The pandemic has forced educators across Canada to find innovative new ways to teach from a distance.
WASHINGTON — Federal law enforcement officials are examining a number of threats aimed at members of Congress as the second trial of former President Donald Trump nears, including ominous chatter about killing legislators or attacking them outside of the U.S. Capitol, a U.S. official told The Associated Press. The threats, and concerns that armed protesters could return to sack the Capitol anew, have prompted the U.S. Capitol Police and other federal law enforcement to insist thousands of National Guard troops remain in Washington as the Senate moves forward with plans for Trump's trial, the official said. The shocking insurrection at the Capitol by a pro-Trump mob prompted federal officials to rethink security in and around its landmarks, resulting in an unprecedented lockdown for Biden's inauguration. Though the event went off without any problems and armed protests around the country did not materialize, the threats to lawmakers ahead of Trump's trial exemplified the continued potential for danger. Similar to those intercepted by investigators ahead of Biden’s inauguration, the threats that law enforcement agents are tracking vary in specificity and credibility, said the official, who had been briefed on the matter. Mainly posted online and in chat groups, the messages have included plots to attack members of Congress during travel to and from the Capitol complex during the trial, according to the official. The official was not authorized to discuss an ongoing investigation publicly and spoke Sunday to the AP on condition of anonymity. Law enforcement officials are already starting to plan for the possibility of armed protesters returning to the nation's capital when Trump’s Senate trial on a charge of inciting a violent insurrection begins the week of Feb. 8. It would be the first impeachment trial of a former U.S. president. Though much of the security apparatus around Washington set up after the Jan. 6 riot and ahead of Biden’s inauguration — it included scores of military checkpoints and hundreds of additional law enforcement personnel — is no longer in place, about 7,000 members of the National Guard will remain to assist federal law enforcement, officials said. Gen. Dan Hokanson, chief of the National Guard Bureau, said Monday that about 13,000 Guard members are still deployed in D.C., and that their numbers would shrink to 7,000 by the end of this week. John Whitley, the acting secretary of the Army, told a Pentagon news conference that this number is based on requests for assistance from the Capitol Police, the Park Police, the Secret Service and the Metropolitan Police Department. Whitley said the number is to drop to 5,000 by mid-March. Thousands of Trump’s supporters descended on the Capitol on Jan. 6 as Congress met to certify Biden as the winner of the 2020 presidential race. More than 800 are believed to have made their way into the Capitol during the violent siege, pushing past overwhelmed police officers. The Capitol police said they planned for a free speech protest, not a riot, and were caught off guard despite intelligence suggesting the rally would descend into a riot. Five people died in the melee, including a Capitol police officer who was struck in the head with a fire extinguisher. At least five people facing federal charges have suggested they believed they were taking orders from Trump when they marched on Capitol Hill to challenge the certification of Biden’s election victory. But now those comments, captured in interviews with reporters and federal agents, are likely to take centre stage as Democrats lay out their case. More than 130 people have been charged by federal prosecutors for their roles in the riot. In recent weeks, others have been arrested after posting threats against members of Congress. They include a Proud Boys supporter who authorities said threatened to deploy “three cars full of armed patriots” to Washington, threatened harm against Sen. Raphael Warnock, D-Ga., and who is accused of stockpiling military-style combat knives and more than 1,000 rifle rounds in his New York home. A Texas man was arrested this week for taking part in the riot at the Capitol and for posting violent threats, including a call to assassinate Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y ___ Associated Press writer Lolita C. Baldor contributed to this report. Michael Balsamo, The Associated Press
A Saskatchewan-raised hockey player has been paralyzed by a snowboarding accident. Kamloops Blazers forward Kyrell Sopotyk, 19, was injured in a snowboarding accident in Saskatchewan over the weekend, according to the Western Hockey League (WHL). Sopotyk is from Aberdeen, Saskatchewan. He was drafted to B.C.'s Blazers in 2016. "Everyone associated with the Western Hockey League is deeply saddened by the devastating news," the WHL said in a statement. "The WHL and our member clubs extend our thoughts and prayers to Kyrell, the entire Sopotyk family, Kyrell's teammates with the Kamloops Blazers, and all his friends during this challenging time." A GoFundMe campaign set up on Sunday to raise money for Sopotyk's needs, including possible renovations to his home and health-care costs, has surpassed its goal of $50,000. As of Monday morning, it had raised more than $76,000. "I think any parent that has to go to the hospital after an accident knows what they would be experiencing right now. It's a shock. And I think as a parent, you go through those emotions of ... 'Why my child'?" said Kathleen Zary, organizer of the GoFundMe campaign. "Kyrell is an amazing soul. The family's amazing ... I can't imagine what they're going through right now." Zary said the success of the GoFundMe campaign is not surprising. "They're very well-loved family in [Saskatchewan] and in Kamloops as well. And I know if the roles were reversed, the Sopotyk family would do the same for anybody. They're one of those families that you meet and you just are instantly drawn to them because there's just so lovely and caring to everybody." The cause and type of injury has not been made public at this time.
Ontario reported another 1,958 cases of COVID-19 on Monday, as experts heading the province's vaccination campaign outlined how they are responding to delays in the delivery of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine. The new cases include 727 in Toronto, 365 in Peel Region and 157 in York Region. They come one year after the first confirmed infection of the novel coronavirus in Canada was found in a patient in Toronto. Other public health units that saw double-digit increases yesterday were: Windsor-Essex: 85 Niagara Region: 82 Durham Region: 62 Hamilton: 55 Halton Region: 54 Ottawa: 51 Middlesex-London: 46 Simcoe Muskoka: 41 Waterloo Region: 39 Wellington-Dufferin-Guelph: 35 Huron-Perth: 29 Southwestern: 28 Chatham-Kent: 22 Lambton: 19 Eastern Ontario: 11 Haliburton, Kawartha, Pine Ridge: 11 (Note: All of the figures used in this story are found on the Ministry of Health's COVID-19 dashboard or in its Daily Epidemiologic Summary. The number of cases for any region may differ from what is reported by the local public health unit, because local units report figures at different times.) It was the fewest number of new infections logged on a single day in nearly a week. The seven-day average of daily cases continued its steady decline down to 2,371, the lowest it has been since Dec. 30, 2020. It has been trending downward since its peak of 3,555 on Jan. 11. Notably, however, Ontario's network of labs processed just 35,968 test samples for the virus despite capacity for more than 70,000 daily. Collectively, they reported a test positivity rate of 5.5 per cent. Another 2,448 cases were marked resolved in today's report. There are now 23,620 confirmed, active infections provincewide, down from a high of more than 30,000 earlier this month. According to the province, there were 1,398 people with COVID-19 in hospitals, though as is often the case on weekends, about 10 per cent of hospitals did not submit data. A total of 397 patients were being treated in intensive care, while 283 required a ventilator to breathe. Public health units logged another 43 deaths of people with COVID-19, pushing Ontario's official death toll to 5,846. Meanwhile, at a media briefing this morning, members of Ontario's vaccine distribution task force said the province will delay first doses for health-care workers and essential caregivers amid a shortage of the Pfizer product. Available doses of vaccines will instead be channelled only to residents of long-term care and at-risk retirement homes, as well as First Nations seniors living in elder care settings. The goal is to have all those who fall into one of these groups be given a first dose of vaccine by Feb. 5, 10 days earlier than first planned. Health workers in the long-term care sector as well as essential caregivers were slated to be vaccinated during the initial stages of the province's rollout, alongside residents. Due to delays in expected shipments of the Pfizer vaccine, however, the focus in coming weeks will be solely on people at the highest risk of severe illness or death, officials said. The shift means that front-line health-care workers in other settings, such as those doing direct patient care in hospitals, will have to wait longer than originally planned to be immunized. "As we speed up vaccines for the most vulnerable, we have to ensure that we're able to provide their second dose," Premier Doug Ford said at a news conference Monday. "Delivery delays are now forcing us to be careful and cautious." Provincial officials also said there is uncertainty surrounding expected shipments of the Pfizer vaccine the weeks of Feb. 8 and Feb. 15. The federal government has not yet specified how many doses Ontario should anticipate receiving in that period, they said, making it difficult to provide a granular timeframe for when those shots will be administered. Moreover, all of Ontario's 34 public health units are expected to have vaccines available for priority groups by the end of this week. As of this morning, there were 14 health units that thus far had not received any doses for administration. The province said it gave out 5,537 doses of vaccines on Sunday. A total of 286,110 shots have been administered, while 71,256 people have received a second dose. "As soon as there is certainty in deliveries ... it will be full steam ahead," Ford said. "It is our hope that by the summer, everyone who wants to get a vaccine will be able to get a vaccine." Ontario has 34 cases of variant 1st detected in U.K. Dr. Vanessa Allen, chief of microbiology and laboratory science at Public Health Ontario, told reporters later on Monday that the province has now identified 34 cases of the variant first detected in the United Kingdom, but none of the variants first found in South Africa and Brazil. These strains are called "variants of concern," she said. Allen said some evidence indicates that the variant first detected in the U.K. is transmitted more easily and causes more severe disease in some people. This particular strain of COVID-19 has been found in more than 60 countries, she said. Public Health Ontario has developed a screening test for this variant and it is being used to test any COVID-19 positive traveller, people in more aggressive outbreaks, and people who have been identified as having a characteristic pattern on one test used in three labs in Ontario. All samples that tested positive for COVID-19 on Jan. 20 will be tested for the variant by Public Health Ontario to give the province a snapshot of it, she said. Testing for variants needs to be tied closely with public health measures, she added. "We're working very closely with our public health colleagues, including the public health units, to ensure that these individuals that are identified with the variant of concern are prioritized for case and contact management and other supports," she said. Dr. David Williams, Ontario's chief medical officer of health, said daily case numbers have begun to drop in some public health regions or are reaching plateaus in others and the province is beginning to see the effects of the stay-at-home order and the second declaration of emergency. "We keep seeing the numbers coming down steadily. We're going in the right direction," Williams said. The province, however, is continuing to see high numbers of deaths and the number of people in intensive care units has not dropped extensively, he said. Williams added that Ontario residents still need to be careful and follow public health measures. 100,000 students return to school Schools in seven public health units across southern Ontario reopened for in-person classes today. Education Minister Stephen Lecce said that means 100,000 students will be returning to the classroom for the first time since before the winter break. The province is implementing more safety measures in areas where schools are reopening, including requiring students in grades 1 through 3 to wear masks indoors and when physical distancing isn't possible outside as well. It's also introducing "targeted asymptomatic testing" in those regions. While it's been more than a month since students in southern Ontario have been in the classroom, classes resumed in the northern part of the province on Jan. 11. The provincial government has said the chief medical officer of health is keeping a close eye on the COVID-19 situation in public health units where schools remain closed to decide when it's safe for them to reopen. But the province has said that in five hot spot regions — Windsor-Essex, Peel, York, Toronto and Hamilton — that won't happen until at least Feb. 10. The public health units where schools are reopened today were: Grey Bruce Haliburton, Kawartha, Pine Ridge Hastings and Prince Edward Counties Kingston, Frontenac and Lennox & Addington Leeds, Grenville and Lanark Peterborough Renfrew County Calls for paid sick days mount Also on Monday, a group of southern Ontario mayors, as well as provincial opposition parties, renewed their calls for the institution of paid sick days to help workers during the pandemic. A group of Greater Toronto and Hamilton-area mayors issued a news release again asking the province or federal government to step up. The release notes that despite the ongoing lockdown in Ontario, the GTHA continues to see outbreaks in essential workplaces, despite current federal aid. Simply put, people are still going to work sick, the group says. "Failure by the federal or provincial governments to address this issue will result in people continuing to avoid testing and continuing to come to work sick," the release states. "Updating the sick pay benefits available will save lives and help bring the virus under control faster." Ford has repeatedly rebuffed calls for sick days — after his government slashed the requirement that was instituted by the previous Liberal government — saying federal benefits are able to cover off the issue. Both the provincial NDP and the Liberals published notices today of their intent to introduce legislation to institute paid sick days. With a majority Progressive Conservative government however, such moves are unlikley to pass unless PC members vote against their own party.
Trois-Rivières – Après neuf ans de services comme évêque de Trois-Rivières, l'heure de la retraite a sonné pour Mgr Luc Bouchard. L'homme de 72 ans, originaire de Cornwall en Ontario, a demandé et obtenu du Pape François la renonciation de sa charge pastorale pour des raisons de santé.Trois-Rivières – Après neuf ans de services comme évêque de Trois-Rivières, l'heure de la retraite a sonné pour Mgr Luc Bouchard. L'homme de 72 ans, originaire de Cornwall en Ontario, a demandé et obtenu du Pape François la renonciation de sa charge pastorale pour des raisons de santé. Victime d'un ACV en 2010, des complications de santé récentes l'ont poussé à prendre cette décision. Monseigneur Bouchard a été ordonné prêtre en 1976. Il est devenu évêque de Trois-Rivières en 2012, après avoir passé les 11 années précédentes dans les mêmes fonctions au sein de la paroisse de Saint-Paul en Alberta. Un processus est maintenant mis en place pour lui trouver un successeur qui sera éventuellement nommé par le Pape. L'actuel évêque auxiliaire de Trois-Rivières, Mgr Pierre-Olivier Tremblay, est pressenti pour occuper le poste.Marc-André Pelletier, Initiative de journalisme local, Le Nouvelliste
Sinéad Clarke’s Irish Design House in Toronto’s Riverside district had a website before the COVID-19 pandemic hit, but she admits it wasn’t that useful since most customers want to touch the curated artisan imports she sells. But it has become the subject of intense focus for the young business owner since, including one particularly frantic weekend in November after Premier Doug Ford’s Friday announcement of tighter restrictions that would force the store closed that Monday. Clarke and her partner Benny, a graphic designer, worked into the early mornings to stock virtual shelves with handmade pottery, weaving, silversmithing, tailoring, screen-printing and other products sourced from dozens of Irish craftspeople. That weekend, they also set up bookings for 20-minute virtual video-shopping experiences that she credits with boosting Christmas sales. She felt she had little choice. “That's not an option,” Clarke said when asked whether she’d consider walking away. “Not that it's not an option, but I really hope it's not because I’ve put too much into this to just close. So we'll try everything from every different angle.” That included a fast pivot to mask-making in the early days, when sales dried up overnight. Initially donating them all to hospitals and care homes, she later added a donate button to the store's website so others could help shoulder the costs, then sharing the sewing work by giving volunteers fabric kits to help out. Eventually, she started selling them to help cover mounting back-rent payments and other costs. “That’s how we made it through the first lockdown,” Clarke recalled in a video interview. “If I didn't do that, I wouldn't be here now.” The 36-year designer’s struggles to keep her business solvent are shared by small business owners across the city and beyond, but she said the longevity of her goods provide some breathing room. “At least if it doesn't sell, it's not the end of the world. It's here and paid for and I can have it for next year at least,” she said, about the inventory she ordered in the summer for the end-of-year shopping season. “For a restaurant, food spoils. This doesn't spoil.” Clarke had been offering one-on-one sewing lessons and designing her own brand of sustainable clothing at the back of the store when the pandemic hit. She has put that work on hold — and cancelled her usual summer camp for kids — to focus on the demands of keeping the main business running. Clarke is determined to carry on, but worries 2021 will see a slump as customers stop spending as lockdowns drag on. She also doesn’t know what will happen when she gives birth to her first kid, due in April. “I'm too stubborn to let that happen, so I'll work as hard as I can, but it's really scary. It still is,” she said. Clarke said the support of loyal customers has helped her keep the faith. On that weekend back in November, Clarke decided to extend Sunday's store hours of noon to 5 p.m. to 10 a.m to 9 p.m., and when she arrived to open up, there were customers waiting. “That was amazing, to see the support,” she said. “That was unreal, and that’s what keeps you going. We know that the support is out there.” Alastair Sharp, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, National Observer
WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden has brought back Dr. Kevin O'Connor as his physician, replacing President Donald Trump's doctor with the one who oversaw his care when he was vice-president. The White House confirmed that Dr. Sean Conley, the Navy commander who served as the head of the White House Medical Unit under Trump and oversaw his treatment when he was hospitalized with COVID-19, will assume a teaching role at the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences. O'Connor, a retired Army colonel, was Biden's doctor during his entire tenure as vice-president, having remained in the role at Biden's request. He remained Biden's physician while assuming a role on the faculty of George Washington University. The White House said O'Connor was being commissioned by the president but was not rejoining the military. He is the first non-active duty doctor to serve as physician to the president in almost three decades. Conley faced intense scrutiny over his lack of transparency during Trump's illness with COVID-19. Then-White House chief of staff Mark Meadows said at the time that Trump's condition was worse than Conley had let on. Zeke Miller, The Associated Press
Washiiyeh Jeannotte spends a lot of time on the ice and is hoping to inspire other Indigenous youth by providing a glimpse into his backyard rink practices via TikTok. "I've been playing hockey since I was four years old and I love taking slap shots," said the nine-year-old hockey player and member of the Algonquins of Barriere Lake, about 300 kilometres northwest of Montreal. Washiiyeh is also a big fan of "the Michigan goal," the lacrosse-style move made by Canadian hockey player Mike Legg while playing for the University of Michigan in a 1996 NCAA tournament. "It's been improved since then. A lot of NHLers have done it now; a lot of these guys had little kids want to try it, and I think this little guy has perfected it," said Washiiyeh's father, Andrew Jeannotte, who put together the slick-looking vid. A video of the young hockey player practising the move on TikTok had garnered over 22,000 views as of Monday morning. Washiiyeh couldn't practise or play with his AA atom team as a result of the pandemic, so the family made a backyard rink. Washiiyeh and his brother spend their mornings on the ice before school and then again after school. It's set up with outdoor lights so that afternoon practices can extend well into the night. "Every day after school, they've been doing videos and practising hockey, since they had no access to the arenas for the local rinks," said his mother, Nicole Ratt. "To be able for him to go outside and practise the sport he loves, it's been great." Hockey plays a big role in the family. "It's important for a lot of reasons. It keeps us busy, keeps us motivated," said Andrew Jeannotte. "I believe for a lot of First Nations kids, they know the link between hockey and the tradition. The first people to make hockey sticks were Mi'kmaw people. There's a huge link between the sport and the rich history of the Indigenous people in Canada." Washiiyeh's name means "loudest thunder" in Algonquin, inspired by retired Inuk NHL player Jordin Tootoo's Inuktitut name. The two got to meet when Barriere Lake invited Tootoo to speak at a youth gathering in 2019. Andrew said Washiiyeh has been on a tear ever since. "When you look at Barriere Lake and where we live, it is extremely isolated. So with hockey, most of the kids have not been able to play whatsoever," said Andrew. "That's why it's so important for us to get [the rink] going and make sure that they're skating all the time to keep them busy and keep them motivated."
Partnership and collaboration are words that come up again and again when talking about the history of the SmartICE project. The research project turned social enterprise began over 10 years ago when researchers at Memorial University began working with the Nunatsiavut Government to look at ice thickness on the Labrador north coast following an unusually warm winter. Two inventions to help measure ice thickness — the SmartBUOY, and the SmartQAMUTIK — came from that, and the Sea-ice Monitoring and Real-Time Information for Coastal Environments (SmartICE) project was born. Since then, the project has won many accolades for its work, including the 2016 Arctic Inspiration Prize, the Governor General’s Innovation Award and the 2020 President’s Award for Public Engagement Partnerships from Memorial University. There has been a lot of interest in the technology from outside the province and the country, with sea ice changing worldwide. A couple of years ago the project spun off SmartICE Inc., a social enterprise with a production facility in Nain, working with the community to employ young people to make the technology in cohorts and teaching them a variety of skills. Carolann Harding, executive director of SmartICE Inc., said things like building bridges, partnerships, engagement and bringing social impact to the community are part of being a social enterprise. “We’re a small organization and in order to grow, you need to have the supports around you and bring value to each other. It’s not just about us taking, it’s about the value of what we can give to each other,” she said. Harding said when they set up the facility in Nain, which has been up and running for over a year, they were mindful of making sure to engage the community and give the community what it needed from the project. In 2019 they got the building ready to go, and that’s where Rex Holwell came in. Holwell, who is from Nain, was hired as the northern production and regional operations lead for Nunatsiavut. Holwell, who had previously worked in the resource industry, said he wanted to get involved with the social enterprise in his home community. He said when he came in the vision was already in place and his job was to implement it at the Nain facility. In the summer of 2019, they held the first cohort of seven Inuit youth from the ages of 18 to 29, teaching them different job skills like hazard awareness and how to assemble the SmartBUOY. “Things that would look good on a resume,” Holwell told SaltWire Network from his office in Nain. “We kind of knew from the start we were a stepping point for the youth.” Holwell said they’re not like other employers, in that they don’t require prior work experience or specific education to take part. The cohorts are to help people in the community gain skills to help them find other jobs. “We want the people who don’t have work experience or education, be their stepping stone to progress farther in their career,” he said. “Have we had that effect or not? I think so. We’re open to anybody.” He said it’s a part of his job that he enjoys greatly, getting to know youth in the town better and helping them find employment. “Maybe it’s being selfish, but sometimes I’ll see some of the youth from the cohorts and I’ll think, I might have had a smidgen to do with making their lives, the lives of their families, better, and there’s a great satisfaction from that.” They’ve logged over 5,000 employment hours between the cohorts so far, with the fourth one coming up this summer. Toward the end of the course, Holwell teaches the youths how to make the SmartBUOYs, and the ones they make are deployed across the Arctic. Holwell said he always makes sure to find out the exact locations of where the buoys will be used, and shows it to the youths on a map. Last winter the cohort deployed a buoy off the coast of Nain, and Holwell said it was great to see the pride on their faces. “They can actually see that something they’re building will help save lives,” he said. “Once they know that, they take pride in building those SmartBUOYs. They know they’ll be sent up to Nunavut or wherever to help save lives.” Evan Careen, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, The Telegram
WASHINGTON — The Supreme Court declined Monday to take up the case of former New York Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver, who is serving a 6 1/2-year prison sentence after being convicted in a corruption case. The high court's decision not to hear Silver's appeal is another sharp blow to the Manhattan Democrat, who was once one of the three most powerful state officials. Silver was ousted as speaker in 2015 and was convicted later that year. His original conviction was overturned on appeal, but he was convicted again in 2018. Part of that conviction was then tossed out on another appeal, leading to yet another sentencing in July. Silver, 76, began serving his sentence in August. In the part of the case that survived the appeal process, Silver was convicted in a scheme that involved favours and business traded between two real estate developers and a law firm. Silver supported legislation that benefited the developers. The developers then referred certain tax business to a law firm that paid Silver fees. Two justices, Neil Gorsuch and Clarence Thomas, said they would have heard Silver's case. Earlier this month, The New York Times reported that President Donald Trump was considering clemency for Silver, but ultimately no pardon or sentence reduction was granted. Silver has been serving time at the federal prison in Otisville, about 80 miles (130 kilometres) from New York City. Before his conviction, Silver was a giant in New York politics. First elected to the Assembly in 1977, he became speaker in 1994, holding that position for more than two decades. For nearly half that time, during the administration of Republican Gov. George Pataki, he was the most powerful Democrat in the state. Silver's lawyers had asked the court to consider allowing him to serve his sentence at home because of the risk of contracting COVID-19 and dying in prison. But District Judge Valerie Caproni said issuing a sentence without prison time was inappropriate because Silver was guilty of “corruption, pure and simple.” The Associated Press
At about 6 a.m. on travel day last week, one of the vaccination teams in the Beaufort Delta region prepared for a three-day clinic in Tuktoyaktuk, N.W.T. But before the team heads out, it needs to fill up a portable freezer, at a temperature of -20 C, with the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine. "That's Aidan's baby for two weeks," laughs nurse Heather Redshaw, who is part of the vaccination team heading to the hamlet. Her partner in this experience is Aidan Healy, one of the core logisitians with the COVID-19 immunization team. Healy's duties involve making sure the freezer stays around -20 C at all times, and that the vaccines are at the proper temperature. "I'm pretty much the safe-guarder of the vaccine, so when we travel to communities I'm the one bringing the cooler," said Healy. Redshaw explains that there are two teams that have been making their way through the Northwest Territories' Beaufort Delta region. Redshaw and Healy have already gone to Paulatuk, Sachs Harbor and Aklavik. Tuktoykatuk is their final destination for the first round of vaccinations. 'We want to make sure we get it here safe' The duo spend the next couple hours loading up the 54-kilogram freezer with the vaccines they may need for three days. "We want to make sure we get it here safe, and that it's effective for the people," said Redshaw. They safely put 61 viles of the vaccine, which contain a total of 610 doses, into the freezer at the Inuvik Regional Hospital's pharmacy, which is where all the vaccines in the region are stored. Then they hit the road in a bus that is normally used for the hospital's elder day program. For the last couple of weeks however, it's been used to help bring vaccines, support team members and equipment to the airport or directly to communities. The person in charge of driving the bus is Chris Balla, the Beaufort Delta regional operations manager for Northwest Territories Health and Social Services Authority. Balla's also part of the immunization response team, and is responsible for making sure the vaccines and the vaccine team make it to their final destination. Team arrives at Tuktoyaktuk's Kitti Hall When the team arrives at Kitti Hall in Tuktoyaktuk, they start thawing out some of the vaccines that will be used that day. Healy is making sure the room is at the right temperature for the thawed vaccines — between 15 and 25 C. At one point Healy opens up the door to make the room a bit cooler. Healy also helps with the database once the clinic begins. Both Healy and Redshaw are from Yellowknife, but everyone else helping with the vaccine clinics, including the nurses, are from communities in the region. At about 10:30 a.m., the team is ready to give residents their first shot. Of the 274 Tuktoyaktuk residents that will receive doses on Friday, Sister Fay Trombley is the first. "That's amazing," exclaims Trombley, while still in the chair after getting the vaccine. "You hardly feel anything." Although their days are long, some can be up to 12 hours, both Healy and Redshaw say they feel privileged to be part of the team. "I feel like I'm part of something bigger than myself," said Redshaw. "It's a little bit of hope on a really dark year for lots of people and people are hopeful it will get back to some type of a new normal and I'm excited to be part of it."
NEW YORK — Isabel Wilkerson's “Caste,” an acclaimed biography of Malcolm X and fiction by Martin Amis and the late Randall Kenan are among this year's finalists for National Book Critics Circle prizes. The critics circle announced five nominees in each of six competitive categories Sunday, and seven finalists for an award for best first book. The Feminist Press, whose founder Florence Howe died last year, will receive a lifetime achievement award and has a nominee for criticism: Cristina Rivera Garza's, “Grieving: Dispatches from a Wounded Country.” New Republic critic Jo Livingston received a citation for Excellence in Reviewing. Winners will be announced March 25. This year's nominees are the first under new leadership at the NBCC after many of its board members departed in 2020 amid a dispute over how to respond to the summer's Black Lives Matters protests. Among those stepping down was NBCC president Laurie Hertzel, senior books editor for the Minneapolis Star Tribune. She was replaced by David Varno, Publishers Weekly's fiction reviews editor. In the NBCC's fiction award category, Amis was nominated for his autobiographical novel “Inside Story” and Kenan, who died in 2020, for the story collection “If I Had Two Wings.” The other finalists were Maggie O’Farrell's “Hamnet,” Souvankham Thammavongsa's “How to Pronounce Knife” and Bryan Washington's “Memorial.” Wilkerson's “Caste,” her widely read exploration of American racism; was a nonfiction finalist. The others were Walter Johnson's “The Broken Heart of America: St, Louis and the Violent History of the United States,” James Shapiro's “Shakespeare in a Divided America,” Sarah Smarsh's “She Come By It Natural: Dolly Parton and the Women Who Lived Her Songs” and Tom Zoellner's “Island on Fire: The Revolt That Ended Slavery in the British Empire.” Biography nominees included “The Dead are Arising: The Life of Malcolm X," co-written by Tamara Payne and her father, the late journalist Les Payne, and winner last fall of the National Book Award. The other finalists were Amy Stanley's “Stranger in the Shogun’s City: A Japanese Woman and Her World,” Zachary D. Carter's “The Price of Peace: Money, Democracy, and the Life of John Maynard Keynes," Heather Clark's “Red Comet: The Short Life and Blazing Art of Sylvia Plath” and Maggie Doherty's “The Equivalents: A Story of Art, Female Friendship, and Liberation in the 1960s.” In poetry, the nominees were Victoria Chang's “Obit,” Francine J. Harris' “Here Is The Sweet Hand,” Amaud Jamaul Johnson's “Imperial Liquor,” Chris Nealon's “The Shore” and Danez Smith's “Homie.” The autobiography finalists were Cathy Park Hong's “Minor Feelings: An Asian American Reckoning,” Shayla Lawson's “This Is Major: Notes on Diana Ross, Dark Girls, and Being Dope,” Riva Lehrer's “Golem Girl,” Wayétu Moore's “The Dragons, The Giant, The Women” and Alia Volz's “Home Baked: My Mom, Marijuana, and the Stoning of San Francisco.” Beside's Garza's “Grieving,” criticism nominees were Vivian Gornick's “Unfinished Business: Notes of a Chronic Re-Reader,” Nicole Fleetwood's “Marking Time." Namwali Serpell's “Stranger Faces” and Wendy A. Woloson's “Crap: A History of Cheap Stuff in America.” Three of last year's most talked about first novels, Raven Leilani's “Lustre,” Megha Majumdar's “A Burning” and Douglas Stuart's “Shuggie Bain," are nominees for the John Leonard Prize for best first book, fiction or nonfiction. The other finalists are Kerri Arsenault's “Mill Town,” Karla Cornejo Villavicencio's “The Undocumented Americans,” Brandon Taylor's “Real Life” and “C Pam Zhang's ”How Much of These Hills Is Gold." The Leonard award is named for the late literary critic, who helped found the NBCC in 1974. Hillel Italie, The Associated Press
The arena, built-in 1972, has been a fixture in the community for almost as long as Fox Creek was incorporated as a town. Within the arena, walls remain the many memories for parents who’ve watched their children play hockey since they were little and could keep their balance on skates to playing adult hockey. It will be exciting to see what's in store for the future space, while for others, it will be a sad moment as another part of the towns’ history disappears. The arena hadn’t seen any activity since 2017/18 when building inspectors discovered the presence of asbestos in the arena’s foundation. Although the air quality was tested and deemed safe, the inspector brought further safety issues, which ultimately led to the building being unsafe for public use without first doing significant renovations. As the town has a new multiplex, including the Pembina arena, the administration felt it was not economically beneficial to do the old building repairs and opted to explore other viable avenues to utilize the existing space. As it turned out, on July 30, 2020, the Government of Alberta announced a Municipal Stimulus Program (MSP) for municipalities, which would aid in supporting capital infrastructure projects and help contribute to local economic recovery and job creations. The Alberta Government set aside $500 million in grant money distributed to those Alberta municipalities that applied before October 1, 2020, and met the program objectives specified. The application reviews went relatively quick, and just last week, the Town of Fox Creek received notification for grant approval for $307,727 by the Alberta Government. To maintain funding eligibility, the Town of Fox Creek must begin construction in 2021, as well it can’t create operational funding costs for the province or result in municipal tax increases. The MSP grant money will be used to remove the Derald Palmer Arena and the lot repurposed into a space that the community can enjoy. In a media release, Mayor Hailes stated, “The Town of Fox Creek would like to express our sincere appreciation to the Provincial Government and MLA Todd Loewen for the Municipal Stimulus Grant to repurpose the Derald Palmer Memorial Arena site. It will be bittersweet to see removing a building that has been so much a part of our history. We look forward to the opportunities that this will provide for our community." The planning and preparation for removing the arena will occur once conditions allow. Vicki Winger, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Whitecourt Press
CALGARY — A player with the Western Hockey League Kamloops Blazers has suffered what the league describes as "life-altering injuries" following a weekend snowboarding accident in Saskatchewan.A statement posted by the league says the news about Kyrell Sopotyk is devastating.The 19-year-old forward from Aberdeen, Sask., was entering his third year with the Blazers.An online fundraiser set up for Sopotyk says he has been paralyzed.The fundraiser launched Sunday to assist Sopotyk and his family with "possible renovations, health care costs and any additional supports," and had far surpassed its $50,000 goal in less than 15 hours.A statement issued by the Kamloops Blazers encourages public support of the fundraiser and calls Sopotyk "a tremendous young man and an exemplary representative" of the team.This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 25, 2021. The Canadian Press
Police in Jamaica confirm they are investigating the death of a 43-year-old woman from Markham as a homicide. Investigators say Latoya Alcindor was killed sometime between Jan. 18 and Jan. 21 inside a guest house in Runaway Bay, which is about 100 kilometres northwest of Kingston, the country's capital. Guests at that location smelled a foul odour and alerted police, who entered the unit and found her body. Police say Alcindor's body was found with stab wounds and evidence of other trauma. She had been been staying with a man inside the guest house, police say, and he is considered a suspect. The man is still at large, and investigators have not identified him at this time. Tashia Antoine told CBC News that Alcindor was her "godsister," and the two had known each other their entire lives. She said Alcindor was "a pillar in the Caribbean community" and a "cultural ambassador" who was heavily involved in Caribana and fundraising initiatives. "Tears come to my eyes when I just think of her, or see a picture of her," Antoine said. "She was a loving mother of two beautiful girls ... it's hard for them to see that their mother's life has been taken so tragically." Alcindor hosted an online radio show and was well-known in the community, Antoine told CBC News. "She has a large family as it is but she had an extended family of her community," she said. "Everybody is just shocked and can't believe that something like this, something so vicious... could happen to person who is known for her giving nature." "The community is heartbroken," she added. Antoine said Alcindor, who also worked in property management, travelled to Jamaica on Dec. 26 to pursue a business opportunity. She had met the man she was staying with a few months before on another trip, Antoine said. "This is the person we're trying to reach out [to] and find, so we can get some answers," she said, adding that she had spoken to her friend not long ago, and everything seemed okay. "It's just a major shock, because the last time I spoke with her, she was extremely happy," Antoine said. "She could not have done or said anything to warrant this type of death." Global Affairs Canada spokesperson Grantly Franklin told CBC News the Canadian government is offering its "deepest condolences" to Alcindor's family and friends, and that consular officials are now talking with local authorities to get more information. Due to the provisions under the Privacy Act, Franklin said, no further information can be disclosed by Global Affairs.
The latest news on COVID-19 developments in Canada (all times eastern):10:35 a.m.There are 1,958 new cases of COVID-19 reported in Ontario today and 43 more deaths attributed to the novel coronavirus.Health Minister Christine Elliott says 727 of the new cases are in Toronto, 365 in Peel Region, and 157 in York Region. She says nearly 36,000 tests were completed since Sunday's report.Ontario also reports that 2,448 more cases of COVID-19 are considered resolved. This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 25, 2021. The Canadian Press
Lavish golden dresses decked out in zodiac signs and tarot symbols provided some Christian Dior-infused mysticism for the start of Paris' Haute Couture Week, a showcase of one-of-a-kind outfits held online this time due to the COVID-19 crisis. In a whimsical film set in a fairy-style castle, populated by Libra, Capricorn and models decked out as other astrological signs, Dior designer Maria Grazia Chiuri provided glitter and gold with gowns that combined lame fabric with velvet. Silhouettes strayed from Chiuri's usual cinched waists, with empire line necks in some cases, and capes fit for medieval royalty, including one decked out entirely in intricate flowers made from feathers.
During Biden’s election campaign, he made no qualms about nixing the proposed pipeline and vowed to keep Alberta’s “dirty” fossil fuels from entering the country if he gets elected. Right from day one, Biden’s been advocating for a cleaner environment without risks of spills and ground contamination caused by potential line breaks. On our side of the border, to push the pipeline through and boost the economy, the Alberta Government contributed a $1.5 billion equity investment to the construction of the KXL pipeline in 2020 and agreed to another $6 billion loan guarantee in 2021. TC Energy purchased the pipe. Construction began last spring, employing thousands of Albertans for the stretch that would have gone from the Hardisty terminal to the Saskatchewan border just past Oyen. After receiving U.S. President Biden’s announcement and having their permit revoked, TC Energy halted operations so they can review Biden's decision, assess its implications and re-evaluate. It's a massive setback for everyone involved as 200 kilometres of the pipeline is already laid on the U.S and Canadian sides of the border. The remainder of the pipe is being stockpiled in pipe yards along the pipeline route. TC Energy announced its disappointment in Biden’s decision to revoke the permit. In a news release, TC Energy states, “The action would directly lead to the layoff of thousands of union workers and negatively impact ground-breaking industry commitments to use new renewable energy as well as historic equity partnerships with Indigenous communities.” The Keystone XL pipeline is undoubtedly the most controversial project that’s divided our countries. For over a decade, the proposed pipeline has caused tension politically and amongst various activist groups and citizens in the United States. The project has ricocheted back and forth like a ping-pong ball trying to get off the ground since 2008. The energy company has spent ten years jumping through regulatory hoops, in and out of court due to land and environmental conflicts on the U.S side, only to have President Biden shut it down with the stroke of a pen. History shows in 2010, the National Energy Board originally approved the application for the Keystone XL Pipeline. The U.S State Department released a draft environmental impact statement saying the pipeline would have limited effects on the environment. In 2012, the proposed pipeline was met with much resistance from various groups. Tensions mounted as the energy company announced it wouldn’t require presidential permission to begin construction since it did not cross the U.S / Canada border. However, in 2015, former President Barrack Obama killed the proposal. Jumping forward to 2017, President Trump approved the pipeline after being elected into the White House and signed the presidential order to proceed with the Keystone XL Pipeline. A U.S federal judge stepped in and blocked the pipeline's construction one year later. Then again, in 2019, President Trump issued a new presidential permit to expedite the construction of the XL pipeline. Construction finally commenced in April 2020 despite backlash from Indigenous groups and environmentalists in the States. With another presidential election behind us came the announcement to shut the project down once again. Just like that, within a matter of hours after Biden’s inauguration, the project, which was to have employed thousands of people for the next several years and generate $30 billion in tax and royalty revenues for Albertans, is done. It’s going to be a political waiting game as the pressure is placed on Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to discuss the pipeline’s future with President Biden and hope to come to an amicable decision to not divide our countries further than what they are now. Vicki Winger, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Whitecourt Press
Bev Priestman has named six uncapped players in her first roster as coach of the Canadian women's team. The 34-year-old Priestman, who took over the team in November after Kenneth Heiner-Moller stepped down to take a coaching job in his native Denmark, has named a 29-player squad for a two-week camp ahead of next month's SheBelieves Cup in Orlando. The roster will be reduced to 23 for the four-team tournament, scheduled for Feb. 18-24 at Exploria Stadium The Canadian women, tied for eighth with Brazil in the FIFA rankings, are taking part with the top-ranked U.S., No. 10 Japan and Brazil. Potential debutantes includes goalkeeper Rylee Foster (Liverpool FC), defenders Bianca St-Georges (Chicago Red Stars) and Jade Rose (Super REX Ontario), midfielders Samantha Chang (University of South Carolina) and Jordyn Listro (Orlando Pride), and forward Evelyne Viens (Paris FC). Rose, who turns 18 on Feb. 12, has attended two senior camps but has yet to earn a cap. All but Viens worked with Priestman in her previous role as Canadian youth coach. It's the first time Canada Soccer has summoned Viens, a prolific goal-scorer at the University of South Florida who is currently on loan to Paris FC from Sky Blue FC of the NWSL. Veterans include captain Christine Sinclair (296 caps), Diana Matheson (206 caps), Sophie Schmidt (199 caps), and Desiree Scott (157 caps). Goalkeeper Erin McLeod (118 caps) earns her first call-up since returning from injury in 2019. The 37-year-old Sinclair goes into the Florida tournament with a world-record 186 international goals to her credit. “The pre-competition camp is designed to provide any players not in season with the chance to get in valuable preparation heading into the SheBelieves Cup,” Priestman said in a statement. “It also provides us with an opportunity to see where players are ahead of selecting our final 23-player roster for the SheBelieves Cup." Priestman has a good handle on Canada's young talent. From 2013 to 2018, she helped develop talent for the Canadian women's program and served as an assistant coach under John Herdman, whom she had also worked with in New Zealand. She left in August 2018 to return home, serving as Phil Neville's No. 2 with the English women's team and English youth coach. Eleven of the players on the Canadian camp roster are currently with teams in Europe with five playing in England, five in France and one in Sweden. There are 11 players from the NWSL, five from U.S. colleges and two from the developmental Super REX Ontario program. The Canadian women have not played since March 10, when they wrapped up play at a tournament in France with a 2-2 tie with Brazil. A Canadian camp scheduled for England in October was called off on the advice of medical experts due to the pandemic. All four teams at the SheBelieves Cup have qualified for the Tokyo Games with Canada finishing runner-up to the Americans at the CONCACAF Women's Olympic Qualifying Championship last February. And all four made the knockout phase of the 2019 World Cup in France. The U.S. won the tournament while Canada, Brazil and Japan were eliminated in the round of 16. The defending champion Americans have won the SheBelieves Cup three times. France won in 2017 and England in 2019. CANADA Goalkeepers: Rylee Foster, Liverpool FC (England); Stephanie Labbe, FC Rosengard (Sweden); Erin McLeod, Orlando Pride (NWSL); Kailen Sheridan, Sky Blue FC (NWSL). Defenders: Kadeisha Buchanan, Olympique Lyonnais (France); Vanessa Gilles, FC Girondins de Bordeaux (France); Jade Rose, Super REX Ontario; Shelina Zadorsky, Tottenham Hotspur (England); Gabrielle Carle, Florida State University; Allysha Chapman, Houston Dash (NWSL); Ashley Lawrence, Paris Saint-Germain (France); Bianca St-Georges, Chicago Red Stars (NWSL); Jayde Riviere, University of Michigan. Midfielders: Samantha Chang, University of South Carolina; Jessie Fleming, Chelsea FC (England); Julia Grosso, University of Texas; Jordyn Listro|, Orlando Pride (NWSL); Diana Matheson, FC Kansas City (NWSL); Quinn, OL Reign FC (NWSL); Sophie Schmidt, Houston Dash (NWSL); Desiree Scott, FC Kansas City (NWSL). Forwards: Janine Beckie, Manchester City (England); Jordyn Huitema, Paris Saint-Germain; Adriana Leon, West Ham United (England); Nichelle Prince, Houston Dash (NWSL); Deanne Rose, University of Florida; Christine Sinclair, Portland Thorns; Olivia Smith, Super REX Ontario; Evelyne Viens, Paris FC (France). --- Follow @NeilMDavidson on Twitter This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan, 25, 2021 Neil Davidson, The Canadian Press
Common animals in the area are moose, deer, black bear and the mighty grizzly bear. Over the past few years, cougars have also made their presence known. These wild animals all thrive in the dense forest surrounding Fox Creek. Not only do the forests provide great shelter, but the natural cycle of the food chain is what keeps them here. It depends where these animals sit on the food chain and if they are the predator or the prey that keeps them here. Sightings of cougars in the area is a sign of a healthy ecosystem. For centuries humans have lived alongside wildlife, and as we continue building and encroaching into their territory, there will be more encounters. More often than not, all wildlife is afraid of humans, just as we fear them. The wildlife common to this area, such as moose and deer, are more docile towards humans and know they are prey; therefore typically run in the opposite direction. The grizzly bear and cougar are predators and sit at the top of the food chain. Despite their status and known as the hunters, they won't show signs of aggression towards humans unless provoked. As the cougar is the newest animal to venture close to town, people need to understand them better and learn to respect them to live amongst them. Studies done by Wildlife Societies indicate the cougar population is on the rise in Alberta as the deer population has increased. Cougars are found in habitats suitable for white-tailed and mule deer as that's the preferred prey. The forested areas surrounding Fox Creek are prime locations for the big cat as it offers an abundance of places to make a den, and the trees provide excellent camouflage while they stalk its prey. There has been evidence of a cougar on the biking trails, but the elusive creature has not been physically spotted. Wildlife experts indicate it's rare to see one as they are "masters of camouflage" and can hide beneath a spruce tree while you walk by and never know it. Cougars are loners and will call it home if satisfied with an area due to sufficient food, shelter, and water. The home range territory can cover an area of about 300 square kilometres. Due to the coverage size, that may be why some residents have only spotted the occasional traces in passing. Once the cougar has established its home range or personal territory, it will defend and mark the area, discouraging other cougars from entering. As it's confirmed, there is a cougar somewhere around the trail system; while you are out walking or biking, watch for other signs indicating its boundary. They may leave claw marks on trees near the territory edges or leave piles of leaves, pine needles, and dirt that's covered over with urine and feces. As big and scary as these majestic creatures seem, human encounters are rare because they are so elusive. A few safety tips from Alberta Fish and Wildlife should come across a cougar; first off, do not run or scream. Walk away slowly and never turn your back to the cougar. Under normal circumstances, they will not attack unless they are threatened, or you've backed them into a corner with leaving them no escape route. Of the human attacks reported, most of those are children or adults jogging or hiking alone. As children are small and have a high-pitched voice, they are portrayed as easy prey to the cougar. As a preventative safety measure, if you're out with children, keep them between the adults and don't let them run ahead or lag. Another big one is dogs. As evidence of a cougar was spotted on the trails, it may be best to leave them at home as they can attract the cougar due to them being easy prey or keep them on a short leash. If you've found yourself too close to the animal and its grooming and only taking momentary glances as you, that's your cue to back away slowly and leave the area. However, if it's staring intently and begins hissing, that's when it becomes a real threat. Prepare to stand your ground, show the cougar you are not prey. Make yourself as big as possible, which can be done by opening your coat and waving your arms. If that fails, fight back using fists, sticks or anything handy to hit it in the face and eyes. The goal is to remain standing and don't stop fighting. As mentioned, a cougar's home range is around 300 square kilometres, a large area for one animal. Don't let this deter you from getting out on the trails for fresh air and exercise. Be prepared before going out is all. Carry bear spray, a whistle or bells and avoid plugging in your headset or earpieces for music so you can stay in tune with your surroundings. Travel in pairs or a group, pick up a stick if you're walking or a noisemaker if you're out on the bike. If you do come across the cougar or evidence it's in the area, don't hesitate to advise the Fox Creek Fish and Wildlife office. Vicki Winger, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Whitecourt Press
