nationalobserver--2020-06-18--People have legal rights to capture footage of police on the job

Legal and privacy experts have a unified message for Canadians leery of facing threats or consequences for filming police interactions with the public — the law is on your side .
Canadians have every right to capture footage of police on the job , they said , so long as shooting those images does not interfere with an active investigation .
Any force that responds to such footage with threats of cellphone seizures or criminal charges , they said , risks overstepping police authority .
Scrutiny of citizen-filmed footage of police interactions has ramped up in recent weeks , following @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Minneapolis at the hands of a white police officer — an incident that was captured on cellphone video and triggered massive anti-racism protests in the U.S. , Canada and around the world .
The most recent such allegation to surface in Canada involved an elderly black couple who allege police east of Toronto brutally beat them while they were trying to leave a local hospital .
Part of the 2018 interaction was captured on a cellphone video that appears to show an officer punching a man as he lies on the ground .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ members of Durham Regional Police said he could face charges if he did not delete the footage and watched him wipe the roughly 30-second clip from his phone , though only after it had been sent to the couple 's grandson .
Durham Regional Police did not immediately respond to questions around the witness 's allegations , though acknowledged footage shot in the public domain generally belongs to the one who captured the images .
• Noam Chomsky on post-Covid-19 society : Trump is worse than Hitler , but the peasants are coming @ @ @ @ @ @ @ panda : ' Second rare grizzly bear sighting in Banff National Park • Trudeau faces confidence vote today but Liberal government unlikely to fall David Fraser , a Halifax-based privacy lawyer with McInnes Cooper , said the unproven allegations would represent a clear violation if true .
`` They ( police ) do n't actually have any lawful authority to do that , '' he said of police .
`` And they actually seldom have any real leverage to do that either . ''
Corey Rainford , the man behind the camera on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ felt a mix of confidence in his rights and intimidation the night he captured the interaction between Durham police and Livingston and Pamelia Jeffers .
The interaction , which was the subject of a complaint filed to the Ontario Independent Police Review Director , took place after hospital staff tried to prevent the couple from leaving the premises .
The OIPRD probe , led by a police officer from a neighbouring force , concluded that while an officer delivered `` four elbow strikes '' to Livingston Jeffers ' head , any allegations of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Jeffers 's have asked the OIPRD to review the finding and launched a civil complaint related to the interaction .
Durham police , citing both active cases , declined to offer further comment .
Rainford , who said he 's gotten into the habit of filming police interactions whenever he comes across them , said he was later approached by both Durham police and hospital staff alleging his footage violated patient confidentiality and could result in charges including trespassing .
Legal and privacy experts have a unified message for Canadians leery of facing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with the public — the law is on your side .
He said he was ordered to delete the footage , a request he complied with so as to avoid further tension , but defended his decision to shoot the video .
`` It 's one of my rights that I 'm allowed to record anything , '' Rainford said .
`` It was not right . ''
Fraser said matters become murkier when such interactions play out on private property , where he said businesses can impose in-house restrictions as to what @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Hospitals , for instance , often have internal rules preventing people from taking photos that could inadvertently include patients who had n't given consent .
But Fraser said experiences like Rainford 's still ca n't be framed as either a criminal act or a privacy violation .
`` If any law was engaged , it was the law of trespass and not the law related to somebody 's privacy , '' he said .
Abby Deshman , director of the criminal justice program at the Canadian Civil Liberties Association , agreed .
She @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and other legal matters have clearly established the rules , noting that it 's well understood among police that being filmed while on the job is fair game .
`` Police should expect to be filmed , '' she said .
`` This is now part-and-parcel of the sometimes difficult job that they are asked to do on behalf of the public . ''
Tamir Israel , staff lawyer with the Samuelson-Glushko Canadian Internet Policy & Public Interest Clinic , said he believes the right to hold police accountable for their actions is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ We have seen recently how powerfully important it is to make sure police remain accountable to the public , '' he said .
`` Demanding the deletion of bystander footage is not generally consistent with police accountability , and only serves to undermine public trust . ''
Israel said such actions , along with demands to hand over footage on the grounds that it could constitute evidence in an active case , also highlight the power imbalance between police and the public during potentially volatile situations .
Fraser agreed , noting that while @ @ @ @ @ @ @ comply with police demands they may feel unable to do so during a heated moment .
If asked to hand over his phone , for instance , Fraser said he would refuse to divulge the unlocking code , give police his card and agree to provide the requested footage later on .
`` But I 'm a middle-aged , white lawyer , and that carries a lot of privilege , '' he said .
`` If you 're a 14-year-old black kid taking video of police beating up your friend , you 're @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tell them to go pound sand . ''
This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 17 , 2020 .

Legal and privacy experts have a unified message for Canadians leery of facing threats or consequences for filming police interactions with the public — the law is on your side. Canadians have every right to capture footage of police on the job, they said, so long as shooting those images does not interfere with an active investigation. Any force that responds to such footage with threats of cellphone seizures or criminal charges, they said, risks overstepping police authority. Scrutiny of citizen-filmed footage of police interactions has ramped up in recent weeks, following the death of a black man in Minneapolis at the hands of a white police officer — an incident that was captured on cellphone video and triggered massive anti-racism protests in the U.S., Canada and around the world. The most recent such allegation to surface in Canada involved an elderly black couple who allege police east of Toronto brutally beat them while they were trying to leave a local hospital. Part of the 2018 interaction was captured on a cellphone video that appears to show an officer punching a man as he lies on the ground. The witness who shot the video alleges members of Durham Regional Police said he could face charges if he did not delete the footage and watched him wipe the roughly 30-second clip from his phone, though only after it had been sent to the couple's grandson. Durham Regional Police did not immediately respond to questions around the witness's allegations, though acknowledged footage shot in the public domain generally belongs to the one who captured the images.
David Fraser, a Halifax-based privacy lawyer with McInnes Cooper, said the unproven allegations would represent a clear violation if true. "They (police) don't actually have any lawful authority to do that," he said of police. "And they actually seldom have any real leverage to do that either." Billion-dollar land deals in Ontario raise corruption suspicions Corey Rainford, the man behind the camera on Oct. 30, 2018, said he felt a mix of confidence in his rights and intimidation the night he captured the interaction between Durham police and Livingston and Pamelia Jeffers.
The interaction, which was the subject of a complaint filed to the Ontario Independent Police Review Director, took place after hospital staff tried to prevent the couple from leaving the premises. The OIPRD probe, led by a police officer from a neighbouring force, concluded that while an officer delivered "four elbow strikes" to Livingston Jeffers' head, any allegations of wrong-doing were "unsubstantiated." Legal and privacy experts have a unified message for Canadians leery of facing threats or consequences for filming police interactions with the public — the law is on your side. The Jeffers's have asked the OIPRD to review the finding and launched a civil complaint related to the interaction. Durham police, citing both active cases, declined to offer further comment. Rainford, who said he's gotten into the habit of filming police interactions whenever he comes across them, said he was later approached by both Durham police and hospital staff alleging his footage violated patient confidentiality and could result in charges including trespassing. He said he was ordered to delete the footage, a request he complied with so as to avoid further tension, but defended his decision to shoot the video. "It's one of my rights that I'm allowed to record anything," Rainford said. "It was not right."
Fraser said matters become murkier when such interactions play out on private property, where he said businesses can impose in-house restrictions as to what can take place on the premises. Hospitals, for instance, often have internal rules preventing people from taking photos that could inadvertently include patients who hadn't given consent. But Fraser said experiences like Rainford's still can't be framed as either a criminal act or a privacy violation. "If any law was engaged, it was the law of trespass and not the law related to somebody's privacy," he said.


nationalobserver--2020-06-18--Federal aid for oil patch still in development, three months later

The Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers says if bridge loans for smaller oil and gas companies are n't ready to flow soon some companies will have to turn to less-safe options to survive the COVID-19 slowdown .
It has been more than two months since the Business Development Bank of Canada and Export Development Canada began working on bridge loan programs to help hundreds of Canada 's oil patch companies but there is still no certainty as to when the money can flow .
`` We understand the importance of liquidity , '' said Natural Resources Minister Seamus O'Regan in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` We want to get it out the door . ''
Ben Brunnen , CAPP 's vice-president of fiscal and economic policy , said as of right now not even one company has been approved for a bridge loan .
Officially they are n't even able to apply yet , with the agencies telling companies expressing interest to wait for more details .
Brunnen said he knows the two agencies are working hard to get the terms of the loans finalized but that it is taking a very long time .
Both agencies @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from a company 's normal bank or lending company , which Brunnen says is making the design a little more complex .
• Noam Chomsky on post-Covid-19 society : Trump is worse than Hitler , but the peasants are coming with pitchforks • 'Thought it was a panda : ' Second rare grizzly bear sighting in Banff National Park • Trudeau faces confidence vote today but Liberal government unlikely to fall `` And as a result companies are increasingly concerned that liquidity wo n't come in time , '' he said .
Nerves @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the programs so scarce , that last week , Conservative natural-resources critic Shannon Stubbs briefly could n't find even the two-paragraph note on the BDC website about its program and took to Twitter to ask if the government had decided to cancel them .
It turned out the information had just been moved to a different spot , but Stubbs is inundated with calls and emails from nervous constituents in her Alberta riding , some of whom are barely hanging on while they wait for help .
`` It 's mind-boggling that this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on and on , '' said Stubbs .
`` Every day that passes without financing being available is a huge risk and a huge threat to the future of these companies and to the whole sector . ''
Global demand for oil plummeted by more than 16 million barrels a day this spring , as planes were grounded , cruise ships moored and freeways emptied of commuters who were suddenly forced to work at home , if they still had jobs at all .
At the same time , a production war between @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , which sent market prices for oil into a tailspin .
For brief periods in April , some oil futures were trading in the negative , meaning the people normally selling oil were paying others to take it away .
The Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers says if bridge loans for smaller oil and gas companies are n't ready to flow soon some companies will have to turn to less-safe options to survive the COVID-19 slowdown .
The toll on Canada 's fossil-fuel sector has been drastic .
Companies reduced oil output by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 92 per cent , and capital spending , predicted in January to grow for the first time in years in 2020 , is now being reduced by billions of dollars .
Stubbs is particularly angry that Finance Minister Bill Morneau said on March 25 that help was coming in `` hours , potentially days '' but that 84 days later help is still hypothetical .
O'Regan cringes a little as he remembers Morneau 's words , and says he does n't think it will be long now until the programs are ready but @ @ @ @ @ @ @ days or weeks or anything . ''
O'Regan also said it 's not accurate to say no money has gone to help the industry because a number of fossil-fuel companies did take advantage of the federal wage subsidy , which covers up to 75 per cent of workers ' pay ( up to $ 847 a week ) for companies that saw revenues fall more than 30 per cent because of COVID-19 .
Brunnen agreed with O'Regan on that point , saying the subsidy has helped oil and gas companies keep people on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ million has been made available to the industry through that program .
He also said banks have been helpful by deferring the usual May renewal period for reserve loans by at least one month , as companies wait for the federal aid programs .

The Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers says if bridge loans for smaller oil and gas companies aren't ready to flow soon some companies will have to turn to less-safe options to survive the COVID-19 slowdown. It has been more than two months since the Business Development Bank of Canada and Export Development Canada began working on bridge loan programs to help hundreds of Canada's oil patch companies but there is still no certainty as to when the money can flow. "We understand the importance of liquidity," said Natural Resources Minister Seamus O'Regan in an interview with The Canadian Press. "We want to get it out the door." Ben Brunnen, CAPP's vice-president of fiscal and economic policy, said as of right now not even one company has been approved for a bridge loan. Officially they aren't even able to apply yet, with the agencies telling companies expressing interest to wait for more details. Brunnen said he knows the two agencies are working hard to get the terms of the loans finalized but that it is taking a very long time. Both agencies are looking at programs that backstop loans from a company's normal bank or lending company, which Brunnen says is making the design a little more complex.
"And as a result companies are increasingly concerned that liquidity won't come in time," he said. Nerves are so frayed, and information about the programs so scarce, that last week, Conservative natural-resources critic Shannon Stubbs briefly couldn't find even the two-paragraph note on the BDC website about its program and took to Twitter to ask if the government had decided to cancel them. Billion-dollar land deals in Ontario raise corruption suspicions It turned out the information had just been moved to a different spot, but Stubbs is inundated with calls and emails from nervous constituents in her Alberta riding, some of whom are barely hanging on while they wait for help.
"It's mind-boggling that this is just allowed to drag on and on and on," said Stubbs. "Every day that passes without financing being available is a huge risk and a huge threat to the future of these companies and to the whole sector." The Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers says if bridge loans for smaller oil and gas companies aren't ready to flow soon some companies will have to turn to less-safe options to survive the COVID-19 slowdown. Global demand for oil plummeted by more than 16 million barrels a day this spring, as planes were grounded, cruise ships moored and freeways emptied of commuters who were suddenly forced to work at home, if they still had jobs at all. At the same time, a production war between Saudi Arabia and Russia saw supplies increase, which sent market prices for oil into a tailspin. For brief periods in April, some oil futures were trading in the negative, meaning the people normally selling oil were paying others to take it away. The toll on Canada's fossil-fuel sector has been drastic. Companies reduced oil output by more than one-sixth, exploratory drilling plummeted 92 per cent, and capital spending, predicted in January to grow for the first time in years in 2020, is now being reduced by billions of dollars. Stubbs is particularly angry that Finance Minister Bill Morneau said on March 25 that help was coming in "hours, potentially days" but that 84 days later help is still hypothetical.
O'Regan cringes a little as he remembers Morneau's words, and says he doesn't think it will be long now until the programs are ready but "I'm not going to say days or weeks or anything." O'Regan also said it's not accurate to say no money has gone to help the industry because a number of fossil-fuel companies did take advantage of the federal wage subsidy, which covers up to 75 per cent of workers' pay (up to $847 a week) for companies that saw revenues fall more than 30 per cent because of COVID-19. Brunnen agreed with O'Regan on that point, saying the subsidy has helped oil and gas companies keep people on their payrolls, estimating about $300 million has been made available to the industry through that program.


nationalobserver--2020-06-18--MacKay accuses O'Toole of backing a carbon tax in heated French debate

MacKay went as far as calling O'Toole `` Erin Trudeau , '' riffing off the last name of the current Liberal prime minister who introduced the national carbon tax .
It was one of several pointed barbs he lobbed at O'Toole during the nearly two hour French language debate that marked the first face-off of the race .
The presumed front-runners used every chance they had to poke holes in each others ' records and promises , forcing the moderator to again and again remind them that the two other candidates in the race — Derek Sloan and Leslyn Lewis @ @ @ @ @ @ @ O'Toole aggressively accused MacKay of lying , saying he would not introduce a carbon tax .
His platform does say he would scrap it , though it also suggests a national pricing approach for industrial emitters .
• Noam Chomsky on post-Covid-19 society : Trump is worse than Hitler , but the peasants are coming with pitchforks • 'Thought it was a panda : ' Second rare grizzly bear sighting in Banff National Park • Trudeau faces confidence vote today but Liberal government unlikely to fall MacKay also accused O'Toole of being a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a platform promise to end fossil fuel subsidies after significant blowback .
That blowback , MacKay alleged , was linked to O'Toole 's support from Alberta Premier Jason Kenney .
During a segment of the debate on social issues MacKay made the connection again : `` You are an angry man , Mr. O'Toole you are always angry , '' he said .
`` The same thing applies to your friend , Mr .
Kenney . ''
During the debate , and to reporters afterwards , O'Toole took issue with MacKay 's attacks @ @ @ @ @ @ @ debate tonight , Mr. MacKay just kept speaking to the microphone , '' he said .
Kenney 's endorsement of O'Toole earlier in the contest was seen as a huge boost to O'Toole 's campaign , and a dig at MacKay personally .
Conservative leadership candidate Peter MacKay accused chief rival Erin O'Toole of committing a cardinal conservative sin on Wednesday , June 17 , 2020 : wanting to introduce a carbon tax .
MacKay hews from the progressive wing of the party .
He was the leader of the Progressive Conservatives when @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Kenney 's political home — to form the modern day party .
Though MacKay sought to tag O'Toole with the Trudeau brand , the O'Toole campaign has been running heavily in the opposite direction , seeking to scoop up support among the more right-wing elements of the party who come from the Canadian Alliance days .
MacKay , by contrast , is keeping his focus on his old allies , a choice O'Toole tried to position as a liability Wednesday .
`` I am a leader for the future , Mr. MacKay is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he said .
None of the four candidates in the race speak French as their first language and , as they sparred , they also struggled .
The questions were all submitted by party members , and the party said the contenders did not get the specific wording , but only the general themes .
In her responses , Lewis often appeared to be reading directly off prepared notes , and only rarely tried to jump into the wider fray .
Afterwards , she said she had taken two and a half months @ @ @ @ @ @ @ she could in French , and felt she 'd done her best .
`` I worked very hard to be able to do this , it was actually very scary to do , '' she said .
Sloan , who is a rookie MP from Ontario , said at the beginning of the race he spoke no French , and his goal for this debate was to show he had put in the work to learn it .
One way was to deploy a strategy of often not answering the questions and instead @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I wanted to show that it was a priority to me and that I had made great strides , '' he said .
Sloan , who made headlines early in the race for suggested socially conservative views , used his opening remarks to restate them .
The primary audience for the debate was Quebec , a province where the party has struggled to gain a lasting political foothold .
In the last election , current leader Andrew Scheer faltered in Quebec , in part due to his own social conservative views .
Whether @ @ @ @ @ @ @ both against abortion — could do better in the province is an open question .
They both said after the debates that whomever wins has to find a home for social conservatives in the party , and their supporters have concerns with both MacKay and O'Toole .
Taking a page , perhaps , from a debate in the last election where Scheer was asked repeatedly about his own position on abortion but never answered , MacKay tried to get O'Toole to do the same Wednesday .
O'Toole would n't take the bait .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ makes him vulnerable , '' MacKay charged .
In questions with reporters afterwards , O'Toole said in French that he is `` pro-choice , '' and in English that he supports a woman 's right to have an abortion , and will defend that right .
But MacKay appeared to do a flip of his own on social issues .
He is pro-choice , and early in the campaign he said if he was prime minister , he 'd force his cabinet to vote against any effort to introduce legislation on abortion .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ allow more latitude , given that it was a conscience issue , and instead hope a MacKay cabinet would stick with official party policy on the subject , that a Conservative government would not introduce any legislation to restrict access to abortion .
This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 17 , 2020 .

Conservative leadership candidate Peter MacKay accused chief rival Erin O'Toole of committing a cardinal conservative sin Wednesday: wanting to introduce a carbon tax. MacKay went as far as calling O'Toole "Erin Trudeau," riffing off the last name of the current Liberal prime minister who introduced the national carbon tax. It was one of several pointed barbs he lobbed at O'Toole during the nearly two hour French language debate that marked the first face-off of the race. The presumed front-runners used every chance they had to poke holes in each others' records and promises, forcing the moderator to again and again remind them that the two other candidates in the race — Derek Sloan and Leslyn Lewis — might like to jump in. O'Toole aggressively accused MacKay of lying, saying he would not introduce a carbon tax. His platform does say he would scrap it, though it also suggests a national pricing approach for industrial emitters.
MacKay also accused O'Toole of being a flip-flopper, noting that he had erased a platform promise to end fossil fuel subsidies after significant blowback. That blowback, MacKay alleged, was linked to O'Toole's support from Alberta Premier Jason Kenney. During a segment of the debate on social issues MacKay made the connection again: Billion-dollar land deals in Ontario raise corruption suspicions "You are an angry man, Mr. O'Toole you are always angry," he said. "The same thing applies to your friend, Mr. Kenney."
During the debate, and to reporters afterwards, O'Toole took issue with MacKay's attacks. Conservative leadership candidate Peter MacKay accused chief rival Erin O'Toole of committing a cardinal conservative sin on Wednesday, June 17, 2020: wanting to introduce a carbon tax. "I was here for a debate tonight, Mr. MacKay just kept speaking to the microphone," he said. Kenney's endorsement of O'Toole earlier in the contest was seen as a huge boost to O'Toole's campaign, and a dig at MacKay personally. MacKay hews from the progressive wing of the party. He was the leader of the Progressive Conservatives when it merged with the Canadian Alliance — Kenney's political home — to form the modern day party. Though MacKay sought to tag O'Toole with the Trudeau brand, the O'Toole campaign has been running heavily in the opposite direction, seeking to scoop up support among the more right-wing elements of the party who come from the Canadian Alliance days.
MacKay, by contrast, is keeping his focus on his old allies, a choice O'Toole tried to position as a liability Wednesday. "I am a leader for the future, Mr. MacKay is a leader for the past," he said. None of the four candidates in the race speak French as their first language and, as they sparred, they also struggled.


nationalobserver--2020-06-18--Rural residents escape injury after suspected poacher’s bullet rips through home

Two Quadra Island residents are lucky they weren ’ t injured or killed after a high-calibre bullet tore into their home Friday night , RCMP say .
“ They were very shook up , obviously , as everyone would be if you find a bullet hole in your home , ” said Cpl .
Sean Bulford , Quadra Island RCMP detachment commander .
The homeowners reported hearing a loud bang followed by a noise inside their house , which they initially believed was something falling over , said Bulford .
However , the next morning they noticed wood chips on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a hole in their ceiling .
• Noam Chomsky on post-Covid-19 society : Trump is worse than Hitler , but the peasants are coming with pitchforks • 'Thought it was a panda : ' Second rare grizzly bear sighting in Banff National Park • Trudeau faces confidence vote today but Liberal government unlikely to fall They then discovered a bullet inside the recliner that one of the residents typically uses in the evenings — and had been sitting in about an hour before the incident .
“ They could easily have been killed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The home is in the Grouse and Cape Mudge Road area .
Firing a high-calibre rifle — geared for greater velocity and distance — at night on the island ’ s more populated south end is reckless and bound to put people , animals , vehicles or homes at risk , said Bulford .
“ It ’ s just really a careless , careless use of a firearm , ” he said .
“ There were two adults in the residence , but there are many families with children living around that area @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ They were very shook up , obviously , as everyone would be if you find a bullet hole in your home , ” Cpl .
Sean Bulford , Quadra Island RCMP detachment commander after a high calibre bullet tore through a home on Friday night .
RCMP have received 12 complaints of shots fired on the island in 2020 , with most happening at night and appearing to occur in two areas near Cedar Road or Lighthouse Drive , Bulford said .
The Mounties are investigating and canvassing the neighbourhood , said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ believe the residents or the home were targeted .
“ It ’ s likely somebody is poaching or goofing around with a rifle , ” he said .
Some of the shots reported this year may have taken place in the Kay Dubois woodlot area , Bulford said .
“ We suspect poaching because of the time of night around the reports we ’ ve received , ” he said .
“ There ’ s a technique , called pit lamping , where you go and shine a light in a deer ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ freezes and it ’ s easy to take down.
” The danger is a hunter at night can ’ t see what ’ s behind their target and may shoot up and over the crest of a hill , Bulford said .
And a high-calibre bullet , which can travel a significant distance , will gain speed and momentum as it arcs downward again , Bulford added .
The same applies if someone is carelessly setting up cans or targets and taking potshots on their large rural property without ensuring they are firing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said .
Regardless of the scenario , the RCMP can , at the very least , pursue a charge of careless use of a firearm if a suspect is identified , said Bulford .
Sgt .
Scott Norris of the B.C .
Conservation Officer Service ( BCCOS ) agreed that using firearms at night can result in a raft of charges and violates the fundamentals of firearm safety and conduct .
“ First and foremost , any time you are firing a gun in the dark it ’ s inherently unsafe , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ ve got lots of issues that overlap there with … somebody pulling a trigger at night.
” Hunting at night , using lights and hunting out of season are all offences under the Wildlife Act , said Norris .
Additionally , people are not allowed to use firearms within 100 metres of most structures , including houses , barns , schools , and churches , he said .
Plus , poaching deer at this time of year when does are having fawns endangers the entire population .
“ Hunting at night makes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ them vulnerable to population decline , so it ’ s easier to overharvest , ” he said .
People may not think it ’ s a big deal to poach deer because there are so many of them , but it ’ s misguided , stressed Norris .
“ It ’ s a slippery slope from too many to too few , ” he said .
“ It ’ s a dangerous mentality .
There were millions of buffalo and passenger pigeons at one time , too.
” BC Wildlife Federation ( BCWF @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said hunting at night and during fawning season is particularly egregious behaviour .
“ The main thing is at night , you don ’ t know what your backstop is , ” said Popplestone .
“ It ’ s very , very unsafe both for humans and the animals.
” Hunting at night increases the risk an animal will be wounded and run off , he added .
Legitimate hunters respect season openings and focus on hunting bucks , so they don ’ t endanger a population , he said .
Pit lamping @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lights , makes it hard to identify and avoid shooting does who are fawning right now , says BC Wildlife Federation ( BCWF ) Vancouver Island regional president Dennis Popplestone .
Photo credit : marneejill CC BY-SA 2.0 But hunting at night with a light makes it near impossible to determine if you are shooting a doe or buck , especially as young bucks ’ antlers are just starting to emerge , he said .
“ You are using a flashlight to see eyeballs , not antlers , ” Popplestone said .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ you are shooting.
” If you shoot a mother deer , you put fawns in jeopardy , too , he stressed .
“ If you ’ re shooting a doe , you are also shooting future generations , ” Popplestone said .
It ’ s also terrifying , said Quadra resident Marc Doll , whose family farm is in the immediate neighbourhood where the bullet struck the home .
“ I drew a breath in shock when the officer told me , ” Doll said , adding RCMP visited his home Saturday while @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s not unusual to hear gunshots on a rural island like Quadra , Doll said , adding surrounding farmers might be dispatching livestock .
“ But shooting a high-power rifle where you could kill somebody , that ’ s a whole different kettle of fish , ” he said .
Doll also reported gunshots to RCMP several months ago when the discharge was so loud , it sounded like it was coming from his property , he said .
He ’ s incredulous someone would be so careless .
“ I ’ ve @ @ @ @ @ @ @ somebody who ’ s being an idiot with a gun and who could kill somebody , ” Doll said .
“ I would hope the person responsible realizes how close they came to serious consequences , and they put their gun away .
”

Two Quadra Island residents are lucky they weren’t injured or killed after a high-calibre bullet tore into their home Friday night, RCMP say. “They were very shook up, obviously, as everyone would be if you find a bullet hole in your home,” said Cpl. Sean Bulford, Quadra Island RCMP detachment commander. “We’re lucky no one’s been hurt.” The homeowners reported hearing a loud bang followed by a noise inside their house, which they initially believed was something falling over, said Bulford. However, the next morning they noticed wood chips on the floor near a reclining chair and a hole in their ceiling.
They then discovered a bullet inside the recliner that one of the residents typically uses in the evenings — and had been sitting in about an hour before the incident. “They could easily have been killed or hurt,” Bulford said. Billion-dollar land deals in Ontario raise corruption suspicions The home is in the Grouse and Cape Mudge Road area.
Firing a high-calibre rifle — geared for greater velocity and distance — at night on the island’s more populated south end is reckless and bound to put people, animals, vehicles or homes at risk, said Bulford. “They were very shook up, obviously, as everyone would be if you find a bullet hole in your home,” Cpl. Sean Bulford, Quadra Island RCMP detachment commander after a high calibre bullet tore through a home on Friday night. “It’s just really a careless, careless use of a firearm,” he said. “There were two adults in the residence, but there are many families with children living around that area, too,” he stressed. RCMP have received 12 complaints of shots fired on the island in 2020, with most happening at night and appearing to occur in two areas near Cedar Road or Lighthouse Drive, Bulford said. The Mounties are investigating and canvassing the neighbourhood, said Bulford, adding police don’t believe the residents or the home were targeted.
“It’s likely somebody is poaching or goofing around with a rifle,” he said. Some of the shots reported this year may have taken place in the Kay Dubois woodlot area, Bulford said. “We suspect poaching because of the time of night around the reports we’ve received,” he said.


nationalobserver--2020-06-18--Alberta environmental monitoring remains suspended as state of emergency ends

The lifting of Alberta ’ s COVID-19 state of emergency does not mean the province will ask the oilpatch to resume environmental monitoring .
The Alberta Energy Regulator suspended requirements for all oil and gas companies in the province to report environmental data in May , citing the COVID-19 crisis .
On Tuesday , the regulator confirmed those suspensions would remain in place even though the province ended its state of public health emergency on Monday .
“ There are a whole bunch of things opening up … But we can ’ t get two people going onto a site @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Dale Marshall of the green non-profit Environmental Defence .
“ This continues to be a pretty flimsy excuse to make an ideological , anti-environmental decision.
” In an update posted to its website Tuesday , the regulator said environmental monitoring won ’ t resume until the government lifts public health orders around physical distancing and travel .
• Noam Chomsky on post-Covid-19 society : Trump is worse than Hitler , but the peasants are coming with pitchforks • 'Thought it was a panda : ' Second rare grizzly bear sighting in Banff National @ @ @ @ @ @ @ but Liberal government unlikely to fall “ The temporary suspensions will continue to remain in place as we work with government to understand their next steps , ” the notice read .
The AER did not answer questions from National Observer about why the suspension is still necessary if the state of emergency is over .
Jess Sinclair , a spokesperson for Alberta Environment Minister Jason Nixon , didn ’ t answer when asked why the suspension is still needed .
But Sinclair pointed to past statements saying the monitoring that ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and companies are still required to report it when they break the law .
“ If there isn ’ t an emergency anymore … then it just makes sense that those conditions be put back in place as soon as possible , ” said Jason Unger , the executive director of the non-profit Alberta Environmental Law Centre .
Ontario , which also suspended some environmental protection measures in the early stages of COVID-19 , restored them this week .
Scientists , First Nations have criticized suspension The Alberta government first suspended some environmental @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the environment minister , saying it would cause companies “ hardship ” to force them to comply during a pandemic .
“ There are a whole bunch of things opening up… But we can ’ t get two people going onto a site to do environmental monitoring ?
” said Dale Marshall of the green non-profit Environmental Defence .
# ableg # cdnpoli The Alberta Energy Regulator — a provincial agency that oversees oil , oilsands , natural gas and coal projects — added environmental monitoring exemptions for the oilsands in May .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ COVID-19 restrictions with the reopening of golf courses and dental services , it broadened the exemption to include the entire oil and gas industry .
Now , companies no longer need to monitor groundwater , soil , fumes , wildlife , tailings ponds , and more .
The government and the regulator have said the monitoring that was halted is “ low-risk , ” and that it would have been dangerous to have people going in and out of areas to do the work .
The Mikisew Cree , Fort McKay and Athabasca @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to the regulator ’ s internal review body , saying the decision was “ shocking , ” done without consultation and wasn ’ t explicitly linked to COVID-19 .
The Opposition Alberta NDP have also called for the head of the AER to resign over the suspension .
A dozen environmental groups and Indigenous organizations wrote to federal Environment Minister Jonathan Wilkinson last week to ask him to intervene .
And this week , Alberta ’ s top scientist said he wasn ’ t consulted , while the Alberta Society of Professional Biologists @ @ @ @ @ @ @ monitoring while respecting physical distancing .
Some of the suspensions included time limits , meaning much of the environmental monitoring that ’ s on hold right now is set to resume in the fall , Unger said .
But other changes could remain longer , he added .
“ Without clear guidance from the regulator as to when that will happen , that ’ s kind of up in the air , ” he said .
Many types of environmental monitoring are part of the conditions on companies ' permission to operate .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ low-risk , decision-makers thought this work was important enough to mandate it , Unger said .
Unger also added that the longer the suspensions continue , the larger the data gap that will result .
Particularly with some kinds of wildlife monitoring , he said , scientists could miss their window to observe certain species if the work only resumes after the summer .

The lifting of Alberta’s COVID-19 state of emergency does not mean the province will ask the oilpatch to resume environmental monitoring. The Alberta Energy Regulator suspended requirements for all oil and gas companies in the province to report environmental data in May, citing the COVID-19 crisis. On Tuesday, the regulator confirmed those suspensions would remain in place even though the province ended its state of public health emergency on Monday. “There are a whole bunch of things opening up … But we can’t get two people going onto a site to do environmental monitoring?” said Dale Marshall of the green non-profit Environmental Defence. “This continues to be a pretty flimsy excuse to make an ideological, anti-environmental decision.” In an update posted to its website Tuesday, the regulator said environmental monitoring won’t resume until the government lifts public health orders around physical distancing and travel.
“The temporary suspensions will continue to remain in place as we work with government to understand their next steps,” the notice read. The AER did not answer questions from National Observer about why the suspension is still necessary if the state of emergency is over. Billion-dollar land deals in Ontario raise corruption suspicions Jess Sinclair, a spokesperson for Alberta Environment Minister Jason Nixon, didn’t answer when asked why the suspension is still needed. But Sinclair pointed to past statements saying the monitoring that’s now temporarily on hold is low-risk, and companies are still required to report it when they break the law.
“If there isn’t an emergency anymore … then it just makes sense that those conditions be put back in place as soon as possible,” said Jason Unger, the executive director of the non-profit Alberta Environmental Law Centre. “There are a whole bunch of things opening up… But we can’t get two people going onto a site to do environmental monitoring?” said Dale Marshall of the green non-profit Environmental Defence. #ableg #cdnpoli Ontario, which also suspended some environmental protection measures in the early stages of COVID-19, restored them this week. Scientists, First Nations have criticized suspension
The Alberta government first suspended some environmental monitoring with a March 31 order from the environment minister, saying it would cause companies “hardship” to force them to comply during a pandemic. The Alberta Energy Regulator — a provincial agency that oversees oil, oilsands, natural gas and coal projects — added environmental monitoring exemptions for the oilsands in May. Later, as the province started lifting COVID-19 restrictions with the reopening of golf courses and dental services, it broadened the exemption to include the entire oil and gas industry.
Now, companies no longer need to monitor groundwater, soil, fumes, wildlife, tailings ponds, and more. The government and the regulator have said the monitoring that was halted is “low-risk,” and that it would have been dangerous to have people going in and out of areas to do the work. The Mikisew Cree, Fort McKay and Athabasca Chipewyan First Nations have appealed the suspensions to the regulator’s internal review body, saying the decision was “shocking,” done without consultation and wasn’t explicitly linked to COVID-19. The Opposition Alberta NDP have also called for the head of the AER to resign over the suspension. A dozen environmental groups and Indigenous organizations wrote to federal Environment Minister Jonathan Wilkinson last week to ask him to intervene. And this week, Alberta’s top scientist said he wasn’t consulted, while the Alberta Society of Professional Biologists said it was possible to do environmental monitoring while respecting physical distancing.


nationalobserver--2020-06-18--Doug Ford promises transparency on environmental changes made during COVID-19

Premier Doug Ford committed Thursday to releasing a full list of environment-related changes made by his government during a period where Ontario 's duty to notify and consult the public was suspended .
Ontario 's Progressive Conservative government suspended environmental protection rules in April amid worries they could slow down its response to the COVID-19 pandemic .
The pause allowed the government to approve environment-related projects and change regulations without consulting or notifying the public — even if they had nothing to do with the virus .
The government restored full environmental protections this week .
It has published a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the exemption period , all of which remain in place .
Critics were worried that more could have been done behind closed doors but after Ford promised a full list , a spokesperson for Environment Minister Jeff Yurek confirmed that no other changes had been made without notifying the public .
`` We 've been pretty transparent all the way through this , '' Ford said in response to a question from National Observer during his daily COVID-19 briefing .
`` Anything that 's put out there , people will know about it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
One of our highest priorities is ( to ) protect the environment .
And we are going to continue doing that , that 's going to be a high priority for this government , I think we 've shown that since we 've been in office . ''
• 'Thought it was a panda : ' Second rare grizzly bear sighting in Banff National Park • Noam Chomsky on post-Covid-19 society : Trump is worse than Hitler , but the peasants are coming with pitchforks • Trudeau faces confidence vote today but @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s the full video of the question I asked Premier Ford today : pic.twitter.com/G1OtH79dhp — Emma McIntosh ( @ EmmaMci ) June 18 , 2020 The government 's suspension of environmental protections included a key portion of Ontario ’ s Environmental Bill of Rights .
Aside from the duty to consult and notify the public , the suspension also exempted government ministries from a requirement to consider environmental values while making decisions .
Opposition parties and environmental groups had criticized the government for suspending the protections in the first place , saying it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Rights included a failsafe for public health emergencies , but the government said deciding which measures fell under that exemption would take too much time .
Environment Minister Jeff Yurek had also promised that the government would notify the public of changes in response to COVID-19 , and consult the public on changes not linked to the pandemic .
Ontario Green Party Leader Mike Schreiner , who called earlier this week for the government to publish a full list of changes , said the premier 's commitment is good news .
`` The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with Ontarians , '' he said .
Ontario NDP environment critic Ian Arthur said the information belongs in the public eye .
The Doug Ford government suspended environmental protections and transparency requirements for several months , citing COVID-19 .
On Thursday the premier committed to releasing a full accounting of environmental changes made during that period .
# onpoli “ The economic response to COVID is one thing , but not coming clean about what was done during the suspension of the Environmental Bill of Rights doesn ’ t help our province , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and it almost assuredly doesn ’ t help the environment , '' he said .
Rob Wright , a staff lawyer at the non-profit Ecojustice and former vice-chair of Ontario ’ s Environmental Review Tribunal , said Ford 's commitment is a good step , but the consequences of the changes are still unclear .
“ As a starting point , it 's a good thing , '' he said .
Kerrie Blaise , a staff lawyer at the Canadian Environmental Law Association , praised Ford 's pledge , but said the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ exemption period could be serious .
The public already lost the ability to have input , she added .
`` Government needs public input for accountability and transparency , '' she said . '
I will never touch the Greenbelt ' Using the exemption , Ontario reduced the number of inspections required at petroleum and petrochemical refineries .
It also pushed back a deadline for industry to report greenhouse gas emissions .
( That change was meant to align Ontario ’ s deadline with a similar delay on the federal level , Yurek @ @ @ @ @ @ @ delayed the implementation of new rules on excess soil dug up during construction , adjusted electricity rates , extended agricultural licences and made changes to allow municipalities to hold off on land planning decisions .
All were done without consultation , but were posted publicly on the Ontario Environmental Registry Andrew Buttigieg , a spokesperon for Yurek , said the government is committed to transparency when it makes environment-related decisions .
`` That ’ s why , despite the regulation , ministries posted bulletins on the Environmental Registry for urgent COVID-19-related measures that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ consultation period , '' he said in a statement .
`` Ministries continued to post over 450 regular proposal notices , with public consultation , for matters that did not require the same urgent action . ''
Ontario Green Party Leader Mike Schreiner , shown here in 2018 , says Ford should be transparent with the public about the changes his government made while environmental consultations were suspended .
File photo by Carlos Osorio Schreiner said he 's worried the premier sees the environment as `` red tape '' to be cut .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ when it comes to the premier and the environment , '' he said .
One of Ford 's first actions as premier was to axe the previous government 's climate plan and cancel 227 clean energy projects .
His government also wound down conservation programs , weakened endangered species protections and took away powers from the province ’ s environmental commissioner , who is meant to hold the government accountable .
Ford 's replacement climate plan was slammed by Ontario 's auditor general Bonnie Lysyk , who said it was `` not based @ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' `` We ’ ll always ( have as ) our top priority to protect the environment , '' Ford said Thursday .
`` I ’ ll give you an example : the Greenbelt .
We said we 're not going to touch the Greenbelt , I will never touch the Greenbelt . ''
The Greenbelt is a 7,200-square-kilometre stretch of protected green space bordering the Golden Horsehoe in Southern Ontario .
Twice Ford has voiced support for plans to develop the area , then backtracked amid public criticism .
`` Those words @ @ @ @ @ @ @ m concerned , '' Schreiner said .
“ Clearly the premier has spent most of his first two years dismantling environmental protections . ''
Arthur also said he 's not reassured .
`` I don ’ t see why we would be anything but suspicious . ''

Premier Doug Ford committed Thursday to releasing a full list of environment-related changes made by his government during a period where Ontario's duty to notify and consult the public was suspended. Ontario's Progressive Conservative government suspended environmental protection rules in April amid worries they could slow down its response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The pause allowed the government to approve environment-related projects and change regulations without consulting or notifying the public — even if they had nothing to do with the virus. The government restored full environmental protections this week. It has published a list of seven changes it made during the exemption period, all of which remain in place. Critics were worried that more could have been done behind closed doors but after Ford promised a full list, a spokesperson for Environment Minister Jeff Yurek confirmed that no other changes had been made without notifying the public. "We've been pretty transparent all the way through this," Ford said in response to a question from National Observer during his daily COVID-19 briefing. "Anything that's put out there, people will know about it. "Everything's on the table. One of our highest priorities is (to) protect the environment. And we are going to continue doing that, that's going to be a high priority for this government, I think we've shown that since we've been in office."
Here’s the full video of the question I asked Premier Ford today: pic.twitter.com/G1OtH79dhp — Emma McIntosh (vacation mode) (@EmmaMci) June 18, 2020 The government's suspension of environmental protections included a key portion of Ontario’s Environmental Bill of Rights. Aside from the duty to consult and notify the public, the suspension also exempted government ministries from a requirement to consider environmental values while making decisions. Billion-dollar land deals in Ontario raise corruption suspicions Opposition parties and environmental groups had criticized the government for suspending the protections in the first place, saying it was unnecessary. The Environmental Bill of Rights included a failsafe for public health emergencies, but the government said deciding which measures fell under that exemption would take too much time. Environment Minister Jeff Yurek had also promised that the government would notify the public of changes in response to COVID-19, and consult the public on changes not linked to the pandemic.
Ontario Green Party Leader Mike Schreiner, who called earlier this week for the government to publish a full list of changes, said the premier's commitment is good news. The Doug Ford government suspended environmental protections and transparency requirements for several months, citing COVID-19. On Thursday the premier committed to releasing a full accounting of environmental changes made during that period. #onpoli "The government has a responsibility to be transparent with Ontarians," he said. Ontario NDP environment critic Ian Arthur said the information belongs in the public eye. “The economic response to COVID is one thing, but not coming clean about what was done during the suspension of the Environmental Bill of Rights doesn’t help our province, it doesn’t help our economy, and it almost assuredly doesn’t help the environment," he said. Rob Wright, a staff lawyer at the non-profit Ecojustice and former vice-chair of Ontario’s Environmental Review Tribunal, said Ford's commitment is a good step, but the consequences of the changes are still unclear.
“As a starting point, it's a good thing," he said. Kerrie Blaise, a staff lawyer at the Canadian Environmental Law Association, praised Ford's pledge, but said the effects of the changes made during the exemption period could be serious. The public already lost the ability to have input, she added. "Government needs public input for accountability and transparency," she said.


nationalobserver--2020-06-18--Breaking the cycle of racism in Ontario's schools

Ontario 's education system must forcibly address anti-Black racism , critics say , as mass protests following the death of George Floyd at the knee of a U.S. police officer spark broader conversations about systemic injustice .
Black students , especially boys , are much more likely to be pushed out of school or directed away from university in a process these education experts say can begin in elementary school and involves teachers and administrators who underestimate or even fear them .
Less education broadly equates to lower earning power , meaning the school system is contributing to a racialized @ @ @ @ @ @ @ COVID-19 pandemic exposing North America ’ s systemic racism then made visceral by Floyd ’ s killing , the questions for schools are the big and dark ones of our time : How does education exacerbate social and racial inequality and inequity , and what should we do about it ?
“ The things Black kids are suspended for , white kids do every day and get away with it , ” said Ann Lopez , who teaches and researches transformative leadership at University of Toronto ’ s Ontario Institute for Studies in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it was a panda : ' Second rare grizzly bear sighting in Banff National Park • Noam Chomsky on post-Covid-19 society : Trump is worse than Hitler , but the peasants are coming with pitchforks • Trudeau faces confidence vote today but Liberal government unlikely to fall In 2017 , the Toronto District School Board ( TDSB ) , the largest and most diverse school board in Canada , said Black boys accounted for almost half of all students it expelled between 2011-12 and 2015-16 .
Another 2017 study found that roughly four @ @ @ @ @ @ @ enrolled in applied programs , which typically do not include prerequisites for future graduate study , compared to 18 per cent of other racialized groups and 16 per cent of white students .
A similar portion of all Black students have been suspended at least once by the time they finish high school , the study found .
“ If a Black kid does something wrong , they are not lovingly redirected , they are punished , taken out of the classroom , ” Lopez said , pointing out mostly white teachers often @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and do not acknowledge or account for that .
'Time is now for action ' The TDSB says its actively working to break down the systemic barriers to Black success in its schools .
Critics says Ontario 's education system still has long way to go in dismantling systemic racism , and they have some suggestions for what to do about it On Wednesday night , the TDSB ’ s trustees unanimously agreed to establish a centre that would employ some 20 staff ( including a social worker , child and youth counsellor @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Black students and work to eradicate the racism they face .
Education Minister Stephen Lecce will meanwhile send in a supervisor to take over management of Peel District School Board , which oversees schools in Brampton , Mississauga and Caledon , he said on Thursday .
Its trustees requested the move at their Wednesday night board meeting following a scathing report found it unable and unwilling to address systemic racism at the board level and in its schools .
“ The time is now for action , ” Lecce said at a virtual @ @ @ @ @ @ @ can not wait , we will not wait , we will act swiftly and boldly in Peel , and to be frank provincewide , to ensure that we counter the very real issue of discrimination that is manifested in schools and within our society here in Ontario.
” Lopez wants to see a provincewide review of how discipline is applied in schools , as well as an increased focus on Black contributions to society across the curriculum .
“ The absence of that knowledge , of history , of the contributions of Black @ @ @ @ @ @ @ students do not get to know their history and see themselves in the curriculum , ” she said .
“ And non-Black folk leave school believing Black people didn ’ t contribute to society much.
” She says boards and schools should be looking at a range of measures , including inventories of what books are in their libraries and what is being taught , the diversity of staff and school councils , and whether their scheduling allows Black families to participate in school-related events , such as school council .
Race-based data @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by other school boards around the Greater Toronto Area , where Black students , parents and educators report many of the same issues and concerns .
The teachers who Lopez talks about coming from a different place are part of an overwhelmingly white workforce , and so do not experience the embedded racism of a system built on the enslavement of Black people and dispossession of Indigenous land .
They ’ re mostly white because anti-bias hiring practices “ effectively remove the necessity of acknowledging and troubling the centrality of race in teacher @ @ @ @ @ @ @ her 2018 doctoral thesis at OISE ’ s Graduate Department of Social Justice Education on Ontario ’ s lack of teacher diversity .
It means mostly white administrators are hiring most white teachers , creating and implementing curriculum and policy for an increasingly diverse set of communities .
“ It has impact on the school culture , it has impact on hiring , it has impact on disciplinary practices and interactions with parents and outside communities , ” Abawi said in an interview .
Zuhra Abawi says principals and guidance counsellors should receive @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by Zuhra Abawi Fewer than 10 per cent of Ontario ’ s teachers and school counsellors identified as a member of a visible minority in 2006 , compared to almost 23 per cent of the general population , according to a 2009 report by academics from OISE and the University of Western Ontario .
The report , `` Teacher Diversity in Canada : Leaky Pipelines , Bottlenecks , and Glass Ceilings , '' found that 18.6 per cent of Toronto 's education labour force were teachers of colour that year in a city @ @ @ @ @ @ @ For Abawi , addressing that disconnect would include making it tougher to become a principal or a guidance counsellor — positions that both have significant influence over whether a student graduates to university or a trade , barely survives high school , or drops out — and would include anti-oppression and equity training in that accreditation work .
“ I have my guidance qualification , ” said Abawi , a fifth-grade teacher with the Peel District School Board .
“ I don ’ t feel that is sufficient enough to be in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s future.
” Black teachers report they are often passed over for promotions or denied permanent status , which adds to their economic precariousness , while parents find it difficult to get their concerns heard .
Nigel Barriffe , an executive with the Elementary Teachers ’ Federation of Ontario local representing 11,000 TDSB educators , said it would be generous to call the TDSB incompetent in its response to parents and others worried about racism , citing two recent examples .
In one , the board apologized for its botched response to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and parents at a Parkdale school , while Barriffe said a similar lack of attention had been paid to parents raising concerns about discipline targeting students of colour at the Island Public School .
“ They sent the principal , then the superintendent , the deputy superintendent , director ( of education ) letters and emails requesting a meeting and they didn ’ t respond , ” he said .
Abawi is herself still not a permanent employee of the Peel school district , and wonders what boards would find if they compared @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ It ’ s really frustrating because I have more education and qualifications than all the principals I ’ ve ever worked with , ” she said , adding that lack of opportunity is a common refrain among her colleagues of colour .
In the classroom , Abawi said the curriculum struggles to acknowledge education ’ s relationship to the settler-colonialism underpinnings of Canada ’ s state and society .
This creates distinct but intertwined obstacles to best serving both Black and Indigenous peoples .
“ Why are we erasing Indigenous stories and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ asks rhetorically .
“ Why are we saying there was some fighting but everything worked itself out in the end ?
” Lopez and others who ’ ve been working for years to make education more equitable hope the momentum for social change surging in the wake of the pandemic and recent anti-racism protests can be turned into concrete action .
Advocates want authorities to keep track of data on the disciplining of Black students and set targets to lower that rate , work to get more Black students on pathways to higher @ @ @ @ @ @ @ profession , and create the space for working teachers , principals and superintendents to break biases and reframe their educational approach .
“ COVID-19 has shown us it is possible for us to reimagine , ” said ETFO 's Barriffe .
“ We are at a moment of reckoning .
We ’ re acutely focused on the police , but the other institutions like education , justice , housing , all of those are intertwined , they ’ re interlocked with each other , ” he said .
“ I pray that it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that we need .
”

“The things Black kids are suspended for, white kids do every day and get away with it,” said Ann Lopez, a professor who teaches and researches educational leadership at University of Toronto’s Ontario Institute for Studies in Education (OISE).
With the COVID-19 pandemic exposing North America’s systemic racism then made visceral by Floyd’s killing, the questions for schools are the big and dark ones of our time: How does education exacerbate social and racial inequality and inequity, and what should we do about it?
Less education broadly equates to lower earning power, meaning the school system is contributing to a racialized and widening wealth gap.
Black students, especially boys, are much more likely to be pushed out of school or directed away from university in a process these education experts say can begin in elementary school and involves teachers and administrators who underestimate or even fear them.
Ontario's education system must forcibly address anti-Black racism, critics say, as mass protests following the death of George Floyd at the knee of a U.S. police officer spark broader conversations about systemic injustice.
Another 2017 study found that roughly four in 10 Black students in Toronto were enrolled in applied programs, which typically do not include prerequisites for future graduate study, compared to 18 per cent of other racialized groups and 16 per cent of white students.
Race-based data is only just starting to be collected by other school boards around the Greater Toronto Area, where Black students, parents and educators report many of the same issues and concerns.
In 2017, the Toronto District School Board (TDSB), the largest and most diverse school board in Canada, said Black boys accounted for almost half of all students it expelled between 2011-12 and 2015-16.
On Wednesday night, the TDSB’s trustees unanimously agreed to establish a centre that would employ some 20 staff (including a social worker, child and youth counsellor and five graduation coaches) to support Black students and work to eradicate the racism they face.
The TDSB says it is actively working to break down the systemic barriers to Black success in its schools.
“If a Black kid does something wrong, they are not lovingly redirected, they are punished, taken out of the classroom,” Lopez said, pointing out mostly white teachers often come from “different social locations” and do not acknowledge or account for that.
A similar portion of all Black students have been suspended at least once by the time they finish high school, the study found.
“The time is now for action,” Lecce said at a virtual news conference on Thursday. “We cannot wait, we will not wait, we will act swiftly and boldly in Peel, and to be frank provincewide, to ensure that we counter the very real issue of discrimination that is manifested in schools and within our society here in Ontario.”
Its trustees requested the move at their Wednesday night board meeting following a scathing report found it unable and unwilling to address systemic racism at the board level and in its schools.
Education Minister Stephen Lecce will meanwhile send in a supervisor to take over management of Peel District School Board, which oversees schools in Brampton, Mississauga and Caledon, he said on Thursday.
Lopez wants to see a provincewide review of how discipline is applied in schools, as well as an increased focus on Black contributions to society across the curriculum.
“The absence of that knowledge, of history, of the contributions of Black people to math and science means Black students do not get to know their history and see themselves in the curriculum,” she said. “And non-Black folk leave school believing Black people didn’t contribute to society much.”
She says boards and schools should be looking at a range of measures, including inventories of what books are in their libraries and what is being taught, the diversity of staff and school councils, and whether their scheduling allows Black families to participate in school-related events, such as school council.
Lack of diversity among teachers
The teachers who Lopez talks about coming from a different place are part of an overwhelmingly white workforce, and so do not experience the embedded racism of a system built on the enslavement of Black people and dispossession of Indigenous land.
They’re mostly white because anti-bias hiring practices “effectively remove the necessity of acknowledging and troubling the centrality of race in teacher hiring,” Zuhra Abawi wrote in her 2018 doctoral thesis at OISE’s Graduate Department of Social Justice Education on Ontario’s lack of teacher diversity.
It means mostly white administrators are hiring most white teachers, creating and implementing curriculum and policy for an increasingly diverse set of communities.
“It has impact on the school culture, it has impact on hiring, it has impact on disciplinary practices and interactions with parents and outside communities,” Abawi said in an interview.
Zuhra Abawi says principals and guidance counsellors should receive anti-oppression and equity training. Photo supplied by Zuhra Abawi
Fewer than 10 per cent of Ontario’s teachers and school counsellors identified as a member of a visible minority in 2006, compared to almost 23 per cent of the general population, according to a 2009 report by academics from OISE and the University of Western Ontario.
The report, "Teacher Diversity in Canada: Leaky Pipelines, Bottlenecks, and Glass Ceilings," found that 18.6 per cent of Toronto's education labour force were teachers of colour that year in a city that was 42.4 per cent non-white.
For Abawi, addressing that disconnect would include making it tougher to become a principal or a guidance counsellor — positions that both have significant influence over whether a student graduates to university or a trade, barely survives high school, or drops out — and would include anti-oppression and equity training in that accreditation work.
“I have my guidance qualification,” said Abawi, a fifth-grade teacher with the Peel District School Board. “I don’t feel that is sufficient enough to be in the position to make decisions about a child’s future.”
Race and precariousness
Black teachers report they are often passed over for promotions or denied permanent status, which adds to their economic precariousness, while parents find it difficult to get their concerns heard.
Nigel Barriffe, an executive with the Elementary Teachers’ Federation of Ontario local representing 11,000 TDSB educators, said it would be generous to call the TDSB incompetent in its response to parents and others worried about racism, citing two recent examples.
In one, the board apologized for its botched response to an anonymous racist note targeting Black educators and parents at a Parkdale school, while Barriffe said a similar lack of attention had been paid to parents raising concerns about discipline targeting students of colour at the Island Public School.
“They sent the principal, then the superintendent, the deputy superintendent, director (of education) letters and emails requesting a meeting and they didn’t respond,” he said.
The board said it was the first they'd heard of it.
“The information shared by Mr. Barriffe regarding any race-related discipline concerns being raised at the Island Public School has not been previously shared with us,” TDSB spokesperson Ryan Bird said in a statement. “If there are such concerns, we would absolutely want to address those concerns as soon as possible and would also hope Mr. Barriffe would share them directly with us so we may work together to serve our students.”
Abawi, meanwhile, is herself still not a permanent employee of the Peel school district, and wonders what boards would find if they compared race-based data with the permanent-contract split.
“It’s really frustrating because I have more education and qualifications than all the principals I’ve ever worked with,” she said, adding that lack of opportunity is a common refrain among her colleagues of colour.
In the classroom, Abawi said the curriculum struggles to acknowledge education’s relationship to the settler-colonialism underpinnings of Canada’s state and society. This creates distinct but intertwined obstacles to best serving both Black and Indigenous peoples.
“Why are we erasing Indigenous stories and perspectives from our curriculum?” she asks rhetorically. “Why are we saying there was some fighting but everything worked itself out in the end?”
List of demands
Lopez and others who’ve been working for years to make education more equitable hope the momentum for social change surging in the wake of the pandemic and recent anti-racism protests can be turned into concrete action.
Advocates want authorities to keep track of data on the disciplining of Black students and set targets to lower that rate, work to get more Black students on pathways to higher education and more Black teachers into the profession, and create the space for working teachers, principals and superintendents to break biases and reframe their educational approach.
“COVID-19 has shown us it is possible for us to reimagine,” said ETFO's Barriffe. “We are at a moment of reckoning. We’re acutely focused on the police, but the other institutions like education, justice, housing, all of those are intertwined, they’re interlocked with each other,” he said.
“I pray that it can turn into the kind of change that we need.”
Alastair Sharp / Local Journalism Initiative / Canada's National Observer
Editor’s note: This article was updated at 9:45 p.m. on June 18, 2020 to include TDSB response regarding Island Public School.


nationalobserver--2020-06-18--Sask. rolls out new funding for long-term care

The Saskatchewan government announced an investment of more than $ 80 million in funding for long-term care facilities across the province on Tuesday .
The majority of the funding , around $ 73 million , will go toward two new facilities in Grenfell and La Ronge .
The new facility in La Ronge will have 80 beds and Grenfell 's will have 30 .
“ Our government is taking action to meet the need for long-term care services in rural and northern areas , ” Rural and Remote Health Minister Warren Kaeding said in a statement .
The government 's @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for large capital projects across the health system , and it has given the OK to proceed with advanced planning and design on the Grenfell and La Ronge facilities .
• 'Thought it was a panda : ' Second rare grizzly bear sighting in Banff National Park • Noam Chomsky on post-Covid-19 society : Trump is worse than Hitler , but the peasants are coming with pitchforks • Trudeau faces confidence vote today but Liberal government unlikely to fall Since 2009 , Cumberland MLA Doyle Vermette has delivered more than 60 petitions on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ care facility in La Ronge .
“ Many community members raised their concerns with the government about long-term care .
That our elders deserve more , ” Vermette told Canada ’ s National Observer .
“ Family members have come to me over the years to express their concerns about their loved ones being sent away down south.
” The Opposition NDP has called for an investigation into the province ’ s long-term care system , which NDP health critic Vicki Mowat categorized as “ deplorable ” in a statement last week .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Ryan Meili in Prince Albert .
Photograph courtesy of the Saskatchewan NDP .
This week , the province promised that more than $ 7.2 million will be invested in 2020-21 for 82 priority renewal projects in 51 long-term care facilities across Saskatchewan .
“ This is a fantastic plan of theirs and it is time .
It ’ s going to keep families together .
It ’ s going to create employment , which is also good , but that ’ s secondary .
I think people are concerned about keeping their families @ @ @ @ @ @ @ projects are part of the province 's $ 7.5-billion , two-year capital plan , with $ 200 million designated for health infrastructure .
Vermette said he was pleasantly surprised by the announcement .
He said La Ronge is in the highest category of need for long-term care homes and that wait times for elders in the community can be almost a year to get into the current facilities .
“ I believe there are 14 beds here… We ’ re critical here , code red , and there ’ s a real shortage @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said .
The NDP MLA said he hopes the government will deliver on its promise , but he ’ s waiting to see what comes out of it .
“ When we can physically see the actual building completed , hopefully we can all share that excitement when … we have our loved ones moving into it , ” he said .
Vermette credits constituents for keeping pressure on the province over long-term care .
“ Our community members are the real heroes here , ” he said .
He promised to continue @ @ @ @ @ @ @ residents and noted that the northeastern town of Creighton is also desperately in need of facilities .
Replacing La Ronge ’ s current facility will mean a significant expansion in capacity and service in the region .
“ This is a fantastic plan of theirs and it is time .
It ’ s going to keep families together .
It ’ s going to create employment , which is also good , but that ’ s secondary .
I think people are concerned about keeping their families together.
” La Ronge Mayor Ron @ @ @ @ @ @ @ until it was amalgamated under the current Saskatchewan Health Authority .
Photograph by Michael Bramadat-Willcock .
Woytowich headed the previous health region for La Ronge up until the Saskatchewan Health Authority was established three years ago .
“ You have to have all of your ducks in a row and this time I see that they have given a date .
They ’ re saying 2022 ... ” Woytowich said .
The current long-term facility is operated out of the general hospital in La Ronge and Woytowich said it ’ s nowhere near @ @ @ @ @ @ @ serving the surrounding communities .
“ This is not just a La Ronge thing .
It ’ s more than that .
It ’ s this whole area in the north .
The community is large , ” Woytowich said .
“ If you talk with any of the communities around here , the bottom line is that people who are going into long-term care at least want to be close to family and the places that they know.
” He said families in the area are torn apart when they have to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lose all kinds of people that are suddenly forced to move to Prince Albert or Saskatoon , and that ’ s an economic cost that ’ s very hard to handle for a lot of people.
” These new investments are in addition to the $ 15.7 million in the provincial budget to continue the construction of a new 72-bed long-term care facility in Meadow Lake .
Approximately $ 24 million is being made available from a provincial emergency infrastructure grant to support maintenance in long-term care facilities .
Improvements will include flooring @ @ @ @ @ @ @ conditioning upgrades , and water and sewer line replacement .
The ministry said local communities and industries will be included in the planning and construction work .
The province also promised to proceed with replacement of Grenfell Pioneer Home , with a decision on the procurement process expected this summer .

The Saskatchewan government announced an investment of more than $80 million in funding for long-term care facilities across the province on Tuesday. The majority of the funding, around $73 million, will go toward two new facilities in Grenfell and La Ronge. The new facility in La Ronge will have 80 beds and Grenfell's will have 30. “Our government is taking action to meet the need for long-term care services in rural and northern areas,” Rural and Remote Health Minister Warren Kaeding said in a statement. Premier Scott Moe and Chief Medical Health Officer Saqib Shahab. Photograph by Canadian Press/Michael Bell. The government's latest provincial budget included $18.7 million for large capital projects across the health system, and it has given the OK to proceed with advanced planning and design on the Grenfell and La Ronge facilities.
Since 2009, Cumberland MLA Doyle Vermette has delivered more than 60 petitions on behalf of residents for a new long-term care facility in La Ronge. “Many community members raised their concerns with the government about long-term care. That our elders deserve more,” Vermette told Canada’s National Observer. Billion-dollar land deals in Ontario raise corruption suspicions “Family members have come to me over the years to express their concerns about their loved ones being sent away down south.”
The Opposition NDP has called for an investigation into the province’s long-term care system, which NDP health critic Vicki Mowat categorized as “deplorable” in a statement last week. “This is a fantastic plan of theirs and it is time. It’s going to keep families together. It’s going to create employment, which is also good, but that’s secondary. I think people are concerned about keeping their families together,” Ron Woytowich. Cumberland MLA Doyle Vermette with NDP leader Ryan Meili in Prince Albert. Photograph courtesy of the Saskatchewan NDP. This week, the province promised that more than $7.2 million will be invested in 2020-21 for 82 priority renewal projects in 51 long-term care facilities across Saskatchewan. These projects are part of the province's $7.5-billion, two-year capital plan, with $200 million designated for health infrastructure. Vermette said he was pleasantly surprised by the announcement.
He said La Ronge is in the highest category of need for long-term care homes and that wait times for elders in the community can be almost a year to get into the current facilities. “I believe there are 14 beds here… We’re critical here, code red, and there’s a real shortage of beds for seniors,” Vermette said. The NDP MLA said he hopes the government will deliver on its promise, but he’s waiting to see what comes out of it.


nationalobserver--2020-06-18--Canadians mostly believe we've achieved gender equality.  But it's not true.

Bit by bit , that is eaten away as we are reprimanded for being too bossy , the same trait encouraged in male counterparts .
As we ’ re told we can ’ t go for a walk down the street alone at night , even though when our brother was the same age he was allowed — because it isn ’ t safe for a girl .
As we watch the media focus on what a woman is wearing rather than the words she is speaking .
And these things add up until we sit quietly in the classroom @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hands to answer questions .
Until smiling through a colleague mansplaining back to us what we ’ ve just said becomes second nature .
Until we ’ re so used to being treated as less than , that we start to believe it .
• 'Thought it was a panda : ' Second rare grizzly bear sighting in Banff National Park • Noam Chomsky on post-Covid-19 society : Trump is worse than Hitler , but the peasants are coming with pitchforks • Trudeau faces confidence vote today but Liberal government unlikely to fall @ @ @ @ @ @ @ quadruple take when I saw recent polling , conducted by Abacus Data , showing that in Canada today almost 50 per cent of Canadians think that rights and opportunities in Canada are equal for both men and women .
I suppose on paper things look good in Canada .
Women ’ s rights are entrenched in the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms and the Canadian Human Rights Act .
The Canadian Human Rights act says that all Canadians should have equal rights and opportunities .
But we still have a minister for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cabinet for a reason .
That reason is that as much as we ’ d like things to be equal ( more than 90 per cent of both men and women agreed with this ) , they aren ’ t .
In 2018 , women employees aged 25 to 54 earned 13.3 per cent less per hour on average than male employees and women are still substantially less likely than men to move from middle management to executive ranks .
`` Equality needs a firmer push , because those who have power often @ @ @ @ @ @ @ readily , even to someone better qualified . ''
Bruce Anderson , chairman of Abacus Data , And when you look across this country at our elected leaders , a sea of men ’ s faces stare back .
In total , Canada has only ever had 12 female premiers , the first being Rita Johnston of B.C .
in 1991 .
In that same timeframe , since the first female premier , there have been more than 75 male premiers .
Needless to say , this isn ’ t great .
Federal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 2019 , there were more women MPs elected than ever before , but that is still just 29 per cent of the seats in the House .
When you think about the qualities of a good leader the ability to handle stress , to be a hard worker and to be able to make hard decisions typically would rank pretty high .
Abacus Data ’ s polling shows men believe they are more hard working ( 56 per cent ) , better able to handle stress ( 55 per cent ) , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 69 per cent ) than women .
And while women rank themselves higher in these same areas , the problem lies in the fact that men are the ones in positions of power in this country .
In 2016 , more than 4/5 of all leadership roles were held by men , and women held fewer than 20 per cent of director seats on boards of directors .
If the majority of men tend to think that other men have more typical leadership qualities , who are they more likely to promote ?
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ While there is an agreement by both men and women that both the genders should be equal , the knowledge around where equality currently stands in this country is lacking .
How do we make change if we don ’ t realize we need it ?
If we ’ re aware there is inequality and we acknowledge that it ’ s wrong , then let ’ s teach everyone how to remove the barriers and then take action to do so .
It ’ s not enough to talk about it , it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ When I first studied politics , we were taught that if you wanted to know how a woman was likely to vote , find out how her husband was voting , and you ’ d have a pretty good idea .
In the first election I was eligible to vote , in 1979 , fewer than 15 per cent of the candidates , and fewer than five per cent of the winning candidates , were women .
Last fall , 98 women were elected , which sounds like progress .
Except that 29 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for office ( for one of the five major parties ) won , compared to a 16 per cent success rate for women .
What makes this continuing disparity all the more remarkable , and disappointing , is that it has nothing to do mainstream beliefs about whether men are superior to women .
Majorities of both men and women think women are smarter , more competent , more thoughtful about the future and more compassionate .
A stunning 90 per cent of all Canadians say women are more compassionate , 78 per @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the future , 74 per cent say women are smarter , 68 per cent say women are more competent .
Majorities say women are better able to handle stress and work harder .
Many men clearly see an aptitude and performance gap — but not the one we would have expected in this type of data not very long ago .
Today , many men know that women are better prepared and outperforming them .
Alongside these numbers men and women both agree that opportunity should be equal .
Only a meagre five @ @ @ @ @ @ @ over women , and I can tell you that wasn ’ t the psyche when I was growing up .
A third of men and almost half of women say men still have the upper hand in Canada .
A quarter think that will still be the case 10 years from now — and 20 years from now — reminding us of just how stubborn these patterns of thought and action can be .
And to be clear , these gaps are about women generally — the barriers to women of colour , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ other forms of additional discrimination are even more dispiriting .
The results — to my eyes — are mostly frustrating , but with a few encouraging signs .
On the one hand , ridiculous , patriarchal stereotypes of women have been replaced by a modern take that reverses — not just improves upon — the chauvinistic standards that existed forever in many societies .
( I ’ m not “ pro ” stereotyping , just pointing out that modern stereotypes of women are better than those of men . )
According to these @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to persuade anyone that they are up to the job .
The barriers have less to do with who can do the job , and more about who decides who will get the job .
Given this , when organizations establish appointment quotas to ensure equality in practice , not only as an ideal , they are recognizing that being ‘ good ’ isn ’ t good enough to ensure equal treatment .
Equality needs a firmer push , because those who have power often don ’ t give it up that readily @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I know some men will look at these numbers and want to believe that the barriers for women are resolving over time .
But I also know that ’ s a comfortable take , and if I were a woman , I don ’ t know why I would be OK with that .

And these things add up until we sit quietly in the classroom while the men around us raise their hands to answer questions. Until smiling through a colleague mansplaining back to us what we’ve just said becomes second nature. Until we’re so used to being treated as less than, that we start to believe it.
Bit by bit, that is eaten away as we are reprimanded for being too bossy, the same trait encouraged in male counterparts. As we’re told we can’t go for a walk down the street alone at night, even though when our brother was the same age he was allowed — because it isn’t safe for a girl. As we watch the media focus on what a woman is wearing rather than the words she is speaking.
There was a time when we all thought we were invincible. That we could say and do anything. But it seems, at some point, that changes for girls.
That’s why I needed a quadruple take when I saw recent polling, conducted by Abacus Data, showing that in Canada today almost 50 per cent of Canadians think that rights and opportunities in Canada are equal for both men and women.
Federal politics is a similar story. In 2019, there were more women MPs elected than ever before, but that is still just 29 per cent of the seats in the House.
And when you look across this country at our elected leaders, a sea of men’s faces stare back. In total, Canada has only ever had 12 female premiers, the first being Rita Johnston of B.C. in 1991. In that same timeframe, since the first female premier, there have been more than 75 male premiers. Needless to say, this isn’t great.
In 2018, women employees aged 25 to 54 earned 13.3 per cent less per hour on average than male employees and women are still substantially less likely than men to move from middle management to executive ranks.
That reason is that as much as we’d like things to be equal (more than 90 per cent of both men and women agreed with this), they aren’t.
I suppose on paper things look good in Canada. Women’s rights are entrenched in the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms and the Canadian Human Rights Act. The Canadian Human Rights act says that all Canadians should have equal rights and opportunities. But we still have a minister for women and gender equality in the federal cabinet for a reason.
When you think about the qualities of a good leader the ability to handle stress, to be a hard worker and to be able to make hard decisions typically would rank pretty high.
Abacus Data’s polling shows men believe they are more hard working (56 per cent), better able to handle stress (55 per cent), and better able to make hard decisions (69 per cent) than women. And while women rank themselves higher in these same areas, the problem lies in the fact that men are the ones in positions of power in this country.
In 2016, more than 4/5 of all leadership roles were held by men, and women held fewer than 20 per cent of director seats on boards of directors. If the majority of men tend to think that other men have more typical leadership qualities, who are they more likely to promote? No wonder progress is so slow.
While there is an agreement by both men and women that both the genders should be equal, the knowledge around where equality currently stands in this country is lacking. How do we make change if we don’t realize we need it?
Awareness, acknowledgement, education and action.
If we’re aware there is inequality and we acknowledge that it’s wrong, then let’s teach everyone how to remove the barriers and then take action to do so.
It’s not enough to talk about it, it’s time to do something.
Bruce Anderson:
When I first studied politics, we were taught that if you wanted to know how a woman was likely to vote, find out how her husband was voting, and you’d have a pretty good idea. In the first election I was eligible to vote, in 1979, fewer than 15 per cent of the candidates, and fewer than five per cent of the winning candidates, were women. Last fall, 98 women were elected, which sounds like progress.
Except that 29 per cent of the men who ran for office (for one of the five major parties) won, compared to a 16 per cent success rate for women.
What makes this continuing disparity all the more remarkable, and disappointing, is that it has nothing to do mainstream beliefs about whether men are superior to women.
Majorities of both men and women think women are smarter, more competent, more thoughtful about the future and more compassionate.
A stunning 90 per cent of all Canadians say women are more compassionate, 78 per cent say women are more thoughtful about the future, 74 per cent say women are smarter, 68 per cent say women are more competent.
Majorities say women are better able to handle stress and work harder. Many men clearly see an aptitude and performance gap — but not the one we would have expected in this type of data not very long ago. Today, many men know that women are better prepared and outperforming them.
Alongside these numbers men and women both agree that opportunity should be equal. Only a meagre five per cent believe men should have advantages over women, and I can tell you that wasn’t the psyche when I was growing up.
But things aren’t equal yet.
A third of men and almost half of women say men still have the upper hand in Canada. A quarter think that will still be the case 10 years from now — and 20 years from now — reminding us of just how stubborn these patterns of thought and action can be. And to be clear, these gaps are about women generally — the barriers to women of colour, Indigenous women, and those who face other forms of additional discrimination are even more dispiriting.
The results — to my eyes — are mostly frustrating, but with a few encouraging signs. On the one hand, ridiculous, patriarchal stereotypes of women have been replaced by a modern take that reverses — not just improves upon — the chauvinistic standards that existed forever in many societies. (I’m not “pro” stereotyping, just pointing out that modern stereotypes of women are better than those of men.)
According to these numbers, women don’t need to persuade anyone that they are up to the job. The barriers have less to do with who can do the job, and more about who decides who will get the job.
Given this, when organizations establish appointment quotas to ensure equality in practice, not only as an ideal, they are recognizing that being ‘good’ isn’t good enough to ensure equal treatment.
Equality needs a firmer push, because those who have power often don’t give it up that readily, even to someone better qualified.
I know some men will look at these numbers and want to believe that the barriers for women are resolving over time. But I also know that’s a comfortable take, and if I were a woman, I don’t know why I would be OK with that.