September 19th should be a national holiday, a nation-wide time of remembrance and mourning to mark the death of Queen Elizabeth II, argues Brian Dijkema, Vice-President of External Affairs at Cardus. He tells host Jas Johal that a holiday only for some government employees falls well short of what is needed for the observance of the Her Majesty’s funeral.

Let's broaden the debate about making education better for everyone in Alberta. Michael Van Pelt, President & CEO of Cardus, and Andreae Sennyah, Cardus Director of Policy, write in the Edmonton Journal to offer four creative suggestions for improving K-12 education in the province.

"Educational pluralism, stated really simply, is a system of education that allows for the funding and regulation for forms of schools that are not necessarily government-operated," explains Deani Van Pelt, a Cardus Senior Fellow, in this Hub Dialogues podcast episode. Listen in (or read the transcript) for Deani's take on how all of us could benefit from more fully embracing this concept.

Breaking with their tradition, the editors at The Hub publish a rare official editorial on the importance of work. "It should be relatively non-contentious to recognize that declining religious participation has had significant effects on modern society," they write. "We believe that a withdrawal from work could similarly have major consequences for our society that need to be better understood, debated, and ultimately contested."

"Revelations of a class action lawsuit over horrific alleged abuses at a Saskatchewan independent school have led to renewed calls to end taxpayer funding for the entire sector," writes Deani Van Pelt, a Cardus Senior Fellow. She responds by building a case for a  "pluralist education system" with "local-district, separate, francophone, and independent schools operating side by side."

"Toronto is facing another multi-million-dollar budget shortfall. While it’s easy to blame the pandemic, most of the problem is of the city’s own making. For years, Toronto has refused to recognize that construction competition could go a long way in keeping it out of financial trouble," writes Karen Renkema, VP Ontario at the Progressive Contractors Association of Canada.

"Just as Ontario parents finally head into a 'normal' school year, they’re hearing talk of potential strikes amid tense teacher and support worker contract negotiations. Given the immense learning loss students suffered over recent 'COVID-schooling' years, there surely must be a better way to resolve these issues," writes David Hunt, Education Director at Cardus.

"Canadian religious congregations bring the country an estimated benefit worth $18.2 billion," reports Faith Today magazine, citing a Cardus study. Check out the full story if you'd like to learn more about the "halo effect" of religious congregations. 

"It’s a hard time to call yourself evangelical in Canada. So hard, many of us don’t readily apply the label to ourselves anymore," writes Patricia Paddey in a Faith Today story that uses data from a Cardus and Angus Reid Institute study about of various religious communities.