Forget plans to lower emissions by 2050 – this is deadly procrastination

Fixating on ‘net zero’ means betting the future of life on Earth that someone will invent some kind of whiz-bang tech to draw down CO2

‘It’s time to grow up and let go of the fantasy that we can get out of this without big changes that affect our lives.’ 

Photograph: Guy Bell/Rex/Shutterstock

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Fri 10 Sep 2021 10.45 BST


Peter Kalmus


The world has by and large adopted “net zero by 2050” as its de facto climate goal, but two fatal flaws hide in plain sight within those 16 characters. One is “net zero.” The other is “by 2050”.

These two flaws provide cover for big oil and politicians who wish to preserve the status quo. Together they comprise a deadly prescription for inaction and catastrophically high levels of irreversible climate and ecological breakdown.

First, consider “by 2050”. This deadline feels comfortably far away, encouraging further climate procrastination. Who feels urgency over a deadline in 2050? This is convenient for the world’s elected leaders, who typically have term limits of between three and five years, less so for anyone who needs a livable planet.
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Pathways for achieving net zero by 2050 – meaning that in 2050 any carbon emissions would be balanced by CO2 withdrawn through natural means, like forests, and through hypothetical carbon-trapping technology – are designed to give roughly even odds for keeping global heating below 1.5C. But it’s now apparent that even the current 1.1C of global heating is not a “safe” level. Climate catastrophes are arriving with a frequency and ferocity that have shocked climate scientists. The fact that climate models failed to predict the intensity of the summer’s heatwaves and flooding suggests that severe impacts will come sooner than previously thought. Madagascar is on the brink of the first climate famine, and developments such as multi-regional crop losses and climate warfare even before reaching 1.5C should no longer be ruled out.

Meanwhile, “net zero” is a phrase that represents magical thinking rooted in our society’s technology fetish. Just presuppose enough hypothetical carbon capture and you can pencil out a plan for meeting any climate goal, even while allowing the fossil fuel industry to keep growing. While there may be useful negative-emissions strategies such as reforestation and conservation agriculture, their carbon capture potential is small compared with cumulative fossil fuel carbon emissions, and their effects may not be permanent. Policymakers are betting the future of life on Earth that someone will invent some kind of whiz-bang tech to draw down CO2 at a massive scale.

The world’s largest direct air capture facility opened this month in Iceland; if it works, it will capture one ten-millionth of humanity’s current emissions, and due to its expense it is not yet scalable. It is the deepest of moral failures to casually saddle today’s young people with a critical task that may prove unfeasible by orders of magnitude – and expecting them to somehow accomplish this amid worsening heatwaves, fires, storms and floods that will pummel financial, insurance, infrastructure, water, food, health and political systems.

It should tell us all we need to know about “net zero by 2050” that it is supported by fossil fuel executives, and that climate uber-villain Rupert Murdoch has embraced it through his News Corp Australia mouthpiece.

So where does this leave us? Stabilizing the rapidly escalating destruction of the Earth will require directly scaling back and ultimately ending fossil fuels. To lower the odds of civilizational collapse, society must shift into emergency mode.

It will be easy to tell when society has begun this shift: leaders will begin to take actions that actually inflict pain on big oil, such as ending fossil fuel subsidies and placing a moratorium on all new oil and gas infrastructure.

Then rapid emissions descent could begin. I believe the global zero-emissions goal should be set no later than 2035; high-emitting nations have a moral obligation to go faster, and to provide transition assistance to low-emitting nations. Crucially, any zero goal must be paired with a commitment to annual reductions leading steadily to this goal year by year, and binding plans across all levels of government to achieve those annual targets. If this sounds extreme, bear in mind that climate breakdown has still only barely begun and that the damage will be irreversible.

Negative emissions strategies must also be left out of climate planning – in other words, forget the “net” in “net zero”. Otherwise they will continue to provide the distraction and delay sought by the fossil fuel industry. It would be beyond foolish to gamble our planet on technologies that may never exist at scale.

Due to the decades of inaction dishonestly engineered by fossil fuel executives, the speed and scale now required is staggering. There is no longer any incremental way out. It’s time to grow up and let go of the fantasy that we can get out of this without big changes that affect our lives. Policy steps that seem radical today – for example, proposals to nationalize the fossil fuel industry and ration oil and gas supplies – will seem less radical with each new climate disaster. Climate emergency mode will require personal sacrifice, especially from the high-emitting rich. But civilizational collapse would be unimaginably worse.

As a climate scientist, I am terrified by what I see coming. I want world leaders to stop hiding behind magical thinking and feel the same terror. Then they would finally end fossil fuels.

This story is published as part of Covering Climate Now, a global collaboration of news outlets strengthening coverage of the climate story.

GOLD MINING IS NOT SUSTAINABLE

Spanish Mountain moves BC gold project forward with optimization and EA programs

Canadian Mining Journal Staff | September 9, 2021 |

Visible gold and silver in core from Spanish Mountain in B.C. Credit: Spanish Mountain Gold

After releasing a prefeasibility study in May, Spanish Mountain Gold (ESXV: SPA) is moving its Spanish Mountain gold project forward. The company has launched several optimization initiatives and the environmental assessment for the project, located 70 km northeast of Williams Lake, British Columbia. Williams Lake, BC Map & Directions - MapQuest

To optimize gold recovery, Spanish Mountain has hired Ausenco Engineering Canada to go over the mill flowsheet, further reducing capital and operating costs. Under consideration is piloting a direct flotation reactor (DFR), simplifying the flowsheet, and boosting gold recovery through a finer primary grind, and the inclusion of a primary gravity circuit.

Linkan Engineering has been engaged to design a passive water treatment system that would inhibit neutral sulphide oxidation and associated metal leaching. Spanish Mountain says water management and treatment is a high priority for the project.

The company also has its engineers assessing the route of a power line to the project.

As the baseline environmental assessment studies continue, Spanish Mountain is consulting with the three First Nations that signed memoranda for engagement a decade ago. The initial project description (IPD) is nearing completion, and it will be circulated to the First Nations for comment and input before it goes to the provincial and federal regulators. A site-wide water balance program to study groundwater flows near the planned pit and tailings management area is also underway.

The company has an active program of exploration drilling to expand the resources ahead of the feasibility study. The geological model of the project suggests that mineralization is open at depth and along strike.

(This article first appeared in the Canadian Mining Journal)

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The processing of gold scrap varies not only with the gold content but also with the amenability of the gold in the scrap to extraction. Thus, the bulk of the gold may be recovered by leaching techniques using cyanidation or aqueous chlorination, and the residue may then be treated by smelting to recover the balance.

Gold processing - Refining | Britannica

Gold CIL & CIP Gold Leaching Process Explained CCD

https://www.911metallurgist.com/blog/gold-cil-process-explained

2013-01-02 · The carbon-in-pulp process is used to treat low grade gold and/or silver ores. The ore is first ground in a ball mill which operates in closed circuit with a cyclone …

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New East zone at Red Chris mine shows promise

Canadian Mining Journal Staff | September 9, 2021 | 

Expect the feasibility study for underground mining at Red Chris in the middle of next year. Credit: Imperial Metals

Imperial Metals (TSX: III) reports that drilling at the newly discovered East Ridge zone at the Red Chris copper-gold mine continues to return long and strong assays. The mine near Dease Lake, BC, is owned 70% by Australia’s Newcrest Mining (TSX: NCM; ASX: NSM) and 30% by Imperial.


Drill hole RD705 returned 254 metres of 1.1% copper and 1 g/t gold from a depth of 718 metres, including 80 metres of 1.4% copper and 1.6 g/t gold. Assays from this hole and the previously reported RC678 confirm the continuity of the mineralization over 300 metres vertically.

Drilling continues at the East Ridge zone, which is adjacent to the East zone, on a nominal 100 by 100 metre grid. Fourteen holes have been completed and six are in progress.

A stepout hole drilled 700 metres east of East Ridge returned 206 metres grading 0.5% copper and 0.2 g/t gold from 1,816 metres. This is one of the deepest intercepts on the property and extends the potential mineralization even further.

As operator, Newcrest is working on a prefeasibility study due this month of an underground block cave mine in addition to the open pit now being mined. Construction of an exploration decline into the East zone began earlier this year. Surface drilling has already confirmed the presence of several high grade pods in the zone, and development of a small underground producer would boost cash flow at the operation.

A full feasibility study for underground mining is due in mid-2022.

Last year the Red Chris mine produced 25,000 tonnes of copper and 39,000 oz. of gold.

(This article first appeared in the Canadian Mining Journal)

Canadians with disabilities say they're missing from the election discussion

Advocates calling on party leaders to include accessibility policies for Canadians with disabilities


From left to right: David Lepofsky, the chair of the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act Alliance; Sarah Jama, co-founder of the Disability Justice Network of Ontario; and Thea Kurdi, vice president of DesignABLE Environments INC. (David Lepofsky via University of Windsor, Sarah Jama, Thea Kurdi)

Jeremiah Rodriguez

CTVNews.ca Writer
Thursday, September 9, 2021 

TORONTO -- Federal party leaders aren’t listening enough to the concerns of disabled Canadians, advocates say. They say key priorities missing from campaign pledges include equitable emergency relief, stronger housing, and workplace polices that address all types of disabilities.

Sarah Jama, co-founder of the Disability Justice Network of Ontario, said this lack of scope boils down to a “lack of understanding of what systemic ableism looks like.”

“Nothing is prioritized by the government unless there’s people campaigning behind it,” she told CTVNews.ca in a phone interview.
She said this could be partially addressed by having more disabled candidates running for office or being key parts of campaign decision-making. Jama said people in power don’t always make appreciate just how many Canadians have some form of a disability.

Disabled people make up approximately 22 per cent of Canada's entire population. And between 62 and 75 per cent of people with disabilities have disabilities which aren’t immediately apparent, such as deafness, blindness or autism.

One of the biggest issues that Jama says hasn’t received enough attention during this campaign is overhauling care for vulnerable people who currently receive care at home or live in long-term care homes.

Jama said she likes the NDP’s platform commitments to end the private long-term care home system, but wants to see the next government go even beyond that.

“We need to reimagine what long-term care looks like in Canada,” she said. She said she wishes party leaders put forth policies that give vulnerable people more affordable options to receive care at home, keeping them out of long-term care facilities.

Jama also said “it's also embarrassing” that Canada doesn't yet have universal pharmacare, and that she wishes all parties agreed that it was essential, especially for people with disabilities.

Both the NDP and the Greens have advocated for a national pharmacare program that would provide prescription drug coverage for all Canadians and permanent residents. And while the Liberals have spent the past few years saying they're moving forward on pharmacare, their platform only notes existing progress on the file, including the signing of the first provincial-territorial agreement to accelerate its implementation. The Conservatives haven’t endorsed a national pharmacare plan but, in their platform, they promise to negotiate with the pharmaceutical industry to reduce drug prices.

Jama also called for more concrete provisions for disabled people during natural disasters, to ensure they’re prioritized during evacuations.

Many disability advocates have also been critical of recent expansion of access to medical assistance in dying (MAID). They argue that instead of making it easier for disabled people to die, the government should be working to make workplaces and housing more functional for them.

Jama says she supports the parts of the Conservative platform around strengthening protections for disabled people when it comes to MAID, including reinstating the 10-day waiting period, to ensure decisions aren’t made at people’s lowest point. No other major party references further adjustments to MAID in its platform.

ACCESIBILITY TO HOUSING, WORKPLACES TOO MUCH AN 'AFTERTHOUGHT'

Thea Kurdi, vice president of DesignABLE Environments INC, told CTV’s Your Morning that the situation for disabled people is “much worse than non-disabled people suspect.”

She said accessibility in housing or workplace policies is too often treated as an “afterthought,” instead of a priority aligning with Canada’s commitments to the UN Convention of the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.

Kurdi said that too often, although wheelchair access is prioritized, spaces aren’t also made to be truly accessible to deaf, blind or autistic people. Making spaces accessible for visually-impaired people for example, can mean ensuring braille materials or screen-reading software are available; and, for people with hearing concerns, ensuring there are clear fonts in materials and phone or video relay services.

Jama said any parties’ affordable housing policies must address accessibility concerns but only the Greens and NDP have explicitly connected the two.

The Greens are calling for housing developments receiving federal funding to ensure that 30 per cent of all units are affordable and/or available to people with disabilities. The NDP has advocated for accessibility in housing as well.

The Liberals’ platform says only that affordable housing should keep people with disabilities in mind, while the Conservatives haven’t explicitly linked housing and accessibility in their platform.

ACCESSIBLE CANADA ACT STILL TOO WEAK: ADVOCATE

David Lepofsky, the chair of the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act Alliance, said people with disabilities were left out of decision-making throughout the pandemic, including when it came to recovery programs and vaccine prioritization.

“We’ve disproportionately suffered the consequences of the pandemic, and disproportionately been left out of the proper planning for urgent needs during the pandemic,” he told CTV’s Your Morning on Wednesday. He cited the federal government’s one-time payment took months to get to recipients.

Lepofsky also said that the Accessible Canada Act, which passed two years ago, is still far too weak because it doesn’t include enforceable regulations nor adequate compensation for victims of discrimination.

“We’ve written all the parties to ask them if they will strengthen and offered 12 ways to make things better,” said Lepofsky. Only the NDP responded and pledged to make many of the commitments, he said.

Lepofsky said Liberal Party Leader Justin Trudeau– who promised ambitious implementation of the act – and his government have been “dragging their feet.”

As for Conservative Party Leader Erin O’Toole, he hasn’t pledged to make any of the commitments put forth by Lepofsky’s advocacy group -- despite the fact that during parliamentary debates in 2018, his party said it would strengthen the Accessible Canada Act, if the Liberals didn’t.

“We’re not partisan. We want all of the party leaders to make those commitments," he said.

Not just student debt: Experts say the youngest voters' key issues are being ignored


Brooklyn Neustaeter

CTVNews.ca Writer
Friday, September 10, 2021 

TORONTO -- With a little over one week left in the 2021 federal election campaign, experts are raising concerns that party leaders have not done enough to address the issues impacting post-secondary students, potentially hampering voter turnout among young Canadians.

Katherine Scott, senior economist with the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives, told CTVNews.ca on Thursday that "the whole topic of young people" has been mostly absent from the campaign trail.

"Their experience through the pandemic, obviously access to education, the current crisis around affordability and trying to get established in the labour market -- all of those issues have not garnered any attention," Scott said in a telephone interview.





Out of the major party leaders, only NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh mentioned student issues during a campaign stop in August. In addition, the topic wasn’t brought up once during the leaders' debates.

Scott said there has been "minimal treatment" on student issues in the parties' platforms, with some not including any promises around post-secondary education and student debt.

The Liberal platform has pledged to eliminate federal interest on student loans and continue the doubling of Canada Student Grants to low-income students – something that was implemented during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Green party is promising to abolish post-secondary tuition and forgive existing federal student debt, while the NDP says it will cancel up to $20,000 in federal student debt per student and permanently eliminate student debt interest.

Before becoming Conservative leader, Erin O'Toole promised in 2019 to give new graduates up to $100,000 in tax breaks over their first three years out of school, with engineers, coders and those in the skilled trades seeing a tax exemption of $200,000 over five years.

However, the party's current platform does not mention this, nor student debt. CTVNews.ca has reached out to the Conservatives multiple times during the campaign for an update on what they are promising post-secondary students, but has not yet received a response.

Scott said the lack of attention on issues predominantly affecting youth voters is likely due to a shorter election campaign, as parties more often focus on "high vote constituencies" and those who are more likely to vote.

While voter turnout among young people has increased over the last few federal elections, it is still lower than it is among other demographics, according to data from Elections Canada.

ACCESS TO VOTING

Grace Barakat, a PhD student at York University writing her dissertation on student debt policy and affordability in Canada, says voter turnout will likely be lower among young Canadians this year after Elections Canada said in August that it was scrapping its Vote on Campus program due to COVID-19.

Barakat said Thursday that students have enough to worry about with managing their studies, and don't need the added stress of figuring out where and how to cast their ballot.

"The cancellation of the Vote on Campus program may compromise the ability of students to cast their vote away from home. It is imperative that voting is made accessible and convenient for students, especially those who are living away from their home ridings," Barakat said in an email to CTVNews.ca.

Barakat said "voting should be easy," but instead the elimination of the Vote on Campus program creates "another barrier that prevents youth from voting."

Elections Canada introduced the program on 39 campuses during the 2015 federal election -- a time when political engagement and turnout among young adults had been mostly declining since the 1970s, according to the Library of Parliament.

According to Elections Canada data, the 2015 election saw an 18.3-percentage-point increase in turnout among 18 to 24 year olds after the implementation of the program. The program was then expanded in the 2019 federal election, with 119 voting locations at 98 post-secondary institutions.

Linyuan Guo-Brennan, an associate professor in the faculty of education at the University of Prince Edward Island, called the cancellation of the program an "unfortunate situation." She cited the short campaign as the reason for why Elections Canada could not organize safe voting on campus amid the pandemic.

"It is a huge barrier for young people’s participation in democracy and to exercise their voting rights," she said in an email Thursday.

STUDENTS' FUTURE

Guo-Brennan said that university students and recent graduates can play an "important part in post-pandemic recovery," if the leaders address the issues that matter to them.

She added that the lack of attention on these issues, such as concerns around post-secondary debt, education policy, and student affordability, will "certainly negatively affect" young peoples' motivation to vote in this election.

As a student herself, Barakat says she wants to hear more from parties before election day on how students will play a role in helping the economy recover from the pandemic, specifically marginalized youth who have been disproportionally affected by COVID-19.

"Recovering from the pandemic will require a strong and accessible post-secondary education system. With many students and families struggling with the economic impacts of COVID-19, we must ensure that post-secondary education is affordable and accessible to all," Barakat said.

"This is not the time for marginalized students to accrue debt in order to have an education," she added.

While the parties have been talking about their different employment plans, Scott said they have not highlighted where young people fit into those plans.

Job sections including hospitality and tourism, which Scott notes are major employers of young people, have not recovered quickly from the pandemic. In an effort to get more ballots cast from young people, Scott said parties need to better address these economic shifts students are currently facing.

"I think the parties need to be addressing these critical issues that are facing young people in order to draw their attention and get them to vote," she said.

As Edmontonians go to mass Sunday, public health experts say Alberta's church mask exemptions risky

Author of the article: Lisa Johnson

Publishing date: Sep 11, 2021 •

SIGN IS A WEE PREMATURE 

DON'T YA THINK

A cyclist, wearing a protective COVID-19 face mask, makes their way past a sign at Calvary Lutheran Church, 10815 76 Ave., in Edmonton on Aug. 22, 2021. 

PHOTO BY DAVID BLOOM /Postmedia, file

This Sunday, some churchgoers in the Edmonton area will have to wear masks. Others will not, but public health experts warn the indoor gatherings can be high-risk venues for COVID-19 transmission.


The provincial government’s mask mandate, first announced last Friday for indoor spaces, does not include places of worship.

The City of Edmonton’s Aug. 30 bylaw already laid out an exemption for eating or drinking, including during religious ceremonies — but that became broader as of Friday. Now, anyone participating in a religious service or ceremony, including musicians, those eating or drinking as part of a rite or ceremony, and wedding parties, is not required to wear a mask, although they need to stay two metres away or be separated by a physical barrier from other attendees.

Experts say the provincial decision to exempt places of worship from the rule doesn’t make sense from a public health perspective.

Dr. James Talbot, Alberta’s former chief medical officer of health and co-chairman of the Edmonton Zone Medical Staff Association, said Saturday there are no good reasons to exempt churches. He noted they have been associated with outbreaks before, and warned they will be again if no precautions are taken.

“It’s a higher risk setting than going and picking up a bottle of milk … because of the length of time that you’re there and exposed,” said Talbot, who added at the very least, Albertans should expect the same rules in places of worship as other public places like stores.

Dr. Stephanie Smith, a University of Alberta infectious disease expert, said large religious gatherings in indoor spaces can be a risk and the province hasn’t offered a good rationale for why public health restrictions have been left to local authorities.

“Those are situations where people should be masked,” said Smith.

Lisa Glover, a spokeswoman for Alberta Health, said in a statement factors like “respiratory exertion” and how much households mix during the activity have been considered, and public health orders for indoor public masking have always come with exemptions that have changed with public health officials’ understanding of COVID-19.

The provincial order also allows those in farming and ranching, fitness, and with health conditions to remain unmasked. Glover added even in places where masks aren’t required, Albertans are “strongly encouraged” to wear them.

However, Smith said the lack of consistent province-wide restrictions, including in schools and churches, means there are “no teeth to the recommendations,” and sends a mixed message that the risk of COVID-19 isn’t urgent.

“It makes it more confusing to people — and that’s the last thing we need,” said Smith.

Lorian Hardcastle, a health law and policy expert at the University of Calgary, agreed the patchwork of rules across the province is problematic and could lead to problems with enforcement. Hardcastle said she doesn’t believe mandatory masking in churches would violate religious freedoms, and the province’s decision could be political.

“From a public health perspective, I don’t think exempting churches is justified at all, and so there has to be something else going on,” said Hardcastle.

Throughout the pandemic, a small number of Alberta churches, including Edmonton-area’s GraceLife Church, openly flouted COVID-19 public health restrictions.

Hardcastle noted that some of the most heated public health confrontations and enforcement problems were in a handful of religious settings or came from religious leaders.

However, she said political considerations shouldn’t be a factor in government decisions during a state of public health crisis.

“This government has tried to have too many exceptions or conflicting exceptions or hasn’t been able to explain the science behind some of its exemptions,” said Hardcastle, who added that strategy has alienated both sides of the political spectrum — those who publicly decry health restrictions and those who support them.

“That lack of transparency breeds non-compliance,” she said.

'Our voices aren't being heard:' Rally held to protest Alberta's K-12 curriculum rewrite

Author of the article: Kellen Taniguchi
Publishing date: Sep 11, 2021 • 

Demonstrators protested the draft Alberta curriculum at the Alberta legislature in Edmonton, on Saturday, Sept. 11, 2021. 

PHOTO BY IAN KUCERAK /Postmedia

Signs were held high in front of the legislature Saturday as parents, teachers and Edmontonians gathered to protest the UCP government’s proposed rewrite of the K-12 school curriculum.

“It’s time for (Premier) Jason Kenney and (Education Minister) Adriana LaGrange to listen to the thousands, and thousands and thousands of people that are criticizing this curriculum and to hand it back to the actual experts — the teachers and curriculum experts in the province,” said Carla Peck, a professor of social studies education at the University of Alberta.

Peck, who was one of the speakers at the rally hosted by advocacy group Albertans for a Quality Curriculum, said she wants to make sure that the draft curriculum doesn’t make its way into schools because it would be damaging for children.

Many school boards have opted out of piloting the rewrite this fall, including Edmonton Public Schools. Criticism has been widespread, with much of it focused on the social studies component.

Peck also got the crowd involved when she started a “ditch the draft” chant that echoed throughout the legislature grounds.

Taking part in the chants was teacher Kate Mason, who’s also a mother of two children yet to enter the school system

.

Demonstrators protested the draft Alberta curriculum at the Alberta Legislature in Edmonton, on Saturday, Sept. 11, 2021. 

Photo by Ian Kucerak PHOTO BY IAN KUCERAK /Postmedia

“Our voices aren’t being heard and the people that are going to be greatly affected by it are the people that are distributing it to our kids and our kids that are eventually learning this curriculum,” said Mason. “I think if we don’t stand up for it, the people that are going to be hurt are going to be the people that can’t speak about it yet.”

Christine Paterson, teacher and grandmother to Mason’s children, said she’s concerned about the well-being of students and their love of learning.

“It’s so important for children to love to learn and that magic of just learning new things and we feel like this new curriculum has taken everything out of that,” said Paterson.

NDP education critic Sarah Hoffman also spoke to the crowd.

“These parents, the teachers, the students, the university professors who are here and general people at large want the government to know that they’re not forgetting, they’re going to keep fighting back and that kids deserve better,” Hoffman told Postmedia.

Hoffman said some of the curriculum’s content is harmful and backwards. She called on Kenney to put a halt to the rewrite and go back and invite people to be a part of an inclusive process. If he won’t, NDP Leader Rachel Notley will, she said.

Demonstrators protested the draft Alberta curriculum at the Alberta legislature in Edmonton, on Saturday, Sept. 11, 2021. Ian Kucerak/Postmedia

 PHOTO BY IAN KUCERAK /Postmedia

 

Calgary fire chief says most of department 'ashamed' that some firefighters attended vaccine protest

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Chief Steve Dongworth 'hearing nothing but disappointment and distress' after Tuesday demonstration

Hannah Kost · CBC News · Posted: Sep 10, 2021 

Images of a few dozen purported firefighters and police officers linking arms outside of City Hall circulated online after the demonstration on Tuesday, while videos showed others lining up to touch the Calgary Firefighters Civic Memorial. (@JaneQCitizen/Twitter)

Calgary's fire chief says that vast majority of the department's members are "completely embarrassed and ashamed" that some firefighters took part in a protest against an upcoming mandate that all city employees be vaccinated.

The department drew public criticism after images of several dozen purported first responders linking arms outside of City Hall on Tuesday circulated online, while videos showed alleged firefighters lining up to touch the firefighters memorial.

"We are very confident that a number of those [at the protest] are our employees," Chief Steve Dongworth told David Gray on the Calgary Eyeopener on Friday.

"And I think 95 per cent of our members right now are completely embarrassed and ashamed of what happened on Tuesday."

Some city councillors also expressed discomfort and disappointment.

"To have a group of people purporting to be members of our fire service and members of our police service — who are standing for some kind of weird conception of freedom, and really undermining the entire purpose of their service — is disappointing and off-putting," Ward 9 Coun. Gian-Carlo Carra said.

'Decent men or women … make up our majority'

Unvaccinated city staff who are without a religious or health exemption will need their first dose by Sept. 13, when employees will be required to disclose and provide proof of their vaccination status.

By Oct.18, it will be mandatory for all city employees to have received two doses of the COVID-19 vaccination.

Those who are not fully vaccinated by Oct. 31 will be disciplined — and could be fired.

As the second-largest employer in Calgary, the city has a duty to ensure that workplaces are safe for employees and citizens who access its services, city manager David Duckworth said about the mandate.

Fire Chief Steve Dongworth says "the protesters chose to exploit what is a sacred monument to advance their agenda.' (Monty Kruger/CBC)

But according to Dongworth, the mandatory vaccination policy has created tension in fire halls around Calgary.

"There are some interesting conversations right now between … [the] decent women or men who make up the majority of our 1,500 employees, and a small minority who are choosing to make this protest," Dongworth said.

"[And] I'm hearing nothing but disappointment and distress about what occurred from the public, our employees, our pensioners."

'They step over the line'

The Calgary Firefighters Association — which is the union that represents its members — says 85 per cent of the city's firefighters have been vaccinated.

Dongworth said he believes it was a small minority of the department that attended the protest.

"I can accept the fact they have those views, and I respect the fact they have those views. I respect their right to protest," Dongworth said.

"But when they clearly market themselves as Calgary firefighters to add weight to their message, they step over the line."

Prior vaccines always mandated for firefighters 

In spite of respecting a right to protest, Dongworth was clear: He doesn't believe the opinions of the protestors are correct.

It contradicts predominant medical advice and what's happening in the community, he said.

He feels the public's trust in their first responders is very important, in addition to the safety of firefighters themselves. In the United States, more than 100 firefighters have died of COVID-19. 

Even more puzzling, Dongworth said, is that every member of the Calgary Fire Department has to have mandatory vaccinations to get the job in the first place — shots to protect against Hepatitis B and C, for example — and they must be kept up to date.

"We've never had, that I'm aware of, a complaint from anyone about receiving a vaccine," Dongworth said.

"So it's quite bizarre now, during a global pandemic, that this has come to the fore."

Memorial demonstration 'disgraceful'

Perhaps especially troubling for Dongworth was the inclusion of the firefighters memorial in the protest.

It was, he said, the most disrespectful thing he has seen in 45 years of professional fire service.

"The protesters chose to exploit what is a sacred monument to advance their agenda," Dongworth said.

"Even the widows and families of some of our members who are actually memorialized on that wall have reached out to say how disgraceful that was, and how disturbed they are that that's what happened."

During previous protests against COVID-19 health measures or vaccines, the department has asked that the memorial be cordoned off to protect it.

Another protest is planned for City Hall on Sunday, and although it's unclear if firefighters will attend, Dongworth said he has asked that the memorial be cordoned off again.

But this time, it will be done to protect it from the fire department's own members.

"I never thought the day would come," Dongworth said.

'We will enforce our policies'

The fire department is in the process of identifying members who attended the protest, and will reach out to them, Dongworth said.

They are investigating, but he cannot speak specifically about discipline for individuals.

However, because protestors identified themselves as firefighters during the demonstration, he said they are within the scope of some policies around off-duty conduct.

• Police involved after Calgary Liberal candidate volunteers say they were slapped, spat on

• Maskless protesters at Alberta rally urged to get tested after participant tests positive for COVID-19

"We will enforce our policies to the degree that's necessary, for sure," Dongworth said. 

"[And] I'm hoping that these members will finally get vaccinated and listen to what is their responsibility to the citizens of Calgary."

Young Indigenous man who stole leaders debate spotlight says his question had to be asked

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Marek McLeod, of Sault Ste. Marie, said he was disappointed in leaders responses to his question

CBC News · Posted: Sep 10, 2021 11:30 AM ET | Last Updated: September 10

Marek McLeod stole the show for many when he asked Canada's federal party leaders what they would do to rebuild trust with First Nations, during the English-language debate Thursday night. (Screen capture- CBC News YouTube)

A young Indigenous man many have called the breakout star of Thursday night's English-language leaders debate has said politicians need to do more to address reconciliation.

Marek McLeod, an 18-year-old political science and public administration student at the University of Ottawa, stole the spotlight for many political watchers when he asked the leaders, "How can I trust and respect the federal government after 150 years of lies and abuse to my people? As prime minister, what will you do to rebuild the trust between First Nations and the federal government?"

McLeod asked the question from Sault Ste. Marie, where he lives and studies as a distance student.

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In an interview with CBC Friday morning, McLeod said he was disappointed with a lot of the answers he heard from the leaders.

"I felt Trudeau said the right things," he said. "The problem is he's had six years of action that show inaction, you know? And so I couldn't really trust what he was selling."

He said Conservative Leader Erin O'Toole's record on reconciliation was equally disappointing. "This is the guy that went on record saying that residential schools were primarily a tool of education," McLeod said.

The first-time voter said he was most impressed with Green Party Leader Annamie Paul and NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh.

"They seemed a little more sincere," he said. "Especially with Paul being [Black] and Jewish. Those two groups aren't known for having the best of experiences. I think she could relate to the question a little more." 

An important question

With a national audience watching, McLeod said he had to reflect a lot on his question.

"It was from the heart, and I hope that showed last night," he said. "My great grandparents attended residential school. My own mother, who is only in her 40s, she's a day school survivor. These events are from government policy. They're still very fresh in my mind and I do feel it's an important question." 

With the pressure of a national television audience, McLeod stumbled a bit on his question, but was praised on social media for his quick recovery.

"I've heard a few things," he said." One was that it was a little relatable and I would have to agree. We all have those moments where you know what you were thinking just kind of slips and it's gone. But I heard stuff like, 'Great job with the recovery.' I've just been kind of flooded with message requests thanking me for asking the question."

McLeod said others have called him brave and courageous, but he said it was just a question that needed to be asked.

Up North8:50Sault Ste Marie's Marek McLeod on asking a question at the leaders' debate

The clear winner at last night's federal leader's debate wasn't anybody vying to become prime minister; it was an 18 year old Indigenous student from Sault Ste Marie named Marek McLeod. 8:50

US House committee votes to block Rio Tinto’s Resolution mine
Reuters | September 10, 2021 

Image from Resolution Copper.

A U.S. House of Representatives committee has voted to include language in a wider budget reconciliation package that would block Rio Tinto Ltd from building its Resolution copper mine in Arizona.


The San Carlos Apache tribe and other Native Americans say the mine would destroy sacred land where they hold religious ceremonies. Elected officials in nearby Superior, Arizona, say the mine is crucial for the region’s economy.

The House Natural Resources Committee late on Thursday folded the Save Oak Flat Act into the $3.5 trillion reconciliation spending measure. The full House could reverse the move and the legislation faces an uncertain fate in the U.S. Senate.

IF APPROVED, THE BILL WOULD REVERSE A 2014 DECISION BY FORMER PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA AND CONGRESS THAT SET IN MOTION A COMPLEX PROCESS TO GIVE RIO FEDERALLY-OWNED ARIZONA LAND

If approved, the bill would reverse a 2014 decision by former President Barack Obama and Congress that set in motion a complex process to give Rio federally-owned Arizona land that contains more than 40 billion pounds of copper in exchange for acreage that Rio owns nearby.

Former President Donald Trump gave the land swap final approval before leaving office in January, but successor Joe Biden reversed that decision, leaving the project in limbo.

The final reconciliation budget is expected to include funding for solar, wind and other renewable energy projects that require immense volumes of copper. Electric vehicles use twice as much copper as those with internal combustion engines. The Resolution mine could fill about 25% of the demand for U.S. copper.

Superior Mayor Mila Besich, a Democrat, said the project seems increasingly stuck in “bureaucratic purgatory.”

“This move seems contradictory to what the Biden administration is trying to do to address climate change,” said Besich. “I hope the full House does not allow that language to stay in the final bill.”

Rio said it would continue consultation with local communities and tribes. Rio Chief Executive Jakob Stausholm plans to visit Arizona later this year.

Representatives for the San Carlos Apache and BHP Group Ltd, which is a minority investor in the project, could not immediately be reached for comment.

(By Ernest Scheyder; Editing by Sonya Hepinstall)