What's missing from the Canadian conversation? Politicians, commentators, and political advisors each suggest one issue that they think should dominate the debate during Parliament's new session.

On this International Day of Peace, The Mark's contributors suggest solutions to the deadliest, most intractable global conflicts.

Which person, organization, or idea wields more influence than any other?

As school starts up again, we asked our contributors which one book they think should be on every university's required reading list.

Canadian filmmakers and critics weigh in on the movies they're most excited to see at the upcoming Toronto International Film Festival.

The Mark's contributors give 11 reasons why the controversy around the future of Canada's mandatory long-form census just won't go away.

As the summer winds down, The Mark's contributors consider the consequences of the scandals, disasters, trends, and issues that have defined 2010 up to now.

Between 1914 and 1920, thousands of Canadians of Ukrainian and Eastern European descent were imprisoned in internment camps across Canada, simply on the basis of their origins. For decades, their stories were buried under fear and shame. The Canadian government has finally recognized the internment operations, and yet it remains an unknown chapter in our nation's history.

The African continent and the Middle East are littered with powderkegs minutes from exploding, according to The Mark's contributors. But there is one conflict that could threaten even the core democratic values of Canadians: cyber war.

Can Michael Ignatieff and the Liberal Express reverse the momentum of Canadian politics? The Mark's contributors look to Canada's most unlikely electoral comebacks for the answer.

As the times change, some things get left behind. The Mark’s contributors predict what will seem quaint and outdated in a decade’s time.

The Mark's contributors can't decide if the Canadian International Council's foreign policy study is too revolutionary, too conservative, or spot on its wide-ranging recommendations for how Canada should position itself on the global stage.

As Canada blows out the candles on its 143rd birthday cake, six contributors make one wish each for the year to come.

From the exotic curried goat burger to the more traditional quiche canadienne, prominent Canadian chefs propose seven ways to make your Canada Day delicious.

With the G8/G20 summits and Canada Day around the corner, it's high time to examine the role Canada will play in the international arena in the years to come. To that end, The Mark asked its contributors what Canada's 21st-century brand should be - because "the hockey nation" isn't going to cut it.

They came up with the nation's best, most exportable traits, from cultural translation to charter rights. The Mark wants you to pick the one that should distinguish us on the global stage. Vote for your favourite Brand Canada idea by clicking on any one of the essays below.

In nine days, Canada's largest-ever security event will arrive in Toronto. The Mark looks at some of the social and economic costs of the G20, and asks whether they're justified.

Tuesday we advised the Tories, yesterday the NDP. Today, in the third of a three-part series, six political thinkers suggest one idea each for how the Liberals can break Canada's political gridlock and reengage the electorate.

Illustration special to The Mark, by Ryan James Terry.

In the second of a three-part series, six left-leaning politicos suggest one idea each for how the NDP can break Canada's political gridlock and reengage the electorate. Check out yesterday's ideas for the Tories; stay tuned for the Liberals tomorrow.

Illustration special to The Mark, by Karen Justl.

In the first of a three-part series, six conservative thinkers suggest one idea each for how the Conservative Party can break Canada's political gridlock and reengage the electorate. Stay tuned for a look at the NDP tomorrow and the Liberals on Thursday.

Illustration special to The Mark, by Ryan James Terry.

Seventeen years since a Canadian team last won the Stanley Cup, seven hockey experts offer suggestions for how to bring home Canada's most coveted trophy.

For at least the past half century, Canada’s relationship with the United States has been our most important one, and there is no sign this will change any time soon. Over three quarters of our exports go to the United States, accounting for a third of our gross national product. Millions of jobs across the country depend on our trade relationship with the United States. But our relationship, as the contributors to this series note, is about far more than economics. Our two countries work closely in Afghanistan as part of NATO and the fight against al-Qaeda. Our long record of cooperation on environmental issues was renewed last month when Prime Minister Harper and President Oba...

One of my favourite Sopranos characters once told Tony Soprano that he was at the "precipice of an enormous crossroads." It's beginning to feel like that in Canadian venture capital. The Canadian Venture Capital Association recently released 2009 data indicating that deal activity was at its lowest level since the mid-1990s. This is not a uniquely Canadian phenomenon, but the drought in new venture financing has seemed longer and drier in Canada than elsewhere. In some sectors, earlier-stage investors have become more visible, but what was once concern in the industry is now escalating to alarm, as more players ask what is to become of the Cana...

Housing and transit are not just the biggest infrastructure issues facing cities today, they are also the biggest social, economic, and equity issues. A healthy city must be able to house people of all income levels in a stable way, allowing them to build social capital in neighbourhoods and live close to where they work, play, and shop. The ability to move around the city easily, to work, to worship, to play, and to buy things, weaves relationships throughout the city, creating a strong civic fabric. The 2010 municipal elections will see other important issues raised. Many, like immigrant settlement, waterfront development, or anti-poverty initiatives, will relate to housing and ...

For much of the past decade, Canadians named health care the most important issue facing Canada. But recently the public spotlight has shifted to other issues, like climate change and the global economic crisis. This may be part of the reason why many say that health care policy over the past few years has lacked vision and boldness. Rather than planning for the future by supporting research, harnessing technology, and finding new sources of health care funding, governments seem fixated on containing the cost demands of the present. The articles below, written by some of Canada's top health care analysts, researchers, and policy makers, suggest ways in which governments...

Ten years ago I graduated from McGill University with a degree in comparative religions and an uncertain future. My degree was by no means an instant ticket to a job and I didn't want to go to law school or hole up in an ashram in India. At the time my brother was living in New York, and his band Stars had just released their first record, Nightsongs. I volunteered to help them promote shows, manage tours, and pretty much do anything I could to get their career going. I basically became their de facto manager. I accompanied them to CMJ, CMW, NXNE, http://www.sxsw.c...

There's a revolution going on right now in the way we think of foreign policy – it's no longer solely about what the government does, but rather what we all do to shape our role in the world. Whether they call it foreign policy or not, groups that operate outside the purview of government – from businesses to not-for-profits to artists to technologists – are creating Canada's role in the world, acting as diplomats and cultural translators, and doing things we would traditionally think of as the responsibility and privilege of government. There's an urgent need for these new actors to collaborate with government, and in turn for civil servants and political advisors to get...

In Kabul, Washington, Brussels, London, Paris, and Amsterdam, the debate over NATO’s role in Afghanistan is building. President Obama is not only considering the possibility of General McChrystal’s recommended troop surge and tactical shift towards far greater civilian protection, but more importantly, he is reconsidering the broader strategic objectives of the mission. Is the goal to protect America from a resurgent al-Qaeda, to build an Afghan state that can hold the Taliban at bay, or to reconfigure both Afghanistan and Pakistan? The answer will drive his decision in the coming weeks. As the president deliberates, the U.S. media and public are increasingly engaged. In...

The 21st century will come to be known as the urban century. For the first time in human history more than half of the 6.8 billion people on Earth live in cities. Over the next 17 years, another 1.7 billion people will join our species – what I call homo urbanis. Canada is no different. In 1867, 20 per cent of Canadians lived in cities; now over 80 per cent do. As such, getting cities right, and making them as sustainable as possible, is fundamentally important to our survival. Overconsumption of scarce natural capital (water, soil, forests, the ocean’s bounty, oil and gas, coal, minerals) causes major environmental problems – foul air, contaminated water a...

Many countries – especially those from the Commonwealth – share a history, language, and colonial experience. International literary festivals feature many of these otherwise distant voices together in a public forum, giving life to the printed word and illuminating the many connections that still exist between our far-flung homes. This year, in partnership with the Scottish Government and the Edinburgh International Book Festival, the IFOA focused on contemporary Scottish writing. More than 15 of Scotland’s best writers joined us in Toronto to read and discuss their works, providing a unique opportunity for us to examine Canada’s own Scottish heritage and how that...

Scientific research and innovation are the foundation that underpins wealth creation in the 21st century. Canadians’ health, economic prosperity, global competitiveness, and high standard of living are intimately linked to the continued strength and productivity of the nation’s scientific research engine. In turn, the success of this research engine depends on the formulation of sound policies governing science and innovation – a process that requires the exchange of ideas among all stakeholders, including university researchers, industry, and government. In a post-modern society, the complexity and interconnectedness of science and society makes it critical for research...