Back-to-school experts

Religious bullying & religious literacy, inclusion of minorities in public education – alice.chan [at] mail.mcgill.ca (Alice Chan), Ph.D Candidate, Department of Integrated Studies in Education (DISE), English only

Indigenous Education - ekim039 [at] gmail.com (Eun-Ji Amy Kim), Ph.D Candidate, Department of Integrated Studies in Education, English only

Expert: Unemployment and the Aging Workforce

“Bad news for anyone who still believes in freedom from work at 55. The number of women of this age and older who reported having jobs rose by 14,000 from June and by 66,000 from a year earlier. The number of working men aged 55 and older increased by 69,000 from 2016.” (Maclean’s)

Expert: National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls

“A coalition composed mainly of relatives of missing and murdered Indigenous women is demanding the replacement of all remaining commissioners and a reset of the inquiry initiated by the federal Liberal government to look into the tragedy.” (The Globe and Mail)

Strong Link Between Child Welfare and Youth Homelessness in Canada

A new report shows that almost sixty percent (57.8%) of homeless youth in Canada report involvement with the child welfare system at some point in their lives. In comparison, among the general population in Canada, roughly 0.3% of youth have child welfare involvement. This suggests that youth experiencing homelessness are 193 times more likely than youth in the general population to report involvement with the child welfare system.

Expert: Impact of forest fires in Western Canada on unborn children

B.C. wildfire season worst in six decades, still far from over “Kevin Skrepnek of the B.C. Wildfire Service said Thursday that 4,910 square kilometres of forest, bush and grassland have been torched, making 2017 the second worst in recorded history in terms of land destroyed. August is usually one of the busiest months for fire, so the situation could get worse, he added.”

Expert: Air passenger bill of rights

“A new air passenger bill of rights would punish airlines for keeping people on the tarmac longer than three hours, forcing them to compensate passengers. But it would not compel carriers to disembark a plane delayed for long periods.” (CBC)

Expert on Census 2016: More Canadians living alone and without children (August 2)

“Canadians are living increasingly alone and without children, according to the latest census figures released by Statistics Canada.” (CBC)

Experts: Dairy, lumber and NAFTA (***UPDATED***)

“U.S. President Donald Trump's surprisingly caustic complaints about trade with Canada in recent days could be setting the stage for a broader renegotiation of the North American Free Trade Agreement than previously advertised.” (Metro News)

Expert: male eating disorder on the rise

In the United Kingdom, "the number of adult men being admitted to hospital with an eating disorder has risen by 70% over the past six years – the same rate of increase as among women," reports The Guardian. Is there a similar trend in Canada? 

Supreme Court: National Energy Board needs to consult with Indigenous peoples over energy projects

“The Supreme Court of Canada has quashed plans for seismic testing in Nunavut, delivering a major victory to Inuit who argued they were inadequately consulted before the National Energy Board gave oil companies the green light to conduct this disruptive activity.” (CBC)

Venezuela's Collapse: Rule of law and economy almost non-existent

Expert: Giant iceberg breaks off Antarctica

"One of the biggest icebergs on record has broken away from Antarctica, scientists said on Wednesday, creating an extra hazard for ships around the continent as it breaks up." (CBC)

Interest rates - Bank of Canada meeting (July 12, 2017)

“For months the consensus has been that interest rates in Canada would remain stable right into 2018. Now Bank of Canada governor Stephen Poloz and his colleagues are dropping broad hints that the central bank will move a lot sooner, perhaps as early as next Wednesday’s meeting.” (Toronto Star)

Venezuela: Peace offering from Maduro

“The transfer of Venezuela's most prominent political prisoner from a military stockade to house arrest was widely viewed as a peace offering by President Nicolas Maduro to opponents who have led months of street protests against his beleaguered government.” (CBC)

Expert: preventing concussions this summer

This summer, whether in summer camps or sports leagues, children will practise outdoor sports. However, parents and educators need to be aware of the risk of head injury and concussion. Professor Isabelle Gagnon is available to speak about prevention and rehabilitation following a traumatic brain injury.