nationalobserver--2020-05-05--Murky mystery of COVID-19's origins takes back seat

Canada is keeping a safe distance — for now — from the theory that the COVID-19 outbreak began by accident in a virology laboratory in China — a narrative that 's gaining traction by the day , thanks to the White House , American intelligence agencies and media outlets friendly to President Donald Trump .
It will be important to one day learn the true origin story of the global pandemic to defend against similar outbreaks in the future , Health Minister Patty Hajdu acknowledged Monday .
But for now , she said , the federal government is focused the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` There will be time and a lot of interest and importance ( in understanding ) how this virus became prevalent in the human species , '' Hajdu told a news conference .
`` Although those questions are important , because they will help us prevent future outbreaks and understand what we can learn from this particular virus , what 's even more important right now is to stay focused on Canadians ' health and helping Canadians get through the outbreak that we 're in now . ''
The theory — that the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ facility at the Wuhan Institute of Virology , in the same city where the outbreak originated last December — has been making the rounds in blog posts , social-media missives and conspiracy-theory Reddit threads for months , long before COVID-19 became a household name .
But Trump , beset by electoral anxiety and his hot-and-cold relationship with China , has given it new life , aided by credulous media reports and an intelligence community now willing to give it credence , all at a time when clear answers about the worst global health @ @ @ @ @ @ @ short supply .
`` We 're going to be given a very strong report as to exactly what we think happened , and I think it 'll be very conclusive , '' Trump said Sunday during a Fox News town hall from the Lincoln Memorial .
`` My opinion is they made a mistake .
They tried to cover it .
They tried to put it out .
It 's like a fire .
You know , it 's really like trying to put out a fire .
They could n't put out @ @ @ @ @ @ @ day , Secretary of State Mike Pompeo was even more direct .
`` There 's enormous evidence that that 's where this began , '' Pompeo said in an interview on ABC 's politics show `` This Week . ''
`` While the intelligence community continues to do its work , they should continue to do that and verify so that we are certain .
I can tell you that there is a significant amount of evidence that this came from that laboratory in Wuhan . ''
Murky mystery of COVID-19 's origins @ @ @ @ @ @ @ crisis All of that followed a remarkable statement last week from the Office of the Director of National Intelligence , which said U.S. agencies were actively investigating `` whether the outbreak began through contact with infected animals or if it was the result of an accident at a laboratory in Wuhan . ''
It added , importantly : the U.S. agrees with the `` wide scientific consensus '' that the virus is neither man-made nor genetically modified .
Still , the notion of the lab being the source of the pandemic — a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ relative proximity to the so-called `` wet markets '' for food and animals long presumed to be ground zero — dovetails nicely with Trump 's blame-China narrative , which has been buttressed by credible reports that the country waited until it was too late to tell the world about the danger it faced .
Dr. Theresa Tam , Canada 's chief public health officer , said she 's not seen any specific evidence to point to the lab as the culprit , but she acknowledged the world has more questions than answers at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
`` I do n't think we 've seen any specific information to say this is a laboratory accident or release , but at the same time we do n't know the exact origins of this virus , '' Tam said .
Though the novel coronavirus is widely believed to have originated with bats , a different animal would likely have had to be involved as an `` intermediate host '' to allow the virus to jump to humans , she noted .
The identity of a likely host has n't been confirmed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ snakes as well as pangolins , scaly , nocturnal creatures that live in Asia and Africa .
`` The natural history , the evolution of the virus may be found in the upcoming months , but sometimes you may actually not find that until many months later . ''
A Fox News report Sunday , citing anonymous senior U.S. officials , pointed to a research dossier by the Five Eyes intelligence alliance — the U.S. , Canada , the U.K. , Australia and New Zealand — that accuses China of hiding or destroying @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of U.S. agencies believe the virus came from a lab .
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau , when asked whether Canada had formed an opinion based on what it has learned through the Five Eyes , demurred .

Canada is keeping a safe distance — for now — from the theory that the COVID-19 outbreak began by accident in a virology laboratory in China — a narrative that's gaining traction by the day, thanks to the White House, American intelligence agencies and media outlets friendly to President Donald Trump. It will be important to one day learn the true origin story of the global pandemic to defend against similar outbreaks in the future, Health Minister Patty Hajdu acknowledged Monday. But for now, she said, the federal government is focused the health and safety of its citizens. "There will be time and a lot of interest and importance (in understanding) how this virus became prevalent in the human species," Hajdu told a news conference. "Although those questions are important, because they will help us prevent future outbreaks and understand what we can learn from this particular virus, what's even more important right now is to stay focused on Canadians' health and helping Canadians get through the outbreak that we're in now."
The theory — that the virus came from a Level 4 microbiology facility at the Wuhan Institute of Virology, in the same city where the outbreak originated last December — has been making the rounds in blog posts, social-media missives and conspiracy-theory Reddit threads for months, long before COVID-19 became a household name. But Trump, beset by electoral anxiety and his hot-and-cold relationship with China, has given it new life, aided by credulous media reports and an intelligence community now willing to give it credence, all at a time when clear answers about the worst global health crisis in a century are in maddeningly short supply. Billion-dollar land deals in Ontario raise corruption suspicions "We're going to be given a very strong report as to exactly what we think happened, and I think it'll be very conclusive," Trump said Sunday during a Fox News town hall from the Lincoln Memorial.
"My opinion is they made a mistake. They tried to cover it. They tried to put it out. It's like a fire. You know, it's really like trying to put out a fire. They couldn't put out the fire." Murky mystery of COVID-19's origins takes back seat in Canada to easing crisis Earlier in the day, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo was even more direct. "There's enormous evidence that that's where this began," Pompeo said in an interview on ABC's politics show "This Week." "While the intelligence community continues to do its work, they should continue to do that and verify so that we are certain. I can tell you that there is a significant amount of evidence that this came from that laboratory in Wuhan." All of that followed a remarkable statement last week from the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, which said U.S. agencies were actively investigating "whether the outbreak began through contact with infected animals or if it was the result of an accident at a laboratory in Wuhan." It added, importantly: the U.S. agrees with the "wide scientific consensus" that the virus is neither man-made nor genetically modified.
Still, the notion of the lab being the source of the pandemic — a tempting one, given the lab's relative proximity to the so-called "wet markets" for food and animals long presumed to be ground zero — dovetails nicely with Trump's blame-China narrative, which has been buttressed by credible reports that the country waited until it was too late to tell the world about the danger it faced. Dr. Theresa Tam, Canada's chief public health officer, said she's not seen any specific evidence to point to the lab as the culprit, but she acknowledged the world has more questions than answers at this point about outbreak's true origins. "I don't think we've seen any specific information to say this is a laboratory accident or release, but at the same time we don't know the exact origins of this virus," Tam said.


nationalobserver--2020-05-06--Not just another statistic

Not just another statistic

Five women have gone missing in Lisa Kenoras ’ community in the past five years .
Kenoras , a 25-year-old woman from the Secwepemc Nation , said that she could have easily become “ one more missing Indigenous woman ” while working in man-camps across Alberta and British Columbia or during a long-term abusive relationship .
Kenoras was raised in a community of 6,000 people on unceded Secwepemc land in the Shuswap-North Okanagan region of B.C .
Five women , both Indigenous and non-Indigenous , have gone missing in her community in the past five years .
They include Caitlin @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ; Deanna Wertz ; and Traci Genereaux , an 18-year-old whose remains were found by police in 2017 .
“ I feel like there were many instances where my ancestors were protecting me , ” Kenoras said in an interview after the workshop at Open Space art gallery in Victoria on Febuary 17th .
“ I could have been that missing woman — I would have been just another missing woman in a camp , or just another young Indigenous girl beat up by her boyfriend.
” Instead , she decided to fight @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in Lkwungen territories , in Victoria in February .
The workshop was led by Shana Pasapa , a jiu-jitsu purple belt from the White Bear Nation in southeastern Saskatchewan .
Pasapa teaches practical self-defense and situational awareness to Indigenous women and girls through Power Our Women ( POW ) , a group she founded to address the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women ( MMIWG ) crisis .
After attending the workshop , Kenoras felt empowered to share her story , something she had never done before .
“ My dad and my grandmother @ @ @ @ @ @ @ played a big part in my childhood and the way I was raised .
I left home when I was 16 and ended up in a five-year abusive relationship , ” Kenoras said .
After escaping her abusive relationship , she worked as a hairdresser and then as a dishwasher in man camps across Alberta and B.C.
, where she said she regularly experienced harassment .
“ In those man camps , I was isolated .
I was the only young Indigenous female in a lot of places .
I would have men @ @ @ @ @ @ @ alcohol and drugs or follow me to the gym , ” she said .
“ The man camps just fed into my trauma.
” Kenoras ’ experiences speak to the high rates of violence Indigenous women experience in Canada .
Indigenous women and girls are 12 times more likely to go missing or be murdered than any other women in Canada .
The issue was recognized as a genocide by a national inquiry last year .
A 2016 report from Amnesty International found the influx of predominantly male temporary workers staying in man @ @ @ @ @ @ @ projects lead to higher rates of violence against Indigenous women .
The same findings were included in the national inquiry ’ s report .
“ You ’ re targeted if you ’ re Indigenous , you ’ re targeted if you ’ re female and you ’ re targeted if you ’ re both .
That ’ s the plain truth , ” Kenoras said , saying she could have easily been another statistic .
“ I shouldn ’ t have been here .
There are many women like me that don ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they can tell their story.
” Kenoras , now studying at the University of Victoria , found strength in reconnecting to her culture and advocating for missing Indigenous women .
After the POW workshop , she reflected on how the skills she attained could have helped her avoid the harmful situations she experienced as a young woman .
“ If I grew up with this , maybe some things wouldn ’ t have happened .
Maybe it would have helped train my mind and made me more aware of my reality .
Maybe @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the five-year abusive relationship I was in , ” she said .
Shana Pasapa started Power Our Women in 2016 to address her growing concern about the MMIWG crisis .
She wanted to share her knowledge with Indigenous women , girls and two-spirit community members , to better equip them for avoiding or escaping situations that result in violence .
She and her team have reached more than 5,000 women across Canada , including isolated communities in northern Manitoba .
“ I know that there have been many inquiries done , reports and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to speak , but I know a lot of them are still struggling , ” Pasapa said in a phone interview on Feb. 18 .
“ I know they ’ re still trying to search for their loved ones.
” Pasapa initially learned self-defence to stay healthy and protect herself and her two sons after experiencing racism , she said , echoing similar experiences that Kenoras faced .
“ There were a lot of things going on , like people following me .
There was a lot of racism and discrimination .
Random @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Indian ’ or ‘ squaw , ’ or things like that were everyday occurrences , ” Pasapa said .
“ My mom pushed me to learn some physical self-defence .
I ’ m honouring everything that she ’ s taught me so far through Power Our Women.
” She grew up watching her brother and stepfather prepare for mixed-martial-arts fights , so it wasn ’ t a culture shock when she first entered the gym .
In the beginning , she was intimidated by the male-dominated atmosphere , but she had great coaches @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , she said .
She trained in mixed martial arts , Muay Thai and jiu-jitsu .
She earned her jiu-jitsu purple belt and competed at a high level before teaching self-defence to other Indigenous women .
Pasapa ’ s workshops are grounded in the reality that Indigenous women in Canada face much higher risks of violence and sexual assault .
She also incorporates cultural teachings , including body-awareness knowledge passed on to her from her uncle , a hunter .
Living off the land and learning how to watch the animals in order @ @ @ @ @ @ @ body awareness , knowledge that is useful for self-defence , she said .
“ People relate self-defence to that movie-type , choreographed martial-arts style and that ’ s not what I want self-defence to be .
My definition is : body awareness , preparedness and listening to your inner gut , ” Pasapa said .
“ When I teach my classes , I want them to be effective and something that , if I was in that situation , I could actually use.
” The workshops are designed to help women escape realistic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ their arm or pinning them against a wall .
Lisa Kenoras felt that the workshops were helpful , but difficult .
 “ When I was in some of the positions , I was triggered , but at the same time , it was healing .
It was healing for me to be able to relive that but in a way that I felt protected , knowing that the person who was helping me train was there out of love , to help me , ” Kenoras said .
“ The mentality that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ you ’ re there , you ’ re present , you ’ re aware .
It opened my eyes and made me really inspired to know that there are strong Indigenous matriarchs that want to see other women rise , ” Kenoras said .
“ Seeing role models like that — women I wish I saw when I was a little girl , knowing that I want to be in that spot — seeing that leadership in front of me was huge.
” The February POW workshop created a safe space for Indigenous @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to share their survival stories and learn how to avoid or escape harmful situations .
Several participants said they have felt more unsafe in recent months because of how Indigenous land-defence efforts in solidarity with Wet ’ suwet ’ en have been portrayed in the media .
“ This workshop today came at a perfect time because some of us are feeling really unsafe based on what the media has put out there .
They ’ re portraying us as violent Indigenous people who incited violence and encourage violence when that ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ In fact , I witnessed the opposite , I witnessed an elder matriarch get pushed and shoved by a politician , ” said Tsisto , a woman from the Kanien ’ kehá ’ ka ( Mohawk ) Nation , describing when she and other Indigenous youth occupied the Victoria legislature in February to support the efforts of the Wet ’ suwet ’ en hereditary chiefs .
To protect her safety , Tsisto asked that we not print her second name .
“ We ’ re scared that our pictures are all over the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ want to harm us or verbally abuse us .
To come here today and learn how to protect ourselves is so important and really coincides well with the events that have been occurring not just in Victoria , but across Canada , ” she said .
Pasapa is currently developing a teacher training program to bring self-defence skills to more women and girls .
While her workshops are designed for women , Pasapa said there needs to be more awareness about the high numbers of missing and murdered Indigenous men .
“ I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ woman go missing in my family , but I can speak to having seven murdered men in my family , and that ’ s just in the last two generations , ” Pasapa said .
“ My two brothers were killed in the same year and my grandfather was killed before my mom was even born .
These were the men that were around to protect their family.
” She also works with remote communities to develop crisis-response plans in areas where children or women are at higher risk of being abducted .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ parks and daycare centres in Indigenous communities , she said .
While visiting for a POW workshop , she makes sure to ask community leaders if the children know what to do if a stranger approaches them .
“ I like to make them think about the worst possible situation because that ’ s what you ’ ve got to do .
Then they can start making emergency-preparedness plans or community-protection plans , ” she said .
Pasapa always reminds Indigenous communities they are resilient , and encourages women and girls to connect @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ I like to tell people that their strength and resilience is already rooted in their community — that they come from a great line of powerful women and powerful men and it ’ s rooted here already , ” she said .

Five women have gone missing in Lisa Kenoras’ community in the past five years.
Kenoras, a 25-year-old woman from the Secwepemc Nation, said that she could have easily become “one more missing Indigenous woman” while working in man-camps across Alberta and British Columbia or during a long-term abusive relationship.
Kenoras was raised in a community of 6,000 people on unceded Secwepemc land in the Shuswap-North Okanagan region of B.C. Five women, both Indigenous and non-Indigenous, have gone missing in her community in the past five years. They include Caitlin Potts; Ashley Simpson; Nicole Bell; Deanna Wertz; and Traci Genereaux, an 18-year-old whose remains were found by police in 2017.
“I feel like there were many instances where my ancestors were protecting me,” Kenoras said in an interview after the workshop at Open Space art gallery in Victoria on Febuary 17th. “I could have been that missing woman — I would have been just another missing woman in a camp, or just another young Indigenous girl beat up by her boyfriend.”
Instead, she decided to fight back.
Kenoras attended a self-defence workshop in Lkwungen territories, in Victoria in February. The workshop was led by Shana Pasapa, a jiu-jitsu purple belt from the White Bear Nation in southeastern Saskatchewan. Pasapa teaches practical self-defense and situational awareness to Indigenous women and girls through Power Our Women (POW), a group she founded to address the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women (MMIWG) crisis.
After attending the workshop, Kenoras felt empowered to share her story, something she had never done before.
“My dad and my grandmother went to residential school, and that played a big part in my childhood and the way I was raised. I left home when I was 16 and ended up in a five-year abusive relationship,” Kenoras said.
After escaping her abusive relationship, she worked as a hairdresser and then as a dishwasher in man camps across Alberta and B.C., where she said she regularly experienced harassment.
“In those man camps, I was isolated. I was the only young Indigenous female in a lot of places. I would have men follow me, trying to offer me alcohol and drugs or follow me to the gym,” she said.
“The man camps just fed into my trauma.”
Kenoras’ experiences speak to the high rates of violence Indigenous women experience in Canada. Indigenous women and girls are 12 times more likely to go missing or be murdered than any other women in Canada. The issue was recognized as a genocide by a national inquiry last year.
The connection between resource-extraction projects and violence against Indigenous women has also been well-documented, both in the United States and in Canada.
A 2016 report from Amnesty International found the influx of predominantly male temporary workers staying in man camps while building pipelines or other industrial projects lead to higher rates of violence against Indigenous women. The same findings were included in the national inquiry’s report.
“You’re targeted if you’re Indigenous, you’re targeted if you’re female and you’re targeted if you’re both. That’s the plain truth,” Kenoras said, saying she could have easily been another statistic. “I shouldn’t have been here. There are many women like me that don’t make it to a place where they can tell their story.”
Kenoras, now studying at the University of Victoria, found strength in reconnecting to her culture and advocating for missing Indigenous women. After the POW workshop, she reflected on how the skills she attained could have helped her avoid the harmful situations she experienced as a young woman.
“If I grew up with this, maybe some things wouldn’t have happened. Maybe it would have helped train my mind and made me more aware of my reality. Maybe I wouldn’t have stayed in the five-year abusive relationship I was in,” she said.
A pathway to prevention and healing
Shana Pasapa started Power Our Women in 2016 to address her growing concern about the MMIWG crisis. She wanted to share her knowledge with Indigenous women, girls and two-spirit community members, to better equip them for avoiding or escaping situations that result in violence. She and her team have reached more than 5,000 women across Canada, including isolated communities in northern Manitoba.
“I know that there have been many inquiries done, reports and meetings and sessions and opportunities for families to speak, but I know a lot of them are still struggling,” Pasapa said in a phone interview on Feb. 18. “I know they’re still trying to search for their loved ones.”
Pasapa initially learned self-defence to stay healthy and protect herself and her two sons after experiencing racism, she said, echoing similar experiences that Kenoras faced.
“There were a lot of things going on, like people following me. There was a lot of racism and discrimination. Random vehicles driving by and yelling ‘f***ing Indian’ or ‘squaw,’ or things like that were everyday occurrences,” Pasapa said. “My mom pushed me to learn some physical self-defence. I’m honouring everything that she’s taught me so far through Power Our Women.”
She grew up watching her brother and stepfather prepare for mixed-martial-arts fights, so it wasn’t a culture shock when she first entered the gym. In the beginning, she was intimidated by the male-dominated atmosphere, but she had great coaches who made her feel like she belonged, she said.
She trained in mixed martial arts, Muay Thai and jiu-jitsu. She earned her jiu-jitsu purple belt and competed at a high level before teaching self-defence to other Indigenous women.
Pasapa’s workshops are grounded in the reality that Indigenous women in Canada face much higher risks of violence and sexual assault. She also incorporates cultural teachings, including body-awareness knowledge passed on to her from her uncle, a hunter. Living off the land and learning how to watch the animals in order to provide for the community requires heightened body awareness, knowledge that is useful for self-defence, she said.
“People relate self-defence to that movie-type, choreographed martial-arts style and that’s not what I want self-defence to be. My definition is: body awareness, preparedness and listening to your inner gut,” Pasapa said.
“When I teach my classes, I want them to be effective and something that, if I was in that situation, I could actually use.”
The workshops are designed to help women escape realistic scenarios, such as an attacker grabbing their arm or pinning them against a wall. Lisa Kenoras felt that the workshops were helpful, but difficult.
31 year-old Shana Pasapa, founder and CEO of Power Our Women, says she strives to live each day in honour of her spirit and her voice so that she may fulfill her purpose to help people see the power they already have inside them. Photo by Jamie Woytiuk Power Our Women offer self-defence, bully management, situational awareness, confidence building, fitness and nutrition training and workshops across Canada. Photo by Jamie Woytiuk
“When I was in some of the positions, I was triggered, but at the same time, it was healing. It was healing for me to be able to relive that but in a way that I felt protected, knowing that the person who was helping me train was there out of love, to help me,” Kenoras said.
The classes address the mental, spiritual, cultural and emotional components of self-defence as well.
“The mentality that comes with this training is sharp — you’re there, you’re present, you’re aware. It opened my eyes and made me really inspired to know that there are strong Indigenous matriarchs that want to see other women rise,” Kenoras said.
“Seeing role models like that — women I wish I saw when I was a little girl, knowing that I want to be in that spot — seeing that leadership in front of me was huge.”
The February POW workshop created a safe space for Indigenous women, girls and two-spirit community members to share their survival stories and learn how to avoid or escape harmful situations. Several participants said they have felt more unsafe in recent months because of how Indigenous land-defence efforts in solidarity with Wet’suwet’en have been portrayed in the media.
“This workshop today came at a perfect time because some of us are feeling really unsafe based on what the media has put out there. They’re portraying us as violent Indigenous people who incited violence and encourage violence when that’s not what we did at all. In fact, I witnessed the opposite, I witnessed an elder matriarch get pushed and shoved by a politician,” said Tsisto, a woman from the Kanien’kehá’ka (Mohawk) Nation, describing when she and other Indigenous youth occupied the Victoria legislature in February to support the efforts of the Wet’suwet’en hereditary chiefs.
To protect her safety, Tsisto asked that we not print her second name.
“We’re scared that our pictures are all over the place and people will recognize us and want to harm us or verbally abuse us. To come here today and learn how to protect ourselves is so important and really coincides well with the events that have been occurring not just in Victoria, but across Canada,” she said.
Pasapa is currently developing a teacher training program to bring self-defence skills to more women and girls. While her workshops are designed for women, Pasapa said there needs to be more awareness about the high numbers of missing and murdered Indigenous men.
“I can’t speak to having a woman go missing in my family, but I can speak to having seven murdered men in my family, and that’s just in the last two generations,” Pasapa said. “My two brothers were killed in the same year and my grandfather was killed before my mom was even born. These were the men that were around to protect their family.”
She also works with remote communities to develop crisis-response plans in areas where children or women are at higher risk of being abducted. Many highways and main roads pass through parks and daycare centres in Indigenous communities, she said. While visiting for a POW workshop, she makes sure to ask community leaders if the children know what to do if a stranger approaches them.
“I like to make them think about the worst possible situation because that’s what you’ve got to do. Then they can start making emergency-preparedness plans or community-protection plans,” she said.
Pasapa always reminds Indigenous communities they are resilient, and encourages women and girls to connect with their inner strength, she said.
“I like to tell people that their strength and resilience is already rooted in their community — that they come from a great line of powerful women and powerful men and it’s rooted here already,” she said.


nationalobserver--2020-05-07--Virtual mental health care expands amid pandemic as Ottawa pledges funds

The provision of virtual care for mental health is expanding rapidly in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic , which has increased the stress of daily life and has made in-person connection to deal with it much more difficult .
Advocates and practitioners say they hope and expect the crisis response can evolve into a more flexible way of providing mental health care even after social-distancing restrictions are lifted .
At Toronto ’ s Centre for Addiction and Mental Health ( CAMH ) , some 3,000 virtual care visits were done in April — roughly the same amount it saw @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s changing the nature of care , ” said Dr. Allison Crawford , who leads the centre ’ s virtual care operations .
“ This innovation curve is a positive outcome , one positive outcome out of a very difficult experience , and it ’ s really enabling us to get everyone on board and trial new modalities of care more broadly.
” While virtual care only accounted for a fifth of the roughly 15,000 in-person visits CAMH typically receives each month ( the centre ’ s staff donned personal protective equipment @ @ @ @ @ @ @ month ) , further expansion is planned .
Crawford said virtual versions of its in-person group therapy — cancelled since the pandemic — would come online within weeks and the centre now has 400 practitioners trained in virtual care compared to just 50 before the pandemic .
Dr. Allison Crawford hopes the pandemic prompts a wider adoption of virtual technologies to address mental health challenges .
Photo supplied by Dr. Allison Crawford Young people likely to benefit from more virtual care The transformation could prove especially useful for young people , who are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and want digital solutions to a range of pressing health and well-being needs , according to Dr. Joanna Henderson , the director of CAMH ’ s Margaret and Wallace McCain Centre for Child , Youth & Family Mental Health .
She said the broader health-care system ’ s rapid response to the pandemic shows how digital technology could improve youth mental health care over the longer term .
The COVID-19 pandemic has increased society 's stress levels and reduced people 's ability to connect in-person with mental health professionals .
So a leading @ @ @ @ @ @ @ virtual services it expects will last Henderson , who is also executive director of Youth Wellness Ontario , said young people want virtual care to go beyond online video therapy sessions to include things like chat groups and connection with peer support workers , which doesn ’ t always need to involve live interaction .
Young people also want services to be available when they need the support , including in the evenings and on weekends , she said , adding they also tell her they want more walk-in services and to not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in order to access services to deal with acute stressors , such as exams or a breakup .
“ What is really intriguing and exciting about the capacity of a virtual platform is to really think about how to capture that integrated approach and allow young people to be their whole self in that space and get what they need across these different parts of their life , ” she said .
She said the multiple overlapping ways COVID-19 is disrupting daily life show mental health care should also be more expansive .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ to extend beyond anxiety and depression to take into consideration economic concerns , delays around education , implications for intimate partner relationships ?
” she said .
A study done by CAMH and the Institute for Clinical Evaluative Sciences released in March showed that 97 per cent of Ontarians with urgent mental health needs were unable to access publicly funded physician psychotherapy .
“ The need for innovations in mental health to improve access and quality of care is urgent , ” the study ’ s lead author Dr. Paul Kurdyak said at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pandemic shut down much of Canada ’ s economy have shown stress and anxiety have spiked for many people .
Half of the more than 1,900 Canadians polled by Angus Reid said that their mental health has worsened in recent weeks , including 24 per cent who said their financial situation had not deteriorated .
A Nanos Research poll conducted on behalf of the Mental Health Commission of Canada ( MHCC ) ( PDF link here ) found nearly 40 per cent of more than 1,000 people polled reported their mental health had @ @ @ @ @ @ @ than three in four had almost never or never sought mental health information online in the past month .
The expansion of online services in the face of the pandemic has the backing of both the federal and Ontario governments , which early on allowed clinicians to bill the provincial healthcare system for services delivered remotely .
“ If we can use apps to order dinner and video chats to stay in touch with family , we can use new technology to keep each other healthy , ” Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to expand online health care .
Ottawa last month launched an online portal , Wellness Together Canada , to connect people in crisis who register to free support .
On Tuesday , the Ford government said it was launching an online Cognitive Behavioural Therapy ( iCBT ) program at no out-of-pocket cost to Ontarians , part of a $ 12-million emergency mental health fund .
Both Henderson and Crawford said that while virtual care can improve access to mental health care for people with children , as well as those with mobility issues @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pass by those with poor or non-existent internet connections or who can not access a device .
They and other health-care professionals also noted that ensuring the privacy and confidentiality of patients remained a concern .
Video of Dr. Keith Dobson talks about virtual mental healthcare and the COVID-19 pandemic Dr. Keith Dobson , a University of Calgary professor of clinical psychology discusses the pros and cons of virtual mental healthcare Virtual care is not a panacea for other reasons , according to Dr. Keith Dobson , a professor of clinical psychology at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ virtual care is less than ideal for helping those at risk of hurting themselves , people with eating disorders , and those with anxiety that may manifest in shaking or other visual cues .
The act of having to come in for an appointment can itself be therapeutic for someone who presents with avoidance as part of their social anxiety or depression , he said .
Dobson also said it might prove difficult to transfer group therapies to virtual delivery , including family therapy , where the clients would all be in one @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ From a clinician ’ s perspective , we feel there are many things we feel we don ’ t get out of a distance relationship ; we can ’ t see all the body dynamics , ” he said .
Still , he said that while the shift online may abate somewhat after the crisis , the trend is likely here to stay .
“ My prediction is that we ’ ll see something of a movement back towards face-to-face therapies , ” he said .
“ My suspicion is that most @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at least once , perhaps during the informed consent process and during the assessment ... but that as the care moves it along , it might be quite possible to move towards more distance therapy.
” “ The question has always been : How are we going to implement it and who ’ s going to fund it ?
And now that there is a funding mechanism and a real need to develop these services , my guess is we ’ re going to be doing that development work ... my prediction is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to do it this way , we ’ ll continue anyway because we ’ ll find that it is effective for many people .
”

The provision of virtual care for mental health is expanding rapidly in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic, which has increased the stress of daily life and has made in-person connection to deal with it much more difficult. Advocates and practitioners say they hope and expect the crisis response can evolve into a more flexible way of providing mental health care even after social-distancing restrictions are lifted. At Toronto’s Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH), some 3,000 virtual care visits were done in April — roughly the same amount it saw for all of 2019. “It’s changing the nature of care,” said Dr. Allison Crawford, who leads the centre’s virtual care operations. “This innovation curve is a positive outcome, one positive outcome out of a very difficult experience, and it’s really enabling us to get everyone on board and trial new modalities of care more broadly.” While virtual care only accounted for a fifth of the roughly 15,000 in-person visits CAMH typically receives each month (the centre’s staff donned personal protective equipment to conduct another 3,000 urgent visits last month), further expansion is planned.
Crawford said virtual versions of its in-person group therapy — cancelled since the pandemic — would come online within weeks and the centre now has 400 practitioners trained in virtual care compared to just 50 before the pandemic. Dr. Allison Crawford hopes the pandemic prompts a wider adoption of virtual technologies to address mental health challenges. Photo supplied by Dr. Allison Crawford
Young people likely to benefit from more virtual care The transformation could prove especially useful for young people, who are broadly underserved by existing mental health services and want digital solutions to a range of pressing health and well-being needs, according to Dr. Joanna Henderson, the director of CAMH’s Margaret and Wallace McCain Centre for Child, Youth & Family Mental Health. The COVID-19 pandemic has increased society's stress levels and reduced people's ability to connect in-person with mental health professionals. So a leading Toronto provider is leaning much more on virtual services it expects will last She said the broader health-care system’s rapid response to the pandemic shows how digital technology could improve youth mental health care over the longer term. Henderson, who is also executive director of Youth Wellness Ontario, said young people want virtual care to go beyond online video therapy sessions to include things like chat groups and connection with peer support workers, which doesn’t always need to involve live interaction. Young people also want services to be available when they need the support, including in the evenings and on weekends, she said, adding they also tell her they want more walk-in services and to not have to retell their whole life story in order to access services to deal with acute stressors, such as exams or a breakup.
“What is really intriguing and exciting about the capacity of a virtual platform is to really think about how to capture that integrated approach and allow young people to be their whole self in that space and get what they need across these different parts of their life,” she said. She said the multiple overlapping ways COVID-19 is disrupting daily life show mental health care should also be more expansive. “How do we redefine mental health to extend beyond anxiety and depression to take into consideration economic concerns, delays around education, implications for intimate partner relationships?” she said.


nationalobserver--2020-05-07--COVID-19 has forced us to address who we are

A chain-smoker develops pneumonia and nearly dies — and quits smoking .
An alcoholic is informed by his family they ’ re leaving — and sobers up .
It is well-recognized that a sudden , unexpected shock — frequently painful — can terminate a long and apparently unshakable pattern of self-destruction .
Dragged out of its usual wild host species , COVID-19 has shocked humankind into massive , unprecedented change .
A tiny virus , barely 1/500th the diameter of a human hair , has done something no political figure , leading scientist or powerful social leader has been able @ @ @ @ @ @ @ if sustained , could save us and the planet from untold further suffering .
It has compelled us to openly and selflessly care for one another , across every traditional barrier of race , colour , age , ethnicity , wealth , language , culture and social station .
It has made us reduce greenhouse gas emissions dramatically , almost overnight .
It has slowed our reckless and relentless consumption of the planet ’ s resources to a trickle .
It has made us radically curtail the extraction , processing and combustion of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ quality everywhere , allowing people to breathe more easily and see the world around them , clear and bright .
`` A tiny virus , barely 1/500th the diameter of a human hair , has done something no political figure , leading scientist or powerful social leader has been able to accomplish . ''
It has induced scientists , political leaders and business figures around the world to altruistically co-operate and collaborate .
It has made us set aside petty rivalries , partisan politics and narrow self-interest in favour of elaborating on common @ @ @ @ @ @ @ led us to endless acts of kindness , creativity , generosity and selflessness .
COVID-19 has made us think As we stay home , avoid crowds , wash hands , wear masks and avoid touching one another — challenging steps that protect our own health and , critically , the health of others — we have begun reflecting on who we are , what we have been doing in our world and why we have been doing it .
Most of us know we ’ re heating up the planet , melting polar @ @ @ @ @ @ @ wildfires , droughts and extreme weather events .
Most of us know of the tsunami of plastic filling landfills and accumulating in vast swathes in the ocean , inflicting agonizing death on sea life .
Everyone in a big city has breathed in dirty air , knowing it will harm their health .
Many have read the detailed accounts from the scientific and health communities spelling out the harms of air pollution , water pollution , greenhouse gases and especially radically unsustainable overconsumption of Earth ’ s vast store of beneficent riches .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ addiction — not just to fossil fuels or plastic , but to the delusion the planet is our plaything .
We have expanded our species ’ influence on Earth ’ s metabolism , fantasizing irrationally that we can always make it right , tuning out warnings of “ tipping points ” and ecosystems in “ irreversible decline.
” We fly anywhere on a whim , shop as entertainment , intrude into any space we want , eat as much as we can of anything we like and amuse ourselves with any pastime — @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the effects on others and our planetary home .
Now , a 120-nanometre virus , impartially inflicting disease and death on humanity , has spoken with a voice of thunder .
Its message ?
Invade Earth ’ s spaces with your structures , your activities and your pleasures , and you will pay a price .
Act irresponsibly and heedlessly , and you will bring suffering on yourselves , and on your children , and on your children ’ s children .
This tiny microbe has inspired the most profoundly positive aspect of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and for our planetary home .
It has also triggered false steps — throwbacks to our old addiction to irresponsible selfishness .
It has gifted us with a lesson , and a choice .
There is only one right answer .

A chain-smoker develops pneumonia and nearly dies — and quits smoking. An alcoholic is informed by his family they’re leaving — and sobers up. It is well-recognized that a sudden, unexpected shock — frequently painful — can terminate a long and apparently unshakable pattern of self-destruction. Dragged out of its usual wild host species, COVID-19 has shocked humankind into massive, unprecedented change. A tiny virus, barely 1/500th the diameter of a human hair, has done something no political figure, leading scientist or powerful social leader has been able to accomplish, precipitating conduct that, if sustained, could save us and the planet from untold further suffering.
What COVID-19 has done It has compelled us to openly and selflessly care for one another, across every traditional barrier of race, colour, age, ethnicity, wealth, language, culture and social station. Billion-dollar land deals in Ontario raise corruption suspicions It has made us reduce greenhouse gas emissions dramatically, almost overnight.
It has slowed our reckless and relentless consumption of the planet’s resources to a trickle. "A tiny virus, barely 1/500th the diameter of a human hair, has done something no political figure, leading scientist or powerful social leader has been able to accomplish." It has made us radically curtail the extraction, processing and combustion of fossil fuels. It has improved air quality everywhere, allowing people to breathe more easily and see the world around them, clear and bright. It has induced scientists, political leaders and business figures around the world to altruistically co-operate and collaborate. It has made us set aside petty rivalries, partisan politics and narrow self-interest in favour of elaborating on common solutions that benefit everyone.
It has led us to endless acts of kindness, creativity, generosity and selflessness. COVID-19 has made us think As we stay home, avoid crowds, wash hands, wear masks and avoid touching one another — challenging steps that protect our own health and, critically, the health of others — we have begun reflecting on who we are, what we have been doing in our world and why we have been doing it.


nationalobserver--2020-05-07--Ontario's purchase of natural gas plants will cost ratepayers and the environment, critics say

Ontario ’ s decision to spend $ 2.8 billion to buy natural gas plants during the climate crisis will hinder the province 's climate goals and dent ratepayers ’ wallets , critics and green advocates say .
Ontario Power Generation ( OPG ) , which is owned by the provincial government , finalized a deal on April 29 to buy three natural gas assets from TC Energy , formerly known as TransCanada .
But natural gas-fired power is more expensive than green alternatives , and relying on fossil fuels for electricity threatens to erase Ontario ’ s climate progress , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Peter Tabuns .
“ Why you would spend almost $ 3 billon buying fossil fuel plants in the 21st century during the climate crisis is beyond me , ” he said .
“ It ’ s a big step backwards into the past.
” OPG is a provincial Crown corporation — meaning it operates at arms-length from the government based on government policies — that generates 40 per cent of the electricity used in Ontario .
The gas plant sale , done through OPG sudsidiary Atura Power , was first announced in July @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Conservative government has spent $ 231 million so far to cancel some 750 renewable energy projects , most of which went to the axed White Pines wind farm project in Milford , Ont .
That total may eventually rise — in December , Premier Doug Ford ’ s government ordered the partially built Nation Rise wind farm to be cancelled and taken down , with the company behind it losing $ 230 million in sunk costs .
( The company , EDP Renewables , has launched a court challenge of the decision .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ an offer from Quebec to provide it with a long-term supply of cheap hydroelectric power .
And greenhouse gas emissions from electricity generation in Ontario are set to nearly triple over the next decade as natural gas is increasingly used to make up for green energy cuts and planned nuclear refurbishment , the Independent Electricity Systems Operator ( IESO ) , which operates Ontario ’ s energy market , said in January .
That could erase a third of the emissions cuts Ontario achieved when it phased out coal , said Jack Gibbons @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Alliance .
It would also make it nearly impossible for Ontario to achieve its climate goals .
“ This is a very bad investment , both from an economic perspective and climate perspective , ” Gibbons said .
“ It ’ s a waste of $ 2.8 billion.
” In an emailed statement , OPG spokesperson Neal Kelly said the province was already using the natural gas-fired plants , and owning them puts the province in a better position .
He also said natural gas gives the energy grid flexibility and reliability .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ existing natural gas plants to a different owner , which benefits the province and customers , ” Kelly said .
“ The GHG emissions will not change , regardless of who owns the facility.
” Jack Gibbons , chair of the Ontario Clean Air Alliance , said OPG 's natural gas plant purchase will make it nearly impossible for the province to reach its climate goals .
Photo courtesy of Clean Air Alliance 'Why does TC Energy want to sell them ? '
Ontario Green party Leader Mike Schreiner said it ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to push forward with natural gas .
Critics and green advocates say Ontario Power Generation 's purchase of three natural gas assets from TC Energy will not only make it difficult for Ontario to meet its climate targets , it will also hurt ratepayers ' wallets .
# onpoli “ Ontario is getting further away from its climate targets because this government continues to rip up clean energy projects and ramp up dirty ones , ” he said in a statement .
Others say gas plants are necessary .
IESO spokesperson John Cannella @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Observer that the province needs a mix of several electricity sources .
“ Wind and solar are intermittent sources of power , producing energy depending on how strong the wind blows and how bright the sun shines , ” he said .
“ When they aren ’ t able to generate the power needed because of changes in weather or other system conditions , natural gas is one of the flexible resources that can respond to those changing conditions and ramp up production to help address any gaps on the system.
” Sydney @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Greg Rickford , did not answer a question about why natural gas is a better choice than Quebec hydro .
But in an email , she said natural gas gives the grid a reliable power supply .
“ In comparison to alternative choices ( e.g.
, renewables , imports ) , natural gas generation provides the needed flexibility to respond to changing conditions in the power system , ” Stonier said .
Sarah Buchanan , who manages the clean energy program at Environmental Defence , said hydro power from Quebec would be a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the same thing .
The gas plants also represent a risky investment in a time where many countries , Canada included , have announced plans to shift towards a low-carbon future , she added .
“ Ratepayers now own what could become stranded assets , ” she said .
“ You ’ ve got to ask the question : Why does TC Energy want to sell them ?
” In its statement announcing the deal had been finalized , TC Energy said the transaction would leave the company in a better financial position @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have sounded alarms about the increasing risk that natural gas plants may need to be written down before their planned lifetimes are over as more jurisdictions push for clean energy options .
And in 2017 , the Sierra Club called gas plants a “ superhighway to climate disaster.
” A spokesperson for Ontario Minister of Energy Greg Rickford , pictured in May 2019 , says natural gas makes the energy grid more reliable .
File photo by Tijana Martin OPG ’ s deal with TC Energy includes three plants — one outside of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Napanee , Ont.
, and a third , which OPG already owned 50 per cent of , in Toronto ’ s Port Lands .
OPG previously closed a deal for a fourth gas plant , in the Brighton Beach area of Windsor , Ont.
, in August 2019 .
The Napanee facility has a history in Ontario politics : It was a central piece of the previous Liberal government ’ s gas plants scandal , which cost the province about $ 1 billion .
Before the 2011 provincial election , the government in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ plants that had faced local opposition in ridings the Liberals needed to win to remain in power .
One of those plants was a TC Energy facility in Oakville ; the government had to take on the added costs of moving that plant to Napanee .
In the end , the government had to pay not only for costs sunk in the original two plants and the cost of relocating them , but also for transmitting that electricity back to Toronto .
Tabuns said OPG ’ s purchase is similarly bad for Ontario @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to shut down conservation programs and to buy $ 3 billion of fossil fuel power plants shows this government has no interest in addressing the climate crisis , ” Tabuns said .
“ That ’ s not what the future is . ''

Ontario’s decision to spend $2.8 billion to buy natural gas plants during the climate crisis will hinder the province's climate goals and dent ratepayers’ wallets, critics and green advocates say. Ontario Power Generation (OPG), which is owned by the provincial government, finalized a deal on April 29 to buy three natural gas assets from TC Energy, formerly known as TransCanada. But natural gas-fired power is more expensive than green alternatives, and relying on fossil fuels for electricity threatens to erase Ontario’s climate progress, said NDP energy and climate crisis critic Peter Tabuns. “Why you would spend almost $3 billon buying fossil fuel plants in the 21st century during the climate crisis is beyond me,” he said. “It’s a big step backwards into the past.” OPG is a for-profit business entity owned by the government that generates 50 per cent of the electricity used in Ontario. The gas plant sale, done through OPG sudsidiary Atura Power, was first announced in July but finalized last week. The Progressive Conservative government has spent $231 million so far to cancel some 750 renewable energy projects, most of which went to the axed White Pines wind farm project in Milford, Ont. That total may eventually rise — in December, Premier Doug Ford’s government ordered the partially built Nation Rise wind farm to be cancelled and taken down, with the company behind it losing $230 million in sunk costs. (The company, EDP Renewables, has launched a court challenge of the decision.)
Meanwhile, the government has rebuffed an offer from Quebec to provide it with a long-term supply of cheap hydroelectric power. And greenhouse gas emissions from electricity generation in Ontario are set to nearly triple over the next decade as natural gas is increasingly used to make up for green energy cuts and planned nuclear refurbishment, the Independent Electricity Systems Operator (IESO), which operates Ontario’s energy market, said in January. That could erase a third of the emissions cuts Ontario achieved when it phased out coal, said Jack Gibbons, chair of the Ontario Clean Air Alliance. It would also make it nearly impossible for Ontario to achieve its climate goals. Billion-dollar land deals in Ontario raise corruption suspicions “This is a very bad investment, both from an economic perspective and climate perspective,” Gibbons said. “It’s a waste of $2.8 billion.”
In an emailed statement, OPG spokesperson Neal Kelly said the province was already using the natural gas-fired plants, and owning them puts the province in a better position. He also said natural gas gives the energy grid flexibility and reliability. Critics and green advocates say Ontario Power Generation's purchase of three natural gas assets from TC Energy will not only make it difficult for Ontario to meet its climate targets, it will also hurt ratepayers' wallets. #onpoli “This is simply a transfer of existing natural gas plants to a different owner, which benefits the province and customers,” Kelly said. “The GHG emissions will not change, regardless of who owns the facility.” Jack Gibbons, chair of the Ontario Clean Air Alliance, said OPG's natural gas plant purchase will make it nearly impossible for the province to reach its climate goals. Photo courtesy of Clean Air Alliance 'Why does TC Energy want to sell them?' Ontario Green party Leader Mike Schreiner said it’s “economically risky and environmentally irresponsible” to push forward with natural gas.
“Ontario is getting further away from its climate targets because this government continues to rip up clean energy projects and ramp up dirty ones,” he said in a statement. Others say gas plants are necessary. IESO spokesperson John Cannella said in an emailed response to National Observer that the province needs a mix of several electricity sources. “Wind and solar are intermittent sources of power, producing energy depending on how strong the wind blows and how bright the sun shines,” he said.


nationalobserver--2020-05-07--Flipping the switch on a better future in Canada

The pandemic has revealed much that was fragile and dangerous in the old “ normal ” most took for granted only a few short weeks ago .
The silver lining , if there is one , is laying bare so much we need to do , and why prompt action is critical .
For the accelerating climate crisis , COVID-19 offers so many lessons it is hard to digest them all .
One is the financial shock to oil-industry lenders and investors , who kept thinking growth would follow growth .
Now that the energy sector ’ s share of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ collapsed 80 per cent in a decade , the oil industry has gone from the mainstream to the fringes of investors ’ portfolios with remarkable speed .
With renewed attention to public health , we should see less tolerance for the air pollution that comes from fossil fuels .
It is clearer than ever a secure-energy future , clean air and stable climate are based on energy conservation and low-carbon electricity .
For an increasing number of people , low-carbon electricity is also the cheapest electricity .
For example , Berkshire Hathaway reports @ @ @ @ @ @ @ their Iowa customers from wind allows them to charge electricity rates 70 per cent less than the competing , fossil-based utility .
Canada could be a powerhouse in this future , and could offer energy investors large opportunities for low-carbon capital deployment .
We have many advantages , including enormous hydropower , wind , nuclear and solar resources .
But Canadian power systems are decentralized , inconsistent and poorly connected , just when they most require co-ordination .
No major Canadian product has more widely varying prices than electricity : from 7.3 cents @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in Saskatchewan .
Generation , transmission and storage are planned , built and financed separately .
Each province has its own electricity institutions , market , regulation and pricing .
Weak transmission connections and uneven price signals prevent cost-effective deployment of renewable resources , storage options and demand-response strategies .
Instead , provinces silo themselves in outdated practices and miss the best opportunities .
And some , like Ontario , have actively turned away from both conservation and clean renewable power , repealing laws , breaking contracts , repudiating investors and physically destroying @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a more successful transition to a green economy with a common framework for electricity investment , trade and pricing , linked together with an open and shared transmission network .
This would allow all provinces to attract more capital , green their supply and lower their decarbonization cost .
Before COVID-19 , this kind of countrywide co-ordination seemed impossibly ambitious .
Now , we know that when the stakes are high enough , even bitter political rivals can work together for the public good .
When urgent , shared risks are clearly explained @ @ @ @ @ @ @ understand , make difficult changes to their behaviour and look for opportunities to do their share .
Canada has good precedent for countrywide co-operation on matters within provincial jurisdiction .
For example , each province is responsible for health , but the Canada Health Act guarantees a minimum level of services to all Canadians , which the federal government helps to fund .
The road toward the Canada Health Act was neither easy nor obvious , but the necessary public spirit and compromises made Canada much stronger .
Similarly , Canada will be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ national approach to electricity .
We don ’ t have to both pay so much for electricity and waste so much .
With common rules , joint planning , better connections and facilitated trade , B.C.
, Manitoba , Quebec and Labrador could use their huge hydropower dams to store electricity from the outstanding solar and wind resources in Alberta and Saskatchewan , as well as from solar panels on your roof .
That would make low-carbon electricity available all year when we need it , for all our energy needs , including @ @ @ @ @ @ @ moving as quickly as the pandemic , but it is just as urgent because the consequences of today ’ s actions will last so long and have such enormous effects on us all .
Canada can respond to the collapse of oil prices by opening another door to a better future , pivoting Canada ’ s energy sector to shared , low-carbon electrification .

Never waste a good crisis. The pandemic has revealed much that was fragile and dangerous in the old “normal” most took for granted only a few short weeks ago. The silver lining, if there is one, is laying bare so much we need to do, and why prompt action is critical. For the accelerating climate crisis, COVID-19 offers so many lessons it is hard to digest them all. One is the financial shock to oil-industry lenders and investors, who kept thinking growth would follow growth. Now that the energy sector’s share of the S&P 500 index has collapsed 80 per cent in a decade, the oil industry has gone from the mainstream to the fringes of investors’ portfolios with remarkable speed. With renewed attention to public health, we should see less tolerance for the air pollution that comes from fossil fuels. It is clearer than ever a secure-energy future, clean air and stable climate are based on energy conservation and low-carbon electricity. For an increasing number of people, low-carbon electricity is also the cheapest electricity. For example, Berkshire Hathaway reports generating almost all the power demand of their Iowa customers from wind allows them to charge electricity rates 70 per cent less than the competing, fossil-based utility. Canada could be a powerhouse in this future, and could offer energy investors large opportunities for low-carbon capital deployment. We have many advantages, including enormous hydropower, wind, nuclear and solar resources. But Canadian power systems are decentralized, inconsistent and poorly connected, just when they most require co-ordination.
No major Canadian product has more widely varying prices than electricity: from 7.3 cents per kilowatt-hour in Quebec to 16.5 cents in Saskatchewan. Generation, transmission and storage are planned, built and financed separately. Each province has its own electricity institutions, market, regulation and pricing. Weak transmission connections and uneven price signals prevent cost-effective deployment of renewable resources, storage options and demand-response strategies. Instead, provinces silo themselves in outdated practices and miss the best opportunities. And some, like Ontario, have actively turned away from both conservation and clean renewable power, repealing laws, breaking contracts, repudiating investors and physically destroying completed turbines. All provinces would have a more successful transition to a green economy with a common framework for electricity investment, trade and pricing, linked together with an open and shared transmission network. This would allow all provinces to attract more capital, green their supply and lower their decarbonization cost. Billion-dollar land deals in Ontario raise corruption suspicions Before COVID-19, this kind of countrywide co-ordination seemed impossibly ambitious. Now, we know that when the stakes are high enough, even bitter political rivals can work together for the public good. When urgent, shared risks are clearly explained and governments take their responsibility, people understand, make difficult changes to their behaviour and look for opportunities to do their share.


nationalobserver--2020-05-06--Sask. premier reverses far north travel ban exemptions

La Ronge and Stony Rapids are now included in the COVID-19 travel restrictions for northern Saskatchewan , Premier Scott Moe announced Wednesday .
The town of La Ronge sent a letter last week to Moe asking that the province redraw the boundaries of a public health order to exclude it from the increased travel restrictions .
La Ronge council sent a letter to the premier requesting for public health lines to be redrawn and to spare them from new travel restrictions in the far north region .
The council reversed its position after facing scrutiny from neighbouring municipalities and constituents @ @ @ @ @ @ @ We see today that the communities of Stony Rapids and La Ronge have both joined with all of the other communities in the Northern Administration District as well , asking to be included in the travel restrictions that we have in place , ” Moe told reporters .
Having neglected to consult the neighbouring communities of Lac La Ronge Indian Band and the northern village of Air Ronge or their own constituents before sending the letter , council reversed its position and asked the province to include La Ronge after all .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ exit points where Highway 2 becomes Highway 102 going north .
“ With this decision , the town has gotten on the same page as the village and the band so that we can all work together to make sure that we don ’ t get the virus here , ” La Ronge Mayor Ron Woytowich told National Observer after the vote on Sunday .
He apologized for supporting the exemption request without first consulting partner communities .
La Ronge Mayor Ron Woytowich told National Observer that he regretted voting for the exemption @ @ @ @ @ @ @ night .
Woytowich supported reversing the town 's position and appologized .
Photograph by Michael Bramadat-Willcock  “ We work together for so many things .
We have one fire department and it goes everywhere .
We have one garbage dump and everybody uses it .
Same with the water .
And then suddenly we didn ’ t even bother working with them on something as important as that and I really feel bad about that , I personally do , ” Woytowich said .
Wednesday ’ s announcement by the premier makes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ decision , the town has gotten on the same page as the village and the band so that we can all work together to make sure that we don ’ t get the virus here , ” La Ronge Mayor Ron Woytowich .
The public health order restricting non-essential travel in the Northern Saskatchewan Administration District will be amended to include La Ronge and Stony Rapids effective May 6 .
These measures are intended to help ensure that only essential travel happens in the north and to help stop the spread of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ situation that I think any of us anticipated or would look forward to , but it ’ s one that we ’ re faced with and we will face it shoulder-to-shoulder with the community leaders throughout the north , ” Moe said .
“ We have sent now over 60 conservation officers up into northern Saskatchewan and the northwestern parts of this province to support the checkpoints that the communities have put in place , ” Moe said .
The province also promised to increase COVID-19 testing and contact tracing in the far @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the La Loche area .
Moe said that as of Wednesday , there are 25 new cases of COVID-19 in Saskatchewan , bringing the provincial total to 512 .
Twenty-four of those new cases are in the far north , in La Loche and the surrounding area .
Cases and Risk of COVID-19 in Saskatchewan .
The province recorded 25 new cases of COVID-19 on Wednesday , putting the province ’ s total to more than 500 .
Most of the new cases are in the far north and north regions .
Graphic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The outbreak in the far north continues to be very serious for this province and we continue to monitor the situation to ensure that the necessary supports are in place , ” Moe said .
Reopening is still on the table for the rest of the province , though .
“ While obviously the outbreak in La Loche and area is very concerning , when we look at the table showing active cases , we can see that apart from the far north and the north … things are pretty quiet in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to proceed with the reopening Saskatchewan plan for the rest of the province , ” chief medical health officer Saqib Shahab said .

La Ronge and Stony Rapids are now included in the COVID-19 travel restrictions for northern Saskatchewan, Premier Scott Moe announced Wednesday. The town of La Ronge sent a letter last week to Moe asking that the province redraw the boundaries of a public health order to exclude it from the increased travel restrictions. La Ronge council sent a letter to the premier requesting for public health lines to be redrawn and to spare them from new travel restrictions in the far north region. The council reversed its position after facing scrutiny from neighbouring municipalities and constituents. Photograph by Michael Bramadat-Willcock. “We see today that the communities of Stony Rapids and La Ronge have both joined with all of the other communities in the Northern Administration District as well, asking to be included in the travel restrictions that we have in place,” Moe told reporters. Having neglected to consult the neighbouring communities of Lac La Ronge Indian Band and the northern village of Air Ronge or their own constituents before sending the letter, council reversed its position and asked the province to include La Ronge after all.
The three communities share infrastructure and entry and exit points where Highway 2 becomes Highway 102 going north. “With this decision, the town has gotten on the same page as the village and the band so that we can all work together to make sure that we don’t get the virus here,” La Ronge Mayor Ron Woytowich told National Observer after the vote on Sunday. Billion-dollar land deals in Ontario raise corruption suspicions He apologized for supporting the exemption request without first consulting partner communities.
La Ronge Mayor Ron Woytowich told National Observer that he regretted voting for the exemption 10 minutes after he got home that night. Woytowich supported reversing the town's position and appologized. Photograph by Michael Bramadat-Willcock “We work together for so many things. We have one fire department and it goes everywhere. We have one garbage dump and everybody uses it. Same with the water. And then suddenly we didn’t even bother working with them on something as important as that and I really feel bad about that, I personally do,” Woytowich said. “With this decision, the town has gotten on the same page as the village and the band so that we can all work together to make sure that we don’t get the virus here,” La Ronge Mayor Ron Woytowich. Wednesday’s announcement by the premier makes that commitment official. The public health order restricting non-essential travel in the Northern Saskatchewan Administration District will be amended to include La Ronge and Stony Rapids effective May 6. These measures are intended to help ensure that only essential travel happens in the north and to help stop the spread of the virus. “This is not a situation that I think any of us anticipated or would look forward to, but it’s one that we’re faced with and we will face it shoulder-to-shoulder with the community leaders throughout the north,” Moe said.
“We have sent now over 60 conservation officers up into northern Saskatchewan and the northwestern parts of this province to support the checkpoints that the communities have put in place,” Moe said. The province also promised to increase COVID-19 testing and contact tracing in the far north, particularly in the northwest and the La Loche area. Moe said that as of Wednesday, there are 25 new cases of COVID-19 in Saskatchewan, bringing the provincial total to 512. Twenty-four of those new cases are in the far north, in La Loche and the surrounding area.