Media Coverage

"With public balance sheets upended by two years of intermittent lockdowns, the provincial government has a valuable opportunity for reform. It’s time to restructure Ontario’s gambling system to empower those on the economic margins, rather than preying on them," write Brian Dijkema, Cardus Vice-President of External Affairs, and Johanna Lewis, a former Cardus researcher. 

^{Photo by Josh Appel on Unsplash}

The story of religious faith in Canada continues to change. Cardus, using data collected by the Angus Reid Institute, is putting together a picture of Canadians' faith journey, examining how and why some find faith, retain faith, or lose it altogether. 

^{Photo by Alex Shute on Unsplash}

Cardus research on the financial sacrifices parents make to send their kids to independent schools helps round out this The Globe and Mail article on the affordability of tuition. And our education program director, David Hunt, notes that about 8 in 10 independent schools saw "an uptick in enrolment" during the pandemic. 

^{Photo by Thomas Park on Unsplash}  

Houses of worship have a "halo effect" that's measurable in terms of dollars and cents, says Dr. Lisa Richmond, Vice-President of Research at think tank Cardus. That's a a good reminder, she adds, that religiously motivated activity goes well beyond holding worship services and benefits for all Canadians. 

^{Photo by Nina Strehl on Unsplash}

"Yet, fundamentally, child care is the care of a child, regardless of who does it," writes Levi Minderhoud, B.C. manager for the Association for Reformed Political Action Canada. Minderhoud picks up a Cardus argument to make his case for direct child care help to parents. 

^{Photo by Aditya Romansa on Unsplash}

Denying charitable status to crisis pregnancy centres because of their stance on abortion "is a threat to freedom of expression in a pluralist society and sets a troubling precedent for the politicization of charitable status in Canada," writes Andreae Sennyah.

"Have the authors of this report, reputable leaders with credentials and careers in public service, all been so blinded to their worldview that they can write their report without realizing the offence it provokes?" asks Ray Pennings, Executive Vice-President of Cardus?

^{Photo by Philippe Beliveau on Unsplash}

A report recommending Canada's government remove Abrahamic faiths from the military chaplaincy is "one of the most egregious examples of anti-religious sentiment I have ever seen in Canada," writes Brian Dijkema, Vice-President of External Affairs at Cardus.

After Michael Van Pelt, President and CEO of Cardus, called out discriminatory recommendations for re-defining the military chaplaincy in Canada, the defence minister took a step to put some distance between herself and the recommendations.

^{Photo by Noah Holm on Unsplash}

"Eliminating sexism, racism and other social evils from the Canadian Armed Forces is a laudable goal. But sadly, the National Defence Advisory Panel on Systemic Racism and Discrimination has recommended an approach that appears to be based in religious bigotry: a theological cleansing of the military’s chaplaincy from some faiths," writes Rev. Dr. Andrew Bennett.

A recently released report from the Minister of National Defence’s Advisory Panel on Systemic Racism and Discrimination calls for discriminatory action itself among some of its many recommendations. The panel recommends the Canadian Armed Forces not employ chaplains affiliated with religions “whose beliefs are not synonymous with those of a diverse and inclusive workplace.” Cardus is calling on the defence to reject that part of the report.
 
 ^{Photo by Jason Hafso on Unsplash}

$272.6-million to improve the employment prospects of people with disabilities is “pretty underwhelming,” says Cardus's Brian Dijkema, compared to what the government spends on other priorities.

Comment pouvons-nous comprendre les croyances et pratiques religieuses à l'Alberta et les autres provinces du Canada? Lisa Richmond, Vice-Président de recherche à Cardus, explique les résultats d'un sondage par l'Angus Reid Institute.

^{Photo by Matt Botsford on Unsplash}

Brian Dijkema, Vice-President of External Affairs at Cardus, speaks out on the importance of work and reforming Canada’s system of disability benefits.

^{Photo by Sigmund on Unsplash}

"Albertans and their fellow Prairie dwellers are more likely to be 'religiously committed' than other Canadians, a new survey on faith suggests," reports CBC Edmonton's Janet French.

A new survey by the Angus Reid Institute in partnership with Cardus suggests Canadians' religiosity is on the decline. Others say some religions are, on balance, damaging to society. Ray Pennings, Cardus executive vice-president, helps put the findings in context.

"One third [of Canadians] say [religious freedom] is deteriorating, it's getting worse," Ray Pennings tells host Rob Breakenridge. Ray dives into the details on the latest polling on religion in Canada by the Angus Reid Institute in partnership with Cardus.

^{Photo by Matt Botsford on Unsplash}

"Growing immigration is changing the composition of religion in Canada, an in-depth survey shows, though not all communities of faith feel welcome. The Angus Reid Institute and Cardus survey ... is described as the first of its kind to take a comprehensive look at Canadians’ faith across a full religious spectrum," reports The Globe and Mail.

A new study from Joanna DeJong VanHof, a Cardus researcher, suggests Ontario’s pandemic experience raises a critical question about whether in-person schooling should be an essential service.

^{Photo by Kelly Sikkema on Unsplash}   

Before the next public health crisis hits (or the current situation gets worse), Ontario should ask some hard questions about why its education system struggled to serve students well during repeated shut-downs and why independent schools seem to have fared far better, writes Cardus researcher Joanna DeJong VanHof.

^{Photo by YY TEOH on Unsplash}

Andrea Mrozek, Senior Fellow with Cardus, tells host Adam Stirling why British Columbia would help more families by providing child care funding directly to them rather than supporting just one type of centre-based care.

^{Photo by Fringer Cat on Unsplash}   

B.C. parents looking forward to $10-a-day child care shortly are in for disappointment. Provincial mismanagement of child care and disrespect for child care operators has been going on for years and it has hit a boiling point, writes Andrea Mrozek.

^{Photo by Conor Samuel on Unsplash}

"Just as we’ve seen in other provinces, the federal child-care plan’s fee reductions apply only to the families using licensed care. In Ontario, less than a third of children under age six use that kind of care," writes Peter Jon Mitchell in The Hamilton Spectator.

^{Photo by Sigmund on Unsplash}

"Allowing parents to find the best fit for their child(ren) is in the public interest," writes Cardus President and CEO Michael Van Pelt in the Calgary Herald. "These options are all part of public education. Funding them or allowing them to expand will improve public education, not undermine it."  

The Religious Freedom Institute's Eric Patterson and Andrew Bennett, director of religious freedom at Cardus, discuss the religious landscape in Ukraine, and in particular the threat the ongoing Russian invasion poses to the unique national churches in Ukraine.

^{Photo by Chaiwat Hanpitakpong on Unsplash}