1% PER YEAR
Alberta registered nurses to vote on four-year deal with pay hike of 4.25 per cent

EDMONTON — An Alberta nurses' union is asking its members to sign off on a proposed four-year collective agreement that amounts to pay increases of 4.25 per cent.

© Provided by The Canadian Press

The increase is among the recommendations from a third party mediating the agreement between Alberta Health Services and the United Nurses of Alberta.

The union says the deal also includes a one-time lump sum payment of one per cent for 2021 in recognition of nurses’ contribution during the COVID-19 pandemic.

There will be $5 million a year toward recruitment and retention strategies in rural and remote areas, and $2.5 million a year for relocation assistance.

The UNA, which represents 30,000 registered nurses and allied health-care workers, says the proposal is a reversal of the government’s earlier position to cut nurses' wages, along with other rollbacks.

Finance Minister Travis Toews says the deal, if approved, will lay the groundwork for long-term stability in the health-care system while recognizing the work of nurses.

"I respect the front-line and unique clinical role nurses have played — and continue to play — during the COVID pandemic," Toews said in a statement Wednesday.

"This deal recognizes their hard work and dedication, and the many sacrifices nurses have made since the pandemic began.

"Out of respect for the union's process I'm unable to speak to the specifics of the deal at this time, but I look forward to the results of the ratification vote."

UNA labour relations director David Harrigan characterized the latest round of negotiations as the most difficult in his 30 years' experience.

"We are glad Alberta Health Services was prepared to move away from its initial demands for wage cuts and to drop its efforts to impose more than 200 rollbacks," said Harrigan.

"The bargaining committee feels strongly this agreement will benefit all UNA members, and also be fair to the people of Alberta."

The deal would be retroactive to April 1, 2020, and expire on March 31, 2024.

A ratification vote is set for Jan. 17.

It had been an acrimonious process.

Toews initially demanded a three per cent rollback for members of UNA and suggested nurses were putting their needs ahead of their patients' by pushing to resume collective bargaining during the pandemic.

Harrigan in turn accused Toews of "grossly insulting" hypocrisy from a government that continued collective talks with physicians and other public sector unions, but had no time for nurses.

Toews had also said Alberta nurses were overpaid compared with other jurisdictions, making about 5.6 per cent more by comparison, and that those wages could not be sustained in a province trying to bring its budget back in balance.

"Alberta can no longer afford to be an outlier,'' Toews said in a statement as late as July 6.

The impasse had appeared headed to a strike vote by nurses.

Premier Jason Kenney's government was also facing the optics of slashing the take-home pay of front-line caregivers working to shore up a health system pushed to the breaking point by waves of COVID-19 patients.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 22, 2021.

Dean Bennett, The Canadian Press

THE SIGNS SAY IT ALL

More than 1,370 Albertans died of drug poisonings between January and October, marking deadliest year on record
Anna Junker 

More than 1,370 Albertans died of a drug poisoning between January and October, making it the deadliest year on record since tracking deaths began, the latest substance use surveillance data shows.

© Provided by Edmonton Journal

 Participants in International Overdose Awareness Day march through downtown Edmonton on Aug. 31, 2021.

On Wednesday afternoon, the province’s substance use surveillance data which tracks drug poisoning deaths was updated to include drug poisoning deaths that occurred in September and October.

According to the data, there were 156 drug poisoning deaths in September and 153 in October, bringing the total number of Albertans who have died from an overdose to 1,372.

There were a total of 1,351 drug poisoning deaths in 2020, making 2021 the deadliest year on record since the province began tracking numbers in 2016.

Edmonton continues to lead municipalities in the number of poisoning deaths. In September, there were 62 deaths with 59 of those opioid-related, while 57 occurred in October, including 56 that were opioid-related.

A total of 512 Edmontonians have died of a drug poisoning between January and October this year and of those 473 were opioid-related.

Calgary saw a total of 48 drug poisoning deaths in both September and October. There were 45 specific opioid-related deaths in September and 46 in October.

A total of 438 Calgarians have died and of those 390 were opioid-related.

Drug poisoning deaths also rose in August to 129, from 118 previously reported.

The province also released a report on the impacts drug poisonings are having on First Nations.

According to the report, in 2020 the opioid poisoning death rate for First Nations people was 142.8 per 100,000 people. This is compared to 19.5 per 100,000 people among the general population.

Between 2016 to 2019, the annual rate of opioid poisoning deaths per 100,000 people increased year over year on average by 16 per cent. However, the report states, the rate increased by 105 per cent from 2019 to 2020.

In a statement, associate minister of mental health and addictions Mike Ellis said the current crisis has been exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic and the fourth wave fuelled further fatalities.

“This trend is being seen in other jurisdictions, including British Columbia where 201 suspected overdose deaths were recorded in October alone,” Ellis said.

“My heart goes out to the families who have lost loved ones as a result of the illness of addiction, whether it be from opioids or any other substance. It is evident that addiction affects everyone in our communities.”

He noted Alberta’s commitment to funding addiction treatment spaces, and supported medication-based treatment such as Suboxone and Sublocade .

“With the onset of the Omicron variant of COVID-19, it is uncertain whether the pandemic impacts will carry into the new year,” Ellis said.

“With current world events, we expect it could get worse before it gets better. We will do everything we can to ensure Albertans continue to be able to access a comprehensive system that meets people where they are at and helps them get where they need to go.”

Alyssa Miller, founder and strategic director of Boots on Ground, a rapid, mobile outreach response to the opioid crisis, said more needs to be done.

“It’s soul crushing,” said Miller. “These are entirely preventable deaths, and I am so blown away by the lackluster response to one of the deadliest crises that we’re experiencing with this toxic supply and these drug poisoning deaths.”

Miller said Alberta’s drug supply is contaminated and a safe supply is needed. She said there also aren’t enough supervised consumption services available.

“The current government’s reactive, ideologically based recovery system is not working,” said Miller. “People are dying at unprecedented levels in Alberta and we see it on the frontlines. People who use drugs deserve compassion, dignity and personal autonomy and the current policies are stigmatizing and continuing to criminalize our community members.”

Miller said people using illicit and criminalized substances on the street don’t want to die but that’s what is happening because there is no drug checking, no regulated supply and they are not meeting people where they are at — not everybody is ready to go into treatment, she said.

If you or someone you know is using substances, do not use alone. If you are using alone, you can contact the National Overdose Response Service at 1-888-688-NORS for support, or download the BRAVE or DORS app.

— With files from Kellen Taniguchi

RICHEST PROVINCE IN CANADA

'Peril or promise': Long-term solution needed to help homeless in Alberta cities


The twinkling of festive lights in reds, greens and golds in Alberta's two major city centres is little comfort for thousands of unhoused people trying to survive another winter cold spell.

© Provided by The Canadian Press

On a frigid December night in Calgary, shoppers carried presents along the downtown light-rail transit corridor, passing dozens of people huddling in doorways or near heated bus shelters.

Three people, surrounded with shopping carts, used cardboard boxes and an umbrella to try and stay warm. It was -28 C with wind chill.

Homeless shelters are near capacity but open their doors to all when temperatures become unbearable. Still, some choose to stay outside.

Dakota Casey said it's safer that way.

"I've had food stolen, my phone stolen out of my pocket. I have had money go missing and people have taken my boots while I'm sleeping, my backpack from under my head," he told The Canadian Press.

Casey and his husband, Nathan Lunn, know there are dangers sleeping rough, too, and take turns staying awake to stay safe.

The unrelenting chill is a constant threat. Casey was treated recently for frostbite on his hands.

A tent donated by the not-for-profit relief agency BeTheChangeYYC will make living outside slightly better, Casey said.

"Right now it's just survival ... if I sleep in a tent for Christmas and I have to use motor oil for heat, you know what? That and my husband is all I really care about having."

Chaz Smith, founder of BeTheChangeYYC, was once homeless himself. His team has helped more than 15,000 people this year with warming and emergency supplies.

"It's extremely dangerous, especially if you get a little bit wet," said Smith. "They're people, too, and they deserve housing. They deserve heat. No one deserves to be out here and get frostbite and amputations and die outside in the cold."

Tim Richter, CEO of the Canadian Alliance to End Homelessness, said the homeless sector has been battered over the last two years and now the Omicron COVID-19 variant poses greater risk.

He said homeless camps are growing across Canada and there are more people without housing. There are also compounding crises as housing affordability deteriorates and drug overdose deaths spike.

We're at the point of "peril or promise," said Richter. Either the varied threats continue to drive homelessness, or communities and multiple levels of government follow through on promises to address the challenge.

In October last year, Ottawa announced $500 million for rapid housing in 15 Canadian cities, including Edmonton and Calgary. That showed how fast support can be provided, said Richter.

Both Alberta cities also are to see funding from the provincial government. The province said in November it would be spending $21.5 million to ease capacity issues at homeless and women's shelters.

This month, Calgary city council approved $750,000 in emergency funds to help the homeless.

Commitments must not only be maintained but expanded to urgently address the growing crisis, said Richter. Otherwise peril will prevail.

In Edmonton, freezing rain that pelted the city in early December turned green spots where unhoused people had pitched tents hard and icy.

In the bush of a river valley park, a tarp hung over a fallen tree branch. Ice made it difficult for an outreach worker from Boyle Street Community Services to climb up the hill to check on potential occupants.

No one was inside as DougCooke peeled back one side of a tent. Someone's belongings were scattered on a foam mattress and in the surrounding snow. Clothing, cigarettes and food packages were frozen to the ground.

There were similar setups propped up downtown. A man with a blanket draped over his head sat near vents pushing out warm air.

Jared Tkachuk, senior programs manager at Boyle Street, said COVID-19 has cut space at shelters, leaving hundreds unable to find refuge, including an influx of people experiencing homelessness for the first time after losing jobs during the pandemic.

The risk of dying outside is high and some lives have already been lost, if not by freezing, then by fires ignited to keep warm, said Tkachuk. Gangs also prey on camps.

"Houselessness can be solved with housing. If those people get four walls and a roof above their head ... they'll be OK," he said.

"But a lot of the folks that outreach teams are working with, who are sleeping outside for years ... (they) are actually looking for a home. They're looking for a community."

It's not just an urban problem, said Dean Kurpjuweit, executive director of the Mustard Seed, a not-for-profit supporting the poor and homeless in Edmonton.

He said the pandemic has exposed a lack of funding and services in certain jurisdictions, especially rural areas.

In Wetaskiwin, southeast of Edmonton, that scarcity delayed the opening of a warming shelter while dozens slept in an open field camp.

"I'm pleased with the Band-Aids that have been put into place, but that's not going to fix the long-term problem," said Kurpjuweit, who fears increased support during COVID-19 will fade as a semblance of normalcy returns.

"If our homeless population across the province doubled, if not tripled, what are we doing to turn that around?"

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 22, 2021.

Alanna Smith and Bill Graveland, The Canadian Press

Alberta NDP opposition renews call

for paid sick leave as Omicron cases rise


Hinshaw: Omicron wave could be worst yet

CTV News Edmonton
Published Dec. 22, 2021 

Alberta's NDP is renewing a call for the province to legislate paid sick leave for all Alberta workers, but the government insists the current supports are working.

NDP labour critic Christina Gray says her party has legislation ready to go that would ensure Albertans are able to stay home when sick.

The NDP is pointing to provinces including B.C., Ontario and Manitoba as well as Ottawa's new paid sick leave program.

With the new variant spreading in Alberta, the NDP says paid sick leave is more important than ever.

"Paid sick leave is an incredibly important piece of this puzzle and we are calling on the Government again to follow the lead of other provinces and the federal government and make paid sick leave available to all Albertans today," said Gray.

NDP asks Kenney to 'come to work' and reopen legislature

Opposition pushes for paid sick leave to curb COVID-19 spread in workplaces

New legislation gives Albertans 3 hours of paid leave to get COVID-19 vaccine

In a statement, the province said that all employees who need to self-isolate can take a 14 day unpaid leave and have access to a variety of supports, regardless of their length of service.

"We encourage employers and employees to work together to find alternate arrangements that allow employees to keep working even if they cannot come into a work site," the statement said.

Alberta’s COVID-19 case count ballooned on Wednesday to its highest point since the start of October with 1,346 new cases reported.

UCP defends Christmas party just hours after 'strongly encouraging' cancellations


Sean Amato
CTV News Edmonton
Updated Dec. 22, 2021

The United Conservative Party carried on with a Christmas reception at an Edmonton restaurant Tuesday night, just hours after officials asked Albertans to cancel parties and limit contacts to help fight COVID-19.

"We strongly encourage workplaces to cancel any social gatherings, even if they're in a venue that's participating in the Restrictions Exemption Program," Health Minister Jason Copping said at a provincial announcement that started at 3:30 p.m.

At 6:30 p.m., the doors opened to the UCP's capital region Members Christmas Reception at Parlour Italian Kitchen and Bar just a few blocks from the Alberta legislature.

It wasn't clear how many UCP MLAs were at the party, but the invite said some would be in attendance.

"Albertans are frustrated. The hypocrisy we continue to see from this government undermines our public health response and exhausts Albertans,” NDP MLA Christina Gray said.

On Wednesday, a UCP spokesperson confirmed the gathering, but said it was compliant with provincial COVID-19 rules.

200 PEOPLE IS NOT COMPLIANT

"The Premier's advice to Albertans was given only a short time before our event was to begin, and given our compliance with the REP and adequate spacing in the venue with reduced capacity, we decided to proceed," UCP spokesperson Dave Prisco wrote in a statement.

Prisco ignored a question about how many people were in attendance, but said a similar event Thursday night in Calgary was cancelled " in accordance with the premier's advice."

A spokesperson said Premier Jason Kenney and Copping were not at the party.

THEY LIED

Bars and restaurants were allowed to be open on Wednesday, with masking, vaccine and distancing rules in place.

Kenney announced revised public health restrictions Wednesday in an effort to slow the spread of the Omicron variant, and he also asked Albertans to voluntarily reduce interactions.

"We are appealing to Albertans to reduce their number of daily in person contacts by half over the coming weeks," Kenney said.

"We also need Albertans to make personal choices in their daily lives that will slow transmission."

'JASON KENNEY LACKS ALL LEADERSHIP'

Kenney and the UCP apologized in January after several MLAs travelled internationally despite a federal travel warning.

He also apologized in June for not following COVID-19 rules during a rooftop dinner.

UCP MLAs were specifically told not to travel internationally this Christmas and NDP Leader Rachel Notley said her team had cancelled their travel plans.

"When we saw case counts rising, and other provinces impose restrictions, we cancelled this month's holiday staff party to reduce in-person contacts. It was the responsible thing to do," Notley tweeted on Wednesday.

"To have the health minister yesterday tell all Albertans, and all Alberta workplaces, 'we think you should be cancelling your holiday parties,' and the UCP to still hold those shows that Jason Kenney lacks all leadership," Gray said.

Invites for the party were sent to members on Nov. 27, and early-bird tickets were sold for $55. The invite said "very special guests from our MLA team and our conservative movement," would be in attendance.



An invite that the UCP sent members for a Christmas reception that was held on Dec 21, 2021.


Parlour Italian Kitchen and Bar in downtown Edmonton on Dec 22, 2021. (Sean Amato/CTV News Edmonton)

UCP holds Christmas party after asking Albertans to scale back close contacts

Tom Vernon 

GLOBAL NEWS

Hours after Premier Jason Kenney and Health Minister Jason Copping urged Albertans to cut down their close contacts by 50 per cent and cancel Christmas parties to slow the spread of the Omicron variant, members of the United Conservative Party gathered at a restaurant in Edmonton for a Christmas reception.

© Provided by Global News Edmonton area members of the United Conservative Party gather for a Christmas party in an Edmonton restaurant on December 21, 2021

"The Premier's advice to Albertans was given only a short time before our event was to begin," UCP director of communications Dave Prisco wrote in a statement.

"Given our compliance with the REP and adequate spacing in the venue with reduced capacity, we decided to proceed."

Photos obtained by Global News show among those in attendance was Justice Minister Kaycee Madu.

READ MORE: Omicron variant dominant in Alberta, premier urges Albertans to halve personal contacts

"The hypocrisy of this government continuing to ask Albertans to do what they say but not what they do is incredibly frustrating," NDP Labour Critic Christina Gray said in response to the gathering.

Gray points to last Christmas when several UCP MLAs and staffers travelled abroad as Albertans were being told to lockdown during the second wave of the pandemic, a scandal that became known as Aloha-gate, and then the June dinner on the Skypalace patio where Premier Kenney and senior members of his cabinet, including then Health Minister Tyler Shandro, broke social distancing rules.

READ MORE: 'If you're yelling at us… thank you': Alberta MLA on colleagues' travel during COVID-19

"It is frustrating, it is exhausting and Albertans are sick of it," she said.

Mount Royal University Political Scientist Duane Bratt agrees.

"There's a pattern here," Bratt told Global News, adding that in order for people to take restrictions and recommendations seriously, the governing party needs to walk the walk.

"Even if it's not legislated, even when you encourage people, you have to follow that."

READ MORE: 'I regret that': Kenney apologizes for Sky Palace dinner that broke COVID-19 rules

The UCP had a similar Christmas party planned for Calgary members on Wednesday night, that event has been cancelled.

UCP under fire after large party held hours after government pleads with Albertans to reduce contacts

By JOSH RITCHIE
Posted Dec 22, 2021

Members of Alberta's UCP can be seen inside a restaurant in Edmonton on Tuesday,
just hours after the party's leader, Jason Kenney, asked Albertans to avoid large gatherings.


SUMMARY


Around 200 members of the UCP were seen at the private gathering


According to sources, while the gathering was large, no COVID-19 protocols were broken


Another UCP Christmas party that was planned for Wednesday in Calgary has now been cancelled


Hours after asking Albertans to hold off on attending large gatherings, members of Alberta’s UCP government were seen attending a Christmas party in Edmonton on Tuesday.

According to sources CityNews spoke with, Alberta Premier Jason Kenney and Health Minister Jason Copping were not present at the party, though some other familiar faces were seen.

Around 200 people were allegedly in attendance at the gathering, with Justice Minister Kaycee Madu and Minister Dale Nally both seen.

The event was held at The Parlour Italian Kitchen & Bar with restaurant staff confirming the entire venue had been bought out.

While the event was held by a large group, no COVID-19 protocols or restrictions were broken during the event.

On Tuesday, both Kenney and Copping pleaded with Albertans to consider making changes in their day-to-day lives over the holidays to help reduce the spread of COVID-19 and the new Omicron variant.

“These (new capacity limits) are largely focused at avoiding super spreader events by reducing contacts in large settings, like major events, large capacity venues and certain discretionary activities where there is a high risk of transmission,” said Kenney.

“While these changes look at reducing contacts in large settings, it’s important to remember that small everyday actions can have an important impact as well. And that is why we are appealing to Albertans to reduce their number of daily, in-person contacts by half over the coming weeks.”


The new capacity limits are set to come into effect on Friday at 12:01 a.m.

Another large event was planned for Wednesday night in Calgary, but not long after this story broke, the UCP cancelled the event.

Youth-led survey suggests teenage Albertans want more environmental education
CBC/Radio-Canada 

© Sam Martin/CBC Members of the Alberta Youth Leaders for Environmental Education surveyed hundreds of junior high and high school students about climate change education in the spring of 2021. Most respondents were students in Edmonton…

Results from a student-run survey suggest teenagers in Alberta want to learn more about climate change in school.

In the spring of 2021, the Alberta Youth Leaders for Environmental Education (AYLEE) — a group of students in Grades 7-12 that works to advance environmental education and climate action in the province — surveyed 318 young Albertans, most of whom were in Grades 6-12.

More than 80 per cent of respondents said they believed there should be more environmental education in Alberta and 53 per cent of respondents said they strongly believed the provincial government should implement more environmental, energy and climate change education in the curriculum.

Three students who were involved in creating, conducting and analyzing the survey told CBC News they were surprised by the survey results and hope those in positions of power take note.

"It's encouraging to see the numbers as high as they are, and it gives us a lot of hope — to have that concrete evidence that this is something people care about," said Avry Krywolt, a Grade 12 student at St. Martin de Porres High School in Airdrie.

The group's recent report on the survey results calls for curriculum updates and support from all Albertans to increase environmental education.

Concern and hope

The online survey, which was distributed in March and April via social media, clubs and school administration groups, asked questions about students' knowledge and perspectives on climate change, the environment, energy, the economy and environmental education.

Most students who filled out the survey lived in Fort McMurray, Edmonton and Calgary, but others were from Lacombe, Lethbridge, Leduc, Nanton, Okotoks, Sherwood Park and Cochrane.

It is hard to determine a margin of error for online surveys, but for comparison purposes, AYLEE said that based on Alberta student population statistics, a probability sample with the same sample size of students would yield a margin of error of plus or minus six per cent, 19 times out of 20.

Seventy-three per cent of survey respondents said they were at least somewhat worried about the impact of climate change and only 10 per cent said they were not concerned about their future in connection with the economy and the environment.

Though the survey captured some of students' climate concerns, the results suggest many are optimistic about the future. Seventy-eight per cent of respondents said they thought Alberta's economy could excel while the environment is protected.
Climate and the curriculum

When asked where they learn about environmental topics, students ranked school classes third, after social media and news sources.

"I have had little to no environmental education in school," said Lauren Laplante, an AYLEE member and Grade 12 student at Ross Sheppard High School in Edmonton.

She estimates that between science and social studies, she has spent about 10 school days grappling with the topic but she believes more time should be devoted to it.

Currently, most learning outcomes related to energy and climate change are included in science courses.

Subashini Thangadurai, an AYLEE member and Grade 10 student at Sir Winston Churchill High School in Calgary, contributed to a white paper that called for climate change education and climate action to be integrated into all subjects.

Thangadurai was also part of a working group that reviewed the K-6 draft curriculum and recommended more content on environment, energy and climate topics.

Nicole Sparrow, press secretary for Education Minister Adriana LaGrange, said the government recognizes that current curriculum needs updating to ensure students learn about climate change.

She said more than 1300 Albertans provided feedback on the draft science K-6 curriculum and the government is committed to listening to and working with environmental organizations, partners, parents and Albertans to strengthen it.

Curriculum for other grades will be updated after the K-6 curriculum is finished.

Beavers are now living as far north as the Arctic, researchers find
Alexandra Larkin 

North American beavers are colonizing much further north than they used to, according to the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's annual Arctic Report Card. Using satellite imagery, researchers found ponds with beaver engineering in northern Alaska and Canada.

The study concluded that the number of ponds created from beavers foraging and building dams has doubled in western Alaska in the last 20 years, with over 12,000 mapped. In contrast, researchers looked at decades-old aerial photography of the region and found no beaver ponds in the area prior to 1955.

 Provided by CBS News Beaver engineering dramatically altered a tundra stream on the Seward Peninsula in western Alaska between 2003 and 2016. The enlarged black areas are new beaver ponds, the blue arrow shows flow direction, and magenta arrows denote dams. Ikonos satellite image: 6 Aug 2003, Worldview satellite image: 10 June 2016, 64° 33.52'N, 165° 50.12'W / 

Credit: Imagery © 2021 Maxar

The area has seen a drastic rise in surface water, and beavers were the dominant factor in almost 66% of such cases, researchers said. In such instances, beavers' dams made rivers more shallow and created inlets. As a result, new ponds are forming and the underlying permafrost is melting, which could affect fish populations and aquatic food webs, but researchers don't have all of the answers yet.

"The true impact of the spread of beavers into the Arctic on the environment and the Indigenous communities who live there, is not yet fully known," lead author Dr. Helen Wheeler of Anglia Ruskin University said in a press release.

© Provided by CBS News A North American beaver chewing on a branch at Horseshoe Lake in Denali National Park. / Credit: L.Scaddan / Getty Images

"However, we do know that that people are concerned about the impact beaver dams are having on water quality, the numbers of fish downstream of the dams, and access for their boats."

Beavers were able to expand their range into the tundra due to an increase in trees and woody shrubs that they use to make lodges — even above the tree line, which was previously inhospitable to the large rodents. 

© Provided by CBS News Beaver lodge (center), dam (bottom center), and pond on the Seward Peninsula in western Alaska. / Credit: Ken Tape, Aug 2021

The team isn't sure if beavers' northward expansion is due to climate change or a reduction in beaver trapping, but they "do know that beavers are having a significant impact on the ecosystems they are colonizing," Wheeler said.

For next year's report, the team hopes to focus more on the Canadian expansion and continue to document the changes beavers bring to the tundra.

New megadams threaten world’s biggest fish

Stefan Lovgren 

There was a time when scores of some of the world’s largest freshwater fishes swam up the Mekong River, past the Laotian town of Luang Prabang, now a UNESCO World Heritage site

.

© Photograph by LILLIAN SUWANRUMPHA/AFP via Getty Images This aerial photo taken on October 31, 2019 shows a fisherman on a boat in Mekong River in Pak Chom district in the northeastern Thai province of Loei. - The once mighty Mekong river has been reduced to a thin, grubby neck of water across northern Thailand - record lows blamed on drought and a recently opened dam hundreds of kilometres upstream in Laos.

Giant catfish the size of grizzly bears, seven-striped barb, giant pangasius, and other huge fish once made their way past the city’s historic Buddhist temples, French colonial villas, and traditional wooden buildings on their way north to their spawning grounds. Following decades of overfishing in the Mekong River, it’s a rarity to see such river titans today. (Read how the giant freshwater stingray is likely the world’s biggest freshwater fish.)

© Photograph by Robert Nickelsberg/Getty Images

 Huge catfish hauled from Mekong River being admired by locals.

Still, many scientists held out hope for their recovery: As long as the Mekong River south of China remained undammed, smaller scale fishing and other conservation efforts could eventually lead to the recovery of these critically endangered species.

But now that hope appears to be dimming, with Laos planning to construct at least 10 new dams on the Mekong’s main stem in the next decade. Among the first projects is Nam Sang, a massive hydropower plant to be constructed just upstream of Luang Prabang.

Laos’ Communist regime, which promotes hydropower as part of its bid to become the battery of Southeast Asia, has built dozens of dams on Mekong tributaries. The government hopes new dams, such as Nam Sang—to be completed by 2027—will generate government revenue by selling electricity to neighboring countries, such as Thailand.

“If these dam projects go ahead, the stretch of the Mekong that was once core habitat and spawning grounds for several giant fish species is going to be chopped into ever-smaller pieces,” says National Geographic Explorer Zeb Hogan, a fish biologist at the University of Nevada, Reno, who has studied Mekong megafishes for more than two decades. “For fish that need free-flowing rivers to survive, this may be the death blow.”

Nam Sang’s Vietnamese developer, PetroVietnam, did not respond to National Geographic’s requests for comment about the project and its potential effects on wildlife. Satellite images show housing has been set up for work crews, but construction of the dam has not begun. (Learn more about how dams are constructed.)

Beyond the Mekong, large fish, dolphins, crocodiles, and other big freshwater animals are also threatened by new dams. Around the world, more than 3,400 major hydropower projects are either planned or under construction, and a big share of those are in biodiverse rivers in tropical regions, according to a recent study in the journal Biological Conservation led by Fengzhi He, a freshwater ecologist at the Leibniz Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries in Germany. It finds that the dams there will disproportionately affect the largest river animals.

If they’re built, says He, the dams “will add great uncertainties to the survival” of many freshwater species.

Adds Hogan, a study co-author, “it’s a pattern we’re seeing in other tropical rivers as well, like the Amazon and the Congo, but the Mekong is the poster child for this problem, with accelerating hydropower development driving extinction risk of some of the world’s most iconic animals.”

Mekong ghosts

Freshwater megafauna, loosely defined as species that weigh over 66 pounds on average, are among the most endangered animals on Earth. Global populations have declined by almost 90 percent since 1970—twice as much as the loss of vertebrate populations on land or in the oceans, according to a 2019 study in Global Change Biology.

Large fish, such as sturgeons, salmons, and giant catfishes, particularly in the Northern Hemisphere, have experienced even higher declines, because of overfishing, pollution, and dams.

The Mekong River, which runs through six countries, has historically been home to more species of extremely large fish than any other river system in the world. But of the biggest found here, almost all are now critically endangered. Hogan, for example, hasn’t seen a Mekong giant catfish since 2015.

While China operates a cascade of dams in the Mekong River’s upper reaches—beyond the spawning grounds for many of the region’s megafishes—entangled politics in the Lower Mekong Basin and pressure from conservationists have helped stave off plans for mainstream developments to the south. (Read more about the controversies surrounding dams on the Mekong.)

Conservationists hoped new dams would follow the less-destructive model of two megadams that are already up and running on the Mekong’s main stem.

One, Don Sahong, was built where the Mekong branches into different channels, giving fish other passageways around the dam. At the other, the Thai-financed and constructed Xayaburi Dam, more than $300 million has been spent on efforts to help fish bypass it, including the installment of sophisticated fish ladders.

Conservationists had hoped “the investment at Xayaburi would be the gold standard, and all future dams would either meet, or exceed, the investment in facilities,” says Lee Baumgartner, a freshwater fish ecologist at Charles Sturt University in Sydney, who studies dam impacts in the Mekong. “But this is not the case. Not even close.”
Interrupted migration

Perhaps the best example of how dams can harm large fish is in China, where researchers declared in 2019 that the Chinese paddlefish, an ancient species capable of growing up to 23 feet long, had gone extinct. While overfishing of the paddlefish had been a problem, scientists concluded it was the Gezhouba Dam, built in the 1980s on the Yangtze River, that ultimately had caused its demise, by cutting the fish off from their only spawning grounds upstream.

“Typical impact assessments still focus on analyzing a small buffer around the construction site itself,” says Günther Grill, a geographer at Canada’s McGill University and a co-author on the recent study. What’s missing, he says, is bigger efforts by governments to find a location for a dam that won’t harm megafauna on a regional scale.

In addition to blocking fish movement, dams also alter the hydrological conditions from which migratory fish take their cues to feed and spawn. The Mekong River system is governed by a giant flood pulse that in the wet season can raise the river by as much as 40 feet. In recent years, however, that flood pulse has been disrupted by regional drought exacerbated by climate change and by China withholding water from its dams in the upper watershed, according to satellite data from the Stimson Center.

That data also show that in the past three years, water levels throughout the Mekong River system have reached historic lows. (Learn why Southeast Asia is building dams so quickly.)

“For fishes that have evolved to migrate at the onset of the flood pulse, this altered flow regime can create a timing mismatch between when fish actually migrate and the ideal environmental conditions for their offspring,” says National Geographic Explorer Aaron Koning, a University of Nevada, Reno, conservation ecologist who works with Hogan on a USAID project called Wonders of the Mekong to boost biodiversity and ecosystem health in the Lower Mekong.

“In this way,” he says, “dams not only affect the Mekong fish of today but affect the future of fish in the Mekong.”

Dolphin dilemma

If all the 3,400 proposed dams are built, more than 600 rivers longer than 60 miles would no longer be considered free-flowing, according to the study. Many large freshwater fish are highly migratory, and their ability to move along free-flowing rivers is essential to their survival. One of them is the Irrawaddy River in Myanmar, which is home to the endangered Irrawaddy dolphin and the critically endangered Ganges shark.

In the Amazon Basin, which is the most species-rich river in the world, there are more than 400 hydropower dams planned in various tributaries. Of particular concern are two river dolphin species, the tucuxi dolphin and the larger pink river dolphin, which were recently listed as endangered. (Read about Hogan’s search for the world’s megafishes.)

Although river dolphins don’t migrate the way many large fish do, they rely on migratory fish for food. Dams also threaten to box the dolphins into smaller populations, which can lead to inbreeding and a dilution of genetic diversity.

If all these dams are built, “we could be watching the same fate here as in Asia,” says Mariana Paschoalini, an ecologist with the Aqualie Institute in Juiz de Fora, Brazil, referring to the functional extinction of the baiji river dolphin in China’s Yangtze River in 2006.

For his part, Hogan says he hopes he won’t have to bear witness to the demise of the Mekong giant catfish and other river giants. There are some glimmers of hope. For instance, Cambodia recently announced a 10-year moratorium on the building of new dams on the main stem of the Mekong.

But, Hogan warns, “this is how extinctions play out. And if more dams are built in high biodiversity regions in the future, it’s likely to get worse.”

'It's time': Canadian women's soccer stars steadfast in pursuit of domestic league

John Molinaro

CBC SPORTS   

LONG READ

For Christine Sinclair, it was a day that was more than 21 years in the making.

Ever since debuting as a 16-year-old for the Canadian women's team in 2000, Sinclair aspired to lead her country to glory at the Olympics or the World Cup.

That dream was realized when teammate Julia Grosso's penalty kick sailed into the back of the net to seal Canada's victory over Sweden in the gold-medal match in Tokyo this summer. After winning back-to-back bronze medals, Sinclair had finally become an Olympic champion.

It was an amazing accomplishment for Canada's iconic captain, especially considering the path she took to ascend to the top of the medal podium.

Once a Canadian player makes her way through the youth ranks, she has no options to play professionally in her country, and must move abroad if she wants to pursue a professional career. Since 2013, Sinclair has played for the Portland Thorns of the U.S.-based National Women's Soccer League, which doesn't have any Canadian teams. Nearly half the members of the Olympic team played for European clubs. None of them earned a living at home.

Canada was ranked eighth in the world by FIFA ahead of the Tokyo Olympics, and rose to sixth after its gold medal win. But it is the only FIFA top 10-ranked country without a professional league.

Never one to make it all about herself or bask in self-adulation, Sinclair seized the moment in the immediate aftermath of Canada's victory over Sweden, using the platform granted her the opportunity to deliver her message as the entire country was watching.

"I hope we'll see some investment in the women's game. I think it's time Canada gets a professional league or some professional teams, and if a gold medal doesn't do that, nothing will. It's time for Canada to step up," Sinclair said in the post-match press conference.

More than 4.4 million viewers tuned into the Canada-Sweden match on CBC, making it the country's most-watched event of the Olympics.

Never before had the women's team garnered this level of attention. Several of Sinclair's teammates made the most of the opportunity and echoed her post-game sentiments, knowing full well that they had a captive audience who was eager to hear what they had to say after winning gold.

"We need to continue to push to have a professional league in Canada," goalkeeper Stephanie Labbé told The National's Ian Hanomansing. "The fact that we're Olympic champions and we don't have any professional teams in our home country is pretty unacceptable."

The complete lack of playing opportunities in Canada hits close to home for every member of the Canadian women's team, but especially Sinclair.

Except for a short stint with Vancouver Whitecaps FC, the 38-year-old native of Burnaby, B.C., has played the overwhelming majority of her professional career in the United States with FC Gold Pride, Western New York Flash and Portland Thorns of the NWSL after cutting her teeth at the NCAA level at the University of Portland.

Ever since Canada won the first of its back-to-back bronze Olympic medals in 2012, Sinclair has sought to inspire young girls across the country to become part of the next generation of players who will make up the Canadian national team.

"We're hoping that this platform will give us the opportunity to start that change and lead to Canadians who have the ability to make the difference to invest in women," Sinclair said upon her return home from Tokyo.

"The youngsters, the young little kids deserve to be able to go watch their heroes on a week-to-week basis, not just once every four years."

© Serena Morones/The Associated Press Christine Sinclair, seen playing for the Portland Thorns in May, hopes Canadian women's soccer's elevated platform following Olympic gold in Tokyo will further the conversation of a structured domestic league.

Retired midfielder Amy Walsh, who earned 102 caps for Canada from 1997 to 2009, feels a domestic league is long overdue in this country.

"We have to find a way to keep our players home, and keep the momentum going in terms of what's available to the grassroots players, both boys and girls," Walsh told CBC Sports. "That's how you grow interest in the game, and how you expand the player pool for the national team in the future."

While Sinclair and members of the current women's team have long advocated for a Canadian professional league, their tone has noticeably changed since bringing home the gold. Cognizant of their newfound leverage, the Canadian women have been more assertive in their messaging, and are no longer willing to passively hold out hope that things will soon change.

Katrina Galas, a women's sport strategy consultant at In Common Consulting, believes that's a good first step toward bringing a women's pro league to Canada.

"We need to change the narrative, whether it's through the media, through leadership, or through conversations, where it's evolving from what's deserved to what's possible," Galas said. "There's a lot of talk about the Canadian women's players deserving a league of their own, or that Canada deserves to have an NWSL club based on the success of our women's team. We're still in that space, and that's not the best value proposition to put out there.

"The narrative can't be about what's deserved, but rather what's possible based on the accomplishments of the women's team and the success they've had. Those things are very real and factual, so if the discussion is reframed and it becomes more about 'let's go get it' and less about 'we deserve it,' I think they can find more success in that."

Like Sinclair, Diana Matheson had to leave Canada to carve out a career as a pro soccer player. After playing at Princeton University, the diminutive midfielder went to Norway for a few years, and then turned out for the Washington Spirit and Utah Royals of the NWSL.

She retired earlier this year, calling time on a marvellous international career that saw her earn 206 career appearances for Canada (only Sinclair and Sophie Schmidt have more) and was highlighted by her winning goal in the bronze-medal game at the 2012 Olympics in London.

Although she is recognized as one of Canada's greatest players of all time, Matheson never had the chance to play professionally in her country.

"That part of my life story is not unique at all, and it is echoed by every single women's player in this country," Matheson said. "We've all had to go through it — after coming up through the youth ranks, we found out there's nothing there for us, and we had [to] go to school and play in the NCAA and then move on to play pro in Europe or the NWSL, and we only come back to Canada when we retire.

"But it shouldn't have to be that way. Let's build a Canadian league so that doesn't have to be the case anymore."

Laying groundwork for a domestic league

Since retiring, Matheson, a 37-year-old native of Oakville, Ont., has been pursuing an EMBA at Queen's University, and enrolled herself in the Executive Master for International Players program offered by UEFA, European soccer's governing body.

She's also been working closely with six other confidants, including former national team teammate Carmelina Moscato, to help bring a pro women's league to Canada.

On Dec. 9, Matheson and her working group met with Canada Soccer and tabled a proposal to work in partnership with the sport's governing body to help the advancement of the women's game in Canada.

"What we are working towards is creating a long-term plan for women's soccer in this country, and a long-term plan that builds towards a professional league," Matheson said. "Canada Soccer has done a good job supporting the women's team over the years, and now it's time to shift that focus on to the domestic game.

"It's not a question of whether a women's league could work. It can absolutely work. It's an exciting opportunity that we can build a league from scratch."

Matheson is hopeful that Canada Soccer will review her group's proposal and come back to them early next year and engage in more meaningful conversations to discuss working together, and then move things forward through 2022.

© Alex Goodlett/Getty Images Former national team midfielder Diana Matheson, who earned 206 career appearances for Canada, said the absence of a top domestic league has forced talented players to seek opportunities elsewhere.

Matheson's ultimate goal is to create a top-tier league that would attract members of the Canadian women's team, and serve as an alternative to the NWSL, although she admits it will take time for such a league to be a viable option for some of her former teammates to consider.

"We have to be realistic with where we are starting from and that it might take three to five years to be considered a top-tier league. Other leagues have been around a lot longer and built themselves up," she said. "But I'm confident we can get Canadian women's team players in from the beginning.

"There might be a point where players go to another league for more money or a bigger club in the world. So, are we going to get everybody? No. But I think we can certainly have national team talent in the league."

Launching a new professional sports league in Canada wouldn't be easy in the best of times, never mind when the country is still dealing with economic effects of the global pandemic. But such obstacles can be hurdled with the proper investment, something that Matheson firmly believes can happen if there is a plan and a commitment in place.

"There's so much data and research that's been done on women's professional soccer around the world, so we can use that data to inform what is going to be the governance and ownership model, and how to monetize the on-field product," Matheson said.

"The initial capital raise and the seed money to get this going for two or three years, I'm not concerned about it. I think we'll get investments and a few avenues there. The question around women's sport is year-over-year profitability. I think with a new league, we're talking about a five-to-seven or a seven-to-10-year horizon where you're making sure your clubs are independently financially stable."

Timing is the key, and the time has never appeared to be better, what with Canada winning gold in Tokyo.

"Let's capitalize on this momentum and start to build something at home. … Let's build something for Canadians by Canadians, and let's build something for women by women," Matheson said.

Canadian NWSL team the 1st step?

Nick Bontis, elected president of Canada Soccer a year ago, has said women's pro soccer in Canada is one of his top priorities. But he has also said a Canadian NWSL team is the first step.

"I'm willing to say I'll work my butt off to get an NWSL team in Canada," he said after his election win.

Sinclair, for one, agrees that should be the short-term goal.

"It seems like the easy logical step," she said in August. "It just takes some wealthy individuals within Canada willing to invest in women's soccer … Companies do that on the men's side all the time and are willing to lose millions of dollars."

Given the organizational structures already in place with the league, it seems more likely that Canada would get an NWSL expansion franchise before its own domestic, top-tier division.

Walsh, Matheson and others advocating for Canada to have its own pro league concede that point. But they also argue that having an NWSL team in Canada is only the first step.

"That might make sense because the infrastructure is there with the NWSL. … An NWSL team would be great for Canada. It's not a terrible idea. But I also think we can do better," Walsh said.

Matheson argues that "it's not an either-or situation" with regards to the NWSL putting a team in Canada vs. the country having its own pro league.

"Having an NWSL team in Canada would be a great addition to the sporting landscape, but it can't be the beginning and the end of the conversation," she said. "An NWSL club is only going to affect 12 Canadian players and few coaches. For us to build a system across the country, that's the job of a domestic league. So, I see room for both.

Matheson acknowledges that patience will be required. A new professional league in Canada simply isn't going to appear overnight.

"It's going to take a few years because we don't quite have all the systems and structures in place to start a new league next year. And even if we did, we'd probably be in trouble in five years because we'd be rushing into it," she said. "Let's plan this correctly, and driven by data and research, let's build it so it lasts.

"Measure three times and cut once.

ALBERTA

Level playing field? Coal miners, environmentalists wrangle over hearing costs


The battle over a coal mine in Alberta's southern Rocky Mountains continues to rage six months after the Grassy Mountain project was denied, as the company and its opponents wrangle over who pays costs for the hearing that turned the proposal down.

Benga Mining, on the hook for the costs, wants them trimmed drastically and claims some groups owe the company money.

Environmental groups say their costs finance essential public debate and add Benga's aggressive response makes it harder for those who question the claims of resource companies.

"Benga's attempt to impugn the motives of ... public interest interveners is wholly inaccurate, unfair and sets (a) nasty and confrontational tone," says a letter from the Timberwolf Conservation Society to the Alberta Energy Regulator, which rules on which costs Benga must pay.

Alberta law allows citizens appearing before regulators to apply to have their costs reimbursed by project proponents. The law is intended to make those who benefit from development pay the expense of ensuring it's done right.

In June, the regulator denied Benga Mining's application for the Grassy Mountain mine in Alberta's Crowsnest Pass, a rare refusal later echoed by the federal government, which was also involved in the review. Benga has appealed that decision.

Four environmental groups, a municipality, a First Nation and an individual have applied for a total of $1.3 million to try to recoup the costs of expert testimony, legal advice and research, the regulator says.

But Benga has the right to question the claims and is doing so. In a letter from lawyer Martin Ignasiak, the company suggests that those groups weren't constructive.

"Benga views the (assessment) procedure, and the (regulator's) costs regime, as processes intended to compliment (sic) a system that promotes collaborative efforts and constructive input, rather than one that encourages persistent intervention in opposition to any form of development," it says.

Benga says the groups are well-funded and used the Grassy hearings to raise more money. It throws doubt on the billings of lawyers and the value of reports filed by biologists, hydrologists and other environmental scientists. It points out some groups also received federal participant funding.

It asks the regulator to reduce the a claim from Livingstone Landowners Group — a coalition of local ranchers and landowners — by 61 per cent, to $150,000. It says the application from Timberwolf Conservation Society should be reduced 91 per cent to $8,200. It wants a claim from the Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society cut by 99 per cent, to $1,100.

Benga argues it shouldn't be charged for any of the Rural Municipality of Ranchlands' $185,000 claim. And its letter says, when advance funds granted to the Alberta Wilderness Association are taken into account, the group should pay the company back $2,300.

Ignasiak did not respond to a request for comment on his letter.

Normally, the regulator makes a decision on costs in about 90 days. Applicants in the Grassy Mountain hearing were still waiting after 250 days.

Delays make it harder for citizens to hire the expertise they need to study proposals, said Norma Dougall of the Livingstone landowners.

"The reimbursement program is designed to level the playing field, allowing small organizations like ours to participate in the hearing process vs. the large multinationals," she wrote in an email.

Other coal mine hearings are coming, she said.

"Our experts and lawyers need to get paid for their work and will be reluctant to engage with us again if they are not reimbursed."

Mike Sawyer, who appeared on behalf of Timberwolf, said delays and discounts on participant funding create an imbalance at public hearings.

"It creates a real disincentive for any professional to actually work for a member of the public because they know they're going to get screwed and they're going to have to wait for months before they get paid."

University of Calgary law professor Shaun Fluker, who has studied the regulator's history on cost awards, found that between 2004 and 2014 the Alberta Energy Regulator granted about 70 per cent of what was asked. Not all applicants were equal, he found.

"The amount that that cost claim was reduced by the regulator was significantly higher for folks I characterized as environmental scientists as opposed to an engineering report," he said.

Environmental scientists received about 60 per cent of what they asked for, Fluker found. Lawyers and engineers both got more than 80 per cent. Lawyers were the single largest expense, by far.

Alberta Energy Regulator spokeswoman Ottilie Coldbeck said in an email the Grassy Mountain hearings were unusually complex and it wasn't possible to meet the 90-day guideline.

"We do not know when a decision on the cost claims will be issued on the Benga Grassy Mountain hearing," she wrote.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 22, 2021

Bob Weber, The Canadian Press