With Matt Di Nicolantonio.
OTTAWA — Federal Conservative Leader Erin O'Toole pushed back against attempts to link his party to Trump-style politics on Sunday, saying there is "no place for the far right" in the Tories while accusing the Liberals of divisive dirty tricks.In a statement Sunday, O'Toole asserted his own views on such issues as abortion, gay rights and reconciliation with Indigenous people in Canada while insisting that his party is not beholden to right-wing extremists and hatemongers. "The Conservatives are a moderate, pragmatic, mainstream party — as old as Confederation — that sits squarely in the centre of Canadian politics," O'Toole said."My singular focus is to get Canada's economy back on track as quickly as possible to create jobs and secure a strong future for all Canadians. There is no place for the far right in our party."The unusual statement follows the riot on Capitol Hill, which U.S. President Donald Trump has been accused of inciting and which has since been held up as proof of the dangers posed by right-wing extremists to Western democracy.It also comes on the heels of a Liberal Party fundraising letter sent to members last week that accused the Conservatives under O'Toole of "continuing a worrisome pattern of divisive politics and catering to the extreme right."As one example, it cited the motto used by O'Toole's leadership campaign: "Take back Canada."It also referenced a photo that has been circulating of Conservative deputy leader Candice Bergen wearing a hat with Trump's slogan, "Make America Great Again," and a since-deleted Tory website alleging the Liberals want to rig the next election.O'Toole on Sunday condemned the Capitol Hill attack as "horrifying," and sought to distance himself and the Tories from Trumpism by touting his party's support for free and fair elections, the peaceful transfer of power and accountable government.To that end, he lashed out at the Liberals, referencing Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's decision to prorogue Parliament last summer as hurting accountability, before turning the tables on the governing party and accusing them of using U.S.-style politics."If the Liberals want to label me as 'far right,' they are welcome to try," O'Toole said. "Canadians are smart and they will see this as an attempt to mislead people and import some of the fear and division we have witnessed in the United States."Former Conservative strategist Tim Powers, who is now chairman of Summa Strategies, believes O'Toole's team saw a "gathering storm" and felt the need to act to prevent the Liberals from painting the Conservatives as beholden to Trumpism.Such action was especially important ahead of what could be an extremely divisive week down in the U.S., where there are fears that Trump supporters and far-right actors will respond to Joe Biden's inauguration as president with violence.Powers suggested it is also the latest act in O'Toole's effort to introduce himself to Canadians and redefine the Conservatives ahead of the next federal election, both of which have been made more difficult by COVID-19.And when Conservatives in caucus make statements or otherwise act counter to his stated positions, Powers said O'Toole will need to "crush them and take them out" to prove his convictions.Shuvaloy Majumdar, who served as a policy director in Stephen Harper's government, welcomed O'Toole's statement while also speaking of the threat that events in the U.S. could pose to the Tories in Canada — particularly if the Liberals try to link them.O'Toole was accused during last year's Conservative leadership race of courting social conservatives who oppose abortion, among other issues. That raises questions about the degree to which he may anger the party's base by taking more progressive positions.But Majumdar suggested many of the populist elements left the Tories for Maxime Bernier's People's Party of Canada and that O'Toole is seeking to appeal to more voters by taking a broader view on social issues while sticking to the party's core economic positions.This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 17, 2021. Lee Berthiaume, The Canadian Press Note to readers: This is a corrected story. An earlier version misquoted Shuvaloy Majumdar saying many social conservatives had left for the People's Party of Canada. He actually said many of the populist elements had left.
LOS ANGELES — Phil Spector was viewed as a man with two distinct personas: The late music producer was regarded as a rock ‘n’ roll genius who elevated the genre with his “Wall of Sound” style in the 1960s and created hits for several big names from the Beatles to Tina Turner. But while Spector made his mark as a revolutionary music producer, the stories of him waving guns at recording artists and being convicted of murder overshadowed his artistry. California state prison officials said Spector died Saturday at age 81 of natural causes at a hospital. He was convicted of killing actress Lana Clarkson in 2003 at his castle-like mansion on the edge of Los Angeles. After a trial in 2009, he was sentenced to 19 years to life. The reaction to Spector’s death resurrected some mixed feelings about his life and legacy. Some lauded his early contributions to rock music, while others struggled to forgive his volatile past. Beach Boys musician Al Jardine said it would be “nice to remember him only for his songs & production talents.” He said The Ronettes’ song “Be My Baby,” which was produced and co-written by Spector, inspired his brother Brian Wilson. Stevie Van Zandt of Bruce Springsteen’s E Street Band called Spector a “genius irredeemably conflicted.” “He was the ultimate example of the art always being better than the artist,” said Zandt on Twitter. He added that Spector “made some of the greatest records in history based on the salvation of love while remaining incapable of giving or receiving love his whole life.” Meanwhile, “The Price is Right” host Drew Carey took aim at Spector, calling him a “murderer and an abusive maniac.” “I wish he would’ve gotten the mental health help he so clearly needed, but he didn’t,” the comedian said on social media. “And so instead of (asterisk)just(asterisk) pulling guns on people in anger or for fun, he murdered one of them. Good ear for music tho, I’ll give you that.” Spector’s former wife, Ronnie Spector, remembered him on Sunday as a “brilliant producer, but a lousy husband.” She was the lead singer of the Ronettes. “Unfortunately Phil was not able to live and function outside of the recording studio,” she wrote on Instagram. “Darkness set in, many lives were damaged. I still smile whenever I hear the music we made together, and always will. The music will be forever.” But Darlene Love, who sang some of Spector’s hits from “He’s a Rebel” and “He’s Sure the Boy I Love,” took a different approach despite her problematic relationship with the producer. She felt sadness after hearing of Spector’s death from her son. “It was sad because of what Spector did, the wonderful music he created, and he spent nearly 20 years of his life in prison,” said Love, who admitted that Spector tried to “control my talent” during her singing career. She said Spector had a dangerous temperament at times, but she tried to remember the positive. “I hope people don’t only remember the reason he spent those years in prison, but more or less what he did for rock ‘n’ roll,” she continued. “He changed the sound of rock ‘n’ roll. That’s what brought me to sadness.” Spector was hailed as a visionary for channeling Wagnerian ambition into the three-minute song, creating the “Wall of Sound” in the 1960s that merged spirited vocal harmonies with lavish orchestral arrangements to produce such pop monuments as “Da Doo Ron Ron,” “Be My Baby” and “He’s a Rebel.” Bruce Springsteen and Wilson openly replicated his grandiose recording techniques and wide-eyed romanticism, and John Lennon called him “the greatest record producer ever.” But the multiple stories of Spector waving guns at recording artists in the studio and threatening women would come back to haunt him after Clarkson’s death. Clarkson, star of “Barbarian Queen” and other B-movies, was found shot to death in the foyer of Spector’s mansion in the hills overlooking Alhambra, a modest suburban town on the edge of Los Angeles. Until the actress’ death, which Spector maintained was an “accidental suicide,” few residents even knew the mansion belonged to the reclusive producer, who spent his remaining years in a prison hospital east of Stockton. Spector became a member of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1989. But ultimately, his recording artists began to quit working with him and musical styles passed him by. “He self-destructed in the most horrific manner,” said David Thompson, the author of “Wall of Pain: The Biography of Phil Spector,” released in 2004. “But we have to separate the two. There are so many people who were once revered then we find out they did something terrible. It wipes out all of their achievements. I don’t agree with that.” Thompson said Spector’s biography was one of his toughest to write, because he wanted to solely focus on the music. But while working on the book, he found out about Spector’s conviction. “That was a hard balance,” he said. “I wanted to write about the music, just what he did, what he created and what he gave us. But you had to sort of balance it with the awful things he did.” Jonathan Landrum Jr., The Associated Press
Anne-Marie Tremblay, de Chicoutimi, a trouvé sa passion. Indécise sur ce qu’elle voulait faire dans la vie, la jeune femme de 20 ans a profité de son plus récent temps libre pour se lancer dans la confection de produits pour le corps maison et véganes, ce qu’elle adore. Elle est plus motivée que jamais à faire découvrir son entreprise Banana Blue Cosmetics au plus grand nombre. Comme bien des jeunes de son âge, Anne-Marie a essayé quelques emplois. Rapidement, elle s’est mise à rêver d’être sa propre patronne. Elle avait choisi d’étudier dans le domaine de l’esthétique, au privé, et avait commencé à faire des poses de cils avant que la pandémie ne débarque et que toutes ses activités ne soient complètement arrêtées. Ce temps libre a motivé la jeune femme à mettre sur pied son propre projet. « J’avais le temps. J’ai commencé par faire des produits en tissu, mais je me suis rapidement rendu compte que ça ne faisait pas. J’avais déjà fait des bombes de bain, donc je suis retombée là dedans. J’ai fait un nouveau produit et je suis vraiment tombé en amour avec ce domaine », explique Anne-Marie Tremblay, lors d’un entretien téléphonique avec Le Quotidien. Elle compare la création de produits pour le corps à la cuisine, alors qu’elle doit apprendre à créer et à tester de nouvelles recettes, ce qu’elle a toujours aimé faire. Depuis la fin du mois d’octobre, on retrouve donc les produits de Blue Banana Cosmetics, qui sont véganes et naturels, en vente sur son site Internet. On compte dans l’inventaire des beurres corporels, des exfoliants à lèvres et des exfoliants pour le corps fouettés, c’est-à-dire qu’ils ont une texture plus légère et aérée. Elle a également des coffrets «découverte» disponibles pour les personnes qui souhaiteraient essayer différents produits. Pour trouver son inspiration, la jeune femme pense à ce qu’elle aimerait avoir. « Je n’avais jamais fait moi-même mes produits pour le corps, comme certains. J’ai juste essayé comme ça et j’ai vu que ça fonctionnait bien. Je suis contente de pouvoir en faire profiter aux autres », révèle-t-elle. Contre toute attente, Anne-Marie s’est rapidement créé une clientèle. « J’ai vraiment été chanceuse, parce que la boutique Atelier apothicaire m’a approché très vite, donc j’ai eu rapidement un point de vente. C’est sûr que ç’a m’a beaucoup aidé et que ça m’a donné beaucoup de visibilité au Saguenay » se réjouit-elle. Elle avait également déjà des clients pour ses produits de couture sur une autre page qui ont suivi ce nouveau projet avec attention. Elle a également connu d’autres jeunes entrepreneurs de la région via les réseaux sociaux, avec qui elle tisse des liens. Ces jeunes s’entraident beaucoup. Pour la suite Quand Anne-Marie pense à l’avenir, elle aimerait bien sûr continuer de diversifier ses produits et lancer même un jour une gamme de produits pour hommes. Elle veut aussi pour la prochaine année se concentrer à l’amélioration de son site Internet. Elle espère, à long terme, se faire davantage connaître au Québec et même ailleurs. La jeune entrepreneure invite les gens à visiter son site Internet pour découvrir tous ses produits. Elle alimente également une page Instagram où ses abonnés peuvent voir en primeur les nouveautés de son commerce. Certains de ses soins sont également disponibles à l’Atelier Apothicaire ainsi que sur le site Internet de cette boutique. Il y aura bientôt du nouveau alors que la jeune femme parle du lancement d’un nouveau produit, mais qu’elle ne veut pas encore dévoiler. Elle compte l’annoncer prochainement.Myriam Arsenault, Initiative de journalisme local, Le Quotidien
Il y a quelques mois, le Québec a fait connaissance avec la pétillante Julie Munger, lors de son passage à l’émission Occupation Double Chez nous. Maintenant que la poussière est retombée, la jeune femme est de retour dans sa réalité, qui a changé du tout au tout, à Chicoutimi. Elle compte maintenant profiter des nombreuses occasions qui se présentent. La maquilleuse est revenue vivre dans sa maison de Chicoutimi, dont elle avait pris possession au début de l’été. Elle vit maintenant avec une amie, ce qui fait que le temps passe beaucoup plus vite, surtout en confinement. « Le retour à ma réalité, qui n’est plus ma réalité, c’est sûr que c’est de l’adaptation. Mais je suis vraiment contente d’être retournée dans mes affaires, dans ma maison, de faire de petits travaux. Ça m’a permis de me remettre à neuf, de prendre un nouveau départ », avoue la candidate d’OD Chez nous, lors d’un entretien téléphonique avec Le Progrès. Une année de surprises Julie Munger n’en revient pas : sa dernière année fut remplie de surprises. De son passage à l’émission à aujourd’hui, elle n’avait jamais vraiment pensé à tout ce qui s’offrirait à elle. La Saguenéenne a été complètement sous le choc d’avoir été choisie la candidate coup de coeur de sa saison, à l’automne. Même si plusieurs personnes de son entourage l’assuraient qu’elle serait choisie, elle n’y a pas cru jusqu’à la dernière seconde. « Je ne voulais pas vendre la peau de l’ours avant de l’avoir tué. Je croyais que plusieurs personnes avaient des chances. Mais ç’a été un gros tsunami d’amour et j’ai beaucoup pensé à mon père », avoue-t-elle. Sa mère lui disait souvent : « Pour être aimé, il faut être aimable ! » La maquilleuse pense l’avoir bien écoutée. La Saguenéenne ne s’était pas non plus imaginé toutes les portes qui allaient s’ouvrir à sa sortie de l’aventure. Les Québécois ont déjà pu la revoir à l’écran à quelques reprises, en quelques mois, et c’est loin d’être fini. Après l’avoir vue dans le vidéoclip de la chanteuse Roxane Bruneau, les téléspectateurs ont pu l’apercevoir dans le Bye bye 2020, une émission qu’elle écoute chaque année avec sa famille. « Ç’a été tourné la dernière fois que je suis allée à Montréal, juste après le tournage de L’heure de vérité. Personne ne savait que je me rendais là-bas. Ce qui était drôle, c’est que j’étais la seule candidate qui se personnalisait soi-même. C’est vraiment une fleur que l’équipe du Bye bye m’a faite », admet-elle. C’était une première expérience de tournage de sketches, à l’écran, ce qui est bien différent de ce à quoi elle est habituée. En plus, il y avait une foule de mesures de distanciation en place, ce qui rendait l’expérience d’autant plus particulière. Elle a d’ailleurs beaucoup aimé ce tournage et a même eu l’occasion de rencontrer Stéphane Rousseau et Simon-Olivier Fecteau. Elle a également animé une émission spéciale, en direct d’Instagram, jeudi, organisée par Tel-jeunes, avec une foule de personnalités québécoises à titre d’invités. La soirée avait pour but de divertir les jeunes, qui vivent des moments plus difficiles avec ce nouveau confinement. La suite Julie Munger profite du confinement pour travailler de la maison. Puisque le domaine de l’esthétique est sur pause, elle s’occupe en réalisant différentes collaborations publicitaires sur les réseaux sociaux, pour de nombreuses compagnies. Une foule de projets sont sur les rails, mais la candidate coup de coeur ne peut pas en dévoiler les détails pour le moment. En entrevue avec Le Progrès, elle a précisé que ce n’était pas l’envie qui manquait, d’en dire un peu plus, mais la jeune femme a promis qu’elle pourra en révéler davantage prochainement. Pour le moment, elle admet que l’un de ses projets touche le Saguenay–Lac-Saint-Jean. « Je prône toujours la région. Je veux montrer aux autres qu’elle est incroyable, à quel point elle est belle et que c’est beau d’y vivre. J’ai travaillé fort pour avoir un projet en lien avec le Saguenay–Lac-Saint-Jean », se réjouit-elle. La candidate, qui a participé à Occupation Double pour promouvoir la diversité corporelle, entre autres raisons, sait qu’elle ira probablement plus souvent à Montréal dans les prochaines années, pour différents projets, mais elle tient à rester dans la région, qu’elle considère comme un gros terrain de jeu extérieur.Myriam Arsenault, Initiative de journalisme local, Le Quotidien
GREY-BRUCE – Grey Bruce Public Health will be receiving the first part of its shipment of the Pfizer BioNTech vaccine this week, earlier than had been expected. The remainder of the shipment is due to arrive the last week of January. Dr. Ian Arra, medical officer of health, said the vaccine has been earmarked for long-term care – residents, staff and any other essential workers. In Grey-Bruce, what will happen is the vaccine will be administered to long-term care staff in stages, about 10 per cent at a time. Arra explained that this will ensure there will be enough staff to care for residents. The vaccine can lead to symptoms such as fever, which would require a staff member to isolate. This is a somewhat different situation from what’s been happening in cities where the vaccine has been distributed through hospitals. Arra explained that when the vaccine arrives in Grey-Bruce, it will be transported to the long-term care homes. While the news of the earlier shipment is excellent, it also means the test to showcase the hub concept proposed by Arra and staff will have to wait for a later shipment. Arra said receipt of the 1,000-dose shipment is “the first step in the right direction” even though the plan isn’t yet being put to the test. He said there are actually two plans that have been proposed to the province for Grey-Bruce. The first would involve distribution by traditional routes. That’s basically what will happen with this week’s shipment. The second is for mass immunization using the Pfizer BioNTech vaccine, which requires storage at very low temperatures. “We asked for the Pfizer vaccine,” said Arra. One reason is others will want the Moderna vaccine, which does not need to be kept extremely cold. And Grey-Bruce is not in a grey or red zone, but yellow. “We are low priority,” he said, adding, “we are a victim of our own success.” The plan would serve as a pilot project for an area that’s a mix of rural and small urban – like most of Ontario. The successful implementation of the plan would be great news for both Grey-Bruce and the rest of the province, since it would free up health care resources to assist in other areas. The project has the support of municipalities, health care, and private industry. Mass immunization with the Pfizer vaccine would utilize the freezers and expertise provided by community partners Chapman’s Ice Cream and Bruce Power. It would be administered at central locations – the health unit in Owen Sound and Davidson Centre in Kincardine. Two other locations are also being looked at, said Arra – the Bayshore in Owen Sound (not the full-scale field hospital located there, which may well be required for use as a hospital) and the P&H Centre in Hanover (not necessarily the ice surface). Arra said the mass immunization would put “the last nail in the coffin of the pandemic.” A task force has been formed regarding vaccine distribution. Mass immunization would require health-care volunteers. Arra said the province is providing support in that regard. According to the province’s plan released before Christmas and now well underway, vaccine will be administered in three phases, beginning with health-care workers at two test sites in Toronto and Ottawa and continuing with residents of long-term care and retirement homes, public health units, other congregate care settings for seniors, and First Nations populations. Phase two would expand to health care workers including EMS, residents in long-term care homes and retirement homes, home care patients with chronic conditions, and additional First Nations communities. Phase three would occur when vaccines are available for every Ontarian who wants to be immunized. Arra said the situation is complex, but would be simplified if there were ample supplies of the vaccine. The initial role of the vaccine is to prevent hospitals from being overwhelmed. That means vaccination of staff and people at high risk of becoming extremely ill with the virus. Once that is accomplished, the next goal is herd immunity which would require about 75 per cent of the population to be immunized. Pauline Kerr, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, The Walkerton Herald Times
Tunisia's defence ministry said Monday that army units deployed overnight and police have quelled days-long social unrest that saw violent protests by young people in various cities across the North African country. The ministry said military units were called in on Sunday night to protect public buildings and “seats of sovereignty,” and the situation was “calm” Monday. Tunisians are angry at the state of the economy and of public services. Many feel disappointed that on the 10th anniversary of the uprising that ousted the autocratic former president, Zine El Abidine Ben Ali, little seems to have improved. There is also added frustration over coronavirus restrictions. The defence ministry said the army will conduct joint patrols with security forces in the regions of Siliana, Kasserine, Sousse and Bizerte, where clashes with police broke out Sunday evening for the second consecutive night. The interior ministry said authorities had made 630 arrests linked to the violence on Sunday alone. According to local media the outbreak of violence spread to other parts of the northeast, in particular Nabeul and the south, including the region of Kebili where demonstrators looted shops and threw stones and Molotov cocktails at official buildings in some places. Tunisia on Thursday commemorated the 10th anniversary since the flight into exile of iron-fisted Ben Ali, after a popular revolt that foreshadowed pro-democracy uprisings, strife and civil war in the region during what became known as the Arab Spring. But a pall of disenchantment still hangs over Tunisia, marked by extremist attacks, political infighting, a troubled economy and unfulfilled promises, including development of the interior. Despite numerous democratic elections, protests break out, especially in the central and southern regions where youth joblessness reaches 30% and the poverty level is above 20%. According to the Tunisian Forum of Economic and Social Rights, more than 1,000 demonstrations took place in November alone. Months of sit-ins paralyzed production of oil and phosphate, a key resource, for months, costing billions of dollars in lost state revenues. Bouazza Ben Bouazza, The Associated Press
The provincial government released its list of communities receiving charitable gaming grants for the last half of 2020. More than $1.3 million will be given to local communities from Saskatchewan Liquor and Gaming for the fundraising done from July to September 2020 in communities across the province. Groups raising money through “licensed charitable gaming” like bingo, raffles, Monte Carlo events, etc. receive 25 per cent of their net proceeds back in the form of the charitable gaming grant, explained David Morris, a spokesperson with Saskatchewan Liquor and Gaming. Numbers released in the Jan. 14 press release quantified the grants by areas of the province with the North Battleford and the surrounding area receiving $141,175; Humboldt and the surrounding area receiving $57,629, and Yorkton and the surrounding area receiving $56,187. While these numbers are only for the third quarter of 2020, Morris said numbers have been impacted by COVID-19 as local events and bingo halls have been shut down. “Many raffles take place in conjunction with sporting events and many sporting events have been cancelled. That’s impacted the number of raffles. If you go to a hockey game, often the team has a raffle and there are no games so there are no raffles.” Saskatchewan Liquor and Gaming Authority are proud to support local organizations that fundraise using the charitable gaming program, said Jim Reiter, the minister responsible, in the press release. “The charitable gaming grant program provides extra dollars that help these groups deliver their services in a variety of important sectors including public service, emergency services, health care and recreation.” Local organizations are eligible for the grant program following the filing of their charitable gaming reports. Becky Zimmer, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, The Battlefords Regional News-Optimist
La pandémie de la COVID-19 a provoqué une pluie d'annulation d'événement depuis le mois de mars 2020. Le Boréal Loppet a dû changer sa formule pour sa 17e édition afin de s'adapter à la situation sanitaire. « Nous tiendrons le Loppet sous une formule volontaire et virtuelle », de commenter le président de l'activité qui a fait sa marque en Côte-Nord et dans les autres régions du Québec, Éric Maltais. Les 20 et 21 février, au moment qui vous convient, les participants sont invités à faire une sortie en skis de fond, à vélo, en raquettes ou à la course à pied. « Prenez-vous en photo (ou vidéo de 15-20 sec.), et envoyez le tout sur la page Facebook du Boréal Loppet. Précisez la distance parcourue et le temps est facultatif », demande M. Maltais. Il sera alors possible de prendre part à l'événement de sa ville respective. « À Forestville, les gens partiront du stationnement du club de ski, sur la route 138, à l'est de la station Ultramar (et non au restaurant Le Danube bleu) pour la raquette et le ski, la course à pied se déroulera dans les rues et le vélo au club de golf Le Méandre ou dans les sentiers de leur choix », dévoile le président. Les 150 premiers participants recevront une tuque du Boréal Loppet 2021.Johannie Gaudreault, Initiative de journalisme local, Journal Haute-Côte-Nord
Facebook Inc said on Monday it had started the process of appointing a legal entity as a local representative in Turkey in compliance with a new social media law which critics have said will muzzle dissent. The company said its decision did not change its community standards, which outline what is and what is not allowed on Facebook, nor its process for reviewing government requests. "We will withdraw the representative if we face pressure on either," the company said in a statement, adding that it remains committed to maintaining free expression and other human rights in Turkey.
The provincial government is opening a new hospital in Vaughan to help relieve pressure on other facilities in the Greater Toronto Area. The Cortellucci Vaughan Hospital was originally scheduled to open in early February as the first brand new hospital — not a replacement of an older facility or a merger with an existing facility — in Ontario in almost three decades. Premier Doug Ford made the announcement at a Monday afternoon news conference, saying it would open in "a few short weeks." "It's like reinforcements coming over the hill," Ford said, adding that the province is also adding 500 additional surge capacity hospital beds in Toronto, Durham, Kingston and Ottawa. Health Minister Christine Elliott also said Monday that once the situation with COVID-19 has stabilized in the province, the hospital will open as originally planned. "The idea is this hospital is going to be used ... in order to take the load off of some other hospitals that are experiencing capacity challenges." Elliott said. The hospital will accept both COVID-19 and non-COVID-19 patients "based on the system needs during this surge," a spokesperson for Mackenzie Health said in a statement to CBC Toronto. The news comes as Ontario reported 2,578 additional cases of COVID-19 on Monday, as the number of patients with the illness who required a ventilator to breathe climbed above 300 for the first time since the pandemic began. The new cases in today's update are the fewest logged on a single day in about two and a half weeks. They include 815 in Toronto, 507 in Peel Region, 151 in both York and Niagara regions, and 121 in Hamilton. New COVID-19 variant cases expected, Yaffe says "Our health-care system continues to be strained with elevated numbers of people in hospital," Dr. Barbara Yaffe, Ontario's associate chief medical officer of health, said on Monday. Thirty-one new outbreaks were reported as of Monday, Yaffe said, which was slightly lower than Monday of the previous week. Yaffe said Ontario is reporting 15 new cases of the COVID-19 variant first identified in the United Kingdom, with the most recent case detected in London, Ont. in a patient with no known travel history. "We do expect more cases to be identified in the weeks to follow as there is evidence of community transmission," Yaffe added. She said the data indicated that the new strain is 56 per cent more easily transmissible in comparison to other variants. Other public health units that saw double-digit increases were: Windsor-Essex: 97 Ottawa: 92 Waterloo region: 85 Halton Region: 79 Durham Region: 76 Middlesex-London: 67 Simcoe Muskoka: 65 Lambton: 52 Wellington-Dufferin-Guelph: 51 Eastern Ontario: 36 Southwestern: 31 Chatham-Kent: 29 Huron Perth: 15 Haldimand-Norfolk: 13 Brant County: 12 (Note: All of the figures used in this story are found on the Ministry of Health's COVID-19 dashboard or in its Daily Epidemiologic Summary. The number of cases for any region may differ from what is reported by the local public health unit, because local units report figures at different times.) The additional infections come as the province's labs processed just 40,301 test samples for the novel coronavirus — tens of thousands fewer than there is capacity for in the system — and reported a test positivity rate of 6.6 per cent. The seven-day average of new daily cases fell to 3,035. It reached a high of 3,555 on January 11. Yaffe said Monday's figures may have been low due to the number of tests processed Sunday, which was the lowest since Jan. 5. Ontario's Chief Medical Officer of Health Dr. David Williams said the current test positivity rate shows improvement from previous weeks when it would spike following weekends. "The numbers are dropping, I take that as a sign that Ontarians are doing what we're supposed to be doing," Williams said on Monday. But Williams said the province must cut its daily COVID-19 case counts to below 1,000 before lockdown measures can be lifted. He called the goal "achievable" and said the last time the province saw similar daily case counts was late October. Williams said he would also like to see the number of COVID-19 patients in intensive care units drop to 150 before lifting any restrictions. Another 2,826 cases were marked resolved in today's report. There are now 28,621 confirmed, active infections provincewide. The number of resolved cases have outpaced new cases on six of the last seven days in Ontario. There were 1,571 total patients with COVID-19 in Ontario's hospitals. Of those, 394 were being treated in intensive care units and 303 were on ventilators. Revised projections released last week by the province suggested that hospitals, especially those throughout southern Ontario, risk being overwhelmed by COVID-19 patients in the coming weeks. The influx could result in doctors having to triage emergency patients, running the risk that some will not get a hospital bed when needed. This morning, the Ontario NDP released a document they say is the province's triage protocol. However, a spokesperson for the Minister of Health later said in an email to CBC News Monday that it is not a triage protocol but rather "guidance that originated from experts in the sector, for use by the sector." Dated Jan. 13, the 32-page document outlines the details and critical elements of the triage process should there be a major surge in COVID-19 patients requiring hospital care. The documents say this should be considered only "as an option of last resort," prioritizes care for those "with the greatest likelihood of survival." It emphasizes the need for protection of individual human rights, non-discriminatory decision making and accountability. The spokesperson said as of Monday, nothing has been issued or approved by the Ministry of Health. "The expectation of the Ministry of Health is for the Bioethics Table to continue its engagement in consultations and discussions with various stakeholder groups," the statement from the ministry reads. In a news release, the NDP said the document "shows that the crisis in hospitals is out of control" while accusing Premier Doug Ford and his government of trying to keep it out of public view. "Had physicians not reached out to the Official Opposition and others, the directive that was written in secret, without consultation, would remain a secret," the NDP said. Public health units also reported another 24 deaths of people with the illness, pushing the official toll to 5,433. Vaccine clinic opens at Metro Toronto Convention Centre A clinic dedicated to administering COVID-19 vaccines opened in a Toronto convention centre on Monday. The same day, city officials announced the clinic will have to be paused as of Friday, due to a lack of access to vaccines. The clinic at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre, which is in the downtown core, aims to vaccinate 250 people per day, but the city noted that is entirely dependent upon vaccine supply. City officials said the "proof-of-concept" clinic will help Ontario's Ministry of Health test and adjust the setup of immunization clinics in non-hospital settings. The Ministry of Health said this morning that another 9,691 doses of COVID-19 vaccines were administered in Ontario yesterday. A total of 209,788 shots of vaccine have been given out so far, while 21,752 people have received both doses and are considered fully immunized to the illness. Pfizer-BioNTech, which manufactures one of the two Health Canada-approved vaccines, announced last week that it's temporarily delaying international shipments of the shots while it upgrades production facilities in Europe. The Ontario government has said that will affect the province's vaccine distribution plan, and some people will see their booster shots delayed by several weeks. Officials in Hamilton, meanwhile, said the province has directed it to temporarily cease administering the first dose of both the Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna vaccines to everyone except residents, staff and essential caregivers at long-term care homes and retirement facilities. A spokeswoman for Health Minister Christine Elliott did not say how many regions of the province had received that directive.
The U.S. Capitol complex was shut down for about an hour on Monday out of an abundance of caution after a small fire broke out nearby, underscoring security jitters days before President-elect Joe Biden's inauguration. The Capitol Police in a statement said the lockdown was lifted and the fire nearby was contained. The lockdown follows the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol by supporters of outgoing President Donald Trump, some calling for the death of Republican Vice President Mike Pence as he presided over the certification of Democrat Biden's November election victory.
Si Maya Imbeault ne peut aider qu’une seule personne, en publiant ses photos et des messages prônant l’importance de la diversité corporelle sur Instagram, elle en sera ravie. En s’affichant, la jeune femme de 19 ans de Dolbeau-Mistassini, qui vit maintenant à Jonquière, souhaite simplement que d’autres se sentent mieux dans leur corps. Selon l’étudiante en éducation à l’enfance, il n’est pas facile pour personne de se sentir bien dans son corps. Celle qui utilise l’application Instagram depuis cinq ans tient à aider, à sa façon, les jeunes filles de son âge. Son objectif : normaliser les différents types de corps et montrer aux gens qu’ils sont beaux tels qu’ils sont. Elle propose donc un autre modèle de beauté, alors que la majorité des photos montrent de jeunes femmes très minces. « Je trouve ça important que les gens voient qu’il n’y a pas qu’un type de personne qui représente la beauté dans la vie », rapporte-t-elle, dans un entretien par visioconférence avec Le Progrès. Un peu plus d’un millier d’internautes sont abonnés à la page de Maya Imbeault, @maymayimbo, et la jeune femme reçoit souvent le compliment qu’elle est courageuse de s’affirmer de la sorte. Elle ne fait toutefois que publier des photos, comme toutes les autres femmes, plus minces, qui ne reçoivent pas ce genre de commentaires. Néanmoins, elle se considère chanceuse de recevoir des commentaires positifs, dans une très forte proportion. « Je reçois beaucoup de commentaires différents. Il y en a qui sont impressionnés, d’autres qui trouvent ça inspirant et certains me trouvent dégueulasse. Il y en a encore trop qui font des remarques corporelles négatives. Mais la plupart des gens qui me suivent, ils le font parce qu’ils le veulent, et ce n’est donc pas pour me bitcher », témoigne-t-elle. Confiance en soi Quand on regarde le profil de la jeune femme, elle semble respirer la confiance en soi. Selon elle, c’est la danse, surtout les compétitions, qui lui a permis de développer cette force. Elle a pratiqué le sport pendant plus de 10 ans. Malgré des costumes parfois révélateurs, la danseuse ne portait pas attention aux corps des autres. Elle se concentrait plutôt sur sa performance. « J’ai toujours été plus ronde que tout le monde. Ç’a toujours été une normalité chez moi. J’avais un grand talent dans mon corps à moi et je ne me posais pas de questions par rapport à ça. Je ne me demandais pas si mon corps était correct ou pas. Moi, je l’ai toujours trouvé correct », continue Maya Imbeault. Son entourage l’a aussi beaucoup aidée à garder cette confiance en elle. Bien accompagnée, elle n’a jamais souffert d’intimidation sérieuse, si bien qu’au secondaire, les rares commentaires sur son physique ne l’atteignaient pas vraiment. Pour ceux qui aimeraient se sentir plus en confiance, Maya Imbeault avoue qu’il n’y a pas de recette magique, que la confiance en soi se gagne avec les années. Elle recommande de se détacher des commentaires et des comparaisons avec les autres. « Il faut aussi que tu te trouves un modèle dans la vie, qui est semblable à toi. Si cette personne est belle avec son corps, qui ressemble au tien, c’est que tu es beau, toi aussi », conseille la jeune femme. Elle ajoute qu’il y aura toujours des personnes pour dire des commentaires sur les autres, et qu’il ne faut pas s’y arrêter. Un style unique Les abonnés de Maya Imbeault sont habitués de la voir dans des looks urbains, extravagants et colorés. Cette dernière souhaitait d’ailleurs devenir designer de mode, avant de changer d’idée, pour se diriger vers l’éducation à l’enfance. Toutefois, la mode a toujours été une grande passion pour la fashionista et continue de l’être. Son style original a d’ailleurs été remarqué par plusieurs entreprises du domaine. Forever 21 Plus et Fashion Nova Curve, des entreprises mondiales de la mode pour jeunes filles, qui sont suivies par des milliers d’abonnées, ont republié des photos de la Dolmissoise, sur leur stories ou sur leur fil d’actualité, ce qui la rend très fière. Pour la suite, la jeune femme, qui réside aujourd’hui à Jonquière, tient à poursuivre sa mission, sans trop regarder le nombre de ses abonnés ou ses mentions « J’aime ». « Quand je publie un message, je ne le fais pas pour obtenir 40 000 abonnés ou 10 000 “J’aime”. S’il y a sept personnes qui se sentent mieux et qui l’apprécient, c’est pour ces sept-là que je le publie », souligne-t-elle. \+ OCCUPATION DOUBLE PEUT EN FAIRE PLUS L’émission Occupation Double a fait couler beaucoup d’encre, cet automne, au sujet de la diversité corporelle. Pour la première fois, une candidate plus ronde avait été choisie pour faire partie de l’émission, la Saguenéenne Julie Munger. Maya Imbeault, qui a ce sujet à coeur, ne considère pas que l’on doit des éloges à l’émission. « Je ne crois pas que de choisir une femme ronde, avec dix autres mannequins, c’est de la diversité corporelle. Il n’y avait aussi que des garçons pareils », laisse-t-elle tomber. Elle a toutefois grandement aimé voir la Saguenéenne à l’écran et l’a trouvée très belle. Elle est heureuse que Julie Munger n’ait pas eu peur de s’affirmer et qu’elle ait profité de son expérience au maximum, à ses yeux de téléspectatrice. Elle reconnaît que cette présence a apporté un point de diversité corporelle, mais estime que l’émission devra en faire plus pour bien intégrer cet enjeu.Myriam Arsenault, Initiative de journalisme local, Le Quotidien
« Le but est de s’amuser, de sortir des champs battus pour vendre mes semences et de jouer dans le visuel. » La propriétaire de la ferme Le Noyau, Teprine Baldo, a trouvé une façon plus qu’originale de vendre une partie de ses semences en créant la ligne Zombie Seedz il y a deux ans. Le message est encore plus à propos depuis bientôt un an. Mme Baldo cherchait une façon de faire éclater sa créativité à travers sa passion pour la culture maraîchère. « J’adore les semences Le Noyau, mais c’est très “famille bio sur une ferme”. Je trouve qu’il n’y avait pas assez d’art. Je voulais m’amuser dans la présentation et la promotion des semences. » Comme elle adore les films mettant en scène les zombies et le concept d’autosuffisance qui est mis de l’avant pour survivre, encouragée par une amie, elle s’est lancé dans cette aventure de Zombie Seedz. La semencière de Stanbridge East a interpelé des femmes artistes qu’elle connaissait pour leur demander de dessiner ce qui se retrouverait sur les sachets. « Ça me permet de promouvoir mes semences dans des endroits plus atypiques, comme dans les microbrasseries, chez des barbiers, dans des places de gamers, des magasins de disques, des tatoueurs, énumère-t-elle. Comme c’est une ligne plus marginale, je peux essayer d’attirer des ados et surtout de jeunes hommes, que je vois très peu dans ma clientèle. » Une vie pour les croisements En plus d’attirer une nouvelle clientèle, elle profite de cette ligne pour aborder l’hybridation des semences. Avec Le Noyau, elle doit fournir des semences pures puisque c’est la demande qu’elle reçoit. Avec Zombie Seedz, elle peut vendre les semences qui résultent d’un croisement de deux légumes d’une même famille. Les clients en sont bien avisés. Par exemple, deux types de courges peuvent se mélanger parce qu’elles sont plantées trop près les unes des autres. Cette hybridation peut être proposée dans cette ligne totalement à part. Bien sûr, le nouveau légume doit avoir bon goût pour qu’elle fasse la vente de ces semences. « Ce n’est pas évident de faire de l’argent en agriculture et ça l’est encore moins quand on est semencière. » La création de Zombie Seedz permet de diminuer les pertes. Mme Baldo a par ailleurs créé, à la demande de plusieurs clients, un calendrier de plantation. Illustré par les mêmes artistes que pour les sachets Zombie Seedz, ce calendrier lui permet non seulement d’aider la clientèle à se démêler dans les dates de plantation selon le type de fruit ou de légume, mais aussi d’ajouter un revenu pour payer les factures. Elle n’exclut pas d’ajouter d’autres marchandises avec cette thématique. Vers une pénurie de semences Après la fabrication de pain et l’entreposage de rouleaux de papier de toilette, le mouvement pour l’autosuffisance se poursuit au Québec depuis la mi-mars 2020. Ce mouvement se reflète dans la vente de semences. Déjà, l’an dernier, il était difficile de refaire ses stocks de sachets. Cette année, le phénomène risque de se répéter et de s’accroître. Si les jardiniers planifient généralement leur potager estival en février ou en mars, il faut maintenant s’y prendre plus d’avance encore. « Je n’ai pas arrêté de travailler depuis mars 2020, confie Teprine Baldo, qui est également suppléante dans des écoles anglophones. Je n’ai jamais eu autant de commandes. J’en ai depuis novembre et, habituellement, ça commence à la fin janvier. Il a fallu que je ferme mon site temporairement parce que ça allait trop vite et que mes semences n’étaient pas prêtes. » Le Noyau et Zombie Seedz composent une petite ferme semencière, ce qui fait que le volume de semences produit n’est pas encore aussi grand que d’autres. Dans le cas du Noyau, elle n’existe que depuis cinq ans. Les inventaires pourraient être tous écoulés dans une dizaine de semaines à peine. « Ce concept de pénurie de semences, ça touche les histoires de zombies et de la fin du monde. Depuis la pandémie, on se demande tous si on est prêt. Les gens vivent l’anxiété. Je pense qu’ils ont eu un éveil par rapport à l’approvisionnement de leur nourriture, le besoin d’acheter local. »Cynthia Laflamme, Initiative de journalisme local, La Voix de l'Est
SUMMERSIDE – Students who were planning to visit Vimy Ridge on a school trip last spring may be one step closer to more of their refund thanks to a recent decision by the Travel Industry Council of Ontario ( TICO). The trip to France, Belgium and the Netherlands was planned for April 2020. However, the Public Schools Branch cancelled the trip on March 25, in response to the COVID- 19 pandemic. Kensington Intermediate Senior High, Kinkora Regional High School, Three Oaks Senior High and Englewood School had all booked trips with Explorica to visit Vimy. Teacher David Chisholm was the trip co- ordinator for Three Oaks students. “We always encourage the students to get the full- coverage insurance, in case,” said Chisholm, adding, “We’re not going to travel around the world with kids without the top- level insurance we assumed that we had.” But a dispute between Explorica and the insurance underwriter, Arch Insurance, has delayed the full refund. The disagreement hinged on an amendment to Ontario’s Travel Industry Act called Section 46. Added on March 30, 2020, Section 46 will remain in force until April 1, 2021. It states that bookings cancelled on or after March 30, 2020, could be reimbursed with travel vouchers instead of what was in the booking agreement. A Dec. 3 letter to Explorica from TICO said the P. E. I. trips don’t fall under the Section 46 and “appear to be subject to the terms and conditions of the booking.” So, because the P. E. I. student trips were cancelled before the amendment was in place, students are entitled to a full refund minus the non- refundable deposit, said the letter. Chisholm values school travel and has organized close to 10 international trips with his students, always involving a specific commemoration or event. The planning for the 2020 trip began at least 16 months ahead of the travel dates. “Obviously we had no idea that a pandemic would occur,” said Chisholm. He’s worked with two different tour groups over the years and said “there’s been zero issues”. This delay has him hitting the pause button on future trips, even if it was possible to plan one. “I feel strongly that I’m not getting involved in ( planning student travel), which, again, is a great learning experience, until this is taken care of,” he said, adding many parents and students worked hard and stretched their budgets to pay for the trip. “We’re not the highest socioeconomic demographic in Canada here in Summerside and people put their trust in me, so it does fall back on me.” He understands the companies involved are likely wading through thousands of claims but he’s still frustrated by the delays. “Realistically, to me it’s an easy solution. You bought the insurance, you paid for it. The entire world is in a global pandemic and we buy insurance for these types of things,” he said. Teacher Shirlee Ann Campbell volunteered to help fundraise for the trip to Vimy Ridge and was involved with the students' preparations. She’s also awaiting the full refund and said the Dec. 3 letter has strengthened her optimism. “Now we’re one step closer, we just have to be patient,” said Campbell. Another group of Three Oaks students that was planning to travel to Paris has been fully refunded, said Campbell. That refund came after a lengthy delay and came from the travel company, not the insurance company. “We have no reason to think we won’t be,” she said. So far, everyone that was booked to go on the Vimy trip has received a partial refund from Explorica, minus a $ 195 deposit. A letter from Explorica to The Guardian confirmed the company has paid out its portion of the refund. The remaining money is to come from Arch Insurance. On Dec. 24, Arch Insurance sent an email to some TOSH parents to request “just one credit card/ bank statement to verify one of the payments listed on the account summary” and “proof of refunds or credits received by Explorica from travel suppliers that were a part of the trip. Please note, we will be working with Explorica to obtain this information." The letter finished with a caveat. “Upon receipt of this documentation, we will continue with the assessment of your claim.” Alison Jenkins, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, The Journal-Pioneer
Should councillors be talking to the media independently? That was the second time in a week the matter had come up before a North Simcoe council, after it had been discussed at the Penetanguishene council Wednesday night. This time, it was Tay Township's deputy mayor that was asking if it was best for the mayor or chief administrative officer to respond to media requests when representing the municipality. Once again, the media request was a yearend survey sent out to all council members by MidlandToday's Community Editor Andrew Philips. "He didn't email it to council; he emailed it to all of us," said Coun. Jeff Bumstead. "I could see all the recipients. The way I took it is that they were looking for a specific response from all of council. I didn't see any harm in the questions. I didn't see anything specific that was going against the township. It was just the general feel of how I felt as a councillor." He then talked about a MidlandToday reporter reaching out to him for a story he had brought to council's attention (poppy masks being made by a local resident). "She had reached out and I asked the mayor about it," said Bumstead. "She was just looking for an opinion from me on a specific topic. The advice I got was that media is asking a question there's no problem is answering it." "If we want to clamp down and direct media to the mayor and CAO, I don't have a problem with it," he added. "If it's not okay for individual councillors to answer behalf of the township, then we can have it in the code of conduct." Fellow Coun. Paul Raymond also talked about what the integrity commissioner had outlined in the code of conduct policy. "We do have a right to an opinion as long as we make it clear it is our opinion and not the township and council as a whole," he said. "That is when the CAO or mayor come in. It's very important we take great measures to make sure that distinction is made. "As far as the other social media, I'm sure there will be other questions there," added Raymond. "We are allowed to be approached for our opinion but our opinion only." Coun. Mary Warnock said she had sought clarification on the survey, asking if it was to be based on personal opinions or a council view. "I did want to clarify that before I answered it," she said. "If it's a message coming from council or township as a whole, it should come from the CAO or mayor. You want your message to have some control and precision." CAO Lindsay Barron agreed that the councillors had raised some good points about distinguishing between an independent opinion and a township stance. "A clear distinction is if he/she is responding as an individual member of council or on behalf of the township," she said. "In the second case, it should be coming from the mayor or myself." Deputy Mayor Gerard LaChapelle said maybe the next time a reporter reaches out to an individual councillor, he/she can seek direction from the CAO. "I would suggest we should contact the CAO to find out if we can speak to it individually," he said. That didn't sit well with Raymond. "I don't go to the CAO for permission on anything, with all due respect to the CAO," he said. "We are allowed to be individuals. If we're going to go on an endeavour like this, we give a heads-up to the CAO and mayor. If they feel it's not beneficial to the community on the whole, they can let us know. We all want betterment for the township and we all have different ideas of how that can be accomplished." The conversation then turned toward answering questions posed by residents. "A lot of times we get emails from customers/residents, what do we think as council is best direction?" said LaChapelle. Coun. Sandy Talbot shared her process around that. "What I always do is if I get an email, I will forward it to a staff member," she said. "It's worked for me for all these years and that's best practice when it comes to residential inquiries." Raymond said each situation is unique. "There's a lot of different types of communications from residents, sometimes it's a question, sometimes they're in a situation where they're at odds with staff," he said. "They approach us as councillors to try and intervene to get the two parties talking. I think that, also, is our role. At the end of the day, we're the bridge between residents and staff and the services they provide." Barron said she hoped residents would reach out to staff before taking matters to their councillor. "Often times, I get involved when the councillor gets involved," she said. "I'd like to see my position as facilitator before council intervenes. If the resident wants to talk to you after, by all means. As far as being copied on the response, I'd really like to see where we get to a point where a councillor forwards it to staff and lets staff handle it." Raymond said when residents reach out to him, it's after they've reached a dead-end with staff. "When the two parties get talking to each other, I will back out and just need to know it's been resolved," he said, adding he didn't think it was pertinent for councillors to get into the weeds of matters. "When I do talk to residents, they're not aware of the structure of staff," added Raymond. "If we had an opportunity to simplify that structure, to let them know which way to go, maybe that would simplify it." Then councillors discussed behaviour on social media. "It has to do with Facebook use so we don't get ourselves in a situation," said LaChapelle. Mayor Ted Walker said he would definitely like directions around that incorporated in the municipal code of conduct. "I have seen some instances where the line has been crossed," he said without mentioning specifics. "The unfortunate part of that is that those that don't use Facebook don't have a chance to give their opinion or correct any errors. I think discussions of that nature need to be held here and not on Facebook." All councillors agreed that the communications specialist should help prepare some do's and don't's for council surrounding social media use. "All they are is a tool to facilitate you," said Raymond. "We already have standards, a code of conduct, that as councillors we're supposed to follow wherever we are. It's easy when you're on social media to get dragged into a fight. You have to know when to stop." Daryl O'Shea, general manager, corporate services manager of technology services, indicated such an endeavour was already underway and would soon be brought to council's attention. Mehreen Shahid, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, OrilliaMatters.com
Indian opposition parties called on Monday for an investigation into chat messages from a top TV anchor that they said showed prior knowledge of air strikes carried out by Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government against Pakistan in 2019. Arnab Goswami, editor-in-chief of Republic TV network, told the head of a TV ratings agency that India would launch a "bigger than a normal strike" on its arch-rival - three days before Indian combat jets struck alleged militant targets on Pakistani soil. "On Pakistan, the government is confident of striking in a way that people will be elated," a transcript of the messages sent by Goswami said.
The province is providing $1 million to a Peterborough company to help boost production capabilities of bottles of hand sanitizer and disinfectants to help in the fight against COVID-19. Mark Giunta has more.
L’objectif est ambitieux: hausser l’offre de service de transport collectif de 60 % d’ici 2031-2035, à Laval. Cette cible que s’est fixé l’Autorité régionale de transport métropolitain (ARTM) s’inscrit dans le cadre du premier Plan stratégique de développement du transport collectif (PSD) intégré du Grand Montréal, lequel a été soumis à la consultation publique cet automne. Dès qu’on en aura fini avec la pandémie, l’Autorité se donne 10 ans pour atteindre cette cible, explique son directeur exécutif Planification des transports et mobilité, Daniel Bergeron. Incidemment, le plan d’actions verra, entre autres, à répondre aux besoins découlant de nouvelles habitudes de déplacement des travailleurs qui pourraient bien demeurées au terme de la crise sanitaire qui les a fait naître, mentionne M. Bergeron. Une attention particulière sera ainsi accordée aux déplacements hors pointe et à l’accroissement des déplacements bidirectionnels. Interventions Outre les grands projets en cours de réalisation, tels le Réseau express métropolitain (REM) dans l’ouest de l’île et le Service rapide par bus (SRB) Pie-IX dans l’est, le plan prévoit la mise en place de mesures préférentielles pour bus (MPB) afin d’éviter la congestion et de rendre plus attractif le transport collectif. Un exemple? Le corridor de l’avenue des Bois, compris entre la gare Sainte-Dorothée et l’autoroute 13, qui réduira les temps de parcours des autobus de la STL qui font la navette de la gare à la station de métro Côte-Vertu, à Montréal, depuis la fermeture complète de la ligne de train de banlieue Deux-Montagnes, le 1er janvier. Le réseau autoroutier (A-440, A-13, A-15, A-19 et A-25) sillonnant le territoire lavallois est également ciblé par ces mesures tout comme certaines artères du réseau local, tel le boulevard Le Corbusier ainsi que les rues et boulevards aux approches du terminus Montmorency. Parlant du terminus, des quais y seront ajoutés. Le projet de Plan stratégique de développement du transport collectif fait également mention de la poursuite des études en cours, notamment les prolongements du métro de la station Montmorency jusqu’à la gare Bois-Franc de la ligne de train de banlieue Deux-Montagnes, à Montréal, et du REM pour relier l’est et l’ouest de Laval par-delà l’autoroute 15. D’autres «projets structurants» de type SRB sont aussi dans les cartons, rappelle M. Bergeron, citant ceux étudiés dans l’axe des boulevards Notre-Dame/de la Concorde et des Laurentides. L’élaboration et la planification de ces projets visant à améliorer l’offre de transport collectif s’appuient sur les statistiques relatives aux données sociodémographiques et le diagnostic de la mobilité en 2018 tiré de l’enquête Origine-Destination, note Daniel Bergeron. «L’importance relative [en pourcentage] des déplacements internes par rapport aux déplacements externes influence l’aménagement des services qui sont développés», reconnaît-il, ajoutant qu’il est «tout aussi essentiel de bien arrimer ce développement aux orientations d’aménagement du territoire établies par les municipalités afin de soutenir ce développement et pouvoir répondre aux besoins de mobilité à plus long terme». Avant d’être soumis à la consultation publique, le Plan stratégique avait été élaboré avec la collaboration de plus de 1200 intervenants des différents organismes publics de transport en commun de la région métropolitaine, dont la Société de transport de Laval (STL).Stéphane St-Amour, Initiative de journalisme local, Courrier Laval
Calgary Transit's ridership has plummeted, returning to levels the system hasn't seen in decades, falling $90 million short on revenue — thanks to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. In 2020, ridership reached approximately 52 million people, compared to 106.4 million in 2019 — a 51 per cent decrease overall. It's a struggle systems across the globe are grappling with: how to get people back on public transit safely, and keep afloat with an uncertain year ahead. Russell Davies is the acting director of Calgary Transit. He projects 2021 ridership will continue to sit at 60 per cent of pre-pandemic levels. "The pandemic has hit Calgary Transit probably harder than any other departments within the city," Davies said. "We have every responsibility to ensure that we have a safe, healthy and reliable transit service so those Canadians can get where they need to go." Marco D'Angelo, Canadian Urban Transit Association (CUTA) CEO, said at the beginning of the pandemic they saw a 90 per cent drop in ridership — and now, across the country, there are approximately 2.5 million people taking transit every day, down from more than 5 million. "We've seen massive drops in ridership and obviously a revenue shortfall has resulted and we have a fiscal crisis for public transit," D'Angelo said. Before the pandemic, most transit users were using the system to get to and from work, and after March those using transit for doctors appointments, errands, and shopping shot up. Matthew Yeung is the former chair of the Calgary Transit Customer Advisory Group. Yeung admits he hasn't been taking transit since the pandemic hit. But he underlines that the group's concern before the pandemic, and his own hope as the economy returns, is to ensure there are enough transit hours for people to comfortably and reliably travel. "I was just on the phone with an individual transit [which] is indicating that they're operating at about 25 per cent of what they'd usually be operating at," Yeung said. "That obviously affects their ability to provide funding for the customer experience, primarily in the form of of the service you see on the ground." According to a usage and attitudes survey conducted between the end of May and beginning of June, before the pandemic, 57 per cent of customers were using Calgary Transit to get to and from work. After March, that number dropped to 37 per cent. 'We need to do some serious rethinking' Those using the bus or train for personal appointments shot up to 41 per cent during the pandemic. Before COVID, 25 per cent of transit users used the service for appointments. The survey sampled 403 Calgarians using the Calgary Transit Panel and the Leger LEO (Leger Opinion) panel. While 52 per cent of survey respondents said they'd return, 33 per cent said they would use transit less once the pandemic restrictions ease. "If that downtown ridership doesn't return, we need to do some serious rethinking about what our transit model looks like," Davies said. "We need to reevaluate what we do and how we do it." Davies said Calgary Transit has already done work to adjust. Express routes designed for downtown commuters and duplications have been suspended. And ridership is monitored continuously to ensure that there aren't bottlenecks due to cutbacks. D'Angelo said transit operators plan to adapt and change as the economy returns. He said some agencies are expanding on-demand transit services, looking into apps that could help riders see how busy their bus might be, and more. "I'm totally confident that we can win our riders back because we've been thinking about them all this time." D'Angelo said. Matti Siemiatycki is the interim director of the University of Toronto School of Cities. He said right now, buses are driving ridership, instead of light rail. "You're seeing the implementation of dedicated bus lanes or priority bus lanes in suburban areas to enable transit to operate more smoothly," Siemiatycki said. The silver lining for Canadian Transit, Siemiatycki said, is that the federal government invested in funding to help networks through the pandemic. "In Canada, the provincial and federal governments have continued to invest in transit to provide a bridge through the darkest days of the pandemic," Siemiatycki said. "The lowest, the most significant losses in revenue ... tend to give it a path back to sustainability and to keep it operational." Last year, the federal government announced it would invest $2.3 billion to support transit operating costs across the country. Alberta's portion of those funds has been allocated to support 15 municipal transit systems to put toward operating costs, losses, and purchasing PPE and cleaning supplies. D'Angelo said that money will help keep buses and trains operating. But funding needs to be renewed through 2021 as revenues and ridership will be slow to recover. "We need that continued operating funding so we aren't rebuilding our network at the exact same time when our economy is going to be rebuilt," D'Angelo said.
Canada's economy will hit a major roadblock during the first quarter of 2021 before gaining momentum in the next quarter, according to economists in a Reuters poll who said the country's GDP would reach its pre-pandemic growth levels within a year. Although economic activity had recovered partially from a record drop - 7.5% in Q1 and 38.1% in Q2 - in the first half of 2020, it took another hit after a resurgence in coronavirus infections led to renewed tight containment measures. The Jan. 11-18 Reuters poll of over 40 economists predicted the economy, which grew a record annualized 40.5% in the third quarter of 2020, expanded 3.8% in the fourth quarter, a third consecutive downgrade.
