nationalobserver--2020-09-04--A Chinese legend, a Charlie Kaufman mind trip, and looking ahead to VIFF

It ’ ll be a smaller Vancouver International Film Festival this year .
Understandably .
I count some 95 features on the list .
Last year , there were 216 .
They ’ ll be available online for as little as $ 9 ( better than Toronto ’ s festival where prices start at $ 19 ) .
Some will also be shown in-house at the newly renovated Van City Theatre .
The good news is that the opening film will be shown free of charge in 12 theatres around the province .
How that will work isn ’ t @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at https : //viff.org .
The festival starts Sept. 24 and people from anywhere in the province will be able to stream the films .
That ’ s handy , but you give up the chatting , comparing and recommending you do in regular years as you wait in lineups .
Among the highlights I ’ ve noticed so far : The New Corporation , the followup to the locally produced critical view of the business world ; Falling , Viggo Mortensen ’ s directing debut ; Thomas Vinterberg ’ s Another Round @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in The Father .
Charlie Kaufman , whose new film I praise very highly today , will do a creator talk ( online , I think ) and that opening film is Monkey Beach , Loretta Todd ’ s version of the acclaimed novel about courage , spirituality and ghosts in a Haisla community here in B.C .
I Propose We Never See Each Other Again After Tonight : 3 MULAN : I wish it was possible to see this one on the big screen .
It ’ s large , colourful , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sequences .
It also cost $ 200 million to make , which is surely why Disney is charging extra for it on its streaming service — $ 29 dollars above your subscription fee .
Worth it if you can gather the whole family and maybe invite in some neighbours .
They ’ ll enjoy it all .
It ’ s a grand , sweeping film , a live-action remake of the animated version of 22 years ago , and successor to a long history before that .
The story is legendary in China @ @ @ @ @ @ @ adapted for films , the stage and print many times .
It supports ideals of honour , courage , family and ( extra emphasized here ) equal abilities of women .
Mulan raises all that when she breaks the rules and goes off to war pretending she ’ s a man .
She ’ s going in place of her aging dad when an army is raised to fight off invaders from Mongolia .
Not Huns , as in the previous film , but Rourans .
There are other changes , too : @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ; but a phoenix instead ( more symbolic in Chinese culture ) ; and a cast of well-known Asian actors like Gong Li ( as a witch ) , Jason Scott Lee ( as the invader ) , Jet Li ( as the Emperor ) and Tzi Ma and Rosalind Chao ( as Mulan ’ s parents ) .
She ( Liu Yifei ) has to prove herself in the army ( she does that with both fighting skills and gymnastics ) and hide her gender ( no showers with the guys , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ quite standard , but when the momentum picks up , we ’ re fully with her .
There ’ s vitality in Niki Caro ’ s direction .
She told a similar woman-can-do story in her best known film Whale Rider .
( Disney+ ) 3 ½ out of 5 I ’ M THINKING OF ENDING THINGS : No , not her life .
Her relationship with a recently acquired boyfriend , says the young woman in this latest mind-twisting movie by master twister Charlie Kaufman .
Imagine films like Eternal Sunshine of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , both of which he wrote , or Anomalisa and Synecdoche , New York , which he directed as well , and you ’ ll get a hint of what you ’ re in for .
Whip-smart , chatty , verging on surrealistic , that ’ s what .
And , this time , based on a novel by a Canadian , Ottawa-area-based Iain Reid .
Apparently though , liberally altered under Kaufman ’ s own fixations about aging , regret , inadequacy , memories of a high school outsider , art , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of it all is immensely engrossing , almost mesmerizing .
Jessie Buckley and Jesse Plemons play the couple .
Her thoughts come via voiceover as they drive through a snowstorm to the farm of his parents ( David Thewlis and Toni Collette ) .
They chat at length about movies and art and much else , but don ’ t really connect .
She recites a gloomy poem .
He recalls a musical he once sang in .
It gets eerie and weirder at the farm .
The parents are friendly and welcoming @ @ @ @ @ @ @ scene to the next , getting older , practically doddering , then younger and livelier .
It ’ s a brilliant version of one of those “ meet the parents ” visits .
A stop at an ice cream shop ( during a blizzard ? )
and then a high school add to the strangeness .
It ’ s quite a puzzle in that it never really lets on what it ’ s about , but it ’ s so rich with spoken ideas and musings and hints to meanings ( and incidentally @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bits of sly humour , that you can ’ t get bored .
( Netflix ) 4 out of 5 FEELS GOOD MAN : This one will have you pondering again exactly what is going on these days .
In politics , among the so-called base , among fringe groups and on and by the internet .
Weighty stuff not usually related to ephemera like Pepe the Frog , but watch his influence .
Matt Furie , a San Francisco comic book writer , created him and in the very first scene , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s so easy that people on the internet can reproduce him and insert him into photos and new cartoons to make comments.
, as they are wont to do .
Many are political .
Just watch how many Pepe Trumps the film finds .
The thinking is that Pepe has appealed to the cheeky side of a lot of young men “ living in their mom ’ s basement ” and to subscribers to the free-for-all website 4Chan .
They pick up on Pepe ’ s mantra , “ It feels good.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ are wont to do , some put a stronger spin on him : white supremacist images and Nazi symbols .
Some public figures , like the odious Alex Jones , pick up on it and promote him .
Pepe has gone viral , TV commentators like Rachel Maddow mention him , but Furie ’ s pacifist image is in tatters .
Can he get his character back ?
The film watches him try .
A fascinating film with lots to think about .
( available video on demand ) 3½ out of 5 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ about film festivals , note this one that played Toronto ’ s last year and has finally reappeared .
It ’ s a superbly creepy and eerie one from Greece , but is entirely in English , and offers a nice , tingly atmosphere and quite a few surprises .
It ’ s a horror movie without gross stuff .
A doctor arrives at a small village resolved to do good .
Bad start , though , he almost runs down a woman on the way in .
The villagers are standoffish and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the woods .
As one says , “ God marked the evil ones so we can tell them apart.
” Of course , the doctor goes there , finds the woman he almost ran down and concludes she ’ s in trouble .
She ’ s rather child-like about trees and nature and terrified of letting the fire in the fireplace go out .
An old man she lives with abuses her .
What ’ s really going on is gradually revealed , and it ’ s not what he thought .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ directed by Minos Nikolakakis , stepping up from his background in short films .
( Video on demand at Amazon , Google Play , iTunes and many others ) 3½ out of 5 I PROPOSE WE NEVER SEE EACH OTHER AGAIN AFTER TONIGHT : It ’ s not a dismissal line .
It ’ s an invitation to talk openly — i.e.
, no regrets about what you say now if we ’ re not going to meet again .
It ’ s one of a number of quirky elements that make this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
A young Filipina ( Hera Nalam ) says it to a Mennonite man ( Kristian Jordan ) on a first date .
An unusual hook-up , maybe , but not to the writer-director Sean Garrity .
He says he was struck as he was growing up there how many Filipinos and Mennonites he saw around town .
So this film reflects one part of the real Winnipeg .
The story in front is enjoyable , but familiar .
He goes away for a while ; she takes that as a rejection and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and has some explaining to do when her guy returns .
He ’ s upset ( “ You destroyed this.
” ) , walks out , and she has to look for him with little information , only the name of a town he came from .
The writing is good ( though with a few weak spots in the plot ) and the acting by the two leads is natural and endearing .
Overall , according to some notes I ’ ve seen from people who know the city , the film @ @ @ @ @ @ @ For the rest of us , it ’ s amiable and charming .
( International Village — 2 screens — and Landmark Guildford ) 3 out of 5 MEASURE FOR MEASURE : A lesser play by Shakespeare is updated into a crime thriller .
That doesn ’ t happen all that often , but this is Melbourne , Australia , in a public housing project with a notorious reputation .
“ Commission flats , ” the locals call them .
The film succeeds quite well , despite the improbable connections .
Hugo Weaving @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as a crime boss , but starts having doubts , morality you see , after a drug-related killing .
Like in the play , he goes away to ponder and puts his protege , Angelo , in charge .
One of his enforcers , Farouk , has a sister , who , after the killing , meets and falls in love with a musician , Claudio .
She wears her hijab and is not of Claudio ’ s crowd .
Farouk strongly disapproves .
As you can see , the story is contorted @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the same time , reflect current matters : inequality , class divisions , immigration , guns and drugs .
And gangs controlling public housing projects .
Any humour is gone ; what ’ s left is bleak and severe and peppered with bits of philosophy like , “ We all cross the line sometimes , but it ’ s still a line.
” The film is gritty and the actors , especially Weaving , give strong performances .
It just feels like we ’ ve seen much of this before .
( Video @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ODD MAN RUSH : Here ’ s a hockey film that involves people who actually know the sport .
Notably , the lead producer : Howard Baldwin .
He has owned NHL teams , ran the rival WHA for a time , merged it with the NHL and now makes movies .
In this one , Alexa Lemieux , Mario ’ s daughter , and Trevor Gretzky , Wayne ’ s son , play important secondary roles .
Most important : The source is a memoir by Bill Keenan , who lived what @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Jack Mulhern is his stand-in as a player who dreams of getting to the big leagues , but after a college injury , tries his luck in Europe .
The teams he plays for are minor league , for sure , first in Germany , then when he ’ s traded , in northern Sweden .
There ’ s a light , irreverent tone in how they ’ re portrayed and the film is a wannabe Slap Shot , but with fewer hijinks .
The ambience feels real ; it ’ s the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ constant yearning to get back to play in the U.S. versus a nagging feeling that it ’ s out of reach should have more impact than it does .
A sweet romance with a local woman ( Elektra Kilbey ) , who also wants to get to the U.S. but into the art world there , adds another point of interest and that helps a bit .
Not enough , though .
( Available digitally and on demand ) 2½ out of 5

The festival starts Sept. 24 and people from anywhere in the province will be able to stream the films. That’s handy, but you give up the chatting, comparing and recommending you do in regular years as you wait in lineups. Among the highlights I’ve noticed so far: The New Corporation, the followup to the locally produced critical view of the business world; Falling, Viggo Mortensen’s directing debut; Thomas Vinterberg’s Another Round; and Anthony Hopkins and Olivia Colman in The Father.
It’ll be a smaller Vancouver International Film Festival this year. Understandably. I count some 95 features on the list. Last year, there were 216. They’ll be available online for as little as $9 (better than Toronto’s festival where prices start at $19). Some will also be shown in-house at the newly renovated Van City Theatre. The good news is that the opening film will be shown free of charge in 12 theatres around the province. How that will work isn’t clear yet. Watch for more info at https://viff.org .
MULAN : I wish it was possible to see this one on the big screen. It’s large, colourful, intricately set-designed and offers some spectacular battle sequences. It also cost $200 million to make, which is surely why Disney is charging extra for it on its streaming service — $29 dollars above your subscription fee. Worth it if you can gather the whole family and maybe invite in some neighbours. They’ll enjoy it all. It’s a grand, sweeping film, a live-action remake of the animated version of 22 years ago, and successor to a long history before that. The story is legendary in China, originally from an epic poem and adapted for films, the stage and print many times. It supports ideals of honour, courage, family and (extra emphasized here) equal abilities of women.
I’M THINKING OF ENDING THINGS : No, not her life. Her relationship with a recently acquired boyfriend, says the young woman in this latest mind-twisting movie by master twister Charlie Kaufman. Imagine films like Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind and Being John Malkovich, both of which he wrote, or Anomalisa and Synecdoche, New York, which he directed as well, and you’ll get a hint of what you’re in for. Whip-smart, chatty, verging on surrealistic, that’s what. And, this time, based on a novel by a Canadian, Ottawa-area-based Iain Reid. Apparently though, liberally altered under Kaufman’s own fixations about aging, regret, inadequacy, memories of a high school outsider, art, parents, and more. The sum of it all is immensely engrossing, almost mesmerizing.
Mulan raises all that when she breaks the rules and goes off to war pretending she’s a man. She’s going in place of her aging dad when an army is raised to fight off invaders from Mongolia. Not Huns, as in the previous film, but Rourans. There are other changes, too: no mini dragon voiced by Eddie Murphy; but a phoenix instead (more symbolic in Chinese culture); and a cast of well-known Asian actors like Gong Li (as a witch), Jason Scott Lee (as the invader), Jet Li (as the Emperor) and Tzi Ma and Rosalind Chao (as Mulan’s parents). She (Liu Yifei) has to prove herself in the army (she does that with both fighting skills and gymnastics) and hide her gender (no showers with the guys, for instance). Early scenes feel quite standard, but when the momentum picks up, we’re fully with her. There’s vitality in Niki Caro’s direction. She told a similar woman-can-do story in her best known film Whale Rider. (Disney+) 3 ½ out of 5
Jessie Buckley and Jesse Plemons play the couple. Her thoughts come via voiceover as they drive through a snowstorm to the farm of his parents (David Thewlis and Toni Collette). They chat at length about movies and art and much else, but don’t really connect. She recites a gloomy poem. He recalls a musical he once sang in. It gets eerie and weirder at the farm. The parents are friendly and welcoming, but seem to change from one scene to the next, getting older, practically doddering, then younger and livelier. It’s a brilliant version of one of those “meet the parents” visits. A stop at an ice cream shop (during a blizzard?) and then a high school add to the strangeness. It’s quite a puzzle in that it never really lets on what it’s about, but it’s so rich with spoken ideas and musings and hints to meanings (and incidentally, fine acting and writing) and bits of sly humour, that you can’t get bored. (Netflix) 4 out of 5
FEELS GOOD MAN: This one will have you pondering again exactly what is going on these days. In politics, among the so-called base, among fringe groups and on and by the internet. Weighty stuff not usually related to ephemera like Pepe the Frog, but watch his influence. Matt Furie, a San Francisco comic book writer, created him and in the very first scene, shows how he draws him.
Courtesy Level Film
It’s so easy that people on the internet can reproduce him and insert him into photos and new cartoons to make comments., as they are wont to do. Many are political. Just watch how many Pepe Trumps the film finds. The thinking is that Pepe has appealed to the cheeky side of a lot of young men “living in their mom’s basement” and to subscribers to the free-for-all website 4Chan. They pick up on Pepe’s mantra, “It feels good.” But then, also as they are wont to do, some put a stronger spin on him: white supremacist images and Nazi symbols. Some public figures, like the odious Alex Jones, pick up on it and promote him. Pepe has gone viral, TV commentators like Rachel Maddow mention him, but Furie’s pacifist image is in tatters. Can he get his character back? The film watches him try. A fascinating film with lots to think about. (available video on demand) 3½ out of 5
ENTWINED: While we’re thinking about film festivals, note this one that played Toronto’s last year and has finally reappeared. It’s a superbly creepy and eerie one from Greece, but partially in English, and offers a nice, tingly atmosphere and quite a few surprises. It’s a horror movie without gross stuff.
Courtesy Dark Star Pictures
A doctor arrives at a small village resolved to do good. Bad start, though, he almost runs down a woman on the way in. The villagers are standoffish and warn against visiting a certain house out in the woods. As one says, “God marked the evil ones so we can tell them apart.” Of course, the doctor goes there, finds the woman he almost ran down and concludes she’s in trouble. She’s rather child-like about trees and nature and terrified of letting the fire in the fireplace go out. An old man she lives with abuses her. What’s really going on is gradually revealed, and it’s not what he thought. This is a fine chiller and fantasy directed by Minos Nikolakakis, stepping up from his background in short films. (Video on demand at Amazon, Google Play, iTunes and many others) 3½ out of 5
I PROPOSE WE NEVER SEE EACH OTHER AGAIN AFTER TONIGHT: It’s not a dismissal line. It’s an invitation to talk openly — i.e., no regrets about what you say now if we’re not going to meet again. It’s one of a number of quirky elements that make this romantic comedy from Winnipeg a little different. A young Filipina (Hera Nalam) says it to a Mennonite man (Kristian Jordan) on a first date. An unusual hook-up, maybe, but not to the writer-director Sean Garrity. He says he was struck as he was growing up there how many Filipinos and Mennonites he saw around town. So this film reflects one part of the real Winnipeg. The story in front is enjoyable, but familiar.
Courtesy Mongrel Media
He goes away for a while; she takes that as a rejection and sees other guys, sleeps with one and has some explaining to do when her guy returns. He’s upset (“You destroyed this.”), walks out, and she has to look for him with little information, only the name of a town he came from. The writing is good (though with a few weak spots in the plot) and the acting by the two leads is natural and endearing. Overall, according to some notes I’ve seen from people who know the city, the film captures its look and feel perfectly. For the rest of us, it’s amiable and charming. (International Village — 2 screens — and Landmark Guildford) 3 out of 5
MEASURE FOR MEASURE: A lesser play by Shakespeare is updated into a crime thriller. That doesn’t happen all that often, but this is Melbourne, Australia, in a public housing project with a notorious reputation. “Commission flats,” the locals call them. The film succeeds quite well, despite the improbable connections.
Hugo Weaving, named Duke, rules the place as a crime boss, but starts having doubts, morality you see, after a drug-related killing. Like in the play, he goes away to ponder and puts his protege, Angelo, in charge. One of his enforcers, Farouk, has a sister, who, after the killing, meets and falls in love with a musician, Claudio. She wears her hijab and is not of Claudio’s crowd. Farouk strongly disapproves. As you can see, the story is contorted to match the play and, at the same time, reflect current matters: inequality, class divisions, immigration, guns and drugs. And gangs controlling public housing projects. Any humour is gone; what’s left is bleak and severe and peppered with bits of philosophy like, “We all cross the line sometimes, but it’s still a line.” The film is gritty and the actors, especially Weaving, give strong performances. It just feels like we’ve seen much of this before. (Video on demand) 2½ out of 5
ODD MAN RUSH: Here’s a hockey film that involves people who actually know the sport. Notably, the lead producer: Howard Baldwin. He has owned NHL teams, ran the rival WHA for a time, merged it with the NHL and now makes movies. In this one, Alexa Lemieux, Mario’s daughter, and Trevor Gretzky, Wayne’s son, play important secondary roles.
Alexa Lemieux and Trevor Gretzky
Most important: The source is a memoir by Bill Keenan, who lived what he described and co-wrote the screenplay. Jack Mulhern is his stand-in as a player who dreams of getting to the big leagues, but after a college injury, tries his luck in Europe. The teams he plays for are minor league, for sure, first in Germany, then when he’s traded, in northern Sweden. There’s a light, irreverent tone in how they’re portrayed and the film is a wannabe Slap Shot, but with fewer hijinks. The ambience feels real; it’s the drama that’s weak. The constant yearning to get back to play in the U.S. versus a nagging feeling that it’s out of reach should have more impact than it does. A sweet romance with a local woman (Elektra Kilbey), who also wants to get to the U.S. but into the art world there, adds another point of interest and that helps a bit. Not enough, though. (Available digitally and on demand) 2½ out of 5


nationalobserver--2020-09-04--Sorry to break it to you, but the future's not in plastics

Back in 1967 , Dustin Hoffman ’ s character in the movie The Graduate was assured the future was in plastics .
And so it proved , as demand increased 16-fold over the following 50 years .
But that era is over , and the only people not to have noticed it are the oil and plastics companies .
Not only does that set them up for $ 400 billion US of stranded assets over the next five years , but it also removes the primary pillar for the growth of oil demand .
A huge gap is opening between @ @ @ @ @ @ @ aspirations of society to curtail plastic pollution .
Companies are planning for four per cent annual growth in plastics demand at exactly the time society has launched a war on plastics , which will dramatically cut demand growth .
The plastics sector enters into this contest as a bloated behemoth , ripe for disruption .
Decades of lobbying for the right to pollute with impunity have left it vulnerable .
The external cost of plastics from carbon , air pollution , collection costs and ocean plastic is at least $ 1,000 US per @ @ @ @ @ @ @ industry are higher than the taxes it pays .
• How a B.C .
snow plow dispute made its way to the Supreme Court of Canada • After MP ’ s offensive tweet , O ’ Toole says Tories will counter anti-Semitism • Eight candidates on the ballot for race to succeed Elizabeth May as Green Party leader Forty per cent of plastic ends up as waste in the oceans , as litter on the land , and disposed of by uncontrolled burning .
Less than 10 percent of plastics is really recycled @ @ @ @ @ @ @ its carbon footprint at the same time as the rest of the world wants to cut it to zero .
Developed market demand for plastics has stopped rising , and organizations like the Ellen MacArthur Foundation are bringing together coalitions of the willing in order to drive demand down .
The European Union plans a tax of $ 1,000 US per tonne on plastic waste , implement rules to oblige all plastic packaging to be recyclable , and set targets for the share of recyclates in packaging .
China aspires to curtail its @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and this year will see new policies designed to do just that .
And where these counties lead , where solutions are found , the rest of the world will follow .
Into the mix now come technology solutions .
SYSTEMIQ ’ s ground-breaking report Breaking the Plastic Wave worked out how to get all the functionality of plastic from half the amount of virgin plastic by 2040 .
The solutions are well-known — reduce demand by eliminating overpackaging and encouraging reuse , substitute with other products like coated paper , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ unique about their analysis is that they have costed it .
They find that a circular system requires half the capex of the current linear model , and is cheaper for governments and businesses .
So economics are also on the side of change .
What would it take for plastics demand to stop growing ?
`` If you cut the use of plastic packaging by four per cent a year , then total demand for plastics will be flat .
By introducing taxation to make polluters pay , companies will find new @ @ @ @ @ @ @ KingsmillBond If you reduce total demand in developed markets by three per cent a year and reach a peak in China , you still have room for emerging market demand to grow by three per cent a year .
If you cut the use of plastic packaging by four per cent a year , then total demand for plastics will be flat .
By introducing taxation to make polluters pay , companies will find new ways to save plastic .
The situation is similar to that faced by the European electricity industry in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ electricity and the industry simply paid lip service to change .
Along came the financial crisis , and demand for fossil fuel-based electricity in Europe collapsed , never to rise again .
Over the next decade , $ 150 billion US of assets were written down .
Similarly , COVID-19 is leading forecasters such as Wood Mackenzie to predict a four per cent fall in plastics demand this year because we are buying fewer cars and clothes .
Meanwhile , the ethylene price has collapsed to historic lows , giving space to governments @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the implications of this change ?
Massive overcapacity in the upstream plastics industry is the first consequence , which means lower prices for key petrochemical feedstocks , and stranded assets in the region of $ 400 billion US for the 80 metric tons of new upstream plastic manufacturing capacity the industry is planning to build in the next five years .
As the growth in transport demand for oil has faded , plastics have emerged as the largest driver of expected oil demand growth , making up 45 per cent and 95 per @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the forecasts of the International Energy Agency and BP .
Remove plastics , incorporate the demand shock of 2020 , and factor in the impact of COVID-19 on air travel and supply chains , and we will likely see a peak in oil demand sooner than expected .
The future is not in plastics .
You can find more information in our new report , The Future ’ s Not In Plastics .

Back in 1967, Dustin Hoffman’s character in the movie The Graduate was assured the future was in plastics. And so it proved, as demand increased 16-fold over the following 50 years. But that era is over, and the only people not to have noticed it are the oil and plastics companies. Not only does that set them up for $400 billion US of stranded assets over the next five years, but it also removes the primary pillar for the growth of oil demand. A huge gap is opening between the expectations of plastics producers and the aspirations of society to curtail plastic pollution. Companies are planning for four per cent annual growth in plastics demand at exactly the time society has launched a war on plastics, which will dramatically cut demand growth. The plastics sector enters into this contest as a bloated behemoth, ripe for disruption. Decades of lobbying for the right to pollute with impunity have left it vulnerable. The external cost of plastics from carbon, air pollution, collection costs and ocean plastic is at least $1,000 US per tonne, and yet subsidies to the industry are higher than the taxes it pays.
Forty per cent of plastic ends up as waste in the oceans, as litter on the land, and disposed of by uncontrolled burning. Less than 10 percent of plastics is really recycled. The industry thinks it can double its carbon footprint at the same time as the rest of the world wants to cut it to zero. Already change is happening. Billion-dollar land deals in Ontario raise corruption suspicions Developed market demand for plastics has stopped rising, and organizations like the Ellen MacArthur Foundation are bringing together coalitions of the willing in order to drive demand down. The European Union plans a tax of $1,000 US per tonne on plastic waste, implement rules to oblige all plastic packaging to be recyclable, and set targets for the share of recyclates in packaging. China aspires to curtail its plastic pollution and reduce its oil dependency, and this year will see new policies designed to do just that. And where these counties lead, where solutions are found, the rest of the world will follow.
Into the mix now come technology solutions. SYSTEMIQ’s ground-breaking report Breaking the Plastic Wave worked out how to get all the functionality of plastic from half the amount of virgin plastic by 2040. "If you cut the use of plastic packaging by four per cent a year, then total demand for plastics will be flat. By introducing taxation to make polluters pay, companies will find new ways to save plastic." @KingsmillBond The solutions are well-known — reduce demand by eliminating overpackaging and encouraging reuse, substitute with other products like coated paper, and massively increase recycling infrastructure. What is unique about their analysis is that they have costed it. They find that a circular system requires half the capex of the current linear model, and is cheaper for governments and businesses. So economics are also on the side of change. What would it take for plastics demand to stop growing? If you reduce total demand in developed markets by three per cent a year and reach a peak in China, you still have room for emerging market demand to grow by three per cent a year. If you cut the use of plastic packaging by four per cent a year, then total demand for plastics will be flat. By introducing taxation to make polluters pay, companies will find new ways to save plastic. The situation is similar to that faced by the European electricity industry in 2007. Society wanted less fossil fuel-based electricity and the industry simply paid lip service to change. Along came the financial crisis, and demand for fossil fuel-based electricity in Europe collapsed, never to rise again. Over the next decade, $150 billion US of assets were written down. Similarly, COVID-19 is leading forecasters such as Wood Mackenzie to predict a four per cent fall in plastics demand this year because we are buying fewer cars and clothes. Meanwhile, the ethylene price has collapsed to historic lows, giving space to governments to increase tax rates.
What are the implications of this change? Massive overcapacity in the upstream plastics industry is the first consequence, which means lower prices for key petrochemical feedstocks, and stranded assets in the region of $400 billion US for the 80 metric tons of new upstream plastic manufacturing capacity the industry is planning to build in the next five years. As the growth in transport demand for oil has faded, plastics have emerged as the largest driver of expected oil demand growth, making up 45 per cent and 95 per cent of expected growth to 2040 in the forecasts of the International Energy Agency and BP. Remove plastics, incorporate the demand shock of 2020, and factor in the impact of COVID-19 on air travel and supply chains, and we will likely see a peak in oil demand sooner than expected. The future is not in plastics.


nationalobserver--2020-09-04--B.C. is updating its abattoir rules. Advocates say it’s not enough – for opposite reasons

Julia Smith is lucky .
Her pigs have a date with the butcher .
That was far from guaranteed , said the Merritt , B.C.
, rancher and president of the Small-Scale Meat Producers Association .
B.C .
abattoirs and butcher shops are in short supply , Smith explained , limiting the availability of local meat in the province — and recently announced changes to provincial abattoir laws might not do much .
“ We have a serious lack of slaughter and cut-and-wrap capacity in this province , ” she said .
“ Abattoirs are cancelling bookings that were made @ @ @ @ @ @ @ slammed .
The only reason I got my spot is because I booked a year in advance.
” B.C.
’ s abattoir regulations , as they stand , are complicated .
• How a B.C .
snow plow dispute made its way to the Supreme Court of Canada • After MP ’ s offensive tweet , O ’ Toole says Tories will counter anti-Semitism • Eight candidates on the ballot for race to succeed Elizabeth May as Green Party leader A and B licences are issued to larger , off-farm slaughterhouses , which @ @ @ @ @ @ @ each animal for disease or mistreatment before and after slaughter .
There are no limits on the number of animals these abattoirs can process , and their products can be sold anywhere in the province .
D and E licences , in contrast , are issued for on-farm slaughter operations and allow farmers to slaughter a limited number of animals if they can prove a class A or B facility isn ’ t easily accessible .
An inspector also doesn ’ t need to be on-farm for the slaughter at abattoirs operating on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sell within the farm ’ s regional district .
British Columbians eat more than three times as much pork than is produced in the province .
That 's something Julia Smith hopes updates to provincial abattoir licensing rules could change .
Photo by Willy Driesen Most of B.C.
’ s 134,000 head of livestock and 330 million chickens are slaughtered in a facility licensed under these regulations ( some animals are processed in federally inspected abattoirs , which means they can be sold across provincial borders ) .
Currently , class D and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ authorities .
The changes announced two weeks ago will transfer that responsibility to the agriculture ministry as of Dec. 1 .
The change was one of several recommendations outlined in a 2018 report by the provincial select standing committee on agriculture , fish , and food on local meat production and inspection in B.C .
Julia Smith is lucky .
Her pigs have a date with the # butcher .
That was n't guaranteed , explained the president of @ Smallscalemeat .
“ We have a serious lack of slaughter capacity '' # @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ British Columbians want high-quality and trusted meat products raised by B.C .
ranchers and farmers , and this change will help us meet that demand , ” said Agriculture Minister Lana Popham in a statement .
“ They haven ’ t changed anything except the oversight .
But it opened the door and it ’ s our hope as an association that we will be able to expand on-farm slaughter , ” she said .
Increasing the capacity for on-farm slaughters would ease the pressure on slaughterhouses and butcher shops , she @ @ @ @ @ @ @ expand operations enough to remain financially viable .
As it stands , limits on the number of animals that can be slaughtered on-farm , combined with a severe backlog at class A and B abattoirs , mean that Smith and other small-scale farmers can ’ t get more animals because they wouldn ’ t have a place to slaughter and butcher them .
That ’ s especially frustrating because there is significant demand for local meat , she said .
British Columbians currently eat more meat than is produced in the province , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
For instance , in 2013 , B.C .
residents ate four and a half times more beef , three and three-quarters more pork , and twice as much lamb than the amount produced in the province .
“ We bought our farm four years ago because we couldn ’ t keep up with demand and needed to expand our operation .
Then we got here and found out we can ’ t expand our operations because I can ’ t get any more animals killed , ” Smith said .
The provincial @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ranchers , and local governments around expanding on-farm slaughter options .
It ’ s an expansion Michael Noullet , who owns Kawano Farms , a class A farm and abattoir in Prince George , B.C .
that processes about 375 animals a month , hopes won ’ t happen .
“ The whole ( class ) D and E expansion is a thorn in my side .
I think they should be illegal because they aren ’ t inspected , ” he said .
“ There ’ s an inspector on site for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and the D 's and E ’ s don ’ t have that .
There ’ s no oversight , so they shouldn ’ t be allowed to operate.
” That includes no strict requirements for on-farm butchering facilities , including refrigeration and running water , he said .
Smith disagreed , saying that on-farm slaughter reduces animals ’ stress and exposure to pathogens — both of which are increased when livestock is transported to an abattoir .
She does not butcher her pigs on-farm .
Slaughtering on-farm significantly reduces animals ' @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 's good for both animals and consumers , who get cleaner meat , Julia Smith said .
Photo by Tori Ball “ I did expansions to my shop when they said everything in B.C .
is going to be inspected , ” Noullet said , referencing a major overhaul of B.C.
’ s abattoir regulations in 2003 that required all meat sold to pass through a federally or provincially licensed slaughter facility .
Most other abattoirs in the region didn ’ t plan on expanding to meet the new criteria , so Noullet @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for an A class licence to absorb their business .
But it was business that never appeared — the day D and E ( and , at the time , C ) licences were announced , ranchers opted to slaughter on-farm and cancelled their orders .
“ I had a massive cooler and massive freezer that sat here empty for years , ” he said .
It ’ s only recently , as demand has increased , that he has seen his facility operating near full capacity .
His only remaining limit to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the backlog limiting the growth of Smith ’ s business — is labour .
“ If I could get more employees , I could do more animals and there wouldn ’ t be such a long waiting list , ” he said .
Increasing educational and training opportunities , such as apprenticeships , mentorship , and co-op opportunities , were among the recommendations for reform listed by the 2018 select standing committee report .
Labour shortages , abattoir pileups , changes to on-farm slaughtering rules — B.C .
meat producers and abattoirs face @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Smith and Noullet said .
And the pandemic has made them bubble up into public consciousness .
“ COVID didn ’ t change anything for small-scale producers except it shone a light on the problem , ” Smith said .
“ When you ’ ve got a vulnerable system and you add stress to it ... the cracks are already there .
”

Julia Smith is lucky. Her pigs have a date with the butcher. That was far from guaranteed, said the Merritt, B.C., rancher and president of the Small-Scale Meat Producers Association. B.C. abattoirs and butcher shops are in short supply, Smith explained, limiting the availability of local meat in the province — and recently announced changes to provincial abattoir laws might not do much. “We have a serious lack of slaughter and cut-and-wrap capacity in this province,” she said. “Abattoirs are cancelling bookings that were made months in advance because they’re slammed. The only reason I got my spot is because I booked a year in advance.” B.C.’s abattoir regulations, as they stand, are complicated.
A and B licences are issued to larger, off-farm slaughterhouses, which must have a provincial meat inspector check each animal for disease or mistreatment before and after slaughter. There are no limits on the number of animals these abattoirs can process, and their products can be sold anywhere in the province. D and E licences, in contrast, are issued for on-farm slaughter operations and allow farmers to slaughter a limited number of animals if they can prove a class A or B facility isn’t easily accessible. An inspector also doesn’t need to be on-farm for the slaughter at abattoirs operating on these licences — but they can only sell within the farm’s regional district. Billion-dollar land deals in Ontario raise corruption suspicions British Columbians eat more than three times as much pork than is produced in the province. That's something Julia Smith hopes updates to provincial abattoir licensing rules could change. Photo by Willy Driesen
Most of B.C.’s 134,000 head of livestock and 330 million chickens are slaughtered in a facility licensed under these regulations (some animals are processed in federally inspected abattoirs, which means they can be sold across provincial borders). Julia Smith is lucky. Her pigs have a date with the #butcher. That wasn't guaranteed, explained the president of @Smallscalemeat. “We have a serious lack of slaughter capacity" #localfood #bcfood #bcpoli #localmeat Currently, class D and E licences are inspected by regional health authorities. The changes announced two weeks ago will transfer that responsibility to the agriculture ministry as of Dec. 1. The change was one of several recommendations outlined in a 2018 report by the provincial select standing committee on agriculture, fish, and food on local meat production and inspection in B.C. “British Columbians want high-quality and trusted meat products raised by B.C. ranchers and farmers, and this change will help us meet that demand,” said Agriculture Minister Lana Popham in a statement. Smith isn’t sure.
“They haven’t changed anything except the oversight. But it opened the door and it’s our hope as an association that we will be able to expand on-farm slaughter,” she said. Increasing the capacity for on-farm slaughters would ease the pressure on slaughterhouses and butcher shops, she explained, while helping farmers like her expand operations enough to remain financially viable. As it stands, limits on the number of animals that can be slaughtered on-farm, combined with a severe backlog at class A and B abattoirs, mean that Smith and other small-scale farmers can’t get more animals because they wouldn’t have a place to slaughter and butcher them.


nationalobserver--2020-09-04--B.C. announces $1.7-billion contract for Broadway SkyTrain extension

The B.C .
government announced a $ 1.7-billion construction contract to begin work on the Broadway Subway project , a SkyTrain extension the province is counting on to help with its economic recovery .
Premier John Horgan announced Thursday that the project was awarded to joint venture company Acciona-Ghella .
Horgan said the 5.7-kilometre subway line will extend SkyTrain service from VCC-Clark Station to Broadway and Arbutus in Vancouver and create a transit system he hopes will be “ the envy of North America.
” The federal government has given B.C .
significant funding for several infrastructure projects , including @ @ @ @ @ @ @ plan to support clean energy projects .
The Broadway subway line is also being built with environmental concerns in mind .
Trevena said the service will reduce harmful emissions by encouraging Vancouverites to leave their cars at home .
But it will be some time before that happens — construction on the line is set to begin this fall with a completion date of 2025 .
With financial help from the federal government , B.C .
announced the construction of a 5.7 km SkyTrain extension in metro Vancouver .
The construction process will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ having agreed to a community benefit agreement that asks them to prioritize hiring local workers , and prioritize women and Indigenous candidates .
Vancouver expects to see one million new residents over the next 30 years , said Michele Ladrak , the president of B.C.
’ s Rapid Transit Company .
He said the new trains are expected to carry three-and-a-half times as many people as they can today .

The B.C. government announced a $1.7-billion construction contract to begin work on the Broadway Subway project, a SkyTrain extension the province is counting on to help with its economic recovery. Premier John Horgan announced Thursday that the project was awarded to joint venture company Acciona-Ghella. Horgan said the 5.7-kilometre subway line will extend SkyTrain service from VCC-Clark Station to Broadway and Arbutus in Vancouver and create a transit system he hopes will be “the envy of North America.” Great news for people who live or work in Vancouver! One step closer to faster, more convenient travel as our government awards a contract to deliver the Broadway Subway project.https://t.co/1pOvmK5j2S pic.twitter.com/OlfYum9HFM — John Horgan (@jjhorgan) September 3, 2020 In a joint announcement that included Vancouver Mayor Kennedy Stewart and B.C. Transportation Minister Claire Trevena, Horgan emphasized that the project was a key factor in stabilizing the city’s economy.
Funding for the project, which is valued at a total of $2.83 billion, came in part from the B.C. government with a $900-million contribution from the federal government. Horgan met with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau virtually Wednesday to discuss the province's economic recovery plan in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. Billion-dollar land deals in Ontario raise corruption suspicions When asked if he was concerned that a potential snap federal election in the fall could wipe clean many of the partnerships between Ottawa and B.C., Horgan said he was hopeful the province would have “strong partners in the future.”
The federal government has given B.C. significant funding for several infrastructure projects, including a $28.5-million for a green infrastructure plan to support clean energy projects. With financial help from the federal government, B.C. announced the construction of a 5.7 km SkyTrain extension in metro Vancouver. The Broadway subway line is also being built with environmental concerns in mind. Trevena said the service will reduce harmful emissions by encouraging Vancouverites to leave their cars at home. But it will be some time before that happens — construction on the line is set to begin this fall with a completion date of 2025. The construction process will help with job creation, with Acciona-Ghella having agreed to a community benefit agreement that asks them to prioritize hiring local workers, and prioritize women and Indigenous candidates. Vancouver expects to see one million new residents over the next 30 years, said Michele Ladrak, the president of B.C.’s Rapid Transit Company.


nationalobserver--2020-09-04--Canary in the coal mine: Birds predict change in Sask. boreal

The atlas is a five-year project by Birds Canada , a non-profit that engages volunteer citizen scientists to help map the distribution and relative abundance of breeding birds over a geographic area .
Years of arduous fieldwork are starting to come together , with just one summer left before the project is complete .
“ This really is going to be part of Saskatchewan ’ s ornithological legacy .
It ’ s our first comprehensive breeding bird atlas in the province , ” LeeAnn Latremouille , Saskatchewan Breeding Bird Atlas co-ordinator at Birds Canada , told Canada ’ s National @ @ @ @ @ @ @ n't just have to sit around and wait for the project to wrap up , though — they can get involved .
Anyone can report sightings to the atlas project and play a part in the science behind it .
When it 's complete , the project aims to publish an open-access and comprehensive digital account of the status of breeding birds in the province .
And the resource will help researchers further understand the impacts of pollution and climate change on the environment .
While northern Saskatchewan might be small in population @ @ @ @ @ @ @ world .
One billion to three billion birds from at least 300 species depend on Canada ’ s boreal forest for their breeding grounds .
A breeding pair of Common Merganzer ( Mergus merganser ) ; female with the great hairdo leads while the male trails .
Photo by Brandon White .
“ That ’ s really the beauty of a project like this .
It 's not just a static range map , it gives us more fine-scale information.
” She said atlases are repeated every 20 years so that scientists can @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Atlases are the go-to source for bird information because of the rigour behind it and the way it ’ s designed , ” Latremouille said .
It ’ s a Canada-wide movement .
Atlases for Saskatchewan , Ontario and Newfoundland are in the works , while British Columbia , Manitoba , the Maritimes and southern Quebec have published atlases .
Bird atlases are used in environmental impact assessments by industry or conservation planning by governments and ecological groups .
And this goes well beyond birds .
That ’ s because birds respond quickly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ so they are good indicators of environmental health .
Having the atlas will allow for a better understanding of what ’ s going on in our environments , if not exactly why .
Sandhill cranes , great blue herons , loons and pelicans can be found near lowland rivers and lakes where they nest .
Bald eagles , osprey , red-breasted mergansers , and great grey owls depend heavily on forest and aquatic habitat in the area .
Northern Saskatchewan is an especially important breeding habitat for migratory bird species , such as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Bird populations are in sharp decline around the world and the health of the boreal forest has a ripple effect across the globe .
“ There 's been 500 million boreal forest birds lost since 1970 , which is a 33 per cent decline in populations .
Pretty severe for the boreal , ” University of Saskatchewan biology professor Christy Morrissey told Canada ’ s National Observer .
La Ronge-based videographer Brandon White has been observing bird species in northern Saskatchewan since returning to the region after getting a bachelor of science @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
White , who worked under Morrissey for a time , said he has seen a decline in breeding birds in the region , which he said needs to be taken seriously as a reflection of broader changes in the environment — changes that will impact other species , including humans .
He said a good analogy is the “ canary in the coal mine , ” where the health of the planet represents the mine and birds , fittingly , act as the canary .
“ There are many bird species that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the coal mine , in this example .
It 's all of our beloved bird species on this planet Earth as we undergo the increased industrialization of this Earth .
We need to look at these declines seriously and ask , 'Are these canaries ?
” ' For Morrissey , that ’ s an emphatic `` Yes . ''
Morrissey is an expert on the impact of environmental contaminants , such as pesticides , and industrial pollutants , on bird migration .
“ The neat thing about birds is that there 's a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ environment .
No matter how harsh it is , there are always birds.
” She said that by studying a group of birds , you can address problems going on in virtually any ecosystem .
Morrissey said understanding declines in the bird population gives a heads-up on the health of the environment due to climate change , industrial pollution and other factors .
If you ’ re looking for variety , head north with some binoculars .
Approximately 30 per cent of all shorebirds ( seven million ) and 30 per cent of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ three billion ) that breed in the United States and Canada do so within North America ’ s boreal .
The boreal region has its own set of unique challenges compared to the Prairies .
“ In the boreal , we have threats , too .
We 're losing forest area , we have oil and gas and other mining activities that are destroying habitat at a rapid rate , ” Morrissey said .
She said expansion of projects and encroachment into habitats that were once contiguous and pollution from industry are concerning @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are especially impacted by pesticides used in agriculture .
“ Saskatchewan is the most intensive agricultural region of Canada in terms of land area that 's under crop , as well as chemical use , ” Morrissey said .
Morrissey said climate change compounds the effects of pollution , especially in places where temperatures are becoming unpredictable , such as the Arctic and boreal forests .
She said that despite the importance of boreal ecosystems , there ’ s a lack of research on boreal birds .
That 's partly because those regions @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Latremouille said while the project is a long wait , it ’ s worth it .
Once finished , Saskatchewan ’ s Breeding Bird Atlas could be a big part of the solution for the province .
Fascinating as it may sound , Latremouille ’ s job might not be for everyone .
She spent the summer doing point counts , which means standing in one place and counting birds based on sightings and sounds .
“ Point counts help us to get information about relative abundance of the birds and this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ well by song , ” Latremoille said while doing fieldwork near Leader .
“ So you ’ re standing somewhere and listening and you 're counting all the birds in a five-minute period really early in the morning .
Depending on how far of a drive I have , I ’ m up between 3 and 3:30 in the morning .
I get dressed , coffee , drive out to point count locations and count all the birds that you ’ re able to detect by ear and by sight.
” This year @ @ @ @ @ @ @ north impossible .
Latremouille was in La Ronge last year and talked to high school students about bird identification .
She also set up bird-song monitors along traplines in the winter to capture boreal species that are harder to access in the summer .
“ This winter , they had a snowmobiling trip up the trapline and placed a bioacoustic recorder along the trapline .
We introduced students to the concept of bioacoustics , ” Latremouille said .
“ It ’ s the ability to make a recording of bird songs .
You @ @ @ @ @ @ @ works in the same way as a trail cam would , except this is set up … to sample the bird community .
It records and then you ’ re able to retrieve it.
” This year ’ s point count is over and next summer will be the last chance to pull out your binoculars and get involved for the first edition of Saskatchewan 's bird atlas .
“ I think it ’ s a lovely way for people to connect with nature , ” Latremouille said .
“ The cool thing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it asks you to take a little time and look at the bird ’ s behaviour .
If you see a bird carrying food for its chicks or if you see it carrying nesting material , you 've just confirmed breeding.
” Right now , most birds in the boreal have finished their breeding season and are preparing to moult and migrate south , so make sure to tune in as spring 2021 approaches .
Birds Canada also does training for newbie birders , but expect some changes due to the pandemic .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ to be part of the project , email sk.birdatlas.ca or Tweet them @ BirdsCanada .

And the resource will help researchers further understand the impacts of pollution and climate change on the environment.
The atlas is a five-year project by Birds Canada, a non-profit that engages volunteer citizen scientists to help map the distribution and relative abundance of breeding birds over a geographic area.
Years of arduous fieldwork are starting to come together, with just one summer left before the project is complete.
“This really is going to be part of Saskatchewan’s ornithological legacy. It’s our first comprehensive breeding bird atlas in the province,” LeeAnn Latremouille, Saskatchewan Breeding Bird Atlas co-ordinator at Birds Canada, told Canada’s National Observer.
Birders and nature lovers don't just have to sit around and wait for the project to wrap up, though — they can get involved. Anyone can report sightings to the atlas project and play a part in the science behind it.
When it's complete, the project aims to publish an open-access and comprehensive digital account of the status of breeding birds in the province.
It’s a Canada-wide movement. Atlases for Saskatchewan, Ontario and Newfoundland are in the works, while British Columbia, Manitoba, the Maritimes and southern Quebec have published atlases.
Bird atlases are used in environmental impact assessments by industry or conservation planning by governments and ecological groups.
And this goes well beyond birds. That’s because birds respond quickly to environmental stressors and habitat change, so they are good indicators of environmental health.
Having the atlas will allow for a better understanding of what’s going on in our environments, if not exactly why.
“That’s really the beauty of a project like this. It's not just a static range map, it gives us more fine-scale information.”
She said atlases are repeated every 20 years so that scientists can see the changes over time.
“Atlases are the go-to source for bird information because of the rigour behind it and the way it’s designed,” Latremouille said.
A breeding pair of Common Merganzer (Mergus merganser); female with the great hairdo leads while the male trails. Photo by Brandon White.
While northern Saskatchewan might be small in population, it's big in the bird world. One billion to three billion birds from at least 300 species depend on Canada’s boreal forest for their breeding grounds.
Bird populations are in sharp decline around the world and the health of the boreal forest has a ripple effect across the globe.
Northern Saskatchewan is an especially important breeding habitat for migratory bird species, such as belted kingfishers, bufflehead ducks and nighthawks.
Sandhill cranes, great blue herons, loons and pelicans can be found near lowland rivers and lakes where they nest. Bald eagles, osprey, red-breasted mergansers, and great grey owls depend heavily on forest and aquatic habitat in the area.
“There's been 500 million boreal forest birds lost since 1970, which is a 33 per cent decline in populations. Pretty severe for the boreal,” University of Saskatchewan biology professor Christy Morrissey told Canada’s National Observer.
A Great Blue Heron (Ardea herodias) in flight near Lac La Ronge provincial park. Photo by Brandon White.
La Ronge-based videographer Brandon White has been observing bird species in northern Saskatchewan since returning to the region after getting a bachelor of science in biology at the University of Saskatchewan.
White, who worked under Morrissey for a time, said he has seen a decline in breeding birds in the region, which he said needs to be taken seriously as a reflection of broader changes in the environment — changes that will impact other species, including humans.
He said a good analogy is the “canary in the coal mine,” where the health of the planet represents the mine and birds, fittingly, act as the canary.
“There are many bird species that are canaries in our industrialized globe — the coal mine, in this example. It's all of our beloved bird species on this planet Earth as we undergo the increased industrialization of this Earth. We need to look at these declines seriously and ask, 'Are these canaries?”'
For Morrissey, that’s an emphatic "Yes."
A gull and an airplane compare wings. Photo by Brandon White.
Morrissey is an expert on the impact of environmental contaminants, such as pesticides, and industrial pollutants, on bird migration.
“The neat thing about birds is that there's a bird for every habitat, for every environment. No matter how harsh it is, there are always birds.”
She said that by studying a group of birds, you can address problems going on in virtually any ecosystem. Morrissey said understanding declines in the bird population gives a heads-up on the health of the environment due to climate change, industrial pollution and other factors.
If you’re looking for variety, head north with some binoculars. Approximately 30 per cent of all shorebirds (seven million) and 30 per cent of all land birds (one billion to three billion) that breed in the United States and Canada do so within North America’s boreal.
Canada’s boreal zone stretches from Yukon and northern British Columbia to Newfoundland & Labrador. Source: Natural Resources Canada.
The boreal region has its own set of unique challenges compared to the Prairies.
“In the boreal, we have threats, too. We're losing forest area, we have oil and gas and other mining activities that are destroying habitat at a rapid rate,” Morrissey said.
She said expansion of projects and encroachment into habitats that were once contiguous and pollution from industry are concerning.
In the Prairies, bird habitats are especially impacted by pesticides used in agriculture.
“Saskatchewan is the most intensive agricultural region of Canada in terms of land area that's under crop, as well as chemical use,” Morrissey said.
Saskatchewan is the most intensive agricultural region of Canada. Photo by Michael Bramadat-Willcock.
Morrissey said climate change compounds the effects of pollution, especially in places where temperatures are becoming unpredictable, such as the Arctic and boreal forests.
She said that despite the importance of boreal ecosystems, there’s a lack of research on boreal birds. That's partly because those regions are more remote, difficult to access.
Latremouille said while the project is a long wait, it’s worth it. Once finished, Saskatchewan’s Breeding Bird Atlas could be a big part of the solution for the province.
Water sampling at the Key Lake/McArthur River uranium mining operation that went into care and maintenance in 2017. Bird atlases are used in environmental impact assessments. Photo courtesy of Cameco.
Fascinating as it may sound, Latremouille’s job might not be for everyone. She spent the summer doing point counts, which means standing in one place and counting birds based on sightings and sounds.
“Point counts help us to get information about relative abundance of the birds and this requires that you know your birds really well by song,” Latremoille said while doing fieldwork near Leader.
“So you’re standing somewhere and listening and you're counting all the birds in a five-minute period really early in the morning. Depending on how far of a drive I have, I’m up between 3 and 3:30 in the morning. I get dressed, coffee, drive out to point count locations and count all the birds that you’re able to detect by ear and by sight.”
This year, the pandemic made fieldwork in the north impossible.
A group of American white pelican (Pelecanus erythrorhynchos), falling asleep after a long day on the Montreal River in northern Saskatchewan. Photo by Brandon White.
Latremouille was in La Ronge last year and talked to high school students about bird identification. She also set up bird-song monitors along traplines in the winter to capture boreal species that are harder to access in the summer.
“This winter, they had a snowmobiling trip up the trapline and placed a bioacoustic recorder along the trapline. We introduced students to the concept of bioacoustics,” Latremouille said.
“It’s the ability to make a recording of bird songs. You put out this box that sort of works in the same way as a trail cam would, except this is set up … to sample the bird community. It records and then you’re able to retrieve it.”
A group of Double-crested Cormorant (Phalacrocorax auritus) near Lac La Ronge provincial park. Photo by Brandon White.
This year’s point count is over and next summer will be the last chance to pull out your binoculars and get involved for the first edition of Saskatchewan's bird atlas.
“I think it’s a lovely way for people to connect with nature,” Latremouille said.
“The cool thing about a project like this is that it asks you to take a little time and look at the bird’s behaviour. If you see a bird carrying food for its chicks or if you see it carrying nesting material, you've just confirmed breeding.”
Video of Bird Identification for Beginners
Bird identification basics by LeeAnn Latremouille, Saskatchewan breeding bird atlas coordinator, Birds Canada.
Right now, most birds in the boreal have finished their breeding season and are preparing to moult and migrate south, so make sure to tune in as spring 2021 approaches.
Birds Canada also does training for newbie birders, but expect some changes due to the pandemic. For more information and to learn how to be part of the project, email sk.birdatlas.ca or Tweet them @BirdsCanada.
Michael Bramadat-Willcock/Local Journalism Initiative/Canada's National Observer


nationalobserver--2020-09-04--Youth housing crisis will take a hit from COVID-19

The rate of young adults forming independent households continues to decline in Toronto .
And now , economic uncertainty caused by the COVID-19 pandemic could make pressures to the housing affordability crisis even worse for youth .
Youth have been one of the hardest-hit demographics on the labour market because of COVID-19 .
And that is translating to housing .
“ When ( they ) start essentially spending 46 per cent of their income towards rent , and now no longer have a job … what does that mean ?
” said Nelson Elsholtz , a second-year master 's student @ @ @ @ @ @ @ management program .
Elsholtz and his peers – alumni and recent grads from U of T and York University – explored these housing crisis questions in a September 3 panel discussion hosted by U of T ’ s School of Cities .
His research , published this June in the Housing Studies journal , looked in part at the headship rates of Canadian cities for the 25- to 34-year-old cohort , between 1991 and 2016 .
He found that Toronto recorded a six per cent decline in its headship rate .
Montreal , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a 0.5 per cent decrease in headship rate over the same period .
High levels of debt , sharing a space with multiple roommates or family , or living with parents later in life due to cultural norms all contribute to lower headship rates .
“ But one of the most important factors explaining this trend within Canadian cities over time , including Toronto , is a shortage of purpose-built rental housing , ” said Matthews-Hunter , who now works as a city housing planner and graduated from his U of T master @ @ @ @ @ @ @ found that headship rates declined faster in Canadian cities where rental housing demand outpaced supply , and where rents have gone up faster than incomes .
Panelists are addressing the housing situation for young adults pre-COVID-19 , the underlying economic and social barriers that have been exacerbated by the pandemic and sharing their housing dreams for youth in Toronto — School of Cities ( @ UofTCities ) September 3 , 2020 The housing crisis is exposing overlapping social issues for youth , including diversity and issues facing Indigenous people .
“ We often @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a homogenized group ” and to not consider diversity , said Da Chen , a U of T master 's graduate .
Chen and a group of planning students studied the impact of diversity in the professional planning industry and presented their findings to the Mentorship Program for Indigenous and Planners of Colour in August .
These issues are “ all really connected .
When we look at housing , it ’ s not just housing itself , ” Chen said .
“ We can look at the different decision-making … racism and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Nur , a social development worker and a York University student , said she believes the pandemic will widen the inequality gap for youth seeking housing .
# Toronto # youth # housing dreams : “ A Toronto that focuses on human development at its core.
” “ Protected rental housing stock and access to housing for all who need it.
” and “ An avenue for youth to have serious and meaningful engagement in housing policy.
” — School of Cities ( @ UofTCities ) September 3 , 2020

The rate of young adults forming independent households continues to decline in Toronto. And now, economic uncertainty caused by the COVID-19 pandemic could make pressures to the housing affordability crisis even worse for youth. Youth have been one of the hardest-hit demographics on the labour market because of COVID-19. And that is translating to housing. “When (they) start essentially spending 46 per cent of their income towards rent, and now no longer have a job … what does that mean?” said Nelsen Elsholtz, a second-year master's student in U of T’s sustainability management program who moderated the event. Elsholtz and his peers – alumni and recent grads from U of T and York University – explored these housing crisis questions in a September 3 panel discussion hosted by U of T’s School of Cities. Happening now: webinar on Toronto’s Youth Housing Crisis - a collaboration between School of Cities, @IMIUofT and @UTMMScSM. #affordablehousing #topoli pic.twitter.com/NAw90yMMgq — School of Cities (@UofTCities) September 3, 2020 Household formation, also known as a ‘headship rate’, is one unit that planners use to measure affordability. The headship rate breaks down to dividing the number of households by the adult population.
It works like this: the fewer adults per household the higher the "headship rate", whether that home is rented or owned. To simplify: Say two "20 somethings" live at home with their parents, the headship rate count is 25% - one home divided by four adults. If the two adult siblings move out and each rent a place then the headship rate at the parents’ house would be 50%, and 100% at each of the adult children’s new households, if they live alone. Billion-dollar land deals in Ontario raise corruption suspicions In other words, it is the rate at which people "head" their own independent households, according to a journal article by panellist Keir Matthews-Hunter.
His research, published this June in the Housing Studies journal, looked in part at the headship rates of Canadian cities for the 25- to 34-year-old cohort, between 1991 and 2016. He found that Toronto recorded a six per cent decline in its headship rate. Montreal, on the other hand, only saw a 0.5 per cent decrease in headship rate over the same period. High levels of debt, sharing a space with multiple roommates or family, or living with parents later in life due to cultural norms all contribute to lower headship rates. “But one of the most important factors explaining this trend within Canadian cities over time, including Toronto, is a shortage of purpose-built rental housing,” said Matthews-Hunter, who now works as a city housing planner and graduated from his U of T master's program in 2018. His research found that headship rates declined faster in Canadian cities where rental housing demand outpaced supply, and where rents have gone up faster than incomes. Panelists are addressing the housing situation for young adults pre-COVID-19, the underlying economic and social barriers that have been exacerbated by the pandemic and sharing their housing dreams for youth in Toronto — School of Cities (@UofTCities) September 3, 2020 The housing crisis is exposing overlapping social issues for youth, including diversity and issues facing Indigenous people.
“We often have a tendency to see youth as a homogenized group” and to not consider diversity, said Da Chen, a U of T master's graduate. Chen and a group of planning students studied the impact of diversity in the professional planning industry and presented their findings to the Mentorship Program for Indigenous and Planners of Colour in August. These issues are “all really connected. When we look at housing, it’s not just housing itself,” Chen said. “We can look at the different decision-making … racism and discrimination that people face.” Panellist Deqa Nur, a social development worker and a York University student, said she believes the pandemic will widen the inequality gap for youth seeking housing.


nationalobserver--2020-09-04--Canada’s employment rate rose in August, but it's still short of pre-pandemic levels

Canada ’ s economy added more jobs in August , but employment numbers are still 1.1 million less than they were before the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic .
New data from Statistics Canada shows employment rose by 246,000 , a 1.4 per cent increase from the previous month .
But even with combined gains from May and June , Canada is still 5.7 per cent below the employment rate it saw before the COVID-19 forced most businesses to shut down .
The government agency surveyed 50,000 households across Canada to measure market conditions for the week of Aug. 9 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ after the lockdown .
The retail and service sectors were some of the hardest hit by the COVID-19 shutdown , and they ’ re slowing down in terms of recovery .
While the industries saw employment rise at an average of 18.4 per cent in May and July , that number slumped to 5.3 per cent in August .
Young Canadians are also having a hard time finding a job , with youth employment rates 15.3 per cent below pre-pandemic levels .
Statistics Canada started featuring race-based data in its labour reports in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ higher for racialized groups across Canada when compared to their non-minority counterparts .
That trend has continued with Arab and Black Canadians reporting an unemployment rate of nearly 18 per cent and southeast Asians sitting at 16.6 per cent .
How did # COVID19 impact the # LabourMarket conditions of population groups designated as visible minorities in August ?
The unemployment rate remains high for Arab , Black and Southeast Asian Canadians .
To learn more : https : //t.co/wKIVh0ikOT # CdnEcon # DiversityData pic.twitter.com/NIGxEPwnG0 — Statistics Canada ( @ StatCan_eng ) September @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Canadians are still receiving the $ 2,000-a-month Canada Emergency Response Benefit ( CERB ) , but the number has decreased since July , with only 16.1 per cent reporting to still be on the program .
There are 1.1 million less paid workers than there were before COVID-19 forced an economic shut down .
The federal government announced that CERB would be extended to Sept. 27 , and after that , Canadians would qualify for one of three new employment insurance programs .
In his analysis of the survey , CIBC economist Andrew @ @ @ @ @ @ @ force participation means CERB isn ’ t necessarily doing much to deter people from getting back into the workforce .
But Grantham predicts a slow roll from here on out until Canada closes the gap between its pre-pandemic numbers and now .
He said a lot of the “ easier ” jobs gains have already been made , with a significant portion of Canadians who were temporarily laid off returning to work as provinces are in the full swing of reopening plans .
The growth will be “ slower and more uneven ” @ @ @ @ @

Canada’s economy added more jobs in August, but employment numbers are still 1.1 million fewer than they were before the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.
New data from Statistics Canada shows employment rose by 246,000, a 1.4 per cent increase from the previous month. But even with combined gains from May and June, Canada is still 5.7 per cent below the employment rate it saw before the COVID-19 forced most businesses to shut down.
The government agency surveyed 50,000 households across Canada to measure market conditions for the week of Aug. 9 to Aug 15, nearly five months after the lockdown.
The data reflects a Canadian economy that’s slowly reopening and moving past pandemic restrictions. While at the height of the shutdown, nearly 3.4 millions Canadians were working from home, people are starting to head back to offices. In August, the number of Canadians working from home went down to 2.5 million.
Unemployment rates reached a record high of 13.7 per cent in May at the height of the shutdown. That rate has since started to decline from June, dropping to 10.2 per cent in August. But Canada is still faced with historically high unemployment numbers — during the early 1990s recession, 1.7 million people were unemployed in November 1992.


nationalobserver--2020-09-04--Legions, the hub of small-town Canada, at risk of being wiped out

Legions are as intrinsic to small-town life as the local Tim Hortons or Canadian Tire , but they ’ re at risk of extinction if Ottawa doesn ’ t offer COVID-19 relief soon , the network ’ s top brass says .
The pandemic shuttered most local branches , leaving them unable to support themselves and their causes , said Thomas D. Irvine , Royal Canadian Legion Dominion president .
The hub and heartbeat of many small communities across Canada , legions and are so much more than simply spots for veterans to go for a drink , Irvine said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ here .
At risk of losing everything they do , especially in smaller communities , ” he said .
Repeated requests for help to the Ministry of Veterans Affairs and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau have not resulted in any concrete action or details from Ottawa , Irvine said .
• How a B.C .
snow plow dispute made its way to the Supreme Court of Canada • After MP ’ s offensive tweet , O ’ Toole says Tories will counter anti-Semitism • Eight candidates on the ballot for race to succeed Elizabeth @ @ @ @ @ @ @ funerals , barbecues , bingo , dances and innumerable community and branch fundraisers all take place at legions , he said .
The first local branch Irvine ever joined served a community with a grand total of 1,200 people .
“ It was the centre of everything in that community , ” Irvine said .
“ We had music nights for musicians to come in every Saturday and the only cost at the door was bringing canned food for the homeless.
” Thomas D. Irvine , Royal Canadian Legion Dominion president , said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ communities and veterans , but have fallen through the cracks when it comes to federal pandemic relief funding .
Photo supplied by Royal Canadian Legion There are 1,381 legions across Canada and close to 350 need immediate assistance to keep their doors open , he said .
“ We ’ re at risk here .
At risk of losing everything they do , especially in smaller communities , ” Thomas D. Irvine , Royal Canadian Legion Dominion president on how many branches might have to close permanently due to Covid-19 .
@ RoyalCdnLegion @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they were not eligible for federal COVID-19 relief funds rolled out for non-profit organizations .
Some branches have applied to the Canada Emergency Business Account ( CEBA ) program for interest-free loans , Irvine added .
But legions already under financial strain due to the pandemic are reluctant to risk any further debt , no matter how good the terms , he said .
“ Many of these branches are still closed , and if they ’ re open , it ’ s at reduced capacity , ” said Irvine .
“ They @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they take a loan , they can pay it back.
” In addition to raising funds for community causes , many branches also provide support services for veterans and their families , he said .
Bill Bradshaw , treasurer of the Royal Canadian Legion Branch 154 on Quadra Island in B.C.
, said the organization is squeaking by for the time being .
The legion is the only one on the island , which has a population of less than 3,000 .
“ We were basically shut down for three months , which @ @ @ @ @ @ @ income , obviously , ” said Bradshaw .
But once pandemic restrictions eased up in June , the legion has been able to open on a limited basis and is currently earning enough to keep the lights on , Bradshaw said .
Because the legion is fairly big and has enough room for social distancing , it ’ s been able to offer meals a couple of nights a week , which is providing some income .
“ We ’ re doing OK at the moment , but the reality is we don @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” Bradshaw said .
Most of the legion ’ s community programming , seniors ’ lunches and activities , music evenings and fundraising are on hold due to the pandemic .
Bingo nights , one of the Quadra legion ’ s most successful fundraising activities , are also shut down .
“ We ’ ve been able to have a smaller version of our meat draw , but that ’ s about it right now , ” Bradshaw said .
The branch typically raises $ 10,000 to $ 15,000 annually for local causes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be a bunch of different things .
We support young people in need or organizations that need a little help , ” Bradshaw said .
The legion contributes regularly to the island ’ s elementary school and children ’ s centre to help with various purchases .
One particularly good year , the branch donated $ 10,000 to the hospital in Campbell River on neighbouring Vancouver Island to help build a grieving room for families in crisis .
Tom Vaniderstine , Branch 154 president , said the Quadra legion is lucky because islanders @ @ @ @ @ @ @ about other branches .
“ Other legions are really in trouble .
They were in trouble before COVID-19 hit , ” he said .
But if B.C .
goes into full lockdown again for any length of time , it would be hard for the Quadra legion to survive , Vaniderstine said .
“ We ’ re just taking it day by day , ” Bradshaw added .
North Island-Powell River MP Rachel Blaney has also been calling on Ottawa to establish a relief plan to help legions survive the pandemic .
There @ @ @ @ @ @ @ providing supports to veterans and their local community whose services are at risk , said Blaney , NDP critic for Veteran Affairs in a letter to the ministry .
But branches across the country are struggling because donations are down , and they can ’ t rent out their spaces , Blaney wrote .
Legions provide a wide range of supports for veterans , including housing assistance , addictions or mental health supports , or helping them navigate Veterans Affairs Canada ( VAC ) applications , she added .
“ Losing those community @ @ @ @ @ @ @ more rural and remote areas , ” Blaney said .
Irvine said the legion has never asked for — or wanted — government funding in the past , but needs support to bridge this crisis .
“ But this is extenuating circumstances , ” he said , adding other veterans service organizations are facing similar challenges .
“ The legion is not only asking for ourselves , we 're asking for all veterans groups.
” Yet despite all the challenges the pandemic has posed , legion volunteers are out still helping in their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cooking and delivering meals , checking in on seniors and older veterans , and making and distributing masks .
“ They 're still out there plugging away , and doing everything the legion does , but they 've got no income coming in , ” Irvine said .
“ So , you know , they ca n't do this forever .
”

Legions are as intrinsic to small-town life as the local Tim Hortons or Canadian Tire, but they’re at risk of extinction if Ottawa doesn’t offer COVID-19 relief soon, the network’s top brass says. The pandemic shuttered most local branches, leaving them unable to support themselves and their causes, said Thomas D. Irvine, Royal Canadian Legion Dominion president. The hub and heartbeat of many small communities across Canada, legions and are so much more than simply spots for veterans to go for a drink, Irvine said. “We’re at risk here. At risk of losing everything they do, especially in smaller communities,” he said. Repeated requests for help to the Ministry of Veterans Affairs and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau have not resulted in any concrete action or details from Ottawa, Irvine said.
Weddings, funerals, barbecues, bingo, dances and innumerable community and branch fundraisers all take place at legions, he said. The first local branch Irvine ever joined served a community with a grand total of 1,200 people. Billion-dollar land deals in Ontario raise corruption suspicions “It was the centre of everything in that community,” Irvine said.
“We had music nights for musicians to come in every Saturday and the only cost at the door was bringing canned food for the homeless.” “We’re at risk here. At risk of losing everything they do, especially in smaller communities,” Thomas D. Irvine, Royal Canadian Legion Dominion president on how many branches might have to close permanently due to Covid-19. @RoyalCdnLegion Thomas D. Irvine, Royal Canadian Legion Dominion president, said Canada's legions are critical for small communities and veterans, but have fallen through the cracks when it comes to federal pandemic relief funding. Photo supplied by Royal Canadian Legion There are 1,381 legions across Canada and close to 350 need immediate assistance to keep their doors open, he said. Despite being volunteer-based organizations, legions found they were not eligible for federal COVID-19 relief funds rolled out for non-profit organizations. Some branches have applied to the Canada Emergency Business Account (CEBA) program for interest-free loans, Irvine added.
But legions already under financial strain due to the pandemic are reluctant to risk any further debt, no matter how good the terms, he said. “Many of these branches are still closed, and if they’re open, it’s at reduced capacity,” said Irvine. “They're not making the money that if they take a loan, they can pay it back.”


nationalobserver--2020-09-04--Steers, rams, and hogs: B.C.’s meat industry, by the numbers

“ In 2003 , B.C .
brought in new meat regulations that required everything to be inspected .
We lost most of our small-scale slaughter facilities at the time , ” she said .
The problem is hitting small-scale meat farmers particularly hard , Julia Smith , president of the Small-Scale Meat Producers Association and a rancher , said .
They ’ re pinched between a regulatory maze that ’ s decimated both local abattoirs and the small livestock farms — and skyrocketing demand for local meat .
It wasn ’ t enough .
In 2018 , a provincial select @ @ @ @ @ @ @ limiting local meat production and recommended changes , one of which will be implemented on Dec. 1 , to grow the province ’ s meat sector — and increase local food security .
There are 21 “ D ” licence-holders , all of them in remote regional districts , and 31 class “ E ” licence-holders .
There are 51 class “ A ” and “ B ” licences in the province , with the majority in more densely populated regions , such as the Lower Mainland and the Okanagan .
Unlike class @ @ @ @ @ @ @ licences , farmers operating under these rules do not need an inspector present for the slaughter .
To replace some of this lost capacity , the agriculture ministry added two on-farm slaughter licences — “ D ” and “ E ” licences — with restrictions on how many animals could be slaughtered and where they could be sold .
It will be a much-needed change : In 2013 , British Columbians imported most of their red meat , according to the committee 's report .
B.C .
cattlemen produced less than a quarter @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and 3.8 times more pork was eaten in the province than was produced here .
Lamb showed a similar trend — twice as much lamb was eaten in the province than was raised here .
Chicken and turkeys tell a different story : 57 per cent of the poultry raised in B.C .
was eaten there ( the remainder was exported ) , while about a third of the province ’ s turkeys were left to be eaten elsewhere .
The bulk of these exports went to the U.S. And in number of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 610,000 cattle in the province , 89,000 hogs , and 39,000 sheep .
There were also 118 million chickens and 2.4 million turkeys .
Meanwhile , the number of small livestock farms dropped six per cent between 2006 and 2016 , mirroring the broader decline of farms in the province pinched by aging farmers and high land prices .
Small beef farms , most of them in the rural Interior , showed the most significant decline .
Still , not everyone agrees that expanding on-farm slaughter will reverse this trend The whole D @ @ @ @ @ @ @ my side , ” Michael Noullet , owner of Kawano Farms in Prince George — a class “ A ” facility ” — said .
He saw his business shrink and other abattoirs go out of business when on-farm slaughter licences were announced .
Only recently has he approached capacity , and he would take on more animals — if he could find workers .

In British Columbia, livestock is controversial. Especially killing livestock.
The problem is hitting small-scale meat farmers particularly hard, Julia Smith, president of the Small-Scale Meat Producers Association and a rancher, said. They’re pinched between a regulatory maze that’s decimated both local abattoirs and the small livestock farms — and skyrocketing demand for local meat.
“In 2003, B.C. brought in new meat regulations that required everything to be inspected. We lost most of our small-scale slaughter facilities at the time,” she said.
To replace some of this lost capacity, the agriculture ministry added two on-farm slaughter licences — “D” and “E” licences — with restrictions on how many animals could be slaughtered and where they could be sold.
Unlike class “A” and “B” licences, farmers operating under these rules do not need an inspector present for the slaughter.


nationalobserver--2020-09-04--Indigenous journalist “disillusioned” by arrest covering Land Back Lane conflict

Karl Dockstader is a proud Oneida of the Thames Bear Clan , husband , father and an aspiring storyteller .
On Thursday , he was arrested and charged after reporting on the 1492 Land Back Lane occupation in Caledonia , Ont .
“ It ’ s surreal , ” said Dockstader during a phone interview with the National Observer on Thursday evening .
“ This isn ’ t supposed to happen like this .
The idea that I can be a journalist , arrested and criminalized for telling a story , that seems like systemic racism to me.
” Dockstader @ @ @ @ @ @ @ show News Talk 610 CKTB , One Dish , One Mic , which focuses on Indigenous topics .
Dockstader volunteers at the Niagara Native Friendship Center .
And he 's the current recipient of the Canadian Journalism Foundation and CBC Indigenous fellowship program .
Karl Dockstader with One Dish , One Mic radio show co-host Sean Vanderklis in studio at News Talk 610 CKTB .
Photo by Steve Martin • How a B.C .
snow plow dispute made its way to the Supreme Court of Canada • After MP ’ s offensive tweet @ @ @ @ @ @ @ counter anti-Semitism • Eight candidates on the ballot for race to succeed Elizabeth May as Green Party leader His arrest prompted an outcry from journalists across Canada on social media .
“ The arrest and laying of charges against award-winning journalist Karl Dockstader is part of a pattern to keep journalists from covering Indigenous disputes , ” wrote Algonquin journalist Karyn Pugliese , who is also a Harvard Nieman Foundation fellow , and a journalism professor at Ryerson University .
“ Canadian media never like to be the story , but when we @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lose their right to know .
We only have democracy and human rights when we have a free press.
” Dockstader stayed in a tent at the Land Back Lane camp during the last week of August to report from the front lines of the conflict .
“ I honestly thought I was almost at no risk .
But I ’ m an Indigenous journalist , even though it ’ s not supposed to be different for me , but growing up , the police were always the bad guys .
So every @ @ @ @ @ @ @ my pillow , in the back of my mind I knew there could be a moment when police would come crashing through my tent.
” “ It ’ s surreal .
This isn ’ t supposed to happen like this .
The idea that I can be a journalist , arrested and criminalized for telling a story , that seems like systemic racism to me . ''
@ karldockstader Karl Dockstader takes his photo in Cayuga , Ont .
before being arrested and charged after reporting at the Land Back Lane conflict in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Dockstader The Six Nations Land Defenders are mobilizing to stop a housing development project called McKenzie Meadows bordering the town of Caledonia .
The land defenders assert the land belongs to the Haudenosaunee as per the Haldimand Treaty of 1912 and the Silver Covenant Chain of Peace and Friendship , which outlined a tract of land for the Haudenosaunee .
This land includes the disputed McKenzie Meadows development .
Foxgate Developments , the company behind the housing project , obtained an injunction on July 19 to have the land defenders removed .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Police ( OPP ) on Aug. 5 and saw nine land defenders arrested .
The situation intensified on Aug. 6 after OPP officers shot a rubber bullet at and used Tasers on land defenders after the police force said rocks were thrown at them .
Land Back Lane occupation bordering the town of Caledonia , ON .
Photo supplied by Karl Dockstader According to the OPP , 13 people have been arrested in connection with the Land Back Lane demonstrations .
“ We as a society have spent the time since the COVID-19 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ something terribly wrong with racial inequality in our world and some of this has to do with Land Back Lane , ” said Dockstader .
“ It ’ s no secret there ’ s been a glaring vacuum of BIPOC reporting on stories and the genuine perspectives we bring to these stories .
To be silenced is a form of white supremacy.
” Dockstader is charged with mischief and failure to comply with a court order and is due in a Cayuga courthouse on Nov. 24 .
In the meantime , one of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Back Lane .
“ He never should ’ ve been charged , ” said Dockstader 's lawyer Emily Lam .
“ It ’ s quite preposterous .
He ’ s an independent journalist there for work and had a legal right to be there .
The state knew he was a journalist , so it makes it even more ridiculous that he ’ s been charged.
” Lam says she ’ s tired of the mistreatment of BIPOC and intends to clear Dockstader ’ s name from any wrongdoing .
The Canadian Association @ @ @ @ @ @ @ happened “ impermissible.
” “ The OPP are well aware that journalists have an established constitutional right to be present and cover matters of public interest , ” said Jolly .
“ Attempting to prevent a properly credentialed journalist from documenting a moment of contentious action is impermissible in a country like Canada .
Journalism can never be silenced.
” The CAJ & @ CJFE condemn the @ OPP_News ' decision to arrest & lay charges against @ KarlDockstader .
This arrest marks the third time in recent years police have laid charges @ @ @ @ @ @ @ people & the Crownhttps : //t.co/K6lDzyVifr pic.twitter.com/7uPVktvpS7 — Canadian Association of Journalists ( @ caj ) September 4 , 2020 Researcher Courtney Skye of the Yellowhead Institute was also arrested , the day before Dockstader .
Dockstader ’ s radio career is on the rise .
Together with his co-host Sean Vanderklis , two podcast series have been featured on Canadaland and their signature show One Dish , One Mic is earning accolades across the country .
Dockstader says he plans to sit down with his daughters , who are 8 and 10 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
His wife is “ devastated.
” “ I ’ m disillusioned and I feel bad for people who don ’ t have the resources I have .
This shows that criminalization can happen to anyone.
” The National Observer reached out to the OPP for comment , but have not received a response .

Karl Dockstader is a proud Oneida of the Thames Bear Clan, husband, father and an aspiring storyteller. On Thursday, he was arrested and charged after reporting on the 1492 Land Back Lane occupation in Caledonia, Ont. “It’s surreal,” said Dockstader during a phone interview with the National Observer on Thursday evening. “This isn’t supposed to happen like this. The idea that I can be a journalist, arrested and criminalized for telling a story, that seems like systemic racism to me.” Dockstader is the co-host of the weekly radio show News Talk 610 CKTB, One Dish, One Mic, which focuses on Indigenous topics. Dockstader volunteers at the Niagara Native Friendship Center. And he's the current recipient of the Canadian Journalism Foundation and CBC Indigenous fellowship program. Karl Dockstader with One Dish, One Mic radio show co-host Sean Vanderklis in studio at News Talk 610 CKTB. Photo by Steve Martin
His arrest prompted an outcry from journalists across Canada on social media. Billion-dollar land deals in Ontario raise corruption suspicions “The arrest and laying of charges against award-winning journalist Karl Dockstader is part of a pattern to keep journalists from covering Indigenous disputes,” wrote Algonquin journalist Karyn Pugliese, who is also a Harvard Nieman Foundation fellow, and a journalism professor at Ryerson University.
“Canadian media never like to be the story, but when we lose the right to report, citizens lose their right to know. We only have democracy and human rights when we have a free press.” “It’s surreal. This isn’t supposed to happen like this. The idea that I can be a journalist, arrested and criminalized for telling a story, that seems like systemic racism to me." @karldockstader Dockstader stayed in a tent at the Land Back Lane camp during the last week of August to report from the front lines of the conflict. “I honestly thought I was almost at no risk. But I’m an Indigenous journalist, even though it’s not supposed to be different for me, but growing up, the police were always the bad guys. So every night when I put my head on my pillow, in the back of my mind I knew there could be a moment when police would come crashing through my tent.” Karl Dockstader takes his photo in Cayuga, Ont. before being arrested and charged after reporting at the Land Back Lane conflict in Caledonia, Ont.. Photo supplied by Karl Dockstader The Six Nations Land Defenders are mobilizing to stop a housing development project called McKenzie Meadows bordering the town of Caledonia. The land defenders assert the land belongs to the Haudenosaunee as per the Haldimand Treaty of 1912 and the Silver Covenant Chain of Peace and Friendship, which outlined a tract of land for the Haudenosaunee. This land includes the disputed McKenzie Meadows development.
Foxgate Developments, the company behind the housing project, obtained an injunction on July 19 to have the land defenders removed. The injunction was enforced by the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) on Aug. 5 and saw nine land defenders arrested. The situation intensified on Aug. 6 after OPP officers shot a rubber bullet at and used Tasers on land defenders after the police force said rocks were thrown at them. Land Back Lane occupation bordering the town of Caledonia, ON. Photo supplied by Karl Dockstader