised in Toronto, Dan joined the Free Press in 1986. Read more about Dan. Dan's columns are built on facts and reactions, but offer his personal views through arguments and analysis. The Free Press' editing team reviews Dan's columns before they are posted online or published in print — part of the our tradition, since 1872, of producing reliable independent journalism. Read more about Free Press's history and mandate, and learn how our newsroom operates. Our newsroom depends on a growing audience of readers to power our journalism. If you are not a paid reader, please consider becoming a subscriber. Our newsroom depends on its audience of readers to power our journalism. Thank you for your support.
