nationalobserver--2020-11-06--To cut Trump off or let him rant: That is the quandary facing broadcasters

Deciding on the fly whether to air in real time U.S. President Donald Trump 's baseless allegations of election fraud is a tricky dilemma that defies easy solutions , broadcast journalists and observers said on Friday .
Differing approaches were apparent on Thursday , when some networks simply cut away from covering Trump 's invective from the White House , while others stayed with his statements but offered real-time disclaimers .
CNN and Fox , for example , opted for the latter approach as did CBC News and CTV News Channel .
`` It ai n't easy .
These are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ moment , '' Brodie Fenlon , CBC 's editor-in-chief , said in an interview .
`` You have a guy who is still the president and at a moment when he is still potentially competitive , and his words matter as we see and they still have an effect on the ground . ''
As Trump spoke , CBC called him out in real time with banners underneath such as : `` Without evidence , Trump again claims voter fraud '' and `` Trump has falsely claimed mail-in ballot voter fraud for months @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the outcome of the U.S. election could impact Canada • Christian school with ties to Ford questioned if climate change is ‘ Earth worship ’ • She moved to Canada to escape living under Donald Trump In the U.S. , the main networks , which were in the middle of their evening newscasts , abruptly cut away from Trump .
“ We have to interrupt here , because the president has made a number of false statements , including the notion that there has been fraudulent voting , ” NBC 's Lester Holt @ @ @ @ @ @ @ evidence of that.
” Fredericton-based media ethicist and author Stephen Ward said cutting off Trump was the right approach .
The media , he said , have been slow to respond to the challenge the president poses with his propensity for outright lying .
`` To allow him to abuse his power to spread lies and claims without evidence at this sensitive time for American democracy , '' Ward said , `` is to fail to adopt journalism ’ s primary political value : to promote evidence-based and informed views about major events @ @ @ @ @ @ @ people who wish to spread lies , fear , or misinformation . ''
The media should give Trump some coverage regarding his views on the vote , Ward said , but they should also not hesitate to cut away if it becomes clear that he 's simply manipulating the media and making claims that have no factual basis .
`` The media should have been treating Trump in this critical manner a long time ago , '' Ward said .
`` Journalism should not be in the business of disseminating misinformation for private @ @ @ @ @ @ @ speaker is the president . ''
When POTUS falsely declares election fraud , should broadcasters let him rant or cut him off .
# USelection2020 # POTUS45 # rant That Trump is the president is precisely what makes the question of giving him a platform so tricky , said Mark Bulgutch , a former senior executive producer with CBC television news and veteran of political coverage .
Bulgutch , who was watching CNN , noted the differing approaches and said he was torn about the right one .
`` He 's the president @ @ @ @ @ @ @ enough residual respect for the office in me that says , 'Boy , it 's hard to turn away from the president of the United States , ' '' Bulgutch said .
`` On the other hand … are we going to turn over our airwaves for a speech full of lies and give him a platform to spew that out ? ''
Still , as an adult viewer , Bulgutch wanted to see what Trump had to say at a historic time .
Even with immediate descriptions of what the president had @ @ @ @ @ @ @ off , viewers might wonder why they could n't have seen for themselves and what the media were hiding .
Lisa LaFlamme , chief anchor and senior editor with CTV National News , said she agreed with the decision of the American networks to take the unprecedented decision to cut him off .
`` Your credibility is everything and you ca n't really fact-check in real time properly , '' LaFlamme said .
`` He is gaslighting American democracy from inside the White House and I do n't really think they had a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , LaFlamme said CTV News Channel was right to stay with Trump but run disclaimer banners .

Deciding on the fly whether to air in real time U.S. President Donald Trump's baseless allegations of election fraud is a tricky dilemma that defies easy solutions, broadcast journalists and observers said on Friday. Differing approaches were apparent on Thursday, when some networks simply cut away from covering Trump's invective from the White House, while others stayed with his statements but offered real-time disclaimers. CNN and Fox, for example, opted for the latter approach as did CBC News and CTV News Channel. "It ain't easy. These are really tough decisions to make in the moment," Brodie Fenlon, CBC's editor-in-chief, said in an interview. "You have a guy who is still the president and at a moment when he is still potentially competitive, and his words matter as we see and they still have an effect on the ground." As Trump spoke, CBC called him out in real time with banners underneath such as: "Without evidence, Trump again claims voter fraud" and "Trump has falsely claimed mail-in ballot voter fraud for months."
In the U.S., the main networks, which were in the middle of their evening newscasts, abruptly cut away from Trump. “We have to interrupt here, because the president has made a number of false statements, including the notion that there has been fraudulent voting,” NBC's Lester Holt said. “There has been no evidence of that.” Billion-dollar land deals in Ontario raise corruption suspicions Fredericton-based media ethicist and author Stephen Ward said cutting off Trump was the right approach. The media, he said, have been slow to respond to the challenge the president poses with his propensity for outright lying.
"To allow him to abuse his power to spread lies and claims without evidence at this sensitive time for American democracy," Ward said, "is to fail to adopt journalism’s primary political value: to promote evidence-based and informed views about major events, and to limit the impact of people who wish to spread lies, fear, or misinformation." When POTUS falsely declares election fraud, should broadcasters let him rant or cut him off. #USelection2020 #POTUS45 #rant The media should give Trump some coverage regarding his views on the vote, Ward said, but they should also not hesitate to cut away if it becomes clear that he's simply manipulating the media and making claims that have no factual basis. "The media should have been treating Trump in this critical manner a long time ago," Ward said. "Journalism should not be in the business of disseminating misinformation for private and political gain, even if the speaker is the president." That Trump is the president is precisely what makes the question of giving him a platform so tricky, said Mark Bulgutch, a former senior executive producer with CBC television news and veteran of political coverage. Bulgutch, who was watching CNN, noted the differing approaches and said he was torn about the right one. "He's the president of the United States and there's enough residual respect for the office in me that says, 'Boy, it's hard to turn away from the president of the United States,'" Bulgutch said. "On the other hand … are we going to turn over our airwaves for a speech full of lies and give him a platform to spew that out?"
Still, as an adult viewer, Bulgutch wanted to see what Trump had to say at a historic time. Even with immediate descriptions of what the president had said and why he had been cut off, viewers might wonder why they couldn't have seen for themselves and what the media were hiding. Lisa LaFlamme, chief anchor and senior editor with CTV National News, said she agreed with the decision of the American networks to take the unprecedented decision to cut him off. "Your credibility is everything and you can't really fact-check in real time properly," LaFlamme said. "He is gaslighting American democracy from inside the White House and I don't really think they had a choice."


nationalobserver--2020-11-06--Trump 'could go from the presidency to prison,' Democracy Now!'s Amy Goodman forecasts

Just before 7:00 PM eastern time , after a Thursday that saw him losing precarious leads in key battleground states Georgia and Pennsylvania as vote counting continued , President Donald Trump was hunched wearily at a press podium in the White House .
He was every bit the picture of a defeated leader , literally and figuratively bricking himself into a corner , his decrepit , white supremacist kleptocracy on the brink of total collapse .
He returned sluggishly to his usual rhetoric , and spouted lies about voter fraud and election interference .
American media ’ s pundit class @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s Jake Tapper called it “ pathetic , ” and “ sad , ” while Anderson Cooper likened the president to an “ obese turtle on his back flailing in the hot sun.
” These were immediately played out for dramatic and comedic effect on social media .
In a public conversation with Canada ’ s National Observer editor-in-chief Linda Solomon Wood immediately following the president ’ s press conference , Democracy Now !
co-founder and host Amy Goodman was similarly direct , but noted that Trump ’ s fabrications have frightening real-world @ @ @ @ @ @ @ after the press conference in which Trump suggested that election interference was occurring in Philadelphia , the city ’ s police interrupted an alleged plot to attack a building where votes were being counted .
Police arrested two men and seized an undisclosed number of weapons .
Their vehicle was reported to have been adorned with stickers promoting QAnon , a far-right conspiracy theory which the president has often platformed .
“ Trump lies as he breathes , ” said Goodman .
“ It is a terrifying spectacle to watch this man give @ @ @ @ @ @ @ podium.
” Goodman told Solomon Wood that this last-minute desperation tracks with the fact that the stakes for Trump are perhaps higher than ever : “ He could go from the presidency to prison.
” The hour-long interview with Goodman , a veteran investigative journalist renowned for her reporting on East Timor ’ s independence movement in 1991 , focused on what the next four years hold for the U.S .
While the election remained undecided , Goodman reflected on the president ’ s disastrous reign that has culminated in the deaths of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Goodman said the United States ’ staggering pandemic numbers can be attributed to Trump ’ s “ complete incompetence and malevolence , ” pointing to the president ’ s super-spreader campaign events .
“ We have 20 percent of the deaths and infections , and yet our population… is a little over four percent of the world ’ s population , ” said Goodman .
Though they are dependent upon concrete election results and the president ’ s own compliance with a peaceful transfer of power ( which he has often failed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ years in the U.S. could be marked by a sea change in success for activists and organizers across the country .
Goodman said this might be spurred by the differences between Trump and Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden , positing that while Biden represents the centrist establishment , his opposition to social justice movements may be less vehement—or at least less delusional .
“ President Trump represents a wall , ” said Goodman .
“ What Biden represents is , I think , a door .
He ’ s not willing to fully @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s up to people , the pro-democracy movements in the United States , to kick that door open .
Otherwise , it will be slammed shut , and be the equivalent of that wall.
” Goodman also noted that while Trump ’ s “ vile ” and “ crude ” rhetoric and policies might be erased , the cruelty embedded in U.S. politics neither end nor begin with this president .
“ President Obama spoke of all people as having dignity and his language was deeply respectful , but he deported more immigrants… @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Goodman .
“ Biden was his partner.
” But Biden ’ s politics aren ’ t the rule in the Democratic party .
The beloved representatives known as The Squad—Alexandra Ocasio-Cortez , Ilhan Omar , Ayanna Pressley , and Rashida Tlaib—lean left .
This quartet and others on their beat have four more years to push the Democrats ’ needle away from centrist policy and toward meaningful , material change like the Green New Deal and Medicare for All .
All of them stand outside of the Democratic establishment , said Goodman .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ grassroots progressive movements continue to gain momentum after having made historic gains this summer , most notably via organizing by Black Lives Matter and the movement to defund and abolish police forces across the U.S. and Canada .
These successes—and the consolidation of grassroots , community power that they suggest—are worth celebrating .
“ The silver lining of these years has been the growth of movements both in the streets and in the hallowed halls of Congress , ” said Goodman .
Media has a critical role to play in the sustenance and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the rehabilitation of former government officials , in particular from the George Bush administration , via cushy pundit positions on major network television .
If the media is to truly act as a tool of democracy rather than fascism , it must itself be rehabilitated via a shift from centering elite ‘ experts ’ to platforming the voices of those with lived experience and expertise .
“ If you have someone speaking from their own experience , whether it ’ s a Palestinian child or an Israeli grandmother , whether it ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in North Dakota fighting the Dakota Access pipeline , or it ’ s an aunt in Afghanistan , you begin to understand where they ’ re coming from , ” said Goodman .
To underscore the point , Goodman shared the story of the creation of Democracy Now !
’ s parent company Pacifica Network , a progressive media outlet built to push back against corporate-run media .
In 1970 , the Ku Klux Klan bombed the network ’ s Houston station in response to its progressive , pro-democracy approach .
The station @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the middle of an Arlo Guthrie song .
This violent silencing resonates today—as does the attendant imperative to fight back .
“ Why did the Klan want Pacifica destroyed ?
” posed Goodman .
“ [ They ] understood how dangerous independent media is because it allows people to speak for themselves… We are all interdependent .
We need a medium that reflects the voices of people on the front lines , not that minority elite .
”

Just before 7:00 PM eastern time, after a Thursday that saw him losing precarious leads in key battleground states Georgia and Pennsylvania as vote counting continued, President Donald Trump was hunched wearily at a press podium in the White House. He was every bit the picture of a defeated leader, literally and figuratively bricking himself into a corner, his decrepit, white supremacist kleptocracy on the brink of total collapse. He returned sluggishly to his usual rhetoric, and spouted lies about voter fraud and election interference.
American media’s pundit class did not mince words. CNN’s Jake Tapper called it “pathetic,” and “sad,” while Anderson Cooper likened the president to an “obese turtle on his back flailing in the hot sun.” These were immediately played out for dramatic and comedic effect on social media.
In a public conversation with Canada’s National Observer editor-in-chief Linda Solomon Wood immediately following the president’s press conference, Democracy Now! co-founder and host Amy Goodman was similarly direct, but noted that Trump’s fabrications have frightening real-world ramifications. Indeed, a few hours after the press conference in which Trump suggested that election interference was occurring in Philadelphia, the city’s police interrupted an alleged plot to attack a building where votes were being counted. Police arrested two men and seized an undisclosed number of weapons. Their vehicle was reported to have been adorned with stickers promoting QAnon, a far-right conspiracy theory which the president has often platformed.
Video of Democracy Now!'s Amy Goodman: "Trump could go from the presidency to prison" | Conversations
Democracy Now! host Amy Goodman speaks to editor-in-chief Linda Solomon Wood on Nov. 5, 2020.
“Trump lies as he breathes,” said Goodman. “It is a terrifying spectacle to watch this man give a speech from the people’s podium.”
Goodman told Solomon Wood that this last-minute desperation tracks with the fact that the stakes for Trump are perhaps higher than ever: “He could go from the presidency to prison.”
The hour-long interview with Goodman, a veteran investigative journalist renowned for her reporting on East Timor’s independence movement in 1991, focused on what the next four years hold for the U.S. While the election remained undecided, Goodman reflected on the president’s disastrous reign that has culminated in the deaths of over 230,000 Americans during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Goodman said the United States’ staggering pandemic numbers can be attributed to Trump’s “complete incompetence and malevolence,” pointing to the president’s super-spreader campaign events. “We have 20 percent of the deaths and infections, and yet our population… is a little over four percent of the world’s population,” said Goodman.
Though they are dependent upon concrete election results and the president’s own compliance with a peaceful transfer of power (which he has often failed to guarantee), the next four years in the U.S. could be marked by a sea change in success for activists and organizers across the country. Goodman said this might be spurred by the differences between Trump and Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden, positing that while Biden represents the centrist establishment, his opposition to social justice movements may be less vehement—or at least less delusional.
“President Trump represents a wall,” said Goodman. “What Biden represents is, I think, a door. He’s not willing to fully open [it]. It’s up to people, the pro-democracy movements in the United States, to kick that door open. Otherwise, it will be slammed shut, and be the equivalent of that wall.”
Goodman also noted that while Trump’s “vile” and “crude” rhetoric and policies might be erased, the cruelty embedded in U.S. politics neither end nor begin with this president. “President Obama spoke of all people as having dignity and his language was deeply respectful, but he deported more immigrants… than Donald Trump has,” said Goodman. “Biden was his partner.”
But Biden’s politics aren’t the rule in the Democratic party. The beloved representatives known as The Squad—Alexandra Ocasio-Cortez, Ilhan Omar, Ayanna Pressley, and Rashida Tlaib—lean left. This quartet and others on their beat have four more years to push the Democrats’ needle away from centrist policy and toward meaningful, material change like the Green New Deal and Medicare for All. All of them stand outside of the Democratic establishment, said Goodman.
Outside of Capitol Hill, too, grassroots progressive movements continue to gain momentum after having made historic gains this summer, most notably via organizing by Black Lives Matter and the movement to defund and abolish police forces across the U.S. and Canada. These successes—and the consolidation of grassroots, community power that they suggest—are worth celebrating.
“The silver lining of these years has been the growth of movements both in the streets and in the hallowed halls of Congress,” said Goodman.
Media has a critical role to play in the sustenance and equity of these movements. Goodman chastised the rehabilitation of former government officials, in particular from the George Bush administration, via cushy pundit positions on major network television. If the media is to truly act as a tool of democracy rather than fascism, it must itself be rehabilitated via a shift from centering elite ‘experts’ to platforming the voices of those with lived experience and expertise.
“If you have someone speaking from their own experience, whether it’s a Palestinian child or an Israeli grandmother, whether it’s an uncle on the Standing Rock Reservation in North Dakota fighting the Dakota Access pipeline, or it’s an aunt in Afghanistan, you begin to understand where they’re coming from,” said Goodman.
To underscore the point, Goodman shared the story of the creation of Democracy Now!’s parent company Pacifica Network, a progressive media outlet built to push back against corporate-run media. In 1970, the Ku Klux Klan bombed the network’s Houston station in response to its progressive, pro-democracy approach. The station was restored and then bombed again, in the middle of an Arlo Guthrie song. This violent silencing resonates today—as does the attendant imperative to fight back.
“Why did the Klan want Pacifica destroyed?” posed Goodman. “[They] understood how dangerous independent media is because it allows people to speak for themselves… We are all interdependent. We need a medium that reflects the voices of people on the front lines, not that minority elite.”


nationalobserver--2020-11-06--Whole Foods employee poppy ban under attack by Premier Doug Ford

Grocery retailer Whole Foods Market is facing sharp criticism for a policy that forbids employees from wearing poppies , prompting Ontario ’ s premier to promise legislation that would prohibit such a rule .
The policy is a blanket ban on anything other than the retailer ’ s basic uniform −− a Whole Foods apron , coat or vest , hat , and standard−issue name tag −− and doesn ’ t single out poppies , a spokeswoman for the Amazon−owned chain said .
`` Whole Foods Market honours the men and women who have and continue to bravely serve their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` With the exception of those items required by law , our dress code policy prohibits any additions to our standard uniform . ''
The retailer will observe a moment of silence on Remembrance Day and donate to the Royal Canadian Legion ’ s poppy campaign , she said .
The U.S.−based Whole Foods has 14 locations across Canada .
• Here ’ s how the outcome of the U.S. election could impact Canada • Christian school with ties to Ford questioned if climate change is ‘ Earth worship ’ • She moved @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump Ontario Premier Doug Ford said he would take action to ensure everyone is able to wear a poppy while at work .
`` I find it absolutely disgraceful .
I find it disgusting , '' he said during an appearance Friday in Ottawa .
`` So we ’ re going to introduce legislation immediately that permits any employee −− any employee , no matter where you work −− to wear a poppy . ''
Federal Veteran Affairs Minister Lawrence MacAulay , meanwhile , tweeted that Whole Foods ’ policy is `` absolutely @ @ @ @ @ @ @ minister retweeted .
`` This is absolutely unacceptable — the poppy is an important symbol of remembrance , and it ’ s more important than ever that everyone support the ( Royal Canadian Legion ’ s ) Poppy Campaign this year , '' he wrote .
Erin O ’ Toole , the leader of the federal Conservative party , said that the sacrifices of Canadian veterans in the past `` provides the freedom for a U.S. grocery chain to be stupid today . ''
The leader of the Bloc Quebecois , who was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he disapproves of Whole Foods rule , he ’ ll express his disappointment by refusing to shop there , rather than legislating the problem away .
`` I find it absolutely disgraceful .
I find it disgusting , so we ’ re going to introduce legislation immediately that permits any employee −− any employee , no matter where you work −− to wear a poppy , '' Ford said .
# lestweforget # wholefoods `` I would rather have them let their employees wear it , but not to the point where I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he said .
Whole Foods Market is being sued in the United States for preventing its employees from wearing Black Lives Matter face coverings while on the job .
A federal lawsuit filed in Boston on July 20 alleges that the supermarket chain disciplined , intimidated and retaliated against workers who were showing solidarity with the racial justice movement that had a resurgence of support following the May death of George Floyd in Minneapolis .
According to that lawsuit , store managers cited the company dress code , which prohibits slogans or logos @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the reason for prohibiting Black Lives Matter messages .
— With files from The Associated Press .
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 6 , 2020 .

Grocery retailer Whole Foods Market is facing sharp criticism for a policy that forbids employees from wearing poppies, prompting Ontario’s premier to promise legislation that would prohibit such a rule. The policy is a blanket ban on anything other than the retailer’s basic uniform −− a Whole Foods apron, coat or vest, hat, and standard−issue name tag −− and doesn’t single out poppies, a spokeswoman for the Amazon−owned chain said. "Whole Foods Market honours the men and women who have and continue to bravely serve their country," the spokeswoman said. "With the exception of those items required by law, our dress code policy prohibits any additions to our standard uniform." The retailer will observe a moment of silence on Remembrance Day and donate to the Royal Canadian Legion’s poppy campaign, she said. The U.S.−based Whole Foods has 14 locations across Canada.
Ontario Premier Doug Ford said he would take action to ensure everyone is able to wear a poppy while at work. "I find it absolutely disgraceful. I find it disgusting," he said during an appearance Friday in Ottawa. "So we’re going to introduce legislation immediately that permits any employee −− any employee, no matter where you work −− to wear a poppy." Billion-dollar land deals in Ontario raise corruption suspicions Federal Veteran Affairs Minister Lawrence MacAulay, meanwhile, tweeted that Whole Foods’ policy is "absolutely unacceptable" −− a message the prime minister retweeted.
"This is absolutely unacceptable — the poppy is an important symbol of remembrance, and it’s more important than ever that everyone support the (Royal Canadian Legion’s) Poppy Campaign this year," he wrote. "I find it absolutely disgraceful. I find it disgusting, so we’re going to introduce legislation immediately that permits any employee −− any employee, no matter where you work −− to wear a poppy," Ford said. #lestweforget #wholefoods Erin O’Toole, the leader of the federal Conservative party, said that the sacrifices of Canadian veterans in the past "provides the freedom for a U.S. grocery chain to be stupid today." The leader of the Bloc Quebecois, who was wearing a poppy, said that while he disapproves of Whole Foods rule, he’ll express his disappointment by refusing to shop there, rather than legislating the problem away. "I would rather have them let their employees wear it, but not to the point where I would make politics about it," he said. Whole Foods Market is being sued in the United States for preventing its employees from wearing Black Lives Matter face coverings while on the job.
A federal lawsuit filed in Boston on July 20 alleges that the supermarket chain disciplined, intimidated and retaliated against workers who were showing solidarity with the racial justice movement that had a resurgence of support following the May death of George Floyd in Minneapolis. According to that lawsuit, store managers cited the company dress code, which prohibits slogans or logos not affiliated with the company, as the reason for prohibiting Black Lives Matter messages. — With files from The Associated Press.


nationalobserver--2020-11-06--Canada's economy added 84,000 jobs in October but long-term unemployment numbers still growing

OTTAWA — Nearly one−quarter of Canada ’ s unemployed have been without work for six months or more , with Statistics Canada reporting a spike in their numbers in October even as the economy eked out another month of overall job growth .
Nearly 450,000 were considered long−term unemployed last month , meaning they had been without a job for 27 weeks or more , with their ranks swelling by 79,000 in September and then 151,000 more in October .
Long−term unemployed now make up 24.8 per cent of Canada ’ s unemployed , who numbered 1.8 million in October @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in March in April rippled into the fall .
The jumps in September and October are the sharpest over more than 40 years of comparable data , and have pushed long−term unemployment beyond what it was just over a decade ago during the global financial crisis .
More men than women have been out of work for an extended period , and younger workers make up a larger share of the ranks of the country ’ s long−term unemployed than they did in the last recession .
• Here ’ s how the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Canada • Christian school with ties to Ford questioned if climate change is ‘ Earth worship ’ • She moved to Canada to escape living under Donald Trump `` As the pandemic lingers , and vulnerable sectors like food services continue to struggle , it ’ s really going to be tough to get back to normal , '' said Brendon Bernard , an economist with job−posting site Indeed .
`` And in the meantime , that ’ s going to mean definitely struggles for people who ’ ve been working in parts @ @ @ @ @ @ @ . ''
The longer those people are out of work , the more difficult it will be for them to find a new job .
And for those that do , research has shown a drop in their earnings as they settle for less than they had before .
Some older workers may simply decide to retire .
Younger low−wage workers in hard−hit service sectors will have to find new work as part of a reshuffling of the workforce that could take years to play out .
Leah Nord , senior director of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Commerce , said the numbers show governments need to roll out `` significant '' skills training programs to those affected workers pivot to new careers .
The pace of job growth slowed in October as the economy added 83,600 jobs in the month compared with 378,000 in September , Statistics Canada said Friday .
The gains marked the sixth straight month of gains after three million jobs lost over March and April when the pandemic first hit Canada hard .
`` As the pandemic lingers , and vulnerable sectors like food services continue @ @ @ @ @ @ @ going to be tough to get back to normal , '' said Brendon Bernard .
# COVID19 # newnormal The unemployment rate was little changed at 8.9 per cent compared with nine per cent in September .
The overall gains were the smallest since economies were allowed to reopen after lockdowns , noted TD senior economist Sri Thanabalasingam .
Job increases were found across several industries , including retail .
Most of the gains too were in full−time work , with core−aged women benefiting the most to bring their unemployment rate to 6.6 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ major demographic groups tracked by Statistics Canada .
But those gains were partially offset by a decrease of 48,000 jobs in the accommodation and food services industry , largely in Quebec , Statistics Canada says .
More Canadians were also working at home in October , coinciding with a rise in case counts of COVID−19 .
CIBC senior economist Royce Mendes says the fact the economy posted another gain in October was good news .
`` It seems like employment readings are destined to ebb and flow over the coming fall and winter @ @ @ @ @ @ @ activity in attempts to contain the virus , '' he writes in a note .
Statistics Canada says the unemployment rate would have been 11.3 per cent in October had it included in calculations the 540,000 Canadians who wanted to work last month but didn ’ t search for a job .

OTTAWA — Nearly one−quarter of Canada’s unemployed have been without work for six months or more, with Statistics Canada reporting a spike in their numbers in October even as the economy eked out another month of overall job growth. Nearly 450,000 were considered long−term unemployed last month, meaning they had been without a job for 27 weeks or more, with their ranks swelling by 79,000 in September and then 151,000 more in October. Long−term unemployed now make up 24.8 per cent of Canada’s unemployed, who numbered 1.8 million in October, as the wave of short−term layoffs in March in April rippled into the fall. The jumps in September and October are the sharpest over more than 40 years of comparable data, and have pushed long−term unemployment beyond what it was just over a decade ago during the global financial crisis. More men than women have been out of work for an extended period, and younger workers make up a larger share of the ranks of the country’s long−term unemployed than they did in the last recession.
"As the pandemic lingers, and vulnerable sectors like food services continue to struggle, it’s really going to be tough to get back to normal," said Brendon Bernard, an economist with job−posting site Indeed. "And in the meantime, that’s going to mean definitely struggles for people who’ve been working in parts of the economy that are severely affected." Billion-dollar land deals in Ontario raise corruption suspicions The longer those people are out of work, the more difficult it will be for them to find a new job. And for those that do, research has shown a drop in their earnings as they settle for less than they had before.
Some older workers may simply decide to retire. Younger low−wage workers in hard−hit service sectors will have to find new work as part of a reshuffling of the workforce that could take years to play out. "As the pandemic lingers, and vulnerable sectors like food services continue to struggle, it’s really going to be tough to get back to normal," said Brendon Bernard. #COVID19 #newnormal Leah Nord, senior director of workforce strategies for the Canadian Chamber of Commerce, said the numbers show governments need to roll out "significant" skills training programs to those affected workers pivot to new careers. The pace of job growth slowed in October as the economy added 83,600 jobs in the month compared with 378,000 in September, Statistics Canada said Friday. The gains marked the sixth straight month of gains after three million jobs lost over March and April when the pandemic first hit Canada hard. The unemployment rate was little changed at 8.9 per cent compared with nine per cent in September. The overall gains were the smallest since economies were allowed to reopen after lockdowns, noted TD senior economist Sri Thanabalasingam.
Job increases were found across several industries, including retail. Most of the gains too were in full−time work, with core−aged women benefiting the most to bring their unemployment rate to 6.6 per cent, the lowest among the major demographic groups tracked by Statistics Canada. But those gains were partially offset by a decrease of 48,000 jobs in the accommodation and food services industry, largely in Quebec, Statistics Canada says.


nationalobserver--2020-11-06--Mail-in ballots for Biden in Georgia, Pennsylvania seem poised to seal Trump's fate

Police formed a barrier of bicycles down the middle of a busy Philadelphia street Friday , a physical manifestation of the political fault line separating euphoric Joe Biden supporters from Donald Trump 's defiant and frustrated devotees .
One side of Arch Street was alive with celebration , protesters dancing with abandon to the beats of a local DJ as the Democratic nominee slowly closed in on his goal of capturing enough electoral votes to become the next president of the United States .
Across the way , a small but determined rogue 's gallery of the president 's true @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the other side , brandishing Trump flags and placards as they parroted his unfounded claims of electoral fraud .
As night fell , the crowd swelled , mostly on the pro-Biden side , as the vibe switched from earnest political activism to all-night Halloween dance party .
Small children bounced on the shoulders of parents .
One group of constumed celebrants showed up dressed as mailboxes , presumably to drive home the validity of mail-in ballots .
Several renditions of Gritty , the beloved Philadelphia Flyers mascot , bounced through the throng .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the U.S. election could impact Canada • Christian school with ties to Ford questioned if climate change is ‘ Earth worship ’ • She moved to Canada to escape living under Donald Trump Passersby posed for selfies in front of a massive canvas replica of the preamble of the U.S. Constitution , some pausing to sign their names .
Others simply extended middle fingers in the direction of the Trump camp .
Occasional chants of `` count every vote '' rose above the street .
Two small grade-school children in matching puffy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an image of Sesame Street 's numbers-mad vampire , the Count .
On the other side , where a sound system tried to drown out the groove with classic-rock staples from Trump 's preferred playlist , the president 's backers brooded .
`` They 're trying to steal an election , '' said Dave Dohrmann , a Philadelphia native who was among the Trump supporters pacing back and forth behind the barriers .
Helicopters pulsed in the sky overhead and police sirens howled in the distance as Trump supporters bellowed vitriol into bullhorns @ @ @ @ @ @ @ activists offering affirmations and prayers across the street .
In the neutral territory in between , locals occasionally wandered over to the Trump barriers to taunt and antagonize , encounters that typically dissolved into shouting matches but little else .
Mail-in ballots from Georgia and Pennsylvania , poised to seal the fate of U.S. President Donald Trump .
# USelection2020 # georgia # pennsylvania # uspoli Dohrmann , for one , said he does n't expect the dispute to escalate any further .
`` Trump supporters are not violent people , '' he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the shouted epithets of a nearby ally .
`` There 's a large , welcoming tent that everyone is welcome into for the common goal of keeping our democracy . ''
Meanwhile , the country 's electoral will was gradually coming into focus in Georgia and Pennsylvania , two critical battleground states that appeared poised to seal the current president 's fate .
In Georgia , a state where only Jimmy Carter and Bill Clinton have disturbed a half-century of Republican dominance , Trump 's paper-thin lead disappeared overnight beneath a tide of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ And in Pennsylvania , Biden gradually erased what had been a 600,000-vote lead for Trump on election night , posting a lead of more than 17,000 votes as the supper hour passed .
Biden was expected to deliver a prime-time address Friday along with vice-presidential nominee Kamala Harris , but it was unclear if he intended to declare himself the victor .
Trump , desperate to stop the counting process in states where he 's losing , continued to lash out from inside the White House .
`` Joe Biden should not wrongfully @ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' he fumed on Twitter .
`` I could make that claim also .
Legal proceedings are just now beginning ! ''
Dasha Pruett , who ran unsuccessfully as a Republican in Pennsylvania 's 5th congressional district , said she fears tension could turn to violence across the country should Biden win .
`` It 's very possible that this is going to go in a very bad direction , '' Pruett said .
`` Driving over here , all the businesses are boarded up .
This is not America as we know @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the free , we are the land of opportunity , we are the land of liberty , and we have to keep it that way . ''
Pennsylvania is worth 20 electoral college votes and Georgia is worth 16 .
All of them are must-haves for Trump , who is well back of Biden in the race to reach the 270 needed to claim the presidency .
Pennsylvania 's votes , added to those of states where he has clear leads , would put Biden over the top .
But in Arizona , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ but has a reasonable chance to catch him and claim 11 electoral votes , the Trump forces are more than happy to let the counting continue .
With his path back to the Oval Office narrowing by the hour , Trump has been mobilizing supporters and lawyers alike in the remaining battleground states , including in Pennsylvania , in a last-ditch attempt to keep his hopes alive .
Trump 's campaign has also blanketed places like Wisconsin and Michigan with a flurry of legal challenges , most of them with little chance to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Biden with 264 electoral college votes , although several other major media outlets have yet to call Arizona .
Nevada , too , where Biden was leading , remained up in the air , while Trump was ahead substantially in North Carolina .
Both campaigns , meanwhile , have moved their fundraising efforts from pre-election solicitations to asking for money to help bankroll the coming court fights .
Tuesday 's vote was held against an unprecedented backdrop : a pandemic that has killed more than 232,000 Americans and triggered a debilitating economic crisis @ @ @ @ @ @ @ public outrage over the country 's racial divide .
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 6 , 2020 .

Police formed a barrier of bicycles down the middle of a busy Philadelphia street Friday, a physical manifestation of the political fault line separating euphoric Joe Biden supporters from Donald Trump's defiant and frustrated devotees. One side of Arch Street was alive with celebration, protesters dancing with abandon to the beats of a local DJ as the Democratic nominee slowly closed in on his goal of capturing enough electoral votes to become the next president of the United States. Across the way, a small but determined rogue's gallery of the president's true believers did their best to shout down the other side, brandishing Trump flags and placards as they parroted his unfounded claims of electoral fraud. As night fell, the crowd swelled, mostly on the pro-Biden side, as the vibe switched from earnest political activism to all-night Halloween dance party. Small children bounced on the shoulders of parents. One group of constumed celebrants showed up dressed as mailboxes, presumably to drive home the validity of mail-in ballots. Several renditions of Gritty, the beloved Philadelphia Flyers mascot, bounced through the throng.
Passersby posed for selfies in front of a massive canvas replica of the preamble of the U.S. Constitution, some pausing to sign their names. Others simply extended middle fingers in the direction of the Trump camp. Occasional chants of "count every vote" rose above the street. Two small grade-school children in matching puffy jackets brandished tiny, age-appropriate placards with an image of Sesame Street's numbers-mad vampire, the Count. Billion-dollar land deals in Ontario raise corruption suspicions On the other side, where a sound system tried to drown out the groove with classic-rock staples from Trump's preferred playlist, the president's backers brooded.
"They're trying to steal an election," said Dave Dohrmann, a Philadelphia native who was among the Trump supporters pacing back and forth behind the barriers. Mail-in ballots from Georgia and Pennsylvania, poised to seal the fate of U.S. President Donald Trump. #USelection2020 #georgia #pennsylvania #uspoli Helicopters pulsed in the sky overhead and police sirens howled in the distance as Trump supporters bellowed vitriol into bullhorns, ignored by the priests and local activists offering affirmations and prayers across the street. In the neutral territory in between, locals occasionally wandered over to the Trump barriers to taunt and antagonize, encounters that typically dissolved into shouting matches but little else. Dohrmann, for one, said he doesn't expect the dispute to escalate any further. "Trump supporters are not violent people," he insisted, straining to be heard over the shouted epithets of a nearby ally. "There's a large, welcoming tent that everyone is welcome into for the common goal of keeping our democracy."
Meanwhile, the country's electoral will was gradually coming into focus in Georgia and Pennsylvania, two critical battleground states that appeared poised to seal the current president's fate. In Georgia, a state where only Jimmy Carter and Bill Clinton have disturbed a half-century of Republican dominance, Trump's paper-thin lead disappeared overnight beneath a tide of mail-in votes for the Democratic nominee. And in Pennsylvania, Biden gradually erased what had been a 600,000-vote lead for Trump on election night, posting a lead of more than 17,000 votes as the supper hour passed.


nationalobserver--2020-11-07--Biden-Harris prevail!  What's it mean for Canada?

The election of Democrat Joe Biden as the next president of the United States is expected to have wide-ranging implications for Canadian politics and policy .
Here are five areas to watch .
The day after the election , the United States became the first and only country in the world to withdraw from the Paris climate change pact .
Biden has promised to put the U.S. back into the agreement as soon as possible , and that , plus his own domestic environmental policies , could be a boon for Canada , including by opening markets for Canadian clean @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to use CUSMA to fight Canada 's plastics ban • How factory farming could cause the next pandemic • Trump 'could go from the presidency to prison , ' Democracy Now !
's Amy Goodman forecasts In the last four years , Canada has in some places slowed or amended its own environment policies to reflect concerns American companies facing fewer environmental regulations and taxes might hurt Canada 's competitiveness .
That includes methane regulations , which Canada delayed by three years when outgoing U.S. President Donald Trump paused similar targets in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on industries that face heavy competition from U.S. firms that do n't pay the same kind of tax .
Trump made wide-ranging changes to U.S. immigration policy that did have an effect on the flow of people to Canada .
Among them , a surge in asylum seekers who crossed irregularly into this country due to a loophole in the Safe Third Country Agreement .
Canada has been trying to renegotiate that deal and might find a more willing dance partner in Biden — or the flow might dry up .
Trump 's @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from certain countries to enter the U.S. , and for people to obtain skilled worker visas , also saw a jump in immigration to Canada .
Biden may reverse those changes , and there could be a subsequent `` brain drain '' from here .
The election of Democrat Joe Biden as the next president of the United States is expected to have wide-ranging implications for Canadian politics and policy .
# USelection2020 Trump 's years in office were marked by turbulence in Canada-U .
S. trade relations , including the rewriting of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ A Biden victory likely means an end to the persistent threat of the steel and aluminum tariffs that Trump imposed on Canada in 2018 , using executive powers under U.S. trade law that gave the president the right to impose them on national-security grounds .
Still , Biden is also advocating Buy American protectionist policies that could prevent Canadian companies from bidding on U.S. infrastructure projects at the state and municipal level .
Existing workarounds with state governors should be able to continue , but there remains political will in Biden 's own @ @ @ @ @ @ @ approach .
Ahead of the vote , Prime Minister Justin Trudeau met with the most senior political leaders of the European Union , a trio that has been standing up for the values of multilateralism in a world of rising nationalist politics personified by Trump .
In Biden , other Western leaders are likely to find more of an ally for international institutions such as the World Health Organization and NATO .
Trump was widely believed to be on the cusp of pulling the U.S. out of that military alliance , raising serious @ @ @ @ @ @ @ platform calls for a more active role for NATO , and a return to the U.S. working more in concert with its allies on global threats .
A few months before former U.S. President Barack Obama left office , he gave a speech to the Canadian House of Commons widely interpreted as being a handover of responsibility for progressive politics to Trudeau .
Biden himself said as much in a speech in Ottawa later that year , where he told Trudeau the world was counting on him to uphold the international liberal order @ @ @ @ @ @ @ we need you very badly , '' said Biden , who was on his way out as vice-president at the time .
With Biden back , Trudeau 's international star may dim .
In Canada , his foes may have more breathing room .

The election of Democrat Joe Biden as the next president of the United States is expected to have wide-ranging implications for Canadian politics and policy. Here are five areas to watch. Environment The day after the election, the United States became the first and only country in the world to withdraw from the Paris climate change pact. Biden has promised to put the U.S. back into the agreement as soon as possible, and that, plus his own domestic environmental policies, could be a boon for Canada, including by opening markets for Canadian clean energy technology.
In the last four years, Canada has in some places slowed or amended its own environment policies to reflect concerns American companies facing fewer environmental regulations and taxes might hurt Canada's competitiveness. That includes methane regulations, which Canada delayed by three years when outgoing U.S. President Donald Trump paused similar targets in the U.S., and limiting the carbon pricing on industries that face heavy competition from U.S. firms that don't pay the same kind of tax. Billion-dollar land deals in Ontario raise corruption suspicions Immigration
Trump made wide-ranging changes to U.S. immigration policy that did have an effect on the flow of people to Canada. The election of Democrat Joe Biden as the next president of the United States is expected to have wide-ranging implications for Canadian politics and policy. #USelection2020 Among them, a surge in asylum seekers who crossed irregularly into this country due to a loophole in the Safe Third Country Agreement. Canada has been trying to renegotiate that deal and might find a more willing dance partner in Biden — or the flow might dry up. Trump's move to make it harder for people from certain countries to enter the U.S., and for people to obtain skilled worker visas, also saw a jump in immigration to Canada. Biden may reverse those changes, and there could be a subsequent "brain drain" from here. Trade Trump's years in office were marked by turbulence in Canada-U. S. trade relations, including the rewriting of the North American free trade deal. A Biden victory likely means an end to the persistent threat of the steel and aluminum tariffs that Trump imposed on Canada in 2018, using executive powers under U.S. trade law that gave the president the right to impose them on national-security grounds. Still, Biden is also advocating Buy American protectionist policies that could prevent Canadian companies from bidding on U.S. infrastructure projects at the state and municipal level. Existing workarounds with state governors should be able to continue, but there remains political will in Biden's own camp to stick to a protectionist trade approach. Foreign Affairs
Ahead of the vote, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau met with the most senior political leaders of the European Union, a trio that has been standing up for the values of multilateralism in a world of rising nationalist politics personified by Trump. In Biden, other Western leaders are likely to find more of an ally for international institutions such as the World Health Organization and NATO. Trump was widely believed to be on the cusp of pulling the U.S. out of that military alliance, raising serious questions about its future. Biden's platform calls for a more active role for NATO, and a return to the U.S. working more in concert with its allies on global threats.


nationalobserver--2020-11-07--If he wins the presidency, Joe Biden will inherit a complex puzzle

The mission for Joe Biden , should he prove to be elected : bring the United States back together .
Even fictional superspy Ethan Hunt might think twice about that one .
If they prove anything , the long-delayed results of this week 's presidential election show the country is as divided as ever .
That was clear enough from the scene in Philadelphia this week , with Donald Trump 's devotees protesting the outcome across the street from giddy Biden supporters .
Despite a mishandled pandemic , a crippling economic crisis and a summer of racial unrest , more @ @ @ @ @ @ @ re-elect the president .
• U.S. companies threaten to use CUSMA to fight Canada 's plastics ban • How factory farming could cause the next pandemic • Trump 'could go from the presidency to prison , ' Democracy Now !
's Amy Goodman forecasts Many — including Trump himself — seem genuinely convinced they did exactly that , and that Democrats are cheating their way to victory .
On Friday , the only thing separating the two factions in Philly was a phalanx of police officers and bicycles , yet they seemed worlds @ @ @ @ @ @ @ really bad place right now , '' one protester on the Biden side of the street acknowledged Friday , refusing to give her name .
`` It 's like the point in a relationship where there 's a question about whether there can even be a conversation . ''
Biden tried to salve that open wound Friday , stopping short of claiming victory but sounding like a man headed for the Oval Office .
`` We may be opponents , but we 're not enemies — we 're Americans , '' he said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ should he prove to be elected : bring the United States back together .
`` We 're certainly not going to agree on a lot of issues , but at least we can agree to be civil with one another , and put the anger and the demonization behind us . ''
For days , one side of Philadelphia 's downtown Arch Street has been alive with celebration , urging election officials inside the Pennsylvania Convention Center to press on in the effort to `` count every vote . ''
Across the way @ @ @ @ @ @ @ gallery of the president 's true believers have strained to shout down their rivals , parroting Trump 's unfounded claims of electoral fraud .
`` They 're trying to steal an election , '' said Dave Dohrmann , a Philadelphia native who was among the Trump supporters pacing back and forth behind the barriers .
That claim is , in a word , untrue .
Trump and his supporters see legitimate mail-in ballots , which reached record numbers in the face of COVID-19 , as part of a fictional conspiracy to commit electoral @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sheer number of them — more than 65 million across the country — has slowed the process of determining the next U.S. president to a maddening crawl .
The country 's electoral will has gradually come into focus in Georgia and Pennsylvania , two critical battleground states that have all but sealed the current president 's fate .
In Georgia , a state where only Jimmy Carter and Bill Clinton have disturbed a half-century of Republican dominance , Trump 's paper-thin lead disappeared overnight Thursday .
And in Pennsylvania , Biden gradually erased @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for Trump , moving ahead and widening the margin with every new batch of counted ballots .
Trump , desperate to stop the counting process in states where he 's losing , continued to lash out from inside the White House .
`` Joe Biden should not wrongfully claim the office of the president , '' he fumed on Twitter .
`` I could make that claim also .
Legal proceedings are just now beginning ! ''
Pennsylvania is worth 20 electoral college votes and Georgia is worth 16 .
All of them @ @ @ @ @ @ @ well back of Biden in the race to reach the 270 needed to claim the presidency .
Pennsylvania 's votes , added to those of states where he has clear leads , would put Biden over the top .
In Arizona , where the president is lagging behind Biden but has a reasonable chance to catch him and claim 11 electoral votes , the Trump forces are more than happy to let the counting continue .
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 7 , 2020 .

The mission for Joe Biden, should he prove to be elected: bring the United States back together. Even fictional superspy Ethan Hunt might think twice about that one. If they prove anything, the long-delayed results of this week's presidential election show the country is as divided as ever. That was clear enough from the scene in Philadelphia this week, with Donald Trump's devotees protesting the outcome across the street from giddy Biden supporters. Despite a mishandled pandemic, a crippling economic crisis and a summer of racial unrest, more than 70 million Americans still voted to re-elect the president.
Many — including Trump himself — seem genuinely convinced they did exactly that, and that Democrats are cheating their way to victory. On Friday, the only thing separating the two factions in Philly was a phalanx of police officers and bicycles, yet they seemed worlds apart. Billion-dollar land deals in Ontario raise corruption suspicions "America is in a really bad place right now," one protester on the Biden side of the street acknowledged Friday, refusing to give her name.
"It's like the point in a relationship where there's a question about whether there can even be a conversation." The mission for Joe Biden, should he prove to be elected: bring the United States back together. Biden tried to salve that open wound Friday, stopping short of claiming victory but sounding like a man headed for the Oval Office. "We may be opponents, but we're not enemies — we're Americans," he said. "We're certainly not going to agree on a lot of issues, but at least we can agree to be civil with one another, and put the anger and the demonization behind us." For days, one side of Philadelphia's downtown Arch Street has been alive with celebration, urging election officials inside the Pennsylvania Convention Center to press on in the effort to "count every vote."
Across the way, a small but determined rogue's gallery of the president's true believers have strained to shout down their rivals, parroting Trump's unfounded claims of electoral fraud. "They're trying to steal an election," said Dave Dohrmann, a Philadelphia native who was among the Trump supporters pacing back and forth behind the barriers. That claim is, in a word, untrue.


nationalobserver--2020-11-07--Canada not driven enough to hit its electric car target by 2025

National cash rebates convinced more Canadians to buy an electric car in the last 18 months , but Transport Canada says it wo n't be enough to hit the first zero-emission vehicle sales targets in 2025 .
Transport Canada set targets to have 10 per cent of all light-duty cars be electric by 2025 , 30 per cent by 2030 and 100 per cent by 2040 .
The most recent analysis suggests Canada will only reach between four and six per cent by 2025 and 10 per cent by 2030 .
To get there , the federal government introduced the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as millions of dollars to build more charging stations , tax credits for businesses that buy electric cars for their fleets and an effort to have automakers set voluntary sales quotas .
Megan Nichols , the director general of environment policy at Transport Canada , told the House of Commons environment committee in late October that sales have been rising but there are efforts underway to see what else needs to be done .
`` We know that additional measures are needed to achieve our sales targets , '' said she said in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 26 .
• U.S. companies threaten to use CUSMA to fight Canada 's plastics ban • How factory farming could cause the next pandemic • Trump 'could go from the presidency to prison , ' Democracy Now !
's Amy Goodman forecasts Nichols and officials from multiple other departments told the committee an array of options are being studied , including sales quotas , offering money to scrap gas cars for electric ones , and making used electric vehicles eligible for federal rebates .
She also said it 's expected the cost of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ par with a comparable gas model for another five years , noting that likely means purchase rebates will be needed at least until then .
The rebates currently offer up to $ 5,000 for buying a fully electric car and up to $ 2,500 for plug-in hybrid models .
The maximum purchase price of the lowest-end model ca n't be over $ 45,000 .
The $ 300-million program started in May 2019 and was supposed to last until 2022 .
But more than $ 255 million had already been claimed by the end @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has been looking at expanding the program for more than a year now and said this week it is still something he wants to do .
`` It 's been an incredibly popular program , '' he told The Canadian Press in an interview .
`` It 's something that I would hopefully like to see continued , but it is something that we 're looking at . ''
National cash rebates convinced more Canadians to buy an electric car in the last 18 months , but Transport Canada says it wo n't @ @ @ @ @ @ @ vehicle sales targets in 2025 .
Joanna Kyriazis , senior policy adviser at Clean Energy Canada , said it 's clear more needs to be done to hit the existing targets .
She said on top of extending the existing rebate , used cars should also be eligible , and more should be done to target rebates to Canadians who would n't be able to afford an electric car without them .
`` We want to see a few tweaks to that program to make sure that the money is getting to Canadians @ @ @ @ @ @ @ those who would have gone out and bought one anyway , '' she said .
An electric car mandate that legislates the sales targets is also something that should be considered , she said .
Quebec and British Columbia , the only two provinces with both provincial rebates and sales quotas , also accounted for almost eight in 10 electric car purchases .
According to Statistics Canada , electric and plug-in hybrid sales grew from less than one per cent of all light-duty sales in 2015 and 2016 , to one per cent @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 2018 , and 2.7 per cent in 2019 .
Data from the lobby group Electric Mobility Canada further shows sales grew to 3.3 per cent in the first half of 2020 , a period of time when all car sales were down because of the COVID-19 pandemic .
The group said there are 168,000 electric vehicles on Canadian roads now , less than one per cent of the 23 million light-duty vehicles registered in total .
Transport Canada 's sales targets aim to increase that to 825,000 electric cars registered in 2025 , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , light-duty vehicles produce more than one-tenth of Canada 's greenhouse gas emissions , and total emissions from them have grown 10 per cent in the last decade , despite tougher emissions standards for vehicles .
That 's mostly because more cars are on the road and SUVs and pickup trucks , which produce more emissions per kilometre , now account for almost eight in 10 passenger vehicles sold in Canada .

National cash rebates convinced more Canadians to buy an electric car in the last 18 months, but Transport Canada says it won't be enough to hit the first zero-emission vehicle sales targets in 2025. Transport Canada set targets to have 10 per cent of all light-duty cars be electric by 2025, 30 per cent by 2030 and 100 per cent by 2040. The most recent analysis suggests Canada will only reach between four and six per cent by 2025 and 10 per cent by 2030. To get there, the federal government introduced the cash rebates for purchases, as well as millions of dollars to build more charging stations, tax credits for businesses that buy electric cars for their fleets and an effort to have automakers set voluntary sales quotas. Megan Nichols, the director general of environment policy at Transport Canada, told the House of Commons environment committee in late October that sales have been rising but there are efforts underway to see what else needs to be done. "We know that additional measures are needed to achieve our sales targets," said she said in her written brief to the committee Oct. 26.
Nichols and officials from multiple other departments told the committee an array of options are being studied, including sales quotas, offering money to scrap gas cars for electric ones, and making used electric vehicles eligible for federal rebates. She also said it's expected the cost of an electric car won't be on par with a comparable gas model for another five years, noting that likely means purchase rebates will be needed at least until then. Billion-dollar land deals in Ontario raise corruption suspicions The rebates currently offer up to $5,000 for buying a fully electric car and up to $2,500 for plug-in hybrid models. The maximum purchase price of the lowest-end model can't be over $45,000.
The $300-million program started in May 2019 and was supposed to last until 2022. But more than $255 million had already been claimed by the end of September. National cash rebates convinced more Canadians to buy an electric car in the last 18 months, but Transport Canada says it won't be enough to hit the first zero-emission vehicle sales targets in 2025. Transport Minister Marc Garneau has been looking at expanding the program for more than a year now and said this week it is still something he wants to do. "It's been an incredibly popular program," he told The Canadian Press in an interview. "It's something that I would hopefully like to see continued, but it is something that we're looking at." Joanna Kyriazis, senior policy adviser at Clean Energy Canada, said it's clear more needs to be done to hit the existing targets. She said on top of extending the existing rebate, used cars should also be eligible, and more should be done to target rebates to Canadians who wouldn't be able to afford an electric car without them. "We want to see a few tweaks to that program to make sure that the money is getting to Canadians who need it most done, not those who would have gone out and bought one anyway," she said.
An electric car mandate that legislates the sales targets is also something that should be considered, she said. Quebec and British Columbia, the only two provinces with both provincial rebates and sales quotas, also accounted for almost eight in 10 electric car purchases. According to Statistics Canada, electric and plug-in hybrid sales grew from less than one per cent of all light-duty sales in 2015 and 2016, to one per cent in 2017, two per cent in 2018, and 2.7 per cent in 2019. Data from the lobby group Electric Mobility Canada further shows sales grew to 3.3 per cent in the first half of 2020, a period of time when all car sales were down because of the COVID-19 pandemic.


nationalobserver--2020-11-07--Quebec invests $15 million to improve care for Indigenous patients

Quebec is investing $ 15 million into the province 's health-care system to increase cultural security among First Nations and Inuit communities .
The concept of cultural security refers to a way of operating that ensures that health care is provided with respect for the cultural identity of the patient .
Health Minister Christian Dube says the investment spread out over five years will be used to familiarize hospital staff with the concept .
The announcement comes following the death of Joyce Echaquan , a 37-year-old Atikamekw woman and mother of seven who captured on video the insults she was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ dying in a Joliette hospital bed in late September .
The treatment caught on video sparked outrage among the population .
• U.S. companies threaten to use CUSMA to fight Canada 's plastics ban • How factory farming could cause the next pandemic • Trump 'could go from the presidency to prison , ' Democracy Now !
's Amy Goodman forecasts `` We are going to concentrate in hospitals where there are Indigenous populations , '' Dube told a news conference in Montreal , adding he wants the Joliette hospital to be the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ money will also be used to hire liaison officers as well as Indigenous employees who will serve as guides for patients navigating the health-care network .
Indigenous Affairs Minister Ian Lafreniere said the announcement was a direct response to the findings of a public inquiry that looked at the treatment of Indigenous people by police , youth protection , public health and the justice and correctional systems .
The Viens commission issued a series of recommendations more than a year ago , many which have n't been met .
`` The introduction of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ well as their realities in the Quebec health and social services network is the first in a long series of measures that should help advance the fight against racism , as well as the respect for the dignity to which everyone has a right within the public services , '' Lafreniere said .
The $ 15 million will come from $ 200 million set aside to respond to the Viens recommendations .
The Assembly of First Nations Quebec-Labrador welcomed the announcement , but also urged that the measures be taken seriously .
Quebec @ @ @ @ @ @ @ province 's health-care system to increase cultural security among First Nations and Inuit communities .
In a statement , assembly chief Ghislain Picard urged the government to adopt the `` Joyce Principle , '' in reference to Echaquan , which would aim `` to guarantee all Indigenous people the right to have access without any discrimination to all health and social services as well as the right to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health . ''
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 6 @ @ @

Quebec is investing $15 million into the province's health-care system to increase cultural security among First Nations and Inuit communities. The concept of cultural security refers to a way of operating that ensures that health care is provided with respect for the cultural identity of the patient. Health Minister Christian Dube says the investment spread out over five years will be used to familiarize hospital staff with the concept. The announcement comes following the death of Joyce Echaquan, a 37-year-old Atikamekw woman and mother of seven who captured on video the insults she was subjected to by staff as she lay dying in a Joliette hospital bed in late September. The treatment caught on video sparked outrage among the population.
"We are going to concentrate in hospitals where there are Indigenous populations," Dube told a news conference in Montreal, adding he wants the Joliette hospital to be the first to implement the training. The money will also be used to hire liaison officers as well as Indigenous employees who will serve as guides for patients navigating the health-care network. Billion-dollar land deals in Ontario raise corruption suspicions Indigenous Affairs Minister Ian Lafreniere said the announcement was a direct response to the findings of a public inquiry that looked at the treatment of Indigenous people by police, youth protection, public health and the justice and correctional systems. The Viens commission issued a series of recommendations more than a year ago, many which haven't been met.


nationalobserver--2020-11-09--Becoming a father made me a stronger climate advocate

As part of a series highlighting the work of young people in addressing the climate crisis , writer Patricia Lane interviews Galen Armstrong .
The 1990s were personally tough for me .
I spent the decade immersed in action based on climate catastrophe science , trying , and by all accounts failing , to stem the tide .
Hardest of all , death and dementia came to my family .
As my awareness deepened about the growing divide between young and old and rich and poor , grief had become a pretty constant companion .
I could choose to go @ @ @ @ @ @ @ loss or choose the only thing stronger : love .
To choose love is to hope .
But I had forgotten how .
So I made a resolution — one that could last a year or even a decade if need be .
I chose to study hope .
Part of my journey is to seek out promising young people who are contending in evidence-based and impactful ways with the climate crisis and engage them in conversations about hope .
I am grateful for Canada ’ s National Observer ’ s commitment to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , joyful and , yes , hopeful young people a voice .
Galen Armstrong , 36 , is the father of twins and an organizer with For Our Kids , a national network of parents and grandparents asking for meaningful action on climate change .
We chatted when toxic wildfire smoke in B.C .
was making the air unsafe for babies to breathe .
From the moment his children were born , Armstrong knew his job would be to protect their futures .
He says protecting the world from the devastating effects of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ grandparents : “ It 's as simple as that.
” • Trump 'could go from the presidency to prison , ' Democracy Now !
's Amy Goodman forecasts • How factory farming could cause the next pandemic • U.S. companies threaten to use CUSMA to fight Canada 's plastics ban Tell us how your childhood influenced your path today .
I spent summers camping on Kootenay Lake and the Purcell Mountains with my dad .
My mom loved the natural world .
I always felt I belonged there .
My Grade 4 teacher @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Mine was to protect the endangered aye-aye of Madagascar .
I was hooked .
My grandmother modelled community responsibility .
She worked in soup kitchens and helped her neighbours .
She died this summer and I miss her a lot .
But she didn ’ t really get climate change as being meaningful to her life .
It is really ironic that as we speak , her kids and grandchildren are living in her old house because their own homes are not safe from the current fires in the U.S. Now that I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ combine both that sense of community responsibility and my awareness of climate change as the greatest threat to children .
While I worry about my own kids , there are millions of children for whom polluted air is normal and their lungs don ’ t develop properly .
Having my own kids means I think about everyone else ’ s kids , too .
Galen Armstrong with his twins at the beach .
Photo submitted by Galen Armstrong Tell us about your work .
Why does it matter and who is involved ?
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ father of twins and an organizer with For Our Kids , a national network of parents and grandparents asking for meaningful action on # climatechange .
Teenagers involved in # FridaysforFuture helped their parents understand the urgency of the climate crisis .
But it can be hard to know what to do .
For Our Kids was formed to provide a national platform for parents and grandparents to choose how to get involved .
Just over a year later , with chapters in 16 Canadian cities , For Our Kids is already making @ @ @ @ @ @ @ persuaded the Victoria school board to declare a climate emergency , successfully lobbied Ottawa city council to remain committed to public spending on climate adaptation and are pressuring the federal government for a green and just recovery .
They ’ ve hosted town halls with parents and politicians .
Their neighbourhoods are dotted with green hearts thanking climate champions .
In one particularly creative tactic , they wrote cards from their “ 2050 selves ” thanking decision-makers for being champions for a better future for their children in the key year of 2020 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and grandpas in this country are on the move .
Parents and grandparents are busy !
What motivates them ?
Urgency .
Every decision we make now matters a lot .
We see disaster as inevitable within the lifetime of our children if we do nothing .
We have run out of time for slow change and for making mistakes .
The trickle-down economic system and the way the tax system lets wealthy people get wealthier without paying their fair share — we have to do better .
The pandemic offers us a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in a true emergency .
Just as the government has created thousands of jobs to protect vulnerable seniors from the coronavirus , it can create thousands of jobs to protect our children from a destabilized climate .
Parents proved this with Ottawa city council .
In 2019 , the money set aside for helping transition to clean energy was up for grabs .
The Ottawa For Our Kids group wrote letters , phoned people and protested .
They told councillors to protect their children .
And they got results .
Council recommitted to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ green .
What is your advice to young people or those not yet involved ?
Politicians would rather please young people than annoy them .
Speak up together and they will listen .
The majority of us know climate is a serious issue .
My goal is that my babies can breathe outside without lung damage .
If we do nothing , we are much less likely to protect them , and action feels better .
It ’ s pretty basic .
If we work together , we feel better , and we @ @ @ @

As part of a series highlighting the work of young people in addressing the climate crisis, writer Patricia Lane interviews Galen Armstrong. The 1990s were personally tough for me. I spent the decade immersed in action based on climate catastrophe science, trying, and by all accounts failing, to stem the tide. Hardest of all, death and dementia came to my family. As my awareness deepened about the growing divide between young and old and rich and poor, grief had become a pretty constant companion. I could choose to go further into the abyss of fear and loss or choose the only thing stronger: love. To choose love is to hope. But I had forgotten how. So I made a resolution — one that could last a year or even a decade if need be. I chose to study hope. Part of my journey is to seek out promising young people who are contending in evidence-based and impactful ways with the climate crisis and engage them in conversations about hope. I am grateful for Canada’s National Observer’s commitment to solutions journalism, which provides these determined, joyful and, yes, hopeful young people a voice. Galen Armstrong, 36, is the father of twins and an organizer with For Our Kids, a national network of parents and grandparents asking for meaningful action on climate change. We chatted when toxic wildfire smoke in B.C. was making the air unsafe for babies to breathe. From the moment his children were born, Armstrong knew his job would be to protect their futures. He says protecting the world from the devastating effects of climate change is up to parents and grandparents: “It's as simple as that.”
Tell us how your childhood influenced your path today. I spent summers camping on Kootenay Lake and the Purcell Mountains with my dad. My mom loved the natural world. I always felt I belonged there. My Grade 4 teacher had us do an advocacy project. Mine was to protect the endangered aye-aye of Madagascar. I was hooked. Billion-dollar land deals in Ontario raise corruption suspicions My grandmother modelled community responsibility. She worked in soup kitchens and helped her neighbours. She died this summer and I miss her a lot. But she didn’t really get climate change as being meaningful to her life. It is really ironic that as we speak, her kids and grandchildren are living in her old house because their own homes are not safe from the current fires in the U.S.
Now that I am a dad, I need to combine both that sense of community responsibility and my awareness of climate change as the greatest threat to children. While I worry about my own kids, there are millions of children for whom polluted air is normal and their lungs don’t develop properly. Having my own kids means I think about everyone else’s kids, too. Meet Galen Armstrong, 31, the father of twins and an organizer with For Our Kids, a national network of parents and grandparents asking for meaningful action on #climatechange. Galen Armstrong with his twins at the beach. Photo submitted by Galen Armstrong Tell us about your work. Why does it matter and who is involved? Teenagers involved in #FridaysforFuture helped their parents understand the urgency of the climate crisis. But it can be hard to know what to do. For Our Kids was formed to provide a national platform for parents and grandparents to choose how to get involved. Just over a year later, with chapters in 16 Canadian cities, For Our Kids is already making a big difference. Parents and grandparents persuaded the Victoria school board to declare a climate emergency, successfully lobbied Ottawa city council to remain committed to public spending on climate adaptation and are pressuring the federal government for a green and just recovery. They’ve hosted town halls with parents and politicians. Their neighbourhoods are dotted with green hearts thanking climate champions. In one particularly creative tactic, they wrote cards from their “2050 selves” thanking decision-makers for being champions for a better future for their children in the key year of 2020.
The moms and dads and grannies and grandpas in this country are on the move. Parents and grandparents are busy! What motivates them?


nationalobserver--2020-11-09--Composting teacher adapts classes amid pandemic, worm shortage

Andrea Lucy expected the pandemic would hold challenges , but finding worms wasn ’ t on her list .
The Vancouver-based educator usually teaches worm composting , or vermiculture , workshops at local schools — a program run by City Farmer , an urban gardening organization , for more than 20 years .
Those classes have partly resumed this fall with COVID-19 safety measures , but finding enough worms remains difficult .
“ If you ’ ve got worms right now , you can make real money.
” Vermiculture , like sourdough , has become a pandemic pastime .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ more than water and food scraps to thrive and can ( almost ) replace a pet .
And with more than half of Canadians growing food this year , compost has been in high demand .
• Trump 'could go from the presidency to prison , ' Democracy Now !
's Amy Goodman forecasts • How factory farming could cause the next pandemic • U.S. companies threaten to use CUSMA to fight Canada 's plastics ban It ’ s a passion Lucy knows well .
Her classes use the worms to teach kids @ @ @ @ @ @ @ foster curiosity and passion for their food ’ s entire lifecycle , from farm to fork to fertilizer .
Worms are key to this learning process , she explained , because unlike bacteria , they ’ re easy to see and handle .
That makes it easier for kids to get curious about them , and start to learn more about decomposition and soil health on their own .
“ With the kids , I try to take them from an ‘ eww ’ to a ‘ oh , interesting , ” she @ @ @ @ @ @ @ class ) up for the kids to be little scientists and learn with their observations of the worms.
” Vermiculture worms are in high demand , with half a pound selling for roughly $ 45 , said Andrea Lucy .
Photo by Marc Fawcett-Atkinson Usually , she ’ ll give the class a “ worm bin , ” a lidded plastic container with about 40 worms .
That ’ s a bit less than what most households would use , but it ’ s perfect to teach them the basics .
That includes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , as their skin needs to be moist for them to breathe , and that food scraps are placed in the right part of the bin ( the corners ) .
In pre-pandemic times , she ’ d work with about 60 classes throughout the school year , and about half of them would keep the compost bin for the duration of the academic year .
That ’ s ideal , she explained , because it lets the kids see the composting process in its entirety .
“ There ’ s a worm @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from @ CityFarmerNews .
“ If you ’ ve got worms right now , you can make real money.
” # vermiculture # wormcompost It ’ s a model that has been going on since the early 1990s , explained Mike Levenston , founder of City Farmer .
“ For some people , worms are very icky .
Other people , they ’ ll tell you they ’ ve gone down the street after rain , and they feel so bad for these worms that are on the sidewalk , they pick them @ @ @ @ @ @ @ so they ’ re safe .
There ’ s a strange connection , ” he said .
A connection that generations of Vancouver kids have experienced first-hand .
Levenston said that he regularly meets adults who remember the worm composting class they took when they were kids in elementary school .
It ’ s a passion that is particularly easy to foster because worms are so easy to care for .
Unlike chicks and other common class pets , worms can go several days without needing fresh water or food , Lucy explained @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lunch with the kids , there will be enough food scraps from that to take care of it ( for a week ) , ” she said .
The worms also need regular additions of straw or packing paper to maintain a moist and well-oxygenated environment , and some water .
With their basic needs met , they can continue thriving for years — Lucy knows a woman who has kept a vermiculture bin flourishing for roughly 30 years .
That simplicity is a big part of the program ’ s appeal .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ to transform how the classes are delivered .
Instead of visiting classes inside school buildings , Lucy has only met the students outside , where social distancing is easier .
She also stays physically farther away , unlike before COVID-19 , where she would often be crowding around worm bins alongside the students .
She also created a semi-virtual lesson plan where teachers are given worms , straw and bins , and she teaches students how to use them through an online platform like Zoom — with their teacher ’ s help .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ ll have the full tactile experience , but it does require the teachers being comfortable handling worms , ” she said .
“ This is a huge make-or-break question ( because ) it puts a lot more responsibility on the teachers .
Often , they ’ re inviting me because their kids are super interested , so they ’ ve resigned themselves to the fact that this would probably happen.
” So far , no teachers have asked for that option , preferring for her to visit in-person and hold the classes outside @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has made her schedule less busy , she anticipates a fresh surge of interest come spring .

Andrea Lucy expected the pandemic would hold challenges, but finding worms wasn’t on her list. The Vancouver-based educator usually teaches worm composting, or vermiculture, workshops at local schools — a program run by City Farmer, an urban gardening organization, for more than 20 years. Those classes have partly resumed this fall with COVID-19 safety measures, but finding enough worms remains difficult. “There’s a worm supply shortage,” said Lucy. “If you’ve got worms right now, you can make real money.” Vermiculture, like sourdough, has become a pandemic pastime. The worms live in bins, need little more than water and food scraps to thrive and can (almost) replace a pet. And with more than half of Canadians growing food this year, compost has been in high demand.
It’s a passion Lucy knows well. Her classes use the worms to teach kids basic composting and biology and aim to foster curiosity and passion for their food’s entire lifecycle, from farm to fork to fertilizer. Worms are key to this learning process, she explained, because unlike bacteria, they’re easy to see and handle. That makes it easier for kids to get curious about them, and start to learn more about decomposition and soil health on their own. Billion-dollar land deals in Ontario raise corruption suspicions “With the kids, I try to take them from an ‘eww’ to a ‘oh, interesting,” she explained. “I set (the class) up for the kids to be little scientists and learn with their observations of the worms.”
Vermiculture worms are in high demand, with half a pound selling for roughly $45, said Andrea Lucy. Photo by Marc Fawcett-Atkinson Usually, she’ll give the class a “worm bin,” a lidded plastic container with about 40 worms. That’s a bit less than what most households would use, but it’s perfect to teach them the basics. That includes making sure the worms have enough water, as their skin needs to be moist for them to breathe, and that food scraps are placed in the right part of the bin (the corners). “There’s a worm supply shortage,” said Andrea Lucy from @CityFarmerNews. “If you’ve got worms right now, you can make real money.” #vermiculture #wormcompost In pre-pandemic times, she’d work with about 60 classes throughout the school year, and about half of them would keep the compost bin for the duration of the academic year. That’s ideal, she explained, because it lets the kids see the composting process in its entirety. It’s a model that has been going on since the early 1990s, explained Mike Levenston, founder of City Farmer. “For some people, worms are very icky. Other people, they’ll tell you they’ve gone down the street after rain, and they feel so bad for these worms that are on the sidewalk, they pick them up and put them in the ground so they’re safe. There’s a strange connection,” he said.
A connection that generations of Vancouver kids have experienced first-hand. Levenston said that he regularly meets adults who remember the worm composting class they took when they were kids in elementary school. It’s a passion that is particularly easy to foster because worms are so easy to care for. Unlike chicks and other common class pets, worms can go several days without needing fresh water or food, Lucy explained. “For most classes, one lunch with the kids, there will be enough food scraps from that to take care of it (for a week),” she said.