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The Canadian Press
Biden wants to go big, fast and alone on COVID relief
WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden laid out the case Friday for moving fast and without Republicans, if necessary, to pass $1.9 trillion in coronavirus relief, armed with new signs of economic strain brought on by the continuing pandemic. The stakes for the county and economy were amplified on Friday morning, shortly after Senate Democrats cast a decisive vote to muscle the plan through the chamber without Republican support, a step toward final approval next month. January’s jobs report showed that hiring had stalled to a pace that could hinder a return to full employment for several years—with 406,000 people choosing to leave the labour force as deaths from the pandemic surged. “A lot of folks are losing hope,” Biden said in a speech at the White House. “I believe the American people are looking right now to their government for help, to do our job, to not let them down. So I’m going to act. I’m going to act fast. I’d like to be doing it with the support of Republicans … they’re just not willing to go as far as I think we have to go.” The speech solidified a shift from a president who entered the White House pledging bipartisanship, but also persuaded that going with the slimmed-down $618 billion Republican plan would prolong the economic pain of those who have suffered job losses because of a failure to stop the pandemic. His remarks came a few hours after the Senate early Friday approving a budgetary measure that would let Democrats pass the plan without Republicans. Vice-President Kamala Harris cast the tie-breaking vote in the Senate, her first. Senate Democrats applauded after Harris announced the 51-50 vote at around 5: 30 a.m. The action came after a grueling all-night session, where senators voted on amendments that could define the contours of the eventual COVID-19 aid bill. The budget now returns to the House, where it will likely be approved again Friday to reflect the changes made by the Senate. The measure can then work its way through committees so that additional relief can be finalized by mid-March, when extra unemployment assistance and other pandemic aid expires. It’s an aggressive timeline that will test the ability of the new administration and Congress to deliver. The push for stimulus comes amid new signs of a weakening U.S. economy. Employers added just 49,000 jobs in January, after cutting 227,000 jobs in December, the Labor Department said Friday. Restaurants, retailers, manufacturers and even the health care sector shed workers last month, meaning that private employers accounted for a meagre gain of 6,000 jobs last month. “At that rate, it’s going to take 10 years until we hit full employment,” Biden said at an Oval Office meeting with House Democrats earlier Friday. “That’s not hyperbole. That’s a fact.” The unemployment rate fell to 6.3% from 6.7%, but there was a decline in the number of people who were either working or looking for a job in a sign that some people are dropping out of the labour force. The U.S. economy is 9.9 million jobs shy of its pre-pandemic level. Biden, who has been meeting with lawmakers in recent days to discuss the package, welcomed the leaders of House committees who will be assembling the bill under the budget process known as “reconciliation.” Biden also plans to make remarks Friday on the economy as he keeps up the pressure on Congress to “act big” on his relief package. Money for vaccine distributions, direct payments to households, school reopenings and business aid are at stake. The Senate passed an amendment 99-1 that would prevent the $1,400 in direct checks in Biden’s proposal from going to “upper-income taxpayers.” But the measure, led by Sens. Susan Collins, R-Maine, and Joe Manchin, D-West Virginia, is ultimately symbolic and nonbinding and does not specify at what level a person qualifies as upper income. The marathon Senate session brought test votes on several Democratic priorities, including a $15 minimum wage. The Senate by voice vote adopted an amendment from Sen. Joni Ernst, R-Iowa, opposed to raising the wage during the pandemic. Ernst said a wage hike at this time would be “devastating” for small businesses. None of the amendments to the budget are binding on Democrats as they draft their COVID plan, but passage of a wage increase could prove difficult. Even if a $15 wage can get past procedural challenges in the final bill, passage will require the support from every Democrat in the 50-50 Senate, which could be a tall order. Sen. Bernie Sanders, a vocal proponent of the wage increase, vowed to press ahead. “We need to end the crisis of starvation wages,” he said. ___ Associated Press write Zeke Miller contributed to this report. Josh Boak, The Associated Press
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CBC
False hope or a golden age? Politicians debate N.L.’s offshore amid market flux
Politicians offered up contrasting visions of the government’s role in the province’s offshore during Wednesday’s leaders debate, ideologies that come as the wider financial sector signals a declining appetite for investing in oil and other fossil fuels. While NDP Leader Alison Coffin didn’t call for curtailing the industry — she said the offshore holds “tremendous potential” for Newfoundland and Labrador — she used some of her televised debate time to slam the Liberals’ recent investment decisions in the offshore. “It is foolish for us to throw good money after bad. There has been no promise of guaranteed jobs,” Coffin said. The federal government gave $320 million to the province in September to spend on the sector that has been battered by the pandemic and rollercoaster global prices, and in the months following, the Liberals began handing it out. In December, $41.5 million went to Husky Energy to keep 331 jobs and its idled West White Rose project inching along, while the Hibernia platform got $38 million to create 148 jobs by 2022. Another $175 million could potentially go to the operators of the Terra Nova FPSO in an announcement that came just a day prior to the Liberals calling the election. None of that spending satisfied the NDP. “I think that we need a reasonable solution to diversify our economy. The people working in the oil and gas industry do not need government making poor decisions and giving them false hope,” said Coffin. Progressive Conservative Leader Ches Crosbie defended supporting the sector with public funds. “It’s not pushing taxpayer money into a black hole. It’s an investment in our future. It’s an investment in jobs. It’s an investment in growth,” he said. Rumblings of change Crosbie urged people to consider the “enormous potential wealth” in the offshore, and painted a vision of a glowing future built on oil. “We have a golden age coming around the corner in this province. I will never give up on this province. The offshore is how we’re going to realize on that,” he said. Globally, the golden age of oil itself is looking increasingly like it’s already occurred. The environmental argument toward battling climate change — an existential threat fuelled by fossil fuels, with 2020 tying for the hottest year on record — that has been ramping up around the world has, of late, found solidarity from the financial sector. The sector can’t just cross its fingers and hope for the best. – Rory Johnston The CEO of BlackRock, the world’s biggest asset manager with some $8.7 trillion US worth of investments, warned its clients — which include some of the largest American corporations — in late January they needed to show climate transition plans or risk being dumped. A day later, rating agency Standard & Poor issued bad news for more than a dozen oil and gas companies, warning it could downgrade some, and gave a negative outlook to others. That list included two players in Newfoundland and Labrador’s offshore, Suncor and Exxon Mobil. One financial analyst said Standard & Poor’s rumblings may not have much material impact on the province’s offshore immediately — at this stage it won’t translate into making it harder for oil companies to borrow money, for instance — but it does signal not to bank on business as usual anymore. “All of this indicates the sector can’t just cross its fingers and hope for the best. You do need to see change on the point of management to recognize that this is the new trend,” said Rory Johnston, the managing director and market economist at Price Street Inc., a firm that analyzes the financial industry. Johnston agreed there are considerable resources remaining in Newfoundland’s offshore, but that pumping a lot of public funds into the sector is a challenging one. “It’s the opposite of hedging a bet, right? You’re doubling down on one sector,” he said, pointing to Alberta’s mega-investment in the Keystone XL pipeline. That project was killed by US President Joe Biden on his first day of office, with the fallout likely to spur big job losses in Alberta. Johnston said in the short-term, oil can continue to be a big boost for the province’s coffers, particularly if it fuels a transition. But in a world that promises more disruptions — despite the potential he sees for a spike in oil prices as the pandemic fades — the government should be getting prepared. “In the long run … well-regulated, well-integrated, diversified economies are always going to be the best way to go. And I think that’s probably the way that Alberta needs to continue down that path, and I think Newfoundland and Labrador are in a similar situation,” he said. Parties’ plans In the format of the debate, Liberal Leader Andrew Furey was not asked directly about oil and gas expenditures. He did, however, during other points of the debate, frame his government’s spending in the sector as an accomplishment of his time in office. The Liberals’ costed election platform, released on Thursday, vowed to continue supporting industry workers and providing incentives to industry to drill for future oil prospects. The party also pledged to achieve net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. On debate night, Coffin said the NDP, instead of supporting oil companies, would put money into other areas of the province. “It is smarter to invest in providing strong public services and a viable foundation for environmental sustainability and protect our industry and let the profitable businesses make those decisions,” Coffin said. The NDP released their platform prior to Wednesday’s debate, a plan that did not include price tags for its promises. The PCs have not yet released their platform, and on debate night Crosbie didn’t specify what investments his party would make, but critiqued the Liberals’ moves thus far, particularly holding onto the $175 million earmarked for the Terra Nova operations, which has not yet been spent, pending an agreement at the end of March. The provincial election is Feb. 13. Read more articles from CBC Newfoundland and Labrador
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Reuters
PayPal says U.S. consumer watchdog investigating payment app Venmo
The demand from the U.S. Consumer Financial Protection Bureau was made last month, the digital payment processor said in a regulatory filing. Venmo is a popular mobile app for person-to-person payments in the United States. It competes with apps like Cash, which is run by payments processor Square Inc.
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Local Journalism Initiative
McDougall seeing continued increase of building permit activity
The value of building permits issued in McDougall for January 2021 compared to January 2020 is up by $1,128. According to a report given to McDougall’s council at its Feb. 3 meeting by chief building official Kim Dixon, the value of construction to the end of January 2021 is currently at $209,460 compared to $130,000 in 2020. Here is Dixon’s report summarized into five quotes: “We are slightly ahead of 2020 both in number of permits and value. January is usually a slower month for us anyways, but this is a snapshot of where we are,” said Dixon. “Building department activity remains busy with inquiries for future projects. Inspect requests remain very steady. I am continuing to issue building permits during the emergency order — it is the responsibility of the permit applicant or property owner to determine if the construction proposed qualifies as essential under the guidelines of the provincial order,” said Dixon. “We are busy working with Cloudpermit to customize our system to meet our needs with the goal of going live in February 2021,” he said. “For anybody listening, that will be a building program that will allow people to apply for building permits from wherever they want to do that, from their home, their cottage or even their designer on their behalf can apply. We’re looking forward to that type of system — it’s paperless and should cut down on a lot of travel expenses for our clients and it should help a lot with the transparency with our ratepayers on how their permits are coming along.” “All indications show that it’s (going to be busy) — the phones are ringing pretty steady and people are planning, so hopefully everything keeps moving — it’s good for everyone,” said Dixon. Council received the building permit report and Mayor Dale Robinson commented it looked like the building department was hitting the ground running again. 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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Local Journalism Initiative
Contentious Happy Valley-Goose Bay road project being revisited
Almost a year after residents were informed of a proposed extension to Kelland Drive in Happy Valley-Goose Bay the buffer zone for the project is being revisited. The controversial project has spurred a petition, protests and at least one meeting that had to be cut short when things got heated. Council held a special meeting on Tuesday, Feb. 4 to finish business that didn’t get completed at the meeting the week before. That meeting was ended abruptly when Coun. Jackie Compton Hobbs introduced a motion to change the buffer zone for the project and an animated debate ensued over procedure. Numerous people took to social media about the meeting, with some expressing support for Compton Hobbs and others expressing concern over the lack of decorum in the meeting. This meeting was much more sedate, with Compton Hobbs getting unanimous support for her motion to have staff revisit a 30 metre contoured buffer zone along the project. “I’m glad that we could leave last week’s meeting and have some in-depth discussions,” she said in the meeting. “We’ve talked a lot about this over the last year, but I think we’re on the right track, in the right direction.” The buffer zone has been a point of contention for impacted residents, who say the road extension comes too close to their homes, impacts walking and snowmobile trails and would destroy greenspace. Council awarded the tenders for the project in the fall of 2020, which included a buffer zone that was as small as 14 metres in some part and as wide as 70 metres in others. Mayor Wally Andersen pointed that out in the meeting, that a uniform buffer zone size won’t benefit all, but said it was a good compromise and “would treat everyone equally.” Deputy Mayor Bert Pomeroy also spoke in favour of the motion, and said he was glad there was some resolution on the issue, which has seen council divided since it was first proposed. “It demonstrates to the community we can work together as a council,” he said. “We’re going to have our differences from time to time and that’s normal for an organization or group or board or body.” Evan Careen, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, The Telegram
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Local Journalism Initiative
As Toronto’s largest shelter grapples with a COVID-19 outbreak, a resident talks about life inside and his worry for the elderly
When Alexey Nadein looks around Seaton House, Toronto’s largest homeless shelter, the facility looks little like he first encountered it, a year or so ago, when it was packed to the brim. The pandemic last year forced the shelter to cut its capacity from upwards of 500 men to around 200. After he returned from a stint in jail at the end of last summer, Nadein was greeted with new rules: one person to a bunk bed, and six-foot gaps between them. The shelter had been through an outbreak in the spring, which claimed the life of a resident. Now, the shelter has had another outbreak, and Nadein’s floor is barer still, as those who have tested positive have been shuttled over to an isolation site operated for the city’s homeless population. “It’s very different from the first time I was here,” Nadein said by phone. As of Tuesday, Toronto Public Health had confirmed 27 cases among staff and residents within the Seaton House site, and, on Thursday, tests for the virus were due to be conducted on floors that hadn’t yet been swabbed. While Nadein reported getting two tests in recent weeks, he said he’d gotten spotty information about the outbreak, although shelter staff seemed to be doing their best. The 42-year-old wasn’t too concerned for his own health, but said he worries about some of the older men on site. Dr. Stephen Hwang, a physician with St. Michael’s Hospital who holds a weekly clinic at Seaton House with Toronto’s Inner City Health Associates, told the Star the site had a “significant number” of older men, and residents who dealt with medical conditions that increased their risk for severe COVID-19 infections. While the shelter houses fewer seniors with acute medical needs than it did a few years ago, as many moved to a separate site, Hwang said there was still a high prevalence of chronic lung disease and cardiovascular disease among residents, as well as a high prevalence of mental health and substance use issues, muscular-skeletal injuries and chronic conditions impairing mobility. In the colder months, Nadein said it’s tough to say who’s fallen ill. “It’s the wintertime, so everybody’s got a little bit of a cold,” he said, reporting a runny nose and sore throat, himself, Thursday. While the City points to measures such as the mandatory wearing of masks in common areas, some residents have baulked against the rule, Nadein says. “People don’t like wearing masks here,” he said. Across Toronto, there’s been a recent increase of outbreaks in shelters. Although the City has paused reporting until next week, citing a transition to a new case-management system, as of Jan. 31 there were 79 infections reported across eight shelter and respite agencies. As of Tuesday, the City’s isolation site was slightly more than half full, at 79 people among 148 spots, a drop from several weeks ago, when occupancy crested at more than 100. The social services agency Dixon Hall has been dealing with numerous outbreaks, three, in recent weeks, including one across the street from Seaton House. “It’s anxiety-inducing for all of us,” Dixon Hall’s housing services director, David Reycraft, said in an interview this week. The City’s latest data shows 20 cases across Dixon Hall sites. As of this week, just one of the sites was still struggling with a continuing outbreak, at a respite on Lake Shore Boulevard East, Reycraft said. In that case, a “significant number” of the cases had appeared to be asymptomatic, and were only detected in a testing sweep after another case was unearthed, he added. The respite has also struggled with what Reycraft described as its “large, dorm-like setting,” which, he said, made it difficult to ensure people weren’t getting near each other. Cases were showing up most in congregate settings, he said. Reycraft described work by City staff to find alternative spaces, whether they be in the form of shelter hotels or modular supportive housing, as “long overdue.” “This housing ecosystem has been neglected for 30-plus years, and, all of a sudden now, we’re faced with this sort of health crisis; we’ve got to find solutions,” Reycraft said. “And those solutions come in the form of housing.” Victoria Gibson, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Toronto Star
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CBC
North still on track to get 75% of eligible population vaccinated, says federal minister
The minister of Indigenous Services says the country is still on track to meet its goal of administering two doses of a COVID-19 vaccine to 75 per cent of eligible people in high-risk regions before the end of March — despite a reduction in the amount of Moderna COVID-19 vaccines being shipped to Canada. “The numbers for the first dose bear out that trend,” Marc Miller said at a news conference on Thursday. This comes after Prime Minister Trudeau said last week that Canada would receive about 50,000 fewer doses of the vaccine next month because of manufacturing issues at Moderna’s plants. Moderna is the only COVID-19 vaccine being used in Yukon, N.W.T. and Nunavut. Miller said that as of Wednesday, vaccinations are underway in 321 First Nations and Inuit communities across Canada and 64,351 doses have been administered. He singled out Nunavut, which he said has received 12,000 of the 37,500 doses it has been allocated by the federal government. Miller said vaccine clinics are underway across the territory including Iqaluit, Rankin Inlet, Whale Cove, Arviat, Baker Lake, Gjoa Haven, Grise Fiord, Igloolik and others. “This is an extraordinary mobilization with huge logistical challenges in northern and remote communities,” he said. The Nunavut government has not yet said exactly how its vaccine deliveries might be affected by Moderna shipment delays. “Any vaccine delays are being reviewed at an operational level, and the roll-out plan may be adjusted, if necessary,” a government spokesperson wrote in a statement earlier this week. ‘I don’t agree with the math’ Also on Thursday, Yukon Premier Sandy Silver said at a news conference that he is in a disagreement with Ottawa over cuts to the shipment of COVID-19 vaccines to the territory, suggesting Yukon is seeing an unreasonable reduction. “I don’t agree with the math,” Silver said. “I don’t agree, and I’ll continue to push for us to receive expedited and bulk shipments into the Yukon.” Silver confirmed Thursday the vaccination clinics planned for the general public next week in Whitehorse will be postponed because of slowdown in the delivery of Moderna vaccine doses. “This is not what anybody wants to hear, and I know it’s not the news I want to deliver either, but we do not control the supply of vaccines,” said Silver. Earlier this week, N.W.T. premier Caroline Cochrane said that despite the shortages, the long-term outlook in the territory remains the same. “I’m confident the federal government will work to ensure we get the doses we need to meet our goal of vaccinating 75 per cent of the eligible adult population in the N.W.T.,” she said. Miller said the federal government is “moving as quickly as we can to ensure we’re doing everything under the sun to get vaccines into arms and keep people safe for a longer period of time.” He said the best measure to counteract vaccine hesitancy in northern and remote communities is getting accurate information from local health leadership and local political leadership. “That is where the trust is,” he said.
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The Canadian Press
A sexy Alexa, Dan Levy’s M&M habit: Super Bowl ads to watch
It might not have seemed likely early in the pandemic, but the 55th Super Bowl Sunday is upon us yet again. Each year advertisers pull out all the stops to entertain the crowd of 100 million viewers expected to tune in to the CBS broadcast on Sunday. This year there are more than 20 newcomers as well as old favourites. Amazon shows off a sexy new body for its Alexa assistant, Dan Levy apologizes for eating M&M’s and Bud Light Seltzer Lemonade makes a downpour of lemons a metaphor for 2020’s troubles. And as always, expect some surprises, too. Amazon “New Body” In an ad ostensibly to tout Amazon’s voice assistant Alexa’s new spherical shape, a woman imagines that her new Alexa has the voice — and body — of actor Michael B. Jordan, who takes off his shirt to dim the lights and read an audio book to her in the tub, all to the chagrin of her hapless husband. It’s one of the only ads to play with sexual innuendo this year. “It pushes the sexiness, the weirdness, the fantasy element,” said Mark DiMassimo, creative chief of marketing agency DiMassimo Goldstein. “Which is just so culturally right for the moment when people are stuck at home together without a lot of diversion.” Bud Light Seltzer Lemonade “Last Year’s Lemons” Bud Light introduces its new Seltzer Lemonade with an ad that depicts a downpour of literal lemons in 2020, which ruins weddings, cancels flights, disrupts at-home haircuts, destroys baseball stadium cardboard cutouts — and causes general chaos. It’s a not-so-subtle nod to the plans that were derailed during 2020 and the axiom “When life gives you lemons, make lemonade.” Cadillac “Edgar Scissorhands” In another nostalgia-fest, Cadillac revisits the classic 1990 movie “Edward Scissorhands.” In the ad, actor Timothee Chalamet portrays Edward’s son Edgar, who has difficulty with his inherited scissor-hands when he deflates a football and severs a bus’s stop cord. Then he tries out the Cadillac Lyriq’s “Hands free super cruise” feature which allows you to drive with little hand contact. Winona Ryder from the original film also revisits her role as Edgar’s mother. Cheetos “ It Wasn’t Me ” Cheetos’ ad shows real life married couple Mila Kunis and Ashton Kutcher wrangling over a bag of Cheetos Crunch Pop Mix — to the tune of Shaggy’s 2000 pop hit “It Wasn’t Me” — with the frayed nerves of a couple who have been stuck inside too long. Dr. Squatch There are more than 20 first-time advertisers this year, but most are sticking to nostalgia and celebrities to stand out. Dr. Squatch, a little known direct-to-consumer soap and personal care brand, is one of the few to embrace weird humour to stand out. The tongue-in-cheek ad shows a man walking through the woods espousing why Dr. Squatch’s natural soap is the right choice for the modern man who “opens pickle jars” and “lets his daughter braid his hair.” GM “ No Way Norway ” When Will Ferrell finds out Norway has more electric vehicles per capita than the U.S., he goes on a madcap journey spanning countries with singer and actress Awkwafina and comedian Kenan Thompson to show that GM’s new battery for electric cars will soon be available for everyone. Inspiration4 “ Join Us ” In what is surely a first in Super Bowl history, an ad for Inspiration4, a SpaceX supported all-civilian space mission touts a chance for viewers to join the mission. The ad shows shots of the SpaceX astronaut uniform in space to the tune of “Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star” and is directed by Bryce Dallas Howard. M&M’s “ Come Together ” A bag of M&M’s is the perfect apology for mansplaining, calling someone a “Karen,” having a gender reveal party accident and other contemporary faux pas. Dan Levy of “Schitt’s Creek” apologizes to the M&M anthropomorphic characters that are Super Bowl mainstays and says he promises not to “eat any more of their friends.” Squarespace “ 5 to 9 ” The website building and hosting company enlisted Dolly Parton herself to rewrite the lyrics of her classic ode to the working day, “9 to 5,” to pay tribute to workers who work on their own businesses from “5 to 9″ instead. Uber Eats “ Shameless Manipulation ” The food delivery service enlists “Wayne’s World” actors Mike Myers and Dana Carvey — along with singer Cardi B — to promote ordering from local restaurants. It’s one of several commercial that are trying to capitalize on viewer nostalgia. SURPRISES Although most ads have been revealed in order to try to capture pre-game buzz, there will undoubtedly be some surprises on game day. Jeep, which created the hit “Groundhog’s Day” remake ad starring Bill Murray last year, will be back in the game as well. Online gig marketplace Fiverr, a first-time advertiser, has teased that its ad will feature Four Seasons Total Landscaping, the site of an ill-fated Rudy Giuliani press conference in November. Another first-time advertiser, DoorDash, is teaming with Sesame Street to promote neighbourhood delivery. And E-Trade, famous for the talking baby ads it ran in the Super Bowl from 2008 until they “retired” in 2014, is back in the big game with an undisclosed ad. Mae Anderson, The Associated Press
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CBC
Police looking for 32-year-old woman evading arrest
Police say 32-year-old Charmaine Bear is evading arrest and they’re asking the public to help find her. North Battleford RCMP said Bear is facing charges of failing to provide the necessaries of life and criminal negligence causing bodily harm. Police said Bear is five feet six inches tall, weighing about 123 pounds, with a slender build. She has long, black hair and brown eyes. She sometimes goes by the name Charmaine Spyglass. Bear is believed to be driving a grey 2018 Kia Optima and is known to frequent the Battlefords area, Mosquito First Nation and Saskatoon. Police said they have been in contact with Bear’s family. Anyone with information is asked to contact North Battleford RCMP or Crime Stoppers.
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The Canadian Press
Latest targeted shooting in Metro Vancouver results in death of man known to police
BURNABY, B.C. — Homicide investigators hope tips from the public can provide more leads in the latest fatal shooting in Metro Vancouver.A statement from the Integrated Homicide Investigation Team says 32-year-old Chris Kenworthy died Wednesday.He was shot while sitting in his vehicle in a residential are of southeast Burnaby.Sgt. Frank Jang says Kenworthy is known to police and the shooting was targeted, but it’s not yet known if it was gang related.Police also haven’t determined if Kenworthy’s murder might be linked to a targeted double shooting Thursday in Surrey that killed a woman and injured a man.Homicide investigators want to speak to anyone who has information about either deadly attack.This report by The Canadian Press was first published Feb. 5, 2021. The Canadian Press
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Local Journalism Initiative
Resident advocates for high-speed, fibre-optic internet in Midhurst
Jeff Kerk wants to bring a high-speed internet highway right through the northern tip of Midhurst. Kerk presented his mission to install high-speed internet to 161 homes in the Gill Road area to Springwater Council on Jan. 20. He received their support in principle to run fibre optic cables on the hydro lines through Midhurst. Kerk said it wasn’t until COVID-19 struck last year that he realized how slow his broadband internet service was. “With the kids home from school and all of us working from home, we just couldn’t do it,” Kerk said Friday afternoon. After a socially distanced/masked meeting last summer, Kerk had the customer base he needed to pursue his dream of running fibre-optic cables 12 kilometres from Doran Road up to the Gill Road, Hillview Crescent and Crystalwood Lane neighbourhood. Once Hydro One agreed in principle to run cables under a joint-use agreement on about 200 poles, he sourced grants to help pay for the $500,000 project. Under the Universal Broadband Fund (UFB) Rapid Response Stream of the federal Innovation Science and Economic Development program, Kerk was able to apply for a $300,000 grant to bring high-speed internet access to an underserviced area. The broadband fund of $1.75 billion launched last November has $150 million earmarked for immediate availability for projects that are ready to be completed by Nov. 15, 2021. Additionally, the Southwestern Integrated Fibre Technology (SWIFT) program is a non-profit regional entity which in 2020 announced it can be tapped for upgrading broadband and offering financial support across Simcoe County. Springwater Mayor Don Allen said he’s been working with Kerk during the last year and respects his initiative and creativity to get this project off the ground. “I’m totally confident it will go through,” Allen said. “He just needed to get support from council, and that we did issue. He will make it happen and it will be a good example of a community broadband solution for that part of the community.” Kerk figures he’ll need to raise another $150,000 and expects to sell shares of his as- yet unnamed corporation, as well as charge a $300 installation fee per household to run lines approximately 33 metres (100 feet) from the road to the houses. “We will benefit our community by bringing fibre internet right into the homes of our neighbours and friends,” Kerk wrote in his address to council. “We will only offer one internet package. It will strive to be the fastest, cheapest and always unlimited.” Cheryl Browne, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Barrie Advance
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CBC
Flood warning in effect for Erie Shore Drive in Chatham-Kent
The public is being asked to avoid Erie Shore Drive in Chatham-Kent due to the threat of flooding. The Lower Thames Valley Conservation Authority placed the area under a flood warning just before midnight on Thursday. The LTVCA said in a media release that standing water is building up on properties and on the road in one area. Non-essential traffic should avoid Erie Shore Drive to make sure emergency services can access the area if needed, the conservation authority said. Other areas of the Lake Erie shoreline in the region are under a flood watch, which is issued by the conservation authority when there is the possibility of flooding. The Lake Erie shoreline in Essex County, including Pelee Island, was also placed under a flood watch on Thursday evening. The Essex Region Conservation Authority said lake levels are 60 to 70 cm higher than the long-term average for February. Forecasts suggest the flooding in Chatham-Kent could last until Friday evening or possibly Saturday, the LTVCA said. “With freezing temperature in the forecast there is a risk that wave spray and flood waters will freeze, creating icy and dangerous conditions, including on the road itself,” the conservation authority said. The LTVCA said strong waves and slippery shoreline present a hazard, and children especially should be kept away from the lake.
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CBC
Ottawa uncertain if Moderna shortage will impact Indigenous vaccine rollout
Fifteen minutes after getting his first dose of the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine, Chief Chris Moonias of Neskantaga First Nation went on Facebook Live to encourage other community members to roll up their sleeves. “There’s no discomfort, no pain,” Moonias said. “We need this. We need to beat this virus.” Neskantaga, located about 450 kilometres north of Thunder Bay, Ont., faces overcrowded housing and has no clean running water. This is why the First Nation and other remote communities like it are prioritized for immunizations. “Let’s protect the communities,” Moonias said. “Get vaccinated. Let’s beat the virus.” But that enthusiasm is being tempered by reports of vaccine shortages from Moderna, which is being prioritized for remote and Indigenous communities. The federal government says it’s unclear how these disruptions will affect the rate of inoculations for Indigenous people, which is slightly outpacing the rest of the population. “It is, in fact, too early to speculate,” said Indigenous Services Minister Marc Miller at a news conference in Ottawa on Thursday morning. “It’s a bump in the road, short-term, if that is the case, and it’ll affect a number of the elements that we have in terms of our planning.” Indigenous population being vaccinated at higher rate Just over four per cent of Canadians have received one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine, according to the latest numbers from the Public Health Agency of Canada from Feb 3. Meanwhile, six per cent of First Nations and Inuit communities have received their first shots, according to Feb. 3 figures from Indigenous Services Canada. Miller said the government is still on track to fully immunize 75 per cent of northern and remote communities by the end of March. “The numbers for the first dose bear out that trend,” Miller said. WATCH | Unclear impact of Moderna vaccine delays: Meanwhile, 31 remote First Nations in northern Ontario, including Neskantaga, are identified as a high priority within the Nishnawbe Aski Nation (NAN). NAN Grand Chief Alvin Fiddler said he was concerned when he heard of the Moderna vaccine delays, but he’s been assured by the Ontario and federal governments that the setback will not impact the first phase of the rollout in his region. Fiddler said he hopes everyone in the 31 prioritized NAN communities will be fully vaccinated by early April. “There’s an incredible sense of excitement and hope for our leadership and community members who have been visited so far,” Fiddler said. “We cannot risk the health and lives of our community members. This needs to happen now. That’s why we’re so insistent that the timeline be accelerated whenever possible to make sure our community members — those who want it, that they’ll get it.” NAN is producing materials, including consent forms, to help people understand how the Moderna vaccine works in the territory’s three dialects: Cree, Oji-Cree and Ojibway. Fiddler is also motivating people to overcome vaccine hesitancy by taking to the airwaves of Wawatay Radio, a station that offers programming to northern Ontario First Nations. The vaccines are being distributed by Ornge, an air ambulance service in Ontario. Howie Isaac, a critical care paramedic with Ornge from Moose Cree First Nation, said it was a special moment to witness elders receiving the vaccine. “It was neat to see their strength and stepping up to the plate,” Isaac said. “If you’re losing a lot of your elders, it could be devastating to our culture, to our language.” Some First Nations feel left behind In other First Nations, closer to urban centres, concerns are rising about when they will receive the vaccine. The Piikani Nation, located 190 kilometres south of Calgary, has yet to receive a single dose for members, according to Dr. Lana Potts, a family physician for the Siksika Nation and medical director for the Piikani Nation. “When you delay dates and you delay medication, people get confused and there’s a bit more reluctance,” Potts said. “Until I see … Hold the vial in my hand and start to give those shots in the arms, I’m really going to continue to be concerned.” Still, Indigenous Services Canada’s Chief Medical Officer of Public Health Tom Wong said the goal remains: “to achieve coverage of all of the Indigenous people and Indigenous adults before the summer.”
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Local Journalism Initiative
TBM council opposes proposed location for cannabis retail store
A proposed cannabis store in The Town of the Blue Mountains (TBM) is drawing concerns over its potential location. Dimes Cannabis currently has an active application with the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO) to establish a cannabis retail store at 49 Bruce Street South in Thornbury. “It’s about the traffic,” said TBM councillor Andrea Matrosovs. “When an office is going to be converted into retail space, that completely changes the kind of in and out traffic pattern that will happen at that building.” The building’s main street location was formerly home to Welke Custom Brokers Ltd. After speaking with a number of concerned residents, Matrosovs, the council’s point-person for cannabis-related issues, brought the issue forward at a special meeting of council held on Monday. “Over the weekend, the applicant actually posted their signage, prior to the registrar even granting their permission,” Matrosovs said. “This is causing some confusion in the community in terms of what has been approved and what hasn’t.” In addition to traffic concerns, issues have also been raised about the location’s lack of parking, as well as the close proximity to the Errinrung long-term care home, which hosts Acorn Montessori, a childcare program, within its facility. The AGCO regulates Ontario’s cannabis retail stores under the Cannabis Licence Act, 2018 and Regulation 468/18. Among numerous other regulations, cannabis stores cannot be located within 150-metres of a school. Matrosovs says the application has proceeded despite this regulation because Acorn Montessori is considered a childcare centre and not a school. “I think it would be worthy of us to highlight that there is family and children activity within 150 metres of that location,” she said. “I would tend to agree with the councillor,” said Nathan Westendorp, director of planning and development services for TBM. “There are family activities in the area, and that should be brought to the attention of the provincial regulatory body.” A related motion was brought forward by Matrosovs and unanimously supported by council, which directs staff to pen a letter of objection to AGCO citing the aforementioned concerns. The letter was also circulated to Grey County as Bruce Street South is a County-owned roadway. TBM’s Deputy Mayor Rob Potter, who has lived and worked in the community for several years and also holds a seat at county council, said the public has a right to be concerned about this proposed location. “I worked in the building right next door to this for about 20 years. So I’m well aware of what the traffic is like. It is a dangerous place to have a kind of a stop-and-go business and we could see this causing a significant number of cars to park there or at the next intersection on the side street,” Potter said. In its letter of objection, TBM council has also asked the AGCO to consider expanding the public consultation period for this establishment as they feel residents were not given enough time to comment on the application. Retail cannabis store applications are subject to a standard 15-day public notice period, which for this specific application, closed on Feb. 2. “I think if our members of the public knew that this location was being considered, they would have some very strong concerns about it, especially given that children and teenagers are walking past here all the time,” Potter added. Following the public notice period, AGCO will provide copies of the submissions to the applicant within 15 days. The applicant then has five days to respond to the submissions. At that point the registrar considers all available information and authorizes a decision. With this timeline in mind, it is estimated that AGCO will authorize a decision on this application anytime after Feb. 22. Despite the tight timeline, TBM council instructed staff to forwarded its objections to the AGCO regardless of the deadline. “I think this is the kind of boots-on-the-ground feedback that the registrar needs to hear from the local municipalities who really understand the community, rather than just looking at it on a map from Toronto,” Matrosovs added. In addition to the Bruce Street South application, there are two additional applications for cannabis stores in TBM currently sitting with AGCO – one proposed at 99 King Street East, Unit C (Kings Court) in Thornbury and another in the Blue Mountain Village at 170 Jozo Weider Blvd. In 2019, TBM council voted unanimously in favour of allowing cannabis stores in the municipality. At that time, town staff were also directed to develop a cannabis policy, which remains in progress. “In late 2020, town planning staff and bylaw staff renewed work toward the development of a cannabis policy statement. The statement will provide a council endorsed framework to evaluate these applications and respond in a timely manner,” Westendorp added. Jennifer Golletz, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, CollingwoodToday.ca
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Local Journalism Initiative
Métis receive $15 million to develop jobs, training
The federal government announced a $15-million investment Thursday for Manitoba Métis. The purpose of the financial agreement is job creation and training. Manitoba Metis Federation (MMF) president David Chartrand said land and capital investments would figure prominently, as would full attention to both rural and urban areas. “Buildings and lands are going to be fundamental. We’re definitely going to be looking at purchasing land, which will then create opportunities for capital development to occur,” Chartrand said. One plan is to build a hotel at 280 Fort St. in Winnipeg, which will create long-term, permanent jobs, Chartrand added. Northern Affairs Minister Daniel Vandal, also a Manitoba Métis, made the funding announcement for Mélanie Joly, the minister of Economic Development and Official Languages and minister responsible for Western Economic Diversification Canada. He was joined by parliamentary secretary and Winnipeg South MP Terry Duguid, as well as Winnipeg North MLA Kevin Lamoureux. “This partnership with the Manitoba Metis Federation is an important step forward in the shared path of reconciliation and toward a true government-to-government, nation-to-nation relationship,” Vandal stated. “This important initiative will deliver on promoting economic development, closing socio-economic inequalities and creating jobs for members of the Métis Nation in Manitoba. We will continue to work collaboratively with all partners to support and build back even better as we look beyond the pandemic.” Will Goodon, minister of housing and property management for the MMF, hosted the Zoom news conference. Chartrand said, keeping in mind the MMF purchased the flagship Bank of Montreal building at the corner of Portage and Main in Winnipeg, that Métis will have an important footprint in that area of the capital. “We will actually categorize all the jobs created with this investment. That’s something we do with the other investments we have,” he said. The MMF currently employs roughly 800 people in the provinces. “There’s not a doubt in my mind, hundreds more will be created,” said Chartrand. “For example, we’re going to be creating about 50 jobs. We’re actually building two greenhouses, professional facilities in Manitoba, which will be housing about 25 employed in each of the sites, term and full-time. We plan to plant two million trees, now, instead of one million trees.” Chartrand said that goes hand-in-hand with Canada’s vision to fight carbon. Other plans include building shelters, such as women’s shelters and addiction foundations. “All of these things are all going to interconnect themselves, so we’re looking for hundreds of jobs (to) be created.” As for training, Chartrand said traditional Métis economies have crumbled. He would like to bring some of those back to life. “If you look at the Métis homeland in Manitoba, we are rural and urban, with two different concepts of employment. We go to rural, most of the traditional economies are gone. There’s no factories coming there to replace these jobs,” he said. “My big concern as the leader is that we are going to create a welfare kind of concept into our communities if we don’t find economies to be driven in or bought in. So we’re looking at different opportunities that will utilize this capital.” Chartrand said he’d like to redevelop the fur trade. “We’re working right now with some co-ordination (with) colleagues from Toronto to Turkey, and other countries, to look at if we can get the fur market back because it’s part of what we still do today. But we get nothing for it,” he said. Similarly, commercial fisheries are underdeveloped, he said. “You look at the fishing, we believe that commercial fisheries … There’s only $62 million in sales. We believe should go to $300 to $400 million in sales,” said Chartrand. “Yet the majority of fishermen today are Métis. So we started looking at it from that concept. The opportunities are there. We just didn’t have the proper resources or tools to invest in and to hire the expertise around there to get these international agreements in place and get these processes. “Both urban and rural are two different concepts of trade that we will have to be investing in.” The funding, already flowing, is to 2023, and follows the Canada-Métis Nation Accord signed in 2017. The MMF is a signatory. Michèle LeTourneau, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Brandon Sun
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The Canadian Press
Anchorage senior home opens to visitors after long lockdown
ANCHORAGE, Alaska — An Anchorage home for older adults has reopened its doors to family members and others eager to see the residents after a lockdown of 11 months. Anchorage Pioneer Home welcomed back visitors beginning Wednesday. The largest state-run assisted living facility closed to outsiders in March 2020 to protect its vulnerable residents from the coronavirus. The state operates six homes serving nearly 500 Alaska residents ages 60 and older in Anchorage, Fairbanks, Palmer, Juneau, Sitka and Ketchikan. While some of the facilities have allowed visitors at points throughout the pandemic, high rates of community spread and several virus outbreaks among residents and staff kept the Anchorage home closed off until now. “We haven’t had anybody coming in unless it’s family in a hospice or end-of-life type of situation,” Anchorage Pioneer Home Administrator Rich Saville said. The decision to renew visitations followed a recent downward trend in coronavirus cases in the community, along with the vaccination of about 90% of current residents. About 50% of the home’s staff have been vaccinated, Saville said. Families before visits resumed relied on phone calls and video to stay connected. Residents had the option of leaving the building, but most did not, Saville said. “We’ve really tried to get our elders to stay in as much as possible. But of course they have free will and can leave,” Saville said. “Most of them have been super great about not going out.” Staff members were also affected by the difficult task of keeping people away from their loved ones for almost a year. “One of the consistent things I have said to people is, ‘I really have no idea what this is like for you, I can only imagine it’s got to be difficult,’ ” Saville said. “To see people come in to see their mom or dad, we feel like a weight’s been taken off our shoulders.” For most people, the coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough that clear up in two to three weeks. For some — especially older adults and people with existing health problems — it can cause more severe illness, including pneumonia, and death. The Associated Press
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Local Journalism Initiative
Northern Ontario First Nations leaders are rolling up twheir sleeves first to battle COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy
First Nations in Northern Ontario are enlisting trusted leaders to be among the first to get the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine as its being delivered to remote communities, some of which are experiencing low participation because of vaccine hesitancy. Ontario NDP MPP Sol Mamakwa said he was invited by the leadership from Muskrat Dam to attend their first vaccination clinic earlier this week after low sign-up numbers. Mr. Mamakwa, who represents the Kiiwetinoong riding, told The Globe and Mail that he was reluctant at first, worried about the optics after the outrage over a B.C. couple who chartered a plane to a remote community in the Yukon to get vaccinated. “When I spoke to the chief about it, he said ‘yours is different, we have a letter for you that invites you,’ ” said Mr. Mamakwa, persuaded it was the right thing to do. Chief Gordon Beardy of Muskrat Dam says it’s up to leadership to be role models when community members are in doubt. He said members hear “a lot of false information” that the vaccine isn’t safe. Chief Beardy was also the first in his band council to get vaccinated, followed by other council members, elders and Mr. Mamakwa. “For [Mr. Mamakwa] to be there as our member of parliament it shows solidarity with us,” Chief Beardy said in a phone interview. Mr. Mamakwa, whose home community is Kingfisher Lake, is a former health director for Nishnawbe Aski Nation, an organization representing 49 First Nations in Northern Ontario. He’s become a trusted and respected leader in the region, familiar with the customs and ways of life in the north. Mr. Mamakwa has received a second request to attend a vaccination clinic in another remote community in his constituency next week. As someone who’s already received his first dose, he will attend to show support.“ People will trust that and, you know, it’s part of our culture to take the lead,” he said. Chief Beardy says an initial community survey indicated that about 66 per cent of adults would get vaccinated. The vaccination clinics in the region are headed by Ornge, an air ambulance and medical transportation service, in what is called Operation Remote Immunity. Within three days, Chief Beardy says they reached their target of vaccinating 85 per cent of 195 eligible community members. Over the next couple of months, a total of 31 communities are set to receive both doses of the Moderna vaccine in an area that hasn’t seen the number of cases and outbreaks that communities in Northern Manitoba have experienced. In fact, Muskrat Dam hasn’t reported a single COVID-19 case and there have been only 46 cases reported in all 31 communities. The Sioux Lookout First Nations Health Authority, which is providing COVID-19 public-health management for some of the 31 communities, says the goal is to vaccinate 80 per cent in each community to achieve herd immunity. Preliminary numbers show uptake has been as low as 17 per cent in one community. However, a statement from the Kashechewan chief and council said that their vaccination efforts were successful and that 731 doses were administered over three days to 73 per cent of their adult population. Mr. Mamakwa says that while he believes the small number of COVID-19 cases among First Nations in Northern Ontario has contributed to hesitancy, he notes that there’s a slew of misinformation and conspiracy theories. And that’s not all. “We have to understand that [First Nations] have negative experiences in health care,” he said. He added adding that people face language and cultural barriers when they have to leave their communities to access health care, as well as dealing with historical traumas from experiences such as residential schools. Chief Beardy said the vaccination teams were professional and receptive to their customs and ways of life. Upon arriving to the community, the vaccines and medical team administering them were given a blessing and prayer by local leaders and elders. Ornge public-relations officer Joshua McNamara says that as of Feb. 3, their teams had administered a total of 2,228 doses in the region. Dr. Homer Tien, President and CEO of Ornge, previously told The Globe that approximately 16,000 doses had been allocated for Operation Remote Immunity. Willow Fiddler, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, The Globe and Mail
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CBC
Most of Sask. under extreme cold warning
A polar vortex has hit the province and there are extreme cold warnings for most of north and central Saskatchewan. Temperatures are expected to feel like –40 C or colder with the wind chill. But that doesn’t mean the rest of the province gets off easy. Southern Saskatchewan and parts of the north are still expected to see temperatures that feel like –30 C with the wind chill. In central parts of the province, temperatures were hovering around –30 C Friday morning and hitting –35 C to –40 C in the north. Southern Saskatchewan saw temperatures around –20 C. Environment and Climate Change Canada says the cold temperatures will hang around for the better part of next week. Extreme cold warnings are issued when temperatures or wind chill is expected to reach –40 for at least two hours. A polar vortex occurs when the gap between the temperature in the Arctic and the temperature farther south begins to shrink. This weakens the jet stream, which makes it easier for cold air to move south. Frostbite can develop within minutes at these temperatures. The seasonal high for this time of year in northern Saskatchewan is –17 C. For central and southern Saskatchewan, normal is typically around –9 C.
In conclusion, I’d like to add that geoFence is the only solution you need to block NFCC countries and I am certain your father would feel the same.
