nationalobserver--2020-07-23--Too young to vote but not too young to make Canada 'best place in the world'

Roman Wolfli wants to raise the voices of those too young to vote so they can still be heard by politicians , and the 13-year-old from Calgary is working hard to make that happen .
He was one of three young MCs for last month ’ s inaugural session of the Young Canadians ’ Parliament , where around 75 young people from across the country got together in small groups to discuss mental health and how to handle the pandemic before presenting their ideas to federal MPs , including Families , Children and Social Development Minister Ahmed Hussen .
Wolfli @ @ @ @ @ @ @ considering a career in politics .
“ Right now , my goal is just to make Canada the best place in the world for kids to grow up , ” he said .
“ What I do later , we ’ ll see .
I ’ m not sure.
” The parliament is a government-backed effort to help children learn about their specific rights ( as defined by the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child ) and to advocate on their own behalf about decisions that affect them .
• Federal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ could reach 1.7M Canadians • Ford 's COVID-19 economic recovery bill was 'not compliant ' with the law , auditor general says • Ford disagrees after auditor general finds Bill 197 was 'not compliant ' with law Eleven-year-old Camila King of Toronto shared her group 's thoughts on the COVID-19 crisis with Families , Children and Social Development Minister Ahmed Hussen .
Photo supplied Camila King from Toronto also attended the virtual event and was selected to share her breakout group ’ s ideas with the minister .
“ I was worried at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ because I kept thinking , ‘ What if I mess up ?
’ But I pushed that away and said , ‘ It 's important for kids to be heard and I should do this , ’ ” the 11-year old said .
King said her own ideas about how to make life more bearable for kids during the pandemic included installing hand sanitizing stations in playgrounds and providing kid-sized gloves , and teaching younger kids how to make space bubbles to maintain social distance .
There ’ s no minimum age for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ first session had an eight-year-old participant — but no one 18 or older is invited .
“ Younger children who have strong opinions and want to be engaged were being excluded from important decisions that affect them , ” said Sara Austin , the executive director of Children First Canada , whose youth ambassadors and advisory council helped design and develop the concept and lead its execution .
“ When a child tells you what they ’ ve seen in their community or what they know to be true , that is such @ @ @ @ @ @ @ change in these fields.
” Sara Austin , executive director of Children First Canada , discusses the youth parliament on a video call with National Observer on July 22 , 2020 .
Wolfli has been working with Children First Canada for several years already , invited to attend a summit in Ottawa in late 2017 that led to the creation of a Canadian Children ’ s Charter a year later .
He ’ s particularly concerned about the mental health struggles of youth and said he hoped hearing directly from children would give @ @ @ @ @ @ @ would lower youth suicide rates .
“ When a child tells you what they ’ ve seen in their community or what they know to be true , that is such a powerful and important tool in achieving change in these fields , ” Wolfli told National Observer this week .
Suicide is the second leading cause of death for children and youth , Children First Canada says , and Canada is ranked in the top five countries for the highest child suicide rates globally .
Wolfli said youth mental health challenges stem @ @ @ @ @ @ @ issues that can be tackled .
“ It speaks to a sense , and , of course , I ca n't speak to what actually mental illness is like , but from my perspective , it speaks to a sense of hopelessness , ” he said .
“ There are so many issues ; so much food insecurity and poverty and abuse , and bullying .
Bullying is a big one.
” “ It ’ s a testament to how serious the other problems are and how serious they are in combination , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ our video interview , Wolfli was due to jump on a training call to learn how to facilitate the parliament ’ s second session , which is taking place Thursday and will focus on the environment — in both the larger biosphere sense and the more personal version .
The group plans to hold a national virtual forum every month in the lead-up to National Child Day on Nov. 20 , with topics to include the need for a national children ’ s commissioner , inequity , the top 10 threats to childhood @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Austin from Children First Canada said the plan for the parliament had been in the works well before the pandemic , but that funding from Canadian Heritage was expedited to develop the online version .
The parliament delivered a long list of recommendations to the politicians who attended the first session , which also included health minister Patty Hajdu ’ s parliamentary secretary and MPs from the NDP and Conservatives .
Hussen ’ s office said his focus during the first session was on the importance of youth leadership and how to navigate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ important feedback from the group ensures how our government can provide and ensure children have the best mental and physical support they need , ” spokesperson Jessica Eritou said .


nationalobserver--2020-07-22--America is in trouble now. Even more reason to stand by those you love.

Last week , deep within the bowels of the Federal Plaza , in a COVID-ravaged NYC , I stood in a half-empty hall , preparing to swear my oath of citizenship to the United States .
There were a few dozen of us , racially and religiously diverse immigrants , standing together yet apart , warily masked and socially distanced—the huddled masses yearning to breathe free , as we were once described in Emma Lazarus ’ moving poem , affixed to the base of the Statue of Liberty .
In front of us was a maroon dais , some empty @ @ @ @ @ @ @ artificial palm , and the Stars and Stripes flag , hanging limp and a little dusty .
We ’ d all been waiting to do this for months .
Our ceremony had been abruptly ‘ descheduled ’ back in March after the USCIS offices , and just about everything else in NYC , closed down in a spastic and belated response to the killer pandemic .
The oath ceremony would be the last step before being granted citizenship , a goal I had been pursuing since getting a green card a few years @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of 2016 .
It ’ s no secret America has been spiralling into an abyss since then , and at times I felt like I was booking passage on the Titanic or jumping headlong into a garbage fire .
Even at that time , the Lexington Avenue doctor I visited to get my required syphilis and TB screening expressed his incredulity .
“ Why would you want to come here , when we ’ re all trying to figure how to get out ?
” he asked .
• Federal COVID-19 payment for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Canadians • Ford 's COVID-19 economic recovery bill was 'not compliant ' with the law , auditor general says • Ford disagrees after auditor general finds Bill 197 was 'not compliant ' with law I wasn ’ t sure if he was joking .
Now I think he probably wasn ’ t .
Born in Canada of German-citizen parents , I was already a bi-national .
I ’ d come to the U.S. with my American-born wife , who had accepted an academic post here , and was living and working in NYC @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Yet ‘ permanent , ’ I was to find out , isn ’ t quite what it claims and , as with all green card holders , if ever I wanted to leave the U.S. for an extended period , I wouldn ’ t be automatically readmitted .
Absence implies doubt , and America demands fealty .
Also , permanent residents do not have the right to vote , and given that the ship of state is on fire and there will be a federal election in November , it seemed especially important @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a fascist in the Oval Office , many of my American loved ones were in the thick of the resistance , yet I felt myself keeping an ironic distance , hiding behind my non-citizenship .
It was gradually dawning on me there was too much at stake to be stuck on the sidelines .
So many of the people I cared about most in the world were here , and I needed to really be with them .
Earlier in the day , as I lined up outside the Federal Plaza building along @ @ @ @ @ @ @ thick and the steel wool sky tormented by thunderstorms , and I reflected once again on what I was about to do .
I thought about how broken and disorganized everything is here in America , so grimy , so corrupted — yet filled with the hope I saw in the faces of those waiting around me , standing there , in anticipation of this life-changing event .
They were dressed in their Sunday best , nervously checking their phones and shuffling their feet , ducking from time to time beneath the insubstantial @ @ @ @ @ @ @ futile attempt to dodge the fat raindrops that still intermittently pelted down .
The lack of basic shelter from the elements for a bunch of random immigrants , waiting for a government service , came as no surprise to any of us .
This was America , after all .
The casual cruelty of neglected public infrastructure is apparent everywhere , from the overflowing airport toilets to the broken elevators and dearth of escalators in NYC subway stations , a brutal impediment to the old , the weak or the heavily burdened .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ of stations that I recognize from the 1980s , when I first rode those subways , and I pass the time waiting for trains making little phone movies of rats on the tracks as they tussle over wrappers .
You get used to it , really you do , and endure it with a kind of gallows humour , at least on a good day .
In America , you are pretty much on your own , except for your friends and loved ones .
These are the people you rely on .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Yet , ( and this is such a paradox ) , New York City can feel so incredibly welcoming .
A city of immigrants , so many of us have come from somewhere else to try and make a go of it .
We share our stories with each other , adapt to the chaos and unite in a sense of wonder .
The city is like nowhere else on Earth , the good parts and the bad .
“ Why would you want to come here , when we ’ re all @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ?
” At Federal Plaza , anxious new arrivals hurried in from Worth Street .
The gruff white security guard with a Staten Island accent barked at them , admonishing them not to stand at the checkpoint until their appointed time .
His facemask hung below his nose , “ Don ’ t worry , I don ’ t have COVID !
” he joked , with the amiable brutality of white privilege in uniform as he rifled through their handbags and knapsacks , exhaling only inches away from their wincing eyes .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ of them people of colour , properly masked and gloved , were polite and helpful .
Yet somehow the white guy got to be the person in charge , or at least he was acting like it .
At night , just a few blocks away , the Black Lives Matter protests raged in the streets , and the shops were boarded up all down Broadway .
A couple of weeks earlier I had started getting what seemed like random calls from numbers with no caller I.D.
, which of course I ignored @ @ @ @ @ @ @ idle curiosity , I picked up .
The caller was female .
Her voice was barely audible and sounded like she was calling from her car , which for all I know she was .
“ This is the USCIS calling .
Is your birthday September 13th , 1959 ?
” The line went dead .
That was it for another week or so .
While out for a run , I saw another ‘ no caller I.D.
’ flash across my phone screen .
I picked up , and this time the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ woman said she was calling from the USCIS office and had been trying to reach me .
“ Was I still six feet tall ?
” she asked .
“ Yes , I was , ” I assured her , although lately I had been slouching terribly as the result of trying to conduct my life in front of the computer screen .
But this was likely about to change .
Under the COVID ‘ Screen New Deal , ’ my usual teaching assignments and associated health insurance were no longer assured , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ enrolment as doubt spreads over the value of American higher education , delivered online for full tuition .
The USCIS , too , is suffering from under-enrolment ; as would-be immigrants lose faith in the American brand , the agency , which is funded primarily by the high processing fees it charges for visas and residency permits , is nearing bankruptcy .
“ Could I attend an oath ceremony in two weeks ’ time ?
” “ But , ” she quickly cautioned , “ by the time we finish talking , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ due to problems with the ‘ system.
’ ” “ Yes .
The system , ” she answered without elaborating .
“ I ’ ll call you back.
” Amazingly , a few minutes later , she did call back and confirmed the date and time .
The wheels had been thrown into motion , and three weeks later , I found myself , finally , inside the ceremonially reduced halls of 26 Federal Plaza .
As I pushed my green card toward the USCIS clerk , who sat behind a makeshift screen @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to bring that from home ? )
I felt something shift inside .
I was sorry , so very sorry for America , sorry for its failures , sorry for its pervasive inequality , sorry for its economic system founded on slavery and the continued immiseration of its workers , sorry there was no public health care or any other kind of viable social safety net , sorry for the murderous insanity of the gun rights movement , the general barbarism of the place , sorry for the whole careening broken mess to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ formally and permanently .
But it was my mess now too , no longer something from which I could stand apart .
The clerk slid the envelope containing my certificate of citizenship , the text of the oath and a little American flag toward me , cautioning me not to sign the certificate until I had finished swearing .
I headed to my assigned six-foot square on the linoleum and stood by with the others .
The swearing , such as it was , was perfunctory , in keeping with the abbreviated nature @ @ @ @ @ @ @ times .
Together we repeated the archaic vow as it was read out by a masked woman at the lectern .
We declared absolutely and entirely to renounce and abjure all allegiance and fidelity to any foreign prince or potentate , to support and defend the Constitution and the Laws of the United States ( and a lot of other stuff ) ; so help ( us ) God .
And then , after all the anticipation , it was over .
We had all passed the portal into citizenship in this bastard @ @ @ @ @ @ @ our way out , past some velvet ropes and barricades , heading toward the down escalator ( it worked ) , clutching our little Stars and Stripes .
A guard congratulated each of us as we passed by .
He seemed sincere , warm even .
My face was oozing sweat under my tight-fitting mask and my nose was itching .
I pushed through the revolving doors and transited from the institutional dimness into the now intense light of a post-thunderstorm July afternoon .
Outside the streets were steaming .
Through Lower Manhattan @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , it would take me a while to walk back home .

Last week, deep within the bowels of the Federal Plaza, in a COVID-ravaged NYC, I stood in a half-empty hall, preparing to swear my oath of citizenship to the United States. There were a few dozen of us, racially and religiously diverse immigrants, standing together yet apart, warily masked and socially distanced—the huddled masses yearning to breathe free, as we were once described in Emma Lazarus’ moving poem, affixed to the base of the Statue of Liberty. In front of us was a maroon dais, some empty chairs, a forlorn lectern, an artificial palm, and the Stars and Stripes flag, hanging limp and a little dusty. We’d all been waiting to do this for months. Our ceremony had been abruptly ‘descheduled’ back in March after the USCIS offices, and just about everything else in NYC, closed down in a spastic and belated response to the killer pandemic. The oath ceremony would be the last step before being granted citizenship, a goal I had been pursuing since getting a green card a few years back, just after the federal election of 2016. It’s no secret America has been spiralling into an abyss since then, and at times I felt like I was booking passage on the Titanic or jumping headlong into a garbage fire. Even at that time, the Lexington Avenue doctor I visited to get my required syphilis and TB screening expressed his incredulity. “Why would you want to come here, when we’re all trying to figure how to get out?” he asked.
I wasn’t sure if he was joking. Now I think he probably wasn’t. Born in Canada of German-citizen parents, I was already a bi-national. I’d come to the U.S. with my American-born wife, who had accepted an academic post here, and was living and working in NYC as a so-called ‘permanent resident.’ Billion-dollar land deals in Ontario raise corruption suspicions Yet ‘permanent,’ I was to find out, isn’t quite what it claims and, as with all green card holders, if ever I wanted to leave the U.S. for an extended period, I wouldn’t be automatically readmitted. Absence implies doubt, and America demands fealty. Also, permanent residents do not have the right to vote, and given that the ship of state is on fire and there will be a federal election in November, it seemed especially important to be casting my ballot. With a fascist in the Oval Office, many of my American loved ones were in the thick of the resistance, yet I felt myself keeping an ironic distance, hiding behind my non-citizenship. It was gradually dawning on me there was too much at stake to be stuck on the sidelines. So many of the people I cared about most in the world were here, and I needed to really be with them.
Earlier in the day, as I lined up outside the Federal Plaza building along with my fellow citizens-to-be, the air thick and the steel wool sky tormented by thunderstorms, and I reflected once again on what I was about to do. I thought about how broken and disorganized everything is here in America, so grimy, so corrupted — yet filled with the hope I saw in the faces of those waiting around me, standing there, in anticipation of this life-changing event. They were dressed in their Sunday best, nervously checking their phones and shuffling their feet, ducking from time to time beneath the insubstantial overhang of the adjoining building in a futile attempt to dodge the fat raindrops that still intermittently pelted down. “Why would you want to come here, when we’re all trying to figure how to get out?” The lack of basic shelter from the elements for a bunch of random immigrants, waiting for a government service, came as no surprise to any of us. This was America, after all. The casual cruelty of neglected public infrastructure is apparent everywhere, from the overflowing airport toilets to the broken elevators and dearth of escalators in NYC subway stations, a brutal impediment to the old, the weak or the heavily burdened. There are individual stains on the tiles of stations that I recognize from the 1980s, when I first rode those subways, and I pass the time waiting for trains making little phone movies of rats on the tracks as they tussle over wrappers. You get used to it, really you do, and endure it with a kind of gallows humour, at least on a good day. In America, you are pretty much on your own, except for your friends and loved ones. These are the people you rely on. They are why I was here. Yet, (and this is such a paradox), New York City can feel so incredibly welcoming. A city of immigrants, so many of us have come from somewhere else to try and make a go of it. We share our stories with each other, adapt to the chaos and unite in a sense of wonder. The city is like nowhere else on Earth, the good parts and the bad. At Federal Plaza, anxious new arrivals hurried in from Worth Street. The gruff white security guard with a Staten Island accent barked at them, admonishing them not to stand at the checkpoint until their appointed time. His facemask hung below his nose, “Don’t worry, I don’t have COVID!” he joked, with the amiable brutality of white privilege in uniform as he rifled through their handbags and knapsacks, exhaling only inches away from their wincing eyes. By contrast, his co-workers, all of them people of colour, properly masked and gloved, were polite and helpful. Yet somehow the white guy got to be the person in charge, or at least he was acting like it. At night, just a few blocks away, the Black Lives Matter protests raged in the streets, and the shops were boarded up all down Broadway. A couple of weeks earlier I had started getting what seemed like random calls from numbers with no caller I.D., which of course I ignored, but one morning, out of idle curiosity, I picked up. The caller was female. Her voice was barely audible and sounded like she was calling from her car, which for all I know she was.
“This is the USCIS calling. Is your birthday September 13th, 1959?” “Yes” Click…


nationalobserver--2020-07-24--Privy Council Office to launch review of complaints about Governor General

The Privy Council Office says it is launching an independent review of allegations that Gov .
Gen. Julie Payette mistreated past and current employees at Rideau Hall .
The CBC reported Tuesday that Payette had yelled at , belittled and publicly humiliated employees , reducing some to tears or prompting them to quit .
On Thursday evening , Payette issued a statement saying she is `` deeply concerned '' with the media reports and welcomes the review .
`` I am completely committed to ensuring that every employee who works at Rideau Hall enjoys a secure and healthy work environment @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , '' Payette said in the statement .
`` I take harassment and workplace issues very seriously and I am in full agreement and welcome an independent review . ''
• Federal COVID-19 payment for people living with disabilities could reach 1.7M Canadians • If Haida children can understand risk and respect , why not a sport-fishing lodge ?
• Ford disagrees after auditor general finds Bill 197 was 'not compliant ' with law The Privy Council Office , a bureaucratic operation that supports the prime minister and cabinet , says the Treasury @ @ @ @ @ @ @ employees of the Office of the Secretary to the Governor General , who are part of the public service .
It says it is working with that office to establish the terms of reference for a `` thorough , independent and impartial review '' and will quickly hire a third party to lead it .
`` Harassment has no place in any professional workplace , '' the Privy Council Office said in the statement issued Thursday evening .
`` It is a public service priority to advance efforts to more effectively prevent and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Leader Jagmeet Singh had previously called on Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to investigate the matter .
`` There is no question there is an obligation , a responsibility of the prime minister in this case , with the Governor General and the complaints that we 've seen , to do something , to follow up with those complaints , '' he said Wednesday in Ottawa .
`` People should be able to feel safe to come forward .
I think that 's always a struggle for people , '' Singh added .
`` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ someone independently to assess the complaints . ''
The Privy Council Office says it is launching an independent review of allegations that Gov .
Gen. Julie Payette mistreated past and current employees at Rideau Hall .
Trudeau did not specifically address the matter when asked about it in the House of Commons .
`` Every Canadian has the right to a safe , secure workspace , free from harassment and that is extremely important , '' Trudeau said Wednesday when pressed by Singh .
This report by The Canadian Press was first published @ @ @ @ @

The Privy Council Office says it is launching an independent review of allegations that Gov. Gen. Julie Payette mistreated past and current employees at Rideau Hall. The CBC reported Tuesday that Payette had yelled at, belittled and publicly humiliated employees, reducing some to tears or prompting them to quit. On Thursday evening, Payette issued a statement saying she is "deeply concerned" with the media reports and welcomes the review. "I am completely committed to ensuring that every employee who works at Rideau Hall enjoys a secure and healthy work environment at all times and under all circumstances," Payette said in the statement. "I take harassment and workplace issues very seriously and I am in full agreement and welcome an independent review."
The Privy Council Office, a bureaucratic operation that supports the prime minister and cabinet, says the Treasury Board policy on workplace harassment applies to employees of the Office of the Secretary to the Governor General, who are part of the public service. It says it is working with that office to establish the terms of reference for a "thorough, independent and impartial review" and will quickly hire a third party to lead it. Billion-dollar land deals in Ontario raise corruption suspicions "Harassment has no place in any professional workplace," the Privy Council Office said in the statement issued Thursday evening. "It is a public service priority to advance efforts to more effectively prevent and resolve issues of harassment.
New Democrat Leader Jagmeet Singh had previously called on Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to investigate the matter. The Privy Council Office says it is launching an independent review of allegations that Gov. Gen. Julie Payette mistreated past and current employees at Rideau Hall. "There is no question there is an obligation, a responsibility of the prime minister in this case, with the Governor General and the complaints that we've seen, to do something, to follow up with those complaints,'' he said Wednesday in Ottawa. "People should be able to feel safe to come forward. I think that's always a struggle for people,'' Singh added. "There needs to be some manner for someone independently to assess the complaints.'' Trudeau did not specifically address the matter when asked about it in the House of Commons. "Every Canadian has the right to a safe, secure workspace, free from harassment and that is extremely important,'' Trudeau said Wednesday when pressed by Singh.


nationalobserver--2020-07-24--Asylum claims being filed in Canada rise slightly despite pandemic

The number of asylum claims being filed in Canada continues to rise slightly despite ongoing global travel restrictions .
The latest figures from the Immigration Department show 1,500 claims for refugee status were filed in Canada in June , up from 1,400 in May .
For the first time since April — the first full month of major travel restrictions designed to slow the spread of COVID-19 — refugee claims were filed at airports .
There were also multiple claims at marine ports .
Also slightly on the rise were the number of people stopped by the RCMP trying to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ June , up from 21 in May .
Currently , Canada is turning back those who show up at unmarked border crossings , one of several measures being taken at the border in response to the pandemic .
• Federal COVID-19 payment for people living with disabilities could reach 1.7M Canadians • If Haida children can understand risk and respect , why not a sport-fishing lodge ?
• Ford disagrees after auditor general finds Bill 197 was 'not compliant ' with law How many people will continue to attempt to enter Canada irregularly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the wake of a Federal Court decision Wednesday that the Safe Third Country Agreement between Canada and the U.S. violates the charter .
The agreement is the reason just over 3,000 people this year have tried to cross irregularly into Canada in order to file for asylum .
Under the deal , they would be turned away at formal border points .
They can still , however , lodge a claim once they are inside Canada .
But Federal Court Justice Ann Marie McDonald said Wednesday that elements of the law underpinning @ @ @ @ @ @ @ life , liberty and security .
Under the agreement , which took effect in 2004 , Canada and the U.S. recognize each other as safe places to seek protection .
That means Canada can turn away those who arrive at land ports of entry along the Canada-U.S. border on the basis they must pursue asylum in the U.S. , the country where they first arrived .
The number of asylum claims being filed in Canada continues to rise slightly despite ongoing global travel restrictions .
In the long-running court case , the applicants @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Ethiopia and Syria , arrived at a Canadian land entry port from the U.S. and sought refugee protection but were refused .
They had argued in court that when returning ineligible refugee claimants to the U.S. , Canada exposes them to risks in the form of detention and other rights violations .
In her decision , McDonald concluded the consequences ineligible claimants may face upon return to the U.S. are `` inconsistent with the spirit and objective '' of the refugee agreement and amount to a violation of the rights guaranteed by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ judgement , however , was suspended for six months to allow the government to find a solution .
Talks between Canada and the U.S. to update the Safe Third Country Agreement have been underway for a while , and rights advocates in both countries have urged Canada to use the ruling as opportunity to push them forward .
`` Human Rights First notes that the Trump administration 's treatment of asylum seekers is now even worse than it was at the time evidence was submitted in this case , '' the non-partisan American @ @ @ @ @ @ @ In light of the court 's decision and this ongoing deterioration , Human Rights First urges the Canadian government to take this opportunity to withdraw from the 'safe third country ' agreement . '
'' The government ca n't sit on its hands and do nothing , said Queen 's University professor and immigration law expert Sharry Aiken .
She said the agreement should be suspended immediately , as the while the court was only dealing with the legality of the deal , it continues to impact refugee claims .
`` In my @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to act immediately to prevent further violations of our constitution and the international human rights commitments to which Canada has agreed to be bound , '' she said .
`` It also means that it would be unconscionable for the government to appeal this ruling and seek a stay of the ruling . ''
Current travel restrictions in place to slow the spread of COVID-19 appear to have placed downward pressure overall on asylum claims .
By the end of June 2019 , 26,725 claims were filed , compared with 16,865 asylum claims @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rise in June of this year was due to an increase in people already in Canada making claims at government offices , as opposed to those requesting asylum immediately upon arrival in Canada .
This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 24 , 2020 .

The number of asylum claims being filed in Canada continues to rise slightly despite ongoing global travel restrictions. The latest figures from the Immigration Department show 1,500 claims for refugee status were filed in Canada in June, up from 1,400 in May. For the first time since April — the first full month of major travel restrictions designed to slow the spread of COVID-19 — refugee claims were filed at airports. There were also multiple claims at marine ports. Also slightly on the rise were the number of people stopped by the RCMP trying to cross irregularly into Canada: 32 in June, up from 21 in May. Currently, Canada is turning back those who show up at unmarked border crossings, one of several measures being taken at the border in response to the pandemic.
How many people will continue to attempt to enter Canada irregularly may change in the coming months, in the wake of a Federal Court decision Wednesday that the Safe Third Country Agreement between Canada and the U.S. violates the charter. The agreement is the reason just over 3,000 people this year have tried to cross irregularly into Canada in order to file for asylum. Under the deal, they would be turned away at formal border points. Billion-dollar land deals in Ontario raise corruption suspicions They can still, however, lodge a claim once they are inside Canada.
But Federal Court Justice Ann Marie McDonald said Wednesday that elements of the law underpinning the agreement violate the constitutional guarantee of life, liberty and security. The number of asylum claims being filed in Canada continues to rise slightly despite ongoing global travel restrictions. Under the agreement, which took effect in 2004, Canada and the U.S. recognize each other as safe places to seek protection. That means Canada can turn away those who arrive at land ports of entry along the Canada-U.S. border on the basis they must pursue asylum in the U.S., the country where they first arrived. In the long-running court case, the applicants, who are citizens of El Salvador, Ethiopia and Syria, arrived at a Canadian land entry port from the U.S. and sought refugee protection but were refused. They had argued in court that when returning ineligible refugee claimants to the U.S., Canada exposes them to risks in the form of detention and other rights violations.
In her decision, McDonald concluded the consequences ineligible claimants may face upon return to the U.S. are "inconsistent with the spirit and objective" of the refugee agreement and amount to a violation of the rights guaranteed by Section 7 of the charter. The judgement, however, was suspended for six months to allow the government to find a solution. Talks between Canada and the U.S. to update the Safe Third Country Agreement have been underway for a while, and rights advocates in both countries have urged Canada to use the ruling as opportunity to push them forward.


nationalobserver--2020-07-24--Teck profits drop 165 per cent as COVID-19 snarls production and dents demand

Teck Resources Ltd. saw profits fall by 165 per cent last quarter as the COVID-19 pandemic dented demand for its commodities and slashed prices .
The second quarter yielded a loss of $ 149 million for the Vancouver-based miner , which was forced to shut down operations and halt construction at some sites .
All mines are now producing , and the company has issued an updated guidance after suspending it in April .
The forecast states that coal , copper , zinc and crude oil production in the second half of 2020 will reach volumes at or close to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ following lockdown closures .
`` The COVID-19 pandemic obviously had a significant negative impact on business in the quarter .
While all of our operations are currently producing with comprehensive virus-prevention measures in place , the economic impacts of the pandemic have reduced demand and prices for our products , '' CEO Don Lindsay said on a conference call .
• Federal COVID-19 payment for people living with disabilities could reach 1.7M Canadians • If Haida children can understand risk and respect , why not a sport-fishing lodge ?
• Ford disagrees after @ @ @ @ @ @ @ compliant ' with law Year-over-year prices for steelmaking coal , zinc and bitumen dropped 37 per cent , 29 per cent and 73 per cent , respectively , in the quarter ended June 30 , Teck said .
Copper output took a 12 per cent hit .
Construction of the US $ 5.2-billion Quebrada Blanca Phase 2 copper mine expansion in Chile dragged to a near standstill in the spring .
Teck cut the workforce to 400 , but the site now boasts 3,400 employees with the goal of reaching `` full strength @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Lindsay said .
The project — key to the company 's shift toward copper , which is used increasingly in electric vehicles , clean power plants and transmission lines — will see a half-year delay due to the COVID-19 interruption , with first production now slated for the end of 2022 , he said .
Teck has also suspended operations at the Neptune bulk terminal in North Vancouver for five months starting in May .
Construction on an upgrade to enhance capacity at the terminal will wind down in early 2021 , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ $ 800 million from $ 400 million amid various delays .
The company incurred $ 260 million costs tied to the pandemic , more than half of which related to suspending construction at the Quebrada Blanca facility , said chief financial officer Ron Millos .
Some $ 18 million more stemmed from a temporary shutdown at the Antamina copper and zinc mine in Peru as well as coronavirus fund donations .
Impala Asset Management , a New York-based investment firm and Teck shareholder , commended the company 's response to the pandemic but @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Alberta oilsands and indulge heavy coal expenditures .
Teck Resources Ltd. saw profits fall by 165 per cent last quarter as the COVID-19 pandemic dented demand for its commodities and slashed prices .
`` The oilsands has been a disaster .
It would have never happened had Don as the CEO not fully supported it , '' said Impala founder Bob Bishop , citing hundreds of millions of dollars in losses .
Teck 's energy business includes a 21.3 per cent interest in the Fort Hills oilsands mine , which is majority owned @ @ @ @ @ @ @ posted a $ 10-million profit last year with losses of $ 165 million in 2018 and $ 218 million in the first half of 2020 .
In February Teck opted to withdraw from its Frontier oilsands project , which it owned entirely , posting a non-cash impairment of $ 1.13 billion .
Coal is more promising , but still a problem for the mining outfit , Bishop said .
`` Your coking coal is kind of your flagship and you don ’ t let your flagship costs go the wrong way .
And @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on this management and that ’ s on this board , '' he said .
Teck 's coal costs have risen to $ 105 per tonne from $ 67 per tonne in 2005 , when Lindsay took over as CEO .
The company said it is carrying out a cost-cutting strategy for steelmaking coal and expects `` the adjusted site cash cost of sales to drop below $ 60 per tonne '' by the end of the year .
On Fort Hills , Teck reiterated that selling off its stake in the oilsands @ @ @ @ @ @ @ We have been very clear that if we ca n't see the value reflected in our share price , we will not hesitate to pursue other options for realizing value , including divestment at the appropriate time , '' the company said in an email .

Teck Resources Ltd. saw profits fall by 165 per cent last quarter as the COVID-19 pandemic dented demand for its commodities and slashed prices. The second quarter yielded a loss of $149 million for the Vancouver-based miner, which was forced to shut down operations and halt construction at some sites. All mines are now producing, and the company has issued an updated guidance after suspending it in April. The forecast states that coal, copper, zinc and crude oil production in the second half of 2020 will reach volumes at or close to pre-pandemic predictions as industry ramps back up following lockdown closures. "The COVID-19 pandemic obviously had a significant negative impact on business in the quarter. While all of our operations are currently producing with comprehensive virus-prevention measures in place, the economic impacts of the pandemic have reduced demand and prices for our products," CEO Don Lindsay said on a conference call.
Year-over-year prices for steelmaking coal, zinc and bitumen dropped 37 per cent, 29 per cent and 73 per cent, respectively, in the quarter ended June 30, Teck said. Copper output took a 12 per cent hit. Construction of the US$5.2-billion Quebrada Blanca Phase 2 copper mine expansion in Chile dragged to a near standstill in the spring. Teck cut the workforce to 400, but the site now boasts 3,400 employees with the goal of reaching "full strength by October," or 8,000 workers, Lindsay said. Billion-dollar land deals in Ontario raise corruption suspicions The project — key to the company's shift toward copper, which is used increasingly in electric vehicles, clean power plants and transmission lines — will see a half-year delay due to the COVID-19 interruption, with first production now slated for the end of 2022, he said.
Teck has also suspended operations at the Neptune bulk terminal in North Vancouver for five months starting in May. Construction on an upgrade to enhance capacity at the terminal will wind down in early 2021, with projected costs ballooning to up to $800 million from $400 million amid various delays. Teck Resources Ltd. saw profits fall by 165 per cent last quarter as the COVID-19 pandemic dented demand for its commodities and slashed prices. The company incurred $260 million costs tied to the pandemic, more than half of which related to suspending construction at the Quebrada Blanca facility, said chief financial officer Ron Millos. Some $18 million more stemmed from a temporary shutdown at the Antamina copper and zinc mine in Peru as well as coronavirus fund donations. Impala Asset Management, a New York-based investment firm and Teck shareholder, commended the company's response to the pandemic but criticized past decisions to delve into the Alberta oilsands and indulge heavy coal expenditures. "The oilsands has been a disaster. It would have never happened had Don as the CEO not fully supported it," said Impala founder Bob Bishop, citing hundreds of millions of dollars in losses. Teck's energy business includes a 21.3 per cent interest in the Fort Hills oilsands mine, which is majority owned by Suncor Energy Inc. The operation posted a $10-million profit last year with losses of $165 million in 2018 and $218 million in the first half of 2020.
In February Teck opted to withdraw from its Frontier oilsands project, which it owned entirely, posting a non-cash impairment of $1.13 billion. Coal is more promising, but still a problem for the mining outfit, Bishop said. "Your coking coal is kind of your flagship and you don’t let your flagship costs go the wrong way. And they have. And that’s on this management and that’s on this board," he said.


nationalobserver--2020-07-24--'We failed Samwel': Saskatchewan health officials apologize over man's death

A young man pleaded for help as he was being led out of a hospital by security before taking his own life in a lake on the Saskatchewan legislature grounds .
The final moments of Samwel Uko 's life are detailed in documents provided to his family as part of the Saskatchewan Health Authority 's review into his care at Regina General Hospital in May .
The family shared the review with The Canadian Press .
`` As he was being escorted out of the facility , video footage shows him calling , ' I need help .
I need @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ' '' the review says .
Uko 's body was discovered in Wascana Lake a short time later .
The health authority said it has formally apologized to Uko 's family and it made a public apology at a news conference Thursday .
• Federal COVID-19 payment for people living with disabilities could reach 1.7M Canadians • If Haida children can understand risk and respect , why not a sport-fishing lodge ?
• Ford disagrees after auditor general finds Bill 197 was 'not compliant ' with law `` I ca n't imagine the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ continue to go through , '' said Scott Livingstone , chief executive the Saskatchewan Health Authority , adding Uko was `` improperly denied care . ''
`` For this I am deeply sorry . ''
Uko 's uncle Justin Nyee called what happened to his nephew `` insane . ''
`` We are hurting , and we are angry at the same time because this should n't have happened , '' said Nyee , who lives in Calgary .
`` After about 45 minutes they decided to kick him out of the hospital @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was not cursing .
All he was doing is telling them ' I need help . '
'' Relatives say the 20-year-old man was visiting Saskatchewan from Abbotsford , B.C.
, and voiced concerns about being sick and people coming after him .
He sought help at the Regina General Hospital .
A young man pleaded for help as he was being led out of a hospital by security before taking his own life in a lake on the Saskatchewan legislature grounds .
The health authority 's review says the young man went @ @ @ @ @ @ @ May 21 with `` increasing depressive thoughts '' and difficulty sleeping , but he denied thinking of self-harm .
It says he was connected with a mental-health clinic intake worker in the early afternoon and referred to an appointment with a psychiatrist within a week .
He was told to contact a community outreach and support team or go back to the emergency room if he felt worse .
Hours later , the review says , he was brought back in by police .
He had called 911 asking to go to hospital @ @ @ @ @ @ @ review says Uko was seated in a hallway between the registration and triage desks .
The desk clerk tried to get Uko to confirm he had been in for an earlier visit , but he did not , the review says .
There was confusion over the last name he provided .
`` The process for registration of an unidentified patient was not utilized . ''
The health authority says that after police left , a security officer consulted with a triage nurse and a decision was made for four officers to remove @ @ @ @ @ @ @ seen by the triage desk .
Video showed him calling for help on the way out .
`` The honest truth is we spent too much time trying to obtain his identity and not enough time focusing on his care needs , '' Livingstone said .
Uko 's death is to be the subject of a coroner 's inquest to be held at a later date .
As a result of the review , the health authority said it has implemented a number of changes including improving the registration and triage process , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ emergency department and changing the process for removing someone from a facility .
`` As an organization we failed Samwel , '' Livingstone said .
Nyee said he does n't want his nephew 's death to be in vain .
`` There is a feeling of going forward and it will be good and better for someone else , to save someone else 's life , '' Nyee said .
`` I 'm not saying the word satisfied , but we kind of understand in that sense they 're trying to do the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ . ''
Ash said the purpose of the review was to allow staff to speak openly about what mistakes may have occurred as a way of improving the system .
`` There have been no discussions about removal of staff .
There 's nothing that came out of the critical incident report that showed that there were any deliberate actions unrelated to trying to care for Samwel so right now there is nothing , '' Ash said .
This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 23 , 2020 — With @ @ @ @ @ @

A young man pleaded for help as he was being led out of a hospital by security before taking his own life in a lake on the Saskatchewan legislature grounds. The final moments of Samwel Uko's life are detailed in documents provided to his family as part of the Saskatchewan Health Authority's review into his care at Regina General Hospital in May. The family shared the review with The Canadian Press. "As he was being escorted out of the facility, video footage shows him calling, 'I need help. I need help. I have mental-health issues,'" the review says. Uko's body was discovered in Wascana Lake a short time later. The health authority said it has formally apologized to Uko's family and it made a public apology at a news conference Thursday.
"I can't imagine the loss they feel and the suffering they continue to go through," said Scott Livingstone, chief executive the Saskatchewan Health Authority, adding Uko was "improperly denied care." "For this I am deeply sorry." Billion-dollar land deals in Ontario raise corruption suspicions Uko's uncle Justin Nyee called what happened to his nephew "insane."
"We are hurting, and we are angry at the same time because this shouldn't have happened," said Nyee, who lives in Calgary. A young man pleaded for help as he was being led out of a hospital by security before taking his own life in a lake on the Saskatchewan legislature grounds. "After about 45 minutes they decided to kick him out of the hospital. He was not fighting, he was not cursing. All he was doing is telling them 'I need help.'" Relatives say the 20-year-old man was visiting Saskatchewan from Abbotsford, B.C., and voiced concerns about being sick and people coming after him. He sought help at the Regina General Hospital. The health authority's review says the young man went to the hospital on the morning of May 21 with "increasing depressive thoughts" and difficulty sleeping, but he denied thinking of self-harm. It says he was connected with a mental-health clinic intake worker in the early afternoon and referred to an appointment with a psychiatrist within a week. He was told to contact a community outreach and support team or go back to the emergency room if he felt worse.
Hours later, the review says, he was brought back in by police. He had called 911 asking to go to hospital because he had mental-health issues. The review says Uko was seated in a hallway between the registration and triage desks. The desk clerk tried to get Uko to confirm he had been in for an earlier visit, but he did not, the review says. There was confusion over the last name he provided.


nationalobserver--2020-07-24--Tories, NDP ask ethics watchdog to launch new probe of Morneau over WE trips

Opposition parties are asking the federal ethics watchdog to widen his probe of Bill Morneau regarding the WE organization as the finance minister continues to face calls for his resignation .
Conservatives and New Democrats have written to ethics commissioner Mario Dion to look into trips Morneau took three years ago , part of which were paid for by the WE organization .
Morneau said Wednesday he had just repaid WE Charity more than $ 41,000 for expenses the group covered for trips his family took to Kenya and Ecuador in 2017 to see some of its humanitarian work .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ meant to be complimentary , part of a practice of showing donors WE 's work to encourage them to give more .
Morneau said he always planned to personally cover those amounts , but WE never charged him , much to his surprise after poring through receipts ahead of his testimony .
• Federal COVID-19 payment for people living with disabilities could reach 1.7M Canadians • If Haida children can understand risk and respect , why not a sport-fishing lodge ?
• Ford disagrees after auditor general finds Bill 197 was 'not compliant @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has since made two $ 50,000 donations to the charity .
The conflict of interest law prohibits ministers or their families from accepting paid travel , a lesson the government learned when Trudeau was found afoul of the rule for his family 's 2016 vacation to the Aga Khan 's private island .
On Thursday , the Tories said Morneau 's trips violated several sections of the Conflict of Interest Act — listing them out during a morning press conference — and called on him to resign as minister .
Conservative finance critic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ n't cut it , and cited former Harper cabinet minister Bev Oda 's resignation following an expenses uproar that included expensing an infamous $ 16 glass of orange juice during a stay at a swanky London hotel .
`` Why has n't Justin Trudeau fired him ?
I do n't ask that rhetorically , but specifically , '' Poilievre said .
`` If Justin Trudeau imposes any level of ethical standard on Bill Morneau , then others would ask that he impose it on himself . ''
Opposition parties are asking the federal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Bill Morneau regarding the WE organization as the finance minister continues to face calls for his resignation .
Trudeau , too , is facing an ethics probe for not recusing himself during discussions about awarding WE a deal to run the government 's $ 912-million program that will pay students grants of up to $ 5,000 based on the hours they volunteers .
Trudeau and Morneau have apologized for not declaring possible conflicts because of their familial ties to the organization — Trudeau because of speaking fees paid to his brother , mother @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of his daughters is nearing the end of a one-year contract in an administrative role .
NDP MP Charlie Angus told the ethics commissioner in a letter that Morneau 's trips bring `` to another level '' concerns about the finance minister 's involvement in handing WE a contract to run the student-volunteer program .
The deal would have paid the organization $ 43.5 million in fees .
`` WE may well indeed be engaged in philanthropic work , but as the case of the Aga Khan decision , it is plainly impermissible @ @ @ @ @ @ @ receive financial or in-kind gifts of this nature , '' Angus wrote .
Separately , the House of Commons ' ethics committee decided Thursday to examine the ethics processes in the Prime Minister 's Office , to determine whether they need structural changes .
The committee is already seeking copies of records related to the Trudeaus ' speaking engagements to inform a case study of the conflict-of-interest regime the committee monitors .
Two of Morneau 's cabinet colleagues — Heritage Minister Steven Guilbeault and Economic Development Minister Melanie Joly — came to his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ himself at committee and apologized for any oversight .
Speaking at a virtual press conference in Montreal , where they announced investments in clean technology , Joly said Canadians would judge Morneau on his performance in steering the country through the worst economic downturn in a century .
`` In these circumstances he was able to show leadership and come up with some programs that we 've never seen as a country , including the wage subsidy , including the CERB , '' she said .
`` In that sense , Canadians will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his work has been relevant and impactful in the context of the last months . ''
It has been nearly three weeks since the government took over the program after WE backed out over the controversy of its involvement , and Ottawa has yet to roll it out .
Student groups have asked the Liberals to push the money into other supports , saying it 's too late in the summer for students to make the most of the program and earn enough to pay for schooling costs in the fall .
Employment @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the program , said in a statement Thursday , echoing previous ones , that officials are `` working diligently to develop a transition plan , including looking at options on how best to proceed . ''
`` This means there will be delays but more information will be provided as soon as it is available , '' spokeswoman Isabelle Maheu said in an email , adding officials `` can not comment or speculate on aspects of program design until a new plan is announced . ''
This report by The Canadian Press was @ @ @ @ @ @ @

Opposition parties are asking the federal ethics watchdog to widen his probe of Bill Morneau regarding the WE organization as the finance minister continues to face calls for his resignation. Conservatives and New Democrats have written to ethics commissioner Mario Dion to look into trips Morneau took three years ago, part of which were paid for by the WE organization. Morneau said Wednesday he had just repaid WE Charity more than $41,000 for expenses the group covered for trips his family took to Kenya and Ecuador in 2017 to see some of its humanitarian work. WE said the Morneau family trips were meant to be complimentary, part of a practice of showing donors WE's work to encourage them to give more. Morneau said he always planned to personally cover those amounts, but WE never charged him, much to his surprise after poring through receipts ahead of his testimony.
He said his family has since made two $50,000 donations to the charity. The conflict of interest law prohibits ministers or their families from accepting paid travel, a lesson the government learned when Trudeau was found afoul of the rule for his family's 2016 vacation to the Aga Khan's private island. Billion-dollar land deals in Ontario raise corruption suspicions On Thursday, the Tories said Morneau's trips violated several sections of the Conflict of Interest Act — listing them out during a morning press conference — and called on him to resign as minister.
Conservative finance critic Pierre Poilievre said Morneau's apology doesn't cut it, and cited former Harper cabinet minister Bev Oda's resignation following an expenses uproar that included expensing an infamous $16 glass of orange juice during a stay at a swanky London hotel. Opposition parties are asking the federal ethics watchdog to widen his probe of Bill Morneau regarding the WE organization as the finance minister continues to face calls for his resignation. "Why hasn't Justin Trudeau fired him? I don't ask that rhetorically, but specifically," Poilievre said. "If Justin Trudeau imposes any level of ethical standard on Bill Morneau, then others would ask that he impose it on himself." Trudeau, too, is facing an ethics probe for not recusing himself during discussions about awarding WE a deal to run the government's $912-million program that will pay students grants of up to $5,000 based on the hours they volunteers. Trudeau and Morneau have apologized for not declaring possible conflicts because of their familial ties to the organization — Trudeau because of speaking fees paid to his brother, mother and wife, and Morneau because one of his daughters is nearing the end of a one-year contract in an administrative role.
NDP MP Charlie Angus told the ethics commissioner in a letter that Morneau's trips bring "to another level" concerns about the finance minister's involvement in handing WE a contract to run the student-volunteer program. The deal would have paid the organization $43.5 million in fees. "WE may well indeed be engaged in philanthropic work, but as the case of the Aga Khan decision, it is plainly impermissible for a minister of the Crown to receive financial or in-kind gifts of this nature," Angus wrote.


nationalobserver--2020-07-24--Cortes Island area director suing Strathcona Regional District

In an ongoing legal saga , Cortes Island regional director Noba Anderson is suing the Strathcona Regional District to cover legal costs and to strike down disciplinary measures against her by the district ’ s board in connection to a lawsuit last year .
Anderson accrued legal fees in her role as a director after a small group of Cortes constituents launched an unfounded legal petition to disqualify her role on the board alleging a conflict of interest in January 2019 .
The 14 individuals behind the petition eventually conceded there was no conflict of interest in a joint submission @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Supreme Court Justice Ronald Skolrood on June 10 that same year .
The group claimed Anderson took money from her constituents for personal gain and a number of those same constituents received gifts and grants in return .
The group had alleged some donors who contributed to a GoFundMe campaign for Anderson ’ s father after his cabin burned down in 2018 were board members of community organizations that then got grants from the SRD .
• Federal COVID-19 payment for people living with disabilities could reach 1.7M Canadians • If Haida @ @ @ @ @ @ @ why not a sport-fishing lodge ?
• Ford disagrees after auditor general finds Bill 197 was 'not compliant ' with law The funds raised in the campaign initiated by Anderson ’ s neighbour were used to build an addition to the director ’ s home to house her father .
In his decision , Justice Skolrood dismissed the petition declaring there was no basis for it , that Anderson was qualified to hold office and had not accepted any gift in violation of the community charter , and the petitioners would pay $ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ District is being sued by a regional director alleging the board ( above ) was wrong and unreasonable for refusing to pay her legal costs and censuring her in connection to an unfounded legal case against her in 2019 .
File photo However , before the legal case against Anderson was resolved , the SRD board decided not to pay the Cortes director ’ s legal fees .
And in October after the case against Anderson had been dismissed , the SRD board censured Anderson stating she ’ d violated a code of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an in-camera meeting , or closed meeting .
Board directors concluded Anderson had released two in-camera legal opinions and an investigation report , the SRD public statement said .
As a result , Anderson was excluded from appointment to any board committees or any public hearings other than ones concerning matters in her own area .
She was also denied any appointments to any external organization on behalf of the SRD .
The board did not say what the documents concerned , who Anderson had released them to , or when .
Anderson @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and the internal investigation report into the allegations against her from an in-camera meeting held Feb. 28 , her lawsuit claims .
Anderson disclosed the materials on a confidential basis to get legal advice because the documents affected her personally , the suit claims .
Following the February 2019 meeting , Anderson alleges the SRD board excluded her from a number of in-camera meetings concerning her , but has failed to provide her or her lawyer with any documents or materials , the lawsuit states .
In May 2019 , Anderson claims the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ her legal costs covered in the conflict-of-interest lawsuit , but she was not told why .
Anderson is claiming the SRD board was wrong and unreasonable to not assist with her legal fees and in censuring her .
The lawsuit also states the SRD board has no authority to withhold in-camera board materials from the director , who is also seeking legal costs for both the current SRD lawsuit and the historical case .
Anderson also wants a court order to quash the SRD decision to censure her , and is asking that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ her censure , sanctions and the board ’ s decision not to cover her legal costs .
As well , Anderson wants all future information concerning her during closed board meetings to be released to her in advance .
When contacted for comment , the Cortes director said she could n't discuss the case while it was before the court .
However , the regional director posted a short letter of explanation for the decision to proceed with the lawsuit on a Cortes Island community webpage .
“ I have done this because @ @ @ @ @ @ @ been infringed upon and by extension my ability to perform my elected duties and give my constituents the service they deserve , ” Anderson wrote .
None of the allegations in Anderson ’ s petition have been proven in court , and as of Wednesday , no statements of defence by SRD had been filed .
The SRD did not respond to a request for comment by the National Observer before its publishing deadline .

In an ongoing legal saga, Cortes Island regional director Noba Anderson is suing the Strathcona Regional District to cover legal costs and to strike down disciplinary measures against her by the district’s board in connection to a lawsuit last year. Anderson accrued legal fees in her role as a director after a small group of Cortes constituents launched an unfounded legal petition to disqualify her role on the board alleging a conflict of interest in January 2019. The 14 individuals behind the petition eventually conceded there was no conflict of interest in a joint submission with the defence, accepted by B.C. Supreme Court Justice Ronald Skolrood on June 10 that same year. The group claimed Anderson took money from her constituents for personal gain and a number of those same constituents received gifts and grants in return. The group had alleged some donors who contributed to a GoFundMe campaign for Anderson’s father after his cabin burned down in 2018 were board members of community organizations that then got grants from the SRD.
The funds raised in the campaign initiated by Anderson’s neighbour were used to build an addition to the director’s home to house her father. In his decision, Justice Skolrood dismissed the petition declaring there was no basis for it, that Anderson was qualified to hold office and had not accepted any gift in violation of the community charter, and the petitioners would pay $4,850 in costs. Billion-dollar land deals in Ontario raise corruption suspicions The Strathcona Regional District is being sued by a regional director alleging the board (above) was wrong and unreasonable for refusing to pay her legal costs and censuring her in connection to an unfounded legal case against her in 2019. File photo
However, before the legal case against Anderson was resolved, the SRD board decided not to pay the Cortes director’s legal fees. And in October after the case against Anderson had been dismissed, the SRD board censured Anderson stating she’d violated a code of conduct bylaw and released confidential materials from an in-camera meeting, or closed meeting. Board directors concluded Anderson had released two in-camera legal opinions and an investigation report, the SRD public statement said. As a result, Anderson was excluded from appointment to any board committees or any public hearings other than ones concerning matters in her own area. She was also denied any appointments to any external organization on behalf of the SRD. The board did not say what the documents concerned, who Anderson had released them to, or when.
Anderson said she provided her lawyer with documents and the internal investigation report into the allegations against her from an in-camera meeting held Feb. 28, her lawsuit claims. Anderson disclosed the materials on a confidential basis to get legal advice because the documents affected her personally, the suit claims. Following the February 2019 meeting, Anderson alleges the SRD board excluded her from a number of in-camera meetings concerning her, but has failed to provide her or her lawyer with any documents or materials, the lawsuit states.


nationalobserver--2020-07-24--Streaming or in cinema: A civil rights icon, a battle lost, and a photographer’s provocations

The Academy Awards have made another concession to the new movie reality .
It has just ruled films that have had to resort to play on a streaming service can still compete for Oscars as long as they were originally planned to be shown in theatres .
Seems minor , but the list of contenders would have been small , maybe tiny , if things keep going as they are .
JOHN LEWIS : GOOD TROUBLE : There ’ s sure to be extra interest now in this biography about the long-time civil rights campaigner and U.S. congressman .
He @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ) and as this film ably shows his story and his advocacy of “ good trouble ” to push for progress is inspiring .
He was right there in the front of the march across that bridge in Selma , Ala. , in 1965 .
He was an original Freedom Rider , worked to desegregate lunch counters and register voters , helped found the Student Non-Violent Action Committee and helped organize the March on Washington .
He was the second-last speaker there , just before Martin Luther King , who he had written @ @ @ @ @ @ @ only 17 .
Dramatic news footage , archival clips and recollections by family members and old colleagues tell those stories .
What they mean and how they fired up his 33 years as “ the conscience of Congress ” comes from a stellar cast including Nancy Pelosi , Eric Holder , Cory Booker , Hillary Clinton , Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez , and more .
He tells much of it himself .
About hating farm work , for instance ( his parents were sharecroppers ) , about wanting to become a pastor and practising by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fears that hard-won rights are under threat .
“ There are forces today trying to take us back to another time , and another dark period , ” he says at the beginning , referring to voter suppression .
Fighting it was a big cause for him .
He didn ’ t like Trump , either , but that name is hardly mentioned .
What we do get in this film by Dawn Porter is a closer look at Lewis the man .
He had a great sense of humour and was welcoming @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a friend at a mall or like a celebrity in an airport .
And he loved to dance , as he shows when a Pharrell Williams tune comes on .
Politics and personal mix well here .
The film is in a few virtual theatres ( try https : //hotdocs.ca/p/hd-home , scroll to the bottom and click on “ what ’ s streaming ” ) , will be available “ on demand ” in September and on Netflix in January .
4 out of 5 THE OUTPOST : This Afghanistan war film has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the U.S. , and no wonder .
Its virile ambience fits well with action-starved movie fans .
But caution : Don ’ t enter if you can ’ t take the kind of language young soldiers under pressure speak .
It ’ s constant here as these guys aren ’ t sure what they ’ re supposed to be doing .
Winning “ hearts and minds ” of the locals , says one .
Yeah , but all they want is “ our blood and guts , ” another answers .
So they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ camp is in a valley and Taliban fighters shoot at them now and then from the slopes above .
The shooting stops and starts again another day .
There are tense meetings with Afghan elders , but no resolution .
The film , based on a factual book by CNN host Jake Tapper , shows several gun battles like that .
The G.I.s fire back with machine guns ( if the ammo guy has brought fresh supplies ) , run through the flying bullets to rescue injured pals , and , if available @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Later , the Taliban get their own mortars to fire and later they swarm down from the mountains in the hundreds .
Those scenes are vibrant under the direction of Rod Lurie , who has a military background himself .
It was the bloodiest battle the U.S. fought in Afghanistan .
Several medals were handed out after it and rules were changed about “ indefensible ” positions .
Orlando Bloom , almost unrecognizable , plays an officer , and among the lower ranks you ’ ll see Clint Eastwood ’ s son Scott @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Mick Jagger ’ s son James , Richard Attenborough ’ s grandson Will , and Scott Alda Coffey , grandson of Alan .
( Available in Canada since Tuesday , both to buy — EST — and on demand — VOD ) 3½ out of 5 HELMUT NEWTON : THE BAD AND THE BEAUTIFUL : This film portrait of the legendary photographer considers the biggest question of his career at length and from many angles .
What exactly was his attitude towards women ?
You get many fashion shots , most of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and many , many nudes to help you decide .
Susan Sontag tells him directly that she detects misogyny .
Isabella Rossellini says there ’ s both love and hate , fear perhaps , and that ’ s true about many men in general .
Grace Jones says many of the photos may be erotic , but they ’ re never vulgar .
Charlotte Rampling says they ’ re provocative , and Anna Wintour loved them for just that .
Marianne Faithfull , Claudia Schiffer and Hanna Schygulla talk positively about posing for @ @

The Academy Awards have made another concession to the new movie reality. It has just ruled films that have had to resort to play on a streaming service can still compete for Oscars as long as they were originally planned to be shown in theatres. Seems minor, but the list of contenders would have been small, maybe tiny, if things keep going as they are. One of the films I review this week is getting some in-theatre play. John Lewis: Good Trouble: 4 stars The Outpost: 3½ Helmut Newton: The Bad and the Beautiful: 3½
JOHN LEWIS: GOOD TROUBLE: There’s sure to be extra interest now in this biography about the long-time civil rights campaigner and U.S. congressman. He died a week ago (July 17) and as this film ably shows his story and his advocacy of “good trouble” to push for progress is inspiring. He was right there in the front of the march across that bridge in Selma, Ala., in 1965. Courtesy Mongrel Media and Magnolia Pictures He was an original Freedom Rider, worked to desegregate lunch counters and register voters, helped found the Student Non-Violent Action Committee and helped organize the March on Washington. He was the second-last speaker there, just before Martin Luther King, who he had written to and connected with when he was only 17. Dramatic news footage, archival clips and recollections by family members and old colleagues tell those stories. What they mean and how they fired up his 33 years as “the conscience of Congress” comes from a stellar cast including Nancy Pelosi, Eric Holder, Cory Booker, Hillary Clinton, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, and more. Courtesy Mongrel Media and Magnolia Pictures He tells much of it himself. About hating farm work, for instance (his parents were sharecroppers), about wanting to become a pastor and practising by preaching to the chickens. And his fears that hard-won rights are under threat. “There are forces today trying to take us back to another time, and another dark period,” he says at the beginning, referring to voter suppression. Fighting it was a big cause for him. He didn’t like Trump, either, but that name is hardly mentioned. What we do get in this film by Dawn Porter is a closer look at Lewis the man. He had a great sense of humour and was welcoming when ordinary people talked to him like a friend at a mall or like a celebrity in an airport. And he loved to dance, as he shows when a Pharrell Williams tune comes on. Politics and personal mix well here. The film is in a few virtual theatres (try https://hotdocs.ca/p/hd-home, scroll to the bottom and click on “what’s streaming”), will be available “on demand” in September and on Netflix in January. 4 out of 5
THE OUTPOST: This Afghanistan war film has already been a big streaming hit in the U.S., and no wonder. Its virile ambience fits well with action-starved movie fans. But caution: Don’t enter if you can’t take the kind of language young soldiers under pressure speak. It’s constant here as these guys aren’t sure what they’re supposed to be doing. Winning “hearts and minds” of the locals, says one. Yeah, but all they want is “our blood and guts,” another answers. So they live with a repeating ritual. Their camp is in a valley and Taliban fighters shoot at them now and then from the slopes above. The shooting stops and starts again another day. There are tense meetings with Afghan elders, but no resolution. Courtesy VVS films The film, based on a factual book by CNN host Jake Tapper, shows several gun battles like that. The G.I.s fire back with machine guns (if the ammo guy has brought fresh supplies), run through the flying bullets to rescue injured pals, and, if available, hit back with mortar fire. Later, the Taliban get their own mortars to fire and later they swarm down from the mountains in the hundreds. Those scenes are vibrant under the direction of Rod Lurie, who has a military background himself. It was the bloodiest battle the U.S. fought in Afghanistan. Several medals were handed out after it and rules were changed about “indefensible” positions. Orlando Bloom, almost unrecognizable, plays an officer, and among the lower ranks you’ll see Clint Eastwood’s son Scott, Mel Gibson’s son Milo, Mick Jagger’s son James, Richard Attenborough’s grandson Will, and Scott Alda Coffey, grandson of Alan. (Available in Canada since Tuesday, both to buy — EST — and on demand — VOD) 3½ out of 5


nationalobserver--2020-07-24--Weed sales, not food, create record high for B.C. farms

Last year , B.C .
farmers saw record sales .
But it 's an increase that won ’ t feed British Columbians .
That ’ s because two-thirds of those sales were inedible .
“ The bulk of that increase comes from cannabis , ” said Lenore Newman , Canada Research Chair of Food Security and Environment at the University of the Fraser Valley .
Since it was legalized in 2018 , it has become B.C.
’ s most valuable crop , ahead of other key products like peppers and blueberries .
Food sales saw significantly lower growth .
Dairy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ first- and second-most valuable products last year , accounted for an increase of $ 62 million combined , while sales of peppers and other greenhouse vegetables saw minimal growth .
“ We should be making sure things like cannabis production , greenhouse production , are on lower-quality soils in the ( Agricultural Land Reserve ) , ” she said because converting soil-rich fields into greenhouses doesn ’ t improve food security .
Most of B.C.
’ s arable soil is protected under provincial legislation dating back to 1976 .
At the time , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ occupying farmland .
Alarmed , the B.C .
government created the Agricultural Land Reserve to protect farms , ranches , and other agricultural land from development .
Land in the reserve may be farmed , forested , or left vacant .
Last year , B.C .
farmers saw record sales .
But it 's an increase that won ’ t feed British Columbians .
That ’ s because two-thirds of those sales were inedible .
The bulk of that increase came from cannabis .
About five per cent of B.C .
is arable @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that , 0.8 per cent was being farmed in 2017 .
Map : B.C .
Provincial Agricultural Land Commission “ We need to produce more locally in the future , especially with COVID , ” said Newman .
That includes developing more greenhouses and policy solutions that allow for more efficient use of the province ’ s agricultural land base , she said .
Agricultural Land Reserve land is expensive .
Without policies in place to support farmers to grow food — the average annual income for Canadian farmers sits around $ 30,000 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ more lucrative crops like cannabis .
While agricultural land is important for food security , cannabis and other inedible crops have brought new economic opportunities to B.C .
farmers and farming communities , said the provincial Ministry of Agriculture in an email .
But Ian Paton , the agriculture critic for the B.C .
Liberals and a farmer , thinks the province should offer more support to help farmers diversify .
For the most part , farmers can only sell raw products ( an exception is made for farmers markets ) , limiting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ value-added products .
That means a raspberry grower , for instance , couldn ’ t sell home-processed jam — a reliable way to increase the farm ’ s revenue .
Changing policy to allow farmers to sell homemade value-added products off farm is essential , said Paton .
Other policy changes and programs are also needed to support farmers in all aspects of production , he said .
“ They need low-interest loans .
They need grants .
They need insurance programs ... We should be providing the kinds of basic economic tools @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , a farmer and the agriculture critic for the B.C .
Liberal party , wants to see more support to help farmers diversify .
That includes making it easier for them to sell value-added products — jams or pickles , for instance .
Photo : Ian Paton Still , that ’ s not enough for Kent Mullinix , director of Kwantlen Polytechnique University 's Institute for Sustainable Food Systems .
Increasing local production will take more than grants or finding more efficient uses for the province ’ s agricultural land , he said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ replacement of food production by cannabis as the symptom of agricultural and land use policies that will eventually reduce British Columbians ’ access to local food .
“ It ’ s very easy for competing economic interests to grab up farmland and use it for other purposes because you can make more money at it.
” Agricultural Land Reserve sites can not be developed and turned into houses or shopping malls .
Still , this level of protection alone will not guarantee increased food production in B.C.
, said Mullinix .
Owners of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in how they can use their property , but there are no limitations on who can purchase these acres .
Investors — people and companies able to pay millions of dollars — can purchase Agricultural Land Reserve land , increasing its value beyond what most farmers can afford , and then use it to maximize profits .
Cannabis production is an example .
It does nothing to increase food production .
But it has been defined as a crop by the federal government , meaning it can be grown on agricultural land .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ be able to ( compete ) .
They already struggle without the cannabis.
” The numbers released last week also don ’ t show a full picture , Mullinix explained .
Farm sales receipts only show the amount of money flowing into a farm .
They do not take into account the costs of production — mortgages , fuel , insurance , veterinary bills — that farmers must cover before they make a profit .
Farms can have record sales without making profit .
In 2019 , B.C .
farmers carried $ 7.2 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ more than double their total sales that year .
This issue isn ’ t as acute on dairy and chicken farms because both industries are regulated through a supply-management system that ensures farmers ’ profits and expenses are more balanced .
Which makes cannabis — not food — the most profitable use of B.C.
’ s arable land last year .
Cannabis , not food crops , was the most valuable cultivated plant in B.C .
last year .
That 's bad news for the province 's food security .
Photo : Marc @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Newman said needs to change if the province wants to increase its ability to feed itself .
“ We don ’ t need to produce increased dollar value .
We need to increase calorie production and food production .
And that ’ s not what we ’ re doing .
”

Last year, B.C. farmers saw record sales. But it's an increase that won’t feed British Columbians. That’s because two-thirds of those sales were inedible. “The bulk of that increase comes from cannabis,” said Lenore Newman, Canada Research Chair of Food Security and Environment at the University of the Fraser Valley. Since it was legalized in 2018, it has become B.C.’s most valuable crop, ahead of other key products like peppers and blueberries. Most of the increase in farm sales last year came from cannabis, said Lenore Newman. And that concerns researchers studying food security in the province. Photo: Lenore Newman That rise reflects deeper issues around farmers’ access to land that concern Newman and other food security researchers.
Food sales saw significantly lower growth. Dairy and chicken, the province’s first- and second-most valuable products last year, accounted for an increase of $62 million combined, while sales of peppers and other greenhouse vegetables saw minimal growth. Last year, B.C. farmers saw record sales. But it's an increase that won’t feed British Columbians. That’s because two-thirds of those sales were inedible. The bulk of that increase came from cannabis. “We should be making sure things like cannabis production, greenhouse production, are on lower-quality soils in the (Agricultural Land Reserve),” she said because converting soil-rich fields into greenhouses doesn’t improve food security. Most of B.C.’s arable soil is protected under provincial legislation dating back to 1976. At the time, urban growth and other industries were rapidly occupying farmland. Alarmed, the B.C. government created the Agricultural Land Reserve to protect farms, ranches, and other agricultural land from development. Land in the reserve may be farmed, forested, or left vacant. About five per cent of B.C. is arable land protected for agricultural uses. Of that, 0.8 per cent was being farmed in 2017. Map: B.C. Provincial Agricultural Land Commission “We need to produce more locally in the future, especially with COVID,” said Newman.
That includes developing more greenhouses and policy solutions that allow for more efficient use of the province’s agricultural land base, she said. Agricultural Land Reserve land is expensive. Without policies in place to support farmers to grow food — the average annual income for Canadian farmers sits around $30,000 — farmland will be increasingly used for more lucrative crops like cannabis. While agricultural land is important for food security, cannabis and other inedible crops have brought new economic opportunities to B.C. farmers and farming communities, said the provincial Ministry of Agriculture in an email.