SNOW earnings call for the period ending December 31, 2020.
LOS ANGELES — Kanye West agrees with Kim Kardashian West that they should have joint custody of their four children and neither of them need spousal support, according to new divorce documents. West's attorneys filed his response Friday in Los Angeles Superior Court to Kardashian West's divorce filing seven weeks earlier, which began the process of ending their 6 1/2-year marriage. West's filing was virtually identical to Kardashian West's original petition, agreeing that the marriage should end over irreconcilable differences, and that the two should share custody of their children: North, age 7, Saint, age 5, Chicago, age 3, and Psalm, who turns 2 next month. And like Kardashian West's filing, West's asks that the court's right to award spousal support to either person be terminated. According to Kardashian West's Feb. 19 petition, the two have a pre-nuptial agreement, and under it they kept their property separate throughout their marriage. The divorce filings bring an impending end to one of the most followed celebrity unions in recent decades, between the 40-year-old reality TV superstar Kardashian West, and the 43-year-old rap and fashion mogul West. It was the first marriage for West and the third for Kardashian West, who has not asked the court to change her name back to just Kardashian, though she may still do so during the divorce process. The Associated Press
While the government of B.C. ramps up its COVID vaccine schedule, many are wondering what the registration and booking process means for them. On Monday, Health Minister Adrian Dix said eligible age cohorts had been bumped up, meaning more British Columbians can register to get their COVID-19 vaccine. But questions about the timing between registration and booking an appointment for the vaccine has led to a flood of online confusion and frustration. "I'm confused ... I already registered. Does this mean I have to re-register when it's my turn? Please clarify." wrote @tkemper1900 on Twitter. "Have my confirmation code and still haven't been notified of an appointment date! When might I expect to hear that?" wrote @hounder55. Adding to the confusion, people aged 55 to 65 who are living in the Lower Mainland can register to receive a dose of the AstraZeneca-Oxford vaccine through their local pharmacy.(Rémi Authier/Radio-Canada) As of Monday, the updated schedule for age cohorts to register is: Mon, April 12 – Born 1966 or earlier. Wed, April 14 – Born 1971 or earlier. Fri, April 16 – Born 1976 or earlier. Mon, April 19 – Born 1981 or earlier. In a statement, the health ministry says people should expect a wait time between when they register and when they are invited to book an appointment. "We recognize people throughout the province are eager to access all vaccines that are available to them," said Marielle Tounsi, senior public affairs officer with the Ministry of Health. "Wait times vary depending on your age and vaccine supply." The jump in age cohort is a big one. As of last Thursday, those 65 and older could call to register. On Saturday, the province bumped that up five years, to people born in 1961 or earlier. Indigenous people 18 or older and those who are clinically extremely vulnerable can also now register to book their vaccine appointment through B.C.'s new Get Vaccinated system. 'Two streams' Adding to the confusion is a separate booking system set up for the AstraZeneca-Oxford vaccine for people between the ages of 55 and 65 living in the Lower Mainland that uses local pharmacies throughout the province. "The province will continue to deliver two streams of vaccines: one age-based program with Pfizer and Moderna and a second program with AstraZeneca delivered through pharmacies for people aged 55 to 65," Tounsi said. To register and book a Pfizer or Moderna vaccine appointment, eligible age groups in B.C. are asked to: Register online and get a confirmation number. You need that number to book your vaccination appointment. You will be contacted by email, text or phone with a link, depending on the notification method you chose when you registered and based on your age and availability of vaccine. The link will allow you to book a vaccine appointment, Visit the vaccine clinic to get your vaccine dose. People who get their first vaccine dose will be notified by email, text or phone call when they are eligible to book an appointment for their second dose.
Venezuela has secured the funds to fully pay for coronavirus vaccines via the COVAX system, President Nicolas Maduro said on Sunday, a day after a surprise announcement that the country had paid more than half the amount due. Maduro's government has for months said U.S. sanctions block it from paying the $120 million needed to obtain COVID-19 vaccines, but on Saturday said it had transferred $64 million to the Switzerland-based GAVI Vaccine Alliance. "We have already secured the rest to make 100% of the (payment) to the Covax system," Maduro said in a televised speech.
A COVID-19 outbreak has been declared at St. John Vianney Catholic Elementary School in Windsor. The Windsor-Essex Catholic District School Board made the announcement on Monday morning. In a news release, the board said public health officials made the declaration after receiving confirmation that of an additional case in one of two cohorts dismissed on April 6. The update has yet to be reflected on the Windsor-Essex County Health Unit's website as of Monday morning. "As per provincial direction, a school outbreak is declared if there are two or more cases in a school and if there is evidence that at least one case could have been infected in the school," the board said in a statement. According to the board's website, there are three cases of COVID-19 active within the school. The board said a COVID-19 variant of concern has been identified in the cohort. Those who may have been affected are being contacted by the health unit. The board said the rest of the school community is considered low risk and can continue attending as usual. Schools are currently on spring break. There are 22 active cases of COVID-19 within the Catholic board, its website shows. The public school board has seen 17 cases declared since the beginning of the month, according to its website. There are two other outbreaks active at other schools in the region — Centennial Central Public School and St. Peter Catholic School. Dr. Wajid Ahmed, medical officer of health for the region, said Monday that Windsor-Essex is seeing an increase in COVID-19 cases within schools, with many cohorts dismissed. "We are monitoring the cases in our schools to assess any changes in the local risk," he said at the health unit's daily briefing, adding that he'll provide an update if the risk changes or a switch to online learning becomes necessary.
Two days after he married his partner of many years, Anselm Bilgri, a former monk and prior at one of Germany's most famous monasteries, learned that the Vatican would not bless relationships like his. But the ruling in March by the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, the Catholic Church's doctrinal watchdog, that priests could not bless same-sex unions has not been well received by one of the world's richest national churches. It dismayed many who had hoped Pope Francis would soften the hard line taken on sexual morality by John Paul II and his successor, Germany's Benedict XVI.
Fisheries and Oceans Canada faced a five-fold increase in Mi'kmaw fishing for baby eels in 2020 primarily on Nova Scotia rivers — an event it did not expect and could not manage, according to internal DFO documents obtained by CBC News. The federal department had been closely monitoring, and in some cases prosecuting, the unauthorized sale of baby eels harvested by Mi'kmaq under Food, Social and Ceremonial (FSC) eel licences since 2017. The appearance of more than 110 Indigenous fishermen at the beginning of April 2020, up from 21 across the region in 2019, quickly forced a shutdown of the little known but lucrative fishery throughout the Maritimes, the documents state. It was the first time that had happened. About the fight over elvers DFO was in the middle of a collision between Mi'kmaq asserting treaty rights and commercial harvesters anxious to protect a fishery worth $38 million in 2019. Nine licence holders share a total allowable catch of 9,960 kilos of baby eels — known as elvers. They are primarily sold to Asian fish farms where they are grown to adulthood for consumption. A researcher with the group Coastal Action measures an elver caught in the East River near Chester, N.S., on June 18, 2019.(Richard Cuthbertson/CBC) The tightly regulated commercial fishery was worth an average of $4.3 million per licence in 2019. Making the case to shutdown 'unmanageable' fishery Unlike commercial licences where quotas and landings are tracked via logbooks and verified by dockside monitoring, FSC elver catches are not reported and sales are not allowed. "Given the high value, and since elvers are not known to be a traditional or current food fish for Indigenous people, this harvest is suspected to be for sale into international markets," Deputy Minister Timothy Sargent wrote to federal Fisheries Minister Bernadette Jordan on April 22. Sargent was recommending the first of what would turn out to be two temporary 45-day closures, which effectively ended the entire 2020 season. It was a response to the unprecedented increase in Mi'kmaw elver fishing and fears over escalating conflict as harvesters competed over access. "The unexpected, heightened scale of the activities that have been observed to date (which by far exceeds what DFO had expected based on previous years) has led DFO to determine that those concerns cannot be managed through localized closures," Sargent wrote. "This level of fishing, in addition to the commercial fishery, has become unmanageable and represents a threat to the conservation of the species." Lawsuit pulls back curtain on a hidden struggle In July 2020, commercial harvesters filed a lawsuit in the Federal Court of Canada seeking to overturn the shutdown order. They argued DFO had not done enough to stop unregulated fishing. In its defence, the department filed 60 pages of documents justifying its actions. The lawsuit was later dropped. But the documents reveal what has been a mostly hidden struggle that features nighttime confrontations illuminated by flickering flashlights at the side of a river. The DFO documents included advice from senior bureaucrats, assessments from its enforcement branch, Conservation and Protection, and detailed economic analysis of the fishery. What we learned Mi'kmaw involvement in the elver fishery was first observed in 2016 when two or three harvesters claimed to be fishing for food, social and ceremonial purposes on rivers in southwestern Nova Scotia. The FSC fishery has expanded to every elver river in southwestern Nova Scotia, including Yarmouth County where commercial fishing is not allowed and a range of elver rivers in eastern Nova Scotia. A 2017 investigation led to the raid of a warehouse near Pearson Airport in Toronto, where police seized about eight kilograms of what they said was FSC-harvested elvers worth $170,000 — an amount DFO said represented a fraction of the current alleged illegal activity. No charges were laid due to lack of evidence. The shutdown was projected to reduce landed values for commercial licence holders to $6.5 million. Unauthorized elver fishing in Nova Scotia continued despite the order. Over a 23-day period from late April and May, fishery officers made 25 arrests, seized 16 trap nets, 19 dip nets and three weapons and returned about eight kilograms of elvers to rivers. It is not clear if the arrested were Mi'kmaq. DFO proceeded despite risk of alienating Mi'kmaq DFO was aware its actions would be seen as an infringement of the Mi'kmaw right to harvest for food, social and ceremonial purposes, and risked a "negative effect" on discussions over the treaty right to earn a moderate livelihood. "However, risks to conservation and proper management and control of the fishery are currently believed to be at a level where this is necessary," Sargent wrote. The shutdown was followed, after the fact, by discussions with Mi'kmaw bands where responses to the ministerial order varied. A summary of the engagement said some Mi'kmaw communities supported the shutdown to protect American eel while others strongly opposed any changes to FSC licences that would potentially restrict access. There was also "considerable displeasure about a perceived lack of consultation" in some communities, including Kwilmu'kw Maw-klusuaqn, KMKNO, which is the negotiation office for the Assembly of Nova Scotia Mi'kmaw chiefs. Canada moves to end FSC elver fishery in 2021 In February 2021, DFO imposed a 10-centimetre minimum size on all FSC American eel licences issued to all bands in the Maritimes. Before this, most licences did not contain a minimum size. The condition is expressly designed to prevent FSC elver fishing and was urged in a DFO Conservation and Protection report in 2020. "The ability to protect the species and deter over-harvesting will be much greater enabled through decisive action with respect to the introduction of of size limits and gear restrictions as part of the food, social and ceremonial licence conditions - which would accord much stronger enforcement mechanisms to fishery officers and Public Prosecution Services of Canada (PPSC)," the report said. "Elver is a lucrative commodity which is easily harvested. There are individuals fishing elver who are affiliated with criminal entities due to the ability to rapidly sell their catch and funnel the proceeds toward other endeavours. MAR C&P is working increasingly more closely with policing counter-parts to disrupt these elements." The DFO documents do not mention any Mi'kmaw harvesters being charged in these cases. Arrest continue in 2021 The shutdown has not ended confrontations on elver rivers. Since the season opened in March, fishery officers have arrested 14 people and made a number of seizures over alleged unauthorized elver fishing. It's not clear if the enforcement actions relate only to Mi'kmaw fishermen. Some of the arrests involved members of the Sipekne'katik band. Chief Mike Sack says the fishermen were exercising their treaty right to fish for a moderate living. Chief Mike Sack says fishing for elvers falls under the Mi'kmaw treaty right to earn a moderate livelihood.(Nic Meloney/CBC) "It falls under that. And I fully support any of our members that are out there exercising their right under any fish or wildlife or resources that there may be," he said. Chiefs say cut the commercial harvest if there is a conservation issue. In a statement, the Assembly of Nova Scotia Mi'kmaw Chiefs asserted First Nations interest in fishing elvers under food, social and ceremonial licences, and objected to the unilateral decision to suspend elver fishing in 2020 by DFO. "While the protection and conservation of all species is always a concern for our people, the Mi'kmaw have a desire to fish elvers for Food, Social and Ceremonial purposes," Annapolis Valley First Nation Chief Gerald Toney said in a statement. "We should be able to fish any species, as needed and as required, while respecting concerns for conservation, as outlined in Sparrow," he said, referencing the 1990 Supreme Court case that spelled out steps required to infringe on a treaty right. In December, one of their negotiators told DFO that elvers are a viable food source for Mi'kmaw communities and commercial licences should be cut first if there are conservation issues. In a statement, DFO said it will respond accordingly to conserve the population and maintain a sustainable and orderly fishery in 2021. It is the same language it used last year when it shut down the fishery. MORE TOP STORIES
Doctors in the Canadian province of Ontario may soon have to decide who can and cannot receive treatment in intensive care as the number of coronavirus infections sets records and patients are packed into hospitals still stretched from a December wave. Canada's most populous province is canceling elective surgeries, admitting adults to a major children's hospital and preparing field hospitals after the number of COVID-19 patients in ICUs jumped 31% to 612 in the week leading up to Sunday, according to data from the Ontario Hospital Association. The sharp increase in Ontario hospital admissions is also straining supplies of tocilizumab, a drug often given to people seriously ill with COVID-19.
A former Inuvik, N.W.T., resident says RCMP ignored or downplayed her allegations of childhood sexual assault. Angie Snow, now 30, says she was abused when she was nine years old. Born and raised in Inuvik, Snow first publicly shared her story on the Preacher Boys podcast with her husband, Norman Snow, earlier this year. The podcast focuses on alleged mental, physical and sexual abuse within the Independent Fundamental Baptist movement. On the podcast, she spoke about her time as a member of the First Bible Baptist Church in Inuvik. She said the assaults happened three times in her childhood home in Inuvik over about a year, although she admits that, decades later, the timeframe is fuzzy. "I knew it was weird because I froze up completely … But no [I didn't realize it was sexual assault]," Snow said. "When I tried to tell my mom, I obviously didn't do a good job. I didn't have any words to say what was happening." "As you get older, and older you start to realize oh my gosh, that did happen. And that was abuse." Eric Skwarczynski is host of the Preacher Boys podcast, which focuses on alleged mental, physical and sexual abuse within the Independent Fundamental Baptist movement.(Submitted by Eric Skwarczynski) Eric Skwarczynski, host of the Preacher Boys podcast, said most of the guests he speaks to live in the United States, where a statute of limitations can impact charges being able to be laid. "Victims do often wait to share their experience with anyone 10,15, 20 years down the road," said Skwarczynski. Reilly Featherstone is pastor for the First Bible Baptist Church in Inuvik. He said he had heard about Snow's allegations second-hand. He says whenever he hears about any sort of abuse allegations, he encourages the person to report the incident to RCMP. "It's the RCMP's job to do a thorough investigation on the matter," he said. Allegations reported to RCMP Snow says she reported the incidents and her alleged perpetrator to RCMP in Inuvik years after they occurred, when she was about 27 years old, after being contacted by someone who said they were a recent victim of her alleged attacker. "I got into the RCMP [detachment], sit down and they are like, 'So you want us to keep an eye on him, right?' and I'm like, 'No, I'm here to charge him,'" Snow said on the podcast. "That was something I was shocked over." Snow told CBC that it took a lot of mental work for her to get to the point of reporting the alleged incidents to the RCMP, and "getting over the hurdle of 'I'm going to ruin his life' … and 'he's a changed man.'" Whoever reviewed it just thought there was not enough evidence. - Angie Snow However, learning there may have been at least one more recent victim was her tipping point. She also said she wasn't the only one who came forward about the abuse she experienced. Her parents also gave statements to the RCMP, as well as Jessica Francis, a childhood friend who says she witnessed the assaults. CBC has reviewed email records to RCMP that show Snow shared contact details for Francis and her parents with RCMP. RCMP acknowledged receipt of the information and an officer wrote that all would be contacted. Snow not alone, but allegations too old Francis, who now lives in Fort McPherson, N.W.T., also alleges the person who abused Snow attempted to abuse her multiple times as well. She was the same age as Snow when the assaults happened and told CBC via Facebook Messenger that the perpetrator "didn't go as far with me as he did with Angie." Both Francis and Snow say they were about 9 years old when the alleged abuse happened, and that their alleged perpetrator was several years older. Despite both women and Snow's parents giving statements to RCMP about what happened, Snow says she was told they could not continue an investigation. I felt at least I tried, but then I also felt like, 'shoot, this is not good.' - Angie Snow "One [RCMP officer] showed up and just kind of told me there was nothing they could do," said Snow. "That whoever reviewed it just thought there was not enough evidence." She also said she was told that too much time had passed from when the alleged assaults had happened, even though Canada doesn't have a statute of limitations that imposes a time frame on reporting criminal sexual assault complaints. "I felt at least I tried, but then I also felt like, 'shoot, this is not good.' I did trust them … and took their word for it," she said. It was also hard for Francis to hear nothing would be done. "I was really disappointed," Francis said. "Especially because I had given my statement and told them my story and timeline thinking that something would be done but nothing happened. "I think it makes it very hard for people to come forward with reports of rape, assault or sexual harassment because it just shows how little is being done to bring justice for the victims and how easy it is for people to get away with these things." An RCMP truck in Inuvik, N.W.T. The police force says they are trying to improve their response to complaints of sexual assault. (David Thurton/CBC) Snow also remembered being taken aback when RCMP asked her to describe what she was wearing during her alleged assault when she was nine. "That was another shock," said Snow. "They need some kind of training and like sexual abuse, gaslighting, just everything like that you could think of like that deals with the brain psychology. I think that would have definitely made things different." Police 'actively trying to engage' complainant, say RCMP N.W.T. RCMP spokesperson Marie York-Condon wrote in an email that although she can't speak to specifics about Snow's file, she said an investigation was conducted after the allegations were reported, "including engagement and consultation with the office of Public Prosecution Service." She also said N.W.T. RCMP are proactively working to improve sexual assault investigations. "We have taken action to strengthen police training and awareness, investigative accountability, victim support and public education and communication." York-Condon said RCMP is looking to speak to Snow and "are actively trying to engage her." As of Thursday, Snow said she still hadn't been contacted by RCMP. Earlier this month, N.W.T. RCMP held a news conference addressing a review from a committee of advocates, justice officials, and police on how they handle sexual assault allegations. The review found that while officers generally showed victims respect, some misunderstood consent law, rape myths or included irrelevant personal opinions in their investigations. During that news conference, RCMP family violence coordinator Jesse Aubin said that officers undergo mandatory training about consent law and common rape myths, and that they are working on a sexual assault investigator course specific to the North. Two more reviews are scheduled this year: one in April, and another in the fall. If you have your own story that you'd like to share, email mackenzie.scott@cbc.ca
A high school student in the Annapolis Valley who was suspended after posting a photo of another student's "rapey" T-shirt says the whole ordeal has taught her the importance of speaking out. The shirt was printed with modified lyrics to the Christmas song Deck the Halls, including the line "'tis the season to be rapey." "People are saying, 'It's just a shirt.' Well, it's more than a shirt, and that's why this matters.… Rape is not OK," said 17-year-old Kenzie Thornhill, a student at West Kings District High School. "People are always gonna agree with you, and disagree, but it's time to make a change. It's time that we stop staying silent." 'Blew my mind' Thornhill said: "It just blew my mind. I think I did what any teen would do, I snapped the photo and posted it on social media," adding she made sure to frame it in a way that made it impossible to identify the person in the photo. Thornhill posted this photo to Snapchat, including a filter that shows the photo's location as West Kings District High School. She said she made sure the student was not identifiable in the photo.(Submitted by Kenzie Thornhill) She showed the picture to a teacher and hall monitor, who told her it would be dealt with. Thornhill said as far as she knows the student was not disciplined, but told not to wear the shirt to school again. Meanwhile, Thornhill received a five-day suspension. The suspension has since been revoked and Thornhill was back in school on Friday. She was told the discipline will be removed from her permanent record, but wasn't given an apology or an explanation. A statement posted on the Annapolis Valley Centre for Education's website confirmed the school had "revisited the decisions" related to discipline, but did not go into detail. "We are having positive dialogue with students and staff on the issue of sexual violence.… We want all students to feel safe and supported," the statement said. Thornhill said she's heard the school is taking steps to bring awareness to sexual violence, including having teachers read a letter to their classes. "It sucks this had to go viral and all this stuff had to happen for that to happen, but if there is some sort of action and awareness being spread, I'm very proud of the school and the school board for doing that," she said. Walkout in support Before the decision was reversed, Thornhill's suspension prompted about 100 students from the school to walk out of class on Thursday in a show of support. Students wore short skirts, spaghetti straps and other clothing that violated the dress code while holding up signs saying things like, "Enough is Enough" and "Rape is not a Joke." The event was covered by a number of local news outlets. Thornhill said about 100 students took part in the walkout.(Submitted by Kenzie Thornhill) Thornhill, who wasn't allowed on school grounds due to her suspension, cheered them on from across the street and said it was "amazing" and "overwhelming" to see. After all the media attention, Thornhill said her phone is "blowing up 24/7" with messages of support from peers and strangers, as well as personal stories from sexual assault survivors. "To have a stranger reach out to you and trust you with that sort of information, it's just amazing," she said. Not everyone agrees with Thornhill's actions. Some have been trying to poke holes in her story or twist her words, but Thornhill said they're "completely missing the point." 'A teachable moment' Linda MacDonald and Jeanne Sarsen, human rights activists and the co-founders of Persons Against Non-State Torture, called the ordeal a "missed opportunity" to have an open conversation with students about sexualized violence and why discussions around it are often silenced. "This is a teachable moment. We can transform this into a very powerful message to young people and the students. No student needs to be suspended," Sarsen told CBC's Mainstreet on Friday. During the walkout on Thursday, Thornhill cheered her classmates from across the street because she wasn't allowed on school grounds.(Submitted by Kenzie Thornhill) "With education, his thought process could change. But suspension and secrecy is not going to get us out of sexualized violence." Thornhill agrees this is a teachable moment, especially for the student who wore the T-shirt. "It's so much more than just that kid wearing this shirt. It's not his fault he wasn't educated or doesn't know why it's wrong to wear something like that," she said. "His life shouldn't be ruined for it, but what he did was wrong, and he needs to know that. He needs some type of consequence, but not harassment." MORE TOP STORIES
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CALGARY — An 18-year-old-man charged as a young offender in the hit-and-run death of a Calgary police officer has asked for another court delay as he tries to find a lawyer.The accused is charged with first-degree murder in the New Year's Eve death of Sgt. Andrew Harnett, who had tried to pull over an SUV because its plates didn't match its registration.Police have said Harnett was dragged by the SUV before he fell and was hit by another car.The alleged driver of the SUV, who was 17 when he was charged, can't be named under the Youth Criminal Justice Act.He had a lawyer during a previous bail hearing and says he is close to hiring another lawyer for trial.The case was adjourned to April 26.This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 12, 2021. The Canadian Press
P.E.I. Chief Public Health Officer Dr. Heather Morrison confirmed three new cases of COVID-19 on the Island Monday afternoon. University and college convocations are going ahead on P.E.I., but they'll still look different than they were before the COVID-19 pandemic. Larger weddings may be possible on P.E.I. this summer. Even as the Atlantic bubble is scheduled to bring down barriers in the Atlantic provinces in a little more than a week, many P.E.I. tourism operators are still trying to decide whether to open this season. Coffee shops in Charlottetown are delicately discouraging "computer campers" from taking up tables for hours at a time when space is at a premium. There will be no cruise ships visiting P.E.I. this year but Port Charlottetown is optimistic about 2022, with bookings in place for a record number of visitors. Some golf courses on P.E.I. opened last weekend, the earliest they have ever opened. Prince Edward Island has had 165 known cases of COVID-19. Seven are active. Elsewhere in the Atlantic region: Also in the news These Islanders are currently eligible for a vaccine People over 60. People over the age of 55 may book for an AstraZeneca vaccine at a pharmacy. People over the age of 55, with birthdays from January to April, may book at a public clinic. People providing health care services to the public — including optometrists, pharmacists, physiotherapists, occupational therapists — and their support staff. Firefighters, police officers, power-line workers. Residents and staff of long-term care homes. Adults living in Indigenous communities. Residents and staff of shared living facilities. Truck drivers and other rotational workers. Further resources Reminder about symptoms The symptoms of COVID-19 can include: Fever. Cough or worsening of a previous cough. Possible loss of taste and/or smell. Sore throat. New or worsening fatigue. Headache. Shortness of breath. Runny nose. More from CBC P.E.I.
TORONTO — Timothy Sauve was brushing his teeth one morning in December when he was hit by a dizzy spell that knocked him off his feet. The 61-year-old from Mississauga, Ont., didn't expect that to be the first sign of a COVID-19 infection. But within days he had developed a fever, experienced breathlessness in his sleep, and was rushed to hospital with a deteriorating condition that eventually required a double-lung transplant — believed to be the first done in Canada on a patient whose lungs were irreparably damaged by the virus. Sauve, a healthy, physically fit man before he contracted the virus, saw the infection wreak havoc on his lungs over his two-month stay in the intensive care units of two different Toronto area hospitals. While his lungs were scarred beyond repair, the virus didn't damage any of Sauve's other organs, making him a candidate for the rare procedure that saved his life. "Things were pretty bleak," Sauve said of his pre-transplant condition, fighting back tears during a phone interview from the University Health Network's Toronto Rehab Bickle Centre. "They told me my (lungs) weren't getting better and for me to make arrangements to say goodbye to my loved ones." After consulting with his family and doctors, Sauve was transferred from Trillium Health Partners in Mississauga to UHN's Toronto General Hospital, home to Canada's largest organ transplant program. A careful assessment at the Ajmera Transplant Centre determined he was physically strong enough to undergo a transplant in February. Dr. Marcelo Cypel, the surgical director at the transplant centre who led the team performing the operation, said Sauve was on "very high amounts of oxygen" when he met him, and scans of his lungs showed heavy amounts of scar tissue called pulmonary fibrosis. While he was only on a ventilator for a short amount of time during his transfer to the Toronto hospital from Mississauga, Sauve did need the advanced lung support therapy called extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) — a machine that pumps and oxygenates the blood. Cypel said Sauve's lungs had shrunk during his infection, becoming stiff and resistant to air flow. "Lungs should be very light, like balloons — you can push air in very easily," Cypel said. "(Sauve's) were very similar actually to patients with chronic lung disease." While the surgery was a success, Cybel said transplants are not expected to become frequently used treatments for severe COVID cases. The procedure has only been done about "40 or 50" times worldwide, he said. Sauve's situation was unique in that the virus, aside from the irreversible damage it caused to his lungs, hadn't left the rest of his body in a weakened state, Cybel explained. Sauve had also cleared his COVID infection by the time he was assessed for a transplant, which was a main prerequisite before he could undergo surgery. As Sauve put it, "it would be a waste to give someone who wasn't healthy new lungs." Cybel says the rise of variants of concern that are causing severe disease in more younger patients may increase the number of transfer referrals going forward. UHN says its transplant program is currently evaluating three additional COVID patients for candidacy. Even though only a very "small subset" of people would qualify, "it is a very powerful, life-saving therapy for some specific patients," Cybel said. While Sauve is doing well in recovery now, he says the last few months had been a nightmare for his family. His entire household, including his common-law partner Julie Garcia, her 24-year-old son and her father, 80-year-old Juanito Teng, all tested positive for COVID around the same time Sauve became ill. Teng died in the ICU shortly after being admitted to hospital, in a room right next to Sauve's. The family doesn't know how members became infected or who got the virus first. Sauve, who had no prior comorbidities that put him at higher risk for infection or severe disease, says he hopes his story can resonate with anyone who thinks COVID-19 isn't that big a deal. "People don't realize what COVID does to people ... and sometimes they're putting their guard down," he said. "I thought that when I got the disease, I'd get over it." Sauve said the immediate aftermath of his surgery is a blur, with pain killers so strong they made him hallucinate — a normal reaction, his doctors told him. He also doesn't remember much from the day he found out he was getting his new lungs. "I just remember waiting," he said. "And the next thing I knew I was waking up from the operation — after the hallucinations wore off — and I realized I wasn't wearing an oxygen mask." Recovery time varies for patients after transplants, so Sauve isn't sure how long he'll need to stay at the rehab centre. But he doesn't want to rush things. "I want to leave here on my own two feet," he said. "I want to go home to my beautiful partner, Julie, but I don't want to need a walker. I'll stay here a little longer if I have to — it may take two months, three months, but my goal is to get back home." This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 12, 2021. Melissa Couto Zuber, The Canadian Press
OTTAWA — The federal government is expecting Moderna to make good on a previously promised batch of 855,000 COVID-19 vaccine doses that were expected last week, but have yet to arrive.Those delayed doses along with a little more than one million shots of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine represent the extent of Canada’s expected vaccine deliveries this week, even as the number of new COVID-19 cases across Canada continues to surge.Maj.-Gen. Dany Fortin, the military officer overseeing the federal government’s vaccination distribution effort, blamed the delay in Moderna’s planned delivery on a “backlog with quality assurance."“It's part of the manufacturing process, at the tail end of the manufacturing process, that they want to go through the proper quality assurance processes, and there's a backlog,” he said last week.Officials have indicated there could be a similar delay in the delivery of 1.2 million doses from Moderna next week.“It’s prudent planning on our part right now to bank on the last week of April,” Fortin said.In comparison, Pfizer-BioNTech has been consistently delivering more than 1 million shots to Canada each week for more than a month, a trend that is expected to continue for the foreseeable future.The Public Health Agency is not expecting any shots of the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine this week. Canada has also approved a vaccine produced by Johnson & Johnson, but it is not clear when the first of those doses will be delivered.The rush to get vaccines into Canadians' arms has grown more urgent as Canada continues to see a massive spike in the number of new COVID-19 infections.Thousands of new cases were reported on Sunday, including a record 4,456 in Ontario alone. Dr. Theresa Tam, the country's chief public health officer, noted admissions to intensive care units surged 23 per cent last week compared to the one before and said the Canada is approaching the peak of the current pandemic wave. Tam said many of those getting sick are younger than in previous COVID-19 surges, which experts have blamed on virus variants that are spreading across the country.That has prompted some provinces to start looking at changes to how they are distributing their vaccines.More than 10 million doses had been distributed across Canada as of Sunday afternoon, according to covid19tracker.ca, with nearly 8 million having been administered.Almost 20 per cent of the population has received at least one shot.This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 12, 2021. Lee Berthiaume, The Canadian Press Note to readers: This is corrected story. A previous version said Canada was only expecting one million doses of Pfizer-BioNTech's vaccine to be delivered this week.
Saskatoon softball officials are trying to silence parents after a prominent coach was charged with child abuse, says one mother. Heidi Dutton says parents were told to sign a confidentiality agreement before entering an emergency meeting over the weekend. The meeting was called to discuss the sexual assault charges against 56-year-old Ricky Davis. Dutton refused to sign. "It's 2021. It's time we teach our girls and women that sexual assault is something we talk about openly and we don't hide," Dutton said. Dutton says officials need to create a safe space to invite any other victims to come forward. But she said softball officials are trying to shut down discussion with the attempted "gag order." 'We've done our job' Saskatoon Minor Softball League volunteer board member Noreen Murphy declined to discuss the non-disclosure agreement. She said they've dealt with the issue, and there's nothing more they can do. "We've done our job. We've suspended him. To me, that's all we're involved in. That's it. We're moving forward. We have a league to prepare for," Murphy said. According to police, Ricky Davis, 56, was charged with sexually assaulting a child between the ages of five and nine between February 2012 and December 2017. Police investigators "are concerned that there may be other victims" and are asking them to come forward, according to a news release. After charges were announced late last week, Davis was suspended from his positions as coach of the under-16 girls' Saskatoon Hustlers team, as the team's local zone commissioner and as Saskatoon Minor Softball League board member. An emergency meeting was held at the Gordie Howe Sports Complex in Saskatoon on Saturday. Dutton and other parents were asked to sign a form as they entered. Non-disclosure agreement Dutton said she thought it was a standard COVID-19 contact tracing form, but it was a non-disclosure agreement. She refused to sign and took her seat. Shortly after the meeting began, she said another parent asked why they had to sign, and asked if police told officials it was necessary. According to Dutton, an official said the forms were necessary because they "didn't want to see discussions in the media." An official asked her to leave, but she argued against it and was allowed to stay. During the meeting, Dutton said, she and others raised concerns about Davis. Dutton said this was the first she's heard of any alleged criminal behaviour, but she and others have lodged multiple complaints over the years about Davis's methods and lack of transparency. Dutton said she and others have either resigned or been forced off the minor softball board for questioning Davis. Ricky Davis, 56, is accused of sexually assaulting a child.(Supplied by Heidi Dutton) Murphy said the league, like other minor sports organizations, has a rigorous, 10-step screening process for coaches and volunteers that includes a criminal record check. Murphy said they will be posting a statement on the SMSL website and social media notifying everyone of the suspension. The Hustlers team posted a statement on its website Monday afternoon. "Protecting the participants within our softball community is our first priority and it is a responsibility we take seriously," read the statement. Davis's first court appearance was scheduled for Monday morning in Saskatoon, but it was delayed due to a backlog of other cases. No one from Softball Saskatchewan could be reached for comment Monday afternoon.
Regina council has unanimously approved an option for an undisclosed company to purchase more than 250 hectares of land north of the city despite last-minute opposition to the sale. The purchaser is described only as "an independent commercial party" in a report that was approved by council at a special council meeting on Monday. The $4-million purchase price for the 633.6 acres (256.4 hectares) of land is below market value, but the potential development was touted as bringing "substantial economic opportunity for the City of Regina," according to the report. Although the public is not privy to the discussions, councillors confirmed during the special meeting that they know the identity of the developer. They've also been provided a more detailed economic assessment than what has been shared publicly. The parcel of land in question is north of the city, and shown on this map with blue diagonal stripes.(City of Regina) The city's administrative staff confirmed that the developer's board will be making a decision on where to locate the potential development, which includes Regina, "very soon." Business opposition Despite the unanimous support that it received from council, the decision was not universally praised. Two companies presented council with their objections to the deal ahead of the vote on Monday. AGT Foods opposed the sale, citing a lack of consultation and concern over the developer's intentions. Representatives from Federated Co-Op Ltd. (FCL), whose refinery borders on the parcels, voiced their opposition to the deal. The company said they only found out about the potential sale by reading a CBC News story on the subject and claimed the potential future development would box FCL in and restrict future expansion. FCL recently acquired True North Renewable Fuels. The deal, representatives told council on Monday, was made with the knowledge that they would look to expand into land adjacent to the refinery — including some or all of the parcels up for vote. Although FCL wanted to be offered the chance to take part in a bidding process, that door was swiftly closed by council's vote. The undisclosed developer has now been granted a $4-million option to purchase the land, with $50,000 of that being considered a non-refundable fee. That option to purchase will be required to be exercised within one year. The City of Regina and the developer would also need to come to further agreements on a number of unspecified details that require further study. Those would come before council for approval and would likely include further details on the developer and its plans. If the option to purchase is exercised but construction of the proposed development doesn't get underway within two years of the purchase, the City of Regina would have the right to take ownership of the parcels. That process would require the city to refund the $4-million option, minus the $50,000 fee.
Saskatchewan has set an ambitious timeline for getting its adult population vaccinated. On Wednesday, the province's chief medical health officer predicted that by mid-May all willing and able residents in the province aged 18 and older could have access to their first dose of COVID-19 vaccine. But an analysis by CBC News shows the province will have to substantially speed up its efforts if it wants a chance of meeting its goal and avoiding a high-profile misstep for a government that has touted vaccines as the only way out of the pandemic. Last week the province averaged 9,681 vaccine doses per day. To get a dose in every adult's arm, Saskatchewan would need to more than double that. That goal may be already out of reach. Population challenges As of July 2020, StatsCanada estimated that there were 905,623 adults in the province. As of Sunday, 240,931 adults in Saskatchewan had received their first dose of a COVID-19 vaccine. That would leave about 664,692 adults yet to be vaccinated. The province has averaged 5,508 jabs a day since March 5. Even with the rate increasing to more than 8,000 per day during the week of March 29 to April 4, it is still nowhere near the pace needed to meet its rapidly approaching target. As of Monday, there are only 33 days until May 15. To vaccinate every adult in that period, the province will need to complete more than 20,000 jabs a day. So far, the most people Saskatchewan has vaccinated in one day is 13,170, on April 11. Every day the government doesn't reach the necessary daily average, it means more must be vaccinated in the days to come. How many will be vaccinated? Is the province capable of scaling up its vaccination efforts? It's not clear. The Saskatchewan government would not provide answers to any of the questions CBC News asked for this story. Instead, all inquiries were directed to a news conference on vaccines from April 7. None of the questions were addressed in that news conference. Meeting the goal will, paradoxically, be helped by vaccine hesitancy. It's very unlikely that every person in the province will be willing to get vaccinated. Saskatchewan would not provide any information on how many people it has predicted will oppose vaccinations. Health Minister Paul Merriman has insisted that everyone get inoculated. "That's the very best way to protect yourself and those around you and that is the way to the end of this pandemic. In fact, it's the only way to the end of this pandemic," said Merriman at a provincial update on Wednesday. According to the World Health Organization, the percentage of a population that needs to be vaccinated in order to achieve herd immunity varies with each disease. Health Canada's chief medical adviser Dr. Supriya Sharma previously told the House of Commons health committee in February that vaccination rates will likely need to be high in order to counter the emergence of COVID-19 variants. "With the emergence of variants and because they are more transmissible, I think a lot of people are adjusting those numbers up toward more like 85 per cent, or even potentially 90 per cent, coverage to achieve herd immunity," she said. "Certainly it's a moving target, because, as we know, the virus and its transmissibility and how contagious it is is changing." Even if the province is hoping to inoculate 85 per cent of the adult population, it must ramp up efforts on an extraordinary scale. Rapid vaccinations, but high case counts On a per capita basis, Saskatchewan ranks highly among the provinces in two significant categories. It is the top province in Canada for vaccinations per capita. As of Monday, the province had vaccinated 23,947 per 100,000 people in the province. "We are leading the country. We are getting as many shots into people as soon as we possibly can, and that's the way through this," Merriman told media on Thursday. But Saskatchewan is also among the top provinces in known COVID-19 cases per capita — third in both active and total cases per capita. Premier Scott Moe has resisted calls to implement stricter province-wide COVID-19 restrictions. The province is in a race to vaccinate as quickly as possible. And the clock on the province's self-imposed deadline is ticking.
A member of the province's vaccine distribution task force is trying to clear up confusion among some people aged 18 to 49 in hot-spot neighbourhoods about how to get immunized against COVID-19. Dr. Isaac Bogoch said residents in that age group living in high-risk areas will be able to get the shots in mobile and pop-up clinics that are locally advertised. And contrary to what some have thought, they will not yet be able to book an appointment online at a mass vaccination clinic. The comments by the infectious disease specialist come after City of Toronto officials said there was some confusion following the announcement by the Ontario government last Wednesday that people 18 and older could get vaccinated with the help of mobile teams. "I wish there was more clarity at the time of the announcement," Bogoch told CBC Toronto. "I think it's important to note that, anyone who lives in those hot spots is certainly eligible for vaccination. There's no age cutoff for vaccination if you live in those hot spots. But the program is really bringing vaccines to the people," he added. Bogoch said these clinics are strategically located in community centres, places of worship, workplaces and at locations close to high density housing. "How will I know where they are? The answer is it's very, very locally advertised. It is truly a locally advertised vaccination. For example, if it's coming to a place of work, people at that place of work will be notified. If it's going to a community centre, members of that community will be notified." Dr. Isaac Bogoch, infectious disease specialist, says: 'How will I know where they are? The answer is it's very, very locally advertised. It is truly a locally advertised vaccination. For example, if it's coming to a place of work, people at that place of work will be notified. If it's going to a community centre, members of that community will be notified.'(Craig Chivers/CBC) Bogoch noted there was a pop-up vaccination clinic in Thorncliffe Park on the weekend in the parking lot of the Masjid Darus Salaam mosque. The clinic was across from Iqbal Halal Foods. "Obviously, that's available for people who live in that area. You have to show proof of ID that demonstrates that you live in that postal code. That's a very local vaccine clinic for a particular community," he said. He said the idea is to lower the barriers for vaccines for the "highest of high risk." Toronto Fire Chief Matthew Pegg, general manager of emergency management, agreed that there's been a lack of clarity about the clinics, but said that was partly due to the rapidly changing course of the pandemic. "I appreciate that there is some confusion and I think that we all appreciate how quickly these things are moving and how quickly we're all having to respond and pivot, if you will, to the changes that are being made." Pegg said people 18 and older in hot spots are not eligible to book through the provincial booking system not at any of the mass vaccination clinics run by the city. "Generally speaking, pop-up and mobile clinics are brought to the attention of eligible clients directly by primary care physicians, employers, building managers, faith leaders and other local leaders, who are directly connected with those for whom these clinics will serve," Pegg said. Alexandra Hilkene, spokesperson for Ontario Health Minister Christine Elliott, said more details on how people 18 and older can make an appointment at pop-up and mobile clinics in Toronto and Peel Region will be provided in the near future with the help of Toronto Public health and Peel Public Health. "In these high-risk areas in Toronto and Peel, mobile teams, working with public health units, community groups, and local businesses will be established to administer vaccines to individuals 18+ to targeted settings as supply allows," she said. "This includes high-risk congregate settings, residential buildings, faith based locations, and large employers. Pop-up clinics will also be set-up in highly impacted neighbourhoods to administer vaccines to those 18+, including at faith-based locations and community centres."
First Nations leaders in Western Canada are proposing a corridor for transporting commodities from the region and — possibly — to the West Coast. The goal is to establish a route for pipelines or rail lines to ship oil and other materials. Treaty 8 leaders, who represent 40 First Nations in Alberta, Saskatchewan, British Columbia and the Northwest Territories, are already having talks with provincial and federal government ministers about the proposal. At this time, the route is still under discussion, but access to the West Coast is a priority so commodities can be exported. That would require working with coastal communities outside of Treaty 8. "It would go west. That's what we're working on. It's in the discussion phase, but it's gaining momentum with the chiefs," said Arthur Noskey, Grand Chief of Treaty 8 First Nations. "At the end of the day, when this is approved, there will be pipeline access. There will be railroad access if need be. The First Nations will benefit from it, that I can say." Grand Chief Arthur Noskey participates in a meeting about increasing Indigenous participation in the economy in June 2019. (Jason Franson/The Canadian Press) For much of the past decade, attempts to build new pipelines from Alberta to the coast have either failed or faced delays. For instance, Enbridge's Northern Gateway project was shelved and Kinder Morgan sold the Trans Mountain expansion to the federal government, in part because of Indigenous opposition. The Coastal GasLink project created national attention last summer after several Wet'suwet'en hereditary chiefs opposed the pipeline's route through disputed land. Despite several disruptions, construction continues on the project. The proposed passageway would avoid such conflict, say leaders. "When this agreement is in place, there won't be any First Nations protesting or blocking. That would be the social licence that the chiefs will have to work on and achieve," said Noskey. "The reason why investors basically are shy about investing in Canada is because of the Wet'suwet'en and the process that escalated into. So we're trying to reassure the investors that, yes, you can still invest in Treaty 8 territory." Treaty 8 territory includes parts of Alberta, Saskatchewan, British Columbia and the Northwest Territories.(CBC News Graphics) Leaders say they would require the highest environmental protection for their land, while also ensuring a benefit to all people belonging to Treaty 8. "It's definitely a work in progress, but we have unity. We have unity right now within the Treaty 8 governments," said Chief Isaac Laboucan-Avirom of the Woodland Cree First Nation, in northern Alberta. "There's a need to get the economy stimulated again. People want to get back to work." Treaty 8 leaders want a passageway that could be used for electricity transmission lines or for transporting oil, among other uses.(Kyle Bakx/CBC) A few years ago, some First Nations supported building four pipelines from Fort McMurray to the West Coast, but the Eagle Spirit project was cancelled after the federal government passed Bill C-48, which banned oil tankers from docking along B.C.'s north coast. In the last federal election, the Conservatives proposed a national energy corridor across the country. The Treaty 8 leaders say their corridor could provide access for a number of different projects, such as electricity transmission lines and fibre optic cables. Grand Chief Arthur Noskey of Treaty 8 First Nations, left, and Chief Isaac Laboucan-Avirom of the Woodland Cree First Nation, right.(Supplied) "Our government remains fully committed to responsible economic development in partnership with Indigenous peoples. Good projects can only be built in a good way, and with meaningful consultation with Indigenous communities," said Ian Cameron, spokesperson for federal minister of natural resources, Seamus O'Regan. Next steps include establishing a corporate structure and naming a CEO in order for the corridor to move from being an idea to an actual project.
Country superstar Dolly Parton sent her thanks to P.E.I. last week for joining her Imagination Library charity. The program provides free monthly books for children up to the age of five. "I was just over the moon when I heard Prince Edward Island now has a provincial-wide Imagination Library program," Parton said in a video posted to Facebook on Friday. "My thanks goes to Senator [Diane] Griffin for joining us in Nashville to hear me talk about my Imagination Library program." She also thanked Premier Dennis King and former education minister Brad Trivers for providing funding for the program, as well as the P.E.I. Literacy Alliance and Rotary Club. The Imagination Library partners with publishers and postal services to provide monthly delivery of books for $50 a year per child. Those costs are covered locally. The program launched by the P.E.I. Literacy Alliance in October and the 2,000 spaces were quickly fully subscribed. The province stepped in with funding for another 1,000 children. There are about 7,000 children under five on P.E.I. The P.E.I. Literacy Alliance has set a goal to register every one of them. More from CBC P.E.I.
