nationalobserver--2020-05-27--Once we have a vaccine, how will we track who’s gotten it?

In the 1800s , smallpox ravaged the world .
Fortunately , a vaccine had been developed that could protect individuals .
This vaccine left a scar at the site of injection and identified the individuals as “ immune.
” As we look toward the future of the COVID-19 pandemic , unless the virus burns out or an effective therapeutic intervention becomes available , the only way out of our current situation will be immunity — either natural or induced by a vaccine .
If so , we will need to create a digital proof of immunity , a digital version @ @ @ @ @ @ @ society to return to normal .
Ideally , a safe and effective vaccine will be available in the New Year .
If this is the case , we will need to have effective systems in place to identify those who are immunized .
Our existing system of largely paper records will not be adequate .
Here is how such a system should work .
Most provincial/territorial governments have repositories of immunization data .
For the eventual COVID-19 vaccine , they will need to ensure that this data is accurate and that the individual @ @ @ @ @ @ @ vaccine .
The government could then issue a verified credential , an immunization badge , which contains an easily scannable barcode or QR code , through government portals .
This can be consumable by third party apps or be downloaded similar to a boarding pass .
• Canada Post tests the waters for postal banking with pilot projects , funding for study • The new world order is disorder To enter into certain venues , such as sporting events or for international travel , the digital badge will have to be presented .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ matched to an individual ’ s ID card , just as we do for boarding passes .
This will permit entry or travel .
Exemptions will exist for medical reasons .
I expect our tolerance for philosophical exemptions will be much lower given the consequences on both health and the economy if outbreaks re-emerge .
Ideally , an international standard for this vaccination will be set under the International Health Regulations which already provide guidance for yellow fever vaccine certificates ( Annex 7 ) .
This guidance needs to take into account the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is the issuance of digital badges for natural immunity confirmed by antibody testing .
The science and ethics of this solution are not mature at present , but that should not preclude us from considering this option .
As for immunization , antibody data from credentialed labs could be stored in immunity repositories and digital badges issued if a threshold of immunity is considered to be achieved .
The most likely initial application of this solution will be front-line workers where , if we are confident natural immunity provides protection , we can @ @ @ @ @ @ @ workers are identified to be immune .
This will create a form of “ shield immunity ” disrupting the transmission of the virus and protecting front-line workers and the people for whom they care .
A digital solution will have security and privacy risks that a paper record won ’ t have .
However , a digital solution will be agile and adaptable in a way paper records can not be .
For example , if scientific evidence emerges on waning immunity , digital badges can be revoked .
Decentralized ledgers ( think @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this information across borders and between institutions .
For the eventual COVID-19 vaccine the government could then issue a verified credential , an immunization badge , which contains an easily scannable barcode or QR code , through government portals .
As we enter into the next stage of this pandemic , we must start taking steps to ensure we have the right technology in place when science provide us with solutions .
I have confidence that the combination of science and technology , with ethical and legal oversight , can accelerate our return @ @ @

In the 1800s, smallpox ravaged the world. Fortunately, a vaccine had been developed that could protect individuals. This vaccine left a scar at the site of injection and identified the individuals as “immune.”
As we look toward the future of the COVID-19 pandemic, unless the virus burns out or an effective therapeutic intervention becomes available, the only way out of our current situation will be immunity — either natural or induced by a vaccine. If so, we will need to create a digital proof of immunity, a digital version of the smallpox scar, to help society to return to normal.
Ideally, a safe and effective vaccine will be available in the New Year. If this is the case, we will need to have effective systems in place to identify those who are immunized. Our existing system of largely paper records will not be adequate.
Here is how such a system should work.
Most provincial/territorial governments have repositories of immunization data. For the eventual COVID-19 vaccine, they will need to ensure that this data is accurate and that the individual identified did, indeed, receive the vaccine. The government could then issue a verified credential, an immunization badge, which contains an easily scannable barcode or QR code, through government portals. This can be consumable by third party apps or be downloaded similar to a boarding pass.


nationalobserver--2020-05-26--Calgary mayor warns city:  'Don't be like Toronto'

Calgary 's mayor is warning citizens `` do n't be like Toronto '' and congregate in large numbers in parks .
Naheed Nenshi made the comment in reference to thousands of people who squeezed into a downtown Toronto park on Saturday , despite calls from public health officials to avoid large gatherings .
Ontario Premier Doug Ford has called the behaviour `` reckless '' and suggested those who were there get tested for COVID-19 .
Toronto is one of the Canadian cities hit hardest by the virus , with over 10,000 confirmed cases and 768 deaths .
Nenshi is advising @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in their city .
• Canada Post tests the waters for postal banking with pilot projects , funding for study • The new world order is disorder He is also urging people to find other areas for recreation .
`` I just want to say to Calgarians , a sentence that Calgarians do n't need any reminding of — do n't be like Toronto , '' Nenshi said Tuesday during a news conference .
`` We have a beautiful city that is full of green spaces .
There are great opportunities to get @ @ @ @ @ @ @ spaces . ''
While its number of active cases is declining , Calgary and its surrounding region remain the provincial epicentre of the virus , with 560 active cases and 101 of Alberta 's 139 deaths .
This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 26 , 2020

Calgary's mayor is warning citizens "don't be like Toronto" and congregate in large numbers in parks.
Naheed Nenshi made the comment in reference to thousands of people who squeezed into a downtown Toronto park on Saturday, despite calls from public health officials to avoid large gatherings.
Ontario Premier Doug Ford has called the behaviour "reckless" and suggested those who were there get tested for COVID-19.
Toronto is one of the Canadian cities hit hardest by the virus, with over 10,000 confirmed cases and 768 deaths.
Nenshi is advising Calgarians against going to four popular parks in their city.


nationalobserver--2020-05-27--Torstar was sold — is that a good thing or really bad news?

Torontonians awoke Wednesday to the news that Torstar Corp. , publisher of the Toronto Star – Canada ’ s most widely read newspaper – had been sold for a mere $ 52 million .
My how the mighty have fallen .
Earlier this month , Torstar ’ s market cap ( the total value of its shares ) was down to a paltry $ 24.8 million and penny stock status .
Five years ago , its market cap was $ 415 million and , in 2004 , more than $ 2 billion , based on current stock values .
Torstar @ @ @ @ @ @ @ newspapers and operates dozens of digital businesses in Canada , was sold to a new company called Nordstar Capital LP , which , in turn , is owned by the Bitove and Rivett families , and led by Jordan Bitove and Paul Rivett .
Nordstar is a private company .
So what does this all mean ?
Is it a good day in the hellscape of the Canadian media scene or a bad one ?
• Canada Post tests the waters for postal banking with pilot projects , funding for study • The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ like the rest of the media industry , has been a dying business for quite some time , losing oodles of money in recent years — but not for lack of trying .
Run by the estimable John Honderich , the company has invested in every imaginable scheme to keep the lights on , from television ventures , free newspapers , digital platforms and tablet apps .
These efforts more or less failed and Torstar continued to bleed copious amounts of red ink .
The Honderich family , which has presided over the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ heavily in journalism .
The Toronto Star has usually been considered the best newspaper in the country , doing ground-breaking investigative journalism and often holding the powerful to account .
It once had a daily circulation of more than 500,000 , made staggering amounts of money and had bureaus across Canada and around the world .
Today , the print paper has a daily circulation of less than 200,000 , despite the Greater Toronto Area having a population of almost six million people , and is thin , threadbare and tired .
What @ @ @ @ @ @ @ unabashedly liberal politics in a media business dominated by conservative and pro-Tory outlets – such as Postmedia and the Globe and Mail .
`` Will the Bitoves and Rivetts keep a money-losing company afloat indefinitely and invest in great journalism in the hopes of turning the ship around ?
Or will they begin hacking away and selling off assets – which was what Torstar was doing anyway ? ''
But the remorseless internet destroyed Torstar , as it has most other legacy media outlets .
Who are the Bitoves and Rivetts ?
So @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Bitoves and Rivetts and what are their plans for Torstar ?
After all , while you have the happy stories of Amazon billionaire Jeff Bezos swooping in and buying the ailing Washington Post in 2013 and pumping in millions to turn it around , that ’ s a rarity .
Instead , over the past 10 years , hedge funds and private equity firms — often aptly called “ vulture funds ” — have been snapping up legacy media companies .
They buy newspapers at low prices , and then cut costs @ @ @ @ @ @ @ multiples .
But cutting costs means getting rid of journalists and other content providers .
Which also means the newspapers eventually turns to crap and readers flee for the exits .
Which then leads to more cost cutting and , eventually , bankruptcy .
Since 2010 when Postmedia Network Inc. , which owns Canada ’ s largest chain of newspapers , was created by a group of hedge and private equity funds , it ’ s been slowly bled dry like a stuck pig .
Much of Postmedia ’ s debt is held @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fund based in New Jersey , whose sole purpose appears to be to drain as much money out of the company as it possibly can .
And their modus operandi is simple : Cut and cut some more .
In April , Postmedia announced 80 permanent layoffs and the closing of 15 community publications .
A couple of days ago , it announced another 40 permanent layoffs .
Is this what the Bitoves and Rivetts have in mind for Torstar ?
Cutting and then selling off its remaining assets and making a tidy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ million seems like a bit of steal .
I asked San Grewal , who worked at the Toronto Star for 18 years as one of its top investigative journalists , his opinion .
Grewal left the Star in 2015 to start a digital newspaper , The Pointer .
“ The sale is potentially a good thing if the new owners , the Rivetts and Bitove families , are committed to journalistic values and good content , ” he told me .
Grewal found it difficult to imagine the two families would sell off @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” And Jordan Bitove said in a statement that : “ We believe in the news .
With this transaction we can ensure a future for world-class journalists and world-class journalism befitting the paper ’ s storied history .
We are committed to investing in the news business… ” Still , there are some worrisome things to consider .
Torstar has been guided by the Atkinson principles , a set of progressive social justice ideals espoused by Joseph E. Atkinson , the Star ’ s publisher from 1899 to 1948 .
The Honderich @ @ @ @ @ @ @ always embraced liberal causes .
Yet the Bitoves are a well-known business family with close ties to the Conservative Party of Canada in all of its various iterations .
The family ’ s patriarch , John Bitove Sr. , who died in 2015 , was described in his Globe and Mail obituary as “ a well-connected Conservative and party fundraiser over the years.
” In regards to Jordan Bitove and Paul Rivett , as Canadaland unearthed today , both businessmen have been heavy donors to the Conservative party and even the far-right People @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and given cash to Doug Ford , the PC Party of Ontario , and other prominent Tories , often for the maximum amounts .
The other alarming thing is that incoming vice-chair of the Toronto Star is David Peterson , a former premier of Ontario ( 1985-90 ) and one of the pillars of the Canadian corporate and legal establishment ( and I don ’ t mean that in a good way ) .
Peterson ’ s term as premier , which had started promisingly , was marred by the Patti Starr corruption @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , eventually sitting on the boards of many prominent companies and becoming a partner and chairman of one of the “ seven sisters ” corporate law firms , Cassels Brock & Blackwell LLP .
In the late 1990s , Peterson landed in hot water due to his role in the YBM Magnex scandal , which was a money-laundering front for one of Russia ’ s most vicious gangsters , Semion Mogilevich – a fixture on the FBI ’ s most wanted list .
Peterson was on the board of YBM Magnex as it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to raise money from investors .
Yet when private investigators YBM ’ s board had hired told the directors there were many fishy things about the company , Peterson and his fellow directors ignored the warnings and pursued getting the company listed .
YBM raised hundreds of millions from investors before it was exposed as a fraud and front for Mogilevich .
You can read the whole sordid tale here , from the Ontario Securities Commission ’ s investigation .
And under Peterson ’ s watch , Cassels Brock was forced to pay @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lawsuit launched by a group of General Motors dealerships for violating its contractual and fiduciary duties .
Former premier of Ontario , David Peterson , is the incoming vice-chair of the Toronto Star .
Here is the bigger question , though : No matter what their intentions , the reality is that investing in the media business to make money is just foolish .
With the exception of the New York Times , Wall Street Journal , the Financial Times and a couple of other properties that attract global audiences , most media @ @ @ @ @ @ @ so because the internet and the FAANGs – Facebook , Apple , Amazon , Netflix and Google – suck up all of the online advertising .
Which is why media companies like Torstar and Postmedia are struggling .
So while the legacy media is dying , no one has really figured out how to turn a profit in this landscape .
Grewal admitted that Jordan Bitove and Paul Rivett “ don ’ t fit the profile of philanthropic owners .
They are not in it to lose money and run it as a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Torstar had a net loss of $ 52 million , up from a loss of $ 31.5 million in 2018 .
And this was before COVID-19 hit the industry hard .
So will the Bitoves and Rivetts keep a money-losing company afloat indefinitely and invest in great journalism in the hopes of turning the ship around ?
Or will they begin hacking away and selling off assets – which was what Torstar was doing anyway ?
I fear they ’ ll end up embracing that last approach , even if they have bought @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
In which case , one of Canada ’ s most storied media companies is heading for the wood chipper – maybe not today , but eventually .

So what does this all mean? Is it a good day in the hellscape of the Canadian media scene or a bad one?
Torstar, which also publishes more than 70 newspapers and operates dozens of digital businesses in Canada, was sold to a new company called Nordstar Capital LP, which, in turn, is owned by the Bitove and Rivett families, and led by Jordan Bitove and Paul Rivett. Nordstar is a private company.
Earlier this month, Torstar’s market cap (the total value of its shares) was down to a paltry $24.8 million and penny stock status. Five years ago, its market cap was $415 million and, in 2004, more than $2 billion, based on current stock values.
Torontonians awoke Wednesday to the news that Torstar Corp., publisher of the Toronto Star – Canada’s most widely read newspaper – had been sold for a mere $52 million.
Run by the estimable John Honderich, the company has invested in every imaginable scheme to keep the lights on, from television ventures, free newspapers, digital platforms and tablet apps. These efforts more or less failed and Torstar continued to bleed copious amounts of red ink.
Torstar, like the rest of the media industry, has been a dying business for quite some time, losing oodles of money in recent years — but not for lack of trying.
But the remorseless internet destroyed Torstar, as it has most other legacy media outlets.
What also made Torstar stand out was its unabashedly liberal politics in a media business dominated by conservative and pro-Tory outlets – such as Postmedia and the Globe and Mail.
Today, the print paper has a daily circulation of less than 200,000, despite the Greater Toronto Area having a population of almost six million people, and is thin, threadbare and tired.
The Honderich family, which has presided over the company for decades, has always invested heavily in journalism. The Toronto Star has usually been considered the best newspaper in the country, doing ground-breaking investigative journalism and often holding the powerful to account. It once had a daily circulation of more than 500,000, made staggering amounts of money and had bureaus across Canada and around the world.
After all, while you have the happy stories of Amazon billionaire Jeff Bezos swooping in and buying the ailing Washington Post in 2013 and pumping in millions to turn it around, that’s a rarity. Instead, over the past 10 years, hedge funds and private equity firms — often aptly called “vulture funds” — have been snapping up legacy media companies. They buy newspapers at low prices, and then cut costs in the hope of selling at better multiples.
So the burning questions are: Who are the Bitoves and Rivetts and what are their plans for Torstar?
But cutting costs means getting rid of journalists and other content providers. Which also means the newspapers eventually turn to crap and readers flee for the exits. Which then leads to more cost cutting and, eventually, bankruptcy.
Since 2010 when Postmedia Network Inc., which owns Canada’s largest chain of newspapers, was created by a group of hedge and private equity funds, it’s been slowly bled dry like a stuck pig. Much of Postmedia’s debt is held by Chatham Asset Management, a hedge fund based in New Jersey, whose sole purpose appears to be to drain as much money out of the company as it possibly can. And their modus operandi is simple: Cut and cut some more.
In April, Postmedia announced 80 permanent layoffs and the closing of 15 community publications. A couple of days ago, it announced another 40 permanent layoffs.
Is this what the Bitoves and Rivetts have in mind for Torstar? Cutting and then selling off its remaining assets and making a tidy profit? After all, $52 million seems like a bit of steal.
I asked San Grewal, who worked at the Toronto Star for 18 years as one of its top investigative journalists, his opinion. Grewal left the Star in 2015 to start a digital newspaper, The Pointer. “The sale is potentially a good thing if the new owners, the Rivetts and Bitove families, are committed to journalistic values and good content,” he told me. Grewal found it difficult to imagine the two families would sell off the assets in a “garage sale.” And Jordan Bitove said in a statement that: “We believe in the news. With this transaction we can ensure a future for world-class journalists and world-class journalism befitting the paper’s storied history. We are committed to investing in the news business…”
Still, there are some worrisome things to consider. Torstar has been guided by the Atkinson principles, a set of progressive social justice ideals espoused by Joseph E. Atkinson, the Star’s publisher from 1899 to 1948. The Honderich family continued this legacy, and have always embraced liberal causes.
Yet the Bitoves are a well-known business family with close ties to the Conservative Party of Canada in all of its various iterations. The family’s patriarch, John Bitove Sr., who died in 2015, was described in his Globe and Mail obituary as “a well-connected Conservative and party fundraiser over the years.”
In regards to Jordan Bitove and Paul Rivett, as Canadaland unearthed today, both businessmen have been heavy donors to the Conservative party and even the far-right People’s Party Leader Maxime Bernier, and given cash to Doug Ford, the PC Party of Ontario, and other prominent Tories, often for the maximum amounts.
Curious choice for vice-chair
The other alarming thing is that incoming vice-chair of the Toronto Star is David Peterson, a former premier of Ontario (1985-90) and one of the pillars of the Canadian corporate and legal establishment (and I don’t mean that in a good way). Peterson’s term as premier, which had started promisingly, was marred by the Patti Starr corruption scandal.
Peterson then went into business, eventually sitting on the boards of many prominent companies and becoming a partner and chairman of one of the “seven sisters” corporate law firms, Cassels Brock & Blackwell LLP. In the late 1990s, Peterson landed in hot water due to his role in the YBM Magnex scandal, which was a money-laundering front for one of Russia’s most vicious gangsters, Semion Mogilevich – a fixture on the FBI’s most wanted list. Peterson was on the board of YBM Magnex as it was trying to get on the TSX to raise money from investors.
Yet when private investigators YBM’s board had hired told the directors there were many fishy things about the company, Peterson and his fellow directors ignored the warnings and pursued getting the company listed. YBM raised hundreds of millions from investors before it was exposed as a fraud and front for Mogilevich. You can read the whole sordid tale here, from the Ontario Securities Commission’s investigation.
And under Peterson’s watch, Cassels Brock was forced to pay out $28 million to settle a lawsuit launched by a group of General Motors dealerships for violating their contractual and fiduciary duties.
Former premier of Ontario, David Peterson, is the incoming vice-chair of the Toronto Star.
Here is the bigger question, though: No matter what their intentions, the reality is that investing in the media business to make money is just foolish.
With the exception of the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, the Financial Times and a couple of other properties that attract global audiences, most media companies lose money. And they do so because the internet and the FAANGs – Facebook, Apple, Amazon, Netflix and Google – suck up all of the online advertising. Which is why media companies like Torstar and Postmedia are struggling.
So while the legacy media is dying, no one has really figured out how to turn a profit in this landscape.
Grewal admitted that Jordan Bitove and Paul Rivett “don’t fit the profile of philanthropic owners. They are not in it to lose money and run it as a charitable philanthropic enterprise.”
Last year, Torstar had a net loss of $52 million, up from a loss of $31.5 million in 2018. And this was before COVID-19 hit the industry hard.
So will the Bitoves and Rivetts keep a money-losing company afloat indefinitely and invest in great journalism in the hopes of turning the ship around? Or will they begin hacking away and selling off assets – which was what Torstar was doing anyway?
I fear they’ll end up embracing that last approach, even if they have bought Torstar for all of the right reasons. In which case, one of Canada’s most storied media companies is heading for the wood chipper – maybe not today, but eventually.


nationalobserver--2020-05-27--Ontario takes over COVID-ravaged long-term care homes after 'gut-wrenching' report

Ontario will take over five troubled long-term care homes that were stricken by COVID-19 in the wake of a military report alleging abuse and neglect inside several of the facilities .
The Canadian Armed Forces report , released Tuesday , pulled back the curtain on horrifying conditions inside four of the five homes the province took over Wednesday ( the province also took over a fifth home that wasn ’ t included in the report ) .
Although Premier Doug Ford came under fire for his government ’ s scaling back of inspections , he refused calls to fire Long-Term @ @ @ @ @ @ @ stand behind my minister 100 per cent , ” Ford said .
Ford called the military in to assist in long-term care in Ontario in April , and troops were deployed in the province in early May .
The Opposition NDP said Ford ’ s refusal to fire Fullerton and acknowledge his government ’ s role in the crisis are troubling .
Party Leader Andrea Horwath pointed to the Progressive Conservative government ’ s decision to cut $ 34 million from its long-term care budget last year .
• Canada Post tests the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , funding for study • The new world order is disorder Critics have said the government did not act quickly enough to stop long-term care staff from working at multiple facilities and potentially spreading the virus .
“ Outrage is not enough , ” said Horwath .
“ We need permanent change in long-term care.
” Last month , CBC News revealed the Ford government largely stopped doing unannounced inspections of long-term-care homes .
The province continued investigating specific complaints , but in those cases , the facility knows an inspector is coming @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Issues and complaints had been reported at several of the five homes in the military report .
Fullerton blamed the COVID-19 crisis in long-term care on long-standing systemic issues in the province .
She also said facilities had been inspected dozens of times since the government took power , and across Ontario , long-term facilities have been inspected nearly 3,000 times .
“ The inspections , if you did them every five minutes it wouldn ’ t have changed the crises in staffing in our long-term care homes , ” she said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pull licences , to shut down facilities , '' Premier Doug Ford said .
# onpoli Horwath pointed out that many of the inspections were in response to specific complaints .
If there were thousands of investigations , she added , it ’ s because there were thousands of cries for help .
“ The government refuses to take responsibility , ” she said .
Ontario NDP Leader Andrea Horwath said the Ford government has failed to take responsibility for its role in how COVID-19 has ravaged long-term care homes .
File photo @ @ @ @ @ @ @ accountability Wednesday , saying he wouldn ’ t hesitate to take over more homes and transfer patients elsewhere if need be .
( The province previously took over two homes , and now controls a total of seven . )
“ We are fully prepared to pull licences , to shut down facilities , ” Ford said .
He also said the province ’ s auditor general will investigate , and some cases may be referred to police and result in criminal charges .
The chief coroner is also probing a death at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has also deployed a fleet of long-term care inspectors , Ford said , and an independent commission to review what went wrong that was originally planned for September has been moved up to July ( a commission is similar to a public inquiry , but gives the government more control over its findings ) .
But Ford declined to revoke licences until provincial inspectors could confirm conditions inside the homes had not improved .
In response to a question about how Ontarians could possibly trust that the inspection system would work when it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ homes during COVID-19 , Ford said he understands and promised the work would be “ extremely rigorous . ''
“ We need boots on the ground , ” he said .
“ I want eyes and ears in the homes.
” The military report focused on five homes : Orchard Villa in Pickering , Altamont in the Scarborough area of Toronto , Eatonville in the Etobicoke area of Toronto , Hawthorne in Toronto ’ s North York area , and Holland Christian in Brampton .
The report alleged a long list of abuses @ @ @ @ @ @ @ patients ’ bones , lax infection-control practices , feces and cockroach infestations and patients being force-fed until they choked .
On Tuesday , Ford had said the allegations were “ gut-wrenching.
” Of the five homes in the report , the province has now taken over all except Holland Christian , a not-for-profit home that Ford said had managed to get back on track .
Ontario also took over Camilla Care in Mississauga , which wasn ’ t spotlighted in the military report , but is managed by the same company as Altamont @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the homes taken over Wednesday are privately owned .

Ontario will take over five troubled long-term care homes that were stricken by COVID-19 in the wake of a military report alleging abuse and neglect inside several of the facilities. The Canadian Armed Forces report, released Tuesday, pulled back the curtain on horrifying conditions inside four of the five homes the province took over Wednesday (the province also took over a fifth home that wasn’t included in the report). Although Premier Doug Ford came under fire for his government’s scaling back of inspections, he refused calls to fire Long-Term Care Minister Merrilee Fullerton. “I stand behind my minister 100 per cent,” Ford said. Ford called the military in to assist in long-term care in Ontario in April, and troops were deployed in the province in early May. The Opposition NDP said Ford’s refusal to fire Fullerton and acknowledge his government’s role in the crisis are troubling. Party Leader Andrea Horwath pointed to the Progressive Conservative government’s decision to cut $34 million from its long-term care budget last year.
Critics have said the government did not act quickly enough to stop long-term care staff from working at multiple facilities and potentially spreading the virus. “Outrage is not enough,” said Horwath. “We need permanent change in long-term care.” Billion-dollar land deals in Ontario raise corruption suspicions Last month, CBC News revealed the Ford government largely stopped doing unannounced inspections of long-term-care homes. The province continued investigating specific complaints, but in those cases, the facility knows an inspector is coming and only the specific complaint is investigated.
Issues and complaints had been reported at several of the five homes in the military report. "We are fully prepared to pull licences, to shut down facilities," Premier Doug Ford said. #onpoli Fullerton blamed the COVID-19 crisis in long-term care on long-standing systemic issues in the province. She also said facilities had been inspected dozens of times since the government took power, and across Ontario, long-term facilities have been inspected nearly 3,000 times. “The inspections, if you did them every five minutes it wouldn’t have changed the crises in staffing in our long-term care homes,” she said. Horwath pointed out that many of the inspections were in response to specific complaints. If there were thousands of investigations, she added, it’s because there were thousands of cries for help. “The government refuses to take responsibility,” she said.
Ontario NDP Leader Andrea Horwath said the Ford government has failed to take responsibility for its role in how COVID-19 has ravaged long-term care homes. File photo by Alex Tétreault ‘We are fully prepared to pull licences’ Ford vowed to pursue accountability Wednesday, saying he wouldn’t hesitate to take over more homes and transfer patients elsewhere if need be. (The province previously took over two homes, and now controls a total of seven.)


nationalobserver--2020-05-27--Ontario pushing through changes to tenancy law as crisis looms

The Ford government is pushing through changes to tenancy law that will make it easier for landlords to evict tenants in Ontario even as the COVID-19 pandemic puts hundreds of thousands of renters in an increasingly precarious financial situation .
Specific measures in Bill 184 , perhaps ironically titled the `` Protecting Tenants and Strengthening Community Housing Act , '' appear likely to exacerbate a looming rental housing crisis where tenants who have lost their jobs could be thrown out of their homes in a wave of mass evictions .
The bill , first introduced at Queen ’ s Park @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in place in March that effectively locked hundreds of thousands of workers out of their jobs , passed second reading Wednesday .
It could be quickly moved through a Progressive Conservative-controlled committee before coming back to the legislature for a third and final pass in coming weeks .
If passed into law in its current form , tenants will no longer be able to raise issues of persistent disrepair during an eviction hearing at the Landlord and Tenant Board ( LTB ) , the provincial tribunal that hears residential tenancy disputes , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ terms of a rent arrears repayment plan will face immediate eviction .
• Canada Post tests the waters for postal banking with pilot projects , funding for study • The new world order is disorder While Premier Doug Ford placed a moratorium on evictions during the pandemic early on in the emergency response — saying renters facing a choice between rent and food should choose food — he has given no indication that leniency will be offered in the coming months .
In fact , the measure allowing for immediate eviction after a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the hands of the LTB .
Critics say his government has largely left renters at the mercy of landlords .
“ The notion that Doug Ford has tenants ’ backs is laughable in the context of ramming through this bill when no one ’ s watching , ” said Brian Doherty , a member of the Parkdale Organize tenants group that is building a collective resistance to unfair landlord practices .
“ The only thing they have concretely put on the table is this legislation , during this global pandemic , that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it ’ s tailor-made to make it easier — for landlords to evict tenants , ” Doherty said .
The move is one of the first measures introduced to the pared-down legislature that is not directly related to the COVID-19 crisis .
Opposition members broadly argued it should have been postponed until after the summer when the lingering effects of the shutdown will be more apparent .
“ We ’ re in a state of emergency .
What ’ s the hurry ?
” asked Liberal MPP John Fraser .
Ontario 's @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tenancy law that would make it easier for landlords to evict tenants who miss arrears payments , just as the COVID-19 pandemic means many more renters are falling into arrears .
# onpoli Green party leader Mike Schreiner said he ’ d prefer to see the bill held over until much later in the year .
“ It ’ s an inappropriate piece of legislation to introduce at this time , ” he said .
“ We should be focused on legislation that is directly related to the COVID-19 crisis.
” Liberal MPP @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Schreiner speak to reporters via videoconference after Bill 184 passed second reading on May 27 , 2020 As June rent comes due , both tenant and landlord groups are bracing for even more renters to fall into arrears , with tenant advocates warning of a wave of evictions once the moratorium is lifted .
The negative effects will be most keenly felt by younger people , who are both more likely to live in rentals and who have lost work at a disproportionate rate relative to the overall workforce since the pandemic shut @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in mid-March .
The express eviction proposal is also worrying for the Opposition NDP .
“ As soon as they miss a payment , that ’ s it .
The sheriff can knock at the door and you ’ re out , ” said the NDP ’ s tenant rights critic Suze Morrison .
“ It ’ s going to allow landlords to fast-track evictions of tenants , which I found deeply problematic.
” The NDP is calling for a rent subsidy of up to $ 2,500 over four months for tenants who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and for increased legislative protection against lockout and evictions .
“ We can ’ t rely on the kindness of individual landlords to help people get through this crisis , ” Morrison said .
“ People need the government to step up with real support.
” She cited the case of a tenant in her downtown Toronto riding named Emily who recently received an eviction notice from her landlord one hour after offering to pay as much of her rent as she could .
Emily had lost all her income due to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on federal emergency benefits .
But with her 400-square-foot apartment costing her $ 1,500 a month , she has only $ 500 left from the CERB to cover food , utilities and medications related to a recent emergency dental surgery .
“ There ’ s simply no way to work the math , so she went back to her landlord and said she could afford to pay $ 1,100 , ” Morrison said .
The N4 form arrived soon after , meaning Emily has two weeks to make up the difference or risk @ @ @ @ @ @ @ case added to those backing up at the tribunal .
While the LTB typically receives between 3,500 and 4,000 L1 eviction applications from landlords each month , that number dipped to around 2,500 in March and to 1,400 in April , a spokesperson said .
But none by the most urgent cases are currently being heard .

The Ford government is pushing through changes to tenancy law that will make it easier for landlords to evict tenants in Ontario even as the COVID-19 pandemic puts hundreds of thousands of renters in an increasingly precarious financial situation. Specific measures in Bill 184, perhaps ironically titled the "Protecting Tenants and Strengthening Community Housing Act," appear likely to exacerbate a looming rental housing crisis where tenants who have lost their jobs could be thrown out of their homes in a wave of mass evictions. The bill, first introduced at Queen’s Park days before COVID-19 emergency measures were put in place in March that effectively locked hundreds of thousands of workers out of their jobs, passed second reading Wednesday. It could be quickly moved through a Progressive Conservative-controlled committee before coming back to the legislature for a third and final pass in coming weeks. If passed into law in its current form, tenants will no longer be able to raise issues of persistent disrepair during an eviction hearing at the Landlord and Tenant Board (LTB), the provincial tribunal that hears residential tenancy disputes, and those who are unable to meet the terms of a rent arrears repayment plan will face immediate eviction.
While Premier Doug Ford placed a moratorium on evictions during the pandemic early on in the emergency response — saying renters facing a choice between rent and food should choose food — he has given no indication that leniency will be offered in the coming months. In fact, the measure allowing for immediate eviction after a missed arrears repayment takes that option out of the hands of the LTB. Critics say his government has largely left renters at the mercy of landlords. Billion-dollar land deals in Ontario raise corruption suspicions “The notion that Doug Ford has tenants’ backs is laughable in the context of ramming through this bill when no one’s watching,” said Bryan Doherty, a member of the Parkdale Organize tenants group that is building a collective resistance to unfair landlord practices.
“The only thing they have concretely put on the table is this legislation, during this global pandemic, that is guaranteed to make it easier — it’s tailor-made to make it easier — for landlords to evict tenants,” Doherty said. Ontario's @fordnation government is pushing though changes to tenancy law that would make it easier for landlords to evict tenants who miss arrears payments, just as the COVID-19 pandemic means many more renters are falling into arrears. #onpoli The move is one of the first measures introduced to the pared-down legislature that is not directly related to the COVID-19 crisis. Opposition members broadly argued it should have been postponed until after the summer when the lingering effects of the shutdown will be more apparent. “We’re in a state of emergency. What’s the hurry?” asked Liberal MPP John Fraser. Green party leader Mike Schreiner said he’d prefer to see the bill held over until much later in the year. “It’s an inappropriate piece of legislation to introduce at this time,” he said. “We should be focused on legislation that is directly related to the COVID-19 crisis.”
Liberal MPP John Fraser and Green Party leader Mike Schreiner speak to reporters via videoconference after Bill 184 passed second reading on May 27, 2020 Eviction wave ahead As June rent comes due, both tenant and landlord groups are bracing for even more renters to fall into arrears, with tenant advocates warning of a wave of evictions once the moratorium is lifted.


nationalobserver--2020-05-27--Meng Wanzhou denied early exit from extradition process by B.C. court

A B.C .
Supreme Court judge has dismissed Huawei chief financial officer Meng Wanzhou ’ s request to be freed from her extradition process .
In a ruling issued Wednesday , Associate Chief Justice Heather Holmes said a key requirement for extradition was “ capable of being met in this case , ” and on that basis , dismissed Meng 's request to be discharged from the process .
The 23-page ruling avoids the larger question of the Crown ’ s allegations of fraud connected with the Chinese tech giant executive .
Holmes said she would “ make no determination @ @ @ @ @ @ @ would justify Meng 's committal for trial in Canada on fraud charges .
Meng ’ s legal team is now expected to appear back in court next month to discuss next steps .
The ruling allows the extradition process to the United States to continue , a situation that will surely increase the pressure surrounding China 's ongoing detention of Canadians and an upcoming critical decision by Canada over whether to permit Huawei technology in 5G wireless networks .
• Canada Post tests the waters for postal banking with pilot projects , funding @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is disorder China 's foreign ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian said previously that Canada should `` correct its mistake '' and `` release Meng and ensure her safe return to China at an early date '' in order to `` avoid any continuous harm to China-Canada relations . ''
Meanwhile , the Trump administration continues to single out Huawei , restricting its ability to use American software or technology this month under a U.S. Department of Commerce order .
The U.S. president has reportedly been pushing allies to block Huawei from 5G networks .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ a tool of the Chinese Communist Party , beholden to its orders , '' U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said May 15 .
Huawei strongly denies such accusations .
Read my statement on the Supreme Court of British Columbia decision on double criminality in the extradition process for Meng Wanzhou .
pic.twitter.com/pwRglXPvzF — François-Philippe Champagne ( FPC ) 🇨🇦 ( @ FP_Champagne ) May 27 , 2020 One of many steps in legal process , minister notes Canadian police arrested Meng on Dec. 1 , 2018 at Vancouver International Airport , acting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has been under house arrest for 18 months .
A B.C .
supreme court judge has dismissed Huawei chief financial officer Meng Wanzhou ’ s request to be freed from her extradition process .
That same month , Canadians Michael Kovrig and Michael Spavor were arrested in China and have been detained since then , now over 500 days .
China denies their arrests were connected to Meng and has also alleged that Kovrig stole state secrets .
On Wednesday , reacting to the ruling , Foreign Affairs Minister François-Philippe Champagne said Canada @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with China to address our bilateral differences and to co-operate in areas of mutual interest . ''
Champagne 's statement described the ruling as an `` independent decision '' that is `` one component in a multi-step legal process . ''
He said Canada 's `` top priority '' is securing the release of Kovrig and Spavor , who he said have been `` arbitrarily detained . ''
Canada will continue to advocate for their immediate release , said Champagne , as well as seek clemency for Robert Schellenberg , another Canadian who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Crown 's strategy in the Meng case focused on accusations of bank fraud .
According to the ruling , prosecutors alleged Meng `` significantly understated '' Huawei 's connection to a company called Skycom Tech .
Co. Ltd. , based in Iran , during an August 2013 meeting with multinational bank HSBC .
Prosecutors have called Skycom an “ unofficial subsidiary ” of Huawei , and have said the Chinese tech giant was trying to evade U.S. sanctions by using Skycom to conduct business with Iran .
Meng was accused of making `` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that would put the bank at risk of violating those sanctions and expose it to `` economic and reputational risk . ''
Meng had countered that her conduct could n't be considered fraud because the proposed prosecution was to enforce U.S. sanctions that are not part of Canadian law .
Her lawyers criticized the framing of the case as turning on the question of bank fraud , saying that the U.S. would have no interest in policing the dealings of a foreign bank and a private citizen .
If Canada extradites for conduct @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , it will `` run counter to the rule of law and the principles of fundamental justice , '' they said , according to the ruling 's summary .
But Holmes said that while the U.S. sanctions were indeed part of the `` state of affairs '' necessary to explain how HSBC would have been put at risk , `` they are not themselves an intrinsic part of the conduct . ''
To allow that , she said , would limit Canada 's ability to fulfil its `` international obligations '' to combat @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Experience shows that many fraudsters benefit in particular from international dealings through which they can obscure their identity and the location of their fraudulent gains , '' wrote Holmes .

A B.C. Supreme Court judge has dismissed Huawei chief financial officer Meng Wanzhou’s request to be freed from her extradition process. In a ruling issued Wednesday, Associate Chief Justice Heather Holmes said a key requirement for extradition was “capable of being met in this case,” and on that basis, dismissed Meng's request to be discharged from the process. The 23-page ruling avoids the larger question of the Crown’s allegations of fraud connected with the Chinese tech giant executive. Holmes said she would “make no determination” whether there was admissible evidence that would justify Meng's committal for trial in Canada on fraud charges. Meng’s legal team is now expected to appear back in court next month to discuss next steps.
Ottawa, Beijing and Washington The ruling allows the extradition process to the United States to continue, a situation that will surely increase the pressure surrounding China's ongoing detention of Canadians and an upcoming critical decision by Canada over whether to permit Huawei technology in 5G wireless networks. Billion-dollar land deals in Ontario raise corruption suspicions China's foreign ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian said previously that Canada should "correct its mistake" and "release Meng and ensure her safe return to China at an early date" in order to "avoid any continuous harm to China-Canada relations."
Meanwhile, the Trump administration continues to single out Huawei, restricting its ability to use American software or technology this month under a U.S. Department of Commerce order. The U.S. president has reportedly been pushing allies to block Huawei from 5G networks. A B.C. supreme court judge has dismissed Huawei chief financial officer Meng Wanzhou’s request to be freed from her extradition process. "Huawei is an untrustworthy vendor and a tool of the Chinese Communist Party, beholden to its orders," U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said May 15. Huawei strongly denies such accusations. http://twitter.com/FP_Champagne/status/1265725645474213889 One of many steps in legal process, minister notes Canadian police arrested Meng on Dec. 1, 2018 at Vancouver International Airport, acting on a U.S. arrest warrant. She has been under house arrest for 18 months.
That same month, Canadians Michael Kovrig and Michael Spavor were arrested in China and have been detained since then, now over 500 days. China denies their arrests were connected to Meng and has also alleged that Kovrig stole state secrets. On Wednesday, reacting to the ruling, Foreign Affairs Minister François-Philippe Champagne said Canada will "continue to pursue principled engagement with China to address our bilateral differences and to co-operate in areas of mutual interest."


nationalobserver--2020-05-25--Minister McKenna conversation postponed, columnist Sandy Garossino to join Conversation Series

Canada ’ s Minister of Infrastructure and Communities , Catherine McKenna has been called to an urgent Treasury Board meeting and has had to postpone her interview for our Conversation Series this Thursday .
Our Zoom series continues with prominent media commentator Sandy Garossino this Thursday , May 28th at 5pm PT / 8pm ET .
Garossino will join host Linda Solomon Wood to discuss hot topics including the international headline coming out of Vancouver Wednesday , the Meng Wanzhou decision , whatever happened to former Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper and other issues she has covered for the National @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and Trudeau on Kinder Morgan Highlights of Sandy Garossino 's interview with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Feb 13 , 2018 about his decision to approve Kinder Morgan 's Trans Mountain expansion project .
In this weekly series , sponsored by Canada ’ s National Observer , host Linda Solomon Wood will take you to the living rooms of leading environmentalists , policymakers , cultural leaders and journalists around the globe .
Free , participatory and engaging , register below to join our next Conversation .
Up next in our Conversation series : @ @ @ @ @ @ @ PT / 7pm ET : Big tech , capitalism and COVID-19 with former Amazon VP , Tim Bray .
• Thursday , June 11 , 4pm PT / 7pm ET : Environmental justice and a green stimulus package .
With Executive Director of Nature Canada , Graham Saul .
• Thursday , June 18 , 5pm PT / 8pm ET : Illegal wildlife markets , marine trafficking and migrant workers .
Stories from National Geographic Explorer and wildlife filmmaker Malaika Vaz .
These live interviews are part of Canada 's National Observer ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the economy , politics and climate change .
To watch the full conversation , head to our YouTube channel .
To stay up to date on upcoming interviews , subscribe here .
This article has been updated to reflect the postponement of the Minister 's interview , the change in speaker and new time .

Canada’s Minister of Infrastructure and Communities, Catherine McKenna has been called to an urgent Treasury Board meeting and has had to postpone her interview for our Conversation Series this Thursday.
Our Zoom series continues with prominent media commentator Sandy Garossino this Thursday, May 28th at 5pm PT / 8pm ET.
Garossino will join host Linda Solomon Wood to discuss hot topics including the international headline, the Meng Wanzhou decision, coming out of Vancouver Wednesday, whatever happened to former Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper, and other issues she has covered for the National Observer.
Since 2015, Garossino has been at the core of National Observer’s editorial voice. Her op-eds don’t shy away from controversy. Her investigations uncover tough truths. And her articles on National Observer’s website have been read by millions.
Garossino described former Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper as “reduced to fabricating bitter recriminations against the media on a second-rate YouTube channel,” in her most recent commentary for the National Observer. And she described the Omar Khadr case as a ‘Canadian tragedy and failure of moral courage’. She's investigated Kenney’s War Room. And she's covered the Liberal’s climate plans.


nationalobserver--2020-05-28--Tammy Cook-Searson wins sixth term as Lac La Ronge chief

Tammy Cook-Searson has been re-elected chief of the Lac La Ronge Indian Band in the band ’ s first online election .
“ I ’ m just very relieved that we have not had any coronavirus in any of our communities and that we were able to successfully have an election .
We need our leadership back , ” Lac La Ronge Indian Band executive director Gladys Christiansen told National Observer after the results were tallied on Wednesday .
She said she is looking forward to the chief and council resuming their duties now that elections , which were postponed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are done .
Cook-Searson had been in the middle of campaigning for a sixth term as chief when all that was put on hold due to COVID-19 .
“ They were monitoring the situation daily and at the end of the day , they felt that they could not continue with the election with the COVID-19 pandemic and to ensure the health and safety of the community members , ” Cook-Searson told National Observer in March .
• Canada Post tests the waters for postal banking with pilot projects , funding for study @ @ @ @ @ @ @ La Ronge this March .
Elections were postponed due to the pandemic .
Later that month a no visitors rule was put in place restricting access to non-residents .
Photograph by Michael Bramadat-Willcock .
“ There were people who were reluctant to proceed with an election and I ’ m glad that we ’ ve done it and that it ’ s finished , ” Christiansen said .
Cook-Searson won the election with 1,346 votes , followed by Jude Ratt at 780 votes .
According to official results , 3,418 band members , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , cast their ballots and slightly over 1,700 participated online .
Cook-Searson was first elected chief in 2005 .
She was previously a councillor in La Ronge between 1997 and 2005 and ran as the federal Liberal candidate for the riding of Desnethé-Missinippi-Churchill River in 2019 , but lost to Conservative Gary Vidal .
The Lac La Ronge Indian Band ( LLRIB ) is the largest First Nation in Saskatchewan with a population of about 11,000 and includes the communities of La Ronge , Sucker River , Stanley Mission , Grandmother ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ River .
Sunset over the Montreal River which drains into Lac La Ronge .
The Lac La Ronge Indian Band 's territory includes La Ronge , Sucker River , Stanley Mission , Grandmother ’ s Bay , Morin Lake and Little Red River .
Each community had a set of employees who looked after the election , processed and tallied votes .
There were 75 election workers throughout the communities .
“ I ’ m just very relieved that we have not had any coronavirus in any of our communities and that we @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
We need our leadership back , '' Gladys Christiansen .
Christiansen said the online voting went well and the First Nation intends to continue with it in future elections .
Going forward with online voting will require a change to LLRIB ’ s Election Act and approval by membership .
“ It ’ s the first time we ’ ve done it that way and I think the next time it will be smoother .
We will probably continue to do online voting in the future because it ’ s so much @ @ @ @ @ @ @ COVID-19 , ” Christiansen said .
People waiting by the entrance to the Lac La Ronge Indian Band main office in La Ronge before access was limited .
According to official election results , 3,418 band members , about 46 per cent of eligible voters , cast their ballots in the election and just over 1,700 participated online .
Photograph by Michael Bramadat-Willcock .
She said that based on the number of people who participated online , which is around 48 per cent of voters , the endeavour was a success .
An @ @ @ @ @ @ @ time this year , too .
Christiansen chaired the tribunal and she said this made a difference because more people were involved .
“ It was one of the suggestions from membership during the last revision to the Election Act and that was followed through , ” Christiansen said .
As well , she said that keeping the chief and council out of the election process improved confidence and participation among voters despite lower turn out due to the pandemic .
“ There is more transparency when it ’ s an independent tribunal @ @ @ @ @

Tammy Cook-Searson has been re-elected chief of the Lac La Ronge Indian Band in the band’s first online election. “I’m just very relieved that we have not had any coronavirus in any of our communities and that we were able to successfully have an election. We need our leadership back,” Lac La Ronge Indian Band executive director Gladys Christiansen told National Observer after the results were tallied on Wednesday. She said she is looking forward to the chief and council resuming their duties now that elections, which were postponed in March because of the pandemic, are done. Cook-Searson had been in the middle of campaigning for a sixth term as chief when all that was put on hold due to COVID-19. “They were monitoring the situation daily and at the end of the day, they felt that they could not continue with the election with the COVID-19 pandemic and to ensure the health and safety of the community members,” Cook-Searson told National Observer in March.
Campaign signs for Tammy Cook-Searson in Lac La Ronge this March. Elections were postponed due to the pandemic. Later that month a no visitors rule was put in place restricting access to non-residents. Photograph by Michael Bramadat-Willcock. “There were people who were reluctant to proceed with an election and I’m glad that we’ve done it and that it’s finished,” Christiansen said. Billion-dollar land deals in Ontario raise corruption suspicions Cook-Searson won the election with 1,346 votes, followed by Jude Ratt at 780 votes. According to official results, 3,418 band members, about 46 per cent of eligible voters, cast their ballots in the vote for chief and slightly over 1,700 participated online.
Cook-Searson was first elected chief in 2005. She was previously a councillor in La Ronge between 1997 and 2005 and ran as the federal Liberal candidate for the riding of Desnethé-Missinippi-Churchill River in 2019, but lost to Conservative Gary Vidal. “I’m just very relieved that we have not had any coronavirus in any of our communities and that we were able to successfully have an election. We need our leadership back," Gladys Christiansen. The Lac La Ronge Indian Band (LLRIB) is the largest First Nation in Saskatchewan with a population of about 11,000 and includes the communities of La Ronge, Sucker River, Stanley Mission, Grandmother’s Bay, Morin Lake and Little Red River. Sunset over the Montreal River which drains into Lac La Ronge. The Lac La Ronge Indian Band's territory includes La Ronge, Sucker River, Stanley Mission, Grandmother’s Bay, Morin Lake and Little Red River. Each community had a set of employees who looked after the election, processed and tallied votes. There were 75 election workers throughout the communities. Christiansen said the online voting went well and the First Nation intends to continue with it in future elections. Going forward with online voting will require a change to LLRIB’s Election Act and approval by membership.
“It’s the first time we’ve done it that way and I think the next time it will be smoother. We will probably continue to do online voting in the future because it’s so much simpler and because of the changes with COVID-19,” Christiansen said. People waiting by the entrance to the Lac La Ronge Indian Band main office in La Ronge before access was limited. According to official election results, 3,418 band members, about 46 per cent of eligible voters, cast their ballots in the election and just over 1,700 participated online. Photograph by Michael Bramadat-Willcock. She said that based on the number of people who participated online, which is around 48 per cent of voters, the endeavour was a success.


nationalobserver--2020-05-28--New Alberta bill will put deadlines on energy project approvals

Alberta is introducing legislation to allow the government to set maximum time limits on approvals for energy projects .
Energy Minister Sonya Savage said that a review of the system has shown that at times it takes too long for Alberta 's energy regulator to make decisions on whether to allow an oil and gas project to proceed .
The review found that while some projects were approved in as little as five days or less , others took months or years .
`` We heard continuously that the AER process is onerous , it 's unpredictable and uncertain on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an interview prior to the legislation being tabled in the house Wednesday .
`` That 's where this legislation kicks in , is to allow cabinet to put timelines in place . ''
• Canada Post tests the waters for postal banking with pilot projects , funding for study Savage said they are giving the energy regulator time to improve its processes for approvals , but if not , the bill would give the government the authority to impose deadlines .
The bill fulfills an election promise from Premier Jason Kenney 's United @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The UCP argues Alberta 's approval rates have been twice as long as those in Saskatchewan and four times longer than other competing jurisdictions , such as Texas .
Environment Minister Jason Nixon said the approvals must still take into account environmental concerns and public safety .
`` We 're not pushing for automatic approvals , but we want the review process to take place in a competitive fashion , to make our province competitive when it comes to this issue , '' said Nixon .
`` We 're not instructing that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ no , but we expect the review process to be efficient . ''
The bill does not propose imposing timelines on a case by case basis .
Nixon said the review , started last fall involving 300 stakeholders , found that the delays were caused mainly by problems with logistics and that the AER was not taking advantage of online processes to speed up decisions .
Nixon said that has been improved recently .
The AER , for example , is now testing OneStop , an automated web-based system to process routine applications @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lack of clear policy direction , forcing the regulator to go back and forth with government to clarify the rules .
`` We did see a bunch of spots where the regulator ended up almost in a frozen state because they had not heard from the government on policy issues , '' said Nixon .
NDP energy critic Irfan Sabir said the Opposition supports clear timelines and took steps toward it while in government .
`` While in government , we improved the approval process significantly by streamlining and digitizing it , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ensure that Indigenous People were included in resource development decisions , '' said Sabir in a statement .
`` If the UCP wants to improve approval times , consultations and assessments have to be done right .
They must have meaningful support for consultation capacity in place to avoid future court challenges , prevent delays in getting our resources to market and secure jobs for Albertans . ''
Nikki Way , a senior analyst at the Pembina Institute , a climate and energy think tank , added that `` continued discussion about reducing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a credible regulator needs to manage more than just pushing out fast approvals . ''

Alberta is introducing legislation to allow the government to set maximum time limits on approvals for energy projects. Energy Minister Sonya Savage said that a review of the system has shown that at times it takes too long for Alberta's energy regulator to make decisions on whether to allow an oil and gas project to proceed. The review found that while some projects were approved in as little as five days or less, others took months or years. "We heard continuously that the AER process is onerous, it's unpredictable and uncertain on the timelines," Savage said in an interview prior to the legislation being tabled in the house Wednesday. "That's where this legislation kicks in, is to allow cabinet to put timelines in place."
Savage said they are giving the energy regulator time to improve its processes for approvals, but if not, the bill would give the government the authority to impose deadlines. The bill fulfills an election promise from Premier Jason Kenney's United Conservative Party in the spring 2019 campaign. Billion-dollar land deals in Ontario raise corruption suspicions The UCP argues Alberta's approval rates have been twice as long as those in Saskatchewan and four times longer than other competing jurisdictions, such as Texas.
Environment Minister Jason Nixon said the approvals must still take into account environmental concerns and public safety. Alberta introduces bill to put deadlines on energy project approvals "We're not pushing for automatic approvals, but we want the review process to take place in a competitive fashion, to make our province competitive when it comes to this issue," said Nixon. "We're not instructing that department of the AER not to say no, but we expect the review process to be efficient." The bill does not propose imposing timelines on a case by case basis. Nixon said the review, started last fall involving 300 stakeholders, found that the delays were caused mainly by problems with logistics and that the AER was not taking advantage of online processes to speed up decisions.
Nixon said that has been improved recently. The AER, for example, is now testing OneStop, an automated web-based system to process routine applications. Nixon said another theme was a lack of clear policy direction, forcing the regulator to go back and forth with government to clarify the rules. "We did see a bunch of spots where the regulator ended up almost in a frozen state because they had not heard from the government on policy issues," said Nixon.


nationalobserver--2020-05-28--Canada needs an intense discussion about developing a cleaner, greener economy

Kelland is the CEO of an early-stage startup called Planetary Hydrogen .
He ’ d like this endeavour to be his last — and greatest success .
“ This is my 10th company , ” says the Ottawa-based software entrepreneur .
“ And some of them actually worked.
” Mike Kelland takes chances and his latest venture may be his riskiest one to date .
Discussions about moving from fossil fuels to cleaner sources of power such as hydrogen will ramp up as consumers , governments and investors struggle with the best ways to shift to a greener economy .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ well .
The banks seem to be listening .
When the Canadian economy emerges from what some economists have called a “ self-induced coma , ” Kelland will intensify the hunt for more cash .
“ It is a clean fuel , ” says Kelland .
“ And for a lot of things that are difficult to electrify , you instantly have a decarbonized fuel source.
” Many advocates and experts insist that if Canada is to reach its emission targets to cut greenhouse gases by 2030 and 2050 , respectively , it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are embarking on a project , funded by the Trottier and Ivey foundations , to search for answers , exploring what a green stimulus package for Canada might look like from the so-called “ shovel-worthy jobs ” that have been making headlines of late , to public policy and budgetary packages to incentivize a longer-term transition to cleaner growth .
The nature of the green-stimulus discussions could provide a blueprint for how consumers , governments and the private sector invest in a sustainable economy .
Ministers of Infrastructure and Communities , Environment and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Canada have been tasked with more specific instructions to think longer term about green stimulus .
As parts of the economy are slowly and tentatively emerging from the COVID-19 lockdown , the federal government is making it clear it will continue to review the recovery and future economic activity through a green lens .
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau ’ s marching orders to his cabinet ministers in his mandate letters are peppered with instructions : invest in “ green and public transit infrastructure ” ; “ exceed Canada ’ s 2030 emissions reduction @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by 2050 ” ; and “ … move more electricity between provinces and regions supporting the electrification of Canadian industries.
” Kirby and Kelland are betting that hydrogen becomes part of a broader conversation about how Canada can power its way to greater prosperity by investing in a green and sustainable technology that will allow us to commute , heat our homes and travel without polluting the environment .
“ That ’ s not me , ( but ) numbers that have been developed globally , by the Canadian government , by the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ government , by others , ” he says .
He says hydrogen could help cut greenhouse gas emissions by up to 40 per cent , according to numbers crunched by governments within Canada and beyond .
“ The Canadian industry is quite ( well- ) known globally , ” says Mark Kirby , president and CEO of the Canadian Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Association , an organization he calls the “ voice of the sector.
” It is also important to stress that all of our journalism in this series is independent of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and Ivey foundations , and adheres to the editorial standards of National Observer ’ s ethics and guidelines and The Trust Project .
Our series will include explanatory journalism , in-depth reporting , and opinion pieces by leading thinkers in the field , as well as interviews with key policymakers , environmental advocates , and federal leaders on how Canada can seize the moment to meet its climate goals while furthering economic recovery .
Infrastructure and Communities Minister Catherine McKenna raised a few eyebrows last month when she talked to reporters about freeing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ so-called “ shovel-worthy ” initiatives for provinces and municipalities to design projects to help communities develop pandemic-related measures , such as renovations to facilitate physical distancing in public and private spaces .
The shovel-worthy designation could be a derivative of the term “ shovel-ready , ” which became a feature of the Economic Action Plan that the Conservative government of Stephen Harper launched in its 2009 budget .
The idea was to “ quickly turn the economy around and create jobs.
” This meant spending money on infrastructure projects deemed ready enough to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ So , shovel-worthy ?
People ask me that , ” said McKenna during a May 26 digital townhall conversation with the Surrey Board of Trade .
“ … They could be projects that have an environmental benefit… that could go ahead quickly… With the COVID stream , we try to identify projects where you don ’ t necessarily need a huge lead time , where you might not have massive planning .
So , if you ’ re ... retrofitting a building , you wouldn ’ t have massive planning… Communities have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ McKenna describes these small-scale projects , no more than $ 10 million , as “ low-hanging fruit.
” There seems to be little disagreement about the need to get money immediately out the door to help citizens cope with a pandemic that will almost certainly be with us until there ’ s a vaccine .
Even the federal government ’ s top spending watchdog is on board .
“ What we need , probably now more than ever , are investments that will facilitate the containment of the virus and a pandemic , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” said parliamentary budget officer Yves Giroux in an interview with National Observer .
The federal government ’ s shift to measures to stimulate longer-term green economic growth that creates jobs and protects the environment promises to be more complicated and subject to more debate and less consensus .
Infrastructure Canada is one of 14 federal departments and agencies delivering programs under the $ 180-billion Investing in Canada Plan .
A portion of the plan has been set aside for “ green ” projects such as water treatment plants and clean power @ @ @ @ @ @ @ more than $ 65 billion has been committed to 52,083 , according to Infrastructure Canada 's most recent estimates provided to National Observer .
“ Almost all of these projects are either underway or completed , ” said department spokesperson Sabrine Barakat in an emailed response .
Despite the money already committed , there have been consistent complaints that successive governments have been too slow to make the cash available .
“ What we found in our multiple reports over the years , is that the government ’ s initial plans… are always @ @ @ @ @ @ @ They can never proceed in pushing money out the door… at the same pace as they initially think.
” ’ The reasons are many : too much red tape ; the need to get buy-in from other levels of government ; conflicting priorities ; and politics .
However , the government is attempting to overcome these obstacles by expanding the definition of eligible projects , and approving money more quickly .
To date , the priorities from the provinces and cities have been large projects , including public transit , waste water treatment @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , according to a National Observer analysis of the projects approved so far under the Investing in Canada Plan .
The challenge for the government is to ensure that projects yet to be submitted and approved create jobs and protect the environment in all sectors of the economy .
“ ( Former U.S. president Barak ) Obama helped put the auto industry on a path to clean competitiveness .
And we need to do that same thing here , ” said Stewart Elgie , professor of law and economics at the University of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Institute , and a member of the recently formed federal Task Force for a Resilient Recovery .
“ As we invest to help our industries recover , we have to put them on a path to clean competitiveness because that is where the wealth and jobs of the future will be.
” Catherine McKenna ’ s December 13 , 2019 , mandate letter provides an interesting example of the shape that path could take .
The federal minister must “ work with provinces and territories to introduce new funding to help school boards @ @ @ @ @ @ @ transit buses over the next five years.
” Governments and public institutions , such as transit authorities , can ’ t do it all .
That 's in large part because they only have so much money and imagination .
To make the available public dollars stretch even further , Ottawa will need to get more businesses to invest in charging stations for electric buses , for example , in addition to a host of other clean-energy initiatives .
Ottawa may lean heavily on the expertise of the Task Force for a Resilient @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , has drawn members from the public , private and charitable sectors .
Though the task force ’ s primary goal will be advising the government on getting as many Canadians back to work as possible , suggesting clean-growth projects will also be central .
A key question when thinking about proposals the task force will eventually be reviewing is “ does this make sense ?
” says task force member Barbara Zvan , a former chief risk and strategy officer for the Ontario Teachers ’ Pension Plan , who has been described @ @ @ @ @ @ @ investing and finance.
” “ You have to come at it with the lens of ‘ Will this help with getting to net zero by 2050 and help with our Paris ( accord ) targets ?
What kind of jobs are they creating ?
... Who gets those jobs ?
Are they better jobs than before ?
’ These are all the things we ’ ll be looking at , ” Zvan said in an interview with National Observer .
Zvan has spoken to investors who complain about being mired in seemingly endless @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to get their projects to market .
“ What we heard from the clean-tech sector is the length of time it takes… ( and ) the rules that have to be written before they can do the controlled tests .
How do you speed up development ?
” Speed is definitely on the mind of Planetary Hydrogen ’ s Mike Kelland .
He needs more cash from investors to buy equipment and production facilities .
He wants to expand the company to 60 or 70 employees within the next three years .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ go as high as it can , as big as it can , as fast as it can.
” While the pandemic has forced green-technology deliberations to take a back seat to the still-immediate need for economic stimulus , devising a longer-term strategy for transitioning to a low-carbon economy promises to be a more daunting challenge for consumers , businesses , investors , lawmakers and politicians .
It ’ s a conversation National Observer intends to help generate and sustain .

Many advocates and experts insist that if Canada is to reach its emission targets to cut greenhouse gases by 2030 and 2050, respectively, it must rely on clean power.
Kelland is the CEO of an early-stage startup called Planetary Hydrogen . He’d like this endeavour to be his last — and greatest success.
“This is my 10th company,” says the Ottawa-based software entrepreneur. “And some of them actually worked.”
Mike Kelland takes chances and his latest venture may be his riskiest one to date.
He says his sales pitch is going well. The banks seem to be listening. When the Canadian economy emerges from what some economists have called a “self-induced coma,” Kelland will intensify the hunt for more cash.
“It is a clean fuel,” says Kelland. “And for a lot of things that are difficult to electrify, you instantly have a decarbonized fuel source.”
Kirby and Kelland are betting that hydrogen becomes part of a broader conversation about how Canada can power its way to greater prosperity by investing in a green and sustainable technology that will allow us to commute, heat our homes and travel without polluting the environment.
“That’s not me, (but) numbers that have been developed globally, by the Canadian government, by the B.C. government, by the Quebec government, by others,” he says.
He says hydrogen could help cut greenhouse gas emissions by up to 40 per cent, according to numbers crunched by governments within Canada and beyond.
“The Canadian industry is quite (well-) known globally,” says Mark Kirby , president and CEO of the Canadian Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Association , an organization he calls the “voice of the sector.”
Discussions about moving from fossil fuels to cleaner sources of power such as hydrogen will ramp up as consumers, governments and investors struggle with the best ways to shift to a greener economy.
The nature of the green-stimulus discussions could provide a blueprint for how consumers, governments and the private sector invest in a sustainable economy.
Ministers of Infrastructure and Communities, Environment and Climate Change Canada, and Natural Resources Canada have been tasked with more specific instructions to think longer term about green stimulus.
As parts of the economy are slowly and tentatively emerging from the COVID-19 lockdown, the federal government is making it clear it will continue to review the recovery and future economic activity through a green lens. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s marching orders to his cabinet ministers in his mandate letters are peppered with instructions: invest in “green and public transit infrastructure”; “exceed Canada’s 2030 emissions reduction goal”; “achieve net-zero emissions by 2050”; and “… move more electricity between provinces and regions supporting the electrification of Canadian industries.”
Canada’s National Observer intends to be an integral part of that discussion.
We are embarking on a project, funded by the Trottier and Ivey foundations, to search for answers, exploring what a green stimulus package for Canada might look like from the so-called “shovel-worthy jobs” that have been making headlines of late, to public policy and budgetary packages to incentivize a longer-term transition to cleaner growth.
Our series will include explanatory journalism, in-depth reporting, and opinion pieces by leading thinkers in the field, as well as interviews with key policymakers, environmental advocates, and federal leaders on how Canada can seize the moment to meet its climate goals while furthering economic recovery.
It is also important to stress that all of our journalism in this series is independent of any outside party, including the Trottier and Ivey foundations, and adheres to the editorial standards of National Observer’s ethics and guidelines and The Trust Project.
Defining ‘shovel-worthy’
Infrastructure and Communities Minister Catherine McKenna raised a few eyebrows last month when she talked to reporters about freeing up more than $3 billion for so-called “shovel-worthy” initiatives for provinces and municipalities to design projects to help communities develop pandemic-related measures, such as renovations to facilitate physical distancing in public and private spaces.
The shovel-worthy designation could be a derivative of the term “shovel-ready,” which became a feature of the Economic Action Plan that the Conservative government of Stephen Harper launched in its 2009 budget. The idea was to “quickly turn the economy around and create jobs.” This meant spending money on infrastructure projects deemed ready enough to begin digging and building right away.
“So, shovel-worthy? People ask me that,” said McKenna during a May 26 digital townhall conversation with the Surrey Board of Trade.
“… They could be projects that have an environmental benefit… that could go ahead quickly… With the COVID stream, we try to identify projects where you don’t necessarily need a huge lead time, where you might not have massive planning. So, if you’re... retrofitting a building, you wouldn’t have massive planning… Communities have projects that are ready to go.”
McKenna describes these small-scale projects, no more than $10 million, as “low-hanging fruit.”
There seems to be little disagreement about the need to get money immediately out the door to help citizens cope with a pandemic that will almost certainly be with us until there’s a vaccine.
Even the federal government’s top spending watchdog is on board.
“What we need, probably now more than ever, are investments that will facilitate the containment of the virus and a pandemic, which nobody thought of six months ago,” said parliamentary budget officer Yves Giroux in an interview with National Observer.
The federal government’s shift to measures to stimulate longer-term green economic growth that creates jobs and protects the environment promises to be more complicated and subject to more debate and less consensus.
Spending more money
Infrastructure Canada is one of 14 federal departments and agencies delivering programs under the $180-billion Investing in Canada Plan. A portion of the plan has been set aside for “green” projects such as water treatment plants and clean power.
As of May 27, slightly more than $65 billion has been committed to 52,083, according to Infrastructure Canada's most recent estimates provided to National Observer.
“Almost all of these projects are either underway or completed,” said department spokesperson Sabrine Barakat in an emailed response.
Despite the money already committed, there have been consistent complaints that successive governments have been too slow to make the cash available.
“What we found in our multiple reports over the years, is that the government’s initial plans… are always postponed,” said Giroux.
“They can never proceed in pushing money out the door… at the same pace as they initially think.”’
The reasons are many: too much red tape; the need to get buy-in from other levels of government; conflicting priorities; and politics.
However, the government is attempting to overcome these obstacles by expanding the definition of eligible projects, and approving money more quickly.
To date, the priorities from the provinces and cities have been large projects, including public transit, waste water treatment improvements, and renewal of water pipes, according to a National Observer analysis of the projects approved so far under the Investing in Canada Plan.
The challenge for the government is to ensure that projects yet to be submitted and approved create jobs and protect the environment in all sectors of the economy.
“(Former U.S. president Barak) Obama helped put the auto industry on a path to clean competitiveness. And we need to do that same thing here,” said Stewart Elgie, professor of law and economics at the University of Ottawa, chair of the Smart Prosperity Institute, and a member of the recently formed federal Task Force for a Resilient Recovery.
Policymakers must avoid falling "prey to too much short-term thinking," says Stewart Elgie, a member of
the federal Task Force for a Resilient Recovery.
“As we invest to help our industries recover, we have to put them on a path to clean competitiveness because that is where the wealth and jobs of the future will be.”
Catherine McKenna’s December 13, 2019, mandate letter provides an interesting example of the shape that path could take. The federal minister must “work with provinces and territories to introduce new funding to help school boards and municipalities purchase 5,000 zero-emission school and transit buses over the next five years.”
Making the pitch to investors
Governments and public institutions, such as transit authorities, can’t do it all. That's in large part because they only have so much money and imagination. To make the available public dollars stretch even further, Ottawa will need to get more businesses to invest in charging stations for electric buses, for example, in addition to a host of other clean-energy initiatives.
Ottawa may lean heavily on the expertise of the Task Force for a Resilient Recovery that, in addition to Elgie, has drawn members from the public, private and charitable sectors. Though the task force’s primary goal will be advising the government on getting as many Canadians back to work as possible, suggesting clean-growth projects will also be central.
A key question when thinking about proposals the task force will eventually be reviewing is “does this make sense?” says task force member Barbara Zvan, a former chief risk and strategy officer for the Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan, who has been described as a “leading voice on sustainable investing and finance.”
“You have to come at it with the lens of ‘Will this help with getting to net zero by 2050 and help with our Paris (accord) targets? What kind of jobs are they creating?... Who gets those jobs? Are they better jobs than before?’ These are all the things we’ll be looking at,” Zvan said in an interview with National Observer.
Clean-tech sectors need more consultation and financing, says Barbara Zvan, a member of the federal Task Force for a Resilient Recovery.
Zvan has spoken to investors who complain about being mired in seemingly endless red tape that makes it too difficult to get their projects to market.
“What we heard from the clean-tech sector is the length of time it takes… (and) the rules that have to be written before they can do the controlled tests. How do you speed up development?”
Speed is definitely on the mind of Planetary Hydrogen’s Mike Kelland. He needs more cash from investors to buy equipment and production facilities. He wants to expand the company to 60 or 70 employees within the next three years.
“My mission is to see this thing go as high as it can, as big as it can, as fast as it can.”
While the pandemic has forced green-technology deliberations to take a back seat to the still-immediate need for economic stimulus, devising a longer-term strategy for transitioning to a low-carbon economy promises to be a more daunting challenge for consumers, businesses, investors, lawmakers and politicians.
It’s a conversation National Observer intends to help generate and sustain.


nationalobserver--2020-05-28--As temperatures rise, Canada’s farmers face an uncertain future

It ’ s berry season in B.C.
’ s Fraser Valley .
As the days grow long and warm , hungry consumers get ready to dig into a parade that begins with strawberries , moves on to raspberries , and is then followed by a flood of blueberries .
It ’ s a formidable harvest , known as the ‘ blue wave ’ by local producers ; over 80 million kilograms of blueberries are produced each year .
Getting these berries to customers during a summer of COVID-19 will be a challenge ; processing capacity is in question , farm @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , global shipping is hampered and agri-tourism is heavily curtailed .
But despite these challenges , our berry bounty will find its way into local favourites such as strawberry shortcake , blueberry pies and my personal favourite , the blueberry lassi .
The future for the blueberries of the Fraser Valley isn ’ t so clear .
A recent study in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences predicts the level of greenhouse-driven climate warming we will experience in the next five decades will be unprecedented in recorded history .
• Canada @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with pilot projects , funding for study If this change comes to pass , human populations around the world will be displaced .
But on the farm , the displacement is botanical .
The very crops we base our agricultural economies and our culinary heritage upon will struggle to adapt to such rapid and profound change .
In the case of the Fraser Valley ’ s blueberry bounty , the drought , flooding and sudden storms being driven by climate change can wipe out a crop in a few hours , but the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Blueberry plants need chilly winters to lapse into the dormant period that allows them to recharge for the next season , and their pollination requires moderate temperatures in the range of 20-25 C. And blueberries aren ’ t alone .
Across the country , ice wine harvests are at risk as cold snaps become more temperamental ; maple syrup production is falling as the needed cold , crisp nights and sunny days fail to appear ; and British Columbia ’ s iconic salmon battle warming rivers and oceans , and unpredictable water levels @ @ @ @ @ @ @ alone .
We are , at heart , a cold country .
Climate change threatens our ecosystems , our agricultural systems , but also our cultural and culinary identity .
As we plan for a rapidly warming climate , we must guard against the temptation to assume that in a cold country a warming climate might do a bit of good .
More than four million square kilometers of Canada currently too cold for farming crops will be warm enough to cultivate by 2080 .
We need to guard against thinking that is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ newspaper reports quoted a study led by Lee Hannah of the Betty and Gordon Moore Center in Arlington , Virginia , published in the journal PLOS ONE that predicts more than four million square kilometers of Canada currently too cold for farming crops will be warm enough to cultivate by 2080 .
This would be a massive increase in farm area , as we currently only farm an area of about one million square kilometers .
However , the articles trumpeting our good fortune neglect to mention several caveats .
Most importantly , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ boreal forest .
Stretching from the Yukon to Labrador , the boreal covers 55 per cent of Canada ’ s land mass and 14 per cent of the Earth ’ s total land area , making this precious ecosystem the largest remaining forest on the planet .
Destroying such ecosystems is one of the reasons we are in such a mess in the first place .
If we did decide to convert some of the boreal into farmland , the soils would likely be poor for crop production .
Developing those soils comes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the same study claims , could release additional greenhouse emissions from the soil itself , in amounts that dwarf annual outputs from industrialized nations .
In short , the boreal must be protected , not farmed .
If these significant warning signs aren ’ t enough , farms require infrastructure .
Our farming regions were built on roads , railroads , towns and support services , and the vast swath of the North has none of these .
We are still struggling to provide broadband internet to our rural farming regions , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ transmit data becomes as regular a part of farming as irrigation .
If opening the North to farming isn ’ t a solution to our growing food security challenges , what is ?
Canada is still positioned to lead the world in food production and should focus on a few key efforts to build a future-proof food system .
Firstly , we need to ensure all farmers have access to broadband infrastructure so they can benefit from precision agriculture .
Secondly , we should build on current momentum in the plant protein arena @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as oats and peas to make the most of our existing farmland .
We should also actively invest in agricultural technologies , including indoor production .
A robust , cross-Canada greenhouse sector could protect us from climate disruption in production regions such as California , while greatly improving the quality of fruits and vegetables available to us during Canadian winters .

It’s berry season in B.C.’s Fraser Valley. As the days grow long and warm, hungry consumers get ready to dig into a parade that begins with strawberries, moves on to raspberries, and is then followed by a flood of blueberries. It’s a formidable harvest, known as the ‘blue wave’ by local producers; over 80 million kilograms of blueberries are produced each year. Getting these berries to customers during a summer of COVID-19 will be a challenge; processing capacity is in question, farm stands are working to establish social distancing, global shipping is hampered and agri-tourism is heavily curtailed. But despite these challenges, our berry bounty will find its way into local favourites such as strawberry shortcake, blueberry pies and my personal favourite, the blueberry lassi. Beautiful BC blueberries. Photo courtesy of Lenore Newman. The future for the blueberries of the Fraser Valley isn’t so clear. A recent study in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences predicts the level of greenhouse-driven climate warming we will experience in the next five decades will be unprecedented in recorded history.
If this change comes to pass, human populations around the world will be displaced. But on the farm, the displacement is botanical. The very crops we base our agricultural economies and our culinary heritage upon will struggle to adapt to such rapid and profound change. In the case of the Fraser Valley’s blueberry bounty, the drought, flooding and sudden storms being driven by climate change can wipe out a crop in a few hours, but the scorching heat is also a problem. Billion-dollar land deals in Ontario raise corruption suspicions Blueberry plants need chilly winters to lapse into the dormant period that allows them to recharge for the next season, and their pollination requires moderate temperatures in the range of 20-25 C.
And blueberries aren’t alone. Across the country, ice wine harvests are at risk as cold snaps become more temperamental; maple syrup production is falling as the needed cold, crisp nights and sunny days fail to appear; and British Columbia’s iconic salmon battle warming rivers and oceans, and unpredictable water levels. More than four million square kilometers of Canada currently too cold for farming crops will be warm enough to cultivate by 2080. We need to guard against thinking that is good news. These iconic foods aren’t alone. We are, at heart, a cold country. Climate change threatens our ecosystems, our agricultural systems, but also our cultural and culinary identity. As we plan for a rapidly warming climate, we must guard against the temptation to assume that in a cold country a warming climate might do a bit of good. A flurry of recent newspaper reports quoted a study led by Lee Hannah of the Betty and Gordon Moore Center in Arlington, Virginia, published in the journal PLOS ONE that predicts more than four million square kilometers of Canada currently too cold for farming crops will be warm enough to cultivate by 2080. This would be a massive increase in farm area, as we currently only farm an area of about one million square kilometers. However, the articles trumpeting our good fortune neglect to mention several caveats.
Most importantly, most of this area is occupied by boreal forest. Stretching from the Yukon to Labrador, the boreal covers 55 per cent of Canada’s land mass and 14 per cent of the Earth’s total land area, making this precious ecosystem the largest remaining forest on the planet. Destroying such ecosystems is one of the reasons we are in such a mess in the first place. [Insert caption here] If we did decide to convert some of the boreal into farmland, the soils would likely be poor for crop production. Developing those soils comes with a catch-22. Farming the boreal, the same study claims, could release additional greenhouse emissions from the soil itself, in amounts that dwarf annual outputs from industrialized nations.