Most Canadians don't know about the Air India bombing: poll
40 years on from the Air India bombing, some in B.C. fear history is being forgotten. An Angus Reid Poll survey finds few Canadians, around one-in-five, are able to identify the tragedy as the deadliest terror attack Canada has endured. To help us better understand this, CBC News spoke to Sachi Kurl who is the president of the Angus Reid Institute.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
CTV News
an hour ago
- CTV News
From lacrosse myths to kilts: 5 things you may not know about Canadian symbols
The Saskatchewan Rush celebrate their win over the Buffalo Bandits in game 2 of the National Lacrosse League finals in Saskatoon, Sask., on Sunday, May 18, 2025. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Liam Richards OTTAWA — Parliamentarians likely will get a chance later this year to debate whether to adopt a livestock brand as an official national symbol. A bill to create the brand was introduced earlier in June by Saskatchewan Conservative MP Steven Bonk. If the bill passes, the brand will become Canada's 10th national symbol — joining O Canada, the coat of arms and the maple tree. Here are five things you may not know about the official symbols that say 'Canada.' 1. The beaver does not stand alone Everyone knows the beaver stands for ingenuity, craftsmanship and hard work. For 50 years, the beaver has been an official national symbol of Canada. These bucktoothed builders have long been associated with Canadian history. They were the foundation of the 17th century fur trade and have appeared on totem poles. The beaver even predates the Maple Leaf as a Canadian symbol. The animal appeared on the first Canadian postage stamp issued in 1851. But the beaver isn't the only animal on the list. While the loon that graces the dollar coin and the Canada geese that can be found hissing at joggers near almost every body of water in the country never made it to the official list, one breed of horse did. In 2002, the National Horse Act became law, making the breed known as the 'Canadian horse' a national symbol of equine excellence. The breed dates back to 1665, when King Louis XIV sent mares and stallions from the royal stables to New France. The Canadian horse emerged as a distinct breed about a century later, through the mixing of Norman, Breton, Arabian and other breeds. They're well adapted to Canada's harsh winter conditions. The Canadian horse typically has a dark coat and is relatively small. The versatile breed has been used in agriculture and logging and some were used as cavalry horses in the American Civil War. 2. This tartan is not just for Scots Canada's newest national symbol is the Maple Leaf Tartan, adopted through a ministerial decree in 2011. The tartan was first designed by Toronto businessman David Weiser in 1964, ahead of Canada's centennial in 1967. Weiser's design uses green, gold, red and brown to represent a maple leaf's life cycle. Canadian Forces pipers and drummers who don't belong to a specific military regiment wear the tartan when performing. The design is also officially recognized by Scotland in The Scottish Register of Tartans. 3. Red and white slight? What's more Canadian than red and white? The colours adorn the flag, athletes wear them proudly at international tournaments and many people will be wearing red and white face paint on Canada Day. But Canada has never formally adopted national colours. The belief that red and white are Canada's national colours comes from the Dec. 17, 1921 edition of the Canada Gazette, in which King George V issued a proclamation describing Canada's first national symbol — the coat of arms. The heraldic description of the shield talks about a wreath of maple leaves in 'argent and gules' — heraldic language used to describe white or silver and red respectively. The federal government says that while it was 'long believed' that this declaration made red and white Canada's national colours, the proclamation does not contain that language. While several countries do adopt their flag's colours as an official symbol, Canada never took that step. 4. National sport history obscured by Beers Contrary to popular belief, lacrosse was not Canada's national sport before hockey. In fact, both of them became national sports on the same day in 1994. For decades, many Canadians were convinced that lacrosse was the sole national sport — mainly because the father of modern lacrosse kept saying it was. William George Beers drafted the first known written rules for lacrosse in 1860, adapting them from games played by the Algonquin and Mohawk nations. Beers also established in 1867 the National Lacrosse Association of Canada — the country's first national sports governing body — and lobbied Parliament to adopt lacrosse as the national sport. The Canadian Encyclopedia says Beers began to claim lacrosse received this distinction but there is no evidence Parliament formally recognized the game as a national symbol. Almost 100 years later, a bill was introduced in April 1965 to make lacrosse Canada's national game. The text of that bill says 'there is an attempt' to appoint 'a lesser game' as Canada's national pastime. It does not identify that 'lesser game.' 'The purpose of this Bill is to rectify what was probably an oversight on the part of the Fathers of Confederation,' the bill reads. MPs debating the bill at the time noted the widely held belief that lacrosse was already the national sport, with sports publications and encyclopedias stating it as fact. The bill did not become law before Parliament was dissolved for an election later that year. It wasn't until 1994 that Parliament passed a bill making lacrosse Canada's national summer sport and hockey its official winter sport. 5. A Canadian icon doesn't make the cut Not all attempts to establish a new national symbol are immediately successful. Five versions of the National Horse Act went to the legislative glue factory between 1995 and 2002 before it finally became law. A bill to make the Maple Leaf Tartan a symbol was first introduced in the Senate in 2010 but did not make it past first reading. The tartan had to wait for the ministerial decree a year later. Two other national symbol bills never made it past first reading and it doesn't appear there was ever an attempt to revive them. A 1998 bill to adopt a 'symbol for the promotion of national unity' never passed. This apparently original symbol design, titled 'Canadian Unity Pledge,' shows two concentric circles, with the outer ring saying 'Canada' and 'strong free' in both English and French. The inner circle bears a maple leaf along with 'from sea to sea' in the official languages. Underneath the circles, a message reads 'Canada is Our Country, One Country, Strong and Free, From Sea to Sea.' A PDF version of the bill provided by the Library of Parliament only shows the symbol in black and white. There is no written description of what the colours were supposed to be, but the leaf was likely meant to be red. A legislative attempt to make the iconic dress uniform of the RCMP a national symbol also failed. A bill to make the red serge a 'symbol of Canadian sovereignty' was introduced in February 1990, but the Library of Parliament said it does not to appear to have progressed past first reading. While a Mountie wearing the red serge is an instantly recognizable Canadian image, the uniform is not in the roster of national symbols. This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 30, 2025. David Baxter, The Canadian Press
CTV News
an hour ago
- CTV News
A subtle but noticeable shift in patriotism marks Canada Day in 2025
As Canada marks another birthday, a subtle but noticeable shift in patriotism is taking place. One that experts say not just reflects pride, but also complexity, critique and quiet defiance. Recent political rhetoric from south of the border, including U.S. President Donald Trump's comments about annexing Canada, has stirred something among Canadians. More flags are flying, locally made goods are being sought out, and some are rethinking travel across the border. 'There has definitely been a surge of patriotism,' Matthew Hayday, professor and chair of the Department of History at the University of Guelph, said in an email to 'And it is a defensive form of nationalism … [that] results from Canada seeming to be under threat from a country we have thought of for many decades as a close ally.' For Bradley Miller, associate professor at the University of British Columbia, this resurgence is about more than just outside pressure. 'We should also see what's going on right now in relation to where our national mood has been for the last few years,' he said in an email to 'All of this dampened many Canadians' belief in the goodness of this country.' He points to a long list of issues that have challenged national pride: the aftermath of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, the discovery of unmarked graves at residential schools, a strained housing market, and divisions over COVID-19 policies and federal leadership. 'So, you could argue that what's happening right now is both a surge in patriotism and a right-sizing of it,' Miller says. 'We're emerging from some of the fog that we've been in about our country for at least half a decade, though no one knows how long this will last.' Reclaimed flag One of the clearest signs of this shift is the Maple Leaf flag. Once seen by some as a symbol co-opted by the Freedom Convoy movement, the flag is now being embraced by a broader group of Canadians. 'I do think that the current moment has meant that the Maple Leaf flag has been reclaimed for mainstream Canadians,' Hayday says. 'Flying the flag is no longer raising the same sorts of suspicions that the person displaying it harbours sympathies for right-wing causes.' He adds that the impact of this moment goes beyond symbols — it's influencing how Canadians shop, where they travel, and how they express pride in more personal ways. 'Voluntary patriotism' Miller says Canadian nationalism has often taken a quieter form, something he sees as a defining trait. 'Ours is a quiet, pragmatic, and voluntary patriotism,' Miller says. 'Lots of Canadians are enormously proud of this country that don't own any clothing emblazoned with a Maple Leaf and would never put up a flag on their porch.' He notes that even in 1867, opposition to Confederation was strong. New Brunswick and Nova Scotia elected anti-Confederation governments, and provinces like British Columbia and Prince Edward Island only joined later, when they had little choice. Others, particularly Indigenous peoples, did not view themselves as part of Canada at all. 'Our regional identities are often stronger than our national one,' Miller says. 'Canadians can choose for themselves how much to celebrate their country, or whether to do so at all. To my mind, that's one of the things that makes our country great.' Reflection as well as celebration While recent years have seen calls to 'cancel' Canada Day, particularly after the discovery of unmarked graves in 2021 — Hayday says those critiques are less prominent this year. 'I think those critiques have not been as visible this year, possibly because of the extent to which Canadians want to celebrate their country,' he says. Still, Hayday believes Canada Day remains a moment for reflection as well as celebration. 'There are aspects of the country's history and its present incarnation that are worth celebrating, but there are also ongoing problems,' he says. 'Not all people here share the same positive experiences of the country, especially Indigenous peoples.'
CBC
an hour ago
- CBC
New law that aims to protect Ontario gig workers falls short, critics say
New legislation that offers more protection to digital platform workers in Ontario becomes law on Tuesday, but critics say the act is "lacking" and falls short of what gig workers actually need. Under the province's Digital Platform Workers' Rights Act (DPWRA), digital platform workers must be paid at least the minimum wage "for each work assignment performed by a worker." The act applies to ride share, delivery and courier services, such as Uber, Lyft and Instacart. Changes under the law include more transparency about how pay is calculated, how and when tips and gratuities are collected by operators as well as the establishment of regular pay periods. Jennifer Scott, president of Gig Workers United, a Toronto-based union of gig workers, said the organization will have to see how the legislation is implemented. But she said the problem when it comes to gig workers is that there is engaged time, when they are actively working, and unengaged time, when they are waiting for an order, delivery or customer. The right to a minimum wage applies only while gig workers are working, she said. "This minimum wage isn't a real minimum wage because it only applies to just a little over half the time that we're at work," Scott said. According to a 2021 City of Toronto update to its 2019 vehicle-for-hire impact report, drivers spend about 40 per cent of their time waiting for a trip, about 48 per cent driving a passenger and about 12 per cent en-route to a pickup or waiting for a passenger at pickup. Law 'denies workers basic rights': advocate The new legislation also gives workers the right to file complaints with the Ontario Ministry of Labour. But Scott said it doesn't give them the right to file complaints with the Ontario Labour Relations Board and that means they do not have the right to arbitration. Scott said the legislation essentially means digital platform workers do not have the same rights and protections that other Ontario workers enjoy. "It's still lacking," Scott said. "This legislation — really it denies workers basic rights and protections. It denies workers minimum wage for the entire time that we're at work." The legislation also denies workers paid sick leave, statutory holiday pay, overtime, as well as the right to make Employment Insurance, Canada Pension Plan and Workplace Safety and Insurance Board contributions, Scott said. Ontario says legislation establishes 'enforceable' rights In a statement on Monday, the ministry said: "Ontario is proud to lead the country by introducing the Digital Platform Workers' Rights Act (DPWRA), the first legislation of its kind to establish new enforceable rights and core protections for workers who provide ride-share, delivery, and courier services through the use of digital platforms." Under the legislation, corporations can be fined $15,000 for a first offence and up to $50,000 for a third or subsequent offence within three years. Individuals may be fined $250 for a first offence and up to $1,000 for repeated violations. "In addition, operators will be prohibited from retaliating against workers for asserting their rights, filing complaints, or cooperating with investigations," the ministry said. Uber and Lyft did not respond to requests for comment. 'The pie is only so big,' Uber driver says Earla Phillips is an Uber, Lyft and Hopp driver and co-founder and president of the Rideshare Drivers Association of Ontario, an organization that advocates for fairness for drivers. She thinks the law doesn't reflect real concern by the government for workers. For example, Phillips said the legislation doesn't reflect a driver's expenses or the fact that the work is precarious. "With the continued flood of more workers signing up to do this kind of work, you're degrading their little tiny cut of the pie that doesn't continue to grow with that growing workforce," Phillips said. "The pie is only so big. The pie is not growing in comparison to the amount of workers that are flooding onto gig work platforms." 'Step in the wrong direction,' lawyer says Ryan White, a labour and employment lawyer, said the legislation is far too late. White said it doesn't do enough to provide transparency, pay gig workers for all of the work they do or protect them when they are terminated. He said the law has been discussed since 2022 and the province has allowed the issue to "fester" for years. "I think, if anything, the legislation is a step in the wrong direction in the sense that it gives the appearance that we're doing something about the problem," White said. White said gig work is under-compensated, dangerous, difficult and important. "This is legislation that allows the provincial government to say — 'Look, we're actually doing something about the problem' — without actually taking adequate steps to ensure that gig workers are protected." Sundeep Mann, an Uber Eats driver, said he is not sure how the new rules for workers such as himself will actually help. He has been an Uber Eats driver for the past 18 months. "I have no idea if it's good or not because it depends on active time," he said. Mann said he won't know if it's made a difference for at least two weeks or a month.
