NewsCBCBrazen theft at Halifax Walmart leaves boy shaken, with bad dreams
Nine-year-old Omar Seoudi was daydreaming in a Halifax Walmart last week when something strange happened.Omar and his mother were waiting near the checkout at the Mumford Road location while his father went back to get one more thing. "A guy just came out of nowhere and gave her a pack of socks and said, 'Is this pack of socks yours?'" Omar told CBC News."And while the guy was giving her the socks, a girl just came and then she stared at me for like three seconds and then just took my mom's bag."When his family immigrated to Canada last year, they told him Canada was a safe country — so it didn't cross his mind that he was watching a robbery."I feel pretty guilty because I could have literally stopped the problem," he said. "I would have literally saved my mom's purse, so in my opinion it's my fault because I didn't do a thing when I saw her stealing it."When his mother realized what had happened, she raced after the thieves, but they escaped. The family regrouped, told the store what had happened, and called the police. 'I will protect you'His parents told him it wasn't his fault and tried to comfort him. But that night, he jumped and talked in his sleep. His father, Mostafa, said they noticed the next day that Omar was keeping an eagle eye on both his parents and a suspicious eye on everyone else."He sometimes came to my right side, sometimes to my left. I ask him, 'Why are you doing this?'" Mostafa said."He says, 'I will protect you this time. I know some people are very bad and they will steal (from) you, so I will protect you. I learned from my mistakes.'"His parents told him he didn't do anything wrong; the thieves did.Omar didn't just talk in his sleep — he also talked to the police.He wants to be a scientist when he grows up and has a keen eye for detail. He gave police a clear description of the woman who looked him in the eye before stealing from his mother. "I saw her with freckles on her face and she had short blond hair all the way to like over here," he said, pointing to his neck. "And she had a black mask; the unusual but good thing was she had her mask off when she stole it."The family said they lost keys, credit cards and cash. But the worst thing they lost was their son's sense of security. Omar, meanwhile, has been watching videos on how to stop thieves. He said they won't catch him daydreaming a second time.Halifax police are investigating.MORE TOP STORIES
NewsReuters'Massive poisonous shock': Scientists fear lasting impact from Mauritius oil spill
Some corals have lived for centuries at the fringes of Mauritius. Now smothered for days in heavy fuel oil spilled from a wrecked Japanese tanker nearby, parts of those reefs may be in trouble. The full impact of the toxic spill is still unfolding, scientists say.
LifestyleCBCDouble standard in COVID-19 restrictions will kill my business, says cinema owner
The owner of an independent movie theatre in Grand Falls-Windsor says his business is being pushed to the brink of closure, as he tries to operate under COVID-19 restrictions that he feels are harsher than those for bars and restaurants.While restaurants and lounges are permitted to operate at 50 per cent capacity, cinemas are capped at 50 people no matter the size of the space. Shawn Feener, who owns and operates the Classic Theater, says that limit isn't sustainable to his bottom line, despite being open and showing old blockbusters and the scattered new release."It's not very hard to do the math," he said. "I'm making $250 on the door, I'm paying royalties to the movie companies — even though the movies are 30-plus years old, I've still gotta pay a royalty. So, I mean, I'm not making nothing on the door."Feener said he's taken extensive safety measures, including signs and directions for foot traffic, hand sanitizer and physical distancing, but hasn't been able to convince the provincial government to loosen its rules."Here at the Classic Theater, we took every measure right to the limit," he said.He put together a package for the Department of Health and Community Services — that included a video he made on safety measures for his customers — to ask for an exemption. He said he now wants government officials to visit his business, and look at his precautions."Let's start categorizing each individual business, let's start looking at the floor plans," he said. "Because there's not two corner stores, there's not two bars, there's not two cinemas that got the same floor plan." 'It's so frustrating'Feener said the restriction particularly stings, because bars and restaurants are operating with more people in much smaller spaces."It's so frustrating, you know, that we've done everything. Like the government asked us to close our business because of COVID, and we agreed wholeheartedly," he said. "We do all of this and then the government comes out again and says 'OK, now we got to learn to live with COVID.' Ok, we're living with COVID, we're doing everything we could possibly do."The area's MHA, Chris Tibbs, has taken up Feener's cause — and is calling on the provincial government to reverse its decision. He said the business is a victim of a double standard."How you can jam... one hundred people into something half the size of this movie theatre and maintain safety and physical distancing when we [can't] do it right here is beyond me," he said. "I couldn't be happier for the bars and restaurants, I want to make that quite clear, but we want the same opportunity." In Wednesday's media briefing, Newfoundland and Labrador's Chief Medical Officer of Health said the interactions that take place inside movie theatres are different — and that's why the rules are different."People who are watching a movie tend to go in together, they spend a period of time together in the same enclosed space," said Dr. Janice Fitzgerald. "That's a little bit different than people who are going to a restaurant who may overlap and may not spend a lot of time with each other.""There's a couple of things to keep in mind: People, space, time, place, right?"However, Fitzgerald also said the province is currently reviewing those restrictions, and the general restriction against gatherings above 50 people."Certainly these are questions that we are looking at," she said.Feener wants the provincial government to expand his capacity to more than 80 people — 40 per cent of his previous allowance. He said that amount would be safe and economically feasible.He also invited Dr. Fitzgerald and Health Minister John Haggie to come to his business to see his measures firsthand.Nova Scotia currently allows its movie theatres to operate at 50 per cent occupancy with a cap at 200 people, while Ontario has limited the number of people to 50 inside the entire movie theatre building — not just a single auditorium — prompting Cineplex to ask that province's government to loosen its regulations.Read more articles from CBC Newfoundland and Labrador
- NewsCBC
Former B.C. massage therapist who sexually assaulted patients agrees to leave field for 30 years
A former registered massage therapist convicted of sexually assaulting several female patients in Vancouver has agreed not to practice massage therapy for 30 years, according to the regulatory college, effectively ending his career in the field.Bodhi Jones, 39, pleaded guilty to three criminal charges of sexual assault in 2018 after several female clients accused him of abuse. He was sentenced to 18 months' house arrest, three years of probation and a lifetime on the sex offender registry.Jones resigned as a massage therapist after police began investigating him in 2017 and has not been re-registered since. Still, he made an agreement with the College of Massage Therapists of B.C. this month to settle its separate investigation into his conduct."While Mr. Jones requested cancellation of his registration on Feb. 21, 2017 ... the Inquiry Committee considered it important to its public protection mandate that there be a formal cancellation of his CMTBC registration by disciplinary order," a notice read.In a consent order, Jones agreed he cannot reapply to work as a therapist until 2050. By then, he would be 69 years old and uncertified.The order said Jones assaulted the women between Oct. 29, 2016, and Jan. 22, 2017, by touching them "inappropriately and in a sexual manner" during massages without their consent.Jones was initially charged with four counts of sexual assault. The fourth charge was stayed on April 10, 2019. The former therapist was banned from going near his former workplace, Qi Integrated Health, as part of his 2019 criminal sentence.Jones has also worked as a singer-songwriter. His 2014 album, Bones, was nominated for a Juno award for best recording package.
NewsCBCAlberta government adds 8 new advisers to help shape revamped school curriculum
The Alberta government has appointed eight new advisers to shape a revamped curriculum for K-12 schools.One of the advisers was a staffer for Premier Jason Kenney when Kenney was a federal cabinet minister.The government has contracted the subject matter experts to provide advice for at least two months, according to Colin Aitchison, press secretary to Education Minister Adriana LaGrange.After the minister last week approved a new vision for student learning, work is expected to resume on the elementary school curriculum, which is supposed to be tested in classrooms starting in fall 2021. Work has been paused since the United Conservative Party was elected in April 2019.The eight new advisers are in addition to 358 teachers and other experts already serving on eight curriculum working groups assembled by the former NDP government.Aitchison said the additional advisers are necessary because voters told UCP candidates during the 2019 election the "NDP's curriculum process was clearly not working."Last week, LaGrange promised to deliver a "curriculum that is taught without political bias."Critics say the government's choice of C. P. (Chris) Champion as a social studies adviser does exactly the opposite.The author and visiting research fellow at Queen's University worked for the federal Opposition Conservatives for six years and then served as an adviser to Kenney from 2007 to 2015.He also founded, and still edits, the history publication The Dorchester Review.An authorless piece published in the review's first edition and republished online earlier this year, critiques history curriculum introduced by "left" governments.The piece criticizes an Australian history curriculum for being "light on facts and heavy with guilt about aboriginals and immigrants."The piece also says, "Here in Canada the preoccupation with victimhood has mostly centred on Japanese Canadians and residential school 'survivors.' "Champion did not respond to messages from CBC News on Tuesday or Wednesday. Aitchison said Champion did not write the article, and the review publishes a diversity of opinions.Past curriculum working group member Lindsay Gibson said Champion's appointment raises questions about the government's stated intent to include a greater diversity of perspectives in Alberta's curriculum. Gibson is now an assistant professor in the University of British Columbia's department of curriculum and pedagogy."By air quoting survivors, like, you're doubting that they're survivors? You're doubting that it was that bad?" Gibson said of the piece's reference to residential schools.For decades, governments took Indigenous children from their homes and sent them to attend residential schools, where they were separated from their families, forced to speak English, and in many cases, suffered physical, sexual and verbal abuse.Gibson said a broader movement of people pushing for a "back to basics" approach to teaching history is out of sync with current research about how children learn best.NDP MLA Janis Irwin, a former curriculum writer and supervisor with Alberta Education, said Champion's inclusion sends a poor message to people of colour looking to see themselves included in classroom lessons."It's concerning that he would publish something that has such harmful and racist views," she said.Alberta Teachers' Association president Jason Schilling said the Truth and Reconciliation Commission called on governments to make age-appropriate curriculum on residential schools, treaties and Indigenous people's history mandatory in Canada."When the minister is talking about bias in the curriculum, that is clear evidence of bias," he said of the Dorchester Review piece.It is contradictory for the UCP government to accuse the previous government of smuggling ideology into the new curriculum, then appoint an adviser with political ties to the premier, he said.Gibson accused the government of engaging in a "a high-level game of gaslighting" by complaining the NDP government had worked on curriculum review "in secret," then quietly appointing advisers with unclear roles."Does that mean at the end of the process it gets created, and they go into a dark room and just cross out things and add whatever they want?" he said.He said aside from two education professors from the University of Alberta, the other advisers have no obvious experience in how to teach children. That's a big knowledge gap when reviewing curriculum, Gibson said.Irwin noted the lack of female advisers.Advisers will provide guidance, not write curriculumAitchison said the advisers will not provide prescriptive feedback, but recommendations to curriculum writers.Their pay will be based on how many hours they work, he said, and will come from the existing $64-million, multi-year budget for revamping the K-12 curriculum in both English and French.Although Champion has previously held political posts, he is now a member of the Canadian Armed Forces and an "established academic" and lecturer, Aitchison said."All of our advisers are providing unbiased advice based on their subject-matter expertise, and they were selected due to their experience in their fields of research," he said.The advisers are: * George Georgiou, University of Alberta professor of educational psychology — literacy * David Chorney, associate professor of education, University of Alberta — wellness * Vladimir Troitsky, University of Alberta math professor — math * Chris Champion, visiting research fellow at Queen's University and author — social studies * William French, lawyer, translator and board member of The Shakespeare Company in Calgary — arts and literature * Cameron Macdonell, associate professor of computer science, MacEwan University — science * Marvin Washington, professor, Alberta School of Business, University of Alberta — diversity and pluralism * Onookome Okome, English professor, University of Alberta — diversity and pluralismAitchison said the department is also searching for advisers who are Indigenous and francophone.The curriculum working groups will resume meeting this fall, Aitchison said. The members include 19 government employees, 41 seconded teachers, 10 Northwest Territories representatives, three Nunavut representatives, 11 Indigenous teachers, 16 francophone teachers, 25 academics, 145 public school teachers, 61 Catholic school teachers, seven charter school teachers and two private school teachers. The Northwest Territories and Nunavut use Alberta curriculum and exams.Curriculum reform began about a decade ago under the former Progressive Conservative government.In 2016, the former NDP government pledged to replace the entire K-12 curriculum within six years.Unlike the current curriculum, which is a patchwork of subjects written at different times for different grades, the new curriculum is supposed to be more co-ordinated and include outcomes linked to literacy and numeracy throughout.
NewsCBCFamily marks '5 years of hell' since Myles Gray was killed in run-in with Vancouver police
It's Aug. 13 again, and that means Margie Reed has passed yet another year without her son, Myles Gray, and another year without knowing if the police officers involved in his death will face charges.The unarmed 33-year-old businessman from Sechelt, B.C., was killed on this date in 2015 in a violent confrontation with as many as eight Vancouver police officers."It's been five years of hell," Reed told CBC this week."There's no overstating how violently traumatizing Myles's death has been to myself and to my family, but dealing with this system for five years has also been violently traumatizing."Crown prosecutors have been considering whether to lay charges against the officers involved in Gray's death for the last year and a half. That follows an investigation by the Independent Investigations Office (IIO), B.C.'s police watchdog, that lasted three years and five months."To me right now, there's just no end in sight," Reed said.Reed said Crown representatives have contacted her multiple times during the pandemic to reassure her they're still working on the file, calling it a high priority.In an email, B.C. Prosecution Service spokesperson Dan McLaughlin said Crown lawyers are still assessing potential charges, and, "We do not have a timeline for the completion of the charge assessment process in this case."A VPD spokesperson declined to comment.A stalled investigationThere were no civilian witnesses to Gray's death, and no surveillance footage has been found. What we know is that the fatal encounter began when police arrived at an address in Vancouver's southeast corner to investigate reports that a man was spraying a woman with a garden hose.The altercation that ended Gray's life took place in a backyard on Joffre Avenue in Burnaby. A forensic autopsy showed that he suffered a long list of injuries including a fractured voice box, broken nose, dislocated jaw, broken right eye socket, broken rib, broken sternum and a hemorrhagic injury on one testicle.The investigation into what caused those injuries was stalled for months because of a dispute with Vancouver officers over their duty to cooperate with the IIO. It was only after the watchdog asked for the courts to intervene that an officer who witnessed Gray's death agreed to sit for a second interview.The slow crawl of the investigation and the charge approval process has turned Reed's grief into an open wound that just won't heal."If you do get a scab, it just rips off again. But I do feel like that scar tissue is somehow getting a little bit harder," she said.The worldwide protests against police brutality and anti-Black racism this year were also difficult to watch, triggering upsetting reminders of how Gray was killed. But Reed sees them as important, and has participated in local demonstrations."They have brought police brutality and racism into the forefront, which are two huge topics, so it is good," she said.She's optimistic about the B.C. government's plans to revise the Police Act in light of concerns about systemic racism, governance and oversight, calling it a necessary move.'I'm doing pretty damn good'Five years ago, Reed said she had no real hope for the future, but she's slowly managed to crawl out from what she describes as "the biggest dark black hole that you could possibly ever be in."Despite everything she's been through, Reed said she's managed to build a good life, with grandchildren she adores and the support of her family and friends."How I get up every day and live life the best I can, I don't really know. I don't know what's giving me the strength to move on, to carry on," Reed said."I think I'm doing pretty damn good."Now she has hope, though she knows she can never have what she truly wishes for."Of course there needs to be charges, but that won't bring my son back, and ultimately that's the only thing I would ever want," Reed said.
NewsReutersReleased tycoon Lai says Hong Kong needs patient, not radical, democracy campaign
Hong Kong media tycoon Jimmy Lai said on Thursday he was overwhelmed by the support he got after becoming the most high-profile person to be arrested under a new national security law and urged patience in a "long-term fight" for democracy. Lai, a staunch supporter of the city's democracy movement, was arrested on Monday on suspicion of collusion with foreign forces as police raided the offices of his Apple Daily tabloid. In a #LiveChatWithJimmy video appearance on Twitter, Lai thanked his supporters and said their action showed the police raid was a "violation of Hong Kong people's belief" in wide-ranging freedoms, which he likened to oxygen.
NewsCBCCan't decide whether to send your kids back to school? Here's what the experts say
Decision day is looming for many Ottawa parents. Will they send their kids back to school in September or not?Both English-language boards have said parents may be able to change their minds, but likely not until at least halfway through the fall."To the parents of Ottawa, I hear you," said Dr. Vera Etches, Ottawa's medical officer of health, during a virtual news conference earlier this week."This is a difficult decision for many parents, given so many variables and so many unknowns about the future," she said. "There's no right answer for everyone."Here's some guidance from Etches and other experts. Their comments come from a combination of recent CBC interviews, virtual news conferences and public forums. What key risk factors should I consider?The key factors, according to Etches: * Your child's health conditions. * Your child's close contacts, and their health conditions. * Your family's ability to find child care. * Your family's ability to home-school. * And whether your child has development needs that require in-class learning with a trained professional.What are the experts watching for?Many experts agree a low rate of community transmission is key."If it's not in the community, it can't get into the schools," said Raywat Deonandan, an epidemiologist and associate professor at the University of Ottawa."In Ottawa, as of today, I think I'd be confident in opening schools."WATCH | Why to take a city-wide look at casesAnother expert points to "the three C's." "In epidemiology and public health, you often talk about the three C's: closed spaces, crowded places and contact. And you know, I just described every public school in Canada," said Dr. Doug Manuel, senior scientist with The Ottawa Hospital Research Institute.Still, Manuel said he's planning to send his own kids back to school, adding he's "encouraged" by some of the measures that will be in place, such as masks and alternating schedules for high school students. What can we learn from other countries?"We know there's tremendous possibility of transmission," said Manuel. Other countries have already sent their children back to school, with mixed results. According to Manuel, we want to be more like Denmark or Finland, and less like Israel."In Israel, there were some problems," he said.There, after initial success in controlling the spread of COVID-19, "they went back to school, got a big heat wave, they couldn't wear their masks … and there was a lot of transmission in communities. And they especially had some high schools that were very hard-hit."Denmark and Finland started sending kids back in the spring, he said, with smaller class sizes and alternating schedules. At the time, Denmark had a similar rate of community transmission to Ottawa's current rate, according to Manuel.Since then, both Denmark and Finland have been able to maintain low community transmission and are now moving toward a full-time return to the classroom. "We didn't see a lot of transmission in schools [in those countries]. More so in the high schools, less in the ... age 10 and under," Manuel said.He said the jury is still out when it comes to whether kids transmit the virus at a different rate than adults."The scientists I speak to, there's quite a lot of uncertainty. People aren't comfortable making a call on that."Will we see positive cases in schools?Yes, according to every expert we've spoken to."There will be [COVID-19] cases," Etches said this week. "We know that. We can anticipate that." Will that contribute to a jump in cases in Ottawa? Etches did not offer a prediction, but did say any new cases would likely originate outside the school rather than be transmitted within classrooms and corridors. Will I need to screen my child for symptoms?Yes. Every morning. And you should err on the side of caution when deciding whether to keep your kids home.Etches said detailed at-home screening recommendations will be provided to parents soon. Public health nurses will also be assigned to schools, where "rigorous screening" will be done. Etches also said parents who keep their kids home because of possible symptoms can expect a follow-up phone call from Ottawa Public Health (OPH).Experts said parents should look for more than just respiratory symptoms, since COVID-19 can also cause gastrointestinal symptoms including nausea, vomiting and diarrhea, particularly in children.And it's time to let go of the quaint notion that good attendance equals academic success."Keep them at home if they have symptoms. And you know, I would even go so far as to say if people in your bubble have symptoms, to consider keeping your kids home," said epidemiologist Dara Spatz Friedman.What's with these 'isolation rooms'?School boards are trying to figure out what to do with students who display symptoms while at school. Boards said they're looking to OPH for guidance on this."We talk about having isolation spaces if a child should become sick, or be seen to be sick, during the school day," said Camille Williams-Taylor, director of education with the Ottawa-Carleton District School Board (OCDSB).She said planning is in the initial stages, and more information will be communicated to parents in the coming weeks.What happens if someone at school tests positive?Etches said earlier this week that positive test results in schools will be looked at on a case-by-case basis. She also said there will be "response teams" with officials from both OPH and the school board deployed to "make sure that the actions that need to be taken, are taken."She defined an "outbreak" as "two cases in a school where there's a link between them," as opposed to two cases that originated separately outside the school.The Ottawa Catholic School Board (OCSB) said it's waiting to hear from the Ministry of Education on what will happen if a single student tests positive."We expect that any day now, and it will have the very key logistics of who needs to be tested, how long each student or staff needs to be out of the building, what are the procedures for the return," said Tom D'Amico, director of education at the OCSB.Does this burst the idea of bubbles?"You might throw up your hands and say, 'Well, what's the point of a bubble if my kid is in school?'" said Friedman.But going back to school doesn't mean it's time to stop bubbling, according to her and other experts."The kids in your kid's classroom are not part of your bubble, [so] there should be physical distancing," she said.Etches also appealed to adults this week to keep their contacts to a minimum. "Adults are likely the source for children bringing it into the school," she said.CHEO emergency room doctor Dayna Bell advised parents who are sending their kids back to school to have frank discussions with the other adults in their bubbles."You need to be able to say to that person, 'Hey, if my child picks up COVID at school and they give it to you, and you end up hospitalized, are we still going to be friends?" Bell suggested. "Because if that situation isn't acceptable, then you know you can't be in a bubble together."Is going back to school better for my child's mental health?Dr. Catherine Horvath, a child psychologist, said she's concerned that children who suffer from anxiety, depression or learning issues will find it increasingly difficult to return to school the longer they stay home.She said since schools closed in March, her young patients have reported a decrease in anxiety because "there's such a decrease in demands and expectations and things that make them anxious."She said parents should broach the subject the same way they would approach a sex talk: make it age-appropriate, give only the facts and let them ask questions. "We need to remember that a lot of that is our stress and not our children's stress — unless we make it their stress," she said. Horvath said children who don't typically struggle with anxiety could benefit from returning to class, and said that's what she plans to do with her own kids.Are school boards considering alternative classrooms spaces?School boards said they're hoping to keep the learning environment as "familiar" as possible. "There are operational challenges with moving spaces," said Williams-Taylor, adding that transporting students to locations outside the school would pose too great a challenge."We certainly are not looking to move to spaces that are outside of the school."Will online learning be better than it was in the spring?Online learning in the spring was an "emergency pivot," said Michelle Schira Hagerman, an assistant professor at the University of Ottawa's Faculty of Education."I'm confident the online instructional modality will feel a little bit more predictable, a little bit more measured. There are systems now in place that weren't necessarily in place at scale when we had to pivot in March," she said.The OCDSB said "clear schedules and clear expectations" will be in place with online learning."Having students understand when their tests are going to be, what the assessments are going to look like, is going to be certainly one of the other differences that we will see with online," said Camille Williams-Taylor, director of education with the OCDSB.The Catholic board said it does not anticipate live-streaming classes."One of the things that our teachers unions have indicated to us in our dialogues is they do not want the classroom teacher responsible at the same time for instructing and supervising students at home and those in front of them," said Tom D'Amico with OCSB.Can my children still see their grandparents if I'm sending them back to school?Experts say this is an individual decision that depends on comfort levels and health status.At least one epidemiologist we spoke with said he wouldn't be comfortable with it."I don't think I would at this point," said Deonandan. "Again, it all varies depending on the nature of the community load. If suddenly we're getting one or two cases per week in the community, then my confidence level goes up tremendously."But if we're in double digits per day, I'm confident about opening schools, but not around exposing my parents to potential lethal infection. So I'd be hesitant, but it doesn't mean that they can't visit the child, if the appropriate protections are in place, like face shields and face masks and distancing."Is there reason to be optimistic?Deonandan, who describes himself as an optimist, has a mantra to share."Don't let perfect be the enemy of good," he said. "We can deploy important strategies, and they may not work perfectly. But if enough of them work most of the time, then we have sufficient protection."It's like building fortifications against an invading army. You could build your castle, you could build your moat, you can build a big door, but either one of those things is not going to be perfect. But all of them in series may provide sufficient protection."So the mask wearing won't be perfect. Kids will fidget. That's fine. Plexiglas barriers between desks won't be perfect. Sometimes kids will look over them … but all those things, layered on top of each other, should offer sufficient protection," he said.WATCH | Combining measures to widen protection
NewsCBCDetails emerge of Vaccine Choice Canada lawsuit over coronavirus response
CBC News has obtained an unredacted copy of a lawsuit launched by an anti-vaccination advocacy group against the government response to the coronavirus crisis, the details of which can now be independently verified and publicly reported for the first time. The lawsuit was filed July 6 in the Ontario Superior Court of Justice in Toronto by Aylmer, Ont.-based Vaccine Choice Canada and seven individuals. The legal action is a challenge under Canada's Charter of Rights and Freedoms to the country's pandemic response measures, including compulsory face masks, the closure of businesses and the enforcement of physical distancing. The plaintiffs are suing the governments of Canada and Ontario, the City of Toronto, senior politicians, a number of local Ontario health authorities, health officials and the CBC over their response to the pandemic. The suit states that the closure of businesses to prevent the spread of the virus was "extreme, unwarranted and unjustified," that self-isolation measures imposed on individuals were "not scientific, nor medically based nor proven" and that the mandatory wearing of face coverings in some public spaces imposes "physical and psychological harm."The lawsuit alleges that the measures violate Sections 2 (right of association), 7 (life, liberty and security of the person), 8 (unlawful search and seizure), 9 (arbitrary detention of enforcement officers) and 15 (equality before and under the law) of the charter. "The measures ... are further not in accordance with the tenets of fundamental justice in their overbreadth, nor are they justified under S.1 of the charter in that they are demonstrably justified in a free and democratic society," the lawsuit states. Vaccince Choice Canada describes itself as a watchdog organization whose mandate is "to empower families to make educated, voluntary, and informed decisions about vaccination," but public health authorities have criticized the group for spreading false or misleading information about vaccines and immunization.Names of plaintiffs redacted for fear of harassmentWhile copies of the 191-page statement of claim exist online, the names and stories of some of the individual plaintiffs have been redacted on the documents by the plaintiffs themselves. Social media posts from Rocco Galati, the lawyer representing the plaintiffs, said it was done out of precaution to protect the individuals from harassment. CBC News has agreed not to name the individuals, who range from a former professor to working parents, a chiropractor and people living with chronic illnesses or disabilities.No date has been set for when the case will go to court, and it's unclear whether a judge will allow it to proceed. The lawsuit is seeking $1 million in general damages and $10 million in punitive damages, plus legal costs.No statements of defence have been filed in the case. Legal scholar says lawsuit has claims worth examiningAmong the personal stories contained in the statement of claim is that of a 23-year-old Hamilton man with autism who has the emotional capacity of a four-year-old. His guardian claims in the suit that the man doesn't have the capacity to understand pandemic health measures, which have "totally mentally devastated" him by depriving him of his routines and his social and emotional network. Another account is of a Mississauga woman who says she can't wear a mask because it triggers a traumatic memory of having a mask forcibly held over her face during a sexual assault.The claim states the woman is often faced with a choice when she goes out in public without a mask: risk being embarrassed by disclosing her private history or be denied service at local businesses. "I don't think we need to violate people's privacy or have them disclose medical conditions, particularly in the context of a private business," said Jacob Shelley, an assistant professor of health law and ethics at Western University in London, Ont., who examined an unredacted copy of the lawsuit provided by CBC News. "We need to have a discussion about what does it mean to mandate masks. What does it mean to have everyone wear masks when you're indoors and you can't socially distance, because I think there are going to be legitimate instances where people are going to be unable or unwilling to wear a mask for reasons that really are their own."There's lucid, valid, potential issues that maybe are worth being adjudicated before the court."Shelley said given the content of the lawsuit, a public debate over masks risks being overshadowed by other claims that aren't supported by science. "The 'pandemic' is false, and the measures phony, designed and implemented for improper and ulterior purposes, at the behest of the WHO, controlled and directed by billionaire, corporate oligarchs," the statement of claim says. "The plaintiffs state, and the fact is, that the evidence is that far many more people have died as a result of the 'pandemic' measures themselves than purportedly from the 'COVID-19 deaths,' even if one takes the deaths 'caused' by COVID as a given."Other lawsuit claimsOther claims made in the lawsuit are unrelated to the coronavirus pandemic."Researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology report the development of a novel way to record a patient's vaccination history by using smartphone-readable nano crystals called 'quantum dots,' embedded in the skin using micro-needles. In short, a vaccine chip embedded in the body. This work and research are funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation," the lawsuit said. The statement of claim includes a timeline that begins in the year 2000 when Bill Gates steps down as the head of Microsoft to start the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. It also states Gates expects a "'twenty-fold' return on his $10 billion vaccine investment within the next few decades."Included in the timeline are references to the Chinese military, 5G networks, international vaccine programs and the Rockefeller Foundation as relevant to the creation and spread of the coronavirus, but the lawsuit isn't clear on how.Shelley said including such references in the statement of claim without providing supporting scientific evidence could ultimately be what gets the suit dismissed before it goes to trial under Ontario's rules of civil procedure. CBC News reached out multiple times to Galati, who is listed as the spokesperson for the lawsuit in a press release issued by Vaccine Choice Canada. He spoke with a reporter last Wednesday but did not agree to an on-the-record interview. Galati told CBC News he would be available last Thursday for a recorded interview but did not respond to requests for comment on Thursday or the following Monday.The CBC has also been named as a defendant in the lawsuit for allegedly propagating misinformation and "false news" about the coronavirus crisis.Vaccine Choice Canada has also issued an intent to sue the CBC over other coverage relating to the anti-vaccination and anti-mask movements.
PoliticsReutersNSA, FBI expose Russian intelligence hacking tool: report
The NSA and FBI said that Russia's Main Intelligence Directorate, known as the GRU, was using a hacking tool code named "Drovorub" to break into Linux-based computers. Linux is an operating system commonly used across computer server infrastructure.
NewsCBCSchool starts in a month, but Canada's most populous province still doesn't know what that will look like
Back to school is imminent for Ontario students, but important elements of exactly how that will look during the COVID-19 pandemic remain up in the air. Many questions remain about the province's $309 million plan to reopen K-12 schools this fall, with new protocols to be implemented and scores of new staff including teachers, school nurses and custodians who need to be brought on board, trained and deployed.One notable part of the plan is a $50-million commitment to hire up to 500 school-focused public health nurses. But midway into August, that process is still in the "call-out" stage, Premier Doug Ford admitted on Wednesday."We have a call-out right now for nurses. We want to make sure we fulfil the 500 positions without draining from the system," Ford said during his daily news conference."Let's get them in the classrooms as soon as possible — even if it takes a couple extra weeks … as long as the 500 nurses are coming."Details around school nurses still to be ironed outDetails about who is hiring these nurses and where they will be embedded need ironing out, according to Doris Grinspun, CEO of the Registered Nurses' Association of Ontario.Grinspun, who is among those consulting the province about this part of the plan, welcomes the initiative as a whole, calling the new hires a public health necessity for schools given the complex health concerns that are facing students and teachers going forward."We need to be prepared for an outbreak in a school. We need to be prepared for preventing an outbreak," she said. These nurses, who Grinspun notes would ideally be registered nurses with baccalaureate degrees, would have the expertise to tackle a wide range of issues. Not only would they adapt to potentially changing COVID-19 conditions this fall and winter, as well as liaise with local public health authorities, but would also tackle flu season and address concerns such as bullying, addiction, anxiety and depression — conditions that may already be exacerbated by the pandemic, Grinspun added."This is not only about donning and doffing [masks] … This is about much more than that," she said. "Solving problems [on an ongoing basis], in the context of reopening of schools, it's not simple at all."Tying this new wave of school nurses to local public health units across the province is also vital, Grinspun said, "to fit the teams on those units and … blend with the rest of the programs" already underway for specific communities.Custodial staffing levels an ongoing issue, unions sayAnother major component of Ontario's plan is $75 million for hiring more than 900 additional custodians and buying cleaning supplies.But it doesn't go far enough, according to Laura Walton, president of Ontario School Board Council of Unions (OSBCU), which represents 55,000 education workers including custodians and cleaning staff."Nine-hundred custodians seems like a lot of people. But you're talking about 4,800 [public elementary and secondary] schools across the province," she said. "That's not enough for the amount of cleaning that we need to do for our students," Walton said, adding that the issue of too few staffers to clean and maintain Ontario public schools has been a perennial issue and was raised during contract negotiations last year. Walton said she has heard from OSBCU locals about custodial job postings going up in various regions.She also predicts that, as a first measure, school boards likely will tap their existing casual supply lists to offer those workers permanent employment. "These are decent paying jobs and so hopefully we will have folks come forward interested," she said. "There is going to be a lot of work."'Trying to put a puzzle together' Boards have been working on reopening scenarios for months. "We've been at this since really, the beginning of May," noted Peter Sovran, associate director of learning services for the Hamilton-Wentworth District School Board (HWDSB) and chair of its back-to-school planning group. His team has been planning how to reopen following the latest pandemic guidelines as well as the board's standard budget allocation from the province.Sovran says they've been guided by a number of key principles, including student and staff safety, minimizing disruption to regular school routines and flexibility between conventional, adaptive or remote learning if COVID conditions change quickly.WATCH l Epidemiologist answers questions about heading back to school:They've also looked at the financial support needed for scenarios such as reducing class sizes. Since the province announced its decision to keep elementary class sizes at pre-COVID levels, various health officials, parents and educators have reiterated the call for a drastic reduction to facilitate in-class physical distancing.However, with just weeks to go before school starts, a major reduction to class sizes across HWDSB elementary schools alone would be a complex endeavour, Sovran explained.According to an updated HWDSB report released Monday, 15-student classes would require about 900 additional teachers at the cost of approximately $76 million. The province has thus far pledged $30 million for the hiring of additional teachers across all of Ontario. Funding for new teachers aside, Sovran said other logistical considerations if class sizes were reduced include identifying additional classroom spaces, implementing health and safety requirements for those locations and putting necessary resources into them, as well as figuring out which students will be reassigned to what schools and how to get them there.While HWDSB has already learned of some additional provincial funding headed its way — $1.2 million to hire more custodians, for instance — officials are still awaiting many more details. "It's trying to put a puzzle together and sometimes all the pieces aren't there or partway through, the pieces of the puzzle change. Trying to fit them together sometimes is a real challenge," Sovran said. "Has it been stressful? Probably like no other time in any of our careers."No perfect solution, Ford saysAmid ongoing criticism of Ontario's back-to-school plan, Premier Doug Ford and Minister of Education Stephen Lecce have repeatedly cited the need for flexibility to remain "responsive" to COVID conditions across the province. "We have to be flexible when it comes to education … it doesn't mean that everything will be perfect," Ford noted on Wednesday.An announcement regarding "improvements" to the back-to-school plan is forthcoming, Ford said, adding there would be no significant changes."We're just going to continue working at the process and always improving it. I've never believed in just saying 'OK, that's it. Here, it's done.' "
- NewsGlobal News
Coronavirus: Ontario education minister says reserve funding will help schools address physical distancing needs
When asked why he won't mandate smaller class sizes as educators in Ontario prepare to return to school amid the COVID-19 pandemic, Education Minister Stephen Lecce said the use of up to $500 million in reserve funding will give school boards "an element of flexibility" and will allow for more physical distancing resources.
NewsReutersU.S. says Ghislaine Maxwell was isolated in jail for her safety
U.S. prosecutors said ensuring Ghislaine Maxwell's safety was a key reason she has been isolated from other inmates at the Brooklyn jail where she is being held on charges she facilitated late financier Jeffrey Epstein's sexual abuse of underage girls. In a letter on Thursday to U.S. District Judge Alison Nathan in Manhattan, prosecutors also said it was "at best premature" to require they identify three alleged victims named in Maxwell's indictment. Lawyers for Maxwell did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
NewsCBCOntario education minister 'unlocks' $500M to improve distancing, ventilation for back-to-school
Ontario Education Minister Stephen Lecce says he's "unlocked" $500 million in funding to enhance physical distancing and improve air quality as multiple teachers' unions claim the province's current plan violates provincial health and safety law.The minister also announced an additional $50 million for upgrades to ventilation systems and $18 million for online learning amid concerns over student safety during the COVID-19 pandemic. The half a billion dollars in funding comes after the ministry allowed school boards to dip into reserve funds. Boards that do not have reserves will be provided with funding from an $11 million allocation.Allowing boards to use the reserve funds is in addition to $309 million provided by the province, which includes $60 million for personal protective equipment in schools and $100 million for custodians and enhanced cleaning products for schools, which was announced in July.On Thursday, Lecce also said the province is confident that children can return to schools safely in the fall, even amid the pandemic."Let me be perfectly clear. If the best medical minds in the province did not think it was safe for your child to go back to school, the choice would have been simple," he said. "We're in a position where we are able to safely and confidently reopen schools, but with strict health and safety protocols"But Lecce's opening up of new funding follows weeks of criticism of the province's back-to-school plan from parents, teachers and medical professionals, particularly when it comes to class sizes.The announcement also comes on the heels of Ontario's four major education unions alleging that the current back-to-school strategy breaks provincial law by violating occupational health and safety legislation.The unions, which represent more than 190,000 teachers and education workers, issued a press release Thursday afternoon saying the plan "fails to meet legal health and safety requirements," and that teachers and students are not protected against COVID-19. They raised red flags over the lack of mask requirements for children under 10, larger class sizes, poor ventilation in schools and lack of adequate screenings and safeguards for students. They've asked to meet with Minister of Labour Monte McNaughton and representatives from the Ministry of Education to discuss their concerns.During the press conference, Lecce didn't answer questions on whether he'd meet with union representatives, saying that there had been many meetings ahead of Thursday's announcement.No class size cap for elementary, air quality questioned in older schoolsThe issue of class sizes has been the crux of the opposition toward the province's plan, as while high schools will have a cap of 15 students per class, elementary schools will not have a limit on class sizes for Grades 4 to 8.Instead, the only stipulation is a maximum average of 24.5 students per class across each school board.WATCH | Provinces adjust back-to-school plans:This would mean it's likely a child could be in a class with 30 or more other students. While class caps will still not be placed at the elementary level, Lecce said Thursday that the reserve funding could be used to create alternative classrooms outside of schools if there are difficulties acquiring more space. It gives the opportunity for schools to use the money as they see fit, based on current concerns and needs, he said.In a report examining back-to-school planning published in July by SickKids hospital, it's recommended that smaller class sizes be a "priority strategy."However, the report said, there is "limited evidence" on what to base the maximum class size numbers on as it depends on other factors, such as the size of the classrooms and if non-traditional spaces, like outdoor classrooms, are being used.Teachers and parent groups held a protest at Queen's Park on Wednesday to address the class-size issue, as well as draw attention to the sometimes poor ventilation in older Toronto schools that could exacerbate the crowding concerns.At that protest, teachers spoke about how the two-metre physical distancing rules would be impossible for many classrooms based on their size.They also raised concerns about building repairs that are needed to increase airflow in many schools.Parents and teacher coalitions at Wednesday's protest asked the province for $3 billion in funding to allow for smaller class sizes and updated ventilation systems.Older schools can use individual HVAC mobile units with the funding to support current ventilation instead of entirely remodeling a school's airflow system, Lecce noted at the press conference.As schools are three weeks away from opening, Lecce was asked if there is enough time for boards to determine how to properly use the money that's become available and implement changes before the first day.In response, he said schools have already been preparing and these changes can be "layered" on top of what is already in the works in order to "de-risk the circumstance."Using reserve funds would create 'future financial risks': TDSBThe Toronto District School Board provided CBC News with a memo to school trustees from Interim Director Carlene Jackson that says pulling from reserve funds would be a liability and lead to "future financial risks" for the board."It would not be prudent or good financial management if we were to use a large amount of reserve funds to cover the entire cost of smaller class sizes," Jackson states. Staff are instead looking at whether the reserves could be used to augment the TDSB's share of $30 million for staffing coming from the province, so that they can create class sizes of 15 to 20, she said. The board will be applying for this funding as soon as it's available.Even if class sizes are smaller, the schools do not currently have enough space to accommodate these sizes and staff are working on finding more options for new classrooms, explained Jackson. Transportation would need to be arranged if new school locations are added.The TDSB is also looking into how to use its portion of the $50 million in HVAC upgrades with the school year just weeks away."Given this significant change, staff would have to assess if the necessary arrangements could be made in time for the first day of school on Sept. 8," she said.
- NewsCBC
Nunavut dangerous offender gets year added to long-term supervision order
A declared dangerous offender from Nunavut will have to be under long-term supervision for another year.Simeonie Issigaitok has been convicted of multiple sex offences, including against children.Issigaitok pleaded guilty to two counts of sexual interference involving two young boys in relation to incidents that occurred in November 2011.In total, Issigaitok's has 23 convictions on his criminal record, including 18 for sexual assault and two for sexual interference involving young children. The offences took place in his home communities of Sanirajak (formerly Hall Beach) and Igloolik."The victims of your offending have suffered serious harm," reads a document dated Aug. 6 from the Parole Board of Canada, in part.> The board has concluded a residency condition is reasonable and necessary to ensure community safety. \- Parole Board of Canada decisionIn 2014, the 66-year-old was sentenced to two years in prison, followed by six years of long-term supervision, which started in March 2016.Issigaitok's family fragmentation and the effects of residential school, along with his Inuk background, were taken into consideration when making decisions on his case, the document says.The original supervision order says Issigaitok cannot return to Igloolik or Sanirajak. He must take sexual counselling programs that are available and must reside only where approved by Corrections Canada. There's also multiple other restrictions, including a ban on consuming alcohol or drugs, and he must return to the supervised residential facility each night.All of the conditions apply to the additional year recently handed to him.'Not an ideal resident'Issigaitok transferred to a cultural Community Residential Facility in October 2017; as per its usual policy, the parole board did not specify where.The decision says over the course of his long-term supervision, Issigaitok has been involved in culture-related activities, including meeting with an elder, speaking his language, attending a monthly feast and attending church regularly. There have been no concerns noted by the Security Intelligence Officer or police based on the most recent assessment, it says in the document. However, the parole board said he is "not an ideal resident" at the facility, noting he frequently argues with staff and complains about the restrictions. Issigaitok has made little progress in his sex offender relapse prevention counselling with a psychologist and is still considered a significant risk to the community, the document says."The board has concluded a residency condition is reasonable and necessary to ensure community safety," the document reads.The parole board also declined to give Issigaitok overnight leave privileges."The board would expect to see a lengthy period of stability in the community before reconsidering an expansion of such privilege."
NewsThe Canadian PressUAE and Israel to establish full diplomatic ties
JERUSALEM — Israel and the United Arab Emirates announced Thursday they are establishing full diplomatic relations in a U.S.-brokered deal that required Israel to halt its contentious plan to annex occupied West Bank land sought by the Palestinians.The historic deal delivered a key foreign policy victory to President Donald Trump as he seeks re-election and reflected a changing Middle East in which shared concerns about archenemy Iran have largely overtaken traditional Arab support for the Palestinians.A spokesman for Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas said the deal amounts to “treason,” and should be reversed.The agreement makes the UAE the third Arab country, after Egypt and Jordan, to have full diplomatic ties with Israel. They announced it in a joint statement, saying deals between Israel and the UAE were expected in the coming weeks in such areas as tourism, direct flights and embassies.Trump called the deal “a truly historic moment.”“Now that the ice has been broken I expect more Arab and Muslim countries will follow the United Arab Emirates,” he told reporters in the Oval Office.In a nationally televised news conference, Netanyahu echoed Trump’s remarks.“Today we usher in a new era of peace between Israel and the Arab world,” he said. “There is a good chance we will soon see more Arab countries joining this expanding circle of peace.”But Netanyahu said the annexation plan was on “temporary hold,” appearing to contradict statements from Emirati officials who said it was off the table.Emirati officials described the deal in pragmatic terms. Anwar Gargash, a top Emirati official, said they had dealt a “death blow” to an aggressive Israeli move and hoped to help reshape the region.“Is it perfect? Nothing is perfect in a very difficult region,” Gargash added. “But I think we used our political chips right.”Omar Ghobash, assistant minister for culture and public diplomacy, told The Associated Press: "I don’t think anything was written in stone. We are opening a door. We are hoping the Israelis will see the benefits to this step.”“I would assume that this is political manoeuvring within a very complex political society," he added.Israel and the UAE do not share a border and have never fought a war. But the UAE, like most of the Arab world, long rejected diplomatic ties with Israel in the absence of a peace deal establishing a Palestinian state on lands captured by Israel in 1967.That steadfast support for the Palestinians, however, has begun to weaken in recent years, in large part because of the shared enmity toward Iran and Iranian proxies in the region. Crown Prince Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the day-to-day ruler of the UAE, also shares Israel’s distrust of Islamist groups like the Muslim Brotherhood and the Gaza Strip’s ruling Hamas militant group.Netanyahu has long boasted about fostering closer behind-the-scenes ties with Arab countries than publicly acknowledged. The UAE has made little secret of those budding ties, allowing Israeli businessmen to enter the country on foreign passports and welcoming Israeli officials and sporting figures. Next year, Israel will take part in the UAE’s delayed Expo 2020, the world’s fair being hosted by Dubai. A secret synagogue also draws practicing Jews in Dubai.Still, the timing of the deal was unexpected, and perhaps tied to the upcoming U.S. election.For Trump, it gave an important boost to a president trailing in opinion polls and facing heavy criticism for his handling of the coronavirus crisis. It was also a rare achievement for his Mideast team, led by adviser and son-in-law Jared Kushner, whose Mideast plan has made little headway since it was unveiled early this year.Israel and the UAE are among Trump’s few close international allies, and Thursday’s deal may have been seen as an election gift.U.S.-Israeli author Joel Rosenberg, who met with the crown prince in 2018 alongside fellow evangelical Christians, said the announcement could influence religious voters who may “struggle to decide” between Trump and presumptive Democratic nominee Joe Biden.Thursday’s agreement offers “a feel that this is historic” and a change for Trump to “have a series of big moments in the months ahead.”In a statement, Biden praised Israel for freezing the annexation plan.“The United Arab Emirates and Israel have pointed a path toward a more peaceful, stable Middle East,” he said, adding that a Biden presidency “will seek to build on this progress.”Netanyahu chalked up a diplomatic victory at a time when his shaky coalition government has been plagued by infighting and faces the possibility of early elections. He also faces a corruption trial over charges stemming from a series of scandals.But even his rivals praised the deal.Netanyahu has seen his popularity plummet as the country grapples with a renewed coronavirus outbreak, mass street protests and skyrocketing unemployment as the result of earlier lockdown measures.For the UAE, home to skyscraper-studded Dubai and the rolling, oil-rich sand dunes of Abu Dhabi, it further burnishes its international campaign to be seen as a beacon of tolerance in the Middle East despite being governed by autocratic rulers. It also removes the stigma of recognizing Israel and could open the door for neighbouring countries to follow suit.The Gulf state of Bahrain welcomed the deal.All in all, Netanyahu paid a relatively minor price. Although the hoped-for annexation plan is on hold, a half-century status quo remains in place in which Israel maintains its occupation of the West Bank and continues to expand its scores of settlements while Palestinians live in small autonomous enclaves. Those settlements are now home to some 500,000 Israelis.The Palestinians claim all of the West Bank, captured in the 1967 Mideast war, as the heartland of a future state. The Trump Mideast plan envisions granting Israel permanent control over 30% of that territory, while offering the Palestinians limited autonomy in the remainder. After embracing the plan, Netanyahu backed away from moving forward with annexation last month in the face of fierce international opposition and misgivings by White House officials.The Palestinians have rejected Trump’s Mideast plan out of hand.Abbas, the president of the Palestinian Authority, convened a meeting of his top leadership Thursday night, and afterward his spokesman Nabil Abu Rdeneh, said the agreement amounted to “treason.” He added that the UAE must reverse the decision and urged other Arab countries not to follow suit “at the expense of Palestinian rights.”The official Palestinian news agency WAFA said the Palestinian ambassador to the UAE was being recalled.In Gaza, Hamas called the deal a “stabbing in the back of our people.”Moving to head off the Palestinian criticism, UAE officials said the deal had prevented the annexation and kept hopes alive for Palestinian statehood.“The UAE is using its gravitas and promise of a relationship to unscrew a time bomb that is threatening a two-state solution,” Gargash said.Israeli hard-liners accused Netanyahu of missing an opportunity to annex parts of the biblical land of Israel. Naftali Bennett, a pro-settler lawmaker, welcomed the agreement but said it was “tragic that Netanyahu did not seize the moment.”Netanyahu insisted there was “no change” to his annexation plans. He said Israel would “wait temporarily” at the request of Trump.Still, Netanyahu may be hedging his bets ahead of a possible change in the White House. Biden has made clear that he would oppose any annexation.Yoel Guzansky, a senior researcher at the Tel Aviv-based Institute for National Security Studies, said the deal would solidify Netanyahu’s legacy among Israel’s greatest leaders.“There’s Rabin with Jordan, Begin with Egypt,” he said, referring to the prime ministers who reached Israel’s other peace deals. “Now there’s Benjamin Netanyahu. He’s going to be in the history books.”___Lee reported from Bled, Slovenia, and Gambrell reported from Dubai, United Arab Emirates. Associated Press writers Tia Goldenberg in Jerusalem, Elana Schor and Aamer Madhani in Washington, and Aya Batrawy in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, contributed.Josef Federman, Matthew Lee And Jon Gambrell, The Associated Press
PoliticsThe Canadian PressChicken, eggs both go first as feds roll out COVID-19 food surplus program
OTTAWA — More than 12 million eggs will be redistributed via an emergency federal program designed to help farmers faced with too much food and nowhere to sell it due to the COVID-19 pandemic.Agriculture Minister Marie-Claude Bibeau announced Thursday that the government has signed eight agreements worth nearly $50 million to help align the needs of food banks and other community groups with what farmers and producers can supply.In an interview with The Canadian Press, Bibeau called the program a "win-win-win.""It's reaching three objectives," she said."The first one to feed the people in need, second to support our farmers by buying some of their surplus at the cost of production and the third one was avoiding food waste."The organizations receiving the money include Food Banks Canada, Second Harvest and the Quebec group La Tablee des Chefs.Altogether, approximately 12 million kilograms of everything from fish to fowl will be purchased from food producers and then redistributed under the $50-million food surplus program announced by the Liberals earlier this year.The near shutdown of the hospitality industry has meant a sharp decline in the number of places to sell perishable foods.That has led to litres of milk being dumped down drains, potatoes going bad in storage and farmers facing higher costs to hold on to animals they had nowhere to sell if slaughtered.At the same time, food banks have reported sharp increases in the number of people seeking assistance, having lost their jobs due to the pandemic, and there were calls for the federal government to find a way to match up the two.Lori Nikkel, the chief executive officer at Second Harvest, said pre-pandemic, an estimated 58 per cent of all the food produced for Canadians was going to waste.That number was definitely pushed higher by COVID-19, she said, and she applauded the federal government's leadership in spooling up the program. Second Harvest uses an online platform, FoodRescue.ca, to link up organizations that need food for their programs with farmers and producers who have surplus goods.They received $11 million from the government to expand that program to include paying producers directly for their food, and ensure the groups on the receiving end have what they need to process, distribute and store it. Nikkel said the money will go fast, and she hopes the federal government will consider a new round of funding at a later date as the need will not go away. "The commodities are going to change," she said."Who we are helping now may not be the people we are helping tomorrow."Bibeau said the government will keep an eye on whether the demand from organizations, and oversupply from producers, remains in the coming months."We'll keep the door open in the sense that for now, we feel it's a very worthwhile program, and we look forward to seeing how it will evolve in the coming weeks."Ten per cent of the product being purchased by the surplus program is being sent to northern communities.Among the projects focused on those is one with Fisher River Cree Nation in Manitoba, which received $10.8 million to catch millions of kilograms of walleye and redistribute the fish to more than 75 Indigenous communities.This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 13, 2020.Stephanie Levitz, The Canadian Press
NewsThe Canadian PressFederal appeals court: Male-only draft is constitutional
NEW ORLEANS — A federal appeals court in New Orleans upheld the constitutionality of the all-male military draft system Thursday, citing a 1981 U.S. Supreme Court decision.In a decision that overturned a 2019 ruling by a Texas-based federal judge, a panel of the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in New Orleans said “only the Supreme Court may revise its precedent.”The case was argued in March and was the result of a lawsuit by the National Coalition for Men and two men challenging the male-only draft. They argued that the 1981 case was decided at a time when women were largely absent from combat.Thursday's unanimous ruling from the three-judge panel acknowledged that “the factual underpinning of the controlling Supreme Court decision has changed. However, the judges noted, “that does not grant a court of appeals license to disregard or overrule that precedent.”Plaintiffs in the case could seek a rehearing before the full 17-judge appeals court or go to the Supreme Court. Harry Crouch, president of the National Coalition for Men, said organization leaders will discuss their next move with attorneys. “All I can tell you is we will be moving the case forward,” he said.The U.S. government stopped drafting young men into the military in 1973. But every male must still register for the draft when he turns 18.Earlier this year — after the arguments before the 5th Circuit — a federal commission recommended including women in the military draft system.“The Commission concluded that the time is right to extend Selective Service System registration to include men and women, between the ages of 18 and 26. This is a necessary and fair step, making it possible to draw on the talent of a unified Nation in a time of national emergency," the commission's final report said.The 2019 district court decision declaring the male-only draft unconstitutional had been appealed by the Selective Service System, the federal agency that administers the draft. The appeal was argued during a series of 5th Circuit hearings at Tulane University. The judges were Carl Stewart, Don Willett and Jacques Weiner.Arguing for the National Coalition for men was Marc Angelucci, an attorney who was shot to death in July. Authorities later linked the killing of Angelucci in California to Roy Den Hollander, 72, who was found dead of a self-inflicted gunshot wound on July 20, the day after an ambush shooting in New Jersey that killed U.S. District Judge Esther Salas’ 20-year-old son and wounded her husband.Kevin McGill, The Associated Press
NewsCBCSupportive housing for single women, young adults set to open this month in Charlottetown
A new supportive housing complex in Charlottetown should welcome its first tenants by the end of the month, according to officials with the province.The building includes 18 furnished units, and instead of catering to young families and young adults as was announced back in February of 2019, it will serve single women and young adults. Ten of the units will be for women who are currently accessing emergency housing at Anderson House, through P.E.I. Family Violence Prevention Services.Two of those units will be left unfurnished for women who have furniture of their own.'There's no place for them to go'"Sometimes at Anderson House, the clients that are there, there's no place for them to go, so they end up having to stay at Anderson House longer than they need to," said Sonya Cobb, director of housing services for the province."So having this transitional housing available allows them to leave emergency housing and move to a safe environment to support them as they move on in terms of the next steps for their life."Anderson House will be overseeing programming for this section of the building, and officials say those supports will range from mental health to assistance with employment. "When you're dealing with violence and trauma, it is important to understand that you're kind of in it for the long haul," said Danya O'Malley, executive director of P.E.I. Family Violence Prevention Services."They are meant to be transitional units, but our timeframe isn't always that kind of quick turnaround, and understandably we try to work with people on a case-by-case basis."O'Malley said the units are for single women who either do not have children, have children who are in the care of others, or whose children are grown, but the women themselves are too young to qualify for seniors housing. "That population has been really our very hardest to house safely and affordably," said O'Malley, who said this type of housing for single women has been urgently needed for a long time. "We are just beyond delighted about that, and it's another piece of the pie that goes to really filling some gaps, and it means a lot that people are listening to where the sticking points are in the system, and how we best address that and get people literally with a roof over their head."Transitioning out of careThe other 10 units are reserved for young people who are now at least 18, and are transitioning out of the care of the province, whether that be from foster care or group homes."When they turn 18, they're considered an adult," said Cobb."And our legislation doesn't permit them to stay with our underage children in our current facilities. So this building has 10 units that's been designated for their use, and our child and family services division will be supporting those young adults in terms of transitioning from the provincial system into their adult lives." Those supports will include learning how to budget, how to enter the job market, educational supports, and basic skills like cooking, cleaning, and how to be a good tenant, all to prepare them for success in their adult life.Cobb said, for now, a staff member will be on-site during the day to assist with the transition, so only nine units will be available to young people in the initial phase.Housing 'first of its kind' on P.E.I.Rent for the units will be 25 per cent of the tenant's income, similar to what is done in social housing units across the province. Cobb said this is the first building of its kind on the Island, and it will be a learning process for everyone involved. "So we'll be learning from P.E.I. Family Violence Prevention Services, we'll be learning from our child family services division, and we'll be learning from the people who move in here and can provide lots of feedback to us in terms of, you know, how does it work for them, and what would they suggest if we were to have another project of this type," said Cobb. The housing is intended to be short-term, but Cobb said there's no firm cap on how long individuals can stay. The goal will be to offer the support they need, and make sure they are ready to live independently. The overall budget for the building was $2.7 million. The federal government gave $900,000 and the province contributed $1.8 million. More from CBC P.E.I.
NewsReutersSeismic data suggests string of blasts preceded Beirut explosion: Israeli analyst
Seismological data suggests that six blasts preceded the Beirut port explosion, the last of them a combustion of fireworks that apparently set off a warehouse full of ammonium nitrate, an Israeli analyst said on Thursday. The six blasts were at 11-second intervals during the Aug. 4 incident, with the main explosion following the last by around 43 seconds, Boaz Hayoun of Israel's Tamar Group told Reuters. Hayoun, a former military engineering officer whose current roles include overseeing safety standards for explosives use in Israel, said his analysis was based on data from seismological sensors stationed across the region.
TechnologyCBCLittle enthusiasm among Quebec politicians as government mulls COVID-19 tracing app
The federal government's COVID-19 contact tracing app is among the most downloaded in the country, but as Quebec considers whether to build its own, opposition politicians are showing little interest in the project.A legislative hearing began Thursday in Quebec City devoted to exploring the benefits — and downsides — of mobile phone apps that warn users of potential exposure to the novel coronavirus.Ahead of the hearing, the Quebec government revealed that around 17,000 Quebecers had taken part in online consultations since June. Joëlle Boutin, the Coalition Avenir Québec MNA who is chairing the hearing, said 75 per cent of the responses indicated support for a contact tracing app in Quebec."Now we want to hear from experts over the next few days to help us decide," Boutin said, adding the government was open to both developing a Quebec version or signing on to Ottawa's.COVID Alert, the federal government app, was downloaded more than 1 million times in the first week it was available, despite only working in Ontario. Alberta and the Atlantic provinces have said they will begin using COVID Alert as well.Tepid response from oppositionBut in Quebec, opposition parties feel little enthusiasm, or urgency, for either adopting the federal app or developing one in-house."The contact tracing app doesn't answer the real problems," said Marwah Rizqy, the Liberal critic for government administration. "When we were short of workers in CHSLDs [long-term care homes], it was the army that responded. It wasn't a contact tracing app."Rizqy added that she wouldn't download a tracing app if it was available in Quebec. "You're speaking to a woman who never downloaded the Waze [traffic] app," she told reporters in Quebec City.Québec Solidaire's house leader, Gabrielle Nadeau-Dubois, questioned the value of the apps, saying they haven't been effective elsewhere in the world and entail significant privacy risks."We haven't finalized our position yet, but I'm not going to hide the fact that we're looking carefully at what's happening outside of Quebec, especially in Canada, but also in other countries in the world."Asked why Quebec wouldn't simply use the federal government's app, Nadeau-Dubois said: "last time I heard, health care was a competency of the Quebec government."Fed app good on privacy, less so on accessibility The federal government's app uses Bluetooth technology to exchange randomly generated codes with other phones in close proximity. Those codes are stored in your phone for two weeks. If an app user tests positive for COVID-19, they input that information into their phone, which is then transmitted via the stored codes to other app users. Any phone that was near the COVID-positive person for long enough receives an alert, informing the owner they may have been exposed to the virus.Because the app uses Bluetooth, rather than GPS, it has been lauded by privacy experts for protecting personal information. In an opinion released last month, the federal privacy commissioner said "exceptionally strong measures have been adopted by the government to ensure that the identity of users is protected and not disclosed to the Government of Canada."But the app only works on iPhones and Android phones built in the last five years. Advocacy groups worry this limits its accessibility to seniors and low-income Canadians, two population groups particularly vulnerable to the disease.Martin Ouellet, the Parti Québécois's critic for digital strategy, said the app's accessibility was among his party's central concerns about a possible Quebec version. "A lot of people talk about this technology as if it was easily accessible on a mobile phone, but a lot of Quebecers don't have a mobile phone," Ouellet said.The hearings continue on Thursday.
TechnologyThe Canadian PressApple, Google drop Fortnite from app stores over payments
NEW YORK — Apple and Google dropped the popular game Fortnite from their app stores after the game’s developer introduced a direct payment plan that bypasses their platforms.Apple and Google both take a 30% cut from in-app revenue purchases in games, which has long been a sore spot with developers.Fortnite is free, but users can pay for in game accoutrements like weapons and skins. Its developer, Epic Games, said in a blog post Thursday that it was introducing Epic Direct payments, a direct payment plan for Apple's iOS and Google Play. Epic said the system is the same payment system it already uses to process payments on PC and Mac computers and Android phones.Apple and Google said the service violates their guidelines.“Epic enabled a feature in its app which was not reviewed or approved by Apple, and they did so with the express intent of violating the App Store guidelines regarding in-app payments that apply to every developer who sells digital goods or services," Apple said in statement.Google said Fortnite will remain available on Android, just not through its app store. Android users can download the app from other app stores, although that's generally not an option for iPhone users.Epic Games did not immediately return a request for comment. Epic's Fortnite Twitter account said the company would debut a new short film called “Nineteen Eighty-Fortnite," a seeming parody of Apple's iconic “1984" commercial that introduced the Macintosh computer. It has also filed a complaint against Apple in the U.S. District Court in Northern California for dropping Fortnite.Mae Anderson, The Associated Press
- NewsGlobal News
Motorcyclist dead after collision with transport truck in Brampton
Peel Regional Police say a 26-year-old driver of a motorcycle has died following a crash involving a transport truck near Rutherford Road South and Glidden Road early Thursday. Miranda Anthistle reports.
- HealthGlobal News
Ontario Premier Ford says he remains 'open to any suggestion' from health officials on mask-wearing for children
Asked about the American Association of Pediatricians saying today that children as young as two could be wearing masks, Ontario Premier Doug Ford said the current mask wearing mandates for children came from Sick Kids Hospital and the health team. He said they are looking more into the issue, including possibly using face shields for younger children, but is “open to any suggestion” from health officials should they advise differently.
