We couldn’t have imagined the devastation of the last two years, even if we’d tried. But what if we set out now to imagine―and build―a better future?
When the last federal election was called in 2019, no one could have imagined the events that would define the next two years:
- A global pandemic; over four million dead from COVID-19 (including 26,575 Canadians) exposing and exacerbating the pre-existing crises of poverty, homelessness, and inequity, as well as neglect and abuse in long-term care homes.
- Lethal acts of racism and police violence caught on video propelling the Black Lives Matter movement globally.
- The location of thousands of bodies of Indigenous children in unmarked graves on the grounds of former residential schools (and likely many more yet to be located).
- Record-breaking heat on Canada’s west coast followed by an intense, Canada-wide wildfire season.
The strain placed on our society, economy, and ecology by the COVID-19 pandemic revealed several overlapping crises. At the same time, it demonstrated the political machinery's capacity to respond swiftly, compassionately, and collaboratively in the face of an emergency.
Though the potential impact of a fourth wave is uncertain, a majority of Canada’s adolescent and adult population has been fully vaccinated (73.3 per cent as of August 18). Most jurisdictions in Canada are several phases into their reopening plans, and many are feeling like life is getting back to normal.
Unfortunately, for far too many in Canada, a return to "normal" means a daily struggle to afford basic needs and have fundamental human rights respected.
Will Canada’s next federal government take the actions required to emerge from this moment a more resilient, more just, and more sustainable country?
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