nationalobserver--2020-05-08--Peter MacKay suggests Magnitsky Act should be used against China

Conservative leadership hopeful Peter MacKay is calling for use of the Magnitsky Act if specific individuals in China can be identified as having suppressed information related to COVID-19 A full inquiry , perhaps an international one , into how the novel coronavirus turned into a pandemic is required , MacKay told supporters .
`` We need to invoke existing laws like the Magnitsky Act to hold individuals personally accountable for misdeeds if that evidence exists , '' he said .
The act allows for sanctions against foreign nationals `` responsible for gross violations of internationally recognized human rights . ''
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ , a Moscow lawyer who was tortured and died in a Moscow prison after uncovering fraud in Russia .
• Ontario 's purchase of natural gas plants will cost ratepayers and the environment , critics say `` If there was evidence that was suppressed , or falsified , or if there is information brought to the front that proves that the outbreak in Wuhan ( city ) either could have been prevented or we could have contained it much earlier , than I think we have to have a much , much greater @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on a call with supporters this week .
There has been a running debate over how much Chinese government officials knew and potentially did n't tell global health officials about the emergence of COVID-19 in that country late last year , leading to questions about whether the damage could have been averted .
Both China and the WHO have denied any cover-up .
MacKay is not the first to suggest using the act .
Human rights advocate and former Liberal MP Irwin Cotler advanced the idea in April .
MacKay , as well @ @ @ @ @ @ @ O'Toole and Derek Sloan , also joined Cotler and hundreds of other politicians , academics and human rights advocates in signing a letter condemning China 's actions .
A fourth candidate , Leslyn Lewis , does not appear to have signed the letter , though like her competitors she has called for a change in Canada-China relations .
Peter MacKay suggests Magnitsky Act should be used against China for COVID-19 Conservatives have long taken a harder line on China than their Liberal counterparts .
Late last year , O'Toole successfully led a push @ @ @ @ @ @ @ committee devoted to probing the relationship .
His position on China is the first thing visitors to his Twitter page will see .
Still , the need to formulate policy and ideas on the specific issues posed by the COVID-19 pandemic — the role of China being one — has become an ever-growing part of the Conservative leadership campaign .
With billions of dollars in federal spending moving out the door , and provinces beginning to reopen their economies , the candidates are increasingly fielding questions about how they 'd handle bringing Canada @ @ @ @ @ @ @ When the Conservative leadership race resumed late last week — it had been put on pause because of the pandemic — MacKay refreshed his entire website , adding a document about his `` vision '' for rebuilding Canada in the post-COVID-19 era .
Among other things , he called for a plan similar to what was used in post-war Europe to rebuild there , and one that ensures Canada has all the supplies it needs should the outbreak return or a new one emerge .
He does not lay out how , exactly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ framed some of her own response this week also in terms of vision , making the case that a new `` normal '' is required based on the lessons learned from the pandemic .
`` Amidst the fear of COVID-19 , we 're learning humility and realizing what we 've left behind : a country where we cared about our elderly neighbour and bought them groceries , shovelled their snow and cut their grass , '' she wrote .
Sloan 's COVID-19 ideas have generated some controversy .
He appeared to attack the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ chief public health officer who was born in Hong Kong , by asking whether the fact she relied on the WHO meant she was actually working for China .
He later said he was n't going after her personally .
O'Toole , seen as running neck-and-neck with MacKay in the race , is shortly expected to lay out a refreshed slate of ideas to tackle COVID-19 recovery , contained in the full policy platform his campaign intended to roll out earlier this year , but delayed .
He 's already put out forward @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the Conservatives would win a majority .
The man he is seeking to replace , Andrew Scheer , was pilloried by some in his party during the federal election last fall for suggesting the party could at that point win a majority .
The prevailing wisdom was that Canadians were still too wary of Scheer to turf the Liberals altogether and hand the government over to the Opposition , so suggesting a majority was possible was a political turn-off .
Conservative party members will elect a new leader later this year .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ first published May 8 , 2020 .

Conservative leadership hopeful Peter MacKay is calling for use of the Magnitsky Act if specific individuals in China can be identified as having suppressed information related to COVID-19 A full inquiry, perhaps an international one, into how the novel coronavirus turned into a pandemic is required, MacKay told supporters. "We need to invoke existing laws like the Magnitsky Act to hold individuals personally accountable for misdeeds if that evidence exists," he said. The act allows for sanctions against foreign nationals "responsible for gross violations of internationally recognized human rights.'' The legislation is named after Sergei Magnitsky, a Moscow lawyer who was tortured and died in a Moscow prison after uncovering fraud in Russia.
"If there was evidence that was suppressed, or falsified, or if there is information brought to the front that proves that the outbreak in Wuhan (city) either could have been prevented or we could have contained it much earlier, than I think we have to have a much, much greater degree of accountability," MacKay said on a call with supporters this week. There has been a running debate over how much Chinese government officials knew and potentially didn't tell global health officials about the emergence of COVID-19 in that country late last year, leading to questions about whether the damage could have been averted. Billion-dollar land deals in Ontario raise corruption suspicions Both China and the WHO have denied any cover-up.
MacKay is not the first to suggest using the act. Human rights advocate and former Liberal MP Irwin Cotler advanced the idea in April. Peter MacKay suggests Magnitsky Act should be used against China for COVID-19 MacKay, as well as two other leadership candidates, Erin O'Toole and Derek Sloan, also joined Cotler and hundreds of other politicians, academics and human rights advocates in signing a letter condemning China's actions. A fourth candidate, Leslyn Lewis, does not appear to have signed the letter, though like her competitors she has called for a change in Canada-China relations. Conservatives have long taken a harder line on China than their Liberal counterparts. Late last year, O'Toole successfully led a push to create a special House of Commons committee devoted to probing the relationship. His position on China is the first thing visitors to his Twitter page will see. Still, the need to formulate policy and ideas on the specific issues posed by the COVID-19 pandemic — the role of China being one — has become an ever-growing part of the Conservative leadership campaign.
With billions of dollars in federal spending moving out the door, and provinces beginning to reopen their economies, the candidates are increasingly fielding questions about how they'd handle bringing Canada back to some measure of normal. When the Conservative leadership race resumed late last week — it had been put on pause because of the pandemic — MacKay refreshed his entire website, adding a document about his "vision" for rebuilding Canada in the post-COVID-19 era. Among other things, he called for a plan similar to what was used in post-war Europe to rebuild there, and one that ensures Canada has all the supplies it needs should the outbreak return or a new one emerge.


nationalobserver--2020-05-08--Greyhound to shut down all service

Greyhound to shut down all service

Scores more people in Canada have succumbed to COVID-19 , authorities reported Thursday , as one of the country 's major inter-city bus carriers announced it would be shutting down completely due to a precipitous drop in passengers caused by the pandemic .
Of the new deaths , 121 were reported in Quebec , prompting Premier Francois Legault to delay reopening retail stores , schools and daycares in the Montreal area to May 25 .
Another 911 new cases were identified .
Ontario reported 48 more deaths , with 399 new cases recorded over the previous 24 hours , continuing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Scotia recorded three more deaths , all at a long-term care home in Halifax , bringing the Canadian total to above 4,400 as provinces begin easing stay-home restrictions .
However , the transit action by Greyhound Canada will leave people in Central Canada with fewer ways to travel and another 400 employees out of work as of May 13 .
Ridership , the company said , had fallen 95 per cent and revenues plunged .
With service cut in Western Canada two years ago and several other routes already reduced or suspended due @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was unable to continue without government money .
• Ontario 's purchase of natural gas plants will cost ratepayers and the environment , critics say `` This decision came as a last resort option to address the uncontrollable consequences and devastating impacts of this pandemic , '' Stuart Kendrick , senior vice-president , said in a statement .
`` We will continue our discussions with the provincial and federal governments . ''
The closure of bus routes comes along with already drastically reduced commercial air and rail traffic as well as local transit @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the few ways to travel any distance .
`` It is primarily women , low-income earners , seniors , and many essential workers who depend on these buses , '' NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh said as he urged the federal government to come up with the `` relatively little '' $ 26 million bus companies say they need to stay in business .
Across Canada , about 65,000 people are known to have contracted the novel coronavirus .
The Canadian Armed Forces have deployed more than 1,000 troops in long-term care facilities and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ would not say how many members have fallen ill .
Most of the deployed personnel are in Quebec nursing homes , which have been hit brutally by the pandemic , but some members are at five homes in Ontario .
Others are helping out in a variety of tasks in remote and rural areas .
Hospital capacity is of particular concern away from big centres , prompting the country 's chief health officer to advise people to avoid heading to their cottages or second homes .
Besides spreading COVID-19 into those areas , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ potential for too many people in need of medical treatment in places that simply ca n't handle a surge .
COVID-19 kills scores more in Canada ; Greyhound to shut down all service In Ontario , for instance , Premier Doug Ford stopped short of telling people to stay away from their secondary properties over the upcoming Victoria Day weekend but urged common sense and respect for health advice .
`` It 's not the party weekend it 's been in the past , '' Ford said .
`` I 'm asking you @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with a whack of people . ''
At his daily briefing , Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced the federal government would spend $ 3 billion for wage top-ups for essential workers .
The money will go to provinces , which are putting up another $ 1 billion and will decide who gets extra cash .
Trudeau had previously offered federal wage assistance , particularly for personal support workers and other front-line health staff in light of the devastation in long-term care homes , where most of Canada 's 4,300 deaths have occurred .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ $ 4-per-hour pay hike for workers in private long-term care homes and some other facilities , while Saskatchewan is supplementing wages by $ 400 per month for those working with seniors , in group homes and in child care .
Trudeau said he 's not overly concerned about the huge amounts of money the government is spending , saying cushioning the pandemic 's economic blow is his priority .
The global outbreak , he said , has revealed problems — such as the plight of vulnerable workers — that need to be dealt @ @

Scores more people in Canada have succumbed to COVID-19, authorities reported Thursday, as one of the country's major inter-city bus carriers announced it would be shutting down completely due to a precipitous drop in passengers caused by the pandemic. Of the new deaths, 121 were reported in Quebec, prompting Premier Francois Legault to delay reopening retail stores, schools and daycares in the Montreal area to May 25. Another 911 new cases were identified. Ontario reported 48 more deaths, with 399 new cases recorded over the previous 24 hours, continuing a trend of slowing growth. Nova Scotia recorded three more deaths, all at a long-term care home in Halifax, bringing the Canadian total to above 4,400 as provinces begin easing stay-home restrictions. However, the transit action by Greyhound Canada will leave people in Central Canada with fewer ways to travel and another 400 employees out of work as of May 13. Ridership, the company said, had fallen 95 per cent and revenues plunged. With service cut in Western Canada two years ago and several other routes already reduced or suspended due to COVID-19, the company said it was unable to continue without government money.
"This decision came as a last resort option to address the uncontrollable consequences and devastating impacts of this pandemic," Stuart Kendrick, senior vice-president, said in a statement. "We will continue our discussions with the provincial and federal governments." The closure of bus routes comes along with already drastically reduced commercial air and rail traffic as well as local transit options, leaving cars as one of the few ways to travel any distance. Billion-dollar land deals in Ontario raise corruption suspicions "It is primarily women, low-income earners, seniors, and many essential workers who depend on these buses," NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh said as he urged the federal government to come up with the "relatively little" $26 million bus companies say they need to stay in business.
Across Canada, about 65,000 people are known to have contracted the novel coronavirus. The Canadian Armed Forces have deployed more than 1,000 troops in long-term care facilities and elsewhere, but Defence Minister Harjit Sajjan would not say how many members have fallen ill. COVID-19 kills scores more in Canada; Greyhound to shut down all service Most of the deployed personnel are in Quebec nursing homes, which have been hit brutally by the pandemic, but some members are at five homes in Ontario. Others are helping out in a variety of tasks in remote and rural areas. Hospital capacity is of particular concern away from big centres, prompting the country's chief health officer to advise people to avoid heading to their cottages or second homes. Besides spreading COVID-19 into those areas, Tam said a key issue is the potential for too many people in need of medical treatment in places that simply can't handle a surge. In Ontario, for instance, Premier Doug Ford stopped short of telling people to stay away from their secondary properties over the upcoming Victoria Day weekend but urged common sense and respect for health advice. "It's not the party weekend it's been in the past," Ford said. "I'm asking you — please don't go up there with a whack of people."
At his daily briefing, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced the federal government would spend $3 billion for wage top-ups for essential workers. The money will go to provinces, which are putting up another $1 billion and will decide who gets extra cash. Trudeau had previously offered federal wage assistance, particularly for personal support workers and other front-line health staff in light of the devastation in long-term care homes, where most of Canada's 4,300 deaths have occurred. Quebec and Ontario had already announced a $4-per-hour pay hike for workers in private long-term care homes and some other facilities, while Saskatchewan is supplementing wages by $400 per month for those working with seniors, in group homes and in child care.


nationalobserver--2020-05-08--COVID-19 apps come with privacy risks?

COVID-19 apps come with privacy risks?

Governments that want to use smartphones to trace the movements of Canadians during the COVID-19 crisis should handle personal information with care , privacy watchdogs from across the country warned Thursday in a united call for caution .
Privacy commissioners have been warning of potential risks associated with government COVID-19 apps since provinces started musing about the idea a few weeks ago .
The apps work by keeping a record of when one phone gets close to another , and then alerting users if they 've come into contact with someone who has a confirmed or presumed case .
Alberta @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and New Brunswick , Manitoba , Saskatchewan and Newfoundland and Labrador are looking at developing their own .
`` The choices that our governments make today about how to achieve both public health protection and respect for our fundamental Canadian values , including the right to privacy , will shape the future of our country , '' the federal , provincial and territorial privacy commissioners wrote in a joint statement Thursday .
• Ontario 's purchase of natural gas plants will cost ratepayers and the environment , critics say Federal privacy czar Daniel @ @ @ @ @ @ @ some flexibility when it comes to the application of privacy laws , but there is a way to use technology to fight the spread of the novel coronavirus without sacrificing fundamental rights to privacy .
`` Everything hinges on design , and appropriate design depends on respect for certain key privacy principles , '' Therrien said in a statement Thursday .
Therrien and the other commissioners said that while app developers need to respect Canada 's privacy laws , those laws are n't always effective in the digital world .
They released a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ them to be transparent and accountable about how their apps work and what is being done with users ' personal information .
The commissioners stressed participation should be voluntary and users should provide clear consent to whatever they 're signing up for .
The apps should also be secure to safeguard personal data , which should be destroyed once the crisis is over , they said .
Watchdogs warn COVID-19 apps come with privacy risks to Canadians Canada 's chief public health officer , Dr. Theresa Tam , said her team is keeping @ @ @ @ @ @ @ across the country to see if one could be adopted at the national level , but privacy will be the main concern .
`` I think if there are certain tools that are better than others , that 's the kind of knowledge that you want to share , '' Tam said at a briefing Wednesday .
`` Not just whether the application works , but all of the policies that go with it , like privacy , which I think is the most paramount of some of the policy discussions . ''
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ is already reviewing the app deployed in Alberta , and will be issuing recommendations to the provincial government .
This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 7 , 2020 .

Governments that want to use smartphones to trace the movements of Canadians during the COVID-19 crisis should handle personal information with care, privacy watchdogs from across the country warned Thursday in a united call for caution. Privacy commissioners have been warning of potential risks associated with government COVID-19 apps since provinces started musing about the idea a few weeks ago. The apps work by keeping a record of when one phone gets close to another, and then alerting users if they've come into contact with someone who has a confirmed or presumed case. Alberta introduced its ABTraceTogether app last week, and New Brunswick, Manitoba, Saskatchewan and Newfoundland and Labrador are looking at developing their own. "The choices that our governments make today about how to achieve both public health protection and respect for our fundamental Canadian values, including the right to privacy, will shape the future of our country," the federal, provincial and territorial privacy commissioners wrote in a joint statement Thursday.
Federal privacy czar Daniel Therrien said the health crisis calls for some flexibility when it comes to the application of privacy laws, but there is a way to use technology to fight the spread of the novel coronavirus without sacrificing fundamental rights to privacy. "Everything hinges on design, and appropriate design depends on respect for certain key privacy principles," Therrien said in a statement Thursday. Billion-dollar land deals in Ontario raise corruption suspicions Therrien and the other commissioners said that while app developers need to respect Canada's privacy laws, those laws aren't always effective in the digital world.
They released a set of guidelines for provinces, urging them to be transparent and accountable about how their apps work and what is being done with users' personal information. Watchdogs warn COVID-19 apps come with privacy risks to Canadians The commissioners stressed participation should be voluntary and users should provide clear consent to whatever they're signing up for. The apps should also be secure to safeguard personal data, which should be destroyed once the crisis is over, they said. Canada's chief public health officer, Dr. Theresa Tam, said her team is keeping an eye on the apps in development across the country to see if one could be adopted at the national level, but privacy will be the main concern. "I think if there are certain tools that are better than others, that's the kind of knowledge that you want to share," Tam said at a briefing Wednesday. "Not just whether the application works, but all of the policies that go with it, like privacy, which I think is the most paramount of some of the policy discussions."


nationalobserver--2020-05-08--Alberta announces $42-million joint aid package for cattle industry

Premier Jason Kenney says Alberta and the federal government will cost share a $ 42-million program to help farmers and ranchers deal with a backlog of cattle waiting to be processed during the COVID-19 pandemic .
`` The livestock industry both here in Alberta and across Canada have been affected by the impaired operations of many meat-packing and food-processing plants , '' Kenney said Thursday .
`` Critical action must be taken . ''
He said Alberta will contribute $ 17 million and Ottawa is expected to fund the balance under an existing cost-shared program .
The money will be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and feed cattle for up to nine weeks to match reduced demand and processing capacity .
Alberta is dealing with outbreaks at three beef-processing facilities , which have forced temporary shutdowns and reduced production .
• Ontario 's purchase of natural gas plants will cost ratepayers and the environment , critics say `` The plants , working with Alberta Health Services , have implemented dozens of new screening and containment procedures and protocols , '' added the premier .
The Opposition NDP has been calling for the United Conservative government to hold a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Cargill plant near High River , citing reports that employees there were coerced into returning to work .
Alberta reported 54 new cases of COVID-19 on Thursday , bringing its total to 6,017 cases .
There were two additional deaths , bringing the province 's total fatalities from the illness to 114 .
At a news conference , Kenney also responded to comments made this week by federal Green parliamentary leader Elizabeth May and Bloc Quebecois Leader Yves-Francois Blanchet , who said post-COVID-19 economic investments should focus not on the oilsands , a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ renewables .
`` Stop kicking us while we 're down , '' Kenney said .
`` These attacks on our natural resource industries are unwarranted , they are divisive ( and ) they are , I believe , in a way un-Canadian at a time like this . ''
Alberta is relaunching its economy as numbers suggest it is flattening the curve on COVID-19 infections .
Golf courses can now open on a limited basis and dentists , physiotherapists , social workers and other similar health professionals can also resume business , subject @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The main economic relaunch , dubbed Stage 1 , is set for May 14 , with retailers , museums , and barbers and hair stylists allowed to open their doors .
Public gatherings are to remain restricted to no more than 15 people .
The NDP held a news conference Thursday with hair stylists and salon owners who said they are worried because they have not received any direction from the province on health , safety and social distancing guidelines for their reopenings .
`` I can not wrap my head around @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 1 instead of Phase 2 , where massage therapists are .
We both work very closely with clients , '' said one of the operators , Sharon Stewart .
`` I feel like we 're the guinea pigs right now .
Mr. Kenney has just thrown us to the wolves . ''
Health Minister Tyler Shandro , responding to NDP questions in the house , said barber shops and hair salons are not required to open May 14 , and can follow general workplace health guidelines already issued by the province as health @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in place .
`` We 're recommending operators review ( the guidelines and ) consider how to apply it to their facility and their businesses , '' said Shandro .
This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 7 , 2020 .

Premier Jason Kenney says Alberta and the federal government will cost share a $42-million program to help farmers and ranchers deal with a backlog of cattle waiting to be processed during the COVID-19 pandemic. "The livestock industry both here in Alberta and across Canada have been affected by the impaired operations of many meat-packing and food-processing plants," Kenney said Thursday. "Critical action must be taken." He said Alberta will contribute $17 million and Ottawa is expected to fund the balance under an existing cost-shared program. The money will be used to subsidize producers to hold onto and feed cattle for up to nine weeks to match reduced demand and processing capacity. Alberta is dealing with outbreaks at three beef-processing facilities, which have forced temporary shutdowns and reduced production.
"The plants, working with Alberta Health Services, have implemented dozens of new screening and containment procedures and protocols," added the premier. The Opposition NDP has been calling for the United Conservative government to hold a public inquiry into the outbreak at the Cargill plant near High River, citing reports that employees there were coerced into returning to work. Billion-dollar land deals in Ontario raise corruption suspicions Alberta reported 54 new cases of COVID-19 on Thursday, bringing its total to 6,017 cases. There were two additional deaths, bringing the province's total fatalities from the illness to 114.
At a news conference, Kenney also responded to comments made this week by federal Green parliamentary leader Elizabeth May and Bloc Quebecois Leader Yves-Francois Blanchet, who said post-COVID-19 economic investments should focus not on the oilsands, a staple of Alberta industry, but on renewables. Cash cows: Alberta announces $42-million joint aid package for cattle industry "Stop kicking us while we're down," Kenney said. "These attacks on our natural resource industries are unwarranted, they are divisive (and) they are, I believe, in a way un-Canadian at a time like this." Alberta is relaunching its economy as numbers suggest it is flattening the curve on COVID-19 infections. Golf courses can now open on a limited basis and dentists, physiotherapists, social workers and other similar health professionals can also resume business, subject to health rules from their professional bodies.
The main economic relaunch, dubbed Stage 1, is set for May 14, with retailers, museums, and barbers and hair stylists allowed to open their doors. Public gatherings are to remain restricted to no more than 15 people. The NDP held a news conference Thursday with hair stylists and salon owners who said they are worried because they have not received any direction from the province on health, safety and social distancing guidelines for their reopenings. "I cannot wrap my head around the reasons why we are in Phase 1 instead of Phase 2, where massage therapists are. We both work very closely with clients," said one of the operators, Sharon Stewart.


nationalobserver--2020-05-08--Help for front-line, low-wage workers to come from federal government

Janitors at long-term care facilities , those restocking food on store shelves , along with other low-wage employees who have made it possible for millions of Canadians to avoid contracting COVID-19 while getting the supplies and services they need , will soon be getting a raise .
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced the federal government , provinces and territories will spend up to $ 4 billion to top up the wages of essential workers in the COVID-19 pandemic .
Details are still to be finalized with some provinces about how the program will roll out , but Trudeau says all @ @ @ @ @ @ @ workers who are risking their health deserve to be earning more for their labour .
`` We see across the country people working on the front lines in essential services , in our seniors care centres , in our long-term care , in our health-care systems and elsewhere who are making very low wages while doing extraordinarily important work , '' Trudeau said Thursday .
`` The bottom line is this : if you 're risking your health to keep this country moving and you 're making minimum wage , you deserve a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of natural gas plants will cost ratepayers and the environment , critics say Because of the variants that exist across the country , both in the way COVID-19 is presenting in different provinces and territories and in the way essential services are classified , it will be up to each province to decide which workers count as `` essential '' and will get a top-up to their salaries .
The provinces will also decide how much more these workers will earn .
The federal government will cover three-quarters of the cost of this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ kicking in the rest .
Canadians are relying on these workers now , more than ever , and all provinces and territories worked collaboratively to come to an agreement on how to better support them , Trudeau said .
The COVID-19 pandemic 's forced restrictions have meant millions of Canadians have come to rely on workers who provide essential services , but the outbreak has also laid bare that many of those who work in jobs now deemed `` essential '' come from vulnerable populations .
People who work in grocery stores , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who work in processing plants are often members of marginalized communities : people of colour , newcomers , temporary foreign workers , single mothers , those with limited education and people living in poverty .
Public health officials have ordered Canadians to stay home and self-isolate to contain the spread of the novel coronavirus , but these workers have had to keep going to work every day to ensure food supply chains remain intact and health facilities can continue to operate .
Feds to partly cover 'top-ups ' for front-line workers on minimum @ @ @ @ @ @ @ placing too great a burden on employees who are already marginalized , Trudeau was reflective , saying he believes the virus has revealed that people who are economically and socially vulnerable are `` extremely important to the functioning of our society .
`` We know , however , that once we get through this in the months and years to come , we 're also going to have to have reflections about how we manage and how we maintain our long-term care facilities , how we support essential workers who are very low-paid @ @ @ @ @ @ @ society to make sure that our vulnerable are properly taken care of and properly rewarded for the important work they do . ''
These comments were echoed by the country 's chief science adviser , Mona Nemer , in a conversation with Gov .
Gen. Julie Payette , which was streamed online Thursday .
Nemer said she believes the pandemic will likely cause Canadians to rethink current societal structures , such as the reality that those who provide care are among the lowest-paid .
`` I hope it will raise many questions that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ national dialogue around our values and around also maybe how technology can help us better care for each other , care for others and use it to stay connected , use it to ensure better health for everyone , '' Nemer said .
`` I think there are going to be a lot of very interesting take-home messages from this unfortunate situation . ''

Janitors at long-term care facilities, those restocking food on store shelves, along with other low-wage employees who have made it possible for millions of Canadians to avoid contracting COVID-19 while getting the supplies and services they need, will soon be getting a raise. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced the federal government, provinces and territories will spend up to $4 billion to top up the wages of essential workers in the COVID-19 pandemic. Details are still to be finalized with some provinces about how the program will roll out, but Trudeau says all the premiers agree that front-line, low-wage workers who are risking their health deserve to be earning more for their labour. "We see across the country people working on the front lines in essential services, in our seniors care centres, in our long-term care, in our health-care systems and elsewhere who are making very low wages while doing extraordinarily important work," Trudeau said Thursday. "The bottom line is this: if you're risking your health to keep this country moving and you're making minimum wage, you deserve a raise."
Because of the variants that exist across the country, both in the way COVID-19 is presenting in different provinces and territories and in the way essential services are classified, it will be up to each province to decide which workers count as "essential" and will get a top-up to their salaries. The provinces will also decide how much more these workers will earn. The federal government will cover three-quarters of the cost of this program, with provincial and territorial governments kicking in the rest. Billion-dollar land deals in Ontario raise corruption suspicions Canadians are relying on these workers now, more than ever, and all provinces and territories worked collaboratively to come to an agreement on how to better support them, Trudeau said.
The COVID-19 pandemic's forced restrictions have meant millions of Canadians have come to rely on workers who provide essential services, but the outbreak has also laid bare that many of those who work in jobs now deemed "essential" come from vulnerable populations. Feds to partly cover 'top-ups' for front-line workers on minimum wage People who work in grocery stores, people who clean nursing homes, people who work in processing plants are often members of marginalized communities: people of colour, newcomers, temporary foreign workers, single mothers, those with limited education and people living in poverty. Public health officials have ordered Canadians to stay home and self-isolate to contain the spread of the novel coronavirus, but these workers have had to keep going to work every day to ensure food supply chains remain intact and health facilities can continue to operate. When asked whether the pandemic is placing too great a burden on employees who are already marginalized, Trudeau was reflective, saying he believes the virus has revealed that people who are economically and socially vulnerable are "extremely important to the functioning of our society. "We know, however, that once we get through this in the months and years to come, we're also going to have to have reflections about how we manage and how we maintain our long-term care facilities, how we support essential workers who are very low-paid, how we move forward as a society to make sure that our vulnerable are properly taken care of and properly rewarded for the important work they do."
These comments were echoed by the country's chief science adviser, Mona Nemer, in a conversation with Gov. Gen. Julie Payette, which was streamed online Thursday. Nemer said she believes the pandemic will likely cause Canadians to rethink current societal structures, such as the reality that those who provide care are among the lowest-paid. "I hope it will raise many questions that we will ask ourselves and have a national dialogue around our values and around also maybe how technology can help us better care for each other, care for others and use it to stay connected, use it to ensure better health for everyone," Nemer said.


nationalobserver--2020-05-07--It's time to pivot Canada's food system into the 21st century

Over the last two months , our food system has faced unprecedented challenges .
Almost overnight , the food service industry , which usually consumes one third of produced , shuttered .
Not only is this likely to destroy tens of thousands of small businesses , the supply chains that fed these bars , restaurants and cafeterias have gone through wrenching shifts .
Potato farmers have learned that we eat very few french fries when dining at home .
At the moment , there are 200 million pounds of Canadian potatoes stuck in storage with no one to buy them @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to keep up with our new-found passion for baking .
Consumers emptied grocery store shelves in their rush to stock up on non-perishables , while millions of Canadians now find themselves out of work .
And the livestock industry is reeling after the closure of major-meat packing plants all over North America due to COVID-19 outbreaks , throwing the supply of meat into question .
Despite all this , on the surface at least , our food system looks remarkably normal — especially given the scale of the disruption we ’ ve just @ @ @ @ @ @ @ food banks are now supported by Ottawa , and industry has worked with government to ensure temporary foreign workers are coming to our farms .
The picture isn ’ t perfect , of course , but there have been more successes than failures .
It seems that many aspects of the food system — which means the men and women who farm , process , transport and sell food — have quietly pulled off one of the greatest logistical feats in human history .
That said , the next period is going to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ unemployment is driving up food insecurity to catastrophic levels while the UN predicts major parts of the world will tip towards a COVID-induced famine of “ biblical proportions.
” Farmers struggle to obtain basic inputs such as sanitizer ( essential to keep dairy parlours clean and workers safe ) .
Experts even worry about fertilizer supplies .
• Ontario 's purchase of natural gas plants will cost ratepayers and the environment , critics say We should make no mistake , for all the successful adaptations of the last eight weeks , COVID-19 presents @ @ @ @ @ @ @ we must learn from .
We must also remember that COVID-19 is something of a vanilla virus — with a mortality rate of about one per cent , it pales in comparison with the truly terrifying pathogens like Ebola or even Avian Influenza .
In short , the next pandemic could be worse .
Much worse .
Meanwhile , climate chaos still waits to unleash the full extent of Mother Nature ’ s fury .
It may be that history views COVID-19 as a sort of dress rehearsal , or warm up act @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Century of Disruption .
Set against this apocalyptic nightmare scenario , however , COVID-19 has the potential to usher in an Agricultural Renaissance that will drive economic recovery , make us healthier and heal our planet .
The convergence of data science , robotics and genomics is poised to herald a new agricultural revolution that will be as significant as the Green Revolution was almost 100 years ago .
These changes were already beginning .
COVID-19 speeds up these trends .
For instance , we already knew that the world ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a radical transformation due to new products coming on the market ( e.g .
Impossible and Beyond ) , an awareness of the environmental impact of traditional livestock , and changing consumer demands .
COVID-19 is driving us to embrace shorter-supply chains , greater decentralization and more regional self-sufficiency , which will accelerate this process .
Animal protein systems have been optimised to produce very cheap products in quantity , and we are now paying for that optimization with sick workers and supply chain bottlenecks .
After COVID-19 , expect meat to be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in stores .
Canada will be a winner in this arena as our prairies pump out protein alternatives from peas , soybeans and oats .
The changes that we are starting to see in protein will spread to other sectors .
Horticulture , fruits and vegetables are also on the verge of major change , moving to indoor , controlled and labour-free systems that are integrated into the built urban environment .
Better e-commerce , technologies to drive food system transparency , and AI controlled food systems are set to follow .
What @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and opportunity is an occasion unprecedented in human existence : by applying digital technology we may soon have the ability to produce practically any crop , practically anywhere , and in practically any season .
In the relatively near future , a techno-optimist ’ s vision is that we should be able to sustain society in the harshest terrestrial environments and beyond .
But as we contemplate this future , tough questions need to be asked .
After all , food is not just a series of molecules our bodies use for nutrition @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Food is culture .
And producing , processing and transporting food is one of the biggest employers in the world today .
For all the transformative power of technology , nothing will change the fact that food is a commodity to which we all have the most intimate of relations .
In this , food is unlike any other sector of the economy .
As we race to consider how technology can enable a post-COVID world , we also need to reflect on the impact of all this for farmers .
In @ @ @ @ @ @ @ technologies ?
Will these trends simply accelerate the decline of small and midsize producers all over the world ?
Most of the world ’ s ~570 million farms are both small-scale and family-run .
What will these people do when novel disruptive technologies become wide-spread ?
To some extent , consumers can support small farmers through passionate buy-local programs .
But this is unlikely to be enough , and economic transition programs need to be adopted by governments everywhere .
`` COVID-19 has the potential to usher in an Agricultural Renaissance that will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and heal our planet . ''
Another tough question to answer involves the long-term prospects for families currently dependent on incomes that come from agricultural labour .
In places like Canada and the US , hundreds of thousands of people migrate as temporary farm workers each year .
The money they earn is a vital source of remittances that helps reduce poverty and promote food security back in their homes .
While these temporary jobs are generally poorly compensated , this supply of hand labour is the cornerstone of vast parts of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who need it .
Reducing our reliance on temporary foreign workers could build a safer food system while also improving labour practices , but what about families who depend on this for their livelihoods ?
Next , are there health and food security implications linked with these technologies ?
Many of these new approaches to agriculture may result in highly processed foods becoming more available for consumers , which may have unintended negative consequences in terms of nutrition .
We need consumers and governments to demand the highest nutrition and flavour standards as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Canada ’ s moment .
We have the infrastructure , the technological base , the innovation culture and the workforce .
The ag-food sector had already been identified as a strategic area for Canada before the COVID-19 crisis .
Now , ag-food can be a key part of our economic and social recovery strategy .
We can be global leaders and if we help lead these changes , we can build an agri-food partnership that draws industry , government and academy together to shape our new food future .
The crisis of COVID-19 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ provides an impetus to pivot food systems into the 21st century .
Food systems were already on the verge of major technological change before COVID-19 and the current pandemic shortens timelines .
To ensure that this change promotes a cleaner environment , promotes better nutrition for all , and allows agri-food to emerge from COVID as an engine of innovation and economic opportunity , we need to exert national and global leadership .
Being a leader in the Digital Agricultural Renaissance must be an urgent priority as we pivot to recovery .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a billion people in thirty developing countries will face famine without help .
Canada is positioned to provide food , but we can also provide the technologies and know-how needed to establish food sovereignty in all regions .
The post-COVID world can be different .
It can correct many of the problems and vulnerabilities that COVID reveals .
We can invest and deploy the right technologies .
We can be a global leader in global food systems .
We can feed the future .

Over the last two months, our food system has faced unprecedented challenges. Almost overnight, the food service industry, which usually consumes one third of produced, shuttered. Not only is this likely to destroy tens of thousands of small businesses, the supply chains that fed these bars, restaurants and cafeterias have gone through wrenching shifts. Potato farmers have learned that we eat very few french fries when dining at home. At the moment, there are 200 million pounds of Canadian potatoes stuck in storage with no one to buy them. Meanwhile, flour mills work overtime to keep up with our new-found passion for baking. Consumers emptied grocery store shelves in their rush to stock up on non-perishables, while millions of Canadians now find themselves out of work. And the livestock industry is reeling after the closure of major-meat packing plants all over North America due to COVID-19 outbreaks, throwing the supply of meat into question. Despite all this, on the surface at least, our food system looks remarkably normal — especially given the scale of the disruption we’ve just experienced. Supply chains are adapting, food banks are now supported by Ottawa, and industry has worked with government to ensure temporary foreign workers are coming to our farms. The picture isn’t perfect, of course, but there have been more successes than failures. It seems that many aspects of the food system — which means the men and women who farm, process, transport and sell food — have quietly pulled off one of the greatest logistical feats in human history. That said, the next period is going to be difficult. In Canada, skyrocketing unemployment is driving up food insecurity to catastrophic levels while the UN predicts major parts of the world will tip towards a COVID-induced famine of “biblical proportions.” Farmers struggle to obtain basic inputs such as sanitizer (essential to keep dairy parlours clean and workers safe). Experts even worry about fertilizer supplies.
We should make no mistake, for all the successful adaptations of the last eight weeks, COVID-19 presents our food system with unprecedented challenges that we must learn from. We must also remember that COVID-19 is something of a vanilla virus — with a mortality rate of about one per cent, it pales in comparison with the truly terrifying pathogens like Ebola or even Avian Influenza. In short, the next pandemic could be worse. Much worse. Meanwhile, climate chaos still waits to unleash the full extent of Mother Nature’s fury. It may be that history views COVID-19 as a sort of dress rehearsal, or warm up act, for what will almost inevitably be the Century of Disruption. Set against this apocalyptic nightmare scenario, however, COVID-19 has the potential to usher in an Agricultural Renaissance that will drive economic recovery, make us healthier and heal our planet. The convergence of data science, robotics and genomics is poised to herald a new agricultural revolution that will be as significant as the Green Revolution was almost 100 years ago. These changes were already beginning. COVID-19 speeds up these trends. Billion-dollar land deals in Ontario raise corruption suspicions For instance, we already knew that the world’s protein systems were on the cusp of a radical transformation due to new products coming on the market (e.g. Impossible and Beyond), an awareness of the environmental impact of traditional livestock, and changing consumer demands. COVID-19 is driving us to embrace shorter-supply chains, greater decentralization and more regional self-sufficiency, which will accelerate this process. Animal protein systems have been optimised to produce very cheap products in quantity, and we are now paying for that optimization with sick workers and supply chain bottlenecks. After COVID-19, expect meat to be more expensive and more non-animal protein options in stores. Canada will be a winner in this arena as our prairies pump out protein alternatives from peas, soybeans and oats.
The changes that we are starting to see in protein will spread to other sectors. Horticulture, fruits and vegetables are also on the verge of major change, moving to indoor, controlled and labour-free systems that are integrated into the built urban environment. Better e-commerce, technologies to drive food system transparency, and AI controlled food systems are set to follow. What will emerge from the convergence of crisis and opportunity is an occasion unprecedented in human existence: by applying digital technology we may soon have the ability to produce practically any crop, practically anywhere, and in practically any season. In the relatively near future, a techno-optimist’s vision is that we should be able to sustain society in the harshest terrestrial environments and beyond. "COVID-19 has the potential to usher in an Agricultural Renaissance that will drive economic recovery, make us healthier and heal our planet." But as we contemplate this future, tough questions need to be asked. After all, food is not just a series of molecules our bodies use for nutrition. Food brings communities and families together. Food is culture. And producing, processing and transporting food is one of the biggest employers in the world today. For all the transformative power of technology, nothing will change the fact that food is a commodity to which we all have the most intimate of relations. In this, food is unlike any other sector of the economy. As we race to consider how technology can enable a post-COVID world, we also need to reflect on the impact of all this for farmers. In particular, how will farmers afford such technologies? Will these trends simply accelerate the decline of small and midsize producers all over the world? Most of the world’s ~570 million farms are both small-scale and family-run. What will these people do when novel disruptive technologies become wide-spread? To some extent, consumers can support small farmers through passionate buy-local programs. But this is unlikely to be enough, and economic transition programs need to be adopted by governments everywhere. Another tough question to answer involves the long-term prospects for families currently dependent on incomes that come from agricultural labour. In places like Canada and the US, hundreds of thousands of people migrate as temporary farm workers each year. The money they earn is a vital source of remittances that helps reduce poverty and promote food security back in their homes. While these temporary jobs are generally poorly compensated, this supply of hand labour is the cornerstone of vast parts of the agricultural sector and provides incomes to people who need it. Reducing our reliance on temporary foreign workers could build a safer food system while also improving labour practices, but what about families who depend on this for their livelihoods? Next, are there health and food security implications linked with these technologies? Many of these new approaches to agriculture may result in highly processed foods becoming more available for consumers, which may have unintended negative consequences in terms of nutrition. We need consumers and governments to demand the highest nutrition and flavour standards as technology shapes supply chains.


nationalobserver--2020-05-07--Alberta insults taxpayers, shreds polluter pays and shorts workers

Alberta Premier Jason Kenney plans to feed federal dollars to zombie oil and gas companies , as well as to the oil giants still capable of funding their own cleanup .
Recent guidelines confirm how the province plans to spend $ 1 billion in COVID-related federal aid for inactive wells announced April 17 .
Unveiled just a week later , Alberta ’ s Site Rehabilitation Program is an insult to taxpayers and the legal mandate that polluters pay .
What ’ s worse , thumbing our noses at the polluter pays principle also diminishes the benefits of cleanup spending .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ will be created and far less overdue oilfield cleanup will actually get done .
If we invested that same billion in short-term loans for cleanup , instead of no-strings-attached grants , we could leverage 10 times our investment in industry spending .
It remains unclear whether terms for Ottawa ’ s billion-dollar transfer have been finalized , as Finance Canada recently informed Global News reporter Mike De Souza.
” So perhaps it ’ s not too late to add a few of the missing ingredients before we put this raw deal in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ natural gas plants will cost ratepayers and the environment , critics say Officials looking for law-abiding alternatives should consult the nascent Polluter Pay Federation ’ s Redwater Approach .
COVID-19 and the supply glut have acted as triggers , but the underlying cause of many looming bankruptcies is the increasingly unprofitable maturity of our oil and gas fields .
And with maturity comes retirement .
Outside the wildly profitable and mostly foreign-owned oilsands , Alberta ’ s crude oil and natural gas industries have not turned a profit in a decade and have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ their retirement of wells , pipelines , and facilities .
Companies have spent $ 50 billion more than they ’ ve earned since 2010 and have accumulated more than $ 100 billion in unfunded cleanup obligations for approximately300,000 wells , about 400,000 kilometres of pipeline , and 100,000s of oil and gas facilities .
An industry worth hundreds of billions a generation ago now stumbles the earth insolvent by more than $ 150 billion .
With somewhere between $ 15 billion and $ 30 billion in oilpatch aid about to be thrown around @ @ @ @ @ @ @ recovering the tens of millions in unpaid compensation the oilpatch owes them for carrying out energy development on their land , often without the owner ’ s consent .
What landowners got instead is an online check-off box noting they have a problem with a well , but it ’ s still the industry that has the last say on when or if anything ever gets cleaned up .
Some landowners currently paid by the province might get paid by the feds instead , but elected officials have failed to leverage our $ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reform in aid of citizens , municipalities , and First Nations on the front lines .
Rural municipalities have been suffering crisis-level budget shortfalls for years already , as zombie companies wage an escalating property tax strike forcing counties to cut hundreds of millions in services or raise taxes on everyone else .
Rural Alberta was hoping for some dollars to pay those industry debts , or at least reforms to stem their growth , but what they got was zilch .
Under the UCP government ’ s program , tax- and compensation-evading @ @ @ @ @ @ @ real barriers to accessing Canadians ’ $ 1 billion .
There is still no support for local government ’ s efforts against oilpatch tax evasion .
And why is there no money to build Indigenous capacity to lead the coming reclamation boom and honour the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples ?
Reflecting their long-standing power and influence , Big Oil is likely to enjoy the lion ’ s share of Ottawa ’ s $ 1 billion , while landowners , municipalities , and First Nations beg for scraps .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ cleanup is now boiling over .
I know of no bigger threat to Alberta ’ s future .
That ’ s why it ’ s so important we get this oilpatch aid right .
Oil and gas companies that can ’ t pay their bills are a hazard to society .
For them , the consequences of bankruptcy are the same whether they ’ re insolvent by $ 150 or $ 150 billion .
Insolvent companies with nothing left to lose , lacking the incentive to run their businesses responsibly , gamble with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
A strategy of looting through bankruptcy-for-profit makes sense to oilpatch executives , but if the polluter doesn ’ t pay as required by Alberta law , the enormous ramifications and costs will fall on taxpayers , our environment , and our health .
We ’ re running out of time to collect on the oilpatch ’ s environmental debts .
Canadians ’ investment could leverage 10 times the results if we used it for the interest costs of short-term cleanup loans to industry .
Every Albertan I know would like 10 times @ @ @ @ @ @ @ each need to ask our MPs and MLAs why they don ’ t want 10 times as many jobs ?

Alberta Premier Jason Kenney plans to feed federal dollars to zombie oil and gas companies, as well as to the oil giants still capable of funding their own cleanup. Recent guidelines confirm how the province plans to spend $1 billion in COVID-related federal aid for inactive wells announced April 17. Unveiled just a week later, Alberta’s Site Rehabilitation Program is an insult to taxpayers and the legal mandate that polluters pay. What’s worse, thumbing our noses at the polluter pays principle also diminishes the benefits of cleanup spending. It means far fewer desperately needed jobs will be created and far less overdue oilfield cleanup will actually get done. If we invested that same billion in short-term loans for cleanup, instead of no-strings-attached grants, we could leverage 10 times our investment in industry spending. It remains unclear whether terms for Ottawa’s billion-dollar transfer have been finalized,as Finance Canada recently informed Global News reporter Mike De Souza.” So perhaps it’s not too late to add a few of the missing ingredients before we put this raw deal in the oven.
Officials looking for law-abiding alternatives should consult the nascent Polluter Pay Federation’s Redwater Approach. COVID-19 and the supply glut have acted as triggers, but the underlying cause of many looming bankruptcies is the increasingly unprofitable maturity of our oil and gas fields. And with maturity comes retirement. Billion-dollar land deals in Ontario raise corruption suspicions Outside the wildly profitable and mostly foreign-owned oilsands, Alberta’s crude oil and natural gas industries have not turned a profit in a decade and have no savings or profits left to fund their retirement of wells, pipelines, and facilities. Companies have spent $50 billion more than they’ve earned since 2010 and have accumulated more than $100 billion in unfunded cleanup obligations for approximately300,000 wells, about 400,000 kilometres of pipeline, and 100,000s of oil and gas facilities.
The Annual Net Worth of Alberta Oil & Gas, 1991-2018 Chart: CAPP & ALDP data; author calculations An industry worth hundreds of billions a generation ago now stumbles the earth insolvent by more than $150 billion. With somewhere between $15 billion and $30 billion in oilpatch aid about to be thrown around, landowners had hoped for some help recovering the tens of millions in unpaid compensation the oilpatch owes them for carrying out energy development on their land, often without the owner’s consent. What landowners got instead is an online check-off box noting they have a problem with a well, but it’s still the industry that has the last say on when or if anything ever gets cleaned up.
Some landowners currently paid by the province might get paid by the feds instead, but elected officials have failed to leverage our $1 billion to create any other meaningful reform in aid of citizens, municipalities, and First Nations on the front lines. Rural municipalities have been suffering crisis-level budget shortfalls for years already, as zombie companies wage an escalating property tax strike forcing counties to cut hundreds of millions in services or raise taxes on everyone else. Rural Alberta was hoping for some dollars to pay those industry debts, or at least reforms to stem their growth, but what they got was zilch. Under the UCP government’s program, tax- and compensation-evading exploration and production companies will face no real barriers to accessing Canadians’ $1 billion.


nationalobserver--2020-05-10--Feds stress dangers to long-term care residents and Indigenous communities

Federal officials stressed the dangers to long-term care residents and Indigenous communities if COVID-19 restrictions are lifted too quickly after projections in Quebec painted a dire picture of the potential cost .
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said Saturday he is `` very worried '' about residents of Montreal — the epicentre of the COVID-19 pandemic in Canada — where the province is preparing to loosen confinement measures despite a rash of fatal outbreaks at nursing homes .
`` We must make sure that we are ensuring protection of our older citizens as an absolute priority , '' Trudeau told reporters @ @ @ @ @ @ @ we 're all under and I understand people do want to go outside .
But we need to do it in ways that we are sure are going to keep people safe , because the last thing that people want is a few weeks from now ( is ) being told , 'OK , we loosened the rules and now COVID 's spreading again and you 're all going to have go inside for the rest of the summer . '
'' The comments came less than 24 hours after Quebec 's public @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 150 a day in the greater Montreal area if physical distancing measures are lifted .
New cases could mushroom to 10,000 by June amid a potential surge in hospitalizations .
• Ontario 's purchase of natural gas plants will cost ratepayers and the environment , critics say • What our best and brightest are pretty sure is happening with wildlife Premier Francois Legault said this week that elementary schools , daycares and retail stores with outdoor entrances in Montreal can reopen May 25 — the second time he has pushed back the date @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
`` I 'm afraid of more people dying and more outbreaks , '' said Dr. Howard Njoo , the country 's deputy chief public health officer .
Long-term care residents account for more than 80 per cent of deaths caused by the virus across Canada despite making up only one in five cases , chief public health officer Dr. Theresa Tam said Saturday .
Stricter measures `` may have to be reinstated '' if controls ease up too soon , she said , calling the impact on seniors `` a national tragedy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ disappeared from the face of the Earth , '' Tam said .
Easing COVID-19 restrictions too soon could jeopardize vulnerable communities Questions about access to supplies are emerging among other vulnerable populations as health officials and community leaders work to contain the spread of COVID-19 in Saskatchewan 's far north .
The region has seen a spike in cases in and around the remote Dene village of La Loche , a community of 2,800 about 600 kilometres northwest of Saskatoon where an outbreak has affected more than 100 residents .
Leonard Montgrand , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said Friday the situation is getting scary because infrastructure is n't set up to respond to the crisis .
Indigenous Services Minister Marc Miller said outbreaks of COVID-19 in First Nations communities may have been delayed because of their remoteness , but the government needs to remain vigilant in the future .
`` You could see languages disappear , '' he said , referring to elders who make up the last generation to speak some Indigenous dialects .
Miller cited a need for more resources and better data collection to help protect the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ virus among Indigenous people , and called on provincial governments to help in that area .
The full scope of the outbreak among Indigenous populations remains unknown because federal data collection is carried out mainly among on-reserve and northern communities , he said .
NDP MP Niki Ashton criticized Miller after the government sent medical tents to the First Nations community of Pukatawagan in northern Manitoba that `` were n't requested , '' calling the move `` paternalistic . ''
`` Rather than listening to the community and respecting their request to retrofit @ @ @ @ @ @ @ space , your department decided to impose an outside solution that was unwanted , unneeded , dangerous and simply wrong , '' Ashton said in a public letter Friday .
Canada 's case count climbed past 67,000 on Saturday .
Quebecers make up more than half of the total cases , with 36,986 — about half of which are in Montreal .
On top of sustained community transmission in pockets of the city , long-term care homes have come under such strain that 1,350 Canadian Forces soldiers will be deployed to 25 facilities @ @ @ @ @ @ @ federal government says .
`` They 're dying in indignity in vast numbers .
And that will continue if there are measures that are relaxed too soon .
That is the scientific conclusion , '' Miller said .
The news Saturday was a bit better in Ontario , where Premier Doug Ford announced provincial parks will reopen Monday after one of the lowest daily case counts in recent weeks — 346 new confirmed cases for a total of 19,944 , including 1,599 deaths .
Meanwhile , Trudeau said Canada will not pay the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not meet medical standards .
On Friday , the federal government suspended shipments of N95 respirators from a Montreal-based supplier after about eight million of the masks made in China failed to meet specifications .
`` There are ongoing discussions ongoing with them about whether there are alternative uses for these masks , but we will not be paying for masks that do not hit the standards that we expect to give to our front-line workers , '' he said .
Trudeau said the discovery speaks to the `` rigorous verification system '' @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Canada .
NDP procurement critic Mathew Green questioned the government 's purchasing process for personal protective equipment , saying officials had `` skirted the question of quality control and ultimately the bottom line cost '' of PPE orders .
Trudeau declined to specify on Saturday the per-unit cost of N95 masks , which federal officials have previously pegged at anywhere from $ 1.20 to $ 6 apiece .
Last month the Public Health Agency of Canada announced the government had bought around one million faulty KN95 respirators from a China-based supplier , which @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 9 , 2020 .

Federal officials stressed the dangers to long-term care residents and Indigenous communities if COVID-19 restrictions are lifted too quickly after projections in Quebec painted a dire picture of the potential cost. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said Saturday he is "very worried" about residents of Montreal — the epicentre of the COVID-19 pandemic in Canada — where the province is preparing to loosen confinement measures despite a rash of fatal outbreaks at nursing homes. "We must make sure that we are ensuring protection of our older citizens as an absolute priority," Trudeau told reporters. "I understand the economic pressures we're all under and I understand people do want to go outside. But we need to do it in ways that we are sure are going to keep people safe, because the last thing that people want is a few weeks from now (is) being told, 'OK, we loosened the rules and now COVID's spreading again and you're all going to have go inside for the rest of the summer.'" The comments came less than 24 hours after Quebec's public health institute said deaths could soar to 150 a day in the greater Montreal area if physical distancing measures are lifted. New cases could mushroom to 10,000 by June amid a potential surge in hospitalizations.
Premier Francois Legault said this week that elementary schools, daycares and retail stores with outdoor entrances in Montreal can reopen May 25 — the second time he has pushed back the date, but ahead of other large cities. Federal officials remain concerned about a rising death toll. Billion-dollar land deals in Ontario raise corruption suspicions "I'm afraid of more people dying and more outbreaks," said Dr. Howard Njoo, the country's deputy chief public health officer.
Long-term care residents account for more than 80 per cent of deaths caused by the virus across Canada despite making up only one in five cases, chief public health officer Dr. Theresa Tam said Saturday. Easing COVID-19 restrictions too soon could jeopardize vulnerable communities Stricter measures "may have to be reinstated" if controls ease up too soon, she said, calling the impact on seniors "a national tragedy." "The virus has not disappeared from the face of the Earth," Tam said. Questions about access to supplies are emerging among other vulnerable populations as health officials and community leaders work to contain the spread of COVID-19 in Saskatchewan's far north. The region has seen a spike in cases in and around the remote Dene village of La Loche, a community of 2,800 about 600 kilometres northwest of Saskatoon where an outbreak has affected more than 100 residents.
Leonard Montgrand, the regional representative of Metis Nation-Saskatchewan, said Friday the situation is getting scary because infrastructure isn't set up to respond to the crisis. Indigenous Services Minister Marc Miller said outbreaks of COVID-19 in First Nations communities may have been delayed because of their remoteness, but the government needs to remain vigilant in the future. "You could see languages disappear," he said, referring to elders who make up the last generation to speak some Indigenous dialects.


nationalobserver--2020-05-08--What's streaming this week on Netflix and more

The latest about movie streaming : Warner Brothers has learned from Universal ’ s success with The Trolls .
They ’ ll be streaming Scoob !
( yes , Scooby-Doo ) instead of holding it back .
Hollywood Suite ( of which you can catch a free preview these days ) is adding a long list of titles , some recent , like Django Unchained , many older , like A Hard Day 's Night , and some as far back as High Noon ( 1952 ) .
Toronto 's Hot Docs Festival will be streaming , not screening , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the first title in two weeks .
LIGHT FROM LIGHT : Here ’ s a film you should seek out .
It ’ s one of those small modest ones that are increasingly rare , in danger even , in this era of the movies .
It ’ s a ghost story , of sorts , but only obliquely .
Human problems — loneliness , emotional isolation , the difficulties of making connections , the allied difficulties of ending connections — are the real concerns here .
They ’ re expressed in what @ @ @ @ @ @ @ house investigation in rural Tennessee .
A part-time ghost hunter ( Marin Ireland ) is asked to visit a lonely widower ( Jim Gaffigan ) who believes his wife , recently deceased in a plane crash , is still with him , causing lights to flicker and keys to move .
Also along to help in the investigation are the ghost hunter ’ s teenage son and his girlfriend who rig up cameras and monitors and add something even more important .
Commitment issues .
Some variation of this afflicts all four of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ writer-director Paul Harrill explores in parallel with the mystery haunting .
There ’ s suspense , particularly in a solo walk through the dark house at night , but not the usual jump scares .
There is exceptionally good acting , economical dialogue , an easy pace and a caring view of real people .
( Streaming at https : //thecinematheque.ca/ for a very reasonable price . )
4 out of 5 BECOMING : This film reminds us all , Americans and America-watchers alike , that politics there used to be better .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ spark , although she hardly mentions politics .
Obamacare isn ’ t heard at all .
There ’ s just a reference to “ careless power ” being rampant these days , and I knew what she ’ s referring to .
It ’ s the only allusion I detected in this ample assemblage of her personal thoughts and insights to the man now in charge .
This is the story of her own life as expressed during a tour promoting her book , Becoming .
At every stop , she fills an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by celebs like Oprah Winfrey and Stephen Colbert .
She also holds discussions with young people in small groups and it is there you really see her appeal : She listens and people warm to her .
We also get very personal family scenes with her brother and mother , and looking through a family album , we get her life story .
“ I am from the south side of Chicago .
That tells you as much about me as you need to know , ” she says .
The film is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ people have to overcome .
She was rejected by a university , but got there anyway .
Her white roommate was moved for fear of a Black woman .
She regrets the “ racism and tribalism ” still around in the U.S.
It ’ s an intimate portrait , all complimentary and not at all questioning .
But then it was produced by the company she owns with her husband , Barack ( who has a showy cameo near the end ) and was directed by an admirer , Nadia Hallgren .
OK @ @ @ @ @ @ @ any dirt to be found anyway .
( Netflix ) 3½ out of 5 THIS IS NOT A MOVIE : If you ’ re interested in serious journalism ( and since you ’ re visiting this site , you surely are ) , this documentary is for you .
It hears from one of the most vibrant reporters ever as he explains himself , and watches him in action in some of the most troublesome spots on Earth .
Robert Fisk is seen reporting on gunfire , explosions and nasty armed men in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ war , in Lebanon , Israel , Palestine and , on his first assignment , Northern Ireland .
He ’ s famous for reporting live as bombs were falling around him , and he ’ s been at it for 40 years .
The film , by Canadian director Yung Chang ( born in Oshawa ) , a co-production with the National Film Board , gives us lots of archival examples of his work and , most welcome , his philosophy .
It could be a guide for any reporter .
“ If @ @ @ @ @ @ @ scene … you can ’ t get close to the truth ” is just the start of his thinking .
He reports exactly what he sees , even if that makes enemies .
He ’ s been called both an anti-Semite and a Zionist , for instance .
We see him talk fairly to both an Israeli settler and a Palestinian who lost his land .
He doesn ’ t show it , but we know who he sympathizes with because elsewhere he says this : “ As a journalist , your job @ @ @ @ @ @ @ but on the side of those who are suffering.
” He has advice like that throughout the film and also tells his own story .
A Hitchcock film , Foreign Correspondent , attracted him to the profession , and a Rupert Murdoch editor drove him from the Times of London by completely changing a story about Americans shooting down an Iranian airliner .
He went to The Independent and carried on .
( Streaming at https : //viff.org . )
4 out of 5 SPACESHIP EARTH : Here ’ s a documentary you @ @ @ @ @ @ @ history , but also a look towards the future , and a celebration of visionaries who act out their idealism .
And one more thing : It corrects the misunderstood reputation of a project in Arizona back in 1991-93 called Biosphere 2 .
For those two years , eight people lived inside a giant , closed-in structure built like a geodesic dome inspired by Buckminster Fuller .
They had a simulated Earth inside , complete with land for agriculture , habitat for wildlife , and an ocean complete with a coral reef .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ , for what we ’ ll have to build if we ever start colonies on other planets .
It ’ s not remembered as a success , but director Matt Wolf sets the record straight with new interviews ( most of the participants are alive and still involved in ecological projects ) , and with ample film from the time ( they tried to document everything ) .
It evolved out of a theatre project in San Francisco in the 1960s and the fad back then for starting intentional communities .
With a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s backing , it grew into a huge endeavour that spoke to a variety of ecological issues , including global warming , which it recognized early .
It was a media sensation ( “ important ” ) , then a target ( “ cult , ” “ trendy ecological entertainment ” ) .
The film explains the problems that arose inside the dome ( oxygen deficiency , personality conflicts ) and then trots out a well-known character as a villain .
But it validates the premise that “ small groups are engines of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on-demand and digital platforms . )
3½ out of 5 THE WILLOUGHBYS : This animated comedy has been on Netflix for a couple of weeks , but I had to catch up to it for two reasons .
One : It ’ s produced by Bron , the very busy company based in Burnaby .
Second : Parents may need more kid-entertainment during the lockdown .
This one is vibrant , cheeky , and fun .
One plot point may be a problem , though .
It ’ s the plan that four @ @ @ @ @ @ @ annoying parents out of the way .
I mean really out .
Mom and dad ( Jane Krakowski and Martin Short ) are self-obsessed .
The children , led by Tim ( Will Forte ) , get them to travel to some very dangerous places and hope they don ’ t make it back .
To their chagrin , the parents hire a cut-rate nanny ( Maya Rudolph ) , and they ’ re not free at all .
They try to pretend they 're orphans , but that brings agents from children @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a real orphan , a baby , who they take to a candy factory , and a cat ( Ricky Gervais ) , who narrates everything in his typically caustic style .
It ’ s taken from a popular book by Lois Lowry and is directed by Kris Pearn , who also does extra duty as co-writer , executive producer ( one of 11 ) , and voice actor in a small role .
He ’ s worked on many animated features , usually in character development .
This one entertains with a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ front-rank as these films go these days , but with so many fast visual gags , few will notice .
( Netflix ) 3 out of 5

LIGHT FROM LIGHT : Here’s a film you should seek out. It’s one of those small modest ones that are increasingly rare, in danger even, in this era of the movies. It’s a ghost story, of sorts, but only obliquely. Human problems — loneliness, emotional isolation, the difficulties of making connections, the allied difficulties of ending connections — are the real concerns here. They’re expressed in what initially appears to be a standard haunted house investigation in rural Tennessee.
BECOMING : This film reminds us all, Americans and America-watchers alike, that politics there used to be better. Former first lady Michelle Obama is the spark, although she hardly mentions politics. Obamacare isn’t heard at all. There’s just a reference to “careless power” being rampant these days, and I knew what she’s referring to. It’s the only allusion I detected in this ample assemblage of her personal thoughts and insights to the man now in charge. This is the story of her own life as expressed during a tour promoting her book, Becoming. At every stop, she fills an arena with adoring fans and is interviewed by celebs like Oprah Winfrey and Stephen Colbert. She also holds discussions with young people in small groups and it is there you really see her appeal: She listens and people warm to her.
A part-time ghost hunter (Marin Ireland) is asked to visit a lonely widower (Jim Gaffigan) who believes his wife, recently deceased in a plane crash, is still with him, causing lights to flicker and keys to move. Also along to help in the investigation are the ghost hunter’s teenage son and his girlfriend who rig up cameras and monitors and add something even more important. Commitment issues. Some variation of this afflicts all four of these characters and that’s what writer-director Paul Harrill explores in parallel with the mystery haunting. There’s suspense, particularly in a solo walk through the dark house at night, but not the usual jump scares. There is exceptionally good acting, economical dialogue, an easy pace and a caring view of real people. (Streaming at https://thecinematheque.ca/ for a very reasonable price.) 4 out of 5
We also get very personal family scenes with her brother and mother, and looking through a family album, we get her life story. “I am from the south side of Chicago. That tells you as much about me as you need to know,” she says. The film is about upward mobility and the barriers Black people have to overcome. She was rejected by a university, but got there anyway. Her white roommate was moved for fear of a Black woman. She regrets the “racism and tribalism” still around in the U.S. It’s an intimate portrait, all complimentary and not at all questioning. But then it was produced by the company she owns with her husband, Barack (who has a showy cameo near the end) and was directed by an admirer, Nadia Hallgren. OK, but I can’t imagine any dirt to be found anyway. (Netflix) 3½ out of 5
THIS IS NOT A MOVIE: If you’re interested in serious journalism (and since you’re visiting this site, you surely are), this documentary is for you. It hears from one of the most vibrant reporters ever as he explains himself, and watches him in action in some of the most troublesome spots on Earth. Robert Fisk is seen reporting on gunfire, explosions and nasty armed men in Syria at the height of the civil war, in Lebanon, Israel, Palestine and, on his first assignment, Northern Ireland. He’s famous for reporting live as bombs were falling around him, and he’s been at it for 40 years.
Robert Fisk
The film, by Canadian director Yung Chang (born in Oshawa), a co-production with the National Film Board, gives us lots of archival examples of his work and, most welcome, his philosophy. It could be a guide for any reporter. “If you don’t go to the scene … you can’t get close to the truth” is just the start of his thinking. He reports exactly what he sees, even if that makes enemies. He’s been called both an anti-Semite and a Zionist, for instance. We see him talk fairly to both an Israeli settler and a Palestinian who lost his land. He doesn’t show it, but we know who he sympathizes with because elsewhere he says this: “As a journalist, your job is to be neutral and unbiased, but on the side of those who are suffering.” He has advice like that throughout the film and also tells his own story. A Hitchcock film, Foreign Correspondent, attracted him to the profession, and a Rupert Murdoch editor drove him from the Times of London by completely changing a story about Americans shooting down an Iranian airliner. He went to The Independent and carried on. (Streaming at https://viff.org.) 4 out of 5
SPACESHIP EARTH: Here’s a documentary you should see. It’s mostly history, but also a look towards the future, and a celebration of visionaries who act out their idealism. And one more thing: It corrects the misunderstood reputation of a project in Arizona back in 1991-93 called Biosphere 2. For those two years, eight people lived inside a giant, closed-in structure built like a geodesic dome inspired by Buckminster Fuller. They had a simulated Earth inside, complete with land for agriculture, habitat for wildlife, and an ocean complete with a coral reef. It was a prototype, they imagined, for what we’ll have to build if we ever start colonies on other planets.
Spaceship Earth
It’s not remembered as a success, but director Matt Wolf sets the record straight with new interviews (most of the participants are alive and still involved in ecological projects), and with ample film from the time (they tried to document everything). It evolved out of a theatre project in San Francisco in the 1960s and the fad back then for starting intentional communities. With a charismatic leader and a Texas billionaire’s backing, it grew into a huge endeavour that spoke to a variety of ecological issues, including global warming, which it recognized early. It was a media sensation (“important”), then a target (“cult,” “trendy ecological entertainment”). The film explains the problems that arose inside the dome (oxygen deficiency, personality conflicts) and then trots out a well-known character as a villain. But it validates the premise that “small groups are engines of change.” (Available now across all on-demand and digital platforms.) 3½ out of 5
THE WILLOUGHBYS: This animated comedy has been on Netflix for a couple of weeks, but I had to catch up to it for two reasons. One: It’s produced by Bron, the very busy company based in Burnaby. Second: Parents may need more kid-entertainment during the lockdown. This one is vibrant, cheeky, and fun. One plot point may be a problem, though. It’s the plan that four children come up with to get their annoying parents out of the way. I mean really out. Mom and dad (Jane Krakowski and Martin Short) are self-obsessed. The children, led by Tim (Will Forte), get them to travel to some very dangerous places and hope they don’t make it back.
THE WILLOUGHBYS
To their chagrin, the parents hire a cut-rate nanny (Maya Rudolph), and they’re not free at all. They try to pretend they're orphans, but that brings agents from children’s services. There’s a real orphan, a baby, who they take to a candy factory, and a cat (Ricky Gervais), who narrates everything in his typically caustic style. It’s taken from a popular book by Lois Lowry and is directed by Kris Pearn, who also does extra duty as co-writer, executive producer (one of 11), and voice actor in a small role. He’s worked on many animated features, usually in character development. This one entertains with a frantic energy and colourful visuals, not front-rank as these films go these days, but with so many fast visual gags, few will notice. (Netflix) 3 out of 5


nationalobserver--2020-05-11--Second Cargill plant closes after COVID-19 outbreak

A Cargill meat-processing plant south of Montreal announced it is closing its doors after at least 64 workers tested positive for COVID-19 , even as schools across much of Quebec prepared to open theirs to students on Monday .
The outbreak in Chambly , Que .
marks the second time the company has experienced a COVID-19 closure at one of its facilities in Canada .
A spokeswoman for the union representing the workers said the Cargill plant will close temporarily as of Wednesday so all its workers can be tested .
Roxane Larouche said 171 workers were sent home last @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 30 of them have tested negative .
The testing is expected to last until Friday , and the plant will reopen once there are enough uninfected employees to run it safely .
Cargill said the 64 workers represent 13 per cent of the workforce at the plant .
The company said three employees have recovered .
• Doug Ford went against COVID-19 health advice to visit his cottage • What 's streaming this week on Netflix and more `` Because the health and safety of Cargill employees remains our priority , we 've @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in Chambly , '' the company said , adding that it would continue to pay workers during the stoppage .
`` Cargill is working in close collaboration with local health authorities and the union to test our employees as quickly as possible . ''
The workplace had implemented safety measures for employees , including installing plexiglass between workers where possible , staggering arrival and departure times and providing masks , visors and safety glasses , Larouche confirmed .
A Cargill beef-packing plant in High River , Alta.
, reopened last Monday after a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 2,000 workers at that plant have tested positive for the novel coronavirus .
In a statement , Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada said public health authorities and food inspectors were working with plant owners to ensure the safety of both workers and the food supply .
It noted the federal government had committed $ 77.5 million in funding to help processors carry out safety retrofits and purchase protective equipment , as well as $ 20 million for food safety inspectors .
`` We fully recognize the health concerns of workers in certain meat plants @ @ @ @ @ @ @ As with all essential workers , proper measures must be in place , if workers can continue to provide essential services to Canadians during these critical times . ''
Meanwhile , some of Quebec 's children are preparing to return to class on Monday as the province moves ahead with a plan to reopen elementary schools and daycares outside the Montreal area .
Students will be subject to physical distancing , frequent handwashing and carefully co-ordinated school days spent in large part at their desks while school officials keep up with cleaning , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Attendance is n't mandatory , and two school boards told The Canadian Press that most of their students were staying home for now .
The province allowed most retail stores outside Montreal to open May 11 , but pushed back the opening date for schools and other businesses in the hard-hit metropolis to May 25 as case numbers remained high .
As of Sunday morning , there were 67,996 COVID-19 cases , including 4,728 deaths , according to Canada 's top public health doctor , Dr. Theresa Tam .
Some 47 per cent @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in a statement .
Over half of the country 's cases are in Quebec , which registered 142 new deaths on Sunday for a total of 2,928 , as well as a caseload of over 37,700 .
Other provinces are also taking small steps to reopen , albeit at a slower pace than the hardest-hit province .
Ontario allowed hardware stores and safety supply stores to reopen this weekend , while non-essential retail stores will be allowed to offer curbside pickup this week .
The province reported 35 more deaths related to the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ which represents the lowest rate of growth since March , even as the province was dealing with another COVID-19 outbreak at Toronto Western Hospital .
The University Health Network said the new outbreak is on the hospital 's 9A Fell unit , which had previously been declared one of its `` COVID negative units . ''
The organization did n't reveal how many cases are part of the new outbreak , but said that across its network , 83 staff members have tested positive for the virus from January to May 4 .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ retail stores to open this week , while New Brunswick 's stores , offices , restaurants , libraries , museums and campgrounds started reopening Friday — but only if they could show they had a plan to meet guidelines for physical distancing , hand hygiene and allowing staff to remain home when ill. Saskatchewan and Manitoba began to gradually reopen last week , while British Columbia is phasing in the reopening of its economy with certain health services , retail outlets , restaurants , salons and museums resuming some operations in mid-May .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ some good news as the province 's chief health officer announced Friday that some physical distancing restrictions would be lifted , including an allowance for Mother 's Day hugs .
This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 10 , 2020 .
-- With files from Helen Moka in Montreal

A Cargill meat-processing plant south of Montreal announced it is closing its doors after at least 64 workers tested positive for COVID-19, even as schools across much of Quebec prepared to open theirs to students on Monday. The outbreak in Chambly, Que. marks the second time the company has experienced a COVID-19 closure at one of its facilities in Canada. A spokeswoman for the union representing the workers said the Cargill plant will close temporarily as of Wednesday so all its workers can be tested. Roxane Larouche said 171 workers were sent home last week as a preventative measure, and 30 of them have tested negative. The testing is expected to last until Friday, and the plant will reopen once there are enough uninfected employees to run it safely. Cargill said the 64 workers represent 13 per cent of the workforce at the plant. The company said three employees have recovered.
"Because the health and safety of Cargill employees remains our priority, we've decided to close our protein production factory in Chambly," the company said, adding that it would continue to pay workers during the stoppage. "Cargill is working in close collaboration with local health authorities and the union to test our employees as quickly as possible." Billion-dollar land deals in Ontario raise corruption suspicions The workplace had implemented safety measures for employees, including installing plexiglass between workers where possible, staggering arrival and departure times and providing masks, visors and safety glasses, Larouche confirmed.
A Cargill beef-packing plant in High River, Alta., reopened last Monday after a two-week shutdown. Another Cargill plant closes after COVID-19 outbreak More than 900 of 2,000 workers at that plant have tested positive for the novel coronavirus. In a statement, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada said public health authorities and food inspectors were working with plant owners to ensure the safety of both workers and the food supply. It noted the federal government had committed $77.5 million in funding to help processors carry out safety retrofits and purchase protective equipment, as well as $20 million for food safety inspectors. "We fully recognize the health concerns of workers in certain meat plants," the statement read.
"As with all essential workers, proper measures must be in place, if workers can continue to provide essential services to Canadians during these critical times." Meanwhile, some of Quebec's children are preparing to return to class on Monday as the province moves ahead with a plan to reopen elementary schools and daycares outside the Montreal area. Students will be subject to physical distancing, frequent handwashing and carefully co-ordinated school days spent in large part at their desks while school officials keep up with cleaning, disinfection and following public health guidelines.