'So close, holy moly!' Seals peek above water as they swim towards canoe

While enjoying a peaceful day at Barnett Marine Park, two seals swim closely towards a canoe and peek their heads above the water.

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  • Alberta reports 1,391 new cases of COVID-19, three more deaths

    Alberta reported 1,391 new cases of COVID-19 on Monday and three more deaths. The cases bring the number of active cases in the province to 18,424, up 320 from the previous count. There were 1,160 reported new cases linked to variants of concern. Variants now make up 56.8 per cent of active cases. Currently 460 people are in hospital with COVID-19, 104 of them in intensive care. The death toll is now 2,043. More than 12,500 tests were performed Sunday with the positivity rate at 11 per cent. The R value, or reproduction number, from April 12 to April 18 for the province was 1.09. Only 17,556 vaccine doses were administered Sunday, the lowest number in two weeks, bringing the total to 1,166,125, with 233,687 Albertans now fully vaccinated. On Sunday, Ontario and Alberta lowered the eligibility age for the AstraZeneca vaccine from 55 to 40 after federal Health Minister Patty Hajdu gave provinces and territories the go-ahead based on new Health Canada rules. Albertans have been reluctant to queue up for the vaccine following reports of possible blood clots, but Dr. Deena Hinshaw, Alberta's chief medical officer of health, is urging anyone who is eligible to get the vaccine. "It is also important to remember that these cases are extremely rare," she said in news release. "This vaccine helps prevent the much higher risks that come from COVID-19 infection, helping to protect both you and those around you." Of the 270,800 doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine received by the province, 100,315 had been administered as of Sunday, according to Alberta Health. Albertans who have plans to travel to B.C. in the next few weeks should reconsider. On Monday that province announced it will restrict travel within the province and put up signs along the Alberta border telling travelers to not travel into B.C. unless it is essential. Here is the breakdown of active cases in Alberta among health regions: Calgary zone: 8,025 Edmonton zone: 4,887 North zone: 2,575 Central zone: 1,930 South zone: 938 Unknown: 69

  • Coyotes pounce on man who crashed electric scooter into one of them on Stanley Park seawall

    It's dark on the north side of the Stanley Park seawall at night. Thus, a man riding his electric scooter in the area just before midnight on Sunday likely didn't see it coming before he crashed into a coyote in his path. The impact — according to police, who highlighted the bizarre encounter on Monday — knocked the man off his scooter. Officers said he fell to the pavement and injured his collarbone. Then it got worse. "While he was on the ground, a couple of coyotes began to nip at him — biting at his jacket and his clothing," said Const. Steve Addison. Addison said the man fended off the animals and flagged down a passerby, who called 911. B.C. Emergency Health Services confirmed paramedics were called to respond to a "multiple animal situation" on the seawall between Lumbermen's Arch and the Lions Gate Bridge. The man was hospitalized in stable condition, according to an email. The run-in is at least the 17th incident since December in which a coyote has bitten a human in Stanley Park. All the biting incidents since Christmas have involved adults walking or running in the park, most often between dusk and dawn. People in the park should not feed coyotes or leave food out for animals, say wildlife officials. Anyone who has an encounter with an aggressive coyote is asked to call the provincial RAPP line at 1-877-952-7277.

  • Labrador MP demands apology after Nunavut MP says she is 'not an Inuk'

    The Liberal member of parliament for Labrador, Yvonne Jones, demanded an apology from Nunavut's NDP MP Mumilaaq Qaqqaq in the House of Commons Monday, after Qaqqaq said Jones was "not an Inuk" in a recent response to a 2019 tweet. "I ask the member to respect all Indigenous people in Canada, and apologize for her statement, and stop committing racial erosion against her own culture," Jones said. "It is attitudes like hers that have set Inuit back decades in modern society." Jones is a member of the NunatuKavut Community Council, a group formerly known as the Labrador Metis Nation, a non-status group representing people of mixed Indigenous and non-Indigenous descent in southern Labrador. Since 2018, the group has been pursuing recognition of Indigenous rights in the region, and completed a memorandum of understanding with the federal government in 2019. A screenshot of Qaqqaq's reply to a 2019 election night tweet identifying Jones as Inuk.(John Last/CBC) But shortly thereafter, the Nunatsiavut government, which represents Inuit in northern Labrador, joined the Innu Nation in seeking to block the MOU, arguing that it overlapped with their claims. The Innu Nation additionally argued that the group was not Indigenous under terms set out in Section 35 of the Constitution Act. "As a descendant of Inuit and white parents, I was raised with a deep connection to the land, and I continue to practice the traditional ways of our people," Jones said in her statement to the House of Commons. "Unfortunately, I've never seen such disrespect from another parliamentarian in my 25 years in political office." Qaqqaq's offending tweet was made in response to a profile of Jones tweeted during election night in 2019, where the account @InigPoli refers to Jones as an Inuk. Shortly after replying, Qaqqaq took aim at Jones on Twitter over the review process for the expansion of an iron ore mine in her territory. Qaqqaq accused Jones, who is also parliamentary secretary to Minister of Northern Affairs Dan Vandal, of sidestepping a question about her meeting with executives of the Baffinland Iron Mines company. "If [she] is 'confident that all parties will continue their dialogue through the [review board] process and it's not up to us to prejudge the outcome' then why do we have records of her and [Vandal] meeting with Baffinland's CEO and their lobbyists behind closed doors?" she tweeted. Vandal replied that the meeting took place before the hearings had begun. "Her comments are laterally vicious and threatening to myself as an Inuk woman and to Inuit who are members of the NunatuKavut Inuit Council," Jones said Monday. "I expect an apology and a withdrawal of her statement on Twitter." In a response to CBC, Qaqqaq said she did not realize Jones claimed Inuk identity when she sent the tweet. "I made a statement I believed to be fact," she wrote. "I did not mean to upset Ms. Jones." Qaqqaq said there is "much debate around NunatuKavut and whether or not that should be recognized as Inuit," and that "the conversation around identity and reclamation of identity is an important one." But "after having conversations with other well respected Indigenous individuals, I realize I may have made a mistake in missing the full picture," she wrote. Jones did not immediately reply to requests for comment.

  • Hospitals dispute primary care memo that says Windsor-area LHIN to get 60 patients from Toronto

    A London alliance of primary care doctors says up to 60 patients from the Toronto area are expected to be transferred to the Windsor and Chatham area this week to help with the crush of patients from the third COVID-19 wave in the GTA But both Windsor area hospitals, Windsor Regional Hospital and Hôtel-Dieu Grace Healthcare, have told CBC News the memo from the London Middlesex Primary Care Alliance is inaccurate, saying they have asked the authors to correct it. The internal memo by the Alliance says that the Windsor/Chatham/Sarnia region (known as the Erie St. Clair Local Health Integration Network) can expect 60 of 100 patients being transferred from Trillium Health Care in Toronto. The other 40 are heading to the London area.There are currently five patients in WRH transferred from the Greater Toronto Area with three in the ICU. There are four hospitals in the Erie-St.Clair LHIN. In a statement to CBC, Hôtel-Dieu Grace Healthcare says at the moment,the four hospitals are collectively being asked to take 14 ward/medical patients a week, and to independently take ICU patients "as demand increases." Windsor regional tweeted out a similar statement that also said the number mentioned in the memo was inaccurate. The Erie St. Clair Local Health Integration Network declined to comment. The memo says the condition of patients coming to Windsor area will vary from having COVID-19 to not having the virus and also differ in severity of care. The memo says many will have to be accommodated in hospitals in the region. Impact of redeployment The possible redeployment of London's primary care physicians is brought up in the memo and while there is not a present request to redeploy family physicians, the memo notes "we are in a day-to-day situation and the landscape could change rapidly. Thus we are asking for 'all hands on deck to be on deck.'" Dr. Jessica Summerfield is the president of the Essex County Medical Society and says there has not been mention of redeploying primary care physicians to other locations. "We haven't yet been asked about redeployment other locations but we are certainly accepting patients, mostly from the GTA area to try and help out with the resources that we have locally." Asked about difficulties of bringing primary care physicians into the ICU, Summerfield says it depends on experience and background of the physician. "I mean that's total opposite ends of the spectrum in the field of medicine, but someone like myself, I work as a primary care physician, but I also work as a hospitalist, and we work in patient medicine as well. That's much more transferable." Summerfield said there are 959 physicians in Windsor-Essex comprised of family practice and specialty-based doctors.

  • Alberta legislature turns down Opposition request to debate bill to protect Rockies

    EDMONTON — The Alberta legislature has turned down a request for a special debate on an Opposition bill intended to protect the province's Rocky Mountains from coal mining. The refusal from United Conservative MLAs to grant unanimous consent for the debate probably means the bill won't get any further and is likely to die on the order paper. "People from all walks of life, all kinds of backgrounds and all kinds of political views — they want to see this bill debated," NDP Leader Rachel Notley said in a release. "Today's action by the Kenney government is a betrayal of these Albertans." Notley had asked the legislature to push the proposed legislation up the agenda to be debated on Monday night. She said the debate was needed because drilling and road-building are going ahead on the eastern slopes of the mountains — even as the United Conservative government says it's gathering public feedback on coal mines. "The fact is, this is urgent," Notley told the legislature. "We want to provide a forum for that discussion to be heard in this house." The bill calls for cancellation of leases that were issued after the government scrapped a policy last May that protected a vast swath of summits and foothills along the western spine of the province. It would also stop the province's energy regulator from issuing development permits. Open-pit mines would be permanently prohibited in the most sensitive areas and mines elsewhere could not be approved until a land-use plan was developed. On the weekend, a letter signed by 35 scientists from the University of Alberta's biology department urged the government to allow the debate. "There is no reliable method to stop leaching of hazardous waste produced by surface coal mining into groundwater where, inevitably, it will pollute precious watersheds we all depend on that are already under severe stress," said the letter. The law is needed to at least slow development down, said Shelagh Campbell, the biologist who started the letter that went to all UCP caucus members. "The bill at least has a chance of getting these issues more out in the open," she said. "A lot of Albertans feel right now pretty desperate in terms of the tools we have at our disposal to slow down the mass destruction that's being visited on us." The provincial government originally gathered no public input before removing the measures that protected the landscape, but it later opened an online survey and appointed a panel to hear from people. The survey closed Monday. "The Coal Policy Committee is currently reviewing and analyzing the survey results and will provide an update in the near future," said Alberta Energy spokeswoman Jennifer Henshaw. "The results will also serve as a road map for the next steps in the coal policy engagement process." The panel has been widely criticized after its terms of reference made it clear its five members won't be allowed to hear concerns about water or land use — the two issues most Albertans are concerned about. Energy Minister Sonya Savage said that the university professors should consider making their points to the panel. "We would strongly encourage them to participate in the coal policy consultations which are currently ongoing," she said in an email. Campbell said she's received no substantive responses yet to the letter. She said the stakes involved in coal mining are too high to gamble with. "When they tell us that we can keep this or that out (of the water) and make it safe, it's not true. They don't know that." This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 19, 2021. — Follow Bob Weber on Twitter at @row1960 Bob Weber, The Canadian Press

  • Convictions upheld for Calgary man who murdered mother, 5-year-old

    A Calgary man convicted of murdering a mother and her five-year-old daughter has lost his bid for a new trial. Edward Downey, 51, was found guilty on two counts of first-degree murder in the deaths of Sara Baillie and her daughter Taliyah Marsman who were killed on July 11, 2016. Downey appealed and on Tuesday, the Alberta Court of Appeal refused to overturn his convictions. During the trial, the Crown presented evidence that Downey had become enraged with Baillie who he blamed for his failing relationship with his girlfriend. Aside from dissuading her friend from escorting for Downey, who'd had a history of pimping, Baillie had witnessed the killer abuse her best friend, according to the Crown. Downey and his girlfriend were in the middle of a split when Baillie and her daughter were killed. Both mother and daughter died of asphyxiation. Baillie's body was found stuffed inside a laundry hamper. Duct tape had been wrapped around her face. Taliyah's body was discovered days later in a rural area east of the city. In her appeal arguments, defence lawyer Kelsey Sitar argued the jury heard evidence of bad character which she said set the tone for the trial and the jury's verdict. "Escorting was alleged to be the undercurrent of Mr. Downey's life. It was highly prejudicial evidence with propensity and character that undermined trial fairness," said Sitar in her arguments. Downey was sentenced to life in prison with no chance of parole for 50 years.

  • Parents upset after kids' soccer program booted from Vancouver neighbourhood park

    A group of East Vancouver parents is questioning the Vancouver Park Board's decision after their children's soccer program was denied a permit at their neighbourhood park and forced to move to a different field 30 blocks away. Union Soccer Club started a learn-to-play program at Slocan Park in Renfrew-Collingwood in January, attracting upward of 50 enthusiastic youngsters from the surrounding streets and those who came via SkyTrain, thanks to the next door 29th Avenue Station. But starting this week, the program is longer welcome at Slocan Park. The grass fields, which were recently upgraded, have now been designated "Grade A" by park board, meaning they are reserved for "official games" only. Ryan Lamourie, parent of five-year-old Lola, says he can't understand the decision to deny the permit, especially given that the fields are sitting empty because of provincial health orders banning games. "[The Union soccer program] has been a really positive thing for our community when we really need it. And to be told we have to leave just because this field is reserved for something else is really disappointing," he said. Union Soccer Club co-owner Judith Davalos said the program will now run out of Clinton Park in Hastings-Sunrise, but is losing families because of the move. "We are so sad," she said. "We really want to be back there. If now they give us the permission, we'll be back [at Slocan Park]." Parent Gerhard Breytenbach questions why families are being forced to drive to a different field when there's a perfectly good one within walking distance sitting empty. "Bureaucratic idiocy mixed with red tape snafus for absolutely no logical reason," he said. "The city is telling us that because we want to use this for adults in the future when COVID is not a problem, your kids can't use it in the meantime." Rule linked to maintenance budget In a statement to CBC, the park board said the Grade A Slocan Park fields are still open to the general public for things like picnics. "Artificial turf fields and Grade B fields (and lower) are permitted for practices, camps and other activities. This is a citywide procedure that is linked to the field maintenance budget and we apply it consistently throughout the city to preserve quality facilities for their intended use," said the statement. Parent Mariana Rueda wonders why park board officials couldn't be more flexible. "I cannot believe a community can say that an open space... that was created for enjoyment, is not for kids. It's not right," she said. Lamourie said the Union soccer program quickly became a community focal point as a safe and affordable outlet during the COVID-19 pandemic. He said attempts to appeal to park board officials have been frustrating. "What I find disappointing is that they've told us that there are many departments involved, so it will take a long time to reverse any decisions," he said. "These kids, more than ever, need social activities and physical activities. We're really letting down these children by not letting them play on these fields."

  • Ontario complains of more vaccine delays as premier under fire for third COVID wave

    Ontario Premier Doug Ford said on Monday the province expects to face a delay in the supply of AstraZeneca Plc COVID-19 vaccine, as he faces significant blowback for his handling of the pandemic in Ontario. "The Premier was notified today by our officials to be prepared for delays to two shipments of AstraZeneca expected from the federal government later this month and next," a statement from Ford's office said. Ford has faced widespread criticism in recent days as Ontario's pandemic spirals out of control, and he has sought to shift the blame to the sluggish supply of vaccines coming from the federal government.

  • Sask. health minister apologizes for 'speaking in error' about COVID-19 hospitalization numbers

    Saskatchewan's minister of health has apologized for speaking in error in regards to how patients hospitalized by COVID-19 are counted in provincial data. Minister Paul Merriman incorrectly stated during the human services committee meeting on April 15 that COVID-19 patients who are hospitalized, but no longer infectious, are not included in the province's hospital or ICU count. He corrected the error days later. "If they are in the hospital, and tested positive, no matter how long they remain in that hospital, they will still be counted as that," Merriman said Monday during Question Period. "That's my apologies." The minister will notify the committee in writing that he was mistaken in his answer, said a spokesperson for the ministry. Health policy consultant Dennis Kendel said it was "very concerning" for the minister to relay flawed information. "The health minister is the highest public official, accountable to the public, for managing the entire public health system, or governing it, I might say," Kendel said. "If he/she doesn't understand what the terminology means, that's very worrisome." How recoveries are reported The government deems someone "recovered" 10 days after they receive a positive COVID-19 test because they are no longer considered infectious, regardless if they are still hospitalized from the virus. Kendel said the ministry should use the word "non-infectious" instead, as the word "recovered" can sow confusion. Dennis Kendel said the Ministry of Health should use the word “non-infectious” instead as the word “recovered” can sow confusion. (Trent Peppler/CBC) "In addition to the people who are in the hospital, who are obviously not recovered, a high percentage of people develop long symptoms and require help and support from the health-care system," Kendel said. He said words matter and so does communication with the public. "If we don't understand the severity of this, we're more inclined to accept less interventional measures by the government," Kendel said. Saskatchewan a hotspot for COVID-19 hospitalizations Saskatchewan continues to have one of the highest rates of COVID-19 hospitalizations among all the provinces. On April 17, chief medical officer Dr. Susan Shaw said on CBC's White Coat Black Art with Dr. Brian Goldman that Saskatchewan is "seeing similar things, if not the same things" as Ontario when it comes to health-care workers burning out and hospitals having limited ICU capacity. During a presentation to physicians on April 15, the SHA said "if current trajectory holds, our health system will be overrun." Last week, the SHA made the unprecedented moved of placing two COVID-19 patients in some rooms to make space for more patients. On Monday, hospitalizations continued to grow. The province reported 200 COVID-19 patients in hospital, an increase of 11 from Sunday, with 43 people in the ICU, 31 of whom are in Regina. The Saskatchewan Health Authority said it includes both infectious and non-infectious patients in its hospitalization and ICU numbers.(Apu Gomes/AFP/Getty Images) Shaw told Dr. Goldman there's "a frustration, and at times it gets into anger because we do know that COVID can be prevented." "Sometimes I'm standing in the ICU looking after a young parent of young children, treating that person knowing that it's preventable," Shaw said. "I think that causes a lot of moral distress and that is going to add up, that is going to build up and I think it is going to spill over in ways that we can't really understand yet."

  • First Nations on Vancouver Island celebrate B.C. Court of Appeal fisheries ruling

    VANCOUVER — Canada must remedy problems in commercial fishery regulations arising from a legal battle that was first launched in 2003 by a group of Vancouver Island First Nations, the British Columbia Court of Appeal has ruled. While there is no demonstrated need to make mandatory orders, they would "remain available if Canada does not act diligently to remedy the problems," Justice Harvey Groberman wrote in a decision released Monday. A three-judge panel unanimously upheld parts of an April 2018 ruling by the B.C. Supreme Court that found Canada's management of regular commercial fisheries unjustifiably infringed on the First Nations' rights. In that judgment, Justice Mary Humphries gave Ottawa one year to offer the plaintiffs opportunities to exercise their rights to harvest and sell salmon, groundfish, crab and prawn in a manner that remedied those infringements. The decision outlined several specific infringements related to the allocation of Pacific salmon and directed Ottawa to take a more "generous approach" to chinook allocations for the First Nations, noting the policy at the time gave recreational fishers priority over them. But the five Nuu-chah-nulth First Nations — Ehattesaht, Hesquiaht, Ahousaht, Tla‑o‑qui‑aht and Mowachaht/Muchalaht — appealed the decision, which dismissed their argument that Canada failed in its duty to consult them by refusing to implement proposals raised in discussions outside the courts to resolve the dispute and negotiate new policies. The Appeal Court found Humphries did not err in that part of her decision. But the court said she did make an error in limiting certain commercial fishing rights to vessels of a particular size and fishing capacity. Humphries "went too far" in her interpretation of a 2009 B.C. Supreme Court decision that upheld the nations' right to commercial fisheries, Groberman wrote. She found that right should be interpreted as a "non-exclusive, small scale, artisanal, local, multi-species fishery ... using small, low-cost boats with limited technology and restricted catching power, and aimed at wide community participation," the Appeal Court judgment says. Humphries was entitled to interpret the earlier ruling, Groberman wrote, but she did not have the authority to diminish the nations' commercial fishing rights. If upheld, her interpretation would have done so, he said. "The limitations the judge placed on the levels of technology and the types of vessel that could be used do not take into account the need to allow Aboriginal rights to evolve to meet modern conditions and requirements." Nuu-chah-nulth leaders hailed the decision as a major victory, while pushing Fisheries and Oceans Canada to implement their rights immediately. "Why does it take all these years and all these court battles when the federal government should be sitting at the table with our nations and working this out, especially in times now of reconciliation," Judith Sayers, president of the Nuu-chah-nulth Tribal Council, told a news conference. "We look forward to seeing these five nations being able to go out and fish as they have since time immemorial." Fisheries and Oceans Canada said it will "take the necessary time to properly review the decision" by the Appeal Court. The department will continue to work with the five First Nations on implementation of their rights to fish and sell fish, and on their participation in commercial fishing more generally, it said in a statement. This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 19, 2021. This story was produced with the financial assistance of the Facebook and Canadian Press News Fellowship. Brenna Owen, The Canadian Press

  • Manitoba enacts more COVID-19 restrictions to try to contain coronavirus spread

    WINNIPEG — The Manitoba government is tightening some of its COVID-19 restrictions due to rising case numbers.Starting Tuesday, weddings, funerals and outdoor public gatherings will be capped at 10 people — down from 25. People will no longer be allowed to designate another entire household to be in their bubble. Instead, they will only be allowed to designate two people to be permitted guests inside their homes. Capacity at religious services will drop to 25 per cent and a maximum of 50 people, down from 25 per cent and a cap of 100.Another change will take effect Wednesday morning. Retail stores will have to drop the number of shoppers allowed inside to one-third capacity from half."We see that our (case) numbers are climbing, so we needed to do more," Dr. Brent Roussin, chief public health officer, said Monday."I do think, from a public-health perspective, this really is our last shot at reducing our numbers before we do need to move into more of a lockdown scenario. We cannot overwhelm our health-care system."Health officials reported 108 new COVID-19 cases Monday and no additional deaths. Manitoba has had lower infection rates in recent months than other provinces west of the Maritimes, but daily case counts have risen in recent weeks.The rise has been noticeable in younger age groups. Some cases among students and staff at schools in Gimli, a town of 2,000 people an hour's drive north of Winnipeg, prompted the regional school division to close three schools for the day Monday."We're definitely seeing increasing growth in those younger cohorts," Roussin said."There certainly is transmission that occurs there, but most of the transmission in that cohort is occurring outside of school — gatherings with friends, sleepovers, house parties, these types of things."The province also expanded its vaccine eligibility Monday. The minimum age for Pfizer and Moderna vaccines, distributed through channels including mass vaccination centres, dropped by two years to 34 for First Nations people and 54 for others. The eligibility for Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccines, administered through pharmacies and medical clinics, was reduced to anyone 40 years of age and older following similar moves on the weekend by Ontario and Alberta. Previously, it was only available to Manitobans 65 and over and people 55 to 64 with certain underlying medical conditions.Health Canada has approved the vaccine for people under 55. But the National Advisory Committee on Immunization has recommended it only be offered to those 55 and older due to a potential slightly elevated risk of an extremely rare blood clot disorder in younger people receiving the shot.NACI recommends the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine should not be used in adults under 55 years of age at this time while the safety signal of Vaccine-Induced Prothrombotic Immune Thrombocytopenia (VIPIT) following vaccination with AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine is investigated further.There have been two cases of blood clots in Canada out of more than 700,000 doses of AstraZeneca given so far. Premier Brian Pallister said the expanded vaccine eligibility and tightened restrictions will help Manitoba avoid the kind of surge in cases it saw in the fall, when it led all other provinces in daily infections per capita."We know that the days of COVID beating us were hard days for all of us and most certainly, we don't want to go back to COVID beating us," Pallister said.This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 19, 2021. Steve Lambert, The Canadian Press

  • New Toronto field hospital prepares to accept COVID-19 patients as ICUs overflow

    A new field hospital built in a parking lot at Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre in Toronto will likely be ready to accept patients this week as hospitals across the region try to deal with a record spike in COVID-19 caseloads. The mobile health unit, as it is officially known, will provide care to patients who are recovering or have recovered from COVID-19. The unit will allow Sunnybrook to free up acute-care beds in hospitals during the third wave of the pandemic. Contained in a series of green tents, supported by an aluminum frame, the 2,088-square-metre unit has 84 patient beds, with room to expand to 100 beds if needed. The hospital hopes to open 20 beds in the unit this week, according to the manager in charge of the temporary medical facility. Robert Burgess, Sunnybrook's senior director of prehospital medicine, patient flow and emergency preparedness, said on Monday that the hospital is putting the finishing touches on the unit this week. "We're literally at the last pieces in terms of the structural setup," Burgess said while wearing a mask inside the unit. The unit is being prepared at a time when GTA hospitals are so overwhelmed due to record COVID-19 admissions that some patients are being transferred to other health-care centres outside the region, including southwestern Ontario. A view of the inside of the mobile health unit at Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre in Toronto on April 19, 2021.(Kevin Van Paassen/Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre) "We're preparing this week, as quickly as possible, to start bringing patients in," Burgess added. "Obviously, when you open a new hospital, or you open a ward in a hospital, there's a lot of work to do around staffing plans. We're working through those to ensure we're doing this in a safe fashion," he added. "Literally, with each hour that is passing, we're becoming closer and closer to the point where we can start to bring in patients on a routine basis. The hope is that we can start to bring some patients in this week. If it's safe to do so, we will proceed with that. We're all eager to start that process." WATCH | Toronto field hospital 'tool in the toolbox' for surging patient load, says emergency planner: Burgess said the hospital wants to avoid bringing critically ill patients into the unit. Each pod of eight-to-10 beds is self-contained. Several large generators provide power for the unit. He said there are many windows to provide light. He said "it would be great" if pressures eased on the health-care system in Ontario, the hospital did not need to use the unit and could dismantle it soon. "It's meant to be here as another tool in the toolbox for emergency preparedness. That is something that we would hope, but we're ready to help the province if it turns otherwise," he said. Contained in a series of green tents, supported by an alumimum frame, the 2,088-square-metre unit has 84 patient beds, with room to expand to 100 beds if needed. (Evan Mitsui/CBC) Burgess said staffing is being finalized with the help of the Ontario health ministry. The hospital is currently training staff members, providing orientation and doing simulations inside the unit to ensure people feel comfortable working there. "We are looking everywhere to find additional staff," he said. He described the unit as a "system resource," which means it could provide relief to hospitals in other areas of the province where there are pressures on the health-care system. Sunnybrook has been asked to ensure the unit will be up and running for a minimum of three months. That time period could be extended depending on needs and patient volumes, he said. Burgess acknowledged that the unit looks like a number of tents from the outside and can be startling to see, but said the unit is sophisticated on the inside. "These are structures that were developed for medical purposes. Once you're in, it's very sophisticated, it's very safe and very comfortable," he said. "We've designed the structure to be safe for patients and staff. Hopefully, patients and staff will be pleasantly surprised when they see the inside for the first time." An under-construction field hospital on the grounds of Sunnybrook Heath Sciences Centre, in Toronto, is pictured on Apr. 6, 2021.(Evan Mitsui/CBC)

  • Budget sets aside almost $250M to tackle sexual misconduct in the military

    The Liberal government has set aside hundreds of millions dollars to combat sexual misconduct in the military, bolster continental defence and reinforce Canada's commitment to NATO. The new federal budget, released Monday, proposes to spend $236.2 million over five years at the Department of National Defence (DND), including $158.5 million at Veterans Affairs Canada, to address the ongoing crisis of sexual assault and violence in the ranks. Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland's plan also commits to ongoing funding for both departments to make permanent a number of newly proposed initiatives. Separately, the Liberal government plans to put $163 million over five years into the modernization of continental defence. Of that sum, $111 million is being set aside to revitalize NORAD, the North American Aerospace Defence Command. "This investment would lay the groundwork for NORAD's future, including through research and development of cutting-edge technologies that can detect and defend against threats to the continent," says the budget document, which also earmarked $88 million over five years to maintain existing radar stations and northern defence infrastructure. Two Royal Canadian Air Force CF-18s in flight.(North American Aerospace Defense Command) The budget commits to spending $847.1 million over five years to maintain Canada's rotating deployments of frigates and fighter jets to NATO, and more cash to cover increased contributions to the military alliance's overall budget. The most immediate and high-profile of the budget's defence-related proposals targets the military's stalled — and, according to some critics, discredited — campaign to eliminate sexual misconduct from its ranks. The budget recommits the government to creating "new external oversight mechanisms" for people who report sexual assault in the military. A loss of trust It remains to be seen whether the proposal will meet the demands of victims and legal experts who have argued the work of investigating sexual misconduct in the ranks must be taken out of the military's hands and turned over to an independent inspector general. Many victims do not trust the chain of command when it comes to reporting assaults and worry about the career implications of stepping forward. Among the budget proposals is a plan to expand support services to victims to include access to free, independent legal advice, and to enable "military members to access services without making a formal complaint." The Liberal government is also promising to pilot an online in-person peer support group for members of the military and veterans who have experienced sexual misconduct during their time in uniform. That's something survivors of sexual assault in the military have been demanding for years. The budget sets aside more money for research on sexual misconduct and to expand the reach of the Sexual Misconduct Response Centre, which serves members of the Armed Forces. DND says it plans to offer more specifics of its overall plan to address misconduct later this week. The budget initiatives could be an attempt by the government to steal a march on the Parliamentary committees for defence and the status of women, which have been seeking input on policies to address sexual abuse and assault in the military and are expected to report soon. No mention of promised independent probe The budget made no mention of — and appeared to set aside no funding for — the independent investigation promised by Defence Minister Harjit Sajjan in response to allegations of misconduct involving the country's two most senior military leaders. Former chief of the defence staff Gen. Jonathan Vance and the current top commander, Admiral Art McDonald, face separate investigations into allegations of inappropriate conduct involving junior female subordinates. Sajjan has promised a systematic review of sexual misconduct in the ranks, with the aim of restoring confidence in the chain of command. That review has not yet been launched. Separately, the budget also sets aside $140 million over five years for a program at Veterans Affairs Canada that would cover the mental health care costs of veterans with post traumatic stress disorder while their disability benefit applications are being processed.

  • Dog Adorably Loves To Hug His Brother

    These two Shiba Inu siblings absolutely love one other!

  • Nevada inmate fighting execution seeks firing-squad option

    LAS VEGAS — A convicted killer who is fighting a possible June execution date that would make him the first person put to death in Nevada in 15 years is calling for the state to consider the firing squad as an option, a rare method in the United States. Attorneys for Zane Michael Floyd say he does not want to die and are challenging the state plan to use a proposed three-drug method, which led to court challenges that twice delayed the execution of another convicted killer who later took his own life in prison. “This is not a delaying tactic,” Brad Levenson, a federal public defender representing Floyd, said Monday. But a challenge of the state execution protocol requires the defence to provide an alternative method, and Levenson said gunshots to the brain stem would be “the most humane way.” “Execution by firing squad ... causes a faster and less painful death than lethal injection,” the attorneys said in a court filing Friday. Three U.S. states — Mississippi, Oklahoma and Utah — and the U.S. military allow capital punishment by gunfire. The last time that method was used in the United States was in Utah in 2010. Floyd's attorneys are asking a federal judge in Las Vegas to stop Floyd from being executed until prison officials “devise a new procedure or procedures to carry out a lawful execution.” Levenson said he and attorney David Anthony are fighting multiple issues in state and federal courts, with the possibility that Floyd’s death could be set for the week of June 7. Prosecutors will seek an execution warrant at a state court hearing next month. The 45-year-old was convicted in 2000 of killing four people with a shotgun in a Las Vegas supermarket in 1999 and badly wounding a fifth person. Floyd appeared to exhaust his federal appeals last November, and the U.S. Supreme Court has declined to hear his case. Floyd wants a chance to seek clemency at a June 22 meeting of the Nevada State Pardons Board, Levenson said. Floyd's attorneys argue that a three-drug combination the state wants to use — the sedative diazepam, the powerful synthetic painkiller fentanyl and a paralytic, cisatracurium — would amount to cruel and unusual punishment in violation of his constitutional rights. Anthony made similar arguments on behalf of Scott Raymond Dozier before Nevada's last scheduled execution was called off in 2017 and 2018. Dozier killed himself in prison in January 2019. A judge blocked the first date after deciding that use of the paralytic might cause painful suffocation while Dozier was aware but unable to move. Pharmaceutical companies that made the three drugs stopped the second date with arguments against using their products in an execution, an issue several states are facing. Floyd would be the first person executed in Nevada since 2006, when Daryl Mack asked to be put to death for his conviction in a 1988 rape and murder in Reno. Nevada has 72 men awaiting execution, a state Department of Corrections spokeswoman said. Ken Ritter, The Associated Press

  • Miners' union backs shift from coal in exchange for jobs

    WASHINGTON — The nation's largest coal miners' union said Monday it would accept President Joe Biden's plan to move away from coal and other fossil fuels in exchange for a “true energy transition" that includes thousands of jobs in renewable energy and spending on technology to make coal cleaner. Cecil Roberts, president of the United Mine Workers Union, said ensuring jobs for displaced miners — including 7,000 coal workers who lost their jobs last year — is crucial to any infrastructure bill taken up by Congress. “I think we need to provide a future for those people, a future for anybody that loses their job because of a transition in this country, regardless if it’s coal, oil, gas or any other industry for that matter,'' Roberts said in an online speech to the National Press Club. “We talk about a 'just transition' all the time,'' Roberts added. “I wish people would quit using that. There’s never been a just transition in the history of the United States.'' Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., appearing with Roberts at the Press Club event, said measures to help coal miners in West Virginia and other rural states must be part of the $2.3 trillion infrastructure package taking shape in Congress. “Basically what is needed ... is the human infrastructure,'' Manchin said. “You can’t leave anybody behind,'' especially those in his hard-hit state, which has lost thousands of jobs in mining and other resource extraction industries jobs in recent years. “I can tell you how West Virginia feels. We feel like returning Vietnam veterans,'' Manchin said. “We’ve done every dirty job you’ve asked us to do. We never question it. We did it and performed well. And now all of a sudden we’re not good enough, we’re not clean enough, we're not green enough and we’re not smart enough. You wonder why they quit voting for Democrats, that’s the reason.'' A plan put forward by the mine workers' union calls for significant expansion of tax incentives for renewable energy and preference in hiring for dislocated miners; full funding for programs to plug old oil and gas wells and clean up abandoned mines; and continued incentives to develop so-called carbon capture and storage technology that traps carbon dioxide produced by burning fossil fuels and stores it underground. The union proposal, and Manchin's endorsement, comes as Congress is considering Biden's $2.3 trillion infrastructure package to rebuild the nation's roads, bridges and power grid, promote electric cars and boost clean energy such as solar and wind power. A bipartisan group of lawmakers met with Biden Monday to discuss the plan. Republicans have slammed the infrastructure package as a Democratic “wish list” with huge tax hikes, including a proposal to raise the corporate tax rate to 28%. Manchin, a centrist and key Democratic vote, has said he prefers a 25% corporate rate. In his remarks Monday, Manchin made it clear he wants to preserve the coal industry, despite continued declines nationwide amid steep competition from cheaper natural gas and other energy sources. “I'm for innovation, not elimination" of coal, Manchin said, adding that even if coal was reduced to zero in the United States, thousands of greenhouse-gas producing coal mines would continue to operate in China, India and other countries. “It's not North America climate. It's global climate,'' he said. As part of the mine workers' proposal, Manchin endorsed a Democratic bill that would invigorate labour unions, following decades of court defeats and legislative setbacks. The House passed the so-called PRO Act in March, but the measure faces a near-certain Republican blockade in a narrowly divided Senate. The bill would reverse “right to work” laws that have crimped unions’ ability to collect dues from workers who refuse to join, yet benefit from deals negotiated on their behalf. It also would block tactics employers can use to drag out organizing drives, contract negotiations and ratification of labour agreements. Manchin said the bill would “level the playing field” for union workers, adding that he wants to work with both parties to move it through Congress. Biden's infrastructure proposal includes $16 billion to plug hundreds of thousands of “orphaned” oil and gas wells and clean up abandoned coal and hardrock mines that pose serious safety and environmental hazards. The White House said the plan would create thousands of jobs and remediate pollution, including greenhouse gases that contribute to global warming. Biden's plan also includes tax incentives for renewable energy and billions in spending to deploy carbon capture and storage, two other elements of the union proposal. Matthew Daly, The Associated Press

  • Fredericton psychologist suspended for professional misconduct

    Joan Wright, a well-known psychologist in Fredericton, has been suspended by the College of Psychologists of New Brunswick for professional misconduct, incompetence and violating the boundaries of the psychologist-client relationship, according to a recent decision by the college. Wright is disputing the decision. Wright is a senior psychologist and owner of MindShift Clinic in Lincoln and Joan Wright & Associates in downtown Fredericton, where nine other therapists work, according to her LinkedIn page. In its decision released Friday, the college's hearing committee ordered the immediate suspension of Wright's registration and said she was "prohibited from engaging in the practice of psychology while her registration is suspended." Wright has also been ordered to pay a $2,000 fine before the suspension is lifted and $134,510.63 to the college within a year for costs related to the complaint. Wright's lawyer, Kelly Lamrock, said he will file an application for judicial review, which will challenge the college's decision, and will also request an injunction to stop the suspension until the review can take place. "I think as the court documents come out, it will be clear they've reached some conclusions the facts cannot support, and they've followed a process that is unreasonable in law," Lamrock said. Lamrock said he will file with the court Tuesday morning. Hearings of the complaint against Wright took place over several days last September. The decision outlined a list of several failings on Wright's part, including "using experimental and non-evidence-based interventions" without presenting the risks or benefits of the treatment to her client. The decision also said that Wright "failed to use evidence-based treatments" for post-traumatic stress disorder in treating her client and did use experimental techniques without the informed consent of the client. It also said Wright administered therapy she was not trained to provide. Wright was also found to have "failed to provide the client with a copy of the clinical file when requested" and "to keep adequate records and notes of her sessions with the client." More specific transgressions cited by the board include asking her client to "remove articles of clothing in order to take photographs of the Client's naked body parts without the Client's informed consent, touching various parts of the Client's body, including massaging the Client's neck and asking the Client to get into various positions such as bending over on a ball." Wright also "showed a gross lack of judgment" by requesting the client purchase and use an "anal device at home." Wright "had no expertise to recommend such a device —the device being outside her scope of practice as a psychologist," the decision said. Wright was also found to have committed boundary violations by borrowing a sleeping bag from the client, soliciting the client to participate in a promotional video, and eating a "cannabis-laced" cookie given to her by the client, even though it was illegal at the time. The college didn't give a specific duration of the suspension but said Wright would have to do several things to qualify for a conditional registration. She would have to complete and pass post-secondary-level educational courses on cognitive behavioural therapy for the treatment of PTSD, on the ethics in psychological treatment of clients, and on psychometrics. She would also have to pass an examination for the professional practice of psychology and pay the $2,000 fine. The College of Psychologists of New Brunswick declined to comment.

  • Judge keeps supervision of union for Disney performers

    ORLANDO, Fla. — Until there's an election, the International Brotherhood of Teamsters can keep control of a local affiliate whose leader was removed because of complaints of mismanagement from the Disney performers who play such characters as Mickey Mouse and Goofy, a federal judge has ruled. U.S. District Carlos Mendoza refused last week to end a trusteeship for Orlando-based Local 385, which represents thousands of workers with key roles in central Florida's tourism industry. Gary Brown, a former officer of Local 385's previous leadership, filed the lawsuit in February, claiming the takeover had lasted too long. His lawsuit said the Teamsters needed to end its trusteeship and hold elections for new officers. But the judge said the International Brotherhood of Teamsters had agreed to hold an election this summer, and that any delay in holding one could be blamed on the pandemic. The coronavirus outbreak caused as many as 3,000 of Local 385's 9,000 members to lose their jobs as closures caused by the virus' spread devastated Orlando's tourism economy. The judge said he wouldn't dismiss the case since he wanted to make sure elections for new officers were held by the end of August. About a third of Local 385's members are Disney workers, including costumed-character performers. The rest included UPS drivers, hotel employees, food service workers, rental car employees and other drivers across 20 Florida counties. The International Brotherhood of Teamster took over Local 385 in June 2019. General President James Hoffa appointed two associates to run operations of the local. The previous leaders of Local 385 had faced multiple complaints from its members. Disney’s costumed-character performers were upset that Local 385 leaders made a deal with Disney World officials to cut out 20 or so workers from being covered by the union, without consulting members. Union members also said Local 385 leaders had been unresponsive to grievances by members seeking help against the companies they worked for. More than 500 members had left Local 385 because of unhappiness with the leadership, and several hundred more members had signed petitions threatening to leave, according to a notice signed by Hoffa. Among them were nearly two-thirds of the 1,000 character performers at Disney World, who have been Teamsters since the early 1980s. ___ Follow Mike Schneider on Twitter at https://twitter.com/MikeSchneiderAP Mike Schneider, The Associated Press

  • Teacher's death puts pressure on Saskatchewan to prioritize vaccinating educators

    REGINA — The death of an influential Cree teacher due to COVID-19 has increased pressure on the Saskatchewan government to prioritize educators in its vaccination plan. Victor Thunderchild, 55, died in Prince Albert on Saturday and family members say he was infected with the virus while working at a high school in the city. "His passion was always education," said his brother Harvey Thunderchild. Victor Thunderchild’s last tweet, sent during his hospitalization earlier this month, was directed at Premier Scott Moe and called for all teachers to get vaccinated "before this happens to anyone else." "That message that Victor sent to Scott Moe should be loud and clear,” said Harvey Thunderchild as he held back tears. "Make sure that front-line essential workers are looked after." Moe said Monday that he had heard many stories about Thunderchild's influence on students, teachers and the community. Speaking during question period, Moe said his Saskatchewan Party government will be looking at priority groups for vaccinations in coming days when the general age eligibility drops to people 40 and older. Opposition NDP Leader Ryan Meili said it is not enough to honour the teacher’s dying request. “Vic Thunderchild spoke up for teachers. (The premier) refused to listen,” Meili said. Patrick Maze, president of the Saskatchewan Teachers' Federation, said teachers are grieving the death of a respected and inspiring colleague. They are also frustrated, he said. "We know it could have been prevented." He said teachers have been clear that it’s hard to maintain social distancing in classrooms, and calls from educators about prioritized vaccinations and rapid-testing kits in schools have been ignored. Maze said the stakes are high. While it’s unknown how many educators have contracted the virus on the job, he said he is aware of an educational assistant in Moose Jaw who is currently hospitalized with COVID-19. Saskatchewan reported 243 new cases of COVID-19 on Monday. There were 200 people in hospital and 43 of those patients were in intensive care. Moe also said in a tweet that the province is considering lowering the age of eligibility to get the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine to 40, following the lead of Ontario, Alberta and Manitoba. Harvey Thunderchild said his brother's death is devastating and terrifying, especially since some of his own children are also educators. "I think the message that Victor sent should be loud and clear. It should echo through this province. It should echo across Canada," he said. He said his heart fell to the floor when he received the call that his younger brother was being transferred to intensive care and being put on a ventilator. A year ago this month, his family was mourning another brother — Wayne — who also died from COVID-19. Victor Thunderchild grew up the second youngest of 12 children. He played sports in high school but always wanted to be a teacher. He brought his cultural knowledge to teaching and always felt a responsibility to bring love, along with education, into his classroom, said his brother. He worked at Carlton Comprehensive High School as a teacher and a counsellor for 29 years. He helped develop Cree language programs, was actively involved in sports and was well-known throughout the powwow circuit as an expert dancer. He cherished his wife and adored being a father. Memories of Thunderchild’s impact over decades of teaching prompted an online campaign called #ApplesForVictor, with current and former students sharing memories of the teacher. His family said the outpouring of support has helped them grieve. "People listened to him, the students did," Harvey Thunderchild said. "He wasn’t intimidating. He was kind. He was soft in his ways." This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 19, 2021. — By Kelly Geraldine Malone in Winnipeg The Canadian Press

  • B.C. to impose travel restrictions until May long weekend over COVID-19

    VICTORIA — British Columbia will impose travel restrictions to prevent movement outside of health regions as police set up roadside checks similar to those seen during the Christmas season, Premier John Horgan said Monday as he pleaded with residents to "do the right thing." The government has been working with the tourism industry and BC Ferries to cancel bookings that have been made and to not accept new ones from people living outside their intended destination, Horgan told a news conference. The province is also extending measures that ban indoor dining and adult activities at gyms for another five weeks, matching the length of the travel restrictions. "If you live in the Fraser Health area, by all means take a few days, get outside, perhaps go to a campground in your local area. But do not try and book somewhere outside of your area. The tourism operator in that community will not book you," Horgan said. Public Safety Minister Mike Farnworth is expected to announce details Friday. Horgan added that signs will also be posted at the boundary with Alberta to reduce non-essential travel between the two provinces. Horgan said travel restrictions involving police will not be like those that were walked back in Ontario last week that could have seen pedestrians and motorists stopped during lockdowns and asked where they live. “We’re not going to follow other provincial leads and bring forward proposals that can’t be enforced or, quite frankly, reduce confidence in our objective here, which is to collectively say let’s redouble our efforts, let’s bear down for the next five weeks so that we can have the summer that all of us desperately, desperately want.” However, the province is prepared to bring in a public health order banning all non-essential travel if people do not voluntarily follow the restrictions to reduce the burden on overwhelmed hospital staff, Horgan said. "Most importantly, I want people to think about those nurses and those care aides and those doctors and all of the people on our front lines who have been giving every single week, every single month, for over a year to keep British Columbians safe. We cannot thank them enough." Provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry said a child under age two was among the eight people who died of COVID-19 since Friday, for a total of 1,538 deaths from the virus. "It is a true tragedy and it's a reflection of the impact this virus is having across our community," she said of the child who had some pre-existing issues and died at B.C. Children's Hospital. Another 2,960 people tested positive for the virus in the last three days, bringing the total number of cases in B.C. to 120,040. Henry said some restaurants and bars have pushed the limit by seating large numbers of people on patios and some gyms have also not been following restrictions during a three-week period that she extended until after the long weekend in May. While people have been encouraged to gather outdoors in groups of up to 10 in their bubble, it's concerning that some have skirted those guidelines, she said. B.C. will join Ontario, Alberta and Manitoba in providing the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine to people aged 40 and up, instead of starting at age 55, Henry said. "It's now become clear that the risk of very rare blood clots associated with vaccination (with AstraZeneca) is in the range of about four in a million," Henry said. "We need to put that in the context of what we are seeing across our province right now where COVID transmission rates are very high in many communities and the risk of hospitalization from COVID is about two to four in 100 for most people." Starting this week, the province will also use AstraZeneca to target vaccination in 13 high-risk communities, mostly in the Fraser Health region. — By Camille Bains in Vancouver This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 19, 2021. The Canadian Press