What were you doing in 2005? I can easily recall what I was trying to accomplish. I was a grade 9 student at Bathurst High School at the time, trying to get the courage to do something that no one ever thought I would do – come forward as a sixteen-year-old teenager who endured years of bullying. … [Read more...]
The Best Interests of the Aboriginal Child
In the British Columbia Family Law Act, (FLA) Part 4, Division 7 – Extra-provincial Matters Respecting Parenting Arrangements, there is legislation designed to ensure the best interests of the child are met. The Court is guided by best interests on numerous factors including: the child’s … [Read more...]
The Contemporary Progressive Political Novel: The Rotter’s Club
In my university days and for years after I made a point of seeking out the best literary criticism to further my appreciation of the classic novels and poems I was reading. One work of criticism that has been a lodestar for me over the years is Irving Howe’s impressive account, Politics and The … [Read more...]
Married vs. Common Law – What’s the Difference Anyway?
Introduction Most individuals who have recently wed realize this will change their income tax status, but common law couples often fail to realize they may also be considered married by the Tax Man. Many are surprised to learn that a different set of rules applies the next time they file their … [Read more...]
Transgender youth: Everyday items, everyday rights
The public bathroom can be a major source of anxiety for transgender youth. Using a public restroom may result in their status being discovered. If they identify as transgender and have not yet revealed their identity, they may feel like an imposter. Worse yet, trans teens may be subject to … [Read more...]
Aboriginal right – or wrong?
Two eleven-year-old girls from neighbouring First Nations in southwestern Ontario were diagnosed last year with acute lymphoblastic leukemia, a cancer of the bone marrow. Both received chemotherapy, then stopped. One has died. Makayla Sault of the Missisaugas of the New Credit, after eleven weeks, … [Read more...]
Mitigating Children’s Involvement in Maritime Piracy
Observations by the Roméo Dallaire Child Soldiers Initiative Introduction Recently, the Canadian Forces Maritime Warfare Centre (CFMWC) had the honour of hosting the prestigious Multilateral XII Wargame, an annual event that convenes representatives from eight of the western hemisphere’s … [Read more...]
One Edmonton Youth in Conflict with the Law: A Case Study
We have all been there at one point in time: young, insecure, and impressionable. You would do anything to fit in: wear the right clothes; listen to the proper music; dislike the right people and share the same opinions as all the cool kids. But what if the cool kids were the RCMP acting as … [Read more...]
International Charter on Prevention of FASD
The First International Conference on Prevention of FASD (Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder) was held in Edmonton, Canada from September 23 to 25, 2013. The following Charter was endorsed and adopted by the delegates at the meeting, who included about 700 people from 35 countries around the world; … [Read more...]
Age of Criminal Responsibility: An illusive dilemma
If we, as adults, reflect back on our youth, there is probably not one of us who can say we didn’t commit some type of infraction for which we could have been held accountable under the former welfare-oriented Juvenile Delinquency Act (JDA) – in effect from 1908 until 1984 – or the more legalistic … [Read more...]
