Recent highlights from the Council of Canadians

Details: Published on Sunday, 29 November -0001 16:00; Written by editor

Recent highlights from the Council of Canadians r1 ... r71 | Add us to your address book

We can win access to prescription drugs for all

Inflation is eating away at our pocketbooks, forcing millions of us to choose between paying the rent, buying groceries, or filling our prescriptions. And sky-high drug prices are taking billions from our hospitals, at a time when we need to massively re-invest to save public health care. A publicly-funded, universal drug coverage program – also known as pharmacare – could change this.

To raise the political temperature on pharmacare, the Council of Canadians and allies are organizing town halls across Canada, hosted by Avi Lewis and others.

If you’re interested in hosting a Pharmacare town hall, or would like to be connected with people who are hosting a town hall near you, please let us know here.

Supreme Court victory protects public health care

For years, Cambie Surgeries Corporation has been waging a legal fight to allow doctors to overcharge patients – and to give preferential access to those who can pay privately. In a huge legal victory for public health care, the Supreme Court of Canada has ruled against them – upholding the B.C. Medicare Protection Act.

This ruling ensures patients will continue to get the care they need – regardless of their ability to pay. It upholds two previous decisions made by the B.C. Supreme Court, both of which found that a duplicative private-pay health care system would increase wait times in the public system and harm all who rely on it.

The legal assault on our publicly funded health care system has ended, but the fight to reform it is far from over. We will continue to advocate for a publicly funded, universal health care system.

Two new colleges turn blue!

The University of St. Michael’s College and Regis College of the University of Toronto are now formally recognized as Blue Communities. Maude Barlow was the keynote speaker at a special event on April 19th, where the two colleges received the official Blue Community certificate.

They are joining a growing group of universities in Canada, including McGill University and both Huron University College and Brescia University College at Western University, to protect what Pedro Aroyo, UN special rapporteur on the human rights to clean water and sanitation, calls the “blue soul of water.”

How You Can Turn Your Community Blue

Canada’s sustainable jobs plan: it’s complicated

The federal government has released its Sustainable Jobs Plan, which outlines the government’s strategy for advancing a workforce development agenda consistent with the goal of net-zero emissions by 2050.

For years, labour and environmental advocates have been calling on the federal government to table a comprehensive plan to prioritize workers and communities in the shift away from fossil fuels, especially in light of the government’s 2019 promise to implement a Just Transition Act.

So is that what this is? Well, it’s complicated. Join us as we break down the Sustainable Jobs Plan piece by piece, put its proposals in context, and see how the whole package stacks up against our own benchmarks for a truly just transition.

Mexico’s scientific approach to GMO corn ban highlights Canada’s mistake

Research has led Mexico to decide to limit glyphosate usage and gradually phase out imports of genetically modified corn. Mexico hopes that by enacting this prohibition, small farmers’ incomes would be safeguarded and people will have easier access to nutritious food.

It is the goal of Canada’s International Trade Ministry to have Mexico rescind this decision. The Council of Canadians – along with 24 organizations representing Canadian sustainable agricultural constituencies, environmentalists, workers, and consumers – is calling on Canada to support Mexico in its scientifically based ban, while considering similar action in Canada.

8 things to know about the Online Streaming Act

The ‘Online Streaming Act’ C-11 has been called the ‘Netflix Bill,’ but its first formal title was ‘an Act to Modernize the Broadcasting Act.’ The goal of C-11 is to update the regulation of TV and radio content for online streaming.

The opponents and critics of C-11 are united with the Conservative Opposition in the belief that the Internet is too different from TV and radio to justify regulation.

The noise about C-11 is 90 per cent manufactured hysteria and 10 per cent valid concerns.

Tent Mountain Coal Project “a no-go.”

In a victory for environmental justice and for the thousands of Albertans who demanded an #AlbertaBeyondCoal, an Australian mining company that was hoping to open a coal mine in the Rockies has withdrawn their plan. The proposed redevelopment of Tent Mountain, put forward by Montem Resources, was halted after the company asked that their impact assessment end. According to CBC, Montem’s CEO said, “the coal mine, in our minds, is a no-go.”

Please take our oil and gas survey today!

In advance of a series of climate-related webinars, we are launching a short survey to help us better understand the diversity of experiences and perspectives on the oil and gas industry in Canada.

We will use the findings of this survey to inform our preparation for the upcoming webinars, and our ongoing work. The survey will be live until May 5 at 11:59 p.m. PT.

Responses will be anonymous.

Take Survey

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The Council of Canadians has proudly reinstated an open membership structure. We invite you to become a member by making at least a $1 contribution to cover your annual membership fee.

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