nationalobserver--2020-08-01--New COVID-19 exposure-alert smartphone app available

Canadians can now begin downloading a voluntary smartphone app meant to warn users they 've been near someone who tests positive for COVID-19 .
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says he downloaded the `` COVID Alert '' app this morning and says the more people who sign up to use it , the better it will be able to trace — and help to slow — the spread of the novel coronavirus .
`` Health experts say that if enough people sign up , this app can help prevent future outbreaks of COVID-19 in Canada , '' Trudeau said Friday in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Health Agency of Canada .
The free app , available for Android and iPhones on Friday by searching `` COVID Alert '' in the app store , is designed to track the location of phones relative to each other , without collecting personal data anywhere centrally , using digital identifications unique to each device .
Then users can be notified if their phones have recently been near the phone of a person who later volunteers that they have tested positive for COVID-19 .
• This lawyer took on Chevron and won the largest @ @ @ @ @ @ @ history .
Then he lost his freedom • Coastal residents lose right to board before tourists on BC Ferries • Rescue team scrambling to find three distressed humpback whales on B.C .
coast Once a diagnosed person signs into the app , a notification is sent to anyone with the app installed who has been within two meters of the ill person for more than 15 minutes within the prior two weeks .
The app will then encourage users to call their provincial health services for advice on what to do , once @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who had been nearby tested positive for COVID-19 .
In Toronto , for example , those who are exposed are instructed to find out how to get tested , and if they do not get tested , should self-isolate for 14 days from the date of the exposure .
Trudeau said the app is currently linked to the Ontario health system , but anyone in Canada can begin using it today and more provinces are joining it soon .
He said the Atlantic provinces will be the next to link their health systems @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is in talks with other provinces too .
`` I want to be clear : this app is n't mandatory .
It 's completely voluntary to download and to use , '' Trudeau said .
`` And it does n't collect your name , address , geolocation , or other personal information . ''
The Privacy Commissioner of Canada and his Ontario counterpart both support the application , they said in a joint statement Friday .
`` Canadians can opt to use this technology knowing it includes very significant privacy protections , '' @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and Ontario information and privacy commissioner Patricia Kosseim said government monitoring of its implementation and effectiveness , coupled with independent oversight , are key to maintaining public trust .
Canadians can now begin downloading a voluntary smartphone app meant to warn users they 've been near someone who tests positive for COVID-19 .
The app works with key codes distributed by Ontario public health officials , government officials said .
The key codes will be given by healthcare providers to patients who receive a positive COVID-19 diagnosis .
Those in other provinces can @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be notified if they have been near someone who entered a key code , government officials told reporters .
If someone downloads the app at the time of receiving a positive COVID-19 test result , app users who had been in their vicinity will still be notified when the ill person `` uploads '' the key code .
Because the positive test result is reported to the app by the user , rather than public health officials , the government characterized the app ’ s use as voluntary .
Government officials also declined @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , '' since it does not collect personal contact information or trace locations .
In a briefing with the media , officials said that it would be up to experts on an advisory council to decide how the information would be used by public health researchers .
The voluntary nature of the app raised questions about whether it will get widespread adoption , since officials said it is prerequisite for the app to be installed by both the person who contracted COVID-19 and those who wish to be notified .
When the app @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 18 , technology lawyer Michael Geist told The Canadian Press that a critical number of people must download the apps for them to be effective .
Otherwise , Geist said at the time , people may feel a false sense of security because they are not being notified .
A separate poll from Statistics Canada on Friday indicated that Canadians are split on the use of contact tracing apps , with about a quarter of adults aged 25 to 64 `` very likely '' to use an app — and another quarter `` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ mostly citing privacy concerns and location tracing .
The app , designed with open source code by Shopify Inc. employees and security features from BlackBerry Ltd. , uses random Bluetooth codes , not location data , government officials said .
However , the Canadian government does store users ' IP addresses for a period of three months to two years , in what it says is a standard protocol for protecting against cyber attacks .
Plus , Android users must turn on location services to use the Bluetooth function , although officials said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not permit location collection .
Government officials said they had been in contact with Google about the potential to turn off location services to use the Android app , but that as of Friday , the setting must be turned on .
The Bluetooth signals sent between app users ’ phones are encrypted , stored on each individual phone , and deleted after 15 days .
Codes that are `` uploaded '' to servers when someone reports a positive COVID-19 result are also deleted after 15 days , the app ’ s privacy @ @ @

Canadians can now begin downloading a voluntary smartphone app meant to warn users they've been near someone who tests positive for COVID-19. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says he downloaded the "COVID Alert" app this morning and says the more people who sign up to use it, the better it will be able to trace — and help to slow — the spread of the novel coronavirus. "Health experts say that if enough people sign up, this app can help prevent future outbreaks of COVID-19 in Canada," Trudeau said Friday in Ottawa during a visit to the Public Health Agency of Canada. The free app, available for Android and iPhones on Friday by searching "COVID Alert" in the app store, is designed to track the location of phones relative to each other, without collecting personal data anywhere centrally, using digital identifications unique to each device. Then users can be notified if their phones have recently been near the phone of a person who later volunteers that they have tested positive for COVID-19.
Once a diagnosed person signs into the app, a notification is sent to anyone with the app installed who has been within two meters of the ill person for more than 15 minutes within the prior two weeks. The app will then encourage users to call their provincial health services for advice on what to do, once a user gets a notification that someone who had been nearby tested positive for COVID-19. In Toronto, for example, those who are exposed are instructed to find out how to get tested, and if they do not get tested, should self-isolate for 14 days from the date of the exposure. Billion-dollar land deals in Ontario raise corruption suspicions Trudeau said the app is currently linked to the Ontario health system, but anyone in Canada can begin using it today and more provinces are joining it soon. He said the Atlantic provinces will be the next to link their health systems to the app and the federal government is in talks with other provinces too.
"I want to be clear: this app isn't mandatory. It's completely voluntary to download and to use," Trudeau said. "And it doesn't collect your name, address, geolocation, or other personal information." Canadians can now begin downloading a voluntary smartphone app meant to warn users they've been near someone who tests positive for COVID-19. The Privacy Commissioner of Canada and his Ontario counterpart both support the application, they said in a joint statement Friday. "Canadians can opt to use this technology knowing it includes very significant privacy protections," privacy commissioner Daniel Therrien said. He and Ontario information and privacy commissioner Patricia Kosseim said government monitoring of its implementation and effectiveness, coupled with independent oversight, are key to maintaining public trust. The app works with key codes distributed by Ontario public health officials, government officials said. The key codes will be given by healthcare providers to patients who receive a positive COVID-19 diagnosis. Those in other provinces can still download the app and will still be notified if they have been near someone who entered a key code, government officials told reporters. If someone downloads the app at the time of receiving a positive COVID-19 test result, app users who had been in their vicinity will still be notified when the ill person "uploads" the key code.
Because the positive test result is reported to the app by the user, rather than public health officials, the government characterized the app’s use as voluntary. Government officials also declined to call the app "contact tracing," since it does not collect personal contact information or trace locations. In a briefing with the media, officials said that it would be up to experts on an advisory council to decide how the information would be used by public health researchers. The voluntary nature of the app raised questions about whether it will get widespread adoption, since officials said it is prerequisite for the app to be installed by both the person who contracted COVID-19 and those who wish to be notified. When the app was first announced by Trudeau on June 18, technology lawyer Michael Geist told The Canadian Press that a critical number of people must download the apps for them to be effective. Otherwise, Geist said at the time, people may feel a false sense of security because they are not being notified.


nationalobserver--2020-08-01--Feds to create EI-like benefit for gig workers

The federal government plans to move as many out-of-work Canadians into the employment insurance system when a key emergency benefit runs out in the fall , and provide an EI-like support for millions who ca n't qualify under existing rules .
The change signals a potentially sweeping overhaul to the decades-old social safety net criticized in recent years for not keeping up with a modern labour force marked by increasing contract and gig work .
It was partly because of those holes that the government created the $ 80-billion Canada Emergency Response Benefit at the start of the pandemic , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the coming weeks .
Those who already qualify for EI will be moved to that program .
The government is promising a parallel , transitional benefit with EI-like components for those who ca n't yet — `` and I emphasize yet , '' said Employment Minister Carla Qualtrough — get into the EI system .
It will include access to training and the ability to work more hours without having as steep a clawback in benefit payments .
• This lawyer took on Chevron and won the largest human rights and environmental court @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his freedom • Coastal residents lose right to board before tourists on BC Ferries • Rescue team scrambling to find three distressed humpback whales on B.C .
coast The government is also promising to relax EI eligibility rules like the number of hours required to receive support payments .
Speaking Friday morning , Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said the goal is to move everyone receiving CERB to employment insurance , and cover anyone looking for work `` with a better , 21st-century EI system . ''
Details will be rolled out in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ recent CERB figures show $ 62.75 billion in benefits to 8.46 million people .
About half of those recipients have gone to EI-eligible workers .
Those eye-popping numbers were the reason the EI system was shelved in favour of the CERB in March , as federal officials worried the volume of claims would overwhelm the decades-old system .
The government is still expecting millions to be on EI come the fall — about four million , Qualtrough said , adding that the system has been tested and was ready to handle the deluge @ @ @ @ @ @ @ plans to move as many out-of-work Canadians into the employment insurance system when a key emergency benefit runs out in the fall , and provide an EI-like support for millions who ca n't qualify under existing rules .
`` We believe that the CERB has served its purpose and the reason it was created is no longer the main focus of our efforts as a government to support workers , '' Qualtrough said during a mid-afternoon press conference .
`` We are going to move on to something different . ''
The Liberals @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to either go back to work or look for a job as the economy moves into what the Bank of Canada has described as a recuperation period before a long , bumpy recovery .
The recuperation appears to have started in May when the economy grew by 4.5 per cent , Statistics Canada reported Friday , re-emerging from severe lockdowns in March and April .
That figure beat expectations , and a further sign of optimism was a preliminary estimate of five per cent growth in June , which will be finalized next @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rebounds in May were seen across multiple industries , including retail trade registered that saw its largest monthly increase since comparable readings began in 1961 .
`` May 's GDP numbers demonstrate that our economy is rebounding from all-time lows , but the growth numbers we 're seeing simply represent businesses reopening after needed lockdowns , '' said Trevin Stratton , chief economist at the Canadian Chamber of Commerce .
Despite the two months of growth after two months of negative readings , Statistics Canada 's preliminary estimate is that economic output contracted @ @ @ @ @ @ @ quarter compared to the first three months of 2020 , which would be a historic drop .
Statistics Canada said economic activity still remained 15 per cent below pre-pandemic level despite the gains over May .
Recouping the remaining percentage points will take months , if not longer .
Much will rest on how many companies may yet close , how many jobs disappear with them .
`` It 's a question of uncertainty at this point and how much damage the shutdowns have done , '' said Benjamin Reitzes , BMO 's @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
`` We do n't really have that much information at this point , but if you consider the number of small businesses that are under significant pressure , maybe not surviving this period and the scarring broadly on the economy from things like that ... it 's going to take time to recover from that . ''
The federal government also announced Friday that it is extending a commercial rent-relief program through August as a lifeline to many small businesses whose revenues , while slowly returning , still lag behind their fixed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ helped about 63,000 small business tenants through forgivable federal loans totalling $ 613 million .
It is well below what the government hoped when it rolled out the aid .
The Canadian Federation of Independent Business said the announcement is good news for those who can access the program , but called it a `` slap in the face '' for those whose landlords refuse to apply .
The organization called on the federal government to allow tenants to apply directly for help .
`` Rent relief needs an overhaul now , '' @ @ @ @ @ @ @ vice-president .
This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 31 , 2020 .

The federal government plans to move as many out-of-work Canadians into the employment insurance system when a key emergency benefit runs out in the fall, and provide an EI-like support for millions who can't qualify under existing rules. The change signals a potentially sweeping overhaul to the decades-old social safety net criticized in recent years for not keeping up with a modern labour force marked by increasing contract and gig work. It was partly because of those holes that the government created the $80-billion Canada Emergency Response Benefit at the start of the pandemic, which is set to wind down over the coming weeks. Those who already qualify for EI will be moved to that program. The government is promising a parallel, transitional benefit with EI-like components for those who can't yet — "and I emphasize yet," said Employment Minister Carla Qualtrough — get into the EI system. It will include access to training and the ability to work more hours without having as steep a clawback in benefit payments.
The government is also promising to relax EI eligibility rules like the number of hours required to receive support payments. Speaking Friday morning, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said the goal is to move everyone receiving CERB to employment insurance, and cover anyone looking for work "with a better, 21st-century EI system." Billion-dollar land deals in Ontario raise corruption suspicions Details will be rolled out in the coming weeks.
The government's most recent CERB figures show $62.75 billion in benefits to 8.46 million people. About half of those recipients have gone to EI-eligible workers. The federal government plans to move as many out-of-work Canadians into the employment insurance system when a key emergency benefit runs out in the fall, and provide an EI-like support for millions who can't qualify under existing rules. Those eye-popping numbers were the reason the EI system was shelved in favour of the CERB in March, as federal officials worried the volume of claims would overwhelm the decades-old system. The government is still expecting millions to be on EI come the fall — about four million, Qualtrough said, adding that the system has been tested and was ready to handle the deluge upon its restart. "We believe that the CERB has served its purpose and the reason it was created is no longer the main focus of our efforts as a government to support workers," Qualtrough said during a mid-afternoon press conference. "We are going to move on to something different."
The Liberals are hoping the change prods more Canadians to either go back to work or look for a job as the economy moves into what the Bank of Canada has described as a recuperation period before a long, bumpy recovery. The recuperation appears to have started in May when the economy grew by 4.5 per cent, Statistics Canada reported Friday, re-emerging from severe lockdowns in March and April. That figure beat expectations, and a further sign of optimism was a preliminary estimate of five per cent growth in June, which will be finalized next month. The national data agency said rebounds in May were seen across multiple industries, including retail trade registered that saw its largest monthly increase since comparable readings began in 1961.


nationalobserver--2020-08-01--Ontario Ministry of Education cuts ties with WE

The Ontario Ministry of Education says it will not renew its contract with We Charity and will investigate any expenditures to date .
Alexandra Adamo , a spokeswoman for Education Minister Stephen Lecce , says the Ontario government is deeply concerned and troubled by the allegations that have been made against WE .
In an email , she says this is taxpayer money and hard working people in the province deserve to know that their money is delivering value .
Adamo says the allegations , which she did not specify , raise serious questions .
On June 18 , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Charity $ 250,000 for a year-long education program that aims to nurture empathy and compassion in students and increase student outcomes in academic engagement , workplace readiness , and citizenship .
• This lawyer took on Chevron and won the largest human rights and environmental court judgment in history .
Then he lost his freedom • Coastal residents lose right to board before tourists on BC Ferries • Rescue team scrambling to find three distressed humpback whales on B.C .
coast Adamo said she believes that education may be the only Ontario ministry @ @ @ @ @ @ @ allegations raise serious questions , '' she wrote in an email .
`` That is why the Ministry of Education has been directed to not renew the contract with WE and to investigate expenditures to date . ''
Earlier Friday , Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said he knew there would be problems with perception over having WE Charity run a $ 900-million student-volunteer program , but he believed there was no conflict of interest because his family would not benefit .
The prime minister testified Thursday that he did n't learn WE had @ @ @ @ @ @ @ run the program until May 8 , shortly before the arrangement was to be taken to cabinet for approval .
Trudeau said that 's when he put the brakes on the deal .
The Ontario Ministry of Education says it will not renew its contract with We Charity and will investigate any expenditures to date .
Several sponsors have cut ties with the WE brand , including Royal Bank of Canada , Loblaw Companies Ltd. , Good Life Fitness and Virgin Atlantic Airways , although WE has called the moves a mutual agreement @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was first published on July 31 , 2020 .

The Ontario Ministry of Education says it will not renew its contract with We Charity and will investigate any expenditures to date.
Alexandra Adamo, a spokeswoman for Education Minister Stephen Lecce, says the Ontario government is deeply concerned and troubled by the allegations that have been made against WE.
In an email, she says this is taxpayer money and hard working people in the province deserve to know that their money is delivering value.
Adamo says the allegations, which she did not specify, raise serious questions.
On June 18, the ministry announced that it would give WE Charity $250,000 for a year-long education program that aims to nurture empathy and compassion in students and increase student outcomes in academic engagement, workplace readiness, and citizenship.


nationalobserver--2020-08-01--Trudeau expected perception issues with WE deal

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says he knew there would be problems with perception over having WE Charity run a $ 900-million student-volunteer program , but he believed there was no conflict of interest because his family would not benefit .
The prime minister also said he did not seek guidance from the federal ethics commissioner after public servants recommended the WE organization administer the Canada Student Service Grant .
This , despite the fact Trudeau said he did know the public and opposition politicians would scrutinize the deal because of his own and his family 's ties to WE , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ servants recommending the organization to go back and make absolutely sure they were on solid ground .
`` I knew there would be perception issues around this , '' Trudeau said Friday in Ottawa , speaking to reporters less than 24 hours after making a rare prime ministerial appearance at a House of Commons committee over his role in the controversy .
`` At the same time , delivering a grant program to students who volunteer across the country has absolutely nothing to do with any work my brother or mother did with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ no conflict of interest . ''
• This lawyer took on Chevron and won the largest human rights and environmental court judgment in history .
Then he lost his freedom • Coastal residents lose right to board before tourists on BC Ferries • Rescue team scrambling to find three distressed humpback whales on B.C .
coast Trudeau said he should have recused himself from the discussions , but instead chose to ask for this due diligence to be done — something he says he now regrets .
The prime minister testified Thursday that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ chosen by the public service to run the program until May 8 , which was just hours before the arrangement was to be taken to cabinet for approval .
That 's when , Trudeau said , he put the brakes on the deal .
`` We pulled the item from the agenda so that we could be doing the right thing , the way , '' Trudeau told the Commons finance committee .
`` Multiple ministers and senior officials have testified at the finance committee .
Not one of them said that the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the May 8 cabinet meeting and sent it back for further scrutiny , '' Scheer said in a statement Friday .
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says he knew there would be problems with perception over having WE Charity run a $ 900-million student-volunteer program , but he believed there was no conflict of interest because his family would not benefit .
The public service later came back on May 21 to reaffirm its recommendation that WE was the only organization that could run the student-volunteer program , Trudeau said .
WE ended up @ @ @ @ @ @ @ July over the political controversy .
Trudeau 's chief of staff Katie Telford testified that the civil servants presented it as a `` binary choice '' — either they moved ahead with WE Charity to deliver the program or they would n't go ahead with it at all .
In his testimony , Trudeau acknowledged his family 's involvement with WE : his mother , brother and wife have participated in and spoken at WE events , and have been paid hundreds of thousands of dollars in fees and expenses , although he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to him .
He stressed that he did not have any conversations with WE co-founders Craig and Marc Kielburger during this time and that WE Charity did not receive any preferential treatment by him or anyone else in the government .
He also said he did n't talk to his staff about WE Charity or its proposed involvement in the volunteering program until May 8 , although he has since learned policy staff in his office had been working with the Privy Council Office and other departments , and they knew that WE @ @ @ @ @ @ @ effort .
The prime minister and Telford also both noted that Sophie Gregoire Trudeau 's work with WE , including a podcast on mental wellness , has been unpaid except for expenses covered by the organization , all of which had been cleared by the ethics commissioner .
The Conservatives and NDP have called on federal ethics watchdog Mario Dion to widen his probe of Trudeau to include these expenses .
Dion is already investigating Trudeau and Finance Minister Bill Morneau for possible violations of the Conflict of Interest Act for not recusing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ deal .
Dion is also looking into WE-sponsored trips Morneau and his family took in 2017 .
Morneau repaid $ 41,000 in related expenses last week .
Opposition MPs on the Commons finance committee are now pushing to hear from more junior staffers in the prime minister 's office , and demanding access to cabinet documents .
`` If the prime minister has nothing to hide , he needs to waive cabinet confidentiality so that committee and the ethics commissioner can do their job and get to the bottom of this issue without @ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' NDP ethics critic Charlie Angus said in a statement Friday .
They want more detailed answers about why WE Charity began working on and incurring expenses for the program on May 5 , when it had not yet been approved by cabinet .
Telford told the committee that another Trudeau aide , Rick Theis , talked to WE that same day , though she said he referred WE to the public service to talk about anything substantial .
The Kielburger brothers have said those departmental officials told WE it could incur expenses @ @ @ @ @ @ @ brothers said they wanted to get the program going quickly , and started work knowing they could lose money if cabinet said no .
Asked about this Friday , Trudeau said it was the Kielburgers alone who decided to go ahead and start working and incurring expenses on the grant program .
`` That was a decision that they took because they knew how important it was to get this program going and they assumed certain risks in going forward and starting to spend on a program that had n't yet been approved @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for another few weeks , '' Trudeau said .
Scheer said he is also skeptical of this explanation .
`` Why was WE so sure that they were going to be approved ?
Why were they told they could start charging expenses before the program was even approved ? ''
Scheer said .
This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 31 , 2020 .

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says he knew there would be problems with perception over having WE Charity run a $900-million student-volunteer program, but he believed there was no conflict of interest because his family would not benefit. The prime minister also said he did not seek guidance from the federal ethics commissioner after public servants recommended the WE organization administer the Canada Student Service Grant. This, despite the fact Trudeau said he did know the public and opposition politicians would scrutinize the deal because of his own and his family's ties to WE, which is why he told the public servants recommending the organization to go back and make absolutely sure they were on solid ground. "I knew there would be perception issues around this," Trudeau said Friday in Ottawa, speaking to reporters less than 24 hours after making a rare prime ministerial appearance at a House of Commons committee over his role in the controversy. "At the same time, delivering a grant program to students who volunteer across the country has absolutely nothing to do with any work my brother or mother did with WE and that's why there was no conflict of interest."
Trudeau said he should have recused himself from the discussions, but instead chose to ask for this due diligence to be done — something he says he now regrets. The prime minister testified Thursday that he didn't learn WE had been chosen by the public service to run the program until May 8, which was just hours before the arrangement was to be taken to cabinet for approval. Billion-dollar land deals in Ontario raise corruption suspicions That's when, Trudeau said, he put the brakes on the deal.
"We pulled the item from the agenda so that we could be doing the right thing, the way," Trudeau told the Commons finance committee. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says he knew there would be problems with perception over having WE Charity run a $900-million student-volunteer program, but he believed there was no conflict of interest because his family would not benefit. Conservative Leader Andrew Scheer said he doesn't buy Trudeau's account. "Multiple ministers and senior officials have testified at the finance committee. Not one of them said that the prime minister pulled the WE proposal from the May 8 cabinet meeting and sent it back for further scrutiny," Scheer said in a statement Friday. The public service later came back on May 21 to reaffirm its recommendation that WE was the only organization that could run the student-volunteer program, Trudeau said. WE ended up backing out of the deal in early July over the political controversy. Trudeau's chief of staff Katie Telford testified that the civil servants presented it as a "binary choice" — either they moved ahead with WE Charity to deliver the program or they wouldn't go ahead with it at all.
In his testimony, Trudeau acknowledged his family's involvement with WE: his mother, brother and wife have participated in and spoken at WE events, and have been paid hundreds of thousands of dollars in fees and expenses, although he testified the amounts were not previously known to him. He stressed that he did not have any conversations with WE co-founders Craig and Marc Kielburger during this time and that WE Charity did not receive any preferential treatment by him or anyone else in the government. He also said he didn't talk to his staff about WE Charity or its proposed involvement in the volunteering program until May 8, although he has since learned policy staff in his office had been working with the Privy Council Office and other departments, and they knew that WE Charity was under consideration to run the effort.


nationalobserver--2020-08-03--Why are people drowning in Quebec?

Why are people drowning in Quebec?

Quebec is seeing a spike in the number of reported drownings this year , having already surpassed its yearly death total in each of the past two years .
While numbers in the rest of the country are relatively stable , the Lifesaving Society 's Quebec branch says it 's seen a dramatic rise in fatalities thus far .
As of July 31 , the province has already reported at least 60 drownings for the year — compared to 42 at the same time last year .
This year 's total surpasses 58 reported drownings for 2019 and 57 incidents @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the province 's average of about 80 deaths yearly .
Raynald Hawkins , general manager of the Lifesaving Society 's Quebec branch , says there are likely a few reasons for the spike , including COVID-19 travel restrictions keeping more people at home and a series of heat waves pushing people towards the water .
• This lawyer took on Chevron and won the largest human rights and environmental court judgment in history .
Then he lost his freedom Canada , which sees more than of 400 drownings per year on the whole @ @ @ @ @ @ @ late July , with Quebec , Ontario and British Columbia rounding out the top three , according to the latest preliminary figures from the Lifesaving Society 's national branch .
`` It seems like overall in Canada , the numbers are down , '' said public education director Barbara Byers , whose organization compiles national numbers from media and police reports .
`` The story is still Quebec . ''
Hawkins said COVID-19 restrictions are keeping many more people at home instead of popular travel destinations like Atlantic Canada or the U.S. East @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reported pandemic buying spree that has seen an uptick in the number of people buying backyard pools , boats and other watercrafts , bringing many first-time users into the fold .
That coupled with several heat waves are behind more Quebecers looking for respite in the water .
Quebec is seeing a spike in the number of reported drownings this year , having already surpassed its yearly death total in each of the past two years .
`` When I look at previous drowning reports , I can see a link between beautiful @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , '' Hawkins said , urging prudence in the weeks to come .
Hawkins estimates an additional 20 lives could be saved yearly in Quebec if people wore life jackets , as about 85 per cent of drowning deaths involve someone not wearing one .
`` They do n't believe they 're going to fall overboard so this is why they do n't want to wear it , '' Hawkins said .
`` But it 's not usually intentional so it 's important to wear it all the time . ''
The society @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lifeguard when kids are in water , noting nearly 87 per cent of drownings among children occur when adults are distracted or not supervising .
People should avoid swimming or boating alone and avoid alcohol when operating watercraft .
Another factor is people over-estimating their abilities in the water .
`` In Canada , maybe we 're more bathers than we are swimmers because everyone over-estimates their swimming skills , '' Hawkins said .
`` The relatives of drowning victims will say they were good swimmers , but when you try to find @ @ @ @ @ @ @ more bathers than swimmers . ''
Byers adds sometimes people also do n't consider the risks of swimming or boating on open water .
`` Being unexpectedly thrown in the water is a completely different experience from choosing to dive in or jump in where you 're prepared , '' Byers said .

Quebec is seeing a spike in the number of reported drownings this year, having already surpassed its yearly death total in each of the past two years. While numbers in the rest of the country are relatively stable, the Lifesaving Society's Quebec branch says it's seen a dramatic rise in fatalities thus far. As of July 31, the province has already reported at least 60 drownings for the year — compared to 42 at the same time last year. This year's total surpasses 58 reported drownings for 2019 and 57 incidents in 2018, but is still below the province's average of about 80 deaths yearly. Raynald Hawkins, general manager of the Lifesaving Society's Quebec branch, says there are likely a few reasons for the spike, including COVID-19 travel restrictions keeping more people at home and a series of heat waves pushing people towards the water.
Canada, which sees more than of 400 drownings per year on the whole, has reported about 154 as of late July, with Quebec, Ontario and British Columbia rounding out the top three, according to the latest preliminary figures from the Lifesaving Society's national branch. "It seems like overall in Canada, the numbers are down," said public education director Barbara Byers, whose organization compiles national numbers from media and police reports. Billion-dollar land deals in Ontario raise corruption suspicions "The story is still Quebec."
Hawkins said COVID-19 restrictions are keeping many more people at home instead of popular travel destinations like Atlantic Canada or the U.S. East Coast. Quebec is seeing a spike in the number of reported drownings this year, having already surpassed its yearly death total in each of the past two years. Another factor has been a reported pandemic buying spree that has seen an uptick in the number of people buying backyard pools, boats and other watercrafts, bringing many first-time users into the fold. That coupled with several heat waves are behind more Quebecers looking for respite in the water. "When I look at previous drowning reports, I can see a link between beautiful weather and an increase in drowning numbers," Hawkins said, urging prudence in the weeks to come. Hawkins estimates an additional 20 lives could be saved yearly in Quebec if people wore life jackets, as about 85 per cent of drowning deaths involve someone not wearing one.
"They don't believe they're going to fall overboard so this is why they don't want to wear it," Hawkins said. "But it's not usually intentional so it's important to wear it all the time." The society also urges adults act as a designated lifeguard when kids are in water, noting nearly 87 per cent of drownings among children occur when adults are distracted or not supervising. People should avoid swimming or boating alone and avoid alcohol when operating watercraft.


nationalobserver--2020-08-03--Now COVID-19 conspiracies are creating  public health crisis  in Canada

A lively crowd gathered outside Francois Legault 's office in downtown Montreal in mid-July to send a message to the Quebec premier : his government can not force them to wear masks in indoor public spaces to fight the spread of COVID-19 .
`` Long live freedom without a mask , '' read one sign at the rally , which drew several dozen people .
`` My body , my choice '' read another , alongside a drawing of a medical mask with a line across it .
The anti-mask movement is not unique to Quebec , nor are masks @ @ @ @ @ @ @ country when it comes to public health directives around the novel coronavirus .
But the issue is one of several at the heart of a growing online movement of disinformation around the COVID-19 pandemic in Canada .
Researchers say conspiracy theories about COVID-19 are spreading at an alarming rate across the country — and they warn misinformation shared online may lead to devastating consequences and push Canadians to shun important safety measures .
`` I think that people should be enormously concerned , '' said Aengus Bridgman , a PhD candidate in political @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a study published last month on COVID-19 misinformation and its impact on public health .
• This lawyer took on Chevron and won the largest human rights and environmental court judgment in history .
Then he lost his freedom The study found the more a person relies on social media to learn about COVID-19 , the more likely they are to be exposed to misinformation and to believe it , and to disregard physical distancing and other public health guidelines .
About 16 per cent of Canadians use social media as their primary @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Bridgman said in a recent interview .
His research team surveyed nearly 2,500 people and examined 620,000 English-language Twitter accounts , but Bridgman said COVID-19 misinformation also spreads on other social media platforms , including Facebook , YouTube , Reddit , Instagram and Tumblr .
For example , a Facebook group called `` Against mandatory mask-wearing in Quebec '' has over 22,000 members to date , while another group with a similar mission has nearly 21,000 members .
The posts on these pages vary , from questioning the science behind wearing masks and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ health director , for the mandatory mask rule , to accusing the World Health Organization of bias and Microsoft founder and philanthropist Bill Gates of creating the virus .
Another study published in May at Carleton University indicated 46 per cent of Canadians believed at least one of four unfounded COVID-19 theories : the virus was engineered in a Chinese lab ; the virus is being spread to cover up the effects of 5G wireless technology ; drugs such as hydroxychloroquine can cure COVID-19 patients ; or rinsing your nose with a saline @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Bridgman said the speed at which these conspiracy theories circulate online makes it difficult to verify where they originate .
And while some right-wing groups in Canada are pushing these falsehoods , Bridgman said people across the political spectrum are vulnerable to them .
A lively crowd gathered outside Francois Legault 's office in downtown Montreal in mid-July to send a message to the Quebec premier : his government can not force them to wear masks in indoor public spaces to fight the spread of COVID-19 .
`` This is a Canadian challenge @ @ @ @ @ @ @ across levels of education , across age groupings , across political ideas , all are susceptible to misinformation online .
This is not a phenomenon that is unique to a particular community . ''
Protests have taken place across Canada since the provinces put COVID-19 lockdown measures in place earlier this year , from Vancouver , to Toronto and Quebec City , where hundreds rallied at the provincial legislature July 26 against mandatory mask-wearing .
Alexandre Barriere was among dozens of protesters denouncing the mask rule on July 19 outside Legault 's Montreal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ dog muzzle and said he did n't believe the COVID-19 pandemic exists .
`` We live to be free .
We 're not in the world to be controlled like animals , '' the 29-year-old said in an interview .
Another protester , 65-year-old Antonio Pietroniro , said the pandemic was `` bogus '' and warned that , after making masks mandatory , the government would force people to get vaccinated against the virus .
`` They 're going to say you have to take the vaccine even though it has n't been @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said , echoing the anti-vaccination movement that has gained prominence in Canada , the U.S. and other countries in recent years .
Alison Meek , a history professor at Western University , said there are similarities between COVID-19 conspiracy theories and the anti-vaccination movement .
Misinformation intentionally spread about COVID-19 , she added , is also comparable to the conspiracy theories that circulated in the 80s and 90s during the HIV/AIDS epidemic .
`` When you 're scared , when you 're frustrated , you want someone easy to blame ... We want @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 'Aha !
You 're the one — there 's a bad guy here that did it , ' as opposed to , 'this is just how these pandemics actually work , ' '' Meek said in an interview .
Governments have had to adapt their public health directives to keep up with rapidly evolving science about the virus .
Public uncertainty around the scientific process , combined with mounting frustrations with lockdown measures and a struggling economy has created a perfect storm in which conspiracy theories can flourish , Meek said .
`` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ right now to make these conspiracy theories a real public health crisis that 's getting more and more difficult to deal with . ''
She said conspiracy theories need to be countered with facts and evidence , adding that people should be encouraged to think critically about where they are getting their information .
Both she and Bridgman lauded social media companies such as Twitter and Facebook for removing videos and other posts that spread misinformation about COVID-19 — but both academics also said more needs to be done .
`` People are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ we 've got to stop them , '' Meek said .
`` We 've got to somehow figure out how to challenge them . ''
This report by The Canadian Press was first published August 3 , 2020 .

A lively crowd gathered outside Francois Legault's office in downtown Montreal in mid-July to send a message to the Quebec premier: his government cannot force them to wear masks in indoor public spaces to fight the spread of COVID-19. "Long live freedom without a mask," read one sign at the rally, which drew several dozen people. "My body, my choice" read another, alongside a drawing of a medical mask with a line across it. The anti-mask movement is not unique to Quebec, nor are masks the only source of conflict in the country when it comes to public health directives around the novel coronavirus. But the issue is one of several at the heart of a growing online movement of disinformation around the COVID-19 pandemic in Canada. Researchers say conspiracy theories about COVID-19 are spreading at an alarming rate across the country — and they warn misinformation shared online may lead to devastating consequences and push Canadians to shun important safety measures. "I think that people should be enormously concerned," said Aengus Bridgman, a PhD candidate in political science at McGill University and co-author of a study published last month on COVID-19 misinformation and its impact on public health.
The study found the more a person relies on social media to learn about COVID-19, the more likely they are to be exposed to misinformation and to believe it, and to disregard physical distancing and other public health guidelines. About 16 per cent of Canadians use social media as their primary source of information on the virus, Bridgman said in a recent interview. His research team surveyed nearly 2,500 people and examined 620,000 English-language Twitter accounts, but Bridgman said COVID-19 misinformation also spreads on other social media platforms, including Facebook, YouTube, Reddit, Instagram and Tumblr. Billion-dollar land deals in Ontario raise corruption suspicions For example, a Facebook group called "Against mandatory mask-wearing in Quebec" has over 22,000 members to date, while another group with a similar mission has nearly 21,000 members.
The posts on these pages vary, from questioning the science behind wearing masks and lambasting Horacio Arruda, Quebec's public health director, for the mandatory mask rule, to accusing the World Health Organization of bias and Microsoft founder and philanthropist Bill Gates of creating the virus. A lively crowd gathered outside Francois Legault's office in downtown Montreal in mid-July to send a message to the Quebec premier: his government cannot force them to wear masks in indoor public spaces to fight the spread of COVID-19. Another study published in May at Carleton University indicated 46 per cent of Canadians believed at least one of four unfounded COVID-19 theories: the virus was engineered in a Chinese lab; the virus is being spread to cover up the effects of 5G wireless technology; drugs such as hydroxychloroquine can cure COVID-19 patients; or rinsing your nose with a saline solution can protect you from infection. Bridgman said the speed at which these conspiracy theories circulate online makes it difficult to verify where they originate. And while some right-wing groups in Canada are pushing these falsehoods, Bridgman said people across the political spectrum are vulnerable to them. "This is a Canadian challenge," he explained. "People across levels of education, across age groupings, across political ideas, all are susceptible to misinformation online. This is not a phenomenon that is unique to a particular community." Protests have taken place across Canada since the provinces put COVID-19 lockdown measures in place earlier this year, from Vancouver, to Toronto and Quebec City, where hundreds rallied at the provincial legislature July 26 against mandatory mask-wearing.
Alexandre Barriere was among dozens of protesters denouncing the mask rule on July 19 outside Legault's Montreal office. He compared mask-wearing to a dog muzzle and said he didn't believe the COVID-19 pandemic exists. "We live to be free. We're not in the world to be controlled like animals," the 29-year-old said in an interview. Another protester, 65-year-old Antonio Pietroniro, said the pandemic was "bogus" and warned that, after making masks mandatory, the government would force people to get vaccinated against the virus.


nationalobserver--2020-08-03--Co-operation happening at the Canadian-U.S.A. border may surprise you

When the COVID-19 pandemic closed the Canada-U.S. border to non-essential travel , Donna Peter suddenly lost access to her nearest source of bulk groceries .
Peter is among about 100 residents of Beaver Creek , Yukon , who would drive two hours to Tok , Alaska , for much of their staple shopping .
`` They have a grocery store there , a restaurant , a hardware store , a lumber yard .
So , it 's very convenient for us , '' she said .
`` Usually that was our place to get away .
Being on the border @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ?
You go to Tok . ''
Beaver Creek holds the title of Canada 's most westerly community and — just 20 minutes from the border — it usually serves as a friendly stop for travellers to take a break along the Alaska Highway .
• This lawyer took on Chevron and won the largest human rights and environmental court judgment in history .
Then he lost his freedom Like other border towns forced to respond to a rapidly changing world , residents have rallied around one another with generosity and co-operation .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ White River First Nation offered to buy groceries for the whole town , whether an individual was a member of the First Nation or not , Peter said .
In co-ordination with the Beaver Creek Community Club , they planned a five-hour trip to Whitehorse and collected shopping lists from residents , prohibiting only cigarettes and alcohol , she said .
`` They went to Whitehorse , they put themselves out there , they were wearing masks and loaded up truck after truck after truck of groceries .
And they brought them back @ @ @ @ @ @ @ club , sorted them by name and then delivered it to your home , '' Peter said .
`` We , of course , the town people , thanked them profusely . ''
No one from the First Nation was available for an interview but executive director Sid Vander Meer said in an email that members have now done six or seven supply runs .
When the COVID-19 pandemic closed the Canada-U.S. border to non-essential travel , Donna Peter suddenly lost access to her nearest source of bulk groceries .
As a pitstop @ @ @ @ @ @ @ businesses are also hurting during the pandemic .
Carmen Hinson , owner-operator of multi-service stop Buckshot Betty 's , said her business is down 90 to 95 per cent .
`` We have a restaurant , a takeout liquor gift shop , cabins , campground , a little bit of everything , '' she said .
`` For us on the highway I mean it 's affecting us a lot . ''
The town of Stewart , B.C.
, is also doing what it can to help neighbours in the smaller , more @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Gina McKay said residents of Hyder do n't even have a gas station and are allowed to cross into Stewart once a week for essentials like groceries .
`` We really do see ourselves as one big community and I think actually this situation we 're all in right now with COVID has actually made us stronger because we 're doing everything we can to help them , whether that be bringing fuel to the border , groceries to the border , any essentials they need , '' McKay said .
After McKay @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the pandemic , she said she got calls from media as far away as Abu Dhabi looking for a good news story , as gloom swept the globe .
`` I do n't think when I made those comments in March any of us thought we would still be here at the end July , '' McKay said .
Since then , she said residents on both sides of the border have formed a Stewart-Hyder COVID Action Committee petitioning both countries to allow locals to freely roam between the two communities .
McKay @ @ @ @ @ @ @ week to support the petition and ask the Canada Border Services Agency and their local member of Parliament to make an exception for Hyder .
The CBSA did not respond to questions in time for deadline .
McKay said the kindness has gone both ways .
She and her partner were `` devastated '' to lose their dog in March .
They soon ordered a puppy from a breeder outside Seattle that would n't be ready until June , not realizing the borders would close .
The Chow Chow , named Harper , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who put her on a charter float plane flight , a pilot who kept her for three days due to bad weather and a man in Hyder who brought her from the dock to the border .
`` So that 's all of us working together .
It took a lot to get that puppy here , but we got her , '' McKay said .
This report by The Canadian Press was published Aug. 3 , 2020 .

When the COVID-19 pandemic closed the Canada-U.S. border to non-essential travel, Donna Peter suddenly lost access to her nearest source of bulk groceries. Peter is among about 100 residents of Beaver Creek, Yukon, who would drive two hours to Tok, Alaska, for much of their staple shopping. "They have a grocery store there, a restaurant, a hardware store, a lumber yard. So, it's very convenient for us," she said. "Usually that was our place to get away. Being on the border, where are you going to go? You go to Tok." Beaver Creek holds the title of Canada's most westerly community and — just 20 minutes from the border — it usually serves as a friendly stop for travellers to take a break along the Alaska Highway.
Like other border towns forced to respond to a rapidly changing world, residents have rallied around one another with generosity and co-operation. Early in the pandemic, the local White River First Nation offered to buy groceries for the whole town, whether an individual was a member of the First Nation or not, Peter said. Billion-dollar land deals in Ontario raise corruption suspicions In co-ordination with the Beaver Creek Community Club, they planned a five-hour trip to Whitehorse and collected shopping lists from residents, prohibiting only cigarettes and alcohol, she said.
"They went to Whitehorse, they put themselves out there, they were wearing masks and loaded up truck after truck after truck of groceries. And they brought them back, took them all to the community club, sorted them by name and then delivered it to your home," Peter said. When the COVID-19 pandemic closed the Canada-U.S. border to non-essential travel, Donna Peter suddenly lost access to her nearest source of bulk groceries. "We, of course, the town people, thanked them profusely." No one from the First Nation was available for an interview but executive director Sid Vander Meer said in an email that members have now done six or seven supply runs. As a pitstop for many tourists, Beaver Creek's businesses are also hurting during the pandemic. Carmen Hinson, owner-operator of multi-service stop Buckshot Betty's, said her business is down 90 to 95 per cent.
"We have a restaurant, a takeout liquor gift shop, cabins, campground, a little bit of everything," she said. "For us on the highway I mean it's affecting us a lot." The town of Stewart, B.C., is also doing what it can to help neighbours in the smaller, more isolated Hyder, Alaska.


nationalobserver--2020-08-04--Alberta and feds sign deal to limit oilsands environmental monitoring

Alberta has signed an agreement with the federal government that makes major cuts to environmental monitoring of the oilsands .
The deal , a copy of which has been obtained by The Canadian Press , lays out research plans for this year 's field season under a federal-provincial program that oversees all monitoring of the area outside of company leases .
Signed July 7 by top bureaucrats in Ottawa and Edmonton , it cuts funding by at least 25 per cent .
The budget has been cut to no more than $ 44 million this year .
It was $ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ million in 2018 .
The deal says no fieldwork is to be done on the main branch of the Athabasca River .
That means the program wo n't fund monitoring downstream of the oilsands even as the province considers proposals to allow the water from oilsands tailings ponds to be released into the river .
The deal also says there 'll be no field studies on wetlands , fish or insects .
• Co-operation happening at the Canadian-U.S.A. border may surprise you A pilot project gauging the risks posed by tailings ponds has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Wood Buffalo National Park — part of a response to international concerns about environmental degradation at the UNESCO World Heritage Site — is gone .
Under the deal , administrative costs have ballooned to more than $ 10 million from about $ 7 million last year .
That means nearly one-quarter of the monitoring budget will be spent before a single data point is collected .
Neither the federal nor provincial governments responded to a request for comment .
The monitoring program , initiated in 2012 under Stephen Harper 's Conservative government , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as government scientists .
Jim Herbers of the Alberta Biodiversity Monitoring Institute says his funding was cut to $ 1.4 million from the usual $ 4 million to $ 5 million .
`` Field monitoring is the biggest component of what we 're not going to be doing this year , '' he said .
Alberta has signed an agreement with the federal government that makes major cuts to environmental monitoring of the oilsands .
`` The work around monitoring for amphibians , birds and mammals , that work wo n't be undertaken @ @ @ @ @ @ @ related to plants or changes in habitat . ''
Herbers said he was told the cuts were made to protect workers from COVID-19 .
Bill Donahue , a former senior civil servant with Alberta 's science and monitoring programs , said leaving the Athabasca River unmonitored is `` crazy . ''
`` We 've got one of the biggest industrial developments — the primary problems of which are contamination of the environment and consumption of water — and there 's no downstream monitoring . ''
Alberta has a binding agreement with the Northwest @ @ @ @ @ @ @ happening with the Athabasca , which flows into the territory .
Joslyn Oosenbrug of the territory 's Environment Department said her government was told a deal had been reached .
`` We were not provided with any detailed information about the budget , '' she said in an email .
`` The ( territory ) has made its concerns known about the suspension of water quality monitoring in Alberta and continues to advocate for all monitoring to resume , especially the ( oilsands monitoring ) program . ''
Marlin Schmidt , environment critic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ out the provincial budget set aside at least $ 50 million for monitoring paid for through an industry levy .
`` I feel I 've been lied to , '' he said .

Alberta has signed an agreement with the federal government that makes major cuts to environmental monitoring of the oilsands. The deal, a copy of which has been obtained by The Canadian Press, lays out research plans for this year's field season under a federal-provincial program that oversees all monitoring of the area outside of company leases. Signed July 7 by top bureaucrats in Ottawa and Edmonton, it cuts funding by at least 25 per cent. The budget has been cut to no more than $44 million this year. It was $58 million last year and $60 million in 2018. The deal says no fieldwork is to be done on the main branch of the Athabasca River. That means the program won't fund monitoring downstream of the oilsands even as the province considers proposals to allow the water from oilsands tailings ponds to be released into the river. The deal also says there'll be no field studies on wetlands, fish or insects.
A pilot project gauging the risks posed by tailings ponds has been dropped. Water quality assessment in Wood Buffalo National Park — part of a response to international concerns about environmental degradation at the UNESCO World Heritage Site — is gone. Under the deal, administrative costs have ballooned to more than $10 million from about $7 million last year. That means nearly one-quarter of the monitoring budget will be spent before a single data point is collected. Billion-dollar land deals in Ontario raise corruption suspicions Neither the federal nor provincial governments responded to a request for comment.
The monitoring program, initiated in 2012 under Stephen Harper's Conservative government, funds research by outside organizations as well as government scientists. Alberta has signed an agreement with the federal government that makes major cuts to environmental monitoring of the oilsands. Jim Herbers of the Alberta Biodiversity Monitoring Institute says his funding was cut to $1.4 million from the usual $4 million to $5 million. "Field monitoring is the biggest component of what we're not going to be doing this year," he said. "The work around monitoring for amphibians, birds and mammals, that work won't be undertaken. Nor will work on tracking indicators related to plants or changes in habitat." Herbers said he was told the cuts were made to protect workers from COVID-19.
Bill Donahue, a former senior civil servant with Alberta's science and monitoring programs, said leaving the Athabasca River unmonitored is "crazy." "We've got one of the biggest industrial developments — the primary problems of which are contamination of the environment and consumption of water — and there's no downstream monitoring." Alberta has a binding agreement with the Northwest Territories to keep track of what's happening with the Athabasca, which flows into the territory. Joslyn Oosenbrug of the territory's Environment Department said her government was told a deal had been reached.


nationalobserver--2020-08-05--Gardens nourish body and soul during pandemic

At first glance , lugging around heavy water containers in a wheelbarrow or pulling weeds under the hot mid-day sun may not seem a rewarding pastime during the pandemic .
Surely weathering the COVID-19 crisis is tough enough ?
Why add to the burden ?
But for Heather Kent , the returns from her Quadra Island , B.C.
, community garden plot are ample — and measured by more than just what she harvests for the table .
Growing your own fruit and vegetables obviously improves individual and communal food security during the pandemic , Kent said .
But community @ @ @ @ @ @ @ health as well .
• Co-operation happening at the Canadian-U.S.A. border may surprise you • Why are people drowning in Quebec ?
“ People are starved for social interaction , ” said Kent , who is friendly and gregarious herself .
The communal outdoor space makes it an ideal location to practice proper physical distancing , but still cultivate or maintain social connections , she said .
“ I ’ m very social , ” Kent said , adding she could have opted to work her own garden this year and give up @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ But , I find there ’ s a real eclectic group of people there .
I enjoy being able to garden and talk across the plot to people.
” Kent finds she also learns a lot by interacting with more experienced or knowledgeable gardeners .
“ I like that I can walk across the garden if I see somebody , and ask them a question .
And you know 95 per cent of the people in the garden are totally happy to chat about that.
” “ I think some of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not just that it gives us food , but because it gives us meaning , and it helps us make sense of death and disease , ” therapist Matthew Kelly on why gardening nurtures our psyche during Covid-19 .
As the pandemic lingers , its impacts on people ’ s mental health — especially on vulnerable populations — is significant .
More than half ( 52 per cent ) of people reported their mental health declined as a result of physical distancing , a Statistics Canada survey found at the start of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cent of people suffering financial impacts due to the pandemic reported symptoms consistent with moderate or severe anxiety .
During the pandemic , gardens — whether communal , private , or simply tomato plants on a balcony — can provide some respite from the stress of COVID-19 , say a pair of Quadra Island mental health experts .
Besides demonstrated therapeutic effects , such as lowering the stress hormone cortisol , there are literal and symbolic benefits to getting your hands dirty , Matthew Kelly and Owen Williams said .
Many people are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ stress , grief and a sense they have no control during the pandemic , said Kelly , a Jungian psychotherapist .
But digging in the dirt can get people out of their heads , provide a sense of accomplishment , and connect people to their subconscious , the couple noted .
“ I ’ ve been out in the garden since 5:30 a.m. , ” said Owen , an executive and relationship coach , adding that like many people , he feels saturated by the constant negative reports around COVID-19 .
“ It @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , I can be out here and completely lose track of time .
But , it 's also a connectedness to the idea that life is ongoing.
” A garden ’ s cycle — a circle of decay , death , rebirth and growth — can remind us the living world continues , and it and society will come out the other side of COVID-19 , Williams said .
“ COVID is another cycle that invites us to experience life through , ” he said .
“ We ’ re just so in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ end of it right now.
” Owen Williams and Matthew Kelly stand in their Quadra Island garden with their dog Karma .
The two counsellors believe digging in the dirt has the power to seed positive mental health during the Covid-19 crisis .
Photo : Rochelle Baker .
Seasonal fruits and veggies can also remind people to live in the now and enjoy the momentary pleasures offered to us , Williams said .
“ I can not wait to experience a ripe tomato , '' he said , laughing .
Kelly also noted @ @ @ @ @ @ @ or internal , often want to control outcomes or their emotions .
But gardening is a good metaphor for recognizing that trying to exert control over the uncontrollable , or forcing results , can result in more suffering , he said .
You can ’ t make things grow faster or prevent failures in a garden , Kelly said .
And likewise , sometimes you just need to allow emotions to exist and unfold to make mental health gains , he said .
“ We 're always trying to control what happens in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to just let things happen or trust that things will resolve themselves , ” Kelly said .
“ If we 're feeling anxious , or depressed , it ’ s best sometimes to just let that be .
Give room for letting things sit and grow , and not being too eager for results.
” And paradoxically , growing something can also give people a greater sense influence over aspects of their lives during the pandemic , said Williams .
“ Part of the movement ( for food security ) is people wanting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ touch with their own agency , ” he said .
“ We often worry about things we can ’ t control , but pay little attention to the things we have influence over.
” Kent agreed , saying she appreciates the increased amount of fresh food her family has access to , something that seemed especially important in the early days of the pandemic , when the supply chain seemed so shaky .
She was thrilled B.C .
was one of the first provinces to recognize community gardens as an essential service .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ who rent or don ’ t have land for gardens to improve their food security , she said .
But the garden also probably provided some people with a sense of purpose and somewhere to go , Kent said .
“ Especially during the early days of COVID-19 , there were a lot of people not working .
A lot of people alone , ” she said .
The garden keeps you busy , gives you something to do and a sense of accomplishment when you see it all coming together , she @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the garden , safely far away from people , but still be able to yell across and have a little hello or something , ” Kent said .
Gardens tend to help people in any variety of ways , consciously and subconsciously , concluded Kelly .
“ I think some of the reasons a garden is restorative , is not just that it gives us food , but because it gives us meaning , and it helps us make sense of death and disease , ” Kelly said .
“ There are critters @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s room for all of that .
Just like there ’ s room in our life for depression , melancholy and how to metabolize trauma.
” “ All of that can be found in the garden .
”

At first glance, lugging around heavy water containers in a wheelbarrow or pulling weeds under the hot mid-day sun may not seem a rewarding pastime during the pandemic. Surely weathering the COVID-19 crisis is tough enough? Why add to the burden? But for Heather Kent, the returns from her Quadra Island, B.C., community garden plot are ample — and measured by more than just what she harvests for the table. Growing your own fruit and vegetables obviously improves individual and communal food security during the pandemic, Kent said. But community gardens can nurture people’s mental health as well.
“People are starved for social interaction,” said Kent, who is friendly and gregarious herself. The communal outdoor space makes it an ideal location to practice proper physical distancing, but still cultivate or maintain social connections, she said. Billion-dollar land deals in Ontario raise corruption suspicions “I’m very social,” Kent said, adding she could have opted to work her own garden this year and give up her space at the community garden.
“But, I find there’s a real eclectic group of people there. I enjoy being able to garden and talk across the plot to people.” “I think some of the reasons a garden is restorative, is not just that it gives us food, but because it gives us meaning, and it helps us make sense of death and disease,” therapist Matthew Kelly on why gardening nurtures our psyche during Covid-19. Kent finds she also learns a lot by interacting with more experienced or knowledgeable gardeners. “I like that I can walk across the garden if I see somebody, and ask them a question. And you know 95 per cent of the people in the garden are totally happy to chat about that.” As the pandemic lingers, its impacts on people’s mental health — especially on vulnerable populations — is significant. More than half (52 per cent) of people reported their mental health declined as a result of physical distancing, a Statistics Canada survey found at the start of the pandemic.
As well, 43 per cent of people suffering financial impacts due to the pandemic reported symptoms consistent with moderate or severe anxiety. During the pandemic, gardens — whether communal, private, or simply tomato plants on a balcony — can provide some respite from the stress of COVID-19, say a pair of Quadra Island mental health experts. Besides demonstrated therapeutic effects, such as lowering the stress hormone cortisol, there are literal and symbolic benefits to getting your hands dirty, Matthew Kelly and Owen Williams said.


nationalobserver--2020-08-05--Thousands of tenants at risk as court rejects interim stay on Ontario evictions

Hisham Alasbachi was preparing to fight his landlord ’ s effort to evict him when the COVID-19 pandemic shut down Ontario ’ s Landlord and Tenant Board .
Now that Premier Doug Ford ’ s government has won court approval for the tenancy board to dig into its eviction backlog , the 33-year-old former refugee from Syria is expecting to be among the first to be called up .
“ I am expecting it any day and especially under the new law I am expecting them to come to my home and tell me you have to go out directly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a phone interview .
“ It ’ s really frustrating , ” said Alasbachi , who uses a wheelchair and if evicted would have to find a fully accessible alternative .
“ I don ’ t know what to do.
” Alasbachi , who is also an executive member of the York South-Weston Tenants ’ Union , said he knew of at least three of tenants in his high-rise apartment building who have fallen behind on rent since the pandemic , and have in the past week been served with eviction papers .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ may surprise you • Why are people drowning in Quebec ?
“ It is not just me , all my neighbours are all afraid , they do n't know what to do , and they are saying they will be homeless , ” he said .
The Ford government introduced an amended tenancy law last month that critics say will make it easier for landlords to evict tenants hit by job loss or other pandemic-related troubles .
It does not explicitly allow for hearings to be waived as Alasbachi says , unless a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and later misses a payment .
Tenant groups are urging renters not to sign such agreements amid the pandemic .
But Alasbachi is already on the firing line .
He 's one of at least 700 households that lawyers for the province ’ s attorney general told court on Friday had unenforced eviction orders pending against them , according to a lawyer for a tenant group seeking an immediate pause to evictions .
Benjamin Ries is acting on behalf of the Advocacy Centre for Tenants Ontario , which on Sunday heard that its @ @ @ @ @ @ @ eviction hearings had failed .
That appeal related to court approval on July 6 of a request from the province ’ s attorney general to amend a moratorium on evictions put in place in the early days of COVID-19 .
A judge has rejected a call for a stay on the resumption of eviction hearings at Ontario 's Landlord and Tenant Board , meaning those cancelled due to COVID-19 can resume and new applications can be scheduled The government had asked for restrictions to lift soon after the state of emergency was lifted @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ( as decreed in March ) in an ex parte application , meaning tenants and tenant right groups were not privy to the motion or invited to argue its merits .
Ries argues that the government neglected to present a full and fair representation of the circumstances .
“ The very next day , on July 7th , the attorney general introduced Bill 195 , which in our view changed what the state of emergency even means , ” Ries said , referring to the government ’ s omnibus law to allow for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ economy .
“ It allowed the state of emergency to end on July 24th , while giving the government the power to continue exercising a number of emergency powers for many months to follow , ” he said .
Justice Myers of the Ontario Superior Court of Justice on Sunday ruled it was not for the courts to decide whether evictions should resume .
“ They want to argue about whether evictions should be allowed in Ontario at this time , ” Justice Myers wrote in the ruling about both tenant and landlord @ @ @ @ @ @ @ raised before me , are not properly directed at the Chief Justice ’ s order re-opening court enforcement services , ” Justice Myers said .
“ Rather , there may be individual concerns for individual eviction proceedings and there may be systemic concerns that are properly addressed with the government.
” And so , less than a month after Bill 195 was introduced , eviction hearings are set to begin again .
Ries said a court ruling on the issue would be better than leaving it to government or the Landlord and Tenant @ @ @ @ @ @ @ health risks apply to everyone affected , and that not all tenants facing eviction have the tools to navigate the legal system in a way that would force their changed circumstances due to COVID-19 to be addressed .
“ And there is no guarantee of what the landlord and tenant board would do in those individual cases anyway , ” he said .
Chiara Padovani is another of the organizers of the York South-Weston Tenants ’ Union , which includes tenant associations for 13 high-rise buildings , as well as other tenants in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Toronto .
“ We ’ re preparing for a wave of evictions , ” she said , adding that efforts to inform tenants of their rights and recent changes to tenancy law had also been made more difficult because of the pandemic .
She said the pandemic had also made organizing harder , with door-to-door work shifting to phone banks and virtual and outdoor meetings that she estimates thousands of residents are unable to access due to technological or other constraints .
“ We ’ re telling our members not to sign anything @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they could be signing away their right to an eviction hearing , which is the last recourse for many tenants .
”

Hisham Alasbachi was preparing to fight his landlord’s effort to evict him when the COVID-19 pandemic shut down Ontario’s Landlord and Tenant Board. Now that Premier Doug Ford’s government has won court approval for the tenancy board to dig into its eviction backlog, the 33-year-old former refugee from Syria is expecting to be among the first to be called up. “I am expecting it any day and especially under the new law I am expecting them to come to my home and tell me you have to go out directly without anything,” he said in a phone interview. “It’s really frustrating,” said Alasbachi, who uses a wheelchair and if evicted would have to find a fully accessible alternative. “I don’t know what to do.” Alasbachi, who is also an executive member of the York South-Weston Tenants’ Union, said he knew of at least three tenants in his high-rise apartment building who have fallen behind on rent since the pandemic, and have in the past week been served with eviction papers.
“It is not just me, all my neighbours are all afraid, they don't know what to do, and they are saying they will be homeless,” he said. The Ford government introduced an amended tenancy law last month that critics say will make it easier for landlords to evict tenants hit by job loss or other pandemic-related troubles. Billion-dollar land deals in Ontario raise corruption suspicions It does not explicitly allow for hearings to be waived as Alasbachi says, unless a tenant signs a rent arrears repayment plan and later misses a payment. Tenant groups are urging renters not to sign such agreements amid the pandemic.
But Alasbachi is already on the firing line. He's one of at least 700 households that lawyers for the province’s attorney general told court on Friday had unenforced eviction orders pending against them, according to a lawyer for a tenant group seeking an immediate pause to evictions. A judge has rejected a call for a stay on the resumption of eviction hearings at Ontario's Landlord and Tenant Board, meaning those cancelled due to COVID-19 can resume and new applications can be scheduled Benjamin Ries is acting on behalf of the Advocacy Centre for Tenants Ontario, which on Sunday heard that its push to pause the immediate resumption of eviction hearings had failed. That appeal related to court approval on July 6 of a request from the province’s attorney general to amend a moratorium on evictions put in place in the early days of COVID-19. The government had asked for restrictions to lift soon after the state of emergency was lifted rather than when courts resume regular operations (as decreed in March) in an ex parte application, meaning tenants and tenant right groups were not privy to the motion or invited to argue its merits. Ries argues that the government neglected to present a full and fair representation of the circumstances.
“The very next day, on July 7th, the attorney general introduced Bill 195, which in our view changed what the state of emergency even means,” Ries said, referring to the government’s omnibus law to allow for the reopening of the province’s economy. “It allowed the state of emergency to end on July 24th, while giving the government the power to continue exercising a number of emergency powers for many months to follow,” he said. Justice Myers of the Ontario Superior Court of Justice on Sunday ruled it was not for the courts to decide whether evictions should resume.


nationalobserver--2020-08-05--Environment minister says he shares concerns of B.C. hunger strikers

Two people are on a hunger strike on Vancouver Island , demanding an end to logging of old-growth forests in B.C.
, and Canada ’ s federal environment minister says he shares their concerns over biodiversity loss .
During a media teleconference Tuesday , National Observer asked federal Environment and Climate Change Minister Jonathan Wilkinson about James Darling and Robert Fuller , who are on their ninth day of no food , protesting in front of the office of Nanaimo-North Cowichan MLA Doug Routley .
Darling and Fuller , who are representing Extinction Rebellion , have written a letter to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ won ’ t eat until he implements a ban on old-growth logging .
“ I think the topic that they ’ re trying to raise , certainly old growth is one element of it , but it ’ s around sustainable forestry practices ...
I would share their concerns with respect to ensuring that we are thinking about forestry in a sustainable lens , on a go-forward basis , ” Wilkinson said .
“ Certainly I have a lot of sympathy for trying to ensure that we can continue to extract value from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in a matter that is not continuing the decline in biodiversity that we ’ ve seen over the past couple of decades.
” • Co-operation happening at the Canadian-U.S.A. border may surprise you • Why are people drowning in Quebec ?
In an interview following the minister ’ s comments , Darling said he didn ’ t know what Wilkinson meant when he described their cause as being based around sustainable forestry practices .
“ It ’ s not like old-growth is renewable .
It takes thousands of years for old-growth forests to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ trees themselves are hundreds of years old .
So once it ’ s logged , it ’ s gone , ” Darling said .
“ I ’ m not really sure what he means by sustainable .
It ’ s inherently unsustainable , logging old-growth.
” Wilkinson was speaking to media after announcing a $ 2 million expenditure over four years for Kootenay Connect , a program meant to help “ protect and restore species-at-risk habitat and ecological connectivity in four biodiversity hotspots in the Kootenay region.
” The minister said the funding @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at risk , including grizzly bears and northern leopard frogs , in the four regions of “ Bonanza Biodiversity Corridor , Creston Valley , Wycliffe Wildlife Corridor , and the Columbia Valley Wetlands.
” ‘ Politicians are really good at saying the right things ’ The two hunger strikers have pointed to findings by the University of Victoria that say habitat loss is the main threat to B.C.
’ s at-risk species , and habitat destruction and degradation threatens a vast majority of the species at risk in the province .
Two people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Island , demanding an end to old-growth logging , and Canada ’ s environment minister says he shares their concerns over biodiversity loss .
But one striker made it clear they do n't see eye-to-eye .
Darling said he was inspired to take a stand after reading about an independent scientific report released in June that showed that there is little left of the province ’ s old-growth forests containing tall trees , and only a small portion of that is being protected from logging .
The provincial government , which has launched @ @ @ @ @ @ @ says old-growth forests make up about 23 per cent of forested areas , with “ mature forests , ” meaning “ largely natural ” and generally greater than 80 years old in the interior , are about 46 per cent of the forested area .
But the report , “ B.C.
’ s Old-Growth Forest : A Last Stand for Biodiversity , ” said those numbers obscure reality .
The scientists found that only about three per cent of forests with very large , old trees still remain , and only about eight @ @ @ @ @ @ @ intact forests with old trees remain as old-growth forests .
“ This current status puts biodiversity , ecological integrity and resilience at high risk today , ” the report stated .
Last year , the United Nations put the spotlight on biodiversity , warning that nature is more vulnerable than at any point in human history , with the activity of humans threatening the extinction of over a million species of plants and animals .
“ In general , I feel that politicians are really good at saying the right things and expressing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ saying they want to protect species .
But we ’ re living , globally , in a mass extinction event that ’ s driven by human activity , ” Darling said .
“ I just think that destroying what remains of our old-growth forests is just totally insane .
Humans are animals too , and to think that we ’ re not going to be affected is wishful thinking.
” Wilkinson said Tuesday that , through both his current and prior government work , he had become very familiar with the issue of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ continued functioning of key species such as caribou .
He said the announcement Tuesday for Kootenay Connect “ is actually about that — it ’ s about connectivity and about habitat restoration.
” The hunger strikers have received a positive reaction so far from the community , Darling said .
He said he plans on continuing his protest for the time being .
“ At some point I ’ m going to have to stop , but for now I ’ m going to keep going .
”

Two people are on a hunger strike on Vancouver Island, demanding an end to logging of old-growth forests in B.C., and Canada’s federal environment minister says he shares their concerns over biodiversity loss. During a media teleconference Tuesday, National Observer asked federal Environment and Climate Change Minister Jonathan Wilkinson about James Darling and Robert Fuller, who are on their ninth day of no food, protesting in front of the office of Nanaimo-North Cowichan MLA Doug Routley. Darling and Fuller, who are representing Extinction Rebellion, have written a letter to B.C. Premier John Horgan saying they won’t eat until he implements a ban on old-growth logging. “I think the topic that they’re trying to raise, certainly old growth is one element of it, but it’s around sustainable forestry practices ... I would share their concerns with respect to ensuring that we are thinking about forestry in a sustainable lens, on a go-forward basis,” Wilkinson said. “Certainly I have a lot of sympathy for trying to ensure that we can continue to extract value from our forest resources, but do so in a matter that is not continuing the decline in biodiversity that we’ve seen over the past couple of decades.”
In an interview following the minister’s comments, Darling said he didn’t know what Wilkinson meant when he described their cause as being based around sustainable forestry practices. “It’s not like old-growth is renewable. It takes thousands of years for old-growth forests to develop (ecosystems). Just the trees themselves are hundreds of years old. So once it’s logged, it’s gone,” Darling said. “I’m not really sure what he means by sustainable. It’s inherently unsustainable, logging old-growth.” Billion-dollar land deals in Ontario raise corruption suspicions Wilkinson was speaking to media after announcing a $2 million expenditure over four years for Kootenay Connect, a program meant to help “protect and restore species-at-risk habitat and ecological connectivity in four biodiversity hotspots in the Kootenay region.”
The minister said the funding would help conserve habitat for 28 species at risk, including grizzly bears and northern leopard frogs, in the four regions of “Bonanza Biodiversity Corridor, Creston Valley, Wycliffe Wildlife Corridor, and the Columbia Valley Wetlands.” Two people are on a hunger strike on Vancouver Island, demanding an end to old-growth logging, and Canada’s environment minister says he shares their concerns over biodiversity loss. But one striker made it clear they don't see eye-to-eye. ‘Politicians are really good at saying the right things’ The two hunger strikers have pointed to findings by the University of Victoria that say habitat loss is the main threat to B.C.’s at-risk species, and habitat destruction and degradation threatens a vast majority of the species at risk in the province. Darling said he was inspired to take a stand after reading about an independent scientific report released in June that showed that there is little left of the province’s old-growth forests containing tall trees, and only a small portion of that is being protected from logging. The provincial government, which has launched a review of old-growth forest management, says old-growth forests make up about 23 per cent of forested areas, with “mature forests,” meaning “largely natural” and generally greater than 80 years old in the interior, are about 46 per cent of the forested area.
But the report, “B.C.’s Old-Growth Forest: A Last Stand for Biodiversity,” said those numbers obscure reality. The scientists found that only about three per cent of forests with very large, old trees still remain, and only about eight per cent of the original extent of intact forests with old trees remain as old-growth forests. “This current status puts biodiversity, ecological integrity and resilience at high risk today,” the report stated. Last year, the United Nations put the spotlight on biodiversity, warning that nature is more vulnerable than at any point in human history, with the activity of humans threatening the extinction of over a million species of plants and animals. “In general, I feel that politicians are really good at saying the right things and expressing their concerns for the environment, and saying they want to protect species. But we’re living, globally, in a mass extinction event that’s driven by human activity,” Darling said.


nationalobserver--2020-08-05--Dr. Theresa Tam warns COVID-19 vaccine efforts no silver bullet

Canada 's top public health doctors warned Tuesday that vaccines in development for COVID-19 provide hope but will not mean an immediate end to the pandemic .
Dr. Theresa Tam said the Public Health Agency of Canada is planning to be responding to the pandemic for at least a year and more likely two or three .
`` I would say that a vaccine is a very important aspect of the response going forward but we ca n't , at this stage , put all of our focus in the hopes this is the silver-bullet solution , '' Tam said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ situation in Canada .
`` It is a very important solution if we get a safe and effective vaccine but I would say the public health measures that we have in place , the personal daily measures that we take , is going to have to continue . ''
There are more than two dozen vaccines for COVID-19 in clinical trials around the world , and in the best-case scenario , one or two might be approved for widespread use by the end of the year .
But approval is only a step @ @ @ @ @ @ @ take time to then produce , distribute and administer billions of doses of vaccine around the world .
• Thousands of tenants at risk as court rejects interim stay on Ontario evictions • Co-operation happening at the Canadian-U.S.A. border may surprise you • Environment minister says he shares concerns of B.C .
hunger strikers Dr. Srinivas Murthy , a critical-care specialist and pandemic researcher at the University of British Columbia , says the world has never attempted a vaccine program at this speed or scale before .
`` We have no idea how @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he said .
He said once a vaccine is approved , then the questions become who gets it first , will people feel comfortable taking it , and how do you get it into them .
Volker Gerdts , CEO of the Vaccine and Infectious Disease Organization at the University of Saskatchewan , said he wants Canadians to know that even as the timeline for developing vaccines is accelerated , speed is not coming at the expense of safety .
He said Health Canada will not approve a vaccine that is not safe @ @ @ @ @ @ @ through faster .
In 2009 , when the H1N1 flu virus was declared a pandemic , there was a wide-scale vaccination effort but that illness did not have the same impact as COVID-19 , and the development of the vaccine was different because flu vaccines are developed every year .
Murthy said the world knew it should have a specific coronavirus vaccine because a pandemic like this was predicted , but nobody ever got as far as making one , so the research was starting much further behind where H1N1 was when a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ wider-spread and more lethal than H1N1 was .
Canada 's top public health doctors warned on Tuesday , August 4 , 2020 , that vaccines in development for COVID-19 provide hope but will not mean an immediate end to the pandemic .
`` The whole world wants this one at the exact same time and that is something that is going to require unprecedented amounts of co-ordination and collaboration across the world , '' Murthy said .
The World Health Organization says vaccines must be effective in at least 50 per cent of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and closer to 70 per cent is better .
Once a vaccine developer declares a vaccine is both safe and effective , nations can begin the work to approve its use on their citizens .
Here that falls to Health Canada , which is already working with the provinces , through the National Advisory Committee on Immunization , to determine how approval , manufacture and distribution will work .
The committee is expected to announce before the end of the summer which segments of the population will be prioritized for getting the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ which was found to affect children more and seniors less , priority groups included the very young , health workers , remote communities and people with chronic illnesses under the age of 65 .
This time the expectation is that older Canadians and front-line workers may be among the priority groups .
Statistics Canada reported that about two in five Canadians were vaccinated in the first six months the H1N1 vaccine was available .
Supply of a COVID-19 vaccine may be more difficult , with such high demand .
Canada is also , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ability to produce a vaccine at home and may rely on international manufacturers to help .
University of British Columbia pediatric infectious disease specialist Dr. Manish Sadarangani said people should see the goal as `` controlling '' the pandemic rather than `` ending '' it .
He said realistically , a vaccine will only slow the spread of the novel coronavirus at first : it often takes years , if not decades , to eradicate a virus entirely .

Canada's top public health doctors warned Tuesday that vaccines in development for COVID-19 provide hope but will not mean an immediate end to the pandemic. Dr. Theresa Tam said the Public Health Agency of Canada is planning to be responding to the pandemic for at least a year and more likely two or three. "I would say that a vaccine is a very important aspect of the response going forward but we can't, at this stage, put all of our focus in the hopes this is the silver-bullet solution," Tam said at a national briefing on the COVID-19 situation in Canada. "It is a very important solution if we get a safe and effective vaccine but I would say the public health measures that we have in place, the personal daily measures that we take, is going to have to continue." There are more than two dozen vaccines for COVID-19 in clinical trials around the world, and in the best-case scenario, one or two might be approved for widespread use by the end of the year. But approval is only a step in the process, and it will take time to then produce, distribute and administer billions of doses of vaccine around the world.
Dr. Srinivas Murthy, a critical-care specialist and pandemic researcher at the University of British Columbia, says the world has never attempted a vaccine program at this speed or scale before. "We have no idea how this is going to work," he said. Billion-dollar land deals in Ontario raise corruption suspicions He said once a vaccine is approved, then the questions become who gets it first, will people feel comfortable taking it, and how do you get it into them.
Volker Gerdts, CEO of the Vaccine and Infectious Disease Organization at the University of Saskatchewan, said he wants Canadians to know that even as the timeline for developing vaccines is accelerated, speed is not coming at the expense of safety. He said Health Canada will not approve a vaccine that is not safe or that cut safety corners to get through faster. Canada's top public health doctors warned on Tuesday, August 4, 2020, that vaccines in development for COVID-19 provide hope but will not mean an immediate end to the pandemic. In 2009, when the H1N1 flu virus was declared a pandemic, there was a wide-scale vaccination effort but that illness did not have the same impact as COVID-19, and the development of the vaccine was different because flu vaccines are developed every year. Murthy said the world knew it should have a specific coronavirus vaccine because a pandemic like this was predicted, but nobody ever got as far as making one, so the research was starting much further behind where H1N1 was when a pandemic was declared. COVID-19 is also wider-spread and more lethal than H1N1 was. "The whole world wants this one at the exact same time and that is something that is going to require unprecedented amounts of co-ordination and collaboration across the world," Murthy said. The World Health Organization says vaccines must be effective in at least 50 per cent of the population for any chance of approval, and closer to 70 per cent is better. Once a vaccine developer declares a vaccine is both safe and effective, nations can begin the work to approve its use on their citizens.
Here that falls to Health Canada, which is already working with the provinces, through the National Advisory Committee on Immunization, to determine how approval, manufacture and distribution will work. The committee is expected to announce before the end of the summer which segments of the population will be prioritized for getting the vaccine. During the H1N1 pandemic, which was found to affect children more and seniors less, priority groups included the very young, health workers, remote communities and people with chronic illnesses under the age of 65. This time the expectation is that older Canadians and front-line workers may be among the priority groups. Statistics Canada reported that about two in five Canadians were vaccinated in the first six months the H1N1 vaccine was available. Supply of a COVID-19 vaccine may be more difficult, with such high demand. Canada is also, at the moment, limited in its ability to produce a vaccine at home and may rely on international manufacturers to help.