nationalobserver--2020-10-21--Joe Biden’s 'Buy American' plans shouldn't scare Canadians

Canadians overwhelmingly hope former U.S. vice-president Joe Biden will win in the November presidential election .
If he does , he plans on introducing a slate of new “ Buy American ” policies as part of a pandemic recovery program .
Though some segments in Canada may cringe at that thought , it is not such a bad thing .
Biden ’ s “ Made in All of America ” stimulus plan is ambitious .
It includes $ 400 billion in new spending on clean energy and infrastructure and another $ 300 billion in support for research and development tied @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the U.S .
In absolute terms , Biden ’ s plan would be the largest fiscal stimulus package in U.S. history — and Canadians should welcome it .
As our main trading partner and neighbour , when the U.S. economy thrives , Canada ’ s does , too .
Biden intends to increase the domestic content levels needed for goods to qualify as made-in-America under federal “ Buy American ” procurement policies and in “ Buy America ” requirements in transfers to the states .
His administration would also make waivers to these @ @ @ @ @ @ @ U.S. firms to produce goods and components that are currently only available from offshore .
This is discretionary spending by U.S. public entities .
It is entirely reasonable , as the Democratic platform prescribes , that “ when we spend taxpayer money , we should buy American products and support American jobs.
” How then should Canada react ?
Hopefully not by moralizing about the virtues of open procurement markets , which has gotten us nowhere in the past .
Canada ’ s standard response — to seek an exemption for Canadian suppliers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the prospects of success are worse today .
• California megafires rise exponentially as global heating takes the gloves off • New building codes under review not tough enough on energy efficiency , report warns Recall that the Stephen Harper government failed to gain any meaningful exemptions from Buy American provisions in the 2009 Recovery Act .
Subsequently , the U.S. refused to budge on Buy American rules during the Trans-Pacific Partnership negotiations .
Finally , Canada again came up empty-handed in the CUSMA ( or “ new NAFTA ” ) , despite @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to almost all Canadian procurement at every level of government .
The U.S. is simply not interested in signing a traditional , reciprocal procurement liberalization agreement , whichever party holds power in Washington .
Canada needs to take a different approach , one that accepts that Buy American procurement policies are here to stay .
The Biden plan extends an olive branch to key trading partners , stating the administration will “ work with allies to modernize international trade rules and associated domestic regulations regarding government procurement to make sure that the U.S. @ @ @ @ @ @ @ dollars to spur investment in their own countries.
” Canada has foreclosed its own options in this regard .
The Canada-EU Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement ( CETA ) covers virtually all federal , provincial and municipal procurement and precludes Buy Canadian policies outside of a few sectors such as shipbuilding and defence .
CETA ’ s procurement chapter even prohibits set-asides for small and minority-owned businesses , except for Indigenous-owned enterprises .
With the scope for buy-local policies greatly reduced , “ buy sustainable ” procurement may provide an avenue for Canadian @ @ @ @ @ @ @ benefits from their purchasing .
Examples of buy sustainable policies include requiring suppliers to provide fair wages and working conditions , respect gender equality and human rights , and empower disadvantaged groups .
Procurement decisions would favour products and production methods that have a low carbon footprint , avoid adverse impacts on biodiversity , reduce pollution and waste , and respect animal welfare .
If such policies do not involve nationality-based discrimination , they should pass muster under international trade rules , including CETA .
`` In absolute terms , Biden ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ package in U.S. history — and Canadians should welcome it , '' writes Scott Sinclair .
Another advantage of buy sustainable policies is that they can add value and benefits to all procurement , whether foreign or domestically sourced .
They can also be combined , as in the Biden plan , with assistance to domestic firms to ensure that Canadian suppliers can meet the higher standards and are ready to bid successfully on public tenders .
The remarkable response of Canadian firms and the public sector in producing urgently needed personal protective @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
As our country “ builds back better , ” Canadians can no longer afford to disregard or neglect the considerable potential of sustainable government purchasing policies for job creation , improved working conditions and environmentally sustainable development .
Canadians seem to like Biden .
There is much to like in his economic renewal plans as well .


nationalobserver--2020-10-22--Vancouver Island pink salmon a bright spot in B.C. conservation efforts

Concern over B.C.
’ s declining wild salmon stocks is running high this year as sockeye returns on the Fraser River hit a historic low .
But while the overall news may be dire , there are bright spots .
Some pink salmon stocks along east Vancouver Island appear healthy , and run counts at the Quinsam River Hatchery near the city of Campbell River were good this fall .
Maybe even too good .
For a second year running , about half a million pink salmon have returned to the river , said Ed Walls , Quinsam Hatchery 's @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hopes to see returns of between 200,000 and 300,000 pink salmon , or “ humpies , ” the descriptive name preferred by area fishers .
• California megafires rise exponentially as global heating takes the gloves off • New building codes under review not tough enough on energy efficiency , report warns But having so many pink salmon return upstream can actually endanger their survival , said Walls .
“ There ’ s a ... limited capacity for the river to carry that many fish , ” Walls said .
“ There can @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
There is a limited amount of spawning space , and later , fish will dig up ( the eggs ) of earlier fish , ” he said .
In this situation , including this year , surplus fish are diverted from the Quinsam River so area First Nations can harvest them , Walls said .
A black bear takes advantage of a pink salmon run at Quinsam Hatchery .
Photo by marneejill ( CC BY-SA 2.0 ) But despite a generally good outlook for pink salmon , runs along the Quinsam can @ @ @ @ @ @ @ When it comes to explaining why B.C .
's pink salmon stocks are healthy , “ there are a whole lot of ‘ what ifs ’ and ‘ we do n't really knows , ’ ” said Ed Walls , Quinsam Hatchery 's watershed enhancement manager .
“ It ’ s still a great mystery.
” # BCsalmon In 2013 , the Quinsam saw a record-high run with more than a million fish returning .
Yet , just three years later , the run dropped to about 60,000 fish , Walls said .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” he said , adding a number of conditions can affect survival rates .
“ One is if the river gets flooded badly in the fall or winter , which kills a lot of eggs in the gravel , ” he said .
“ The other piece is what marine conditions are like , especially when the fish first go out to the ocean.
” But it ’ s not entirely clear what marine conditions are most favourable to salmon , said Walls , adding there ’ s not a lot of information @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
It may be that with fisheries in the region closed to protect returning Fraser River sockeye , fewer pink salmon are being caught in nets , he said .
And commercial fishing of pink salmon doesn ’ t happen for much the same reason , he said .
“ The issue is that ( pink salmon ) are migrating at the same time as Fraser sockeye , and they don ’ t want to be harvesting any of those sockeye as bycatch ( or unintentionally ) .
”

Concern over B.C.’s declining wild salmon stocks is running high this year as sockeye returns on the Fraser River hit a historic low. But while the overall news may be dire, there are bright spots. Some pink salmon stocks along east Vancouver Island appear healthy, and run counts at the Quinsam River Hatchery near the city of Campbell River were good this fall. Maybe even too good. For a second year running, about half a million pink salmon have returned to the river, said Ed Walls, Quinsam Hatchery's watershed enhancement manager. The hatchery typically hopes to see returns of between 200,000 and 300,000 pink salmon, or “humpies,” the descriptive name preferred by area fishers.
But having so many pink salmon return upstream can actually endanger their survival, said Walls. “There’s a ... limited capacity for the river to carry that many fish,” Walls said. Billion-dollar land deals in Ontario raise corruption suspicions “There can be too much of a good thing. There is a limited amount of spawning space, and later, fish will dig up (the eggs) of earlier fish,” he said.
In this situation, including this year, surplus fish are diverted from the Quinsam River so area First Nations can harvest them, Walls said. When it comes to explaining why B.C.'s pink salmon stocks are healthy, “there are a whole lot of ‘what ifs’ and ‘we don't really knows,’” said Ed Walls, Quinsam Hatchery's watershed enhancement manager. “It’s still a great mystery.” #BCsalmon A black bear takes advantage of a pink salmon run at Quinsam Hatchery. Photo by marneejill (CC BY-SA 2.0) But despite a generally good outlook for pink salmon, runs along the Quinsam can be wildly inconsistent, Walls said. In 2013, the Quinsam saw a record-high run with more than a million fish returning. Yet, just three years later, the run dropped to about 60,000 fish, Walls said.
“It can be super variable,” he said, adding a number of conditions can affect survival rates. “One is if the river gets flooded badly in the fall or winter, which kills a lot of eggs in the gravel,” he said. “The other piece is what marine conditions are like, especially when the fish first go out to the ocean.”


nationalobserver--2020-10-22--Helpline adapts as pandemic weighs on Ontario’s LGBTQ+ youth

The COVID-19 pandemic has made life tougher for LGBTQ+ youth , with those dealing with unsupportive home environments unable to find as much breathing space due to lockdowns and other restrictions .
It has also complicated the work of the Toronto-based Lesbian Gay Bi Trans Youth Line , which was forced to close its phone line because it could not provide enough supervision and support for its volunteers , some of whom are as young as 16 .
So the support line run by and for LGBTQ+ youth revamped its operations , shifting early on to text- and chat-from-home services @ @ @ @ @ @ @ train volunteers from outside Toronto for the first time in its 25-year history .
“ We were actually able to get online with our team in two days , so that was a pretty amazing turnaround , and our youth have been extremely adaptable and flexible , ” said 27-year-old Minna Frederick , who manages the peer support helpline .
“ Now we ’ re working towards becoming more provincial and remote more permanently .
That ’ s been a very big change , ” she said .
• California megafires rise exponentially @ @ @ @ @ @ @ • New building codes under review not tough enough on energy efficiency , report warns All its staff and volunteers — around 40 at last count — identify as LGBTQ+ , which Frederick said helps them to better connect with those who reach out for support .
“ That shared identity piece is really important , ” she said .
“ Because all our youth are members of the community that we 're serving , there is that lived experience that can allow a level of trust , a level of common and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ manages LGBT Youth Line , says the peer support service has worked hard to adapt to COVID-19 .
Photo courtesy of Minna Frederick Even without accepting calls ( which had made up 40 per cent of volumes previously ) , Youth Line ’ s volunteers were dealing with a 30 per cent spike in volume at the beginning of the pandemic , Frederick said , but that has since reverted to more typical volumes of around 300 conversations a month .
The support line has hit capacity some nights during the pandemic , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and texts going unanswered last quarter , she said .
The group has covered gaps in part by bringing back alumni staff and volunteers as emergency support over the summer , and adding a second cycle of its regular training .
For the first time in its 25-year history , Toronto-based @ LGBTYouthLine is training volunteers from outside the city to staff its text- and chat-from-home support services .
The service , available Sunday to Friday from 4 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. , has always taken calls from across Ontario but had previously @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to its Toronto hub .
With the forced change to its methods , Youth Line has since developed two-tiered training so any interested youth in the province can sign up to offer text-based support .
Interested volunteers can then take additional training specific for telephone work , which Youth Line hopes to resume in the spring .
The first 15 such volunteers — including youth from northeastern and southeastern Ontario — joined an 11-week basic training program that started in late September .
They will shadow more experienced folks in December and be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
While the volume and length of chats is back to pre-pandemic levels , “ definitely the content is more intense , ” said Sierra Savedra , who has a more front-line role at Youth Line as a peer support co-ordinator .
“ We ’ ve seen a lot of chatters for whom staying home is a precarious situation , often because they have no choice but to spend more time in an unsafe or unsupportive environment with family or roommates , ” said Savedra , who uses they/them pronouns .
“ Folks @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have had access to without the pandemic , ” Savedra said , including support from peers and mental health providers and access to health care .
Results from an online survey released earlier this week found that one in four Canadians say their mental health is worse now than it was in the first months of the pandemic .
Other online surveys of LGBTQ+ people in Canada done this year have shown they have been disproportionately impacted by COVID-19 in everything from employment to physical and mental health , household finances and quality @ @ @ @ @ @ @ LGBTQ youth who are Black , Indigenous or people of colour have long faced specific discriminations based on their intersecting identities , the heightened focus on racial justice this year has also exposed them to more racist responses .
“ The current political climate around anti-Black racism and anti-Indigenous racism has definitely affected the youth .
We ’ ve definitely heard more chats with youth concerned about what is going on or ( being ) stressed or feeling hopeless , ” Savedra said .

The COVID-19 pandemic has made life tougher for LGBTQ+ youth, with those dealing with unsupportive home environments unable to find as much breathing space due to lockdowns and other restrictions. It has also complicated the work of the Toronto-based Lesbian Gay Bi Trans Youth Line, which was forced to close its phone line because it could not provide enough supervision and support for its volunteers, some of whom are as young as 16. So the support line run by and for LGBTQ+ youth revamped its operations, shifting early on to text- and chat-from-home services and, last month, starting to train volunteers from outside Toronto for the first time in its 25-year history. “We were actually able to get online with our team in two days, so that was a pretty amazing turnaround, and our youth have been extremely adaptable and flexible,” said 27-year-old Minna Frederick, who manages peer support for the helpline. “Now we’re working towards becoming more provincial and remote more permanently. That’s been a very big change,” she said.
All its staff and volunteers — around 40 at last count — identify as LGBTQ+, which Frederick said helps them to better connect with those who reach out for support. “That shared identity piece is really important,” she said. “Because all our youth are members of the community that we're serving, there is that lived experience that can allow a level of trust, a level of common and shared language.” Billion-dollar land deals in Ontario raise corruption suspicions
Minna Frederick, who manages peer support for LGBT Youth Line, says the service has worked hard to adapt to COVID-19. Photo courtesy of Minna Frederick Even without accepting calls (which had made up 40 per cent of volumes previously), Youth Line’s volunteers were dealing with a 30 per cent spike in volume at the beginning of the pandemic, Frederick said, but that has since reverted to more typical volumes of around 300 conversations a month. The support line has hit capacity some nights during the pandemic, with about 10 per cent of chats and texts going unanswered last quarter, she said. The group has covered gaps in part by bringing back alumni staff and volunteers as emergency support over the summer, and adding a second cycle of its regular training. For the first time in its 25-year history, Toronto-based @LGBTYouthLine is training volunteers from outside the city to staff its text- and chat-from-home support services. The service, available Sunday to Friday from 4 p.m. to 9:30 p.m., has always taken calls from across Ontario but had previously only recruited volunteers who could make it to its Toronto hub. With the forced change to its methods, Youth Line has since developed two-tiered training so any interested youth in the province can sign up to offer text-based support. Interested volunteers can then take additional training specific for telephone work, which Youth Line hopes to resume in the spring.
The first 15 such volunteers — including youth from northeastern and southeastern Ontario — joined an 11-week basic training program that started in late September. They will shadow more experienced folks in December and be fully independent on the lines by January. 'More intense' While the volume and length of chats is back to pre-pandemic levels, “definitely the content is more intense,” said Sierra Savedra, who has a more front-line role at Youth Line as a peer support co-ordinator.


nationalobserver--2020-10-22--Building codes development under scrutiny as climate goals loom

Canada ’ s building code development system is under scrutiny , with some analysts skeptical it can produce the high standards necessary to ensure construction that ’ s ready for the climate crisis .
The National Research Council ( NRC ) , which established an independent commission to oversee the national building code development process , says that system operates in an “ impartial , consensus , and evidence-based manner ” and “ considers broad stakeholder input , ” according to spokesman Nic Defalco .
This consensus-based process means the hundreds of people involved in developing new building codes — @ @ @ @ @ @ @ industry associations , provinces , territories and others — must come to an agreement in order to move forward .
“ The stringency of the model codes can be reduced if practices are unacceptable to the provinces and territories , and/or stakeholders in the buildings sector , ” they wrote .
Bernhardt has written on the `` divergence '' he sees between Canada 's climate targets and the country 's building codes and regulations .
The problem does n't rest with the consensus-based model , he says .
“ It ’ s having @ @ @ @ @ @ @ can deliver the outcomes that the world needs , ” he said .
“ We simply haven ’ t set a system up in that way.
” The system that develops Canada ’ s building codes is under scrutiny , with some analysts skeptical it can produce the high standards necessary to ensure construction that ’ s ready for the climate crisis .
# cdnpoli Defalco said the federal government , as well as the provinces and territories , is already “ working towards a more agile , responsive and inclusive governance model @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Canadian Free Trade Agreement .
He said energy efficiency was a “ priority ” for the latest codes .
The government has also committed to investing in energy-efficient retrofits , noted John Power , spokesman for Innovation , Science and Industry Minister Navdeep Bains , the minister responsible for the NRC .
Bernhardt and the Efficiency Canada report are both calling for a “ champion ” in the federal government who would be given the clear authority to direct the code development process toward Canada 's “ net-zero energy ready ” goal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ much energy as they use from renewable sources , such as solar panels .
For a building to be “ net-zero energy ready ” it must be built in such a way that it has the ability to operate at net-zero if renewables are installed .
The researchers also said core elements of net-zero readiness involves the use of `` improved air sealing , '' as well as `` increased insulation levels , and high-performance windows and doors . ''
Instead , lead author Kevin Lockhart , the head of efficient buildings for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Brendan Haley found that while a mandatory requirement for air-tightness testing was initially introduced for large buildings during the code development process — it was ditched later on .
One reason cited for dropping the requirement was that there is not enough capacity for carrying out this kind of testing in rural and remote areas .
But ditching mandatory air-tightness testing would ironically result in the sector not building up the capacity to do these kinds of tests as much as it would have if it was mandated , said the researchers .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s Energy Step Code , they said .
B.C.
’ s code included air leak testing when it was first introduced , and as a result , there was more testing across the province .

Canada’s building code development system is under scrutiny, with some analysts skeptical it can produce the high standards necessary to ensure construction that’s ready for the climate crisis. The National Research Council (NRC), which established an independent commission to oversee the national building code development process, says that system operates in an “impartial, consensus, and evidence-based manner” and “considers broad stakeholder input,” according to spokesman Nic Defalco. This consensus-based process means the hundreds of people involved in developing new building codes — from regulators to engineers, architects, industry associations, provinces, territories and others — must come to an agreement in order to move forward. How quickly they do so matters, with the federal government promising to build a lot of infrastructure in the coming years, and the Paris Agreement’s 2030 climate target drawing ever closer. In Canada, about 15 per cent of greenhouse gas emissions come from buildings and their electricity use, and scientists say buildings are a key driver of global temperature increases.
The researchers from Carleton University’s Efficiency Canada found that the consensus model used during the development process was “ill-suited” for adopting building codes “aimed at pulling the country towards leading-edge construction practices.” The system that develops Canada’s building codes is under scrutiny, with some analysts skeptical it can produce the high standards necessary to ensure construction that’s ready for the climate crisis. #cdnpoli “The stringency of the model codes can be reduced if practices are unacceptable to the provinces and territories, and/or stakeholders in the buildings sector,” they wrote. Bernhardt has written on the "divergence" he sees between Canada's climate targets and the country's building codes and regulations. The problem doesn't rest with the consensus-based model, he says. “It’s having the system set up so that it can deliver the outcomes that the world needs,” he said. “We simply haven’t set a system up in that way.” Defalco said the federal government, as well as the provinces and territories, is already “working towards a more agile, responsive and inclusive governance model” for the codes development system under the Canadian Free Trade Agreement. He said energy efficiency was a “priority” for the latest codes.
The government has also committed to investing in energy-efficient retrofits, noted John Power, spokesman for Innovation, Science and Industry Minister Navdeep Bains, the minister responsible for the NRC. Air seals, insulation, high-performance windows Bernhardt and the Efficiency Canada report are both calling for a “champion” in the federal government who would be given the clear authority to direct the code development process toward Canada's “net-zero energy ready” goal.


nationalobserver--2020-10-22--A ‘perfect storm’ of pre-election uncertainty along the U.S.-Canada border

Windsor residents would drive across the Detroit River to catch a concert or a sports game .
Folks from Detroit would pass over to visit seasonal cottages on the Canadian side or to shop .
Cross-border friends , families and business associates could zip back and forth on the Ambassador Bridge or the Detroit-Windsor tunnel largely as they pleased .
In normal times , residents of Windsor , Ont.
, and Detroit , Mich. , cross the U.S.-Canada border as easily as many of us might wade through a cool stream on a summer day .
This is the fourth @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is writing as part of National Observer 's special coverage of the U.S. election .
Read the first , second and third stories here .
This matters for Canada as a whole because three-quarters of our exports go to the U.S .
But it matters even more for border regions like Windsor and Detroit , where people ’ s lives are even more closely intertwined .
“ Pretty much all we have right now in every aspect of our lives is uncertainty , ” said Sandy Baruah , the president and CEO of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a contentious presidential election where not just trade policy but the science underpinning the response to the pandemic is being debated , and all of a sudden , a lot seems to be in limbo .
“ We keep extending the border closures because the United States is not in a place where we would feel comfortable reopening those borders , ” Trudeau said earlier this month .
All of that changed in the chaotic early days of the COVID-19 pandemic when Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and President Donald Trump shut the border @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Canadian officials have said Canada ’ s busiest border crossing will stay shuttered as long as the public health risks involved in reopening outweigh the economic damage done by keeping the border shut .
On top of COVID-19 shutdowns , small businesses — hotels , motels , restaurants , retail stores and more — have been devastated by the drop in cross-border tourism , Naidu said .
Nearly 25 per cent of income for some main street retail stores typically comes from American visitors , he added .
At the same time , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ both sides .
Looking at public health data , it ’ s easy to see why .
Michigan has reported a rate of about 1,640 COVID-19 cases per 100,000 people since the pandemic began .
Even as cases surge again in Canada , Ontario ’ s cumulative rate of COVID-19 is much lower , at about 443 per 100,000 people .
Though Trump insisted in September that “ Canada would like ( the border ) open , ” polls have consistently shown the opposite .
Nine in 10 Canadians favour border restrictions , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Co. last month .
The latest travel restrictions between the U.S. and Canada will remain in place at least until Nov. 21 , weeks after the Nov. 3. election , Public Safety Minister Bill Blair confirmed this week .
We are extending non-essential travel restrictions with the United States until November 21st , 2020 .
Our decisions will continue to be based on the best public health advice available to keep Canadians safe .
More info : https : //t.co/EZ3pi3asJr “ For us , it is very important that there is business continuity @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , there ’ s concern in terms of what 's going to happen , ” said Windsor-Essex Regional Chamber of Commerce president and CEO Rakesh Naidu .
“ We view Windsor and Ontario very much as part of our region , and it feels wrong for us to be cut off there , ” Baruah said .
“ Certainly , almost all of us know people who are socially separated.
” American businesses that rely on Canadian tourists — like sports venues or casinos — have seen similar problems , Baruah said , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ how much is due to the border closure and how much is caused by public health measures related to COVID-19 .
And many groups of family and friends that live on different sides of the border are unable to see each other .
“ It ’ s been a very long and painful closure , ” Naidu said .
“ It has definitely affected us… It ’ s a perfect storm.
” While essential traffic for goods and services has continued , “ non-essential ” face-to-face conversations have ground to a halt , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Cross-Border Institute at the University of Windsor .
That means it may be more difficult to complete cross-border business deals that could have brought future economic activity , something that might not become apparent for months or years .
“ The reality is , things are not going to get normal again for a long time , ” he said .
“ You can ’ t just throw it back open because the infections will come right back .
But on the other hand , you can ’ t keep it closed forever @ @ @ @ @ @ @ damage being done… The longer you wait , the greater the damage is.
” It would be a lot easier to reopen the border if COVID-19 ceased to be a serious problem , but that ’ s complicated .
Even without a presidential election in a matter of days , a pandemic is an inherently uncertain situation .
But an election adds any number of extra variables .
Trump has repeatedly ignored COVID-19 health protocols and , in October , was hospitalized after contracting the novel coronavirus .
His campaign hasn ’ t @ @ @ @ @ @ @ virus , but he has promised a vaccine by the end of 2020 .
“ Don ’ t be afraid of COVID , ” he said in a recent tweet , contradicting advice from infectious disease specialists .
Video of Trump , contradicting health advice , says `` do n't be afraid '' of COVID-19 Former vice-president Joe Biden , who is leading in the national polls against Trump , has promised a more stringent approach that includes increased access to personal protective equipment , improved testing , a plan for distributing a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the way COVID-19 disproportionately harms communities of colour .
Though the outcome of the election and the trajectory of COVID-19 are far from certain , a Biden administration that is relying on science and taking action on the virus might make it easier to reopen the border , said Flavio Volpe , president of the Automotive Parts Manufacturers ' Association , which represents a multitude of employers in the Windsor region .
“ There are no shortcuts to the end of the pandemic , ” Volpe said .
“ There are pretty good @ @ @ @ @ @ @ COVID-19 is not the only factor affecting cross-border business relationships .
In the past four years under the Trump administration , trade relations between the U.S. and Canada have soured .
Trump has started numerous fights over tariffs and has threatened to introduce more if he wins the election .
“ We ’ ve got an incumbent who is likely heading to a loss , although I guess anything is possible .
Because his campaign , and him , feel like they ’ re headed for a loss , they ’ re heading @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for them , ” Volpe said .
“ A lot of that is protectionist.
” Tariff fights haven ’ t been good for businesses on either side of the border , Naidu said : “ It really just doesn ’ t benefit anyone.
” However , American businesses are expecting more of them if Trump wins a second term , Baruah said .
Biden , on the other hand , has pledged to repair international relationships : “ Rather than picking fights with our allies and undermining respect for America , Biden will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his platform reads .
“ Businesses would expect a return to normalcy… under a potential Biden administration , ” Baruah said .
“ If Trump is re-elected , we know what we ’ re going to get , which is a continued level of uncertainty.
” On the Canadian side , businesses are hoping whoever is elected understands how important the U.S.-Canada relationship is , Naidu said .
“ We find a way to work with whoever is elected , ” he said .
“ I think they need to have a better @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not just for us , but for the U.S. ” A Biden administration might come with its own challenges — the former vice-president has said he would want the U.S. to re-enter the Trans-Pacific Partnership ( TPP ) , which Volpe said could erase some gains for Canadian automakers that came from the new U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement ( USMCA ) .
But stability could also go a long way , Volpe said .
“ ( Trump ) chooses to play with the Dow while putting children in cages , ” he added .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hinge on business… Peace always pays , and we have none right now.
” The direction the U.S. decides to take could also shape Canada ’ s transition towards a greener economy , Naidu said .
It becomes harder for Canada to take action on climate when the U.S. lags behind , because the extra rules can make it harder for Canadian businesses to compete .
But if the next president is willing to work together on green investment , that could make it easier for the Detroit-Windsor area to cash in and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said .
Biden ’ s platform includes plans for green infrastructure , while Trump has questioned the science of climate change .
“ If we do the right things at this time , if we jointly embrace the opportunity… there can be business growth , ” Naidu said .
“ But if we don ’ t get this right , if we lose the right opportunity , it will come at a cost to us .
There will be some other country , some other region , that benefits.
” Regardless of who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to do , reopening the border is likely to be complicated .
As COVID-19 stretches on , rapid-testing technology could be used to open the border to more types of traffic , Anderson , of the Cross-Border Institute , said .
A vaccine could help , too , though it ’ s not yet clear how that would be rolled out — there could be an indeterminate period of time when only part of the population has been vaccinated .
There likely won ’ t be a grand reopening where everything snaps back @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said .
“ I don ’ t think there ’ s going to be that moment , or that day , where the vaccine is in place and so the prime minister and the president , whoever that happens to be , say , ‘ OK , the border can be open again , ’ ” he said .
“ I do think over the coming months we can mitigate the economic damage a bit if we have a transition plan .
”

“We keep extending the border closures because the United States is not in a place where we would feel comfortable reopening those borders,” Trudeau said earlier this month .
All of that changed in the chaotic early days of the COVID-19 pandemic when Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and President Donald Trump shut the border to non-essential traffic . Since then, Canadian officials have said Canada’s busiest border crossing will stay shuttered as long as the public health risks involved in reopening outweigh the economic damage done by keeping the border shut.
Windsor residents would drive across the Detroit River to catch a concert or a sports game. Folks from Detroit would pass over to visit seasonal cottages on the Canadian side or to shop. Cross-border friends, families and business associates could zip back and forth on the Ambassador Bridge or the Detroit-Windsor tunnel largely as they pleased.
In normal times, residents of Windsor, Ont., and Detroit, Mich., cross the U.S.-Canada border as easily as many of us might wade through a cool stream on a summer day.
This is the fourth of a series of stories Emma McIntosh is writing as part of National Observer's special coverage of the U.S. election . Read the first , second , third , fifth and sixth stories here.
This matters for Canada as a whole because three-quarters of our exports go to the U.S. But it matters even more for border regions like Windsor and Detroit, where people’s lives are even more closely intertwined.
“Pretty much all we have right now in every aspect of our lives is uncertainty,” said Sandy Baruah , the president and CEO of the Detroit Regional Chamber.
Throw in a contentious presidential election where not just trade policy but the science underpinning the response to the pandemic is being debated, and all of a sudden, a lot seems to be in limbo.
The latest travel restrictions between the U.S. and Canada will remain in place at least until Nov. 21 , weeks after the Nov. 3. election, Public Safety Minister Bill Blair confirmed this week.
We are extending non-essential travel restrictions with the United States until November 21st, 2020. Our decisions will continue to be based on the best public health advice available to keep Canadians safe. More info: https://t.co/EZ3pi3asJr
“For us, it is very important that there is business continuity and things are stable.”
“Obviously, there’s concern in terms of what's going to happen,” said Windsor-Essex Regional Chamber of Commerce president and CEO Rakesh Naidu .
At the same time, the closure has brought significant challenges on both sides.
Looking at public health data, it’s easy to see why. Michigan has reported a rate of about 1,640 COVID-19 cases per 100,000 people since the pandemic began. Even as cases surge again in Canada, Ontario’s cumulative rate of COVID-19 is much lower, at about 443 per 100,000 people.
Though Trump insisted in September that “Canada would like (the border) open,” polls have consistently shown the opposite. Nine in 10 Canadians favour border restrictions, according to a survey released by Research Co. last month.
On top of COVID-19 shutdowns, small businesses — hotels, motels, restaurants, retail stores and more — have been devastated by the drop in cross-border tourism, Naidu said. Nearly 25 per cent of income for some main street retail stores typically comes from American visitors, he added.
“It’s been a very long and painful closure,” Naidu said. “It has definitely affected us… It’s a perfect storm.”
American businesses that rely on Canadian tourists — like sports venues or casinos — have seen similar problems, Baruah said, although it’s hard to tell how much is due to the border closure and how much is caused by public health measures related to COVID-19. And many groups of family and friends that live on different sides of the border are unable to see each other.
“We view Windsor and Ontario very much as part of our region, and it feels wrong for us to be cut off there,” Baruah said. “Certainly, almost all of us know people who are socially separated.”
While essential traffic for goods and services has continued, “non-essential” face-to-face conversations have ground to a halt, said Bill Anderson, director of the Cross-Border Institute at the University of Windsor. That means it may be more difficult to complete cross-border business deals that could have brought future economic activity, something that might not become apparent for months or years.
“The reality is, things are not going to get normal again for a long time,” he said.
“You can’t just throw it back open because the infections will come right back. But on the other hand, you can’t keep it closed forever because there’s so much economic damage being done… The longer you wait, the greater the damage is.”
It would be a lot easier to reopen the border if COVID-19 ceased to be a serious problem, but that’s complicated. Even without a presidential election in a matter of days, a pandemic is an inherently uncertain situation. But an election adds any number of extra variables.
Trump has repeatedly ignored COVID-19 health protocols and, in October, was hospitalized after contracting the novel coronavirus. His campaign hasn’t released an action plan for tackling the virus, but he has promised a vaccine by the end of 2020.
“Don’t be afraid of COVID,” he said in a recent tweet, contradicting advice from infectious disease specialists.
Video of Trump, contradicting health advice, says "don't be afraid" of COVID-19
Former vice-president Joe Biden, who is leading in the national polls against Trump, has promised a more stringent approach that includes increased access to personal protective equipment, improved testing, a plan for distributing a vaccine and a task force to address the way COVID-19 disproportionately harms communities of colour.
Though the outcome of the election and the trajectory of COVID-19 are far from certain, a Biden administration that is relying on science and taking action on the virus might make it easier to reopen the border, said Flavio Volpe, president of the Automotive Parts Manufacturers' Association, which represents a multitude of employers in the Windsor region.
“There are no shortcuts to the end of the pandemic,” Volpe said. “There are pretty good shortcuts to mitigating it right now.”
Beyond COVID-19, election could shape cross-border trade
COVID-19 is not the only factor affecting cross-border business relationships.
In the past four years under the Trump administration, trade relations between the U.S. and Canada have soured. Trump has started numerous fights over tariffs and has threatened to introduce more if he wins the election.
“We’ve got an incumbent who is likely heading to a loss, although I guess anything is possible. Because his campaign, and him, feel like they’re headed for a loss, they’re heading to the rhetoric that has been fertile for them,” Volpe said.
“A lot of that is protectionist.”
Tariff fights haven’t been good for businesses on either side of the border, Naidu said: “It really just doesn’t benefit anyone.”
However, American businesses are expecting more of them if Trump wins a second term, Baruah said.
Biden, on the other hand, has pledged to repair international relationships: “Rather than picking fights with our allies and undermining respect for America, Biden will work with our closest allies,” his platform reads.
“Businesses would expect a return to normalcy… under a potential Biden administration,” Baruah said. “If Trump is re-elected, we know what we’re going to get, which is a continued level of uncertainty.”
On the Canadian side, businesses are hoping whoever is elected understands how important the U.S.-Canada relationship is, Naidu said.
“We find a way to work with whoever is elected,” he said. “I think they need to have a better understanding of how important it is, not just for us, but for the U.S.”
A Biden administration might come with its own challenges — the former vice-president has said he would want the U.S. to re-enter the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP), which Volpe said could erase some gains for Canadian automakers that came from the new U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA). But stability could also go a long way, Volpe said.
“(Trump) chooses to play with the Dow while putting children in cages,” he added. “Sometimes these decisions don’t really hinge on business… Peace always pays, and we have none right now.”
The direction the U.S. decides to take could also shape Canada’s transition towards a greener economy, Naidu said. It becomes harder for Canada to take action on climate when the U.S. lags behind, because the extra rules can make it harder for Canadian businesses to compete. But if the next president is willing to work together on green investment, that could make it easier for the Detroit-Windsor area to cash in and “revive our economies,” Naidu said.
Biden’s platform includes plans for green infrastructure, while Trump has questioned the science of climate change.
“If we do the right things at this time, if we jointly embrace the opportunity… there can be business growth,” Naidu said.
“But if we don’t get this right, if we lose the right opportunity, it will come at a cost to us. There will be some other country, some other region, that benefits.”
Regardless of who wins the election and what they decide to do, reopening the border is likely to be complicated.
As COVID-19 stretches on, rapid-testing technology could be used to open the border to more types of traffic, Anderson, of the Cross-Border Institute, said. A vaccine could help, too, though it’s not yet clear how that would be rolled out — there could be an indeterminate period of time when only part of the population has been vaccinated.
There likely won’t be a grand reopening where everything snaps back to the way it was, Anderson said.
“I don’t think there’s going to be that moment, or that day, where the vaccine is in place and so the prime minister and the president, whoever that happens to be, say, ‘OK, the border can be open again,’” he said.
“I do think over the coming months we can mitigate the economic damage a bit if we have a transition plan.”


nationalobserver--2020-10-21--Feds say 100,000 rapid COVID-19 tests have arrived

Procurement Minister Anita Anand says the first shipment of rapid tests for COVID-19 has arrived in Canada , but their eventual destinations remain shrouded in mystery .
Canada signed a deal late last month with Abbott Diagnostics in the United States to buy 7.9 million ID Now tests , which can produce results on the spot in under 15 minutes .
The first shipment of 100,000 of the tests arrived in Canada over the weekend .
Anand said another 2.4 million should arrive before the end of December and the rest in the new year .
Shipments of another rapid @ @ @ @ @ @ @ antigen test , are expected to start soon .
Canada bought 20 million of those tests , with 8.5 million expected by the end of 2020 , and the rest in 2021 .
`` Our government continues to step up Canada ’ s testing capacity in securing the supplies that we need , '' Anand said in a written statement .
• California megafires rise exponentially as global heating takes the gloves off • New building codes under review not tough enough on energy efficiency , report warns The tests are to be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an agreement to share the supplies based on both population and need .
But neither Anand 's office nor Health Canada will say which province will get them first , or how many will be shipped where .
Ottawa also will not say where tens of millions of masks , respirators and other personal protective equipment ordered by the federal government are being sent .
In a global shortage of PPE in the spring , Ottawa began negotiating bulk contracts for desperately needed face masks and N95 respirators and other equipment on behalf @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trudeau said Tuesday more than 800 million pieces of PPE had been received to date and that 20 million of those were distributed to provinces this month so far .
But Health Canada will provide no breakdown of which province got what equipment .
Conservative health critic Michelle Rempel Garner said she is hoping to force the government to be more transparent about this in a health committee study she is proposing .
Procurement Minister Anita Anand says the first shipment of rapid tests for COVID-19 has arrived in Canada , but their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The Conservatives Thursday will move a motion calling on the health committee to study multiple facets of Canada 's pandemic response , including everything from procurement of supplies and tests , to public health advice on mask wearing , the border closure , long-term care facilities and plans for vaccine approval and distribution .
`` I am doing my best to compel them to be more forthcoming , '' said Rempel .
A similar motion was put to the health committee directly two weeks ago , but Rempel Garner said the government filibustered @ @ @ @ @ @ @ proceeding .
She is hoping putting the motion to the full House of Commons will be more successful .
Rempel Garner has been particularly critical of the government for being slow to get rapid tests available , noting many other countries approved them long before Canada did .
Canadian officials said they approved the tests as soon as possible when they were shown to be both safe and effective .
The ID Now tests were approved for use in Canada on Sept. 30 and the Panbio tests Oct. 5 .
They can be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ people with symptoms of COVID-19 , as a complement to the existing laboratory-based tests when rapid results of many patients could help control the pandemic .
That may be , for example , long-term care homes , schools or food processing plants , where physical distancing is difficult .
Provinces like Ontario , Quebec and Manitoba are desperately trying to improve testing capacity as the second wave of COVID-19 continues to surge .
Demand for testing soared in September as the second wave began to hit , and Canadians in many provinces reported @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and many days for a result .

Procurement Minister Anita Anand says the first shipment of rapid tests for COVID-19 has arrived in Canada, but their eventual destinations remain shrouded in mystery. Canada signed a deal late last month with Abbott Diagnostics in the United States to buy 7.9 million ID Now tests, which can produce results on the spot in under 15 minutes. The first shipment of 100,000 of the tests arrived in Canada over the weekend. Anand said another 2.4 million should arrive before the end of December and the rest in the new year. Shipments of another rapid test, the Abbott Rapid Diagnostics Panbio antigen test, are expected to start soon. Canada bought 20 million of those tests, with 8.5 million expected by the end of 2020, and the rest in 2021. "Our government continues to step up Canada’s testing capacity in securing the supplies that we need," Anand said in a written statement.
The tests are to be deployed to provincial and territorial governments under an agreement to share the supplies based on both population and need. But neither Anand's office nor Health Canada will say which province will get them first, or how many will be shipped where. Ottawa also will not say where tens of millions of masks, respirators and other personal protective equipment ordered by the federal government are being sent. Billion-dollar land deals in Ontario raise corruption suspicions In a global shortage of PPE in the spring, Ottawa began negotiating bulk contracts for desperately needed face masks and N95 respirators and other equipment on behalf of the provinces.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said Tuesday more than 800 million pieces of PPE had been received to date and that 20 million of those were distributed to provinces this month so far. Procurement Minister Anita Anand says the first shipment of rapid tests for COVID-19 has arrived in Canada, but their eventual destinations remain shrouded in mystery. But Health Canada will provide no breakdown of which province got what equipment. Conservative health critic Michelle Rempel Garner said she is hoping to force the government to be more transparent about this in a health committee study she is proposing. The Conservatives Thursday will move a motion calling on the health committee to study multiple facets of Canada's pandemic response, including everything from procurement of supplies and tests, to public health advice on mask wearing, the border closure, long-term care facilities and plans for vaccine approval and distribution. "I am doing my best to compel them to be more forthcoming," said Rempel.
A similar motion was put to the health committee directly two weeks ago, but Rempel Garner said the government filibustered the committee and prevented the motion from proceeding. She is hoping putting the motion to the full House of Commons will be more successful. Rempel Garner has been particularly critical of the government for being slow to get rapid tests available, noting many other countries approved them long before Canada did. Canadian officials said they approved the tests as soon as possible when they were shown to be both safe and effective.


nationalobserver--2020-10-21--Tim Hortons ditches two cups in favour of one with sleeve

Tim Hortons is ending the practice of double cupping hot drinks , a move the fast food restaurant says will eliminate hundreds of millions of cups from landfills each year .
The subsidiary of Restaurant Brands International Inc. will instead provide customers with a cup sleeve , a thick paper material that protects hands from hot beverages .
“ Sleeves are a great alternative , '' said Hope Bagozzi , chief marketing officer at Tim Hortons .
`` They keep your hands cool but they 're just better for the environment . ''
She said cup sleeves will be used @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and espresso and can be requested for other warm drinks .
Customers who ask for a beverage to be double cupped will now be asked to consider using a sleeve instead .
• California megafires rise exponentially as global heating takes the gloves off • New building codes under review not tough enough on energy efficiency , report warns `` We 're hoping the majority of guests will be OK with that , '' Bagozzi said .
`` But it obviously wo n't transform overnight .
If a guest insists on it and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , I do n't want a team member to be put in that position . ''
Public reaction on social media was mixed , with some wondering why double cupping was n't ended a decade ago while others decried the change and suggested double cupping was necessary for hot tea .
The company expects that stopping the practice of double cupping will save roughly 200 million cups from being tossed in the garbage every year .
Most recycling facilities in Canada do n't recycle single use paper coffee cups because of a plastic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ company is trying to change that , and is in talks with suppliers about recyclable and biodegradable cups .
She said the challenge is to ensure the cup maintains its structural integrity .
Tim Hortons is ending the practice of double cupping hot drinks , a move the fast food restaurant says will eliminate hundreds of millions of cups from landfills each year .
`` We want to be sure that they are safe and they do n't crumble , '' Bagozzi said .
`` They 've come a long way and we @ @ @ @ @ @ @ leading the way in innovation there . ''
She said Tim Hortons has two pilot programs coming soon , one that will test a cup with a compostable liner and another made with 35 per cent recycled materials .
`` As the biggest market leader when it comes to coffee and hot beverages in Canada , it 's part of our responsibility to look at our footprint and our sustainability , '' said Bagozzi .
`` The notion of double cupping is a big deal and it catches attention but it 's just @ @ @ @ @ @ @ working on . ''
The end of double cupping is part of a suite of changes the coffee and doughnut chain is announcing as part of waste reduction week .
In a bid to improve its environmental footprint , Tim Hortons said on Tuesday it would soon roll out new recyclable paper-based wrappers for sandwiches and bagels , eliminating of about 460 tonnes of plastic from the waste stream each year .
On Monday , the fast food chain said it plans to introduce new paper napkins that use 25 per cent less @ @ @ @ @ @ @ per cent recycled fibre .
The change in early 2021 is expected to save 900 tonnes of paper a year .

Tim Hortons is ending the practice of double cupping hot drinks, a move the fast food restaurant says will eliminate hundreds of millions of cups from landfills each year. The subsidiary of Restaurant Brands International Inc. will instead provide customers with a cup sleeve, a thick paper material that protects hands from hot beverages. “Sleeves are a great alternative," said Hope Bagozzi, chief marketing officer at Tim Hortons. "They keep your hands cool but they're just better for the environment." She said cup sleeves will be used by default for hot beverages like tea and espresso and can be requested for other warm drinks. Customers who ask for a beverage to be double cupped will now be asked to consider using a sleeve instead.
"We're hoping the majority of guests will be OK with that," Bagozzi said. "But it obviously won't transform overnight. If a guest insists on it and it's going to become an altercation, I don't want a team member to be put in that position." Public reaction on social media was mixed, with some wondering why double cupping wasn't ended a decade ago while others decried the change and suggested double cupping was necessary for hot tea. Billion-dollar land deals in Ontario raise corruption suspicions The company expects that stopping the practice of double cupping will save roughly 200 million cups from being tossed in the garbage every year.
Most recycling facilities in Canada don't recycle single use paper coffee cups because of a plastic lining inside. Tim Hortons is ending the practice of double cupping hot drinks, a move the fast food restaurant says will eliminate hundreds of millions of cups from landfills each year. But Bagozzi said the company is trying to change that, and is in talks with suppliers about recyclable and biodegradable cups. She said the challenge is to ensure the cup maintains its structural integrity. "We want to be sure that they are safe and they don't crumble," Bagozzi said. "They've come a long way and we're very bullish with our partners about leading the way in innovation there." She said Tim Hortons has two pilot programs coming soon, one that will test a cup with a compostable liner and another made with 35 per cent recycled materials.
"As the biggest market leader when it comes to coffee and hot beverages in Canada, it's part of our responsibility to look at our footprint and our sustainability," said Bagozzi. "The notion of double cupping is a big deal and it catches attention but it's just one of many things that we're working on." The end of double cupping is part of a suite of changes the coffee and doughnut chain is announcing as part of waste reduction week. In a bid to improve its environmental footprint, Tim Hortons said on Tuesday it would soon roll out new recyclable paper-based wrappers for sandwiches and bagels, eliminating of about 460 tonnes of plastic from the waste stream each year.


nationalobserver--2020-10-21--Trump and the U.S. election will get even more bizarre,  says Molly Jong-Fast

Donald Trump ’ s campaign rhetoric will become even more manic and the U.S. election even more bizarre in its final two weeks as the president faces likely defeat , one of his most acerbic media critics says .
“ It seems every time I think it can ’ t get any crazier and scarier , it gets both crazier and scarier , ” said Molly Jong-Fast , editor-at-large for the Daily Beast and co-host of the political podcast The New Abnormal .
In a public conversation Tuesday with Linda Solomon Wood , editor-in-chief of Canada ’ s National Observer @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ decompensating ” since he was infected with COVID-19 .
“ I wonder if it ’ s because he ’ s on steroids ?
Or maybe he was just able to control his mania better last time in 2016.
” Exhibit A is Trump ’ s frantic attempt to get his Justice Department and the mainstream media to investigate emails allegedly belonging to Hunter Biden , the son of Joe Biden , the president ’ s Democratic challenger .
Trump is expected to attack Biden over his son ’ s business activities during @ @ @ @ @ @ @ very jacked up and frenetic , ” said Jong-Fast .
“ This debate will be crazy.
” • California megafires rise exponentially as global heating takes the gloves off • New building codes under review not tough enough on energy efficiency , report warns Even though all the polls give Biden a clear edge nationally and in the battleground states , Jong-Fast said that she and many other Democrats remain haunted by Hillary Clinton ’ s unexpected defeat in 2016 and by Al Gore ’ s razor-thin loss to George W. Bush in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ about ?
I am worried about everything all the time .
Worry is like my thing , ” said Jong-Fast when asked what her fears are about the campaign ’ s final stage .
“ I hate to put anything past Donald Trump because he ’ s a desperate man .
Not desperate in the way that Dubya ( Bush ) was desperate .
He ’ s desperate in a way we ’ ve never had.
” Jong-Fast worries that Attorney General Bill Barr could make statements or launch legal proceedings designed to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ could still be a lot of fuckery .
Bill Barr is very committed to Trump , and he is really good at doing scary stuff .
Trump has the same tricks , but I am not sure that they are going to work this time.
” Jong-Fast also fears the selection of Amy Coney Barrett to the U.S. Supreme Court could embolden the court ’ s conservative majority .
She worries the court could undermine a new Democratic administration ’ s attempt to stimulate the economy and provide a public health-care option for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the media has become attuned to campaign disinformation and is now reluctant to repeat allegations from Trump and his surrogates against Biden without substantial evidence .
“ This experience of having a president so disruptive and evil has made Americans more interested in having a government that is good and boring , ” @ MollyJongFast said in a conversation with @ NatObserver on Tuesday .
“ We ’ re seeing that the American media has learned a lot of lessons , so that ’ s very exciting .
It ’ s only been @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a steep learning curve.
” Despite Trump ’ s unhinged claims of voter fraud and hints that he might not accept the Nov. 3 election ’ s result , Jong-Fast believes the Republican president will leave the White House if the vote is decisive .
“ The way it looks now , he could get a shellacking .
And let ’ s hope he does , because if it ’ s close , he ’ ll fight.
” Nevertheless , The New Abnormal podcast host takes comfort in how Trump frequently does not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The thing about Trump is that he tries to do crazy disruptive things , but he often backs down , ” said Jong-Fast .
“ So that gives me some hope.
” The president ’ s constant attacks on “ fake news ” reporters have made life difficult for many journalists , she added .
Trump slanders journalists to undermine the impact of their investigations into his policies and his conduct .
“ The reason he calls journalists the enemy of the people is because they are the enemy of him.
” Jong-Fast @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Jong , author of the bestselling feminist novel Fear of Flying , said the female vote could doom Trump .
“ It ’ s hard to argue that Trump wasn ’ t a big lose for women in America .
He had all these sexual assault allegations and all this coarse language about women , ” said Jong-Fast .
“ But polls show that women are just not breaking for him the way they did in 2016 .
So it will be delicious if women are the reason that he loses.
” Asked @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump loses , Jong-Fast said the jury is out .
“ Trumpism isn ’ t like Dubya ( Bush ) .
It ’ s not even like Nixon .
Like it ’ s this huge shift .
This group of really scary racists has been emboldened by Trump.
” The Republican party could choose to stay with Trumpism even if Biden wins , she added .
“ If Trump loses , he could run again .
Or Donald Trump Jr. could run .
Or ( Fox News host ) Tucker Carlson could run @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a Tucker Carlson candidacy would make me long for a Trump presidency.
” She doubts a defeated Trump could ever be jailed for tax fraud or any other criminality .
“ Americans don ’ t jail their presidents .
We didn ’ t jail Nixon .
It ’ s just not the way things are done here.
” An attempt to prosecute Trump could make it more difficult to unite the country around democratic norms , she added .
“ American democracy needs as much help as it can get .
So if @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a democracy , then I say I am all for it.
” Asked by the National Observer ’ s Solomon Wood if she had any parting words for Canadians , Jong-Fast responded in a very Canadian way : “ We ’ re sorry .
We ’ re sorry .
It just got away from us.
” She said that the long lineups seen during early voting in the U.S. indicate many Americans are ready for a less-chaotic style of governance “ This experience of having a president so disruptive and evil has made @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that is good and boring .
”

Donald Trump’s campaign rhetoric will become even more manic and the U.S. election even more bizarre in its final two weeks as the president faces likely defeat, one of his most acerbic media critics says. “It seems every time I think it can’t get any crazier and scarier, it gets both crazier and scarier,” said Molly Jong-Fast, editor-at-large for the Daily Beast and co-host of the political podcast The New Abnormal. Video of "There could still be a lot of f*ckery!" Molly Jong-Fast on the increasingly bizarre US elections "There could still be a lot of 'f*ckery', Molly Jong-Fast talks with Linda Solomon Wood In a public conversation Tuesday with Linda Solomon Wood, editor-in-chief of Canada’s National Observer, Jong-Fast said Trump seems to be “decompensating” since he was infected with COVID-19. “I wonder if it’s because he’s on steroids? Or maybe he was just able to control his mania better last time in 2016.”
Exhibit A is Trump’s frantic attempt to get his Justice Department and the mainstream media to investigate emails allegedly belonging to Hunter Biden, the son of Joe Biden, the president’s Democratic challenger. Trump is expected to attack Biden over his son’s business activities during the debate Thursday. “He seems very jacked up and frenetic,” said Jong-Fast. “This debate will be crazy.” Billion-dollar land deals in Ontario raise corruption suspicions Even though all the polls give Biden a clear edge nationally and in the battleground states, Jong-Fast said that she and many other Democrats remain haunted by Hillary Clinton’s unexpected defeat in 2016 and by Al Gore’s razor-thin loss to George W. Bush in 2000.
“What am I worried about? I am worried about everything all the time. Worry is like my thing,” said Jong-Fast when asked what her fears are about the campaign’s final stage. “This experience of having a president so disruptive and evil has made Americans more interested in having a government that is good and boring,” @MollyJongFast said in a conversation with @NatObserver on Tuesday. “I hate to put anything past Donald Trump because he’s a desperate man. Not desperate in the way that Dubya (Bush) was desperate. He’s desperate in a way we’ve never had.” Jong-Fast worries that Attorney General Bill Barr could make statements or launch legal proceedings designed to undermine Biden. “I think there could still be a lot of fuckery. Bill Barr is very committed to Trump, and he is really good at doing scary stuff. Trump has the same tricks, but I am not sure that they are going to work this time.” Jong-Fast also fears the selection of Amy Coney Barrett to the U.S. Supreme Court could embolden the court’s conservative majority. She worries the court could undermine a new Democratic administration’s attempt to stimulate the economy and provide a public health-care option for Americans struggling with COVID-19. Jong-Fast said the media has become attuned to campaign disinformation and is now reluctant to repeat allegations from Trump and his surrogates against Biden without substantial evidence.
“We’re seeing that the American media has learned a lot of lessons, so that’s very exciting. It’s only been four years and it’s been a steep learning curve.” Despite Trump’s unhinged claims of voter fraud and hints that he might not accept the Nov. 3 election’s result, Jong-Fast believes the Republican president will leave the White House if the vote is decisive. “The way it looks now, he could get a shellacking. And let’s hope he does, because if it’s close, he’ll fight.”


nationalobserver--2020-10-22--Feds provide $100 million to research ways to cut GHG emissions in oil and gas

CALGARY — The federal government says it will provide $ 100 million from its strategic innovation fund over four years @ @ @ @ @ use of technologies to lower the oil and gas industry ’ s environmental impact .
@ @ @ @ @ Development Canada says the money will be provided to the Clean Resource Innovation Network , @ @ @ @ @ , not−for−profit organizations , government departments and agencies , researchers , academic institutions and economic @ @ @ @ @ CRIN will aim to use the investment to support research projects to reduce the sector @ @ @ @ @ by 100 megatons by 2033 , the equivalent of taking 1.5 million cars off the @ @

CALGARY — The federal government says it will provide $100 million from its strategic innovation fund over four years to accelerate the development and use of technologies to lower the oil and gas industry’s environmental impact.
Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada says the money will be provided to the Clean Resource Innovation Network, a 1,700−member consortium of companies, not−for−profit organizations, government departments and agencies, researchers, academic institutions and economic development agencies.
It says CRIN will aim to use the investment to support research projects to reduce the sector’s greenhouse gas emissions by 100 megatons by 2033, the equivalent of taking 1.5 million cars off the road.
CRIN is to call for project applications in seven areas for activities related to ecosystem growth, enhancement and long−term sustainability.
At least half of the funding is to go to small and medium−sized businesses.


nationalobserver--2020-10-22--Liberals can play politics, Tories will focus on issues, O'Toole says

OTTAWA — Conservative Leader Erin O ’ Toole said his party doesn ’ t have confidence in the Liberal government , but that doesn ’ t mean every issue needs to turn into a confidence vote .
Yet his party is using its second chance this week to set Parliament ’ s agenda to propose a motion calling for a sweeping probe by the House of Commons health committee into a host of issues relating to the government ’ s handling of the COVID−19 pandemic .
The motion is so broad and the demand for documents so massive the Liberals @ @ @ @ @ @ @ paralyze the government — the same argument used to declare an earlier Conservative motion on the WE Charity affair a confidence matter .
The government survived the subsequent confidence vote on that motion — which would have created a special committee to investigate the WE Charity affair and other alleged examples of corruption — with NDP , Green and Independent MPs grudgingly joining with the Liberals on Wednesday to defeat the motion .
But all opposition parties blamed Prime Minister Justin Trudeau for turning the issue into a confidence matter that threatened to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ • California megafires rise exponentially as global heating takes the gloves off • A ‘ perfect storm ’ of pre-election uncertainty along the U.S.-Canada border The point of the health committee motion is to get the answers that will improve upon Canada ’ s response to the pandemic , not force an election , O ’ Toole said Thursday .
`` How would an election in the second wave of a pandemic improve our response ? ''
O ’ Toole said .
`` How would that help the well−being of Canadians ?
Mr. @ @ @ @ @ @ @ political fortunes , a continued coverup , ahead of the well−being of Canadians . ''
The new motion was actually introduced by Conservative MP Michelle Rempel Garner at the health committee several weeks ago , where it appeared to have the support of Bloc Québécois and NDP members .
But Liberal members argued strenuously at that time that they needed more time to digest such a massive motion .
On Thursday , Liberals argued the motion brings an overly broad scope that would bog down public servants and swamp caucus members with papers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` intentionally meant to overwhelm the department , '' Health Minister Patty Hajdu said in the House of Commons .
`` We ’ re going to ask about rapid testing .
We ’ re going to ask about a better response .
We ’ re going to improve .
That is the job of an Opposition . ''
# cndpoli # tories `` The motion asks public health officials basically to stop what they ’ re doing to protect Canadians and sift through emails and documents instead , '' added Liberal MP Darren @ @ @ @ @ @ @ debated in the House of Commons Thursday , it will not be put to a vote until Monday .
Bloc Québécois Leader Yves−François Blanchet said Thursday he would back the Conservative motion , insisting that a broad probe into `` bad spending '' is warranted .
“ We don ’ t know what the WE Charity scandal hides , '' he said in French .
Among other things , the motion would direct the health committee to scrutinize the government ’ s slow progress in approving rapid COVID−19 testing , the impact of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Health Organization recommendations that delayed travel restrictions and wearing of face masks , the Public Health Agency of Canada ’ s communications strategy , the partial shutdown of the Global Public Health Intelligence Network early warning system and the adequacy of federal health transfer payments to the provinces .
And it would order the government to turn over a raft of documents from the Prime Minister ’ s Office , the Privy Council Office , various ministers ’ offices and departments , and the Public Health Agency of Canada related to the government @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the purchase of personal protective equipment and testing products .
It would also order the government to release all records related to the COVID−19 Vaccine Task Force and its subcommittees and its plans for distributing an eventual vaccine .
The demand for documents concerning the purchase of personal protective equipment could be particularly sensitive for the government .
It has used a national security exemption to keep some procurement contracts secret , arguing that the intense global competition for PPE makes it prudent to protect the names of suppliers of items that are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as N95 respirators , gloves and swabs .
A national security exemption also allows the government to purchase supplies more quickly .

OTTAWA — Conservative Leader Erin O’Toole said his party doesn’t have confidence in the Liberal government, but that doesn’t mean every issue needs to turn into a confidence vote. Yet his party is using its second chance this week to set Parliament’s agenda to propose a motion calling for a sweeping probe by the House of Commons health committee into a host of issues relating to the government’s handling of the COVID−19 pandemic. The motion is so broad and the demand for documents so massive the Liberals are expected to argue its passage would paralyze the government — the same argument used to declare an earlier Conservative motion on the WE Charity affair a confidence matter. The government survived the subsequent confidence vote on that motion — which would have created a special committee to investigate the WE Charity affair and other alleged examples of corruption — with NDP, Green and Independent MPs grudgingly joining with the Liberals on Wednesday to defeat the motion. But all opposition parties blamed Prime Minister Justin Trudeau for turning the issue into a confidence matter that threatened to plunge the country into an election.
The point of the health committee motion is to get the answers that will improve upon Canada’s response to the pandemic, not force an election, O’Toole said Thursday. "How would an election in the second wave of a pandemic improve our response?" O’Toole said. Billion-dollar land deals in Ontario raise corruption suspicions "How would that help the well−being of Canadians? Mr. Trudeau is willing to put his own political fortunes, a continued coverup, ahead of the well−being of Canadians."
The new motion was actually introduced by Conservative MP Michelle Rempel Garner at the health committee several weeks ago, where it appeared to have the support of Bloc Québécois and NDP members. But Liberal members argued strenuously at that time that they needed more time to digest such a massive motion. "We’re going to ask about rapid testing. We’re going to ask about a better response. We’re going to improve. That is the job of an Opposition." #cndpoli #tories On Thursday, Liberals argued the motion brings an overly broad scope that would bog down public servants and swamp caucus members with papers and information requests. The move is "intentionally meant to overwhelm the department," Health Minister Patty Hajdu said in the House of Commons. "The motion asks public health officials basically to stop what they’re doing to protect Canadians and sift through emails and documents instead," added Liberal MP Darren Fisher. While the motion will be debated in the House of Commons Thursday, it will not be put to a vote until Monday.
Bloc Québécois Leader Yves−François Blanchet said Thursday he would back the Conservative motion, insisting that a broad probe into "bad spending" is warranted. “We don’t know what the WE Charity scandal hides," he said in French. Among other things, the motion would direct the health committee to scrutinize the government’s slow progress in approving rapid COVID−19 testing, the impact of the government’s reliance on World Health Organization recommendations that delayed travel restrictions and wearing of face masks, the Public Health Agency of Canada’s communications strategy, the partial shutdown of the Global Public Health Intelligence Network early warning system and the adequacy of federal health transfer payments to the provinces.


nationalobserver--2020-10-22--Toronto and Montreal face rising COVID-19 rates, but officials frame the situation differently

Health officials in Toronto and Montreal struck vastly different tones on the state of COVID-19 in their cities on Wednesday , with Toronto 's medical officer of health warning the Ontario capital could be following in the footsteps of hard-hit Europe .
Dr. Eileen de Villa said she was concerned with a one-day , 21-person rise in hospitalizations and a test positivity rate that climbed from 3.1 per cent to 4.4 per cent since Monday .
`` I 'm concerned that this upward climb is not over , especially when I look at COVID-19 's renewed eruption in other countries @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that rising cases have prompted new lockdowns in several European countries , including Ireland and parts of the United Kingdom .
`` There is nothing to prevent COVID-19 from catching fire here except the choices we make , '' she said .
• California megafires rise exponentially as global heating takes the gloves off • A ‘ perfect storm ’ of pre-election uncertainty along the U.S.-Canada border In contrast , officials in Montreal said the situation in the city was `` progressing in the right direction '' following a stabilization of cases and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is still in the red zone and all our indicators are still in the red zone , but we are not seeing this important rise , we 're seeing a plateau that has been there for the last two weeks , '' said Mylene Drouin , the city 's regional director of public health .
Montreal is the epicentre of the virus in Canada , with almost 40,000 cases .
Drouin credited Montrealers ' efforts in following strict public health measures implemented at the beginning of October , which included closing bars , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ indoor private gatherings to people who live together .
However , Drouin noted the city is still battling some 200 outbreaks as well as a test positivity rate above five per cent , and urged Montrealers not to relax their guard .
Quebec once again surpassed the bar of 1,000 new cases per day on Wednesday , as well as recording 19 new deaths .
Ontario reported 790 cases .
Health officials in Toronto and Montreal struck vastly different tones on the state of COVID-19 in their cities on Wednesday , with Toronto @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Ontario capital could be following in the footsteps of hard-hit Europe .
In Manitoba , Premier Brian Pallister announced the province was hiking the fines for individuals and businesses who disregard public health orders aimed at stopping transmission of the virus .
The province reported 135 cases on Wednesday , with most located in Winnipeg .
Alberta reported its highest daily case tally on Wednesday with 406 new cases , just as it was announced that Premier Jason Kenney was isolating at home as a precaution while being tested .
Other politicians were @ @ @ @ @ @ @ affairs minister tested positive .
Both Drouin and Ontario Premier Doug Ford expressed concerns over the impact the second wave of the pandemic is having on mental health , particularly for children and young adults .
Drouin told reporters in Montreal that more than 45 per cent of young adults reported mental health impacts due to the pandemic , which is higher than in other age groups .
Young adults were also more likely to report having lost their jobs or having trouble paying bills , she said .
Ford announced his government @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his government 's $ 176 million mental health commitment for specialized mental health services for children and youth , including money to increase access to counselling , support for programs aimed at youth , and eating disorder intervention .
There was good news on the testing front as procurement Minister Anita Anand said Canada has received a first shipment of 100,000 rapid tests for COVID-19 .
Anand confirmed the delivery of the ID Now kit , which can provide results in as little as 13 minutes on the spot where the patient is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the country is on track to receive more than 2.5 million of the tests by the end of the year , and that delivery of a second rapid test , the Abbott Panbio , should begin to arrive shortly .
The news on testing was overshadowed by a confidence vote in the House of Commons that had threatened to trigger an election and upend the government 's pandemic recovery plans .
In the end , the minority Liberals survived the vote as a majority of MPs voted against a Conservative motion to create @ @ @ @ @ @ @ WE Charity affair and concerns over pandemic-related spending .
The NDP and Green Party both prevented the government 's fall by voting against the motion , with leaders of both parties expressing their opposition to plunging the country into an election when it needs to focus instead on helping Canadians recover from the pandemic .
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 21 , 2020

Health officials in Toronto and Montreal struck vastly different tones on the state of COVID-19 in their cities on Wednesday, with Toronto's medical officer of health warning the Ontario capital could be following in the footsteps of hard-hit Europe. Dr. Eileen de Villa said she was concerned with a one-day, 21-person rise in hospitalizations and a test positivity rate that climbed from 3.1 per cent to 4.4 per cent since Monday. "I'm concerned that this upward climb is not over, especially when I look at COVID-19's renewed eruption in other countries," she said. She noted that rising cases have prompted new lockdowns in several European countries, including Ireland and parts of the United Kingdom. "There is nothing to prevent COVID-19 from catching fire here except the choices we make," she said.
In contrast, officials in Montreal said the situation in the city was "progressing in the right direction" following a stabilization of cases and hospitalizations in recent weeks. "Montreal is still in the red zone and all our indicators are still in the red zone, but we are not seeing this important rise, we're seeing a plateau that has been there for the last two weeks," said Mylene Drouin, the city's regional director of public health. Billion-dollar land deals in Ontario raise corruption suspicions Montreal is the epicentre of the virus in Canada, with almost 40,000 cases.
Drouin credited Montrealers' efforts in following strict public health measures implemented at the beginning of October, which included closing bars, restaurant dining rooms and gyms and limiting indoor private gatherings to people who live together. Health officials in Toronto and Montreal struck vastly different tones on the state of COVID-19 in their cities on Wednesday, with Toronto's medical officer of health warning the Ontario capital could be following in the footsteps of hard-hit Europe. However, Drouin noted the city is still battling some 200 outbreaks as well as a test positivity rate above five per cent, and urged Montrealers not to relax their guard. Quebec once again surpassed the bar of 1,000 new cases per day on Wednesday, as well as recording 19 new deaths. Ontario reported 790 cases. In Manitoba, Premier Brian Pallister announced the province was hiking the fines for individuals and businesses who disregard public health orders aimed at stopping transmission of the virus. The province reported 135 cases on Wednesday, with most located in Winnipeg.
Alberta reported its highest daily case tally on Wednesday with 406 new cases, just as it was announced that Premier Jason Kenney was isolating at home as a precaution while being tested. Other politicians were also isolating after the province's municipal affairs minister tested positive. Both Drouin and Ontario Premier Doug Ford expressed concerns over the impact the second wave of the pandemic is having on mental health, particularly for children and young adults.


nationalobserver--2020-10-22--Another prominent Canadian appeals to China to release Michael Kovrig

The president of a prominent think tank used a high-level U.N. Security Council meeting Tuesday to appeal for the release of former Canadian diplomat Michael Kovrig , who has been held by Beijing for nearly two years as part of a diplomatic dispute with Canada .
At the end of his briefing on security in the Persian Gulf , International Crisis Group president Robert Malley told the council meeting attended by China ’ s foreign minister that his organization strives to be “ an impartial conflict-resolution organization , ” and its staff tries to understand the perspectives of all parties @ @ @ @ @ @ @ colleague Michael Kovrig was doing in his work on China ’ s foreign policy , ” Malley said .
Kovrig is the International Crisis Group 's senior adviser on northeast Asia .
He and fellow Canadian Michael Spavor were arrested separately nearly two years ago in apparent retaliation for Canadian authorities having detained Huawei executive Meng Wanzhou , who was wanted in the U.S. on fraud charges .
Meng , who has denied any wrongdoing , is now facing possible extradition to the U.S. while Chinese authorities have indicted the two Michaels on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ charges .
• California megafires rise exponentially as global heating takes the gloves off • A ‘ perfect storm ’ of pre-election uncertainty along the U.S.-Canada border Malley said it wasn ’ t the time or place to discuss the former Canadian diplomat 's case , “ but I can not conclude without appealing to the Chinese authorities , if they are listening , to understand the mission he was pursuing , end his almost two-year detention , allow him at long last to be reunited with his loved ones and continue his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The participants at the virtual council meeting were shown on the screen , and when Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi heard China mentioned he looked up and paid attention .
But Wang made no mention of Kovrig in his own speech to the council .
“ He is not only a member of the International Crisis Group , but a former colleague of ours , a former diplomat , ” Heusgen said .
Kovrig served for a time as a Canadian diplomat at the UN in New York .
The president of a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Security Council meeting on Tuesday , October 20 , 2020 , to appeal for the release of former Canadian diplomat Michael Kovrig .
Canada has repeatedly called for China to release Kovrig and Spavor , whose access to Canadian consular officials has been limited and who are reportedly being kept in cells where the lights are never turned off .
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau last week accused China of `` coercive diplomacy '' while Defence Minister Harjit Sajjan earlier this month described the continued detention of the two Michaels as `` hostage diplomacy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Canadians are being arbitrarily detained in response to Canada ’ s arrest of Meng .
A Chinese foreign ministry spokesman this month said Kovrig and Spavor were “ suspected of engaging in activities that endanger China ’ s national security.
” Yet despite its disavowals of any connection , Beijing has repeatedly tied the detentions to the arrest of Meng , Huawei ’ s chief financial officer and the daughter of the company ’ s founder .
The U.S. is seeking her extradition on fraud charges and the case is before Canadian courts @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was first published Oct. 21 , 2020 .

The president of a prominent think tank used a high-level U.N. Security Council meeting Tuesday to appeal for the release of former Canadian diplomat Michael Kovrig, who has been held by Beijing for nearly two years as part of a diplomatic dispute with Canada.
At the end of his briefing on security in the Persian Gulf, International Crisis Group president Robert Malley told the council meeting attended by China’s foreign minister that his organization strives to be “an impartial conflict-resolution organization,” and its staff tries to understand the perspectives of all parties.
“That’s what our colleague Michael Kovrig was doing in his work on China’s foreign policy,” Malley said.
Kovrig is the International Crisis Group's senior adviser on northeast Asia. He and fellow Canadian Michael Spavor were arrested separately nearly two years ago in apparent retaliation for Canadian authorities having detained Huawei executive Meng Wanzhou, who was wanted in the U.S. on fraud charges.
Meng, who has denied any wrongdoing, is now facing possible extradition to the U.S. while Chinese authorities have indicted the two Michaels on what many observers believe are trumped-up spying charges.


nationalobserver--2020-10-22--Some Nunavut RCMP officers to begin wearing body-worn cameras later this year

The RCMP says Mounties serving in Iqaluit are to be equipped with body-worn cameras later this year as part of a pilot project that aims to help strengthen accountability and public trust of the police force .
The RCMP says it made the decision after consulting with community members and federal and territorial government officials .
It says the goal of the pilot project is to evaluate best practices with existing technology in remote regions , and to get feedback from the community .
The RCMP says the Iqaluit deployment will help it develop its plan to eventually equip front-line @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The force says it is working with industry to ensure that a camera system and digital evidence management gear meets its requirements and anticipates a contract bidding process early next year .
• California megafires rise exponentially as global heating takes the gloves off • A ‘ perfect storm ’ of pre-election uncertainty along the U.S.-Canada border The RCMP says its objective for body-worn cameras is to improve police and public behaviour , evidence gathering and prosecutions and more quickly deal with public complaints .
`` Protecting the safety and security of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ RCMP are my top priorities , '' RCMP Commissioner Brenda Lucki said in a release Wednesday .
`` With the support of the federal government and our contracted policing partners , I am committed to rolling out a body-worn camera program for all front-line police officers in the RCMP . ''
The RCMP says body-worn video cameras provide a first-person view of what a police officer encounters , often in highly dynamic and tense situations .
Last June , Nunavut RCMP said the force was considering using body cameras as tension grew between @ @ @ @ @ @ @ serve .
This followed a video that became public on social media that showed an RCMP officer in Kinngait , formerly Cape Dorset , using the door of a slowly moving police vehicle to knock over an apparently intoxicated man .
Nunavut RCMP officer to wear body-worn cameras later this year .
# RCM { # Nunavut At the time , Nunavut Justice Minister Jeannie Ehaloak said she was outraged by what she called the unnecessary force , the violence and the lack of respect she saw in the video .
On Wednesday @ @ @ @ @ @ @ favour of any measures that increase the transparency of police services .
`` We support this pilot project and are happy to see progress on the issue of body-worn cameras , '' she said in a release .
Federal Public Safety Minister Bill Blair said the roll-out in Iqaluit will help the RCMP as it moves toward the introduction of body-worn cameras for front-line officers across the country .
Northern Affairs Minister Daniel Vandal said body-worn cameras are only one solution to addressing systemic racism and discrimination in policing and other institutions .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ systemic racism from these institutions , institutions that are meant to serve everyone living in this country equally and fairly , '' he said in a release .

The RCMP says Mounties serving in Iqaluit are to be equipped with body-worn cameras later this year as part of a pilot project that aims to help strengthen accountability and public trust of the police force. The RCMP says it made the decision after consulting with community members and federal and territorial government officials. It says the goal of the pilot project is to evaluate best practices with existing technology in remote regions, and to get feedback from the community. The RCMP says the Iqaluit deployment will help it develop its plan to eventually equip front-line RCMP officers with body-worn cameras across Canada. The force says it is working with industry to ensure that a camera system and digital evidence management gear meets its requirements and anticipates a contract bidding process early next year.
The RCMP says its objective for body-worn cameras is to improve police and public behaviour, evidence gathering and prosecutions and more quickly deal with public complaints. "Protecting the safety and security of Canadians and ensuring public trust in the RCMP are my top priorities," RCMP Commissioner Brenda Lucki said in a release Wednesday. Billion-dollar land deals in Ontario raise corruption suspicions "With the support of the federal government and our contracted policing partners, I am committed to rolling out a body-worn camera program for all front-line police officers in the RCMP."
The RCMP says body-worn video cameras provide a first-person view of what a police officer encounters, often in highly dynamic and tense situations. Nunavut RCMP officer to wear body-worn cameras later this year. #RCM{ #Nunavut Last June, Nunavut RCMP said the force was considering using body cameras as tension grew between Mounties and the largely Inuit communities they serve. This followed a video that became public on social media that showed an RCMP officer in Kinngait, formerly Cape Dorset, using the door of a slowly moving police vehicle to knock over an apparently intoxicated man. At the time, Nunavut Justice Minister Jeannie Ehaloak said she was outraged by what she called the unnecessary force, the violence and the lack of respect she saw in the video. On Wednesday she said the Nunavut government is in favour of any measures that increase the transparency of police services.
"We support this pilot project and are happy to see progress on the issue of body-worn cameras," she said in a release. Federal Public Safety Minister Bill Blair said the roll-out in Iqaluit will help the RCMP as it moves toward the introduction of body-worn cameras for front-line officers across the country. Northern Affairs Minister Daniel Vandal said body-worn cameras are only one solution to addressing systemic racism and discrimination in policing and other institutions.