Director Julie Anne Robinson discusses integrating etiquette into set pieces and tackling love scenes in hit show "Bridgerton." (Feb. 10)
Another type of COVID-19 vaccine was authorized by Health Canada on Friday. The new vaccines are manufactured by AstraZeneca, and developed in partnership with Oxford University. Canada also approved the Serum Institute of India’s version of the AstraZeneca vaccine. Afterwards, Anita Anand, the Minister of Public Services and Procurement announced that Canada has secured two million doses of the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine through an agreement with Verity Pharmaceuticals Canada Inc./Serum Institute of India. AstraZeneca has licensed the manufacture of its ChAdOx1 vaccine to the Serum Institute. The first 500,000 doses will be delivered to Canada in the coming weeks. The remaining 1.5 million doses are expected to arrive by mid-May. “The Government of Canada continues to do everything possible to protect Canadians from COVID-19. This includes securing a highly diverse and extensive portfolio of vaccines and taking all necessary measures to ready the country to receive them,” Anand said in a release. “We remain fully on track to ensure that there will be a sufficient supply so that every eligible Canadian who wants a vaccine will have access to one by the end of September. I am grateful for the collaboration of our partners in India to finalize this agreement, and I look forward to continuing to work closely together in the weeks ahead.” The two million doses secured through this agreement are in addition to the 20 million doses already secured through an earlier agreement with AstraZeneca. Health Canada’s authorization of the AstraZeneca vaccine allows the Government of Canada to advance its work with AstraZeneca to finalize delivery schedules for the 20 million doses. The application for authorization from AstraZeneca was received on Oct. 1, 2020 and from from Verity Pharmaceuticals Inc./Serum Institute of India (in partnership with AstraZeneca Canada Inc.) on January 23, 2021. After thorough, independent reviews of the evidence, the Department has determined that these vaccines meet Canada’s stringent safety, efficacy and quality requirements. These are the first viral vector-based vaccines authorized in Canada. These are also two-dose regiments and can be kept refrigerated for at least six months. Health Canada’s authorization of the Verity Pharmaceuticals Inc./Serum Institute of India product relies on the assessment of its comparability to the AstraZeneca-produced version of the vaccine.. These vaccines were authorized with terms and conditions under Health Canada’s Interim Order on the importation of drugs for COVID-19 The process allowed Health Canada to assess information submitted by the manufacturer as it became available during the product development process, while maintaining Canadian standards. Health Canada has placed terms and conditions on the authorizations requiring the manufacturers to continue providing information to Health Canada on the safety, efficacy and quality of the vaccines to ensure their benefits continue to be demonstrated through market use. Health Canada and the Public Health Agency of Canada will closely monitor the safety. Michael Oleksyn, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Prince Albert Daily Herald
As COVID-19 vaccine supplies ramp up across the country, most provinces and territories have released details of who can expect to receive a shot in the coming weeks. Here's a list of their plans to date: Newfoundland and Labrador The province says it is in Phase 1 of its vaccine rollout. Health-care workers on the front lines of the pandemic, staff at long-term care homes, people of "advanced age" and adults in remote or isolated Indigenous communities have priority. Chief medical health officer Dr. Janice Fitzgerald has said Phase 2 will begin in April if vaccine supply remains steady. The second phase prioritizes adults over 60 years old, beginning with those over 80, as well as Indigenous adults, first responders, rotational workers and adults in marginalized populations, such as those experiencing homelessness. Adults between 16 and 59 years old will be vaccinated in the third phase of the rollout, and Fitzgerald has said she expects that to begin this summer. --- Nova Scotia Health officials began expanding access to COVID-19 vaccines on Feb. 22, opening community clinics for people aged 80 years and older. Dr. Robert Strang, chief medical officer of health, has said the province's plan is to open another 10 clinics in March for 48,000 people who will be mailed a letter informing them how to book an appointment. Strang said the vaccination program will then expand to the next age group in descending order until everyone in the province is offered the chance to be immunized. The age groups will proceed in five-year blocks. Future community clinics are to be held March 8 in Halifax, New Minas, Sydney and Truro; March 15 in Antigonish, Halifax and Yarmouth; and March 22 in Amherst, Bridgewater and Dartmouth. The province began its vaccination campaign with residents of long-term care homes, those who work directly with patients, those who are 80 and older, and those who are at risk for other reasons including First Nations and African Nova Scotian communities. Nova Scotia plans to have vaccine available to at least 75 per cent of the population by the end of September 2021. --- Prince Edward Island The province says the first phase of its vaccination drive, currently slated to last until the end of March, targets residents and staff of long-term and community care, as well as health-care workers with direct patient contact at higher risk of COVID-19 exposure. Those 80 and older, adults in Indigenous communities, and truck drivers and other rotational workers are also included. The next phase, which is scheduled to begin in April, will target those above 70 and essential workers. The province intends to make the vaccine available to everyone in late summer and fall. --- New Brunswick The province is also focusing on vaccinating those living in long-term care homes, health-care workers with direct patient contact, adults in First Nations communities and older New Brunswickers in the first phase, which lasts until at least March. The next phase is scheduled to begin in the spring and includes residents and staff of communal settings, other health-care workers including pharmacists, first responders and critical infrastructure employees. The government website says once the vaccine supply is continuous and in large enough quantities, the entire population will be offered the shots. --- Quebec Quebec started vaccinating older seniors on Monday, after a first phase that focused largely on health-care workers, remote communities and long-term care. In Montreal, mass vaccine sites including the Olympic Stadium opened their doors to the public as the province began inoculating seniors who live in the hard-hit city. The government announced last week it would begin booking appointments for those aged 85 and up across the province, but that age limit has since dropped to 70 in some regions, including Montreal. The province says the vaccination of children and pregnant women will be determined based on future studies of vaccine safety and efficacy in those populations. --- Ontario The province began vaccinating people with the highest priority, including those in long-term care, high-risk retirement home residents, certain classes of health-care workers and people who live in congregate care settings. Several regions in Ontario moved ahead Monday with their plans to vaccinate the general public, while others used their own systems to allow residents aged 80 and older to schedule appointments. Toronto also began vaccinating members of its police force Monday after the province identified front-line officers as a priority group. Constables and sergeants who respond to emergency calls where medical assistance may be required are now included in the ongoing first phase of Ontario's vaccine rollout, a spokeswoman for the force said. A day earlier, Toronto said the province expanded the first phase of its vaccination drive to include residents experiencing homelessness. The provincial government has said it aims to begin vaccinating Ontarians aged 80 and older starting the week of March 15, the same day it plans to launch its vaccine booking system, which will offer a service desk and online portal. It has said the vaccine rollout will look different in each of its 34 public health units. When asked about the lack of provincewide cohesion, Health Minister Christine Elliott said that public health units know their regions best and that's why they have been given responsibility to set the pace locally. --- Manitoba Manitoba is starting to vaccinate people in the general population. Appointments are now available for most people aged 94 and up, or 74 and up for First Nations people. Until now, vaccines have been directed to certain groups such as health-care workers and people in personal care homes. Health officials plan to reduce the age minimum, bit by bit, over the coming months. Dr. Joss Reimer, medical lead of the province's vaccine task force, has said inoculations could be open to all adults in the province by August if supplies are steady. --- Saskatchewan The province is still in the first phase of its vaccination rollout, which reserves doses for long-term care residents and staff, health-care workers at elevated risk of COVID-19 exposure, seniors over the age of 70 and anyone 50 or older living in a remote area. In all, nearly 400,000 doses are required to finish this stage. The next phase will be focused on vaccinating the general population by age. It hopes to begin its mass vaccination campaign by April, but there if there isn’t enough supply that could be pushed back to June. Saskatchewan will begin immunizing the general population in 10-year increments, starting with those 60 to 69. Also included in this age group will be people living in emergency shelters, individuals with intellectual disabilities in care homes and people who are medically vulnerable. Police, corrections staff and teachers are among the front-line workers not prioritized for early access to shots. The government says supply is scarce. --- Alberta Alberta is now offering vaccines to anyone born in 1946 or earlier, a group representing some 230,000 people. Appointments are being offered through an online portal and the 811 Health Link phone line. Shots are also being offered to this cohort at more than 100 pharmacies in Calgary, Red Deer and Edmonton starting in early March and the government has said there are also plans to include doctors’ offices. Health Minister Tyler Shandro has said all eligible seniors should have their first shots by the end of March. But he said Monday that the province will not give Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine to anyone over the age of 65 after the National Advisory Committee on Immunization expressed concerned there is limited data on how well it will work in older populations. The first phase of the vaccine rollout also included anyone over 65 who lives in a First Nations or Metis community, various front-line health care workers, paramedics and emergency medical responders. Phase 2 of the rollout, to begin in April, is to start with those 65 and up, Indigenous people older than 50 and staff and residents of licensed supportive living seniors’ facilities not previously included. --- British Columbia British Columbia will extend the time between the first and second doses of COVID-19 vaccines to four months so all adults could get their initial shot by the end of July. Provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry says evidence from the province and around the world shows protection of at least 90 per cent from the first dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna vaccines. The province launched the second phase of its immunization campaign Monday and health authorities will begin contacting residents and staff of independent living centres, those living in seniors' supportive housing as well as homecare support clients and staff. Seniors aged 90 and up can call to make their appointment starting next Monday, followed a week later by those aged 85 and over, and a week after that by those 80 and up. Henry also says first responders and essential workers may be eligible to get vaccinated starting in April as the province also decides on a strategy for the newly authorized AstraZeneca vaccine. --- Nunavut The territory says it expects enough vaccines for 75 per cent of its population over the age of 18. After a COVID-19 vaccine is administered, patients will be tracked to ensure they are properly notified to receive their second dose. Nunavut's priority populations are being vaccinated first. They include residents of shelters, people ages 60 years and up, staff and inmates and correctional facilities, first responders and front-line health-care staff. --- Northwest Territories The Northwest Territories its priority groups — such as people over 60, front-line health workers and those living in remote communities — are being vaccinated The territory says it expects to vaccine the rest of its adult population starting this month. --- Yukon Yukon says it will receive enough vaccine to immunize 75 per cent of its adult population by the end of March. Priority for vaccinations has been given to residents and staff in long-term care homes, group homes and shelters, as well as health-care workers and personal support workers. People over the age of 80 who are not living in long-term care, and those living in rural and remote communities, including Indigenous Peoples, are also on the priority list for shots. --- This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 2, 2021. The Canadian Press
Celebrity birthdays for the week of March 7-13: March 7: TV personality Willard Scott (“Today”) is 87. Actor Daniel J. Travanti (“Hill Street Blues”) is 81. Bassist Chris White of The Zombies is 78. Singer Peter Wolf of The J. Geils Band is 75. Keyboardist Matthew Fisher of Procol Harum is 75. Guitarist Ernie Isley of The Isley Brothers is 69. Actor Bryan Cranston (“Breaking Bad”) is 65. Actor Donna Murphy (“Mercy Street,” ?Murder One”) is 62. Actor Nick Searcy (“Justified”) is 62. Actor Mary Beth Evans (“Days of Our Lives”) is 60. Singer Taylor Dayne is 59. Actor Bill Brochtrup (“Major Crimes,” ?NYPD Blue”) is 58. Opera singer Denyce Graves is 57. Comedian Wanda Sykes is 57. Actor Jonathan Del Arco (“Major Crimes”) is 55. Drummer Randy Guss of Toad The Wet Sprocket is 54. Actor Rachel Weisz (WYS) is 50. Actor Peter Sarsgaard (“Kinsey,” ?Garden State”) is 50. Actor Jay Duplass (“The Mindy Project”) is 48. Singer Sebastien Izambard of Il Divo is 48. Singer Hugo Ferreira of Tantric is 47. Actor Jenna Fischer (“The Office”) is 47. Actor Tobias Menzies (“Outlander,” ?Game of Thrones”) is 47. Actor Audrey Marie Anderson (“The Unit”) is 46. Actor TJ Thyne (“Bones”) is 46. Actor Laura Prepon (“Orange Is The New Black,” ?That ’70s Show”) is 41. Actor Bel Powley (Film: “Diary of a Teenage Girl”) is 29. Actor Giselle Eisenberg (“Life in Pieces”) is 24. March 8: Jazz saxophonist George Coleman is 86. Actor Sue Ane Langdon is 85. Songwriter Carole Bayer Sager is 77. Actor-director Micky Dolenz of The Monkees is 76. Bassist Randy Meisner (The Eagles, Poco) is 75. Singer Peggy March is 73. Jazz pianist Billy Childs is 64. Singer Gary Numan is 63. NBC News anchor Lester Holt is 62. Actor Aidan Quinn is 62. Guitarist Jimmy Dormire (Confederate Railroad) is 61. Actor Camryn Manheim (“The Practice”) is 60. Actor Leon (“Cool Runnings”) is 60. Singer Shawn Mullins is 53. Actor Andrea Parker (“Less Than Perfect”) is 51. Actor Boris Kodjoe (“Code Black,” ?Madea’s Family Reunion”) is 48. Actor Freddie Prinze Jr. is 45. Actor Laura Main (“Call the Midwife”) is 44. Actor James Van Der Beek (“CSI: Cyber,” ?Dawson’s Creek”) is 44. Singer Kameelah Williams of 702 is 43. Actor Nick Zano (“Minority Report,” ?2 Broke Girls”) is 43. Singer Tom Chaplin of Keane is 42. Guitarist Andy Ross of OK Go is 42. Singer Kristinia DeBarge is 31. March 9: Singer Lloyd Price is 88. Actor Joyce Van Patten is 87. Country singer Mickey Gilley is 85. Actor Trish Van Devere is 80. Singer John Cale (The Velvet Underground) is 79. Singer Mark Lindsay of Paul Revere and the Raiders is 79. TV anchor Charles Gibson is 78. Guitarist Robin Trower (Procol Harum) is 76. Singer Jeffrey Osborne is 73. Guitarist Jimmie Fadden of The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band is 73. Actor Linda Fiorentino (“Men In Black”) is 63. Actor Tom Amandes (“Eli Stone,” ?Parenthood”) is 62. Guitarist Rusty Hendrix of Confederate Railroad is 61. Actor Juliette Binoche (“Chocolat,” ?The English Patient”) is 57. Bassist Robert Sledge of Ben Folds Five is 53. Drummer Shannon Leto of 30 Seconds To Mars is 51. Rapper C-Murder (aka C-Miller) is 50. Actor Emmanuel Lewis (“Webster”) is 50. Actor Jean Louisa Kelly (“Yes, Dear,” ?Mr. Holland’s Opus”) is 49. Actor Kerr Smith (“Life Unexpected,” ?Dawson’s Creek”) is 49. Actor Oscar Isaac (“Star Wars: The Force Awakens”) is 42. Comedian Jordan Klepper (“The Daily Show”) is 42. Rapper Chingy is 41. Actor Matthew Gray Gubler (“Criminal Minds”) is 41. Guitarist Chad Gilbert of New Found Glory is 40. Keyboardist Ben Tanner of Alabama Shakes is 38. Actor Brittany Snow (“American Dreams,” ?Hairspray”) is 35. Rapper Bow Wow is 34. Rapper YG is 31. Actor Luis Armand Garcia (“George Lopez”) is 29. Actor Cierra Ramirez (“The Fosters”) is 26. March 10: Country talk show host Ralph Emery is 88. Bluegrass musician Norman Blake is 83. Actor Chuck Norris is 81. Singer Dean Torrence of Jan and Dean is 81. Actor Katharine Houghton (“Guess Who’s Coming To Dinner?”) is 79. Actor Richard Gant is 77. Guitarist Tom Scholz of Boston is 74. TV personality-businesswoman Barbara Corcoran (“Shark Tank”) is 72. Actor Aloma Wright (“Scrubs”) is 71. Singer-guitarist Gary Louris of The Jayhawks is 66. Actor Shannon Tweed is 64. Actor Sharon Stone is 63. Bassist Gail Greenwood of L7 (and of Belly) is 61. Magician Lance Burton is 61. Actor Jasmine Guy is 59. Bassist Jeff Ament of Pearl Jam is 58. Music producer Rick Rubin is 58. Singer Edie Brickell is 55. Actor Stephen Mailer (“Reversal of Fortune”) is 55. Actor Philip Anthony-Rodriguez (“Grimm”) is 53. Actor Paget Brewster (“Criminal Minds”) is 52. Actor Jon Hamm (“Mad Men”) is 50. Rapper-producer Timbaland is 49. Actor Cristian de la Fuente is 47. Guitarist Jerry Horton of Papa Roach is 46. Actor Jeff Branson (“The Young and the Restless”) is 44. Singer Robin Thicke is 44. Actor Bree Turner (“Grimm”) is 44. Singer Michael Barnes of Red is 42. Actor Edi Gathegi (“Twilight” films) is 42. Bassist Matt Asti of MGMT is 41. Actor Thomas Middleditch (“Silicon Valley”) is 39. Singer Carrie Underwood is 38. Actor Olivia Wilde is 37. Singer Emeli Sande is 34. Country singer Rachel Reinert is 32. Keyboardist Jared Hampton of LANCO is 30. Actor Emily Osment (“Hannah Montana”) is 29. March 11: TV journalist Sam Donaldson is 87. Accordionist Flaco Jimenez of Texas Tornadoes is 82. Actor Tricia O’Neil (“Genghis Khan”) is 76. Actor Mark Metcalf (“Animal House”) is 75. Singer Mark Stein of Vanilla Fudge is 74. Singer Bobby McFerrin is 71. Movie director Jerry Zucker (“Airplane!” ?Ghost”) is 71. Singer Cheryl Lynn is 70. Actor Susan Richardson (“Eight Is Enough”) is 69. Recording executive Jimmy Iovine (“American Idol”) is 68. Country singer Jimmy Fortune of The Statler Brothers is 66. Singer Nina Hagen is 66. Actor Elias Koteas (“Chicago P.D.”) is 60. Actor Peter Berg (“Chicago Hope”) is 59. Actor Jeffrey Nordling (“Desperate Housewives”) is 59. Actor Alex Kingston (“ER”) is 58. Actor Wallace Langham (“CSI”) is 56. Actor John Barrowman (“Arrow”) is 54. Singer Lisa Loeb is 53. Keyboardist Al Gamble of St. Paul and the Broken Bones is 52. Singer Pete Droge is 52. Actor Terrence Howard (“Empire”) is 52. Actor Johnny Knoxville is 50. Musicians Joel and Benji Madden of Good Charlotte are 42. Actor David Anders (“iZombie,” ?The Vampire Diaries”) is 40. Singer LeToya Luckett (Destiny’s Child) is 40. Actor Thora Birch (“Ghost World,” ?American Beauty”) is 39. TV personality Melissa Rycroft is 38. Actor Rob Brown (“Blindspot,” “Treme”) is 37. Actor Jodie Comer (“Killing Eve”) is 28. March 12: Actor Barbara Feldon (“Get Smart”) is 88. Actor-singer Liza Minnelli is 75. Singer-songwriter James Taylor is 73. Singer Bill Payne of Little Feat is 72. Actor Jon Provost (TV: “Lassie”) is 71. Bassist Steve Harris of Iron Maiden is 65. Actor Lesley Manville (“Phantom Thread”) is 65. Singer Marlon Jackson of The Jackson Five is 64. Actor Courtney B. Vance is 61. Actor Titus Welliver (“Deadwood”) is 59. Actor Julia Campbell (“Romy and Michelle’s High School Reunion”) is 58. Actor Jake Weber (TV’s “Medium,” film’s “Dawn of the Dead”) is 58. Actor Aaron Eckhart (“The Dark Knight”) is 53. Guitarist Graham Coxon of Blur is 52. Drummer Tommy Bales of Flynnville Train is 48. Actor Rhys Coiro (“Hostages,” “Entourage”) is 42. Country singer Holly Williams is 40. Actor Samm Levine (“Freaks and Geeks”) is 39. Actor Jaimie Alexander (TV’s “Blindspot”) is 37. Actor Tyler Patrick Jones (“Ghost Whisperer”) is 27. Actor Kendall Applegate (“Desperate Housewives”) is 22. March 13: Jazz drummer Roy Haynes is 96. Songwriter Mike Stoller is 88. Singer-songwriter Neil Sedaka is 82. Singer Candi Staton is 81. Actor William H. Macy is 71. Comedian Robin Duke is 67. Actor Dana Delaney (“Body of Proof” ?China Beach”) is 65. Bassist Adam Clayton of U2 is 61. Jazz trumpeter Terence Blanchard is 59. Drummer Matt McDonough of Mudvayne is 52. Actor Annabeth Gish (“The West Wing,” ?The X-Files”) is 50. Actor Tracy Wells (“Mr. Belvedere”) is 50. Rapper Common is 49. Rapper Khujo of Goodie Mob is 49. Singer Glenn Lewis is 46. Actor Danny Masterson (“That ’70s Show”) is 45. Musicians Natalie and Nicole Albino of Nina Sky are 37. Actor Noel Fisher (“Shameless”) is 37. Actor Emile Hirsch (“Into the Wild”) is 36. The Associated Press
Death and taxes may be the only certainties in life, but death taxes are only a remote possibility for most people. The vast majority of Americans won’t ever have or give away enough to owe estate or gift taxes. Far more people could be affected if a tax break that benefits heirs is eliminated. While campaigning for president, Joe Biden proposed doing away with something called the “step-up in basis” that allows people to minimize or avoid capital gains taxes on inherited assets. But no legislation has been proposed yet, and such a change could have a tough time getting approved by a divided Congress. “Right now, we’re telling folks to start thinking about this stuff, but we’re not rushing out to take action,” says certified financial planner Colleen Carcone, a director of wealth planning strategies at TIAA. HOW STEP-UP IN BASIS LOWERS TAXES Although most estates don’t owe estate taxes, anyone who’s inherited a house, stock or other property has likely benefited from the step-up tax break that gives such assets a new value at the owner’s death. Say your savvy aunt paid $7,000 for a single share of Berkshire Hathaway stock in 1990. That’s her tax basis. If she sold the stock for its closing price of $362,000 on Feb. 10, she would owe tax on the $355,000 gain. If she generously gave you the stock and you sold it on Feb. 10, you’d owe the same amount of tax because you’d also get her tax basis. Now, let’s say that instead of giving you the stock, she left it to you in her will and she died Feb. 10. The stock would get a new basis for tax purposes of $362,000. All the gain that occured during her lifetime would never be taxed. If you sold the stock later, you would owe tax only on the gain since her death. Some kinds of inheritances, such as annuities or retirement accounts, don’t get the step-up. But it’s no exaggeration to say that far more people benefit from our estate tax system — by inheriting homes and other assets with a stepped-up tax basis — than have to pay any estate taxes. WHO PAYS GIFT AND ESTATE TAXES NOW This year, an estate has to be worth more than $11.7 million to trigger federal estate taxes. Less than 0.1 per cent of the people who died in the U.S. last year were expected to leave estates large enough to owe any tax, according to the Urban-Brookings Tax Policy Center. People who have to pay gift taxes are pretty rare as well. There’s an annual exclusion, or an amount you can give away to as many people as you want each year without having to file a gift tax return. The exclusion limit is $15,000 for 2021 — you can give up to $15,000 each to an unlimited number of people without having to report the gifts. Even if you do have to file a gift tax return, you wouldn’t actually owe gift taxes until the amount you gave away in your lifetime — over and above the annual exclusion amounts — totalled more than $11.7 million. These historically high limits are scheduled to end in 2025, which means in 2026 the estate and gift tax exemption limits would revert to $5 million per person, adjusted for inflation. Biden wants the exemption to drop to $3.5 million per person. People in some states already face lower limits. The 12 states that impose their own estate taxes — Connecticut, Hawaii, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont and Washington — and the District of Columbia have lower exemption limits than the feds. Massachusetts and Oregon have the lowest exemption amounts, $1 million. Six states — Iowa, Kentucky, Maryland, Nebraska, New Jersey and Pennsylvania — also levy taxes on people inheriting. Different tax rates and exemption limits apply, depending on the relationship between the inheritor and the person who died. Immediate family members usually pay the least, if anything, while distant relations and nonrelatives pay more. WHAT YOU SHOULD DO NOW: KEEP GOOD RECORDS The idea of eliminating the step-up in basis has been proposed in the past, but it faced headwinds in part because the practice benefits a wide range of voters. Since there’s no concrete proposal to change the step-up, there’s not much people can do to prepare for change other than what they should be doing anyway, which is keeping careful records. That means “tracking the basis” of what they paid for any assets as part of routine estate planning. If you buy shares of a stock in a taxable account, for example, hang onto records showing those purchases. The cost of any improvements you make to a home or other real estate also can increase its tax basis and potentially reduce taxes later. “The one thing that we do think folks should start doing today is really starting to think about the record-keeping,” Carcone says. _________________________________________ This column was provided to The Associated Press by the personal finance website NerdWallet. Liz Weston is a columnist at NerdWallet, a certified financial planner and author of “Your Credit Score.” Email: lweston@nerdwallet.com. Twitter: @lizweston. RELATED LINK: NerdWallet: Estate Planning https://bit.ly/nerdwallet-estate-planning Liz Weston Of Nerdwallet, The Associated Press
La MRC de Nicolet-Yamaska doit au cours des prochains mois cartographier sa résilience face aux changements climatiques. Les inondations, canicules, sécheresses et grands vents observés ces dernières années laissent des traces. Et la MRC cherche à les recenser. La MRC va faire le diagnostic de l’impact qu’a le climat sur l’ensemble de ses équipements, services et infrastructures. «On veut évaluer la vulnérabilité de notre territoire, voir en quoi elles sont impactées par ces différents événements climatiques. La MRC va tenter de classifier les risques et tenir compte de cette vulnérabilité dans la gestion future de ses actifs», explique Michel Côté, directeur général de la MRC. «Les changements climatiques constituent l’un des enjeux majeurs auxquels les municipalités sont confrontées. Leurs effets exigent des mesures d’adaptation fortes et innovantes. Cela nous conduira très certainement à revoir certaines de ces manières de faire, et à penser différemment nos modes de développement», soutient Geneviève Dubois, préfète de la MRC de Nicolet-Yamaska. L’ensemble des professionnels des différentes municipalités de la MRC de Nicolet-Yamaska sera mobilisé. Une conseillère en environnement a été embauchée par la MRC pour travailler le dossier. Le bureau de génie de la Fédération québécoise des municipalités va lui donner un coup de main avec le concours des différents départements de Travaux publics et d’urbanisme du territoire. Le gouvernement du Québec finance le projet à hauteur de 64 500$. La MRC assume quant à elle 35% de la facture. Ce diagnostic de vulnérabilité doit être complété d’ici 12 mois. Des sommes additionnelles seront requises lors de la phase de mise en oeuvre du Plan d’action qui en découlera. La MRC affirme rester à l’affût de nouvelles possibilités de financement. Boris Chassagne, Initiative de journalisme local, La Voix du Sud
La maison de répit Le Camélia est l’un des 12 récipiendaires canadiens d’une bourse de 10 000 $ offerte par la compagnie d’assurances Canada Vie. La Maison Le Camélia offre depuis huit ans un service de garde en milieu familial à une douzaine de personnes en perte d’autonomie ou vivant avec une déficience intellectuelle. Le don offert par Canada Vie dans le cadre de son programme Coup de pouce aux entreprises tombe à point nommé pour le Camélia de Trois-Rivières qui souffre d’un sous-financement chronique. Lucie Duval, propriétaire et directrice du Camélia, pousse un soupir de soulagement. Elle qui ne reçoit pas un centime du gouvernement, rien de Québec, ni du CIUSSS-MCQ, même en ces temps de pandémie. Et ça, elle ne l’encaisse pas. « J’ai parti une résidence pour ma fille et d’autres parents qui ne veulent pas placer leurs enfants dans le système de santé actuel. L’Agence de Santé me refuse d’être accréditée comme famille d’accueil. On a levé le nez sur moi à plusieurs reprises. Je l’ai partie sans aucune subvention de personne. C’est vraiment grave. J’ai des parents médecins qui m’ont confié leurs enfants, les intervenants sur le plancher du CIUSSS me réfèrent, mais la direction générale ne veut pas m’aider. Je leur ai dit que si je n’avais pas d’aide que j’allais fermer. Heureusement que Mme Grégoire (de Canada Vie) a cru en mon projet et a été sensible à ma cause. Ce n’est pas juste le coup de pouce, mais de savoir qu’il y a des gens qui croient en toi, à ton projet. Ça aussi on en a besoin », confie Lucie Duval. Le Camélia tourne tant bien que mal à pleine capacité et la maison refuse souvent des clients. Des parents de partout au Québec l’appellent à la recherche d’un endroit où placer leurs enfants. « Ce sont des gens épanouis, heureux. J’ai des employés en or. Sans eux je n’arriverais pas à tenir.» Lucie Duval n’a le temps de s’apitoyer sur son sort. Elle doit faire face aux urgences. Elle compte investir les 10 000 $ reçus dans la réfection de la toiture du Camélia et dans la création d’un site Web. Elle cherche à mieux faire connaître ses services, mais aussi, à mieux accompagner les parents qui ne savent plus où donner de la tête. «Je reçois régulièrement des demandes de coaching, de référencement. Souvent les parents sont laissés à eux-mêmes. J’ai des gens qui me contactent qui veulent ouvrir d’autres maisons comme la mienne. » La maison de répit Le Camélia a été nommée en l’honneur de la fille de Mme Duval, Camélia, qui vit avec une déficience intellectuelle associée à une épilepsie sévère. Camélia est née en France dans une maison bordée d’une haie de camélias. Elle est aujourd’hui âgée 25 ans. Quand on lui parle de campagne de collecte de fonds, Mme Duval affirme ne pas avoir le temps ni l’énergie de l’organiser, malgré les besoins. Le programme Coup de pouce aux entreprises de Canada Vie a été lancé en octobre dernier pour venir en aide aux petites entreprises qui n’ont jamais affronté autant d’adversité en cette période de pandémie. Boris Chassagne, Initiative de journalisme local, La Voix du Sud
(Submitted by Chip Taylor - image credit) A new report says monarch butterfly populations in Mexico have decreased, but according to one expert, the number of butterflies Canada will see this year depends on what happens this month as they embark on their migrations north. The presence of the monarch butterfly in the Mexican hibernation forests declined by 26 per cent due to a reduction of its habitat, according to the recent report by WWF-Telmex Telcel Foundation. According to the report, the species occupied 2.1 hectares in December 2020 compared to the 2.83 hectares in December 2019. These numbers are unsurprising to Chip Taylor, the director of Monarch Watch at the University of Kansas. "They were about as I expected," he said. "But that tells us that we are dealing with a population that fluctuates with the weather conditions, but it's also dependent on the amount of habitat available. Had there been a lot more habitat available last year in the form of nectar plants, then it's likely we would have seen a higher population," he said. Taylor said that monarchs need nectar plants and milkweed, which he said Canada provides a lot of. The presence of the monarch butterfly declined by 26% in the Mexican hibernation forests due to a reduction of its habitat, according to a recent report by WWF-Telmex Telcel Foundation. "As we get into Canada ... we get a lot more common milkweed. And one of the things that happens in Canada is that the monarchs who have reached Canada in May and June develop a population of common milkweed and that population tends to move along the lakes and eventually move through Point Pelee in fairly large numbers," he explains. Every fall, Point Pelee plays host to thousands of monarch butterflies on their migrations. The insects make their way across Lake Erie to the mountains of Mexico, roughly 3,000 kilometres south, for the winter. In late spring, their offspring return to Canada, and the cycle continues. According to Parks Canada, monarchs have a life span of about a month but the ones who emerge late in the summer are born to migrate and stay alive for over six months to make the journey. Taylor said it's hard to predict what the population of the monarch butterfly will be like this spring until he sees how conditions are like in Texas. "The Canadian situation is highly dependent on what happens in March in Texas. So if the returning butterflies are abundant and they have good conditions in Texas, there are good conditions as they move north in May and June and they encounter good conditions in Canada, the population does well," he said. "If they get off to a bad start in Texas. It's going to be a bad year in Canada." - Chip Taylor, director of Monarch Watch Taylor said the butterflies have already left the overwintering sites in Mexico and should reach Texas in about two weeks. "The question is, what are they going to find when they get there?" He asks, pointing to the massive winter freeze that took place just weeks ago. "The question I'm asking all my colleagues in Texas is that vegetation going to come back in time, so they're going to be milkweeds above ground and nectar plants for the butterflies to feed on," he said. Chip Taylor, the director of Monarch Watch, says how conditions will look in Canada is highly dependent on how conditions will be like in Texas in two weeks. Taylor said he's watching the weather and monitoring plant development carefully and can better predict how things will look in two weeks. "What we've learned in the past is that what happens in March in Texas has a big influence that that determines everything that happens, including what happens in Canada, on the rest of the year," he said. "So it's very important for the population to get off to a good start. If they don't, if the population doesn't get off to a good start, then it's very likely that it's never going to be able to recover. There just aren't enough generations," he said. What you can do Taylor says people can help preserve the monarch butterfly by creating a lot of habitat for the species. Point Pelee National Park also encourages local residents to plant a butterfly garden with native plants, milkweed for monarch butterflies and caterpillars. "Create a habitat and they will come, they will use it," Taylor said.
In the opening moments of a Golden Globes night even more chaotic and confounding than usual, co-host Tina Fey raised a theoretical question: “Could this whole night have been an email?” Only the next three hours would tell. Well, sure, it could have been an email. But then you wouldn't have had Chadwick Boseman’s eloquent widow, bringing many to tears as she explained how she could never be as eloquent as her late husband. Or Jane Fonda, sharply calling out Hollywood for its lack of diversity on a night when her very hosts were under fire for exactly that. Or Chloé Zhao, making history as the first woman of Asian descent to win best director (and the first woman since 1984.) Or 98-year-old Norman Lear, giving the simplest explanation for his longevity: never living or laughing alone. Or Jodie Foster kissing her wife joyfully, eight years after very tentatively coming out on the same telecast. Of course, there were the usual confounding results and baffling snubs, compounded here by some epic Zoom fails. But then we had the kids and the dogs. And they were adorable. Next year, can we still have the kids and the dogs, please? Some key moments of the first and hopefully last virtual Globes night: AN OVERDUE RECKONING The evening began under a cloud of embarrassing revelations about the Hollywood Foreign Press Association and its lack of inclusion, including the damaging fact that there are no Black members in the 87-person body. Fey and co-host Amy Poehler addressed it early: “Even with stupid things, inclusivity is important." Winners like Daniel Levy of “Schitt's Creek” and presenters like Sterling K. Brown referred to it. Jane Fonda made it a theme of her powerful speech accepting the Cecil B. DeMille award. And the HFPA made a hasty onstage pledge to change. “We recognize we have our own work to do,” said vice-president Helen Hoehne. “We must have Black journalists in our organization.” “I DON'T HAVE HIS WORDS” The best-actor award to Chadwick Boseman for “Ma Rainey's Bottom” had been expected. That did not dull the emotional impact of his victory. His widow, Taylor Simone Ledward, tearfully accepted in his honour, telling viewers that her husband, who died of colon cancer at 43 before the film was released, “would say something beautiful, something inspiring, something that would amplify that little voice inside of all of us that tells you you can. That tells you to keep going, that calls you back to what you are meant to be doing at this moment in history.” But, she said poignantly, “I don't have his words." Co-star Viola Davis could be seen weeping as Ledward spoke. She was not alone. PREDICTABLE ZOOM FAILS It was obvious there were going to be awkward Zoom fails. It started early, when the very first winner, Daniel Kaluuya for “Judas and the Black Messiah,” was on mute as he accepted his award, leaving presenter Laura Dern to apologize for technical difficulties. Thankfully, the problem was resolved in time for the actor to speak. Jason Sudeikis, whose charmingly rambling speech ("This is nuts!") and rumpled hoodie signalled he hadn't expected to win, finally realized he needed to “wrap this puppy up.” And winner Catherine O'Hara ("Schitt's Creek") had some perhaps unwelcome help from her husband, whose efforts to provide applause sounds and play-off music on his phone while she spoke lost something in translation, causing confusion on social media. Oh yes, and there were those conversations between nominees before commercials — did they know we heard them? KIDS AND PETS, STILL BRINGING JOY Still, the virtual acceptances from winners stuck at home had a huge silver lining: happy kids and cute pets. When Mark Ruffalo won for “I Know This Much is True,” two of his teens could not control their joy enough to stay out of the camera shot. Not to be outdone, the adorable young daughter of Lee Isaac Chung, writer-director of the Korean-American family drama “Minari,” sat in his lap and hugged him throughout his acceptance for best foreign language film. “She’s the reason I made this film,” said Chung. Winner Jodie Foster ("The Mauritanian") also had a family member in her lap: her dog. Also seen: Sarah Paulson's dog, and Emma Corrin's cat. LOVE FOR BORAT, SNUB FOR BAKALOVA ... AND EXPOSURE FOR GIULIANI Bulgarian actress Maria Bakalova, breakout star of Amazon’s “Borat Subsequent Moviefilm,” had been widely expected to win, but lost out to Rosamund Pike ("I Care a Lot") who saluted Bakalova's bravery. In her movie, Pike said, “I had to swim up from a sinking car. I think I still would rather do that than have been in a room with Rudy Giuliani.” The former New York mayor's infamous cameo was also the butt of jokes from “Borat” star Sacha Baron Cohen, who called Giuliani “a fresh new talent who came from nowhere and turned out to be a comedy genius ... I mean, who could get more laughs from one unzipping?” Baron Cohen, who won for best actor in a comedy, also joked that Donald Trump was “contesting the result” of his win. A FIERY FONDA Did you expect anything less from Fonda? In her memorable DeMille award speech, the multiple Globe winner extolled the virtues of cinematic storytelling — “stories can change our hearts and our minds” — then pivoted to admonishing Hollywood. “There's a story we’ve been afraid to see and hear about ourselves,” she said, “a story about which voices we respect and elevate and which we tune out: a story about who’s offered a seat at the table and who’s kept out of the rooms where decisions are made.” She said the arts should not merely keep step with society, but lead the way. “Let's be leaders,” she said. ZHAO MAKES HISTORY When Zhao won best director for her haunting and elegant “Nomadland,” she was the first Asian American woman ever to win that award. But that wasn't the only way she made history: it was the first directing Globe for a woman in nearly 40 years, since Barbra Streisand won for “Yentl." Her film, a look at itinerant Americans, “at its core for me is a pilgrimage through grief and healing,” Zhao said. “For everyone who has gone through this difficult and beautiful journey at some point in their lives, we don’t say goodbye, we say: See you down the road.” With Zhao's win, the road widens for other female directors. ___ This story has been corrected to show that Norman Lear is 98, not 99. Jocelyn Noveck, The Associated Press
(Katrine Deniset/Radio-Canada - image credit) Aisha Barise says martial arts has always been a source of empowerment. As a Muslim woman who wears a hijab, she says even the naysayers, skeptical of her place in taekwondo and karate, were just fodder for her competitive fire. "Nobody can tell me what to do," she said. "I'm very competitive and it drives me and it motivates me, going out there looking different and then competing." Now, after a string of attacks on six Muslim women in a 10-week span, she is sharing what she knows with other women in self-defence classes organized by Muslim community groups in Edmonton. "There aren't many people who look like me that train in martial arts, that compete in martial arts. So that's why I took this opportunity," she said in an interview before Sunday's class at Markaz-Ul-Islam mosque. The four weekly classes, which began Feb. 21, each host around 24 people after organizers got the go-ahead from provincial health officials, said Noor Al-Henedy, director of communications at Al-Rashid Mosque. They sold out within hours, she said, with requests to add at least six more classes. It's a sign, she says, of widespread concern among the city's Muslim community. "When we look at the bigger picture, there's a huge education piece that needs to be done. Our city has to come together, our province, our country, to fight Islamophobia, anti-Semitism, hatred and racism," Al-Henedy said. 'You are very strong' The recent spate of daytime attacks against Muslim women wearing headscarves dates back to December. A mother and a daughter were assaulted in the parking lot of Southgate Centre on Dec. 8. A week later, a woman was assaulted while waiting for a train at the nearby Southgate LRT station. On Feb. 3, two women were assaulted in separate incidents, one at the University Transit Centre and the other near 100th Street and 82nd Avenue. Then, two weeks later, a Black Muslim woman was threatened at the Century Park LRT. "It cannot be something that's acceptable or something that only pops on the news and is normal. It cannot become the norm," Al-Henedy said. Barise, the instructor, says that while the physical element of self-defence is a given, there's an important psychological dimension as well. "As women we're always taught to not fight back ... to not to do anything, to not act, to not retaliate," she said. But self-defence instills a participant with a sense of their own agency, with the message that "you are very strong and you're very capable," Barise said. Despite the empowering message, Barise says she's still heartbroken to see a group of mostly mothers join a class out of fear for the safety of themselves and their families. "Mothers that genuinely want safety for their kids," she said. "These really vulnerable people were coming here asking for my help, and for me it was such a personal thing for a mother to come here with her kids in order to defend them and empower them."
The European Commission will propose this month an EU-wide digital certificate providing proof of a COVID-19 vaccination that could allow Europeans to travel more freely over the summer. The EU executive aims to present its plans for a "digital green pass" on March 17 and to cooperate with international organisations to ensure that its system also works beyond the European Union. "The aim is to gradually enable them to move safely in the European Union or abroad - for work or tourism," Commission president Ursula von der Leyen said in a tweet on Monday.
(Colette Derworiz/The Canadian Press - image credit) This column is an opinion from Robin Pollard, a University of Victoria student and Canmore resident. Growing up in the mountain town of Canmore is what many would call a dream; but that's all it is at the moment. Currently, Canmore is grappling with proposals from Three Sisters Mountain Village (TSMV) which would double Canmore's population and threaten Canmore's affordable housing, economy, wildlife, and climate change commitments. As a university student, it is difficult to imagine a future in which I can afford to live in the community where I was born and raised. The pursuit of second homes has driven rental and housing prices out of reach for much of the community — resulting in an estimated 30 per cent of Canmore's houses sitting empty and making Canmore the least affordable place to live in Alberta. Unfortunately, the proposed TSMV developments are unlikely to change these disheartening dynamics. Just 10 per cent of the new units to be built over a 30-year period are affordable housing units, according to their plans. We need a new approach if we want to avoid the fate of similar towns with similar pressures. Canmore declared a climate emergency in 2019. The town's Climate Action Plan clearly sets out Canmore's goal to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 80 per cent of 2015 levels by the year 2050. Yet TSMV's proposal includes car-dependent neighborhoods and requires that underground hazards left over from Canmore's coal mining days be filled with concrete — the production of which, on a global scale, creates more emissions than all of Canada. Crucial wildlife corridor Given the rugged mountains of the Bow Valley, the majority of Canmore's economy is adventure tourism based, and wildlife-human encounters are becoming dangerously common. The Bow Valley is a crucial wildlife corridor — one of just four east-west connections in the entire 3,200 km Yellowstone-to-Yukon region. It is increasingly difficult for large mammals to navigate this narrow valley due to an ever-expanding human footprint, and these proposed developments put habitat and linkage zones for wildlife in jeopardy. Consequently, wildlife is pushed onto steeper slopes where vegetation is sparse and recreation use remains high. According to ecologists, plans to double Canmore's population and put 14,500 people right up against an already compromised wildlife corridor poses a major threat to the connectivity of keystone species, such as grizzly bears and wolves. Even if the town could support an additional 14,500 people, building houses right beside the corridor will undoubtedly have a negative impact on this sensitive and crucial area. A grizzly bear walks along a railway track in this photo from Parks Canada. According to ecologists, plans to double Canmore’s population pose a major threat to keystone species, such as grizzly bears and wolves Canmore is at a crossroads, with many citizens recognizing that without strong and informed municipal leadership, the future of the town could rest in the hands of a single developer. Despite a growing wave of citizen opposition, the town council passed the first reading of TSMV's Area Structure Plans (ASPs) on February 9. Consequently, frustration is rising among citizens who feel like their voices aren't being heard. Indeed, a tricky interplay exists in the Bow Valley between urban development and ecological integrity. The importance of negotiating a creative solution that benefits both people and wildlife in this dynamic place, while centring community engagement cannot be overlooked. Understanding the threats posed to Canmore's affordable housing, economy, wildlife and climate change commitments are integral to grappling with the complexity of this issue moving forward. People with knowledge and energy, who are equipped to create innovative solutions, have already come forward in response to TSMV's proposed developments. Needless to say, the community is passionate about making the right decision. Collaboration needed Moving forward, a collaborative approach could include focusing on community interests instead of positional outcomes — a position is what a party wants or thinks they want, and an interest is the "why" behind the position. We have the opportunity to reach a mutually acceptable interest-based outcome by stepping back and having community conversations about Canmore's future. I encourage the town to start a formal process to generate a community vision that centres the climate crisis, sustaining viable wildlife populations, and socio-economic values. This framework could function as a baseline for future development proposals and must include cumulative environmental impact assessments, which TSMV's plans do not include. In the meantime, the town has the regulatory power to reject the current ASPs until a community focused solution is established. The town is holding a virtual public hearing on the development proposal on March 9. The beautiful Bow Valley is likely one of the most developed areas in the world where grizzly bears still exist, so to say that we are at a tipping point is an understatement. The proposals put forth by TSMV do not align with the future we need to work towards — a future that maintains a balance between wildlife, ecological integrity and the Canmore community. This column is an opinion. For more information about our commentary section, please read our FAQ.
(Heidi Atter/CBC - image credit) The Regina Police Service is seeking help from the public after a man was robbed at gunpoint in northeast Regina, Sunday. The incident happened at around 1:40 a.m. in the 400 block of Broad Street North. Police say a man walked up to a driver and pointed a black handgun at him, instructing him to get out of the car. The suspect then got in the car and drove south on Broad Street, police said. The stolen car is a 2012 black Honda Accord, with damage to the front passenger fender. Police describe the suspect as five-foot-10, wearing a black and white bandanna, a black hoodie and several rings. Anyone with information is asked to contact police at (306) 777-6500 or Crime Stoppers at 1 (800) 222-8477.
Djokovic's ninth Australian Open title last month guaranteed that he would surpass Federer's record on March 8. Having reached another milestone in his illustrious career, Djokovic had said he would look to adjust his calendar and make overhauling Federer and Rafa Nadal's joint-record of 20 Grand Slam titles his top priority. "Now, after achieving the historic number one for the longest weeks at number one, it's going to be a relief for me because I'm going to focus all my attention on Slams mostly," the Serb had said after his title triumph at Melbourne Park.
LOS ANGELES — From Jason Sudeikis’ hoodie to Jodie Foster’s bare feet, the stars embraced a virtual Golden Globes, and still found ways to cut loose. There was no red carpet and logjam of celebrities outside the show’s usual location at the Beverly Hilton. No boozy camaraderie at the jammed-in tables inside the ballroom, either. The coronavirus pandemic made certain of that. Instead, most of Sunday night’s winners accepted from their own homes or hotel rooms in laidback settings unheard of for Hollywood's biggest awards shows. Many were surrounded by spouses, parents, kids, pets or support staff. Several winners welcomed the change. “This is the best Globes ever, to be able to be home, but also it just felt really real,” a giddy Foster said in virtual comments after her win. “It didn’t feel like it was filled with so much artifice. I think people were kind of thrilled by the newness and the sort of live theatre.” Foster cozied up on a sofa, cuddling her white dog while sharing a kiss with her wife. Friends watching on television downstairs raised a delayed shout when she was announced as the winner for supporting actress in a motion picture drama. Foster stuck her bare foot in the air, showing media that she wasn’t wearing any shoes. She was headed downstairs to eat dinner after her win. “It was really fun,” said Aaron Sorkin, winner for motion picture screenplay. “There was an intimacy to it.” Sacha Baron Cohen won two trophies for “Borat Subsequent Moviefilm” with wife Isla Fisher smiling next to him. He donned a traditional tuxedo and she wore a gown and red lips. “The virtual experience was different, but a lot more relaxing,” Baron Cohen said. “You didn’t have to do the red carpet, which I’m not sure a lot of people enjoy.” In London, Sudeikis won best actor in a television series, musical or comedy for “Ted Lasso.” He wore a white hoodie promoting his sister's dance and workout studio in New York City. “When people you care about do cool, interesting things you should support them, so this is no different than that,” Sudeikis later told reporters. Clearly surprised by his win, the actor hesitated and rambled during his acceptance remarks. Fellow nominee Don Cheadle was shown whirling his finger in the air, a joking signal that Sudeikis should wrap up. “The guy's got chops,” Sudeikis said. “He's an ex-stage manager.” Nominee Kate Hudson hosted a family get-together. Wearing a strapless gown, she sat with her kids, her partner Danny Fujikawa, her mother Goldie Hawn, as well as Kurt Russell and brother Oliver Hudson. Her 2-year-old daughter, Rani, blurted out, “Hi, everybody!” as the telecast went to a commercial break. Nicole Kidman and musician-husband Keith Urban got glammed up to sit on their couch. Their daughters, Sunday and Faith, both wore white dresses while making a rare appearance. A shocked Andra Day had a crowd that included two co-stars from “The United States vs. Billie Holiday,” her manager, her publicist, her parents and some of her cousin's family. Known for her singing career, Day became the second Black woman to win for actress in a motion picture drama in her acting debut. “There's cake outside, so I'm going to eat with that, and with my family and my team,” she said after her win. “We're just going to eat so much food.” Beth Harris, The Associated Press
(Helen Pike/CBC - image credit) The union representing Calgary's transit workers says despite an overall drop in ridership, a steady number of operational issues indicate a need to bring back some of the transit workers laid off last spring. Mike Mahar, president of Amalgamated Transit Union Local 583, says staff are complaining about too much overtime, too many overloaded buses and sporadic bus breakdowns that lead to "no shows" because there's no one to backfill. Mahar said within the last week, a charter transit bus ran into problems and left students at a high school scrambling to find another way home. "Normally Calgary Transit will have, you know, five or six or seven people on what they call standby, and as soon as the bus breaks down, they dispatch another bus with another driver," he said. "They can't do that when they've maxed themselves out, there's just no resources left." Approximately 450 workers were laid off last spring and routes were scaled back or temporarily suspended after revenues and ridership plunged due to COVID-19. Mahar said some of the laid off workers have already been brought back, but he believes more need to return — especially considering concerns around health and safety with respect to the pandemic. Stephen Tauro, a spokesperson with the city, said Calgary Transit is monitoring the situation and called the "no show" incident involving a high school charter bus a one-off. Tauro said ridership is only 25 per cent of what it was pre-pandemic, yet service levels are at 82 per cent. He said if they see a significant increase in ridership, they'll boost service levels. Approximately 450 workers were laid off last spring and routes were scaled back or temporarily suspended after revenues and ridership plunged due to COVID-19. Tauro added that according to the city's ongoing citizen satisfaction surveys, 85 per cent of riders say the service is meeting their needs. "So it's really a balancing act and being responsible with the tax dollars and ensuring that we can use those dollars to the best of our ability to meet the customer needs," he said. Transit overloads Mahar said the city sends him copies of the daily overload reports and lately he said he's been noticing reports of 50 or more overloads every day. Mahar shared a week's worth of the overload reports with CBC News which support that assessment. Pre-pandemic, a bus was considered overloaded if it reached 100 per cent capacity. During the pandemic, it has been lowered to 75 per cent capacity. When a bus is considered overloaded, the driver feels it's too full to pick up additional riders, so the length of time can vary depending on when people exit the bus. Mahar said there were reports of bus overloads pre-pandemic but he alleged the numbers are consistently up right now on some routes, especially during peak periods. He said drivers have a plastic shield and passengers must wear a mask, but said not everyone feels safe behind those barriers, nor always wears a mask. One rider who spoke to CBC News through social media said the bus she takes is usually packed, which she said doesn't make sense. "Calgary Transit still thinks it's okay to allow 70 people on the bus when there's only 36 seats [on a regular bus] and most people are not wearing masks," said Megan Mary, who is a regular transit rider. "If my place of work did that, or if I gather in my home or outside with 70 [or more] people, we'd be fined and closed down for not following public health regulations." Stephen Tauro, a spokesperson with the city, said Calgary Transit ridership is only 25 per cent of what it was pre-pandemic, yet service levels are at 82 per cent. Tauro said the reports shared with CBC News are raw data that require further investigation to see if they represent consistent issues that require a service change. He said if overloads happen on a consistent basis, then they will respond by adding another bus, increasing the frequency of the service or adjusting the size of the bus. In that case, he urged drivers and passengers to notify Calgary Transit every time a bus is too full so the city can see if any patterns emerge. Increased overtime Mahar said he's been tracking the overtime and double time logged by his members after drivers started complaining about their workload over the last three or four months. He said overtime is an acceptable solution when it's used correctly, but said drivers are asked to do overtime too often to cover staffing shortages, which he said leads to burnout. "There's a lot of them that don't want to work overtime and they certainly don't want to work 10- and 12-hour days," Mahar said. But despite the complaints, Tauro said his records show overtime hasn't gone up in recent months. CBC News tried to compare the total number of overtime and double time hours sent by Tauro, which compared January 2020 to January 2021, with several overtime sheets sent by Mahar. However at the time of publication, CBC News couldn't confirm whether drivers are being asked to do more overtime at this time. Tauro said there are a number of factors that go into the decision to use overtime — like budget, operator availability, the "sick" list and the schedules. "It's really hard to just pinpoint one consistent issue and I think we are using some operators in overtime. Is it excessive?" Tauro said. "No, but we're just trying to ensure we're meeting the service that customers expect." But Tauro said the bottom line is Calgary Transit is about customer service, and so far, he said, it seems customers are satisfied. Mahar said he realizes there are budget constraints and that ridership is down, but he said those who are still using it and providing it should be better supported. "During a pandemic I think they need to promise a safe ride that is as safe as it can possibly be while still providing service," he said. He said the buses should be better spaced out, as they were when the pandemic first hit. Calgary Transit initially blocked off every second seat due to COVID-19. Last August, it removed the seating restrictions because it said the mandatory face covering bylaw would keep riders safe when they couldn't distance.
Dans le cadre de la journée santé et ressourcement pour le communautaire, la concertation régionale des organismes communautaires de l'Abitibi-Témiscamingue (CROC-AT) a participé, avec cinq autres régions à un zoom interrégional afin de souligner la campagne « Engagez-vous pour le communautaire » ainsi que pour la journée mondiale de la justice sociale. Un salon santé et ressourcement L’animation de la rencontre était assurée par l’artiste québécois Yves Lambert pour divertir tout en musique et en conte ce moment privilégié. « Au niveau de l’Abitibi-Témiscamingue, le comité mobilisation de la région a organisé un salon santé et ressourcement pour le milieu communautaire de manière virtuel » a déclaré David-Alexandre Desrosiers de la CROC-AT. Les participants à cette grande rencontre ont également pris le temps de d’échanger d’anecdotes cocasses ainsi que des belles expériences vécues dans les organismes. L’enjeu de l’épuisement professionnel Le contexte de la pandémie a démontré comment le rôle des organismes communautaires est très important et comment ils ont tenu à bout de bras une partie importante du filet social, pendant la pandémie de la COVID-19. La journée santé et ressourcement pour le communautaire pour souligner leur rôle et la grande valeur ajoutée de ces organismes dans la vie de tous les jours. « Plusieurs activités ont eu lieu : un conteur sur l’heure du midi, une séance d’étirement ergonomique, une conférence sur l’épuisement professionnel, une séance de yoga et d’art-thérapie » fait savoir David-Alexandre Desrosiers. Un moment pour recharger leur batterie Pour souligner à leur façon la Journée mondiale pour la justice sociale, six regroupements régionaux d’organismes communautaires autonomes se sont mobilisés afin de créer une journée de ressourcement pour ces artisan(e)s qui visent à améliorer la qualité de vie dans leur communauté. Partout au Québec, des actions ont eu lieu aujourd’hui, dans le cadre de la campagne « Engagez-vous pour le communautaire ». « Il était important pour nous que les travailleuses et les travailleurs du mouvement prennent un moment pour recharger leur batterie. C’est notre façon de leur montrer à quel point, elles et ils font la différence au quotidien dans leur communauté » a-t-il conclu. Moulay Hicham Mouatadid, Initiative de journalisme local, Reflet Témiscamien (Le)
(Paul Chiasson/The Canadian Press - image credit) While COVID-19 has had a devastating impact on many businesses, it has also created a niche for some new ones, including Pulsar UV. Pulsar UV offers coronavirus testing and health and safety advice to film and TV productions, allowing them to continue making entertainment as the pandemic wears on. Barbara Szeman, an assistant director who's worked on movies such as Suicide Squad and RoboCop (2014), founded the company, along with three other Windsorites with medical and film industry backgrounds. They recognized the need for such services after production shut down last spring. "When the pandemic hit, as for many industries, the entire film industry came to a complete halt, and we honestly just wanted to help our friends get back to work and be part of the solution," she said on Windsor Morning on Monday. In April, she reached out to colleagues and offered them her services. "We actually ended up running entire departments for health and safety on multi-million-dollar productions," she said. The company's clients include major motion pictures with 200 or more people on set. The company can't disclose the names of its clients because of confidentiality agreements, but is currently working with about five productions. "We are constantly taking calls from more productions that are opening up, so we'll be very busy this coming season," she said. They use the polymerase chain reaction or PCR test, considered the most accurate, and will soon introduce rapid testing. The samples are analyzed by diagnostic labs. The company has a doctor that oversees testing. Pulsar UV will soon be offering private asymptomatic testing in Windsor, Szeman said.
Toronto Mayor John Tory on Monday outlined the city's vaccination plan, which will see vaccines spread out across 49 hospital sites, 46 community health centres and 249 pharmacies. He called it the "largest vaccination effort" in the city's history, but added people need to continue to abide by public health measures to keep each other safe.
The S&P 500 surged on Monday in its strongest one-day gain since June as bond markets calmed after a month-long selloff, while another COVID-19 vaccine getting U.S. approval and fiscal stimulus bolstered expectations of a swift economic recovery. Johnson & Johnson ended up 0.5%, but off earlier highs, after it began shipping its single-dose vaccine after it became the third authorized COVID-19 vaccine in the United States over the weekend. U.S. bond yields eased after a swift rise last month on expectations of accelerated inflation due to bets on an economic rebound.
LOS ANGELES — Chloé Zhao became the second woman to win best director at the Golden Globes and the first female winner of Asian descent on a night in which her film “Nomadland” was crowned the top drama film. Zhao, who was among three women nominated in the directing category, was honoured for her work on “Nomadland,” about people who take to the road and move from place to place seeking work for usually low wages. It stars two-time Oscar winner Frances McDormand and includes nonprofessional actors. “I especially want to thank the nomads who shared their stories with us,” Zhao said, accepting the directing honour virtually on Sunday night. She singled out real-life nomad Bob Wells, who appears in the movie, for help with her remarks. “This is what he said about compassion,” Zhao said. “Compassion is the breakdown of all the barriers between us. A heart to heart pounding. Your pain is my pain. It’s mingled and shared between us.” The 38-year-old director who lives in Los Angeles is a leading Oscar contender for “Nomadland,” which is in select theatres and streaming on Hulu. “Now this is why I fell in love with making movies and telling stories because it gives us a chance to laugh and cry together and it gives us a chance to learn from each other and to have more compassion for each other,” Zhao said in her acceptance remarks. “So thank you everyone who made it possible to do what I love.” She joins Barbra Streisand, who won in 1984 for “Yentl,” as the only women to win directing honours at the Globes. Until this year, just five women had been nominated in the category. “Sometimes a first feels like a long time coming. You feel like, it’s about time,” Zhao said in virtual backstage comments. “I’m sure there’s many others before me that deserve the same recognition. If this means more people like me get to live their dreams and do what I do, I’m happy.” Regina King ("One Night in Miami...") and Emerald Fennell ("Promising Young Woman") were the other female director nominees. Zhao also was nominated for best motion picture screenplay and lost to Aaron Sorkin. McDormand received a nod for actress in a motion picture drama, but lost. Born in China, Zhao made her feature directing debut in 2015 with “Songs My Brother Taught Me.” She broke out in 2017 with “The Rider.” Next up for her is the big-budget Marvel film “Eternals,” set for release this fall. Beth Harris, The Associated Press
