Skip to main content

Posts

“I am a Canadian, free to speak without fear, free to worship in my own way, free to stand for what I think right, free to oppose what I believe wrong, or free to choose those who shall govern my country. This heritage of freedom I pledge to uphold for myself and all mankind.” ~~ John G. Diefenbaker

Why is Canada snubbing internationally trained doctors during a health-care crisis?

Internationally trained doctors are being sidelined in Canada while six million Canadians do not have a family doctor. Internationally trained physicians, commonly known as international medical graduates, are medical professionals who completed their education outside of Canada or the United States. They are a diverse group of practitioners trained in various specialties. Many move to Canada for a better quality of life, training opportunities and political and economic security. Historically, most have migrated through the Skilled Worker Express Entry Program, which favours their extensive educational backgrounds. Nonetheless, they face multiple obstacles throughout the licensing process ... CLICK HERE for the full story
Recent posts

Jen Gerson: I like Mark Carney -- That may not be a great sign for the guy (The Line)

... "Man, that's a guy I could see myself working for. I like him," the bug said, to my horror. Survival instincts took over. I murdered the notion in my mind, and good thing. Prentice, God rest his soul, did become premier of Alberta — for a short while —and while in power demonstrated the political nous of a chicken nugget. The Progressive Conservatives were soon decimated. I learned the most valuable lesson from that period of political reporting, one I try to carry with me unto this very day: Never, never let one's personal feelings about an individual candidate corrupt one's political analysis. And if you think about it, this is a very important lesson to learn. I am not a normal person. That which appeals to me is very unlikely to find purchase with sane, feeling voters who hold ordinary jobs and live lives filled with meaningful human connections and real, not-political conversations ... CLICK HERE for the full story

The Pros and Cons of BC’s Rural Health-Care Retention Initiative (The Tyee)

Giving nurses a pay bump can draw them to an area, advocates say. But they move on when the extra money dries up. ... the Health Ministry told The Tyee it is “reviewing” a request to include Cranbrook and Kimberley in the Provincial Rural Retention Incentive and will also be evaluating how the program did and how it could be improved upon. This includes possibly expanding the program beyond March 31, 2025, the ministry said. The initiative was first introduced in 2021 and initially aimed at helping reduce staff turnover in Northern Health’s Northeast Health Service Delivery Area, Prince Rupert and Hazelton. It later expanded to Grand Forks in the Interior Health Authority in 2022 and to communities across B.C. in 2024, according to a press release from the Hospital Employees’ Union praising the move the move ... CLICK HERE for the full, story

BC has right strategy to spur home building, economist says (Times Colonist)

The province is taking the most effective path to combat the housing crisis with its new zoning measures to encourage development, says the chief economist of the BC Real Estate Association. “We need to build more housing, right?” Brendon Ogmundson told the Times Colonist. “So, we either have a goal of building a lot more houses [and to] do so means rezoning and densifying — or we don’t get anywhere close to solving a housing crisis.” Some people might wish there was another way to spur housing development, “but the private sector builds housing and we need to build a lot more of it,” Ogmundson said ... CLICK HERE for the full story

How a Spiderman meme explains Canada's disaster-prevention failures (Fraser Valley Current)

Three years after the Sumas Prairie flood, Ottawa's disaster-prevention talk has yet to translate to tangible progress, one expert says You can’t stop a flood with internal memos and good intentions. Having learned important lessons from the 2021 Sumas Prairie disaster, the federal government kickstarted work on a series of projects to reduce damage from future calamities. But three years later, the feds still have little to show for their talk, leaving experts like University of Waterloo professor Jason Thistlethwaite as exasperated as ever ... CLICK HERE for the full story

Canada has a doctor shortage, but thousands of foreign-trained physicians already here still face barriers (CBC)

Ismelda Ramirez says she never expected to swap her white doctor's coat for a McDonald's uniform. Despite training as a family doctor in the Dominican Republic, she ended up working at the fast-food chain for eight months after she moved to Quebec in 2022. She's one of thousands of internationally trained physicians, or ITPs, living in Canada, the vast majority of whom are not working as doctors, according to advocacy groups. "A lot of us international medical doctors, we are willing to work hard and to do what it takes just to get to our final goal," said Ramirez ... ITPs still face significant hurdles including navigating a complex system, a lack of opportunities and requirements that force some to temporarily leave the country ... CLICK HERE for the full story

BC NDP Premier David Eby threatens BC jobs with shaky pronouncements on tariffs and taxes

“David Eby is creating panic and uncertainty. Eby can’t control American tariffs, but he’s keeping BC in the dark about the carbon tax and his so-called middle-class tax cut.”   ~~    Peter Milobar, MLA for Kamloops Centre, and Official Opposition Finance Critic Workers and families in British Columbia are going to bed under a cloud of uncertainty after Premier David Eby released a grim new economic forecast and provided no answers on the carbon tax and the middle-class tax   cut   he promised just 99 days ago. “ During the election, the premier criticized the Conservatives for being too cautious ,” said Peter Milobar, Conservative MLA for Kamloops Centre and Official Opposition Finance Critic. “ David Eby mocked Conservative plans to deliver realistic tax relief over the next three years. Instead, he promised a $6,000 tax cut for a family of three adults renting a three-bedroom in Richmond. Instead, it looks like British Columbians will have to...

Conservative Party of BC Calls for Immediate Action to Protect BC's Mineral Exploration Future

The Official Opposition Conservative Party of British Columbia is sounding the alarm over the NDP government’s failure to safeguard the province’s mineral exploration sector, which is a critical driver of jobs and economic growth for communities across BC. Immediate action is required to establish a clear, fair process for the staking of mineral claims or risk further undermining this vital industry. “ The NDP government’s inaction and mishandling of the Mineral Tenure Act (MTA) and Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act (DRIPA) consultations have brought us to the brink of disaster ,” said Pete Davis, Official Opposition Critic for Mining, Critical Minerals, and the Columbia Treaty, and MLA for Kootenay-Rockies. “ They’ve dragged their feet for over a year, failed to challenge critical court rulings, and now face the possibility of a moratorium on staking if a process isn’t in place by March 26, 2025. This would be a death blow to small prospectors and cons...

Mark Carney is running to replace Justin Trudeau as Liberal leader (CTV)

Former Bank of Canada governor Mark Carney is running to lead the Liberal party. He made the announcement during a public appearance in Edmonton, Alta., on Thursday. This is a breaking news update. CLICK HERE for the previous story   

Source says Freeland to scrap consumer carbon tax if she becomes next Liberal leader (CTV)

As former finance minister Chrystia Freeland prepares to launch a Liberal leadership bid, a source close to her says scrapping the controversial consumer carbon tax will be one of her policy planks. “ She is ready to make difficult decisions to meet our emissions targets and make sure big polluters pay for their outsized emissions. But she will not fight Canadians on a policy they have been clear, they do not support ,” the source tells CTV News. “ That’s why Chrystia Freeland will replace the consumer carbon price with a system that will work within our federation and will be developed collaboratively with provinces and territories .” Freeland had previously defended the carbon tax during her time in Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s cabinet ... CLICK HERE for the full story

Labels

Show more