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Key voices in brain health and research offer strategy to cement Canadian leadership

Canadian researchers are world leaders in many areas of neuroscience and mental health at a time when the explosion in knowledge about the brain is setting the stage for dramatic breakthroughs.

Picture a rural and remote region in the Atlas Mountains in Morocco, where village life is shaped by traditional and conservative norms that have historically meant that women miss out on economic participation. Against this backdrop, Barbara Grantham, president and CEO, CARE Canada, recently met a participant of the organization’s Women’s Empowerment through Sustainable Entrepreneurship (WESE) project.

Many discussions about the clean energy transition revolve around energy metals, the materials needed for a shift away from fossil fuels. While lithium, cobalt, copper and nickel are among the minerals often mentioned in this context, there is one element that more accurately fits the term – and that’s uranium, says David Cates, president and CEO of Denison Mines Corp. “What other people call energy metals are really battery or transmission metals. Uranium, on the other hand, is literally used to make electricity.”

Canadians appear to be emerging from a period of dampened enthusiasm for travelling, where the stresses of travel kept them closer to home.

The 2024 Blue Cross Travel Study reports that the percentage of Canadians planning to travel this year is on the rise compared to 2023. In the survey taken late last year, insurance provider Blue Cross asked Canadians questions about past travel behaviours as well as respondents’ plans for the year ahead.

A critical driver of creating intergenerational wealth is the support for Black entrepreneurs and Black-owned businesses. Currently, according to Statistics Canada, Black people represent only 2.4 per cent of all business owners, despite representing 4.3 per cent of the population. Of these businesses, 33 per cent are owned by women, compared to only 20 per cent among the general population.   

Due to the transnational nature of today’s urgent challenges, addressing issues such as climate change, geopolitical strife, economic competition and health crises requires international collaboration.

Celebrations at the confluence of two timeless traditions   

Age-old customs, lavish decorations and joyful celebrations are all part of the Lunar New Year festivities, the most important holiday of the year for people of Chinese, East Asian and Southeast Asian descent.

The upcoming celebration will welcome the Year of the Dragon. Considered the luckiest among the dozen zodiac signs in Chinese culture, the bold and fiery dragon is thought to bring unique – and dynamic – opportunities every 12 years.

Grant program strengthens communities and services for autistic individuals and their families

ierra L. learned that modest investments yield profound impacts when she took part in the Canada Community Inclusion Project (CCIP) Micro-Grant Program. This grant is funded in part by Canada Service Corps and is run by Autism Speaks Canada.

Sailing toward healthier waters on Canada’s coasts

On February 8, 2023, the federal government introduced minimum protection standards to limit harmful activities for Canada’s marine protected areas. One year later, experts reflect on this important milestone – and the persistent challenges that remain due to pollution from ships.

“Connection” is the word that best captures the experiences of Dianne Whelan, a B.C.-based writer and filmmaker, along her quest to traverse all land and water routes of the Trans Canada Trail.

Fred Victor wants GTA residents to Picture a Toronto Where Everyone Has a Home

When Carlos lost his job, he also lost his home and found himself living on Toronto’s unforgiving streets.

“During my times on the streets, I felt a level of desperation I never thought I would experience. It was a dark and lonely place,” he recalls.

Innovative solutions advancing financial inclusion for women

harlotte Assumani used to struggle to provide for her family. “Our income could not cover our family’s basic needs,” recalls the widow and mother, whose home is in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).

EV sector leads the way towards sustainable transportation  

More effort needed to drive greener transport ambitions

anada has made progress over the past 20 years towards sustainable transportation systems but has a long way to go to match advancements elsewhere says Bissan Ghaddar, John M. Thompson chair in Engineering Leadership and Innovation, and associate professor, Management Science and Sustainability at Ivey Business School at Western University in London, Ontario.

Efforts to address plastics used in agriculture taking root

Five decades ago, when Barry Friesen worked his first job on a dairy farm, plastic products were scarce. Today, efforts are underway to address the proliferation of plastics now routinely used in modern agriculture processes.

WSP works with clients to integrate considerations of biodiversity and climate change at every project stage

ompanies around the world increasingly recognize that taking action to preserve nature is not only the right thing to do – it is also good for business.   

Philanthropic gift boosts Planet Youth Calgary’s generation-changing potential

For many of today’s most pressing challenges, there are no easy answers. Take the mental health crisis affecting Canadian youth, for example, where countless individuals suffer in isolation – and where organizations and communities often struggle to navigate a complex maze of different interventions.

Support from the community builds connections and gives the centre’s youth a sense of belonging

The Wagner Green YMCA in Toronto is an emergency shelter and drop-in centre that provides youth experiencing homelessness with a hot meal and a safe place to sleep. But it does more than that, says Nelson Borges, the shelter’s director of youth outreach and intervention – it provides hope.

For veterans and first responders with PTSD, a service dog helps them integrate back into society

Retired Sergeant Dwayne Sawyer enjoyed virtually every minute of his 22-year career as a cook with the Canadian forces. But tours as a United Nations peacekeeper in Kuwait and Bosnia and two deployments with his unit to Afghanistan took their toll.

Financial worries fuelled by high inflation and increased interest rates

Planning for financial security tomorrow can feel like a daunting task when you are worried about paying your bills today.

University of Waterloo tackling cancer with personalized immunotherapy

Immune therapy is a powerful new way to treat cancer, harnessing the body’s natural defences to find and kill cancer cells.

Considering more than money and assets to plan for overall wellness

Canadians today face a reality transformed by rapidly shifting demographics – with an aging population, more older women living alone and a surge in newcomers – along with major global events and socioeconomic forces.