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LONGUEUIL — A judge has granted bail to a Longueuil woman charged with aggravated assault after she allegedly scalded a 10-year-old Black boy with hot water earlier this month. Read More

For too long we’ve clung to the Western concept of nature as something outside cities — far away and disconnected from most people’s daily lives.

Yet people need to spend time in nature because it improves physical and mental health. Without nature in their daily lives, people suffer more from depression and disease, reduced productivity and shorter lives. Children face the cognitive and behavioural consequences of living apart from natural surroundings. Without ecosystems to disperse, store and clean water, cities are saddled with crumbling pipes and sewers that municipal governments can’t afford to maintain and repair. Nature also provides clean air and water and healthy food. Urbanites removed from nature’s distress signals are slow to notice a planet in crisis.

So how do we invite nature into a city without pushing people out of the way?

It starts with the premise that both nature and people belong in cities, as intertwined co-creators of the urban landscape. Nature belongs where we are, and we belong in nature. From that premise flows an invitation that enhances cities, restores our connection with nature and rebuilds our relationships with each other.

I recently had the honour of co-authoring the foreword to a new book, Nature-First Cities: Restoring Relationships with Ecosystems and with Each Other. It promotes “nature-directed stewardship” in urban areas. This concept was developed by renowned ecological planner Herb Hammond and co-authors Cam Brewer and Sean Markey to address the non-urban challenge of protecting ecosystems and the rural communities that depend on them in the face of relentless resource extraction.

As an alternative to activities such as clearcut logging, nature-directed stewardship focuses on what to protect: ecological integrity, biological diversity, healthy watershed ecosystems, community employment and diverse, stable communities — not on what to use (commercially valuable timber). It shows that by prioritizing ecosystem protection, long-term economic and natural stability follow.

Nature-directed stewardship has not yet been fully applied to urban areas. In Nature-First Cities, Hammond and his co-authors outline a comprehensive rationale for why we should pursue it. It includes a detailed methodology, supported with case studies from Vancouver and Vancouver Island, with international comparisons.

Restoration is neither a quick fix nor a primarily human endeavour. Returning ecological integrity to degraded ecosystems in urban areas, or anywhere, is a slow process. Humans can help to reactivate natural processes and sometimes catalyze positive change, but recovery is up to nature. Of course, the more ubiquitous the urban development, the fewer the opportunities for restoration. New developments offer more ecological restoration options, whereas older, established cities impose constraints on restoration of their more thoroughly degraded ecological conditions. In either case, nature-directed stewardship can help.

Accompanying the commitment to restoration is a commitment to stop doing the things that create the need for it to begin with. To achieve this obvious but often ignored goal, new designs and developments must protect ecological integrity, occur within ecological limits and fit people into ecosystems.

Nature-directed stewardship in cities starts by understanding the natural character of the ecosystems that existed before the cities. This is contrasted with existing conditions, and the gap in ecological integrity between the two is the restoration target.

Nature-directed stewardship aims to re-establish natural ecosystem character (composition, structure and function) over an entire watershed.

Instead of creating a network of primarily existing ecological integrity — as would be the case when applying nature-directed stewardship in forests, grasslands and other landscapes — in urban areas it starts with establishing a network where restoration activities will lead to future ecological integrity.

As these components emerge, the shape of a restoration network appears. Linking the components at multiple spatial scales will establish and strengthen a restoration network across the watershed. With enough time and effort, this will mature into a protected network of ecosystems with ecological integrity, from small sites to the focal watershed within which the city is located.

I love cities and I love nature. But we need to reconcile the two by dispelling the lie that humans are separate from nature. The practical outcome is restoration of an urban environment that reinforces our place in nature.

Nature belongs in cities. For this reason, we need to redesign cities so they include biodiversity and intact ecosystems. More importantly, we need a fundamental shift in our relationship with urban green spaces, one that recognizes we are part of nature.

David Suzuki is a scientist, broadcaster, author and co-founder of the David Suzuki Foundation.

Learn more at davidsuzuki.org.

The post Nature-directed stewardship is good for cities and living things appeared first on rabble.ca.

Canadian women's basketball general manager and high-performance director Denise Dignard recently announced her retirement after 26 years. And with Dignard's exit signals a full rebuild for a team which has missed the knockout round at each of the past two Olympics and lost all three of its games in Paris.

OTTAWA — A million Canadians have received care under the federal dental-care plan six months after the program began, Health Minister Mark Holland said Thursday. Read More

Seeing my grandpa’s birth certificate for the first time was an emotional experience. My dad and I were finally applying for official Métis citizenship, which required documenting our ancestral and cultural ties to the Red River Settlements. As we went through the colonial government’s documentation of my family, I saw how this nation viewed our people. Under the parental “racial origin” section of my grandpa’s birth certificate read “French half-breed.”

That memory resurfaced when I first heard the controversial statements made by Marina Sapozhnikov—the BC Conservative MLA candidate in the Juan de Fuca riding near my home in the Cowichan Valley (unceded Quw’utsun territory). According to an article in the Vancouver Sun, Sapozhnikov made derogatory remarks during an interview with a Vancouver Island University student on assignment to attend the Conservative election night party. Upon learning the student was studying Indigenous studies, Sapozhnikov dismissed the entire academic discipline as “all a lie,” claiming Indigenous history has been falsified as a part of an “agenda” in universities.

Sapozhnikov said that Indigenous peoples were “savages” before European colonization, claiming they had no sophisticated laws and “didn’t even have an alphabet” (perfectly exemplifying eurocentrism, the idea that the “west” should be the pinnacle of humanity and the standard to which all other cultures should be compared.)

But the concern and emotions I felt when hearing Sapozhnikov’s remarks were not solely about the words she used, but more about the overall sentiment of what those words represent in this political moment. The normalization of extremist politics and the justification of white supremacist rhetoric are a signal of emerging forms of fascism that none of us should ignore.

Contextualizing the dehumanization of Indigenous people

Métis people, or Michif, or otipemisiwak, or however we choose to describe ourselves, were classified as “half breed Indians” by colonial authorities. In the eyes of the colonial government and settlers, this did not mean we were half-Native and half-European—it meant we were half human. Métis, First Nations and Inuit were considered the lowest demographic. We were forcibly sterilized, stolen from our families, subjected to poverty, and violently dispossessed from our land, though not without resistance (see: Red River Resistance, North West Resistance, and the on-going Wet’suwet’en resistance as just a few examples).

And they called us savages?

Historical records further highlight the dehumanization of Indigenous people through the words of Canada’s leaders. Canada’s first Prime Minister, John A. MacDonald, once said, “These impulsive half-breeds have got spoiled by this emeute (uprising) and must be kept down by a strong hand until they are swamped by the influx of settlers.”

Regarding residential schools, he said, “When the school is on the reserve the child lives with its parents, who are savages; he is surrounded by savages, and though he may learn to read and write his habits, and training and mode of thought are Indian.”

And Canadian politician Nicholas Flood Davin was just as explicit with his words: “Indian culture is a contradiction in terms. They are uncivilized. The aim of education is to destroy the Indian.”

These quotes should be antiquated and left for us to learn about in classrooms—not the type of classrooms that sought to destroy the Natives, but the type that honours Indigeneity. Instead, the BC election has revealed that this colonizing spirit is alive in the hearts of today’s politicians.

Sapozhnikov’s claims fundamentally misrepresent well-documented historical reality, and it’s shocking to hear this language from someone with such close proximity to power as a former medical doctor. While BC Conservative leader John Rustad denounced Sapozhnikov’s views, his party’s actions tell a different story. The BC Conservatives’ education platform initially stated it would “remove classroom material that instills guilt based on ethnicity, nationality or religion.” Such policies, combined with party members’ extremist views and statements, create an environment where education is degraded so that racist ideologies flourish. As Assembly of First Nations Regional Chief Terry Teegee explains to CBC News, remarks like Sapozhnikov’s only embolden hateful views in our society.

On October 29, Sapozhnikov made a statement on social media expressing regret, saying she used an outdated term and that she was “not aware of the full meaning of and emotional charge that it carries or its historical context,” and that she will use this event “as an opportunity to learn and grow.” I sincerely hope Sapozhnikov sees the irony in believing that Indigenous studies is illegitimate while simultaneously admitting to being ignorant about Indigeneity and Canada’s history of ethnic cleansing.

pic.twitter.com/QCPrBQJwh0

— Marina Sapozhnikov for BC MLA (@MSapozhnik9106) October 30, 2024

pic.twitter.com/x5Uw6JJTJT

— Marina Sapozhnikov for BC MLA (@MSapozhnik9106) October 30, 2024

A pattern of far-right organization and conspiratorial thinking

The election night remarks are not an isolated incident. Sapozhnikov and other aspiring Conservative politicians have engaged in anti-Indigenous activism for several years, joining a broader pattern of far-right political organizing in British Columbia. In March 2022, Sapozhnikov spoke at a far-right “We Unify” freedom convoy rally, urging the “freedom movement” to get involved in politics by running for municipal councils, provincial and federal offices, and school boards. Later that year, she ran for school board in the Cowichan Valley alongside other “freedom movement” members, campaigning on an anti-SOGI 123 platform.

Following her unsuccessful school board bid, Sapozhnikov organized for the Land Keepers Society, a non-profit created to oppose the Cowichan Estuary Restoration Project. She and other conservative hopefuls spoke at a Land Keepers Society town hall, sowing distrust about the estuary restoration project and climate science in general by suggesting the project was part of an international conspiracy to take private property from non-Indigenous people. In 2023, I published an investigation for The Breach into the Land Keepers Society, detailing how and why it opposes the restoration project. The project, which is co-led by Cowichan (Quw’utsun) Tribes, aims to restore stolen Quw’utsun land and strengthen biodiversity to mitigate the climate crisis.

Using social media platforms like Telegram, this neo-conservative movement coordinated across British Columbia during municipal and provincial elections, promoting “freedom” candidates, holding in-person trainings and town halls, aligning with far-right groups like BC Rising, and opposing Indigenous rights, including UNDRIP and DRIPA implementation—a stance also supported by John Rustad and the BC Conservative Party.

A 2017 study on conspiracy theories argues that during periods of crisis, people grappling with uncertainty and powerlessness often seek to oversimplify complex problems by identifying clear villains. While the strain on our social structures and institutions has indeed intensified causing many of our basic needs to go unmet (especially during the pandemic), the root causes can be traced to the systemic impacts of capitalism and imperialism. Yet rather than confronting these convoluted structural forces that impact us all, many instead redirect their anger toward imagined shadowy cabals, which tends to manifest in white supremacist and other discriminatory beliefs.

As the recent BC election shows, many people are now turning to ultranationalism as a solution to these problems. Sapozhnikov’s comments reveal deep conspiratorial thinking around Indigenous rights and a supposed insidious agenda behind teaching Indigenous cultures and histories from a non-Western perspective. Rather than acknowledging that the colonial foundations of the “west” were built on white supremacy and genocide, conspiracists turn to beliefs that Indigenous peoples (and other historically marginalized groups) are part of a sinister global scheme to oppress individual freedoms.

It’s time to connect the dots here: the normalization of such views within mainstream politics is not an isolated matter. Sapozhnikov’s election night comments reflect a broader movement that seeks to rewrite historical truth and undermine fundamental human rights.

The post BC Conservative candidate’s anti-Indigenous rhetoric must not be treated like an isolated incident appeared first on rabble.ca.

Dockworkers at the Port of Montreal started a new strike Thursday morning, forcing the indefinite shutdown of two container terminals at the country’s second biggest port. Read More

The Kraken had scored eight goals total in their previous four games. Read More

Martin St. Louis is not a great NHL coach. Read More

Ottawa police and the Canada Border Services Agency say a man has been sentenced to six years in prison following a joint investigation into immigration and citizenship fraud and sexual assault. Read More

People in Ottawa's east end will see a lot of red flashing lights along the Confederation Line on Saturday as the city practises responding to an emergency on the LRT Line 1 east extension. Read More

A Montreal police officer has been suspended for using a justice of the peace’s stamp without her knowledge to create a fake warrant used in an investigation targeting one of Quebec’s then-most wanted criminals. Read More

After another embarrassing defeat Tuesday on home ice, the Montreal Canadiens head out on the road for a two-game jaunt that begins Thursday evening with a game against Alexander Ovechkin and the Washington Capitals ((7 p.m., TSN2, RDS, TSN Radio 690, 98.5 FM). Read More

Sometimes it seems like Tyrice Beverette is all over the field, considering everything the Alouettes' linebacker brings to the team's defence. Read More

Last weekend, 5.1 per cent of eligible voters cast advance ballots at the English Montreal School Board, with official election day set for this Sunday. Read More

Residential school survivors are calling on Canada to criminalize residential school denialism, days after the release of a report about unmarked graves and burial sites associated with the institutions.

Some hotel rooms and short-term rentals in Toronto and Vancouver on weekends Taylor Swift is playing are costing 10 times more than on other weekends. Some fans are cutting potential losses and selling their tickets, while others are coming up with creative solutions, including bartering spare tickets for accommodation.

Dear rabble rousers, ‘tis the night to carve a pumpkin, dust off your witch hat and eat your weight in bite-sized chocolate and caramel goodies! It’s Halloween! 

During this spookiest time of year, all of us here at rabble wanted to wish you a very safe and happy All Hallow’s Eve. 

We also wanted to remind you that, while the Canadian news landscape may seem a dark and frightening place right now (what with the blackout of Canadian news on Meta and misinformation flooding social media), rabble.ca remains unwaveringly committed to sharing the progressive take on the stories that matter most to you. 

We know we don’t need to remind you – but there’s a lot going on right now. 

The upcoming U.S. presidential election, important elections in three Canadian provinces, a growing humanitarian crisis and genocide in Gaza – and that’s only the tip of the iceberg. 

Now imagine being without a trusted independent media source like rabble to share that news with you! 

*shudder* We can’t even imagine that! That’s too scary! 

For over 23 years, rabble has upheld its commitment to telling underreported stories while remaining free from corporate influences. And to keep you informed on the newest issues that mainstream media won’t cover, we rely on your support.

This Halloween, support rabble.ca!

Breanne Doyle, managing editor
On behalf of the entire rabble staff

The post Happy Halloween, rabble rousers! appeared first on rabble.ca.

A 36-year-old man was being questioned by Montreal police after a 82-year-old man was found suffering from stab wounds Thursday morning in the city's Ahuntsic-Cartierville district. Read More

Record-breaking temperatures are making many places in Ontario and Quebec feel more like summer. Toronto, Montreal, Ottawa, London and a swath of other cities in the region are forecast to hit record highs for Oct. 31.

You would be hard-pressed to find two bigger Canadiens fans than Mike and Melinda Barnes. Read More