In 1943, Oscar-winning actor Christopher Walken was born in New York. (March 31)
EDMONTON — The Alberta Teachers’ Association is calling on the province to immediately scrap its proposed draft education curriculum for young students and to start again. Jason Schilling, president of the ATA, says most of his members feel teaching it to kids in kindergarten to Grade 6 would damage their development. “This curriculum is fatally flawed,” Schilling said Thursday. “Many of the teachers believe that putting it before children will cause harm. We cannot allow that to happen.” Schilling said the proposed plan is not developmentally appropriate for young kids, jammed with random facts, and loosely structured with concepts well over students’ heads. He said it teaches a Eurocentric history while giving short shrift to francophone and Indigenous cultures and perspectives. He noted that since the curriculum was introduced by Education Minister Adriana LaGrange two weeks ago, more than 20 school boards have said they will not pilot it in classrooms this fall. They include the public school boards in Edmonton and Calgary. Schilling also pointed to a survey of teachers released last week that revealed an overwhelming call for the document to be overhauled. The project has further faced accusations that parts of it have been cribbed or lifted verbatim without citation from Wikipedia and other sources. Advocates, including LaGrange, say it is a common-sense document that teaches both basic concepts, such as math multiplication tables, along with real-life skills for the information age, including how to budget and computer coding. LaGrange was not immediately available for comment. Schilling said teachers are willing to participate in developing a new curriculum, as they were given limited input on the current document. “Last December, we had 100 teachers who met for two days that had to sign a non-disclosure agreement," he said. "So we have no idea what they said, what they saw, and if the feedback they provided to government was actually taken into account and is reflected in the draft.” He acknowledged teachers can face disciplinary measures if they do not follow lawful direction, such as implementing a curriculum, but said there is a higher principle at stake. “Teachers who believe this curriculum is flawed and potentially damaging to student learning have the professional responsibility and moral right to refuse to participate in any voluntary piloting.” Schilling said he hopes school boards will respect such refusal, but declined to say specifically what the ATA will do, legal or otherwise, should co-operation turn into confrontation down the road. “We’ll have to cross that bridge when we get to that point, but my hope is that we don’t,” he said. LaGrange has stressed that the plan is just a draft and that the public and educators will have their say to propose changes before a final curriculum for K-6 students is launched across the province in September 2022. It’s all part of a broader overhaul of the school-age curriculum. A new learning plan for grades 7 to 10 is to be in place in the fall of 2023, and one for grades 11 and 12 in September 2024. This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 15, 2021. Dean Bennett, The Canadian Press
The young mother was trying to get home with food for her two children when she says soldiers pulled her off a minibus in Ethiopia’s Tigray region, claiming it was overloaded. The woman, 27, is among hundreds who have reported that they were subjected to horrific sexual violence by Ethiopian and allied Eritrean soldiers after fighting broke out in November in the mountainous northern region of Ethiopia, doctors said. Some women were held captive for extended periods, days or weeks at a time, said Dr Fasika Amdeselassie, the top public health official for the government-appointed interim administration in Tigray.
New Brunswick's success against COVID-19 will depend on four things over the next 10 weeks, says the province's chief medical officer of health. These include limiting the spread of the more transmissible and severe variants, maintaining Public Health measures during the vaccine rollout, rapidly vaccinating as many New Brunswickers as possible, and the effectiveness of vaccines in protecting against severe symptoms, ICU admission and death, said Dr. Jennifer Russell. There are now 49 active cases of variants in the province, including two new cases in the Fredericton region, Zone 3, of the variant first detected in South Africa, she told reporters during the Thursday afternoon COVID update. The Saint John region, Zone 2, also has two cases of that variant, while the remainder of the cases are the variant first reported in the U.K., which are spread across the province, except the Campbellton region, Zone 5. Nearly 25 per cent of New Brunswickers age 16 and older have received at least one dose of the vaccine, and the province remains on target to have at least one dose to everyone who wants one by the end of June, said Russell. But the goal remains "two dose maximum protection," she stressed, cautioning against a false sense of security. People can still contract the coronavirus after being vaccinated and new data shows these individuals often have very mild symptoms, or no symptoms at all, said Russell. "So these asymptomatic carriers can spread the virus to others who have not been vaccinated, resulting in further spread." Given this and the growing list of potential public exposures, Public Health is now offering COVID-19 testing to asymptomatic people who have been in an exposure area, she said. "If you feel that you have a spring cold or mild flu, it's probably COVID-19 or one of the variants. Please get tested, even if you've been vaccinated," Russell said. People can book a test online or call Tele-Care 811. "Don't take chances with the virus, especially now," Russell urged. Lockdown for at least another week in Edmundston region There are eight new cases of COVID-19 in New Brunswick, half of them in the Edmundston region, Zone 4, part of which will remain under lockdown for at least another week, the province's chief medical officer of health announced Thursday. Officials need to see more signs of improvement before ending the lockdown order in Edmundston and the Upper Madawaska area, now in its third week, said Russell. Of the 140 active cases in the province, 104 are in Zone 4, "mostly in the lockdown area," she said. Meanwhile, the situation has improved in the communities of Grand Falls, Saint-Léonard, Drummond, New Denmark and Four Falls and they will move from the red level to the less restrictive orange level at midnight, Russell said. The Saint-Quentin and Kedgwick regions will remain at the yellow level, along with the rest of the province. Russell compared the outbreak in the Edmundston region, Zone 4, on April 7, left, and April 14 to illustrate why the lockdown must continue. Each dot represents a confirmed case and each line represents a connection to another case.(Government of New Brunswick ) In the lockdown area, new cases continue to be confirmed every day and contact tracing remains "a challenge." To illustrate her point, Russell compared graphics of the region from April 7 and April 14, with each dot representing a confirmed case and each line representing a connection to another case. There are still three large clusters of cases, a few unrelated cases outside of these groupings and 19 cases Public Health officials have been unable to conclusively link to any of the existing clusters, she said. In addition, there are still "a number" of cases of community transmission in the area, as well as "numerous incidents" of public exposure to the coronavirus, Russell said. "We're working very, very hard at protecting everyone in that community," she said, thanking residents for their efforts to help slow the spread of the virus. 'Closer to a return to normal' Health Minister Dorothy Shephard said New Brunswick's vaccination rollout remains on schedule and has marked "an important milestone" with at least one dose administered to nearly 25 per cent of people age 16 and older. This "puts us closer to a return to normal," she said. In the Edmundston region, Zone 4, where extra doses have been allotted because of the outbreak, that figure is more than 35 per cent. "I want to stress that we are not sitting on doses of vaccine in this province," Shephard said during her speech at the Thursday COVID-19 briefing. "All of the vaccine we have is spoken for. "There is a process that begins when doses of the vaccine arrive in our province and are recorded as received through to when they are recorded as administered. And this process can take from two days up to a week. Health Minister Dorothy Shephard said the province's vaccination rollout remains on schedule.(Government of New Brunswick ) "But make no mistake, any vaccine that we have in New Brunswick is accounted for in our rollout plan and will be administered to residents in a timely and efficient manner. In fact, we are accepting every dose made available to us," she said. When asked about delayed shipments of the Moderna vaccine across Canada, Shephard confirmed the 16,100 doses New Brunswick was scheduled to receive the week of April 5 have not yet arrived. She expects them this week, she said. "We've had to, you know, pivot and push out some clinics. But essentially we are at where we thought we would be at the end of Q1 and going into Q2." Shephard did not provide an update on the 23,800 doses due to arrive the week of April 19, but the military commander leading vaccine logistics in Canada said those shipments are not expected until later this month, possibly as late as the first week of May. 18 in hospital, 12 in ICU Eighteen people are in hospital, 12 of whom are in intensive care. The eight new cases break down in this way: Moncton region, Zone 1: two An individual 20-29. An individual 50-59. One case is travel-related and the other is under investigation. Saint John region, Zone 2: one An individual 20-29. This case is travel-related. The eight new COVD-19 cases announced on Thursday put the total number of active cases in the province at 140.(CBC) Edmundston region, Zone 4: four An individual 30-39. An individual 50-59. An individual 60-69. An individual 80-89. Two of the cases are contacts of a confirmed case and the other two are under investigation. Bathurst region, Zone 6: one An individual 50-59. This case is travel-related. New Brunswick has had 1,760 confirmed cases of COVID-19 since the pandemic began in March 2020. There have been 33 COVID-related deaths and 1,586 recoveries. A total of 271,811 tests have been conducted to date, including 1,296 on Wednesday. Province will pay people to travel at home again The Department of Tourism is offering to pay New Brunswickers to vacation at home again this summer as part of the province's COVID-19 recovery plan. The Explore NB Travel Incentive Program will be reoffered again this year, with a budget of $4.5 million, Tourism, Heritage and Culture Minister Tammy Scott-Wallace announced Thursday as part of the department's budget estimates. The program, launched last summer and recently renewed for fall-winter travel, "has supported many tourism operators throughout the province by allowing them to stay open and generate revenue during the pandemic," Scott-Wallace said in a statement. Hopewell Rocks, a provincial park, is one of the province's top attractions and popular with tourists.(Submitted by Brian Atkinson) No details about this summer's program have been released yet. The department's website says they will be shared soon. Under the previous programs, residents could apply for a 20 per cent rebate on eligible expenses of up to $1,000 for travel within the province that included an overnight stay. To further support the hotel sector and communities significantly impacted by COVID-19, the department will provide $200,000 to help bring meetings, conventions and sport tourism back to the province and spend $350,000 on the tourism regional fund to assist regions with their tourism plans, she said. Tourism Minister Tammy Scott-Wallace said details about the renewed Explore NB travel rebate summer program will be announced soon.(Submitted by Tammy Scott-Wallace) Funding has also been set aside to help the arts and culture sectors rebound post-COVID-19, said Wallace. "We want to ensure that creative New Brunswickers can continue to connect and inspire us when times are tough and as they improve," she said. The plan includes: $300,000 for the arts and culture recovery and reactivation fund. Continuation of the Inspired by NB campaign to bring awareness of New Brunswick arts and cultural products through spending of $150,000. COVID-19 funding for the New Brunswick Museum and Kings Landing at $100,000 and $200,000, respectively, to help them with their recovery. An $85,000 increase in the New Brunswick Museum's operating budget. More possible exposures Public Health has identified a positive case in a traveller who may have been infectious on the following flights on April 2: Air Canada Flight 396 from Calgary to Montreal, departed at 1:10 a.m. Air Canada Flight 8898 from Montreal to Moncton, departed at 8:35 a.m. Edmundston region, Zone 4: April 10, between 11 a.m. and noon, Staples, 11 Centre Madawaska Blvd. April 10, between noon and 1 p.m., Walmart, 805 Victoria St. Previous exposure notices Moncton region, Zone 1: April 8 between 4:45 and 5:30 p.m. – COSTCO Wholesale customer service (140 Granite Dr., Moncton) April 6 between 5 and 8 p.m. – YMCA Vaughan Harvey, (30 War Veterans Ave., Moncton) April 4 between 10 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. – Moncton Wesleyan Church (945 St. George Blvd., Moncton) April 3 between 8:00 and 9:30 p.m. – Kelseys Original Roadhouse (141 Trinity Dr., Moncton) April 1 between 12 and 1 p.m., April 3 between 1 and 1:30 p.m., April 6 between 12:30 and 1:30 p.m., April 8 between 2 and 4 p.m. – CF Champlain (477 Paul St., Dieppe) Saint John region, Zone 2: March 29 and April 1, Guardian Drugs-Herring Cove Pharmacy (924 Rte. 774, Unit 2, Welshpool, Campobello Island) March 31, Service New Brunswick (73 Milltown Blvd., St. Stephen) March 31, Giant Tiger (210 King St., St. Stephen) March 31, Kent Building Supplies (188 King St., St. Stephen) March 31, Carman's Diner (164 King St., St. Stephen) April 9 between 2:10 and 2:40 p.m., GAP Factory East Point, (15 Fashion Dr., Saint John) April 9 between 5 and 6 p.m. – McAllister Place, 519 Westmorland Rd., Saint John April 8 between 12 and 1 p.m., – McAllister Place, 519 Westmorland Rd., Saint John April 8 between 1:15 and 2 p.m. – Service New Brunswick, 15 King Square North, Saint John April 1 between 6 and 7:30 p.m. – YMCA of Greater Saint John (191 Churchill Blvd., Saint John) Fredericton region, Zone 3: March 31 – Murray's Irving Big Stop (198 Beardsley Rd., Beardsley) Edmundston region, Zone 4: April 7, 8 and 9, Canada Post (4 Grondin St., Edmundston) April 8 and 9 between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m., Fenêtre Unique (130 Rivière à la Truite Rd., Edmundston) April 8 and 9, National Bank, (111 de l'Église St., Edmundston) April 9 between 12:00 and 1:30 p.m. – Shoppers Drug Mart (160 Hébert Blvd., Edmundston) April 8 between 6:30 and 7:00 a.m., April 7 between 6:30 and 7:00 a.m., and April 6 between 6:30 and 7:00 a.m. – Tim Hortons (262 Isidore-Boucher Blvd., St-Jacques) April 7 after 6:00 p.m., April 6 after 6:00 p.m. – Epicerie Chez ti-Marc (256 Isidore-Boucher Blvd., St-Jacques) April 7 between 10:00 a.m. and 12:00 p.m., and April 6 between 10:00 a.m. and 12:00 p.m. – Dollarama (787 Victoria St., Edmundston) April 7 between 10:00 a.m. and 12:00 p.m., and April 6 between 10:00 a.m. and 12:00 p.m. – NB Liquor, (575 Victoria St., Edmundston) April 7 between 10:30 and 11:00 a.m. – Jean Coutu (177 Victoria St., Edmundston) April 7 between 6:30 and 7:30 p.m. – Subway (180 Hébert Blvd., Edmundston) April 7 between 6:00 and 7:00 p.m. – Atlantic Superstore (577 Victoria St., Edmundston) April 6 between 6:30 and 7:00 a.m. – Scotiabank (75 Canada Rd., Edmundston) March 26 to April 8 – Napa Auto Parts - (260 Canada St., Edmundston) March 20 to April 9, Atlantic Superstore (577 Victoria St., Edmundston) April 5 at 11 a.m. – Shoppers Drug Mart (160 Hébert Blvd., Edmundston) April 1 – Royal Bank (48 Saint-François St., Edmundston) March 31 between 12 and 4:30 p.m. – Scotiabank (75 Canada Rd., Edmundston) March 30 between 12 and 4:30 p.m. – Scotiabank (75 Canada Rd., Edmundston) March 29 between 8:45 a.m. and 4 p.m. – Scotiabank (75 Canada Rd., Edmundston) What to do if you have a symptom People concerned they might have COVID-19 symptoms can take a self-assessment test online. Public Health says symptoms shown by people with COVID-19 have included: Fever above 38 C. New cough or worsening chronic cough. Sore throat. Runny nose. Headache. New onset of fatigue, muscle pain, diarrhea, loss of sense of taste or smell. Difficulty breathing. In children, symptoms have also included purple markings on the fingers and toes. People with one of those symptoms should: Stay at home. Call Tele-Care 811 or their doctor. Describe symptoms and travel history. Follow instructions.
While the age of consent was previously 15, prosecutors in France used to be required to prove sex was non-consensual to obtain a rape conviction. "This is an historic law for our children and our society," Justice Minister Eric Dupond-Moretti told the National Assembly. As a consequence, a "Romeo and Juliet" clause that allows for sexual relations between a minor and an individual up to five years older.
Opponents of the Feb. 1 coup that ousted an elected government led by Nobel peace laureate Aung San Suu Kyi have kept up their campaign against the military this traditional New Year week with marches and various other shows of defiance. Wai Moe Naing, a 25-year-old Muslim, has emerged as one of the most high-profile leaders of opposition to the coup.
Daimler AG on Thursday unveiled the electric "sibling" of its flagship Mercedes-Benz S-Class luxury sedan, taking the fight to market-leader Tesla Inc in the battle for market share as electric car sales take off. The EQS is the first in a family of Mercedes-Benz cars built on a dedicated electric vehicle platform built from the ground up. Sales of electric and plug-in hybrid cars in the European Union almost trebled to over 1 million vehicles last year, accounting for more than 10% of overall sales.
The mayor of a small Saskatchewan town whose residents were recently alerted they are at heightened risk of contracting highly transmissible coronavirus variants of concern says the area has recently experienced "excessive" partiers. Meanwhile, health officials confirm a "recreational party" took place near the community and has sparked a superspreading event. RCMP are investigating but no fines have been issued yet. Maple Creek Mayor Michelle McKenzie made the remarks Tuesday during a council meeting. RCMP Sgt. John Phipps had just completed a regular address about local crime statistics when McKenzie asked other councillors if they had any questions or concerns for the officer. McKenzie had one. "I think it comes down to just what we've been experiencing the last couple of days with the excessive.... partiers or anything else that exceeds the public health order," she said. WATCH | Mayor McKenzie addresses the RCMP (at the 15:58 mark): CBC News has reached out to McKenzie for further comment. One town councillor, Betty Abbott, declined to comment and referred CBC News to McKenzie and the Facebook feed. Event 'disappointing': health minister Saskatchewan Health Minister Paul Merriman was pressed for the second day in a row for details about the event. Asked if it was either a high school party or a religious gathering, Merriman said he did not have those details. He said the event went "way over" the limit of 10 people for private and public outdoor gatherings and that there was "minimal" adherence to public health rules. "We've had very low numbers in the southwest part of the province, in the Maple Creek and Swift Current area," Merriman said. "It takes one event like this to start up another superspreader. It's disappointing." Health Minister Paul Merriman said he was briefed on the situation but offered few details about the event. (CBC) Saskatchewan RCMP said their Maple Creek detachment is investigating the April 2 event after receiving more than one complaint. It allegedly took place at a home in a rural area near Maple Creek, according to an RCMP spokesperson. 21 cases linked to outdoor event On Wednesday, the day after McKenzie's remarks, the Saskatchewan Health Authority warned residents in Maple Creek and Rosetown, Kindersley, Swift Current, Davidson, Moose Jaw, plus their surrounding areas, of increased risk of COVID-19 variants of concern "related to a number of recent large outdoor gatherings and failure to comply with current public health measures." The health authority later confirmed an outdoor gathering in southwestern Saskatchewan was tied to 21 infections, including some cases of variants of concern, although the exact variant was not yet identified. No other details about the event were provided. Town affairs on lockdown In a virtual address posted on the Town of Maple Creek's Facebook page on Wednesday, McKenzie announced a series of clampdowns to protect town staff and residents from the spread of COVID-19. A masked McKenzie said town employees were going door to door with flyers about variants of concern. Some town staff would work from home, she said. The town office and visitor centre is closed, she added. "Residents of Maple Creek are strongly urged to strictly adhere to the current public health order and measures, including immediately [seeking] testing," McKenzie said. Maple Creek is one of 27 communities monitored by health officials in the South West 1 zone. As of Thursday, that zone had 32 active cases of COVID-19, with one new case announced that day.
School divisions in the Regina area joining forces in calling for school staff to be vaccinated before returning to in-person schooling. Regina Public Schools, Regina Catholic School Division and the Prairie Valley School Division are sending letters to the Saskatchewan Health Authority asking for school staff to be vaccinated before in-person classes are set to resume on April 26. "We know as educators that students learn better in the classroom. But not only that, we know that there are hardships created for thousands of families in our city when we do e-learning," said Adam Hicks, board chair for Regina Public Schools. "If all of our staff can get vaccinated sooner, we might be able to get children back into the classroom sooner than if we don't get them vaccinated." Each school board voted in favour of sending the letters during their respective meetings this week, citing Regina as a hot spot for coronavirus variants of concern. Hicks said getting school staff vaccinated would not only help keep students safe, but also the broader community. The school divisions said in March that their students would move to online learning for two weeks, amid concerns over rising numbers of cases involving variants of the coronavirus that causes COVID-19. They extended the remote learning period later that month. 'We're hoping that the province is listening' Hicks said RPS alone has about 2,400 workers and 24,000 students, along with 58 buildings, which means the division impacts 12 per cent of the city's population when schools are operational. However, he said that number could be around 30 to 40 per cent if one factors in parents and caregivers with kids in RPS. "We're hoping that the province is listening," he said. "We're not saying that our teachers, or support staff, or our division staff are any more important than others, but we believe that the impact is great for our city." Hicks said each division could handle the logistics of getting its workers vaccinated as well, including contact tracing on nights, weekends and statutory holidays. "We have a better chance to make this easier for everybody, including the economy, including parents that are struggling at home right now," he said. Hicks said he hopes students and staff will be able to return to class on the scheduled date, but extending remote learning again isn't off the table.
Canada's opposition Conservative Party on Thursday dropped its resistance to carbon pricing and adopted the fee on emissions and fuels as part of its own climate plan, a move that could put it at odds with some of its staunchest supporters. Climate change has proved a thorny issue for the Conservative Party under leader Erin O'Toole.
HALIFAX — A Mi'kmaq man who has been battling for Indigenous fishing rights says the recent seizure of his crab traps suggests Ottawa is becoming more aggressive on the water. Robert Syliboy said in an interview Tuesday that Fisheries Department officers in a Canadian Coast Guard vessel confiscated two of his $400 traps set in waters off Sherbrooke, N.S., last weekend. The 27-year-old fisherman from Sipekne'katik First Nation says his chief had authorized the setting of the 10 traps as a food, social and ceremonial fishery for the community in central Nova Scotia. "I told fisheries officers I was fishing under the chief and council's authority, and all the fish was going for food," Syliboy said. "They disregarded the treaty I was fishing under." The Indigenous band has cited Supreme Court of Canada rulings, including the Sparrow case in 1990, as affirmations of the Mi'kmaq practice of harvesting fish for ceremonies, food and gatherings. Last fall, Syliboy was among the more prominent Mi'kmaq fishers who attempted to launch a self-regulated lobster fishery off southwest Nova Scotia. One of his vessels caught fire at the wharf and was damaged beyond repair. The federal Fisheries Department says it believes existing law means Sipekne'katik requires a communal licence for fishing snow crab under provisions of the federal Fisheries Act. Spokeswoman Megan Gallant said by email that the band doesn't have such a licence. The department says on its website that it retains the right to regulate Indigenous fisheries for conservation purposes under both the Sparrow decision and the more recent Donald Marshall Jr. decision, which allowed Indigenous fishing in pursuit of a moderate livelihood. Gallant said on Wednesday that fishery officers first warned Syliboy against fishing in an April 6 phone call, and that his snow crab traps were seized the following weekend. "These operations are part of routine gear inspections by fishery officers to ensure compliance with the Fisheries Act and associated regulations," she wrote. Syliboy said he disagrees with the federal interpretation of the Supreme Court's rulings, arguing he retains the right to operate without a federally approved licence if his band has authorized him to fish. As the possibility of another season of unrest off southwestern Nova Scotia approaches, the fisher said he believes the enforcement action signals Ottawa will not tolerate self-regulated Indigenous fisheries. "The (coast guard vessel) was very close to my vessel. It was more intimidation than anything, I think. They were on a 100-foot vessel doing circles around me," he said. "I believe it's getting worse for Mi'kmaq fishers and not better. It's becoming harder to access waters." Syliboy said he would be pleased to go to court and argue against the seizures, as he feels existing judicial rulings support his view. However, Colin Sproul, a spokesman for the Unified Fisheries Conservation Alliance — a lobby group representing various non-Indigenous, commercial fishers — said Ottawa's right to regulate remains a key part of Supreme Court of Canada decisions. "The Sparrow decision is very clear that the right of First Nations are administered through the federal government and the minister, and that she has the ultimate authority for conservation," he said. Asked whether setting 10 traps for a community feast poses a conservation issue, Sproul responded, "there is a conservation issue on every single pound of fish taken out of the ocean." He said all uses of the resource need to be accounted for "so that all the participants can make responsible management decisions." This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 15, 2021. Michael Tutton, The Canadian Press
The RCMP say a body found near Saint Andrews last weekend was that of a 68-year-old woman who disappeared in the area last December. Police don't believe foul play was a factor in her death. Wilhelmina (Wilma) Catherine Montgomery was reported missing on Dec. 8, 2020, after not being seen since around noon in Saint Andrews the day before. Her disappearance triggered a response from the Charlotte County Ground Search and Rescue team, which mobilized 20 searchers to look for her in the days after she was last seen. On Saturday, RCMP said the body of a woman was found by a kayaker on Navy Island, near Saint Andrews. "Even though this is not the outcome we were hoping for, we are glad to be able to bring closure to the family," said RCMP Sgt. Christopher Henderson.
Deputy leader of the Opposition Candice Bergen criticized Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland during question period on Thursday for comments last week that COVID-19 had created a "window of political opportunity and maybe an epiphany" on child care, saying the comments were a "ridiculous thing" to say and questioned the purpose of the comment given the impact the pandemic has had.
Singer and actress Jennifer Lopez and former New York Yankees baseball star Alex Rodriguez called off their engagement because "we are better as friends," announcing the breakup on Thursday just months after denying their four-year relationship was on the rocks. “We have realized we are better as friends and look forward to remaining so," Lopez, 51, also known by her nickname J.Lo, and Rodriguez, 45, known as A-Rod, said in a joint statement. "We will continue to work together and support each other on our shared businesses and projects,” Lopez and Rodriguez said.
The latest numbers of confirmed COVID-19 cases in Canada as of 4 a.m. ET on Thursday, April 15, 2021. There are 1,087,152 confirmed cases in Canada. _ Canada: 1,087,152 confirmed cases (80,201 active, 983,506 resolved, 23,445 deaths).*The total case count includes 13 confirmed cases among repatriated travellers. There were 8,590 new cases Wednesday. The rate of active cases is 211.03 per 100,000 people. Over the past seven days, there have been a total of 59,113 new cases. The seven-day rolling average of new cases is 8,445. There were 53 new reported deaths Wednesday. Over the past seven days there have been a total of 272 new reported deaths. The seven-day rolling average of new reported deaths is 39. The seven-day rolling average of the death rate is 0.1 per 100,000 people. The overall death rate is 61.69 per 100,000 people. There have been 29,363,293 tests completed. _ Newfoundland and Labrador: 1,034 confirmed cases (18 active, 1,010 resolved, six deaths). There were three new cases Wednesday. The rate of active cases is 3.45 per 100,000 people. Over the past seven days, there have been a total of 13 new cases. The seven-day rolling average of new cases is two. There have been no deaths reported over the past week. The overall death rate is 1.15 per 100,000 people. There have been 229,026 tests completed. _ Prince Edward Island: 165 confirmed cases (six active, 159 resolved, zero deaths). There were zero new cases Wednesday. The rate of active cases is 3.76 per 100,000 people. Over the past seven days, there have been a total of five new cases. The seven-day rolling average of new cases is one. There have been no deaths reported over the past week. The overall death rate is zero per 100,000 people. There have been 132,097 tests completed. _ Nova Scotia: 1,783 confirmed cases (42 active, 1,675 resolved, 66 deaths). There were two new cases Wednesday. The rate of active cases is 4.29 per 100,000 people. Over the past seven days, there have been a total of 34 new cases. The seven-day rolling average of new cases is five. There have been no deaths reported over the past week. The overall death rate is 6.74 per 100,000 people. There have been 454,970 tests completed. _ New Brunswick: 1,752 confirmed cases (142 active, 1,577 resolved, 33 deaths). There were 16 new cases Wednesday. The rate of active cases is 18.17 per 100,000 people. Over the past seven days, there have been a total of 73 new cases. The seven-day rolling average of new cases is 10. There were zero new reported deaths Wednesday. Over the past seven days there have been a total of two new reported deaths. The seven-day rolling average of new reported deaths is zero. The seven-day rolling average of the death rate is 0.04 per 100,000 people. The overall death rate is 4.22 per 100,000 people. There have been 278,484 tests completed. _ Quebec: 331,031 confirmed cases (13,660 active, 306,608 resolved, 10,763 deaths). There were 1,559 new cases Wednesday. The rate of active cases is 159.31 per 100,000 people. Over the past seven days, there have been a total of 11,229 new cases. The seven-day rolling average of new cases is 1,604. There were seven new reported deaths Wednesday. Over the past seven days there have been a total of 54 new reported deaths. The seven-day rolling average of new reported deaths is eight. The seven-day rolling average of the death rate is 0.09 per 100,000 people. The overall death rate is 125.52 per 100,000 people. There have been 7,638,706 tests completed. _ Ontario: 398,835 confirmed cases (36,808 active, 354,417 resolved, 7,610 deaths). There were 4,156 new cases Wednesday. The rate of active cases is 249.82 per 100,000 people. Over the past seven days, there have been a total of 28,018 new cases. The seven-day rolling average of new cases is 4,003. There were 28 new reported deaths Wednesday. Over the past seven days there have been a total of 135 new reported deaths. The seven-day rolling average of new reported deaths is 19. The seven-day rolling average of the death rate is 0.13 per 100,000 people. The overall death rate is 51.65 per 100,000 people. There have been 13,087,321 tests completed. _ Manitoba: 35,539 confirmed cases (1,439 active, 33,146 resolved, 954 deaths). There were 80 new cases Wednesday. The rate of active cases is 104.33 per 100,000 people. Over the past seven days, there have been a total of 885 new cases. The seven-day rolling average of new cases is 126. There were three new reported deaths Wednesday. Over the past seven days there have been a total of 11 new reported deaths. The seven-day rolling average of new reported deaths is two. The seven-day rolling average of the death rate is 0.11 per 100,000 people. The overall death rate is 69.17 per 100,000 people. There have been 617,554 tests completed. _ Saskatchewan: 37,085 confirmed cases (2,525 active, 34,102 resolved, 458 deaths). There were 193 new cases Wednesday. The rate of active cases is 214.22 per 100,000 people. Over the past seven days, there have been a total of 1,914 new cases. The seven-day rolling average of new cases is 273. There was one new reported death Wednesday. Over the past seven days there have been a total of 13 new reported deaths. The seven-day rolling average of new reported deaths is two. The seven-day rolling average of the death rate is 0.16 per 100,000 people. The overall death rate is 38.86 per 100,000 people. There have been 709,016 tests completed. _ Alberta: 164,531 confirmed cases (15,569 active, 146,933 resolved, 2,029 deaths). There were 1,412 new cases Wednesday. The rate of active cases is 352.09 per 100,000 people. Over the past seven days, there have been a total of 9,055 new cases. The seven-day rolling average of new cases is 1,294. There were eight new reported deaths Wednesday. Over the past seven days there have been a total of 27 new reported deaths. The seven-day rolling average of new reported deaths is four. The seven-day rolling average of the death rate is 0.09 per 100,000 people. The overall death rate is 45.89 per 100,000 people. There have been 3,863,365 tests completed. _ British Columbia: 114,870 confirmed cases (9,989 active, 103,360 resolved, 1,521 deaths). There were 1,168 new cases Wednesday. The rate of active cases is 194.05 per 100,000 people. Over the past seven days, there have been a total of 7,885 new cases. The seven-day rolling average of new cases is 1,126. There were six new reported deaths Wednesday. Over the past seven days there have been a total of 30 new reported deaths. The seven-day rolling average of new reported deaths is four. The seven-day rolling average of the death rate is 0.08 per 100,000 people. The overall death rate is 29.55 per 100,000 people. There have been 2,317,181 tests completed. _ Yukon: 76 confirmed cases (two active, 73 resolved, one death). There was one new case Wednesday. The rate of active cases is 4.76 per 100,000 people. Over the past seven days, there have been two new cases. The seven-day rolling average of new cases is zero. There have been no deaths reported over the past week. The overall death rate is 2.38 per 100,000 people. There have been 8,706 tests completed. _ Northwest Territories: 43 confirmed cases (one active, 42 resolved, zero deaths). There were zero new cases Wednesday. The rate of active cases is 2.21 per 100,000 people. Over the past seven days, there have been a total of zero new cases. The seven-day rolling average of new cases is zero. There have been no deaths reported over the past week. The overall death rate is zero per 100,000 people. There have been 16,734 tests completed. _ Nunavut: 395 confirmed cases (zero active, 391 resolved, four deaths). There were zero new cases Wednesday. Over the past seven days, there have been a total of zero new cases. The seven-day rolling average of new cases is zero. There have been no deaths reported over the past week. The overall death rate is 10.16 per 100,000 people. There have been 10,057 tests completed. This report was automatically generated by The Canadian Press Digital Data Desk and was first published April 15, 2021. The Canadian Press
EDITOR'S NOTE: CBC News and The Road Ahead commissioned this public opinion research in March, just as the third wave of COVID-19 cases was building in Alberta. As with all polls, this one is a snapshot in time. This article is one in a series to come out of this research. Previous articles include: (CBC) The Conservative Party of Canada still enjoys a sizeable lead among Alberta voters but its support has eroded since the last federal election and Albertans are not particularly impressed with its leader, Erin O'Toole, according to a new poll. Asked to rank their impression of federal leaders on a scale from zero to 10 — with zero being "not at all impressed" and 10 being "very impressed" — O'Toole scored the lowest of the three major party leaders at the high end of the scale. Just 11 per cent of respondents said they were highly impressed by O'Toole (a rating of seven to 10). By comparison, 16 per cent said the same for NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh and 17 per cent for Liberal Leader Justin Trudeau. Analysts say Conservatives have popularity to spare in Alberta and O'Toole needs to worry most about his popularity in other parts of the country. But the poll nevertheless highlights a weakness for the Conservative leader in what has traditionally been a stronghold for his party. "One of the most surprising things in the entire poll was to see how low Erin O'Toole's impression scores are," said pollster Janet Brown, who conducted the survey for CBC News. "This is Alberta. This is the bastion of Conservative support. And it's got to be disheartening to the Conservatives and to Erin O'Toole to see that he's not really making much of an impression here in Alberta." The bulk of Albertans had a middling impression of O'Toole, with 45 per cent giving him a rating of four to six, versus Singh's 37 per cent and Trudeau's 29 per cent. And at the low end of the scale, 35 per cent of Albertans gave O'Toole a rating of zero to three, compared to 41 per cent for Singh and 54 per cent for Trudeau. Brown said that should come as somewhat of a silver lining for the Conservative leader. "It's better to have neutral scores than it is to have negative scores," she said. "But we could have an election at any time and for a leader to have made such a weak impression on people this close to a federal election has got to be concerning." Seats could be in play Overall, the poll found Albertans still prefer the Conservative party by a wide margin, but the party's support has declined since the 2019 election. Asked how they would vote if an election were held immediately, 53 per cent of decided voters said they'd pick the Conservatives. That's down from the 69 per cent of the vote the party received in the last federal election. The poll found the Liberals have gained the most support over that same time, growing from 14 per cent of the vote in the last election to 24 per cent support in the poll. The NDP, which earned 12 per cent of the vote in the last election, were up to 17 per cent in the poll. Mount Royal University political science professor Duane Bratt said the decline in Conservative support opens the door for the Liberals to potentially pick up a seat or two in Alberta's major cities. "Given the hostility that the provincial [UCP] government has expressed at times to the Trudeau government, if they were able to win a seat in Calgary or win a seat in Edmonton, that would be quite remarkable," he said. The Liberals were shut out of Alberta in the last election, in which the Conservatives won 33 of the province's 34 seats. The NDP won one seat, in the riding of Edmonton Strathcona. Bratt said he, too, was surprised by the middling level of enthusiasm for O'Toole expressed in the poll but, overall, the Conservatives still appear to have a strong grip on Alberta. He said O'Toole could even stand to lose a little more support in the province if it meant picking up support in other parts of the country. Putting forward policies that might not be popular among Alberta Conservatives, but have broad appeal in places where there are more votes for the party to gain, might make sense, according to Bratt. "He needs to win seats in suburban Toronto. He needs to win seats in Quebec. He needs to win seats in suburban Vancouver. He does not need to win seats in Alberta," Bratt said. "But the drop in popularity is not what's going to do it. People are not going to say in Whitby or in Brampton, 'Oh, Erin O'Toole isn't popular in Alberta? Let's vote for him.' It's got to be the policies that he brings in." CBC News' random survey of 1,200 Albertans was conducted between March 15 and April 10, 2021 by Edmonton-based Trend Research under the direction of Janet Brown Opinion Research. The sample is representative along regional, age, and gender factors. The margin of error is +/-2.8 percentage points, 19 times out of 20. For subsets, the margin of error is larger. The survey used a hybrid methodology that involved contacting survey respondents by telephone and giving them the option of completing the survey at that time, at another more convenient time, or receiving an email link and completing the survey online.
Newfoundland and Labrador has two new cases of COVID-19 on Thursday, both related to travel. One is in the Western Health region, a man between 20 and 39 years old who travelled within Canada. The second case is in the Eastern Health region, a man in his 60s who travelled internationally. The Department of Health said contact tracing by public health officials is underway. Anyone considered a close contact has been advised to quarantine. Public health is asking passengers who travelled on Air Canada Flight 8008, leaving Toronto on Saturday and arriving in Deer Lake on Sunday, to arrange COVID-19 testing. The province reported one more recovery Thursday, in the Western Health region. There are now 15 active cases in Newfoundland and Labrador, and one person is in hospital due to the virus. A case in Western Health reported on April 9 has been determined to be related to travel within Canada. A case reported on April 8 in the Eastern Health region is still under investigation. The Health Department is also advising rotational workers about a COVID-19 outbreak at the Royal Camp Services in Grande Prairie, Alta. The department said it was notified about the outbreak by the Public Health Agency of Canada as people from Newfoundland and Labrador work at the site. Workers with this project who have returned to Newfoundland and Labrador in the last two weeks must isolate themselves from any household members, call 811 to arrange testing and complete the full 14-day self-isolation period, regardless of test result. To date, 128,432 people have been tested, including 597 since Wednesday's update. Meanwhile, Eastern Health has opened all of its COVID-19 vaccination clinics to people 65 years old and older for their first shots of either the Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna vaccine. Pre-registration is no longer necessary and eligible residents can book an appointment online with an email address. Anyone 70 years old and up who has already registered can also book an appointment. Read more from CBC Newfoundland and Labrador
From its leather bar stools and checkered walls to the bright neon cowboy galloping over the front door, Surrey's Round Up Cafe has long connected B.C.'s fastest-growing community to its humble roots. The post-war family-run diner, known for its home-style breakfasts and Ukrainian fare, has lasted more than six decades on Surrey's King George Boulevard. "It was a gathering spot," said co-owner Dennis Springenatic, whose parents bought the restaurant in 1959. It quickly became a cornerstone in the emerging Whalley neighbourhood. "There was a lot of history here in the '60s and '70s. A lot of families grew up here," said Springenatic. Bacon, eggs and perogies are among the specialty dishes at Surrey's Round Up Cafe.(Round Up Cafe/Facebook) But like many restaurants during the COVID-19 pandemic, the Round Up Cafe has fallen on hard times. It shut down for eight months in 2020, reopening in December. But Springenatic says it won't be able to recover from the latest round of "circuit breaker" restrictions, which have prohibited indoor dining throughout B.C. Public health is expected to extend the health measures into May, according to the B.C. Restaurant and Foodservices Association. The measures were originally set to expire on April 19. Springenatic says the family plans to close the Round Up Cafe for good, as its limited patio seating can't generate enough business to keep the doors open. "It wasn't on our terms to go out," he said. "It took a pandemic to shut us down, and it's disappointing." Local landmark The bright neon sign on the front of the building has been there longer than the Springenatic family has owned the business. Husband and wife restaurateurs Orest and Goldie Springenatic, Dennis's parents, purchased the property from its previous owners, who operated the restaurant under the same name. After the first five years, the family got involved with Whalley Little League and helped build it up. The restaurant became a go-to spot for families after baseball and hockey tournaments. A picture of Goldie and Orest Springenatic hangs on the wall inside the Round Up Cafe.(Round Up Cafe/Facebook) At night, more boisterous crowds would roll in. For the first two decades, it was open 24-7, and was steps away from local party hot spots like the since-demolished Flamingo Hotel. "Back in the '70s when the nightclubs were rocking, a lot of people would come here after the bar shut down, and have fries and gravy," said Dennis Springenatic. "It was a very family and community oriented place over the years." Owner Goldie Springenatic bought the restaurant with her husband in 1959. The pair previously ran a restaurant in Boston Bar.(Round Up Cafe/Facebook) Last stand The cafe is one of the few landmarks of its era still standing as new developments and highrises replace aging buildings. Despite the family owning the building, the pandemic has made it difficult for them to keep up with operating costs. The recent indoor dining restrictions and their expected extension is enough to make them call it a day. The restaurant's makeshift patio can sit about a dozen customers while the empty indoor dining area can seat more than 40. "It's made it tough to even break even, and try to get ahead," said Springenatic. "It's discouraging for all the restaurants." Springenatic says he doesn't know what's next for the decades-old site, but he says the family will likely try to rent out the building. As for the neon sign above, he hopes it can be maintained and displayed inside a local museum or heritage centre. "The legacy is just ... really good memories."
After decades of lobbying by local Indigenous leaders, a former residential school in the remote British Columbia community of Lower Post is to be demolished and replaced with a new community centre. The federal and B.C. governments say construction on the new $13.5-million project is set to start in June and expected to be complete by next year. Deputy Chief Harlan Schilling of the Daylu Dena Council at Lower Post, said the building — which was a Roman Catholic-operated residential school from 1951 to 1975 — has long been a painful reminder of a dark past. "This torch has been the one thing that's been passed off from leader to leader: to finally remove this horrible building in the centre of the community and centre of our lives," said Schilling. B.C. Premier John Horgan, federal Indigenous Services Minister Marc Miller and Indigenous leaders from the area took part in the emotional news conference, which was held virtually. An artist's rendering of the Lower Post community centre, which will replace the former residential school building.(B.C. Government) Horgan says he was moved to work with the federal government to replace the residential school building after local elders told him during a visit that some people feared stepping inside the place where they suffered physical and sexual abuse. "Elders have been fearful of this building in the middle of the territory for decades and decades," he said. After the residential school closed, the building served as the Daylu Dena Council's band office, a post office and employment centre for the estimated 175 residents of the community, located near the B.C.-Yukon border. Schilling says it's been devastating knowing the hurt many elders have been holding inside over the years, but the building's demolition will finally bring some relief. "This is a success for our First Nation and Canada as a whole," he said. Murray Rankin, B.C.'s minister of Indigenous relations and reconciliation, said the demolition of the old school and construction of the new community centre was an important step forward in reconciliation. Lower Post is located on Highway 97, the Alaska Highway, approximately 23 kilometres southeast of Watson Lake, Yukon, near the confluence of the Dease and Liard Rivers.
MINNEAPOLIS (Reuters) -The former Minnesota police officer charged with manslaughter in the fatal shooting of a young Black man during a traffic stop made her first court appearance on Thursday as the slain motorist's family called for "full accountability" for his death. Kimberly Potter, 48, who turned in her badge on Tuesday and posted $100,000 bond hours after her arrest on Wednesday, waved to the judge as she appeared for the brief hearing online, seated in her lawyer's office. She waived her right to a formal reading of the criminal complaint charging her with second-degree manslaughter for fatally shooting 20-year-old Daunte Wright on Sunday in the Minneapolis suburb of Brooklyn Center.
OTTAWA — The Federal Court of Appeal has found that a pact between Ottawa and Washington to turn back asylum-seekers entering Canada from the United States does not violate the Charter of Rights and Freedoms. A three-judge panel ruled unanimously Thursday to allow the Canadian government's appeal that argued the Federal Court misinterpreted the law when it declared in July that the safe third country agreement breaches constitutional guarantees of life, liberty and security. The Federal Court’s declaration of invalidity was suspended for six months and later extended, leaving the law in place for now. The Canadian Council for Refugees, Amnesty International and the Canadian Council of Churches, among others who argued against the agreement in court, can seek leave to appeal the ruling to the Supreme Court of Canada. Under the bilateral agreement, which took effect in 2004, Canada and the United States recognize each other as safe places to seek protection. It means Canada can turn back people seeking asylum who arrive at land ports of entry along the Canada-U.S. border on the basis they must pursue their claims in the United States, the country where they first arrived. Janet Dench, executive director of the Canadian Council for Refugees, said the court decision is disappointing. "It really avoids wrestling with the experiences of people who have been sent back to the U.S." she said. "We submitted substantial evidence including affidavits from people who are in detention, from experts, from practitioners. So we know that there are widespread abuses, shocking conditions in detention in the U.S." She said the organizations and the individual claimants who argued against the agreement in court had framed their arguments as a challenge to the designation of the United States as a safe third country for refugees. The court said the arguments should have focused on the review process Canada uses to determine whether the United States continues to be a safe country for refugees or not. "We didn't do (that) in part because the evidence of the review process is confidential," Dench said. The government claims privilege for that review process because its recommendations and decisions involve cabinet deliberations, she said, adding it would be hard to bring evidence when Ottawa refuses to share it with the public or release it to the court. "It's a little bit ironic that the court is saying that we should have taken this route, which would be very difficult to to succeed with." Dench said the current goverment has described itself as a feminist government, and yet it has sent women back to the United States, even when they're making a refugee claim based on gender-based persecution. The Immigration Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The Trudeau government has defended the safe third country agreement, saying there will be upheaval at the border without it. In a submission to the court, federal lawyers said the absence of the agreement would serve as "a pull factor" attracting people to make a claim for protection in Canada. "This will impact all types of port of entry operations and result in significant delays for persons making refugee claims at the land port of entry," the government submission states. Justin Mohammed, the human rights law and policy campaigner at Amnesty International Canada, said there was an extensive factual record before the court that showed people who were returned to the United States were subjected to human rights violations. "One of the claimants who was involved in this case was returned to the United States where she was detained. She was held in solitary confinement in a freezing cold cell, and she was given food that was inconsistent with her religious beliefs," Mohammed said. He said there's also an increased risk that a person who is returned to the United States might be sent back to their country of origin where they would possibly face persecution. The court's technical approach to the arguments is "unfortunate and regrettable," he said. Mohammed said Canada becomes complicit in the violations when it has the opportunity hear people's claims for protection, but rather sends them back to the United States. Both the Canadian Council for Refugees and Amnesty International say they will be considering the option to seek leave to appeal to the Supreme Court. But he called on the Parliament to make a decision to end this agreement. "Regardless of this decision, it still remains within the hands of the Parliament of Canada to change this very shameful practice," he said. This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 15, 2021. ------ This story was produced with the financial assistance of the Facebook and Canadian Press News Fellowship. Maan Alhmidi, The Canadian Press
