U.S. Rep. Mo Brooks of Alabama is seeking the U.S. Senate seat that will be vacated when Sen. Richard Shelby retires. (March 25)
(ANNews) – There is no doubt that Canada is currently is being hit by the third wave of COVID-19 as Alberta cases and hospitalizations have spiked in recent days. Variant cases continue to surge and are now the dominant strains of the virus — accounting for 45.5 per cent of total active cases. In order to combat this, Alberta Premier Jason Kenney announced earlier this week that the province would be regressing back to phase 1 of their re-opening plan: – Indoor dining at restaurants is forbidden, with delivery and pick-up service still continuing. – Indoor social gatherings are still banned and outdoor gatherings are now limited to 10 people only. – Retail store capacity has been lowered to 15 per cent. The full list of restrictions can be found on the Alberta Government website. The announcement is more polarizing as ever. Many health care experts have criticized the announcement, believing that the province should go back into a full lockdown. Dr. Shazma Mithani, an ER physician in Edmonton said, “All levels of government need to take action to prevent a higher peak in this third wave. What we are recommending today is an immediate lockdown, or circuit breaker. “We are asking that people only leave their homes for essential services, they only have contact with members of their own household or their cohort.” However, 17 United Conservative Party MLAs – part of the Alberta Government – have spoken out against the new restrictions. “We believe that yesterday’s announcement to move our province backwards, effectively abandoning the plan that Albertans had worked diligently over the past months to follow, is the wrong decision,” they said in a letter released on Wednesday April 7. Alberta Assembly of First Nations Regional Chief, Marlene Poitras, spoke on the rising number of COVID cases in the province. “The COVID-19 third wave is upon us across the country… Variant strains are now the dominant mode of transmission in the province — over 50% of new cases are now variants of concern. 86 cases of the variants were identified among First Nations.” “This is a very troubling and worrisome development,” continued the regional chief, who then emphasized that the new cases are outpacing Alberta’s ability to vaccinate. “It’s more important than ever that we follow the public health guidelines. The new strains are more contagious and more deadly, and we are seeing increased hospitalizations and severe outcomes in younger populations. “I, like all of you, am feeling COVID fatigue. I know we are tired and this has gone on for so long, but this truly is the pivotal point in our fight, where our actions as individuals will determine the path the virus takes. “In the short term, we need to continue to physically distance, sanitize, and practice good health measures. In the medium and long term, we need to vaccinate – please, get educated, and get vaccinated. The vaccines approved for use in Canada are safe and effective,” concluded Chief Poitras. On First Nations, as of April 8 Indigenous Services Canada (ISC) is aware of: – 25,393 confirmed positive COVID-19 – 629 active cases – 1,146 hospitalizations – 24,468 recovered cases – 296 deaths Case numbers per region: – British Columbia: 2,870 – Alberta: 7,299 – Saskatchewan: 6,333 – Manitoba: 6,553 – Ontario: 1,676 – Quebec: 652 – Atlantic: 10 Jacob Cardinal, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Alberta Native News
One person is dead and three others suffered minor injuries following a two-vehicle collision in Brampton Saturday night. Peel Regional Police say they were called to the area of Bartley Bull Parkway and Main Street, north of Steeles Avenue, just before 9:30 p.m. Police said an occupant of one of the vehicles sustained life-threatening injuries and was going to be transported to a trauma centre. However, that person died on scene, Peel police spokesperson Akhil Mooken said. A total of four people were in the two vehicles at the time of the crash. The Major Collision Bureau has taken over the investigation, police say, and there are road closures in the area as they investigate. Witnesses are asked to contact investigators if they have any information including dashcam footage of the incident.
AUBURN, N.S. — A Nova Scotia high school student says she's back in class after being suspended for bringing attention to someone wearing a shirt that she found offensive. In an interview Sunday, Kenzie Thornhill said she returned to West Kings District High School in Auburn, N.S., on Friday, following a conversation with the school's principal who told her the local school board had reversed its decision. The 17-year-old Grade 12 student says she was suspended last week after posting a photo online of someone wearing a shirt with lyrics on the back that mimicked the style of "Deck the Halls," with one line reading: “'tis the season to be rapey.” "Knowing people that are (sexual assault) victims, and not liking that at all, I did what pretty much any teen would do with social media and I posted it," said Thornhill. Thornhill said she had also shown the photo to a teacher and hall monitor and was told the issue would be handled. But although the photo only showed the shirt and not the student, said Thornhill, the school board suspended her for five days for violating school rules. She said they told her posting the photo on social media was a form of cyberbullying. "I was being punished for posting this photo, but the kid who did wear the shirt, however, was just told not to wear the shirt again," she said. Annapolis Valley Regional Centre for Education executive director Dave Jones would not discuss specific details citing privacy. In an emailed statement sent Friday, he said, "the school has revisited the decisions made in recent days related to discipline." Jones also said it was an opportunity to engage with students and to help them feel "safe and supported" and to feel they can report any incident within their school or its community. "Any language that promotes sexual violence is never acceptable or tolerated at our schools, and it was not acceptable in this instance," he said. Thornhill said she wasn't given a specific reason why her suspension was revoked and she's asked her principal to seek an apology from school board officials. "To be made public if that would be OK, but if they can't then just to me would be fine," she said. This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 11, 2021. The Canadian Press
IQALUIT, Nunavut — Russia wants to stretch out imaginary lines on the ocean floor — and below it — and that has one northern security expert worried about consequences for other Arctic countries like Canada. Last week, Russia filed a submission to the United Nations Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf to extend a claim to the Arctic Ocean seabed. The UN still has to review the submission but, if it's approved, Russia would have exclusive rights to resources in the seabed and below it, but not in the water. The new submission would push Russia's claim all the way up to Canada's exclusive economic zone, an area 200 nautical miles from the coastline, in which Canadians have sole rights to fish, drill and pursue other economic activities. Philip Steinberg, a political geography professor at the University of Durham in the United Kingdom, estimates Russia's submission expands its original claim by about 705,000 square kilometres. Robert Huebert, a political science professor at the University of Calgary, said Russia's request gets as close to Canada's 200-mile limit as possible. "This is a maximalist submission. You cannot claim any more," said Huebert, an Arctic security and defence analyst with the Centre for Military and Strategic Studies. Countries have sovereignty over their zones but can submit scientific evidence to the UN to claim control over the soil and subsoil of the extended continental shelf. Russia's amended submission overlaps with those from Canada and Denmark, but does not extend into the north of Alaska. "In effect, they’re claiming the entire Arctic Ocean as their continental shelf in regards to where their Arctic comes up against Canada’s and Denmark's." Huebert said. The claims from Canada, Denmark (on behalf of Greenland), and Russia already overlap at the North Pole, but the amended claim goes beyond that, Huebert said. "We haven’t seen a country before that’s extended over its neighbours. Here’s a situation where they’re claiming the entire Canadian and Danish continental shelf as part of their continental shelf." Huebert noted there have been recent reports of an increased Russian military presence on the Ukrainian border over the last two weeks. "If the Russians reinvigorate the conflict with Ukraine, that is going to spill into all of this." he said. “I don’t think anyone should assume that Russia will do anything less than pursue its maximum foreign policy interests." Whitney Lackenbauer, a professor at Trent University who specializes in circumpolar affairs, disagrees. "Russia is playing by the rules. And for those of us who are concerned about Russia’s flouting of the rules-based order, I actually take a great deal of comfort in seeing Russia go through the established process in this particular case," Lackenbauer said. He believes Russia's submission signals eventual talks between the three countries to determine the limits of their continental shelves. "Setting out to negotiate where the outermost limits would be was something that was always in the cards," Lackenbauer said. "I’m not worried about Russia’s actions as an Arctic coastal state seeking to determine the outermost limits of its extended continental shelf." Nor is he concerned about potential conflict, since Russia has submitted the required scientific evidence. "You can’t sit on a continental shelf and claim squatter’s rights to it." In a statement, a spokesperson for Global Affairs Canada said Canada "remains firmly committed to exercising in full its sovereign rights in the Arctic" according to international law. The statement also said Russia's revised outer limit "does not establish new rights for Russia over the newly created overlap areas." It said Canada is studying Russia’s revised claim on its outer limits to prepare an appropriate response. This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 11, 2021. ___ This story was produced with the financial assistance of the Facebook and Canadian Press News Fellowship Emma Tranter, The Canadian Press
Police on Vancouver Island and the BC Coroners Service are investigating the death of a six-year-old child at a motel in Duncan Friday night. RCMP say officers and first responders were called to the motel for a report of an unresponsive child shortly after 9 p.m. PT The child was transported to a local hospital and pronounced dead. Police say the North Cowichan Duncan General Investigation Section is leading the investigation, with support from the Forensic Identification Section and front-line officers. 'It's heartbreaking' The BC Coroners Service is also conducting a separate investigation, RCMP said. On Saturday, officers could be seen collecting evidence at the Falcon Nest Motel. The motel's manager, Valma Sampson, said a family had been in the suite. "It's heartbreaking," Sampson said, adding that she herself has a five-year-old. "It's a sad situation." RCMP Staff Sgt. Janelle Shoihet said victim services have been supporting the family.
OTTAWA — Erin O'Toole assured Conservative supporters that he never hid who he was in his bid to secure the party leadership, telling a high-profile conference on Saturday that the "true blue" campaign he ran to secure the party helm does reflect his true colours. O'Toole fielded questions about his authenticity during an evening question-and-answer session that closed out a conference hosted by the Canada Strong and Free Network, formerly the Manning Centre. He's being branded as "Liberal-lite" in some quarters, the same descriptor O'Toole once leveled at former rival and ex-parliamentarian Peter MacKay during last year's leadership race. O'Toole, who during the contest pitched himself to party members as a "real Conservative," said he finds those now making similar comments about him to be "humorous." He said he's been trying to grow the party's appeal to a wider swath of Canadians since assuming the party reins. O'Toole contended that bigger tent should include those who identify as Indigenous, working-class and LGBTQ if the party wants to ensure success in the next election. "I didn't hide who I was when I was running for leader," said O'Toole. "All of the things I ran on, I'm still running on now. I'm also, though, reaching out and trying to communicate our Conservative ideas to more people in new ways." O'Toole told conference attendees that Conservatives must fight an election on the issues of today rather than those of decades past. Those issues include his willingness to slash millions from the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation and modernize its mandate, as well as crack down on illegal rail blockades, positions he said help set him apart from Liberal Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. The theme of Saturday's conference was "build back right," which played off Trudeau's oft-expressed wish to "build back better" when helping Canada's economy recover from the ravages of the COVID-19 pandemic. The think tank's annual convention — moved online in accordance with public health advice to avoid in-person gatherings — was billed as the largest networking event for both small-c and big-C conservatives to discuss current issues. Among them was how to expand the scope of the Conservative movement. Lilly Obina, a black woman who campaigned for different Conservative candidates and ran for a nomination in 2015, said one reason the party doesn't resonate with the black community is its messaging around cuts, which needs to be better explained. The senior project executive with Immigration, Refugee and Citizenship Canada told a panel that economics are important to the black community, who she said can feel targeted when the party talks about reducing the size of government. "We need to be able to empathize with what goes (on) in the black community," she said. "For example, when they say we are experiencing systemic racism, let's recognize that, let's be empathetic. You might not have solutions to everything, but at least just acknowledge that the problem exists." Tenzin Khangsar, who did cultural outreach for Alberta Premier Jason Kenney when he served as Immigration Minister under former prime minister Stephen Harper's Conservative government, said the party has had previous success with reaching newcomers despite the present-day challenges. The former candidate pointed to how a large number of their votes were captured under former prime ministers Brian Mulroney and Harper, the latter of whom was aided by Kenney's efforts to build relationships with immigrant communities. "He was dubbed the minister of curry in a hurry for a reason," said Khangsar, citing how he would attend upwards of 15 community events in a weekend. "No one likes when it you're approached just during an election, that's very transactional." He suggested forging personal relationships is an important way to sway votes among new immigrants and ethnic-Canadians,, even more so than with non-ethnic residents. "Our playbook was very simple: We were very confident that most new Canadians were small-c conservatives. We just had to make them big-C Conservatives," Khangsar said. "And I would even add that applies to most Canadians." Harper was among those who appeared at Saturday's conference in a pre-taped panel discussion with former British prime minister David Cameron. Moderated by Senator Linda From, the centre's president said their talk couldn't be publicized beyond the conference because of a contract with the former leaders. This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 10, 2021. Stephanie Taylor, The Canadian Press Note to readers: This is a corrected story. A previous version identified one delegate as Tenzin Khangdsar. His name is, in fact, Tenzin Khangsar.
WEIMAR, Germany — Germany’s president on Sunday marked the 76th anniversary of the liberation of the Buchenwald concentration camp by reminding his compatriots of the inconceivable atrocities the Nazis committed there during the Third Reich. “Communists and democrats, homosexuals and so-called asocials were incarcerated at Buchenwald. Jews, Sinti and Roma were brought here and murdered,” President Frank-Walter Steinmeier said during a speech in the nearby German town of Weimar, 76 years to the day after U.S. forces liberated the camp. “With its diversity of victims' groups, Buchenwald represents the entire barbarism of the Nazis, its aggressive nationalism to the outside, it's dictatorship on the inside, and a racist way of thinking,” Steinmeier said. “Buchenwald stands for racial fanaticism, torture, murder and elimination.” Holocaust survivors and their families weren't allowed to gather for anniversary observances this year because of the coronavirus pandemic. Survivors from different parts of the world instead attended Sunday's memorial ceremony online. Large-scale commemorations for last year’s 75th anniversary were put on hold due to social distancing requirements. The Buchenwald concentration camp was established in 1937. More than 56,000 of the 280,000 inmates held at Buchenwald and its satellite camps were killed by the Nazis or died as a result of hunger, illness or medical experiments before the camp's liberation on April 11, 1945. “It was a dictatorship, a Nazi leadership that was responsible for the cruelest crimes and the genocide," Steinmeier said. “But it was human beings, Germans, who did this to other human beings.” After his speech in Weimar, Steinmeier went to the site of the former concentration camp, where he laid a wreath with yellow and red flowers for the victims. The Associated Press
VANCOUVER — Grizzly bears seem to favour gently sloping or flat trails like those commonly used by people, which can affect land management practices in wild areas, says an expert who has written a paper on their travel patterns. One of the reasons people encounter bears while hiking could be because they prefer the same routes as humans, said Gordon Stenhouse, a researcher at the Alberta-based Foothills Research Institute. The study recently published in the Journal of Experimental Biology could be used by resource-based industries in areas like forestry, oil and gas exploration, especially in Alberta, he said in an interview. "Grizzly bears alter their movement patterns and habitat use in response to a wide range of environmental cues, including seasonal food resources, human recreation — such as hiking, camping, hunting — livestock grazing and road use," the study says. The study was led by Anthony Carnahan, a doctoral candidate at Washington State University. Stenhouse said the study can help understand what areas bears use, how fast they move, how best to conserve those places and avoid conflict with the animals. "Bears will make decisions on lots of factors and certainly, you know, the information shows that bears look for easy routes of travel, just like people do," he said. Changes to the landscape caused by humans raises questions about how bears are affected, he said. "For example, when we harvest the forests and bears walk through there, do they burn a lot more energy or less, or how do they travel?" To study the slopes favoured by bears and the energy expended, scientists at Washington State University’s Bear Research, Education, and Conservation Center trained nine captive animals to walk on a treadmill at varying inclinations. The bears ranged in age from two to 15 years and weighed between 91 and 265 kilograms. Researchers measured the bears’ oxygen levels and counted the calories they consumed while walking on the treadmill for about six minutes. The preferred speed was about four kilometres per hour with a 10 per cent incline up or down. However, bears in the Yellowstone National Park fitted with GPS collars ambled at a comfortable rate of about two km/h. Stenhouse said changes in a bear's gait are related to how they forage for food. "Grizzly bears sleep from about midday till five in the morning and they wake up. Then they start moving and as they're moving, they're searching the environment, seeing what food they can find," he said. "They might find a patch of berries or some roots to dig up, and then they keep moving around their home range. Basically, they're feeding as they walk." They might have a burst of energy when they hunt a deer but there are not many of those moments, he added. The data helps understand the movement of grizzly bears, their use of landscape, the energy expended, and the nutrition they need, which is ultimately important for the long-term conservation of the species, he said. "It's probably not your normal thing to be putting a grizzly bear on a treadmill," Stenhouse said. "Some people might laugh and think it's funny, but the overall goal is to allow better management practices and ensure conservation." This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 11, 2021. Hina Alam, The Canadian Press
Iran state media reported an electrical "incident" at the country's Natanz nuclear plant just hours after it inaugurated new devices to speed up the enrichment of uranium.View on euronews
NOOTKA, B.C. — Three people have been banned from fishing or holding a fishing licence anywhere in Canada after pleading guilty to overfishing on Vancouver Island in 2019.Nootka Sound RCMP investigated the trio in September of that year after reports the three were overfishing in the Gold River area.When police found the individuals, only one of the three had a valid fishing licence and the group had dozens of fish, including salmon, which were not properly recorded.Mounties seized the group's 30-foot fishing vessel and all equipment on board at the time, along with Chinook salmon, rock fish filets and ling cod filets.The three appeared in Provincial Court in Campbell River, B.C., this past February and pleaded guilty to violating the Fisheries Act.Greg Askey, a fishery officer and field supervisor with the Campbell River Fisheries Department Detachment, says in a statement that this was the most significant sport fish violation he's seen in more than 20 Years.This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 11, 2021. The Canadian Press
OTTAWA — The commander of Canada's special forces says his soldiers supported a major military offensive last month that U.S. and Iraqi officials say killed dozens of Islamic State fighters. The two-week offensive codenamed Operation Ready Lion took place in a mountain range in northern Iraq and involved using Iraqi and coalition airstrikes to flush ISIL fighters from their tunnel complexes and bunkers. Those who fled were either captured or killed by Iraqi military snipers. The Canadian Armed Forces has been relatively quiet about what its roughly 200 special forces soldiers in Iraq have been doing in recent years. But in an exclusive interview with The Canadian Press, Maj.-Gen. Peter Dawe says his troops helped plan the operation and then helped with surveillance, resupplies and medical evacuations as it was underway. The federal government recently extended Canada's anti-ISIL mission, which first started in late 2014, currently includes hundreds of other troops in addition to the special forces soldiers until next March. This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 11, 2021. The Canadian Press
The latest numbers of confirmed COVID-19 cases in Canada as of 8:30 p.m. ET on Saturday April 10, 2021. There are 1,052,539 confirmed cases in Canada. Canada: 1,052,539 confirmed cases (70,619 active, 958,633 resolved, 23,287 deaths).*The total case count includes 13 confirmed cases among repatriated travellers. There were 7,262 new cases Saturday. The rate of active cases is 185.81 per 100,000 people. Over the past seven days, there have been a total of 50,881 new cases. The seven-day rolling average of new cases is 7,269. There were 38 new reported deaths Saturday. Over the past seven days there have been a total of 237 new reported deaths. The seven-day rolling average of new reported deaths is 34. The seven-day rolling average of the death rate is 0.09 per 100,000 people. The overall death rate is 61.27 per 100,000 people. There have been 28,875,724 tests completed. Newfoundland and Labrador: 1,029 confirmed cases (14 active, 1,009 resolved, six deaths). There were four new cases Saturday. The rate of active cases is 2.68 per 100,000 people. Over the past seven days, there have been a total of nine new cases. The seven-day rolling average of new cases is one. There have been no deaths reported over the past week. The overall death rate is 1.15 per 100,000 people. There have been 226,346 tests completed. Prince Edward Island: 162 confirmed cases (six active, 156 resolved, zero deaths). There were zero new cases Saturday. The rate of active cases is 3.76 per 100,000 people. Over the past seven days, there have been a total of two new cases. The seven-day rolling average of new cases is zero. There have been no deaths reported over the past week. The overall death rate is zero per 100,000 people. There have been 130,175 tests completed. Nova Scotia: 1,764 confirmed cases (43 active, 1,655 resolved, 66 deaths). There were eight new cases Saturday. The rate of active cases is 4.39 per 100,000 people. Over the past seven days, there have been a total of 32 new cases. The seven-day rolling average of new cases is five. There have been no deaths reported over the past week. The overall death rate is 6.74 per 100,000 people. There have been 446,506 tests completed. New Brunswick: 1,713 confirmed cases (149 active, 1,531 resolved, 33 deaths). There were 19 new cases Saturday. The rate of active cases is 19.07 per 100,000 people. Over the past seven days, there have been a total of 72 new cases. The seven-day rolling average of new cases is 10. There was one new reported death Saturday. Over the past seven days there have been a total of three new reported deaths. The seven-day rolling average of new reported deaths is zero. The seven-day rolling average of the death rate is 0.05 per 100,000 people. The overall death rate is 4.22 per 100,000 people. There have been 274,425 tests completed. Quebec: 324,848 confirmed cases (12,371 active, 301,740 resolved, 10,737 deaths). There were 1,754 new cases Saturday. The rate of active cases is 144.28 per 100,000 people. Over the past seven days, there have been a total of 9,890 new cases. The seven-day rolling average of new cases is 1,413. There were 13 new reported deaths Saturday. Over the past seven days there have been a total of 53 new reported deaths. The seven-day rolling average of new reported deaths is eight. The seven-day rolling average of the death rate is 0.09 per 100,000 people. The overall death rate is 125.22 per 100,000 people. There have been 7,494,471 tests completed. Ontario: 382,152 confirmed cases (30,999 active, 343,622 resolved, 7,531 deaths). There were 3,813 new cases Saturday. The rate of active cases is 210.39 per 100,000 people. Over the past seven days, there have been a total of 23,594 new cases. The seven-day rolling average of new cases is 3,371. There were 19 new reported deaths Saturday. Over the past seven days there have been a total of 103 new reported deaths. The seven-day rolling average of new reported deaths is 15. The seven-day rolling average of the death rate is 0.1 per 100,000 people. The overall death rate is 51.11 per 100,000 people. There have been 12,879,408 tests completed. Manitoba: 35,104 confirmed cases (1,259 active, 32,896 resolved, 949 deaths). There were 135 new cases Saturday. The rate of active cases is 91.28 per 100,000 people. Over the past seven days, there have been a total of 752 new cases. The seven-day rolling average of new cases is 107. There were zero new reported deaths Saturday. Over the past seven days there have been a total of 11 new reported deaths. The seven-day rolling average of new reported deaths is two. The seven-day rolling average of the death rate is 0.11 per 100,000 people. The overall death rate is 68.8 per 100,000 people. There have been 608,766 tests completed. Saskatchewan: 35,983 confirmed cases (2,381 active, 33,149 resolved, 453 deaths). There were 236 new cases Saturday. The rate of active cases is 202.01 per 100,000 people. Over the past seven days, there have been a total of 1,660 new cases. The seven-day rolling average of new cases is 237. There were zero new reported deaths Saturday. Over the past seven days there have been a total of 17 new reported deaths. The seven-day rolling average of new reported deaths is two. The seven-day rolling average of the death rate is 0.21 per 100,000 people. The overall death rate is 38.43 per 100,000 people. There have been 696,057 tests completed. Alberta: 159,719 confirmed cases (13,687 active, 144,020 resolved, 2,012 deaths). There were 1,293 new cases Saturday. The rate of active cases is 309.53 per 100,000 people. Over the past seven days, there have been a total of 8,360 new cases. The seven-day rolling average of new cases is 1,194. There were five new reported deaths Saturday. Over the past seven days there have been a total of 18 new reported deaths. The seven-day rolling average of new reported deaths is three. The seven-day rolling average of the death rate is 0.06 per 100,000 people. The overall death rate is 45.5 per 100,000 people. There have been 3,809,874 tests completed. British Columbia: 109,540 confirmed cases (9,709 active, 98,336 resolved, 1,495 deaths). There were zero new cases Saturday. The rate of active cases is 188.61 per 100,000 people. Over the past seven days, there have been a total of 6,509 new cases. The seven-day rolling average of new cases is 930. There were zero new reported deaths Saturday. Over the past seven days there have been a total of 32 new reported deaths. The seven-day rolling average of new reported deaths is five. The seven-day rolling average of the death rate is 0.09 per 100,000 people. The overall death rate is 29.04 per 100,000 people. There have been 2,274,469 tests completed. Yukon: 74 confirmed cases (zero active, 73 resolved, one deaths). There were zero new cases Saturday. Over the past seven days, there have been a total of zero new cases. The seven-day rolling average of new cases is zero. There have been no deaths reported over the past week. The overall death rate is 2.38 per 100,000 people. There have been 8,647 tests completed. Northwest Territories: 43 confirmed cases (one active, 42 resolved, zero deaths). There were zero new cases Saturday. The rate of active cases is 2.21 per 100,000 people. Over the past seven days, there have been a total of one new cases. The seven-day rolling average of new cases is zero. There have been no deaths reported over the past week. The overall death rate is zero per 100,000 people. There have been 16,498 tests completed. Nunavut: 395 confirmed cases (zero active, 391 resolved, four deaths). There were zero new cases Saturday. Over the past seven days, there have been a total of zero new cases. The seven-day rolling average of new cases is zero. There have been no deaths reported over the past week. The overall death rate is 10.16 per 100,000 people. There have been 10,006 tests completed. This report was automatically generated by The Canadian Press Digital Data Desk and was first published April 10, 2021. The Canadian Press
When Al Stinson learned concrete bison heads from Calgary's Centre Street Bridge were up for auction, he figured prospective buyers might want to know a bit more about the heads' provenance. They weren't sculpted by James L. Thompson, a stonemason who crafted the original heads when the bridge was first built in 1916. And, he thought buyers might want to know that the heads likely weigh hundreds of pounds less than auctioneer's estimations — "I thought, well, if somebody is contemplating bidding on them, you know, [an estimated one-tonne weight is] a little bit of a deterrent," Stinson said. Stinson would know; he made them. Before the Calgary landmark was restored in 1983, Stinson — who had studied for a few years at what was then Calgary's Alberta College of Art and Design before teaching figure sculpture in England — was hired to recast the crumbling heads. "The guy who hired me asked me what I charge, and I was pretty naive and I said $2,000 ($4,600 in 2020). So that was eight of them, so like $250 a-piece," he said. Stinson said he would sit outside of the bison paddock at the Calgary Zoo, snapping photos of the bull bison while working on a small clay maquette to take back to his studio. "He was quite cooperative, hanging about as I fed him grass through the fence," he said. Using that small figure, he made a life-sized clay model before casting the heads using rubber molds and a type of polymer concrete. The inside was styrofoam core, to help reduce the weight, with pieces of rebar to help with installation. All-in-all, it was about four months of full-time work. When the bridge restoration was unveiled, there was no big fanfare for Stinson's work, which he said was fine by him. "My oldest daughter … I just remember carrying her down to see when they were installed," he said. "I've enjoyed being kind of anonymous." Stinson's sculptures remained on the bridge until 1999 when they were replaced with new recreations. But a piece of his work remains — he had added arcs, to the concrete panel behind his heads, to accommodate the bisons' humps. That change survived the restoration. Correcting the record Looking back at articles from the time, Stinson's preference to keep a low profile is apparent. In Feb. 5, 1983, the Calgary Herald published an article about how the aging bridge and bison heads required serious repair. It states the original sculptor's identity was "lost over time" but that a new, unnamed sculptor, would be patching up the old heads, not completely remaking them. The front page of the Herald on Aug. 17, 1983, features the installation of the eight new bison heads — with credit to the engineering team of Roy Lappin, Terrence Smith and Kevin Donohue mounting the art — but no mention of the new artist. And an Oct. 7 article from the same year describes the $50,000 bridge repair project but credits all of the sculptures to James L. Thompson's original work — next to an uncaptioned photo of one of Stinson's new bison heads. Proceeds from the auction of Al Stinson's bison sculptures will go toward Heritage Calgary's plaque program, which recognizes historic properties in the city.(Submitted by Levis Online Auctions) A letter to the editor, appearing on page A6 a few weeks later, notes that the paper neglected to credit Stinson as the sculptor. "Let's give some recognition to Al — and artists like him — whose contributions are as important as those by the engineers and city planners in making our concrete cities attractive and pleasing," wrote Leslie Robinson in the 1983 letter. Stinson said he kept copies of those articles. "I never contacted them at that time to straighten up their facts," he said with a laugh. But now, decades later, he's correcting the record. CBC has updated its first story on the bison head auction to credit Stinson as the artist. The 70-year-old is still sculpting and has recently taken up painting. The bison heads aren't the only pieces of his public work Calgarians might recognize. He has six installations at the Calgary airport in front of the ticket counters of cyclists, mountain climbers Georgia Englehard and Edward Feuz in 1932, a canoer, snowboarder and tobogganers. In the international departure zone, you'll find his depiction of children flying kites — based on his daughter, her friend and kitten. While much of his work depicts people, he said bison were a wonderful subject — "they run with such relentless rolling energy, like an avalanche." It remains to be seen where Stinson's bison will end up. Private appointments can be booked through Levis Online Auctions to view the Centre Street bison at an undisclosed city location. Bids can be made online, with the auction set to close on April 18.
Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin on Saturday discussed with his Philippine counterpart China’s recent positioning of “militia vessels” near the Philippines in the South China Sea. Austin spoke by phone with Philippine Secretary of National Defence Delfin Lorenzana while Austin was flying from Washington to Israel to begin an international trip. Pentagon press secretary John Kirby said Austin and Lorenzana discussed the situation in the South China Sea and the recent massing of Chinese vessels at Whitsun Reef, which has drawn criticism from Manila. China has said its vessels are there for fishing. In their phone call, Austin proposed to Lorenzana several measures to deepen defenceco-operation, including by “enhancing situational awareness of threats in the South China Sea,” Kirby said. He did not elaborate. Kirby said earlier this week that the aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt and its strike group, as well as the amphibious ship USS Makin Island, are operating in the South China Sea. The U.S. has no military forces based permanently in the Philippines but sometimes rotates forces to the country under the U.S.-Philippines Visiting Forces Agreement. The recent gathering of Chinese vessels near the Philippines is among moves the United States has criticized as efforts by Beijing to intimidate smaller nations in the region. Robert Burns, The Associated Press
MONTREAL — One person was found dead and seven were taken to hospital after a five-alarm fire swept through a low-income seniors housing complex in Montreal Sunday morning. Antoine Ortuso of the Urgences-Sante ambulance service said the death was declared at the scene, but the cause had not yet been established. He says seven people were taken to hospital for smoke inhalation and other medical problems while five more were treated at the site. Urgences-Sante said it received a call at about 9:20 a.m. and sent five ambulances to the building southwest of the downtown core. The address of the building is listed on a Montreal government website as a 105-unit building that houses low-income seniors. Premier Francois Legault tweeted his condolences to the family of the victim, and added that the ministers in charge of seniors and of housing would work to find new homes for the residents. Dominique Anglade, the head of the provincial Liberal party and legislature member for the riding, also expressed sadness at the event. "This morning, a person died in the fire that raged in my riding," she wrote on Twitter. "My condolences to the loved ones but also to the residents who are especially shaken by what is happening." The fire department first tweeted about the blaze shortly after 9 a.m., asking people to avoid the area. Images from the scene showed firefighters using ladders to evacuate the residents from their balconies as smoke rose from the building. Firefighters posted again about three hours after the initial message to say the fire had been controlled. A spokeperson for Montreal police said the force would likely be called to investigate the death after the firefighters' work is complete, but as of early Sunday afternoon had not yet received the call. This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 11, 2021 Morgan Lowrie, The Canadian Press
Access to national early learning programs and child care have become an "economic imperative" and Canadians should expect a "significant" announcement in the forthcoming federal budget, said Intergovernmental Affairs Minister Dominic LeBlanc. "Access to safe early learning and child care, high-quality child care, we think is now an economic imperative," LeBlanc told CBC's chief political correspondent Rosemary Barton on Rosemary Barton Live. "It's one social program done properly that has a direct impact on the growth of the Canadian economy." LeBlanc said that rolling out a national child care and early learning program would be difficult because each of the provinces have different mixes of private and public child-care systems. Despite those challenges the government is determined to push the policy forward. "I think Canadians should expect our government to do something very significant in this area because it's critical for the rebuilding of the economy as well as the social fabric of the country," he said. "It, frankly, allows parents to participate in the workforce in a way that's not only good for the economy, but it's also good for families." LeBlanc also said that despite the challenges of rolling out and funding a universal basic income, the Liberal Party was also prepared to consider "any thoughtful policy proposition." "I have a number of my colleagues in caucus who have been working for, in some cases a number of years, on what a universal basic income might look like," he said. WATCH | Expect 'significant' investment in budget for child care, LeBlanc says: While LeBlanc said that a discussion around a universal basic income is a valuable one to have, the economic challenges of rolling out a policy that would cost an estimated $85 billion a year makes it a significant challenge. "That's exactly the challenge, and that's why it hasn't been [implemented]. If it was very easy, some previous governments would have done it," LeBlanc said, noting that he still felt it is "a policy that we think deserves a lot of consideration." Will Mark Carney run for Liberals? The intergovernmental affairs minister also commented on former Bank of Canada governor Mark Carney's address to the Liberal convention in which he said he wanted to work to support the party. "I would hope Mr. Carney might, might consider running for the party. He obviously has a huge contribution to make to Canada, to the discussion, to the policy around fighting climate change," LeBlanc said. It was very significant when Carney agreed to speak at the Liberal convention, LeBlanc said, noting that while the former central banker was appointed by former prime minister Stephen Harper, he now appears to be fully in the Liberal camp. "He has an enormous contribution to make to public policy in the country," LeBlanc said. "And the fact that he's chosen to do it with the Liberal Party, I think says something very reassuring about the economic direction of our government."
MADRID — Keeping Lionel Messi in check again in what could turn out to be his last Spanish league clásico, Real Madrid continued the impressive run which has put it at the heart of the title race. Four days after beating Liverpool in the first leg of the Champions League quarterfinals, Madrid defeated Barcelona 2-1 on Saturday to return to the top in Spain. “We have to enjoy what we've been doing. We got two very good results and it wasn't easy,” Madrid coach Zinedine Zidane said. “Being in the lead won't change anything for us. We have to keep working hard.” The victory in pouring rain in the Spanish capital left Madrid tied on points with Atlético Madrid, which on Sunday can return to the top when it visits sixth-place Real Betis. Madrid is ahead of its city rival on the head-to-head tiebreaker. Barcelona, which had been unbeaten in 19 straight league games, stayed one point off the lead. The 33-year-old Messi, who reached seven straight clásicos without a goal, has his contract with Barcelona ending this season. The Argentina star expressed his desire to leave the Catalan club last year but had the request denied. Karim Benzema and Toni Kroos scored first-half goals to give Madrid its sixth straight win in all competitions. The defending league champions were coming off a 3-1 win over Liverpool in the Champions League on Tuesday. “It was a very important victory for us,” Madrid defender Nacho Fernández said after the Barcelona match. “It’s always special to win a clásico, and even more when we are so close together at the top in the fight for the title. You could say today was a final, but there is still a lot left in the league.” Barcelona got on the board in the second half with a goal by Óscar Mingueza. It nearly equalized with a shot from young substitute Ilaix Moriba that struck the crossbar in the final play of the match. “We tried until the end but it wasn’t possible. We almost had it in that final play,” Barcelona’s Sergi Roberto said. “We depended on our own results had we won, but now we need to hope that our rivals stumble. We will keep fighting until the very end.” This was the first time Madrid has taken the league lead since the early rounds of the competition, and it trailed Atlético by 11 points at one stage. The result ended Barcelona’s six-match winning streak in the league. It had won nine away matches in a row in the competition. It was an even start at the Alfredo Di Stéfano Stadium in Madrid’s training centre, but the hosts opened the scoring in the 13th minute with Benzema’s superb flicked shot from close range after a low cross by Lucas Vázquez. The French striker, who has scored 10 goals in his last nine matches, got in front of Barcelona defender Ronald Araújo and flicked the ball toward the net with his back foot. He hadn’t scored against Barcelona in nine consecutive clásicos. The Catalan club complained of a foul by Vázquez on Messi just moments before the opening goal. Kroos added to the lead in the 28th from a free kick following a foul on Vinícius Júnior, who was coming off an outstanding performance in Madrid’s win over Liverpool. Kroos shot from just outside the area and the ball was deflected by American defender Sergiño Dest before going into the net. Madrid almost added to the lead in the 34th when Federico Valverde hit the post after a breakaway led by Vinícius Júnior, who also hit the post in the second half. That was after Barcelona pulled one back in the 60th with a shot from inside the area by Mingueza after a low cross by Jordi Alba. Madrid played the final minutes a man down after Casemiro was sent off with a second yellow card. One of Messi's best chances was with a corner kick that curled across the area and hit Madrid goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois’ far post in first-half stoppage time. Messi’s free kick in second-half stoppage time was easily stopped by Courtois. The visitors complained about being denied a penalty in the final minutes, with Barcelona coach Ronald Koeman saying it was “a clear penalty.” “I don't know why there is VAR in Spain,” he said. Madrid got the win despite a depleted defence — with the absence of central defenders Raphael Varane and Sergio Ramos. Barcelona was without the injured Gerard Piqué. Right back Vázquez, who has been key for Madrid in recent games, had to be replaced due to an injury before halftime. Barcelona’s next match is the Copa del Rey final against Athletic Bilbao on Saturday, while Madrid travels to England to play Liverpool again in the Champions League on Wednesday. CALA PLAYS Juan Cala, who last weekend was accused of racially insulting Valencia defender Mouctar Diakhaby, played from the start in Cádiz’s 1-0 win at Getafe. Cala denied any wrongdoing and the Spanish league said Friday it had not found evidence to support Diakhaby’s accusation against the Cádiz player. OTHER RESULTS Athletic Bilbao was held 0-0 at home by second-to-last Alavés to extend its winless streak to five matches in all competitions. The winless run of last-place Eibar reached 14 matches after a 1-0 home loss to eighth-place Levante. ___ More AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports ___ Tales Azzoni on Twitter: http://twitter.com/tazzoni Tales Azzoni, The Associated Press
There is plenty of misinformation circulating about ticks and the diseases they may carry. Here are four myths debunked, along with tick facts to keep people safe when exploring the outdoors.
TEL AVIV, Israel — U.S. Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin on Sunday declared an “enduring and ironclad” American commitment to Israel, reinforcing support at a tense time in Israeli politics and amid questions about the Biden administration's efforts to revive nuclear negotiations with Israel's archenemy, Iran. Austin's first talks in Israel since he became Pentagon chief in January come as the United States seeks to leverage Middle East diplomatic progress made by the Trump administration, which brokered a deal normalizing relations between Israel and several Arab states. After meeting with Defence Minister Benny Gantz in Tel Aviv, Austin said he had reaffirmed “our commitment to Israel is enduring and ironclad." Austin made no mention of Iran. Gantz, in his own remarks while standing beside Austin, said his country views the United States as a “full partner” against threats, “not the least, Iran.” Neither official took questions from reporters. “The Tehran of today presents a strategic threat to international security, the entire Middle East and to the state of Israel,” Gantz said in his prepared statement. “We will work closely with our American allies to ensure that any new agreement with Iran will security the vital interests of the world and of the United States, prevent a dangerous arms race in our region and protect the state of Israel.” Yoel Guzansky, a senior fellow at the Institute for National Security Studies, a Tel Aviv think-tank , said Austin's visit is important in part because it is the first by a member of President Joe Biden's Cabinet. “They want to show that they did come here with clean hands and they want to listen,” Guzansky said. “They want to listen to Israel’s worries and perhaps other partners’ worries about the negotiation about Iran.” Austin is steeped in the finer points of Middle East defence and security issues. He served four years as head of U.S. Central Command, capping a 41-year Army career that included commanding U.S. forces in Iraq. Flying overnight from Washington, Austin arrived in Tel Aviv in the tense aftermath of the country's fourth inconclusive election in the past two years. Israeli President Reuven Rivlin last week gave embattled Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu the difficult task of trying to form a new government. The key backdrop to Austin’s visit is the Israeli government’s concern about the Biden administration's attempt to work out an arrangement to reenter the Iran nuclear deal, which in Israel’s view is fatally flawed. Netanyahu has for years described Iran as an existential threat to his nation due to Iran's alleged pursuit of a nuclear weapon and its support for militant groups like Lebanon’s Hezbollah. Netanyahu, leading a state with its own secret nuclear weapons program, has accused Iran of seeking nuclear weapons to use with its ballistic missiles. Iran has maintained its nuclear program is peaceful. Netanyahu has also kept up his criticism of the Iran nuclear deal, which, if followed, strictly limits Tehran’s ability to enrich and stockpile uranium, blocking it from being able to make a weapon. “History has taught us that deals like this, with extremist regimes like this, are worth nothing,” Netanyahu said last week. By coincidence or not, Austin's arrived as Iran reported that its underground Natanz nuclear facility lost power Sunday just hours after starting up new advanced centrifuges capable of enriching uranium faster. If Israel caused the blackout, it would further heightens tensions between the two nations, already engaged in a shadow conflict across the wider Middle East. Last week, an Iranian ship said to be acting as a Revolutionary Guard base off the coast of Yemen was struck by an explosion. Iran blamed Israel for the blast. In addition to repeated assurances by Republican and Democratic administrations that the United States will endeavour to preserve Israel's qualitative military edge over its regional adversaries, Washington for years has invested heavily in helping Israel develop missile defence technologies. Iron Dome is one of the most-touted successes in Israel missile defence. It is a mobile anti-rocket system developed to intercept short-range unguided rockets. It has shot down more than 2,000 projectiles fired from the Gaza Strip since it was deployed a decade ago. The U.S. Army recently bought two Iron Dome batteries at the request of Congress to counter cruise missiles. There are questions in Israel about U.S. intentions in shifting military priorities away from the Middle East in order to focus more intensively on China and Russia as more significant threats to U.S. security. Iran is the central source of concern by Israel and by support groups in the United States. The Jewish Institute for National Security of America, or JINSA, argued in a report last week that such a shift in U.S. priorities would “send the wrong” signal as the Biden administration begins indirect talks with Iran on reviving the 2015 nuclear deal with international powers. President Donald Trump withdrew from it in 2018. “With reduced defensive capabilities and perceived American retrenchment from the region, Tehran and its proxies will only be incentivized to pursue even more dangerous actions to destabilize its neighbours,” the JINSA report said. Michael Makovsky, the president of JINSA and a former Pentagon official, said Austin's visit is especially timely, given the Biden administration's moves toward engaging Iran on its nuclear program. "Embracing and strengthening Israel sends a pointed signal to Iran, which will only enhance a credible military option against Iran and U.S. leverage in the talks,” Makovsky said in a statement. ___ Associated Press writers Josef Federman and Ilan Ben Zion in Jerusalem contributed to this report. Robert Burns, The Associated Press
Miss something this week? Don't panic. CBC's Marketplace rounds up the consumer and health news you need. Want this in your inbox? Get the Marketplace newsletter every Friday. Looking to buy an N95-style mask? You'll want to read this As more dangerous variants of the coronavirus spread, many of us are looking to upgrade our masks. Some of the more popular options are the KN95 respirator, which meets the Chinese standard of 95 per cent filtration efficiency and the KF94, which meets the Korean standard of 94 per cent filtration efficiency. But we've learned not all masks labelled as such are as effective as advertised. We tested 14 KN95 and KF94 respirator brands purchased from Amazon and other big box stores to see how they fared. Read more If you see this logo on a respirator, it means it is not authorized, says Dr. Jay Park. (CBC) Vaccines may improve symptoms for some COVID-19 long-haulers: study Emerging research suggests vaccines may reduce symptoms for some suffering from what's now being called "long COVID," where health problems persist for months after the infectious stage of the illness has passed. A new study out of the U.K., which is still awaiting the peer review process, looked at a small group of such patients and found those who had received at least one dose of the vaccine had "a small overall improvement" in long COVID symptoms and a "decrease in worsening symptoms" when compared to the unvaccinated patients. Read more Emerging research suggests vaccines may reduce symptoms for people suffering from so-called long COVID, or lingering symptoms after a bout of COVID-19.(Evan Mitsui/CBC) Are cheaper eggs just as nutritious as organic or free-run options? Have you ever found yourself overwhelmed by the differences between the eggs being sold at your grocery store? You're in luck! Marketplace tested 14 different brands of eggs to see if there were nutritional differences between some of the cheapest eggs and some organic options. Read more WATCH | Conventional eggs are just as nutritious as some organic options: What else is going on? Shortage of N.B. health-care providers forces student to pay out of pocket to see gynecologist Professor says structural, attitudinal problems can lead to patients going undiagnosed and untreated for years. Facebook downplays 'old' breach exposing info on 533 million users 3.5 million Canadians believed to be included in social media data breach. It's not just Toronto and Vancouver — Canada's housing bubble has gone national Bully offers with no conditions are popping up in small real estate markets, too. These RH children's bath wraps are a flammability hazard Consumers should immediately stop using the recalled product and return them to RH to obtain a refund or credit of the purchase price. These Yardworks kids garden tools might be a chemical hazard Consumers should immediately stop using the recalled products and return them to any Canadian Tire store for a full refund. This week on Marketplace (CBC) From exposing the situation in long-term care homes, to fake online reviews, to tracking your recycling and killing the buzz on popular products such as UV disinfecting devices, we're counting down the top seven "sins" some companies and governments commit against consumers. Find out how not to fall for these top tricks and schemes tonight at 8 p.m. (8:30 PM NT) on CBC-TV and CBC Gem. -David Common, Asha Tomlinson, Charlsie Agro and the Marketplace team Marketplace needs your help Got a gripe? Getting the run-around? Fighting the good fight? Tell us about it! You can get in touch with us with your story ideas and tips at marketplace@cbc.ca
