Saskatchewan doctors have been advised by the Saskatchewan Health Authority (SHA) to refrain from writing patients notes recommending a specific COVID-19 vaccine brand. The SHA said that at clinic locations, there are patients saying their physicians are recommending they only receive a specific brand. For example, Pfizer over Moderna, or Moderna over AstraZeneca. "There is no clinical evidence to support this recommendation," the SHA said in a statement. Those who may get a specific type of vaccine include people who have extremely vulnerable conditions, but those conditions have already been approved and listed by the Ministry of Health. All vaccines in Canada are safe and approved for use said the Saskatchewan Health Authority. It is encouraging people to get the first shot that is offered to them. (Leah Hennel/AHS) The SHA said physician support on this issue is "critical to ensure overall vaccine uptake and protecting people as quickly as possible." It also helps the vaccination process run more smoothly. "This becomes very confusing and anxiety-provoking for our patients, but also for our immunization staff who are showing up to work to do the best that they can and are often put in very difficult situations when they have to challenge a patient on their eligibility," physician executive Dr. Kevin Wasko said on April 15 during a physician's town hall meeting. "Please, follow the science." Not the time to vaccine shop: Shahab Saskatchewan's chief medical health officer Dr. Saqib Shahab said all COVID-19 vaccines approved by Health Canada are safe and effective. "This is not the time to hesitate or vaccine shop," said Shahab, who got the AstraZeneca shot. "The vaccine only works once it's in your arm and has the two to three weeks to work." Dr. Saqib Shahab, the province's chief medical health officer, received AstraZeneca-Oxford's COVID-19 vaccine at Regina's drive-thru clinic. (CBC) Health Minister Paul Merriman said people don't get an advanced warning of the brand they'll receive. Despite this, he said "we have had very minimal people that did not want to take a specific vaccine." "We don't have the amount of vaccines to pick and choose right now," Merriman said Saturday during a scrum with reporters at the Saskatchewan Legislature. "Every vaccine is a good vaccine."
An Edmonton non-profit has created a new wallet-sized card to help Indigenous people know their rights if stopped by police in Alberta. The statement to police card created by the Native Counselling Services of Alberta (NCSA) provides a list of people's rights and a paragraph that can be read to police. It also lists the organization's contact information. Staff say the card is to help Indigenous people invoke their rights. "This is basically to help, especially in interactions with the police where it's potentially a crisis, or you get flustered or caught off guard, to just have what you need to say there, so police also know that there are responsibilities on both sides," said Daena Crosby, director of legal education, media and research with NCSA. "We tried to make it as easy as possible." The NCSA offered a slightly different version of the card previously, and the new iteration of the free card was started shortly after the provincial government banned the practice of carding by police last November and imposed new rules on street checks. "This is an NCSA-specific project so it is focused on Indigenous communities themselves but with Black Lives Matter and the conviction yesterday for George Floyd's murder, this information is paramount to all people, all Canadians. Everyone has the right to know what their legal rights are," said Crosby. "It's just getting access to that information that's a challenge and having the tools the people need to be able to keep themselves alert to what their rights are and also safe in those interactions as well." Daena Crosby, director of legal education, media and research with Native Counselling Services of Alberta, holds up the printed card with the statement to police that can be read.(CBC News) Carding is "disproportionately targeting Indigenous and Black communities in Alberta," NCSA said in a news release. "NCSA recognizes that the solutions to systemic racism go well beyond this card. However, this is one small step in the right direction." Carding refers to arbitrary stops by police and asking members of the public for their personal information, even if there is no suspicion of wrongdoing. Ajay Juneja, a criminal defence lawyer in Edmonton, said the card will help people know their rights. "This is particularly important for [Indigenous people] and the majority of clients serviced by Native Counselling Services because they're disproportionately targeted by the police, subject to street checks and carding," he said. "I think this card will go a long way assisting people in knowing when they have the right to not identify themselves and to walk away." In the first six months of 2020, Edmonton police conducted 3,591 street checks. (CBC) A 2017 CBC News investigation found that in 2016, Indigenous women were nearly 10 times as likely to be street checked as white women. The same year, Indigenous people were six times more likely than white people to be stopped by Edmonton police. Black people were almost five times as likely as white people to be stopped, data showed. Carding was banned by the provincial government last year but street checks, when police say there is a specific reason to stop and question a member of the public, continue. Edmonton Police Service staff worked with NCSA to develop the card, according to the NCSA press release. "We see the value in this card as an opportunity to provide that knowledge and mutual understanding between individuals and officers regarding their rights and responsibilities … we hope it removes any feelings of fear or uncertainty while also allowing room to build on relationships with the communities our members serve," EPS Deputy Chief Alan Murphy said in a statement. Crosby said the goal now is to circulate the free cards, which can be downloaded online, to as many Indigenous communities in Alberta as possible. "The more people who know, the better."
BILLINGS, Mont. — Grizzly bears are part of life in the gateway communities around Yellowstone National Park, and backcountry snowmobile guide Charles “Carl” Mock knew well the risks that come with working, hiking and fishing among the fear-inspiring carnivores, his friends said. Mock was killed after being mauled by a 400-plus pound (181-plus kilogram) male grizzly while fishing alone at a favourite spot on Montana's Madison River, where it spills out of the park and into forested land that bears wander in search of food. The bear had a moose carcass stashed nearby and wildlife officials say it likely attacked Mock to defend the food. The grizzly was shot after charging at a group of seven game wardens and bear specialists who returned the next day. Bear spray residue found on Mock's clothing suggested he tried to ward off last week's attack using a canister of the Mace-like deterrent, considered an essential item in the backcountry. He usually carried a pistol, too, but wasn't on the day he was killed just a few miles north of the small town of West Yellowstone where he lived, according to two friends. While some on social media questioned the inherent perils of such a lifestyle in the wake of Mock's death, those who knew him said he accepted the risk as a trade-off for time spent in a wilderness teeming with elk, deer, wolves and other wildlife. “People don't understand that for us who live here, that's what we do every day,” said Scott Riley, who said he fished, hunted, hiked and kayaked numerous times with Mock over the past decade. West Yellowstone has just over 900 full time residents but gets throngs of summer tourists at one of the main entrances to the park. “We had a bear in town two nights after Carl was mauled. It's not like we're just running around in the forest tempting them. They are everywhere," said Riley, who manages a snowmobile dealership in West Yellowstone. Mock, 40, managed to call 911 following the mauling and was found by rescuers propped against a tree with the cannister of bear spray in one hand, his father, Chuck Mock, told the Billing Gazette. His other hand had been “chomped off” as he tried to protect himself. One of the animal's teeth punctured his skull and Mock died two days later in an Idaho hospital after undergoing extensive surgery. The Yellowstone region that spans portions of Montana, Idaho and Wyoming has more than 700 bears. Fatal attacks on humans are rare but have increased in recent decades as the grizzly population grew and more people moved into rural areas near bear habitat. Since 2010, grizzlies in the Yellowstone region killed eight people including Mock. The last fatality around West Yellowstone that town Mayor Jerry Johnson could recall happened in 1983, when a 600-pound (272-kilogram) bear dragged a Wisconsin man from his tent and killed at the Rainbow Point campground north of town. Grizzlies are protected under federal law outside Alaska. Members of the region’s congressional delegation have introduced legislation to lift protections and allow grizzly hunting. Mock had been “in awe” of Yellowstone from a young age, according to his father, and moved from Idaho to West Yellowstone about 10 years ago. For the past five years he worked as a guide for a snowmobile touring company owned by Johnson. He was known for being helpful to friends and his love of outdoor adventure, Johnson said. A community memorial service for Mock, is scheduled for Saturday at West Yellowstone's Union Pacific Dining Lodge. His relatives will hold a private funeral, Johnson said. Riley said he and Mock came upon bears in the wild numerous times. Sometimes a grizzly would make a bluff charge, running at Riley and Mock but always backing down before last week's attack. “I've held my bear spray 100 times but never had to use it,” Riley said. “What happened to Carl could happen to anybody that walks into these forests at any given time ... I would say if the forest kills me, the forest kills me." Matthew Brown, The Associated Press
It’s been a catastrophic few days for Ontario Premier Doug Ford’s government, with calls for the premier to resign growing amidst a COVID-19 third wave response which has been criticized by politicians, journalists and medical experts.
Toronto reached a grim new high Wednesday, reporting 1,010 people with COVID-19 are in hospital and 194 are in the intensive care unit. "Today's numbers reflect the seriousness of the situation in which we find ourselves," said Medical Officer of Health Dr. Eileen de Villa, warning the city is on track to reach the milestone of 3,000 COVID-19 related deaths. The city reported 27 more deaths Wednesday, bringing the total to 2,970, along with 1,302 new cases of the virus. Toronto will ramp up vaccinations further in the 13 "hottest" of the hot spot neighbourhoods, as part of a "sprint strategy" Mayor John Tory said on Wednesday. Tory said Toronto will be "significantly" increasing vaccination capacity at city-run clinics by 20 to 25 per cent. "We have dramatically increased available capacity but we don't have the supply," the mayor said. A woman is vaccinated with a dose of the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine at a pop-up vaccine clinic in Toronto's Jane and Finch neighbourhood, in the M3N postal code, on Saturday, April 17, 2021. Despite rates of COVID-19 deaths and hospitalizations far exceeding other areas of the city, residents of the M3N postal code continue to struggle with the lowest vaccination rates in Toronto. (Cole Burston/The Canadian Press) The city expects that situation to change in about three weeks when the province increases supply of doses to more than 60,000 doses per week, up from 56,000. To match supply forecasts, 231,000 additional appointment spots will soon be available for May 10 through June 6, said Toronto Fire Chief and head of Emergency Management Matthew Pegg. As the city expands its mobile vaccination clinic efforts, it's enlisting the help of paramedics and firefighters, Pegg said. "This will further assist some of our most vulnerable residents, such as those experiencing homelessness, those who rely on shelters and drop-in centres and those living outdoors," Pegg said. The city vaccinated over 25,600 people yesterday, with thousands of doses administered at pop-up and mobile clinics in hot spot neighourhoods, according to Toronto Public Health, noting only a small number of appointments are available at city-run clinics for the next two weeks. A pop-up clinic for residents 18 years and older will run at Jane and Finch for postal codes M3L, M3N and M3M, the city said. A mobile clinic will operate in postal code M3N. Doctors say a record number of patients in the Toronto area are being transferred to other regions as the third wave puts incredible strain on the health-care system. There's concern about what would happen if there's a further spike in COVID-19 cases. "I am very concerned about the potential for us to not be able to meet the demand of the pace at which patients will present through the front doors of our hospital," said Dr. Andrew Healey, chief of emergency services and an emergency and critical care doctor at William Osler Health System, a network of hospitals in Toronto and Peel Region. "We are dangerously close to not being able to provide typical care in typical spaces to the patients who present with COVID-19 infection and others in our hospital system."
EDMONTON — Education Minister Adriana LaGrange says the group representing Alberta teachers is playing politics with a proposed new kindergarten to Grade 6 curriculum and isn’t sincere about real bridge-building. The Alberta Teachers' Association has publicly stated the proposed learning plan is “fatally flawed, and teachers, academics and curriculum experts should work on a revised version." “I have the utmost respect for teachers, and the work that they do, and the professionalism that they have,” LaGrange said when asked about the association Wednesday. “I want them to weigh in on the curriculum," she said. "The union for teachers appears to want to make it more political. I really don’t want to go down that path. I prefer to work collaboratively. “The fact they have not reached out to me or my department since the curriculum has come out to set up a meeting, to have a discussion, speaks volumes to me.” LaGrange’s spokeswoman, Nicole Sparrow, in a subsequent statement, said the minister’s door remains open. “Alberta’s government will continue to work with the education system, including the teachers' union, to gather all feedback to make this the best curriculum possible,” said Sparrow. “It is clear that the union is more interested in political theatre than actually providing feedback.” Teachers president Jason Schilling lobbed the accusation right back. “We need to have the whole curriculum redesign process depoliticized. In fact, I would like to see politicians get out of the way and let’s go back to the way we used to do curriculum redesign,” Schilling said in an interview. Schilling said LaGrange cancelled a memorandum of understanding in late 2019 that had put teachers and other experts at the centre of the curriculum review. Teachers have fought for a place at the table ever since, he said. “The association has essentially been shut out,” said Schilling. “The minister is very well aware of the fact I have concerns about the curriculum, that I want to make sure that teachers are involved, (so) that we can get this right.” The result has been a high-profile back-and-forth word fight. The teachers association says it was shut out of the curriculum consultation. LaGrange counters that 100 teachers were involved. Schilling has said it was 100 teachers for two days who had to sign non-disclosure agreements. The ATA has said 91 per cent of teachers in an in-house survey are against the curriculum. LaGrange has dismissed the survey sample she says was less than seven per cent as minuscule. Sarah Hoffman, the NDP Opposition's education critic, said LaGrange and the United Conservative government need to meaningfully work with teachers who have the expertise and front-line experience on what works and what doesn’t. “The minister is picking massive fights and trying to discredit teaching professionals who work to make sure students learn quality information to set them up for success,” said Hoffman. The draft is to be piloted in select schools this fall and fully implemented in September 2022. To date, almost 30 of Alberta’s 63 school boards, including the public school boards in Edmonton and Calgary as well as francophone school boards, say they won’t teach it. It’s been the subject of fierce debate since being outlined by LaGrange in late March. Advocates defend it as a common-sense approach that includes basic concepts, such as multiplication tables, along with real-life skills for the information age, including how to budget and computer code. The ATA and other critics say the plan is not developmentally appropriate for young kids, is jammed with random facts, and too loosely structured with concepts well over students' heads. They say it pushes Eurocentric history while giving short shrift to francophone and Indigenous cultures and perspectives. This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 21, 2021. Dean Bennett, The Canadian Press
Serious differences persist between the United States and Iran over how they might resume compliance with the 2015 Iran nuclear deal despite making some progress in their latest indirect talks in Vienna, a senior U.S. official said on Wednesday. The talks were likely to require several rounds, their outcome remained uncertain and they were not near conclusion, the senior U.S. State Department official told reporters in a conference call. The main differences are over what sanctions the United States will need to remove and what steps Iran will need to take to resume its obligations to curb its nuclear program, said the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity.
New Brunswick has lost another resident to COVID-19. Public Health confirmed Wednesday that an individual between the ages of 60 and 69 in the Saint John region, Zone 2, has died as a result of the disease. This brings the total number of COVID-related deaths in the province to 34. In a news release, Dr. Jennifer Russell and Health Minister Dorothy Shephard extended their sympathies to the victim's loved ones. "I am saddened to learn that another individual has lost their life as a result of COVID-19," Shephard said. "On behalf of all New Brunswickers, I share my sincere condolences with the family and friends of this person." There are currently 138 active cases in New Brunswick.(CBC News) Seven new cases reported Seven new cases were reported, affecting four zones, on Wednesday. The cases break down in this way: Moncton region, Zone 1, one case: an individual 20 to 29. This case is travel-related. Saint John region, Zone 2, two cases: an individual 50 to 59. an individual 90 or over. Both of these cases are contacts of previously confirmed cases. Edmundston region, Zone 4, three cases: an individual 19 or under. an individual 40 to 49. an individual 50 to 59. Two of the three cases are contacts of previously confirmed cases and the other one is under investigation. Miramichi region, Zone 7, one case: an individual 40 to 49. This case is travel-related. The number of confirmed cases in New Brunswick is 1,804. Since Tuesday, seven people have recovered for a total of 1,631 recoveries. There have been 34 deaths, and the number of active cases is 138. Fifteen patients are hospitalized, including five in an intensive care unit. A total of 278,711 tests have been conducted, including 1,005 since Tuesday's report. Elsewhere in Atlantic Canada: Outbreaks declared at two homes Outbreaks have been declared at two special care homes following a confirmed case of COVID-19 at each facility. The affected facilities are Pavillon Beau-Lieu, a special care home in Grand Falls in the Edmundston region, and Murray Street Lodge in Grand Bay-Westfield in the Saint John region. Members of the provincial rapid outbreak management team have been sent to provide support for residents and the facilities' care teams, Public Health said in a news release Wednesday. Possible exposure at child-care facility A possible exposure to a positive case of COVID-19 has been confirmed at Garderie Happy Feet Daycare in Grand Falls, in the Edmundston region. Families who have been affected have been notified, Public Health said Wednesday. "If you do not hear directly from Public Health, you have not been identified as a close contact," the department said in a news release. Health Minister Dorothy Shephard asked New Brunswickers to "be patient" as the province begins to vaccinate its largest age demographic, those 65 and older. "These appointments can fill up quite quickly," she said.(Government of New Brunswick) Why this next stage of the rollout will take some time If you're 65 or older, you can now book an appointment to get your COVID-19 vaccination. Odds are, you've already tried doing just that — and might have had a little trouble booking one. That's not a surprise to Chief Medical Health Officer Dr. Jennifer Russell and Health Minister Dorothy Shephard, who have both made a point of asking this particular age group to pack a little patience as they queue up for the jab. The 65-and-up group is the largest demographic group in the province, so the sheer volume of callers and online bookers will mean it takes longer to get through this stage of the rollout. "These appointments can fill up quite quickly," Shephard said Tuesday in announcing the new age group's eligibility. "We know that the phones start ringing from the time we announce it at this press conference." But there are other reasons booking an appointment might take a few tries. "Keep in mind this is a really complex rollout," Russell told Information Morning Moncton Wednesday. "There are a lot of moving parts, recommendations change, prioritizations change." Russell noted there are "things we don't have control over, such as a Moderna shipment being delayed," as well as the fact that many pharmacies are already fully booked for appointments through the next few weeks. However, she said, the province is still on track for administering a first dose to every New Brunswicker who wants one by July 1. "We do ask people to be patient," Russell said. "I don't imagine that once an age category is introduced it will take more than a few weeks to get it done." If you are 65 or over and want to book a vaccine appointment, there are several ways you can do so. Here's how: Book online at gnb.ca/bookavaccine Call 1-833-437-1424 Contact a participating pharmacy New possible exposure warnings Public Health has identified potential public exposures to the virus at the following locations: E.& P. Sénéchal Center, Vitalité Health Network vaccination clinic, 60 Ouellette St., Grand Falls, on Monday, April 19 between1:15 p.m. and 7 p.m. Holy Spirit Parish (Saint Matthews worship site), 45 Dollard Dr., Saint John, on Sunday, April 18 between 11 a.m. and noon. Previous potential exposure notifications Public Health has identified recent possible public exposures to COVID-19 in Edmundston: Familiprix, 131 de l'Église St., on April 8, between 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. Jean Coutu, 77 Victoria St., Edmundston on April 16, between 1: 30 p.m. and 2 p.m.; on April 14, between noon and 12:45 p.m.; and on April 12, between 3 p.m. and 3:30 p.m. Public Health also identified a traveller who may have been infected while on the following flights on April 14 and 15: Air Canada Flight 8970 – from Ottawa to Montreal, departed at 6:28 a.m. on April 14. Air Canada Flight 8898 – from Montreal to Moncton, departed at 8:14 a.m. on April 14. Air Canada Flight 318 – from Calgary to Montreal, departed at 11:53 a.m. on April 15. Air Canada Flight 8906 – from Montreal to Moncton, departed at 7:08 p.m. on April 15. People who were at these areas are eligible to be tested for COVID-19, even if they are not experiencing symptoms. Corrected possible exposures The dates and times for some recent possible public exposures in Saint John have changed on the government's website. "Through follow-up tracing work [Monday], it turns the individuals provided the wrong dates by mistake," Department of Health spokesperson Bruce Macfarlane said in an email. The new information information includes: Service New Brunswick, 15 King Square North, on April 15 between 3 p.m. and 3:45 p.m. Rocky's Sports Bar, 7 Market Square, on April 15 between 4 p.m. and 6 p.m. What to do if you have a symptom People concerned they might have COVID-19 symptoms can take a self-assessment test online. Public Health says symptoms shown by people with COVID-19 have included: Fever above 38 C. New cough or worsening chronic cough. Sore throat. Runny nose. Headache. New onset of fatigue, muscle pain, diarrhea, loss of sense of taste or smell. Difficulty breathing. In children, symptoms have also included purple markings on the fingers and toes. People with one of those symptoms should: Stay at home. Call Tele-Care 811 or their doctor. Describe symptoms and travel history. Follow instructions.
Wildlife officials in Ontario are drafting a new strategy to keep wild pigs from establishing themselves in the province, to prevent what officials have referred to as an "ecological train wreck." The province published its proposal on Wednesday, asking hunters, trappers and other outdoor enthusiasts for their input into how to deal with a potential porcine invasion, should it arrive. "Based on experiences from other jurisdictions, it is clear that the least costly and most effective approach for managing wild pigs is to act early," the Ontario government website said. The proposal seeks to add wild pigs, along with 12 other invasive species, to the Ontario Invasive Species Act, giving authorities more means at their disposal to eradicate the wily and elusive animals. The new regulations would also ban the release of pigs into the wild. The Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry (MNRF) is drafting protocols in the event a pig escapes from a farm or transport truck, so it can be notified immediately, and the animal can be recaptured or dispatched as soon as possible. Sask. expert says Ontario on right track Ontario's announcement Wednesday follows the introduction of a wild pig protocol this spring by the Ontario Federation of Anglers and Hunters (OFAH) to help hunters, trappers and outdoor enthusiasts properly identify the animals and report their locations to the MNRF. A wild pig spotted at the side of the road near Alderville First Nation, north of Cobourg, Ont.(Inaturalist.org) "Once they become established, it's virtually unheard of to get rid of them. If they become widespread in a place like Ontario, there's virtually no chance of eradication," said Ryan Brook, a wild pig expert and an associate professor at the University of Saskatchewan. "We've missed that window in Saskatchewan. I think Ontario is in a good position to get on it. If I were grading this as a project, I would give them an A-plus for effort." Brook and his team have been studying wild pigs in Canada for 11 years. He said there is so far no evidence of any established populations in Ontario, and the province is doing the right thing by showing leadership on the issue and acting early. "I would argue they are the worst invasive large mammal on the planet. They have an amazing ability to reproduce," he said. "A small problem can turn into a massive out-of-control problem very quickly." "They can be very large. They're very dangerous to people. They have razor-sharp tusks. They can be aggressive and they're highly mobile, and they're incredibly smart. So all those characteristics and the fact that they will eat literally almost anything means they will be very successful." React 'as soon as you find pigs' Brook said wild pigs were introduced to Saskatchewan many years ago when a tractor-trailer carrying a load of domestic wild boar across the province crashed. The 11 animals on board escaped and only seven were recovered. "There was four that went into a park and they turned into well over 100 animals in a few years," he said. Brook said Saskatchewan has tried a number of methods to eradicate wild pigs without success, including traps and highly trained ground teams who quickly go into an area and physically remove the pigs. In his studies of wild pigs, Brook has travelled to other jurisdictions, including the United States, to see how other places have handled the problem, and in all of them, he's seen only one common thread for dealing with the animal effectively. "You need really good leadership that's going to make tough decisions. You need to be monitoring very hard, and as soon as you find pigs, you have to react." 'Active surveilliance' needed for eradication Brook said that, more than any other province, Ontario is showing solid leadership on the wild pig issue and is embracing a science-based approach. Researchers net a wild pig in Saskatchewan. The animal's legs are put in handcuff-like restraints and they are blindfolded while biologists examine and collar them.(Submitted by Ryan Brook) "I think eradication is on the table, but it will still take major effort, especially through active surveillance," said Brook. He said most jurisdictions rely on passive surveillance, by encouraging hunters, trappers and anglers to report pig sightings to a tip line. Ontario just recently added wild pigs to the list of animals that can be reported to its invasive species tip line. But Brook said finding wild pigs is more complicated than just sitting by the phone. The more proactive we are and aggressive we are in searching out those pigs, the better. - Ryan Brook, University of Saskatchewan, wild pig expert "'We'll wait and you call us,' that's useful, but we've found in our research here in the Prairies that you probably only get one to three per cent of actual pig sightings from that. The overwhelming majority of pig sightings we have is by putting out trail cameras or going out and knocking on doors." Brook said pigs are nocturnal, elusive and often hide in thick cover, making underground burrows or nesting among cattails in wetlands, spruce trees in forests and building what he calls "pigloos" in the winter. "They tunnel into snowbanks and make almost like an igloo," he said, noting he's fitted pigs with radio collars, and even with the aid of satellites and a helicopter, still wasn't able to spot them with his own eyes. "They're very hard to find," said Brook. "I don't think we should pretend this is easy. The more proactive we are and aggressive we are in searching out those pigs, the better."
NDP leader Jagmeet Singh repeated his call Wednesday for the prime minister to invoke the Emergencies Act in Ontario to get the needed vaccines for the province as it continues to face a dire situation from the third wave of the COVID-19 pandemic. Singh said he’s calling for a public welfare emergency to be declared in Ontario as hospitals are flooded with COVID-19 patients.
Students and seasonal workers who have returned to Yukon and are self-isolating won't have to wait to be vaccinated against COVID-19, says Yukon's chief medical officer. In his weekly news conference on Wednesday, Dr. Brendan Hanley said health officials have figured out a way to allow those in mandatory self-isolation to get a shot. Right now, most people arriving in Yukon are required to self-isolate for 14 days. Hanley said on Wednesday that returning students or seasonal workers will be allowed to leave isolation "for a short period of time" to attend a vaccination clinic. Before their shot, however, they'll be tested. Only those who test negative will then get a shot, he said. They'll then have to go back into self-isolation for the remainder of the 14-day period. "This is certainly not a get-out-of-self-isolation-early card," Hanley said. He also said health officials are now recommending that anybody sharing accommodation with someone in self-isolation should also be isolating. However, they are not required to do so by Yukon's Civil Emergency Measures Act (CEMA). "We know it is hard to keep apart unless completely separated," Hanley said, explaining his new recommendation. "And with the spread of variants, we need to be extra-cautious." Watch Wednesday's news conference here: 2 active cases 'close to recovery' Also on Wednesday, health officials announced one new case reported in Yukon, but said the person was never infectious in the territory. The affected person is an adult and the case is associated with international travel, according to a news release. The person tested positive on return to Canada, and completed self-isolation before arriving in Yukon. Officials say the person is now recovered, and there were no exposures in the territory. The case is the territory's 78th. Yukon's 77th case of COVID-19 was announced on Monday. Officials said the affected person is an adult in rural Yukon, and the case was connected to travel within Canada. An exposure notice was also issued for a restaurant in Watson Lake. On Wednesday, Hanley said that person was now recovered. Two other cases, in Whitehorse, were announced last week and health officials said they involved the P1 variant of concern. Hanley said on Wednesday that those people are "close to recovery." The territory's online vaccine tracker, updated Monday, says 71 per cent of eligible Yukoners had received their first shot of the Moderna vaccine, and 59 per cent had received their second shot. Vaccination rates in Yukon are 'moving up and that's great. And I think we just need to keep that upward movement going,' said Hanley.(Steve Silva/CBC) Hanley said Yukon is doing relatively well, but is still at risk of importing variants of concern. He says the territory is not immune to what's happening elsewhere in Canada. "It is hard to predict the next few weeks, but waves do come to an end and vaccine uptake is really starting to take off in the rest of Canada. And that is good news for us." He said younger adults in Yukon still lag when it comes to getting vaccinated — though the numbers are still climbing, he said. "It's moving up and that's great. And I think we just need to keep that upward movement going," he said. "If we can continue to get our younger people up to the same levels as our older citizens, we will be well-positioned to have great summer where we can ease up on many of our current restrictions." He would not say what restrictions might be eased, or when. Asked about the N.W.T.'s announcement on Wednesday that it was changing self-isolation requirements for vaccinated adults, Hanley said he was happy to see changes being made "where they can be," but would not say whether Yukon would make similar changes.
On Oct. 17, 2018, the province of Ontario legalized the regulated sale of recreational use cannabis by private, licensed retailers. Since then, however, different regions and municipalities have been working through their own legalities to regulate the cultivation and production of cannabis. When it comes to recreational use, municipalities follow the legal guidelines as outlined by the federal government: You must be 19 or older to purchase cannabis or related products; you can legally possess up to 150 grams of cannabis products in varying forms; and all Canadians are limited to four cannabis plants per household. Also, distributing cannabis products to anyone under the age of 18 or driving while under the influence are both strictly prohibited. Different municipalities have different breakdowns for cultivation, production and processing practices that can vary per city or town. Here’s the latest breakdown for the Niagara region. NIAGARA FALLS In June 2019, the City of Niagara Falls passed an interim control bylaw (ICB) that prohibited the production, processing or cultivation of cannabis and was set to expire on June 22, 2020, but in June it was extended to September 2020, then later it was extended for another year. As a result, final regulations have yet to be passed later this year. WEST LINCOLN In 2019, the Township of West Lincoln passed a bylaw that permitted the production of cannabis under specific regulations. This bylaw from West Lincoln comes as an amendment to a 2017 bylaw that initially only had regulations exclusively for medical marijuana growing facilities. LINCOLN Lincoln passed an interim control bylaw that was lifted in 2020 when a zoning bylaw was passed, along with an official plan, however a licensing system is still in the works. In April 2021 the town passed a nuisance bylaw after concern from residents about already existing cannabis facilities. NIAGARA-ON-THE-LAKE Much like with the other municipalities, Niagara on-the-Lake initially passed an ICB in 2019 to allow time for a review and the time was extended into 2020. On July 15, 2020 council passed a zoning bylaw, allowing cannabis production facilities to operate under specific circumstances. PELHAM The Town of Pelham had enacted an ICB two days before the federal legalization of cannabis. This ICB was extended into 2019, then again into 2020. In July 2020, the town passed an official zoning plan, indicating the proper regulation required for cannabis production. PORT COLBORNE Like other municipalities, Port Colborne also enacted an ICB that saw the freeze of marijuana production to figure out regulation of production and processing. After a 2019 extension on the initial ICB, in January of 2020, the city implemented new bylaws that included an allowance for outdoor growing. WELLAND Welland council waited over a year after legalization before enacting an ICB. Originally enacted in December of 2019 for one year, the city voted in favour of another year-long freeze in December 2020. WAINFLEET Wainfleet adopted its bylaw in March of 2019. Like the other municipalities, it called for a freeze for a year of all cannabis facilities. In 2020, the town forwarded that freeze until November. In November, the freeze was pushed to March 2021. The township has not yet responded to Niagara This Week’s inquiries about more recent updates. ST. CATHARINES St. Catharines waited until February 2020 before implementing an ICB, which, much like the other municipalities, put cannabis production on hold for a year. In January of 2021, the ICB was extended to February 2022. THOROLD Initially, Thorold’s official plan was amended in 2019 to only permit licensed marijuana production facilities in the designated rural industrial zone. However the city’s new zoning bylaw, put into effect March 16, includes provisions around indoor licensed marijuana production facilities that are not limited to medical use. As of right now, these production facilities are only permitted in the rural industrial zone in Thorold. FORT ERIE In February 2020, Fort Erie voted down an ICB and temporarily reverted to operating under its 2014 medical marijuana bylaw. After some discussion between council and residents in early 2021, the town is expected to finalize a decision later in the year. Moosa Imran, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Grimsby Lincoln News
Nova Scotia's tightening of border restrictions on Thursday to allow only essential trips and returning permanent residents of the province to enter is being met with mixed reactions. The new restrictions apply to everyone crossing into Nova Scotia from all other places except Newfoundland and Prince Edward Island. People attempting to cross the border — including air travel — will be required to fill in a digital check-in form and receive approval. The measures are designed to help slow the spread of COVID-19. Twenty-five new cases were reported in Nova Scotia on Wednesday. "We need to stop the flow of people coming into the province for non-essential reasons, including moving here," Chief Medical Officer of Health Dr. Robert Strang said Tuesday. "Now is not the time." Amherst, N.S., Mayor Dave Kogon works as a doctor at the Moncton Hospital and lives in Nova Scotia. "I just want the provincial government to know people here are reaching their breaking point and they're not going to be able to cope with with the limitations and restrictions for a whole lot longer," he warned. David Kogon, the mayor of Amherst, N.S., says people are struggling with their mental health right now because of COVID-19 restrictions.(Patrick Callaghan/CBC) Kogon said many people who have a residence in one province and a summer cottage in the other will be looking to return to their vacation homes as the weather improves. "People complain they pay taxes in both provinces but can't access their own properties," Kogon said. New restrictions for entering Nova Scotia from outside of the province take effect on Thursday.(Patrick Callaghan/CBC) CBC News visited the New Brunswick-Nova Scotia border on Wednesday and found that while some people were resigned to the changes, others wanted an immediate reopening of the Atlantic bubble. Shannon Reid from Bedford, N.S., is a training instructor for Air Canada and has to drive across the border to conduct training exercises. Since her work only covers the Atlantic provinces, she doesn't expect too many problems. "I expect that I'll have to prove my identity and where I'm going and just declare my time and travel for each province," she said. "And that's been pretty routine since COVID started." Shannon Reid said she doesn't expect too experience too many problems with the border restriction changes.(Patrick Callaghan/CBC) John Magalong was driving into Nova Scotia to take an engineering exam. He was concerned the new restrictions would affect his ability to take his exam, so he emailed the province for clarification. He was told he had a valid reason to cross the border. "They let me in and they said I just need to follow the protocols that they've given me and I'm all good," Magalong said. Natalie and Scott Dixon are from Amherst, but have a farm in New Brunswick. They said they want the Atlantic bubble to return because the Atlantic provinces "need each other to thrive." Scott Dixon said the current restrictions make them feel like they are doing something illegal by simply crossing the border. John Magalong said the Nova Scotia government told him an engineering exam was a valid reason to cross the border.(Patrick Callaghan/CBC) "You just feel like you're a criminal when you're driving out of province," he said. "If I'm over here with the New Brunswick plate, I feel as if I'm going to get caught." He said he believes the tightened restrictions are going to lead people to smuggle family members across the border. Lloyd Shipley works for a car dealer and delivers cars to New Brunswick. He said he follows the rules and doesn't stop anywhere during his trips. He said he's in favour of restrictions because "we got to get rid of [COVID-19]." MORE TOP STORIES
The desperate search for a young Grand Bay-Westfield woman has come to a tragic end. A body discovered in Martinon over the weekend has been identified as a 31-year-old woman reported missing from the town in February, Saint John police announced in a news release Wednesday. The release does not name the woman, but Andrea Limkilde, 31, was last seen on Feb. 5 on River Valley Drive — less than a minute drive from the Martinon area. She was reported missing to the local RCMP on Feb. 9, prompting numerous searches, which involved the RCMP dog and air services, as well as ground search and rescue crews, and hundreds of community volunteers. An autopsy was conducted to confirm the identification of the body discovered by a hiker in neighbouring Saint John Police Force's jurisdiction on Saturday around 3:30 p.m., said spokesperson Jim Hennessy. Foul play is not suspected, said Hennessy. The investigation is complete and the cause of death is not being released, he said. Family members could not immediately be reached for comment, but in an obituary, they announced her "sad passing" with "broken hearts." "Andrea had a loving heart and would help anyone," it says. "She had a strong religious faith" and "will be deeply missed by everyone." Hundreds of people searched for Andrea Limkilde, who was found dead by a hiker on Saturday.(Fundy Funeral Home) An older sister, Heather Limkilde, posted a quote on Facebook Wednesday morning. "As your sister please always remember … I loved you yesterday. I love you still. I always have. I always will." Her other older sister, Laura Limkilde, posted a photo of the three of them together, surrounded by red and pink hearts. The family has been very active on social media over the past two months, regularly posting photos of Limkilde and repeatedly pleading for the public's help with the case. "Someone knows something," her mother, Mary Allen Limkilde, posted on Facebook on March 25. "We need answers. Our hearts are broken," she wrote. On March 30, Heather Limkilde urged anyone with information to "reach out." "Our family needs some peace and closure," she wrote. "We are living a never-ending nightmare in this torture bubble." Condolences to family, friends The Saint John Police Force "extends its condolences to the woman's family and friends at this very difficult time," said Hennessy. RCMP Cpl. Jullie Rogers-Marsh, who is in charge of the detachment in Grand Bay-Westfield, said members' "thoughts go out to the [woman's] family and her friends as well. "It's certainly not the outcome that anyone was hoping for," she told CBC. "We were certainly hoping to find her" alive. A funeral service for Limkilde will be held at Fundy Funeral Home chapel on Monday at 10 a.m. People who plan to attend are asked to call. The service will also be live streamed.(RCMP) Earlier in the day, the RCMP had issued a news release, saying the local missing woman had been located deceased, but they did not name her. The case has had a big impact on the small community, said Rogers-Marsh. "From the beginning, we had several leads and tips that we followed up on," she said. Some people created missing person flyers, which were posted throughout Grand Bay-Westfield and Saint John. And a community-organized search over Easter weekend covered a large area near Blueberry Hill and left the family overwhelmed by the turnout. "The RCMP would like to thank members of the community, partner agencies and specialized policing services for their assistance during the search for the missing woman," the release said. Limkilde was last seen at about 2 p.m. at the Scholten's gas station. Security video later obtained by RCMP showed she used the crosswalk on River Valley Drive between 3:30 p.m. and 3:45 p.m., and turned onto Station Road. Police had asked anyone who saw her walking on River Valley Drive, the walking trail, around the Epworth Park area or getting into a vehicle to contact them. The family asks donations in memory of Limkilde be made to the SPCA Animal Rescue in Saint John or the Sophia Recovery Centre, a non-residential centre providing continuing care for women in recovery from addiction, according to the obituary.
Workers in Alberta will be allowed three hours of paid leave to get vaccinated against COVID-19 thanks to changes to employment standards that took effect Wednesday night. It comes as new cases of COVID-19 hit the highest level in months. The government introduced legislation earlier Wednesday to amend the Employment Standards Act, which were to come into effect upon first reading. It passed second reading, committee of the whole and third and final reading within 30 minutes Wednesday night. "Hard-working Albertans want to get the vaccine, but some may not be able to schedule an appointment because of their working hours," Minister of Labour and Immigration Jason Copping said earlier in the day at a news conference. "And they may not be able to afford a loss of pay, which is a barrier to getting vaccinated," On Wednesday, Alberta Health confirmed 1,699 new cases, the highest single-day total since mid-December. Dr. Deena Hinshaw, Alberta's chief medical officer of health, posted the numbers on Twitter late Wednesday afternoon, after the province's COVID-19 website experienced technical issues. Hinshaw said screening confirmed another 1,332 variant cases in the last 24 hours. Variants now make up about 59 per cent of the 18,873 active cases in the province. "I remain concerned about the high spread in our province," Hinshaw wrote in her post. "We all must continue to work together on behalf of our loved ones, neighbours, co-workers and communities to bend the curve and drive cases down provincewide." Copping said that as with other leaves "Albertans cannot be fired or disciplined by their employer for taking this leave. Leave can be used twice if Albertans are getting a two-dose vaccine." The leave applies to full-time and part-time workers, regardless of their length of service. The idea was first floated by the Opposition on Tuesday when NDP Leader Rachel Notley raised the issue during question period. Premier Jason Kenney said at the time he would look into it. Copping said the government consulted with the Opposition before bringing forward the proposed amendment. "This is something we've been watching for a number of weeks," he said. "As you may know, Saskatchewan passed a similar paid vaccine protected leave; B.C. just introduced this in the house this week. A question was raised by the leader of the Opposition, and our premier made a commitment that we would look seriously at this issue, which we are." Notley said on Wednesday she was pleased that the province will fast-track a bill similar to those in B.C. and Saskatchewan. "This is good news for Alberta workers and good news for Alberta's economy," Notley said. "These three hours of leave will benefit hundreds of thousands of working Albertans, because no one wants to log in to book their vaccine just to see that the only spots left are during their work hours when they can't otherwise afford to leave. "Lost income is already a barrier for so many working people throughout this COVID period in these difficult times but it should not be a barrier to vaccination. So I'm proud to help tear that barrier down, speed up the vaccination program and speed up our economic recovery." Copping said no one in Alberta should have to choose between getting vaccinated and collecting a paycheque. "Now, as always, we encourage employers and employees to work together on scheduling appointments, minimizing the impact on employees, and also minimizing the impact on employers when taking this leave," he said.
A Toronto pharmacist says demand for the AstraZeneca-Oxford COVID-19 vaccine is "through the roof" after the Ontario government lowered the minimum age limit for the shot from 55 to 40. Kyro Maseh, owner and manager of Lawlor Pharmasave, said demand has been extremely high since the change took effect on Tuesday. On that day, public health units in Ontario administered a new single-day high of 136,695 doses of vaccines, according to the provincial health ministry. "In addition to the age being lowered, I feel that people are a bit more educated on the risks involved and they understand that it's really minute and insignificant. Yes, very, very high demand," Maseh said on Wednesday. Other provinces, namely B.C., Alberta and Manitoba, have also lowered their age limits to 40- plus after the federal government said Sunday eligibility for the AstraZeneca-Oxford vaccine could be expanded to any adult over the age of 18. Maseh was worried that his doses were going to expire on the weekend because the 55-plus age group was not making appointments, but everything changed after the age was lowered. On Tuesday, he allowed front-line workers to get their first dose without an appointment, vaccinating about 84 essential workers who walked in that day. He said his vaccine supply will be depleted by the end of Wednesday after he will have vaccinated about 60 people. He doesn't know when he will get more supply. "The majority have been under 55," Maseh said. Lawlor Pharmasave has made a video to mark its 1,000th dose. Maseh said the pharmacy felt it was a cause for celebration that 1,000 people will not end up in intensive care units due to COVID-19. Pharmacist Kyro Maseh prepares a dose of the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine at his pharmacy in Toronto on Tuesday. Toronto pharmacies began administering the vaccine to people born in 1981 and up on Tuesday.(Evan Mitsui/CBC) "We've been getting a lot of phone calls. We've been getting a lot of emails, Twitter messages, carrier pigeons, you name it. But we're using our booking systems," he added. "And some people are angry at the fact that we only have 50 or 60 doses in stock today. But just be patient, be patient, we will get to you as soon as we can." 'No hesitancy here, that's for sure' The uptick in the number of vaccinations is being marked across social media, under the hashtag #GenXZeneca, as 40 to 55 year olds embrace the opportunity to get their first dose. According to Twitter posts, lots of people in this age group seem to be heeding the call to get vaccinated, despite concerns about the possibility of rare blood clots. WATCH | CBC's Angelina King reports on why Generation X is embracing AstraZeneca: Betsy Hilton, 42, a consultant in Toronto, said her friends immediately texted each other when they learned they were eligible. She said she thinks people in her generation were willing to wait their turn if they weren't essential workers or in any high-risk categories. "And then suddenly it just was our turn. And that was really exciting," she said. "No hesitancy here, that's for sure." Hilton said there has been "this incredible mobilization of people in our generation so excited to get vaccinated and to do their part. And I think we're all here for it and we're all coming together." She said it's been a busy and stressful year for 40-somethings and the vaccine is a way to get back to life before the pandemic. "We're at a really interesting stage of life and a challenging stage of life. Many of us have kids, many of us have aging parents. And it's been a really worrying time for us," she said. "The opportunity to get vaccinated, the opportunity to get back to being together again and get back to some semblance of normal life and mostly to get back to a place where we're not worried all the time, I think has been a huge sort of rallying point for this generation." 'We know what risk is and this is not it' Hilton said getting the AstraZeneca vaccine is an acceptable risk. "This is safe. Science is good," she said. "We know what risk looks like and this is not it." She said being comfortable around technology has helped 40-somethings book their spots. "If you've ever tried to register for swimming lessons in through the city, we know how to get online and try to get those spots. Everyone jumped on board." Stephanie Bolton, 44, posted this photo of herself on Twitter after she got the first dose of AstraZeneca on April 20. She said in a tweet: 'Got my AZ vaccine yesterday. So glad to be part of a cohort that is fearless and doing the right thing for the country. I took AZ so someone who's hesitant can pick a vaccine. We got your backs, Boomers!'(Submitted by Stephanie Bolton) Stephanie Bolton, 44, a teacher in York Region, agreed, saying it's a matter of weighing the risk versus reward. People aged 40 to 55 are enthusiastic about getting vaccinated and have embraced AstraZeneca, she said. "It's been kind of held up in the 55 plus age category, where they were more nervous. They were kind of hoping for Moderna or Pfizer. But we were just like: 'Give us a vaccine!'" Association says vaccine hesitancy declining steadily Jack Jedwab, president of the Association for Canadian Studies, a non-profit organization that has been tracking the pandemic's social and economic impacts, said the percentage of people who are vaccine hesitant in Canada has been steadily declining across all age groups. There was a higher rate of hesitation a few months ago, he said. Part of the decline is due to a rise in the number of COVID-19 cases, which has increased collective anxiety, he added. That in turn has increased a sense of urgency to get vaccinated. Ontario, B.C., Alberta and Manitoba have lowered their age limits for the AstraZeneca-Oxford COVID-19 vaccine to 40 plus after the federal government said on Sunday that the provinces and territories were free to expand eligibility for it to any adult over the age of 18.(Christof Stache/AFP/Getty Images) A survey done by the association last week shows that about 80 per cent of Canadians, a record number, are willing to get vaccinated. People in the upper age groups, 55 and older, are the least hesitant, while people in the lower age groups, 35 and younger, are the most hesitant. About 12 per cent say no to the vaccine, while about eight per cent say they don't know if they will get vaccinated. As for people in the 40 to 55 age group, he said: "As we get closer to bringing that age group into the proverbial mix with respect to their eligibility for vaccination, the hesitation seems to decline even further, because there's been a bit of a snowball effect. "As more and more people have gotten vaccinated, more and more people have been put at ease about their concerns with respect to either side effects or long-term effects of vaccination."
LAS VEGAS — A convicted killer who is fighting a possible June execution date that would make him the first person put to death in Nevada in 15 years is calling for the state to consider the firing squad as an option, a rare method in the United States. Attorneys for Zane Michael Floyd say he does not want to die and are challenging the state plan to use a proposed three-drug lethal injection, which led to court challenges that twice delayed the execution of another convicted killer who later took his own life in prison. “This is not a delaying tactic,” Brad Levenson, a federal public defender representing Floyd, said Monday. But a challenge of the state execution protocol requires the defence to provide an alternative method, and Levenson said gunshots to the brain stem would be “the most humane way.” “Execution by firing squad ... causes a faster and less painful death than lethal injection,” the attorneys said in a court filing Friday. Nevada once allowed firing squads, but state law now requires the use of lethal injection in sentences of capital punishment. Three U.S. states — Mississippi, Oklahoma and Utah — and the U.S. military allow capital punishment by gunfire. The last time that method was used in the United States was in Utah in 2010. Floyd's attorneys are asking a federal judge in Las Vegas to stop Floyd from being put to death until prison officials “devise a new procedure or procedures to carry out a lawful execution.” Levenson said he and attorney David Anthony are fighting multiple issues in state and federal courts, with the possibility that Floyd’s death could be set for the week of June 7. Prosecutors will seek an execution warrant at a state court hearing next month. The 45-year-old was convicted in 2000 of killing four people with a shotgun in a Las Vegas supermarket in 1999 and badly wounding a fifth person. Floyd appeared to exhaust his federal appeals last November, and the U.S. Supreme Court has declined to hear his case. Floyd wants a chance to seek clemency at a June 22 meeting of the Nevada State Pardons Board, Levenson said. Floyd's attorneys argue that a three-drug injection combination the state wants to use — the sedative diazepam, the powerful synthetic painkiller fentanyl and a paralytic, cisatracurium — would amount to cruel and unusual punishment in violation of his constitutional rights. Anthony made similar arguments on behalf of Scott Raymond Dozier before Nevada's last scheduled execution was called off in 2017 and 2018. Dozier killed himself in prison in January 2019. A judge blocked the first date after deciding that use of the paralytic might cause painful suffocation while Dozier was aware but unable to move. Pharmaceutical companies that made the three drugs stopped the second date with arguments against using their products in an execution, an issue several states are facing. Floyd would be the first person executed in Nevada since 2006, when Daryl Mack asked to be put to death for his conviction in a 1988 rape and murder in Reno. Nevada has 65 inmates awaiting execution, a state Department of Corrections spokeswoman said. ___ This story was first published on April 19, 2021. It was updated on April 21, 2021, to correct the number of Nevada inmates awaiting execution based on information from the Department of Corrections. There are 65 inmates, not 72. Ken Ritter, The Associated Press
If Ontario Premier Doug Ford is defeated in next year's provincial election, he might look back at this past week as the beginning of the end for his government — the moment when his pandemic-fuelled popularity came to a sudden halt. As the province's third wave hit record highs in daily COVID-19 case counts and new admissions to Ontario's already-strained hospitals, Ford's government introduced new measures last Friday that threw up checkpoints at the province's borders, gave police officers sweeping new powers and shut down a number of outdoor activities that most health experts have deemed safe. Less than 24 hours later — and following a public outcry — the closed playgrounds were re-opened and police forces across the province refused the new powers they were given. Border stops duly went up on Monday but the Ottawa police are saying already that they will no longer continuously monitor crossings over the Ottawa River. Ford himself has been absent from press conferences and the Legislative Assembly as he isolates himself after being exposed to a staffer who tested positive for COVID-19. It's the kind of tumultuous week of muddled communications and sudden policy reversals that Ontarians got used to over the first 18 months of the Ford government. It might also be the week when the sympathy the premier gained because of the pandemic disappeared for good. Ontarians sour on Ford's pandemic management As they did for many governing leaders across the country, Ford's poll numbers soared in the early months of the pandemic. In March 2020, before the virus shut Ontario down, polling by the Angus Reid Institute (ARI) gave Ford an approval rating of just 31 per cent. By June, Ford's approval had surged to over 60 per cent. He retained those numbers into the summer. But Ford's grades on the pandemic were sliding already before the latest developments. In early April, ARI found that just 32 per cent of Ontarians thought he was doing a good job handling the pandemic, down 23 percentage points since November. This past week may accelerate that negative trendline; the Innovative Research Group (IRG) found that satisfaction with the government's handling of the pandemic slipped five points before and after the announcement of the new restrictions. Ford's personal numbers taking a big hit While the government's ratings are dropping, two recent polls suggest that Ford himself has taken a big hit in popularity over the last few days. The poll by IRG found that the number of Ontarians with a favourable opinion of Ford fell from 37 per cent before Friday's announcement to 29 per cent after it. His unfavourable rating increased five points to 51 per cent. Another survey by Abacus Data suggested that the share of the provincial population reporting a positive impression of Ford fell from 39 per cent earlier in April to just 28 per cent over the last few days. The portion of the public with a negative impression of Ford jumped nine points to 46 per cent — the premier's worst number since the beginning of the pandemic. Results of polling by Abacus Data about Ontarians' impressions of Premier Doug Ford.(Abacus Data) The Abacus poll suggests that Ford is losing ground even among his own supporters. About one-fifth of people who voted for the Progressive Conservatives in 2018 now have a negative impression of Ford — nearly twice as many as last week. Among those who self-identify as voters on the right of the political spectrum, 35 per cent now have a negative impression of Ford, an increase of 12 points in just one week. PC re-election hopes not shattered — yet Support for the PCs has not been hit as hard as Ford's personal popularity. But the PCs would still struggle to win re-election if a vote were held today. The Abacus and IRG polls suggest that the Ontario Liberals have about 35 per cent support, putting them narrowly ahead of the PCs, who scored between 30 and 34 per cent in the two surveys. The New Democrats, who form the Official Opposition in Toronto, came up third with between 23 and 26 per cent support. Ontario NDP Leader Andrea Horwath has not seen her personal approval ratings shift significantly since the beginning of the pandemic.(Jack Boland/Canadian Press) Abacus did not find a significant shift in party support before or after Friday's announcements, though IRG did record the gap between the Liberals and PCs widening by seven points. Polling between elections in Ontario can be challenging; provincial politics often takes a back seat to federal and — in some places — municipal politics. There has been a good deal of variation between pollsters' assessments of the state of the race in the province for some time, but the trends do not bode well for the PCs. One recent survey taken before Friday's announcements by EKOS Research — which tends to report better numbers for the PCs than other polling firms — said the PCs' lead over the Liberals dropping from a high of 13 points at the height of pandemic to just five points now. Return to pre-pandemic problems? Pre-pandemic times might feel like ancient history now, but it has been only a little over a year since the Ford government was one of the most unpopular in Canada. At the end of 2019, Abacus Data reported that just 20 per cent of Ontarians had a positive impression of Ford, while between 62 and 63 per cent held a negative view. Other pollsters found similarly bleak numbers for the Ontario premier. For most of 2019, the PCs were polling between 30 and 35 per cent as they hovered above a divided opposition, with the Liberals and NDP generally polling in the high-20s. The pandemic boosted those PC numbers to over 40 per cent in some polls, but the recent slide suggests the surge in support for Ford and the PCs caused by the government's early handling of the pandemic is at risk of disappearing entirely if Ontarians conclude that the government is incompetent. That is, after all, what the public opinion consensus was after Ford had been in office for about 18 months. Ontario Premier Doug Ford is isolating at home after coming into close contact with a staffer who tested positive for COVID-19.(Frank Gunn / Canadian Press) The PCs would be in deeper trouble now if the opposition parties were better positioned to take advantage of the situation. As it stands, both NDP Leader Andrea Horwath and Liberal Leader Steven Del Duca can boast of only middling approval ratings. Neither leader has improved personal numbers to any significant degree during the pandemic. But this past week could prove to be a turning point. While the voting intention numbers haven't moved much, IRG has recorded that Ford's advantage over Horwath on who Ontarians prefer as premier fell from nine points before Friday's announcement to just three points since. The pandemic gave Ford's troubled government a chance at a new start. Right now, it looks like that second chance has been squandered. This past week reminded Ontarians of the Doug Ford they once didn't like.
RCMP have charged four people in connection with the murder of Damian Moosomin after an 11-month investigation. Moosomin, 20, was found dead in the backyard of a home in North Battleford on May 16, 2020, five days after he was reported missing. Tye Patridge of the Moosomin First Nation has been charged with first-degree murder. Jannay Blackbird of the Saulteaux First Nation is charged with second-degree murder. Stormy Wapass-Semaganis of Edmonton and Melissa Semaganis of the Sweetgrass First Nation are facing charges of accessory after the fact to a murder. Patridge, Blackbird and Semaganis are scheduled to appear in North Battleford Provincial Court on April 27. Wapass-Semaganis is scheduled to appear in North Battleford Provincial Court on April 28.
A wood carving destined to overlook the Williams Lake Stampede grounds was destroyed in a fire that ripped through the creator's studio last Friday. The cedar cow boss statue, a replacement for the 15-year-old original that collapsed due to rot, was accidentally set ablaze by the wood stove that carver Ken Sheen uses to burn off sawdust in his studio located off Highway 97 near McLeese Lake. The highway was reduced to single-lane traffic for two hours as a result of the fire. The statue was charred along with Sheen's carving tools and a number of other wood sculptures. Over the years, Sheen has been hired by Williams Lake to create wood sculptures that are displayed across the city, including the Heart of a Champion located at the intersection of two local highways. Sheen's wood works are also displayed in Quesnel and 100 Mile House. The carver says he was in shock when he discovered fire had spread from his sawdust burner to the entire studio after he left it to go to his house and check his computer. Fire at Ken Sheen's studio near the McLeese Lake.(Marlene Pegg) "I could hear [the fire] sounded like gunshots going off," Sheen said Monday to Shelley Joyce, the host of CBC's Daybreak Kamloops. "My dogs were barking outside … I finally went out to see what they were barking about and there was a huge flame. It must have been 60 feet or 80 feet tall." "It was intense and everything was on fire," he said. "It was so intense you couldn't get anywhere near that." Sheen says he lost not only several months of work carving the cow boss statue but also chainsaws and many other specialized sculpting tools estimated to be worth about $7,000. "It burned up thousands and thousands of dollars worth of tools that I've been collecting over 20 years," he said. "Everything is gone." A carved wooden eagle side table was one of many artworks destroyed by the fire in Ken Sheen's studio last Friday. (Ken Sheen) Williams Lake Coun. Scott Nelson says the entire council feels for Sheen and the losses he's sustained. "Our hearts are with Ken Sheen and the family," Nelson said. "He's certainly got the entrepreneurial spirit of the Cariboo inside of him." Sheen says the community helped clean up the mess and is holding a fundraiser to help him get back to work. "I'm just trying to figure out what to do …I'm trying to get my ducks in a row," he said. Tap the link below to hear Ken Sheen's interview on Daybreak Kamloops:
