FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE          May 24, 2023 OTTAWA, ON – Twelve remarkable young leaders will soon begin a nine-month journey as Cardus NextGEN Fellows. These Canadians from diverse backgrounds will be the third group to participate in the fellowship program focused on vocation, leadership, and public life. The 2023 NextGEN Fellows are: Amanda Achtman studied political science in her hometown of Calgary, Alberta; the life and legacy of John Paul II in Lublin, Poland; and, the resurrection of the dead throughout Jewish tradition in Rome, Italy. In Toronto and Ottawa, she did a mix of journalism, crowdfunding, politics, filmmaking, advocacy, and events addressing the most passionate and underserved issues of our day. Currently, Amanda is especially focused on preventing euthanasia and encouraging hope. Joel Agarwal is an Albertan, a lover of the Rockies, and will be living in New York City to begin work conducting cancer research at Columbia University Medical Center. His previous roles as the President of the University of Alberta Students' Union, Research Assistant at Boston Medical Center, and Data Analyst at World Relief, a Christian humanitarian organization, have shaped his interests in healthcare and leadership. He holds a Master of Public Health (MPH) from Boston University, specializing in Epidemiology and Biostatistics, and a BSc in Biology with a minor in Christian Theology from the University of Alberta. Clancy Bouwman is a senior consultant at Wellington Advocacy. He served as Executive Assistant to former Alberta Premier Jason Kenney for three years and as a political advisor on Parliament Hill in the Office of the Leader of the Opposition. Clancy has experience in political campaign management and stakeholder relations, and recently managed a province-wide leadership campaign. Andrew Clubine is a graduate of the University of Waterloo (BKI) and McGill University (BCL & JD), and is currently a student of canon law at KU Leuven. He is a lawyer for social sector organizations, and has served on a variety of boards for religious and educational not-for-profit organizations. Mariam Gagi was called to the Bar of Ontario in 2021. She practices in civil litigation with the Ontario Ministry of the Attorney General (MAG). She focuses on public law matters, chiefly indigenous law, administrative law, negligence, class actions, public inquiries and Attorney General interventions. At MAG, Gagi serves as a director of the Association of Law Officers of the Crown and is a member of Voices for Mental Health. Mariam is also Canada's Representative on the Young Commonwealth Lawyers Association. Alexandra Hebert is a lawyer based in Montreal with a keen interest in public policy issues. Her legal work has focused on appellate advocacy and defending complex class action lawsuits. Alexandra has also served as a Fellow of the Global Leadership Initiative of the Oxford Character Project. She earned her Bachelor of Laws from the University of Ottawa, her Juris Doctor from Queen's University, and her Master of Public Policy from Oxford University. Ryan Khurana has spent several years working in various aspects of Artificial Intelligence, from policy research to start-ups to technical management in Fortune 500 companies. His driving force is encouraging technological innovation that increases prosperity while being consistent with the values and virtues society ought to care about. He has published in numerous outlets including Scientific American, Toronto Star, and the Financial Post. He holds a Master’s in Management Analytics from the Rotman School of Management and a Bachelor’s in Politics, Philosophy, and Economics from the University of Manchester. Janice Lee is from Vancouver and has recently returned after spending ten years living in Dubai and Hong Kong, where she immersed herself in the dynamic cultures of both cities. She earned her law degree from The Chinese University of Hong Kong, and has experience working in both financial services and management consulting. She is currently working at KPMG in Technology Risk Management where she provides advice and guidance on effectively managing risks with using technology. Rebekah McNeilly holds an honors Bachelor degree in Sociology, a Master's in Criminology and is currently a PhD candidate in Criminology at the University of Alberta, with a focus in youth justice. She holds the Alberta Graduate Excellence scholarship for outstanding academic achievement. Rebekah also works full time for The Salvation Army in Canada in Women's Ministries as a content creator, podcast host and producer, and in Social Mission as an associate consultant for corrections and justice. Levi Minderhoud serves as the British Columbia Manager for the Association for Reformed Political Action (ARPA) Canada. He specializes in engaging with provincial political issues and educating, equipping, and encouraging Reformed Christians in British Columbia to political action. Prior to joining ARPA Canada, Levi earned a bachelor’s degree from Dordt University in political science, business, and economics and a Master of Public Policy degree from Simon Fraser University. Christine Poopalapillai is currently the Manager of Stakeholder Relations at the Ontario Medical Association. Christine is an experienced public policy professional who enjoys travelling, community building, and serving in AWANA & children's ministries at her church. Christine holds a Bachelor of Science from the University of Waterloo. Hayden Regeling is Pastor of First Hamilton Christian Reformed Church in downtown Hamilton, Ontario. He is a graduate of McMaster Divinity School (M.Div.) and Redeemer University (B.A., Music and Theology). Hayden is passionate about helping people connect with God and integrate their faith with their life and vocation. “To say I’m thrilled with this group of Fellows would be an understatement,” says Stephen Lazarus, Program Director for NextGEN. “I’m really looking forward to meeting them in-person and seeing them in action over the next months. I also want to thank all our applicants this year. There are so many amazing young people in Canada that choosing just 12 was incredibly difficult.” Fellows will take part in four roundtables across Canada, as well as one week-long symposium in Ottawa, all focused on Christian social and political thought and public policy. They will also meet with mentors in their fields of expertise and participate in monthly Zoom Connects with guest speakers on contemporary issues. The NextGEN Fellowship runs from May to March annually. Applications are accepted year-round. To get more information, to apply, or to nominate a Fellow, visit www.nextgenfellowship.ca or contact Stephen Lazarus, Program Director for NextGEN, at SLazarus@cardus.ca.   MEDIA INQUIRIESDaniel Proussalidis Cardus – Director of Communications 613-899-5174 media@cardus.ca

Cardus NextGEN Fellow Program kicks off 3rd year with new group of up and coming Canadians

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE       May 17, 2023 TORONTO, ON – Major crimes are up 20 percent in Toronto compared to 2022. TTC stabbings, sex crimes, break-ins, and a drug crisis have shocked city residents. Today, non-partisan think tank Cardus released a new research brief to help councillors and the city’s next mayor find the funds to address these priorities: Better Choices for Toronto: Finding Money for Safety and Mental Health. Cardus’s research brief outlines how Toronto could save $347 million by reducing its infrastructure construction costs, even while maintaining its current pace of construction. Those savings would be enough to cover the costs of four major steps to building a safer city: Hire up to 400 new police officers Build up to two new police stations Fund up to 400 new mental health managers Double the city's housing and shelter construction budget Toronto could afford these measures by opening construction contract bidding to all qualified builders. Right now, that’s not what happens. Toronto is the only city in Ontario that restricts bidding on construction contracts to companies whose workers belong to a select group of favoured unions. If workers belong to a different union, or they’re non-unionised, their employer can’t bid. Fewer bidders means less competition, which leads to higher prices. Better Choices for Toronto: Finding Money for Safety and Mental Health outlines the experience of the City of Hamilton, which ended its cozy deal with favoured unions in 2019. City officials there estimated they could save an average of 21 percent in construction costs because of that one move.  In Toronto, an estimated $1.65 billion in construction is reserved for companies whose workers belong to a group of favoured unions.   A 21 percent discount in Toronto would mean the city would have almost $347 million dollars more available to invest in police, mental health, and housing. “Outdated construction contract bidding rules mean Toronto residents pay more to get less,” says Renze Nauta, work and economics program director at Cardus. “The choice to cut a special deal for some unions means city residents are missing the opportunity to build a safer city.” Read Better Choices for Toronto: Finding Money for Safety and Mental Health on the Cardus website. MEDIA INQUIRIESDaniel Proussalidis Cardus – Director of Communications 613-899-5174 media@cardus.ca 

Support for fair and open contract bidding is building in Toronto—the last Ontario city that still reserves construction contracts for companies associated with a select group of favoured unions. Our research brief makes the case for why Toronto simply can’t afford to keep paying more and getting less.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE      May 11, 2023 OTTAWA, ON – Cardus is calling on the federal government to adopt a cohesive, consistent, strategic approach to family policy on a national level. In Envisioning a Federal Family-Formation Policy Framework for Canada, author Peter Jon Mitchell notes that leaders from all parties need to begin by acknowledging and addressing the real challenges Canadian families face: Census data show that Canadian families are shrinking and more Canadians are living alone. The average age at first marriage is increasing, as is the average age for bearing children. The national fertility rate hit a historic low of 1.4 in 2020, well below replacement level as half of Canadian women are having fewer children than they desire through their lifetimes. In response to these challenges, Envisioning a Federal Family-Formation Policy Framework for Canada calls for two broad goals: Increasing opportunities for Canadians who desire to form partnerships and marriages, and to raise children. Reducing barriers to marriage and partnership, and to childbearing and childrearing. Practically, the federal response to these challenges would include these four steps: Recognising the role of family structure in policies addressing economic inequality Reducing disincentives to marriage within federal policy, such as benefits based on household income. Supporting family units within the tax code since families function as economic units, not as a collection of individuals Exploring ways to enhance federal adoption benefits to better facilitate adoption “When was the last you heard a politician—any politician—discussing family policy as family policy?” asks Mitchell, family program director at Cardus. “Whether it’s child care, family benefits, or parental leave, most leaders frame their policies in terms of economics, affordability, or even personal rights. The time to change that approach is long overdue.” Read Envisioning a Federal Family-Formation Policy Framework for Canada on the Cardus website. -30- MEDIA INQUIRIESDaniel Proussalidis Cardus – Director of Communications 613-899-5174 media@cardus.ca 

With Ontario independent school enrollment rising 25% between 2006–07 and 2020–21 according to Statistics Canada, it’s important for media, politicians, and parents to get a better understanding of this important school sector. One persistent myth is that independent schools are all bastions of wealth and privilege.

With many families struggling because of high inflation, the federal government is right to target predatory lending. However, Cardus is disappointed the budget focuses entirely on the cost of loans without addressing the real challenge of inequitable access to credit.

Leaders at all levels need to do more to reduce hate crimes against Canada’s religious communities. That call comes from Toward a Hopeful Future: Facing Down Religious Hate, a research brief by think tank Cardus.

Indigenous Canadians are speaking out about religious faith in a new booklet aimed at helping educate all Canadians. Indigenous Voices of Faith includes interviews of 12 Indigenous Canadians from across the country talking about the relationship among their culture, heritage, and religious identities.