Opinions

Local independent news has never been more relevant

COVID-19 coverage underscores the necessity of journalism Even with all of its unpredictability, 2020 has proved the importance of local news coverage. Local news helps people learn about local issues,…

As Canadians post about Breonna Taylor, they often neglect opportunities to make change at home

This story discusses police killing Black people and police brutality. These elements may be difficult or traumatic for some folks to read. At the time of print, it has been…

How B.C. ‘works with’ Indigenous Peoples

June 21st is National Indigenous Peoples Day (NIPD). On this day, Indigenous people celebrate our Indigeneity, our cultures, and our languages. Although it is a holiday instated by the Canadian…

Mona Wang’s case offers an opportunity to reflect on anti-Asian racism in Canada

Content warning: this article discusses police violence and racism. Some elements may be disturbing for some readers.  I’d like to thank Dr. Chris Willmore for his teachings on early Chinese-Canadian…

For essential workers, the pandemic’s extra precautions add anxiety to the workplace

Working behind the scenes in construction during COVID-19 When COVID-19 hit B.C., action was taken quickly and most places that were not essential services were closed. Construction was declared an…

The opioid crisis is an emergency — it’s time for governments to treat it like one

The COVID-19 pandemic has certainly proved that our federal, provincial, and municipal governments are able to act quickly and allot resources to a crisis, with the right amount of political…

Optional training is not enough: UVic needs to enforce accountability to tackle systemic racism

President Cassels’s anti-racism training announcement does little to end systemic racism at UVic UVic’s president, Jamie Cassels, recently announced an optional anti-racism training program for staff and students, stating that…

Fair wages for the frontlines

We need to have a conversation about fair minimum wages and inclusive social security programs, especially in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. I’m sure we all remember that pivotal…

Letter from the Editor: Black lives, and Black stories, matter

How we are building a newsroom against racism I’m not going to waste a second of your time with a series of platitudes about how the Martlet is against racism.…