nationalobserver--2020-07-09--Canada's border agency failed to remove almost 35,000 people ordered to leave country

Canada 's border agency has failed to promptly remove most of the people under orders to leave the country , and in tens of thousands of cases it has simply lost track of them , the federal auditor general says .
In a report tabled Wednesday in Parliament , the auditor said the Canada Border Services Agency 's efforts were hampered by poor data quality and case-management flaws , resulting in avoidable delays in thousands of cases .
Problems in information-sharing with immigration officials also slowed things down .
The border agency is responsible for carrying out removal orders to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the immigration system .
The report noted the federal government had made significant investments over the last decade to improve the efficiency of the asylum system , including removals .
• Canada also has an environmental racism problem However , the level of enforceable removal orders — those involving people who have exhausted or waived all legal avenues to stay in Canada — remained largely unchanged , even for priority cases .
As of April 2019 , there were about 50,000 people in Canada with enforceable removal orders .
Two-thirds of these — @ @ @ @ @ @ @ were unknown .
Of these , 2,800 had criminal histories .
Still , the border agency was often not conducting regular follow-ups to try to find them by opening each file at least every three years , or once a year for people with criminal issues .
Data integrity shortcomings limited the agency 's ability to know which removal orders to enforce , the report said .
`` Without a reliable inventory of removal orders , the agency could not effectively prioritize removals according to risk and complexity .
We also found cases @ @ @ @ @ @ @ removal orders had been issued , '' it said .
`` Many cases we examined were also stalled because officers had done little to overcome impediments like missing travel documents . ''
Canada 's border agency has failed to promptly remove most of the people under orders to leave the country , and in tens of thousands of cases it has simply lost track of them , the federal auditor general says .
The auditor noted that many countries , mostly in Europe , offer assistance programs that promote the voluntary return of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Some operate through independent third parties and are not limited to failed asylum claimants , the report said .
`` All recognize that voluntary returns are preferred to enforced removals , are more cost-effective , and facilitate rapid departures . ''
The government will do a better job of ensuring the integrity of the system , Prime Minister Justin Trudeau pledged at a news briefing Wednesday .
Public Safety Minister Bill Blair , the cabinet member responsible for the border agency , said the government accepts the auditor 's recommendations to fix @ @ @ @ @ @ @ improving its removals strategy , the border agency will enhance the way it tracks and triages cases to ensure priority ones are addressed promptly , Blair said in a statement .
`` This includes continuing to implement a data integrity strategy to ensure that it can quickly identify the stages all cases are at so they can move forward in a timely fashion . ''
The border agency is taking steps to find foreign nationals whose whereabouts are unknown by reviewing all outstanding cases , prioritizing criminal cases and focusing investigations on the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Finally , the agency will develop an `` incentive program '' to increase voluntary compliance , he said .
The agency 's problems with managing removals date back more than a decade , long before the Liberals took the government reins from the Conservatives .

Canada's border agency has failed to promptly remove most of the people under orders to leave the country, and in tens of thousands of cases it has simply lost track of them, the federal auditor general says. In a report tabled Wednesday in Parliament, the auditor said the Canada Border Services Agency's efforts were hampered by poor data quality and case-management flaws, resulting in avoidable delays in thousands of cases. Problems in information-sharing with immigration officials also slowed things down. The border agency is responsible for carrying out removal orders to ensure public safety and the integrity of the immigration system. The report noted the federal government had made significant investments over the last decade to improve the efficiency of the asylum system, including removals.
However, the level of enforceable removal orders — those involving people who have exhausted or waived all legal avenues to stay in Canada — remained largely unchanged, even for priority cases. As of April 2019, there were about 50,000 people in Canada with enforceable removal orders. Two-thirds of these — 34,700 cases — involved individuals whose whereabouts were unknown. Of these, 2,800 had criminal histories. Billion-dollar land deals in Ontario raise corruption suspicions Still, the border agency was often not conducting regular follow-ups to try to find them by opening each file at least every three years, or once a year for people with criminal issues.
Data integrity shortcomings limited the agency's ability to know which removal orders to enforce, the report said. Canada's border agency has failed to promptly remove most of the people under orders to leave the country, and in tens of thousands of cases it has simply lost track of them, the federal auditor general says. "Without a reliable inventory of removal orders, the agency could not effectively prioritize removals according to risk and complexity. We also found cases in which the agency was unaware that removal orders had been issued," it said. "Many cases we examined were also stalled because officers had done little to overcome impediments like missing travel documents." The auditor noted that many countries, mostly in Europe, offer assistance programs that promote the voluntary return of foreign nationals to their countries of origin. Some operate through independent third parties and are not limited to failed asylum claimants, the report said. "All recognize that voluntary returns are preferred to enforced removals, are more cost-effective, and facilitate rapid departures."
The government will do a better job of ensuring the integrity of the system, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau pledged at a news briefing Wednesday. Public Safety Minister Bill Blair, the cabinet member responsible for the border agency, said the government accepts the auditor's recommendations to fix the various problems. In addition to improving its removals strategy, the border agency will enhance the way it tracks and triages cases to ensure priority ones are addressed promptly, Blair said in a statement.


nationalobserver--2020-07-09--Ban federal use of facial-recognition surveillance, groups urge Trudeau government

Dozens of groups and individuals working to protect privacy , human rights and civil liberties want the Trudeau government to ban the use of facial-recognition surveillance by federal law-enforcement and intelligence agencies .
In an open letter to Public Safety Minister Bill Blair , they call the technology `` highly problematic , '' given its lack of accuracy and invasive nature , and say it poses a threat to Canadians ' fundamental rights .
In the absence of meaningful policy or regulation governing facial recognition , it can not be considered safe for use in Canada , they tell the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Wednesday , is signed by Tim McSorley , national co-ordinator of the Ottawa-based International Civil Liberties Monitoring Group , and Laura Tribe , executive director of Open Media , who are spearheading the campaign .
It is endorsed by 29 other prominent groups including Amnesty International Canada , the Canadian Federation of Students , the Canadian Muslim Lawyers Association and Privacy International , as well as 46 academics , researchers , lawyers and other civil-society members .
• Canada also has an environmental racism problem The letter also calls on the government to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ aspects of facial-recognition technology in Canada and to establish clear , transparent policies and laws regulating its use , including reforms to federal privacy law .
The government responded Wednesday by saying it is reviewing legislation , policies and programs related to all emerging technologies , including facial recognition .
The letter to Blair comes as concerns mount over police killing and mistreatment of Black and Indigenous people , prompting widespread discussion about curbing the powers and resources of law-enforcement agencies .
`` At a time like this , the public should be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and freedoms are protected , '' the letter says .
The federal privacy commissioner said this week that U.S. firm Clearview AI will stop offering its facial-recognition services in Canada in response to an investigation by the commissioner and three provincial counterparts .
Clearview AI 's technology worries many privacy advocates because it apparently allows for the collection of huge numbers of images from various sources with the aim of helping police forces , financial institutions and other clients identify individuals .
Dozens of groups and individuals working to protect privacy , human @ @ @ @ @ @ @ government to ban the use of facial-recognition surveillance by federal law-enforcement and intelligence agencies .
Clearview 's retreat includes an indefinite suspension of the company 's contract with the RCMP , its last client in Canada .
Federal officials have also used photo-matching technology to pinpoint people — all wanted on immigration warrants — who used false identities to apply for travel documents .
But the letter to Blair says inadequate regulation of facial recognition and a lack of information means it is impossible to know which police forces and intelligence agencies are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ends , including during protests .
It cites studies that have found the technology to be inaccurate and especially prone to misidentifying the faces of women and people with darker skin .
`` These errors can lead already marginalized communities to be even more likely to face profiling , harassment and violations of their fundamental rights , '' the letter says .
This is particularly concerning given the technology 's use in situations where biases are common , including when individuals are travelling and crossing borders as well as in the context of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ anti-terrorism operations , it says .
`` If , as federal officials have said , the Canadian government is serious about ending racial disparities in policing , banning facial recognition surveillance is a clear first step . ''
Blair 's office referred questions about the call for a ban to Innovation , Science and Economic Development Minister Navdeep Bains , who oversees the federal `` digital charter , '' intended to make Canada a leader in the new data-driven global economy .
`` Our government is currently reviewing the related legislation , policies @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to life as it pertains to all emerging technologies , including facial recognition , '' said John Power , a spokesman for Bains .

Dozens of groups and individuals working to protect privacy, human rights and civil liberties want the Trudeau government to ban the use of facial-recognition surveillance by federal law-enforcement and intelligence agencies. In an open letter to Public Safety Minister Bill Blair, they call the technology "highly problematic," given its lack of accuracy and invasive nature, and say it poses a threat to Canadians' fundamental rights. In the absence of meaningful policy or regulation governing facial recognition, it cannot be considered safe for use in Canada, they tell the minister. The letter, made public Wednesday, is signed by Tim McSorley, national co-ordinator of the Ottawa-based International Civil Liberties Monitoring Group, and Laura Tribe, executive director of Open Media, who are spearheading the campaign. It is endorsed by 29 other prominent groups including Amnesty International Canada, the Canadian Federation of Students, the Canadian Muslim Lawyers Association and Privacy International, as well as 46 academics, researchers, lawyers and other civil-society members.
The letter also calls on the government to initiate a meaningful public consultation on all aspects of facial-recognition technology in Canada and to establish clear, transparent policies and laws regulating its use, including reforms to federal privacy law. The government responded Wednesday by saying it is reviewing legislation, policies and programs related to all emerging technologies, including facial recognition. Billion-dollar land deals in Ontario raise corruption suspicions The letter to Blair comes as concerns mount over police killing and mistreatment of Black and Indigenous people, prompting widespread discussion about curbing the powers and resources of law-enforcement agencies.
"At a time like this, the public should be certain of the fact that their rights and freedoms are protected," the letter says. Dozens of groups and individuals working to protect privacy, human rights and civil liberties want the Trudeau government to ban the use of facial-recognition surveillance by federal law-enforcement and intelligence agencies. The federal privacy commissioner said this week that U.S. firm Clearview AI will stop offering its facial-recognition services in Canada in response to an investigation by the commissioner and three provincial counterparts. Clearview AI's technology worries many privacy advocates because it apparently allows for the collection of huge numbers of images from various sources with the aim of helping police forces, financial institutions and other clients identify individuals. Clearview's retreat includes an indefinite suspension of the company's contract with the RCMP, its last client in Canada. Federal officials have also used photo-matching technology to pinpoint people — all wanted on immigration warrants — who used false identities to apply for travel documents.
But the letter to Blair says inadequate regulation of facial recognition and a lack of information means it is impossible to know which police forces and intelligence agencies are using the tool, and to what ends, including during protests. It cites studies that have found the technology to be inaccurate and especially prone to misidentifying the faces of women and people with darker skin. "These errors can lead already marginalized communities to be even more likely to face profiling, harassment and violations of their fundamental rights," the letter says.


nationalobserver--2020-07-09--Auditor calls on Feds to step up recovery of $2.4B in unpaid student loans

Canada 's auditor general has called for the federal government to step up its recovery of outstanding student loans to keep taxpayers from being left on the hook after discovering that $ 2.4 billion in such loans were in default last year .
The finding is in one of several reports tabled in Parliament on Wednesday , which included a scathing assessment of the military 's resupply system and concerns around how the Canadian Commercial Corporation considered human rights in deals with foreign countries .
That Crown corporation was responsible for inking the $ 14-billion deal in 2014 to sell @ @ @ @ @ @ @ which has since become a lightning rod of controversy due to Saudi Arabia 's poor human-rights record .
The auditor 's review of the federal government 's student-loan programs cited a number of problems with measures intended to help those unable to repay what they borrowed , starting with a failure to assess whether those asking for loan relief actually qualified .
There were also concerns that students were not being properly informed of their financial obligations when it came to repaying their loans , and that recent changes had made it easier @ @ @ @ @ @ @ loan-relief program to qualify for non-payment .
• Canada also has an environmental racism problem Eighty-seven per cent of recent borrowers who were participating in the government 's repayment assistance plan were not making repayments on $ 2.9 billion in loans , according to the auditor 's report .
`` In our view , this is a lot of money at risk of non-repayment , '' says the report .
The auditor also found shortfalls in the government 's approach to recovering outstanding loans , with the Canada Revenue Agency , which is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the same powers to go after default student loans as it does for unpaid income tax .
The result is that the CRA has been able to recover only about $ 200 million in default loans per year , which means most of the $ 2.4 billion that was in default at the end of July 2018 is likely gone .
`` There 's a good chance that a big chunk of that will be lost forever , '' said Philippe Le Goff , principal at the Office of the Auditor General , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ persuasion business , the collection of money .
It 's a difficult business . ''
The auditor nonetheless urged the government to take a tougher stance by better assessing whether borrowers should be given relief and using other measures such as notifying credit bureaus of loans in default to encourage more repayment .
Canada 's auditor general has called for the federal government to step up its recovery of outstanding student loans to keep taxpayers from being left on the hook after discovering that $ 2.4 billion in such loans were in default @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , who is responsible for managing the loan-relief programs , said in a statement that the government is working to implement the auditor 's recommendations while also working to make sure Canadians can access post-secondary education .
Among the other findings released by the auditor general on Wednesday : — Rampant delays were found in the provision of spare parts , uniforms , rations and other materiel to military units that needed them , due to problems with the Department of National Defence 's resupply system .
Requested items were often out of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , meaning they were often delivered weeks or months later than needed and at greater cost .
It also found National Defence did not properly stock items where they were needed .
— The Canadian Commercial Corporation was criticized for not considering human rights enough when working on deals with foreign countries .
That appears to contradict the Crown corporation 's repeated assertions that human rights figure prominently in its operations , which focus on selling Canadian-made military goods and other items abroad .
The CCC has been criticized in the past for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Saudi Arabia and a now-cancelled contract to sell military helicopters to the Philippines , both of which raised human-rights concerns .
— The National Gallery of Canada was found to have a `` significant deficiency '' in the conservation of its art collection .
There was no plan for conserving what the auditor called `` technology-dependent art objects , '' and shortfalls in how the gallery tracked and approved the treatment and preservation of its collection .
This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 8 , 2020 .

Canada's auditor general has called for the federal government to step up its recovery of outstanding student loans to keep taxpayers from being left on the hook after discovering that $2.4 billion in such loans were in default last year. The finding is in one of several reports tabled in Parliament on Wednesday, which included a scathing assessment of the military's resupply system and concerns around how the Canadian Commercial Corporation considered human rights in deals with foreign countries. That Crown corporation was responsible for inking the $14-billion deal in 2014 to sell Canadian-made armoured vehicles to Saudi Arabia, which has since become a lightning rod of controversy due to Saudi Arabia's poor human-rights record. The auditor's review of the federal government's student-loan programs cited a number of problems with measures intended to help those unable to repay what they borrowed, starting with a failure to assess whether those asking for loan relief actually qualified. There were also concerns that students were not being properly informed of their financial obligations when it came to repaying their loans, and that recent changes had made it easier for those receiving in the government's loan-relief program to qualify for non-payment.
Eighty-seven per cent of recent borrowers who were participating in the government's repayment assistance plan were not making repayments on $2.9 billion in loans, according to the auditor's report. "In our view, this is a lot of money at risk of non-repayment," says the report. Billion-dollar land deals in Ontario raise corruption suspicions The auditor also found shortfalls in the government's approach to recovering outstanding loans, with the Canada Revenue Agency, which is responsible for such efforts, not having the same powers to go after default student loans as it does for unpaid income tax.
The result is that the CRA has been able to recover only about $200 million in default loans per year, which means most of the $2.4 billion that was in default at the end of July 2018 is likely gone. Canada's auditor general has called for the federal government to step up its recovery of outstanding student loans to keep taxpayers from being left on the hook after discovering that $2.4 billion in such loans were in default last year. "There's a good chance that a big chunk of that will be lost forever," said Philippe Le Goff, principal at the Office of the Auditor General, adding: "It's a big persuasion business, the collection of money. It's a difficult business." The auditor nonetheless urged the government to take a tougher stance by better assessing whether borrowers should be given relief and using other measures such as notifying credit bureaus of loans in default to encourage more repayment. Employment Minister Carla Qualtrough, who is responsible for managing the loan-relief programs, said in a statement that the government is working to implement the auditor's recommendations while also working to make sure Canadians can access post-secondary education. Among the other findings released by the auditor general on Wednesday:
— Rampant delays were found in the provision of spare parts, uniforms, rations and other materiel to military units that needed them, due to problems with the Department of National Defence's resupply system. Requested items were often out of stock and had to be found elsewhere, meaning they were often delivered weeks or months later than needed and at greater cost. It also found National Defence did not properly stock items where they were needed. — The Canadian Commercial Corporation was criticized for not considering human rights enough when working on deals with foreign countries. That appears to contradict the Crown corporation's repeated assertions that human rights figure prominently in its operations, which focus on selling Canadian-made military goods and other items abroad. The CCC has been criticized in the past for the deal to sell light-armoured vehicles to Saudi Arabia and a now-cancelled contract to sell military helicopters to the Philippines, both of which raised human-rights concerns. — The National Gallery of Canada was found to have a "significant deficiency" in the conservation of its art collection. There was no plan for conserving what the auditor called "technology-dependent art objects," and shortfalls in how the gallery tracked and approved the treatment and preservation of its collection.


nationalobserver--2020-07-09--Air Transat looking to use jet fuel made from captured carbon dioxide

Air Transat is looking to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from its airplanes by using jet fuel made from kerosene in @ @ @ @ @ dioxide produced by large industrial emitters .
The Montreal-based airline has signed an agreement with @ @ @ @ @ finalizing the fabrication of a pilot plant in Montreal to make the kerosene .
The @ @ @ @ @ synthetic jet fuel which is estimated to have an 80 per cent lower carbon footprint @ @ @ @ @

Air Transat is looking to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from its airplanes by using jet fuel made from kerosene in a process that captures carbon dioxide produced by large industrial emitters.
The Montreal-based airline has signed an agreement with SAF+ Consortium, which is finalizing the fabrication of a pilot plant in Montreal to make the kerosene.
The kerosene is then converted to synthetic jet fuel which is estimated to have an 80 per cent lower carbon footprint than conventional jet fuel.
Air Transat says it will buy a significant portion of the future sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) production.
Airline president Jean-Francois Lemay says the airline is committed to offering passengers a low carbon footprint travelling experience while achieving its environmental obligations.


nationalobserver--2020-07-09--Liberals foresee $343 billion deficit due to COVID-19

Nearly two million Canadian workers could remain unemployed this year , according to forecasts in the federal government 's long-awaited `` fiscal snapshot . ''
The document released Wednesday details how the Trudeau Liberals see the COVID-19 pandemic dragging down the domestic economy and sending the deficit to a historic $ 343.2 billion .
The economic and fiscal report lays out the government 's expectation of a slow return to a new normal , with unemployment high and growth low through to at least the end of 2021 .
Even though the assessment says the worst of the economic harm @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the document says a recovery ca n't begin in earnest until an effective vaccine or treatment becomes available .
Things could , however , get worse under two scenarios from the Finance Department .
• Canada also has an environmental racism problem Should prolonged shutdowns stay in place , or restrictions not be fully rolled back , a return to normal activity for households and businesses will be uneven and slower than hoped for , leading to a more pronounced drop in economic output than is already expected .
And should the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the novel coronavirus during the annual flu season , the ensuing lockdowns would cause what the Finance Department described as a `` deeper and longer-lasting negative impact on the economy . ''
The Liberals have repeatedly promised to spend what was needed to put a financial shield between Canadians and irreparable harm .
The cost of that promise is now $ 231.9 billion in direct spending and a deficit comparable only to those seen in the Second World War .
The federal debt is set to pass $ 1 trillion , by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the costs , they 're worth it , Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said in a news conference Wednesday morning , before the snapshot was released .
`` As we measure the cost of helping Canadians , we should n't forget that the cost of doing nothing would have been far more , '' Trudeau said , insisting this is not the time for belt-tightening or austerity .
Nearly two million Canadian workers could remain unemployed this year , according to forecasts in the federal government 's long-awaited `` fiscal snapshot . ''
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ saying the $ 80-billion Canada Emergency Response Benefit , which had paid out $ 53.5 billion in benefits as of late June , has covered Canadians ' estimated $ 44.6 billion in lost labour income through the first half of the year .
The $ 2,000-a-month benefit is estimated to have covered monthly housing , food , phone and internet costs for the bottom and middle thirds of households , according to Finance Department calculations .
Historically low interest rates mean the hundreds of billions in borrowed dollars come with `` manageable '' @ @ @ @ @ @ @ alternative would be for individuals and households to load up with debt themselves to cope with months of no or little work .
Goldy Hyder , president of the Business Council of Canada , said the steep cost to the federal treasury , which has covered about $ 9 out of $ 10 in emergency governmental aid , underscored how vital it is to get the economy moving again .
Perrin Beatty , president of the Canadian Chamber of Commerce , noted the deficit and the debt-to-GDP ratio of 49.1 per cent `` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ decades . ''
In a statement , he called for a move away from `` a subsidy-based crisis response '' to efforts that get Canadians back to work .
The snapshot noted a $ 37.3-billion boost to the federal wage-subsidy program , bringing its budget to $ 82.3 billion , to account for its extension until the fall .
Morneau said details will come soon for businesses interested in the payroll help .
The Canadian Federation of Independent Business called the update a missed chance to help businesses know if they qualify for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cheap stimulus measure that can help many businesses , '' president Dan Kelly said in a release .
The Liberals expect more workers to move onto the wage subsidy and off the CERB as that program winds down .
Those who fall through the COVID-19 financial safety net are expected to be caught by a revived employment insurance system , which has been largely dormant since the CERB replaced it in late March .
Government officials admit there will still need to be policy changes to the EI system to help some self-employed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ workers who , due to the pandemic , have n't been able to work the necessary qualifying hours .
`` It 's not easy .
We 're in challenging times , '' Finance Minister Bill Morneau told reporters .
`` We 're going to make sure we support people to get through these challenging times because we know that 's the right thing to do . ''
For this calendar year , the government expects the unemployment rate to hit 9.8 per cent , dropping to 7.8 per cent next year based on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that 's an improvement from the record-high unemployment rate of 13.7 per cent in May for a labour force of just over 19 million , it is still much worse than the record low of 5.5 per cent pre-pandemic .
The Liberals will likely have to lay out a training program for workers in the fall even if the economy improves , said Hassan Yussuff , president of the Canadian Labour Congress .
`` Not all workers are going to go back to their jobs , '' he said in an interview .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ be there for workers at the end of the day . ''
Speaking in the House of Commons , Conservative Leader Andrew Scheer said the Liberals failed to provide a plan to stimulate economic and job growth .
`` Coming out of the pandemic , every single country on the planet will be desperately competing for the same opportunities and the same investments .
So where is the prime minister 's plan to set us apart ? ''
NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh noted the lack of a plan to help with child care @ @ @ @ @ @ @ women — wo n't be able to return to their jobs .
`` Moving forward , we need to put forward real solutions that address the problems that people are faced with , '' he said .
`` We know the Liberal government wo n't do it unless we fight and push them to do so . ''
And the Bloc Quebecois said the Liberals should have targeted aid at sectors that can expect to suffer the longest , such as aerospace and culture , while targeting multinational corporations and internet giants for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Finance officials write the pandemic may yet `` cast a long-term shadow over economic developments '' through higher household debt and persistent unemployment .
The document said the government will announce new measures as needed to support the recovery .
Sheila Block , a senior economist with the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives , said the uncertainty about the course ahead suggested the need to maintain or even increase spending : `` Now is not the time for rash spending cuts and a turn to austerity . ''
This report by The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , 2020 .

Nearly two million Canadian workers could remain unemployed this year, according to forecasts in the federal government's long-awaited "fiscal snapshot." The document released Wednesday details how the Trudeau Liberals see the COVID-19 pandemic dragging down the domestic economy and sending the deficit to a historic $343.2 billion. The economic and fiscal report lays out the government's expectation of a slow return to a new normal, with unemployment high and growth low through to at least the end of 2021. Even though the assessment says the worst of the economic harm from the pandemic is behind the country, the document says a recovery can't begin in earnest until an effective vaccine or treatment becomes available. Things could, however, get worse under two scenarios from the Finance Department.
Should prolonged shutdowns stay in place, or restrictions not be fully rolled back, a return to normal activity for households and businesses will be uneven and slower than hoped for, leading to a more pronounced drop in economic output than is already expected. And should the country be hit with a second wave of the novel coronavirus during the annual flu season, the ensuing lockdowns would cause what the Finance Department described as a "deeper and longer-lasting negative impact on the economy." Billion-dollar land deals in Ontario raise corruption suspicions The Liberals have repeatedly promised to spend what was needed to put a financial shield between Canadians and irreparable harm. The cost of that promise is now $231.9 billion in direct spending and a deficit comparable only to those seen in the Second World War.
The federal debt is set to pass $1 trillion, by the Finance Department's estimates. Nearly two million Canadian workers could remain unemployed this year, according to forecasts in the federal government's long-awaited "fiscal snapshot." Whatever the costs, they're worth it, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said in a news conference Wednesday morning, before the snapshot was released. "As we measure the cost of helping Canadians, we shouldn't forget that the cost of doing nothing would have been far more," Trudeau said, insisting this is not the time for belt-tightening or austerity. The document tries to make that case, saying the $80-billion Canada Emergency Response Benefit, which had paid out $53.5 billion in benefits as of late June, has covered Canadians' estimated $44.6 billion in lost labour income through the first half of the year. The $2,000-a-month benefit is estimated to have covered monthly housing, food, phone and internet costs for the bottom and middle thirds of households, according to Finance Department calculations.
Historically low interest rates mean the hundreds of billions in borrowed dollars come with "manageable" costs, Trudeau said, and the alternative would be for individuals and households to load up with debt themselves to cope with months of no or little work. Goldy Hyder, president of the Business Council of Canada, said the steep cost to the federal treasury, which has covered about $9 out of $10 in emergency governmental aid, underscored how vital it is to get the economy moving again. Perrin Beatty, president of the Canadian Chamber of Commerce, noted the deficit and the debt-to-GDP ratio of 49.1 per cent "will undermine Canada's fiscal capacity for decades." In a statement, he called for a move away from "a subsidy-based crisis response" to efforts that get Canadians back to work.


nationalobserver--2020-07-09--Children who drink water from private wells at higher risk of lead exposure

This story was originally published by The Guardian and appears here as part of the Climate Desk collaboration American children whose homes rely on private wells for drinking water are 25 % more likely to have high lead levels in their blood than those with access to regulated community water services , according to new research .
The lead exposure is worse for poor and black children due to historic discriminatory public policies .
Lead , a heavy metal which has no smell and is invisible to the naked eye , is a suspected carcinogen and highly toxic to the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as most other organs .
The water scandal in Flint , Michigan , in 2014 exposed concerns about lead in regulated city drinking water supplies , but little attention has been paid to dangerous contaminants in unregulated private wells which provide drinking water to 42.5 million Americans , the equivalent of 13 % of the population .
• Canada also has an environmental racism problem The study , published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences , is the first to specifically analyze lead exposure in children who rely on private wells @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sources and health records from almost 60,000 children in North Carolina , found that those relying on private wells had blood lead concentrations that were 20 % higher , on average , than children with community water service .
The study also found that children living in older , lower-value houses suffered higher lead levels and had higher risks of elevated blood lead , as did those in majority-black neighbourhoods .
“ Risks are especially high for children in low-income households and in African American neighborhoods that remain excluded from access to nearby @ @ @ @ @ @ @ discriminatory zoning practices , ” said Jackie MacDonald Gibson , author of the study and chair of the department of environmental and occupational health at the Indian University school of public health .
“ This unfortunate legacy contributes to persistent intergenerational poverty through its impacts on children ’ s cognitive development.
” There is no safe lead level , according to the CDC , and childhood exposure has been linked to reduced IQ , ADHD , school failure and criminality .
Research shows lead exposure worse for poor and black children and highlights @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The increased exposure is probably due to corrosion of indoor plumbing and well components .
Private wells are excluded from the Safe Drinking Water Act , which since 1991 has required all community water utilities to monitor lead levels as part of the Lead and Copper Rule provision .
This means households with private wells must monitor their own water quality , and , when necessary , replace parts and install and manage their own corrosion-control systems .
But it is seldom done , according to Gibson , because lead control requires awareness @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and money .
“ This study highlights the need for an overhaul of the Safe Drinking Water Act to provide support for households relying on private wells , ” Gibson said .
“ That includes financial support , and education and support on proper testing .
No level of lead exposure is safe .
This is an issue that must continue to be addressed .
”

This story was originally published by The Guardian and appears here as part of the Climate Desk collaboration
American children whose homes rely on private wells for drinking water are 25% more likely to have high lead levels in their blood than those with access to regulated community water services, according to new research.
The lead exposure is worse for poor and black children due to historic discriminatory public policies.
Lead, a heavy metal which has no smell and is invisible to the naked eye, is a suspected carcinogen and highly toxic to the brain and nervous system, as well as most other organs.
The water scandal in Flint, Michigan, in 2014 exposed concerns about lead in regulated city drinking water supplies, but little attention has been paid to dangerous contaminants in unregulated private wells which provide drinking water to 42.5 million Americans, the equivalent of 13% of the population.


nationalobserver--2020-07-09--They wanted to buy a forest to save it from loggers. The world chipped in.

Yet the 20-acre parcel of timber symbolizes the achievement and ongoing battle by a tiny coastal community to protect as much mature forest as they can on their remote B.C .
island .
“ We just couldn ’ t bear to see yet another clearcut , ” said Read Island resident Lannie Keller of the Surge Narrows community , which managed to raise $ 150,000 inside of four months to protect 20 acres of forest earlier this year .
And the community is working to buy another parcel with an important riparian zone to complement their recent acquisition and further @ @ @ @ @ @ @ areas .
This time it 's a spot where the forest intersects with streams and swampy areas critical to salmon and amphibian habitat .
“ There is a remaining 128 acres of wetland and mature trees in middle of the island , which would extend our protected area in a lovely and significant way , ” said Lannie , who along with husband Ralph , sparked the community ’ s most recent efforts to conserve their forests .
• Canada also has an environmental racism problem Approximately 80 residents live full time on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ outer islands ” wedged between Vancouver Island and the B.C .
coast in the northern reaches of the Straight of Georgia — which is only accessible by boat or float plane .
And the community of Surge Narrows — which boasts not much more than a public dock , a small post office , a small school , a community hall , and an abandoned , ramshackle clapboard store — is tucked into the Read Island ’ s northwest flank .
Surge Narrows public wharf on Read Island is a gathering place for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ up , get mail , get kids to school and gather as community .
Photo : Rochelle Baker Despite its small stature , Surge Narrows acts as a community hub for Read Island , as well as for residents of surrounding Maurelle , North and South Rendezvous , and Sonora islands .
So when nearby Lot 302 went up for sale last summer , and the Kellers heard the mixed mature forest was drawing the interest of a logging company , the couple knew they had to act fast .
“ It was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the main road where people travel to get mail , to the school or the dock , ” said Lannie .
“ This environment is so incredible ...
It ’ s special , and it deserves protection , '' Read Island resident Lannie Keller says of her tiny B.C .
coastal community 's efforts to purchase and preserve its rainforest habitat .
The parcel was also adjacent to the island ’ s John Kim Ecological Sanctuary and would create a green corridor from the Surge Narrows dock to the boundary of the island @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at the headwaters of two important salmon streams , Ralph added .
“ We thought , ‘ Oh man , we better do something right now , ’ ” so we went back and wrote them a cheque , ” Lannie said .
Lot 302 ’ s owners , long-term residents , were willing to sell the land to the community at a reduced price .
So the Kellers , through their local kayaking business , Coast Mountain Expeditions , offered a $ 50,000 downpayment and guaranteed the entire $ 150,000 purchase price @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on board .
But the community was all in .
The Kellers presented the idea to the Surge Narrows Community Association ( SNCA ) , representing about 130 permanent residents on the surrounding isles .
“ The response was super enthusiastic , ” said Lannie , who wasn ’ t surprised by the tight-knit community ’ s response , but rather by the speed at which the remaining funds were raised .
“ We were astounded .
It just happened so fast , ” Lannie said , adding the community , which doesn @ @ @ @ @ @ @ generously .
“ Sometimes it was to the point where we said , ‘ You can ’ t do that .
You don ’ t have that much to give , ’ ” said Lannie , noting one resident was donating half her limited pension to the project .
But what really shocked the community was the response from the outside world , the Kellers said .
“ The funding came from near and far , ” said Lannie , adding people donated from across Canada and even internationally .
“ Some had @ @ @ @ @ @ @ some had absolutely no connection at all , but said ( forest conservation ) resonated with them.
” A group of Read Island kids explore some mature trees in Lot 302 , a section of mature , low elevation rainforest recently purchased and protected by the Surge Narrows community .
Photo : courtesy Surge Narrows Community Association .
Protecting remaining intact forests strikes a deep chord with people around the globe , Ralph said .
“ Most people today love living forests .
The wilderness and the feeling they exude , ” he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ clearcut it , lay it all to waste and destroy the wildlife habitat , nesting sites and the wetlands , it threatens us personally .
Whether it ’ s British Columbia or Brazil , a clearcut has become the international symbol of the destruction of the environment.
” Read Island , like most of British Columbia , has a long , history with clearcut logging , Ralph added , noting the practice is ongoing on the island 's woodlots .
An image shows Read Island 's Lot 302 , now protected by the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ clearcut .
Photo : courtesy SNCA .
In the mid-1980s , just a couple of years after the couple arrived on the island , 1,200 acres of mature low-elevation rainforest was razed to the ground , he said .
“ To be able look across the island for several kilometres and not see a single tree was pretty impactful for all of us ” Ralph said .
It led to the community working together for the first time in 1992 to purchase a lot from Raven Forest Products to create the island ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the salmon streams .
But in that instance , the effort took three years to raise $ 78,000 for the 20-acre lot , Lannie said , adding people had relatives ' kids knocking on doors in Vancouver for spare change .
“ We were exhausted afterwards , ” she said .
But this last time around , an international conservation organization arrived on Read in February to explore whether it would back the purchase of Lot 302 , only to find the fundraising was already done , said Lannie .
Now the German-based @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Narrows community to provide the bulk of the funds to try to purchase the wetland Lot 309 , Ralph said .
Wilderness International has promised $ 150,000 to help SNCA purchase the lot , said David MacDonald , Canadian director with the organization .
“ We ’ re waiting on the decision of the landowner , after which , we ’ ll draw up a co-operative agreement , ” he said .
Wilderness International purchases private lands with intact rainforest to protect biodiversity and capture carbon dioxide to prevent climate change , he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ protecting the world ’ s forests because they have so little of their own wilderness left , MacDonald added .
Aside from occasional visits from biologists or student groups to study the ecosystems at their sites , not much else will happen other than the foundation pays taxes in perpetuity , he said .
“ Essentially , the concept is : We buy the forests and leave them alone.
” Paddlers set out in the morning mist in Surge Narrows off Read Island , where the community hopes to buy a further 128 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the island 's habitat .
Photo : courtesy Coast Mountain Expeditions .
The Kellers said the Surge Narrows community is also waiting to hear from the landowner to move forward .
“ We ’ re all waiting with bated breath , ” Lannie said .
With the experience gained through their kayaking company , they know the wilderness on and around Read Island is precious , the Kellers said .
“ This environment is so incredible , and we ’ ve had thousands of people visit from all over the world over the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they ’ ve never been anywhere so beautiful , ” Lannie said .

It’s a thoroughly unromantic name. Lot 302. Yet the 20-acre parcel of timber symbolizes the achievement and ongoing battle by a tiny coastal community to protect as much mature forest as they can on their remote B.C. island. “We just couldn’t bear to see yet another clearcut,” said Read Island resident Lannie Keller of the Surge Narrows community, which managed to raise $150,000 inside of four months to protect 20 acres of forest earlier this year. And the community is working to buy another parcel with an important riparian zone to complement their recent acquisition and further protect Read Island’s ecologically sensitive areas. This time it's a spot where the forest intersects with streams and swampy areas critical to salmon and amphibian habitat. “There is a remaining 128 acres of wetland and mature trees in middle of the island, which would extend our protected area in a lovely and significant way,” said Lannie, who along with husband Ralph, sparked the community’s most recent efforts to conserve their forests.
Approximately 80 residents live full time on Read Island — one of several “outer islands” wedged between Vancouver Island and the B.C. coast in the northern reaches of the Straight of Georgia — which is only accessible by boat or float plane. And the community of Surge Narrows — which boasts not much more than a public dock, a small post office, a small school, a community hall, and an abandoned, ramshackle clapboard store — is tucked into the Read Island’s northwest flank. Billion-dollar land deals in Ontario raise corruption suspicions Surge Narrows public wharf on Read Island is a gathering place for residents from the outer islands to meet up, get mail, get kids to school and gather as community. Photo: Rochelle Baker
Despite its small stature, Surge Narrows acts as a community hub for Read Island, as well as for residents of surrounding Maurelle, North and South Rendezvous, and Sonora islands. “This environment is so incredible...It’s special, and it deserves protection," Read Island resident Lannie Keller says of her tiny B.C. coastal community's efforts to purchase and preserve its rainforest habitat. So when nearby Lot 302 went up for sale last summer, and the Kellers heard the mixed mature forest was drawing the interest of a logging company, the couple knew they had to act fast. “It was a beautiful piece of treed land along the main road where people travel to get mail, to the school or the dock,” said Lannie. The parcel was also adjacent to the island’s John Kim Ecological Sanctuary and would create a green corridor from the Surge Narrows dock to the boundary of the island’s existing Fish and Forest Reserve at the headwaters of two important salmon streams, Ralph added. “We thought, ‘Oh man, we better do something right now,’” so we went back and wrote them a cheque,” Lannie said.
Lot 302’s owners, long-term residents, were willing to sell the land to the community at a reduced price. So the Kellers, through their local kayaking business, Coast Mountain Expeditions, offered a $50,000 downpayment and guaranteed the entire $150,000 purchase price if the community decided not to come on board. But the community was all in.


nationalobserver--2020-07-09--'Premier, we’re begging you': housing advocates' plea with Ford to scrap Bill 184

City councillors and advocates pleaded with Ontario Premier Doug Ford 's government on Thursday to turn back from changes to tenancy law set to create a massive wave of evictions of the people hit hardest by the COVID-19 pandemic .
“ Premier , we ’ re begging you , ” said Kristyn Wong-Tam , the city councillor for Toronto-Centre , who hosted the virtual news conference .
“ We ’ d like to demand , we know that ’ s some language that we can use , but we are now begging you.
” She and fellow councillor Gord Perks @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the Toronto-Centre NDP member of provincial parliament , to call on Ford ’ s government to amend or scrap Bill 184 .
She said they could do two things to avoid exacerbating an existing housing crisis during a public health emergency .
“ One is invoking stronger rent control , which is purely within the purview of the province , the other is stopping residential evictions , ” she said .
“ Let us get to mediated agreements , let us work out a payment program if a tenant is in arrears.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ in committee last week to make it even easier for landlords to evict tenants hit by job loss or other pandemic-related troubles .
• Canada also has an environmental racism problem The bill , which the government could put on the legislative agenda for a third reading any day now , puts anyone unable to stick to a rent arrears repayment plan at risk of immediate eviction .
“ If the premier continues down the path to getting Bill 184 into law , he is deliberately taking the side of wealthy people who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not taking the side of people who face being thrown out onto the street , ” said Perks , who represents Parkdale-High Park , where tensions between tenant groups and corporate landlords are high .
Younger renters are particularly vulnerable to eviction given many are employed in precarious or part-time work that has been lost to the pandemic and related shutdowns .
Those between 25 and 34 years old account for 23 per cent of the province 's renters , according to a 2018 survey conducted on behalf of the Federation of Rental-housing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ groups vulnerable to being tripped up by the changes to the law include racialized communities , those earning a low income , newcomers , seniors and people with disabilities .
“ That anyone would even conceive of making it easier to evict people in these circumstances , it shocks the mind , ” Perks said .
“ Please premier , do not do this.
” “ If the premier continues down the path to getting Bill 184 into law , he is deliberately taking the side of wealthy people who own shares in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ side of people who face being thrown out onto the street . ''
The proposed changes to the law will also require tenants to provide advance written notice if they plan to raise issues of persistent disrepair during an eviction hearing in front of the Landlord and Tenant Board .
Critics say tenants often rely on a shrinking Legal Aid service to navigate the complicated process .
Advocates have been warning for months of a looming crisis ( a “ terrifying bloodbath ” as one put it in May ) once Ford ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ evictions .
“ I ’ m here with my esteemed colleagues this morning to warn anyone who will listen to us that the mass homelessness and displacement that will result from Bill 184 could be the largest human rights crisis that this province will ever face , ” said Alyssa Brierly , the executive director and general counsel at the Centre for Equality Rights in Accommodations .
“ This is unconscionable and it is entirely preventable , ” she said .
“ Everyone who stands to lose their home deserves their day in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ happening.
” The group said 47 per cent of Toronto households spend more than 30 per cent of their income on rent , not including arrears payments .
Toronto has some of the highest average rents in the country and a very low vacancy rate .
ACORN Canada President Marva Burnett said half of their membership of 130,000 low- and moderate-income households were scared they would be unable to make rent in May .
“ It 's time for the provincial government to stand up for its tenants instead of its builders and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s government had in 2018 revived a loophole allowing landlords to charge unlimited rent increases in newly built apartment units , after the previous Liberal government had moved to cool an overheated housing market where some rents had doubled .
While the official Opposition NDP had sought to introduce amendments in committee last week including a ban on COVID-related evictions , those efforts were rebuffed by the Progressive Conservatives .
The NDP ’ s critic for tenant rights , Suze Morrison , said the omnibus bill also has other troubling attributes .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ keep the profits of illegally obtained rent increases , ” she said .
“ This is effectively legalizing fraud .
If a landlord hands out an illegal rent increase and the tenant unknowingly pays it for 12 months that illegal increase will now become permanent.
” Chiara Padovani , an executive member of the York South-Weston Tenant Union , got emotional describing how tenants in her area , which is located south of Highway 401 between old Toronto ’ s west-end neighbourhoods and Etobicoke , are “ disproportionately feeling the weight of COVID-19.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ front-line workers , ” she said .
“ We are the PSWs ( personal support workers ) taking care of the elderly , we are the cleaners disinfecting workplaces , we ’ re the grocery store workers at checkout , the meat packing and factory workers keeping those shelves stocked , the community workers running food banks , the Uber and the bus drivers getting us around.
” She said it is the people broader society have been championing for months who are finding it hardest to get by .
“ We are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ celebrating for months , but we have always struggled to pay the high cost of housing in this city , ” she said .
“ We are struggling to pay rent now more than ever.
” If Bill 184 does becomes law as currently written , Wong-Tam said the responsibility for the consequences will rest squarely with Ford .
“ The new encampments will belong to you in Toronto , the new state of homelessness will belong to you , ” she said .
“ The shelters that collapse under the weight and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ you add to the problem , as opposed to working with the colleagues that you have to fix that .
”

City councillors and advocates pleaded with Ontario Premier Doug Ford's government on Thursday to turn back from changes to tenancy law set to create a massive wave of evictions of the people hit hardest by the COVID-19 pandemic. “Premier, we’re begging you,” said Kristyn Wong-Tam, the city councillor for Toronto-Centre, who hosted the virtual news conference. “We’d like to demand, we know that’s some language that we can use, but we are now begging you.” She and fellow councillor Gord Perks joined with tenant advocates and Suze Morrison, the Toronto-Centre NDP member of provincial parliament, to call on Ford’s government to amend or scrap Bill 184. She said they could do two things to avoid exacerbating an existing housing crisis during a public health emergency. “One is invoking stronger rent control, which is purely within the purview of the province, the other is stopping residential evictions,” she said. “Let us get to mediated agreements, let us work out a payment program if a tenant is in arrears.” The government toughened the proposed law in committee last week to make it even easier for landlords to evict tenants hit by job loss or other pandemic-related troubles.
The bill, which the government could put on the legislative agenda for a third reading any day now, puts anyone unable to stick to a rent arrears repayment plan at risk of immediate eviction. “If the premier continues down the path to getting Bill 184 into law, he is deliberately taking the side of wealthy people who own shares in land-owning corporations, and not taking the side of people who face being thrown out onto the street,” said Perks, who represents Parkdale-High Park, where tensions between tenant groups and corporate landlords are high. Billion-dollar land deals in Ontario raise corruption suspicions Younger renters are particularly vulnerable to eviction given many are employed in precarious or part-time work that has been lost to the pandemic and related shutdowns.
Those between 25 and 34 years old account for 23 per cent of the province's renters, according to a 2018 survey conducted on behalf of the Federation of Rental-housing Providers of Ontario. “If the premier continues down the path to getting Bill 184 into law, he is deliberately taking the side of wealthy people who own shares in land-owning corporations, and not taking the side of people who face being thrown out onto the street." Critics say other groups vulnerable to being tripped up by the changes to the law include racialized communities, those earning a low income, newcomers, seniors and people with disabilities. “That anyone would even conceive of making it easier to evict people in these circumstances, it shocks the mind,” Perks said. “Please premier, do not do this.” The proposed changes to the law will also require tenants to provide advance written notice if they plan to raise issues of persistent disrepair during an eviction hearing in front of the Landlord and Tenant Board. Critics say tenants often rely on a shrinking Legal Aid service to navigate the complicated process. Advocates have been warning for months of a looming crisis (a “terrifying bloodbath” as one put it in May) once Ford’s government lifts an emergency moratorium on evictions.
“I’m here with my esteemed colleagues this morning to warn anyone who will listen to us that the mass homelessness and displacement that will result from Bill 184 could be the largest human rights crisis that this province will ever face,” said Alyssa Brierly, the executive director and general counsel at the Centre for Equality Rights in Accommodations. “This is unconscionable and it is entirely preventable,” she said. “Everyone who stands to lose their home deserves their day in court to try to prevent that from happening.” The group said 47 per cent of Toronto households spend more than 30 per cent of their income on rent, not including arrears payments. Toronto has some of the highest average rents in the country and a very low vacancy rate.


nationalobserver--2020-07-09--Chiefs call for racism inquiry during meeting today with N.B. premier

Indigenous leaders in New Brunswick are renewing a call for an independent , Indigenous-led public inquiry to investigate systemic racism and two recent police shootings in the province .
Wolastoqey and Mi'kmaq chiefs will bring up the issue during a meeting with Premier Blaine Higgs Thursday afternoon in Fredericton .
They expressed disappointment following a June meeting with Higgs during which the premier turned down their request for an inquiry and instead suggested a task force to review recommendations made from previous inquiries .
In a letter to the provincial government dated Wednesday , the Wolastoqey chiefs say an inquiry @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in New Brunswick is failing Indigenous peoples .
`` We stand firm in our belief that this province must have an independent inquiry that reviews the systemic discrimination against Indigenous people in the policing and justice systems in New Brunswick , '' they wrote .
• Canada also has an environmental racism problem They say a task force can not oblige the government to collaborate and it can not access information that the government wants hidden .
The chiefs ' calls follow the fatal shootings of Chantel Moore and Rodney Levi — two @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
`` The circumstances surrounding the deaths of Chantel Moore and Rodney Levi are tragic , but they are not isolated incidents and are only the tip of the iceberg of longstanding issues our people have with the justice system in this province , '' they wrote .
Mi'kmaq leaders are also calling for immediate reforms to the justice system , including improved police training and standards and increased Indigenous involvement in police oversight .
In a letter to the premier dated July 2 , they call for a change in the approach @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a community-based initiative they are calling Mi'kmaq Peacekeepers .
`` This will be a system of unarmed safety officers from our communities , trained in de-escalation tactics and to address issues of mental health , addiction , poverty and trauma , '' they wrote .
Indigenous leaders in New Brunswick are renewing a call for an independent , Indigenous-led public inquiry to investigate systemic racism and two recent police shootings in the province .
Levi , 48 , was attending a barbecue near the Metepenagiag Mi'kmaq Nation when someone allegedly called police to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' The Mounties have said a suspect carrying knives was jolted with a stun gun , but that failed to subdue him .
He was shot when he charged at officers , police said .
Moore , 26 , was fatally shot June 4 when an officer from the Edmundston Police Department was conducting a `` wellness check . ''
Police allege she lunged at an officer with a knife .
Quebec 's independent police watchdog agency — the Bureau des enquetes independantes — is investigating the killings , because New Brunswick does @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The Mi'kmaq leaders say the results need to be made public , so they can be subject to public scrutiny .
Higgs said on the eve of the meeting that he 's open to an inquiry if there are clear parameters and the expectation of results that can be acted on .
`` Let 's not turn this into a process that does n't allow us to get traction and to make some real , effective changes , '' Higgs said .
`` Let 's define the parameters in a meaningful way @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and what timelines , and let 's just make it happen . ''
As for a New Brunswick agency to investigate police , Higgs said he believes a regional agency with a New Brunswick component is the best solution .

Indigenous leaders in New Brunswick are renewing a call for an independent, Indigenous-led public inquiry to investigate systemic racism and two recent police shootings in the province. Wolastoqey and Mi'kmaq chiefs will bring up the issue during a meeting with Premier Blaine Higgs Thursday afternoon in Fredericton. They expressed disappointment following a June meeting with Higgs during which the premier turned down their request for an inquiry and instead suggested a task force to review recommendations made from previous inquiries. In a letter to the provincial government dated Wednesday, the Wolastoqey chiefs say an inquiry must look at how the justice system in New Brunswick is failing Indigenous peoples. "We stand firm in our belief that this province must have an independent inquiry that reviews the systemic discrimination against Indigenous people in the policing and justice systems in New Brunswick," they wrote.
They say a task force cannot oblige the government to collaborate and it cannot access information that the government wants hidden. The chiefs' calls follow the fatal shootings of Chantel Moore and Rodney Levi — two Indigenous people killed by police in June. Billion-dollar land deals in Ontario raise corruption suspicions "The circumstances surrounding the deaths of Chantel Moore and Rodney Levi are tragic, but they are not isolated incidents and are only the tip of the iceberg of longstanding issues our people have with the justice system in this province," they wrote.
Mi'kmaq leaders are also calling for immediate reforms to the justice system, including improved police training and standards and increased Indigenous involvement in police oversight. Indigenous leaders in New Brunswick are renewing a call for an independent, Indigenous-led public inquiry to investigate systemic racism and two recent police shootings in the province. In a letter to the premier dated July 2, they call for a change in the approach to law enforcement including the creation of a community-based initiative they are calling Mi'kmaq Peacekeepers. "This will be a system of unarmed safety officers from our communities, trained in de-escalation tactics and to address issues of mental health, addiction, poverty and trauma," they wrote. Levi, 48, was attending a barbecue near the Metepenagiag Mi'kmaq Nation when someone allegedly called police to complain about an "unwanted person." The Mounties have said a suspect carrying knives was jolted with a stun gun, but that failed to subdue him. He was shot when he charged at officers, police said.
Moore, 26, was fatally shot June 4 when an officer from the Edmundston Police Department was conducting a "wellness check." Police allege she lunged at an officer with a knife. Quebec's independent police watchdog agency — the Bureau des enquetes independantes — is investigating the killings, because New Brunswick does not have its own police oversight agency. The Mi'kmaq leaders say the results need to be made public, so they can be subject to public scrutiny.


nationalobserver--2020-07-10--Lafarge fires employee after alleged 'discriminatory and hateful act'

Construction materials giant Lafarge Canada says it has fired an employee after a discriminatory and hateful act took place at a Montreal work site .
The company said an act of discrimination involving a `` symbol of hatred '' had occurred , but did not go into details in a statement issued Thursday .
`` This is an incident that we do not condone or tolerate , '' the statement said .
Montreal La Presse first reported on the story Wednesday , saying a Black employee of Lafarge Canada on June 12 found a noose hanging near the spot where @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Junior Georges , who is of Haitian descent , told the news organization the incident left him feeling humiliated .
`` That someone would take the time during work hours to do that type of thing , even as a joke ...
I said to myself : 'what 's the next step ? '
`` • Doug Ford ready to cut environmental assessments ( again ) for 'economic recovery' • First Black candidate ever to run for the Conservative party leadership in Canada witnessed chat box filling with racial slurs as she debated @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for Trudeaus Georges did not respond to The Canadian Press ' requests for comment Thursday .
He told La Presse , however , he did not support the employee 's firing , describing it as `` a way to save the company 's reputation . ''
Lafarge Canada said it conducted an investigation and firing the employee who committed the act was the `` only thing to do . ''
A noose is a racist symbol that evokes historical lynchings of Black people in the United States .
This report by The Canadian @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 2020 .

Construction materials giant Lafarge Canada says it has fired an employee after a discriminatory and hateful act took place at a Montreal work site.
The company said an act of discrimination involving a "symbol of hatred" had occurred, but did not go into details in a statement issued Thursday.
"This is an incident that we do not condone or tolerate," the statement said.
Montreal La Presse first reported on the story Wednesday, saying a Black employee of Lafarge Canada on June 12 found a noose hanging near the spot where he normally parks his vehicle.
Allonde Junior Georges, who is of Haitian descent, told the news organization the incident left him feeling humiliated. "That someone would take the time during work hours to do that type of thing, even as a joke ... I said to myself: 'what's the next step?' "


nationalobserver--2020-07-10--New films you can stream show life on the frontier, Charlize Theron back in action and Bob Dylan’s g

New films you can stream show life on the frontier, Charlize Theron back in action and Bob Dylan’s grandson in a debut

This is a week with a lot of new films and big stars .
Tom Hanks has Greyhound over at Apple TV ( I didn ’ t have access to a preview ) and Netflix has Charlize Theron kicking butt .
( Read about her below ) .
And there ’ s a widely varied collection of films also down there .
While you ’ re here though , notice that the NFB has just added Because We Are Girls to their streaming site .
It ’ s an incendiary documentary about abuse and recrimination in one B.C .
South @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a real emotional jolt , see it at NFB.ca .
Charlize plays Andy ( Andromache the Scythian , if you need the full name from a graphic novel by Greg Rucka ) .
She leads a group of warriors with a special attribute .
They ’ re immortal .
Injure her and you ’ ll see her wounds heal immediately .
Consequently she ’ s a few hundred years old and leads a group that includes Matthias Schoenaerts , who ’ s been in it since 1817 and a couple who ’ ve @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Hey , it ’ s a graphic novel , and part of a series which might bring more movies ) .
Andy brings in a new recruit ( Kiki Layne ) when she sees her recover quickly from a slashed throat .
Also watching is a Big Pharma guy ( Harry Melling ) who wants to harvest some of their DNA and with it develop a cure for dementia and an ex-CIA agent ( Chiwetel Ejiofor ) who ’ s helping him .
His first move is to lure them into an ambush @ @ @ @ @ @ @ wall of monitor screens .
The film has all the attributes of modern high-tech action movies , plus that contemporary business angle , and still has time to fill out character details .
All in an efficiently-paced movie by Gina Prince-Bythewood , one of only a few black women directors that I know of .
( Netflix ) 3½ out of 5 THE OLD GUARD ( 3 1/2 stars ) : Summer action movies are missing this year .
Here ’ s a worthy stand-in from Netflix with Charlize Theron showing that her @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was no fluke .
She ’ s proficient with weapons ( an axe at one point ) , with kicks and in hand to hand fighting .
She ’ ll keep the fans of this genre rapt and amused .
Too bad we can ’ t see this one on the big screen because it would thrive there .
The time is 1820 .
Two characters , played by John Magaro and Orion Lee , meet accidentally , compare their goals and travel together to fulfill them .
Mangaro is a trained cook @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Lee is a Chinese drifter who thinks up a scheme to get him started : bake small soda cakes and sell them on the clearing outside a military fort .
The catch is their recipe calls for milk ; there ’ s only one cow in the region and they have to secretly milk it after dark .
The owner ( Toby Jones ) fears his cow is under producing but doesn ’ t suspect the two men who he hires for a special job .
He has them bake clafoutis , a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to a visiting general , to “ humiliate him.
” The film nicely contrasts that air of pretension with the pioneering spirit of “ take what we can while the taking is good ” while it builds to an inevitable reckoning .
( Streaming now from the Van City at https : //viff.org and maybe coming to the Rio ) 4 out of 5 FIRST COW ( 4 stars ) : Kelly Reichardt is still showing one of her directing faults .
She holds many of her shots just a little too long @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and the result is a slow pace to her films , especially early on in this new one .
Put up with that and you ’ ll find yourself engrossed in the story she tells and the deep atmosphere she creates .
As usual it ’ s set in Oregon which in many of these scenes looks exactly like B.C .
From that bizarre idea this pleasing film is constructed .
It 's a fantasy for young kids to imagine what the music business may be like .
There 's no cursing , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and when you 're a bit tired of it , there 's always surfing .
Sure , it 's set in California .
Tommy Ragen , who plays the kid with the unlikely name Oak Scoggins , is a musical prodigy himself .
He 's recorded three albums and performs his own songs in the film .
His story is cluttered with common story threads -- junkie mother does n't show for the big concert -- but also a bouyant colorful mood that young viewers will probably enjoy .
Beware of coincidences , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ late revelation .
( Available on digital platforms ) 3 out of 5 MIGHTY OAK ( 3 stars ) : Bob Dylan 's grandson , Levi , is only a secondary player but this whole film revolves around him .
He 's the lead singer of a band called Army of Love but on the night they 're ready to get known , opening for Arcade Fire , there 's a car accident and he dies .
He 'll be back though , in flashbacks , as his sister ( Janel Parrish ) @ @ @ @ @ @ @ repeatedly .
Then she comes across a ten-year-old kid who can play guitar just as well , knows all of his songs and performs with just as much charisma on stage .
She 's convinced he 's the reincarnation of her brother and hires him to be the band 's new singer .
FISHERMAN ’ S FRIENDS ( 4 stars ) : No not the lozenge ; the English singers , real fishermen who had a top ten album some years ago with their sea shanties .
This is a highly fictionalized account @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s quite a treat , heart-warming , optimistic , and fervently anti-cynical .
A music industry guy down from London on a holiday , found the group in Cornwall 10 years ago .
In the film he ’ s the butt of a secret joke by his boss who orders him to sign them up expecting he ’ ll be humiliated because they ’ ll never go anywhere in the modern music industry of Lady Gaga , Florence and the Machine and Justin Bieber , all of whom are referenced .
Old @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and good fun at that .
He ( Daniel Mays ) is charmed by the group ’ s acapella singing of ditties like Nelson ’ s Blood , Keep Hauling and What Shall We Do With a Drunken Sailor ( “ the rock and roll of 1753 ” ) especially when he watches a whole pub join in on one .
He ’ s also moved by the sincerity and respect for tradition of the locals , people like the lead singer ( James Purefoy ) , his grown daughter ( Tuppence @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pub who are struggling to pay the bills .
Music money could help save this “ heart of the village ” and that helps overcome any reluctance by the group .
It also creates a complication later on but for now there ’ s the thrill of getting to London and showing up those fast-living industry types .
It ’ s a feel-good film with few surprises but a lot of fine music , by them ( still active as a group ) and many others .
( Available on demand and digitally @ @ @ @ @ @ @ VINE ( 2 stars ) : This is also about a cynical big city type who re-discovers a simpler , more sincere way of life when he travels to the rural countryside .
But it couldn ’ t be further from Fisherman ’ s Friends because it ’ s not convincing and is bogged down by bland dialogue and silly visual gimmicks .
Joe Pantoliano , Emmy winner and busy character actor , stars as a Toronto automotive company executive who is unhappy at work ( not well explained ) and travels to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he ’ s from .
He regrets missing his grandfather ’ s funeral and to make up for it decides to revive his rundown vineyard and make wine once again .
( Russell Crowe enacted almost the same story 14 years ago in A Good Year when he revived an uncle ’ s vineyard in France ) .
This is a Canada-Italy co-production and has won awards at festivals including two in Italy .
One praised it for expressing “ important social and cultural elements shared by Italy and Canada.
” Yes , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and local ways .
But it does it through stereotype characters , stock situations and bizarre magic realist effects ( statues roll their eyes , he carries on conversations with leaves on the vines , Jesus seems alive in a picture ) .
Above all , Pantoliano isn ’ t believable , maybe because we ’ re so used to him as characters who are not sympathetic , or worse .
Canadian actors Wendy Crewson , Paula Brancati and Tony Nardi do good work but Tony Nappo is stuck playing a character who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Italian scenery though .
( Available digitally at Telus , Rogers , Bell , Itunes , Cineplex and others ) 2 out of 5 WHITE RIOT ( 3 1/2 stars ) : Here ’ s a flashback to a previous campaign against racism and oddly Eric Clapton sparked it .
Apparently he warned that England was becoming a `` black colony '' and supported Enoch Powell , the politician who in the 1970s spoke out against immigration .
The movement called Rock Against Racism formed almost overnight , promoted by a small publication @ @ @ @ @ @ @ National Front alongside covering the lively punk rock scene .
Several of those organizers , including the founder , music photographer Red Saunders , are seen in old footage and in new interviews recalling it all .
This lively film has terrific film from street demonstrations from the time , and lots of montages of printed articles overlaid with graphics typical of the punk scene .
As Saunders puts it 'We peeled away the Union Jack to reveal the swastika . '
That ’ s a bit hyperbolic ; I doubt that it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tear-gassed and sometimes beat demonstrators .
The organizers then staged a huge concert in the heart of National Front support .
The film builds up to it detailing the arguments and decisions and finally gives us the show .
On the bill were bands I didn ’ t know , Like Sham 69 , but also the big one The Clash .
The title is from one of their songs .
Rubika Shah ’ s film is terse , speedy and committed .
It nicely captures the fervor of the movement .
( @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ½ out of 5 VOLITION ( 3 stars ) : If you like time travel stories ( and maybe watched the elaborate one called Dark on Netflix , here ’ s one made in Vancouver that should satisfy .
It gets into loops and back and forth motion and so much complexity that it ’ s also an intriguing puzzle .
I think it goes too far in that direction but there ’ s much to enjoy along the way , including its musings on free will and destiny .
It ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ festivals .
Adrian Glynn McMorran , known from the Arrow TV series , plays a man afflicted with clairvoyance .
He has visions of his future .
Problem : they come on at random .
He can ’ t call them up .
So , assigned by a gangster ( John Cassini ) to chart the best plan to sell some African diamonds , he has to keep him waiting .
Meanwhile , he sees his own death but not clearly .
And we see that an early incident ( he rescued a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ already happened by the time we see it .
It gets very complex that way , includes a huge twist along the way and something I thought was a time travel no no : he comes into the same time frame with himself .
No matter , it ’ s a very involving film , briskly paced by director Tony Dean Smith and brightly co-written with his brother Ryan W. Smith .
You see a lot of local sights too , like the 2400 Motel .
( Available digitally—EST—and video on demand ) @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 1/2 stars ) : Here ’ s a Canadian action film that takes a familiar plot –a man trying to turn his crime-ridden life around is compelled to do one last job—and adds in some interesting new wrinkles .
For instance , he ’ s an ex-member of the Aryan Brotherhood ( he still has a large swastika tattoo ) and he used to work for the Russian mob .
They lean on him now to kill his former Nazi pals because they ’ ve moving in on their meth drug trade .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ 15 years and only wants a quiet life .
He won ’ t get it .
He does the job but there was a witness , a young boy , and there ’ s that neighbor in the apartment building that he talks to .
He ’ s ordered to kill them too .
The film has loads of dark atmosphere ( notice the industrial sites lit up in the Sault St. Marie background ) and good action .
But writer/director Brent Cote seems infatuated with the film noir possibilities and lets it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ John Rhys-Davies , as the top Russian boss , Alan Van Sprang , as the ex-con ex-Nazi , and Sara Waisglass , as the neighbor and aspiring club singer , are convincing in their thinly-written roles .
The story works and there ’ s an ending you won ’ t expect but little here that you ’ ll remember for very long .
( Also available VOD and EST ) 2 ½ out of 5

This is a week with a lot of new films and big stars. Tom Hanks has Greyhound over at Apple TV (I didn’t have access to a preview) and Netflix has Charlize Theron kicking butt. (Read about her below). And there’s a widely varied collection of films also down there. While you’re here though, notice that the NFB has just added Because We Are Girls to their streaming site. It’s an incendiary documentary about abuse and recrimination in one B.C. South Asian family. If you can take a real emotional jolt, see it at NFB.ca .
FIRST COW (4 stars): Kelly Reichardt is still showing one of her directing faults. She holds many of her shots just a little too long (she also does the editing) and the result is a slow pace to her films, especially early on in this new one. Put up with that and you’ll find yourself engrossed in the story she tells and the deep atmosphere she creates. As usual it’s set in Oregon which in many of these scenes looks exactly like B.C.
THE OLD GUARD (3 1/2 stars): Summer action movies are missing this year. Here’s a worthy stand-in from Netflix with Charlize Theron showing that her Mad Max adventure a few years back was no fluke. She’s proficient with weapons (an axe at one point), with kicks and in hand to hand fighting. She’ll keep the fans of this genre rapt and amused. Too bad we can’t see this one on the big screen because it would thrive there.
The time is 1820. Two characters, played by John Magaro and Orion Lee, meet accidentally, compare their goals and travel together to fulfill them. Mangaro is a trained cook who dreams of opening a bakery. Lee is a Chinese drifter who thinks up a scheme to get him started: bake small soda cakes and sell them on the clearing outside a military fort. The catch is their recipe calls for milk; there’s only one cow in the region and they have to secretly milk it after dark. The owner (Toby Jones) fears his cow is under producing but doesn’t suspect the two men who he hires for a special job. He has them bake clafoutis, a French dessert, that he can serve to a visiting general, to “humiliate him.” The film nicely contrasts that air of pretension with the pioneering spirit of “take what we can while the taking is good” while it builds to an inevitable reckoning. (Streaming now from the Van City at https://viff.org and maybe coming to the Rio) 4 out of 5
Charlize plays Andy (Andromache the Scythian, if you need the full name from a graphic novel by Greg Rucka). She leads a group of warriors with a special attribute. They’re immortal. Injure her and you’ll see her wounds heal immediately. Consequently she’s a few hundred years old and leads a group that includes Matthias Schoenaerts, who’s been in it since 1817 and a couple who’ve been together since the Crusades. (Hey, it’s a graphic novel, and part of a series which might bring more movies). Andy brings in a new recruit (Kiki Layne) when she sees her recover quickly from a slashed throat. Also watching is a Big Pharma guy (Harry Melling) who wants to harvest some of their DNA and with it develop a cure for dementia and an ex-CIA agent (Chiwetel Ejiofor) who’s helping him. His first move is to lure them into an ambush in Afghanistan which he watches on a wall of monitor screens. The film has all the attributes of modern high-tech action movies, plus that contemporary business angle, and still has time to fill out character details. All in an efficiently-paced movie by Gina Prince-Bythewood, one of only a few black women directors that I know of. (Netflix) 3½ out of 5
MIGHTY OAK (3 stars): Bob Dylan's grandson, Levi, is only a secondary player but this whole film revolves around him. He's the lead singer of a band called Army of Love but on the night they're ready to get known, opening for Arcade Fire, there's a car accident and he dies. He'll be back though, in flashbacks, as his sister (Janel Parrish )(also band manager) remembers him repeatedly. Then she comes across a ten-year-old kid who can play guitar just as well, knows all of his songs and performs with just as much charisma on stage. She's convinced he's the reincarnation of her brother and hires him to be the band's new singer.
Courtesy Paramount
From that bizarre idea this pleasing film is constructed. It's a fantasy for young kids to imagine what the music business may be like. There's no cursing, but a lot of flash and glamor and when you're a bit tired of it, there's always surfing. Sure, it's set in California. Tommy Ragen, who plays the kid with the unlikely name Oak Scoggins, is a musical prodigy himself. He's recorded three albums and performs his own songs in the film. His story is cluttered with common story threads--junkie mother doesn't show for the big concert--but also a bouyant colorful mood that young viewers will probably enjoy. Beware of coincidences, though, especially in a very improbable late revelation. (Available on digital platforms) 3 out of 5
FISHERMAN’S FRIENDS (4 stars): No not the lozenge; the English singers, real fishermen who had a top ten album some years ago with their sea shanties. This is a highly fictionalized account of how that came about and it’s quite a treat, heart-warming, optimistic, and fervently anti-cynical. A music industry guy down from London on a holiday, found the group in Cornwall 10 years ago. In the film he’s the butt of a secret joke by his boss who orders him to sign them up expecting he’ll be humiliated because they’ll never go anywhere in the modern music industry of Lady Gaga, Florence and the Machine and Justin Bieber, all of whom are referenced. Old versus new, small town versus city, and good fun at that.
Courtesy Level Film
He (Daniel Mays) is charmed by the group’s acapella singing of ditties like Nelson’s Blood, Keep Hauling and What Shall We Do With a Drunken Sailor (“the rock and roll of 1753”) especially when he watches a whole pub join in on one. He’s also moved by the sincerity and respect for tradition of the locals, people like the lead singer (James Purefoy), his grown daughter (Tuppence Middleton) and the owners of the pub who are struggling to pay the bills. Music money could help save this “heart of the village” and that helps overcome any reluctance by the group. It also creates a complication later on but for now there’s the thrill of getting to London and showing up those fast-living industry types. It’s a feel-good film with few surprises but a lot of fine music, by them (still active as a group) and many others. (Available on demand and digitally) 4 out of 5
FROM THE VINE (2 stars): This is also about a cynical big city type who re-discovers a simpler, more sincere way of life when he travels to the rural countryside. But it couldn’t be further from Fisherman’s Friends because it’s not convincing and is bogged down by bland dialogue and silly visual gimmicks. Joe Pantoliano, Emmy winner and busy character actor, stars as a Toronto automotive company executive who is unhappy at work (not well explained) and travels to re-charge his spirit in Italy, where he’s from. He regrets missing his grandfather’s funeral and to make up for it decides to revive his rundown vineyard and make wine once again. (Russell Crowe enacted almost the same story 14 years ago in A Good Year when he revived an uncle’s vineyard in France).
Courtesy TaroPr
This is a Canada-Italy co-production and has won awards at festivals including two in Italy. One praised it for expressing “important social and cultural elements shared by Italy and Canada.” Yes, respect for the land, for tradition and local ways. But it does it through stereotype characters, stock situations and bizarre magic realist effects (statues roll their eyes, he carries on conversations with leaves on the vines, Jesus seems alive in a picture). Above all, Pantoliano isn’t believable, maybe because we’re so used to him as characters who are not sympathetic, or worse. Canadian actors Wendy Crewson, Paula Brancati and Tony Nardi do good work but Tony Nappo is stuck playing a character who’s just too goofy. Nice Italian scenery though. (Available digitally at Telus, Rogers, Bell, Itunes, Cineplex and others) 2 out of 5
WHITE RIOT (3 1/2 stars): Here’s a flashback to a previous campaign against racism and oddly Eric Clapton sparked it. Apparently he warned that England was becoming a "black colony" and supported Enoch Powell, the politician who in the 1970s spoke out against immigration. The movement called Rock Against Racism formed almost overnight, promoted by a small publication that tracked the growing efforts of the National Front alongside covering the lively punk rock scene. Several of those organizers, including the founder, music photographer Red Saunders, are seen in old footage and in new interviews recalling it all.
Courtesy Films We Like
This lively film has terrific film from street demonstrations from the time, and lots of montages of printed articles overlaid with graphics typical of the punk scene. As Saunders puts it 'We peeled away the Union Jack to reveal the swastika.' That’s a bit hyperbolic; I doubt that it truly characterizes even the police as they tear-gassed and sometimes beat demonstrators. The organizers then staged a huge concert in the heart of National Front support. The film builds up to it detailing the arguments and decisions and finally gives us the show. On the bill were bands I didn’t know, Like Sham 69, but also the big one The Clash. The title is from one of their songs. Rubika Shah’s film is terse, speedy and committed. It nicely captures the fervor of the movement. (streaming at https://thecinematheque.ca/ ) 3 ½ out of 5
VOLITION (3 stars): If you like time travel stories (and maybe watched the elaborate one called Dark on Netflix, here’s one made in Vancouver that should satisfy. It gets into loops and back and forth motion and so much complexity that it’s also an intriguing puzzle. I think it goes too far in that direction but there’s much to enjoy along the way, including its musings on free will and destiny. It’s been popular at sci fi and fantasy festivals.
Courtesy Level Film
Adrian Glynn McMorran, known from the Arrow TV series, plays a man afflicted with clairvoyance. He has visions of his future. Problem: they come on at random. He can’t call them up. So, assigned by a gangster (John Cassini) to chart the best plan to sell some African diamonds, he has to keep him waiting. Meanwhile, he sees his own death but not clearly. And we see that an early incident (he rescued a woman played by Magda Apanowicz) has already happened by the time we see it. It gets very complex that way, includes a huge twist along the way and something I thought was a time travel no no: he comes into the same time frame with himself. No matter, it’s a very involving film, briskly paced by director Tony Dean Smith and brightly co-written with his brother Ryan W. Smith. You see a lot of local sights too, like the 2400 Motel. (Available digitally—EST—and video on demand) 3 out of 5
TAINTED (2 1/2 stars): Here’s a Canadian action film that takes a familiar plot –a man trying to turn his crime-ridden life around is compelled to do one last job—and adds in some interesting new wrinkles. For instance, he’s an ex-member of the Aryan Brotherhood (he still has a large swastika tattoo) and he used to work for the Russian mob. They lean on him now to kill his former Nazi pals because they’ve moving in on their meth drug trade. He’s been in prison for 15 years and only wants a quiet life. He won’t get it. He does the job but there was a witness, a young boy, and there’s that neighbor in the apartment building that he talks to. He’s ordered to kill them too.
Courtesy Level Film
The film has loads of dark atmosphere (notice the industrial sites lit up in the Sault St. Marie background) and good action. But writer/director Brent Cote seems infatuated with the film noir possibilities and lets it move at too slow a pace. John Rhys-Davies, as the top Russian boss, Alan Van Sprang, as the ex-con ex-Nazi, and Sara Waisglass, as the neighbor and aspiring club singer, are convincing in their thinly-written roles. The story works and there’s an ending you won’t expect but little here that you’ll remember for very long. (Also available VOD and EST) 2 ½ out of 5