nationalobserver--2020-07-15--Liberal MPs call on government to tackle ‘national public health crisis’ of lead in drinking water

This story was originally published by the Toronto Star and appears here as part of the Tainted Water collaboration A group of Liberal MPs is asking its government to invest up to $ 400 million to combat the “ health crisis ” of lead-contaminated drinking water , which was exposed in communities across the country by a national investigation by 10 media outlets including the Toronto Star .
An open letter written by Hamilton MP Bob Bratina says the government “ can and must ” direct a portion of infrastructure spending designed to revitalize the post-COVID-19 economy into the “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the form of lead-contaminated drinking water.
” Bratina is contacting other federal politicians , as well as mayors across the country .
Addressing lead contamination in water has long been an issue I 've fought for , and I truly believe that there is no better time than now to solve this problem .
Please consult my open letter calling for a national solution to fix this national problem .
https : //t.co/dcr8GMvHDV — Bob Bratina ( @ BobBratina ) July 14 , 2020 The yearlong investigation published last November was a collaboration @ @ @ @ @ @ @ media outlets and nine universities in partnership with Concordia University ’ s Institute for Investigative Journalism .
An open letter written by Hamilton Liberal MP Bob Bratina says the government “ can and must ” direct a portion of infrastructure spending ... into the “ national public health crisis we face in the form of lead-contaminated drinking water.
” Drinking water in 11 cities was tested and data collected on 12,000 tap water tests across the country .
A third of municipalities had levels of lead contamination exceeding Health Canada guidelines .
Some @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Regina , Saskatoon , Moose Jaw and Montreal — showed levels of contamination in older homes comparable to those found in Flint , Michigan .
Following publication , many cities introduced subsidy programs to help homeowners with the costs of removing lead pipes and also invested in swifter removal of lead pipes on city property .
The MPs ’ open letter says contaminated drinking water “ is not a localized problem ; for this reason the federal government must act in the national interest and fund solutions to this public health crisis @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that has been shown to impact cognitive development and lower IQs in children and to trigger cardiovascular and kidney problems in adults .
Experts agree there is no safe level of lead in drinking water .
“ A developed and flourishing nation such as Canada can not justify turning a blind eye to the health of our people , ” the letter reads .
“ We have a once in a generation opportunity to address an age-old problem and a duty to follow through.
” Julie Dzerowicz , Liberal MP for Davenport in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is calling for federal involvement in improving transparency and standards in water quality .
“ I worry about this increase in disease and what is in our water and food , ” she said in an interview .
“ There should be testing every day and I think that should be public knowledge , posted on a website .
That would be a game changer for clean drinking water in our country.
” The investigation discovered a patchwork of water testing policies across the country , some of which experts called deceptive .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ water researcher at Simon Fraser University who consulted with Bratina , said the federal lead guideline — which sits at five parts per billion — is undermined by a lack of enforced standards governing how municipalities and provinces test for lead in water .
“ If you do n't provide a method to sample water that ’ s science-based , then in some ways having guidance on acceptable lead levels is silly , ” he said .
“ If you flush the taps for a half-hour before taking a sample , the results @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Prevost , a Montreal-based engineering professor specializing in drinking water quality , also consulted with Bratina .
She calls federal involvement a positive step forward .
“ They ’ ve gotten creative , ” Prevost said Monday .
“ This is a way of saying , we are aware the numbers are too high so we ’ re pushing it , but in a very flexible way , leaving it to the Federation of Canadian Municipalities and provinces to put it in.
” In her city of Montreal , Prevost has seen lead @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the investigation was published last fall .
Within weeks , the city earmarked $ 557 million to replace 48,000 water pipes leading into Montreal homes by 2030 .
In Halifax , where the investigation showed a third of tap water tests exceeded the federal lead limit , city council unanimously approved a proposal to pay replacement costs for every lead service line on customer property at a cost of $ 14 million .
Regina city council also voted unanimously to replace all lead pipes in the city within five years through a cost-sharing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ control chemicals to the city ’ s water system to reduce lead levels in drinking water .
Across Ontario , the investigation found more than a third of schools and daycares that tested for lead in the past three years had at least one exceedance of Health Canada ’ s lead guideline .
Prevost says municipalities across Canada continue to ramp up testing in schools , public libraries and fountains .
“ They ’ re finding the same numbers .
This is not going away .
Municipalities are taking it seriously … ( @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to where the best solution can happen .
And it ’ s moving.
” Emmanuella Lambropoulos , Liberal MP for the riding of Saint Laurent in north Montreal , says constituents in her riding have been receiving letters from the city warning of potential lead exceedances in their tap water .
“ It ’ s important to me for my community to be as safe as possible , ” said Lambropoulos , who is supporting the letter .
“ We know there are many health risks related to lead-contaminated water .
It ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Liberal MP for Montreal ’ s Lac-Saint-Louis riding , says he is supporting the letter to sway his government towards action .
“ It 's to signal to the finance minister and to the government generally that this could be included in an upcoming budget .
It ’ s about showing the ministers and prime minister that lead in pipes is a priority to a large number of MPs .
”

This story was originally published by the Toronto Star and appears here as part of the Tainted Water collaboration A group of Liberal MPs is asking its government to invest up to $400 million to combat the “health crisis” of lead-contaminated drinking water, which was exposed in communities across the country by a national investigation by 10 media outlets including the Toronto Star (and Canada's National Observer). An open letter written by Hamilton MP Bob Bratina says the government “can and must” direct a portion of infrastructure spending designed to revitalize the post-COVID-19 economy into the “national public health crisis we face in the form of lead-contaminated drinking water.” The letter recommends the money be shared with provinces for: corrosion control equipment and installation so that chemicals can be added to water supplies to reduce lead risks;
the creation of a $50-million program accessible to the Federation of Canadian Municipalities so communities can identify lead service lines; the creation of a personal tax credit to subsidize Canadians who replace lead pipes on their properties. Billion-dollar land deals in Ontario raise corruption suspicions By Tuesday morning, the letter had attracted about 20 signatures of support from Liberal and Conservative MPs and senators, and two cabinet members: Public Services and Procurement Minister Anita Anand and International Development Minister Karina Gould.
Bratina is contacting other federal politicians, as well as mayors across the country. An open letter written by Hamilton Liberal MP Bob Bratina says the government “can and must” direct a portion of infrastructure spending... into the “national public health crisis we face in the form of lead-contaminated drinking water.” Addressing lead contamination in water has long been an issue I've fought for, and I truly believe that there is no better time than now to solve this problem. Please consult my open letter calling for a national solution to fix this national problem. https://t.co/dcr8GMvHDV — Bob Bratina (@BobBratina) July 14, 2020 The yearlong investigation published last November was a collaboration of 120 journalists and researchers from 10 media outlets and nine universities in partnership with Concordia University’s Institute for Investigative Journalism. Drinking water in 11 cities was tested and data collected on 12,000 tap water tests across the country. A third of municipalities had levels of lead contamination exceeding Health Canada guidelines. Some cities — including Prince Rupert, B.C., Regina, Saskatoon, Moose Jaw and Montreal — showed levels of contamination in older homes comparable to those found in Flint, Michigan. Following publication, many cities introduced subsidy programs to help homeowners with the costs of removing lead pipes and also invested in swifter removal of lead pipes on city property.
The MPs’ open letter says contaminated drinking water “is not a localized problem; for this reason the federal government must act in the national interest and fund solutions to this public health crisis across Canada.” Lead is a neurotoxin that has been shown to impact cognitive development and lower IQs in children and to trigger cardiovascular and kidney problems in adults. Experts agree there is no safe level of lead in drinking water. “A developed and flourishing nation such as Canada cannot justify turning a blind eye to the health of our people,” the letter reads. “We have a once in a generation opportunity to address an age-old problem and a duty to follow through.”


nationalobserver--2020-07-15--Trudeau urged to boost Canada's post-COVID economy by investing in nature

Federal Environment Minister Jonathan Wilkinson says the government remains “ fully committed ” to preserving a quarter of natural land and ocean habitat by 2025 , following a call from hundreds of groups to ensure conservation is at the heart of any post-pandemic recovery .
In an open letter published July 13 to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau , 229 environmental organizations , including almost 50 B.C.-based groups , said they “ stand ready to provide staff , research and resource support ” to help Canada devise a strategy to achieve its biodiversity and climate targets .
The letter argues that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ grasslands , oceans , lakes and rivers can create jobs and help boost Canada ’ s economic recovery as it works to build capacity following the initial wave of COVID-19 .
“ Over the next six to 18 months , we urge the government to support investments in a variety of economic recovery solutions that support climate and biodiversity outcomes , ” reads the letter , signed by Nature Canada , the Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society , the David Suzuki Foundation and others .
“ Over the longer term , expert advice @ @ @ @ @ @ @ how to structure programs and investments in order to achieve the transformative relationship between society and nature that is needed to ensure a healthy and sustainable future for Canadians.
” • Here ’ s what Ontario ’ s stage 3 reopening will look like Proportion of conserved area in Canada from 1990 to 2019 .
The proportion of land area conserved , including protected land , has been trending steadily upward , while the portion of marine area remained relatively flat until recently .
Government of Canada screenshot Canada set a target to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ land and freshwater , and 10 per cent of marine areas , by this year , as part of the Convention on Biological Diversity .
According to federal government figures , by the end of 2019 it had reached this goal for marine areas , but not for land and freshwater .
Those figures show that Canada conserved 13.8 per cent of its marine territory , and 12.1 per cent of land and freshwater by the end of 2019 .
The proportion of conserved land and water varies widely across the country , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at 19.5 per cent .
Last year , dozens of scientists warned the Trudeau government it was not on pace to meet its conservation goals .
During the federal election campaign , Prime Minister Justin Trudeau promised to increase the amount of land , freshwater and marine areas conserved to 25 per cent by 2025 .
The goals under the convention say the original target should be achieved “ by 2020 , ” but Trudeau said during the campaign that the government was “ on track ” to its 17 per cent goal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” In an open letter to PM Trudeau , 229 environmental organizations , including almost 50 B.C.-based groups , said they “ stand ready to provide staff , research and resource support ” to help Canada meet its biodiversity and climate targets .
In July , Canada also joined the Global Ocean Alliance , which has as its goal the protection of 30 per cent of the oceans by 2030 .
Meanwhile , Fisheries Minister Bernadette Jordan said Canada will work toward a new biodiversity target under the Convention on Biological Diversity , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ showing where land and marine areas are protected and conserved in Canada .
The map shows how British Columbia contains the highest percentage compared to other provinces .
Government of Canada screenshot 'There needs to be a coherent policy ' Harry Crosby , president of North Vancouver-based BC Nature , a federation of more than 50 naturalist clubs across the province , said in an interview that he was “ encouraged by the promises and the concern which the federal government is showing ” on the issue of biodiversity and land protection , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ Our concern is that there needs to be a coherent policy developed , ” Crosby said .
“ It ’ s great to talk about spending money on biodiversity , but our concern is looking at the difference between the general policy statements and the practice , what ’ s actually happening on the ground.
” Wilkinson ’ s press secretary Moira Kelly said the government ’ s priority remains COVID-19 , but “ climate change and biodiversity loss still present a threat to our economic and physical well-being.
” “ We @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cent of Canada ’ s land and oceans by 2025 and ensuring that nature-based climate solutions are embedded in our plans to fight climate change , ” Kelly said .
“ We are always open to hearing innovative and green ways to grow our economy while protecting the environment , and will consider these recommendations with interest.
” The letter points out that biodiversity loss is accelerating worldwide , and Canada has a responsibility , as a country with a large land mass containing many ecosystems , “ for the welfare of planetary @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Canada , there is only enough information to assess the health of 30,000 — of which a fifth are imperiled , they said .
Natural landscapes are key to storing up to 20 per cent of carbon pollution over the next 30 years , according to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change , a fact that is key to avoiding the more severe effects of the climate crisis .
In Canada , human disruption is leading to habitat loss , which is putting its Paris climate target at risk , the letter said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ officially the Federation of British Columbia Naturalists , there are 47 other B.C.-based organizations that have put their names to the letter , including West Coast Environmental Law , Wildsight and the Great Blue Heron Nature Reserve Society .

Federal Environment Minister Jonathan Wilkinson says the government remains “fully committed” to preserving a quarter of natural land and ocean habitat by 2025, following a call from hundreds of groups to ensure conservation is at the heart of any post-pandemic recovery. In an open letter published July 13 to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, 235 environmental organizations, including about 50 B.C.-based groups, said they “stand ready to provide staff, research and resource support” to help Canada devise a strategy to achieve its biodiversity and climate targets. The letter argues that government investments in forests, wetlands, grasslands, oceans, lakes and rivers can create jobs and help boost Canada’s economic recovery as it works to build capacity following the initial wave of COVID-19. “Over the next six to 18 months, we urge the government to support investments in a variety of economic recovery solutions that support climate and biodiversity outcomes,” reads the letter, signed by Nature Canada, the Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society, the David Suzuki Foundation and others. “Over the longer term, expert advice should be sought by relevant departments on how to structure programs and investments in order to achieve the transformative relationship between society and nature that is needed to ensure a healthy and sustainable future for Canadians.”
Proportion of conserved area in Canada from 1990 to 2019. The proportion of land area conserved, including protected land, has been trending steadily upward, while the portion of marine area remained relatively flat until recently. Government of Canada screenshot Conservation targets, over the years Billion-dollar land deals in Ontario raise corruption suspicions Canada set a target to conserve at least 17 per cent of land and freshwater, and 10 per cent of marine areas, by this year, as part of the Convention on Biological Diversity. According to federal government figures, by the end of 2019 it had reached this goal for marine areas, but not for land and freshwater.
Those figures show that Canada conserved 13.8 per cent of its marine territory, and 12.1 per cent of land and freshwater by the end of 2019. The proportion of conserved land and water varies widely across the country, with British Columbia conserving the most, at 19.5 per cent. In an open letter to PM Trudeau, 235 environmental organizations, including about 50 B.C.-based groups, said they “stand ready to provide staff, research and resource support” to help Canada meet its biodiversity and climate targets. Last year, dozens of scientists warned the Trudeau government it was not on pace to meet its conservation goals. During the federal election campaign, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau promised to increase the amount of land, freshwater and marine areas conserved to 25 per cent by 2025. The goals under the convention say the original target should be achieved “by 2020,” but Trudeau said during the campaign that the government was “on track” to its 17 per cent goal “by the end of next year.” In July, Canada also joined the Global Ocean Alliance, which has as its goal the protection of 30 per cent of the oceans by 2030. Meanwhile, Fisheries Minister Bernadette Jordan said Canada will work toward a new biodiversity target under the Convention on Biological Diversity, next year in 2021. A map showing where land and marine areas are protected and conserved in Canada. The map shows how British Columbia contains the highest percentage compared to other provinces. Government of Canada screenshot
'There needs to be a coherent policy' Harry Crosby, president of North Vancouver-based BC Nature, a federation of more than 50 naturalist clubs across the province, said in an interview that he was “encouraged by the promises and the concern which the federal government is showing” on the issue of biodiversity and land protection, but wanted to see more details. “Our concern is that there needs to be a coherent policy developed,” Crosby said. “It’s great to talk about spending money on biodiversity, but our concern is looking at the difference between the general policy statements and the practice, what’s actually happening on the ground.”


nationalobserver--2020-07-14--Points the point for Tory leadership

Points the point for Tory leadership

The federal Conservative party said Tuesday it has 269,469 members eligible to vote in the current leadership race .
But the number that actually matters when it comes to who will win the leadership later this summer is 16,901 .
The Conservatives use a points system to elect a leader , and so who wins is less about how many members candidates have in their corners and more about where those members live .
Each riding in the country is allocated 100 points , and how many points a candidate receives is based on his or her share of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , a candidate must win the majority of the 33,800 available points , or 16,901 .
• Here ’ s what Ontario ’ s stage 3 reopening will look like The party said Tuesday that there are now more than 100 ridings across Canada that have more than 1,000 party members .
Party officials did n't release a riding-by-riding breakdown , but said nine of the 10 ridings with the most members are in Alberta , which is the party 's traditional stronghold .
The ridings that have seen the largest percentage growth @ @ @ @ @ @ @ riding of Papineau , the Montreal constituency held by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau .
Candidates ought to be applauded for working hard during the COVID-19 pandemic to sign up new members to vote , said Lisa Raitt , the former Conservative cabinet minister who is the co-chair of the leadership organizing committee .
`` These are Canadians that are motivated and want a say in who the next prime minister is , '' she said in a statement .
About 100,000 memberships have been purchased since the start of the year , when @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Scheer officially began .
The federal Conservative party said on Tuesday , July 14 , 2020 , it has 269,469 members eligible to vote in the current leadership race .
Voting is now underway by mail and a winner is to be announced in late August .
When Scheer won the leadership in 2017 , the party had 259,000 members but only 141,000 cast ballots .
He won in the 13th round of voting , with 50.95 per cent of the available points , beating out Maxime Bernier , who had 49.05 per @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the largest percentage of membership growth since the start of the year came in Nova Scotia , Newfoundland and Labrador , Alberta and Quebec .
In 2017 , just 6.3 per cent of the party 's members were in Quebec .
With 78 ridings there , relatively few members can wield considerable influence .
Leadership candidate Peter MacKay has been campaigning in rural Quebec in particular in the last few days , part of a get-out-the-vote effort by his campaign ahead of the deadline to return ballots .
The other three contenders , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Lewis , are also spooling up their efforts , not just ensuring their own supporters get out to vote but seeking votes from each other 's backers as well .
The party uses a ranked ballot , meaning members can rank their preferences in order from one to four .
The ballots are then counted in rounds .
If in the first round no candidate gets a majority of points , the person with the fewest points is removed from the ballot .

The federal Conservative party said Tuesday it has 269,469 members eligible to vote in the current leadership race. But the number that actually matters when it comes to who will win the leadership later this summer is 16,901. The Conservatives use a points system to elect a leader, and so who wins is less about how many members candidates have in their corners and more about where those members live. Each riding in the country is allocated 100 points, and how many points a candidate receives is based on his or her share of the votes in that riding. To win, a candidate must win the majority of the 33,800 available points, or 16,901.
The party said Tuesday that there are now more than 100 ridings across Canada that have more than 1,000 party members. Party officials didn't release a riding-by-riding breakdown, but said nine of the 10 ridings with the most members are in Alberta, which is the party's traditional stronghold. Billion-dollar land deals in Ontario raise corruption suspicions The ridings that have seen the largest percentage growth are in non-traditional strongholds, including the riding of Papineau, the Montreal constituency held by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.
Candidates ought to be applauded for working hard during the COVID-19 pandemic to sign up new members to vote, said Lisa Raitt, the former Conservative cabinet minister who is the co-chair of the leadership organizing committee. The federal Conservative party said on Tuesday, July 14, 2020, it has 269,469 members eligible to vote in the current leadership race. "These are Canadians that are motivated and want a say in who the next prime minister is," she said in a statement. About 100,000 memberships have been purchased since the start of the year, when the contest to replace current leader Andrew Scheer officially began. Voting is now underway by mail and a winner is to be announced in late August. When Scheer won the leadership in 2017, the party had 259,000 members but only 141,000 cast ballots.
He won in the 13th round of voting, with 50.95 per cent of the available points, beating out Maxime Bernier, who had 49.05 per cent. The party said Tuesday that the largest percentage of membership growth since the start of the year came in Nova Scotia, Newfoundland and Labrador, Alberta and Quebec. In 2017, just 6.3 per cent of the party's members were in Quebec. With 78 ridings there, relatively few members can wield considerable influence.


nationalobserver--2020-07-14--Don't expect Canada-U.S. border to open anytime soon

Canada and the United States are now widely expected to extend their mutual ban on non-essential cross-border travel as COVID-19 destroys President Donald Trump 's hopes for a quick end to America 's public-health nightmare .
The Canada-U.S. border has been closed to `` discretionary '' travel like vacations and shopping trips since the pandemic took hold of the continent in mid-March , a rolling 30-day agreement that 's currently set to expire July 21 .
Officials on both sides of the border who are familiar with the ongoing talks , speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss matters not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ late August is all but inevitable , thanks to a towering wave of new COVID-19 cases that 's swamping efforts to restore a modicum of normality in the U.S. New York Rep. Brian Higgins , one of several members of Congress from northern states keen to see a plan for reopening the border , expressed dismay Tuesday at news he called disappointing but hardly surprising .
`` With no leadership from President Trump to address the pandemic , cases in the United States are spiking and as a result U.S. citizens are not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , including many of our allies , '' Higgins , a Democrat , said in a statement .
• Here ’ s what Ontario ’ s stage 3 reopening will look like Recent calls from Higgins and others for a plan to start easing border restrictions have been greeted with social-media scorn and derision in Canada , where recent polls make clear the idea of allowing entry to Americans any time soon is a non-starter .
The novel coronavirus has been particularly resurgent in southern states like Florida , Texas , Georgia and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ early , contrary to the advice of public health officials , and the wearing of face masks became a partisan issue .
`` The U.S. and Canada should be developing a plan that lays out what continued , nuanced management of the border during a prolonged pandemic will look like , '' Higgins said .
`` But the administration 's failure to develop a national plan for widespread testing , ( personal protective equipment ) distribution and the rejection of social distancing and mask-wearing to slow the spread does n't inspire confidence that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ . ''
Wearing a mask , perhaps the simplest way to reduce the spread of the novel coronavirus , has evolved into one of the most complex and flummoxing points of division in the U.S. , thanks in part to conflicting signals early in the crisis about its effectiveness and the obvious reluctance of the commander-in-chief to embrace the idea .
It was only just this past weekend — nearly four months into the crisis — that Trump himself was photographed wearing one in public , during a visit with wounded service members @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Canada and the United States are now widely expected to extend their mutual ban on non-essential cross-border travel as COVID-19 destroys President Donald Trump 's hopes for a quick end to America 's public-health nightmare .
Dr. Robert Redfield , the director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention , urged Americans to mask up Monday , saying facial coverings for everyone in the country would break the pandemic 's back in less than two months .
`` It 's our major defence to prevent ourselves from getting this infection , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Charlotte , N.C. `` If all of us would put on a face covering now for the next four weeks , six weeks , I think we could drive this epidemic into the ground . ''
Paradoxically , new online polling from Leger and the Association for Canadian Studies suggests the idea of mandatory masking in public is more popular in the U.S. than it is in Canada .
Leger 's latest online poll , conducted July 10 to 12 , found 72 per cent of 1,001 American respondents supported the idea of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ per cent of the survey 's 1,523 Canadian participants .
Of those surveyed in the U.S. , 41 per cent said they would consider it a violation of their personal freedoms , compared with 27 per cent of those in Canada .
`` Americans are far more likely to agree that rights are at issue , '' said ACS president Jack Jedwab .
`` Yet , despite the fact that Americans strongly agree that the mask requirement is a rights infringement , they nonetheless believe that mask wearing should be mandatory . ''
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ border issues as well : on Tuesday , facing a lawsuit from Harvard University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology , the administration abandoned a controversial measure that would have forced international students whose courses move entirely online to either transfer schools or leave the country .
That news likely comes as a relief to untold thousands of Canadian students studying south of the border , many of whom have been forced into virtual classrooms with colleges and universities having cancelled in-person classes .
Dr. Howard Njoo , Canada 's deputy chief public @ @ @ @ @ @ @ discuss the worsening COVID-19 situation in the U.S. in any detail .
But he said cross-border travel in a public health emergency is usually a matter of ensuring that both countries have a similar grip on the circumstances , taking into account factors like their respective health-care systems , testing and contact-tracing regimes and strategies for preventing transmission .

Canada and the United States are now widely expected to extend their mutual ban on non-essential cross-border travel as COVID-19 destroys President Donald Trump's hopes for a quick end to America's public-health nightmare. The Canada-U.S. border has been closed to "discretionary" travel like vacations and shopping trips since the pandemic took hold of the continent in mid-March, a rolling 30-day agreement that's currently set to expire July 21. Officials on both sides of the border who are familiar with the ongoing talks, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss matters not yet public, say another extension until late August is all but inevitable, thanks to a towering wave of new COVID-19 cases that's swamping efforts to restore a modicum of normality in the U.S. New York Rep. Brian Higgins, one of several members of Congress from northern states keen to see a plan for reopening the border, expressed dismay Tuesday at news he called disappointing but hardly surprising. "With no leadership from President Trump to address the pandemic, cases in the United States are spiking and as a result U.S. citizens are not welcome in several countries around the globe, including many of our allies," Higgins, a Democrat, said in a statement.
Recent calls from Higgins and others for a plan to start easing border restrictions have been greeted with social-media scorn and derision in Canada, where recent polls make clear the idea of allowing entry to Americans any time soon is a non-starter. The novel coronavirus has been particularly resurgent in southern states like Florida, Texas, Georgia and Louisiana, where businesses tried to reopen early, contrary to the advice of public health officials, and the wearing of face masks became a partisan issue. Billion-dollar land deals in Ontario raise corruption suspicions "The U.S. and Canada should be developing a plan that lays out what continued, nuanced management of the border during a prolonged pandemic will look like," Higgins said.
"But the administration's failure to develop a national plan for widespread testing, (personal protective equipment) distribution and the rejection of social distancing and mask-wearing to slow the spread doesn't inspire confidence that such a plan is in the works." Canada and the United States are now widely expected to extend their mutual ban on non-essential cross-border travel as COVID-19 destroys President Donald Trump's hopes for a quick end to America's public-health nightmare. Wearing a mask, perhaps the simplest way to reduce the spread of the novel coronavirus, has evolved into one of the most complex and flummoxing points of division in the U.S., thanks in part to conflicting signals early in the crisis about its effectiveness and the obvious reluctance of the commander-in-chief to embrace the idea. It was only just this past weekend — nearly four months into the crisis — that Trump himself was photographed wearing one in public, during a visit with wounded service members at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center. Dr. Robert Redfield, the director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, urged Americans to mask up Monday, saying facial coverings for everyone in the country would break the pandemic's back in less than two months. "It's our major defence to prevent ourselves from getting this infection," Redfield told a news conference in Charlotte, N.C. "If all of us would put on a face covering now for the next four weeks, six weeks, I think we could drive this epidemic into the ground."
Paradoxically, new online polling from Leger and the Association for Canadian Studies suggests the idea of mandatory masking in public is more popular in the U.S. than it is in Canada. Leger's latest online poll, conducted July 10 to 12, found 72 per cent of 1,001 American respondents supported the idea of mandatory masks indoors, compared with 67 per cent of the survey's 1,523 Canadian participants. Of those surveyed in the U.S., 41 per cent said they would consider it a violation of their personal freedoms, compared with 27 per cent of those in Canada. "Americans are far more likely to agree that rights are at issue," said ACS president Jack Jedwab. "Yet, despite the fact that Americans strongly agree that the mask requirement is a rights infringement, they nonetheless believe that mask wearing should be mandatory."


nationalobserver--2020-07-14--Bar reopenings going ahead in Ontario

Bar reopenings going ahead in Ontario

Canada 's deputy public health chief says going inside a bar to have a drink with friends remains a high-risk activity in the era of COVID-19 .
Dr. Howard Njoo 's reminder Tuesday came just days before Ontario starts to allow indoor dining and drinking at restaurants and bars as much of the province , and as outbreaks are being investigated at bars and restaurants in at least three other provinces .
Njoo said any indoor space generally poses a higher risk for transmission than outside , because of relative lack of air circulation .
In a bar , where @ @ @ @ @ @ @ talk loudly , and stay for hours , there is definitely a `` higher risk . ''
`` People need to evaluate , I think , at a personal level , the risk and benefits of going to a bar and what they can do to mitigate that risk , '' he said .
For Njoo , personally , it means staying away for now even as the NHL gears up to start playing again .
• Here ’ s what Ontario ’ s stage 3 reopening will look like `` At the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is just my own risk tolerance , I would probably watch the games at home with my own very tight social bubble , '' he said .
`` I would not specifically be going to a bar . ''
Ontario Premier Doug Ford is being criticized for allowing most of his province outside of Toronto to have indoor bar and restaurant service starting Friday .
Ontario is the last province where indoor dining and drinking remained banned to try to curb COVID-19 's spread .
A campaign immediately erupted on social media , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the province fear opening bars will just usher in a second wave of the pandemic that will mean schools ca n't open again in September .
Even Alex Munter , the CEO of the children 's hospital in Ottawa , joined the chorus with a post about prioritizing children 's needs .
Ford shrugged it off in his Tuesday news conference , saying it 's not about putting bars ahead of anybody , but rather about not putting bars out of business .
`` What I 'm concerned about is the restaurants and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ keeping them afloat , '' he said .
Ford said there is a strong plan in place for this to happen , including requiring two metres ' distance or Plexiglas shields between tables and requiring people to be seated while inside .
Buffets remain barred , as does dancing and singing , except by a performer hired by the venue who performs at a distance , behind a barrier .
Canada 's deputy public health chief says going inside a bar to have a drink with friends remains a high-risk activity in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ believe that owners of restaurants and bars are going to be responsible , '' Ford said .
Ontario 's opening of bars is coming as other jurisdictions are closing theirs back down .
California extended an order to close bars and indoor restaurant dining statewide Monday , as the state sees soaring case loads and hospitalizations .
School boards in Los Angeles and San Diego have decided , amid the general rise in COVID-19 , that they ca n't resume any in-person schooling next month .
In Allegheny County , Penn.
, which @ @ @ @ @ @ @ dining was banned again in early July , after the city saw its daily cases go from zero to 200 in just two weeks .
Local health officials linked that surge to bars .
Quebec , which is now enforcing a provincewide mask order indoors , is restricting bar hours and reducing patron limits after more than 30 COVID-19 cases were linked to nine bars in the Montreal area in recent days .
Bars were reopened in Quebec in late June .
Quebec is also now asking bars to collect names and contact @ @ @ @ @ @ @ help with contract tracing .
In Edmonton , 40 cases were linked to four bars and restaurants at the end of June .
Health officials in Kelowna , B.C .
are trying to track down people who visited bars and other downtown establishments in late June and early July after eight people tested positive for COVID-19 .
And in Newfoundland , public health officials have n't seen an uptick in cases but are still imposing tighter restrictions on bars after photos of crowded establishments in St. John 's made the rounds .
Special @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 50 per cent of approved capacity and banning dance floors .

Canada's deputy public health chief says going inside a bar to have a drink with friends remains a high-risk activity in the era of COVID-19. Dr. Howard Njoo's reminder Tuesday came just days before Ontario starts to allow indoor dining and drinking at restaurants and bars as much of the province, and as outbreaks are being investigated at bars and restaurants in at least three other provinces. Njoo said any indoor space generally poses a higher risk for transmission than outside, because of relative lack of air circulation. In a bar, where people tend to sit close together, talk loudly, and stay for hours, there is definitely a "higher risk." "People need to evaluate, I think, at a personal level, the risk and benefits of going to a bar and what they can do to mitigate that risk," he said. For Njoo, personally, it means staying away for now even as the NHL gears up to start playing again.
"At the present time, for myself, this is just my own risk tolerance, I would probably watch the games at home with my own very tight social bubble," he said. "I would not specifically be going to a bar." Ontario Premier Doug Ford is being criticized for allowing most of his province outside of Toronto to have indoor bar and restaurant service starting Friday. Ontario is the last province where indoor dining and drinking remained banned to try to curb COVID-19's spread. Billion-dollar land deals in Ontario raise corruption suspicions A campaign immediately erupted on social media, hashtagged #schoolsbeforebars, as parents in the province fear opening bars will just usher in a second wave of the pandemic that will mean schools can't open again in September. Even Alex Munter, the CEO of the children's hospital in Ottawa, joined the chorus with a post about prioritizing children's needs.
Ford shrugged it off in his Tuesday news conference, saying it's not about putting bars ahead of anybody, but rather about not putting bars out of business. Canada's deputy public health chief says going inside a bar to have a drink with friends remains a high-risk activity in the era of COVID-19. "What I'm concerned about is the restaurants and the bars, keeping them alive, keeping them afloat," he said. Ford said there is a strong plan in place for this to happen, including requiring two metres' distance or Plexiglas shields between tables and requiring people to be seated while inside. Buffets remain barred, as does dancing and singing, except by a performer hired by the venue who performs at a distance, behind a barrier. "I truly believe that owners of restaurants and bars are going to be responsible," Ford said. Ontario's opening of bars is coming as other jurisdictions are closing theirs back down.
California extended an order to close bars and indoor restaurant dining statewide Monday, as the state sees soaring case loads and hospitalizations. School boards in Los Angeles and San Diego have decided, amid the general rise in COVID-19, that they can't resume any in-person schooling next month. In Allegheny County, Penn., which includes the city of Pittsburgh, indoor dining was banned again in early July, after the city saw its daily cases go from zero to 200 in just two weeks. Local health officials linked that surge to bars. Quebec, which is now enforcing a provincewide mask order indoors, is restricting bar hours and reducing patron limits after more than 30 COVID-19 cases were linked to nine bars in the Montreal area in recent days. Bars were reopened in Quebec in late June.


nationalobserver--2020-07-14--Opposition says Feds should have put $912M into Canada Summer Jobs program

Federal opposition parties are demanding to know why the Liberal government created a $ 900-million program to help students find volunteer positions rather than putting the much-needed funds into an existing summer jobs program .
The call for answers comes as the government tries to chart a way forward for the new Canada Student Services Grant , which has been in limbo after WE Charity withdrew from administering the program amid controversy over its links to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his family .
The Liberals have billed the grant program as a way to reward tens of thousands of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ COVID-19 pandemic and ca n't find paid work .
Participants were told they could earn up to $ 5,000 toward their education costs by volunteering the maximum 500 hours .
Opposition parties say the Liberals could have accomplished the same task without controversy by putting the money into the Canada Summer Jobs program , through which thousands of positions for students are subsidized by the federal government every year .
`` The government chose specifically to ignore the opportunity of the Canada Summer Jobs and instead went for this , '' Conservative economic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Canada Student Services Grant .
• Here ’ s what Ontario ’ s stage 3 reopening will look like `` It makes no sense ...
They put a ton of money — $ 912 million — towards an untested concept when they have a ready-to-go program . ''
The Liberals have expanded the summer-jobs program by increasing the wage subsidy available to companies and not-for-profit groups to 100 per cent of the local minimum wage , expanding what types of positions qualified and extending the eligible work period to early next year .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ million to create 10,000 more positions than last year for students .
The move brought the total budget for the program to $ 323 million and the expected number of summer jobs to 80,000 .
The opposition says the available funding is not enough to cover demand in a normal year .
The federal Employment and Social Development Department itself says on its website that in 2019 , `` requests for funding totalled more than three times the program budget . ''
Neither the government nor WE have said how many volunteer positions @ @ @ @ @ @ @ $ 912-million grant program .
There has been criticism that participants receive only $ 10 per hour — less than the minimum wage in any province .
There have also been questions about many positions advertised as available through the volunteer scheme , including thousands for students to shoot videos , make websites and create other content in placements apparently created by WE to meet the requirements of the volunteer program .
Federal opposition parties are demanding to know why the Liberal government created a $ 900-million program to help students find volunteer @ @ @ @ @ @ @ into an existing summer jobs program .
NDP ethics critic Charlie Angus said that stands in contrast to the summer jobs program after the government asked members of Parliament across the country to identify potential positions in their ridings in the spring — many of which did not get funding .
`` We had really legitimate organizations ready to hire students to do legitimate work , and all of that was sidelined , '' Angus said .
`` These were a lot more credible positions than making a video showing how to do @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they plan to move ahead with the volunteer program despite WE 's withdrawal , saying the federal Employment Department has taken over and is looking at ways to make it happen .
But the Conservatives , NDP and Greens all say the government should learn its lesson and put the money into the Canada Summer Jobs program , which is already managed by the government and has a history of success .
That starts with revisiting what the Tories and New Democrats suggested was the large number of summer jobs requested by businesses @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a shortage of money .
`` The government should be focused on a program that is transparent , that is fair , that is broadly supported by all parties , and that already has a number of applications that have been ranked and have not been filled just because there 's not enough money , '' Albas said .
Green MP Elizabeth May said organizations that applied for positions through the student-volunteer program should also be allowed to transfer their requests to the summer-jobs program .
And if that is not possible , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ looking at taking the money and putting it into direct financial support for students , including by adding the funds to the Canada Emergency Student Benefit for those unable to find work due to COVID-19 .
`` They have two options : One is to put that money into Canada Summer Jobs and one is to put it straight into the support for university students so they have the funds necessary to go to school and cut out all these schemes they worked out with WE , '' he said .
`` I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ immediately .
The summer is getting close to half over .
It may be at this point too difficult to get the Canada Summer Jobs up , but there are a lot of organizations that we submitted names for . ''
Bloc Quebecois Leader Yves-Francois Blanchet , meanwhile , repeated a call on Tuesday for Trudeau to step aside in favour of his deputy Chrystia Freeland while the WE affair is fully investigated .
But Blanchet said that based on what 's known now , he does n't believe the Liberal government should @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The Canadian Press was first published July 14 , 2020 .

Federal opposition parties are demanding to know why the Liberal government created a $900-million program to help students find volunteer positions rather than putting the much-needed funds into an existing summer jobs program. The call for answers comes as the government tries to chart a way forward for the new Canada Student Services Grant, which has been in limbo after WE Charity withdrew from administering the program amid controversy over its links to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his family. The Liberals have billed the grant program as a way to reward tens of thousands of students who want to help with the COVID-19 pandemic and can't find paid work. Participants were told they could earn up to $5,000 toward their education costs by volunteering the maximum 500 hours. Opposition parties say the Liberals could have accomplished the same task without controversy by putting the money into the Canada Summer Jobs program, through which thousands of positions for students are subsidized by the federal government every year. "The government chose specifically to ignore the opportunity of the Canada Summer Jobs and instead went for this," Conservative economic development critic Dan Albas said of the Canada Student Services Grant.
"It makes no sense ... They put a ton of money — $912 million — towards an untested concept when they have a ready-to-go program." The Liberals have expanded the summer-jobs program by increasing the wage subsidy available to companies and not-for-profit groups to 100 per cent of the local minimum wage, expanding what types of positions qualified and extending the eligible work period to early next year. Billion-dollar land deals in Ontario raise corruption suspicions They also injected an extra $60 million to create 10,000 more positions than last year for students. The move brought the total budget for the program to $323 million and the expected number of summer jobs to 80,000.
The opposition says the available funding is not enough to cover demand in a normal year. The federal Employment and Social Development Department itself says on its website that in 2019, "requests for funding totalled more than three times the program budget." Federal opposition parties are demanding to know why the Liberal government created a $900-million program to help students find volunteer positions rather than putting the much-needed funds into an existing summer jobs program. Neither the government nor WE have said how many volunteer positions they were expecting to fill through the $912-million grant program. There has been criticism that participants receive only $10 per hour — less than the minimum wage in any province. There have also been questions about many positions advertised as available through the volunteer scheme, including thousands for students to shoot videos, make websites and create other content in placements apparently created by WE to meet the requirements of the volunteer program. NDP ethics critic Charlie Angus said that stands in contrast to the summer jobs program after the government asked members of Parliament across the country to identify potential positions in their ridings in the spring — many of which did not get funding. "We had really legitimate organizations ready to hire students to do legitimate work, and all of that was sidelined," Angus said. "These were a lot more credible positions than making a video showing how to do exercises."
The Liberals have indicated they plan to move ahead with the volunteer program despite WE's withdrawal, saying the federal Employment Department has taken over and is looking at ways to make it happen. But the Conservatives, NDP and Greens all say the government should learn its lesson and put the money into the Canada Summer Jobs program, which is already managed by the government and has a history of success. That starts with revisiting what the Tories and New Democrats suggested was the large number of summer jobs requested by businesses and not-for-profits and not funded because of a shortage of money.


nationalobserver--2020-07-16--Huawei still hopeful it can provide 5G to Canada

Huawei Canada says it is collateral damage in the Trump administration 's trade war with China and remains hopeful that it might still be able to sell next-generation internet equipment to Canada .
That characterization comes one day after Britain became the last of Canada 's `` Five Eyes '' intelligence-sharing allies to ban the Chinese telecommunications firm from its 5G wireless internet .
The next generation of wireless internet technology is to be dramatically faster than the current standard , with more bandwidth and faster response times .
It 's expected to be crucial to technologies such as autonomous @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Huawei Canada 's vice president of corporate affairs , says the company hopes the Trudeau government 's ongoing 5G review steers clear of political machinations by administration of U.S. President Donald Trump to undermine the company .
`` We see ourselves as being caught in the middle of the U.S.-China trade war .
Canada is also unfortunately caught in the middle of it , '' Alykhan Velshi , Huawei Canada 's vice president of corporate affairs , said in an interview on Wednesday .
• Trudeau urged to boost Canada 's post-COVID @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s what Ontario ’ s stage 3 reopening will look like `` That is the context in which a lot of announcements and decisions are made , as the Trump administration is demanding that everyone pick a side whether it is actually in their interest to go all in on one side or that other . ''
Britain 's decision brought it firmly in line with Trump 's campaign to have Huawei banned from allied countries , including Canada .
The United States views Huawei as a security threat and says its @ @ @ @ @ @ @ back door for China 's communist leaders and military to spy on other countries as they adopt 5G technology — a charge the company firmly denies .
The Trudeau government has delayed a long-awaited decision on whether to allow Huawei to participate in Canada 's new 5G network largely because of China 's ongoing imprisonment of two Canadian men , Michael Kovrig and Michael Spavor .
Kovrig and Spavor were arrested nine days after Canada detained Huawei 's chief financial officer , Meng Wanzhou , on an American arrest warrant in December 2018 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ retaliation by China to force Canada to release Meng .
Velshi , a lawyer and former Conservative political staffer , called the case against Meng a `` politically driven '' prosecution by Trump , and pointed to a 2018 musing by the president that she could be used as a bargaining chip in his trade negotiation with China .
Huawei Canada says it is collateral damage in the Trump administration 's trade war with China and remains hopeful that it might still be able to sell next-generation internet equipment to Canada .
He @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Canadian courts when the extent of Trump 's political motivation is properly presented .
But at the same time , Velshi also expressed sympathy for Kovrig and Spavor and reiterated the view of the Canadian arm of his company that diplomats can somehow win their freedom .
`` Like all Canadians we 're concerned about their detention , we 're concerned about their treatment and we want to see them home as soon as possible . ''
The tensions between Beijing and Washington intensified on Wednesday following Tuesday 's announcement by Britain that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the 5G network because U.S. sanctions made it impossible to ensure the safety of Chinese-supplied equipment .
The Trump administration decided in May to block non-U.S. companies from using American technology to produce processor chips and other components for Huawei without Washington 's approval .
On Wednesday , the Chinese government accused Britain of colluding with the U.S. to hurt Huawei .
The Trump administration fired back by announcing travel bans on employees of Huawei and other Chinese companies that the U.S. determines are assisting authoritarian governments in violating human rights , including @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said Huawei has faith in the Canadian government 's ongoing 5G review and the company has nothing to say about how long it has taken for a decision to be made .
In the meantime , Velshi said that despite the tensions between Beijing and Ottawa , Huawei 's revenues in Canada grew in 2019 , as did its workforce , which stands at about 1,200 employees .
Velshi said the company has not yet made public its 2019 financials .
`` We attribute that growth to the fact that our customers … @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to buy our products , '' said Velshi .
David Reed , Britain 's deputy high commissioner to Canada , had no comment on what Canada should do next , but noted the two countries enjoy strong co-operation in the Five Eyes , which also includes Australia and New Zealand .
Reed said all countries must focus on allowing more companies to thrive in the 5G market .
`` The reason we 're in this position is there 's a global market failure , '' Reed said in an interview .
`` That @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with Five Eyes partners , earlier in the year and we 're trying to make progress on that . ''
John Power , the spokesman for Innovation Minister Navdeep Bains , gave no indication as to when the government would make its decision on which companies can sell 5G gear in Canada .
He reiterated that the government would `` not compromise on matters of national security '' but declined to reference specific companies .
`` Our government 's review will consider technical and security factors , including advice from our security agencies @ @ @ @ @ @ @ partners , '' he said in a statement , adding that it would take into account `` important domestic and international considerations . ''
This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 15 , 2020 .
— With files from the Associated Press .

Huawei Canada says it is collateral damage in the Trump administration's trade war with China and remains hopeful that it might still be able to sell next-generation internet equipment to Canada. That characterization comes one day after Britain became the last of Canada's "Five Eyes" intelligence-sharing allies to ban the Chinese telecommunications firm from its 5G wireless internet. The next generation of wireless internet technology is to be dramatically faster than the current standard, with more bandwidth and faster response times. It's expected to be crucial to technologies such as autonomous vehicles and remote medicine. Alykhan Velshi, Huawei Canada's vice president of corporate affairs, says the company hopes the Trudeau government's ongoing 5G review steers clear of political machinations by administration of U.S. President Donald Trump to undermine the company. "We see ourselves as being caught in the middle of the U.S.-China trade war. Canada is also unfortunately caught in the middle of it," Alykhan Velshi, Huawei Canada's vice president of corporate affairs, said in an interview on Wednesday.
"That is the context in which a lot of announcements and decisions are made, as the Trump administration is demanding that everyone pick a side whether it is actually in their interest to go all in on one side or that other." Britain's decision brought it firmly in line with Trump's campaign to have Huawei banned from allied countries, including Canada. Billion-dollar land deals in Ontario raise corruption suspicions The United States views Huawei as a security threat and says its equipment and technology would serve as a back door for China's communist leaders and military to spy on other countries as they adopt 5G technology — a charge the company firmly denies.
The Trudeau government has delayed a long-awaited decision on whether to allow Huawei to participate in Canada's new 5G network largely because of China's ongoing imprisonment of two Canadian men, Michael Kovrig and Michael Spavor. Huawei Canada says it is collateral damage in the Trump administration's trade war with China and remains hopeful that it might still be able to sell next-generation internet equipment to Canada. Kovrig and Spavor were arrested nine days after Canada detained Huawei's chief financial officer, Meng Wanzhou, on an American arrest warrant in December 2018. That move is widely seen as retaliation by China to force Canada to release Meng. Velshi, a lawyer and former Conservative political staffer, called the case against Meng a "politically driven" prosecution by Trump, and pointed to a 2018 musing by the president that she could be used as a bargaining chip in his trade negotiation with China. He said Meng will be vindicated by the Canadian courts when the extent of Trump's political motivation is properly presented. (The Green party issued a statement along the same lines Wednesday, saying the United States is abusing its extradition treaty with Canada for political purposes and calling on the Canadian government to demand U.S. charges against Meng be dropped.)
But at the same time, Velshi also expressed sympathy for Kovrig and Spavor and reiterated the view of the Canadian arm of his company that diplomats can somehow win their freedom. "Like all Canadians we're concerned about their detention, we're concerned about their treatment and we want to see them home as soon as possible." The tensions between Beijing and Washington intensified on Wednesday following Tuesday's announcement by Britain that Huawei would be excluded from work on the 5G network because U.S. sanctions made it impossible to ensure the safety of Chinese-supplied equipment.


nationalobserver--2020-07-16--Democracy Watch starts legal fight with Doug Ford over appointments to tribunals

The Ford government should scrap changes it made late last year to the province ’ s tribunal appointment process , a new legal filing from Democracy Watch says , as advocates complain of delay and dysfunction .
The lawsuit from Democracy Watch filed July 8 alleges Premier Doug Ford and his attorney general , Doug Downey , broke rules ensuring the independence of the quasi-judicial bodies , which deal with everything from landlord and tenant disputes to human rights and police complaints , land use and environmental matters , and parole and youth custody review .
More than half of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are renters , who are involved in hearings where they risk losing their homes in one of the biggest of those tribunals , the Landlord and Tenant Board .
Young people could also be expected to fall into rent arrears in large numbers given they were most drastically hit by job losses and reduced work hours due to the COVID-19 pandemic , which prompted Ford to order a temporary pause on eviction hearings .
Tenant rights advocates complain that board is being deliberately starved of adjudicators to justify the streamlining efforts contained in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reading on Wednesday and will soon become law .
• Trudeau urged to boost Canada 's post-COVID economy by investing in nature • Here ’ s what Ontario ’ s stage 3 reopening will look like The bill makes it easier for a landlord to evict a tenant who misses an arrears payment without a hearing , and will be retroactive to the start of the pandemic .
Democracy Watch said the system for appointing members to Ontario ’ s tribunals had previously involved a competitive application process controlled by the tribunals , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cabinet .
The group said previously fixed-term appointments were being made for shorter and more uncertain time periods and that recommendations of tribunal chairs are being routinely rejected .
“ This means tribunal members have little job security and are essentially serving at the pleasure of the cabinet , undermining their independence and politicizing and weakening the enforcement of many key laws across the province , ” the advocacy group said in a statement .
The application asks the Ontario Superior Court of Justice to judge whether the appointments , which are largely @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the Adjudicative Tribunals Accountability , Governance and Appointments Act of 2009 ( ATAGA , or the Tribunals Act ) .
It wants the court to cancel appointments made under the Ford government ’ s new system on the grounds they are `` illegal and unconstitutional . ''
The Ford government stands accused of meddling with the independence of Ontario 's tribunals in a legal challenge from advocacy group @ DemocracyWatchr A spokesperson for the attorney general said the province was served on July 14 and was reviewing the notice of application for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is subject to litigation , it would be inappropriate to comment further , '' Jenessa Crognali said in an email .
The Ford government has been slow to fill vacancies on a string of its Tribunals Ontario 's 19 tribunals ( five of which were recently carved off into their own cluster ) , which combined issue more than 130,000 quasi-judicial rulings a year .
Last month it named Sean Weir , a former head of top law firm Borden Ladner Gervais and federal Conservative candidate in 2018 , as executive chair for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hiring process has led critics with long involvement in the tribunal system to question the government ’ s motives .
“ It seems to me you can only conclude that one of the motives of the government was to make room for their own appointments , ” said Ron Ellis , the former chair of the Ontario ’ s Workers ’ Compensation Appeals Tribunal .
He is a part of Tribunal Watch Ontario , which warned in May of a growing crisis due to the Ford government ’ s actions .
It said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ confidence that the adjudicator makes decisions based on the law and the evidence and free from fear of losing their job by displeasing the government .
“ This becomes especially obvious for tribunals where the government is a party , ” the group wrote .
Tribunal Watch Ontario counted 113 members of social justice tribunals at the end of April compared to 199 in 2018 , just before the election victory of Ford ’ s Progressive Conservatives .
The Landlord and Tenant Board , one of the busiest of the tribunals with close @ @ @ @ @ @ @ went from 53 members to 40 , all full-time jobs lost .
The Human Rights Tribunal went from 57 to 22 , and the Social Benefits Tribunal from 38 to 21 .
The Environmental Review Tribunal had only four members in April , the group found , with the highest-ranking member being a part-time vice-chair , compared to 12 members in March 2018 .
“ A shortage of adjudicators is restricting people ’ s access to justice and a fair and timely hearing .
Then on top of that , there is funding @ @ @ @ @ @ @ helping low-income folk navigating a very complex legal system , ” said Bahar Shadpour , a spokesperson for the Advocacy Centre for Tenants Ontario .
“ It is a recipe for a disastrous way for people to access justice , ” she said , noting the Ford government had cut funding for legal aid by nearly 30 per cent .
Shadpour said she expects a spike in demand for those legal services , especially related to housing , as the LTB faces an “ avalanche ” of eviction hearings once a pandemic-related moratorium @ @ @ @ @ @ @ January launched an investigation of the Landlord and Tenant Board focused on whether the government was doing enough to fix delays and backlogged cases , following a surge of complaints .
About 80 of the more than 200 complaints the ombudsman , Paul Dubé , received about the LTB in fiscal 2018-2019 were specifically about delays .
He has already received more than 110 delay complaints in the first nine months of this fiscal year , including 43 in December alone .
Editor 's note : This article was updated at 1:00 p.m. @ @ @ @ @ @ @ include response from attorney general 's office , note that filing seeks cancellation of appointments made under new system .

The Ford government should scrap changes it made late last year to the province’s tribunal appointment process, a new legal filing from Democracy Watch says, as advocates complain of delay and dysfunction. The lawsuit from Democracy Watch filed July 8 alleges Premier Doug Ford and his attorney general, Doug Downey, broke rules ensuring the independence of the quasi-judicial bodies, which deal with everything from landlord and tenant disputes to human rights and police complaints, land use and environmental matters, and parole and youth custody review. More than half of young people aged between 25 and 34 are renters, who are involved in hearings where they risk losing their homes in one of the biggest of those tribunals, the Landlord and Tenant Board. Young people could also be expected to fall into rent arrears in large numbers given they were most drastically hit by job losses and reduced work hours due to the COVID-19 pandemic, which prompted Ford to order a temporary pause on eviction hearings. Tenant rights advocates complain that board is being deliberately starved of adjudicators to justify the streamlining efforts contained in Bill 184, which went to third reading on Wednesday and will soon become law.
The bill makes it easier for a landlord to evict a tenant who misses an arrears payment without a hearing, and will be retroactive to the start of the pandemic. Democracy Watch said the system for appointing members to Ontario’s tribunals had previously involved a competitive application process controlled by the tribunals, but it is now largely controlled by cabinet. Billion-dollar land deals in Ontario raise corruption suspicions The group said previously fixed-term appointments were being made for shorter and more uncertain time periods and that recommendations of tribunal chairs are being routinely rejected.
“This means tribunal members have little job security and are essentially serving at the pleasure of the cabinet, undermining their independence and politicizing and weakening the enforcement of many key laws across the province,” the advocacy group said in a statement. The Ford government stands accused of meddling with the independence of Ontario's tribunals in a legal challenge from advocacy group @DemocracyWatchr The application asks the Ontario Superior Court of Justice to judge whether the appointments, which are largely done behind closed doors, run afoul of the Adjudicative Tribunals Accountability, Governance and Appointments Act of 2009 (ATAGA, or the Tribunals Act). It wants the court to cancel appointments made under the Ford government’s new system on the grounds they are "illegal and unconstitutional." A spokesperson for the attorney general said the province was served on July 14 and was reviewing the notice of application for judicial review. "As this matter is subject to litigation, it would be inappropriate to comment further," Jenessa Crognali said in an email.
The Ford government has been slow to fill vacancies on a string of its Tribunals Ontario's 19 tribunals (five of which were recently carved off into their own cluster), which combined issue more than 130,000 quasi-judicial rulings a year. Last month it named Sean Weir , a former head of top law firm Borden Ladner Gervais and federal Conservative candidate in 2018, as executive chair for Tribunals Ontario. The bottleneck in the hiring process has led critics with long involvement in the tribunal system to question the government’s motives. “It seems to me you can only conclude that one of the motives of the government was to make room for their own appointments,” said Ron Ellis, the former chair of the Ontario’s Workers’ Compensation Appeals Tribunal.


nationalobserver--2020-07-16--Federal government reconsidering decision to stay out of Alberta coal-mine review

Environment Minister Jonathan Wilkinson is reconsidering a decision in December to keep the federal government out of the approvals process for a major coal-mine expansion in Alberta .
The existing Vista mine , which is owned by the U.S. coal giant Cline Group , began shipping coal for export in May 2019 and the company is now looking to double , or possibly even triple , its output .
Fraser Thomson is a lawyer for Ecojustice , one of 47 environment , Indigenous , health and faith-based organizations that this week wrote to Environment Minister Jonathan Wilkinson asking him to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Wilkinson declined in December to order a federal impact assessment of the project near Hinton , Alta.
, between Edmonton and Jasper , saying the potential risks to the environment and Indigenous rights would be dealt with by a provincial approval process .
That was the ultimate in `` climate hypocrisy , '' Thomson said Wednesday .
• Trudeau urged to boost Canada 's post-COVID economy by investing in nature • Here ’ s what Ontario ’ s stage 3 reopening will look like Thomson said if this were a brand new @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it would automatically trigger a federal assessment .
Wilkinson has the power to order such an assessment of this one even though it is not mandatory , said Thomson .
In an emailed statement , Wilkinson 's spokeswoman Moira Kelly said the government is studying the issue anew and Wilkinson will make a fresh decision by the end of July .
Thomson said the federal government 's decision to wash its hands of the decision in December does not jibe with its three-year-old program to convince the world to wean itself off coal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ jointly launched the Powering Past Coal Alliance in 2017 , aiming to convince the world 's wealthiest countries to eliminate coal as a source of electricity by 2030 , and the rest of the world to do so by 2050 .
Canada is phasing coal power out domestically now , with the four provinces that still use coal to make electricity working on plans for stopping .
When the alliance began in November 2017 , Prime Minister Justin Trudeau called coal `` the dirtiest of all fossil fuels . ''
`` Let me @ @ @ @ @ @ @ represents perhaps the greatest challenge to the world not meeting its climate-change targets , '' Trudeau said .
`` Unless we reduce coal consumption , we are not going to be able to prevent catastrophic global warming . ''
Environment Minister Jonathan Wilkinson is reconsidering a decision in December to keep the federal government out of the approvals process for a major coal-mine expansion in Alberta .
Until 2019 , Canada also did n't export very much coal for power generation at all .
In 2018 , of 32 million tonnes of coal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ two per cent was thermal coal for power .
The rest is metallurgical coal , with different composition , used to make steel .
The Vista mine changed that , with as much as six million tonnes of coal produced each year , all of it for export and mostly to Asia .
The expansion will increase that to between 13 million and 15 million tonnes .
Thomson said the phase-out of thermal coal in Canada is one of the best climate policies Canada has implemented .
Coal accounts for less than 10 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ but generates more than three-quarters of the greenhouse-gas emissions from electricity production .
`` If we 're not OK burning coal at home we should n't be OK feeding coal for consumption overseas , '' he said .
`` If you are a country that is being lobbied by Canada to phase out coal , you 're going to see how hypocritical that request is if the very coal that you 're burning is coming from Canadian mines . ''
About 38 per cent of the world 's power comes from coal now @ @ @ @ @ @ @ particular , Kelly said the government is examining coal more broadly .

Environment Minister Jonathan Wilkinson is reconsidering a decision in December to keep the federal government out of the approvals process for a major coal-mine expansion in Alberta. The existing Vista mine, which is owned by the U.S. coal giant Cline Group, began shipping coal for export in May 2019 and the company is now looking to double, or possibly even triple, its output. Fraser Thomson is a lawyer for Ecojustice, one of 47 environment, Indigenous, health and faith-based organizations that this week wrote to Environment Minister Jonathan Wilkinson asking him to take a second look at the expansion. Wilkinson declined in December to order a federal impact assessment of the project near Hinton, Alta., between Edmonton and Jasper, saying the potential risks to the environment and Indigenous rights would be dealt with by a provincial approval process. That was the ultimate in "climate hypocrisy," Thomson said Wednesday.
Thomson said if this were a brand new mine, rather than an expansion, it would automatically trigger a federal assessment. Wilkinson has the power to order such an assessment of this one even though it is not mandatory, said Thomson. In an emailed statement, Wilkinson's spokeswoman Moira Kelly said the government is studying the issue anew and Wilkinson will make a fresh decision by the end of July. Billion-dollar land deals in Ontario raise corruption suspicions Thomson said the federal government's decision to wash its hands of the decision in December does not jibe with its three-year-old program to convince the world to wean itself off coal power. Canada and the United Kingdom jointly launched the Powering Past Coal Alliance in 2017, aiming to convince the world's wealthiest countries to eliminate coal as a source of electricity by 2030, and the rest of the world to do so by 2050.
Canada is phasing coal power out domestically now, with the four provinces that still use coal to make electricity working on plans for stopping. Environment Minister Jonathan Wilkinson is reconsidering a decision in December to keep the federal government out of the approvals process for a major coal-mine expansion in Alberta. When the alliance began in November 2017, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau called coal "the dirtiest of all fossil fuels." "Let me be very blunt about this. Coal represents perhaps the greatest challenge to the world not meeting its climate-change targets," Trudeau said. "Unless we reduce coal consumption, we are not going to be able to prevent catastrophic global warming." Until 2019, Canada also didn't export very much coal for power generation at all. In 2018, of 32 million tonnes of coal exported by Canadian firms, less than two per cent was thermal coal for power. The rest is metallurgical coal, with different composition, used to make steel. The Vista mine changed that, with as much as six million tonnes of coal produced each year, all of it for export and mostly to Asia. The expansion will increase that to between 13 million and 15 million tonnes.
Thomson said the phase-out of thermal coal in Canada is one of the best climate policies Canada has implemented. Coal accounts for less than 10 per cent of Canada's electricity, but generates more than three-quarters of the greenhouse-gas emissions from electricity production. "If we're not OK burning coal at home we shouldn't be OK feeding coal for consumption overseas," he said. "If you are a country that is being lobbied by Canada to phase out coal, you're going to see how hypocritical that request is if the very coal that you're burning is coming from Canadian mines." About 38 per cent of the world's power comes from coal now.


nationalobserver--2020-07-16--Kenney's former campaign manager gets senior post with Alberta Energy Regulator

Premier Jason Kenney is dismissing suggestions that the appointment of his former campaign manager to a senior post with the Alberta Energy Regulator is a patronage plum .
Kenney says the regulator operates at arm 's length from the United Conservative government .
He notes that Weissenberger has a doctorate in geology , experience in the energy business and is an adjunct professor at the University of Alberta .
`` I did n't know that he had applied ( for the job ) , '' Kenney said Wednesday .
`` My office and the government had absolutely nothing whatsoever to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Dr. Weissenberger is a free citizen .
He is a highly qualified scientist .
He has every right to apply for a position for which he is qualified , and the regulator has every right to choose the best-qualified person . ''
Weissenberger announced on social media earlier this month that he is the regulator 's new vice-president in charge of science and innovation .
• Trudeau urged to boost Canada 's post-COVID economy by investing in nature • Here ’ s what Ontario ’ s stage 3 reopening will look like The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ but it became known through a report by CBC News .
Weissenberger managed Kenney 's successful campaigns for the Alberta Progressive Conservative leadership and later for the top job when the PCs merged with the Wildrose party to create the United Conservative Party .
Opposition NDP environment critic Marlin Schmidt said the appointment is not only patronage but sends a regressive message globally , given Weissenberger 's previous published articles expressing skepticism about climate change .
Schmidt said the decision extends a pattern of jobs for buddies .
He pointed to Dave Rodney @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in Houston , Texas .
Rodney is a former legislature member who gave up his seat so that Kenney could run in 2017 .
`` Appointing a climate-change skeptic to the regulator comes around the same time that the UCP appointed mountain climber Dave Rodney to a quarter-million-dollar-a-year job in Houston , '' Schmidt told the house during question period .
`` Neither are qualified for these posts .
It just shows how hard this premier will work to find jobs for his friends . ''
Premier Jason Kenney is dismissing suggestions that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to a senior post with the Alberta Energy Regulator is a patronage plum .
Rodney served in government as a parliamentary secretary in Sustainable Resource Development and forged ties with U.S. legislators as Alberta 's energy representative to the Council of State Governments .
He has also climbed Mount Everest .
Kenney has overhauled management of the energy regulator over the last year to fulfil a campaign promise he made to speed up the agency 's decisions on whether to OK oil and gas projects .
Also Wednesday , environmental monitoring and reporting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was to resume .
The province and energy regulator had suspended monitoring requirements in May due to what officials called health and staffing concerns related to the COVID-19 pandemic .
Reporting and monitoring have been conditions of getting a licence .
Environmental critics , Indigenous groups and the NDP had been demanding the government reinstate the monitoring .
They questioned why it was shut down when other energy operations were deemed essential and allowed to continue .

Premier Jason Kenney is dismissing suggestions that the appointment of his former campaign manager to a senior post with the Alberta Energy Regulator is a patronage plum.
Kenney says the regulator operates at arm's length from the United Conservative government. He notes that Weissenberger has a doctorate in geology, experience in the energy business and is an adjunct professor at the University of Alberta.
"I didn't know that he had applied (for the job)," Kenney said Wednesday. "My office and the government had absolutely nothing whatsoever to do with (it).
"Dr. Weissenberger is a free citizen. He is a highly qualified scientist. He has every right to apply for a position for which he is qualified, and the regulator has every right to choose the best-qualified person."
Weissenberger announced on social media earlier this month that he is the regulator's new vice-president in charge of science and innovation.


nationalobserver--2020-07-16--Bank of Canada forecasts decline in GDP of 7.8% this year

The Bank of Canada will keep its key interest rate at 0.25 per cent until the national economic picture improves , which governor Tiff Macklem said Wednesday will take `` a long time . ''
Low interest rates are meant to help households and businesses recover from the COVID-19 pandemic by making borrowing relatively inexpensive .
Macklem noted the unusual clarity the central bank provided on the path for its key rate , owing to the unusual level of uncertainty facing Canadians worried about their health and jobs .
What the bank expects is a quick but partial economic bounceback @ @ @ @ @ @ @ way to a slower , bumpier recuperation phase .
In its updated economic outlook released Wednesday , the bank expects the economy to contract by 7.8 per cent this year , driven downward by a year-over-year contraction of 14.6 per cent in the second quarter .
Then it expects growth of 5.1 per cent in 2021 .
• Trudeau urged to boost Canada 's post-COVID economy by investing in nature • Here ’ s what Ontario ’ s stage 3 reopening will look like Both figures are less rosy than those the Trudeau @ @ @ @ @ @ @ released one week ago .
The Bank of Canada report pegged the annual inflation rate at 0.6 per cent this year , rising to 1.2 per cent in 2021 and 1.7 per cent in 2022 .
Until inflation reaches the bank 's target of two per cent , the interest rate wo n't move , Macklem said .
`` Canadians , Canadian businesses are facing an unusual amount of uncertainty , so we have been unusually clear about the future path for interest rates , '' Macklem said .
`` If you 've @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 're considering to make a major purchase , or you 're a business and you 're considering making an investment , you can be confident that interest rates will be low for a long time . ''
But the governor was quick to caution the forecasts could easily be thrown off : by a severe second wave of the pandemic , by restrictions that remain in place beyond the end of the year , or by a delay ( or surprise advance ) in the development of a COVID-19 vaccine or effective treatment @ @ @ @ @ @ @ its key interest rate at 0.25 per cent until the national economic picture improves , which governor Tiff Macklem said on Wednesday , July 15 , 2020 , will take `` a long time . ''
He looked to the fall as another potential issue , saying that the bank 's `` central planning scenario '' could be hampered if schools and daycares only partially reopen — leaving parents , particularly mothers , to choose between work and child care .
`` Families are facing real challenges , '' Macklem said during a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this virus progresses , we get better and better at managing it and I certainly hope we can find a way to reopen schools and get daycares back to work . ''
The rate announcement and outlook are the first Macklem has been directly involved in since taking over as governor last month .
The Bank of Canada 's June interest rate announcement came on Macklem 's first day on the job .
Though he was only an observer during the June round of deliberations by the bank 's governing council , he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The key interest rate has been at 0.25 per cent since March , when the central bank cut it sharply in response to the economic harm from COVID-19 .
The bank followed with an unprecedented purchasing program , including $ 5 billion of federal bonds weekly that Macklem said would also continue until the economy recovers .
Scotiabank 's Derek Holt noted that could mean $ 215 billion more bond purchases through to next May , and more thereafter if a recovery does n't arrive by 2023 as the central bank anticipates .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ markets can handle that over time without courting risk of market dysfunction , '' Holt wrote in a research note .
He said the purchases — effectively ultra-low-cost lending to the federal government— could also limit the bank 's `` potential firepower should subsequent shocks emerge . ''
Although the bank believes the country has been spared from a worst-case scenario envisioned by the bank in April , the outlook suggests output will be four per cent lower in 2022 than envisioned pre-pandemic .
`` So even when the economy has recovered to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the ( bank ) does n't see until at least 2023 — GDP will be notably smaller than the previous trajectory we were on , '' RBC senior economist Josh Nye wrote in a note .
The central bank 's economic outlook warned some lower-income workers , disproportionately affected by job losses or cuts in earnings , `` will face prolonged income losses '' and push more households to the financial brink .
While higher-income households may have savings they spend now , the report said some households will prioritize paying down @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the uncertain economic environment .
The bank noted housing activity is also expected to slow over the next few years with the ripple effects of the downturn , and lower immigration .
The Bank of Canada will provide a more detailed analysis of its long-run assumptions for the domestic economy when it updates its outlook in late October .
The next scheduled rate announcement is Sept. 9 .
This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 15 , 2020 .

The Bank of Canada will keep its key interest rate at 0.25 per cent until the national economic picture improves, which governor Tiff Macklem said Wednesday will take "a long time." Low interest rates are meant to help households and businesses recover from the COVID-19 pandemic by making borrowing relatively inexpensive. Macklem noted the unusual clarity the central bank provided on the path for its key rate, owing to the unusual level of uncertainty facing Canadians worried about their health and jobs. What the bank expects is a quick but partial economic bounceback from the lifting of lockdowns, giving way to a slower, bumpier recuperation phase. In its updated economic outlook released Wednesday, the bank expects the economy to contract by 7.8 per cent this year, driven downward by a year-over-year contraction of 14.6 per cent in the second quarter. Then it expects growth of 5.1 per cent in 2021.
Both figures are less rosy than those the Trudeau Liberals relied on in their economic update released one week ago. The Bank of Canada report pegged the annual inflation rate at 0.6 per cent this year, rising to 1.2 per cent in 2021 and 1.7 per cent in 2022. Billion-dollar land deals in Ontario raise corruption suspicions Until inflation reaches the bank's target of two per cent, the interest rate won't move, Macklem said.
"Canadians, Canadian businesses are facing an unusual amount of uncertainty, so we have been unusually clear about the future path for interest rates," Macklem said. The Bank of Canada will keep its key interest rate at 0.25 per cent until the national economic picture improves, which governor Tiff Macklem said on Wednesday, July 15, 2020, will take "a long time." "If you've got a mortgage, or if you're considering to make a major purchase, or you're a business and you're considering making an investment, you can be confident that interest rates will be low for a long time." But the governor was quick to caution the forecasts could easily be thrown off: by a severe second wave of the pandemic, by restrictions that remain in place beyond the end of the year, or by a delay (or surprise advance) in the development of a COVID-19 vaccine or effective treatment. He looked to the fall as another potential issue, saying that the bank's "central planning scenario" could be hampered if schools and daycares only partially reopen — leaving parents, particularly mothers, to choose between work and child care. "Families are facing real challenges," Macklem said during a late-morning press conference.
"Hopefully as this virus progresses, we get better and better at managing it and I certainly hope we can find a way to reopen schools and get daycares back to work." The rate announcement and outlook are the first Macklem has been directly involved in since taking over as governor last month. The Bank of Canada's June interest rate announcement came on Macklem's first day on the job. Though he was only an observer during the June round of deliberations by the bank's governing council, he endorsed last month's rate hold.