Imagine you’ve spent decades building your career. Finally, you are chosen from among your peers for the highest position in your field. Then, on your 75th birthday, you’re forced to retire. What would you do with yourself? Would you go quietly into retirement and spend time with your family? Would you start a job […]
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The Wild, Wild West: The Spectre of Alberta Separatism, Oil, and Identity
‘Separatism’ is something of a ‘dirty’ word in Canadian politics. While often associated with Quebec’s tumultuous political landscape shaped by the Quiet Revolution of the 1960s and culminating in a number of (failed) referendums, the idea of exiting the Canadian Federation has also long appealed to a few Albertans. Citing the province’s supposed conservative […]
The Legal Framework Governing the Duties of Individuals and Citizens of Ukraine
This article is authored by Dr. Olha Chernovol* *Postdoctoral Fellow in the Droit Civil Section, Faculty of Law, University of Ottawa. […]
Making Sense from Nonsense: Conservative Criticism of the CBC
In the years since its founding in 1936, the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC/Radio-Canada), has become as symbolically Canadian as ice hockey, maple syrup, and poutine. The CBC has entered our homes and joined us as we celebrated national victories and sat with us as we grieved national losses. Indeed, it would likely be difficult to […]
The Steep Price of Free Thought? Politics, Independence, and Dissent
In the early lines of Nineteen Eighty-Four, Winston, the novel’s free-thinking protagonist, writes, “Freedom is the freedom to say that two plus two make four.” After Winston had been captured, tortured, and rendered completely submissive to state authority, the line is re-stated, albeit with a different conclusion. As he sat quietly in a café, Winston […]
Wild Rose Country: Politics, Premiers, and Alberta’s Antagonism
Alberta’s political leaders have a lengthy history of quarrelling with Ottawa. While the ability of many of Alberta’s Premiers to frustrate and annoy federal political leaders of all stripes has taken a humorous (though somewhat crass) tone at times, the conduct is often tethered to larger political claims of seeking to protect the province’s […]
Prime Minister Carney and the Undemocratic Features of Canadian Democracy
After serving as Canadian Prime Minister for nearly a decade, Justin Trudeau announced his resignation in early January 2025. This announcement triggered an internal Liberal Party leadership race. While a number of party members tossed their hats into the ring, on March 9, 2025, Mark Carney was voted in as the new Liberal leader […]
No, Canada! Problematizing Canadian Patriotism in the Wake of Trump’s Threats
Our country has been under attack for several months. While this attack has not manifested as bombs and bloodshed, it has, nonetheless presented Canadians with an existential threat to their collective imaginations. A tide of hostile American political rhetoric has worked to construct a problematic caricature of Canada and its people. We are, apparently, a […]
Tariff Troubles: Ottawa, Alberta and the Price of Putting Energy Exports on the Table
In recent weeks, American President (elect) Donald Trump has publicly mused about Canada becoming the 51st American state, referring to Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau as the ‘Governor’ of the ‘Great State of Canada.’ These (offensive) comments came hand-in-hand with assurances that Trump’s incoming administration would use “economic force” to dismantle the international border […]
People, Places, and Cases: Paul Smithers Guest Lecture
The study and practice of Law cannot exist without caselaw. Indeed, caselaw, that is, the written reasoning and decisions of judges, forms the backbone of our entire legal order. Given its importance, it is understandable that law students are offered training specifically designed to imbue them with the skills necessary to read and dissect […]
