nationalobserver--2020-05-22--Economic slowdown has cut air pollution in Canadian cities

Most major Canadian cities saw drastic improvements in air quality over the last two months as COVID-19 kept people at home instead of on the roads .
Experts say cleaner air , even just for a few weeks , can reduce illnesses like asthma attacks and heart attacks , which have been shown to spike when air pollution is at its worst , and which are also linked with higher risk of serious illness and death from COVID-19 .
Chris McLinden and Debora Griffin , both scientists in the air-quality research division at Environment and Climate Change Canada , spend @ @ @ @ @ @ @ air quality and the presence of pollutants like ozone , carbon monoxide and nitrogen dioxide .
Since the middle of March , when most provinces began shuttering businesses and public spaces and asking people to stay home , their maps have shown significant drops in levels of nitrogen dioxide , one of the main gases produced when fossil fuels are burned to power and heat vehicles and buildings .
`` It 's what we call an unexpected , natural experiment , '' McLinden said .
`` It 's not really something you can @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Noam Chomsky on Trump , COVID-19 , climate change , and the economy • Empty streets during COVID-19 show how we ’ ve been poisoning ourselves McLinden said nitrogen dioxide is one of the best measures for a day-to-day comparison because it tends to dissipate much faster than carbon monoxide , so its presence is a better indicator of changes in a short period of time .
In cities like Toronto and Montreal , the nitrogen dioxide levels fell more than 30 per cent , which McLinden said is mainly because there were @ @ @ @ @ @ @ factories either closed or cut production .
In Edmonton and Calgary , the drop was closer to 40 per cent , he said .
In Atlantic Canada , where the levels are typically very low to begin with , the maps ca n't pick up the data well enough to describe any reduction .
McLinden said the maps they are using do n't measure the levels of fine particulate matter , which is one of the biggest concerns for human health , but he said science suggests those would also be falling , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ nitrogen dioxide .
In April , international air quality technology company IQAir found significant drops in 10 world cities of fine particles , known as PM2.5 ( meaning particulate matter less than 2.5 microns across , a small fraction of the width of a hair ) .
The study showed PM2.5 down 60 per cent in Delhi , compared to the same three-week period in 2019 , and drops of 54 per cent in Seoul , 31 per cent in Los Angeles and 25 per cent in New York City .
Miriam Diamond @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the University of Toronto , said even a temporary drop in air pollution can have a positive impact on human health .
Nitrogen dioxide and PM2.5 can inflame air passages and trigger asthma attacks , heart attacks and strokes .
Health Canada estimated last year that more than 14,000 Canadians die each year because of exposure to air pollution .
`` A couple of months ( of reduction ) will do us well because we 're avoiding air-pollution-related deaths and illness , especially at a time when we are really concerned about the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` Hopefully it is also having a benefit of reducing the severity of symptoms should you get COVID-19 because your lungs are in better shape . ''
Dr. Sandy Buchman , president of the Canadian Medical Association , said he suspects studies will show the drop in air pollution during the slowdown will coincide with fewer admissions to hospital for heart attacks and asthma .
That in turn , he hopes , will drive policies to cut air pollution permanently .
`` I think we have to see the data but it could @ @ @ @ @ @ @ politicians and public health experts , '' said Buchman .
McLinden also said the data he and Griffin are collecting right now will improve modelling for where air pollution is coming from and how best it can be improved over the long term .
This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 21 , 2020 .

Most major Canadian cities saw drastic improvements in air quality over the last two months as COVID-19 kept people at home instead of on the roads. Experts say cleaner air, even just for a few weeks, can reduce illnesses like asthma attacks and heart attacks, which have been shown to spike when air pollution is at its worst, and which are also linked with higher risk of serious illness and death from COVID-19. Chris McLinden and Debora Griffin, both scientists in the air-quality research division at Environment and Climate Change Canada, spend their days using satellite sensors to measure air quality and the presence of pollutants like ozone, carbon monoxide and nitrogen dioxide. Since the middle of March, when most provinces began shuttering businesses and public spaces and asking people to stay home, their maps have shown significant drops in levels of nitrogen dioxide, one of the main gases produced when fossil fuels are burned to power and heat vehicles and buildings. "It's what we call an unexpected, natural experiment," McLinden said. "It's not really something you can duplicate in a lab."
McLinden said nitrogen dioxide is one of the best measures for a day-to-day comparison because it tends to dissipate much faster than carbon monoxide, so its presence is a better indicator of changes in a short period of time. In cities like Toronto and Montreal, the nitrogen dioxide levels fell more than 30 per cent, which McLinden said is mainly because there were fewer cars on the roads, and factories either closed or cut production. In Edmonton and Calgary, the drop was closer to 40 per cent, he said. In Atlantic Canada, where the levels are typically very low to begin with, the maps can't pick up the data well enough to describe any reduction. Billion-dollar land deals in Ontario raise corruption suspicions McLinden said the maps they are using don't measure the levels of fine particulate matter, which is one of the biggest concerns for human health, but he said science suggests those would also be falling, though probably not quite as much as nitrogen dioxide.
In April, international air quality technology company IQAir found significant drops in 10 world cities of fine particles, known as PM2.5 (meaning particulate matter less than 2.5 microns across, a small fraction of the width of a hair). The study showed PM2.5 down 60 per cent in Delhi, compared to the same three-week period in 2019, and drops of 54 per cent in Seoul, 31 per cent in Los Angeles and 25 per cent in New York City. COVID-19 economic slowdown has cut air pollution in Canadian cities Miriam Diamond, a professor of earth sciences at the University of Toronto, said even a temporary drop in air pollution can have a positive impact on human health. Nitrogen dioxide and PM2.5 can inflame air passages and trigger asthma attacks, heart attacks and strokes. Health Canada estimated last year that more than 14,000 Canadians die each year because of exposure to air pollution. "A couple of months (of reduction) will do us well because we're avoiding air-pollution-related deaths and illness, especially at a time when we are really concerned about the respiratory system," Diamond said. "Hopefully it is also having a benefit of reducing the severity of symptoms should you get COVID-19 because your lungs are in better shape."
Dr. Sandy Buchman, president of the Canadian Medical Association, said he suspects studies will show the drop in air pollution during the slowdown will coincide with fewer admissions to hospital for heart attacks and asthma. That in turn, he hopes, will drive policies to cut air pollution permanently. "I think we have to see the data but it could speak volumes to the Canadian public, politicians and public health experts," said Buchman. McLinden also said the data he and Griffin are collecting right now will improve modelling for where air pollution is coming from and how best it can be improved over the long term.


nationalobserver--2020-05-22--Testing wastewater could help detect second wave of COVID-19

As Canada continues to struggle to keep up with the level of COVID-19 tests needed to fend off a potential second wave of the viral disease , researchers say the best early warning system for a second wave could be right beneath our feet — in the sewers .
Several other countries have taken to testing wastewater for signs of the novel coronavirus as an indication of flare-ups in their communities .
Now researchers are beginning to look at the option in Canada .
Given that some people can pass the virus on without even knowing they have it , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the population will be key to detecting and quashing any new community spread of COVID-19 .
Several provinces have struggled to keep up with the volume of tests needed to do that , particularly in Ontario and Quebec where rates of infection remain high .
• Noam Chomsky on Trump , COVID-19 , climate change , and the economy • Empty streets during COVID-19 show how we ’ ve been poisoning ourselves But the virus is n't only detected in the back of people 's throats .
It 's also found in waste @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tested for COVID-19 , most everyone uses the toilet .
`` This is a tool that can actually provide an early alert to our public health in regards to re-emergence of infectivity in communities , '' said Mike McKay , the executive director of the Great Lakes Institute for Environmental Research at the University of Windsor .
His research group is one of several across the country looking at whether sampling sewage could be a viable way to alert public health officials to new outbreaks .
Initially , he said researchers were excited @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of virus found in the pipes could provide some sense of the number of cases in a community .
But not enough is known about how much of the virus is shed in people 's waste to be able to draw many conclusions yet .
Instead , researchers hope they 'll be able to detect whether the viral load has gone up or down , allowing researchers to flag sudden spikes to public health who will be able to focus their efforts accordingly .
Testing wastewater could give early warning of second wave @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , that means it 's saving lives , '' said Bernadette Conant , CEO of the Canadian Water Network .
The network is in the early stages of trying to co-ordinate a pilot project in Canadian cities , including Ottawa , Windsor , Montreal and Edmonton , to develop an effective method and determine whether wastewater tests could have the public health applications they hope for .
The ultimate goal , as the technique evolves , is to use the method to root out new outbreaks in certain neighbourhoods , or even specific @ @ @ @ @ @ @ That would allow public health authorities to tailor testing , lockdowns or other containment measures to that area .
`` This is not a silver bullet and it 's not about replacing the basic testing and contact tracing surveillance , '' Conant said .
`` What it does is offer the potential to fill a gap . ''
The idea was tried in the Netherlands and France in the early days of the epidemic , and according to non-peer reviewed studies , both were able to detect traces of the virus in wastewater @ @ @ @ @ @ @ countries .
Several states in the U.S. , as well as Australia and Israel , have also looked to the sewers to for signs of the virus .
It 's not a totally foreign concept in Canada either .
Last year , Statistics Canada released a report on its use of wastewater samples to detect signs of increased drug use .
Accurate information about societal use of drugs , particularly from illegal sources , is difficult to get , the authors explained .
So they ran a pilot project to see if sewer @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
There were limitations to what the data could tell them , but they said the advantage was the low cost , timeliness and the ability to monitor change over time at the city level — which is what researchers hope to achieve with COVID-19 tests .
Edmonton 's water utility company , Epcor , said in a statement that workers already take regular wastewater samples , so the effort and risk in gathering extra samples for testing is minimal .
As for creating a national sewage surveillance system in Canada , Conant @ @ @ @ @ @ @ show an interest but logistics , including lab capability and capacity , would still need to be worked out .
This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 22 , 2020 .

As Canada continues to struggle to keep up with the level of COVID-19 tests needed to fend off a potential second wave of the viral disease, researchers say the best early warning system for a second wave could be right beneath our feet — in the sewers. Several other countries have taken to testing wastewater for signs of the novel coronavirus as an indication of flare-ups in their communities. Now researchers are beginning to look at the option in Canada. Given that some people can pass the virus on without even knowing they have it, health officials say testing large portions of the population will be key to detecting and quashing any new community spread of COVID-19. Several provinces have struggled to keep up with the volume of tests needed to do that, particularly in Ontario and Quebec where rates of infection remain high.
But the virus isn't only detected in the back of people's throats. It's also found in waste. And while not everyone will get tested for COVID-19, most everyone uses the toilet. "This is a tool that can actually provide an early alert to our public health in regards to re-emergence of infectivity in communities," said Mike McKay, the executive director of the Great Lakes Institute for Environmental Research at the University of Windsor. Billion-dollar land deals in Ontario raise corruption suspicions His research group is one of several across the country looking at whether sampling sewage could be a viable way to alert public health officials to new outbreaks.
Initially, he said researchers were excited about the possibility that measuring the amount of virus found in the pipes could provide some sense of the number of cases in a community. Testing wastewater could give early warning of second wave of COVID-19 But not enough is known about how much of the virus is shed in people's waste to be able to draw many conclusions yet. Instead, researchers hope they'll be able to detect whether the viral load has gone up or down, allowing researchers to flag sudden spikes to public health who will be able to focus their efforts accordingly. "If it does that, that means it's saving lives," said Bernadette Conant, CEO of the Canadian Water Network. The network is in the early stages of trying to co-ordinate a pilot project in Canadian cities, including Ottawa, Windsor, Montreal and Edmonton, to develop an effective method and determine whether wastewater tests could have the public health applications they hope for.
The ultimate goal, as the technique evolves, is to use the method to root out new outbreaks in certain neighbourhoods, or even specific buildings, like long-term care homes. That would allow public health authorities to tailor testing, lockdowns or other containment measures to that area. "This is not a silver bullet and it's not about replacing the basic testing and contact tracing surveillance," Conant said. "What it does is offer the potential to fill a gap."


nationalobserver--2020-05-22--Environment monitoring suspended for Alberta energy industry

Recent environmental monitoring exemptions for the oilsands have been broadened to include Alberta 's entire energy industry .
The Alberta Energy Regulator says the decisions , posted Wednesday on its website , are in response to public-health concerns over the COVID-19 pandemic .
They were made to protect those doing the monitoring and the communities they work in , said the regulator 's vice-president , Martin Foy .
`` These activities were moving a lot of people from jurisdictions that maybe were a higher risk to smaller communities and potentially putting those communities at risk , '' he said Thursday @ @ @ @ @ @ @ associated with the suspensions and found it to be very low . ''
• Noam Chomsky on Trump , COVID-19 , climate change , and the economy • Empty streets during COVID-19 show how we ’ ve been poisoning ourselves The list of suspensions is long .
Companies no longer have to monitor fumes released by burning , or look for and repair leaks of methane , a potent greenhouse gas .
Surface waters need no longer be tested , unless they escape into the environment — and that water need no longer @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and groundwater monitoring is gone , `` with the exception of any monitoring that is necessary to protect human health and ecological receptors , '' the decisions say .
Those efforts must resume by Sept. 30 , the only suspensions with a sunset date .
`` We did n't want to create an expectation amongst industry that ( the suspensions ) could n't be lifted at any time , '' said Foy .
In-situ oilsands operations no longer have to conduct any wildlife monitoring , including research programs and population estimates .
That @ @ @ @ @ @ @ deterrents must remain in place .
`` These are events that require contractors from outside of Alberta going up to the facilities , installing the equipment and maintaining the equipment , '' Foy said .
Reclamation and wetland monitoring is also suspended , as are research requirements .
The Opposition New Democrats suggested the pandemic was being used as a cover for changes the industry has long sought .
`` This has nothing to do with COVID-19 , ” said environment critic Marlin Schmidt .
“ This is a sneaky and underhanded attempt @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to push their outdated and extreme ideological agenda forward under the shadow of a pandemic.
” `` I would 100 per cent say that is n't the case . ''
Mel Grandjamb , chief of the Fort McKay First Nation , said earlier this month that the oilsands decision was made without consultation , despite his band being in the middle of the region .
The federal and Ontario governments have suspended requirements to report data because of COVID-19 , but it must still be collected .
Keith Stewart of Greenpeace Canada has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ any other jurisdiction in the world that has gone as far as Alberta to roll back environmental protections during the pandemic , including the United States under President Donald Trump .

Recent environmental monitoring exemptions for the oilsands have been broadened to include Alberta's entire energy industry. The Alberta Energy Regulator says the decisions, posted Wednesday on its website, are in response to public-health concerns over the COVID-19 pandemic. They were made to protect those doing the monitoring and the communities they work in, said the regulator's vice-president, Martin Foy. "These activities were moving a lot of people from jurisdictions that maybe were a higher risk to smaller communities and potentially putting those communities at risk," he said Thursday. "We have assessed the risk associated with the suspensions and found it to be very low."
The list of suspensions is long. Companies no longer have to monitor fumes released by burning, or look for and repair leaks of methane, a potent greenhouse gas. Surface waters need no longer be tested, unless they escape into the environment — and that water need no longer be tested in a lab. Billion-dollar land deals in Ontario raise corruption suspicions Soil and groundwater monitoring is gone, "with the exception of any monitoring that is necessary to protect human health and ecological receptors," the decisions say.
Those efforts must resume by Sept. 30, the only suspensions with a sunset date. Alberta Energy Regulator suspends environment monitoring for oilpatch over COVID "We didn't want to create an expectation amongst industry that (the suspensions) couldn't be lifted at any time," said Foy. In-situ oilsands operations no longer have to conduct any wildlife monitoring, including research programs and population estimates. That includes remotely operated monitoring, although bird deterrents must remain in place. "These are events that require contractors from outside of Alberta going up to the facilities, installing the equipment and maintaining the equipment," Foy said. Reclamation and wetland monitoring is also suspended, as are research requirements.
The Opposition New Democrats suggested the pandemic was being used as a cover for changes the industry has long sought. "This has nothing to do with COVID-19,” said environment critic Marlin Schmidt. “This is a sneaky and underhanded attempt by Jason Kenney and his UCP government to push their outdated and extreme ideological agenda forward under the shadow of a pandemic.” Foy denied that charge.


nationalobserver--2020-05-22--Making rent: Ontario landlord and tenant groups expect arrears to grow

Some landlords in Toronto whose tenants are struggling to make rent after losing their jobs due to COVID-19 are exerting undue pressure for payment , advocates say , including showing up at their residences with an eviction notice or a machine to take immediate payment .
For now , that ’ s about all they can do , since the Landlord and Tenant Board ( LTB ) that adjudicates on disputes between the parties has postponed eviction orders and proceedings , with only urgent matters being considered via telephone or in writing .
But with both tenant and landlord groups @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to fall into arrears in May , tenant advocates are warning of a wave of evictions once the moratorium is lifted .
“ It is going to be a terrifying bloodbath , ” warns Geordie Dent , the executive director of the Federation of Metro Tenants ' Associations .
He calculated that renters who fell into arrears in April may have created the justification for some 50,000 landlord applications to the board , compared to the roughly 4,000 it deals with in a typical month .
• Noam Chomsky on Trump , COVID-19 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ • Empty streets during COVID-19 show how we ’ ve been poisoning ourselves “ Everyone seems to think May will be worse , ” he added .
“ We do expect May to be worse , ” agreed Tony Irwin , the president of the Federation of Rental-Housing Providers of Ontario , noting that his member landlords had reported 10 per cent delinquency in April , a ten-fold increase from a typical one-per-cent rate .
“ People may have gone through savings and had no employment income in April to help them pay @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ And so while they do get government support , we ’ re concerned that in places like Toronto , where rent is higher than other places , that the support that people are receiving may not be enough.
” The impact of the pandemic and related shutdowns are being felt particularly acutely by younger people , most of whom are renters and are often employed in precarious or part-time work .
“ The rise of the gig economy , which is characterized by independent contractors and freelance workers , has always been @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Advocacy Centre for Tenants Ontario .
“ The pandemic is exposing that vulnerability.
” “ It is going to be a terrifying bloodbath , ” Geordie Dent , executive director of the Federation of Metro Tenants ' Associations on rent arrears .
She added that younger people are also more likely to be single , with single-person dwellings among the most unaffordable .
While monthly rental rates for a one-bedroom unit in Toronto did decline in May , the average asking price was still more than $ 2,100 , according to data @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the $ 2,000-a-month emergency payments the federal government has made available to people who have lost their jobs due to the pandemic .
Premier Doug Ford said in late April that he would ask the federal government to work with the province on a residential rent relief program , but none has so far been forthcoming .
Ottawa has , however , launched a rent relief program for small businesses and is encouraging commercial landlords to take part in it .
Irwin said that while the landlord group was focused on responding to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ also eyeing the LTB ’ s eventual return .
“ At some point down the road , we ’ re certainly going to be looking to the government to reopen the tribunal in some way , ” he said , with landlords in the meantime typically arranging for unpaid rent to be repaid over three to 12 months .
Tenant advocates are meanwhile calling for measures to ensure the crisis does not lead to a wave of evictions , which would allow landlords to then charge new tenants even higher rents .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a prohibition against eviction on the basis of late rent during the months of the crisis , there will be mass evictions , ” said Cole Webber , who works at Parkdale Community Legal Services .
Some 865,000 people across Canada have signed an online petition calling on the federal government to cancel residential rent and mortgage payments for the duration of the pandemic .
Melissa Jean-Baptiste , a staff lawyer at Kensington-Bellwoods Community Legal Services , said those falling into arrears are being threatened , but she is not seeing more legal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 190 , so if they ( landlords ) don ’ t think they will get a hearing anytime soon , they may be holding off , ” she said , adding landlords are still pushing tenants on notices to vacate that were posted before the pandemic .
A spokesperson for Tribunals Ontario , which oversees provincial tribunals including the LTB , has not responded to queries National Observer first posed on May 8 about whether it had seen a spike in applications from landlords whose tenants had fallen behind since the pandemic .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ paying $ 800 a month in rent-controlled housing that could bring in $ 2,500 in today ’ s market , and that she is advising them to pay whatever they can to put them in good stead if and when their landlord tries to move them out .
“ There are some landlords that are licking their lips and hoping people fall into arrears , ” she said .
“ If they can get them out , they don ’ t even have to go through the whole renoviction process , ” she @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s argument that major renovations require a tenant to move out , at which point , they can reset the rental price .
Benjamin Ries of Downtown Legal Services said he has been hearing a lot of complaints about landlord entry at rental properties during the pandemic .
While landlords have been advised not to do inspections or show properties now , he has had to tell worried tenants that if either side had provided notice to vacate prior to the pandemic , then regular provincial rules around access remain in place .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ from shutdowns .
Tenants have little recourse when landlords decide to continue with renovation and repair work , which would , in normal times , be done during business hours when most people are not in their residences .
“ It ’ s a head-scratcher why that ’ s continued , ” Ries said .
“ The government ’ s approach to keeping that going has made tenants prisoners.
” He said his clinic , which caters to both low-income renters and students , has heard from students being asked to pay rent @ @ @ @ @ @ @ or not getting their security deposit back even if the pandemic has forced them to move out or even leave the country , in the case of international students .
He ’ s been fielding a lot of questions about whether they can break their lease early or get a reduction in rent , he said , “ and the answer is usually no.
” Ries also wondered about how the ongoing effects of the pandemic will change housing for the next school year , which is likely to largely be conducted online @ @ @ @ @ @ @ don ’ t have to rent in Toronto , what does that mean for those that have already signed leases ?
”

Some landlords in Toronto whose tenants are struggling to make rent after losing their jobs due to COVID-19 are exerting undue pressure for payment, advocates say, including showing up at their residences with an eviction notice or a machine to take immediate payment. For now, that’s about all they can do, since the Landlord and Tenant Board (LTB) that adjudicates on disputes between the parties has postponed eviction orders and proceedings, with only urgent matters being considered via telephone or in writing. But with both tenant and landlord groups in Ontario bracing for even more renters to fall into arrears in May, tenant advocates are warning of a wave of evictions once the moratorium is lifted. “It is going to be a terrifying bloodbath,” warns Geordie Dent, the executive director of the Federation of Metro Tenants' Associations. He calculated that renters who fell into arrears in April may have created the justification for some 50,000 landlord applications to the board, compared to the roughly 4,000 it deals with in a typical month.
“Everyone seems to think May will be worse,” he added. “We do expect May to be worse,” agreed Tony Irwin, the president of the Federation of Rental-Housing Providers of Ontario, noting that his member landlords had reported 10 per cent delinquency in April, a ten-fold increase from a typical one-per-cent rate. Billion-dollar land deals in Ontario raise corruption suspicions “People may have gone through savings and had no employment income in April to help them pay May rent,” he said. “And so while they do get government support, we’re concerned that in places like Toronto, where rent is higher than other places, that the support that people are receiving may not be enough.”
Young people, gig economy vulnerabilities exposed The impact of the pandemic and related shutdowns are being felt particularly acutely by younger people, most of whom are renters and are often employed in precarious or part-time work. “It is going to be a terrifying bloodbath,” Geordie Dent, executive director of the Federation of Metro Tenants' Associations on rent arrears. “The rise of the gig economy, which is characterized by independent contractors and freelance workers, has always been problematic,” said Bahar Shadpour of the Advocacy Centre for Tenants Ontario. “The pandemic is exposing that vulnerability.” She added that younger people are also more likely to be single, with single-person dwellings among the most unaffordable. While monthly rental rates for a one-bedroom unit in Toronto did decline in May, the average asking price was still more than $2,100, according to data from rentals.ca.
That is more than the $2,000-a-month emergency payments the federal government has made available to people who have lost their jobs due to the pandemic. Premier Doug Ford said in late April that he would ask the federal government to work with the province on a residential rent relief program, but none has so far been forthcoming. Ottawa has, however, launched a rent relief program for small businesses and is encouraging commercial landlords to take part in it.


nationalobserver--2020-05-22--Loved ones in long-term care adrift in jurisdictional limboland

On May 12 , Prime Minister Justin Trudeau took another hard pass on solving the sorry state of long-term care facilities across the country , continuing to call the matter a provincial affair .
Meanwhile , the premiers of Ontario and Quebec — where most of the grievous long-term care COVID deaths and neglect have occurred — have simply not done enough to avert these tragedies .
Their public promises translate into uneven action on the ground .
The fact remains , over 80 per cent of COVID-19 deaths in this country have been linked to long-term care facilities ( @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the highest documented rate of its kind in the world .
We are four citizens with loved ones living in long-term-care in different parts of the country , and we share a painful awareness of the vulnerability of Canada ’ s LTC population due to chronic underfunding , poor infrastructure , understaffing and deregulation .
In early April , we came together , extremely worried for the lives of our loved ones , other residents and the workers in these facilities .
Within days , we launched a nationwide , citizen-led petition proposing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ measures to help avoid the disaster unfolding before our eyes .
Our urgent appeal has resonated right across the country and has now garnered 57,000-plus signatures from every province and territory .
Many signatories have included testimonials of how this system has failed them and their loved ones .
Prominent Canadians have signed and shared the petition , including Mary Walsh , Naomi Klein , Francine Pelletier , Sarah Polley , Eleanor Wachtel , Jesse Wente , André Bélisle and Margie Gillis .
Our petition calls for emergency funds and a national co-ordinated @ @ @ @ @ @ @ unfold in LTCs and centres d ’ hébergement et de soins de longue durées ( CHLSDs ) across Canada .
• Noam Chomsky on Trump , COVID-19 , climate change , and the economy • Empty streets during COVID-19 show how we ’ ve been poisoning ourselves Tolstoy lamented that every family is unhappy in its own way .
So , too , in Canada , where long-term care facilities are each dysfunctional in their own unique way , cast adrift in jurisdictional limboland .
Each province and territory has their own “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ legitimate reasons .
But the current free-for-all , as we are learning , has also been designed for the convenience of the profiteers who , for decades , have benefited from government subsidies and made billions on the backs of paying residents and underpaid workers .
For example , Revera , one of the larger corporations involved in seniors ’ care , is 100 per cent owned by a federal Crown corporation .
Two former Ontario premiers Mike Harris and Bill Davis , have personally profited from their roles on the boards of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , each region has its own public health approach .
Some better than others , especially in times of infection control .
Finally , each building has its own ownership and management structure : some are for-profit , some non-profit , many mixed private-public and some are municipally owned .
A mess .
Why such disparity ?
At whose advantage ?
There has been one common feature at many of these facilities , and that ’ s gross negligence .
Residents and staff have been denied basic consideration , dignity and protection .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ onslaught , our country ’ s resources went to protect hospitals , while long-term care facilities were excluded from critical planning .
LTCs are not , by current definition , considered hospitals .
They are “ in-community , ” according to policy in Ontario .
So since the beginning of this pandemic , if a resident became infected with COVID-19 , they were to just “ stay at home ” and self-isolate .
`` There has been one common feature at many of these long-term care facilities , and that ’ s gross @ @ @ @ @ @ @ denied basic consideration , dignity and protection . ''
Except an LTC resident couldn ’ t self-isolate with hundreds of other vulnerable co-residents alongside staff in often outdated , open wards plagued with decades of underfunding , understaffing , and regulatory neglect .
As universities cleared out their student residences en masse to avoid super spreads of the virus , LTCs were shut down , locked in and left to their own devices .
Gear , training , and protection were often categorically denied to dwindling LTC staff across the country .
Inside @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and basic gear were rationed as if they were $ 300,000 ventilators .
And shockingly , at all costs , COVID-19 patients were not to be transferred out of LTCs to hospital .
The firewall was up .
What happened next was a tragedy that was not inevitable .
Yet over 4,000 people have now died in LTCs .
A number have died abandoned and alone in utterly abject and horrifying circumstances .
COVID-19 has ravaged through these “ forgotten densities , ” aptly named by Jay Pitter , a leading urbanist .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ LTC were deemed vectors of transmissions and denied access .
The only advice we were given by some of our nation ’ s top geriatricians was to take family members out of long-term care if we could .
That was bad advice , because most of us realistically couldn ’ t do that .
The complex care involved in keeping our families and friends safe was the reason we had chosen long-term care , and now taking them home was too much , especially during a pandemic .
Betwixt and between , residents @ @ @ @ @ @ @ COVID-19 came in , some of these places went into complete system collapse : residents and staff got sick , management and staff stopped showing up .
People wasted away in their beds , calling for help for days before dying .
Workers , often low-income and immigrant , took the virus back to their families and their communities .
In some places , paramedics , and coroners went in to clean up , and even the military was called in — which , in normal times , would be considered an unacceptable @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has taken rapid , strong measures in long-term care , and have had very few deaths in the province as a result .
In Kingston , Ont.
, early regional public health intervention also kept the city ’ s LTCs safe .
In Windsor , the regional hospital is supporting LTCs through a field hospital for COVID-19 patients and protects the LTC buildings from further spread .
There is precedent to protect LTCs .
Why don ’ t we make it nationwide ?
Why hasn ’ t the federal government acted ?
It @ @ @ @ @ @ @ provinces and territories , but If they are not allowed to prepare , the same thing can happen .
There is no excuse for knowing what we know now .
The federal government has crossed every jurisdictional boundary to solve crises in almost every other sector .
Why not LTCs ?
Canada desperately needs a coherent strategy and emergency funds to address this national tragedy .
We need long-term national solutions to long-term care , bringing these liminal , forgotten densities back into the fold of the basic laws of our country , @ @ @ @ @ @

Kat Cizek, Helene Klodawsky, Michelle van Beusekom, Kitra Cahana

On May 12, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau took another hard pass on solving the sorry state of long-term care facilities across the country, continuing to call the matter a provincial affair. Meanwhile, the premiers of Ontario and Quebec — where most of the grievous long-term care COVID deaths and neglect have occurred — have simply not done enough to avert these tragedies. Their public promises translate into uneven action on the ground. The fact remains, over 80 per cent of COVID-19 deaths in this country have been linked to long-term care facilities (LTCs) and seniors’ homes, the highest documented rate of its kind in the world. We are four citizens with loved ones living in long-term-care in different parts of the country, and we share a painful awareness of the vulnerability of Canada’s LTC population due to chronic underfunding, poor infrastructure, understaffing and deregulation. In early April, we came together, extremely worried for the lives of our loved ones, other residents and the workers in these facilities. Within days, we launched a nationwide, citizen-led petition proposing to protect people in LTCs with concrete measures to help avoid the disaster unfolding before our eyes. Our urgent appeal has resonated right across the country and has now garnered 57,000-plus signatures from every province and territory. Many signatories have included testimonials of how this system has failed them and their loved ones. Prominent Canadians have signed and shared the petition, including Mary Walsh, Naomi Klein, Francine Pelletier, Sarah Polley, Eleanor Wachtel, Jesse Wente, André Bélisle and Margie Gillis. Our petition calls for emergency funds and a national co-ordinated strategy to address the tragedies continuing to unfold in LTCs and centres d’hébergement et de soins de longue durées (CHLSDs) across Canada.
Tolstoy lamented that every family is unhappy in its own way. So, too, in Canada, where long-term care facilities are each dysfunctional in their own unique way, cast adrift in jurisdictional limboland. Each province and territory has their own “way of doing things” for historically legitimate reasons. But the current free-for-all, as we are learning, has also been designed for the convenience of the profiteers who, for decades, have benefited from government subsidies and made billions on the backs of paying residents and underpaid workers. For example, Revera, one of the larger corporations involved in seniors’ care, is 100 per cent owned by a federal Crown corporation. Two former Ontario premiers Mike Harris and Bill Davis, have personally profited from their roles on the boards of private companies in this sector. Billion-dollar land deals in Ontario raise corruption suspicions Further, each region has its own public health approach. Some better than others, especially in times of infection control. Finally, each building has its own ownership and management structure: some are for-profit, some non-profit, many mixed private-public and some are municipally owned.
A mess. Why such disparity? At whose advantage? "There has been one common feature at many of these long-term care facilities, and that’s gross negligence. Residents and staff have been denied basic consideration, dignity and protection." There has been one common feature at many of these facilities, and that’s gross negligence. Residents and staff have been denied basic consideration, dignity and protection. As the nation prepared for the oncoming onslaught, our country’s resources went to protect hospitals, while long-term care facilities were excluded from critical planning. LTCs are not, by current definition, considered hospitals. They are “in-community,” according to policy in Ontario. So since the beginning of this pandemic, if a resident became infected with COVID-19, they were to just “stay at home” and self-isolate. Except an LTC resident couldn’t self-isolate with hundreds of other vulnerable co-residents alongside staff in often outdated, open wards plagued with decades of underfunding, understaffing, and regulatory neglect. As universities cleared out their student residences en masse to avoid super spreads of the virus, LTCs were shut down, locked in and left to their own devices. Gear, training, and protection were often categorically denied to dwindling LTC staff across the country. Inside, $5 masks, gloves, and basic gear were rationed as if they were $300,000 ventilators. And shockingly, at all costs, COVID-19 patients were not to be transferred out of LTCs to hospital. The firewall was up.
What happened next was a tragedy that was not inevitable. Yet over 4,000 people have now died in LTCs. A number have died abandoned and alone in utterly abject and horrifying circumstances. COVID-19 has ravaged through these “forgotten densities,” aptly named by Jay Pitter, a leading urbanist. Meanwhile, families with loved ones in LTC were deemed vectors of transmissions and denied access. The only advice we were given by some of our nation’s top geriatricians was to take family members out of long-term care if we could. That was bad advice, because most of us realistically couldn’t do that. The complex care involved in keeping our families and friends safe was the reason we had chosen long-term care, and now taking them home was too much, especially during a pandemic. Betwixt and between, residents and workers struggled to manage. As COVID-19 came in, some of these places went into complete system collapse: residents and staff got sick, management and staff stopped showing up. People wasted away in their beds, calling for help for days before dying. Workers, often low-income and immigrant, took the virus back to their families and their communities.


nationalobserver--2020-05-21--Movies to stream: Comedy (Military Wives and The Lovebirds) and history (how Chretien kept us out of

Movies to stream: Comedy (Military Wives and The Lovebirds) and history (how Chretien kept us out of Iraq)

MILITARY WIVES : Fans of British comedy will relish this one for the faceoff-cum-accommodation enacted by Kristin Scott Thomas and Sharon Horgan .
And anybody will appreciate what it shows about how women work together .
Or just as often , not work together .
It ’ s a weighty subtext to a film that at first glance looks like a very light charmer about a group of women who start a choir .
It is that , but in showing two leaders with completely different methods and the clashing that produces , it adds a thoughtful extra .
Thomas @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has one about how to organize a choir .
Horgan likes to jump into Cyndi Lauper and Human League tunes and have fun .
The story is close to real , based on a series of choirs that have sprung up on British military bases for the wives to fill their time while their husbands are away .
In Afghanistan , in this case .
They try knitting and other womanly hobbies and settle on singing , which goes badly at first , but then gets a deadline .
The not-yet-in-tune choir is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Albert Hall .
The two leaders have little time to get them singing right and annoy each other with their disparate methods .
Can they make up before the big concert ?
Come to think of it , will any of the women get bad news about their men ?
Will the best singer agree to a solo ?
Do you have to ask ?
The plot follows a familiar trajectory .
This one is much like , but milder , than The Full Monty , which the same director , Peter Cattaneo @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s a good companion piece and just as enjoyable .
( Video on demand . )
3½ out of 5 THE LOVEBIRDS : It makes little sense , but you ’ ll be entertained anyway , and that may be enough these days .
The fun is in the interplay between the two lovers ( Issa Rae and Kumail Nanjiani ) who four years after a one-night stand are still together , but bickering incessantly .
In one scene , he calls her “ shallow ” and she decries that he ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” They play out lively echoes of such exchanges at various times , but despite the title , that ’ s not even the film ’ s focus .
The real plot starts when they hit a cyclist with their car , are commandeered by a man claiming to be a cop , who then chases the cyclist and runs over him again and kills him .
Our lovers are sure to be accused of murder unless they can solve the case themselves .
Problem : They have no information to go on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and through a couple of strange costume changes , they do get there .
They break into an apartment where frat boys assemble photo packages for blackmail , are captured by a woman who offers a choice of tortures , and watch a sex-cult ceremony reminiscent of Eyes Wide Shut .
They have to fight to stay alive or , at the least , undetected .
It gets silly , but keeps you interested and the two leads are able to make the dialogue amusing , if not outright funny .
Nanjiani last @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Showalter , in The Big Sick .
Compared to that , this is lightweight stuff .
( New today on Netflix . )
2½ out of 5 HIGH WIRE : New this week among the documentaries the National Film Board is streaming for free is this potent history lesson that will make you proud again to be a Canadian .
It tells in detail how we avoided going to war 17 years ago when George Bush ( the younger ) decided to invade Iraq .
These days , we know how appalling a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , there were arguments about weapons of mass destruction and standing by a friend .
Jean Chretien cut through that with a 45-second announcement in Parliament : We won ’ t go .
The film by Claude Guilmain , his seventh for the NFB , gives all the background through new interviews with Chretien , two of his main advisers , and others .
Paul Heinbecker , who was our man at the United Nations at the time , gives a lot of inside information about how the Americans leaned on Canada to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ delegations there .
The film traces the U.S. 's adventures in the Middle East back to when they ousted the leader of Iran and installed the Shah and then through a succession of wars that they endorsed , participated in or allowed .
They got 9-11 in return and had to hit back somewhere .
Journalist Chantal Hébert says Quebecers saw it as just another “ Anglo-Saxon war ” that they wanted no part of .
Chretien points to the sheer incompetence of it , saying it led to ISIS and helped fire @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Strong stuff .
A must-see .
( https : //www.nfb.ca/ ) 4½ out of 5 THE PAINTER AND THE THIEF : Here ’ s the strangest movie of the week ( maybe much longer ) and the most inspiring .
To forgive is divine , they say .
Not often does it happen like this .
The fact that it ’ s true is all the more impressive .
It ’ s a documentary showing the real people involved in an incident and its aftermath and surely provoking the question : How did @ @ @ @ @ @ @ those scenes ?
Barbora Kysilkova , a Czech painter recently relocated to Norway , gets the distressing news that two of her pictures had been stolen from a gallery .
Director Benjamin Ree followed her for three years and shows in detail what she did about it .
Security footage identified one of the thieves , Karl Bertil-Nordland .
She approached him at his trial and to befriend him , offered to paint his portrait .
While doing so , she got to know him .
The film tells his story first and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he was raised by a father who was often away .
He became a junkie , spent several stretches in jail and can ’ t remember why he ( and an associate ) stole the paintings or what happened to them .
“ I was so wasted , ” he says .
But he was genuinely moved by the portrait she painted .
He actually whimpers saying that .
She tells him that she lived in Berlin , escaped a violent relationship and is on a quest to get her self-respect back .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ ?
You ’ ll be asking that as their friendship grows .
She ’ s attracted to “ something that is destructive , ” her boyfriend argues .
There ’ s more about their unlikely connection , in this fascinating and absorbing film .
Also , eventually , a recognition that some crimes are simply banal and without purpose .
( Available now on video on demand platforms . )
4 out of 5 THE TRIP TO GREECE : Rob Brydon and Steve Coogan have taken four of these trips for British television @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sights of Yorkshire and then the continent and mostly one-upping each other doing impressions .
They say this is to be the last , and while it ’ s been fun , and still is , I can see they ’ re running out of material .
We ’ ve heard them do Michael Caine , Sean Connery and Mick Jagger before , and they ’ re mostly just repeating .
There are tasty bits , though , like Brydon ’ s enthusiastic and mock praise for a rather dull story Coogan tells @ @ @ @ @ @ @ genial competition between the two , and it works again .
They ’ re in Turkey and then Greece this time , following the route that Odysseus took on his way home from the Trojan War .
So , of course , we get banter and mild showing off of historical and cultural knowledge mixed in with observations about Midnight Cowboy and Godzilla .
Oddly , though , not as much as I would have expected of actually taking in the local sights along the way .
They ’ re self-contained , involved @ @ @ @ @ @ @ way or communications with their family .
There ’ s a poignant ending this time ; Coogan hears that his father has died .
Director Michael Winterbottom justifies including that even though it happened the year before .
Inappropriate ?
It does remind me that the two men are essentially playing fictional versions of themselves .
A strange realization with which to end this agreeable series .
( Available now “ across all digital and on-demand platforms.
” ) 3 out of 5 LUCKY GRANDMA : An almost mythological depiction of an old @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this small film .
That , plus the engaging performance by the veteran actor playing the lead .
Tsai Chin is best known for playing the auntie in The Joy Luck Club , but her resume is long .
She was even a Bond girl in a 1967 film .
Here she ’ s a cranky grandmother in New York who , alerted by a fortune teller to “ a momentous change , ” joins a bus tour to a casino where she wins big and then loses just as big .
On @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a bag of money abandoned by a man who dies of a sudden heart attack , and “ momentous ” turns into dangerous .
The money belongs to a Chinese gang ; they want it back and two thugs threaten her .
She goes to a rival gang to hire a bodyguard and gets a simple giant named Big Pong .
The contrast in their height is enough to spin comedy .
His mild nature compared to her ornery side adds to it .
Familiar Chinatown elements provide the flavour : curio shops @ @ @ @ @ @ @ leader ( “ it ’ s bad luck to cross her ” ) , talk of feng shui and traditional medicine .
The plot is thin and breezy , like in some of the films that come now and then from China .
Sasie Sealy , the director and co-writer , grew up with those films and tried to match their ambience .
She ’ s succeeded .
( Streaming at https : //viff.org ) 3½ out of 5 SCOOB !
: Huckleberry Hound and Yogi Bear came earlier , but Scooby-Doo has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ week in his new movie was apparently a success , though I haven ’ t seen any actual numbers .
I suspect , though , a lot of parents who watched him years ago showed him to their kids .
He ’ s good , safe entertainment in a lockdown even with some significant changes .
Number one : How the dog and his human friends came together and formed their Mystery Inc. Shaggy ( voiced by Will Forte ) befriends a stray dog , names him after a package of snacks and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ( Zac Efron ) , smart Velma ( Gina Rodriguez ) and bold Daphne ( Amanda Seyfried ) .
Later , with help from Simon Cowell ( yes , him ) they go pro as supernatural investigators .
They usually expose the ghostly as something evil , but human .
That ’ s the standard plot in the TV series ; here , they have to fight a super villain intent on harming the world ( just like in all those superhero movies ) .
It changes the mood immensely and other Hanna-Barbera @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Blue Falcon and Captain Caveman , all voiced by known actors .
Looks like franchise universe-building to me .
Luckily , the film survives .
It ’ s mid-level , but watchable for nostalgia buffs and with the kids .
( Available on VOD platforms like Cineplex.com . )
3 out of 5

Another studio has its movies streaming. Paramount is the latest this week with Body Cam, starring Mary J. Blige and Nat Wolff, and with The Lovebirds (see below). Some big older titles are now up, too, like Joker and Rocketman, as well as this rich selection of smaller new films.
THE LOVEBIRDS : It makes little sense, but you’ll be entertained anyway, and that may be enough these days. The fun is in the interplay between the two lovers (Issa Rae and Kumail Nanjiani) who four years after a one-night stand are still together, but bickering incessantly. In one scene, he calls her “shallow” and she decries that he’s “satisfied with being a failure.” They play out lively echoes of such exchanges at various times, but despite the title, that’s not even the film’s focus. The real plot starts when they hit a cyclist with their car, are commandeered by a man claiming to be a cop, who then chases the cyclist and runs over him again and kills him. Our lovers are sure to be accused of murder unless they can solve the case themselves. Problem: They have no information to go on.
The story is close to real, based on a series of choirs that have sprung up on British military bases for the wives to fill their time while their husbands are away. In Afghanistan, in this case. They try knitting and other womanly hobbies and settle on singing, which goes badly at first, but then gets a deadline. The not-yet-in-tune choir is booked for a Remembrance ceremony at Royal Albert Hall. The two leaders have little time to get them singing right and annoy each other with their disparate methods. Can they make up before the big concert? Come to think of it, will any of the women get bad news about their men? Will the best singer agree to a solo? Do you have to ask? The plot follows a familiar trajectory. This one is much like, but milder, than The Full Monty, which the same director, Peter Cattaneo, made 20-plus years ago. It’s a good companion piece and just as enjoyable. (Video on demand.) 3½ out of 5
MILITARY WIVES : Fans of British comedy will relish this one for the faceoff-cum-accommodation enacted by Kristin Scott Thomas and Sharon Horgan. And anybody will appreciate what it shows about how women work together. Or just as often, not work together. It’s a weighty subtext to a film that at first glance looks like a very light charmer about a group of women who start a choir. It is that, but in showing two leaders with completely different methods and the clashing that produces, it adds a thoughtful extra. Thomas is by the book; she even has one about how to organize a choir. Horgan likes to jump into Cyndi Lauper and Human League tunes and have fun.
HIGH WIRE : New this week among the documentaries the National Film Board is streaming for free is this potent history lesson that will make you proud again to be a Canadian. It tells in detail how we avoided going to war 17 years ago when George Bush (the younger) decided to invade Iraq. These days, we know how appalling a move that was, but back then, there were arguments about weapons of mass destruction and standing by a friend. Jean Chretien cut through that with a 45-second announcement in Parliament: We won’t go. The film by Claude Guilmain, his seventh for the NFB, gives all the background through new interviews with Chretien, two of his main advisers, and others.
As improbable as that sounds, and through a couple of strange costume changes, they do get there. They break into an apartment where frat boys assemble photo packages for blackmail, are captured by a woman who offers a choice of tortures, and watch a sex-cult ceremony reminiscent of Eyes Wide Shut. They have to fight to stay alive or, at the least, undetected. It gets silly, but keeps you interested and the two leads are able to make the dialogue amusing, if not outright funny. Nanjiani last worked with the same director, Michael Showalter, in The Big Sick. Compared to that, this is lightweight stuff. (New today on Netflix.) 2½ out of 5
Paul Heinbecker, who was our man at the United Nations at the time, gives a lot of inside information about how the Americans leaned on Canada to join in and tried to manipulate other delegations there. The film traces the U.S.'s adventures in the Middle East back to when they ousted the leader of Iran and installed the Shah and then through a succession of wars that they endorsed, participated in or allowed. They got 9-11 in return and had to hit back somewhere. Journalist Chantal Hébert says Quebecers saw it as just another “Anglo-Saxon war” that they wanted no part of. Chretien points to the sheer incompetence of it, saying it led to ISIS and helped fire up the civil war in Syria. Strong stuff. A must-see. (https://www.nfb.ca/ ) 4½ out of 5
THE PAINTER AND THE THIEF: Here’s the strangest movie of the week (maybe much longer) and the most inspiring. To forgive is divine, they say. Not often does it happen like this. The fact that it’s true is all the more impressive. It’s a documentary showing the real people involved in an incident and its aftermath and surely provoking the question: How did they have the camera there for all those scenes?
Courtesy Elevation Pictures
Barbora Kysilkova, a Czech painter recently relocated to Norway, gets the distressing news that two of her pictures had been stolen from a gallery. Director Benjamin Ree followed her for three years and shows in detail what she did about it. Security footage identified one of the thieves, Karl Bertil-Nordland. She approached him at his trial and to befriend him, offered to paint his portrait. While doing so, she got to know him. The film tells his story first and then hers.
His parents divorced and he was raised by a father who was often away. He became a junkie, spent several stretches in jail and can’t remember why he (and an associate) stole the paintings or what happened to them. “I was so wasted,” he says. But he was genuinely moved by the portrait she painted. He actually whimpers saying that. She tells him that she lived in Berlin, escaped a violent relationship and is on a quest to get her self-respect back. What could these two have in common? You’ll be asking that as their friendship grows. She’s attracted to “something that is destructive,” her boyfriend argues. There’s more about their unlikely connection, in this fascinating and absorbing film. Also, eventually, a recognition that some crimes are simply banal and without purpose. (Available now on video on demand platforms.) 4 out of 5
THE TRIP TO GREECE: Rob Brydon and Steve Coogan have taken four of these trips for British television, sampling the dining fare and local sights of Yorkshire and then the continent and mostly one-upping each other doing impressions. They say this is to be the last, and while it’s been fun, and still is, I can see they’re running out of material. We’ve heard them do Michael Caine, Sean Connery and Mick Jagger before, and they’re mostly just repeating. There are tasty bits, though, like Brydon’s enthusiastic and mock praise for a rather dull story Coogan tells. The series has always featured a genial competition between the two, and it works again.
Courtesy Elevation Pictures
They’re in Turkey and then Greece this time, following the route that Odysseus took on his way home from the Trojan War. So, of course, we get banter and mild showing off of historical and cultural knowledge mixed in with observations about Midnight Cowboy and Godzilla. Oddly, though, not as much as I would have expected of actually taking in the local sights along the way. They’re self-contained, involved with the meals they eat along the way or communications with their family. There’s a poignant ending this time; Coogan hears that his father has died. Director Michael Winterbottom justifies including that even though it happened the year before. Inappropriate? It does remind me that the two men are essentially playing fictional versions of themselves. A strange realization with which to end this agreeable series. (Available now “across all digital and on-demand platforms.”) 3 out of 5
LUCKY GRANDMA: An almost mythological depiction of an old Chinatown is what will draw you to this small film. That, plus the engaging performance by the veteran actor playing the lead. Tsai Chin is best known for playing the auntie in The Joy Luck Club, but her resume is long. She was even a Bond girl in a 1967 film. Here she’s a cranky grandmother in New York who, alerted by a fortune teller to “a momentous change,” joins a bus tour to a casino where she wins big and then loses just as big.
Courtesy rogersandcowanpmk
On the ride home, she picks up a bag of money abandoned by a man who dies of a sudden heart attack, and “momentous” turns into dangerous. The money belongs to a Chinese gang; they want it back and two thugs threaten her. She goes to a rival gang to hire a bodyguard and gets a simple giant named Big Pong. The contrast in their height is enough to spin comedy. His mild nature compared to her ornery side adds to it. Familiar Chinatown elements provide the flavour: curio shops, restaurant kitchens, a dragonlady gang leader (“it’s bad luck to cross her”), talk of feng shui and traditional medicine. The plot is thin and breezy, like in some of the films that come now and then from China. Sasie Sealy, the director and co-writer, grew up with those films and tried to match their ambience. She’s succeeded. (Streaming at https://viff.org ) 3½ out of 5
SCOOB!: Huckleberry Hound and Yogi Bear came earlier, but Scooby-Doo has lasted longer. His streaming debut last week in his new movie was apparently a success, though I haven’t seen any actual numbers. I suspect, though, a lot of parents who watched him years ago showed him to their kids. He’s good, safe entertainment in a lockdown even with some significant changes.
Courtesy Warner Brothers
Number one: How the dog and his human friends came together and formed their Mystery Inc. Shaggy (voiced by Will Forte) befriends a stray dog, names him after a package of snacks and later meets future pals: self-assured Fred (Zac Efron), smart Velma (Gina Rodriguez) and bold Daphne (Amanda Seyfried). Later, with help from Simon Cowell (yes, him) they go pro as supernatural investigators. They usually expose the ghostly as something evil, but human. That’s the standard plot in the TV series; here, they have to fight a super villain intent on harming the world (just like in all those superhero movies). It changes the mood immensely and other Hanna-Barbera characters show up, including Dynomutt, Blue Falcon and Captain Caveman, all voiced by known actors. Looks like franchise universe-building to me. Luckily, the film survives. It’s mid-level, but watchable for nostalgia buffs and with the kids. (Available on VOD platforms like Cineplex.com.) 3 out of 5


nationalobserver--2020-05-22--Ontario sees spike in COVID-19 cases, testing lags again

In Ontario , the number of new COVID-19 cases is steadily rising again .
Friday marked the third day in a row that new case numbers increased .
With 441 reported , it ’ s the largest jump in a single day since May 8 .
What we ’ re seeing is a “ little surge , ” Dr. David Williams , the province ’ s chief medical officer of health , said on Friday .
How does that bode for a province that just started its reopening process on Tuesday ?
( It takes between 10 days and two @ @ @ @ @ @ @ so this week ’ s numbers aren ’ t linked to reopening . )
“ It ’ s concerning , ” Premier Doug Ford said .
“ These are things you ’ re up all night thinking about.
” • Noam Chomsky on Trump , COVID-19 , climate change , and the economy • High schoolers across Canada get ready for a virtual prom Meanwhile , Ontario ’ s testing program — a crucial part of any government ’ s ability to know where COVID-19 cases are and plan its response — is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ one of the requirements laid out in Ontario ’ s reopen plan , as was a consistent decline in case numbers .
If those don ’ t happen , the plan says , more restrictions may need to be put in place to limit the spread of the virus .
“ I won ’ t hesitate to do that if the numbers continue to go up , ” Ford said on Thursday .
Ontario ’ s testing woes date back to mid-March , when the province left patients waiting days and weeks to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ higher benchmarks for testing and failed to meet them in the months since .
Officials have pointed to difficulties in getting testing materials , and delays in processing tests over the weekend , but other provinces have outperformed Ontario for months .
The province ’ s last goal was 16,000 tests per day , a benchmark the province briefly hit and even surpassed earlier this month , but now hasn ’ t met for four days in a row .
Ford has said he wants to hit 20,000 .
In the meantime , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ testing and said the province will roll out another new testing plan next week , though he didn ’ t give a specific date .
The premier said he wants the province to do another round of testing on health-care workers and at long-term-care homes .
What 's behind this week 's small surge in COVID-19 cases in Ontario ?
Premier Doug Ford has said if cases do n't begin to decline again soon , he may have to reintroduce restrictions .
# onpoli He also said he wants to roll out testing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ noted : meat-processing workers , manufacturing workers , auto workers , truck drivers , taxi and Uber drivers and child-care workers .
“ I ’ m frustrated , but I have confidence in the team , ” Ford said of the Ontario public health officials tackling the issue .
“ I ’ ll be like an 800-pound gorilla on their backs.
” On Friday , Ford said he would record a robocall to convince people with symptoms to go get tested if he had to .
“ We are doing advertising campaigns , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ll see that roll out in these hot areas.
” On Friday , Williams said he isn ’ t sure what ’ s causing this week ’ s increase in new COVID-19 cases .
Health officials and epidemiologists say a rise in new cases is to be expected whenever restrictions are lifted , but in this case , it ’ s too soon for anything to be linked to Tuesday ’ s reopen .
Many of the new cases are still coming from long-term care , which has driven Ontario ’ s COVID-19 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are in Windsor , where essential cross-border traffic flows to the United States , and the populous Greater Toronto Area .
Williams said it ’ s not clear if the bump might be linked to Mother ’ s Day , when some Ontarians — the premier included — bent COVID-19 health guidelines to see family members .
( Ford had his daughters over to visit , against public health advice . )
Local health officials are still tracing many new cases .
But Williams said warming weather might have been a factor .

In Ontario, the number of new COVID-19 cases is steadily rising again. Friday marked the third day in a row that new case numbers increased. With 441 reported, it’s the largest jump in a single day since May 8. What we’re seeing is a “little surge,” Dr. David Williams, the province’s chief medical officer of health, said on Friday. How does that bode for a province that just started its reopening process on Tuesday? (It takes between 10 days and two weeks for new cases to appear, so this week’s numbers aren’t linked to reopening.) “It’s concerning,” Premier Doug Ford said. “These are things you’re up all night thinking about.”
Meanwhile, Ontario’s testing program — a crucial part of any government’s ability to know where COVID-19 cases are and plan its response — is falling behind again. Robust testing was one of the requirements laid out in Ontario’s reopen plan, as was a consistent decline in case numbers. If those don’t happen, the plan says, more restrictions may need to be put in place to limit the spread of the virus. Billion-dollar land deals in Ontario raise corruption suspicions “I won’t hesitate to do that if the numbers continue to go up,” Ford said on Thursday.
Ontario’s testing woes date back to mid-March, when the province left patients waiting days and weeks to get results. The government has set higher benchmarks for testing and failed to meet them in the months since. Officials have pointed to difficulties in getting testing materials, and delays in processing tests over the weekend, but other provinces have outperformed Ontario for months. What's behind this week's small surge in COVID-19 cases in Ontario? Premier Doug Ford has said if cases don't begin to decline again soon, he may have to reintroduce restrictions. #onpoli The province’s last goal was 16,000 tests per day, a benchmark the province briefly hit and even surpassed earlier this month, but now hasn’t met for four days in a row. Ford has said he wants to hit 20,000. In the meantime, Ford pledged to push harder for more testing and said the province will roll out another new testing plan next week, though he didn’t give a specific date. The premier said he wants the province to do another round of testing on health-care workers and at long-term-care homes. He also said he wants to roll out testing of certain groups where outbreaks have been noted: meat-processing workers, manufacturing workers, auto workers, truck drivers, taxi and Uber drivers and child-care workers. “I’m frustrated, but I have confidence in the team,” Ford said of the Ontario public health officials tackling the issue. “I’ll be like an 800-pound gorilla on their backs.”
On Friday, Ford said he would record a robocall to convince people with symptoms to go get tested if he had to. “We are doing advertising campaigns,” he added. “You’ll see that roll out in these hot areas.”


nationalobserver--2020-05-22--Ontario high school union wants say in government’s reopening plan

The head of Ontario ’ s biggest secondary school union is demanding a seat at the table as the Ford government gives itself a six-week deadline to work out how to reopen classes for the upcoming school year .
Harvey Bischof , president of the Ontario Secondary School Teachers ' Federation ( OSSTF ) , said that without his union ’ s input , the government faces “ a much larger risk of false starts and missteps.
” Education Minister Stephen Lecce said Tuesday that the government would have to “ reimagine education ” to account for public health guidance @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to the COVID-19 pandemic .
But Bischof said that reimagining has so far not included a renewed engagement with the OSSTF , which represents some 60,000 teachers and other educational staff in the province .
“ We haven ’ t heard from government whatsoever what their intentions are with regard to kids actually returning to school , ” he said in an interview .
• Noam Chomsky on Trump , COVID-19 , climate change , and the economy • High schoolers across Canada get ready for a virtual prom “ We are gravely @ @ @ @ @ @ @ putting plans in place without consulting us or not consult until it 's functionally too late to affect the outcome.
” On the same day that the government announced schools would not reopen in this academic year , the education ministry issued a framework document ( PDF ) warning some schools may need to open and close during the next school year to protect students and that school boards and educators would be expected to move fluently between in-person and online delivery .
The union ’ s members and Ontario ’ s school @ @ @ @ @ @ @ collective agreement , drawing a line under a rancorous dispute with the provincial government over class sizes , mandatory e-learning and other issues that had led to intermittent strike action in the months before the pandemic .
The details of the government 's plan unveiled so far include an allowance for students in grades 9 to 12 to get a full course credit with half the typically required number of hours and a doubling of funding for summer programming .
The government ’ s framework document also invites interested parties to submit their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Asked if he thinks the government 's response to the pandemic should include a boost to educational funding , Bischof said he did n't want to exploit the crisis , but that “ children returning to school are going to need more support , not less , after having experienced the disruption of this crisis.
” The head of @ osstf , @ HarveyBischof , says @ fordnation and his education minister @ Sflecce must consult the union as it plans to re-open Ontario schools in September A source in Lecce ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the minister had spoken with the heads of Ontario ’ s education unions multiple times since the outbreak .
But Bischof said he had not spoken with Lecce since two conversations in late March .
“ We had no heads up about his memo to school boards regarding synchronous learning , ” he said .
“ We had no heads up about the most recent extension of closure and the summer learning program .
So far , there has been no consultation on how school reopening will be implemented .
”

The head of Ontario’s biggest secondary school union is demanding a seat at the table as the Ford government gives itself a six-week deadline to work out how to reopen classes for the upcoming school year. Harvey Bischof, president of the Ontario Secondary School Teachers' Federation (OSSTF), said that without his union’s input, the government faces “a much larger risk of false starts and missteps.” Education Minister Stephen Lecce said Tuesday that the government would have to “reimagine education” to account for public health guidance on physical distancing and other complications related to the COVID-19 pandemic. But Bischof said that reimagining has so far not included a renewed engagement with the OSSTF, which represents some 60,000 teachers and other educational staff in the province. “We haven’t heard from government whatsoever what their intentions are with regard to kids actually returning to school,” he said in an interview.
“We are gravely concerned that they're going to begin putting plans in place without consulting us or not consult until it's functionally too late to affect the outcome.” On the same day that the government announced schools would not reopen in this academic year, the education ministry issued a framework document (PDF) warning some schools may need to open and close during the next school year to protect students and that school boards and educators would be expected to move fluently between in-person and online delivery. Billion-dollar land deals in Ontario raise corruption suspicions The union’s members and Ontario’s school boards have both now ratified a new collective agreement, drawing a line under a rancorous dispute with the provincial government over class sizes, mandatory e-learning and other issues that had led to intermittent strike action in the months before the pandemic.
The details of the government's plan unveiled so far include an allowance for students in grades 9 to 12 to get a full course credit with half the typically required number of hours and a doubling of funding for summer programming. The head of @osstf, @HarveyBischof, says @fordnation and his education minister @Sflecce must consult the union as it plans to re-open Ontario schools in September The government’s framework document also invites interested parties to submit their ideas on the reopening via email. Asked if he thinks the government's response to the pandemic should include a boost to educational funding, Bischof said he didn't want to exploit the crisis, but that “children returning to school are going to need more support, not less, after having experienced the disruption of this crisis.” A source in Lecce’s office said in response to queries that the minister had spoken with the heads of Ontario’s education unions multiple times since the outbreak. But Bischof said he had not spoken with Lecce since two conversations in late March.


nationalobserver--2020-05-22--Quadra Island’s May Day metamorphosis

Quadra Island’s May Day metamorphosis

Quadra Island ’ s May Day is the community ’ s longest-standing annual celebration , boasting more than a century of tradition .
The popular island event has waxed , waned and evolved , subject to time and history , but perhaps never more so than this year .
This spring , the community gathering is undergoing a metamorphosis shaped by the COVID-19 crisis .
May Day typically involves a themed costume parade with children , families and community groups packed into cars and floats that snake along a gravel road flanked by spectators before arriving at Rebecca Spit Marine @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Day parades see the May Day queen leading themed floats , fire trucks , Legion members and bagpipers to Rebecca Spit Marine Provincial Park for speeches , games and races and a community picnic .
Photo : Don Mottershead There , the crowd gathers on a field by the sea to listen to the May Day queen ’ s speech and watch the school kids dance around the May pole before participating in races , a greased-pig competition and a large community picnic .
• Noam Chomsky on Trump , COVID-19 , climate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ schoolers across Canada get ready for a virtual prom But now , the event has to adhere to the pandemic ’ s physical-distancing protocols and adapt , said Rebecca Young , executive director of the Quadra Island Community Centre .
The May Day selection committee chose “ metamorphosis ” as the theme this year , as it seemed especially appropriate , Young said .
“ We don ’ t know exactly how things are going to look in the world , but it ’ s about how we can change that uncertainty into @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of this year 's May Day is “ metamorphosis , ” reflecting the changes the event must make to adhere to COVID-19 's physical-distancing protocols .
Photo : QCC May Day has always been a community- and volunteer-driven event , Young said .
“ The trimmings are different , but the recipe for the cake is still pretty much the same , '' Quadra Island historian Jeanette Taylor , commenting on the evolution of the island 's historic annual May Day celebration over time and due to COVID-19 .
“ But it ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ because it ’ s hard to gauge how involved people will be , given that we can ’ t join together , which is really what May Day is all about.
” Organizers are encouraging Quadra residents to celebrate May Day in place on Saturday , by dressing up , decorating homes and driveways or having picnics outside with their families .
People are encouraged to compete for prizes and post their photos to the QCC Facebook page .
Although the parade and crowd events fell victim to COVID-19 , some longtime traditions @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Maese Shea is nominated as the 2020 May Day queen along with princesses Fortune Dennison and Mariah Newell .
Shea , 12 , said she ’ s always loved May Day and doesn ’ t remember a time she didn ’ t attend .
“ It ’ s an important event to me , like a holiday , ” Shea said .
“ It brings family and friends together and people you might not see that much .
… It ’ s a very special day , I feel.
” The selection committee @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on the strength of her submission to the speech competition .
This year , instead of publicly presenting speeches , contestants were asked to submit videos to be judged virtually .
In her speech , Shea noted that while May Day has transformed during its 123-year history , the community spirit remains .
Shea will spend May Day with family and friends in her quarantine bubble , but she ’ s looking forward to next year , when she can climb the stage at the event .
“ I ’ m a bit @ @ @ @ @ @ @ year , we ’ ll be able to do May Day again , ” she said .
Heather van der Est has attended May Day for 50 years .
“ I love it .
...
It ’ s just part of Quadra ’ s history .
I love watching the world ’ s shortest parade and the community involvement of it all , ” van der Est said .
She remembers when the May Day queen was elected at grade school by ballot , and girls who wanted the role would pressure their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the community celebrated the event ’ s centennial in 1998 , van der Est set out to identify and locate any past queens still alive and invite them to the event .
She successfully arranged the reunion of approximately 50 former queens , who ranged in age from 13 to their late 80s .
“ It was a huge achievement , ” van der Est said .
“ We had a reunion the day before May Day and many of the queens participated in the parade the next day.
” Quadra resident Heather @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as many as 50 former May Day queens for May Day 's centennial celebration in 1998 .
Photo : Heather van der Est She accumulated so much information during the organizing process that she eventually compiled a book of archival data on May Day ’ s history , which is available at the public library and local museums .
Quadra ’ s May Day origins began with the celebration of Queen Victoria ’ s Diamond Jubilee in 1897 .
Early celebrations saw pioneering families arrive by boat or horse for a picnic and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Quadra historian and author Jeanette Taylor said .
The day would come to a close with those assembled singing “ God Save the Queen.
” During the First World War , the English tradition of crowning a May Day queen was encouraged by authorities to fuel patriotic sentiment , Taylor said .
A popular event at early May Days was the greased-pig contest that saw the winner capture and keep his prize .
Photo : Heather van der Est/ Campbell River Museum Over time , however , the focus became less about ties @ @ @ @ @ @ @ coming together again to celebrate the start of summer .
Large community dances were a huge part of May Day , usually taking place at Quadra ’ s historic Heriot Bay Inn , she added .
“ Dances used to happen all the time on this island , and they were fantastic , ” said Taylor , who remembers attending the parties into the ’ 80s .
“ The May ( Day ) queen would come in a great parade and open the dance … and typically , dances went all night because @ @ @ @ @ @ @ away to get home.
” “ We still had the dances when I was around , but they just got too wild and they eventually got nixed , ” she said .
Family dances without alcohol were organized as an alternative , but eventually , the tradition faded away , she said .
The development of themes and costumes for May Day and the parade came about in the ’ 70s and ’ 80s , as younger islanders took over organizing the event from the older generations , Taylor said .
So rather @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the parade wear elaborate costumes based on themes such as “ wild , ” “ love ” or “ Hollywood ’ s silver screen.
” Over time , May Day saw residents shift from wearing their Sunday best to costumes reflecting the event 's annual theme .
Photo : QCC But although May Day has evolved from its traditional origins , the core of the celebration remains unchanged , Taylor said .
It ’ s still celebrates community and the bonds of family , friends and neighbours , she said .
“ The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for the cake is still pretty much the same .
”

Quadra Island’s May Day is the community’s longest-standing annual celebration, boasting more than a century of tradition. The popular island event has waxed, waned and evolved, subject to time and history, but perhaps never more so than this year. This spring, the community gathering is undergoing a metamorphosis shaped by the COVID-19 crisis. May Day typically involves a themed costume parade with children, families and community groups packed into cars and floats that snake along a gravel road flanked by spectators before arriving at Rebecca Spit Marine Provincial Park. Quadra Island's May Day parades see the May Day queen leading themed floats, fire trucks, Legion members and bagpipers to Rebecca Spit Marine Provincial Park for speeches, games and races and a community picnic. Photo: Don Mottershead
There, the crowd gathers on a field by the sea to listen to the May Day queen’s speech and watch the school kids dance around the May pole before participating in races, a greased-pig competition and a large community picnic. But now, the event has to adhere to the pandemic’s physical-distancing protocols and adapt, said Rebecca Young, executive director of the Quadra Island Community Centre. Billion-dollar land deals in Ontario raise corruption suspicions The May Day selection committee chose “metamorphosis” as the theme this year, as it seemed especially appropriate, Young said.
“We don’t know exactly how things are going to look in the world, but it’s about how we can change that uncertainty into something beautiful and positive.” “The trimmings are different, but the recipe for the cake is still pretty much the same," Quadra Island historian Jeanette Taylor, commenting on the evolution of the island's historic annual May Day celebration over time and due to COVID-19. The theme of this year's May Day is “metamorphosis,” reflecting the changes the event must make to adhere to COVID-19's physical-distancing protocols. Photo: QCC May Day has always been a community- and volunteer-driven event, Young said. “But it’s a bit weird this year, because it’s hard to gauge how involved people will be, given that we can’t join together, which is really what May Day is all about.” Organizers are encouraging Quadra residents to celebrate May Day in place on Saturday, by dressing up, decorating homes and driveways or having picnics outside with their families.
People are encouraged to compete for prizes and post their photos to the QCC Facebook page. Although the parade and crowd events fell victim to COVID-19, some longtime traditions are being preserved, Young said. Maese Shea is nominated as the 2020 May Day queen along with princesses Fortune Dennison and Mariah Newell.


nationalobserver--2020-05-22--Airports say they are mostly shut out from new loan program

Most Canadian airports can ’ t access the federal government ’ s new large business loan program , and the ones that can have little use for it , says the industry group representing them .
The Vancouver Airport Authority , one of only four airports that does qualify , according to the Canadian Airports Council , wo n't be taking advantage of the program `` at this time , '' it confirmed to National Observer .
Finance Minister Bill Morneau , his department and a Crown corporation all said on Wednesday that airports could benefit from the new Large @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
However the council has also said that another Trudeau government COVID-19 relief package , the Canada Emergency Wage Subsidy , has allowed many airports to avoid some layoffs they might have otherwise had to make .
Just four out of 53 airports eligible The airports council told National Observer on Thursday that out of 53 member airports , only four are actually eligible for the LEEFF , the federal government ’ s latest COVID-19 financing program that is meant to aid large Canadian employers with big economic footprints .
• Noam Chomsky @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and the economy • High schoolers across Canada get ready for a virtual prom Airports in Vancouver , Calgary , Toronto and Montreal are the only ones that , pre-COVID-19 , had cleared the government ’ s threshold of $ 300 million in annual revenues for accessing the program .
Those airports already have access to credit on favourable terms , argued council president Daniel-Robert Gooch , so a loan of last resort such as the LEEFF “ is of no assistance ” to them .
“ Access to credit today is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ airports , ” said Gooch .
“ It 's the dramatic drop in passenger-based revenue , which is not going to recover anytime soon.
” Airline passenger traffic plummeted by 90 per cent in April and revenue losses are estimated at over $ 2 billion , the council told a Commons committee this month .
Morneau said the LEEFF would be “ available to organizations , including organizations like airports , that have extreme challenges.
” Finance Canada and the Canada Development Investment Corporation also singled out airports as possible candidates for the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ t access the federal government ’ s new large business loan program , and the ones that do have little use for it , says the industry group representing them .
Morneau 's office acknowledged it had received questions related to the council 's comments but could not immediately respond Thursday before publication .
An airplane at Vancouver International Airport .
VIA Facebook photo Vancouver airport does not 'require LEEFF at this time ' Transport Canada owns the 23 airports in the National Airport System , and leases them to non-profit entities @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the airport authorities in Victoria , Vancouver and Prince George .
A fourth airport in Kelowna is leased to the city itself .
Transport Canada also owns small airports in Penticton , Port Hardy , Sandspit and Victoria Harbour .
`` As one of the world 's only AA credit-rated airports , we have sufficient access to credit at a lower interest rate and with more favourable terms and do not require the Large Employer Emergency Financing Facility at this time , '' said the Vancouver Airport Authority .
`` Our efforts are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ levels in a safe and efficient manner to ensure we get back to generating revenue , supporting local businesses and the region . ''
The Vancouver airport recently issued layoff notices as a result of the pandemic-induced slowdown in air travel .
A spokesperson for the Victoria airport confirmed their annual revenues would not meet the criteria for LEEFF .
The federal government is waiving rent payments for the 21 airport authorities within the National Airports System until December .
But Gooch said rent-paying airports need ground rent to be waived much longer @ @ @ @ @ @ @ five years.
” Airports ’ biggest concern is covering the cost of operations on little to no revenue , said Gooch .
It threatens their ability to maintain infrastructure while adapting to new health and safety requirements , he said .
In this environment , the “ greatest help ” to airports would be “ interest-free loans ” that could be repaid over the long term , “ 10 to 20 years , for example.
” Without this , he said , “ many airports will have no choice but to raise rates @ @ @ @ @ @ @ debt and interest.
” Morneau pitched the LEEFF as providing a “ lower interest rate . ''
Eighty per cent of the financing would be an unsecured loan set with a five per cent rate in the first year , and rising after that .
The council has also said that the Canada Emergency Wage Subsidy has allowed many airports to avoid some layoffs that they might have otherwise made .
As well , it says it is reviewing a third relief program , the Canada Emergency Commercial Rent Assistance , as potentially @ @ @ @ @ @ @ crisis we are in , Canada ’ s airports remain committed partners to help the government and public health agencies contain the spread of the virus and ensure the safe passage of travellers and goods while continuing to facilitate medical services , search and rescue , and other essential functions , ” said Gooch .

Most Canadian airports can’t access the federal government’s new large business loan program, and the ones that can have little use for it, says the industry group representing them. The Vancouver Airport Authority, one of only four airports that does qualify, according to the Canadian Airports Council, won't be taking advantage of the program "at this time," it confirmed to National Observer. Finance Minister Bill Morneau, his department and a Crown corporation all said on Wednesday that airports could benefit from the new Large Employer Emergency Financing Facility (LEEFF). However the council has also said that another Trudeau government COVID-19 relief package, the Canada Emergency Wage Subsidy, has allowed many airports to avoid some layoffs they might have otherwise had to make.
Just four out of 53 airports eligible The airports council told National Observer on Thursday that out of 53 member airports, only four are actually eligible for the LEEFF, the federal government’s latest COVID-19 financing program that is meant to aid large Canadian employers with big economic footprints. Billion-dollar land deals in Ontario raise corruption suspicions Airports in Vancouver, Calgary, Toronto and Montreal are the only ones that, pre-COVID-19, had cleared the government’s threshold of $300 million in annual revenues for accessing the program.
Those airports already have access to credit on favourable terms, argued council president Daniel-Robert Gooch, so a loan of last resort such as the LEEFF “is of no assistance” to them. Most Canadian airports can’t access the federal government’s new large business loan program, and the ones that do have little use for it, says the industry group representing them. “Access to credit today isn't the problem for most of our airports,” said Gooch. “It's the dramatic drop in passenger-based revenue, which is not going to recover anytime soon.” Airline passenger traffic plummeted by 90 per cent in April and revenue losses are estimated at over $2 billion, the council told a Commons committee this month. Morneau said the LEEFF would be “available to organizations, including organizations like airports, that have extreme challenges.” Finance Canada and the Canada Development Investment Corporation also singled out airports as possible candidates for the loan program. Morneau's office acknowledged it had received questions related to the council's comments but could not immediately respond Thursday before publication.
An airplane at Vancouver International Airport. VIA Facebook photo Vancouver airport does not 'require LEEFF at this time' Transport Canada owns the 23 airports in the National Airport System, and leases them to non-profit entities.