nationalobserver--2020-07-31--This lawyer took on Chevron and won the largest human rights and environmental court judgment in his

This lawyer took on Chevron and won the largest human rights and environmental court judgment in history. Then he lost his freedom

Last September , I travelled from Western Canada to New York City to see human rights lawyer Steven Donziger .
Donziger can not travel .
He can not even stroll the hallway of his Upper West Side apartment building on 104th Street without special court permission .
He remains under house arrest , wearing an ankle bracelet .
Eight years ago , Donziger and a team of Ecuadorian lawyers , on behalf of Indigenous and farmer plaintiffs , won the largest human rights and environmental court judgment in history , a $ 9.5-billion US verdict against the Chevron Corporation for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ basin .
Following the trial , Chevron removed its assets from Ecuador , left the country , and has refused to pay .
The company now claims the Ecuador verdict was achieved fraudulently , and produced a witness , who told a US court that he possessed knowledge of a bribe .
Judge Lewis Kaplan ruled in Chevron 's favour , halting collection of the pollution fine in the U.S. and placing Donziger in electronic chains in his home .
Donziger 's wife Laura let me in .
Their son Matthew shook my @ @ @ @ @ @ @ circumstances , the household bustled with preparations for a dinner party that evening .
I found Donziger in his modest living room , on the phone , taking notes on a legal pad .
Is this man the renowned human rights attorney , celebrated by Nobel laureates and international lawyers , or is he a fraud artist ?
• Rescue team scrambling to find three distressed humpback whales on B.C .
coast • What I learned about violence in B.C .
's Peace Valley • Coastal residents lose right to board before tourists @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Coquinche and Gabriel Ruales moved with their family to Orellana Province and unwittingly used water from an oil polluted stream .
Since then , Mrs. Coquinche 's father died of stomach cancer , her sister died of uterine cancer , and their son died from cerebral palsy .
Photograph by Enrico Aviles , 2020 .
Donziger , born in Jacksonville , Fla. , in 1961 , graduated from Harvard Law in 1991 , and founded Project Due Process , offering legal services to Cuban refugees .
In 1993 , Ecuador 's Frente de @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , representing 30,000 victims of Chevron 's pollution , heard about Donziger and asked him to help win compensation for their lost land , polluted water , and epidemics of cancer and birth defects in a region now known as the `` Amazon Chernobyl . ''
Donziger originally filed the claim in New York , but Chevron insisted the case be heard in Ecuador , where the trial began in 1993 .
Evidence showed that between 1964 and 1992 , Texaco ( now Chevron ) dumped 16 billion gallons of toxic wastewater into @ @ @ @ @ @ @ inspections confirmed that the average Chevron waste pit in Ecuador contained 200 times the contamination allowed by U.S. and world standards , including illegal levels of barium , cadmium , copper , mercury , lead , and other metals that can damage the immune and reproductive systems and cause cancer .
According to Amazon Watch , by ignoring regulations , the company saved about $ 3 per barrel of oil , earning an extra $ 5 billion over 20 years .
In 2007 , during the trial , Chevron stated that if the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a `` lifetime of ... litigation . ''
The plaintiffs persevered .
Since the victims were dirt poor , Donziger and his team , with FDA support , devised an innovative solution to fund the case , offering investors a tiny portion of any eventual settlement .
`` I believe the injustice to him is intended to intimidate the rest of us , to chill the work of other environmental and corporate accountability advocates . ''
In 2011 , after an eight-year trial , the court ruled in favour of the plaintiffs .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Supreme Court , the Court of Cassation , confirmed the decision .
Seventeen appellate judges ruled unanimously that Chevron was responsible for the contamination and owed Donziger 's clients $ 9.5 billion .
According to court documents , Chevron `` refus ( ed ) to comply '' with the judgment and began to make good on its threat for a `` lifetime of litigation . ''
According to internal company memos , Chevron launched a retaliatory campaign to attack the victims , discredit Ecuador 's courts , and `` demonize '' Donziger .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ most notorious law firms , Gibson , Dunn & Crutcher — previously censured by England 's High Court of Justice for fabricating evidence .
Judges in California , Montana , and New York have censured and fined Gibson Dunn for such misbehaviour as witness tampering , obstruction , intimidation , and what one judge called “ legal thuggery . ''
Using U.S. RICO statutes designed to prosecute organized crime syndicates , the firm filed a `` racketeering '' case against Donziger .
Judge Kaplan at the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tobacco company lawyer widely viewed as being friendly to large corporations — agreed to hear the peculiar case .
Kaplan claimed the Ecuador trial `` was not a bona fide litigation ” and insulted the victims , calling them “ so-called plaintiffs.
” Gibson Dunn lawyer Randy Mastro called the Ecuador courts “ a sham.
” Prominent trial lawyer John Keker , representing Donziger , claimed the Kaplan trial was pure intimidation and called the proceedings a `` Dickensian farce '' driven by Kaplan 's `` implacable hostility '' toward Donziger .
On @ @ @ @ @ @ @ dropped its financial claims , allowing Kaplan to dismiss the jury and decide the outcome himself .
Then Chevron unveiled their star witness — Alberto Guerra , a disgraced former Ecuadorian judge removed from the bench for accepting bribes .
In a Chicago hotel room , Chevron and Gibson Dunn lawyers rehearsed Guerra for 53 days .
In Kaplan 's court , Guerra claimed that Donziger had approved a `` bribe '' to an Ecuadorian judge and had written the final court ruling for the judge , allegedly transferred on a computer thumb @ @ @ @ @ @ @ offered .
Guerra later admitted lying about these facts , and a forensic investigation of the Ecuadorian judge 's computer proved that Guerra had lied .
The entire story now appears fabricated .
Donziger 's lawyers have attempted to locate Guerra and depose him , but the star witness has not yet been found .
`` Chevron 's case , '' said Donziger 's lawyer Andrew Frisch , `` rested on the testimony of a witness who was paid over $ 1 million . ''
Frisch stated that Kaplan 's rulings `` have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by 17 appellate judges in Ecuador and 10 in Canada , including unanimous decisions of the highest courts in both countries . ''
Nevertheless , without a jury , Kaplan accepted Guerra 's testimony and found that Donziger had committed fraud .
Finally , Kaplan ordered Donziger to turn over his computer and cellphone to Chevron .
Since this order violated attorney-client confidentiality , Donziger refused until the court of appeals could decide the issue .
Kaplan charged Donziger with `` criminal contempt '' for refusing his order .
However , the order @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that the N.Y. prosecutor 's office refused to accept the case .
Kaplan defied the state authorities and appointed a private law firm , Seward & Kissel — with commercial ties to Chevron — to act as prosecutor , which , in turn , ordered Donziger be placed under `` pretrial home detention . ''
In the Pozo Aguarico region of Ecuador , lawyer Maria Cecilia Herrera shows the oil pollution that remains in the ground 30 years after oil production ceased .
Photograph by Enrico Aviles , 2020 .
An unnamed New @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Donziger and his lawyers to be Kaplan — filed a complaint against Donziger with the bar grievance committee in New York , which then suspended Donziger ’ s law licence without a hearing .
However , bar referee and former federal prosecutor John Horan called for a hearing and recommended the return of Donziger 's law licence .
“ The extent of his pursuit by Chevron is so extravagant , and at this point so unnecessary and punitive , ” Horan wrote , “ he should be allowed to resume the practice of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Any neutral judicial officer who looks objectively at the record almost always finds against Chevron and Kaplan .
The tide is turning and the hard evidence about the extreme injustice in Kaplan ’ s court will be exposed . ''
This case appears to be about bullying .
Chevron is one of the wealthiest corporations in the world .
The plaintiffs are poor , Indigenous , and campesino people with scarce access to money or lawyers .
`` Donziger came to our rescue , '' says FDA president Luis Yanza .
How big @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 's lawyers estimate the oil giant has spent over $ 2 billion on 2,000 lawyers , public relations teams , and private investigators .
At the dinner party at Donziger 's , I met supporters from around the world , from Amazon Watch and Global Witness , journalists , lawyers , and human rights advocates .
`` This case is not just about Steven 's fate , '' said Simon Taylor , director of Global Witness in London .
`` I believe the injustice to him is intended to intimidate the rest of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ other environmental and corporate accountability advocates . ''
American human rights attorneys Martin Garbus and Charles Nesson formed a support committee for Donziger with dozens of civil society leaders , including : Clive Stafford-Smith , founder of the prisoner-rights group Reprieve in London ; Atossa Soltani and Leila Salazar , the founder and executive director of Amazon Watch ; Lynne Twist , co-founder of the Pachamama Alliance working in the Amazon ; renowned author John Perkins ; and famed musician Roger Waters .
The tide may be turning for Donziger and the victims @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Amnesty International asked the U.S. Department of Justice to conduct a criminal investigation into Chevron 's and Gibson Dunn 's conduct , witness bribery , and fraud in the Ecuador pollution litigation This past February , Prof. Ellen Yaroshefsky , director of the Monroe H. Freedman Institute for the Study of Legal Ethics at Hofstra University in New York , wrote that the Kaplan and Seward & Kissel prosecution of Donziger is flawed with conflicts of interest , financial ties to Chevron Corporation , and judicial bias .
In April , 29 Nobel @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ( We ) support Steven Donziger and the Indigenous peoples and local communities in Ecuador in their decades-long work to achieve environmental justice over pollution caused by Chevron ... .
Chevron and a pro-corporate judicial ally , U.S. District Judge Lewis A. Kaplan , manufactured ‘ contempt ’ charges against Donziger .
( Chevron 's ) goal is to intimidate and disempower the victims of its pollution and a lawyer who has worked for decades on their behalf.
” A month later , more than 475 international lawyers , bar associations , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for persecuting Donziger `` based on false witness testimony provided by Chevron , personal animus , and ... to protect Chevron from a valid foreign court judgment . ''
The letter , from the U.S. National Lawyers Guild and the International Association of Democratic Lawyers , urges an end to the pretrial house arrest of Donziger , noting “ such arbitrary detention sets a dangerous precedent for human rights attorneys in the United States and around the world.
” On May 27 , 2020 , the Newground investment firm in Seattle , Wash. @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s 2020 proxy call , asking for governance reforms to bring its Ecuador issues to resolution , and prevent future human rights and pollution liabilities .
The proposals were supported by actor Alec Baldwin , musician Roger Waters , and Nobel laureate Jody Williams .
On July 16 , the European Parliament wrote to the U.S. Congress asking the Congressional Subcommittee on the Constitution , Civil Rights , and Civil Liberties to investigate Chevron 's treatment of Donziger , which the EU Parliament found `` not consistent with what has traditionally been the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the rule of law generally and for protection for human rights defenders in particular . ''
Late at night , in the Donziger home , after the supporters had left , Donziger and his wife Laura sipped wine .
`` We 're not giving up , '' Donziger said .
`` The only fraud in this case has been conducted by Chevron .
Modern nations have comity relationships , formally respecting each other 's court decisions .
We 're reviewing enforcement actions in Canada , Australia , and other jurisdictions .
Chevron owes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ just run , hide , and fabricate stories to avoid paying .
They 're persecuting me to try to change the public narrative , but they 're guilty .
They committed the crime , they hurt people , they were proven responsible in a court of law that they chose , and they owe the money . ''
Laura looked exhausted by the relentless harassment , but managed a smile .
`` The truth is the truth , '' she said , and offered me more wine .
As I write this , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ home detention for 345 days , almost a year , longer than any lawyer in U.S. history has ever served for a contempt charge .

Is this man the renowned human rights attorney, celebrated by Nobel laureates and international lawyers, or is he a fraud artist?
Donziger's wife Laura let me in. Their son Matthew shook my hand. In spite of the dire circumstances, the household bustled with preparations for a dinner party that evening. I found Donziger in his modest living room, on the phone, taking notes on a legal pad.
Following the trial, Chevron removed its assets from Ecuador, left the country, and has refused to pay. The company now claims the Ecuador verdict was achieved fraudulently, and produced a witness, who told a US court that he possessed knowledge of a bribe. Judge Lewis Kaplan ruled in Chevron's favour, halting collection of the pollution fine in the U.S. and placing Donziger in electronic chains in his home.
Eight years ago, Donziger and a team of Ecuadorian lawyers, on behalf of Indigenous and farmer plaintiffs, won the largest human rights and environmental court judgment in history, a $9.5-billion US verdict against the Chevron Corporation for massive oil pollution in Ecuador's Amazon basin.
Last September, I travelled from Western Canada to New York City to see human rights lawyer Steven Donziger. Donziger cannot travel. He cannot even stroll the hallway of his Upper West Side apartment building on 104th Street without special court permission. He remains under house arrest, wearing an ankle bracelet.
Donziger, born in Jacksonville, Fla., in 1961, graduated from Harvard Law in 1991, and founded Project Due Process, offering legal services to Cuban refugees. In 1993, Ecuador's Frente de Defensa de la Amazonía (FDA), representing 30,000 victims of Chevron's pollution, heard about Donziger and asked him to help win compensation for their lost land, polluted water, and epidemics of cancer and birth defects in a region now known as the "Amazon Chernobyl."
In 2011, after an eight-year trial, the court ruled in favour of the plaintiffs. Two appeals courts and the nation's Supreme Court, the Court of Cassation, confirmed the decision. Seventeen appellate judges ruled unanimously that Chevron was responsible for the contamination and owed Donziger's clients $9.5 billion.
In 2007, during the trial, Chevron stated that if the victims pursued the case, they faced a "lifetime of ... litigation." The plaintiffs persevered. Since the victims were dirt poor, Donziger and his team, with FDA support, devised an innovative solution to fund the case, offering investors a tiny portion of any eventual settlement.
Evidence showed that between 1964 and 1992, Texaco (now Chevron) dumped 16 billion gallons of toxic wastewater into rivers and pits. Fifty-four judicial site inspections confirmed that the average Chevron waste pit in Ecuador contained 200 times the contamination allowed by U.S. and world standards, including illegal levels of barium, cadmium, copper, mercury, lead, and other metals that can damage the immune and reproductive systems and cause cancer. According to Amazon Watch , by ignoring regulations, the company saved about $3 per barrel of oil, earning an extra $5 billion over 20 years.
Donziger originally filed the claim in New York, but Chevron insisted the case be heard in Ecuador, where the trial began in 1993.
Chevron hired one of the world's most notorious law firms, Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher — previously censured by England's High Court of Justice for fabricating evidence. Judges in California, Montana, and New York have censured and fined Gibson Dunn for such misbehaviour as witness tampering, obstruction, intimidation, and what one judge called “legal thuggery."
According to court documents , Chevron "refus(ed) to comply" with the judgment and began to make good on its threat for a "lifetime of litigation." According to internal company memos , Chevron launched a retaliatory campaign to attack the victims, discredit Ecuador's courts, and "demonize" Donziger.
Using U.S. RICO statutes designed to prosecute organized crime syndicates, the firm filed a "racketeering" case against Donziger. Judge Kaplan at the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit in New York — a former tobacco company lawyer widely viewed as being friendly to large corporations — agreed to hear the peculiar case. Kaplan claimed the Ecuador trial "was not a bona fide litigation” and insulted the victims, calling them “so-called plaintiffs.” Gibson Dunn lawyer Randy Mastro called the Ecuador courts “a sham.”
Prominent trial lawyer John Keker, representing Donziger, claimed the Kaplan trial was pure intimidation and called the proceedings a "Dickensian farce" driven by Kaplan's "implacable hostility" toward Donziger.
On the eve of the trial, Chevron dropped its financial claims, allowing Kaplan to dismiss the jury and decide the outcome himself. Then Chevron unveiled their star witness — Alberto Guerra, a disgraced former Ecuadorian judge removed from the bench for accepting bribes. In a Chicago hotel room, Chevron and Gibson Dunn lawyers rehearsed Guerra for 53 days.
In Kaplan's court, Guerra claimed that Donziger had approved a "bribe" to an Ecuadorian judge and had written the final court ruling for the judge, allegedly transferred on a computer thumb drive. No corroborating evidence was ever offered. Guerra later admitted lying about these facts, and a forensic investigation of the Ecuadorian judge's computer proved that Guerra had lied.
The entire story now appears fabricated. Donziger's lawyers have attempted to locate Guerra and depose him, but the star witness has not yet been found.
"Chevron's case," said Donziger's lawyer Andrew Frisch, "rested on the testimony of a witness who was paid over $1 million." Frisch stated that Kaplan's rulings "have been contradicted in whole or in part by 17 appellate judges in Ecuador and 10 in Canada, including unanimous decisions of the highest courts in both countries."
Nevertheless, without a jury, Kaplan accepted Guerra's testimony and found that Donziger had committed fraud. Finally, Kaplan ordered Donziger to turn over his computer and cellphone to Chevron. Since this order violated attorney-client confidentiality, Donziger refused until the court of appeals could decide the issue.
Kaplan charged Donziger with "criminal contempt" for refusing his order. However, the order and the contempt charge were so outrageous that the N.Y. prosecutor's office refused to accept the case. Kaplan defied the state authorities and appointed a private law firm, Seward & Kissel — with commercial ties to Chevron — to act as prosecutor, which, in turn, ordered Donziger be placed under "pretrial home detention."
In the Pozo Aguarico region of Ecuador, lawyer Maria Cecilia Herrera shows the oil pollution that remains in the ground 30 years after oil production ceased. Photograph by Enrico Aviles, 2020.
Legal thuggery
An unnamed New York Second Circuit judge — presumed by Donziger and his lawyers to be Kaplan — filed a complaint against Donziger with the bar grievance committee in New York, which then suspended Donziger’s law licence without a hearing. However, bar referee and former federal prosecutor John Horan called for a hearing and recommended the return of Donziger's law licence. “The extent of his pursuit by Chevron is so extravagant, and at this point so unnecessary and punitive,” Horan wrote, “he should be allowed to resume the practice of law.” Donziger responded that, “Any neutral judicial officer who looks objectively at the record almost always finds against Chevron and Kaplan. The tide is turning and the hard evidence about the extreme injustice in Kaplan’s court will be exposed."
This case appears to be about bullying. Chevron is one of the wealthiest corporations in the world. The plaintiffs are poor, Indigenous, and campesino people with scarce access to money or lawyers. "Donziger came to our rescue," says FDA president Luis Yanza. How big can high-stakes corporate bullying get? Donziger's lawyers estimate the oil giant has spent over $2 billion on 2,000 lawyers, public relations teams, and private investigators.
At the dinner party at Donziger's, I met supporters from around the world, from Amazon Watch and Global Witness, journalists, lawyers, and human rights advocates. "This case is not just about Steven's fate," said Simon Taylor, director of Global Witness in London. "I believe the injustice to him is intended to intimidate the rest of us, to chill the work of other environmental and corporate accountability advocates."
American human rights attorneys Martin Garbus and Charles Nesson formed a support committee for Donziger with dozens of civil society leaders, including: Clive Stafford-Smith, founder of the prisoner-rights group Reprieve in London; Atossa Soltani and Leila Salazar, the founder and executive director of Amazon Watch; Lynne Twist, co-founder of the Pachamama Alliance working in the Amazon; renowned author John Perkins; and famed musician Roger Waters.
The tide may be turning for Donziger and the victims in Ecuador. In June 2019, Amnesty International asked the U.S. Department of Justice to conduct a criminal investigation into Chevron's and Gibson Dunn's conduct, witness bribery, and fraud in the Ecuador pollution litigation
This past February, Prof. Ellen Yaroshefsky, director of the Monroe H. Freedman Institute for the Study of Legal Ethics at Hofstra University in New York, wrote that the Kaplan and Seward & Kissel prosecution of Donziger is flawed with conflicts of interest, financial ties to Chevron Corporation, and judicial bias.
In April, 29 Nobel laureates signed a letter stating, “(We) support Steven Donziger and the Indigenous peoples and local communities in Ecuador in their decades-long work to achieve environmental justice over pollution caused by Chevron.... Chevron and a pro-corporate judicial ally, U.S. District Judge Lewis A. Kaplan, manufactured ‘contempt’ charges against Donziger. (Chevron's) goal is to intimidate and disempower the victims of its pollution and a lawyer who has worked for decades on their behalf.”
A month later, more than 475 international lawyers, bar associations, and human rights advocates criticized Kaplan's ruling for persecuting Donziger "based on false witness testimony provided by Chevron, personal animus, and... to protect Chevron from a valid foreign court judgment." The letter, from the U.S. National Lawyers Guild and the International Association of Democratic Lawyers, urges an end to the pretrial house arrest of Donziger, noting “such arbitrary detention sets a dangerous precedent for human rights attorneys in the United States and around the world.”
On May 27, 2020, the Newground investment firm in Seattle, Wash., placed two proposals on Chevron’s 2020 proxy call, asking for governance reforms to bring its Ecuador issues to resolution, and prevent future human rights and pollution liabilities. The proposals were supported by actor Alec Baldwin, musician Roger Waters, and Nobel laureate Jody Williams.
On July 16, the European Parliament wrote to the U.S. Congress asking the Congressional Subcommittee on the Constitution, Civil Rights, and Civil Liberties to investigate Chevron's treatment of Donziger, which the EU Parliament found "not consistent with what has traditionally been the strong support in the United States for the rule of law generally and for protection for human rights defenders in particular."
Late at night, in the Donziger home, after the supporters had left, Donziger and his wife Laura sipped wine. "We're not giving up," Donziger said. "The only fraud in this case has been conducted by Chevron. Modern nations have comity relationships, formally respecting each other's court decisions. We're reviewing enforcement actions in Canada, Australia, and other jurisdictions. Chevron owes the money, and they can't just run, hide, and fabricate stories to avoid paying. They're persecuting me to try to change the public narrative, but they're guilty. They committed the crime, they hurt people, they were proven responsible in a court of law that they chose, and they owe the money."
Laura looked exhausted by the relentless harassment, but managed a smile. "The truth is the truth," she said, and offered me more wine. As I write this, in mid-July, Donziger has been in home detention for 345 days, almost a year, longer than any lawyer in U.S. history has ever served for a contempt charge.


nationalobserver--2020-07-31--Gene editing debate takes root with organic broccoli, new UBC research shows

That ’ s because new gene editing technologies developed in the last 10 years have forced organic plant breeders , certification bodies and farmers to re-examine techniques commonly used to breed the Lorax-like plants .
These techniques are banned in organic agriculture , a decision that ’ s forced the community to deepen its commitment to the social and economic values underpinning the agricultural technique , according to a new paper by researchers at UBC .
“ For this community , there are many aspects of how this technology is used and what it actually does that is against their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ co-author of the paper and a PhD student at the University of British Columbia studying food system sustainability .
Those values — fairness , and care — are central , if lesser known , parts of organic certification .
They ’ re included in the legislated standards established by Canadian and American organic certification bodies for agriculture , and help clarify what receives certification when the science exists in a grey area .
Organic certification reflects social and economic values in addition to ecological ones .
( Photo : USDA ) Broccoli is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in this scientific haze .
That ’ s because the seed for some commercial varieties is inbred , explained Jim Myers , a professor at the University of Oregon and one of three broccoli breeders at public institutions in the United States .
• Rescue team scrambling to find three distressed humpback whales on B.C .
coast • What I learned about violence in B.C .
's Peace Valley • Coastal residents lose right to board before tourists on BC Ferries Inbreeding means crossing two plants that share the same DNA .
Usually @ @ @ @ @ @ @ diversity essential to plant and animal health .
But in commercial seed production , plant breeders will create inbred varieties that produce specific features sought out by farmers and consumers — for instance tall stems , open florets , or more durability .
Breeders will grow strains of broccoli in isolated plots , ensuring that the plants — all of which have both male and female reproductive organs and are genetically related — only breed with their genetic relatives .
This creates mutations , and if the breeder wants to keep or enhance @ @ @ @ @ @ @ don ’ t have those features from the plot .
Over time , this process will refine the variety ’ s genetic code .
Once several strains of inbred broccoli with specific features have been created , the breeder will have to complete a final cross between two inbred varieties .
This is called an F1 hybrid , Myers explained , and can only be achieved if the male part — the pollen — of one variety pollinate another variety .
As all broccoli usually have male and female reproductive organs and can @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be achieved if the male part of one variety is sterile .
Broccoli sex is controversial .
Especially organic broccoli sex .
That ’ s because new gene editing technologies developed in the last ten years have forced organic plant breeders , certification bodies , and farmers to re-examine techniques commonly used Broccoli seeds are tiny and can be tricky to breed .
( Photo : Craig Dietrich/Flickr ) One technique for fusing the cells of two different species is a technique called protoplast fusion .
At some point in their genetic ancestry @ @ @ @ @ @ @ down to individual cells , which were then fused with cells from a different species and regrown into a full , hybrid plant .
“ That process of using ... protoplast fusion is where you crossed the line in terms of techniques that are not allowed by organic , at least in the U.S. by the National Organic Program Standard , ” Myers said .
The problem was that these new regulations were implemented over the past decade , a timely response to new gene editing techniques , but years after broccoli varieties @ @ @ @ @ @ @ into commercial organic agriculture .
The new rules meant that broccoli growers could suddenly lose their organic certification and , because organic produce fetches a higher price , most of their income .
In recognition of this problem , the advisory bodies that help the Canadian and American governments set organic certification standards created an exception for broccoli and other crops with similar ancestries .
Still , the new regulations raised questions .
Everyone agreed the new technologies should be banned .
But why ?
“ One thing , to be clear , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Klassen said .
Rather , the sector wants to consider the overall benefits innovations can bring to people and the environment .
That means certification bodies will also look at whether farmers or large corporations own new innovations , how much farmers will need to pay to access them , and whether they support industrial or biodynamic farms .
Gene editing has never met these standards .
The first genetically engineered organism — a bacterium — was created in 1973 .
By 1994 , commercial scientists had created a GMO tomato by inserting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the plant .
The first commercial GMO plant was a tomato .
It would soon be followed by major crops such as wheat , corn and soy .
( Photo : Pikist.com ) It was the first genetically modified crop to be commercially sold , and a watershed moment in the development of GMO crops as large agricultural companies such as Monsanto developed pesticide-resistant plants that could be grown at industrial scale and patented .
Farmers , consumers , plant breeders and other activists were horrified .
Beyond potential health impacts from these @ @ @ @ @ @ @ patented plants would infect traditionally bred seeds — a cross that could open up farmers inadvertently growing this seed to intellectual property violation lawsuits .
Using the new seed also forced farmers to adopt an agricultural model where seeds , fertilizers and pesticides were all controlled by the same company .
Fierce resistance successfully banned plants created using these early genetic modification techniques from organic certification in North America .
In 2013 , new forms of genetic engineering were created that reignited this debate , the most common of them being CRISPR-Cas9 .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ organism into another of a different species , these techniques allowed scientists to directly edit a cell ’ s genetic code .
That creates an artificial mutation that , from a strictly scientific perspective , isn ’ t too different from one achieved in traditional breeding .
For broccoli , it could theoretically be used to sterilize the unwanted pollen or develop other features that might speed up the breeding process , Myers said .
Still , that isn ’ t enough to make it eligible for certification .
“ Organic is one @ @ @ @ @ @ @ its own philosophical basis , and that ’ s really the rationale for why something like gene editing would not be allowed , ” he said .
It ’ s a position Klassen and her co-authors say was consistently heard from participants in their research .
“ There are many aspects of how this technology is used , and what it actually does that is against their values , ” they said The ethics of organic agriculture — health , ecology , fairness and care — remain the key in determining how new @ @ @ @ @ @ @ It is an ongoing debate , but for now , it seems like organic broccoli can reproduce in ( relative ) peace .

Broccoli sex is controversial. Especially organic broccoli sex. That’s because new gene editing technologies developed in the last 10 years have forced organic plant breeders, certification bodies and farmers to re-examine techniques commonly used to breed the Lorax-like plants. These techniques are banned in organic agriculture, a decision that’s forced the community to deepen its commitment to the social and economic values underpinning the agricultural technique, according to a new paper by researchers at UBC. “For this community, there are many aspects of how this technology is used and what it actually does that is against their values,” said Susanna Klassen, co-author of the paper and a PhD student at the University of British Columbia studying food system sustainability. Those values — fairness, and care — are central, if lesser known, parts of organic certification. They’re included in the legislated standards established by Canadian and American organic certification bodies for agriculture, and help clarify what receives certification when the science exists in a grey area. Organic certification reflects social and economic values in addition to ecological ones. (Photo: USDA)
Broccoli is one of the best-known vegetables with origins in this scientific haze. That’s because the seed for some commercial varieties is inbred, explained Jim Myers, a professor at the University of Oregon and one of three broccoli breeders at public institutions in the United States. Inbreeding means crossing two plants that share the same DNA. Usually it is avoided, with increased genetic diversity essential to plant and animal health. But in commercial seed production, plant breeders will create inbred varieties that produce specific features sought out by farmers and consumers — for instance tall stems, open florets, or more durability. Billion-dollar land deals in Ontario raise corruption suspicions Breeders will grow strains of broccoli in isolated plots, ensuring that the plants — all of which have both male and female reproductive organs and are genetically related — only breed with their genetic relatives. This creates mutations, and if the breeder wants to keep or enhance them, they will eliminate plants that don’t have those features from the plot. Over time, this process will refine the variety’s genetic code.
Once several strains of inbred broccoli with specific features have been created, the breeder will have to complete a final cross between two inbred varieties. Broccoli sex is controversial. Especially organic broccoli sex. That’s because new gene editing technologies developed in the last ten years have forced organic plant breeders, certification bodies, and farmers to re-examine techniques commonly used This is called an F1 hybrid, Myers explained, and can only be achieved if the male part — the pollen — of one variety pollinate another variety. As all broccoli usually have male and female reproductive organs and can pollinate themselves, this cross can only be achieved if the male part of one variety is sterile. That’s where things get complicated. Broccoli seeds are tiny and can be tricky to breed. (Photo: Craig Dietrich/Flickr) One technique for fusing the cells of two different species is a technique called protoplast fusion. At some point in their genetic ancestry, plants created this way were reduced down to individual cells, which were then fused with cells from a different species and regrown into a full, hybrid plant.
“That process of using ... protoplast fusion is where you crossed the line in terms of techniques that are not allowed by organic, at least in the U.S. by the National Organic Program Standard,” Myers said. The problem was that these new regulations were implemented over the past decade, a timely response to new gene editing techniques, but years after broccoli varieties created using this technique had been integrated into commercial organic agriculture. The new rules meant that broccoli growers could suddenly lose their organic certification and, because organic produce fetches a higher price, most of their income.


nationalobserver--2020-07-30--New U.S. permit to boost Keystone pipeline oil exports by next year

The CEO of TC Energy Corp. says the company will begin moving more oil from Western Canada into the United States by next year under a new U.S. presidential permit for the existing Keystone pipeline system .
The permit quietly issued on Wednesday by the Trump administration allows capacity on Keystone to increase by 170,000 barrels per day to about 760,000 bpd , filling a gap as TC Energy 's expansion Keystone XL project faces delays due to ongoing court battles .
`` We are very pleased with yesterday 's decision by President Trump to sign a new presidential permit @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said TC Energy CEO Russ Girling on a conference call Thursday to discuss second-quarter results .
`` The new permit will allow us to respond to market demand and to fully utilize the Keystone system to safely deliver additional crude oil from Canada to the refining centres in the U.S. Midwest and the Gulf Coast . ''
The new permit will allow the Calgary-based company to proceed by next year with some 50,000 barrels per day of added service , which received shipper support in a process in June 2019 , Girling added @ @ @ @ @ @ @ three distressed humpback whales on B.C .
coast • What I learned about violence in B.C .
's Peace Valley • Coastal residents lose right to board before tourists on BC Ferries The 50,000 bpd can be achieved by adding drag reducing agents to the oil to improve the flow efficiency of the existing pipeline without any major capital investments , said Bevin Wirzba , senior vice-president for liquids pipelines , on the call .
Using the rest of the increased capacity could involve more spending , he said , adding pursuing those @ @ @ @ @ @ @ demand .
The additional capacity is likely to be welcomed in Alberta .
The province limits oil production through quotas introduced in early 2019 to avoid price discounts that widened as output growth — mainly from the oilsands — outpaced growth in pipeline capacity .
Alberta Energy Minister Sonya Savage also welcomed the new U.S. permit .
`` This decision sets the stage to significantly increase the capacity of the existing , base Keystone system , '' she said in a news release late Wednesday .
`` This is excellent news for Canada @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and families on both sides of the border who benefit from continued North American energy security and interdependence . ''
The CEO of TC Energy Corp. says the company will begin moving more oil from Western Canada into the United States by next year under a new U.S. presidential permit for the existing Keystone pipeline system .
TC Energy announced March 31 it would go ahead with the US $ 8-billion Keystone XL project after the Alberta government agreed to invest C $ 1.5 billion and provide a loan guarantee to jump start @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a court challenge in the U.S. that questions the validity of its presidential permit while also dealing with a court decision that blocked a key environmental permit that allowed the pipeline to cross rivers and streams .
Construction is continuing in the U.S. on the 1,947-kilometre project , Girling said Thursday , with a revised schedule that focuses the work on areas where permits are in hand .
The expansion is to carry 830,000 bpd of crude per day from Hardisty , Alta.
, to Steele City , Neb.
, to connect with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ presidential candidate Joe Biden has said he would cancel the Keystone XL permit if he wins in the November presidential election .
TC Energy said it earned $ 1.3 billion or $ 1.36 per diluted share for the three months ended June 30 , up from $ 1.1 billion or $ 1.21 per share a year earlier .
The results included an after-tax gain of $ 408 million related to the sale of a 65 per cent equity interest in the Coastal GasLink pipeline in B.C .
and an incremental after-tax loss of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ gas-fired power plant assets sold in April .
Adjusted profits decreased 6.6 per cent to $ 863 million or 92 cents per share , in line with analyst forecasts , according to financial markets data firm Refinitiv .
That compared with $ 924 million or $ 1 per share in adjusted earnings in the second quarter of 2019 .
Revenues dropped 8.4 per cent to $ 3.09 billion of revenues from $ 3.37 billion in the prior year .

The CEO of TC Energy Corp. says the company will begin moving more oil from Western Canada into the United States by next year under a new U.S. presidential permit for the existing Keystone pipeline system. The permit quietly issued on Wednesday by the Trump administration allows capacity on Keystone to increase by 170,000 barrels per day to about 760,000 bpd, filling a gap as TC Energy's expansion Keystone XL project faces delays due to ongoing court battles. "We are very pleased with yesterday's decision by President Trump to sign a new presidential permit for the base Keystone system," said TC Energy CEO Russ Girling on a conference call Thursday to discuss second-quarter results. "The new permit will allow us to respond to market demand and to fully utilize the Keystone system to safely deliver additional crude oil from Canada to the refining centres in the U.S. Midwest and the Gulf Coast." The new permit will allow the Calgary-based company to proceed by next year with some 50,000 barrels per day of added service, which received shipper support in a process in June 2019, Girling added.
The 50,000 bpd can be achieved by adding drag reducing agents to the oil to improve the flow efficiency of the existing pipeline without any major capital investments, said Bevin Wirzba, senior vice-president for liquids pipelines, on the call. Using the rest of the increased capacity could involve more spending, he said, adding pursuing those projects would follow an assessment of shipper demand. Billion-dollar land deals in Ontario raise corruption suspicions The additional capacity is likely to be welcomed in Alberta. The province limits oil production through quotas introduced in early 2019 to avoid price discounts that widened as output growth — mainly from the oilsands — outpaced growth in pipeline capacity.
Alberta Energy Minister Sonya Savage also welcomed the new U.S. permit. The CEO of TC Energy Corp. says the company will begin moving more oil from Western Canada into the United States by next year under a new U.S. presidential permit for the existing Keystone pipeline system. "This decision sets the stage to significantly increase the capacity of the existing, base Keystone system," she said in a news release late Wednesday. "This is excellent news for Canada's energy sector, and hard-working people and families on both sides of the border who benefit from continued North American energy security and interdependence." TC Energy announced March 31 it would go ahead with the US$8-billion Keystone XL project after the Alberta government agreed to invest C$1.5 billion and provide a loan guarantee to jump start the work. Keystone XL is facing a court challenge in the U.S. that questions the validity of its presidential permit while also dealing with a court decision that blocked a key environmental permit that allowed the pipeline to cross rivers and streams.
Construction is continuing in the U.S. on the 1,947-kilometre project, Girling said Thursday, with a revised schedule that focuses the work on areas where permits are in hand. The expansion is to carry 830,000 bpd of crude per day from Hardisty, Alta., to Steele City, Neb., to connect with other pipelines. The campaign for Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden has said he would cancel the Keystone XL permit if he wins in the November presidential election.


nationalobserver--2020-07-30--B.C. picks university in Kamloops to study wildfire prediction and respose

A university located in the heart of one of British Columbia 's most volatile forest fire regions will lead new research in wildfire prediction , prevention and response .
Thompson Rivers University in Kamloops was chosen for the research that will improve abilities to forecast , prevent and respond to wildfire emergencies , Forest Minister Doug Donaldson said Thursday .
The B.C .
government will contribute $ 5 million to fund the B.C .
Research Chair in Predictive Services , Emergency Management and Fire Science , he said .
The chair of the new research department was not named at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Kamloops campus is located near Emergency Management BC and BC Wildfire Service operational centres and is supported by high-speed fibre optic connections and key transportation routes .
• Rescue team scrambling to find three distressed humpback whales on B.C .
coast • What I learned about violence in B.C .
's Peace Valley • Coastal residents lose right to board before tourists on BC Ferries He said the research will help in providing more information about the changing nature of wildfires and improved approaches to battling the blazes .
`` Research has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ during these times where fire behaviour has changed drastically , '' Donaldson said .
`` This is what the experts tell me that with the climate emergency we are seeing bigger fires .
The fuel load is different .
The dry out conditions are different as the weather patterns change . ''
B.C .
's Interior was the scene of record-breaking wildfires in 2017 and 2018 , forcing community evacuations , destroying homes , forests and ranges and costing the province more than $ 1.2 billion .
`` All that modelling and predictive @ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' said Donaldson .
University president Brett Fairburn said the endowment allows the university to conduct leading research in wildfire modelling and to explore the relationship between climate change and the impact on the risk of wildfires .
This report by The Canadian Press was first published on July 30 , 2020 .

A university located in the heart of one of British Columbia's most volatile forest fire regions will lead new research in wildfire prediction, prevention and response.
Thompson Rivers University in Kamloops was chosen for the research that will improve abilities to forecast, prevent and respond to wildfire emergencies, Forest Minister Doug Donaldson said Thursday.
The B.C. government will contribute $5 million to fund the B.C. Research Chair in Predictive Services, Emergency Management and Fire Science, he said.
The chair of the new research department was not named at a news conference Thursday.
Donaldson said the Kamloops campus is located near Emergency Management BC and BC Wildfire Service operational centres and is supported by high-speed fibre optic connections and key transportation routes.


nationalobserver--2020-07-30--Mass killer had hidden compartments for guns, says RCMP

RCMP investigators confirmed Thursday that the gunman who went on a rampage in Nova Scotia in April had hidden compartments in buildings and had converted personal assets into `` a significant amount '' of cash prior to his attacks .
However , a statement issued Thursday says one witness statement in court documents claiming Gabriel Wortman had committed prior murders and burned bodies was not corroborated by follow-up interviews and property searches .
Investigators say searches of the killer 's burned residence in Portapique have n't turned up evidence to back the allegation of any murders before the April 18-19 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ northern Nova Scotia .
The Mounties were responding to the release earlier this week of previously blacked-out portions of witness allegations submitted by police to obtain search warrants .
Allegations included statements by a witness that the 51-year-old denturist smuggled drugs , but the RCMP say that to date the investigation has n't revealed evidence the gunman was involved in importing or selling illegal drugs , or that he was part of a criminal organization .
• Rescue team scrambling to find three distressed humpback whales on B.C .
coast • What I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Peace Valley • Coastal residents lose right to board before tourists on BC Ferries `` Only this one witness has come forward with information that the gunman was actively and recently involved in the importation and trafficking of illegal drugs , '' the RCMP statement says .
`` No other persons out of the close to 700 interviewed , including those closest to the gunman , have provided similar information that proves the gunman was an illegal drug smuggler and/or drug trafficker . ''
Investigators say they 've corroborated witness statements saying the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his Dartmouth , N.S.
, property , and they agree he likely had hiding places in his Portapique residence — which burned to the ground on the night of his rampage .
`` Investigators have confirmed that the gunman had constructed areas in his Dartmouth residence which appear to be designed to hide items .
Information also suggested that the purpose for constructing these spaces was to hide firearms , '' the statement says .
`` Given that , investigators have no reason to doubt the existence of hiding spaces constructed at both @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that the purpose of constructing these spaces was for hiding illegal firearms . ''
Police say the gunman 's emails reveal the withdrawal of personal funds from his investments and bank accounts .
RCMP investigators confirmed on Thursday , July 30 , 2020 , that the gunman who went on a rampage in Nova Scotia in April had hidden compartments in buildings and had converted personal assets into `` a significant amount '' of cash prior to his attacks .
`` The purpose of those conversions and withdrawals was based on the gunman @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in his possession as it related to the current pandemic , '' the statement says .
`` A significant amount of currency has been recovered from the gunman 's burned out property in Portapique , which supports the pre-April 18 withdrawal of funds previously disclosed . ''
The RCMP repeated previous statements that Wortman had weapons smuggled in from the United States and had one gun illegally obtained in Canada .
`` The gunman was involved in procuring firearms illegally ... .
Any transactions of firearms on the part of the gunman or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ investigation .
As such , no further details in relation to this can or will be provided at this time , '' police say .
The Mountie statement does say Wortman had relationships with Americans living in Maine and that he frequently visited these people .
The gunman was killed by police at a service station in Enfield , N.S.
, on April 19 , 13 hours after his rampage began .
The documents that a media consortium , including The Canadian Press , went before a provincial court judge to obtain were @ @ @ @ @ @ @ only been releasing small portions — sometimes a single word or phrase — as the case progresses .
Previously blacked-out details from police applications for search warrants were unsealed Monday by Judge Laurel Halfpenny MacQuarrie .
A witness told police that neighbours spoke of concealed spaces on Wortman 's properties in Portapique , N.S.
, and in Dartmouth , N.S .

RCMP investigators confirmed Thursday that the gunman who went on a rampage in Nova Scotia in April had hidden compartments in buildings and had converted personal assets into "a significant amount" of cash prior to his attacks. However, a statement issued Thursday says one witness statement in court documents claiming Gabriel Wortman had committed prior murders and burned bodies was not corroborated by follow-up interviews and property searches. Investigators say searches of the killer's burned residence in Portapique haven't turned up evidence to back the allegation of any murders before the April 18-19 killings of 22 people in central and northern Nova Scotia. The Mounties were responding to the release earlier this week of previously blacked-out portions of witness allegations submitted by police to obtain search warrants. Allegations included statements by a witness that the 51-year-old denturist smuggled drugs, but the RCMP say that to date the investigation hasn't revealed evidence the gunman was involved in importing or selling illegal drugs, or that he was part of a criminal organization.
"Only this one witness has come forward with information that the gunman was actively and recently involved in the importation and trafficking of illegal drugs," the RCMP statement says. "No other persons out of the close to 700 interviewed, including those closest to the gunman, have provided similar information that proves the gunman was an illegal drug smuggler and/or drug trafficker." Billion-dollar land deals in Ontario raise corruption suspicions Investigators say they've corroborated witness statements saying the killer had hidden rooms or compartments in his Dartmouth, N.S., property, and they agree he likely had hiding places in his Portapique residence — which burned to the ground on the night of his rampage.
"Investigators have confirmed that the gunman had constructed areas in his Dartmouth residence which appear to be designed to hide items. Information also suggested that the purpose for constructing these spaces was to hide firearms," the statement says. RCMP investigators confirmed on Thursday, July 30, 2020, that the gunman who went on a rampage in Nova Scotia in April had hidden compartments in buildings and had converted personal assets into "a significant amount" of cash prior to his attacks. "Given that, investigators have no reason to doubt the existence of hiding spaces constructed at both the Dartmouth and Portapique residences and believe that the purpose of constructing these spaces was for hiding illegal firearms." Police say the gunman's emails reveal the withdrawal of personal funds from his investments and bank accounts. "The purpose of those conversions and withdrawals was based on the gunman's belief that his assets were safer in his possession as it related to the current pandemic," the statement says. "A significant amount of currency has been recovered from the gunman's burned out property in Portapique, which supports the pre-April 18 withdrawal of funds previously disclosed."
The RCMP repeated previous statements that Wortman had weapons smuggled in from the United States and had one gun illegally obtained in Canada. "The gunman was involved in procuring firearms illegally .... Any transactions of firearms on the part of the gunman or anyone else remains part of the active investigation. As such, no further details in relation to this can or will be provided at this time," police say. The Mountie statement does say Wortman had relationships with Americans living in Maine and that he frequently visited these people.


nationalobserver--2020-07-30--Wilkinson says Alberta coal mine expansion needs federal review

The federal environment minister is backtracking on a previous decision to keep Ottawa out of the approval process for a major coal mine expansion in Alberta .
The existing Vista mine , which is owned by the U.S. coal giant Cline Group , began shipping coal for export in May 2019 and the company is now looking to double , or possibly even triple , its output .
Minister Jonathan Wilkinson declined in December to order a federal impact assessment of the project near Hinton , saying the potential risks to the environment and Indigenous rights would be dealt with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of environmental , Indigenous , health and faith-based organizations wrote to Wilkinson this month asking him to take a second look at the expansion .
In a decision Thursday supporting a federal designation for the project , Wilkinson says the expansion may cause `` adverse direct and cumulative effects '' on areas of federal jurisdiction , such as fish and fish habitat , species at risk , and Indigenous peoples .
• Rescue team scrambling to find three distressed humpback whales on B.C .
coast • What I learned about violence in B.C @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lose right to board before tourists on BC Ferries The decision also notes that the mine expansion would produce more than 18,600 tonnes of coal per day , which is above the total production capacity threshold of 5,000 tonnes per day in regulations of the Impact Assessment Act .
`` The minister acknowledges that , cumulatively , the projects may result in adverse effects of greater magnitude to those previously considered , '' the decision reads .
`` ( Those effects ) may not be mitigated through project design or the application of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Canada and the United Kingdom jointly launched the Powering Past Coal Alliance , aiming to convince the world 's wealthiest countries to eliminate coal as a source of electricity by 2030 , and the rest of the world to do so by 2050 .
When the alliance began , Prime Minister Justin Trudeau called coal `` the dirtiest of all fossil fuels . ''
`` Let me be very blunt about this .
Coal represents perhaps the greatest challenge to the world not meeting its climate-change targets , '' Trudeau said .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ we are not going to be able to prevent catastrophic global warming . ''
The federal environment minister is backtracking on a previous decision to keep Ottawa out of the approval process for a major coal mine expansion in Alberta .
This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 30 , 2020

The federal environment minister is backtracking on a previous decision to keep Ottawa out of the approval process for a major coal mine expansion in Alberta.
The existing Vista mine, which is owned by the U.S. coal giant Cline Group, began shipping coal for export in May 2019 and the company is now looking to double, or possibly even triple, its output.
Minister Jonathan Wilkinson declined in December to order a federal impact assessment of the project near Hinton, saying the potential risks to the environment and Indigenous rights would be dealt with by a provincial approval process.
Dozens of environmental, Indigenous, health and faith-based organizations wrote to Wilkinson this month asking him to take a second look at the expansion.
In a decision Thursday supporting a federal designation for the project, Wilkinson says the expansion may cause "adverse direct and cumulative effects" on areas of federal jurisdiction, such as fish and fish habitat, species at risk, and Indigenous peoples.


nationalobserver--2020-07-30--Four major Canadian airports start taking temperatures of passengers

Four major Canadian airports will begin taking passengers ' temperatures starting today as part of the effort to curb the @ @ @ @ @ federal government says temperature screening stations are set up at airports in Vancouver , Calgary @ @ @ @ @ Transport Canada says temperature screening will be expanded to another 11 airports by September .

Four major Canadian airports will begin taking passengers' temperatures starting today as part of the effort to curb the spread of COVID-19.
The federal government says temperature screening stations are set up at airports in Vancouver, Calgary, Toronto and Montreal.
Transport Canada says temperature screening will be expanded to another 11 airports by September.
The agency says employees who enter restricted areas of the airport will also be screened.
Passengers who have temperatures above 38 degrees will not be allowed to travel and will be asked to re-book after two weeks.


nationalobserver--2020-07-30--Canada tightens rules for Americans headed to Alaska

The federal government is tightening the rules for non-essential American travellers passing through Canada en route to Alaska , in order to reduce the time spent in the country during the COVID-19 pandemic .
Canada Border Services Agency says U.S. travellers heading to Alaska will be required to use one of five designated border crossings : four in B.C .
and one in Alberta .
They must also take the most direct routes possible , avoiding all national parks and tourist activities , and will be issued a tag to hang from their vehicle 's rear-view mirror for the duration @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the rules .
Before entering the U.S. , Alaska-bound travellers must report to the nearest Canadian border checkpoint to confirm their exit from Canada .
These measures will also apply to Americans travelling from Alaska to the U.S. through Canada , but U.S.-bound travellers will be permitted to use any border crossing of their choosing .
• Rescue team scrambling to find three distressed humpback whales on B.C .
coast • What I learned about violence in B.C .
's Peace Valley • Coastal residents lose right to board before tourists on BC @ @ @ @ @ @ @ COVID-19 will not be allowed to enter Canada , and anyone found to have presented false information to a Canadian border officer could be denied entry or banned from returning to Canada .
Restrictions on non-essential travel across the Canada-U.S. border have been in place since March 21 due to COVID-19 , but Americans are permitted to travel through Canada by car if they are heading to Alaska .
In June , posts on social media claimed some Americans had been visiting popular tourist destinations in Canada , such as Banff National Park @ @ @ @ @ @ @ driving to Alaska .
The RCMP issued tickets to some individuals for violating the Public Health Act during the COVID-19 pandemic .
These new border measures are aimed at trying to limit the time Americans spend in Canada while in transit to the northernmost U.S. state , which can only be accessed by going through Canada if travelling by land .
Following admission into Canada , travellers are given a handout telling them they must avoid contact with others while in transit , remain in their vehicle as much as possible and should @ @ @ @ @ @ @ use drive-through options for food .
The federal government is tightening the rules for non-essential American travellers passing through Canada en route to Alaska , in order to reduce the time spent in the country during the COVID-19 pandemic .
They are told not to make any unnecessary stops and to wear a mask or face covering .
CBSA is encouraging these travellers not to make any detours and only use services that are available along their direct route .
This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 30 , 2020 @

The federal government is tightening the rules for non-essential American travellers passing through Canada en route to Alaska, in order to reduce the time spent in the country during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Canada Border Services Agency says U.S. travellers heading to Alaska will be required to use one of five designated border crossings: four in B.C. and one in Alberta.
They must also take the most direct routes possible, avoiding all national parks and tourist activities, and will be issued a tag to hang from their vehicle's rear-view mirror for the duration of their trip to ensure compliance with the rules.
Before entering the U.S., Alaska-bound travellers must report to the nearest Canadian border checkpoint to confirm their exit from Canada.
These measures will also apply to Americans travelling from Alaska to the U.S. through Canada, but U.S.-bound travellers will be permitted to use any border crossing of their choosing.


nationalobserver--2020-07-30--Trudeau says he initially pushed back on WE deal

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said he initially pushed back when he learned the public service had chosen WE Charity to run the Canada Student Service Grant , knowing his family 's connections with the organization would lead to significant scrutiny .
`` WE Charity received no preferential treatment , not from me , not from anyone else .
The public service recommended WE Charity , and I did absolutely nothing to influence that recommendation , '' Trudeau said Thursday .
`` When I learned that WE Charity was recommended , I pushed back . ''
Trudeau has long-standing ties to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ relatives — his wife , brother and mother — have been paid to appear at its events .
In a rare prime ministerial appearance before the House of Commons finance committee Thursday , Trudeau said both he and his chief of staff , Katie Telford , first learned that WE Charity had been selected to run the grant program on May 8 , mere hours before a cabinet meeting where it was to be discussed .
• Rescue team scrambling to find three distressed humpback whales on B.C .
coast • What I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Peace Valley • Coastal residents lose right to board before tourists on BC Ferries That was days after another group of ministers first heard about the need to let the charity run the program .
Trudeau said he wanted more due diligence done on the plan before it went to cabinet for approval , so he pulled the item from that day 's cabinet agenda .
`` I wanted to make sure all the Is were dotted and all the Ts were crossed , '' he said , `` because of the connections @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he had originally expected the Canada Service Corps to deliver the program , which would have given grants to students and graduates for volunteering to help with lost job opportunities due to the COVID-19 pandemic-related shutdown .
However , the public service advised the Canada Service Corps , a youth volunteer service program created by the Liberals in 2018 , was unable to scale up fast enough to deliver the emergency grant program in time to help students affected by the struggling economy this year .
That 's why the public service came @ @ @ @ @ @ @ recommendation that WE was the only organization that could run the student-volunteer program , Trudeau said .
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said he initially pushed back when he learned the public service had chosen WE Charity to run the Canada Student Service Grant , knowing his family 's connections with the organization would lead to significant scrutiny .
`` The choice was not between providers , it was between going ahead with WE Charity to deliver the program or not going ahead with the program at all , '' Trudeau said .
He @ @ @ @ @ @ @ co-founders Craig and Marc Kielburger at during the approval process , and when he learned of the public service 's recommendation to contract WE , he there would be questions about his family 's ties to the organization .
That was when he should have recused himself from the decision on the contract , Trudeau said .
After cabinet approved the WE deal on May 22 , staff in his office recommended additional oversight measures for the dispersal of the approved funding , he said .
Trudeau agreed .
A process was implemented @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a written update to the Treasury Board president on the grant program each time funds were disbursed .
WE has since backed out of the deal , citing the political controversy .
The Canada Student Service Grant is now unlikely to be part of the $ 9-billion student aid program Ottawa is rolling out this summer , Trudeau said .
`` Getting young people to serve has been a goal of mine well before I ever got into politics , so I deeply regret how this has unfolded . ''
Conservative finance critic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ exchanges , pressing the prime minister to say how much WE Charity has paid in speaking fees or expenses for members of Trudeau 's family .
WE has previously confirmed that Trudeau 's mother , Margaret Trudeau , was paid about $ 250,000 for 28 speaking appearances at WE-related events between 2016 and 2020 and his brother Alexandre has been paid $ 32,000 for eight events .
The Kielburger brothers testified Tuesday that Trudeau 's wife Sophie Gregoire Trudeau has participated in seven WE Days and received an average of $ 3,618 for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
That works out to $ 25,326 in total .
Trudeau acknowledged his family 's involvement with WE , and stressed that his wife 's unpaid work with WE on a podcast on mental wellness , as well as expenses covered by the organization , had been cleared by the ethics commissioner .
The Conservatives and NDP have called on federal ethics watchdog Mario Dion to widen his probe of Trudeau to include these expenses .
On Wednesday , Dion sent letters to Conservative and NDP MPs saying he is widening his investigation @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he and his family participated in that were sponsored by the WE organization .
Morneau told the Commons finance committee last week he had freshly repaid WE Charity more than $ 41,000 in expenses for trips his family took in 2017 to see and take part in some of its humanitarian work .
Trudeau said he did n't know Morneau had travelled with WE or that one of his daughters worked there .
Appearing after Trudeau , Telford told the committee she too regrets the way this program was handled .
In hindsight @ @ @ @ @ @ @ things that would have saved the student-volunteer program , she said .
`` We could have done better , we could have done more .
We could have added yet another layer of scrutiny to avoid any potential perception of favouritism , '' she said .
She also said Trudeau 's office will work with the ethics commissioner to make improvements and take any advice he has on how to limit potential conflicts .
Poilievre asked Telford why WE began working on the student grant program and incurring expenses May 5 if it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
That was the same day Chagger brought the proposal to the smaller cabinet committee .
The Kielburgers have said officials told WE it could incur eligible expenses before being awarded the agreement .
They said they wanted to get the program going quickly , knowing they could lose money if cabinet said no .
Telford said Rick Theis , a Trudeau policy adviser , took a call from WE that day but redirected the organization to Employment and Social Development Canada .
This report by The Canadian Press was first published July @ @ @ @

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said he initially pushed back when he learned the public service had chosen WE Charity to run the Canada Student Service Grant, knowing his family's connections with the organization would lead to significant scrutiny. "WE Charity received no preferential treatment, not from me, not from anyone else. The public service recommended WE Charity, and I did absolutely nothing to influence that recommendation," Trudeau said Thursday. "When I learned that WE Charity was recommended, I pushed back." Trudeau has long-standing ties to the WE organization and several of his relatives — his wife, brother and mother — have been paid to appear at its events. In a rare prime ministerial appearance before the House of Commons finance committee Thursday, Trudeau said both he and his chief of staff, Katie Telford, first learned that WE Charity had been selected to run the grant program on May 8, mere hours before a cabinet meeting where it was to be discussed.
That was days after another group of ministers first heard about the need to let the charity run the program. Trudeau said he wanted more due diligence done on the plan before it went to cabinet for approval, so he pulled the item from that day's cabinet agenda. Billion-dollar land deals in Ontario raise corruption suspicions "I wanted to make sure all the Is were dotted and all the Ts were crossed," he said, "because of the connections with my family."
Trudeau said he had originally expected the Canada Service Corps to deliver the program, which would have given grants to students and graduates for volunteering to help with lost job opportunities due to the COVID-19 pandemic-related shutdown. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said he initially pushed back when he learned the public service had chosen WE Charity to run the Canada Student Service Grant, knowing his family's connections with the organization would lead to significant scrutiny. However, the public service advised the Canada Service Corps, a youth volunteer service program created by the Liberals in 2018, was unable to scale up fast enough to deliver the emergency grant program in time to help students affected by the struggling economy this year. That's why the public service came back on May 21 to reaffirm its recommendation that WE was the only organization that could run the student-volunteer program, Trudeau said. "The choice was not between providers, it was between going ahead with WE Charity to deliver the program or not going ahead with the program at all," Trudeau said. He also stressed he never spoke with WE co-founders Craig and Marc Kielburger at during the approval process, and when he learned of the public service's recommendation to contract WE, he there would be questions about his family's ties to the organization.
That was when he should have recused himself from the decision on the contract, Trudeau said. After cabinet approved the WE deal on May 22, staff in his office recommended additional oversight measures for the dispersal of the approved funding, he said. Trudeau agreed. A process was implemented mandating Youth Minister Bardish Chagger to provide a written update to the Treasury Board president on the grant program each time funds were disbursed.


nationalobserver--2020-07-30--Coastal residents lose right to board before tourists on BC Ferries

Residents of coastal communities will no longer get to board BC Ferries before tourists during the crowded summer season .
On Thursday — just prior to the upcoming long weekend — the B.C .
government rescinded a temporary COVID-19 emergency measure granting priority to passengers sailing to their primary residence .
Long , hot sailing waits returned to the Discovery Islands after the province relaxed guidelines on non-essential travel as part of its COVID-19 reopening plan in June .
Although the ministerial order allowing preferred boarding has been in place since March , it ’ s only in the last @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Island residents were offered the service .
Quadra resident Ken Binnersley got preferred boarding coming home twice in the past week after ferrying his sick dog back and forth to the vet in Campbell River .
He ’ s dismayed the measure is disappearing again so quickly .
• Rescue team scrambling to find three distressed humpback whales on B.C .
coast • What I learned about violence in B.C .
's Peace Valley • Canada praised for avoiding 'vaccine nationalism ' in race for COVID-19 cure “ It ’ s like having @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and then it being yanked away , ” he said .
“ I ’ m just disappointed .
I ’ ve always though people on Quadra should get some sort of priority over the hordes of tourists in the summer .
Even if it ’ s just a few sailings a week , so you can schedule your town trips.
” For ferry-dependent communities such as Quadra and Cortes , located off Vancouver Island 's northeast coast — and many other B.C .
coastal communities— ferries are a lifeline to work , school @ @ @ @ @ @ @ means islanders are facing a return to two-sailing waits in the baking heat during peak times , Binnersley said .
That often translates into two-hour waits at each terminal for folks having to make the 20-minute crossing to Campbell River for essential goods or medical appointments .
For neighbouring Cortes Island residents , negotiating a two-ferry journey , the waits are even longer .
“ It ’ s like having a carrot dangled in front of you and then it being yanked away , ” Quadra Islander Ken Binnersley on residents losing preferred @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Covid-19 emergency order .
The original intent of the resident priority boarding measure was to address the significant drop in sailings on certain BC Ferries routes at the beginning of the pandemic , said Transportation Minister and local MLA Claire Trevena in the statement Thursday .
“ We wanted to ensure people could get home and to help ensure essential services for remote communities were maintained , ” Trevena said .
“ Now that ferry service levels have increased with more British Columbians travelling within the province , we expect BC Ferries to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ capacity is in place.
” The changes to the order mean BC Ferries can honour reservations and still ensure essential goods have priority on the next available sailing , Corrine Storey , BC Ferries ’ vice president and chief operating officer said in a statement Thursday .
“ More and more British Columbians are choosing to vacation at home this summer , and we are working to balance all the needs and pressures on the ferry system , ” Storey said .
Many communities want to bring back tourism in a safe way @ @ @ @ @ @ @ added .
“ We recognize all these changes have been frustrating for some customers .
We ask that you bear with us as we monitor and respond to what is happening as quickly as we can , ” Storey said .
She also appealed for patience while everyone navigates the new normal .
Minister of Public Safety and solicitor general Mike Farnworth also announced he was adding a clause to the emergency order to provide medical-assured loading for all passengers travelling for treatment , their vehicle and an escort on the first available @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , passengers must provide a dated doctor ’ s letter indicating they require medical-assured loading for treatment and have a completed Travel Assistance Program ( TAP ) form .
The letter won ’ t require specific dates , times , or number of occasions the person can travel , but will expire after a year .
Quadra Island regional director Jim Abram said the decision by government to rescind priority boarding is bound to provoke debate .
Photo : Rochelle Baker Michael Lynch , chair of the local BC Ferries advisory committee , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ likely to disappoint some island residents .
However , Lynch added , there wasn ’ t much new in the government ’ s announcement as medical-assured loading on the Cortes and Quadra ferries already takes place .
“ There 's always been medical priority boarding for the last 10 years here , ” he said .
Quadra Island regional director Jim Abram said he had just recently applied for and received a medical pass for BC Ferries prior to the announcement .
However , the preferred boarding measure for residents was put into @ @ @ @ @ @ @ order suddenly without consulting the stakeholders affected — and was removed the same way , Abram said .
It provoked a lot of confusion and difficulty for residents and BC Ferry staff alike , he said .
“ It was sprung on the public , it was sprung on the ( BC Ferries ) workers and I don ’ t think that ’ s the way government should be doing business.
” Clear notices should have been issued and consultation should have occurred around both the implementation and withdrawal of the order 's @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the boarding measure is likely to provoke much debate on the islands , both for and against , Abram said , adding BC Ferries and the Minister Trevena are likely to get a lot of feedback .
“ It ’ s going to be a bit of a goon show over the next couple of days , ” Abram said .
“ Facebook debate is going to be pretty lively .
”

Residents of coastal communities will no longer get to board BC Ferries before tourists during the crowded summer season. On Thursday — just prior to the upcoming long weekend — the B.C. government rescinded a temporary COVID-19 emergency measure granting priority to passengers sailing to their primary residence. Long, hot sailing waits returned to the Discovery Islands after the province relaxed guidelines on non-essential travel as part of its COVID-19 reopening plan in June. Although the ministerial order allowing preferred boarding has been in place since March, it’s only in the last week or so that Quadra and Cortes Island residents were offered the service. Quadra resident Ken Binnersley got preferred boarding coming home twice in the past week after ferrying his sick dog back and forth to the vet in Campbell River. He’s dismayed the measure is disappearing again so quickly.
“It’s like having a carrot dangled in front of you and then it being yanked away,” he said. “I’m just disappointed. I’ve always though people on Quadra should get some sort of priority over the hordes of tourists in the summer. Even if it’s just a few sailings a week, so you can schedule your town trips.” Billion-dollar land deals in Ontario raise corruption suspicions For ferry-dependent communities such as Quadra and Cortes, located off Vancouver Island's northeast coast — and many other B.C. coastal communities— ferries are a lifeline to work, school or medical appointments.
Losing preferred boarding means islanders are facing a return to two-sailing waits in the baking heat during peak times, Binnersley said. “It’s like having a carrot dangled in front of you and then it being yanked away,” Quadra Islander Ken Binnersley on residents losing preferred boarding on BC Ferries after province amends Covid-19 emergency order. That often translates into two-hour waits at each terminal for folks having to make the 20-minute crossing to Campbell River for essential goods or medical appointments. For neighbouring Cortes Island residents, negotiating a two-ferry journey, the waits are even longer. The original intent of the resident priority boarding measure was to address the significant drop in sailings on certain BC Ferries routes at the beginning of the pandemic, said Transportation Minister and local MLA Claire Trevena in the statement Thursday. “We wanted to ensure people could get home and to help ensure essential services for remote communities were maintained,” Trevena said.
“Now that ferry service levels have increased with more British Columbians travelling within the province, we expect BC Ferries to continue to monitor demand and ensure adequate capacity is in place.” The changes to the order mean BC Ferries can honour reservations and still ensure essential goods have priority on the next available sailing, Corrine Storey, BC Ferries’ vice president and chief operating officer said in a statement Thursday. “More and more British Columbians are choosing to vacation at home this summer, and we are working to balance all the needs and pressures on the ferry system,” Storey said.


nationalobserver--2020-07-31--Ontario NDP appeals for extension as end of eviction ban looms

The Ontario NDP pleaded Friday for the Ford government to extend a pandemic-related ban on rental evictions that is due to expire on the weekend as critics fear a looming expansion of Toronto ’ s housing crisis .
“ It is the eleventh hour , ” NDP tenant rights critic Suze Morrison said .
“ Either he ( Premier Doug Ford ) changes course today , or the evictions start tomorrow.
” Advocates warn lifting the moratorium on hearings at the Landlord and Tenant Board ( LTB ) will lead to a massive wave of evictions and allow developers and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ especially in Toronto where demand is strong and supply is tight — after Ford previously removed rent control on vacated sites .
“ It 's the responsibility of the province to step up and make sure that folks are able to stay housed ... and instead the premier rolled out an eviction bill to make it easier for landlords to throw people out on the streets , ” Morrison said .
Morrison is referring to Bill 184 , a housing bill that Ford and his government introduced to the legislature near the start @ @ @ @ @ @ @ way .
She and other critics say the bill makes it easier for landlords to bully tenants into signing bad repayment plans during the pandemic and then evict them without a hearing .
Spokespeople for the premier and Housing Minister Steve Clark did not respond when asked if they would extend the moratorium or put a direct support plan in place for renters unable to make full payments because COVID-19 stripped them of income .
The @ OntarioNDP 's @ SuzeMorrison says @ fordnation should extend an eviction ban due to lift on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pandemic and government 's rule changes Geordie Dent , the executive director of the Federation of Metro Tenants ’ Association , said tenant advocates were fighting to slow the process and protect renters ' rights on a number of fronts .
He said some were pushing the attorney general ’ s office to create guidelines for the LTB to follow , and others were focused on efforts to convince Toronto ’ s mayor to use emergency powers to stay evictions in the city .
The City of Toronto voted on Wednesday to challenge @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rules around “ procedural fairness and natural justice.
” “ We 're mostly trying to push the government on financial support , or to mimic B.C .
's plan to mandate long repayment plans for a year , ” Dent said .
British Columbia has been providing rental relief of between $ 300 to $ 500 a month directly to landlords and is requiring landlords work out rent repayment agreements that span a reasonable period of time .
The Landlord and Tenant Board is gradually resuming services in August , Tribunals Ontario said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Tribunals Ontario said on Thursday that the LTB would begin issuing pending eviction orders starting Aug. 1 , and begin to schedule hearings for non-urgent evictions for mid-August and into the fall .
Spokesperson Rebecca Ganesathas was not immediately able to say how many L1 ( non-payment of rent ) eviction applications the board had received since the moratorium .
In April , the last month the LTB had provided data , the board had received 1,405 such applications .
That was down from the roughly 2,500 to 3,000 range seen in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ period a year ago .

The Ontario NDP pleaded Friday for the Ford government to extend a pandemic-related ban on rental evictions that is due to expire on the weekend as critics fear a looming expansion of Toronto’s housing crisis. “It is the eleventh hour,” NDP tenant rights critic Suze Morrison said. “Either he (Premier Doug Ford) changes course today, or the evictions start tomorrow.” Advocates warn lifting the moratorium on hearings at the Landlord and Tenant Board (LTB) will lead to a massive wave of evictions and allow developers and corporate landlords to hike rental rates — especially in Toronto where demand is strong and supply is tight — after Ford previously removed rent control on vacated sites. It won’t be quite as quick as Morrison suggests; eviction orders that were in process before the pandemic will now be acted on, and non-urgent eviction hearings will start in mid-August, Tribunals Ontario said this week. But whether it is tomorrow or some time in August, the body responsible for ordering a sheriff to remove someone’s belongings from their home in Ontario will soon be considering the cases of tens of thousands of people who lost work when COVID-19 shuttered the economy.
“People who have never missed a rent payment or car payment in their entire lives are now terrified of being evicted,” Morrison said. The province has not offered renters any specific assistance since March, when restrictions on social interactions led to the loss of large numbers of retail and hospitality jobs, and the federal assistance available does not cover an average Toronto rent. Billion-dollar land deals in Ontario raise corruption suspicions Younger renters are particularly vulnerable to eviction given many are employed in precarious or part-time work that has been lost to the pandemic and related shutdowns.
“It's the responsibility of the province to step up and make sure that folks are able to stay housed... and instead the premier rolled out an eviction bill to make it easier for landlords to throw people out on the streets,” Morrison said. The @OntarioNDP's @SuzeMorrison says @fordnation should extend an eviction ban due to lift on Saturday as advocates brace for impact of pandemic and government's rule changes Morrison is referring to Bill 184, a housing bill that Ford and his government introduced to the legislature near the start of the pandemic and toughened along the way. She and other critics say the bill makes it easier for landlords to bully tenants into signing bad repayment plans during the pandemic and then evict them without a hearing. Spokespeople for the premier and Housing Minister Steve Clark did not respond when asked if they would extend the moratorium or put a direct support plan in place for renters unable to make full payments because COVID-19 stripped them of income. Geordie Dent, the executive director of the Federation of Metro Tenants’ Association, said tenant advocates were fighting to slow the process and protect renters' rights on a number of fronts. He said some were pushing the attorney general’s office to create guidelines for the LTB to follow, and others were focused on efforts to convince Toronto’s mayor to use emergency powers to stay evictions in the city.
The City of Toronto voted on Wednesday to challenge Bill 184, arguing that it breaches rules around “procedural fairness and natural justice.” “We're mostly trying to push the government on financial support, or to mimic B.C.'s plan to mandate long repayment plans for a year,” Dent said. British Columbia has been providing rental relief of between $300 to $500 a month directly to landlords and is requiring landlords work out rent repayment agreements that span a reasonable period of time.


nationalobserver--2020-07-31--How Green Party leadership hopefuls say they would tackle B.C.’s opioid crisis

This summer , British Columbia saw the most devastating two months ever for illicit drug overdoses .
This week , all nine contestants for Green Party leader put forward ideas on how to address the crisis .
Between 2016 and 2019 , the opioid epidemic claimed the lives of more than 15,000 Canadians .
June was a catastrophic month in B.C.
, with 175 people in the province dying from illicit drug overdoses , breaking the record previously set in May , when 171 people died .
By comparison , 194 people have died from COVID-19 in B.C .
since @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 28 videoconference town hall focused on the province , leadership hopefuls were asked what specific federal actions they would advocate for to address the “ opioid poisoning and overdose crisis in British Columbia , and across Canada.
” “ I speak to this from a slightly different place , because of my own trauma .
I have to say that the road to drug addiction , and dying on the street , is one that I ’ ve seen myself close to , and it ’ s only by the privileges of my @ @ @ @ @ @ @ down that road , ” said Kuttner .
“ It ’ s therefore so important that we treat every individual as somebody who isn ’ t ( using drugs ) by some choice , but is forced to , by society.
” In her groundbreaking 2019 report on solving the opioid crisis , provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry noted that the Portugal model has “ potential applications ” for the province .
This summer , British Columbia saw the most devastating two months ever for illicit drug overdoses .
All nine contestants @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ideas on how to address the crisis .
“ Evidence has shown that this drug policy model , along with other interventions ( e.g.
, harm reduction , prevention , enforcement , and treatment strategies ) has led to an increase in treatment uptake , a reduction in drug-related deaths , and importantly , no increase in drug use rates , ” Henry wrote in her report .
It ’ s clear that Henry has written the “ definitive report ” on the opioid crisis , David Merner said during the town hall @ @ @ @ @ @ @ solution , ” said Merner .
“ We know what the answers are , and what it takes is political will.
” This month , the Canadian Association of Chiefs of Police ( CACP ) also acknowledged Henry ’ s vision , when it cited her report in its own study of the issue , that similarly concludes simple possession should be downgraded from a criminal offence in the federal Controlled Drugs and Substances Act .
Center of Gravity festival in 2018 .
Center of Gravity Twitter photo Canadian policies should aim to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at music festivals , said Meryam Haddad .
The BC Coroners Service has recommended services be available at major events to allow for attendees to check recreational drugs for impurities or toxic substances .
A coroner ’ s report last year said a 16-year-old Kamloops resident had died at a music festival in Kelowna in 2018 from a seizure and cardiac arrest after she ate what she had thought was an ecstasy pill .
“ People need to have access to pill-testing kits , free water in nightclubs , and dark rooms so @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said Haddad .
Educating health-care providers themselves , such as concerning the role of prescription pain medication as a potential precursor to addiction , is an important element in tackling the crisis , said Courtney Howard .
Supervised consumption sites and a comprehensive approach to housing and income were also important , said Howard , as well as addressing deficient mental health services .
“ I have worked in B.C.
, Ontario , Quebec , Nunavut and ( Northwest Territories ) , and I interact with Alberta all the time — nowhere have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an adequate approach to mental health , ” she said .
Dimitri Lascaris said dealing with the opioid crisis means getting at “ the root cause of addiction , ” which he felt were “ social injustices and the traumas resulting from them in our society , ” such as poverty and domestic abuse .
Lascaris held a talk in April with retired Vancouver physician Gabor Maté , who he said “ explained that our medical system , including our medical schools , haven ’ t even begun to grapple ” with trauma @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and B.C .
Premier John Horgan in Surrey on Aug. 29 , 2019 .
Photo by B.C .
government Annamie Paul is familiar with the issue , having been a candidate in a downtown Toronto riding with several supervised consumption sites .
She pointed to decriminalization of the drug supply and mental health services as solutions and also called for better co-operation between different levels of government .
“ We ’ ve demonstrated throughout this pandemic that jurisdiction can be put aside when lives are at stake , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to see the same level of co-operation between provincial and federal governments in addressing the opioid crisis as we ’ ve seen during the pandemic.
” One key to solving the opioid crisis was to ensure everyone has a safe place to go home to at night , free of violence , said Glen Murray .
He said a majority of street-involved young adults have been exposed to violence , and he said building affordable housing units was central to addressing the issue .
Canada could save money by investing in health-care solutions @ @ @ @ @ @ @ than incarceration , said Judy Green .
She said the coronavirus pandemic is “ exacerbating the opioid crisis ” because of the “ closing down of the safe injection sites.
” In March , B.C.
’ s Ministry of Mental Health and Addictions said extra precautions were being taken by supervised consumption service providers , including some service delivery changes to allow for distancing measures .
The BC Centre for Disease Control says service delivery should “ continue as much as possible.
” Parliament Hill in Ottawa in 2018 .
Photo by Alex @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , so they can more directly implement their policy agenda in Parliament , said Andrew West .
He said the party has great policies on addressing the opioid crisis .
“ I can spend the next minute or so talking about how we should address the opioid crisis in the cities , how we should address the opioid crisis on Indigenous communities , ” said West .
“ I can spend this whole time talking about that , but the reality is that we need to get elected , and that ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ”

This summer, British Columbia saw the most devastating two months ever for illicit drug overdoses. This week, all nine contestants for Green Party leader put forward ideas on how to address the crisis. Between 2016 and 2019, the opioid epidemic claimed the lives of more than 15,000 Canadians. June was a catastrophic month in B.C., with 175 people in the province dying from illicit drug overdoses, breaking the record previously set in May, when 171 people died. By comparison, 194 people have died from COVID-19 in B.C. since the pandemic began. During a July 28 videoconference town hall focused on the province, leadership hopefuls were asked what specific federal actions they would advocate for to address the “opioid poisoning and overdose crisis in British Columbia, and across Canada.” Provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry on July 27, 2020. Photo by B.C. government
Bonnie Henry and the Portugal model Many contestants said Canada should adopt the Portugal model, and decriminalize the possession and consumption of small amounts of illicit substances for personal use. The Green Party itself called for drug possession to be decriminalized roughly a year ago, specifically to deal with the opioid crisis. Billion-dollar land deals in Ontario raise corruption suspicions In 2001, Portugal reclassified drug possession from a criminal offence, connected with potential time in jail, to an administrative offence with penalties ranging from warnings to fines, licence suspensions or bans on associations or movements. The change is now seen to have helped reverse what had become a deadly epidemic in that country.
Following the Portugal model, as well as expanding health-care support, addressing trauma and defunding the police were all important policies to address the opioid crisis, said Amita Kuttner. This summer, British Columbia saw the most devastating two months ever for illicit drug overdoses. All nine contestants for Green Party leader have put forward ideas on how to address the crisis. “I speak to this from a slightly different place, because of my own trauma. I have to say that the road to drug addiction, and dying on the street, is one that I’ve seen myself close to, and it’s only by the privileges of my life that I’ve avoided going down that road,” said Kuttner. “It’s therefore so important that we treat every individual as somebody who isn’t (using drugs) by some choice, but is forced to, by society.” In her groundbreaking 2019 report on solving the opioid crisis, provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry noted that the Portugal model has “potential applications” for the province. “Evidence has shown that this drug policy model, along with other interventions (e.g., harm reduction, prevention, enforcement, and treatment strategies) has led to an increase in treatment uptake, a reduction in drug-related deaths, and importantly, no increase in drug use rates,” Henry wrote in her report.
It’s clear that Henry has written the “definitive report” on the opioid crisis, David Merner said during the town hall. “It’s a national solution,” said Merner. “We know what the answers are, and what it takes is political will.” This month, the Canadian Association of Chiefs of Police (CACP) also acknowledged Henry’s vision, when it cited her report in its own study of the issue, that similarly concludes simple possession should be downgraded from a criminal offence in the federal Controlled Drugs and Substances Act. Center of Gravity festival in 2018. Center of Gravity Twitter photo