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B.C. and Canada have two pivotal elections coming up — provincial and federal — that are certain to have large impacts on our lives.

As a veteran B.C. journalist, I can say that this political moment is like no other. The political maps have completely shifted in a short period of time, with the surprising surge of the Conservative Party in B.C. and Canada-wide.

That alone isn't so unusual, but this is all happening in a completely new communications environment. Audiences are fragmented into niche networks where politicians can talk directly to narrow audiences, without the rest of the voting public looking on.

And the news media in Canada is in worse shape than ever before — there simply aren't nearly as many working journalists chasing stories than in decades past.

We here at The Tyee feel a great amount of responsibility to put our journalists to work in this crucial political season. And we need your help to do it.

As a non-profit newsroom without a paywall, we rely on reader support to fund our journalism. We're aiming to raise $120,000 by June 17 to equip our team — will you join us?

- David Beers, Editor-in-chief

Click here to Join Tyee Builders

Help The Tyee meet the political moment — help us hit our $120,000 target by June 17

B.C. and Canada have two pivotal elections coming up — provincial and federal — that are certain to have large impacts on our lives.

As a veteran B.C. journalist, I can say that this political moment is like no other. The political maps have completely shifted in a short period of time, with the surprising surge of the Conservative Party in B.C. and Canada-wide.

That alone isn't so unusual, but this is all happening in a completely new communications environment. Audiences are fragmented into niche networks where politicians can talk directly to narrow audiences, without the rest of the voting public looking on.

And the news media in Canada is in worse shape than ever before — there simply aren't nearly as many working journalists chasing stories than in decades past.

We here at The Tyee feel a great amount of responsibility to put our journalists to work in this crucial political season. And we need your help to do it.

As a non-profit newsroom without a paywall, we rely on reader support to fund our journalism. We're aiming to raise $120,000 by June 17 to equip our team — will you join us?

- David Beers, Editor-in-chief

Click here to Join Tyee Builders
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Politics

Douglas Roche Dreams of World Peace

VIDEO: The Red Tory has lived a long and remarkable life. Here’s why he’s still holding out hope for the future.

Olamide Olaniyan 5 Jan 2021TheTyee.ca

Olamide Olaniyan is associate editor at The Tyee. Follow him on Twitter @olapalooza.
WATCH: In a wide-ranging interview, the MP turned UN ambassador turned senator talks Joe Biden, humanity’s ongoing emergencies, and Canada’s place on the global stage. 

What do Canada, the United Nations and the Vatican have in common? All three have recognized and honoured politician, diplomat and author Douglas Roche.

In a recent conversation with Canadian scholar and author Michael Byers at the Salt Spring Forum, the former member of Parliament, ambassador and senator talked about his new book Recovery: Peace Prospects in the Biden Era and explained why he’s optimistic about the Joe Biden administration and the next four years of global politics.

The 91-year-old Roche, who’s lived through the Second World War, the Cold War, the Gulf War and the Iraq War and still believes that peace is within reach, joined the forum virtually from Edmonton, Alberta.

The self-described “Bob Stanfield conservative” has spent a large part of his life devoted to the peace agenda and nuclear disarmament. Through the interview, he talked about why the prohibition of nuclear weapons is so important and voices his dismay at Canada’s refusal to lead on the topic and multilateralism more broadly.

Come for Roche’s thoughts on the triple emergencies facing humanity — climate change, nuclear weapons and COVID-19 — and stay for his call for curbing the military industrial complex and rethinking how we approach human security. [Tyee]

Read more: Politics

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