Let’s use Earth Hour to #reconnect2earth
Sabrina Almeida I’ve been negligent the past couple of years and now it is time to get back on track. Switching off in solidarity with …
What happens as traditional media slowly fades away?
Pradip Rodrigues Last week out of sheer curiosity, I attended a townhall event with this headline: What’s the cost to Bramptonians when the media does …
Will healthcare fees help reduce wait times?
Sabrina Almeida According to a Fraser Institute report published at the end of 2018, the median wait time for medically ‘necessary’ treatment in Canada last …
Mass migration is fuelling anti-immigrant sentiment in the western world
Pradip Rodrigues The cold-blooded murder of 50 Muslims praying in a New Zealand mosque has once again reminded the world about the danger posed by …
Are you a vaccine-skeptic parent?
Sabrina Almeida If you live in Ontario or New Brunswick where certain vaccines are mandatory for school-going children, then you don’t have an option. Both …
International Women’s Day theme ‘better balance’ points to a lack of it
Sabrina Almeida Today, March 8, is celebrated across the world as ‘International Women’s Day’. This year’s theme pushes for #BalanceforBetter. Believing that a gender-balanced world …
The downside of entitlement and expecting everything ‘free’
Pradip Rodrigues In the US you have the rise of Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, the self-styled Democratic Socialist pushing a decidedly leftist agenda on the American …
How bullying can be learned from parents!
Sabrina Almeida According to research and contrary to popular belief, bullying is not always experienced or learned just in the schoolyard. If you’re thinking this …
Is there a glut of low-skilled workers in Canada?
Pradip Rodrigues Late last week the Liberal government announced two new five-year initiatives that will see caregivers bringing their family members with them on arrival. …
The issue of identity and culture is complex
Pradip Rodrigues After Kamala Harris the Democrat US Senator declared her candidacy for President of the United States, she was asked by a news outlet …
Romance scams prey on the increasing loneliness in society
By Sabrina Almeida Around Valentine’s Day, provincial police warned Ontarians about possible romance scams. According to the Better Business Bureau victims on both sides of …
The term ‘visible minority’ is obsolete in urban Canada
PRADIP RODRIGUES Over the years there have been calls to retire the term ‘visible minority’ in Canada, but it is still a widely used, misused …
Illegal asylum seekers and sponsorship of parents and grandparents divides Canadians
Pradip Rodrigues There was plenty of outrage after the online application process to sponsor a family member through the 2019 Parent and Grandparent Program was …
Will scrap Triple Talaq Bill if voted to power: Congress
NEW DELHI Mahila Congress president Sushmita Dev caught the attention of the country this week after she announced that the party would abolish the Triple …
Removing full-day kindergarten is a bad idea!
By Sabrina Almeida All-day kindergarten introduced by Liberal premier Dalton McGuinty in 2014 is the latest program likely to face Doug Ford’s chopping block. Yes, …
What’s wrong with ethnic marketing?
Pradip Rodrigues Close to 19.1 per cent of Canadians identify as visible minorities and that number is exploding. Naturally then multinational corporations are targeting these …
Race-based politics will destroy the fabric of the country
Pradip Rodrigues Recently Canadian politics was rocked slightly over a politically incorrect social media post. In a WeChat post, Liberal candidate Karen Wang for Burnaby …
Canada’s new food guide goes vegetarian, so should you!
By Sabrina Almeida There was much speculation as to how Health Canada (HC) would balance scientific evidence with the pressures of the diverse groups within …
Drivers find the new distracted and impaired driving rules hard to swallow
Sabrina Almeida The new rules for distracted and drunk driving dominated conversations in my social circle last weekend. One discussion got fairly heated with some …
Immigrant women’s rights are compromised in Canada too
Pradip Rodrigues When Rahaf al-Qunun the 18-year-old Saudi teenage girl who fled her abusive family chose to seek refuge in Canada millions across the globe …
Yes, it’s resolution time again!
Sabrina Almeida I almost didn’t do it this year, however gnawing guilt pressured me into continuing the almost extinct tradition. After all the second week …
The legalization of cannabis was the biggest Canadian story in 2018
Pradip Rodrigues Millions of Canadians coast to coast may have let out a collective groan on the midnight of Oct. 17,2018 when Canada legalized Cannabis. …
Lessons learned from world events in 2018
Sabrina Almeida With 2018 fading away, certain events this year that could have a positive impact on our lives came to mind. I’m not talking …
Auto insurance companies have reason to shun Brampton business
Pradip Rodrigues Last week news broke that one Medha Joshi who worked at Allstate Insurance Canada filed a case against the company alleging she was …
Year-end rants from a lifelong ranter
Pradip Rodrigues The UN Migration Pact was signed this week by 150 countries with some notable exceptions and signs of trouble ahead for some countries …
Now #MeToo extends to Christmas songs as well
By Sabrina Almeida A couple of weeks ago “Baby It’s Cold Outside”, a popular Christmas song, was taken off the air by several radio stations …
When language becomes a root of conflicts
Pradip Rodrigues Officially, Canada has two languages, English and French. In the US, it is English, however since 1965 Immigration Act, Spanish is the second …
Is the gender lens being fair to men?
Sabrina Almeida Recently Prime Minister Trudeau was roasted on social media for promoting women at the cost of their male counterparts. Alberta politicians were the …
With dementia on the rise, it’s time to get up and move
Sabrina Almeida Can physical exercise reduce the risk of developing dementia? The answer deserves careful consideration. While we are well aware of the physical health …
Uncontrolled immigration fuels right-wing nationalism
Pradip Rodrigues In an interview with a news outlet recently, former Democratic Presidential candidate Hilary Clinton said something that seemed to be out of President …
Is Black Friday shopping really worth it?
Sabrina Almeida Are you a Black Friday shopper? It’s still not that big of a deal in Canada when compared the United States where all …
Migrant care workers are demanding PR status on arrival… Now what?
Pradip Rodrigues Last week an email with a logo screaming ‘LANDED STATUS NOW’ caught my attention. It was an email from the Migrant Workers Alliance …
Second-gen Canadians need a settle down agency
Pradip Rodrigues A couple of weeks ago Canada’s Immigration Minister Ahmed Hussen announced it would take in 40,000 more immigrants in 2021 than it plans …
How communities help ethnic stereotypes live on
Sabrina Almeida Around two weeks ago, media reported that Apu Nahasapeemapetilon, the controversial cartoon character in The Simpsons, would slowly be phased out after a …
Women’s troubled relationship with alcohol is not new just more evident
Sabrina Almeida Canada’s chief public health officer is alarmed by the heavy drinking among women across the country. To draw attention to the severity of …
Why unhealthy relationships are just not worth it
Sabrina Almeida A friend recently shared his worries about his 30-year-old son who hadn’t worked at all this year. The breakup with his girl friend …
Is it a carbon tax or a carbon fine?
Pradip Rodrigues Starting 2019, Ontarians along with residents of Saskatchewan, Manitoba and New Brunswick, the recalcitrant provinces opposing the federal carbon tax will receive an …
How to get Canadians to really care about issues
Pradip Rodrigues In the next few months unctuous politicians and federal political party candidates will fan out in communities making their presence felt and will …
Rising interest rates force Canadians to control spending
Sabrina Almeida Are rising interest rates giving you nightmares? A new study shows that almost 75% off homeowners carrying mortgages are worried about the impact …
Whom to vote for in Ontario’s municipal elections this Monday!
Sabrina Almeida Ready to vote on Monday? I hope so! It’s a civic responsibility we must take seriously despite any feeling that it may not …
Has the #MeToo movement become a racket?
Pradip Rodrigues Much has been written about the #MeToo movement in the past year and the world has watched in horror and dismay as scores …