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 […]
Blog
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 […]
Retaliatory Defamation
A copy of the article found in our Dec. 19, 2024 Beyond Law podcast with Lillianne Cadieux-Shaw can be accessed here: Retaliatory Defamation
Judicial Delays in the Civil Justice System
No one really wants to go to court to handle their problems, but going to court can be unavoidable. Cases not involving criminal or family law fall into the “general civil law” category. During the 2022-2023 fiscal year, Canadian courts had 768,615 active general civil law cases, with nearly half of those cases being […]
Who Decides Where Bike Lanes Go? The Controversy of Bill 212
Who Decides Where Bike Lanes Go? The Controversy of Bill 212 Bike lanes are all the talk in Toronto this month since the Ontario government introduced Bill 212, titled Reducing Gridlock, Saving You Time Act, 2024. Alongside the bill, the Ontario government proposed an addendum requiring the City of Toronto to financially support the removal […]
Cooperative Federalism on Trial: The Complex Rollout of the Canada Disability Benefit
As the problem of disproportionate poverty among individuals with disabilities became increasingly serious, Canada introduced a poverty reduction strategy and proposed the Canada Disability Benefit (Bill C-35) in 2021. Although the bill aimed to establish the benefit, its progress was halted by the 2021 federal election. Then in 2023, the Canada Disability Benefit Act (Bill […]
Full Answer and Defence: Making Sense of Disclosure
“Full disclosure…” This is a turn of phrase, I am sure, each of us has used at some point to inform others that we are communicating honestly and transparently. While in most contexts the stakes of offering others ‘full disclosure’ are pretty low and intended to minimize the likelihood of awkward social interactions, the […]
