One of the greatest peacetime policy failures in Canada’s history
COVID-19 just ain’t what it used to be. The SARS-CoV-2 virus was never as deadly as feared in its early days and has evolved to be even less so today. The vaccines rushed to production in response weren’t the answer that some hoped and they’ve proved less effective as the virus evolves. It’s high time…
Most of the world has managed to move on past these divisive – and just plain dumb – policies
Preston Manning already occupies a place of honour in our history books as the father of modern conservatism. His accomplishments are too numerous to recount in this short article, and his articles, essays and books are many. With his many accomplishments and at his stage in life, one would think Preston would choose an easier…
Vaccines can’t only go to the highest bidder. Industry must be made to do what’s best for the public good
Two years ago, Matt Colvin was the most hated man in America. At the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, he had almost 18,000 bottles of hand sanitizer and was charging up to $70 per bottle, delivered. Colvin had been making a living by following the supply-and-demand principle of economics. He would study market trends, buy…
Community connections and a wide scope of practice make an appealing mix for career opportunities
For rural communities, health care can be difficult to access. Throw in part-time clinic hours, winter weather or a global pandemic, and those accessibility challenges only become more apparent. But, in Alberta, many services that once required an appointment with a family doctor can now be provided by a pharmacist – including some prescriptions, referrals,…
Discovery provides insight into improving vaccines, understanding cancer
Researchers have uncovered new information about a cellular mechanism in the immune system that provides a critical step toward a better understanding of how antibodies evolve and improve in the human body. The antibodies our immune system produces need fine-tuning to reach maximum effectiveness. When a vaccine or pathogen is first introduced into our bodies,…
Approximately one in three adults will suffer from shingles once in their lifetime
The COVID-19 vaccination effort has put other campaigns on hold, but it has had the side benefit of raising awareness about the importance of vaccines in general. Now let’s use the momentum to launch another program but for shingles this time. Approximately one in three adults will suffer from shingles once in their lifetime, with…
Governments in Canada are violating the Charter relating to individual freedoms
Now is the time for a regroup, a refresh. The fight over the removal of the vaccine mandates is just one battle, not the war. The war is that the mandates were and are unconstitutional. They must be found to have been unconstitutional, that they have all violated the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms.…
The world is watching Canada. Trudeau must separate his blend of public health and authoritarianism
Public health doctors created vaccination mandates and vaccine passports. Doctors tabled the ideas. Politicians docilely followed doctors’ advice and turned it into policy. Ideas shaped the policy and policy formed a protest. Public policy made the truckers’ Freedom Convoy a reality. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s response turned the protest into a global movement. The historic…
The medicine dispensed by the government to protect us has been much worse than the disease
Trucks are rolling across Canada to protest federal COVID-19 restrictions, and millions of Canadians of all stripes, colours and political affiliations are supporting them. It’s time! It’s true that some people have been seriously ill with COVID, but most who have died and were hospitalized had serious underlying conditions that are rarely mentioned. For most…
The biggest threat to reconciliation is an us-versus-them mentality
My siblings, a professor of medical sciences and a veterinarian, often get a chuckle from my lack of scientific knowledge. I always found the social sciences much more interesting, so I’ve chosen to focus on understanding human behaviour with the goal of building a kinder, more co-operative and functional world community. One obvious truth is…