Atkinson Field Notes

Learning in Action

Reflections, presentations and speeches by Atkinson’s Chief Executive Officer Colette Murphy and the rest of the Atkinson team.


1 May 23
“We’ve lost a giant,” wrote Pedro Barata on the day after we learned that Dr. Charles Pascal had died suddenly. “Charles was relentless. He leaves us such a rich legacy of progressive policies and strong organizations pushing for social justice. So many of us benefited from Charles’ wisdom, time and belief.” Read more >
21 Oct 22
The exorbitant price we pay for inequality is rising faster than the current rate of inflation these days. When I first heard the logic of inflation many years ago, it sounded like a naturally occurring phenomenon like gravity and tides. I soon discovered that the cost of essential goods and services, and the cost of borrowing money... Read more >
11 Feb 22
This week, we heard that the Atkinson Fellow on the Future of Workers, Armine Yalnizyan, was named to Maclean’s 2022 Power List as “the caring person’s economist.” When I went to take a look at the list, I was so pleased that Bilal Baig, the creator and star of CBC’s Sort Of, also made the list. In the show, Baig’s character Sabi navigates their work as a nanny and bartender... Read more >
6 May 21
Documentaries take us into each other’s lives and workplaces, to learn and inspire action. Here is what Nora Cole, Atkinson’s Manager of Policy and Communications, is taking away about work today from her Hot Docs queue so far. Read more >
22 Jan 21
Stay home is a simple message but not a simple choice. Without paid sick days, the decision to go to work sick or not be able to pay bills is one forced on far too many workers in Canada every day. Read more >
30 Jun 20
When I heard about the gig worker wins in California, I thought again about what makes us stay and fight in the face of injustice, instead of packing up and leaving town for warmer and more hospitable places. Read more >
10 Jun 20
When I first joined the Atkinson Foundation in 2019, I wrote a field note entitled “I am where I need to be”. I’ve learned a lot from this small but mighty team on the importance of understanding how narrative plays such an intricate role in our lives and how it shapes the world we’re in. Read more >
22 May 20
Two tomatoes. Alongside onions, garlic, ginger and a handful of spices. That makes the base of most of my mom’s recipes. This has taken on new relevance for me because, like so many of us, I have been cooking at home more than ever before in the last two months. Read more >
20 May 20
ICYMI, in celebration of the one-year anniversary of the drive to unionize Foodora’s delivery workers, the corporation announced it’s exiting the Canadian market and has declared bankruptcy with $4.7 million in debt. Read more >
27 Mar 20
As we settle into life under public health orders in light of COVID-19, I’ve spent a lot of time on the phone these past two weeks. And walking. And on the phone while walking. Read more >
1 of 5