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  • Indigenous woman whose violent arrest at Saskatoon store was caught on video traumatized by incident: lawyer

    Annette Custer, who identified herself Tuesday as the woman involved in a videotaped incident where she was pinned to the ground by a Saskatoon FreshCo security guard, "had her dignity stripped from her," says a lawyer representing the Indigenous woman. "Too often … this type of treatment of Indigenous people, especially Indigenous women, goes unnoticed," said Michael Seed, legal counsel for the Federation of Sovereign Indigenous Nations. "It gets routed into the shadows and gets forgotten." On Tuesday, the FSIN — which represents 74 Saskatchewan First Nations — held a press conference demanding accountability from the Saskatoon Police Service and elected officials following the incident. "We know the abuse of authority … happens," Custer said. "It happens in our city, it happens in our communities." A nine-minute video showing the altercation at the FreshCo on Saskatoon's 33rd Street W. last Wednesday shows a man who identifies himself as the grocery store security guard trying to force handcuffs on the woman, who has now been identified as Custer. What led to the incident is not entirely clear. Seed says after Custer was pinned to the ground, she sustained physical and psychological injuries, but he did not elaborate on their extent. GRAPHIC WARNING | Video of altercation between Annette Custer and security guard: Custer has been charged with theft and assault following the incident. She remains the only person charged. Seed said he wants Custer's complaint against the security guard investigated and wants police to bring forth charges against the security guard. A spokesperson for Saskatoon police said the incident remains under investigation, and that if police need to seek an opinion from the Crown on whether to lay charges they will do so. Public Prosecutions will review any referral made by police. The Ministry of Corrections, Policing and Public Safety's Private Investigator's and Security Guards Programs is also reviewing the incident. Saskatchewan Attorney General and Justice Minister Gord Wyant issued a statement condemning all forms of racism, discrimination, intolerance and bigotry. However, because the matter remains under investigation he declined to provide further comment. Management at the FreshCo location where the incident took place said they've terminated their contract with ESM Solutions — the company that employed the guard — as a result of the incident. The store's owner, Chris Fowler, said in a Facebook post last week he was "shocked and horrified" by the incident. Indigenous communities traumatized by incident Custer, a 30-year-old mother who is originally from Peter Ballantyne Cree Nation in northern Saskatchewan, remains traumatized, Seed said. She publicly identified herself as the person involved in the incident for the first time at Tuesday's press conference, but she did not speak. "Annette is going to be scarred for the rest of her life," said Prince Albert Grand Council Vice-Chief Chris Jobb. But the incident, which was recorded by a witness, didn't just traumatize Custer, says FSIN Vice-Chief David Pratt. "This is something that's very traumatic for all of us to witness," he said. Federation of Sovereign Indigenous Nations Vice-Chief David Pratt, right, addresses Annette Custer and her partner during a press conference Tuesday at the Dakota Dunes Resort Hotel in Saskatoon. (Chanss Lagaden/CBC) The federation fields daily phone calls from Indigenous people facing discrimination within every Saskatchewan sector, including health, child welfare, justice and education, said Pratt. "Saskatchewan has a racism problem, whether people want to acknowledge that or not. Whether they're government or sitting in this society, it has to be addressed," Pratt said. He is calling for a provincewide anti-racism strategy, and for mandatory Indigenous studies classes in the school system. "People need to know the true history of what's happened to our people, and why we're where we are today. Otherwise, these acts of violence will continue," Pratt said. "If she was a white woman, would that have happened? That's the question we have to ask ourselves." Violence against women FSIN Vice-Chief Heather Bear said the force Custer faced is fuelled by violence against women. "This is not an isolated incident. [It's] an incident that occurs more often than not when it comes to Indigenous women and girls: the mistreatment, the abuse, the attacks, the racism, the marginalization," Bear said. Custer's experience is a clear example of systemic racism that needs to be addressed, she said. "You have laws to protect animals that don't get treated like this," said Bear. "We need to have better effort for training and cultural sensitivity."

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

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

  • Female service members blast military police over sexual misconduct investigations

    OTTAWA — Female service members and veterans came out swinging at Canada's military police on Tuesday as they related their own individual experiences after having come forward to report a sexual crime or misconduct. The women, who were testifying before a House of Commons committee, also suggested victims of such acts often end up paying the price for coming forward while perpetrators are largely let off the hook. "Most times the victims pay a greater price than the perpetrator when they come forward," said navy Lt. Heather Macdonald. "That is why most victims are reluctant to come forward. We need to fix this, we need to make this a better, safer place for females to work." The hearings at the committee on the status of women come as the federal government and Canadian Armed Forces are grappling with allegations of misconduct involving several senior officers, including chief of the defence staff Admiral Art McDonald. The specific allegations against McDonald, who temporarily stepped aside in February after the Canadian Forces National Investigation Service launched an investigation, have not been publicly disclosed. But Global News has reported that the allegation relates to sexual misconduct and relates to an incident involving Macdonald, the navy lieutenant who appeared at committee. The outlet reported she was frustrated that someone had leaked details of her case to the media without her consent and she declined to detail the allegations. CBC has reported that the alleged incident occurred during an exercise in the Far North in 2010 when the admiral was captain of HMCS Montreal. The admiral has not responded to repeated requests from The Canadian Press for comment. Macdonald did not speak about the case, nor did committee members ask her about it. She instead spoke about the challenges women in uniform face when trying to report inappropriate or criminal behaviour both at sea and in general, including the approach taken by military police investigators. "It is like you're being interrogated, and like you're a criminal," Macdonald told the committee. Air force technician Emily Tulloch related a similar experience after she came forward to report having been sexually assaulted, describing her meetings with military police as "dreadful." "During these interviews, I felt investigators were not treating me like a human being, but just another case file to them," Tulloch told the committee. "There was no empathy or humanity. ... I felt like I wasn't being heard, and that I was being treated like a criminal. And no one should be treated like a criminal when they're that vulnerable and in need of help." Military police commanders have previously spoken about the steps they have taken to better deal with sexual misconduct since retired Supreme Court justice Marie Deschamps released a scathing report on the Armed Forces' handling of such incidents in 2015. Those measures have included specialized training and even dedicated units tasked with investigating such cases. Tulloch told the committee she has "experienced a lifetime of sexual assault and misconduct" since joining the military in July 2018. "I'm here today to tell you that I was raped only one month into my basic training at (Royal Military College) Saint-Jean. I was also sexually assaulted during my training in Borden and I have been groped and kissed unwillingly at group parties and mess events. And these degrading behaviors are more common than you think," she said. Military police need to improve their training for how to conduct interviews of sexual assault victims, she told the committee. "There needs to be a specific course made to teach them that victims need understanding and empathy. And if there already is a course, then they need to tear it apart and rebuild it from the ground up." Tuesday's frank and at times raw testimony came one day after the government said it was adding $77 million in new funding and redirecting $158 million from other areas to increase victim support services and develop new prevention training. It has also said that it plans to add independent oversight to the military's handling of sexual misconduct complaints, though it has yet to provide further details. Several of those testifying underscored the importance of such external accountability, with Macdonald suggesting one option would be the creation of an independent inspector-general like what some of Canada’s allies have in place. Numerous experts and survivors have echoed that suggestion in recent months, arguing that the military has repeatedly shown its inability to bring about real change on its own. This report by The Canadian Press was first published Apr. 20, 2021. Lee Berthiaume, The Canadian Press

  • Police say 20-year-old targeted in deadly shooting in Coquitlam, B.C.

    COQUITLAM, B.C. — Homicide detectives say a 20-year-old man was shot to death Monday evening in Coquitlam, B.C. Sgt. Frank Jang of the Integrated Homicide Investigation Team says Bailey McKinney was targeted as he visited the busy Town Centre skate park at about 6:30 p.m. Investigators want to speak to the roughly 50 people who were in the park at the time of the homicide in an effort to determine what McKinney was doing there. Jang says there is no indication the homicide is linked to a fatal shooting in Vancouver on Saturday or to Metro Vancouver's ongoing gang conflict. Jang says police had previous interactions with McKinney related to drug offences, but that it's too early to tell if the killing is drug-related. No arrests have been made and Jang is urging anyone with information to share details with the homicide team. Information was still being checked, but McKinney might have had an ongoing disagreement that led to his death, Jang said. "We believe he had conflict with certain individuals and we believe that these certain individuals may be responsible for his murder," Jang said Tuesday in Coquitlam. "It leads us to believe this was targeted. It certainly wasn't random." A team of officers was canvassing the Town Centre area looking for witnesses and dash cam or surveillance video that could help identify a suspect, Jang said. This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 20, 2021. The Canadian Press

  • Nevada inmate fighting execution seeks firing-squad option

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

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

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

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

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

  • What you need to know about B.C.'s new travel restrictions

    B.C. Premier John Horgan announced new travel restrictions on Monday to stop the spread of the coronavirus. Horgan said the new restrictions were put in place to ensure that British Columbians stay within their own local areas and reduce non-essential travel. A formal order is expected to come at the end of this week, and the restrictions will be in place until the end of the May long weekend. It's a significant change from Horgan's tone a few months ago, when he cited — falsely — that Manitoba had only "four roads" in and out of the province, compared with B.C.'s dozens of roads and major airports, as the reason why the West Coast would not follow the Prairie province's stricter travel rules. "We never said we couldn't do it, we said it would be logistically challenging — and it is and remains so," he said on Monday. What are the new restrictions? B.C. residents will not be able to book accommodations or a camping site outside of their local health authority. This is currently being done through a voluntary basis in the tourism sector, but Horgan said he is willing to introduce a government order if necessary. Operators will cancel any bookings that have already been made, he said. BC Parks will ensure that anyone who has booked a provincial camping site outside of their health authority will receive a refund. In addition to no longer accepting bookings for recreational vehicles — such as campers and trailers — at the end of this week, BC Ferries will be contacting passengers who have already made reservations to ensure they are essential travellers. (Robb Douglas/CBC) BC Ferries will stop accepting bookings for recreational vehicles such as campers and trailers at the end of this week. The ferry service will also contact passengers who have already made reservations to ensure they are essential travellers. It will not be implementing any extra sailings this year for the May long weekend. In addition, Public Safety Minister Mike Farnworth will be issuing orders on Friday under the Emergency Program Act to restrict a person's ability to leave their health-care authority. The order will be enforced through a roadside checkpoint program. "Do not plan a holiday until after the May long weekend," Horgan said. When do they take effect and how long do they last? The formal order for the restrictions will be put in place later this week, and they are in effect until Monday, May 24, the end of the May long weekend. Dr. Bonnie Henry, B.C.'s provincial health officer, said May 24 was chosen because it's when the province expects to have 60 per cent of its adult population protected with the COVID-19 vaccine. Can I travel within my health authority? It is technically permissible to travel within local health authorities — some of which cover large geographic regions or, in the case of Island Health, all of Vancouver Island — but Horgan urged residents to stay close to home for the next five weeks. "We're asking people to use their common sense," the premier said. Passengers are shown at the Vancouver International Airport in March 2020. Travellers will not be able to book accommodations outside of their local health authority for the next five weeks until May 24, the end of the long weekend.(Ben Nelms/CBC) What if I live on the border of a health authority? Horgan said he understands there is a lot of movement between certain health authorities, such as in the Lower Mainland between Vancouver in Vancouver Coastal Health and neighbouring municipalities such as Burnaby and Surrey in the Fraser Health authority, or around Quesnel, which borders the Interior and Northern Health authorities. "We get that. We want to make sure that public safety health representatives are not going to be heavy-handed with this," he said. "This is for those who are recklessly flaunting the rules. It's not for regular folks who are going about their business." What is a roadside checkpoint? What happens if I'm found travelling outside my health authority? The roadside checkpoints will apply to all travellers passing through, and Horgan likened it to the impaired driving checkpoints conducted during the Christmas season. "There will be a fine if you are travelling outside of your area without a legitimate reason," Horgan said, although he did not provide details on how much the fine would be. A B.C. RCMP traffic services officer demonstrates new COVID-19 safety protocols during the 2020 holiday campaign to deter impaired driving.(CBC) Horgan said the authority for the checkpoints will come from the Emergency Program Act. The government will be consulting with the BIPOC community to make sure the restrictions do not give anyone fear that there will be additional repercussions, he said, stressing it would not be like the orders introduced in Ontario on Friday and later rolled back. "We're not going to follow other provincial leads and bring forward proposals that can't be enforced," Horgan said. "It is not our objective to go into some sort of state where we are watching and monitoring everybody's activity." How do I prove that I am an essential traveller? Horgan did not provide an answer on Monday, but he said details would be provided in Farnworth's order on Friday. What about out-of-province travellers? The provincial government says it will be erecting new border signs along the B.C.-Alberta border, reminding people to stay within their own province if travel isn't essential. At this point, there will be no checkpoints. Horgan said he's grateful that other provinces are encouraging their residents to stay home, adding that anyone trying to book accommodations from outside of B.C. over the next five weeks won't be able to do so.

  • The downside to the real estate boom in Nova Scotia

    Christina Provost moved into her rental home in Prospect, N.S., a year ago. She decorated the house, she enrolled her kids in school nearby, and she expected to stay for years. About a month ago, Provost's landlord told her she was selling the house. Provost and her three kids had to find a new place to live by July 1. "I am devastated," Provost told CBC News. "I made this my home. Even though she owns it, it's still my home and I'm being displaced with absolutely no options whatsoever." Provost is part of a growing number of renters across Nova Scotia who are being evicted because their landlords are selling their homes or small rental units. Due to the current housing crisis in the province, many have no place to go. Provost said her post about the issue in a public Facebook group garnered over 100 messages from people in the same boat. "There's this middle class where we don't need to be in [subsidized] housing, but we also can't qualify for a mortgage right now due to divorce, being a single mother, accidents, work layoffs," she said. "There's so many reasons why people can't qualify for a mortgage that doesn't make them a bad person, but that genre of people, the in-betweens, are being completely left in the wind right now." ACORN's Halifax peninsula chapter advocates for low-income tenants and workers.(Francis Ferland/CBC) Hannah Wood, the chair of the Halifax peninsula chapter of ACORN Nova Scotia, an organization that advocates for low-income tenants and workers, said her group has been seeing a massive increase in tenants whose landlords are selling their units. Wood noted that "because landlords are selling homes and not rental buildings, most of the tenants living there are families and people who are going to have a very difficult time finding affordable rentals." The vacancy rate in the Halifax Regional Municipality grew to 1.9 per cent in 2020, but remains one of the lowest in the country. ACORN said there are 4,000 people on the wait list for public housing and the construction of new housing can't keep up with the number of people who are being displaced. Breaking sales records The growing demand for housing, meanwhile, is taking place against the backdrop of a real estate boom in the province. The Nova Scotia Association of Realtors compiled data that shows 1,577 units were sold across the province last month, a new sales record for the month of March and an increase of more than 65 per cent from March 2020. The average selling price of a home was also up by more than 26 per cent from the previous year. For many landlords, it's more profitable to sell their homes than to rent them out. Some are getting out of the business and moving into more profitable ventures like AirBnB or house flipping. Others are offloading their income properties now as a way to recoup costs from damages and regular maintenance. CBC spoke to multiple landlords from across the province who all had similar reasons for selling. John Bartlett, who owns rental properties in Dartmouth and Middleton, said he's selling most of his units because they've been damaged by tenants and trying to remedy the situation by going through the residential tenancy board simply takes too long. "Quite frankly, the way the housing market is now, it is the only time that I've looked at my property and said, 'Now I may be able to recoup some of my money that I've lost over the years.' And it has been a lot," he said. 2% rent cap a challenge for landlord A two per cent rent cap was instated in the province last November as a way to combat what advocates call a housing crisis in the province. Paul Finnemore stands in front of one of his rental properties in Kentville.(Submitted by Paul Finnemore) Some small landlords say the legislation makes it difficult to turn a profit because the cost of building supplies has risen since the COVID-19 pandemic. Paul Finnemore owns 17 rental units in Kentville and Middleton. He said his business plan revolves around buying old, run-down rentals, fixing them up and making them more livable. "And then we were planning to increase those rents. A little more than two per cent," Finnemore said. "Two per cent doesn't even cover ... the rate of inflation. "There's a mortgage payment. There's property taxes. There's insurance. Sometimes there's often utilities, water, heat lights — the whole bit — and then regular maintenance and stuff like that. So to make that formula work can be very challenging when we're not able to raise the rent even to a reasonable level." Finnemore cleaned up and renovated this property in hopes of renting it out.(Submitted by Paul Finnemore) This week, Provost found a new rental home to move to with her children. Not everyone is so lucky. Chris Ramsay had lived in his three-bedroom duplex in Colchester County for a year when he received a two-month eviction notice because his landlord was selling the property. He said having kids makes it much harder for someone to find a rental, though discriminating against families with children is illegal. Chris Ramsay and his two year old daughter, who are racing to find a new place to live before the two month eviction notice is up. (Submitted by Chris Ramsay) He said there are hundreds of people applying for each rental as soon as it goes on the market, and many landlords don't even respond to his inquiries. Ramsay said he had to apply for a rental in Cape Breton because he is so desperate to find a place to live. He is worried this will impact his ability to see his eldest daughter, who lives in the Annapolis Valley. Ramsay said he might have to resort to some unconventional living situations for himself and his two-year-old daughter if he doesn't find a place soon. "If I don't get approved [for the place in Cape Breton], in all honesty, me and my friend have shopped the idea around that if I could go on Marketplace or Kijiji and find an old camper or pop-up trailer to camp in his backyard and figure out what to do from there," he said. "Or try to find a motel, or anything, because right now those are getting pretty booked up as well. It's desperate times." MORE TOP STORIES

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

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

  • Albertans lining up, signing up as eligibility for AstraZeneca COVID vaccine expands

    EDMONTON — Albertans were voting with their feet and arms Tuesday as they lined up and signed up to get the Oxford-AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine. The government's decision to lower the age eligibility for the vaccine to 40 resulted in thousands of bookings and big lineups on the first day. “Uptake for the AstraZeneca vaccine has been significantly higher this morning,” Alberta Health Services spokesman Kerry Williamson said in a statement. “More than 27,000 Albertans have booked an appointment. “This includes approximately 6,500 booked appointments in Edmonton zone and 15,000 booked appointments in Calgary zone.” Williamson said the uptake in one morning exceeded all of last week. In Edmonton, up to a 100 people stood in line at lunchtime outside the Expo Centre mass vaccination clinic. Thirty cars were waiting to enter the grounds. Jody Dewaal, 52, found out Monday she was finally eligible to get vaccinated and decided to head to the Expo Centre the next day. “It’s about time,” Dewaal said. “We’ve been waiting. I have senior parents and I have a child who has asthma, so we just like to have some kind of protection.” Alberta has joined Ontario, Manitoba and British Columbia in offering the AstraZeneca vaccine to anyone 40 and older. Saskatchewan announced Tuesday it was doing the same. Quebec said it was lowering the age to 45. The shot had been limited to those over 55. But Alberta said it lowered the age based on new health data and because thousands of doses were being left unused. Vaccine hesitancy has been an issue among the older age group following reports globally of rare blood clots developing in some who received the AstraZeneca product. One Albertan has been affected, has been treated and is recovering at home. Both Dr. Deena Hinshaw, Alberta's chief medical officer of health, and Health Minister Tyler Shandro have stressed the blood clots are extremely rare and have urged Albertans to take AstraZeneca. Both posted pictures of themselves on social media Tuesday getting the vaccine. AstraZeneca is one of multiple vaccines available but the only one open to the 40-plus cohort. Alberta Health said about 170,000 doses were available as of Sunday and appointments would last as long as the supply does. Lowering the age eligibility means 575,000 more Albertans have a chance to be vaccinated — for a total of 2.3 million. Premier Jason Kenney has said the situation has become a race between the spread of COVID-19 variants and getting a critical mass of Albertans vaccinated. The variants, now the dominant strain in Alberta, are far more contagious and have sent case rates and hospitalizations spiking in recent weeks. Alberta has more than 18,000 active cases, with well over a thousand new cases every day for the last two weeks. Also Tuesday, Opposition NDP Leader Rachel Notley urged Kenney and his United Conservative government to work with her to fast- track legislation to allow people to get three hours off with pay if necessary to get vaccinated. Kenney was receptive and said he would get back to Notley on Wednesday after consulting with officials. “With or without legislation we would implore employers to do the right thing (and) ensure that their employees have every opportunity to get vaccinated,” he said. This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 20, 2021 — With files from Fakiha Baig in Edmonton Dean Bennett, The Canadian Press

  • Trudeau says Canada considering stronger border measures

    Canada is extending the use of quarantine hotels for international air travellers another month, and considering whether it needs to do more to stop COVID-19 cases from getting into the country from abroad. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says that could include barring incoming flights from specific countries, such as India, even as he defended his government's actions on the border as effective.

  • Israel logs Indian COVID-19 variant, sees some vaccine efficacy against it

    Israel has registered eight cases of a coronavirus variant first identified in India and believes that the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine is at least partially effective against it, an Israeli health official said on Tuesday. An initial seven cases of the Indian variant were detected in Israel last week among people arriving from abroad and who have since undergone preliminary testing, the Health Ministry said. "The impression is that the Pfizer vaccine has efficacy against it, albeit a reduced efficacy," the ministry's director-general, Hezi Levy, told Kan public radio, saying the number of cases of the variant in Israel now stood at eight.

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

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

  • Mill Creek Pub and Restaurant in Orangeville and Grand Valley up for sale

    They're popular places to grab a brewski or two on spacious patios, and now they're on the market. Both the Orangeville and Grand Valley locations of Mill Creek Pub and Restaurant are up for sale. The establishments, which have liquor licences and full kitchens, are known for their outdoor dining options. “Half the people either had an experience on the patio themselves or are just enamoured by the fact it is three storeys,” said manager Donnie Beattie, whose parents, Don and Loraine Beattie, own the restaurants and are planning to retire. “We decided we would help staff in the pandemic, so we took back ownership and ran the place. Now that the pandemic is starting to ease up, my parents are ready to retire,” Beattie said. The Orangeville location, at 25 Mill St., is 6,500 square feet and seats 182 people inside, plus 120 people on the patio. It is available for $449,000. The Grand Valley location, at 30 Main St., is 2,480 square feet and seats 116 inside, plus an additional 16 on the patio. It is available for $199,000. Beattie would like the new owners to continue the namesake, as it has a footprint in Dufferin County. “What you’re going to buy is the business,” said Beattie. “Coming up with something new might not be the best business decision unless you’re coming in as a chain. I don’t think you’re going to see a chain coming. It will most likely be a family that continues the Mill Creek Pub.” Beattie said it was a difficult decision to give up the reins, as they had run the restaurant in Orangeville for eight years. The establishment has a storied history. The Orangeville location was previously Orangeville Bottling Works, owned by Alexander Walker, who made and sold whistle orange soda. The Beattie family took over the building in 2012 and made substantial changes. Everything was renovated from top to bottom, leaving only the brick walls for historical significance. They have been active in the community, donating to the Bethell Hospice Foundation and hosting Brewzapalooza, a popular craft beer festival in the winter in Orangeville. “I know it’s going to be bittersweet for them because they do love being part of the community and heading a lot of stuff," said Beattie. "However, there’s always a time and place, and we finally hit ours. It’s time to allow the next generation to take over all the events.” They were involved with the Orangeville Blues and Jazz festival, during which they would have musicians playing at their pub. “We had a big impact when it came to the Blues and Jazz festival in Orangeville,” said Beattie. “Here in Grand Valley, we started in conjunction with the BIA, yearly car shows. We had the first one off the ground, and of course, the pandemic hit. We’re hoping to get a second one later on in the summer.” The Grand Valley location opened in June 2018, after being home to many different establishments in the past. It was recently Houley’s Sports Bar and Grill, but was also well known as Robbie’s and The Olde Tavern. A bar and restaurant were on the main floor, while a dance hall was upstairs. The dance hall is now apartments, and the basement has become coolers, freezers and dry storage for the restaurant above. Joshua Santos, Local Journalism Initiative reporter, Orangeville Banner

  • PPE must guard against airborne transmission of COVID-19, nurses' union demands

    The Ontario Nurses' Association (ONA) is demanding better personal protective equipment (PPE) to protect its members from the aerosol and asymptomatic spread of COVID-19. In an application for judicial review filed in February, the ONA said the province hasn't done enough to protect health-care workers from COVID-19, singling out a directive from Ontario's chief medical officer of health as inadequate. When they do ask for it, in many cases it's a battle. - Vicki McKenna, Ontario Nurses' Association At the time of the application, the ONA said nearly 19,000 health-care workers had been infected in the province. "What we are asking for is the chief medical officer now to step up," said ONA president Vicki McKenna. Specifically, the union wants the province to explicitly acknowledge that the virus can be transmitted through the air, that asymptomatic transmission occurs and that nurses need the highest level of precaution available. Vicki McKenna, president of the Ontario Nurses' Association, says health-care workers continue to be denied adequate PPE. (ONA/Twitter) 'Restricted access' to adequate PPE Currently, the directive to hospitals and long-term care homes only recognizes that COVID-19 is spread through droplets, McKenna said. Nothing in the directive specifically mentions protection from airborne transmission, she said. "[Not] putting those statements in the directive [is] causing major issues in the workplace," McKenna said. "[We] still, after all this time, we have nurses and health professionals out there that have restricted access to the proper PPE for airborne transmission. And when they do ask for it, in many cases it's a battle." McKenna said the PPE available to nurses should include N95 masks, if not reusable elastomeric or powered air purifying respirators. Mario Possamai, former senior adviser to the 2007 SARS commission, says Ontario missed many opportunities to better protect workers.(Craig Chivers/CBC) Lessons from SARS The ONA argues the province is ignoring the precautionary principle, a key lesson from the SARS crisis that dictates maximum caution during an outbreak, even if our knowledge about how the disease spreads is incomplete. "From the earliest days of the pandemic, our public health leaders, based on really limited information, dismissed the possibility that COVID-19 could be spread through the air," said Mario Possamai, former senior adviser to the 2007 SARS Commission, who has also written a report on COVID-19 for the ONA. "We could have really focused on ... better protection for health-care workers, better ventilation, all the things that are involved in addressing an airborne risk. We missed that opportunity … and it's disappointing." Federal health officials only recognized the airborne spread of COVID-19 in November, and quietly updated their guidelines. Ontario's Ministry of Health said it cannot comment on the case as it is before the courts. The first hearing for the judicial review is scheduled for May 12.

  • Alberta has cicadas too, but not massive 'Brood X' numbers emerging in U.S. after 17 years underground

    Entomologists are bracing for a big event in the bug world, as a massive swarm of cicadas is expected to emerge across the eastern United States after spending the past 17 years underground. Brood X, also called the great eastern brood, is the largest known brood that has been recorded, Alberta entomologist Ken Fry told the Calgary Eyeopener. Brood X is getting a lot of attention, but their less-famous cousins will also be making an appearance this year, not far behind — and not in the same numbers. "They're very secretive animals, it's tough to get your eyes on them," Fry said. "In the wooded areas of pretty much all of Alberta, we do have them, it's just they don't come out in these huge, huge broods." Seven species in Alberta Fry said that here in Alberta, we have seven species of cicada. The genus name is Okanagana, and the most common species is occidentalus. They are both smaller and less abundant than Brood X. The massive brood in the eastern U.S. has been living quietly underground for 17 years. "Periodical cicadas are a really unique group of animals, they spend all this time underground feeding on the roots of trees, and just happily existing below ground, safe and sound. And then they synchronously emerge," Fry said, adding there are both 13-year cicadas and 17-year cicadas. "And they just come out en masse, some estimates are upwards of three million animals per hectare. It's just a massive emergence every 17 years." The noise will be impressive. "A cacophony of noise, let me tell you," Fry said. "The males will fly up to trees, roosting anywhere from three to five metres above the ground, and then they have what's called a resonance chamber, so they pass air past a membrane which amplifies the sound like a buzz or a scream. And when you get this many animals synchronously calling out for a mate, it is a super loud noise." The cicadas will carry on for a few weeks of their four to six-week lifespan. A newly emerged adult cicada dries its wings on a flower in this file photo. After 17-years of living below ground, billions of cicadas belonging to Brood X will soon emerge across much of the eastern United States. (Alex Wong/Getty Images)(Getty Images) "The mating calls are short-ish, about two to three weeks at most, and it starts out with the early emergence and then as the bulk of them emerge, then you get this crescendo of noise, and then it peters off as the last ones wake up and come out," Fry said. Here in Alberta, the smaller species of cicadas we hear are on a shorter schedule. "Ours are not the 17-year periodical cicada," Fry said. "Depending on species, they can go underground from three to five years. They're not that abundant, so we don't have this cacophony of noise every three to five years, instead there's just the odd one that comes out." Listen to the full interview on the Calgary Eyeopener here: The cicadas are harmless — unless you're a tree. Female cicadas will cut into tender branches to lay their eggs. "And then those nymphs, or the immature stages, will hatch, and then proceed to go into the ground and take up another 17 years underground. So it is a bit of a problem — well, for us, the noise, for a short-lived period — but for the trees themselves there's some significant damage, so this year's growth is set back significantly," Fry said. But there's an upside for the ecosystem in a year of plentiful cicadas. "All the squirrels and birds and other animals are just gorging themselves on this feast every 17 years, and it's thought by some ecologists that this abundance of food allows certain populations of birds and other animals to sort of regain their populations," Fry said. "So they gorge themselves, they can have larger numbers of offspring, so they're more successful this year … so, it does have an overall ecological benefit in restoring some health to some other animal populations." With files from the Calgary Eyeopener.

  • Minneapolis jury convicts ex-policeman Derek Chauvin of murdering George Floyd

    Former Minneapolis policeman Derek Chauvin was convicted of murder on Tuesday in the death of George Floyd, a milestone in the fraught racial history of the United States and a rebuke of law enforcement's treatment of Black Americans. The 12-member jury found Chauvin, 45, guilty of all three charges of second-degree murder, third-degree murder and manslaughter after considering three weeks of testimony from 45 witnesses, including bystanders, police officials and medical experts. In a confrontation captured on video, Chauvin, a white veteran of the police force, pushed his knee into the neck of Floyd, a 46-year-old Black man in handcuffs, for more than nine minutes on May 25, 2020.

  • Islamists call halt to Pakistan protest after government allows vote on French envoy

    A banned Pakistani Islamist group called an end to violent nationwide anti-France protests on Tuesday, after the government called a parliamentary vote on whether to expel the French ambassador and said it would halt criminal cases against the group's members. Pakistan arrested the leader of the group Tehrik-e-Labaik Pakistan (TLP) on April 12 and banned the group last week after its members blocked main highways, railways and access routes to major cities, assaulting police and burning public property. The group has demanded that Pakistan expel the French ambassador in retaliation for the publication in France of cartoons depicting the Prophet Mohammed.

  • Say it ain't snow! 5 cm in the forecast for Windsor

    It may be late April, but Windsor-Essex is about to get another visit from Old Man Winter. For Tuesday afternoon, there's a 40 per cent chance of rain or snow, according to Environment Canada and winds of 20 km/h are also in the forecast. The evening is expected to bring snow, but not as much as originally predicted. On Tuesday morning, the weather agency said between five and 10 centimetres of snow are expected but later downgraded the snowfall amount to five centimetres. Temperatures are forecast to drop to a low of zero. Chatham-Kent and Sarnia are also in line for five centimetres of snow Tuesday night. The low of zero won't be enough to beat the record low for this day in Windsor, which was set in 1956 with -3.3 C. There's a chance of flurries on Wednesday as well, but temperatures are expected to return to double-digits later this week in Windsor, with a high of 12 C on Thursday and 16 C on Friday. Earlier this spring, Windsor-Essex saw temperatures way above seasonal, with several days with temperatures higher than 20 C.