Redeye Redeye Collective

There has been a rapid increase in Canadian university tuition fees, creating a barrier for low-income students and widening the gap between privileged students and those who struggle to pay for their studies. Grace Barakat is a sessional lecturer at the University of Toronto. She talked with us in January about how changes in the cost of tuition are having an impact on Canadian students and their futures.

In February this year, the estimated cost of the Trans Mountain pipeline expansion project jumped by more than 70%. When the Trans Mountain Corporation announced the increase back in February, we were told that the government would spend no additional public money on the project. A new report by independent economist Robyn Allan says this is not the case, and that the federal government is hiding the real situation from Canadians. We spoke with Eugene Kung, staff lawyer with West Coast Environmental Law who commissioned the report.

The BC government under Premier David Eby has signaled new directions on protecting BC lands. They have committed to protect 30 percent of the province’s land by 2030. This includes a mandate to work with Indigenous communities to create Indigenous Protected and Conserved Areas. We talk about the new commitment with Torrance Coste, National Campaign Director for the Wilderness Committee.

Of all of the processes that are reshaping cities today, gentrification is probably one of the most misunderstood. In her new book, Gentrification is Inevitable and Other Lies, Leslie Kern addresses seven of the myths about gentrification and exposes the ideologies that make it seem like a natural and desirable process. Leslie Kern is associate professor of geography and environment and women's and gender studies at Mount Allison University, in Sackville, New Brunswick. She joined us last October to talk about how and why gentrification happens and how to resist it.

In December last year, Canadian Blood Services signed a 15-year deal with a for-profit plasma corporation to privatize plasma collection in Canada. BloodWatch says the paid plasma scheme goes against recommendations from the Krever Commission and would negatively affect voluntary collection efforts. We speak with Dr. Michèle Brill-Edwards, a former senior Health Canada regulator and whistle-blower on drug and blood safety. Dr. Brill-Edwards is a long-time board member of the Canadian Health Coalition.

The pandemic brought into focus the urgent need for a public health that serves everyone in the community, including those who have traditionally been marginalized. A book by Zena Sharman asks what health care could look like if queer folks had access to safe, appropriate and compassionate medical care. Zena Sharman is a writer, speaker, strategist and LGBTQ+ health advocate. Her book, The Care We Dream Of, was published in December 2021.