nationalobserver--2020-08-12--Bloc leader says he will try to trigger election if Trudeau won't resign

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau , his finance minister and his chief of staff all need to resign , Yves-François Blanchet demanded Wednesday , or else the Bloc Québécois will try to trigger an election in October .
Blanchet , the Bloc leader , said in Ottawa on Aug. 12 that although Canadians have entrusted the prime minister and his government with large sums of money to manage the coronavirus pandemic , recent controversies have raised questions over whether Trudeau ’ s minority Liberals are worthy of Parliament 's continued confidence .
Those controversies include the federal ethics commissioner ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Bill Morneau broke conflict-of-interest rules in connection with a sole-sourced government contract to WE Charity , as well as another decision to outsource a rent subsidy program to a company where the husband of Trudeau ’ s chief of staff Katie Telford is a senior vice president .
The prime minister has , however , testified before the Commons finance committee about the issue , as have other officials .
He said he `` pushed back '' when he learned that WE Charity had been recommended by the public service to run the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ family connections to the charity .
Trudeau 's office has also said that Telford recused herself from all discussions involving her husband 's company and so did n't have anything to do with a Crown corporation 's decision to outsource the contract to the firm .
“ The office of the ethics commissioner was consulted , a screen was put in place , and all the appropriate steps were taken , ” Social Development Minister Ahmed Hussen told the House of Commons on Wednesday , in response to questions from opposition members .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ minister and his chief of staff all need to resign , Yves-François Blanchet demanded Wednesday , or else the Bloc Québécois will try to trigger an election in October .
Note to Canadians : no election can be called without ALL opposition parties ( Cons , NDP , Bloc ) agreeing , or the Liberals doing it themselves .
https : //t.co/1Q8GzzCIc5 — Don Davies MP ( @ DonDavies ) August 12 , 2020 Davies : No election without all opposition For Blanchet to trigger an election , the 32-member Bloc caucus would @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of non-confidence from several other opposition MPs , in order to overcome a 156-member Liberal government .
The majority threshold is 170 votes .
The leader of the Conservatives , with 121 MPs , has also recently called for Trudeau and Morneau to both step down , although Andrew Scheer has not called for an election , saying the Liberals have the right to govern the country given that they received the most seats in the last election .
The NDP , with a 24-member caucus , has signaled they would not automatically @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Singh , the MP for Burnaby South , said he was focused on trying to make Parliament work , fixing employment insurance and boosting child care .
Then there are the three Green Party MPs and two Independent members of Parliament who could play a role in any confidence vote .
`` Note to Canadians : no election can be called without all opposition parties ( Cons , NDP , Bloc ) agreeing , or the Liberals doing it themselves , '' NDP health critic and MP for Vancouver Kingsway , Don Davies @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the House of Commons voting math , there is also the issue of administering an election during a pandemic .
Blanchet brushed off worries about that Wednesday , suggesting that there are physical distancing measures that could be put in place if Canadians go to the polls .
And he argued that the alternative would be to allow the Liberals to continue to govern without sufficient oversight .
“ If we say the contrary , it would mean that as long as we have a pandemic , we will have a dictatorship .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ to be done , when it has to be done , '' he said .
Editor 's note : This story was updated at 4:33 p.m. Eastern on Aug. 12 , 2020 to include a tweet from Don Davies and additional information about the House of Commons .

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, his finance minister and his chief of staff all need to resign, Yves-François Blanchet demanded Wednesday, or else the Bloc Québécois will try to trigger an election in October. Blanchet, the Bloc leader, said in Ottawa on Aug. 12 that although Canadians have entrusted the prime minister and his government with large sums of money to manage the coronavirus pandemic, recent controversies have raised questions over whether Trudeau’s minority Liberals are worthy of Parliament's continued confidence. Those controversies include the federal ethics commissioner’s probe into whether Trudeau and Finance Minister Bill Morneau broke conflict-of-interest rules in connection with a sole-sourced government contract to WE Charity, as well as another decision to outsource a rent subsidy program to a company where the husband of Trudeau’s chief of staff Katie Telford is a senior vice president. “All the political parties, apart from the government of course, can see that among non-Liberals (there is) greater support for a quick election. Of course those are only surveys, but it’s quite high,” Blanchet told media in French. “For Canada and Quebec, it would be preferable that Mr. Trudeau and Mr. Morneau — who have shown that their way of managing taxpayers’ money is not worthy of our trust — should resign.”
'Appropriate steps were taken' says Ahmed Hussen The ethics commissioner has previously found Trudeau to be in violation of federal ethics rules twice before: once in 2017 in relation to a vacation on the Aga Khan's private island, and again in 2019 in relation to SNC-Lavalin. Billion-dollar land deals in Ontario raise corruption suspicions An online poll by Leger and the Association for Canadian Studies, that took place July 31 to Aug. 2, found that roughly half of respondents said that if Trudeau is found to be in violation of the ethics rules for a third time, there should be an election.
Trudeau and Morneau have apologized for not recusing themselves over the WE decision. Trudeau is on vacation with his family and was not expected to attend the summer sitting of the House of Commons on Wednesday. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, his finance minister and his chief of staff all need to resign, Yves-François Blanchet demanded Wednesday, or else the Bloc Québécois will try to trigger an election in October. The prime minister has, however, testified before the Commons finance committee about the issue, as have other officials. He said he "pushed back" when he learned that WE Charity had been recommended by the public service to run the Canada Student Service Grant, given his family connections to the charity. Trudeau's office has also said that Telford recused herself from all discussions involving her husband's company and so didn't have anything to do with a Crown corporation's decision to outsource the contract to the firm. “The office of the ethics commissioner was consulted, a screen was put in place, and all the appropriate steps were taken,” Social Development Minister Ahmed Hussen told the House of Commons on Wednesday, in response to questions from opposition members. http://twitter.com/DonDavies/status/1293621546255171584
Davies: No election without all opposition For Blanchet to trigger an election, the 32-member Bloc caucus would have to gain support for a motion of non-confidence from several other opposition MPs, in order to overcome a 156-member Liberal government. The majority threshold is 170 votes. The leader of the Conservatives, with 121 MPs, has also recently called for Trudeau and Morneau to both step down, although Andrew Scheer has not called for an election, saying the Liberals have the right to govern the country given that they received the most seats in the last election.


nationalobserver--2020-08-13--Feds commit additional $305M to help Indigenous communities combat COVID-19

The federal government has announced an additional $ 305 million to help Indigenous Peoples combat COVID-19 .
Indigenous Services Minister Marc Miller says the money is meant to help Indigenous communities prepare for emergencies and prevent the spread of the new coronavirus .
He says communities can also use the money for a variety of other measures , including helping elders and vulnerable people , food insecurity , educational and other supports for children and mental health assistance .
The new money will flow through the Indigenous community support fund , bringing the total amount to $ 685 million this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to First Nations living off-reserve as well as Inuit and Metis people living in urban centres , distributed based on need through an application process .
• Canada supporting fossil fuels at 10 times the G20 average during pandemic Miller says Ottawa is committed to ensuring Indigenous leaders have the tools and support they need to implement the various aspects of their pandemic plans .
`` This funding will provide crucial support to key community initiatives that strive to prevent , prepare for and respond to COVID-19 in First Nations , Inuit and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` This approach aligns with our commitment to support Indigenous leadership 's approaches to community wellness while providing the flexibility to respond to emerging needs , for example in response to an outbreak of COVID-19 . ''
To date there have been 425 confirmed cases of COVID-19 on First Nations reserves , with 34 people hospitalized .
Of these , 393 have recovered from the virus .
There have also been 17 cases in the Nunavik region in northern Quebec .
All have recovered .
The federal government has acknowledged that COVID-19 case @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the true impact on Indigenous communities and individuals , as they only capture statistics from those living on reserves or in Inuit territories .
The majority of Indigenous people in Canada live off reserve .
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 12 , 2020 .

The federal government has announced an additional $305 million to help Indigenous Peoples combat COVID-19.
Indigenous Services Minister Marc Miller says the money is meant to help Indigenous communities prepare for emergencies and prevent the spread of the new coronavirus.
He says communities can also use the money for a variety of other measures, including helping elders and vulnerable people, food insecurity, educational and other supports for children and mental health assistance.
The new money will flow through the Indigenous community support fund, bringing the total amount to $685 million this year.
Some funding will also go to First Nations living off-reserve as well as Inuit and Metis people living in urban centres, distributed based on need through an application process.


nationalobserver--2020-08-13--Most Quebecers believe First Nations face discrimination: survey

The vast majority of non-Indigenous Quebecers recognize that First Nations members in the province are subject to racism or discrimination , survey results released Wednesday suggest .
The survey conducted by polling firm Leger for the Assembly of First Nations Quebec-Labrador found that 92 per cent of respondents agreed that Indigenous communities face racism or discrimination .
Eight out of 10 Quebecers have a positive opinion of First Nations , but 58 per cent say they do n't have an understanding of the issues facing those communities .
More than half believe relations between non-Indigenous Quebecers and First Nations are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the provincial government has an important role to play in repairing and maintaining relations .
Ghislain Picard , chief of the Assembly of First Nations Quebec-Labrador , says he was surprised by some of the results , which he says demonstrate a greater understanding of the plight faced by First Nations .
• Canada supporting fossil fuels at 10 times the G20 average during pandemic `` I think the fact that we have such a high number of people thinking that First Nations are victims of racism and discrimination is , to me @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a news conference announcing the results .
`` I feel the public opinion is more aware of our situations and realities , and the kind of challenges that we have and obstacles that we have when dealing with governments . ''
Eighty per cent of respondents believe First Nations people face additional obstacles , and 70 per cent believe First Nations members are not treated the same as non-Indigenous Quebecers in social structures .
`` It bodes well for the future , '' Picard said .
`` The opinion of Quebecers has changed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are much more sensitive than their political representatives and they are also more open to dialogue and to finding real solutions . ''
The assembly intends to develop a plan to improve how governments deliver services to First Nations , to be presented by the end of September .
Picard said the assembly wants to put a plan together because it does n't have much faith in a recently formed committee of government officials tasked with coming up with ways to fight racism in Quebec society .
That committee is composed of seven @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and will report back in the fall .
The vast majority of non-Indigenous Quebecers recognize that First Nations members in the province are subject to racism or discrimination , survey results released on Wednesday , August 12 , 2020 , suggest .
`` We have a government designing a process under its own conditions — where are we ? ''
Picard asked .
`` Where are the groups that face racism ?
Are they represented ?
To me it 's a process that is really flawed to start with . ''
The online @ @ @ @ @ @ @ drawn from Leger 's internet user panel , with First Nations members excluded from the sample .
Data was collected between July 17-23 , and the results can not be assigned a margin of error because internet-based polls are not considered probabilistic .
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 12 , 2020 .

The vast majority of non-Indigenous Quebecers recognize that First Nations members in the province are subject to racism or discrimination, survey results released Wednesday suggest.
The survey conducted by polling firm Leger for the Assembly of First Nations Quebec-Labrador found that 92 per cent of respondents agreed that Indigenous communities face racism or discrimination.
Eight out of 10 Quebecers have a positive opinion of First Nations, but 58 per cent say they don't have an understanding of the issues facing those communities.
More than half believe relations between non-Indigenous Quebecers and First Nations are poor, and 91 per cent believe the provincial government has an important role to play in repairing and maintaining relations.
Ghislain Picard, chief of the Assembly of First Nations Quebec-Labrador, says he was surprised by some of the results, which he says demonstrate a greater understanding of the plight faced by First Nations.


nationalobserver--2020-08-13--UNDRIP could be delayed due to COVID-19 says Miller

A Liberal commitment to implement the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples is still a top priority , says Indigenous Services Minister Marc Miller , but he could not say whether it is still possible within the promised timeline .
During the 2019 election and again in ministerial mandate letters , Prime Minister Justin Trudeau promised to introduce legislation , developed with Indigenous Peoples , by the end of 2020 that would enshrine the UN declaration in Canadian law .
That remains an `` utmost priority '' for the Trudeau government , Miller said , adding that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ time frame possible . ''
But he also noted the House of Commons has been operating under special rules adopted by all political parties after the pandemic forced the country into lockdown .
The rules only allow the tabling of legislation that deals with COVID-19 emergency measures .
`` We 've heard it from every regional and national leadership that it is a , or the top , priority , '' Miller told reporters in Ottawa Wednesday .
• Canada supporting fossil fuels at 10 times the G20 average during pandemic `` The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that we have a Parliament that is operating under rules that are dictated by all the parties so we could agree to have the format to combat COVID . ''
The House of Commons is currently supposed to resume in full on Sept. 21 .
Justice Minister David Lametti , whose portfolio is overseeing work on UNDRIP legislation , is on vacation this week and thus unavailable for an interview .
His spokeswoman , Rachel Rappaport , said his office has been working closely with national Indigenous organizations on a path forward for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the new circumstances imposed by the pandemic .
`` That work is very much ongoing .
We look forward to having more to share soon , '' Rappaport said .
The commitment to introduce a bill to implement UNDRIP by the end of 2020 has not changed , she said .
During the 2019 election and again in ministerial mandate letters , Prime Minister Justin Trudeau promised to introduce legislation , developed with Indigenous Peoples , by the end of 2020 that would enshrine the UN declaration in Canadian law .
`` Our @ @ @ @ @ @ @ legislation passed as quickly as possible , working in lockstep with Indigenous partners and rights holders , '' Rappaport said in her statement .
`` There is no doubt that COVID-19 has created new challenges and circumstances that we must adapt to , but it has not changed the fact that this remains a key priority for our government and for Indigenous partners . ''
Last month , Independent MP Jody Wilson-Raybould , who served as justice minister under the Liberals until 2019 when she resigned over the SNC-Lavalin controversy , told the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ had been drafted and that the Liberals would soon release a discussion paper on UNDRIP .
At the time , she said hoped the government is `` aware that fundamental to the declaration 's articles are the minimum standards for the survival , dignity and well-being of Indigenous Peoples . ''
She cited concerns about tensions between a luxury fishing lodge in B.C .
that reopened to visitors despite a state of emergency issued by the Haida Nation because of COVID-19 .
The lodge has since shut down .
In response to Wilson-Raybould @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his mandate letter dictates he must implement the declaration before the end of this calendar year .
`` It remains a priority for me , '' Lametti said in the House of Commons July 22 .
`` Once we have done that , we will be able to better address the kinds of questions that ( Wilson-Raybould ) is raising now .
We feel the declaration will help reframe the relationship between people in Canada in a positive way moving forward . ''
But NDP MP Charlie Angus says he is not hopeful @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of reforms that are needed when it comes to the Crown 's relationship with Indigenous Peoples , regardless of when it arrives .

A Liberal commitment to implement the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples is still a top priority, says Indigenous Services Minister Marc Miller, but he could not say whether it is still possible within the promised timeline. During the 2019 election and again in ministerial mandate letters, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau promised to introduce legislation, developed with Indigenous Peoples, by the end of 2020 that would enshrine the UN declaration in Canadian law. That remains an "utmost priority" for the Trudeau government, Miller said, adding that legislation will come in the "shortest time frame possible." But he also noted the House of Commons has been operating under special rules adopted by all political parties after the pandemic forced the country into lockdown. The rules only allow the tabling of legislation that deals with COVID-19 emergency measures. "We've heard it from every regional and national leadership that it is a, or the top, priority," Miller told reporters in Ottawa Wednesday.
"The challenges I would highlight ... are such that we have a Parliament that is operating under rules that are dictated by all the parties so we could agree to have the format to combat COVID." The House of Commons is currently supposed to resume in full on Sept. 21. Billion-dollar land deals in Ontario raise corruption suspicions Justice Minister David Lametti, whose portfolio is overseeing work on UNDRIP legislation, is on vacation this week and thus unavailable for an interview.
His spokeswoman, Rachel Rappaport, said his office has been working closely with national Indigenous organizations on a path forward for developing the legislation that is adapted to the new circumstances imposed by the pandemic. During the 2019 election and again in ministerial mandate letters, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau promised to introduce legislation, developed with Indigenous Peoples, by the end of 2020 that would enshrine the UN declaration in Canadian law. "That work is very much ongoing. We look forward to having more to share soon," Rappaport said. The commitment to introduce a bill to implement UNDRIP by the end of 2020 has not changed, she said. "Our priority has always been to see this legislation passed as quickly as possible, working in lockstep with Indigenous partners and rights holders," Rappaport said in her statement. "There is no doubt that COVID-19 has created new challenges and circumstances that we must adapt to, but it has not changed the fact that this remains a key priority for our government and for Indigenous partners."
Last month, Independent MP Jody Wilson-Raybould, who served as justice minister under the Liberals until 2019 when she resigned over the SNC-Lavalin controversy, told the House of Commons she had heard legislation had been drafted and that the Liberals would soon release a discussion paper on UNDRIP. At the time, she said hoped the government is "aware that fundamental to the declaration's articles are the minimum standards for the survival, dignity and well-being of Indigenous Peoples." She cited concerns about tensions between a luxury fishing lodge in B.C. that reopened to visitors despite a state of emergency issued by the Haida Nation because of COVID-19. The lodge has since shut down.


nationalobserver--2020-08-13--Feds turning to private sector to design firearm buyback program

The federal government is turning to the private sector to design and possibly help run a massive buyback of newly prohibited firearms .
Public Safety Canada has invited 15 consulting firms to come up with a `` range of options and approaches '' for the planned program to compensate gun owners .
The Liberals outlawed a wide range of firearms in early May , saying the guns were designed for the battlefield , not hunting or sport shooting .
The ban covers some 1,500 models and variants of what the government considers assault-style weapons , meaning they can no longer @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
In announcing the ban , the government proposed a program that would allow current owners to receive compensation for turning in the designated firearms or keep them through an exemption process yet to be worked out .
• Canada supporting fossil fuels at 10 times the G20 average during pandemic Sport shooters , firearm rights advocates and some Conservative MPs have questioned the value of the measures in fighting crime .
The group PolySeSouvient , a leading proponent of stricter gun control , has argued that allowing owners of recently banned firearms @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for a different government to simply reverse the ban in future .
Mary-Liz Power , a spokeswoman for Public Safety Minister Bill Blair , said in mid-May the coming buyback program would be `` fair and effective '' but she did not provide details .
Blair 's office had no immediate comment Wednesday on why it was looking outside the government for someone to design the program .
A spokeswoman for Public Safety Canada said the options that emerge from the selected contractor `` may be incorporated into a final program .
Costs @ @ @ @ @ @ @ selected . ''
The first phase of the newly posted federal tender would require the successful bidder to consult with other federal agencies , possibly other levels of government and industry experts to devise options that include : The federal government is turning to the private sector to design and possibly help run a massive buyback of newly prohibited firearms .
— analysis of benefits and risks associated with each compensation model ; and — identification of `` other considerations '' that might affect the feasibility of each approach .
The first phase @ @ @ @ @ @ @ complete by the end of March .
The second phase of the contract could involve implementing the chosen options .
The invited bidders include well-known firms such as Deloitte , IBM Canada , KPMG and Pricewaterhouse Coopers , though the department has not ruled out other possible parties .
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 12 , 2020 .

The federal government is turning to the private sector to design and possibly help run a massive buyback of newly prohibited firearms.
Public Safety Canada has invited 15 consulting firms to come up with a "range of options and approaches" for the planned program to compensate gun owners.
The Liberals outlawed a wide range of firearms in early May, saying the guns were designed for the battlefield, not hunting or sport shooting.
The ban covers some 1,500 models and variants of what the government considers assault-style weapons, meaning they can no longer be legally used, sold or imported.
In announcing the ban, the government proposed a program that would allow current owners to receive compensation for turning in the designated firearms or keep them through an exemption process yet to be worked out.


nationalobserver--2020-08-13--Complaints filed against police officers in fatal shooting of Chantel Moore

A law firm representing the estate of Chantel Moore has filed a pair of complaints with the New Brunswick Police Commission in connection with her death .
One complaint targets the Edmundston police officer directly involved in the shooting of 26-year-old Moore , an Indigenous woman killed during a wellness check June 4 .
The other is against a senior Edmundston police officer regarding comments made on live television in the hours following the shooting .
Lawyer T.J. Burke said Wednesday he filed the complaints under the provincial Police Act at the direction of his clients .
Moore was fatally @ @ @ @ @ @ @ officer with a knife .
Quebec 's independent police watchdog is investigating because New Brunswick does not have its own police oversight agency .
`` We wanted to bring these up right away because we do n't trust ( that ) the New Brunswick Police Commission is going to file a complaint ... and we do n't think the chief of police in Edmundston will do it , '' Burke said in an interview .
`` As civilians , lawyers , we did it on behalf of the estate of Chantel Moore .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ 10 times the G20 average during pandemic The commission is an independent board of citizens that oversees complaints involving seven municipal police services and two regional police forces in the province .
New Brunswick 's Police Act generally provides one year for complaints to be filed .
`` New Brunswick police officers are subjected to civil proceedings where they can be disciplined by an oversight commission , '' Burke said .
In the case of the police officer directly involved in the shooting , Burke said the complaint requests he be sanctioned and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ charges result from the watchdog 's probe into Moore 's killing , however , the case would delay any hearing into the complaint .
Moore 's family wants the complaint against a high-ranking Edmundston police officer pursued immediately , Burke said .
That officer offered a public apology for laughing when asked a question during a CTV News interview in the aftermath of Moore 's shooting .
Burke said that considering no criminal charges will result from that incident , the complaint should be pursued by the commission right now .
`` We @ @ @ @ @ @ @ only to the family , to New Brunswickers , but to Canadians all alike and believe that it falls well below the standards a high-ranking officer should hold in office , '' Burke said , adding the family did n't accept the apology .
A law firm representing the estate of Chantel Moore has filed a pair of complaints with the New Brunswick Police Commission in connection with her death .
Edmundston Police Chief Alain Lang said in an email Wednesday , `` The entire matter is presently under investigation and we have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Moore 's killing was the first of two deaths involving Indigenous people in the span of about one week in the province .
Rodney Levi , 48 , was killed by the RCMP near the Metepenagiag Mi'kmaq Nation , on June 12 .
The Mounties have said a suspect carrying knives was jolted with a stun gun , but that failed to subdue him .
He was shot when he charged at officers , police said .
Levi 's death is also under investigation by the Quebec watchdog .
New Brunswick has announced @ @ @ @ @ @ @ both deaths .
This report by The Canadian Press was first published on Aug. 12 , 2020 .

A law firm representing the estate of Chantel Moore has filed a pair of complaints with the New Brunswick Police Commission in connection with her death.
One complaint targets the Edmundston police officer directly involved in the shooting of 26-year-old Moore, an Indigenous woman killed during a wellness check June 4. The other is against a senior Edmundston police officer regarding comments made on live television in the hours following the shooting.
Lawyer T.J. Burke said Wednesday he filed the complaints under the provincial Police Act at the direction of his clients.
Moore was fatally shot after she allegedly lunged at an officer with a knife. Quebec's independent police watchdog is investigating because New Brunswick does not have its own police oversight agency.
"We wanted to bring these up right away because we don't trust (that) the New Brunswick Police Commission is going to file a complaint ... and we don't think the chief of police in Edmundston will do it," Burke said in an interview. "As civilians, lawyers, we did it on behalf of the estate of Chantel Moore."


nationalobserver--2020-08-13--Innu Nation files human rights complaint over Fed's child protection funding

The Innu Nation has filed a complaint with the Canadian Human Rights Commission alleging the federal government spends more money removing children from homes than keeping families together .
Gregory Rich , grand chief of the Innu Nation , which represents the Innu of Labrador , said in a statement Tuesday Canada 's child welfare system has had devastating consequences .
The complaint , which was filed in June , says the federal government gives Newfoundland and Labrador more money for the foster care system compared with the funds it provides to help families .
A 2016 Canadian Human Rights @ @ @ @ @ @ @ unequal funding for child welfare services discriminated against children who live on reserves .
That ruling called for `` immediate relief '' for First Nations children .
Rich , however , said funding from Ottawa remains inadequate and Innu children are suffering .
• Canada supporting fossil fuels at 10 times the G20 average during pandemic He said the federal government spends 10 times more money placing children in foster care compared with investments into community-based prevention services that help keep families united .
`` Innu Nation is taking action to stand up @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the Tuesday statement .
`` And the least the federal government can do is what the Canadian Human Rights Tribunal has ordered .
`` Until that happens , our children and families are facing the consequences , and that means more lives lost or destroyed . ''
Rich said one Innu child out of every 10 has been taken out of their home as a result of the current funding system .
A 15-year-old Innu boy from Natuashish died by suicide in May at a government-approved group home in Happy Valley-Goose Bay @ @ @ @ @ @ @ death led to renewed calls for the long-awaited inquiry into the treatment of Innu children in the care of Newfoundland and Labrador 's child protection services .
The provincial government and Innu leaders formally agreed in 2017 to hold an inquiry following the suicide of 16-year-old Thunderheart Tshakapesh earlier that year .
Rich said the death of the teenager in May is the `` the latest tragedy that has devastated our families in so many ways . ''
The Innu Nation has filed a complaint with the Canadian Human Rights Commission alleging the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from homes than keeping families together .
The human rights complaint alleges an Innu agency created to help children was denied funding because it did n't provide foster care services .
According to the Innu Nation 's filing with the human rights commission , Ottawa said the agency , called the Innu Round Table Secretariat , did not meet the federal government 's requirements for needs-based funding .
Ottawa also said funding from the federal government had to be delegated by the province .
That decision has created bureaucratic hurdles that are `` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and unnecessary , '' the Innu Nation alleges .
Indigenous Services Canada did not immediately respond to a request for comment .
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 12 , 2020 .

The Innu Nation has filed a complaint with the Canadian Human Rights Commission alleging the federal government spends more money removing children from homes than keeping families together. Gregory Rich, grand chief of the Innu Nation, which represents the Innu of Labrador, said in a statement Tuesday Canada's child welfare system has had devastating consequences. The complaint, which was filed in June, says the federal government gives Newfoundland and Labrador more money for the foster care system compared with the funds it provides to help families. A 2016 Canadian Human Rights Tribunal decision found the federal government's unequal funding for child welfare services discriminated against children who live on reserves. That ruling called for "immediate relief" for First Nations children. Rich, however, said funding from Ottawa remains inadequate and Innu children are suffering.
He said the federal government spends 10 times more money placing children in foster care compared with investments into community-based prevention services that help keep families united. "Innu Nation is taking action to stand up for our children," he said in the Tuesday statement. "And the least the federal government can do is what the Canadian Human Rights Tribunal has ordered. Billion-dollar land deals in Ontario raise corruption suspicions "Until that happens, our children and families are facing the consequences, and that means more lives lost or destroyed."
Rich said one Innu child out of every 10 has been taken out of their home as a result of the current funding system. The Innu Nation has filed a complaint with the Canadian Human Rights Commission alleging the federal government spends more money removing children from homes than keeping families together. A 15-year-old Innu boy from Natuashish died by suicide in May at a government-approved group home in Happy Valley-Goose Bay, Rich said. The teenager's death led to renewed calls for the long-awaited inquiry into the treatment of Innu children in the care of Newfoundland and Labrador's child protection services. The provincial government and Innu leaders formally agreed in 2017 to hold an inquiry following the suicide of 16-year-old Thunderheart Tshakapesh earlier that year. Rich said the death of the teenager in May is the "the latest tragedy that has devastated our families in so many ways." The human rights complaint alleges an Innu agency created to help children was denied funding because it didn't provide foster care services. According to the Innu Nation's filing with the human rights commission, Ottawa said the agency, called the Innu Round Table Secretariat, did not meet the federal government's requirements for needs-based funding. Ottawa also said funding from the federal government had to be delegated by the province.


nationalobserver--2020-08-13--Kamala Harris a 'tangible' inspiration for women, former Montreal classmate says

A former classmate and friend of Kamala Harris from her years in Montreal says he hopes the California senator and newly minted U.S. vice-presidential candidate can serve as a role-model for his daughters .
Trevor Williams knew Harris and her younger sister Maya when all three attended Westmount High School .
It was clear the two sisters had a bright future ahead of them , he said Wednesday , a day after the former prosecutor was named as Joe Biden 's running mate on the Democratic ticket .
`` At the time , you take things for granted , but @ @ @ @ @ @ @ can definitely see a shining star on Kamala Harris , on Maya Harris .
They were so extremely bright and intelligent people , they were just so smart , '' he said .
Though he has n't spoken to Harris since their school years , Williams remembers her as firm and persistent , and said her bid for the vice-presidency is `` great for women of colour . ''
It 's also a `` tangible '' example for his daughters , aged six and 11 , to look up to , said Williams @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for Montreal youth and coaches women 's basketball at Dawson College .
• Canada supporting fossil fuels at 10 times the G20 average during pandemic `` I 'm going to be going home and telling my daughters that I went to school with this woman and anything is possible .
If she can do it , you can do it , '' he said .
Harris , the first Black woman to appear on a major party 's presidential ticket , moved to Montreal as a teen so her mother Shyamala Gopalan , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ McGill University .
She enrolled at Westmount after an initial stint at a French-language school .
The school rallied behind its graduate last year when Harris launched her presidential campaign , and publicly renewed its support this week as her new role was announced .
`` We could n't be more proud of WHS graduate Kamala Harris — future Vice President of the United States ! ''
the school tweeted Tuesday .
Some teachers there said Harris 's nomination could provide crucial inspiration to students as they face a new school year restricted @ @ @ @ @ @ @ coronavirus .
Sabrina Jafralie , who teaches ethics and religious culture at the school , said she hoped Harris would reach out to her alma mater as classes resume .
A former classmate and friend of Kamala Harris from her years in Montreal says he hopes the California senator and newly minted U.S. vice-presidential candidate can serve as a role-model for his daughters .
`` We do n't know what 's going to happen this year in school , we do n't know how much changes are happening in education , but we @ @ @ @ @ @ @ good boost of Kamala Harris , and I think that would be inspirational to our students , '' she said .
Harris is someone who `` speaks for the people , '' and it 's possible her time at Westmount `` played a part in helping her find her voice , '' Jafralie said .
`` I do n't know how much Canada , or her experience in Canada , helped her shape her politics or her mind , but I like to think that there 's a little bit of maple leaf @ @ @ @ @ @ @ we 'll see it in her politics , '' she said .
Another teacher , Robert Green , noted former students have expressed their pride at the connection on social media , and said he believes current students will also find it `` very meaningful . ''
`` Particularly for the Black population at Westmount High and for the girls who are aspiring to be involved in politics , '' he said .
`` Regardless of what you might think of Kamala Harris 's politics I think the fact that a Black woman @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this is something that 's going to be really inspiring for our students . ''
Green said he usually teaches an advanced placement government and politics course at the school , and students in that class were amazed when Harris launched her presidential bid last year .
While COVID-19 restrictions mean the school no longer has the capacity to offer the course , the U.S. election — and Harris 's role in it — will be discussed in a class that serves as an introduction to politics , he said .
Harris has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ course of her career on issues such as health care and law enforcement , but has faced criticism for her actions as a California district attorney and later as the state 's attorney general .

A former classmate and friend of Kamala Harris from her years in Montreal says he hopes the California senator and newly minted U.S. vice-presidential candidate can serve as a role-model for his daughters. Trevor Williams knew Harris and her younger sister Maya when all three attended Westmount High School. It was clear the two sisters had a bright future ahead of them, he said Wednesday, a day after the former prosecutor was named as Joe Biden's running mate on the Democratic ticket. "At the time, you take things for granted, but now when you look back, you can definitely see a shining star on Kamala Harris, on Maya Harris. They were so extremely bright and intelligent people, they were just so smart," he said. Though he hasn't spoken to Harris since their school years, Williams remembers her as firm and persistent, and said her bid for the vice-presidency is "great for women of colour." It's also a "tangible" example for his daughters, aged six and 11, to look up to, said Williams, who runs a foundation and camp for Montreal youth and coaches women's basketball at Dawson College.
"I'm going to be going home and telling my daughters that I went to school with this woman and anything is possible. If she can do it, you can do it," he said. Harris, the first Black woman to appear on a major party's presidential ticket, moved to Montreal as a teen so her mother Shyamala Gopalan, a breast-cancer researcher, could work at McGill University. She enrolled at Westmount after an initial stint at a French-language school. Billion-dollar land deals in Ontario raise corruption suspicions The school rallied behind its graduate last year when Harris launched her presidential campaign, and publicly renewed its support this week as her new role was announced.
"We couldn't be more proud of WHS graduate Kamala Harris — future Vice President of the United States!" the school tweeted Tuesday. A former classmate and friend of Kamala Harris from her years in Montreal says he hopes the California senator and newly minted U.S. vice-presidential candidate can serve as a role-model for his daughters. Some teachers there said Harris's nomination could provide crucial inspiration to students as they face a new school year restricted by measures meant to contain the novel coronavirus. Sabrina Jafralie, who teaches ethics and religious culture at the school, said she hoped Harris would reach out to her alma mater as classes resume. "We don't know what's going to happen this year in school, we don't know how much changes are happening in education, but we get to start it off with a good boost of Kamala Harris, and I think that would be inspirational to our students," she said. Harris is someone who "speaks for the people," and it's possible her time at Westmount "played a part in helping her find her voice," Jafralie said.
"I don't know how much Canada, or her experience in Canada, helped her shape her politics or her mind, but I like to think that there's a little bit of maple leaf running through her blood, and maybe we'll see it in her politics," she said. Another teacher, Robert Green, noted former students have expressed their pride at the connection on social media, and said he believes current students will also find it "very meaningful." "Particularly for the Black population at Westmount High and for the girls who are aspiring to be involved in politics," he said.


nationalobserver--2020-08-13--'Let it burn': Suicide prevention policy likened to wildfires

Durocher walked more than 600 kilometres from La Ronge to the provincial legislature in Regina with a group of supporters and erected a tipi near the building .
Métis musician Tristen Durocher is in the second week of a 44-day hunger strike to push for more action to combat high suicide rates in northern Saskatchewan .
“ We have to ask ourselves why so many people are arriving at a place of such profound hopelessness that they can ’ t even believe in tomorrow.
” “ The youngest person on this lawn is 10 years old , ” Durocher told @ @ @ @ @ @ @ last week .
Surrounding the tipi are photos submitted to Durocher by families who lost loved ones to suicide .
Tristen Durocher plays his fiddle at the Saskatchewan legislature in Regina where he hopes the province will change its tune on suicide prevention .
Video by Michael Bramadat-Willcock .
“ There are many laws and policies that have been made across the street , that have been made in Ottawa .
These laws and policies are stated to be made for equality … yet we have disproportionate effect and impact on Indigenous people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Indigenous leaders spoke in Regina on Tuesday to support Durocher , the day before he goes to the Court of Queen ’ s Bench to defend his presence on the legislative lawn .
“ We have an undeniable right to a quality of life where we can make it to old age without having suicide , also known as hopelessness , be the leading cause of death , ” Durocher said .
“ That should horrify people beyond who they voted for .
Beyond the pickets that are on their front lawns @ @ @ @ @ @ @ heart to human heart call to action to want to change this , ” Durocher said .
Durocher is a fiddle player from Buffalo Narrows , Sask .
He 's protesting the government 's voting down of a bill put forward by Cumberland NDP MLA Doyle Vermette for a legislative solution to the high suicide rates in the province .
“ There are too many one-way streets in Canada .
There are too many one-way streets in Saskatchewan .
There are too many one-way streets in Regina .
There are too many one-way @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ Public policy in this country , laws and legislation need to change , ” he said , calling for a two-way dialogue .
Lac La Ronge Indian Band Chief Tammy Cook-Searson spoke in Cree and English while holding a picture of her sister who died by suicide in 2003 .
“ She had no hope to keep living.
” Cook-Searson said Durocher is helping bring that hope to northern communities .
“ I want to thank you for giving voice to those who don ’ t have a voice .
Giving hope @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they have hope and I hope that we do something more concrete and pass legislation to do something for suicide , ” Cook-Searson said .
“ I too was affected by suicide .
In 2006 , we lost our baby brother Howard to suicide , ” Prince Albert Grand Council Chief Brian Hardlotte said .
Hardlotte said his community of Stanley Mission found out about suicide when settlers arrived .
He said that since 1975 , he has seen the problem worsen .
“ I plead to you .
Suicide continues to plague @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Provincial government , federal government , please let 's work together.
” Fond Du Lac Chief Louie Mercredi arrived from his far north fly-in community with a group of 25 people impacted by suicide .
“ We don ’ t have the tools , we don ’ t have the funds to save our people .
Our elders used to say : We should not be burying our young ones , it should be the other way around , ” Mercredi said .
The provincial government has put forward a plan , which @ @ @ @ @ @ @ say that not attaching binding legislation makes it useless .
Rural and Remote Health Minister Warren Kaeding released Pillars for Life : The Saskatchewan Suicide Prevention Plan in May , which outlines a collaborative approach to suicide prevention .
“ The tragic loss of a person by suicide is felt not only by family and friends , but by the entire community .
We want to assure the public that suicide prevention is a priority for the government of Saskatchewan , ” spokesperson Matthew Glover told Canada ’ s National Observer in July @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Saskatoon towards Regina this summer .
Durocher likened the provincial suicide prevention plan to former premier Brad Wall ’ s handling of wildfires that raged through northern Saskatchewan in 2015 , displacing thousands of northerners .
“ Brad Wall had a policy in place for northern Saskatchewan in regards to wildfires and the policy was ‘ let it burn.
’ This ‘ let it burn ’ policy goes beyond forest fires , it goes to the heart of very lethal human rights violation type living conditions for citizens of this country , citizens @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Indigenous to these lands , ” Durocher said .
“ I consider their lack of action in regards to suicide , despite their capacity to do something and their fiduciary obligations to do something , to be another form of 'let it burn'.
” Kaeding and Lori Carr , minister responsible for First Nations , Métis and northern affairs , met with Durocher last week .
The government confirmed the meeting in a statement to the press .
“ The ministers appreciate Mr. Durocher ’ s advocacy on this issue and welcomed the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Kaeding maintains the government 's action plan released in May aims to address high suicide rates across the province .
Durocher called the visit “ an attempt at condescension and intimidation ” and “ a disgusting display of indifference and heartlessness ” on the part of ministers Carr and Kaeding .
“ I respectfully asked them to leave because I was tired of hearing small numbers thrown around , like $ 1.2 million for their Pillars of Life suicide prevention strategy .
( That ) probably does n't cover the travel budget for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said .
Glover said that in 2020-21 , the government is investing a record $ 435 million in mental health and addictions services and supports across Saskatchewan .
The government said it will continue working to implement Pillars for Life and “ engage the FSIN ( Federation of Sovereign Indigenous Nations ) , Métis Nation-Saskatchewan , Northern leaders and front-line workers to seek solutions to prevent suicide in communities across Saskatchewan.
” Durocher said that ’ s not enough .
He called on Kaeding to visit northern Saskatchewan and engage with front-line workers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a consultation with the emergency response teams and the people working on the front lines with the demographics we are trying to save , as is ( Kaeding ’ s ) job , ” Durocher said .
“ It needs to be people who actually work with the demographics we ’ re trying to save , ” Durocher said .
“ People like this man I met in Montreal Lake who they call Cowboy .
“ Cowboy drives around Montreal Lake and he ’ s on the crisis response team there , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for many years .
He goes to houses when people are ready to commit suicide and he stops them… His voice is very meaningful because he ’ s experienced that .
He ’ s lived that , and he ’ s worked that .
Those are the voices we need.
” Glover said the five pillars of the plan align with those set out by the Mental Health Commission of Canada and include specialized supports .
He said the plan calls for specific engagement with First Nations and Métis leadership as the work @ @ @ @ @ @ @ honours the fact that each community is unique and the solutions they present will produce meaningful change , ” he said .
Durocher is to appear in court on Thursday for allegedly violating municipal bylaws by putting a tipi on the legislative lawn .
He said he intends to file a human rights complaint if he and his tipi are removed .
“ They are willing to violate Canada ’ s Charter of Rights and Freedoms , one of the highest laws , with a municipal bylaw , ” Durocher said .
Durocher @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a violation of the right to peaceful protest , the rights of Indigenous people to the land and religious practice .
“ We ’ re Indigenous and we have the legal sovereignty and foundational legal base to the lands we occupy and we , through treaties , allowed the settler establishment to exist on the legal foundation that is us and our sovereignty , ” Durocher said .
He said it ’ s insulting that Premier Scott Moe did not meet with him when he arrived at the steps of the legislature , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ leave without meaningful consultation from land that ’ s originally theirs .
“ For them to not even let a couple of people from the north camp in a 24-foot diameter space on stolen lands , it ’ s less than ironic , it ’ s dark comedy.
” “ When I was evacuated at that time ( the 2015 wildfires ) with my friends , we slept in my minivan with family photo albums and the ashes of our grandmothers like we were homeless in Saskatoon , in city parking lots , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ policy .
That 'let it burn ' policy is an overt display of their indifference to the conditions of people in the northern half of this province.
” Glover said that the province has met with representatives of the FSIN and Métis Nation-Saskatchewan to discuss Pillars for Life .
“ We are appreciative of the work that went into the development of the Saskatchewan First Nations Suicide Prevention Strategy and look forward to working with Health Canada and First Nation communities to find solutions to address suicide in communities across the province , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ issue in the legislature in June and called Pillars of Life “ the very first steps ... on a journey that we need to travel … together as individuals in communities right across this province.
” Durocher is urging voters to remember this when elections happen in November .
“ The public will be voting in November and I hope this is fresh in their minds .
That the administration that could have ended this any day chose not to , ” Durocher said .
“ Casting a vote for politicians whose indifference @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is not only irresponsible , it ’ s criminally negligent , ” Durocher said .

Surrounding the tipi are photos submitted to Durocher by families who lost loved ones to suicide.
Tristen Durocher plays his fiddle at the Saskatchewan legislature in Regina where he hopes the province will change its tune on suicide prevention. Video by Michael Bramadat-Willcock.
Durocher walked more than 600 kilometres from La Ronge to the provincial legislature in Regina with a group of supporters and erected a tipi near the building.
Métis musician Tristen Durocher is in the second week of a 44-day hunger strike to push for more action to combat high suicide rates in northern Saskatchewan.
“We have to ask ourselves why so many people are arriving at a place of such profound hopelessness that they can’t even believe in tomorrow.”
“The youngest person on this lawn is 10 years old,” Durocher told Canada’s National Observer in Regina last week.
“We have an undeniable right to a quality of life where we can make it to old age without having suicide, also known as hopelessness, be the leading cause of death,” Durocher said.
“That should horrify people beyond who they voted for. Beyond the pickets that are on their front lawns. It should just be a human heart to human heart call to action to want to change this,” Durocher said.
Durocher is a fiddle player from Buffalo Narrows, Sask. He's protesting the government's voting down of a bill put forward by Cumberland NDP MLA Doyle Vermette for a legislative solution to the high suicide rates in the province.
A delegation of Indigenous leaders spoke in Regina on Tuesday to support Durocher, before he goes to the Court of Queen’s Bench to defend his presence on the legislative lawn on Thursday.
“There are many laws and policies that have been made across the street, that have been made in Ottawa. These laws and policies are stated to be made for equality … yet we have disproportionate effect and impact on Indigenous people,” Bellegarde said.
“Public policy in this country, laws and legislation need to change,” he said, calling for a two-way dialogue.
“There are too many one-way streets in Canada. There are too many one-way streets in Saskatchewan. There are too many one-way streets in Regina. There are too many one-way streets in the Provincial Capital Commission.”
Tristen Durocher arrives in Regina with a police escort and the sound of bagpipes. Photo by Brandon White.
Lac La Ronge Indian Band Chief Tammy Cook-Searson spoke in Cree and English while holding a picture of her sister who died by suicide in 2003.
“She had no hope to keep living.”
Cook-Searson said Durocher is helping bring that hope to northern communities.
“I want to thank you for giving voice to those who don’t have a voice. Giving hope to those who don’t feel they have hope and I hope that we do something more concrete and pass legislation to do something for suicide,” Cook-Searson said.
Tristen Durocher speaks to a crowd in front of the Saskatchewan legislature in Regina. Photo by Brandon White.
“I too was affected by suicide. In 2006, we lost our baby brother Howard to suicide,” Prince Albert Grand Council Chief Brian Hardlotte said.
Hardlotte said his community of Stanley Mission found out about suicide when settlers arrived. He said that since 1975, he has seen the problem worsen.
“I plead to you. Suicide continues to plague our communities. Please help us. Provincial government, federal government, please let's work together.”
Fond Du Lac Chief Louie Mercredi arrived from his far north fly-in community with a group of 25 people impacted by suicide. “We don’t have the tools, we don’t have the funds to save our people. Our elders used to say: We should not be burying our young ones, it should be the other way around,” Mercredi said.
Photographs submitted by families who lost their children to suicide. Photo by Brandon White.
The provincial government has put forward a plan, which it thinks is enough, but critics say that not attaching binding legislation makes it useless.
Rural and Remote Health Minister Warren Kaeding released Pillars for Life: The Saskatchewan Suicide Prevention Plan in May, which outlines a collaborative approach to suicide prevention.
“The tragic loss of a person by suicide is felt not only by family and friends, but by the entire community. We want to assure the public that suicide prevention is a priority for the government of Saskatchewan,” spokesperson Matthew Glover told Canada’s National Observer in July as Durocher and his supporters walked past Saskatoon towards Regina this summer.
Durocher likened the provincial suicide prevention plan to former premier Brad Wall’s handling of wildfires that raged through northern Saskatchewan in 2015, displacing thousands of northerners.
Tristen Durocher enters his tipi at night illuminated by the fire inside. Photo by Brandon White.
“Brad Wall had a policy in place for northern Saskatchewan in regards to wildfires and the policy was ‘let it burn.’ This ‘let it burn’ policy goes beyond forest fires, it goes to the heart of very lethal human rights violation type living conditions for citizens of this country, citizens of this province and people who are Indigenous to these lands,” Durocher said.
“I consider their lack of action in regards to suicide, despite their capacity to do something and their fiduciary obligations to do something, to be another form of 'let it burn'.”
Kaeding and Lori Carr, minister responsible for First Nations, Métis and northern affairs, met with Durocher last week.
The government confirmed the meeting in a statement to the press.
“The ministers appreciate Mr. Durocher’s advocacy on this issue and welcomed the opportunity to further this important conversation.”
Kaeding maintains the government's action plan released in May aims to address high suicide rates across the province.
Tristen Durocher walks with Lori Carr and Warren Kaeding during their meeting at Wascana Park. Photo by Michael Bramadat-Willcock.
Durocher called the visit “an attempt at condescension and intimidation” and “a disgusting display of indifference and heartlessness” on the part of ministers Carr and Kaeding.
“I respectfully asked them to leave because I was tired of hearing small numbers thrown around, like $1.2 million for their Pillars of Life suicide prevention strategy. (That) probably doesn't cover the travel budget for a handful of psychologists,” Durocher said.
Glover said that in 2020-21, the government is investing a record $435 million in mental health and addictions services and supports across Saskatchewan.
The government said it will continue working to implement Pillars for Life and “engage the FSIN (Federation of Sovereign Indigenous Nations), Métis Nation-Saskatchewan, Northern leaders and front-line workers to seek solutions to prevent suicide in communities across Saskatchewan.”
Ministers Lori Carr and Warren Kaeding wrote in Tristen Durocher's guest book. Photo by Michael Bramadat-Willcock.
Durocher said that’s not enough. He called on Kaeding to visit northern Saskatchewan and engage with front-line workers on the ground.
“Why not a consultation with the emergency response teams and the people working on the front lines with the demographics we are trying to save, as is (Kaeding’s) job,” Durocher said.
“It needs to be people who actually work with the demographics we’re trying to save,” Durocher said. “People like this man I met in Montreal Lake who they call Cowboy.
“Cowboy drives around Montreal Lake and he’s on the crisis response team there, and he’s been part of that for many years. He goes to houses when people are ready to commit suicide and he stops them… His voice is very meaningful because he’s experienced that. He’s lived that, and he’s worked that. Those are the voices we need.”
An elder holds up a photo of a deceased loved one Regina. Photo by Brandon White.
Glover said the five pillars of the plan align with those set out by the Mental Health Commission of Canada and include specialized supports. He said the plan calls for specific engagement with First Nations and Métis leadership as the work progresses.
“Ensuring a community-driven approach honours the fact that each community is unique and the solutions they present will produce meaningful change,” he said.
Durocher is to appear in court on Thursday for allegedly violating municipal bylaws by putting a tipi on the legislative lawn.
He said he intends to file a human rights complaint if he and his tipi are removed.
Durocher with Black Lives Matter supporters at Wascana Park in Regina. Photo by Michael Bramadat-Willcock.
“They are willing to violate Canada’s Charter of Rights and Freedoms, one of the highest laws, with a municipal bylaw,” Durocher said.
Durocher said forcing him to leave would be a violation of the right to peaceful protest, the rights of Indigenous people to the land and religious practice.
“We’re Indigenous and we have the legal sovereignty and foundational legal base to the lands we occupy and we, through treaties, allowed the settler establishment to exist on the legal foundation that is us and our sovereignty,” Durocher said.
He said it’s insulting that Premier Scott Moe did not meet with him when he arrived at the steps of the legislature, especially because they are being asked to leave without meaningful consultation from land that’s originally theirs.
“For them to not even let a couple of people from the north camp in a 24-foot diameter space on stolen lands, it’s less than ironic, it’s dark comedy.”
Tristen Durocher said that forcing him to leave Wascana Park would violate the Charter of Rights and Freedoms. Photo by Michael Bramadat-Willcock.
“When I was evacuated at that time (the 2015 wildfires) with my friends, we slept in my minivan with family photo albums and the ashes of our grandmothers like we were homeless in Saskatoon, in city parking lots, because of a 'let it burn' policy. That 'let it burn' policy is an overt display of their indifference to the conditions of people in the northern half of this province.”
Glover said that the province has met with representatives of the FSIN and Métis Nation-Saskatchewan to discuss Pillars for Life.
“We are appreciative of the work that went into the development of the Saskatchewan First Nations Suicide Prevention Strategy and look forward to working with Health Canada and First Nation communities to find solutions to address suicide in communities across the province,” Glover said.
Moe addressed the issue in the legislature in June and called Pillars of Life “the very first steps ... on a journey that we need to travel … together as individuals in communities right across this province.”
Tristen Durocher speaks in front of the Saskatchewan legislative building with Saskatchewan NDP Leader Ryan Meili and Cumberland NDP MLA Doyle Vermette in the background. Photo by Brandon White.
Durocher is urging voters to remember this when elections happen in November.
“The public will be voting in November and I hope this is fresh in their minds. That the administration that could have ended this any day chose not to,” Durocher said.
“Casting a vote for politicians whose indifference goes to the depths of being lethal is not only irresponsible, it’s criminally negligent,” Durocher said.
Michael Bramadat-Willcock/Local Journalism Initiative/Canada's National Observer
If you are or someone you know is experiencing suicidal thoughts, help is available at all hours. Support can be found at the Canada Suicide Prevention Service website. If you are in immediate danger, you can call 911.
You can learn more about suicide prevention in the province at Saskatchewan.ca.


nationalobserver--2020-08-13--In Ontario, it’s open season on cormorants. But is the hunt based on science?

“ They have a long history of people not liking them , ” said Gail Fraser , a professor in the faculty of environmental and urban change at York University who has studied cormorants since 2006 .
Standing as tall as the average toddler , they have distinctive S-shaped necks , dark plumage and orange skin around their beaks .
They sometimes vomit when threatened .
Their acidic feces — called guano — kill vegetation on the islands and shorelines they settle , stripping trees bare until they look like bones .
Cormorants also eat a lot of fish , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ competition .
Cormorants are also a conservation success story in Ontario , having bounced back after a dramatic decline in the late 20th century .
The reality is more complicated than that , experts and advocates say : cormorants are native to Ontario , recorded in Lake of the Woods as early as the 1790s .
Eagles ( yes , the province has eagles ) like to eat them , and cormorants are a vital part of a balanced ecosystem .
Some studies have shown that cormorants tend to feast on invasive fish @ @ @ @ @ @ @ like to eat .
Other types of birds prefer to nest near them , Fraser said .
“ We 've heard concerns from property owners , hunters and anglers , and commercial fishers about the kind of damage cormorants have caused in their communities , so we 're taking steps to help them deal with any local issues , ” said Minister of Natural Resources and Forestry John Yakabuski in a July 31 statement .
The latest form of that dislike is a new fall hunting season , announced by the Ontario government @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hunters to bag 15 cormorants per day from Sept. 15 to Dec. 31 .
In its announcement , the province framed hunting cormorants as a means of protecting local fish stocks and ecosystems .
“ We will continue to monitor the cormorant population status and trends to support sustainability of cormorants in the province , ” she said .
Jolanta Kowalski , a spokesperson for the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry , said in a statement that the province has a healthy population of cormorants , and the hunt isn ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ We ’ re not looking for any species to get wiped out , ” Tonelli said .
It ’ s common for governments to control populations of native species when they begin to disrupt normal biodiversity — deer are one example , said Lauren Tonelli , a resources management specialist with the Ontario Federation of Anglers and Hunters ( OFAH ) .
Still , others point to concerns about the impact cormorants can have on ecosystems .
In southern Ontario ’ s Point Pelee National Park , for example , cormorants have been @ @ @ @ @ @ @ species officials say were threatened by cormorant guano .
Critics question the science behind the hunt , with some saying it lacks proper population targets and the bag limit is too high .
Some also say the cormorants have been unfairly maligned , and that there are better ways to control the population .
As public awareness about the effects of DDT grew and stricter regulations came in , use of the chemical decreased and cormorants began to recover .
Their populations exploded in the ’ 90s , and they began populating the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s a whole generation of people that never saw cormorants while they were out on the water , ” Fraser said .
Suffering from the effects of the toxic pesticide DDT , the contentious birds ’ eggs had become so thin that they ’ d crack under the weight of adults incubating them , killing the embryos .
By the early ’ 70s , just 130 nesting pairs were recorded on the Great Lakes , with the birds completely absent on the American side .
Some states south of the border listed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the time OFAH started raising concerns about the birds , Tonelli said .
“ A lot of our members were noticing that the islands and shorelines where cormorants roost really started to die off after a few years of cormorants being there.
” “ We started pushing the government to do their own control program , ” she added .
“ What they decided to do instead was to institute a — I hesitate to call it a hunt , it ’ s more of a cull.
” The Ontario government first proposed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ supported the idea , although Tonelli said the group would have preferred a different approach . )
Even with some modifications in response to public feedback , the plan is deeply flawed , said Fraser , who also said it amounts to a cull .
If 1,000 hunters took home the bag limit of 15 cormorants per day for 10 days , they ’ d be killing 150,000 birds .
That ’ s more than the breeding population of 143,000 , which the province identified through monitoring last year .
About 285,000 people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ d need to hunt cormorants , according to the Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry .
( The same licence also allows hunting of other animals , such as rabbits and grouse . )
“ That is not sustainable , ” Fraser said .
Tonelli said that kind of math is unrealistic — there are a lot of cormorant habitats , such as provincial parks and municipal shorelines , where hunting isn ’ t allowed .
The birds will also likely scatter and fly away if hunters are shooting at their colony @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of someone actually shooting 15 cormorants per day for the entirety of the season is almost nonexistent , ” Tonelli said .
“ We really see this season , especially since it overlaps with waterfowl season , as a way for people who are already out waterfowl hunting to maybe remove a few cormorants while they ’ re out.
” Fraser also said she ’ s concerned that the government doesn ’ t appear to have set population targets for cormorants .
Such targets exist for other game , such as deer .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ or explain the lack of them when asked by Canada ’ s National Observer .
“ Combined with historical data , trends suggest that cormorant populations are increasing in Lake Ontario , Lake Erie , and Lake Superior and are stable on the St. Lawrence River and Lake Huron , ” Kowalski said in the statement .
‘ I don ’ t know what purpose that serves , killing a bunch of birds ’ Government staff have also pushed back against the cormorant hunt , CBC News reported last year .
After an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in 2018 , one report author said the idea that a cormorant hunt would improve commercial or recreational fish stocks was “ not supported by science , ” according to documents obtained by CBC .
Multiple studies have shown cormorants primarily eat invasive species , rather than salmon or walleye .
Kowalski said “ a number ” of staff concerns were resolved in the government ’ s final proposal .
“ The potential impacts to local fish populations , habitat , and other nesting waterbirds is well-documented in the primary scientific literature , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to three papers discussing the issue .
One , a 2006 government report on cormorants in Ontario , notes that although anglers are concerned about the impact on fish , “ Various studies have shown that cormorants can have an impact on fish abundance and production… however , there has been no evidence to suggest that cormorants have been responsible for the demise of any species in the Great Lakes-wide fish community.
” The report also notes that climate change , overfishing and toxic contaminants are more significant threats for fish stocks .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ about cormorants at one provincial park in Ontario , recommends the birds be culled , but does not make mention of fish stocks .
The third , a provincial discussion paper , says scientists are “ currently working to determine if cormorants are having a significant influence on fish populations , ” but does not include any conclusions .
Tonelli said the impact on fish stocks isn ’ t a top concern for the OFAH , though the organization is concerned that studies haven ’ t been done on how cormorants could affect @ @ @ @ @ @ @ recently started to settle on .
“ Fishers should celebrate the existence of large colonies of cormorants , ” said Liz White , a board member with the Animal Alliance of Canada who has campaigned against the cormorant hunt .
“ It ’ s an indication that the fish populations in the area that they ’ re nesting in are abundant and healthy.
” Conservation authorities in the Kawarthas and Nipissing , which the government singled out in its announcement of the hunt as having cormorant problems , said they hadn ’ t @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Nation Chief Scott McLeod , who has more than 25 years of fishery experience , told Canada ’ s National Observer in an interview that cormorants haven ’ t had an impact on the nation ’ s fishery .
He also says the hunt seems wasteful — cormorants aren ’ t edible .
“ Everybody knows that cormorants are not a delicacy by any means , ” he said .
They ’ re “ like eating a fish-duck , ” he added .
“ It ’ s just not palatable.
” Though McLeod @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he also said he questions the science behind it .
“ It ’ s not like I ’ m a renegade for the protection of cormorants… I don ’ t think any amount of hunting will affect them that much , ” McLeod said .
“ I was not raised to go and kill things for nothing , and that just seems like what it is to me… I don ’ t know what purpose that serves , killing a bunch of birds.
” When asked what evidence the government was relying on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Kawarthas and on Lake Nipissing , Kowalski said the ministry heard “ concerns from property owners , hunters and anglers , and commercial fishers.
” “ We ’ re taking steps to help them deal with any local issues , ” she said .
The Georgian Bay Association , which represents 3,000 families living along the northeastern arm of Lake Huron , said it isn ’ t troubled about the impact of cormorants on the ecosystem .
“ We ’ re not really concerned about cormorant colonies , to be honest… there ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said the association ’ s executive director Rupert Kindersley .
“ We don ’ t believe it ’ s justifiable to hunt cormorants just because they make a mess of trees when they nest.
” Andrea Chreston , a project manager for the Toronto and Region Conservation Authority ( TRCA ) who works on managing cormorants at Tommy Thompson Park along the city ’ s shoreline , said rising numbers of cormorants there haven ’ t noticeably harmed fish populations .
“ Based on our monitoring data ... the cormorants have not had @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Toronto waterfront , ” she said .
Is there a better way to control cormorants ?
Cormorants do have an impact on their ecosystem — that much is clear .
And even if they are a native species , that impact can sometimes throw off the balance .
In addition to the possibility of fish stocks decreasing on smaller inland lakes , Tonelli said cormorants can also destroy habitat for other species .
Their guano can kill trees and other vegetation , which can take many years to grow back after cormorants @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cormorants in the past at Ontario 's Presqu'ile Provincial Park , and at Point Pelee .
Fraser said if a cull must be done , it should be targeted .
“ Using hunting as a way to control the population… .
you have no control over it , ” she said , adding that enforcing bag limits is difficult .
“ Conservation officers would enforce rules and regulations as they normally do during any hunting or fishing season , ” Kowalski countered .
At Tommy Thompson in Toronto , the conservation authority decided @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Staff realized the need to manage the birds in 2007 after they began to cause serious damage to the park ’ s tree canopy , Chreston said .
The TRCA worked with scientists and the public to come up with a plan to encourage cormorants to nest on the ground , rather than in undamaged trees .
The most aggressive technique they use involves knocking down cormorant nests using long poles , Chreston said .
“ This is labour intensive , but it ’ s quite successful.
” The result ?
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , but damage to the tree canopy does n't appear to be increasing .
McLeod said he worries that humans think they know better than nature , an approach that can have unforeseen consequences .
“ We end up time and time again doing things we shouldn ’ t have .
I don ’ t think that this is any different , really , ” he said .
“ There are a lot of pigeons around , are they going to open a season on those ?
I don ’ t know what @ @ @ @ @ @

The latest form of that dislike is a new fall hunting season, announced by the Ontario government on July 31, which will allow hunters to bag 15 cormorants per day from Sept. 15 to Dec. 31. In its announcement, the province framed hunting cormorants as a means of protecting local fish stocks and ecosystems.
“They have a long history of people not liking them,” said Gail Fraser, a professor in the faculty of environmental and urban change at York University who has studied cormorants since 2006.
Standing as tall as the average toddler, they have distinctive S-shaped necks, dark plumage and orange skin around their beaks. They sometimes vomit when threatened. Their acidic feces — called guano — kills vegetation on the islands and shorelines they settle, stripping trees bare until they look like bones. Cormorants also eat a lot of fish, and anglers have long viewed them as competition.
Cormorants are also a conservation success story in Ontario, having bounced back after a dramatic decline in the late 20th century.
The reality is more complicated than that, experts and advocates say: cormorants are native to Ontario, recorded in Lake of the Woods as early as the 1790s. Eagles (yes, the province has eagles ) like to eat them, and cormorants are a vital part of a balanced ecosystem. Some studies have shown that cormorants tend to feast on invasive fish species, rather than the ones humans like to eat. Other types of birds prefer to nest near them, Fraser said.
“We've heard concerns from property owners, hunters and anglers, and commercial fishers about the kind of damage cormorants have caused in their communities, so we're taking steps to help them deal with any local issues,” said Minister of Natural Resources and Forestry John Yakabuski in a July 31 statement.
Jolanta Kowalski, a spokesperson for the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry, said in a statement that the province has a healthy population of cormorants, and the hunt isn’t expected to change that.
“We’re not looking for any species to get wiped out,” Tonelli said.
It’s common for governments to control populations of native species when they begin to disrupt normal biodiversity — deer are one example, said Lauren Tonelli, a resources management specialist with the Ontario Federation of Anglers and Hunters (OFAH).
Still, others point to concerns about the impact cormorants can have on ecosystems. In southern Ontario’s Point Pelee National Park, for example, cormorants have been culled in an effort to protect rare species officials say were threatened by cormorant guano.
Critics question the science behind the hunt, with some saying it lacks proper population targets and the bag limit is too high. Some also say the cormorants have been unfairly maligned, and that there are better ways to control the population.
“We will continue to monitor the cormorant population status and trends to support sustainability of cormorants in the province,” she said.
A conservation victory
In the 1960s, double-crested cormorants started vanishing rapidly from the Great Lakes.
Suffering from the effects of the toxic pesticide DDT, the contentious birds’ eggs had become so thin that they’d crack under the weight of adults incubating them, killing the embryos. By the early ’70s, just 130 nesting pairs were recorded on the Great Lakes, with the birds completely absent on the American side. Some states south of the border listed cormorants as endangered.
“There’s a whole generation of people that never saw cormorants while they were out on the water,” Fraser said.
As public awareness about the effects of DDT grew and stricter regulations came in, use of the chemical decreased and cormorants began to recover. Their populations exploded in the ’90s, and they began populating the Great Lakes once more.
That was about the time OFAH started raising concerns about the birds, Tonelli said. “A lot of our members were noticing that the islands and shorelines where cormorants roost really started to die off after a few years of cormorants being there.”
“We started pushing the government to do their own control program,” she added. “What they decided to do instead was to institute a — I hesitate to call it a hunt, it’s more of a cull.”
The Ontario government first proposed the hunt last year. (OFAH supported the idea, although Tonelli said the group would have preferred a different approach.)
Even with some modifications in response to public feedback, the plan is deeply flawed, said Fraser, who also said it amounts to a cull. If 1,000 hunters took home the bag limit of 15 cormorants per day for 10 days, they’d be killing 150,000 birds. That’s more than the breeding population of 143,000, which the province identified through monitoring last year.
About 285,000 people currently hold the small game licence they’d need to hunt cormorants, according to the Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry. (The same licence also allows hunting of other animals, such as rabbits and grouse.)
“That is not sustainable,” Fraser said.
Tonelli said that kind of math is unrealistic — there are a lot of cormorant habitats, such as provincial parks and municipal shorelines, where hunting isn’t allowed. The birds will also likely scatter and fly away if hunters are shooting at their colony, she added.
“The chance of someone actually shooting 15 cormorants per day for the entirety of the season is almost nonexistent,” Tonelli said.
“We really see this season, especially since it overlaps with waterfowl season, as a way for people who are already out waterfowl hunting to maybe remove a few cormorants while they’re out.”
Fraser also said she’s concerned that the government doesn’t appear to have set population targets for cormorants. Such targets exist for other game, such as deer.
“It’s not good natural resource management,” Fraser said.
The province didn’t provide targets or explain the lack of them when asked by Canada’s National Observer.
“Combined with historical data, trends suggest that cormorant populations are increasing in Lake Ontario, Lake Erie, and Lake Superior and are stable on the St. Lawrence River and Lake Huron,” Kowalski said in the statement.
Gail Fraser, a cormorant expert and professor at York University, said she's concerned the Ford government's plan for a cormorant hunt is deeply flawed. Photo courtesy Gail Fraser
‘I don’t know what purpose that serves, killing a bunch of birds’
Government staff have also pushed back against the cormorant hunt, CBC News reported last year. After an earlier version of the plan was proposed in 2018, one report author said the idea that a cormorant hunt would improve commercial or recreational fish stocks was “not supported by science,” according to documents obtained by CBC.
Multiple studies have shown cormorants primarily eat invasive species, rather than salmon or walleye.
Kowalski said “a number” of staff concerns were resolved in the government’s final proposal.
“The potential impacts to local fish populations, habitat, and other nesting waterbirds is well-documented in the primary scientific literature,” she said.
Kowalski also pointed to three papers discussing the issue.
One, a 2006 government report on cormorants in Ontario, notes that although anglers are concerned about the impact on fish, “Various studies have shown that cormorants can have an impact on fish abundance and production… however, there has been no evidence to suggest that cormorants have been responsible for the demise of any species in the Great Lakes-wide fish community.” The report also notes that climate change, overfishing and toxic contaminants are more significant threats for fish stocks.
The second paper, a 2004 report about cormorants at one provincial park in Ontario, recommends the birds be culled, but does not make mention of fish stocks. The third, a provincial discussion paper, says scientists are “currently working to determine if cormorants are having a significant influence on fish populations,” but does not include any conclusions.
Tonelli said the impact on fish stocks isn’t a top concern for the OFAH, though the organization is concerned that studies haven’t been done on how cormorants could affect smaller inland lakes, which they have recently started to settle on.
“Fishers should celebrate the existence of large colonies of cormorants,” said Liz White, a board member with the Animal Alliance of Canada who has campaigned against the cormorant hunt.
“It’s an indication that the fish populations in the area that they’re nesting in are abundant and healthy.”
Conservation authorities in the Kawarthas and Nipissing, which the government singled out in its announcement of the hunt as having cormorant problems, said they hadn’t worked on the issue.
Nipissing First Nation Chief Scott McLeod, who has more than 25 years of fishery experience, told Canada’s National Observer in an interview that cormorants haven’t had an impact on the nation’s fishery. He also says the hunt seems wasteful — cormorants aren’t edible.
“Everybody knows that cormorants are not a delicacy by any means,” he said. They’re “like eating a fish-duck,” he added. “It’s just not palatable.”
Though McLeod said he’s not anti-hunting, he also said he questions the science behind it.
“It’s not like I’m a renegade for the protection of cormorants… I don’t think any amount of hunting will affect them that much,” McLeod said. “I was not raised to go and kill things for nothing, and that just seems like what it is to me… I don’t know what purpose that serves, killing a bunch of birds.”
When asked what evidence the government was relying on when pointing to cormorant problems in the Kawarthas and on Lake Nipissing, Kowalski said the ministry heard “concerns from property owners, hunters and anglers, and commercial fishers.”
“We’re taking steps to help them deal with any local issues,” she said.
The Georgian Bay Association, which represents 3,000 families living along the northeastern arm of Lake Huron, said it isn’t troubled about the impact of cormorants on the ecosystem.
“We’re not really concerned about cormorant colonies, to be honest… there’s not a huge number,” said the association’s executive director Rupert Kindersley.
“We don’t believe it’s justifiable to hunt cormorants just because they make a mess of trees when they nest.”
Andrea Chreston, a project manager for the Toronto and Region Conservation Authority (TRCA) who works on managing cormorants at Tommy Thompson Park along the city’s shoreline, said rising numbers of cormorants there haven’t noticeably harmed fish populations.
“Based on our monitoring data... the cormorants have not had an impact on the fish population along the Toronto waterfront,” she said.
At Tommy Thompson Park in Toronto, cormorants are managed non-lethally. Park staff encourage them to nest on the ground, rather than in healthy trees. Photo courtesy Gail Fraser
Is there a better way to control cormorants?
Cormorants do have an impact on their ecosystem — that much is clear. And even if they are a native species, that impact can sometimes throw off the balance.
In addition to the possibility of fish stocks decreasing on smaller inland lakes, Tonelli said cormorants can also destroy habitat for other species. Their guano can kill trees and other vegetation, which can take many years to grow back after cormorants leave the area.
Governments have culled cormorants in the past at Ontario's Presqu'ile Provincial Park, and at Point Pelee. Fraser said if a cull must be done, it should be targeted.
“Using hunting as a way to control the population…. you have no control over it,” she said, adding that enforcing bag limits is difficult.
“Conservation officers would enforce rules and regulations as they normally do during any hunting or fishing season,” Kowalski countered.
At Tommy Thompson in Toronto, the conservation authority decided to use non-lethal methods to control cormorants. Staff realized the need to manage the birds in 2007 after they began to cause serious damage to the park’s tree canopy, Chreston said. The TRCA worked with scientists and the public to come up with a plan to encourage cormorants to nest on the ground, rather than in undamaged trees.
The most aggressive technique they use involves knocking down cormorant nests using long poles, Chreston said. “This is labour intensive, but it’s quite successful.”
The result? The park’s cormorant population has grown, but damage to the tree canopy doesn't appear to be increasing.
McLeod said he worries that humans think they know better than nature, an approach that can have unforeseen consequences.
“We end up time and time again doing things we shouldn’t have. I don’t think that this is any different, really,” he said.
“There are a lot of pigeons around, are they going to open a season on those? I don’t know what they’re thinking.”


nationalobserver--2020-08-13--Feds spending $50 million to get surplus food to struggling Canadians

Canadians struggling to get enough to eat will soon have better access to food that otherwise would be composted .
On Thursday , federal Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food Marie-Claude Bibeau announced details of the $ 50-million Surplus Food Rescue Program , created in response to the COVID-19 pandemic .
The program will partner with eight organizations to redistribute about 12 million kilograms of meat , seafood , fruits , and vegetables that were destined for Canadian restaurants and hotels .
“ This is a win-win , ” said Bibeau in a statement .
“ Not only are we helping @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to restaurants , we are also aiding Canadians who have sought help from food banks.
” In June , Statistics Canada reported that one in seven Canadians reported food insecurity over the previous month — a four per cent increase compared to data collected in 2018 .
Additionally , those absent from work due to the pandemic were three times more likely to be food insecure than those who were working .
• Canada supporting fossil fuels at 10 times the G20 average during pandemic • Bloc leader says he will try to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ And in B.C.
, the provincial government estimated that about half a million people were food insecure before the pandemic — a number that has likely increased .
Food banks have seen more use over the past six months , a trend that is expected to continue after the Canada Emergency Response Benefit ends up on Oct. 3 .
Food waste was major problem in Canada before COVID-19 , and pandemic-related food surpluses could make it worse .
The $ 50 million announced on Thursday by the federal government will help reduce this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Lori Nikkel et al./Second Harvest .
The funding announced Thursday will support distribution networks already established by national food charities and organizations , including Food Banks Canada , Second Harvest , and the Canadian Produce Marketing Association .
These three groups will get more than $ 11 million each to move food from producers to local food banks and food charities across the country .
Second Harvest is Canada ’ s largest food rescue organization and one of the program recipients .
In a 2019 report , the organization estimated that about 35.5 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the country is wasted each year .
Thirty-two per cent of that loss , worth $ 49.5 billion , is avoidable — and edible .
The food stranded by COVID-19 could only make the situation worse .
“ The pandemic has brought unprecedented challenges across the entire food supply chain , ” Lori Nikkel , Second Harvest ’ s CEO , said in a statement .
Canadians struggling to eat enough will soon have better access to food that otherwise would be composted .
On Thursday , minister of agriculture Marie-Claude Bibeau , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ program to redistribute surplus food .
“ Funding from the Surplus Food Rescue Program will have positive environmental , economic , and social impacts by diverting healthy surplus food to communities instead of becoming landfill waste .
”

Canadians struggling to get enough to eat will soon have better access to food that otherwise would be composted.
On Thursday, federal Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food Marie-Claude Bibeau announced details of the $50-million Surplus Food Rescue Program, created in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The program will partner with eight organizations to redistribute about 12 million kilograms of meat, seafood, fruits, and vegetables that were destined for Canadian restaurants and hotels.
“This is a win-win,” said Bibeau in a statement. “Not only are we helping producers who cannot sell their goods to restaurants, we are also aiding Canadians who have sought help from food banks.”


nationalobserver--2020-08-14--Feds earmark $31 million to help communities adapt to realities of COVID-19

The federal government is offering $ 31 million to help communities find ways to adapt to the realities of the COVID-19 pandemic .
The money could be used for everything from pop-up bike paths to art installations to apps to support local markets — efforts to improve quality of life as people live through the pandemic , said Infrastructure Minister Catherine McKenna .
`` Canadians want to be able to work and play and learn in safe , vibrant and inclusive communities , '' she said in announcing the program .
`` That 's really what that 's all about @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Canada Healthy Communities Initiative , is aimed at non-governmental organizations that will work with municipalities and other groups to identify projects over the next two years .
• 'Let it burn ' : Suicide prevention policy likened to wildfires • In Ontario , it ’ s open season on cormorants .
But is the hunt based on science ?
• Feds spending $ 50 million to get surplus food to struggling Canadians The government says it is taking the $ 31 million from $ 170 million left in the Smart Cities Challenge program @ @ @ @ @ @ @ encourage cities to find new ways to use data and technology to help residents .
McKenna said information on how groups can apply to the new program will be announced soon , and she looks forward to the ideas people bring forward .
`` The trauma of this pandemic will eventually pass but in its wake the world will be a different place and Canada will be too , '' she said .
`` We have a chance right now to think carefully about the Canada we need and the Canada we all @ @ @ @ @ @ @ report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 13 , 2020 .

The federal government is offering $31 million to help communities find ways to adapt to the realities of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The money could be used for everything from pop-up bike paths to art installations to apps to support local markets — efforts to improve quality of life as people live through the pandemic, said Infrastructure Minister Catherine McKenna.
"Canadians want to be able to work and play and learn in safe, vibrant and inclusive communities," she said in announcing the program.
"That's really what that's all about."
The new program, the Canada Healthy Communities Initiative, is aimed at non-governmental organizations that will work with municipalities and other groups to identify projects over the next two years.