nationalobserver--2020-04-30--Nerves, anxiety and hunger for international students during COVID-19

Ian Tian is a postgraduate student at the University of Toronto who came to Canada from China three years ago .
When the COVID-19 pandemic first broke out in his home country , he was concerned for the family he had left , but his worries have now migrated with him .
His teaching assistant contract ended this month , and Tian is not eligible for either the Canada Emergency Relief Benefit ( since he did not lose his job due to the pandemic ) or the Canada Emergency Student Benefit , which is not available to international students .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ have a job in the summer and my funding would kick back in when school returns , ” he said .
“ Right now , I ’ m using my savings to pay rent and I don ’ t know if I ’ ll be able to buy food.
” “ It ’ s quite a struggle , ” he said .
“ I ’ m very nervous and anxious.
” • Long-term care homes were in crisis well before politicians woke up to the problem • Ontario has a COVID-19 reopening plan @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Tian and some of his friends have turned to food banks to supplement the groceries they can afford to buy .
And there is another thing he is worried if he can afford — resuming his studies in the fall .
“ I don ’ t know what is going to happen , ” he said .
“ I ’ m also worried about my health — what if I get sick , what would my parents do , they can ’ t come here , who is going to look after me @ @ @ @ @ @ @ co-ordinating the Migrant Students United campaign at the Migrant Workers Alliance for Change , said Tian 's case is far from unique .
Since the pandemic lockdown began in mid-March , she has referred hundreds of international students to food banks in the absence of other supports .
“ It ’ s quite dire , ” she said .
“ As the weeks ( of closures ) are growing , there are more and more students who are being hit by the deathly inadequacies of all these systems that are leaving them behind.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Canadian Federation of Students , is calling on Ottawa to expand relief efforts — it ’ s launched a $ 9-billion aid package — to cover all students .
Canadian universities and colleges lean heavily on the higher tuition fees paid by international students .
Their absence from classes next year due to COVID-19 complications would strike a major blow to schools ’ operating budgets .
A petition started by the alliance and the Migrant Students United organising commitee has garnered more than 10,000 signatures .
Students at Toronto 's York University take @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in support of international students on February 25 , 2020 .
Photo courtesy of Migrants Workers Alliance for Change “ If you are not including all students , it ’ s not perfect , ” said Felipe Nagata , president of the federation ’ s Ontario chapter , who argued all students should get the same amount of financial help as laid-off workers .
“ We believe it should be $ 2,000 ( a month ) , and we believe international students should be included on CESB , ” he said .
A @ @ @ @ @ @ @ some international students are eligible for CERB , and noted Ottawa had doubled the amount they could work to 40 hours a week .
“ Workers who are not citizens or permanent residents — including international students — may be eligible to receive the benefit if they have a valid SIN ( social insurance number ) , stop working for reasons related to COVID-19 and meet the other eligibility criteria , ” said Marielle Hossack , press secretary for Carla Qualtrough .
Critics say that leaves many international students out .
One of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ studying to become an employment counsellor at George Brown College in Toronto .
She can ’ t graduate without a summer co-op placement , which is unlikely to happen now , and didn ’ t earn enough last year to qualify for CERB .
She has depleted her own savings and was relying on help from her family in Turkey , but her father is now digging into his limited savings after he was forced to close his children ’ s clothing shop in İzmir .
“ As a foreigner , as an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” she said .
“ I am looking for a job , but the labour market is very challenging.
” Universities and colleges in Toronto and across Ontario and Canada lean heavily on the tuition fees paid by international students , which can range between four and six times what domestic students pay .
Their absence from classes next school year would strike a major blow to schools ’ operating budgets .
The provincial NDP ’ s post-secondary education critic Chris Glover said it is difficult to estimate just how deep the financial @ @ @ @ @ @ @ but all the universities and colleges he ’ s been talking to are concerned .
“ A lot of them are dependent on international students , and everybody recognizes they ’ re not going to have the same number of international students in September 2020 that they had in September 2019 , ” said Glover , a former Toronto public school board trustee .
This is due to existing students being unable to continue their studies , and travel restrictions and slower visa processing putting off those who were planning to arrive later @ @ @ @ @ @ @ OCAD University , an art and design school in Toronto , did an informal survey of students early in the pandemic that suggested half of enrolled international students may be unable to return to school for the next academic year .
The NDP ’ s Glover said international students make up half of the student body for some colleges , mentioning Toronto ’ s Centennial College by name .
“ The hit to their financial plan is going to be massive , ” he said .
“ That ’ s why the government @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to make sure that our institutions survive this thing , that they come out intact.
” A spokesperson for Centennial said the college has a healthy surplus , due in part to its strong international enrolment , that they can draw on to help cover the expense of shifting more courses online .
`` Our fiscal success over the past several years has put us in a better position to weather the present storm , '' spokesperson Mark Toljagic said .
Centennial had 11,472 full-time international students in its winter semester , making @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , he added .
Toljagic said it was too early to say how much of a decline in enrolment the college might face , and that it was working on expanding online versions of several popular programs that will start in late May .
Glover wants to see the Ford government add to federal aid efforts for students .
He and the Ontario NDP are calling on the provincial government to reverse its $ 670-million-a-year cut to the Ontario Student Assistance Program ( OSAP ) , which equates to a 30 percent reduction @ @ @ @ @ @ @ maintain that cut ( to OSAP ) this year , when students are in such dire circumstances , is unconscionable , ” Glover said .
The NDP also wants the province to cover the $ 440-million reduction in institutional funding ( $ 360 million from universities and $ 80 million from colleges ) that Ford ’ s government created when it made an unfunded reduction of tuition fees last year .
Glover also wants to see the conversion of student loans to grants , and an expansion of such assistance to help students @ @ @ @ @ @ @ You ’ re compounding disadvantage when you load low-income students with debt , ” he said .
A spokesperson for Ross Romano , the provincial minister for universities and colleges , said he is in daily conversation with institutions “ to discuss short-term relief and the path to vital sustainability.
” Ciara Byrne said the changes to OSAP introduced by the Ford government “ have worked to ensure that OSAP is sustainable for generations of students — five , 10 , 15 years down the road.
” The NDP ’ s Glover said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from abroad , who are unlikely to have family nearby they can lean on during the crisis and are struggling without access to federal relief .
“ Now they are stuck here through no fault of their own .
Many of them can ’ t work .
As a moral obligation , we should provide them with some supports to help them get through , ” he said .
“ We shouldn ’ t be leaving anyone unhoused or unfed , ” Glover said .
“ I ’ ve heard of international students @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they can ’ t afford rent .
”

“It’s quite a struggle,” he said. “I’m very nervous and anxious.”
“In normal circumstances, I would have a job in the summer and my funding would kick back in when school returns,” he said. “Right now, I’m using my savings to pay rent and I don’t know if I’ll be able to buy food.”
His teaching assistant contract ended this month, and Tian is not eligible for either the Canada Emergency Relief Benefit (since he did not lose his job due to the pandemic) or the Canada Emergency Student Benefit, which is not available to international students.
When the COVID-19 pandemic first broke out in his home country, he was concerned for the family he had left, but his worries have now migrated with him.
Ian Tian is a postgraduate student at the University of Toronto who came to Canada from China three years ago.
Sarom Rho, who is co-ordinating the Migrant Students United campaign at the Migrant Workers Alliance for Change, said Tian's case is far from unique.
“I don’t know what is going to happen,” he said. “I’m also worried about my health — what if I get sick, what would my parents do, they can’t come here, who is going to look after me?”
Tian and some of his friends have turned to food banks to supplement the groceries they can afford to buy. And there is another thing he is worried if he can afford — resuming his studies in the fall.
A petition started by the alliance and the Migrant Students United organising commitee has garnered more than 10,000 signatures.
The alliance, along with the Canadian Federation of Students, is calling on Ottawa to expand relief efforts — it’s launched a $9-billion aid package — to cover all students.
“It’s quite dire,” she said. “As the weeks (of closures) are growing, there are more and more students who are being hit by the deathly inadequacies of all these systems that are leaving them behind.”
Since the pandemic lockdown began in mid-March, she has referred hundreds of international students to food banks in the absence of other supports.
A spokesperson for the federal employment minister said some international students are eligible for CERB, and noted Ottawa had doubled the amount they could work to 40 hours a week.
“We believe it should be $2,000 (a month), and we believe international students should be included on CESB,” he said.
“If you are not including all students, it’s not perfect,” said Felipe Nagata, president of the federation’s Ontario chapter, who argued all students should get the same amount of financial help as laid-off workers.
“Workers who are not citizens or permanent residents — including international students — may be eligible to receive the benefit if they have a valid SIN (social insurance number), stop working for reasons related to COVID-19 and meet the other eligibility criteria,” said Marielle Hossack, press secretary for Carla Qualtrough.
Critics say that leaves many international students out.
One of them is Aydolu Simsek, who is studying to become an employment counsellor at George Brown College in Toronto.
She can’t graduate without a summer co-op placement, which is unlikely to happen now, and didn’t earn enough last year to qualify for CERB. She has depleted her own savings and was relying on help from her family in Turkey, but her father is now digging into his limited savings after he was forced to close his children’s clothing shop in İzmir.
“As a foreigner, as an international student, it is tough,” she said. “I am looking for a job, but the labour market is very challenging.”
Schools are hurting, too
Universities and colleges in Toronto and across Ontario and Canada lean heavily on the tuition fees paid by international students, which can range between four and six times what domestic students pay. Their absence from classes next school year would strike a major blow to schools’ operating budgets.
The provincial NDP’s post-secondary education critic Chris Glover said it is difficult to estimate just how deep the financial impact will be at this point, but all the universities and colleges he’s been talking to are concerned.
“A lot of them are dependent on international students, and everybody recognizes they’re not going to have the same number of international students in September 2020 that they had in September 2019,” said Glover, a former Toronto public school board trustee.
This is due to existing students being unable to continue their studies, and travel restrictions and slower visa processing putting off those who were planning to arrive later this year.
The student union at OCAD University, an art and design school in Toronto, did an informal survey of students early in the pandemic that suggested half of enrolled international students may be unable to return to school for the next academic year.
The NDP’s Glover said international students make up half of the student body for some colleges, mentioning Toronto’s Centennial College by name.
“The hit to their financial plan is going to be massive,” he said. “That’s why the government needs to step in, we need to make sure that our institutions survive this thing, that they come out intact.”
A spokesperson for Centennial said the college has a healthy surplus, due in part to its strong international enrolment, that they can draw on to help cover the expense of shifting more courses online.
"Our fiscal success over the past several years has put us in a better position to weather the present storm," spokesperson Mark Toljagic said.
Centennial had 11,472 full-time international students in its winter semester, making up 54.6 per cent of total enrolment, he added.
Toljagic said it was too early to say how much of a decline in enrolment the college might face, and that it was working on expanding online versions of several popular programs that will start in late May.
Call to reverse OSAP cuts
Glover wants to see the Ford government add to federal aid efforts for students.
He and the Ontario NDP are calling on the provincial government to reverse its $670-million-a-year cut to the Ontario Student Assistance Program (OSAP), which equates to a 30 percent reduction in available student aid.
“To maintain that cut (to OSAP) this year, when students are in such dire circumstances, is unconscionable,” Glover said.
The NDP also wants the province to cover the $440-million reduction in institutional funding ($360 million from universities and $80 million from colleges) that Ford’s government created when it made an unfunded reduction of tuition fees last year.
Glover also wants to see the conversion of student loans to grants, and an expansion of such assistance to help students hit hard by the pandemic.
“You’re compounding disadvantage when you load low-income students with debt,” he said.
A spokesperson for Ross Romano, the provincial minister for universities and colleges, said he is in daily conversation with institutions “to discuss short-term relief and the path to vital sustainability.”
Ciara Byrne said the changes to OSAP introduced by the Ford government “have worked to ensure that OSAP is sustainable for generations of students — five, 10, 15 years down the road.”
The NDP’s Glover said the situation was particularly difficult for students from abroad, who are unlikely to have family nearby they can lean on during the crisis and are struggling without access to federal relief.
“Now they are stuck here through no fault of their own. Many of them can’t work. As a moral obligation, we should provide them with some supports to help them get through,” he said.
“We shouldn’t be leaving anyone unhoused or unfed,” Glover said. “I’ve heard of international students cramming into smaller and smaller quarters because they can’t afford rent.”
Morgan Sharp / Local Journalism Initiative / Canada’s National Observer


nationalobserver--2020-05-01--Nunavut confirms first case of COVID-19

Nunavut confirms first case of COVID-19

Nunavut confirmed Thursday its first case of the novel coronavirus in one of the country 's northernmost communities .
`` We 've been braced for it for a while , '' Dr. Michael Patterson , the territory 's chief medical officer of health , said in a news conference .
`` The surprise is more that it 's taken this long to get here . ''
The single case in Pond Inlet on the upper tip of Baffin Island was detected late Wednesday , Patterson said .
One patient is in isolation in the community of about 1,600 and is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the appearance of COVID-19 in Arctic communities since the beginning of the pandemic .
Their remoteness makes it difficult to move people and equipment , local health-care facilities are easily overwhelmed and overcrowded housing makes it easy for illness to spread .
• Long-term care homes were in crisis well before politicians woke up to the problem • 'COVID-19 kills in many ways ' : The suicide crisis facing health-care workers Nunavut , the last jurisdiction in Canada to be hit with the virus , has responded swiftly .
Supplies and an emergency @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tracing were on their way Thursday .
All general public travel in or out of the community has been banned .
`` The health centre is well staffed and prepared , '' Patterson said .
Empty housing units have been identified in Pond Inlet in case more patients need to be isolated .
An extra water pump has been shipped to ensure supply for increased hand-washing .
Tracing of anyone who has been in contact with the patient has begun .
Twenty people have been swabbed and are waiting for results .
Although @ @ @ @ @ @ @ final confirmation is done in Ontario .
Patterson said those results wo n't be back until Sunday at the earliest .
'We 've been braced for it : ' Nunavut confirms first case of COVID-19 Patterson said little about the confirmed patient other than that symptoms began to appear last week .
`` We do n't know yet the full details of how this individual got COVID-19 , '' he said .
`` The number of contacts we 've identified so far is low . ''
In addition to the 20 people already @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` fewer than 10 '' — is waiting to be tested .
No contacts have been identified outside Pond Inlet , a community of rugged and rocky beauty across Eclipse Sound from the mountainous shores of Sirmilik National Park .
Patterson said increased testing will be made available at other communities in the region .
`` In communities that often have travel between there and Pond Inlet there will be increased concern at those health centres and we will accommodate that . ''
The community was quiet Thursday , said Louise England , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ We 're coping very well , '' she said .
`` It 's just sad luck that we were the first . ''
Both her store and Pond Inlet 's other grocer were closed Thursday at the request of health officials .
The shops can reopen Friday with a maximum of 10 people inside at a time and an hour set aside for elders only .
`` The government and the medical officer of health will review with us how it went , '' England said .

COVID-19 has reached Canada's High Arctic. Nunavut confirmed Thursday its first case of the novel coronavirus in one of the country's northernmost communities. "We've been braced for it for a while," Dr. Michael Patterson, the territory's chief medical officer of health, said in a news conference. "The surprise is more that it's taken this long to get here." The single case in Pond Inlet on the upper tip of Baffin Island was detected late Wednesday, Patterson said. One patient is in isolation in the community of about 1,600 and is doing well. Health officials have feared the appearance of COVID-19 in Arctic communities since the beginning of the pandemic. Their remoteness makes it difficult to move people and equipment, local health-care facilities are easily overwhelmed and overcrowded housing makes it easy for illness to spread.
Nunavut, the last jurisdiction in Canada to be hit with the virus, has responded swiftly. Supplies and an emergency response team of nurses skilled in contact tracing were on their way Thursday. All general public travel in or out of the community has been banned. Billion-dollar land deals in Ontario raise corruption suspicions "The health centre is well staffed and prepared," Patterson said.
Empty housing units have been identified in Pond Inlet in case more patients need to be isolated. An extra water pump has been shipped to ensure supply for increased hand-washing. 'We've been braced for it:' Nunavut confirms first case of COVID-19 Tracing of anyone who has been in contact with the patient has begun. Twenty people have been swabbed and are waiting for results. Although Nunavut has testing facilities in Iqaluit, final confirmation is done in Ontario. Patterson said those results won't be back until Sunday at the earliest. Patterson said little about the confirmed patient other than that symptoms began to appear last week. "We don't know yet the full details of how this individual got COVID-19," he said. "The number of contacts we've identified so far is low."
In addition to the 20 people already swabbed, another group — Patterson said "fewer than 10" — is waiting to be tested. No contacts have been identified outside Pond Inlet, a community of rugged and rocky beauty across Eclipse Sound from the mountainous shores of Sirmilik National Park. Patterson said increased testing will be made available at other communities in the region. "In communities that often have travel between there and Pond Inlet there will be increased concern at those health centres and we will accommodate that."


nationalobserver--2020-05-01--MacKay, O'Toole neck and neck as Tory leadership race resumes

Conservative leadership candidates Peter MacKay and Erin O'Toole wasted little time Thursday leaping back into full campaign — and attack — mode after new fundraising numbers highlighted their potential neck-and-neck status as the contest got back underway .
MacKay raised over a million dollars in the first quarter of 2020 , but O'Toole had more donors .
New data published Thursday shows O'Toole raised nearly $ 785,000 in the first three months of the year from about 4,200 people , to MacKay 's $ 1.045 million from about 3,400 contributors .
MacKay announced on March 5 that he 'd hit @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the data published by Elections Canada suggests that as of that date , roughly $ 838,000 in donations had been received by the party .
He had the wind taken out of his sails that day , however , by an announcement that conservative heavyweight Jason Kenney was endorsing O'Toole .
• Long-term care homes were in crisis well before politicians woke up to the problem • 'COVID-19 kills in many ways ' : The suicide crisis facing health-care workers The endorsement from the Alberta premier and former federal minister seemed to give @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The Conservative party stopped accepting campaign donations at the end of March when it froze the leadership contest due to the COVID-19 pandemic .
But between March 5 and then , O'Toole raised $ 345,000 while MacKay pulled in around $ 238,000 , an analysis of the data suggests .
O'Toole trumpeted the total in an email to supporters later Thursday , though he said his campaign had raised $ 361,000 in that time .
( The numbers might not match due to reporting delays . )
He also suggested MacKay 's @ @ @ @ @ @ @ period .
`` Peter MacKay is the liberal media 's preferred candidate .
That 's why they keep trying to coronate him .
And it is why they keep trying to cover up the truth , '' the email said .
Gloves off for MacKay , O'Toole campaigns as Tory leadership race resumes Less than hour after he told supporters on a campaign call he was going to continue to take the `` high road '' , he accused O'Toole of being a liar , pointing to the full data in the Elections @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in March .
He called O'Toole a good friend in the past and said he used to believe his motivations were positive .
`` Erin O'Toole has said a lot of untrue and disappointing things during this leadership race and made a lot of accusations that I think , frankly , are beneath him , '' MacKay wrote .
Meanwhile , the other two candidates , Toronto lawyer Leslyn Lewis and Ontario MP Derek Sloan , were more closely matched .
Lewis raised $ 447,646 from around 2,570 people and Sloan raised $ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Canada data was released just as the candidates were preparing to dust off their fundraising plans as the race to replace Andrew Scheer officially resumed .
Contest organizers have now set Aug. 21 as the date to have all the ballots back from party members .
They must be signed up by May 15 to be eligible to vote .
Leadership organizing committee co-chair Dan Nowlan said no firm date has been set to reveal the winner but he expects it will be a matter of days , not weeks , after the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ view on the committee is to have a permanent leader in place as quickly as possible , '' Nowlan said .
One thing is near certain , he said : the big reveal of the winner wo n't be in a convention centre packed with hundreds of eager party members , as distancing restrictions to slow the spread of COVID-19 are likely to still be in play .
The party was going to name the new leader on June 27 at a convention in Toronto , but the COVID-19 pandemic forced a delay @ @ @ @ @ @ @ problem , but other issues included how to organize the counting of ballots in person in a way that respected health guidelines , potential backlogs in the mail — the party 's constitution requires a mail-in ballot — and how to ensure , given both those things , there was enough time for all the other logistics required to run the vote .
Those challenges remain , Nowlan said , but the Aug. 21 deadline gives the party enough time to figure it all out , especially as some jurisdictions begin to ease @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the party froze fundraising , it also asked candidates to refrain from contacting members .
However , all four have held virtual town halls , made calls and continued to send out letters , post videos and roll out policy ideas .
All that is expected to ramp up .
In an email to supporters Thursday , MacKay also made reference to getting back on the road to meet people in person .
Nowlan said the race organizing committee has not banned candidates from doing so , but trusts they 'll comply with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ party is also exploring how to hold virtual debates .
Overall , the Conservatives maintained their long-held position as fundraising champions in the first part of 2020 .
The party raised just under $ 1 million more than the governing Liberals , who pulled in nearly $ 2.9 million in the first three months of the year from 27,224 donors .
The New Democrats raised almost $ 964,000 from 12,060 donors , while the Greens raised almost $ 577,000 from 8,215 contributors .
The Bloc Quebecois pulled in just over $ 184,000 from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ all parties to cease in-person fundraising events since early to mid-March .
This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 30 , 2020 .

Conservative leadership candidates Peter MacKay and Erin O'Toole wasted little time Thursday leaping back into full campaign — and attack — mode after new fundraising numbers highlighted their potential neck-and-neck status as the contest got back underway. MacKay raised over a million dollars in the first quarter of 2020, but O'Toole had more donors. New data published Thursday shows O'Toole raised nearly $785,000 in the first three months of the year from about 4,200 people, to MacKay's $1.045 million from about 3,400 contributors. MacKay announced on March 5 that he'd hit the million-dollar mark. An analysis of the data published by Elections Canada suggests that as of that date, roughly $838,000 in donations had been received by the party. He had the wind taken out of his sails that day, however, by an announcement that conservative heavyweight Jason Kenney was endorsing O'Toole.
The endorsement from the Alberta premier and former federal minister seemed to give a financial bump to the O'Toole campaign. The Conservative party stopped accepting campaign donations at the end of March when it froze the leadership contest due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Billion-dollar land deals in Ontario raise corruption suspicions But between March 5 and then, O'Toole raised $345,000 while MacKay pulled in around $238,000, an analysis of the data suggests.
O'Toole trumpeted the total in an email to supporters later Thursday, though he said his campaign had raised $361,000 in that time. (The numbers might not match due to reporting delays.) He also suggested MacKay's campaign only raised $45,000 in that period. Gloves off for MacKay, O'Toole campaigns as Tory leadership race resumes "Peter MacKay is the liberal media's preferred candidate. That's why they keep trying to coronate him. And it is why they keep trying to cover up the truth," the email said. "Peter MacKay is losing." Late Thursday night, MacKay swiped back. Less than hour after he told supporters on a campaign call he was going to continue to take the "high road", he accused O'Toole of being a liar, pointing to the full data in the Elections Canada report about how much he raised in March.
He called O'Toole a good friend in the past and said he used to believe his motivations were positive. "Erin O'Toole has said a lot of untrue and disappointing things during this leadership race and made a lot of accusations that I think, frankly, are beneath him," MacKay wrote. Meanwhile, the other two candidates, Toronto lawyer Leslyn Lewis and Ontario MP Derek Sloan, were more closely matched.


nationalobserver--2020-05-01--Precision Drilling down almost 3000 employees due to oil and gas downturn

The deep downturn in North American oil and gas drilling has resulted in nearly 3,000 fewer employees working for Precision Drilling Corp. now than at the same time last year , its CEO said Thursday .
The company has about 1,800 fewer employees on its U.S. rigs , with just 35 rigs working now versus about 80 last year , CEO Kevin Neveu estimated on a conference call to discuss first-quarter results .
In Canada , where only 11 rigs are currently operating , the head count is down about 1,000 employees , he added .
Drilling is an industry @ @ @ @ @ @ @ seasonal and cyclical reasons , but Neveu said this downturn is worse than most .
`` I think the one part that 's hardest on Precision is that , historically , we tried not to lay people off in our offices , but we 're done that both in Houston and Calgary — and Red Deer — and a number of long-term employees , some ranging on more than 30 years , have been asked to retire and leave the company , '' he said .
• Long-term care homes were in crisis @ @ @ @ @ @ @ problem • 'COVID-19 kills in many ways ' : The suicide crisis facing health-care workers `` It 's been really tough on the employees the past eight weeks .
We 're really hoping in a recovery we can pull those people back . ''
The loss of oil demand because of measures to deal with the COVID-19 virus outbreak , combined with an oil price war led by Saudi Arabia and Russia , have resulted in `` the deepest downturn the oil and gas services industry has ever experienced , '' Neveu said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ impacted by the situation , it is expected to have a much deeper impact on results for the rest of the year , he added .
The federal government 's recent announcement of $ 1.7 billion in grants to help to clean up orphan and inactive wells in Alberta , Saskatchewan and British Columbia will preserve hundreds of jobs in Precision 's oilfield services area , Neveu said .
But he added the aid does n't help drilling contractors — some of Precision 's smaller competitors currently have no rigs operating at all @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Association of Canada announced a revised 2020 Canadian drilling forecast of 3,100 oil and gas wells , a level not seen since 2,900 wells were drilled in 1972 .
Precision Drilling employee count down almost 3,000 as rig activity stalls Precision reported a loss of $ 5.3 million for the quarter ended March 31 compared with a profit of $ 25 million a year earlier , while revenue came to $ 379 million , down from $ 434 million in the first quarter of 2019 .
It posted restructuring charges of $ 10 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of severance and $ 1 million from costs of shutting down its U.S. directional drilling operations .
The company has previously announced lower salaries and capital spending .
This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 30 , 2020 .

The deep downturn in North American oil and gas drilling has resulted in nearly 3,000 fewer employees working for Precision Drilling Corp. now than at the same time last year, its CEO said Thursday.
The company has about 1,800 fewer employees on its U.S. rigs, with just 35 rigs working now versus about 80 last year, CEO Kevin Neveu estimated on a conference call to discuss first-quarter results.
In Canada, where only 11 rigs are currently operating, the head count is down about 1,000 employees, he added.
Drilling is an industry where workers are frequently laid off for seasonal and cyclical reasons, but Neveu said this downturn is worse than most.
"I think the one part that's hardest on Precision is that, historically, we tried not to lay people off in our offices, but we're done that both in Houston and Calgary — and Red Deer — and a number of long-term employees, some ranging on more than 30 years, have been asked to retire and leave the company," he said.


nationalobserver--2020-05-01--Oil and gas drilling forecast revised to 49 year low

The Petroleum Services Association of Canada has revised its 2020 Canadian drilling forecast to an almost 50-year record low of @ @ @ @ @ , a level not seen since 2,900 wells were drilled in 1972 .
PSAC interim @ @ @ @ @ than $ 7 billion of capital investment in the energy sector has been cancelled to @ @ @ @ @ demand destruction from measures to deal with the COVID-19 pandemic and a supply surplus due @ @ @ @ @ between Russia and Saudi Arabia .
She said blockades of the Coastal GasLink Pipeline and @ @ @ @ @ project have also hurt investor confidence in the Canadian oil and gas industry .

The Petroleum Services Association of Canada has revised its 2020 Canadian drilling forecast to an almost 50-year record low of 3,100 oil and gas wells, a level not seen since 2,900 wells were drilled in 1972.
PSAC interim CEO Elizabeth Aquin says more than $7 billion of capital investment in the energy sector has been cancelled to date this year thanks to demand destruction from measures to deal with the COVID-19 pandemic and a supply surplus due to an oil price war between Russia and Saudi Arabia.
She said blockades of the Coastal GasLink Pipeline and cancellation of the Frontier oilsands project have also hurt investor confidence in the Canadian oil and gas industry.
PSAC chairman Mark O'Byrne says the industry appreciates government assistance such as $1.7 billion in federal funding to clean up orphan and inactive wells in Alberta, Saskatchewan and British Columbia, but will need more help to ensure survival.
The new forecast represents a decrease of 1,400 wells, or 31 per cent, from PSAC's original forecast of 4,500 wells announced in October.


nationalobserver--2020-05-01--Wet'suwet'en agree to deal with government over Coastal Gaslink pipeline

Hereditary chiefs who oppose a natural gas pipeline in northern British Columbia say they will sign an agreement with the federal and provincial governments that affirms their title and rights .
At the centre of the dispute is Wet'suwet'en opposition to the construction of the Coastal GasLink pipeline through their territory , which set off demonstrations and blockades that shut down large parts of the national economy in February .
A joint statement from the governments and Wet'suwet'en chiefs released Thursday says they remain committed to implementing the rights and title of the First Nation through the memorandum of understanding @ @ @ @ @ @ @ which was agreed to in February , have been released .
The statement says there 's a lot of work ahead in the negotiation process , including how the three governments will work together .
• Long-term care homes were in crisis well before politicians woke up to the problem • 'COVID-19 kills in many ways ' : The suicide crisis facing health-care workers The Wet'suwet'en have invited B.C .
's Indigenous relations minister , Scott Fraser , and Carolyn Bennett , the federal minister of Crown-Indigenous relations , to sign the agreement @ @ @ @ @ @ @ forward to advancing this important work to implement Wet'suwet'en rights and title as three equal governments , '' the statement says .
`` As negotiations proceed on the affirmation and implementation of Wet'suwet'en rights and title , we will move forward with transparency and openness , and will be further engaging with Wet'suwet'en house groups , neighbouring nations , local governments , stakeholders and the public . ''
Although details have not been made public , the memorandum has been framed as addressing broader land claims rather than an agreement over the pipeline @ @ @ @ @ @ @ discussions in Smithers and work on the pipeline resumed after it was announced .
Protests across the country disrupted passenger and freight train service for more than three weeks .
Coastal GasLink is building a 670-kilometre pipeline from northeastern B.C .
to an LNG Canada export terminal in Kitimat , but the hereditary house chiefs of the Wet'suwet'en say it has no authority without their consent .
Wet'suwet'en agree to deal with government over rights and title The Wet'suwet'en are governed by both a traditional hereditary chief system and elected band councils .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ the pipeline , but some of the Wet'suwet'en hereditary chiefs oppose it running through their traditional territory .
The dispute also involves other unsettled land rights and title issues , including who has the right to negotiate with governments and corporations , the fact that the land is not covered by a treaty and remains unceded , and a 1997 court case that recognized the hereditary chiefs ' authority and the exclusive right of the Wet'suwet'en peoples to the land but did not specify the boundaries .
The pipeline first generated widespread national @ @ @ @ @ @ @ enforced an injunction obtained by the company to dismantle obstacles on a remote logging road in northern B.C .
Larger protests were held across the country this February after the RCMP enforced a second injunction .
This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 30 , 2020 .

Hereditary chiefs who oppose a natural gas pipeline in northern British Columbia say they will sign an agreement with the federal and provincial governments that affirms their title and rights.
At the centre of the dispute is Wet'suwet'en opposition to the construction of the Coastal GasLink pipeline through their territory, which set off demonstrations and blockades that shut down large parts of the national economy in February.
A joint statement from the governments and Wet'suwet'en chiefs released Thursday says they remain committed to implementing the rights and title of the First Nation through the memorandum of understanding.
No details of the memorandum, which was agreed to in February, have been released.
The statement says there's a lot of work ahead in the negotiation process, including how the three governments will work together.


nationalobserver--2020-05-01--Teck Resources leaves energy industry group CAPP, citing cost-cutting

Teck Resources Ltd. is leaving the Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers , an industry organization whose members represent about 80 per cent of Canada 's oil and gas production .
The move was made as part of a cost-cutting drive , Teck spokesman Chris Stannell said in an email , noting the company 's 2019 CAPP membership cost about $ 135,000 .
Teck is targeting $ 1 billion in cost reductions for 2020 — double the figure the resources company proposed in October as it deals with declining commodity prices and an uncertain global outlook .
It says it has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ launching the cost-cutting program .
In February , Teck cancelled its proposed $ 20-billion Frontier oilsands mining project , which had potential capacity of 260,000 barrels of oil a day .
CEO Don Lindsay said at the time there was `` no constructive path forward '' given Canada 's impasse over Indigenous rights , climate change and resource development .
It remains a big player in the oilsands , however , thanks to its 21.3-per-cent ownership of the Fort Hills oilsands mine operated by partner Suncor Energy Inc. • Long-term care homes were @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to the problem • 'COVID-19 kills in many ways ' : The suicide crisis facing health-care workers Fort Hills produced 31,700 barrels per day for Teck in the first quarter , although that will decline thanks to a decision in late March to suspend one of its two production trains in view of sharply lower global oil prices .
CAPP said in a statement its membership ebbs and flows , but has been stable in recent years .
It said it has added seven new members and lost eight since the beginning of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ companies that have sold their Canadian assets , been part of mergers or acquisitions or declared bankruptcy .
`` During this time of acute economic crisis we have seen a significant increase in our member activity at CAPP , '' CEO Tim McMillan said in an email .
`` We have been able to simplify the process for governments to consult with industry by consolidating and clarifying our recommendations on proposed initiatives . ''
In 2014 , CAPP had 49 producer members and it currently has 53 , it said .
Producer members @ @ @ @ @ @ @ gas production .
The organization added it has a combined total of about 125 producer and associate members .
On its website , CAPP says membership benefits include representation in lobbying government , as well as networking opportunities and access to research , seminars , workshops and conferences .
This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 1 , 2020 .

Teck Resources Ltd. is leaving the Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers, an industry organization whose members represent about 80 per cent of Canada's oil and gas production.
The move was made as part of a cost-cutting drive, Teck spokesman Chris Stannell said in an email, noting the company's 2019 CAPP membership cost about $135,000.
Teck is targeting $1 billion in cost reductions for 2020 — double the figure the resources company proposed in October as it deals with declining commodity prices and an uncertain global outlook. It says it has achieved $375 million in savings since launching the cost-cutting program.
In February, Teck cancelled its proposed $20-billion Frontier oilsands mining project, which had potential capacity of 260,000 barrels of oil a day. CEO Don Lindsay said at the time there was "no constructive path forward" given Canada's impasse over Indigenous rights, climate change and resource development.
It remains a big player in the oilsands, however, thanks to its 21.3-per-cent ownership of the Fort Hills oilsands mine operated by partner Suncor Energy Inc.


nationalobserver--2020-05-01--Ottawa to address growing COVID-19 threat to First Nations, Inuit communities

The federal government will be under pressure today to explain what it 's doing to prevent COVID-19 from spreading like wildfire through First Nations reserves and remote Inuit communities in the North .
Crown-Indigenous Relations Minister Carolyn Bennett , Indigenous Services Minister Marc Miller and Northern Affairs Minister Dan Vandal are scheduled to be grilled by MPs at a virtual meeting of the House of Commons Indigenous and Northern Affairs committee .
Their appearance comes one day after Nunavut identified its first positive case of COVID-19 in the 1,600-strong , largely Inuit community of Pond Inlet on Baffin Island .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ considered among the most vulnerable areas in the country , due to often over-crowded living conditions that make physical distancing next to impossible and the lack of ready access to health-care services .
Even as the infection rate appears to be slowing down in most of the country and provinces are taking the first cautious steps toward reopening their economies , chief public health officer Dr. Theresa Tam warned Thursday about the growing risk to Indigenous communities .
• Long-term care homes were in crisis well before politicians woke up to the problem @ @ @ @ @ @ @ : The suicide crisis facing health-care workers `` I am also concerned about increasing numbers of COVID-19 in First Nations communities in several provinces , '' she said .
`` We must get ahead of things to protect and support these communities , ramping up testing and contact tracing to find where chains of transmission are occurring . ''
As of April 29 , Miller said there have been 129 COVID-19 cases in First Nations reserves and 16 confirmed cases in Nunavik 's Inuit communities .
As for Nunavut 's first case , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will be giving this our full attention to ensure appropriate contact tracing and maximum containment efforts are undertaken . ''
The federal government has so far committed more than $ 690 million to pandemic preparedness and procurement of supplies and nursing services for Indigenous communities .
It has been heavily criticized , however , for largely ignoring the needs of Indigenous people living off reserve .
COVID-19 threat to First Nations , Inuit communities grows as it eases elsewhere As the situation grows more worrisome for Indigenous communities , Prince Edward Island is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to cautiously begin a gradual return to normal .
It will restart priority , non-urgent health-care services , including some elective surgeries and certain health providers , including physiotherapists , optometrists and chiropractors .
And it will begin allowing outdoor gatherings and non-contact outdoor recreational activities of no more than five individuals from different households .
P.E.I .
follows New Brunswick 's move last week to allow limited golfing , fishing and hunting ; interactions between two families ; and a return to school for post-secondary students .
Saskatchewan , Alberta and Manitoba @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on Monday .
Quebec , which has seen the largest number of COVID-19 cases and deaths , is also set to re-open retail stores outside Montreal on Monday , with those in Montreal to follow on May 11 .
Schools and daycares outside Montreal are set to re-open May 11 as well .
The federal government , in collaboration with the provinces and territories , unveiled earlier this week national guidelines for re-opening shuttered businesses and allowing Canadians to resume more normal activities .
During a conference call late Thursday , premiers `` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on the shared public health approach to support restarting the economy , '' Prime Minister Justin Trudeau 's office said a statement summarizing the call .
`` They spoke about the plans they are putting forward in each of their respective jurisdictions to restart the economy .
First ministers acknowledged the importance of doing this through a gradual and phased approach , based on the advice of public health experts . ''
This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 1 , 2020 .

The federal government will be under pressure today to explain what it's doing to prevent COVID-19 from spreading like wildfire through First Nations reserves and remote Inuit communities in the North. Crown-Indigenous Relations Minister Carolyn Bennett, Indigenous Services Minister Marc Miller and Northern Affairs Minister Dan Vandal are scheduled to be grilled by MPs at a virtual meeting of the House of Commons Indigenous and Northern Affairs committee. Their appearance comes one day after Nunavut identified its first positive case of COVID-19 in the 1,600-strong, largely Inuit community of Pond Inlet on Baffin Island. First Nations reserves and remote communities are considered among the most vulnerable areas in the country, due to often over-crowded living conditions that make physical distancing next to impossible and the lack of ready access to health-care services. Even as the infection rate appears to be slowing down in most of the country and provinces are taking the first cautious steps toward reopening their economies, chief public health officer Dr. Theresa Tam warned Thursday about the growing risk to Indigenous communities.
"I am also concerned about increasing numbers of COVID-19 in First Nations communities in several provinces," she said. "We must get ahead of things to protect and support these communities, ramping up testing and contact tracing to find where chains of transmission are occurring." Billion-dollar land deals in Ontario raise corruption suspicions As of April 29, Miller said there have been 129 COVID-19 cases in First Nations reserves and 16 confirmed cases in Nunavik's Inuit communities.
As for Nunavut's first case, Miller promised that the federal government "will be giving this our full attention to ensure appropriate contact tracing and maximum containment efforts are undertaken." COVID-19 threat to First Nations, Inuit communities grows as it eases elsewhere The federal government has so far committed more than $690 million to pandemic preparedness and procurement of supplies and nursing services for Indigenous communities. It has been heavily criticized, however, for largely ignoring the needs of Indigenous people living off reserve. As the situation grows more worrisome for Indigenous communities, Prince Edward Island is poised today to become the second province to cautiously begin a gradual return to normal. It will restart priority, non-urgent health-care services, including some elective surgeries and certain health providers, including physiotherapists, optometrists and chiropractors. And it will begin allowing outdoor gatherings and non-contact outdoor recreational activities of no more than five individuals from different households.
P.E.I. follows New Brunswick's move last week to allow limited golfing, fishing and hunting; interactions between two families; and a return to school for post-secondary students. Saskatchewan, Alberta and Manitoba are planning to ease some restrictions starting on Monday. Quebec, which has seen the largest number of COVID-19 cases and deaths, is also set to re-open retail stores outside Montreal on Monday, with those in Montreal to follow on May 11. Schools and daycares outside Montreal are set to re-open May 11 as well.


nationalobserver--2020-05-01--New streaming picks offer goofy fun, zombies at the rez and the return of a gem

As that goes on , your choices for streaming movies absolutely explode this month .
Downton Abbey , Joker , Rocketman , The Fantastic Mr. Fox are just a few coming available .
Over at Disney+ , Star Wars : The Rise of Skywalker starts Monday , which Disney has grandly named Star Wars Day .
For the first time , all nine movies will be available in one place .
Plus , all those spinoffs , of course , and starting today , two oldies : George of the Jungle with Brendan Fraser and Homeward Bound with Michael J @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ t anywhere in sight for the movies .
Universal , which took in US $ 100 million by streaming rather than postponing Trolls World Tour , has infuriated one of the biggest theatre owners .
AMC in the U.S. ( Odeon in the U.K. ) won ’ t play any of their movies ever again .
So , as they say ... Stay tuned .
Crave , meanwhile , has the season finale of Westworld starting Sunday and later this month , Amazon starts another season of Keeping Up With The Kardashians @ @ @ @ @ @ @ if you can believe it , and Kanye West will finally appear regularly showing life with his wife Kim .
Maeve Higgins is Rose , a driving instructor with an added talent that she doesn ’ t want to use .
She can detect ghosts and gets asked to perform exorcisms at haunted recycling bins and such .
Will Forte signs up for driving lessons , but really to foil her supernatural talents .
EXTRA ORDINARY : Who couldn ’ t use some silly , goofy fun right now ?
This comedy from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ humour is quirky , contemporary , based in popular culture and plentiful .
It ’ s been streaming at https : //viff.org and starting Tuesday , is also available by video on demand .
BLOOD QUANTUM : Jeff Barnaby sees socially conscious concerns about Indigenous people in Canada in this his second movie .
It ’ s hard to see them though behind all the blood spattering around in what is more obviously a zombie movie .
It happens to be set on a Mi ’ gmaq reserve in Quebec ( where he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ memories and lingering resentments , but they resonate more with him than most viewers .
They feel almost secondary to the main action , a zombie outbreak among the “ settlers ” off the reserve .
It ’ s threatening to spread inside , like , as one character puts it , an epidemic .
He plays an American rock star ( his one hit is known to all ) .
With his snarky girlfriend , he has moved in nearby for tax purposes and to revive his career .
He wants to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a pact with the devil to help him .
But he needs a virgin for a satanic rite ; and fast .
He ’ s chosen a teen girl ; her father turns to Rose to stop him and droll comedy fires up .
Mike Ahern and Enda Loughman write and direct in a speedy style they ’ ve honed in shorts , TV ads and music videos to deliver the fun .
The title misspelling is deliberate , a final joke .
3½ out of 5 People on the reserve are immune @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be safe .
The community has to respond .
Do they help or just defend themselves to survive ?
There ’ s debate with rhetoric like , “ The Earth is an animal .
It has turned white men into fertilizer.
” The sheriff ( Michael Greyeyes ) wants to be kind ; his son ( Kiowa Gordon ) just wants to kill zombies , while the mother ( Elle-Maija Tailfeathers ) is between .
Probably a pretty good representation of how opinion would split .
Don ’ t dwell on it , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to watch .
Cue the guns , the rifle butt , the chainsaw in vibrant scenes that Barnaby has staged .
The title , by the way , refers to an old American measure of aboriginal ancestry .
( Available Tuesday on all digital and on-demand platforms ) 3 out of 5 ALL THE TIME IN THE WORLD : The group Reel Causes seems to have been inspired by the lockdown most of us are in these days to bring back this wonderful film from a few years ago .
It was the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 2015 and shows a prime example of isolation .
A family from Dawson City in the Yukon spent nine months in the bush living in a small cabin with no electricity , computers , phones or , most pointedly , no watches or clocks .
The cabin was only accessible by boat , or in the winter by snowmobile .
They followed only the rhythms of nature and each other 's company .
They returned to a simpler life powered by imagination , creativity , hard work and what one of the children @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the mother in the family , served as director , producer , camera operator and sometimes editor for this colourful , sharp-focus film .
She , her husband and three children , ages 10 , 8 and 4 , give their thoughts in voiceover while we watch them bake bread , chop down trees , dig a snowcave , read to each other and generally get close as a family .
A pesky bear provides some late tension in what is generally a calm , idyllic and heartening experience .
As another of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ connected to everything around you.
” I was surprised at how easily the kids took to the simple life and never quarrelled .
Streaming starts Saturday , and ends May 9 with a live Q & A with the family .
Tickets by donation ; $ 5 is suggested .
( https : //www.reelcauses.org/all-the-time-in-the-world/ ) 4 out of 5 .
THE SONG AND THE SORROW : The National Film Board is adding five new documentaries to the many it is streaming for us , most of them free .
Up first is this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ attempts to understand why her father committed suicide .
He was Gene MacLellan , the P.E.I .
composer and singer of such classic Canadian songs as Snowbird and Put Your Hand in the Hand .
She was the one who found his body , I heard in a trailer for the film .
Musicians and singer Anne Murray talk about him in what looks like an emotional film .
Find it at https : //www.nfb.ca MEAT THE FUTURE : If COVID-19 in meatpacking plants has you concerned , you ’ ll be especially @ @ @ @ @ @ @ you ’ re just feeling doubts about what you eat because here ’ s a developing alternative .
Meat grown in a lab .
Not in a factory farm .
Not from animals slaughtered in a plant .
Scientists are able to take a few cells from an animal , grow them in vats and produce meat that looks and cooks like the product you buy at the store .
A couple of serving sessions in Liz Marshall ’ s documentary suggest it tastes good , too .
Her film focuses on a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and its founder , Dr. Uma Valeti , a trained cardiologist .
We see their research , their lobbying for acceptance ( and regulations ) in Washington and their answers to the skeptics , like the Cattlemen ’ s Association .
And mostly we ’ re told the facts .
Meat eating will double in 30 years .
The industry can ’ t meet that demand .
Ranching uses too much land and water and spews out greenhouse gases .
Killing animals for food is inhumane .
Interestingly , Marshall , who in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ factory farms , doesn ’ t dwell on that here .
She just mentions them and concentrates on the potential of this new way .
“ One of the biggest ideas in the history of the world , ” somebody calls it .
There ’ s no word though on how close it is to reaching the supermarkets .
( Part of Hot Docs at Home on CBC and GEM , Thurs May 7 ) 3½ out of 5 TAMMY ’ S ALWAYS DYING : Women who had a difficult relationship with their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ In this film , mom is needy , narcissistic , alcoholic and overbearing .
It ’ s a gloriously over-the-top performance by Felicity Huffman .
( Yes , the actor who spent 11 days in jail in that college admissions scandal . )
Her work is strong as a happy drunk with a vicious , complaining side when she ’ s not intoxicated .
“ We ’ re all trash , ” she says .
Anastasia Phillips plays her dutiful daughter , who ’ s been helping whenever she ’ s called .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ pulled back and has to move in when mom is diagnosed with cancer , and the grating connections between the two worsen .
Mom recalls she was a fat child and an awful flute player .
That will resonate , but a sub-plot doesn ’ t .
The daughter gets herself on to a TV show where she ’ s interviewed about her life , and pushed to fit the host ’ s ideas not her own .
It does settle down with a poignant turn later , but generally it ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ feel , set appropriately enough in steel town Hamilton , Ont .
It ’ s a second film by actor-turned director Amy Jo Johnson .
( On several platforms including Rogers , Bell , Telus , Shaw , iTunes , Microsoft Video and Google Play ) 2½ out of 5 THE ROADS NOT TAKEN : Another film about dealing with a needy parent , but this one is much more tender and realistic .
Javier Bardem plays a man in New York , originally from Mexico , impeded by dementia .
Elle Fanning @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ever-patient but hard-pressed to put up with his inabilities .
She wants to take him to the dentist ; then an optometrist , but has trouble even getting him into a taxi and getting him to understand what ’ s required .
Open wide ?
Read the letters you see ?
Almost impossible .
Dad drifts off repeatedly with memories of other lives .
We don ’ t know if he lived them or just imagined them .
In one , he ’ s married ; Salma Hayek is his wife .
She @ @ @ @ @ @ @ later vision meets him at a memorial service .
He cries about a son he ’ s lost .
In other memories , he ’ s a writer in Greece trying to talk story structure with a couple of young women tourists .
The three lives clash .
New York traffic noise , for instance , turns into a heavy sea at night .
The film has a turgid pace for the first half or so and is hard to watch .
But it picks up and anybody who ’ s ever cared @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the ambience is absolutely authentic .
Writer-director Sally Potter drew on her own experience caring for a brother with early onset dementia .
Her film is well-intentioned , but hard to like .
( Video on demand ) 3 out of 5 ROBERT THE BRUCE : Read the history and you 'll see there 's much more to this story than we get in this film .
Robert was the first king of Scotland .
He fought with William Wallace ( we saw him in Braveheart ) and got the throne by winning @ @ @ @ @ @ @ manoeuvre , killing a rival .
He then fought the British and won in a key battle .
He 's been an inspiration ever since then for Scots wanting independence .
The history is arguable , but inspiring .
The film does n't go there though .
It focuses entirely on a few months when he disappeared from public view , was taken in by a farm family and mulled over his future .
He was insecure , unsure if he could be a good ruler .
And while that could have made @ @ @ @ @ @ @ n't play much of a role in this film , either .
We get lots of fervent talk about freedom , much of it mannered and content with only a surface treatment .
It makes for a dull film .
Angus Macfadyen , who played him in Braveheart and also here , wrote the script as a call to Scottish nationalists .
It 's got the words , but not the spirit .
It was directed by an Australian Richard Gray and filmed in Montana .
( VOD starting Tuesday ) 2 out @ @

Crave, meanwhile, has the season finale of Westworld starting Sunday and later this month, Amazon starts another season of Keeping Up With The Kardashians. It’s the 18th, if you can believe it, and Kanye West will finally appear regularly showing life with his wife Kim.
As that goes on, your choices for streaming movies absolutely explode this month. Downton Abbey, Joker, Rocketman, The Fantastic Mr. Fox are just a few coming available. Over at Disney+, Star Wars : The Rise of Skywalker starts Monday, which Disney has grandly named Star Wars Day. For the first time, all nine movies will be available in one place. Plus, all those spinoffs, of course, and starting today, two oldies: George of the Jungle with Brendan Fraser and Homeward Bound with Michael J. Fox.
A new normal isn’t anywhere in sight for the movies. Universal, which took in US$100 million by streaming rather than postponing Trolls World Tour, has infuriated one of the biggest theatre owners. AMC in the U.S. (Odeon in the U.K.) won’t play any of their movies ever again. So, as they say ... Stay tuned.
Maeve Higgins is Rose, a driving instructor with an added talent that she doesn’t want to use. She can detect ghosts and gets asked to perform exorcisms at haunted recycling bins and such. Will Forte signs up for driving lessons, but really to foil her supernatural talents.
EXTRA ORDINARY: Who couldn’t use some silly, goofy fun right now? This comedy from Ireland does the job nicely. The humour is quirky, contemporary, based in popular culture and plentiful. It’s been streaming at https://viff.org and starting Tuesday, is also available by video on demand.
He plays an American rock star (his one hit is known to all). With his snarky girlfriend, he has moved in nearby for tax purposes and to revive his career. He wants to record a comeback album and has made a pact with the devil to help him. But he needs a virgin for a satanic rite; and fast. He’s chosen a teen girl; her father turns to Rose to stop him and droll comedy fires up. Mike Ahern and Enda Loughman write and direct in a speedy style they’ve honed in shorts, TV ads and music videos to deliver the fun. The title misspelling is deliberate, a final joke. 3½ out of 5
BLOOD QUANTUM: Jeff Barnaby sees socially conscious concerns about Indigenous people in Canada in this his second movie. It’s hard to see them though behind all the blood spattering around in what is more obviously a zombie movie. It happens to be set on a Mi’gmaq reserve in Quebec (where he is from) and does invoke bad memories and lingering resentments, but they resonate more with him than most viewers. They feel almost secondary to the main action, a zombie outbreak among the “settlers” off the reserve. It’s threatening to spread inside, like, as one character puts it, an epidemic.
[Insert caption here]
People on the reserve are immune; outsiders want to come in to be safe. The community has to respond. Do they help or just defend themselves to survive? There’s debate with rhetoric like, “The Earth is an animal. It has turned white men into fertilizer.” The sheriff (Michael Greyeyes) wants to be kind; his son (Kiowa Gordon) just wants to kill zombies, while the mother (Elle-Maija Tailfeathers) is between. Probably a pretty good representation of how opinion would split. Don’t dwell on it, though. We’ve got action to watch. Cue the guns, the rifle butt, the chainsaw in vibrant scenes that Barnaby has staged. The title, by the way, refers to an old American measure of aboriginal ancestry. (Available Tuesday on all digital and on-demand platforms) 3 out of 5
ALL THE TIME IN THE WORLD: The group Reel Causes seems to have been inspired by the lockdown most of us are in these days to bring back this wonderful film from a few years ago. It was the most popular Canadian documentary at VIFF in 2015 and shows a prime example of isolation. A family from Dawson City in the Yukon spent nine months in the bush living in a small cabin with no electricity, computers, phones or, most pointedly, no watches or clocks. The cabin was only accessible by boat, or in the winter by snowmobile. They followed only the rhythms of nature and each other's company. They returned to a simpler life powered by imagination, creativity, hard work and what one of the children called “freedom.”
[Insert caption here]
Suzanne Crocker, the mother in the family, served as director, producer, camera operator and sometimes editor for this colourful, sharp-focus film. She, her husband and three children, ages 10, 8 and 4, give their thoughts in voiceover while we watch them bake bread, chop down trees, dig a snowcave, read to each other and generally get close as a family. A pesky bear provides some late tension in what is generally a calm, idyllic and heartening experience. As another of the children says: “You feel connected to everything around you.” I was surprised at how easily the kids took to the simple life and never quarrelled. Streaming starts Saturday, and ends May 9 with a live Q&A with the family. Tickets by donation; $5 is suggested. (https://www.reelcauses.org/all-the-time-in-the-world/) 4 out of 5.
THE SONG AND THE SORROW: The National Film Board is adding five new documentaries to the many it is streaming for us, most of them free.
[Insert caption here]
Up first is this short film about Catherine MacLellan and her attempts to understand why her father committed suicide. He was Gene MacLellan, the P.E.I. composer and singer of such classic Canadian songs as Snowbird and Put Your Hand in the Hand. She was the one who found his body, I heard in a trailer for the film. Musicians and singer Anne Murray talk about him in what looks like an emotional film. Find it at https://www.nfb.ca
MEAT THE FUTURE: If COVID-19 in meatpacking plants has you concerned, you’ll be especially interested in this documentary. Even if you’re just feeling doubts about what you eat because here’s a developing alternative. Meat grown in a lab. Not in a factory farm. Not from animals slaughtered in a plant. Scientists are able to take a few cells from an animal, grow them in vats and produce meat that looks and cooks like the product you buy at the store. A couple of serving sessions in Liz Marshall’s documentary suggest it tastes good, too.
[Insert caption here]
Her film focuses on a San Francisco company, Memphis Meats, and its founder, Dr. Uma Valeti, a trained cardiologist. We see their research, their lobbying for acceptance (and regulations) in Washington and their answers to the skeptics, like the Cattlemen’s Association. And mostly we’re told the facts. Meat eating will double in 30 years. The industry can’t meet that demand. Ranching uses too much land and water and spews out greenhouse gases. Killing animals for food is inhumane. Interestingly, Marshall, who in an earlier film showed horrible conditions in factory farms, doesn’t dwell on that here. She just mentions them and concentrates on the potential of this new way. “One of the biggest ideas in the history of the world,” somebody calls it. There’s no word though on how close it is to reaching the supermarkets. (Part of Hot Docs at Home on CBC and GEM, Thurs May 7) 3½ out of 5
TAMMY’S ALWAYS DYING: Women who had a difficult relationship with their mother will totally get this one. In this film, mom is needy, narcissistic, alcoholic and overbearing. It’s a gloriously over-the-top performance by Felicity Huffman. (Yes, the actor who spent 11 days in jail in that college admissions scandal.) Her work is strong as a happy drunk with a vicious, complaining side when she’s not intoxicated. “We’re all trash,” she says.
[Insert caption here]
Anastasia Phillips plays her dutiful daughter, who’s been helping whenever she’s called. Which is often. She’s pulled back and has to move in when mom is diagnosed with cancer, and the grating connections between the two worsen. Mom recalls she was a fat child and an awful flute player. That will resonate, but a sub-plot doesn’t. The daughter gets herself on to a TV show where she’s interviewed about her life, and pushed to fit the host’s ideas not her own. It does settle down with a poignant turn later, but generally it’s a drama with a low-rent look and feel, set appropriately enough in steel town Hamilton, Ont. It’s a second film by actor-turned director Amy Jo Johnson. (On several platforms including Rogers, Bell, Telus, Shaw, iTunes, Microsoft Video and Google Play) 2½ out of 5
ROBERT THE BRUCE: Read the history and you'll see there's much more to this story than we get in this film. Robert was the first king of Scotland. He fought with William Wallace (we saw him in Braveheart) and got the throne by winning a competition for it with a simple manoeuvre, killing a rival. He then fought the British and won in a key battle. He's been an inspiration ever since then for Scots wanting independence.
[Insert caption here]
The history is arguable, but inspiring. The film doesn't go there though. It focuses entirely on a few months when he disappeared from public view, was taken in by a farm family and mulled over his future. He was insecure, unsure if he could be a good ruler. And while that could have made a compelling drama, too, doesn't play much of a role in this film, either. We get lots of fervent talk about freedom, much of it mannered and content with only a surface treatment. It makes for a dull film. Angus Macfadyen, who played him in Braveheart and also here, wrote the script as a call to Scottish nationalists. It's got the words, but not the spirit. It was directed by an Australian Richard Gray and filmed in Montana. (VOD starting Tuesday) 2 out of 5


nationalobserver--2020-05-01--Did Ontario really need to call in the military for COVID-19 in long-term care?

In the early days of Ontario ’ s battle with COVID-19 , before the province had even declared a state of emergency , Doris Grinspun knew the outbreak could cause nursing shortages .
Health-care workers are at high risk of contracting the novel coronavirus , and in hard-hit countries like Italy , shortages of doctors and nurses worsened the emergency .
So the Registered Nurses ' Association of Ontario ( RNAO ) , of which Grinspun is the CEO , put out a call in mid-March to the nurses , nurse practitioners and nursing students it represents : Come to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ This was never intended to be a secret .
Quite the opposite , ” Grinspun said , adding that the Ontario government knew from the beginning that the RNAO was assembling resources .
In the weeks that followed , the RNAO gathered a list of thousands of nurses willing to help , including about 200 who were ready and able to work in nursing homes where the virus has spread like wildfire .
But the Ontario government waited weeks before asking to use those resources , and days later , Premier @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Armed Forces .
The call for military assistance was “ confusing , ” Grinspun said , as the province already had more than enough nurses ready to go .
• Long-term care homes were in crisis well before politicians woke up to the problem • 'COVID-19 kills in many ways ' : The suicide crisis facing health-care workers “ I think there are disconnects .
It ’ s concerning , ” she said in an interview Tuesday .
“ The government could have used ( RNAO nurses ) way , way more aggressively @ @ @ @ @ @ @ avoided the army.
” In an emailed statement , Hayley Chazan , a spokesperson for Health Minister Christine Elliott , did not dispute Grinspun ’ s statements .
Chazan also did not answer direct questions about why it was necessary to call in the military , given the nursing resources that were already available .
“ We continue to hold regular conversations with the Registered Nurses ' Association of Ontario about how retired nurses can help assist us in our efforts to respond to the COVID-19 outbreak , ” the statement read .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ to help during this difficult time.
” Even as new infections of COVID-19 decline in the general public , the crisis caused by the virus continues in Ontario nursing homes .
The virus is especially deadly for seniors and people with pre-existing conditions , and the province ’ s long-term care system has long suffered from problems with underfunding and understaffing .
At least 190 long-term care facilities have declared outbreaks , with at least 2,614 cases confirmed in residents and 835 dead , the province reported Thursday .
At least 1,430 long-term @ @ @ @ @ @ @ positive for COVID-19 .
The Registered Nurses Association of Ontario says it assembled a list about 200 nurses who were ready and willing to help in long-term care , but the Ontario government waited weeks to deploy them .
Meanwhile , long-term care homes are still understaffed , the Ontario Health Coalition said in a press release Thursday .
“ While measures that have been announced by the provincial government are welcome and sincerely appreciated , still there remains a dangerous disconnect , ” the statement said .
The Ontario Long-Term Care Association @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the province 's private , not-for-profit , charitable , and municipal long-term care homes , didn ’ t directly answer when asked if the government ’ s request for military help was essential for its members .
“ Ontario ’ s long-term care homes have been clear about the longstanding challenges they face and the concrete actions that must be taken by government to sustain exceptional care for our most vulnerable with increasingly complex needs , ” the association said in a statement .
“ With COVID-19 , the staffing crisis has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ongoing conversations with the provincial government , the OLTCA has moved forward significant changes that directly support the front lines.
” Doris Grinspun , the CEO of the Registered Nurses ' Association of Ontario , says the province has enough nurses to tackle COVID-19 in long-term care and may not have needed military aid .
Photo courtesy RNAO ‘ I don ’ t know if they considered this before they called the army ’ Recruiting health-care workers to join the fight against COVID-19 has been a key aspect of government response to the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ some out of retirement , while others who had switched careers — like former Liberal cabinet minister Dr. Jane Philpott — are now back in health-care work .
Other calls have been directed at nursing students , who are eligible to be personal support workers ( PSWs ) after a year of nursing school .
PSWs make up a significant portion of the workforce in long-term care .
The RNAO started recruiting nurses , nurse practitioners and nursing student PSWs on March 13 , launching a program called VIANurse to match staff with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said she told Ministry of Health officials about the program before it launched , and is in contact with them about pandemic response on a daily basis .
The Ontario government launched its own health-care worker recruitment portal on April 7 , over three weeks after the rollout of VIANurse .
But the province did not ask to mobilize the thousands of nurses who had already volunteered to help through the RNAO — including about 200 who specifically put their hands up for long-term care — until three days before Ford ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ I ’ ve never been reluctant to call for help , ” the premier said in a press conference that day .
“ As we need more resources , we ’ re bringing more resources in.
” Health officials later said 250 Canadian Armed Forces personnel , in teams led by army nurses , would move in to help five hard-hit nursing homes .
The teams would also include medics and other personnel to help with general tasks , officials said .
Grinspun said the workers on the RNAO ’ s list @ @ @ @ @ @ @ than army medics , as caring for seniors requires specialized knowledge — something she would have told provincial officials if they had asked .
And more help would have been available through the RNAO ’ s list of nursing students who could work as PSWs , she added .
“ I don ’ t know if they considered this before they called the army , ” Grinspun said .
When a reporter asked the premier last Thursday whether the province had considered deploying RNAO resources before calling for military aid , Ford urged @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ If they contact us , they ’ ll be in a home immediately , ” he added .
More than 250 facilities have now asked to use VIANurse resources , including about 190 nursing homes , Grinspun said .
“ But not because they have been referred by the Ontario Health team or government officials , ” she added .
“ It ’ s because homes have connected with us directly.
” Now , with army teams in five Toronto-area nursing homes , the province is also co-ordinating with the RNAO @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , adding that she didn ’ t think the delay was ill-intentioned .
“ Everyone was so busy , ” she said .
Chazan said in her statement that various organizations have made 1,000 requests for help through the government ’ s platform .
Of those , 688 were for nurses , she said .
“ All are in various stages of deployment , ” Chazan said .
She did not answer a question about how many nurses the province has deployed through the RNAO .
One of the greatest challenges we are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
We ’ ve used every tool in our tool box and we will continue to work hard to find a solution .
We need continued support from the federal government to ensure we protect our most vulnerable .
pic.twitter.com/IQrxD1bkKr — Doug Ford ( @ fordnation ) April 25 , 2020 Ford has said Ontario placed an “ iron ring ” around the elderly , acting early and often as COVID-19 spread through long-term care .
The government has given the system infusions of extra funding , and offered deliveries of personal protective @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ action plan ” earlier this month that involved redeploying “ COVID-19 SWAT teams ” of experts from local hospitals .
It also announced plans to begin testing everyone in long-term care and to prevent workers in those facilities from spreading the virus to other homes , and to give additional support to medical staff .
Critics have said the government was slow to act and left crucial loopholes .
The government has also come under fire after a CBC News investigation found it had largely stopped doing unannounced annual inspections of long-term @ @ @ @ @ @ @ thinks the province must open an inquiry into long-term care once the pandemic has passed .
Such a probe could also delve into his government ’ s response to COVID-19 in long-term care .

In the early days of Ontario’s battle with COVID-19, before the province had even declared a state of emergency, Doris Grinspun knew the outbreak could cause nursing shortages. Health-care workers are at high risk of contracting the novel coronavirus, and in hard-hit countries like Italy, shortages of doctors and nurses worsened the emergency. So the Registered Nurses' Association of Ontario (RNAO), of which Grinspun is the CEO, put out a call in mid-March to the nurses, nurse practitioners and nursing students it represents: Come to the front lines. We need you. “This was never intended to be a secret. Quite the opposite,” Grinspun said, adding that the Ontario government knew from the beginning that the RNAO was assembling resources. In the weeks that followed, the RNAO gathered a list of thousands of nurses willing to help, including about 200 who were ready and able to work in nursing homes where the virus has spread like wildfire. But the Ontario government waited weeks before asking to use those resources, and days later, Premier Doug Ford sought help from the Canadian Armed Forces. The call for military assistance was “confusing,” Grinspun said, as the province already had more than enough nurses ready to go.
“I think there are disconnects. It’s concerning,” she said in an interview Tuesday. “The government could have used (RNAO nurses) way, way more aggressively weeks ago. Maybe we would have avoided the army.” Billion-dollar land deals in Ontario raise corruption suspicions In an emailed statement, Hayley Chazan, a spokesperson for Health Minister Christine Elliott, did not dispute Grinspun’s statements. Chazan also did not answer direct questions about why it was necessary to call in the military, given the nursing resources that were already available.
“We continue to hold regular conversations with the Registered Nurses' Association of Ontario about how retired nurses can help assist us in our efforts to respond to the COVID-19 outbreak,” the statement read. “We thank them for their willingness to help during this difficult time.” The Registered Nurses Association of Ontario says it assembled a list about 200 nurses who were ready and willing to help in long-term care, but the Ontario government waited weeks to deploy them. Even as new infections of COVID-19 decline in the general public, the crisis caused by the virus continues in Ontario nursing homes. The virus is especially deadly for seniors and people with pre-existing conditions, and the province’s long-term care system has long suffered from problems with underfunding and understaffing. At least 190 long-term care facilities have declared outbreaks, with at least 2,614 cases confirmed in residents and 835 dead, the province reported Thursday. At least 1,430 long-term care staff in Ontario have also tested positive for COVID-19. Meanwhile, long-term care homes are still understaffed, the Ontario Health Coalition said in a press release Thursday. “While measures that have been announced by the provincial government are welcome and sincerely appreciated, still there remains a dangerous disconnect,” the statement said.
The Ontario Long-Term Care Association, which represents nearly 70 per cent of the province's private, not-for-profit, charitable, and municipal long-term care homes, didn’t directly answer when asked if the government’s request for military help was essential for its members. “Ontario’s long-term care homes have been clear about the longstanding challenges they face and the concrete actions that must be taken by government to sustain exceptional care for our most vulnerable with increasingly complex needs,” the association said in a statement. “With COVID-19, the staffing crisis has been exacerbated, but through open and ongoing conversations with the provincial government, the OLTCA has moved forward significant changes that directly support the front lines.”


nationalobserver--2020-05-01--Earth Day 50 is over, so how do we get to Earth Day 100?

The COVID-19 pandemic is another reminder of how fragile our existence on planet Earth is .
We still don ’ t know how many more will die or get sick , but experts expect a vaccination will become available some time next year and allow us to get the upper hand , at least on this virus .
Unfortunately , there is no equivalent to a vaccine for restoring a livable climate and the web of life as we know it .
For those who follow the news about global heating and the extinction crisis , the pandemic has added @ @ @ @ @ @ @ world is heading .
Mixed with concern about the new threat , however , is a sense of possibility .
That ’ s because we ’ ve seen previously unimaginable global action by governments and individuals to flatten the curve of the pandemic .
A safe future , however , calls for governments taking action on more than one crisis at a time .
It ’ s clear we need to act with the same determination , based on science , to address the climate and extinction crisis .
This month saw a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Earth Day , considered the birth of the modern environmental movement .
Taking stock of the trends of the past 50 years — a tiny fraction of the 3.5 billion years of history of life on Earth — is a sobering exercise .
We can not be certain whether it is already too late to stop current climate and ecosystem trends , but the science is clear that another 50 years on the current trajectory will not end well .
• Long-term care homes were in crisis well before politicians woke up @ @ @ @ @ @ @ many ways ' : The suicide crisis facing health-care workers In November 2019 , shortly before the pandemic started , 11,000 scientists warned of “ untold suffering ” unless there are “ major transformations in the ways our global society functions and interacts with natural ecosystems.
” In February , scientists reported that Australia ’ s bushfires , fuelled by global warming , burned 20 per cent of Australia ’ s forests , a proportion considered globally unprecedented .
There is very little time to force our governments to change direction if we @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s limits .
In British Columbia , work on new fossil fuel projects such as LNG Canada , Coastal GasLink and the Trans Mountain pipeline , and logging of some of the last intact old-growth forests in the world continues , despite the pandemic , keeping us set on a collision course .
At the same time , new federal data show that B.C.
’ s emissions increased for a third year , from 63.3 to 65.5 million tonnes ( +3.5 per cent ) and are now higher than in 2007 ( the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ target ) .
According to the United Nations Environmental Programme ( UNEP ) , emissions must fall by 7.6 per cent globally to prevent catastrophic climate impacts. If we emerge from the pandemic with more business as usual , we will simply amplify threats caused by climate change and habitat degradation such as more catastrophic wildfires , heatwaves , flooding or droughts , as seen in recent years .
`` The drastic actions taken to slow down the spread of COVID-19 in many parts of the world show that governments are willing to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as usual when a threat becomes too big to ignore . ''
Being so close to climate and ecosystem breakdown means there is no room for error .
Without a course change now , we will run out of time and money to build a green economy , meet climate targets and save ecosystems such as the last old-growth forest before it ’ s too late .
It can feel hopeless to expect that governments will do the right thing in time .
This is not the time , however , to give @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who defend the current decision-making are quickly crumbling .
History shows that we can overcome the barriers for change when various tipping points emerge simultaneously .
Growing support for climate action , falling costs for renewable energy , increasing risks for uneconomic prices and stranded assets in the fossil fuel sector , Indigenous Peoples winning crucial cases in court , and worsening climate impacts such as drought and fires all combined with a pandemic mean that business as usual is not a viable option .
Government leadership is hindered by the influence of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that the climate and extinction crises are slowly unfolding catastrophes , which makes it harder to understand that we are approaching dangerous thresholds .
Humans are generally not effective at recognizing slow yet threatening changes in their environment .
Environmental degradation is often described as a ‘ shifting baseline ’ ( the gradual change in what is considered the norm ) and our failure to fully recognize these trends is referred to as ‘ change blindness.
’ One useful way to overcome these challenges is to consider the thousands of years of history @ @ @ @ @ @ @ we are living .
For more than 11,000 years , Indigenous settlements co-existed with intact ecosystems and a stable climate , in contrast to the fast-paced degradation unleashed in the last 150 years of European colonization of these lands , and in particular in the last 50 years .
After Indigenous Peoples lived for thousands of years amongst intact , ecologically rich old-growth landscapes , the vast majority of these ancient forests has been converted to young , ecologically impoverished , even-aged stands in just a few decades .
Across British Columbia , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ considered ‘ irrecoverable carbon ) is being logged at a rate of more than 500 soccer fields , or one Stanley Park , a day .
On both the climate crisis and the extinction crisis , the B.C .
government is defending business as usual with small , incremental changes nowhere close to a path needed to stabilize the climate and maintain ecological integrity for future generations ( for example , in the underwhelming provincial Earth Day 50 statement ) .
History , however , shows that change is often within reach and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ blindness becomes intolerable .
It is time for the B.C .
government to grasp how quickly our society and economies are changing in response to the climate crisis , now combined with a pandemic , escalating environmental problems , economic shifts and technological progress .
The B.C .
government doesn ’ t have to look far for a blueprint of how to jumpstart the economy , save our life support systems and fight social injustice .
Former staffers of Jay Inslee , the Democratic governor of Washington state and former presidential candidate , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ guide our province on a different path .
For a liveable climate , we must overcome the change blindness of our elected politicians , using science and stories to build a diverse movement that can not be ignored .
We live in an almost unthinkable moment of time .
We are so close to tipping points in climate and ecosystems , that our collective willingness for real change in the next few years will determine whether all generations after us can live on a livable planet or not .
The drastic actions taken @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in many parts of the world show that governments are willing to listen to the scientists and disrupt business as usual when a threat becomes too big to ignore .
Just like there is little time to flatten the curve to prevent a collapse of our heath-care system , we have little time to flatten the curve of the climate and extinction crisis before it ’ s too late to save a liveable climate and natural ecosystems and their countless essential benefits , including clean air , clean water and food production .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ happened in my time , ” said Frodo in J.R.R .
Tolkien ’ s The Lord of the Rings .
“ So do I , ” said Gandalf , “ and so do all who live to see such times .
But that is not for them to decide .
All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given us.
” What kind of world do we want for Earth Day 100 ?
This is the question our governments must answer in 2020 .

The COVID-19 pandemic is another reminder of how fragile our existence on planet Earth is. We still don’t know how many more will die or get sick, but experts expect a vaccination will become available some time next year and allow us to get the upper hand, at least on this virus. Unfortunately, there is no equivalent to a vaccine for restoring a livable climate and the web of life as we know it. For those who follow the news about global heating and the extinction crisis, the pandemic has added another level of despair about where the world is heading. Mixed with concern about the new threat, however, is a sense of possibility. That’s because we’ve seen previously unimaginable global action by governments and individuals to flatten the curve of the pandemic. A safe future, however, calls for governments taking action on more than one crisis at a time. It’s clear we need to act with the same determination, based on science, to address the climate and extinction crisis. April saw a lot of reflection about the 50th anniversary of Earth Day, considered the birth of the modern environmental movement. Taking stock of the trends of the past 50 years — a tiny fraction of the 3.5 billion years of history of life on Earth — is a sobering exercise. We cannot be certain whether it is already too late to stop current climate and ecosystem trends, but the science is clear that another 50 years on the current trajectory will not end well.
Billion-dollar land deals in Ontario raise corruption suspicions In November 2019, shortly before the pandemic started, 11,000 scientists warned of “untold suffering” unless there are “major transformations in the ways our global society functions and interacts with natural ecosystems.” In February, scientists reported that Australia’s bushfires, fuelled by global warming, burned 20 per cent of Australia’s forests, a proportion considered globally unprecedented.
There is very little time to force our governments to change direction if we are to avoid colliding with nature’s limits. In British Columbia, work on new fossil fuel projects such as LNG Canada, Coastal GasLink and the Trans Mountain pipeline, and logging of some of the last intact old-growth forests in the world continues, despite the pandemic, keeping us set on a collision course. "The drastic actions taken to slow down the spread of COVID-19 in many parts of the world show that governments are willing to listen to the scientists and disrupt business as usual when a threat becomes too big to ignore." At the same time, new federal data show that B.C.’s emissions increased for a third year, from 63.3 to 65.5 million tonnes (+3.5 per cent) and are now higher than in 2007 (the year the province announced its first reduction target). According to the United Nations Environmental Programme (UNEP), emissions must fall by 7.6 per cent globally to prevent catastrophic climate impacts. If we emerge from the pandemic with more business as usual, we will simply amplify threats caused by climate change and habitat degradation such as more catastrophic wildfires, heatwaves, flooding or droughts, as seen in recent years. Being so close to climate and ecosystem breakdown means there is no room for error. Without a course change now, we will run out of time and money to build a green economy, meet climate targets and save ecosystems such as the last old-growth forest before it’s too late. It can feel hopeless to expect that governments will do the right thing in time. This is not the time, however, to give up hope. The arguments of those who defend the current decision-making are quickly crumbling. History shows that we can overcome the barriers for change when various tipping points emerge simultaneously.
Growing support for climate action, falling costs for renewable energy, increasing risks for uneconomic prices and stranded assets in the fossil fuel sector, Indigenous Peoples winning crucial cases in court, and worsening climate impacts such as drought and fires all combined with a pandemic mean that business as usual is not a viable option. Government leadership is hindered by the influence of corporations, as well as the fact that the climate and extinction crises are slowly unfolding catastrophes, which makes it harder to understand that we are approaching dangerous thresholds. Humans are generally not effective at recognizing slow yet threatening changes in their environment. Environmental degradation is often described as a ‘shifting baseline’ (the gradual change in what is considered the norm) and our failure to fully recognize these trends is referred to as ‘change blindness.’