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atlanticcanada · 1 year
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Canadian families will pay $1,065 more for groceries in 2023, report says
Canadians won't escape food inflation any time soon.
Food prices in Canada will continue to escalate in the new year, with grocery costs forecast to rise up to seven per cent in 2023, new research predicts.
For a family of four, the total annual grocery bill is expected to be $16,288 -- $1,065 more than it was this year, the 13th edition of Canada's Food Price Report released Monday said.
A single woman in her 40s -- the average age in Canada -- will pay about $3,740 for groceries next year while a single man the same age would pay $4,168, according to the report and Statistics Canada.
Food inflation is set to remain stubbornly high in the first half of 2023 before it starts to ease, said Sylvain Charlebois, lead author of the report and Dalhousie University professor of food distribution and policy.
"When you look at the current food inflation cycle we're in right now, we're probably in the seventh-inning stretch," he said in an interview. "The first part of 2023 will remain challenging ... but we're starting to see the end of this."
Multiple factors could influence food prices next year, including climate change, geopolitical conflicts, rising energy costs and the lingering effects of COVID-19, the report said.
Currency fluctuations could also play a role in food prices. A weaker Canadian dollar could make importing goods like lettuce more expensive, for example.
Earlier this year the loonie was worth more than 80 cents US, but it then dropped to a low of 72.17 cents US in October amid a strengthening U.S. dollar. It has hovered near the 74 cent mark in recent weeks, ending Friday at 74.25 cents US.
"The produce section is going to be the wild card," Charlebois said. "Currency is one of the key things that could throw things off early in the winter and that's why produce is the highest category."
Vegetables could see the biggest price spikes, with estimates pegging cost increases will rise as high as eight per cent, the report said.
In addition to currency risks, much of the produce sold in Canada comes from the United States, which has been struggling with extremely dry conditions.
"The western U.S., particularly California, has seen strong El Nino weather patterns and droughts and bacterial contaminations, and that's impacted our fruit and vegetable suppliers and prices," said Simon Somogyi, campus lead at the University of Guelph and professor at the Gordon S. Lang School of Business and Economics.
"The drought is making the production of lettuce more expensive," he said. "It's reducing the crop size but it's also causing bacterial contamination, which is lessening the supply in the marketplace."
Prices in other key food categories like meat, dairy and bakery are predicted to soar up to seven per cent, the researchers found.
The Canadian Dairy Commission has approved a farm gate milk price increase of about 2.2 per cent, or just under two cents per litre, for Feb. 1, 2023.
"The increase for February is reasonable but it comes after the unprecedented increases in 2022, which are continuing to work their way through the supply chain," Charlebois said of the two price hikes of nearly 11 per cent combined in 2022.
Meanwhile, seafood is expected to increase up to six per cent, while fruit could increase up to five per cent, the report said.
Restaurant costs are expected to increase four to six per cent, less than supermarket prices, the report said.
Rising prices will push food security and affordability even further out of reach of Canadians a year after food bank use reached a record high, the report said.
The increasing reliance on food banks is expected to continue, with 20 per cent of Canadians reporting they will likely turn to community organizations in 2023 for help feeding their families, a survey included in the report found.
Use of weekly flyers, coupons, bulk buying and food rescuing apps also ticked up this year and is expected to continue growing in 2023, the report said.
"We're in the era now of the smart shopper," said Somogyi, also the Arrell Chair in the Business of Food.
"For certain generations, it's the first time that they've had to make a list, not impulse buy, read the weekly flyers, use coupons, buy in volume and freeze what they don't use."
Last year's report predicted food prices would increase five to seven per cent in 2022 -- the biggest jump ever predicted by the annual food price report.
Food costs actually far exceeded that forecast. Grocery prices were up 11 per cent in October compared with a year before while overall food costs were up 10.1 per cent, according to Statistics Canada.
"We were called alarmists," Charlebois said of the prediction that food prices could rise seven per cent in 2022. Critics called the report an "exaggeration," he said.
"You're always one crisis away from throwing everything out the window," Charlebois said. "We didn't predict the war in Ukraine, and that really affected markets."
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 5, 2022.
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atlanticcanada · 1 year
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Survey shows nearly 20 per cent of Canadians skipping meals to cope with food costs
For months, putting food on the table has become a challenge to many, but a recent survey found some are coping with the cost of eating by sometimes skipping meals.
The survey was conducted by the Canadian Hub for Applied and Social Research out of the University of Saskatchewan.
Nearly 20 per cent of respondents reported skipping meals or reducing meal sizes in order to save money.
At the Glace Bay Food Bank, those numbers didn't come as a surprise as it's roughly on par with the uptick they've experienced.
"Absolutely not. Not with the cost of groceries and the cost of living, it doesn't shock me at all," said Linda MacRae, food bank coordinator. "I would say close to 20 per cent. I really would. I'm surprised we're keeping up, to be honest with you."
Among the 1,001 Canadians polled, 59 per cent said they're coping by decreasing household food waste, 54 per cent reported making meal plans, while 30 per cent said they are eating less healthy food as it's often cheaper.
"Food bank use and unemployment have always trended together," said Food Banks Canada CEO Kirsten Beardsley. "This is the first time we're seeing those trends decouple. We have very low unemployment, and our highest food bank use in Canadian history."
The majority of survey respondents said they are using coupons, or hunting for sales. Nearly 5 per cent admitted to stealing food out of necessity.
"To go from this situation into what will be job loss, a recession, even tougher economic times, I'm actually really worried about what's to come," Beardsley said.
A recent report from Food Banks Canada said visits to food banks increased 15 per cent over the winter, and prices have only gone up since.
"I'm extremely worried what the next few months are going to bring, especially over the winter," MacRae said.
Nearly 80 per cent of respondents supported an increase in minimum wage, however many opposed strategies that saw an increase or creation of taxes.
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atlanticcanada · 1 year
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Affordable housing units open in Charlottetown, Abegweit First Nation
Two new affordable housing projects in Prince Edward Island officially opened on Thursday.
One of the projects is a modular four-storey building on Fitzroy Street in Charlottetown by the Canadian Mental Health Association of PEI. It contains 28 affordable studios and one-bedroom apartments for people dealing with mental health and addiction issues.
Fifteen of the units are specifically meant for women. 
The project received close to $7.9 million from the federal government through the Rapid Housing Initiative (RHI). The P.E.I. government also contributed $2.8 million over a 20-year period in annual operating grants.
“We are providing a chance to members of our community who are struggling with mental health and addictions issues to bring a positive change to their lives and to the community. Having access to safe, supportive and affordable homes is key to their recovery,” said Sean Casey, Member of Parliament for Charlottetownin a release.
Casey also announced Thursday the completion of a five-unit affordable housing complex on the lands of the Abegweit First Nation.
The project received $1.35 million through the RHI and will serve the Mi’Kmaq community and prioritize women and their children.
The housing complex also received provincial energy efficiency funding.
The chief of Abegweit First Nation says the lack of affordable and healthy housing is a major issue in the community.
"I am extremely proud that Abegweit's own construction team built five new, healthy and energy efficient homes in our community through the Rapid Housing Initiative. Now, several young families, who struggled to find and afford shelter off reserve, can move back home,” said Chief Junior Gould in the release. “Having these families back in the community will improve the socioeconomic wellbeing of our community and give hope to our young and growing membership that solutions are on the way."
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atlanticcanada · 1 year
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Women file suit alleging they were sexually assaulted by Newfoundland police officers
Seven women have filed a civil lawsuit alleging they were sexually assaulted by "various" on-duty officers with Newfoundland and Labrador's provincial police force between 2001 and 2017.
A statement of claim filed Sept. 9 with the province's Supreme Court names the provincial government, which is responsible for the Royal Newfoundland Constabulary as the sole defendant in the case.
The women allege in the statement of claim that they were kissed, touched or penetrated by Royal Newfoundland Constabulary officers without their consent after the officers had offered them rides home at night.
In one instance alleged to have occurred in 2001, a woman claims an unnamed officer drove her to a remote area and forced her to perform oral sex on him after she rebuffed his sexual advances and he suggested that he would leave her out there alone.
Retired Royal Newfoundland Constabulary Sgt. Robert Baldwin is the only officer named in the statement of claim, with allegations from two women ranging from unwanted kissing and touching to penetration, but his lawyer said in an email Monday that he denies all of the allegations.
None of the allegations in the suit have been proven in court, and Lynn Moore, the women's lawyer, said today that they are not pursuing criminal charges.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 4, 2022.
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atlanticcanada · 1 year
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Environment commissioner warns Canada failing to protect commercially valuable fish
The federal government is biased against listing commercially valuable fish as species at risk and needing protection, environment commissioner Jerry DeMarco said in a new audit published Tuesday.
The audit of Canada's efforts to protect aquatic species at risk was one of six new environmental reports tabled in the House of Commons.
It found Fisheries and Oceans Canada was very slow to act when the national committee that is responsible for assessing whether species need protection says a particular aquatic creature or plant is in danger.
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And when that assessment relates to a fish with significant commercial value, the department's default appears to be against listing the fish as needing special protection.
That includes the Newfoundland and Labrador population of Atlantic cod.
Overfishing led to a moratorium on commercial fishing of Newfoundland cod in 1992, and twice since then the Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada assessed it as being "endangered," meaning it faces imminent danger of going extinct.
Once that assessment is made, Fisheries and Oceans Canada must review the assessment and decide whether to list the species for special protection under the Species at Risk Act. Listing the species in the act as endangered would prevent it from being killed, harmed, harassed or captured.
The first assessment on Newfoundland cod came in 2003, and it took three years for Fisheries and Oceans to review the finding. In 2006, the federal department decided against adding it to the Species at Risk Act list, and allowed some inshore fishing and Indigenous harvesting to continue.
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In 2010, the committee assessed the Newfoundland cod as endangered a second time. Twelve years later, Fisheries and Oceans still has not finished a review to determine what to do with that assessment.
DeMarco's audit looked at nine fish, two mussels and a sea turtle that the endangered wildlife committee assessed as needing protection. Five of the fish were marine species with significant commercial value, and in all five of those cases, the department opted against listing the fish as a species at risk.
That includes Newfoundland cod, steelhead trout, the Okanagan population of chinook salmon, yellowmouth rockfish, and Atlantic bluefin tuna.
The other four fish, both mussels and the loggerhead sea turtle were deemed to have no significant commercial value, and all seven were recommended to be listed as species at risk by Fisheries and Oceans.
DeMarco also found it took the department far too long to conduct its own reviews.
He said Fisheries and Oceans hasn't finished its review for half the 230 aquatic species that the wildlife committee recommended for an at-risk designation since the Species at Risk Act took effect in 2004.
Furthermore, the department was found to have big gaps in what it knows about species that need protection, and not enough staff to enforce protections when they are put in place.
"A bias against protecting species of commercial value under the Species at Risk Act, significant delays in listing species for protection, gaps in knowledge about species, and limited enforcement capacity all have adverse effects on ecosystems and communities," DeMarco said in a written statement.
The commissioner's fall audits also looked at policies to manage low- and intermediate-risk radioactive waste, which accounts for 99.5 per cent of all radioactive waste in Canada.
DeMarco said Natural Resources Canada, the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission, and Atomic Energy of Canada were doing a good job managing the waste.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 4, 2022.
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atlanticcanada · 1 year
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Green arms bands will now be worn by young on-ice officials in Nova Scotia
In Canada there are more than 30,000 referees, linesman and other game officials working in hockey. Each year more than 10,000 quit, largely because of verbal abuse.
A new program launched by Hockey Nova Scotia features a green armband to signal to fans and coaches that some of the on-ice officials are only children.
Cole Harbour Minor Hockey Referee in Chief, Jason Clark said last night his organization launched the green armband program for referees and linesmen.
"It was very quiet in here, and that’s what I like to see," said Clark, who added the green arm band is designed to offer an added level of protection and support for younger on-ice officials.
"Anyone who is 17-years or younger, ref or linesman, it doesn’t matter," said Clark.
It signals to coaches and fans, they yell at a referee or linesman, they may be verbally abusing a youth.
Seventeen-year-old Dylan McMullen has been a referee for four years. Each game usually features both good and bad moments.
"When a coach tells you did a good job or you had a good game," said McMullen. "A negative is when they’re yelling at you about a call that you made or didn’t make."
Wearing the green arm band is a short term measure.
"On their 18th birthday they will take that off because they are considered an adult," said Clark,
From now on, coaches and parents who are suspended for abuse of an on-ice official will also face a stiffer punishment if it involves someone wearing the green armband.
"There will be another game at added to anybody who receives a suspension due to abuse of a referee," said Clark.
All referees and linesman under the age of 18 and working in Hockey Nova Scotia-sanctioned games will now wear the green arm bands.
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atlanticcanada · 10 months
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N.B. Women’s Council says Policy 713 review echoes ‘organized backlash’ against 2SLGBTQIA+ community
The New Brunswick Women’s Council says the provincial government’s review of Policy 713 is using talking points from a larger “organized backlash” against 2SLGBTQIA+ people.
In a statement Friday, the New Brunswick Women’s Council called on the Higgs government to end its review of Policy 713, which mandates minimum standards and requirements within the New Brunswick school system for all sexual orientations and gender identities.
“A lot of theses issues have been addressed by subject matter experts using evidence-based research,” says Beth Lyons, executive director of the New Brunswick Women’s Council, in an interview Friday.
The Department of Education and Early Childhood Development says the review of Policy 713 includes the provision for students under 16 to change their preferred first name and pronoun without parents knowing, the process for team sport selection and participation, and access to washroom facilities on the basis of gender identity.
Lyons says the Higgs government is ignoring data on the subject, as rhetoric and violence against the transgender community rises.
“We also have a government which is echoing the questions of that movement,” says Lyons. “I’m not saying they’re aligned with that movement. I’m saying that the movement is strategic.”
A brief from the council says New Brunswick is “in the midst of a backlash against 2SLGBTQIA+ people and communities,” referencing protests at drag queen story time events and a recent review of material at public libraries.
“We can not ignore the broader context of what is happening with the anti-queer and trans backlash,” says Lyons.
Similar statements of concern about the Policy 713 review have been issued by the New Brunswick Child and Youth Advocate and the New Brunswick Human Rights Commission.
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atlanticcanada · 9 months
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Sex worker wins in Nova Scotia court but ruling leaves sex industry conflicted
In a legal decision described as the first of its kind in Canada, a Halifax sex worker successfully sued a client for nonpayment of services, but actors in the industry are conflicted about the ruling's impacts.
Former sex worker Brogan Sheehan took Bradley Samuelson to small claims court after he didn't fully pay her fee, which both parties had agreed to beforehand. Samuelson argued that the agreement was invalid because it is illegal to purchase sexual services, but court adjudicator Darrel Pink said the contract could still be enforced and awarded Sheehan $1,800.
Sex work remains criminalized in Canada, but a 2014 law removed criminal penalties for people, like Sheehan, who sell sexual services. Paying for sex, however, remains illegal.
Sheehan's lawyer, Jessica Rose, says she and her client wanted to expose the court to the "economic realities of doing sex work." As well, Rose said they wanted to raise awareness about "what is needed as far as access to the civil justice system to ensure sex workers are treated fairly by their clients."
"This type of issue had never been addressed before in court," Rose said in a recent interview.
Emma Halpern, executive director of the Elizabeth Fry Society of Mainland Nova Scotia, says the decision empowers sex workers to seek legal remedies to enforce their contracts.
The decision also reflects a changing attitude within society and the law toward sex work, Halpern said. The public is beginning to understand the difference between "extremely harmful, predatory things like sex trafficking, and legitimate sex work by an adult who is a worker, pays taxes, has a business."
As a response to the ruling, Halpern and Sheehan said they planned to hold workshops for sex workers to help them understand their legal rights.
But not everyone in the sex industry sees the court's decision as a step forward. Real change will occur once politicians decriminalize sex work, said Sandra Wesley, executive director of Stella, a Montreal-based organization by and for sex workers.
The vast majority of sex workers, she said, won't seek financial recourse via the court system because sex work is still criminalized in Canada. Going to court exposes a sex worker -- and potentially everyone else she is associated with -- to the justice system, Wesley said.
"Even if there's a chance she can win, there's always a risk of workplaces being shut down, police being alerted to the activity, being evicted, deported," she said. "There are many consequences of being criminalized, even if we win in court."
Wesley says the small claims court decision actually goes against the 2014 federal sex work law, called the Protection of Communities and Exploited Persons Act. That law emphasizes the importance of discouraging sex work and denouncing and prohibiting the purchase of sexual services "because it creates a demand for prostitution."
Wesley says, "I hope the minister of justice and prime minister read the decision, read the law, and consider it's time to change it."
And while Pink's decision says that both sides in the court case believe it is the first of its kind in Canada, a legal expert questions its importance on jurisprudence because the ruling was rendered in small claims court.
"The usual court hierarchy doesn't apply," said Wayne MacKay, professor emeritus at Dalhousie University's law school. "Another small claims judge wouldn't necessarily have to follow it, nor a higher court."
And while the decision doesn't have a binding precedent, it could still influence other court rulings, he said.
"The message is out there," MacKay said. "Sex work is work, legal work, and deserves to be treated like other legal work, and if people chose not to pay, they can get a remedy in small claims court."
According to documents filed in Nova Scotia's small claims court, Sheehan charged $300 an hour for her services, and spent seven hours with Samuelson on Jan. 26, 2022. But the next morning, when she attempted to take cash out of an ATM with his bank card, the transaction was denied. After several text exchanges, Samuelson eventually paid Sheehan $300, leaving $1,800 outstanding.
Pink's decision, rendered in April, says public policy requires the courts "not to increase or contribute to exploitation of sex work, and thus favours a regime that gives aggrieved sex workers access to the civil courts when they have a civil claim."
MacKay said the broader social impact of the novel decision may be more important than the technical, legal impact.
"One has to kind of admire the sex worker that decided to test the waters, see what small claims court would do, and succeeded," he said. "That's the way things change sometimes."
Sheehan, who advocates for the decriminalization of sex work, said she wanted to pursue the case in court because she was a victim of human trafficking when she was a minor.
"I feel obligated to not leave things the way that they were," she said.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 9, 2023.
This story was produced with the financial assistance of the Meta and Canadian Press News Fellowship.
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atlanticcanada · 1 year
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"You may as well forget it": N.S. senior losing rental home waits for public housing
An 87-year-old man who’s been told he has to leave his mobile home now finds himself on a multi-year wait list for public housing, along with hundreds of other Nova Scotians.
For twelve years Claude Ernst has rented a mobile home in Blockhouse, N.S.
More than a roof over his head, the unit also offered the senior convenience, comfort and a sense of security.
He grew pumpkins and onions in the garden. He lives independently and is just a five minute drive from his daughter.
Ernst’s daughter says her father’s landlord and neighbour passed away and now the landlord’s spouse wants to remove the mobile unit from the property by the end of June.
“It’s a real concern,” said Claude Ernst, adding a person needs a lot of money to build something new or move into another apartment.
The 87-year-old does not know where he’ll go.  
Ernst has a fixed income and lives off his old-age security and Canada Pension Plan. 
Currently he pays about $400 a month for rent, plus utilities.
His daughter Esther Ernst-Pike said there are few apartments available in his area and the two she did find had too many stairs and would’ve been far too expensive.
“We’re looking at 1540, 1430 and that’s not including utilities,” she said.
Ernst-Pike did apply to the Nova Scotia Provincial Housing Agency to secure her Dad a spot on a waitlist for public housing in the western region.
The problem is the wait.
“We were told there would be a 3 to 5 year wait to find an apartment for dad through the housing authority,” said Ernst-Pike.  
“That’s a list. That’s what it is. You may as well forget it,” said Ernst.
Ernst-Pike considered having her father move in with her but said she lives high up on a hill and has narrow, steep stairs.
“It’s just impossible to have Dad there with us. I wish we could,” said Ernst-Pike. “Seniors are living longer and we really need to have more housing for seniors.”
Krista Hidgon, a spokesperson for Nova Scotia Department Municipal Affairs and Housing, says there are currently 958 applications on the wait list for public housing in the western region and about 4760 across Nova Scotia.
She says the government has created a new public housing agency that’s focussed on turning around units as quickly as possible to maximize the number of people it can serve.
“We’ve moved wait times for units from an average of 2.28 to 2.06 years—that’s an improvement of 10 per cent,” Higdon said, noting the province is also transferring tenants in units too large for their needs into smaller units to free up large units for families.
“We continue to work to improve wait times and turn around vacant units more quickly,” she said.
“Clients can explore a rent supplement as an option as well, even while on the wait list,” Hidgon said.
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atlanticcanada · 1 year
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Cost of living: some Canadians struggle to keep their pets
The rising cost of living is making pet ownership a tougher reality for many Canadians.
Linda Felix, the founder and President of Spay Day Society HRM, said her organization has taken in a lot of abandoned cats so far this year.
“More than usual,” Felix said in an email.
“And we’ve had a number surrendered when people lost their housing,” she said, adding they either became homeless, had to move away and could not take the cat or could not find a new apartment that welcomed pets.
The Nova Scotia SPCA is also experiencing a higher demand for services.
More pet-owners are turning to the organization’s pet pantry—a food bank for pets that offers food, litter, toys and more.
“Inflation is going up on people food but also animal food,” said Sarah Lyon, Director of marketing and communication with the NS SPCA.
Lyon said calls are also coming in each day from people asking about the SPCA’s Paws & Support program.
A free program that allows animal-owners to temporarily place their animals with foster families through the SPCA while they leave domestic violence relationships, are treated in hospital or need help because of short-term housing situations.
“The bulk of the calls that we are receiving for our paws and support is people finding themselves without a home to go to,” Lyon said.
She noted the SPCA does not turn people away who are fleeing domestic violence or need help while in hospital, but the biggest need right now is for people finding themselves unhoused or unable to secure housing that will allow pets.
The organization is having to turn people away because it can’t meet the demand.
“To not be able to help, family, people and their pets is really hard is really hard,” Lyon said. “It’s hard on the staff. It’s hard on the mental health of the staff.”
The SPCA has also experienced a dip in donations and volunteer time.
“We know Nova Scotians are generous and living with the inflation and the cost of living and their time is really important as well. And we hope we’re one of their charities of choice when they can,” Lyon said. 
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atlanticcanada · 10 months
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Murphy's Logic: Assuring the protection of our democracy is PM Trudeau's job
David Johnston is a brilliant and honourable man, who served with distinction as Canada's 28th governor-general.
He is also on friendly and familiar terms with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, which may be one of the reasons the PM tapped him to look into allegations that China interfered in Canada's 2019 and 2021 federal elections.
The appointment created at least the appearance that he might do the prime minister's bidding — and rule a public inquiry into the allegations is not necessary.
And that's what he has concluded, though I doubt he did it to satisfy a political agenda. He even makes some compelling arguments against what could be a very public airing of very private and sensitive material.
The fair-minded can debate Johnston's objectivity or his conclusions — or both.
But the real issue is that Johnston shouldn't have been asked to make this decision in the first place. The prime minister did so to avoid making the decision himself and that most certainly was for political reasons. Trudeau knew he'd be damned no matter what he decided.
Now it's Johnston who's bearing the brunt of the criticism, rendering his offer to hold public hearings himself of considerably diminished value.
It's not too late for the prime minister to do what he could have done in the first place — order an inquiry to assure Canadians that our security system is protecting our democracy.
That is his job.
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atlanticcanada · 11 months
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'Where's the accountability?' Deadline looms for mass shooting inquiry recommendation
In the coming days, the federal and Nova Scotia governments will face the first deadline for action recommended by the inquiry that investigated the worst mass shooting in Canadian history.
The Mass Casualty Commission, which tabled its final report last month, has called on the two levels of government to deal with the "unmet need for mental health, grief and bereavement supports" in northern and central Nova Scotia, where 22 people were shot dead on April 18-19, 2020.
It remains unclear what, if anything, will happen when the deadline arrives on Monday, but one thing is certain: Serena Lewis will be watching.
The registered social worker was the province's grief and bereavement coordinator in northern Nova Scotia three years ago when a gunman disguised as a Mountie went on a 13-hour rampage through the largely rural area.
"I've dedicated my career to (dealing with) grief, but it's very difficult with something of this magnitude," Lewis said in a recent interview, recalling the countless hours she spent trying to help people devastated by the tragedy, just as the COVID-19 pandemic was taking hold.
"I was committing to people that they were going to get the help that was needed."
But that never happened. Even though she drafted a provincial grief strategy and submitted it to the Nova Scotia government in December 2020, the plan was shelved.
"As my term was coming to an end, I asked if we were going to mobilize the strategy, and I got no word on anything," said Lewis, who left the role in 2021. "I can't answer why things are not moving."
The commission of inquiry concluded that the government's inaction led to a prolonged "public health emergency" in the counties where the killings occurred -- Colchester, Cumberland and Hants.
"Many people continue to be affected by this incident," the commission's report says. "While most of them describe its impact as a decline in mental health and/or well-being, others say it has affected the way they live their lives."
Among other things, the commission found the province gave very little support to the most affected residents, and there were delays in providing what was available. For example, people were simply given a list of counsellors rather than help in connecting with one. And some residents had to recount their traumatic experiences repeatedly as they navigated the support system.
Darcy Dobson, the daughter of victim Heather O'Brien, told the inquiry she did not get the help she needed.
"There is definitely a mental-health resource problem in this country, and in this province," she said. "And something needs to be done about it. You never expect a mass casualty to happen, but it does. We're living proof that there was nobody who knew how to handle the mass of mental health issues that came with it."
The commission found that "governmental support has been inadequate, leading to a healing deficit and ... broken trust." The report goes on to say the long-term implications include "the potential to lead to further cycles of violence and trauma."
That's why the commission recommended that the federal and Nova Scotia governments start by funding a multidisciplinary team of health professionals who can provide urgent support, and then transition to a long-term strategy.
Lewis said the commission's proposal is exactly what she has been pushing for.
"That's what we've needed since Day 1," she said.
A spokesperson for Carolyn Bennett, the federal minister of mental health and addictions, issued a statement saying Ottawa is reviewing the recommendations and "will work closely with Nova Scotia and with the people and the communities affected."
The statement pointed to Ottawa's new Wellness Together Canada portal and the PocketWell app, which provides free, round-the-clock access to support.
"We know the pain, trauma, and heartbreaking loss will never truly go away, but we stand with you," the statement said. There is no reference to the commission's recommendations or the May 1 deadline.
As for the provincial government, the minister responsible for addictions and mental health, Brian Comer, declined a request for an interview. He issued a statement saying a team of deputy ministers is reviewing the recommendations.
"This includes meeting the May 1 deadline for the recommendation noted," Comer's statement said, offering no details. The province's justice minister offered a similar statement Tuesday.
Alec Stratford, executive director of the Nova Scotia College of Social Workers, said the province has moved too slowly.
"This is work that should have started long ago," he said. "It takes time to build these systems ... And all of this is not going to come into play by May 1."
Stratford said it's important to recognize that the sense of grief many Nova Scotians are still feeling has been complicated by the traumatic nature of what happened and the social isolation caused by the pandemic.
"The ceremonies that we have in our society to bring closure never happened," he said. "Those communities suffered this egregious loss, (and) all of this trauma was followed by a lack of coherent care."
He fears the province's poor response could result in more cases of anxiety, depression, post-traumatic stress disorder and suicidal thoughts.
Lewis said that's why the commission's work is so important.
"If we don't mobilize those recommendations, then what good was it?" she asked. "Where is the accountability?"
This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 26, 2023.
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atlanticcanada · 8 months
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A terminally ill federal inmate wants to be released so he can die outside of prison. He's been refused, so he's applying for MAID
After more than four decades in a federal prison, Ed Speidel is fighting for a compassionate release so he can die outside, in a halfway house, rather than in his jail cell.
But after being rejected for parole and refused an appeal, he now fears he will die a painful death, struggling to breathe behind bars.
"My biggest fear is dying in jail. I don’t want to die in jail," said Speidel in a phone interview with CTV News from an office in the Matsqui Institution, a medium-security prison in Abbotsford, B.C.
The 62-year-old suffers from end-stage chronic obstructive pulmonary disorder (COPD) along with chronic pain and rheumatoid arthritis. Tests show his lungs have only 19 per cent function compared to healthy adults.
"I have days where I have a real hard time breathing and it's like choking, like you're starved for air," said Seidel.
He requires oxygen 24 hours a day. Yet just prior to his phone interview with CTV, he said he had to struggle to get staff to provide him with a portable oxygen unit to make the trip to the room where the interview would take place.
Speidel, who uses a walker and spends most of his time in his cell, says he is in no way a threat to the public.
"I was a s**thead. (I did) robberies. But I didn't hurt anyone," he said. "I have done 41 years. I’ve done my time. Nothing is being served by keeping me here."
At a parole hearing in July 2022, he asked for parole by exception – more commonly referred to as compassionate or geriatric parole – due to his failing health, age and time served. He was not represented by a lawyer and was turned down.
He obtained legal support early this year. Lisa Crossley, who works with Prisoner Legal Services in Vancouver, says the case is bolstered by a note from a doctor in the institution, recommending that the parole board consider compassionate release for Speidel given his progressive health condition.
But the motion on for an expedited hearing of his review on July 8 was rejected. Speidel is now working through an application for a medically assisted death, though he says it's not really his preference.
"For the vast majority of people, if you are terminally ill, what risks do you really pose? I think that should be asked and there should be more options for people for some type of release," Crossley told CTV News.
Still, Crossley says, she will continue to push for an expedited regular parole hearing, and for another appeal for a compassionate release. She believes it is the first case of its kind in the country that will highlight the plight of older prisoners who are ill.
"It is a matter of public importance that affects many people in federal prison," said Crossley.
AGING AND AILING INMATES
Of the 6,886 prisoners now in federal jails as of 2023, more than 1,700 (25.6 per cent) are 50 and older and are classified as aging offenders. 
Surveys show that prisoners age more rapidly due to their past lifestyles, high rates of substance abuse and the stress of imprisonment. 
There are higher rates of diseases that come with age including cancer, diabetes, lung disease and dementia.
Ivan Zinger, the correctional investigator of Canada, says a review, conducted in 2019 worried him.
"We saw an inordinate amount of prisoners who were either terminally ill or had dementia or Alzheimer's, who had severe mobility restrictions, who were bedridden. And all these individuals, you scratch your head, saying, 'What are they doing in a prison setting?'" he said in an interview from his office in Ottawa, Ont.
"Prisons and penitentiaries were never designed to be nursing homes or long-term care facilities or hospices. And this is what they've turned out to be. And it's just not acceptable," Zinger added.
In a statement sent to CTV News, Correctional Service of Canada officials said they could not comment on specific inmates or their cases, but wrote that the agency "acknowledges that challenges exist in addressing the multiple needs of aging offenders, but remains committed in its efforts to continue to develop strategies in meeting those needs.''
The Parole Board of Canada, meanwhile, is responsible for making decisions about exceptional paroles and when offenders don't pose a risk to the public. In an email to CTV News, PBC officials wrote that the board granted 29 paroles by exception to all age groups between 2019 and early 2023. Of those, 13 were prisoners aged 60 and older.
That amounts to about four compassionate releases per year and proves, says Zinger, that the corrections system is not offering enough medical compassionate releases.
"Each year, up to 40 incarcerated individuals die in Canadian penitentiaries of 'natural causes,' usually terminal illnesses,” he noted. “The fact of the matter is none of these individuals benefited from a compassionate release, even though their death was expected or imminent.”
Meanwhile, studies show the cost of keeping a geriatric offender in prison can be two to four times higher than housing them in a halfway home with medical support.
Zinger points to other jurisdictions, like in the U.S. and Europe, which are building secure nursing homes for inmates, where they can be transferred after they turn 65 or develop chronic or fatal illnesses.
In Canada, there are at least five secure halfway homes that accept or are just starting to accept aging inmates, with about four dozen beds. Haley House, in Peterborough, Ont., has 10 beds and is hoping to open a second home with 10 more beds this fall. Still, the case manager, Jeff Morgan, writes that existing facilities don't "come close to meeting the needs of aging offenders that are coming out of federal institutions, or are due to be released."
COMPASSIONATE PAROLE OR MAID?
With no indication he will get out any time soon, Speidel has applied for medical assistance in dying (MAID), and is awaiting a medical assessment. The process usually takes three months or less.
He says he'd much prefer dying a natural death in a supervised halfway house. But his next regular parole hearing could be in 2024.
"What it looks like is that it's easier to kill myself here, with their (medical) help, than it is to try and convince them to let me back out. And I don't understand why," Speidel said.
CTV reported earlier in 2023 that there has been a small but noteworthy increase in MAID deaths among inmates, at rates higher than those in most other countries that allow assisted death.
The 2019 report by the Zinger also warned that without better planning for aging and ailing prisoners, there would be a surge of requests for MAID.
"Canada’s correctional authority should not be seen to be involved in enabling or facilitating any kind of death behind bars. It is simply incongruent with CSC’s obligation to protect and preserve life," he wrote.
Yet Speidel’s case suggests this is exactly what is happening.
He wants parole to die on his own. But the road to approval for MAID may come more easily – a problem his lawyer says needs to be addressed.
“Are we comfortable with it being the case that people can apply for made and be granted it within a month?” said Crossley. ”If you're eligible for MAID, you meet all those requirements, do you really pose such a risk to the community that you shouldn't be eligible for some kind of release as well?” she added.
For Speidel, it is a simple, binary choice.
"I sure hope I get out because if I don't, I will take MAID. I'm not going to sit here, unable to breathe, until I'm laying on the floor choking," he said. 
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atlanticcanada · 1 year
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Canadian naval officer relieved of her duties after allegations of inappropriate conduct on NATO mission
A Canadian naval officer has been relieved of her duties aboard a coastal defence vessel deployed on a NATO operation in Europe over allegations of inappropriate sexual conduct.
The Department of National Defence says Vice-Admiral Bob Auchterlonie, the commander of Canadian Joint Operations Command, relieved the executive officer of HMCS Kingston of her role "as a result of an alleged incident of inappropriate conduct of a sexualized nature" during a port visit in Lisbon, Portugal.
The vessel is deployed to the region as part of a standing NATO mine countermeasures group.
The allegations against the officer have not been proven and an investigation into the incident is ongoing, according to the Canadian Armed Forces.
In a statement Tuesday, National Defence said its commanders "expect all their members to exercise institutionally appropriate judgment at all times, especially when in a clear leadership or command role."
The Royal Canadian Navy says the officer will continue to serve in other roles within Maritime Forces Atlantic headquarters in Halifax until the investigation is complete.
HMCS Kingston set sail for the NATO mission in the Baltic Sea and the North Atlantic region in June on a four-month deployment.
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atlanticcanada · 10 months
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Evacuation centre, comfort centres open for residents fleeing Halifax-area wildfire
An evacuation centre opened overnight in Halifax for residents feeling a wildfire that began in the Upper Tantallon, N.S., area Sunday afternoon.
The evacuation centre is located at the Canada Games Centre at 26 Thomas Raddall Dr.
The Halifax Regional Municipality says the evacuation centre has been opened to especially support residents who do not have family supports or insurance.
FAST-MOVING FIRE
The rapidly spreading wildfire, fed by strong winds and tinder-dry woods, has damaged or destroyed dozens of homes in the region.
Amid thick plumes of smoke, residents fled from the Tantallon area Sunday afternoon after the RCMP issued an emergency alert about rapidly advancing "structure and forest fires."
Over the next six hours, another three alerts called for more evacuations as the fire grew.
Firefighters withdrew from the woods for their own safety through the overnight hours, but are expected to continue dousing flames inside the subdivisions.
EVACUATION ORDERS
Evacuation orders are in effect for residents in the following communities:
Highland Park
Haliburton Hills
Westwood Hills
Glen Arbour
Pockwock Road
White Hills subdivision
Lucasville Road to Sackville Drive
Maplewood
Voyageur Way, including St. George Boulevard (includes side streets)
McCabe Lake
Indigo Shores
COMFORT CENTRES
The Halifax Regional Municipality has comfort centres opened to assist residents impacted by the fires.
Black Point and Area Community Centre at 8579 St Margarets Bay Rd. The comfort centre will be open from 7 a.m. until further notice.
Beaver Bank Kinsac Community Centre at 1583 Beaver Bank Rd. The comfort centre is open until further notice.
LOCAL STATE OF EMERGENCY
Halifax Regional Municipality Mayor Mike Savage declared a local state of emergency late Sunday evening.
The local state of emergency is set to be in effect for seven days, unless regional council lifts or extends the declaration.
The state of emergency will give the municipal government more power to respond to the wildfire.
SCHOOL CLOSURES
The following schools are closed Monday due to the wildfires and evacuations:
Bay View High
Hammonds Plains Consolidated
Kingswood Elementary
Tantallon Junior Elementary
Tantallon Senior Elementary
Madeline Symonds Middle School
FIRE WEBPAGE
The Nova Scotia government has launched a new webpage with the latest emergency alerts and resource information about the fire.
It includes wildfire updates and links to important social media accounts where to find comfort centres school closures, and more.
In an update to the webpage Sunday night, the province said there was no estimate on the size of the fire.
It also said various first response teams were onsite to help fight the fire and with evacuations, though exact numbers were not yet available.
Two Department of Natural Resources and Renewables helicopters and a water bomber from Newfoundland were involved in firefighting efforts at the time.
With files from The Canadian Press
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atlanticcanada · 11 months
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Finding affordable housing in N.B. like winning the lottery, says tenants' advocate
A historic building in Fredericton is set to house four subsidized apartments on the second and third floors.
The Housing First units King Street are transitional housing for people living with homelessness to have a chance to get on their feet.
"Smaller projects like this where it's four to six people individually in a unit is living together they've found that they can often have the most positive effect,” said John Leroux, Housing First project designer.
“They're essentially normalized,” Leroux said.
The United Way is monitoring the list of applicants for the units.
But according to some advocacy groups, these kinds of initiatives are not enough.
"For the four people who will benefit from that, this is huge it's like winning the lottery,” said Matthew Hayes, a spokesperson for NB Coalition for Tenants’ Rights.
“We virtually have a lottery system for affordable housing, there's so many people waiting,” he said.
According to data analysis by the NB Coalition for Tenants’ Rights, the census shows that New Brunswick lost over 8,600 affordable housing units between 2016 and 2021.
That represents a loss of 25 per cent of the housing stock that would be considered affordable
“The numbers show that they're building lots of houses but they're above $1,500 a month,” Hayes said.
New Brunswick's growing population is exacerbating the housing crisis.
"To say we don't have a housing problem would be a misstatement because we do,” said Premier Blaine Higgs.
“We've seen 30,000 people come to our province just in this last year alone,” Higgs said.
The new four units on King Street are amongst several housing projects in the capital city.
"Some people assume that if you're only creating housing for four people it's a drop in the bucket,” Leroux said.
“But it's an important drop in a finite bucket,” he said.
"We need a lot more of that type of initiative,” Hayes said.
“But also this is transitional housing so we're talking about people who are difficult to house or people who are already experiencing homelessness,” he said.
“The reason why they're experiencing homelessness is because we have a housing system that makes people poor."
The province is holding a forum on housing Tuesday at UNB Saint John.
For the latest New Brunswick news, visit our dedicated provincial page.
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