nationalobserver--2020-04-20--Trudeau promises relief for Indigenous small business

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau promised up to $ 306.8 million in funding for small and medium-sized Indigenous businesses at his daily briefing on Saturday .
The new funding includes support for Indigenous businesses that can ’ t access current COVID-19 emergency funding .
It is expected to benefit 6,000 Indigenous-owned businesses across Canada .
The announcement comes in the context of mounting pressure for a federal solution that would include Indigenous limited partnerships , many of which might not have qualified under the original legislation within the Canada Emergency Wage Subsidy Program .
“ I think the big thing is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , many businesses operating across both my riding and across the country and I think we ’ re just asking for them to be included in the process here , ” Gary Vidal , Conservative MP for the Indigenous-majority riding of Desnethé—Missinippi—Churchill River in northern Saskatchewan told National Observer in an interview before the announcement .
Gary Vidal , Conservative MP for the Indigenous-majority riding of Desnethé—Missinippi—Churchill River in northern Saskatchewan .
Photograph courtesy of MP Gary Vidal .
Vidal , who is also shadow minister for Indigenous services in Ottawa , had @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to redefine what constitutes an eligible entity or prescribed organization within the legislation and allow different organizations to qualify for emergency relief on Wednesday .
Vidal said that he got confirmation from the finance minister ’ s office that limited partnerships didn ’ t qualify after he sent a letter to Morneau on April 15th and made it public .
• 10 lessons from COVID-19 that could help us save the planet He told National Observer that Minister Morneau should have been aware of the gap in coverage for Indigenous limited partnerships before @ @ @ @ @ @ @ t include them .
“ What we ’ re asking for or hoping for at this point is that the minister would actually take that step to enact the legislation that would include those entities , ” Vidal said .
Some relief came this weekend with the Prime Minister ’ s announcement .
Additional funding will help Aboriginal financial institutions cover expenses and to increase operational capacity at the National Aboriginal Capital Corporations Association - a network of 59 Aboriginal institutions that offer financial services , loans and grants to Indigenous entrepreneurs .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Canadian businesses , and we are working hard to make sure that Indigenous business owners have the support they need during this period of uncertainty , ” Trudeau said .
`` Entrepreneurs are at the heart of communities right across the country , and we ’ re going to help them bridge to better times.
” The funding will operate through Indigenous financial institutions that offer financing and business support services to First Nations , Inuit and Métis businesses .
`` The top government priority would be making sure that people have their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of categories and structures and processes should take second place to that , ” Ken Coates .
“ Businesses across Canada are being impacted by COVID-19 and the government is taking action , ” Morneau said .
“ This targeted support will help First Nations , Inuit and Métis businesses have greater access to financing that will help them stay strong , so they can continue to grow and thrive when this crisis passes.
” Minister of Finance Bill Morneau said that the new funding will help First Nations , Inuit and Métis @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Photograph by Canadian Press/Sean Kilpatrick .
Aid for Indigenous businesses will be administered by the National Aboriginal Capital Corporations Association and the Métis capital corporations in partnership with Indigenous Services Canada .
“ Some Indigenous businesses who are already facing unique challenges , including being in rural or remote locations and having less access to capital , are disproportionately affected by this unprecedented situation , ” Minister of Indigenous services Marc Miller said .
“ The support provided will allow for maximum flexibility in supporting local businesses , whether they be entrepreneurships , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ many industries across Canada to continue contributing to their communities.
” “ We ’ ve been engaged in this for over a week already… We ’ ve been in touch with a couple of different federal government ministries and departments and asked them to consider this when they were drafting [ the legislation ] and when we got the final legislation on Saturday we were still looking for some clarity to whether there was a mechanism in there to include these limited partnerships , ” Vidal said .
He added that limited partnerships @ @ @ @ @ @ @ industries ranging from forestry , mining and manufacturing to construction and consumer sales .
“ These businesses are the life-blood of First Nations communities providing jobs , support for community programming and a foundation on which to build future prosperity , ” Vidal said .
The issue of Indigenous limited partnerships qualifying for these types of programs has come up in the past .
Limited partnerships vary in size and constitution but often include seasonal workers in industries such as tourism that have been among the first to go when essential services are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ First Nations businesses through their limited partnership model are in fact excluded from the benefits of the emergency wage subsidies , it can only be because of an oversight in the creation of these important wage subsidy programs , ” Al Balisky , president of Meadow Lake Tribal Council Industrial Investments said in a statement before the announcement .
“ Quite frankly very few people understand the complexities of a northern economy .
There are a lot of people who are self-employed , ” said Ken Coates , Canada Research Chair in regional @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s Johnson-Shoyama Graduate School of Public Policy .
`` We always look after shipyards , and we always look after big industry and railway companies and airline companies but when you start seeing these crises it ’ s often the smaller people who are hit the most.
” Coates said that he thinks Canadians should give credit where it ’ s due to the federal government because of the unprecedented nature of the pandemic and the uncertainty of how long it will last .
“ I think the government quite frankly must be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ place… I think we ’ ll know within the next two weeks whether what we ’ re doing is just putting in patches or whether we ’ re actually doing long term structural changes .
The top government priority would be making sure that people have their basic needs met and that the questions of categories and structures and processes should take second place to that.
” Vidal pointed out that the limited partnership phenomenon isn ’ t unique to his riding , or Saskatchewan .
He said that it ’ s a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Indigenous livelihoods across Canada .
“ We ’ re talking about just my riding but if you broaden this across the national perspective this is a very , very common business model for First Nation businesses to utilize .
I know we ’ re talking about hundreds of jobs at least in our riding alone .
I think I ’ m being pretty conservative at hundreds of jobs to be honest .
Across the country we ’ ve got ta be talking thousands , ” Vidal said .
“ I would really like @ @ @ @ @ @ @ inadvertent omission .
I really hope that ’ s the case but I know there was some ongoing discussion and they were made aware of this .
”

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau promised up to $306.8 million in funding for small and medium-sized Indigenous businesses at his daily briefing on Saturday. The new funding includes support for Indigenous businesses that can’t access current COVID-19 emergency funding. It is expected to benefit 6,000 Indigenous-owned businesses across Canada. The announcement comes in the context of mounting pressure for a federal solution that would include Indigenous limited partnerships, many of which might not have qualified under the original legislation within the Canada Emergency Wage Subsidy Program. “I think the big thing is that this has an impact on many, many businesses operating across both my riding and across the country and I think we’re just asking for them to be included in the process here,” Gary Vidal, Conservative MP for the Indigenous-majority riding of Desnethé—Missinippi—Churchill River in northern Saskatchewan told National Observer in an interview before the announcement. Gary Vidal, Conservative MP for the Indigenous-majority riding of Desnethé—Missinippi—Churchill River in northern Saskatchewan. Photograph courtesy of MP Gary Vidal. Vidal, who is also shadow minister for Indigenous services in Ottawa, had called for Minister of Finance Bill Morneau to redefine what constitutes an eligible entity or prescribed organization within the legislation and allow different organizations to qualify for emergency relief on Wednesday. Vidal said that he got confirmation from the finance minister’s office that limited partnerships didn’t qualify after he sent a letter to Morneau on April 15th and made it public.
He told National Observer that Minister Morneau should have been aware of the gap in coverage for Indigenous limited partnerships before drafting the original legislation that didn’t include them. “What we’re asking for or hoping for at this point is that the minister would actually take that step to enact the legislation that would include those entities,” Vidal said. Billion-dollar land deals in Ontario raise corruption suspicions Some relief came this weekend with the Prime Minister’s announcement. Additional funding will help Aboriginal financial institutions cover expenses and to increase operational capacity at the National Aboriginal Capital Corporations Association - a network of 59 Aboriginal institutions that offer financial services, loans and grants to Indigenous entrepreneurs.
“We will always be there for Canadian businesses, and we are working hard to make sure that Indigenous business owners have the support they need during this period of uncertainty,” Trudeau said. "The top government priority would be making sure that people have their basic needs met and that the questions of categories and structures and processes should take second place to that,” Ken Coates. "Entrepreneurs are at the heart of communities right across the country, and we’re going to help them bridge to better times.” The funding will operate through Indigenous financial institutions that offer financing and business support services to First Nations, Inuit and Métis businesses. “Businesses across Canada are being impacted by COVID-19 and the government is taking action,” Morneau said. “This targeted support will help First Nations, Inuit and Métis businesses have greater access to financing that will help them stay strong, so they can continue to grow and thrive when this crisis passes.”
Minister of Finance Bill Morneau said that the new funding will help First Nations, Inuit and Métis businesses have greater access to financing. Photograph by Canadian Press/Sean Kilpatrick. Aid for Indigenous businesses will be administered by the National Aboriginal Capital Corporations Association and the Métis capital corporations in partnership with Indigenous Services Canada. “Some Indigenous businesses who are already facing unique challenges, including being in rural or remote locations and having less access to capital, are disproportionately affected by this unprecedented situation,” Minister of Indigenous services Marc Miller said.


nationalobserver--2020-04-20--B.C. MPs say they don't need in-person meetings to hold Ottawa to account

Paul Manly stayed overnight in the Vancouver airport and wore a face mask during his birthday on a flight to Ottawa , where he rose to deliver a speech in Parliament that argued he shouldn ’ t be there .
The Green MP from Nanaimo—Ladysmith was one of only three B.C .
members who stood for a key vote on Monday in the House of Commons , along with Bob Zimmer , the Conservative MP for Prince George—Peace River—Northern Rockies and NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh , the MP for Burnaby South .
The vote , on a Liberal government motion @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be held once a week in person , with additional “ virtual ” sittings to come , as a way of balancing parliamentary duties with caution over the novel coronavirus .
The Conservatives had argued for more in-person sittings , but their motion was voted down .
Manly suggested that even the single sitting on Monday , where the vast majority of the 37 MPs present for the vote hailed from ridings in Ontario or Quebec , violated the rights of his colleagues .
In Atlantic Canada , for instance , provinces are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the Green MP for Fredericton , N.B.
, travels out of the province , for example , she would have to self-isolate for 14 days from her husband and children upon her return .
• 10 lessons from COVID-19 that could help us save the planet MPs had previously agreed in mid-March that they would return on Monday , April 20 .
But at that point , no one understood the true scale of the pandemic , Manly said .
He called on the Speaker to adjourn the House immediately out of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ submit that the date April 20 was a mere placeholder , ” he said .
“ No one knew on March 13 what living with a pandemic meant .
We knew nothing of flattening the curve .
Now we do.
” Most of the time Monday was spent debating how the rights and privileges of members to gather for Parliament can still be respected while keeping everyone safe and respecting physical distancing measures .
Singh had also argued that MPs that live in regions far from Ottawa would not have a voice without @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in B.C.
, in my home province , who are now unable to come to Ottawa ... their voices need to be heard , ” he said .
Chief Public Health Officer Dr. Theresa Tam said her advice to parliamentarians would be similar to other workplaces where there are essential services : practice physical distancing , ensuring people don ’ t go to work if they ’ re sick and washing hands frequently .
“ Many workplaces of course have done teleworking and others just to reduce the amount of mixing in order @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” she added .
“ I think Parliament , like other essential workplaces , needs to have a plan to make sure all of these measures are implemented as they are having their meetings.
” Green Party parliamentary Leader Elizabeth May , the MP for Saanich—Gulf Islands , said in an interview with National Observer that she believed it was completely possible to hold the government to account while meeting virtually .
Paul Manly stayed overnight in the Vancouver airport and wore a face mask during his birthday on a flight to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a speech in Parliament that argued he shouldn ’ t be there .
“ We ’ ve done it before , ” she said , pointing to issues with the government ’ s Canada Emergency Response Benefit that opposition MPs had raised .
She also said there are daily calls , seven days a week , with departmental officials , and she has a biweekly call with Finance Minister Bill Morneau on behalf of the Greens .
“ If we add to that a Zoom Question Period session , or several a week @ @ @ @ @ @ @ same degree of accountability , ” May said .
“ It ’ s quite outrageous to insist , as the Conservatives are , that the only way to hold the government to account is to meet physically.
” May said it was clear that the House of Commons couldn ’ t function entirely normally with physical distancing .
As an example she said the table officers , who assist in the functioning of Parliament and sit in the middle of the chamber in front of the Speaker , simply weren ’ t afforded @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The Green MP has been self-isolating after she flew on a government aircraft from B.C .
to Ottawa to attend an earlier session of Parliament , one that ended up stopping to pick up Conservative Leader Andrew Scheer and six other members of his family in Regina .
Scheer argued later that he and his family “ kept our distance ” during the flight .
On Monday , Scheer said that Conservatives wanted “ more than the one accountability session per week , ” suggesting he felt the virtual sittings being proposed were @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau “ needs to explain why he is trying to replace Parliament with press conferences , ” Scheer said at a press conference .
The government should have been looking into what kind of public health requirements are needed to keep Parliament open , he said .
“ It ’ s normal for the House to sit .
We need to show that we can have MPs in the House that can respect all the guidelines , and we have done that , twice , ” Scheer said .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ staff on the Hill.
” NDP House Leader Peter Julian , the MP for New Westminster—Burnaby , said virtual Parliament would be “ very achievable.
” The Procedure and House Affairs committee is expected to present a report on virtual sittings next week , and the House is expected to undergo some technological upgrades , he noted .
“ I have no doubt that we have the ability to do what the NDP ’ s been proposing , what Jagmeet Singh has been proposing from the beginning , ” Julian said .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , but I have absolutely no question that we will have the capability.
” Trudeau told media Monday that he felt Canadians understood that it was important , “ not despite the crisis , but because of the crisis ” to continue to sit as a Parliament but “ look for ways to do it responsibly.
” “ I am very confident that today we will be able to agree on an approach that will both ensure the continuity of our parliamentary institutions during these difficult times , but to do so in @ @ @ @ @

Paul Manly stayed overnight in the Vancouver airport and wore a face mask during his birthday on a flight to Ottawa, where he rose to deliver a speech in Parliament that argued he shouldn’t be there. The Green MP from Nanaimo—Ladysmith was one of only three B.C. members who stood for a key vote on Monday in the House of Commons, along with Bob Zimmer, the Conservative MP for Prince George—Peace River—Northern Rockies and NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh, the MP for Burnaby South. The vote, on a Liberal government motion, established that future House sittings would be held once a week in person, with additional “virtual” sittings to come, as a way of balancing parliamentary duties with caution over the novel coronavirus. The Conservatives had argued for more in-person sittings, but their motion was voted down. Manly suggested that even the single sitting on Monday, where the vast majority of the 37 MPs present for the vote hailed from ridings in Ontario or Quebec, violated the rights of his colleagues. In Atlantic Canada, for instance, provinces are under quarantine orders. If Jenica Atwin, the Green MP for Fredericton, N.B., travels out of the province, for example, she would have to self-isolate for 14 days from her husband and children upon her return.
MPs had previously agreed in mid-March that they would return on Monday, April 20. But at that point, no one understood the true scale of the pandemic, Manly said. He called on the Speaker to adjourn the House immediately out of a sense of caution. “I submit that the date April 20 was a mere placeholder,” he said. “No one knew on March 13 what living with a pandemic meant. We knew nothing of flattening the curve. Now we do.” Billion-dollar land deals in Ontario raise corruption suspicions Most of the time Monday was spent debating how the rights and privileges of members to gather for Parliament can still be respected while keeping everyone safe and respecting physical distancing measures.
Singh had also argued that MPs that live in regions far from Ottawa would not have a voice without virtual settings. “People who are in B.C., in my home province, who are now unable to come to Ottawa...their voices need to be heard,” he said. Paul Manly stayed overnight in the Vancouver airport and wore a face mask during his birthday on a flight to Ottawa, where he rose to deliver a speech in Parliament that argued he shouldn’t be there. Chief Public Health Officer Dr. Theresa Tam said her advice to parliamentarians would be similar to other workplaces where there are essential services: practice physical distancing, ensuring people don’t go to work if they’re sick and washing hands frequently.
“Many workplaces of course have done teleworking and others just to reduce the amount of mixing in order to maintain the physical distancing as well,” she added. “I think Parliament, like other essential workplaces, needs to have a plan to make sure all of these measures are implemented as they are having their meetings.” Green Party parliamentary Leader Elizabeth May, the MP for Saanich—Gulf Islands, said in an interview with National Observer that she believed it was completely possible to hold the government to account while meeting virtually. “We’ve done it before,” she said, pointing to issues with the government’s Canada Emergency Response Benefit that opposition MPs had raised. She also said there are daily calls, seven days a week, with departmental officials, and she has a biweekly call with Finance Minister Bill Morneau on behalf of the Greens.
“If we add to that a Zoom Question Period session, or several a week, I think we absolutely have the same degree of accountability,” May said. “It’s quite outrageous to insist, as the Conservatives are, that the only way to hold the government to account is to meet physically.” May said it was clear that the House of Commons couldn’t function entirely normally with physical distancing. As an example she said the table officers, who assist in the functioning of Parliament and sit in the middle of the chamber in front of the Speaker, simply weren’t afforded the space necessary to practice distancing.


nationalobserver--2020-04-20--Ontario may be at COVID-19 peak, but testing woes could stall reopening

Though community spread of COVID-19 in Ontario appears to be peaking , the province can not consider reopening businesses and schools without fixing its lagging testing program , experts say .
In a new set of projections released Monday , Ontario public health officials painted a more optimistic picture than they did two weeks ago : The province ’ s curve appears to be bending , with the huge exception of cases in long-term care homes , where the virus is still spreading rapidly .
But with Ontario ’ s COVID-19 testing regime still far behind other provinces , it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ without having a more accurate view of how many cases there really are , said Timothy Sly , an epidemiologist and professor emeritus at Ryerson University ’ s School of Public Health .
“ The testing has to be ramped up , ” he said , echoing weeks of statements from Premier Doug Ford and other provincial and federal officials .
“ It has to be testing , testing , testing.
” • 10 lessons from COVID-19 that could help us save the planet Global research shows that upwards of half of people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ capable of spreading the virus .
That ’ s why widely testing for the novel coronavirus is a vital part of the fight against the pandemic , according to the World Health Organization , and countries with early successes against the disease have made it a central strategy .
But Ontario has struggled to test enough people since mid-March , when it started to amass a backlog of thousands of people who were waiting days and even weeks to get their results .
Several times since , the government has set higher benchmarks @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
A global shortage of ingredients needed for the tests has been hampering government efforts .
But Ontario has the lowest level of testing per capita of any province , federal data shows .
The government ’ s current goal is 16,000 coronavirus tests per day by May 6 , which is 3,000 tests less and several weeks later than its initial promises .
As of Monday , Ontario was processing less than 9,000 tests per day .
“ There is a testing problem in Ontario , ” said Amir Attaran , a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at the University of Ottawa .
“ The less testing you do , the fewer cases you ’ ll find.
” Ontario 's COVID-19 testing program is still lagging .
Though there are early signs of hope , the province ca n't safely restart its economy until it understands the full scope of the outbreak , experts say .
# onpoli In a briefing with reporters Monday , Ontario Health Minister Christine Elliott said a backlog of 10,000 from last week has been cleared , and the province should hit 14,000 tests per @ @ @ @ @ @ @ so.
” “ People should not need to be waiting nine to 10 days anymore , ” she said .
“ We are up to date with our testing and increasing our testing every day.
” Sly said the government must do more than that still — including tests for all residents and staff at long-term care facilities , a step Ontario officials said on Friday they would not take .
On April 3 , Ontario officials released initial modelling , which showed the province could realistically see 80,000 COVID-19 cases by the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ introduced even stricter measures , officials predicted there could be 12,500 .
If the government hadn ’ t intervened at all , it predicted a flood of up to 300,000 cases and thousands of seriously ill patients could have overwhelmed hospital ICUs and driven up the COVID-19 fatality rate .
The new projections released Monday show the number of cases during the first wave of the outbreak will likely now be fewer than 20,000 — a quarter of the realistic estimate in the April 3 report , but still higher than the best-case @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of 5 p.m. Monday , Ontario has reported just over 11,000 cases .
Timothy Sly , an epidemiologist and professor emeritus at Ryerson University , says it wo n't be fully safe to re-open the economy until there is a vaccine or cure for COVID-19 .
Photo courtesy Timothy Sly “ Everybody who participated in the public health initiatives , you made a difference , ” said Matthew Anderson , president and CEO of Ontario Health , in a telephone briefing with reporters .
Though it ’ s hard to accurately predict death @ @ @ @ @ @ @ follow the number of cases , Adalsteinn Brown , dean of the Dalla Lana School of Public Health at the University of Toronto , said .
In a briefing by phone with reporters , Anderson and other officials compared Ontario ’ s rate of new infections to that of South Korea , which has largely contained COVID-19 .
( The comparison isn ’ t perfect , however : South Korea , which has three times the population of Ontario and a mere 236 deaths to Ontario ’ s 584 , has more effectively @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ) The peak of the disease is important — ideally , it means case numbers will begin going down , preventing the feared deluge of cases .
Medical officials are now talking about bringing back elective surgeries that were cancelled to preserve hospital capacity in the early stages of the pandemic .
However , officials also cautioned that the peak of community spread of COVID-19 does not mean the danger has passed , or that life will go back to normal anytime soon .
And worsening outbreaks in long-term care still present a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 127 outbreaks in long-term care , and reporters using data from local public health agencies have reported numbers that are significantly higher .
“ ( The peak ) doesn ’ t mean the disease has left the population , ” Brown said .
“ It doesn ’ t mean the disease has passed over… It means we start to see fewer cases as we go along.
” Because no vaccine or cure yet exists for COVID-19 , reopening schools and portions of the economy will mean more people will fall ill and die @ @ @ @ @ @ @ health Dr. Barbara Yaffe .
“ Unfortunately there is no answer ” about when a return to normal will be possible , Dr. Yaffe said .
“ The virus is still there .
We would prefer to avoid a second wave.
” Premier Doug Ford echoed the sentiment Monday .
The province is looking at how it could gradually restart the economy , he said , but giving details now would be “ premature.
” Sly said it ’ s important to remember that the peak of COVID-19 is an artificial one — @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the spread of the virus .
But there are still plenty of people without antibodies who could get sick and die if everything was to reopen too soon , and once a second wave has started it ’ s hard to contain .
“ It is really not safe to let anybody out either until the pandemic runs out or , fingers crossed , in record time , someone comes up with a vaccine , ” he said .
“ If we let it go… we will see the natural progress of this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ population of Canada will be affected , but up to 1 per cent will die .
Nobody wants to say that , but I think sometimes people need to hear it .
”

Though community spread of COVID-19 in Ontario appears to be peaking, the province cannot consider reopening businesses and schools without fixing its lagging testing program, experts say. In a new set of projections released Monday, Ontario public health officials painted a more optimistic picture than they did two weeks ago: The province’s curve appears to be bending, with the huge exception of cases in long-term care homes, where the virus is still spreading rapidly. But with Ontario’s COVID-19 testing regime still far behind other provinces, it can’t begin to re-open anything without having a more accurate view of how many cases there really are, said Timothy Sly, an epidemiologist and professor emeritus at Ryerson University’s School of Public Health. “The testing has to be ramped up,” he said, echoing weeks of statements from Premier Doug Ford and other provincial and federal officials. “It has to be testing, testing, testing.”
Global research shows that upwards of half of people with COVID-19 are asymptomatic, but still capable of spreading the virus. That’s why widely testing for the novel coronavirus is a vital part of the fight against the pandemic, according to the World Health Organization, and countries with early successes against the disease have made it a central strategy. But Ontario has struggled to test enough people since mid-March, when it started to amass a backlog of thousands of people who were waiting days and even weeks to get their results. Several times since, the government has set higher benchmarks for testing and failed to meet them. Billion-dollar land deals in Ontario raise corruption suspicions A global shortage of ingredients needed for the tests has been hampering government efforts. But Ontario has the lowest level of testing per capita of any province, federal data shows.
The government’s current goal is 16,000 coronavirus tests per day by May 6, which is 3,000 tests less and several weeks later than its initial promises. As of Monday, Ontario was processing less than 9,000 tests per day. Ontario's COVID-19 testing program is still lagging. Though there are early signs of hope, the province can't safely restart its economy until it understands the full scope of the outbreak, experts say. #onpoli “There is a testing problem in Ontario,” said Amir Attaran, a professor of both public health and law at the University of Ottawa. “The less testing you do, the fewer cases you’ll find.” In a briefing with reporters Monday, Ontario Health Minister Christine Elliott said a backlog of 10,000 from last week has been cleared, and the province should hit 14,000 tests per day in the “next week or so.” “People should not need to be waiting nine to 10 days anymore,” she said. “We are up to date with our testing and increasing our testing every day.”
Sly said the government must do more than that still — including tests for all residents and staff at long-term care facilities, a step Ontario officials said on Friday they would not take. New projections show better outlook On April 3, Ontario officials released initial modelling, which showed the province could realistically see 80,000 COVID-19 cases by the end of the month. If it introduced even stricter measures, officials predicted there could be 12,500. If the government hadn’t intervened at all, it predicted a flood of up to 300,000 cases and thousands of seriously ill patients could have overwhelmed hospital ICUs and driven up the COVID-19 fatality rate.


nationalobserver--2020-04-20--Calls grow for national rent subsidy in Canada

The federal government should consider rent relief for the precariously housed , or risk a wave of Canadians becoming homeless in the wake of COVID-19 , advocates told MPs Friday .
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced this week the federal government would work with the provinces and territories on a program that would help commercial landlords reduce or eliminate the rent for small businesses until June .
Veronique Laflamme , with the Montreal-based group Front d'action populaire en reamenagement urbain , told the House of Commons finance committee Friday that Ottawa should consider similar relief for people who may not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` Our group is getting a lot of calls from renters who are worried about losing their housing , '' Laflamme said .
`` These very low-income people are having trouble paying their rent . ''
Many parts of the country were already in the midst of a housing and homelessness crisis because of a lack of affordable housing options , she said , and now people who were living paycheque to paycheque have lost income because of the economic shutdown .
• 10 lessons from COVID-19 that could help us save the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ benefit has helped many people afford basic necessities and rent payments , it is n't enough for everyone , other advocates said .
`` We can see a wave of evictions coming because of the financial hardship , '' said Dan Clement , president of United Way Centraide Canada .
`` Fundamentally what we need to do is make sure we keep Canadians housed , '' he said .
That can be complex , said Cecile Arbaud , executive director of Dans la rue , which works with homeless youth in Montreal .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ have been kept from aging out of the system in an effort to keep them off the streets .
But she said the current conditions make it nearly impossible for them to plan for employment or a place to live once the pandemic is over , which puts them at risk of homelessness .
Clement said the pandemic has highlighted the existing gaps in Canada 's social safety net , which will need to be addressed .
Shelter providers described some of the serious challenges involved in helping those who are already homeless @ @ @ @ @ @ @ crowded emergency shelters , where people it 's difficult to isolate from each other .
Some cities have opened emergency spaces in hotels , churches , conference centres and recreational facilities to try to give people without a home a space where they can stay away from others if they show symptoms of COVID-19 .
But many services those people rely are shut down or operating at a reduced capacity , the committee heard .
While the need to keep people from becoming homeless is urgent , the government should also look to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Canada for the future , said Maureen Fair , the executive director of West Neighbourhood House , a social services provider in Toronto .
This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 17 , 2020 .

The federal government should consider rent relief for the precariously housed, or risk a wave of Canadians becoming homeless in the wake of COVID-19, advocates told MPs Friday.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced this week the federal government would work with the provinces and territories on a program that would help commercial landlords reduce or eliminate the rent for small businesses until June.
Veronique Laflamme, with the Montreal-based group Front d'action populaire en reamenagement urbain, told the House of Commons finance committee Friday that Ottawa should consider similar relief for people who may not be able to afford their housing.
"Our group is getting a lot of calls from renters who are worried about losing their housing," Laflamme said. "These very low-income people are having trouble paying their rent."
Many parts of the country were already in the midst of a housing and homelessness crisis because of a lack of affordable housing options, she said, and now people who were living paycheque to paycheque have lost income because of the economic shutdown.


nationalobserver--2020-04-20--All provinces are not equal in COVID-19 response and recovery

Regional disparities in Canada 's COVID-19 crisis emerged with growing clarity on Friday , as some provinces celebrated relative success while the federal government rolled out new measures to help others still grappling with the pandemic .
Government and medical officials said different parts of the country are experiencing the outbreak to varying degrees , with central provinces accounting for the bulk of new cases and other jurisdictions reporting flattened curves and limited outbreaks .
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau acknowledged the disparate circumstances on Friday as he unveiled new stimulus measures targeted at specific provinces , rather than the country @ @ @ @ @ @ @ continue our co-ordination around principles and steps that need to be taken .
But this is Canada , which means there are very different needs and very different approaches that will be in place across the country , '' Trudeau said at his regular morning news conference .
The latest round of economic measures were specifically geared towards Newfoundland and Labrador and the country 's western provinces , including a $ 1.7 billion funding promise to clean up orphaned oil wells largely found in Alberta .
• 10 lessons from COVID-19 that could @ @ @ @ @ @ @ regional differences , the country 's top public health official cautioned against relaxing protective restrictions — even in regions where the pandemic seems to be under control .
Dr. Theresa Tam said the bulk of COVID-19 cases are concentrated in just two provinces , Ontario and Quebec , where new provincial numbers continue to show the most positive diagnoses .
Comparatively , some provinces have reported no fresh cases for several days running and British Columbia has openly declared it has flattened its pandemic curve .
But Tam cautioned against letting the public @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and economic shutdowns must stay in place to prevent the pandemic from flaring up in other areas .
`` Some areas will experience the epidemic slowdown earlier than others .
But no matter where we are in the country , we 've got to remember that Canadians are highly susceptible to the virus .
Unless we all remain diligent in maintaining our new habits of physical distancing and good hygiene , new outbreaks can be sparked anywhere at any time . ''
The regional differences were also clear from the nature of government @ @ @ @ @ @ @ members of the country 's Armed Forces would be on the ground in Quebec later Friday , particularly to help with an ongoing series of outbreaks at long-term care facilities .
Regional approach to COVID-19 beginning as feds roll out new measures Quebec reported 16,798 total COVID-19 cases in the province as of Friday , nearly 700 of which have been fatal .
In Ontario , meanwhile , the number of COVID-19 cases continued to climb , though at a consistently lower rate in recent days .
The province reported its largest single-day @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cases and 55 new deaths .
Prince Edward Island , in contrast , reported no new cases , continuing a streak the province 's medical officer of health called encouraging .
Manitoba and New Brunswick also said virus cases remained flat on Friday .
And in B.C.
, where provincial officials released fresh data on the impact of COVID-19 , chief medical officer Dr. Bonnie Henry hailed the province 's success in coping with the outbreak relative to other jurisdictions .
`` Our pandemic started earlier than other parts of Canada , '' @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have flattened that curve . ''
Even in those provinces with more encouraging numbers , however , restrictions aimed at curbing the spread were expected to remain in place for some time .
And in harder-hit regions such as Ontario , a return to the pre-pandemic norm is still a distant prospect .
`` The number 1 priority is health over everything , '' said Premier Doug Ford .
`` I am zoned in on this economy ... after we get through this and we get the green light . ''
Regional variations @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Trudeau acknowledged as he announced yet another financial assistance effort initiatives .
The package targets the oil and gas sector , among others , with funding earmarked for cleaning up so-called orphaned oil wells .
The measures are unlikely to satisfy the country 's oil producers , who have been sounding alarms about the economic devastation in the sector in the lead-up to Friday 's announcement .
With western Canada 's heavy crude selling for under $ 5 a barrel this week — less than a tenth of the price it garnered @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Canada 's natural resources minister from the Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers called for freezing the carbon tax and delaying new climate change regulations while the industry weathers the storm .
More than 31,000 Canadians have tested positive for COVID-19 , which has killed more than 1,300 people across the country .
About half of those killed have been residents of long-term care facilities .
This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 17 , 2020 .

Regional disparities in Canada's COVID-19 crisis emerged with growing clarity on Friday, as some provinces celebrated relative success while the federal government rolled out new measures to help others still grappling with the pandemic. Government and medical officials said different parts of the country are experiencing the outbreak to varying degrees, with central provinces accounting for the bulk of new cases and other jurisdictions reporting flattened curves and limited outbreaks. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau acknowledged the disparate circumstances on Friday as he unveiled new stimulus measures targeted at specific provinces, rather than the country as a whole. "We will continue our co-ordination around principles and steps that need to be taken. But this is Canada, which means there are very different needs and very different approaches that will be in place across the country," Trudeau said at his regular morning news conference. The latest round of economic measures were specifically geared towards Newfoundland and Labrador and the country's western provinces, including a $1.7 billion funding promise to clean up orphaned oil wells largely found in Alberta.
Despite the regional differences, the country's top public health official cautioned against relaxing protective restrictions — even in regions where the pandemic seems to be under control. Dr. Theresa Tam said the bulk of COVID-19 cases are concentrated in just two provinces, Ontario and Quebec, where new provincial numbers continue to show the most positive diagnoses. Comparatively, some provinces have reported no fresh cases for several days running and British Columbia has openly declared it has flattened its pandemic curve. Billion-dollar land deals in Ontario raise corruption suspicions But Tam cautioned against letting the public guard down, saying physical distancing measures and economic shutdowns must stay in place to prevent the pandemic from flaring up in other areas.
"Some areas will experience the epidemic slowdown earlier than others. But no matter where we are in the country, we've got to remember that Canadians are highly susceptible to the virus. Unless we all remain diligent in maintaining our new habits of physical distancing and good hygiene, new outbreaks can be sparked anywhere at any time." Regional approach to COVID-19 beginning as feds roll out new measures The regional differences were also clear from the nature of government responses to the crisis. Trudeau indicated members of the country's Armed Forces would be on the ground in Quebec later Friday, particularly to help with an ongoing series of outbreaks at long-term care facilities. Quebec reported 16,798 total COVID-19 cases in the province as of Friday, nearly 700 of which have been fatal. In Ontario, meanwhile, the number of COVID-19 cases continued to climb, though at a consistently lower rate in recent days. The province reported its largest single-day increase on Friday, with 564 new cases and 55 new deaths.
Prince Edward Island, in contrast, reported no new cases, continuing a streak the province's medical officer of health called encouraging. Manitoba and New Brunswick also said virus cases remained flat on Friday. And in B.C., where provincial officials released fresh data on the impact of COVID-19, chief medical officer Dr. Bonnie Henry hailed the province's success in coping with the outbreak relative to other jurisdictions. "Our pandemic started earlier than other parts of Canada," she said. "But ... we have flattened that curve."


nationalobserver--2020-04-20--Canadian doctors don't know when masks are coming

Even as planeloads of supplies to protect Canada 's medical workers arrive , many primary-care physicians say they are in the dark about when they 're going to get what they need to keep helping patients .
Global shortages of surgical masks and disposable N95 respirators have put Canadian medical workers under pressure to conserve what little they have left .
Despite those efforts , some say they are likely to run out .
`` There are definitely some practices , if they have n't already run out of ( personal protective equipment ) they will soon , '' said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in Markham , Ont .
That could mean some clinics will be forced to stop seeing patients , Grill said , which would leave those patients with no choice but to report to emergency rooms or put off their care .
• 10 lessons from COVID-19 that could help us save the planet Federal and provincial governments say they 've left no stone unturned in their efforts to get more of the supplies into Canada , and shipments have started to arrive .
Even so , some doctors have no idea when they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ or how they 'll be allocated .
Supply stocks vary province to province , since each is responsible for its own .
The federal government has been taking requests for large orders , for greater purchasing power abroad .
All provinces with the biggest outbreaks , including Alberta , British Columbia , Ontario and Quebec , have reported challenges this past month , as they attempt to tally what 's available .
As shipments come in , they are delivering them to where they 're needed most .
But medical settings outside of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ own supplies , are struggling , said Dr. Sohail Gandhi , president of the Ontario Medical Association .
`` All I 've been hearing is how difficult it is , '' he said .
The issue of N95 respirators is especially contentious .
Federal and provincial guidelines suggest doctors only need to use them in certain situations , such as when a patient is on high-flow oxygen .
Otherwise , the guidelines say surgical masks are enough to protect against the transmission of COVID-19 .
Doctors do n't know when masks are coming @ @ @ @ @ @ @ nurses ' unions across the country have called for more liberal use of the N95 masks as an added precaution , and some doctors feel the same .
`` We 're getting very close to our patients , we ca n't assess our patients from six feet away , '' said Gandhi .
`` If I 'm going to go into an environment where there are people who are presumed to have ( COVID-19 ) , I 'd want to wear an N95 in those circumstances , '' he said .
While he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to get more of the masks into Canada , he said he has no clear idea of where those supplies are or when they 're coming to clinics .
`` No one seems to know , '' he said .
Add to that , warnings from the federal government about fraudulent and non-certified N95s found in the marketplace , leave doctors with little choice but to wait for quality supplies .
It can be especially upsetting when doctors go to the grocery store and spot people in medical-grade masks , he said .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ medical professionals who really need it , '' he said .
The public have been urged to use non-medical masks if they choose to cover their face out in public , and consider donating medical supplies to hospitals and other health-care units .

Even as planeloads of supplies to protect Canada's medical workers arrive, many primary-care physicians say they are in the dark about when they're going to get what they need to keep helping patients. Global shortages of surgical masks and disposable N95 respirators have put Canadian medical workers under pressure to conserve what little they have left. Despite those efforts, some say they are likely to run out. "There are definitely some practices, if they haven't already run out of (personal protective equipment) they will soon," said Dr. Allan Grill, a family physician in Markham, Ont. That could mean some clinics will be forced to stop seeing patients, Grill said, which would leave those patients with no choice but to report to emergency rooms or put off their care.
Federal and provincial governments say they've left no stone unturned in their efforts to get more of the supplies into Canada, and shipments have started to arrive. Even so, some doctors have no idea when they'll actually get their hands on them or how they'll be allocated. Supply stocks vary province to province, since each is responsible for its own. The federal government has been taking requests for large orders, for greater purchasing power abroad. Billion-dollar land deals in Ontario raise corruption suspicions All provinces with the biggest outbreaks, including Alberta, British Columbia, Ontario and Quebec, have reported challenges this past month, as they attempt to tally what's available. As shipments come in, they are delivering them to where they're needed most.
But medical settings outside of hospitals, typically responsible for purchasing their own supplies, are struggling, said Dr. Sohail Gandhi, president of the Ontario Medical Association. Doctors don't know when masks are coming, despite deliveries arriving in Canada "All I've been hearing is how difficult it is," he said. The issue of N95 respirators is especially contentious. Federal and provincial guidelines suggest doctors only need to use them in certain situations, such as when a patient is on high-flow oxygen. Otherwise, the guidelines say surgical masks are enough to protect against the transmission of COVID-19. But nurses' unions across the country have called for more liberal use of the N95 masks as an added precaution, and some doctors feel the same. "We're getting very close to our patients, we can't assess our patients from six feet away," said Gandhi.
"If I'm going to go into an environment where there are people who are presumed to have (COVID-19), I'd want to wear an N95 in those circumstances," he said. While he's heard about federal and provincial efforts to get more of the masks into Canada, he said he has no clear idea of where those supplies are or when they're coming to clinics. "No one seems to know," he said.


nationalobserver--2020-04-21--Canadians trust their family doctor over PM on COVID-19, says poll

Canadians trust health professionals like their family doctor first and foremost when it comes to the COVID-19 crisis , a new poll suggests .
The poll , conducted by Leger and the Association for Canadian Studies , asked respondents to rate their level of trust in various institutions , including public health officials and politicians .
Health professionals like doctors and nurses had the highest level of trust in Canada , with 92 per cent support .
Public health officials , generally , followed close behind at 81 per cent , while 72 per cent of respondents said they trusted @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
That 's no surprise , said Christian Bourque , executive vice-president of Leger .
He said most people trust the people they 're closest to .
`` I was expecting more of a gap between those who you interact with versus those that you see , '' he said .
• Ontario may be at COVID-19 peak , but testing woes could stall reopening • Essential or exception : Whose rights matter in a pandemic ?
The World Health Organization , which has faced criticism , including from the Conservatives , for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in China , was trusted by 68 per cent of Canadians .
Fifty-four per cent said they trusted Prime Minister Justin Trudeau .
At the lower end of the spectrum , only 50 per cent of Canadians said they trust the media , though that has been the case for a long time and has not changed as a result of the pandemic , said Bourque .
The trust Canadians show in their institutions ranked much higher than those of respondents from the United States in most categories , although President Donald Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Canadians compared to 38 per cent of respondents in the U.S .
The poll , conducted April 17-19 , surveyed 1,504 adult Canadians and 1,001 adult Americans randomly recruited from Leger 's online panel .
Internet-based surveys can not be assigned a margin of error because they are not considered random samples .
Bourque said that trust in institutions may be why Canadians have been so faithful about abiding by physical distancing measures over the last several weeks .
The number of people who feel the worst the pandemic is yet to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cent last week to 39 per cent this week .
Canadians trust their family doctor more than the PM on COVID-19 , says poll Fear of contracting the virus appears to have peaked in early April , when 76 per cent said they were afraid of catching COVID-19 .
That number has now dropped to 69 per cent .
Still , the vast majority of Canadians said they are continuing to abide by all public health advice .
`` We 've sort of turned the corner , '' said Bourque , `` yet @ @ @ @ @ @ @ distancing . ''
Seventy-three per cent of respondents in Canada said they follow all physical distancing measures and public health advice , compared to only 34 per cent in the U.S. Nearly 80 per cent of Canadians working from home said the experience was positive , even though 40 per cent described it as hard .
Concern now seems to revolve around long-term care and seniors ' residences , Bourque said .
Tam confirmed that outbreaks in long-term care homes are driving the rising number of deaths in Canada , even as the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ slow `` People are saying that ’ s the real crisis now , '' Bourque said .
While the poll suggests the level of concern was high for people with senior relatives living on their own ( 72 per cent ) , or with family ( 77 per cent ) , it was much greater for people whose relatives are living communally with other seniors ( 85 per cent ) .

Canadians trust health professionals like their family doctor first and foremost when it comes to the COVID-19 crisis, a new poll suggests. The poll, conducted by Leger and the Association for Canadian Studies, asked respondents to rate their level of trust in various institutions, including public health officials and politicians. Health professionals like doctors and nurses had the highest level of trust in Canada, with 92 per cent support. Public health officials, generally, followed close behind at 81 per cent, while 72 per cent of respondents said they trusted chief public health officer Dr. Theresa Tam. That's no surprise, said Christian Bourque, executive vice-president of Leger. He said most people trust the people they're closest to. "I was expecting more of a gap between those who you interact with versus those that you see," he said.
The World Health Organization, which has faced criticism, including from the Conservatives, for how it responded to the novel coronavirus in China, was trusted by 68 per cent of Canadians. Fifty-four per cent said they trusted Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. At the lower end of the spectrum, only 50 per cent of Canadians said they trust the media, though that has been the case for a long time and has not changed as a result of the pandemic, said Bourque. Billion-dollar land deals in Ontario raise corruption suspicions The trust Canadians show in their institutions ranked much higher than those of respondents from the United States in most categories, although President Donald Trump had the support of 12 per cent of Canadians compared to 38 per cent of respondents in the U.S.
The poll, conducted April 17-19, surveyed 1,504 adult Canadians and 1,001 adult Americans randomly recruited from Leger's online panel. Internet-based surveys cannot be assigned a margin of error because they are not considered random samples. Canadians trust their family doctor more than the PM on COVID-19, says poll Bourque said that trust in institutions may be why Canadians have been so faithful about abiding by physical distancing measures over the last several weeks. The number of people who feel the worst the pandemic is yet to come is shrinking, from 56 per cent last week to 39 per cent this week. Fear of contracting the virus appears to have peaked in early April, when 76 per cent said they were afraid of catching COVID-19. That number has now dropped to 69 per cent. Still, the vast majority of Canadians said they are continuing to abide by all public health advice.
"We've sort of turned the corner," said Bourque, "yet we still remain extremely disciplined in social distancing." Seventy-three per cent of respondents in Canada said they follow all physical distancing measures and public health advice, compared to only 34 per cent in the U.S. Nearly 80 per cent of Canadians working from home said the experience was positive, even though 40 per cent described it as hard.


nationalobserver--2020-04-21--Death toll in NS could rise as investigation into rampage continues

Police say the 16 crime scenes include five burned buildings where it is feared additional bodies will be found inside @ @ @ @ @ dead as of yesterday following Sunday 's tragedy , but police expect the number of @ @ @ @ @ The death toll from a killing rampage in Nova Scotia could rise today .
RCMP @ @ @ @ @ said he expects the number of victims to increase in the days ahead .
The @ @ @ @ @ ended when active shooter Gabriel Wortman was shot dead Sunday by RCMP officers in Enfield @ @ @ @ @ the gas pumps at a service station .
The RCMP opted to use its Twitter @ @ @ @ @ the active shooter investigation .
Premier Stephen McNeil said the province 's emergency alert system @ @ @ @ @ request was received .
This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 21 @ @ @

The death toll from a killing rampage in Nova Scotia could rise today.
Nineteen people were confirmed dead as of yesterday following Sunday's tragedy, but police expect the number of victims to go up.
Police say the 16 crime scenes include five burned buildings where it is feared additional bodies will be found inside.
RCMP Chief Supt. Chris Leather said he expects the number of victims to increase in the days ahead.
The murder and arson rampage finally ended when active shooter Gabriel Wortman was shot dead Sunday by RCMP officers in Enfield, N.S., next to the gas pumps at a service station.


nationalobserver--2020-04-21--Canada’s murky bailout deal for oil and gas will cost us all

The COVID-19 pandemic , coupled with low oil prices , have created extraordinarily hard times in oil producing provinces such as Alberta , and unemployment not seen since the Great Depression .
Quite properly , the federal government has promised to help .
But it is shameful that Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is using your tax dollars to bail out the oil and gas exploration and production industry , perhaps the wealthiest and most polluting industry in human history .
The government is patting itself on the back for resisting some egregious industry demands and for one good program : @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s Orphan Well Association to properly close some abandoned oil and gas wells .
Due to the hard work of grassroots activists such as the Alberta Liability Disclosure Project , this $ 200 million is to be repaid by the industry , which , by law , was always supposed to clean up its own wells .
An oversight committee will include local and Indigenous representatives .
But this is a drop in the bucket of what the oil and gas industry owes .
Although elites have pocketed a lot of money @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have a scandalous record of not paying their bills , especially : These multi-billion dollar bailouts are forcing young people to subsidize fossil fuel producers in creating the climate crisis that will darken their entire lives .
And they are one of the most expensive and polluting ways of protecting jobs .
As well as their mountain of debt , the oil and gas extraction industry creates a puny 2.7 jobs per million dollars of output , while pumping out 704 tonnes of greenhouse gases for each full-time job .
There are much @ @ @ @ @ @ @ work , such as : `` It is shameful that Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is using your tax dollars to bail out the oil and gas exploration and production industry , perhaps the wealthiest and most polluting industry in human history . ''
• Rapid deployment of renewable energy is a dependable path to a cleaner future , creates far more jobs per dollar invested and is increasingly the cheapest way to generate electricity .
Alberta has some of the best wind resources in the world .
Southern Alberta and Saskatchewan also get @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is why Alberta solar power recently beat out global competitors to win $ 500 million in foreign investment , and • Energy retrofits of existing buildings create many skilled positions for only 22 tonnes of GHGs per job , lower operating costs , and provide more comfortable and energy-efficient homes , especially for the poor , low-income individuals and First Nations communities .
Doing those retrofits with wood fiber will create many jobs in forestry communities , and sequester carbon in wood products .
The Trudeau government understands the importance of the climate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it putting our money where its mouth is ?

The COVID-19 pandemic, coupled with low oil prices, have created extraordinarily hard times in oil producing provinces such as Alberta, and unemployment not seen since the Great Depression. Quite properly, the federal government has promised to help. But it is shameful that Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is using your tax dollars to bail out the oil and gas exploration and production industry, perhaps the wealthiest and most polluting industry in human history.
The government is patting itself on the back for resisting some egregious industry demands and for one good program: a $200 million loan to Alberta’s Orphan Well Association to properly close some abandoned oil and gas wells. Due to the hard work of grassroots activists such as the Alberta Liability Disclosure Project, this $200 million is to be repaid by the industry, which, by law, was always supposed to clean up its own wells. An oversight committee will include local and Indigenous representatives.
But this is a drop in the bucket of what the oil and gas industry owes. Although elites have pocketed a lot of money, oil, gas and bitumen producers have a scandalous record of not paying their bills, especially:
compensation and repairs they owe to farmers who are forced to have oil and gas wells on their land;
taxes they owe to rural municipalities, and
the many tens of billions it will cost to clean up their depleted wells, so they don’t cause yet more contamination.
Despite this record, and Canada’s repeated pledges to stop subsidizing fossil fuels, the Trudeau government is giving the industry a billion dollar-plus bailout with taxpayer money: Up to $1 billion is being given to the Alberta government, whose lax rules and poor enforcement allowed the industry to create the ever-expanding, multi-billion dollar inactive well problem.


nationalobserver--2020-04-21--Alberta hikes pay and hiring to fight COVID-19 in long-term care homes

Alberta is bumping up salaries , funding and hiring at long-term care centres , which have been hit hard with COVID-19 infections and deaths .
Health Minister Tyler Shandro said there will be increased funding for the facilities to hire additional staff and a wage supplement of $ 2 an hour for health-care aides .
The province will also fast track health-care aide students through their programs using paid practicums to get more of them into care homes right away .
`` This will mean up to 1,000 student placements , '' Shandro told reporters Monday .
`` We 're @ @ @ @ @ @ @ difference to ensure that our continuing-care facilities in Alberta are as safe as possible . ''
• Ontario may be at COVID-19 peak , but testing woes could stall reopening • Essential or exception : Whose rights matter in a pandemic ?
He said $ 24.5 million will also be advanced to care home operators to address pressing needs .
Alberta has recorded 59 deaths due to the novel coronavirus , with 38 of them in continuing-care centres .
Of those , 21 have been in Calgary 's McKenzie Towne Continuing Care Centre @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Manoir du Lac retirement home in McLennan in northern Alberta .
Last week , the province took over operation of Manoir du Lac after officials determined residents were not being cared for safely .
The care homes are under strict health safety rules .
Visitors are banned except for dire circumstances and staffers are no longer allowed to work at more than one centre .
NDP labour critic Christina Gray , in a statement , said the new measures are a step in the right direction but she 's still frustrated .
`` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Jason Kenney and the UCP government to introduce these common-sense measures .
Our Official Opposition called for these actions on April 7 . ''
On Monday , Alberta also reported 105 new cases for a total of 2,908 infections in the province .
So far 1,230 people have recovered .
Alberta Health Services continues to buy masks and other personal protective equipment from a variety of suppliers .
Jitendra Prasad , head of procurement for AHS , addressed concerns Monday from health workers that some masks coming in from a Chinese supplier do @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and have a funky , offensive smell .
Prasad said the masks have been certified as medically safe but staff are working with the suppliers to address issues such as better-fitting nose clips and the rashes .
He said the smell comes from the fact the masks are heated during production then immediately sealed in plastic , resulting in the odour when the packages are opened .
`` We 've had staff over the last many days that have actually taken out the masks out from those plastic wrappings and they have put @ @ @ @ @ @ @ get aired out , '' said Prasad .
A work camp at Imperial Oil 's Kearl oilsands project in northeastern Alberta , which flies in workers from across Canada , has 12 confirmed COVID-19 cases in Alberta , along with eight diagnosed in other provinces .
There are reports of Kearl-linked cases in Saskatchewan , British Columbia , New Brunswick and Nova Scotia , and Deena Hinshaw , Alberta 's chief medical officer of health , said officials are working to verify them .

Alberta is bumping up salaries, funding and hiring at long-term care centres, which have been hit hard with COVID-19 infections and deaths. Health Minister Tyler Shandro said there will be increased funding for the facilities to hire additional staff and a wage supplement of $2 an hour for health-care aides. The province will also fast track health-care aide students through their programs using paid practicums to get more of them into care homes right away. "This will mean up to 1,000 student placements," Shandro told reporters Monday. "We're confident that these measures will make a difference to ensure that our continuing-care facilities in Alberta are as safe as possible."
He said $24.5 million will also be advanced to care home operators to address pressing needs. Alberta has recorded 59 deaths due to the novel coronavirus, with 38 of them in continuing-care centres. Billion-dollar land deals in Ontario raise corruption suspicions Of those, 21 have been in Calgary's McKenzie Towne Continuing Care Centre and another seven have been at the Manoir du Lac retirement home in McLennan in northern Alberta.
Last week, the province took over operation of Manoir du Lac after officials determined residents were not being cared for safely. Alberta hikes pay, hiring to fight COVID-19 in continuing-care centres The care homes are under strict health safety rules. Visitors are banned except for dire circumstances and staffers are no longer allowed to work at more than one centre. NDP labour critic Christina Gray, in a statement, said the new measures are a step in the right direction but she's still frustrated. "It took two weeks of dithering from Jason Kenney and the UCP government to introduce these common-sense measures. Our Official Opposition called for these actions on April 7." On Monday, Alberta also reported 105 new cases for a total of 2,908 infections in the province. So far 1,230 people have recovered.
Alberta Health Services continues to buy masks and other personal protective equipment from a variety of suppliers. Jitendra Prasad, head of procurement for AHS, addressed concerns Monday from health workers that some masks coming in from a Chinese supplier don't fit properly, cause skin rashes and have a funky, offensive smell. Prasad said the masks have been certified as medically safe but staff are working with the suppliers to address issues such as better-fitting nose clips and the rashes.


nationalobserver--2020-04-21--U.S. protesters resist COVID-19 lockdowns, backed by Trump

The partisan cracks in America 's collective effort to combat COVID-19 are growing wider by the day — growing , some say , not due to grassroots sentiment but by political forces both within and outside the United States .
Hundreds of protesters , many without face masks , packed together Monday outside Pennsylvania 's capitol building in the city of Harrisburg to demand that the state 's shelter-in-place order be rescinded and businesses reopened at the end of the month .
The demonstration , like recent predecessors in Michigan , Maryland , Virginia and Washington state , bore all @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rally : the coiled rattlesnake of yellow Gadsden flags , crimson `` Make America Great Again '' hats and countless hand-lettered proclamations of devotion to God and the U.S. constitution .
From state to state , even the slogans — `` No New Normal , '' `` Our Rights Trump Your Fear '' and `` My Body , My Choice , '' a cheeky riff on an abortion rights sentiment more commonly heard from the other side of America 's ideological divide — have a familiar echo .
Experts have taken to calling @ @ @ @ @ @ @ artificial product of an organized bid for straight-faced media coverage that ultimately undermines what polls suggest is in fact broad public support , regardless of political affiliation , for state-level stay-at-home orders currently in effect from coast to coast .
• Ontario may be at COVID-19 peak , but testing woes could stall reopening • Essential or exception : Whose rights matter in a pandemic ?
`` This is what 's frustrating about both the protests and the coverage that they 're getting , '' said Brett Bruen , a former U.S. diplomat @ @ @ @ @ @ @ heads up an international foreign-policy consulting firm .
`` That 's the story that many Americans are seeing about the views that their fellow citizens have on the order , an effort being made by governors to protect them . ''
The Washington Post reported Monday that some of the recent protests were organized on Facebook by a trio of right-wing pro-gun activists , while others have clear ties to prominent conservative donors and supporters of Trump , who has tweeted his support for the protests even as he insists it will be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to sound the all-clear .
Facebook , for its part , refused to say Monday whether it is investigating the site 's role in drumming up dissent .
`` Unless government prohibits the event during this time , we allow it to be organized on Facebook , '' a spokesperson said .
`` For this same reason , events that defy government 's guidance on social distancing are n't allowed on Facebook . ''
A new online poll by Leger and the Association for Canadian Studies , released Monday , suggests the vast @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Canada-U.S. border would prefer to see restrictions remain in place until the virus is under control .
Of U.S. residents surveyed , 27 per cent wanted to wait for a vaccine , compared to 20 per cent in Canada , while 23 per cent of Americans said they would prefer to see no new cases for at least two weeks , compared with 28 per cent of their Canadian counterparts .
Comparable shares in each country want to see the pressure on the health care system eased and only moderate or sporadic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ per cent of U.S. respondents said they want to see the restrictions lifted immediately — significantly more than the seven per cent of Canadians surveyed , but still only a sliver of the total responses to the poll , which was conducted April 17-19 and surveyed 1,504 Canadian and 1,001 American members of Leger 's online panel .
Internet-based surveys can not be assigned a margin of error , because online polls are not considered representative of the population at large .
Bruen , meanwhile , is confident that disinformation campaigns in Russia @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and are actively working to amplify the sense of growing public discord .
China , he said , is pushing back against U.S. anger over how it handled the earliest stages of the outbreak , which originated in the city of Wuhan back in December .
The country has been accused of playing down the potential severity of the virus until it was too late .
Claims from China that the virus actually originated in the U.S. continue to persist , he added .
`` There is an effort ... to create both @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the origination of the virus , as well as with respect to how the U.S. is managing this , trying to suggest that Trump 's mismanagement of the crisis is somehow absolving them of their culpability — both in the genesis of this , as well as in the lack of transparency . ''
Bob Pickard , a Toronto-based public relations expert and executive communications consultant , said the pandemic has only served to re-emphasize the deep rifts that exist in the United States , aided and abetted by the divisive nature of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ stopped the social media algorithms from doing their polarizing and toxic work , '' Pickard said in an interview earlier this month .
`` It was broken before , it was polarized before , and the dysfunction and chaos is even more glaring as a result of this . ''

The partisan cracks in America's collective effort to combat COVID-19 are growing wider by the day — growing, some say, not due to grassroots sentiment but by political forces both within and outside the United States. Hundreds of protesters, many without face masks, packed together Monday outside Pennsylvania's capitol building in the city of Harrisburg to demand that the state's shelter-in-place order be rescinded and businesses reopened at the end of the month. The demonstration, like recent predecessors in Michigan, Maryland, Virginia and Washington state, bore all the ubiquitous hallmarks of a Donald Trump rally: the coiled rattlesnake of yellow Gadsden flags, crimson "Make America Great Again" hats and countless hand-lettered proclamations of devotion to God and the U.S. constitution. From state to state, even the slogans — "No New Normal," "Our Rights Trump Your Fear" and "My Body, My Choice," a cheeky riff on an abortion rights sentiment more commonly heard from the other side of America's ideological divide — have a familiar echo. Experts have taken to calling them "Astroturf" protests, the artificial product of an organized bid for straight-faced media coverage that ultimately undermines what polls suggest is in fact broad public support, regardless of political affiliation, for state-level stay-at-home orders currently in effect from coast to coast.
"This is what's frustrating about both the protests and the coverage that they're getting," said Brett Bruen, a former U.S. diplomat in the Obama White House who now heads up an international foreign-policy consulting firm. "That's the story that many Americans are seeing about the views that their fellow citizens have on the order, an effort being made by governors to protect them." Billion-dollar land deals in Ontario raise corruption suspicions The Washington Post reported Monday that some of the recent protests were organized on Facebook by a trio of right-wing pro-gun activists, while others have clear ties to prominent conservative donors and supporters of Trump, who has tweeted his support for the protests even as he insists it will be up to the states to decide when to sound the all-clear.
Facebook, for its part, refused to say Monday whether it is investigating the site's role in drumming up dissent. U.S. protesters resist COVID-19 lockdowns, backed by Trump "Unless government prohibits the event during this time, we allow it to be organized on Facebook," a spokesperson said. "For this same reason, events that defy government's guidance on social distancing aren't allowed on Facebook." A new online poll by Leger and the Association for Canadian Studies, released Monday, suggests the vast majority of respondents on either side of the Canada-U.S. border would prefer to see restrictions remain in place until the virus is under control. Of U.S. residents surveyed, 27 per cent wanted to wait for a vaccine, compared to 20 per cent in Canada, while 23 per cent of Americans said they would prefer to see no new cases for at least two weeks, compared with 28 per cent of their Canadian counterparts. Comparable shares in each country want to see the pressure on the health care system eased and only moderate or sporadic numbers of new cases. Only 12 per cent of U.S. respondents said they want to see the restrictions lifted immediately — smore than the seven per cent of Canadians surveyed, but still only a sliver of the total responses to the poll, which was conducted April 17-19 and surveyed 1,504 Canadian and 1,001 American members of Leger's online panel.
Internet-based surveys cannot be assigned a margin of error, because online polls are not considered representative of the population at large. Bruen, meanwhile, is confident that disinformation campaigns in Russia and also China have entered the fray and are actively working to amplify the sense of growing public discord. China, he said, is pushing back against U.S. anger over how it handled the earliest stages of the outbreak, which originated in the city of Wuhan back in December. The country has been accused of playing down the potential severity of the virus until it was too late. Claims from China that the virus actually originated in the U.S. continue to persist, he added.


nationalobserver--2020-04-21--Husky cuts production by 80,000 barrels per day

A move by Husky Energy Inc. to halt production of 80,000 barrels per day takes the total reduction in Canadian crude output to about 365,000 bpd since the onset of measures to deal with the COVID-19 pandemic , an analyst says .
That 's more than seven per cent of national production of 5.1 million bpd in December .
On Monday , the Calgary-based company also announced a reduction of $ 700 million in its 2020 capital budget , its second following an earlier cut of $ 900 million in capital and $ 100 million in other spending this year @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is now about $ 1.7 billion , just over half of the $ 3.3 billion budget announced in December .
`` We have taken immediate action to preserve our balance sheet and core business in this commodity price environment , ” said CEO Rob Peabody .
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`` As the market rebalances supply with demand over a very short period in North America , negative cash margins before @ @ @ @ @ @ @ minimizes our negative cash margin exposure.
” Analyst Phil Skolnick of Eight Capital says the Husky production cuts , mainly from its oilsands and heavy oil operations in Alberta and Saskatchewan , take the total announced in Canada so far to 365,000 bpd .
He said the cuts are needed in the current price environment but questioned why Husky has n't also reduced its dividend to save money .
Last week , Houston-based ConocoPhillips Co. announced it would reduce production by May at its Surmont thermal oilsands project in northern Alberta by 100,000 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ prices .
Earlier , Suncor Energy Inc. said it would reduce production at its two-train Fort Hills oilsands mining project to one train , resulting in a production cut of about 70,000 bpd .
Many analysts are projecting that Canadian production could fall by more than one million barrels per day if prices remained depressed in the face of global production that still exceeds demand despite an agreement by OPEC and other producers to limit output .
Husky cuts production by 80,000 bpd , taking Canadian total to 365,000 bpd so far Also @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Energy Corp. cut its capital spending plan for a second time and reduced its production guidance for the year .
The company lowered its capital spending guidance to about $ 675 million , down from its original budget of $ 1.15 billion .
It also lowered its annual average production forecast by 20,000 barrels of oil equivalent per day or about 15 per cent to about 112,000 boe/d for 2020 .
Crescent Point says the revision is largely due to the shut-in of higher cost production and its decision to shift capital spending @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Cathedral Energy Services Ltd. and McCoy Global Inc. also both announced job cuts , reductions to executive pay and lower capital spending plans on Monday .
Cathedral says it has cut its office and shop staff by 22 per cent , while the remaining Canadian non-field staff has moved to a four-day work week with a corresponding 20 per cent reduction in salary .
The company also cut its CEO and executive vice-president salaries by 25 per cent , while board retainer fees have been reduced by the same amount .
McCoy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as well as salary and wage cuts across all levels of the organization including board and president and CEO cuts of 25 per cent and 20 per cent for other executives .
This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 20 , 2020 .

A move by Husky Energy Inc. to halt production of 80,000 barrels per day takes the total reduction in Canadian crude output to about 365,000 bpd since the onset of measures to deal with the COVID-19 pandemic, an analyst says. That's more than seven per cent of national production of 5.1 million bpd in December. On Monday, the Calgary-based company also announced a reduction of $700 million in its 2020 capital budget, its second following an earlier cut of $900 million in capital and $100 million in other spending this year. Its capital budget for this year is now about $1.7 billion, just over half of the $3.3 billion budget announced in December. "We have taken immediate action to preserve our balance sheet and core business in this commodity price environment,” said CEO Rob Peabody.
"As the market rebalances supply with demand over a very short period in North America, negative cash margins before operating costs are occurring. Reducing production minimizes our negative cash margin exposure.” Analyst Phil Skolnick of Eight Capital says the Husky production cuts, mainly from its oilsands and heavy oil operations in Alberta and Saskatchewan, take the total announced in Canada so far to 365,000 bpd. Billion-dollar land deals in Ontario raise corruption suspicions He said the cuts are needed in the current price environment but questioned why Husky hasn't also reduced its dividend to save money.
Last week, Houston-based ConocoPhillips Co. announced it would reduce production by May at its Surmont thermal oilsands project in northern Alberta by 100,000 bpd to 35,000 bpd because of low prices. Husky cuts production by 80,000 bpd, taking Canadian total to 365,000 bpd so far Earlier, Suncor Energy Inc. said it would reduce production at its two-train Fort Hills oilsands mining project to one train, resulting in a production cut of about 70,000 bpd. Many analysts are projecting that Canadian production could fall by more than one million barrels per day if prices remained depressed in the face of global production that still exceeds demand despite an agreement by OPEC and other producers to limit output. Also Monday, fellow Calgary-based producer Crescent Point Energy Corp. cut its capital spending plan for a second time and reduced its production guidance for the year. The company lowered its capital spending guidance to about $675 million, down from its original budget of $1.15 billion.
It also lowered its annual average production forecast by 20,000 barrels of oil equivalent per day or about 15 per cent to about 112,000 boe/d for 2020. Crescent Point says the revision is largely due to the shut-in of higher cost production and its decision to shift capital spending to the latter part of the year. Cathedral Energy Services Ltd. and McCoy Global Inc. also both announced job cuts, reductions to executive pay and lower capital spending plans on Monday.


nationalobserver--2020-04-21--Negative oil price a short term anomaly: analysts

Prices collapsed due to fear that storage tanks are growing dangerously close to full amid the coronavirus pandemic , which has severely curtailed global demand for crude oil and refined products .
Matt Murphy of Tudor Pickering Holt & Co. says the drop in West Texas Intermediate near-month contract prices below negative US $ 37 per barrel is due to unique circumstances .
A Calgary energy analyst says the plunge by benchmark U.S. crude oil prices into negative territory for the first time on Monday is a short-term anomaly that likely wo n't have a lasting effect on Canadian producers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ down US $ 55.90 Monday at negative US $ 37.63 per barrel .
Those contracts are to expire on Tuesday .
Meanwhile , futures contracts for June delivery were down US $ 4.60 at US $ 20.43 per barrel .
Senior analyst Martin King of RBN Energy said storage at the Cushing , Okla. , WTI trading hub is expected to hit capacity within four weeks .
`` If you 're a seller and you 're desperate to get rid of the contract , you 're willing to pay somebody to take it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
`` And if you 're willing to buy the contract , you want to be compensated for what could be enormous risk and not being able to deliver those barrels or store those barrels .
So you want to be paid to take that contract . ''

A Calgary energy analyst says the plunge by benchmark U.S. crude oil prices into negative territory for the first time on Monday is a short-term anomaly that likely won't have a lasting effect on Canadian producers.
Matt Murphy of Tudor Pickering Holt & Co. says the drop in West Texas Intermediate near-month contract prices below negative US$37 per barrel is due to unique circumstances.
Prices collapsed due to fear that storage tanks are growing dangerously close to full amid the coronavirus pandemic, which has severely curtailed global demand for crude oil and refined products.
WTI price for May delivery settled down US$55.90 Monday at negative US$37.63 per barrel. Those contracts are to expire on Tuesday.
Meanwhile, futures contracts for June delivery were down US$4.60 at US$20.43 per barrel.