Canada

Packed venues with lines stretched down the block. Smashed fundraising records, fuelled by small donors in every part of the country. And as excitement has grown, so have the attacks by the corporate media—from open hostility to studied erasure.

The Canadian left is in desperate need of a victory and a boost, and signs are emerging that one may be within reach: Avi Lewis’s campaign for the leadership of the federal NDP.

On the heels of the party’s recent collapse, it has a once-in-a-generation opportunity—not merely to recover lost ground, but to remake itself entirely. A revitalized NDP could inject bold climate, anti-war, and socialist policies into mainstream Canadian politics, super-charge the reach of social movements, and ensure a distinctly progressive electoral option roars back to relevance. There’s less than a week left to buy a party membership to help make that possible.

Imagine: instead of cautious politics most attuned to Ottawa pundits, the party could unapologetically champion the causes of movements, trade unions, and a multi-racial working class. Instead of a fixation on a leader’s personality and single-minded electoralism, it could broaden its focus to include year-round education and campaigning. And instead of top-down control by a consultant class that rotates between party headquarters and corporate lobbying firms, it could empower and unleash the energy of a grassroots base.

For the second time in a year, a former Calgary teacher, who is now in his 80s, is facing sexual assault charges dating back decades.

Court records show Fred Archer, 81, faces two new charges of sexual assault and sexual exploitation in relation to one male complainant between 1985 and 1986.

The latest charges come as a $15-million class-action lawsuit is in its final stages of settling for about 40 people who allege they were abused by Archer or another former teacher who worked at John Ware Junior High School.

Archer has already served a three-year prison sentence for sexually assaulting former students.

In January 2025, police announced five (more) criminal charges against Archer.

The offences included sexual assault, sexual interference and invitation to sexual touching from incidents alleged to have taken place at John Ware involving two 12-year-old students.

It was a moment of global clarity. Prime Minister Mark Carney’s speech to the world’s political and economic elite gathered in Davos this week described global realities, past and present, with a candour and nuance rarely heard from a serving politician.

The message was twofold.

First, Carney made clear that the world has changed, and the old comfortable ways of global politics are not coming back. Those who wait for sanity to return are waiting in vain. We are in a world increasingly shaped by the threat and the use of hard power. All states must accept that reality.

Despite this, Carney’s second and more hopeful message was that while the globally powerful may act unilaterally, others — notably “middle powers” like Canada — are not helpless.

By finding ways to co-operate on areas of shared interest, states like Canada can pool their limited resources to build what amounts to a flexible network of co-operative ties. Taken together they can provide an alternative to simply rolling over and taking whatever great powers like the United States dole out.

Archive: [ https://archive.is/hOoeb ]

First, in today’s decision, the CRTC approved a request to provide Canadians with more detailed data on the service providers, technologies, and speeds available in their area. This will make it easier for Canadians to compare options and make informed decisions, and will support future investments to improve connectivity across Canada.

Second, the CRTC is launching a public consultation to improve how cellphone coverage data is collected and reported. This will help service providers, governments, public safety organizations, and Canadians better identify where coverage is strong and where improvements are needed. These improvements will also make it more efficient for service providers to submit data. The CRTC is accepting comments until March 16, 2026.

cross-posted from: https://piefed.ca/c/world/p/468083/canada-lives-because-of-the-u-s-trump-says-while-jabbing-carney

U.S. President Donald Trump claimed Wednesday Canada owes its continued existence to the United States while calling out Prime Minister Mark Carney for delivering a speech that condemned coercion by great powers.

Speaking in Davos, Switzerland, where he made the case for a U.S. acquisition of Greenland, Trump said he needs the Danish territory for his proposed "golden dome," a missile defence system that could cover North America.

Trump said the dome will protect Canada due to geography and the country isn't grateful enough that such a system is in the works. Carney has been non-committal in the past about Canada participating in or paying for what Trump is floating.