Latest news with #Americanization
Winnipeg Free Press
04-07-2025
- Health
- Winnipeg Free Press
Health-care privatization is no cure
Opinion Health care remains in crisis in Manitoba. Wait times are high, surgical backlogs continue to leave patients in pain, and staffing deficits are straining the capacity of the system to a breaking point. Patients and providers of health care are rightly frustrated and worried for themselves and their loved ones, unsure if public health care will be there for them when and where they need it. Some have grown so disillusioned with the public system that they are pushing for private alternatives to improve ER wait times and overall performance. Increasingly, there are prominent voices in Manitoba and beyond who are determined to abandon the public system, although they are at times subtler than calling for outright privatization and Americanization. Instead, they advance a route toward stealth privatization and a two-tier health-care system. Take, for example, a series of recent opinion pieces published last month in the Winnipeg Sun. In these pieces, the authors repeat familiar arguments about the need to modernize health care in Canada. Yet, in practice, such calls for modernization always seem to mean more privatization. Mixed public and private systems like those in Switzerland, France, or Germany are often held up as examples of a better, still equitable, way forward. Access for all and more autonomy is promised. It sounds like a great idea, on paper. In practice, what proponents of such privatization and two-tier health services typically fail to mention is the inequalities in society that privatization exacerbates. They tend to downplay the out-of-pocket costs to individuals and the increased cost to the public system that remains. There are only so many people willing to work in health care, as many Manitobans know all too well, especially those living in remote and rural communities. The public health-care system in Manitoba already faces steep competition from other provinces. Bringing in further competition from private health-care providers will only weaken the capacity of the public system that the majority of us would continue to rely on even if more private alternatives were available for the few who could reliably afford them. Health care is a public good, and accessing it should not be determined by income or identity. When we allow health care to be commodified and subject to the motives of profit, costs go up and the conditions of work and care suffer, impacting both the social and economic health of society. It will take political will and a long-term vision to reverse years of privatization and expand the coverage of the public system to include much-needed health services like enhanced mental health supports, expanded pharmacare and dental care, coverage for eye care, and fully public home and long-term care. Yet, instead of moving forward with urgency to root out privatization and rebuild the public system, the government is making modest public investments while expanding privatization. Reliance on private staffing agencies continues under the NDP, even though data show that these agencies are expensive, and that much of the public money going to private agencies is spent on travel and administrative costs, not patient care. A new, five-year deal was recently struck by the NDP with Dynacare, entrenching the for-profit, private delivery of lab services in Manitoba, despite their criticism of this practice while in opposition. The government claims this will improve access, but Dynacare has a record of closing locations where Manitobans need them most. Alberta recently went in the opposite direction, bringing community lab services back under direct public operation and oversight, while B.C. just experienced 10 weeks of labour disruption with a private, American-owned outpatient lab service provider. It is unclear why the NDP chose to take such a practical and political risk. All Manitobans deserve access to high quality public health care in their own communities. Publicly delivered care provides the best bang for our health-care buck, ensuring that care is integrated, accountable, and not beholden to the whims of shareholders or private owners seeking to line their own pockets. Evidence from other provinces in Canada shows that privatization of health care does not lower wait times or reduce costs for delivering that care. To rebuild and strengthen publicly delivered health care, the NDP must prioritize health-care spending, especially in this time of growing economic uncertainty and increasingly frequent environmental crises like the wildfires that have ravaged Manitoba this year. They must show leadership in shifting the culture of health care so that patients receive the care they deserve regardless of income or identity, and providers can leave work knowing they served their patients well and were given the resources they needed to provide that care. And finally, the government must rethink and reverse Manitoba's growing reliance on private interests to deliver public health care. Noah Schulz is the provincial director for the Manitoba Health Coalition.
Edmonton Journal
29-06-2025
- Sport
- Edmonton Journal
The Edmonton Oilers' GM faces a summer that could be franchise-defining: 9 Things
Article content The Edmonton Oilers are about to enter a phase of the McDavid era that could end up franchise-defining. They remain in a Stanley Cup window. Only this year McDavid is on the final year of his existing contract. And he, quite understandably, wants to win. Article content That and more in this edition of… 9 Things 9. You may have noticed that I seldom report on rumors in this space. I have built a career in journalism based on facts I can back up. And I also understand that players have lives and families. They signed up to deal with the real stuff. But not the rest of it. 8. I sometimes worry about the Americanization of our game. At others, I think our game is doing just fine. 88 Canadians were drafted Friday/Saturday, the most of any nation by far. The U.S. was second at 50. Sweden finished third at 27. 7. Former Edmonton Oilers forward Marc Habscheid has returned from a short tour in Austria and has been hired as head man of the Red Deer Rebels. I have known Marc since he was in minor hockey. His Mom and Dad were some of the finest people you would ever meet. And the apple does not fall far from the tree. 6. I see Don Cherry at the age of 91 has signed off from his podcast for the final time. When just getting started in Sports broadcasting the very most common question I got was 'What is Don Cherry really like'. And I told them the truth: That he had treated this kid from Saskatchewan as well as you could possibly imagine. Happy retirement, Mr. Cherry. Article content 5. In addition to the five young men who joined the Edmonton Oilers organization on Saturday via the NHL draft, a few other names have been added on over the past week. Matt Copponi inked a two-year AHL contract. The BU grad had two assists in three games for the Condors at the end of last season. Rhett Pitlick signed for two-years after 0-6-6 in 6 GP for Bakersfield. Rem Pitlick, a veteran of 132 NHL games, has a one-year deal. Solid organizational depth. 4. Trent Frederic will be an Edmonton Oiler for a very long time. His eight-year, $3.85m deal assures us of that. I am on record as believing Frederic can be an impact player here. I was fine with the money. I was shy of the eight-year term as his player type is more susceptible to injury. But I give Stan Bowman credit for structuring his no-move clauses the way he did toward the end of the contract. It significantly reduced the risk. The opportunity for Frederic with Evander Kane moving on is substantial…even critical. Article content 3. If you live on the West Coast as I do the white-hot response around Vancouver to the Evander Kane trade was unavoidable. I get that Kane is not everyone's cup of tea and that is fine. But some people sure seem to want to judge the guy for way more than what he does on the ice. When healthy, Evander Kane was an impactful and productive Edmonton Oiler. I get the business reasons why the Oilers had to move him along. But Kane and his unique set of skills will not be easy to replace. And he was terrific in the Edmonton community. More on the Canucks in a minute… 2. Stan Bowman alluded on Saturday to the Oilers' coaching staff going forward. It sounds very much like an extension will be in the works for Kris Knoblauch which he richly deserves. He is 94-47-10 in the regular season since arriving, 29-18 in the post-season. I do not think it would be ideal to have an entirely new assistant coaching staff. But I hope for Glen Gulutzan's sake that he gets the Head Coaching job in Dallas. Mark Stuart is a smart guy but his PK units had a rough year. I do not know how much longer the legendary Paul Coffey wants to do this and maybe a more modern communicator would be a fresh change. And does the assessment of Edmonton's goaltending include Dustin Schwartz? Article content Stan Bowman goes about re-shaping the roster for another run toward the Stanley Cup Finals, two names from Vancouver pop up a lot in the on-line chatter: Brock Boeser and Thatcher Demko. The Canucks have not been able to get Boeser signed on a new deal and so he is soon to become a UFA. And he has since been linked to multiple teams including Edmonton. Hard not to imagine him alongside Connor McDavid or Leon Draisaitl. I would have no trouble with the fit or the expected $8m+ contract. But other suitors have the required cap space. And I think the Wild would go after the Minnesota boy aggressively. Maybe he is a long-shot for Edmonton. Then there is Demko. He is in the final year of a five-year, $5m deal. The Canucks have been trying to extend him but that too has been elusive. If Vancouver cannot sign him, it seems likely they would move him. Now, I have a lot of respect for Demko. When healthy he is a Top ten NHL goalie. And he has also been linked to Edmonton. Would the American puck stopper prefer a U.S. market like Philadelphia or San Jose over a winner? How major of a concern is Demko's brittleness the past couple seasons? And just like with Boeser, there is a big cap consideration. Article content On one hand, the Oilers are close…really close. If one takes the emotion out of the equation, they are just a few nips and tucks away from getting over the top. Either of these players would be major facelift. And an expensive one at that. And look: I think the reality of either of them choosing Edmonton is relatively remote. But the presence of the possibilities at the very least helps pose an important question: Does Stan Bowman have the ammunition to go big game hunting in this way? And even if he does, would either one of these trophies be the one that will eventually lead to the other, 'bigger' one? Now on Bluesky @ Also, find me on Threads @kleavins, Twitter @KurtLeavins, Instagram at LeavinsOnHockey, and Mastodon at KurtLeavins@ This article is not AI generated. Recently, at The Cult… Bruce McCurdy, 1955-2025. Article content Latest National Stories
Winnipeg Free Press
02-06-2025
- Politics
- Winnipeg Free Press
Olympic champion kayaker Adam van Koeverden steps to helm of Canadian sport
Olympic champion paddler Adam van Koeverden is the latest politician to step into the leadership of sport in Canada. The MP for Burlington North-Milton West in Ontario was appointed Secretary of State for Sport when Prime Minister Mark Carney announced his first cabinet last month. Van Koeverden, winner of Olympic gold and three more medals in kayak sprints, follows a succession of people overseeing the federal sports portfolio over a decade of Liberal government. 'Most of those ministers of sport had something else on their portfolio, whereas I am uniquely focused on sport, which provides clarity of mandate,' van Koeverden said Monday in a phone interview. 'It's very, very obvious to me that Mark Carney values sport. He brings up sport regularly in his speeches, even when he's not talking about the (Edmonton) Oilers.' Given van Koeverden's background, the government had him involved in sport as soon as he was elected an MP in 2019 as parliamentary secretary to sport ministers for six years. The 43-year-old is now in charge of the file that's coming to grips with what's been called a safe-sport crisis by predecessors, and one in which national sports organizations are pleading for an increase in core funding. Whether his title was secretary or minister, Van Koeverden says he can keep the spotlight on sport on Parliament Hill. 'I want to ensure that sport is prominent, and is a big part of our government's plan to protect and build up Canada,' he said. 'We were just elected last month to do a bunch of things, not the least of which is protect our national identity from Americanization and from people who are suggesting both from south of the border and within our border that we ought to be more like our southern neighbours.' Sport Canada remains under the Heritage umbrella and Minister Steven Guilbeault. Van Koeverden says he and Guilbeault both have the power to approve Own The Podium funding recommendations. OTP makes recommendations, based on medal potential, directing roughly $80 million per year to Olympic and Paralympic winter and summer national sports organizations. 'Steven and I am a good team. We've been working together for years,' van Koeverden said. 'I was parliamentary secretary when he was Minister of the Environment and Climate Change. There's never going to be any light between us on any file. 'When a sport question arises in the House of Commons, it's me. When there's a project that needs to be done with Sport Canada, it's me. When we're discussing grants and contributions with sport in Canada, it's me.' Guilbeault, Kirsty Duncan, Pascale St-Onge, Kent Hehr, Terry Duguid and Carla Qualtrough (twice) all rotated through the leadership of the federal sports portfolio over the last decade. The Canadian Centre for Ethics in Sport is currently absorbing the Office of the Sport Integrity Commissioner (OSIC), which was established in 2022 by St-Onge. The Future of Sport in Canada Commission, announced in Qualtrough's second stint, is ongoing and will produce a final report and recommendations next year. The commission's mandate under Justice Lise Maisonneuve is to make sport safer and improve the sport system overall. 'I'll be one of the people here in Ottawa implementing some of those recommendations,' van Koeverden said. Van Koeverden worked on getting athletes raises in their monthly 'carding' money, or Athletes Assistance Program, in 2017 when he was the vice-chair of the Canadian Olympic Committee's athletes commission, and in 2024. Some athletes now say they're using that extra money to cover training and competition costs their national sport organizations can no longer afford. The Canadian Olympic and Paralympic committees are jointly lobbying on behalf of 62 NSOs for a $144-million annual increase in core funding, which is at 2005 levels. Thursdays Keep up to date on sports with Mike McIntyre's weekly newsletter. Core funding, separate from OTP money, is what NSOs count on to fund operations, athletes, coaches and support staff. A Deloitte survey of NSOs concluded they're cutting back on competitions, training camps and development of next-generation athletes. 'It's definitely true the national sport organizations need more money,' van Koeverden said. 'We need to make sure that they are able to engage with corporate Canada and generate a little bit of own-source revenue. We also want provinces to contribute as well to some of the NextGen, some of the pre-Canada Games opportunities, some of the provincial opportunities. 'We're working really hard to make sure that we increase the amount that's available. Not every dollar that should go into sport ought to come from the federal government, but we've demonstrated real leadership on that at the community sport level because we've invested about $75 million into community sport in the last couple of years.' This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 2, 2025.
Yahoo
02-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Olympic champion kayaker Adam van Koeverden steps to helm of Canadian sport
Olympic champion paddler Adam van Koeverden is the latest politician to step into the leadership of sport in Canada. The MP for Burlington North-Milton West in Ontario was appointed Secretary of State for Sport when Prime Minister Mark Carney announced his first cabinet last month. Advertisement Van Koeverden, winner of Olympic gold and three more medals in kayak sprints, follows a succession of people overseeing the federal sports portfolio over a decade of Liberal government. "Most of those ministers of sport had something else on their portfolio, whereas I am uniquely focused on sport, which provides clarity of mandate," van Koeverden said Monday in a phone interview. "It's very, very obvious to me that Mark Carney values sport. He brings up sport regularly in his speeches, even when he's not talking about the (Edmonton) Oilers." Given van Koeverden's background, the government had him involved in sport as soon as he was elected an MP in 2019 as parliamentary secretary to sport ministers for six years. Advertisement The 43-year-old is now in charge of the file that's coming to grips with what's been called a safe-sport crisis by predecessors, and one in which national sports organizations are pleading for an increase in core funding. Whether his title was secretary or minister, Van Koeverden says he can keep the spotlight on sport on Parliament Hill. "I want to ensure that sport is prominent, and is a big part of our government's plan to protect and build up Canada," he said. "We were just elected last month to do a bunch of things, not the least of which is protect our national identity from Americanization and from people who are suggesting both from south of the border and within our border that we ought to be more like our southern neighbours." Advertisement Sport Canada remains under the Heritage umbrella and Minister Steven Guilbeault. Van Koeverden says he and Guilbeault both have the power to approve Own The Podium funding recommendations. OTP makes recommendations, based on medal potential, directing roughly $80 million per year to Olympic and Paralympic winter and summer national sports organizations. "Steven and I am a good team. We've been working together for years," van Koeverden said. "I was parliamentary secretary when he was Minister of the Environment and Climate Change. There's never going to be any light between us on any file. "When a sport question arises in the House of Commons, it's me. When there's a project that needs to be done with Sport Canada, it's me. When we're discussing grants and contributions with sport in Canada, it's me." Advertisement Guilbeault, Kirsty Duncan, Pascale St-Onge, Kent Hehr, Terry Duguid and Carla Qualtrough (twice) all rotated through the leadership of the federal sports portfolio over the last decade. The Canadian Centre for Ethics in Sport is currently absorbing the Office of the Sport Integrity Commissioner (OSIC), which was established in 2022 by St-Onge. The Future of Sport in Canada Commission, announced in Qualtrough's second stint, is ongoing and will produce a final report and recommendations next year. The commission's mandate under Justice Lise Maisonneuve is to make sport safer and improve the sport system overall. Advertisement "I'll be one of the people here in Ottawa implementing some of those recommendations," van Koeverden said. Van Koeverden worked on getting athletes raises in their monthly "carding" money, or Athletes Assistance Program, in 2017 when he was the vice-chair of the Canadian Olympic Committee's athletes commission, and in 2024. Some athletes now say they're using that extra money to cover training and competition costs their national sport organizations can no longer afford. The Canadian Olympic and Paralympic committees are jointly lobbying on behalf of 62 NSOs for a $144-million annual increase in core funding, which is at 2005 levels. Advertisement Core funding, separate from OTP money, is what NSOs count on to fund operations, athletes, coaches and support staff. A Deloitte survey of NSOs concluded they're cutting back on competitions, training camps and development of next-generation athletes. "It's definitely true the national sport organizations need more money," van Koeverden said. "We need to make sure that they are able to engage with corporate Canada and generate a little bit of own-source revenue. We also want provinces to contribute as well to some of the NextGen, some of the pre-Canada Games opportunities, some of the provincial opportunities. "We're working really hard to make sure that we increase the amount that's available. Not every dollar that should go into sport ought to come from the federal government, but we've demonstrated real leadership on that at the community sport level because we've invested about $75 million into community sport in the last couple of years." This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 2, 2025. Donna Spencer, The Canadian Press
Epoch Times
12-05-2025
- Politics
- Epoch Times
Conrad Black: As an American, Pope Leo's Election Augurs Well for the World
Commentary There is some significance in the fact that the new leader of the world's largest religious denomination, and the head of the state and government of the world's most powerful and influential country, are both Americans. This certainly does not mean the impending Americanization of the Roman Catholic Church, any more than it implies the Catholicization of America. But it does demonstrate that so intelligent and international an electorate as the It should also be taken as significant, and in fact, symmetrical, that both the world's This is a subtle change, as Robert Francis Prevost, now Pope Leo XIV, spent much of his clerical career combating leftist influences in pastoral work in It would be a mistake to exaggerate the impressions generated by the successful end of a papal conclave, but the immediate filling up of Saint Peter's Square and the approaching boulevard with very enthusiastic crowds—conspicuously including large numbers of young people—and the waving of many flags of the prominent nationalities of the world, confirms the widely recognized recent development of increased religious practice amongst Roman Catholics in the United States and a number of other disparate countries, including Spain and South Korea. This is not a surprising fact in itself, but a confirmation of widespread disillusionment with the egregious failure of secular government in most of the world's important countries, and the great majority of its less important ones. The initial victory of Donald Trump in 2016 against all odds, and his astonishing comeback last year against a solid wall of media and financial opposition—as well as a desperate, unprecedented, and dangerously unconstitutional assault from a politicized perversion of the prosecution system—indicate that the world's most important country has opted for a reversion to the traditional goals and values that made it the greatest nation in history, and is already reinforcing its status in that regard. Related Stories 5/5/2025 4/29/2025 It would be presumptuous and premature to identify particular characteristics to the nationality of the new pope too precisely, but it is the first time since the era of the Christian Roman emperor, Whatever its practical implications, and however it may be obscured or diluted by the ever-flowing deluge of haughty disdain and snide envy constantly directed against the United States—including that vocal minority of Americans who believe their country deserves a good thrashing and humiliation for its multi-sided moral turpitude—the election of an American pope nearly 2,000 years after the Taking a wider perspective—and assuming that the views of the new pope are not radically different from what is generally believed by those who know him and have commented on him, including members of his own family—the Roman Catholic Church, with 1.4 billion ostensible members and approximately a billion of more or less practicing coreligionists, may be taking some distance from the previous pope's dalliance with the secular left at the same time that the United States re-elected a president who is applying unconventional means to the pursuit of traditional patriotic American goals. If this is what is happening, it may indicate an epochal sea change in the correlation of political and ideological forces in the world. The left, and particularly the atheistic and extreme left, has failed everywhere and is rejected almost everywhere. Pope John Paul II and President Reagan, though they scarcely knew each other, collaborated usefully against international communism, especially in Poland and Nicaragua. Nothing should be assumed, but it is conceivable that President Trump and Pope Leo XIV, sharing the same national upbringing, could also find a good deal of common ground. I am probably the only commentator in the world who thinks that we might have seen a harbinger of this change in the absurd and snide criticism directed against Melania Trump when she accompanied her husband to the late pope's funeral If this is a new era, as one dares to hope, it will be an improvement on the last one. Views expressed in this article are opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times.
