The province is providing more details about cyanobacteria including blue-green algae.
A new web page has been created with in-depth information about cyanobacteria and blooms including how to report them.
The province will also be installing new signage at lakes, rivers and ponds this summer to educate residents.
Cyanobacteria is naturally found in many bodies of water and is not normally visible but it can increase to form surface blooms.
The new signs are for information only and will not replace health advisory signs which will also be posted if a bloom is detected.
Dr. Yves Léger, acting deputy chief medical officer of health, says some cyanobacteria can be harmful and produce toxins which irritate the skin, eyes and throat and even cause gastrointestinal illness.
“We want residents to be active and enjoy the outdoors, but we also want them to understand and consider the potential risks of exposure to cyanobacteria,” said Léger.
“New Brunswickers are encouraged to familiarize themselves with the appearance of cyanobacteria blooms, in order to minimize the risks for themselves, their loved ones and their pets.”
Here are some safety tips to keep in mind:
Check the water and scan the shoreline before entering
Always supervise young children and pets near bodies of water
Do not swallow lake or river water
Bathe or shower after being in rivers, lakes or ponds
Montreal Canadiens GM Kent Hughes says in a perfect world, he'll know if star goaltender Carey Price can't play next season by the time free agency opens on July 13.
In a session with reporters on Tuesday prior to the Draft Combine in Buffalo, Hughes said the opening of free agency is a more important date for Price news than the Draft on July 7 when the Canadiens have the first pick.
"I don't know that by the draft is necessarily critical ... I think the only way we would have complete clarity on it is if somehow we learned he could not play," Hughes said. "Otherwise, we have to go into the season and see how the knee responds once he's back to the rigours of a regular-season schedule.
"But the draft itself probably not as critical as maybe July 13. Knowing his situation, if he's not playing, we'd have LTIR we could use. Without that information, we don't have the luxury of using it."
Hughes said Price, 34, saw a specialist in Pittsburgh at the end of the season, but hasn't seen other doctors to discuss his knee.
Price has four years remaining on a contract that counts annually for $10.5 million on the salary cap.
After his final game of the season, Price said he played through discomfort, that his knee swells “a lot” during game action, that “there’s different aspects of goaltending that’s required these days that is very difficult for me to do,” and that he’ll be seeking different opinions and staring down the possibility of more surgery without any assurances he’ll be able to return and play at the level of he expects of himself.
After exiting the player assistance program early in the season, Price suffered a physical setback before returning to play just five games on the campaign.
The Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) has been “unwilling” and “unable” to embrace action on military sexual harassment and assault and it’s time the body cedes more control to civilian authorities, former Supreme Court Justice Louise Arbour says.
In her highly-anticipated review of the cultural crisis within the military and recommendations for a path forward, Arbour says tackling this issue requires a major rejig of existing structures, and minimizing the monopoly the CAF has over its members by tapping into the services of external institutions as it relates to prosecuting members for sexual offences.
“The CAF has been unwilling or unable to embrace the intent and vision that came from external sources, choosing the letter over the spirit, often the appearance of implementation over its substance, thereby entrenching their ways of operating. I believe this is a consequence of the insularity within which the CAF has traditionally operated, and its determination to perpetuate its old ways of doing business,” she says.
Arbour lists 48 recommendations for consideration by the federal government, ranging from terminology changes, to recruitment targets, and improved reporting schemes.
The former Supreme Court judge said civilian police and courts should permanently handle all cases of assault and that all complaints related to sexual harassment or discrimination on the basis of sex should be directed to the Canadian Human Rights Commission.
“The CAF has to open up to outside partners…the CAF should let others do what they can do better, more efficiently and concentrate on its operations and in my view it’s true in justice, it’s true in education,” Arbour said.
In the fall, Arbour made an interim recommendation calling on the federal government to immediately adopt former Supreme Court Justice Morris Fish’s call to action to temporarily move sexual assault cases to the civilian criminal courts.
National Defence Minister Anita Anand soon after accepted the provision but the department has since stayed mum on how many cases have been officially transferred over.
On Monday, Anand said it’s up to individual prosecutors to work with complainants on the legal transition of cases introduced prior to the adoption of the recommendation, but in terms of new investigations, it’s a work in progress.
“We have had the RCMP accepting transfers of new files from the Forces since January, we have Quebec's Ministry of Public Safety advising their police force to accept new files since February, and the transfer of cases generally speaking, is going well,” she said.
In Arbour’s expanded recommendation, she notes that the reporting process should not include the involvement of the CAF’s military police. Instead, she envisions a system whereby a victim would contact civilian authorities directly.
Additionally, “if this interim measure is to stay in place pending legislation to provide exclusive jurisdiction to civilian courts, all new cases should go to the civilian system regardless of any preference expressed by the victim.”
GOV’T RESPONSE TO REPORT
Anand says the federal government “accepts” the report in its entirety and is currently in the process of implementing 17 recommendations.
Among them, the immediate appointment of an “external monitor” mandated to oversee the execution of the report and who will produce a monthly “monitoring assessment and advice” report to the minister and bi-monthly public reports.
Ottawa will also immediately rename the Sexual Misconduct Response Centre (SMRC), which provides support to CAF members affected by sexual misconduct, to the Sexual Misconduct Resource Centre and ensure that the SMRC provides legal assistance to victims.
“Such legal assistance must be available across the country and on the full range of issues related to sexual misconduct in the CAF, including in respect of the various processes triggered by disclosure,” the report reads.
Anand says she has also accepted a call for the defence minister to be briefed by the associate defence minister directly on all investigations related to sexual harassment, sexual misconduct, and leadership culture in the defence team.
The federal government drew criticism for its handling of an allegation of inappropriate sexual conduct levied against former defence chief Gen. Jonathan Vance. According to former military ombudsman Gary Walbourne, then-defence minister Harjit Sajjan refused to listen to details of the allegation in 2018, demanding he instead refer to the “appropriate authorities” without clarity on who that was.
Sajjan clarified his position later, stating that it would have been “inappropriate” to involve himself and that he instructed his team to inform the Privy Council Office of the situation to draw more details.
Other notable recommendations from the Arbour report include:
In respect of sexual offences, the CAF should bring its definitions in line with the Criminal Code. As such, the definition of “sexual misconduct” should be abolished;
The Canadian Human Rights Act should be revised to permit the award of legal costs and to increase the amount in damages it can award to successful complainants;
The CAF should outsource some recruitment functions to reduce the burden on recruiters, while also increasing the competence of recruiters;
Leadership should consider abolishing the “duty to report” specifically as it relates to sexual misconduct as it creates “considerable fear and anguish” and hasn’t been properly implemented;
The CAF should assemble a past misconduct sheet prepared for each candidate considered for promotion to the rank of lieutenant-colonel/commander or above;
Defence team members and external experts, led by an education specialist, should review the benefits, disadvantages and costs of continuing to educate cadets at military colleges and the Chief of Professional Conduct and Culture should engage with the Royal Military College in Kingston and St-Jean to address culture concerns; and
The CAF should establish a system of targets for the promotion of women.
Anand has also committed to identify to Parliament the recommendations the government doesn’t intend to implement by the end of the year, as advised by Arbour.
“The current problem is that you never get a clear answer on that. The CAF is currently sitting on hundreds of recommendations, some more or less internally generated, many from external reports, others from examining what allies have done on similar issues,” Arbour said.
“If something isn’t going to happen, just say it… I just hope that these recommendations don't end up a little box on the chart of the many that are still being studied.”
OPPOSITION WEIGHS IN
Conservative national defence critic Kerry-Lynne Findlay and public services and procurement critic Pierre Paul-Hus said they welcome the report, however many of the findings are already well-documented and simply haven’t been acted on.
“That for years the Liberal government has ignored issues of sexual harassment and misconduct in the CAF, that Minister Sajjan failed to act immediately on sexual misconduct allegations in the highest ranks of the CAF, and that the Trudeau Liberals refused to fix the culture in the CAF at a time when the Forces are already short more than 10,000 soldiers and is facing a retention crisis,” a party statement reads.
They said they hope Anand takes the report “seriously.”
The NDP too directed criticism at the Liberals for not moving quickly enough to protect victims.
“Our thoughts are with the women of the Canadian Armed Forces who continue to face sexual misconduct and assault in the military under this Liberal government. Despite empty words and platitudes from the government, service women are still waiting for the systemic change they were promised,” a statement reads.
“This government must develop the political will and courage to finally act on the recommendations.”
Anand sought to reassure Canadians on Monday the report will not fall by the wayside and that it provides Ottawa with a concrete roadmap to move forward with deliberate action.
“If we do not take this moment for what it is, implement the recommendations that identify deep areas of need for change in the Canadian Armed Forces and the defence team broadly, we run the risk of not being fully effective military domestically and internationally. And in this moment in time, when the world appears to be growing darker, we must grab the bull by the horns and make these changes now,” she said.
The City of Whitehorse recommended that residents of a downtown house leave their home after two more landslides took place over the weekend.
"We have had conversations with them and they have been careful in staying in the residence," said Mayor Laura Cabott Monday on CBC's Yukon Morning.
One of the two landslides occurred above Cliffside Park, near Jeckell Street, in the city's downtown. The park has been cordoned off since May 2021, when a previous landslide occurred.
Saturday's landslide saw debris fall from the escarpment, which runs all along the west side of downtown, into the park, spilling over onto 6th Avenue, near a house.
WATCH | Footage from the Yukon Geological Survey shows a landslide sending debris into Cliffside Park and onto 6th Avenue:
The situation comes after the city started cleaning up a massive landslide that occurred late last month.
That landslide was the result of about 3,000 to 4,000 cubic metres of sand, silt and clay that fell from the escarpment across Robert Service Way and the Millennium Trail, and into the Yukon River.
The city said the current sliding is not caused by the recent construction of a sheet piling wall along Robert Service Way. The wall is being built to mitigate the damage from any future landslide in the area and allow officials to reopen the main thoroughfare into downtown, which has been closed for weeks.
Cabott said there are three houses "very close" to the latest slide area and potentially at risk. She said the city has spoken to the owners, and two of the three homes are vacant.
Another landslide took place either late Friday night or early Saturday morning near Wood and Jarvis streets. Cabott said the city cordoned off more areas near the escarpment as a result of the weekend's slides.
No risk to public or properties, says city
Despite the new landslides, which Cabott described as "fairly significant in size," she said there is no risk to the public and private properties "at this time," as long as people don't go into the areas the city has cordoned off.
"People are safe in their homes, but should be taking precautions and should be acutely aware of the escarpment," said Cabott.
She said the city's engineers and consultants continue to monitor the entire escarpment every day and expect to see more slides over the next week or two as groundwater continues to seep out of the escarpment.
The trail near Wood Street in downtown Whitehorse after a landslide took place on May 28, 2022. (Chris Windeyer/CBC)
The city provided emergency preparedness information to residents in about 40 or 50 homes after this weekend's landslides, just in case residents get caught in their homes and can't leave for a while.
The information packages include advice on having enough supplies to last 72 hours as well as signs that residents can put in their windows that read either HELP or OK.
Anyone who witnesses a landslide is asked to report it to the city at 867-667-2111.
The city will be providing an update at a news conference at city hall today at 2 p.m.
The City of Whitehorse recommended that residents of a downtown house leave their home after two more landslides took place over the weekend.
"We have had conversations with them and they have been careful in staying in the residence," said Mayor Laura Cabott Monday on CBC's Yukon Morning.
One of the two landslides occurred above Cliffside Park, near Jeckell Street, in the city's downtown. The park has been cordoned off since May 2021, when a previous landslide occurred.
Saturday's landslide saw debris fall from the escarpment, which runs all along the west side of downtown, into the park, spilling over onto 6th Avenue, near a house.
WATCH | Footage from the Yukon Geological Survey shows a landslide sending debris into Cliffside Park and onto 6th Avenue:
The situation comes after the city started cleaning up a massive landslide that occurred late last month.
That landslide was the result of about 3,000 to 4,000 cubic metres of sand, silt and clay that fell from the escarpment across Robert Service Way and the Millennium Trail, and into the Yukon River.
The city said the current sliding is not caused by the recent construction of a sheet piling wall along Robert Service Way. The wall is being built to mitigate the damage from any future landslide in the area and allow officials to reopen the main thoroughfare into downtown, which has been closed for weeks.
Cabott said there are three houses "very close" to the latest slide area and potentially at risk. She said the city has spoken to the owners, and two of the three homes are vacant.
Another landslide took place either late Friday night or early Saturday morning near Wood and Jarvis streets. Cabott said the city cordoned off more areas near the escarpment as a result of the weekend's slides.
No risk to public or properties, says city
Despite the new landslides, which Cabott described as "fairly significant in size," she said there is no risk to the public and private properties "at this time," as long as people don't go into the areas the city has cordoned off.
"People are safe in their homes, but should be taking precautions and should be acutely aware of the escarpment," said Cabott.
She said the city's engineers and consultants continue to monitor the entire escarpment every day and expect to see more slides over the next week or two as groundwater continues to seep out of the escarpment.
The trail near Wood Street in downtown Whitehorse after a landslide took place on May 28, 2022. (Chris Windeyer/CBC)
The city provided emergency preparedness information to residents in about 40 or 50 homes after this weekend's landslides, just in case residents get caught in their homes and can't leave for a while.
The information packages include advice on having enough supplies to last 72 hours as well as signs that residents can put in their windows that read either HELP or OK.
Anyone who witnesses a landslide is asked to report it to the city at 867-667-2111.
The city will be providing an update at a news conference at city hall today at 2 p.m.
As more landslides are expected in Whitehorse, the city has distributed packages to some residents that includes advice on how to prepare for the possibility of being trapped.
The packages were delivered to residents who live in the areas where landslides are expected to occur.
This includes instructions such as having enough supplies ready to last for 72 hours, and signs to go in residents' windows that say HELP or OK.
Taylor Espheter, manager of engineering services for the city, said the package is precautionary.
"So it's just some, you know, some general emergency preparedness information in there," he said.
A photo of the package the city has distributed to houses near the escarpment. These include advice such as ensuring there is enough supplies for 72 hours in the case residents are trapped in their homes. (Chris Windeyer/ CBC)
The city said in a news release the landslides are being caused by groundwater exiting the escarpment slope, and additional experts are being brought in to further assess the situation.
An earlier release said officials are monitoring the entire escarpment and responding to landslides. The public is being told to avoid the base of the escarpment and closed-off areas such as Sixth Avenue from Jeckell Street to Drury Street, and the dog park at the end of Main Street.
The city announced on Sunday it has expanded the number of fenced perimeters at the base of the escarpment as a safety measure.
The release also said there is no risk to the public or private properties.
'We're just seeing more slides'
Dave Newell lives on Wood Street, close to one of the landslides, and has lived in that area for decades.
He said there have been landslides in the past, but they are becoming more frequent.
"So it's not new to me. But, you know, it's obviously, with more snow, now we're just seeing more slides," Newell said.
A photo of a landslide captured by Amy Smarch outside her door. (Submitted by Amy Smarch)
Anne Middler lives near the escarpment but a bit further from the area that could be at risk.
She said the city is in a tough position with its response, but she thinks officials made the right call closing off certain areas.
"You'll have people who think you're doing too much or not doing enough," she said.
"But I think this is one example of where they took a precaution. And it was wise and it was prudent and it kept people out of here when there was a risk."
Cleanup on earlier landslide had just begun
The situation comes after the city had just started cleaning up a massive landslide that occurred late last month.
That landslide was the result of about 3,000 to 4,000 cubic metres of sand, silt and clay that fell from the escarpment across Robert Service Way and the Millennium Trail, and then into the Yukon River.
The city said the current sliding is not caused by the recent construction of the sheet piling wall along Robert Service Way.
Anyone who witnesses a landslide is asked to report it to the city at 867-667-2111.
Ontario is reporting 865 COVID-19 hospitalizations and 12 more deaths linked to the virus on Saturday.
The number of hospitalizations is down from 948 on Friday and 1,116 exactly one week ago.
According to the Ontario health ministry, 40 per cent of those hospitalized were admitted specifically for the virus, while the rest were admitted for other reasons and then tested positive.
Of those in hospital,144 required intensive care and 69 patients needed the help of a ventilator to breathe.
Sixty-five per cent of people in intensive care units were admitted because of the virus, while the rest were admitted for other reasons and then tested positive.
The province reported at least 1,144 new daily cases of COVID-19 on Saturday, with 11,297 tests completed within the past 24 hours. Due to testing limitations, officials say the actual number of daily new cases is likely far higher than the figure reported.
The provincewide test positivity rate stands at 8.5 per cent.
The new deaths reported on Saturday push Ontario's pandemic death toll to 13,223.
That's what Cheryl-Anne Labrador-Summers thought, anyway. It was October 2020, not long after she'd moved to the tranquil lakeside Ontario community of Georgina, and instead of relaxing with her family like she'd planned, the mother of three was struggling to figure out why she kept experiencing strange, unexplained stomach cramps.
Labrador-Summers tried to visit her family physician, but the office was shuttered because of the COVID-19 pandemic. So she searched for another clinic — only to be offered a phone appointment rather than an in-person assessment. She wound up being told that her grumbling digestive system was likely caused by a mild gastrointestinal illness.
By January, the 58-year-old had a distended stomach, looking — in her own words — "about nine months pregnant." Again, she reached out to a physician, went for some tests, then headed to the nearest emergency department.
After finally seeing a doctor face to face for the first time in months, she learned the real cause of her discomfort: an intestinal blockage caused by cancer.
"It ended up being a nine-centimetre tumour, and it had completely blocked off my lower bowel," she said.
An emergency surgery left Labrador-Summers with 55 staples along her torso and a months-long recovery before she could begin oral chemotherapy. Her question now is unanswerable but painful to consider: Could that ordeal have been prevented, or at least minimized, by an earlier diagnosis?
"Had I maybe been able to see the doctors earlier, I would not be in Stage 3," she said. "I might have been a Stage 2."
Photos show Labrador-Summers with a distended stomach before her emergency surgery, left, and the 55 staples along her torso following the procedure. (Supplied by Cheryl-Anne Labrador-Summers)
951,000 fewer cancer screenings in Ontario
More Canadians could experience late-stage cancer diagnoses in the years ahead, medical experts warn, forecasting a looming crisis tied to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
"We expect to see more advanced stages of presentation over the next couple of years, as well as impacts on cancer treatments," said oncologist Dr. Timothy Hanna, a clinician scientist at the Cancer Research Institute at Queen's University in Kingston, Ont.
"We know that time is of the essence for people with cancer. And when people are waiting for a diagnosis or for treatment, this has been associated with increased risks of advanced stage and worse survival."
One review of Ontario's breast, lung, colon, and cervical cancer screening programs showed that in 2020 there were 41 per cent — or more than 951,000 — fewer screening tests conducted compared with the year before.
Screening volumes rebounded after May 2020, but were still 20 per cent lower compared to pre-pandemic levels.
WATCH | Late-stage cancer being diagnosed in Canadian ERs:
ERs faced with late-stage cancer diagnoses amid pandemic
3 days ago
Duration 2:11
Hospital emergency rooms are seeing a wave of patients being diagnosed with late-stage cancer after the COVID-19 pandemic forced many doctors’ offices to close or pivot to virtual appointments, leading to fewer cancer screenings.
That drop in screenings translates into fewer invasive cancer diagnoses, including roughly 1,400 to 1,500 fewer breast cancers, wrote Dr. Anna N. Wilkinson, an assistant professor in the department of family medicine at the University of Ottawa, in a May commentary piece for the journal Canadian Family Physician.
"The impact of COVID-19 on cancer is far-reaching: screening backlogs, delayed workup of symptomatic patients and abnormal screening results, and delays in cancer treatment and research, all exacerbated by patient apprehension to be seen in person," she wrote.
"It is clear that there is not only a lost cohort of screened patients but also a subset of missed cancer diagnoses due to delays in patient presentation and assessment," leading to those cancers being diagnosed at a more advanced stage.
Tough accessing care in a 'timely way'
The slowdown in colonoscopies may already be leading to more serious cases of colorectal cancer in Ontario, for instance, suggests a paper published in the Journal of the Canadian Association of Gastroenterology.
"Patients who were treated after the COVID-19 pandemic began were significantly more likely to present emergently to hospital. This means that they were more likely to present with bowel perforation, or severe bowel obstruction, requiring immediate life-saving surgery," said the study's lead author, Dr. Catherine Forse, in a call with CBC News.
"In addition, we found that patients were more likely to have large tumours."
Dr. Lisa Salamon, an emergency room physician with the Scarborough Health Network, is pictured outside Birchmount Hospital, in Scarborough, Ont. (Evan Mitsui/CBC)
In some cases — like Labrador-Summers's situation — Canadians learned alarming news about their health in hospital emergency departments after struggling to receive in-patient care through other avenues.
Shuttered family physician offices, a shift to telemedicine, and some patients' fears surrounding COVID-19 may all have played a role.
"It became harder for patients to access care and to access it in a timely way," Hanna said.
"At the same time, there were real risks — and there are real risks for leaving home to go anywhere, particularly to go to an outpatient clinic or a hospital in order to get checked out."
Dr. Lisa Salamon, an emergency physician with the Scarborough Health Network in Toronto, said she's now diagnosing more patients with serious cancers, including several just in the last few months.
"So previously, it may have been localized or something small, but now we're actually seeing metastatic cancer that we're diagnosing," she explained.
Lessons for future pandemics
Health policy expert Laura Greer is dealing with Stage four, metastatic breast cancer herself after waiting more than five months for a routine mammogram she was initially due for in the spring of 2021 — a precautionary measure given that her mother had breast cancer as well.
Unlike an early-stage diagnosis, Greer's cancer is only treatable, not curable.
"It was an example of what happens when you don't have the regular screening, or those wellness visits," said the Toronto resident and mother of two.
"I most likely would have had earlier-stage cancer if it had been sooner."
Health policy expert Laura Greer is dealing with Stage 4, metastatic breast cancer after waiting more than five months for a routine mammogram she was due for in the spring of 2021. (Esteban Cuevas/CBC News)
Pausing access to care and screenings for other health conditions can have dire impacts on patients, according to Greer, offering lessons for how policy-makers tackle future pandemics.
"We need to make sure that we've got enough capacity in our health system to be able to flex, and that's what we really didn't have going into this," she said.
For Labrador-Summers, it's hard to forget the moment her life changed while she was alone in an emergency department, learning a terrifying diagnosis from a physician she'd just met. Her mind raced with questions about the future and concerns for her family.
Labrador-Summers's husband and one of her sons kiss her on the dock near their lakeside home in Georgina, Ont. (Ousama Farag/CBC News)
"My older son had just told us they were expecting a child, and I just wanted to be there for them. And I didn't know what next steps were. And we had lost my mom to cancer a few years back — to us, cancer was always terminal," she recalled.
"So again, I'm alone, trying to process all of this."
A screening following Labrador-Summers' surgery and chemotherapy treatment wound up finding more cancer.
Grocery store self-checkouts are now more popular than human cashiers, according to a researcher at Dalhousie University’s Agri-Food Analytics Lab.
“Canadians are starting to befriend machines at the grocery store,” Sylvain Charlebois, the lab’s scientific director, told CTVNews.ca. “Nobody really wants to wait to pay for food in 2022, that's the reality.”
Charlebois, a professor of food distribution and policy at Dalhousie in Halifax, says the COVID-19 pandemic has impacted consumer behaviour.
“At the end of the end of the day, grocers want to provide a quick exit for customers, and a safe one as well,” he said. “COVID really got people to think about safety, public health, and it's less contact.”
In a May 2021 survey from Charlebois’ team, 53 per cent of respondents said they would use a self-checkout machine in the future. Respondents born between 1981 and 2005 were even more likely to embrace the technology, with 60 per cent saying they’d opt for self-checkouts.
“The younger generation certainly are embracing technology much more so than the older generation,” Charlebois said. “Boomers aren’t necessarily comfortable with the concept; they still see these machines as job stealers or replacements for humans.”
Charlebois believes retailers struggling to maintain staffing levels appears to be changing that perception with consumers.
“They're starting to accept fact that this may actually be a path to the future, essentially, knowing that these positions are hard to fill,” Charlebois explained.
Charlebois notes 75 per cent of respondents reported using a self-checkout in the past six months, and 85 per cent said they were satisfied with their experience.
“Over the last, I'd say five years, there's been tremendous progress in terms of how intuitive and more speedy the technologies are,” Charlebois said. “The banking sector really embraced ATMs, many decades ago. That conversion really was seamless, compared to the grocery business.”
According to the survey, 47 per cent of Canadians are also willing to try a completely cashier-less store like Amazon Go, which utilizes digital sensors so customers can grab goods from shelves and leave without opening their wallets.
“I was in New York City this week, and I visited my first Amazon Go store,” Charlebois added. “To be honest, I was actually a little bit underwhelmed, because I actually had some questions about certain products and nobody was around.”
Self-checkout technology has been widely adopted by companies like Walmart, but it still isn’t perfect. Charlebois admits it’s often easier to have a human cashier ring up purchases when you have lots of items like fruits and vegetables.
“The concern that I think we should all have is, what's in this for consumers, really?” Charlebois said. “At the end of the day, we do more work.”
In the past, many Calgary shootings could be traced to organized crime, but now more people are carrying guns and are firing more rounds, says a superintendent with the city police.
That includes two shootings on Monday, both in broad daylight.
"Even if the vast majority of those shootings are targeted, which they are, it still impacts our entire community, and unfortunately, as we've seen yet again, it puts our entire community at risk," said O'Brien.
"We're seeing people that perhaps were prolific offenders, but not necessarily involved in gangs, that are now carrying guns and are now using guns … seemingly without really much deterrent."
About 25 per cent of shootings so far this year can be tied to organized crime, he said. The service is seeing shootings related to a number of other issues, including drug deals, domestic situations or even road rage.
"On the weekend … [in] one of those cases we had over 60 rounds fired. I mean, that's absolutely ridiculous," he said.
Across the country, there's been an 81 per cent increase in violent offences involving guns since 2009, according to Statistics Canada.
Calgary Police have responded to 60 shootings already this year, nearly double the average rate. (David Bell/CBC)
The source of the guns is also an issue, O'Brien said. The service is able to trace only about half of the guns they seize, with some being smuggled into the country, trafficked or stolen.
Staff Sgt. Ben Lawson is head of CPS's firearms investigative unit, which started in 2020.
"Each year, as we kind of keep going through and collecting this data and targeting these offenders, we're going to see more and more trends that we're going to be able to address over time," he said in an interview on the Eyeopener.
"We'll start to see that undetermined number shrink quite a bit."
Earlier this month, the federal government also brought in changes that require store owners to retain sales and inventory records for non-restricted firearms for a minimum of 20 years.
"That'll help us when we get a crime gun to go backwards and determine where … those firearms came from," he said.
Of the more than 1,700 firearms seized last year, 550 were crime guns. As of the end of April this year, CPS has already seized 755 firearms, of which more than 160 are crime guns.
Handguns, which are a restricted firearm, account for about one-third of the crime guns seized.
This cache of stolen weapons was seized by Calgary police in 2016. (CBC)
To help Calgary police solve some of these cases, O'Brien is asking for assistance from the community.
"I know that there are people out there that have pieces of information, although it may seem small or it may seem insignificant to them. There are pieces of information that can absolutely solve a crime or in some cases prevent [one]," he said.
"If we come together, we can drive this trend down."
Added supports
To that end, the Alberta government announced Wednesday an $850,000 investment in Crime Stoppers that will help with crime prevention efforts over the next three years.
"Successful crime prevention requires the involvement of communities," said Tyler Shandro, minister of justice and solicitor general.
"Crime Stoppers has done tremendous work encouraging citizens to take an active role in preventing and reporting crime."
In response, NDP justice critic Irfan Sabir put out a statement, arguing for a wider range of approaches to tackle violent crime, including affordable housing, mental health and addiction support, and hiring more prosecutors.
O'Brien also pointed to vulnerabilities in the justice system, saying some offenders end up right back in the community.
"They will go to jail for a period of time. They will get back out and they will start up again, and we see this cycle in Calgary and we've seen this for many, many years," he said.
Overall, O'Brien said they're seeing more guns and more unpredictable crimes.
Kyrylo and Anastasiia Ovcharenko landed two weeks ago in Winnipeg after fleeing Ukraine – and they say the support from the Petersfield and Gimli community so far has been incredible.
“You can’t even imagine that people here are that friendly,” said Ovcharenko.
The pair fled a war-torn Ukraine, despite leaving friends and family behind. Ovcharenko says while he’s happy to be in Canada, it’s hard to fully celebrate because there’s still so much destruction back home.
They connected on a website called https://icanhelp.host/ where Grocholski had posted her home.
“We’ve had so much success on the website,” said Grocholski, who says she had to get verified first.
The Ukrainian couple first found a job at a local farm through a Youtube channel – that’s when they found Grocholski’s house posting, which happened to be just minutes from the farm.
“It just seemed like fate it seemed like it was meant to be that they come stay with us and we can get them settled and get them ready going to their new jobs.
Grocholski says through the website, she has already lined up two more families to come to stay in the Petersfield area.
When it comes to hosting, Grocholski says she wishes more people knew just how rewarding it can be to help those in need.
“They are so young, and we were that age once…and we had a safe place and opportunities and they deserve the same,” she said.
As for the Ovcharenko’s the feeling, is mutual.
“We are so thankful for Diane and everyone,” said Ovcharenko.
Parliamentary Budget Officer Yves Giroux says the federal government’s planned luxury tax will reduce sales of autos, boats and planes by more than $600-million a year.
The PBO released an updated assessment of the new tax Thursday, and Mr. Giroux later appeared as a witness before the House of Commons finance committee, which is studying the government’s latest budget legislation, C-19.
The 440-page budget bill would enact a new luxury tax on autos and aircraft retailing for $100,000 or more and new boats costing $250,000 or more.
MPs on the finance committee have heard widespread concerns about the tax from Canadian businesses with connections to the three sectors, either through manufacturing or related services such as marinas.
NDP finance critic Daniel Blaikie said his party supports a luxury tax but is open to amendments that could ease the impact on domestic manufacturing, particularly in the aerospace sector.
“We do hear the arguments about unintended consequences,” he said in an interview. “I think the industry would rather just not have the tax at all. But we’ve also heard from them that if it is going ahead, there are ways to do it that would have less of an impact on the production of aircraft in Canada, while still accomplishing the objectives of the tax.”
Thursday’s report follows a PBO estimate released last May. The updated report features a slightly revised estimate of new revenue that will be collected once the tax is fully implemented: $176-million in 2024-25, up from last year’s projection of $159-million.
The report also includes a new estimate of the expected drop in sales in each of three categories. In 2024-25, the tax will reduce aircraft sales by $31-million, auto sales by $123-million and boat sales by $473-million, for a combined sales reduction of about $628-million. That total is projected to increase each year.
The PBO report includes several caveats, including the fact that actual sales volumes for vehicles in those price categories are not known. The PBO also notes that it is challenging to predict how consumers may change their purchasing habits in response to the new tax.
Mr. Giroux told MPs that his review does not include an estimate of the full economic implications of the tax.
“Obviously, not every one of us buys a vessel or an aircraft. I certainly don’t. And I’m not in the market for such an expensive car,” he said. “But it’s certain that there would be a reduction in sales tax receipts. The extent to which this will happen is an estimate. And because it’s a niche market, it’s not straightforward to estimate.”
The government first announced its plans for the tax in the 2021 federal budget and promoted it in the party’s election platform later that year.
Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland has told MPs that officials in her department are looking into industry concerns.
Adrienne Vaupshas, a spokesperson for Ms. Freeland, defended the tax Thursday, saying in a statement that only a fraction of Canadians are buying private planes or yachts. ”It is only right and fair that the very wealthiest are asked to pay their fair share,” she said.
Brian Kingston, the president and chief executive of the Canadian Vehicle Manufacturers’ Association, said the PBO has likely underestimated the hit to sales that the tax will prompt and therefore is overestimating the amount of new tax revenue.
He also pointed out that cars costing more than $100,000 include zero-emission vehicles, so the new tax undermines the government’s own climate plans.
“If the government is serious about achieving its zero-emission vehicle adoption goals, you just simply can’t tax consumers who are considering making that purchase,” he said.
Another concern, he said, is that the thresholds will not be indexed to inflation, even as the buying power of $100,000 will diminish each year.
Earlier this week, the Canadian Manufacturers & Exporters association and other industry groups sent a joint letter to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Ms. Freeland, urging the government to reconsider the tax.
“We recognize that you and your colleagues are faced with many challenging fiscal pressures,” the business groups wrote. “However, the proposed Select Luxury Items Tax Act will penalize manufacturers, operators, distributors, pilots and suppliers, and negatively impact jobs. It will also cause significant repercussions within the supply chain, maintenance, repair and overhaul industries, and the entire aviation ecosystem at a time when they are just beginning to recover from the devastating effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.”
Conservative MPs said Thursday that the PBO’s numbers reinforce concerns about the bill.
“The report confirms that this tax is going to have a significant negative impact on industry, in particular boating,” said Tory MP Adam Chambers, adding that the PBO did not attempt to calculate the negative spinoff impacts in areas such as tourism. “This is not sound economic policy.”
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The Charleswood Beer Market has a lot of variety when it comes to beer, but manager Rick Green said customers often ask him about other options they aren’t allowed to sell.
“Especially wine. People want to see wine, for sure,” he said.
Green would like to expand his inventory. If he is allowed to sell beer, he thinks he should be able to sell other types of alcoholic beverages,
New legislation introduced by the province means Green might be able to soon.
It would allow private beer vendors and wine stores to sell different types of alcohol. If the bill passes, beer stores could stock wine and hard alcohol, and wine stores could bring in beer and hard liquor, if they so choose.
There would be no changes to government-owned liquor marts or duty free outlets.
“Really, it means in Winnipeg, you’re going to have 70 more locations to buy spirits, to buy wine, to buy beer,” said Liquor and Lotteries Minister Scott Fielding.
Hit hard by the pandemic, Manitoba Hotel Association President Scott Jocelyn said some vendors will jump at the chance to add wine and spirits.
“We continue to need new opportunities like the one announced today,” Jocelyn said.
The legislation only applies to current licensed businesses, but the bill does allow for a five-year pilot project, which could see the government experiment with private liquor sales in places like grocery and convenience stores, and campgrounds.
“Would it be more convenient for Manitobans to be able to pick up maybe a six-pack when you’re camping or something at the camp office?” said Fielding.
Meanwhile, Green said wine and spirits would be favourable for his bottom line, but he says he would have to boost security measures if he introduced hard stuff with his suds.
“The theft issue, the safety of staff and other customers” Green explained.
The legislation isn’t expected to pass until the fall.
Our planet is changing. So is our journalism. This story is part of Our Changing Planet, a CBC News initiative to show and explain the effects of climate change and what is being done about it.
In the cold, choppy waters of Alaska's Resurrection Bay, all eyes were on the grey water, looking for one thing only.
It wasn't a spout from humpback whales that power through this scenic fjord, or a sea otter lazing on its back, munching a king crab.
Instead, everyone aboard the Nanuq, a University of Alaska Fairbanks research vessel, was looking where a 1.5-metre long, bright pink underwater sea glider surfaced.
The glider — believed to be the first configured with a large sensor to measure carbon dioxide levels in the ocean — had just completed its first overnight mission.
Designed to dive 1,000 metres and roam remote parts of the ocean, the autonomous vehicle was deployed in the Gulf of Alaska this spring to provide a deeper understanding of the ocean's chemistry in the era of climate change.
The research could be a major step forward in ocean greenhouse gas monitoring because, until now, measuring CO2 concentrations — a quantifier of ocean acidification — was mostly done from ships, buoys and moorings tethered to the ocean floor.
Oceans have done humans a huge favour by taking in some of the carbon dioxide emitted by the burning of fossil fuels. Otherwise, there would be much more in the atmosphere, trapping the sun's heat and warming the Earth.
"But the problem is now that the ocean is changing its chemistry because of this uptake,'' said Claudine Hauri, an oceanographer with the International Arctic Research Center at the University of Alaska Fairbanks.
The enormous amount of data collected is being used to study ocean acidification that can harm and kill certain marine life.
Rising acidity of the oceans is affecting some marine organisms that build shells. This process could kill or make an organism more susceptible to predators.
Oceanographers Andrew McDonnell, left, and Claudine Hauri, middle, along with engineer Joran Kemme after the glider was pulled aboard the Nanuq from the Gulf of Alaska on May 4. (Mark Thiessen/The Associated Press)
Lab in a tube, on a glider, under the sea
Over several weeks this spring, Hauri and her husband Andrew McDonnell, an oceanographer with the College of Fisheries and Ocean Sciences at the university, worked with engineers from Cyprus Subsea Consulting and Services, which provided the underwater glider, and 4H-Jena, a German company that provided the sensor inserted into the drone.
Most days, researchers took the glider farther and farther into Resurrection Bay from the coastal community of Seward to conduct tests.
After each mission, the crew aboard the Nanuq — the Inupiat word for "polar bear" — pull the 60-kilogram glider back on board. The sensor is then removed from the drone and rushed to the ship's cabin to upload its data.
The sensor, which measures around 30 centimetres by 15 centimetres is a sort of laboratory in a tube, with pumps, valves and membranes moving to separate carbon dixoide from seawater. It analyzes CO2 and logs and stores the data inside a temperature-controlled system.
"I think [Hauri] is one of the first persons to actually utilize [gliders] to measure CO2 directly, so that's very, very exciting,'' said Richard Feely, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's senior scientist at the agency's Pacific Marine Environmental Laboratory in Seattle.
The challenge, Feely said, is to make the measurements on a glider with the same degree of accuracy and precision as tests on board ships.
"We need to get confidence in our measurements and confidence in our models if we are going to make important scientific statements about how the oceans are changing over time and how it's going to impact our important economic systems that are dependent on the food from the sea,'' he said, noting that acidification impacts are already seen further down the West Coast on oysters, Dungeness crabs and other species.
Researchers in Canada had previously attached a smaller, prototype CO2 sensor to an underwater drone in the Labrador Sea but found it did not yet meet the targets for ocean acidification observations.
"The tests showed that the glider sensor worked in a remote-harsh environment but needed more development,'' Nicolai von Oppeln-Bronikowski, glider program manager with the Ocean Frontier Institute at Memorial University of Newfoundland, said in an email.
The two teams are "using two different types of sensors to solve the same issue, and it's always good to have two different options," Hauri said.
Wealth of data
There is no GPS unit inside the underwater autonomous drone. Instead, after being programmed, it heads out on its own to cruise the ocean according to the navigation directions — knowing how far to go down in the water column, when to sample, and when to surface and send a locator signal so it can be retrieved.
As the drone tests were underway, the U.S. research vessel Sikuliaq, owned by the National Science Foundation and operated by the University of Alaska Fairbanks, conducted its own two-week mission in the gulf to take carbon and pH samples as part of ongoing work each spring, summer and fall.
Those methods are limited to collecting samples from a fixed point, while the glider will be able to roam all over the ocean and provide researchers with a wealth of data on the ocean's chemical makeup.
The vision is to one day have a fleet of robotic gliders operating in oceans across the globe, providing a real-time glimpse of current conditions and a way to better predict the future.
Vancouver, British Columbia, May 26, 2022– Construction has begun on a new housing project that will provide 114 new homes for individuals and families in Vancouver. The project is a partnership between the federal and provincial governments, the City of Vancouver and Lookout Housing and Health Society.
The federal government, through the National Housing Co-Investment Fund (NHCF), is investing nearly $35.9 million for the project. The Government of British Columbia, through BC Housing, is providing approximately $10.3 million from the Building BC: Community Housing Fund and will provide approximately $200,000 in annual operating funding. The City of Vancouver contributed approximately $3 million from the Community Housing Incentive Program (CHIP).
Located at 508 Powell Street, the new seven-storey building will be operated by Lookout Housing and Health Society and bring 114 new rental units for seniors, Indigenous people, women fleeing domestic violence, newcomers, refugees, working singles, couples and families seeking affordable housing in Vancouver. On-site amenities include full-time health and wellness supports, referrals to local services for tenants and the Powell Street Getaway (PSG) situated on the main floor of the building. The PSG provides food services, health and social programs to everyone in the community. The project is expected to be complete by summer 2024.
Additionally, the Government of Canada’s National Housing Co-Investment Fund is introducing two components within its program to simplify the process of applying for NHCF financing opportunities.
The first component is the Contribution Only funding stream which will provide set amounts of capital cost contributions to build new affordable rental housing and repair/renew existing affordable and community rental housing. This includes a simplified application portal and contribution agreements to be completed for prioritized projects within just four weeks. It will provide a more efficient application process to non-profit housing organizations and rental co-operatives reducing the amount of supporting information needed at the application stage and expediting the review and approval process.
To make the process for applying to NHCF simpler and more accessible, the second component includes a new web landing page developed specifically for Indigenous and Northern communities, supported by a simplified application portal, which is now available.
Quotes:
The Honourable Ahmed Hussen, federal Minister of Housing and Diversity and Inclusion –
“Every Canadian deserves a safe and affordable place to call home. Through the National Housing Co-Investment Fund, our government is committed to helping individuals and families here in Vancouver access affordable homes that are near support and amenities that will allow them to thrive. This is the National Housing Strategy at work.”
Wilson Miao, Member of Parliament for Richmond Centre –
“This building located at 508 Powell Street has been a place of support for people in Vancouver for many years and today it will go on to support even more. Through our collaboration with partners and providers, we are working to make sure all people in Vancouver and across British Columbia have access to stable housing. These types of investments are necessary for healthy and sustainable communities.”
David Eby, B.C. Attorney General and Minister Responsible for Housing –
“This project demonstrates what can happen when every level of government works together to address the urgent need for affordable housing in B.C. When complete, more than 100 people in the Downtown Eastside will have the security and peace of mind that comes with having an affordable place to live. We will continue to work hard to build thousands of homes like these in Vancouver and throughout the province.”
Melanie Mark, MLA for Vancouver-Mount Pleasant –
“Building affordable housing in the Downtown Eastside has been a longstanding call to action from advocates, and community members. These new 114 affordable homes will support families and improve the lives of low-income individuals, seniors, Indigenous Peoples, and women fleeing domestic violence. These homes will offer new beginnings and opportunities for a better life.”
Kennedy Stewart, mayor, City of Vancouver –
“Dozens of Vancouver neighbours will have a safe, affordable place to call their own with these 114 new rental homes. This project received funding through the City's Community Housing Incentive Program which is partly funded through the Empty Homes Tax. It is a perfect example of EHT revenue being used to create homes for our neighbours who need them the most.”
Shayne Williams, CEO, Lookout Housing and Health Society –
“Lookout Housing and Health Society recognizes the substantial need for affordable homes and a full continuum of wrap around support services for those who call the Downtown East Side home. This project is just one step towards addressing these needs. It is thanks to the City of Vancouver, CMHC, BC Housing, Vancity Community Foundation, Pomegranate Housing Consultancy, and the Lookout Foundation that we are able to redevelop the Powell Street Getaway site to not only better serve the community, but also provide over 100 new affordable homes.”
Quick Facts:
Lookout Housing and Health Society operates 59 buildings across 15 municipalities across British Columbia: Vancouver, Victoria, Surrey, New Westminster, West Vancouver, North Vancouver (City and District), Burnaby, Langley, Abbotsford, Chilliwack, Mission, Maple Ridge, Victoria and Duncan Cowichan Valley. Including housing, shelters, outreach and health services, Lookout services reach almost 3,000 people daily.
The Government of Canada’s National Housing Strategy (NHS) is an ambitious, 10-year plan that will invest over $72 billion to give more Canadians a place to call home.
With a budget of $13.2 billion, the NHS’s National Housing Co-Investment Fund (NHCF) gives priority to projects that help those in greatest need, including women and children fleeing family violence, seniors, Indigenous Peoples, people with disabilities, those dealing with mental health and addictions, veterans and young adults.
Through the NHCF, the Government of Canada will work with partners to build up to 60,000 new affordable homes and repair up to 240,000 existing affordable and community homes.
This project is part of the nearly 34,000 new homes that are complete or underway for people in B.C. through provincial government investments made since 2017, including more than 8,400 homes in Vancouver.
Related links:
As Canada’s authority on housing, CMHC contributes to the stability of the housing market and financial system, provides support for Canadians in housing need, and offers unbiased housing research and advice to all levels of Canadian government, consumers and the housing industry. CMHC’s aim is that by 2030, everyone in Canada has a home they can afford and that meets their needs. For more information, visit: https://www.cmhc-schl.gc.ca/.
To find out more about the National Housing Strategy, please visit www.placetocallhome.ca.
To learn about the steps the Province is taking to tackle the housing crisis and deliver affordable homes for British Columbians, visit: https://workingforyou.gov.bc.ca/.
A map showing the location of all announced provincially-funded housing projects in B.C. is available online at: https://www.bchousing.org/homes-for-BC.
Lookout Housing and Health Society is a non-profit charitable organization established in 1971. They offer a range of programs, housing and health solutions to vulnerable adults living with multiple challenges. For more information, visit https://lookoutsociety.ca/.
When a federal consumer watchdog sent mystery shoppers to hundreds of branches of Canada’s big banks and asked them to secretly take notes on their interactions, it found Indigenous or racialized consumers were more likely to be pitched financial products that didn’t fit their circumstances. Those individuals were also more frequently offered overdraft protection and balance protection insurance.
The research, commissioned by the Financial Consumer Agency of Canada (FCAC), detected a number of recurring issues with bank employees’ conduct, which also included unclear communication and exerting pressure on undecided customers.
The instances of troublesome behaviour represented a minority of interactions between bank staff and the mystery shoppers. But the findings raise red flags, according to the report.
“FCAC expects all consumers to have similar sales experiences and ones that result in a positive outcome for them,” said Rana Abu Naameh, director of regulatory, guidance and coordination at the agency.
For the study, the FCAC engaged a third-party firm to send individuals posing as customers to more than 700 bank branches at Canada’s six biggest banks: Bank of Montreal; Bank of Nova Scotia; Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce; National Bank; Royal Bank of Canada; and Toronto-Dominion Bank. The research, which focused on chequing accounts and credit cards, took place between October and December 2019.
The study found that undercover shoppers who identified as racialized or Indigenous persons were more likely to report what the FCAC called “concerning” sales experiences involving inappropriate recommendations, unsolicited product pitches or confusing communication.
Students also described unsatisfactory interactions more frequently than other shoppers.
Nearly three-quarters of the secret shoppers rated their experience with bank employees as positive, with 17 per cent reporting neutral impressions and 9 per cent saying they had negative interactions.
“Canada’s banks are client-focused with a deep commitment to high ethical standards and complying with established laws and regulations,” the Canadian Bankers Association said in a statement via email.
Separately, spokespersons for several of the big banks said they put customers first, while also adding they would review feedback about staff conduct from the FCAC.
“TD colleagues work hard every day to earn the trust of our customers,” a spokesperson for the bank said via email. “We have also brought in enhanced training and education programs to better serve Indigenous, Black and other diverse communities, including sessions focused on our shared responsibility to interrupt conscious and unconscious bias.”
But even some of the secret shoppers who reported a satisfactory experience described practices the FCAC said should raise concern. Overall, in 15 per cent of interactions involving chequing accounts and 20 per cent of those involving credit cards, shoppers said that bank employees made inappropriate product recommendations.
One frequently misplaced pitch: premium credit cards. The FCAC found that 28 per cent of credit card recommendations were for so-called “premium” cards that may come with higher costs as well as perks – such as travel rewards – that not all consumers can take advantage of. Such cards typically have minimum individual or household income thresholds. But in 80 per cent of cases, bank staff promoting them never asked the mystery shoppers about their income, the report notes.
In 28 per cent of interactions, the stealth shoppers also said they were offered products beyond what they’d asked for.
Most frequently the unprompted recommendations involved overdraft protection, which can help consumers avoid declined transactions and extra costs when they don’t have enough money in their account to cover a payment or withdrawal. Banks typically charge a monthly or pay-per-use fee for this optional service.
Notably, 32 per cent of secret shoppers who identified as a visible minority or Indigenous person were offered overdraft protection compared with just 18 per cent of the other shoppers.
A similar trend emerged for credit card balance protection insurance, which helps borrowers pay off their balance in case they lose their job, become disabled or die, among other scenarios. Although just 6 per cent of card shoppers were offered such coverage, racialized and Indigenous customers were more than three times as likely to hear the pitch, the research shows.
New federal rules coming into effect at the end of June will require banks to have new procedures in place to ensure that what they offer matches customers’ needs, the FCAC said.
Alberta’s push to hire more paramedics is not enough to solve the crisis in the province’s emergency response system, according to the Health Sciences Association of Alberta (HSAA).
In a press release on Wednesday morning, Alberta’s health ministry announced it is creating 100 new EMS positions and extending 70 temporary positions in a bid to ease the province’s paramedic shortage.
These new EMS positions include:
40 new primary care paramedic positions, 20 each in Calgary and Edmonton
16 new emergency medical responders for inter-facility transfers, eight each in Calgary and Edmonton
Two new advanced care paramedics and two new primary care paramedics for suburban-rural coverage in Calgary
40 new temporary rover positions (staff who may fill in at various stations in a zone) in Calgary and Edmonton. The north, central and south zones will each have 10 positions extended until March 2023.
The province also announced it has secured nine new ambulances: five will be deployed in Edmonton and four will be deployed in Calgary by the end of June. Ten more will be added to the fleet by the end of September, with five allocated in each city.
“Unfortunately in this province, we are running them so hard … It’s taking its toll on the crews,” HSAA president Michael Parker said at a Wednesday afternoon news conference.
“The problem is we don’t have any people to hire. We’ve got none left. (The positions) have been open for a while, so good luck finding them.”
Death of Alberta paramedic reignites discussion over state of EMS in the province
Death of Alberta paramedic reignites discussion over state of EMS in the province – Dec 21, 2021
The announcement comes after new Alberta Health Services Emergency Services quarterly data showed ambulance response times in urban areas progressively worsened in the past year.
The HSAA previously said the situation is so dire that red alerts are becoming more common and more intense. Typically, red alerts are issued when there are no ambulances within a jurisdiction able to respond to emergency calls or for incidents that can potentially overwhelm local hospitals.
Health Minister Jason Copping said the new positions are part of the $587 million operating budget for EMS in Budget 2022, which included funding for an additional 20 ambulances in Edmonton and Calgary. Copping disagrees that the province has trouble hiring paramedics, however.
“We’re actually having success filling the positions, which is fantastic. This is all part of building our capacity for our health-care system,” Copping told reporters on Wednesday.
“These are fully funded (positions) and they’ve been fully funded for a long time.”
Alberta NDP health critic David Shepherd criticized the press release, claiming the Alberta government is re-announcing past initiatives and funding that was put forward by the United Conservative Party.
He also urged the UCP to hire more permanent EMS staff, a demand the HSAA has also previously made.
“There is nothing normal about the crisis we are experiencing.
“We should be offering every paramedic permanent full-time positions with benefits, and we need to ramp up services and resources to address a worsening drug poisoning crisis,” Shepherd said.
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