nationalobserver--2020-11-03--What will the U.S. election do to hate in Canada?

This is the sixth 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 , fourth and fifth stories here .
Long before Donald Trump was elected president of the United States — after a campaign kickstarted by xenophobia and racism — hate crime was already on the rise in Canada .
More hate groups were active in Canada than researchers had previously thought , a study found in September 2016 , two months before the presidential election .
And Canadian @ @ @ @ @ @ @ poll from 2015 found that 41 per cent of Canadians said the country was taking in too many immigrants from visible minority groups .
Now , the 2020 U.S. presidential election is upon us .
And whether Trump is re-elected or not , the racism he tapped into isn ’ t going away any time soon in the U.S or in Canada , experts told Canada ’ s National Observer .
That genie can ’ t be stuffed back in its bottle .
In the U.S. , the FBI has warned police across @ @ @ @ @ @ @ violent attacks from extremists “ across the ideological spectrum.
” The RCMP didn ’ t respond to questions about whether they ’ re expecting anything similar north of the border , but Perry said she ’ s concerned about the potential for violence in the days following the election .
“ I really hope I ’ m wrong and being overly pessimistic , ” she added .
Whether Donald Trump is re-elected or not , the racism he tapped into isn ’ t going away any time soon in the U.S or in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ # cdnpoli Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has said the Canadian government is readying itself for possible “ disruptions ” after the election .
What happens next will influence us across the border , like it or not , Hashim said .
Canadians react to norms set by our neighbours to the south , he added , and unrest there tends to trickle north .
“ Americans will decide , which direction do they want to go ?
Do they want to go towards the goalposts of civility , or do they want to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” Hashim said .
“ The risk of that is violence , it ’ s civil unrest , which we ’ re seeing on a mad scale in North America right now , and I ’ m worried about who that inspires ... My suspicion is that things like that inspire people who are disturbed and who are prone to violence.
” Video of President Donald Trump On Charlottesville : You Had Very Fine People , On Both Sides ‘ A dynamic time for the far right ’ In 2016 , reaction to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the next morning , graffiti using a racial slur and referring to the new president was found in a Regina neighbourhood .
Similar incidents were reported in the weeks that followed : in Ottawa , for example , swastikas were painted on a synagogue , while racist posters were placed in a park in Toronto .
“ When those extreme voices become more normalized ... conversations that are usually beyond the fray of acceptability in society now have an opportunity , ” Hashim said .
Such movements manifest differently here , said Erin @ @ @ @ @ @ @ science at the University of Toronto .
Extreme-right political candidates have failed to get a foothold here the way they have in the United States , she added , although some politicians here have dabbled in Trump-like speech .
Canada has stricter hate crime laws than the U.S. , she said , and the message that sends seeps into how people express racism .
“ Canadians have learned that explicit racism is wrong and so they ’ ve learned to express their racial prejudices in ways that are much more implicit , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ one reason why you ’ ll hear people say that in Canada , the ways people express their racism , people often refer to that as ‘ polite racism.
’ There ’ s nothing polite about it , it ’ s still racism ...
The smug satisfaction that we ’ re much more open and tolerant than the United States , it ’ s a fiction.
” Activity from hate groups , emboldened by the election of a political leader who echoed their rhetoric , also increased here in the early years of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ plateau , Perry said .
In 2017 , the number of criminal incidents motivated by hate that were reported to police in Canada jumped by 47 per cent , Statistics Canada found .
Although fewer incidents were reported in 2018 , the most recent year for which data is available , the numbers remained high , Perry said .
“ There was a real burst of engagement offline and obviously online , ” she said .
“ Just so many groups visible and active on an array of social media platforms ... it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the far right.
” Certain events added fuel to the fire .
Canadians attended the infamous 2017 Unite the Right white supremacist rally in Charlottesville , Va. , where a woman was killed by a neo-Nazi who plowed his car into a crowd of anti-racism protesters .
Trump defended the hate groups in attendance at the time , saying there were “ very fine people on both sides.
” The president also fanned the flames this fall as the campaign hit a fever pitch .
During the first debate in September , Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Proud Boys , which , as it happens , originated in Canada .
Instead , Trump told them to “ stand by , ” a statement that Perry said hate groups in the U.S. and Canada saw as a show of support .
“ It was interpreted by many as a call to arms , ” Perry said , referring to Trump ’ s statements .
“ We ’ ve seen a lot of chatter about ( Canadian hate groups ) saying , ‘ Yep , we ’ re there , too ... @ @ @ @ @ @ @ re happy to come across the border.
’ ” The president has also repeatedly claimed , without evidence , that voter fraud is taking place , claims that Perry said have heightened the tension .
Meanwhile , analysts are warning that the results of the election might be contested .
On Monday , the FBI confirmed it was investigating an incident Friday in which Trump supporters in vehicles surrounded a campaign bus for his opponent , former vice-president Joe Biden , on a Texas highway .
The Biden campaign said the Trump supporters @ @ @ @ @ @ @ road .
( Biden and his running mate , Sen. Kamala Harris , were not on the bus at the time and no one was hurt . )
Hashim said he worries for the safety of people of colour here when he sees unrest in the U.S. “ What is really scary for me is when we see a rise of militia groups in the U.S. , ” he said .
“ I don ’ t know if we ’ re going to have similar rises in Canada.
” Video of President Donald @ @ @ @ @ @ @ should 'stand back and stand by ' No matter who wins the election , Canada will have to reckon with the racism and hate that came to the surface after 2016 .
There are no easy solutions , but one way to start tackling it would be through stricter hate crime legislation and better enforcement of the rules we do have , Perry said .
As an example , she pointed to an incident in Nova Scotia last month where the RCMP were criticized for failing to stop an angry mob that barricaded @ @ @ @ @ @ @ storage facility , smashed its windows and set a van on fire .
( The RCMP has said its officers tried to de-escalate the situation . )
“ Something is wrong there when ( police ) don ’ t have the will to protect communities , ” Perry said .
“ That ’ s got to change.
” Canada should also crack down on social media platforms , where hate speech has flourished , Hashim said .
“ I have reported hate speech dozens and dozens and dozens of times ( on social @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ever received a response saying , ‘ We agree with you and we will take it down , ’ ” he said .
“ I do n't have a lot of faith in social media companies to regulate themselves , so I think it ’ s time for regulators to step in.
” Tolley said she ’ d like to see politicians speak out more against racist acts when they happen , but polling that shows a significant share of Canadians holding prejudiced views “ sheds some light on why politicians are quite @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and racism and anti-immigrant racism.
” The federal government needs to “ find a spine , ” Perry said .
As an example of what politicians should be doing , she pointed to a case in June where federal NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh was kicked out of the House of Commons after saying a Bloc Québécois MP was racist when he did not support a motion that acknowledged systemic racism .
“ We are never going to move forward if we ’ re afraid to name it , ” Perry added .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ acknowledge , explicitly , the kinds of issues we ’ re talking about .
”

“There was some fertile ground there, I think, for the far right to play off of,” Perry said.
Politicians were already tapping into rhetoric that critics called Islamophobic — the former Conservative federal government’s attempt to ban niqabs in citizenship ceremonies was one example, said Barbara Perry , director of the Centre on Hate, Bias and Extremism at Ontario Tech University. Canada also has a long history of racism, from settler colonialism to slavery , the internment of Japanese Canadians during the Second World War and residential schools .
More hate groups were active in Canada than researchers had previously thought, a study found in September 2016, two months before the presidential election. And Canadian attitudes were shifting: an EKOS Research poll from 2015 found that 41 per cent of Canadians said the country was taking in too many immigrants from visible minority groups.
Long before Donald Trump was elected president of the United States — after a campaign kickstarted by xenophobia and racism — hate crime was already on the rise in Canada.
This is the sixth 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 , fourth and fifth stories here.
“The election in 2016 totally eliminated all sense of civility from politicians, totally evaporated the expectation of civility in conversations about politics,” said Mohammed Hashim , the executive director of the Canadian Race Relations Foundation.
In the aftermath of the vote, as the United States saw a sharp uptick in hate-motivated incidents , Canada did, too.
What happens next will influence us across the border, like it or not, Hashim said. Canadians react to norms set by our neighbours to the south, he added, and unrest there tends to trickle north.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has said the Canadian government is readying itself for possible “ disruptions ” after the election.
In the U.S., the FBI has warned police across the country to expect an increase in violent attacks from extremists “across the ideological spectrum.” The RCMP didn’t respond to questions about whether they’re expecting anything similar north of the border, but Perry said she’s concerned about the potential for violence in the days following the election.
Now, the 2020 U.S. presidential election is upon us. And whether Trump is re-elected or not, the racism he tapped into isn’t going away any time soon in the U.S or in Canada, experts told Canada’s National Observer. That genie can’t be stuffed back in its bottle.
Video of President Donald Trump On Charlottesville: You Had Very Fine People, On Both Sides
“The risk of that is violence, it’s civil unrest, which we’re seeing on a mad scale in North America right now, and I’m worried about who that inspires ... My suspicion is that things like that inspire people who are disturbed and who are prone to violence.”
“Americans will decide, which direction do they want to go? Do they want to go towards the goalposts of civility, or do they want to have the complete elimination of such?” Hashim said.
‘A dynamic time for the far right’
In 2016, reaction to Trump’s victory was swift: the next morning, graffiti using a racial slur and referring to the new president was found in a Regina neighbourhood. Similar incidents were reported in the weeks that followed: in Ottawa, for example, swastikas were painted on a synagogue, while racist posters were placed in a park in Toronto.
“When those extreme voices become more normalized ... conversations that are usually beyond the fray of acceptability in society now have an opportunity,” Hashim said.
Such movements manifest differently here, said Erin Tolley, an associate professor of political science at the University of Toronto. Extreme-right political candidates have failed to get a foothold here the way they have in the United States, she added, although some politicians here have dabbled in Trump-like speech.
Canada has stricter hate crime laws than the U.S., she said, and the message that sends seeps into how people express racism.
“Canadians have learned that explicit racism is wrong and so they’ve learned to express their racial prejudices in ways that are much more implicit,” she said.
“That’s one reason why you’ll hear people say that in Canada, the ways people express their racism, people often refer to that as ‘polite racism.’ There’s nothing polite about it, it’s still racism ... The smug satisfaction that we’re much more open and tolerant than the United States, it’s a fiction.”
Activity from hate groups, emboldened by the election of a political leader who echoed their rhetoric, also increased here in the early years of the Trump administration and eventually hit a plateau, Perry said.
In 2017, the number of criminal incidents motivated by hate that were reported to police in Canada jumped by 47 per cent, Statistics Canada found. Although fewer incidents were reported in 2018, the most recent year for which data is available, the numbers remained high, Perry said.
“There was a real burst of engagement offline and obviously online,” she said. “Just so many groups visible and active on an array of social media platforms ... it’s been a dynamic time for the far right.”
Certain events added fuel to the fire. Canadians attended the infamous 2017 Unite the Right white supremacist rally in Charlottesville, Va., where a woman was killed by a neo-Nazi who plowed his car into a crowd of anti-racism protesters.
Trump defended the hate groups in attendance at the time, saying there were “very fine people on both sides.”
The president also fanned the flames this fall as the campaign hit a fever pitch. During the first debate in September, Trump refused to condemn extreme-right groups like the Proud Boys, which, as it happens, originated in Canada. Instead, Trump told them to “stand by,” a statement that Perry said hate groups in the U.S. and Canada saw as a show of support.
“It was interpreted by many as a call to arms,” Perry said, referring to Trump’s statements. “We’ve seen a lot of chatter about (Canadian hate groups) saying, ‘Yep, we’re there, too ... if you need us, we’re happy to come across the border.’”
The president has also repeatedly claimed, without evidence, that voter fraud is taking place, claims that Perry said have heightened the tension. Meanwhile, analysts are warning that the results of the election might be contested.
On Monday, the FBI confirmed it was investigating an incident Friday in which Trump supporters in vehicles surrounded a campaign bus for his opponent, former vice-president Joe Biden, on a Texas highway. The Biden campaign said the Trump supporters tried to run the bus off the road. (Biden and his running mate, Sen. Kamala Harris, were not on the bus at the time and no one was hurt.)
Hashim said he worries for the safety of people of colour here when he sees unrest in the U.S.
“What is really scary for me is when we see a rise of militia groups in the U.S.,” he said. “I don’t know if we’re going to have similar rises in Canada.”
Video of President Donald Trump: White supremacist group Proud Boys should 'stand back and stand by'
‘It’s time for regulators to step in’
No matter who wins the election, Canada will have to reckon with the racism and hate that came to the surface after 2016.
There are no easy solutions, but one way to start tackling it would be through stricter hate crime legislation and better enforcement of the rules we do have, Perry said. As an example, she pointed to an incident in Nova Scotia last month where the RCMP were criticized for failing to stop an angry mob that barricaded Mi’kmaq fishermen inside a lobster storage facility, smashed its windows and set a van on fire. (The RCMP has said its officers tried to de-escalate the situation.)
“Something is wrong there when (police) don’t have the will to protect communities,” Perry said. “That’s got to change.”
Canada should also crack down on social media platforms, where hate speech has flourished, Hashim said.
“I have reported hate speech dozens and dozens and dozens of times (on social media) and not once have I ever received a response saying, ‘We agree with you and we will take it down,’” he said.
“I don't have a lot of faith in social media companies to regulate themselves, so I think it’s time for regulators to step in.”
Tolley said she’d like to see politicians speak out more against racist acts when they happen, but polling that shows a significant share of Canadians holding prejudiced views “sheds some light on why politicians are quite restrained sometimes in their rebuke of Islamophobia and racism and anti-immigrant racism.”
The federal government needs to “find a spine,” Perry said. As an example of what politicians should be doing, she pointed to a case in June where federal NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh was kicked out of the House of Commons after saying a Bloc Québécois MP was racist when he did not support a motion that acknowledged systemic racism.
“We are never going to move forward if we’re afraid to name it,” Perry added.
“Leaders have to find the courage to acknowledge, explicitly, the kinds of issues we’re talking about.”


nationalobserver--2020-11-05--President, supporters defiant, combative as election dispute escalates

With his room to manoeuvre rapidly dwindling , U.S. President Donald Trump is lashing out with threats of legal action as Joe Biden closes in on the Oval Office .
The Trump campaign is mobilizing supporters and lawyers alike in battleground states where the process of counting votes plodded late into the night Wednesday .
After claiming the 26 electoral votes in Wisconsin and Michigan , Biden was well within striking distance of the 270 electors needed to claim the presidency .
That prompted a flurry of Republican lawsuits in those two states as well as all-important Pennsylvania , where @ @ @ @ @ @ @ today .
Tense protests erupted at various locations where election officials were counting votes Wednesday , including Detroit and Philadelphia .
• Here ’ s how the outcome of the U.S. election could impact Canada • What will the U.S. election do to hate in Canada ?
• Most mechanics 'scared ' to work on electric vehicles , industry veteran says Media reports suggest the Trump team is also considering legal action in Nevada and Arizona , two other critical pieces of the electoral puzzle .
Biden was nursing a lead of fewer @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a three-point lead in Arizona , a significant prize that landed under Trump 's name in 2016 .
As the midnight hour approached Wednesday night , Trump was still leading narrowly in Pennsylvania , Georgia and North Carolina .
Both campaigns seamlessly transitioned their fundraising efforts from pre-election solicitations to asking for money to help bankroll the coming court fights .
Trump 's Twitter feed was laden Wednesday with complaints that the protracted process of counting mail-in ballots amounted to an effort to stack the deck in Biden 's favour .
Many of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Twitter as containing disputed or outright misleading election information .
With his room to manoeuvre rapidly dwindling , U.S. President Donald Trump is lashing out with threats of legal action as Joe Biden closes in on the Oval Office .
# electionresults2020 # election2020 Tuesday 's vote was held against an unprecedented backdrop : a pandemic that has killed more than 232,000 Americans and triggered a debilitating economic crisis in a year also marked by fierce public outrage over the country 's racial divide .
Record-setting mail-in voting , which Trump has been @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an especially unpredictable election night .
Biden has been leading the mail-in ballot count by a ratio of roughly three to one .
Anxiety about Trump 's next moves lured protesters and activists to the streets outside the White House for a second straight night , fearful that the incumbent president might try to claim an unjust victory .
`` It 's a basic rule of elections that people should get to vote when they are eligible to vote , and that those votes should be counted , '' said Jessica Mason , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ D.C .
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 5 , 2020 .

With his room to manoeuvre rapidly dwindling, U.S. President Donald Trump is lashing out with threats of legal action as Joe Biden closes in on the Oval Office.
The Trump campaign is mobilizing supporters and lawyers alike in battleground states where the process of counting votes plodded late into the night Wednesday.
After claiming the 26 electoral votes in Wisconsin and Michigan, Biden was well within striking distance of the 270 electors needed to claim the presidency.
That prompted a flurry of Republican lawsuits in those two states as well as all-important Pennsylvania, where Trump supporters were expected to stage protests today.
Tense protests erupted at various locations where election officials were counting votes Wednesday, including Detroit and Philadelphia.


nationalobserver--2020-11-05--Digging into the ancient clam gardens that fed coastal First Nations for millennia

British Columbia 's West Coast is a hotbed of activity when it comes to ancient aquaculture .
First Nations cultivated clam gardens for millennia along the Pacific coast , modifying coastal beaches to create optimal habitat for the mollusks , boost production and feed their people , research indicates .
But Indigenous clam production on Quadra Island — located between the B.C .
coast and Vancouver Island in the territories of the Laich-Kwil-Tach First Nations and northern Coast Salish — was especially intensive , said researchers Dana Lepofsky and Christine Roberts .
“ Just around the northern end of Quadra @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” said Roberts , an archeologist and member of the Wei Wai Kum First Nation .
“ Clams were clearly a main staple .
But when people died off and got sick and there were less people , ( the gardens ) were used less.
” • Here ’ s how the outcome of the U.S. election could impact Canada • What will the U.S. election do to hate in Canada ?
• Most mechanics 'scared ' to work on electric vehicles , industry veteran says The clam gardens are definitely crammed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Waiatt and Kanish bays in northern Quadra , said Lepofsky , a professor at Simon Fraser University and researcher with the Hakai Institute .
“ So there ’ s something interesting about Quadra and the social and ecological context of that place , ” Lepofsky said .
“ There are clam gardens everywhere you turn .
And that ’ s not the same for other places on the coast.
” Carbon dating shows some of the clam gardens on the north end of the island are at least 3,500 years old , if @ @ @ @ @ @ @ aquaculture beds were created by constructing rock walls at the low tide line on the edges of bays or inlets .
As a result , sloped beaches and rocky shorelines transform over time into levelled beach terraces with shallower water favourable for cultivating butter and littleneck clams .
Scientific curiosity in clam gardens was sparked after numerous rock formations were noticed along the coastline during some aerial surveys .
Further conversations with Indigenous elders revealed the structures ' use and sparked archeological interest in the technology , Roberts said .
First Nations cultivated @ @ @ @ @ @ @ coast , modifying coastal beaches to create optimal habitat for the mollusks , boost production and feed their people , research shows .
@ SFU @ HakaiInstitute # WeWaKai , # WeiWaiKum “ I think doing that kind of research is important , because 15 years ago people might not have known what we were talking about , ” Roberts said .
“ But now , it ’ s at the forefront and even included in school books , which is great.
” The structures in Quadra ’ s northern bays take up @ @ @ @ @ @ @ approximately 15 kilometres of rock walls ) to create almost 113,000 square metres of terraced beach , a recent paper co-authored by Lepofsky and Roberts found .
In creating the structures , available clam habitat was boosted by as much as 36 per cent .
What ’ s more , more than a third of the total area constructed was on bedrock shelves where no clam habitat existed prior , Lepofsky said .
Researchers Christine Roberts and Louie Wilson , of the Wei Wai Kum and We Wai Kai nations , excavate a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ courtesy of Dana Lepofsky It wasn ’ t just about creating the beds , but ensuring increased production , she added .
Walled clam gardens contained four times the number of butter clams , and more than twice the amount of littleneck clams compared to other unaltered beaches .
Plus , shellfish grew faster in the shallower , warmer waters .
“ They are very ingenious , ” Roberts said , adding the clam beds demonstrate First Nations were actively modifying their environment , but in a sustainable manner , to boost food @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the structures , but the clam beds also had to be worked and maintained , Roberts said .
Beaches had to be cleared of debris and clam beds required regular digging to turn over the silt and sand , as well as the harvesting of older specimens to sustain ideal conditions for young clams .
“ It ’ s cool to see how many resources were used up and down this coast , ” Roberts said .
“ You just don ’ t walk onto a pristine beach or forest that hasn ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by First Nations.
” The proliferation and density of clam beds on Quadra suggests area First Nations wanted to ensure food security for a sizable population , Lepofsky said .
The way First Nations managed their aquatic resources can provide valuable insights for contemporary aquaculture in terms of conservation and management , she added .
“ This technology really represents a sustainable and intelligent method for harvesting clams to feed people over generations , ” Lepofsky said .
“ Are there things that we can take forward ( from the gardens ) in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” However , the continued study of clam gardens has value beyond just mitigating the effects of global warming , she stressed .
“ It ’ s not simply just helping us out of the problems that we created , ” she said .
“ It 's being respectful of the knowledge base that Indigenous people have — which is kind of a fundamental part , I believe , of reconciliation .
”

British Columbia's West Coast is a hotbed of activity when it comes to ancient aquaculture. First Nations cultivated clam gardens for millennia along the Pacific coast, modifying coastal beaches to create optimal habitat for the mollusks, boost production and feed their people, research indicates. But Indigenous clam production on Quadra Island — located between the B.C. coast and Vancouver Island in the territories of the Laich-Kwil-Tach First Nations and northern Coast Salish — was especially intensive, said researchers Dana Lepofsky and Christine Roberts. “Just around the northern end of Quadra Island there are around 89 clam gardens,” said Roberts, an archeologist and member of the Wei Wai Kum First Nation. “Clams were clearly a main staple. But when people died off and got sick and there were less people, (the gardens) were used less.”
The clam gardens are definitely crammed into every possible nook and cranny in Waiatt and Kanish bays in northern Quadra, said Lepofsky, a professor at Simon Fraser University and researcher with the Hakai Institute. “So there’s something interesting about Quadra and the social and ecological context of that place,” Lepofsky said. Billion-dollar land deals in Ontario raise corruption suspicions “There are clam gardens everywhere you turn. And that’s not the same for other places on the coast.”
Carbon dating shows some of the clam gardens on the north end of the island are at least 3,500 years old, if not more, Lepofsky said. First Nations cultivated clam gardens for millennia along the Pacific coast, modifying coastal beaches to create optimal habitat for the mollusks, boost production and feed their people, research shows. @SFU @HakaiInstitute #WeWaKai, #WeiWaiKum The aquaculture beds were created by constructing rock walls at the low tide line on the edges of bays or inlets. As a result, sloped beaches and rocky shorelines transform over time into levelled beach terraces with shallower water favourable for cultivating butter and littleneck clams. Scientific curiosity in clam gardens was sparked after numerous rock formations were noticed along the coastline during some aerial surveys. Further conversations with Indigenous elders revealed the structures' use and sparked archeological interest in the technology, Roberts said. “I think doing that kind of research is important, because 15 years ago people might not have known what we were talking about,” Roberts said.
“But now, it’s at the forefront and even included in school books, which is great.” The structures in Quadra’s northern bays take up 35 per cent of the shoreline (approximately 15 kilometres of rock walls) to create almost 113,000 square metres of terraced beach, a recent paper co-authored by Lepofsky and Roberts found. In creating the structures, available clam habitat was boosted by as much as 36 per cent.


nationalobserver--2020-11-05--Christian school with ties to Ford questioned if climate change is ‘Earth worship’

An Ontario Christian college that the Doug Ford government is attempting to grant university status — which would give it the ability to hand out science degrees — has questioned climate change .
“ Is global warming Earth worship ?
” reads a poster from 2015 advertising a course at the Canada Christian College .
Controversy has swirled around the premier ’ s relationship with the school in recent weeks , after Ford ’ s government passed a measure to give it university status , buried in an omnibus bill .
Canada Christian College ’ s president is Charles McVety @ @ @ @ @ @ @ homophobic and Islamophobic statements , and who supported Ford ’ s campaign to become premier .
The course advertisement , surfaced by the opposition Ontario NDP Wednesday , was posted to the college ’ s Twitter account in April 2015 .
The six-week course , titled “ The End Bible Prophecy , ” or “ Eschatology 101 ” — referring to a branch of Christian theology that studies the end of the world — was taught by McVety .
The description on the poster includes a series of baffling questions .
“ Islamic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ What do the Four Blood Moons tell us ?
” • Here ’ s how the outcome of the U.S. election could impact Canada • What will the U.S. election do to hate in Canada ?
• Most mechanics 'scared ' to work on electric vehicles , industry veteran says It also says “ one world governance is here ” and asks : “ Will peace on Earth be the result ?
” A course advertisement posted to the Canada Christian College Twitter account in 2015 .
Courtesy Ontario NDP In @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , McVety said he believes the Earth is only 6,000 years old , a statement that runs opposite to the scientific consensus .
( In fact , Earth is roughly 4.5 billion years old . )
Referring to climate action in 2009 , McVety has also said carbon pricing “ will fund the one world government of the Anti-Christ.
” Neither McVety nor the college responded to a request for comment , or to questions about the content of the 2015 course .
“ No one is suggesting that Charles McVety can ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ but no one believes he should be able to teach hate and anti-science beliefs and then grant degrees , ” said Ontario NDP post-secondary education critic Chris Glover in question period at Queen ’ s Park Wednesday .
“ Is global warming Earth worship ?
” asked a 2015 course advertisement for Canada Christian College .
The Ford government attempted to expand the evangelical school ’ s ability to grant degrees last month .
# onpoli “ Why won ’ t the government do the right thing and pull the legislation that gives @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and sciences ?
” In response , Minister of Colleges and Universities Ross Romano said the government used a similar bill to expand the degree-granting powers of Algoma University in Sault Ste .
Marie , Ont.
, and OCAD University in Toronto last year .
Here is the video @ OntarioNDP referenced in question period today .
McVety claims the earth is 6,000 years old .
pic.twitter.com/1KBvG2mCmE — Iain Sherriff-Scott ( @ iainfscott ) November 4 , 2020 The school has also put in an application to the independent Post-Secondary Education Quality Assessment @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to bump up a college to university status .
Although the Ford government passed the bill , it said amid backlash that it would not proclaim that part of the legislation into law unless the board approves .
Glover said in a statement Wednesday that McVety “ actively undermines science .
”

An Ontario Christian college that the Doug Ford government is attempting to grant university status — which would give it the ability to hand out science degrees — has questioned climate change.
“Is global warming Earth worship?” reads a poster from 2015 advertising a course at the Canada Christian College.
Controversy has swirled around the premier’s relationship with the school in recent weeks, after Ford’s government passed a measure to give it university status, buried in an omnibus bill. Canada Christian College’s president is Charles McVety, an evangelical preacher who has made homophobic and Islamophobic statements, and who supported Ford’s campaign to become premier.
The course advertisement, surfaced by the opposition Ontario NDP Wednesday, was posted to the college’s Twitter account in April 2015. The six-week course, titled “The End Bible Prophecy,” or “Eschatology 101” — referring to a branch of Christian theology that studies the end of the world — was taught by McVety.
The description on the poster includes a series of baffling questions. “Islamic War is imminent?” it reads. “What do the Four Blood Moons tell us?”


nationalobserver--2020-11-05--B.C. needs a fisheries minister, advocates say

Each year , about 196,000 tonnes of seafood — everything from salmon to scallops — is harvested off the B.C .
coast .
But unlike its East Coast counterparts , the province doesn ’ t have a fisheries minister .
In the past several decades , the province has seen tumbling salmon populations , an increasingly inequitable distribution of the fisheries ’ economic benefits and a drop in local processing capacity .
All have eaten away at coastal communities , and the province ’ s ability to feed itself from the sea , a situation that advocates say calls for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ Right now ( we ) have no ministry that has the resources or capacity to focus on that plethora of environmental , social and economic issues , ” said Tasha Sutcliffe , senior fisheries policy adviser at Ecotrust Canada .
Those issues are broad .
Wild salmon populations are declining provincewide , a consequence of everything from climate change to the destruction of spawning habitat by development or forestry , according to a 2019 report by the province ’ s Wild Salmon Advisory Council .
And while other commercial species such as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , salmon remain vital for cultural , economic and food security in B.C .
• Here ’ s how the outcome of the U.S. election could impact Canada • What will the U.S. election do to hate in Canada ?
• Most mechanics 'scared ' to work on electric vehicles , industry veteran says Additionally , last year a federal standing committee found that the industry is becoming increasingly consolidated .
As a result , for the past 20 years , less of the wealth generated from fish harvested off the B.C .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ 760 million in 2018 — is actually making it to fish harvesters and their communities .
That ’ s because many of the licences and quota that give access to fisheries off the Pacific coast are owned by corporations and investors , who lease them out to on-the-water fish harvesters each year .
There has also been a decline in the number and scale of seafood-processing facilities in the province since the 1990s , Sutcliffe said .
While this is in part due to declining salmon stocks , many processing companies have moved @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cheaper , eliminating jobs in rural communities and making it harder for B.C .
fish harvesters .
And while fisheries fall primarily under federal jurisdiction , with Fisheries and Oceans Canada responsible for stock health , licensing and quota allocations and marine mammals , the province can still play a major role , Sutcliffe said , pointing to a September letter her organization sent to the province on the issue .
“ Provinces have authority for almost everything that happens on land , ” including food security , local distribution chains , rural @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the document notes .
In previous B.C .
governments , many of these responsibilities , especially those focused on supporting local food supply chains and food safety , fell to the ministry of agriculture .
Nor was agriculture the only ministry responsible for fisheries-related issues .
Forestry also falls under provincial jurisdiction , noted Pat Moss , co-ordinator for Friends of Wild Salmon , a non-profit based in northern B.C .
advocating for the protection of wild salmon .
Bad forest practices can impact the water quality and habitat in spawning streams , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reproduce .
Each year , about 196,000 tonnes of # seafood , everything from salmon to scallops , is harvested off the # BC coast .
But unlike its East coast counterparts , the province doesn ’ t have a # fisheries minister .
Advocates want that to change .
“ Anything that happens upriver has a significant impact on the coast because this is where salmon spawn ...
If you ’ re not protecting the habitat , you ’ re not going to have fish migrating out to the ocean , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ opportunity with a new government , especially if they were to create a new minister of fisheries.
” As long as fisheries issues stay split between several ministries , including the ministry of forests , lands , natural resource operations and rural development , it won ’ t be a priority for the government , she said .
Brian Wadhams , a long-time fish harvester and member of the ’ Namgis First Nation , pointed out that a provincial ministry could also support calls for more influence over fisheries management by First Nations @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hope the province gets onside , ” he said .
Their help could make it easier for fish harvesters like him , and their communities , to push Fisheries and Oceans Canada toward more collaborative , local management practices — as long as the proposed provincial ministry adopted the WSAC ’ s recommendation to “ respect and engage Indigenous governments and communities.
” “ Food security is one of the most important things for us as First Nations people , and we ’ re losing that at an alarming rate , ” Wadhams @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is particularly concerning .
“ Once you lose your salmon , you ’ re losing a lot of resources that rely on salmon , you ’ re losing entire ecosystems , ” he said .

Each year, about 196,000 tonnes of seafood — everything from salmon to scallops — is harvested off the B.C. coast. But unlike its East Coast counterparts, the province doesn’t have a fisheries minister. In the past several decades, the province has seen tumbling salmon populations, an increasingly inequitable distribution of the fisheries’ economic benefits and a drop in local processing capacity. All have eaten away at coastal communities, and the province’s ability to feed itself from the sea, a situation that advocates say calls for a minister dedicated to the portfolio. “Right now (we) have no ministry that has the resources or capacity to focus on that plethora of environmental, social and economic issues,” said Tasha Sutcliffe, senior fisheries policy adviser at Ecotrust Canada. Those issues are broad. Wild salmon populations are declining provincewide, a consequence of everything from climate change to the destruction of spawning habitat by development or forestry, according to a 2019 report by the province’s Wild Salmon Advisory Council. And while other commercial species such as crab or prawns are in better shape, salmon remain vital for cultural, economic and food security in B.C.
Additionally, last year a federal standing committee found that the industry is becoming increasingly consolidated. As a result, for the past 20 years, less of the wealth generated from fish harvested off the B.C. coast — a catch worth about $760 million in 2018 — is actually making it to fish harvesters and their communities. That’s because many of the licences and quota that give access to fisheries off the Pacific coast are owned by corporations and investors, who lease them out to on-the-water fish harvesters each year. There has also been a decline in the number and scale of seafood-processing facilities in the province since the 1990s, Sutcliffe said. While this is in part due to declining salmon stocks, many processing companies have moved their operations abroad, where labour is cheaper, eliminating jobs in rural communities and making it harder for B.C. fish harvesters. Billion-dollar land deals in Ontario raise corruption suspicions And while fisheries fall primarily under federal jurisdiction, with Fisheries and Oceans Canada responsible for stock health, licensing and quota allocations and marine mammals, the province can still play a major role, Sutcliffe said, pointing to a September letter her organization sent to the province on the issue.
“Provinces have authority for almost everything that happens on land,” including food security, local distribution chains, rural development and the registration of corporations, the document notes. Each year, about 196,000 tonnes of #seafood, everything from salmon to scallops, is harvested off the #BC coast. But unlike its East coast counterparts, the province doesn’t have a #fisheries minister. Advocates want that to change. In previous B.C. governments, many of these responsibilities, especially those focused on supporting local food supply chains and food safety, fell to the ministry of agriculture. Nor was agriculture the only ministry responsible for fisheries-related issues. Forestry also falls under provincial jurisdiction, noted Pat Moss, co-ordinator for Friends of Wild Salmon, a non-profit based in northern B.C. advocating for the protection of wild salmon. Bad forest practices can impact the water quality and habitat in spawning streams, making it difficult for wild salmon to reproduce. “Anything that happens upriver has a significant impact on the coast because this is where salmon spawn ... If you’re not protecting the habitat, you’re not going to have fish migrating out to the ocean,” she said. “This is an opportunity with a new government, especially if they were to create a new minister of fisheries.” As long as fisheries issues stay split between several ministries, including the ministry of forests, lands, natural resource operations and rural development, it won’t be a priority for the government, she said.
Brian Wadhams, a long-time fish harvester and member of the ’Namgis First Nation, pointed out that a provincial ministry could also support calls for more influence over fisheries management by First Nations and non-Indigenous fishermen. “I really hope the province gets onside,” he said. Their help could make it easier for fish harvesters like him, and their communities, to push Fisheries and Oceans Canada toward more collaborative, local management practices — as long as the proposed provincial ministry adopted the WSAC’s recommendation to “respect and engage Indigenous governments and communities.” “Food security is one of the most important things for us as First Nations people, and we’re losing that at an alarming rate,” Wadhams said.


nationalobserver--2020-11-05--Make TransLink  greener

Make TransLink  greener

In 2019 , TransLink was awarded the Outstanding Public Transportation System Achievement Award , which recognized the transit system as the best in North America .
This was a surprise to me because I dread my commute .
With the countless minutes I ’ ve spent waiting for and riding public transit , I want to be able to move through Vancouver feeling connected to the city and its environment .
To many travellers , a bus stop or a train station is merely a place to wait for the next available ride .
But what if transit infrastructure was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the city that affected the lives of its residents and visitors ?
I imagine a towering lush and vibrant forest just minutes away from the station where I stop after a long day .
The sound of birds and the chatter of people would echo , reminding me that I am surrounded by nature and community .
Singapore is a city where this actually happens .
As the train system expands and more bus lines are added , it ’ s imperative that green space is incorporated into shared public space to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the environment .
• Here ’ s how the outcome of the U.S. election could impact Canada • What will the U.S. election do to hate in Canada ?
• Most mechanics 'scared ' to work on electric vehicles , industry veteran says TransLink spans multiple municipalities in Metro Vancouver and has a huge annual operating budget of $ 1.36 billion .
It needs to be a shared responsibility of TransLink and its corresponding municipalities to address the absence of green space integration in their infrastructure throughout the region .
TransLink provides grants @ @ @ @ @ @ @ infrastructure improvements .
Since 2017 , $ 129 million has been invested in 215 projects but a vast majority is focused on cycling and pedestrian projects .
Transit systems across the country have taken a huge hit to their ridership during this pandemic and are struggling just to keep their operations running .
However , this provides an opportunity for them to take a look at their spending and how they can restructure their budgets in the future .
There must be more budget allocation for green transit infrastructure .
Every bus stop @ @ @ @ @ @ @ TransLink needs to advocate for green space incorporation when consulting with cities regarding infrastructure expansion and planning .
Vancouver ’ s Urban Forest Strategy aims to plant 150,000 trees between 2010 and 2020 under a set of twelve principles ; none of which touch on the importance of trees in connection to the public .
Not only do trees and green space provide extensive environmental benefits , but they greatly enhance the lives of those who access them .
Research has shown that citizens who grow up with minimal amounts of surrounding green @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cent increased risk of developing mental health disorders .
Would it kill Metro Vancouver 's TransLink to plant a few trees ?
# transit # commuting # greencities According to the City of Toronto ’ s Medical Health Office Staff Report , improved health and wellbeing attributed to green space can also result in more social cohesion as residents become further connected to the spaces where they interact .
This research can be applied far beyond the simplicity of adding trees to bus stops .
The integration of green space within transit infrastructure @ @ @ @ @ @ @ would create immense positive change in the experience of transit riders .
This is especially true in times of increased social isolation for residents .
Added green space in our post-COVID city could boost community-building and connection that might have been lost during the pandemic .
TransLink is focused on reducing carbon emissions and utilizing renewable energy as shown in their corporate sustainability commitments .
But it makes minimal attempts to incorporate greener infrastructure into its sustainability model while other cities in Canada and around the world are taking a more proactive approach @ @ @ @ @ @ @ when you exit Toronto Transit Commission 's York University Station .
Photo via Flickr Toronto Transit Commission ’ s York University Station features immediate access to green space from the subway .
Singapore ’ s Mass Rapid Transit ( MRT ) System is looking to further expand and increase reliability in response to anticipated growth in the city .
Parks like Gardens by the Bay and the Singapore Botanic Gardens are easily accessible by their MRT system .
Further development consultation is continually circulated around how to expand their system whilst highlighting the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' Green space can be incorporated in a multitude of ways , some simpler than others .
Feasible and cost-effective actions like planting trees supports initiatives that encompass what transit goals should be : multifaceted pillars of sustainability where public health and environmental and social sustainability are maintained .
TransLink needs to integrate green space into the public sphere because to be the “ greenest ” city , it must cement connections between people and the planet as residents move around the city .
It must be more intentional and include greenery into @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Transit infrastructure is an integral part of the lives of Vancouverites and undoubtedly frames the fabric of the city .
It ’ s time for TransLink and Metro Vancouver to connect city residents to nature through public transit .
As the climate clock rapidly ticks away , the value that nature offers to our spaces must be recognized and utilized now .

In 2019, TransLink was awarded the Outstanding Public Transportation System Achievement Award, which recognized the transit system as the best in North America. This was a surprise to me because I dread my commute. With the countless minutes I’ve spent waiting for and riding public transit, I want to be able to move through Vancouver feeling connected to the city and its environment. To many travellers, a bus stop or a train station is merely a place to wait for the next available ride. But what if transit infrastructure was viewed and valued as an integral part of the city that affected the lives of its residents and visitors? I imagine a towering lush and vibrant forest just minutes away from the station where I stop after a long day. The sound of birds and the chatter of people would echo, reminding me that I am surrounded by nature and community. Singapore is a city where this actually happens. As the train system expands and more bus lines are added, it’s imperative that green space is incorporated into shared public space to connect transit riders and city residents to the environment.
TransLink spans multiple municipalities in Metro Vancouver and has a huge annual operating budget of $1.36 billion. It needs to be a shared responsibility of TransLink and its corresponding municipalities to address the absence of green space integration in their infrastructure throughout the region. TransLink provides grants to municipalities for major road network and infrastructure improvements. Since 2017, $129 million has been invested in 215 projects but a vast majority is focused on cycling and pedestrian projects. Billion-dollar land deals in Ontario raise corruption suspicions Transit systems across the country have taken a huge hit to their ridership during this pandemic and are struggling just to keep their operations running. However, this provides an opportunity for them to take a look at their spending and how they can restructure their budgets in the future.
There must be more budget allocation for green transit infrastructure. Every bus stop could use at least one tree. TransLink needs to advocate for green space incorporation when consulting with cities regarding infrastructure expansion and planning. Would it kill Metro Vancouver's TransLink to plant a few trees? #transit #commuting #greencities Vancouver’s Urban Forest Strategy aims to plant 150,000 trees between 2010 and 2020 under a set of twelve principles; none of which touch on the importance of trees in connection to the public. Not only do trees and green space provide extensive environmental benefits, but they greatly enhance the lives of those who access them. Research has shown that citizens who grow up with minimal amounts of surrounding green space have up to a 55 per cent increased risk of developing mental health disorders. According to the City of Toronto’s Medical Health Office Staff Report, improved health and wellbeing attributed to green space can also result in more social cohesion as residents become further connected to the spaces where they interact. This research can be applied far beyond the simplicity of adding trees to bus stops. The integration of green space within transit infrastructure like in Skytrain stations and bus loops would create immense positive change in the experience of transit riders.
This is especially true in times of increased social isolation for residents. Added green space in our post-COVID city could boost community-building and connection that might have been lost during the pandemic. TransLink is focused on reducing carbon emissions and utilizing renewable energy as shown in their corporate sustainability commitments. But it makes minimal attempts to incorporate greener infrastructure into its sustainability model while other cities in Canada and around the world are taking a more proactive approach.


nationalobserver--2020-11-05--Long Winter ahead will be digital for Toronto DIY youth scene

Cross-pollination is one of the big draws of Toronto ’ s Long Winter , a seasonal all-ages arts series that must now seek to replicate in digital form what grew organically out of its prior extravaganzas .
“ In normal circumstances , our goal is to gather as many different acts as we can , to get as much cross-pollination between different communities and audiences in the city as we can , ” said Amy Gottung , long-time member of the collective and its current executive director .
“ We get everyone in one big building , we have different @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 's kind of like a big , giant , messy , choose-your-own-adventure extravaganza where you can wander between stages and hear a hip-hop act followed by an electronic act followed by a post-punk act , ” she explained .
DJ Korea Town Acid plays music for a packed dance floor at a Long Winter event last year .
Photo by Shane Parent “ Then we have art throughout the building tying things together , whether it be a wandering performance art piece or a dance installation or video games , interactive work by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” Gottung added , noting the eighth year of the monthly pay-what-you-can events drew between 600 and 900 people .
• Here ’ s how the outcome of the U.S. election could impact Canada • What will the U.S. election do to hate in Canada ?
• Most mechanics 'scared ' to work on electric vehicles , industry veteran says “ Really anything goes , ” she says , laughing .
“ And the idea is that we are , simply through density , bringing larger audiences for individual , more niche @ @ @ @ @ @ @ generate on their own.
” But these are not normal circumstances , and the vital connection the series offers young people to DIY and underground youth subcultures and each other in a typical long Toronto winter is now both more necessary and more difficult to achieve .
“ I am very worried about that for the scene , I ’ m worried about that for us socially , in general , ” Gottung said .
“ We are social animals , we benefit so greatly in ways that we do , and I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that we do n't understand , from seeing each other and standing close together and raging or celebrating or getting weird at live performances , especially music performances , ” she said .
Audience members huddle around a poet Aisha Sasha John reading during a Long Winter event for the 2018-19 season .
Photo by Shane Parent Aware that some of Long Winter ’ s benefits can ’ t be replicated outside their in-person context , the collective is leaning towards the possible , with a focus on what might work in a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ LongWinterTO will be a little different than all that came before , with the DIY and underground art series leaning into the digital realm COVID-19 has imposed .
But the mostly volunteer-run alternative safe space , which expanded to Paris for two days of programming last year , will otherwise stick with the modus operandi that has worked thus far , Gottung said , which is to “ throw out the best of what we can and see how it goes and iterate from there.
” Amy Gottung ( left ) at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ independent radio station Station Station at La Station-Gare des Mines , in France .
Photo supplied by Amy Gottung In this endeavour , they will be drawing on the talents of collective member Colin Medley , an accomplished videographer and director who has created scores of music videos for Canadian musicians , to collaborate with interested artists .
`` As far as a particular energy , we really just want to capture the feeling of being at an actual in-person Long Winter event , where you might see and hear things that you @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he said .
`` I always feel like Long Winter is a space for anyone , whether it 's a musician , artist , dancer , etc .
to experiment and try out new ideas . ''
Long Winter TV is currently accepting submissions ( the first-round deadline is on Friday ) , and Gottung hopes Medley can help “ reconfigure a program that is video-focused ” by helping the many local artists and live performers trying to pivot to digital .
“ Some things work well in digital media , and we @ @ @ @ @ @ @ much as possible , ” Gottung said , by pulling together professional crews and asking artists to present their work “ so that the medium is not an afterthought , but we ’ re actually playing to the medium.
” A recap of a Long Winter event from last season .
Video by Colin Medley , music by Korea Town Acid Gottung said that while Long Winter doesn ’ t yet know what volume and type of submissions it will be working with , the plan is to release a series of concert @ @ @ @ @ @ @ edited with other art such as animation and interspersed with comedy bits , ideally launched with some form of live , online element .

Cross-pollination is one of the big draws of Toronto’s Long Winter, a seasonal all-ages arts series that must now seek to replicate in digital form what grew organically out of its prior extravaganzas. “In normal circumstances, our goal is to gather as many different acts as we can, to get as much cross-pollination between different communities and audiences in the city as we can,” said Amy Gottung, long-time member of the collective and its current executive director. “We get everyone in one big building, we have different bands perform on different floors; it's kind of like a big, giant, messy, choose-your-own-adventure extravaganza where you can wander between stages and hear a hip-hop act followed by an electronic act followed by a post-punk act,” she explained. DJ Korea Town Acid plays music for a packed dance floor at a Long Winter event last year. Photo by Shane Parent “Then we have art throughout the building tying things together, whether it be a wandering performance art piece or a dance installation or video games, interactive work by local designers or projections for the stages,” Gottung added, noting the eighth year of the monthly pay-what-you-can events drew between 600 and 900 people each.
“Really anything goes,” she says, laughing. “And the idea is that we are, simply through density, bringing larger audiences for individual, more niche scenes than they might be able to generate on their own.” But these are not normal circumstances, and the vital connection the series offers young people to DIY and underground youth subcultures and each other in a typical long Toronto winter is now both more necessary and more difficult to achieve. Billion-dollar land deals in Ontario raise corruption suspicions “I am very worried about that for the scene, I’m worried about that for us socially, in general,” Gottung said.
“We are social animals, we benefit so greatly in ways that we do, and I think, in a lot of ways that we don't understand, from seeing each other and standing close together and raging or celebrating or getting weird at live performances, especially music performances,” she said. The ninth season of @LongWinterTO will be a little different than all that came before, with the DIY and underground art series leaning into the digital realm COVID-19 has imposed. Audience members huddle around a poet Aisha Sasha John reading during a Long Winter event for the 2018-19 season. Photo by Shane Parent Aware that some of Long Winter’s benefits can’t be replicated outside their in-person context, the collective is leaning towards the possible, with a focus on what might work in a digital/video realm. But the mostly volunteer-run alternative safe space, which expanded to Paris for two days of programming last year, will otherwise stick with the modus operandi that has worked thus far, Gottung said, which is to “throw out the best of what we can and see how it goes and iterate from there.” Amy Gottung (left) at Long Winter Paris with the team of independent radio station Station Station at La Station-Gare des Mines, in France. Photo supplied by Amy Gottung
In this endeavour, they will be drawing on the talents of collective member Colin Medley, an accomplished videographer and director who has created scores of music videos for Canadian musicians, to collaborate with interested artists. "As far as a particular energy, we really just want to capture the feeling of being at an actual in-person Long Winter event, where you might see and hear things that you wouldn't normally come across," he said. "I always feel like Long Winter is a space for anyone, whether it's a musician, artist, dancer, etc. to experiment and try out new ideas." Long Winter TV is currently accepting submissions (the first-round deadline is on Friday), and Gottung hopes Medley can help “reconfigure a program that is video-focused” by helping the many local artists and live performers trying to pivot to digital.


nationalobserver--2020-11-04--Member of Ford’s Greenbelt Council resigns over plans to destroy protected wetland

A member of the Ontario Greenbelt Council resigned Wednesday in protest of the province ’ s move to fast-track a development that would destroy a protected wetland .
The site is part of the Lower Duffins Creek wetland complex , located east of Toronto near Pickering , Ont .
On Friday , Premier Doug Ford 's government issued a special provincial order to approve plans to build on the 54-acre wetland , which is the size of about 40 football fields .
“ I have simply had enough , ” wrote Linda Pim , an environmental biologist and land-use planner @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Greenbelt Council in 2018 , in a resignation letter dated Nov. 4 .
“ I can not in all conscience continue to sit on the Greenbelt Council which has provided you with its best advice on urban and regional planning issues in the Greenbelt and the entire Greater Golden Horseshoe ( GGH ) — advice which seems to me to have not been given due consideration.
” The council is an expert panel that advises the government on issues related to the Greenbelt , a swath of protected land surrounding the Greater @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to develop .
The wetland is not part of the Greenbelt , but it has been designated as “ provincially significant ” and isn ’ t supposed to be developed .
• Here ’ s how the outcome of the U.S. election could impact Canada • What will the U.S. election do to hate in Canada ?
• Most mechanics 'scared ' to work on electric vehicles , industry veteran says Pim has more than 40 years of experience , with roles inside the Ontario government and at non-profit environmental groups .
She @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Escarpment Commission , an arms-length government agency .
“ This has been my life ’ s work , environmental protection , ” Pim said in an interview with Canada ’ s National Observer .
“ I just decided I had to take a stand ...
I sort of hope the letter speaks for itself.
” Ontario Green Party Leader Mike Schreiner said the government ’ s choice to develop the wetland is “ outrageous.
” The resignation `` should be a wake-up call ( for the Ford government ) , ” he added @ @ @ @ @ @ @ standing in the community resigns , they don ’ t resign lightly or on a whim.
” A member of the Ford government 's Greenbelt Council resigned after the administration fast-tracked a project that would destroy a sensitive wetland .
`` I just decided I had to take a stand , '' said Linda Pim .
# onpoli The office of Municipal Affairs Minister Steve Clark did not directly answer the concerns Pim raised in the letter .
“ Linda Pim ’ s tenure on the Niagara Escarpment Commission ( NEC ) was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , a press secretary for Clark , in an email .
“ She knew that as a cross appointment to the Greenbelt Council , she was intended to represent the NEC ’ s perspective on the Council — for that reason she knew that her expiring appointment on the Greenbelt Council would not be renewed.
” Pim said her appointment to the Niagara Escarpment Commission ended in August 2019 , but that the government had not told her whether she would be renewed or not for that position .
She also said she @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Greenbelt Council , as other Green members who came in during the previous government were n't renewed when their terms expired .
“ I don ’ t have any comment really on what they ’ re saying , it seems like a bit of a personal attack , ” she said in response to the statement from Clark 's office .
“ I don ’ t really want to debate this with them .
It is what it is.
” Such orders used to be rare in Ontario , meant only for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ government has increasingly relied on them to approve plans from developers , and expanded Clark ’ s power to use them over the summer .
The Greenbelt Council has sounded alarms about the issue , saying MZOs should only be used in exceptional circumstances .
And in her resignation letter , Pim said the province ’ s frequent use of MZOs “ has deeply concerned me.
” The project is a warehouse distribution centre and film studio called Project Lonestar , part of a larger entertainment complex called Durham Live that was approved @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Durham Live will create 10,000 new jobs , including 1,500 at the film studio .
The development could have been placed somewhere else , said Tim Gray , the executive director of the green non-profit Environmental Defence .
“ It ’ s just trying to fool the public into thinking this is a jobs versus the environment thing , ” he said .
“ That ’ s just not true.
” Wilson said the MZO in Pickering was issued in response to a request from local authorities .
“ MZOs are a tool @ @ @ @ @ @ @ local projects , located outside the Greenbelt , moving faster , ” he said .
While the City of Pickering has indeed supported the project , the mayor of the neighbouring town of Ajax , Shaun Collier , has opposed it alongside environmental groups .
“ The Lower Duffins Creek wetland complex is at risk , ” Collier said in a tweet Friday .
“ It is wrong to pave it for a warehouse.
” The lower Duffins Creek wetland complex is at risk .
It is wrong to pave it for a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ envirodefence in asking the Minister of Municipal Affairs & Minister of Natural Resources : # SavedontPave Send us your comments - https : //t.co/sutFuEq7SY pic.twitter.com/oOISupeleO — Shaun Collier # StrongerTogether ( @ mayor_collier ) October 30 , 2020 Unclear whether project will get final approval Wetlands play a crucial role in controlling floods and improving water quality .
They also naturally absorb the greenhouse gas carbon dioxide , a process that can be useful in fighting the climate crisis .
“ We are in trouble as a province if we are without wetlands @ @ @ @ @ @ @ French , the opposition critic for infrastructure , whose riding is in the region .
“ Ontarians need to remember that those wetlands are not just nice places to paddleboard or for birds to live.
” Already , development has encroached on wetlands in Ontario .
“ It is well documented that southern Ontario has already lost over three-quarters of its pre- European-settlement wetlands to various forms of development , ” Pim wrote in her letter .
Although the MZO approves the Project Lonestar plan , it still faces significant hurdles before it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ status of the wetlands could still be a headache .
The project would need a permit from the Toronto and Region Conservation Authority ( TRCA ) .
But the TRCA has said it does n't support development in wetlands , particularly in ones with a `` provincially significant '' designation like the Duffins Creek wetland complex .
At the conservation authority ’ s last meeting on Oct. 23 , its board voted unanimously to say so in an official motion .
Natural Resources Minister John Yakabuski has said the province is looking at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ provincially significant '' designation , which could make it easier for development to go ahead .
Yakabuski has also asked the TRCA to have a discussion with the developer to come up with an agreement that would allow the company to give compensation — either money , or replicating the wetland somewhere else — in exchange for the loss of the habitat .
The TRCA and the Ford government appear to disagree on how far along those discussions are : Clark ’ s office said a compensation agreement had been signed , but @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an agreement that would begin discussions , and that nothing has been finalized .
( Neither the TRCA nor the government was able to provide a copy of the agreement , as it contained proprietary information . )
The TRCA also said the developer would have to do an environmental impact study before a compensation agreement could be signed .
And even then , it would have to be discussed at a public meeting before the TRCA decides whether to approve it .
“ There ’ s a lot of high-level what-ifs , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for the TRCA .
If the wetlands are lost , the damage will be permanent , French said .
“ If we erase all of these wetlands , we can not replace them , ” she added .
“ We can not build a park and say we ’ re even .
”

A member of the Ontario Greenbelt Council resigned Wednesday in protest of the province’s move to fast-track a development that would destroy a protected wetland. The site is part of the Lower Duffins Creek wetland complex, located east of Toronto near Pickering, Ont. On Friday, Premier Doug Ford's government issued a special provincial order to approve plans to build on the 54-acre wetland, which is the size of about 40 football fields. “I have simply had enough,” wrote Linda Pim, an environmental biologist and land-use planner whom the previous Liberal government appointed to the Greenbelt Council in 2018, in a resignation letter dated Nov. 4. “I cannot in all conscience continue to sit on the Greenbelt Council which has provided you with its best advice on urban and regional planning issues in the Greenbelt and the entire Greater Golden Horseshoe (GGH) — advice which seems to me to have not been given due consideration.” The council is an expert panel that advises the government on issues related to the Greenbelt, a swath of protected land surrounding the Greater Toronto Area that Ford has pledged not to develop. The wetland is not part of the Greenbelt, but it has been designated as “provincially significant” and isn’t supposed to be developed.
Pim has more than 40 years of experience, with roles inside the Ontario government and at non-profit environmental groups. She has also been a commissioner the Niagara Escarpment Commission, an arms-length government agency. “This has been my life’s work, environmental protection,” Pim said in an interview with Canada’s National Observer. Billion-dollar land deals in Ontario raise corruption suspicions “I just decided I had to take a stand ... I sort of hope the letter speaks for itself.”
Ontario Green Party Leader Mike Schreiner said the government’s choice to develop the wetland is “outrageous.” A member of the Ford government's Greenbelt Council resigned after the administration fast-tracked a project that would destroy a sensitive wetland. "I just decided I had to take a stand," said Linda Pim. #onpoli The resignation "should be a wake-up call (for the Ford government),” he added. “When somebody with this much standing in the community resigns, they don’t resign lightly or on a whim.” The office of Municipal Affairs Minister Steve Clark did not directly answer the concerns Pim raised in the letter. “Linda Pim’s tenure on the Niagara Escarpment Commission (NEC) was not renewed,” said Adam Wilson, a press secretary for Clark, in an email.
“She knew that as a cross appointment to the Greenbelt Council, she was intended to represent the NEC’s perspective on the Council — for that reason she knew that her expiring appointment on the Greenbelt Council would not be renewed.” Pim said her appointment to the Niagara Escarpment Commission ended in August 2019, but that the government had not told her whether she would be renewed or not for that position. She also said she wasn't expecting to be re-appointed to the Greenbelt Council, as other Green members who came in during the previous government weren't renewed when their terms expired. “I don’t have any comment really on what they’re saying, it seems like a bit of a personal attack,” she said in response to the statement from Clark's office.


nationalobserver--2020-11-04--Amy Goodman of Democracy Now!  joins Linda Solomon Wood for 'The next 4 years'

“ This really isn ’ t about who exactly is in the White House .
It ’ s about whether there is space for people to be able to function in a democratic way… What happens in this country has enormous implications for the rest of the world .
There was suffering before Trump but this has been taken to a new level.
” —Amy Goodman in her interview with Julian Casablancas of The Strokes In her decades of vigilant news reporting , Amy Goodman , revered host of the award-winning Democracy Now !
, has seen it all — @ @ @ @ @ @ @ voting in a presidential election was a first for the veteran political journalist .
“ The line was 10 hours long .
We ’ ve broken voter turnout records in this country in the early vote alone , ” Goodman said on the phone last week .
“ This is just unheard of here .
This is the most significant U.S. election in our history.
” • Here ’ s how the outcome of the U.S. election could impact Canada • What will the U.S. election do to hate in Canada ?
• @ @ @ @ @ @ @ electric vehicles , industry veteran says This Thursday , Nov. 5 at 7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT , we invite you to join Goodman and Canada ’ s National Observer editor-in-chief Linda Solomon Wood as they look ahead to the next four years and take the pulse of American democracy .
You can register to join the conversation here , and send your questions in advance to [ email protected ] for a chance to participate in the discussion .
As the results of a historic U.S. election continue to roll in , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sides of the U.S.-Canada border will be trying to make sense of what the future holds for the United States and its neighbours .
When the dust settles and all the ballots are counted , how Americans vote and who becomes the next president will have lasting impacts that extend across the border and beyond .
As part of Democracy Now !
, a daily independent news program airing on more than 1,400 public television and radio stations worldwide , Goodman is known for thoughtful , in-depth reporting that highlights voices and stories @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a unique perspective and more than two decades of inclusive journalism under her belt , she joins Canada ’ s National Observer this week to share her insights on the 2020 election campaign and the future ahead .
Canada ’ s National Observer is also pleased to announce the extension of this season of Conversations .
You can find more upcoming events , featuring special guests Green Party Leader Annamie Paul and Mother Jones publisher and CEO Steve Katz and Monika Bauerlein here .

“This really isn’t about who exactly is in the White House. It’s about whether there is space for people to be able to function in a democratic way… What happens in this country has enormous implications for the rest of the world. There was suffering before Trump but this has been taken to a new level.”
—Amy Goodman in her interview with Julian Casablancas of The Strokes
In her decades of vigilant news reporting, Amy Goodman, revered host of the award-winning Democracy Now!, has seen it all — though witnessing New Yorkers participate in early voting in a presidential election was a first for the veteran political journalist.
“The line was 10 hours long. We’ve broken voter turnout records in this country in the early vote alone,” Goodman said on the phone last week. “This is just unheard of here. This is the most significant U.S. election in our history.”
What happens now?


nationalobserver--2020-11-04--U.S. leaves Paris Agreement amid uncalled election

This article was originally published by The Guardian and appears here as part of Canada 's National Observer 's collaboration with Climate Desk .
The United States on Wednesday officially became the only country in the world refusing to participate in global climate efforts , with the fate of the crisis hanging on the still uncalled presidential election .
A Trump win would be a “ huge uphill battle ” for U.S. climate action , said Kate Larsen , a director at the independent research firm the Rhodium Group .
“ It would mean that any progress we will see @ @ @ @ @ @ @ companies that are trying to pick up the slack , ” Larsen said .
“ It will come nowhere close to what is needed , to what we will be able to do with a mobilized federal government.
” Pete Betts , the former lead climate negotiator for the EU and the U.K. , said global action will continue , albeit at a slower pace without the U.S .
The United States on Wednesday officially became the only country in the world refusing to participate in global # climate efforts , with the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ still uncalled presidential election .
# election2020 “ The big picture is that Paris will continue , come what may , ” Betts said .
“ Although I don ’ t think anyone will follow Trump , if you ’ ve got the world ’ s biggest economy and second-biggest emitter saying it doesn ’ t want to take action itself — it is a little bit of a dampener on ambition.
” A re-engaged U.S. , however , could pressure allies like Japan , Canada and Australia to step up , Betts @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with the EU and China to agree on bigger targets .
Last month , China announced it would try to zero out its climate emissions by 2060 .
While China is the biggest current emitter , the U.S. has contributed more climate pollution historically than any other country .
A handful of countries have not ratified the Paris Agreement , but the U.S. is the only one to formally leave the deal .
Should Trump get re-elected , climate advocates will be going all in to help states , cities and businesses do @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and to help them in legal battles against the administration , said Andrew Light , a former U.S. climate negotiator .
The “ We Are Still In ” coalition of non-federal actors committed to climate action believes it could step in where a Trump government would be absent , cutting climate pollution up to 37 per cent below 2005 levels by 2030 .
“ If Trump gets re-elected and he continues in this direction , the rest of the world ’ s got to rally around , ” Light added .
The first @ @ @ @ @ @ @ climate conference in Scotland next November .
Biden ’ s ambitions could be hamstrung if Republicans maintain control of the Senate or even if they hold a strong minority .
And even if Biden takes the White House and Democrats control both the House and the Senate , it ’ s unclear how aggressive U.S. climate policies might be , said Julian Brave Noisecat , director of Green New Deal strategy at the group Data for Progress .
“ Climate needs to be seen as part of a political winner for Democrats , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said .
If the Senate is nearly evenly divided and the key vote ends up being a moderate Democrat from a fossil fuel state , that lawmaker ’ s constituents will have outsized influence , he said .
Green spending will be easier to pass than a comprehensive climate bill , but further legislation depends on how the economy fares and what happens in the 2022 midterm elections , he said .
Before the pandemic , the U.S. was nowhere near on track to meet the climate goals it promised other countries .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ gasoline and power , it could cut climate pollution at least 20 per cent below 2005 levels by 2025 , according to Rhodium Group .
But that is still far from the 26 per cent to 28 per cent cuts the country promised .
Beyond encouraging green infrastructure , Biden could also curb climate pollution through agency regulations .
Those rules would be challenged , however , and the now firmly conservative-leaning Supreme Court could have the last say on whether they are legal .

Trump’s challenger, Joe Biden, would immediately rejoin the agreement and push lawmakers to spend big on green infrastructure to try to reverse the economic downturn from the pandemic. Should he win, however, Biden’s ambitions may well be stunted by the U.S. Senate, which as of Wednesday morning appeared to be leaning towards remaining in Republican control. Billion-dollar land deals in Ontario raise corruption suspicions Trump would intensify his quest to expand fossil fuels, undermine climate science and rescind environmental protections. A second Trump term would be a stunning loss to the climate movement and would reverberate around the world.
A Trump win would be a “huge uphill battle” for U.S. climate action, said Kate Larsen, a director at the independent research firm the Rhodium Group. The United States on Wednesday officially became the only country in the world refusing to participate in global #climate efforts, with the fate of the crisis hanging on the still uncalled presidential election. #election2020 “It would mean that any progress we will see will come from states and cities and companies that are trying to pick up the slack,” Larsen said. “It will come nowhere close to what is needed, to what we will be able to do with a mobilized federal government.” Pete Betts, the former lead climate negotiator for the EU and the U.K., said global action will continue, albeit at a slower pace without the U.S. “The big picture is that Paris will continue, come what may,” Betts said. “Although I don’t think anyone will follow Trump, if you’ve got the world’s biggest economy and second-biggest emitter saying it doesn’t want to take action itself — it is a little bit of a dampener on ambition.” A re-engaged U.S., however, could pressure allies like Japan, Canada and Australia to step up, Betts said. A Biden administration could work with the EU and China to agree on bigger targets. Last month, China announced it would try to zero out its climate emissions by 2060. While China is the biggest current emitter, the U.S. has contributed more climate pollution historically than any other country. A handful of countries have not ratified the Paris Agreement, but the U.S. is the only one to formally leave the deal.
Should Trump get re-elected, climate advocates will be going all in to help states, cities and businesses do more, to get them international recognition and to help them in legal battles against the administration, said Andrew Light, a former U.S. climate negotiator. The “We Are Still In” coalition of non-federal actors committed to climate action believes it could step in where a Trump government would be absent, cutting climate pollution up to 37 per cent below 2005 levels by 2030. “If Trump gets re-elected and he continues in this direction, the rest of the world’s got to rally around,” Light added. The first test of that will be at a climate conference in Scotland next November. Biden’s ambitions could be hamstrung if Republicans maintain control of the Senate or even if they hold a strong minority. And even if Biden takes the White House and Democrats control both the House and the Senate, it’s unclear how aggressive U.S. climate policies might be, said Julian Brave Noisecat, director of Green New Deal strategy at the group Data for Progress.


nationalobserver--2020-11-04--Americans in Canada say tight U.S. election shows power of individual vote

TORONTO — The closely contested U.S. election has brought home the power of the individual voter for Americans in Canada who hail from the handful of toss−up states that will decide who occupies the White House for the next four years .
As results trickled in from those key states on Wednesday , anxious expat Americans from those states watched the ongoing count with at least some degree of satisfaction .
`` This is the first year that it feels like our vote really could matter , '' said Staci Zemlak−Kenter , of Ottawa , who voted by mail in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at the Ottawa Jewish Community School , moved from Atlanta to Canada with her husband in 2016 a few months before the election that saw Republican Donald Trump unexpectedly rise to the presidency .
The several visits Trump and his Democrat challenger Joe Biden paid to Georgia , she said , put it firmly on the list of swing states .
• Here ’ s how the outcome of the U.S. election could impact Canada • What will the U.S. election do to hate in Canada ?
• Most mechanics 'scared ' to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ says `` It means that it ’ s a state that matters , '' Zemlak−Kenter said .
`` It ’ s exciting to be part of that , and it ’ s also really terrifying . ''
An estimated 620,000 Americans are believed to live in Canada although only a small number voted in 2016 .
Although it ’ s not yet known how many actually cast their ballots this time , it is clear from the last presidential election that they did have the power to make the difference .
The hotly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , went Trump in 2016 by about 11,000 votes — fewer than the estimated number of expats eligible to vote from Canada , many of whom live in Ontario .
Kathy Murphy , a paralegal in Detroit who lives in the border city of Windsor , Ont.
, was one of the millions of Americans who voted by mail this year .
`` My vote is actually being counted in Michigan right now , because my vote was a mail−in vote , '' Murphy said on Wednesday .
The situation , she said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
This time , however , she ’ s cautiously optimistic the expat vote will have helped turn Michigan blue .
`` It ’ s just scary .
I ’ m useless at work today .
We are concerned about how close the election is , and not only in terms of Trump being re−elected . ''
# 2020election # trump # USelection2020 # canadianexpats `` I really think we will make a difference , '' said Murphy , who has lived in Canada for about 27 years .
`` I had so @ @ @ @ @ @ @ didn ’ t feel like their vote mattered from here .
But we still convinced them to vote ( and ) I ’ m hoping that today they ’ re feeling like their vote does matter . ''
Still , with the complicated maths of the U.S .
Electoral College system , which ultimately determines who becomes president , Murphy said it seemed likely Biden would reach the 270 votes , the exact number needed to take the White House .
She wasn ’ t betting on anything more than that razor−thin margin @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , especially since Trump has frequently blasted the election as fraudulent .
He has also refused to say whether he would concede if the numbers don ’ t go his way , especially given the close nature of the vote .
`` It won ’ t settle things , not with Donald Trump , '' Murphy said if Biden gets 270 Electoral College votes .
`` He just thinks that he can make the rules and change the rules . ''
In 2000 , the U.S. Supreme Court essentially handed the White House @ @ @ @ @ @ @ out Al Gore , amid a dispute over the vote in Florida .
Many observers said a similar scenario could repeat this year .
Zemlak−Kenter said she had hoped for a Biden landslide rather than having the courts decide the outcome .
For the moment , she said , there was little she could do other than to keep an unwavering eye as the counting in Georgia and other swing states continued .
`` It ’ s just scary .
I ’ m useless at work today , '' she said .
`` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ election is , and not only in terms of Trump being re−elected . ''
Other key battleground states included Wisconsin , Arizona and Nevada , which has just six electoral college votes .
`` If it really comes down to six , it also speaks to the power of the individual vote , '' Zemlak−Kenter said .

TORONTO — The closely contested U.S. election has brought home the power of the individual voter for Americans in Canada who hail from the handful of toss−up states that will decide who occupies the White House for the next four years. As results trickled in from those key states on Wednesday, anxious expat Americans from those states watched the ongoing count with at least some degree of satisfaction. "This is the first year that it feels like our vote really could matter," said Staci Zemlak−Kenter, of Ottawa, who voted by mail in Georgia. Zemlak−Kenter, director of development at the Ottawa Jewish Community School, moved from Atlanta to Canada with her husband in 2016 a few months before the election that saw Republican Donald Trump unexpectedly rise to the presidency. The several visits Trump and his Democrat challenger Joe Biden paid to Georgia, she said, put it firmly on the list of swing states.
"It means that it’s a state that matters," Zemlak−Kenter said. "It’s exciting to be part of that, and it’s also really terrifying." An estimated 620,000 Americans are believed to live in Canada although only a small number voted in 2016. Although it’s not yet known how many actually cast their ballots this time, it is clear from the last presidential election that they did have the power to make the difference. Billion-dollar land deals in Ontario raise corruption suspicions The hotly contested state of Michigan, for example, went Trump in 2016 by about 11,000 votes — fewer than the estimated number of expats eligible to vote from Canada, many of whom live in Ontario.
Kathy Murphy, a paralegal in Detroit who lives in the border city of Windsor, Ont., was one of the millions of Americans who voted by mail this year. "It’s just scary. I’m useless at work today. We are concerned about how close the election is, and not only in terms of Trump being re−elected." #2020election #trump #USelection2020 #canadianexpats "My vote is actually being counted in Michigan right now, because my vote was a mail−in vote," Murphy said on Wednesday. The situation, she said, feels like 2016 all over again. This time, however, she’s cautiously optimistic the expat vote will have helped turn Michigan blue. "I really think we will make a difference," said Murphy, who has lived in Canada for about 27 years. "I had so many Americans who I talked to who didn’t feel like their vote mattered from here. But we still convinced them to vote (and) I’m hoping that today they’re feeling like their vote does matter." Still, with the complicated maths of the U.S. Electoral College system, which ultimately determines who becomes president, Murphy said it seemed likely Biden would reach the 270 votes, the exact number needed to take the White House.
She wasn’t betting on anything more than that razor−thin margin, raising the prospect of ongoing strife, especially since Trump has frequently blasted the election as fraudulent. He has also refused to say whether he would concede if the numbers don’t go his way, especially given the close nature of the vote. "It won’t settle things, not with Donald Trump," Murphy said if Biden gets 270 Electoral College votes. "He just thinks that he can make the rules and change the rules." In 2000, the U.S. Supreme Court essentially handed the White House keys to George W. Bush, shutting out Al Gore, amid a dispute over the vote in Florida. Many observers said a similar scenario could repeat this year.