Thursday, May 19, 2022
For 30 Days I Wore Every Piece of Trash I Created
Rob Greenfield
The average American creates 4.5 pounds of trash per day but most people never think twice about the trash they make. Once it’s in the garbage can, it’s out of sight, out of mind. Rob Greenfield wanted to create a visual that would help people understand just how much trash they create and inspire them to make positive changes. So for 30 days, he lived just like the average American and he wore every piece of trash he created. 4.5 pounds a day really adds up! This is what it looked like.
Go to https://www.RobGreenfield.org/Trashme to learn more. Thanks to BBTV and Outspeak for helping fund this project! — Rob Greenfield is an activist and humanitarian dedicated to leading the way to a more sustainable and just world. He embarks on extreme projects to bring attention to important global issues and inspire positive change. 100% of his media income is donated to grassroots nonprofits. His YouTube channel is a source to educate, inspire and help others to live more sustainable, equal and just lives. Videos frequently cover sustainable living, simple living, growing your own food, gardening, self-sufficiency, minimalism, off the grid living, zero waste, living in a tiny house and permaculture.
California's electrical grid has an EV problem
Akiko Fujita
·Anchor/Reporter
Thu, May 19, 2022
California energy officials issued a sobering warning this month, telling residents to brace for potential blackouts as the state’s energy grid faces capacity constraints heading into the summer months.
And since the state has committed to phase out all new gas-powered vehicles by 2035 — well ahead of federal targets — the additional load from electric vehicle (EV) charging could add more strain to the electric grid.
“Let’s say we were to have a substantial number of [electric] vehicles charging at home as everybody dreams,” Ram Rajagopal, an associate professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering at Stanford University, who authored a recent study looking at the strain electric vehicle adoption is expected to place on the power grid, told Yahoo Finance. “Today’s grid may not be able to support it. It all boils down to: Are you charging during the time solar power is on?”
A number of Tesla electric vehicles are lined up and charging their batteries in this outdoor public EV charging station just north of Santa Barbara on March 18, 2022, in Goleta, California. (Photo by George Rose/Getty Images)
But as California creates a template for other states to follow, Rajagopal says it is also exposing some critical gaps that are likely to strain the power grid in the race to net-zero, especially in the transportation sector, where the acceleration of electric vehicle adoption is already underway.
“Business as usual will no longer be the case,” he said. “I really believe we need to balance our need for reliability and our desire for a clean grid.”
'Like adding one or two air conditioners'
Globally, the number of electric vehicles is expected to swell from 7 million to 400 million by 2040. The transition to zero-emission cars is estimated to add 2,000 TWh to annual energy demand by 2050 — a 40% increase — according to a study by global advisory group ICF.
Rajagopal’s team of researchers at Stanford developed a model framework to help utility companies around the world calculate charging patterns to better manage electricity demand. In California, it found that peak charging demand would more than double by 2030 if EV owners opted to charge in the evening at home.
“The use of an electric vehicle is like adding one or two air conditioners to your residence in terms of its energy increase,” Mike Jacobs, Senior Energy Analyst at Union of Concerned Scientists, told Yahoo Finance. “So when the local utility engineer looks at this, he thinks of that air conditioning in the afternoon and the electric vehicle coming home at the same time.”
Power transmission tower is silhouetted by the rising sun in Burlingame, California on October 26, 2019.
LADWPs Pine Tree Wind Farm and Solar Power Plant in the Tehachapi Mountains Tehachapi Mountains on Tuesday, March 23, 2021 in Kern County, CA.
'A 4-D puzzle'
The transition to reduce emissions is complicated by the existing energy mix: More than 60% of U.S. power generation still comes from fossil fuels. Without a clean electricity source for EVs to plug into, greenhouse gas reduction would be limited to 67% for vehicles, compared to 2020 levels, according to ICF.
Battery energy storage is expected to play a critical role in bridging the divide and would allow the grid to tap into full capacity in the hours when the sun isn’t shining or the wind isn’t blowing.
Tom Jensen, CEO of Norway-based Freyr Battery (FREY), which designs and manufactures lithium-ion batteries, said each battery it manufactures has the capacity to store four hours' worth of energy for 20 years.
“You can deploy large amounts of 4-hour storage using lithium-ion batteries coupled with solar and wind, and you can upgrade or overhaul the entire U.S. energy system either in three large regional grids or in nine smaller but still very large grids,” Jensen said. “That is technically feasible to do within the next couple of decades, but of course, it's an unprecedented level of investment into overhauling the energy system.”
Jensen cautioned that meaningful decarbonization is unlikely until roughly 80% of the battery supply chain is developed using renewable energy — a goal Freyr plans to reach by 2025.
Akiko Fujita
·Anchor/Reporter
Thu, May 19, 2022
California energy officials issued a sobering warning this month, telling residents to brace for potential blackouts as the state’s energy grid faces capacity constraints heading into the summer months.
And since the state has committed to phase out all new gas-powered vehicles by 2035 — well ahead of federal targets — the additional load from electric vehicle (EV) charging could add more strain to the electric grid.
“Let’s say we were to have a substantial number of [electric] vehicles charging at home as everybody dreams,” Ram Rajagopal, an associate professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering at Stanford University, who authored a recent study looking at the strain electric vehicle adoption is expected to place on the power grid, told Yahoo Finance. “Today’s grid may not be able to support it. It all boils down to: Are you charging during the time solar power is on?”
EV charging in the race to net-zero emissions
In Sacramento, officials said California’s grid could face a potential shortfall of roughly 1,700 megawatts, which would affect the power supply of between 1 million and 4 million people this summer. That number would likely be exacerbated by an additional shortfall of 5,000 megawatts in the case of extreme heat and further fire damage to existing power lines.
The alert in the nation’s most populous state highlighted the delicate dance utility companies face in managing warming temperatures with tightening energy supply as the country moves rapidly away from fossil fuel generation to meet ambitious targets aimed at drastically reducing emissions.
California has set out to become a leader in the green transition, aiming to rid its electrical grid of all carbon sources by 2045. The state is already the nation’s top producer of solar, geothermal, and biomass energy, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration, with renewables accounting for more than 30% of the energy generated in the state.
In Sacramento, officials said California’s grid could face a potential shortfall of roughly 1,700 megawatts, which would affect the power supply of between 1 million and 4 million people this summer. That number would likely be exacerbated by an additional shortfall of 5,000 megawatts in the case of extreme heat and further fire damage to existing power lines.
The alert in the nation’s most populous state highlighted the delicate dance utility companies face in managing warming temperatures with tightening energy supply as the country moves rapidly away from fossil fuel generation to meet ambitious targets aimed at drastically reducing emissions.
California has set out to become a leader in the green transition, aiming to rid its electrical grid of all carbon sources by 2045. The state is already the nation’s top producer of solar, geothermal, and biomass energy, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration, with renewables accounting for more than 30% of the energy generated in the state.
A number of Tesla electric vehicles are lined up and charging their batteries in this outdoor public EV charging station just north of Santa Barbara on March 18, 2022, in Goleta, California. (Photo by George Rose/Getty Images)
But as California creates a template for other states to follow, Rajagopal says it is also exposing some critical gaps that are likely to strain the power grid in the race to net-zero, especially in the transportation sector, where the acceleration of electric vehicle adoption is already underway.
“Business as usual will no longer be the case,” he said. “I really believe we need to balance our need for reliability and our desire for a clean grid.”
'Like adding one or two air conditioners'
Globally, the number of electric vehicles is expected to swell from 7 million to 400 million by 2040. The transition to zero-emission cars is estimated to add 2,000 TWh to annual energy demand by 2050 — a 40% increase — according to a study by global advisory group ICF.
Rajagopal’s team of researchers at Stanford developed a model framework to help utility companies around the world calculate charging patterns to better manage electricity demand. In California, it found that peak charging demand would more than double by 2030 if EV owners opted to charge in the evening at home.
“The use of an electric vehicle is like adding one or two air conditioners to your residence in terms of its energy increase,” Mike Jacobs, Senior Energy Analyst at Union of Concerned Scientists, told Yahoo Finance. “So when the local utility engineer looks at this, he thinks of that air conditioning in the afternoon and the electric vehicle coming home at the same time.”
Power transmission tower is silhouetted by the rising sun in Burlingame, California on October 26, 2019.
(Photo by Yichuan Cao/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
Jacobs said the transition will mark a dramatic adjustment in behavior. Utility companies and service operators, who have long grown accustomed to “a predictable shape” and schedule in energy usage, will be forced to more actively manage the grid to avoid surges. Likewise, drivers will be forced to adapt to new charging times, with some being asked to plug in at work during the day, while others commit to set hours at night to ensure even distribution of energy capacity.
In Concord, Massachusetts, where Jacobs lives, his local utility has already asked that he set a timer on his electric vehicle so he is not charging until after 10 pm at night in exchange for a discounted rate. Technology that allows the grid and cars to communicate directly is likely to follow, he said.
A study from Boston Consulting Group estimated utility companies with two to three million customers will need to invest between $1,700 and $5,800 in grid upgrades per EV through 2030 in order to reliably meet the surge in energy demand.
“If you can charge the vehicles in the middle of the day or in the middle of night, it is almost not a worry because our system is built to meet that evening demand, that peak,” he said. “So spreading it out a little bit more, especially shifting it to sunshine hours when the solar is strong, makes it less of a concern.
Jacobs said the transition will mark a dramatic adjustment in behavior. Utility companies and service operators, who have long grown accustomed to “a predictable shape” and schedule in energy usage, will be forced to more actively manage the grid to avoid surges. Likewise, drivers will be forced to adapt to new charging times, with some being asked to plug in at work during the day, while others commit to set hours at night to ensure even distribution of energy capacity.
In Concord, Massachusetts, where Jacobs lives, his local utility has already asked that he set a timer on his electric vehicle so he is not charging until after 10 pm at night in exchange for a discounted rate. Technology that allows the grid and cars to communicate directly is likely to follow, he said.
A study from Boston Consulting Group estimated utility companies with two to three million customers will need to invest between $1,700 and $5,800 in grid upgrades per EV through 2030 in order to reliably meet the surge in energy demand.
“If you can charge the vehicles in the middle of the day or in the middle of night, it is almost not a worry because our system is built to meet that evening demand, that peak,” he said. “So spreading it out a little bit more, especially shifting it to sunshine hours when the solar is strong, makes it less of a concern.
LADWPs Pine Tree Wind Farm and Solar Power Plant in the Tehachapi Mountains Tehachapi Mountains on Tuesday, March 23, 2021 in Kern County, CA.
(Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)
'A 4-D puzzle'
The transition to reduce emissions is complicated by the existing energy mix: More than 60% of U.S. power generation still comes from fossil fuels. Without a clean electricity source for EVs to plug into, greenhouse gas reduction would be limited to 67% for vehicles, compared to 2020 levels, according to ICF.
Battery energy storage is expected to play a critical role in bridging the divide and would allow the grid to tap into full capacity in the hours when the sun isn’t shining or the wind isn’t blowing.
Tom Jensen, CEO of Norway-based Freyr Battery (FREY), which designs and manufactures lithium-ion batteries, said each battery it manufactures has the capacity to store four hours' worth of energy for 20 years.
“You can deploy large amounts of 4-hour storage using lithium-ion batteries coupled with solar and wind, and you can upgrade or overhaul the entire U.S. energy system either in three large regional grids or in nine smaller but still very large grids,” Jensen said. “That is technically feasible to do within the next couple of decades, but of course, it's an unprecedented level of investment into overhauling the energy system.”
Jensen cautioned that meaningful decarbonization is unlikely until roughly 80% of the battery supply chain is developed using renewable energy — a goal Freyr plans to reach by 2025.
“It's like a 4-D puzzle because you have policy, you have economics, and you have the engineering and you have people's acceptance,” Rajagopal said. “Engineering-wise, you can have 20 viable solutions, but maybe they don't satisfy the other three and then those are useless. Once you crack the code you will be able to help so many regions around the U.S. and across the world to transition, [but] you’re going to have to suffer through it to learn.”
Akiko Fujita is an anchor and reporter for Yahoo Finance. Follow her on Twitter @AkikoFujita
Akiko Fujita is an anchor and reporter for Yahoo Finance. Follow her on Twitter @AkikoFujita
Canada Pension Says Loss in China’s Stock Market Muted Returns
Layan Odeh
Thu, May 19, 2022
(Bloomberg) -- Canada Pension Plan Investment Board said the selloff in stock markets, particularly in China, muted its annual returns.
The fund’s emerging-market holdings posted a loss “predominately driven by investments in China where public equity markets were negatively impacted by unanticipated regulatory reforms and a resurgence of COVID-19 cases,” according to a statement Thursday.
Turmoil in global markets during the last quarter exacerbated the pressure.
“The volatility affecting public equities during the final quarter, at levels not seen since the outset of the pandemic, muted returns achieved through the first nine months of the fiscal year,” the firm said. Investments in public equities returned 1.3% in the fiscal year ended March 31.
CPPIB earned 6.8% in fiscal 2022, pushing net assets to C$539 billion ($420.4 billion).
China’s stock market took a hit last year amid a government clamp down on technology firms, tightening regulations on real estate sector and a resurgence of Covid-19 cases. But since the beginning of 2022, global equities have been battered as well, by inflation, stricter monetary policy and the war in Ukraine. Shanghai’s stock exchange plunged more than 15% this year, while the S&P 500 has dropped 17.7% and Canada’s benchmark stock index is down 5.3%.
The decline in bond prices -- the fastest drop in more than 40 years -- also hurt returns, the fund said. CPPIB’s calendar-year return in 2021 was 13.8%.
CPPIB’s private equity investments returned 18.6%, driven by improved portfolio company earnings and outlooks in the information technology, financial and health care sectors in the U.S. and in Europe.
The pension plan continued to go deeper into private deals with acquisitions including cybersecurity company McAfee and Chinese mattress company AI Dream. CPPIB has teamed up with homebuilder Lennar Corp. to construct apartment buildings in the US.
(Updates throughout.)
Layan Odeh
Thu, May 19, 2022
(Bloomberg) -- Canada Pension Plan Investment Board said the selloff in stock markets, particularly in China, muted its annual returns.
The fund’s emerging-market holdings posted a loss “predominately driven by investments in China where public equity markets were negatively impacted by unanticipated regulatory reforms and a resurgence of COVID-19 cases,” according to a statement Thursday.
Turmoil in global markets during the last quarter exacerbated the pressure.
“The volatility affecting public equities during the final quarter, at levels not seen since the outset of the pandemic, muted returns achieved through the first nine months of the fiscal year,” the firm said. Investments in public equities returned 1.3% in the fiscal year ended March 31.
CPPIB earned 6.8% in fiscal 2022, pushing net assets to C$539 billion ($420.4 billion).
China’s stock market took a hit last year amid a government clamp down on technology firms, tightening regulations on real estate sector and a resurgence of Covid-19 cases. But since the beginning of 2022, global equities have been battered as well, by inflation, stricter monetary policy and the war in Ukraine. Shanghai’s stock exchange plunged more than 15% this year, while the S&P 500 has dropped 17.7% and Canada’s benchmark stock index is down 5.3%.
The decline in bond prices -- the fastest drop in more than 40 years -- also hurt returns, the fund said. CPPIB’s calendar-year return in 2021 was 13.8%.
CPPIB’s private equity investments returned 18.6%, driven by improved portfolio company earnings and outlooks in the information technology, financial and health care sectors in the U.S. and in Europe.
The pension plan continued to go deeper into private deals with acquisitions including cybersecurity company McAfee and Chinese mattress company AI Dream. CPPIB has teamed up with homebuilder Lennar Corp. to construct apartment buildings in the US.
(Updates throughout.)
Inside Nike's high-profile gender discrimination lawsuit, where plaintiffs claim unequal pay and more thanks to a 'boys' club' culture
mkish@insider.com (Matthew Kish) -
A "Do the right thing" sign atNike's headquarters.
Former female Nike employees sued the company over alleged gender discrimination in 2018.
The case is one of the most high-profile cases filed in the wake of the #MeToo movement.
Here's a guide to Insider's coverage of the lawsuit, which awaits a decision on class certification.
In March 2018, the Wall Street Journal first reported on allegations of a "boys' club" culture at Nike.
Two former female Nike employees filed a potential class-action lawsuit against the company over alleged gender discrimination and sexual harassment less than six months later. Nike has repeatedly said it has zero tolerance for discrimination.
Fast forward to January 2022, plaintiffs filed a motion for class certification, marking a critical stage in the lawsuit, which has become one of the most-watched corporate cases in the wake of the #MeToo movement. If successful, the case would proceed on behalf of roughly 5,000 women who have worked at Nike's headquarters since October 2017, instead of the 14 plaintiffs named currently.
The case is proceeding under a protective order, which means numerous documents remain sealed. In April, Insider, the Oregonian, and the Portland Business Journal intervened in the lawsuit in an effort to get more of the case unsealed. Nike has so far unsealed its motion against class certification and some supporting documents.
A ruling on the motion for class certification and Insider's motion to unseal the lawsuit could come as early as June.
Here's a rundown of the history of Nike's gender discrimination lawsuit:
A catalyst of the lawsuit, Nike's top human resources official proclaimed victory on pay equity in a company-wide email in April 2017, saying women earned 99.6% of what men earned. The self-congratulatory tone of the email spurred an independent survey of pay practices that ultimately landed on the desk of then-CEO Mark Parker.
Nike is fighting to keep a massive gender-discrimination case from going forward. 3 lawyers walked us through what's at stake.
Motions for class certification are a "central moment" in such cases. Three lawyers explained the process and why companies like Nike fight so hard to defeat them.
Nike files motion to keep sensitive records in sweeping gender discrimination lawsuit sealed
In March 2022, Nike said in a legal filing it was willing to make the "overwhelming majority" of the lawsuit public, but it wanted several other records to remain sealed, including a plaintiffs' analysis of aggregate pay shortfalls and documents about three former employees who were the subject of complaints.
Nike pay and HR practices coming to light as part of lawsuit alleging gender discrimination
Nike unsealed more than 700 pages of records at the end of March that showed the company will likely argue in court that individual hiring managers make decisions about pay, therefore any disparities are isolated, not systemic.
Nike unseals internal memos and human-resource documents as it gears up to defend itself against allegations of gender discrimination
In late April, Nike also unsealed its motion against class certification. The motion, and supporting documents, give the fullest picture yet of Nike's internal response to the allegations of gender discrimination and sexual harassment.
Insider among publications working to unseal records in Nike's gender discrimination lawsuit
Insider, the Oregonian, and the Portland Business Journal have intervened in the lawsuit in an effort to get more of the case unsealed. Hundreds of court filings, including corporate records and witness testimony, remain off limits to the public. The judge is expected to rule on the motion in June.
Do you work at Nike or have insight to share? Contact reporter Matthew Kish via the encrypted messaging app Signal (+1-971-319-3830) or email (mkish@insider.com). Check out Insider's source guide for other tips on sharing information securely.
Read the original article on Business Insider
mkish@insider.com (Matthew Kish) -
A "Do the right thing" sign atNike's headquarters.
Natalie Behring/Stringer/Getty Images
Former female Nike employees sued the company over alleged gender discrimination in 2018.
The case is one of the most high-profile cases filed in the wake of the #MeToo movement.
Here's a guide to Insider's coverage of the lawsuit, which awaits a decision on class certification.
In March 2018, the Wall Street Journal first reported on allegations of a "boys' club" culture at Nike.
Two former female Nike employees filed a potential class-action lawsuit against the company over alleged gender discrimination and sexual harassment less than six months later. Nike has repeatedly said it has zero tolerance for discrimination.
Fast forward to January 2022, plaintiffs filed a motion for class certification, marking a critical stage in the lawsuit, which has become one of the most-watched corporate cases in the wake of the #MeToo movement. If successful, the case would proceed on behalf of roughly 5,000 women who have worked at Nike's headquarters since October 2017, instead of the 14 plaintiffs named currently.
The case is proceeding under a protective order, which means numerous documents remain sealed. In April, Insider, the Oregonian, and the Portland Business Journal intervened in the lawsuit in an effort to get more of the case unsealed. Nike has so far unsealed its motion against class certification and some supporting documents.
A ruling on the motion for class certification and Insider's motion to unseal the lawsuit could come as early as June.
Here's a rundown of the history of Nike's gender discrimination lawsuit:
A catalyst of the lawsuit, Nike's top human resources official proclaimed victory on pay equity in a company-wide email in April 2017, saying women earned 99.6% of what men earned. The self-congratulatory tone of the email spurred an independent survey of pay practices that ultimately landed on the desk of then-CEO Mark Parker.
Nike is fighting to keep a massive gender-discrimination case from going forward. 3 lawyers walked us through what's at stake.
Motions for class certification are a "central moment" in such cases. Three lawyers explained the process and why companies like Nike fight so hard to defeat them.
Nike files motion to keep sensitive records in sweeping gender discrimination lawsuit sealed
In March 2022, Nike said in a legal filing it was willing to make the "overwhelming majority" of the lawsuit public, but it wanted several other records to remain sealed, including a plaintiffs' analysis of aggregate pay shortfalls and documents about three former employees who were the subject of complaints.
Nike pay and HR practices coming to light as part of lawsuit alleging gender discrimination
Nike unsealed more than 700 pages of records at the end of March that showed the company will likely argue in court that individual hiring managers make decisions about pay, therefore any disparities are isolated, not systemic.
Nike unseals internal memos and human-resource documents as it gears up to defend itself against allegations of gender discrimination
In late April, Nike also unsealed its motion against class certification. The motion, and supporting documents, give the fullest picture yet of Nike's internal response to the allegations of gender discrimination and sexual harassment.
Insider among publications working to unseal records in Nike's gender discrimination lawsuit
Insider, the Oregonian, and the Portland Business Journal have intervened in the lawsuit in an effort to get more of the case unsealed. Hundreds of court filings, including corporate records and witness testimony, remain off limits to the public. The judge is expected to rule on the motion in June.
Do you work at Nike or have insight to share? Contact reporter Matthew Kish via the encrypted messaging app Signal (+1-971-319-3830) or email (mkish@insider.com). Check out Insider's source guide for other tips on sharing information securely.
Read the original article on Business Insider
Ontario PC candidate faces heat over reported oversight of anti-LGBTQ+ church magazine
Doug Ford should condemn a Progressive Conservative candidate seeking re-election in a riding outside Hamilton, opposition party leaders said Wednesday, after a report he oversaw a youth magazine from his church that promoted homophobia and conversion therapy.
Before winning his seat representing the Brantford–Brant riding in the 2018 election, Will Bouma headed a committee of the Free Reformed Church of North America that published a magazine calling on young people to reject the “homosexual lifestyle,” according to a report from Press Progress.
That magazine espouses the church’s view imposing one acceptable form of sexual attraction, that of a man and a woman in a monogamous marriage, and suggests people become gay because they suffered drug addictions or were “love-starved” as children, the report said.
During Bouma’s time overseeing the publication, the magazine ran an interview with a pastor who is now part of an Australian church accused of having practised conversion therapy, the report said. The practice, which involves seeking to change, suppress or eradicate someone's sexual orientation or gender identity as a perceived physical or psychological dysfunction, was outlawed in Canada earlier this year.
“Doug Ford must fire Will Bouma,” the Liberals said in a statement. The leader of the Ontario Greens, Mike Schreiner, called on Ford to condemn the candidate’s role, and the NDP’s Andrea Horwath said there was never an excuse for expressing homophobia.
"You have the support of the vast majority of people in our province," Horwath said in a message to young people. "There are some who espouse these hateful beliefs, (but) just know that you are loved, that you're special, that you're respected, and that you belong. And we will always be with you."
A lack of acceptance from family and stigma imposed by other community contributes to heightened suicide risk among queer youth, research shows.
Bouma’s campaign manager did not respond to calls and email messages sent to his campaign office in Brantford, about an hour’s drive west of Hamilton. However, Bouma responded on Twitter, saying he “had no involvement in writing these articles” and that he was “a proud, loving, and supportive father” of an LGBTQ daughter.
“My views are clear, I support the rights of all of my constituents regardless of orientation,” he said.
Embedded media from twitter.com.
Ford defended the first-term MPP to reporters Wednesday, stressing Bouma was not involved in writing articles promoting homophobia and conversion therapy.
“He just doesn’t believe in that and he didn’t do it,” Ford said in Hamilton, according to the Star. “I don’t know who’s making this stuff up.”
The Free Reformed Church of North America did not respond to a request for comment.
Bouma won the seat in his riding in 2018, collecting just over 600 more votes than second-placed NDP candidate Alex Felsky.
Morgan Sharp, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Canada's National Observer
Doug Ford should condemn a Progressive Conservative candidate seeking re-election in a riding outside Hamilton, opposition party leaders said Wednesday, after a report he oversaw a youth magazine from his church that promoted homophobia and conversion therapy.
Before winning his seat representing the Brantford–Brant riding in the 2018 election, Will Bouma headed a committee of the Free Reformed Church of North America that published a magazine calling on young people to reject the “homosexual lifestyle,” according to a report from Press Progress.
That magazine espouses the church’s view imposing one acceptable form of sexual attraction, that of a man and a woman in a monogamous marriage, and suggests people become gay because they suffered drug addictions or were “love-starved” as children, the report said.
During Bouma’s time overseeing the publication, the magazine ran an interview with a pastor who is now part of an Australian church accused of having practised conversion therapy, the report said. The practice, which involves seeking to change, suppress or eradicate someone's sexual orientation or gender identity as a perceived physical or psychological dysfunction, was outlawed in Canada earlier this year.
“Doug Ford must fire Will Bouma,” the Liberals said in a statement. The leader of the Ontario Greens, Mike Schreiner, called on Ford to condemn the candidate’s role, and the NDP’s Andrea Horwath said there was never an excuse for expressing homophobia.
"You have the support of the vast majority of people in our province," Horwath said in a message to young people. "There are some who espouse these hateful beliefs, (but) just know that you are loved, that you're special, that you're respected, and that you belong. And we will always be with you."
A lack of acceptance from family and stigma imposed by other community contributes to heightened suicide risk among queer youth, research shows.
Bouma’s campaign manager did not respond to calls and email messages sent to his campaign office in Brantford, about an hour’s drive west of Hamilton. However, Bouma responded on Twitter, saying he “had no involvement in writing these articles” and that he was “a proud, loving, and supportive father” of an LGBTQ daughter.
“My views are clear, I support the rights of all of my constituents regardless of orientation,” he said.
Embedded media from twitter.com.
Ford defended the first-term MPP to reporters Wednesday, stressing Bouma was not involved in writing articles promoting homophobia and conversion therapy.
“He just doesn’t believe in that and he didn’t do it,” Ford said in Hamilton, according to the Star. “I don’t know who’s making this stuff up.”
The Free Reformed Church of North America did not respond to a request for comment.
Bouma won the seat in his riding in 2018, collecting just over 600 more votes than second-placed NDP candidate Alex Felsky.
Morgan Sharp, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Canada's National Observer
Edmonton could be headed toward housing supply shortage, real estate industry leaders warn
Madeleine Cummings
Population pressures
Statistics Canada data shows Alberta saw the most interprovincial migration during the last three months of 2021, marking the first time since 2015 that the province led the country in that metric.
Most of those people came from Ontario.
Gupta said most of the people moving from Ontario to Alberta have settled in Calgary, but Ontarians' interest in the Edmonton market has been accelerating.
The relative affordability of real estate in Alberta is a key part of their decisions to move, he said.
"We're seeing people [from Ontario] buying houses sight-unseen."
During Wednesday's multi-residential housing panel, Strachan Jarvis, managing partner of real estate investments for Toronto-based Hazelview Investments, pointed out that Canada welcomed a record number of immigrants last year but housing supply has not caught up.
"We simply are not building enough," he said.
Madeleine Cummings
CBC
Supply chain problems, rising interest rates and more people moving to Alberta could contribute to a housing supply shortage in Edmonton, according to multiple industry leaders.
© Madeleine Cummings/CBC
Supply chain problems, rising interest rates and more people moving to Alberta could contribute to a housing supply shortage in Edmonton, according to multiple industry leaders.
© Madeleine Cummings/CBC
Real estate leaders say supply chain delays and rising construction costs are limiting the supply of new homes and commercial buildings in Edmonton.
These trends, plus the rising cost of construction, were front and centre during multiple panel discussions at the Edmonton Real Estate Forum — a large industry conference held at the Edmonton Convention Centre — on Wednesday.
"All things are lining up for there to be a housing shortage in Edmonton in 12 months," said Rohit Gupta, president of Rohit Group of Companies.
Following a panel discussion on the multi-residential market, Gupta told CBC News that real estate developers may not be able to build houses fast enough to meet rising demand.
Supply chain snags
Multiple commercial real estate industry leaders, participating in a panel discussion on retail trends, said supply chain problems keep them up at night.
There are long lead times on mechanical items, including refrigeration, gas coolers and transformers — perhaps because of pent-up demand during the COVID-19 pandemic, said Jarrett Thompson, chief operating officer at Cameron Corporation.
The delays are resulting in more time-consuming and expensive commercial and residential projects, he added.
"Despite there being a market right now, a lot of the builders are pulling back, which is creating some major challenges," he said.
Among the many challenges is a lack of nails, linked to the war in Ukraine, said Gupta, of Rohit Group of Companies.
"It's everything," he said.
"At some point, we're so numb to the pain."
Few executives predict these problems will disappear any time soon.
Darren Quayle, vice president of Alberta client services for Oberfeld Snowcap, expects supply chains to get back to normal in 18 months to two years.
These trends, plus the rising cost of construction, were front and centre during multiple panel discussions at the Edmonton Real Estate Forum — a large industry conference held at the Edmonton Convention Centre — on Wednesday.
"All things are lining up for there to be a housing shortage in Edmonton in 12 months," said Rohit Gupta, president of Rohit Group of Companies.
Following a panel discussion on the multi-residential market, Gupta told CBC News that real estate developers may not be able to build houses fast enough to meet rising demand.
Supply chain snags
Multiple commercial real estate industry leaders, participating in a panel discussion on retail trends, said supply chain problems keep them up at night.
There are long lead times on mechanical items, including refrigeration, gas coolers and transformers — perhaps because of pent-up demand during the COVID-19 pandemic, said Jarrett Thompson, chief operating officer at Cameron Corporation.
The delays are resulting in more time-consuming and expensive commercial and residential projects, he added.
"Despite there being a market right now, a lot of the builders are pulling back, which is creating some major challenges," he said.
Among the many challenges is a lack of nails, linked to the war in Ukraine, said Gupta, of Rohit Group of Companies.
"It's everything," he said.
"At some point, we're so numb to the pain."
Few executives predict these problems will disappear any time soon.
Darren Quayle, vice president of Alberta client services for Oberfeld Snowcap, expects supply chains to get back to normal in 18 months to two years.
Population pressures
Statistics Canada data shows Alberta saw the most interprovincial migration during the last three months of 2021, marking the first time since 2015 that the province led the country in that metric.
Most of those people came from Ontario.
Gupta said most of the people moving from Ontario to Alberta have settled in Calgary, but Ontarians' interest in the Edmonton market has been accelerating.
The relative affordability of real estate in Alberta is a key part of their decisions to move, he said.
"We're seeing people [from Ontario] buying houses sight-unseen."
During Wednesday's multi-residential housing panel, Strachan Jarvis, managing partner of real estate investments for Toronto-based Hazelview Investments, pointed out that Canada welcomed a record number of immigrants last year but housing supply has not caught up.
"We simply are not building enough," he said.
KINSELLA: Jason Kenney ouster doesn't bode well for federal Conservatives
Warren Kinsella -
INSUFFICIENTLY CONSERVATIVE?
Or was it because — as Lilley suggests — Kenney, of all people, was seen as insufficiently conservative? Was it because Kenney wasn’t right-wing enough?
If so, conservatives — federally, at least — are doomed. Kenney was a real-deal Tory. If Alberta Conservatives want someone even more to the right, they’ll perhaps get it. But they won’t get the support of most Canadian voters.
Voters, too, will be unimpressed by this latest conservative blood-letting. The federal Conservative leadership candidates were bad enough — smearing each other, calling each other liars, accusing each other of scandal and law-breaking.
But this? Jason Kenney led a majority government, and polls suggested he had a reasonable shot at re-election. To jettison him now doesn’t mean that he wasn’t good enough — it means that a lot of Alberta Conservatives have lost their minds. And their once-sterling commitment to political discipline.
Which leads us back to that first question.
Whither thou goest, Conservatives, in thine dark blue car at night?
From here, it looks like you are heading for the ditch.
WARREN KINSELLA IS A LAWYER, FORMER LIBERAL STRATEGIST,PUNK ROCKER, FORMER CALGARIAN, BLOGGER AND ZIONIST APOLOGIST
SEE
Warren Kinsella -
Toronto Sun
© Provided by Toronto Sun
© Provided by Toronto Sun
Jason Kenney meets supporters after speaking at an event at Spruce Meadows in Calgary on Wednesday, May 18, 2022.
Wither thou goest, Conservatives, in thine dark blue car at night?
Sorry to get all Jack Kerouac on y’all, but that little line from On The Road kind of fits, doesn’t it? I mean, after Conservatives committed ritual mass political suicide on Wednesday night — in the Conservative heartland, no less — it is fair for the rest of us to wonder: What the hell?
Jason Kenney — he who was Stephen Harper’s right hand, he who delivered the elusive ethnic vote and a majority, he who united the warring factions of the right and defeated the socialists — is gone. It is mindboggling.
As my colleague Brian Lilley put it to a few of us at the Sun: “Jason Kenney not being conservative enough for Alberta? The implications for the federal leadership race are huge.”
And Lilley is indisputably right. Kenney’s conservative credentials were impeccable. Nobody in Western Canada worked harder to advance the interests of Team Blue. And in Ottawa, Kenney was feared and respected — and could always be counted on to be the happy warrior for his side.
As premier, Kenney waged endless war with Liberal Justin Trudeau, or cheered on other Conservative politicians, or travelled tirelessly — just a few days ago to Washington, to advocate for Canadian energy — to push for policies that conservatives favoured.
So what happened? How can Conservatives win, as Lilley noted, if even Kenney isn’t good enough?
DUMBFOUNDED
As a member of the Alberta diaspora, I was and am dumbfounded by Kenney’s ouster. Kenney possesses a brilliant, agile political mind. He always seemed to be several steps ahead of his opponents.
And now, this, and his career is in ruins. Was it because the UCP malcontents felt he had become, in Preston Manning’s words, “Ottawashed,” and out of touch with his home province?
Was it because he was one of those politicians — like Paul Martin, say, or Al Gore — who needed a stronger, savvier boss in charge? Without Harper around, Kenney never seemed to be entirely what he had been. Or could have been.
Was it because Conservatives in Alberta have utterly lost any discipline? That they lack self-control and common sense?
Wither thou goest, Conservatives, in thine dark blue car at night?
Sorry to get all Jack Kerouac on y’all, but that little line from On The Road kind of fits, doesn’t it? I mean, after Conservatives committed ritual mass political suicide on Wednesday night — in the Conservative heartland, no less — it is fair for the rest of us to wonder: What the hell?
Jason Kenney — he who was Stephen Harper’s right hand, he who delivered the elusive ethnic vote and a majority, he who united the warring factions of the right and defeated the socialists — is gone. It is mindboggling.
As my colleague Brian Lilley put it to a few of us at the Sun: “Jason Kenney not being conservative enough for Alberta? The implications for the federal leadership race are huge.”
And Lilley is indisputably right. Kenney’s conservative credentials were impeccable. Nobody in Western Canada worked harder to advance the interests of Team Blue. And in Ottawa, Kenney was feared and respected — and could always be counted on to be the happy warrior for his side.
As premier, Kenney waged endless war with Liberal Justin Trudeau, or cheered on other Conservative politicians, or travelled tirelessly — just a few days ago to Washington, to advocate for Canadian energy — to push for policies that conservatives favoured.
So what happened? How can Conservatives win, as Lilley noted, if even Kenney isn’t good enough?
DUMBFOUNDED
As a member of the Alberta diaspora, I was and am dumbfounded by Kenney’s ouster. Kenney possesses a brilliant, agile political mind. He always seemed to be several steps ahead of his opponents.
And now, this, and his career is in ruins. Was it because the UCP malcontents felt he had become, in Preston Manning’s words, “Ottawashed,” and out of touch with his home province?
Was it because he was one of those politicians — like Paul Martin, say, or Al Gore — who needed a stronger, savvier boss in charge? Without Harper around, Kenney never seemed to be entirely what he had been. Or could have been.
Was it because Conservatives in Alberta have utterly lost any discipline? That they lack self-control and common sense?
INSUFFICIENTLY CONSERVATIVE?
Or was it because — as Lilley suggests — Kenney, of all people, was seen as insufficiently conservative? Was it because Kenney wasn’t right-wing enough?
If so, conservatives — federally, at least — are doomed. Kenney was a real-deal Tory. If Alberta Conservatives want someone even more to the right, they’ll perhaps get it. But they won’t get the support of most Canadian voters.
Voters, too, will be unimpressed by this latest conservative blood-letting. The federal Conservative leadership candidates were bad enough — smearing each other, calling each other liars, accusing each other of scandal and law-breaking.
But this? Jason Kenney led a majority government, and polls suggested he had a reasonable shot at re-election. To jettison him now doesn’t mean that he wasn’t good enough — it means that a lot of Alberta Conservatives have lost their minds. And their once-sterling commitment to political discipline.
Which leads us back to that first question.
Whither thou goest, Conservatives, in thine dark blue car at night?
From here, it looks like you are heading for the ditch.
WARREN KINSELLA IS A LAWYER, FORMER LIBERAL STRATEGIST,PUNK ROCKER, FORMER CALGARIAN, BLOGGER AND ZIONIST APOLOGIST
SEE
Residential school survivors didn't want to 'wear' decision to raise flag: documents
OTTAWA — Documents show some residential school survivors told Ottawa they didn't want to "wear" a decision to raise the Canadian flag, as the government spent months mulling how to lift the Maple Leaf from half-mast.
Hoisting the flag became a source of debate last year after it was lowered for months following the discovery of what were believed to be the remains of 215 children at the former Kamloops residential school site in British Columbia last May.
Next weekmarks the one-year anniversary of that discovery using ground-penetrating radar by the Tk’emlúps te Secwepemc First Nation.
It sent waves of grief, shock and anger through the country. As Indigenous communities reeled and more non-Indigenous Canadians joined them, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau ordered the flags lowered at all federal buildings, including the one atop the Peace Tower.
By June, federal officials were trying to figure out the timing to raise the flag, reaching out to Indigenous leaders and drafting up options.
"This is the longest time in Canadian history that flags have been at half-mast," Crown-Indigenous Relations officials wrote in a briefing note released to The Canadian Press under access-to-information legislation.
How long the flag remains lowered is typically dictated by a strict set of rules. But when the federal government lowered it to honour Indigenous children who died and disappeared from the 140-year-long residential school system, the timeline for lifting it was not clear.
Ottawa was working to return the flag to full-mast ahead of Remembrance Day, documents show, which is what ultimately happened. The documents say survivors and those in the country's national Indigenous organizations saw the need to raise the flag in order for it to be lowered on Nov. 8, Indigenous Veteran's Day, and Nov. 11.
Among those consulted was the National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation's survivors' circle. The group met last fall with Carolyn Bennett, the former federal Crown-Indigenous Relations minister before she was named to a new portfolio.
"Several participants mentioned that they did not want Canada to use this engagement to justify the raising of the flag to full-mast," officials said in a summary of the meeting.
"They did not want to 'wear' that decision," the summary said, adding Bennett signalled she understood and saw how not everyone agreed.
"Some said that they were not ready to see the flag go up to full-mast, others indicated that Canadians still needed to better understand why the flag was lowered."
Officials recorded differing opinions on the national symbol and how the country planned to mark the finding of more unmarked graves.
"Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami officials reinforced the critical need to honour all the lost children (more than 6,000) and to sustain public awareness of the tragedy of residential schools," the documents say.
"Officials from the Métis National Council also offered the suggestion that the flag be lowered to half-mast for a week each time a new residential school burial discovery is made."
In addition, officials said the organizations felt even though raising the flag was complicated, the issue was one that "the Canadian government will need to resolve." They also believed in the need for another "symbolic recognition at the national level" as a replacement if the flag were hoisted.
The office of the current Crown-Indigenous Relations Minister, Marc Miller, said in a statement it is working with the House of Commons, Senate Speakers’ Offices and other MPs to hoist the National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation's survivors flag on Parliament Hill in June, which is Indigenous history month.
It also plans to lower the Canadian flag every Sept. 30, the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation.
The Cowessess First Nation near Regina discovered 751 unmarked graves last year. Officials noted that Chief Cadmus Delorme "identified that this is a historic time for Canada" and “that with the number of residential schools, this issue will be present for years to come."
Indigenous groups also urged governments to take meaningful action on reconciliation, and not leave it at symbolic gestures, the documents show.
Chief Harvey McLeod of the Upper Nicola Indian Band in Merritt, B.C., said recently that more debate is needed about what the flag represents to Indigenous people and Canadians, as opposed to talking how long it should stay lowered or raised.
“I see being more important is us continuing to have the dialogue to correct what was implemented in that plan that was the way to implement the vision of Confederation,” he said. “It was the vision of the salvation of us savages, us Indians, to incorporate us into general society.”
“We really have to roll up our sleeves and find a way of how we can be inclusive of people like myself.”
Congress of Aboriginal Peoples National Vice-Chief Kim Beaudin said he's more concerned with justice for survivors than symbolic gestures from Ottawa.
"Quite honestly, we're not really treated as Canadians either, right? Full-(fledged) Canadian citizens in our own country," he said.
"A lot of times we're treated like foreigners."
One survivor of the Kamloops residential school said any gesture from the Canadian government on the flag is meaningful.
“Any recognition that Canada offers is good,” said Garry Gottfriedson, a 69-year-old poet who attended the institution from kindergarten to Grade 3.
"The smallest gestures are good. Any little gesture Canada can offer is a step towards healing."
This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 19, 2022.
— With files from Dirk Meissner in Kamloops, B.C.
Stephanie Taylor, The Canadian Press
OTTAWA — Documents show some residential school survivors told Ottawa they didn't want to "wear" a decision to raise the Canadian flag, as the government spent months mulling how to lift the Maple Leaf from half-mast.
Hoisting the flag became a source of debate last year after it was lowered for months following the discovery of what were believed to be the remains of 215 children at the former Kamloops residential school site in British Columbia last May.
Next weekmarks the one-year anniversary of that discovery using ground-penetrating radar by the Tk’emlúps te Secwepemc First Nation.
It sent waves of grief, shock and anger through the country. As Indigenous communities reeled and more non-Indigenous Canadians joined them, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau ordered the flags lowered at all federal buildings, including the one atop the Peace Tower.
By June, federal officials were trying to figure out the timing to raise the flag, reaching out to Indigenous leaders and drafting up options.
"This is the longest time in Canadian history that flags have been at half-mast," Crown-Indigenous Relations officials wrote in a briefing note released to The Canadian Press under access-to-information legislation.
How long the flag remains lowered is typically dictated by a strict set of rules. But when the federal government lowered it to honour Indigenous children who died and disappeared from the 140-year-long residential school system, the timeline for lifting it was not clear.
Ottawa was working to return the flag to full-mast ahead of Remembrance Day, documents show, which is what ultimately happened. The documents say survivors and those in the country's national Indigenous organizations saw the need to raise the flag in order for it to be lowered on Nov. 8, Indigenous Veteran's Day, and Nov. 11.
Among those consulted was the National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation's survivors' circle. The group met last fall with Carolyn Bennett, the former federal Crown-Indigenous Relations minister before she was named to a new portfolio.
"Several participants mentioned that they did not want Canada to use this engagement to justify the raising of the flag to full-mast," officials said in a summary of the meeting.
"They did not want to 'wear' that decision," the summary said, adding Bennett signalled she understood and saw how not everyone agreed.
"Some said that they were not ready to see the flag go up to full-mast, others indicated that Canadians still needed to better understand why the flag was lowered."
Officials recorded differing opinions on the national symbol and how the country planned to mark the finding of more unmarked graves.
"Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami officials reinforced the critical need to honour all the lost children (more than 6,000) and to sustain public awareness of the tragedy of residential schools," the documents say.
"Officials from the Métis National Council also offered the suggestion that the flag be lowered to half-mast for a week each time a new residential school burial discovery is made."
In addition, officials said the organizations felt even though raising the flag was complicated, the issue was one that "the Canadian government will need to resolve." They also believed in the need for another "symbolic recognition at the national level" as a replacement if the flag were hoisted.
The office of the current Crown-Indigenous Relations Minister, Marc Miller, said in a statement it is working with the House of Commons, Senate Speakers’ Offices and other MPs to hoist the National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation's survivors flag on Parliament Hill in June, which is Indigenous history month.
It also plans to lower the Canadian flag every Sept. 30, the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation.
The Cowessess First Nation near Regina discovered 751 unmarked graves last year. Officials noted that Chief Cadmus Delorme "identified that this is a historic time for Canada" and “that with the number of residential schools, this issue will be present for years to come."
Indigenous groups also urged governments to take meaningful action on reconciliation, and not leave it at symbolic gestures, the documents show.
Chief Harvey McLeod of the Upper Nicola Indian Band in Merritt, B.C., said recently that more debate is needed about what the flag represents to Indigenous people and Canadians, as opposed to talking how long it should stay lowered or raised.
“I see being more important is us continuing to have the dialogue to correct what was implemented in that plan that was the way to implement the vision of Confederation,” he said. “It was the vision of the salvation of us savages, us Indians, to incorporate us into general society.”
“We really have to roll up our sleeves and find a way of how we can be inclusive of people like myself.”
Congress of Aboriginal Peoples National Vice-Chief Kim Beaudin said he's more concerned with justice for survivors than symbolic gestures from Ottawa.
"Quite honestly, we're not really treated as Canadians either, right? Full-(fledged) Canadian citizens in our own country," he said.
"A lot of times we're treated like foreigners."
One survivor of the Kamloops residential school said any gesture from the Canadian government on the flag is meaningful.
“Any recognition that Canada offers is good,” said Garry Gottfriedson, a 69-year-old poet who attended the institution from kindergarten to Grade 3.
"The smallest gestures are good. Any little gesture Canada can offer is a step towards healing."
This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 19, 2022.
— With files from Dirk Meissner in Kamloops, B.C.
Stephanie Taylor, The Canadian Press
COACHING IS ABUSE
'Pivotal moment:' Integrity commissioner starts process of cleaning up Canadian sportSarah-Eve Pelletier calls this a pivotal moment in Canadian sport.
© Provided by The Canadian Press'Pivotal moment:' Integrity commissioner starts process of cleaning up Canadian sport
The lawyer and former artistic swimmer opened shop as Canada's first sport integrity commissioner two weeks ago and, in what feels like not a moment too soon, she now faces the daunting task of trying to clean up Canadian sport amid a flurry of maltreatment complaints from hundreds of former and current athletes.
"There's an opportunity, if we act collectively," Pelletier said Wednesday. "It is the most important motivating factor in me taking on this role is that I want to be part of this important conversation. But there are so many things that need to happen so that no-one ever experiences any form of maltreatment or discrimination in sport in the future."
But Pelletier, armed with two law degrees, and what she called a positive, joyful experience in her own sport, said she relishes the challenge.
"What has been the driver of my career so far has been to be a positive agent for change in sports," she said.
The Office of the Sport Integrity Commissioner (OSIC), which will operate within the Sport Dispute Resolution Centre of Canada (SDRCC), will start receiving and addressing complaints on June 20 of violations of the Universal Code of Conduct to Prevent and Address Maltreatment in Sport.
There was a sense of urgency, Pelletier said, to begin operations amid what Sport Minister Pascale St-Onge has called a safe sport "crisis" in Canadian sport. More than 1,000 athletes have signed open letters to Sport Canada in recent weeks calling for independent investigations into the toxic culture in their sports.
"One of my biggest worries as I take on this role is that we can't get the results soon enough for the people who've been waiting for them," she said. "Whether we started two weeks ago, whether we started next month or whether we started in a year from now, the sense of urgency is there for us, and we want to work on addressing all matters as urgently as we can."
There's also the need, however, not to stumble out of the gate.
"Coming from an artistic sport, there's always this notion of perfection," Pelletier said. "We cannot compromise on building a trauma-informed system and as robust system as we can, that will be compassionate, and that will be efficient, and that will provide a fair process for all the parties involved."
"I don't know that we can create something perfect, but we really need to get it right."
St-Onge said there were three main asks from athletes and sport organizations that arose from recent discussions. The first was that the safe sport office be independent. Athletes have usually had to take complaints to someone within their sport, "and they didn't necessarily feel safe to do so," St-Onge told The Canadian Press in an interview Tuesday evening.
Pelletier said independence is "at the core" of the new safe sport office, and added they will largely rely on external expert resources for things like investigations to help safeguard independence. Policy creation, she said, was also informed by expertise outside of sports, such as human rights and child protection.
The second ask, St-Onge said, was for adequate funding, and she noted the $16 million earmarked in the recent federal budget to fund office operations over the next three years.
The third ask was for participation to be mandatory for all national sport organizations, and it will be a condition for federal funding. St-Onge said organizations that currently have their own safe sport mechanisms will shift over.
Pelletier's staff at OSIC currently consists of a director of investigations and a program manager who will help triage complaints, and it will expand as needed.
She said her office will have a process to handle historical claims as well. Gymnasts, boxers, and bobsled and skeleton athletes, for example, asked for independent investigations, with some of their allegations of maltreatment being several years old.
Pelletier said there was some collaboration with the United States Center for SafeSport in helping lay the groundwork in the OSIC. But she'd like to raise the bar even higher.
"Hopefully our model is best in class and . . . can be inspired and inspire other models worldwide," she said. "We want to advance this conversation, basically. We aspire to being a great example, on a worldwide basis."
St-Onge said that while the OSIC is a "very important piece of the safe sport file," it's just part of the solution.
"It is also my goal and my priority to work on the culture in sport," said St-Onge, who was appointed sport minister in October.
She also plans a review of the funding agreement with national sport organizations, to improve governance and accountability, and "all the other aspects of safe sport, to make sure that we respond properly when we're facing situations like those that were exposed in the past few months and weeks."
St-Onge also plans to work on the Canadian Sport Policy, which binds all sport organizations across Canada.
"Safe sport is definitely my priority for this new Sport Policy," she said. It's due for renewal in February of 2023.
St-Onge applauds the athletes for having the courage to come forward in recent weeks about their experiences of maltreatment.
"The positive thing that is coming out of these stories . . . is it put the conversation at the forefront of everybody's priorities," she said. "I feel like everyone understands now that what happened is unacceptable, that silence is unacceptable, that not doing anything is unacceptable. And that we need to do more.
"And, that's also about the sustainability of our sport system. Because if Canadians don't trust our sport system, parents are no longer going to send their kids to clubs and physical activity. And that's really problematic.
"We're ready to move forward and improve the Canadian sports system and my goal is to bring back joy in the sport practice."
This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 18, 2022.
Lori Ewing, The Canadian Press
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