The Canada that Dryden believed in remains at risk today

There is no reason to think a Poilievre government wouldn’t find ways to seriously weaken the country's social programs.
Ken Dryden
As minister of social development, Ken Dryden laid the groundwork for the Liberals’ early learning and childcare plan, which was the most important Canadian social program since medicare, writes Les Whittington.The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade
Opinion
BY LES WHITTINGTON
September 10, 2025

OTTAWA—There’s a lot to remember about Ken Dryden, but I always remember how, in the mid-2000s, he was the most popular person in the public domain in Canada.

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