nationalobserver--2020-05-28--Kids of colour breaking down Toronto tech barriers

When Lawrence Eta addressed a classroom of young Black boys completing a coding class last year , he gave them something he never had growing up : A tech mentor who looks like them .
The City of Toronto ’ s chief technology officer , echoing the founders of two initiatives providing free tech training to young people of colour in the city , says showing them they can make it in tech can have a transformative effect .
“ The youth , specifically minority groups , need to see minority leaders in senior roles to feel inspired , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the top tech job in North America ’ s fourth-largest city last October .
Bryan Johnson , who founded Black Boys Code in Vancouver in 2016 and has since expanded it to cities across the country with particularly strong uptake in Toronto , puts it another way .
“ If you can ’ t see us , you can ’ t be us , ” he said .
• Ontario pushing through changes to tenancy law as crisis looms The North American technology industry is disproportionately made up of white men , especially @ @ @ @ @ @ @ say creates a web of subtle biases that exclude minorities .
“ When we ’ re talking to youth who live in Toronto community housing , who live in Regent Park , they don ’ t often think it ’ s possible because they don ’ t see the diversity in the tech sector , ” said Takara Small , the founder of Venture Kids , which helps expose children living in underserved communities to coding and entrepreneurship .
The project also arranges visits to tech companies and innovation hubs where the students @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on trying to bridge the diversity gap .
Thanks to # blackboyscode for the opportunity to share some inspirational words to future tech leaders .
In addition thanks to  @ RyersonU for promoting utilization of space to # notforprofit groups .
pic.twitter.com/0Huaos0Y62 — Lawrence Eta ( @ lawrence_eta ) October 5 , 2019 She estimates around 150 young people have completed the six-week courses her tech sector volunteers have , since 2018 , run all day on Saturdays at libraries in the communities they address .
“ Providing them with both ( @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for long-term success in the technology industry , because the barriers to entry are high , but the barriers to success are that much higher , ” she said , citing steep institutional challenges .
Two youth-focused projects , @ blackboyscode and @ VentureKidsCan , are working to solve the technology industry 's diversity problem by training the next generation of coders of colour Even the fact that a typical tech career path will often start with an unpaid or low-paying internship , for example , can put that first rung of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ people , she said .
African-Canadian , Latin-Canadian , and Indigenous people are largely missing from the boards of directors and executive ranks of tech incubators across Ontario , according to an 2018 report from Innovate Inclusion , which advocates for more inclusion in tech .
Two-thirds of Black employees in Toronto ’ s tech scene report facing bias based on their identity compared to less than half of their white colleagues , according to a 2018 report from the MaRS Discovery District innovation hub .
Women , younger people , Indigenous people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ more likely to feel their workplaces were not diverse or created a sense of inclusion , the report showed .
It ’ s a situation that could , in fact , also be holding the tech companies back ; global research from consultancy firm McKinsey & Company shows that companies with the most ethnically diverse executive teams are likely to be more profitable .
While Venture Kids goes to the communities it serves , Black Boys Code hosts its coding classes at university and colleges across the country in order to present the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The theory or expectation is that when they become 18 or 19 years old , they continue on to post-secondary education , ” Johnson said .
The COVID-19 pandemic has created some challenges for both projects , resulting in scaled-back ambitions for now .
But both are running online training and making sure equipment gets to those without access , and in Venture Kids ’ case , adding a wellness component to the shortened classes .
Mihnea Galeteanu got involved with Venture Kids about 18 months ago when Small was looking for some @ @ @ @ @ @ @ them in order to engage in the programming .
He said he was troubled by the gap between the wealth of Toronto ’ s Bay St. financial district while a few streets over , high school students were struggling without the basic necessities from a tech perspective .
He convinced his company , loyalty program startup Points International , to help out , and gathered some volunteers from the company ’ s workforce to provide mentorship .
Galeteanu said that when he came to Canada more than 20 years ago , he felt @ @ @ @ @ @ @ get into the industry , but has since realized the challenges are far greater for others .
“ As a white male , it ’ s really important that we speak out and try to call out the privileges that we have , acknowledge them , and then do the work that is required to change the face of tech , ” he said .
“ Not just in Toronto , but in general .
”

When Lawrence Eta addressed a classroom of young Black boys completing a coding class last year, he gave them something he never had growing up: A tech mentor who looks like them. The City of Toronto’s chief technology officer, echoing the founders of two initiatives providing free tech training to young people of colour in the city, says showing them they can make it in tech can have a transformative effect. “The youth, specifically minority groups, need to see minority leaders in senior roles to feel inspired,” said Eta, who was promoted to the top tech job in North America’s fourth-largest city last October. Bryan Johnson, who founded Black Boys Code in Vancouver in 2016 and has since expanded it to cities across the country with particularly strong uptake in Toronto, puts it another way. “If you can’t see us, you can’t be us,” he said.
The North American technology industry is disproportionately made up of white men, especially in its upper echelons, which critics say creates a web of subtle biases that exclude minorities. “When we’re talking to youth who live in Toronto community housing, who live in Regent Park, they don’t often think it’s possible because they don’t see the diversity in the tech sector,” said Takara Small, the founder of Venture Kids, which helps expose children living in underserved communities to coding and entrepreneurship. Billion-dollar land deals in Ontario raise corruption suspicions The project also arranges visits to tech companies and innovation hubs where the students meet people of colour and recruiters focused on trying to bridge the diversity gap.
Thanks to #blackboyscode for the opportunity to share some inspirational words to future tech leaders. In addition thanks to @RyersonU for promoting utilization of space to #notforprofit groups. pic.twitter.com/0Huaos0Y62 — Lawrence Eta (@lawrence_eta) October 5, 2019 She estimates around 150 young people have completed the six-week courses her tech sector volunteers have, since 2018, run all day on Saturdays at libraries in the communities they address. Two youth-focused projects, @blackboyscode and @VentureKidsCan, are working to solve the technology industry's diversity problem by training the next generation of coders of colour “Providing them with both (coding and business skills) is critical for long-term success in the technology industry, because the barriers to entry are high, but the barriers to success are that much higher,” she said, citing steep institutional challenges. Dearth of diversity Even the fact that a typical tech career path will often start with an unpaid or low-paying internship, for example, can put that first rung of the ladder out of reach of low-income young people, she said.
African-Canadian, Latin-Canadian, and Indigenous people are largely missing from the boards of directors and executive ranks of tech incubators across Ontario, according to an 2018 report from Innovate Inclusion, which advocates for more inclusion in tech. Two-thirds of Black employees in Toronto’s tech scene report facing bias based on their identity compared to less than half of their white colleagues, according to a 2018 report from the MaRS Discovery District innovation hub. Women, younger people, Indigenous people and workers with a disability were also more likely to feel their workplaces were not diverse or created a sense of inclusion, the report showed.


nationalobserver--2020-05-28--B.C. sees spike in fatal overdoses during pandemic

Fatal drug overdoses are on the rise in B.C.
, with more than three people dying every day during dual health emergencies , new data from the BC Coroners Service indicates .
In total , 382 people died from illicit drug overdoses in the first four months of 2020 , with 117 fatalities in April alone .
This followed 112 overdose deaths in March .
The spike in fatalities in March and April marks the first time the province has recorded more than 100 overdose deaths in back-to-back months since late 2018 .
`` We remain in a public health @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said .
• Ontario pushing through changes to tenancy law as crisis looms `` Illicit drug toxicity death rates in B.C .
are still the highest for any jurisdiction in Canada.
” Every region is affected by the province ’ s overdose crisis , Lapointe added .
Sixty people have died from illicit drug overdoses in the Island Health Authority so far in 2020 , with 18 deaths in March and 20 in April .
Of those deaths , 32 were in the south Vancouver Island health service area , 21 in central @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Island region .
Island Health has issued a series of overdose alerts this month warning of a continued increase in deaths from both opioids and stimulants , and a heightened risk to people smoking drugs .
Victoria has recorded 28 deaths in 2020 , the third-highest number of fatal overdoses in B.C .
cities after Vancouver and Surrey , which had 90 and 48 respectively .
The recent spike in overdose deaths coincides with the unfolding of the COVID-19 pandemic in the province .
But it can ’ t yet be determined if @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in March and April , said BC Coroners Service spokesman Andy Watson .
Theories that fatal overdoses have increased during the pandemic due to unemployment or limited access to harm reduction services also can ’ t be determined yet , said Watson .
“ It ’ s too early to tell and more analysis is needed , ” he said .
“ We ’ ll continue to collect additional data at the scenes so we can provide those answers as early as possible , but these investigations do take time.
” Cheyenne Johnson @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Centre on Substance Use , said the recent rise in fatal overdoses was likely because of an increasing toxicity in illicit drugs due to COVID-19 .
Border closures are putting pressure on the supply systems of organized crime groups and gangs , who then cut drugs with other substances , such as fentanyl and benzodiazepines , a type of depressant , Johnson said .
“ When you combine the effects of an opioid , plus a benzo , plus alcohol , it ’ s kind of a recipe for overdose , ” she @ @ @ @ @ @ @ province is fighting dual public health emergencies .
But while B.C .
has made significant gains to flatten the curve of new COVID-19 cases , overdose deaths appear to be on the rise .
B.C .
launched its COVID-19 reopening plan on May 19 .
On Wednesday , health authorities announced one death and nine new cases for a total of 244 active cases in the province , 162 confirmed deaths , and 2,550 recoveries .
In the Island Health region , there have been no new reported cases of COVID-19 since May @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cases and five deaths since the pandemic was declared a health emergency on March 18 .
But while the pandemic was in full swing in mid-April , B.C .
marked its fourth year after declaring the drug crisis a health emergency .
Since 2016 , more than 5,000 people have died of illicit drug overdoses .
Provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry noted on the anniversary that while progress had been made since the crisis began , the suffering and loss that continued was being compounded by the pandemic .
`` We are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ off the overdose challenge , but adapting and continuously adding to our response efforts , ” Henry said .
As part of the measure to address both crises , the province announced temporary safe drug supply guidelines developed by the BC Centre on Substance Use .
The measure directs primary care providers and pharmacists on how to safely prescribe medications as alternatives to illegal drugs during the pandemic .
While safe supply is a positive step , the drug overdose crisis requires a co-ordinated provincial response as was demonstrated with COVID-19 .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an overdose response when we don ’ t have a functioning addictions , prevention , treatment or recovery system , ” Johnson said .
And it 's hard to mobilize resources like new programming , funding or innovative ideas without a co-ordinated infrastructure for addiction treatment , she said .
“ So when you see something like COVID in British Columbia , and you work in the area of substance use , you kind of scratch your head and think , 'Well , that ’ s actually what an emergency response looks like @ @ @

Fatal drug overdoses are on the rise in B.C., with more than three people dying every day during dual health emergencies, new data from the BC Coroners Service indicates. In total, 382 people died from illicit drug overdoses in the first four months of 2020, with 117 fatalities in April alone. This followed 112 overdose deaths in March. The spike in fatalities in March and April marks the first time the province has recorded more than 100 overdose deaths in back-to-back months since late 2018. "We remain in a public health emergency,” chief coroner Lisa Lapointe said.
"Illicit drug toxicity death rates in B.C. are still the highest for any jurisdiction in Canada.” Every region is affected by the province’s overdose crisis, Lapointe added. Billion-dollar land deals in Ontario raise corruption suspicions Sixty people have died from illicit drug overdoses in the Island Health Authority so far in 2020, with 18 deaths in March and 20 in April.
Of those deaths, 32 were in the south Vancouver Island health service area, 21 in central Vancouver Island and seven in the north Island region. Island Health has issued a series of overdose alerts this month warning of a continued increase in deaths from both opioids and stimulants, and a heightened risk to people smoking drugs. Victoria has recorded 28 deaths in 2020, the third-highest number of fatal overdoses in B.C. cities after Vancouver and Surrey, which had 90 and 48 respectively. The recent spike in overdose deaths coincides with the unfolding of the COVID-19 pandemic in the province. But it can’t yet be determined if COVID-19 is the driver behind the spike in March and April, said BC Coroners Service spokesman Andy Watson.
Theories that fatal overdoses have increased during the pandemic due to unemployment or limited access to harm reduction services also can’t be determined yet, said Watson. “It’s too early to tell and more analysis is needed,” he said. “We’ll continue to collect additional data at the scenes so we can provide those answers as early as possible, but these investigations do take time.”


nationalobserver--2020-05-28--Union fires back after Ford says long-term care inspectors refused to go into infected homes

Premier Doug Ford opened a fresh line of attack against unions Thursday , blaming unionized inspectors for a failure to control the COVID-19 pandemic in long-term care homes .
Ford said the inspectors refused to enter long-term care homes that were stricken with COVID-19 , instead examining facilities over the phone .
The Ontario Public Service Employees Union ( OPSEU ) , which represents the inspectors , swiftly fired back that the premier was misinformed .
`` I 've been taking bullets for the union every day up here , '' Ford said at his daily COVID-19 briefing .
`` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The truth of the matter is , they were refusing to go into these homes . ''
The union 's president , Smokey Thomas , told National Observer the premier had been `` given wrong information . ''
And in a statement later Thursday afternoon , Thomas said bureaucrats — not the union — had told inspectors not to enter the infected homes .
Not a single inspector refused to work , and 60 of 164 inspectors volunteered to go into hard-hit facilities , Thomas added .
• Ontario pushing through changes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ providing names , Thomas accused `` ministerial managers '' in the health and long-term care ministries of `` purposefully misleading the premier to cover up their own incompetence . ''
He also said the union wanted to ensure workers had adequate personal protective equipment ( PPE ) before they went in .
`` We were concerned that inspectors could have potentially , and unknowingly , spread COVID from home to home , '' the statement said .
`` Imagine for a second the terrible tragedy that could have happened had the inspectors gone @ @ @ @ @ @ @ especially given what we now know about asymptomatic and pre-symptomatic transmission .
The death toll could have been even worse than it already is .
`` The premier says he is tired of taking bullets for the union , but in this case , our prudence helped him dodge one . ''
In response , Ford doubled down on his statements .
`` The premier 's comments stand , '' said a spokesperson for his office , Ivana Yelich , in an email .
Ontario 's long-term care homes have been ravaged by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ patients and those with pre-existing conditions , a vulnerability that was worsened in the homes by long-standing problems with underfunding and low staffing levels .
After Ontario Premier Doug Ford accused inspectors of doing their job by phone instead of in-person , the Ontario Public Service Employees Union fired back , saying Ford was misinformed .
# onpoli On April 22 , Ford called for military assistance in five of the province 's hardest-hit homes , and troops were deployed in early May .
Earlier this week , a Canadian Armed Forces report @ @ @ @ @ @ @ alleging abuse , neglect , insect infestations , a lack of proper infection control and one choking incident that may have led to a patient 's death .
The province announced it would take over four of the five homes mentioned in the report Wednesday , plus a fifth home that was n't included .
It was n't immediately clear when inspectors may have allegedly stopped entering the homes , which facilities may have gone without in-person inspections and how long that went on .
Ford said Thursday that inspectors are now back @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for making that happen .
Ford also incorrectly accused the media of knowing about the problem , but not reporting it .
In fact , CBC News first reported on May 7 that inspections were taking place over the phone inside one Toronto long-term care facility .
Thursday was the first time Ford , who has given daily pandemic press conferences since March , discussed the issue publicly .
Canadian Armed Forces personnel were deployed to Quebec long-term care homes in April , and to Ontario homes in early May .
Photo from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ premier 's office released an April 22 letter from Thomas to Ford and Long-Term Care Minister Merrilee Fullerton .
In it , Thomas asks Ford and Fullerton not to mandate in-person inspections , and said that the problems in long-term care had already been identified .
( Advocates have sounded alarms on the issue for decades , and a public inquiry was held in 2019 . )
The letter was written the same day Ford requested military aid .
In his statement Thursday , Thomas said Ford and Fullerton did not send him @ @ @ @ @ @ @ low staffing levels and the inherent risks to multiple parties from such inspections , this plan is not only ill-advised , but not necessary , '' Thomas wrote in the letter .
`` In-person inspections will not provide us with any more information than we already have . ''
In the letter , Thomas called for more inspection staff to be hired , and that 164 inspectors were `` overworked and frustrated '' trying to assess conditions at 626 homes .
Although Ford said Thursday that the province offered the inspectors PPE , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ workers are not trained infection control specialists , had no experience using the gear and would n't be able to help the way additional nurses could .
`` Senior ministry staff have also stated inspectors need to physically see if residents are being treated properly .
We already know they are not , '' the letter reads .
`` Senior bureaucrats know it , too .
The homes need more staff and equipment .
Risking the health of residents and inspectors has zero value right now . ''
In his Thursday statement , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ observations as the military .
`` The premier has a choice , '' the statement said .
`` If he listens to front-line workers through their union , OPSEU , he can get the truth about what is going on in long-term care and what he needs to do to make things right . ''
Editor 's Note : This story was updated at 3:06 p.m. to include details from an April 22 letter written by Smokey Thomas .
It was updated again at 5:05 p.m. to include a response from Thomas .

Premier Doug Ford opened a fresh line of attack against unions Thursday, blaming unionized inspectors for a failure to control the COVID-19 pandemic in long-term care homes. Ford said the inspectors refused to enter long-term care homes that were stricken with COVID-19, instead examining facilities over the phone. The Ontario Public Service Employees Union (OPSEU), which represents the inspectors, swiftly fired back that the premier was misinformed. "I've been taking bullets for the union every day up here," Ford said at his daily COVID-19 briefing. "They were doing telephone calls for inspections. The truth of the matter is, they were refusing to go into these homes." The union's president, Smokey Thomas, told National Observer the premier had been "given wrong information." And in a statement later Thursday afternoon, Thomas said bureaucrats — not the union — had told inspectors not to enter the infected homes. Not a single inspector refused to work, and 60 of 164 inspectors volunteered to go into hard-hit facilities, Thomas added.
Without providing names, Thomas accused "ministerial managers" in the health and long-term care ministries of "purposefully misleading the premier to cover up their own incompetence." He also said the union wanted to ensure workers had adequate personal protective equipment (PPE) before they went in. "We were concerned that inspectors could have potentially, and unknowingly, spread COVID from home to home," the statement said. Billion-dollar land deals in Ontario raise corruption suspicions "Imagine for a second the terrible tragedy that could have happened had the inspectors gone into the homes without proper safeguards, especially given what we now know about asymptomatic and pre-symptomatic transmission. The death toll could have been even worse than it already is.
"The premier says he is tired of taking bullets for the union, but in this case, our prudence helped him dodge one." After Ontario Premier Doug Ford accused inspectors of doing their job by phone instead of in-person, the Ontario Public Service Employees Union fired back, saying Ford was misinformed. #onpoli In response, Ford doubled down on his statements. "The premier's comments stand," said a spokesperson for his office, Ivana Yelich, in an email. Ontario's long-term care homes have been ravaged by COVID-19. The virus disproportionately kills elderly patients and those with pre-existing conditions, a vulnerability that was worsened in the homes by long-standing problems with underfunding and low staffing levels. On April 22, Ford called for military assistance in five of the province's hardest-hit homes, and troops were deployed in early May. Earlier this week, a Canadian Armed Forces report revealed disturbing conditions inside the facilities, alleging abuse, neglect, insect infestations, a lack of proper infection control and one choking incident that may have led to a patient's death. The province announced it would take over four of the five homes mentioned in the report Wednesday, plus a fifth home that wasn't included. It wasn't immediately clear when inspectors may have allegedly stopped entering the homes, which facilities may have gone without in-person inspections and how long that went on. Ford said Thursday that inspectors are now back in the homes, and credited Thomas for making that happen.
Ford also incorrectly accused the media of knowing about the problem, but not reporting it. In fact, CBC News first reported on May 7 that inspections were taking place over the phone inside one Toronto long-term care facility. Thursday was the first time Ford, who has given daily pandemic press conferences since March, discussed the issue publicly. Canadian Armed Forces personnel were deployed to Quebec long-term care homes in April, and to Ontario homes in early May. Photo from Canadian Armed Forces/Twitter


nationalobserver--2020-05-29--Feds looking to pull military out of care homes, Que appeals for them to stay

Ottawa and the Canadian Armed Forces have started looking for an exit strategy amid talks with Quebec about the continued provision of military personnel to long-term care homes hit hard by COVID-19 .
Quebec Premier Francois Legault asked the federal government this week to keep hundreds of Armed Forces members in about two dozen long-term care facilities until September while the province looks for civilian support workers to replace them .
The troops have been assisting in Quebec since April following an earlier request by Legault as outbreaks of COVID-19 ripped through some of the province 's nursing homes .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ handful of long-term care facilities in Ontario .
Yet even as senior federal officials said discussions with Quebec had been launched Thursday , questions were being raised about the military 's ability to keep hundreds of trained military medical personnel in the homes — and what impacts doing so could have over the long term .
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau underscored that deploying troops into nursing homes was never intended to be a long-term solution and that the federal government is looking at helping provinces get a handle on the crisis themselves .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ law as crisis looms • Union fires back after Ford says long-term care inspectors refused to go into infected homes `` It is a stop-gap measure that is there to help out because our Armed Forces have the fundamental role of serving Canada and protecting Canadians , '' Trudeau said following a UN conference on the COVID-19 pandemic .
`` I look forward to continuing conversations with Premier Legault on next steps , but obviously we are very much hoping Quebec is going to be able to get the situation under control .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ them while they do . ''
The Canadian Armed Forces had 1,475 troops deployed to support 23 long-term care homes in Quebec on Thursday and another 285 in four facilities in Ontario .
Those include a significant portion of the military 's medical personnel The Quebec facilities , home to some of the most vulnerable elderly , have recorded 64 per cent of Quebec 's 4,228 COVID-19 deaths .
A report compiled by the military and released this week identified severe staff shortages as one of the main challenges for the homes as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Legault has said he wants Quebec to hire 10,000 new support workers for the homes but needs the military 's support until they 've completed up to three months of training .
`` ( T ) he government of Canada has received a request and we are working the government of Quebec to find the best solution to care for our vulnerable seniors in these long-term care facilities , '' said Todd Lane , a spokesman for Defence Minister Harjit Sajjan .
Feds look for exit amid talks with Quebec on keeping @ @ @ @ @ @ @ officers say the Forces can and will continue to work in long-term care homes if required , they noted the military does not have a glut of medical personnel — and those it does have are primarily focused on caring for other troops .
`` Even in peacetime , they are fully occupied , '' retired commodore and surgeon general Hans Jung said .
`` So when they are removed from that environment to go to an area to support non-military , then who 's there to look after the military members on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ equation that has to be carefully ( managed ) because you are kind of robbing Peter to pay Paul here . ''
The Armed Forces has been able to provide a large number of military personnel to various missions in the past , said retired vice-chief of defence staff Guy Thibault .
In 2010 , for example , it had personnel working on the Vancouver Olympics while also in Haiti and Afghanistan .
`` We sustained all that through that period , '' said Thibault , who is now chair of the Conference @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the capacity is there .
But the issue is there are consequences for delaying training and areas where you 're really short .
When everything is in the shop window , you have longer-term effects .
So there will be effects that will lag . ''
Senior federal government officials who spoke the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the ongoing talks say Ottawa is looking at whether the Canadian Red Cross can shoulder more of the burden and if there are ways to speed up the hiring of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Cross is delivering personal protective equipment and training to new support workers and seniors ' homes in the Montreal area and provided components of a field hospital , Red Cross spokeswoman Leianne Musselman said in an email .
The government and military commanders are clearly looking for a way to hand over responsibility to — and withdraw from — the care facilities , said Thibault , as they would be doing with any mission .

Ottawa and the Canadian Armed Forces have started looking for an exit strategy amid talks with Quebec about the continued provision of military personnel to long-term care homes hit hard by COVID-19. Quebec Premier Francois Legault asked the federal government this week to keep hundreds of Armed Forces members in about two dozen long-term care facilities until September while the province looks for civilian support workers to replace them. The troops have been assisting in Quebec since April following an earlier request by Legault as outbreaks of COVID-19 ripped through some of the province's nursing homes. Military members were also deployed to a handful of long-term care facilities in Ontario. Yet even as senior federal officials said discussions with Quebec had been launched Thursday, questions were being raised about the military's ability to keep hundreds of trained military medical personnel in the homes — and what impacts doing so could have over the long term. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau underscored that deploying troops into nursing homes was never intended to be a long-term solution and that the federal government is looking at helping provinces get a handle on the crisis themselves.
"It is a stop-gap measure that is there to help out because our Armed Forces have the fundamental role of serving Canada and protecting Canadians," Trudeau said following a UN conference on the COVID-19 pandemic. "I look forward to continuing conversations with Premier Legault on next steps, but obviously we are very much hoping Quebec is going to be able to get the situation under control. But we will be there to help them while they do." Billion-dollar land deals in Ontario raise corruption suspicions The Canadian Armed Forces had 1,475 troops deployed to support 23 long-term care homes in Quebec on Thursday and another 285 in four facilities in Ontario. Those include a significant portion of the military's medical personnel
The Quebec facilities, home to some of the most vulnerable elderly, have recorded 64 per cent of Quebec's 4,228 COVID-19 deaths. Feds look for exit amid talks with Quebec on keeping military in care homes A report compiled by the military and released this week identified severe staff shortages as one of the main challenges for the homes as they continue to struggle with the pandemic. Legault has said he wants Quebec to hire 10,000 new support workers for the homes but needs the military's support until they've completed up to three months of training. "(T)he government of Canada has received a request and we are working the government of Quebec to find the best solution to care for our vulnerable seniors in these long-term care facilities," said Todd Lane, a spokesman for Defence Minister Harjit Sajjan. While retired military officers say the Forces can and will continue to work in long-term care homes if required, they noted the military does not have a glut of medical personnel — and those it does have are primarily focused on caring for other troops. "Even in peacetime, they are fully occupied," retired commodore and surgeon general Hans Jung said.
"So when they are removed from that environment to go to an area to support non-military, then who's there to look after the military members on the base? So that is an equation that has to be carefully (managed) because you are kind of robbing Peter to pay Paul here." The Armed Forces has been able to provide a large number of military personnel to various missions in the past, said retired vice-chief of defence staff Guy Thibault. In 2010, for example, it had personnel working on the Vancouver Olympics while also in Haiti and Afghanistan. "We sustained all that through that period," said Thibault, who is now chair of the Conference of Defence Associations Institute.


nationalobserver--2020-05-29--Oilpatch advocates say help needs to be faster, easier to get

Representatives from Canada 's oilpatch said Thursday they do n't know of a single energy company that has yet benefited from any of Ottawa 's pandemic-inspired loan programs and many think the cost to access them is too high .
Finance Minister Bill Morneau has put billions of dollars on the table to help oil and gas companies , as part of the government 's massive COVID-19 aid packages .
That includes $ 750 million in what the government is deeming `` repayable contributions , '' to help companies meet new standards on methane emissions coming from oil production facilities @ @ @ @ @ @ @ capital or operating loans available for small , medium and large companies .
But several company owners and industry advocates told a virtual meeting of the House of Commons finance committee that the various programs have very high bars to qualify or are of no interest to the sector when it 's just trying to survive .
• Ontario pushing through changes to tenancy law as crisis looms • Union fires back after Ford says long-term care inspectors refused to go into infected homes Loans for smaller- and medium-sized businesses from the Business @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Canada are also still not ready to roll out weeks after they were promised .
An emergency loan program for large employers has interest rates that are so high it 's almost predatory , said Adam Waterman , the president of the Lloydminster Oilfield Technical Society .
On top of that , applicants have to agree to very specific behaviours , including prohibiting dividends and restricting executive compensation , agreeing to have a government representative on their board , and providing annual climate plans that show how the company is contributing to Canada @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Waterman said it is ridiculous to ask oil companies to show a 30-year climate plan to get a five-year bridge loan .
`` It would have been more direct to say that oil and gas producers and oilfield service companies need not apply , '' said Waterman .
And Waterman said the repayable funds from the federal government to help oil producers curb their methane emissions are ill-timed .
He said in normal circumstances they would be welcome but right now companies are n't interested in taking on more debt to do @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bottom line .
Oilpatch advocates tell MPs help needs to be faster , easier to get `` Our priority is survival , '' said Waterman .
Both Waterman and Tristan Goodman , the president of the Explorers and Producers Association of Canada , said the emissions fund might get more uptake if the money came through grants .
Goodman said he supports the intention of the loans from the development banks because they are meant to help workers keep their jobs .
But weeks later , he said companies are still getting automatic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ programs .
`` I know of at least 30 companies that are trying to access those programs and are unable , '' he said .
The industry representatives painted a bleak picture of Canada 's oil sector for the committee .
Waterman said in his region , an average of two jobs have been lost every day for the last five years , and that was before the combined economic missile of COVID-19 and an oil production fight between Saudi Arabia and Russia pushed up supply at a time when demand was plummeting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ world oil prices .
Peter Kiss , the president of Morgan Construction and Environmental Ltd. , says he has laid off 80 per cent of his staff , watched his revenues crash 87 per cent and still considers his company one of the lucky ones because there is still some money coming in .
Kiss said his company is trying to apply for a loan from the Business Development Bank , and has been told they should qualify but has no more information at this point .
This report by The Canadian Press @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .

Representatives from Canada's oilpatch said Thursday they don't know of a single energy company that has yet benefited from any of Ottawa's pandemic-inspired loan programs and many think the cost to access them is too high. Finance Minister Bill Morneau has put billions of dollars on the table to help oil and gas companies, as part of the government's massive COVID-19 aid packages. That includes $750 million in what the government is deeming "repayable contributions," to help companies meet new standards on methane emissions coming from oil production facilities. There are also different kinds of capital or operating loans available for small, medium and large companies. But several company owners and industry advocates told a virtual meeting of the House of Commons finance committee that the various programs have very high bars to qualify or are of no interest to the sector when it's just trying to survive.
Loans for smaller- and medium-sized businesses from the Business Development Bank of Canada and Export Development Canada are also still not ready to roll out weeks after they were promised. An emergency loan program for large employers has interest rates that are so high it's almost predatory, said Adam Waterman, the president of the Lloydminster Oilfield Technical Society. Billion-dollar land deals in Ontario raise corruption suspicions On top of that, applicants have to agree to very specific behaviours, including prohibiting dividends and restricting executive compensation, agreeing to have a government representative on their board, and providing annual climate plans that show how the company is contributing to Canada's goal of net-zero emissions by 2030.
Waterman said it is ridiculous to ask oil companies to show a 30-year climate plan to get a five-year bridge loan. Oilpatch advocates tell MPs help needs to be faster, easier to get "It would have been more direct to say that oil and gas producers and oilfield service companies need not apply," said Waterman. And Waterman said the repayable funds from the federal government to help oil producers curb their methane emissions are ill-timed. He said in normal circumstances they would be welcome but right now companies aren't interested in taking on more debt to do something that won't immediately improve their bottom line. "Our priority is survival," said Waterman. Both Waterman and Tristan Goodman, the president of the Explorers and Producers Association of Canada, said the emissions fund might get more uptake if the money came through grants.
Goodman said he supports the intention of the loans from the development banks because they are meant to help workers keep their jobs. But weeks later, he said companies are still getting automatic replies to their emailed queries about the programs. "I know of at least 30 companies that are trying to access those programs and are unable," he said. The industry representatives painted a bleak picture of Canada's oil sector for the committee.


nationalobserver--2020-05-29--CN Rail business downhill and jobs cut during economic slowdown

Business at Canadian National Railway Co. has gone downhill since mid-March , leading to thousands of temporary job cuts at the company as the COVID-19 pandemic rips into a sector that serves as a barometer of economic cycles .
Revenue ton miles — a key industry metric — fell 15 per cent year over year in April and 21 per cent in May , CEO JJ Ruest said Thursday , speaking at a conference held online .
`` Business has been slowing down since mid-March , April was lower than March and May was lower than April , '' he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to May , '' although it could be the `` tipping point ... slightly . ''
CN Rail has cut its workforce by 5,800 employees or 21 per cent since May 2019 , including 3,500 workers furloughed due to the pandemic , Ruest said .
More than 70 per cent of those furloughs were already in place by late April , the company said last month .
• Ontario pushing through changes to tenancy law as crisis looms • Union fires back after Ford says long-term care inspectors refused to go into infected @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with a reduction in the number of active cars by 17 per cent , with some 21,000 now in storage .
More than 20 per cent of CN 's locomotive fleet — about 720 engines — are also off the track indefinitely , it said .
Ruest said automotive shipments have been a `` roller-coaster , '' falling , rising and falling again as factories in China closed and then reopened just as plants shut down in North America .
Auto volumes have dropped more than 90 per cent year over year , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for the months ahead as frugal consumers pull back on big purchases in a recession .
`` I do n't know whether people will start to buy vehicles again , '' Ruest said .
Meanwhile , earnings from crude by rail and frac sand are `` as bad as can be '' amid a global glut of oil and a pandemic-induced plunge in demand , both of which have sent oil prices to near-record lows over the past two months .
On the plus side , the CEO said grain revenues will likely @ @ @ @ @ @ @ June and July after notching record levels in March and April following a backlog owing to a late , wet crop last year .
CN , which last month scrapped its 2020 profit forecast as well as the three-year targets it outlined last June , is aiming for $ 2.5 billion of free cash flow in 2020 , Ruest said .
This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 28 , 2020 .

Business at Canadian National Railway Co. has gone downhill since mid-March, leading to thousands of temporary job cuts at the company as the COVID-19 pandemic rips into a sector that serves as a barometer of economic cycles.
Revenue ton miles — a key industry metric — fell 15 per cent year over year in April and 21 per cent in May, CEO JJ Ruest said Thursday, speaking at a conference held online.
"Business has been slowing down since mid-March, April was lower than March and May was lower than April," he said. "June might be flat to May," although it could be the "tipping point ... slightly."
CN Rail has cut its workforce by 5,800 employees or 21 per cent since May 2019, including 3,500 workers furloughed due to the pandemic, Ruest said.
More than 70 per cent of those furloughs were already in place by late April, the company said last month.


nationalobserver--2020-05-29--Canada's vulnerable to money laundering: expert

A senior police officer from the United Kingdom with expertise in money laundering says `` underground banking '' linked to China has become a significant threat in the U.K. and he believes Canada shares some of the same vulnerabilities .
Simon Lord of the National Crime Agency , who is also part of a Five Eyes group dedicated to international money laundering controls , testified before a public inquiry into money laundering in British Columbia on Thursday .
Money laundering is mirrored in countries like Canada and the U.K. because they have similar legal and economic frameworks , he said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ attract investment or `` good money , '' like having a developed financial system and global trade links , often also attracts `` bad money , '' he said .
`` I would n't say Canada is any more or less vulnerable to money laundering , and certainly British Columbia , than any other large Western country , '' Lord said .
• Ontario pushing through changes to tenancy law as crisis looms • Union fires back after Ford says long-term care inspectors refused to go into infected homes Generally , he says @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and referenced a 2016 review by the Financial Action Task Force , an international organization founded to combat money laundering , that found some deficiencies in regulation .
However , there has been an apparent `` upswing '' in underground banking networks connecting the proceeds of crime in the U.K. with capital flight from China , he said .
Investigators began noticing the problem in the U.K. around 2015 and Lord estimated it 's in the scale of `` hundreds of millions if not billions '' of British pounds .
Some of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ real estate , are happening in major cities around the world including Vancouver and Auckland , he said .
Under the model , underground bankers help wealthy Chinese citizens move their money out of the People 's Republic of China , which limits annual export of funds per person to US $ 50,000 and restricts how it is spent , including a ban on buying property , he said .
Lord repeated several times that not everyone who uses a so-called `` informal value transfer system '' is criminal and he is not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the broader Chinese community in the United Kingdom .
Transferring more than $ 50,000 out of the country would also not be considered a crime in the U.K. , he noted .
Canada 's vulnerable to money laundering on par with similar countries : expert But the underground bankers have married the demand from Chinese citizens moving funds with the supply of dirty money from criminals , who are not necessarily Chinese .
Under the model , the Chinese citizen who wants to transfer money out of the country makes a payment @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by the underground banker , Lord said .
He then receives the equivalent funds in a British bank .
That account is fed by cash collected by the banker from U.K. criminals .
The criminals in turn typically want to move their money out of the country , for example , to purchase cocaine in South America .
So , the banker makes an equivalent payment less a commission in South America on behalf of the criminal .
The system is `` grown as a result of local conditions but abused by criminals @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have also recruited `` nominees , '' including students , to volunteer their bank accounts for the transfers in exchange for commissions of around 2,000 to 3,000 British pounds a month , he said .
Lord also warned that there are consequences to being perceived as a country that is vulnerable to money laundering .
`` As soon as you are seen as a bad place to do business , if your regulatory structures are n't in place , if there are lots of ways in which your country can be abused , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ put their money there , '' he said .
When that happens , remittances go down , the cost of borrowing goes up and the amount of money available for public services goes down , he said .

A senior police officer from the United Kingdom with expertise in money laundering says "underground banking" linked to China has become a significant threat in the U.K. and he believes Canada shares some of the same vulnerabilities. Simon Lord of the National Crime Agency, who is also part of a Five Eyes group dedicated to international money laundering controls, testified before a public inquiry into money laundering in British Columbia on Thursday. Money laundering is mirrored in countries like Canada and the U.K. because they have similar legal and economic frameworks, he said. Aspects in both countries designed to attract investment or "good money," like having a developed financial system and global trade links, often also attracts "bad money," he said. "I wouldn't say Canada is any more or less vulnerable to money laundering, and certainly British Columbia, than any other large Western country," Lord said.
Generally, he says Canada is "pretty well run" and referenced a 2016 review by the Financial Action Task Force, an international organization founded to combat money laundering, that found some deficiencies in regulation. However, there has been an apparent "upswing" in underground banking networks connecting the proceeds of crime in the U.K. with capital flight from China, he said. Billion-dollar land deals in Ontario raise corruption suspicions Investigators began noticing the problem in the U.K. around 2015 and Lord estimated it's in the scale of "hundreds of millions if not billions" of British pounds.
Some of the same examples, such as links to real estate, are happening in major cities around the world including Vancouver and Auckland, he said. Canada's vulnerable to money laundering on par with similar countries: expert Under the model, underground bankers help wealthy Chinese citizens move their money out of the People's Republic of China, which limits annual export of funds per person to US$50,000 and restricts how it is spent, including a ban on buying property, he said. Lord repeated several times that not everyone who uses a so-called "informal value transfer system" is criminal and he is not implying this problem was created by members of the broader Chinese community in the United Kingdom. Transferring more than $50,000 out of the country would also not be considered a crime in the U.K., he noted. But the underground bankers have married the demand from Chinese citizens moving funds with the supply of dirty money from criminals, who are not necessarily Chinese. Under the model, the Chinese citizen who wants to transfer money out of the country makes a payment into a bank account in China operated by the underground banker, Lord said.
He then receives the equivalent funds in a British bank. That account is fed by cash collected by the banker from U.K. criminals. The criminals in turn typically want to move their money out of the country, for example, to purchase cocaine in South America. So, the banker makes an equivalent payment less a commission in South America on behalf of the criminal. The system is "grown as a result of local conditions but abused by criminals," Lord said.


nationalobserver--2020-05-29--Music business glamour, eerie Canadian dreams and a digital caution await your streaming

I also like the second chance some movies and TV series are getting .
Like Intelligence , the series that CBC carried , then stupidly cancelled , some years ago .
It was proudly set and filmed in Vancouver and has been rediscovered on Netflix .
There are big benefits in streaming movies .
It ’ s like a whole video store is available to us at home .
This week , for instance , among the newly added films there ’ s Funny Girls , Schindler ’ s List , E.T.
, three Teenage Mutant Ninja films , Coraline @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Michael Jordan series on Netflix , you ’ ll be welcoming his 1996 movie , Space Jam , in which he co-stars with Bugs Bunny .
It ’ s on Amazon Prime .
DREAMLAND : Bruce McDonald finally follows up his celebrated collaboration with actor Stephen McHattie and writer Tony Burgess ( Pontypool , 2008 ) with this bizarre item .
It ’ s creepy but engrossing .
Made in Luxembourg and Belgium , but is actually Canadian , made by Ontario types but including a Vancouver producer , Amber Ripley of Goodbye @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from all over ; a true co-production .
Befitting the title , it plays like a dream .
The plot drops logic for impressions and a story flow that could have been written down immediately after waking up .
Johnson secretly works in the studio spiffing up her boss ’ live recordings and mentoring a young singer she met in a grocery store ( Kelvin Harrison Jr. ) .
It ’ s a rosy picture of the industry ; mentioning only and not following up on some darker aspects , but germinating a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s an absolutely unbelievable revelation that alone makes this film worth streaming for the sheer jaw-dropping oddity .
( Video on demand . )
3 out of 5 Ross is demanding , but hardly a diva .
She wants to do new material , not just coast on her greatest hits albums and concerts .
She ’ s being pressured to do a Las Vegas residency .
Celine Dion did over 1,000 shows there , she ’ s told .
( The film is absolutely stocked with names and references like that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Ariana Grande are cited or heard , along with Maxine Brown , Sam Cooke , The Staple Singers , and many , many others .
Record collectors will be delighted . )
THE HIGH NOTE : Here ’ s a good bet if you ’ re wanting something new , pleasant and not too demanding .
Dip into the world of glitz and glamour and ambition in the music business .
It ’ s a tale of chasing your dreams with an aspiring producer , played by Don Johnson ’ s daughter Dakota @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as just a personal assistant to a big star played by Tracee Ellis Ross , daughter of Diana Ross .
Ice Cube is there as a manager , remix expert Diplo has a cameo as a remix expert and director Nisha Ganatra examines the recording industry much like she did with book publishing in her last film .
Lightly .
SCREENED OUT : You ’ ve heard the cautions before about spending too much time staring at the screen on your electronic devices , be they PCs , Macs , tablets or smartphones @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a lot new to add , but it brings so much information together in one place that you have every reason to watch it .
Toronto filmmaker Jon Hyatt argues that we ’ ve become addicted , and presents expert warnings of the dangers and insiders explaining how the social media companies get us hooked .
Hyatt sees the results through his own family .
McHattie plays a hit man given a strange assignment by a gangster named Hercules ( Henry Rollins ) : To cut off the pinkie finger of a jazz @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who once slighted him and is to play at a glitzy wedding organized by The Countess ( Juliette Lewis ) for her brother who is a vampire .
Got that ?
Dream fragments , and they continue .
The marriage is to a 14-year-old girl provided by Hercules , who has gotten into a lucrative sideline pimping children .
That , the hit man can ’ t stomach .
“ I guess I ’ m pretty low , but that ’ s worse , ” he says .
The party turns chaotic and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ surreal and satisfying in all its weirdness .
McHattie is especially interesting playing two different characters and making both believable .
( Available now at many sites including , Telus , Cineplex , Apple TV , Bell , Rogers , Google Play and Shaw . )
3½ out of 5 He cites facts from all over .
Children as young as eight now spend three to five hours a day at a screen .
Attention span has dropped from 12 to eight seconds .
Kids are overstimulated and are “ substituting technology for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ says she ’ s depressed because she ’ s jealous of other people ’ s lives that she sees on Instagram .
Former Facebook execs detail the psychological techniques companies use to get , and keep , teens like her watching .
They use four hooks , with random rewards like in a famous B.F. Skinner experiment .
The word dopamine comes up a lot and it is noted that the Blackberry used to be nicknamed “ Crackberry.
” Solution ?
No surprises : Tech-free time for the kids and don ’ t @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
For extreme cases , Hyatt gets tips at Seattle ’ s reStart treatment centre , which offers detox from technological addiction .
( VOD at iTunes and YouTube . )
4 out of 5 INHERITANCE : Forgive some holes in the plot and some improbabilities and you ’ ll be able to enjoy this mystery thriller about family secrets .
Lily Collins , playing a New York district attorney ( they elect them young , it seems ) gets a surprise when her super-rich dad dies .
A data stick that he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the truth must stay buried ” ) directs her to a secret underground bunker on the family estate .
Inside she finds a man ( Simon Pegg ) who has been chained up there for 30 years .
( Hair too short for that , but otherwise unrecognizable . )
So , what happened here ?
Through the rest of the film , Lily tries to find answers and also gets into debating and shaming sessions with the man .
Mom ( Connie Nielsen ) says of dad , “ We both knew @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lawyer says , “ I protected your dad for decades.
” The man in the bunker says he knows everything about him , but seems to be holding a lot back in hopes of trading for his release .
There ’ s also “ another woman ” who Lily tracks down and visits .
The real story is still far away though and it ’ s a highly involving trail to get there .
A final twist is hardly unexpected ; some may see it coming .
Still , it ’ s a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a common story : How hard it is to really know your parents .
( Available since Tuesday via video on demand . )
3 out of 5 A WHITE , WHITE DAY : This gripping drama about obsession , anger and grief will keep you more than engaged .
You ’ ll be glued to it as a former cop in Iceland mourns the loss of his wife in a car accident and follows up on his suspicion that she had been cheating on him .
There ’ s a very slow @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , it seems ) and a languid middle , but stick with it .
It ’ s worth it .
The performances and the direction are strong and this was Iceland ’ s submission to the Academy Awards .
Ingvar Sigurdsson , a favourite actor in his country , plays a retired policeman who grieves the death of his wife in the accident that starts the film .
He distracts himself with a building project and with caring for a granddaughter .
Then he discovers evidence that his wife may have had an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ buddy .
He falls apart with an anger that he struggles to keep inside .
The film is partly a revenge tale and mostly a study of dealing with grief .
There are brooding views of the landscape .
The title refers to a national saying about when the weather is so dense that you can ’ t see a line between land and sky .
On such a day , they say , you can converse with the dead .
This man does , sort of , and only in his mind @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and richly atmospheric .
( Streaming at https : //viff.org . )
3½ out of 5 JOAN OF ARC : It ’ s been told many times in the movies , but this version of her story is different in a number of ways .
The settings , for instance .
The content comes from a stage play and French director Bruno Dumont has found a surprising way to put it on screen .
He doesn ’ t worry about location and look and simply stages large sections of dialogue on a bare @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a bare cathedral floor later , and between two rows of church benches when Joan is put on trial for heresy .
It might as well still be a play because the focus is entirely on the words being spoken .
Earlier , there ’ s a rhythmic performance by horse riders and , at times , there are songs .
It ’ s a fanciful and yet earnest retelling .
Joan , seen here in the cathedral with the monsignor , refuses to submit to the rules of the church , prefers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ king for England ’ s continued occupation of Paris and debates the fine points of piety and personal commitment with a prosecutor and a variety of clerics .
At the same time , she refuses to reveal what God told her when his voice came to her .
She insists it ’ s none of their business .
Eleven-year-old Lise Leplat Prudhomme is so unactorly playing her that you can easily believe she ’ s a naive teen motivated by religious passion .
Although the curio factor gives it some momentum , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s not enough .
The talk is weighty and more than plentiful .
( Streaming at https : //thecinematheque.ca/ . )
2½ out of 5

I also like the second chance some movies and TV series are getting. Like Intelligence, the series that CBC carried, then stupidly cancelled, some years ago. It was proudly set and filmed in Vancouver and has been rediscovered on Netflix.
There are big benefits in streaming movies. It’s like a whole video store is available to us at home. This week, for instance, among the newly added films there’s Funny Girls, Schindler’s List, E.T., three Teenage Mutant Ninja films, Coraline and if you’re watching the Michael Jordan series on Netflix, you’ll be welcoming his 1996 movie, Space Jam, in which he co-stars with Bugs Bunny. It’s on Amazon Prime.
THE HIGH NOTE : Here’s a good bet if you’re wanting something new, pleasant and not too demanding. Dip into the world of glitz and glamour and ambition in the music business. It’s a tale of chasing your dreams with an aspiring producer, played by Don Johnson’s daughter Dakota Johnson, unwilling to be stuck forever as just a personal assistant to a big star played by Tracee Ellis Ross, daughter of Diana Ross. Ice Cube is there as a manager, remix expert Diplo has a cameo as a remix expert and director Nisha Ganatra examines the recording industry much like she did with television in her last film. Lightly.
DREAMLAND : Bruce McDonald finally follows up his celebrated collaboration with actor Stephen McHattie and writer Tony Burgess (Pontypool, 2008) with this bizarre item. It’s creepy but engrossing. Made in Luxembourg and Belgium, but is actually Canadian, made by Ontario types but including a Vancouver producer, Amber Ripley of Goodbye Productions. The money behind it is from all over; a true co-production. Befitting the title, it plays like a dream. The plot drops logic for impressions and a story flow that could have been written down immediately after waking up.
Johnson secretly works in the studio spiffing up her boss’ live recordings and mentoring a young singer she met in a grocery store (Kelvin Harrison Jr.). It’s a rosy picture of the industry; mentioning only and not following up on some darker aspects, but germinating a feel-good love story instead. Then there’s an absolutely unbelievable revelation that alone makes this film worth streaming for the sheer jaw-dropping oddity. (Video on demand.) 3 out of 5
Ross is demanding, but hardly a diva. She wants to do new material, not just coast on her greatest hits albums and concerts. She’s being pressured to do a Las Vegas residency. Celine Dion did over 1,000 shows there, she’s told. (The film is absolutely stocked with names and references like that. Joni Mitchell, Bob Dylan, Ariana Grande are cited or heard, along with Maxine Brown, Sam Cooke, The Staple Singers, and many, many others. Record collectors will be delighted.)
Courtesy A71 Releasing Inc.
McHattie plays a hit man given a strange assignment by a gangster named Hercules (Henry Rollins): To cut off the pinkie finger of a jazz trumpeter (also played by McHattie) who once slighted him and is to play at a glitzy wedding organized by The Countess (Juliette Lewis) for her brother who is a vampire. Got that? Dream fragments, and they continue. The marriage is to a 14-year-old girl provided by Hercules, who has gotten into a lucrative sideline pimping children. That, the hit man can’t stomach. “I guess I’m pretty low, but that’s worse,” he says. The party turns chaotic and the film is stylized, imaginative, surreal and satisfying in all its weirdness. McHattie is especially interesting playing two different characters and making both believable. (Available now at many sites including, Telus, Cineplex, Apple TV, Bell, Rogers, Google Play and Shaw.) 3½ out of 5
SCREENED OUT: You’ve heard the cautions before about spending too much time staring at the screen on your electronic devices, be they PCs, Macs, tablets or smartphones. This film doesn’t have a lot new to add, but it brings so much information together in one place that you have every reason to watch it. Toronto filmmaker Jon Hyatt argues that we’ve become addicted, and presents expert warnings of the dangers and insiders explaining how the social media companies get us hooked. Hyatt sees the results through his own family.
Courtesy Dark Star Pictures
He cites facts from all over. Children as young as eight now spend three to five hours a day at a screen. Attention span has dropped from 12 to eight seconds. Kids are overstimulated and are “substituting technology for meaningful interactions with people.” One girl says she’s depressed because she’s jealous of other people’s lives that she sees on Instagram. Former Facebook execs detail the psychological techniques companies use to get, and keep, teens like her watching. They use four hooks, with random rewards like in a famous B.F. Skinner experiment. The word dopamine comes up a lot and it is noted that the Blackberry used to be nicknamed “Crackberry.” Solution? No surprises: Tech-free time for the kids and don’t be a bad example for the parents. For extreme cases, Hyatt gets tips at Seattle’s reStart treatment centre, which offers detox from technological addiction. (VOD at iTunes and YouTube.) 4 out of 5
INHERITANCE: Forgive some holes in the plot and some improbabilities and you’ll be able to enjoy this mystery thriller about family secrets. Lily Collins, playing a New York district attorney (they elect them young, it seems) gets a surprise when her super-rich dad dies. A data stick that he left her (with the admonition “the truth must stay buried”) directs her to a secret underground bunker on the family estate. Inside she finds a man (Simon Pegg) who has been chained up there for 30 years. (Hair too short for that, but otherwise unrecognizable.) So, what happened here? Through the rest of the film, Lily tries to find answers and also gets into debating and shaming sessions with the man.
Courtesy VVS Films
Mom (Connie Nielsen) says of dad, “We both knew he was no saint.” The family lawyer says, “I protected your dad for decades.” The man in the bunker says he knows everything about him, but seems to be holding a lot back in hopes of trading for his release. There’s also “another woman” who Lily tracks down and visits. The real story is still far away though and it’s a highly involving trail to get there. A final twist is hardly unexpected; some may see it coming. Still, it’s a sharp, though extreme, example of a common story: How hard it is to really know your parents. (Available since Tuesday via video on demand.) 3 out of 5
A WHITE, WHITE DAY: This gripping drama about obsession, anger and grief will keep you more than engaged. You’ll be glued to it as a former cop in Iceland mourns the loss of his wife in a car accident and follows up on his suspicion that she had been cheating on him. There’s a very slow early sequence (trying to be arty, it seems) and a languid middle, but stick with it. It’s worth it. The performances and the direction are strong and this was Iceland’s submission to the Academy Awards.
Courtesy of Game Theory
Ingvar Sigurdsson, a favourite actor in his country, plays a retired policeman who grieves the death of his wife in the accident that starts the film. He distracts himself with a building project and with caring for a granddaughter. Then he discovers evidence that his wife may have had an affair with his friend, a soccer buddy. He falls apart with an anger that he struggles to keep inside. The film is partly a revenge tale and mostly a study of dealing with grief. There are brooding views of the landscape. The title refers to a national saying about when the weather is so dense that you can’t see a line between land and sky. On such a day, they say, you can converse with the dead. This man does, sort of, and only in his mind. This film is poignant, moody and richly atmospheric. (Streaming at https://viff.org.) 3½ out of 5
JOAN OF ARC: It’s been told many times in the movies, but this version of her story is different in a number of ways. The settings, for instance. The content comes from a stage play and French director Bruno Dumont has found a surprising way to put it on screen. He doesn’t worry about location and look and simply stages large sections of dialogue on a bare patch of sand early on, on a bare cathedral floor later, and between two rows of church benches when Joan is put on trial for heresy. It might as well still be a play because the focus is entirely on the words being spoken. Earlier, there’s a rhythmic performance by horse riders and, at times, there are songs. It’s a fanciful and yet earnest retelling.
Courtesy The Cinematheque
Joan, seen here in the cathedral with the monsignor, refuses to submit to the rules of the church, prefers the ideals of Jesus, blames the king for England’s continued occupation of Paris and debates the fine points of piety and personal commitment with a prosecutor and a variety of clerics. At the same time, she refuses to reveal what God told her when his voice came to her. She insists it’s none of their business. Eleven-year-old Lise Leplat Prudhomme is so unactorly playing her that you can easily believe she’s a naive teen motivated by religious passion. Although the curio factor gives it some momentum, and the performances are strong, it’s not enough. The talk is weighty and more than plentiful. (Streaming at https://thecinematheque.ca/.) 2½ out of 5


nationalobserver--2020-05-29--Canada can't afford to put the climate crisis on the back burner

During his re-election campaign last fall , Prime Minister Justin Trudeau promised to legislate a target to reduce Canada ’ s emissions to net zero by 2050 and to surpass Canada ’ s existing emissions target .
Recently , however , federal Environment Minister Jonathan Wilkinson stated that the implementation of Canada ’ s new climate targets would likely be delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic .
This isn ’ t the first time the Liberal government talked a big climate game and then failed to deliver .
Following his election in 2015 , Prime Minister Trudeau proclaimed to the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ : “ Canada is back , my friends.
” While the Liberal ’ s Pan-Canadian Framework and its accompanying measures were a marked increase from previous national climate efforts , Canada ’ s total greenhouse gas emissions have continued to increase during the Trudeau tenure , growing a total of nine million tonnes in three years , from 720 Mt Co2eq in 2015 to 729 Mt Co2eq by 2018 .
Minister Wilkinson is not alone in thinking that the federal government ought to focus primarily on the pandemic and that efforts on other @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the pandemic should not be a scapegoat to justify further climate inaction .
The pandemic has shown us that our actions do make a difference , and this season of change brought about by the pandemic presents a well-timed opportunity for Canada to build back better and become the climate leader it claims to be on the world stage .
Now is the time for bold leadership .
In responding to the COVID-19 pandemic , Canada must develop a clean recovery plan that works in harmony with an ambitious climate agenda .
Calls @ @ @ @ @ @ @ been made by the International Monetary Fund and a group of more than 150 companies collectively worth more than $ 2.4 trillion .

The pandemic is not an excuse to ignore climate obligations The COVID-19 pandemic has dramatically altered our ways of living over the last few months. Shutdowns resulting from the pandemic may bring about a short-term global emissions reduction. A study published this month in the journal Nature Climate Change predicts that global emissions this year compared to last year will fall between 4.2 and 7.5 per cent. Billion-dollar land deals in Ontario raise corruption suspicions If this forecast proves accurate, the global emissions reduction may even temporarily reach the rate-of-decrease demanded by the UN Environmental Programme, which calls for a 7.6 per cent reduction in global emissions every year between 2020 and 2030 in order to limit warming to 1.5 C.
If largely halting the global economy only just brings about the level of emissions reduction needed, how do we expect to meet such a target post-pandemic? "If largely halting the global economy only just brings about the level of emissions reduction needed, how do we expect to meet such a target post-pandemic?" While responding to the pandemic is of utmost importance, Canada and other wealthy nations must not use this pandemic as an excuse to shirk their international climate obligations. Signatories to the Paris Agreement are required to submit a national emissions reduction plan this year to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, building off previously communicated plans and reflecting the greatest possible ambition. As of May 26, only ten nations, who collectively represent less than 3 percent of global emissions, had submitted their 2020 plans. If high-emitting states, such as Canada, do not commit to heightened ambition, it is unlikely that other states that are less responsible for the emissions in our planet’s atmosphere will do so either. Canada’s efforts to-date have led us to a near-bottom ranking by the Climate Change Performance Index, which ranks the climate action of high-emitting countries. Canada can and must do better. We must not forget that the climate crisis has not disappeared during the COVID-19 pandemic. A study published this month by researchers at the American National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the University of Wisconsin found that extreme weather events, such as hurricanes, typhoons and cyclones, are becoming stronger decade after decade.
Over the May long weekend, Typhoon Vongfong displaced nearly 200,000 people in the Phillippines. This past week, Cyclone Amphan led more than two million people to evacuate their homes in Bangladesh, while another 500,000 people in eastern India were relocated. Here at home, Canada continues to warm at double the global average, with Northern Canada warming at nearly three times the global average. For vulnerable communities around the world, climate change is not a distant emergency for which a response can be delayed until a hypothetical, politically convenient future. It is a present crisis with pernicious impacts that have already radically altered the way of life. This crisis warrants a dynamic political response.


nationalobserver--2020-05-29--After Meng ruling, Trudeau stresses Canada’s ‘independent judicial system’

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau emphasized Canada ’ s “ independent judicial system ” Thursday in the face of Chinese criticism over a B.C .
judge ’ s decision to allow Huawei executive Meng Wanzhou ’ s extradition process to continue .
Trudeau ’ s comments came after the Chinese Embassy expressed its “ firm opposition ” to the Meng ruling Wednesday , and accused Canada of acting as an “ accomplice ” of the United States , urging the nation “ not to go further down the wrong path.
” Also on Thursday , Canada , Australia , the U.S. @ @ @ @ @ @ @ criticizing China for a separate decision to move forward with a new national security law for Hong Kong .
As for the question raised by the media concerning the Canadian court ’ s ruling on the so-called “ double criminality ” issue in the case of Chinese citizen Meng Wanzhou , the spokesperson of the Chinese Embassy made remarks as follows : pic.twitter.com/BkhC6Yji60 — ChineseEmbassyOttawa ( @ ChinaEmbOttawa ) May 27 , 2020 Meng has ' a number of further legal steps ' Trudeau , speaking at a United Nations conference focused on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , was asked by a reporter about the embassy ’ s reaction to the B.C .
court ruling .
• Ontario pushing through changes to tenancy law as crisis looms • Union fires back after Ford says long-term care inspectors refused to go into infected homes “ We have an independent judicial system that has rendered a judgment without any political interference , ” said Trudeau .
“ Obviously , there are a number of further legal steps available to Ms. Meng she will undoubtedly avail herself of , but the political side @ @ @ @ @ @ @ our judicial system.
” One of those further legal steps is expected to involve court proceedings over the lawfulness of Meng ’ s arrest , which occurred Dec. 1 , 2018 at Vancouver International Airport under the authority of a U.S. arrest warrant .
Her lawyers have argued that border officials , the RCMP and the FBI violated Meng ’ s Charter rights when they conducted an investigation at the airport .
Meng ’ s legal team is expected to appear in court in June to discuss next steps with her case .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ s “ independent judicial system ” in the face of Chinese criticism over a B.C .
judge ’ s decision to allow Huawei executive Meng Wanzhou ’ s extradition process to continue .
Trudeau also said Canada will continue to advocate for the release of Canadians Michael Kovrig and Michael Spavor , who were arrested in China in 2018 several days after Meng ’ s arrest , and have been detained since then .
China denies their arrests were connected to Meng .
“ I take this opportunity to thank the international community @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this situation .
We will continue to defend our interests and our values , ” said the prime minister .
The Chinese Embassy ’ s statement Wednesday evening said the U.S. and Canada were “ abusing their bilateral extradition treaty ” and had “ violated ” Meng ’ s “ lawful rights and interests ” by “ arbitrarily ” taking measures against her .
“ The purpose of the United States is to bring down Huawei and other Chinese high-tech companies , and Canada has been acting in the process as an accomplice @ @ @ @ @ @ @ case is entirely a grave political incident , ” the statement read .
Canada must decide whether to permit Huawei technology in 5G wireless networks in the country , something the Trump administration has reportedly been pressuring allies not to do .
This month , U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo called Huawei an “ untrustworthy vendor and a tool of the Chinese Communist Party , beholden to its orders , ” accusations that Huawei strongly denies .
China 's legislature approved a proposal Thursday to move forward with a law that is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ subversion .
Critics say it would allow state security agencies to operate more freely , leading to fears of a crackdown .
“ Direct imposition of national security legislation on Hong Kong by the Beijing authorities , rather than through Hong Kong ’ s own institutions ... would curtail the Hong Kong people ’ s liberties , ” reads the joint statement .
The law also “ raises the prospect of prosecution in Hong Kong for political crimes , ” the statement said .
Chinese authorities have said the law would lead to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Hong Kong autonomy , and for its “ long-term prosperity and stability . ''
The UN conference attended by Trudeau was convened by Canada , as well as Jamaica and UN secretary general António Guterres , and was attended by more than 50 heads of state and government .
At the event , officially called the High-Level Event on Financing for Development in the Era of COVID-19 and Beyond , Trudeau said countries need to work together to beat COVID-19 and for the global economy to recover , and that citizens need to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ event was split up into six areas : expanding liquidity in the global financial system ; addressing debt vulnerabilities ; stopping illicit financial transactions ; increasing external finance ; and strategies to achieve the UN 's sustainable development goals and to combat climate change .
“ I think we all understand that this is a global crisis .
No matter what we do in our own country to control the spread of COVID-19 and get our economy going , Canada is a trading nation , ” said Trudeau .
“ We are deeply @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are doing , as well .
We are more interconnected as a world than we have ever been , and we can not simply look to ourselves and hope everyone does better on their own.
” Canada is also pressing for a seat on the UN Security Council , for which elections are being held June 17 .
It ’ s facing off against Ireland and Norway for two available seats in its grouping , currently held by Belgium and Germany .

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau emphasized Canada’s “independent judicial system” Thursday in the face of Chinese criticism over a B.C. judge’s decision to allow Huawei executive Meng Wanzhou’s extradition process to continue. Trudeau’s comments came after the Chinese Embassy expressed its “firm opposition” to the Meng ruling Wednesday, and accused Canada of acting as an “accomplice” of the United States, urging the nation “not to go further down the wrong path.” Also on Thursday, Canada, Australia, the U.S. and the U.K. issued a joint statement criticizing China for a separate decision to move forward with a new national security law for Hong Kong. http://twitter.com/ChinaEmbOttawa/status/1265762374004494338
Meng has 'a number of further legal steps' Trudeau, speaking at a United Nations conference focused on an international response to the COVID-19 pandemic, was asked by a reporter about the embassy’s reaction to the B.C. court ruling. Billion-dollar land deals in Ontario raise corruption suspicions “We have an independent judicial system that has rendered a judgment without any political interference,” said Trudeau.
“Obviously, there are a number of further legal steps available to Ms. Meng she will undoubtedly avail herself of, but the political side of our government has no interference in our judicial system.” Prime Minister Justin Trudeau emphasized Canada’s “independent judicial system” in the face of Chinese criticism over a B.C. judge’s decision to allow Huawei executive Meng Wanzhou’s extradition process to continue. One of those further legal steps is expected to involve court proceedings over the lawfulness of Meng’s arrest, which occurred Dec. 1, 2018 at Vancouver International Airport under the authority of a U.S. arrest warrant. Her lawyers have argued that border officials, the RCMP and the FBI violated Meng’s Charter rights when they conducted an investigation at the airport. Meng’s legal team is expected to appear in court in June to discuss next steps with her case. Trudeau also said Canada will continue to advocate for the release of Canadians Michael Kovrig and Michael Spavor, who were arrested in China in 2018 several days after Meng’s arrest, and have been detained since then. China denies their arrests were connected to Meng.
“I take this opportunity to thank the international community for standing so strongly with Canada in this situation. We will continue to defend our interests and our values,” said the prime minister. The Chinese Embassy’s statement Wednesday evening said the U.S. and Canada were “abusing their bilateral extradition treaty” and had “violated” Meng’s “lawful rights and interests” by “arbitrarily” taking measures against her. “The purpose of the United States is to bring down Huawei and other Chinese high-tech companies, and Canada has been acting in the process as an accomplice of the United States. The whole case is entirely a grave political incident,” the statement read.


nationalobserver--2020-05-29--Victoria, Vancouver harbours support federal cruise ban to slow COVID-19

Harbour authorities in Victoria and Vancouver say they support the Canadian government ’ s decision to ban large cruise ships through October , as Ottawa continues to restrict activities that could put people at risk of becoming infected with the coronavirus .
Cruise ships are a multimillion-dollar industry in British Columbia .
People who work at events , shops and restaurants near Canada Place in Vancouver , and at destinations like Fisherman ’ s Wharf in Victoria , are supported by the hundreds of thousands of cruise-ship passengers and crew who visit the two cities each summer .
But some @ @ @ @ @ @ @ early on .
The Public Health Agency of Canada began recommending against cruise-ship travel as far back as March 9 , saying viral infections can spread wherever large amounts of people gather indoors , in close proximity , over a long period .
On Friday , Transport Minister Marc Garneau announced that cruise ships with overnight accommodations that can carry more than 100 passengers and crew are banned from operating in Canadian waters “ until at least Oct. 31.
” Canada had already temporarily banned cruise ships carrying more than 500 people from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 1 , so Friday ’ s announcement tightens and lengthens that restriction .
• Ontario pushing through changes to tenancy law as crisis looms • Union fires back after Ford says long-term care inspectors refused to go into infected homes “ Keeping Canadians and transportation workers safe continues to be my top priority during the COVID-19 pandemic , ” Garneau said .
There is an exception for cruise ships passing through Canadian waters exercising their right of innocent passage .
Otherwise , failure to abide by the rules carries hefty financial penalties as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fines or jail time .
Undated photo of Canada Place cruise terminal at the Port of Vancouver .
Port of Vancouver photo Smaller cruise ships , and day cruises , are allowed to resume operations in non-Arctic waters starting July 1 , provided they are permitted to do so by provincial , regional and local health officials .
The Greater Victoria Harbour Authority said the cruise industry supports 800 jobs in Victoria and contributes more than $ 130 million each year to the economy in the region .
The industry provides 70 per @ @ @ @ @ @ @ revenues , it said , and helps support other operations .
Harbour authorities in Victoria and Vancouver say they support the Canadian government ’ s decision to ban large cruise ships through October , as Ottawa continues to restrict activities that could put people at risk of COVID-19 : Before the pandemic , Victoria had planned on welcoming 770,000 cruise-ship passengers between April and October , spread out over 300 port calls .
“ We support the decision by Transport Canada to suspend cruise for 2020 .
We look forward to the return @ @ @ @ @ @ @ measures during the 2021 season , ” it said in a statement .
“ Dozens of cruise-related small businesses and their staff members in Greater Victoria are deeply impacted by the loss of cruise this year ... without cruise revenues in 2020 , we will need to explore how we maintain these facilities for community use over the next several years.
” The Vancouver Fraser Port Authority has said each cruise-ship visit represents about $ 3.3 million in local economic impact .
More than 800,000 cruise passengers come through the Port of Vancouver @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Xotta , vice-president planning and operations , told Canada 's National Observer that the safety of passengers and guests who visit Canada Place was extremely important .
“ We will support and follow the direction of Transport Canada regarding changes to the upcoming cruise season in Canada , ” Xotta said .

Harbour authorities in Victoria and Vancouver say they support the Canadian government’s decision to ban large cruise ships through October, as Ottawa continues to restrict activities that could put people at risk of becoming infected with the coronavirus.
Cruise ships are a multimillion-dollar industry in British Columbia. People who work at events, shops and restaurants near Canada Place in Vancouver, and at destinations like Fisherman’s Wharf in Victoria, are supported by the hundreds of thousands of cruise-ship passengers and crew who visit the two cities each summer.
But some cruise ships became centres of COVID-19 outbreaks early on. The Public Health Agency of Canada began recommending against cruise-ship travel as far back as March 9, saying viral infections can spread wherever large amounts of people gather indoors, in close proximity, over a long period.
On Friday, Transport Minister Marc Garneau announced that cruise ships with overnight accommodations that can carry more than 100 passengers and crew are banned from operating in Canadian waters “until at least Oct. 31.”
Canada had already temporarily banned cruise ships carrying more than 500 people from docking at any Canadian port through July 1, so Friday’s announcement tightens and lengthens that restriction.