Luxury tax will reduce sales of autos, planes and boats by more than $600-million a year, PBO says - The Globe and Mail

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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Manitoba liquor rules: more private sales, beer in grocery stores possible | CTV News - CTV News Winnipeg

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.

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Scientists send glider drone into Gulf of Alaska to learn more about ocean's CO2 levels - CBC.ca

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.

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More than 100 new rental homes coming to Vancouver | BC Gov News - BC Gov News

From the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC): https://www.cmhc-schl.gc.ca/en/media-newsroom/news-releases/2022/new-rental-homes-coming-vancouver

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/.

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Overdraft protection, creditor insurance more often recommended to Indigenous and racialized consumers, watchdog finds - The Globe and Mail

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.

Are you a young Canadian with money on your mind? To set yourself up for success and steer clear of costly mistakes, listen to our award-winning Stress Test podcast.

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Alberta government creates more EMS positions, but union says it’s not enough - Global News

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.

Read more: ‘We’re on our knees’: Alberta EMS union says system on the verge of collapse

“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.”

2:05 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.

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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.

Read more: Urgent care needed for Alberta emergency departments: doctors

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.”

Read more: Calgarians waiting longer in hospital emergency rooms: AHS data

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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N.S. Justice Department officials want more community-based services - CBC.ca

Officials with Nova Scotia's Justice Department say they're taking steps to try to provide more community-based services for people who become involved with the law, while reducing the use of jails in cases where appropriate.

"We know that services rendered in the community are more effective than rendered in custody," Chris Collett, the province's executive director for correctional services, said in an interview following an appearance at a legislative committee.

"People make changes in the places they live and the places that they work, as opposed to taking them out of their communities and incarcerating them."

He said the use of incarceration should be maintained for the highest-risk people. But for everyone else, the department wants to have more services in the community to allow them to rehabilitate while maintaining employment and family ties. That includes reducing the "overreliance on remand" in favour of community-based programs, said Collett.

Supportive housing pilot program

The department launched a two-year pilot program in January with the John Howard Society to provide supportive housing in Pictou County for men. The program includes in-kind services from the departments of Community Services, Health and Wellness, Housing and Justice. 

Along with housing, the program includes case management and services intended to help participants address the risks that got them involved with the law in the first place. Collett said the program would be evaluated after 18 months in hopes that it can be expanded.

Part of the challenge with remand is it prevents getting people into the community to receive services, said Collett. That's a particular problem for people who are homeless or dealing with mental illness, something Collett said the department is working to address in an effort to keep people out of custody.

Emma Halpern, executive director of Elizabeth Fry Society of Mainland Nova Scotia, agrees that remand can be a barrier to successful rehabilitation and that people are better served by services in communities.

Community groups need funding

But for that to work, Halpern said groups such as hers need proper funding to be able to provide services such as supportive housing.

"What we're seeing is that the jails are becoming homeless shelters," she said in a phone interview.

"We have people without anywhere to go and no funding for supportive, transitional housing in the community for those folks."

Halpern's organization operates a 10-bedroom home that provides transitional housing and it's been full since the beginning of the pandemic. She's pleased to hear about the Justice Department's focus, but said there needs to be adequate funding to make it happen.

"If most [people in jail] could be in the community, one, it would be better for them and two, it would be way, way cheaper," she said.

"Instead of putting the hundreds of thousands into [housing people] in these jail facilities, why don't we put those hundreds of thousands of dollars into community-based programs and houses and let people live in the places where they are the most successful, getting the most gender-specific programs with oversight and monitoring and supervision and collaboration with the Department of Justice?"

Candace Thomas is Nova Scotia's deputy minister of justice. (CBC)

Along with trying to reduce the use of remand, Justice Department officials are also working to redesign how they offer services to women who are in conflict with the law.

Deputy justice minister Candace Thomas told CBC News that women who become involved in crime are often victims themselves. That means understanding that helping women in custody also means addressing any trauma they might be experiencing.

"So from that basis, they need to be treated differently. We need to manage them differently. They may need separate and different programming," said Thomas.

Collett said the province has traditionally treated men and women who are incarcerated the same, despite research that shows they experience the situation differently.

That's starting the change.

The department has made physical changes to the jail in Burnside to allow for separate services for men and women. It also created a superintendent there for women's services. The responsibility for women's services within the department has been moved to a separate director. Program staff have also been hired, including a teacher and social worker.

The department is also working with the Elizabeth Fry Society to provide more community-based services.

"We'd like to see more community services available for women, rather than house them in custody," said Collett.

"We know that they experience custody different than men do and we want to be able to demonstrate that in how we provide services in those sites."

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