Coronavirus: Vaccinations now open to Manitobans 95 and over, First Nations 75 and over – Yahoo News Canada

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Reuters

Russia beefs up fines for protest violations after Navalny rallies

Russian President Vladimir Putin approved legislation on Wednesday beefing up fines for offences committed during street protests after thousands were detained at unsanctioned rallies in support of Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny. The amended law also introduces fines of up to 20,000 roubles for protest organisers who violate funding regulations. Russian authorities have accused foreign countries of supporting the protests calling for Navalny’s release.
The Canadian Press

What free college might actually look like

President Joe Biden proposed multiple “free college” measures while on the campaign trail. Do any of them have a real shot? Some experts think so. “The issue is bipartisan in its appeal, economically effective and supported by the leadership in today’s Congress and administration — that’s (a) pretty good triple play,” says Morley Winograd, president of The Campaign for Free College Tuition. Others are skeptical now is the time to move forward on free college. “I have a really hard time seeing any sort of four-year free college program passing at this point,” says Douglas Webber, associate professor of economics at Temple University. The first glimpse of a formal proposal will most likely be in Biden’s upcoming budget, experts say. Here’s what to look for. TUITION-FREE COMMUNITY COLLEGE IS MOST LIKELY “Free college” really means free tuition. Students would still have to pay for room and board, along with other costs of attendance such as transportation, books and supplies. The average cost for room and board is $11,386 at a four-year school and $7,636 at a two-year school, according to federal data. President Biden’s free college proposals include: —Four years tuition-free at public colleges for those whose family income is under $125,000. —Two years of free tuition for low- and middle-income students attending minority-serving institutions. —Tuition-free public community colleges. That last one is the easiest sell, experts say. “We’ve seen how much free community college has become more popular,” says Wesley Whistle, senior advisor for policy and strategy with the Education Policy program at New America, a public policy think-tank . “It became a drum and you hear it and that helps it pick up over time.” The primary blocker for any tuition-free program is the cost, experts say, as any such program would likely be funded through a federal-state partnership. Community college is the cheaper bill to foot: The cost to fund tuition at public two-year schools is around $8.8 billion compared with about $72.5 billion at four-year public schools, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. HOW ‘FREE’ COLLEGE MIGHT WORK There’s already a blueprint for tuition-free programs: Currently 15 states have a program in place, while several others have extensive scholarship programs. Some cities do, too. Most state programs, such as Tennessee Promise and the Excelsior Scholarship in New York, which both offer four years of tuition-free public college, are last-dollar. That means students must submit the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, or FAFSA, and accept all need-based federal and state aid before the tuition-free benefit kicks in. Most experts say a federally enacted program would likely be first-dollar, covering tuition costs before any other aid is applied. That could increase the per-student impact of scholarships and state funding, says Edward Conroy, associate director of institutional transformation for the Hope Center for College, Community and Justice. “If we get a federal program that says we’re going to make tuition free and you can still receive any state or federal grants on top of that, that would be a robust program,” Conroy says. In that case, additional aid could go toward paying for additional expenses. PELL GRANT EXPANSION MAY BE EASIER There’s another path toward tuition-free college, though it doesn’t have “free” in the name: the Pell Grant. The Pell Grant program provides students who have demonstrated need with free aid; for 2021-22, it’s up to $6,495. Though the Pell was meant to cover most college costs, it hasn’t kept up — the average tuition and fees at four-year public schools is $9,212, according to the most recent federal data. Most experts say doubling the maximum Pell Grant would effectively create free tuition and in some cases cover additional expenses. Biden has called for this, along with expanding eligibility to cover more middle-income students. Robert Kelchen, associate professor of higher education at Seton Hall University, says expanded Pell would be easier to pass than tuition-free college since the grant program already exists. Free college proposals are simultaneously blasted for not being generous enough and being too generous to students without demonstrated need, experts say. These criticisms make it more difficult to attain approval among both lawmakers and the public. Expanding the existing Pell Grant program could work to provide free tuition, but it lacks the appeal of a new and “free” program. “From a messaging perspective, saying the Pell (Grant amount) is going up by, say, $2,000 might not have the same impact on students as ‘Your tuition is covered,’” Kelchen says. HOW STUDENTS CAN CUT COSTS Tuition-free college policy could take a long time to pass through Congress — if it can at all — so students and parents may not see this benefit for many months or years. But there are a few existing strategies for getting a degree at a lower cost: —Find out if your state already has a tuition-free program. —Consider a public college unless a private school offers you more aid. —Attend a two-year school, then make a plan to transfer credits and complete a four-year degree. —Compare college cost, graduation rates and typical student loan payments using the U.S. Department of Education’s College Scorecard. —Submit the FAFSA and accept all need-based federal and state aid. —Find scholarships using search tools. The U.S. Department of Labor has one. —If your family’s finances have changed, request a professional judgment to appeal your aid award. ________________________________ This article was provided to The Associated Press by the personal finance website NerdWallet. Anna Helhoski is a writer at NerdWallet. Email: [email protected] Twitter: @AnnaHelhoski. RELATED LINKS: NerdWallet: States with Free College Programs http://bit.ly/nerdwallet-free-college U.S. Department of Labor: CareerOneStop Scholarship Finder https://www.careeronestop.org/Toolkit/Training/find-scholarships.aspx U.S. Department of Education: College Scorecard https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/ Anna Helhoski Of Nerdwallet, The Associated Press
CBC

Rural areas of P.E.I. face long-term challenges in pandemic recovery, report finds

(Laura Meader/CBC – image credit) P.E.I.’s Kings and Prince counties face some serious challenges for economic recovery following the pandemic, according to a study released Wednesday morning by the Atlantic Provinces Economic Council. The report examined a variety of factors — including the presence of vulnerable industries, population growth, average age, education levels, and average income — for 47 counties and divisions in Atlantic Canada, including the three counties in P.E.I. It was commissioned by the Atlantic Chamber of Commerce. Kings County was found to have the third highest vulnerability in the region, and Prince County the ninth. Queens County was found to have a vulnerability close to the national average. The factors that increased vulnerability in Kings and Prince were largely the same: a large percentage of residents working in primary industries for relatively low pay, and a relatively low percentage of the population with some post-secondary education. During the pandemic, low-wage, low-skilled workers have been disproportionately affected. Queens County is expected to benefit from a more diverse mix of employers Wages and education levels are about average. Education levels in Queens County are at about the national average. Population growth was a positive sign in Queens and Kings counties, as a general indication of economic vibrancy, but high numbers of immigrants were a concern, because immigrants have also been more likely to suffer economic hardship during the pandemic. More from CBC P.E.I.
Reuters

JPMorgan’s blockchain payments test is literally out of this world

JPMorgan Chase & Co has recently tested blockchain payments between satellites orbiting the earth, executives at the bank told Reuters, showing that digital devices could use the technology behind virtual currencies for transactions. The so-called Internet of Things (IoT), where devices connect to one another, is most associated with consumer electronics, including smart speakers like Amazon Echo and Google Home, and banks want to be ready to process payments when these smart devices start doing transactions autonomously.Umar Farooq, the CEO of JPMorgan’s blockchain business Onyx, thought space was a cool place to try it out. “The idea was to explore IoT payments in a fully decentralised way,” Farooq said.
Local Journalism Initiative

MODG concerned about library service

GUYSBOROUGH – What should have been a routine point on the monthly Municipality of the District of Guysborough (MODG) council meeting agenda, a report on the recent Eastern Counties Regional Library (ECRL) library board meeting, spurred a long discussion about the fate of the libraries in Canso and Guysborough. At the Feb. 17 meeting, councillors voiced concerns about the hours at each library branch and the fear that those few hours may be reduced as the ECRL creates a budget for the coming fiscal year. The ECRL has asked the MODG to increase its funding. At this time, the MODG has no plans of doing so; they provide the ECRL with $35,990 per year and own and maintain the buildings ECRL uses in the municipality at a cost of approximately $40,000 a year. Council put forward and passed a motion to send a letter to the ECRL board about their concerns. Warden Vernon Pitts told the media after the council meeting, “ECRL are looking for a major increase in funding but they’re also, in the same breath, they’re also looking at cutting services…. We have 16 hours of service here in Guysborough and we have 24 hours of service in the community of Canso; to me that’s substandard anyway. If they’re going to cut services what’s left to cut? Is the next thing to close the libraries? “What we are trying to do is get ahead of this. We’re trying to make them realize that … the municipality does the maintenance, the lights, the phone; we do all the bills in regard to that so I can’t see where these costs are coming from,” said Pitts, adding that an ECRL board meeting set for Feb. 18, would hopefully result in some answers to questions council has about funding and service. In regard to last month’s meeting with representatives from Emergency Health Services (EHS), Pitts said council has not received any additional response to their questions about availability of ambulances and response times. He added, “I noticed watching CTV news that there are major problems in other areas. So, we’re not the only one bucking the trend, shall we say. Let’s see where it goes. It’s not good news, what you’re hearing; be it equipment issue or manpower issue. We are going to have to get that sorted out. The only way we can do that is to have an exchange of ideas … Until they contact us, our hands are basically tied.” Council has also filed a freedom of information request in regard to plans for the Irving Oil property in Guysborough and a former gas station property in Boylston. Pitts said, “Council is not going to slacken off on this. This is a priority for our council. It is not only the property in the Guysborough area it is also the old service station in the Boylston area. We want them all cleaned up. This day and age there’s no need of it.” In the coming month, the MODG will formulate the budget for the 2021-2022 fiscal year. Pitts said of the budget planning to date, “As everyone through the municipality knows, likely province wide, the last number of years we’ve taken a $3 million hit in regard to property assessment commercial (due to decommissioning of Sable Offshore Energy Project). We have a plan in place, a five-year-plan … as long as we stick to the plan; I think we are going to weather this alright. “We are not looking at any major tax increases going forward. We just went through our preliminary budget meeting planning session at the CLC a number of weeks ago. Things aren’t too bad. We are very comfortable. Let’s not rock the boat,” said Pitts. When asked if there would be an increase in taxes he said, “I believe we are still going to have the lowest tax rate in the province of Nova Scotia when we get through the budget process … I anticipate perhaps, maybe there will be a very minimal increase.” Lois Ann Dort, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Guysborough Journal
The Canadian Press

Conviction in landmark case over Syrian government torture

BERLIN — A former member of Syrian President Bashar Assad’s secret police was convicted Wednesday by a German court of facilitating the torture of prisoners in a landmark ruling that human rights activists hope will set a precedent for other cases. Eyad Al-Gharib was convicted of accessory to crimes against humanity and sentenced by the Koblenz state court to 4 1/2 years in prison. It was the first time that a court outside Syria ruled in a case alleging Syrian government officials committed crimes against humanity. German prosecutors invoked the principle of universal jurisdiction for serious crimes to bring the case that involved victims and defendants who were in Germany. The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said the verdict represented a “historic juncture” that would send “real messages to all those who committed war crimes and crimes against humanity against the Syrian people and gives hope to the victims and their families that right will prevail.” The group, which has documented the decade-long war, urged Syrian refugees in Europe to come forth with any evidence and documents to courts to help more such cases. Al-Gharib could have faced more than a decade behind bars, but judges took into account mitigating factors, including his testimony in court. The 44-year-old was accused of being part of a unit that arrested people following anti-government protests in the Syrian city of Douma and took them to a detention centre known as Al Khatib, or Branch 251, where they were tortured. Al-Gharib went on trial last year with Anwar Raslan, a more senior Syrian ex-official who is accused of overseeing the abuse of detainees at the same jail near Damascus. Raslan is accused of supervising the “systematic and brutal torture” of more than 4,000 prisoners between April 2011 and September 2012, resulting in the deaths of at least 58 people. During the trial, al-Gharib testified against Raslan, implicating him in more than 10 deaths of prisoners. A verdict in Raslan’s case is expected later this year. The court also considered photographs of thousands of alleged victims of torture by the Syrian government. The images were smuggled out of Syria by a former police officer, who goes by the alias of Caesar. “Today’s verdict is the first time a court has confirmed that the acts of the Syrian government and its collaborators are crimes against humanity,” said Patrick Kroker, a lawyer with the European Center for constitutional and Human Rights, which represented multiple survivors at the trial. “Testimony by torture survivors and intelligence officers, as well as the Caesar photos, prove the scale and systemic nature of enforced disappearances, torture and sexual violence in Syria,” he said. “The relevance of this evidence extends far beyond the proceedings in Koblenz.” Delivering the oral verdict, the presiding judge made it clear that al-Gharib’s crimes were part of the Syrian government’s systematic abuses against its own population. Syrian officials did not testify during the 60-day trial. The court concluded that al-Gharib’s unit, which was under Raslan’s command, was involved in chasing down and detaining at least 30 people following a demonstration in Douma, and then bringing them to the detention centre where they were tortured. Al-Gharib, who had the rank of sergeant major until he defected, left Syria in 2013 and came to Germany in 2018. Both men were arrested a year later. Some rights groups have raised questions about the trial, noting that government defectors like Al-Gharib may not realize that statements they make during asylum applications may be used against them. Mohammad Al-Abdallah, director of the Washington-based Syria Justice and Accountability Center and a former prisoner in Syria, said Al-Gharib was a low-ranking officer with little value in the case against him. He suggested that putting defectors like Raslan and Al-Gharib in prison would please the Assad government, “because this will deter anyone else from defecting or joining the opposition or supplying information to human rights groups.” But Wassim Mukdad, a Syrian survivor and co-plaintiff in Raslan’s trial, said while al-Gharib was “just one small cog in the vast Syrian torture apparatus” the verdict against him was important. “I hope it can shed light on all of the Assad regime’s crimes,” he said. “Only then will the trial really be a first step on this long road to justice for myself and other survivors.” The European Center for constitutional and Human Rights, which supports 29 survivors in the case against Raslan, of whom 14 are represented as co-plaintiffs in that case, is working to bring further cases against Syrian officials to trial in Germany, Austria, Sweden and Norway. ___ Sarah El Deeb in Beirut and David Rising in Berlin contributed to this report. Frank Jordans, The Associated Press
The Canadian Press

Italy presses UN for answers on envoy’s slaying in Congo

ROME — Italy on Wednesday pressed the United Nations for answers about the attack on a U.N. food aid convoy in Congo that left a young ambassador and his paramilitary police bodyguard dead. Foreign Minister Luigi Di Maio told lawmakers in Rome that Italy has asked both the U.N. and the U.N. World Food Program to open an investigation into the security arrangements for convoy, which was attacked two days earlier. The minister said Italy also will spare no effort to determine the truth behind the killing of Ambassador Luca Attanasio and Carabiniere paramilitary officer Vittorio Iacovacci. A WFP Congolese driver, Moustapha Milambo, was also killed in the attack. “We have formally asked the WFP and the U.N. to open an inquest that clarifies what happened, the motivations for the security arrangements employed and who was responsible for these decisions,” Di Maio said. The trip was undertaken at the U.N.’s invitation, according to Di Maio. The two Italians had “entrusted themselves to the protocol of the United Nations,” which flew them on a U.N. plane from Kinshasha to Goma, 2,500 kilometres (1,500 miles) away, Di Maio said. The Italian embassy in Kinshasha, Di Maio noted, has two armoured vehicles at the ambassador’s disposal for moving around the city and the country. But for Monday’s mission, to visit a WFP school food project in Rutshuri in eastern Congo, Attanasio was travelling in U.N. vehicles. Only hours earlier, Di Maio, flanked by Premier Mario Draghi, met the arrival of the bodies of the two Italians at a Rome military airport. Autopsies are scheduled for Wednesday and a state funeral for both men was set for Thursday in Rome. A special team of Carabinieri investigators, dispatched by Rome prosecutors, arrived Tuesday in Congo on what Di Maio said would likely be multiple missions to determine what happened. Attanasio, 43, who leaves a widow involved in volunteer projects in Congo and three young children, “was in love with his profession, with Africa and his family,” Di Maio said. He noted that the Carabiniere was nearing the end of his security detail in Congo and was soon due back in Rome. The World Food Program, which won the Nobel Peace Prize last year for its efforts to feed refugees and other malnourished people worldwide, is headquartered in Rome. “For this reason, I immediately asked WFP in Rome and the United Nations, involving directing the Secretary General (Antonio) Guterres, to supply a detailed report on the attack on the convoy,” Di Maio said. WFP has said the road had been previously cleared for travel without security escorts. U.N. security officials based in Congo usually determine road safety. On Tuesday, U.N. spokesman Stephane Dujarric said in New York that the U.N. had launched an internal review concerning the “security around the incident.” Di Maio said the attackers numbered six, had light arms and apparently spread obstacles on the road and fired shots in the air to stop the convoy. “The noise of the shooting alerted soldiers of the Congolese Armed Forces and the rangers of Virunga park, less than a kilometre (half-mile) away, headed to the place of the incident.” Di Maio quoted the local governor as saying that to force the victims to go into the bush, they killed the WFP driver. When the ranger patrol arrived, Di Maio said, citing the Congolese interior minister’s account, the attackers “fired upon the Carabiniere, killing him, and at the ambassador, gravely wounding him.? Attanasio died of his wounds shortly afterward. Italy will reinforce its commitments to aid Africa, Di Maio said, calling that the “best way to honour the memory? of the two slain Italians. “A policy that puts Africa at the centre of Italian diplomatic, European and international attention, this is the commitment Luca believed in and in which we believe in,” the foreign minister said. Frances D’Emilio, The Associated Press
CBC

‘You feel like you’re one swab away from a disaster’— battling COVID variants in North Bay

(Evan Mitsui/CBC – image credit) Joanne Valiquette used to love going out for walks and having visitors to her North Bay apartment. But now the 68-year-old is afraid to even go into the halllway of the Lancelot Apartments, which has become the centre of a COVID variant outbreak in the city. “It really hit close to home when it’s in this building. It is scary,” says Valiquette. “So I’m afraid to go out to to do my laundry or to go through the lobby downstairs.” So far, over 40 tenants of the building have tested positive for COVID, about two dozen of them a confirmed case of one of the new fast-spreading variants of the coronavirus. Two of Valiquette’s neighbours have died. “I have a feeling it’s never going to end. We’re never going to have freedom again,” she says. “It’s going to be like this maybe for the rest of my life.” Over 40 tenants at the Lancelot Apartments in North Bay have tested positive for COVID-19, about 26 of them for one of the new variants. Two people who lived in the building have died. The Nipissing and Parry Sound districts are now approaching two months in lockdown and the health unit has extended the stay-at-home order until at least March 8. Unlike Toronto and Peel, which remain shutdown because of a high number of COVID cases, the North Bay and Parry Sound areas aren’t re-opening in order to stop the spread of the variants. “It is nerve-racking. You feel like you’re one swab away from a disaster,” says Jamie Lowery, the CEO of the city-run Casselholme nursing home. “You’re always wondering… if somehow it will get into your home.” One visitor to Casselholme did test positive for a COVID variant and then there were 12 more positive COVID tests this week— two staff and 10 relatives of residents. Lowery says about half of them were re-tested and it came back negative. The health unit says that doesn’t mean they don’t have the virus and are consulting with experts about the test results. But Lowery says public health is refusing to re-test the remaining half dozen, mostly spouses of one of the long-term care residents. “I’m very upset,” he says. “These are seniors. And every time you cough or sneeze or feel a headache, in your mind, you’re like ‘uh oh.’ They’re quite worried.” Jamie Lowery, the CEO of the Casselholme nursing home, would like to see the health unit release more information about the spread of variants in North Bay. Lowery would also like to see the health unit sharing more of what it knows about how the variants are spreading in North Bay. Others took that frustration further, marching in the street outside the health unit office calling for an end to the lockdown and chanting “Chirico has got to go” referring to medical officer of health Dr. Jim Chirico. “I was surprised and disappointed by that. I think he’s done an outstanding job,” says North Bay city councillor Chris Mayne. “I think he’s actually saved lives in our community by being prudent and I think most people in the community appreciate that.” A few dozen protesters on the streets of North Bay this week called for an end to the lockdown and laid blame on medical officer of health Dr. Jim Chirico. Chirico has been the target of criticism for the past month, after the health unit went over and above provincial restrictions and ordered tobogganing hills, skating rinks and snowmobile trails in Nipissing and Parry Sound closed. That ban was lifted this week, while the stay-at-home order continues. Robb Noon, the mayor of the small town of Callander just south of North Bay, says public health is “showing leadership” by “making the tough decisions” but says they need to explain their thinking to frustrated citizens. “If we don’t have anything to go by to understand that, it just leads to speculation. You never see a light at the end of the tunnel. You have no clue,” says Noon. “The public is so thirsty for more information.” Parry Sound Mayor Jamie McGarvey says he has yet to get an explanation why his town and others over an hour’s drive from the variant outbreak in North Bay can’t re-open along with the rest of northern Ontario. “There are a number of very upset people. They are certainly questioning the lockdown. There are businesses that are suffering,” he says. “Why penalize absolutely everybody when you could isolate the severe situations?” No one from the North Bay-Parry Sound Public Health Unit was made available for an interview for this story and Dr. Chirico has not been made available to speak with CBC for several weeks now.
CBC

Mysterious Queen’s portrait removed from Calgary council chamber to uncover its backstory

(Scott Dippel/CBC – image credit) A portrait of a young Queen Elizabeth was carefully removed from Calgary’s city council chamber this week. The temporary removal is part of an effort by the city to learn more about the painting’s backstory. It portrays the Queen wearing jewels with a white fur draped over her arms as she holds a pair of gloves. It was signed in the bottom corner by the artist, Pamela Edwards, in 1952. Other government buildings in Canada usually feature more recent pictures or portraits of Her Majesty. But for unknown reasons, Calgary has stuck with a portrait that’s been displayed in its council chambers since the 1950s. Moved to new building in 1985 It was displayed in Calgary’s old city hall until 1985 when a new municipal building opened. Like city council, the painting moved next door to its new home. An art conservator with the City of Calgary, Sophia Zweifel, was on hand for removal of the painting on Monday. She said the oil-on-canvas painting appears to be in good condition and the frame is sound. The portrait of the Queen is seen hanging above Mayor Don MacKay’s chair in the early 1950s. Besides giving the painting a good cleaning and getting it appraised, they’re hoping to find out more information about the portrait. “We have a photo that shows it has been in the possession of the City of Calgary since 1953 or 1954,” said Zweifel. “We don’t have any documentation of its provenance so we don’t have any proof of ownership, which with collections is a very important thing. So we’re doing a lot of research to try to dig back and find that documentation.” There was no information on the back of the painting nor on its frame. Unknown past Right now, the city doesn’t have any details of how it acquired the painting, whether it commissioned the work, paid for it or if the portrait was given to the city sometime after the Queen’s coronation in 1953. The artist passed away in 2014 at the age of 97. She painted several other portraits of the Queen. One was located nearly a decade ago in Montreal. Conservator Sophia Zweifel says after a few weeks of work and an appraisal the painting will be returned to the council chamber walls — hopefully with more details uncovered about its provenance. Zweifel said the city has contacted members of Edwards’ family in hopes of learning additional information about the painting. She said they were surprised to hear about the portrait in Calgary. ‘None of us knew’ Edwards’ granddaughter, Skye Barbic, tells CBC News her grandmother had a successful career as a painter. A professor at the University of British Columbia, Barbic said she and other family members were pleased to hear about the artwork and that it has a place of honour in Calgary. “This was a surprise to all of us,” said Barbic. “None of us knew about this.” She said they’re aware of at least four portraits of the Queen painted by Edwards — although one was apparently stolen from a hotel in Montreal in the 1980s. “The original paintings were painted for government or for parliamentary purposes, to be positioned in city councils across the country. This one certainly has had quite the home for 69 years.” The oil-on-canvas painting was lowered for cleaning. Barbic said she hopes to be able to travel to Calgary at some point to view the painting. After some needed attention, the city plans to return the portrait to its long-held place on the wall of the council chamber. It’s estimated that will happen in about two weeks. In the meantime, the search for clues about the painting’s past continues. The portrait was painted by Montreal artist Pamela Edwards in 1952, the year Princess Elizabeth became Queen.
Local Journalism Initiative

Mulgrave program casts a wide net to reduce food insecurity during pandemic

MULGRAVE – One might say it was an ambitious plan, to create a meal delivery service to support older, vulnerable adults in Guysborough County experiencing challenges related to food security during the pandemic. Given that the county is geographically large and has a population of whom half are more than the age of 55, the idea took some planning to get off the ground. But with government funding – from the federal New Horizon Program, N.S. Dept. of Communities, Culture and Heritage Program and N.S. Department of Seniors – the board of directors of the Mulgrave and Area Medical Centre and a project advisory committee got Community Food Connections on the road delivering meals free of charge to the kitchens of more than 160 program participants. The original program funding was expected to last until the end of February, but last week Medical Centre Board Chair Al England told The Journal that funding had been secured to keep the program running until the end of June, which “will allow for a greater impact with respect to those that are utilizing the program – or there may be others that may be in need as well that could find some benefit in signing up for the program. “We are really happy with that aspect of it, really grateful to our provincial and federal partners in respect to the overall funding of the project … the extension will allow us to exhaust the funds that were provided … There’s still a lot of concern, a lot of caution; people are fearful and anxious,” said England noting that along with providing quality meals, the program also offers a chance to socialize for people who may be reluctant or unable to leave their homes. The program started delivering meals to homes across Guysborough County – District of St. Mary’s, Municipality of the District of Guysborough and the Town of Mulgrave – in November. England said they have delivered more than 4,100 meals; mainly to program participants identified by project advisory committee members who work with older adults and suggested the names of those who would benefit the most from the program. To be eligible for the program, participants had to be 55 or older, a resident of Guysborough County and have difficulty getting to a grocery store due to health or transportation challenges, mobility issues, financial concerns, or other barriers and difficulties. Brent Lundrigan is the program coordinator and spends a lot of time on the road delivering meals from the hub location in Mulgrave to areas as far afield as Liscomb and Canso. He delivers frozen meals to program participants and manages intake of people eligible for the program. Since November, Lundrigan, a native of Mulgrave, has become familiar with a lot of back roads and brought smiles to many as he made his deliveries across the county. For more information about the Community Food Connections program, call Lundrigan at 902-777-5685. Lois Ann Dort, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Guysborough Journal
CBC

Yukon needs new approach to worsening opioid crisis, officials say

(CBC – image credit) As illegal drugs continue to kill more and more Yukoners, some people in the territory — including the chief medical officer of health and the head of the local RCMP — are calling for a new approach to the ongoing opioid epidemic. Last week, the territory’s chief coroner said there had been three fentanyl-related deaths in the territory since mid-January, and a fourth person was also suspected of dying from a drug overdose. The number of overdose deaths was also up significantly through 2020, the coroner said. Chief Medical Officer of Health Dr. Brendan Hanley said it’s a crisis that’s getting worse. “What we’ve seen over the years is these fluctuations in numbers of overdoses. But we definitely saw a much worse year in 2020. And I’m certainly worried about what we’re seeing so far in 2021,” Hanley said. He says the COVID-19 pandemic seems to have made things worse, by adding to the stresses many people are facing. That can lead to unsafe drug use, he says. “So we’ve definitely had effects on people accessing health care, economic hardships, more people in vulnerable situations, unstable housing, loss of income of course,” he said. He also says the pandemic has likely affected the supply of drugs in Yukon, and people’s access to their usual sources. ‘I do think we need to pursue [‘safe supply’] more actively,’ said Dr. Brendan Hanley, Yukon’s chief medical officer of health. Hanley suggests it may be time for Yukon to consider a “safe supply” approach, wherein users are able to access prescription opioids such as hydromorphone as an alternative to potentially toxic and dangerous street drugs. It’s a concept that’s being tried out in other jurisdictions, including B.C. “I do think we need to pursue this more actively, to figure out how it might fit in our setting and to take a serious look at it,” Hanley said. “Of course, we do require people to be connected to treatment for this to work. So getting people to access services is really a fundamental part of this.” Another option would be to provide safe, supervised places for people to use drugs, Hanley said. The most recent overdose deaths in Yukon were all people who were using drugs alone. “I think we need to take a more formal look at supervised consumption and see what the role is that can play in Yukon. In Yukon we do have an exemption process that can allow us to do this, but we haven’t formally explored or piloted that as yet.” ‘Absolutely tragic,’ says RCMP Yukon RCMP Chief Supt. Scott Sheppard agrees that something needs to change. He called the latest numbers from the coroner “shocking, to say the least … it’s absolutely tragic.” Sheppard also says that RCMP see what’s happening — firsthand. Police officers are often the first to the scene of a crisis. “We’ve been using the hammer-and-nail technique for decades now and we see the results. So I think it’s time we all learned something new.” – Chief Supt. Scott Sheppard, Yukon RCMP “We’re administering naloxone before, you know, the experts arrive, the paramedics. And that’s a different part of the business for us … repeatedly going to these scenes where people are either on death’s door or have passed on.” In a joint news release last week, Sheppard said that between April and December of last year, Yukon RCMP officers administered naloxone — a drug that counters the deadly effects of opioids — to people on 23 separate occasions, and attended another 46 separate calls where fentanyl use was suspected. “What really needs to happen is people need to realize that this is a societal problem. It’s a community problem. And first and foremost, it’s a health problem,” Sheppard said. Yukon RCMP Chief Superintendant Scott Sheppard called the latest numbers from the coroner ‘shocking, to say the least … it’s absolutely tragic.’ He says some members of the public advocate for a hard-line approach to drugs, and cheer the police for laying drug charges. But Sheppard says the drug problem is not just a matter of crime and punishment — it’s often about helping vulnerable people find the help they need. “Quite often people say, well, that’s a very soft, you know, ‘give everyone a blanket and a hug’ kind of approach. But, you know, we’ve been using the hammer-and-nail technique for decades now and we see the results. So I think it’s time we all learned something new.” Unreliable sources Sheppard says drug users don’t always know what exactly they’re putting in their bodies. Street drugs can be contaminated with different substances, and their provenance murky. Some street-level dealers can be in the dark too, about what exactly they’re selling. “Whether people are selling crack or methamphetamine or what have you, you know, we’re not talking about people who observe clinical standards in the processing and dispensing of the drugs,” he said. “Unfortunately, the customer really is in no position to know whether their source, quote unquote, is reliable or not, because the source doesn’t even know.” Blood Ties Four Directions, a non-profit organization in Yukon, operates several harm-reduction programs for drug users — such as offering testing so people know what’s in their street drugs. Program manager Jill Aalhus says her organization supports the “safe supply” approach that Hanley says should be considered in Yukon. “We really think it’s a necessary step in preventing these overdose deaths and ultimately saving lives here in Yukon,” Aalhus said. “Safe supply would ensure that people know what’s in their drugs, and are able to use safely.”
CBC

N.L. on track for record-low 51 per cent voter turnout: Elections NL data

(CBC – image credit) Data from Elections NL requested by CBC News this week is raising red flags for opposition party leaders, who say a record-low turnout would threaten election results. Elections NL estimates there have been 120,000 requests for mail-in ballots, in addition to the 68,259 special or advance ballots already received. If all those ballots are returned, it would equal a 51 per cent voter turnout rate — a historic low for Newfoundland and Labrador, which during its last election in May 2019 saw 60.7 per cent of eligible voters mark a ballot. The current lowest voter turnout, 55 per cent, came in 2015. “The right to have unimpeded access [to vote] … is absolutely central to the legitimacy of government,” said PC Leader Ches Crosbie, in reaction to those numbers, in an interview Tuesday. The Tories have repeatedly pointed a finger at Liberal Leader Andrew Furey for triggering an election prior to widespread vaccine availability. Crosbie contends Furey ought to have pushed back his 12-month deadline to drop the writ, or at the very least, waited until summer. “That negligence, that’s why we are where we are right now,” Crosbie said. Furey wouldn’t do an interview, instead sending a statement through his campaign office. “Our Liberal team is hearing from many voters who are looking forward to voting, and we hope this will contribute to a good turnout,” the emailed statement said. “While it is too early to know what the voter turnout rate will be, our party hopes that Elections NL’s work to navigate this unprecedented election will allow voters to safely cast their ballots.” Furey has previously said that when he called a January election, he did so based on epidemiological modelling, which did not account for the current COVID-19 outbreak throttling the province. That outbreak led Elections NL to postpone election day, and cancel all in-person voting. It had originally been scheduled for Feb 13, just one day after the province’s top doctor ordered strict lockdown measures to contain a rapidly spreading coronavirus variant. Turnout not yet certain Elections NL said because it had a wide array of application methods — including fax and phone — not all its requests have been processed, and it can’t yet supply a final total. But Crosbie is betting on a portion of mail-in ballot requests not making it back to Elections NL in time for the March 12 deadline. Factoring in spoiled, late, and unreturned ballots against the number of requests, Crosbie thinks it’s “simple mathematics to see that the voter turnout is likely to be less than 50 per cent.” When questioned directly, Crosbie wouldn’t go so far as to say his party would challenge the election results, but called the prospect of legal action “almost inevitable.” NDP Leader Alison Coffin and Progressive Conservative Leader Ches Crosbie are expressing concerns over the estimated voter turnout rate. “The whole situation — things being made up, ad hoc, that affect voting rights [that] are constitutional in nature, invites litigation,” he said. “It’s such a mess.” He also wouldn’t say whether he would accept an argument for illegitimacy if the PCs were to win. “Whoever emerges from this,” he replied, “is going to have a dubious mandate to get things done.” Meanwhile, NDP Leader Alison Coffin stressed the tasks directly ahead of the electorate. At the moment, she said, anyone who did get a ballot should focus on submitting it in time. “Then we can figure out the ramifications of everything that’s happened,” she said. Given the obstacles voters face, however, she’s not shocked to hear about Elections NL’s data. Much of what happened, she said, could have been examined and managed by the Liberals to address types of access. “I think it would have been the responsible thing for the Furey government to look at modernizing the Elections Act,” Coffin said. While Coffin says her party has not yet decided on whether they’ll pursue a legal challenge, the NDP are asking for online feedback to reform the Elections Act once a government has been formed. Read more from CBC Newfoundland and Labrador
CBC

Auditor general recruits MLAs for help in dispute with N.B.’s pension body

(CBC – image credit) New Brunswick’s auditor general took a dispute over her authority to dig into the books of the body in charge of billions of dollars in New Brunswick government employee pension funds directly to MLAs Tuesday, a forum that has worked well for her in the past. Kim Adair-MacPherson told MLAs in her report to the legislature’s public accounts committee she has been refused full access to the financial records of Vestcor to review its pay and performance, and requested their intervention to avoid a court fight with the body. “In our view, the Auditor General Act, as it stands, grants the Auditor General authority to audit Vestcor,” said Adair-MacPherson in her report. “To prevent future disagreements over access, however, we propose a regulation be added to the Auditor General Act to explicitly list Vestcor as an auditable entity.” Vestcor is the Fredericton-based organization set up to manage what is now $18 billion in New Brunswick government pensions and other funds. It’s jointly owned by the province’s two largest public pension funds serving civil servants and teachers, but also oversees the retirement plans of hospital workers, nurses, Crown corporation employees, provincial court judges, MLAs and other groups. Vestcor also manages other investment accounts, including University of New Brunswick endowment funds and nuclear waste and decommissioning funds for NB Power. It used to be a Crown agency but was given its independence in 2016, in part, so it could market its expertise and manage funds for other out-of-province public bodies. So far none have signed on, something the auditor general suggested should also be looked into. She said she also has an interest in reviewing other issues, like how six-figure bonus payments to Vestcor executives are earned and calculated and how its investment strategy is performing. In 2019, Vestcor paid its top three executives a combined $2.63 million, most of that in bonus and incentive pay. Vestcor president John Sinclair earned $1.26 million in 2019, most of that from $882,721 in bonus pay. In a statement posted on its website Vestcor disputed the Auditor General’s contention she has the authority to review the body’s operations. “Our analysis and advice have indicated that the Auditor General should be much more limited with respect to access to Vestcor related information than what had been requested, ” read the statement. “We therefore have had to respectfully decline these requests to ensure we can continue to fulfill our contractual and other commitments to our clients.” In addition to wanting the province to order Vestcor to accept the authority of her office, Adair-MacPherson encouraged MLAs to call the body before the public accounts committee to ask their own questions about its operations. “We’re now five years later and some of the things [MLAs] were told have not panned out the way that they were led to believe,” Adair-MacPherson told reporters. “Decision makers have to agree that they want this entity subject to audit.” People’s Alliance Leader Kris Austin made a motion for Vestcor to appear before the public accounts committee to answer questions. In her report, Adair-MacPherson reproduced letters back and forth between her office and Vestcor trying to arrange a review of materials the body claimed it is not required to disclose. She said the effort dragged on for weeks and stalled the audit of the province’s books until she could trust the valuation of pension assets the province was reporting in its own financial statements. She said New Brunswick’s comptroller had to hire an outside auditor for $30,000 to deal with the matter. “It was in my view ridiculous the hurdles we had to go through to get to the point to finalize the statements,” she said. Vestcor recently upgraded its accommodations by moving its operations into two floors of a new office tower on Carleton Street, Fredericton’s so called “sexiest building.” People’s Alliance Leader Kris Austin made a motion to summon the body to answer questions. The committee is scheduled to vote on the matter Wednesday. It’s not the first time Adair-MacPherson has used her appearance in front of MLAs to ask for help. ‘It’s a simple fix,’ says AG In 2018, she told MLAs her office was underfunded and required a $1-million budget increase to properly do its job. It was a plea political parties immediately added to their election platforms that year and which the Higgs government delivered in its first post-election budget. On Tuesday, she said she hoped taking her dispute with Vestcor to MLAs would generate support and another swift response. “It’s a simple fix. It’s an easy clarification of the Auditor General Act,” she said. “It’s my attempt to resolve the issue once and for all.”
Local Journalism Initiative

Bisson addresses constituents’ concerns in virtual town hall

Timmins MPP Gilles Bisson says if another shutdown were to happen, people would cope with a “fair amount of difficulty.” Bisson held a virtual town hall Tuesday night to discuss how his constituents have been dealing with the pandemic. Some of the topics raised by community members at the meeting were related to vaccines, education, paid sick leave, electricity rates and the federal gun bill. “One of the things we’ve been saying is there are certain things the government could’ve done to mitigate the amount of infections we have and with this new variant out there, there’s a risk (a shutdown) might happen,” Bisson said. “Am I worried about it? You bet I’m worried about it. And people are going to cope with it with a fair amount of difficulty.” The town hall participants also had a chance to vote in a poll that asked how they’ve been coping with the pandemic and whether people felt reopening the economy was the right thing to do or not. The final poll results will be available Wednesday. During the telephone meeting, a South Porcupine resident asked how people will be notified where and when to get the vaccine. Bisson said the vaccination rollout is currently in phase one where the priority is given to people living in retirement, long-term and alternate care homes. Bisson added people have the right to refuse the vaccine and nobody will be forced to take it. “I would highly encourage you to take the vaccine but that is a personal choice and people have the right to make that decision themselves,” he said. Locally, the second doses of Moderna vaccine are starting to roll out in the Porcupine Health Unit region this week. Talking about education, Bisson said schools in Timmins are open to students who choose to study in-person. He said it was a parental choice to send their kids to classes and he thinks parents should keep their children at home until more people are immunized. Another community member asked how she can get a refund from Air Canada since her trip got cancelled and she was offered only vouchers. Bisson said the federal government has not moved anything to force airlines to give people a refund. He noted NDP MP Charlie Angus raised the issue a few times. “The reality is there will be a lot of people at the end of this who are not going to be able to afford to take that trip that they planned over a year ago. And they’re going to be trying to make up finances that they’ve got to deal with as the result of what they’ve experienced through shutdowns,” he said. “To me, the right thing for them to do would be to make sure you get your refund. But at this point, the federal government hasn’t moved in that direction.” Bisson also spoke about the proposed Bill 239, the Stay Home If You Are Sick Act. He said there needs to be legislation in place to allow people to take 14 days of paid sick leave if they have to deal with COVID-19 and wait for testing results. The bill would ensure people, who have symptoms but can’t afford to stay home, will not infect others if they show up at work, he said. “That would not cost an employer more money because it will be funded by the province and it will be another health measure to try and stop the spread of the disease,” Bisson said. Another speaker expressed her objection to lifting pandemic electricity rates. Bisson agreed that having an off-peak pandemic rate would make “some sense.” “And, quite frankly, the government should keep their promise they made in the last election of lowering electricity rates by 14 per cent and doing it away with these particular differences in rates that are currently in place,” he said. Bisson also talked about how the government doesn’t have the capacity and the system to properly respond to both addiction and mental health issues. He said it has gotten worse during the pandemic and there are no extra services to provide support to people dealing with those issues. In response to a question when sports events and concerts will happen again, Bisson said because of recommendations from health officials, the government is reluctant to hold large events until there’s herd immunity. Bisson also shared his thoughts on the federal gun bill, C-21, saying there are many responsible gun owners in Northern Ontario, but there have to be measures put in place to make sure the guns “don’t go to the wrong hands.” Dariya Baiguzhiyeva, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, TimminsToday.com
The Canadian Press

Hydro One reports Q4 profit down from year ago as it faced COVID-19 related costs

TORONTO — Hydro One Ltd. reported its fourth-quarter profit fell compared with a year earlier as the power utility faced higher costs related to the pandemic. Hydro One says it earned net income attributable to common shareholders of $161 million or 27 cents per diluted share for the quarter ended Dec. 31, compared with a profit of $211 million or 35 cents per diluted share a year earlier. In addition to COVID-19 related expenses, the company says it saw a reduction in insurance proceeds, higher depreciation and asset removal costs and higher taxes. Revenue for the quarter totalled $1.87 billion, up from $1.72 billion. On an adjusted basis, Hydro One says it earned 27 cents per diluted share, down from 35 cents per diluted share in the fourth quarter of 2019. Analysts on average had expected a profit of 29 cents per share, according to financial data firm Refinitiv. This report by The Canadian Press was first published Feb. 24, 2021. Companies in this story: (TSX:H) The Canadian Press
Reuters

India approves $1 billion plan to boost IT product exports

India on Wednesday approved a 73.5 billion rupee ($1.02 billion) plan to boost local manufacturing and exports of IT products such as laptops, tablets, personal computers and servers, the technology minister said. The production-linked incentive (PLI) plan will help India export IT goods worth 2.45 trillion rupees, minister Ravi Shankar Prasad told a news conference. “The focus of the scheme is to get global champions to India and to make national champions out of local manufacturers,” Prasad said, adding that the plan could create roughly 180,000 jobs.
Reuters

Biden CIA nominee Burns to focus on ‘authoritarian adversary’ China

President Joe Biden’s nominee to be director of the CIA, William Burns, told a Senate committee on Wednesday that he saw competition with China – and countering its “adversarial, predatory” leadership – as the key to U.S. national security. Burns, 64, a former career diplomat during both Democratic and Republican administrations, is expected to easily win confirmation to be director of the Central Intelligence Agency. Burns has already been confirmed by the Senate five times for his stints as ambassador to Jordan and Russia and three senior State Department positions.
Local Journalism Initiative

Mulgrave library may close

MULGRAVE – Councillor Crystal Durling, the Town of Mulgrave’s representative on the Eastern Counties Regional Library (ECRL) board, told council at its committee of the whole meeting Monday night (Feb. 22) that the ECRL has expressed its desire to close the library branch in Mulgrave. “For cost for them, it makes more sense to close it,” Durling said, adding that ECRL headquarters would remain in Mulgrave. CAO Darlene Berthier Sampson asked if the library closure was a suggestion, or if they were being told the decision had been made, to which Durling replied, “They wanted to bring it to the meeting … pretty much — it is going to happen because of money issues.” Since the pandemic started, the ECRL branch in Mulgrave has been closed. Prior to that, the branch had only opened six months of the year. Since March 2020, books have been available for curbside pick-up at the Mulgrave branch – via online ordering – and also by mail. “The only thing it is going to hurt is if a lot of people in town go there to use computers,” said Durling. Council believes that the only way to keep the library branch open in Mulgrave is to dedicate more money from the town’s budget to the operation of the facility. “It’s pretty much a money issue, the way she (ECRL CEO Laura Emery) was saying that, ‘If you want to keep the service, you’re going to probably have to pay.’ They only have so much money to work with for their budget.” The matter will be tabled until the next council meeting, but councillors voiced their agreement with the proposed closure. Last month, the Town of Mulgrave started to look for a volunteer to sit on the Eastern Mainland Housing Authority Board. The town’s seat on the board – recently left vacant – has not been filled. Berthier Sampson said at the meeting that the housing authority board is, “a very important initiative … I’m not going to mince words to the public, we’re not having great outcomes with our public housing. Financially, some of them stay empty for a long period of time and for every month they stay empty the town’s share is 12.5 per cent, approximately. The longer it stays empty the more we pay.” In addition to the financial burden of the housing units, they’re also often the subject of bylaw infractions and policing calls. The original agreement between the town and the province regarding public housing is outdated and needs to be renegotiated, said Berthier Sampson. A volunteer from Mulgrave is needed to represent the town’s interests on the board. In an addition to the approved agenda, Councillor Robert Russell asked the town staff to investigate the possiblity of plowing the Scotia Trail. The next regular town council meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, March 2 at 6: 30 p.m. in council chambers. Lois Ann Dort, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Guysborough Journal
Reuters

In Brazil, an indigenous woman joins Bolsonaro in fight for mining

Irisnaide Silva is female, Brazilian and indigenous. They kept digging even after Brazil in 2005 marked the land as indigenous territory, a measure that prohibited mining despite protests from her family and other wildcatters in her Macuxi tribe. Now, Silva has the ear of none other than Jair Bolsonaro, Brazil’s president.