“However you feel about ‘Elbows Up’ as a frame, if you live here, this concerns you,” posted broadcaster Elamin Abdelmahmoud on X on June 19 about the forthcoming book he’s edited: Elbows Up! Canadian Voices of Resilience and Resistance, published by McClelland & Stewart.

Set for publication on Oct. 14, Elbows Up! features essays by some of the country’s sharpest minds—including Jay Baruchel, Omar El Akkad, Jesse Wente, Tom Power, Margaret Atwood, Peter Mansbridge, Ann-Marie MacDonald, Niigaan Sinclair, Carol Off, Atom Egoyan, and former Liberal minister and NHL hockey great Ken Dryden—attempting to answer the “urgent question: how do we meet the moment?” according to the publisher’s website.

That question comes as Canadians face an identity crisis resulting from threats to our sovereignty from the current occupant of the White House. “We weren’t as engaged in the questions of who we are as a country. That has changed. Annexation threats will do that,” Abdelmahmoud posted on X.

“This is a pivotal moment in history, and we need to take stock of how we got here, to learn from our past and walk tenaciously together into an uncertain future,” reads the promotional material.

Heard on the Hill got a sneak peek at the 224-page book’s table of contents, and can report some of the compelling essay titles including Mansbridge’s “That’s Not a One-Off,” Atwood’s “Backdrop Addresses Cowboy,” Dryden’s “Canada Is Taking Trump Seriously and Personally,” and Off’s “Like Moths to a Flame.”

Senator Brazeau recovering after collapse in Red Chamber

Senate Speaker Raymond Gagné thanked the Senate’s emergency team for their quick action last week when non-affiliated Senator Patrick Brazeau collapsed in the Red Chamber during its debate of Bill C-5 on June 25.

The 50-year-old Quebec Senator had just stood up to speak when he said “oh shit” and collapsed to his left. Video of the incident showed many Senators rushing to their colleague’s aid. Gagné suspended the session for about half an hour. 

CBC reported Brazeau was conscious when paramedics arrived and took him away by ambulance. A spokesperson for the Ottawa Paramedic Service told The Hill Times on June 25 that Brazeau’s condition was not life threatening, and the Senate also confirmed that he was being treated and appeared to be recovering at the time. 

“I would like to thank everyone for their quick action, especially that of our emergency and security personnel,” Gagné said following the incident.

Conservative Senate Leader Leo Housakos also thanked former family doctor ISG Senator Mohamed-Iqbal Ravalia for his help during the event: “How lucky we are in this chamber to have Dr. Ravalia in our midst. Thank you for always being there for all of us.”

Ex-Conservative MP Guy Lauzon died on June 22

Longtime Conservative MP Guy Lauzon, who died on June 22, is being remembered as “big-hearted” and “a prince of a man.” He was 81. His funeral took place on June 28 in his hometown of St. Andrews West, Ont.

“We have lost a wonderful man and community leader,” Eric Duncan posted on X on June 22. The current Conservative MP for the riding of Stormont–Dundas–South Glengarry, Ont.,—which Lauzon held from 2004 to 2019—Duncan said Lauzon “was a man who truly made a difference and set the bar for those serving in public life.”

“I was blessed to spend some time with him in his final days where we recalled the many good memories and stories we shared over the past 20 years. For me, Guy was a boss, a mentor and most importantly, a friend,” wrote Duncan.

Lauzon was a business manager and entrepreneur before he was first elected to the House in June 2004. During his 15-year career in Parliament, Lauzon was his party’s caucus chair from 2008 to 2015. Prior to that, he was the Conservatives’ deputy whip, and served as Parliamentary Secretary for agriculture for a year from 2007-2008. He chose not to reoffer in the 2019 election.

British Columbia Tory MP Todd Doherty recalled Lauzon as “an incredible man! Fortunate to have been able to spend time with him as seatmates.” Former Harper-era cabinet minister Jason Kenney praised Lauzon as “warm, authentic, big-hearted,” while Ian Brodie, former chief of staff to then-prime minister Stephen Harper, called Lauzon “a prince of a man.”

Changing of the Guard parade returns July 1

Starting on Canada Day, the Changing of the Guard parade will return to Parliament Hill. 

“After pausing for Covid, Changing of the Guards is now back in full force this summer, starting July 1st” Ottawa Mayor Mark Sutcliffe announced on X on June 19, noting the guards can be seen “every day of the week at 10:00 AM on Parliament Hill.”

From July 1 until Aug. 20, “the full parade will take place on Wednesdays, Thursdays, Fridays and weekends, with the band only performing on Mondays and Tuesdays.” Starting around 9:45 a.m. at the Cartier Square Drill Hall, the band will lead the new guard along Laurier Avenue, north on Elgin Street, around the War Memorial to Wellington street, arriving on Parliament Hill at 10 a.m. where it will relieve the Old Guard.

Former Liberal minister McKenna’s memoir coming soon

Former Liberal cabinet minister Catherine McKenna is publishing her memoir this fall.

Titled Run Like a Girl: A Memoir of Ambition, Resilience, and Fighting for Change and published by Sutherland House, the memoir is due out in Canada on Sept. 23. 

“I didn’t plan to write a memoir, especially not one with pictures and swim caps and stories about burnout and Barbie insults,” said McKenna in the promotional release, alluding to the book’s unique scrapbook-style format. “This book is my way of being honest about politics, parenting, and pushing for something better.”

Trained lawyer and avid swimmer McKenna was first elected to the House representing Ottawa Centre, Ont., in 2015, and served as Justin Trudeau’s first environment minister from then until 2019 when she was shuffled to infrastructure until 2021 when she didn’t seek re-election. She’s now the CEO of Climate & Nature Solutions.

Madan is Manitoba’s man in D.C.

Erstwhile CBC correspondent in Washington, D.C., Richard Madan has a new job: Manitoba’s trade rep to the United States. 

The provincial government made the announcement in a June 24 press release, saying it’s “opened a permanent office in Washington, D.C., led by former White House news correspondent Richard Madan, to build on trade and economic relationships with the U.S. that support Manitoba jobs, Premier Wab Kinew announced today.”

“Richard has the knowledge, skill set and connections in Washington to speak the language of the Trump administration and be a voice for Manitobans in the White House,” Kinew is quoted in the press release.

Madan was in Winnipeg last week for meetings with senior officials including the province’s advisor on Canada-U.S. relations, Gary Doer. “Manitoba and the U.S. have been trading partners for a long time, but the rules of engagement have changed under the Trump administration. I understand the U.S. and I know how to talk to these folks – Republicans and Democrats.” Madan said in the press release.

Made-in-Canada social media platform coming in October

There’s a made-in-Canada social media platform launching publicly this October. Built on the same open, decentralized network protocol as the Twitter alternative BlueSky, Gander Social Inc. is the hatchling of five Canadian co-founders including Ottawa-based Ben Waldman.

The co-founders “grew frustrated with the torrent of trolls, disinformation and divisive content they experienced on other platforms, largely owned by American tech giants,” according to a June 24 Globe and Mail profile. Aiming to be available in French, English and three Indigenous languages, Gander Social “is working with Canadian cloud-service provider ThinkOn to build a parallel network of servers entirely in Canada,” Waldman told the Globe.

Wire Report hosts webinar with CRTC leaders on July 10

The Hill Times and The Wire Report host a subscriber-exclusive webinar on July 10: “Navigating Telecom Regulation: A Conversation with the CRTC.” Wire Report editor Hannah Daley will moderate a discussion with the CRTC’s Leila Wright, executive director, Telecommunications; and Scott Hutton, vice-president, Consumer, Analytics and Strategy, on what the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission’s updated strategic vision means for small and medium telecom players, which regulatory resources are available, and what to expect from key ongoing proceedings. 

cleadlay@hilltimes.com

The Hill Times