nationalobserver--2020-08-07--Ontario tribunal says almost 6,000 eviction requests received since COVID-19 shutdown

Almost 6,000 applications to evict tenants have been received by Ontario ’ s Landlord and Tenant Board since the start of April , adding to a backlog of cases the understaffed tribunal is now starting to schedule for hearings .
The number of applications filed each month have roughly halved since the Ford government declared a state of emergency March 17 , but the board had until this week only heard the most urgent eviction cases where health and safety were at risk .
Now that the tenancy board is restarting regular operations , critics fear a wave of evictions @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the street during the pandemic .
Tribunals Ontario did not immediately respond when asked how many L1 applications were in backlog when the state of emergency was issued .
In its 2018-19 annual report , Tribunals Ontario said the tenancy board had 14,726 open applications in total ( not just evictions , although L1 applications accounted for more than half of all cases ) at the end of March 2019 .
The Ford government introduced an amended tenancy law last month that critics say will make it easier for landlords to evict tenants @ @ @ @ @ @ @ troubles .
Ontario 's tenancy board has received almost 6,000 applications to evict tenants since the start of April , adding to a backlog of cases the understaffed tribunal this week resumed processing amid the COVID-19 public health crisis Meanwhile , the ranks of adjudicators have thinned under Ford ’ s watch .
Tribunal Watch Ontario warned in May that the Landlord and Tenant Board , which makes close to 80,000 decisions a year , had shrunk from 53 members just before the election victory of Ford ’ s Progressive Conservatives to 40 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the quality of adjudications may decrease as the number of cases increase , ” said Bahar Shadpour , a spokesperson for the Advocacy Centre for Tenants Ontario ( ACTO ) .
“ We hope that tenants are given a fair chance to fully explain their circumstances and have them fully considered.
” She said the centre was part of an advisory group to discuss issues at the tenancy board that was disbanded just before the 2018 election and not brought back despite repeated requests .
Shadpour added that cuts to Legal Aid funding @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to navigate the quasi-legal system .
“ There will definitely be more tenants going unrepresented because of cuts to Legal Aid funding and staff losses , ” she said .
An ACTO snapshot from six major cities in Ontario in November last year found that less than three per cent of tenants brought legal representation to tenancy board hearings , compared to 80 per cent of landlords .
ACTO was later hit by a 10 per cent cut to funding for its tenant duty counsel program , which provides legal advice and representation @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the tenancy board would begin issuing pending eviction orders starting Aug. 1 , and schedule hearings for non-urgent evictions starting in mid-August .

Almost 6,000 applications to evict tenants have been received by Ontario’s Landlord and Tenant Board since the start of April, adding to a backlog of cases the understaffed tribunal is now starting to schedule for hearings. The number of applications filed each month have roughly halved since the Ford government declared a state of emergency March 17, but the board had until this week only heard the most urgent eviction cases where health and safety were at risk. Now that the tenancy board is restarting regular operations, critics fear a wave of evictions could put the most vulnerable out on the street during the pandemic. Younger renters — the single largest tenant demographic in Ontario — are among the most vulnerable because many are employed in precarious or part-time jobs that have disappeared because of the COVID-19 pandemic and related shutdowns. The Landlord and Tenant Board processed 4,540 L1 applications between May 1 and July 31 this year, Tribunals Ontario spokesperson Rebecca Ganesathas told National Observer on Thursday.
An L1 application is a request for approval to evict a tenant for non-payment of rent and to collect rent the tenant owes. She said processing means the application was received and assigned a file number, not that an eviction hearing had been scheduled or taken place. Billion-dollar land deals in Ontario raise corruption suspicions Tribunals Ontario had previously said 1,405 applications were received in April, compared to the roughly 3,500 a month the board typically received before the pandemic.
Tribunals Ontario did not immediately respond when asked how many L1 applications were in backlog when the state of emergency was issued. In its 2018-19 annual report, Tribunals Ontario said the tenancy board had 14,726 open applications in total (not just evictions, although L1 applications accounted for more than half of all cases) at the end of March 2019. Ontario's tenancy board has received almost 6,000 applications to evict tenants since the start of April, adding to a backlog of cases the understaffed tribunal this week resumed processing amid the COVID-19 public health crisis Fewer adjudicators, more cases and pitfalls The Ford government introduced an amended tenancy law last month that critics say will make it easier for landlords to evict tenants hit by job loss or other pandemic-related troubles. Meanwhile, the ranks of adjudicators have thinned under Ford’s watch. Tribunal Watch Ontario warned in May that the Landlord and Tenant Board, which makes close to 80,000 decisions a year, had shrunk from 53 members just before the election victory of Ford’s Progressive Conservatives to 40 in April.
“We fear that the quality of adjudications may decrease as the number of cases increase,” said Bahar Shadpour, a spokesperson for the Advocacy Centre for Tenants Ontario (ACTO). “We hope that tenants are given a fair chance to fully explain their circumstances and have them fully considered.” She said the centre was part of an advisory group to discuss issues at the tenancy board that was disbanded just before the 2018 election and not brought back despite repeated requests. Shadpour added that cuts to Legal Aid funding would also make it harder for tenants to navigate the quasi-legal system.


nationalobserver--2020-08-07--Federal COVID-19 aid for fishers poorly timed and leaves new entrants to flounder, critics say

The federal government released details of long-anticipated COVID-19 relief aid for fish harvesters Wednesday .
But critics argue that while the government was slow to deliver the programs , the Department of Fisheries and Oceans ( DFO ) expects commercial fish harvesters to apply quickly , and right in the middle of fishing season .
The relief programs may also shut out some new fishers carrying heavy debt , they say .
Fisheries and Oceans Minister Bernadette Jordan said the Fish Harvester Benefit and Grant Program will open for applications from Aug. 24 to Sept. 21 .
Jordan originally unveiled @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s fish harvesters hit hard by the pandemic in mid-May .
But now commercial fishers — many who suffered the loss of access to Asian export markets due to COVID-19 early in the year — must wait again for assistance , said Gord Johns , federal NDP critic for Fisheries and Oceans .
• ‘ I feel like I ’ m getting sent back to die , ’ student says as NDP calls for Doug Ford to scrap back-to-school plan • Environment Minister says he needs to be convinced shipping terminal wo @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s Weak Link On Energy And Ethics Is An Ex-Obama Official With Deep Fossil Fuel Ties Federal NDP critic for Fisheries and Oceans MP Gord Johns says the window for applying to DFO 's relief program falls in middle of fishing season .
File photo .
“ It ’ s unacceptable .
Harvesters are desperate for support , ” said Johns , MP for Courtenay-Alberni .
“ This program was announced in mid-May , and now we ’ re learning fish harvesters have to wait even longer before they can even apply @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for applications is tight , and falls in the middle of fishing season on the West Coast , Johns said .
Many workers and fish harvesters will be out on the water trying to make up for losses they 've already weathered , he said .
“ The Liberals asked fishers to be patient when they announced this benefit in May , ” Johns said .
“ So , why ca n't they offer a larger window to apply , especially since they took so long to develop the program ?
” “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ vessel and do n't have a ( revenue ) history , they are reeling right now , ” Jim McIsaac , Canadian Independent Fish Harvesters ’ Federation , on new fishers being ineligible for DFO 's Covid-19 relief program .
Fisher Peter De Greef agreed the timing of the application window was tricky .
“ Yeah , I could see that being problematic .
For sure , fishermen are very busy during the summer months , ” De Greef said , adding fishers don ’ t necessarily have access to cell service or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ But ( DFO ) gave some lead time to prepare , and you ’ re just going to have to do it at some point.
” The benefit programs will likely be welcomed by independent fish harvesters and their crews , De Greef said , despite the fact each fishery has unique issues to grapple with during the pandemic .
“ This is a pretty broad-based program that I think will come in handy for folks that need support in this crisis , ” he said .
Many independent fish harvesters and deck @ @ @ @ @ @ @ supports , such as the Canada Emergency Response Benefit ( CERB ) or the Canada Emergency Wage Subsidy ( CEWS ) , De Greef said .
The fish harvesters benefit covers up to 75 per cent of income losses beyond a 25 per cent loss threshold for the 2020 tax year .
The benefit amount will be based on a comparison of revenue from 2018 or 2019 .
The maximum amount is $ 10,164 .
The fish harvester grant will provide up $ 10,000 to self-employed fish harvesters with a valid 2020 commercial @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in non-deferrable business costs .
The grant amount also depends on revenue generated in 2018 or 2019 .
Jim McIsaac , vice-president of the Canadian Independent Fish Harvesters ’ Federation , said it appears the program will still leave some young fishers to flounder .
New entrants to the industry who have racked up high levels of debt for boats , licences or equipment to fish the 2020 season won ’ t benefit since they don ’ t have any past fishing revenue required by the program , said McIsaac .
“ Young @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and do n't have a history , they are reeling right now , ” McIsaac said .
“ They are probably the group hit the hardest and the one we know for sure is being locked out.
” It won ’ t be clear if others in the fishing industry will be left out until the details of the program are released when applications open , McIsaac added .
The DFO has worked around the clock to develop a simple , accessible system to deliver the relief to fish harvesters as smoothly and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in Wednesday ’ s announcement .
“ That ’ s why it was important for us to announce this in advance of ( the application date ) to ensure applicants have time to prepare , ” Jordan said .
The fish harvesters ' COVID-19 relief plan represents the single largest investment in Canada 's fisheries in nearly two decades , she said .
Overall , the DFO relief program is welcome , if overdue , McIsaac said , also noting that applying during fishing season was bound to be difficult for harvesters .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ the program was open until the end of the year , ” he said .
“ The timeline is not the best , so it ’ s all a bit bittersweet , ” he said .
Fisheries and Oceans did not respond to requests for further comment before the National Observer ’ s publishing deadline .

The federal government released details of long-anticipated COVID-19 relief aid for fish harvesters Wednesday. But critics argue that while the government was slow to deliver the programs, the Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO) expects commercial fish harvesters to apply quickly, and right in the middle of fishing season. The relief programs may also shut out some new fishers carrying heavy debt, they say. Fisheries and Oceans Minister Bernadette Jordan said the Fish Harvester Benefit and Grant Program will open for applications from Aug. 24 to Sept. 21. Jordan originally unveiled the $469-million program to aid Canada’s fish harvesters hit hard by the pandemic in mid-May. But now commercial fishers — many who suffered the loss of access to Asian export markets due to COVID-19 early in the year — must wait again for assistance, said Gord Johns, federal NDP critic for Fisheries and Oceans.
Federal NDP critic for Fisheries and Oceans MP Gord Johns says the window for applying to DFO's relief program falls in middle of fishing season. File photo. “It’s unacceptable. Harvesters are desperate for support,” said Johns, MP for Courtenay-Alberni. Billion-dollar land deals in Ontario raise corruption suspicions “This program was announced in mid-May, and now we’re learning fish harvesters have to wait even longer before they can even apply?”
Additionally, the four-week window for applications is tight, and falls in the middle of fishing season on the West Coast, Johns said. “Young harvesters who have just purchased a vessel and don't have a (revenue) history, they are reeling right now,” Jim McIsaac, Canadian Independent Fish Harvesters’ Federation, on new fishers being ineligible for DFO's Covid-19 relief program. Many workers and fish harvesters will be out on the water trying to make up for losses they've already weathered, he said. “The Liberals asked fishers to be patient when they announced this benefit in May,” Johns said. “So, why can't they offer a larger window to apply, especially since they took so long to develop the program?” Fisher Peter De Greef agreed the timing of the application window was tricky. “Yeah, I could see that being problematic. For sure, fishermen are very busy during the summer months,” De Greef said, adding fishers don’t necessarily have access to cell service or Internet while on the water.
“But (DFO) gave some lead time to prepare, and you’re just going to have to do it at some point.” The benefit programs will likely be welcomed by independent fish harvesters and their crews, De Greef said, despite the fact each fishery has unique issues to grapple with during the pandemic. “This is a pretty broad-based program that I think will come in handy for folks that need support in this crisis,” he said.


nationalobserver--2020-08-06--New movies to welcome back Mick Jagger, reimagine a children’s classic and deliver big summer action

Sometimes the new titles bunch up .
This week , I ’ ve written about nine new films , and that ’ s not even all that became available .
But here ’ s what I ’ ve got .
Some of them are very good .
The 1911 book by Frances Hodgson Burnett has been re-timed to 1947 , ostensibly to make it more contemporary for children today .
How would they notice that ?
Characters have been dropped and a fire has been added to boost the drama .
There ’ s now a gothic feel to not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The story is about friendship and contact with nature helping to overcome grief , which both Mary ( Dixie Egerickx ) and her uncle ( Colin Firth ) suffer from .
In this version , nature is the more important driver of the two .
The garden is exaggerated into a grand landscape with a thick forest .
It ’ s a bit of magic realism that looks beautiful , but feels distant .
Mary , meanwhile , is no longer the unpleasant , demanding child of the novel .
She ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ acted , though , by a newcomer , alongside old pros Firth and Julie Walters , the crabby housekeeper .
BBC veteran Marc Munden directed , but writer Jack Thorne and producer Rosie Alison brought on the refocusing .
( Telus and other digital platforms ) 3 out of 5 THE SECRET GARDEN : Four films , as many TV versions , several stage plays and even a Broadway musical attest to the ongoing appeal of this story .
I have doubts about how much today ’ s children will take to it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ well-meaning parental prodding to get them there .
The story feels quaint by today ’ s standards , and this version , almost 30 years since the last one , seems more directed at adults than children .
Odd , but that ’ s how it plays out .
And fans of the book will find some major changes in aid of improvements that seem elusive .
It ’ s a tightly formatted story from a novel by Charles Willeford , not quite a film noir as it ’ s transferred from Miami @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Giuseppe Capotondi .
But you ’ ll be drawn in by the machinations , a bit of hot sex and quite a bit of cynicism about the art world .
Claes , as an art lecturer for tourists , delivers a cautionary tale about the influence of critics .
They ’ re not to be trusted , he suggests , which can apply to pretty well every character in this film .
That makes this tale highly involving , and with an erudite tone and convincing performances by the four leads , an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ theatres ) 3½ out of 5 THE BURNT ORANGE HERESY : This one was ready to open just as the theatres closed in March .
It was bumped again this week , in Vancouver that is .
It is playing in New West , Surrey , Victoria , and Whistler ; some 29 theatres across Canada .
It ’ s been a long wait all in all , and for Mick Jagger to show us again what he can do as an actor , almost 20 years .
You ’ ll be pleasantly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ collector who lures a devious art critic ( Claes Bang ) and his slinky girlfriend-of-convenience ( Elizabeth Debicki ) into a plot .
They ’ re to befriend a reclusive artist ( Donald Sutherland ) and steal one of his latest paintings .
It ’ ll be worth a fortune , and for the critic , might be a reputation restorative if he can also interview the man who hasn ’ t been seen in public for decades .
It ’ s four years after the zombie outbreak ( caused by a virus @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , sent people escaping from South Korea .
An ex-soldier ( Gang Dong-won ) , who made it to Hong Kong , is convinced to go back to find an abandoned truck with millions in American currency aboard .
He and three others go in , are joined by a mother , her two street-smart daughters and an old man and are attacked not only by zombies , but by a militia of fed-up army guys .
The result is non-stop action , wild driving ( some of it by the little girls @ @ @ @ @ @ @ imagining of human nature .
The militia runs gladiator games where humans have to fight off zombies .
In contrast , our hero has to atone for a shameless lapse on his original escape .
All in all , a pretty good time , but with far less social commentary than the predecessor .
( Scotiabank and the major suburban Cineplex theatres ) 3 out of 5 PENINSULA : This is a sort of sequel to a film of four years ago from South Korea that elevated a tale of zombies into a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Train to Busan has also just been back in a few local theatres , probably in preparation for this one , which is alternately known as Train to Busan presents Peninsula , just so you can ’ t miss the connection .
It would be easy to do that .
There ’ s no train ; the characters are new , and the story is only vaguely connected .
But it ’ s a fast , kinetic action picture , the kind that , in normal summers , people flock to .
This @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Bay has nothing on the folks who made it , starting with director and co-writer Sang-ho Yeon .
SUNLESS SHADOWS : This might seem like a dreary , hard-to-watch film .
Nothing like that at all .
It ’ s an intriguing , fascinating documentary from inside a women ’ s prison in Iran that lets the inmates tell their stories .
Most of them are about why they killed , or helped to kill , men .
Often abusive fathers ; or husbands who battered and injured .
Director Mehrdad Oskouei , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the occasional question , but most of the time lets them talk , Sometimes he sets up a video camera that they can speak to directly .
The stories are dramatic and , at times , chilling .
Taken together , they give a clear view of society outside .
“ My mother taught me life was just cooking , cleaning , washing and having children , ” says one .
Another says her mother impelled her to kill dad and blames her for it .
One tells of brothers who demand she @ @ @ @ @ @ @ killing a dad .
The stories are self-serving , sure , but seem accurate .
There are some horrible descriptions of domestic violence , depression and no escape , since divorce is not available .
One told the police about a beating .
“ He ’ s your father , ” they said .
“ You must have done something wrong.
” The legal facts aren ’ t very clear , though .
How long a sentence do these women get ?
One comes back for a visit after serving her time for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ moving and enlightening film .
( Streaming from thecinematheque.ca/films/2020/sunless-shadows ) 4 out of 5 BATTLE SCARS : This is the most realistic depiction I ’ ve ever seen of post-traumatic stress disorder ( PTSD ) .
The drama around it is wanting , though .
It starts in high school where Vinny ( Arturo Castro ) announces to his two best friends that he ’ s been drafted .
They ’ re so close that they all go off to war , doing their duty , they say .
Michael ( Kit Lang @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an ambush and comes home damaged .
He sees the scene repeatedly in dreams and visionary lapses .
He ’ s also shaken because he ’ s not seen as a hero ; people have been protesting the war , and he feels that ’ s directed at him .
Crummy jobs and heavy drinking only make things worse for him .
The visions keep coming .
Alcohol can ’ t numb him .
The only outlet is a form of revenge : a friend calls it that , though it ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a safe ) .
That doesn ’ t work out well and there ’ s more .
Drugs and violent sex .
Thoughts of suicide .
Getting stomped by a bunch of good old boys .
The grim events keep building and you really get to understand what ’ s happening to him .
That ’ s largely because the writer-director , Samuel Gonzalez Jr. , knows his stuff .
He went to war in Iraq and the central attack he depicts in the movie is very much like one he saw himself @ @ @ @ @ @ @ doesn ’ t look it , and communicates the brute force of PTSD most effectively .
( On streaming sites like Apple/iTunes , Amazon VOD and Google Play ) 4 out of 5 MADE IN ITALY : A real father and son play father and son here .
That adds some emotional heft to this film , but not enough to make it a must .
It just feels a bit aloof from us , though the craft and the acting are fine .
Liam Neeson and his son Micheál Richardson travel to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ own .
The son wants to buy out his wife ’ s art gallery in London and needs the money the house will bring when they sell it .
Unfortunately , it needs more than spiffing ; it ’ s a neglected mess .
As is their relationship .
Father and son overcome their strains and bond a bit during their work .
A real estate agent ( Lindsay Duncan ) gives advice , including to get rid of an ugly mural in a large room .
The dad painted that while mourning @ @ @ @ @ @ @ wants to keep it .
The son , meanwhile , becomes chummy with a vivacious restaurant owner in town ( Valeria Bilello ) .
Life can revive , but it takes time .
Pleasant enough and smoothly directed by actor James D ’ Arcy , but hardly imperative viewing .
( Langley and Hollywood Theatres in Surrey and Pitt Meadows ) 2½ out of 5 I USED TO GO HERE : University students , current and former , will get a kick out of this one .
Especially the ones who took creative @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ambience so accurately portrayed , but also for some of the extra-curricular rumours .
It ’ s a light comedy by director Kris Rey who says he was inspired by his visits to various campuses to show his earlier films .
There ’ s substance here , in several areas , he imagines .
And encouragement for a rise back up from setbacks .
Gillian Jacobs plays a newly published author who is invited back to campus by her old professor ( Jemaine Clement ) to give a reading in his class .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ weak , her book tour was cancelled and a New York Times review that comes later is negative .
That part alone will resonate with any young writer trying to fight off insecurity and make a mark .
What develops out of it is more of a campus comedy as she tangles with a cranky bed-and-breakfast host , is dumped by a fiancé and connects with a bunch of students now living in her old family home .
People comment on her book even if they haven ’ t read it .
She @ @ @ @ @ @ @ old essay she wrote .
She finds her old prof has a dark side .
She finds strength to brush off humiliating setbacks .
We ’ ve seen it before , but it feels fresh here partly because of an endearing performance by Jacobs and others , and largely because of the funny , slightly absurd , tone .
( Available now , digitally and on demand ) 3½ out of 5 SPINSTER : The objective is laudable , but not reached .
But that ’ s me .
Young women , who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
They ’ ll learn not to despair if they don ’ t have a man .
Or , as the main character puts it , “ Would you just be terrified that when you ’ re old and alone , nobody will care about you ?
” The film starts with that kind of self-pitying and though it improves , doesn ’ t manage to shake it off entirely .
The central character becomes stronger and realizes she can thrive alone , but then a possible resolution seems iffy .
Reality ?
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ avoid a Hollywood ending ?
This one was filmed in Nova Scotia by Canadian director Andrea Dorfman from a script by Jennifer Deyell .
Chelsea Peretti , who spent five seasons wisecracking on the TV series Brooklyn Nine-Nine , plays Gaby , age 39 , newly dumped and single .
She tries computer and speed dating without success ( but a few laughs for us ) , is better at staring than playing softball and spends time with a dog and a niece .
Meanwhile , she concentrates on a long-time dream : @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fine .
There are good lines along the way ( Aging ?
Honestly , it 's just living longer .
Why is that something to complain about ? )
but the film is more agenda-driven than it needs to be .
( Video on demand and digital platforms ) 2½ out of 5 SHE DIES TOMORROW : I guess this is a cautionary tale about hanging out too much with downers .
Their dreary worldview and pessimism can be contagious .
Writer-director Amy Seimetz makes the point forcefully , though not at all @ @ @ @ @ @ @ named Amy played by the wonderful Kate Lyn Sheil .
She ’ s convinced she ’ s going to die the next day .
She mopes to repeated choral music in a new house and studies the Internet for cremation urns .
Nobody believes her , but they ’ re affected .
A friend visits , sees Amy almost a basketcase with dread , but , unable to talk her out of it , goes off to spend the evening with a group of friends .
When she tells of what she saw @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the same thoughts .
Those who hear her start thinking do too .
And so it goes on , like a virus — kind of topical right now — and also a significant bit of advice : control your negative thoughts , especially about death .
Live your life .
A relevant , but minor film .
( Available now digitally and on demand ) 2½ out of 5

Sometimes the new titles bunch up. This week, I’ve written about nine new films, and that’s not even all that became available. But here’s what I’ve got. Some of them are very good.
THE BURNT ORANGE HERESY : This one was ready to open just as the theatres closed in March. It was bumped again this week, in Vancouver that is. It is playing in New West, Surrey, Victoria, and Whistler; some 29 theatres across Canada. It’s been a long wait all in all, and for Mick Jagger to show us again what he can do as an actor, almost 20 years. You’ll be pleasantly satisfied. He plays a dissolute art collector who lures a devious art critic (Claes Bang) and his slinky girlfriend-of-convenience (Elizabeth Debicki) into a plot. They’re to befriend a reclusive artist (Donald Sutherland) and steal one of his latest paintings. It’ll be worth a fortune, and for the critic, might be a reputation restorative if he can also interview the man who hasn’t been seen in public for decades.
THE SECRET GARDEN : Four films, as many TV versions, several stage plays and even a Broadway musical attest to the ongoing appeal of this story. I have doubts about how much today’s children will take to it, though. It might take some well-meaning parental prodding to get them there. The story feels quaint by today’s standards, and this version, almost 30 years since the last one, seems more directed at adults than children. Odd, but that’s how it plays out. And fans of the book will find some major changes in aid of improvements that seem elusive.
It’s a tightly formatted story from a novel by Charles Willeford, not quite a film noir as it’s transferred from Miami to sunny Lake Como by Italian director Giuseppe Capotondi. But you’ll be drawn in by the machinations, a bit of hot sex and quite a bit of cynicism about the art world. Claes, as an art lecturer for tourists, delivers a cautionary tale about the influence of critics. They’re not to be trusted, he suggests, which can apply to pretty well every character in this film. That makes this tale highly involving, and with an erudite tone and convincing performances by the four leads, an agreeable diversion. (Landmark and other theatres) 3½ out of 5
The 1911 book by Frances Hodgson Burnett has been re-timed to 1947, ostensibly to make it more contemporary for children today. How would they notice that? Characters have been dropped and a fire has been added to boost the drama. There’s now a gothic feel to not very helpful effect except gloomy atmosphere. The story is about friendship and contact with nature helping to overcome grief, which both Mary (Dixie Egerickx) and her uncle (Colin Firth) suffer from. In this version, nature is the more important driver of the two. The garden is exaggerated into a grand landscape with a thick forest. It’s a bit of magic realism that looks beautiful, but feels distant. Mary, meanwhile, is no longer the unpleasant, demanding child of the novel. She’s spirited, but sweet. Very well acted, though, by a newcomer, alongside old pros Firth and Julie Walters, the crabby housekeeper. BBC veteran Marc Munden directed, but writer Jack Thorne and producer Rosie Alison brought on the refocusing. (Telus and other digital platforms) 3 out of 5
PENINSULA: This is a sort of sequel to a film of four years ago from South Korea that elevated a tale of zombies into a cult phenomenon and enjoyed critical approval. Train to Busan has also just been back in a few local theatres, probably in preparation for this one, which is alternately known as Train to Busan presents Peninsula, just so you can’t miss the connection. It would be easy to do that. There’s no train; the characters are new, and the story is only vaguely connected. But it’s a fast, kinetic action picture, the kind that, in normal summers, people flock to. This one is a speedy blast. Michael Bay has nothing on the folks who made it, starting with director and co-writer Sang-ho Yeon.
Courtesy Taro PR
It’s four years after the zombie outbreak (caused by a virus) that, in the earlier film, sent people escaping from South Korea. An ex-soldier (Gang Dong-won), who made it to Hong Kong, is convinced to go back to find an abandoned truck with millions in American currency aboard. He and three others go in, are joined by a mother, her two street-smart daughters and an old man and are attacked not only by zombies, but by a militia of fed-up army guys. The result is non-stop action, wild driving (some of it by the little girls) in extended chase sequences and low imagining of human nature. The militia runs gladiator games where humans have to fight off zombies. In contrast, our hero has to atone for a shameless lapse on his original escape. All in all, a pretty good time, but with far less social commentary than the predecessor. (Scotiabank and the major suburban Cineplex theatres) 3 out of 5
SUNLESS SHADOWS: This might seem like a dreary, hard-to-watch film. Nothing like that at all. It’s an intriguing, fascinating documentary from inside a women’s prison in Iran that lets the inmates tell their stories. Most of them are about why they killed, or helped to kill, men. Often abusive fathers; or husbands who battered and injured. Director Mehrdad Oskouei, who has documented prisons before, asks the occasional question, but most of the time lets them talk, Sometimes he sets up a video camera that they can speak to directly.
Courtesy The Cinematheque
The stories are dramatic and, at times, chilling. Taken together, they give a clear view of society outside. “My mother taught me life was just cooking, cleaning, washing and having children,” says one. Another says her mother impelled her to kill dad and blames her for it. One tells of brothers who demand she get the death penalty, also for killing a dad. The stories are self-serving, sure, but seem accurate. There are some horrible descriptions of domestic violence, depression and no escape, since divorce is not available. One told the police about a beating. “He’s your father,” they said. “You must have done something wrong.” The legal facts aren’t very clear, though. How long a sentence do these women get? One comes back for a visit after serving her time for murder. Still, this is a moving and enlightening film. (Streaming from thecinematheque.ca/films/2020/sunless-shadows) 4 out of 5
BATTLE SCARS: This is the most realistic depiction I’ve ever seen of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The drama around it is wanting, though. It starts in high school where Vinny (Arturo Castro) announces to his two best friends that he’s been drafted. They’re so close that they all go off to war in Vietnam, doing their duty, they say. Michael (Kit Lang) sees a friend die horribly in an ambush and comes home damaged. He sees the scene repeatedly in dreams and visionary lapses. He’s also shaken because he’s not seen as a hero; people have been protesting the war, and he feels that’s directed at him.
Courtesy Prolific Pictures
Crummy jobs and heavy drinking only make things worse for him. The visions keep coming. Alcohol can’t numb him. The only outlet is a form of revenge: a friend calls it that, though it’s just a robbery (gold bars from a safe). That doesn’t work out well and there’s more. Drugs and violent sex. Thoughts of suicide. Getting stomped by a bunch of good old boys. The grim events keep building and you really get to understand what’s happening to him. That’s largely because the writer-director, Samuel Gonzalez Jr., knows his stuff. He went to war in Iraq and the central attack he depicts in the movie is very much like one he saw himself. His film is low-budget, but doesn’t look it, and communicates the brute force of PTSD most effectively. (On streaming sites like Apple/iTunes, Amazon VOD and Google Play) 4 out of 5
MADE IN ITALY: A real father and son play father and son here. That adds some emotional heft to this film, but not enough to make it a must. It just feels a bit aloof from us, though the craft and the acting are fine.
Courtesy IFC Films
Liam Neeson and his son Micheál Richardson travel to Italy to spiff up a house they own. The son wants to buy out his wife’s art gallery in London and needs the money the house will bring when they sell it. Unfortunately, it needs more than spiffing; it’s a neglected mess. As is their relationship. Father and son overcome their strains and bond a bit during their work. A real estate agent (Lindsay Duncan) gives advice, including to get rid of an ugly mural in a large room. The dad painted that while mourning after his wife died, and he wants to keep it. The son, meanwhile, becomes chummy with a vivacious restaurant owner in town (Valeria Bilello). Life can revive, but it takes time. Pleasant enough and smoothly directed by actor James D’Arcy, but hardly imperative viewing. (Langley and Hollywood Theatres in Surrey and Pitt Meadows) 2½ out of 5
I USED TO GO HERE: University students, current and former, will get a kick out of this one. Especially the ones who took creative writing classes, not only for the ambience so accurately portrayed, but also for some of the extra-curricular rumours. It’s a light comedy by director Kris Rey who says he was inspired by his visits to various campuses to show his earlier films. There’s substance here, in several areas, he imagines. And encouragement for a rise back up from setbacks.
Courtesy Pacific Northwest Films
Gillian Jacobs plays a newly published author who is invited back to campus by her old professor (Jemaine Clement) to give a reading in his class. Unfortunately, the early sales have been weak, her book tour was cancelled and a New York Times review that comes later is negative. That part alone will resonate with any young writer trying to fight off insecurity and make a mark. What develops out of it is more of a campus comedy as she tangles with a cranky bed-and-breakfast host, is dumped by a fiancé and connects with a bunch of students now living in her old family home. People comment on her book even if they haven’t read it. She connects with a student who praises an old essay she wrote. She finds her old prof has a dark side. She finds strength to brush off humiliating setbacks. We’ve seen it before, but it feels fresh here partly because of an endearing performance by Jacobs and others, and largely because of the funny, slightly absurd, tone. (Available now, digitally and on demand) 3½ out of 5
SPINSTER: The objective is laudable, but not reached. But that’s me. Young women, who this is aimed at, may disagree. They’ll learn not to despair if they don’t have a man. Or, as the main character puts it, “Would you just be terrified that when you’re old and alone, nobody will care about you?” The film starts with that kind of self-pitying and though it improves, doesn’t manage to shake it off entirely. The central character becomes stronger and realizes she can thrive alone, but then a possible resolution seems iffy. Reality? Irony? Maybe just a way to avoid a Hollywood ending?
This one was filmed in Nova Scotia by Canadian director Andrea Dorfman from a script by Jennifer Deyell. Chelsea Peretti, who spent five seasons wisecracking on the TV series Brooklyn Nine-Nine, plays Gaby, age 39, newly dumped and single. She tries computer and speed dating without success (but a few laughs for us), is better at staring than playing softball and spends time with a dog and a niece. Meanwhile, she concentrates on a long-time dream: starting a restaurant. The progression is fine. There are good lines along the way (Aging? "Honestly, it's just living longer. Why is that something to complain about?") but the film is more agenda-driven than it needs to be. (iTunes Canada and Vimeo on Demand ) 2½ out of 5
SHE DIES TOMORROW: I guess this is a cautionary tale about hanging out too much with downers. Their dreary worldview and pessimism can be contagious. Writer-director Amy Seimetz makes the point forcefully, though not at all stridently, by giving us a woman named Amy played by the wonderful Kate Lyn Sheil. She’s convinced she’s going to die the next day. She mopes to repeated choral music in a new house and studies the Internet for cremation urns.
Nobody believes her, but they’re affected. A friend visits, sees Amy almost a basketcase with dread, but, unable to talk her out of it, goes off to spend the evening with a group of friends. When she tells of what she saw with Amy, she starts thinking some of the same thoughts. Those who hear her start thinking do too. And so it goes on, like a virus — kind of topical right now — and also a significant bit of advice: control your negative thoughts, especially about death. Live your life. A relevant, but minor film. (Available now digitally and on demand) 2½ out of 5


nationalobserver--2020-08-07--Toronto Public Health issues warning over back-to-school class sizes

Toronto Public Health has joined a growing chorus of concerns about the Ford government 's back-to-school plan for Ontario , which keeps elementary school class sizes at pre-pandemic levels .
The public health authority 's associate medical officer of health Dr. Vinita Dubey raised the issues of class sizes and the ability for students to remain physically distanced in an Aug. 6 letter sent to the Toronto District School Board ( TDSB ) , which is the country 's largest school board with more than 247,000 students in 583 elementary , middle and high schools .
“ Scientifically , it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of two metres from others works well to prevent the spread of respiratory droplets from one person to another , ” the letter said .
Provincial guidance only calls for one metre of physical distance in schools , and critics say even that will be difficult to achieve in some classrooms filled with 30 students and two educators .
“ In elementary classes ( junior kindergarten to Grade 3 ) where masks are not required , smaller class sizes will particularly be important to ensure students can be spaced out and reduce transmission @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was first reported on by the Globe and Mail .
• ‘ I feel like I ’ m getting sent back to die , ’ student says as NDP calls for Doug Ford to scrap back-to-school plan • Environment Minister says he needs to be convinced shipping terminal wo n't harm endangered killer whales The TDSB said it is working with both public health and the education ministry on how to lower the number of students in elementary classes , and that depending on how much funding is available , it may have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reassigning teachers from non-classroom roles , or limiting numbers only in areas deemed most at risk .
“ While school boards , including the TDSB , have received additional funding for staff , this limited funding is not enough to cover the requirements in a system our size , let alone the entire province , ” spokesperson Ryan Bird said in a statement emailed to the National Observer late Friday afternoon .
The Opposition NDP said the letter affirms the fears of parents , teachers and students .
“ Public health authorities have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ parents , teachers and education workers about ( Premier ) Doug Ford ’ s risky , crowded back-to-school scheme , ” NDP education critic Marit Stiles said Friday .
A copy of the Aug. 6 letter Toronto Public Health sent to the Toronto District School Board On Thursday , TDSB trustees approved a $ 3.4-billion operating budget for the coming school year , which accounts for four months of coronavirus-related costs at $ 22.5 million and a loss of $ 6.7 million in revenue from permits and international student tuition fees .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ funds to cover a $ 29.3-million deficit and called on the Ministry of Education to provide more funding .
Class sizes under @ fordnation and @ sflecce 's back-to-school plan worry @ TOPublicHealth , which added its voice to a chorus of concern from parents and educators in a letter to @ tdsb The province 's $ 309-million reopening plan provides $ 30 million for school boards across the province to hire more staff to decrease elementary class sizes whenever possible , which critics argue is far less than needed .
Robin Pilkey @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the additional provincial funding helps offset some of the board 's COVID-19 costs , “ but more is needed to fully support reopening our schools safely next year , including allocations for additional teachers , so we can keep class sizes as low as possible.
” Ford and Education Minister Stephen Lecce again defended the provincial plan Friday and ducked questions about possibly adding more funding to improve safety , which they insisted was their top priority .
“ We have indicated we ’ re prepared to work collaboratively to find a solution @ @ @ @ @ @ @ government 's point that Ontario 's spending per student is the highest in the country .
“ The plan needs to be responsive to the risk and the emerging evidence , and it will.
” Lecce said the government had provided the TDSB with $ 55 million in extra funds last month and another $ 30 million last week , and that his ministry staff would be meeting with TDSB representatives on Friday to discuss student safety .
He said the government was encouraging boards to turn gyms and cafeterias into learning spaces @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ Federation of Ontario ( ETFO ) accused Ford and Lecce of misleading the public .
“ With the current plan , students will be returning to crowded classrooms without the possibility for the physical distancing that parents , education stakeholders and public health advocates have been asking for , ” ETFO president Sam Hammond said .
“ While Minister Lecce said today that school boards can reduce class sizes by spending from their reserves , not every board has the reserves to do that .
The government knows that class size is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the necessary investment to ensure that every child in the province is safe .
”

Toronto Public Health has joined a growing chorus of concerns about the Ford government's back-to-school plan for Ontario, which keeps elementary school class sizes at pre-pandemic levels. The public health authority's associate medical officer of health Dr. Vinita Dubey raised the issues of class sizes and the ability for students to remain physically distanced in an Aug. 6 letter sent to the Toronto District School Board (TDSB), which is the country's largest school board with more than 247,000 students in 583 elementary, middle and high schools. “Scientifically, it has been shown that keeping a distance of two metres from others works well to prevent the spread of respiratory droplets from one person to another,” the letter said. Provincial guidance only calls for one metre of physical distance in schools, and critics say even that will be difficult to achieve in some classrooms filled with 30 students and two educators. “In elementary classes (junior kindergarten to Grade 3) where masks are not required, smaller class sizes will particularly be important to ensure students can be spaced out and reduce transmission,” reads the letter, which was first reported on by the Globe and Mail.
The TDSB said it is working with both public health and the education ministry on how to lower the number of students in elementary classes, and that depending on how much funding is available, it may have to consider shortening the school day, reassigning teachers from non-classroom roles, or limiting numbers only in areas deemed most at risk. “While school boards, including the TDSB, have received additional funding for staff, this limited funding is not enough to cover the requirements in a system our size, let alone the entire province,” spokesperson Ryan Bird said in a statement emailed to the National Observer late Friday afternoon. Billion-dollar land deals in Ontario raise corruption suspicions The Opposition NDP said the letter affirms the fears of parents, teachers and students.
“Public health authorities have now confirmed the worries of students, parents, teachers and education workers about (Premier) Doug Ford’s risky, crowded back-to-school scheme,” NDP education critic Marit Stiles said Friday. Class sizes under @fordnation and @sflecce's back-to-school plan worry @TOPublicHealth, which added its voice to a chorus of concern from parents and educators in a letter to @tdsb A copy of the Aug. 6 letter Toronto Public Health sent to the Toronto District School Board On Thursday, TDSB trustees approved a $3.4-billion operating budget for the coming school year, which accounts for four months of coronavirus-related costs at $22.5 million and a loss of $6.7 million in revenue from permits and international student tuition fees. The board said it would dip into contingency funds to cover a $29.3-million deficit and called on the Ministry of Education to provide more funding. The province's $309-million reopening plan provides $30 million for school boards across the province to hire more staff to decrease elementary class sizes whenever possible, which critics argue is far less than needed. Robin Pilkey, the TDSB's chair, said the additional provincial funding helps offset some of the board's COVID-19 costs, “but more is needed to fully support reopening our schools safely next year, including allocations for additional teachers, so we can keep class sizes as low as possible.”
Ford and Education Minister Stephen Lecce again defended the provincial plan Friday and ducked questions about possibly adding more funding to improve safety, which they insisted was their top priority. “We have indicated we’re prepared to work collaboratively to find a solution,” Lecce said, repeating his government's point that Ontario's spending per student is the highest in the country. “The plan needs to be responsive to the risk and the emerging evidence, and it will.” Lecce said the government had provided the TDSB with $55 million in extra funds last month and another $30 million last week, and that his ministry staff would be meeting with TDSB representatives on Friday to discuss student safety.


nationalobserver--2020-08-07--Irreconcilable? Trans Mountain pipeline, racial divides and looming conflict

On Saturday , July 25 , tensions mounted in Blue River , B.C.
, a tiny community of just 260 people encircled by a backdrop of a stunning mountainous landscape along Highway 5 .
It ’ s situated at the confluence of the Blue and North Thompson Rivers , where part of the TMX expansion is underway .
The land , like much of B.C.
, is unceded Indigenous territory .
Since 2017 , a small group of Secwépemc land defenders called Tiny House Warriors have been occupying their traditional lands to oppose the pipeline expansion , citing a lack @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and violence toward Indigenous women and girls associated with industrial construction .
Tension has been high for years , and it ’ s escalating rapidly .
Over the last month , local townspeople have started holding weekly counter protest “ sit-ins ” outside the barricades of the Tiny House Warriors village because they want them to pack up and leave .
Pipeline supporters want the jobs and money that come with the development .
But on July 25 , they organized a bigger rally which included supporters of oil and gas who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ declare they ’ re sick of the opposition to the pipeline .
The Trans Mountain expansion will twin an existing pipeline over almost 1,000 kilometres , carrying heavy crude/bitumen from Alberta ’ s oilsands to the west coast of B.C .
It will increase the current capacity of 300,000 barrels of oil per day to 890,000 barrels per day to export to worldwide markets .
The people that I spoke with at the pro-pipeline rally said they weren ’ t necessarily there because they had issues with the Tiny House Warriors protest , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of its leader , Kanahus Manuel .
“ I ’ m here because the [ Tiny House Warriors ] are disrespecting the people ( who ) live here , ” said a man who came from Alberta with his wife , both proudly donning ‘ I love Canadian oil and gas ’ T-shirts .
“ Protest , but protest in a peaceful manner , ” he said .
“ And [ by ] not bringing race into this whole thing.
” During our conversation , a tall , husky man with a grey @ @ @ @ @ @ @ baseball cap , sunglasses and a black leather vest with a Harley-Davidson symbol looked me over .
His big , shiny motorcycle sat next to a couple other bikes , making their steeled presence known .
At the same time , a group of Indigenous land defenders stood across the road from the counter protestors and started to sing the Women 's Warrior Song .
To me , it 's a comforting , strong and spiritual song that helps lift my spirits when life gets tough .
But that same song evokes a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the divide .
“ Le le le le le le le le !
” a pipeline supporter yelled in response to the women singing , mocking an Indigenous war cry .
I called out to him and asked why he did that .
The man attempted to take off , but I kept my camera on him .
“ What did you just mean when you made that remark ?
” I asked .
“ That was an East Indian remark , thank you , ” he replied while he dodged away from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ m half-East Indian , by the way.
” The history of colonialism and pro-oil demonstrators No one I spoke with knew the true history of the lands—which isn ’ t surprising , as real colonial history hasn ’ t been unveiled to mainstream society or taught in schools .
“ You can do it [ protests ] the nice way , with kindness and love , ” said a woman sporting an ' I love Canadian oil and gas ' hoodie .
Her name was Patty .
She was a grandmother in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Alberta .
I asked her : who makes rules about the way a protest ‘ should ’ happen ?
I mentioned that in the U.S. , the brutal murder of George Floyd sparked mass protests that have occasionally spilled over into violence .
I reasoned with her that people are in the streets because they ’ re furious about injustice .
And that even during the civil rights movement of the 1960s , the white community was upset with how Martin Luther King was leading resistance — in their eyes , he wasn @ @ @ @ @ @ @ either .
Did she know about the recent history of colonialism and violence inflicted upon Indigenous Peoples ?
The attempted genocide that ’ s ongoing , along with continual human rights violations ?
A friend of hers interrupted me to tell me the Secwépemc didn ’ t own this land .
Patty tried to continue the conversation , saying : “ I feel that they ’ re [ Tiny House Warriors ] being racist , when we ’ re all the same people .
We , the whites , were once slaves.
” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ do not have equality and face oppression in countless forms , but she told me that ’ s what she believes , in her heart , as she patted her chest .
It was the same with each person I talked to .
Anytime I questioned them about Indigenous rights and title to lands , they shut down .
They just wanted the Indigenous Warriors to hold “ nicer ” protests , they said , claiming that racism played no role in the conflict .
Their beliefs were irreconcilable with the reality of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Peoples .
The pro-oil townsfolk and supporters put emphasis on the ‘ tone ’ of the Indigenous land defenders ' protest , which they wanted to see done on their terms .
Before that day , Tiny House Warriors and supporters expressed concerns for their safety because rumours swirled about who was coming to the counter rally .
Was a biker gang coming to take them out ?
That was one of the rumours .
A few Indigenous land protectors from the Vancouver area travelled to Blue River to act as security in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Tiny House Warriors have every reason to be concerned .
In April , two white men showed up at the camp and stole Kanahus ’ truck .
They rammed it into one of the five Tiny Homes .
Kanahus is a mother , and her children are sometimes there .
According to the Star , “ the men did not identify themselves but let her know they were supporters of the oil and gas industry.
” The vehicles had Alberta licence plates , according to Kanahus .
She said that as soon as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ started tearing down red dresses that were hanging to honour missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls .
The camp is stalked by police on a regular basis , Kanahus said .
It is droned , patrolled and surveilled .
She ’ s been arrested too .
Kanahus Manuel is often painted in mainstream media as an anarchist , a rebel and a terrorist .
But to many Indigenous land defenders , she ’ s a hero , descended from a long line of Indigenous leaders .
Her late father was revered Indigenous @ @ @ @ @ @ @ His father , George Manuel , is known as a great Indigenous leader in Canada and around the world .
George was the founding president of the World Council of Indigenous Peoples and was instrumental in the creation of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples .
Kanahus ’ face is soft , but defined with fierce determination and a ‘ don ’ t-mess-with-me ’ demeanour .
She knows who she is ; she knows her rights as an Indigenous woman .
She leads this movement of Indigenous sovereignty , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ elsewhere in the world , women are the ones leading the battle to protect their lands and waters .
Everywhere you look on the front lines of environmental and Indigenous justice , you ’ ll find matriarchs fighting to protect their land for the next generation .
The impacts to the environment from resource development go hand in hand with impacts against Indigenous women and girls .
Canada is in the midst of a genocidal crisis with missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls ( MMIWG ) .
The National Inquiry into MMIWG @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a role in the crisis .
One impact is ‘ man camps , ’ which house hundreds , sometimes thousands , of mostly male workers in remote areas working on construction projects .
This threatens the safety of women , many of them Indigenous , leaving them vulnerable to violence and rape .
Dozens of red dresses were hung on the chain link fence of the TMX pump station to signify MMIWG , along with a banner with handwritten messages of rape and violence directed at industry .
While the pipeline supporters insist @ @ @ @ @ @ @ economic prosperity , land defenders here feel they ’ re fighting for their lives .
A young woman , dressed in full camouflage gear , a camouflaged hat , face scarf and combat boots , broke down in tears before singing a song for missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls at a ceremony held across from the TMX pump station that day .
The Indigenous Warriors here dress in camouflage gear as if standing as guardians to shield Kanahus and the others .
One held a Mohawk warrior flag billowing in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , resilience and resistance for them .
Some First Nations gave consent for TMX pipeline expansion But not all Indigenous people here are united against the pipeline expansion .
There ’ s division between Indian Act leadership from nearby bands and Secwépemc traditional land title holders over who has inherent title .
The elected chiefs of both the Simpcw First Nation and Tk ’ emlúps te Secwépemc say they gave their free , prior and informed consent to the pipeline expansion in 2017 .
Tiny House Warriors and supporters dispute Indian Act-elected leadership @ @ @ @ @ @ @ territories located outside of reserve boundaries .
Kanahus says Canada is intentionally bypassing its responsibility to free , prior and informed consent .
“ They ( Canada ) are meddling in internal affairs amongst our nation , ” stated Kanahus , who explained the title and inherent rights to the territory are held collectively by Secwépemc .
Neskonlith te Secwépemc Chief Judy Wilson was on hand to support the ceremonies held by Secwépemc Elders to offer prayers to Mother Earth , water and the Indigenous land defenders in the nations who protect the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ t surrender , cede or sell our title .
It ’ s still held collectively by the people who are title holders , ” said Chief Wilson .
Chief Wilson expressed concerns about how corporate rights and interests are more protected , and about the disregard for consent of the proper title holders in Canada .
The pipeline expansion is owned by Canada , bought in 2018 for $ 4.5 billion in an eleventh-hour move to save the pipeline after its former owner , Kinder Morgan , threatened to pull out due @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Finance Minister Bill Morneau said the project would “ deliver significant economic benefit ” and added that Canada would “ put that economic benefit back into the environment.
” Tiny House Warriors and relatives of MMIWG wonder when more money will be invested to help the crisis and other ailments affecting Indigenous Peoples , such as a lack of access to clean drinking water .
“ People don ’ t just get to reap the benefits of living in this world when our people are stuck on reservations in some of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ land and no good water , ” Kanahus said .
“ But a settler community can have the most pristine water in the world ?
Then when Native people come here and want to enjoy the same wealth and benefits on our own territories , they bring violence to us to chase us back to the Indian reserve ?
” She said a culture of “ white supremacy ” fuelled the removal of Indigenous Peoples from their land , and that it was time for this system to end , just like slavery @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they [ the U.S. ] were abolishing slavery , people thought [ owning slaves ] was legal , and it was ! ''
Kanahus believes reconciliation is a facade without the return of land to Indigenous Peoples .
`` There can only be reconciliation with land back .
And that will never happen , ” she said .
“ We know that it ’ s going to come to fighting for our land .
We ’ ve exhausted all of our remedies .
The only way we ’ re going to get any @ @ @ @ @ @ @ outside of the country to our international allies.
” Chief Judy Wilson wrote an email to Amnesty International Canada secretary general Alex Neve days before the counter protests to express concerns for the safety of the land defenders .
Neve , in turn , wrote to the B.C .
RCMP deputy commissioner , chief superintendent and assistant commissioner , urging that the RCMP play a peacekeeping role , and to remind them to uphold Indigenous rights .
However , many are distrustful of the policing system , given historical and current police violence @ @ @ @ @ @ @ criminalization of Indigenous Peoples .
They find it hard to trust the police to do their job of serving and protecting , especially after seeing RCMP arrest and remove Wet ’ suwet ’ en Peoples from their traditional lands in February .
“ Whenever our women , youth , elders stand up for the land and water under our inherent responsibilities to care for Mother Earth and teachings from Creator , anywhere in the country , people are criticized and there ’ s perpetual violence against us from the police , governments or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ way through our territories for extractive resources .
We are put in jail , charged , ” said Chief Wilson .
“ That ’ s relaying that corporations have more rights than our people .
When our people don ’ t consent and say no , we are circumvented to criminalization.
” Despite initial concerns of violence , events wrapped up before 5 p.m .
Both dodged violent encounters with each other .
I was across the road later that day near my hotel , when I noticed a white man aggressively ripping @ @ @ @ @ @ @ were next to the parking lot where the ceremony was held earlier and I realized he was ripping down the red dresses left behind .
I drove over quickly .
I ’ m all of 5 ' 1 '' , and this was an enraged man displaying violent behaviour .
It was still daylight , there were people within sight that could see me , I reasoned to myself .
When I arrived , I turned my Periscope back on to begin livestreaming .
The man was ripping down the red dresses — @ @ @ @ @ @ @ murders and disappearances of our women .
It scared me .
Then , I felt angry .
“ I ’ m ripping out the garbage from out of the trees , ” he replied .
I was stunned .
It was so open .
So blatant .
The TMX workers could see him through the gate .
Nobody seemed to care .
I told him those were red dresses , and that they ’ re not garbage .
He cut me off with an “ F you ” and a middle finger , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ John Horgan told locals to call the RCMP if they have concerns with the Tiny House Warriors .
For now , he ’ s washed his hands of the issue .
I reached out to the Province for comment on this , but did n't receive a statement before publication .
The Canadian government owns TMX , so we know where it stands .
In my view , it ’ s not a matter of if , it ’ s a matter of when the two sides collide and the result could very @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Oka crisis of 1990 .
If this happens , the Tiny House Warriors will likely bear the brunt of violence .
Meanwhile , the townspeople are taking action of their own with a one-track mind of going to work for the pipeline .
There ’ s a war stirring up here , and it ’ s a landmine .
And see if you ’ re comfortable knowing the injustice of what ’ s happening and thinking of how to explain the situation to your children and grandchildren one day .
Will you @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ nice ” way ?

On Saturday, July 25, tensions mounted in Blue River, B.C., a tiny community of just 260 people encircled by a backdrop of a stunning mountainous landscape along Highway 5.
It’s situated at the confluence of the Blue and North Thompson Rivers, where part of the TMX expansion is underway.
The land, like much of B.C., is unceded Indigenous territory.
Since 2017, a small group of Secwépemc land defenders called Tiny House Warriors have been occupying their traditional lands to oppose the pipeline expansion, citing a lack of free, prior and informed consent, and violence toward Indigenous women and girls associated with industrial construction.
Trans Mountain expansion and Indigenous Rights
Tension has been high for years, and it’s escalating rapidly. Over the last month, local townspeople have started holding weekly counter protest “sit-ins” outside the barricades of the Tiny House Warriors village because they want them to pack up and leave. Pipeline supporters want the jobs and money that come with the development.
But on July 25, they organized a bigger rally which included supporters of oil and gas who travelled to Blue River from Alberta to declare they’re sick of the opposition to the pipeline.
The Trans Mountain expansion will twin an existing pipeline over almost 1,000 kilometres, carrying heavy crude/bitumen from Alberta’s oilsands to the west coast of B.C. It will increase the current capacity of 300,000 barrels of oil per day to 890,000 barrels per day to export to worldwide markets.
The people that I spoke with at the pro-pipeline rally said they weren’t necessarily there because they had issues with the Tiny House Warriors protest, but they were concerned about the conduct of its leader, Kanahus Manuel.
Pro-pipeline demonstrators near Blue River, B.C., on July 25, 2020. Photo by Brandi Morin
“I’m here because the [Tiny House Warriors] are disrespecting the people (who) live here,” said a man who came from Alberta with his wife, both proudly donning ‘I love Canadian oil and gas’ T-shirts. “Protest, but protest in a peaceful manner,” he said. “And [by] not bringing race into this whole thing.”
During our conversation, a tall, husky man with a grey moustache, wearing a black, leather baseball cap, sunglasses and a black leather vest with a Harley-Davidson symbol looked me over. His big, shiny motorcycle sat next to a couple other bikes, making their steeled presence known.
At the same time, a group of Indigenous land defenders stood across the road from the counter protestors and started to sing the Women's Warrior Song.
To me, it's a comforting, strong and spiritual song that helps lift my spirits when life gets tough. But that same song evokes a completely different response from pipeline supporters across the divide.
“Le le le le le le le le!” a pipeline supporter yelled in response to the women singing, mocking an Indigenous war cry.
I called out to him and asked why he did that.
The man attempted to take off, but I kept my camera on him.
“What did you just mean when you made that remark?” I asked.
“That was an East Indian remark, thank you,” he replied while he dodged away from view, adding defensively: “I’m half-East Indian, by the way.”
Then he pointed my way and shouted to another group: “She’s on the wrong team!”
The history of colonialism and pro-oil demonstrators
No one I spoke with knew the true history of the lands—which isn’t surprising, as real colonial history hasn’t been unveiled to mainstream society or taught in schools.
“You can do it [protests] the nice way, with kindness and love,” said a woman sporting an 'I love Canadian oil and gas' hoodie.
Her name was Patty. She was a grandmother in her 70s who had travelled there from Alberta.
I asked her: who makes rules about the way a protest ‘should’ happen? I mentioned that in the U.S., the brutal murder of George Floyd sparked mass protests that have occasionally spilled over into violence.
I reasoned with her that people are in the streets because they’re furious about injustice. And that even during the civil rights movement of the 1960s, the white community was upset with how Martin Luther King was leading resistance — in their eyes, he wasn’t doing things right back then either.
Did she know about the recent history of colonialism and violence inflicted upon Indigenous Peoples? The attempted genocide that’s ongoing, along with continual human rights violations?
A friend of hers interrupted me to tell me the Secwépemc didn’t own this land.
Patty tried to continue the conversation, saying: “I feel that they’re [Tiny House Warriors] being racist, when we’re all the same people. We, the whites, were once slaves.”
I informed her Indigenous Peoples in Canada do not have equality and face oppression in countless forms, but she told me that’s what she believes, in her heart, as she patted her chest.
It was the same with each person I talked to. Anytime I questioned them about Indigenous rights and title to lands, they shut down. They just wanted the Indigenous Warriors to hold “nicer” protests, they said, claiming that racism played no role in the conflict. Their beliefs were irreconcilable with the reality of oppression and land rights violations toward Indigenous Peoples.
The pro-oil townsfolk and supporters put emphasis on the ‘tone’ of the Indigenous land defenders' protest, which they wanted to see done on their terms.
Safety issues at Trans Mountain and Tiny House Warriors
Before that day, Tiny House Warriors and supporters expressed concerns for their safety because rumours swirled about who was coming to the counter rally. Was a biker gang coming to take them out? That was one of the rumours.
A few Indigenous land protectors from the Vancouver area travelled to Blue River to act as security in case anyone was targeted with violence.
Tiny House Warriors have every reason to be concerned. In April, two white men showed up at the camp and stole Kanahus’ truck. They rammed it into one of the five Tiny Homes. Kanahus is a mother, and her children are sometimes there.
According to the Star, “the men did not identify themselves but let her know they were supporters of the oil and gas industry.” The vehicles had Alberta licence plates, according to Kanahus.
She said that as soon as the men arrived on site, they started tearing down red dresses that were hanging to honour missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls.
Photo by Brandi Morin of red dresses memorial to missing and murdered women
The camp is stalked by police on a regular basis, Kanahus said. It is droned, patrolled and surveilled. She’s been arrested too.
Kanahus Manuel is often painted in mainstream media as an anarchist, a rebel and a terrorist. But to many Indigenous land defenders, she’s a hero, descended from a long line of Indigenous leaders.
She’s a rebel because she’s relentlessly walking in her sovereignty as a Secwépemc.
Her late father was revered Indigenous rights leader and author Arthur Manuel. His father, George Manuel, is known as a great Indigenous leader in Canada and around the world. George was the founding president of the World Council of Indigenous Peoples and was instrumental in the creation of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.
Kanahus’ face is soft, but defined with fierce determination and a ‘don’t-mess-with-me’ demeanour.
She knows who she is; she knows her rights as an Indigenous woman. She leads this movement of Indigenous sovereignty, rights and self-determination. Here, as elsewhere in the world, women are the ones leading the battle to protect their lands and waters. Everywhere you look on the front lines of environmental and Indigenous justice, you’ll find matriarchs fighting to protect their land for the next generation.
The impacts to the environment from resource development go hand in hand with impacts against Indigenous women and girls. Canada is in the midst of a genocidal crisis with missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls (MMIWG).
The National Inquiry into MMIWG cites the resource extraction industry as playing a role in the crisis.
One impact is ‘man camps,’ which house hundreds, sometimes thousands, of mostly male workers in remote areas working on construction projects. This threatens the safety of women, many of them Indigenous, leaving them vulnerable to violence and rape.
Dozens of red dresses were hung on the chain link fence of the TMX pump station to signify MMIWG, along with a banner with handwritten messages of rape and violence directed at industry.
Red dresses at the TMX gate. Photo by Brandi Morin
While the pipeline supporters insist they’re fighting for jobs and economic prosperity, land defenders here feel they’re fighting for their lives. A young woman, dressed in full camouflage gear, a camouflaged hat, face scarf and combat boots, broke down in tears before singing a song for missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls at a ceremony held across from the TMX pump station that day.
The Indigenous Warriors here dress in camouflage gear as if standing as guardians to shield Kanahus and the others. One held a Mohawk warrior flag billowing in the wind. The flag symbolizes Indigenous strength, resilience and resistance for them.
Tiny House Warriors are seen near Blue River on July 25. Photo by Brandi Morin
Some First Nations gave consent for TMX pipeline expansion
But not all Indigenous people here are united against the pipeline expansion.
There’s division between Indian Act leadership from nearby bands and Secwépemc traditional land title holders over who has inherent title.
The elected chiefs of both the Simpcw First Nation and Tk’emlúps te Secwépemc say they gave their free, prior and informed consent to the pipeline expansion in 2017.
Tiny House Warriors and supporters dispute Indian Act-elected leadership and its claim to make decisions on territories located outside of reserve boundaries.
Kanahus says Canada is intentionally bypassing its responsibility to free, prior and informed consent.
“They (Canada) are meddling in internal affairs amongst our nation,” stated Kanahus, who explained the title and inherent rights to the territory are held collectively by Secwépemc.
Neskonlith te Secwépemc Chief Judy Wilson was on hand to support the ceremonies held by Secwépemc Elders to offer prayers to Mother Earth, water and the Indigenous land defenders in the nations who protect the Sacred.
“Because our nation didn’t surrender, cede or sell our title. It’s still held collectively by the people who are title holders,” said Chief Wilson.
Elder Minnie Kenoras Manuel, 88, (mother of Chief Judy Wilson), Chief Judy Wilson and Elder White Eagle Mountain, Mike Arnouse, 77 at the ceremony in Blue River on July 25 to support Tiny House Warriors. Photo by Brandi Morin
Chief Wilson expressed concerns about how corporate rights and interests are more protected, and about the disregard for consent of the proper title holders in Canada.
The pipeline expansion is owned by Canada, bought in 2018 for $4.5 billion in an eleventh-hour move to save the pipeline after its former owner, Kinder Morgan, threatened to pull out due to concerns of opposition from British Columbia. Finance Minister Bill Morneau said the project would “deliver significant economic benefit” and added that Canada would “put that economic benefit back into the environment.”
Tiny House Warriors and relatives of MMIWG wonder when more money will be invested to help the crisis and other ailments affecting Indigenous Peoples, such as a lack of access to clean drinking water.
“People don’t just get to reap the benefits of living in this world when our people are stuck on reservations in some of the poorest situations geographically, no good growing land and no good water,” Kanahus said.
“But a settler community can have the most pristine water in the world? Then when Native people come here and want to enjoy the same wealth and benefits on our own territories, they bring violence to us to chase us back to the Indian reserve?”
She said a culture of “white supremacy” fuelled the removal of Indigenous Peoples from their land, and that it was time for this system to end, just like slavery was ended in the U.S.
“When they [the U.S.] were abolishing slavery, people thought [owning slaves] was legal, and it was!"
"The same white supremacist notions that you can own a Black man as a slave is the same notion in Canada where a white man can claim Native land as their own,” she said.
Indigenous land rights and reconciliation
Kanahus believes reconciliation is a facade without the return of land to Indigenous Peoples.
"There can only be reconciliation with land back. And that will never happen,” she said.
“We know that it’s going to come to fighting for our land. We’ve exhausted all of our remedies. The only way we’re going to get any type of justice is if we go outside of the country to our international allies.”
Chief Judy Wilson wrote an email to Amnesty International Canada secretary general Alex Neve days before the counter protests to express concerns for the safety of the land defenders. Neve, in turn, wrote to the B.C. RCMP deputy commissioner, chief superintendent and assistant commissioner, urging that the RCMP play a peacekeeping role, and to remind them to uphold Indigenous rights.
However, many are distrustful of the policing system, given historical and current police violence, racism, high incarceration rates and criminalization of Indigenous Peoples. They find it hard to trust the police to do their job of serving and protecting, especially after seeing RCMP arrest and remove Wet’suwet’en Peoples from their traditional lands in February.
“Whenever our women, youth, elders stand up for the land and water under our inherent responsibilities to care for Mother Earth and teachings from Creator, anywhere in the country, people are criticized and there’s perpetual violence against us from the police, governments or corporations who are trying to push their way through our territories for extractive resources. We are put in jail, charged,” said Chief Wilson.
“That’s relaying that corporations have more rights than our people. When our people don’t consent and say no, we are circumvented to criminalization.”
Photograph by Brandi Morin of land defenders at a ceremony supporting Tiny House Warriors in Blue River July 25
Despite initial concerns of violence, events wrapped up before 5 p.m. Both dodged violent encounters with each other.
I was across the road later that day near my hotel, when I noticed a white man aggressively ripping down items in the trees. They were next to the parking lot where the ceremony was held earlier and I realized he was ripping down the red dresses left behind.
I drove over quickly. I’m all of 5'1", and this was an enraged man displaying violent behaviour. It was still daylight, there were people within sight that could see me, I reasoned to myself.
When I arrived, I turned my Periscope back on to begin livestreaming. The man was ripping down the red dresses — symbols of a national tragedy of the murders and disappearances of our women.
It scared me. Then, I felt angry.
I rolled down my window as he stormed out of the bush and asked, “What are you doing?”
“I’m ripping out the garbage from out of the trees,” he replied.
I was stunned. It was so open. So blatant.
The TMX workers could see him through the gate. Nobody seemed to care.
I told him those were red dresses, and that they’re not garbage.
He cut me off with an “F you” and a middle finger, then walked away.
B.C. Premier John Horgan told locals to call the RCMP if they have concerns with the Tiny House Warriors. For now, he’s washed his hands of the issue. I reached out to the Province for comment on this, but didn't receive a statement before publication.
The Canadian government owns TMX, so we know where it stands.
In my view, it’s not a matter of if, it’s a matter of when the two sides collide and the result could very well end up in violence similar to the Oka crisis of 1990.
If this happens, the Tiny House Warriors will likely bear the brunt of violence.
Meanwhile, the townspeople are taking action of their own with a one-track mind of going to work for the pipeline.
There’s a war stirring up here, and it’s a landmine.
Watch closely in the coming days.
And see if you’re comfortable knowing the injustice of what’s happening and thinking of how to explain the situation to your children and grandchildren one day.
Will you be able to do it in a “nice” way?


nationalobserver--2020-08-07--Feds look to finalize deal with airlines, but it's complicated

British Columbia 's transport minister made an official plea to her federal counterpart Wednesday to quickly make airlines provide more details on travellers to aid contact tracing efforts that could help slow the spread of the novel coronavirus .
Concerns about the level of detail airlines provide have been greatest in B.C.
, where the provincial health officer has lamented a lack of movement from federal officials .
In a letter to Transport Minister Marc Garneau , the B.C .
government noted the information the province has received from airlines is `` not necessarily complete and is sometimes unusable .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ said the data often includes the names of travel agencies that booked flights , a frequent flyer number , or the person who booked the ticket but not necessarily the name and contact information of the person who actually flew on the plane .
She urged the government to `` ensure the data gathered is usable and traces back to the individual traveller directly , '' rather than simply listing flights with a positive COVID-19 case .
• ‘ I feel like I ’ m getting sent back to die , ’ student @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to scrap back-to-school plan • Environment Minister says he needs to be convinced shipping terminal wo n't harm endangered killer whales `` We have come so far together as a country with much success to curb the spread of COVID-19 , '' reads the letter .
A copy was provided to The Canadian Press .
`` As we restart our economy , however , we want to ensure all passengers and communities remain safe and that nobody is put at risk due to any oversight . ''
Garneau and Trevena spoke on Wednesday @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Belcea said in an email that Garneau committed to create a way for airlines to share passenger data to trace `` individuals who may have been exposed to COVID 19 while on a domestic flight . ''
The Public Health Agency of Canada already requires airlines to provide information on travellers arriving on international flights , who are subject to strict quarantine rules , but it 's domestic flights where issues have arisen .
The divide in talks between Ottawa and the airlines appears to fall along whether phone numbers or email addresses @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , for instance , should also be part of any handover .
Mike McNaney , president of the National Airlines Council of Canada , said in a statement that flight information is provided when requested , `` per established procedures for communicable diseases '' and usually in less than 24 hours .
In a letter to Transport Minister Marc Garneau , the B.C .
government noted the information the province has received from airlines is `` not necessarily complete and is sometimes unusable . ''
`` Our members are fully committed to protecting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Public health officials tried to trace contacts for every person early on in the pandemic , but those efforts slowed as people were ordered to stay home or quarantine , and as travel dropped .
Dr. Theresa Tam , Canada 's chief public health officer , said Tuesday there could be improvements to the data that airlines provide , noting flight manifests lack all sorts of details that make it difficult to reach people in certain seats .
Tam also said there has n't been a confirmed case of in-flight transmission .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ come from travellers at the moment , '' she said .
`` But now that our case numbers have gone down , there 's been more interest in why do n't we follow some of these planes and see if there 's been any contact at all that 's been exposed or transmitted . ''
The federal health agency she leads referred further questions to Transport Canada , which had previously referred questions to the health agency .
Air operators have to record the names of everyone on board an aircraft , but @ @ @ @ @ @ @ submit passenger manifests to Transport Canada , said Belcea .
NDP transport critic Niki Ashton said the federal government needs to take a harder line on carriers to provide the necessary information for contact tracing .
`` Airlines should be making sure that accurate information is being shared as soon as possible and it should n't be up to them to pick and choose how they do it , '' she said .
`` It should be the federal government mandating them . ''

British Columbia's transport minister made an official plea to her federal counterpart Wednesday to quickly make airlines provide more details on travellers to aid contact tracing efforts that could help slow the spread of the novel coronavirus. Concerns about the level of detail airlines provide have been greatest in B.C., where the provincial health officer has lamented a lack of movement from federal officials. In a letter to Transport Minister Marc Garneau, the B.C. government noted the information the province has received from airlines is "not necessarily complete and is sometimes unusable." B.C. Transport Minister Claire Trevena said the data often includes the names of travel agencies that booked flights, a frequent flyer number, or the person who booked the ticket but not necessarily the name and contact information of the person who actually flew on the plane. She urged the government to "ensure the data gathered is usable and traces back to the individual traveller directly," rather than simply listing flights with a positive COVID-19 case.
"We have come so far together as a country with much success to curb the spread of COVID-19," reads the letter. A copy was provided to The Canadian Press. "As we restart our economy, however, we want to ensure all passengers and communities remain safe and that nobody is put at risk due to any oversight." Billion-dollar land deals in Ontario raise corruption suspicions Garneau and Trevena spoke on Wednesday afternoon, his spokeswoman said. Livia Belcea said in an email that Garneau committed to create a way for airlines to share passenger data to trace "individuals who may have been exposed to COVID 19 while on a domestic flight."
The Public Health Agency of Canada already requires airlines to provide information on travellers arriving on international flights, who are subject to strict quarantine rules, but it's domestic flights where issues have arisen. In a letter to Transport Minister Marc Garneau, the B.C. government noted the information the province has received from airlines is "not necessarily complete and is sometimes unusable." The divide in talks between Ottawa and the airlines appears to fall along whether phone numbers or email addresses are enough, or if residential addresses, for instance, should also be part of any handover. Mike McNaney, president of the National Airlines Council of Canada, said in a statement that flight information is provided when requested, "per established procedures for communicable diseases" and usually in less than 24 hours. "Our members are fully committed to protecting public safety," the statement said. Public health officials tried to trace contacts for every person early on in the pandemic, but those efforts slowed as people were ordered to stay home or quarantine, and as travel dropped.
Dr. Theresa Tam, Canada's chief public health officer, said Tuesday there could be improvements to the data that airlines provide, noting flight manifests lack all sorts of details that make it difficult to reach people in certain seats. Tam also said there hasn't been a confirmed case of in-flight transmission. "Very few of our cases actually come from travellers at the moment," she said. "But now that our case numbers have gone down, there's been more interest in why don't we follow some of these planes and see if there's been any contact at all that's been exposed or transmitted."


nationalobserver--2020-08-07--Canada 'profoundly concerned' over China death sentence for Canadian citizen

Canada is `` profoundly concerned '' about a Canadian citizen sentenced to death Thursday on drug charges in China , a spokesman for the federal government says .
The Guangzhou Municipal Intermediate Court announced Xu Weihong 's penalty on Thursday and said an alleged accomplice , Wen Guanxiong , had been given a life sentence .
The brief court statement gave no details but media in the southern Chinese city at the heart of the country 's manufacturing industry said Xu and Wen had gathered ingredients and tools to make the drug ketamine in October 2016 , then stored the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Guangzhou 's Haizhu district .
Police later confiscated more than 120 kilograms of the drug from Xu 's home and another address , the reports said .
Ketamine is a powerful pain-killer that has become popular among club-goers in China and elsewhere .
`` Canada opposes the use of the death penalty in all cases , everywhere , '' said Global Affairs Canada spokesman John Babcock .
`` Canada has consistently raised our firm opposition to the death penalty with China and will continue to do so . ''
• ‘ I feel @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to die , ’ student says as NDP calls for Doug Ford to scrap back-to-school plan • Environment Minister says he needs to be convinced shipping terminal wo n't harm endangered killer whales He said Canadian diplomats have given Xu consular assistance and were present for the sentencing .
Canada is seeking clemency .
Death sentences are automatically referred to China ’ s highest court for review .
Relations between China and Canada soured over the arrest of Meng Wanzhou , an executive and the daughter of the founder of Chinese tech giant @ @ @ @ @ @ @ late 2018 .
The U.S. wants her extradited to face fraud charges over the company 's dealings with Iran .
Her arrest infuriated Beijing , which sees her case as a political move designed to prevent China 's rise as a global technology power .
In apparent retaliation , China detained former Canadian diplomat Michael Kovrig and Canadian entrepreneur Michael Spavor , accusing them of vague national security crimes .
Xu was arrested two years before Canada detained Meng and relations deteriorated .
Death sentences when cases involve large amounts of drugs are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 2019 , China gave the death penalty to a Canadian citizen identified as Fan Wei in a multinational drug smuggling case .
Canada is `` profoundly concerned '' about a Canadian citizen sentenced to death Thursday on drug charges in China , a spokesman for the federal government says .
But China did hand a death sentence to convicted Canadian drug smuggler Robert Schellenberg in a sudden retrial following Meng 's arrest , after he had already been sentenced .
China has also placed restrictions on various Canadian exports to China , including @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to pressure Ottawa into releasing Meng .
These tensions , and how the Liberal government has handled them was the subject of a hearing by the House of Commons Canada-China relations committee later Thursday .
David Mulroney , a former Canadian ambassador to Beijing , told the committee that he had hoped the federal government would use the period of increased tensions to rethink Canada 's relationship with China and more realistically assess the Chinese government 's strategy to suppress human rights domestically and exert economic and diplomatic blackmail to expand its influence @ @ @ @ @ @ @ approaches die hard , '' he said .
`` It 's not clear that the government has completely given up the fiction that China is our friend .
Nor has it consistently summoned the courage to speak and act with integrity . ''
Referring to a letter signed in June by former federal ministers , diplomats and academics urging the government to release Meng in exchange for freedom for the two Michaels , Mulroney added : `` Powerfully placed Canadians continue to argue that if we appease China just one more time , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said `` dangerous myopia '' about China is also evident among provincial and municipal governments , noting the Ontario city of Markham 's decision last year to raise the Chinese flag on that country 's national day .
`` Something 's wrong here and it has to change .
People need to remember that the ultimate objective of foreign policy is not to flatter , not to obscure inconvenient truths , but to advance and protect Canadian interests and values . ''
Mulroney said he 's not suggesting Canada should provoke or insult @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reduce its dependence on Chinese trade by working with allies to establish new supply chains in vulnerable sectors and launching trade diversification efforts .
Canada should also take steps to combat Chinese interference in this country , adopting something like Australia 's Foreign Influence Transparency Act , he said .
The act requires any citizen who chooses to work for a foreign entity and former politicians and diplomats who do anything to share their expertise with a foreign country to publicly report their activities .
Two other former ambassadors to China , John @ @ @ @ @ @ @ committee 's invitation to appear .
Committee members voted unanimously Thursday to summon both men at a later date .
Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin said there was no connection between Xu 's sentencing and current China-Canada relations .
`` I would like to stress that China 's judicial authorities handle the relevant case independently in strict accordance with Chinese law and legal procedures , '' Wang said at a daily briefing Thursday .
`` This case should not inflict any impact on China-Canada relations . ''
Wang added that `` death @ @ @ @ @ @ @ dangerous will help deter and prevent such crimes . ''
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 6 , 2020 .
— With files from The Associated Press

Canada is "profoundly concerned" about a Canadian citizen sentenced to death Thursday on drug charges in China, a spokesman for the federal government says. The Guangzhou Municipal Intermediate Court announced Xu Weihong's penalty on Thursday and said an alleged accomplice, Wen Guanxiong, had been given a life sentence. The brief court statement gave no details but media in the southern Chinese city at the heart of the country's manufacturing industry said Xu and Wen had gathered ingredients and tools to make the drug ketamine in October 2016, then stored the final product in Xu's home in Guangzhou's Haizhu district. Police later confiscated more than 120 kilograms of the drug from Xu's home and another address, the reports said. Ketamine is a powerful pain-killer that has become popular among club-goers in China and elsewhere. "Canada opposes the use of the death penalty in all cases, everywhere," said Global Affairs Canada spokesman John Babcock. "Canada has consistently raised our firm opposition to the death penalty with China and will continue to do so."
He said Canadian diplomats have given Xu consular assistance and were present for the sentencing. Canada is seeking clemency. Death sentences are automatically referred to China’s highest court for review. Billion-dollar land deals in Ontario raise corruption suspicions Relations between China and Canada soured over the arrest of Meng Wanzhou, an executive and the daughter of the founder of Chinese tech giant Huawei, at Vancouver's airport in late 2018. The U.S. wants her extradited to face fraud charges over the company's dealings with Iran. Her arrest infuriated Beijing, which sees her case as a political move designed to prevent China's rise as a global technology power.
In apparent retaliation, China detained former Canadian diplomat Michael Kovrig and Canadian entrepreneur Michael Spavor, accusing them of vague national security crimes. Canada is "profoundly concerned" about a Canadian citizen sentenced to death Thursday on drug charges in China, a spokesman for the federal government says. Xu was arrested two years before Canada detained Meng and relations deteriorated. Death sentences when cases involve large amounts of drugs are not rare in China. In April 2019, China gave the death penalty to a Canadian citizen identified as Fan Wei in a multinational drug smuggling case. But China did hand a death sentence to convicted Canadian drug smuggler Robert Schellenberg in a sudden retrial following Meng's arrest, after he had already been sentenced. China has also placed restrictions on various Canadian exports to China, including canola seed, in an apparent attempt to pressure Ottawa into releasing Meng.
These tensions, and how the Liberal government has handled them was the subject of a hearing by the House of Commons Canada-China relations committee later Thursday. David Mulroney, a former Canadian ambassador to Beijing, told the committee that he had hoped the federal government would use the period of increased tensions to rethink Canada's relationship with China and more realistically assess the Chinese government's strategy to suppress human rights domestically and exert economic and diplomatic blackmail to expand its influence on global affairs. "But old approaches die hard," he said.