Crawford Kilian
Crawford Kilian was born in New York City in 1941. He was raised in Los Angeles and Mexico City, and was educated at Columbia University (BA '62) and Simon Fraser University (MA '72). He served in the US Army from 1963 to 1965, and moved to Vancouver in 1967. He became a naturalized Canadian in 1973.
Crawford has published 21 books -- both fiction and non-fiction, and has written hundreds of articles. He taught at Vancouver City College in the late 1960s and was a professor at Capilano College from 1968 to 2008. Much of Crawford's writing for The Tyee deals with education issues in British Columbia, but he is also interested in books, online media, and environmental issues.
Reporting Beat: Education, health, and books
Crawford's Connection to BC: Though he was born in New York City, one of Crawford's favourite places is Sointula, a small town off the northeast coast of Vancouver Island.
Twitter: @crof
Website: H5N1
Stories by Crawford Kilian
Canada Needs a True Northern University in an Era of Climate Change
A multi-campus enterprise would help us learn to flourish in the warming North.
Pandemics, Politics and the Spanish Flu
One of the worst plagues in human history is largely forgotten now. For our own sakes, it’s time to remember what happened.
Five Things We Can Learn from Finnish Classrooms
New book ‘Teach Like Finland’ offers important lessons for education in B.C.
How the House of Saud Inflicted 500,000 Cholera Cases — As Policy
And given Canada’s apparent role selling armoured vehicles to the Saudis, we’re complicit.
The US Continues Its 156-Year Civil War
Lynchings, segregation and thuggery replaced the battlefield, but the South has never ended its war on black people.
Why the American Left Failed, and What Canadians Can Learn
Prophetic book argues progressives abandoned fight for workers in favour of culture campaigns.
The Alternate Realities of Trump’s America
In ‘Devil’s Bargain,’ Joshua Green examines the duo of Steve Bannon and the President. But there’s more to unpack.
Trump Is the Symptom, Not the Disease
Unless we overhaul our political systems from the ground up, we face a century of rule by puppets of the rich.
‘Inferno: A Doctor’s Ebola Story’
Dr. Steven Hatch’s book shows us how culture can also be hazardous to our health.
A Target of Scheer Vindictiveness
The Tories have learned nothing and forgotten nothing about Omar Khadr.
Are We Ready for a ‘Managed Retreat’ from the Coasts — and from the Forests?
If British Columbia were smart, we’d be reviewing our options now.
When Politics Is Harmful to Your Health
People of all political stripes experience anxiety and alienation — the question is how we address it.
BC’s Wildfire Summers Are Here to Stay
This year’s infernos aren’t an aberration — and we’d better learn how to reduce the damage done.
Google: Where Everybody Tells the Truth
In ‘Everybody Lies,’ a look at search engines as the new confessional.
How Climate Change Has Plagued the Health of Nations for Centuries
It’s brought down countless empires, as Anthony McMichael’s brilliant history recounts.
Can Canada’s Toxic Parliament Be Fixed?
New essays by parliamentarians offer ‘practical ideas’ for improving our sorry state of affairs. But it still seems like a stretch.
‘Inside the Inferno’: Essential Reading to Prepare for the Next Fort Mac
This firefighter’s account of the 2016 blaze deserves a close read by politicians and officials.
Can Canada Become a ‘Hard Power’?
Our foreign affairs minister is signaling that direction, but I have doubts.
First Responders Reflect on Opioid Crisis: ‘You See Your Efforts Going in Vain’
Huge increase in overdoses puts BC’s firefighters and paramedics under ‘dramatic stress.’
Enough Really Is Enough: Let’s Put Terrorism in Perspective
Countless deaths, like those of kids overseas, barely register, overshadowed by relatively rare acts of hate.
Can Trump Make Trudeau Put His Money Where His Mouth Is?
The president’s move gives our prime minister a chance to walk the walk on climate.
How Putin Has Already Won a Stealth World War
With the US captured — or undermined — Canada and Europe face a new world order.
Canada a World Leader in Health? Not Exactly
WHO annual report shows we have grounds for pride — and embarrassment.
Sorry, Stephen Hawking — We’re Not Going Anywhere
Instead of seeking safe havens on other planets, we need to save this one.
What Just Happened in British Columbia? And What’s Ahead?
Tyee contributors weigh in on last night’s provincial election results.
How Hillary Clinton, Trapped in the Past and Privilege, Lost
Authors portray a candidate who had lost touch with the country she hoped to lead.
Actually, Christy Clark, More Money Would Improve BC Education
In saying students are doing fine at current levels, you ignore struggling teachers and parents subsidizing schools.
Lessons for Canada from Hunt for Lost Jungle City
Gripping book about search for fabled ‘White City’ sheds light on why civilizations die.
What’s in Store for the Next Two Generations of BC School Kids?
Robots, rising seas and more seniors, oh my.
Parties’ Education Platforms Sadly Lacking in Vision
Greens, NDP, Liberals all content to tinker when major reforms are needed.
The First Great Refugee Novel of the Century
Mohsin Hamid provides an antidote to US exceptionalism and Canadian multiculturalism — through the eyes of two refugees.
A War We Should All Support — But Probably Won’t
Many reasons to fear killer germs, but many ways to stop them too, argues new book.
Calling Out the ‘Callout Culture’
In times of crisis, debates over divisions should be set aside — even briefly — in favour of unity.
‘Nationalize’ Postmedia? That’s Just the First Step
Canadians need a public news fund to save journalism — and democracy.
A Blueprint For Fixing Post-Secondary Education
Finland offers lessons on making education work for students, staff and country.
BC Post-Secondary Before the Liberals — and After Them
Higher ed has changed dramatically, never more so than under Campbell and Clark.
The High Price of Equality
Author shows that inequality has only been vanquished by catastrophes — a reality we must move beyond.
What Vancouver School Board ‘Bullying’ Report Really Says about BC Education
This is the culmination of a half-century of school wars.
In ‘The Politics of Fear,’ Médecins Sans Frontières Reflects on Ebola Response
Critical post-mortem holds many lessons for future outbreaks.
Refugees: Ready or Not, Here They Come
In the midst of huge global displacement, the real question is how we welcome them.
A Modest Proposal For Rewriting the US Constitution
American politics are broken. Here’s a repair manual.
A Future No One Could Have Believed
Or how pitching an editor on a Donald Trump sci-fi thriller in 1987 would have ended badly.
Trudeau’s Lost Opportunity to Build a Better Democracy
Proportional representation not perfect, but cynical broken promise much worse.
Why Betsy DeVos Matters to Canadian Education
New US secretary of education, a billionaire heiress, has for years bankrolled efforts to strengthen private schools.
Is Donald Trump an Ebola-Level Global Health Threat?
President’s early decisions on funding could cost millions of lives worldwide.
How the US Can Get Rid of Its Trickster President
And why Canada should seize the chance to benefit from his madness.
Trump’s ‘America First’ Doctrine Has Been Tried — and Failed
Book on Asian nations’ response to rise of West offers lessons for US. But they won’t be heeded.
The World Changes Today: Canada Better Change Too
Trumpism is smashing the old order in trade, war and even global health; we need a new plan.
When Stigma Kills: Fears and Prejudices Undermine Health Care
From overdoses to AIDS to Zika, stigma has made problems worse.
Baby Boxes: Too Good an Idea to Adopt?
They’re premised on the idea that all kids are equal. Is ‘families first’ BC ready?
True or False, Trump Charges Have Ruined Him
Salacious attack may be unsubstantiated, but it’s a turning point for him and US democracy.
The Dubious Legitimacy of Trump’s Presidency
It only gets worse as inauguration nears. Can American democracy recover?
Is English a Dying Language? Of Course
The barbarians have pushed inside the gate, and there is no going back.
The End of Capitalism and the End of Our World
Author makes compelling case that capitalism is collapsing and there is nothing to replace it.
Post-Trump Imperative: Fight to Keep Every Scrap of Progress We’ve Made
If we don’t unite, the radical reactionaries will keep winning.
When Global Student Test Results Become Local Political Weapons
PISA results strong for BC, Finland, but raise important questions about equality and education.
Opioids, Fentanyl and the Threat to First Responders
Daily flood of overdoses, deaths taking physical and emotional toll.
Climate Change, Not Spills, the Real Kinder Morgan Disaster
Trudeau’s Orwellian pipeline approval ignores looming threat to our grandchildren.
Thinking about Fidel
Castro made revolution cool, and showed two generations of Latin American leaders they didn’t have to be America’s puppets.
Teaching Reason in Donald Trump’s World
As a former teacher, I agonized after his victory: How to prepare kids for clownish logic?
Why Is Elite Kellie Leitch Railing against Elites?
It’s odd, since any elected politician is by definition a member of that class.
‘Lab Girl’: A Scientist’s Engaging, Enraging Memoir
Hope Jahren’s new book details her love affair with science, and fight to keep it funded.
Christy Clark Just Got Laughed Out of the Supreme Court of Canada
Decision on class size, composition latest battle in long Socred/Liberal war on education.
With Trump in Power, Canada Has to Live by Its Wits
On health care and global health in particular, we need to move fast.
What Trump’s Trashing of American Norms Means for 2020
No matter the outcome, he leaves behind a brutally polarized nation.
What Keeps Teachers on the Job? It’s Not Just about Salaries
Sometimes it helps to take a global perspective.
Have Canadians Discovered 234 Alien Civilizations? And Should We Friend Them?
Signals from space signs of extraterrestrial intelligence, says physicist.
The Causes and Consequences of BC’s Private School Growth
It’s fuelled by social and cultural anxieties. And the impacts are considerable.
Hurricane Matthew Deals Haiti Its Worst Blow
Time for Canada to come up with new, better ways to help devastated country.
The First Time Victoria Fired the Vancouver School Board
Recalling the day in May 1985 that ended board autonomy in BC.
How Nazi Germany Fought a War on Drugs
‘Blitzed’ reveals how meth almost led to German victory — and doomed Hitler.
Stunting: The Silent Global Disaster
When 25 per cent of world’s children are malnourished, we are all affected.
Christy Clark: Just Another Fool ‘Who Tried to Hustle the East’?
Book chronicling the sad fates of those who sought riches in Asia offers LNG lessons.
Why Barack Obama Should Lead WHO, And Why He Won’t
World Health Organization needs a leader to battle for resources, make tough choices.
Carfentanil: The Drug War Goes Nuclear
Escalating drug risks for users, first responders mean it’s time to legalize cocaine, heroin.
Choosing Alternate Futures for Public Education
The trick isn’t to anticipate an inevitable fate, but to prepare students for a totally surprising one.
What East Van’s Schools Can Teach Us
Author looks at what helps students learn – and what doesn’t work.
What’s All the Fuss about Proxima B?
A newfound, ‘earth-type’ planet may seem thrilling. But interstellar colonization isn’t such a, well, stellar prospect.
What Might We Teach Kids Like Omran Daqneesh?
And what might they teach us, if we welcomed them to Canada with open arms?
Yemen’s War: A Test for Canada, and We’re Flunking
Another hospital bombed, more civilians killed. How long will we tolerate it?
Where Did Our Rage Over Syria’s Catastrophe Go?
Whether we lost interest early or late, the civil war has brutalized us as well as the combatants.
How Rich or Poor Are You, Really?
Especially relative to the wealth or poverty of others? Here’s a useful reality check.
‘Listen, Liberal’: How the Democrats Deserted the Working Class
US political analyst Thomas Frank’s new book is a master class on the master class.
Anthrax in Siberia: A Warning for Canada
Outbreak in a gas-dependent, climate-changing region is worth paying attention to.
Why Is Canada #1 in PTSD?
So long as we ignore the dubious honour, we betray those tasked with protecting us.
A Coup against President Trump? More Likely a Coup by Him
Ever heard of an ‘autogolpe’? Now is a good time to brush up.
Who Knew the Nordics Were Individualist Romantics?
Anu Partanen’s new book challenges ‘socialist nanny state’ stereotypes of her native Finland, and its neighbours.
'White Trash': A Chronicle of Deaths Foretold
New book shows how America's class and race attitudes were shaped in the country's earliest days.
How 'Fire Ice' Could Burn Christy Clark
How a discovery in South China Sea fuels further doubt around BC's stalled natural gas dreams.
'The Mandibles': A Utopia Running on the Gold Standard
On Lionel Shriver's witty new novel, an anatomy of 21st-century economics.
Vancouver Island Our 11th Province? Why Stop There?
BC's own Brexit? Likely not. Still, secession movements tell us something about the regional mood.
Cholera in Haiti: A True-Crime Medical Thriller
Book exposes international effort to hide the truth -- UN camp was responsible for outbreak that has killed thousands.
Lessons of a Forgotten Firestorm
Despite flaws, book on 1950 B.C.-Alberta mega-fire has useful lessons.
A Great Talent, at Great Risk
Will 'America's Got Talent' and ambition ruin a 13-year-old opera prodigy?
Dying to Save Taxpayer Dollars
How outsourcing hospital cleaning is costing lives in BC, laid bare in book.
The Wildest West of Them All
Seller of violent spectacle, Hollywood hides its own dark frontier past.
Fort McMurray's Communist Moment
The wildfire sparked a crisis that, for a time at least, burned anti-social attitudes to ashes.
Cancel Rio's Olympics Over Zika? Not Likely
Expert Amir Attaran makes a logical case to move the Games. But it won't work.
Rebuilding Fort Mac, and Our Energy Economy
The transition will come sooner or later. Let's make it sooner.
Fort McMurray's Fire Teaches Us a Lesson
Hope that your city reacts like this when disasters come its way.
Who Wins as Endless Shortfalls Destroy Public Education?
Why the same budget dramas play out BC-wide each spring.
Let's Ditch the Olympics, and FIFA Too
Big Sports have become grotesque parasites on every country, from rich to poor.
Justin Trudeau: Just Another Quantum Politician?
Like many other world leaders, PM shows how to be true and false at the same time.
A New Democratic… Pirate Party?
Another northern country shows how NDP might create a new future for itself. Really.
My Advice to NDP: Look Before You Leap. Then Leap
And don't let Canada's punditariat restrict or stifle your debate.
The Man Who Foretold the Panama Papers
Thomas Piketty noted years ago the world is losing money. Now we may know why.
Why Pandemics Are Our Own Damn Fault
A review of Sonia Shah's brilliant new book on 21st century disease threats we all face.
Cut Admin to Save School Costs? How Original, Premier
It's an argument I first heard as a trustee 35 years ago. And it's wrong.
Trust the Free Market, They Say. But What about the Idiot Market?
Look around -- our stupid choices make 'market wisdom' a bad joke.
Reflecting on Obama in Havana
Many have admired the images of Air Force One descending over Cuba. They fill me with dread.
Bombing Hospitals Is a War Crime, Even When Your Friends Do It
Don't let our government be selective about who it criticizes.
What BC Women Should Be on Canadian Banknotes?
Try these nominees, who made our country a better place on their own terms.
The Depression-Era Novel That Saw Trump Coming
Eighty years on, 'It Can't Happen Here' skewers America's new political climate.
How Alexander Hamilton Bet against Canada's Colonial Economics
New book chronicles policy that made (and unmade) our modern world.
Zika and Microcephaly: The Race to Find the Link
Latin American outbreak a fascinating study in the 'online global immune system.'
Zika Threat: Our Chance to Confront Mosquito-Borne Illness
Global counter-offensive will also fight dengue, chikungunya and other fetal deformities.
Memo to Governments: Put More Fat in Your Budgets
Closed schools and ever-tightening belts only cost us later.
Hey Finland! Canada Tried Guaranteed Income Once, and It Worked
Our 1970s social experiment proved a tonic for unhealthy inequality. Let's hope it spreads.
Cut-and-Paste Genes? Erm, Is that a Good Idea?
Contemplating the hopes and hazards of a crazy breakthrough called CRISPR.
We Need to Talk About Saudi Arabia
Canadians may decry its executions and power moves, but we're locked in an alliance.
How New Dems Can Outsmart Liberals in 2016
Not by moving further left, but by moving ahead (where they've usually been).
Travelling Somewhere Warm This Winter? Know These Diseases
Not to rain on your holiday parade or anything.
A Better Force Awakens
Far, far away from the Star Wars racket, a science fiction renaissance takes flight.
Leaving Harperland: The Year in Nonfiction
Class war, killer inequality, and more political horror stories for post-Harper Canada.
The Silent Epidemic Killing White American Women
Momentous new report (and its critics) offer insight into inequality's fatal effects.
Bill Bennett: A Man Ahead of His Time
For good or ill, BC's 27th premier shaped this province as much as his father did.
What History Teaches Us about the Islamic State
The death cult's 13th-century origin story sheds grim light on mounting strikes in Syria.
Five Things We Already Know About the Paris Attacks (and Ourselves)
Even in this early stage, we can draw conclusions.
Remembering How Little We Understand PTSD
A disease by many names throughout history, we still fail to recognize the pain.
Some Kindly Advice for Conservatives
Ponder your loss. Search your souls. Perhaps even hear an adversary's view?
What Voters Told Burnaby North-Seymour Candidates
A new riding reflecting a polarized country, the race mirrored national shifts.
In 'Common Ground', Justin Trudeau Reveals His Education
Our young PM's book is a Bildungsroman. And it deserves our close attention.
No, Tories Didn't Lose Because of 'Harper Derangement Syndrome'
Memo to pundits: if you can't fathom defeat over policies, seek help!
Nine Urgent Post-Harper Challenges
Surveying hazards and opportunities across our upended political landscape.
The Long, Long Ego Trip of Stephen Harper
A one-man show from fringe to power. Our underestimation only fuelled his contempt.
Remember When America Doubted Capitalism?
Steve Fraser does. Historian retrieves lessons from our class war memory hole. NDP take note.
Scenes from Burnaby North-Seymour's Final Election Sprint
Who will take this contested new riding? Tyee inspects candidate offices for clues.
A Demographic Cure for Fact-Free Politics
How can reality-based voters counter increasingly truth-averse politicians? Here's one idea.
Let's Call Gun Violence What It Is: A Public Health Disaster
If a disease killed 30,000 a year in one country, you'd expect a travel warning. Not in America.
What Martian Dreams Tell Us about Our Moment in History
Life on a frozen rustball will never match our recurring visions of conquest.
What 'World's Most Generous Refugee Program' Could Mean
Step one: nationalize tourism. Step two: remake society.
The Lifelong Journey of Ji Won Park
Her agile mind defies injury, 13 years after a senseless attack.
Behind Alan Kurdi, 70 Million More Refugees
A little boy's death forces us to confront a mass tragedy, far beyond Syria's borders.
The Refugees: Canada's Opportunity of the Century
By accepting the desperate we do our nation's future a favour.
Atoning for Alan Kurdi
We could've been his haven. Instead, his family's hopes ended in the sea off Bodrum.
Reactionary Hero Stephen Harper Is 'What's Happened to Politics'
Bob Rae's agreeable new book misses a deeper ideological shift.
Carol Baird Ellan: Judging the Harper Decade
NDP frontrunner swaps courthouse for Burnaby North-Seymour doorsteps.
Mike Little Harnesses North Shore Advantage in New Cross-Inlet Riding
Up against three strong candidates, Seymour native rolls out cautious campaign.
The Worst-Case Scenario for a Mulcair Government
Should voters launch NDP to victory on Oct. 19, some not-so-fun realities await.
Lynne Quarmby, Evidence-Based Candidate
Kinder Morgan opponent and SFU researcher takes up science of public office.
Meet Terry Beech: Tech CEO Turned Political Upstart
Young Liberal vies to win middle ground between Conservative North Shore and NDP Burnaby.
Burnaby North-Seymour: Canada's Perilously Tight Four-way Race
We should take this new riding seriously; all four parties certainly have.
Matthew 6 Has Some Words for Harper's Tories
It's one of the most anti-Conservative chapters in the Bible. So why did Nigel Wright cite it?
Canadians Take Note: Left Populism Is Rising Up
From Europe to Uruguay, inequality crusaders yank discourse from neoliberals.
What Mulcair's Pre-election Autobiography Doesn't Say
No mention of JT? And more telling takeaways from 'Strength of Conviction.'
In 2100, Will Canada's 50 Million Be a Force for Good?
With courageous leadership, we could offer the world 50 million solutions.
Schools for Disaster: Rethinking Endless Growth in Education
Latest climate models demand hard lessons in megadrought, upheaval and more.
Why Canada Needs a Radically Changed World Health Organization
We took hits from SARS and swine flu. Will leaders ignore warnings again?
Dear Obama and Putin, Read this Book
Roosevelt, Stalin and the unlikely friendship that won the Second World War.
Save Thy Planet: The Gospel According to Francis
On climate change, pope's radical directive excites beyond the Church.
The Wisdom of Evan Solomon
Host's departure a chance for our national broadcaster to save its institutional soul.
Scientists Call for Moratorium on New Oilsands Development
Consensus not an attack on Alberta, but an argument for 'Plan B,' signatories say.
Libertarian? You Belong on the Left
Watch out, freedom lovers! Conservatives will build the biggest police state they can.
After Ebola, WHO Launches New Outbreak Workforce
‘Good cop, bad cop’ approach brings global health into the 21st century.
Omar Khadr, a Scapegoat and All-Purpose Enemy
Harsh treatment echoes Dreyfus persecution more than a century ago.
What the Court Said, and What It Means for BC Schools
Premier Clark says decision 'put disputes behind us.' Don't count on it.
What's Next for Canada if Tories Lose Election?
Suggested steps to restore the nation to its pre-Harper glory.
PM Spawns Literary Genre: The Political Horror Story
Brooke Jeffrey's book adds to 'Harperlit' canon.
Counting the Costs of the Mediterranean Migrants
Over 3,000 perished in 2014, and this year's numbers already show horrific spike.
Agenda for a New BC Education Commission
After protracted strife and school strikes, a blueprint for some blue-sky thinking.
Harper's North Van Appearance: Boring for a Reason
As is often the case, the nonverbal content of the event was the important part.
With Bill 11, BC's School Wars Keep on Raging
The decades-old feud continues, thanks to BC Libs' tribal disdain for teachers.
Education Ministry Launches GERM Warfare on BC Schools
With Bill 11, BC Liberals continue to infect classrooms with corporate philosophy.
Are Dystopian Heroines Agents for Change?
'Divergent' generation of female protagonists seek escape, not solutions.
How Harper Turned Canada into a Rogue State
As economy stumbles, our self-styled wartime prime minister bets on fear.
Yet Another Case for Universal Pharmacare
We're paying more than we need to, new study finds. Now, who'll make this an election issue?
Fifteen Problems I Wish BC Had
Sockeye return exhausts fishers! Eager electorate tramples voting booths! Add your own wishful woes.
Why Are 'Our Kids' Drawn to Battles Abroad?
From Bolshevik Revolution to present-day war in Syria, the young have flocked to epic ideological struggles.
Canada's Forgotten Law on Free, Universal Higher Ed
Wallowing in student debt? You've been robbed. Twice.
Stockholm's Transit Expansion: Big Plans, Few Complaints
Swedes don't need plebiscite to build new subway lines.
The Anti-Vaccine Prof: Are Her Views Dangerously Infectious?
Why Queen's U. shouldn't fire Melody Torcolacci.
Is Canada Ripe for a Syriza Movement?
Our cautious left-of-centre parties could learn a thing or two from bold Greek coalition.
Can We Regain Economic Equality?
That is, without a major coup or popular revolt? Last of two on the Oxfam wealth report.
How Inequality Became the Status Quo
Disparity isn't the result of natural evolution; it was engineered over decades. First of two on the Oxfam wealth report.
A History of the World According to Beer
Crack a cold one along with this new brewography by the Wall Street Journal's beer critic.
Wait, He Said What?
Should academic freedom protect a professor who says immigrants have damaged Vancouver?
Julian Fantino: Good Soldier in a Bad Cause
Turfed after 18 embarrassing months, the veterans’ minister was merely following his commander’s orders.
What If We Made 2015 the Year of Poking Fun at Conservatives?
For a change of pace, let's lose the solemnity and hurl zingers at our leaders.
The Smartest Kids in the World, and What They Can Teach Us
A journalist's look at three different systems producing remarkable results.
Ten Enjoyable Offbeat Novels of 2014
The year's best in 'disapproved' genres like science fiction, fantasy and thrillers.
Ready to Confront the Greatest Mass Migrations in History?
Pulled by money, pushed by climate, a quarter-billion people now leave home every year.
When Will Bankers Take Inequality Seriously?
TD Economics pondered the trend, and just couldn't get too worked up.
In Era of Cuts, a Little CBC Nostalgia
The damage is hard to assess if we can't remember what an extraordinary public broadcaster it once was.
Space, the Final Playland for the Rich
How many more will die building a billionaire's sky ride for One Percenters?
Ebolanoia: The Plague that's Sweeping America
No vaccine, no cure for a mental disease you give yourself.
'Party of One': An Indictment of Stephen Harper
Seeking a record of eight years of deliberate misrule? This is your book.
Don't Overreact, Don't Degrade Our Democracy
We can't let this week's attacks turn Canada into a garrison state.
A Visit to One of Finland's Famously Successful Schools
Monday morning in a Helsinki Grade 6 classroom.
Who'd Be a School Trustee in 2014?
And what exactly do they do today? A look at the whittling down of a once noble role.
Our Best Shot at Fighting Ebola
Put simply, we can no longer afford to let the virus decimate West Africa's health care and economy.
ISIS Threat: Let's Refuse to Be Scared
Canada's response in Iraq will be 'noble,' Harper says. What should that mean?
'Bootstrapper' Bias May Blind Clark's Team to Teachers' Case
The two cultures of BC education politics, explained.
What's Really Locking BC's Schools Shut
Huge stakes for each side make a perfect stalemate. With a Tyee interview with BCTF president Jim Iker.
Fassbender's Three Steps to a Settlement, Translated
Untangling Wednesday's statements on how to 'clear the way' back to school.
What's Jamming Teacher Bargaining?
Sources say Clark gov't insists on clauses insulating it from another Supreme Court loss.
Want a 10-Year School Deal, BC Liberals? Try These Terms
Europe's ambitious education strategy is no summer daydream.
Why Does Canada Fight?
Military historian Gwynne Dyer on how an imperial con game set our course for a century.
Two Canadian Rogues in the Spanish Civil War
Bethune fought with his blood bank; Liversedge, his everyman scrappiness. Two gripping reads.
Depression: Gazing Into the Abyss with Robin Williams
Actor's shocking passing reminds that darkness so often limns talent.
Christy Clark's Forty Bucks a Day Zombie Tactic
Why it revives the all but dead school voucher idea, and why conservatives love it.
Ebola Outbreak: This Is Just the Prequel
Pay attention, for West Africa's crisis is the first of many we'll have to deal with.
Rise Up from Science Fiction Monoculture!
Tired of games, thrones and rings? This crop of science fiction eats Tolkien rip-offs for breakfast.
As Global Borders Shift, a Study of Our Own
Canada's borders, set by imperialists, need a 21st century redraw. Get out your pen!
Syrian Refugees: Is None Too Many?
What does it say that Harper's government is willing to pay to liberate a mere 200 souls?
For Viruses, Air Travel Ushers in a Golden Age
Like SARS and H5N1, 'chikungunya' won't be the last world-touring outbreak.
Regaining Respect for Education
Time to revisit and rethink just why we are subsidizing private schools.
How MERS Could Topple the House of Saud, and Beyond
It's not the virus alone, but how Gulf rulers have handled it, that's a threat.
Why Edward Snowden Chose Glenn Greenwald
Former Guardian journalist reveals how he netted the news story of a decade.
Dark Days for Our Universities
Dr. Buckingham's censure only confirms the long, tragic decline of Canadian academic culture.
My Old Sci-Fi Novel Is Coming True
Collapsing Antarctic ice sheet? Just another global warming story. Also one I wrote decades ago.
The Blacklisting of Tom Flanagan
Conservative pundit reflects on the child porn remark that turned his world against him.
Warning: Child Poverty Is Hazardous to Our Health
Not one of our kids is disposable, yet we keep them brain-damagingly poor.
Students' Dreams Must Now Be 'Data-driven'
That's premier's message as BC higher ed becomes a wholly owned subsidiary of big business.
On Capitalism, We Are All Pikettists Now
Inequality has always been a rigged game, economist argues in explosive new book.
Social Media, Roman Style
With 'Atimetus got me pregnant,' they invented the tweet. And it took off from there.
Shamed by 'Barbarians,' China Leaps Forward
New history follows the country's fascinating search for wealth and power.
Jim Flaherty Departs the Stage
Former finance minister was a damn good political showman, and a friend to many.
News of Guinea Outbreak Should've Gone Viral
Global health community must intervene to help citizens of developing nations get the message.
Harper's Dilbert-Inspired Management Style
From the start, I suspect Catbert has guided our PM's hirings and firings.
When Your Neighbours May Be Hazardous to Your Health
Sure, disdain 'anti-vaxxers,' but the issue is more complex than it seems.
BC's Private School Boom
Aided by millions of taxpayer's dollars, a two-tiered education system has taken root.
'Fukushima: The Story of a Nuclear Disaster'
New book explains Fukushima in tragic detail, highlighting need for a major industry overhaul.
'Dromocracy' Now: When the Streets Take Over
Neither left nor right, dromocrats feel sold out by whoever's in power. And they're rising up.
The Lonely Planet Hunters
Writer Lee Billings chronicles the revolutionary search for life among the stars.
Legalizing All Drugs: What If Mexico's Ex-Prez Is Right?
Vicente Fox's plea follows a hopelessly failed war on drugs.
Three Dystopic Novels for Unpleasant Times
Great new fictions that force us to examine our rather alarming present.
Dumb Classrooms
Immovable desks. Full frontal teaching. And other doltish design traits of our slow-to-learn schools.
Global Tourism's Less-Than-Scenic Explosion
'Overbooked' traces the growth of our planet as theme park, staffed by slaves.
Enough, BC Libs! Quit Making Up the School Rules
The law's the law, and our education system is not a game of Calvinball.
Why Clark Refuses to Hear What Supreme Court Tells Her (Twice)
Teacher-bashing Liberals remain hellbent on gaming the political system.
Will Foreign Students Deem Canadian Schools a Scam?
Ottawa's plan to entice more int'l scholars promises more than it can deliver.
What Went Wrong in Afghanistan
Reporter Graeme Smith shows us why Canada has much to be embarrassed about.
How Smaller, Off-Coast Quakes Could Badly Shake BC
New geological study shows it's not just the Big One that matters.
How We Lost the Second World War
On Europe's 'Savage Continent,' Putin's persecutions are just one sign lessons weren't learned.
Four Who Changed the System from Within
'Strange Rebels' club of 1979: Deng Xiaoping, Ayatollah Khomeini, Pope John Paul II, Margaret Thatcher.
MERS and H7N9: A Tale of Two Outbreaks
When medical malpractice, in the guise of politics, is carried out on a global scale.
Nuclear Weapons: Forgotten, But Not Gone
'Command and Control' details the explosive near-misses that almost devastated the world.
The Common Decency of Nelson Mandela
Oppressed for so long, he saw that retribution was pointless. And a prisoner became a saviour.
Why Global Learning Scores Matter, and Why They Don't
Rebels like Finland don't much care about OECD's student rankings. And that's a good thing.
What, Harper Save Face? Not with That Base
No way he'll step down over the Duffy affair. Among his ilk, honour is for chumps.
As Good a Shot as Oswald
Rifle in hand, I heard Kennedy was murdered. Suddenly the map no longer fit the terrain. Somehow it led to Canada.
Resuscitating the NDP: The Jack Layton Saga
Without him the New Dems might now be a Canadian nostalgia item, finds this insider account.
Stephen Harper: The Self-Unmade Man
Paul Wells portrays PM as author of his own misfortunes. But how far will they go?
Harper's Seven-Year War on Science
Chris Turner's treatise on Tory anti-empiricism should spark outrage. But those in power won't see it.
The Cohen Report, One Year Later
Advocates wonder if pricy probe into 2009 Fraser River salmon collapse has been washed out.
Duffy Bomb Raises Question: What Was Harper Thinking?
Senator revolt only the latest in people and policies that went south for PM.
The Finnish Education of Tim Walker
An American teacher abroad discovers how a truly egalitarian school system works.
'Shopping For Votes': A New Manual for Power Seekers
Susan Delacourt chronicles the turn of Canada's political leaders into panderers.
Anthropocene Now! Two Projections of Global Warming
Two tough yet optimistic looks at our world, 35 and 100,000 years from today.
A Surveillance State Born in Ground Zero's Rubble
The least-recognized casualties of 9-11 are the democratic institutions of the US and its allies.
Life On Mars? No, Thanks!
A reality check for the 7,000 Canadians considering extraterrestrial living.
Do We Need a Phonetic English Alphabet?
A better system could help students soar to academic success.
Open-Source Tech: A New Industrial Revolution?
These days, workers of the world unite online to create the latest genius goods.
A Homecoming for Ji Won Park
Still on the road to recovery following a vicious assault, she'll reunite with family in Korea after 12 long years.
To Grow BC's Economy, First Grow Schools
Memo to the 'jobs' premier: a strong education system boosts wealth, not the reverse.
Show Canadian Parties Who's Boss
Voters, think yourselves employers, and would-be politicos your job seekers. Give 'em hell.
What Comes after Capitalism?
New book offers compelling look at what got us here, but few answers on how to move beyond.
Required Reading for Aspiring Whistleblowers
'1984' and 'Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire' offer insight into Edward Snowden's plight.
In Sointula, Survival of the Finnish
North Island town looks to colourful past as it re-imagines the future.
Corporal Horton Versus the Harper Government
One Mountie's attempt to get to the bottom of the Mike Duffy scandal.
Don't Feed the 'Self-Radicalized'
So Nuttall and Korody were 'inspired by al-Qaeda.' Here's what's really scary about that.
Why Edward Snowden Doesn't Matter in the NSA Debate
Let's forget the man and focus on his message instead.
Medgar Evers and My Civil Rights Summer of '63
An activist murdered, and America roiling, I sought refuge in the army.
How the Online World Is Fighting the Next Pandemic
Viral faces virtual, as web community battles H7N9 and MERS.
The Conservative Party of Canada as Performance Art
The great satirists running our government continue the joke with Mike Duffy's implosion.
Can a New Dem Win in North Vancouver-Seymour?
It would mean a major upset in a Liberal bastion. Why is NDP candidate Jim Hanson optimistic?
BC Election 2013: The Declaration of Independents
Without a hope of holding party power why would anyone run solo?
BC's Fish Farm Falling out, Explained
The debate, focus of international attention, is front and centre this election.
H7N9: When a New Virus Goes Viral
Major test of web-based warning system that's built up since SARS.
How Finland Schools BC in Education
Lessons for teachers in its approach, where students are taught to be citizens, not consumers.
The Disaster that Made the Modern World
Two centuries later, with our changing climate, Tambora's power still haunts us.
China's Global Embrace
'Restless Empire' traces rise from hermit kingdom to world straddling dynamo.
What Preston Manning Didn't Say
Coded in his speech was a message directed straight to Stephen Harper.
The Elements of BC Liberal Style
Upon study, the language of the ethnic outreach memo tells us much about the party's inner mind.
Sic Transit Flanagan
Former Tory advisor's comments about child porn viewers triggered his fall from grace. What's behind such an error?
War and the Dual-Citizen Soldier
Why Bill C-425 deserves far more scrutiny than media have given it.
Why We Still Need to Think about Bird Flu
To stop a truly fearful virus both 'smart' and fatal, we must remain vigilant.
Is Robert Fisk Today's Orwell?
His thundering rebuke to news media as usual riveted a Vancouver audience.
Finland's Super Kids
Why are they smartest in the world? Actually their school system is what's super, and BC could learn a thing a two.
Media Elders Fail Us by Sneering at Idle No More
This could be a learning moment but Canada's ossified pundits aren't really about that.
The Haiti that Canada Decided to Freeze
Three years after quake, in-depth accounts show aid disastrously handled.
The Higher World of the Plutocrats
They fund our politics, shape our societies, outsource our jobs. Chrystia Freeland figured someone should talk to them.
Idea #6: Assess the Public Health Impact of New Laws
How many Canadian lives are sacrificed with every policy decision? Sixth in a series.
Confronting the American Gun Addiction
As a teacher I had to think about how I'd deal with a crazed shooter in my classroom.
Can't Call Canada's Conservatives Overeducated
High in the ruling party there's no abundance of higher ed credentials. Does it matter?
Justin Trudeau, Withdraw Your Apology!
Don't let media hypocrites make you pull your punches on 'the Albertans.' Swing away!
The Lessons of Dave Barrett
This could be the best book ever written about BC politics, and arrives just in time.
The Canadian Way of War
Robert Citino's 'The Wehrmacht Retreats' makes a powerful case for war as an expression of national culture.
How a Dyslexic Student Could Change Canada's Schools
Moore vs. BC will have big effects, but only if we understand the binds North Van trustees faced.
Stockholm: Vancouver Done Right?
From transit to housing, which is the true cleanest, greenest city? A tour of Sweden's capital.
Wild Salmon Advocates Cheer Cohen Commission Report
NDP's Donnelly, Alexandra Morton, farmers and more weigh in on 75 recommendations to protect the fish.
Ed Broadbent: Wealth Gap Is a Health Hazard for Rich, Too
Backed by new report, former NDP leader stumps for good things more equality brings.
The Case for Free Post-Secondary Tuition
Student debt hurts everyone's bottom line. Why we should heed new demands from Quebec.
The $879,000 Reason to Stay in School
Dropping out concerns more than loved ones. This painful calculation shows your wallet suffers, too.
Mark Twain on Waterboarding
And more premonitions of imperial America from Samuel Clemens and Theodore Roosevelt.
Needed: A Business Plan for International Students
New report urges Canada make a big leap into educating foreigners. First, fill large holes.
How to Enjoy the Dog Days
Watching a dog in summer is to attend a seminar in savouring life. Photo essay by Tyee readers.
Which Canadian Nation Is Yours?
A historian divides us into six distinct cultural zones, from 'Yankeedom' to 'Left Coast'.
Nineteen-Seventy-Six Earthquake Shook Loose Today's Mighty China
James Palmers' 'Heaven Cracks, Earth Shakes' reveals a seismic shift in global economic fortunes.
Ayn Rand's Weird Creed No Longer a Joke
Tea Partiers, lululemon and Wildrose's Danielle Smith all are fans. What gives?
Where Are the Statues of Captain Richards?
The unheralded Brit explorer left names all around Vancouver Island. Except his own.
Intelligence and Stupidity in the FBI
Tim Weiner's 'Enemies' chronicles the fumbling agency Hoover built and 40 years of consequences.
Quebec Student Leaders to Speak in Vancouver
'Lessons from the front lines' topic of Tuesday event backed by labour and student groups.
Six Diseases You Don't Know Enough About
TYEE LIST #16: Why wait for illness to reach you? Health is now a global fight.
'The End of Growth'… and Then What?
Two books with same title by Heinberg and Rubin raise a daunting political question.
Ray Bradbury: The Martian Chronicler
Why his fantastical stories were useful for honing a generation's BS detectors.
The Resilience of Ji Won Park
Ten years after barely surviving an attack, she readies to visit her homeland of Korea.
How Our Immune Systems Exaggerate Fear
UBC prof Mark Schaller explains why humans turn hostile when sensitized to illness.
Will Quebec's Students Emulate Chile's?
Led by a radical, what started as a tuition fight united thousands more aggrieved Chileans.
Five Disasters to Befall BC
TYEE LIST #12: Earthquakes, pandemics, solar flares; a calamitous pall hangs over our province.
Saving the Conservative Soul
As Harper's toxic rule erodes our democracy, it's time for the right to recall its vintage values.
Tony Judt's Last Act: Sounding the Alarm
Brilliant historian's final book reminds us 'democracies corrode quite fast.'
Ten Novels Every Aspiring Writer Should Read
TYEE LIST #9: Put down that pen and curl up with these giants.
Canada's Five Worst Poets: Are You Number Six?
TYEE LIST #7: C'mon, show us you can write verse that's even worse!
Higher Ed: Time to Rethink, and Shrink?
Debates over funding should prompt debate about whether diplomas are good value for the money.
My Turn in the Scanner
After a stroke, I found myself embedded in BC's strained healthcare system. A report from the front lines.
The Rise of 'New English'
A new grammar order is dawning. Plus 10 ways to tell if you speak the language.
Make It the Canadian Webcasting Corporation
That's my proposal. Beat the inevitable by turning the CBC into the CWC.
Have We Created an Incurable TB?
Report from India suggests so. Can we ever trounce the mutant bacteria?
The Forgotten Prophets of the Occupiers
A fascinating Canadian book urges 'political action for the 99%.' It was written in 1943.
Peter C. Newman's Politics as Soap Opera
'The Death of Liberal Canada' is more about a dying way of (over) writing.
The Must Read on BC Schools You Won't Like
UVic historian of education paints a bleak political picture, and blames all sides.
The 10 Most Underreported Health Stories of 2011
Sickening inequality, climbing cholera, drug resistant bugs, and more.
Idea #4: First Work, Then University
Imagine a Canadian Services Corps that prepares young people for higher ed.
Chuck Davis's Farewell Gift to Vancouver
His final magnum opus dives into the historical wrinkles and folds that make the city unique.
Attawapiskat: Haiti at 40 Below Zero
New media made us look. Now let's put fixing this 'state of emergency' into context.
Bloggers Wrestle with Occupiers
Anonymous, averse to ideological categories, the movement gives the blogosphere fits.
The Enduring Politics of Smallpox
The 1898 outbreak gave us Big Pharma and vaccine deniers, pitting public health against personal choice.
Occupy Movement: After the Tents, Water Cannons?
What Chilean student leader Camila Vallejo can teach occupiers in New York, Vancouver and elsewhere.
'The Fog of War'
Media censorship was rampant during wartime Canada, reveals new book. Has conflict reporting changed?
BC's Education Feuds: The Last 30 Years
Three decades of slashed funding and 'disrespect' means no recess for teacher-government dissent. Last of two.
Time For a Lesson in BC's Education Feuds
Tension between teachers and government isn't new: it took a half-century for all to learn their roles. First of two.
The Redemption of Norman Bethune
New book reveals a brawler, boozer and womanizer who bravely saved many a life.
To Rule, It Helps to Be Crazy
Startling new book linking leadership to mental illness suggests being too well balanced may be dangerous.
Is Going to College Worth It?
The Economist magazine is latest to fret that post-secondary education is next bubble to burst.
Oh to Be Young, Conservative and Victim of Liberal Tyranny
Meet Ben Shapiro, who says he's blacklisted by Hollywood.
Everyone's a Looter in the London Riots
Whether driven by criminality or something more, we'll all take what we want from this riot.
Why Canada Needs a Foresight Party
Tired of bandaid politics? Imagine a party that puts proactivity first.
The Vietnam Battle that America Forgot to Heed
'Valley of Death: The Tragedy of Dien Bien Phu' chronicles a war foretold.
Sleeping Around with Evil
The American who climbed into bed with the Gestapo, and Soviet secret police.
How We Helped Pave Haiti's Road to Cholera Hell
Canada and the UN have committed public health malpractice on a very large scale.
Is a Virus Ravaging BC's Sockeye?
As pressure mounts to shine more light on the question, the politics get hotter.
Jiwon Park Fights to Get Her Voice Back
Attacked and severely injured nine years ago, her rehabilitation continues.
McQuaig: Inequality Bad for Health and Economy
'Trouble with Billionaires' author speaks today in Vancouver. A Tyee interview.
Timid Bureaucrats Can Be Lethal
Caution: Government embarrassment may be hazardous to your health. Epidemics prove it.
Mark Twain on an E-Reader
Reading this huge autobiography on a Kobo is a good way to ponder the future of books.
This Political Earthquake Is Inevitable
When, as 'Cascadia's Fault' portends, a mega-thrust quake rips BC to California, politicians will fall through cracks.
Ujjal Dosanjh, Bravest MP in Canada
He stood against Sikh extremism. He was beaten, threatened with murder. Now a terrorist group founder openly backs his Conservative opponent.
The Framing of Adrian Dix
Media hear him say big business should pay more taxes and brand him scary, hostile, a 'dour Stalinist.' What's going on here?
Van Island North: Voting Microcosm of BC
Meet the four candidates vying to represent a riding that, electorally, has it all.
The Tyee Guide to Strategic Voting 2011
A guide to the guides, in fact. Places to find info on how to make your vote carry the most weight.
Tom Flanagan's Playbook for Ultimate Harper Victory
Rule one: Fear works. And more Conservative battle strategy laid bare by an early architect.
PoliticianSpeak: Help Write the Dictionary
We offer this start of a handy guide just in time for a federal election. Please add your own definitions!
Shaky Coverage in Japan
The quake and nuclear risk were bad enough. Why did some media have to make it worse?
The Last Time We Had an Education Commission
Bold ideas, thwarted reforms: the unlearned lessons of the 1988 Sullivan Commission.
Fish o' the Future
Won't be salmon, bass, cod, or tuna. Learn to love tilapia, an aquaculture success.
Born Black in Victoria in 1862
A remarkable BC family's saga spans a century and a continent, sweeping, with Ida Gibbs, right up to the civil rights era.
'The Death of the Liberal Class'
Chris Hedges says liberalism is long gone in the US. Can it be resurrected?
Real Writers Tweet
Atwood does. So does Garcia Marquez. And a lot of top BC authors, too. How to find them.
The Fool's Protection of Nuclear Arms
Richard Rhodes' 'Twilight of the Bombs' says nukes are obsolete. So why keep them?
Give Us an Edge in the Global Brain Race
Idea: Attract the best foreign students by fast-tracking their Canadian citizenship.
Haiti's Misery, Our Disgrace
Port-au-Prince is still in ruins, cholera rages, the UN proves useless. We all stand indicted.
China's Great Leap into Disaster
Inside the archival records of Mao's push to industrialize, and the catastrophic toll.
Idea #5: A New Grub Street for Vancouver
And a real Tin Pan Alley, too. Let's act to foster scruffy zones of creativity.
A Visit with the Income Gap Doctor
The Spirit Level author Richard Wilkinson on how inequality hurts more than the poor, the wages of stress, and more.
How John Vaillant Caught a Tiger by the Tale
Want to know how to write a riveting story? Make your textbook 'The Tiger,' Vancouver author Vaillant's international bestseller.
Confused and Deflated: School Carbon Offsets Perplex Administrators
Educators with tight budgets wonder why money they must pay won't go to greening school facilities.
Pity the People in Richler's Embrace
What if Mordecai the Brilliant and many other writers had left their families and lovers in peace?
The Forgotten Lesson of Jan Bloch
His 19th century analysis proved big wars lead to bankruptcy and revolt. But Canada's little modern war has serious costs, too.
Who's Reporting on Haiti's Cholera?
That question asks: Who truly cares about the suffering island? And how democratic, really, is the web?
Why the Death of the Liberals Won't Matter
Or, a brief history of the many manifestations of the Business At All Costs Party in BC.
You're Not Wrong to Want to Be Swedish
Their economy hums along happily, beating ours, and (eeek!) it's a social democracy.
Who Cares If Some Planet Is Inhabitable?
Sorry, no one's moving to Gliese 581g. Why even imagine we're getting off this priceless planet?
Who Are BC's Best Neglected Writers?
Here are ten we think deserve closer and wider reading. Who would you add to the list?
BC's Literary World Online: Key Links
The Tyee's rough guide to digital resources for writers (and readers). Please add more!
Idea: Give School Boards Power to Improve Learning
Province could make them 'venture educators' with real money to spend on experiments.
Plagiarism for Beginners
Students, after reading this you can't blame Google for lulling you into copying other people's words.
Iconic Teddy, White Supremacist
History suggests Roosevelt created the template for American imperialism.
Genghis Khan, Feminist
When his sons ruined the empire, it was a woman who re-created Mongolia in the late 15th century.
'Native Youth Speak Out': A Series Funded by Tyee Readers
Jacqueline Windh pursued her quest to let First Nations kids speak about their lives, made possible by you who gave to The Tyee Fellowship Funds.
Democracy Died (Again) at G20 Toronto
Window breakers get jailed, peaceful protests get ignored, leaders do what they wish in secret, the rest of us are alienated. As intended.
Ho Hum, They're Rioting in Toronto
Much of the world media snoozed through the G20 clashes. Add your own links to good reporting below.
The CSIS Affair: What Were They Thinking?
Fadden evoked questions the CBC failed to ask. Like why he dropped his bombshell, and why now?
Ji Won Park: An Eloquence Beyond Words
Eight years after surviving assault, she remains blind, able to share a smile if no words. Her attacker is now free.
'The Best Blogger Ever'
I.F. Stone died as the Net was coming alive. Today's journalists should heed his prophecies.
Top Ten Gulf Oil Spill Sites
Are you already numbing to the nightmare? Or hungry to learn the worst? Where to go to understand the unfolding catastrophe.
'Murder City'
The violent horror of Ciudad Juarez. When Mexico's president visits Canada this week, will we be too polite to bring it up?
The 10 Most Harmful Novels for Aspiring Writers
Rand. Hemingway. Tolkein. Stay away if you know what's good for you!
BC's Biggest School District Faces Cuts as Enrolment Grows
Surrey's dilemma: buy a portable classroom or hire 1.5 teachers?
BC's Education Brownout
The province refuses to meet the true cost of sustaining our public schools, as a close analysis shows. We all will pay a price.
Europe's Shift from War Culture to Peace Culture
As Canada weighs its role in Afghanistan, author James Sheehan looks at Europe and asks, 'Where have all the soldiers gone?'
Attila the Hun, Tragic Hero?
Despite his bad rap as a dumb brute, the barbarian boss was the smartest gangster around.
David Frum: Saviour of North America?
Good luck to the Canadian émigré trying to rescue the Republicans.
You Can't Google Home Again
Using Google Street View, you can open your laptop and visit all your old neighbourhoods. Beware of heartbreak.
BC School Closures: A Cure Worse Than the Disease
The number shut by BC's Liberals is 176 and climbing, but here's why the savings will likely prove a mirage.
The Eubie Blake Economy
As aging boomers create an 'elder culture' they are redefining our society's spending priorities. For the better?
Idea #8: Voting Beyond Borders
We live in a post-geographical world. It's time to ditch the riding system and bridge the rural-urban divide.
Idea #4: Let's Make It a Hypergreen World
Drastic times call for drastic measures. It's time to go hypergreen.
The Explorer Far From Home
Peter Steele of the Yukon has led a remarkable life chronicling fellow adventurers. Time for a memoir?
On the Trail of the Yukon's Black Pioneers
A bit of sleuthing reveals a rich history of risk takers.
What Bird Flu Can Teach Us about Swine Flu
Secrecy and cultural bias are enemies. Information insures more survivors.
Looking Forward to Remembrance Day 2010
A refuge for soldiers recovering from post-traumatic stress syndrome is taking shape in Vancouver.
Want Cheap Tuition? Try Yukon College
Classes are small, and now it's a key outpost of climate change study.
How Good is the BC Pandemic Plan?
If swine flu hits hard here, what the province can and will do is sketchy. Read for yourself.
Did Young Barack Have a Ghostwriter?
Did an ex-Weatherman terrorist really write 'Dreams from My Father'? Dream on.
How the Media Blew the Flu
Hard-hit nations have vital stories to tell, but most Canadian reporting is local and sporadic.
The Coming Struggle over Swine Flu Vaccine
Only 40 per cent of BC health workers get flu vaccines, and many refuse.
'Human Smoke'
Who gassed Iraqi insurgents? Churchill. Author Nicholson Baker sets fire to revered icons of the WWII era.
'Good Luck BC': Morton's Cry of Despair
Marine researcher accepts voters 'chose' farmed salmon, sealing fate of wild stocks.
Making Democracy a Commons Insult
Question Period feels like watching schoolyard bullies scrap for status.
Jeff Rubin's Shrinking World
The GM bailout is 'investment in obsolescence,' oil has peaked, says a top bank economist.
Ji Won Stands and Walks
On her long recovery from a random assault, it's been two steps forward, one back.
Germs Winning in BC's Hospitals
Nasty infections are up steeply. Health workers, NDP blame Liberals.
'Running Against the System'
Some serious independent candidates explain why they've rejected BC's party politics.
Yuri's Invisible Wounds
Back from the Afghan war, a Canadian ex-soldier opens up about post-traumatic stress.
Caring for Vets' Diseases, Stress Could Cost Canada $11.5 Billion
The true price of fighting in Afghanistan. First of two articles.
Why BC Schools Are Always Short of Money
Study finds $135 million shortfall in funding, traces the source.
BC Teachers Take Pension Hit
Cuts could affect up to 100,000 retired and working, K through college.
The Freeing of Charles Mitchell
How a prisoner slave was liberated just by stepping onto Victoria soil.
Obamasphere: Coming to Canada?
Iggy take note: Obama's endless web campaign has reinvented politics.
Why BC's Credit Unions Aren't Melting Down
'We're more traditional,' says North Shore's CEO. Are you listening Wall Street?
Tyee's Blog Will Host Global Voices on US Election
How will world react? Check The Hook as people send dispatches from around the planet.
Will Crash Pry Canada's Wealth Divide Even Wider?
As rich got richer here, middle class bet big on their houses.
'Zoomer' Voters Wield Clout
Seniors' turnout is so high, some say, each carries weight of two younger eligible voters.
What the Debaters Didn't Say
Who cares about platforms or zingers? The real messages were non-verbal.
Blogs for Election Junkies
A rough guide to political sites in this season of elections, here and in the US.
North Island Dreams of Better Days
Its aging, shrinking population earns below the BC average. How to turn things around?
Ji Won Park May Yet Speak
Six years after a crippling assault, she's working to strengthen muscles, and better communicate.
Radical Finns Persevere off BC Coast
Started as a utopian colony, Sointula holds lessons for other resource towns.
Air India 182: New Questions
This week’s startling revelations raise new issues.
Little Hope for the Ugly Fish
From the Antarctic to Granville Island, the toothfish symbolizes the ocean's plight.
Giller Winner's Other Good Book
Surprise victory for Vincent Lam's 'Bloodletting' will also buoy his pandemic flu guide.
'Pandemonium' Details Our Plagues
Andrew Nikiforuk says we have only ourselves to blame for bird flu, mad cow disease and a host of other diseases.
Pierre Trudeau's Fascist Education
The future PM believed in coups until he escaped the church's grasp.
Innis Found Truth on the Edge
A great Canadian thinker's enduring insights on empires, propaganda, and war.
Up to Our Necks in Quick Books
A year after Hurricane Katrina, a hurried 'Deluge' joins a flash flood of instant tomes.
'Crossings' Rewrites Slave History
Simon Schama's book puts slavery at the centre of the War of Independence, with echoes across Canada.
The Visions of Ji Won Park
Four years after the attack, she draws and learns to speak.
A Disaster to Make Hurricane Katrina Look Miniscule
The past teaches an avian flu epidemic could claim tens of millions.
Why Is Higher Ed off the Election Radar?
If you have to ask what an education costs, you can't afford one.
The Education of Minister Chong
Maxed out tuition fees and a slew of other political tests face B.C.’s new minister of advanced education.
Jane Jacobs Jars Our Memories
For all our technical advances, says the noted thinker, we’re forgetting a lot of crucial stuff.
Iraq: Dyer's Consequences
The go it alone Bush doctrine, says a rock hard conservative, could bring us World War III.
Teachers and Trustees: Same Schools, Different Worlds
The two groups appear to have little in common as they struggle to meet education's complex challenges.
Lies the Movies Told Me
Films about writers are full of deceit, but films about underdogs offer writers a lesson that matters.
How to Be a Good Wife
In 1913, that is. 'Perpetual Honeymoon for the Vancouver Bride' told how. Part of a two-day series on marriage then and now.
Seared by 'Fahrenheit 9/11'
Michael Moore's roast of Bush left a North Vancouver audience energized.
A Condo in Vancouver: Escape from Empire?
Move over Chomsky. Author Chalmers Johnson accuses Americans of self-defeating imperialism, and calls B.C. a refuge.
How Bad Can a Flu Be?
Lethal to thousands is the answer. B.C.'s last pandemic proved that fear and denial are grave public health hazards
Today's Degree: Buyer Beware
Too many college students are spending a fortune on courses with no relevance to their future careers.
Our Top Politicians Are Web Wimps
What do Belinda Stronach, Stephen Harper, Paul Martin and Jack Layton have in common? No Net savvy.
Living Next Door to a Gun Culture
The PM may have the gun registry in his sights, but there is no political support for the American way of firearms. The body count is just too high.
As Good a Shot as Oswald
Rifle in hand, I heard Kennedy was murdered. Suddenly the map no longer fit the terrain. Somehow it led to Canada.
