Crisis

This paper examines how policy could help low-to-moderate income earners living in urban areas across Canada to access affordable rental housing. This would help them move from financial and psychological anguish to fully participating and thriving in society.

The rise of encampments has led to polarized debates among Canadians. There is a pressing need and an opportunity for greater collaboration, knowledge sharing and national coordination to address this pan-Canadian challenge. This report presents seven recommendations to the three levels of government to find solutions for people in need.

The Public Policy Forum convened a roundtable discussion on June 16, 2021, to look at the development of a national adaptation strategy in Canada that spans disaster risk reduction and climate adaptation domains. The participants represented a range of public- and private-sector perspectives on the key challenges that need to be addressed to push towards greater resilience and adaptation and confront the challenges of climate change. The conversation also looked at the need to set clear time-bound targets and performance measures and ensure these are grounded in Canada’s Emergency Management Strategy. 

Members of Canada’s political class should on balance receive at least a passing grade for their management of the pandemic, and Canadians should be both proud and worried about policymakers’ performance during the COVID-19 pandemic. The three areas in which they could have done better include: keeping schools open, using technology to combat the pandemic, and prioritizing vaccine targeting.

As the supply and availability of vaccines continue to increase across Canada, the only limiting factor on vaccination rates will soon be the willingness of otherwise-reluctant individuals to be vaccinated. Examining data from the Media Ecosystem Observatory, Dr. Peter Loewen provides a real-time view of the vaccine hesitant in Canada. Who are these people? Where do they live? How informed are they about COVID-19?

News headlines emphasize non-compliance and dissatisfaction with the COVID-19 response. Yet a COVID-19 consensus has emerged, and Canadians are as supportive of governments’ response to the virus as they were 10 months ago. Examining data from the Media Ecosystem Observatory, Dr. Peter Loewen finds that Canadians broadly agree on the risks of the disease, what measures should be taken to fight it and how much income support individuals and businesses should receive.

Canada has approved four COVID-19 vaccines for use and secured access to more vaccine doses per person than any other country. With such a wide array of vaccines likely to be made available to them, Canadians’ preferences on which vaccine they receive could have a big impact on the vaccination campaign. With data from the Media Ecosystem Observatory, Dr. Peter Loewen breaks down what Canadians consider most important in a vaccine, and which vaccines they prefer.

This paper reflects a strong consensus within the Energy Future Forum that any achievable pathway to national climate and economic objectives must include a significant contribution from carbon capture technologies and from utilization and storage. In any post-COVID, “green stimulus” planning, support for CCUS expansion is even more pivotal than before.

Past Event

"Support for a Canadian 'Vaccine Passport'" is the second piece in a six-part series focused on attitudes about COVID-19, vaccine hesitancy, public trust and support for government, and how this is all changing over time. The project is authored by Dr. Peter Loewen and is based on data collected by the Media Ecosystem Observatory (MEO).

“The Waiting is the Hardest Part” is the first piece in a six-part series focused on attitudes about COVID-19, vaccine hesitancy, public trust and support for government, and how this is all changing over time. The project is authored by Dr. Peter Loewen and is based on data collected by the Media Ecosystem Observatory (MEO).

by Jasmine Gill

COVID-19 has made it clear that Canada needs a strong domestic manufacturing sector to produce what it needs. Industrial production has been stagnant in the country for two decades and it’s a must for Canada to create and sustain a resilient manufacturing economy that will also be more competitive in a globalized economy and that will create good jobs while minimizing environmental impacts.

The pandemic is a financial crisis like none in recent years and governments now face the challenge of promoting economic growth and investment and getting people back to work, while also protecting the vulnerable and addressing ballooning debt and deficits. It’s time to use a scalpel, rather than a sledgehammer, to reduce spending by reconsidering the size and compensation levels in the public sector, reviewing the defined benefit pension programs and restructuring where possible.

No one strikes out to claim the middle ground and yet that may very well be the most prudent strategy for a balanced economic recovery. There is a path for Canada between unnecessary fiscal restraint that stymies growth and excessive large-scale spending.