nationalobserver--2020-12-23--The COVID-19 pandemic has been a test of faith for believers

It is a question Rev .
Harrison Ayre finds himself asking and being asked often as the COVID-19 pandemic has left nearly two million dead worldwide ; 80 million sickened ; families torn apart by death , disease and border closures ; economies devastated ; and an uncertain year looming ahead .
As a Catholic priest in Nanaimo , B.C.
, he 's among thousands of religious leaders who have worked this year to help their congregations make sense of the pandemic in spiritual terms .
Religions have historically seen disease as divine judgment or punishment : the Old Testament @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for refusing to free the Jews , while one Islamic response to the `` Black Death '' of the 14th century was to call those who lost their lives martyrs for God .
Judgment is not always a bad thing , Ayre said .
`` It is a challenge to return to the heart of things , '' he said .
• Feds insist border controls are sufficient despite complaints from Ontario • How one young scientist is protecting fragile ecosystems in Canada 's North `` It 's not a judgment unto condemnation @ @ @ @ @ @ @ us back to fall in love with ( God ) . ''
How to do that during a pandemic is both existential and practical .
Physical distancing restrictions have forced faith groups to entirely close their doors or dramatically restrict access to their sanctuaries .
This fall , a coalition of Christian research organizations surveyed 1,269 churches and ministries and found 80 per cent were offering online services .
But that does n't work for all faiths , said Prof. Sabina Magliocco , who leads the religion program at the University of British @ @ @ @ @ @ @ gathering extended kin for singing , dancing and acts of hospitality has been sharply curtailed by COVID-19 restrictions , she said , and just ca n't be replicated online .
Where is # God ?
The # COVID19 # pandemic has been a test of faith for believers .
Also , some do n't have access to the technology — often , the same people whose kids have trouble getting online for school : those who live in rural communities with poor internet connectivity and people who ca n't afford the devices .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ services in person is n't just about participating in rites and rituals , but also the intangibles , Magliocco said .
The energy of attending Friday sermon at mosque , chanting and dancing with extended family , or just the sights and smells triggered by walking in the door of a house of worship are all elements of connection in their own right .
`` There are n't those outside clues , hints that put your mind in that religious place that connect you to community , that connects you to your ancestors @ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' said Magliocco .
Then there are theological issues .
For observant Jews , using electronics is forbidden on religious days .
Some found workarounds ; during the Jewish high holy days in September , congregations began livestreaming from their synagogues before the holidays began and just left the cameras running .
For Catholics , the fundamental rites known as the sacraments must be done in person .
For a time , Ayre heard confession in a parking lot , where parishioners would drive in and roll their windows down a crack to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the pandemic has meant a renewed emphasis on certain requirements , like ritual purification before prayer , five times a day , said Imam Mohamed Refaat , the president of the Canadian Council of Imams .
Within the Qur ’ an , there are also teachings from the Prophet Muhammad that directly relate to staying away from places known to be infected with the plague .
While Muslims can and do pray at home , Refaat said the loss of community gatherings and the end of annual trips to the holiest site of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , are painful .
For him , the lesson is to value what has been given by God : the ability to talk and travel and do good in the world .
When those blessings are taken away , it is a reminder of their worth , he said .
`` When we get ourselves back to normal , then we will recognize that those blessings should be maintained , '' he said .
`` And we should be thankful to our Lord for giving us all these blessings . ''
What it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at minimum is a vaccine against the virus that causes COVID-19 , most faith groups say .
Convincing their followers to take it will be the next challenge .
Mainstream religious leaders have issued proclamations in support of the vaccine ; the first people to get it in Montreal were residents and staff at a Jewish nursing home where dozens have died .
Opposition by religious leaders to vaccines in the past has been based on a number of factors , including what kind of human cells are used in testing and where @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that the divine , and not science , will protect the faithful .
Those voices are already challenging this vaccine , and earlier this month , the role religious leaders can play to quiet them was part of a call between Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and faith leaders .
But the real source of tension on the call was n't the coming shot in the arm .
It was the shot to the heart religious groups received by being told they did n't qualify as `` essential services '' during the pandemic , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ restrictions than gyms or bars .
Refaat said while religious groups , health officials and politicians have been talking for months about the balance between protecting people 's right to worship and public health , what 's missing is an acknowledgment of the central role communal religious life plays .
`` The weekly sermon people attend , that gathering of people together , you 're charging your battery for the rest of the week .
And that charging is big for people of faith , '' he said , `` It is so @ @ @ @ @ @ @ groups in the U.S. have taken governments to court for restricting access to faith gatherings .
The process is only just beginning to play out in Canada ; arguments in one case involving a Toronto church claiming COVID-19 restrictions violate charter rights are expected sometime in 2021 .
The pandemic has exposed two challenges for the faithful , said Andrew Bennett , the director of the Cardus religious freedom institute and an ordained deacon : What do they need to actually live a religious life ?
And how much of that requires physically @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ?
The answers may determine what Canada 's post-pandemic religious landscape looks like , he said .
`` These are challenges that faith communities are going to need to address . ''
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 22 , 2020 .

Where is God? It is a question Rev. Harrison Ayre finds himself asking and being asked often as the COVID-19 pandemic has left nearly two million dead worldwide; 80 million sickened; families torn apart by death, disease and border closures; economies devastated; and an uncertain year looming ahead. As a Catholic priest in Nanaimo, B.C., he's among thousands of religious leaders who have worked this year to help their congregations make sense of the pandemic in spiritual terms.
Religions have historically seen disease as divine judgment or punishment: the Old Testament contains a story of plagues against Egyptians for refusing to free the Jews, while one Islamic response to the "Black Death" of the 14th century was to call those who lost their lives martyrs for God. Judgment is not always a bad thing, Ayre said. "It is a challenge to return to the heart of things," he said.
"It's not a judgment unto condemnation. It's a judgment to bring us back to fall in love with (God)." How to do that during a pandemic is both existential and practical. Billion-dollar land deals in Ontario raise corruption suspicions Physical distancing restrictions have forced faith groups to entirely close their doors or dramatically restrict access to their sanctuaries.
This fall, a coalition of Christian research organizations surveyed 1,269 churches and ministries and found 80 per cent were offering online services. Where is #God? The #COVID19 #pandemic has been a test of faith for believers. But that doesn't work for all faiths, said Prof. Sabina Magliocco, who leads the religion program at the University of British Columbia. For Indigenous faith practice, gathering extended kin for singing, dancing and acts of hospitality has been sharply curtailed by COVID-19 restrictions, she said, and just can't be replicated online. Also, some don't have access to the technology — often, the same people whose kids have trouble getting online for school: those who live in rural communities with poor internet connectivity and people who can't afford the devices. The spiritual uplift that comes from attending services in person isn't just about participating in rites and rituals, but also the intangibles, Magliocco said.
The energy of attending Friday sermon at mosque, chanting and dancing with extended family, or just the sights and smells triggered by walking in the door of a house of worship are all elements of connection in their own right. "There aren't those outside clues, hints that put your mind in that religious place that connect you to community, that connects you to your ancestors — all of that is gone," said Magliocco. Then there are theological issues.


nationalobserver--2020-12-23--Alberta government walks back plan to close some parks

The Alberta government says it wo n't be closing any provincial parks , whether it can find someone to run them or not .
`` I am grateful for the hard work of our parks partners and look forward to keeping our parks system sustainable for future generations , '' says a release Tuesday from Environment Minister Jason Nixon .
Opposition NDP environment critic Marlin Schmidt called it a climbdown by a United Conservative government facing too much resistance to an unpopular policy .
`` It 's clear that the government was forced to buckle under the public pressure it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ announced in March that the government planned to fully or partially close 20 provincial parks and hand off another 164 to third-party managers .
Sites for which no managers could be found would lose park status and revert to general Crown land .
• How one young scientist is protecting fragile ecosystems in Canada 's North • Anger and suspicion after Pakistani dissident Karima Mehrab found dead in Toronto The plan was intensely controversial from the start .
Tens of thousands of letters were written to government members and lawn signs saying `` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in neighbourhoods around the province .
Nixon maintained the current park system was unaffordable , but was unable to say how much money the changes would save .
Then , freedom of information documents surfaced that showed Nixon had ignored advice from his own staff to begin public consultations .
Those documents also suggested that partnerships cost the government more , not less .
Tuesday 's release says : `` Alberta ’ s government has secured or maintained partnerships for 170 parks and public recreation area sites across the province . ''
Later @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` more than a dozen '' sites .
Alberta government says no parks to close after partnerships found .
# AbLeg # abpoli `` In the coming months , Alberta Environment and Parks expects to continue working with interested organizations through the long-standing operational partnerships system . ''
The release says no sites will be delisted .
All will remain open and retain their current designations and associated protections .
Nobody from the Alberta government was immediately available to comment .
`` This is a significant victory for the tens of thousands of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said Schmidt .
He said he still has significant questions over the terms of the deals that have been reached .
`` This government has done a lot to lose the trust of Albertans , '' Schmidt said .
Katie Morrison of the Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society said she 's looking for confirmation that the partnership deals will ensure the parks are run sustainably with conservation as their main objective .
She also wants to see some definitive numbers from the province .
Still , she called it a win that the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` It is a win that the policy that was announced is not going forward .
Albertans should be proud that they have stood up for their parks . ''

The Alberta government says it won't be closing any provincial parks, whether it can find someone to run them or not.
"I am grateful for the hard work of our parks partners and look forward to keeping our parks system sustainable for future generations," says a release Tuesday from Environment Minister Jason Nixon.
Opposition NDP environment critic Marlin Schmidt called it a climbdown by a United Conservative government facing too much resistance to an unpopular policy.
"It's clear that the government was forced to buckle under the public pressure it faced," he said.
Nixon announced in March that the government planned to fully or partially close 20 provincial parks and hand off another 164 to third-party managers. Sites for which no managers could be found would lose park status and revert to general Crown land.


nationalobserver--2020-12-24--This Mississauga teen wants to make high-tech prosthetics for the world’s poor

Seventeen-year-old Alishba Imran is determined to use the tech skills she has honed over four years to develop a sophisticated , affordable prosthetic that could help millions of mostly poor amputees .
Imran , a machine learning and blockchain developer from Mississauga who was recently named a “ young innovator to watch ” at the Consumer Electronics Show , is using tiny cameras and advanced coding in an effort to develop 3D-printed prosthetic limbs with more accurate grasp manipulation .
“ It ’ s really exciting , ” Imran said in a phone interview with Canada ’ s National Observer @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , what gets me really excited , is trying to solve big problems that are not getting a lot of attention.
” At least 35 million people around the world are in need of prosthetics and orthotics , according to the World Health Organization , while nine out of 10 of those who need assistive products can not access them due to high cost and a lack of awareness or availability .
And Imran ’ s work — assuming it moves from prototype to manufactured product — could mean shorter training times for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with increased precision of control , grasp and grip .
• How one young scientist is protecting fragile ecosystems in Canada 's North • Anger and suspicion after Pakistani dissident Karima Mehrab found dead in Toronto An early prototype of the 3D-printed prosthetic that Toronto-area teenager Alishba Imran has developed .
Photo supplied by Alishba Imran Imran has an admittedly optimistic goal of producing a piece of hardware that costs $ 500 and could replace or augment existing products , which can run from tens of thousands to hundreds of thousands of dollars @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and design open source so any manufacturer could use them .
The teenager , who will graduate from Stephen Lewis Secondary School in Mississauga next June , has been working on the project with mentors from robotics companies Kindred.ai and Hong Kong-based Hanson Robotics , as well as a master ’ s student from San Jose State University ( SJSU ) .
In recent months , Imran and her teammates have been working on integrating a camera into an improved four-sensor arm design , stress testing prospective materials for weight-bearing capacity and a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the design and collecting feedback from amputees and rehabilitation experts .
They ’ re currently printing about a dozen prosthetic arms they plan to test on a small group of patients associated with SJSU early next year , she said .
But while the technological advances sound promising , industry participants say there are many other factors to consider that complicate the promises of the possible $ 500 price tag .
Mississauga high school student @ alishbaimran_ is using her tech skills to develop a prosthetic limb that could help millions of people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ There is the additional and ongoing cost of paying trained professionals to treat amputees , for example , and the liability risk of using cheaper , untested materials , said Dan Blocka , president and CEO of Boundless Biomechanical Bracing and an orthotist with decades of international work experience .
“ It ’ s very easy to rhyme off such costs , and I have heard these statements by many organizations thinking they can go into countries with big needs and for the most part are unsuccessful because of how naive they are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of , ” he said .
“ The costs of printing high-standard devices will not bring huge cost savings , ” he added .
Imran acknowledges that one of the main challenges of the project is finding a material that is durable , hygienic and cheap .
Existing products tend to use aluminum and other costly materials , while existing 3D prosthetics using nylon don ’ t always last .
But she says the team plans to publish a paper of research findings by March , and if all goes well , she @ @ @ @ @ @ @ summer .

Seventeen-year-old Alishba Imran is determined to use the tech skills she has honed over four years to develop a sophisticated, affordable prosthetic that could help millions of mostly poor amputees.
Imran, a machine learning and blockchain developer from Mississauga who was recently named a “young innovator to watch” at the Consumer Electronics Show, is using tiny cameras and advanced coding in an effort to develop 3D-printed prosthetic limbs with more accurate grasp manipulation.
“It’s really exciting,” Imran said in a phone interview with Canada’s National Observer. “For me, my goal, what gets me really excited, is trying to solve big problems that are not getting a lot of attention.”
At least 35 million people around the world are in need of prosthetics and orthotics, according to the World Health Organization, while nine out of 10 of those who need assistive products cannot access them due to high cost and a lack of awareness or availability.
And Imran’s work — assuming it moves from prototype to manufactured product — could mean shorter training times for patients at a much lower price and with increased precision of control, grasp and grip.


nationalobserver--2020-12-24--COVID-19 vaccine will help, but the devastation will continue for many Canadians

As an emergency room physician , I have seen the many ways that COVID-19 has devastated people ’ s lives .
I was working when much about this virus was still unknown .
I was finishing my residency at several Toronto hospitals while navigating the daily changes in rules , regulations and personal protective equipment .
However , what has struck me the hardest and will stay with me the longest is the socio-economic disparity I ’ ve observed in the lives of those most ravaged by this virus .
A single mother presenting with chest pain , unable to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lost her job and prescription coverage , exhausting her finances to keep a roof over her head .
An immigrant patient who had gone to work despite being symptomatic out of fear he wouldn ’ t be paid if he didn ’ t .
Some patients have even avoided eating meals because they needed to leave food for their children .
Not surprisingly , those living on the edges have the worst outcomes .
The virus has been especially hard on people with food insecurity , those who have difficulty finding a safe @ @ @ @ @ @ @ choose between paying rent and staying safe .
To ensure the well-being of all Canadians , we need to talk more about wealth inequality .
There are many possible solutions — we just need the political will to enact them .
Canada is the only G7 country without a wealth , estate or inheritance tax .
As a result , extremely rich families can accumulate excessive amounts of wealth over generations , further increasing the class divide .
The federal NDP has proposed a one per cent asset tax on households with a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The proposal would raise $ 5.6 billion in the first year and $ 70 billion over a decade .
Without reform to target wealth inequality , a vaccine will not be enough to keep Canadians safe and secure .
We shouldn ’ t look to the stock market as an indicator of economic growth because only a fraction of the population are shareholders .
We need to look more to the narratives of our neighbours , to lines at food banks and shelter occupancy and eviction rates , particularly in cities like Toronto @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and the headlines , '' writes emergency room physician Dr. Gaibrie Stephen .
`` COVID-19 has not been the great equalizer .
Canadians are not 'all in this together . '
'' If we don ’ t do more to protect our most vulnerable , our collective social , economic and physical health as a country will continue to suffer .
When so many are struggling , there can be no real recovery .

As an emergency room physician, I have seen the many ways that COVID-19 has devastated people’s lives. I was working when much about this virus was still unknown. I was finishing my residency at several Toronto hospitals while navigating the daily changes in rules, regulations and personal protective equipment. However, what has struck me the hardest and will stay with me the longest is the socio-economic disparity I’ve observed in the lives of those most ravaged by this virus.
A single mother presenting with chest pain, unable to afford her heart medications because she has lost her job and prescription coverage, exhausting her finances to keep a roof over her head. An immigrant patient who had gone to work despite being symptomatic out of fear he wouldn’t be paid if he didn’t. Some patients have even avoided eating meals because they needed to leave food for their children.
Not surprisingly, those living on the edges have the worst outcomes. The virus has been especially hard on people with food insecurity, those who have difficulty finding a safe place to isolate and those forced to choose between paying rent and staying safe.
My observations were reflected in statistics from the Toronto Fallout Report, which found households making less than $30,000 annually were 5.3 times more likely to be affected by COVID-19 than those earning over $150,000. Black, Latin American and Arab/West Asians had rates of COVID-19 infection seven times higher than white residents. For many Canadians, receiving the $2,000-a-month Canada Emergency Response Benefit (CERB) payment was the most financial security they had ever felt.
In stark contrast to these alarming statistics for lower-income Canadians, the wealth of Canada’s top 44 billionaires increased by $50 billion during the pandemic. A number of billionaires who profited in this period went on to cut pandemic pay for their front-line employees who put their lives at risk going to work each day. We also recently learned 68 publicly traded companies in Canada collected so much in pandemic relief subsidies that they paid out billions in dividends to their shareholders while lower- and middle-income Canadians were asked to repay CERB.


nationalobserver--2020-12-24--Canada keeps its options open on future U.S. auto emissions alignment

As the incoming Biden administration weighs its options on new auto emissions standards , Canada is keeping the door open to aligning with either U.S. state or federal rules .
Environment Minister Jonathan Wilkinson sees opportunities for Canada to join forces on climate action with U.S. president-elect Joe Biden , who is expected to set new rules for tailpipe emissions , or the carbon pollution emitted from cars and trucks that are powered by engines burning fossil fuels , like gasoline or diesel .
But questions remain about how strict those rules could be after the Trump administration weakened Obama-era @ @ @ @ @ @ @ battle with California over the state ’ s right to set its own standards — one that has seen automakers take sides .
Biden could demand tougher annual fuel economy improvements in order to “ make up for lost time , ” as a Center for Biological Diversity director told E & E News .
Or he could follow the lead of California , which struck a voluntary deal on emissions in August with several automakers including Volkswagen , which has paid tens of billions of dollars in settlements , fines and other @ @ @ @ @ @ @ dieselgate ” scandal .
As the incoming Biden administration weighs its options on new auto emissions standards , Canada is keeping the door open to aligning with either U.S. state or federal rules .
# cdnpoli Canada — part of a highly integrated North American auto supply chain — signed a “ co-operation agreement ” with California in 2019 , promising to work together to promote the adoption of cleaner vehicles .
Ottawa is currently aligned with Washington standards that say 2025 model year light-duty vehicles should burn “ up to 50 per @ @ @ @ @ @ @ per cent fewer greenhouse gases compared to 2008 vehicles .
Canada is also reviewing its own light-duty auto regulations for the 2022-25 period , and is expected to share a decision on that front in a matter of weeks .
Wilkinson has said that the Biden administration agrees with Canada on the need to expand zero-emission vehicle adoption , and the minister said he will be discussing with the U.S. several paths forward , including banning new gas-powered vehicles or a sales mandate for a certain percentage of new cars sold to be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ there is an opportunity to collaborate with the incoming U.S. administration on strong cross-border climate action , ” said Wilkinson ’ s acting director of communications , Sabrina Kim .
This collaboration “ can better position the North American economy , as well as Canadian workers and companies , so that they can continue to be globally competitive , ” she said .
The comments from Wilkinson ’ s office come as three U.S. states and Washington , D.C. , formally join forces to create a cap-and-trade style program meant to cut pollution @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Rhode Island and D.C. will set a cap on the amount of carbon dioxide allowed to be released from vehicles , one that gets lowered as time goes on , the New York Times reported Dec. 21 .
The cap would start in 2023 , said the newspaper , and fuel companies would purchase allowances to match the carbon pollution their fuel produces .
Kingston from the CVMA said vehicle manufacturers prefer Canada aligns performance standards with the U.S. at the federal level .
U.S. state-level alignment would mean that cars are built @ @ @ @ @ @ @ where they are sold , he said .
“ Obviously , a lot will depend on what the Biden administration will do , but that would be the best outcome — a U.S. federal rule that Canada aligns to , ” said Kingston .

“The big question mark is, will the Biden administration be able to reach an agreement with some of the key U.S. states on a likely more stringent set of performance standards for light-duty vehicles?” said Brian Kingston, president and CEO of the Canadian Vehicle Manufacturers’ Association (CVMA), in an interview. “It’s hard to predict what the outcome would be at this point, but I would expect that there’s going to be an attempt by the administration to do that.”
The California factor Biden could demand tougher annual fuel economy improvements in order to “make up for lost time,” as a Center for Biological Diversity director told E&E News. As the incoming Biden administration weighs its options on new auto emissions standards, Canada is keeping the door open to aligning with either U.S. state or federal rules. #cdnpoli Or he could follow the lead of California, which struck a voluntary deal on emissions in August with several automakers including Volkswagen, which has paid tens of billions of dollars in settlements, fines and other costs as a result of the “dieselgate” scandal. Canada — part of a highly integrated North American auto supply chain — signed a “co-operation agreement” with California in 2019, promising to work together to promote the adoption of cleaner vehicles. Ottawa is currently aligned with Washington standards that say 2025 model year light-duty vehicles should burn “up to 50 per cent less fuel” and emit 50 per cent fewer greenhouse gases compared to 2008 vehicles.
Canada is also reviewing its own light-duty auto regulations for the 2022-25 period, and is expected to share a decision on that front in a matter of weeks. Wilkinson has said that the Biden administration agrees with Canada on the need to expand zero-emission vehicle adoption, and the minister said he will be discussing with the U.S. several paths forward, including banning new gas-powered vehicles or a sales mandate for a certain percentage of new cars sold to be zero-emission. “We certainly believe that there is an opportunity to collaborate with the incoming U.S. administration on strong cross-border climate action,” said Wilkinson’s acting director of communications, Sabrina Kim.


nationalobserver--2020-12-24--Big movies for Christmas from Tom Hanks, George Clooney and Wonder Woman

In a normal year , this next week would be the biggest time for moviegoers .
The time isn ’ t right , but the big movies are here anyway .
Most start Christmas Day , and it ’ s not always announced yet how and where .
But read on : There are so many , you ’ re bound to find something .
WONDER WOMAN 1984 : For months , we ’ ve been alerted to every change of release date for this sequel to the massive hit from three years ago , and now that it ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s a little disappointing .
It starts well and then , by the end , loses its way .
There ’ s a terrific opening — a race that the young Diana competes in — and then a huge leap in time to the Reagan-era ’ 80s .
Adult Diana , again played by Gal Gadot , works as a cultural anthropologist at the Smithsonian in Washington , D.C. , and now and then takes time out to battle bad guys as Wonder Woman .
In a second great action sequence , she @ @ @ @ @ @ @ mall .
There are more to come , and you ’ ll wish you could see them on a big screen .
Patty Jenkins and her aides have directed them with verve and colour and tension .
The crew ( Felicity Jones , David Oyelowo , Demián Bichir and Tiffany Boone ) have their own problems .
An asteroid storm has damaged the radar and another device .
They have to go outside to fix it , a common space movie event .
Also , they can ’ t hear Augustine ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is pregnant .
The film looks great on the screen , showing the challenges at both sites .
During the repair , the characters float upside down and over while the camera is swooping around them .
Down on Earth , Clooney and the girl walk through a snowstorm to another station for better radio transmission .
He loses her for a time .
Clooney directs and does far better than in his previous efforts .
And he gets across the message , a wistful yearning for “ a pristine planet ” and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from a novel by Lily Brooks-Dalton , and though you ’ ve seen things like it before , it is engrossing as a film .
( Netflix ) 3 out of 5 THE MIDNIGHT SKY : It ’ s a stretch , but this science fiction tale with a familiar plot takes on extra meaning these days .
The Earth has suffered some sort of calamity .
George Clooney ( as a character named Augustine ) and a young girl named Iris may be the only ones left alive .
There ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ else .
The two are in an observatory in the Arctic , and he is trying to message a crew on a spaceship not to come home .
He ’ s a former soldier who , after the American Civil War , makes his living visiting frontier towns and , for a small admission fee , reads from the newspapers he brings along .
Texas opposing constitutional changes .
A meningitis epidemic .
Stories like that .
On the way , he finds the girl near a crashed horse cart and a lynched @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the army to take her and agrees to transport her to an uncle and aunt .
It ’ s a trip through a rough land , with dangerous people about , and as divided as it seems to be today .
That comparison is intentional as Greengrass expands on the lore of the Old West that Paulette Jiles evoked in her novel .
( She ’ s from Missouri and now Texas and lived for a time in Toronto and here in Nelson , B.C . )
Greengrass sees it as a call @ @ @ @ @ @ @ unity , and who better to convey that than Hanks ?
He ’ s relaxed and sincere .
And the western land looks as beautiful as it used to in the movies .
There ’ s a terrific chase sequence and a gunfire pursuit in the crevasses of some imposing rock formations .
This is a very good film .
( watch for a streaming date — “ only in theatres , ” it says , but that doesn ’ t mean much in Canada right now ) 4 out of 5 NEWS @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rely on Tom Hanks to bring you something worthwhile .
Here he ’ s working again with one of the best directors these days , Paul Greengrass ( Captain Phillips , the Bourne movies ) and with a special co-star : 12-year-old Helena Zengel , the German girl who was so brilliant in System Crasher , which came around earlier this year .
Her character was traumatized and unmanageable , and she won major awards .
She performs distress again , as a girl who was captured and raised by Kiowa people , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ remembers a bit of the German she used to know .
So she says very little in this film but conveys lots with looks , expressions and movement .
Hanks gradually figures out how to communicate with her .
Kristen Wiig also uses the special stone .
She plays an insecure curator at the museum who wishes she was as strong as Diana , gets that and wishes again to be “ an apex predator.
” That turns her into a cheetah and sets up a silly-looking fight with Wonder Woman .
Chris @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s Diana ’ s boyfriend , who died last film , and when she wishes he was back , he soon is .
Somehow , all this turns into a fable with the moral that only the truth matters .
Getting there is convoluted and the film suffers .
Watch for an extra cameo in the closing credits .
( available to rent from the Cineplex Store and other digital retailers for $ 29.99 for 48 hours ) 3 out of 5 It ’ s the story that falters .
A huckster @ @ @ @ @ @ @ can make any wish come true .
Unlike so many comic book villains , he ’ s not out to destroy the world or control the universe .
He just wants no taxes , regulations or rule of law .
He looks like a young Donald Trump , a connection that is surely not unintentional , especially since in one scene he speaks to the entire world from that White House podium with the presidential seal behind him .
He ’ s played by Pedro Pascal , who you may have seen in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Mandalorian .
SOUL : The latest animation from Pixar , its 23rd feature , has everything you expect from the studio : a good story , great animation and oodles of imagination .
Not quite the charm you ’ re used to , though , because the themes become elusive .
Pete Docter , who directed and co-wrote the story and the screenplay , evoked emotions far better in two previous films : Up and Inside Out .
But this one is entertaining and definitely worth your time .
A music teacher who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ voiced by Jamie Foxx ) is given a chance by a combo leader ( Angela Bassett ) but has an accident on his way there .
He ends up on a ramp with thousands of people on their way up to “ the Great Beyond.
” He ’ s not ready to give up , though , pushes his way back down against the crowd and meets up with a toy-like creature called 22 ( voiced by Tina Fey ) trying to get to “ the Great Before.
” That ’ s apparently @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ ll have all their life .
The two of them get down to Earth and his attempt to join the band .
Problem : His soul and voice are in her body ; and hers in his .
You can imagine the difficulties that follow , and they all do .
And more .
There are surreal representations of the forces that run the Great Beyond and a clutter of story elements , including a pirate ship , a vortex and what ’ s called the space between the physical and spiritual @ @ @ @ @ @ @ You can ’ t eat dreams for breakfast.
” OK , but they can be fun in a movie even if you don ’ t understand them all .
( starts Friday on Disney+ ) 4 out of 5 THE WITCHES : I love the mordant wit of Roald Dahl , mostly from his short stories , and so was looking forward to this adaptation of one of his most popular novels .
It has already been made into a movie ( by Jim Henson ) , and there have been radio and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ This time , Robert Zemeckis got at it with , I hoped , the same impact as his best-known films , Forrest Gump , Back to the Future and others .
My reaction ?
He did all right with it , but only that .
Though it is entertaining and will probably be very popular , it ’ s not as scary as it could be ( though it will probably unsettle younger children ) and not as funny as it should be .
Instead , it relies on being campy .
That @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , who has a great time emoting the role of the Grand High Witch with an accent that sounds like Transylvania via Norway .
She hates children and , under the guise of a Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children , wants to get rid of them .
First step ?
Turn them into mice .
One overhears the plot but , along with two others , is turned into a mouse anyway .
He ’ s an orphan whose grandmother ( Octavia Spencer ) takes him to a fancy hotel @ @ @ @ @ @ @ also check in .
The skirmishes , near-misses and machinations that follow are quite involving , but mild in suspense and excitement .
The story was transposed from England to Alabama , and Chris Rock narrates .
But oddly , some allusions to race issues are only mentioned with no elaboration .
( also on digital platforms for $ 29.99 rental ) 2½ out of 5 PROMISING YOUNG WOMAN : If you ’ ve now had enough sweetness in your holiday movies , how about a revenge fantasy ?
For rape .
No @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Christmas-y , but it ’ s a strong , committed film written and directed by Emerald Fennell .
She played Camilla Parker Bowles in The Crown and wrote some of the hit TV series Killing Eve about clashing women spies .
So you know she has got the chops , and they ’ ve succeeded in this film .
It debuted at Sundance , has been winning critics ’ awards and arrives to chill the season .
Or maybe rouse it for you .
Carey Mulligan plays a young woman who dropped out @ @ @ @ @ @ @ later on ) and is now a nighttime vigilante .
She pretends to get drunk in bars , attracts men who think she ’ s an easy mark and attacks when they try to rape her .
She has been damaged by what happened to a longtime friend of hers and is doing payback .
Mostly against any men who come on to her , and then , as the story progresses , one specifically : An upright citizen about to get married but hiding a foul history .
Strong acting and a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with a sunny look but toxic overtones .
( opening in theatres on Christmas Day , they say , with a video-on-demand streaming date coming soon ) 3½ out of 5 CHICAGO 10 : We got the same story , entirely dramatized , in The Trial of the Chicago 7 .
That ’ s one of the best films of the year and often very funny .
This one is a worthy companion piece because it adds details and , with riveting news footage from a huge number of sources , lets us @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in August 1968 .
While Democrats held their convention , anti-Vietnam War protesters were beaten and tear-gassed by police and their leaders were arrested .
The trial itself is shown in animated sequences .
It became a circus as Abbie Hoffman and Jerry Rubin mocked the proceedings , Bobby Seale protested and was gagged and chained , and Judge Julius Hoffman flung tactless rulings and contempt citations about .
Actors like Nick Nolte , Mark Ruffalo and Roy Scheider speak the lines taken directly from the transcript and the outrage comes alive again @ @ @ @ @ @ @ here is a local TV news report from the time about boys playing cops versus demonstrators .
( streaming at The Impact Series ) 4 out of 5 WILD MOUNTAIN THYME : When the trailer for this appeared , there was an explosion of derisive laughter on the internet .
Now that the whole film is here , it ’ s clear that the laughers and scorners were right .
It ’ s full of stereotype images , people and attitudes about Ireland .
The fields are green , the sheep graze , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the whole pub sings along with the title song .
And Christopher Walken narrates in a wandering Irish brogue .
He ’ s a farmer and already dead , he says , although we see him much alive , probably sometime before , resolving to cut his son ( Jamie Dornan ) out of his will .
He proposes to sell the land to a nephew in the U.S. ( played by Jon Hamm ) , who arrives later to establish the traditional contrast between placid village life in Ireland and big ambition @ @ @ @ @ @ @ caught in between as Jamie ’ s longtime girlfriend .
She wants him ; he can ’ t see it , and the visiting American cousin seems a threat .
This is all from a stage play written and directed by John Patrick Shanley , who won an Oscar for writing Moonstruck .
He has relatives in Ireland and should stay away from the trite impressions he passes along here .
And making his main character say he thinks he ’ s a honeybee .
Yes , it ’ s in there .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ of twisted fun in this sea of treacly green .
( now available digitally and on demand ) 2 out of 5

In a normal year, this next week would be the biggest time for moviegoers. The time isn’t right, but the big movies are here anyway. Most start Christmas Day, and it’s not always announced yet how and where. But read on: There are so many, you’re bound to find something.
He’s a former soldier who, after the American Civil War, makes his living visiting frontier towns and, for a small admission fee, reads from the newspapers he brings along. Texas opposing constitutional changes. A meningitis epidemic. Stories like that. On the way, he finds the girl near a crashed horse cart and a lynched Black man, can’t get the army to take her and agrees to transport her to an uncle and aunt. It’s a trip through a rough land, with dangerous people about, and as divided as it seems to be today. That comparison is intentional as Greengrass expands on the lore of the Old West that Paulette Jiles evoked in her novel. (She’s from Missouri and now Texas and lived for a time in Toronto and here in Nelson, B.C.) Greengrass sees it as a call to get back to some kind of unity, and who better to convey that than Hanks? He’s relaxed and sincere. And the western land looks as beautiful as it used to in the movies. There’s a terrific chase sequence and a gunfire pursuit in the crevasses of some imposing rock formations. This is a very good film. (watch for a streaming date — “only in theatres,” it says, but that doesn’t mean much in Canada right now) 4 out of 5
NEWS OF THE WORLD : You can always rely on Tom Hanks to bring you something worthwhile. Here he’s working again with one of the best directors these days, Paul Greengrass (Captain Phillips, the Bourne movies) and with a special co-star: 12-year-old Helena Zengel, the German girl who was so brilliant in System Crasher, which came around earlier this year. Her character was traumatized and unmanageable, and she won major awards. She performs distress again, as a girl who was captured and raised by Kiowa people, can’t speak English and only remembers a bit of the German she used to know. So she says very little in this film but conveys lots with looks, expressions and movement. Hanks gradually figures out how to communicate with her.
The crew (Felicity Jones, David Oyelowo, Demián Bichir and Tiffany Boone) have their own problems. An asteroid storm has damaged the radar and another device. They have to go outside to fix it, a common space movie event. Also, they can’t hear Augustine’s transmissions properly and Felicity’s character is pregnant. The film looks great on the screen, showing the challenges at both sites. During the repair, the characters float upside down and over while the camera is swooping around them. Down on Earth, Clooney and the girl walk through a snowstorm to another station for better radio transmission. He loses her for a time. Clooney directs and does far better than in his previous efforts. And he gets across the message, a wistful yearning for “a pristine planet” and “clean air.” It’s from a novel by Lily Brooks-Dalton, and though you’ve seen things like it before, it is engrossing as a film. (Netflix) 3 out of 5
THE MIDNIGHT SKY : It’s a stretch, but this science fiction tale with a familiar plot takes on extra meaning these days. The Earth has suffered some sort of calamity. George Clooney (as a character named Augustine) and a young girl named Iris may be the only ones left alive. There’s no talk about or sight of anybody else. The two are in an observatory in the Arctic, and he is trying to message a crew on a spaceship not to come home.
WONDER WOMAN 1984: For months, we’ve been alerted to every change of release date for this sequel to the massive hit from three years ago, and now that it’s here, well, it’s a little disappointing. It starts well and then, by the end, loses its way. There’s a terrific opening — a race that the young Diana competes in — and then a huge leap in time to the Reagan-era ’80s. Adult Diana, again played by Gal Gadot, works as a cultural anthropologist at the Smithsonian in Washington, D.C., and now and then takes time out to battle bad guys as Wonder Woman. In a second great action sequence, she saves a young girl in a shopping mall. There are more to come, and you’ll wish you could see them on a big screen. Patty Jenkins and her aides have directed them with verve and colour and tension.
Courtesy of Warner Brothers
It’s the story that falters. A huckster financier steals a museum artifact because it can make any wish come true. Unlike so many comic book villains, he’s not out to destroy the world or control the universe. He just wants no taxes, regulations or rule of law. He looks like a young Donald Trump, a connection that is surely not unintentional, especially since in one scene he speaks to the entire world from that White House podium with the presidential seal behind him. He’s played by Pedro Pascal, who you may have seen in Game of Thrones or starring in The Mandalorian.
Kristen Wiig also uses the special stone. She plays an insecure curator at the museum who wishes she was as strong as Diana, gets that and wishes again to be “an apex predator.” That turns her into a cheetah and sets up a silly-looking fight with Wonder Woman. Chris Pine benefits from the stone. He’s Diana’s boyfriend, who died last film, and when she wishes he was back, he soon is. Somehow, all this turns into a fable with the moral that only the truth matters. Getting there is convoluted and the film suffers. Watch for an extra cameo in the closing credits. (available to rent from the Cineplex Store and other digital retailers for $29.99 for 48 hours) 3 out of 5
SOUL: The latest animation from Pixar, its 23rd feature, has everything you expect from the studio: a good story, great animation and oodles of imagination. Not quite the charm you’re used to, though, because the themes become elusive. Pete Docter, who directed and co-wrote the story and the screenplay, evoked emotions far better in two previous films: Up and Inside Out. But this one is entertaining and definitely worth your time.
Courtesy of Disney+
A music teacher who wants to be a jazz musician (voiced by Jamie Foxx) is given a chance by a combo leader (Angela Bassett) but has an accident on his way there. He ends up on a ramp with thousands of people on their way up to “the Great Beyond.” He’s not ready to give up, though, pushes his way back down against the crowd and meets up with a toy-like creature called 22 (voiced by Tina Fey) trying to get to “the Great Before.” That’s apparently where living things find the soul they’ll have all their life. The two of them get down to Earth and his attempt to join the band. Problem: His soul and voice are in her body; and hers in his. You can imagine the difficulties that follow, and they all do. And more. There are surreal representations of the forces that run the Great Beyond and a clutter of story elements, including a pirate ship, a vortex and what’s called the space between the physical and spiritual. Mom speaks the truth: “You can’t eat dreams for breakfast.” OK, but they can be fun in a movie even if you don’t understand them all. (starts Friday on Disney+) 4 out of 5
THE WITCHES: I love the mordant wit of Roald Dahl, mostly from his short stories, and so was looking forward to this adaptation of one of his most popular novels. It has already been made into a movie (by Jim Henson), and there have been radio and TV versions and even an opera. This time, Robert Zemeckis got at it with, I hoped, the same impact as his best-known films, Forrest Gump, Back to the Future and others. My reaction? He did all right with it, but only that. Though it is entertaining and will probably be very popular, it’s not as scary as it could be (though it will probably unsettle younger children) and not as funny as it should be. Instead, it relies on being campy.
Courtesy of Warner Brothers
That’s chiefly thanks to Anne Hathaway, who has a great time emoting the role of the Grand High Witch with an accent that sounds like Transylvania via Norway. She hates children and, under the guise of a Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children, wants to get rid of them. First step? Turn them into mice. One overhears the plot but, along with two others, is turned into a mouse anyway. He’s an orphan whose grandmother (Octavia Spencer) takes him to a fancy hotel just as the witch and her crowd also check in. The skirmishes, near-misses and machinations that follow are quite involving, but mild in suspense and excitement. The story was transposed from England to Alabama, and Chris Rock narrates. But oddly, some allusions to race issues are only mentioned with no elaboration. (also on digital platforms for $29.99 rental) 2½ out of 5
PROMISING YOUNG WOMAN: If you’ve now had enough sweetness in your holiday movies, how about a revenge fantasy? For rape. No, it’s not at all Christmas-y, but it’s a strong, committed film written and directed by Emerald Fennell. She played Camilla Parker Bowles in The Crown and wrote some of the hit TV series Killing Eve about clashing women spies. So you know she has got the chops, and they’ve succeeded in this film. It debuted at Sundance, has been winning critics’ awards and arrives to chill the season. Or maybe rouse it for you.
Courtesy of Focus Features
Carey Mulligan plays a young woman who dropped out of medical school (we learn why later on) and is now a nighttime vigilante. She pretends to get drunk in bars, attracts men who think she’s an easy mark and attacks when they try to rape her. She has been damaged by what happened to a longtime friend of hers and is doing payback. Mostly against any men who come on to her, and then, as the story progresses, one specifically: An upright citizen about to get married but hiding a foul history. Strong acting and a committed purpose make this a chilling tale with a sunny look but toxic overtones. (opening in theatres on Christmas Day, they say, with a video-on-demand streaming date coming soon) 3½ out of 5
CHICAGO 10: We got the same story, entirely dramatized, in The Trial of the Chicago 7. That’s one of the best films of the year and often very funny. This one is a worthy companion piece because it adds details and, with riveting news footage from a huge number of sources, lets us see more of what happened that night in August 1968. While Democrats held their convention, anti-Vietnam War protesters were beaten and tear-gassed by police and their leaders were arrested.
Courtesy of Route 504 PR
The trial itself is shown in animated sequences. It became a circus as Abbie Hoffman and Jerry Rubin mocked the proceedings, Bobby Seale protested and was gagged and chained, and Judge Julius Hoffman flung tactless rulings and contempt citations about. Actors like Nick Nolte, Mark Ruffalo and Roy Scheider speak the lines taken directly from the transcript and the outrage comes alive again. One of the most memorable add-ons here is a local TV news report from the time about boys playing cops versus demonstrators. (streaming at The Impact Series) 4 out of 5
WILD MOUNTAIN THYME: When the trailer for this appeared, there was an explosion of derisive laughter on the internet. Now that the whole film is here, it’s clear that the laughers and scorners were right. It’s full of stereotype images, people and attitudes about Ireland. The fields are green, the sheep graze, Guinness is the drink of choice and the whole pub sings along with the title song. And Christopher Walken narrates in a wandering Irish brogue. He’s a farmer and already dead, he says, although we see him much alive, probably sometime before, resolving to cut his son (Jamie Dornan) out of his will. He proposes to sell the land to a nephew in the U.S. (played by Jon Hamm), who arrives later to establish the traditional contrast between placid village life in Ireland and big ambition in New York.
Courtesy of Elevation Pictures
Emily Blunt is caught in between as Jamie’s longtime girlfriend. She wants him; he can’t see it, and the visiting American cousin seems a threat. This is all from a stage play written and directed by John Patrick Shanley, who won an Oscar for writing Moonstruck. He has relatives in Ireland and should stay away from the trite impressions he passes along here. And making his main character say he thinks he’s a honeybee. Yes, it’s in there. At least it’s a jolt of twisted fun in this sea of treacly green. (now available digitally and on demand) 2 out of 5


nationalobserver--2020-12-24--Should the price of meat reflect its impact on the environment?

Meat is expensive — but we ’ re still paying far less for it than the cost of its environmental impact , according to a study released this week .
The paper , written by a German team , examined the ecological costs of meat , dairy and vegetable production in organic and industrial agricultural systems .
Researchers then used that data to determine how much each food group would cost if its price accounted for its environmental impact .
In the German markets they studied , a steak would cost 146 per cent more if it reflected its true @ @ @ @ @ @ @ skyrocket by 91 per cent .
There were also minimal differences between organic and industrial agricultural systems , researchers noted .
Canada , a country with a similar food system , would likely show similar results .
Cattle , sheep and goat production currently takes up roughly two-thirds of the planet ’ s agricultural land and makes up about half of agriculture ’ s greenhouse gas emissions , according to a 2019 report by the World Resources Institute .
The environmental impact of meat production is not reflected in its price tag , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Tori Ball Abra Brynne , executive director of the Central Kootenay Food Policy Council , says people paying too little for meat is a problem — and not just because of the environmental impact .
• How one young scientist is protecting fragile ecosystems in Canada 's North • Anger and suspicion after Pakistani dissident Karima Mehrab found dead in Toronto “ Consumers definitely do not pay enough ... for their meat if you really factor in a full life-cycle analysis and cost accounting , environmental , economic , social , nutritional and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Underpricing is a problem for all types of meat , the study notes , and researchers suggest consumers pay more as a solution .
Raising the price of meat , they argue , would place the financial burden of an environmentally damaging diet on the people who buy it , rather than spreading that cost across the general public in the form of emergency spending on floods , droughts and other extreme weather events .
If this were to happen , people would either move towards more plant-based diets or pay more for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Coupled with subsidies and government help , they say this approach could make a difference .
“ When you look at it in that kind of context , it ’ s not at all dissimilar to a carbon tax .
The whole idea is that you cause something to be increasingly expensive so as to encourage people to change their behaviours , ” said Brynne .
However , she says tackling the low price of meat needs a multifaceted approach , even if paying the true cost of food is important — adding @ @ @ @ @ @ @ we ’ ll continue to feel the climate change impacts of a predominantly industrialized food system .
Meat is expensive — but we ’ re still paying far less for it than the cost of its environmental impact , according to a study released this week .
“ The caveat I would put there is , of course , food is absolutely essential .
And for many , it is increasingly so during this pandemic , ” she said .
“ We ’ ve commodified food , meaning the only way to access @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Increasing the cost of staples means that it ’ s that much further out of reach for those who are impoverished by the way our society is structured.
” Researchers say implementing policies to reflect the true cost of food might seem like a financial burden for consumers , but they argue “ the costs of today ’ s agricultural externalities are paid for by society ” already .
Photo by PhotoMIX Company/Pexels This has long been a concern for food systems scholars and activists .
Food , they say , needs @ @ @ @ @ @ @ production , but governments also need to ensure that people with low incomes can afford to eat .
Achieving this will require robust social supports for people who can ’ t work and those who are employed in low-wage or precarious jobs — and more than 60 per cent of food-insecure Canadians live primarily off their wages , according to PROOF , a team at the University of Toronto that studies food insecurity .
“ If you want to increase food security , simply focusing on food prices isn ’ t going to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , professor of land and food systems at the University of British Columbia .
“ You need a whole systems change where you improve people ’ s income so they can afford to pay higher prices , and you ensure that higher food prices actually reflect the true cost of production , including social , health , economic and ecological externalities.
” Farmers , too , struggle to make ends meet despite working long hours , Brynne points out .
Canadian farm debt has skyrocketed in the past 20 years , even rivalling @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Brynne says the problem with meat prices goes all the way up the chain .
But in her eyes , it ’ s a complicated conversation worth having .
“ I guess what I ’ m getting at is that there is no one straightforward answer for every kind of livestock production in the province , ” said Bynne .

Meat is expensive — but we’re still paying far less for it than the cost of its environmental impact, according to a study released this week. The paper, written by a German team, examined the ecological costs of meat, dairy and vegetable production in organic and industrial agricultural systems. Researchers then used that data to determine how much each food group would cost if its price accounted for its environmental impact. In the German markets they studied, a steak would cost 146 per cent more if it reflected its true environmental footprint, while dairy prices would skyrocket by 91 per cent. There were also minimal differences between organic and industrial agricultural systems, researchers noted. Canada, a country with a similar food system, would likely show similar results. Cattle, sheep and goat production currently takes up roughly two-thirds of the planet’s agricultural land and makes up about half of agriculture’s greenhouse gas emissions, according to a 2019 report by the World Resources Institute. Abra Brynne, executive director of the Central Kootenay Food Policy Council, says people paying too little for meat is a problem — and not just because of the environmental impact.
“Consumers definitely do not pay enough ... for their meat if you really factor in a full life-cycle analysis and cost accounting, environmental, economic, social, nutritional and worker standards,” she said. Underpricing is a problem for all types of meat, the study notes, and researchers suggest consumers pay more as a solution. Raising the price of meat, they argue, would place the financial burden of an environmentally damaging diet on the people who buy it, rather than spreading that cost across the general public in the form of emergency spending on floods, droughts and other extreme weather events. Billion-dollar land deals in Ontario raise corruption suspicions If this were to happen, people would either move towards more plant-based diets or pay more for their carbon footprint, researchers argue. Coupled with subsidies and government help, they say this approach could make a difference.
“When you look at it in that kind of context, it’s not at all dissimilar to a carbon tax. The whole idea is that you cause something to be increasingly expensive so as to encourage people to change their behaviours,” said Brynne. Meat is expensive — but we’re still paying far less for it than the cost of its environmental impact, according to a study released this week. However, she says tackling the low price of meat needs a multifaceted approach, even if paying the true cost of food is important — adding that if we don’t, we’ll continue to feel the climate change impacts of a predominantly industrialized food system. “The caveat I would put there is, of course, food is absolutely essential. And for many, it is increasingly so during this pandemic,” she said. “We’ve commodified food, meaning the only way to access food is through an exchange of money. Increasing the cost of staples means that it’s that much further out of reach for those who are impoverished by the way our society is structured.” Researchers say implementing policies to reflect the true cost of food might seem like a financial burden for consumers, but they argue “the costs of today’s agricultural externalities are paid for by society” already. Photo by PhotoMIX Company/Pexels
This has long been a concern for food systems scholars and activists. Food, they say, needs to be priced at the cost of production, but governments also need to ensure that people with low incomes can afford to eat. Achieving this will require robust social supports for people who can’t work and those who are employed in low-wage or precarious jobs — and more than 60 per cent of food-insecure Canadians live primarily off their wages, according to PROOF, a team at the University of Toronto that studies food insecurity. “If you want to increase food security, simply focusing on food prices isn’t going to solve it,” said Hannah Wittman, professor of land and food systems at the University of British Columbia. “You need a whole systems change where you improve people’s income so they can afford to pay higher prices, and you ensure that higher food prices actually reflect the true cost of production, including social, health, economic and ecological externalities.”


nationalobserver--2020-12-24--Supreme Court to weigh in on 'extreme intoxication' defence

The Supreme Court agreed on Wednesday to weigh in on a ruling related to the defence of extreme intoxication that had alarmed some women 's groups .
The court granted prosecutors in Ontario leave to appeal separate decisions in which two men had killed or injured close relatives .
The men were initially convicted but the province 's Court of Appeal set aside the guilty verdicts after finding part of the law unconstitutional .
The impugned provision , enacted in 1995 , bars an accused from using self-induced extreme intoxication as a defence .
The two men , Thomas Chan @ @ @ @ @ @ @ drugs they had taken voluntarily when they turned violent .
One had eaten magic mushrooms ; the other had tried to kill himself with an overdose of a prescription stop-smoking medication .
Trial evidence was that both became psychotic and went on a rampage .
Chan , a high school student , stabbed and killed his father and badly injured his father ’ s partner .
Sullivan came to believe his mother was an alien and stabbed her .
• How one young scientist is protecting fragile ecosystems in Canada 's North • @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Mehrab found dead in Toronto Both men claimed they had no control over what they did — a state called automatism .
However , their defence of “ non-mental disorder automatism ” ran afoul of the ban on arguing self-induced extreme intoxication .
The federal government barred the intoxication defence 25 years ago amid a backlash over a court ruling that recognized drunkenness could be raised in a sexual assault case .
In quashing their convictions and finding the law unconstitutional , the Appeal Court said it would be wrong to punish someone @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
`` ( The law ) enables the conviction of individuals for acts they do not will , '' the Appeal Court said .
While such cases are rare , and successfully raising an intoxication defence difficult , critics argued the Appeal Court ruling had undermined a measure aimed at protecting women from sexual violence .
Megan Stephens , executive director with the Women ’ s Legal Education and Action Fund , said her group was pleased the Supreme Court will hear the case .
The Supreme Court agrees to weigh in on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ women 's groups .
# cdnlaw # SCC `` We are hopeful that the appeal will provide the court with the opportunity to provide some necessary clarification on how to balance constitutional rights that are equally deserving of protection – both those of the accused as well as those who are disproportionately subjected to intoxicated violence , '' Stephens said .
Both federal and Ontario New Democrats had urged an appeal .
Prosecutors sought leave to challenge the ruling before the Supreme Court , which agreed to hear the two cases as a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ when that might happen .
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 23 , 2020 .

The Supreme Court agreed on Wednesday to weigh in on a ruling related to the defence of extreme intoxication that had alarmed some women's groups.
The court granted prosecutors in Ontario leave to appeal separate decisions in which two men had killed or injured close relatives.
The men were initially convicted but the province's Court of Appeal set aside the guilty verdicts after finding part of the law unconstitutional. The impugned provision, enacted in 1995, bars an accused from using self-induced extreme intoxication as a defence.
The two men, Thomas Chan and David Sullivan, were high on drugs they had taken voluntarily when they turned violent. One had eaten magic mushrooms; the other had tried to kill himself with an overdose of a prescription stop-smoking medication.
Trial evidence was that both became psychotic and went on a rampage. Chan, a high school student, stabbed and killed his father and badly injured his father’s partner. Sullivan came to believe his mother was an alien and stabbed her.


nationalobserver--2020-12-24--Supreme Court rejects injunction bid in flight refund case

The Supreme Court of Canada wo n't hear a case linked to a challenge about air passenger refunds for flights cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic .
The Air Passenger Rights organization wanted to challenge a Federal Court of Appeal decision that dismissed the group 's bid for an injunction compelling the Canadian Transportation Agency to temporarily remove a post about refunds from its website while a broader case about the statement 's validity plays out .
The transportation agency said in March that airlines have the right to issue travel credits instead of a refund for cancelled trips in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the agency later clarified that the online statement was `` not a binding decision . ''
Air Passenger Rights , an advocacy group , asked the appeal court in April to order the removal of the Canadian Transportation Agency 's statement on vouchers from its website , which was posted following mass flight cancellations by airlines .
While a Federal Court of Appeal judge in October cleared the way for Air Passenger Rights to challenge the regulator 's overall stance on flight credit for travellers , Wednesday 's decision means the statements on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ now .
• How one young scientist is protecting fragile ecosystems in Canada 's North • Anger and suspicion after Pakistani dissident Karima Mehrab found dead in Toronto Canadian airlines have generally offered credit valid for two years or more , but avoided offering reimbursement to customers whose flights were nixed because of the coronavirus crisis .
Air carriers have cited the transportation agency 's stance in response to consumer complaints and analyst questions .
Air Passenger Rights founder Gabor Lukacs says the agency 's statements misled travellers about their right to a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ previous decisions .
The pandemic has devastated the airline industry , with billions of dollars in losses for Canadian carriers due to grounded flights and tight international borders .
The National Airlines Council of Canada on Wednesday called for the federal government to provide financial assistance to the sector .
“ Canada remains an outlier as one of the few nations that has not provided sectoral support to its aviation industry , '' NACC president Mike McNaney said in a statement .
Supreme Court of Canada rejects injunction attempt in case over refunds @ @ @ @ @ @ @ COVID19 pandemic .
# Airline # Aviation # COVID19 # cdnpoli # NACC # CTA # SCC `` We need the government to move with a sense of urgency , in keeping with other countries around the world that have now provided over $ 200 billion in aid .
This support is critical if we are to stabilize aviation in the immediate term and provide hope to the tens of thousands of aviation employees who have lost their jobs due to the pandemic . ''
This report by The Canadian Press was first @ @ @ @ @ @

The Supreme Court of Canada won't hear a case linked to a challenge about air passenger refunds for flights cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Air Passenger Rights organization wanted to challenge a Federal Court of Appeal decision that dismissed the group's bid for an injunction compelling the Canadian Transportation Agency to temporarily remove a post about refunds from its website while a broader case about the statement's validity plays out.
The transportation agency said in March that airlines have the right to issue travel credits instead of a refund for cancelled trips in the "current context," though the agency later clarified that the online statement was "not a binding decision."
Air Passenger Rights, an advocacy group, asked the appeal court in April to order the removal of the Canadian Transportation Agency's statement on vouchers from its website, which was posted following mass flight cancellations by airlines.
While a Federal Court of Appeal judge in October cleared the way for Air Passenger Rights to challenge the regulator's overall stance on flight credit for travellers, Wednesday's decision means the statements on the agency's website can remain for now.


nationalobserver--2020-12-24--Calgary Stampede organizers hopeful the show will go on in 2021

A world-famous annual rodeo that survived the Great Depression , two world wars and a devastating flood seven years ago was felled by a microscopic virus this year and will have a different look if it 's allowed to go forward in 2021 .
Calgary Stampede president Dana Peers says planning is underway , with fingers crossed , to stage the celebration of cowboy life , which brings in a million visitors each year and gives the local economy a $ 282-million boost .
`` Who would have thought it would be a pandemic that would really take us to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' Peers said in an interview .
The Stampede first started on an annual basis in 1923 .
It had been held every year since , including in 2013 when Calgary and other communities in southern Alberta were devastated by flooding .
The grounds were under water , but frantic efforts enabled the 10-day rodeo , fair and midway to go ahead .
`` Unlike the floods , where the waters receded and they allowed us to get in there and get the physical work done and move forward , here we are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ n't receded , '' Peers said .
• Anger and suspicion after Pakistani dissident Karima Mehrab found dead in Toronto • How one young scientist is protecting fragile ecosystems in Canada 's North `` For that reason , we have n't been able to turn around like we did in 2013 . ''
Another challenge , Peers said , is there 's been little revenue , since most of the 1,200 events held at Stampede Park each year were also cancelled .
A COVID-19 testing site was set up instead and the rodeo @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to allow for physical distancing .
Peers said he remains `` very hopeful '' the Stampede will be held in some form next year .
Stampede officials are working with Alberta Health Services and Calgary 's Emergency Management Agency to find a way to hold it safely .
He said the arrival of vaccines is also a positive .
`` We need to think about new ways to be able to have people ( in the ) park safely , to be able to social distance , to have those kind of events @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Peers said .
`` I see 2021 as a bridge year .
We 're hopefully going to ... still have a Stampede .
And by the time we get to 2022 , hopefully we 're back to a situation where it would be more normal . ''
University of Calgary professor Aritha van Herk , who wrote `` Stampede and the Westness of the West , '' said event officials showed leadership by cancelling in 2020 , but people are anxious for it to return .
'Very hopeful : ' Planning underway for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
# covid19 # CalgaryStampede # Rodeo `` You 're not a Calgarian unless you 've participated completely , drunk too much , danced your feet off .
Every part of it is part of the city 's character . ''
Van Herk said she expects the event will go ahead next year on a limited basis .
`` I bet they will try to do it in such a way that they really limit attendance and they 'll use this opportunity to rethink everything .
We 've been going for a 100 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ? ''
The City of Calgary had already been hit with a financial crisis linked to a drop in oil prices , which led to layoffs and extensive amounts of empty space before the pandemic began .
The president and CEO of Calgary Economic Development said the city has a perception problem , which has n't been helped by focusing on the Stampede and energy sector while ignoring the booming tech and financial sectors .
`` People think of us as only an oil and gas town ... and yet there 's so @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for the last several years , '' said Mary Moran .

A world-famous annual rodeo that survived the Great Depression, two world wars and a devastating flood seven years ago was felled by a microscopic virus this year and will have a different look if it's allowed to go forward in 2021. Calgary Stampede president Dana Peers says planning is underway, with fingers crossed, to stage the celebration of cowboy life, which brings in a million visitors each year and gives the local economy a $282-million boost. "Who would have thought it would be a pandemic that would really take us to a whole new level of challenge?" Peers said in an interview. The Stampede first started on an annual basis in 1923. It had been held every year since, including in 2013 when Calgary and other communities in southern Alberta were devastated by flooding. The grounds were under water, but frantic efforts enabled the 10-day rodeo, fair and midway to go ahead. "Unlike the floods, where the waters receded and they allowed us to get in there and get the physical work done and move forward, here we are 10 months later and the pandemic hasn't receded," Peers said.
"For that reason, we haven't been able to turn around like we did in 2013." Another challenge, Peers said, is there's been little revenue, since most of the 1,200 events held at Stampede Park each year were also cancelled. A COVID-19 testing site was set up instead and the rodeo grandstand has been used as a courthouse to allow for physical distancing. Billion-dollar land deals in Ontario raise corruption suspicions Peers said he remains "very hopeful" the Stampede will be held in some form next year. Stampede officials are working with Alberta Health Services and Calgary's Emergency Management Agency to find a way to hold it safely. He said the arrival of vaccines is also a positive.
"We need to think about new ways to be able to have people (in the) park safely, to be able to social distance, to have those kind of events where people can feel safe," Peers said. 'Very hopeful:' Planning underway for modified #Calgary #Stampede in 2021. #covid19 #CalgaryStampede #Rodeo "I see 2021 as a bridge year. We're hopefully going to ... still have a Stampede. And by the time we get to 2022, hopefully we're back to a situation where it would be more normal." University of Calgary professor Aritha van Herk, who wrote "Stampede and the Westness of the West," said event officials showed leadership by cancelling in 2020, but people are anxious for it to return. "You're not a Calgarian unless you've participated completely, drunk too much, danced your feet off. Every part of it is part of the city's character." Van Herk said she expects the event will go ahead next year on a limited basis.
"I bet they will try to do it in such a way that they really limit attendance and they'll use this opportunity to rethink everything. We've been going for a 100 years. What can we make better?" The City of Calgary had already been hit with a financial crisis linked to a drop in oil prices, which led to layoffs and extensive amounts of empty space before the pandemic began. The president and CEO of Calgary Economic Development said the city has a perception problem, which hasn't been helped by focusing on the Stampede and energy sector while ignoring the booming tech and financial sectors.


nationalobserver--2020-12-24--Prisoner advocates say inmates are at "grave risk" and need speedy access to COVID-19 vaccine

Advocates say inmates should have speedy access to the COVID-19 vaccine , given how susceptible prisons and jails have been to outbreaks and how prevalent chronic disease is in that population .
`` I do n't think they should go to the front of the line , but I certainly do n't think they should be denied their rightful place in the priority line simply because they 're prisoners , '' said Catherine Latimer , executive director of the John Howard Society of Canada .
The Correctional Service of Canada said that , as of Monday , there were a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ federal prisons .
The bulk were at Joyceville Institution near Kingston , Ont.
, Stony Mountain Institution near Winnipeg and the Saskatchewan Penitentiary near Prince Albert .
There have also been several outbreaks in provincially run jails .
Martha Paynter , a registered nurse in Halifax who provides reproductive care to inmates , said hygiene and ventilation in correctional institutions are issues at the best of times .
• Anger and suspicion after Pakistani dissident Karima Mehrab found dead in Toronto • How one young scientist is protecting fragile ecosystems in Canada 's @ @ @ @ @ @ @ remand centres and staff are constantly coming and going , she added .
Inmates are `` living in this incredibly restrictive experience , but also facing very grave risk of illness transmission , '' said Paynter , a doctoral candidate at Dalhousie University .
Inmates 50 and older account for one-quarter of the federal prison population .
Advocates note people age faster behind bars and are in poorer health than the general public .
`` Of course this population should have very quick access to the vaccines , '' said Paynter , who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ shots due to bad experiences with health care behind bars .
She said the bigger issue is why there are so many people incarcerated in the first place .
`` What are we choosing to police ?
What are we choosing to criminalize ? ''
Advocates say # inmates are at grave risk and need speedy access to the # COVID19 # vaccine .
# prisons # jails Anita Ho , associate professor in bioethics and health services research at the University of British Columbia , noted Indigenous people are disproportionately represented in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , health among Indigenous peoples in Canada , because of various social determinants of health , are poorer to start with , '' she said .
The National Advisory Committee on Immunizations recommends adult Indigenous communities be included in Stage 1 of vaccine delivery .
It recommends congregate settings , including correctional facilities , be included in Stage 2 .
Priority groups such as long-term care residents and health-care workers began receiving doses earlier this month .
Dr. Joss Reimer , medical health officer for the Winnipeg Regional Health Authority , said criteria @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the new year will be expanded to include “ correctional facilities , '' but did not specify whether that would be inmates , staff or both .
Other provinces have not detailed their plans .
Ontario 's Ministry of the Solicitor General said it will be looking at the availability of doses and would carry out immunizations `` based on the latest medical advice and scientific evidence . ''
Saskatchewan Health Minister Paul Merriman said : `` We will consider based on what the needs are at that specific time and ... @ @ @ @ @ @ @ flowing into the province . ''
In Alberta , chief medical health officer Dr. Deena Hinshaw said , `` We 'll have a clear ethical dimension that we need to make sure we 're considering . ''
The Correctional Service of Canada was to provide comment later Thursday .
University of Toronto bioethicist Kerry Bowman said there was a consensus about who would receive the first batch of vaccines , but determining who should be next is trickier .
He said it 's not clear whether the goal of the second phase will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reach more vulnerable people .
In the United States , there has been some pushback against inmates getting dibs earlier .
`` There ’ s no way it ’ s going to go to prisoners before it goes to the people who haven ’ t committed any crime , '' Colorado Gov .
Jared Polis said after the state 's vaccination rollout plan was criticized .
Bowman said that kind of argument is neither scientifically nor ethically sound .
`` It 's a very dangerous precedent in any society when you start saying @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lives . ''
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 24 , 2020 .
— With files from Fakiha Baig in Edmonton and Shawn Jeffords in Toronto

Advocates say inmates should have speedy access to the COVID-19 vaccine, given how susceptible prisons and jails have been to outbreaks and how prevalent chronic disease is in that population. "I don't think they should go to the front of the line, but I certainly don't think they should be denied their rightful place in the priority line simply because they're prisoners," said Catherine Latimer, executive director of the John Howard Society of Canada. The Correctional Service of Canada said that, as of Monday, there were a total of 201 active COVID-19 cases in federal prisons. The bulk were at Joyceville Institution near Kingston, Ont., Stony Mountain Institution near Winnipeg and the Saskatchewan Penitentiary near Prince Albert. There have also been several outbreaks in provincially run jails. Martha Paynter, a registered nurse in Halifax who provides reproductive care to inmates, said hygiene and ventilation in correctional institutions are issues at the best of times.
There is also high turnover in remand centres and staff are constantly coming and going, she added. Inmates are "living in this incredibly restrictive experience, but also facing very grave risk of illness transmission," said Paynter, a doctoral candidate at Dalhousie University. Billion-dollar land deals in Ontario raise corruption suspicions Inmates 50 and older account for one-quarter of the federal prison population. Advocates note people age faster behind bars and are in poorer health than the general public.
"Of course this population should have very quick access to the vaccines," said Paynter, who added that some might not trust the shots due to bad experiences with health care behind bars. Advocates say #inmates are at grave risk and need speedy access to the #COVID19 #vaccine. #prisons #jails She said the bigger issue is why there are so many people incarcerated in the first place. "What are we choosing to police? What are we choosing to criminalize?" Anita Ho, associate professor in bioethics and health services research at the University of British Columbia, noted Indigenous people are disproportionately represented in the corrections system. "In general, health among Indigenous peoples in Canada, because of various social determinants of health, are poorer to start with," she said.
The National Advisory Committee on Immunizations recommends adult Indigenous communities be included in Stage 1 of vaccine delivery. It recommends congregate settings, including correctional facilities, be included in Stage 2. Priority groups such as long-term care residents and health-care workers began receiving doses earlier this month. Dr. Joss Reimer, medical health officer for the Winnipeg Regional Health Authority, said criteria for who gets the vaccine in Manitoba in the new year will be expanded to include “correctional facilities," but did not specify whether that would be inmates, staff or both.


nationalobserver--2020-12-24--COVID-19 border closures cause Canadian snowbirds to winter in B.C.

On a small island in British Columbia 's Fraser River is a campsite packed with Canadian snowbirds who found refuge when the border with the United States was shut because of the COVID-19 pandemic .
Unlike other years , all 118 full-service sites at Fort Camping in Langley are occupied , said Marilyn Stone , the manager of guest services at the campsite .
It started in March , when Prime Minister Justin Trudeau told Canadians around the world to come home , Stone said .
Travellers from Nova Scotia , New Brunswick , Quebec , Ontario , Manitoba , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and before they left for the summer , they booked for the winter , she said .
The Canadian Camping and RV Council said at least 50,000 full-time users of recreational vehicles who usually spend their winters in the United States had to find a site north of the border .
• Anger and suspicion after Pakistani dissident Karima Mehrab found dead in Toronto • How one young scientist is protecting fragile ecosystems in Canada 's North Thousands of those snowbirds have converged on southern B.C.
, packing full-service campgrounds to wait out @ @ @ @ @ @ @ groups in the province .
Mary Lou Baldwin and her partner Paul Funston normally head home from Arizona to an RV site in Grimsby , Ont.
, but it was closed .
Instead , she `` begged '' Fort Camping to allow them to come in to quarantine this spring , said Baldwin , 79 .
She took no chances on the border reopening and booked Fort Camping for the winter .
`` I sensed that we were going to be in deep trouble come this winter because everybody , they ca n't @ @ @ @ @ @ @ come here .
They 'll want to get into B.C . ''
Funston , 78 , said the relentless rain in Metro Vancouver in November and parts of December has made it easy to quarantine in their trailer , but they would n't want to stay anywhere else .
Canadian # snowbirds take refuge in B.C .
because they ca n't cross the border to usual haunts in the U.S. # COVID19 # pandemic # borderclosure `` There is no place in Canada from the East Coast all the way to this area @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , there 's no escape until you come here , '' he said in a telephone interview .
Doug Overholt , 74 , would normally be in Palm Springs , Calif. , this time of year , and said he considered getting on a plane to head south while having his 12-metre motorhome trucked across the border .
But he had health insurance considerations and instead decided to sit out the winter at Fort Camping .
`` I 've got satellite TV and radio and whatever I need there .
They have wonderful @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the executive director of the B.C .
Lodging and Campgrounds Association , said about 100 private-sector campgrounds are open year-round , most of them in southern B.C .
He said the snowbirds in campsites are treated just like any other family would be if they were living in separate condominiums .
`` We do n't have the clubhouse open , we do n't have the washrooms open , they 're in their own self-contained RV and home .
They are n't supposed to mix and mingle with other people in the park @ @ @ @ @ @ @ RV Resort , near Oliver , usually has just a few winter visitors , but manager Jamie Cox said the phone started ringing endlessly one day in March .
They set up a quarantine location , arranged a grocery system and overnight , all 80 of their sites were full , he said .
`` We were literally in a necessity position and went to the provincial government to get an essential service designation , '' said Cox , who 's also the chairman of the B.C .
Lodging and Campgrounds Association .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ returned for the winter .
Rob Littlejohn , part owner of Living Forest Oceanside Campground in Nanaimo , said by mid-July , there were 100 people on their winter wait-list .
`` They 're from everywhere in the country that 's cold , '' he said .
Full-time motorhome residents have been wintering on Vancouver Island for decades , said Anthony Everett , the president of Tourism Vancouver Island .
The difference this year is snowbirds had nowhere else to go .
`` We realized that we had a situation on our hands @ @ @ @ @ @ @ motivation was to make sure that snowbirds understood all the places they could go on the Island .
They also needed to understand there were places on the Island that were n't actually ready to have people come back to see them . ''
With tourism down by 60 per cent , Everett said the snowbird migration is one bright spot in what has been a horrible year for their businesses .
At Fort Camping , Connie Axelsen and her partner are planning a quiet holiday season when they would normally be celebrating @ @ @ @ @ @ @ made in Arizona .
`` I look at the positives , you know it could be a lot worse .
We 've got a nice warm home , we 've got nice neighbours , we 're in a beautiful area .
Would I like to be down south , oh you bet .
But until they lift the restrictions and the vaccines are out , we 're staying put . ''
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 24 , 2020 .

On a small island in British Columbia's Fraser River is a campsite packed with Canadian snowbirds who found refuge when the border with the United States was shut because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Unlike other years, all 118 full-service sites at Fort Camping in Langley are occupied, said Marilyn Stone, the manager of guest services at the campsite. It started in March, when Prime Minister Justin Trudeau told Canadians around the world to come home, Stone said. Travellers from Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Quebec, Ontario, Manitoba, Alberta and B.C. came to quarantine and before they left for the summer, they booked for the winter, she said. The Canadian Camping and RV Council said at least 50,000 full-time users of recreational vehicles who usually spend their winters in the United States had to find a site north of the border.
Thousands of those snowbirds have converged on southern B.C., packing full-service campgrounds to wait out the winter, say tourism and lodging groups in the province. Mary Lou Baldwin and her partner Paul Funston normally head home from Arizona to an RV site in Grimsby, Ont., but it was closed. Billion-dollar land deals in Ontario raise corruption suspicions Instead, she "begged" Fort Camping to allow them to come in to quarantine this spring, said Baldwin, 79.
She took no chances on the border reopening and booked Fort Camping for the winter. Canadian #snowbirds take refuge in B.C. because they can't cross the border to usual haunts in the U.S. #COVID19 #pandemic #borderclosure "I sensed that we were going to be in deep trouble come this winter because everybody, they can't go south and they're going to come here. They'll want to get into B.C." Funston, 78, said the relentless rain in Metro Vancouver in November and parts of December has made it easy to quarantine in their trailer, but they wouldn't want to stay anywhere else. "There is no place in Canada from the East Coast all the way to this area that doesn't have winter. So, there's no escape until you come here," he said in a telephone interview. Doug Overholt, 74, would normally be in Palm Springs, Calif., this time of year, and said he considered getting on a plane to head south while having his 12-metre motorhome trucked across the border. But he had health insurance considerations and instead decided to sit out the winter at Fort Camping.
"I've got satellite TV and radio and whatever I need there. They have wonderful internet service here." Joss Penny, the executive director of the B.C. Lodging and Campgrounds Association, said about 100 private-sector campgrounds are open year-round, most of them in southern B.C. He said the snowbirds in campsites are treated just like any other family would be if they were living in separate condominiums.