Could a national, public ‘CanGPT’ be Canada’s answer to ChatGPT?
Friday, November 28th, 2025
… what if AI were developed as a public utility rather than as a commercial service? Canada’s long history with public service media — namely the CBC and Radio-Canada — offers a useful model for thinking about how AI could serve the public amid growing calls for a public interest approach to AI policy.
Tags: Education, ideology, jurisdiction, participation, privatization
Posted in Governance Debates | No Comments »
Child-care affordability is coming at the expense of equity — and it’s time governments acted
Tuesday, November 18th, 2025
… more than 16,500 children in Toronto are waitlisted for a space, while nearly one in three publicly funded programs deny them access… Funding structures further entrench inequity. Fee subsidies are paid from provincial budgets, while CWELCC affordability funding comes from the federal government. When families stop using subsidies — because spaces are unavailable or eligibility rules too restrictive — provinces and territories save money, while still benefiting politically from federal investments that make care appear more affordable.
Tags: budget, child care, jurisdiction, participation, poverty
Posted in Child & Family Delivery System | No Comments »
How the Canadian Armed Forces could help solve the youth employment crisis
Wednesday, November 12th, 2025
As outlined in the budget, there is a clear commitment… to rebuild and reinvest in the CAF to protect Canadians and lead internationally… Canadian young people have a lot to offer — they’re the most educated generation in Canadian history, they have the desire to make a difference, their brains are wired to be bold problem solvers and they have diverse and relevant lived experiences. This is a generation Canada can’t afford to leave on the sidelines of its economy or in the fight for Canadian sovereignty.
Tags: budget, participation, youth
Posted in Debates, Economy/Employment | No Comments »
The federal government tables bail reform bill: 5 ways to strengthen Canada’s bail system
Sunday, October 26th, 2025
We offer concrete solutions that will enhance fairness, public safety and democratic accountability…To build safer communities, the federal government should follow through on its commitment to invest in support services while also helping provinces better monitor and enforce bail conditions. Doing so will ease pressure on the legal system while improving outcomes for people and communities.
Tags: corrections, crime prevention, ideology, jurisdiction
Posted in Child & Family Delivery System | No Comments »
The evidence is clear: National pharmacare for contraception can’t wait
Friday, October 17th, 2025
If Canada’s pre-existing mix of public and private insurance provided sufficient access to contraception, we would have seen little or no change when contraception became free in B.C. But… Our research showed a 49 per cent increase in the use of the most effective contraceptive methods when they were available at no cost.
Tags: Health, jurisdiction, participation, women, youth
Posted in Health Debates | No Comments »
Ontario’s colleges were founded to serve local and regional needs — have we forgotten that?
Tuesday, October 7th, 2025
By the late 1980s… per-student funding had already fallen by roughly one-third. The trend accelerated in 1995 when $120 million was cut… Davis’s legacy is being dismantled by chronic underfunding. The future of our colleges depends on renewal. We must reclaim these values and call on our federal and provincial leaders to support a truly public system of higher education that serves the communities it was created to serve.
Tags: budget, Education, ideology, jurisdiction
Posted in Education History | No Comments »
Reconciliation includes recognizing Residential Schools are not the only colonial atrocity
Wednesday, October 1st, 2025
… Residential Schools were one part of a much larger colonial strategy to assimilate Indigenous Peoples and erase Indigenous cultures, languages, traditions, practices and governance systems… consider learning even more about the many other tactics. This way, we can acknowledge past harms, work to address current realities and look to foster meaningful engagements with Indigenous communities.
Tags: Education, Health, Indigenous, jurisdiction, rights, standard of living
Posted in Equality History | No Comments »
To close its productivity gap, Canada needs to rethink its higher education system
Monday, September 15th, 2025
… the future demands a paradigm shift in how Canada develops its human capital… learning pathways are limitless and today, only a fraction of learning occurs in classrooms; the vast majority takes place in workplaces, community organizations, libraries, places of worship, on sports fields and stages, and through podcasts, blogs and books. Accelerating this paradigm shift offers Canada a unique opportunity to improve its productivity by unlocking the value of existing learning assets.
Tags: economy, Education, globalization, ideology
Posted in Education Debates | No Comments »
Why bolstering post-secondary education for former youth in care is a wise investment
Thursday, August 7th, 2025
When youth age out of care… they are expected to navigate adulthood with no family network, limited life skills and inadequate financial supports. The result is a predictable cycle of poverty, homelessness and criminalization. The cost of this approach is staggering… In Ontario, every dollar invested in extended care from ages 21 to 25 could yield $1.36 million in savings or earnings over a lifetime through improved educational attainment, reduced reliance on social benefits, lower rates of criminal justice involvement and increased contributions through taxes.
Tags: crime prevention, Education, participation, poverty, youth
Posted in Child & Family Debates | No Comments »
Should back-to-school require parent fundraising? Ontario schools are woefully underfunded, and families pay the price
Tuesday, August 5th, 2025
Taking over boards can be seen as a distraction tactic as the government is asking them to meet growing needs with fewer resources. Instead of increasing funding, which is necessary and long overdue, the government is likely to cut costs in the short term by privatizing services, a trajectory researchers have documented for some time. These shifts to the private sector are shortsighted attempts to balance a budget that only serve to raise the taxpayer burden over time.
Tags: budget, Education, ideology, jurisdiction, standard of living, youth
Posted in Education Delivery System | No Comments »
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