Chris Wattie / Reuters

From 1990 to the present, cuts to our aid budget were triple that of domestic programs in percentage terms. Given that aid accounts for a mere two per cent of total spending, this was nickel-and-diming the poor was downright unconscionable. We now spend a miserly 0.26 per cent of Gross National Income (GNI) on aid.

Mark Blinch / Reuters

It does indeed take time to integrate newcomers. It's not easy to help them find work and teach them a new language, but surely we can be more welcoming.

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When it comes to countering radicalization, Canadian policy has a different problem. While the U.S. is pursuing a response to radicalization which actually feeds the problem it is supposed to be addressing, the Canadian response of late has been to effectively deny the reality of the conflict that we are in.

Chris Wattie / Reuters

We have long maintained a sense of pride in being pro immigrant, refugee friendly, and a safe haven for all. This act of terrorism proved without a doubt that this is not the case. Instances of Islamophobia, racism, and anti-immigrant sentiment have been present in Canadian society for longer than most would like to admit.

Heather Mallick's latest column on how new Canadians can learn to like it here falls short. If she really thinks all it takes to make immigrants feel at home in Canada is a conversation with a pharmacist at a Shoppers Drug Mart or getting lost at a Canadian Tire franchise, perhaps she is living in a bubble.

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Canadians cannot support dissent against Trump without supporting dissent here, especially when it makes you uncomfortable. If Black Lives Matter or Idle No More, leave you feeling defensive, ask yourself why? Seek out voices from underrepresented communities and listen to what they have to say.

Kevork Djansezian / Reuters

Open up almost any magazine, website or video, and you're likely to hear a story about the struggles couples have with infertility and the measures they take to have a baby of their own. As a mother of four, I was lucky enough to be able to conceive easily and naturally, and it is only through speaking with friends and colleagues that I understand the challenges many couples face in trying to have a family.

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We Canadians, if we stay true to our beliefs as expressed in our Charter, have an opportunity to be a shining example to the world that building bridges will trump building walls virtually every time when it comes to nation-building; and more importantly repairing the world for the better.

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Given the tenor of hate and division that surrounds us, here's an invitation to focus on something positive, and something achievable; something that will bring benefit to communities across the country, and build better health outcomes for all Canadians.

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Canadians have a powerful resource at their fingertips that will transform how we screen, diagnose, treat, and provide support for those of us touched by cancer: our health data. Yet, accessing this resource is hindered by misconceptions about how and why health data can (and should) be used.

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For years, Canadian security forces have been busy entrapping Muslim youth, following faint tracks and turning them into full-fledged criminal cases to please their political masters, over the ten dark Harper years, that they did not pay attention to protecting the real vulnerable segment of society.

Adrian Wyld/CP

Gestures and words on the part of our politicians do matter. We may never know what drove the attackers to murder six people praying in their Quebec City mosque this past weekend. However, we can be certain that fear-mongering language from our politicians can only be dangerous and counter-productive to a healthy and unified Canadian society.

Chris Wattie / Reuters

Overwhelmingly, most decent Liberal and Conservative politicians are appalled by Trump. They are disgusted and shocked. In private, they will certainly tell you that. But in public? They say, and have said, precisely nothing.

Carlos Barria / Reuters

In stark contrast to what has been taking place in Canada, the Trump administration has moved quickly since taking office to enact xenophobic, racist and anti-immigrant policies. With only a week in office, Trump has signed his name to two separate executive orders that will severely affect the lives of immigrants and refugees.

Mathieu Belanger / Reuters

Multiple gunmen stormed a mosque in Quebec city during evening prayers and six people are dead. This is my home. This is my place of birth. I have to look my children in the eyes on Monday morning when I tell them this happened. I have to tell them that people went to a mosque just a few hours away from where we live and were shot while worshiping peacefully.

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I was married to a liar for 25 years. At a very personal level, I have first-hand knowledge of the devastation lying creates in people's lives. I know that liars can be clever, charming, smug, and thoroughly convincing. There is a reason for their lying. In my case it was to hide a very big secret.

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You'll be pursuing your side hustle after busy workdays, weekends, and basically whenever you have free time, so if you're doing something you love, it should be simply to motivate yourself. Focus on passions that can realistically bring in an income.

Mike Blake / Reuters

The 2017 SAGs had me feeling all of the feelings. Seriously. I am very confused right now. It is difficult to put my thoughts into words, but I will still try. On Sunday, we were called to make sh*t happen and use our skills to help those in need. We were asked on several occasions to unite, and not be afraid.

Penn E./TamilCulture

That's what my dad asked when I told him I had found the one. He was only half-joking. I think. I'm currently in a long-distance relationship with a girl of Caucasian descent, otherwise known as a vella pettai. We consistently have issues that we need to work around.

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Many Canadians gave online to the ACLU to help overturn the Trump administration's de facto ban on travellers coming from several Muslim-majority countries. The unexpected effect of globalization is citizens feel empowered to act and comment on the actions of another country.

Al Youm Al Saabi / Reuters

The night I am incarcerated, as I stand shivering and exposed, sur­rounded by half a dozen prison guards, I cannot fathom what losing my freedom might mean. Understanding will come later, stealthily, like the cold that creeps into my body from the concrete floor beneath my bare feet.