"Community Benefits Agreements (CBA) can achieve social and economic benefits for everyone involved in construction projects but will only be effective if governments implement a fair, open, transparent and inclusive framework across Canada, states think-tank Cardus. The report, Community Benefits Agreements: Toward a Fair, Open, and Inclusive Framework for Canada, examines 'the use and abuse' of CBAs across the country. Brian Dijkema, vice-president of external affairs at Cardus, said the purpose of the research is to examine CBAs, what is working and not working, and to provide measurable returns to make it better for the industry as a whole." Read more in the Daily Commercial News.  

“All outbursts of anti-religious violence have at least one thing in common: They convey an ugly intolerance of difference and a refusal to recognize the humanity of an individual or a community,” Ray Pennings, Cardus Executive Vice-President, tells the Vancouver Sun. “I fear church burnings could be an indication that Canadians are losing the ability to discuss faith publicly, using the vocabulary of civility and respect.” Read more in Douglas Todd's article: Not much difference between Islamophobia and Christophobia

In light of church fires and vandalism, anti-Muslim attacks, and anti-Semitism, perhaps Canada "suffers from an anti-religion problem," suggests Ray Pennings, Cardus Executive Vice-President. Read more in The Line.

Atheist activists in British Columbia are renewing their push to get governments to stop "giving clergy charitable tax breaks." But as they try to make their case, Brian Dijkema, vice-president of external affairs for Cardus, respectfully disagrees. He argues back that, as the Victoria News puts it, "there are a number of unique reasons why churches exist as charitable organizations and a number of reasons why this should be maintained."

Recent news about residential schools should force us to reckon with injustices. But taxing churches isn’t the place to start. Rather, we should point out that such injustices are at odds with professed beliefs, and remind religious communities to renew their efforts at reconciliation and loving their neighbours.

Reflections on history must always be informed by a desire to seek what is true, and to work towards revealing both the successes and the failures of our collective past. It must also be shot through with a genuine humility in which we recognize that, while technology advances, little about our human nature changes.Before we condemn the sins and misdeeds of our forebears we should reflect on our own passions for exclusivity, greed, narrow-mindedness, bigotry, and sanctimonious ideological pontificating about how enlightened and righteous we post-moderns are.

The premier also announced a one-time grant of $500 for trained early childhood educators who work in provincially funded child-care centres.  But Andrea Mrozek with the think-tank Cardus said recent Statistics Canada data shows unregulated home cares represent 71 per cent of the providers in the Nova Scotia daycare and home-care sector.  “These providers and the families that prefer them receive no benefit from the new federal funding,” Mrozek said.  Read the rest of what Andrea had to say in the full article.

Rev. Dr. Andrew Bennett, one of Canada’s leading Catholic public figures and intellectuals, strongly condemned the growing violence and hatred aimed at the Catholic Church, while at the same time diagnosing its cause. Follow the link for a partial transcript of an interview with The B.C. Catholic.

Should churches pay tax? That idea is starting to gain currency as activists use recent horrific news regarding residential schools to attack the long-standing tax-exempt status of religious institutions. So, Brian Dijkema, our vice-president of external affairs, stepped into the breach in the Real Talk with Ryan Jespersen podcast. Brian used facts, figures, and real research to argue that “taxing churches” will cause plenty of harm, but precious little good.