nationalobserver--2020-12-10--Fraser River salmon get a boost as DFO announces $176M for fish ladder project

For the past two summers , Fraser River salmon have needed to take a helicopter ride in order to procreate .
The salmon were cut off from reaching their spawning grounds by a massive landslide into the river near Big Bar , B.C .
But those aerial migrations — a last-ditch effort to save the stocks — will soon be over .
On Wednesday , the Department of Fisheries and Oceans ( DFO ) announced plans to build a $ 176.3-million fish ladder , or fishway , to help the salmon move up and down the river at the site @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Bar and Stswecem ' c Xgat'tem First Nations .
Once completed , salmon will be able to pass around the waterfall created by the slide using a “ ladder ” of pools that allow them to avoid the obstruction .
The work will be done by Peter Kiewit Sons ULC , a construction company that has been working with area First Nations and the provincial and federal governments since the slide to clear a path for the fish .
• This Nova Scotian is ridding the ocean of 'ghost gear' • National Chief @ @ @ @ @ @ @ leader of Assembly of First Nations • What the provinces and territories have said about COVID-19 vaccine plans so far Sockeye fry release in 2020 by the DFO .
Fisheries and Oceans Canada photo Only 293,000 sockeye returned to the Fraser this year — a historic low that has many worried the population is amid a collapse .
“ Salmon hold a deep cultural significance for First Nation communities across British Columbia .
As stewards of the land , we have a responsibility to protect and preserve these fish for future generations , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Bar First Nation said in a press release .
“ We are pleased that the federal government is now moving ahead with a permanent solution at Big Bar .
Our hope is that once this pathway is completed , we will once again see salmon flow in our streams.
” In summer 2020 , helicopters were carrying around 1,500 fish a day past the slide site in oxygenated tanks to a human-created pool connected to the river .
Trucks were also used to transport the fish .
Work on the new fishway will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ expected to be functional by the beginning of the 2022 salmon migration .
For the past two summers , Fraser River salmon have needed a helicopter ride to reach their spawning grounds , which were cut off by a massive landslide into the river near Big Bar , B.C .
A $ 176.3-million fish ladder will end that .
The slide , which is thought to have happened in 2018 , was discovered in June 2019 .
Almost all the early Stuart and chinook salmon runs were lost that year , as the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ their home streams died trying to get around the waterfall .
Salmon migrate on four-year cycles , meaning that loss is expected to show up in the 2023 run .
Fisheries and Oceans Canada reported that 99 per cent of early Stuart and 89 per cent of early chinook salmon were lost following the slide , unable to make it through .
Since the slide 's discovery , several attempts have been made to help the fish .
The Whooshh Passage Portal — a “ salmon cannon ” that vacuums the fish upriver @ @ @ @ @ @ @ site .
The channel was also widened , fish were moved in trucks across the site and hydro-acoustic sonar and fish tagging were installed to keep track of the species .
The Whooshh Passage Portal , a `` salmon cannon '' that vacuums fish upriver , was installed to try and help salmon cross the landslide site .
Fisheries and Oceans Canada photo About 10,000 fish crossed with help from the DFO ’ s measures , while 150,000 salmon moved through the landslide area on their own between August and September of this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Big Bar landslide response for DFO .
“ The fish monitoring program will continue next season for 2021 , and we will have assisted fish passage in place as well in the interim as the construction of the fishway begins and continues , and continues into next winter , ” Roberts said .
“ The intent being that by 2022 , we should have that fish passage through the fishway available and in use.
” Ultimately , DFO said a fish ladder is the only reliable , permanent solution for salmon crossing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Gordon Sterritt , the Indigenous representative for the Big Bar joint executive steering committee and executive director of the Upper Fraser Fisheries Conservation Alliance , said the dedication to the project has been “ inspiring .
”

For the past two summers, Fraser River salmon have needed to take a helicopter ride in order to procreate. The salmon were cut off from reaching their spawning grounds by a massive landslide into the river near Big Bar, B.C. But those aerial migrations — a last-ditch effort to save the stocks — will soon be over. On Wednesday, the Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO) announced plans to build a $176.3-million fish ladder, or fishway, to help the salmon move up and down the river at the site in the traditional territory of the High Bar and Stswecem'c Xgat'tem First Nations. Once completed, salmon will be able to pass around the waterfall created by the slide using a “ladder” of pools that allow them to avoid the obstruction. The work will be done by Peter Kiewit Sons ULC, a construction company that has been working with area First Nations and the provincial and federal governments since the slide to clear a path for the fish.
Sockeye fry release in 2020 by the DFO. Fisheries and Oceans Canada photo Only 293,000 sockeye returned to the Fraser this year — a historic low that has many worried the population is amid a collapse. Billion-dollar land deals in Ontario raise corruption suspicions “Salmon hold a deep cultural significance for First Nation communities across British Columbia. As stewards of the land, we have a responsibility to protect and preserve these fish for future generations,” Chief Roy Fletcher of the High Bar First Nation said in a press release.
“We are pleased that the federal government is now moving ahead with a permanent solution at Big Bar. Our hope is that once this pathway is completed, we will once again see salmon flow in our streams.” For the past two summers, Fraser River salmon have needed a helicopter ride to reach their spawning grounds, which were cut off by a massive landslide into the river near Big Bar, B.C. A $176.3-million fish ladder will end that. In summer 2020, helicopters were carrying around 1,500 fish a day past the slide site in oxygenated tanks to a human-created pool connected to the river. Trucks were also used to transport the fish. Work on the new fishway will start this winter, and it is expected to be functional by the beginning of the 2022 salmon migration. The slide, which is thought to have happened in 2018, was discovered in June 2019. Almost all the early Stuart and chinook salmon runs were lost that year, as the adult salmon migrating upriver to spawn in their home streams died trying to get around the waterfall. Salmon migrate on four-year cycles, meaning that loss is expected to show up in the 2023 run. Fisheries and Oceans Canada reported that 99 per cent of early Stuart and 89 per cent of early chinook salmon were lost following the slide, unable to make it through.
Since the slide's discovery, several attempts have been made to help the fish. The Whooshh Passage Portal — a “salmon cannon” that vacuums the fish upriver — helped propel salmon over the slide site. The channel was also widened, fish were moved in trucks across the site and hydro-acoustic sonar and fish tagging were installed to keep track of the species. The Whooshh Passage Portal, a "salmon cannon" that vacuums fish upriver, was installed to try and help salmon cross the landslide site. Fisheries and Oceans Canada photo


nationalobserver--2020-12-10--Greens slam 'Scrooge-like' CRA as many Canadians told to pay back CERB

Many Canadians have been left stunned or in tears after being told by the Canada Revenue Agency that they might need to pay back all the money they got from the Canada Emergency Response Benefit ( CERB ) .
Parliamentarians are reporting their offices are being flooded with calls from CERB recipients at their wits ’ end after getting alarming-sounding letters from the CRA suggesting they might need to repay every one of the $ 2,000 payments by Dec. 31 , 2020 .
That ’ s an impossible situation for many self-employed Canadians who are barely staying afloat , having @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s economic fallout .
“ We ’ ve spent the last 10 years of our lives learning to be financially responsible .
We finally got ourselves out of debt ...
I do n't know how we ’ re going to come up with any additional money , ” said Cory Perry , whose spouse Diane Duplessis runs a private daycare outside Fredericton that had to close at the beginning of the pandemic .
“ For us , the financial impact , if we ’ re required to pay this back ... the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ come up with that kind of money is to either get a loan , which is going to cost us a fortune at the end of the day , or to have to sell the house.
” • National Chief Perry Bellegarde wo n't seek re-election as leader of Assembly of First Nations • What the provinces and territories have said about COVID-19 vaccine plans so far • This Nova Scotian is ridding the ocean of 'ghost gear ' CERB recipients say the situation is due to a lack of a clear explanation @ @ @ @ @ @ @ CERB , specifically when it comes to clearing the income threshold for claiming the benefit .
An eligibility webpage for the benefit states that in order to claim the $ 2,000 CERB payment , recipients must have earned a minimum of `` $ 5,000 ( before taxes ) '' in the last 12 months , or in 2019 , from employment or self-employment income , or from maternity or parental benefits .
But the CRA says this income threshold is calculated after a recipient has deducted their expenses , a fact that is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ webpage .
That means the CRA considers Canadians who may have cleared the threshold before expenses but did not clear it after expenses to be ineligible for the CERB .
'We 're talking about hundreds of thousands of people ' : Paul The agency denies changing the rules , and said it already calculates self-employment income as “ net pre-tax income ” or , in other words , `` gross income less expenses . ''
It pointed out that another webpage that contains a Q & A about CERB does include this distinction @ @ @ @ @ @ @ calling on the government to suspend CERB repayment requests until the new year after some recipients got letters from the CRA suggesting they might need to repay every one of the $ 2,000 payments by Dec. 31 , 2020 .
CRA spokesperson Sylvie Branch said individuals who got the letter should not see it as a final determination they must pay back the money — only that the agency does not yet have enough information from recipients to confirm CERB eligibility .
Branch also said the Dec. 31 date in the letter is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ just a preferred date to avoid impacting 2020 income tax returns .
Green Party Leader Annamie Paul , however , says the confusion is so rampant that the government should be suspending the requests for repayment at least until the new year .
“ Everyone knows someone , I ’ m pretty sure , who got that letter .
We ’ re talking about hundreds of thousands of people .
And we ’ re just around the corner from all of our major holidays — it is really Scrooge-like , this whole thing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are people who do their due diligence .
No one was looking to game the system ... we shouldn ’ t be designing our entire approach around the very small number of potential real cheats.
” Amy MacCutchan , who owns and operates HooperSonic , a Toronto-based hula hooping instruction and entertainment company .
Photo courtesy MacCutchan “ I make the majority of my money in the summer months by going to camps and schools and doing birthday parties and doing Christmas events ... it ’ s a physically demanding job , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ very careful to check CERB eligibility , reading over the rules multiple times , and has kept detailed records in a spreadsheet about her income including HST .
She said the CRA never explained to her the issue of calculating the income threshold after expenses .
“ Never was it communicated in that way , ” she said .
“ It makes me not want to be a small business owner .
It just turns me off to the idea , as somebody who ’ s been trying throughout this entire pandemic to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ times.
” MacCutchan said if she was forced to pay everything back , it would have to go on her personal debt .
“ The money from CERB was money that I used to live on , and contribute to the bills within my family , ” she said .
'This is not the time to do it .
There is no urgency ' Perry said when Duplessis originally applied for the CERB in the spring , they tried getting through to a representative at the CRA to ask questions , but the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said at the time that its phone lines had been experiencing technical difficulties .
After getting the letter from the CRA , Duplessis broke down in tears , Perry said .
It was only after contacting their accountant that they learned her expenses had brought her net pre-tax income down below the income threshold , so she did not qualify .
During the spring , an anonymous government official told CBC News that the government would spend less time confirming whether claims were justified , and claw back ineligible payments after the crisis @ @ @ @ @ @ @ wanted to get this into Canadians ’ hands quickly , ” Perry said about the government ’ s CERB rollout .
“ But it ’ s still their responsibility to vet the applicants.
” Paul said the government needs to acknowledge that , from the very beginning , the CERB was positioned as “ prioritizing speed over clarity.
” “ We moved at lightning speed to make changes , and that was great .
But we ’ re not out of it yet .
This kind of letter from the CRA is the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ re out of an emergency — we ’ re not out of an emergency , ” Paul said .
“ Many of the people who received these letters are people who are still struggling or are about to go under .
This is not the time to do it .
There is no urgency — the CRA does not need to be going to this particular pool of taxpayers and using this blunt instrument.
” Branch said the CRA was “ taking an educational approach ” with the letters .
“ The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ what qualifies as earned income to be eligible for CERB , and what does not .
The letter strongly encourages those individuals who have yet to file their 2019 returns , to do so as soon as possible , as this is the simplest way to confirm their eligibility , ” Branch said .
Branch said it was also important to note that Canadians who applied for the CERB “ in good faith ” and are required to pay the money back “ will not be charged with penalties or interest.
” The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the fact that repayment “ may have financial implications , ” said Branch , and “ for this reason , payment arrangement parameters have been expanded to give Canadians more time and flexibility to repay based on their ability to pay.
” Those Canadians who can not make the full payment are “ advised to contact the CRA to make a payment arrangement , ” Branch said .

Many Canadians have been left stunned or in tears after being told by the Canada Revenue Agency that they might need to pay back all the money they got from the Canada Emergency Response Benefit (CERB). Parliamentarians are reporting their offices are being flooded with calls from CERB recipients at their wits’ end after getting alarming-sounding letters from the CRA suggesting they might need to repay every one of the $2,000 payments by Dec. 31, 2020. That’s an impossible situation for many self-employed Canadians who are barely staying afloat, having already been slammed with the COVID-19 pandemic’s economic fallout. “We’ve spent the last 10 years of our lives learning to be financially responsible. We finally got ourselves out of debt ... I don't know how we’re going to come up with any additional money,” said Cory Perry, whose spouse Diane Duplessis runs a private daycare outside Fredericton that had to close at the beginning of the pandemic. “For us, the financial impact, if we’re required to pay this back ... the only way I can think of to come up with that kind of money is to either get a loan, which is going to cost us a fortune at the end of the day, or to have to sell the house.”
CERB recipients say the situation is due to a lack of a clear explanation from the CRA over eligibility for the CERB, specifically when it comes to clearing the income threshold for claiming the benefit. An eligibility webpage for the benefit states that in order to claim the $2,000 CERB payment, recipients must have earned a minimum of "$5,000 (before taxes)" in the last 12 months, or in 2019, from employment or self-employment income, or from maternity or parental benefits. Billion-dollar land deals in Ontario raise corruption suspicions But the CRA says this income threshold is calculated after a recipient has deducted their expenses, a fact that is not spelled out explicitly on the eligibility webpage.
That means the CRA considers Canadians who may have cleared the threshold before expenses but did not clear it after expenses to be ineligible for the CERB. Green Party Leader Annamie Paul is calling on the government to suspend CERB repayment requests until the new year after some recipients got letters from the CRA suggesting they might need to repay everything by Dec. 31, 2020. 'We're talking about hundreds of thousands of people' The agency denies changing the rules, and said it already calculates self-employment income as “net pre-tax income” or, in other words, "gross income less expenses." It pointed out that another webpage that contains a Q&A about CERB does include this distinction. CRA spokesperson Sylvie Branch said individuals who got the letter should not see it as a final determination they must pay back the money — only that the agency does not yet have enough information from recipients to confirm CERB eligibility. Branch also said the Dec. 31 date in the letter is not a payment “deadline,” just a preferred date to avoid impacting 2020 income tax returns.
Green Party Leader Annamie Paul, however, says the confusion is so rampant that the government should be suspending the requests for repayment at least until the new year. “Everyone knows someone, I’m pretty sure, who got that letter. We’re talking about hundreds of thousands of people. And we’re just around the corner from all of our major holidays — it is really Scrooge-like, this whole thing,” Paul said. “These are people who do their due diligence. No one was looking to game the system ... we shouldn’t be designing our entire approach around the very small number of potential real cheats.”


nationalobserver--2020-12-10--Health workers report record burnout amid second wave, ask public to obey health rules

Sophia Gabiniewicz is well accustomed to dealing with stress as a registered nurse in the intensive care unit at St. Paul 's Hospital in Vancouver .
But she says it rose to a new level as the second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic began to swell and she recognized a familiar face in the ICU .
Gabiniewicz once worked with the woman , a `` vibrant '' former health worker in her 70s , who told her she had never been hospitalized in her life and that the COVID-19 infection took her by surprise .
`` I worried for this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , '' she said .
`` I hoped she would be OK , but I never knew from day to day what to expect .
When I went home , I would think about her . ''
Thankfully , the woman 's story had a `` happy ending , '' but Gabiniewicz said it made her realize how stressed she has been .
• This Nova Scotian is ridding the ocean of 'ghost gear' • National Chief Perry Bellegarde wo n't seek re-election as leader of Assembly of First Nations • What the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ vaccine plans so far Gabiniewicz is among many front-line workers feeling the effects of months of strain and is urging members of the public not to bend public health protocols .
News this week that a vaccine is on its way means there is a light at the end of the tunnel , but the risk is n't gone yet .
`` I wish that people would really be careful and take it seriously because it 's unpredictable , '' she said .
B.C .
Premier John Horgan said on Wednesday that when @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the province by next week , the news allowed for a brief celebration that the end is near .
`` But before we get to that place , as in any race when you see the finish line you do n't stop running , you focus , you dig down deep to find that extra resolve to get to the finish line .
That 's where we are today . ''
Christine Sorensen , president of the B.C .
Nurses Union , said she has heard from nurses across the province who are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ holidays .
The workload for some has been amplified by British Columbia 's surgical renewal program , which seeks to catch up on surgeries delayed at the beginning of the pandemic , she said .
`` Nurses struggle with moral distress .
They want to help their patients , they want to be able to deliver good-quality health care , but they are also exhausted , showing signs of burnout and need time to rest and recover themselves , '' Sorensen said .
`` Nurses have n't really had that time to recover @ @ @ @ @ @ @ second wave . ''
A survey of union members in June found that 41 per cent reported severe depression and 60 per cent were emotionally exhausted , while 57 per cent reported high levels of burnout , Sorensen said .
The pandemic has only highlighted a pre-existing shortage of nurses and a retention problem in the profession , especially in northern B.C.
, she said .
Sorensen pointed to a report by B.C .
's auditor general in 2018 that found more than one-quarter of rural and remote nurse practitioner positions were vacant @ @ @ @ @ @ @ more fulsome human resources plan at the provincial level to beef up staffing levels , Sorensen said from Kamloops , B.C .
The Health Ministry did not respond to a request for comment in time for deadline .
Kathleen Ross , president of Doctors of BC , said physicians have also adapted to the added workload .
But she emphasized that while health workers are under a lot of pressure , it remains vitally important that those who think they need medical care seek it .
`` My fear is that our patients @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I do n't want to bother my doctor because they 're burnt out , ' and let things slide , '' said Ross , a family physician in Coquitlam , B.C .
`` It 's really critically important that we encourage patients to continue to contact their family doctors , especially if they 've got a chronic illness , because we do not want underlying conditions left untreated . ''
Levi Elijah is taking a break from working as a mental health aide to support fellow workers as chairperson of the Hospital Employees @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Working at the hospital every day comes with some worry about contracting the virus , said Elijah , who uses the pronouns they and them .
After the initial fear when COVID-19 patients first began arriving at health centres , things slowed down during the summer , but the stresses rose again with the second wave , Elijah said .
`` What I have noticed throughout is the ability to cope and our resiliency gets reduced , especially now with the second wave starting and the numbers increasing .
We are noticing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and anxiety , '' Elijah said .
Mike Old , a spokesman for the union , also said the surgical renewal program and second wave are highlighting staffing challenges .
The union , which represents about 20,000 long-term care and assisted living workers , supported the government 's move to limit workers to a single site as a disease control measure , but they 're now facing pressure with a second wave and flu season underway , he said .
The government is training more medical device processing technicians and the union is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to train more health-care assistants , but it takes time , he said .
`` That 's why it 's just so important that people pay attention to public health orders , '' Old said .
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 10 , 2020 .

Sophia Gabiniewicz is well accustomed to dealing with stress as a registered nurse in the intensive care unit at St. Paul's Hospital in Vancouver. But she says it rose to a new level as the second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic began to swell and she recognized a familiar face in the ICU. Gabiniewicz once worked with the woman, a "vibrant" former health worker in her 70s, who told her she had never been hospitalized in her life and that the COVID-19 infection took her by surprise. "I worried for this person even more than I expected to," she said. "I hoped she would be OK, but I never knew from day to day what to expect. When I went home, I would think about her." Thankfully, the woman's story had a "happy ending," but Gabiniewicz said it made her realize how stressed she has been.
Gabiniewicz is among many front-line workers feeling the effects of months of strain and is urging members of the public not to bend public health protocols. News this week that a vaccine is on its way means there is a light at the end of the tunnel, but the risk isn't gone yet. Billion-dollar land deals in Ontario raise corruption suspicions "I wish that people would really be careful and take it seriously because it's unpredictable," she said.
B.C. Premier John Horgan said on Wednesday that when officials announced some vaccine would be in the province by next week, the news allowed for a brief celebration that the end is near. Health workers report burnout amid #SecondWave, ask public to obey health rules. #COVID19 #Vancouver "But before we get to that place, as in any race when you see the finish line you don't stop running, you focus, you dig down deep to find that extra resolve to get to the finish line. That's where we are today." Christine Sorensen, president of the B.C. Nurses Union, said she has heard from nurses across the province who are working extended hours, overtime and forgoing holidays. The workload for some has been amplified by British Columbia's surgical renewal program, which seeks to catch up on surgeries delayed at the beginning of the pandemic, she said. "Nurses struggle with moral distress. They want to help their patients, they want to be able to deliver good-quality health care, but they are also exhausted, showing signs of burnout and need time to rest and recover themselves," Sorensen said.
"Nurses haven't really had that time to recover and we're right back into a second wave." A survey of union members in June found that 41 per cent reported severe depression and 60 per cent were emotionally exhausted, while 57 per cent reported high levels of burnout, Sorensen said. The pandemic has only highlighted a pre-existing shortage of nurses and a retention problem in the profession, especially in northern B.C., she said. Sorensen pointed to a report by B.C.'s auditor general in 2018 that found more than one-quarter of rural and remote nurse practitioner positions were vacant.


nationalobserver--2020-12-10--Delay in pandemic-related rise in homelessness means feds have time to prevent it: report

A government-commissioned report says the effect of COVID-19 on the number of homeless people in Canada wo n't be felt for three to five years , giving policy-makers a chance to prevent the pandemic from putting people on the street .
One reason for the delay is that people in need will first max out government supports before exhausting their savings .
They then would fall behind on payments like rent , leading to evictions .
The author of the report says it would n't surprise him to see homeless counts rise by 10 to 15 per cent in some @ @ @ @ @ @ @ labour market .
But given the lead time before the effects are fully felt , the report requested by Employment and Social Development Canada recommends more funding for prevention strategies like expanding a federal rent supplement .
• This Nova Scotian is ridding the ocean of 'ghost gear' • National Chief Perry Bellegarde wo n't seek re-election as leader of Assembly of First Nations • What the provinces and territories have said about COVID-19 vaccine plans so far The report also recommends the Canada Revenue Agency take a light touch when it comes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , particularly those on social assistance .
`` CRA could make a decision , very quickly , that … it 's not going to try to nickel and dime and get everything back possible , keeping in mind it 's a very vulnerable group financially , '' said report author Nick Falvo , a Calgary-based homelessness expert .
`` They 're probably at risk of homelessness .
The costs of getting housed again are quite substantial , so let 's not put them in that position . ''
Falvo said what happens next @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , regional labour demands and local housing markets , meaning some cities could see increases in homelessness while others are spared .
Advocates have warned for months about the potential impacts on homelessness from COVID-19 , owing to historic losses of jobs and work that disproportionately affected lower-income workers .
Groups have anecdotally spoken about rises in the use of food banks and the social services offered by non-profit organizations .
A government-commissioned report says the effect of # COVID19 on the number of # homeless people in Canada wo n't be felt @ @ @ @ @ @ @ policy-makers a chance to prevent the pandemic from putting people on the street .
`` Although there 's a three- to five-year lag , that does n't mean things are n't happening now , '' Falvo said .
`` It just means it takes three to five years for them to fully play out . ''
In September , the Liberals pumped an extra $ 236.7 million into a federal program to combat homelessness , and offered $ 1 billion to rapidly build or buy existing buildings for affordable housing .
That funding @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and likely needs to be ongoing in some form , Falvo said .
His report calls for an enhancement to the Canada Housing Benefit , a joint federal-provincial rent supplement that is tied to people who need housing rather than used to subsidize particular units .
It also calls for a bump in anti-homelessness spending , but directed at households at risk of losing their homes or that have just lost them .
But the recommendation on how to handle the clawing back of emergency aid is likely to get more attention as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of people who received the Canada Emergency Response Benefit ( CERB ) now facing repayment demands from the government amounting to five figures in some cases .
In one instance , a home daycare provider in New Brunswick forced to close in the spring turned to her local MP , Jenica Atwin of the Greens , after receiving a $ 14,000 repayment request from the CRA , saying her net income before the pandemic was below the eligibility threshold .
Anyone who made more than $ 5,000 before taxes in the 12 months @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for the aid .
Green Party Leader Annamie Paul said all repayment notices , some with deadlines at the end of the month , should be immediately suspended until the situation can be sorted out .

A government-commissioned report says the effect of COVID-19 on the number of homeless people in Canada won't be felt for three to five years, giving policy-makers a chance to prevent the pandemic from putting people on the street. One reason for the delay is that people in need will first max out government supports before exhausting their savings. They then would fall behind on payments like rent, leading to evictions. The author of the report says it wouldn't surprise him to see homeless counts rise by 10 to 15 per cent in some cities depending on what happens in the labour market. But given the lead time before the effects are fully felt, the report requested by Employment and Social Development Canada recommends more funding for prevention strategies like expanding a federal rent supplement.
The report also recommends the Canada Revenue Agency take a light touch when it comes to having pandemic aid recipients repay overpayments, particularly those on social assistance. "CRA could make a decision, very quickly, that … it's not going to try to nickel and dime and get everything back possible, keeping in mind it's a very vulnerable group financially," said report author Nick Falvo, a Calgary-based homelessness expert. Billion-dollar land deals in Ontario raise corruption suspicions "They're probably at risk of homelessness. The costs of getting housed again are quite substantial, so let's not put them in that position."
Falvo said what happens next will be a result of federal aid, regional labour demands and local housing markets, meaning some cities could see increases in homelessness while others are spared. A government-commissioned report says the effect of #COVID19 on the number of #homeless people in Canada won't be felt for three to five years, giving policy-makers a chance to prevent the pandemic from putting people on the street. Advocates have warned for months about the potential impacts on homelessness from COVID-19, owing to historic losses of jobs and work that disproportionately affected lower-income workers. Groups have anecdotally spoken about rises in the use of food banks and the social services offered by non-profit organizations. "Although there's a three- to five-year lag, that doesn't mean things aren't happening now," Falvo said. "It just means it takes three to five years for them to fully play out." In September, the Liberals pumped an extra $236.7 million into a federal program to combat homelessness, and offered $1 billion to rapidly build or buy existing buildings for affordable housing.
That funding, while helpful, was only one-time and likely needs to be ongoing in some form, Falvo said. His report calls for an enhancement to the Canada Housing Benefit, a joint federal-provincial rent supplement that is tied to people who need housing rather than used to subsidize particular units. It also calls for a bump in anti-homelessness spending, but directed at households at risk of losing their homes or that have just lost them.


nationalobserver--2020-12-10--Minks test positive for COVID-19 on B.C. farm where workers are ill

A COVID-19 outbreak at a British Columbia mink farm likely spread from eight workers to some of the animals , says the province 's chief veterinarian .
Test results from five mink samples taken from a farm in Fraser Valley have come back positive for the virus that causes COVID-19 in humans , Rayna Gunvaldsen said Wednesday .
The animal samples were gathered after workers at the farm , which has about 15,000 mink , tested positive for COVID-19 recently , she said .
Gunvaldsen said the farm was placed under quarantine , prohibiting the movement of animals and materials @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was made to prevent the spread of the virus , she said .
She would n't say if the animals would be culled .
• National Chief Perry Bellegarde wo n't seek re-election as leader of Assembly of First Nations • What the provinces and territories have said about COVID-19 vaccine plans so far Gunvaldsen said it 's likely the workers infected the mink with the virus .
`` Because the mink are isolated on the property and given that there was an outbreak in the workers on the farm and the close @ @ @ @ @ @ @ mink in order to care for them , it 's almost certain that the workers would have transmitted the virus to the mink , '' she said in an interview .
B.C .
has 10 mink farms , all located in the Lower Mainland , said Gunvaldsen .
The Ministry of Agriculture said Wednesday in a news release the COVID-19 results for the mink were expected , `` considering the interaction between infected workers and mink on the farm . ''
Testing was underway to determine genome sequencing and the strain of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said .
Provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry said they are watching for the test results from the farm because researchers have been concerned about the mutation of COVID-19 at a mink farm in Denmark .
A COVID-19 outbreak at a British Columbia mink farm likely spread from eight workers to some of the animals , says the province 's chief veterinarian .
# Minks # Covid19 # BC `` We are doing what we call whole genome sequencing on the sequences both from the mink that have tested positive but also on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ been any change in the virus that might have any effect on the spike protein , and therefore potentially have effect on the vaccine , '' she said at a news conference .
A plan is in place to feed and care for the mink during the outbreak , which was declared on Monday when eight workers tested positive for COVID-19 , the ministry statement said .
`` The plan respects the conditions of the quarantine and maintains worker and mink safety , '' the ministry statement said .
`` The outbreak at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a health risk to other mink farms . ''
Denmark , the world 's largest supplier of mink fur , decided last month to cull all of its farmed mink , about 15 million animals .
Spain culled about 100,000 farmed mink , and in the U.S. , about 10,000 mink in Utah died as the virus spread across farms .
The World Health Organization said in a statement on Dec. 3 that the decision to cull mink in Denmark was made following information that revealed it was n't possible to stop the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , or from animals to humans .
`` Mink are acting like a reservoir and contributing to the ongoing transmission in Denmark , '' the WHO said .
Mink farming in Denmark has now been banned until the end of December 2021 .
The B.C .
farm was inspected by the chief veterinarian and ministry staff as part of a routine inspection process in September and was found to comply with all animal welfare and biosecurity standards , the ministry statement says .

A COVID-19 outbreak at a British Columbia mink farm likely spread from eight workers to some of the animals, says the province's chief veterinarian. Test results from five mink samples taken from a farm in Fraser Valley have come back positive for the virus that causes COVID-19 in humans, Rayna Gunvaldsen said Wednesday. The animal samples were gathered after workers at the farm, which has about 15,000 mink, tested positive for COVID-19 recently, she said. Gunvaldsen said the farm was placed under quarantine, prohibiting the movement of animals and materials from the property. The quarantine order was made to prevent the spread of the virus, she said. She wouldn't say if the animals would be culled.
Gunvaldsen said it's likely the workers infected the mink with the virus. "Because the mink are isolated on the property and given that there was an outbreak in the workers on the farm and the close contact that they would have with the mink in order to care for them, it's almost certain that the workers would have transmitted the virus to the mink," she said in an interview. Billion-dollar land deals in Ontario raise corruption suspicions B.C. has 10 mink farms, all located in the Lower Mainland, said Gunvaldsen.
The Ministry of Agriculture said Wednesday in a news release the COVID-19 results for the mink were expected, "considering the interaction between infected workers and mink on the farm." A COVID-19 outbreak at a British Columbia mink farm likely spread from eight workers to some of the animals, says the province's chief veterinarian. #Minks #Covid19 #BC Testing was underway to determine genome sequencing and the strain of the virus at the farm, the ministry said. Provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry said they are watching for the test results from the farm because researchers have been concerned about the mutation of COVID-19 at a mink farm in Denmark. "We are doing what we call whole genome sequencing on the sequences both from the mink that have tested positive but also on the humans to see if there's been any change in the virus that might have any effect on the spike protein, and therefore potentially have effect on the vaccine," she said at a news conference. A plan is in place to feed and care for the mink during the outbreak, which was declared on Monday when eight workers tested positive for COVID-19, the ministry statement said.
"The plan respects the conditions of the quarantine and maintains worker and mink safety," the ministry statement said. "The outbreak at this farm is not considered to pose a health risk to other mink farms." Denmark, the world's largest supplier of mink fur, decided last month to cull all of its farmed mink, about 15 million animals. Spain culled about 100,000 farmed mink, and in the U.S., about 10,000 mink in Utah died as the virus spread across farms.


nationalobserver--2020-12-10--U.S. challenges Canada's dairy quotas in first test of new trade agreement

The United States opened a new chapter Wednesday in the book of trade tensions with Canada , formally complaining that U.S. dairy producers are being unfairly shut out of markets north of the border .
An anodyne-sounding `` request for consultations '' is actually the first step in what could be the first full-blown trade dispute between the two countries since the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement took effect in July .
At its core is how Canada has distributed its tariff-rate quotas — the quantities of certain dairy products like milks , cheeses , powders , yogurt and even ice cream — @ @ @ @ @ @ @ levels .
U.S. trade officials and dairy industry advocates say a large share of those quotas have been allocated to processors rather than producers , effectively denying U.S. farmers their fair share of the supply-managed Canadian market .
`` Canada ’ s measures violate its commitments and harm U.S. dairy farmers and producers , '' U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer said in a statement .
• This Nova Scotian is ridding the ocean of 'ghost gear' • National Chief Perry Bellegarde wo n't seek re-election as leader of Assembly of First Nations • @ @ @ @ @ @ @ about COVID-19 vaccine plans so far The U.S. is `` disappointed '' to be embarking on the first-ever dispute under USMCA , which is supposed to provide American producers `` fairer access to Canada 's highly protected dairy market , '' he said .
`` This action demonstrates that the United States will not hesitate to use all tools available to guarantee American workers , farmers , ranchers , and businesses enjoy the benefits we bargained for . ''
`` Like all aspects of the Canada-U .
S. trade relationship , Canada takes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Youmy Han , a spokesperson for International Trade Minister Mary Ng .
`` Canada ’ s administration of its dairy TRQs is in full compliance with its commitments under the new NAFTA . ''
While not unexpected , since both Lighthizer and U.S. dairy farmers began expressing concerns earlier in the year , Wednesday 's developments formally mark the end of the trade honeymoon .
`` With the Trump administration , often it 's 'Ready , fire , aim , ' '' said Adam Taylor , founder of Export Action Global , an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is yet another example of that , where simplicity and a lack of full understanding of the complexities of some issues sort of takes a back seat to actual reality . ''
The next step , presuming the consultation process does n't produce a resolution , would be to set up a dispute resolution panel — a mechanism , Taylor noted , that U.S. negotiators fought to get rid of during the effort to renegotiate NAFTA in 2018 .
`` It just goes to show : Canada negotiated a set of provisions in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the old agreement that were vital to protect against the arbitrary interpretation of things , and ultimately protect Canadian interests at the table . ''
The U.S .
Dairy Export Council set the table in June when it complained that Canada 's tariff-rate quotas deny American farmers rightful access to markets north of the border .
But given who runs the council , it 's safe to assume the dispute wo n't disappear once Donald Trump leaves the White House : president Tom Vilsack is said to be president-elect Joe Biden 's @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Agriculture , after holding the same job under Barack Obama .
In June , the council said Canada 's distribution of the quotas discourages the importing of certain high-value products , instead providing market access to competitors that have little incentive to take advantage .
`` Canada 's actions place the U.S. dairy industry at a disadvantage by discouraging utilization of the full use of the TRQs and limiting the market access granted by USMCA , '' Vilsack said .
`` We urge the U.S. government to act immediately to ensure that these @ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' And while it 's too soon to know whether dairy could one day rival softwood lumber as a perpetual sore spot between two of the world 's largest and closest trading partners , it wo n't be resolved soon .
`` I think it is always going to be an irritant between Canada and the U.S. , '' said Andrea van Vugt , who was a foreign policy and trade adviser to former prime minister Stephen Harper .
`` Everyone had hoped , with the conclusion of USMCA and the additional quantities @ @ @ @ @ @ @ dairy , that we were not settling that dispute or resolving that dispute , but that we were addressing U.S .
concerns . ''
Vilsack 's presence in the Biden administration certainly does n't augur for a quick resolution , she added .
`` I do believe that the temperature on this could heat up . ''
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 9 , 2020 .

The United States opened a new chapter Wednesday in the book of trade tensions with Canada, formally complaining that U.S. dairy producers are being unfairly shut out of markets north of the border. An anodyne-sounding "request for consultations" is actually the first step in what could be the first full-blown trade dispute between the two countries since the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement took effect in July. At its core is how Canada has distributed its tariff-rate quotas — the quantities of certain dairy products like milks, cheeses, powders, yogurt and even ice cream — that can be imported at lower duty levels. U.S. trade officials and dairy industry advocates say a large share of those quotas have been allocated to processors rather than producers, effectively denying U.S. farmers their fair share of the supply-managed Canadian market. "Canada’s measures violate its commitments and harm U.S. dairy farmers and producers," U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer said in a statement.
The U.S. is "disappointed" to be embarking on the first-ever dispute under USMCA, which is supposed to provide American producers "fairer access to Canada's highly protected dairy market," he said. "This action demonstrates that the United States will not hesitate to use all tools available to guarantee American workers, farmers, ranchers, and businesses enjoy the benefits we bargained for." Billion-dollar land deals in Ontario raise corruption suspicions Canada begged to differ Wednesday.
"Like all aspects of the Canada-U. S. trade relationship, Canada takes its obligations very seriously," said Youmy Han, a spokesperson for International Trade Minister Mary Ng. U.S. issues challenge to Canadian dairy quotas. #USMCA #cdndairy #cdnAg #CUSMA "Canada’s administration of its dairy TRQs is in full compliance with its commitments under the new NAFTA." While not unexpected, since both Lighthizer and U.S. dairy farmers began expressing concerns earlier in the year, Wednesday's developments formally mark the end of the trade honeymoon. "With the Trump administration, often it's 'Ready, fire, aim,'" said Adam Taylor, founder of Export Action Global, an international trade consulting firm. "This is yet another example of that, where simplicity and a lack of full understanding of the complexities of some issues sort of takes a back seat to actual reality."
The next step, presuming the consultation process doesn't produce a resolution, would be to set up a dispute resolution panel — a mechanism, Taylor noted, that U.S. negotiators fought to get rid of during the effort to renegotiate NAFTA in 2018. "It just goes to show: Canada negotiated a set of provisions in the new, modernized agreement that were in the old agreement that were vital to protect against the arbitrary interpretation of things, and ultimately protect Canadian interests at the table." The U.S. Dairy Export Council set the table in June when it complained that Canada's tariff-rate quotas deny American farmers rightful access to markets north of the border.


nationalobserver--2020-12-10--Kovrig draws strength from books and exercise as 'two Michaels' mark two jailed years

In his darkest moments , Michael Kovrig draws strength from knowing that his fellow Canadians and people around the world are working to free him and Michael Spavor from their respective Chinese prison cells .
As much as that matters , Kovrig 's wife Vina Nadjibulla says he is also subjecting himself to a strict regimen to strengthen his mind and body because he views that as the key to his survival .
She says that not only is Kovrig determined to survive his ordeal , he wants to reclaim his freedom better and stronger than when he lost it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ years in separate Chinese prisons , on what Canada and dozens of its Western allies say are trumped-up espionage charges in retaliation for the RCMP 's December 2018 arrest of Chinese high-tech executive Meng Wanzhou on a U.S. extradition warrant .
Canada 's ambassador to China , Dominic Barton , one of the few outsiders to see them , said this week Kovrig and Spavor are anything but broken men , and that seeing how they 've endured their captivity was inspiring .
• This Nova Scotian is ridding the ocean of 'ghost @ @ @ @ @ @ @ n't seek re-election as leader of Assembly of First Nations • What the provinces and territories have said about COVID-19 vaccine plans so far Kovrig is `` marshalling every ounce of his willpower and strength '' to cope with his difficult situation , Nadjibulla said in an interview this week .
`` He says that knowing that Canadians care , knowing that the world cares , and people are fighting for his release , makes him feel stronger , and keeps hope alive , '' she said , drawing on letters that he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hopes that he will be able to come out from this experience not only having survived it , but with a commitment , with resolve to rebuild his life better , to contribute even more to society . ''
The Canadian Press also reached out , through intermediaries , to request interviews with Spavor 's friends and family but was unsuccessful .
Spavor worked as an entrepreneur in the Chinese city of Dandong , where he is imprisoned near the North Korean border .
Kovrig was most recently an analyst with the International @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he was a member of Canada 's diplomatic corps , a career focused on preventing deadly conflicts .
`` He hopes that he can continue to do that , and he can rejoin the broader conversation in the world with life and not just continue to be isolated and cut off in the way that he is , '' said Nadjibulla .
Michael Kovrig draws strength from books , exercise and the knowledge that Canadians are trying to free him .
# twomichaels # Kovrig # Spavor # China # cdnpoli She said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of stoic philosopher Marcus Aurelius , to St. Paul 's Letter to the Romans , to Tolstoy 's `` War and Peace , '' to Nelson Mandela 's `` Long Walk to Freedom . ''
He 's reread one of his pre-prison favourites , `` Antifragile : Things That Gain From Disorder '' by Nassim Nicholas Taleb , because it contains a key message for him .
`` It essentially posits that it 's important to cultivate an ability to not only survive traumas or disruptions but to become better and stronger as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of building back better .
I know it 's very much on the minds of many of us as we recover from the pandemic , '' she said .
Kovrig is also drawing on stoic philosophical teaching that , among other things , calls for the transformation of `` fear into prudence , pain into information , '' said Nadjibulla .
Kovrig has added `` anger into the termination of grievance '' to that philosophy .
He has been drawn to St. Paul 's Letter to the Romans , the sixth book of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ suffering produces endurance , endurance produces character , character produces hope .
And Michael is doing everything possible to keep hope alive , '' said Nadjibulla .
Kovrig is subjecting himself to a strict physical regimen , forever on the move in his small cell striving to walk the equivalent of five kilometres daily because he knows his mind can not thrive if his body is not strong , said Nadjibulla .
Robert Malley , Kovrig 's boss at the International Crisis Group , says his imprisoned colleague can hold the plank , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for 18 minutes .
In solidarity , Crisis Group colleagues recently had a plank competition but the closest anyone got was seven minutes .
They 're also walking 7,000 steps a day , the equivalent of five kilometres .
Malley said he and his colleagues are in awe of Kovrig 's discipline .
`` None of us can be prepared for that , unless you 're in the military and you 're told this could happen .
But he seems to have had all of the reflexes , instincts that are necessary , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ released one day his colleagues hope stories of their attempts to replicate some of his exercises will help him heal and , perhaps , bridge the gap growing between them and him , said Malley .
Kovrig only found out the scope of the global pandemic during Barton 's on-site virtual visit in October — his first contact with Canadian diplomats since January because Chinese authorities would n't allow any contact due to COVID-19 , said Nadjibulla .
He was shocked at the pandemic 's scale and compared it to a zombie apocalypse @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Kovrig is also aware that he is one of `` two Michaels '' and understands that both he and Spavor `` are caught in this bigger situation , '' she said .
It 's not a topic that can be discussed during the now-resumed 30-minute consular visits .
Nadjibulla said she was happy to hear that Prime Minister Justin Trudeau spoke to U.S. president-elect Joe Biden about the two Michaels in their recent conversation .
Trudeau refused to discuss the content of that conversation last week , or whether Biden might revisit the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Meng .
If the U.S. withdrew its charges , Meng could go free , and that might give China reason to free the two Michaels .
`` Our Michael and Michael Spavor are caught in a bigger geopolitical struggle , '' Nadjibulla said .
`` They 're pawns in a bigger political game involving the U.S. , China and Canada .
And they have been in the situation for two long years , for no other reason than being Canadian citizens . ''
This report by The Canadian Press was first published @ @ @ @ @

In his darkest moments, Michael Kovrig draws strength from knowing that his fellow Canadians and people around the world are working to free him and Michael Spavor from their respective Chinese prison cells. As much as that matters, Kovrig's wife Vina Nadjibulla says he is also subjecting himself to a strict regimen to strengthen his mind and body because he views that as the key to his survival. She says that not only is Kovrig determined to survive his ordeal, he wants to reclaim his freedom better and stronger than when he lost it. Kovrig and Spavor are marking two years in separate Chinese prisons, on what Canada and dozens of its Western allies say are trumped-up espionage charges in retaliation for the RCMP's December 2018 arrest of Chinese high-tech executive Meng Wanzhou on a U.S. extradition warrant. Canada's ambassador to China, Dominic Barton, one of the few outsiders to see them, said this week Kovrig and Spavor are anything but broken men, and that seeing how they've endured their captivity was inspiring.
Kovrig is "marshalling every ounce of his willpower and strength" to cope with his difficult situation, Nadjibulla said in an interview this week. "He says that knowing that Canadians care, knowing that the world cares, and people are fighting for his release, makes him feel stronger, and keeps hope alive," she said, drawing on letters that he has written in captivity. Billion-dollar land deals in Ontario raise corruption suspicions "He hopes that he will be able to come out from this experience not only having survived it, but with a commitment, with resolve to rebuild his life better, to contribute even more to society."
The Canadian Press also reached out, through intermediaries, to request interviews with Spavor's friends and family but was unsuccessful. Spavor worked as an entrepreneur in the Chinese city of Dandong, where he is imprisoned near the North Korean border. Michael Kovrig draws strength from books, exercise and the knowledge that Canadians are trying to free him. #twomichaels #Kovrig #Spavor #China #cdnpoli Kovrig was most recently an analyst with the International Crisis Group in Washington and before that he was a member of Canada's diplomatic corps, a career focused on preventing deadly conflicts. "He hopes that he can continue to do that, and he can rejoin the broader conversation in the world with life and not just continue to be isolated and cut off in the way that he is," said Nadjibulla. She said Kovrig is devouring books from the meditations of stoic philosopher Marcus Aurelius, to St. Paul's Letter to the Romans, to Tolstoy's "War and Peace," to Nelson Mandela's "Long Walk to Freedom." He's reread one of his pre-prison favourites, "Antifragile: Things That Gain From Disorder" by Nassim Nicholas Taleb, because it contains a key message for him. "It essentially posits that it's important to cultivate an ability to not only survive traumas or disruptions but to become better and stronger as a result. So, this idea of building back better. I know it's very much on the minds of many of us as we recover from the pandemic," she said.
Kovrig is also drawing on stoic philosophical teaching that, among other things, calls for the transformation of "fear into prudence, pain into information," said Nadjibulla. Kovrig has added "anger into the termination of grievance" to that philosophy. He has been drawn to St. Paul's Letter to the Romans, the sixth book of the New Testament, “which says suffering produces endurance, endurance produces character, character produces hope. And Michael is doing everything possible to keep hope alive," said Nadjibulla. Kovrig is subjecting himself to a strict physical regimen, forever on the move in his small cell striving to walk the equivalent of five kilometres daily because he knows his mind cannot thrive if his body is not strong, said Nadjibulla.


nationalobserver--2020-12-10--Premiers' demands for long-term health funding take backseat to pandemic

A first ministers meeting today that was supposed to be devoted to long-term , federal health care funding seems destined to be hijacked by a more urgent priority : surviving the COVID-19 pandemic .
Premiers asked for the meeting in September and wanted it focused exclusively on their unanimous demand that Ottawa add at least $ 28 billion a year to its annual health transfer payment to provinces and territories .
But while Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says he 's willing to discuss the issue , he has been clear that getting through the pandemic is more pressing , as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ host of the daylong meeting , he 's scheduled the first half to focus on the rollout of vaccines to inoculate Canadians against COVID-19 , the first of which is slated to begin delivery next week .
The second half of the meeting , to be conducted via teleconference , will be devoted to health care funding and improving health care in general .
• National Chief Perry Bellegarde wo n't seek re-election as leader of Assembly of First Nations • What the provinces and territories have said about COVID-19 vaccine plans so @ @ @ @ @ @ @ back expectations , saying it will take multiple meetings to come to any resolution on health transfers .
Ontario 's Doug Ford is hoping to persuade Trudeau to commit to a resolution in time for increased funding to be included in the next federal budget .
The premiers ' demand for more health care cash comes as the federal government is facing an unprecedented deficit approaching $ 400 billion , with more billions yet to be doled out to help Canadians weather the pandemic and the shattered economy to eventually bounce back .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trudeau does n't seem in any rush to deal with their decades-long complaint that Ottawa is not paying its fair share of annual health care costs .
The federal government this year will transfer to the provinces nearly $ 42 billion for health care , under an arrangement that sees the transfer increase by at least three per cent each year .
But the premiers contend that amounts to only 22 per cent of the actual cost of delivering health care and doesn ’ t keep pace with yearly cost increases of about @ @ @ @ @ @ @ meeting about long term health funding highjacked by # COVID19 pandemic survival strategies .
# cdnhealth # cdnpoli They want Ottawa to increase its share to 35 per cent and maintain it at that level , which would mean an added $ 28 billion this year , rising by roughly another $ 4 billion in each subsequent year .
In calculating the federal share , the premiers include only the cash transfers they get from Ottawa .
They do not include the billions in tax transfers they also get — essentially tax room @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and territories can increase their taxes to help pay for health care .
In a 2008 report , the auditor general of Canada pegged the value of the tax transfer for health care at $ 12.6 billion .
Nor do the premiers include any of the money the federal government has transferred to them specifically to combat the COVID-19 health crisis .
On top of the annual transfer this year , the federal government has given the provinces an extra $ 19 billion to help them cope with the fallout from the pandemic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ specifically for pandemic-related health-care costs .
Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland promised $ 1 billion more for long-term care homes , which have been hardest hit by the pandemic , in her fiscal update last month .
The federal government has also spent billions purchasing personal protective equipment , rapid testing kits and lining up purchases of potential vaccine candidates .
Trudeau has noted repeatedly that Ottawa has footed the bill for 80 per cent of all the money spent by governments in Canada to fight COVID-19 .
But the premiers say all that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ need is an increase in annual health transfers to ensure stable , predictable , long-term funding .

A first ministers meeting today that was supposed to be devoted to long-term, federal health care funding seems destined to be hijacked by a more urgent priority: surviving the COVID-19 pandemic. Premiers asked for the meeting in September and wanted it focused exclusively on their unanimous demand that Ottawa add at least $28 billion a year to its annual health transfer payment to provinces and territories. But while Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says he's willing to discuss the issue, he has been clear that getting through the pandemic is more pressing, as far as he's concerned. As host of the daylong meeting, he's scheduled the first half to focus on the rollout of vaccines to inoculate Canadians against COVID-19, the first of which is slated to begin delivery next week. The second half of the meeting, to be conducted via teleconference, will be devoted to health care funding and improving health care in general.
On Wednesday, premiers were scaling back expectations, saying it will take multiple meetings to come to any resolution on health transfers. Ontario's Doug Ford is hoping to persuade Trudeau to commit to a resolution in time for increased funding to be included in the next federal budget. Billion-dollar land deals in Ontario raise corruption suspicions The premiers' demand for more health care cash comes as the federal government is facing an unprecedented deficit approaching $400 billion, with more billions yet to be doled out to help Canadians weather the pandemic and the shattered economy to eventually bounce back.
So premiers can hardly be surprised that Trudeau doesn't seem in any rush to deal with their decades-long complaint that Ottawa is not paying its fair share of annual health care costs. A first ministers meeting about long term health funding highjacked by #COVID19 pandemic survival strategies. #cdnhealth #cdnpoli The federal government this year will transfer to the provinces nearly $42 billion for health care, under an arrangement that sees the transfer increase by at least three per cent each year. But the premiers contend that amounts to only 22 per cent of the actual cost of delivering health care and doesn’t keep pace with yearly cost increases of about six per cent. They want Ottawa to increase its share to 35 per cent and maintain it at that level, which would mean an added $28 billion this year, rising by roughly another $4 billion in each subsequent year. In calculating the federal share, the premiers include only the cash transfers they get from Ottawa. They do not include the billions in tax transfers they also get — essentially tax room vacated by the feds so that provinces and territories can increase their taxes to help pay for health care.
In a 2008 report, the auditor general of Canada pegged the value of the tax transfer for health care at $12.6 billion. Nor do the premiers include any of the money the federal government has transferred to them specifically to combat the COVID-19 health crisis. On top of the annual transfer this year, the federal government has given the provinces an extra $19 billion to help them cope with the fallout from the pandemic, including more than $10 billion specifically for pandemic-related health-care costs.


nationalobserver--2020-12-10--Clean energy report outlines path to reducing freight emissions

A new report calls for Ottawa to provide financial support to help the freight transportation industry to reduce greenhouse gas emissions through the purchase of zero-emission vehicles and charging stations .
The report , released Thursday by the Pembina Institute in conjunction with some of Canada ’ s largest shipping companies , calls for a national strategy to facilitate the industry ’ s transition to zero-emission vehicles — a shift the groups say can ’ t happen without significant financial incentives from all levels of government .
“ There is currently no national zero-emission vehicle policy and investment strategy for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the heavy-duty freight sector , ” the report says .
“ In the absence of such a strategy , market transformation has been slow , even for those companies that are eager to make the changes necessary for a clean economy.
” The report was produced by a coalition called the Urban Delivery Solutions Initiative , which includes companies such as UPS and Purolator .
The Pembina Institute , which led the development of the report , is a non-profit think tank that focuses on policies that facilitate the transition to cleaner energy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ridding the ocean of 'ghost gear' • National Chief Perry Bellegarde wo n't seek re-election as leader of Assembly of First Nations • What the provinces and territories have said about COVID-19 vaccine plans so far The Pembina Institute defines zero-emission vehicles as those that can produce zero tailpipe emissions , such as battery-electric vehicles , plug-in hybrid electric vehicles and hydrogen fuel cell vehicles .
The coalition provides a number of specific recommendations as part of an overall strategy for Canada ’ s freight sector to achieve 25,000 new zero-emission vehicles on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ says the procurement of zero-emission vehicles by freight companies will cost $ 5 billion ; $ 350 million for charging and refuelling infrastructure for the vehicles ; and $ 36 million for labour market programs to train workers in how to operate and maintain the new vehicles .
The organization argues that intervention by the government in helping to make these investments will be needed if Canada is to meet its commitments to reducing greenhouse gas emissions under the Paris Climate Agreement , as well as the federal government ’ s promise to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The federal government has an important role to play in co-ordinating policies so we don ’ t have an ad hoc approach and we can really see that transformational change in the largest and busiest cities in Canada , ” said Carolyn Kim , Pembina Institute ’ s transportation director .
Transportation produces 25 per cent of emissions in Canada , and freight sources account for 42 per cent of those , Kim said .
Emissions from freight are expected to surpass those from passenger vehicles by 2030 , the report says .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ greenhouse gas emissions through the purchase of zero-emission vehicles and charging stations .
# GHG # climatechange Yet for the most part , the report says , policies regarding zero-emission vehicles in Canada are targeted towards light-duty passenger vehicles , with limited references to goods movement and medium- and heavy-duty commercial vehicles that can be major polluters .
Mary de Guzman , head of corporate social responsibility at Purolator , said that the issue of pollution from freight might have fallen under the radar because of a perception that the industry would be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Purolator has already rolled out some greener delivery vehicles , such as electric low-speed vehicles and e-cargo delivery bikes .
But the scope of the investments needed into technologies such as charging stations make it impractical to maintain a full fleet of zero-emission vehicles without incentive programs , she said .
“ Industry investments alone can ’ t cover the cost of the infrastructure needed to make these widespread transitions , ” de Guzman said .
“ We need government support.
” The Pembina Institute ’ s call to action comes as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ packages , with more Canadians shopping online due to COVID-19 .
Companies such as Purolator and UPS have added thousands of new employees and expanded their fleets of delivery vehicles this year in an effort to process the surge in parcel shipments .
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 10 , 2020 .

A new report calls for Ottawa to provide financial support to help the freight transportation industry to reduce greenhouse gas emissions through the purchase of zero-emission vehicles and charging stations. The report, released Thursday by the Pembina Institute in conjunction with some of Canada’s largest shipping companies, calls for a national strategy to facilitate the industry’s transition to zero-emission vehicles — a shift the groups say can’t happen without significant financial incentives from all levels of government. “There is currently no national zero-emission vehicle policy and investment strategy for goods movement, from last-mile deliveries to the heavy-duty freight sector,” the report says. “In the absence of such a strategy, market transformation has been slow, even for those companies that are eager to make the changes necessary for a clean economy.” The report was produced by a coalition called the Urban Delivery Solutions Initiative, which includes companies such as UPS and Purolator. The Pembina Institute, which led the development of the report, is a non-profit think tank that focuses on policies that facilitate the transition to cleaner energy sources.
The Pembina Institute defines zero-emission vehicles as those that can produce zero tailpipe emissions, such as battery-electric vehicles, plug-in hybrid electric vehicles and hydrogen fuel cell vehicles. The coalition provides a number of specific recommendations as part of an overall strategy for Canada’s freight sector to achieve 25,000 new zero-emission vehicles on the road by 2025. Billion-dollar land deals in Ontario raise corruption suspicions The organization says the procurement of zero-emission vehicles by freight companies will cost $5 billion; $350 million for charging and refuelling infrastructure for the vehicles; and $36 million for labour market programs to train workers in how to operate and maintain the new vehicles.
The organization argues that intervention by the government in helping to make these investments will be needed if Canada is to meet its commitments to reducing greenhouse gas emissions under the Paris Climate Agreement, as well as the federal government’s promise to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050. How the freight transportation industry could reduce greenhouse gas emissions through the purchase of zero-emission vehicles and charging stations. #GHG #climatechange “The federal government has an important role to play in co-ordinating policies so we don’t have an ad hoc approach and we can really see that transformational change in the largest and busiest cities in Canada,” said Carolyn Kim, Pembina Institute’s transportation director. Transportation produces 25 per cent of emissions in Canada, and freight sources account for 42 per cent of those, Kim said. Emissions from freight are expected to surpass those from passenger vehicles by 2030, the report says. Yet for the most part, the report says, policies regarding zero-emission vehicles in Canada are targeted towards light-duty passenger vehicles, with limited references to goods movement and medium- and heavy-duty commercial vehicles that can be major polluters. Mary de Guzman, head of corporate social responsibility at Purolator, said that the issue of pollution from freight might have fallen under the radar because of a perception that the industry would be able to self-fund investments into zero-emission vehicles.
Purolator has already rolled out some greener delivery vehicles, such as electric low-speed vehicles and e-cargo delivery bikes. But the scope of the investments needed into technologies such as charging stations make it impractical to maintain a full fleet of zero-emission vehicles without incentive programs, she said. “Industry investments alone can’t cover the cost of the infrastructure needed to make these widespread transitions,” de Guzman said. “We need government support.” The Pembina Institute’s call to action comes as freight companies handle a record number of packages, with more Canadians shopping online due to COVID-19. Companies such as Purolator and UPS have added thousands of new employees and expanded their fleets of delivery vehicles this year in an effort to process the surge in parcel shipments.


nationalobserver--2020-12-11--Canadian police chiefs apologize for opposing the decriminalization of homosexuality

Canada 's police chiefs are apologizing to LGBTQ communities for their opposition to decriminalizing homosexuality in the late 1960s .
The Canadian Association of Chiefs of Police made the formal apology in a statement issued online Thursday .
Chief Bryan Larkin , president of the association , said it was the culmination of two years of research and consultation after a member of the organization pointed out that the group publicly opposed amending the Criminal Code to decriminalize homosexuality in 1968 .
`` We felt on the International Day of Human Rights this year was the right opportunity for us @ @ @ @ @ @ @ our past , and to begin the healing process moving forward , '' Larkin said in an interview .
The lengthy apology said police continued to criminalize members of sexual and gender diverse communities even after homosexuality was decriminalized by the federal government .
• What the provinces and territories have said about COVID-19 vaccine plans so far • Kovrig draws strength from books and exercise as 'two Michaels ' mark two jailed years • Could tidal power be the missing piece to the green energy puzzle ?
`` We acknowledge the pain @ @ @ @ @ @ @ suffering , shame and trauma our public positions contributed to , and the deep distrust and divide that was created by the positions we took , '' the statement , signed by Larkin , said .
`` We take responsibility for our past wrongdoings and , on behalf of the Canadian Association of Chiefs of Police , I am sorry . ''
The association said it 's also releasing a `` tool kit '' offering specific guidelines , best practices , and recommendations for Canada 's 194 police forces on how to best @ @ @ @ @ @ @ just felt an apology without action , an apology without a future direction , an apology without a strong commitment to making amends , was n't enough for us to reconcile with the 2SLGBTQ+ community , '' Larkin said in the interview .
Tom Hooper , a historian at York University who has written extensively about the relationship between Canada 's LGBTQ communities and police said he feels the police chiefs did n't consult enough with the affected communities .
`` They 've initiated the apology , this apology is occurring on their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I 'm not entirely sure who it 's directed at or what it is we 're supposed to do with it . ''
Canada 's police chiefs are apologizing to # LGBTQ communities for their opposition to decriminalizing homosexuality in the late 1960s .
# humanrights # gayrights Larkin said that the apology and tool kit were created in consultation with the association 's equity , diversity and inclusion committee , which includes members of the LGBTQ communities .
He also said that the association plans to hold a symposium on its apology @ @ @ @ @ @ @ next year , when easing of public health restrictions due to the COVID-19 pandemic will make an in-person conference possible .
Hooper said that it 's not just Canadian police forces that need to make amends for the way LGBTQ communities were criminalized through the 1970s and '80s under the country 's ‘ Bawdy House ’ law .
`` The police definitely have responsibility here but it was also the law , '' said Hooper , who is a member of the LGBTQ community himself .
`` The police relied on these 19th @ @ @ @ @ @ @ men to court on these charges , including the 1981 Toronto bathhouse raids , they obtained convictions , courts upheld these practices because it was the law . ''
Distrust of the criminal justice system is an ongoing concern for LGBTQ communities according to Hooper , because it leaves them vulnerable to violent or even predatory behaviour .
`` The problem with policing was n't just criminalization , it was harassment and it was also lack of protection , '' said Hooper .
`` When we look at what happened with ( convicted @ @ @ @ @ @ @ see that in the 1970s not only was this criminalization being doubled down on , but the harassment on the street and the culture of fear that was created between police and the community meant that when we faced violence there was no where to turn . ''
McArthur is currently serving a life sentence for the murders of eight men from Toronto 's gay village between 2010 and 2017 .

Canada's police chiefs are apologizing to LGBTQ communities for their opposition to decriminalizing homosexuality in the late 1960s. The Canadian Association of Chiefs of Police made the formal apology in a statement issued online Thursday. Chief Bryan Larkin, president of the association, said it was the culmination of two years of research and consultation after a member of the organization pointed out that the group publicly opposed amending the Criminal Code to decriminalize homosexuality in 1968. "We felt on the International Day of Human Rights this year was the right opportunity for us to make the apology, to reconcile our past, and to begin the healing process moving forward," Larkin said in an interview. The lengthy apology said police continued to criminalize members of sexual and gender diverse communities even after homosexuality was decriminalized by the federal government.
"We acknowledge the pain our actions have caused, the personal suffering, shame and trauma our public positions contributed to, and the deep distrust and divide that was created by the positions we took," the statement, signed by Larkin, said. "We take responsibility for our past wrongdoings and, on behalf of the Canadian Association of Chiefs of Police, I am sorry." Billion-dollar land deals in Ontario raise corruption suspicions The association said it's also releasing a "tool kit" offering specific guidelines, best practices, and recommendations for Canada's 194 police forces on how to best deal with LGBTQ communities.
"We just felt an apology without action, an apology without a future direction, an apology without a strong commitment to making amends, wasn't enough for us to reconcile with the 2SLGBTQ+ community," Larkin said in the interview. Canada's police chiefs are apologizing to #LGBTQ communities for their opposition to decriminalizing homosexuality in the late 1960s. #humanrights #gayrights Tom Hooper, a historian at York University who has written extensively about the relationship between Canada's LGBTQ communities and police said he feels the police chiefs didn't consult enough with the affected communities. "They've initiated the apology, this apology is occurring on their terms," said Hooper. "I'm not entirely sure who it's directed at or what it is we're supposed to do with it." Larkin said that the apology and tool kit were created in consultation with the association's equity, diversity and inclusion committee, which includes members of the LGBTQ communities. He also said that the association plans to hold a symposium on its apology in partnership with a national advocacy group next year, when easing of public health restrictions due to the COVID-19 pandemic will make an in-person conference possible.
Hooper said that it's not just Canadian police forces that need to make amends for the way LGBTQ communities were criminalized through the 1970s and '80s under the country's ‘Bawdy House’ law. "The police definitely have responsibility here but it was also the law," said Hooper, who is a member of the LGBTQ community himself. "The police relied on these 19th century morality offences and when they brought men to court on these charges, including the 1981 Toronto bathhouse raids, they obtained convictions, courts upheld these practices because it was the law."


nationalobserver--2020-12-11--Tipping point? Experts say the Paris agreement changed the climate on climate

Five years after it was passed , the Paris agreement may finally be changing the climate on climate change .
`` I 've always known we 're not going to act as soon as we could have , '' said Mark Jaccard , a widely consulted energy economist at Simon Fraser University .
`` I also know that when we do start to act , it 'll be very fast .
It 'll be one of those tipping points and it could be that we 're at one right now . ''
On Dec. 12 , 2015 , 196 countries @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on a legally binding treaty to do what it took to limit global warming to below two degrees Celsius and to create carbon-neutral economies by 2050 .
Progress on those promises has been spotty .
• Could tidal power be the missing piece to the green energy puzzle ?
• What the provinces and territories have said about COVID-19 vaccine plans so far • Kovrig draws strength from books and exercise as 'two Michaels ' mark two jailed years The United Nations annual emissions gap report released this week points out that greenhouse @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reached record levels in 2019 .
Even with a seven per cent decline in emissions expected this year because of the COVID-19 pandemic , atmospheric concentrations are expected to rise .
The Liberal government has committed Canada to being carbon neutral by 2050 .
But it has released no plan for the three to four per cent annual cuts that it would take to get there .
Canada has never met any of its previous climate goals and is one of five G20 countries behind on its Paris commitments .
`` We have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ did , '' said Keith Stewart of Greenpeace .
`` A lot of the big forces in the world are starting to line up behind the transition . ''
More and more financial institutions — including , just this week , the $ 225-billion New York state pension fund — are divesting from fossil fuels or decarbonizing .
The UN says 126 countries , including China , have either adopted binding net-zero goals or are considering them .
The cost of renewable energy is plummeting — 90 per cent for solar power , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ countries — again , including China — are putting end dates on the sale of gas-powered vehicles .
Five years after it was passed , the # ParisAgreement may finally be changing the climate on # ClimateChange # climateambitionsummit `` The effort is picking up speed , '' Jaccard said .
Without Paris , Canada would n't have achieved what it has , federal Environment Minister Jonathan Wilkinson told an online webinar Thursday .
`` Canadians were really tired of inaction , '' he said .
`` The pan-Canadian framework was something that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' The federal Liberals have implemented a carbon tax , signed agreements to reduce methane releases , promised a clean-fuel standard to cut vehicle emissions , announced $ 1.5 billion in funding for electric buses and charging stations , and helped phase out coal-generated power .
`` The Trudeau government is the only federal government Canada 's had that is implementing the pricing and regulations that actually reduce emissions , '' Jaccard said .
`` We know that more ambition will be required . ''
More is needed than just a new set @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who depend on the fossil fuel industry need help with the transition .
`` There 's a whole bunch of people who are going to be hurt badly if we do n't do this properly , '' he said .
`` The rest of the country is going to be supporting Alberta , Saskatchewan and Newfoundland . ''
Jaccard said some way may be needed to prevent countries that are n't limiting emissions from having a trade advantage .
Tariffs that penalize products from high-carbon jurisdictions are being discussed both at home and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ do you get any kind of collective action when there are easy rewards for cheating ?
You have to have penalty mechanisms . ''
Paris made a real difference and progress is out there , said Jaccard .
`` I react strongly to people who say it 's too late .
The evidence does n't support it .
`` It 's harder , which means we 've taken longer to act on it , but I always knew we would act . ''
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. @ @ @ @

Five years after it was passed, the Paris agreement may finally be changing the climate on climate change. "I've always known we're not going to act as soon as we could have," said Mark Jaccard, a widely consulted energy economist at Simon Fraser University. "I also know that when we do start to act, it'll be very fast. It'll be one of those tipping points and it could be that we're at one right now." On Dec. 12, 2015, 196 countries met in Paris and put their signatures on a legally binding treaty to do what it took to limit global warming to below two degrees Celsius and to create carbon-neutral economies by 2050. Progress on those promises has been spotty.
The United Nations annual emissions gap report released this week points out that greenhouse gas emissions have continued to grow and reached record levels in 2019. Even with a seven per cent decline in emissions expected this year because of the COVID-19 pandemic, atmospheric concentrations are expected to rise. The Liberal government has committed Canada to being carbon neutral by 2050. But it has released no plan for the three to four per cent annual cuts that it would take to get there. Canada has never met any of its previous climate goals and is one of five G20 countries behind on its Paris commitments. Billion-dollar land deals in Ontario raise corruption suspicions And yet ...
"We have a much stronger climate movement that we did," said Keith Stewart of Greenpeace. "A lot of the big forces in the world are starting to line up behind the transition." Five years after it was passed, the #ParisAgreement may finally be changing the climate on #ClimateChange #climateambitionsummit More and more financial institutions — including, just this week, the $225-billion New York state pension fund — are divesting from fossil fuels or decarbonizing. The UN says 126 countries, including China, have either adopted binding net-zero goals or are considering them. The cost of renewable energy is plummeting — 90 per cent for solar power, says an Oxford University publication. Some countries — again, including China — are putting end dates on the sale of gas-powered vehicles. "The effort is picking up speed," Jaccard said. Without Paris, Canada wouldn't have achieved what it has, federal Environment Minister Jonathan Wilkinson told an online webinar Thursday.
"Canadians were really tired of inaction," he said. "The pan-Canadian framework was something that came out of the Paris agreement." The federal Liberals have implemented a carbon tax, signed agreements to reduce methane releases, promised a clean-fuel standard to cut vehicle emissions, announced $1.5 billion in funding for electric buses and charging stations, and helped phase out coal-generated power. "The Trudeau government is the only federal government Canada's had that is implementing the pricing and regulations that actually reduce emissions," Jaccard said.


nationalobserver--2020-12-11--EU leaders talk all night and agree to reduce emissions

European Union leaders reached a hard-fought deal Friday to cut the bloc ’ s net greenhouse gas emissions by at least 55 % by the end of the decade compared with 1990 levels , avoiding a hugely embarrassing deadlock ahead of a U.N. climate meeting this weekend .
Following night-long discussions at their two-day summit in Brussels , the 27 member states approved the EU executive commission ’ s proposal to toughen the bloc ’ s intermediate target on the way to climate neutrality by mid-century , after a group of reluctant , coal-reliant countries finally agreed to support the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ leader in the fight against climate change , ” tweeted EU Council president Charles Michel as daylight broke over the EU capital city .
“ We decided to cut our greenhouse gas emissions of at least 55 % by 2030.
” Five years after the Paris agreement , the EU wants to be a leader in the fight against global warming .
Yet the bloc ’ s heads of state and government were unable to agree on the new target the last time they met in October , mainly because of financial concerns @ @ @ @ @ @ @ how to fund and handle the green transition .
But the long-awaited deal on a massive long-term budget and coronavirus recovery clinched Thursday by EU leaders swung the momentum .
• Could tidal power be the missing piece to the green energy puzzle ?
• What the provinces and territories have said about COVID-19 vaccine plans so far • Kovrig draws strength from books and exercise as 'two Michaels ' mark two jailed years Large swaths of the record-high 1.82 trillion-euro package are set to pour into programs and investments designed to help @ @ @ @ @ @ @ particularly affected by the green transition , which are in need of a deep economic and social transformation .
EU leaders have agreed that 30 % of the package should be used to support the transition .
Still , agreeing on common language was not an easy task .
Negotiations were punctuated throughout the night by intense discussions in the plenary session and multiple chats in smaller groups on the sidelines .
Another delay in revising the EU ’ s current 40 % emission cuts objective for 2030 would have been particularly embarrassing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ five years since the Paris deal , and leaders worked to the wire to seal a deal .
The event on Saturday will be co-hosted by the U.K. with the United Nations and France .
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced last week he wants the U.K. to cut greenhouse gas emissions by at least 68 % from 1990 levels by 2030 — a more ambitious goal than the EU ’ s .
Poland , which last year didn ’ t commit to the EU ’ s 2050 climate neutrality goal , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Republic and Hungary , largely depend on coal for their energy needs .
They considered it unfair that all member states should be submitted to the same ambition without considering their respective energy mixes .
To win their approval , member states agreed that the new target should be delivered collectively .
According to the Belgian Prime minister 's office , “ leaders agreed that the cuts will be first achieved in sectors and countries where there is still plenty of room for improvement . ''
In addition , the European Commission will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ drawing up the measures .
A progress report will be submitted to the European Council in the spring .
The accord also left the door open to member states to use gas or nuclear power as they drop fossil fuels .
EU leaders agreed last year that nuclear energy would be part of the bloc ’ s solution to making its economy carbon neutral , and they reiterated Friday that they would respect member states ' rights to decide on their energy mix and to choose the most appropriate technologies to reach the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who was not authorized to speak publicly about the meeting , Poland also obtained guarantees that the EU 's Emissions Trading System — a cap-and-trade scheme for industries to buy carbon credits covering about 40 % of the EU ’ s greenhouse gas emissions — would be revamped .
Poland wants the reform of the system to redirect more revenues to the poorer EU countries .
World leaders agreed five years ago in Paris to keep the global warming increase to below 2 degrees Celsius ( 3.6 degrees Fahrenheit ) , and ideally @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 2.7 degrees F ) by the end of the century .
Under the Paris accord , countries are required to submit updated climate targets by the end of this year .
Greenpeace and other environmental groups have said the improved EU target is insufficient to properly tackle climate change .
“ To increase the chances of limiting global heating to 1.5°C and avoid the worst effects of climate breakdown , Greenpeace is calling for at least a 65 % cut in EU emissions from polluting sectors by 2030 , ” the NGO said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the revised “ net ” target includes carbon sinks like reforestation , meaning that emitting sectors will need to decarbonize less to reach the new goal .
“ As the Commission indicates itself in its 2030 Climate Target Plan , if the EU is successful in implementing the Commission ’ s biodiversity , carbon removals could represent up to 5 % of emissions .
In this case the real emissions reduction target would be as low as 50 % , ” the NGO said .
EU leaders also encouraged the commission to propose @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s borders for countries that did do not regulate CO2 emissions as strictly as the EU does .

European Union leaders reached a hard-fought deal Friday to cut the bloc’s net greenhouse gas emissions by at least 55% by the end of the decade compared with 1990 levels, avoiding a hugely embarrassing deadlock ahead of a U.N. climate meeting this weekend. Following night-long discussions at their two-day summit in Brussels, the 27 member states approved the EU executive commission’s proposal to toughen the bloc’s intermediate target on the way to climate neutrality by mid-century, after a group of reluctant, coal-reliant countries finally agreed to support the improved goal. “Europe is the leader in the fight against climate change,” tweeted EU Council president Charles Michel as daylight broke over the EU capital city. “We decided to cut our greenhouse gas emissions of at least 55% by 2030.” Five years after the Paris agreement, the EU wants to be a leader in the fight against global warming. Yet the bloc’s heads of state and government were unable to agree on the new target the last time they met in October, mainly because of financial concerns by eastern nations seeking more clarity about how to fund and handle the green transition. But the long-awaited deal on a massive long-term budget and coronavirus recovery clinched Thursday by EU leaders swung the momentum.
Large swaths of the record-high 1.82 trillion-euro package are set to pour into programs and investments designed to help the member states, regions and sectors particularly affected by the green transition, which are in need of a deep economic and social transformation. EU leaders have agreed that 30% of the package should be used to support the transition. Still, agreeing on common language was not an easy task. Negotiations were punctuated throughout the night by intense discussions in the plenary session and multiple chats in smaller groups on the sidelines. Billion-dollar land deals in Ontario raise corruption suspicions Another delay in revising the EU’s current 40% emission cuts objective for 2030 would have been particularly embarrassing before the virtual Climate Ambition Summit marking five years since the Paris deal, and leaders worked to the wire to seal a deal.
The event on Saturday will be co-hosted by the U.K. with the United Nations and France. British Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced last week he wants the U.K. to cut greenhouse gas emissions by at least 68% from 1990 levels by 2030 — a more ambitious goal than the EU’s. EU leaders agree to reduce emissions after all-night talks. #ClimateChange #ClimateAmbitionSummit #Brussels #GHG Poland, which last year didn’t commit to the EU’s 2050 climate neutrality goal, and other eastern countries, including the Czech Republic and Hungary, largely depend on coal for their energy needs. They considered it unfair that all member states should be submitted to the same ambition without considering their respective energy mixes. To win their approval, member states agreed that the new target should be delivered collectively. According to the Belgian Prime minister's office, “leaders agreed that the cuts will be first achieved in sectors and countries where there is still plenty of room for improvement." In addition, the European Commission will take into account specific national situations when drawing up the measures. A progress report will be submitted to the European Council in the spring. The accord also left the door open to member states to use gas or nuclear power as they drop fossil fuels. EU leaders agreed last year that nuclear energy would be part of the bloc’s solution to making its economy carbon neutral, and they reiterated Friday that they would respect member states' rights to decide on their energy mix and to choose the most appropriate technologies to reach the goal.
According to a French official who was not authorized to speak publicly about the meeting, Poland also obtained guarantees that the EU's Emissions Trading System — a cap-and-trade scheme for industries to buy carbon credits covering about 40% of the EU’s greenhouse gas emissions — would be revamped. Poland wants the reform of the system to redirect more revenues to the poorer EU countries. World leaders agreed five years ago in Paris to keep the global warming increase to below 2 degrees Celsius (3.6 degrees Fahrenheit), and ideally no more than 1.5 degrees C (2.7 degrees F) by the end of the century. Under the Paris accord, countries are required to submit updated climate targets by the end of this year. Greenpeace and other environmental groups have said the improved EU target is insufficient to properly tackle climate change.