The Broadbent Institute is thrilled to announce the shortlists for this year's Jack Layton Progress Prize and Charles Taylor Prize for Excellence in Policy Research. The winners will be announced at the 2024 Progress Summit, taking place April 10 - 12 in Ottawa.

The 2024 Charles Taylor Prize for Excellence in Policy Research shortlist

• Martine August, Assistant Professor in the School of Planning at the University of Waterloo. Her research focuses on the political economy of housing and the pursuit of urban social justice, exploring themes related to gentrification, displacement, community organising, public housing redevelopment, and the politics of social mix.
• Aaron Bailey, Program coordinator of the Eastside Illicit Drinkers Group for Education (EIDGE) in Vancouver. Along with doing important policy research that is led by, connects, involves and is informed by people impacted by the policies researched, Aaron's work played a major role in a BC Supreme Court (BCSC) ruling in December 2023 on Harm Reduction Nurses Association v. British Columbia (Attorney General).
• Lauren Beck, who holds the Canada Research Chair in Intercultural Encounter at Mount Allison University. Her work on place name policy is having significant influence throughout Canada at all levels of government in raising awareness of the white, masculine character of both the country’s names and the policies that protect them.
• Sheila Block, who was the longtime senior economist with the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives (CCPA). Sheila's research focuses on Canada's labour markets, public finance and inequality. She has worked as both a political advisor and a public servant in the Ontario government and as an economist in the labour movement.
• Ricardo Tranjan, who is a political economist and senior researcher with the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives’ Ontario office. Previously, Ricardo managed the City of Toronto's Poverty Reduction Strategy Office and taught in universities in Ontario and Québec.

The 2024 Jack Layton Progress Prize shortlist

• Teale Phelps Bondaroff and Devon Black, co-founders of AccessBC, a grassroots campaign that successfully advocated for free prescription drugs in BC. It was launched in 2017 Devon and Teale, and was run by a team of 80 volunteers from across the province. What started as a conversation between friends at a kitchen table, became a resolution at provincial convention, and then eventually grew into a province-wide campaign.
• Morna Ballantyne of Child Care Now, a team are trailblazing advocates for accessible, affordable, universal nonprofit childcare.
• Change Course Canada, a leading force of student organising, led by students and listening to students. Their advocacy related to RBC off campus initiatives has united students coast to coast in addressing one of the major issues of the day, climate change and the organisations that finance oil and gas, and empowering students to take it on.
• Coalition of Child Care Advocates BC, an inclusive, feminist, membership-based organization advocating for high-quality, affordable, accessible child care system that serves the public interest - the $10aDay Plan. Made up of individuals and groups including parents, grandparents, early childhood educators, child care providers, community organizations, academics and unions. they work collectively, using research, public education and mobilization.
• LeBlanc & Co., Momentum Canada, Egale Canada, and the Canadian Centre for Gender and Sexual Diversity (CCGSD), creators of the Trans Youth Messaging Guide, which has had a significant impact on advancing social equality and justice for organizations in Canada. It is a campaign that represents a crucial step forward in fostering understanding, empathy, and acceptance for transgender youth in society. By providing valuable insights and tools for effective communication, it has empowered individuals and groups to create more inclusive environments and advocate for the rights and well-being of transgender youth. 
• Progress Toronto, a not-for-profit organisation that advocates and organises for a more democratic, socially just, and progressive city.
• Public Service Alliance of Canada (PSAC), who led one of the largest, national general strikes in Canada this year, with 155,000 workers walking off the job for two weeks to demand wages that keep up with the cost of living. The two week strike was the result of over a year of organising and mobilising public service workers across Canada to demand better wages and conditions, and was a noteworthy campaign for workers' rights in Canada.
• Sussanne Skidmore and Nikki Hill, leaders of United Way's Period Promise program, which has been working on the issue of period poverty since late 2016, when the first collection campaign was launched as part of a coordinated effort of United Ways and the labour movement across the country. 
• Éric St-Pierre, Executive Director of the Trottier Family Foundation, a private philanthropic foundation and one of Canada's leading climate funding foundations. With 8 staff, including 4 working on climate-related issues, the Trottier Family Foundation is a robust impact investor and strongly involved in sustainable investing. Éric has positioned the Trottier Foundation as a national leading stakeholder advancing climate change issues.

Register today for the 2024 Progress Summit: Making the Good Society, and join us in celebrating champions of the progressive movement!

TIBOR KOLLEY/THE GLOBE AND MAIL

The Broadbent Institute is saddened to learn of the passing of the Right Honourable former Prime Minister Brian Mulroney.

Together, Brian Mulroney and Ed Broadbent established the International Centre for Human Rights and Democratic Development in 1988 to "encourage and support the universal values of human rights and the promotion of democratic institutions and practices around the world." Mulroney appointed Broadbent as Rights and Democracy’s first president, which enabled Ed to build solidarity and social democracy globally.

Ed felt a strong respect for Prime Minister Mulroney as someone who could also see the value of human rights, breaking with Margaret Thatcher and Ronald Reagan on the issue of South African Apartheid, and recognition of Canada’s wrongful internment of Japanese-Canadians during the Second World War. After they left active electoral politics, they remained in occasional contact, sharing mutual respect despite their political differences. Following the passing of Ed Broadbent on January 11, 2024, Mulroney reflected on his legacy and said that Canadians should remember Ed Broadbent “with respect, affection and admiration.” Though formidable political opponents in Parliament, Broadbent and Mulroney found common ground to work together on issues of human rights and democracy.

The Broadbent Institute recognizes the common values and legacy shared with a legendary Canadian political figure, and sends its condolences to the Mulroney family.

On Sunday, January 28, the Government of Canada will host a state funeral to honour Ed Broadbent. This event is not only a tribute to the life of Ed Broadbent but also a heartfelt opportunity for those who admired him to come together, share memories, and celebrate a life that exemplified true dedication and public service.

If you are interested in attending the state funeral, please click the button below to complete the registration form.

Please Note: Your registration is required to attend this event. However, capacity within the venue will be limited. Register now before the space is filled to be eligible to receive a formal invite from Canadian Heritage via email with further details.