- NewsCBC
'We're hurt,' says former NHLer Terry Ryan on Don Cherry controversy
As a former NHL player and guest on Coach's Corner, Terry Ryan is having a hard time reconciling the hurtful comments made by Don Cherry publically, with the man he knows as a mentor and hockey icon privately."I do think it needs context. I'm not agreeing with what he said, " Ryan says."I don't agree with what he said, but he's not a monster."Cherry came under fire for comments made during a Coach's Corner segment on Hockey Night in Canada on Nov. 9 which many felt were critical of immigrants for not wearing Remembrance Day poppies.The commentator — also known by the nickname Grapes — was fired by Sportsnet, with the broadcaster calling Cherry's remarks "divisive."While Cherry would later say he regrets his choice of words — using the phrase "you people," rather than saying "everyone" — Ryan wished Cherry had apologized sooner."Most of us are in the middle and we're hurt," Ryan said."This is a legend. This is someone that we love. A lot of us grew up taking Don Cherry at his word and loving him. He's Canada. He's part of our Canadian being."Ryan said a memory that came to mind amid the controversy was back in one of his first game in Montreal for the Canadiens, when Cherry took him aside for a chat.As a locker room "oddball" and jokester, Ryan said he was known for trying to make his teammates laugh in an effort to unite them as a team.Ryan remembers Cherry telling him to use those traits for good."Don Cherry called me aside after and said our game is going through a change … there's a lot more minorities in the game than there ever has been, there's a lot more Europeans than there has been, there's guys on your team that don't know English that well," Ryan said."He said you need to be there for them and hockey is becoming more united as time goes by."The Cherry he met in that context, Ryan said, doesn't fit with the vilified person he's seeing on social media."He's always been a sweet man to me.""He sees things from a different side of the fence a lot. The context of this is, he's a sweet guy, he's really nice to me and invited me into his home before, and I've never seen this monster that a lot of people think he is."'He's been living in a box'In an interview with CBC's Here & Now, Ryan emphasized that he in no way agrees with Cherry's comments, but he questions the severity of the backlash and whether it's a helpful approach to a necessary conversation.Ryan said social media platforms like Twitter give anyone an opinion, especially on controversial topics such as the Cherry firing, but the context is sometimes lost."That's fair enough, but opinions, you would hope, would come from [those] educated in the profession," Ryan said."Don, he's 85 years old. For 20 or 30 years he's been unchecked, he's been living in a box."When the Coach's Corner segment aired, Ryan said his immediate question was why it passed muster in the first place."I've been in those studios, I've been on Hockey Night in Canada, and the first thing that popped into my head was, that's the only part that I know of that's tape delayed — because the rest of it is a live game," Ryan said."He said it — it came out of his mouth — but there's a lot of things that people aren't talking about again as part of the healthy conversation."Ryan is also coming to the defence of friend and Coach's Corner co-host Ron MacLean who has also been taking fire online for not acting in the moment to shut Cherry down or refute his comments.Ryan believes if MacLean stepped in at that moment, the segment might have gotten worse."They were going into a segment right after about Grapes and the veterans and it was a very sentimental, very emotional piece, and Ron knew that," Ryan said."Ron's got a thing in his ear and he's trying to listen to what to do and he's got 20 seconds, 15, 10, he can't really issue a rebuttal at the time, he can't really bring up something that goes against the very fabric of what Don's saying — and it would have started something. … It might have gotten worse right before that next segment."Ryan said he hopes the conversation will continue in a constructive fashion, rather than in extreme online comments."I just think we need to have the healthy conversation," he said, adding he himself will be continuing the conversation on his podcast, Third Man In.Read more articles from CBC Newfoundland and Labrador
- NewsThe Canadian Press
Cold, stormy winter forecast across much of Canada, The Weather Network predicts
It's going to be a long, cold and messy winter across much of Canada, according to the seasonal forecast released Monday by the Weather Network.November has already brought historically early snowfall in southern Ontario and power outages in the Prairies, setting what chief meteorologist Chris Scott said will be a trend throughout the winter."The upcoming winter across the country looks to be more frozen than thawed, and we've already seen an early entrance of winter weather this fall," he said. "The signs that we're seeing this year do suggest we're in for a winter that's more on than off across the country — and that it's going to be fairly long for many Canadians."But things are looking a little better in British Columbia, where Scott said temperatures will be slightly above normal and precipitation will be just below normal.However, he said there may still be a two-week period where winter shows up out of the blue on the Pacific coast. Conditions will also likely be favourable in British Columbia's ski areas, despite the slightly higher temperatures.In Alberta, Scott said, there will be above-normal precipitation in the south, with especially frigid temperatures throughout the province.The trend of a deep freeze will continue through Saskatchewan and Manitoba. That's especially the case in the southern parts of the Prairies, where Scott said he expects cold air to anchor down for the season.From southern Ontario to southern Quebec, Scott said, people can prepare for a winter that's colder than usual and has much more precipitation than normal.He expects it to be stormy throughout Quebec and Ontario, but said that there will be a mix of precipitation. That means rain could often wash out snow after large dumps, and that there could be potential for icy conditions"Once we settle into winter, it does not look like an early spring," Scott said, saying that winter in Ontario and Quebec will be a slog towards the end.In fact, Scott said, all the provinces east of Manitoba will likely face a prolonged winter season. Spring weather is only forecasted to arrive in late March or early April.In Atlantic Canada, Scott predicted it won't be bitterly cold, but it will be a very stormy season."It's going to be a real mess depending on where you are," he said.There will likely be lots of snow in New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island, Scott said, while in Nova Scotia it will be a mix of snow, ice and rain.In Newfoundland and Labrador, Scott said, snowfall will be average.Scott said Nunavut and the Northwest Territories will likely experience average winter conditions, which bucks a recent trend of warmer-than-usual winters in the Far North."In years past we've seen the climate change signal where we get warmer-than-normal winters, and that's something we're going to see for years and decades to come," Scott said.But he said that this year is an exception, especially because near the North Pole, colder air tends to trend near Nunavut as opposed to near Russia and Scandinavia.But in Yukon, the winter will likely be warmer than normal, Scott added.Yukon and British Columbia are also the only parts of the country where spring could show up early in 2020. Scott said the rest of the country should get ready for a harsh and prolonged season.This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 18, 2019.Salmaan Farooqui, The Canadian Press
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Switching allegiances? Brexit stirs election doubts around England
Jules Wilde has never voted for Britain's Conservatives and would hate to do so at the Dec. 12 election, yet for the first time in his life, the 62-year-old carer is considering backing the governing party because of Brexit. Wrapped up against icy wind in the northwestern English town of Crewe, Wilde is one of thousands of supporters of the main opposition Labour Party who Prime Minister Boris Johnson hopes to win over to secure a parliamentary majority and push through his "great new deal" to leave the European Union. In regions of northern and central England which traditionally back Labour and are known as the "red wall", Johnson's team hopes to break the opposition party's hold on voters, who have, sometimes for generations, rejected his party's overtures.
- NewsThe Canadian Press
In the House impeachment drama, Russia still plays big role
WASHINGTON — For all the talk about Ukraine in the House impeachment inquiry, there’s a character standing just off-stage with a dominant role in this tale of international intrigue: Russia.As has so often been the case since President Donald Trump took office, Moscow provides the mood music for the unfolding political drama.“With you, Mr. President, all roads lead to Putin,” House Speaker Nancy Pelosi declared last week, and not for the first time.The impeachment investigation is centred on allegations that Trump tried to pressure Ukraine’s new leader over the summer to dig up dirt on Trump political rival Joe Biden, holding up U.S. military aid to the Eastern European nation as leverage.In her testimony before the House impeachment panel last week, diplomat Marie Yovanovitch suggested that the president’s actions played into the hands of Vladimir Putin, whose government has backed separatists in a five-year-old war in eastern Ukraine.Yovanovitch, a 33-year veteran of the State Department known for fighting corruption in Ukraine and elsewhere, was ousted from her position as ambassador to Ukraine after Trump and his allies began attacking her and claimed she was bad-mouthing the president.Her ouster, she and several Democratic lawmakers argued, ultimately benefitted Putin.“How is it that foreign corrupt interests can manipulate our government?” Yovanovitch asked House investigators. “Which country’s interests are served when the very corrupt behaviour we’ve been criticizing is allowed to prevail? Such conduct undermines the U.S., exposes our friends and widens the playing field for autocrats like President Putin.”After two days of public testimony and the release of thousands of pages of transcripts from witnesses who’ve met with investigators behind closed doors, Democratic and Republican lawmakers seem further entrenched in their partisan corners about whether the president abused his powers.Trump asked Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy to do him a “a favour” and investigate Biden and his son Hunter’s business dealings in Ukraine. At the same time, Ukraine was awaiting nearly $400 million in U.S. military aid.While Democrats say the request to investigate the Bidens represented a quid pro quo, Trump insists he was within his rights to ask the country to look into corruption. Democrats, trying to make their accusations more understandable, have now settled on framing the president’s actions as a matter of bribery, which, as Pelosi noted, is mentioned in the Constitution.Hunter Biden served on the board of a Ukrainian gas company at the same time his father was leading the Obama administration’s diplomatic dealings with Kyiv. Though the timing raised concerns among anti-corruption advocates, there has been no evidence of wrongdoing by either the former vice-president or his son.Trump has dismissed the impeachment proceedings as a “joke” that deny him and Republican lawmakers due process.A key ally on Capitol Hill, Rep. Devin Nunes, R-Calif., casts the impeachment inquiry as a continuation of the Democrats’ “spectacular implosion of their Russia hoax.”“In the blink of an eye, we're asked to simply forget about Democrats on this committee falsely claiming they had more than circumstantial evidence of collusion between President Trump and Russians,” Nunes said.Democrats, for their part, are trying to brighten the spotlight on their theory that Trump is doing the bidding of Putin.Russia, a historic adversary of the United States, has too often emerged as a benefactor of Trump’s actions, says Rep. Ted Lieu, a California Democrat.In his July call with Zelenskiy, Trump pushed discredited information that hackers in Ukraine — rather than Russia — interfered in the 2016 elections.Last month, Trump abruptly moved U.S. Special Forces from northern Syria at Turkey’s urging and as result created a security vacuum for Russia to fill.Trump has also repeatedly disparaged and even suggested withdrawing from NATO, the military alliance that has served as a deterrent to Soviet and Russia aggression since it was formed after World War II.“It’s clear that the Trump administration foreign policy is chaotic and incoherent with one exception: Many of his actions benefit Russia,” Lieu said.Both in open hearings and closed-door testimony, Democrats have sought to highlight concerns that Trump’s foreign policy frequently benefits Russia.The concerns about Moscow linger even after special counsel Robert Mueller’s nearly two-year investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election dogged Trump for much of his first term and led to the conviction of five campaign advisers or close associates of the president.Mueller, a former FBI director, did not clear Trump of wrongdoing when he ended the probe nor did he allege the president committed misconduct.“If Putin doesn’t have something on him, he’s doing all this for some bizarre reason,” said Rep. Mike Quigley, an Illinois Democrat who sits on the House Intelligence Committee.In her testimony before impeachment investigators last month, Fiona Hill, until July the Russia analyst on the National Security Council, delivered an impassioned warning that the United States’ faltering resistance to conspiracy theories and corruption represents a self-inflicted crisis and renders the country vulnerable to its enemies.“The Russians, you know, can’t basically exploit cleavages if there are not cleavages,” she said. “The Russians can’t exploit corruption if there’s not corruption. They can’t exploit alternative narratives if those alternative narratives are not out there and getting credence. What the Russians do is they exploit things that already exist.”Other witnesses, including Deputy Secretary of State George Kent and Ambassador William Taylor, the acting chief Ukraine envoy, also testified that Russia was the chief beneficiary of Trump’s decision to hold up military aid to Ukraine.“Our holding up of security systems that would go to a country that is fighting aggression from Russia for no good policy reason, no good substantive reason, no good national security reason is wrong,” said Taylor.U.S. diplomats also worried that the hold on the security assistance would undercut Zelenskiy, whom they viewed as a reformer in a nation that has repeatedly endured tumult spurred by endemic corruption.“I think the signal that there is controversy and question about the U.S. support of Ukraine sends the signal to Vladimir Putin that he can leverage that as he seeks to negotiate with not only Ukraine but other countries,” Kent said.Aamer Madhani And Andrew Taylor, The Associated Press
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The path to net-zero emissions won't be easy, but here's how it can be done
When you hear about climate change you might think it is a good idea to lower our greenhouse gas emissions. But did you know that to stop temperatures from continually increasing, we need to stop emitting greenhouse gas emissions altogether?So why is that the case?Climate change is like a bathtub. The concentration of carbon dioxide (and other heat-trapping gases) in our atmosphere is like the level of water in the tub. Annual greenhouse gas emissions are like the flow of water from the bathtub tap. Every year we increase the water level by burning coal, natural gas, gasoline and diesel, which releases greenhouse gases like CO2.Those greenhouse gases trap heat. Like a greenhouse, they allow sunlight through, but block heat from radiating back out to space. The higher the level of CO2 in the atmosphere (water in the tub), the more heat is trapped. The result is rising global average temperatures, more powerful extreme weather events like hurricanes and floods, rising sea levels, species loss and increasing threats to the stability of human civilization. Watch an illustration of why Brett Dolter says we must get to net-zero emissions to prevent global warming:The current concentration of CO2 in the atmosphere is about 410 parts per million (ppm). Before the industrial revolution began, the concentration was at 280 ppm. If we are to stand a good chance of keeping the global average temperature increase below 2 C, we need to keep the concentration of CO2 below 450 ppm. There is not a lot of room left in the bathtub. Simply reducing our greenhouse gas emissions won't stop climate change. Think again of the example of a bathtub. The level of water in the bathtub will keep rising as long as the stopper is in place and the tap is turned on. Even a steady drip of water will increase the level in the tub over time. We need to turn off the tap completely.Letting water out of the tubIn other words, to meet the 2 C target, we need to reach net-zero CO2 emissions by mid-century, but that doesn't mean we have to immediately eliminate any emissions whatsoever.We can also look at ways to loosen the stopper — and let water out of the tub — by removing CO2 from the atmosphere. We can use natural processes like converting cropland to perennial grassland or replanting forests. Companies like Carbon Engineering are also creating technologies that can extract CO2 from the atmosphere. If the tub gets too full, we may need to use these technologies to let some water out. In the end, getting to net-zero by mid-century will likely mean both getting to zero emissions in the energy and industrial systems, and also removing CO2 from the atmosphere. But the quicker we can reduce our emissions, the less we'll have to rely on CO2 removal. So how do we do it? It won't be easy, but several studies now agree on the actions we need to take:1) Use less energy Energy efficiency is sometimes called "the first fuel." Before we worry about using clean energy, we can work to use less energy. For individuals, this means adding insulation to our homes or repairing drafty windows. For industry, it may mean buying energy-efficient equipment. For cities, it means building walkable neighbourhoods where people can get to work, school and grocery stores without using their cars. 2) Clean up electricityBurning coal and natural gas releases carbon dioxide. In Saskatchewan, the electricity sector is responsible for about 20 per cent of our annual greenhouse gas emissions. To get to zero emissions, we need to use 100 per cent clean electricity. There are two ways we might get there. Some argue we can use 100 per cent renewable energy to meet our electricity needs. Saskatchewan is blessed with the best wind and solar resources in Canada. Others believe we'll also need to build nuclear reactors. Saskatchewan produces uranium. While there is a debate on which path to take, there is no debate about the goal. We must eliminate greenhouse gas emissions from electricity production to stop climate change. 3) Electrify everything possibleOnce we can generate electricity without producing greenhouse gas emissions, we can use that clean energy to power our cars, heat our buildings and provide industry with heat and power. Electric vehicles are already cheaper to operate than gasoline or diesel vehicles. Gasoline would have to be below 50 cents a litre in order for combustion engines to compete with electric vehicles on operating cost. Ground-source heat pumps could allow electricity to heat our buildings and provide heat to industry. Imagine a future where Saskatchewan produces zero-emissions potash, thanks to electric mines using electric heat. 4) Use zero emissions fuels for freight and air travelBatteries are heavy, so electric vehicles may not be the best choice for long-distance freight hauling and air travel. These industries need fuels with a high energy density, meaning they contain a lot of energy per unit of weight. Here we can look to biodiesel and hydrogen. Hydrogen can be created using electricity to split water (H2O) into Hydrogen and Oxygen. This provides a zero-emissions fuel that is energy dense and produces only water as a by-product when it is used. 5) Help industry get to zero emissionsSome industries generate greenhouse gas emissions like CO2 in their production processes. For example, half of the emissions in the cement industry come from turning limestone into calcium oxide, or clinker. These CO2 emissions are inevitable if we want to use cement.The same kind of "process emissions" are released in the steel industry. We will still need cement and steel in our zero-emissions economy of the future, so how do we produce these products without releasing CO2? In cases like these, the carbon capture and storage (CCS) technology that SaskPower has developed at Boundary Dam 3 will likely be necessary. CO2 emissions from cement and steel production can be captured and stored deep underground. The technology is proven to work to capture emissions from coal-fired power. Its best use might be in hard-to-clean-up industries like steel and cement. How do we get people and industry to take these actions?The actions listed above are not free. If they were, we would already have taken them. If we are going to motivate individuals, businesses and large industry to take these actions, we need the support of government policy. Garrett Hardin described the solution to problems like climate change as "mutual coercion, mutually agreed upon." That's a pretty good definition of policy. If we can agree as a province that we want to get to zero emissions by mid-century, then I hope we will also support governments putting in place policies to encourage us to get there. Which policies are best? There are five main approaches government can use:1) InformationIf we are going to act on climate change, we need good information on the nature of the problem and the solutions available to us, but information alone is not enough to motivate action.Government has provided information about climate change for the past 25 years, but greenhouse gas emissions continue to go up. Talk is cheap and not very effective at motivating action. We need to start asking whether we are building for 2019 or for 2050. \- Brett Dolter2) IncentivesWe can pay people and companies to take action. We can provide rebates when people buy electric vehicles, for example. We can provide low-interest loans for people to put more insulation in their homes. Incentive programs are often popular because people feel like they are getting rewarded for doing the right thing. The trouble is, they are also expensive. Incentives often end up being paid to people who would have bought an electric vehicle anyway, or who were already planning to install more insulation. These people may be happy to receive free money, but that money has to come from somewhere and may not encourage a whole lot of additional action. 3) RegulationWe can put in place laws that require certain actions be taken, or that certain emission reduction targets be met. This policy approach has the benefit of being effective. People and companies must obey the regulations or risk heavy fines or jail time.However, while regulations may appear to be costless to government, meeting them can increase costs for businesses. These extra costs get passed on to customers. This means regulations are not free, but their costs are often hidden. To reduce these costs, economists typically recommend that regulations be made flexible, requiring a desired outcome such as lower emissions per unit of electricity, rather than requiring that a certain technology be adopted. 4) Carbon pricingWe can put a price on pollution. British Columbia did so in 2007 with a provincial carbon tax. That policy reduced greenhouse gas emissions by 5 to 15 per cent below what they would have been otherwise. In Saskatchewan, the federal government has placed a carbon tax on fuels like gasoline, natural gas and coal. In the short-term, people and businesses may not be able to avoid paying the tax, but in the medium-term people can buy vehicles that use less gasoline or no gasoline at all. Businesses can also invest in energy-efficient equipment and zero-emissions processes. Over the long-run, entrepreneurs are motivated to invent new zero-emissions products to help people avoid paying the tax. Carbon pricing can be criticized for increasing fuel costs, but that is only half of the picture. It also raises revenues. The federal carbon pricing system uses the revenues to provide rebates to households in Saskatchewan. These rebates mean that 80 per cent of households receive more money from the rebates than they pay in carbon pricing. If the Saskatchewan government wanted to, it could use carbon pricing revenues for other purposes, like paying off the debt, lowering the PST or increasing the Saskatchewan Low-Income Tax Credit.You might wonder how carbon pricing can work if we give the money back. I previously explored that question in this article.5) Direct investmentThe last policy option is for government to directly invest in zero-emissions technologies.Direct investment can provide infrastructure such as power transmission lines that would be too risky or too costly for the private sector to finance and build.The Saskatchewan and Canadian governments could agree to finance and build a new transmission line between Manitoba and Saskatchewan to increase the use of renewable energy. Saskatchewan's low-cost wind energy needs a backup, and Manitoba's hydroelectric reservoirs can provide it. The key challenge here is ensuring that government makes investments that create a net benefit to society. We can get to net-zeroThe technologies exist to get us to net-zero emissions by mid-century. There are effective policies like flexible regulation and carbon pricing that can encourage us to adopt those technologies, but we need to start investing in zero-emissions today. Whether it's our homes, our power plants or our industrial processes, we need to start asking whether we are building for 2019 or for 2050. If we are going to put a stop to climate change, then we need to change our policies and our investments today.This column is part of CBC's Opinion section. For more information about this section, please read this editor's blog and our FAQ.Interested in writing for us? We accept pitches for opinion and point-of-view pieces from Saskatchewan residents who want to share their thoughts on the news of the day, issues affecting their community or who have a compelling personal story to share. No need to be a professional writer!Read more about what we're looking for here, then email sask-opinion-grp@cbc.ca with your idea.
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Charges stayed after Quebec man waited too long for French trial in Edmonton
Fraud charges against a Quebec man have been stayed after an Edmonton judge determined that his right to be tried in French within a reasonable period of time had not been upheld.Marc Vaillancourt wasn't aware of his right to a trial in French until one year into his court proceedings, Alberta Court of Queen's Bench Justice Vital Ouellette said in a written decision published Tuesday in French.The Charter of Rights and Freedoms guarantees an accused's right to a speedy trial. The Supreme Court of Canada's 2016 Jordan decision sets a firm time limit of 30 months between the laying of charges and the actual or anticipated end of a trial in Superior Courts.Ouellette ruled that in Vaillancourt's case, those obligations had not been met. The legal proceedings had stretched over 32 months.A stay of charges means the case has been discontinued indefinitely. However, since the charges are still technically active, the ones that were previously stayed may be revived, should the courts decide to reopen the case. Vaillancourt was arrested in Laval, Que., in June 2013 and indicted in Alberta on Oct. 28, 2015, on fraud charges related to a multimillion-dollar vehicle theft scheme.It was alleged Vaillancourt and three other men were involved in moving stolen vehicles with altered vehicle identification numbers from Alberta to Quebec.He was informed of his linguistic rights in February 2017 by Edmonton lawyer Shannon Emery, who had been newly retained. "Obviously, in this case, there was a problem at the court level, and also at the level of the lawyers involved in the case, who did not advise Mr. Vaillancourt," Ouellette wrote in his decision. Vaillancourt's trial was set to start in April 2017. Soon after he learned of his right to be tried in French, but the Crown prosecutors were unable to accommodate his request within that time frame, said the decision."It was also clear the Crown was not able to fulfil its obligations of bilingualism," Ouellette wrote.Unreasonable delaysA new trial date was set for April 2018, at which time Emery argued her client's right to be tried in a reasonable time — as set out in Section 11(b) of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms — had not been upheld.The case is an important reminder that the right to be tried in either official language is guaranteed by Section 530 of the Criminal Code, Emery told CBC News this week."This is a big wake-up call for lawyers, for judges, and for accused people who may not know they have this amazing right, and they should exercise it."'A gigantic problem'The fact Vaillancourt's first three lawyers didn't inform him of his linguistic rights is concerning, said lawyer Justin Kingston, president of the Association des juristes d'expression française de l'Alberta, an organization that promotes access to justice in French."It's a gigantic problem," Kingston said. "It is an important right that stems from the legislation and from Supreme Court decisions."Courts often resort to having legal proceedings translated into French instead, Kingston said."That's not what the Criminal Code section is all about," he said."You have a right to the official language of your choice, and so there's a lot of disagreement as to what that means."Alberta's Court of Queen's Bench has since taken steps to avoid a repeat of Vaillancourt's case.As of June 2018, accused individuals are asked to specify which official language they would prefer for their trial. It's a welcome change for Emery, who hopes the practice will eventually be extended to provincial court as well. "It's really important that people understand that we have that ability in Alberta," she said.
- CBC
Hong Kong police storm university, threaten lethal force
Hong Kong police stormed Hong Kong's Polytechnic University on Monday. Police threatened to respond with live bullets if "rioters" use lethal weapons and commit other acts of violence.
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'I basically have to toss all my stuff': Unique DTES storage program shuts down
Finding a safe place to store clothes or personal documents isn't easy for homeless residents in Vancouver's Downtown Eastside. And for some, it just got a lot harder.For years, nearly 200 people in the community took advantage of a long-term storage program at First United Church. It was the only program of its kind in the community, providing residents with plastic totes for their personal belongings.Residents like Erich, who declined to give his last name to CBC News as he grapples with poverty and homelessness, have utilized the service for years.But the program was cancelled late last month — and now, he's scrambling to find places to store his clothes and medical documents."It's kind of a sick feeling, not really knowing what to do," said Erich. "It actually kind of ruined my whole fall ... it's stressful to think about it, and where I'm going to go from here.""I basically have to toss all my stuff, because if I leave it out anywhere else, it will get stolen," he added.Erich says he has found a temporary location to store some of his personal items, but doesn't know how much longer he'll be able to use it.Money, flooding, ratsThe storage operated out of wooden enclosure inside the underground parkade of the First United Church.Executive director Rev. Carmen Lansdowne says it was a tough decision to cancel the program, but noted it was challenging to run."It was originally intended to be run on volunteer hours, but like a lot of other services in the Downtown Eastside it needed to be professionalized ... we ended up running a program that was intended to be very low cost, and it was never fully funded," she said.Finding staff and finances became growing challenges. Other issues included flooding and rats. A permit for the facility was up for renewal, and likely would have required significant upgrades, said Lansdowne.Organizers decided to close the facility in August, and officially shut it down in October. First United Church is now looking to redevelop its entire property.New services?Lansdowne says the church is hoping the city will open up a similar service in its place.Advocates like Megaphone's Travis Poor are hopeful there will be a solution sooner rather than later."A lot of people who carry their belongings around with them, they have a lot of trouble going to doctors appointments, things of that nature because they're actually not able to bring their stuff with them, and it really inhibits the resources they're able to access," The City of Vancouver says it recognizes the need for overnight storage options and its considering continuing the program, but did not specify how. Discussions to establish a new program are ongoing.
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Environmentalists hope self-imposed ban on heavy fuel oil will get regulators talking
In the midst of international steps to ban the cheapest and dirtiest go-to fuel in Arctic seas, one industry group has gone ahead with a self-imposed ban — a move some hope will put pressure on regulators and industry to get off the fuel more quickly.The 30-member Association of Arctic Expedition Cruise Operators announced on Nov. 7 that members would no longer be allowed to use heavy fuel oil on their ships. Heavy fuel oil is a byproduct of crude oil. It produces more pollutants than diesel, but it's also cheaper — as much as half the cost of cleaner alternatives. It's been banned in the Antarctic by international law since 2011.G Adventures, an expedition cruise company that offers Arctic tours around Svalbard and Greenland, voted in favour of the ban. Expedition operations manager Susan Adie says it's a way to take a stand against "one of the worst pollutants there is."Adie says it is already standard practice for her company and others in the association to refrain from using heavy fuel oil, but it would be "wonderful" if this sends a signal to larger ships that it's time to change."None of the port towns want these emissions," she said. "So the pressure is on the shipping industry to step up to the plate and make the change."The association's self-imposed ban comes as the International Maritime Organization is in discussions about an international Arctic ban on carrying or using the fuel.The organization's sub-committee on pollution prevention and response is expected to discuss the issue in February, and environmentalists believe a ban will likely be approved. That's why Andrew Dumbrille, Arctic shipping specialist at WWF Canada, hopes the decision will put new pressure on Canadian regulators and shipping companies to start thinking about how to get off the fuel."We need a plan in place to manage that transition," Dumbrille said. "And I think it's up to federal regulators to lead us on that."In 2018, the federal government said a ban on the use of heavy fuel oil in Arctic seas required further study. In June this year, Transport Canada held a public consultation on it, and told CBC it's committed to a "comprehensive assessment" of how a ban would affect the Arctic. Dumbrille said discussion about heavy fuel oils also loomed large at the Canadian Marine Environment Advisory Council's semiannual meetings, which wrapped up last week.In that meeting and others, Dumbrille said, the shipping industry said that higher fuel costs will mean pricier shipping — and that could affect the price of goods. "For sure ... any increase in cost is an issue for our customer," said Daniel Coté with Groupe Desgagnés, which operates ships that resupply Northern communities.Coté told CBC on Friday that the International Marine Organization has already set limits on the sulphur content from ships globally. Those come into effect this January — and that means companies are already planning to use less heavy fuel oil."Of course, if the government wants to go in that direction, we will comply," he said.Dumbrille believes it remains to be seen if the industry just absorbs the costs, but either way, if the federal government doesn't make a decision on heavy fuel oil in the Arctic, international law may make it for them. "Industry is going to have to find a way to manage the increased cost," said Dumbrille. "The other solution here is for the federal government or other governments to step in to manage that transition, whether it's a transition fund or some other incentive program."Until then, some are glad that ships are taking their own steps to be more green. Verner Wilson III is senior oceans campaigner for Friends of the Earth, United States. His family is from Bristol Bay, Alaska, and fishing is a big part of their lifestyle. He says he's "thankful" cruise operators are stepping away from the fuel."Heavy fuel oil poses a significant risk of both spills, but also of pollution and black carbon emissions and to both the atmosphere and on sea ice and the marine ocean," said Wilson. "We hope other shipping companies follow the example… and not use heavy fuel oil in the Arctic."
- NewsCBC
RNC creates safe spaces to buy, sell and trade with online strangers
Are you wary of stranger danger when buying or selling things online? The Royal Newfoundland Constabulary has a new initiative to help.A pair of orange spaces are painted on the parking lots at police stations in St. John's, Mount Pearl and Conception Bay South. They are reserved for people meeting up to exchange items after connecting online."Not everybody is comfortable with having people meet at their residence and it gives an opportunity to come to a controlled environment," says RNC Const. James Cadigan.The idea came from a patrol officer, Const. Mike Hollett, and has been done by police forces in other cities.The goal is to give people peace of mind when meeting up and to dissuade people with sinister motives.It's an unfortunate reality.In 2016, a Toronto woman was allegedly assaulted after responding to an ad for a cat. A 52-year-old man was arrested.The same year, a 68-year-old man in Toronto was arrested for sexual assault after a woman responded to a help wanted ad and they met for a job interview. Most notably, Tim Bosma was murdered in 2013 when Dellen Millard and Mark Smich responded to the ad Bosma had posted selling his truck.Cadigan hopes people will feel free to use the spaces and avoid any similar situations on the northeast Avalon."This gives consumers and people selling goods an opportunity to come to a place close to a police station, near the front entrance and also under the cover of CCTV footage where they can exchange goods safely."While the spots are already painted, the RNC will be doing an official launch sometime in the coming weeks.Read more from CBC Newfoundland and Labrador
- NewsThe Canadian Press
Pet shop owner says suspects threw stolen guinea pig at him
DANVILLE, Ky. — A Kentucky pet store owner says two women stole a pair of guinea pigs, lobbing one of the animals at him during their escape.News outlets report 21-year-old Isabelle Mason and 19-year-old and Jaimee Pack on Saturday tried to smuggle out the animals from Pet Paradise without paying. Owner Scott Gonyaw told WKYT-TV he confronted the suspects, screaming “Give me the guinea pigs!” as they got into a car.One suspect rolled down a window and tossed a four-month-old guinea pig named Lucky onto the concrete. The other ran over Gonyaw’s foot with the car. He says he suffered bruising.Lucky wasn’t injured. The other guinea pig remains missing.Jail records show Danville police charged the women with shoplifting, robbery and animal cruelty. It’s unclear whether they have lawyers.The Associated Press
- NewsCBC
'It's not just about our pigeons': Backlash to bird ban in North Vancouver grows
On Givo Hassko's Maple Ridge property, there are Indian fantails, Budapest short-faced tumblers, and any other number of trained pigeons that he's either bought, bred or fostered over the years. A director for the Vancouver Poultry & Fancy Pigeon Association, Hassko estimates there are around 300 pigeon owners across the Lower Mainland. He says he's heard from many of them, outraged by the District of North Vancouver's recent ban on the birds."It does not seem in any way correct how they're going by it," he said.Prior to council passing the bylaw, staff said the only active complaint file the district had was from newly elected councillor Betty Forbes — and the only person they could identify who had pigeons was her next-door neighbour.Forbes recused herself from the vote and discussion, but Hassko says members of the pigeon community are worried it will set a precedent in other communities where the birds are currently allowed. "It's not just about our pigeons anymore," he said."It's more about what your neighbour next door can to do to you if they don't feel like you belong in that little area."Pigeons allowed in most of Metro VanBefore the vote, District of North Vancouver staff admitted they hadn't done extensive research on pigeon rules throughout Metro Vancouver.But a CBC News analysis of regional animal control bylaws found only two other municipalities explicitly banning poultry, with only the District of North Vancouver explicitly signalling out pigeons.Several other communities, including Vancouver, Richmond and Surrey have specific rules around how many pigeons a person could have, or how they need to be cared for. Hassko said the district's previous rules allowing pigeons, enacted in 1971, "was one of the best bylaws in the Lower Mainland," and that a ban usually only incentivizes people to keep pigeons secretly, free of regulation. He also believes the district had several alternatives to resolve the dispute without resorting to a ban."They could have easily picked up a phone and emailed and said 'hey, can you help us with this bylaw and this situation?'" he said. Could a do-over happen? Forbes recused herself from the vote because of a conflict of interest. Before being elected, she had made several complaints to staff about the pigeons and said they had damaged her lawn, and in 2017 spoke at a public hearing and said they could impact her property values.But according to Freedom of Information documents, after Forbes was elected — but before she was officially sworn in — she sent an email to city staff complaining about the situation and asking for action. In recent months she also exchanged emails with the councillor who put forward the pigeon ban motion about the situation. The new information has prompted the two councillors who voted against the ban to ask for a reconsideration — which would require a request from either Mike Little or one of the three councillors who voted in favour of it. "There was clearly some background information we didn't know," said Jordan Back. "I'd like to have a better understanding as to why [Forbes] thought it was OK to use her position to bring forward a personal matter. I don't think it's appropriate, and I think we've heard widespread feedback from the community that they don't think it's appropriate."Forbes has ultimately declined multiple requests for an interview by CBC News, but through a spokesperson indicated she would make a statement at Monday's council meeting and speak to the media afterwards. As for Hassko? He says he'll also be at Monday's meeting, with a clear message for the district. "Something does smell fowl here, and it's not the pigeons."
- NewsReuters
T-Mobile CEO Legere to step down next year
T-Mobile said Legere will remain CEO until April 30, and will be succeeded by President and Chief Operating Officer Mike Sievert. Legere will continue to be a member of T-Mobile's board. Legere, the outspoken architect of the marketing and business strategy that helped T-Mobile become known as an innovator in the wireless industry, said the succession plan had long been in the works.
- NewsCBC
Students discover free parking lots in northwest Calgary, displacing monthly users
Free parking is a rare find in Calgary, let a1.5360780lone close to two post-secondary institutions where budget-conscious students are eager to take advantage of anything free.But that's the situation students at SAIT and the Alberta University of the Arts find themselves in after the Jubilee Auditorium's parking contractor, Advanced Parking Systems, cancelled its contract at the end of August, leaving the facility's lot and parkade unattended and free since Sept. 1."It's been very economical, it's been very time saving, for sure, it definitely does help a little bit. It is nice but honestly it can't persist," said Joseph Min, SAIT student.According to the provincial government, Min is right. The Jubilee's complimentary parking, more than 800 spots, is only temporary. The Ministry of Culture, Multiculturalism and the Status of Women oversees operations at Jubilee Auditoriums in Calgary and Edmonton and issued the following statement by email:"Parking at the Calgary Jubilee Auditorium is currently complimentary. Paid parking at the Jubilee is scheduled to resume in December 2019 when ParkPlus, the auditorium's new parking management provider, starts its service contract." But it said it shuts down the lots to the public on days when the opera is in town — that's true whether there's free or paid parking.The University and SAIT students CBC News talked to at the lots were pleased to be able to park for free, except now that word has spread, others say it's become nearly impossible to find a spot at certain times of the day."It's just nuts. It's a waste of a whole half day just because of the stupidity of this," said Bill Hornecker, seasonal woodshop technician and instructor at the Alberta University of the Arts.Hornecker said he paid $275 per month for a spot in the parkade in August, when as a seasonal employee he went back to work. He said he has been parking at the same lot for several years during the school year.He said he received an email from the company Advanced Parking Systems saying it would no longer be managing the parkade, effective Sept. 1, and Hornecker said the company didn't offer any other information.Hornecker said at first it was great to have free parking — but then word spread — and now he and others who were buying monthly passes are fighting for spots.He said the parkade got increasingly full over the month of September but when Oct. 1 hit, the parkade was slammed."It was like somebody turned on a switch and it was automatically full."Since then, Hornecker said he has been able to find a spot when he starts at 8 a.m. but not when he starts at 11 a.m.So on those later shifts, Hornecker said he drives to work early, parks, and then takes the bus home and comes back later."I would far sooner pay the money on a monthly basis to be able to guarantee that I'm not wasting a whole bunch of my time," said Hornecker.He said he would take transit to school altogether, to avoid the hassle, but said he often hauls large tools to class so he needs his truck.Hornecker also wonders how much money the Jubilee is losing not collecting parking fees.According to its signs, it costs $7 to park for events at the Jubilee and $11 daily. In response the provincial government said:"It is difficult to estimate how much revenue has been forgone during the brief three-month transition between parking management providers. Parking revenue depends on a variety of factors, such as the number of shows at the Southern Alberta Jubilee Auditorium and weather. Parking revenue is included as part of the Jubilee's overall annual revenues and is not broken out as a separate line item."It also said the freebies would be over soon.Its contract with Park Plus begins in December and the province said parking fees, which are set by the Jubilee, will remain the same.
- NewsCBC
Rosemont's pedestrian safety project: just add stop signs
Montreal's Rosemont—La Petite-Patrie borough has come up with a solution to drivers blasting through crosswalks: turn them into stop signs.With the addition of stop signs at 17 more intersections on Monday, the borough has now made changes at 116 intersections since 2017."We're replacing 100 per cent of the pedestrian crossings that were not obeyed in the territory with stop signs," borough mayor François Croteau, a member of Projet Montréal, told Radio-Canada."Pedestrian crossings in Quebec give a false sense of security ... The stop forces motorists to have an extra level of attention."Croteau noted that less than 20 per cent of children walk to school in Montreal. "It's not for nothing," he said. "It's because parents are scared."The borough began making changes three years ago, after noting that pedestrian crossings don't do enough to slow down motorists.Next year, stops will be added to a further 75 intersections.Intersections are the main sites of collisions and conflict among road users, according to a study published last year by Montreal's public health authority.Rosemont—La Petite-Patrie officials say there have been no collisions between pedestrians and motorists at intersections where stop signs have been added.But, since November 2017, three cyclists and four pedestrians have been killed in the borough in places that have not yet benefited from the new measures.The borough said it has received only positive feedback."Citizens write to us almost daily to have new stop signs on the territory," said Croteau.Two hours of observationRadio-Canada recently spent two hours observing the intersection of St-Zotique Street and 42nd Avenue, where stop signs were installed two years ago.Except for a few rare exceptions of motorists who went straight ahead without even slowing down, 80 per cent of the cars executed rolling stops — slowing down without stopping completely — including a police car.Cyclists were least respectful of the signage. The vast majority did not stop; many did not even slow down.Croteau said the borough has made the same observation, calling it "sad."Not all corners will have signs"It's not a systematic deployment, it's a targeted deployment," Croteau explained.The initial goal was to secure pedestrian crossings in front of schools that weren't always respected when there was no crossing guard present.The borough has since secured the perimeters of area parks with stop signs, speed bumps and narrowed intersections.Then, Rosemont-La Petite-Patrie secured the crossings on bicycle paths along secondary streets that cross main arteries. And it added stop signs along commercial streets to improve pedestrian movement around local businesses.
- NewsCBC
Firearm pointed at moose through truck window leads to charges
A man has been charged with careless use of a firearm for allegedly taking aim — but not firing — through his truck window at moose in the wooded area across the road.RCMP received a complaint that a man travelling along Route 413 near Burlington, on the Baie Verte Peninsula, pointed a rifle out the driver's side window of a pickup truck.He pointed the firearm across a lane of traffic at a number of moose in the wooded area across the road, police said.No shots were fired, RCMP said, but the 59-year-old man was charged on Nov. 14 with careless use of a firearm.He was released from custody and is scheduled to appear in court in March."This is the second incident on the Baie Verte Peninsula this hunting season where a person has been charged with careless use of a firearm while hunting from a vehicle," RCMP said in a media release Monday.In late September, RCMP arrested a 48-year-old man after a complaint that a moose was shot from a driver's window near La Scie.Police are reminding the public around the storage, transportation and use of firearms, and hunting from a vehicle on a road is not permitted.Read more articles from CBC Newfoundland and Labrador
- NewsCBC
Windsor Minor Hockey president steps down, board members follow
The president of the Windsor Minor Hockey Association has stepped down.In an email to media Monday morning, Dean Lapierre said he resigned at a special board meeting held Sunday night.According to Lapierre, his resignation came immediately following the board's vote to remove Rick Pare as the executive vice president. "I would not remain the President of the WMHA with out Rick Pare as my right hand man," said Lapierre. "I saw the writing on the wall."Lapierre said he "knew he would be next," so he resigned before the board could remove him. He added five other board members resigned after he did, which is reflected on the WMHA's website. The former president has held his position since 1999, after joining the board in 1992. According to the association's website, the house director, equipment director, house vice president and the registrar board member positions are all currently unfilled."I will always be proud of what I did for the WMHA for the past 33 years," said Lapierre. "Thanks for the memories."The association has come under scrutiny over its handling of now-suspended coach Trent Norris. Norris was suspended last Friday by the Ontario Minor Hockey Association, which is investigating Norris's criminal record in the U.S. 'It's the little things'Lapierre found out about Norris's criminal record at the end of October. He and then-vice president Pare felt Norris was no risk to children. According to Lapierre, Pare had already changed the declaration forms prospective coaches will fill out in the future."Hopefully this doesn't happen again in the future," said Lapierre, adding the new form would allow someone applying to be a coach to offer more details about criminal records. After 22 years as president, Lapierre said "it's the little things" that make up what he did as president for the association. "Now, whoever is moving into this spot ... hopefully they can do a good job," said Lapierre. "I don't want to see Windsor Minor Hockey fail."Lapierre said he hopes his years as president and the controversy around Norris don't mar all he's done for the association."I loved what I did," said Lapierre. "I'm going to miss it."
- NewsCBC
'Somebody is going to die' if Iqaluit shelter doesn't reopen soon, says former director
The former director of Iqaluit's damp shelter says "somebody is going to die" if it doesn't reopen fast. "I know it sounds dramatic to say that," said Tony Canny, chairperson of the Inukshuk Guardian Society and former director of the damp shelter. "But unfortunately, that's the reality."The city's damp shelter was the only shelter in Nunavut that allowed intoxicated people to stay overnight. Iqaluit's two other shelters don't allow people inside under the influence. The damp shelter closed in June the completion six-month pilot project. Right now, the Government of Nunavut is looking to secure a local partner to operate the shelter so it can reopen. 'We were full to capacity'As it gets colder outside, Canny worries about where people are going to go. "We [the damp shelter] were full a lot of nights, we were full to capacity," said Canny. "Where are [these people] now?"The damp shelter opened as a response to the Qikiqtani General Hospital no longer allowing people to stay overnight. The hospital had to stop letting people in because it was jeopardizing its accreditation, according to Family Services Minister Elisapee Sheutiapik.Right now, there is nowhere for people to go if they are intoxicated and don't have a safe place to stay. "They need to have somewhere to go when they're a victim of alcohol, a victim of drug abuse, [or a] victim of domestic abuse," said Canny. Canny said he has been approached by former clients asking if he knows when the shelter will open again. One client told Canny that at night he finds a place to sleep and when he becomes too cold, he walks around town until he's warm enough to fall back asleep. "There's a lot of people who need this service," said Canny.'Be a little bit more patient,' says ministerThough the Government of Nunavut is looking for a non-profit to partner with, Canny said he hasn't yet been approached by the Department of Family Services to operate the shelter. Even if he was asked, he said, it wouldn't be feasible for the Inukshuk Guardians to take it on, because they are already short on board members. Family Services did ask Qajuqturvik Food Centre to operate it, but they said they don't have the capacity to be able to take on the responsibility of the shelter either.Sheutiapik said the department is in talks with another organization and hopes to have an announcement on the shelter within a few weeks. She would not say which organization they were negotiating with.According to Sheutiapik, it's better to have the community involved in running the shelter to make clients more comfortable, instead of the Government of Nunavut running it on its own.Sheutiapik wouldn't say when she expects an opening date for the shelter, but said she hopes it will be this winter."For the short term," Sheutiapik said, "maybe we're going to be a little bit more patient with our friends and family.""That's what we always did in the past, is to be there for family and friends," Sheutiapik said.According to the data collected from the pilot project, 211 people went through the shelter. Of the 211 people accessing the shelter, 75 per cent of them were men. Nearly half — 43 per cent — of the clients were sober.
- NewsCBC
HPV protection outreach offered across P.E.I.
The UPEI Health and Wellness Centre will be on the road this week to teach Islanders how to protect themselves from HPV.It's holding public information sessions in three different communities.Jamie-Lee Brown, a fourth year student helping to organize the campaign, said HPV is one of the most common STIs in Canada, and educating the public is one way to prevent its spread."There's a lot of information on HPV, so you really try to narrow it down for people and just explain what HPV is, how you get it and how you can protect yourself," said Brown."We also touch on other vaccines adults can get, because as an adult you don't think about going to get vaccinated for things. So it's just a nice way to wrap it up and make it easy for people."The sessions start Wednesday and continue into next week. * Montague, Nov. 20, 6:30 p.m., Montague Rotary Library. * Summerside, Nov. 25, 2 p.m., Credit Union Place. * Charlottetown, Nov. 26, 6 p.m., Murphy's Pharmacy Community Centre.On P.E.I., Grade 6 girls started receiving a vaccine for HPV in 2007, and expanded the program to Grade 6 boys in 2013.More P.E.I. news
- NewsCBC
Breast cancer survivors 'in dire need' of life-saving drug
A Prince Edward Island woman is one of many across the country in "dire need" of a life-saving cancer drug amid a national shortage.Monique Doucette, of St. Louis, P.E.I., went to have her yearly prescription refilled for the drug Tamoxifen but was told, she said, that only a month-long supply was available — instead of the regular three-month supply. When her supply ran out she was told by her pharmacy that it had just 10 pills left and that other pharmacies in P.E.I. had no stock available.Panic set in."I wondered who is going to sit with me and tell me what my options are? Who is going to make a further plan with me? And I have 10 days to do it?" she said."It's worrisome for sure, I mean for me it is a part of a long-term plan. A problem that I hope to never face again."She is one of approximately 150 Islanders using Tamoxifen, according to Health PEI. It's an oral drug used to treat breast cancer and help prevent it from returning. Doucette describes it as a daily dose of chemotherapy.The typical amount of time a patient is expected to use the drug is five years, but Doucette — a two-time cancer survivor — has been on the drug for seven years as part of a long-term recovery plan.She is one of many scrambling to find the drug across Atlantic Canada and the rest of the country. Women in Nova Scotia and Newfoundland and Labrador have been scouring their provinces with little success and have sounded the alarm over the shortage.One of them called it a "crisis point."'I've attended too many funerals'Shortages were first reported in August, according to drugshortagescanada.ca, which is the website where drug shortages and discontinuations in Canada are reported.Three companies that manufacture the drug cited high demand and "a disruption in manufacture of the drug" as reasons for the shortage.In an emailed statement, Health Canada describes it as a national shortage and says it is aware of "the significant impact that this shortage has on patients."The department is working with provinces and territories on solutions, it said, including "exploring access to international supply" and working with companies to make additional Canadian supply available "as soon as possible."Meanwhile, Doucette can only ask questions about what the lack of drug means for her immediate future and what damage this will do to her long-term recovery plan."It definitely causes me some concerns and I wonder what the long-term affects may be," she said."Will this impact me down the road? Will this be the thing that causes me to have a recurrence? Will it impact my family, my husband, my children?"While she thinks about what this means in the short-term, she's anxious for those recently diagnosed with breast cancer — who will have little to no immediate access to the drug she's relied on for seven years."I've attended too many funerals. I've lost many friends to this disease, to breast cancer in particular, and I know what that fear is," she said."For them, I just wonder what the alternative will be and what further side effects they will have from that."No resolution to this issue as yetDoucette said she would like to see a panel of physicians and patients sit with government officials and pharmaceutical companies "to reiterate the dire need of this type of drug and that a shortage is just not acceptable."Erin MacKenzie, the executive director of the P.E.I. Pharmacists Association said there has been no resolution to this issue yet and that the expected availability date of Tamoxifen is Jan. 31, 2020. Health Canada said that one of the companies manufacturing the drug has "updated its anticipated shortage end date" to Dec. 31, 2019, instead of January."The department will update Canadians as soon as new information becomes available," Health Canada said.Meanwhile, patients like Doucette are weighing what few options they have now.When asked where she goes from here — whether to seek out more Tamoxifen, pursue another unfamiliar drug or stop treatment altogether — she said she's not sure. Only that "I have 10 days to find out."More P.E.I. news
- NewsCBC
Multicultural energy efficiency program helps newcomers manage bills
A program is helping newcomers to Calgary understand the importance of energy efficiency and how it could save them money on their utility bills.Empower Me uses home visits and workshops to connect with immigrants and refugees."They have lots of barriers like trust and language issues," said Yasmin Abraham, senior vice president of Empower Me. Abraham says energy efficiency isn't always high on the list of priorities for newcomers but it should be."If you've come from somewhere like India you might not have ever had a furnace or air conditioner before, you probably don't know how to read your utility bill and you probably don't know who Enmax or Epcor is," she said.The program is supported by Energy Efficiency Alberta, Enmax, Epcor, and the cities of Calgary and Edmonton."What are you paying for on your bill? How do the different charges work? How can you reduce your bill? What are some things you can actually do?" Abraham said.As well as advice and education, participants receive a free energy-saving kit with items that help improve their home's energy efficiency, including: window film, weatherstripping, a low-flow showerhead, LED light bulbs and night lights."The heating system is different from my home country, Korea. We don't use hot air to heat our homes," said Beung Yun Park."It was important to get a better understanding of how it works and how to maintain it," said Park.Park says Empower Me has helped him learn more about saving energy and about safety in the home."They programmed my thermostat so it's running according to the temperature and the time so we can save energy," said Park."That saves money as well," he said.Yasmin Abraham says a big part of what they do is build trust with newcomers to allow them into their homes to help."We recently worked with a family of 10 people in one home from Syria. They have a lot of mistrust of government and outsiders but they heard through their network that we can help so we were the first outsider to be invited into their home," said Abraham."They invited us for a meal afterwards, which was really touching and so heartwarming," Abraham said.Abraham says with one in five Albertans struggling to pay their bills right now, the program is more important than ever.
- NewsCBC
Farm Boy recalls cheese balls for possible Listeria contamination
Six cheese ball products from the Ontario grocery chain Farm Boy that were on sale until this past weekend have been recalled over possible Listeria contamination.The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) said Sunday the recall was triggered by one of its test results, with no illnesses reported.The products were on shelves until Sunday, it said.They are: * Its 360 gram Cheese Ball Trio with fiesta, cranberry pecan and bacon cheddar cheese balls, UPC starting with 0 238211. * Its 180 gram Blue Cheese and Walnut Ball, UPC starts with 0 238274. * Its 180 gram Cranberry Pecan Cheese Ball, UPC 8 08912 00884 4 or starting with 0 232337. * Its 180 gram Fiesta Cheese Ball, UPC 8 08912 00883 7 or starting with 0 238283. * Its 180 gram FB White Chocolate Pecan Cranberry Ball", UPC starts with 0 238275. * Its 180 gram Bacon Cheddar Cheese Ball, UPC 8 08912 00885 1 or starting with 0 238284.There are 28 Farm Boy stores in Ontario.Don't eat these products, the CFIA says. Instead you should throw them out or return them to the store where you bought them.Food contaminated by the Listeria bacteria may appear fine, but can cause flu-like symptoms and complications for pregnant women, with more severe symptoms in rare cases.
- NewsCBC
Sheshatshiu woman 'sewing hope' in light of suicide crisis
A woman in Sheshatshiu wanted to do something positive in light of a recent suicide crisis in her community.So, Helen Aster started sewing — and invited others to join her on the project."This quilt would symbolize when we went into crisis that we worked together, and it would also give us something to look forward [to]," Aster said. "That quilt would remind us we are strong." Aster works as a family resource and parent support coordinator at the Mary May Healing Centre for the Sheshatshiu Innu First Nation. She brought up the idea of a making a 'quilt of hope' after Chief Eugene Hart declared a suicide crisis in the community. He made the declaration after a tragic drowning in the community added to over a dozen other deaths in Sheshatshiu in just a few months — following that there were 10 suicide attempts in just a week, according to the chief."The community was in turmoil, there was a crisis going on. I guess the people were kind of feeling down," Aster said. "There was so much negativity in the town, so I told my staff, 'maybe we could do something positive."'Messages of strengthAster put out a call to the community for anyone who wanted to come and contribute a patch for the quilt. Staff at the centre, community members, the Chief, and even some who have been coming to access services have made contributions."When people asked me what I want for this quilt I asked them, what is hope for them. So, they put messages like strong, strength," she said.Some chose not to sew words into the patches, instead choosing symbols of Innu culture like the tent or a drum."It's the strength of my community, culture is very important still and I think culture for us is something we could move forward with," said Aster. "Making a quilt is also culture."Read more stories from CBC Newfoundland and Labrador
- NewsThe Canadian Press
Like her parents, Blue Ivy now an award-winning songwriter
NEW YORK — At just 7, Blue Ivy Carter is an award-winning songwriter.Jay-Z and Beyoncé’s daughter won the Ashford & Simpson Songwriter’s Award at Sunday’s Soul Train Awards for co-writing her mom’s hit “Brown Skin Girl,” a song celebrating dark- and brown-skinned women.Ivy Carter gives a vocal performance that opens and closes the song, which also features Wizkid and Saint Jhn.The Carters weren’t at the Orleans Arena in Las Vegas to accept the honour named after the legendary Motown songwriting duo Nick Ashford and Valerie Simpson. Ivy Carter shares the win with Beyoncé, Jay-Z, St. Jhn and several other co-writers.This week could get even better for Ivy Carter: Grammy nominations will be revealed Wednesday and “Brown Skin Girl” could earn the young star her first Grammy nomination (Beyoncé has won 23 Grammys and Jay-Z has 22).“Brown Skin Girl” — which features Beyoncé namedropping Lupita Nyong’o, Naomi Campbell and Kelly Rowland and singing lyrics like, “I love everything about you, from your nappy curls to every single curve” — was also nominated for best collaboration at the Soul Train Awards. Most of the top winners didn’t attend the show, and only three of the 12 awards were handed out during the live telecast: best female R&B/soul artist (H.E.R.), best new artist (Summer Walker) and best gospel/international award (Kirk Franklin).Chris Brown and Drake’s “No Guidance” — which has spent the last five months, and counting, in the Top 10 of the Billboard Hot 100 chart — was the big winner, picking up song of the year, best dance performance and best collaboration. Lizzo won album/mixtape of the year for “Cuz I Love You” and video of the year for “Juice.”The awards show, which aired on BET and was hosted by actresses Tichina Arnold and Tisha Campbell, also gave special honours to gospel music icon Yolanda Adams and Songwriter Hall of Famers Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis, who have worked with Janet Jackson throughout her career and have also crafted No. 1 hits for George Michael, Usher, Mariah Carey and Boyz II Men.Mesfin Fekadu, The Associated Press
- NewsCBC
Wetaskiwin city council allocates money for emergency shelter
Wetaskiwin city council has allocated up to $65,000 to re-open an emergency shelter by Dec. 1."We've got a larger vulnerable population than probably more cities or communities our size so it's important ... that they have a safe place to stay, especially when it gets as cold as it does here at nighttime," Mayor Tyler Gandam said.The shelter in the community will be set up and run by either Hope Mission or Lighthouse Church.Both organizations have submitted proposals. The money will keep the shelter running until March 31, 2020.The city of 12,000 people, located about 70 kilometres south of Edmonton, has struggled to address issues faced by its homeless and transient population.In a controversial move last autumn, sheds were put in place to offer temporary shelter until they were destroyed by a fire. In February, the city set up an emergency shelter in the old town hall with a $40,000 provincial grant. But that money has run out.On Friday, Gandam met with Maskwacis-Wetaskiwin MLA Rick Wilson in the hopes of securing another provincial grant.Financial contributions are also being sought from the four nearby bands at Maskwacis. Gandam said in the months that the shelter was open, RCMP had 50 per cent fewer prisoners and up to a 28 per cent decrease in calls for service. The hospital also saw fewer visits."I mean human nature and survival instinct kicks in," Gandam said. "You're going to be going to the hospital and it doesn't matter for what reason. You're going in there and making sure you're safe and secure and warm."Jessi Hanks, who has written about homelessness in Wetaskiwin, said the shelter is greatly appreciated by the people who use it.She visited the shelter regularly last year to deliver food donations from her employer, Castle restaurant. "I can't even put it into words how grateful the people were to just be warm," Hanks said."They would all be smiling, happy, drying out their clothes. And when I would walk in with soup — just the smiles on their face that they knew they were going to get a meal — it was very heartwarming to see."Hanks said some people with nowhere to go try to warm up in a doorway close to where she works but can't loiter there. When they ask where they should go, she has to tell them she doesn't know."That has been absolutely heartbreaking for me to say," Hanks said, expressing relief this would no longer be the case."I am very happy that I have a place to direct people or to take people myself."Gandam said ultimately he would like to see a treatment facility put in place to address addiction as well as issues around mental health and life skills.Last month, the province announced funding for 4,000 treatment beds as part of a multi-prong approach to tackle rural crime."With a shelter, no matter where it is, it's addressing the symptom, it's not addressing the root of the problem," Gandam said.
