Drew Brees is expected to return in Week 15, but it might not matter against Patrick Mahomes and the deadly Kansas City Chiefs offense.
Amanda Gorman’s poetry recital Wednesday could catapult literary spoken word into curricula and classroom conversation everywhere and help raise the voices of those most often silenced or ignored, former Mississauga poet laureate Wali Shah says. Gorman, a 22-year-old who described herself in The Hill We Climb as a “skinny Black girl, descended from slaves and raised by a single mother,” urged Americans to be the light in a dark time in the address at Joe Biden and Kamala Harris’s inauguration in Washington, D.C., the same spot where two weeks earlier, a mob of Donald Trump supporters stormed the home of U.S. democracy. Gorman told the New York Times that she finished the poem late in the night after the riot, adding lines about seeing “a force that would shatter our nation rather than share it” and noting that “this effort very nearly succeeded.” (Maclean's has posted the text here.) Shah lauded the balance Gorman struck between facing the fractured reality and the hope for better days ahead. “The bigger picture is to take awful moments and build something positive out of them,” he said. “And I think that's a narrative everyone can relate to, whether you're a politician or whether you're a kid in grade school that’s from a low-income neighbourhood and a single-parent family and need an outlet.” Shah, a public speaker who addresses conferences, companies and schools, said he expects the elevation of Gorman’s message to an audience of millions will help other young marginalized people give voice to their own experiences. “When Amanda Gorman talks about injustice and talks about being the light, there is so much that people feel,” said 26-year-old Shah, who was the official poet of the city he grew up in from 2017 to 2019. “Now they see someone like them that is sharing a powerful and uplifting message” and think, “‘Well, if Amanda can do that, then I can talk about my struggles, too. I can talk about how injustice and racism has affected me as an American.’ And I think that's a very powerful thing for educators to reflect on,” he said. (The New York Times has already compiled a handy classroom guide.) “The conversations in classrooms today are going to be about Amanda Gorman. They're going to be about literature and how we can use it to better the world and share our stories and narratives,” Shah said, adding he hopes the moment sparks a sustained push to expose students to a diverse array of voices. “More diverse voices, like Amanda's, like my own being a Muslim, being a South Asian, Pakistani immigrant, these are the kind of voices that will be highlighted as a result of this,” he said. “At a time when mental health issues are running high because of COVID-19, anxiety and depression are through the roof amongst young people, I think this is transformative for kids,” he added. Shah knows the benefit of a timely intervention, first getting into spoken word as a poor 16-year-old when his Grade 10 teacher Miss Riley gave him a copy of Tupac Shakur's The Rose That Grew From Concrete. He plans to publish an anthology of his own poetry later this year, illustrated by Eric Walters. Alastair Sharp, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, National Observer
Kingston Health Sciences Centre has confirmed that, as of Monday, Jan. 18, 2021, the first 1,900 doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine to arrive in the region have been administered. As per provincial guidelines, KHSC gave the vaccines to individuals in the first priority group in long-term care and high-risk retirement homes. Now, KHSC President and CEO Dr. David Pichora is asking people to be patient. “With limited vaccine supply, we must focus initially on vaccinating the most vulnerable, those in long-term care homes and high-risk retirement homes, where the risk of infection, serious illness and spreading the virus are much higher,” he said. “We are aware that due to work to expand its European manufacturing facility, production of the Pfizer-BioNtech COVD-19 vaccine will be reduced for a few weeks and will impact deliveries to Canada,” he added. Canada first learned last week that shipments of the Pfizer-BioNtech vaccine would be reduced and delayed in the weeks ahead due to supply chain upgrades. In a statement issued issued Thursday, Jan. 21, 2021, Dr Pichora noted: “We are working with our partners to adjust our plans accordingly.” Dr. Kieran Moore, Medical Officer of Health for Kingston Frontenac Lennox & Addington (KFL&A) Public Health, explained that Kingston has arranged to share doses of the Moderna vaccine from neighbouring health units, which will help keep the pace of vaccination. “Our sister health units, because we are working as a team, we knew they were going to get Moderna in the first week of February,” Dr. Moore said on Thursday, Dec. 21, 2021. “We shared Pfizer [with them], they’ve shared their Moderna, and we’re working cohesively as a team trying to ensure that those who are at highest risk will receive the vaccine.” “I have to thank our sister health units,” he added. “That partnership is wonderful.” Dr. Moore said the goal now is to be “flexible and adaptive,” and to try to provide the first single dose to every high-risk resident in a long-term care facility. “Then we’ll work back and we’ll immunize workers, and then we’ll immunize designated caregivers. I think that makes sense from an ethical standpoint given what we’ve seen with the morbidity and hospitalization rates,” he said. Both Pfizer and Moderna require two doses, between three and four weeks apart, to be fully effective. Dr. Moore said the vaccine distribution team is not withholding any doses for the second round of inoculations. “We need to get first doses in,” he said. He added that he is hoping for a redistribution of Pfizer vaccine from the provincial government, to ensure the second doses can be administered within the required time frame. “At one o’clock [Thursday], the province heard how much they’re getting from the federal government,” he explained. “Then they’re going to review that amount, and I hope there’s going to be a redistribution if there’s any leftover Pfizer vaccine, anywhere in the province.” “We know our primary target is our long-term care facilities. If there were some doses that were going to go to workers elsewhere, like acute care workers, or other workers, that could be redistributed.” He said KFL&A Public Health should get confirmation on any additional amounts resulting from that redistribution in the coming days. “We’re continuing to work for April. April is when we’ve been told the supply chain will increase, and we may have enough doses in April for one-third of our adult population. That will allow us to catch up on the Phase 1 priorities of First Nations, Inuit, Metis in our community and other healthcare workers.” In the meantime, Dr. Pichora said the second shipment of 1,900 doses will be distributed equally among the three public health agencies in the region, and administered by mobile vaccination teams. “We are confident that everyone who chooses to be vaccinated for COVID-19 will be able to receive the vaccine when there is sufficient supply of this and other vaccines in the coming months, and as vaccination and distribution are expanded beyond hospital sites,” he said. “We need to be patient.” Samantha Butler-Hassan, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, kingstonist.com
TORONTO — After a 10-month investigation, a task force commissioned by the Ontario government has issued a range of sweeping recommendations to reform the province's securities regulator. The Capital Markets Modernization Task Force's 70 recommendations include major governance changes to Ontario Securities Commission, such as establishing an adjudicative body within the OSC to rule on alleged securities act violations. The task force also recommends expanding the agency's mandate to augment its regulatory function, and changing its name to the Ontario Capital Markets Authority. The task force was commissioned in 2019 by Ontario's finance minister, with the goal of encouraging growth and competition in the province's capital markets. In the report, the task force decried the lack of new securities issuers in Ontario, which they warned could lead to fewer head offices and fewer investment growth opportunities in the province. Over the course of its investigation, the task force met with more than 110 different stakeholders as it was developing its recommendations. This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 22, 2021. The Canadian Press
CBC News gains access to a unique inoculation site in the U.K., where vulnerable groups are being prioritized.
NEW YORK — A raging pandemic, tumultuous presidential election and deadly Capitol insurrection have combined to make the annual tradition of Dry January more moist than air-tight for some. Not Sarah Arvizo. She considers it her easiest yet. As much as the 32-year-old Manhattanite would love to partake in a little “vinopeutics,” she said the abstinence period she's participated in for several years has been made smoother this time around by her at-home pandemic life and the closing of bars and restaurants. “Longing for those days, for sure,” said the social drinker who lives alone. “But unless I want to freeze outside, that's largely off the table this year.” Eight-year-old Dry January, which comes at the height of resolution season after the holidays, has brought on the desired benefits for many among the millions participating around the world. They're losing quarantine weight, experiencing more clarity and sleeping easier. Others with lockdown time on their hands and round-the-clock access to TV news and the home liquor cabinet are struggling to meet the challenge. Some who have already cheated hoisted a glass on Inauguration Day, Dry January's surreal New Year's Eve. Sue Cornick, 52, in Los Angeles wanted to experience Dry January after her consumption of alcohol rose from three or four days a week to five or six. But she knew pulling the plug wouldn't work before a celebratory Inauguration Day, so it's Dry February for her. “Full disclosure, my Dry February will be more like almost dry. I'll definitely have a cheat day here and there. Just no daily habit,” she said. Others are holding steadfast but said the horrid year that was and the chaotic events of January have made it far more difficult. The odds aren't in their favour. Studies over the years have shown that a small percentage of New Year's resolutions overall are actually achieved. Peta Grafham, a 61-year-old retired IT specialist in Tryon, North Carolina, signed on to Dry January after watching her alcohol intake creep up during the pandemic and months of political and racial turmoil. “I'm a social creature and isolating has been difficult. I found that I would open a bottle of wine and watch TV, usually CNN, and could knock back a bottle in less than two hours. Then I would move on to the Grand Marnier," said Grafham, who lives with her husband. “I announced to my friends and family that I was doing a Dry January, so my pride is what's keeping me sober.” She hasn't had a drop since Dec. 31. Her spouse didn't join, but she said he's an efficient nurser of bourbon or vodka and has supported her effort. “I seemed incapable of limiting myself to just one glass,” Grafham said. According to a recent survey from the American Psychological Association, 78% of adults report the COVID-19 pandemic has been a significant source of stress, and 65% said the amount of uncertainty in the world is causing strain. While addiction treatment experts note that a month of forced sobriety may not have a lasting impact and may lead to binge drinking in February, others believe the show of sobriety can't hurt. Dry January began after a woman training for her first half-marathon, Emily Robinson in the U.K., decided to quit drinking for the month. She later went to work for an alcohol awareness organization that launched a national campaign. The event slowly went global. Well before that, in 1942, Finland began a program called Raitis Tammikuu, meaning sober January, to assist the war effort against the Soviet Union, said Hilary Sheinbaum, who wrote a new book about Dry January, “The Dry Challenge." She said she wrote from personal experience. “On Dec. 31, 2016, moments before the ball dropped, I made a Dry January bet with a friend,” Sheinbaum said. “In the end, I ended up going the full 31 days. My friend did not. He ended up buying me a very fancy meal, but I had the opportunity to see how alcohol was affecting my day-to-day life. With Dry January, I had clearer skin. I was sleeping better. I had so much more financial savings at the end of the month. This is my fifth Dry January.” When she took on her first dry challenge, she was working regularly at booze-infused events as a red carpet reporter, and a food and beverage writer. She was also single and going on a lot of dates. Now in a two-year relationship, she and her live-in boyfriend do Dry January together. “Having someone doing it with you is definitely encouraging,” Sheinbaum said. “For many Americans, we start off the year with a number of resolutions, whether that's saving money, losing weight, just being healthier in general. Dry January checks the boxes for those goals and many more.” She and others note that the ritual isn't meant as a substitute for addiction treatment and recovery. Dr. Joseph DeSanto, an MD and addiction specialist for the recovery program BioCorRx, agreed but said Dry January may give those in trouble "something to rally around, especially if they're not in a 12-step group, and provide a sense of community.” He added: “Any kind of harm reduction is advantageous. If someone is a heavy drinker, they could benefit greatly from switching to moderate to light drinking, even if they can’t stop altogether. I’ve never met an alcoholic that felt worse from drinking less or not drinking.” MJ Gottlieb is co-founder and CEO of the 100,000-strong Loosid, a sober social network with both physical and virtual events and services around the country. He's in recovery himself and launched the company in part to show the world that sobriety doesn't mean the “end of fun.” Since the pandemic, he said Loosid has seen a spike in people posting on its app, messaging its confidential hotlines and accessing its support groups as the pandemic brought on isolation and more drinking at home. That's where Dry January plays a role. “A lot of people who did not have problems previous to the pandemic and were drinking a glass of wine a night are now drinking a couple of bottles a night," Gottlieb said. "They're wondering what's going on. They're wondering, how did I get here?” Leanne Italie, The Associated Press
A German app developer has filed a complaint with European Union antitrust authorities against Google and Apple which he said last year rejected a game aimed at encouraging compliance with government COVID-19 rules. Several developers have challenged Google and Apple over their app policies, triggering calls for regulatory action as nearly all smartphones outside restricted markets such as China come with either Google's Play store or Apple's App Store. In the United States, state attorneys general are planning a lawsuit against Google over its Play Store for Android phones following complaints, sources have told Reuters.
THUNDER BAY — A 24-year-old Scarborough Ont., resident is facing charges after Thunder Bay Ontario Provincial Police observed a vehicle excessively speeding on Highway 11/17 on Tuesday. OPP said in a news release this week, an officer was on patrol east of Mackenzie Heights Road in the municipality of Shuniah when they noticed a driver driving 152 kilometres per hour in a posted 90 kilometre per hour zone. The driver was charged with stunt driving and driving with an open container of liquor. OPP also issued a seven-day licence suspension and the vehicle was impounded for seven days. Police are reminding drivers that driving speeds of 50 kilometres per hour or more over the posted speed limit face severe penalties including mandatory seven-day licence suspension, mandatory seven-day vehicle impoundment, fines of up to $10,000 and six licence demerit points. Karen Edwards, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Thunder Bay Source
CORNWALL – COVID-19 infection numbers are continuing to slowly decline in the region as provincial lock-down and Stay-at-Home measures remain in place. Since Monday, the active case count has decreased by nearly 100 people. The province announced Wednesday that students in seven health units, including neighbouring Leeds, Grenville, and Lanark District Health Unit will return to in-person learning on January 25th. Students in this region will continue to learn remotely for now. Dr. Paul Roumeliotis, Medical Officer of Health for the Eastern Ontario Health Unit, said Thursday that keeping students in the region learning remotely for now was the right call. "I think it was the right call, looking at the numbers," he said adding that he thought schools could reopen soon. "Despite the fact that [the numbers] are going downwards, we're still pretty high in the Red Zone." According to the province's COVID-19 colour-coded restriction framework, the Red-Control zone is defined as a rolling seven-day average of 40 or more new COVID-19 cases per 100,000 people. Roumeliotis said he was encouraged the region is going in the right direction. The seven-day average for new cases peaked on January 9th with 152.2 per 100,000 people. As of January 21st, the average was 84.1 per 100,000 people. Roumeliotis said the determining factor in schools returning to in-person learning was that the region had to be clearly in the Orange-Restrict zone, or below 40 cases per 100,000 people. "If the trends continue, we can be there by the time [the province] re-evaluates," he said. The provincial Stay-at-Home order is in place until February 11th. As of the Eastern Ontario Health Unit's January 21st update, there are 544 active COVID-19 infections in the region. Locally, South Dundas has four active cases, and 24 cases overall. North Dundas has 12 active cases, 51 cases overall. The City of Cornwall continues to have a highest number of active cases with 226 people infected. The city's tally of overall cases stands at 597. In all, there have been 2,297 COVID-19 cases in the EOHU region since the pandemic began. Currently there are 15 facilities listed by the EOHU as having a COVID-19 related outbreak. None of those facilities are in Dundas County. Roumeliotis said that of those 15 facilities, most have been declared as being in an outbreak due to staff contracting the virus. Only three facilities have residents who tested positive. GlenStorDun Lodge in Cornwall and a Long-Term Care Home in Lancaster are two that have residents who tested positive. At the Lancaster LTC home, at least nine people have died from COVID-19 related illness. The region's death toll has increased to 48. More people have died in the second wave of the pandemic in the EOHU region than in the first. There are 23 people hospitalized, six are in intensive care. Nearly 1,600 people have been vaccinated so far in the EOHU, but due to production cuts by Pfizer, deliveries of the vaccine will stop for a week. The health unit plans on pausing its vaccination plans once its own supply has run out, and will restart once new shipments are received. Phillip Blancher, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, The Leader
The company that runs a limestone quarry on the Port au Port Peninsula is headed to trial, after pleading not guilty to numerous charges surrounding the 2018 death of one of its workers. A lawyer for Atlantic Minerals entered not guilty pleas in Stephenville provincial court Friday to all 10 charges the company faces under the province's Occupational Health and Safety Act, including failing to provide workplace procedures and failing to ensure safe workplace procedures were followed. The charges stem from the death of a 55-year-old worker at the quarry in Lower Cove on July 31, 2018. The man, a long-term employee of the company, was fatally injured after an incident during conveyor maintenance. Six days are being set aside for Atlantic Minerals' trial in Stephenville, starting June 14. A supervisor with Atlantic Minerals also faces two charges in relation to the death, of failing to ensure the health and safety of workers and failing to provide safety information and instruction. On Friday, the supervisor's lawyer, Andrew May, said his client was not ready to enter in a plea, but that a future not guilty plea was an "unlikely event." That matter has been set over until March. If the supervisor pleads not guilty, he will appear at the same trial as Atlantic Minerals. Atlantic Minerals is headquartered in Corner Brook. According to its website, the company has 130 employees at its Lower Cove operation. Read more articles from CBC Newfoundland and Labrador
Medicine Hat College education students have released their masterpiece. The students took to the virtual stage recently to present their showing of ‘The Show Must Go Online.’ The musical documents a drama teacher and her students, who put on a play virtually after the live, in-person showing is cancelled. Every year education students at the college put on a musical to teach them how to organize, practice, promote and put on a production. Many arts teachers end up directing plays and musicals once they start their career, and this is a way for college students to see how it works. “This is a good opportunity to show the community that there are still ways we can do the things we love, we just learn how to adapt to new situations. We’ve learned about time management, it’s given us confidence and strengthened our communication skills,” said student Kendra Lynn-Tripp. The show can be viewed online at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-dl0EhnYa20&feature=youtu.be&ab_channel=WilliamLambsdown Mo Cranker, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Medicine Hat News
HALIFAX — The public inquiry into the April mass shooting in Nova Scotia has announced the hiring of six experts who will help set a course for the investigation. Those joining the inquiry include Thomas Cromwell, a former Supreme Court of Canada justice who will serve as commission counsel. Cromwell previously served with the Nova Scotia Court of Appeal. As well, the inquiry has appointed Christine Hanson as executive director and chief administrative officer. Hanson is director of the Nova Scotia Human Rights Commission. She also worked as an international lawyer and diplomat in a variety of roles with Global Affairs Canada. The inquiry has also appointed a community liaison, a mental health expert, an investigations co-ordinator and an expert in charge of research. "We are pleased to have secured a group of experienced and dedicated individuals who are among the most highly regarded in the country in their respective fields," the commission said in a statement Thursday. "There are a lot of questions to be asked and evidence to be gathered by the commission in order to fulfil its mandate and we want the best people to help us in this process." The other team members include: — Research director Emma Cunliffe is a professor at the Allard School of Law at the University of British Columbia and a visiting professor at the Schulich School of Law at Dalhousie University in Halifax. She is a scholar in complex criminal matters related to violence against women. — Investigations director Barbara McLean is deputy chief of the Toronto Police Service and is originally from Antigonish, N.S. — Mental health director Mary Pyche has worked as an addiction clinical therapist and has held leadership roles in the Nova Scotia Health Department regarding mental health and addiction. — Community liaison director Maureen Wheller co-chaired the first public advisory group that worked with Nova Scotia's mental health and addictions program. The independent federal-provincial inquiry, which has the authority to compel witnesses to testify and produce documents, is expected to produce an interim report by May 1, 2022 and a final report by Nov. 1, 2022. This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 22, 2021. The Canadian Press
BROCKTON – A delegation consisting of Bob McCulloch and members of the Victoria Jubilee Hall (VJH) committee (Henry Simpson, Bill Carroll, Jim Bohnert) provided council with their annual update on Jan. 12. McCulloch said VJH came up against “the COVID brick wall” in 2020. Revenues dropped, showing a deficit of around $24,000 in December. The situation wasn’t any different from what other theatres were facing, except VJH has a fixed overhead that’s smaller than Blyth’s or Drayton’s, and VJH has income from its long-term tenants. When it became obvious the pandemic wasn’t going away anytime soon, and in-person shows weren’t going to happen, the Jubilee Arts and Music committee (JAM) began looking at other ways to keep VJH in the public eye. Songs by the Gazebo on Sept. 13 attracted a large, socially distanced crowd. VJH was back! Next came the online Christmas Concert, streamed on Wightman and Facebook. The opera hall was silent, but JAM kept things going. Despite the lack of income-generating events and the trials and tribulations of COVID-19, VJH managed to accomplish a lot during 2020, in a large part thanks to grants from the Walkerton Rotary Club, Spruce the Bruce, Brockton council and individual donors. Among the continuing projects at VJH are eliminating water and dampness from the VJH basement, stopping water penetration from the east porch roof into the building and down through the upper deck, doing a full repair on the east columns (as one would repair structural bridge concrete), and providing outside security for the safety of staff, patrons and tenants. Repairs accomplished in 2020 included raising and sealing the remaining eight of 10 basement windows to keep water out of the building. The other two were done two years ago. The grade was raised to run rainwater away from the building. The east porch roof catches a lot of water, and the windowsill above the porch was raised to prevent water from running into the hall. A high-tech product called RhinoLiner was applied to the concrete porch decking. This project was paid for through a Rotary grant of $6,800. The front columns have been patched over the years, but with the help of a Spruce the Bruce grant, a bridge-style repair was completed. As for security, the installation of motion activated cameras will enhance the safety of anyone using the building. VJH was the recipient in 2020 of a prestigious Cornerstone Award, one of 11 heritage sites nationally to be so honoured. The Ecclesiastical Insurance Cornerstone Awards bring to national attention exemplary projects that illustrate the viability of heritage buildings for traditional or new uses. Dedicated volunteers are always busy tending gardens, painting, shoveling snow, installing new taps, sinks and hand-washing stations ($1,500 PPE grant) as well as doing the constant minor repairs and maintenance the magnificent building needs and deserves. The VJH delegation ended its presentation with words of gratitude for council’s moral and financial support, and asked that council continue to support the hall with the same amount as last year, $10,000. The money will go to general operations. Deputy Mayor Dan Gieruszak commented on the “20-year commitment” made by the volunteers to the building and congratulated them on their efforts. Coun. Dean Leifso made special mention of the heritage award the group received. “It was well deserved.” Mayor Chris Peabody thanked the volunteers for their “great work.” Pauline Kerr, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, The Walkerton Herald Times
The real estate market saw “exceptional” sales activity in the Waterloo Region last year. Home sales in 2020 exceeded the “6,000-unit threshold for only the third time in our history,” said Nicole Pohl, President of Kitchener-Waterloo Association of REALTORS in a media announcement. December also marked “the sixth consecutive month of record home sales in Kitchener-Waterloo,” she added. KWAR reported a nine per cent increase in residential home sales compared to 2019. Sales rose five per cent over the five year average and 11.6 per cent above the ten-year average. December 351 home sales were the highest ever recorded by the group, with 42 per cent more home sales compared to last year. This included 204 detached (up by 46.7 per cent), and 63 condominium-style semi-detached, townhome, apartment and detached units, which were up 34 per cent. KWAR reported 3,899 detached residential units sold in 2020 (up 8.1 per cent), and 804 condominium units (up 19 per cent), compared to last year. Sales also included 450 semi-detached homes (up 6.8 per cent) and 1,346 freehold townhouses (up 7 per cent), they add.“On a year-to-date basis, the average sale price of all residential properties sold in 2020 increased by 16.1 per cent to $612,521 compared to 2019,” they report. “Detached homes sold for an average price of $719,203, an increase of 16.9 per cent compared to 2019.” Low inventory was reported to be a factor in Waterloo Region, much like the rest of Ontario. The average time on market remained less than one month through most of the year, KWAR reported. The average days on market for homes sold in 2020 was 16 days, compared to a 5-year average of 27 days. For context, the average time of residential homes on the market between 2011 and 2015, KWAR reported, averaged 4months. “Looking to the year ahead, we should expect more of the same” Pohl predicted. “Real estate continues to be one of the shining lights supporting the Ontario economy, so we do not expect to see any significant efforts to try to cool the market. Buyers should continue to expect stiff competition in Waterloo Region.” Swikar Oli, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Cambridge Times
Players and coaches across the NHL have talked a lot about embracing change and new normals in this most unusual of seasons. The COVID-19 pandemic brought with it an abbreviated schedule, realigned divisions, a host of consecutive games between the same two teams, and no fewer than 213 pages of health and safety protocols. Play on the ice remains largely unchanged, save for the empty, fan-less arenas in most markets, including all seven in Canada. But with clubs facing just six or seven regular-season opponents to cut down on travel and reduce the risk of coronavirus exposure, there's going to be a lot of familiarity between rivals — and quick. With the way coaching staffs now splice and study video in search of any kind of edge or tendency, the ability to subtly — and successfully — tweak systems or be unpredictable could mean a few extra victories in a year where points are at a premium and playoff margins have the potential to be razor-thin. "You're going to have to come up with different strategies and ways to mix things up, especially when you're seeing a team three times in a row," Calgary Flames captain Mark Giordano said. "You're going to have to change things up and have a lot of different plays in your book." That might include varied setups on the power play and penalty kill or adding wrinkles to zone entries, faceoffs and breakouts in hopes of keeping the other side guessing. "It's going to be a constant back and forth," Toronto Maple Leafs centre Auston Matthews said. "Teams are going to make adjustments, they're going to watch video, you're going to play them two days later. (Then) play them a day later ... adjustments. "Just back-and-forth battles." Edmonton Oilers head coach Dave Tippett said the unique challenges of the 56-game season featuring solely divisional play will test those behind the bench. "It's a little more of a playoff mindset ... there's subtle adjustments you make," he said. "Sometimes you get into the regular season, games flow into each other. Every game is going to be so important. You know you're going to have rivals all the way across and the competition is going to be stiff. "Coaches are really going to dig in, too. It's going to push coaches to be better." Leafs forward Jason Spezza, in his 18th NHL season and described as a "hockey nerd" by teammates, said he's looking forward to seeing the game-to-game chess matches play out. "Special teams will probably be the biggest area where you see," he said. "You'll have to give different looks." Added Toronto defenceman Jake Muzzin: "They're going to do this, we've got to do that. If they do this, we've got to do that. There's certain changes that have to be made when you're heads up again and again and again." Leafs coach Sheldon Keefe said making in-game adjustments could become easier unless approaches are modified from time to time as opponents face each other up to 10 times. "You know what's coming or there's certain triggers that you're looking for," he said. "That stuff all becomes factors. Those are all very, very unique pieces in this season that you don't get in a normal regular season." Montreal Canadiens coach Claude Julien pointed out teams that win the first meeting of a two- or three-game set will have to ponder changes, knowing the other side is undoubtedly scrambling for answers. "You have to be ready to be flexible," he said. "You also have to be ready to understand that just because you win one night, it's going to get tougher the second night and maybe even the third night. The more you play against teams consecutively, the tougher it gets." Leafs defenceman Morgan Rielly agreed guarding against complacency after a solid performance is crucial. "Just because you won on Tuesday doesn't mean Wednesday's going to be the same outcome," he said. "It's a matter of being adaptable. It's a bit different for all of us, playing against the same teams so much, but it's a chance to learn about other players and teams. "We have to be willing to change what we're doing." But Winnipeg Jets centre Paul Stastny said there's only so much teams can tweak. It's often all about reading on the fly. "Everyone is predictable," he said. "It's a cookie cutter league, but because the game happens so fast, a lot of it is reactionary. You look at so many goals and none of it happens just from the way you drew up a play. Most of it is just a guy really making the play happen and all of a sudden a second guy, third guy all falls in line." Philadelphia Flyers coach Alain Vigneault made the point teams will have to be careful not to stray too far from their core beliefs, structure or framework. "There's going to be a fine line there between playing to your strengths, playing to your identity, and sometimes adding a little wrinkle in there that might throw the opposition off," he said. "In today's game, teams really do their homework." "You wouldn't want to go and change your whole system from game to game," Vancouver Canucks head coach Travis Green added. "But there are different things — faceoff plays, special teams, certain things that you can change from night to night — that maybe a pre-scout wouldn't show." Jets head coach Paul Maurice likened the required balance when facing the same opponent a seventh, eighth or even ninth time to many hockey players' favourite summer hobby. "They've got to see something different," Maurice said. "(But) you've got to be real careful about how many times you're gonna change your grip on your golf club, because you're gonna get a different trajectory every time. "Play well, play hard, but you're gonna have to be fairly creative in the way you approach the game." Day after day after day. -With files from Gemma Karstens-Smith in Vancouver and Donna Spencer in Calgary This report by The Canadian Press on Jan. 22, 2021. ___ Follow @JClipperton_CP on Twitter Joshua Clipperton, The Canadian Press
The P.E.I. government is opening what it is calling work and study hubs across the province to provide a workspace and reliable internet access to people who need it. Economic Growth Minister Matthew MacKay said the plan is a response to the increased need for Islanders to work and study online during the pandemic. "Islanders need access to a reliable internet connection now more than ever before," said MacKay in a news release. "Our hope with the work and study hubs is that we can help fill the gap as we continue working towards expanding broadband internet across the province." The hubs will be installed in 13 locations, from one end of the Island to the other. Tignish: Tignish Initiatives. Northport/Alberton: Community Centre. O'Leary: Future Tech West. Wellington: Royal Canadian Legion. Bedeque: Rural Women's Business Centre. Stanley Bridge: Stanley Bridge Hall. Kensington: Credit Union Centre. North Rustico: North Rustico Lions Club. Grand Tracadie: Grand Tracadie Community Centre. St. Peters: St. Peters Community Centre. Souris: Matthew McLean Building. Murray Harbour: Murray Harbour Community Centre. Cardigan: Cardigan Fireman's Office. Users will bring their own devices to connect to the internet. Physical distancing and masks are required at all hubs. They will have space for up to six people at a time. Eight of the hubs will open Monday, with the remaining opening the following week. The government has set up a website with details of opening hours. More from CBC P.E.I.
Les jeunes entrepreneurs de la région ont pu en apprendre davantage sur la place que prend la créativité et la collaboration pour le studio d’Ubisoft Saguenay, jeudi midi. Une quarantaine de personnes ont pris part à ce premier RDV jeunes entrepreneurs de 2021 de l’Aile jeunesse de la Chambre de commerce et d’industrie Saguenay-Le Fjord (CCISF). Jessika Gagné, conseillère aux communications, et Patricia Lefebvre, gestionnaire de production, ont pris la parole devant les jeunes entrepreneurs, au nom de l’entreprise d’envergure mondiale installée à Saguenay. Les jeunes femmes voulaient partager leurs diverses connaissances, en plus d’inspirer leur auditoire. Collaboration Mme Gagné a expliqué que son premier mandat, au sein de l’entreprise, a été de bâtir des relations avec son milieu, ce qui l’a bien surprise. Elle notait qu’il était bénéfique pour toutes les entreprises de miser sur la collaboration et de l’intégrer dans sa mission avec des moyens adaptés à sa capacité. Dès son implantation à Saguenay, Ubisoft s’est jointe à de nombreux événement et organisations. L’entreprise a rapidement mis en œuvre des actions en lien avec son milieu. « Nous avons fait le choix d’intégrer la collaboration et la créativité dans tout ce qu’on fait, autant à l’interne qu’à l’externe et autant dans notre méthodologie de production que dans nos façons de discuter avec les gens, ou encore dans nos implications dans le milieu », a-t-elle noté d’entrée de jeu. Concrètement, Ubisoft veut que les gens se souviennent de l’expérience créée dans le cadre d’une collaboration avec son milieu, et non du montant de l’argent remis. Pour s’impliquer, l’entreprise ne compte pas seulement sur les partenariats, mais essaie constamment d’autres moyens comme les collaborations avec des gens de différents milieux et les lancements de concepts. Tous ces choix augmentent la notoriété du studio régional. Ils créent avec les différents partenariats des porteurs de message, autant chez les employés que chez les collaborateurs qui font rayonner l’entreprise. Créativité Pour sa part, Mme Lefebvre s’est plutôt concentrée sur la créativité, et confirmait qu’elle touchait toutes les parties d’une entreprise. À travers ses expériences professionnelles, elle a démontré des façons d’encourager la créativité chez ses employés en plus des bénéfices que les gestionnaires pouvaient en tirer. Elle pense d’ailleurs que les gens qui ont survécu à la plus récente crise causée par la pandémie ont dû faire preuve de créativité et d’innovation en les mettant au centre de leur entreprise. Mme Lefebvre a présenté sa méthode de résolution de problème en tant que gestionnaire qui encourage la créativité et qui met en relation tous ses employés. « La créativité chez Ubisoft, ça passe entre autres par la culture d’entreprise, par la création d’un contexte favorisant la créativité et par le développement des équipes. La créativité, elle fait partie de notre ADN chez Ubisoft Saguenay. C’est une manière différente de faire les choses, qui est motivante pour les employés », a-t-elle souligné. Les participants ont profité de la période de questions pour s’intéresser particulièrement aux changements que la pandémie a amenés sur l’entreprise et sur le futur du télétravail.Myriam Arsenault, Initiative de journalisme local, Le Quotidien
A road rage incident stemming from tailgating in Lower Sackville, N.S., ended with a man being stabbed on Wednesday. Police say they were called to Old Sackville Road at 4:30 p.m. after receiving a report of an altercation between people in two different vehicles. One of the drivers was tailgating the other, according to police, and the occupants got into an argument. A man from one vehicle stabbed a 25-year-old man from Dartmouth, N.S., who was driving the other vehicle. The victim was taken to hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. A female passenger in the vehicle with the stabbing victim was not injured. One of the men in the other vehicle turned himself in to police and has been released while the investigation continues. RCMP are looking for the other man, described as age 18-20, white, heavy-set and five foot nine. He was wearing black basketball shorts at the time of the incident and was not wearing a shirt. RCMP spokesperson Cpl. Lisa Croteau didn't know who was allegedly tailgating whom, or whether the two men in the suspect's vehicle knew each other. MORE TOP STORIES
BERLIN — Chancellor Angela Merkel’s centre-right party said Friday that Armin Laschet, the governor of Germany’s most populous state, has been confirmed as its new leader. The 59-year-old centrist came first in an online vote by party delegates Saturday, ahead of conservative rival Friedrich Merz. Under German law the election had to be officially endorsed with a postal ballot. Laschet received 796 out of 980 valid ballots, amounting to over 83% of the vote. He is the governor of North Rhine-Westphalia, which has a population of about 17 million. The party's new chairman will be a strong contender to lead the Christian Democratic Union, or CDU, into this year's national election, in which Merkel will not run again. A decision on who to put forward for chancellor ahead of the Sept. 26 election will have to be made together with the CDU's Bavaria-only sister party. That will likely happen after regional election in several German states take place in March. The Associated Press
After complaints from its residents, Wheatland County is confronting large, personal medicinal cannabis growing facilities that, unlike regulated commercial facilities, operate without having to notify the municipality. Tom Ikert, Division 4 Councillor, brought forth the issue after becoming aware of a cannabis growing operation close to his residence. “I went to the county because the neighbours were complaining about the smell,” he said. At first Ikert was assured that no growing facility exists in the area – the county allows commercial cannabis cultivation in the Wheatland Industrial Park only – but he later determined the facility was a personal medical cannabis growing facility. A big one. In November 2020, Wheatland County published a white paper arguing there is a regulatory gap for personal and medicinal cannabis growing that is creating safety and environmental risks and causing disputes among neighbours. The white paper was sent to local MLAs, Bow River MP Martin Shields, and Premier Jason Kenney. Under Canada’s cannabis laws, the federal government is responsible for the rules for cannabis production and processing, while provinces and territories are responsible for regulating distribution and sale. While Alberta municipalities have the power to create land use bylaws on where cannabis can be grown, these apply to commercial enterprises only. Municipal policies and land use regulations are not applicable to personal cannabis production. Under Health Canada’s Medicinal Use of Cannabis application, individuals can apply for a medicinal growing license. The number of plants each license holder is allowed is determined by a calculator tool that creates an output based on the number of grams they are prescribed daily. Up to 485 cannabis plants can be grown at home, without the requirement of notifying local authorities. “Even if you don’t know what you’re doing, that’s 1,000 pounds of weed you can grow in a year if you’re using 500-watt bulbs,” said Ikert. He added many of these growers have brought three-phase power onto the sites, which raises questions as to whether the cannabis grown is strictly for personal use as restricted by law. While the permit holder is expected to meet local bylaws, regulations and safety code requirements, the application and approval process does not require confirmation that all municipal requirements have been met. The county is arguing this has created a large regulatory loophole, where large cannabis growing facilities can be active without being known or accountable to municipal enforcement. The problem is exacerbated by regulations allowing a designated producer to be registered by multiple permit holders. Multiple (up to four) registrations can be active at one same location, meaning up to 1,940 plants can be grown together. “You can also congregate, in a sense,” said Bow River MP Martin Shields. “Three or four growers get together and say, ‘let’s just roll with this one place,’” he said. “Wheatland County is absolutely right saying that if cannabis is being grown as a congregated personal site, municipalities have no clue what’s out there.” Many growers choose to make changes to their homes or buildings that legally require an electrical, gas or building permit. If they applied for a permit, it would be reviewed for compliance with the Alberta Building Code and the work inspected by a safety codes officer, once complete. But by not having to notify municipalities, these growers may skip the permit process and install new systems that are unsafe, the white paper argues. Without the requirement for proper ventilation, there is potential for environmental health issues from home cannabis growing, including air quality and moisture concerns (e.g. mould), and chemical exposure from use of herbicides, pesticides and fungicides, it states. Residents also have little recourse when faced with nuisance issues from a neighbouring facility, namely odours. If the county is notified of a nuisance growing facility that is not a known commercial operation with a development permit, the RCMP will be contacted. However, if the occupant or owner is found to have a license for medical cannabis, the only option is to let the license holder know of the complaint and work toward a voluntary solution. These personal medical grow operations do not have to have the same security systems that commercial sites require, resulting in a higher potential for crime, added Shields. The resolution of the white paper is for the Rural Municipalities of Alberta (RMA) to collaborate with the Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM), to advocate for Health Canada to ensure municipal compliance for all personal medical cannabis production facilities for existing license holders and prior to approval for all future applications. Reeve Amber Link presented the paper to the RMA District 2: Central directors, who supported the resolution. It will go forward to the RMA District 2 spring meeting on Feb. 5. If the resolution receives support at that meeting, it will go to the RMA spring convention for consideration by all rural municipalities in Alberta, she explained. The paper will also be presented to the FCM during its March 2021 board meeting. Sean Feagan, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Strathmore Times
PERTH COUNTY – While discussing capital projects for the Perth County 2021 budget, Director of Public Works John McClelland updated council members on the status of the temporary traffic lights to be installed at the intersection of Perth Road 140 and Perth Line 91, known locally as the ‘S-bend.’ The installation of the traffic signals is a boundary project being completed with Wellington County. The cost to Perth County will be $60,000. “If the weather holds well and materials come in on time we expect these signals will be installed by the end of February but again weather may dictate that,” said McClelland. Colin Burrowes, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Listowel Banner
