Did you know that geoFence blocks unwanted traffic and disables remote access from FSAs?
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The Canadian Press
House GOP keeps Cheney as No. 3 leader, stands by Greene
WASHINGTON — House Republicans voted overwhelmingly Wednesday to retain Rep. Liz Cheney as their No. 3 leader, rebuffing a rebellion by hard-right conservatives angry after she voted last month to impeach then-President Donald Trump. The secret 145-61 vote came the same day that Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy ridiculed Democrats for slating a House vote Thursday on removing Republican Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia from her committees. McCarthy’s comment was a signal that he was dismissing bipartisan demands that Greene be punished for her promotion online and embrace of racist and violent views and bizarre conspiracy theories. THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. AP’s earlier story follows below. House Democrats planned a showdown vote for Thursday over stripping Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene of her committee assignments for her endorsement of racist and conspiratorial views, as the chamber’s top Republican signalled he would not bow to bipartisan demands to punish her. The decision by Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., came Wednesday as Republicans also grappled over what to do about Rep. Liz Cheney, their No. 3 leader, after she backed Donald Trump’s impeachment. The decisions over how to handle the two Republican lawmakers subjected the GOP to a politically agonizing test of its direction as it moves beyond Donald Trump’s presidency. Democrats increased the pressure by planning a House vote on removing Greene from her committees for her embrace of calls to violence against Democrats and bizarre fictions about faked school shootings. But shortly after the Democratic-led House Rules Committee cleared the way for Thursday’s vote, McCarthy released a statement saying Democrats were “choosing to raise the temperature” by attempting a “partisan power grab.” He condemned Greene’s past endorsements of conspiracy theories — after weeks of saying little critical of her — and said the first-term Georgia congresswoman had recognized in a private conversation that she must meet “a higher standard” as a lawmaker. “I hold her to her word, as well as her actions going forward,” McCarthy said. Separately, House Republicans were meeting privately Wednesday about an effort by Trump loyalists to push Cheney out of her leadership post. That move was sparked after Cheney, a daughter of former Vice-President Dick Cheney and a fixture of the party establishment, became one of just 10 House Republicans to vote to impeach Trump last month. “I won’t apologize for the vote,” Cheney told her colleagues, according to a person familiar with the session who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the private meeting. During a break in that closed-door session, McCarthy told reporters he’d defended Cheney inside. “People can have differences of opinion. That’s what you can have a discussion about. Liz has a right to vote her conscience,” said McCarthy, who’d previously given no clear signal about whether he’d support his lieutenant. At the earlier Rules Committee meeting, Chair Jim McGovern, D-Mass., said lawmakers would send “an awful message” if they took no action on Greene. “If this is not the bottom, I don’t know what the hell is,” McGovern said. McCarthy tried to push blame onto Democrats, criticizing them for taking no action against their own lawmakers whom he didn’t name, including one he said “spread anti-Semitic tropes.” Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., made comments critical of Israel in 2019 and apologized. The closed-door GOP meeting was likely to discuss the political fates of both Cheney and Greene, and touch on McCarthy’s performance. He is having to guide the House GOP through one of its most contentious periods, but his favoured approach of avoiding ruffling feathers has been criticized by some Republicans who think he needs to be more decisive. That meeting was also expected to become an emotional debate over whether the GOP should follow Trump’s norm-busting divisiveness or embrace the party’s more traditional, policy-oriented conservative values. The internal GOP fight over how to handle Greene and Cheney underscored the hold Trump and his voters still have on much of the party. But it’s not uniform. Around two-thirds of House Republicans voted to back Trump’s effort to overturn his November election loss — just hours after his supporters’ deadly storming of the Capitol that led to his impeachment for inciting insurrection. Yet Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., and other GOP senators have lambasted Greene, reflecting worries that her wing of the party cannot win statewide Senate races. House Republicans have faced bipartisan pressure to punish Greene, including from McConnell. A House vote was expected to be a political ordeal for many Republicans, forcing them to go on record defending or punishing the unapologetic, social media-savvy Greene. She burst onto the national political scene after just a month in office and with enthusiastic support from Trump. Even during the effort to punish her, she has lashed out at Democrats and raised money on the controversy. Republicans appointed Greene to the Education and Labor Committee, a decision that drew especially harsh criticism because of her suggestions that mass school shootings in Connecticut and Florida could be hoaxes. Greene is also on the Budget Committee. McCarthy said Democrats turned down his offer to move Greene onto the House Small Business Committee instead. It’s unusual for party leaders to strip lawmakers of committee assignments, which can help them address their districts’ needs and raise campaign contributions. In 2019, House GOP leaders removed Rep. Steve King, R-Iowa, who had a history of racist comments, from the Agriculture and Judiciary panels after wondering aloud in a New York Times story about when the term “white supremacist” became offensive. He lost the Republican primary for his seat in 2020 and is out of Congress after serving nine terms. In online videos and through supportive “likes” on social media, Greene has voiced support for racist beliefs, calls for violence against House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and former President Barack Obama, and other false theories. She’s also endorsed fictional QAnon claims that Trump was trying to unearth secret child trafficking rings run by Democrats. The handling of Greene and Cheney presented a tricky balancing act for McCarthy. The eight-term lawmaker is hoping to become speaker should Republicans capture the House majority in the 2022 elections, and he has little interest in antagonizing any GOP colleagues. Penalizing Cheney for what she called her “vote of conscience” on impeachment would be awkward without also punishing Greene. Action against either risked angering the GOP’s numerous Trump supporters or its more traditional conservative backers. Cheney foes have said they have enough votes to force her removal from leadership. But it was unclear whether GOP lawmakers would vote on that during Wednesday’s meeting or if McCarthy would somehow delay that showdown. The Senate plans to begin its impeachment trial of Trump next week. In a procedural vote last week, all but five GOP senators voted to scuttle the proceedings, indicating that his conviction is unlikely. Alan Fram, Brian Slodysko And Kevin Freking, The Associated Press
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The Canadian Press
How to keep your student loan payment at $0
President Biden announced on Jan. 20 that most federal student loan payments would be suspended interest-free through September 2021 due to the ongoing pandemic. Once the suspension lifts, though, a $0 payment still may be a necessity for some borrowers. According to an October 2020 survey from NerdWallet conducted by The Harris Poll, 45% of Americans with federal student loans of their own weren’t confident they’d be able to afford their loan payments when the payment freeze was scheduled to end last December. Borrowers will hopefully be better off financially by September. But if you’ll need to keep paying less, here are your options. ENROLL IN INCOME-DRIVEN REPAYMENT For a manageable payment, start with an income-driven repayment plan. “Look at income-driven repayment first because it offers the most benefits,” says Persis Yu, director of the non-profit National Consumer Law Center’s Student Loan Borrower Assistance Project. Those benefits can include forgiveness after 20 or 25 years of payments, partial interest subsidies and monthly bills as low as $0. Payments are based on adjusted gross income, family size and federal poverty guidelines. For example, if you had an AGI of $19,000, were single and lived in the lower 48 states, you’d pay $0 for 12 months under most income-driven plans. If you already use one of these plans and your income has decreased, your payments can too. “It’s important for borrowers to realize that they can ask to have their plans recertified at any time,” Yu says. You can estimate payments under different income-driven plans with the Department of Education’s Loan Simulator. DEFER STUDENT LOAN PAYMENTS Federal student loan payments can be paused via deferment and forbearance. Deferment is tied to events like losing your job or undergoing cancer treatment. If you’re eligible, this option can keep payments at $0. For example, an unemployment deferment may be possible if you work fewer than 30 hours per week. If your hours were cut, but your household’s earnings are too high for an income-driven plan, deferment may make sense. The government also covers all the accruing interest on subsidized loans during deferment. “There are some subsidies on income-driven plans, but they’re more generous with deferment,” says Betsy Mayotte, president and founder of The Institute of Student Loan Advisors, a non-profit that offers borrowers free advice. Deferment is often available for up to three years, but you have to reapply periodically. For an unemployment deferment, the duration is every six months. PLACE LOANS IN FORBEARANCE Payments are currently suspended interest-free via a special administrative forbearance. When that break ends, your servicer can grant you a discretionary forbearance, potentially without paperwork. But besides no bills, that type of forbearance offers few benefits. “Forbearance is a last resort,” Mayotte says. “It’s either that or you’re going to go delinquent or default.” Interest usually accrues during forbearance. When it ends, that interest can be added to the amount you owe, meaning future interest grows on a bigger balance. With any $0 payment strategy, it’s possible you’ll repay more overall. “If you can afford it, I would always recommend paying versus not paying,” Mayotte says. GETTING READY The most important thing to do now is understand your options, says Scott Buchanan, executive director of the Student Loan Servicing Alliance, a non-profit that represents student loan servicers. In part, that’s because servicers can’t change your payments yet. “It’s a matter of regulation and process,” Buchanan says. “We can’t actually put you into (a) plan right now because you’re not in repayment.” But you can do the following: — CHECK YOUR INFO. Log on to your servicer’s website to check your contact information and payment amount. If you’re not sure who your servicer is, visit the Federal Student Aid website. Mayotte says to beware of companies reaching out and offering help for a fee; your servicer will never charge you. — GATHER PAPERWORK. Applications can require documentation like pay stubs, which Buchanan says must be from the past three or four months when you submit your forms. If you applied now, you’d likely have to do so again with more current information. But you can get a head start by figuring out what you’ll need and filling out what you can. — SET A REMINDER. With payments set to resume in October, plan to submit your requests over the summer. “If you wait until the day before your due date in the month when 30 million people are going into repayment,” Buchanan says, “call times are going to be long.” ———————————————- This article was provided to The Associated Press by the personal finance website NerdWallet. Ryan Lane is a writer at NerdWallet. Email: [email protected] Twitter: @ryanhlane. RELATED LINKS: NerdWallet: Is Income-Driven Repayment Right for You? https://bit.ly/nerdwallet-repayment Department of Education Loan Simulator https://studentaid.gov/loan-simulator/ Federal Student Aid: Identifying Your Loan Servicer https://studentaid.gov/manage-loans/repayment/servicers#your-servicer Ryan Lane Of Nerdwallet, The Associated Press
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CBC
Windsor-Essex parents awaiting announcement on schools reopening
Many Windsor-Essex parents are eager to learn whether their children can return to schools for the first time since December. Education Minister Stephen Lecce is expected to make an announcement Wednesday on when students in large centres can return to in-class learning. “Yeah, if they think it’s safe for them to go back, it’s good. My son would love to go back to class,” said Gurpreet Jammu, whose son attends Grade One at St. Joseph’s Catholic Elementary school in River Canard. Fulvio Valentinis, chair of the Windsor-Essex Catholic District School Board, said parents and teachers are looking forward to returning to class. He said his board is ready. “We’ve learned to be prepared, to be able to pivot, to be able to move from one delivery model to another fairly, fairly quickly. So if the announcement is made, we will be ready,” Valentinis said. Catholic board parents still have the option to choose whether to send their kids back to class or to keep them at home learning virtually. The parents in the public board aren’t expected to have that option. The deadline to switch instruction for the rest of the year passed on Jan. 26. The Windsor-Essex County Health Unit shut down schools a week before the holiday break as COVID-19 cases in the region surged. The province later implemented its own shutdown, which has since been lifted for some health units but not those in COVID-19 hotspots such as Toronto and Windsor. Windsor-Essex has seen a dramatic decline in new cases, however. The number of active COVID-19 cases has fallen by about 2,000 cases in two weeks. ‘Everyone has been struggling’ Kristen Siapas, chair of the Greater Essex County Parent Involvement Committee, has four children learning at home. She chose to keep them home. She said many parents do want to send their children back. “I think the parents are really looking forward to this announcement so that we have a little bit of certainty. I know that everyone has been struggling right now to see what would happen next,” Siapas said. CBC Windsor asked parents on social media how they were feeling about a possible return to in-class learning. Nearly 300 people responded to a Facebook post on the issue. “Locking everybody up inside isn’t doing anything but making matters worse..these children need to go back to school,” wrote Andrea Gizzi. But others are in favour of online learning. “Online learning teaches them to self advocate and ask for help when it’s needed, it teaches them time management and what the real world will look like when they go to post secondary and get jobs,” writes Lesa Rae Schroeder. Health unit says data supports return to school Dr. Wajid Ahmed, WECHU medical officer of health, said Tuesday that the data the region is seeing supports the reopening of schools. He is expected to present that data on Wednesday. Erin Roy, president of the Ontario Secondary School Teachers’ Federation District 9, which represents public high school teachers, trusts his assessment. But she said there are no new safety measures in place in the schools. “We have had teachers that have been back since Jan. 4. They have the exact same measures that they had in September. So there is no additional measures that we’ve seen on the ground,” said Roy. “One thing I know for sure that they have implemented is just basically a daily self-assessment that you have to prove now. So basically, you have to check more things. But that’s no different than the self-assessment that we were doing before.” On Monday, Lecce said the province plans to expand COVID-19 testing for students and that it will allow school boards to bring in student teachers to fill supply roles as more schools reopen amid the second wave of the pandemic. Kari Olajos has two children attending Gosfield North Public School. She opted to keep her children at home but wishes she had the option to change that. “I do wish there was an option to opt back in in the spring when people will be more outdoors and I am confident the cases will be lower,” she said. Premier Doug Ford has said he would like to get the students back in class by Feb. 10. Valentinis said that’s plenty of time to get ready. The public school board in Windsor-Essex isn’t commenting until it hears details in Wednesday’s announcement.
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CBC
COVID-19 on P.E.I.: What’s happening Wednesday, Feb. 3
Members of the Community Association of Long Term Care on P.E.I.are frustrated by the lack of clarity around compensation from the province for expenses incurred because of COVID-19 public health guidelines. With no opportunity for on-campus events this spring, UPEI is developing a new approach to job fairs for graduates. The P.E.I. government has made the changes in law required to allow pharmacists to provide vaccinations that can protect Islanders against COVID-19. Dr. Heather Morrison’s regular COVID-19 briefing was cancelled due to Tuesday’s storm. On Monday, two new cases of COVID-19 were reported. Traditional storm days have changed on P.E.I. now that more people have the tools to work remotely. The total number of positive COVID-19 cases reported on P.E.I. is 112, with five active. There have been no deaths or hospitalizations. New Brunswick reported 25 new cases of COVID-19 on Tuesday. There are now 267 active cases in the province, including three cases of a coronavirus variant. One new case was reported in Nova Scotia, bringing its total active cases to 10. Also in the news Further resources Reminder about symptoms The symptoms of COVID-19 can include: Fever. Cough or worsening of a previous cough. Possible loss of taste and/or smell. Sore throat. New or worsening fatigue. Headache. Shortness of breath. Runny nose. More from CBC P.E.I.
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The Canadian Press
Black leaders and artists reflect on Black History Month in 2021
What is the significance of Black History Month in 2021?Eight months after the groundswell of social activism sparked by the police killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis, Minn., it’s a question that holds many answers.For many Black Canadians, each one can be deeply personal and nuanced.We asked some Black Canadian leaders and artists to offer their perspectives on both celebrating and contending with our country’s own Black history and the path forward in the years to come:Celina Caesar-ChavannesWho: Former Liberal MP and author of memoir “Can You Hear Me Now?”“(Black History Month) should have a new meaning for a lot of people, especially when we consider the context that we’re living in. We’ve been having Black History Month all year. Right? However, I don’t think we’ve been actually having the ‘history’ part. We’ve been having conversations about racism. But I don’t think we’ve been digging deep into the history from a Canadian perspective… If we were to do this correctly, we would leverage Black History Month this year to understand the root causes of present-day trauma. You can’t move forward when most of the people don’t understand what we’re moving forward from.”Duane (D.O) GibsonWho: Hip-hop musician, and motivational speaker about Black history at Canadian schools.”I want Black Canadian history to be something we continuously learn. A lot of times, we gravitate towards headlines and tags. I like to go a little bit deeper. (For example,) we learn Viola Desmond sat down in a movie theatre, but are we asking ourselves why she was out of town? Well, it’s because she was a Black business woman at a time where there was not a lot of Black business people. (She’s) a trailblazer and I think it’s important to recognize her contributions as an entrepreneur.”Aly NdiayeWho: Hip-hop artist known as Webster and author of “Le Grain de Sable,” a children’s book about Olivier Le Jeune, Canada’s first documented Black slave.”Black History Month is important because it’s the time of the year where we can focus on the history. But it’s too easy for people to step in, in February, and step out in March. We have to bring it to the people through pop culture, whether it be songs, through films or through drama (theatre). Art is more digestible for the people. If you shoot a movie about it you probably will have more people watch the movie than read the book about this history. If you decide to tell this history through song, you have a lot of people who will be able to learn to that song.”Dominique Fils-AimeWho: Quebec singer whose doo-wop and soul record “While We Wait,” due Feb. 12, completes a trilogy of albums on Black-American music.”From the beginning, I realized that I was not satisfied with (what) we could find in books when it came to Black history. All the information I didn’t necessarily learn in school was trapped in another format. It’s as if the emotional history is trapped in music. Every one of these albums came out during February, and it was to underline the connection with the music and the musical genres that we are kind of paying tribute to in a way. I think as long as people are opening their mind, stepping into this month willing to discover, learn or celebrate something, the goal has been achieved.”Natasha HenryWho: President of the Ontario Black History Society”We are at this juncture, given what we’re coming off of this past spring in summer, that needs to go beyond learning. We need to be involved with, and demand, that some substantive action and change take place from governments and institutions. I would like to see a real and intentional and critical centring of Black History Month that helps to move things forward. It’s not just a celebration, it’s not just food. And it’s not just in music. It’s picking it up critically in a way to help effect change.”- These interviews have been condensed and edited for clarity.This report by The Canadian Press was first published Feb. 2, 2021. David Friend, The Canadian Press
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The Canadian Press
Bidens bring an unexpected piece of furniture to White House
WASHINGTON — There’s a crib in President Joe Biden’s White House. Upstairs in the family residence, the bed is set for the president’s youngest grandchild, Beau Biden Jr. The baby was born last year to Biden’s only surviving son, Hunter Biden, brother of Beau Biden, the president’s other son, who died of brain cancer in 2015 at age 46. The baby bed’s addition came to light during a People magazine interview in which the president said the Senate must put former President Donald Trump on trial since the House had impeached him over last month’s riot at the U.S. Capitol, which left five people dead. “Otherwise it makes a mockery of the system,” Biden said in his first White House interview since his Jan. 20 swearing-in as president. Biden doubted that enough Republicans — at least 17 are needed — would join Democrats to convict Trump on a charge of inciting his supporters to storm the Capitol on Jan. 6 in an attempt to keep lawmakers from certifying Trump’s election loss to Biden. A former senator himself, Biden has avoided saying whether he thinks the Senate should convict Trump, but he told People, “I’m not looking for retribution.” “My job is to try to heal the country and move us forward, because I think we have so many opportunities as a country,” he said in interview excerpts released Wednesday. Biden also pledged anew that no family member will work in the administration. “We’re going to run this like the Obama-Biden administration,” he said. “No one in our family and extended family is going to be involved in any government undertaking or foreign policy. And nobody has an office in this place.” Biden made that pledge during the 2020 presidential campaign — as Trump and other Republicans tried to make an issue out of some of Hunter Biden’s overseas business dealings. He sought to differentiate himself from Trump, whose daughter Ivanka and son-in-law, Jared Kushner, served him as high-level White House advisers. Biden represented Delaware for 36 years in the Senate. Barack Obama, a senator from Illinois, and Biden were elected president and vice-president, respectively, in 2008. Biden told the magazine a folksy story about rejecting the advice of an accountant who had told him years ago that he could bill the Senate for some of the gasoline he pumped into the family car. Biden said he told the accountant: “Here’s how I look at it: The foul line is 15 feet away from the basket. Never get me closer than 17 feet, because it really is a matter of the public trust.” “And we need to rebuild that trust in government,” added Jill Biden, who joined her husband for the interview in the magazine’s Feb. 15 issue, hitting newsstands nationwide on Friday, days before Trump’s impeachment trial is set to open in the Senate. Darlene Superville, The Associated Press
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Local Journalism Initiative
Whitestone cleaning up zoning bylaws to be consistent with official plan
It’s not spring yet, but the Municipality of Whitestone is doing housekeeping on conflicting bylaws. At its meeting in January, council discussed the bylaws that had caused some issues over the last year. Some of the issues included bunkies versus sleeping cabins; saunas in front yards; floating docks or docks with limited crib size; shore road allowances; seasonal dwellings; and new docks not currently permitted in environmentally protected zones. Bunkies vs. sleeping cabins The existing bylaw has bunkies and sleeping cabins defined separately and according to the official plan each must be subordinate, have no cooking facilities, have size restrictions up to 50 square metres and have a limited number of cabins on a property. The issue: confusion relating to use of both bunkie and sleeping cabins, the number of sleeping cabins permitted and the size. Proposed bylaw amendment: Removing the term bunkie and limit to one sleeping cabin. Saunas in the front yard The existing bylaw allows for saunas in the front yard; however, there is no specific parameters spelled out by the municipality. The issue: Needs clarification of yard requirements. Proposed bylaw amendment: add a three-metre setback for both front and rear yard. Floating docks; or docks with limited crib size in Environmentally Protected zones The existing bylaw states that all structures must be set back 10 metres from environmentally protected zones. The issue: docks that are set in environmentally protected zones. Proposed bylaw amendment: to allow floating docks or docks with limited cribs to be located in EP zones, but still to comply with Ministry of Natural Resources and Fisheries (MNRF) guidelines. Shore road allowances The existing bylaw states that permits are available for buildings/structures up to the inner limit of shore road allowance or reserve. The official plan states that the municipality will close shore road allowances. The issue: There is a potential benefit to clarify that docks are permitted with closing a shore road allowance or reserves. Proposed bylaw amendment: Add a second paragraph to the bylaw to indicate that a dock may be permitted adjacent to the shore road allowance or Crown reserve. Council mentioned that the closing of a shore road allowance or Crown reserve can take excessive periods of time and it is reasonable to allow docks before completing the closing. Seasonal dwellings The existing bylaw states that seasonal dwellings are not listed as permitted uses in rural zones (RU), rural residential zones (RR) and rural one zones (RU1). The issue: Seasonal dwellings are permitted in waterfront one (WF1) zones, but not in the above-mentioned zones. Proposed bylaw amendment: to allow for season dwellings to be permitted with RU, RU1 and RR zones to be consistent with WF1 zones. The official plan does not discriminate between season and year-round residences and council said that this change will promote consistency and flexibility. New docks in Environmentally Protected zones Currently, only existing docks are allowed in an environmentally protected zone. The issue: no new docks can be built if an area is zoned as environmentally protected. Proposed bylaw amendment: floating docks that comply with MNRF requirements will be permitted to be built in an environmentally protected zone. This is a technical change and has little impact on existing conditions. Whitestone’s council received the report on these housekeeping changes by John Jackson, municipal planner for the region, on Jan. 18 and directed staff to post the report on its website and plan for a public meeting in the summer. Sarah Cooke’s reporting is funded by the Canadian government through its Local Journalism Initiative. Sarah Cooke, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Parry Sound North Star
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The Canadian Press
Snoopy shines in Apple TV+ series that’s true to its roots
NEW YORK — “Peanuts” star Snoopy is famous for being a highly imaginative dog, liable at to go off on loony flights of fancy. But, it turns out, his world has some strict rules. No adults can be heard there, just trombones. No technology past the 1970s can be used. And under no circumstances may the inside of Snoopy’s doghouse ever be shown. Creators of the new animated series “The Snoopy Show” had to learn and respect all the rules as they crafted stories for Apple TV+ that were true to the original strips and various previous shows. “I think the rules have actually made the story so much stronger, to go, ‘How do we play in the sandbox?’” says Stephanie Betts, an executive vice-president at media company WildBrain. “And actually, we realized it was so much wider than you can even imagine.” The series, which debuts Friday, consists of three seven-minute vignettes per 23-minute episode. They are mined from the almost 18,000 strips cartoonist Charles M. Schulz left behind. It’s an enchanting and endearing show; we see Charlie Brown overcoming his nerves at speaking in front of his class, and an epic game of tag between Snoopy and Rerun that leads to mild injuries and laughter. Adults will recognize the classic visual style and the world they read as kids: Kites still get eaten by trees, Lucy’s psychiatric booth still costs a nickel and Snoopy keeps flying missions on his doghouse. “There’s something to the timelessness of Charles Schulz’s drawings,” said Mark Evestaff, showrunner and an executive producer. “I feel like this is the kind of show that we need now.” The series’ writers were each given a large red volume — nicknamed “the Snoopy Bible” — that contained Snoopy-centric strips, and were told to use them for inspiration. “It was like, ‘How do you build on what he was trying to tell the audience in four strips?’ We get seven minutes,” said Betts. If the writers were intimidated, so were the artists, many of whom revere “Peanuts.” “One of our storyboard artists would get nervous every time they had to draw Lucy’s psychiatry booth, just because it was this heritage thing and there’s so much weight. Everyone’s a little bit terrified,” said Evestaff. One obstacle was that Woodstock and Snoopy in the strip communicate their feelings through thought bubbles, something that doesn’t work in a show. That meant the artists had to rely on sounds, pantomime and a variety of expressions for the two characters, who yelp, cry, titter and gulp with powerful emotion. They’re aided by a jazzy score by Jeff Morrow. “The Snoopy Show” is a refreshing addition to a children’s TV landscape that is full of superheroes and cute shows where resolutions are predetermined. The world of “Peanuts,” on the other hand, explores failure and frustration. “We do have these characters that have real problems and things don’t always work out. And they deal with issues of rejection and failure. Those are things that our kids deal with, too,” said Evestaff. “I think if you were to pitch a show like this today, it would be a very difficult sell.” The show still allows Snoopy to have his heroic flights of fancy — becoming the famed arm-wrestler Masked Marvel, hipster Joe Cool or the dogged World War I Flying Ace behind enemy lines. “Charles Schulz always said he felt most like Charlie Brown — he couldn’t always kick the football, he wasn’t always the winner. So Snoopy gave that outlet to dream a little bigger,” said Betts. “Peanuts” made its debut Oct. 2, 1950. The travails of the “little round-headed kid” Charlie Brown and his pals eventually ran in more than 2,600 newspapers, reaching millions of readers in 75 countries. Other Peanuts projects that have been launched by Apple TV+ include “Snoopy in Space” and “Peanuts in Space: Secrets of Apollo 10,” both of which were nominated for Daytime Emmy Awards, with the latter winning. One of the more intriguing aspects of “The Snoopy Show” is that it shows the first time Charlie Brown met Snoopy, as well as the first time the beagle ever encountered Woodstock. Snoopy is shown as a lonely puppy inside a barn — the last of the litter to be adopted — when Charlie Brown walks in and hands him a bone, telling him they’re going to be best friends. But the Snoopy-Woodstock introduction is anything but meet-cute. The original strip showed the bird falling onto Snoopy’s lap; the series shows a tense and competitive meeting that eventually ends in friendship. The rules of the show — no cellphones, computers or adult human voices — keeps the kids in their hermetic world and forces them to make their own decisions. As for the inside of Snoopy’s doghouse — from which he drags out a pool table, a Vincent van Gogh painting and a swimming pool, among other massive items — leaving it unseen keeps imaginations wild. “It makes the writers, the directors and all the artists have to be a little bit more clever in terms of how they approach a scene,” said Evestaff. “I think it makes for a stronger show.” ___ Mark Kennedy is at http://twitter.com/KennedyTwits Mark Kennedy, The Associated Press
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Local Journalism Initiative
New cannabis company eyes Erin for potential store location
ERIN – The debate over retail cannabis has reopened in Erin as a delegation to council has asked them to see the benefits of allowing them to set up shop in the village. No cannabis shop has opened in Wellington County but two are in the application process with the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario: The Green Cloud Cannabis in Arthur and Taste Buds Cannabis in Rockwood. The Town of Erin is one of three municipalities in Wellington County that previously opted-out of hosting retail cannabis stores. Centre Wellington and Mapleton also chose not to allow storefronts. Delegates from Cannabis Cannabis, a new Cannabis retail company, spoke at an Erin council meeting on Tuesday afternoon. Jordan Eady, CEO of Cannabis Cannabis, told council the company is expected to open their first location in Stratford and are interested in Erin as another possible site. In a phone call after the delegation, Eady said he has been visiting the town for years because his fiance is from the area and her parents are still local. “Erin’s a second home for me and I’ve always been in love with the town and with the people of Erin,” Eady said. “It’s a growing loving community and we just want to be able to open up a store that’s safe, regulated and can educate the people of Erin on purchasing cannabis.” Although there’s a personal connection to Erin, Eady said he sees focusing on smaller towns like Stratford and Erin as a wise business move. “That’s kind of our main focus is really providing a beautiful, approachable space for these smaller towns and try to stay clear of the saturation in larger cities,” Eady said. At the meeting, the company’s chief strategy officer Ryan Caruso explained some towns that opted-out were concerned about an abundance of stores setting up shop. However, Caruso said this hasn’t been the case in similar sized municipalities. “You can look at places like Kincardine, very similar population size to Erin … all these other towns that have opted-in only have one store,” Caruso said to council. “You don’t really see that clustering.” Caruso also said a cannabis storefront can put a dent in the black market, generate tax revenue and create living wage employment for the town. Eady said the company is focused on working with the community so the store suits the character and needs like what they did in Stratford working with the heritage department. This applies for both the inside and the outside of the store. Eady said he’s been inside some cannabis stores where he has felt uncomfortable. This is why he said he wants to focus on an inviting atmosphere that suits a small town. “It just gives the opportunity for people who are a little bit older… and they may never have walked into a cannabis store,” Eady said. “We’re just kind of saying ‘hey listen this is just like any other store.’ We’re just giving it a really beautiful, clean aesthetic so anyone that’s able and age appropriate to go in. Erin council was receptive to the delegation and councillor Michael Robins commended them on the feel they were going for with the stores. “It is contrary to the mental image I have of cannabis-type stores,” Robins said to the delegation. “In terms of what you’re trying to appeal to is something I think is going the right way in terms of safety and upscale look and feel.” Mayor Allan Alls asked if there was enough of a market to support this store in Erin. “I know we’re going to grow but we’re not a large population,” Alls said, also asking if they had a more specific location in mind. Eady replied that he was confident the business would be successful. As for location, Eady said they spotted a few vacancies but would be interested in being along the main strip of Erin, preferably in a heritage building. Alls said they couldn’t make a decision that day but would ask staff to bring forward a report on the optics of opting-in. “Probably the next council meeting we can bring it forward, I believe, and we’ll have some answers for you,” Alls said to Eady. Council accepted the presentation as information. “It is contrary to the mental image I have of cannabis-type stores,” Robins said to the delegation. “In terms of what you’re trying to appeal to is something I think is going the right way in terms of safety and upscale look and feel.” Keegan Kozolanka, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, GuelphToday.com
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Local Journalism Initiative
StatCan recruiting for 2021 census
EASTERN SHORE – Across Canada, and here at home in Nova Scotia, Statistics Canada has started recruiting staff to work on the 2021 census. Area crew leader, Sherry Parks, located in Spry Bay on the Eastern Shore said, “Statistics Canada is actively recruiting at this time, and we encourage individuals who are interested in applying to visit www.census.gc.ca/jobs-emplois-eng.htm.” “It is important everyone take part in the census and take the opportunity to be counted,” StatCan’s Director General Census of Population, Geoff Bowlby, told The Journal during a telephone interview. “Take part in a democratic process and do [some] good for your community by being counted.” “The Constitution Act says that there should be a census in 1871 – the first post-Confederation – and every 10 years after. Furthermore, the Statistics Act has required a census every five years, starting in 1956,” Bowlby explained of the history of Canada’s census-taking. “No census date has been missed – even in crisis years, such as 1931 and 1941. This [2021] is the first to be conducted during a major pandemic – as the Spanish Flu [1918-1920] was not during a census year.” Recruitment is underway for crew leaders and enumerators who will conduct the census in May, June and July. Staff must live in the geographical area they will enumerate and requirements include being 18 years of age, a legal resident of Canada, having access to a vehicle and a personal computer and Internet – due to security reasons. Having experience supervising other staff and doing online training qualifications is a bonus for supervisors’ positions. “Crew Leaders will begin work in March and finish the end of July,” Bowlby said, “… working regular hours at about 40-hour work weeks. Enumerators will start in April, complete training and work 20 to 40 hours per week doing the collection of data – depending on the areas they cover.” Crew leaders will be paid $22 per hour and enumerators $18 per hour. The Eastern Shore, Antigonish and Cape Breton regional area – a large territory – is divided into 17 areas, and each area is supervised by a crew leader. An additional 248 enumerators will be hired to work the 17 areas. The census will be rolled out in early May. Bowlby confirmed letters will be delivered by Canada Post or hand delivered by an enumerator. “The letter will contain information on the website, a telephone number and an access code. We encourage people to respond online as it is the safest option during COVID,” he said. Residents can call to request paper questionnaires, if they prefer. In June and July, the main task of the enumerators will be to knock on doors to provide reminders to residents who have not yet responded. If necessary, they will conduct an interview on the doorstep to collect the information. StatCan intends to keep staff and Canadians safe by providing five reusable masks to workers and hand sanitizer, while interviews will be held outside. Since the COVID-19 pandemic began, the agency has been looking at adapting the census taking process. “Using high quality data to plan, we expect to protect Canadians and the staff who work for us,” said Bowlby, “… neither by transmitting nor catching the virus. We are working to achieve these goals. This is the first census to be conducted during a global pandemic.” In order to further protect staff – no training materials will be delivered to their homes. Crew leaders will conduct on-line training for everyone. The expectation is there will be an Internet response like never before as a way to file census information. Using the internet or by making phone calls – responders can further protect themselves by not having to talk in person. “While some activity will have to be door-to-door, it will be fewer than ever before,” Bowlby said. He expects the first estimates of the 2021 census will be available as early as early February 2022 due to the expected high volume of electric return by Internet. In early April, in advance of the census distribution, enumerators will create a list of dwellings in rural areas where civic addressing is not available. Letters will be mailed out to civic addresses and enumerators will drop off to homes with no civic address attached. Enumerators will be responsible for logging on their home computer in the morning to notify StatCan of their progress in identifying the homes, distribution and collection. There are two forms available for data collection – the short and the long. The short form is basic information including age and gender. The long form asks about education, ethnicity, work, type of dwelling and more. Three quarters of those distributed are short form and the remaining quarter is long form. “Some of the most important, fundamental data are the national and regional population data from the census,” said Bowlby. “These data drive government programming and assist those in the private sector with their decision making. For example, health and social transfers to the provinces are made on a per capita basis, based on the census count.” Janice Christie, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Guysborough Journal
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CBC
Yellowknives Dene, federal gov’t agree to further talks about Giant Mine apology, compensation
The Yellowknives Dene First Nation and the federal government agreed to set up a formal process to discuss an apology and compensation for the First Nation for a mine that operated on its land without its consent for several decades. “It’s a sense of relief,” said Ernest Betsina, chief of Ndilo for the Yellowknives Dene First Nation. “It’s a sense of optimism that the federal government is finally listening to us and that the federal government is finally doing something. Together, I know we can come up with a good work plan.” Giant Mine operated from 1948 to 2006, displacing the First Nation from the western part of Yellowknife Bay, affecting their harvesting rights. The mine contaminated the water and led to long-term negative social impacts among the YKDFN. According to a news release from the YKDFN, Chiefs Edward Sangris and Ernest Betsina met virtually with Crown-Indigenous Relations Minister Carolyn Bennett, Northern Affairs Minister Daniel Vandal, and Northwest Territories MP Michael McLeod on Jan. 29. They restated their demands to receive a formal apology and compensation for Giant Mine, and to ensure the YKDFN play a formal role in the remediation of their traditional lands. The clean up of the mine is expected to cost up to $1 billion, including initial care and maintenance and active remediation. Remediation work at the former gold mine is imminent and the YKDFN have demanded that it be the only eligible bidder on contracts that include water treatment, long-term environmental consulting and monitoring of the project. ‘Important step’ The chiefs saw the meeting as a step forward in their claims. “At this meeting, they [federal government] have at last agreed to move forward on a negotiating table with us to discuss an apology and compensation, and now we need to ensure that this work gets done very urgently for our people,” said Edward Sangris, Dettah chief of the Yellowknives Dene First Nation. “They must now put their good words into action.” Betsina said the chiefs want to ensure people who were impacted the most by the toxic legacy of Giant Mine are the ones who will benefit from the remediation project. “When you look at it, the diamond mines are going to be finishing soon, so we need to start looking elsewhere or improvising and looking for future jobs for our members.” He said he also sees upcoming talks as a step toward reconciliation. “I’m hoping the prime minister is listening,” he said. “I hope the prime minister can do the apology on this.” Both chiefs said they are looking forward to working with the federal government. Bennett said the federal government has been working with YKDFN on the issues surrounding Giant Mine to better understand their impacts on the community. “Righting historical wrongs and working collaboratively to renew our relationship with First Nations is key to advancing reconciliation in Canada. We are committed to continue moving forward in collaboration with the Yellowknives Dene First Nation,” she said. A follow-up meeting will be held later this month, according to the release, to confirm how they will move forward. Betsina said the federal government recommended they meet “maybe once a month and work together.” “It certainly is encouraging.”
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Local Journalism Initiative
Simcoe Muskoka Health Unit will not report COVID-19 numbers on First Nations Territories
The chief medical health officer for the Muskoka Parry Sound District Health Unit (SMDHU) said he is no longer able to publicly share information on COVID-19 cases on the four First Nations territories within the unit’s jurisdiction. Dr. Charles Gardner made that clear during a Jan. 26 news conference when he was asked to confirm numbers of COVID cases on Indigenous communities in the region. It has been reported that First Nations under the SMDHU’s jurisdiction have had 11 cases in total. Rama First Nation has reported five cases, Wahta First Nation and Beausoleil First Nation three each, and Moose Deer Point none. Gardner released statistics for the Wahta First Nation last month, including confirming the territory had its first three coronavirus cases. He explained last week why he is no longer divulging that information to the public. “One of the things I was reminded of by my staff is that we have to be very respectful of the autonomy of those communities with their health data,” Gardner said. “We may receive some reports from them, but it is for them to decide if they want to publicly report. I need to respect that.” Some of the COVID cases on First Nations communities in Simcoe-Muskoka have been reported on their territory’s websites, while some have not. The federal government does not release COVID statistics publicly for specific First Nations communities. Gardner said he is absolutely encouraging First Nations residents in the region to get vaccinated when they have the opportunity. He said, however, that everyone, Indigenous and non-Indigenous people alike, should do their best to remain patient right now over the relatively slow pace of the vaccine rollout. “We are restricted right now as to how much (vaccine) we have. If we had a large supply we would be moving very quickly to make it available to those communities. At this point in time, I’m very sorry to say that we are very low on vaccines and have had to focus on those who are in long-term-care facilities,” Gardner said. “We have provided vaccines for the long-term-care facility in Rama and there is an elder home there that we are going to be proceeding and providing immunization for as well.” Gardner applauded the First Nations communities in the region for keeping their COVID numbers on their territories relatively low. He said it shows Indigenous people are taking the global pandemic very seriously. He added that Indigenous families in the region have done extremely well while overcoming some harsh challenges, including occasionally having three generations of relatives living under one roof. “With those kinds of housing arrangements there is much greater risk of transmission throughout the entire household and it can have a particularly devastating effect on those who are older, those who are vulnerable, those with medical conditions,” Gardner said. “You can end up with tragic results. That kind of housing arrangement puts people at risk. It’s also a challenging issue to address. If we get a situation where there is an individual who is a case and where they can’t properly self-isolate, then we will arrange for them to have a hotel so they are not exposing other people in the household.” Chief Ted Williams of Rama First Nation said his people understand the importance of having a long-term-care facility on the territory and how much work goes into running it. Meanwhile, the three other chiefs in the region say they would dearly love a single facility in their community that could house and care for their elders all under one roof. John McFadden is a Local Journalism Initiative reporter covering Indigenous issues for MuskokaRegion.com, ParrySound.com and Simcoe.com. His reporting is funded by the Canadian government through its Local Journalism Initiative. John McFadden, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, muskokaregion.com
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Local Journalism Initiative
The search is over: new CAO coming to Mulgrave
MULGRAVE—In October, the Town of Mulgrave began searching for a new CAO. Darlene Berthier Sampson had fulfilled the terms of her contract and didn’t wish to extend it. After months in limbo, a candidate has been selected and is set to start in the position on March 1. Berthier Sampson will continue as CAO until that time and stay on for two weeks into March to aid in the transition. At its regular monthly council meeting Monday night (Feb. 1), council discussed the response to the proposed banner project, a community beautification initiative. The town has asked local organizations and businesses to take part. As of Monday night’s council meeting, there were eight positive replies to their invitation. “It’s been great so far,” said Chisholm of the community response. A tender has been accepted for the replacement of the guardrail on Mill Street. The old rail will be removed by the Mulgrave Public Works Department and kept for possible use on local trails. Mulgrave is looking for a representative from the town to fill a vacancy on the Nova Scotia Housing Authority Board. Familiarity with rental agreements and property management would be an asset. “I think they meet once or twice a year. It’s not a big commitment, but to have somebody on there, to have their say, is a big thing,” said Chisholm. The issue of neighborhood chickens was added to Monday night’s agenda. Several years ago, the town had complaints about chickens within town limits, but the problem was resolved at that time, when a resident involved in the complaint moved. As it stands, the town has a bylaw restricting farm animals within the town limits, but it is not enforced. Bethier Sampson told council that creating a new bylaw would not be an easy matter – there are many variables to consider and, if it became necessary to move on the issue, a plebiscite might be the best way forward. Chisholm said if the town received complaints about backyard chickens, they would have to act and enforce the bylaw. While the backyard chicken issue arose – not because of complaints but because a resident asked if they could keep chickens on their property – there were complaints recently about dogs running loose in the town. “I tried to make good with it myself and the dog was supposed to be gone but it’s back. We just want to end it before something happens,” said Chisholm. When this issue was tabled at council, it was emphasized that the town needed any such complaints in writing, with as much information from the complainant as possible, including pictures, if applicable. The identity of the complainant will not be shared with the person against whom the complaint is lodged. Lois Ann Dort, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Guysborough Journal
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Local Journalism Initiative
Family raising funds to send father to Boston for cancer treatments
PORT DUFFERIN – Diagnosed with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma in May 2020 – in the midst of the isolation period of the COVID-19 pandemic – 59-year-old Dale Pye of Port Dufferin is fighting a very aggressive and fast-growing type of cancer. Pye’s oldest daughter, Shelly Pye, told The Journal via e-mail, “They wanted to do a stem cell transplant here, which they can do in N.S., but the cancer became unresponsive and became refractory lymphoma. This meant dad couldn’t get the stem cells and instead needed to get CAR T-cell therapy [where a patient’s T cells, a type of immune system cell), are altered in the lab so they will attack cancer cells]. CAR T-cell therapy for Dad is only offered in Boston. They frequently send patients there – with great success.” A specialized physician from the Dana Farber Cancer Institute in Boston, where Pye will receive his treatment, frequently travels to Halifax, referring patients for the CAR T-cell therapy. “The doctor told me many patients from the Maritimes go to Boston and they had been working to bring the treatment to Nova Scotia. If COVID-19 hadn’t happened, they were going to be able to offer it here in Canada. But, since the pandemic, it’s been put on pause,” Shelly said. Personal expenses are not covered by MSI – with the exception of possible flight and accommodation for the patient – so the family is raising funds to enable the trip to Boston with support. Shelly will be making the journey with her father, taking two months off work, as he cannot make the trip alone and he will need assistance after treatments. Taking the U.S. exchange into consideration, the family has estimated flights, taxis to and from the hospital, accommodations and food for a two-month period will cost in the $15,000 range. Family, friends and community members are coming forward to offer support to Pye and his family, to enable him to take advantage of this lifesaving treatment. A GoFundMe account has been established and promoted on Facebook, and 50/50 tickets have been for sale. Local businesses and organizations are contributing to the family or to an account set up at Scotiabank in Sheet Harbour. Currently, $9,000 has been raised and more has been pledged. “Social media is a great way to see what’s going on,” said Shelly, “… and community and family support has been amazing. The response in the last few weeks has been so overwhelming; we just can’t thank everyone enough.” On Friday (Jan. 29), Shelly received the call about their date of departure. “They originally said more than likely the second week of February – and it’s been booked for February 8.” The father and daughter will be staying at a hotel for patients, less than a mile from the hospital where Pye will receive his treatments. Pye, a labourer by trade and father of two daughters, has undergone significant treatment here in Nova Scotia – scans, bloodwork, blood transfusions, biopsy and chemotherapy. He has completed six rounds of R-CHOP chemotherapy and three rounds of GDP chemotherapy and high doses of methotrexate. “Dad is dealing as best he can and has tolerated the chemotherapy alright,’ said Shelly. “But it’s so much travel back and forth to the city [Halifax].” The last few weeks Pye has undergone tests for his heart and lungs to ensure he is strong enough to make the trip. “My Dad is very strong and told the doctors that he wants to live and will do whatever he needs to do.” While the estimate is for them to be gone two months or longer – the timeline depends on his reaction from side effects. In this procedure, cells are collected and sent away to be modified to fight the cancer and then transfused back into his body. He needs to stay within 20 minutes travel time from the hospital and the procedure will be for at least 30 days. Before returning home to Port Dufferin, he will have a PET scan to verify that treatment has worked and to reveal how his tissues and organs are functioning. “[My sister] Melissa and I – and her son, Jackson – just want Dad to beat this and be cancer free and be able to do all the things he used to be able to do. He loves hunting and fishing and being outside with his grandson Jackson. Many times, I asked Dad what his thoughts are and he said, ‘I feel confident about this working and – if it wasn’t for my family and community support – I probably wouldn’t live very long without this treatment.’” “The worry and precautions with COVID have me very scared – for myself and Dad,” said Shelly. Janice Christie, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Guysborough Journal
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Local Journalism Initiative
5 proposed COVID-19-friendly community activities for McMurrich/Monteith residents
The McMurrich/Monteith recreation committee got together on Jan. 28 to brainstorm ideas for COVID-19-friendly activities for residents to participate in for 2021. Given current COVID safety restrictions, photo contests were the main vein of the conversation. Here are some of the proposed activities: 1. February: a virtual colouring/drawing contest for all ages. 2. Winter Carnival themed photo contest. 3. A COVID-19 Easter themed photo contest. 4. May: a floral horticultural photo contest. 5. July: a Canada Day themed photo contest, in case COVID-19 restrictions don’t allow for fireworks this year. Also worth noting, Patrick O’Halloran formally resigned as chair of the committee and passed the proverbial torch to vice-chair Tara Green; he offered to remain available if help was needed for planning events within the township. The ideas generated at the recreation committee’s meeting are currently pending approval from council so keep an eye out on the township’s website and Facebook page for details. Sarah Cooke’s reporting is funded by the Canadian government through its Local Journalism Initiative. Sarah Cooke, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, muskokaregion.com
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Local Journalism Initiative
Making ice nice: municipal staff learns the tricks for smooth skating
GUYSBOROUGH – “It’s the only system of its kind in Nova Scotia,” Glen Avery, director of public works for the Municipality of the District of Guysborough (MODG), said of the ice plant and skating surfaces in Guysborough. Since Dec. of 2018, the MODG has been operating one of the most unique skating facilities in the province, the figure eight and shinny rink – located on Green St., Guysborough – part of the Chedabucto Lifestyle Centre (CLC). The past three seasons have been an education in ice making for MODG staff and has brought some new faces to the public works’ team: Brandon Haines the facility operator and Evan Fougere the part-time facility operator. Last Monday (Feb. 1), The Journal was given a tour of the ice-making plant – and a behind-the-scenes primer – on top notch rink maintenance with Avery and Fougere. In a small utility room with a door that leads to the Zamboni garage, there’s a desk with a computer display filed with a brightly coloured schematic of the ice-making system. The monitor keeps a constant, real time measurement of the ice slab temperature for the two skating surfaces, and of the glycol, a type of antifreeze, that fuels the freeze beneath your feet. On good days, the plant can sustain the ice by running the system at half capacity; three of six compressors and four of eight chillers. But with weather patterns frequently resembling a ride on a rollercoaster, such as temperatures – including the seven degrees expected for Wednesday (Feb. 3) – all compressor and chiller units will kick in as needed to maintain the ice surface. “It’s going to be working hard,” said Fougere of the warm forecast. Ice making starts in December and is best done at night due to the lower temperatures, said Avery. “We try to get about a quarter of an inch all around the track and then we lay a two-inch rope on the outside, pack it with snow, and then freeze that snow. That holds the water; like a bowl.” “Sometimes we go all night,” said Avery of the ice making process. “We all chip in, as far as running it, four, five or six hours; everybody will take a turn. And we try to build as much as we can overnight. Once we get an inch-and-a-half, we’ll open it to the public … our goal is to get to two inches.“ Once the ice has set, staff works to keep it in tip top shape for skaters. This typically requires three rounds of resurfacing per day with the Zamboni. On the ice, the Zamboni shaves the surface with a sharp blade, while the machine releases hot water, reducing any rough patches on the skating surface. “And that’s a knack, these guys are good at,” said Avery about the ice maintenance crew. “Some spots will be higher or lower, so we have to go out manually,” said Fougere, gesturing to a blue machine in the Zamboni garage that looks like an industrial floor polisher, the manual ice resurfacing machine. Other tricks of the Zamboni trade include maintaining a constant speed to ensure the equal distribution of hot water on the ice surface and developing a feel for lowering the blade to the ice surface for a clean, close shave Gillette would be proud of. With hours on the Zamboni, slowly traversing the same surface, The Journal wondered what the ice crew did to keep their minds busy. “Usually just have some headphones in or they’ll (the CLC) be playing some music. Just listen to music,” said Fougere. “And sing,” said Avery with what appears to be a smile under his mask. As expected, weather is the biggest challenge in operating the outdoor ice facility, but perhaps not in the way one would expect. “Our biggest challenge is really things like this weather forecast that is coming at us right now … warm wind does more damage than anything,” said Avery. Although new to operating an outdoor ice-skating facility, MODG staff isn’t completely reinventing the wheel, they have visited and consulted with the staff of the Emera Oval in Halifax; an outdoor skating rink on the Halifax Common. “We’re still learning. This is just our third year … there are little tricks and tips,” said Avery. In addition to keeping ice on the shinny rink and the figure eight, the cooling plant also acts like a heat pump for the CLC – keeping it warm in winter and cool in summer. “It’s a lot of work to get it up and running, and keep it running,” said Avery. But that work is paying off with ice time. Angie Tavares, MODG’s director of recreation, told The Journal that the shinny rink and figure eight have seen a huge increase in numbers this year. That’s, in part, due to the pandemic and the need for outdoor recreation opportunities. “It is busy, much busier than we’ve had in previous years,” said Tavares. “I think that it has to do with it being an outdoor facility and also that minor hockey had a break in their season, so we’ve seen a lot of families coming out and a lot of minor hockey teams coming and booking the shinny rink.” Skating at the CLC typically runs until early to mid-March. Restrictions currently apply to the number of people allowed on the ice surfaces at any one time, following public health guidelines. Skates, helmets, sticks, and pucks are available free of charge. Private rink time can be booked online through the Chedabucto Lifestyle Complex page of the modg.ca website. Lois Ann Dort, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Guysborough Journal
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CBC
Labour debate: Liberals promise no mass layoffs, while Tories and NDP focus on Furey’s absence
The Liberals, Progressive Conservatives and New Democrats revealed a little more about positions on social issues at a Federation of Labour forum Tuesday night, even though the parties have yet to release full platforms 10 days before the Newfoundland and Labrador election. The forum — the second of three consecutive debates this week — covered a wide-ranging number of topics, including strains on the health-care system, the vulnerable, transitioning the economy from oil, the minimum wage, sick leave and privatization. One of the themes of the night involved who did not attend: Liberal Leader Andrew Furey, who instead sent St. John’s West candidate Siobhan Coady, who serves as deputy premier in the current government. She faced off against PC Leader Ches Crosbie and NDP Leader Alison Coffin. The three all made their case to the virtual audience for the forum. Crosbie said there are two choices: cuts or growth, while Coady said massive public service cuts don’t work. Coffin hammered at affordability and sustainability. Coffin was first out of the gate with promises, pledging no cuts and a commitment to a $15 minimum wage by 2022. “If people cannot afford to live here, they’ll be forced to leave to get work,” Coffin said. “No one who works a 40-hour work week should be struggling to survive …They deserve to be able to pay for their rent, to pay their bills, to go to the dentist, to buy a winter coat.” Meanwhile, Crosbie said now is not the time to increase the minimum wage, since so many businesses in the province are struggling through the pandemic. “The question of raising the minimum wage when so many businesses are teetering on the edge of bankruptcy and holding on to the cliff of solvency by their fingernails, that has to be postponed,” Crosbie said. “We’re going to have to see how long it takes to claw our way back out of the pit of financial distress that this pandemic has pitched us into under the Liberals.” Coady, on behalf of the Liberals, said they raised minimum wage four times in the past year, and that it will go up again this year, but she stopped short of committing to raise it to $15. “We have to be careful and cognizant of some of the impacts in the economy when we raise the cost of minimum wage,” Coady said, adding that an all-party committee is tasked with looking at a basic income. No massive public sector cuts: Coady Crosbie used a question about privatization to muse about whether a sell-off of public assets would be a part of Moya Greene’s economic recovery team, which is expected to turn over its interim report at the end of the month. A final report is due by the end of April. “Dame Greene is famous for her past agenda and performance as a privatizer,” said Crosbie, referring both to Greene’s honorific title in the United Kingdom, where she now lives, as well as her record of running both Canada Post and the U.K.’s Royal Mail. “That’s what attracted Premier Andrew Furey to her in the first place, her reputation for privatizing.” Coady didn’t say specifically if the Liberals were for or against privatization, but said the report doesn’t yet exist, and that it will be debated and cabinet will decide if its recommendations are acceptable. “When the report is finalized and presented to government, we will consider it. We will debate it, we will discuss it. We will bring it to the House of Assembly for debate and review,” said Coady, who accused Crosbie of fear-mongering. Coffin firmly stated the NDP does not support privatization. “Public services are just that,” she said. “They are publicly available to absolutely everyone.” Later in the forum, when asked about “impending bankruptcy,” Coady also promised no mass public service cuts. “We don’t plan massive cuts to the public service. I repeat that the premier of the province, Dr. Furey, has said repeatedly said that massive cuts don’t work,” said Coady, who pointed to a string of collective agreements that were negotiated before the election writ dropped last month. Furey’s absence The PCs and NDP also took aim at Furey’s absence from the labour forum, and that Federation of Labour president Mary Shortall quit the economic recovery team last month. Shortall cited a lack of transparency and a concern that the group’s work t would put her in a conflict of interest. But Coady said she was more than capable of filling Furey’s shoes at the forum. “I will not be diminished. There are young girls and young women listening here tonight,” she said. “I am deputy premier and minister of finance in the Liberal Party….I certainly am here to debate and discuss the issues at hand this evening and certainly am capable of doing it,” she said. Furey, Crosbie and Coffin face off Wednesday night at the highest profile debate of the election, a televised debate that will air on CBC at 7 p.m. NT. Voters go to the polls on Feb. 13. When the legislature was dissolved last month, the standings in the 40-seat House of Assembly were 19 Liberals, 15 PCs, three New Democrats and three Independents. Read more from CBC Newfoundland and Labrador
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CBC
Green MLA preparing legislation that aims to eliminate poverty on P.E.I.
The Opposition critic for social development and housing is looking to set targets to eradicate poverty on Prince Edward Island. Green MLA.Hannah Bell is preparing legislation that she said fills in some of the gaps in the province’s poverty reduction action plan. “The action plan, it has a series of actions, but it doesn’t actually have any long-term strategy or targets,” said Bell of the government’s approach. “If you don’t have a goal to work towards, then you’re checking off a list of activities, but we’re not really fundamentally making an impact on a big scale.” Bell said the Poverty Strategy and Elimination Act proposed by the Green Party would establish a framework to help government tackle the issue. “The only way that can happen, where we can actually see effective change, is if we have a target that we’re working towards that you can measure against,” she said. Bell said the bill would also clarify what tools the province should use to measure progress, and government should name a minister responsible for poverty. “The usual assumption would be that it would be with the minister of social development and housing,” said Bell. “But you need to have that kind of central focus and point where the responsibility for measuring, managing and communicating and delivering actually sits.” One-third of Islanders are currently living at or below the poverty line, Bell said, based on the market basket measure, which is a Statistics Canada tool for the cost of a specific basket of goods and services representing a modest, basic standard of living.. “We can’t afford not to do this in the same way that we can’t afford to ignore the climate crisis,” she said. “It’s really important that we recognize that this is work that needs to be done regardless of who it is that does it.” Bell said she hopes to table the legislation during the spring sitting. “Every piece of legislation brought forward by a member of the opposition is a negotiation game, and sometimes we’re successful and sometimes we’re not.” In the meantime, Bell said she is looking for public feedback and support from other members of the legislature. “I’ll be working on discussing with my colleagues and hopefully building up that support,” she said. More from CBC P.E.I.
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The Canadian Press
ICU faces constant pressure as France waffles over lockdown
MARSEILLE, France — Nurses wheeled a 16-year-old boy suffering shortness of breath into one of the few available intensive care rooms at southern France’s biggest hospital — its youngest COVID patient to date. Nearby, medics checked the blood sugar levels of an older, unresponsive virus patient, speaking to him in soothing tones as a recording of Quranic verses brought in by his family played softly in the background. This is daily life in La Timone’s ICU ward in Marseille, as France grapples with whether to impose a third lockdown and struggles to ramp up the pace of vaccinations. While the country holds its breath to see if a daily 12-hour curfew and other restrictions are enough to keep a new crisis at bay, all eyes are on hospitals like La Timone, which has been a flashpoint in France throughout the pandemic. “It’s been tense since the beginning of the second wave, around October or November,” Dr. Julien Carvelli, head of the ICU ward, told The Associated Press. “We’re afraid that, in the coming weeks, we won’t be able to take in and treat all ICU patients,” including those with illnesses other than COVID. France has lost more than 77,000 lives to the virus, and more than 400 on Tuesday alone. Virus infections have stabilized in recent days but remain stubbornly high. But President Emmanuel Macron’s government says it won’t shut down the country again unless its hospitals are again at risk of overflowing with virus patients. Carvelli understands the logic, and acknowledges the difficulties posed by the protracted lockdowns that France imposed twice last year. But he warns that hospital needs could sharply worsen any day. His ward was lucky to have a free bed when the hospital’s pediatric department asked for a place for the 16-year-old virus patient. He was hospitalized with respiratory problems but couldn’t be kept in the pediatric ward, where doctors are treating children with immune deficiencies who are at especially high risk from the virus. So they found a place for him in the ICU. Nurse Gavin Douce settled the boy into his room, taking blood samples and explaining how to use the emergency call button. The boy listened silently but attentively, taking quick short breaths. A pack of apple sauce sat on his tray, and an iPhone was tucked under his tube-covered right hand. In neighbouring rooms, nurses and doctors checked on other patients, constantly wiping down equipment and furniture. Their hushed discussions about treatment were accompanied by the periodic beeping of life-saving monitors – and in a welcome moment of levity, interrupted by a burst of contagious laughter down the hall. The staff is just hoping they have enough energy to make it through the pandemic. “No one thought it could have lasted this long. We were told it was temporary,” said Douce. “The fatigue builds up.” For Carvelli, the only solution is fast, mass vaccinations. He said he’s “disappointed” by France’s slow vaccine rollout, the government’s nursing home-focused vaccine strategy and vaccine delivery delays by pharmaceutical companies struggling to keep up with the demand. “What people want is hope,” he said, “and the hope is vaccinations.” ___ Angela Charlton in Paris contributed. __ Follow all of AP’s pandemic coverage at https://apnews.com/hub/coronavirus -pandemic, https://apnews.com/hub/coronavirus-vaccine and https://apnews.com/UnderstandingtheOutbreak Daniel Cole, The Associated Press
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