Blogs

rabble blogs are the personal pages of some of Canada's most insightful progressive activists and commentators. All opinions belong to the writer; however, writers are expected to adhere to our guidelines. We welcome new bloggers -- contact us for details.
Blog - Alberta Diary April 11
Screenshot of the offending anti-abortion video
Cell phone video of Nazi comparison in Red Deer Catholic high school class on abortion should raise political questions
David J. Climenhaga | Albertans deserve to know what opposition politicians would actually do about such situations in tax-financed schools.
Blog - Sarah Miller's blog April 11
B.C. Legislature building
'Twas the month before the election
Sarah Miller | 'Twas the month before elections and all through B.C. the election ads were playing for everyone to see...
Blog - Northern Plains Drifter April 11
Delivering fake news
For Trump, the truth is what he can get away with: Fake news and the threat to civil society
Paul Orlowski | During the election campaign, the mainstream media gave Trump too much coverage. Sure, he's entertaining and could improve falling ratings. But his penchant for fake news threatens civil society.
Blog - Yves Engler's Blog April 10
Image: Facebook/Carrie Lynn Poole-Cotnam
NDP should mimic the Conservative Party and test mettle of bold new ideas
Yves Engler | A leadership race is an opportunity to promote bold ideas and invigorate a political movement. Canada’s right wing party seems to understand this, the left not so much.
Blog - Alberta Diary April 10
Alberta labour lawyer Andrew Sims (David Climenhaga photo)
Big changes coming to academic faculty, graduate student and postdoctoral bargaining rights in Alberta
David J. Climenhaga | It's worth asking the question if over time this approach could lead to the creation of an Academic Faculty Union of Canada?
Blog - Education in the Age of Climate Change April 8
B.C. Premier Christy Clark in 2014
The B.C. Liberals' promise of a bright future only applies to the province's most privileged
Lizanne Foster | If you can’t afford the $10,000 a plate dinners, the B.C. Liberals have little to offer you besides more of what we’ve been subjected to since 2001.
Blog - Raluca Bejan April 8
Pulled Pepsi ad taps in to the currency for social justice
Raluca Bejan | The soda company's new ad, which was pulled this week after a public outcry, shows that diversity and social activism can be sold like any other product.
Blog - Alberta Diary April 8
Jason Kenney's reconstituted PCs bid farewell to former party president Katherine O'Neill
David J. Climenhaga | The departing PC Party president was never going to be forgiven by Leader Jason Kenney's forces once they were in charge and remaking the party in their own image.
Blog - Policy Note April 8
Image: Flickr/Mark Klotz
Heading into the provincial election, British Columbians demonstrate concern for inequality
Shannon Daub | British Columbians want income to be much more equally distributed than they believe it to be now. However, voters significantly underestimated B.C.'s overall income inequality.
Blog - Reflections April 7
Justin Trudeau in 2013
Trudeau vs. Trudeau on Proportional Representation
Ehab Lotayef | There is a big difference between P. E. Trudeau's profound vision of Electoral Reform and Proportional Representation and Justin Trudeau's way of tackling the issue, which leaves a lot to be desired.
Blog - On The Other Hand April 7
Americans turn Canadian about health care
Penney Kome | Trumpcare's defeat shows how American attitudes toward healthcare have shifted over the last six years.
Blog - The Activist Toolkit Blog April 7
Half wreck of Little Mountain
Ten years later, the fight for social housing at Little Mountain continues
Maya Bhullar | What Little Mountain taught us about the BC government and the fight for affordable housing
Blog - Alberta Diary April 6
Alison Redford on March 13, 2014 (David Climenhaga photo)
Alberta's first woman premier calls for more than talk about the deplorable treatment of women in politics
David J. Climenhaga | Cleared for second time of conflict accusations, Alison Redford emerged from seclusion to speak about how women politicians are held to different standards than men.
Blog - David Suzuki April 5
Fish kill
Marine protected areas are one piece of a complex puzzle
David Suzuki | Protected areas are one aspect of keeping coastal ecosystems healthy. Responsible stewardship also requires effective fisheries management, strong penalties for polluters and emissions reductions.
Blog - Yves Engler's Blog April 5
Image: Facebook/T'ruah
Toronto's Jewish Defence League is a far right group with powerful friends
Yves Engler | Jewish Defence League exports their violence and extremist ideology to the U.S.A. and works with neo-fascists to bash Muslims
Blog - Alberta Diary April 4
Alison Redford (David Climenhaga photo)
Two by-elections, three probes, and plenty more: All the Alberta political news that's fit to print
David J. Climenhaga | Conservatives motor to easy by-election wins in Calgary; third inquiry clears Alison Redford; Brad hits the Wall; and Kenney fink-call plan keeps falling flat.
Blog - Alberta Diary April 3
Anita Bryant (Wikimedia Commons)
Jason Kenney and the GSA reverse-tip-line brouhaha: Is this conservative turning into the Anita Bryant of Canada?
David J. Climenhaga | Will it help with severely normal Alberta voters if Jason Kenney turns into Canada's Anita Bryant, pounding a pulpit that seemed pathetic even in 1977? Not so much, probably.
Blog - Yves Engler's Blog April 2
NDP differences on international policy need to be debated
Yves Engler | There are important differences of opinion within the NDP regarding foreign policy questions. These issues deserve to be aired.
Blog - Alberta Diary April 1
In times like these, April Fools' jokes are redundant
David J Climenhaga | You can't make this stuff up. You literally can't, as it turns out.
Blog - Making Waves March 31
Your election guide to water issues in B.C.
Emma Lui | A primer on key water issues in B.C. leading up to the election on May 9th, including pipelines, fracking, and bottled water.
Blog - On The Other Hand March 31
Hot rocks: Earth's own renewable energy
Penney Kome | 2017 Budget’s "net-zero" buildings could be self-heating.
Blog - Independent Jewish Voices Canada March 31
The Canadian Jewish News website prominently featured video of JDL's Meir Weinstein protest speech.
Canadian Jewish News shows its chutzpah by justifying censorship of progressive Jewish voices
Independent Jewish Voices Canada | The Canadian Jews News continues to bar IJV from editorial space, and gives very troubling justifications for this behaviour.
Blog - Raluca Bejan March 31
Before Hollywood attacks Ivanka's complicty, it should take a look in the mirror
Raluca Bejan | Shedding light onto Ivanka’s complicity takes away from the complicity of American people on the matter.
Blog - Alberta Diary March 31
Sometime Alberta Liberal leadership candidate Nolan Crouse (David Climenhaga photo)
It's hard to imagine the Alberta Liberal Party surviving the existential crisis of its past few days
David Climenhaga | The Alberta Liberal Party has been badly shaken by the flighty flight of St. Albert Mayor Nolan Crouse, in whom many supporters had invested high hopes.
Blog - Activist Communiqué March 30
Indigenous people's lack of access to clean water is racism, pure and simple
Krystalline Kraus | We should be shocked and ashamed of ourselves.
Blog - Alberta Diary March 30
Jason Kenney (Photo by David Climenhaga)
Message to Jason Kenney: Alberta changed while you were away being a big shot in Ottawa!
David J. Climenhaga | Being away from Alberta 20 years and not noticing it's changed is the most charitable explanation for Jason Kenney's call to effectively out gay students who wish to join GSAs.
Blog - Hill Dispatches March 30
Voting in the Conservative Party of Canada
Conservative lead in national poll shows need to change voting system
Karl Nerenberg | Conservative leadership candidates advocate extreme right policies -- should Trudeau reconsider electoral reform?
Blog - The Views Expressed March 29
Courage: New collective vows to build truly democratic-socialist left in Canada
Julia Maksymetz, Niall Clapham-Ricardo | It takes a courageous movement to build an unapologetic left-wing alternative for all the communities within Canada.
Blog - Yves Engler's Blog March 29
Yes, despite our national myths, Canada did have slavery
Yves Engler | Africans were held in bondage here for 200 years and the Atlantic provinces had important ties to the Caribbean plantation economies.
Blog - A change is gonna come March 29
Pure Life water bottled at facility in Dubai
Caroline Brooks, Ben Whiteley and Molly Johnson say no to Nestlé
Doreen Nicoll | The Nestlé Triangle located in Wellington County, Ontario has the potential to extract 6.4 million litres per day and that's cause for concern.

Pages