nationalobserver--2020-12-18--Ottawa granted third extension by Quebec Court to deal with revamped assisted-dying law

A Quebec judge has granted the federal government another delay in bringing medical assistance in dying legislation in line with a ruling from the province 's Superior Court .
This time around , Ottawa asked for — and received — until Feb. 26 , a deadline that gives Parliament just over two more months to pass legislation that would expand access to doctor-assisted death in Quebec and the rest of Canada .
The move comes as the government 's representative in the Senate , Sen. Marc Gold , conceded Thursday the upper house wo n't finish its consideration of Bill @ @ @ @ @ @ @ previous court-imposed deadline that was set to expire Friday .
Senators wrapped up opening debate on the bill Thursday , but it must now be scrutinized by the Senate 's legal and constitutional affairs committee before being sent back to the chamber for final debate and possible amendments .
In a statement , Gold said he had hoped the Senate could finish dealing with the bill before the previous deadline .
• Will superweeds become stronger with rising temperatures ?
• Qualtrough quells anxiety about CERB notices , saying no requirement to repay @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bill so late in the calendar , fast-tracking Bill C-7 through all stages by December 18 would have required the unanimous consent of all senators , '' he said .
`` But given the significance of this legislation , senators have expressed a legitimate desire to fulfil their constitutional role of sober second thought . ''
The bill is intended to bring the law into compliance with a September 2019 court ruling .
Quebec Superior Court Justice Christine Baudouin struck down a provision in the law that allows medically assisted death only for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
She gave the government six months to bring the law into compliance with her ruling , but the court later agreed to two extensions , given the disruptions to Parliament caused by last fall 's election and the COVID-19 pandemic .
A similar provision in the Quebec law was dropped ahead of the initial March deadline .
Quebec Superior Court Justice Martin F. Sheehan granted the new extension Thursday afternoon after hearing the request from the federal government in Montreal .
A Quebec judge has given the federal government until late Feb. @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in line with a Superior Court ruling .
# MAID # cdnpoli # cdnlegal # AssistedDying The federal government once again pointed to the COVID-19 pandemic , which slowed the work of Parliament , to justify its latest request .
The delay in implementing the court ruling has meant those who are not near death still can not directly request the help of a doctor to end their life .
They could go to court to be individually authorized to obtain medical assistance in dying , a possibility that Baudouin gave in her @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they must pay the associated legal costs .
Sheehan asked federal lawyer David Lucas on Thursday morning if the government had anything to offer to ease the burden on these people , such as by reimbursing their legal costs .
Asked about the matter later Thursday , before the ruling was out , federal Justice Minister David Lametti said the government would pay lawyers ' fees and reasonable court expenses for those who would have to head to court to seek such permission .
This commitment is included in Sheehan 's decision .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ federal government should have appealed the Quebec court decision last fall instead of trying to rush through the changes now .
“ By refusing to appeal the court decision , then proroguing Parliament and stalling on the reintroduction of C-7 , the Liberals have failed to meet their target .
In their arrogance , the Liberals expected Parliament to simply rubber-stamp this bill on life-and-death , '' he said in a statement Thursday .
He added the Conservatives have put forward amendments he said would have dealt with concerns raised by people living @ @ @

A Quebec judge has granted the federal government another delay in bringing medical assistance in dying legislation in line with a ruling from the province's Superior Court. This time around, Ottawa asked for — and received — until Feb. 26, a deadline that gives Parliament just over two more months to pass legislation that would expand access to doctor-assisted death in Quebec and the rest of Canada. The move comes as the government's representative in the Senate, Sen. Marc Gold, conceded Thursday the upper house won't finish its consideration of Bill C-7 until mid-February — long past the previous court-imposed deadline that was set to expire Friday. Senators wrapped up opening debate on the bill Thursday, but it must now be scrutinized by the Senate's legal and constitutional affairs committee before being sent back to the chamber for final debate and possible amendments. In a statement, Gold said he had hoped the Senate could finish dealing with the bill before the previous deadline.
"Because the Senate received the bill so late in the calendar, fast-tracking Bill C-7 through all stages by December 18 would have required the unanimous consent of all senators,'' he said. "But given the significance of this legislation, senators have expressed a legitimate desire to fulfil their constitutional role of sober second thought." Billion-dollar land deals in Ontario raise corruption suspicions The bill is intended to bring the law into compliance with a September 2019 court ruling. Quebec Superior Court Justice Christine Baudouin struck down a provision in the law that allows medically assisted death only for those whose natural death is reasonably foreseeable.
She gave the government six months to bring the law into compliance with her ruling, but the court later agreed to two extensions, given the disruptions to Parliament caused by last fall's election and the COVID-19 pandemic. A Quebec judge has given the federal government until late Feb. too bring medical assistance in dying legislation in line with a Superior Court ruling. #MAID #cdnpoli #cdnlegal #AssistedDying A similar provision in the Quebec law was dropped ahead of the initial March deadline. Quebec Superior Court Justice Martin F. Sheehan granted the new extension Thursday afternoon after hearing the request from the federal government in Montreal. The federal government once again pointed to the COVID-19 pandemic, which slowed the work of Parliament, to justify its latest request. The delay in implementing the court ruling has meant those who are not near death still cannot directly request the help of a doctor to end their life.
They could go to court to be individually authorized to obtain medical assistance in dying, a possibility that Baudouin gave in her judgment last fall, but it means they must pay the associated legal costs. Sheehan asked federal lawyer David Lucas on Thursday morning if the government had anything to offer to ease the burden on these people, such as by reimbursing their legal costs. Asked about the matter later Thursday, before the ruling was out, federal Justice Minister David Lametti said the government would pay lawyers' fees and reasonable court expenses for those who would have to head to court to seek such permission.


nationalobserver--2020-12-18--Federal health minister asked to review Alberta's use of strychnine for wolf control

Animal advocates have asked the federal health minister to review a decision that allows Alberta to keep using strychnine to poison wolves in an ongoing effort to preserve caribou herds .
Wolf Awareness and Animal Justice filed the request with Health Canada earlier this week , along with accusations that Alberta is breaking the terms governing use of the toxin and endangering other wildlife .
`` These products are not environmentally responsible , '' said Kaitlyn Mitchell , a lawyer with Animal Justice .
`` The evidence of non-compliance with legal restrictions further underscores the point we ca n't be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ way . ''
Alberta officials deny misusing strychnine and say its use is essential to keep caribou on the landscape .
Last March , Health Canada 's Pest Management Regulatory Agency renewed permission for Alberta to keep placing strychnine-laced bait in caribou habitat to reduce the number of wolves that prey on the endangered herds .
Between 2005 and 2018 , Alberta killed 225 wolves with strychnine in addition to deaths from aerial gunning .
• Will superweeds become stronger with rising temperatures ?
• Qualtrough quells anxiety about CERB notices , saying @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for a review by the minister in light of new evidence .
Animal Justice and Wolf Awareness say documents obtained under freedom of information provide that evidence .
Conditions stipulate that bait sites must be checked every seven days to ensure carcasses do n't poison other animals and the toxin does n't enter the environment .
Records show that in 2018 , the average time between checks at 19 sites was nearly nine days , including one stretch of two weeks .
The request also alleges that Alberta is leaving out more poison @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rules allow .
It quotes government records saying 20 baits were left out at almost all the sites .
The request adds that site inspections and cleanup — important to ensure strychnine is removed from the landscape — were also inadequate .
`` More than 20 per cent of strychnine bait sites were not able to be inspected , either adequately or at all , for up to three months after sites were deemed closed due to local flooding , '' the request says .
Health Canada has not said whether it will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Minister asked to review use of strychnine to kill wolves .
# ecology # ecosystem # wolves Dave Hervieux , a longtime caribou expert with Alberta Environment , said bait sites are often tough to reach in winter when the strychnine is placed .
`` Seven days is what we strive to achieve .
In the vast majority of ( cases ) , we do achieve that .
I do n't know what the negative implications would be of missing the seven days by a day or two . ''
Hervieux said poison @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at the remote sites , which are only accessible by air .
He also doubted Alberta Environment is setting out too much poison .
`` I do n't think that 's factual , '' he said .
Hervieux acknowledges more non-wolves than wolves are killed by strychnine , a poison widely banned around the world and considered by veterinarians to deliver an excruciatingly painful death .
But there 's little choice on a landscape where caribou habitat has been heavily disturbed by decades of logging and oil and gas activity , he said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said , and caribou need help now .
`` We are trying to avoid the extirpation of an iconic species — caribou — that is in trouble entirely because of our activities , '' Hervieux said .
`` I get it that it 's not OK to kill a dozen ravens .
But the real question is shall we try to make this situation right , protect these animals — caribou — so that they can exist and benefit from improved habitat conditions into the future , or shall we not ? ''
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ first published Dec. 18 , 2020 .

Animal advocates have asked the federal health minister to review a decision that allows Alberta to keep using strychnine to poison wolves in an ongoing effort to preserve caribou herds. Wolf Awareness and Animal Justice filed the request with Health Canada earlier this week, along with accusations that Alberta is breaking the terms governing use of the toxin and endangering other wildlife. "These products are not environmentally responsible," said Kaitlyn Mitchell, a lawyer with Animal Justice. "The evidence of non-compliance with legal restrictions further underscores the point we can't be using these in Canada in a responsible way." Alberta officials deny misusing strychnine and say its use is essential to keep caribou on the landscape. Last March, Health Canada's Pest Management Regulatory Agency renewed permission for Alberta to keep placing strychnine-laced bait in caribou habitat to reduce the number of wolves that prey on the endangered herds. Between 2005 and 2018, Alberta killed 225 wolves with strychnine in addition to deaths from aerial gunning.
Legislation allows for a review by the minister in light of new evidence. Animal Justice and Wolf Awareness say documents obtained under freedom of information provide that evidence. Conditions stipulate that bait sites must be checked every seven days to ensure carcasses don't poison other animals and the toxin doesn't enter the environment. Records show that in 2018, the average time between checks at 19 sites was nearly nine days, including one stretch of two weeks. Billion-dollar land deals in Ontario raise corruption suspicions The request also alleges that Alberta is leaving out more poison than the 12 baits per site the rules allow. It quotes government records saying 20 baits were left out at almost all the sites.
The request adds that site inspections and cleanup — important to ensure strychnine is removed from the landscape — were also inadequate. Federal Health Minister asked to review use of strychnine to kill wolves. #ecology #ecosystem #wolves "More than 20 per cent of strychnine bait sites were not able to be inspected, either adequately or at all, for up to three months after sites were deemed closed due to local flooding," the request says. Health Canada has not said whether it will grant the review request. Dave Hervieux, a longtime caribou expert with Alberta Environment, said bait sites are often tough to reach in winter when the strychnine is placed. "Seven days is what we strive to achieve. In the vast majority of (cases), we do achieve that. I don't know what the negative implications would be of missing the seven days by a day or two."
Hervieux said poison is the only option for wolf control at the remote sites, which are only accessible by air. He also doubted Alberta Environment is setting out too much poison. "I don't think that's factual," he said. Hervieux acknowledges more non-wolves than wolves are killed by strychnine, a poison widely banned around the world and considered by veterinarians to deliver an excruciatingly painful death.


nationalobserver--2020-12-18--Health Canada to study impact of online food ads on children

After years of promising to ban kids ’ food advertising , Health Canada has announced it will spend about $ 200,000 to study the impact of social media food ads targeting children .
Experts hope the move is an indication that Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is finally prepared to make good on his word .
In a 2015 mandate letter , Trudeau tasked Jane Philpott , the health minister at the time , to introduce “ new restrictions on the commercial marketing of unhealthy food and beverages to children , similar to those now in place in Quebec.
” The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ subsequent health minister mandate letters up to 2019 .
The main focus of the study will be on social media “ because it is a significant source of children ’ s exposure to food marketing … in particular on social media platforms such as YouTube and Instagram , ” Health Canada wrote in a statement .
• Will superweeds become stronger with rising temperatures ?
• Qualtrough quells anxiety about CERB notices , saying no requirement to repay now Manuel Arango , director of policy and advocacy at the Heart and Stroke Foundation @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the right direction but wants more action .
“ We ’ re hoping that the government lives up to its commitment and puts forward government legislation , ” Arango said .
There are currently no federal laws regulating food advertising to children .
Quebec is the only province with a law that prohibits commercial advertising to children under the age of 13 .
Over the years , several federal bills have been introduced to amend the Competition Act and the Food and Drug Act to restrict commercial advertising to children .
However @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said it couldn ’ t find any Canadian research on the impact of social media ads , so the main focus of the study will be to establish “ baseline measurements ” to examine how much children are exposed to food ads on social media and compare it over time .
Health Canada has selected The Outlive Lab , an anti-obesity research team , to do the study .
Monique Potvin Kent , director of the lab , said it ’ s critical to regulate online marketing to children because it ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
After years of promising to ban kids ’ food advertising , Health Canada has announced it will study the impact of social media food advertising targeting children .
Experts hope it means the prime minister will make good on his word .
# cdnpoli “ It ’ s very different from television advertising … Parents don ’ t see what their kids are seeing when they ’ re online , ” Potvin Kent said .
“ They can target people much more precisely from all the data that ’ s collected.
” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to advertising .
“ They can ’ t differentiate between marketing or advertising and something that ’ s factual , ” Arango said .
“ They take it or interpret it as reality , ” which poses health risks when looking at the amount of unhealthy foods advertised , he added .
According to a 2017 report by the Heart and Stroke Foundation , 90 per cent of online food and beverage advertisements viewed by youths promoted products high in sugar , salt and saturated fats .
The number of Canadian children with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ almost one in three children overweight or obese , the report added .
Arango isn ’ t surprised that Quebec — the only provincial jurisdiction that bans child advertising — is an exception to this trend .
The province has the lowest obesity rate in Canada among children aged six to 11 , and the highest rate of vegetable and fruit consumption , according to the report .
But Arango pointed out a “ loophole ” in Quebec ’ s laws .
“ It ’ s a restriction on marketing of any products @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that means you can advertise an adult eating a Big Mac on a children ’ s show as long as it ’ s not a child eating it , ” Arango said .
Still , Arango said it ’ s a better option than having private companies make up their own rules .

After years of promising to ban kids’ food advertising, Health Canada has announced it will spend about $200,000 to study the impact of social media food ads targeting children. Experts hope the move is an indication that Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is finally prepared to make good on his word. In a 2015 mandate letter, Trudeau tasked Jane Philpott, the health minister at the time, to introduce “new restrictions on the commercial marketing of unhealthy food and beverages to children, similar to those now in place in Quebec.” The same commitment has been mentioned in all subsequent health minister mandate letters up to 2019. The main focus of the study will be on social media “because it is a significant source of children’s exposure to food marketing … in particular on social media platforms such as YouTube and Instagram,” Health Canada wrote in a statement.
Manuel Arango, director of policy and advocacy at the Heart and Stroke Foundation, believes the study is a step in the right direction but wants more action. “We’re hoping that the government lives up to its commitment and puts forward government legislation,” Arango said. Billion-dollar land deals in Ontario raise corruption suspicions There are currently no federal laws regulating food advertising to children. Quebec is the only province with a law that prohibits commercial advertising to children under the age of 13.
Over the years, several federal bills have been introduced to amend the Competition Act and the Food and Drug Act to restrict commercial advertising to children. However, none have passed. After years of promising to ban kids’ food advertising, Health Canada has announced it will study the impact of social media food advertising targeting children. Experts hope it means the prime minister will make good on his word. #cdnpoli Health Canada said it couldn’t find any Canadian research on the impact of social media ads, so the main focus of the study will be to establish “baseline measurements” to examine how much children are exposed to food ads on social media and compare it over time. Health Canada has selected The Outlive Lab, an anti-obesity research team, to do the study. Monique Potvin Kent, director of the lab, said it’s critical to regulate online marketing to children because it’s becoming more difficult for parents to control. “It’s very different from television advertising … Parents don’t see what their kids are seeing when they’re online,” Potvin Kent said. “They can target people much more precisely from all the data that’s collected.” Arango said younger children are especially vulnerable to advertising.
“They can’t differentiate between marketing or advertising and something that’s factual,” Arango said. “They take it or interpret it as reality,” which poses health risks when looking at the amount of unhealthy foods advertised, he added. According to a 2017 report by the Heart and Stroke Foundation, 90 per cent of online food and beverage advertisements viewed by youths promoted products high in sugar, salt and saturated fats. The number of Canadian children with obesity has tripled since 1979, with almost one in three children overweight or obese, the report added.


nationalobserver--2020-12-18--Why Canada needs to shift the power base to urban voters

If at first you don ’ t succeed , try , try again .
That appears to be the Conservative Party of Canada ’ s attitude towards the federal carbon tax and rebate , which was updated last week with an ambitious schedule of increases that will culminate in a $ 170-per-tonne carbon price by 2030 .
Even though they lost last year ’ s election on the back of a failed attempt to depict the carbon tax as a “ job killing ” measure , they still refuse to embrace carbon pricing , an idea that originally came from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , they ’ re doubling down on their disdain for the policy .
As Conservative strategist and former Andrew Scheer staffer Stephen Taylor tweeted : “ The carbon tax is a redistribution scheme from rural Canadians to urban Canadians .
This is , to be clear , abject nonsense .
In provinces where the federal backstop applies , rural residents get a 10 per cent top-up on their rebate — and the rebates are biggest in provinces with large rural populations like Alberta and Saskatchewan .
Farmers , meanwhile , don ’ t @ @ @ @ @ @ @ use in combines and other machines ; similarly , owners of fishing vessels in Atlantic Canada are also exempted .
And if the premiers of the Prairie provinces were truly interested in protecting farmers , they could pass their own climate plan — one that does more for agricultural producers than the federal backstop .
But Taylor unintentionally raises an interesting question : Who , exactly , is subsidizing whom in Canada ?
After all , while Conservatives seem to spend unusually large portions of their days being outraged about the federal equalization @ @ @ @ @ @ @ about the billions in de facto transfers from urban and suburban taxpayers to rural ones .
• Qualtrough quells anxiety about CERB notices , saying no requirement to repay now • Advocates call for national safe supply over fears overdose crisis will worsen in 2021 • Will superweeds become stronger with rising temperatures ?
There ’ s a frustrating lack of data here , but in a 2007 paper for the C.D .
Howe Institute , University of Calgary economics professor Ron Kneebone tried to quantify the relative contributions that urban and rural @ @ @ @ @ @ @ found that the federal government ran a $ 23.5-billion surplus with the nine largest cities and a $ 14.49-billion deficit with the rest of the country , while nearly 90 per cent of the $ 12.01-billion deficit the 10 provincial governments ran was driven by non-urban residents .
Meanwhile , between 1986 and 2002 , Calgary residents paid $ 2,223 more in federal tax revenue per capita than they received in federal programs , Torontonians kicked up an extra $ 2,285 and Vancouverites overcontributed by $ 918 .
It ’ s not just @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of rural Canadians are more influential — and in some cases , far more influential — than those of urban and suburban voters .
While the most recent redistribution of federal seats helped address the structural under-representation of voters in B.C.
, Ontario and Alberta by adding new seats in those provinces , it failed to apply the principle of representation by population to Canada ’ s cities and suburbs .
As a result , while ridings in rural parts of the country can have as few as 35,000 people , there are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that have more than three times that number .
There ’ s nothing inherently wrong with those urban-to-rural transfers , just as there ’ s nothing wrong with the federal equalization program .
But the reality of those transfers is out of step with the space that rural residents occupy in our national political imagination .
And the more we cater to them , the more we risk ignoring the vital and urgent concerns of people who are central to our economic and social prosperity .
After all , whether folks in rural @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , our country ’ s economic future depends more on its cities and the growing number of people who live in them than ever before .
As the University of Ottawa ’ s Michael Pal told the CBC ’ s Brent Bambury back in 2015 : “ We see Canada as a country of farmers and people earning their income from things in the woods , but that 's not who we are any more .
We are an urban country . ''
None of this is to suggest that the federal government @ @ @ @ @ @ @ or that their contributions — most notably , the production of the food we all depend on and take for granted — aren ’ t important .
If anything , the government should be doing more to bridge the growing divide between urban and rural Canadians .
But it can ’ t do that at the expense of the millions of Canadians who live in and around our major cities .
`` When the federal government gets its next opportunity to align Canada ’ s electoral map with the reality of its population @ @ @ @ @ @ @ just tinker at the margins , '' @ maxfawcett writes .
`` Instead , it needs to go big — literally . ''
That ’ s why , when the federal government gets its next opportunity to align Canada ’ s electoral map with the reality of its population after the 2021 census is complete , it needs to do more than just tinker at the margins .
Instead , it needs to go big — literally .
By adding dozens of new seats in mostly urban and suburban areas of the country @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of positive democratic outcomes .
First and foremost , it would reduce the disparity between rural and urban votes , and ensure ballots cast in one part of the country aren ’ t worth more than those cast in another .
But as political theorist and author David Moscrop has argued repeatedly , expanding the number of seats in Canada ’ s Parliament would have other consequences — including eroding some of the power that ’ s been allowed to concentrate in the prime minister ’ s office and the unelected staffers who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ members , ” he writes , “ the power balance would shift , and citizens would be better served by MPs who were more than mere spokespersons for the party leadership.
” This would surely be unpopular among federal Conservatives like Stephen Taylor , who have seen their party ’ s support in urban parts of the country continue to drop .
Those numbers are unlikely to improve any time soon , given the Conservative Party of Canada ’ s continued intransigence towards things like climate policy and the carbon tax and rebate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ meanwhile , would almost certainly infuriate small-government groups like the Canadian Taxpayers Federation .
But governing is about serving the interests of the largest number of people , not catering to the noisiest ones .
And as urban and suburban Canada continues to grow in size and economic clout , it ’ s time for our political institutions to better reflect that reality .

If at first you don’t succeed, try, try again. That appears to be the Conservative Party of Canada’s attitude towards the federal carbon tax and rebate, which was updated last week with an ambitious schedule of increases that will culminate in a $170-per-tonne carbon price by 2030. Even though they lost last year’s election on the back of a failed attempt to depict the carbon tax as a “job killing” measure, they still refuse to embrace carbon pricing, an idea that originally came from their own ideological ranks. If anything, they’re doubling down on their disdain for the policy. As Conservative strategist and former Andrew Scheer staffer Stephen Taylor tweeted: “The carbon tax is a redistribution scheme from rural Canadians to urban Canadians. This is, to be clear, abject nonsense. In provinces where the federal backstop applies, rural residents get a 10 per cent top-up on their rebate — and the rebates are biggest in provinces with large rural populations like Alberta and Saskatchewan. Farmers, meanwhile, don’t pay the carbon tax on fuels they use in combines and other machines; similarly, owners of fishing vessels in Atlantic Canada are also exempted. And if the premiers of the Prairie provinces were truly interested in protecting farmers, they could pass their own climate plan — one that does more for agricultural producers than the federal backstop. But Taylor unintentionally raises an interesting question: Who, exactly, is subsidizing whom in Canada? After all, while Conservatives seem to spend unusually large portions of their days being outraged about the federal equalization program, they’re weirdly silent about the billions in de facto transfers from urban and suburban taxpayers to rural ones.
There’s a frustrating lack of data here, but in a 2007 paper for the C.D. Howe Institute, University of Calgary economics professor Ron Kneebone tried to quantify the relative contributions that urban and rural Canadians make. In 2002, he found that the federal government ran a $23.5-billion surplus with the nine largest cities and a $14.49-billion deficit with the rest of the country, while nearly 90 per cent of the $12.01-billion deficit the 10 provincial governments ran was driven by non-urban residents. Meanwhile, between 1986 and 2002, Calgary residents paid $2,223 more in federal tax revenue per capita than they received in federal programs, Torontonians kicked up an extra $2,285 and Vancouverites overcontributed by $918. Billion-dollar land deals in Ontario raise corruption suspicions It’s not just about money, either. The votes of rural Canadians are more influential — and in some cases, far more influential — than those of urban and suburban voters. While the most recent redistribution of federal seats helped address the structural under-representation of voters in B.C., Ontario and Alberta by adding new seats in those provinces, it failed to apply the principle of representation by population to Canada’s cities and suburbs. As a result, while ridings in rural parts of the country can have as few as 35,000 people, there are lots of ridings in the 905 region that have more than three times that number.
There’s nothing inherently wrong with those urban-to-rural transfers, just as there’s nothing wrong with the federal equalization program. But the reality of those transfers is out of step with the space that rural residents occupy in our national political imagination. And the more we cater to them, the more we risk ignoring the vital and urgent concerns of people who are central to our economic and social prosperity. "When the federal government gets its next opportunity to align Canada’s electoral map with the reality of its population ... it needs to do more than just tinker at the margins," @maxfawcett writes. "Instead, it needs to go big — literally." After all, whether folks in rural Canada want to acknowledge it or not, our country’s economic future depends more on its cities and the growing number of people who live in them than ever before. As the University of Ottawa’s Michael Pal told the CBC’s Brent Bambury back in 2015: “We see Canada as a country of farmers and people earning their income from things in the woods, but that's not who we are any more. We are an urban country." None of this is to suggest that the federal government shouldn’t support rural communities, or that their contributions — most notably, the production of the food we all depend on and take for granted — aren’t important. If anything, the government should be doing more to bridge the growing divide between urban and rural Canadians. But it can’t do that at the expense of the millions of Canadians who live in and around our major cities. That’s why, when the federal government gets its next opportunity to align Canada’s electoral map with the reality of its population after the 2021 census is complete, it needs to do more than just tinker at the margins. Instead, it needs to go big — literally. By adding dozens of new seats in mostly urban and suburban areas of the country, the government would achieve a number of positive democratic outcomes. First and foremost, it would reduce the disparity between rural and urban votes, and ensure ballots cast in one part of the country aren’t worth more than those cast in another.
But as political theorist and author David Moscrop has argued repeatedly, expanding the number of seats in Canada’s Parliament would have other consequences — including eroding some of the power that’s been allowed to concentrate in the prime minister’s office and the unelected staffers who work there. “With more elected members,” he writes, “the power balance would shift, and citizens would be better served by MPs who were more than mere spokespersons for the party leadership.” This would surely be unpopular among federal Conservatives like Stephen Taylor, who have seen their party’s support in urban parts of the country continue to drop. Those numbers are unlikely to improve any time soon, given the Conservative Party of Canada’s continued intransigence towards things like climate policy and the carbon tax and rebate. Creating more jobs for politicians, meanwhile, would almost certainly infuriate small-government groups like the Canadian Taxpayers Federation.


nationalobserver--2020-12-18--Automakers see juiced EV sales from closer North American co-operation

Automakers expect the Biden administration will open the door to closer North American co-operation on emissions rules , which , in turn , will juice sales of electric cars .
That goal is worthy , autoworkers say — as long as it also includes an industrial strategy that is fair and inclusive for Canadian workers , potentially including rules surrounding domestic content or environmental and labour conditions attached to imports .
David Adams , president of Global Automakers of Canada ( GAC ) , spoke to Canada ’ s National Observer the same day Environment Minister Jonathan Wilkinson revealed that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Joe Biden agrees with Canada on the need to expand zero-emissions vehicle adoption .
Canada will be discussing with the U.S. several paths forward , Wilkinson told Reuters on Thursday , including the possibility of banning “ the sale of internal combustion engines ” that power vehicles that burn fossil fuels like gasoline or diesel , or a sales mandate for a certain percentage of new cars sold to be zero-emission .
The minister ’ s home province of British Columbia , as well as Quebec , has laws in place that require @ @ @ @ @ @ @ vehicle ( EV ) sales .
Quebec will ban sales of new gasoline-powered light-duty vehicles by 2035 , while B.C .
will ban them by 2040 .
• Qualtrough quells anxiety about CERB notices , saying no requirement to repay now • Will superweeds become stronger with rising temperatures ?
The federal government itself has set a zero-emission vehicles “ target ” of 10 per cent light-duty vehicle sales per year by 2025 , rising to 100 per cent by 2040 .
GAC , an industry group representing the Canadian subsidiaries of Toyota @ @ @ @ @ @ @ firms , expects “ a renewed focus on both climate change and vehicle electrification ” with the Biden administration in power , said Adams .
“ You may well see all three countries in the North American region working more closely together , ” Adams predicted .
“ Greenhouse gas emissions regulations will be more similar in North America , which will ultimately drive more EV sales , as stringent standards significantly narrow the options for compliance — meaning that more EVs will need to be brought to the market for manufacturers to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ transportation sector makes up a quarter of all of Canada ’ s emissions , and globally , road transport accounts for over a tenth of greenhouse gases .
Environment Minister Jonathan Wilkinson revealed Thursday that the incoming United States administration of president-elect Joe Biden agrees with Canada on the need to expand zero-emissions vehicle adoption .
# cdnpoli The federal government ’ s new climate plan discusses a desire to “ facilitate a global transition to zero-emission vehicles in line with the goals of the Paris Agreement.
” The plan was published after @ @ @ @ @ @ @ — one from Ford that it would convert its Oakville assembly plant to all-electric by 2025 and another from Fiat Chrysler that it would convert its Windsor assembly plant to a new electrified platform by 2024 .
The climate plan indicated that Canada would join a new international effort called the Zero Emission Vehicle Transition Council , made of members that “ collectively account for around half of all new vehicle sales globally.
” The organization put out a “ joint statement ” on Nov. 27 that was signed by Transport Minister Marc @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Colín — as well as representatives from California , Japan , South Korea and several other countries .
California is also looking to ban sales of cars powered by gasoline or diesel by 2035 .
The council said in its statement that it has a responsibility to accelerate EV adoption , including “ ensuring the life cycle ( from production to scrapping ) of zero-emission vehicles is sustainable and inclusive.
” Notably missing from the signatories was a national representative from the United States .
Adams said the fact that the U.S. is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Canada to participate in the first place — “ looking to seek common positioning and goals with other jurisdictions that have the same aspirations.
” Biden ’ s climate plan calls for the acceleration of EV deployment , the deployment of over 500,000 public charging stations by 2030 and an electric vehicle tax credit to incentivize purchasing of “ made in America ” vehicles “ to the greatest extent possible.
” The North American auto supply chain is highly integrated — diplomats are fond of pointing out how auto parts cross the border @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The integrated nature was on full display this year as the COVID-19 pandemic led to shutdowns and other restrictions that disrupted the supply chain , according to Statistics Canada .
Angelo DiCaro , director of research at Unifor — the union representing over 40,000 members in the auto business , from assembly lines to manufacturing and dealerships — told the House of Commons environment committee in November that there needed to be a “ coherent auto sector development strategy ” to capitalize on the momentum from the Ford and Chrysler assembly plant @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ careful supply chain mapping to identify gaps and localize investment targets , ” he noted .
“ It must include content rules for fleet purchases and vehicle afterlife requirements , linking disassembly and recycling to job creation.
” And everything needs to be joined with “ progressive trade policy , ” said DiCaro , “ including measures that disincentivize imports of greenhouse gas-intensive products and that attach strict environmental and labour conditions on goods entering the Canadian market .
”

Automakers expect the Biden administration will open the door to closer North American co-operation on emissions rules, which, in turn, will juice sales of electric cars. That goal is worthy, autoworkers say — as long as it also includes an industrial strategy that is fair and inclusive for Canadian workers, potentially including rules surrounding domestic content or environmental and labour conditions attached to imports. David Adams, president of Global Automakers of Canada (GAC), spoke to Canada’s National Observer the same day Environment Minister Jonathan Wilkinson revealed that the incoming United States administration of president-elect Joe Biden agrees with Canada on the need to expand zero-emissions vehicle adoption. Canada will be discussing with the U.S. several paths forward, Wilkinson told Reuters on Thursday, including the possibility of banning “the sale of internal combustion engines” that power vehicles that burn fossil fuels like gasoline or diesel, or a sales mandate for a certain percentage of new cars sold to be zero-emission. The minister’s home province of British Columbia, as well as Quebec, has laws in place that require automakers to meet certain thresholds of electric vehicle (EV) sales. Quebec will ban sales of new gasoline-powered light-duty vehicles by 2035, while B.C. will ban them by 2040.
The federal government itself has set a zero-emission vehicles “target” of 10 per cent light-duty vehicle sales per year by 2025, rising to 100 per cent by 2040. GAC, an industry group representing the Canadian subsidiaries of Toyota, Volkswagen and other large foreign auto firms, expects “a renewed focus on both climate change and vehicle electrification” with the Biden administration in power, said Adams. Billion-dollar land deals in Ontario raise corruption suspicions “You may well see all three countries in the North American region working more closely together,” Adams predicted.
“Greenhouse gas emissions regulations will be more similar in North America, which will ultimately drive more EV sales, as stringent standards significantly narrow the options for compliance — meaning that more EVs will need to be brought to the market for manufacturers to be compliant.” Environment Minister Jonathan Wilkinson revealed Thursday that the incoming United States administration of president-elect Joe Biden agrees with Canada on the need to expand zero-emissions vehicle adoption. #cdnpoli Canada joins EV ‘transition council’ Carbon pollution from the transportation sector makes up a quarter of all of Canada’s emissions, and globally, road transport accounts for over a tenth of greenhouse gases. The federal government’s new climate plan discusses a desire to “facilitate a global transition to zero-emission vehicles in line with the goals of the Paris Agreement.” The plan was published after two major announcements from automakers this year — one from Ford that it would convert its Oakville assembly plant to all-electric by 2025 and another from Fiat Chrysler that it would convert its Windsor assembly plant to a new electrified platform by 2024.
The climate plan indicated that Canada would join a new international effort called the Zero Emission Vehicle Transition Council, made of members that “collectively account for around half of all new vehicle sales globally.” The organization put out a “joint statement” on Nov. 27 that was signed by Transport Minister Marc Garneau and Mexican Economy Minister Graciela Márquez Colín — as well as representatives from California, Japan, South Korea and several other countries. California is also looking to ban sales of cars powered by gasoline or diesel by 2035. The council said in its statement that it has a responsibility to accelerate EV adoption, including “ensuring the life cycle (from production to scrapping) of zero-emission vehicles is sustainable and inclusive.”


nationalobserver--2020-12-18--Movies with 2 great actors, a reason to drink responsibly and the aftermath of an eco-disaster

The pandemic has shut down so much , you ’ d think by now there ’ d be a slowdown in new movies arriving .
For instance , a popular theatre in Ottawa , the ByTowne Cinema , is shutting down for good because of it .
But on the streaming sites , the new titles keep coming .
Add in the festivals that have gone online , and you ’ ve got so much to check out .
Right now , there ’ s a small festival of Turkish films , and the Whistler Film Festival is still going @ @ @ @ @ @ @ new films until Sunday and then leaving everything up for streaming until the end of the month .
You ’ ll find a few of theirs and a batch of others in today ’ s reviews .
MA RAINEY ’ S BLACK BOTTOM : What a treat .
Two Oscar-worthy performances in one movie — those performances being by Viola Davis and Chadwick Boseman .
The film is the second made from August Wilson ’ s cycle of stage plays about the lives of Black people in the U.S. Davis won an Academy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and is sure to be nominated again for her no-nonsense performance as the feisty old-time blues singer loudly standing up for her demands .
Boseman will be a sentimental favourite because he died as his career was soaring .
But he ’ s more than that .
He ’ s a sly schemer in this film , with a smile for the ladies and a drive to be an innovator as a musician .
For that he has to argue with Ma , who fervently proclaims her views to everyone .
That @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and the owners of a Chicago recording studio through most of the story .
If she wants her nephew speaking an intro on a new disc they ’ re recording , that ’ s what she gets , even if he stutters and it takes multiple tries .
The recording session is perfectly staged by director George C. Wolfe and serves a double purpose .
It ’ s a window on what Black people have had to endure and a call to protect their rights .
You ’ re aware that it ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that doesn ’ t detract .
( Netflix ) 4 out of 5 ANOTHER ROUND : The latest from Danish director Thomas Vinterberg is less harsh and gripping than my two favourites by him , The Celebration and the Oscar-nominated The Hunt .
The plot is a bit unconvincing : Four men , level-headed most of the time , test out a crackpot theory proposed by a Danish psychologist that men should have a substantial amount of alcohol in their bloodstream at all times .
Four friends , high school teachers all , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and justify it by writing a scientific paper that tracks their progress .
Mads Mikkelsen plays a history teacher who bores his students before drinking and runs a lively , inspiring class once he has started .
Again , it seems unlikely .
One of his pals coaches boys ’ soccer and improves the team ’ s success , although he seems like a meanie when he won ’ t give a kid a sip from his water bottle and won ’ t say why .
Naturally , other things start going amiss @ @ @ @ @ @ @ argues with his wife and appears unsteady at work .
The men up the intake from “ harmful consumption ” to “ total oblivion.
” Sounds like a mid-life crisis and immaturity .
Things turn darker , but again , not too believably .
This film is very well acted , though , and Mikkelsen does a wild dance .
That ’ s worth watching .
( after festival and streaming runs , it ’ s now available to rent or buy on Apple TV and other VOD platforms ) 3 out of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ BLUE : You have to wait right to the end to have the title explained , but you really don ’ t need it .
The film is made up of a flood of memories .
What that flood represents , though , is fascinating and highly involving .
Quite a trick since the film is all talk for almost two hours .
Through it all , you get a unique history of China , from just after the revolution in 1949 through the Cultural Revolution to the current era , which started @ @ @ @ @ @ @ man says , “ The whole country went into business.
” The story emerges from life events told by three prominent writers , five “ witnesses ” and others interviewed by filmmaker Jia Zhangke .
He doesn ’ t do documentaries very often , but with an artist ’ s approach , he makes this one come alive with drama .
You hear how a village was convinced to collectivize agriculture .
How a dad was branded a counter-revolutionary and sent into forced labour after he skipped a meeting .
His son couldn @ @ @ @ @ @ @ because of it .
How the institution of marriage revived a squalid village .
How communal kitchens broke up some families .
There are 18 of these scenes , all contributing to a historical , cultural and even spiritual growth as seen from ground level by real people .
( streaming at VIFF Connect ) 4 out of 5 MARLENE : I sort of knew the story of Steven Truscott , the Ontario teen sentenced to hang for the killing of a young girl but who was , years later , released on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ This film fills in a lot of the details very dramatically .
It took him 48 years to clear his name , thanks largely to his wife Marlene , who became obsessed with what she realized was a miscarriage of justice , married him and searched for mistakes made in the case against him .
She found them in tiny bits of conflicting information in the thousands of pages of documents she went through .
It ’ s compelling to watch her search .
Greg Bryk plays Steven ( his son Dempsey , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Kristin Booth plays Marlene ( with Julia Sarah Stone as a younger version ) and Ryan Northcott plays Julian Sher , the investigative journalist who helped her .
It ’ s a solid cast , who , after some stiff early dialogue , conveys the horror of the case , the pressures on the couple and the outrage of a justice system gone wrong .
Nothing flashy here , but forceful as directed by Wendy Hill-Tout and co-written by her with Cathy Ostlere .
( WFF streaming ) 3½ out of 5 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an interesting experiment , and it works out beautifully .
There are stories about 17 women in this new film from B.C .
director Carl Bessai .
He loves to improvise his narrative structures , as we ’ ve seen in films like Mothers & Daughters , Fathers & Sons and Sisters & Brothers .
But how do you put so many characters in one film ?
You present their stories as vignettes , almost all separate from each other , and you vary the length .
Some are just a couple of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ complete story , sometimes only to convey an impression or a feeling .
Sometimes with a message , like live for today , be tolerant , resist the power .
One character fears she ’ s a “ whitewashed Asian.
” Sometimes you ’ re left to add more to stories with your imagination .
In total , they amount to a rich mosaic of women ’ s experiences .
( streaming from WFF ) 3½ out of 5 THE GREAT INVISIBLE : This documentary looks at a giant environmental disaster with good @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
It was 10 years ago that an oil rig called the Deepwater Horizon exploded in the Gulf of Mexico .
It caused the largest marine oil spill in history — almost five million barrels leaked out .
The fishing and tourism sectors took the brunt of the damage , and this film focuses on what they suffered and still are affected by .
We get up-close visions from the rig , from people like Douglas Brown , a chief mechanic .
And on the land , we get the stories of fish @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
We hear of damage to their communities and their frustration trying to collect compensation .
That ’ s all good , but I wanted more on what actually happened .
British Petroleum and the rig ’ s actual owner , Transocean , blamed each other ( something about an inadequate “ riser pipe ” ) , but the film doesn ’ t go into that .
It just cites allegations of cost-cutting .
Offshore drilling was halted until Trump came along , and is worth keeping an eye on .
( for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of 5 MODERN PERSUASION : Maybe knowing that this is from a Jane Austen novel ( her last , in fact ) raises expectations too high .
So it ’ s disappointing when it plays out like any old romantic comedy with an ambience we ’ ve seen many times before .
If you ’ re OK with that , go for it .
It ’ s a fun trifle , but not more than that .
The main problem is the people who made it .
Directors and co-writers Alex Appel and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ film in the U.S. ) were more concerned with updating the story than matching its spirit .
Music groups The Smiths and The Cure are discussed .
American racial issues get a mention .
There ’ s a lesbian character .
The classy parties are in the Hamptons .
Captain Wentworth survives as the name of a cat .
Meanwhile , the novel ’ s darkness has disappeared , as a young woman ( Alicia Witt ) working at a promotion and publicity agency reconnects with a man ( Shane McRae ) she @ @ @ @ @ @ @ she did the right thing and how to proceed now .
That ’ s similar to the book , but the tension and dread is missing .
So is the chemistry .
What we do get is some bright acting in a frothy bubble .
( available digitally and on demand , unless you ’ re in Ontario or New Brunswick , where four theatres are showing it ) 2½ out of 5 MAX CLOUD : Or the new name they ’ ve given it , The Intergalactic Adventures of Max Cloud , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ don ’ t know if it ’ s working , but it becomes quite fun once it gets going .
It plays in a silly comic tone that the less demanding among you could enjoy .
Young boys , for sure .
Or anybody who plays video games .
The film takes cool pleasure in mimicking one when a teen girl finds an “ Easter egg ” in the game she ’ s playing , opens up a portal and gets pulled in .
She finds herself in an intergalactic prison and can @ @ @ @ @ @ @ As usual in these games , impediments , monsters , fighters and “ space ninjas , ” on one level , pop up to stop her .
She needs help from a friend working the controller back home , superhero Max Cloud and a bounty hunter inside the game to overcome a tyrannical villain referred to as “ your greatness.
” It ’ s goofy and light and notable for its star .
Max is played by Scott Adkins , a Brit who has been in action pictures for 22 years , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ big names , he has a solid following .
His highlight reel has lots of fights against multiple attackers in hallways .
You get more of that here .
( now available digitally and VOD ) 3 out of 5

Right now, there’s a small festival of Turkish films, and the Whistler Film Festival is still going, too. It’s adding new films until Sunday and then leaving everything up for streaming until the end of the month.
The pandemic has shut down so much, you’d think by now there’d be a slowdown in new movies arriving. For instance, a popular theatre in Ottawa, the ByTowne Cinema, is shutting down for good because of it. But on the streaming sites, the new titles keep coming. Add in the festivals that have gone online, and you’ve got so much to check out.
MA RAINEY’S BLACK BOTTOM : What a treat. Two Oscar-worthy performances in one movie — those performances being by Viola Davis and Chadwick Boseman. The film is the second made from August Wilson’s cycle of stage plays about the lives of Black people in the U.S. Davis won an Academy Award for the first one, Fences, and is sure to be nominated again for her no-nonsense performance as the feisty old-time blues singer loudly standing up for her demands.
Mads Mikkelsen plays a history teacher who bores his students before drinking and runs a lively, inspiring class once he has started. Again, it seems unlikely. One of his pals coaches boys’ soccer and improves the team’s success, although he seems like a meanie when he won’t give a kid a sip from his water bottle and won’t say why. Naturally, other things start going amiss. The history teacher (Mikkelsen) argues with his wife and appears unsteady at work. The men up the intake from “harmful consumption” to “total oblivion.” Sounds like a mid-life crisis and immaturity. Things turn darker, but again, not too believably. This film is very well acted, though, and Mikkelsen does a wild dance. That’s worth watching. (after festival and streaming runs, it’s now available to rent or buy on Apple TV and other VOD platforms) 3 out of 5
ANOTHER ROUND : The latest from Danish director Thomas Vinterberg is less harsh and gripping than my two favourites by him, The Celebration and the Oscar-nominated The Hunt. The plot is a bit unconvincing: Four men, level-headed most of the time, test out a crackpot theory proposed by a Danish psychologist that men should have a substantial amount of alcohol in their bloodstream at all times. Four friends, high school teachers all, test it out by drinking every day and justify it by writing a scientific paper that tracks their progress.
Boseman will be a sentimental favourite because he died as his career was soaring. But he’s more than that. He’s a sly schemer in this film, with a smile for the ladies and a drive to be an innovator as a musician. For that he has to argue with Ma, who fervently proclaims her views to everyone. That includes a cop in an early scene and the owners of a Chicago recording studio through most of the story. If she wants her nephew speaking an intro on a new disc they’re recording, that’s what she gets, even if he stutters and it takes multiple tries. The recording session is perfectly staged by director George C. Wolfe and serves a double purpose. It’s a window on what Black people have had to endure and a call to protect their rights. You’re aware that it’s from a stage play, but that doesn’t detract. (Netflix) 4 out of 5
SWIMMING OUT TILL THE SEA TURNS BLUE: You have to wait right to the end to have the title explained, but you really don’t need it. The film is made up of a flood of memories. What that flood represents, though, is fascinating and highly involving. Quite a trick since the film is all talk for almost two hours. Through it all, you get a unique history of China, from just after the revolution in 1949 through the Cultural Revolution to the current era, which started in the 1990s when, as one man says, “The whole country went into business.”
The story emerges from life events told by three prominent writers, five “witnesses” and others interviewed by filmmaker Jia Zhangke. He doesn’t do documentaries very often, but with an artist’s approach, he makes this one come alive with drama. You hear how a village was convinced to collectivize agriculture. How a dad was branded a counter-revolutionary and sent into forced labour after he skipped a meeting. His son couldn’t get a job for years because of it. How the institution of marriage revived a squalid village. How communal kitchens broke up some families. There are 18 of these scenes, all contributing to a historical, cultural and even spiritual growth as seen from ground level by real people. (streaming at VIFF Connect) 4 out of 5
MARLENE: I sort of knew the story of Steven Truscott, the Ontario teen sentenced to hang for the killing of a young girl but who was, years later, released on parole because the evidence was faulty. This film fills in a lot of the details very dramatically. It took him 48 years to clear his name, thanks largely to his wife Marlene, who became obsessed with what she realized was a miscarriage of justice, married him and searched for mistakes made in the case against him. She found them in tiny bits of conflicting information in the thousands of pages of documents she went through. It’s compelling to watch her search.
Courtesy of WFF and Route 504
Greg Bryk plays Steven (his son Dempsey, plays a younger version in flashbacks), Kristin Booth plays Marlene (with Julia Sarah Stone as a younger version) and Ryan Northcott plays Julian Sher, the investigative journalist who helped her. It’s a solid cast, who, after some stiff early dialogue, conveys the horror of the case, the pressures on the couple and the outrage of a justice system gone wrong. Nothing flashy here, but forceful as directed by Wendy Hill-Tout and co-written by her with Cathy Ostlere. (WFF streaming) 3½ out of 5
IN HER CITY: Here’s an interesting experiment, and it works out beautifully. There are stories about 17 women in this new film from B.C. director Carl Bessai. He loves to improvise his narrative structures, as we’ve seen in films like Mothers & Daughters, Fathers & Sons and Sisters & Brothers. But how do you put so many characters in one film? You present their stories as vignettes, almost all separate from each other, and you vary the length. Some are just a couple of minutes.
Courtesy of WFF
But they all tell a complete story, sometimes only to convey an impression or a feeling. Sometimes with a message, like live for today, be tolerant, resist the power. One character fears she’s a “whitewashed Asian.” Sometimes you’re left to add more to stories with your imagination. In total, they amount to a rich mosaic of women’s experiences. (streaming from WFF) 3½ out of 5
THE GREAT INVISIBLE: This documentary looks at a giant environmental disaster with good intentions, but left me wanting more. It was 10 years ago that an oil rig called the Deepwater Horizon exploded in the Gulf of Mexico. It caused the largest marine oil spill in history — almost five million barrels leaked out. The fishing and tourism sectors took the brunt of the damage, and this film focuses on what they suffered and still are affected by. We get up-close visions from the rig, from people like Douglas Brown, a chief mechanic. And on the land, we get the stories of fish plant workers, tourism operators and residents. We hear of damage to their communities and their frustration trying to collect compensation. That’s all good, but I wanted more on what actually happened. British Petroleum and the rig’s actual owner, Transocean, blamed each other (something about an inadequate “riser pipe”), but the film doesn’t go into that. It just cites allegations of cost-cutting. Offshore drilling was halted until Trump came along, and is worth keeping an eye on. (for streaming, check here) 3 out of 5
MODERN PERSUASION: Maybe knowing that this is from a Jane Austen novel (her last, in fact) raises expectations too high. So it’s disappointing when it plays out like any old romantic comedy with an ambience we’ve seen many times before. If you’re OK with that, go for it. It’s a fun trifle, but not more than that.
Courtesy of Pacific Northwest Films
The main problem is the people who made it. Directors and co-writers Alex Appel and Jonathan Lisecki (Torontonians who made the film in the U.S.) were more concerned with updating the story than matching its spirit. Music groups The Smiths and The Cure are discussed. American racial issues get a mention. There’s a lesbian character. The classy parties are in the Hamptons. Captain Wentworth survives as the name of a cat. Meanwhile, the novel’s darkness has disappeared, as a young woman (Alicia Witt) working at a promotion and publicity agency reconnects with a man (Shane McRae) she rejected years before. She wonders if she did the right thing and how to proceed now. That’s similar to the book, but the tension and dread is missing. So is the chemistry. What we do get is some bright acting in a frothy bubble. (available digitally and on demand, unless you’re in Ontario or New Brunswick, where four theatres are showing it) 2½ out of 5
MAX CLOUD: Or the new name they’ve given it, The Intergalactic Adventures of Max Cloud, is a slow starter in that you don’t know if it’s working, but it becomes quite fun once it gets going. It plays in a silly comic tone that the less demanding among you could enjoy. Young boys, for sure. Or anybody who plays video games. The film takes cool pleasure in mimicking one when a teen girl finds an “Easter egg” in the game she’s playing, opens up a portal and gets pulled in. She finds herself in an intergalactic prison and can only escape by finishing the game.
Courtesy of Well Go USA
As usual in these games, impediments, monsters, fighters and “space ninjas,” on one level, pop up to stop her. She needs help from a friend working the controller back home, superhero Max Cloud and a bounty hunter inside the game to overcome a tyrannical villain referred to as “your greatness.” It’s goofy and light and notable for its star. Max is played by Scott Adkins, a Brit who has been in action pictures for 22 years, and though not as well known as the big names, he has a solid following. His highlight reel has lots of fights against multiple attackers in hallways. You get more of that here. (now available digitally and VOD) 3 out of 5


nationalobserver--2020-12-18--Food banks across Canada receive $100M boost from feds

The federal government announced Friday it would distribute $ 100 million to food banks and other food security organizations struggling with too few resources and increased demand during the COVID-19 pandemic .
The funds were announced at a virtual news conference , where Agriculture Minister Marie-Claude Bibeau detailed the third round of funding under the Emergency Food Security Fund , bringing the total spent during the pandemic to $ 300 million .
According to numbers released by Statistics Canada in June , one in seven Canadians said they faced food insecurity within their household in the past 30 days .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Breakfast Club of Canada , which is receiving $ 18.5 million , said the extra money will allow her group to expand its breakfast program to half of the schools on its 100-school-plus waiting list , the majority of which are in B.C .
At the start of the 2020 school year , program attendance increased 30 per cent across the country .
The club hopes to serve an additional 200,000 children by September 2021 .
“ There are two things : Obviously the need has increased , as well as the cost @ @ @ @ @ @ @ public safety measures that need to be taken into consideration , ” she said , referencing personal protective equipment and the shift towards pre-prepared food .
• Will superweeds become stronger with rising temperatures ?
• Qualtrough quells anxiety about CERB notices , saying no requirement to repay now Desjardins said demand was already high before COVID-19 , especially in B.C .
and particularly Vancouver , where cost of living is especially high .
At the news conference , Bibeau broke down where the money will go : $ 18.5 million to Food @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Breakfast Club of Canada , $ 8.9 million to Second Harvest , $ 8.9 million to Community Food Centres Canada , $ 8.85 million to the Salvation Army , $ 1.34 million to La Tablée des Chefs and $ 5 million allocated from reserve funds .
Also , $ 30 million will go to Indigenous Services Canada for its Indigenous Community Support Fund .
Bernadette Siracky , executive director of the Kamloops Food Bank , said the initial demand for food services when COVID-19 hit was unprecedented .
“ We had an initial @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
We ran out of perishable products for the first time in a decade , literally , and had lineups that were literally blocks long , ” she said .
But things started to slow down once the Canada Emergency Response Benefit was put in place .
“ We ’ re at a point now where our client base has plateaued again and it ’ s even below a little what it normally would be at this time of the year , but we anticipate nationally a spike once we figure out what @ @ @ @ @ @ @ federally , ” she said .
Agriculture Minister Marie-Claude Bibeau detailed the third round of funding under the Emergency Food Security Fund on Friday , bringing the total spent during the pandemic to $ 300 million .
# cdnpoli # foodbanks # foodsecurity For Desjardins , the money is a welcome help , but also a reminder of what her group wants to achieve — a national school lunch program .
She said the boosts from the government are helpful , but that more permanent solutions are needed to solve food insecurity in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ we hope ... with the help of the government and ... the private sector is to create ( a ) national school feeding program , ” she said .
“ So this is good what we ’ re doing , but we get to make sure that the children and youth can benefit from a healthy meal , year after year .
”

The federal government announced Friday it would distribute $100 million to food banks and other food security organizations struggling with too few resources and increased demand during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The funds were announced at a virtual news conference, where Agriculture Minister Marie-Claude Bibeau detailed the third round of funding under the Emergency Food Security Fund, bringing the total spent during the pandemic to $300 million.
According to numbers released by Statistics Canada in June, one in seven Canadians said they faced food insecurity within their household in the past 30 days.
Josée Desjardins, national vice-president of the Breakfast Club of Canada, which is receiving $18.5 million, said the extra money will allow her group to expand its breakfast program to half of the schools on its 100-school-plus waiting list, the majority of which are in B.C. At the start of the 2020 school year, program attendance increased 30 per cent across the country. The club hopes to serve an additional 200,000 children by September 2021.
“There are two things: Obviously the need has increased, as well as the cost per breakfast ... due to all the public safety measures that need to be taken into consideration,” she said, referencing personal protective equipment and the shift towards pre-prepared food.


nationalobserver--2020-12-21--Canada enacts 72-hour travel ban from U.K. due to new strain of COVID-19 virus

The federal government is restricting travel from the U.K. for 72 hours in an effort to keep a contagious new strain of the virus that causes COVID-19 out of Canada .
The travel ban comes into effect first thing Monday , Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said on Twitter after an hours-long meeting with members of the Incident Response Group `` We focused on the new variant of COVID-19 identified in the U.K. , and we have decided to implement new border restrictions in order to keep you — and people right across the country — safe , '' he wrote @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and for the next 72 hours , all flights from the UK will be prohibited from entering Canada .
Passengers who arrived today are subject to secondary screening and enhanced measures .
More on the actions we ’ re taking to protect you : https : //t.co/UrsE5sTcJT — Justin Trudeau ( @ JustinTrudeau ) December 21 , 2020 He added that passengers who arrived in Canada from the U.K. on Sunday will be subject to secondary screening and `` enhanced measures . ''
• How one young scientist is protecting fragile ecosystems @ @ @ @ @ @ @ needs to shift the power base to urban voters Those measures include increased scrutiny of quarantine plans , Health Canada said in a statement .
`` The Government of Canada is closely monitoring the genetic variant of the virus that causes COVID-19 identified in the United Kingdom and is working with international partners , including the World Health Organization , to better understand this variant and its impacts , '' the agency said .
While the early science suggests the new variant is more transmissible than other strains , Health Canada said there @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the mutations have any effect on symptom severity , antibody response or vaccine efficacy .
It added that there have been no recorded cases of the new strain in Canada .
The travel ban does n't apply to cargo flights or stops where passengers do not disembark , according to a Notice to Airmen issued Sunday evening .
Several European countries announced earlier that they would close their borders to the U.K. as British officials struggle to contain the new strain of the novel coronavirus , which has been blamed on a genetic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ travel from the # UK hoping to stop an even more contagious new strain of the virus that causes # COVID19 out of Canada .
# coronavirus # stayhome The list includes France , Belgium and the Netherlands , which have expressed concerns about the new strain leading a similar surge in their own countries and overwhelming health-care systems that are already struggling with the pandemic .
Those travel bans follow British Prime Minister Boris Johnson 's announcement that Christmas shopping and gatherings in southern England must be cancelled because of rapidly spreading @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The new strain is wreaking havoc on the U.K. , accounting for 60 per cent of new infections in London in December .
The country recorded 35,928 further confirmed cases on Sunday , around double the number from a week earlier .
Viruses mutate regularly , and scientists have found thousands of different mutations among samples of the virus causing COVID-19 .
Many of these changes have no effect on how easily the virus spreads or how severe symptoms are .
The British government has said the strain has been circulating since @ @ @ @ @ @ @ until the last week that there was enough evidence to declare that it has higher transmissibility than other circulating coronaviruses .
Before Trudeau met with his cabinet ministers , Bloc Québécois Leader Yves-Francois Blanchet called on the government to follow Europe ’ s lead and impose a travel ban on Britain to prevent the strain from reaching Canada .
“ It will be several months before the pandemic is contained , especially with the number of ( vaccine ) doses available remains far too small , ” Blanchet said in a statement released @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of COVID-19 were to spread with increased speed among vulnerable people , the effects could be devastating on people 's health as well as on the health-care system and staff already under tremendous pressure.
” NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh made the same call on Twitter , writing : `` With vaccines still very rare , if this new strain gets loose here in vulnerable populations , it will be a disaster . ''

The federal government is restricting travel from the U.K. for 72 hours in an effort to keep a contagious new strain of the virus that causes COVID-19 out of Canada. The travel ban comes into effect first thing Monday, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said on Twitter after an hours-long meeting with members of the Incident Response Group "We focused on the new variant of COVID-19 identified in the U.K., and we have decided to implement new border restrictions in order to keep you — and people right across the country — safe," he wrote on Sunday evening. At midnight tonight, and for the next 72 hours, all flights from the UK will be prohibited from entering Canada. Passengers who arrived today are subject to secondary screening and enhanced measures. More on the actions we’re taking to protect you: https://t.co/UrsE5sTcJT — Justin Trudeau (@JustinTrudeau) December 21, 2020 He added that passengers who arrived in Canada from the U.K. on Sunday will be subject to secondary screening and "enhanced measures."
Those measures include increased scrutiny of quarantine plans, Health Canada said in a statement. "The Government of Canada is closely monitoring the genetic variant of the virus that causes COVID-19 identified in the United Kingdom and is working with international partners, including the World Health Organization, to better understand this variant and its impacts," the agency said. Billion-dollar land deals in Ontario raise corruption suspicions While the early science suggests the new variant is more transmissible than other strains, Health Canada said there's nothing at this point suggesting that the mutations have any effect on symptom severity, antibody response or vaccine efficacy.
It added that there have been no recorded cases of the new strain in Canada. Feds impose 72-hour ban on travel from the #UK hoping to stop an even more contagious new strain of the virus that causes #COVID19 out of Canada. #coronavirus #stayhome The travel ban doesn't apply to cargo flights or stops where passengers do not disembark, according to a Notice to Airmen issued Sunday evening. Several European countries announced earlier that they would close their borders to the U.K. as British officials struggle to contain the new strain of the novel coronavirus, which has been blamed on a genetic mutation. The list includes France, Belgium and the Netherlands, which have expressed concerns about the new strain leading a similar surge in their own countries and overwhelming health-care systems that are already struggling with the pandemic. Those travel bans follow British Prime Minister Boris Johnson's announcement that Christmas shopping and gatherings in southern England must be cancelled because of rapidly spreading infections blamed on the new coronavirus variant.
The new strain is wreaking havoc on the U.K., accounting for 60 per cent of new infections in London in December. The country recorded 35,928 further confirmed cases on Sunday, around double the number from a week earlier. Viruses mutate regularly, and scientists have found thousands of different mutations among samples of the virus causing COVID-19. Many of these changes have no effect on how easily the virus spreads or how severe symptoms are. The British government has said the strain has been circulating since September, but it wasn’t until the last week that there was enough evidence to declare that it has higher transmissibility than other circulating coronaviruses.


nationalobserver--2020-12-21--Should police carry guns? Experts examine policy in foreign forces

Fifty-five people were killed or injured in police shootings in the first 11 months of this year and justice experts say there are lessons Canadian police forces can learn from those in other countries .
Demonstrations around the world called for accountability and transparency after police shootings and other officer-involved deaths in the United States over the summer .
Canada has had significantly fewer police shootings than its neighbour to the south , but more than other countries where officers don ’ t carry guns as regularly .
Kevin Walby , an associate professor of criminal justice at the University @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Kingdom , where not all officers carry guns .
Instead , there are special firearms-equipped teams .
“ They are just not all walking around with their hands on their guns like they seem to be more and more in Canada , ” Walby says .
“ It signals a big difference in police culture . ''
• How one young scientist is protecting fragile ecosystems in Canada 's North • Why Canada needs to shift the power base to urban voters In 2018-19 , there were three fatal police shootings in England @ @ @ @ @ @ @ there were four , show figures from the Independent Office for Police Conduct .
In Scandinavian countries such as Finland and Norway , Walby says , officers carry firearms at an even lower rate than in the U.K .
There were no police shooting deaths in Norway in 2019 .
He says it makes a difference if officers carry guns .
But societal issues here are also a larger contributor to confrontations with police .
Social support for housing and addictions in the U.K. and Scandinavia is funded at a higher level than @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Canadian Press analysis of police shootings between Jan. 1 and Nov. 30 found that mental health and addictions played a role in a significant number .
All of the police shootings that happened during wellness checks were fatal .
Akwasi Owusu-Bempah , an expert in race and criminal justice at the University of Toronto , says taking guns from police may reduce shootings , but it won ’ t necessarily stop all fatal encounters .
Fifty-five people were killed or injured in police shootings so far this year .
Should police still carry @ @ @ @ @ @ @ In the United Kingdom ... people are still killed in police custody and that is particularly during arrest or at a police station , '' says the assistant professor of sociology .
`` It goes beyond just shootings in the streets . ''
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 21 , 2020 .

Kelly Geraldine Malone, Meredith Omstead

Fifty-five people were killed or injured in police shootings in the first 11 months of this year and justice experts say there are lessons Canadian police forces can learn from those in other countries.
Demonstrations around the world called for accountability and transparency after police shootings and other officer-involved deaths in the United States over the summer.
Canada has had significantly fewer police shootings than its neighbour to the south, but more than other countries where officers don’t carry guns as regularly.
Kevin Walby, an associate professor of criminal justice at the University of Winnipeg, points to the United Kingdom, where not all officers carry guns. Instead, there are special firearms-equipped teams.
“They are just not all walking around with their hands on their guns like they seem to be more and more in Canada,” Walby says. “It signals a big difference in police culture."


nationalobserver--2020-12-21--How one young scientist is protecting fragile ecosystems in Canada's North

As part of a series highlighting the work of young people in addressing the climate crisis , writer Patricia Lane interviews environmental scientist Kirsten Reid .
The 1990s were personally tough for me .
I spent the decade immersed in action based on climate catastrophe science , trying , and by all accounts failing , to stem the tide .
Hardest of all , death and dementia came to my family .
As my awareness deepened about the growing divide between young and old and rich and poor , grief had become a pretty constant companion .
I could choose @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fear and loss or choose the only thing stronger : love .
To choose love is to hope .
But I had forgotten how .
So I made a resolution — one that could last a year or even a decade if need be .
I chose to study hope .
Part of my journey is to seek out promising young people who are contending in evidence-based and impactful ways with the climate crisis and engage them in conversations about hope .
I am grateful for Canada ’ s National Observer ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ these determined , joyful and , yes , hopeful young people a voice .
In the race against rapid warming in the Arctic , 26-year-old Kirsten Reid hopes to help First Nations , settler governments and conservation groups identify species at risk and design conservation spaces and biodiversity corridors to protect fragile ecosystems .
She is currently working in the high Arctic as part of her PhD at Memorial University of Newfoundland .
• Why Canada needs to shift the power base to urban voters • Health Canada to study impact of online @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Reid in the field in Eagle Plains , Yukon .
Photo by Aerin Jacob Ecosystems in the North are being threatened on multiple fronts , from climate change , which affects where plants and animals can live , to human disturbances and development .
While we can identify characteristics of the current landscape and how animals interact with it today , many species will need to shift their ranges , generally upslope or northward .
If we can learn enough , we can design ecological connectivity to help species feed , migrate , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ environmental changes .
We have 14 study sites across 900 kilometres stretching from the southern Arctic all the way to the high southern Arctic .
We are creating a sort of scientific archive — a memory — of the interlocking webs of life in each area .
Take caribou : These creatures are such a dominant part of their ecosystems and are so culturally significant to Indigenous Peoples .
But their habitat is fragile and their existence very much at risk .
If we can understand what they need now to survive and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ where they might be in a future , warmer world , we can make space for their range to be protected and even expand .
It is not inconceivable that we could have thriving caribou herds in the future , but it won ’ t happen without planning .
Indigenous people have kept this landscape healthy for tens of thousands of years .
We need to push for ongoing and future natural science work in the North to be community-directed .
Preserving fragile ecosystems in the Arctic is essential to the health of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Kirsten Reid .
# Arctic # climatechange # biodiversity How did you get interested in this work ?
One of my second-year courses had a field work component ; I chose to go to the Arctic mostly out of sheer curiosity .
I thought at worst , it would be freezing cold but good for some amusing stories .
We were taken to a wildfire site .
Wildfires are a natural part of the cycle of life in the North .
Our instructor asked us to consider what we saw .
Then to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and , finally , what we would never expect to see .
When she finished by asking us what would have to change for that to be a reality in a future world , I was hooked .
I fell in love with those questions and have been asking them ever since .
We had a tour of a large gold mine that was no longer operating .
Looking like marshmallows in our hazmat suits , we went deep underground and saw that humans are keeping the ground frozen to stop the arsenic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ mining ) from leaking into the ecosystem .
The guide told us that the previous guest had been then-Prime Minister Stephen Harper .
I am pretty sure he saw it as a remediation jobs creator .
But I saw the pollution that industry creates and how easy it is for humans to degrade these fragile ecosystems , which are already under such threat from global warming .
Do you have advice for other young people ?
I never used to consider myself an environmentalist .
I saw myself as a scientist .
It @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Starfish Canada ’ s Top 25 Environmentalists Under 25 in 2019 that I saw that I am someone who cares so much about my work that I am also an environmentalist .
Everyone can find their own niche , some more high-profile than others , and everyone can be a catalyst for change in their own way .
It all matters .
As I spend more time with those others who are mostly advocates , I see more clearly every day that science and advocacy go well together .
What does support @ @ @ @ @ @ @ community-level changes are important , we really need widespread systems change .
Use your power and resources to lobby decision-makers at the broadest scale .
Be part of helping to stop drilling in the North .
Make polluters stop or at least clean up after themselves .
Support the really great NGOs on the ground , like the Yellowstone to Yukon Conservation Initiative and Wildlife Conservation Society Canada , that are doing such great science-based work to protect our North , which is essential to the health of the human species .
Environmental @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Highway near the Yukon-Northwest Territories border .
Photo by Katie Goodwin

As part of a series highlighting the work of young people in addressing the climate crisis, writer Patricia Lane interviews environmental scientist Kirsten Reid. The 1990s were personally tough for me. I spent the decade immersed in action based on climate catastrophe science, trying, and by all accounts failing, to stem the tide. Hardest of all, death and dementia came to my family. As my awareness deepened about the growing divide between young and old and rich and poor, grief had become a pretty constant companion. I could choose to go further into the abyss of fear and loss or choose the only thing stronger: love. To choose love is to hope. But I had forgotten how. So I made a resolution — one that could last a year or even a decade if need be. I chose to study hope. Part of my journey is to seek out promising young people who are contending in evidence-based and impactful ways with the climate crisis and engage them in conversations about hope. I am grateful for Canada’s National Observer’s commitment to solutions journalism, which provides these determined, joyful and, yes, hopeful young people a voice. In the race against rapid warming in the Arctic, 26-year-old Kirsten Reid hopes to help First Nations, settler governments and conservation groups identify species at risk and design conservation spaces and biodiversity corridors to protect fragile ecosystems. She is currently working in the high Arctic as part of her PhD at Memorial University of Newfoundland.
Environmental scientist Kirsten Reid in the field in Eagle Plains, Yukon. Photo by Aerin Jacob Tell us about your work. Billion-dollar land deals in Ontario raise corruption suspicions Ecosystems in the North are being threatened on multiple fronts, from climate change, which affects where plants and animals can live, to human disturbances and development. While we can identify characteristics of the current landscape and how animals interact with it today, many species will need to shift their ranges, generally upslope or northward. If we can learn enough, we can design ecological connectivity to help species feed, migrate, mate and respond to climate and other environmental changes.
We have 14 study sites across 900 kilometres stretching from the southern Arctic all the way to the high southern Arctic. We are creating a sort of scientific archive — a memory — of the interlocking webs of life in each area. Take caribou: These creatures are such a dominant part of their ecosystems and are so culturally significant to Indigenous Peoples. But their habitat is fragile and their existence very much at risk. Preserving fragile ecosystems in the Arctic is essential to the health of the human species, says environmental scientist Kirsten Reid. #Arctic #climatechange #biodiversity If we can understand what they need now to survive and thrive, where those ecosystems are and where they might be in a future, warmer world, we can make space for their range to be protected and even expand. It is not inconceivable that we could have thriving caribou herds in the future, but it won’t happen without planning. Indigenous people have kept this landscape healthy for tens of thousands of years. We need to push for ongoing and future natural science work in the North to be community-directed. How did you get interested in this work? One of my second-year courses had a field work component; I chose to go to the Arctic mostly out of sheer curiosity. I thought at worst, it would be freezing cold but good for some amusing stories. We were taken to a wildfire site. Wildfires are a natural part of the cycle of life in the North.
Our instructor asked us to consider what we saw. Then to ask what we did not see, and, finally, what we would never expect to see. When she finished by asking us what would have to change for that to be a reality in a future world, I was hooked. I fell in love with those questions and have been asking them ever since. We had a tour of a large gold mine that was no longer operating. Looking like marshmallows in our hazmat suits, we went deep underground and saw that humans are keeping the ground frozen to stop the arsenic dust (a byproduct of the gold mining) from leaking into the ecosystem. The guide told us that the previous guest had been then-Prime Minister Stephen Harper. I am pretty sure he saw it as a remediation jobs creator. But I saw the pollution that industry creates and how easy it is for humans to degrade these fragile ecosystems, which are already under such threat from global warming.


nationalobserver--2020-12-21--Wild salmon advocates celebrate Discovery Islands fish farms decision

Fish farm opponents on the West Coast are jubilant after Ottawa ’ s announcement Thursday that operations in the Discovery Islands are being phased out over the next 18 months .
“ It ’ s a good day for wild salmon , ” said Bob Chamberlin , chair of the First Nations Wild Salmon Alliance , about federal Fisheries Minister Bernadette Jordan ’ s decision .
“ I was very happy with this decision .
And it certainly must have been a difficult one for the minister to make , ” Chamberlin said .
“ But it ’ s the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for all salmon in British Columbia.
” Heated public debate around the fate of the fish farms and polarized scientific opinions about the harms the operations pose to declining wild salmon stocks , particularly migratory juvenile salmon , preceded Jordan ’ s decision .
• How one young scientist is protecting fragile ecosystems in Canada 's North • Why Canada needs to shift the power base to urban voters Homalco Chief Darren Blaney , pictured above at a protest , says the decision to withdraw salmon farms from the Discovery Islands will improve @ @ @ @ @ @ @ File photo by Rochelle Baker The 19 salmon farms in the region , nine of which are already empty , had their licences renewed to June 30 , 2022 , so operators can grow some three million fish to market size .
In the meantime , no new fish can be stocked at the farms .
The decision was largely based on consultations with the Homalco , Klahoose , K ’ ómoks , Kwiakah , Tla ’ amin , We Wai Kai and Wei Wai Kum First Nations , whose traditional territories fall @ @ @ @ @ @ @ minister said .
Homalco Chief Darren Blaney said the decision benefits wild salmon since their stocks are in decline across the coast and there have been historic low runs on the Fraser River .
Getting fish farms out of the path of juvenile sockeye salmon migrating from the Fraser , and young chum and coho leaving his nation ’ s river systems in Bute Inlet , will improve their chances of survival , Blaney said .
“ Now those fish will have a better chance of getting back to the rivers four years @ @ @ @ @ @ @ It ’ s a good day for wild salmon , ” said Bob Chamberlin , chair of the First Nations Wild Salmon Alliance , about Ottawa 's decision Thursday to phase out fish farms in Discovery Islands on the B.C .
coast over the next 18 months .
# wildsalmon Fish farm opponents have long believed the spread of wild sea lice and other pathogens to wild fish from farmed populations compounds salmon survival risk .
The planned removal of fish farms from the Discovery Islands was an early holiday gift , said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Watch Salmon Society .
“ Overall , I think this is a really positive announcement , ” said Proboszcz , who commended First Nations in the region and Chamberlin for their role in making the decision happen .
THEY WON !
!
!
!
!
# Salmon farms are LEAVING the # FraserRiver # Sockeye migration route !
An unbelievable victory by the leadership of the Nations of the Discovery Islands , @ 1Bob_Chamberlin and the Fraser River Nations who informed the federal government this fight was just beginning !
pic.twitter.com/wpFC6NUgDd — alexandramorton @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 2020 However , Proboszcz sounded a cautionary note about the continuing need to regulate and monitor fish farm operations over the next year and a half .
“ We also need to monitor this area during the spring wild salmon out-migration because there will still be some farmed salmon in the area potentially spreading parasites and viruses , ” he said .
As well , political pressure needed to be maintained so that , should a federal election occur next year , a new government would honour the decisions made Thursday , Proboszcz @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to come up with its 2025 plan to transition away from open-net pen fish farms on the Pacific coast , he said .
“ So I think we need to exercise caution , but I do think it is a time to celebrate .
”

Fish farm opponents on the West Coast are jubilant after Ottawa’s announcement Thursday that operations in the Discovery Islands are being phased out over the next 18 months. “It’s a good day for wild salmon,” said Bob Chamberlin, chair of the First Nations Wild Salmon Alliance, about federal Fisheries Minister Bernadette Jordan’s decision. “I was very happy with this decision. And it certainly must have been a difficult one for the minister to make,” Chamberlin said. “But it’s the correct decision at a very critical time for all salmon in British Columbia.” Heated public debate around the fate of the fish farms and polarized scientific opinions about the harms the operations pose to declining wild salmon stocks, particularly migratory juvenile salmon, preceded Jordan’s decision.
Homalco Chief Darren Blaney, pictured above at a protest, says the decision to withdraw salmon farms from the Discovery Islands will improve the survival of migrating juvenile salmon. File photo by Rochelle Baker The 19 salmon farms in the region, nine of which are already empty, had their licences renewed to June 30, 2022, so operators can grow some three million fish to market size. In the meantime, no new fish can be stocked at the farms. Billion-dollar land deals in Ontario raise corruption suspicions The decision was largely based on consultations with the Homalco, Klahoose, K’ómoks, Kwiakah, Tla’amin, We Wai Kai and Wei Wai Kum First Nations, whose traditional territories fall within the Discovery Islands, the fisheries minister said.
Homalco Chief Darren Blaney said the decision benefits wild salmon since their stocks are in decline across the coast and there have been historic low runs on the Fraser River. “It’s a good day for wild salmon,” said Bob Chamberlin, chair of the First Nations Wild Salmon Alliance, about Ottawa's decision Thursday to phase out fish farms in Discovery Islands on the B.C. coast over the next 18 months. #wildsalmon Getting fish farms out of the path of juvenile sockeye salmon migrating from the Fraser, and young chum and coho leaving his nation’s river systems in Bute Inlet, will improve their chances of survival, Blaney said. “Now those fish will have a better chance of getting back to the rivers four years later,” he said. Fish farm opponents have long believed the spread of wild sea lice and other pathogens to wild fish from farmed populations compounds salmon survival risk. The planned removal of fish farms from the Discovery Islands was an early holiday gift, said Stan Proboszcz, science adviser for Watershed Watch Salmon Society.
“Overall, I think this is a really positive announcement,” said Proboszcz, who commended First Nations in the region and Chamberlin for their role in making the decision happen. THEY WON!!!!! #Salmon farms are LEAVING the #FraserRiver #Sockeye migration route!
An unbelievable victory by the leadership of the Nations of the Discovery Islands, @1Bob_Chamberlin and the Fraser River Nations who informed the federal government this fight was just beginning! pic.twitter.com/wpFC6NUgDd — Alexandra Morton (@alex4salmon) December 17, 2020 However, Proboszcz sounded a cautionary note about the continuing need to regulate and monitor fish farm operations over the next year and a half.