Blogs

rabble blogs are the personal pages of some of Canada's most insightful progressive activists and commentators. All opinions belong to the writer; however, writers are expected to adhere to our guidelines. We welcome new bloggers -- contact us for details.
Blog - David Suzuki September 1
An oil well in Alberta. Image: taylorandayumi/Flickr
Old oil and gas wells find new life with renewable energy
David Suzuki | In most cases, it's best to restore well sites to more natural states. But, with roads, grid connections and infrastructure already in place, some can be converted to renewable energy operations.
Blog - Alberta Diary September 1
Dr. Deena Hinshaw at yesterday's COVID-19 daily briefing. Image: Screenshot of Alberta Government video
Order saying Alberta schools won't have to enforce social distancing lands like a sucker punch
David J. Climenhaga | Reaction to the revelation of the weekend order by Dr. Deena Hinshaw, Alberta's chief medical officer of health, was visceral.
Blog - On The Other Hand September 1
Biden gives a speech at the DNC. Image: Elvert Barnes/Flickr
A tale of two American political conventions: Democrats run on 'decency,' while Republicans tout 'law and order'
Penney Kome | Irony abounds in the U.S. presidential election campaign, especially the recent Democratic and Republican conventions.
Blog - Alberta Diary August 31
John A. Macdonald. Image: Wikimedia Commons
The only at-risk 'casualties' from the John A. Macdonald statue toppling are outraged Wexiters
David J. Climenhaga | Alberta separatists keen to depart from the rest of Canada were apparently horrified by the actions against the statue of this country's first prime minister.
Blog - The Journalism Doctor August 28
The Toronto Star building, photographed in 2010. (Image: petmutt/Flickr)
The revolt over race relations at the Toronto Star
John Miller | The majority of the Star newsroom publicly spoke out against columnist Rosie DiManno.
Blog - A change is gonna come August 28
Food prepared at Camp Samac. Image: Kelly O'Brien
Oshawa shelter program receives mixed responses
Doreen Nicoll | "Instead of instituting rent caps in a city where the average one-bedroom costs over $1,000 they're relying on private companies to build shelters," says DIRE executive director Christeen Thornton.
Blog - Cathy Crowe's blog August 27
Image: Cathy Crowe
City of Toronto excludes homeless shelters from mask policy
Cathy Crowe | The medical officer of health and mayor have authority to fast track efforts to protect the public and businesses during the pandemic. Then why not direct mask wearing in homeless shelters?
Blog - Brent Patterson August 27
Brian Grandbois at Unist'ot'en Camp. Image: Jeh Custerra/Facebook
Dene land defender Brian Grandbois and the struggle against the Cold Lake air force base
Brent Patterson | There's an inspiring history to be remembered of Dene Su'lene' land defenders opposing the Cold Lake air force base and weapons range on Treaty 6, Treaty 8 and Treaty 10 lands.
Blog - The Views Expressed August 27
Jorge Arreaza in 2017. Image: UN Geneva/Flickr
Venezuela's foreign minister slams Canadian actions
Bianca Mugyenyi | Jorge Arreaza spent an hour detailing Ottawa's bid to overthrow his government.
Blog - rabble.ca's staff blog August 26
Image: Needpix.com
We need a space to debate, report and seek out critical analysis on daily struggles
Brent Patterson | I'm thrilled that rabble is still here, working away to ensure stories of resistance make it to your feeds. Can you keep the stories coming by supporting rabble right now?
Blog - David Suzuki August 25
Image: Brian Yurasits/Unsplash
We are living in a plastic world
David Suzuki | The constant rush to exploit resources, burn fossil fuels and create disposable plastic products for the sake of short-term profits is putting all life and health at risk.
Blog - The Activist Toolkit Blog August 24
Image: Marco Verch/Flickr
A province-by-province look at returning to school during the COVID-19 pandemic
Maya Bhullar | Tools and updates to support teachers, students and administrative workers this September.
Blog - rabble.ca's staff blog August 22
Launching the search for the 2021 Jack Layton fellow
rabble staff | rabble.ca and the Institute for Change Leaders proudly announce the fourth annual search for a recipient of the Jack Layton Journalism for Change Fellowship.
Blog - The Views Expressed August 21
Image: Wikimedia Commons
The liberal-democratic West is on the brink of total collapse
Sunera Thobani | The Trump administration has made starkly visible overt white supremacy and a reformist racial liberalism. Both are, however, deeply intertwined within the global structure of racial-capitalism.
Blog - Taking Sides August 21
A protest against violence against women in Montreal in July, 2020 (Image: Mélodie Descoubes/Unsplash)
Violence against women: A plague within the pandemic, but not headline news
Sarah Macharia | A Statistics Canada survey found 10 per cent of Canadian women were "very or extremely concerned about the possibility of violence in the home," during the pandemic.
Blog - The Views Expressed August 21
Vancouver's Oppenheimer Park in 2019. Image: Paul Sableman/Flickr
It's more important than ever to show compassion and humanity to homeless people
Lisa Lacoste | "I see constantly in Toronto not a lack of concern about homelessness and income inequality, but a sweeping inability to acknowledge it."
Blog - A change is gonna come August 21
Image: Jake Nackos/Unsplash
Public-private partnerships de-democratize water
Doreen Nicoll | As part of the economic recovery from COVID, the federal Liberal government will likely rely on the Canada Infrastructure Bank and its mandate to form P3 agreements to minimize municipal debt.
Blog - The Views Expressed August 20
Image: Feliphe Schiarolli/Unsplash
B.C.'s back-to-school plan puts students, teachers at risk
Stacey Wakelin | The health and well-being of children is worth the time it takes to get this school year off to a safe start. Our communities depend on it.
Blog - Brent Patterson August 19
Chrystia Freeland in 2017. Image: Wikimedia Commons
Will the new finance minister redirect $19 billion from fighter jets to a gender-aware budget?
Brent Patterson | Chrystia Freeland has supported billions being spent on the military. Could the $1.2 trillion debt change that?
Blog - Alberta Diary August 19
Members of the Canadian parliamentary press gallery in their offices in Ottawa in 1916. Image: Wikimedia Commons
If Postmedia supports press gallery membership for the Rebel, why are Postmedia reporters still in the gallery in Ottawa?
David J. Climenhaga | Why do Postmedia's principles apply in Edmonton but not in Ottawa?
Blog - David Suzuki August 18
Image: American Public Power Association/Unsplash
True recovery means looking to the future, not the past
David Suzuki | Bailing out an industry that should have started winding down decades ago is no way to build societal resilience in the face of climate, biodiversity and health crises.
Blog - Alberta Diary August 18
Image: Lindsay Gibson/Twitter
UCP 'subject matter expert' appointee likely selected to insert colonial ideology back into Alberta's curriculum
David J. Climenhaga | Christian P. Champion's main qualification seems to be that his views on the use of history as a tool for shaping society are remarkably similar to Premier Jason Kenney's.
Blog - The Views Expressed August 18
OAS Secretary General Luis Almagro in 2018. Image: OEA - OAS/Flickr
Canada should withdraw from the U.S. interest-serving Organization of American States
Yves Engler | NDP and Green MPs have recently raised concerns over Canada's ties to OAS.
Blog - Alberta Diary August 17
Alberta minister Demetrios Nicolaides in April, 2020. Image: Demetrios Nicolaides​/Facebook
Online term paper writing service believes impersonator used Alberta minister's name and credentials
David J. Climenhaga | UnemployedProfessors.com says on its website that "we only hire current and former academics or graduate students who teach their own classes."
Blog - Brent Patterson August 14
Police on Haudenosaunee territory, July 2020. Image: Skyler Williams/Facebook
Six Nations land defenders criminalized by court injunctions for protecting ancestral lands
Brent Patterson | Lawyers and experts have repeatedly highlighted the skewed, ahistorical and colonial nature of court injunctions against Indigenous land defenders.
Blog - Alberta Diary August 14
Members of the Alberta legislature press gallery at work. Image: David J. Climenhaga
Postmedia makes a dubious case demanding right-wing website staff be allowed to join Alberta's press gallery
David J. Climenhaga | Postmedia proved that the Alberta press gallery is an anachronism, primarily serving as a gatekeeper for a couple of perks for favoured journalists.
Blog - The Views Expressed August 14
Image: Miguel Bruna/Unsplash
Progressives must overturn global capitalism before the next pandemic strikes
Ed Finn | Only if enough valiant and dedicated progressives rally behind a global campaign to dump capitalism in time to avert another pandemic will humankind survive.
Blog - rabble.ca's staff blog August 13
Image: Nick Youngson/ImageCreator
Support organizing from the ground up
Maya Bhullar | As progressives, we need ways to gather together and coordinate our work so that our vision of a better world flourishes.
Blog - The Views Expressed August 13
Image: Lianhao Qu/Unsplash
Addressing the expansion of police surveillance technology is crucial to fighting structural racism
Joe Masoodi | Uncovering the silent role that surveillance technologies play in structural racism and police brutality must be an important part of conversations about policing.
Blog - Alberta Diary August 12
Russia's Akademik Lomonosov. Image: TuomoS/Wikimedia Commons
Why the economics behind Jason Kenney's small nuclear reactor dream don't add up
David J. Climenhaga | There's a whiff of scam about efforts to promote the idea of a small reactor manufacturing industry, which wouldn't be located in Alberta anyway.

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