Category: Canada

The common law system is recognized as an older; as well as proficient technique in quite a few countries helping making the system of law a better one. In Canada, common law is used and based on judges past decisions rather than written law (Department of Justice, 2017). The common law system takes past decisions made by judges and uses them in new situations that are similar to the original event – otherwise known as the term “stare decisis,” which means “stand decided” (Bowal & Syed, 2019). This can also be viewed as setting precedents; which allows for similar standards if broken, to have the same extent of punishments depending on the severity of the law(s) broken (Department of Justice, 2017). The purpose of doing so, is to allow fairness to everyone; as well as to also keep the courts running smoothly and efficiently. The common law system is effective for various reasons including the fact that it is flexible and adjusts to society’s values, ensures fair decisions are made, and does not violate people’s basic human rights stated in the Charter of Rights and Freedoms.

Common laws are always changing and adapting to better suit society’s needs due to judges announcing new legal doctrines or changing old ones (Department of Justice, 2017). This is extremely important given that society is constantly changing. The law evolves when judges add to a precedent rather than challenge it (Gennaioli & Shleifer, 2007). This allows for decisions to be made based on the previous set precedent as well as the new one, allowing more flexibility when it comes to decision making. This makes common law an effective system because it allows for leeway when making a judicial decision. These reasons show the flexibility of the common law system and why it is important for the system to be able to evolve to better fit the needs of a continuously changing society.

Secondly, the common law system ensures fairness in each judicial outcome. The use of precedents makes the entire law system, including common law, a fair one. Precedents allow for crimes that fall into the same category to receive similar punishments like previous cases. This means that common law protects individuals from receiving excessive or unfair punishments by going off of previous decisions of a similar cases as to make sure that the punishment or outcome is consistent (The Canadian Legal System, 2019). The Supreme Court of Canada being the highest level of court in Canada sets a standard forcing all other levels of court to obey its decisions. This is where the term “stare decisis” comes into play using common laws as precedents from the highest courts in the country to make fair decisions (Bowal & Syed, 2017). For example, a judge could be assessing a particular case looking at ….. And the use of a previous precedent would be better for the final outcome if it was also modified to keep up to date with society’s needs.

Furthermore, The Charter of Rights and Freedoms is very prevalent with the common law system. Just like any other laws, no common laws can be used against an individual if it violates their basic human rights (The Canadian Legal System, 2019). This is important as it ensures that even as the laws evolve and change, people’s rights are still protected. The Charter applies to common law cases when the court makes an order on its own motion (Department of Justice, 2019). This means that when a court makes a decision on its own without any input, the Charter will protect the individuals rights in that circumstance. This is important because it means that no one will receive an unfair punishment that violates the person’s basic human rights as stated in the Charter of Rights and Freedoms. This demonstrates how the Charter of Rights and Freedoms significantly impacts the way the common law system operates.

In conclusion, the common law system is an effective system. The system has been used for a long time in many other countries besides Canada for a variety of reasons. It is flexible in that it is constantly being modified and adjusted to better suit and reflect societal values. Also, it ensures that the decisions and outcomes for similar cases are the same which ensures that every outcome is fair. Lastly, common law follows the Charter of Rights and Freedoms, meaning that no laws can be used to violate an individual’s human rights. For these reasons, the common law system is very beneficial to our changing society and is overall a very effective system in Canada.

Abstract

Corona Virus is a respiratory illness that spreads from person to person. It is also known as Covid-19. Its symptoms are quite similar to a normal cold or flu. There is no vaccine available that can cure the Corona Virus. Due to the Coronavirus, there are some social issues taking place in Canadian society such as Racism or discrimination and immigration problems. In this research essay, I will explain how Covid-19 is responsible for creating these social problems and will give some solutions to fight against it.

Impact of Corona Virus

Corona Virus is a leading social problem in Canada these days. The first case of Covid-19 is found in Wuhan, China in January 2020 after that it spread throughout the world. Today the USA has come on the top of the list of coronavirus cases and Canada is in the fifteenth position. Covid-19 is responsible for creating Racism and Discrimination among Canadian people. Coronavirus is also creating distances between people. The Canadian government ordered everyone to stop going to crowded places such as shopping malls, parties and other functions and stay at home to stop spreading it. So people cannot meet others and feel isolated. Some people think that Chinese people are responsible to spread this virus because it was first seen in China. That’s why they started doing discrimination against them. Not only Chinese people are getting discriminated against but also there are some more nationalities are being harassed by other nationalities. For example, in “San Diego a Japanese colleague was told to go back to her infected country” (Shepherd, 2020, p.1). It shows how people from different races are abusing others and making them feel uncomfortable. They do not want that Asians come close to them because they believe that Asians descent can increase the chances of spreading Covid-19. To show the hatred among Asians Canadian people started abusing them in grocery stores, colleges and even in public places.

Moving further towards the Immigration problems in Canada. Coronavirus is creating a disturbance to the immigration as well. For public safety now immigration is being more strict towards giving visas to the newcomers and the Candian citizens who travelled to another country are also not allowed to meet their families for fourteen days and kept isolated so that they can go through full medical checkups. Flights are being cancelled to stop Coronavirus from spreading to passengers. The Canadian Government suggested all the travellers avoid all non-essential travel to China and other countries. Air Canada has cancelled all flights to Beijing, Wuhan and Shanghai. Borders are also being closed to prevent the further spread of Covid-19. All the appointments are being cancelled by public services (Green, 2020). As a consequence of these immigration problems, Canadian people are going through a lot of tensions like they cannot go to those places where is less risk of getting Coronavirus. International students cannot go to their native country to meet their family in this tough time. Everybody is feeling helpless to fight against it.

However, along with these problems, there are some solutions as well which can help us to fight against coronavirus. To protect ourselves from Covid-19 we should cover our mouth with a mask because coronavirus spreads from person to person through the air. Avoid touching something and wash hands frequently with soap or sanitizer. Do not go to crowded places and keep yourself isolated. If you feel difficulty in breathing, cough and fever then consult a doctor immediately. Keep two-meter distance from others. To stop racism and discrimination towards other races. To stop racism, the Chinese National Council for Social Justice launched its “Stop the Spread” campaign at Nathan Philips Square. The members of this council dressed in hazmat suits and distributed customized hand sanitizers with the message ‘it Protects against toxic behaviour’ and ‘works with common sense’ to guide others. (Patton, 2020). The reason behind doing this is to aware everybody that in this hard time we should not blame others and help each other to overcome this disease. Show respect to all the people living in Canada.

To conclude, I would like to say that corona is a very dangerous virus spreading throughout the world. We need to take it seriously because there is not any medicine available to cure this virus. In this tough time, we need to join hands together and fight against it. Do not abuse or physically assault Asians they need our support to be safe from this coronavirus epidemic. As we all know that it always works best when people dismiss external differences and come together. So if we fight together then definitely we can win the battle of life from Covid-19.

References

1. Green, J. (2020, February 4). Coronavirus as it Affects Canadian Immigration – What we know as of February 4th,2020. Retrieved from https://www.gands.com/knowledge-centre/firmnews/news-item/2020/02/04/coronavirus-as-it-affects-canadian-immigration-what-we-know-as-of-february-4th-2020
2. Patton, J. (2020, March 3). Chinese Canadian group creates ‘Stop the Spread’ awareness program aimed at COVID-19 related racism. Retrieved from https://globalnews.ca/news/6623644/chinese-canadian-coronavirus-racism-toronto/
3. Shepherd, M. (2020, February 28). The Science Of Why Coronavirus Exposes Racism And Xenophobia. Forbes. https://www.forbes.com/sites/marshallshepherd/2020/02/28/the-science-of-why-coronavirus-exposes-racism-and-xenophobia/#4fc1de483695

Abstract

Before 2018, cannabis is illegal in Canada and was used for medical purpose only. On 17th October Prime Minister of Canada, Justin Trudeau legalize marijuana for recreational purposes. It is the naturally grown plant which contains THC (tetrahydrocannabinol) and CBD (cannabidiol). It is the hot topic to debate in Canada whether it is good for economy and people or not? There are some positive and negative effects of legalization on the Canadian economy. After the legalization, on the individual level households got more job opportunities and utility level also increased for them. Moreover, on the federal level the GDP and tax revenues are increased by double. Additionally, legalization is a golden chance for business people to get profit from this decision. On the other side, marijuana sellers created the black market because government set the price floor for cannabis. According to the law of supply, when the price goes down, quantity also goes down. This low quantity product creates harm for the body of human. Thus, health related problems are increasing and government has to pay more money on medical of people. At the end, we suggested that government should aware people about the side effects of cannabis. So that, both individual and nation grows properly.

Cannabis is the street drug that comes from the cannabis plant (Marijuana). It is one of the naturally occurring substances which are used by people from a very long time. Mainly, Cannabis is indigenous to central Asian and Indian subcontinents. It is a drug which can be grown under any climatic conditions and in any geographical region of the world. As a consequence, it has gained popularity throughout the globe and produced worldwide on a large scale for various purposes. Apart from this, cannabis is known by different names such as ganja, smoke, marvana, pot, in different countries. The two main ingredients of cannabis are THC (tetrahydrocannabinol) and CBD (cannabidiol). CBD is non-psychoactive, means it would not get you “high” and is mainly used for medical purpose. On the other hand, THC is a component which is responsible for “high” state of mood or behavior and usually used for recreation. For example, In Canada, mostly people use this drug as a recreational activity because it gives them pleasure and affect their mood. They take it as a trial or fun, and this has been proved by reporting more than 14% of residents (aged 15 and over) of Nova Scotia and British Columbia (Canada) who confessed inhalation of cannabis at least once in their life for just enjoyment, in a survey Canadian Community Health Survey-Mental Health (CCHS-MH) 2012, likewise, this figure was almost 10% in Prince Edward Island and Saskatchewan (Hajizadeh, 2016). In 2018, Cannabis is legalized by Canadian government so that anyone can use it publicly. After legalization, it is affecting the society negatively as well as positively. To exemplify, decrease in social health and boost in economy of Canada. As each coin has two sides, we as a group also think cannabis has many benefits for the community, but it has affected the individual health badly too. In addition, this essay will suggest some resolutions to combat this growing issue and how marijuana’s proper use could be ensured to make society more prosperous.

Positive effects of cannabis on economy

Employment got increased

In terms of employment, cannabis increased the income and jobs for Canadians and for immigrants as well. The business of marijuana is increasing rapidly. According to indeed, the top employment-related search engine shows that jobs related to cannabis tripled in past years and interest in these jobs is quadrant. During the first six months of 2019, the share of cannabis-related job postings rose by 41%. Legalization of this will also help to boost agricultural and transportation sector of the nation, as it would help in the rise of the economy by providing employment to unskilled Canadians and immigrants. Incline in jobs will automatically lead to great rise in revenues, proving beneficial for Canadian economy. As Setting up pot nurseries and dispensaries would be the initial step for the states that cast a ballot for medicinal marijuana. These would create employment as well as set the ball moving for monetary action in the pot business in these regions. On account of states like California and Nevada where such foundation as of now exists, the financial effect has gotten increasingly quantifiable as the part has developed. For example, A RCG Economics and Marijuana Policy Group study on Nevada says that legitimizing recreational marijuana in the state could bolster more than 41,000 employments till 2024 and produce over $1.7 billion in labor salary. The ICF study appraises at any rate 81,000 extra immediate, circuitous and initiated occupations in California because of legitimized weed deals. It additionally extends an expansion in labor income by at least $3.5 billion.

Boost up tax revenue & Rise in Canadian GDP

After the legalization of marijuana, the government can bring back the black market money into official use and earn profits from it. As earlier, in black marketing the sellers and the buyers were not paying any kind of taxes to the government. However, now imposing taxes on this will allow the federal treasures to be filled and earn high profits. As Justin Trudeau, the current prime minister of Canada, once in his election campaign he stated that,“ legalizing marijuana would reduce the estimated C$6 billion in profits from marijuana sales from the black market”. Superior to expected offers of cannabis in Colorado and Washington in the course of recent years have brought about light charge incomes. In 2015, Colorado gathered more than $135 million in charges and expenses on medicinal and recreational pot. Deals in the state totaled over $996 million. Deals in North America became 30%, to $6.7 billion, in 2016, and is anticipated to increment to $20.1 billion by 2021 as per Arcview Market Research. Neighborhood examine bolsters this view too; a report from the Colorado State University-Pueblo’s Institute of Cannabis Research as of late found that the lawful cannabis industry has contributed more than $58 million to the nearby economy, essentially through expenses and different charges. Should pot become lawful on a government level, the advantages to the economy could be outstanding: a report from cannabis examination organization New Frontier proposes that governmentally lawful pot could produce an extra $131.8 billion in total bureaucratic duty income by 2025. According to Toronto-Dominion Bank, marijuana legalization should increase Canada’s real GDP in 2019 by as much as C$8 billion (Fournier, 2018).

Saved Money of common people

Marijuana is not only a drug, but also a good medicine for many diseases. Before legalization, people buy it as a As it is legalized throughout Canada, so the price of this is decreased and any normal person can use it as a medical purpose. Considering the financial advantages of legitimate maryjane, it’s imperative to think about the cash that may be spared just as income that could be created through such a procedure. Right now, government weed authorization costs a few billion dollars for each year. A 2013 report by the American Civil Liberties Union found that the expenses around then were roughly $3.6 billion every year. The more expresses that authorize cannabis, the lower the expense of authorization would probably be; if maryjane somehow managed to be legitimized on a national level, these expenses would almost certainly drop extensively. In the event that maryjane were expelled from the rundown of controlled substances, far less court cases including the substance would go to preliminary, bringing about fewer imprisonments, and, thusly, more cash spared.

Investment opportunities

When cannabis was not legal investors used to invest on miniscale, but its legalization has allured more and more investors (throughout the globe) to invest on a large scale. According to the law of supply, when demand of any product increases the price goes high, therefore more and more businessmen want to earn more profit and quantity is also increased. Two examples are, Canopy Growth, a medical marijuana producer, went public in May 2016 at 1.76 Canadian dollars a share and is now trading at 23.60 Canadian dollars. Shares of MedReleaf, another producer, have surged 153 percent since the company’s stock debut in June(Sullivan, 2018). Thus, legalization of cannabis is motivating the business mind people and Investing money on marijuana would also benefit the nation economically.

Negative sides on economy

The high demand for marijuana in Canada has resulted in the expansion of the black market and has put the power in the hands of illegal drug dealers to be the sole providers of the product with no accountability.

Environmental impact

Environment is very crucial part because we are taking oxygen from it.But, we human beingsIn 2016, the marijuana industry was responsible for approximately 393,053 pounds of CO2 emissions. Thus, the government has to invest more money on saving the environment in the future, because as much as use double the carbon emission in the air.

Heath issues

People are facing lots of diseases because of marijuana. Research presented at the 2018 meeting of the Society for Neuroscience showed that marijuana affects the developmental areas of the brain, responsible for self-control and planning. Therefore, the government has to spend more money on the health planning of their people. That is why; grass is not greener on the other side for federal government of Canada. Their earning and spending money both are same because the money they get from people after the legalization is equal to the money they spend on health problems. Moderate evidence suggests that regular marijuana users are more likely to experience suicidal thoughts, and there is a small increased risk of depression among marijuana users (David Railton). Also, physical power is decreasing that means less labour and less growth of country.

In conclusion, even though the economy of Canada is boosting because of legalization of cannabis but, on the flip side, it is having a negative impact on the youth of the country who get addicted towards it and ruins their life. Youth is the power and acts as an engine for the country’s growth. We think that precautions for marijuana should be shown to people properly. The policies, warning and publishing articles on the dark side of cannabis is not enough. The government should distribute vouchers and flyers to the people so that they will be aware from the negative effects of marijuana. Additionally, there should be seminars and animated plays for school students. These awareness actions can help to save the youth’s life as well as their future career by which they can concentrate on their career goal which can help a country to grow by leaps and bounds

References

1. Sullivan, P. (2018, January 26). As States Legalize Marijuana, Investors See an Opportunity. Retrieved from https://www.nytimes.com/2018/01/26/your-money/marijuana-investments.html.
2. Hajizadeh, M. (2016, August 1). Legalizing and Regulating Marijuana in Canada: Review of Potential Economic, Social, and Health Impacts. Retrieved from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4968247/.
3. Economic and Social Costs of Legalized Marijuana. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.ccu.edu/centennial/policy-briefs/marijuana-costs/.

Every human life’s natural end is death. Some people choose to end their own lives for reasons that have never been fully understood. This is known as suicide. It has been investigated that each year approximately 800,000 people die in the world by taking their own life. Suicide can be regarded as the complex behaviour that has led to numerous causes, including cultural, financial, psychological and social factors that influence the decision to take one’s own life. Gender discrimination is a major factor which helps to understand the complex behaviour of performing the act. This shows that both the genders, male and female have different suicidal rates according to the statistical research. Women attempt suicide three or four times more frequently then men, but four times as many men die from attempted suicide. In this essay I would argue on the significance of understanding gender difference in the rate of suicide. This also discusses on what are the major factors behind bringing the idea of self-killing among man than women and how mental health for boys and men could be improved.

In Canada, more than any other class, men die by suicide and these facts must be tackled! This requires effective attention and investment. There were 3,728 suicides in Canada in 2011. Of these, 2781 were male suicides. This was according to the governmental statistics in Canada, 2014. The statistics also represents the age group experiencing most complex thoughts for suicide, age group of around 40-60 depicts the highest rate of suicides in Canada. In society men are considered to be strong, self-reliant, able to cope with pain and take care of things more easily which make it difficult for them to realize that they have health problems. This makes them to hide their feelings often leading to depression. As society believes that men are ideal characteristics, they try to become another person. For example, some men with depression hide their emotions and may seem angry, irritable, or aggressive (the after effects of “take it like a man”) while many women appear to be sad or express sadness. Depressed people may feel very tired, losing interest in work, family, or hobbies. These may be more likely to have sleeping problems in men than in women. When things do not go well around such people, they could become more aggressive and harmful. This makes them mentally weak and unable to perform further tasks. Since, they could not out show their problems and sadness usually ends their life by self-killing. Men being mentally stronger than women depends on lethal methods in suicide such as firearms, hanging, and asphyxiation, by comparison women are more likely to misuse medications or medicines. Men are expected to be positive and risk takers. Therefore, there is a lack of understanding of men’s vulnerability. Jane Powell the founder and director of Calm, the Campaign Against Living Miserably, which specifically deals with male suicide. She makes a provocative case: that while breast cancer does kill men, we rightly consider it as a female disease. In the same way suicide prevention must focus on men, she says. Male depression and suicide services need to be explicitly developed. In Northern Alberta, there is a successful programme called Men at Risk, targeting men in the oil patch, forestry, and agricultural sectors. The programme creators have done an excellent job working with employers in these industries to reduce the larger number of men who work these jobs from taking their lives. To avoid depression, one should always find the optimistic view point in a negative situation, cultivate and live in a positive environment. In order to do these, it is essential to have influences in our lives that support and lift one up instead of dragging down. It is always to find positive sources and get engaged with them.

Suicide is a sensitive and complex concern of Canada and other countries as it includes numerous causes. Social isolation has been identified as a risk factor for suicidal problems. It is a feeling of sadness or anxiety to be alone or to feel disconnected from the world around us, it can have a negative impact on ones physical, mental and social health. This feeling could be classified under the common category relationships which affects people differently. This includes isolation and lack of social support, relationship breakdown and loss or conflict. Men always try to resolve their problems without letting anyone know. This is mainly because of the feeling that what others will think about them and most importantly their image in the society. Hence, men had more restricted social networks than women and this is heavily work based. So, for a man a loss of job also means the loss of a whole set of social connections as well, it is again the same if their relationship with their partner breaks up. It meant when trouble hit, men could become very isolated very quickly. Men tend to ignore their stress entirely or deal with it by engaging in self-destructive actions mainly as abusing drugs and alcohol. Harmful use of alcohol and other substances are found in 25-50% of all suicides. When alcohol or opioid use is associated with other psychiatric disorders, like mental illness (depression, stress, loneliness etc.,) the risk of suicide will also increase. Of all suicide deaths, 22% can be attributed to drug consumption, which means that if alcohol is not consumed in the population, any fifth suicide would not occur. In order to resolve such problems strong personal relationships is necessary. It can act as a protective factor against the risk of suicide. The closest social of the individual- partners, family members, parents, colleagues, significant others has the most influence in times of crisis and can be supportive. Friends and family can be a significant source of social, emotional and financial help and can mitigate the impact of external stressors. This can help people to come out from their problems and feel hopeful in their future life.

In conclusion, sociologists have discussed at length why suicide is more common in males than in females. The epidemic of male suicide has been silent, but it cannot remain so. We should make them to understand that suicide is not an option. We never know when the answers we are looking for will come to our doorsteps. It has been stated in this essay that part of the blame is on the socialisation of males. By reinforcing what society considers acceptable male behaviour, men are less likely to ask for help when experiencing suicidal thoughts. Alcohol and drug misuse also appear to have a stronger relationship with the socially constructed notion of ‘masculinity’. It is difficult to generalize on the causes of suicide among men. Individual actions often require individual research and understanding. Therefore, suicide figures should be approached with caution as in some cases although this may not be the case, they appear to show higher rates of male suicide. It is also worth nothing that suicide is a last resort for many. Although death is the main intention in some case; in many others it is often a cry for help-the intention is to live, feel worthy and highlight one’s pain and problems.

The rising rate of obesity cost the global economy an estimated $2 trillion expenditure annually. In Canada, one in four obese people spend as high as $7 billion in related health care costs and is expected to increase in $9 billion by 2021. Dr. Arma Sharma states that expenditure in treating obesity will be lessened if the healthcare system focuses on preventing its occurrence rather than curing the conditions that arise from it. Access to treatment of obesity in the country is difficult due to unapproved territorial/ provincial health plans for medications, long years of bariatric surgery wait times and few and inaccessible medically supported weight loss clinics. Hospitals can’t also provide optimal care due to deficiency in equipment and rehabilitation facilities to accommodate bigger body sizes. The federal government has little direction with the issue of investing economically in preventing and treating people with obesity.

Introduction

Obesity is a progressive chronic disease characterized by excessive fat accumulation that may impair health. Based on population surveillance studies, the prevalence of obesity in Canada significantly increased over the past three decades. Over 5 million adults have obesity as noted by the 2014 Canadian Community Health Survey and 30% or more than one in three obese people require medical support to manage their disease based on 2015 Canadian Health Measures Survey. The prevalence of obesity in Canadian adults is also projected to increase over the next two decades.

Current Status

Canada spends roughly 11 percent of total health expenditure on treating complications of obesity such as diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and cancers. Obese patients with high-risk complications stay longer in hospitals than usual which contribute to an increase in health care cost.

Discussions

Obesity and overweight cases in all ages continually increases every year. Two-thirds of Canadian adults and one-third of Canadian children and youth are overweight or obese. Figure 1 gives information about the overweight and obese cases in Canada based on age. Anti-obesity medications are not covered by provincial and territorial health plans. Canadians can’t use their health spending accounts to submit claims for obesity-related products which causes treatment hesitancy. In 9.6 million Canadians with private drug benefit plans, only 10.4% have plans that include anti-obesity medications. Figure 2 shows the analysis of coverage rates between provinces and territories.

Patients need to wait for up to eight years to undergo bariatric surgeries. In order to qualify for weight loss surgery in Canada, an individual need to have 27 or higher body mass index (BMI). Failure to determine who is at risk of developing obesity or related conditions on early stage. People come for treatment for complications severe enough for surgery and longer stays in hospitals.

Weight loss clinics are minimal and not accessible. There are only 67 American Board of Medicine (ABOM) Certified health professional and 80 Certified Bariatric Educators (CBE) across Canada and not all province has one. Figure 3 shows the distribution of ABOM and CBE among Canadian provinces.

Hospitals have limited equipment and services to accommodate obese people. X-ray machines can’t accommodate bigger body sizes and rehabilitation facilities lack proper equipment contributing longer hospital stays. Obesity programs are not available in all provinces. Yukon is the only territory with a multidisciplinary team on obesity management.

Recommendations

• The federal and provincial government should recognize obesity as a chronic disease in order to access health services and interventions.
• Development of policy to include anti-obesity medications through public or private health plans to ensure medication compliance.
• Reduce bariatric surgery waiting times by minimizing referral period to 6 months.
• Introduction of obesity management through behavioral modification technique, activity enhancement and dietary counseling to increase lifestyle optimism.
• Increasing the number of health professionals to continue medical education to develop their skills in counseling patients with healthy weight management.
• Developing public or private sector support to health professionals who wanted to gain certification for ABOM or CBE.
• Increase funding of hospitals or clinics for equipment and facilities to accommodate obese or overweight patients for optimal care.
• Production of pan-Canadian obesity management programs to inform people about the risk and prevention of obesity.

Conclusion

Obesity is a growing health concern as the leading cause of preventable morbidity and mortality. The government is spending a lot of health care cost in treating complications of the disease. Obesity should be considered a chronic disease than a lifestyle choice, therefore funding and policies should be developed to support patients to have optimal care. The federal government must take a leadership role in implementing a long-term, multi-pronged, multi-sectoral campaign to help patients who are at risk of obesity.

REFERENCES

1. Landekic/Postmedia, L. (2019, November 1). It costs Canada $9B to treat obesity when barely any money is put into preventative care. Retrieved from https://vancouversun.com/health/it-costs-canada-9b-to-treat-obesity-when-barely-any-money-is-put-into-preventative-care/wcm/a7c5e38f-4ea3-41d7-9eb4-886649638b45.
2. Cobourn, C. (2019, February 6). Weight Loss Surgery Canada – Wait Times, Insurance & Surgeon List. Retrieved from https://www.bariatric-surgery-source.com/bariatric-surgery-canada.html.
3. Obesity Canada-Obésité Canada. Report Card on Access to Obesity Treatment for Adults in Canada 2019. Edmonton, AB: 2019, April. Retrieved from https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/t1/tbl1/en/tv.action?pid=1310037301.

Introduction

Canada is the 2nd largest country in the world. They have an experienced labourforce, good political stability and high standard of living for its citizens. Also, the nation possesses a well-developed transportation network and an abundance of natural materials. The nation’s GDP is about 1.7 trillion in 2017 and their inflation rate is about 2% in 2019, while the unemployment rate of the country is 5.7% in 2018, which is a very small percentage considering that Canada is such a sizable country.

Canada’s economy is characterized as free-market and thriving with a wide range of businesses from small enterprises to multinational corporations. The country’s started out as an export based economy with agricultural products such as grain, as well as natural resources such as minerals, gas and oil. Then, Canada’s secondary industry blossomed to the point where their mauntucating industry is one of the best in the globe. Apart from that, their tertiary industry also evolved swiftly and transfigured Canada into from a manufacturing based economy to a more tertiary oriented one. The US is Canada’s top trading partner. The USMCA, which was signed in 2018 is a replacement of the previous agreement NAFTA. Canada’s farmers would benefit from this deal as they are able to gain access to US milk producers.

Legalizing cannabis, also known as pot, weed and marijana, is one of the campaign promises by prime minister Justin Tredeau back in 2005. He proclaimed that the purpose is to limit access marijuana to children and remove profits from criminals. They will establish new laws to penalize drug dealer, motorists and foreign sellers. They will also set up a new task force and a new network to control the distribution and disposals with a federal tax attached.

In the past, marijuana was only legal for medical purposes since 2001. After 96 years of fighting, the legalization finally came. This made marijuana also legal for recreational purposes. Medical marjuanan can be used to treat muscle spasms, nausea, chronic illness and seizure disorders. It can either be smoked, vaporized, taken in liquid or eaten in the from of a cookie as well as candy. Therefore the legalization is definitely a big event in Canadian’s eyes as they can now use it for entertainment.

The effects

First of all, the legalization of cannabis will have a constructive impact on Canada’s economy. According to TD bank, legalization of marijuana would boost Canada’s real GDP and it could bring as much as 8 billion to the nation’s economy. The supply of cannabis is always very stable. Most marjuanan used in Canada are made domestically, just 8% of its total consumption is imported. On top of that, the pot industry are projected to be bigger than tobacco industry in Canada. It also helps to create jobs and increase the employment rate.

Experts predicted that it will be a big business. The based market value for recreational cannabis ranged between 5-9 billion. Consumer spending on legalized marijuana are expected to be around 800 million to 1 billion in 2017. Experts predicted that it will become a big business. Also, cannabis stocks were best-performing stock in 2017, valued to around 5 billion. After legalizing, the demand for cannabis would rise and it also helps to attract investments. (Refer to appendix A) Consequently, Canadian companies can take advantage of this and compete internationally.

Currently, Canada’s fiscal policy is focusing on lowering government debt and simplify compliance as well as administration costs. However, they would need to impose extra taxation on marijuana buyers. Their fiscal policy will require adjustments to be more contradictory to control the sudden rise in the demand for marjiana as well as to maintain a certain level of business investments in the cannabis industry and consumer spending.

While for their monetary policy, currently, their main goal is to maintain a stable inflation-control target and a flexible exchange rate. In this case, adjustments are also needed to make the policy become more contracionary as a way to combat the possible inflation caused by the sudden boom in the purchase and money spend on cannabis to stabilize the economy. They could also try to increase the interest rate a bit to avoid the overborrowing of money that could be spent solely on the marijuana business.

In terms of taxation, there will be an excise tax of 1% per gram of marijuana or 10% of the final retail price. And the revenue of pot sales is divided between Ottawa with 25% and other provinces with remaining 75%. Also, provincial and federal taxes will be applied on top of the excise tax as the sales tax varies from province to province. Moreover, there is a limit of a maximum possession 30 grams pot and usage in vehicles are banned. There will be both public and mixed pot sales across Canada with prices ranges from $6 to $13. (Refer to appendix E)

Secondly, the legalization of cannabis certainly bring benefits to the government. The sales will gain extra tax revenue from legalized pots. The parliament budget office predicted that the nation will gain around 350 million to 960 million through taxation. As a result, foreign investments will now be available in the pot industry which would possibly become part of the economy.

Thirdly, in terms of employment, a newly cannabis industry would grant a lot of job opportunities for Canadians. Cannabis-based jobs have tripled last year and the interest for those jobs have quadradred. In the future, it is estimated that pot legalization would benefit the labour market. For example, transportation corporations and agriculture manufacturing companies. Nevertheless, the supply of marjiuana would be unable to satisfy the sudden ecualtion in demand. Subsequently, some of the users might need to go underground again. Therefore it’s going to be a challenging transition period for Canada and only time will tell how much the economy would benefit from it.

Fourthly, it’s certainly a good sight for businesses in the long run. A dozen of pot manufacturers were added to TSX Venture exchange as well as Canada security exchange listings. 51 enterprises have received permission to start growing cannabis plants. Blommberg predicted that the production of marijuenaa would grow by ten times. Consequently, it would encourage more businesses to set up as their future expectations for profits escalated.

Furthermore, citizens could escape from getting marjiuana custody charges. Although the charges regarding to pot have declined in recent years (Refer to appendix C), the legalization is still undoubtedly benefit for citizens. Subsequently, this can prevent them from getting caught into legal troubles.

Last but not least, the World Health Organization(WTO) is suggesting to reclassify cannabis under international treaties which could encourage more nations to revoke their prohibiting laws, even though the legalization is for non-medical use and it still technically contradict to the international conventions. They are planning to remove whole-plant marijuana from the Schedule IV, the prohibitive category of the 1961 Drug Convention that was signed by many countries worldwide. The actual effect of this change is sort of limited, countries won’t be allowed to legalize cannabis and still be able to keep close compliance with international treaties, however, their political indication are difficult to predict. This demonstrated WTO’s misunderstanding about the harmful effects of marjiana and its medical benefits for decades. As in recent years countries such as Canada are starting to reform their majuanwe policies. Consequently, this could help Canada a lot in trading with countries that have already legalized matjuenena, such as Mexico, Argentina, Spain, the Netherlands and Switzerland. As a result, they might also experience a lower tariffs or quota when trading with those countries due to this new move by WTO.

In-depth analysis on legalized marijuana

Even though the legalization is a jubilation for most Canadians, the supply is not as optimistic as it seems. According to MTL blog, Just 2 weeks after legalization, shaved begin to be found empty at stores. Certain stores in Quebec have to stop operating for 3 days in order to prolong its draigin stock and stability. Also, global news stated that shortage could last for years and it will be time consuming for suppliers to produce another pile of marjuana. Moreover, Marketwatch pointed out that the process of setting up a nationwide scale legal marijuana supply chain is complicated and therefore many retailers have limited quantity available to sell. The drug is legal now but it’s just unavailable. The absence in licensing also keeping the supplies low. 175 cities in Canada now are licensed to sell or manufacture cannabis. However, there are just 25 licenses being delivered in Ontario, Canada’s most populous province. Therefore this fully demonstrated the supply issues.

Also, the context of majruana have proposed a challenge to lawmaking. Police in Quebec have revealed that they are unsure of enforcing laws that regulate the transportation of pot in vehicles. As a result, they arrest all the drivers despite some of them followed the law properly. Moreover, unlike alcohol, there is no road test available for cannabis.(Refer to appendix D) Although they would issue fines and arrest those who the officers think are offended drivers. This method has a lot of room for misjudgement and inaccuracy. Sometimes the police would require the suspect to undertake a blood test at the police station. However, it’s not sustainable and it time consuming, and resources to carry out the tests. As a result, if there is no clear guidelines and instrument to enforce laws after legalization, the police force would be left on their own and the problem will exist for years.

Moreover, the amount of black market transactions have raised even after legalization. This is mainly due to inadequate supply, poor accessibility and consumer’s discontentment. For the legalization to be successful, the government and suppliers have to work together to address the demands of consumers which now they are not able and willing to do so. The current pricing of pot is strong, about $190 per ounce. The price in the black market is 40% cheaper than government-licenced wholesalers. (Refer to appendix B) Subsequently, there are still motivation for buyers to pursue marjuana from the black market.

Apart from that, the country has to address the consequences for people who are imprisoned for custody crimes that have became legal. Canada is eagerly helping citizens who have already served their time. However, those who still remains in prison need assistance as well. Some of them might being charged due to the illegal use of cannabis. But after the legalization, some of their crimes would no longer be a crime anymore now. As a result, this also represents that they should have the right to be free from prison and the government need to offer aid to those type of criminals.

Furthermore, The laws demand corporation to adopt transparent packages and fixed colours, styles as well as size. These requirements have been challenging for suppliers to precisely measure how products varies and suggest the best doses to buyers. Although these laws are made to avert corporation from marketing their goods to children, it made it burdensome for consumers to distinguish poorly stigmatized products with the ones they truly need.

Additionally, They have put an excellent effort in constructing a program which aids to crush out illegitimate competitions and unlicensed pharmaceutical dealers. Nonetheless, they won’t leave the market without competition. Unlicensed pharmaceutical dealers in Canada countered the legalization with low prices to maintain their competitiveness. Subsequently, the country needs to address this as soon as possible.

Conclusion

The declaration of the legalization have been smooth and it has created excitement across the nation. After legalization, the US started to invest their money on Canadian cannabis suppliers, wholesaler and pot planting technologies. Corporations in Canada are starting to invest in the states market and hope to licence some of their products. Therefore they could establish a profitable export market for various nations that have already legalized marijuana. Moreover, through the legalization of marjiuana, Canada widely recognized that fighting with residents who aren’t harming others or committing butal actions isn’t worth it so granting the freedom to possess cannabis instead of restraining them is the government’s mindset when deciding to legalise it or not. However, there is a bright future with the establishment of the new cannabis industry and market for Canada. When the industry become mature and developed, it would benefit Canada in every way possible.

There has always been a big debate around marijuana, and the benefits that it can have. In the past, the plant has been used for different types of medicines, creams, rubs, and tinctures to help patients with a number of different symptoms, the most common being pain. On October 17, 2018, after many months of debate Cannabis in Canada is now legal as a recreational drug as well as medicinal. The whole process of legalization removed cannabis possession for personal consumption from the, Controlled Drugs and Substances Act, as well as implement taxes on sale of the product and “strengthen punishment of those convicted of either supplying cannabis to minors”. The Canadian government’s overall goal in legalizing marijuana is to “create a federal, provincial, territorial task force, and with input from experts in public health, substance abuse, and law enforcement, will design a new system of strict marijuana sales and distribution, with appropriate federal and provincial excise taxes applied”. This is to combat the current system in which marijuana could be used by minors and Canadians with criminal records to possess small amounts of the drug.

The Cannabis Act was established on October 17 2018. This bill regards the legalization of marijuana in Canada. This bill has three main goals, to “keep cannabis out of the hands of youth”, to “keep profits out of the pockets of criminals”, and to “protect public health and safety by allowing adults access to legal cannabis”. The Cannabis Act has strict laws for controlling the production, distribution, sale, and possession of cannabis across Canada. The first example of such laws is the need to have a license. There are two licenses one can have, one from Health Canada, and one from the Canada Revenue Agency.It may be possible that one must acquire both licenses. The license granted from the CRA allows for the selling of cannabis. Cultivators, producers, and packagers for cannabis products must also have a license from the CRA. Once these businesses are licensed, there are rules they must follow. They are expected to “buy and apply cannabis excise stamps to their products”, “calculate the duty on their sales”, and “ file their return and send the excise duty to the CRA”. The license from Health Canada is required if growing, selling (medical purposes), and conducting tests on cannabis is involved. Additionally, the new act has requirements for industries involved with packaging and labelling. This is meant to protect against accidental consumption and ensure products are not appealing to children and youth. An example of efforts made to prevent under-age use is prohibiting the access of cannabis products through self-service displays and vending machines. The promotion of cannabis in areas visible to the youth is also prohibited. However, exceptions can be made in situations where youth will not be able to see such advertisements. At the same time, it is expected that consumers use the information provided about the product to make informed decisions before using cannabis. There has been scientific proof that cannabis has positive effects when used for medical purposes. Research has shown that there are benefits with the use of cannabis for some patients with some illnesses. The act will continue to allow access of cannabis for people who have it prescribed from their healthcare provider. The new bill also aims to protect public health by creating strict safety and quality regulations. Public education efforts are being made in attempts to raise awareness about safety measures and any potential risks. It is expected that federal, provincial, and territorial governments share responsibility for overseeing the cannabis regulation system. Provinces are able to set their own safety measures. An example is the ability to increase the minimum age in their province or territory but not lowering it. Another is being able to lower the personal possession limit in their jurisdiction.

The Canadian government already has laws that relates to cannabis based on person, growing at home and driving. Firstly, to use cannabis, users need to be 18 (Alberta) or 19 years old (British Columbia). And also, according to the government of British Columbia, minors are banned from entering cannabis stores with adults. This is to prevent minors from using illegal ID or non-biological adults to buy drugs. Citizens can buy marijuana online which is available in all provinces and territories. Other options are from the private retailers permitted by the government or, through province government websites. Depending on each jurisdiction, the price will range from $8 – $16 per gram. An individual can possess up to 30 grams in public places; however, it must be invisible to the public. According to Canada government website, 1 gram dried cannabis is equal to 5 grams of fresh cannabis. Moreover, in British Columbia, residents can have up to 1,000 grams at home. This is opposed to Alberta where it is unlimited. Canada also has a strict law about designated smoking for cannabis. It is prohibited in cars or around children. For people who want to retail cannabis, they must have health knowledge about marijuana. This includes educating customers on safe doses to prevent overdosing. Additionally, the City of Vancouver allows compassion clubs to offer services but not the right to sell cannabis.

For cultivating cannabis at home, in most provinces and territories, adults can grow 4 marijuana plants per household for recreational use. These houses are not allowed to be used as daycare or have minors. Finally, the Canadian government has toughened the law about using marijuana while driving. According to Canada government website, people cannot drive under the influence or have any THC in their system. Citizens and residents are also warned about taking cannabis through both international or US borders as such could result in serious criminal penalties. Additionally, people cannot bring any cannabis or cannabis related products into Canada as it remains illegal. However, there is an exception, according to U.S. Customs and Border Protection, a Canadian citizen working in the legal cannabis industry will be allowed into the U.S for vacation or business that is unrelated to marijuana.

If a person breaks the law by selling cannabis without a licence, they can be punished up to 14 years in jail. Minors who are caught using cannabis can be fined up to $2,000. In British Columbia, new cannabis offences with fines will range from $2,000 to $10,000 with a jail time of 3 to 12 months. Also, if people are caught driving under the influence, they can be banned from driving for 90 days. These laws prevent using cannabis illegally and decrease the amount of cannabis sold in unregistered markets, commonly known as “black markets”. This helps the government control the substance easier with the number of users and their individual purposes.

BC will adopt a “hybrid model” with both “public and private operators”. The Liquor Distribution Branch (LDB), will be in charge for all wholesale distribution of non-medical cannabis. They will also operate government-owned retail stores. The Liquor and Cannabis Regulation Branch (LCRB) will “oversee licensing and monitoring of private cannabis retailers”. Online cannabis retail stores will be government-operated, but also run by the LDB. The Ministry of Public Safety, has set the “minimum purchase and consumption age for non-medical cannabis at 19”, which is the same age for alcohol and tobacco use. However, if you own a cannabis retail license, you may not sell cannabis at your liquor or tobacco store, and vice versa. Only designated Cannabis retail stores are allowed. Non-medical cannabis retail store names must be approved by the LCLB, and retailers may not include the words, “pharmacy”, “apothecary”, or “dispensary”. That is because these terms are linked to the selling of medicine. Federal law requires that cannabis products may not be visible from outside the store, which existing retailers will be required to make storefront altercations. In addition to products not being visible from the outside, it is required that all cannabis products must be stored at or in your retail location. Adults ages nineteen and older may purchase up to “30 grams of dried cannabis, or the same amount of non-dried cannabis products”. This can range from province to province, but for the most part is fairly consistent. And while the government has set a limit for on person, there still remains no limit on possession and storage at home. Retailers are still expected to collect a provincial sales tax on every sale of cannabis. Licensees must register for provincial sales tax with the Ministry of Finance.

With the legalization of marijuana as a recreational drug, both new and existing dispensaries have a new set of rules and regulations that they need to follow in order to stay in business. Licensed marijuana dispensaries are fairly a new thing, and marijuana, unlike other similar drugs liquor and alcohol, does not yet have a central tracking system put in place by the government. The federal government is still developing a national “seed-to-sale tracking system”. Retailers may not purchase any cannabis products directly from producers or from any other sources and they can only obtain non-medical cannabis only through the LDB. Because the existing federal regulations do not currently allow for the production of edibles, you may not sell edible cannabis products in your retail store. However, the government has said that edible cannabis will be regulated and authorized for retail sale within 12 months of legalization. Licensed dispensaries are “required to track and keep certain records for six years while their license is valid”, and for an additional six months after their license expires or is cancelled. These records include things like cannabis wholesale purchases, cannabis retail sales, when cannabis is disposed of, and accessory and gift card sales. These records include the quantity sold, price charged, and dates and locations of purchases.

Like any other licensed retail store, there are regular inspections to certify that the dispensary is following all rules and regulations. If a retailer is found to be out of compliance with an inspector, a number of things could happen. Firstly, the retailer can be issued a Contravention Notice, and may be recommended for enforcement action. A Contravention Notice is a document that confirms the retailer has gone against rules of the Cannabis Act, and that there will be a penalty issued. This document should contain two central pieces of information. One, sufficient information about the “proposed allegations”, so that you are able to understand the case against you, and the “proposed penalty”. Common penalties are fines. Recently updated legislation includes a comprehensive list of penalties and fees that range from $500 to $25,000. As well as fees, a retailer could have their licence suspended, or removed, depending on the seriousness and number of violations.

With marijuana and the legalization of it, comes the big opportunity for the government to capitalize on it economically. Cannabis stocks were undoubtedly among Canada’s best-performing stocks in 2017. The top performers, Canopy Growth and Aurora Cannabis, valued at an estimated $8 billion and $5 billion respectively. Investors in Canada have seen the potential for money in investing in the pot industry. According to Toronto-Dominion Bank, marijuana could ass as much as $8 billion dollars to the country’s economy. Experts have been saying this for a long time, and they predict that it will be a huge market, with a base retail market value for recreational marijuana that could total between $4.9 and $8.7 billion a year. Statistics Canada expects that legal cannabis and the spending on it in the last quarter of this year will range somewhere between $816 million and $1 billion. However, if supply outstrips demand, or the provinces and territories bargain too hard with pot producers, what were once “red-hot” stocks might start to look a lot less appealing to investors. When it comes to taxation, there is an excise tax of $1 per gram of marijuana, or 10% of the final retail price. Whichever of the two is higher.

The Cold War was a conflict lasting forty-four years between the United States of America and the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR). This all happened post-World War 2 when the United States and the USSR two superpowers were in a nuclear arms race to see who could make the most nuclear weapons. With fear surrounding the globe tensions were high and nuclear war was on the rise no one could know what was next. Being caught geographically between two superpowers from 1945 to 1991 gave shape to Canada’s international role and its aspirations for middle-power status. Defining a new international role in the post-Cold War era would take Canada into new conflicts. Without Canada’s help to keep tensions low around the world, this would have been a different world.

Canada Was caught right beside the United States which made it very easy for us to be involved in the Cold War so as a country Canada had to do something. Canada would end up helping the United States in many ways to keep the country safe from nuclear warfare. In December 1954 Canada and the United States began work on the Distant Early Warning Line (DEW) which stretched 3000 miles and consisted of 63 radar and communication systems (1). This line of warning systems was used in case of emergency to identify if nuclear bombs were headed towards the United States or Canada. Canada was also involved in the creation of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). This would give the twelve original countries that were involved in NATO military protection against the USSR. NATO was created as a military alliance to help keep the struggling countries in Europe safe so they could rebuild any failing countries(2). Canada did its job in helping the United States when it was stationed in West Germany and France to help keep the USSR at bay. While this helped for most of the early stages NATO was soon outnumbered so they had to go to sing nuclear threats to keep the USSR from fighting a war for West Germany. In the fall of 1958, Canada’s Prime Minister John Diefenbaker agreed to accept and deploy 56 bomarc missiles for the United States after the Suez Canal peacekeeping mission the only problem was they were nuclear warheads which caused protests but Canada eventually accepted them on New Year’s Eve 1963(3). Canada was set to do anything to keep its neighbor the United States safe and was ready at a blink of an eye’s notice.

Canada post World War 2 was a very powerful country at the time with the third largest Navy, fourth largest force, and around 1 million ground units. Canada was not a big superpower like the United States or the USSR but it could help resolve problems by being in the middle. Canada during this time became known as the peacekeeping nation because it would help settle problems around the world to keep tensions low between the world. Canada did several peacekeeping missions including the most influential ones being Cyprus and the Suez Canal crisis. The Suez Canal crisis was one of the biggest peacekeeping missions Canada had to do during the middle of the Cold War. This was a very important mission because this was a time when the USSR was threatening to shower the United States with Nuclear weapons if Britain and France did not withdraw from the Suez Canal. The Suez Canal was a major trade route for Britain and France and the USSR wanted that so they took it. The United Nations (UN) needed to find a way to keep peace and needed to have a military on the border and Canada stepped in to do it. It was the first large international peacekeeping force. The force included 6,000 men from 10 different countries and it was under the command of Canadian General E.L.M. Burns it helped to keep peace inside the Middle East until Egypt demanded that the armed forces leave the area in 1967 (4). Cyprus is another very well-known peacekeeping mission because it was the longest overseas military commitment. Cyprus is a small island in the Mediterranean of just over 9,000 square kilometers, making it a little smaller than Cape Breton Island, Nova Scotia. It has a population of almost 800,000 people. Cyprus has a very tumultuous history, including the period leading up to and after 1960, when the island gained independence. Much of the unrest is rooted in ethnic tensions (5). It had a force of 25000 Canadian men go to Cyprus to help ease tensions between the ethnic groups of Greeks and Turks. The UN decided to send a peacekeeping force of Canadians to put rest to the dilemma inside Cyprus. This was a difficult mission as soldiers would have to fix disagreements. It’s Been remarked as hard because ‘Peacekeeping is not a soldier’s job, but only a soldier can do it’(6). These peacekeeping missions showed that Canada did have an international role to play and they played it well as they did a total of 12 peacekeeping missions which is quite a bit in 44 years.

The Cold War has shaped Canada into the country it is today making it the peacekeeping giant bringing it to some interesting places post-Cold War. After the Cold War Canada got involved in the war on terror because they were a part of NATO so Canada got involved in the Afghanistan War. Canada had 40000 personnel put in the Afghanistan war and it was only supposed to last from 2001-2014 but there are still troops inside of Afghanistan but only very little. Canada has also helped with the Ebola outbreak in Africa. This may not have been a peacekeeping mission but it was a mission to stop the outbreak of the deadly infection ebola. Canadian doctors were able to make the ebola vaccine to stop the disease from spreading and even to this day Canada is working on the Ebola vaccine to make it better. Canada has grown as a country to be able to help other countries in need of help.

The experience Canada gained from the Cold War allowed Canada to get Its middle power Status by doing all those peacekeeping missions having a spot in NATO and its international role will always be considered to be the country that will come in with a peacekeeping mission is stop the violence in a country. Canada after the Cold War has truly become the independent country it wanted to be.

Many communities across Canada have been impacted by very public displays of gun violence. In 2018, the rate of gun violence in Canada reached it’s highest since 1992. While there have been many public debates on gun violence, one question remains unanswered, “How do we stop it?” Canada has had its share of opportunities to commit preventive actions that would set us apart from other countries by ensuing gun laws are much more stringent. We continue to see concerning gun-related crimes impacting communities and many provinces across Canada.

Policy discussions and changes in Canada often follow major gun violence events and usually leads to incremental changes at the Provincial and Municipal level with less Federal enhancements. There are social movements that may be the catalyst to mobilize changes in the discourse of gun violence. Groups such as physicians and mothers of those victimized by gun violence have tabled different ways of thinking about gun violence. They will increase their effort to forge new policy directions based on approaching gun violence as a public health issue instead of strictly a criminal concern in Canada.

Background

Concerned groups have mobilized and are forging new expectations for changes in gun policies at every level of government. Reports of gun crimes reach our homes every day, and the rate of these crimes continues to threaten communities and households which have been traditionally safe and secure. Statistics Canada reports that the crime rate in Canada has increased by 1% since 2013, while the violent crime rate has decreased by 4%. Violent crime makes up 20% of all Criminal Code offences in Canada. (Canada, 2018)

Statistics published by the Department of Justice Canada (Zhang, 2012) show that, in 2008, Canada had approximately 8,710 police-reported incidents involving a firearm that affected 9,469 victims. The total economic and social costs of gun-related crime in Canada was $3.1 billion that same year, and “firearms were present in about one-third of homicides (32.7%) and attempted murders (35.8%) in 2008” (Zhang, 2012).

While figures have fluctuated since, Statistics Canada reveals that, in 2016, critical contingency factors primed policy discussions. The report suggested that “there were approximately 7,100 victims of violent crime where a firearm was present”—a 33 percent increase on 2013 figures. The Toronto Van Attack in April 2018, the Quebec City Mosque shooting of 2017, the Vernon Massacre of 1996; the Yeo Inquest Shooting of 1992 the Concordia Shooting of the same year, and the École Polytechnique Massacre in 1989 show that Canada is not immune to horrendous incidents of gun violence (Kamal, 2018). As aforementioned, there were subtle policy movements following these events.

Interests.

The Federal Government can legislate handguns as evidenced in Bill C-71. They remain cautious about infringing on the constitutional rights of “gun owners” in Canada. The Federal Government has been engaged in the discussion regarding public safety that peaked when the Reform Party became a willing conduit for the arguments of firearms (Brown R. , 2017). For the 2019 federal elections, the Liberals, Green Party and New Democrat Party included gun control, prisoner form and support for victims of violence in their party platform.

The municipal government is advocating for a public health approach to managing gun violence and has put forward recommendations to the Province of Ontario.

The Canadian Medical Association Journal reports that medical doctors want gun control policy, as with all health policy issues, to be founded upon the best available evidence. Physicians know scientific evidence and are good at producing, appraising and explaining it to the public (Stanbrook, 2019).

A feminist group became the first Community Coalition for Gun Control in response to the Montreal massacre. They started as a feminist group that believes in stricter gun laws including policies that are based on a public health approach to dealing with gun violence (Brown R. B., 2013). The Globe and Mail reported that Ken Price, a member of Danforth Families for Safe Communities, said in an “interview that dealing with gun violence must be approached much like smoking once was as a multidecade public-health endeavour” (Cardoso, 2019).

The Gun Lobby in Canada objects medical doctors involved in the gun control discourse and dismisses their recommendations as “ridiculous.” The gun lobby has been excellent at obstructing the initiation and discussions regarding available evidence that links guns and health. They have argued, for example, that such advocacy will lead to children being shot by police coming to raid homes of gun owners (Cardoso, 2019).

Ideas.

The Federal Government remains the only level of government with authority to commit an outright ban on handguns. There remains a pressing need for policies that have horizontal appeal such that it shifts the span of control and scope of action from the traditional enforcement focus to a socially driven entity. These entities appear to be emerging as evidenced by citizen groups, provincial government initiatives and municipal government initiatives.

The opportunity to apply the lenses of intergovernmental collaboration as the key to future policies regarding gun violence remains available as the main thread that connects all efforts to address gun violence as a public health issue. This would necessitate mandating all files that address the broader social determinants of health to work as extensions of each other in building the policies required to address gun violence in a public health context.

At the Provincial and municipal level, direct discussions are underway. The Globe and Mail reported that the Toronto Board of Health had been actively involved in advocating a new way of dealing with gun violence by asking the Province to ban the sale of handgun ammunition in March 2018 (Cardoso, 2019). Further, the idea of approaching gun violence using similar policies to those used for tobacco or alcohol has been tabled and is gaining traction as social movements.

Concerned groups have mobilized and are forging new expectations for changes in policy at every level of government. United Mothers Opposing Violence Everywhere is one such organization that formed a new utility of motherhood as a political vehicle and have successfully elicited the support of local politicians in the City of Toronto (Kinser, 2010). The Canadian Doctors for Protection from Guns continue to rally their support for gun control that have resulted in the 70 complaints to the College of Physicians and Surgeons from the Canadian Gun Lobby group (Stanbrook, 2019). In the future, it is likely that we will continue to see a narrowing of the gap between the influence of institutions and the influence of coalitions in the effort to reduce the impact of gun violence through policy.

Conclusions.

The analysis in this paper explored the prospect of opening the policy directions that meet the expectations of citizen coalitions. Gun violence as a public health issue requires commitment and corporation of the three levels of government. The policy change is increasingly attainable, but change is slow. While bills must pass through the Senate, at best, the Senate can only attempt to modify it (Kamal, 2018). Political Parties are the change catalyst in Canada’s parliamentary system, and when one party has a majority, it becomes the dominant player (Tsebelis, 2002). With the Liberal Government’s creation of the long-gun registry in1995 as part of the Firearms Act, the door to change appeared to be opening. In 2018, the passing of Bill C-71 confirmed the journey to real and effective policies is attainable, but in real-time. Congruence and cohesiveness will be the key to achieving a Federally backed public health approach to gun violence policy. (Golding, Llewellyn, 2019)

References

1. Brown, R. (2017). Firearm ‘Rights’ in Canada: Law and History in the Debates over Gun Control. Canadian Journal of Law and Society, 97-116.
2. Brown, R. B. (2013). Arming and Disarming—A History of Gun Control in Canada. Toronto: University of Toronto Press.
3. Canada, S. (2018, 11 21). Firearm-related Violent Crime in Canada. Retrieved from Statistics Canada: https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/pub/85-005-x/2018001/article/54962-eng.htm
4. Cardoso, T. (2019, 11 13). Toronto health board calls on Queen’s Park. Globe and Mail.
5. Kamal, R. D. (2018). POLICY GRIDLOCK VERSUS POLICY SHIFT IN GUN POLITICS. World Affairs, 181(4)., 317–347.
6. Kinser, A. (2010). Motherhood and Feminism. Berkley: Seal Press.
7. Stanbrook, M. (2019). Gun control: a health issue for which physicians rightfully advocate. Canadian Medical Association Journal, 434-435.
8. Tsebelis, G. (2002). How Political Institutions Work. New York: Russell Sage Foundation.
9. Zhang, T. (2012). Introduction—The Economic Impact of Firearm-related Crime in Canada. Ottawa: Department of Justice Canada.

The article I chose for this essay is about the racism that is happening to Asian people in Canada due to the coronavirus. Amy Go who is the national president of the Chinese Canadian National Council for Social Justice in Toronto, explained that many of her friends and family have experienced xenophobia and racism due to the coronavirus. She spoke about how her friends and family have witnessed racist acts and remarks towards Asian people, from people moving away from Asian people on the bus to kids being bullied in school. She finds the situation similar to the SARS outbreak that occurred in 2003. Social media has made it easier for racism and hate to spread faster in comparison to the SARS outbreak. Asian people are being targeted in public and facing severe discrimination and even isolation. Justin Trudeau gave a speech in Scarborough explaining that Canada has no room for discrimination and hopes that misinformation will stop being spread. Amy Go wants there to be more resources available for Asian people facing discrimination, such as hotlines, better monitoring of misinformation being spread on social media and overall better support. In conclusion, racism and discrimination towards the Asian community is at an all-time high right now due to the misinformation and fear being sparked around the coronavirus.

Analysis

This article does bring up questions on our multicultural ideal. Canada claims to be a multicultural nation, but why are we divided as a nation when these situations arise? It is in times like these we need to come together and provide support to those that are experiencing prejudice and hate towards their culture. It seems as though when things are at peace, we wholeheartedly embrace our multicultural nation, but when an issue arises cultures face isolation. At the end of the article Amy Go hopes that more support is offered at a national level. More information on the coronavirus needs to be spread to eliminate the amount of false information being released to the public. It is in times like these that the people facing cultural bias need our support. No one should have to be publicly bullied or humiliated because of the stereotype surrounding their race. People also need to realize that because someone is Asian does not mean they automatically have been infected with the virus. If something is not done at a national level to abolish the prejudice at hand, I fear that violence will result. More policies should be put in place to support people who have fell victim to discrimination surrounding the coronavirus. There is no telling how much longer the virus will pose an issue, but for now we know something needs to change in regards to how the Asian culture is being treated. I do not feel the article was written with any bias, as the person being interviewed is a member of the Asian community herself. She knows firsthand what it is like in public right now, as well as her friends and family. The content in this article heavily relates to what we have learned in class. In week 5 we learned about race, and in this document, it discussed racism, which is exactly what the Asian community is facing not only in Canada but worldwide. There is a negative attitude surrounding Asians right now, because many people are acting as if all Asian people carry the coronavirus. Which is extremely untrue because anyone could possibly be a carrier for the disease as it has spread to other countries. As discussed in week 3 our multicultural ideal is in question, because our nation is isolating Asian people due to the fear that they are all infected with coronavirus. Which is a complete false allegation that has caused serious social injustice. Lastly, in week 2 we discussed equity, and there is serious inequity happening right now in Canada. Overall, I hope that our nation comes together and offers more personal support to those who have experienced the inequality currently occurring in our country right now. Once we come together and offer solutions to the issue, we can be better prepared for when another situation like this arises. We can start by informing people on the situation in a non-bias way, and preventing the release of false information.

Personal Insight

The content in this article sadly does not surprise me. I have seen countless posts on social media discriminating against the Asian community due to the coronavirus. In my opinion, there is an exponential amount of fear that is being spread through the media. Although coronavirus is a serious illness, I feel there is a lot of misinformation being spread. People are jumping to conclusions and placing stereotypes on the Asian community. Which is leading to discrimination in schools, the workplace, on public transit, etc. This article does illicit a personal/emotional response because it makes me feel a tremendous amount of sadness for the people who are facing this type of discrimination. I do not think that anyone should face isolation and discrimination in public for anything. It is also upsetting that there is so much hate being spread through social media. I am worried that soon things could turn violent towards the Asian community, or that racism will continue to spike towards them. I agree with Amy Go that the situation is similar to the SARS outbreak where the same kind of discrimination was occurring in Canada, as well as worldwide. I did not think that Canadians would be so discriminatory towards Asians, especially since they make up a percentage of the Canadian population. I have Asian friends and could never imagine even making a joke to them about the coronavirus. I also hope they don’t face racism in Windsor due to the coronavirus. I always believed Canada to be a very open and accepting country but after researching articles about race and ethnicity I couldn’t believe the number of articles discussing the intolerance against Asians due to the coronavirus. I hope that in the near future people stop spreading the misinformation and stand up for people who are facing prejudice and inequity.

Bibliography

1. ‘Racism ‘Still Very Much Alive’ in Canada as Stereotypes Around Coronavirus Spread, Some Warn’ | CBC News. (2020, February 1). Retrieved from https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/racism-coronavirus-canada-1.5449023