nationalobserver--2020-06-30--Democracies must unite in disinformation fight, LeBlanc says

Canada , the United States and democracies around the world have lessons to share and plenty more to learn in what federal cabinet minister Dominic LeBlanc said Monday must be a collective , global effort to fight the scourge of online disinformation .
The federal Liberal government learned a lot from last year 's defensive measures against so-called `` fake news '' in advance of the October 2019 election , said LeBlanc , president of the Privy Council and the minister charged with keeping tabs on Canada 's democratic health .
The experience , he said , would be of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that 's no stranger to election interference from bad actors both domestic and foreign — and is hurtling headlong towards a presidential election in November widely seen as the most consequential in its history .
`` Canada 's experience is that it takes a whole-of-government and a whole-of-society effort , '' LeBlanc told a panel discussion hosted by the Institute for Data , Democracy and Politics at George Washington University .
`` The strongest defence against threats to democracy is obviously an engaged and informed citizenry , and therefore a resilient public .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ be — with the right tools and awareness — the best bulwark against disinformation . ''
• B.C .
First Nations leaders want immediate end to open-net salmon farms • Shifting to electric vehicles requires economic incentives , just ask Norway The federal Digital Citizen Initiative mobilized academic and grassroots efforts to help Canadians better understand , recognize and root out disinformation , while intelligence agencies made public assessments of potential threats — a world first , LeBlanc said , predicated on the notion that `` to be forewarned is to be forearmed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ streamlined its systems for identifying threats , tactics and vulnerabilities , sharing information with political rivals and G7 partners , and established a national security task force for recognizing and responding to foreign incursions .
`` With the threat that is constantly evolving , no country can stand still , '' LeBlanc said .
`` We 're hard at work evaluating these initiatives — what worked and what did n't work as well as we would have liked in 2019 — in order to ensure that we 're ready for the next national @ @ @ @ @ @ @ up with Microsoft and the Alliance for Securing Democracy , a U.S.-based civil society group , on countering election meddling as part of the Paris Call for Trust and Security in Cyberspace .
Sasha Havlicek , chief executive of the Institute of Strategic Dialogue , a global think tank aimed at combating hatred , extremism and disinformation , cheered Canada 's strategy as an effective approach that mitigated the potential spread of bad information .
But the effort will be largely for naught , she added , unless and until social media platforms @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and evaluate the internal systems that Havlicek said are designed to favour titillating , sensationalist , extremist messaging .
Canada , the United States and democracies around the world have lessons to share and plenty more to learn in what federal cabinet minister Dominic LeBlanc said Monday must be a collective , global effort to fight the scourge of online disinformation .
`` We desperately need third-party review of the systems and real robust transparency and oversight of the protocols that govern the information flows , '' she said .
`` The focus @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , which is not the right space .
The focus needs to be on the recommendation , curation and moderation systems used by the platform — both algorithmic and human — so that we can genuinely understand what the impact is on our societies . ''
As it happens , the online forum host Reddit shut down 2,000 of its controversial `` subreddits '' Monday , including one popular with supporters of President Donald Trump , under a newly imposed hate speech policy aimed at cleaning up the platform 's reputation as a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 's just the latest social media move towards cleaning up the industry 's act .
Twitter in recent weeks has shown new resolve in flagging or even censoring Trump 's own activity when it violates the service 's policies governing disinformation or inciting violence .
Facebook took a month to catch up , waiting until Friday to announce it would remove posts deemed to be inciting violence or designed to suppress voting , and would flag posts containing hate speech .
`` I do get the sense that there 's something going on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reached the last straw for what the management of Twitter can take , '' said Rep. Adam Schiff , the Democrat chair of the House Intelligence Committee .
`` I still get the sense that Facebook will need to be pulled and dragged into this era of corporate responsibility . ''
Congress is fast approaching the point where it may need to take legislative action , he added .
`` If the platforms are n't going to step up and meet their social responsibility , then Congress needs to think about how we @ @ @ @ @ @ @ different and more societally beneficial form of regulation , '' Schiff said .

Canada, the United States and democracies around the world have lessons to share and plenty more to learn in what federal cabinet minister Dominic LeBlanc said Monday must be a collective, global effort to fight the scourge of online disinformation. The federal Liberal government learned a lot from last year's defensive measures against so-called "fake news" in advance of the October 2019 election, said LeBlanc, president of the Privy Council and the minister charged with keeping tabs on Canada's democratic health. The experience, he said, would be of help to the U.S., a country that's no stranger to election interference from bad actors both domestic and foreign — and is hurtling headlong towards a presidential election in November widely seen as the most consequential in its history. "Canada's experience is that it takes a whole-of-government and a whole-of-society effort," LeBlanc told a panel discussion hosted by the Institute for Data, Democracy and Politics at George Washington University. "The strongest defence against threats to democracy is obviously an engaged and informed citizenry, and therefore a resilient public. Indeed, citizens in our view can be — with the right tools and awareness — the best bulwark against disinformation."
The federal Digital Citizen Initiative mobilized academic and grassroots efforts to help Canadians better understand, recognize and root out disinformation, while intelligence agencies made public assessments of potential threats — a world first, LeBlanc said, predicated on the notion that "to be forewarned is to be forearmed." He said the government also streamlined its systems for identifying threats, tactics and vulnerabilities, sharing information with political rivals and G7 partners, and established a national security task force for recognizing and responding to foreign incursions. Billion-dollar land deals in Ontario raise corruption suspicions "With the threat that is constantly evolving, no country can stand still," LeBlanc said. "We're hard at work evaluating these initiatives — what worked and what didn't work as well as we would have liked in 2019 — in order to ensure that we're ready for the next national election."
Canada is also teaming up with Microsoft and the Alliance for Securing Democracy, a U.S.-based civil society group, on countering election meddling as part of the Paris Call for Trust and Security in Cyberspace. Canada, the United States and democracies around the world have lessons to share and plenty more to learn in what federal cabinet minister Dominic LeBlanc said Monday must be a collective, global effort to fight the scourge of online disinformation. Sasha Havlicek, chief executive of the Institute of Strategic Dialogue, a global think tank aimed at combating hatred, extremism and disinformation, cheered Canada's strategy as an effective approach that mitigated the potential spread of bad information. But the effort will be largely for naught, she added, unless and until social media platforms themselves grant overseers the chance to explore and evaluate the internal systems that Havlicek said are designed to favour titillating, sensationalist, extremist messaging. "We desperately need third-party review of the systems and real robust transparency and oversight of the protocols that govern the information flows," she said. "The focus has been on content and content removal, which is not the right space. The focus needs to be on the recommendation, curation and moderation systems used by the platform — both algorithmic and human — so that we can genuinely understand what the impact is on our societies."
As it happens, the online forum host Reddit shut down 2,000 of its controversial "subreddits" Monday, including one popular with supporters of President Donald Trump, under a newly imposed hate speech policy aimed at cleaning up the platform's reputation as a safe haven for extremist views. It's just the latest social media move towards cleaning up the industry's act. Twitter in recent weeks has shown new resolve in flagging or even censoring Trump's own activity when it violates the service's policies governing disinformation or inciting violence. Facebook took a month to catch up, waiting until Friday to announce it would remove posts deemed to be inciting violence or designed to suppress voting, and would flag posts containing hate speech.


nationalobserver--2020-06-30--Arctic Ocean could absorb more carbon than predicted, jeopardize marine life

The Arctic Ocean could absorb 20 per cent more carbon than previously predicted before the end of the century , according to a recent study .
It ’ s a jump that could result in even more acidification , jeopardizing marine wildlife .
About 7.5 billion tonnes of carbon was projected to be absorbed by the Arctic Ocean in previous estimates , said Jens Terhaar , the lead author of the research paper , released this month in the journal Nature .
The new study — a joint undertaking between the University of Bern in Switzerland and École normale supérieure @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is actually 1.5 billion tonnes higher ( under what ’ s commonly known as the ‘ business as usual ' or RCP8.5 high emissions scenario ) , reaching 9 billion tonnes of carbon absorbed by 2100 .
While the Arctic Ocean represents 1 per cent of global seawater , it ’ s by far the most vulnerable to a changing climate , Terhaar said .
“ That ’ s mainly just because it ’ s very cold and colder water holds more carbon.
” • B.C .
First Nations leaders want immediate end @ @ @ @ @ @ @ electric vehicles requires economic incentives , just ask Norway Researchers used 11 existing climate models to predict future ocean acidification based on a correlation they found between acidity and sea surface density ( how dense seawater is changes with temperature and salinity ) .
The Arctic , in general , will bear the most severe effects of climate change , the study says .
By the end of the century , surface temperatures in the region could increase by up to a range of 6.4 and 10.2 C and sea ice will continue @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Government of Canada found the country is warming at twice the rate of the rest of the world , while the Arctic is warming even faster .
Canada ’ s own emission reporting indicates the country will not meet its climate commitment to reduce emissions to 30 per cent below 2005 levels by 2030 and keep the global temperature increase as close to 1.5 C as possible .
“ It would be great if politicians listened more , ” Terhaar said .
As the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere increases @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that carbon dioxide is dissolved in the surface of the ocean .
The increase of dissolved carbon in the ocean decreases the ocean ’ s pH and also decreases the concentration of carbonate ion — a key component in the calcium carbonate used in the shells and skeletons of calcifying organisms .
These conditions produce water that will corrode shells , which a slew of marine organisms depend on to shore up their only line of defence against predators .
The Arctic Ocean could absorb 20 per cent more carbon than previously predicted @ @ @ @ @ @ @ according to a recent study .
Oysters and pea-sized , swimming sea snails known as sea butterflies , for instance , can ’ t build their shells without calcium carbonate minerals , leaving them more susceptible to hungry marine mammals such as walruses and whales .
These creatures can adapt to aggressive changes to a degree , Terhaar said , but if acidification gets more pronounced , they simply won ’ t be able to keep up .
He pointed to U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association laboratory tests that show the shell @ @ @ @ @ @ @ disappear over a 45-day period when submerged in sea water with pH and carbonate levels projected for the year 2100 .
Sea butterflies are as small as the pin of a head and are known to feed a wide variety of marine life from krill , to salmon to whales .
The study focused on the mesopelagic zone , or seawater at depths between 200 and 1,000 metres , because that range is important habitat for shell-building organisms and animals that live , feed or migrate there .
“ All of these organisms @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the acidification is too strong there , ” Terhaar said , adding that the concentration of carbonate ions will decrease by 50 per cent in this mesopelagic zone over the 21st century due to acidification .
( Across all depths in the Arctic Ocean , that number will decrease by an average of 32 per cent over the same timeframe . )
The Arctic Ocean is relatively shallow , making these sources of food easy pickings .
If overfeeding occurs , there could be nothing left for marine mammals to eat , Terhaar @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the future might really change the situation of these animals and organisms , and even if their shells are less strong than before , they will be much more vulnerable to predators , and step-by-step they will be gone from the food chain , ” he said .
“ I think it ’ s likely it ’ s going to be worse than before .
It ’ s very hard to say what it ’ s doing to the food chain.
” An April 2020 State of the Arctic report produced by Fisheries @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has been done on the impacts of ocean acidification in the Arctic .
But the report notes that “ the volume of corrosive water in the Arctic is increasing with time ” and also affects “ non-calcifying organisms.
” The negative impacts of ocean acidification on the physiological , reproductive and immune systems on these other organisms “ have been reported in other oceans , ” the report states .
Recent research by Andrea Niemi , a Fisheries and Oceans Canada scientist and lead author of the report , found that small pelagic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ had high levels of shell dissolution due to acidified waters ( pictured below ) .
But the report concludes that “ our knowledge of biological responses to ocean acidification in polar oceans is limited at present.
” Terhaar said more research on ocean acidification is also needed in the Southern Ocean around Antarctica , but that ’ s a wholly different environment , requiring a lot of preliminary work to study the ocean system there and how it might store carbon .
“ Personally , I just turned my attention to the Southern @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to publishing interesting research.
” “ The Southern Ocean is totally open ( water ) , ” he said .
“ It has one of the strongest currents in the world.
” Studying the Antarctic would be critical to further understanding how carbon absorption and acidification is affecting global waters .
While this isn ’ t the first study to address ocean acidification in the Arctic , it serves as a reminder that people across the planet must work together to reduce greenhouse gas emissions , said Susanna Fuller , vice-president of operations @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Our oceans have been taking up an incredible amount of our carbon dioxide .
They ’ ve just been absorbing , absorbing , absorbing , ” she said .
“ The oceans have been mitigating this for us , but now they can ’ t absorb anymore without massively changing.
” She said while a lot of attention has been paid to increasing protection for terrestrial environments , the same doesn ’ t hold true for the oceans .
Marine ecosystems , including seagrass meadows , kelp forests and marshes , are essential @ @ @ @ @ @ @ blue carbon.
” According to the Blue Carbon Initiative , “ seagrasses cover less than 0.2 per cent of ocean floor , but store about 10 per cent of the carbon buried in the oceans each year.
” Yet , “ seagrasses are being lost at a rate of 1.5 per cent per year and have lost approximately 30 per cent of historical global coverage.
” “ Let ’ s make sure we ’ re preserving kelp forests and eelgrass beds and marine mammal populations and fish populations , ” Fuller said , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is going from bad to worse .
“ We think about the terrestrial environment because we can see it .
I don ’ t think Canada has really started to think how that can be done in the marine environment.
” Fuller said if the COVID-19 pandemic can be stemmed globally , so , too , can climate change impacts , including ocean acidification .

The Arctic Ocean could absorb 20 per cent more carbon than previously predicted before the end of the century, according to a recent study. It’s a jump that could result in even more acidification, jeopardizing marine wildlife. About 7.5 billion tonnes of carbon was projected to be absorbed by the Arctic Ocean in previous estimates, said Jens Terhaar, the lead author of the research paper, released this month in the journal Nature. The new study — a joint undertaking between the University of Bern in Switzerland and École normale supérieure in Paris — found that this number is actually 1.5 billion tonnes higher (under what’s commonly known as the ‘business as usual' or RCP8.5 high emissions scenario), reaching 9 billion tonnes of carbon absorbed by 2100. While the Arctic Ocean represents 1 per cent of global seawater, it’s by far the most vulnerable to a changing climate, Terhaar said. “That’s mainly just because it’s very cold and colder water holds more carbon.”
Researchers used 11 existing climate models to predict future ocean acidification based on a correlation they found between acidity and sea surface density (how dense seawater is changes with temperature and salinity). The Arctic, in general, will bear the most severe effects of climate change, the study says. By the end of the century, surface temperatures in the region could increase by up to a range of 6.4 and 10.2 C and sea ice will continue to diminish. Billion-dollar land deals in Ontario raise corruption suspicions A 2019 report from the Government of Canada found the country is warming at twice the rate of the rest of the world, while the Arctic is warming even faster. Canada’s own emission reporting indicates the country will not meet its climate commitment to reduce emissions to 30 per cent below 2005 levels by 2030 and keep the global temperature increase as close to 1.5 C as possible.
“It would be great if politicians listened more,” Terhaar said. The Arctic Ocean could absorb 20 per cent more carbon than previously predicted before the end of the century, according to a recent study. As the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere increases, the planet warms and more of that carbon dioxide is dissolved in the surface of the ocean. The increase of dissolved carbon in the ocean decreases the ocean’s pH and also decreases the concentration of carbonate ion — a key component in the calcium carbonate used in the shells and skeletons of calcifying organisms. These conditions produce water that will corrode shells, which a slew of marine organisms depend on to shore up their only line of defence against predators. Oysters and pea-sized, swimming sea snails known as sea butterflies, for instance, can’t build their shells without calcium carbonate minerals, leaving them more susceptible to hungry marine mammals such as walruses and whales. These creatures can adapt to aggressive changes to a degree, Terhaar said, but if acidification gets more pronounced, they simply won’t be able to keep up. He pointed to U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association laboratory tests that show the shell of the sea butterfly can almost completely disappear over a 45-day period when submerged in sea water with pH and carbonate levels projected for the year 2100.
Sea butterflies are as small as the pin of a head and are known to feed a wide variety of marine life from krill, to salmon to whales. The study focused on the mesopelagic zone, or seawater at depths between 200 and 1,000 metres, because that range is important habitat for shell-building organisms and animals that live, feed or migrate there. “All of these organisms may have a harder time surviving because the acidification is too strong there,” Terhaar said, adding that the concentration of carbonate ions will decrease by 50 per cent in this mesopelagic zone over the 21st century due to acidification. (Across all depths in the Arctic Ocean, that number will decrease by an average of 32 per cent over the same timeframe.)


nationalobserver--2020-06-30--Toronto rejects defunding police, talks reform instead

Toronto will develop alternative community safety models in the wake of sustained protest against police brutality , city council agreed on Monday , but will not enforce any specific cut to the force ’ s 2021 budget and will in fact spend millions more on body cameras .
The move to reform police operations in Canada ’ s most populous city will include the creation of a non-police-led response to mental health-related calls not involving weapons or violence , as well as other initiatives proposed by Mayor John Tory to eliminate systemic racism in policing and provide greater accountability , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ more radical change .
The council was responding to what one councillor described as an outpouring of collective outrage and a determined push for change from city residents in recent weeks , as people across North America and elsewhere take to the streets seeking racial justice .
That groundswell comes as COVID-19 hits racialized communities particularly hard and follows a string of recent officer-involved deaths of Black people , Indigenous people and people of colour , including in and around Toronto .
“ Police is not protecting us , ” said Beverly Bains @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in Policing coalition that marched on city hall on Sunday in support of a call from Black Lives Matter — Toronto for a 50-per-cent cut to police funding in the 2021 budget .
• B.C .
First Nations leaders want immediate end to open-net salmon farms • Shifting to electric vehicles requires economic incentives , just ask Norway “ The police is not protecting BIPOC ( Black , Indigenous , People of Colour ) queer and trans and BIPOC people , nor homeless people , nor marginalized people , ” she said .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ the state ’ s interests , which is capitalist , and corporatized interests .
It does not protect the most vulnerable.
” Video of Sandy Hudson on Black Lives Matter Canada and ‘ defunding police ’ Sandy Hudson of Black Lives Matter - Toronto discusses calls to defund police with Linda Solomon Wood , the editor-in-chief of Canada 's National Observer , earlier this month Councillor Josh Matlow had previously proposed a smaller cut , of $ 122 million , or a tenth of the Toronto Police Service ’ s $ 1 billion-plus @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to policing and criminal justice , as well as anti-racism education , affordable housing and tenant rights , food security and skills training .
But Matlow withdrew his motion after Mayor John Tory put forward his proposal , and then failed to muster the votes needed to enforce the 10 per cent reduction as an amendment to Tory 's plan .
Tory ’ s motion included 18 recommendations on how to “ de-task ” police rather than “ defund ” them , and includes a plan to equip all officers with body-worn cameras @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to cost $ 5 million a year , or $ 50 million over ten years .
Toronto city council rejects push for a 10 per cent cut to police funding , agrees to develop alternative reforms proposed by mayor A bid from Matlow to have the body camera plan cancelled was also defeated , while efforts from Councillor Kristyn Wong-Tam ( who had seconded Matlow 's proposals ) to ban the use of deadly force and militarised weapons outside of the police 's Emergency Task Force also failed .
The mayor said that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cut , it would be better to find the best model for addressing mental health issues and put it in place , which he said would in turn result in police cost savings .
He cited testimony given by the departing police Chief Mark Saunders that only eight mental health teams are currently able to support Toronto police and that they don ’ t work through the night .
“ Right now , at 3 o ’ clock in the morning , they ( police ) are the only people who can respond @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Tory said .
“ My fear is you ’ re going to leave those people more vulnerable than ever.
” Saunders also cautioned that there is currently no alternative system in place for handling mental health-related calls and says there must be a new plan in place before any reforms take effect .
The first issue with Toronto City Council is that you have a council of mostly white men voting on an issue that predominantly affects Black and Indigenous communities .
This is systemic racism happening in real time .
# TOpoli @ @ @ @ @ @ @ nedahamzavi ) June 29 , 2020 Saunders , who will retire from the force at the end of next month , says the police service ’ s own pilot of body camera technology showed that the public changed its behaviour due to their use .
But another councillor , Joe Cressy , countered that claim with reference to an academic study from Yale University that body cameras worn by police officers in Washington , D.C. , had little to no discernible impact .
Bains from the No Pride in Policing coalition was also @ @ @ @ @ @ @ accountability , since officers themselves can choose when to turn them on and off .
“ Body cameras do not hold police accountable , ” she said .
“ It does not make us more safe .
”

Toronto will develop alternative community safety models in the wake of sustained protest against police brutality, city council agreed on Monday, but will not enforce any specific cut to the force’s 2021 budget and will in fact spend millions more on body cameras. The move to reform police operations in Canada’s most populous city will include the creation of a non-police-led response to mental health-related calls not involving weapons or violence, as well as other initiatives proposed by Mayor John Tory to eliminate systemic racism in policing and provide greater accountability, but will likely disappoint those calling for more radical change. The council was responding to what one councillor described as an outpouring of collective outrage and a determined push for change from city residents in recent weeks, as people across North America and elsewhere take to the streets seeking racial justice. That groundswell comes as COVID-19 hits racialized communities particularly hard and follows a string of recent officer-involved deaths of Black people, Indigenous people and people of colour, including in and around Toronto. “Police is not protecting us,” said Beverly Bains, a member of the No Pride in Policing coalition that marched on city hall on Sunday in support of a call from Black Lives Matter — Toronto for a 50-per-cent cut to police funding in the 2021 budget.
“The police is not protecting BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, People of Colour) queer and trans and BIPOC people, nor homeless people, nor marginalized people,” she said. “The police protects private property, the state’s interests, which is capitalist, and corporatized interests. It does not protect the most vulnerable.” Video of Sandy Hudson on Black Lives Matter Canada and ‘defunding police’ Billion-dollar land deals in Ontario raise corruption suspicions Sandy Hudson of Black Lives Matter - Toronto discusses calls to defund police with Linda Solomon Wood, the editor-in-chief of Canada's National Observer, earlier this month
Councillor Josh Matlow had previously proposed a smaller cut, of $122 million, or a tenth of the Toronto Police Service’s $1 billion-plus budget, be shifted to community-led alternatives to policing and criminal justice, as well as anti-racism education, affordable housing and tenant rights, food security and skills training. Toronto city council rejects push for a 10 per cent cut to police funding, agrees to develop alternative reforms proposed by mayor But Matlow withdrew his motion after Mayor John Tory put forward his proposal, and then failed to muster the votes needed to enforce the 10 per cent reduction as an amendment to Tory's plan. Tory’s motion included 18 recommendations on how to “de-task” police rather than “defund” them, and includes a plan to equip all officers with body-worn cameras by January. That move is expected to cost $5 million a year, or $50 million over ten years. A bid from Matlow to have the body camera plan cancelled was also defeated, while efforts from Councillor Kristyn Wong-Tam (who had seconded Matlow's proposals) to ban the use of deadly force and militarised weapons outside of the police's Emergency Task Force also failed. The mayor said that rather than starting with a target funding cut, it would be better to find the best model for addressing mental health issues and put it in place, which he said would in turn result in police cost savings.
He cited testimony given by the departing police Chief Mark Saunders that only eight mental health teams are currently able to support Toronto police and that they don’t work through the night. “Right now, at 3 o’clock in the morning, they (police) are the only people who can respond to a person in crisis,” Tory said. “My fear is you’re going to leave those people more vulnerable than ever.” Saunders also cautioned that there is currently no alternative system in place for handling mental health-related calls and says there must be a new plan in place before any reforms take effect.


nationalobserver--2020-06-29--B.C. researcher aims for early warning system to prevent oyster contamination

A Vancouver Island researcher is developing an early warning system to prevent the contamination of farmed oysters along B.C.
’ s west coast , which can cost the industry millions .
Tim Green , Canada research chair in shellfish health and genomics at Vancouver Island University , received a $ 300,000 grant earlier this year to look for markers suggesting the presence of noroviruses and how they travel in the marine environment .
Norovirus is a short-lived but highly contagious gastrointestinal illness caused by human wastewater entering the ocean , which can contaminate oysters and other shellfish .
The virus @ @ @ @ @ @ @ but is typically contracted by eating raw or undercooked oysters .
“ It ’ s really about improving food safety .
Historically , norovirus has been challenging for shellfish growers , ” Green said .
• B.C .
First Nations leaders want immediate end to open-net salmon farms • Shifting to electric vehicles requires economic incentives , just ask Norway “ We ’ re trying to come up with an early warning system to warn growers if their oysters have been exposed to sewage , so they can avoid harvesting them.
” Using @ @ @ @ @ @ @ or light emitted by materials — Green hopes to detect brightening agents typically found in laundry detergents , a marker that can indicate wastewater has entered the ocean environment .
If the contaminants are detected , it enables shellfish growers to make faster and make more informed decisions about harvesting oysters and preventing risk , Green said .
Currently , the primary outbreak control measure is the complete shut down of oyster farms , he said .
The research will take place in Baynes Sound , the leading producing region in the province @ @ @ @ @ @ @ oysters harvested , Green said .
However , shellfish and oyster production is an important industry along the entire B.C coast , including the Discovery Islands region , he said .
“ So , rather than testing after people get sick , we want to have a way recognizing there ’ s a problem before oysters go to market , ” researcher Tim Green on developing a system to detect markers in the ocean to prevent shellfish norovirus contamination .
Shellfish aquaculture sites along the B.C .
coast .
Oyster farming accounted for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the province 's shellfish production in 2018 .
Photo courtesy of DFO .
The oyster aquaculture in B.C .
was worth just over $ 13 million and accounted for 57 per cent of the total value of shellfish at nearly $ 23 million , according to Fisheries and Oceans Canada 's most recent data .
The sector took big hits economically , losing millions of dollars and an estimated 20 per cent of its annual sales , after a number of norovirus outbreaks occurred between 2016 and 2018 .
The most significant @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with raw or undercooked oysters in late 2016 and early 2017 .
The outbreak was likely caused by heavy rainfall and resulting wastewater runoff , along with winter temperatures and lack of sunlight created conditions that allowed the virus to persist and infect shellfish farms .
In 2018 , it was determined commercial fishing vessels likely discharged wastewater that went on to impact oyster farms .
In an effort to boost the flagging industry , the province committed $ 1.3 million to a BC Oyster Recovery Fund in June 2018 to assist growers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ recovery fund also provided half of the funding , with the other half coming from Genome British Columbia , for Green ’ s research project .
“ Really , this project is because shellfish growers and ( funders ) are really wanting to come up with a better approach , ” Green said .

A Vancouver Island researcher is developing an early warning system to prevent the contamination of farmed oysters along B.C.’s west coast, which can cost the industry millions. Tim Green, Canada research chair in shellfish health and genomics at Vancouver Island University, received a $300,000 grant earlier this year to look for markers suggesting the presence of noroviruses and how they travel in the marine environment. Norovirus is a short-lived but highly contagious gastrointestinal illness caused by human wastewater entering the ocean, which can contaminate oysters and other shellfish. The virus is killed by thoroughly cooking shellfish, but is typically contracted by eating raw or undercooked oysters. “It’s really about improving food safety. Historically, norovirus has been challenging for shellfish growers,” Green said.
“We’re trying to come up with an early warning system to warn growers if their oysters have been exposed to sewage, so they can avoid harvesting them.” Using submersible fluorometers — devices that measure fluorescence or light emitted by materials — Green hopes to detect brightening agents typically found in laundry detergents, a marker that can indicate wastewater has entered the ocean environment. Billion-dollar land deals in Ontario raise corruption suspicions If the contaminants are detected, it enables shellfish growers to make faster and make more informed decisions about harvesting oysters and preventing risk, Green said.
Currently, the primary outbreak control measure is the complete shut down of oyster farms, he said. “So, rather than testing after people get sick, we want to have a way recognizing there’s a problem before oysters go to market,” researcher Tim Green on developing a system to detect markers in the ocean to prevent shellfish norovirus contamination. The research will take place in Baynes Sound, the leading producing region in the province, accounting for 50 per cent of oysters harvested, Green said. However, shellfish and oyster production is an important industry along the entire B.C coast, including the Discovery Islands region, he said. Shellfish aquaculture sites along the B.C. coast. Oyster farming accounted for 57 per cent of the total value of the province's shellfish production in 2018. Photo courtesy of DFO. The oyster aquaculture in B.C. was worth just over $13 million and accounted for 57 per cent of the total value of shellfish at nearly $23 million, according to Fisheries and Oceans Canada's most recent data.
The sector took big hits economically, losing millions of dollars and an estimated 20 per cent of its annual sales, after a number of norovirus outbreaks occurred between 2016 and 2018. The most significant cluster involved 347 cases of norovirus associated with raw or undercooked oysters in late 2016 and early 2017. The outbreak was likely caused by heavy rainfall and resulting wastewater runoff, along with winter temperatures and lack of sunlight created conditions that allowed the virus to persist and infect shellfish farms.


nationalobserver--2020-07-02--Statistics Canada says economy posted largest plunge on record in April

The full impact of sweeping economic lockdowns meant to slow the spread of COVID-19 came into sharper view , with new figures showing Canada saw the largest monthly drop on record in April as the country came to a near standstill .
Statistics Canada said Tuesday that gross domestic product fell 11.6 per cent in April with non-essential businesses shut for the full month following a 7.5 per cent decline in March .
Economists on average expected a drop of 13 per cent for April , according to financial markets data firm Refinitiv .
Even though the April figures fell @ @ @ @ @ @ @ unprecedented drop the country experienced in such a short time .
Nathan Janzen , a senior economist with RBC , said the decline over April and March was four times worse than the peak-to-trough fall during the global financial crisis just over a decade ago — and that took eight months .
• B.C .
First Nations leaders want immediate end to open-net salmon farms • Shifting to electric vehicles requires economic incentives , just ask Norway But early indications point to a rebound in May when businesses began to reopen .
Statistics @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to growth of three per cent in May , mirroring a small increase in jobs numbers during the same month .
The estimate will be revised and finalized at the end of July .
Other preliminary indicators suggest June may be even better .
The Conference Board of Canada reported Monday that its consumer confidence index improved across all regions this month .
The Canadian Federation of Independent Business said Tuesday nearly three-fifths of small businesses are fully open , almost one-quarter are making normal sales , and just over one-third are back @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 's not that the bounce back is going to be complete any time quickly , but it does look like the recovery began in May , '' Janzen said in an interview .
`` The key concern now is still just how much and how quickly can the economy reopen while still keeping virus spread in check .
That 's still an open question , but at least for now it looks like April was the low-point in terms of economic output . ''
The full impact of sweeping economic lockdowns meant to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sharper view , with new figures showing Canada saw the largest monthly drop on record in April as the country came to a near standstill .
Manufacturing was down 22.5 per cent in April as many factories either shuttered or greatly reduced capacity in line with public health measures to slow the spread of COVID-19 — a move that hit the automotive sector hard as the output of motor vehicles plunged 97.7 per cent .
Even sectors with March increases were n't spared in April .
Food manufacturing , for example , dropped @ @ @ @ @ @ @ processing plants forced them to shut down .
The accommodation and food services sector dropped 42.4 per cent in April , as customers replaced eating out with staying in , hitting a sector that underwent a 37.1 per cent decline in March .
Output from bars and restaurants in particular plunged 40.8 per cent as local and provincial states of emergency forced their closure , or limited operations to take-out and delivery .
Accommodation services fell 45.7 per cent , Statistics Canada says , owing to restrictions on travel between provincial and international @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
As COVID-19 iced the National Hockey League season and put the National Basketball Association , Major League Baseball and Major League Soccer on the sidelines , the arts and entertainment sector declined 25.6 per cent , further affecting companies in the accommodation and food services sectors .
Down too was construction by 22.9 per cent , concentrated largely in Ontario and Quebec , while a similar decline was noted in retail trade as brick-and-mortar stores stayed closed and consumers spent less while staying at home .
Poring through the data , Statistics @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 17.3 per cent from online shopping as households shifted their shopping habits .

The full impact of sweeping economic lockdowns meant to slow the spread of COVID-19 came into sharper view, with new figures showing Canada saw the largest monthly drop on record in April as the country came to a near standstill. Statistics Canada said Tuesday that gross domestic product fell 11.6 per cent in April with non-essential businesses shut for the full month following a 7.5 per cent decline in March. Economists on average expected a drop of 13 per cent for April, according to financial markets data firm Refinitiv. Even though the April figures fell short of expectations, they showed the unprecedented drop the country experienced in such a short time. Nathan Janzen, a senior economist with RBC, said the decline over April and March was four times worse than the peak-to-trough fall during the global financial crisis just over a decade ago — and that took eight months.
But early indications point to a rebound in May when businesses began to reopen. Statistics Canada said its initial flash estimate points to growth of three per cent in May, mirroring a small increase in jobs numbers during the same month. The estimate will be revised and finalized at the end of July. Billion-dollar land deals in Ontario raise corruption suspicions Other preliminary indicators suggest June may be even better.
The Conference Board of Canada reported Monday that its consumer confidence index improved across all regions this month. The Canadian Federation of Independent Business said Tuesday nearly three-fifths of small businesses are fully open, almost one-quarter are making normal sales, and just over one-third are back to normal staffing levels. The full impact of sweeping economic lockdowns meant to slow the spread of COVID-19 came into sharper view, with new figures showing Canada saw the largest monthly drop on record in April as the country came to a near standstill. "It's not that the bounce back is going to be complete any time quickly, but it does look like the recovery began in May," Janzen said in an interview. "The key concern now is still just how much and how quickly can the economy reopen while still keeping virus spread in check. That's still an open question, but at least for now it looks like April was the low-point in terms of economic output." Manufacturing was down 22.5 per cent in April as many factories either shuttered or greatly reduced capacity in line with public health measures to slow the spread of COVID-19 — a move that hit the automotive sector hard as the output of motor vehicles plunged 97.7 per cent. Even sectors with March increases weren't spared in April. Food manufacturing, for example, dropped 12.8 per cent as outbreaks at meat processing plants forced them to shut down.
The accommodation and food services sector dropped 42.4 per cent in April, as customers replaced eating out with staying in, hitting a sector that underwent a 37.1 per cent decline in March. Output from bars and restaurants in particular plunged 40.8 per cent as local and provincial states of emergency forced their closure, or limited operations to take-out and delivery. Accommodation services fell 45.7 per cent, Statistics Canada says, owing to restrictions on travel between provincial and international borders.


nationalobserver--2020-07-02--No consistent evidence body cameras reduce police violence, studies show

A Calgary police officer loudly tells an Indigenous man to put his hands on the roof of his car and , within seconds , the situation escalates to yelling .
Body-worn camera video from the officer 's chest then shows the man 's head pushed into his vehicle .
Herbert Daniels , 67 , made a freedom of information request to get the video of his arrest , which he provided to Global News , saying it demonstrates excessive force .
Using the arrest of Daniels as an example , many politicians have been calling for wider use of police @ @ @ @ @ @ @ protests calling to defund police , claiming the technology increases accountability .
There is , however , no consistent evidence that the cameras reduce police violence .
A study in the Criminology & Public Policy journal published last year looked at 70 other studies into body-worn cameras and found the technology had statistically insignificant impacts on police and citizen behaviour .
• B.C .
First Nations leaders want immediate end to open-net salmon farms • Shifting to electric vehicles requires economic incentives , just ask Norway `` ( Cameras ) will not be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , accountability , and relationships with citizens , '' the study said .
A trial published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America in 2019 also found the cameras `` did not meaningfully affect '' police behaviour on outcomes that include complaints and use of force .
A six-month study by Western Australia Police Force in 2016 actually found a small increase in use-of-force incidents when officers wore the cameras .
Minneapolis police officers involved in the May arrest of George Floyd were wearing body @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Black man 's neck for several minutes and he died .
Data is still emerging in Canada about the efficacy of the cameras .
Since 2010 , many police forces have implemented pilot projects but most abandoned them later , saying they did n't provide value for what they cost to both purchase the devices and store the data .
Calgary is the only large police force to so far adopt the technology for front-line officers .
A final report into an Edmonton pilot project , which ran from 2011 to 2014 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for positive outcomes .
But it found concerns about policy and no quantitative evidence that the cameras had an impact on complaints against officers .
A Calgary police officer loudly tells an Indigenous man to put his hands on the roof of his car and , within seconds , the situation escalates to yelling .
Body-worn camera video from the officer 's chest then shows the man 's head pushed into his vehicle `` Body-worn cameras not only create concerns about the public 's privacy rights but can also affect how officers relate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ community 's perception of the police , and expectations about how police agencies should share information , '' the report said .
There have also been pilot projects in Toronto , Thunder Bay and Montreal .
Montreal found the cameras had little impact on police interventions and there were significant logistical and financial challenges .
Some smaller forces have cameras for a few officers .
Fredericton police have six and the force in Medicine Hat , Alta.
, has 10 .
Recently , many communities have changed their positions on cameras .
Toronto @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have cameras on officers by the fall and Montreal Mayor Valérie Plante said the technology will be adopted as soon as possible .
The RCMP has also committed to outfitting some officers with cameras .
Nunavut is pushing forward with a pilot project for cameras after a bystander recorded footage of police using a car door to knock a man over during an arrest .
Erick Laming is a Shabot Obaadjiwan First Nation PhD candidate in criminology at the University of Toronto .
He also researches police use of force and oversight .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ is being rushed by politics and not empirical data .
`` We have to look at how police respond to ( situations ) , '' he said .
`` It 's not really the body camera . ''
Laming said there is n't transparency about police force policies on cameras , such as ensuring public privacy , who gets access to the video or when officers are required to turn them on .
Sgt .
Travis Baker leads the body camera project for the Calgary police , which has equipped about 1,150 officers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ $ 5 million to get the cameras and to fund an eight-year contract with Axon , an American company that supplies the gear and stores the data .
All video is uploaded into a cloud-based storage system based in Ontario and only officers involved in an investigation get access to the video related to it , Baker said .
Before the cameras were rolled out , the Calgary force conducted a privacy impact assessment , Baker said .
Broadly speaking , the policy says officers are required to record any interaction they have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the project is underway , with information about use-of-force and complaints to be released later this year .
Baker , however , said all officers have embraced the technology .
He said the cameras hold police and the public accountable .
`` We truly see it as a tool , '' Baker said .
`` It gathers evidence at a level that is unprecedented .
It keeps absolutely everybody engaged and honest in the interaction . ''
This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 2 , 2020

A Calgary police officer loudly tells an Indigenous man to put his hands on the roof of his car and, within seconds, the situation escalates to yelling. Body-worn camera video from the officer's chest then shows the man's head pushed into his vehicle. Herbert Daniels, 67, made a freedom of information request to get the video of his arrest, which he provided to Global News, saying it demonstrates excessive force. Using the arrest of Daniels as an example, many politicians have been calling for wider use of police body cameras in the wake of global protests calling to defund police, claiming the technology increases accountability. There is, however, no consistent evidence that the cameras reduce police violence. A study in the Criminology & Public Policy journal published last year looked at 70 other studies into body-worn cameras and found the technology had statistically insignificant impacts on police and citizen behaviour.
"(Cameras) will not be an easy panacea for improving police performance, accountability, and relationships with citizens," the study said. A trial published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America in 2019 also found the cameras "did not meaningfully affect" police behaviour on outcomes that include complaints and use of force. Billion-dollar land deals in Ontario raise corruption suspicions A six-month study by Western Australia Police Force in 2016 actually found a small increase in use-of-force incidents when officers wore the cameras.
Minneapolis police officers involved in the May arrest of George Floyd were wearing body cameras as one of them knelt on the Black man's neck for several minutes and he died. A Calgary police officer loudly tells an Indigenous man to put his hands on the roof of his car and, within seconds, the situation escalates to yelling. Body-worn camera video from the officer's chest then shows the man's head pushed into his vehicle Data is still emerging in Canada about the efficacy of the cameras. Since 2010, many police forces have implemented pilot projects but most abandoned them later, saying they didn't provide value for what they cost to both purchase the devices and store the data. Calgary is the only large police force to so far adopt the technology for front-line officers. A final report into an Edmonton pilot project, which ran from 2011 to 2014, said the cameras had a potential for positive outcomes. But it found concerns about policy and no quantitative evidence that the cameras had an impact on complaints against officers. "Body-worn cameras not only create concerns about the public's privacy rights but can also affect how officers relate to people in the community, the community's perception of the police, and expectations about how police agencies should share information," the report said. There have also been pilot projects in Toronto, Thunder Bay and Montreal. Montreal found the cameras had little impact on police interventions and there were significant logistical and financial challenges.
Some smaller forces have cameras for a few officers. Fredericton police have six and the force in Medicine Hat, Alta., has 10. Recently, many communities have changed their positions on cameras. Toronto Mayor John Tory said he expects to have cameras on officers by the fall and Montreal Mayor Valérie Plante said the technology will be adopted as soon as possible. The RCMP has also committed to outfitting some officers with cameras. Nunavut is pushing forward with a pilot project for cameras after a bystander recorded footage of police using a car door to knock a man over during an arrest.


nationalobserver--2020-07-02--Restrictions to enter Canada extended to July 31 as COVID-19 worries remain

The federal government says it has extended tight rules barring most foreign travellers from entering Canada until the end of July as part of efforts to slow the spread of COVID-19 .
The restrictions covering people seeking to enter Canada from countries other than the United States were set to expire at midnight Tuesday , the end of June .
The rule was imposed by an order of the federal cabinet in March .
`` I can confirm the order has been extended , '' said Rebecca Purdy , a spokesperson for the Canada Border Services Agency .
`` All @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , including tourism or recreation , is covered by these measures . ''
• B.C .
First Nations leaders want immediate end to open-net salmon farms • Shifting to electric vehicles requires economic incentives , just ask Norway Entry from the United States is covered by a separate order that 's currently in effect until July 21 after having been extended three times .
The border agency pointedly reminded people Tuesday that the restrictions on travel into Canada from the United States remain even on Canada Day and U.S .
Independence Day on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ order barring people entering from non-U.S. countries include immediate family of Canadian citizens or permanent residents , as well as to cover cases such as flight crews .
The extension of the order comes at the same time as the European Union 's council recommended its members lift entry restrictions on residents of a number of non-EU countries , including Canada .
That recommendation is n't binding on member states .
The EU says it 's based on the current COVID-19 situation in those countries and the measures each is taking to keep @ @ @ @ @ @ @ States , where cases of the illness have been rising again , is not on the list .
This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 30 , 2020 .

The federal government says it has extended tight rules barring most foreign travellers from entering Canada until the end of July as part of efforts to slow the spread of COVID-19.
The restrictions covering people seeking to enter Canada from countries other than the United States were set to expire at midnight Tuesday, the end of June.
The rule was imposed by an order of the federal cabinet in March.
"I can confirm the order has been extended," said Rebecca Purdy, a spokesperson for the Canada Border Services Agency.
"All travel of an optional or discretionary nature, including tourism or recreation, is covered by these measures."


nationalobserver--2020-07-02--Kielburger says he "misspoke" when he said Trudeau's office contacted WE about $900M program

One of the co-founders of WE Charity says he `` misspoke '' when he told youth leaders that Prime Minister Justin Trudeau 's staff reached out in April to see if the organization would administer what became a $ 900-million federal student-aid program .
The Canadian Press has obtained video of Marc Kielburger telling youth leaders during a conference call earlier this month that Trudeau 's office contacted the charity one day after the prime minister announced plans for the Canada Student Service Grant on April 22 .
Trudeau has been on the defensive since the government revealed last week @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the grant program , which will provide students with up to $ 5,000 toward their education costs for volunteering for causes related to the COVID-19 pandemic .
The attacks against the prime minister have included allegations of cronyism and questions about a conflict of interest as Trudeau and his wife , Sophie Gregoire Trudeau , both have longstanding connections with the Toronto-based organization .
Trudeau has said WE will be paid only to cover its costs and that the non-partisan public service concluded that the WE organization was the only group in Canada @ @ @ @ @ @ @ program and reach the many thousands of young people who might sign up for it .
• B.C .
First Nations leaders want immediate end to open-net salmon farms • Shifting to electric vehicles requires economic incentives , just ask Norway In the video , Kielburger describes Trudeau 's April announcement that the government planned to provide more money for summer jobs and volunteer positions as `` substantive '' given the challenges many young people are expected to face paying for their schooling during COVID-19 .
`` Then the next day the Prime @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said : 'You know that announcement we just made , would you be interested in helping us actually implement ? '
'' Kielburger says in the recording .
`` After much consideration , we put up our hand and said : 'Of course , we 're happy to be of assistance . '
'' The 43-year-old , who founded the WE Movement and associated youth charities with his brother Craig more than two decades ago and has since guided its growth into an international organization , backtracked on those assertions on Tuesday .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ in a statement .
`` Speaking loosely and enthusiastically , I incorrectly referred to the Prime Minister 's Office .
In fact , the outreach came from unelected officials at Employment and Social Development Canada . ''
Kielburger went on to say that `` contact came to WE Charity '' from a senior assistant deputy minister the week of April 26 — the week after Trudeau 's announcement .
One of the co-founders of WE Charity says he `` misspoke '' when he told youth leaders that Prime Minister Justin Trudeau 's staff @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the organization would administer what became a $ 900-million federal student-aid program .
WE did not immediately respond to follow-up questions about whether there was contact between it and Trudeau or his staff during the week of April 20 , when the actual announcement was made .
Asked Tuesday whether there was contact between the Prime Minister 's Office and WE the week of April 20 , Trudeau spokesman Alex Wellstead said : `` No , not to our knowledge , '' adding : `` No one from the Prime Minister 's Office @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Student Service Grant . ''
The official Opposition Conservatives nonetheless referred to Trudeau 's connections to WE in a letter to auditor general Karen Hogan on Sunday , asking her to investigate the decision to have the charity administer the student grant program .
The Tories say contracting an outside organization to administer the program circumvents Parliament 's ability to hold the Liberal government to account over the program as well as ensure value for money .
In his statement , Kielburger said that `` all discussions came at the instigation of departmental @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to contract and program parameters . ''
In a separate statement Tuesday , a senior public servant defended the decision to award the work to WE while asserting `` there was no pressure either from the Prime Minister 's Office or from ( Youth ) Minister ( Bardish ) Chagger 's office to formalize an agreement with WE Charity . ''
`` To ensure we could maximize the award money available to students during this difficult time , we needed to move quickly to set up the program , '' said Gina Wilson @ @ @ @ @ @ @ minister of diversity , inclusion and youth , in a statement relayed through the Department of Employment and Social Development .
`` Officials determined that utilizing WE Charity with its extensive reach and capacity would be the most effective approach to quickly deliver this program . ''
More than 26,000 applications for the grant have been received so far from interested students , Wilson added .

One of the co-founders of WE Charity says he "misspoke" when he told youth leaders that Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's staff reached out in April to see if the organization would administer what became a $900-million federal student-aid program. The Canadian Press has obtained video of Marc Kielburger telling youth leaders during a conference call earlier this month that Trudeau's office contacted the charity one day after the prime minister announced plans for the Canada Student Service Grant on April 22. Trudeau has been on the defensive since the government revealed last week that WE had been chosen to administer the grant program, which will provide students with up to $5,000 toward their education costs for volunteering for causes related to the COVID-19 pandemic. The attacks against the prime minister have included allegations of cronyism and questions about a conflict of interest as Trudeau and his wife, Sophie Gregoire Trudeau, both have longstanding connections with the Toronto-based organization. Trudeau has said WE will be paid only to cover its costs and that the non-partisan public service concluded that the WE organization was the only group in Canada with the capacity to run the volunteering program and reach the many thousands of young people who might sign up for it.
In the video, Kielburger describes Trudeau's April announcement that the government planned to provide more money for summer jobs and volunteer positions as "substantive" given the challenges many young people are expected to face paying for their schooling during COVID-19. "Then the next day the Prime Minister's Office kindly called us and said: 'You know that announcement we just made, would you be interested in helping us actually implement?'" Kielburger says in the recording. Billion-dollar land deals in Ontario raise corruption suspicions "After much consideration, we put up our hand and said: 'Of course, we're happy to be of assistance.'"
The 43-year-old, who founded the WE Movement and associated youth charities with his brother Craig more than two decades ago and has since guided its growth into an international organization, backtracked on those assertions on Tuesday. One of the co-founders of WE Charity says he "misspoke" when he told youth leaders that Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's staff reached out in April to see if the organization would administer what became a $900-million federal student-aid program. "I misspoke," Kielburger said in a statement. "Speaking loosely and enthusiastically, I incorrectly referred to the Prime Minister's Office. In fact, the outreach came from unelected officials at Employment and Social Development Canada." Kielburger went on to say that "contact came to WE Charity" from a senior assistant deputy minister the week of April 26 — the week after Trudeau's announcement. WE did not immediately respond to follow-up questions about whether there was contact between it and Trudeau or his staff during the week of April 20, when the actual announcement was made. Asked Tuesday whether there was contact between the Prime Minister's Office and WE the week of April 20, Trudeau spokesman Alex Wellstead said: "No, not to our knowledge," adding: "No one from the Prime Minister's Office asked WE Charity to administer the Canada Student Service Grant."
The official Opposition Conservatives nonetheless referred to Trudeau's connections to WE in a letter to auditor general Karen Hogan on Sunday, asking her to investigate the decision to have the charity administer the student grant program. The Tories say contracting an outside organization to administer the program circumvents Parliament's ability to hold the Liberal government to account over the program as well as ensure value for money. In his statement, Kielburger said that "all discussions came at the instigation of departmental officials and they led discussions with respect to contract and program parameters."


nationalobserver--2020-07-02--Brazilian cowboy nears end of epic horse ride from Alaska to Calgary

Filipe Masetti Leite stops for a break from another long day in the saddle on his year-long trek encountering bugs , bears , buffalo and bad weather .
The Brazilian cowboy , 33 , who grew up in Canada and wants to become a Canadian citizen , is to finish his 3,400-kilometre journey by horse from Alaska to Calgary on Friday .
The 2020 Calgary Stampede , set to start the same day , was cancelled due to COVID-19 .
Despite the cancellation , Masetti Leite was named the event 's official parade marshal .
He is to be greeted @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Mounties on horseback , who will then ride with him to a small ceremony at the city 's Stampede grounds .
`` I 'm sad to say goodbye to my ponies , but other than that I 'm looking forward to getting to Calgary and having a beer , '' Masetti Leite says with a laugh while stopped this week on a desolate road mostly used by campers and logging trucks about 120 kilometres northwest of Calgary .
Light rain drips from the brim of his white cowboy hat as dark clouds move @ @ @ @ @ @ @ leaders want immediate end to open-net salmon farms • Shifting to electric vehicles requires economic incentives , just ask Norway Masetti Leite says he has avoided travelling on major highways since he set out from Anchorage in May 2019 , switching between his two horses named Smoky and Mack .
It 's not his first journey as a long rider , a term used for an equestrian who has gone more than 1,600 continuous kilometres in a single journey .
He covered about 16,000 kilometres riding from Calgary to his parents ' home @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Paulo between 2012 and 2014 .
In 2016 , he rode 7,350 kilometres from Brazil to Patagonia .
Masetti Leite , who moved with his family to Calgary when he was nine , later grew up in Toronto .
He says he was inspired to become a long rider by Aime Tschiffely , a Swiss school teacher who rode 16,000 kilometres alone from Buenos Aires to New York City in 1925 and wrote about his experiences .
Masetti Leite has also documented his travels and written the book `` Long Ride Home : @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Days Through the Americas in a Saddle . ''
Proudly sporting a Canadian flag on the right arm of his black bomber jacket , Masetti Leite says most people do n't realize he is n't a Canadian citizen .
He says his family applied years ago for citizenship for humanitarian reasons but were denied .
Filipe Masetti Leite stops for a break from another long day in the saddle on his year-long trek encountering bugs , bears , buffalo and bad weather .
`` It 's the hardest part of my life , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
`` It was like a punch to the gut . ''
He says he feels Canadian .
`` I love this country so much .
I 've been a man without a country for years sir .
It 's a total identity crisis . ''
Masetti Leite says this long ride into Calgary will be his last .
`` I started doing this because I did n't want to do the mundane and now this has become mundane , '' he says .
`` I crossed a grizzly bear the other day @ @ @ @ @ @ @ And you know what ?
I 've got to call it quits .
This is not normal . ''

Filipe Masetti Leite stops for a break from another long day in the saddle on his year-long trek encountering bugs, bears, buffalo and bad weather.
The Brazilian cowboy, 33, who grew up in Canada and wants to become a Canadian citizen, is to finish his 3,400-kilometre journey by horse from Alaska to Calgary on Friday. The 2020 Calgary Stampede, set to start the same day, was cancelled due to COVID-19.
Despite the cancellation, Masetti Leite was named the event's official parade marshal. He is to be greeted by an escort of Stampede officials and Mounties on horseback, who will then ride with him to a small ceremony at the city's Stampede grounds.
"I'm sad to say goodbye to my ponies, but other than that I'm looking forward to getting to Calgary and having a beer," Masetti Leite says with a laugh while stopped this week on a desolate road mostly used by campers and logging trucks about 120 kilometres northwest of Calgary.
Light rain drips from the brim of his white cowboy hat as dark clouds move overhead.


nationalobserver--2020-07-02--UVic's oily governing boards lay bare fossil fuel's deep entrenchment in Canadian society

We are University of Victoria ( UVic ) researchers with the Corporate Mapping Project ( CMP ) — a partnership of university and community-based researchers investigating the power and influence of the oil , gas and coal industries in Western Canada ( UVic is the academic home for the CMP ) .
One of the CMP ’ s main findings is that the extensive power of the fossil fuel industry is the primary obstruction to much-needed climate action .
From funding outright denial to persistently lobbying decision-makers , the industry has been successful at stalling substantive climate policies .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ calamitous .
The bad news is that climate change will be worse .
It is easy to forget that 2020 began with Australia burning in a brutal wildfire season .
Like this pandemic , Australia ’ s disaster was predicted years in advance by ecological science .
As we slowly emerge from the coronavirus crisis , it is worth asking : Why has action on climate change been glacial , while actual glaciers are rapidly melting ?
In addition to these direct forms of obstruction , the fossil fuel industry also influences decision-making @ @ @ @ @ @ @ organizations of civil society , from think tanks and industry associations to universities .
This reach is often accomplished through interlocking directorates — the practice where members of a corporate board of directors serve on the boards of multiple other organizations .
Industry executives and directors who also sit on the governance boards of civil society organizations and public institutions , such as universities , create an influence network whose many threads of communication and collaboration enable the fossil fuel industry to advance its profit-driven concerns disguised as being in the `` public @ @ @ @ @ @ @ report from the Canadian Association of University Teachers found that oil company interference compromised academic integrity at the University of Calgary .
The controversy centred on Enbridge ’ s push to remove the director of the university ’ s Enbridge Centre for Corporate Sustainability for publicly challenging the company .
At the time , then University of Calgary president Elizabeth Cannon held a highly remunerated position on Enbridge ’ s board .
She now sits on the board of Canadian Natural Resources , one of the largest oilsands ’ producers .
The divestment @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a chance .
In 2016 , Dalhousie ’ s then dean of science , Chris Moore , raised concerns when a senior executive at Shell , a major donor to Dalhousie , told him the company was “ monitoring the university divestment movement closely and would look unfavourably on any university that divested in regard to future investment.
” Dalhousie continues to block divestment despite a vibrant student campaign .
When UBC divested , it joined Université Laval , Université du Québec à Montréal , and Concordia University as Canadian leaders .
Most @ @ @ @ @ @ @ announced a divestment plan .
Despite these successes , most Canadian universities lag behind their counterparts in other regions .
For example , half of U.K. universities have divested .
The regions with the highest concentration of divestment decisions — such as the U.K. , California , and New York state — are not major fossil fuel producers .
Canada , on the other hand , is the world ’ s fourth-largest producer .
Here the industry has the capacity and incentive to seek seats on decision-making tables across the country , ensuring @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s interests .
This influence peddling also extends to universities .
Despite this significant industry obstruction , climate action still remains possible , thanks to the tireless efforts of popular movements .
In January , the University of British Columbia ( UBC ) became the largest Canadian university to divest from fossil fuel companies .
When institutions of record such as UBC divest for moral and financial reasons , that helps to challenge the social licence of oil , gas and coal companies , creating more space for politicians to pass the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Green New Deal — required to avoid 1.5 C warming .
This victory at UBC prompted a question for us at the University of Victoria : Why not here , when the divestment movements at UVic and UBC have been operating for the same time period , using similar tactics ?
Given this history of industry obstruction , especially in fossil-fuel producing provinces , the UBC decision is especially impressive ( B.C .
is Canada ’ s second-largest fracked gas producer , behind Alberta ) .
To answer this question , we turned @ @ @ @ @ @ @ if industry influence might be informing UVic ’ s opposition despite deep support for divestment from both students and faculty .
Likewise , we wanted to see if an absence of industry obstruction was a factor in the UBC success story .
We looked particularly at the UVic and UBC governing boards , since these are the bodies that control the endowment funds targeted by divestment campaigners ( $ 1.7 billion for UBC and $ 470 million for UVic ) .
We looked to see if these board members had links to fossil @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Why banks ?
Because they are major investors in the Canadian oilpatch , with a vested interest in seeing fossil fuel production grow .
The Royal Bank of Canada ( RBC ) , for example , is the second-largest investor in Canada ’ s fossil fuel sector and its number one lender .
Industry-affiliated board members do not , as a rule , actively promote the firms to which they are tied .
Rather , they bring to the table a worldview , shaped by their own commitment to the fossil fuel industry @ @ @ @ @ @ @ serious climate action .
We found no significant linkages to banks or fossil fuel companies on UBC ’ s board , with most members involved in law , real estate , hospitality , non-profit or tech .
The chair of UBC ’ s board , Michael Korenberg ( who resigned after liking racist , far-right comments on Twitter ) , did serve on the board of a coal exporting company up until 2017 .
He didn ’ t mention this affiliation on his UBC or LinkedIn pages .
He was also formerly on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ major bank ) , whose parent company recently announced it would stop financing new coal and oilsands developments .
Maybe this decision is why Korenberg kept his former connection to coal “ in the ground.
” From all accounts , Korenberg was a strong supporter of UBC ’ s divestment push , which was led by brilliant student campaigners with the organization UBCC350 .
A spill of influence on the Left Coast The scene is different across the Salish Sea .
Unlike UBC , UVic has two governing boards , one for the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ overseeing the endowment fund .
The main board is responsible for appointing the endowment board , and both are significantly connected to fossil fuels and finance .
For example , the chair of the endowment board , Mary Garden , is also a director for Horizon North Logistics , which builds modular camps for oil and gas production .
These camps , often referred to as “ man camps , ” have been implicated in gendered colonial violence and the crisis of missing and murdered Indigenous women .
Horizon North built the camps @ @ @ @ @ @ @ suwet ’ en territory , where in February , the RCMP conducted a militarized five-day siege that sparked solidarity actions across the country .
Likewise , Horizon North Logistics also built the camps at the Kearl Lake oilsands facility in northern Alberta that has been linked to a large COVID-19 outbreak .
Because the Alberta government has not restricted fly-in fly-out workers , the outbreak has already been linked to the deaths of two Dene elders in Saskatchewan , along with cases in B.C.
, Nova Scotia and Newfoundland and Labrador .
Garden @ @ @ @ @ @ @ endowment board is a potential obstruction to divestment at UVic , since she represents a company with profits tied to the fossil fuel industry .
The connections do not end there .
Also on the endowment board ( which includes eight members from outside UVic ) sits Lisa Dempsey , who is a VP and investment counsellor for RBC , and Doug Stadelman , who until 2018 was an RBC VP for Canadian equities .
Recall that RBC is the world ’ s second-largest investor in Canada 's fossil fuel sector .
There @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s main board of governors as well .
Daphne Corbett was a director with Pulse Seismic until 2018 , a company with a mission to provide “ seismic data to the western Canadian energy sector.
” And Beverly Van Ruyven is the former chair of the Western Energy Institute , “ a trade association serving the electric and natural gas industries throughout the Western United States and Canada.
” We in the divestment movement at UVic — a university that claims sustainability and reconciliation leadership — have been swimming against a tide of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sit-ins and successful votes by faculty and students have gone nowhere .
Why ?
Perhaps it is due to the influence the industry and their financiers wield on UVic ’ s governing boards .
This influence might also help explain why UVic remains committed to investing in fossil fuel companies , even while those investments are losing millions of dollars .
UVic lost $ 4 million on its Canadian fossil fuel investments between March 2018 and March 2019 .
Even before COVID-19 , UVic ’ s fossil energy investments were delivering a -17 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ) .
In contrast , the Toronto Stock Exchange ’ s fossil free index had a +7.9 per cent RoR that same year .
The fossil energy sector was the worst-performing segment of the stock market in 2018-19 .
No longer can anyone credibly claim that divestment is financially imprudent .
The reverse may now be true .
Recently , Norway ’ s sovereign wealth fund — one of the world ’ s largest investors — announced that it would no longer invest in Suncor , Imperial Oil , Canadian Natural Resources and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ emissions .
UVic is invested in three of these companies .
Perhaps UVic is staying the course due to the material and ideological interests of those sitting on its boards .
External members of Canadian university governing boards are mostly appointed by provincial governments .
Both the UBC and UVic external board members we examined were appointed by B.C .
's previous Liberal government .
We don ’ t know why the UBC board is largely free of fossil fuel connections .
But this difference puts UBC at a distinct advantage in managing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ change .
The financial outlook for fossil fuels is even grimmer since COVID-19 hit .
So far this year , UVic has lost another $ 9 million on its fossil energy investments .
There will be a bounce once economic activity resumes , but financial analysts , such as CNBC ’ s Jim Cramer , were warning about a “ death knell phase ” for fossil fuel stocks — even before the pandemic drove a dagger through balance sheets , soaking them in red .
UVic sits in member of Parliament Elizabeth May @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on the Left Coast , the fossil fuel industry and its financiers sit around decision-making tables .
This is a major financial and ecological risk because industry interests are at odds with the rapid energy transition required amid the climate crisis .
The industry influence alive at UVic is replicated across the country .
Consider the Canada Pension Plan , which has billions invested in fossil energy , despite the clear headwinds facing the industry .
Why ?
Perhaps it is because the board that governs the CPP is deeply entangled with the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to scrutinize those who oversee our collective wealth , examining how their interests and ideologies hamper or enable energy transition — at universities , in government and in the wider society .
UBC ’ s successful divestment movement is a hopeful sign that if we can remove industry obstruction , then a livable future for all remains possible .

James Rowe, William Carroll, Elora Adamson, Jason Hemmerling

In addition to these direct forms of obstruction, the fossil fuel industry also influences decision-making more informally through its reach into various organizations of civil society, from think tanks and industry associations to universities. This reach is often accomplished through interlocking directorates — the practice where members of a corporate board of directors serve on the boards of multiple other organizations. Industry executives and directors who also sit on the governance boards of civil society organizations and public institutions, such as universities, create an influence network whose many threads of communication and collaboration enable the fossil fuel industry to advance its profit-driven concerns disguised as being in the "public interest."
We are University of Victoria (UVic) researchers with the Corporate Mapping Project (CMP) — a partnership of university and community-based researchers investigating the power and influence of the oil, gas and coal industries in Western Canada (UVic is the academic home for the CMP). One of the CMP’s main findings is that the extensive power of the fossil fuel industry is the primary obstruction to much-needed climate action. From funding outright denial to persistently lobbying decision-makers , the industry has been successful at stalling substantive climate policies.
The death and disruption wrought by COVID-19 is calamitous. The bad news is that climate change will be worse. It is easy to forget that 2020 began with Australia burning in a brutal wildfire season. Like this pandemic , Australia’s disaster was predicted years in advance by ecological science. As we slowly emerge from the coronavirus crisis, it is worth asking: Why has action on climate change been glacial, while actual glaciers are rapidly melting?
When UBC divested, it joined Université Laval, Université du Québec à Montréal, and Concordia University as Canadian leaders. Most recently, the University of Guelph has announced a divestment plan . Despite these successes, most Canadian universities lag behind their counterparts in other regions. For example, half of U.K. universities have divested . The regions with the highest concentration of divestment decisions — such as the U.K., California, and New York state — are not major fossil fuel producers. Canada, on the other hand, is the world’s fourth-largest producer . Here the industry has the capacity and incentive to seek seats on decision-making tables across the country, ensuring that its interests are seen as Canada’s interests. This influence peddling also extends to universities.
Despite this significant industry obstruction, climate action still remains possible, thanks to the tireless efforts of popular movements. In January, the University of British Columbia (UBC) became the largest Canadian university to divest from fossil fuel companies . When institutions of record such as UBC divest for moral and financial reasons, that helps to challenge the social licence of oil, gas and coal companies, creating more space for politicians to pass the ambitious transition legislation — such as a Green New Deal — required to avoid 1.5 C warming.
Likewise, a 2017 report from the Canadian Association of University Teachers found that oil company interference compromised academic integrity at the University of Calgary. The controversy centred on Enbridge’s push to remove the director of the university’s Enbridge Centre for Corporate Sustainability for publicly challenging the company. At the time, then University of Calgary president Elizabeth Cannon held a highly remunerated position on Enbridge’s board. She now sits on the board of Canadian Natural Resources, one of the largest oilsands’ producers. The divestment movement at U of C never stood a chance.
In 2016, Dalhousie’s then dean of science, Chris Moore, raised concerns when a senior executive at Shell, a major donor to Dalhousie, told him the company was “monitoring the university divestment movement closely and would look unfavourably on any university that divested in regard to future investment.” Dalhousie continues to block divestment despite a vibrant student campaign.
Given this history of industry obstruction, especially in fossil-fuel producing provinces, the UBC decision is especially impressive (B.C. is Canada’s second-largest fracked gas producer, behind Alberta).
This victory at UBC prompted a question for us at the University of Victoria: Why not here, when the divestment movements at UVic and UBC have been operating for the same time period, using similar tactics?
Are corporate connections influencing the University of Victoria's position?
Turning the spotlight inwards
To answer this question, we turned the Corporate Mapping Project inwards, asking if industry influence might be informing UVic’s opposition despite deep support for divestment from both students and faculty. Likewise, we wanted to see if an absence of industry obstruction was a factor in the UBC success story. We looked particularly at the UVic and UBC governing boards, since these are the bodies that control the endowment funds targeted by divestment campaigners ($1.7 billion for UBC and $470 million for UVic).
We looked to see if these board members had links to fossil fuel companies and/or major Canadian banks. Why banks? Because they are major investors in the Canadian oilpatch, with a vested interest in seeing fossil fuel production grow.
The Royal Bank of Canada (RBC), for example, is the second-largest investor in Canada’s fossil fuel sector and its number one lender. Industry-affiliated board members do not, as a rule, actively promote the firms to which they are tied. Rather, they bring to the table a worldview, shaped by their own commitment to the fossil fuel industry, that presents a cultural barrier to serious climate action.
We found no significant linkages to banks or fossil fuel companies on UBC’s board, with most members involved in law, real estate, hospitality, non-profit or tech.
The chair of UBC’s board, Michael Korenberg (who resigned after liking racist, far-right comments on Twitter), did serve on the board of a coal exporting company up until 2017. He didn’t mention this affiliation on his UBC or LinkedIn pages. He was also formerly on the board of HSBC Canada (a major bank), whose parent company recently announced it would stop financing new coal and oilsands developments. Maybe this decision is why Korenberg kept his former connection to coal “in the ground.” From all accounts, Korenberg was a strong supporter of UBC’s divestment push, which was led by brilliant student campaigners with the organization UBCC350.
A spill of influence on the Left Coast
The scene is different across the Salish Sea. Unlike UBC, UVic has two governing boards, one for the broader university and one specifically charged with overseeing the endowment fund. The main board is responsible for appointing the endowment board, and both are significantly connected to fossil fuels and finance.
For example, the chair of the endowment board, Mary Garden, is also a director for Horizon North Logistics, which builds modular camps for oil and gas production. These camps, often referred to as “man camps,” have been implicated in gendered colonial violence and the crisis of missing and murdered Indigenous women. Horizon North built the camps for Coastal GasLink on sovereign Wet’suwet’en territory, where in February, the RCMP conducted a militarized five-day siege that sparked solidarity actions across the country.
Likewise, Horizon North Logistics also built the camps at the Kearl Lake oilsands facility in northern Alberta that has been linked to a large COVID-19 outbreak. Because the Alberta government has not restricted fly-in fly-out workers, the outbreak has already been linked to the deaths of two Dene elders in Saskatchewan, along with cases in B.C., Nova Scotia and Newfoundland and Labrador.
Garden’s position as chair of the endowment board is a potential obstruction to divestment at UVic, since she represents a company with profits tied to the fossil fuel industry. The connections do not end there. Also on the endowment board (which includes eight members from outside UVic) sits Lisa Dempsey, who is a VP and investment counsellor for RBC, and Doug Stadelman, who until 2018 was an RBC VP for Canadian equities. Recall that RBC is the world’s second-largest investor in Canada's fossil fuel sector.
There are fossil fuel linkages on UVic’s main board of governors as well. Daphne Corbett was a director with Pulse Seismic until 2018, a company with a mission to provide “seismic data to the western Canadian energy sector.” And Beverly Van Ruyven is the former chair of the Western Energy Institute, “a trade association serving the electric and natural gas industries throughout the Western United States and Canada.”
We in the divestment movement at UVic — a university that claims sustainability and reconciliation leadership — have been swimming against a tide of fracked gas and bitumen. Petitions, sit-ins and successful votes by faculty and students have gone nowhere. Why? Perhaps it is due to the influence the industry and their financiers wield on UVic’s governing boards. This influence might also help explain why UVic remains committed to investing in fossil fuel companies, even while those investments are losing millions of dollars.
UVic losing millions
UVic lost $4 million on its Canadian fossil fuel investments between March 2018 and March 2019. Even before COVID-19, UVic’s fossil energy investments were delivering a -17 per cent rate of return (RoR). In contrast, the Toronto Stock Exchange’s fossil free index had a +7.9 per cent RoR that same year. The fossil energy sector was the worst-performing segment of the stock market in 2018-19. No longer can anyone credibly claim that divestment is financially imprudent. The reverse may now be true.
Recently, Norway’s sovereign wealth fund — one of the world’s largest investors — announced that it would no longer invest in Suncor, Imperial Oil, Canadian Natural Resources and Cenovus due to their high greenhouse gas emissions. UVic is invested in three of these companies. Perhaps UVic is staying the course due to the material and ideological interests of those sitting on its boards.
External members of Canadian university governing boards are mostly appointed by provincial governments. Both the UBC and UVic external board members we examined were appointed by B.C.'s previous Liberal government. We don’t know why the UBC board is largely free of fossil fuel connections. But this difference puts UBC at a distinct advantage in managing the moral and financial risks of climate change.
The financial outlook for fossil fuels is even grimmer since COVID-19 hit. So far this year, UVic has lost another $9 million on its fossil energy investments. There will be a bounce once economic activity resumes, but financial analysts, such as CNBC’s Jim Cramer, were warning about a “death knell phase” for fossil fuel stocks — even before the pandemic drove a dagger through balance sheets, soaking them in red.
UVic’s oily board is the norm
UVic sits in member of Parliament Elizabeth May’s federal riding. Even here on the Left Coast, the fossil fuel industry and its financiers sit around decision-making tables. This is a major financial and ecological risk because industry interests are at odds with the rapid energy transition required amid the climate crisis. The industry influence alive at UVic is replicated across the country.
Consider the Canada Pension Plan, which has billions invested in fossil energy, despite the clear headwinds facing the industry. Why? Perhaps it is because the board that governs the CPP is deeply entangled with the fossil fuel industry.
It is important to scrutinize those who oversee our collective wealth, examining how their interests and ideologies hamper or enable energy transition — at universities, in government and in the wider society. UBC’s successful divestment movement is a hopeful sign that if we can remove industry obstruction, then a livable future for all remains possible.