Fox News senior strategic analyst Gen. Jack Keane breaks down the significance of the peace deal in the Middle East.
PHOENIX (AP) — The Republican who now leads the Arizona county elections department targeted by a GOP audit of the 2020 election results is slamming former President Donald Trump and others in his party for their continued falsehoods about how the election was run. Maricopa County Recorder Stephen Richer on Saturday called a Trump statement accusing the county of deleting an elections database “unhinged” and called on other Republicans to stop the unfounded accusations. “We can’t indulge these insane lies any longer. As a party. As a state. As a country,” Richer tweeted. Richer became recorder in January, after defeating the Democratic incumbent. The former president's statement came as Republican Senate President Karen Fann has demanded the Republican-dominated Maricopa County Board of Supervisors come to the Senate to answer questions raised by the private auditors she has hired. The Senate took possession of 2.1 million ballots and election equipment last month for what was supposed to be a three-week hand recount of the presidential race won by Democratic President Joe Biden. Instead, the auditors have moved as a snail's pace and had to shut down Thursday after counting about 500,000 ballots. They plan to resume counting in a week, after high school graduation ceremonies planned for the Veterans Memorial Coliseum in Phoenix, which they rented for the recount. Trump's statement said, in part, that “the entire Database of Maricopa County in Arizona has been DELETED! This is illegal and the Arizona State Senate, who is leading the Forensic Audit, is up in arms.” Richer and the board say that statement is just plain wrong. In recent days, both he and the board have begun aggressively pushing back at what they see as continuing falsehoods from Republicans who question Trump's loss. “Enough with the defamation. Enough with the unfounded allegations,” Richer tweeted Thursday. “I came to this office to competently, fairly, and lawfully administer the duties of the office. Not to be accused by own party of shredding ballots and deleting files for an election I didn’t run. Enough.” The board, led by Republican Chairman Jack Sellers, have been aggressively using Twitter in recent days to push back, firing off a series of messages slamming the private company doing the audit. The board plans to hold a public hearing Monday to further to refute lies and lay out facts about these issues.” “I know you all have grown weary of lies and half-truths six months after 2020 General Elections,” Sellers said Friday in announcing Monday's meeting. Fann sent Sellers a letter on Wednesday requesting that county officials publicly answer questions at the Senate on Tuesday, but she stopped short of her threat to issue subpoenas. Fann repeated the Senate’s demand for access to administrative passwords for vote-counting machines and internet routers. County officials say they have turned over all the passwords they have and have refused to give up the routers, saying it would compromise sensitive data, including classified law enforcement information held by the sheriff’s office. Fann proposed allowing its contractor to view data from the routers at county facilities under supervision of the sheriff’s office. “The Senate has no interest in viewing or taking possession of any information that is unrelated to the administration of the 2020 general election,” she wrote. The county says the passwords the Senate is seeking are maintained by Dominion Voting Systems Inc., which makes the vote-counting machines and leases them to the county. The company said in a statement Thursday that it cooperates with auditors certified by the U.S. Election Assistance Commission, and did so for two prior audits of 2020 results in Maricopa County, but won’t work with Cyber Ninjas. Fann has hired Cyber Ninjas, a Florida-based cybersecurity firm, to oversee an unprecedented, partisan review of the 2020 election in Arizona’s largest county. They are conducting a hand recount of all 2.1 million ballots and looking into baseless conspiracy theories suggesting there were problems with the election, which have grown popular with supporters of Trump. ___ Associated Press reporter Jonathan J. Cooper contributed. Bob Christie, The Associated Press
Recent developments: Ottawa reported 91 new COVID-19 cases Sunday. Half of Ottawa adults 18 or older have received at least one vaccine dose, according to the city. What's the latest? Ottawa Public Health (OPH) reported 91 new COVID-19 cases Sunday. In western Quebec, 29 cases were logged. According to the City of Ottawa, 50 per cent of all Ottawa residents 18 or older have now received at least one vaccine dose. How many cases are there? The region is coming down from a record-breaking peak of the pandemic's third wave, one that has included more dangerous coronavirus variants. As of Sunday, 26,034 Ottawa residents have tested positive for COVID-19. There are 1,093 known active cases, 24,406 resolved cases and 535 deaths. The transfer of COVID-19 patients from other regions to Ottawa hospitals continues. As of the most recent update Tuesday, there were 27 COVID-19 patients from other communities in Ottawa ICUs. Public health officials have reported more than 47,400 COVID-19 cases across eastern Ontario and western Quebec, including nearly 44,700 resolved cases. Elsewhere in eastern Ontario, 183 people have died. In western Quebec, the death toll is 208. Akwesasne has had more than 680 residents test positive and 10 deaths between its northern and southern sections. Kitigan Zibi has had 34 cases. Tyendinaga Mohawk Territory has had 11, with one death. Pikwakanagan hasn't had any. CBC Ottawa is profiling those who've died of COVID-19. If you'd like to share your loved one's story, please get in touch. What can I do? Eastern Ontario: Ontario is under a stay-at-home order until at least June 2. People should only leave home for essential reasons like getting groceries, seeking health care and exercising in their immediate area. The vast majority of gatherings are prohibited. Exceptions include small activities with households and small religious services. Ontario has moved to online learning. Daycares remain open. Golf courses and tennis and basketball courts are among the closed recreation venues. Most non-essential businesses can only offer curbside pickup. Access to malls is restricted and big-box stores can only sell essential items. Gyms and personal care services are closed, while restaurants are only available for takeout and delivery. Police checkpoints between Ontario and Quebec are not running 24/7. Officers in Ontario have the power to stop and question people if they believe they've gathered illegally. Local health units and communities can also set their own rules, as Ottawa is doing around playgrounds. Western Quebec High schools, gyms, theatres, personal care services and non-essential businesses are closed in Gatineau, the Pontiac and Collines-de-l'Outaouais until Monday. Private gatherings are banned in those areas, except for a person who lives alone seeing one other household. Distanced outdoor exercise is allowed in groups up to eight people. The curfew is from 8 p.m. to 5 a.m. People stay physically distanced as they wait in line to order at food trucks set up in Parc des Cedres in Gatineau, Que., on May 15, 2021.(Marielle Guimond/Radio-Canada) Vallée-de-la-Gatineau and Papineau are red zones with looser restrictions, meaning the curfew begins at 9:30 p.m. and secondary schools and non-essential businesses can reopen. The rest of the region joins them this week. People are asked to only have close contact with people they live with, be masked and distanced for all other in-person contact and only leave their immediate area for essential reasons — under threat of a fine if they go to a yellow or green zone. Distancing and isolating The novel coronavirus primarily spreads through droplets that can hang in the air. People can be contagious without symptoms, even after getting a vaccine. Coronavirus variants of concern are more contagious and are now established. This means it is important to take precautions now and in the future like staying home while sick — and getting help with costs if needed — keeping hands and surfaces clean and maintaining distance from anyone you don't live with, even with a mask on. Masks, preferably ones that fit snugly and have three layers, are mandatory in indoor public settings in Ontario and Quebec. OPH says residents should wear masks outside their homes whenever possible. Tulips bloom in an Elgin Street planter box not far from Parliament Hill in downtown Ottawa on May 14, 2021. (David Richard/Radio-Canada) People have to show proof of a recent negative COVID-19 test to enter Canada by land without a fine and have to pay for their stay in a quarantine hotel if entering by air. Anyone with COVID-19 symptoms should self-isolate, as should those who've been ordered to do so by their public health unit. The length varies in Quebec and Ontario. Health Canada recommends older adults and people with underlying medical conditions get help with errands. Vaccines Four COVID-19 vaccines have been deemed safe and approved in Canada. Ontario and Quebec have both stopped giving first doses of the AstraZeneca-Oxford vaccine, but plan to give second doses. Canada's task force said first doses offer such strong protection that people can wait up to four months to get a second. About 975,000 doses have been given out in the Ottawa-Gatineau region since mid-December, including nearly 450,000 doses to Ottawa residents and about 200,000 in western Quebec. Eastern Ontario Ontario's general vaccination age is 40 and older. Other factors such as jobs and health conditions also qualify younger adults. People can book provincial appointments online or over the phone at 1-833-943-3900. Appointments are available through the province for people age 18 and up in Ottawa's three "hot spot" postal codes, Indigenous adults and, through the city, Ottawans in more than 20 "priority" neighbourhoods. A handful of Ottawa pharmacies in hot spots are offering a limited supply of Moderna vaccines to people age 18 and up. Ontario is speeding up the second dose for some groups, such as frontline health-care workers and more Indigenous people. It plans to allow everyone over age 12 to make an appointment starting the week of May 31 and expects about two-thirds of adults to have a first dose by the end of May. Local health units have some flexibility in the larger framework, so check their websites for details. Western Quebec Quebec is vaccinating everyone age 18 and older. Teens age 16 and 17 are eligible if they have certain jobs or a chronic illness or disability. The province plans to reach children as young as 12 in June. People who qualify can make an appointment online or over the phone. Symptoms and testing COVID-19 can range from a cold-like illness to a severe lung infection, with common symptoms including fever, a cough, vomiting and loss of taste or smell. Children tend to have an upset stomach and/or a rash. If you have severe symptoms, call 911. Mental health can also be affected by the pandemic, and resources are available to help. In eastern Ontario: Anyone seeking a test should make an appointment. Check with your health unit for clinic locations and hours. Ontario recommends only getting tested if you fit certain criteria, such as having symptoms, exposure or a certain job. People without symptoms but who are part of the province's targeted testing strategy can make an appointment at select pharmacies. Travellers who need a test have very few local options to pay for one. In western Quebec: Tests are strongly recommended for people with symptoms and their contacts. People can make an appointment and check wait times online. Call 1-877-644-4545 with questions, including if walk-in testing is available nearby. First Nations, Inuit and Métis: First Nations, Inuit and Métis people, or someone travelling to work in a remote Indigenous community, are eligible for a test in Ontario. Akwesasne has a COVID-19 test site by appointment only and a curfew of 11 p.m. to 5 a.m. Anyone returning to the community on the Canadian side of the international border who's been farther than 160 kilometres away — or visited Montreal — for non-essential reasons is asked to self-isolate for 14 days. People in Pikwakanagan can book a COVID-19 test by calling 613-625-1175. Anyone in Tyendinaga who's interested in a test can call 613-967-3603 and in Kitigan Zibi, 819-449-5593. Tyendinaga's council is asking people not to travel there to camp or fish. Inuit in Ottawa can call the Akausivik Inuit Family Health Team at 613-740-0999 for service, including testing and vaccines, in Inuktitut or English on weekdays. For more information
ATHENS, Greece (AP) — Ioannis Lagos, a Greek far-right member of the European Parliament, was extradited to Greece Saturday to begin serving a 13-year prison sentence. Authorities said Lagos was to spend his first night in isolation in the high-security prison of Domokos, in central Greece, before being assigned to a regular cell on Sunday. Lagos’ request that he be held at a prison in Athens, ostensibly to keep up with his work in the European Parliament, was rejected by authorities. Lagos had been living in Brussels since a Greek court in October convicted him and 17 other former Greek lawmakers from the extreme-right Golden Dawn party of leading a criminal organization, or being members in it. Lagos was taken into custody last month after the European Parliament voted to remove his immunity, paving the way for him to be sent to Athens on a European arrest warrant. Golden Dawn was founded as a Nazi-inspired group in the 1980s. It saw a surge in popularity during Greece’s 2010-2018 financial crisis, gaining parliamentary representation between 2012 and 2019. Lagos was a member of Greece’s Parliament throughout this period, before being elected to the European Parliament in 2019. He, like other former lawmakers, has now left Golden Dawn. The five-year trial in Athens was launched following the 2013 murder of rapper and left-wing activist Pavlos Fyssas, who was stabbed to death by a Golden Dawn supporter. The other convicted Golden Dawn members are already in jail, except for one who escaped arrest and is officially a fugitive. The Associated Press
Dozens of tenants demonstrated in an east end square in Toronto on Saturday to show their opposition to above guideline rent increases that are happening during the COVID-19 pandemic. These rent hikes, or AGIs, are "massive loopholes" through which rent is increasing in residential buildings across the city despite a provincial rent freeze, according to Toronto ACORN, an anti-poverty group that organized the demonstration outside Main Square Apartments, 2575 Danforth Ave., at Main Street and Danforth Avenue. Even though the Ontario government has frozen rent at 2020 levels, landlords can seek approval for these increases from the Landlord and Tenant Board and have them applied to 2021 rents if the increases are covering the costs of capital repairs and security services. "We want to see a true rent freeze," Maryanna Lewyckyj, a member of Toronto ACORN, told CBC Toronto. "Theoretically, there is a rent freeze in the province, so you are only supposed to get a zero per cent rent increase but there's a giant loophole that allows rent increases to occur. That's occurring in this building and it's occurring in many buildings across Toronto. And the timing is terrible," she said. "Tenants typically have less money. They are losing money because of COVID-19. And also they are getting hit with increases." Lewyckyj said above guideline rent increases are putting financial pressure on tenants at a time when many are living day to day and struggling to pay for basic necessities. A rent increase means they have less money for groceries and less money to support small businesses struggling during the pandemic, she said. "Essentially what they're doing is the landlords are shifting capital repairs to tenants. Costs that should be part of maintenance are just being offloaded to tenants." Lewyckyj said landlords are then giving the money to investors. Maryanna Lewyckyj, a member of Toronto ACORN, says: 'We want to see a true rent freeze.'(Keith Burgess/CBC) At the rally, people held placards, chanted slogans and listened to speeches. They also delivered what they called a demand letter to the offices of Realstar, the landlord. Realstar did not respond to requests from CBC Toronto for comment. Walter Zenyk, a tenant at Main Square Apartments for 41 years, agreed, saying above guideline rent increases are a way for landlords to force out lower income tenants. He said he fought back against a hike because the landlord demanded the increase on his lease without applying to the Landlord and Tenant Board for it. "I'd like to see justice done for all tenants," he said. "They want the low income people and seniors out so they can bring people in here who have money to jack up the rent to market value. I don't think it's right what they are doing here. Where are you going to go?" NDP MPP calls for above rent increases to be banned NDP MPP Rima Berns-McGown, who represents Beaches-East York, said Premier Doug Ford should provide rent support to tenants struggling during the pandemic. She said she wants AGIs banned. "My heart is broken for tenants who have been working so hard with everything they got to stay housed and COVID has made that very difficult," she said. "AGIs are a loophole through which corporate landlords are driving trucks to raise the rent even though there is a rent freeze. And it's criminal because people are losing their housing and their health. It's a just a nightmare. It's the opposite of the kind of compassionate society we should be building during the pandemic," she said. In a news release, Toronto ACORN said: "ACORN is concerned about massive loopholes, called Above the Guideline Rent Increases, through which rent is still increasing and tenants are forced to move out of their homes in a pandemic. "The rent freeze the Ontario government has announced for 2021 does not cover AGIs. This is a massive loophole that big corporations like RealStar are using to take advantage of tenants in a time of a worldwide crisis."
The latest numbers of confirmed COVID-19 cases in Canada as of 4:00 a.m. ET on Sunday, May 16, 2021. There are 1,323,681 confirmed cases in Canada. _ Canada: 1,323,681 confirmed cases (71,903 active, 1,226,870 resolved, 24,908 deaths).*The total case count includes 13 confirmed cases among repatriated travellers. There were 5,269 new cases Saturday. The rate of active cases is 189.19 per 100,000 people. Over the past seven days, there have been a total of 43,117 new cases. The seven-day rolling average of new cases is 6,160. There were 40 new reported deaths Saturday. Over the past seven days there have been a total of 328 new reported deaths. The seven-day rolling average of new reported deaths is 47. The seven-day rolling average of the death rate is 0.12 per 100,000 people. The overall death rate is 65.54 per 100,000 people. There have been 33,383,698 tests completed. _ Newfoundland and Labrador: 1,184 confirmed cases (82 active, 1,096 resolved, six deaths). There were five new cases Saturday. The rate of active cases is 15.71 per 100,000 people. Over the past seven days, there have been a total of 51 new cases. The seven-day rolling average of new cases is seven. There have been no deaths reported over the past week. The overall death rate is 1.15 per 100,000 people. There have been 254,361 tests completed. _ Prince Edward Island: 191 confirmed cases (10 active, 181 resolved, zero deaths). There was one new case Saturday. The rate of active cases is 6.26 per 100,000 people. Over the past seven days, there has been five new case. The seven-day rolling average of new cases is one. There have been no deaths reported over the past week. The overall death rate is zero per 100,000 people. There have been 153,397 tests completed. _ Nova Scotia: 4,610 confirmed cases (1,508 active, 3,030 resolved, 72 deaths). There were 86 new cases Saturday. The rate of active cases is 153.98 per 100,000 people. Over the past seven days, there have been a total of 856 new cases. The seven-day rolling average of new cases is 122. There were zero new reported deaths Saturday. Over the past seven days there has been one new reported death. The seven-day rolling average of new reported deaths is zero. The seven-day rolling average of the death rate is 0.01 per 100,000 people. The overall death rate is 7.35 per 100,000 people. There have been 708,603 tests completed. _ New Brunswick: 2,052 confirmed cases (114 active, 1,897 resolved, 41 deaths). There were seven new cases Saturday. The rate of active cases is 14.59 per 100,000 people. Over the past seven days, there have been a total of 56 new cases. The seven-day rolling average of new cases is eight. There have been no deaths reported over the past week. The overall death rate is 5.25 per 100,000 people. There have been 321,074 tests completed. _ Quebec: 362,580 confirmed cases (7,509 active, 344,039 resolved, 11,032 deaths). There were 760 new cases Saturday. The rate of active cases is 87.57 per 100,000 people. Over the past seven days, there have been a total of 5,406 new cases. The seven-day rolling average of new cases is 772. There were eight new reported deaths Saturday. Over the past seven days there have been a total of 51 new reported deaths. The seven-day rolling average of new reported deaths is seven. The seven-day rolling average of the death rate is 0.08 per 100,000 people. The overall death rate is 128.66 per 100,000 people. There have been 8,807,043 tests completed. _ Ontario: 507,117 confirmed cases (27,566 active, 471,096 resolved, 8,455 deaths). There were 2,584 new cases Saturday. The rate of active cases is 187.09 per 100,000 people. Over the past seven days, there have been a total of 18,030 new cases. The seven-day rolling average of new cases is 2,576. There were 24 new reported deaths Saturday. Over the past seven days there have been a total of 194 new reported deaths. The seven-day rolling average of new reported deaths is 28. The seven-day rolling average of the death rate is 0.19 per 100,000 people. The overall death rate is 57.38 per 100,000 people. There have been 14,543,950 tests completed. _ Manitoba: 44,617 confirmed cases (4,219 active, 39,392 resolved, 1,006 deaths). There were 430 new cases Saturday. The rate of active cases is 305.89 per 100,000 people. Over the past seven days, there have been a total of 3,195 new cases. The seven-day rolling average of new cases is 456. There were four new reported deaths Saturday. Over the past seven days there have been a total of 16 new reported deaths. The seven-day rolling average of new reported deaths is two. The seven-day rolling average of the death rate is 0.17 per 100,000 people. The overall death rate is 72.94 per 100,000 people. There have been 740,345 tests completed. _ Saskatchewan: 44,364 confirmed cases (2,072 active, 41,776 resolved, 516 deaths). There were 196 new cases Saturday. The rate of active cases is 175.79 per 100,000 people. Over the past seven days, there have been a total of 1,400 new cases. The seven-day rolling average of new cases is 200. There was one new reported death Saturday. Over the past seven days there have been a total of 14 new reported deaths. The seven-day rolling average of new reported deaths is two. The seven-day rolling average of the death rate is 0.17 per 100,000 people. The overall death rate is 43.78 per 100,000 people. There have been 814,814 tests completed. _ Alberta: 217,821 confirmed cases (22,993 active, 192,688 resolved, 2,140 deaths). There were 1,195 new cases Saturday. The rate of active cases is 519.98 per 100,000 people. Over the past seven days, there have been a total of 10,664 new cases. The seven-day rolling average of new cases is 1,523. There were three new reported deaths Saturday. Over the past seven days there have been a total of 32 new reported deaths. The seven-day rolling average of new reported deaths is five. The seven-day rolling average of the death rate is 0.1 per 100,000 people. The overall death rate is 48.4 per 100,000 people. There have been 4,379,989 tests completed. _ British Columbia: 138,304 confirmed cases (5,717 active, 130,953 resolved, 1,634 deaths). There were zero new cases Saturday. The rate of active cases is 111.06 per 100,000 people. Over the past seven days, there have been a total of 3,367 new cases. The seven-day rolling average of new cases is 481. There were zero new reported deaths Saturday. Over the past seven days there have been a total of 20 new reported deaths. The seven-day rolling average of new reported deaths is three. The seven-day rolling average of the death rate is 0.06 per 100,000 people. The overall death rate is 31.74 per 100,000 people. There have been 2,615,230 tests completed. _ Yukon: 84 confirmed cases (one active, 81 resolved, two deaths). There were zero new cases Saturday. The rate of active cases is 2.38 per 100,000 people. Over the past seven days, there have been a total of two new cases. The seven-day rolling average of new cases is zero. There have been no deaths reported over the past week. The overall death rate is 4.76 per 100,000 people. There have been 9,129 tests completed. _ Northwest Territories: 121 confirmed cases (38 active, 83 resolved, zero deaths). There were zero new cases Saturday. The rate of active cases is 84.14 per 100,000 people. Over the past seven days, there have been a total of 22 new cases. The seven-day rolling average of new cases is three. There have been no deaths reported over the past week. The overall death rate is zero per 100,000 people. There have been 21,730 tests completed. _ Nunavut: 623 confirmed cases (74 active, 545 resolved, four deaths). There were five new cases Saturday. The rate of active cases is 188.04 per 100,000 people. Over the past seven days, there have been a total of 63 new cases. The seven-day rolling average of new cases is nine. There have been no deaths reported over the past week. The overall death rate is 10.16 per 100,000 people. There have been 13,957 tests completed. This report was automatically generated by The Canadian Press Digital Data Desk and was first published May 16, 2021. The Canadian Press
The Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo has broken ground on a controversial park being built on land it originally acquired to be turned into an arena. The Franklin and Main Park Project will take up the majority of a block in downtown Fort McMurray. Featuring a basketball court, playground and community event space, the $4.92 million park is expected to be completed in the fall. Its completion will also mark the end of an eight-year journey that featured big civic dreams, hard economic realities and mixed emotions among downtown businesses that were affected by the municipal expropriation process. The municipality purchased the land in 2013 as part of a plan to build a downtown arena. The municipality expropriated five properties at a total cost of $34.1 million, which includes associated costs like legal fees and tearing the buildings down. The municipality backed away from the idea in 2015, after oil prices crashed and it faced public backlash. One of the buildings acquired by the city housed Longshots, a downtown bar co-owned by Gord Pederson. When he opened the bar in 2006, he knew there was a possibility the land would be wanted by the municipality. He said he's not bitter about the land deal but he is bothered that the building sat empty for about 18 months. "It's just another scar on Fort McMurray that I don't think it deserves." Pederson wasn't against the idea of the arena, but thought the municipality had "excess and grandiose plans." "Downtown Fort McMurray needed that little bit of a boost," said Pederson. Since then, the land has been a parking lot. Draw for downtown? In 2018, council decided make downtown revitalization a priority, then in March of this year, council voted in favour of the Franklin and Main Park Project in an 8-3 vote. Mayor Don Scott and councillors Claris Voyageur and Keith McGrath were opposed. Steven Niehaus, owner of Stacs Fine Food, said he is excited about the park, as it would be across the street from his restaurant. "I know it might not be ideal for everybody, but the park is an exciting thing for us because it's going to give a chance for people to hopefully congregate downtown," said Niehaus. In the winter, the park will have skating trails, he said. Workers during construction should also be good for business. Jon Tupper, former president of the Chamber of Commerce, has been to half a dozen symposiums to talk about downtown revitalization. He said the municipality's strategy for downtown in recent years hasn't been successful. The park is expected to be completed in fall of 2021.(Jamie Malbeuf/CBC) "We razed more structures than we've brought up and that's kind of where we're at today," he said. He said doing something with the space is better than doing nothing, but he doubts it will be an ongoing draw to bring people downtown in a municipality that already has many parks. "Yes, a park is better than a parking lot, but I don't think it fills the gaps and the needs that the city created through their own overzealous expropriation," he said. Pederson agrees with Tupper's assessment. Downtown has been empty ever since expropriation, he said, and a park isn't likely to be the solution. Frances Squire, 82, used to frequent one of the pubs that was torn down during the expropriation. She said the municipality should be spending money on more important things, like flood mitigation. "It's a waste of money," said Squire.
Montreal police deployed tear gas in downtown Montreal on Sunday after a demonstration in support of the Israeli government was declared illegal. Several hundred people gathered early afternoon at Dorchester Square, waving Israeli flags and dancing to music. They were met by about a dozen pro-Palestinian demonstrators, who launched a protest of their own. The two groups argued, and altercations ensued. Police intervened with tear gas to disperse the crowds, according to Radio-Canada. Police were still on the scene at 4 p.m. encouraging people to leave the area. On Saturday, several thousand people marched through downtown Montreal to the Israeli consulate in Westmount, protesting Israeli airstrikes on the Gaza Strip as well as recent settlement activity. Fighting between the Israeli military and the Gaza-based militant group Hamas continued on Sunday. Militants in Gaza fired an early-morning barrage of rockets into Israel. Then Israeli airstrikes on Gaza flattened three buildings and killed at least 42 people on, Palestinian medics said. But despite the heavy death toll and international efforts to broker a ceasefire, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu signalled the fourth war with Gaza's Hamas rulers would rage on. In a televised address on Sunday evening, Netanyahu said the attacks were continuing at "full force" and will "take time."
An MLA from Saskatoon is sharing a racist encounter her young grandchildren had with a stranger earlier this week. Betty Nippi-Albright, MLA for the Saskatoon Centre constituency, is an Indigenous woman from Kinistin Saulteaux Nation. She said that on Tuesday, her young granddaughters had an experience while walking home from school with their dad when a man yelled out his car window. "A Caucasian male yelled out 'you little f----ing savages,' is what he told my little grandchildren," Nippi-Albright said. "The children were just so frightened by being called that and the tone and the angry person that called them that, they were very upset." She said the children's mother spent a lot of time talking to them, explaining that what had happened to them was not right. "I was so frustrated as a grandmother because this is not the first time that's happened to my grandchildren or to Indigenous children," she said. "It's one thing to be racist against adults, but it's another thing when it's directed to small children that do not have the capacity to speak up and address racism." Nippi-Albright made a social media post detailing the incident. She said the people commenting on the post helped her grandchildren feel supported and validated. "That is just one example of how racism is so entrenched in our society in Saskatchewan," she said. "However, they're not as blatant as what happened with my grandchildren, they're very covert and they're easily justified." Nippi-Albright said the reason her granddaughter's father did not go to the police was because of systemic racism in the police sector. "There's an issue there, and this is what we face as visible Indigenous people, he has faced many many racist comments," she said. "What recourse do the police have in addressing that? How do they stop that? "For us to report that in this case, to the police, they're not going to care." The Saskatoon Police said in a statement that it encourages people to report incidents where they feel threatened or if their safety is in jeopardy. "Everyone deserves to feel safe in their community," it said. Government response to systemic racism Nippi-Albright said when she brought up her concerns about systemic racism in the legislative assembly on May 10, it was met with the "same rhetoric." In a statement, the Government of Saskatchewan said systemic racism exists and there is work to be done to address it. "Our government condemns all forms of racism, discrimination, intolerance and bigotry. We will continue to work within government and with our partners so that everyone in Saskatchewan can live, work, and raise a family without facing discrimination or racism," it said. She said the government told her there is Aboriginal awareness training sessions offered within many organizations in the province. "In my opinion, and in my experience as a visible Indigenous person, [that] doesn't do anything to change people's attitudes and the way they treat Indigenous people," Nippi-Albright said. Nippi-Albright said she would like to see anti-racist training be mandatory for every worker in the province. She said she urges the public to write letters to their elected officials, as well as co-ordinate and sign petitions if they believe systemic racism is a problem in the province.
TORONTO — Ontario's COVID-19 vaccine effort shifted into high gear on the weekend, administering its seven millionth dose as it prepared to accelerate immunization efforts even further in the coming week. Premier Doug Ford, meanwhile, offered hope that the province's summer camps would be given the green light to operate this season, though without providing any details. Ford stated camps would be able to open for the coming summer, though did not specify whether he was referring to day or overnight facilities. A spokesman from his office later said details would be revealed before the provincial lifts if current stay-at-home order, which was recently extended to June 2 in a bid to help combat the pandemic's third wave. Ford's remarks came at a large vaccine clinic held west of Toronto that operated overnight in a bid to provide shots to those who could benefit from extended hours. Organizers of Doses After Dark, which they dubbed the first mass overnight vaccination clinic in Canada, said it was well attended but may not have achieved the goal of vaccinating between 4,500 and 5,000 people through the night. Paul Sharma, co-lead of Peel Region's mass vaccination program, said the overnight clinic aimed to attract a wider range of people from across a region that's long been one of the province's most active COVID-19 hot spots. "This was really targeted toward essential workers who are working non-traditional hours," he said in an interview on Sunday. "Shift workers, taxi drivers, truck drivers … but also to the younger age group, you know, the 18 to 39 (demographic), which we opened up a few weeks ago." Although a formal count of shots administered at the clinic was not immediately available, Sharma estimated that it reached 60 to 70 per cent of its target. Despite the shortfall, however, Sharma said there was only a brief stretch between 1 a.m. and 7 a.m. when the clinic wasn't operating at full capacity. "People are interested in getting their vaccine. They're willing to come in all different hours," Sharma said. In addition to essential workers, Sharma said international students without provincial health cards and people aged 65 and above who had been eligible for some time also attended the clinic. It took place ahead of the latest effort to speed up Ontario's broader vaccination program, which is set to begin including all residents 30 and older later this week. Monday will also see the province revert back to a per capita model of vaccine allocation after diverting half its supply to hot spots with high daily case counts over the past two weeks. The province announced last week that it aims to have all willing adults in Ontario fully immunized with two doses by Sept. 22. All adult residents should be eligible to register for their first jab by the end of May. Vaccine expansion efforts were already reaching new heights over the weekend, according to Health Minister Christine Elliott, who reported the province had delivered more than seven million doses as of Sunday morning. More than 139,000 of those were injected on Saturday alone, she added. The province also reported 2,199 new COVID-19 cases on Sunday, including 30 more virus-related deaths. Those figures were based on 33,142 tests administered over the previous 24 hours. There were 1,292 COVID-19 patients in Ontario hospitals as of Sunday morning, a decline of 254 from the day before. Of those patients, 714 were in intensive care and 509 were on ventilators. This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 16, 2021. David Paddon, The Canadian Press
More than 200,000 people have now received a first vaccine dose in Windsor-Essex County according to the Windsor-Essex County Health Unit (WECHU). On Saturday, it said 196,736 people received at least one shot and on Sunday that number climbed to 200,976. WECHU said 15,196 people have received both doses, and a total of 216,172 vaccine doses have been administered. The health unit also reported 98 new cases of COVID-19 in Windsor-Essex County for Saturday and Sunday combined. Forty-three of the new cases are because of close contacts with confirmed cases, 21 were acquired in the community and 34 are still under investigation, public health said. As of Sunday, 230 of the cases are variants of concern while 144 are not. In total, the region has seen 1,422 variant cases. There are 20 people hospitalized due to the virus and 313 are in self-isolation. WECHU said 421 people have died in the region due to COVID-19. There are five active outbreaks at workplaces in Windsor-Essex County: Two in Windsor's health-care and social assistance sector. One in Windsor's manufacturing sector. One in Windsor's mining, quarrying and oil and gas extraction sector. One in a retail setting in Windsor. The Southwest Detention Centre has also been considered in outbreak since April 23. The province is reporting three active cases at the facility as of May 13. Sarnia-Lambton, Chatham Kent The number of active cases in Sarnia-Lambton decreased by three since Friday for a total of 86 according to Lambton Public Health. In Chatham-Kent, the number of active cases has remained constant at 36 since Friday.
Procurement Minister Anita Anand tells guest host of The West Block Mike Le Couteur that conversations are happening right now about what to do with millions more doses of the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine set to arrive over the coming months. Those arrivals come as some provinces have paused the use of the vaccine over extremely rare blood clots that can occur in some individuals after getting the shot, but as global demand for vaccines remains high and cases continue to soar around the world. “We have committed to donating excess doses,” Anand said. “Our prime minister has mentioned this, I have, and [International Development Minister Karina] Gould and [Health Minister Patty] Hajdu are all on the same page in terms of the need to donate excess doses that Canadians aren’t using, so we are thinking of all of the options relating to any excess doses.”
Kevin J. Johnston, a Calgary mayoral candidate who has threatened to arm himself and go to the homes of health workers, has been arrested after attending an illegal public gathering on Saturday. Police said the gathering took place Saturday morning, in contravention of a Court of Queen's Bench Order which imposes compliance with public health restrictions on organizers of events. Johnston has posted videos of himself speaking about his intentions to arrest health workers if he is elected mayor. He was seen on Saturday approaching police who were enforcing health orders near a protest against pandemic-related health restrictions in downtown Calgary. "We are at a critical point in our province's response to the pandemic and citizens must comply with public health orders in order to ensure everyone's safety and well-being," police said in an emailed release. Johnston, who is facing charges for hate crimes and assault, is known for organizing, leading and speaking at protests against public health restrictions during the pandemic. He has previously attempted to publish the private information of Alberta Health Services employees. Concerns over voters' list On Friday, AHS was granted a restraining order against Johnston, which prevents him from obstructing or interfering with AHS and its employees, including public health officers. Under the order, he's prohibited from contacting, recording or photographing AHS employees, visiting AHS sites for non-medical purposes or going to the homes of AHS officers or employees. Johnston's registration as a mayoral candidate has raised fears that he may soon be granted access to a list that includes the names, addresses and phone numbers of every Calgarian eligible to vote. The City of Calgary has said it is exploring its legal options regarding the voters' list. Johnston is currently facing an assault charge in B.C. and hate crimes charges in Ontario. None of those charges have been proven in court.
PRAYAGRAJ, India (AP) — Police are reaching out to villagers in northern India to investigate the recovery of bodies buried in shallow sand graves or washing up on the Ganges River banks, prompting speculation on social media that they were the remains of COVID-19 victims. In jeeps and boats, the police used portable loudspeakers with microphones asking people not to dispose of the bodies in rivers. "We are here to help you perform the last rites,” police said. On Friday, rains exposed the cloth coverings of bodies buried in shallow sand graves on the riverbank in Prayagraj, a city in Uttar Pradesh state. Navneet Sehgal, a state government spokesman, on Sunday denied local media reports that more than 1,000 corpses of COVID-19 victims had been recovered from rivers in the past two weeks. “I bet these bodies have nothing to do with COVID-19,” he said. He said some villagers did not cremate their dead, as is customary, due to a Hindu tradition during some periods of religious significance and disposed of them in rivers or digging graves on riverbanks. K.P. Singh, a senior police officer, said authorities had earmarked a cremation ground for those who died of COVID-19 on the Prayagraj riverbank and the police were no longer allowing any burials on the riverfront. Sehgal state authorities have found “a small number” of bodies on the riverbanks, he said, but didn’t give a figure. Ramesh Kumar Singh, a member of Bondhu Mahal Samiti, a philanthropic organization that helps cremate bodies, said the number of deaths is very high in rural areas, and poor people have been disposing of the bodies in the river because of the exorbitant cost of performing the last rites and shortage of woods. The cremation cost has tripled up to 15,000 rupees ($210). Health authorities last week retrieved 71 bodies that washed up on the Ganges River bank in neighboring Bihar state. Authorities performed post mortems but said they could not confirm the cause of death due to decomposition. A dozen corpses were also found last week buried in sand at two locations on the riverbank in Unnao district, 40 kilometers (25 miles) southwest of Lucknow, the Uttar Pradesh state capital. District Magistrate Ravindra Kumar said an investigation is underway to identify the cause of deaths. India’s two big states, Uttar Pradesh and Bihar, with nearly 358 million people in total, are among the worst hit in the surge sweeping through the country with devastating death tolls. Hapless villagers have been rushing the sick to nearby towns and cities for treatment, many of them dying on the way, victims of India's crumbling health care. After hitting record highs for weeks, the number of new cases was stabilizing, said Dr. V.K. Paul, a government health expert. The Health Ministry on Sunday reported 311,170 confirmed cases in the past 24 hours, down from 326,098 on Saturday. It also reported 4,077 additional deaths, taking the total fatalities to 270,284. Both figures are almost certainly a vast undercount, experts say. Rajesh Kumar Singh And Biswajeet Banerjee , The Associated Press
The latest numbers on COVID-19 vaccinations in Canada as of 4:00 a.m. ET on Sunday May 16, 2021. In Canada, the provinces are reporting 364,245 new vaccinations administered for a total of 18,098,470 doses given. Nationwide, 1,395,315 people or 3.7 per cent of the population has been fully vaccinated. The provinces have administered doses at a rate of 47,754.13 per 100,000. There were no new vaccines delivered to the provinces and territories for a total of 20,355,204 doses delivered so far. The provinces and territories have used 88.91 per cent of their available vaccine supply. Please note that Newfoundland and Labrador, P.E.I., Nova Scotia, New Brunswick and the territories typically do not report on a daily basis. Newfoundland and Labrador is reporting 31,625 new vaccinations administered over the past seven days for a total of 232,216 doses given. The province has administered doses at a rate of 443.473 per 1,000. In the province, 1.89 per cent (9,876) of the population has been fully vaccinated. There were zero new vaccines delivered to Newfoundland and Labrador for a total of 279,010 doses delivered so far. The province has received enough of the vaccine to give 53 per cent of its population a single dose. The province has used 83.23 per cent of its available vaccine supply. P.E.I. is reporting 8,000 new vaccinations administered over the past seven days for a total of 67,758 doses given. The province has administered doses at a rate of 427.148 per 1,000. In the province, 7.20 per cent (11,429) of the population has been fully vaccinated. There were zero new vaccines delivered to P.E.I. for a total of 84,915 doses delivered so far. The province has received enough of the vaccine to give 54 per cent of its population a single dose. The province has used 79.8 per cent of its available vaccine supply. Nova Scotia is reporting 58,592 new vaccinations administered over the past seven days for a total of 415,570 doses given. The province has administered doses at a rate of 425.833 per 1,000. In the province, 3.98 per cent (38,830) of the population has been fully vaccinated. There were zero new vaccines delivered to Nova Scotia for a total of 498,490 doses delivered so far. The province has received enough of the vaccine to give 51 per cent of its population a single dose. The province has used 83.37 per cent of its available vaccine supply. New Brunswick is reporting 47,400 new vaccinations administered over the past seven days for a total of 349,662 doses given. The province has administered doses at a rate of 448.262 per 1,000. In the province, 4.20 per cent (32,724) of the population has been fully vaccinated. There were zero new vaccines delivered to New Brunswick for a total of 415,935 doses delivered so far. The province has received enough of the vaccine to give 53 per cent of its population a single dose. The province has used 84.07 per cent of its available vaccine supply. Quebec is reporting 102,752 new vaccinations administered for a total of 4,230,520 doses given. The province has administered doses at a rate of 494.413 per 1,000. There were zero new vaccines delivered to Quebec for a total of 4,578,079 doses delivered so far. The province has received enough of the vaccine to give 54 per cent of its population a single dose. The province has used 92.41 per cent of its available vaccine supply. Ontario is reporting 154,104 new vaccinations administered for a total of 6,925,232 doses given. The province has administered doses at a rate of 471.455 per 1,000. In the province, 2.88 per cent (422,960) of the population has been fully vaccinated. There were zero new vaccines delivered to Ontario for a total of 7,843,825 doses delivered so far. The province has received enough of the vaccine to give 53 per cent of its population a single dose. The province has used 88.29 per cent of its available vaccine supply. Manitoba is reporting 12,838 new vaccinations administered for a total of 638,242 doses given. The province has administered doses at a rate of 463.50 per 1,000. In the province, 5.87 per cent (80,771) of the population has been fully vaccinated. There were zero new vaccines delivered to Manitoba for a total of 759,870 doses delivered so far. The province has received enough of the vaccine to give 55 per cent of its population a single dose. The province has used 83.99 per cent of its available vaccine supply. Saskatchewan is reporting 18,568 new vaccinations administered for a total of 571,957 doses given. The province has administered doses at a rate of 485.057 per 1,000. In the province, 4.09 per cent (48,264) of the population has been fully vaccinated. There were zero new vaccines delivered to Saskatchewan for a total of 637,115 doses delivered so far. The province has received enough of the vaccine to give 54 per cent of its population a single dose. The province has used 89.77 per cent of its available vaccine supply. Alberta is reporting 57,691 new vaccinations administered for a total of 2,144,280 doses given. The province has administered doses at a rate of 487.11 per 1,000. In the province, 7.43 per cent (327,063) of the population has been fully vaccinated. There were zero new vaccines delivered to Alberta for a total of 2,355,255 doses delivered so far. The province has received enough of the vaccine to give 54 per cent of its population a single dose. The province has used 91.04 per cent of its available vaccine supply. British Columbia is reporting zero new vaccinations administered for a total of 2,393,265 doses given. The province has administered doses at a rate of 466.38 per 1,000. In the province, 2.43 per cent (124,880) of the population has been fully vaccinated. There were zero new vaccines delivered to British Columbia for a total of 2,740,590 doses delivered so far. The province has received enough of the vaccine to give 53 per cent of its population a single dose. The province has used 87.33 per cent of its available vaccine supply. Yukon is reporting zero new vaccinations administered for a total of 50,652 doses given. The territory has administered doses at a rate of 1,213.774 per 1,000. In the territory, 56.73 per cent (23,673) of the population has been fully vaccinated. There were zero new vaccines delivered to Yukon for a total of 57,020 doses delivered so far. The territory has received enough of the vaccine to give 140 per cent of its population a single dose. The territory has used 88.83 per cent of its available vaccine supply. The Northwest Territories are reporting zero new vaccinations administered for a total of 49,811 doses given. The territory has administered doses at a rate of 1,103.992 per 1,000. In the territory, 49.87 per cent (22,501) of the population has been fully vaccinated. There were zero new vaccines delivered to the Northwest Territories for a total of 60,000 doses delivered so far. The territory has received enough of the vaccine to give 130 per cent of its population a single dose. The territory has used 83.02 per cent of its available vaccine supply. Nunavut is reporting zero new vaccinations administered for a total of 29,305 doses given. The territory has administered doses at a rate of 756.727 per 1,000. In the territory, 33.26 per cent (12,879) of the population has been fully vaccinated. There were zero new vaccines delivered to Nunavut for a total of 45,100 doses delivered so far. The territory has received enough of the vaccine to give 120 per cent of its population a single dose. The territory has used 64.98 per cent of its available vaccine supply. *Notes on data: The figures are compiled by the COVID-19 Open Data Working Group based on the latest publicly available data and are subject to change. Note that some provinces report weekly, while others report same-day or figures from the previous day. Vaccine doses administered is not equivalent to the number of people inoculated as the approved vaccines require two doses per person. The vaccines are currently not being administered to children under 18 and those with certain health conditions. In some cases the number of doses administered may appear to exceed the number of doses distributed as some provinces have been drawing extra doses per vial. This report was automatically generated by The Canadian Press Digital Data Desk and was first published May 16, 2021. The Canadian Press
Ask Bryce Allen what life was like on aboard Canada's last aircraft carrier and his mind turns back to December of 1959. Now in his 80s, the Fredericton Junction native was part of the flight crew and had been on board for a little more than a year, joining the crew not long after the Bonaventure was commissioned. The ship was returning from two weeks of NATO exercises off the coast of Ireland, with four destroyer escorts, when it ran headlong into a North Atlantic storm just north of the Azores. "The flight deck was 65 feet off the water, and water was flooding the deck," Allen recalls, describing the waves that battered the task force. Meteorological records from the time show wind speeds of 125 kilometres per hour at the height of the storm, with gusts as high as 166 kilometres per hour. Allen said, to make matters worse, the elevator for moving aircraft from the deck to the lower hangar had jammed at about a foot below deck level, allowing water to flow down into the ship. Six twin-engined Tracker aircraft couldn't be moved to safety, and had to be strapped down on deck. All they could do was hope they weren't swept away by the wind and waves. HMCS Bonaventure in the midst of a storm in December, 1959. Six DeHavilland -Grumman C2SF-1 Trackers are seen strapped to the deck. With winds gusting to 166 kilometres per hour, Bryce Allen says the ship probably should have sunk. (DND) The upper deck suffered substantial damage in the storm and five sailors were injured. Allen said he took 8 mm movies of the storm, but "you think I could find what I did with those pictures?." "Really, the carrier should of sunk," Allen said, "But she came through her." Gone half a century It has been 50 years since the Canadian government decided the cost of operating an aircraft carrier was too high to justify keeping the Bonaventure. The ship was scrapped in Taiwan in 1971. Allen spent eight years of his life on the Bonaventure, and even though he left the ship in 1965, he said he was sad to see her go. A wave crashes over the bow of HMCS Bonaventure on Dec. 6, 1959. Bryce Allen says the deck was 20 metres above the waterline, but it was flooded by wave after wave.(DND) People who lived in ports like Halifax and Saint John likely missed her too. HMCS Bonaventure was by far the biggest ship in the navy, and she drew a crowd of onlookers when she sailed into port. Many Saint Johners of a certain age still remember her arrival in the fall of 1963 for a three-month refit at the Saint John shipyard. Only carrier purchased by Canada She was originally designed for the Royal Navy to provide air support for convoys during the Second World War and was to be named HMS Powerful. But the ship wasn't completed in time to take part in the war, and construction was halted. After a few years of operating carriers on loan from the Royal Navy, and with increasing Cold War tensions, the Canadian Navy made the decision in 1952 to purchase and complete the Powerful, renaming her HMCS Bonaventure. Canada's experience with carriers during and after the Second World War had proven the value of carriers for anti-submarine work, and Soviet subs presented the biggest threat to Canadian sovereignty in the 1950s. Plus, the move was seen as a way to help prop up Britain's sagging economy. She had upgrades to handle more modern aircraft, including a steam catapult to help get enough speed to get airborne, an angled deck to help gain lift and six arresting cables to stop the aircraft during a landing, but the fact remained Bonaventure was 30 per cent shorter than her U.S. counterparts. With a deck just a bit over 700 feet long, landing modern aircraft on the Bonaventure was a tricky business.(Library and Archives Canada MIKAN No. 4951224) Saint John's George Vair wasn't on board during that wild storm in 1959. He was still three years or so away from joining her crew. But her handling in rough seas was also something clear in his mind. "One of the problems was she was not made for the North Atlantic," Vair said, "Water would come in around the gun stations in rough weather … not the greatest ship in the world for that sort of thing." Lines, lines, lines Vair had been a signaller aboard destroyers before finishing up his stint in the navy on Bonaventure. The biggest change for Vair was the size of the crew, usually operating with 700 to 800 on board. "You lined up for everything. You lined up at the galley for meals, you lined up for 'tot' — we still had that then," Vair said, referring to the daily rum ration, a practice that ended in the Royal Canadian Navy in 1972) . "A lot of people didn't like it because of the lining up." And it was crowded in the living quarters, too. "The bunks were set four bunks high on each side. Once you were in, you had about 10 inches to the bottom of the next bunk," Vair said. "In those Tribal [Class] destroyers, you just strung a hammock, which was a lot better. "And, you hardly knew anyone outside your own group. Years later, I was sitting in a tavern talking to a guy and discovered we were both on her at the same time." The view of HMCS Bonaventure from the cockpit of an aircraft about to land.(Library and Archives Canada MIKAN No. 4951242) It also could be a dangerous place to be, especially for the aircrews. Allen remembers the danger involved in taking off and landing on the small flight deck of the ship the crew lovingly called "The Bonny". "People from the air force were just flabbergasted," Allen remembers, "'You fly off the Bonny? Jeez, are you crazy or what?'" "I only had one crash," Allen said matter-of-factly about a landing in a twin-engined Grumman Tracker. On a night mission in bad weather, Allen's aircraft made six approaches without being able to get the plane down, so the decision was made to head to a land base in Labrador. After spending the night on land, they headed back to the ship in the morning, but the weather hadn't gotten any better. Coming in, the aircraft's arrestor hook missed the first five cables stretched across the deck. On Oct. 8, 1961, the Tracker Allen was flying in was left dangling over the water after missing five of the six arrester cables on the deck. The final cable that kept the plane from plummeting into the sea can be seen still attached at the lower tail.(Submitted Bryce Allen) "We caught number one wire," Allen said, the sixth and final cable, and the 10,000-kilogram plane and its four crew members were left hanging off the end of the flight deck, with only the cable keeping it from plummeting into the sea below. "There were people hollering for us to get out, and people hollering for us to stay inside," he said. "Finally, I said I've had enough of this and went out [the hatch] right around where the props were, which were still spinning. That was a little bit interesting." Dangerous business Some aircrew weren't so lucky. George Vair was on board for just one year. "We lost two people when I was on it," he said. And that trip through a hurricane in 1959 ended in tragedy. Just 240 kilometres or so from Halifax on Dec. 12, after riding out five days of rough weather, a Tracker went into the sea minutes after takeoff. The newspapers of the day reported the aircraft was launching to take part in exercises with a submarine, just a day before the ship was supposed to sail into Halifax, and that the plane with all four crew members couldn't be found. Bryce Allen remembers it differently. He said the usual process coming home was to launch the planes offshore and fly into Shearwater air base. Allen said he was assigned to be on the plane that crashed, but since he was single and it was two weeks before Christmas, he volunteered to give up his spot to a married man. Bryce Allen of Fredericton Junction served eight years on HMCS Bonaventure.(Submitted) "The only thing they figured could have happened was that, in a hurry, they threw the baggage in the back of the plane and it wasn't secured. When the catapult launched the plane, they figured the baggage was thrown ahead into the cabin." Allen said the plane went straight up into the air, and then down into the sea. 'They kept us busy' HMCS Bonaventure had a busy career, out to sea three times a year, in three-month intervals. She took part in numerous NATO exercises, sailed as far south as Argentina, and as far north as Ungava Bay. She also had stops in most of Europe's major ports. She took Canada's first peacekeeping troops to Cyprus, was on high alert during the Cuban Missile Crisis, and picked up victims from a downed airliner off the coast of Ireland. More than 20,000 aircraft landings took place on her deck, with the last one occurring on Dec. 12, 1969, coincidentally 10 years to the day after the fatal crash Bryce Allen witnessed. But by the late '60s, the navy was looking to cut costs. And, the Bonaventure, the largest ship in the fleet, was an obvious target. By that time, Vair was out of the Navy altogether, Allen had moved on to flying in shore-based Argus patrol aircraft. When she was decommissioned, he was there. Sad to see her go "It was a bad scene," he recalled. "She had just had a refit done — $17 million. And they sold her for scrap." Allen said there has always been a rumour that she ended up in service with another navy, "so maybe she got another 10 years." There's no proof that's the case. Maybe it's just wishful thinking. One of her anchors sits in Point Pleasant Park in Halifax, and the ship's bell is at Shearwater's aviation museum, memorials to the last of her kind in Canadian service.
LISTUGUJ, QUE. — Quebec's police watchdog is investigating the deaths of two people found inside a home following a standoff on the Listuguj First Nation. The Bureau of Independent Investigations issued a statement saying officers from the Listuguj Police Department were dispatched to the residence near the New Brunswick border at 11:30 a.m. on Saturday to investigate reports of gunfire. When the officers arrived, they heard gunshots and determined that a 28-year-old man was inside the home on Riverside Drive. When the man refused to co-operate, Quebec provincial police were called in to handle the case. Soon after the man surrendered to police at 5:20 p.m., officers entered the home and found two seriously injured people. Both later died in hospital. No other details were released about the suspect, who was taken into custody. The independent agency confirmed that Quebec City police are conducting a parallel investigation. Etienne Doyon, a spokesman for Quebec City police, said the victims were a child and a man in his 20s. Meanwhile, the local band council issued a statement Sunday saying the Mi’kmaq government would be offering support services, including grief counselling, for community members. “On behalf of myself and council, our hearts are with you," Chief Darcy Gray said in a brief statement. "Our government will continue to make every effort to provide support for those in need through these difficult times." The council asked residents to stay away from the crime scene. They also said a sacred fire would remain lit until Thursday. Gray said the council would not be releasing further details and would not respond to media requests. The Listuguj First Nation includes about 4,058 members, about half of whom live off reserve. The community is located on the north side of the Restigouche River, across from Campbellton, N.B. This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 16, 2021. The Canadian Press
One Vancouver man decided to beat his pandemic boredom by starting a new art project, where he draws 'COVID cards' to represent the number of days it's been since the pandemic began. David Laird is a land development planner and engineer, but in his free time he paints and draws. Laird says he's had an interest in art ever since he was a child. When the COVID-19 pandemic forced everyone into their homes in March 2020, Laird decided to pick up the old hobby to fill his time. "It was just purely just to, you know, amuse myself and distract myself from the world," Laird told CBC Vancouver. Laird said he started drawing the COVID cards on the day B.C. first began lockdown last March, and has continued making them nearly every day since. Laird says every card has a number on it to represent how many days it's been since the pandemic started.(Ben Nelms/CBC) "I didn't know how long I was going to do it, but, you know, COVID continued on and obviously still is. And with the help of my neighbour, I decided to go 150 days," he said. Laird says every card has a number on it to represent how many days it's been since the pandemic began. He says the design pictured on the front of the card changes every day, depending on his mood. In a previous interview with CBC, Michelle Winkel, an art therapist in Victoria said she believes art can help people cope with the anxiety many face from the pandemic. "Obviously with COVID, life is pretty stressful," Winkel said, "I believe that art-making is therapeutic," Winkel said. Winkel says she has seen first-hand through her patients, the success art therapy can bring in relieving stress and anxiety. As for Laird, he says he uses his art as a way to escape from negative news and the current reality the world continues to face. Laird says he uses his art as a way to distract himself from distressing news. (Ben Nelms/CBC) "These were starting to take three, sometimes four hours in the morning because I have nothing better to do. They're completely whatever comes into my mind." Laird said. Laird says after 150 days passed and the pandemic still wasn't over, he decided to continue on with his drawings. His neighbour assisted him in making little boxes to stores the cards. He says the art has become a habit and something he'll continue to do until the pandemic is over. "Hopefully you won't come back to see me in a year because we'll all be well."
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — A league of Muslim nations on Sunday demanded that Israel halt attacks killing Palestinian civilians amid heavy fighting between it and Hamas in the Gaza Strip, even as fissures between countries over their recognition of Israel emerged. A statement by the 57-nation Organization of Islamic Cooperation hewed closely to previous ones issued by the Saudi-based group, including backing the decades-old call for Palestinians to have their own nation with East Jerusalem as its capital. However, recent normalization deals between Israel and some nations in the group — as well as their own concerns about Hamas — saw diplomats at points instead criticize each other. “The massacre of Palestinian children today follows the purported normalization,” Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said. “This criminal and genocidal regime has once again proven that friendly gestures only aggravate its atrocities.” The past week has seen some of the worst violence across Israel and the Palestinian territory since the 2014 war in Gaza, with militants launching missiles and Israel pounding the blockaded coastal strip home to 2 million people with heavy fire. At least 188 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza with 1,230 people wounded. Eight people in Israel have been killed. The Organization of Islamic Cooperation statement called on Israel to respect Muslims' access to Al-Aqsa Mosque, the third-holiest site in Islam, as well as stop settlers from forcibly evicting Palestinian families from their homes. “The plight of the Palestinian people is the bleeding wound of the Islamic world today,” Afghan Foreign Minister Mohammad Haneef Atmar said. But the videoconference meeting saw some delegates instead turn their fire toward countries like Bahrain, Morocco, Sudan and the United Arab Emirates, Muslim nations which reached normalization deals last year to recognize Israel. While Egypt and Jordan earlier reached peace deals, supporters of the Palestinians criticized the new countries for recognizing Israel before the formation of an independent Palestinian state. Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu joined Zarif in criticizing the normalization, though Israel maintains diplomatic ties with Ankara. “There are a few who have lost their moral compass and voiced support for Israel,” he said. “If there are half-hearted statements within our own family, how could we criticize others? Who will take our words seriously?” Zarif also accused Israel of “genocide and crimes against humanity.” “Make no mistake: Israel only understand the language of resistance and the people of Palestine are fully entitled to their right to defend themselves,” Zarif said. Hamas, which seized power in Gaza in 2007, didn't take part in the meeting, which came before consultations at the United Nations over the crisis. Across the Arabian Peninsula, reactions to the fighting similarly has been mixed. In Qatar, home to the Al-Jazeera satellite network, hundreds turned out late Saturday night to listen to a speech by Hamas’ top leader Ismail Haniyeh. Kuwait's parliament speaker reportedly spoke with Haniyeh on Saturday, as did Qatar's foreign minister. Meanwhile, in Bahrain and the UAE, government-linked media hasn't been covering the current flare-up of violence nonstop like other networks in the region. There are murmurs of dissent though. In Bahrain, civil society groups signed a letter urging the kingdom to expel the Israeli ambassador. In the UAE, where political parties and protests are illegal, Palestinians have expressed their anger quietly, worried about losing their residency permit. Some Emiratis also have expressed concerns. “The region’s only democracy," tweeted the Emirati writer and political analyst Sultan Sooud Al Qassemi in writing about Israel's strike on a Gaza building that housed the offices of The Associated Press and Al-Jazeera. Hussein Ibish, a senior scholar at the Washington-based Arab Gulf States Institute, said most Gulf Arab leaders fear Hamas' rocket fire as "cynical, dangerous, unnecessarily provocative and endangering Israelis and Palestinians in Gaza alike.” That takes the pressure off those Gulf leaders to respond, unlike in other confrontations involving the Al-Aqsa Mosque or when Israeli settlers force Arab families out of their homes, he said. “There won’t be much sympathy for what is widely viewed in the Gulf as Israel’s heavy-handed and disproportionate retaliation," Ibish wrote, "but it will be much easier for Gulf leaders and many citizens to regard the exchange as a tragic conflagration at the expense of ordinary people brought about by two leaderships over which they have neither control nor responsibility.” ___ Associated Press writers Aya Batrawy and Malak Harb in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, and Bassem Mroue in Beirut contributed to this report. Jon Gambrell, The Associated Press
Two people are dead and a suspect is in custody following a shooting in Listuguj First Nation Saturday morning, according to Quebec's police watchdog. Officers from the Listuguj Police Department were called to a residence on Riverside Road after reports of gunfire. They arrived around 11:30 a.m. and found a person barricaded inside, before hearing more gunshots. A 28-year-old man inside the home refused to co-operate with police, but eventually came out of the house and surrendered. Listuguj Police said Sunday morning a suspect is in custody, but did not provide details about the person's identity. Police found two people injured inside the home. They later died of their injuries in hospital. Quebec City police confirmed Sunday a girl and man in his twenties were killed. The Listuguj Mi'gmaq Government confirmed the incident on their website Saturday evening. "On behalf of myself and Council, our hearts are with you. Our government will continue to make every effort to provide support for those in need through these difficult times," Chief Darcy Gray said in a statement. "In the coming days, LMG will have services available to those impacted." Gray said community members are asked to stay clear of the area as the investigation by Listuguj police and the Quebec City Police Department is ongoing. Quebec's Bureau of Independent Investigation will also look into the circumstances of police intervention during the incident.
Dr. Manuela Joannou is stepping down from her role as the medical director of a trauma program for military veterans and first responders in eastern Ontario amid public anger over her decision to place a registered sex offender as a peer mentor for a group of sexual assault survivors. CBC News revealed last week that Joannou failed to tell a group of 12 female first responders and Canadian Forces veterans with post traumatic stress disorder that they spent a six-day trauma retreat in July 2018 with a retired soldier who had recently been convicted in two different sexual assault cases. Seven participants who came forward publicly said they felt betrayed, violated and retraumatized to learn about retired major Jonathan Hamilton's criminal past on their own and were appalled that Joannou defended her decision when confronted. Joannou announced on Facebook Saturday she was leaving her role as medical director, but did not say if she would still be involved in running Project Trauma Support in another role. "I acknowledge that I made mistakes and fully take responsibility," wrote Joannou. "I am very sorry that this mistake has caused upheaval and I wish everyone well." "My sincerest wish for you all is that all will continue on in a path to recovery." Past participants told CBC News they are curious to see what role Joannou plays moving forward since she is the founder and operates the retreat on her own property in Perth, Ont. CBC News has sent Joannou a request for more information. WATCH | Sexual assault survivors stunned to learn peer mentor was convicted sex offender: Retired brigadier-general Paul Rutherford resigns The chair of the charity's board of directors also resigned Saturday. Retired brigadier-general Paul Rutherford issued an internal letter stating he was submitting his resignation "in light of the recent media reporting concerning the integrity" of the program. Rutherford came under fire by past participants for signing a letter with Joannou in response to CBC's original story that did not contain an apology for what happened. The letter also said that participants should not be speaking publicly about the program since it's confidential. "I sincerely apologize for any hurt that any program participants have felt," said Rutherford in a letter obtained by CBC News. "It was not my intention to cause any feelings of distress." Rutherford wrote he personally would have never allowed a convicted sex offender to be a peer mentor. He is now recommending new screening measures, including criminal background checks, he said. "With profound empathy and support for victims and survivors of any sexual harassment or abuse, PTSD, or moral injury, I resign my position as Chair," he wrote. Canadian Forces chief of rehabilitative medicine apologizes The Canadian Armed Forces' (CAF) chief of rehabilitation medicine, Lt.-Col. Markus Besemann, also left his role with Project Trauma Support in the wake of the story. Besemann had been volunteering with the charity since 2016 mainly by holding 2.5-hour lectures about physical emotional pain and suffering, CAF said. He had also suggested some of his patients take part in the program as part of their efforts to heal, said CAF. "I am deeply saddened to learn that in the process of attempting to help those most in need of healing, we may have contributed to their pain," said Besemann in a statement to CBC News. "I want to personally apologize to those impacted. I am truly sorry." Besemann said he has been treating survivors of sexual trauma for 32 years as a clinician. Donors cut ties with charity The series of apologies and resignations come days after the charity lost its funding from several large donors. The Mood Disorders Society of Canada severed ties completely and Veterans Affairs Canada said it will not provide future support. The Royal Canadian Legion also said it was astounded by how the situation was handled by the program's leadership and will no longer consider future funding. Female participants of Project Trauma Support in Perth, Ont., join in a group hug at the centre of a labyrinth. The charity is not funded by the Canadian Armed Forces.(Hallie Cotnam/CBC) True Patriot Love Foundation, another donor, said that the program has helped many people dealing with severe trauma and it will look for ways to continue to support it. "I am hopeful that True Patriot Love can explore ways to help the program move forward in order that it can continue to provide care to those who need it, while avoiding the significant errors your story refers to," True Patriot Love Foundation's CEO Nick Booth said in an email to CBC news. Joannou said family physician and ER doctor Dr. Rebecca Van lersel who has an interest in mental health will be taking over as medical director. "As we listen, reflect and work toward reconciliation over the coming months, I look forward to regaining the trust of our alumni, prospective cohort participants, and funders," wrote Van lersel in the social media post. The College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario (CPSO) investigated a complaint into the matter and determined in 2019 it was inappropriate that a convicted sex offender was peer mentoring sexual assault survivors. The CPSO said it had concerns about Joannou's judgment in this case and advised her to be mindful of her hiring practices in the future.
