nationalobserver--2020-06-16--Bold vision needed to restore lower Fraser River salmon habitat

One of the world ’ s great rivers , the Fraser River in B.C.
, is home to millions of salmon that swim downstream to feed and grow in the Fraser estuary before beginning their ocean journey .
But this rearing ground is threatened .
And it needs our attention and concern .
The Fraser River has historically produced more salmon than any other place in North America .
It is the rearing ground for fish species that play a crucial role in a food web that links fish , birds and marine mammals across thousands of kilometres of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ last 100 years , salmon habitat in the lower Fraser has been dramatically changed .
The Fraser River is the rearing ground for millions of salmon .
Photo of chum salmon by April Bencze , Raincoast Conservation Foundation .
Seventy per cent of the Fraser River flood plain and the estuary have been isolated or disconnected from the river by hundreds of kilometres of dikes and armouring .
Little natural shoreline remains , and very few streams ( less than five per cent ) are in a wild or natural state .
This @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and refuge they once relied on .
The river also receives hazardous waste from industry , urban and agricultural runoff , as well as outfalls that add a cocktail of pharmaceuticals , metals , and other pollutants .
• Noam Chomsky on post-Covid-19 society : Trump is worse than Hitler , but the peasants are coming with pitchforks Currently , a second wave of industrial moves threatens the remaining habitat in the lower Fraser River and estuary , such as multiple proposals for oil , gas , LNG , coal , jet fuel @ @ @ @ @ @ @ waterfront development , and the Terminal 2 port expansion .
The Vancouver Fraser Port Authority is proposing an expansion of their marine container terminal , which will be constructed on Robert 's Bank , in the heart of the Fraser estuary .
The federal review panel agreed that Fraser Chinook salmon would suffer `` significant adverse and cumulative effects '' from doubling the size of the shipping terminal at Roberts Bank .
The Chinook most affected by the expansion are the only Fraser Chinook populations still healthy enough to support some fishing .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ is the only assessed Fraser Chinook population not considered threatened or endangered .
Video of Environmental impacts of the proposed Terminal 2 in Delta , B.C .
Of the 46 populations of Fraser River salmon evaluated by the Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada , 17 have been classified as endangered , seven as threatened , and six of special concern .
Following years of decline in the number of chinook and sockeye salmon returning to the Fraser River , the last two years have been the lowest on record @ @ @ @ @ @ @ abundance of steelhead , coho and chum further constrain recreational and commercial fisheries .
Even First Nation fisheries for food , social , and ceremonial purposes have been greatly reduced .
A recent report by Raincoast Conservation Foundation titled “ Toward a Vision for Salmon Habitat in the Lower Fraser River ” has put forth recommendations to address the habitat loss that has been identified as a key factor in the crisis facing Fraser River salmon .
Since 2016 , Raincoast has worked with First Nations , community groups , conservation organizations and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ causes of salmon habitat loss and to record ideas to comprehensively address its restoration and protection .
This included tracking bold ideas like the reflooding of Sumas Lake , the reconnection of hundreds of kilometres of lost streams and support for Indigenous-led research and habitat-monitoring programs .
Of the 46 populations of Fraser River salmon evaluated by the Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada , 17 have been classified as endangered , seven as threatened , and six of special concern .
Fraser salmon face a host of complex problems @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and hatcheries .
However , the conservation and restoration of freshwater habitat throughout the Lower Mainland is one of the few things most salmon advocates agree on .
We now need to see the federal and provincial commitment match the scale of the problem and end an era of land-use decisions that continue to degrade salmon habitat .
The Raincoast report identifies that roughly 71,000 hectares of wetlands and almost 150,000 hectares of forests have been lost in the Lower B.C .
Mainland since the 1930s .
( For comparison , Vancouver ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ) By the mid-20th century , dikes had disconnected the river from 70 per cent of the flood plain .
There are clear opportunities for municipalities to implement green infrastructure options to help recover salmon populations and reconnect kilometres of habitat all while enhancing our ability to adapt to climate change and sea level rise .
Approximately 71,000 hectares of wetlands and almost 150,000 hectares of forests have been lost in the Lower B.C .
Mainland since the 1930s .
Photo by Alex Harris , Raincoast Conservation Foundation .
Much of the habitat @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Nations were actively excluded from traditional stewardship and their rights to salmon .
Despite past efforts to stem the loss , including coordinating bodies like the defunct Fraser River Estuary Management Program , the reality is the loss has never stopped .
Raincoast ’ s recommendations take into account the current political , socio-economic and ecological context , including the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples .
We advise that all levels of government , including regional and municipal , along with the conservation community , to consider how they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ habitat .
This needs to be done before more salmon populations are pushed past a threshold from which they can not return .

One of the world’s great rivers, the Fraser River in B.C., is home to millions of salmon that swim downstream to feed and grow in the Fraser estuary before beginning their ocean journey. But this rearing ground is threatened. And it needs our attention and concern. The Fraser River has historically produced more salmon than any other place in North America. It is the rearing ground for fish species that play a crucial role in a food web that links fish, birds and marine mammals across thousands of kilometres of the Pacific Ocean. However, in the last 100 years, salmon habitat in the lower Fraser has been dramatically changed. The Fraser River is the rearing ground for millions of salmon. Photo of chum salmon by April Bencze, Raincoast Conservation Foundation.
Seventy per cent of the Fraser River flood plain and the estuary have been isolated or disconnected from the river by hundreds of kilometres of dikes and armouring. Little natural shoreline remains, and very few streams (less than five per cent) are in a wild or natural state. This leaves young salmon without access to food and refuge they once relied on. The river also receives hazardous waste from industry, urban and agricultural runoff, as well as outfalls that add a cocktail of pharmaceuticals, metals, and other pollutants. Currently, a second wave of industrial moves threatens the remaining habitat in the lower Fraser River and estuary, such as multiple proposals for oil, gas, LNG, coal, jet fuel, ferry and cruise ship terminals, waterfront development, and the Terminal 2 port expansion. Billion-dollar land deals in Ontario raise corruption suspicions The Vancouver Fraser Port Authority is proposing an expansion of their marine container terminal, which will be constructed on Robert's Bank, in the heart of the Fraser estuary.
That development has environmental impact. Of the 46 populations of Fraser River salmon evaluated by the Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada, 17 have been classified as endangered, seven as threatened, and six of special concern. The federal review panel agreed that Fraser Chinook salmon would suffer "significant adverse and cumulative effects" from doubling the size of the shipping terminal at Roberts Bank. The Chinook most affected by the expansion are the only Fraser Chinook populations still healthy enough to support some fishing. One -- the South Thompson run -- is the only assessed Fraser Chinook population not considered threatened or endangered. Video of Environmental impacts of the proposed Terminal 2 in Delta, B.C. Video by the Raincoast Conservation Foundation. Following years of decline in the number of chinook and sockeye salmon returning to the Fraser River, the last two years have been the lowest on record, with significant fisheries closures. Low abundance of steelhead, coho and chum further constrain recreational and commercial fisheries. Even First Nation fisheries for food, social, and ceremonial purposes have been greatly reduced.
A recent report by Raincoast Conservation Foundation titled “Toward a Vision for Salmon Habitat in the Lower Fraser River” has put forth recommendations to address the habitat loss that has been identified as a key factor in the crisis facing Fraser River salmon. Since 2016, Raincoast has worked with First Nations, community groups, conservation organizations and dozens of individuals to identify the root causes of salmon habitat loss and to record ideas to comprehensively address its restoration and protection. This included tracking bold ideas like the reflooding of Sumas Lake, the reconnection of hundreds of kilometres of lost streams and support for Indigenous-led research and habitat-monitoring programs. Of the 46 populations of Fraser River salmon evaluated by the Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada, 17 have been classified as endangered, seven as threatened, and six of special concern.


nationalobserver--2020-06-16--Youth hit back against Ford government’s effort to dismiss climate case

Seven youth and the lawyers fighting to get Ontario ’ s Doug Ford government to face their constitutional complaints about climate inaction say the court is exactly where the battle should be waged .
And no matter if their next court date — scheduled for July 13 — is to be conducted in a reopened Toronto courtroom or virtually via video link , their lawyer wants it broadcast .
“ This is a case as to whether the people , the citizenry , can go to court and force the government to do the bare minimum to combat climate change @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for the applicants , said in an interview .
“ It will either be in-person or it will be virtual with the ability of people anywhere to tune in and watch it , ” he said .
“ We ’ ve made it very clear that we want this to be available to the public at large.
” They argue the government is threatening the lives and wellbeing of its population by failing to protect them from climate change , and the courts must decide whether that failure violates constitutional rights granted under @ @ @ @ @ @ @ post-Covid-19 society : Trump is worse than Hitler , but the peasants are coming with pitchforks It ’ s an argument Premier Ford ’ s government lawyers don ’ t even want to make .
In April , the government asked the court to throw out the case before it could proceed to a full hearing , where both sides would have the ability to put forward evidence and call on experts .
Hasan said Ford and his government were arguing that “ no matter how dire climate change is , no matter @ @ @ @ @ @ @ insofar as climate change is an existential threat to humanity , none of that matters because a court is not the right place to do anything about this issue and our courts are powerless to act.
” Stockwells lawyer Nader Hasan is representing the youth in their fight against the Ontario government 's policy on climate change .
Government lawyers argue the adequacy of their emissions target should not be decided by a court , that it would be impossible to prove direct harm caused by Ontario ’ s climate policy , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ seek legal remedy on behalf of future generations .
Youth fighting Doug Ford 's climate inaction say the court is exactly where the battle should be waged .
The youth and their legal team from Ecojustice and Stockwoods LLP were responding this week to the Progressive Conservative bid to have the Ontario Superior Court of Justice dismiss the climate action case .
The young people ’ s application argues that the Ford government 's decisions to dismantle existing climate policy and replace it with much weaker legislation threatens the constitutional right to life @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ( section 7 of the Charter of Rights and Freedoms ) and unfairly makes young people and future generations bear the brunt of the damage ( section 15 , about equality before the law ) .
They say Ontario has a legal duty to confront the climate crisis , which ample scientific evidence links to future harms , and that future generations should be included because “ it would be unjust to burden future generations with an unwinnable fight.
” One of the applicants , Shelby Gagnon , from Thunder Bay , said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that the climate crisis will hurt Indigenous Peoples ’ ability to control their food supply and her ability to harvest traditional medicines .
“ Over the last few months , I have coped with the uncertainty of living through a global pandemic by spending time on the land , ” Gagnon , 23 , said in a statement .
“ As a young , Anishinaabe person , I am deeply concerned that future generations will not have this option.
” Hasan said at a hearing on the merits he would expect to present @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who would lay out the case for how specific Ford government actions had created specific charter violations .

Seven youth and the lawyers fighting to get Ontario’s Doug Ford government to face their constitutional complaints about climate inaction say the court is exactly where the battle should be waged. And no matter if their next court date — scheduled for July 13 — is to be conducted in a reopened Toronto courtroom or virtually via video link, their lawyer wants it broadcast. “This is a case as to whether the people, the citizenry, can go to court and force the government to do the bare minimum to combat climate change,” Nader Hasan, a lawyer for the applicants, said in an interview. “It will either be in-person or it will be virtual with the ability of people anywhere to tune in and watch it,” he said. “We’ve made it very clear that we want this to be available to the public at large.” They argue the government is threatening the lives and wellbeing of its population by failing to protect them from climate change, and the courts must decide whether that failure violates constitutional rights granted under the Charter.
It’s an argument Premier Ford’s government lawyers don’t even want to make. In April, the government asked the court to throw out the case before it could proceed to a full hearing, where both sides would have the ability to put forward evidence and call on experts. Billion-dollar land deals in Ontario raise corruption suspicions Hasan said Ford and his government were arguing that “no matter how dire climate change is, no matter what we’re capable of showing insofar as climate change is an existential threat to humanity, none of that matters because a court is not the right place to do anything about this issue and our courts are powerless to act.”
Stockwells lawyer Nader Hasan is representing the youth in their fight against the Ontario government's policy on climate change. Government lawyers argue the adequacy of their emissions target should not be decided by a court, that it would be impossible to prove direct harm caused by Ontario’s climate policy, and that the applicants have no standing to seek legal remedy on behalf of future generations. Youth fighting Doug Ford's climate inaction say the court is exactly where the battle should be waged. (Ford’s legal team is meanwhile awaiting a Supreme Court decision on its challenge to the constitutionality of the federal government’s carbon pricing scheme. It is due in September, delayed by COVID-19.) The youth and their legal team from Ecojustice and Stockwoods LLP were responding this week to the Progressive Conservative bid to have the Ontario Superior Court of Justice dismiss the climate action case. The young people’s application argues that the Ford government's decisions to dismantle existing climate policy and replace it with much weaker legislation threatens the constitutional right to life, liberty and security of the person (section 7 of the Charter of Rights and Freedoms) and unfairly makes young people and future generations bear the brunt of the damage (section 15, about equality before the law).
They say Ontario has a legal duty to confront the climate crisis, which ample scientific evidence links to future harms, and that future generations should be included because “it would be unjust to burden future generations with an unwinnable fight.” One of the applicants, Shelby Gagnon, from Thunder Bay, said she’s fighting out of concern that the climate crisis will hurt Indigenous Peoples’ ability to control their food supply and her ability to harvest traditional medicines. “Over the last few months, I have coped with the uncertainty of living through a global pandemic by spending time on the land,” Gagnon, 23, said in a statement. “As a young, Anishinaabe person, I am deeply concerned that future generations will not have this option.”


nationalobserver--2020-06-17--Trudeau faces confidence vote today but Liberal government unlikely to fall

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau faces a confidence vote today but there 's little chance his minority Liberal government will fall in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic .
Trudeau assured the support of New Democrat MPs by announcing Tuesday that his government is extending the $ 2,000-a-month Canada Emergency Response Benefit for another eight weeks .
In return for extending the CERB , a spokeswoman for the NDP , Melanie Richer , said New Democrat MPs will vote in favour this evening of the supplementary spending estimates — some $ 87 billion in planned , primarily pandemic-related , government spending @ @ @ @ @ @ @ involves new spending ; the other $ 81 billion has already been approved by Parliament .
Because the Liberals hold only a minority of seats in the House of Commons , they need the support of at least one of the main opposition parties to pass legislation and avoid defeat on confidence votes .
• Noam Chomsky on post-Covid-19 society : Trump is worse than Hitler , but the peasants are coming with pitchforks • Senator calls for removal of RCMP boss , saying she does n't understand racism Any bill involving government @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
A government that fails to win a vote of confidence in the Commons is deemed defeated , which would plunge the country into an election .
The NDP 's support for the supplementary estimates precludes that scenario for today at least .
`` The prime minister says he has heard us and is extending support through CERB through the summer , '' NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh said in a statement .
`` This is what we were calling for in the short term .
We 'll keep working to make sure help @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the long term . ''
Bloc Quebecois Leader Yves-Francois Blanchet also sounded Tuesday like his party would not vote against the spending estimates , although the Bloc has recently joined the Conservatives in demanding a full resumption of the Commons , among other demands , before supporting any government initiative .
`` No one wants to send 20 million Canadians to line up to vote while we are still in the midst of a pandemic , '' he said .
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau faces a confidence vote today , June 17 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ chance his minority Liberal government will fall in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic .
Trudeau announced Tuesday that the CERB will be extended to a maximum of 24 weeks instead of 16 weeks for people who lost their jobs or saw their hours slashed due to the pandemic .
The extension means the first cohort of applicants who signed up in April and were set to max out their payment periods in early July , wo n't have to worry if they have no jobs to go back to over the summer @ @ @ @ @ @ @ health is precarious .
While the supplementary estimates seem poised to pass , there is still no resolution to an emergency aid bill that stalled last week without sufficient opposition support .
That bill included measures to deliver a one-time , tax-free benefit of up to $ 600 to Canadians with disabilities .
It would also expand the wage subsidy program to include more seasonal workers and businesses and would impose fines or jail time on Canadians who deliberately defraud the CERB program .
The government needed unanimous consent to quickly pass the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Wednesday but none of the opposition parties would support it .
It then offered to deal with the disability benefit separately , which was supported by the NDP and the Bloc but the Conservatives blocked that idea .
The bill is still on the order paper and the government could theoretically try again today but officials say that is n't in the cards .

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau faces a confidence vote today but there's little chance his minority Liberal government will fall in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. Trudeau assured the support of New Democrat MPs by announcing Tuesday that his government is extending the $2,000-a-month Canada Emergency Response Benefit for another eight weeks. In return for extending the CERB, a spokeswoman for the NDP, Melanie Richer, said New Democrat MPs will vote in favour this evening of the supplementary spending estimates — some $87 billion in planned, primarily pandemic-related, government spending. Only about $6 billion actually involves new spending; the other $81 billion has already been approved by Parliament. Because the Liberals hold only a minority of seats in the House of Commons, they need the support of at least one of the main opposition parties to pass legislation and avoid defeat on confidence votes.
Any bill involving government spending is typically considered a confidence matter. A government that fails to win a vote of confidence in the Commons is deemed defeated, which would plunge the country into an election. The NDP's support for the supplementary estimates precludes that scenario for today at least. Billion-dollar land deals in Ontario raise corruption suspicions "The prime minister says he has heard us and is extending support through CERB through the summer," NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh said in a statement.
"This is what we were calling for in the short term. We'll keep working to make sure help is there for Canadians who need it in the long term." Prime Minister Justin Trudeau faces a confidence vote today, June 17, 2020, but there's little chance his minority Liberal government will fall in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. Bloc Quebecois Leader Yves-Francois Blanchet also sounded Tuesday like his party would not vote against the spending estimates, although the Bloc has recently joined the Conservatives in demanding a full resumption of the Commons, among other demands, before supporting any government initiative. "No one wants to send 20 million Canadians to line up to vote while we are still in the midst of a pandemic," he said. Trudeau announced Tuesday that the CERB will be extended to a maximum of 24 weeks instead of 16 weeks for people who lost their jobs or saw their hours slashed due to the pandemic. The extension means the first cohort of applicants who signed up in April and were set to max out their payment periods in early July, won't have to worry if they have no jobs to go back to over the summer or are unable to work because their health is precarious.
While the supplementary estimates seem poised to pass, there is still no resolution to an emergency aid bill that stalled last week without sufficient opposition support. That bill included measures to deliver a one-time, tax-free benefit of up to $600 to Canadians with disabilities. It would also expand the wage subsidy program to include more seasonal workers and businesses and would impose fines or jail time on Canadians who deliberately defraud the CERB program. The government needed unanimous consent to quickly pass the bill in a matter of hours last Wednesday but none of the opposition parties would support it. It then offered to deal with the disability benefit separately, which was supported by the NDP and the Bloc but the Conservatives blocked that idea.


nationalobserver--2020-06-17--Black MPs, senators call on government to take action against systemic racism

A group of Black parliamentarians and their allies are calling on all levels of government to take action to reduce systemic racism in Canada .
The request came in a statement Tuesday from the Parliamentary Black Caucus , which was created in 2015 and includes members of Parliament and senators from various political parties .
The statement included calls for concrete reforms to policing , justice and corrections ; targeting economic aid in the COVID-19 pandemic to Black-owned businesses and Black entrepreneurs ; and supporting Black artists and institutions devoted to Black culture .
`` While Canada is a great @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has yet to achieve its full potential , '' the group said .
`` For more than 400 years , Black Canadians contributed to what all Canadians enjoy today , in spite of the legal , social , and economic barriers .
`` In order for Canada to fully realize its potential , we must work to eradicate the consequences of systemic discrimination faced by Black Canadians . ''
• Noam Chomsky on post-Covid-19 society : Trump is worse than Hitler , but the peasants are coming with pitchforks • Senator calls for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ does n't understand racism The list also includes ending mandatory minimum sentences for certain crimes .
The Liberals promised to look at repealing some in their successful 2015 campaign but have not done so .
Liberal MP Greg Fergus , who chairs the Parliamentary Black Caucus , said he does n't know why the government has not delivered on that promise .
`` I ca n't change the past , I just want to influence the present and the future , '' he said in an interview .
`` I 'm pushing for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ think there 's an appetite , I think there 's a big political appetite to do it . ''
Besides eight MPs and senators who identify as Black , the statement was signed by dozens of other parliamentarians from the Liberal party , NDP and Greens , and multiple factions in the Senate .
In a statement of their own , the Conservatives accused the Liberals of playing `` disgusting partisan games '' by not inviting MPs from all parties to join .
`` Conservatives acknowledge the existence of systemic racism in Canada @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to eliminate it , '' spokeswoman Kelsie Chiasson said .
A group of Black parliamentarians and their allies are calling on all levels of government to take action to reduce systemic racism in Canada .
The Tories accused the Liberals of hypocrisy , noting Prime Minister Justin Trudeau 's history of donning blackface , his treatment of Indigenous former justice minister Jody Wilson-Raybould , and the presence of former Toronto police chief Bill Blair in the cabinet as public-safety minister .
Fergus said he did n't seek out support from Conservatives for the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , refused to recognize the existence of systemic racism when asked about it multiple times during a recent television interview .
`` I figured there was no starting point at that point , '' he said .
No Conservative MPs or senators have joined the Black caucus but Fergus said they are welcome to sign onto the statement regardless , as some 160 non-Black parliamentarians had done by Tuesday afternoon .
The caucus 's statement follows a wave of protest across North America against racism and police brutality sparked by the killing of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by police in the U.S. last month .
The Parliamentary Black Caucus said non-Black people are only now realizing the scope of systemic racism in Canada , and the group is proposing a series of measures to cut down on what the group calls a `` pernicious and widespread phenomenon . ''
`` The members of the Parliamentary Black Caucus are heartened to see so many of their fellow citizens taking to the streets to peacefully express their desire for Canadian society to stamp out racism , '' the group wrote .
`` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ racism will require concrete actions by all levels of government to begin to make a difference . ''
Those measures include improving the collection of race-based data , which the group identified as a priority , as well as reforming the police and the justice system to eliminate bias and discrimination against Black Canadians and Indigenous people , who are , respectively , three to four times and eight times more likely to be incarcerated than white Canadians .
But Fergus said the needed reforms go well beyond ridding the justice system of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ see that Black Canadians have equal economic opportunities , including access to financial institutions that support businesses .
`` We want to create jobs and create wealth and create prosperity , '' he said .
Trudeau welcomed the calls without committing to implementing any of them in particular .
`` We are committed to moving forward on a huge range of measures .
We 're working with communities , we 're working with leaders like members of the Parliamentary Black Caucus to identify what exactly we need to move forward on first in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his daily appearance outside his residence at Rideau Cottage .
`` I think it 's really important that we all come forward and look at bold ideas that we can take on very soon to fix the systemic discrimination that continues to exist in our country . ''
He said many of the calls are things his government is already working on , such as on targeting economic support to Black-owned businesses and young Black entrepreneurs .
`` We will be moving forward on a number of those recommendations , '' Trudeau said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was first published June 16 , 2020 .

A group of Black parliamentarians and their allies are calling on all levels of government to take action to reduce systemic racism in Canada. The request came in a statement Tuesday from the Parliamentary Black Caucus, which was created in 2015 and includes members of Parliament and senators from various political parties. The statement included calls for concrete reforms to policing, justice and corrections; targeting economic aid in the COVID-19 pandemic to Black-owned businesses and Black entrepreneurs; and supporting Black artists and institutions devoted to Black culture. "While Canada is a great country, for many Black Canadians it has yet to achieve its full potential," the group said. "For more than 400 years, Black Canadians contributed to what all Canadians enjoy today, in spite of the legal, social, and economic barriers. "In order for Canada to fully realize its potential, we must work to eradicate the consequences of systemic discrimination faced by Black Canadians."
The list also includes ending mandatory minimum sentences for certain crimes. The Liberals promised to look at repealing some in their successful 2015 campaign but have not done so. Liberal MP Greg Fergus, who chairs the Parliamentary Black Caucus, said he doesn't know why the government has not delivered on that promise. Billion-dollar land deals in Ontario raise corruption suspicions "I can't change the past, I just want to influence the present and the future," he said in an interview. "I'm pushing for it to be done now and I think there's an appetite, I think there's a big political appetite to do it."
Besides eight MPs and senators who identify as Black, the statement was signed by dozens of other parliamentarians from the Liberal party, NDP and Greens, and multiple factions in the Senate. A group of Black parliamentarians and their allies are calling on all levels of government to take action to reduce systemic racism in Canada. In a statement of their own, the Conservatives accused the Liberals of playing "disgusting partisan games" by not inviting MPs from all parties to join. "Conservatives acknowledge the existence of systemic racism in Canada; we condemn it and support calls to eliminate it," spokeswoman Kelsie Chiasson said. The Tories accused the Liberals of hypocrisy, noting Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's history of donning blackface, his treatment of Indigenous former justice minister Jody Wilson-Raybould, and the presence of former Toronto police chief Bill Blair in the cabinet as public-safety minister. Fergus said he didn't seek out support from Conservatives for the statement because their leader, Andrew Scheer, refused to recognize the existence of systemic racism when asked about it multiple times during a recent television interview.
"I figured there was no starting point at that point," he said. No Conservative MPs or senators have joined the Black caucus but Fergus said they are welcome to sign onto the statement regardless, as some 160 non-Black parliamentarians had done by Tuesday afternoon. The caucus's statement follows a wave of protest across North America against racism and police brutality sparked by the killing of a Black man, George Floyd, by police in the U.S. last month.


nationalobserver--2020-06-17--'Thought it was a panda:' Second rare grizzly bear sighting in Banff National Park

A second rare grizzly bear has been spotted in Banff National Park .
Earlier this spring , an unusual white grizzly bear was revealed publicly after it was seen by a Banff family along the Trans-Canada Highway in the national park in Alberta .
Another family from Calgary is now sharing a photo of a grizzly cub with a white head and a brown body .
`` It was a very quick sighting , '' Julia Turner Butterwick said in an interview Tuesday .
She said her family , which includes two little boys , is always on the lookout @ @ @ @ @ @ @ park .
They saw a mama grizzly on the side of the road , so she asked her husband to slow down for her to take a photo .
• Noam Chomsky on post-Covid-19 society : Trump is worse than Hitler , but the peasants are coming with pitchforks • Senator calls for removal of RCMP boss , saying she does n't understand racism `` As we got closer , we saw there were two cubs beside her , '' said Turner Butterwick .
`` I said , 'That cub has a white @ @ @ @ @ @ @ son thought it was great — he thought it was a panda . ''
Parks Canada said in a statement that the cub , its sibling and their mother are known to staff in both Banff and nearby Kootenay National Park on the British Columbia side of the boundary .
`` One sibling is brown while the other is brown with a blonde head and chest , '' the agency said .
`` The blonde colour is caused by a colour phase variation which is unusual but natural . ''
The statement said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ six months old , so it would be their first year in the wild with their mother .
Concerns have already been raised about the all-white grizzly , a 3 1/2-year-old bear that has been nicknamed Nakoda by locals , because people have been getting too close to it to try to get a photo .
A second rare grizzly bear has been spotted in Banff National Park .
That bear has been seen hanging out on railway tracks and running across the Trans-Canada Highway in Yoho National Park , also adjacent to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Wildlife biologists said both grizzly bears are unusual .
Paul Paquet , an internationally known carnivore expert , said he has never seen a white grizzly bear and the cub is even more unusual .
`` I never could have imagined a white-headed grizzly , '' he said Tuesday .
`` This is really interesting .
`` It looks like it stuck its head in a pail of cream or a barrel of flour . ''
Paquet said it 's most likely a genetic trait .
`` It 's pretty rare , '' @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Canada carnivore specialist who 's considered one of North America 's top grizzly bear experts .
He said it 's more common to see white-coloured black bears in Alberta , but biologists keep the locations quiet because they can be hunted .
Gibeau said there 's a number of blond-coloured grizzlies in Alberta 's Kananaskis Country west of Calgary .
`` White colour , especially in grizzly bears , is unheard of , '' he said .
`` I do n't know of any grizzly bear biologist that has documented one ... but @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Gibeau said it would most likely be genetic .
`` The right combination of recessive genes gives you white , '' he said , noting he has seen the all-white bear and it has dark-coloured underfur .
While it 's possible the two bears are related , it 's not necessarily the case , he said .
Gibeau said he 's concerned the unusual bears will get harassed by wildlife photographers , visitors and locals .
`` Thank goodness the borders are closed , '' he said , referring to restrictions due to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ international media .
Parks Canada reiterated in Tuesday 's statement that observing wildlife in its natural habitat is a privilege that comes with responsibility .
`` If you see wildlife near the highway , do not stop , '' the agency said .
`` When visitors see wildlife on other roads , stop only where legal and safe to do , stay in your vehicle and give the animal space .
Bears and other wildlife that become comfortable around people and roadsides are at greater risk of being struck by a vehicle .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ was first published June 16 , 2020

A second rare grizzly bear has been spotted in Banff National Park. Earlier this spring, an unusual white grizzly bear was revealed publicly after it was seen by a Banff family along the Trans-Canada Highway in the national park in Alberta. Another family from Calgary is now sharing a photo of a grizzly cub with a white head and a brown body. "It was a very quick sighting," Julia Turner Butterwick said in an interview Tuesday. She said her family, which includes two little boys, is always on the lookout for bears when they drive through the park. They saw a mama grizzly on the side of the road, so she asked her husband to slow down for her to take a photo.
"As we got closer, we saw there were two cubs beside her," said Turner Butterwick. "I said, 'That cub has a white head.' "My four-year old son thought it was great — he thought it was a panda." Billion-dollar land deals in Ontario raise corruption suspicions Parks Canada said in a statement that the cub, its sibling and their mother are known to staff in both Banff and nearby Kootenay National Park on the British Columbia side of the boundary.
"One sibling is brown while the other is brown with a blonde head and chest," the agency said. "The blonde colour is caused by a colour phase variation which is unusual but natural." A second rare grizzly bear has been spotted in Banff National Park. The statement said the grizzlies are believed to be about six months old, so it would be their first year in the wild with their mother. Concerns have already been raised about the all-white grizzly, a 3 1/2-year-old bear that has been nicknamed Nakoda by locals, because people have been getting too close to it to try to get a photo. That bear has been seen hanging out on railway tracks and running across the Trans-Canada Highway in Yoho National Park, also adjacent to Banff on the B.C. side. Wildlife biologists said both grizzly bears are unusual.
Paul Paquet, an internationally known carnivore expert, said he has never seen a white grizzly bear and the cub is even more unusual. "I never could have imagined a white-headed grizzly," he said Tuesday. "This is really interesting. "It looks like it stuck its head in a pail of cream or a barrel of flour."


nationalobserver--2020-06-17--Physically-distant vote at UN could determine Canada's Security Council bid today

Today could be decision day for what could be Prime Minister Justin Trudeau 's biggest foreign policy gambit : Canada 's bid for a temporary seat on the United Nations Security Council .
The voting begins at 9 a.m. eastern time , with the 193 UN ambassadors gaining staggered access to the General Assembly meeting hall to prevent the spread of COVID-19 .
Foreign Affairs Minister Francois-Philippe Champagne , who travelled by car to New York City on the weekend , will cast Canada 's vote around mid-day .
Canada is competing against Norway and Ireland for two seats , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ heated .
The historic promenade of electors is set to take at least five hours — it would have taken about one in a full pre-pandemic chamber — and it could all be repeated Thursday if two of the competing countries ca n't get 129 votes , or two-thirds of the assembly .
• Noam Chomsky on post-Covid-19 society : Trump is worse than Hitler , but the peasants are coming with pitchforks • Senator calls for removal of RCMP boss , saying she does n't understand racism European countries are expected to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ which has forced the Trudeau government to focus on Africa , Latin America , and Arab nations , as well as the small island states of the South Pacific that face potential extinction one day from rising sea levels caused by climate change .
`` This is a big moment for Canada .
In my job , I want Canada to inspire the world by its values and its principles , '' Champagne said in an interview .
`` I see that as being meaningful and I know in my discussions with foreign @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with whom we 've been engaging in Africa , the Caribbean , the Pacific islands , a number of them really rely on Canada to be part of building back better — the great reset . ''
Trudeau declared his intention to compete for the Security Council in 2015 , following Canada 's humbling failure five years earlier when tiny Portugal managed to win more support .
Canada 's campaign for the council rests on what it has been doing to help fight the pandemic .
That has included convening like-minded countries to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ keeping vital supply chains open across the globe , and working on new financing models to help struggling countries whose economies have been decimated by the pandemic .
`` We 're facing good competition .
But I hear from people is that Canada , especially in the COVID time , is bringing positive and progressive leadership , '' said Champagne .
Today , June 17 , 2020 , could be decision day for what could be Prime Minister Justin Trudeau 's biggest foreign policy gambit : Canada 's bid for a temporary seat @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Independent Sen. Peter Boehm , who was Canada 's ambassador to Germany in 2010 when the European powerhouse won a seat alongside Portugal , returned to the 2020 campaign to lobby small island states on Canada 's behalf .
Like many others , Boehm questioned whether Canada belongs in the Western European and Others Group , or WEOG , the UN geographical bloc that Canada has been assigned .
`` WEOG is sort of a lonely place for Canada , Australia , New Zealand , Israel .
We do n't really fit , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ belongs in the Group of Latin American and Caribbean Countries , which is less competitive and makes more geographic sense for Canada .
Boehm and many others believe it will take more than one round for the two winners to emerge , which would mean a second full day of voting on Thursday .
Tijjani Muhammad-Bande , the Nigerian diplomat and scholar who is the current president of the General Assembly , has overseen a painstaking negotiation that resulted in all 193 UN missions agreeing to the new COVID-19 format of staggered voting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 24 hours after the election , when it 's known we need a second round , we 'll start the process .
The secretariat has worked very , very hard to plan should that be the case . ''
Champagne said if a second round is needed he will be making calls and sending text messages , to swing support .
And so will Canadian diplomats who he said have a game plan for all scenarios .
`` This is Team Canada playing .
We 'll be there with everything we 've got @ @

Today could be decision day for what could be Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's biggest foreign policy gambit: Canada's bid for a temporary seat on the United Nations Security Council. The voting begins at 9 a.m. eastern time, with the 193 UN ambassadors gaining staggered access to the General Assembly meeting hall to prevent the spread of COVID-19. Foreign Affairs Minister Francois-Philippe Champagne, who travelled by car to New York City on the weekend, will cast Canada's vote around mid-day. Canada is competing against Norway and Ireland for two seats, and the competition is expected to be heated. The historic promenade of electors is set to take at least five hours — it would have taken about one in a full pre-pandemic chamber — and it could all be repeated Thursday if two of the competing countries can't get 129 votes, or two-thirds of the assembly.
European countries are expected to unite around Canada's two competitors, which has forced the Trudeau government to focus on Africa, Latin America, and Arab nations, as well as the small island states of the South Pacific that face potential extinction one day from rising sea levels caused by climate change. "This is a big moment for Canada. In my job, I want Canada to inspire the world by its values and its principles," Champagne said in an interview. Billion-dollar land deals in Ontario raise corruption suspicions "I see that as being meaningful and I know in my discussions with foreign ministers around the world, and people with whom we've been engaging in Africa, the Caribbean, the Pacific islands, a number of them really rely on Canada to be part of building back better — the great reset."
Trudeau declared his intention to compete for the Security Council in 2015, following Canada's humbling failure five years earlier when tiny Portugal managed to win more support. Today, June 17, 2020, could be decision day for what could be Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's biggest foreign policy gambit: Canada's bid for a temporary seat on the United Nations Security Council. Canada's campaign for the council rests on what it has been doing to help fight the pandemic. That has included convening like-minded countries to ensure food security in developing countries, keeping vital supply chains open across the globe, and working on new financing models to help struggling countries whose economies have been decimated by the pandemic. "We're facing good competition. But I hear from people is that Canada, especially in the COVID time, is bringing positive and progressive leadership," said Champagne. Independent Sen. Peter Boehm, who was Canada's ambassador to Germany in 2010 when the European powerhouse won a seat alongside Portugal, returned to the 2020 campaign to lobby small island states on Canada's behalf. Like many others, Boehm questioned whether Canada belongs in the Western European and Others Group, or WEOG, the UN geographical bloc that Canada has been assigned.
"WEOG is sort of a lonely place for Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Israel. We don't really fit," said Boehm. He said Canada belongs in the Group of Latin American and Caribbean Countries, which is less competitive and makes more geographic sense for Canada. Boehm and many others believe it will take more than one round for the two winners to emerge, which would mean a second full day of voting on Thursday.


nationalobserver--2020-06-17--Canada, U.S. to extend border restrictions by another 30 days

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says Canada and the United States will continue to limit non-essential travel between the two countries @ @ @ @ @ .
Despite mounting pressure from business interests and border communities , however , Trudeau is @ @ @ @ @ the border restrictions will be eased when the time finally comes .
The 30-day restrictions @ @ @ @ @ in the face of the threat of the COVID-19 pandemic , and have now been @ @ @ @

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says Canada and the United States will continue to limit non-essential travel between the two countries until at least July 21.
Despite mounting pressure from business interests and border communities, however, Trudeau is offering no clues about how the border restrictions will be eased when the time finally comes.
The 30-day restrictions were first imposed in March in the face of the threat of the COVID-19 pandemic, and have now been extended three times.
While the measures prohibit discretionary travel like vacations and shopping trips, essential workers, trade shipments and temporary foreign workers are still allowed to cross the border.
Communities near the Canada-U.S. border that depend on a steady flow of traffic and the ability to move between the two countries have been growing impatient as provinces and states alike continue to gradually restart their economies.


nationalobserver--2020-06-17--Conservative leadership hopefuls hold first debate tonight

Conservative prime minister Stephen Harper was particular about beginning nearly all of his remarks in French .
It was a tactic understood to underscore his party 's commitment to Quebec throughout the Conservatives ' ongoing struggles to gain a lasting political foothold in that province .
As the Conservatives seek , once again , to find a replacement for Harper , it could be seen as a nod to his seemingly permanent stamp on the party that the first of two back-to-back debates in the ongoing leadership race is being held in French .
The decision , however , is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ four candidates — Leslyn Lewis , Peter MacKay , Erin O'Toole and Derek Sloan — are fluently bilingual .
The party decided to schedule the first debate , taking place Wednesday night , in French .
That gives candidates more time to prepare , rather than having the English one first and then only a few hours to get their French functional .
• Noam Chomsky on post-Covid-19 society : Trump is worse than Hitler , but the peasants are coming with pitchforks • Senator calls for removal of RCMP boss , saying @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will be followed by another one Thursday in English , both taking place in downtown Toronto and livestreamed online .
All of the questions for the event were submitted by party members via video .
The back-to-back scheduling is one of many concessions the party has had to make in a race upended repeatedly by the COVID-19 pandemic .
The debates were initially expected a few weeks apart , one in Toronto , and another in Quebec .
But when COVID-19 began to shut down the country in March , that plan was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ others for the campaign .
The original date of June 27 to pick a new leader has now been pushed to sometime after Aug. 21 — the deadline for party members to have their ballots sent to headquarters for counting .
Conservative leadership hopefuls set to face off for the first time tonight .
The party has always used mail-in ballots , but their complete reliance on them for this election speaks to the remote nature of nearly the entire campaign .
Wednesday is the first time all four competitors will appear together @ @ @ @ @ @ @ directly .
Due to physical distancing requirements in place to slow the spread of the novel coronavirus , the candidates have been confined mostly to a digital campaign trail .
All have used all manner of technologies to connect : Facebook live events , online videos , telephone townhalls and robocalls .
None come without hiccups .
It was recently revealed that O'Toole was using an American call centre to make calls for his campaign , despite a pledge to stand up for Canadian workers .
Not even a day later — and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ its campaign — the MacKay team sent out robocalls using a U.S. number .
The campaign blamed an app that randomly generates numbers and say it was Canadians who sent the messages .
It was another misstep for a candidate who will be under intense scrutiny Wednesday night for how well he can manage in French .
Early mistakes from his campaign saw him mocked on the front pages of Quebec papers .
MacKay tried to bolster his Quebec cred this week by posting a class photo of sorts showcasing all the endorsements @ @ @ @ @ @ @ buying French-language ads on social media , including one asking people to take a survey .
The questions were all common bread-and-butter themes : the carbon tax , media bailouts , security at the border , standard fare for most of the candidates as they seek to woo the grassroots .
Lewis , the lone non-politician among the candidates , has also used a good chunk of her campaign trodding familiar themes .
But lately , there 's been a shift .
Initially , Lewis had sidestepped using her background — she emigrated @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as a talking point .
But as a national debate has begun to rage over systemic racism and the relationships between Black communities and police , her campaign has pivoted to tackle questions around the Black Lives Matter movement , calls to defund police and the barriers that she 's had thrown up in front of her as a Black woman .
`` Despite everyone 's talk about inclusivity , the narrative is constantly brought up that you ca n't look or act or seem different in any way or Canadians just wo @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said in a recent letter to supporters .
`` I 've never believed that is true , and I wanted to prove them wrong once and for all . ''
Wednesday night will be her national debut on the party stage and a goal for her campaign is to give further fuel to the momentum she appears to be gaining .
While in the early days her support was emanating largely from social conservatives — she is clear on her anti-abortion position , for example — comments to her social media pages illustrate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bought my membership I had intentions of voting for O'Toole but it 's looking like he is now my second choice after Dr. Lewis .
I would love to have her as our next PM , '' wrote a supporter named Jason Flamand on her page .
O'Toole has run a campaign partially aimed at being a number 2 , or even number 3 , choice of party members who have made social conservative positions their ballot-box question .
In a recent meeting he had with Quebec conservatives , a video of which @ @ @ @ @ @ @ made the request explicit : `` If you vote for Leslyn ( Lewis ) or Derek ( Sloan ) as your first choice , I would like to receive your second position , second vote .
Please . ''
The party uses a ranked ballot , and members pick candidates in order of preference .
When it comes time to count , if a candidate does not receive 50 per cent plus one in the first round , they drop off and a voter 's second choice is then counted .
Sloan , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , is also riding on social conservative coattails , but has taken more aggressive positions than Lewis .
He found himself nearly booted out of his party 's caucus over comments he made about the chief public health officer .
In recent days has been using his platforms to raise concerns about the COVID-19 vaccine and Canada-China relations .
This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 17 , 2020 .

Conservative prime minister Stephen Harper was particular about beginning nearly all of his remarks in French. It was a tactic understood to underscore his party's commitment to Quebec throughout the Conservatives' ongoing struggles to gain a lasting political foothold in that province. As the Conservatives seek, once again, to find a replacement for Harper, it could be seen as a nod to his seemingly permanent stamp on the party that the first of two back-to-back debates in the ongoing leadership race is being held in French. The decision, however, isn't about nostalgia. None of the four candidates — Leslyn Lewis, Peter MacKay, Erin O'Toole and Derek Sloan — are fluently bilingual. The party decided to schedule the first debate, taking place Wednesday night, in French. That gives candidates more time to prepare, rather than having the English one first and then only a few hours to get their French functional.
This debate will be followed by another one Thursday in English, both taking place in downtown Toronto and livestreamed online. All of the questions for the event were submitted by party members via video. Billion-dollar land deals in Ontario raise corruption suspicions The back-to-back scheduling is one of many concessions the party has had to make in a race upended repeatedly by the COVID-19 pandemic.
The debates were initially expected a few weeks apart, one in Toronto, and another in Quebec. Conservative leadership hopefuls set to face off for the first time tonight. But when COVID-19 began to shut down the country in March, that plan was scuttled, as well as all the others for the campaign. The original date of June 27 to pick a new leader has now been pushed to sometime after Aug. 21 — the deadline for party members to have their ballots sent to headquarters for counting. The party has always used mail-in ballots, but their complete reliance on them for this election speaks to the remote nature of nearly the entire campaign. Wednesday is the first time all four competitors will appear together, allowing party members to compare them directly. Due to physical distancing requirements in place to slow the spread of the novel coronavirus, the candidates have been confined mostly to a digital campaign trail.
All have used all manner of technologies to connect: Facebook live events, online videos, telephone townhalls and robocalls. None come without hiccups. It was recently revealed that O'Toole was using an American call centre to make calls for his campaign, despite a pledge to stand up for Canadian workers. Not even a day later — and after insisting no Americans were involved in its campaign — the MacKay team sent out robocalls using a U.S. number. The campaign blamed an app that randomly generates numbers and say it was Canadians who sent the messages.


nationalobserver--2020-06-17--How many reports will it take to fix the crisis in long-term care?

On July 31 , 2019 , Justice Eileen Gillese , commissioner of Ontario 's public inquiry on resident safety and security in long-term care homes , presented her final report to Doug Ford ’ s government .
It is only fair to note the context of Gillese ’ s report .
The inquiry was sparked by the murder of eight seniors in long-term care homes by nurse Elizabeth Wettlaufer over nine years , from 2007 to 2016 .
But it is still valid , I think , to compare some of her findings and recommendations with last month 's report @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Observations In Long-Term Care Facilities In Ontario , ” to see the systemic failures in leadership .
“ The offences would not have been discovered if Wettlaufer had not confessed and turned herself into the police ; ” and “ The LTC system is strained but not broken … The regulatory regime that governs the long-term care system , together with those who work in it , provide a solid foundation on which to address the systemic issues identified in the inquiry.
” The report included 91 recommendations directed both at the Ministry @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
• Noam Chomsky on post-Covid-19 society : Trump is worse than Hitler , but the peasants are coming with pitchforks • Senator calls for removal of RCMP boss , saying she does n't understand racism Let ’ s first note some of the recommendations addressed to the ministry .
The inquiry called for the ministry “ to play an expanded leadership role by establishing a dedicated unit to do three things.
” Here are two of those things : “ First , support long-term care homes in achieving regulatory compliance and spread @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and laddering programs in long-term care homes to increase the skills of those who work in them and offer opportunities for advancement , thereby building human resource capacity and addressing the long-standing problem of a shortage of registered staff.
” And ( that the ministry ) “ create a new , permanent funding envelope for training and education in long-term care homes . ''
• “ Adopt a hiring/screening process that includes robust reference and background checking where there are gaps in a resume or the candidate ’ s previous employment was terminated @ @ @ @ @ @ @ period.
” Before I contrast Gillese ’ s recommendations with what the military reported , it is worth emphasizing again the context .
The judge was leading an inquiry into how a serial killer came to operate in a number of care homes in Ontario .
I can ’ t help but wonder if somebody had paid attention to the Gillese report and applied just a few of her recommendations , the systemic failures noted by the military might have been avoided .
( Please note that the following observations do not apply @ @ @ @ @ @ @ military responded during the pandemic . )
`` Again and again and again , the military 's observations about failures in long-term care homes come back to failures in leadership , staffing , education and training . ''
• “ General culture of fear to use supplies because they cost money.
” • “ … Residents who routinely soil their bed despite incontinence products are not permitted an extra soaker pad or towel to help protect sheets and blankets from soiling .
PSWs ( personal support workers ) are afraid for their jobs @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are not considered a high alert medication therefore there is no mandatory independent verification required within the LTC .
High risk of dosing error … ” • “ MDs not present and have to be accessed by phone ( not always within reach ) .
” • “ Communications inconsistencies between expectations from ( long-term care facility ) leadership and the floor staff regarding facility ’ s policies .
• “ Facility staff were under the impression that if infection between two residents is the same , there ’ s no need to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ PPE ( personal protection equipment ) use noted throughout all staffing levels ( doctors included ) … ” • “ New staff ( who ) have been brought ( in ) haven ’ t been trained or oriented.
” • Many staff “ are overworked , seem burned out and have no time off ( some have not seen their families for weeks ) .
” • “ … High turnover of staff and lack of familiarity with ( long-term care ) led to poor practices due to supply shortages.
” • “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ resulting in low adherence to protocols … ” Again and again and again , the military 's observations about failures in long-term care homes come back to failures in leadership , staffing , education and training .
What if the Ministry of Long-term Care had facilitated “ the spread of best practices ” or funded training and education in long-term care homes ?
What if long-term care homes had adopted a robust hiring and screening process and close supervision of workers in the probationary period ?
What if medical leadership and competent supervision @ @ @ @ @ @ @ homes ?
In the words of pioneering management theorist W. Edwards Deming : “ Ninety-five per cent of the variation in the performance of a system ( organization ) is caused by the system itself and only five per cent is caused by the people.
” It is very important that systemic failures are not blamed on “ the people , ” on the PSWs .
This would be terribly unfair and counter-productive .
Workers can not perform within a system that remains “ strained.
” Almost certainly the workers would experience what @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and absenteeism .
As I noted in an earlier piece , PSWs are not regulated .
A professional college or association could provide these workers with more behavioral certainty and help define what are reasonable demands from employers .
Leadership owns the “ system.
” It is up to leadership in the Ford government and in the long-term home industry to understand this , to own their responsibility , to act promptly and with discipline .
They must also be monitored closely and prodded when necessary .
A useful step would be to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ specific responsibility of monitoring the industry 's improvement planning process and its implementation .
Frequent public progress reports must be included .
A recent story in the Toronto Star found little has changed in the 17 years since it published a 12-month investigation into long-term care .
Has the military 's report given us the kick in the pants that will lead to clear and sustainable reform of the long-term care business in Ontario ?
We must move on beyond bromides like “ We must do better !
We can do better !
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ and engaged leadership — and they must be watched .

On July 31, 2019, Justice Eileen Gillese, commissioner of Ontario's public inquiry on resident safety and security in long-term care homes, presented her final report to Doug Ford’s government. It is only fair to note the context of Gillese’s report. The inquiry was sparked by the murder of eight seniors in long-term care homes by nurse Elizabeth Wettlaufer over nine years, from 2007 to 2016. But it is still valid, I think, to compare some of her findings and recommendations with last month's report by the Canadian Armed Forces, “Observations In Long-Term Care Facilities In Ontario,” to see the systemic failures in leadership. Gillese’s principal findings included: “The offences would not have been discovered if Wettlaufer had not confessed and turned herself into the police;” and “The LTC system is strained but not broken … The regulatory regime that governs the long-term care system, together with those who work in it, provide a solid foundation on which to address the systemic issues identified in the inquiry.” The report included 91 recommendations directed both at the Ministry of Long-Term Care and at LTC homes.
Let’s first note some of the recommendations addressed to the ministry. The inquiry called for the ministry “to play an expanded leadership role by establishing a dedicated unit to do three things.” Here are two of those things: “First, support long-term care homes in achieving regulatory compliance and spread best practices. Second, provide bridging and laddering programs in long-term care homes to increase the skills of those who work in them and offer opportunities for advancement, thereby building human resource capacity and addressing the long-standing problem of a shortage of registered staff.” And (that the ministry) “create a new, permanent funding envelope for training and education in long-term care homes." Billion-dollar land deals in Ontario raise corruption suspicions
"Again and again and again, the military's observations about failures in long-term care homes come back to failures in leadership, staffing, education and training." Gillese’s recommendations for care homes included these: “Strengthen their training and education requirements.”
“Adopt a hiring/screening process that includes robust reference and background checking where there are gaps in a resume or the candidate’s previous employment was terminated, and close supervision in the probationary period.” Before I contrast Gillese’s recommendations with what the military reported, it is worth emphasizing again the context. The judge was leading an inquiry into how a serial killer came to operate in a number of care homes in Ontario. I can’t help but wonder if somebody had paid attention to the Gillese report and applied just a few of her recommendations, the systemic failures noted by the military might have been avoided. (Please note that the following observations do not apply to all five care homes where the military responded during the pandemic.) Leadership and supervision:
“Poor adherence to orders, no consistent safety checks …”
“General culture of fear to use supplies because they cost money.”
“… Residents who routinely soil their bed despite incontinence products are not permitted an extra soaker pad or towel to help protect sheets and blankets from soiling. PSWs (personal support workers) are afraid for their jobs on this issue…”
“Narcotics are not considered a high alert medication therefore there is no mandatory independent verification required within the LTC. High risk of dosing error …”
“No civilian RN in the building.”
“MDs not present and have to be accessed by phone (not always within reach).”
“Lack of cleanliness.”
“Communications inconsistencies between expectations from (long-term care facility) leadership and the floor staff regarding facility’s policies. Staffing, education and training: “Facility staff were under the impression that if infection between two residents is the same, there’s no need to change their gowns …”
Inappropriate PPE (personal protection equipment) use noted throughout all staffing levels (doctors included) …”
“New staff (who) have been brought (in) haven’t been trained or oriented.”
Many staff “are overworked, seem burned out and have no time off (some have not seen their families for weeks).”
“Poor training and adherence to … protocols noted …”
“… High turnover of staff and lack of familiarity with (long-term care) led to poor practices due to supply shortages.”
“Little or no orientation for new staff resulting in low adherence to protocols …”


nationalobserver--2020-06-17--Sumas First Nation calls for independent probe into latest Trans Mountain oil spill

The chief of Sumas First Nation is calling for an independent investigation into the Trans Mountain pipeline , following an oil spill this past weekend near a significant burial ground for the community .
Natural Resources Minister Seamus O ’ Regan ’ s office says it is monitoring the situation closely and expects all companies to “ adhere to the highest standards of safety and environmental stewardship.
” A spill at the Sumas Pump Station in Abbotsford on June 13 released up to 1,195 barrels , or 190,000 litres , of crude oil , according to an initial estimate by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said the oil from the pump station , located near an ancestral Semá : th village site , flowed into an adjacent cow pasture “ located within the area of the aquifer to the Sumas First Nation reserve , ” and many residents reported smelling strong fumes over the weekend .
Trans Mountain , which is owned and operated by the Canadian government via a Crown corporation , said it restarted the pipeline the next day after its air and groundwater monitoring did not show “ any risk to the public or community.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ fully contained on Trans Mountain property.
” • Noam Chomsky on post-Covid-19 society : Trump is worse than Hitler , but the peasants are coming with pitchforks • Senator calls for removal of RCMP boss , saying she does n't understand racism “ Clean-up and remediation will continue in co-ordination with regulators , Indigenous groups and the local community , ” said the company , adding it is working with regulators including federal Canada Energy Regulator and Transportation Safety Board , as well as B.C.
’ s Ministry of Environment and Climate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and Indigenous groups on the cleanup .
Sumas First Nation Chief Dalton Silver said in a statement Tuesday that he would have no confidence in Trans Mountain ’ s ability to finish building its expansion project without “ inflicting more damage to our territory , ” unless there was an “ independent , transparent and scientific investigation into the safety of this old pipeline.
” The nation said the pump station pumps oil up to a storage facility on Sumas Mountain , where Silver said there are victims of a 1782 smallpox epidemic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ The proposed pipeline expansion plans would disturb Lightning Rock site — a cultural site and burial grounds significant to the Sema : th First Nation and Stό : lō Coast Salish , ” Silver said .
The expansion project would roughly triple the capacity of the existing pipeline , moving up to 890,000 barrels a day from near Edmonton to a terminal in Burnaby in metro Vancouver .
This month , the company said it had reached a “ key milestone ” in the project when it started construction on a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Stewart Phillip , president of the Union of British Columbia Indian Chiefs , joined Silver in Tuesday ’ s call for an independent investigation .
He argued the federal government can not investigate itself when it comes to what maintenance issues had been addressed when Kinder Morgan sold the pipeline system to Canada .
The chief of Sumas First Nation is calling for an independent investigation into the Trans Mountain pipeline , following an oil spill this past weekend near a significant burial ground for the community : “ Pipelines have a set @ @ @ @ @ @ @ well past the date it should have been decommissioned , ” Phillip said .
“ Transparency is imperative , otherwise we can only assume the aging pipeline is a ticking time bomb , all along its entire 1,100-kilometre route.
” Trans Mountain says it has reported 84 spills on its pipeline system to the federal regulator since 1961 .
It said 70 per cent of all spills are at pump stations or terminals .
In May 2018 , for example , as Kinder Morgan was negotiating with the federal and Alberta governments over @ @ @ @ @ @ @ shut down the pipeline following a spill in Darfield , B.C .
Sven Biggs , Canadian oil and gas program director for Stand.earth , and Eugene Kung , staff lawyer at West Coast Environmental Law , also questioned the government ’ s choice of continuing to spend public money on Trans Mountain in the statement .
Federal Environment and Climate Change Minister Jonathan Wilkinson ’ s office declined to answer a question from National Observer about whether he was concerned about any harmful environmental effects of the oil spill , instead passing the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ office .
“ We take this matter very seriously , and we are monitoring the situation closely .
We expect all companies to adhere to the highest standards of safety and environmental stewardship , ” said Ian Cameron , O'Regan ’ s press secretary .
On Monday , two members of Parliament tabled petitions against the pipeline in Parliament .
Jenny Kwan , the NDP MP for Vancouver East , tabled a petition calling on the government to “ immediately act ” to stop the pipeline from proceeding through B.C.
, saying it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
”

The chief of Sumas First Nation is calling for an independent investigation into the Trans Mountain pipeline, following an oil spill this past weekend near a significant burial ground for the community. Natural Resources Minister Seamus O’Regan’s office says it is monitoring the situation closely and expects all companies to “adhere to the highest standards of safety and environmental stewardship.” A spill at the Sumas Pump Station in Abbotsford on June 13 released up to 1,195 barrels, or 190,000 litres, of crude oil, according to an initial estimate by the pipeline company. Sumas First Nation said the oil from the pump station, located near an ancestral Semá:th village site, flowed into an adjacent cow pasture “located within the area of the aquifer to the Sumas First Nation reserve,” and many residents reported smelling strong fumes over the weekend. Trans Mountain, which is owned and operated by the Canadian government via a Crown corporation, said it restarted the pipeline the next day after its air and groundwater monitoring did not show “any risk to the public or community.” It also said the spill was “fully contained on Trans Mountain property.”
“Clean-up and remediation will continue in co-ordination with regulators, Indigenous groups and the local community,” said the company, adding it is working with regulators including federal Canada Energy Regulator and Transportation Safety Board, as well as B.C.’s Ministry of Environment and Climate Change Strategy, “local authorities” and Indigenous groups on the cleanup. Sumas First Nation Chief Dalton Silver said in a statement Tuesday that he would have no confidence in Trans Mountain’s ability to finish building its expansion project without “inflicting more damage to our territory,” unless there was an “independent, transparent and scientific investigation into the safety of this old pipeline.” Billion-dollar land deals in Ontario raise corruption suspicions The nation said the pump station pumps oil up to a storage facility on Sumas Mountain, where Silver said there are victims of a 1782 smallpox epidemic buried around a site named Lightning Rock.
“The proposed pipeline expansion plans would disturb Lightning Rock site — a cultural site and burial grounds significant to the Sema:th First Nation and Stό:lō Coast Salish,” Silver said. The chief of Sumas First Nation is calling for an independent investigation into the Trans Mountain pipeline, following an oil spill this past weekend near a significant burial ground for the community: The expansion project would roughly triple the capacity of the existing pipeline, moving up to 890,000 barrels a day from near Edmonton to a terminal in Burnaby in metro Vancouver. This month, the company said it had reached a “key milestone” in the project when it started construction on a seven-kilometre section in Kamloops. Grand Chief Stewart Phillip, president of the Union of British Columbia Indian Chiefs, joined Silver in Tuesday’s call for an independent investigation. He argued the federal government cannot investigate itself when it comes to what maintenance issues had been addressed when Kinder Morgan sold the pipeline system to Canada. “Pipelines have a set life span and Trans Mountain is already well past the date it should have been decommissioned,” Phillip said. “Transparency is imperative, otherwise we can only assume the aging pipeline is a ticking time bomb, all along its entire 1,100-kilometre route.” Trans Mountain says it has reported 84 spills on its pipeline system to the federal regulator since 1961. It said 70 per cent of all spills are at pump stations or terminals. In May 2018, for example, as Kinder Morgan was negotiating with the federal and Alberta governments over securing a financial deal, the company shut down the pipeline following a spill in Darfield, B.C.
Sven Biggs, Canadian oil and gas program director for Stand.earth, and Eugene Kung, staff lawyer at West Coast Environmental Law, also questioned the government’s choice of continuing to spend public money on Trans Mountain in the statement. Federal Environment and Climate Change Minister Jonathan Wilkinson’s office declined to answer a question from National Observer about whether he was concerned about any harmful environmental effects of the oil spill, instead passing the question to O’Regan’s office. “We take this matter very seriously, and we are monitoring the situation closely. We expect all companies to adhere to the highest standards of safety and environmental stewardship,” said Ian Cameron, O'Regan’s press secretary.


nationalobserver--2020-06-17--Qualtrough apologizes for migrant worker deaths, says program needs 'overhaul’

Federal Employment Minister Carla Qualtrough has apologized for the deaths of two Mexican migrant workers in Ontario from COVID-19 , and acknowledged the program that brought them to Canada was `` in need of an overhaul . ''
Canada 's Temporary Foreign Worker Program has come under international scrutiny after a series of coronavirus outbreaks in the Windsor-Essex region of Ontario and the deaths of Bonifacio Eugenio Romero on May 30 , and Rogelio Muñoz Santos on June 5 , both around Windsor , Ont .
The situation has led the Mexican government to put the brakes on sending migrant @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Parliament on Wednesday , NDP MP Brian Masse raised concerns over substandard working conditions at farms , and named the two dead workers , accusing Qualtrough of having `` signed their death warrants '' in allowing the program to continue despite warnings from migrant rights groups .
`` We are terribly sorry that this happened in Canada .
This shouldn ’ t have happened , and we ’ re working very hard to figure out what happened , '' said Qualtrough , the MP for Delta , of the two deceased .
She @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as well as employers and farmers to obtain more details .
`` We are very proud of the way we have worker protections in this country , but the Temporary Foreign Worker Program is in need of an overhaul , and we are working to make sure that workers ’ rights are protected , '' added the minister .
• Noam Chomsky on post-Covid-19 society : Trump is worse than Hitler , but the peasants are coming with pitchforks • Trudeau faces confidence vote today but Liberal government unlikely to fall Qualtrough 's @ @ @ @ @ @ @ migrant worker program comes after her office told National Observer two days earlier that , `` from the very beginning , the health and safety of temporary foreign workers during the COVID-19 pandemic has been a top priority . ''
Qualtrough 's office was responding to concerns raised by a migrant rights advocate in B.C .
over the responsiveness of Service Canada to complaints from migrant workers on farms .
Byron Cruz , a member of the Sanctuary Health collective in British Columbia , part of the Migrant Rights Network , said in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hired temporary foreign workers should be subject to more rigorous federal investigations .
He said Service Canada has been slow to respond to some complaints , such as farm owners offering insufficient food to workers , selling it at expensive prices or not providing enough utensils for workers to eat with .
“ People should be treated with dignity .
I know that this situation is hard for migrant workers ... because , of course , these farms are the ones who are bringing them , and sometimes they appreciate that , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Qualtrough has apologized for the deaths of two Mexican migrant workers in Ontario from COVID-19 , and acknowledged the program that brought them to Canada was `` in need of an overhaul . ''
“ The problem is that they are taking advantage of migrant workers ... for each migrant worker that complains , there are thousands of other people who want the position.
” As of June 12 , Service Canada has initiated “ almost 713 inspections '' of migrant-worker employers , according to Qualtrough 's office , and has completed 464 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of those were in relation to the 14-day quarantine period that temporary foreign workers are supposed to undergo upon their arrival in Canada , according to the minister 's office .
All Service Canada inspections of employers who participate in the program are now being conducted virtually , given the government ’ s own precautions over the pandemic .
The federal government introduced new rules in April for employers of temporary foreign workers , requiring them to allow workers to quarantine upon arrival in Canada , and to pay them during this period @ @ @ @ @ @ @ void an employer ’ s eligibility for the government ’ s $ 1,500 support for mandatory migrant worker isolation .
An employer could also be hit with up to $ 1 million in penalties or a ban on future migrant worker employment .
Employers should also be providing disinfecting products and setting up physical-distancing measures if more than one worker is in quarantine at the same time .
Service Canada can launch an inspection without notice , and investigators are supposed to call or email the employers and ask them to provide information @ @ @ @ @ @ @ stubs , photos of the rooms where workers are being housed , and proof of sanitation products .
Qualtrough ’ s office could not provide a provincial breakdown of the inspection statistics .
`` While we have taken important steps , we recognize there is more to do to protect temporary foreign workers in this country , and we are committed to looking at additional steps we can take in order to do so , '' said a spokesperson for the minister .
Meanwhile , Cruz gave credit to B.C.
’ s Interior @ @ @ @ @ @ @ earlier COVID-19 outbreak at a migrant worker farm in Kelowna .
The B.C .
government took over housing and feeding all temporary foreign workers arriving for seasonal farm work in order to ensure a 14-day isolation period .
The province has been paying for hotel rooms and food near Vancouver International Airport and says it is also providing social and cultural support to workers .

Federal Employment Minister Carla Qualtrough has apologized for the deaths of two Mexican migrant workers in Ontario from COVID-19, and acknowledged the program that brought them to Canada was "in need of an overhaul." Canada's Temporary Foreign Worker Program has come under international scrutiny after a series of coronavirus outbreaks in the Windsor-Essex region of Ontario and the deaths of Bonifacio Eugenio Romero on May 30, and Rogelio Muñoz Santos on June 5, both around Windsor, Ont. The situation has led the Mexican government to put the brakes on sending migrant workers to some Canadian farms. In Parliament on Wednesday, NDP MP Brian Masse raised concerns over substandard working conditions at farms, and named the two dead workers, accusing Qualtrough of having "signed their death warrants" in allowing the program to continue despite warnings from migrant rights groups. "We are terribly sorry that this happened in Canada. This shouldn’t have happened, and we’re working very hard to figure out what happened," said Qualtrough, the MP for Delta, of the two deceased. She said Canada was working with Mexico, as well as employers and farmers to obtain more details. "We are very proud of the way we have worker protections in this country, but the Temporary Foreign Worker Program is in need of an overhaul, and we are working to make sure that workers’ rights are protected," added the minister.
B.C. advocate asks for more federal oversight Qualtrough's acknowledgement Wednesday of fundamental problems with the migrant worker program comes after her office told National Observer two days earlier that, "from the very beginning, the health and safety of temporary foreign workers during the COVID-19 pandemic has been a top priority." Billion-dollar land deals in Ontario raise corruption suspicions Qualtrough's office was responding to concerns raised by a migrant rights advocate in B.C. over the responsiveness of Service Canada to complaints from migrant workers on farms.
Byron Cruz, a member of the Sanctuary Health collective in British Columbia, part of the Migrant Rights Network, said in an interview that some employers who have hired temporary foreign workers should be subject to more rigorous federal investigations. Federal Employment Minister Carla Qualtrough has apologized for the deaths of two Mexican migrant workers in Ontario from COVID-19, and acknowledged the program that brought them to Canada was "in need of an overhaul." He said Service Canada has been slow to respond to some complaints, such as farm owners offering insufficient food to workers, selling it at expensive prices or not providing enough utensils for workers to eat with. “People should be treated with dignity. I know that this situation is hard for migrant workers ... because, of course, these farms are the ones who are bringing them, and sometimes they appreciate that,” said Cruz. “The problem is that they are taking advantage of migrant workers ... for each migrant worker that complains, there are thousands of other people who want the position.” As of June 12, Service Canada has initiated “almost 713 inspections" of migrant-worker employers, according to Qualtrough's office, and has completed 464 inspections so far this season.
Most of those were in relation to the 14-day quarantine period that temporary foreign workers are supposed to undergo upon their arrival in Canada, according to the minister's office. Inspections being done virtually All Service Canada inspections of employers who participate in the program are now being conducted virtually, given the government’s own precautions over the pandemic.


nationalobserver--2020-06-17--Critics say Ontario’s new ‘ag-gag’ law could target journalists, whistleblowers

Ontario ’ s Progressive Conservative government passed a bill Wednesday that critics say could penalize whistleblowers and investigative journalists who expose unethical or illegal practices at farms and meatpacking plants .
The Security from Trespass and Protecting Food Safety Act , Bill 156 , hikes fines for trespassing in newly created “ animal protection zones ” and makes it illegal to enter livestock facilities under false pretences .
It was opposed by journalistic organizations , animal rights groups and the Canadian Civil Liberties Association , which said the law violates the charter right to free expression .
Camille Labchuk , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , said in a statement that transparency in factory farming is more important than ever during COVID-19 .
Some of the worst outbreaks of the virus have happened at meatpacking plants , she added .
“ Whistleblowing employees are often the only way the public has to see what conditions are like on farms , ” Labchuk said .
The government has said the bill , introduced by Agriculture Minister Ernie Hardeman and backed by farming groups , is meant to protect farmers and Ontario ’ s food supply from trespassers .
Trespassing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ goes further , prohibiting people from blocking vehicles carrying livestock , giving farmers the ability to “ arrest ” trespassers , and opening up violators for civil lawsuits .
• Noam Chomsky on post-Covid-19 society : Trump is worse than Hitler , but the peasants are coming with pitchforks • Trudeau faces confidence vote today but Liberal government unlikely to fall Critics have called Bill 156 an “ ag-gag ” law .
Alberta passed a similar one last year .
Ontario Pork Producers , which represents pig farmers in the province , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ government for passing the bill .
In a statement , Chicken Farmers of Ontario said existing laws were not enough to stop animal rights activists from entering farm property .
“ This is not right , ” the statement said .
“ Farmers should not have to live in fear of trespassers threatening our animals , our families , and our way of life — without facing legal repercussions.
” The Canadian Association of Journalists warned the bill could target whistleblowers who speak out about unsafe or cruel conditions .
It could also @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on wrongdoing , a technique that is `` occasionally necessary , '' the association said .
“ As recently as last summer , video from animal rights groups has led to media reporting and police investigations , ” the association said in a statement last week .
“ This bill would have prevented those activities.
” Bill 156 was opposed by journalistic organizations , animal rights groups and the Canadian Civil Liberties Association .
Critics warn it could target journalists and whistleblowers .
Ontario Green Party Leader Mike Schreiner , who voted against @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bills in the United States have been struck down .
“ While I agree we need stronger trespassing laws to protect farmers , I believe we can do this without violating people ’ s freedom of expression and freedom of assembly rights , and without criminalizing investigative journalism , ” he said via Twitter .
“ Let ’ s promote Ontario food and farmers instead of suggesting that we have something to hide.
” Nearly 50,000 people have signed an online petition to stop the bill .

Ontario’s Progressive Conservative government passed a bill Wednesday that critics say could penalize whistleblowers and investigative journalists who expose unethical or illegal practices at farms and meatpacking plants.
The Security from Trespass and Protecting Food Safety Act, Bill 156, hikes fines for trespassing in newly created “animal protection zones” and makes it illegal to enter livestock facilities under false pretences. It was opposed by journalistic organizations, animal rights groups and the Canadian Civil Liberties Association, which said the law violates the charter right to free expression.
Camille Labchuk, executive director of the non-profit Animal Justice, said in a statement that transparency in factory farming is more important than ever during COVID-19. Some of the worst outbreaks of the virus have happened at meatpacking plants, she added.
“Whistleblowing employees are often the only way the public has to see what conditions are like on farms,” Labchuk said.
The government has said the bill, introduced by Agriculture Minister Ernie Hardeman and backed by farming groups, is meant to protect farmers and Ontario’s food supply from trespassers. Trespassing is already illegal, but the bill goes further, prohibiting people from blocking vehicles carrying livestock, giving farmers the ability to “arrest” trespassers, and opening up violators for civil lawsuits.


nationalobserver--2020-06-17--79 workers fell. He won't let COVID-19 stop him from honouring dead

A sunny afternoon instantly turned dark for Lucien Lessard on June 17 , 1958 , as he plunged into the ocean when a support collapsed on a bridge being constructed between Vancouver and North Vancouver .
Lessard , now 91 , was among 79 workers who fell from the Second Narrows Bridge in what remains one of British Columbia 's worst industrial accidents .
He is the last survivor of the disaster that killed 23 people , mostly iron workers , two engineers and a crane operator .
A diver who searched for bodies in Burrard Inlet drowned .
On @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the site as part of an annual ceremony commemorating those who worked on the span , which was renamed the Iron Workers Memorial Second Narrows Bridge in 1994 .
The event draws hundreds of people annually but has been limited this year to only a few including Lessard , his daughter , the president of Local 97 of the Iron Workers Union , a reverend and a bagpiper who will lead a wreath procession .
• Noam Chomsky on post-Covid-19 society : Trump is worse than Hitler , but the peasants are coming @ @ @ @ @ @ @ today but Liberal government unlikely to fall Lessard was a foreman at the site and known to his crew as Lou .
`` I was on the edge of the bridge , '' he recalled in an interview .
`` I went down 125 feet and then 35 feet to the bottom of the ocean .
It was dark on the bottom because when the bridge fell down that mixed the mud on the bottom of the ocean and it was as black as it could be , '' he said .
`` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , '' he said , adding that when he finally surfaced he realized he 'd suffered serious injuries .
He fractured his left femur and right arm , and spent over three months in hospital .
His thoughts were with those he knew had not survived , and that took an emotional toll on him and the other survivors .
`` Dad never talked about it , '' said Christine Rzepka , who was born in 1961 .
A sunny afternoon instantly turned dark for Lucien Lessard on June 17 , 1958 , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a support collapsed on a bridge being constructed between Vancouver and North Vancouver .
It was only about 20 years ago that her father mentioned anything about the memorial he attended every year , and even then it seemed he 'd let it slip , she said .
`` He was n't ready to deal with it .
He kept it separate .
He dealt with it when he went to the memorial with his iron worker friends and he did n't bring that sadness home at all . ''
Rzepka attended her @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and their families about 20 years ago before her siblings , including three sisters and two brothers , began joining them , she said .
`` After we started to come to the memorial he started to open up a lot more about what happened then .
We 've learned a lot more in the last 10 years than we ever knew growing up . ''
Rzepka said her father , who moved to a retirement home in Langley about three months ago , is determined to attend the annual memorial for as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he plans to don a face shield to protect him from any risk of COVID-19 .
Paul Beacom , president of Local 97 , said the memorial will be broadcast via Facebook and Zoom .

A sunny afternoon instantly turned dark for Lucien Lessard on June 17, 1958, as he plunged into the ocean when a support collapsed on a bridge being constructed between Vancouver and North Vancouver. Lessard, now 91, was among 79 workers who fell from the Second Narrows Bridge in what remains one of British Columbia's worst industrial accidents. He is the last survivor of the disaster that killed 23 people, mostly iron workers, two engineers and a crane operator. A diver who searched for bodies in Burrard Inlet drowned. On Wednesday, Lessard planned to be at the site as part of an annual ceremony commemorating those who worked on the span, which was renamed the Iron Workers Memorial Second Narrows Bridge in 1994. The event draws hundreds of people annually but has been limited this year to only a few including Lessard, his daughter, the president of Local 97 of the Iron Workers Union, a reverend and a bagpiper who will lead a wreath procession.
Lessard was a foreman at the site and known to his crew as Lou. "I was on the edge of the bridge," he recalled in an interview. Billion-dollar land deals in Ontario raise corruption suspicions "I went down 125 feet and then 35 feet to the bottom of the ocean. It was dark on the bottom because when the bridge fell down that mixed the mud on the bottom of the ocean and it was as black as it could be," he said.
"I couldn't breath in the water," he said, adding that when he finally surfaced he realized he'd suffered serious injuries. He fractured his left femur and right arm, and spent over three months in hospital. A sunny afternoon instantly turned dark for Lucien Lessard on June 17, 1958, as he plunged into the ocean when a support collapsed on a bridge being constructed between Vancouver and North Vancouver. His thoughts were with those he knew had not survived, and that took an emotional toll on him and the other survivors. "Dad never talked about it," said Christine Rzepka, who was born in 1961. It was only about 20 years ago that her father mentioned anything about the memorial he attended every year, and even then it seemed he'd let it slip, she said. "He wasn't ready to deal with it. He kept it separate. He dealt with it when he went to the memorial with his iron worker friends and he didn't bring that sadness home at all."
Rzepka attended her first memorial in honour of the dead and their families about 20 years ago before her siblings, including three sisters and two brothers, began joining them, she said. "After we started to come to the memorial he started to open up a lot more about what happened then. We've learned a lot more in the last 10 years than we ever knew growing up." Rzepka said her father, who moved to a retirement home in Langley about three months ago, is determined to attend the annual memorial for as long as he can. This year he plans to don a face shield to protect him from any risk of COVID-19.