nationalobserver--2020-11-05--Jagmeet Singh to put wealth tax for pandemic expenses on Commons agenda

The federal New Democrats will use an upcoming chance to set the agenda in the House of Commons to push for a new tax on wealthy people and those who made massive profits during the COVID-19 pandemic , their leader Jagmeet Singh says .
Speaking to reporters in Ottawa , Singh said people are worried about the cost of the pandemic because they do n't want to carry the burden of increasing public debt .
`` People have already sacrificed a lot .
People have lost their jobs .
People have lost their businesses , '' he said .
`` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to make any more sacrifices , we 've already sacrificed so much . ''
He says those who have fortunes of over $ 20 million and those who have profited from the pandemic need to pay their fair share to fund health care and housing programs and to provide Canadians a guaranteed livable income .
• Here ’ s how the outcome of the U.S. election could impact Canada • Christian school with ties to Ford questioned if climate change is ‘ Earth worship ’ • She moved to Canada to escape living @ @ @ @ @ @ @ part of the NDP platform in 2019 federal election .
The NDP will propose the new tax on its first `` opposition day '' of the new session of Parliament on Thursday .
Singh says Liberal and Conservatives governments have both cut programs that support the most vulnerable , which left Canadians unprepared for the pandemic .
He says his proposed wealth tax and a tax on excess profits would give the government new revenue to invest in social programs that will help Canada recover .
`` It should not be you that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ should not be families and people and workers and small businesses who 've struggled , '' he said .
`` It should be the ultra wealthy that contribute their fair share . ''
In July , NDP finance critic Peter Julian asked the PBO to estimate how much revenue would come from a one per cent tax on families with net wealth of over $ 20 million .
Tax the rich to pay for COVID-19 response , says NDP leader Jagmeet Singh .
# wealthtax # ndp # COVID-19 # pandemicrecovery The PBO @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the wealth tax and that the net revenue would be $ 5.6 billion in 2020-21 .
`` That 's a massive new revenue ( source ) that we could get from people that could afford to do so , '' Singh said .
`` The excess profit ( tax ) has the potential to have massive revenue implications , which is also not something to be ignored . ''
All assets and liabilities were included in the net wealth tax base in the PBO report , except wealth won in lotteries .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 113 million to administer , according to the PBO report .
Singh said people who are struggling have been let down by a system that has been designed and built by Liberals and Conservatives to exclude them .
`` There are people that are winning .
The ultra rich continue to make massive profits .
They profited off this pandemic , '' he said .
`` To do something about that we have to tax the wealthiest . ''
He said billionaires and large corporations including Amazon , Walmart , Netflix and Facebook @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and they must pay more tax .
`` The way forward is not to cut the help that people need , not to put the burden on working-class families , '' he said .
`` It should be on the massive wealthy corporations and Canadians that are the ultra rich . ''
He said the government has to act on individuals and corporations that are using loopholes in the tax system to make money in Canada then hide it in offshore tax heavens to avoid paying taxes here .

The federal New Democrats will use an upcoming chance to set the agenda in the House of Commons to push for a new tax on wealthy people and those who made massive profits during the COVID-19 pandemic, their leader Jagmeet Singh says. Speaking to reporters in Ottawa, Singh said people are worried about the cost of the pandemic because they don't want to carry the burden of increasing public debt. "People have already sacrificed a lot. People have lost their jobs. People have lost their businesses," he said. "They're saying we can't afford to make any more sacrifices, we've already sacrificed so much." He says those who have fortunes of over $20 million and those who have profited from the pandemic need to pay their fair share to fund health care and housing programs and to provide Canadians a guaranteed livable income.
The wealth tax was part of the NDP platform in 2019 federal election. The NDP will propose the new tax on its first "opposition day" of the new session of Parliament on Thursday. Billion-dollar land deals in Ontario raise corruption suspicions Singh says Liberal and Conservatives governments have both cut programs that support the most vulnerable, which left Canadians unprepared for the pandemic.
He says his proposed wealth tax and a tax on excess profits would give the government new revenue to invest in social programs that will help Canada recover. Tax the rich to pay for COVID-19 response, says NDP leader Jagmeet Singh. #wealthtax #ndp #COVID-19 #pandemicrecovery "It should not be you that has to pay for it. It should not be families and people and workers and small businesses who've struggled," he said. "It should be the ultra wealthy that contribute their fair share." In July, NDP finance critic Peter Julian asked the PBO to estimate how much revenue would come from a one per cent tax on families with net wealth of over $20 million. The PBO estimated that 13,800 Canadian families would pay the wealth tax and that the net revenue would be $5.6 billion in 2020-21. "That's a massive new revenue (source) that we could get from people that could afford to do so," Singh said. "The excess profit (tax) has the potential to have massive revenue implications, which is also not something to be ignored."
All assets and liabilities were included in the net wealth tax base in the PBO report, except wealth won in lotteries. The new tax would also cost about $113 million to administer, according to the PBO report. Singh said people who are struggling have been let down by a system that has been designed and built by Liberals and Conservatives to exclude them.


nationalobserver--2020-11-06--U.S. election could be decided today

U.S. election could be decided today

His back against the wall , a frustrated Donald Trump is lashing out , spinning an elaborate conspiracy theory as he tries to maintain his grasp on the presidency .
Convinced that Democrats and so-called deep-state forces are conspiring against him , the American president is vowing to take his fight against `` illegal votes '' all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court .
He claims , contrary to the facts , that he won the election on Tuesday and that the ongoing efforts to count mail-in ballots are little more than a bid to steal his victory .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ pandemic have slowed the 2020 election to a crawl , were slowly eating away at the president 's re-election hopes .
In Philadelphia , Trump supporters were kept apart from a raucous , celebratory crowd of Joe Biden fans outside the convention centre where votes were being counted .
• Here ’ s how the outcome of the U.S. election could impact Canada • Christian school with ties to Ford questioned if climate change is ‘ Earth worship ’ • She moved to Canada to escape living under Donald Trump Pennsylvania is worth @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump , who is lagging Biden in the race to the 270 needed to claim the presidency .
Biden , who is within easy striking distance of the magic number , has many other pathways to victory .
In Georgia , another vital state for Trump that 's worth 16 electoral votes , his lead was down to fewer than 3,500 votes as the supper hour passed .
Outside the Pennsylvania Convention Center , supporters of both campaigns spent the day taunting each other from a distance , one side calling for all @ @ @ @ @ @ @ others demanding that it be stopped .
In Arizona , however — where the president is lagging behind Biden — the Trump forces are happy to let the counting continue .
With his path back to the Oval Office narrowing by the hour , Trump has been mobilizing supporters and lawyers alike in the remaining battleground states , including in Pennsylvania , in a last-ditch attempt to keep his hopes alive .
Backers on hand Thursday in Philadelphia remained convinced he would win — and that something crooked was afoot if he did @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , a frustrated Donald Trump is lashing out , spinning an elaborate conspiracy theory as he tries to maintain his grasp on the presidency .
# Election2020 # electionday # vote2020 `` I 'm a positive man , myself , but to be honest with you , I think it 's going to get very intense '' once a winner is declared , said Christopher Wright , who drove down from Brooklyn , N.Y. , to attend Thursday 's protest .
Not because Trump supporters would rise up against a Biden win , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the opposite .
`` People on the left are like , 'It 's over , Trump has n't won , it 's in the bag , ' '' Wright said .
`` But there 's a good chance that President Trump is still going to win Arizona , and if he wins Arizona , the whole map has changed just like that . ''
Under Wright 's scenario , Trump would also need to run the table in North Carolina as well as Georgia and Pennsylvania , two states where his lead has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , which is blanketing the outstanding states as well as Wisconsin and Michigan with a flurry of legal challenges , did claim a modest victory Thursday after a Pennsylvania judge allowed Republican operatives to supervise the count .
The Associated Press says Biden currently holds 264 electoral college votes , although several other major media outlets have yet to call Arizona and its 11 electoral votes .
Both campaigns , meanwhile , have moved their fundraising efforts from pre-election solicitations to asking for money to help bankroll the coming court fights .
Tuesday @ @ @ @ @ @ @ backdrop : a pandemic that has killed more than 232,000 Americans and triggered a debilitating economic crisis in a year also marked by fierce public outrage over the country 's racial divide .

His back against the wall, a frustrated Donald Trump is lashing out, spinning an elaborate conspiracy theory as he tries to maintain his grasp on the presidency. Convinced that Democrats and so-called deep-state forces are conspiring against him, the American president is vowing to take his fight against "illegal votes" all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court. He claims, contrary to the facts, that he won the election on Tuesday and that the ongoing efforts to count mail-in ballots are little more than a bid to steal his victory. Those ballots, which thanks to the pandemic have slowed the 2020 election to a crawl, were slowly eating away at the president's re-election hopes. In Philadelphia, Trump supporters were kept apart from a raucous, celebratory crowd of Joe Biden fans outside the convention centre where votes were being counted.
Pennsylvania is worth 20 electoral college votes — must-haves for Trump, who is lagging Biden in the race to the 270 needed to claim the presidency. Biden, who is within easy striking distance of the magic number, has many other pathways to victory. In Georgia, another vital state for Trump that's worth 16 electoral votes, his lead was down to fewer than 3,500 votes as the supper hour passed. Billion-dollar land deals in Ontario raise corruption suspicions Outside the Pennsylvania Convention Center, supporters of both campaigns spent the day taunting each other from a distance, one side calling for all the votes to be counted, the others demanding that it be stopped.
In Arizona, however — where the president is lagging behind Biden — the Trump forces are happy to let the counting continue. His back against the wall, a frustrated Donald Trump is lashing out, spinning an elaborate conspiracy theory as he tries to maintain his grasp on the presidency. #Election2020 #electionday #vote2020 With his path back to the Oval Office narrowing by the hour, Trump has been mobilizing supporters and lawyers alike in the remaining battleground states, including in Pennsylvania, in a last-ditch attempt to keep his hopes alive. Backers on hand Thursday in Philadelphia remained convinced he would win — and that something crooked was afoot if he didn't. "I'm a positive man, myself, but to be honest with you, I think it's going to get very intense" once a winner is declared, said Christopher Wright, who drove down from Brooklyn, N.Y., to attend Thursday's protest. Not because Trump supporters would rise up against a Biden win, he said, but because of precisely the opposite.
"People on the left are like, 'It's over, Trump hasn't won, it's in the bag,'" Wright said. "But there's a good chance that President Trump is still going to win Arizona, and if he wins Arizona, the whole map has changed just like that." Under Wright's scenario, Trump would also need to run the table in North Carolina as well as Georgia and Pennsylvania, two states where his lead has been steadily shrinking.


nationalobserver--2020-11-06--How factory farming could cause the next pandemic

It ’ s tempting to think that viruses with pandemic potential emerge from the wilderness fully formed , waiting for some unlucky soul to bite into an infected bat and trigger the deaths of a million people , but evolution is rarely so lazy , and we may need to take more responsibility than once thought .
In his book , How to Survive a Pandemic , emerging infectious disease expert Dr. Michael Greger explains that most pandemics are caused by viruses and bacteria that begin in animals and leap onto us , so-called zoonotic infections .
Smallpox , he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ whooping cough from pigs , typhoid fever from chickens , influenza from ducks , leprosy from water buffalo and some of the viruses that cause the common cold from cattle and horses .
Something like 75 per cent of the viruses assaulting the human species originated in animals .
This is a consequence of proximity and time .
The ailments listed above probably saw their origins only in the last 10,000 years , for as long as we have domesticated other species , bringing them into daily contact with ourselves and other livestock @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and untested hosts .
The last ingredient is mutation .
Earl Brown is a retired professor in viral evolution from the University of Ottawa .
In spite of the popular perception of viruses as indiscriminate aggressors , he said most have evolved to be harmless in their host of choice .
• Here ’ s how the outcome of the U.S. election could impact Canada • Christian school with ties to Ford questioned if climate change is ‘ Earth worship ’ • She moved to Canada to escape living under Donald Trump “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he put it during a recent phone interview .
The reasons for this are clear enough .
Ducks are the original host of influenza , and if influenza made its host duck too sick to fly from pond to pond , the virus would fail to infect new ducks and disappear .
But if influenza caused only mild symptoms , or had no impact on duck health at all , it could freely hitch a ride from pond to pond to pond , infecting the majority of the world ’ s ducks without @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Humans have a viral equivalent : herpes .
Brown said this virus has probably been with us since time immemorial .
Its most successful form , oral herpes , lives comfortably in 95 per cent of our planet ’ s 7.8 billion people , occasionally presenting as cold sores , but otherwise avoiding scrutiny .
Viruses such as influenza are famously sloppy at reproduction , producing swamps of mutated offspring every time one cell becomes millions , the majority of these being too misshapen even to survive .
The few faithful children @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ideal condition of their parents , carry on the species , and so the virus doesn ’ t end up changing much over time .
But when you take this mess of mutants ( influenza in ducks ) and bring them into contact with a new species ( human beings ) , eventually one of those misfit children will be ideally suited to jump the species barrier , and once they ’ ve made the leap , their propensity for rapid mutation becomes a selective advantage , allowing them to settle down in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ their survival .
Typically , this means evolving toward “ benign-ness , ” but not always .
If a virus kills its host , it tends to die also , putting a natural limit on the virulence of things like influenza in ducks and herpes in humans .
But what if that weren ’ t the case ?
What if a virus could destroy its host and still successfully spread ?
Such a scenario is rare in nature , so Brown created one in his lab .
We must dismantle the bomb that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , @ Zack_Metcalfe writes , whether that means returning to small herds and flocks raised outdoors on family farms or moving away from animal products altogether .
He took a sample of human influenza ( which has been with us since we domesticated ducks 4,500 years ago ) and used an enormous dose to infect a mouse .
As he described it , the virus did very poorly ; the mouse in question hardly got sick .
He then recovered this virus from the lungs of the first mouse and used it to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a little sicker .
He repeated this viral education through 10 mice , and by the 10th mouse , the virus was not only extremely infectious to mice , it had become lethal .
He ’ s repeated the experiment several times in his career and received precisely the same result — the predictable transformation of a nuisance virus in humans to a plague among mice .
Remove the difficulty of transmission from one host to the next , and a virus can become an indiscriminate killer .
In the trenches , on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ effortless transmission exist outside Brown ’ s lab ?
As argued by Greger in his book , and by others in the infectious disease community , the 1918 flu pandemic was triggered by just such an unnatural experiment .
When this particular brand of flu began to fester in the trenches of the First World War , it had no trouble at all leaping from soldier to soldier .
These men were lacking in food and sleep , constantly wet , cold and wounded , their immune systems dampened by both the active @ @ @ @ @ @ @ when the virus killed a man , his comrades couldn ’ t necessarily escape the body , and infections continued unabated .
The result was evolutionarily inevitable , and not unlike the mice of Brown ’ s lab — the deadliest virus in human history .
When the 1918 flu pandemic festered in the trenches of the First World War , it had no trouble leaping from soldier to soldier .
Photo by Shutterstock It began as muscle aches and fever in its victims , and ended with bleeding from the eyes , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ vomiting of blood , blisters on the skin , lungs turned to jelly and other assorted horrors .
Never before , said Brown , had a virus killed so many people in so short a time , raging around the globe twice in a single year before disappearing altogether for lack of new hosts .
Fifty to 100 million people were dead .
The accidental experiment acted out in the trenches of the First World War was being repeated by the 1950s , this time with chickens .
As demand for poultry began @ @ @ @ @ @ @ became the norm in the early days of factory farming , chicken farms that became infected with influenza from ducks ( an easy leap ) generated viruses with extraordinary lethality in no time at all .
Nowadays , we have biosecurity to frustrate the pandemic pathway somewhat , but the dense and intense confinement of factory farming has not only grown , it ’ s gone global .
Presently , one billion pigs , three billion ducks and a staggering 69 billion chickens ( the three most commonly killed terrestrial animals in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ growing demands for meat .
This has resulted in a steady swell of pathogenic viruses erupting in livestock and , following the rules of proximity , time and mutation , occasionally leaping onto human beings , bringing all their lethality with them .
“ You can see it throughout agriculture , ” said Brown .
“ If you want to read the infectious disease textbooks , they keep getting thicker and thicker.
” Nearly nothing mutates as quickly as coronaviruses , said Brown , themselves responsible for about 20 per cent of common @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are masters of change .
“ They adapt like lightning , ” he said .
COVID-19 , which began its conquest of humanity in late 2019 , is very comfortable in humans , and the more people it infects , the better it adapts .
This is why policies aimed at mass immunity through mass infection are so dangerous , and why back-to-school initiatives are so concerning .
Right now , Brown said , COVID-19 is most dangerous to the elderly , whereas children under the age of 10 are half as likely @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and 80 per cent more likely to be asymptomatic .
If schools lead to mass infection , however , Brown is concerned the virus will learn to better infect children .
The more opportunities we present the virus to learn , the worse off we ’ ll be .
But where did COVID-19 come from ?
The closest wild viral relative found to date occurs in bats , but genetically , the wild virus and the modern human virus are only 96 per cent identical .
This four per cent difference , said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that have not yet been accounted for , but which did not occur in bats .
During a visit to the avian flu labs of the China Agricultural University , Beijing , in 2008 , Brown heard stories of enormous captive breeding operations of “ wild ” animals for sale in the country ’ s wet markets .
“ They said everything you can imagine is being grown in different barns in China , ” Brown said .
“ They said , ‘ We didn ’ t know the half of it.
’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ spent the last 50 years , passing from bats through the multispecies soup of confinement , degradation and eventual human consumption of wild animal captive breeding , all of which endowed this virus with pandemic potential .
It can not be said for sure , but COVID-19 might have been as inevitable as the 1918 influenza .
There is another , oft-underappreciated factor in the formation and spread of viruses with pandemic potential , and that ’ s the shifting epidemiology of humanity itself .
In a single century , the majority of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to densely packed cities , and thanks to modern medicine , those who are elderly or immunocompromised have extended their lifespans by years or decades .
There are more of us now than ever , closer together than ever and with more susceptible individuals than ever .
Whether the next pandemic is a coronavirus or flu doesn ’ t really matter , Brown said .
What matters is that the conditions necessary for viruses to become deadly and to jump onto the human species are everywhere , and growing relatively unchecked .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ susceptibility of the global human population are two powder kegs that we ’ ve set right next to each other , and it would get much worse than COVID-19 .
The H5N1 flu virus , for example , forged from the factory farming of chickens , has a 50 per cent mortality rate when successfully transmitted to people .
Modifications to society that respect the inevitabilities of viral evolution are something to consider , said Brown , but we must also dismantle the bomb that is factory farming in all its forms , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and flocks raised outdoors on family farms or moving away from animal products altogether by engaging with the vegan movement or the growing market of meat alternatives .
“ We can all try to be more conscious , ” Brown said .
“ We don ’ t have to eat as many ( animals ) as some people do .
Sadly , this topic becomes very emotional and politicized , but if you want to talk practically , eating vegetables is safer than growing chickens .
”

It’s tempting to think that viruses with pandemic potential emerge from the wilderness fully formed, waiting for some unlucky soul to bite into an infected bat and trigger the deaths of a million people, but evolution is rarely so lazy, and we may need to take more responsibility than once thought. In his book, How to Survive a Pandemic, emerging infectious disease expert Dr. Michael Greger explains that most pandemics are caused by viruses and bacteria that begin in animals and leap onto us, so-called zoonotic infections. Smallpox, he writes, probably came from camels, whooping cough from pigs, typhoid fever from chickens, influenza from ducks, leprosy from water buffalo and some of the viruses that cause the common cold from cattle and horses. Something like 75 per cent of the viruses assaulting the human species originated in animals. This is a consequence of proximity and time. The ailments listed above probably saw their origins only in the last 10,000 years, for as long as we have domesticated other species, bringing them into daily contact with ourselves and other livestock, and providing their viruses with new and untested hosts. The last ingredient is mutation. The lungs of mice Earl Brown is a retired professor in viral evolution from the University of Ottawa. In spite of the popular perception of viruses as indiscriminate aggressors, he said most have evolved to be harmless in their host of choice.
“They tend toward benign-ness,” as he put it during a recent phone interview. The reasons for this are clear enough. Ducks are the original host of influenza, and if influenza made its host duck too sick to fly from pond to pond, the virus would fail to infect new ducks and disappear. But if influenza caused only mild symptoms, or had no impact on duck health at all, it could freely hitch a ride from pond to pond to pond, infecting the majority of the world’s ducks without the need to make them dangerously ill. Billion-dollar land deals in Ontario raise corruption suspicions Humans have a viral equivalent: herpes. Brown said this virus has probably been with us since time immemorial. Its most successful form, oral herpes, lives comfortably in 95 per cent of our planet’s 7.8 billion people, occasionally presenting as cold sores, but otherwise avoiding scrutiny.
Viruses such as influenza are famously sloppy at reproduction, producing swamps of mutated offspring every time one cell becomes millions, the majority of these being too misshapen even to survive. The few faithful children, however, near enough to the ideal condition of their parents, carry on the species, and so the virus doesn’t end up changing much over time. We must dismantle the bomb that is factory farming in all its forms, @Zack_Metcalfe writes, whether that means returning to small herds and flocks raised outdoors on family farms or moving away from animal products altogether. But when you take this mess of mutants (influenza in ducks) and bring them into contact with a new species (human beings), eventually one of those misfit children will be ideally suited to jump the species barrier, and once they’ve made the leap, their propensity for rapid mutation becomes a selective advantage, allowing them to settle down in their new host in whatever manner encourages their survival. Typically, this means evolving toward “benign-ness,” but not always. If a virus kills its host, it tends to die also, putting a natural limit on the virulence of things like influenza in ducks and herpes in humans. But what if that weren’t the case? What if a virus could destroy its host and still successfully spread? Such a scenario is rare in nature, so Brown created one in his lab. He took a sample of human influenza (which has been with us since we domesticated ducks 4,500 years ago) and used an enormous dose to infect a mouse. As he described it, the virus did very poorly; the mouse in question hardly got sick. He then recovered this virus from the lungs of the first mouse and used it to infect a second mouse, which got a little sicker. He repeated this viral education through 10 mice, and by the 10th mouse, the virus was not only extremely infectious to mice, it had become lethal. He’s repeated the experiment several times in his career and received precisely the same result — the predictable transformation of a nuisance virus in humans to a plague among mice. Remove the difficulty of transmission from one host to the next, and a virus can become an indiscriminate killer.
In the trenches, on the plate But do such conditions of effortless transmission exist outside Brown’s lab? As argued by Greger in his book, and by others in the infectious disease community, the 1918 flu pandemic was triggered by just such an unnatural experiment. When this particular brand of flu began to fester in the trenches of the First World War, it had no trouble at all leaping from soldier to soldier. These men were lacking in food and sleep, constantly wet, cold and wounded, their immune systems dampened by both the active and passive horrors of war. Even when the virus killed a man, his comrades couldn’t necessarily escape the body, and infections continued unabated. The result was evolutionarily inevitable, and not unlike the mice of Brown’s lab — the deadliest virus in human history.


nationalobserver--2020-11-06--Alberta says oil and gas industry to save money with new pollution rules

Alberta has reached a deal with the federal government to establish its own rules to restrict a potent form of carbon pollution , saying Thursday the move would save the oil and gas industry money .
The agreement replaces federal regulations on methane , the main component in natural gas , with new provincial rules that would last “ up to five years.
” Methane is a greenhouse gas that is 86 times as powerful as carbon dioxide over a 20-year period .
Federal Environment and Climate Change Minister Jonathan Wilkinson announced that a similar deal had been reached with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the federal system would apply in Alberta , costing the oil and gas industry money , and adding unnecessary red tape to our industries , ” said Alberta Environment and Parks Minister Jason Nixon during an online presentation on Nov. 5 .
The Trudeau government says it is still committed to the 2025 methane target , and the regulations are not the only way it expects to restrict the gas .
Wilkinson ’ s office also pointed to a $ 750-million federal fund meant for the oil and gas industry to help companies @ @ @ @ @ @ @ emissions.
” Alberta has also rolled out an industry-funded program called the “ technology innovation and emissions reduction system ” that it says will support methane-reducing projects .
As well , the federal government has proposed , but has yet to launch , a “ clean fuel standard ” that aims to decarbonize fossil fuels used in Canada , and Ottawa also expects another $ 1.72-billion fund for cleaning up orphan or inactive oil and gas wells to contribute to methane reductions .
Alberta has reached a deal with the federal government to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ emissions , saying Thursday the move would save the oil and gas industry money .
# abpoli Finally , federal Natural Resources Minister Seamus O'Regan has not ruled out tightening the rules if “ future data and modelling ” convinces him it ’ s necessary .
But Marshall said the agreements would be difficult to open up before they expire at the end of 2024 .
That significantly increases the chances that Canada will miss its target , he said .
British Columbia has a separate agreement with the federal government on methane @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The government said Thursday it expects to update the public on its efforts to hit the 2025 target “ in late 2021 .
”

Alberta has reached a deal with the federal government to establish its own rules to restrict a potent form of carbon pollution, saying Thursday the move would save the oil and gas industry money. The agreement replaces federal regulations on methane, the main component in natural gas, with new provincial rules that would last “up to five years.” Methane is a greenhouse gas that is 86 times as powerful as carbon dioxide over a 20-year period. Federal Environment and Climate Change Minister Jonathan Wilkinson announced that a similar deal had been reached with Saskatchewan. “Without this agreement, the federal system would apply in Alberta, costing the oil and gas industry money, and adding unnecessary red tape to our industries,” said Alberta Environment and Parks Minister Jason Nixon during an online presentation on Nov. 5. “Alberta’s methane regulations will save job creators time, money and resources. It will cut the same amount of emissions as the federal system by 2025, but with the added benefit of cost savings for our industry.” The oil and gas industry is the largest contributor to methane emissions because the industry flares or vents the gas into the air, and it also leaks accidentally from equipment. Research has connected a rise in global methane levels with fracking operations, and scientists say this rise in atmospheric methane is putting efforts to fight climate change at risk.
The deals with Alberta and Saskatchewan lock in an approach that the federal government’s own analysis has shown will mean that, without other additional measures, Canada will fall short of its 2025 methane reduction target. Canada committed in 2016 to cutting methane emissions 40 per cent below 2012 levels by 2025, but the approach is expected to achieve a 29 per cent cut. Dale Marshall, national climate program manager for Environmental Defence Canada, says the federal government should have strengthened its own rules and then insisted that the provinces improve theirs. Instead, the result represents a “meek approach to reducing emissions,” he said, which “casts further doubt on Canada’s commitment to fighting climate change, even while Canadians face mounting climate impacts.” Billion-dollar land deals in Ontario raise corruption suspicions “The Canadian government needs to stop bending over backwards to the big oil lobby and oil-friendly provincial governments at the expense of public health and action on the climate emergency,” said Marshall.
The Trudeau government says it is still committed to the 2025 methane target, and the regulations are not the only way it expects to restrict the gas. Wilkinson’s office also pointed to a $750-million federal fund meant for the oil and gas industry to help companies develop “green technologies to reduce methane emissions.” Alberta has reached a deal with the federal government to establish its own rules to restrict methane emissions, saying Thursday the move would save the oil and gas industry money. #abpoli Alberta has also rolled out an industry-funded program called the “technology innovation and emissions reduction system” that it says will support methane-reducing projects. As well, the federal government has proposed, but has yet to launch, a “clean fuel standard” that aims to decarbonize fossil fuels used in Canada, and Ottawa also expects another $1.72-billion fund for cleaning up orphan or inactive oil and gas wells to contribute to methane reductions. Finally, federal Natural Resources Minister Seamus O'Regan has not ruled out tightening the rules if “future data and modelling” convinces him it’s necessary. But Marshall said the agreements would be difficult to open up before they expire at the end of 2024. That significantly increases the chances that Canada will miss its target, he said.


nationalobserver--2020-11-06--Film reviews: Movies with Sophia Loren, Kevin Costner, Diane Lane and eco-activists new and old

One good thing the COVID-19 drag on the movie houses has done is let small films get some attention .
I deal with several like that today , some of them Canadian or made in Canada .
But I start with the one big title of the week and the return of an iconic Italian .
LET HIM GO : This week , in particular , you might be in the mood for a nostalgic movie about the American experience as it used to be .
This one will do , and it ’ s in theatres .
It ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the 1950s or early ’ 60s ( judging by the cars ) .
You see plenty of big sky country and an actor who feels right at home there .
Kevin Costner plays a retired sheriff , with another familiar movie star , Diane Lane , as his wife .
( They played Superman ’ s parents in a couple of movies . )
Here they lose a son in a riding accident and a daughter-in-law and grandson to a quick marriage to a sketchy and abusive guy from another state , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to find them .
All of this setup is so rushed , it ’ s hard to connect to it .
But it ’ s easy to understand the urge of a grandmother to want to see her grandson .
And to cringe at what they find .
Chief amid all that is Lesley Manville as the overbearing matriarch of a scary ranchland family .
They are feared , though why isn ’ t clear .
Hardly matters .
Violent people acting crazy out there on the prairie are common in films like @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to explain them .
The film spends most of its time finding them , a good stretch building tension and anxiety , and then a quick , fiery and bloody denouement .
It ’ s a common movie outcome , arrived at with a loping pace but a single-minded narrative force .
A secondary character adds a brief sub-plot .
He says he ’ s a victim of residential schools designed to drive “ the Indian ” out of him .
The film , set in Montana and one of the Dakotas , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on atmosphere and traditional values , like family and sacrifice , but shaky in the storytelling .
( International Village , Marine Gateway and suburban theatres ) 3 out of 5 THE LIFE AHEAD : What a welcome return .
Sophia Loren hasn ’ t been in a movie for 10 years .
Her son , director Edoardo Ponti , has brought her back and has drawn an exceptional performance out of her .
It is understated , though the backstory is bleak .
In the film , she ’ s a Holocaust @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it .
She prefers to show her survival instincts , which had her work as a prostitute for years , and she now helps other sex workers by running a sort of daycare for their children .
It ’ s from a Romain Gary novel that was filmed 23 years ago as Madame Rosa and went on to win an Academy Award .
Among other smaller changes , the story is now moved from Paris to southern Italy .
That brings in the ongoing refugee crisis and 12-year-old Momo .
He ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not familiar at all with the faith ) and a street kid selling drugs and stealing .
When he steals from Rosa , he ’ s forced to go to her and apologize , and then comes under her care .
The film carefully shows the friendship that develops between them as they find what they have in common .
He asks about the tattooed numbers on her arm and gradually tells his own story .
A rug merchant gives him a job and teaches him bits of Islamic philosophy , including the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Some dream sequences of him with a very real-looking lion are remarkable . )
There ’ s a medical crisis ahead and it ’ ll bring tears , but it ’ s not melodramatic .
It feels natural and adds to the film ’ s overall purpose .
It promotes connection and kindness .
That ’ s timely .
( VanCity Theatre now , streaming on Netflix in a week ) 4 out of 5 REBELLION : It ’ s not a feature , it ’ s the opening for a new season @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Things , the science show hosted by David Suzuki .
But it also tells the same story as a documentary called Now , which I reviewed two weeks ago , and the two go together well .
They introduce us to today ’ s climate change activists , starting with Greta Thunberg and then the many she has inspired .
This film , only 45 minutes long , takes a wider focus .
It talks to people from Sudbury to England , from Washington to India .
It shows huge demonstrations in several @ @ @ @ @ @ @ one Thunberg spoke at next , Montreal .
Suzuki met her there briefly and got to identify himself as the father of Severn Cullis-Suzuki , who had a similar but short-lived impact when she spoke at the Earth Summit in Rio in 1992 .
Cullis-Suzuki says there ’ s now momentum in the climate change protests .
Back then , people “ had yet to really feel it.
” The film talks to ( or shows ) many who feel it , including David Attenborough , Marc Carney , Jane Fonda and climate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ racism are also part of the story .
There ’ s passion and a sense of urgency in this film .
That ’ s typical of Suzuki and the producer , Mark Starowicz , and presumably his co-producer and daughter Caitlin .
( Premieres at 9 p.m. on CBC and then CBC GEM ) 4 out of 5 WATSON : It has been nine years since I last saw a documentary about Paul Watson .
There were already three made by that time .
California eco-filmmaker Lesley Chilcott presumably felt we needed another @ @ @ @ @ @ @ time even if you already know a lot about the man many have called an “ eco-pirate.
” The details of his life are there : growing up with an abusive father but a nature-loving mother , helping to found Greenpeace here in Vancouver , ousted from it for his radicalism and chasing and ramming whaling boats on the open seas with his ship the Sea Shepherd .
There ’ s spectacular film footage , much of it taken by his crew to document the action .
The film adds quite a bit @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his own story right into the camera in what looks like an empty warehouse and it ’ s naturally a self-serving recounting .
Watching the overfishing and other abuses of the oceans , he says : “ It occurred to me .
We ’ re insane .
If the ocean dies , we all die.
” There is a steady stream of nuggets like that .
We get the facts on his legal problems and his refusal to apologize for his tactics .
He resigned from the Sea Shepherd Society some time ago @ @ @ @ @ @ @ doesn ’ t say where .
( Wikipedia says Vermont . )
I didn ’ t know that he has had four wives , but it fits the image of a man not easy to get along with .
( International Village and Cineplex Langley on Saturday and Tuesday , and available digitally at https : //theimpactseries.net ) 3 out of 5 RECON : Here ’ s an unusually thoughtful war movie .
To some , that ’ s boring , but I found it involving all the way .
It ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in Italy , in a perpetually cold and snow-covered world .
On a dreary-looking road looking much like a logging road ( because it is ; it was filmed in B.C . )
a sergeant shoots an innocent woman crying over the body of a dead German soldier .
That incident is discussed and argued over through the rest of the film .
The sergeant lies to his commander ( Lochlyn Munro ) , saying the woman died in a crossfire .
One soldier wants to report him .
The other can ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are sent on a reconnaissance mission , and the debate continues .
They get a farmer who arrives on a horse cart ( Franco Nero ) to walk with them and guide them .
He thinks there are Germans hiding up a small mountain and offers to show them where .
So for the rest of the film , there are two levels of tension : Will the Germans see them , and can the farmer be trusted or is he leading them into a trap ?
A corporal and two others ( @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Keeley ) argue fiercely about morality and tactics .
The film , though , is terse in giving us the talk and , at times , brutal .
It ’ s stark , feels real and is from a university professor ’ s novel based on his own wartime experiences .
It was made by an American company in the Okanagan , where it has opened an office and will premiere it at the Vernon Towne Cinema on Tuesday evening , in time for Remembrance Day .
Proceeds will go to the Vernon @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on iTunes and elsewhere .
3½ out of 5 THE KID DETECTIVE : This one is dryly funny , but only a bit .
It ’ s a smart riff on retaining your dreams , the ones you held as a child , but society pushed aside .
Abe Applebaum ( Adam Brody ) played detective when he was young , solving cases for the neighbourhood kids with flashes of deductive reasoning .
Now he ’ s an adult with an office and a receptionist , but no clients .
He ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ so many good mystery films from years ago ) a woman walks in .
Sophie Nélisse , who you might remember from the Quebec film Monsieur Lazhar , plays her .
She wants to find out who killed her boyfriend .
The police haven ’ t been able to .
Abe takes on the case and together they go interviewing and sleuthing .
Ineptly at times .
Unappreciated all the time .
After all , everybody notes , he has never solved a murder case , has he ?
Actually , he still @ @ @ @ @ @ @ when the mayor ’ s daughter disappeared , and he couldn ’ t find her .
The two cases will intersect eventually , but it ’ s a strain to get them to .
Despite the Disney-like title , this is not a comedy .
It ’ s a clever homage to , and a slight send-up of , those detective films we all remember .
Brick , from 15 years ago , is more of an equivalent .
They ’ re both entertaining .
Evan Morgan made this one in Montreal and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ actors , like Wendy Crewson and , from Vancouver , Tzi Ma .
( International Village and a few suburban theatres ) 3 out of 5 THE CUBAN : This one is lovely and well-meaning , but a little too gentle .
The setting is a seniors ’ care home ( how timely ) where an old man is listless with dementia .
He ’ s a former star musician from Cuba and is played very well by Louis Gossett Jr .
The staff members have pretty well given up on him , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ played by Ana Golja , finds a way to bring him back .
She puts on Cuban music ; he lights up , smiles and comes to life .
It ’ s a definite statement about the recuperative power of music , and probably other arts .
It ’ s the acting , though , that distinguishes this film .
Gossett Jr. is vibrant , when he ’ s back to life .
Golja is believable showing sincerity and naïveté , important because we have to accept that can break the rules at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hard and resentful as her aunt and the home administrator , and an Afghan immigrant .
The script skilfully mixes all these strains , but still it could be stronger .
It ’ s Canadian and well-directed by Sergio Navarretta .
( streaming VOD at various services , including Rogers , Shaw , Telus and Cineplex ) 2½ out of 5

One good thing the COVID-19 drag on the movie houses has done is let small films get some attention. I deal with several like that today, some of them Canadian or made in Canada. But I start with the one big title of the week and the return of an iconic Italian.
THE LIFE AHEAD : What a welcome return. Sophia Loren hasn’t been in a movie for 10 years. Her son, director Edoardo Ponti, has brought her back and has drawn an exceptional performance out of her. It is understated, though the backstory is bleak. In the film, she’s a Holocaust survivor but doesn’t talk about it. She prefers to show her survival instincts, which had her work as a prostitute for years, and she now helps other sex workers by running a sort of daycare for their children. It’s from a Romain Gary novel that was filmed 23 years ago as Madame Rosa and went on to win an Academy Award.
Chief amid all that is Lesley Manville as the overbearing matriarch of a scary ranchland family. They are feared, though why isn’t clear. Hardly matters. Violent people acting crazy out there on the prairie are common in films like this. You don’t need to explain them. The film spends most of its time finding them, a good stretch building tension and anxiety, and then a quick, fiery and bloody denouement. It’s a common movie outcome, arrived at with a loping pace but a single-minded narrative force. A secondary character adds a brief sub-plot. He says he’s a victim of residential schools designed to drive “the Indian” out of him. The film, set in Montana and one of the Dakotas, but filmed in Alberta, is strong on atmosphere and traditional values, like family and sacrifice, but shaky in the storytelling. (International Village, Marine Gateway and suburban theatres) 3 out of 5
LET HIM GO : This week, in particular, you might be in the mood for a nostalgic movie about the American experience as it used to be. This one will do, and it’s in theatres. It’s a western of sorts, set in the 1950s or early ’60s (judging by the cars). You see plenty of big sky country and an actor who feels right at home there. Kevin Costner plays a retired sheriff, with another familiar movie star, Diane Lane, as his wife. (They played Superman’s parents in a couple of movies.) Here they lose a son in a riding accident and a daughter-in-law and grandson to a quick marriage to a sketchy and abusive guy from another state, then set out on a road trip to find them. All of this setup is so rushed, it’s hard to connect to it. But it’s easy to understand the urge of a grandmother to want to see her grandson. And to cringe at what they find.
REBELLION : It’s not a feature, it’s the opening for a new season of CBC’s The Nature of Things, the science show hosted by David Suzuki. But it also tells the same story as a documentary called Now, which I reviewed two weeks ago, and the two go together well. They introduce us to today’s climate change activists, starting with Greta Thunberg and then the many she has inspired. This film, only 45 minutes long, takes a wider focus. It talks to people from Sudbury to England, from Washington to India.
Among other smaller changes, the story is now moved from Paris to southern Italy. That brings in the ongoing refugee crisis and 12-year-old Momo. He’s from Senegal, a Muslim (though not familiar at all with the faith) and a street kid selling drugs and stealing. When he steals from Rosa, he’s forced to go to her and apologize, and then comes under her care. The film carefully shows the friendship that develops between them as they find what they have in common. He asks about the tattooed numbers on her arm and gradually tells his own story. A rug merchant gives him a job and teaches him bits of Islamic philosophy, including the symbolic importance of the lion. (Some dream sequences of him with a very real-looking lion are remarkable.) There’s a medical crisis ahead and it’ll bring tears, but it’s not melodramatic. It feels natural and adds to the film’s overall purpose. It promotes connection and kindness. That’s timely. (VanCity Theatre now, streaming on Netflix in a week) 4 out of 5
Courtesy of CBC
It shows huge demonstrations in several cities, including New York and the one Thunberg spoke at next, Montreal. Suzuki met her there briefly and got to identify himself as the father of Severn Cullis-Suzuki, who had a similar but short-lived impact when she spoke at the Earth Summit in Rio in 1992. Cullis-Suzuki says there’s now momentum in the climate change protests. Back then, people “had yet to really feel it.” The film talks to (or shows) many who feel it, including David Attenborough, Marc Carney, Jane Fonda and climate scientist Sunita Narain. Economic inequality and racism are also part of the story. There’s passion and a sense of urgency in this film. That’s typical of Suzuki and the producer, Mark Starowicz, and presumably his co-producer and daughter Caitlin. (Premieres at 9 p.m. on CBC and then CBC GEM) 4 out of 5
WATSON: It has been nine years since I last saw a documentary about Paul Watson. There were already three made by that time. California eco-filmmaker Lesley Chilcott presumably felt we needed another, and it’s worth your time even if you already know a lot about the man many have called an “eco-pirate.” The details of his life are there: growing up with an abusive father but a nature-loving mother, helping to found Greenpeace here in Vancouver, ousted from it for his radicalism and chasing and ramming whaling boats on the open seas with his ship the Sea Shepherd. There’s spectacular film footage, much of it taken by his crew to document the action.
Courtesy of Route 504 PR
The film adds quite a bit that’s new. He tells his own story right into the camera in what looks like an empty warehouse and it’s naturally a self-serving recounting. Watching the overfishing and other abuses of the oceans, he says: “It occurred to me. We’re insane. If the ocean dies, we all die.” There is a steady stream of nuggets like that. We get the facts on his legal problems and his refusal to apologize for his tactics. He resigned from the Sea Shepherd Society some time ago and now writes books. The film doesn’t say where. (Wikipedia says Vermont.) I didn’t know that he has had four wives, but it fits the image of a man not easy to get along with. (International Village and Cineplex Langley on Saturday and Tuesday, and available digitally at https://theimpactseries.net) 3 out of 5
RECON: Here’s an unusually thoughtful war movie. To some, that’s boring, but I found it involving all the way. It’s set in the Second World War, in Italy, in a perpetually cold and snow-covered world. On a dreary-looking road looking much like a logging road (because it is; it was filmed in B.C.) a sergeant shoots an innocent woman crying over the body of a dead German soldier. That incident is discussed and argued over through the rest of the film. The sergeant lies to his commander (Lochlyn Munro), saying the woman died in a crossfire. One soldier wants to report him. The other can’t be bothered. Four of them are sent on a reconnaissance mission, and the debate continues.
Courtesy of Vortex Media
They get a farmer who arrives on a horse cart (Franco Nero) to walk with them and guide them. He thinks there are Germans hiding up a small mountain and offers to show them where. So for the rest of the film, there are two levels of tension: Will the Germans see them, and can the farmer be trusted or is he leading them into a trap? A corporal and two others (Alexander Ludwig, Chris Brochu and Sam Keeley) argue fiercely about morality and tactics. The film, though, is terse in giving us the talk and, at times, brutal. It’s stark, feels real and is from a university professor’s novel based on his own wartime experiences. It was made by an American company in the Okanagan, where it has opened an office and will premiere it at the Vernon Towne Cinema on Tuesday evening, in time for Remembrance Day. Proceeds will go to the Vernon Legion. It’ll also stream on iTunes and elsewhere. 3½ out of 5
THE KID DETECTIVE: This one is dryly funny, but only a bit. It’s a smart riff on retaining your dreams, the ones you held as a child, but society pushed aside. Abe Applebaum (Adam Brody) played detective when he was young, solving cases for the neighbourhood kids with flashes of deductive reasoning. Now he’s an adult with an office and a receptionist, but no clients. He’s a joke, until (as in so many good mystery films from years ago) a woman walks in. Sophie Nélisse, who you might remember from the Quebec film Monsieur Lazhar, plays her. She wants to find out who killed her boyfriend. The police haven’t been able to.
Courtesy of Level Films
Abe takes on the case and together they go interviewing and sleuthing. Ineptly at times. Unappreciated all the time. After all, everybody notes, he has never solved a murder case, has he? Actually, he still lives with a failure from years ago when the mayor’s daughter disappeared, and he couldn’t find her. The two cases will intersect eventually, but it’s a strain to get them to. Despite the Disney-like title, this is not a comedy. It’s a clever homage to, and a slight send-up of, those detective films we all remember. Brick, from 15 years ago, is more of an equivalent. They’re both entertaining. Evan Morgan made this one in Montreal and you’ll recognize several other Canadian actors, like Wendy Crewson and, from Vancouver, Tzi Ma. (International Village and a few suburban theatres) 3 out of 5
THE CUBAN: This one is lovely and well-meaning, but a little too gentle. The setting is a seniors’ care home (how timely) where an old man is listless with dementia. He’s a former star musician from Cuba and is played very well by Louis Gossett Jr. The staff members have pretty well given up on him, but Mina, a young nursing student played by Ana Golja, finds a way to bring him back. She puts on Cuban music; he lights up, smiles and comes to life.
Courtesy of Vortex Media
It’s a definite statement about the recuperative power of music, and probably other arts. It’s the acting, though, that distinguishes this film. Gossett Jr. is vibrant, when he’s back to life. Golja is believable showing sincerity and naïveté, important because we have to accept that can break the rules at the care home. Shohreh Aghdashloo is hard and resentful as her aunt and the home administrator, and an Afghan immigrant. The script skilfully mixes all these strains, but still it could be stronger. It’s Canadian and well-directed by Sergio Navarretta. (streaming VOD at various services, including Rogers, Shaw, Telus and Cineplex) 2½ out of 5


nationalobserver--2020-11-06--U.S. companies threaten to use CUSMA to fight Canada's plastics ban

A group of more than 60 major American industry associations are trying to stop Canada ’ s efforts to reduce plastic pollution .
In a letter to Canada ’ s International Trade Minister Mary Ng , the group threatened to use novel provisions in the new NAFTA agreement ( CUSMA ) to delay proposed plastics legislation .
The letter was sent as a warning salvo in September , about a month before Canada announced detailed plans for its new legislation .
Canada ’ s proposed laws will ban some single-use plastics , list plastic as a toxic substance and force @ @ @ @ @ @ @ products ’ disposal .
Details of the changes were announced in late October and include a ban on some single-use plastics , such as straws and shopping bags .
This is the first time American corporations have threatened to use CUSMA to push back against a proposed Canadian law , and observers say it won ’ t be the last .
The trade deal , which came into force in July , introduced new provisions that allow countries to sue their trading partners for new domestic regulations that cut into the profits of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the proposed ban on certain single-use plastics would amount to a “ non-tariff barrier ” impacting more than $ 12.1 billion in U.S. exports to Canada .
• Here ’ s how the outcome of the U.S. election could impact Canada • Christian school with ties to Ford questioned if climate change is ‘ Earth worship ’ • She moved to Canada to escape living under Donald Trump Those rules could pose major hurdles to the development of badly needed environmental policies as Canada responds to climate change , pollution and other @ @ @ @ @ @ @ plan was released in the wake of a scientific review and recommended listing plastic as toxic under Canada ’ s Environmental Protection Act .
It would require plastics sold in Canada to contain at least 50 per cent recycled content by 2030 and improve Canada ’ s plastic recycling system .
Critics of the CUSMA provisions say new arrangements in the trade deal defining “ good regulatory practices ” reduce national sovereignty .
“ This isn ’ t about trade , ” said Sharon Anglin Treat , a U.S.-based senior attorney at the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ IATP ) , a non-profit advocating for fair and sustainable farming and trade policies .
“ It ’ s about telling countries how they should regulate.
” Those restrictions are broad and could limit the type of evidence countries can use to justify their laws , and even allow businesses to ask their governments to push for regulatory rollbacks , she explained .
The threatening letter , signed by several food-related organizations like the North American Meat Institute , the Foodservice Packaging Institute and CropLife America , a fertilizer industry association , questioned @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Canadian law .
This is the first time American corporations have threatened to use CUSMA to push back against a proposed Canadian law , and observers say it won ’ t be the last .
# cdnpoli “ The government of Canada is advancing a regulatory approach that is not based on strong scientific evidence and would undermine partnerships and progress against marine litter , ” the document says .
Not according to the federal government .
“ Environment and Climate Change Canada published a science assessment in January that provides the scientific @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” said Youmy Han , a spokesperson for Ng .
The government ’ s assessment offers an overview of existing research on the impact plastic pollution has on the environment , animals and human health .
The report found that reducing the amount of plastic getting into the environment is essential , and a subsequent discussion document said that a partial ban would be the most effective action .
The companies disagreed , urging the Canadian government to invest in waste management technologies and hold more consultations with the industry groups and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ say that the Canadian regulations would breach CUSMA obligations that force countries to regulate based on so-called “ risk assessments ” for individual products .
This approach runs directly against the precautionary principle central to Canada ’ s proposed legislation .
The precautionary principle requires countries to prevent actions or ban products that could harm the environment or human health , even if there isn ’ t a specific cause-and-effect relationship between the action and the harm .
In contrast , the risk-based approach enshrined in CUSMA requires countries to prove a direct @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the harm it causes before regulating it .
That has CUSMA critics worried the influence of large corporations could strip Canada of its right to pass laws based on Canadian values — or scare governments from acting in the first place .
“ These tenets attempt to strip political or ethical considerations from government rule-making , ” notes a 2019 report by the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives and IATP .

A group of more than 60 major American industry associations are trying to stop Canada’s efforts to reduce plastic pollution. In a letter to Canada’s International Trade Minister Mary Ng, the group threatened to use novel provisions in the new NAFTA agreement (CUSMA) to delay proposed plastics legislation. The letter was sent as a warning salvo in September, about a month before Canada announced detailed plans for its new legislation. Canada’s proposed laws will ban some single-use plastics, list plastic as a toxic substance and force companies to take more responsibility for their products’ disposal. Details of the changes were announced in late October and include a ban on some single-use plastics, such as straws and shopping bags. This is the first time American corporations have threatened to use CUSMA to push back against a proposed Canadian law, and observers say it won’t be the last. The trade deal, which came into force in July, introduced new provisions that allow countries to sue their trading partners for new domestic regulations that cut into the profits of existing industries. According to the organizations, the proposed ban on certain single-use plastics would amount to a “non-tariff barrier” impacting more than $12.1 billion in U.S. exports to Canada.
Those rules could pose major hurdles to the development of badly needed environmental policies as Canada responds to climate change, pollution and other major issues. Canada’s proposed plan was released in the wake of a scientific review and recommended listing plastic as toxic under Canada’s Environmental Protection Act. It would require plastics sold in Canada to contain at least 50 per cent recycled content by 2030 and improve Canada’s plastic recycling system. Billion-dollar land deals in Ontario raise corruption suspicions Critics of the CUSMA provisions say new arrangements in the trade deal defining “good regulatory practices” reduce national sovereignty.
“This isn’t about trade,” said Sharon Anglin Treat, a U.S.-based senior attorney at the Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy (IATP), a non-profit advocating for fair and sustainable farming and trade policies. “It’s about telling countries how they should regulate.” Those restrictions are broad and could limit the type of evidence countries can use to justify their laws, and even allow businesses to ask their governments to push for regulatory rollbacks, she explained. This is the first time American corporations have threatened to use CUSMA to push back against a proposed Canadian law, and observers say it won’t be the last. #cdnpoli The threatening letter, signed by several food-related organizations like the North American Meat Institute, the Foodservice Packaging Institute and CropLife America, a fertilizer industry association, questioned the rationale and effectiveness of the new Canadian law. “The government of Canada is advancing a regulatory approach that is not based on strong scientific evidence and would undermine partnerships and progress against marine litter,” the document says. Not according to the federal government.
“Environment and Climate Change Canada published a science assessment in January that provides the scientific basis for our government’s decision,” said Youmy Han, a spokesperson for Ng. The government’s assessment offers an overview of existing research on the impact plastic pollution has on the environment, animals and human health. The report found that reducing the amount of plastic getting into the environment is essential, and a subsequent discussion document said that a partial ban would be the most effective action. The companies disagreed, urging the Canadian government to invest in waste management technologies and hold more consultations with the industry groups and the U.S. government instead.


nationalobserver--2020-11-06--Arctic animals adapting to climate change, but it may be causing declines: study

A huge new archive of how animals move across the Arctic from season to season gives the clearest picture yet of how species from eagles to caribou are evolving in the face of climate change and hints at why some of them are in decline .
`` This is evolution , '' said Mark Hebblewhite , a University of Montana biologist who 's one of 148 co-authors of the study published Thursday in the journal Science .
`` These are just as much evolutionary responses to climate change as environmental changes . ''
The paper combines — for the first @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of data points on thousands of animals from different herds , flocks and 96 species into one archive .
`` Oftentimes , people study this herd or that herd , '' said Hebblewhite .
• Here ’ s how the outcome of the U.S. election could impact Canada • Christian school with ties to Ford questioned if climate change is ‘ Earth worship ’ • She moved to Canada to escape living under Donald Trump `` They look at climate effects on one population at a time .
It 's very difficult to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ We 've pulled together data on dozens of populations across the entire Arctic for up to 18 years . ''
The results confirm one thing that has been suspected for years , said Hebblewhite .
As the Arctic warms , caribou cows are giving birth earlier and earlier — up to more than two weeks sooner for some herds .
`` ( That ) is a big effect , '' he said .
It means something has changed in the internal wiring that governs when caribou young are born .
`` Calving does @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` ( Cows ) do n't decide , 'Oh , spring 's late this year .
I 'm going to give birth later . '
'' Similar changes are appearing in other animals .
Some golden eagles now show up at their summer nesting grounds more than a week earlier than they did at the start of the archive 's records .
A huge new archive of how animals move across the Arctic from season to season gives the clearest picture yet of how species from eagles to caribou are evolving in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ why some of them are in decline .
The good news , he said , is that the archive shows animals are able to evolve fast enough to keep up with climate change in the Arctic , which is happening faster there than anywhere else on Earth .
The bad news is that not all parts of the Arctic environment are evolving that quickly , throwing the delicate timing of life in the North out of whack .
Caribou adapted to calve at the same time as nutritious plants begin to sprout on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ calves arrive before the food their mothers need ?
`` We do n't know if that 's good or bad yet , '' Hebblewhite said .
It may , however , be the underlying reason why caribou numbers are plummeting .
`` What do we see across the Arctic ?
We see some of the lowest calf survival in barren ground caribou that have ever been recorded .
It has to have something to do with climate and this may be the smoking gun . ''
Preliminary results suggest the same phenomenon is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and wolves , Hebblewhite said .
The archive already shows that wolves and black bears are n't moving as much in the summer as they used to , while moose are moving more .
The archive will allow researchers to be much more certain about how animal movement in the Arctic is changing in response to its climate .
`` How do you tell if something changes ? ''
Hebblewhite asked .
`` For that you need time .
You need an archive of what animals did 10 , 20 years ago .

A huge new archive of how animals move across the Arctic from season to season gives the clearest picture yet of how species from eagles to caribou are evolving in the face of climate change and hints at why some of them are in decline. "This is evolution," said Mark Hebblewhite, a University of Montana biologist who's one of 148 co-authors of the study published Thursday in the journal Science. "These are just as much evolutionary responses to climate change as environmental changes." The paper combines — for the first time, the authors say — millions of data points on thousands of animals from different herds, flocks and 96 species into one archive. "Oftentimes, people study this herd or that herd," said Hebblewhite.
"They look at climate effects on one population at a time. It's very difficult to see the forest for the trees. We've pulled together data on dozens of populations across the entire Arctic for up to 18 years." The results confirm one thing that has been suspected for years, said Hebblewhite. As the Arctic warms, caribou cows are giving birth earlier and earlier — up to more than two weeks sooner for some herds. Billion-dollar land deals in Ontario raise corruption suspicions "(That) is a big effect," he said.
It means something has changed in the internal wiring that governs when caribou young are born. A huge new archive of how animals move across the Arctic from season to season gives the clearest picture yet of how species from eagles to caribou are evolving in the face of #climatechange and hints at why some of them are in decline. "Calving doesn't change," Hebblewhite said. "(Cows) don't decide, 'Oh, spring's late this year. I'm going to give birth later.'" Similar changes are appearing in other animals. Some golden eagles now show up at their summer nesting grounds more than a week earlier than they did at the start of the archive's records. The good news, he said, is that the archive shows animals are able to evolve fast enough to keep up with climate change in the Arctic, which is happening faster there than anywhere else on Earth. The bad news is that not all parts of the Arctic environment are evolving that quickly, throwing the delicate timing of life in the North out of whack. Caribou adapted to calve at the same time as nutritious plants begin to sprout on the tundra. What happens if the calves arrive before the food their mothers need?
"We don't know if that's good or bad yet," Hebblewhite said. It may, however, be the underlying reason why caribou numbers are plummeting. "What do we see across the Arctic? We see some of the lowest calf survival in barren ground caribou that have ever been recorded. It has to have something to do with climate and this may be the smoking gun."


nationalobserver--2020-11-06--Whole Foods reversing poppy ban for workers, veterans affairs minister says

Grocery chain Whole Foods Market reversed a policy Friday that forbid employees from wearing poppies −− a rule the prime minister described as a `` silly mistake . ''
The U.S.−based Whole Foods had defended the rule earlier , saying it was part of a blanket ban on anything other than the retailer ’ s basic uniform .
It said later , however , that feedback it received was helpful .
`` Our intention was never to single out the poppy or suggest a lack of support for Remembrance Day and the heroes who have bravely served their country , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Given the learnings of today , we are welcoming team members to wear the poppy pin in honour of Remembrance Day . ''
Veterans Affairs Minister Lawrence MacAulay said he had spoken to the company ’ s chief operating officer and welcomed the reversal .
• Here ’ s how the outcome of the U.S. election could impact Canada • Christian school with ties to Ford questioned if climate change is ‘ Earth worship ’ • She moved to Canada to escape living under Donald Trump `` Employees will now be able to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ MacAulay said in a statement posted on Twitter .
`` Glad to hear they ’ re changing course . ''
Earlier Friday , Prime Minister Justin Trudeau noted that MacAulay was actively working on the issue .
`` Whole Foods has made a silly mistake that I ’ m hoping will be corrected very quickly , '' Trudeau had said .
The House of Commons also adopted a motion by unanimous consent calling on all Canadian employers to allow their staff to wear poppies during Veterans Week , which began Thursday .
Meanwhile @ @ @ @ @ @ @ legislation that would allow everyone to wear a poppy while at work in the week leading up to Remembrance Day .
Doug Ford had said he found the Whole Foods policy `` absolutely disgraceful . ''
`` It was wrong when they banned staff expressing support for Black Lives Matter and it ’ s wrong to ban the poppy , '' NDP leader Jagmeet Singh said .
# lestweforget # wearyourpoppyproud # wholefoods His office said later Friday that the government still planned to proceed with the legislation .
Whole Foods had said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ last month to specify the ban on anything other than the standard uniform in an effort to clarify the rules for employees .
It also noted that it planned to observe a moment of silence on Remembrance Day and donate to the Royal Canadian Legion ’ s poppy campaign .
Several politicians condemned the policy before the reversal on the poppy issue was announced .
Conservative Leader Erin O ’ Toole , who is a veteran , had said that the past sacrifices of Canadian soldiers `` provides the freedom for a U.S. @ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh had said the poppy policy was part of a broader issue at Whole Foods .
`` It was wrong when they banned staff expressing support for Black Lives Matter and it ’ s wrong to ban the poppy , '' he said , referencing an ongoing lawsuit in the United States .
A federal lawsuit filed in Boston on July 20 alleges that the supermarket chain disciplined , intimidated and retaliated against workers who wore Black Lives Matter face coverings earlier this year .
According to that lawsuit @ @ @ @ @ @ @ code , which prohibits slogans or logos not affiliated with the company , as the reason for prohibiting Black Lives Matter messages .

Grocery chain Whole Foods Market reversed a policy Friday that forbid employees from wearing poppies −− a rule the prime minister described as a "silly mistake." The U.S.−based Whole Foods had defended the rule earlier, saying it was part of a blanket ban on anything other than the retailer’s basic uniform. It said later, however, that feedback it received was helpful. "Our intention was never to single out the poppy or suggest a lack of support for Remembrance Day and the heroes who have bravely served their country," a company spokeswoman said. "Given the learnings of today, we are welcoming team members to wear the poppy pin in honour of Remembrance Day." Veterans Affairs Minister Lawrence MacAulay said he had spoken to the company’s chief operating officer and welcomed the reversal.
"Employees will now be able to wear their poppies at work," MacAulay said in a statement posted on Twitter. "Glad to hear they’re changing course." Earlier Friday, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau noted that MacAulay was actively working on the issue. Billion-dollar land deals in Ontario raise corruption suspicions "Whole Foods has made a silly mistake that I’m hoping will be corrected very quickly," Trudeau had said.
The House of Commons also adopted a motion by unanimous consent calling on all Canadian employers to allow their staff to wear poppies during Veterans Week, which began Thursday. "It was wrong when they banned staff expressing support for Black Lives Matter and it’s wrong to ban the poppy," NDP leader Jagmeet Singh said. #lestweforget #wearyourpoppyproud #wholefoods Meanwhile Ontario’s premier vowed to introduce legislation that would allow everyone to wear a poppy while at work in the week leading up to Remembrance Day. Doug Ford had said he found the Whole Foods policy "absolutely disgraceful." His office said later Friday that the government still planned to proceed with the legislation. Whole Foods had said earlier that it updated its dress−code policy last month to specify the ban on anything other than the standard uniform in an effort to clarify the rules for employees.
It also noted that it planned to observe a moment of silence on Remembrance Day and donate to the Royal Canadian Legion’s poppy campaign. Several politicians condemned the policy before the reversal on the poppy issue was announced. Conservative Leader Erin O’Toole, who is a veteran, had said that the past sacrifices of Canadian soldiers "provides the freedom for a U.S. grocery chain to be stupid today."


nationalobserver--2020-11-06--Supreme Court sides with Maple Leaf Foods in meat recall case

OTTAWA — A Supreme Court of Canada ruling has dealt a blow to Mr. Sub franchisees in their quest for compensation over losses experienced during a Listeria outbreak .
In a 5−4 decision Friday , the top court said Maple Leaf Foods did not owe the submarine sandwich outlets a duty of care under the law .
Mr. Sub franchisees began a class−action lawsuit against Maple Leaf , claiming injury to reputation and economic losses , after the 2008 outbreak sparked a national recall that left them short of meat products for six to eight weeks .
There was no @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Maple Leaf .
Rather , the parties were linked indirectly through separate contracts with the central Mr. Sub company .
Following certification of the class action in an Ontario court , Maple Leaf requested dismissal of certain claims on the basis that it owed no duty of care to the class .
• Here ’ s how the outcome of the U.S. election could impact Canada • Christian school with ties to Ford questioned if climate change is ‘ Earth worship ’ • She moved to Canada to escape living under Donald Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the franchisees a duty to supply a product fit for human consumption , and that the contaminated meat products posed a real and substantial danger , amounting to a breach of that duty .
The Ontario Court of Appeal overturned the decision , finding a duty to supply a fit product was owed to restaurant customers , not to the franchise operators themselves .
A majority of the Supreme Court noted that although the common law readily imposes liability for negligence associated with injury or property damage , it has been slow to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ In proving negligence , the plaintiff must first establish that the defendant owed it a duty of care .
The court said the undertaking by Maple Leaf to provide safe , ready‑to‑eat meats was made to consumers with the purpose of assuring them that their interests were being kept in mind , and not to commercial intermediaries such as the franchisees .
As a result , the majority ruled , the business interests of the franchisees lie outside the scope and purpose of the undertaking .
Supreme Court of Canada sides with Maple @ @ @ @ @ @ @ mapleleaf # SCC # cdnla Any danger posed by the supply of meat could be a hazard only to diners and not to the franchisees , the court said .
In addition , while the ready‑to‑eat meats may have posed a real and substantial danger to consumers when they were made , any potential hazard evaporated when they were recalled and destroyed .
In a statement , lawyers for the franchisees expressed disappointment with the split decision .
`` The Supreme Court of Canada grappled for over a year with these difficult and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the outcome , '' the statement said .
`` Still , as a result of this decision , 424 Mr. Sub franchisees which suffered significant losses , through no fault of their own , as a result of the Maple Leaf Listeria outbreak , will not have the ability to obtain compensation for their losses . ''
The franchisees ’ lawyers also said the decision would require often vulnerable small businesses , as well as links in the supply chain , to protect themselves through contract negotiations with large manufacturers and purchase of @ @ @

OTTAWA — A Supreme Court of Canada ruling has dealt a blow to Mr. Sub franchisees in their quest for compensation over losses experienced during a Listeria outbreak. In a 5−4 decision Friday, the top court said Maple Leaf Foods did not owe the submarine sandwich outlets a duty of care under the law. Mr. Sub franchisees began a class−action lawsuit against Maple Leaf, claiming injury to reputation and economic losses, after the 2008 outbreak sparked a national recall that left them short of meat products for six to eight weeks. There was no direct contractual relationship between the franchisees and Maple Leaf. Rather, the parties were linked indirectly through separate contracts with the central Mr. Sub company. Following certification of the class action in an Ontario court, Maple Leaf requested dismissal of certain claims on the basis that it owed no duty of care to the class.
A judge ruled that Maple Leaf owed the franchisees a duty to supply a product fit for human consumption, and that the contaminated meat products posed a real and substantial danger, amounting to a breach of that duty. The Ontario Court of Appeal overturned the decision, finding a duty to supply a fit product was owed to restaurant customers, not to the franchise operators themselves. Billion-dollar land deals in Ontario raise corruption suspicions A majority of the Supreme Court noted that although the common law readily imposes liability for negligence associated with injury or property damage, it has been slow to grant protection to purely economic interests.
In proving negligence, the plaintiff must first establish that the defendant owed it a duty of care. Supreme Court of Canada sides with Maple Leaf Foods in listeria case. #mapleleaf #SCC #cdnla The court said the undertaking by Maple Leaf to provide safe, ready‑to‑eat meats was made to consumers with the purpose of assuring them that their interests were being kept in mind, and not to commercial intermediaries such as the franchisees. As a result, the majority ruled, the business interests of the franchisees lie outside the scope and purpose of the undertaking. Any danger posed by the supply of meat could be a hazard only to diners and not to the franchisees, the court said. In addition, while the ready‑to‑eat meats may have posed a real and substantial danger to consumers when they were made, any potential hazard evaporated when they were recalled and destroyed.
In a statement, lawyers for the franchisees expressed disappointment with the split decision. "The Supreme Court of Canada grappled for over a year with these difficult and important issues and we accept and respect the outcome," the statement said. "Still, as a result of this decision, 424 Mr. Sub franchisees which suffered significant losses, through no fault of their own, as a result of the Maple Leaf Listeria outbreak, will not have the ability to obtain compensation for their losses."


nationalobserver--2020-11-06--Demand for flu shot is up and getting more supply won't be easy

As demand for flu shots appears to be up across the country , the Public Health Agency of Canada is working with suppliers to order more doses — a feat that could prove more difficult than it sounds .
In a written statement , an official from the federal agency said production of flu vaccine is usually finished by the end of October .
Canada can only find additional doses from other countries that ordered more than they can use , or possibly from suppliers who produced more doses per batch than expected .
`` Discussions are continuing with Canada @ @ @ @ @ @ @ any additional vaccine that they may have available for Canada , '' said the statement sent late Wednesday .
It will not be until later this month , or early in December , that the agency will know if more doses can be found , the statement said .
Public health officials and politicians have asked `` every '' Canadian to get vaccinated against influenza so that hospitals overwhelmed by COVID-19 do n't also get hit with a flu-season tsunami .
• Here ’ s how the outcome of the U.S. election could @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to Ford questioned if climate change is ‘ Earth worship ’ • She moved to Canada to escape living under Donald Trump Orders for the flu vaccine begin in February , based on last year 's uptake .
Provinces submit their requests to the Public Health Agency of Canada , which puts in a bulk order .
The agency 's statement said this year it asked provinces to consider revising their asks , given the pandemic .
Every province then ordered more than last year , most by at least 20 per cent @ @ @ @ @ @ @ says more than 13.9 million doses have been secured now , compared to 11.2 million in 2019 .
Cole Davidson , a spokesman for federal Health Minister Patty Hajdu , said Thursday that 95 per cent of those doses have now been delivered to the provinces .
“ Protecting the health and safety of Canadians is our top priority .
With the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic , we knew that seasonal flu shots would play a more important role than ever before in protecting the health of Canadians , '' said Davidson @ @ @ @ @ @ @ encouraged provinces and territories to review and assess their needs , and worked with them to make Canada ’ s highest-ever order of seasonal flu shots . ''
Demand for the flu shot is up but supply could be an issue .
# flushot # cdnhealth The order is enough to inoculate about 37 per cent of Canadians .
Since flu-shot season began last month , there have been reports in many provinces of a significant uptick in demand , with long lines outside pharmacies , appointments at public health clinics booked solid @ @ @ @ @ @ @ did not receive enough vaccine to fulfil their patients ' requests for it .
Rexall cancelled most of its flu-shot appointments in Ontario this week because of what the company calls a `` provincewide supply issue . ''
Ontario has officially requested more doses so far .
Alberta reports having vaccinated nearly 600,000 people in just the first week the flu shot was available there .
That 's more than a quarter of the 1.96 million doses Alberta ordered .
Justin Bates , CEO of the Ontario Pharmacists Association , said he is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ actual shortage of flu shots this year .
He said it could be more that demand has been higher right off the top , rather than spread out , and that the distribution of the supply between pharmacies , public health clinics and doctors ' offices might not be matching up with where most people are trying to get a vaccine .
`` I would n't call it a shortage per se , '' he said .
`` I think until we get until the end of November , December , we 'll @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the system versus overall supply . ''
Bates said there are lessons to be learned from this experience for both the COVID-19 vaccine program that is widely expected in 2021 , and next year 's flu season .
Conservative health critic Michelle Rempel Garner said it 's not yet clear whether Canada did n't buy enough vaccine doses but she said she does think governments need to be more transparent about what is happening .
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said earlier this week the government is working with the provinces `` to ensure @ @ @ @ @ @ @ flu vaccine for everyone . ''
But at 13.9 million doses , that is well shy of enough for everyone , said Rempel Garner .
`` The prime minister is coming out and saying every Canadian is going to have a flu shot , but then they did n't order that much , '' she said .
`` So is that a procurement failure ?
Is it a public policy failure ?
Do they have advice from doctors saying that that 's how many we need ?
I do n't know .
That @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that the upcoming COVID-19 vaccine program should make it much clearer to Canadians about who should be getting it , when , and where they should go to do that .
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 5 , 2020 .

As demand for flu shots appears to be up across the country, the Public Health Agency of Canada is working with suppliers to order more doses — a feat that could prove more difficult than it sounds. In a written statement, an official from the federal agency said production of flu vaccine is usually finished by the end of October. Canada can only find additional doses from other countries that ordered more than they can use, or possibly from suppliers who produced more doses per batch than expected. "Discussions are continuing with Canada’s influenza vaccine suppliers to identify any additional vaccine that they may have available for Canada," said the statement sent late Wednesday. It will not be until later this month, or early in December, that the agency will know if more doses can be found, the statement said. Public health officials and politicians have asked "every" Canadian to get vaccinated against influenza so that hospitals overwhelmed by COVID-19 don't also get hit with a flu-season tsunami.
Orders for the flu vaccine begin in February, based on last year's uptake. Provinces submit their requests to the Public Health Agency of Canada, which puts in a bulk order. The agency's statement said this year it asked provinces to consider revising their asks, given the pandemic. Every province then ordered more than last year, most by at least 20 per cent. Billion-dollar land deals in Ontario raise corruption suspicions Nationally, the public health agency says more than 13.9 million doses have been secured now, compared to 11.2 million in 2019.
Cole Davidson, a spokesman for federal Health Minister Patty Hajdu, said Thursday that 95 per cent of those doses have now been delivered to the provinces. Demand for the flu shot is up but supply could be an issue. #flushot #cdnhealth “Protecting the health and safety of Canadians is our top priority. With the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, we knew that seasonal flu shots would play a more important role than ever before in protecting the health of Canadians," said Davidson. "That’s why we encouraged provinces and territories to review and assess their needs, and worked with them to make Canada’s highest-ever order of seasonal flu shots." The order is enough to inoculate about 37 per cent of Canadians. Since flu-shot season began last month, there have been reports in many provinces of a significant uptick in demand, with long lines outside pharmacies, appointments at public health clinics booked solid and some doctors' offices saying they did not receive enough vaccine to fulfil their patients' requests for it.
Rexall cancelled most of its flu-shot appointments in Ontario this week because of what the company calls a "provincewide supply issue." Ontario has officially requested more doses so far. Alberta reports having vaccinated nearly 600,000 people in just the first week the flu shot was available there. That's more than a quarter of the 1.96 million doses Alberta ordered. Justin Bates, CEO of the Ontario Pharmacists Association, said he isn't ready to say there is an actual shortage of flu shots this year. He said it could be more that demand has been higher right off the top, rather than spread out, and that the distribution of the supply between pharmacies, public health clinics and doctors' offices might not be matching up with where most people are trying to get a vaccine.