Federal election: Which party has the best climate plan? Here’s where they stand

Climate change is the most important threat to human health on a planetary scale. Where do the leading federal parties stand on this crucial matter? The following is an article by Cameron Roberts, a researcher in sustainable transportation at Carleton University, who evaluates the climate action plans of the four main federal parties.

Nurses wrap up Nursing Week with a call to government to increase paid sick days and boost minimum wage

As Nursing Week draws to a close (May 10 - 16), the Registered Nurses’ Association of Ontario (RNAO) is renewing its call for action to the Ontario government: Increase the number of paid sick days for workers who do not have access to this employee benefit and boost the province’s minimum wage. This demand addresses two of RNAO’s central concerns with the social determinants of health (SDOH).

Provincial budget fails to deliver urgent nursing investments to care for Ontarians and to sustain the profession through the pandemic and beyond

RNAO’s media release on March 24 responded to the presentation of the Ontario budget in the legislature. RNAO is disappointed the government is failing to make the investments desperately needed to help nurses in the fight against COVID-19 and to sustain the nursing workforce after the pandemic.

Elections in the US: A path to healing and respect for science

As we all wait anxiously for the final tally of votes in the United States, I sit to finalize my blog while remaining glued to the media updates and elections maps. It has been a long wait – four years – of deepening inequalities, growing anti-Black discrimination, homophobia, Islamophobia, and as of late, mask-phobia. I don’t recall a time in recent history where nurses – and most health professionals – shared so widely a political preference. This US election is not necessarily about a political party but about someone who personifies everything that is abhorrent and contrary to the health of a nation.

RNAO joins global movement: A Just Recovery for All

RNAO has been particularly active in recent months addressing structural inequities that led to vulnerable populations suffering the brunt of the COVID-19 pandemic. RNAO is adding its voice to a campaign launched in June supported by hundreds of progressive organizations in Canada calling for a just and sustainable recovery from COVID-19.

Ending homelessness: Will you join us to build a COVID-19 recovery for all?

Today I am appreciative to Tim Richter, President & CEO, Canadian Alliance to End Homelessness, for engaging us all in what promises to be a very effective campaign to end homelessness, once and for all. Tim’s message is so simple and so powerful: Yes, we want to go back to normal, but not a normal where more than a quarter of a million Canadians are homeless. Not a normal where we look the other way as vulnerable people suffer injustice and discrimination. Not a normal where so many people do not have shelter and basic needs.

We require expanded and accessible COVID-19 data in Ontario

Issues of fullness and accessibility of data are central to the understanding of any pandemic and the design of effective policy responses. We have asked Dr. Jennifer Kwan, a family physician in Burlington, Ontario, to expand on this key topic. What follows is her article. I encourage you to follow her on Twitter – @jkwan_md – her feed is an excellent source of useful data on COVID-19.