Category: English

Source: The Conversation – Canada – By Anne E. Kleffner, Professor, Risk Management and Insurance, University of Calgary

Every year, extreme weather events wreak havoc across Canada, disrupting the lives of tens of thousands. Financial losses from these events have surged, surpassing $7 billion in 2024, due in part to climate change, asset accumulation and more people living in high-risk areas.

Evidence from Canada, the United States and Europe shows that weather-related disasters aren’t experienced equally. The people hardest hit are often those with the fewest resources to cope.

Lower-income and marginalized populations face greater exposure, have fewer resources to prepare or recover and incur a higher proportion of losses not covered by insurance.

Even if they are insured, many people have difficulty covering the deductible because they lack emergency savings. This means damage is not repaired, people live in unsafe or unhealthy conditions and the financial and personal risk of future events is increased.

Insurance helps households recover and can prevent them from falling — or falling deeper — into poverty after a disaster. But across Canada, insurance is becoming costlier and, in some places, harder to get. Between 2019 and 2023, average home insurance premiums rose by 21 per cent overall. For lower-income Canadians, that increase was 40 per cent.

A widening protection gap

Canada’s growing insurance protection gap is a serious concern, and it’s widening at a time when weather-related disasters are becoming more frequent and more severe.

When households are uninsured, losses can strain household budgets and leave people unable to meet their basic needs. As extreme weather escalates, so does the likelihood that more families will find themselves unable to recover.

Affordability is the primary driver of the protection gap, but it is not the only one. Many Canadians do not understand the benefits of insurance, or underestimate the probability and cost of suffering a loss.

Accessibility to insurance is also a challenge, especially in remote areas where it is usually purchased in person. While the growth of digital purchasing channels helps, it is not a solution for those without reliable internet or sufficient digital skills.

Finally, the market itself does not always meet the needs of low-income or otherwise marginalized groups. There is a lack of insurance products designed for these groups, leaving many without the protection they need.

Strengthening community resilience

Better insurance options, stronger investments in mitigation and better support for consumers can help reduce inequities and strengthen resilience.

Community-level mitigation is a good starting point. Land-use planning that steers development away from high-risk areas can prevent future losses. Programs like FireSmart, which reduces wildfire losses, and infrastructure designed for a changing climate also help limit damage as severe weather becomes more frequent.

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Too little, too late? The devastating consequences of natural disasters must inform building codes

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National assessments show that making housing more resilient reduces exposure for lower-income and marginalized households that are more likely to live in older or poorly maintained homes, putting them at greater risk.

While major retrofits can be costly, even small upgrades such as improving drainage, installing backwater valves or fire-resistant materials can help prevent damage. Many municipalities provide targeted subsidies and incentive programs that support these upgrades, particularly for households facing greater financial constraints.

Making hazard information easier to find and understand can also help ensure no one is left behind when disasters strike. Many Canadians lack clear information about the hazards they face and how to prepare for them. Some residents, including newcomers and seniors, may face barriers in accessing or acting upon available information.

Finally, community supports can further strengthen resilience. People with strong social ties and access to community organizations recover more quickly after disasters. Programs that build local networks and support neighbourhood groups can help accomplish this at a relatively low cost.

Closing the protection gap

A critical step in reducing the unequal impacts of weather-related hazards is closing Canada’s insurance protection gap. Microinsurance is one promising solution, and these simplified, low-cost policies can provide basic protection at a fraction of the cost for households that cannot afford traditional coverage.

Embedded tenant insurance — automatically included when renters sign a lease — is another approach that ensures basic coverage.

Digital tools, such as mobile-friendly sign-up platforms and plain-language policy explanations, can reduce barriers for those who struggle with technology.

Public support for income-tested premium subsidies or credits can bring essential coverage within reach for low-income households, while community-based catastrophe insurance — where local governments or community groups arrange coverage on behalf of residents — offers another option.

While Canadians can’t stop extreme weather, we can work together to prevent it from worsening inequality. Increasing awareness, reducing losses, closing insurance gaps and building resilience are key to protecting those at greatest risk.

Derek Cook is the Director of the Canadian Poverty Institute that receives funding from The Co-operators Insurance Company. The Canadian Poverty Institute is also a partner with The Resilience Institute on a collaborative project that is funded by the Canada Mortgage and Housing Company (CMHC).

Mary Kelly has received funding from Finance Canada and the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada. She is also on the board of directors of Heartland Mutual Insurance Company.

Anne E. Kleffner does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

– ref. The climate insurance gap is widening, and it’s leaving marginalized Canadians behind – https://theconversation.com/the-climate-insurance-gap-is-widening-and-its-leaving-marginalized-canadians-behind-270417

Source: The Conversation – Canada – By James Deaville, Professor of Music, Carleton University

Hailed by many critics and movie lovers as a “timeless classic” — and ranking first on the American Film Institute’s list of the 100 most inspiring films of all time — It’s a Wonderful Life (1946) has found a secure place in the hearts of audiences.

The story revolves around George Bailey, who sacrifices his personal dreams to support the small community of Bedford Falls. When a financial crisis pushes him to the brink of despair, an angel intervenes and reveals what the town’s life would look like had George never been born.

George is confronted with an alternative reality in what the film frames as a foil city, Pottersville. There, he rediscovers the value of his contributions and returns to Bedford Falls renewed, to what some viewers regard as an outpouring of communal generosity and small-town virtue.

Yet part of the film’s appeal can be attributed to its existential themes about the meaning of life.

The movie’s soundtrack — including contributions by Hollywood composer Dimitri Tiomkin — plays a central role in It’s a Wonderful Life, underscoring problems and tensions beneath the surface. Some depictions of music and sound beg analysis around how these reflect racist ideas about “proper” musical, social and community norms.

Film origins

The film began its life as a short story called The Greatest Gift (1939). Film studio RKO bought the story in 1944 and sold it to director Frank Capra’s new company, Liberty Films, in 1945.

A team of writers — including Capra himself — rewrote the script and set to work on getting Jimmy Stewart, earlier cast in two of Capra’s pre-war films, to star.

Just back from serving in the Second World War, Stewart was reluctant, not least because of what was then known as shellshock and is now called post-traumatic stress disorder from his wartime experiences. Capra successfully coaxed Stewart into taking the role.

It’s a Wonderful Life was intended for release in January 1947, but the studio moved up the premiere to Dec. 20 in order to qualify for the 1946 Academy Awards.

The film’s success came after early scrutiny. An FBI agent attended an early screening and found the film undermined the institution of banking and advanced notions of a demoralized public, but the bureau decided not to pursue prosecution.

The fact that the film was neither a financial nor a critical success upon release is well known.

Less often acknowledged is that, owing to a clerical failure to file the necessary copyright renewal, the film slipped into the public domain, ensuring decades of holiday broadcasts that ultimately recast it as a Christmas icon.

Musical score

Tiomkin had already worked with Capra on several film projects, including Lost Horizon (1937) and Mr. Smith Goes to Washington (1939), as well as providing music for the director’s Why We Fight series (1942-1945).

Capra’s selection of Tiomkin for It’s a Wonderful Life is not surprising, yet little of his score remains in the final film.

Tiomkin had composed a full set of cues, which the movie condenses to about 25-30 minutes in a 130-minute run time. Tiomkin’s original cues bear such titles as “Death Telegram” and “George Is Unborn,” and are available on a 2014 recording consisting of 28 tracks.

Memorable musical moments

However, the most memorable musical moments in the film aren’t Tiomkin’s. Instead, they involve citations of well-known traditional and holiday favourites including Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star, Auld Lang Syne, Silent Night, Adeste Fidelis as well as the folk song Buffalo Gals,“ arranged by Tiomkin, and the popular jazz composition, The Charleston by James P. Johnson.

The film score emerges as choppy and highly varied, not only because of Capra’s cuts, but also by his tracking in cues from other movies. Alfred Newman’s Hallelujah from the Hunchback of Notre Dame (1939) is heard as George jubilantly runs down the main street of Bedford Falls.

The Gregorian chant “Dies Irae” from the 13th century Mass for the Dead is heard when George — on the bridge — changes his mind about dying.

Tiomkin never worked with Capra again.

Race, music and community

A key concerning aspect to the music heard in It’s a Wonderful Life revolves around the portrayal of Black musical forms and practitioners.

Capra’s known racism against Blacks, consistent with racist discourses and practices of the era, is reflected in how jazz and other Black musical forms appear and are framed.

In the iconic Bedford falls dance, the band plays three songs, including
African American pianist and composer Johnson’s “Charleston,” which is performed by a white band.

As American journalism professor Sam Freedman notes in a podcast on whiteness and racism in America, the town features predominantly white citizens apart from a stereotypical depiction of a Black housekeeper in the Bailey family.

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The sounds of Pottersville

Music is essential to how the dystopian town, Pottersville, is imagined during George’s manic episode.

There, Black jazz reigns supreme, symbolized by the onscreen performance of unrecognizable music by Meade Lux Lewis, a pioneering and acclaimed composer and boogie woogie pianist.

In the uncredited performance, Lewis is at the keyboard wearing a derby and smoking a stogie. He appears in Nick’s Bar, which the screenwriters describe as “a hard-drinking joint, a honky-tonk … People are lower down and tougher.”

Outside the bar, we hear the fragmented strains of jazz from the dive bar pouring into the town’s main street.

Outside the bar, George bumps into Bedford Falls characters who are, in this alternate setting, destitute and desperate. The quaint main street is overrun by nightclubs and full of bright lights. Through Pottersville, the film projects a sense of moral degradation.

While negatively portraying jazz practised by Black artists, the film simultaneously draws upon and appropriates Black musical forms as necessary and key to popular American life but in a white-controlled version.

Not-so-idyllic Bedford Falls

Despite Capra’s attempt at a happy ending, in the not-so-idyllic Bedford Falls, George is not fully aware of the malicious meddling of a rich, white citizen of Bedford — Henry F. Potter — which catalyzed his financial problems.

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Read more:
The dystopian Pottersville in ‘It’s a Wonderful Life’ is starting to feel less like fiction

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George awakens from his Pottersville reverie to re-commit to small-town life. While some viewers see the ending as affirming community, the film also keeps George partly ignorant of how the forces of inequity are actually operating in his largely white community.

Maybe we can appreciate the film on a deeper level, when we consider its varied and competing narratives around music, race, class and belonging.

James Deaville receives funding from SSHRC.

– ref. It’s a Wonderful Life: A Christmas classic that reflects bigoted ideas about ‘proper’ music in the 1940s – https://theconversation.com/its-a-wonderful-life-a-christmas-classic-that-reflects-bigoted-ideas-about-proper-music-in-the-1940s-270740

Source: The Conversation – Canada – By Sadaf Mehrabi, Postdoctoral Research Associate, Environmental Engineering, Iowa State University

When a crisis strikes, rumours and conspiracy theories often spread faster than emergency officials can respond and issue corrections.

In Canada, social media posts have falsely claimed wildfires were intentionally set, that evacuation orders were government overreach or that smoke maps were being manipulated. In several communities, people delayed leaving because they were unsure which information to trust.

This wasn’t just online noise. It directly shaped how Canadians responded to real danger. When misinformation delays evacuations, fragments compliance or undermines confidence in official warnings, it reduces the state’s ability to protect lives and critical infrastructure.

At that point, misinformation is no longer merely a communications problem, but a national security risk. Emergency response systems depend on public trust to function. When that trust erodes, response capacity weakens and preventable harm increases.

Canada is entering an era where climate misinformation is becoming a public-safety threat. As wildfires, floods and droughts grow more frequent, emergency systems rely on one fragile assumption: that people believe the information they receive. When that assumption fails, the entire chain of crisis communication begins to break down. We are already seeing early signs of that failure.

This dynamic extends far beyond acute disasters. It also affects long-running climate policy and adaptation efforts. When trust in institutions erodes and misinformation becomes easier to absorb than scientific evidence, public support for proactive climate action collapses.

Recent research by colleagues and me on how people perceive droughts shows that members of the public often rely on lived experiences, memories, identity and social and institutional cues — such as environmental concerns, perceived familiarity and trust — to decide whether they are experiencing a drought, even when official information suggests otherwise.

These complex cognitive dynamics create predictable vulnerabilities. Evidence from Canada and abroad documents how false narratives during climate emergencies reduce protective behaviour, amplify confusion and weaken institutional authority.

Tackling misinformation

Canada has invested billions of dollars in physical resiliency, firefighting capacity, flood resiliency and energy reliability. In addition, the Canadian government also recently joined the Global Initiative for Information Integrity on Climate Change to investigate false narratives and strengthen response capacity.

These are much needed steps in the right direction. But Canada still approaches misinformation as secondary rather than a key component of climate-risk management.

That leaves responsibility for effective messaging fragmented across public safety, environment, emergency management and digital policy, with no single entity accountable for monitoring, anticipating or responding to information threats during crises. The cost of this fragmentation is slower response, weaker co-ordination and greater risk to public safety.

Canada also continues to rely heavily on outdated communication mediums like radio, TV and static government websites, while climate misinformation is optimized for the social-media environment. False content often circulates quickly online digitally, with emotional resonance and repetition giving it an advantage over verified information.

Research on misinformation dynamics shows how platforms systematically amplify sensational claims and how false claims travel farther and faster than verified updates.

Governments typically attempt to correct misinformation during emergencies when emotions are high, timelines are compressed and false narratives are already circulating. By then, correction is reactive and often ineffective.

Trust cannot be built in the middle of a crisis. It is long-term public infrastructure that must be maintained through transparency, consistency and modern communication systems before disasters occur.

Proactive preparedness

Canada needs to shift from reactive correction to proactive preparedness. With wildfire season only months ahead, this is the window when preparation matters most. Waiting for the next crisis to expose the same weaknesses is not resilience, but repetition.

We cannot afford another round of reacting under pressure and then reflecting afterwards on steps that should have been taken earlier. That shift requires systemic planning:

• Proactive public preparedness: Federal and provincial emergency agencies should treat public understanding of alerts, evacuation systems and climate risks as a standing responsibility, not an emergency add-on. This information must be communicated well before disaster strikes, through the platforms people actually use, with clear expectations about where authoritative information will come from.

• Institutional co-ordination: Responsiblity for tackling climate misinformation currently falls between departments. A federal-provincial co-ordination mechanism, linked to emergency management rather than political communications, would allow early detection of misinformation patterns and faster response, just as meteorological or hydrological risks are monitored today.

• Partnerships with trusted messengers: Community leaders, educators, health professionals and local organizations often have more credibility than institutions during crises. These relationships should be formalized in emergency planning, not improvised under pressure. During recent wildfires, community-run pages and volunteers were among the most effective at countering false claims.

We cannot eliminate every rumour or every bit of misinformation. But without strengthening public trust and information integrity as core components of climate infrastructure, emergencies will become harder to manage and more dangerous.

Climate resilience is not only about physical systems. It is also about whether people believe the warnings meant to protect them. Canada’s long-term security depends on taking that reality seriously.

Sadaf Mehrabi does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

– ref. Climate misinformation is becoming a national security threat. Canada isn’t ready for it. – https://theconversation.com/climate-misinformation-is-becoming-a-national-security-threat-canada-isnt-ready-for-it-271588

Source: The Conversation – Canada – By Joanna Pozzulo, Chancellor’s Professor, Psychology, Carleton University

The holidays can be filled with joy and positive emotion, but they can also be a time when stress is in overdrive. To-do lists can be long, with little time for personal well-being.

Approximately 50 per cent of Canadians report December as being the most stressful month of the year, with women 40 per cent more likely to experience holiday stress due to pressure to manage holiday preparations. Over the holiday season, women report changes in sleep quality, dietary choices and mental health.

Although financial concerns are common over the holiday season, this year a significant number of Canadians are feeling an even greater strain with rising costs and job insecurity. Two-thirds of Canadian parents are concerned about managing costs over the holidays.

People may also experience family strain and conflict over the holidays, giving rise to feelings of loneliness and sadness. Past family dynamics may be triggering and open up old wounds. Changes in family composition may be felt more during the holidays. Grief over loss can also be intensified.

Identifying evidence-based strategies and using them to support your well-being is critical to experiencing the holiday season at its best. For example, writing a to-do list before bed can reduce worry and increase the speed of falling asleep.

Learning to regulate emotional stress

Holidays can increase the intensity of emotions, both positive and negative. Learning about emotional regulation, which involves being able to respond to experiences in adaptive ways, is important.

Cognitive reframing, where you consider the alternative perspectives of a situation, can be a helpful method for reducing the impact of negative emotions.

It requires considering whether there are alternative explanations for a seemingly negative or ambiguous situation. Less offensive interpretations can help regulate negative emotions. In this way, cognitive reframing can reduce stress, improve emotional resilience and help manage anxiety by shifting negative thought patterns into more positive ones.

Sleep matters more during holidays

Approximately 25 per cent of Canadian workers engage in some form of shift work, making healthy sleep habits particularly difficult. With ever-growing to-do lists during the holidays, cutting back on sleep to fit everything in can seem like a good idea.

However, getting sufficient, quality sleep can promote heart health and help with memory and cognitive functioning. It can also lower cortisol levels (a key stress hormone).

Practise good sleep hygiene, defined as a set of habits that promote sound sleep, such as maintaining a consistent sleep schedule and an environment free of distractions.

It can be challenging, but it’s essential to reducing irritability and helping you remember the items on your to-do list.

Eating mindfully amid indulgence

Decadent desserts and specialty treats are usually found in abundance during family gatherings and holiday work parties. Although it may be difficult to always make healthier choices during the holidays, try engaging in mindful eating.

Mindful eating can decrease stress hormones as well as promote self-compassion by reducing the negative judgment around food choices.

Be aware of what you are consuming (and how much) to help you make decisions that are consistent with your longer-term goals.

Disrupted routines and staying active

Physical activity can improve mood, decrease stress and increase energy levels. Engaging in some activity most days can support mental health.

Exercise can have a significant impact on your well-being by increasing serotonin and dopamine, two neurotransmitters that are important for a positive mood. Physical exercise can also improve self-esteem, helping you tackle stressful situations as well as lowering your anxiety levels.

The holidays can disrupt exercise routines, with fewer opportunities for longer workouts. Opt for brief (10-minute) and more frequent workouts (twice a day) to maintain the benefits that physical activity can have on your well-being.

The restorative effect of solitude

Burnout from childcare and eldercare is reported by almost 50 per cent of working mothers.

Finding some time for yourself can seem impossible, even though research demonstrates that spending some time on your own can help recharge your emotional and cognitive batteries. When preparing for busy holiday gatherings, spend some time away from everyone to feel calmer, refreshed and revitalized.

This can help calm your nervous system and recharge your mental capacity for challenges ahead.

Although the optimal amount of alone time each person needs will vary, 15 minutes a day can be restorative. During this “me time,” choose activities that you look forward to, find meaning in and find satisfying (such as reading, knitting or going on a walk.)

Strengthening family and social ties

Approximately two million Canadian seniors aged 65 and older live alone, with almost 20 per cent experiencing loneliness. Good relationships can increase our happiness, health and longevity, which makes the holidays a great opportunity to reconnect with loved ones.

Spending time with others can foster belonging and purpose, which in turn can reduce the body’s inflammation and illness risk.

Family dynamics, however, can be complex. Approximately 34 per cent of Canadians report some sort of family dispute. If relationships are strained, consider keeping the interactions brief.

If connecting with others isn’t possible, short conversations with strangers also can improve well-being. Striking up a conversation while waiting for your coffee order can be help decrease loneliness and improve mood.

Be flexible and manage expectations

Holiday traditions and rituals can be important for our happiness and well-being. They provide a sense of belonging, comfort and joy.

Rituals can also provide a sense of control through predictable actions and behaviour which in turn can help strengthen social bonds.

Consider creating new traditions that are consistent with your current situation to increase wellness. Be sure to manage your expectations for the holidays, however, as others may have different priorities.

By having a flexible mindset — the ability to adapt thinking and behaviour to new information or circumstances — you can reduce stress and decrease disappointment, allowing you to maintain a positive outlook for the holidays.

For more evidence-based books and strategies for the new year, join my Reading for Well-Being Community Book Club. Have a happy and healthy holiday!

Joanna Pozzulo receives funding from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council.

– ref. How to protect your well-being, survive the stress of the holiday season and still keep your cheer – https://theconversation.com/how-to-protect-your-well-being-survive-the-stress-of-the-holiday-season-and-still-keep-your-cheer-270765