Are you part of The Tyee's critical 1%?

Thanks for reading The Tyee today — we hope this article added to your day in some way. Our team of independent journalists takes pride in doing in-depth reporting and taking time to get it right.

We're able to focus our attention on publishing impactful journalism in the public interest, and publish it for free for all to read, because we have the support of Tyee Builders. Tyee Builders are readers who contribute a bit of money — at a level and frequency of their choice — to support our editorial budget.

This core of supporters — making up about 1 to 2 per cent of our daily readership — enables us to pay our writers, keep our articles free and open to all, and not bombard our readers with annoying ads while you try to read.

Instead of focusing on what kind of articles will attract the most advertising dollars, we can spend time devoted to researching and writing stories that our readers find most valuable and make the most positive impact in our region.

If you'd like to join thousands of readers who help make independent journalism possible, consider joining Tyee Builders. Thank you.

— Jeanette Ageson, Publisher

Click here to Join Tyee Builders

Help us un-break journalism in Canada

You made it all the way through the article – I hope that means you liked it (or if not ‘liked’ it, gleaned some useful information from it). Tyee articles are known for being quite lengthy, so we appreciate when people spend some quality time with our work.

Listen, I’ll get to the point – the article you just read was made possible because our non-profit newsroom was able to pay a talented journalist to research and write it. And we can only afford to do that because of our business model, which relies on a certain percentage of our readers signing up for our paid membership program called Tyee Builders.

The traditional business model for journalism in Canada has been completely disrupted, and we’re witnessing a slow collapse as corporate newsrooms buy up distressed publications, lay people off, and suck the value out of them before declaring bankruptcy. And it doesn’t help that tech giant Meta has blocked Canadian news on their Facebook and Instagram platforms.

There is another way and we are carving the path.

Between 1 to 2 per cent of people who visit The Tyee contribute financially, but amazingly, that small percentage is enough to fund half of our overall budget. And it means we can operate without a paywall, too. 1 per cent of people giving means 99 per cent of people get access to quality, fact-based journalism from a talented team of journalists who live and work in B.C., Alberta, and across Canada. We think that’s pretty remarkable.

If you’re concerned about the way journalism is heading in Canada and you’d like to do something about it, consider joining Tyee Builders and contributing an amount that works for you.

— Jeanette Ageson, Publisher

Click here to Join Tyee Builders
Marking 20 years
of bold journalism,
reader supported.
support us subscribe free
Today's Big Story

Harper's New Man on Defence

Why Peter MacKay is the perfect pick.

Richard Warnica 14 Aug 2007TheTyee.ca

Richard Warnica is a senior editor at The Tyee.
image atom

Memo to NATO defence ministers: Should you find yourself in a hotel room with your new Canadian counterpart do not, I repeat, do not attempt to engage him in any form of binding agreement. Just trust me on this, even if you have paper and/or pen upon which to record the deal, it is not a good idea.

Yes, Prime Minister Stephen Harper in a bid to restore his government’s credibility on Afghanistan today named Nova Scotia MP and former Progressive Conservative leader Peter MacKay as his new Minister of Defence.

MacKay’s unblemished record of honesty and straight talk will be a welcome change on the file after the tenure of the increasingly obtuse and contradictory Gordon O’Conner.

Of course those who say nay may quibble with Harper’s choice. After all they might say, if your goal is to bring clarity and openness to your defence forces, MacKay could seem like an odd pick.

Is this not, these obstructionists could point out, the same Peter MacKay who once captured the leadership of a major political party by signing an agreement of which he later kept none of the provisions?

Could it be that this Peter MacKay is also the Peter MacKay who more recently stood in the House of Commons and promised that no Conservative MP would be tossed from caucus for voting against the government’s budget? The Peter MacKay who after fellow Nova Scotian Bill Casey was turfed from the Tories for voting against said budget, justified his promise by saying he never expected anyone to put him in a situation where he’d have to keep it?

But of course that can’t possibly be the same Peter MacKay. After all, giving that Peter MacKay the job of selling Canada’s most significant military engagement in 50 years to an already skeptical Canadian public would be foolish. Charging that Peter MacKay with negotiating the end of Canada’s tenure in war wracked Kandahar would be borderline irrational. I mean you’d almost think that the only way that Peter MacKay could end up as defence minister would be if the Prime Minister intended to run the entire ministry out of his own office anyway. And there’s no way that could happen. Right? [Tyee]

  • Share:

Facts matter. Get The Tyee's in-depth journalism delivered to your inbox for free

Tyee Commenting Guidelines

Comments that violate guidelines risk being deleted, and violations may result in a temporary or permanent user ban. Maintain the spirit of good conversation to stay in the discussion.
*Please note The Tyee is not a forum for spreading misinformation about COVID-19, denying its existence or minimizing its risk to public health.

Do:

  • Be thoughtful about how your words may affect the communities you are addressing. Language matters
  • Challenge arguments, not commenters
  • Flag trolls and guideline violations
  • Treat all with respect and curiosity, learn from differences of opinion
  • Verify facts, debunk rumours, point out logical fallacies
  • Add context and background
  • Note typos and reporting blind spots
  • Stay on topic

Do not:

  • Use sexist, classist, racist, homophobic or transphobic language
  • Ridicule, misgender, bully, threaten, name call, troll or wish harm on others
  • Personally attack authors or contributors
  • Spread misinformation or perpetuate conspiracies
  • Libel, defame or publish falsehoods
  • Attempt to guess other commenters’ real-life identities
  • Post links without providing context

LATEST STORIES

The Barometer

Are You Concerned about AI?

Take this week's poll