Actor Nazanin Boniadi asks world to back Iran women protests


Wed, March 8, 2023



ABU DHABI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Actor Nazanin Boniadi on Wednesday urged the world to back the protests in her native Iran calling for women's rights and political change, saying despots fear nothing "more than a free and politically active woman.”

Speaking on the sidelines of the Forbes 30/50 Summit in Abu Dhabi, Boniadi told The Associated Press that she hopes people will sign a petition she's supporting accusing Taliban-controlled Afghanistan and Iran of committing “gender apartheid” with their policies targeting women.

“These systems of oppressing women, of dehumanizing women, are based on strengthening and keeping these entrenched systems of power in place," she said. "So we have to legally recognize this as gender apartheid in order to be able to overcome it.”

Boniadi, who as a young child left Tehran with her family for England following the 1979 Islamic Revolution, has used her fame as an actor in the series “The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power” on Amazon Prime and in roles in feature films to highlight what's happening back in Iran.

Since September, Iran has faced mass protests following the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini, a woman who died after being detained by the country's morality police. In the time since, activists say over 500 people have been killed and more than 19,000 others detained in a security force crackdown.

“The thing that is unprecedented is we’re seeing 12-year-old girls, schoolgirls, come out into the streets saying, 'We don’t want an Islamic Republic," Boniadi said. "The courage that takes is astounding. And that courage has been contagious.”

However, recent months have seen suspected poisonings at girls' schools in the country. While details remain difficult to ascertain, the group Human Rights Activists in Iran says at least 290 suspected school poisonings have happened over recent months, with at least 7,060 students claiming to be affected.

It remains unclear what chemical might have been used, if any. No one has claimed the attacks and authorities have not identified any suspects. Unlike neighboring Afghanistan, Iran has no recent history of religious extremists targeting girls’ education. However, some activists worry extremists might be poisoning girls to keep them out of school.

“The thing that ties us together is that (with) dictators and despots, there’s nothing that they fear more than a free and politically active woman. And so that’s why the crackdowns exist today in Iran ... as you’re seeing with the chemical attacks on schoolgirls."

She added: "We have to come together. We have to unite. We have to find a way forward and end these atrocities against women.”

___

Follow Malak Harb on Twitter at www.twitter.com/malakharb.

Malak Harb, The Associated Press

5 stories of women tackling climate change with science


Digital Writers
Wed, March 8, 2023 

Meet the first women to overwinter alone this small Arctic hut

From Arctic expeditions to innovative solutions, these Canadian women have been on the ground doing what they can to make the world a better place.

International Women’s Day was created to celebrate exactly that: women's achievement, all while raising awareness about discrimination that still exists around the world.

And as the world grapples with the complexity of climate disruption, it’s much needed work. See just exactly what these Canadian women got up to this past year below.

De-icing solutions for icy wind turbines

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With colder air temperatures and a higher air density, Canada sees some of its strongest winds during the winter season — a perfect thing for wind farms. But with it comes ice, and that remains a persistent issue across North America.

Water droplets in the air can freeze on spinning turbines when temperatures are at or below 0°C. Accumulating ice makes the blade less aerodynamic, which reduces the amount of energy that can be generated and can cause damage to the turbine. Ice could also be flung hundreds of metres away from the turbines, which presents serious safety concerns.

It’s something Daniela Roeper, founder and CEO of Borealis Wind, decided she wanted to tackle straight out of university. Today they have created a de-icing system that allows the wind turbines to keep spinning.

“We started in 2016 and installed the first systems in 2018. We've sold over 20 systems since then and our systems are running smoothly through the winter with relatively little maintenance,” Roeper told The Weather Network last December.

Now she wants to take this Canadian-made solution international as renewable energy continues to expand worldwide.

READ MORE: Ice can be a problem for wind turbines. Here's a Canadian company's solution

Making history with citizen science

Sorby and Fålun Strøm collect samples while Ettra supervises their work. (Hearts in the Ice)

Sunniva Sorby and Hilde Fålun Strøm collect samples while Ettra supervises their work. (Hearts in the Ice)

Could you brave 19 months in a non-insulated hut with no running water (or Netflix! gasp) for citizen science?

That’s exactly what the duo behind Hearts in the Ice did in a history-making expedition to a remote area of Norway’s wilderness in Svalbard. While living in a 20-square-metre hut called Bamsebu, their goal was to collect science data and share knowledge about the climate crisis impacts in the Arctic during the pandemic when it was difficult for researchers to travel as the world went into lockdown.

The initiative was sparked after Norwegian-born Canadian Sunniva Sorby and Norway’s Hilde Fålun Strøm had a chance encounter that led them to embark on the epic journey together — and they aren’t done either.

They told The Weather Network last year they hope to travel to northern Canada for their next citizen science adventure this summer.

READ MORE: These two women made history by overwintering alone in a tiny Arctic hut

Experimenting for better soil

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Climate change is expected to bring extended periods of drought. It’s an issue that led research scientist Vicky Levesque to experiment with soil in Nova Scotia’s Annapolis Valley to combat the risks.

The use of chemical fertilizer can have an opposite effect and degrade soil quality, leaving researchers looking for ways to help improve the soil properties and make agriculture sustainable.

One potential solution, says Levesque, is biochar, a substance “produced by thermal decomposition of organic material (biomass such as wood, manure or leaves) under limited supply of oxygen, and at relatively low temperatures (under 700°C),” according to the International Biochar Institute.

Crops using biochar wouldn't see an effect in the first year but Levesque says they would in the second and third it will.

READ MORE: What is biochar and how can it help combat droughts?

These young women are already an inspiration

Melanie Downer, Samia Sami, Sarah Syed

Samia Sami, Melanie Downer, and Sarah Syed all spoke to The Weather Network last year for International Day of Women and Girls in Science. (Submitted)

Who runs the world? Well, according to Beyoncé, it’s girls.

That type of woman empowerment message is also at the core of International Day of Women and Girls in Science declared by the United Nations General Assembly in 2015 to address the “significant gender gap” that has persisted in all levels of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) disciplines all over the world.

But more women and girls are getting involved in the sciences every day.

The Weather Network spoke to three of those young women — who were also featured in Starfish Canada’s Top 25 environmentalists under 25 — in February 2022.

From ocean conservation to implementing artificial intelligence into power grids to hackathons and prototypes, they have an impressive list of accomplishments for women their age.

READ MORE: Three inspiring stories from young women making a mark on climate change

Who's got the power? Moms do

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It turns out that climate change isn’t going away in the coming decades, but maybe there will be a brighter future for the next generation if moms realize their power to take climate action.

Mothers across Canada have the potential to enact serious change through household spending, banding together, and teaching their children about the dangers of a changing climate armed with the latest research.

“We see the impacts of climate change all around us. It's no longer a future problem. It’s impacting us in the now and we know it's getting worse,” Toronto mother Brianne Whyte told the Weather Network last May about why she joined the For Our Kids campaign.

Mothers are more powerful than they realize, according to Dr. Melissa Lem.

“My son and the beautiful landscapes in this country are the most wonderful things I've ever seen in my life. And I'm really inspired to protect them,” she said, adding that’s how she got involved in the park prescriptions program for the BC Parks Foundation.

Lem says the research shows being out in nature not only helps with well-being, but appreciating nature often leads to wanting to protect it as well.

READ MORE: Why mothers hold untapped power in the climate fight

Thumbnail image: Daniela Roeper, founder and CEO of Borealis Wind, stands near a wind tower. (Borealis Wind)

Ontario to be short 33,000 nurses and PSWs in five years: financial watchdog

Wed, March 8, 2023 



TORONTO — Ontario's fiscal watchdog says the province is expected to be short 33,000 nurses and personal support workers in five years.

The Financial Accountability Office says in a special health-care report that the government will be short $21 billion to cover its commitments to expand hospitals, long-term care and home care.

The province's health-care system has buckled in recent years with severe staffing shortages that have led to temporary emergency room closures, a massive surgical backlog and fed-up patients.

The financial watchdog says the province could address the funding shortfall by incrementally spending more in upcoming budgets and a boost from Ontario's ballooning contingency fund.

A spokeswoman for Health Minister Sylvia Jones says the province is investing heavily in health care, has reduced wait times for key surgeries and "broke records" by registering more new nurses in 2022.

Hannah Jensen says they will use money from the pending health-care deal with the federal government to hire more nurses and sign up more people with family doctors.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 8, 2023.

The Canadian Press

Gender inequality driving wave of female Japanese immigrants to Canada

Wed, March 8, 2023

Yuka Yamamoto Woods and her husband Chris Woods are raising two children together in New Westminster, B.C. Yamamoto Woods, who works as an early childhood facilitator, says she saw first hand how difficult it was to be a working mom in Japan.

 (Ben Nelms/CBC - image credit)

Yuka Yamamoto Woods has loved travelling since childhood and began her dream career with an airline as a ground staff member in Tokyo at age 19.

But after four years of working long hours, she realized she was unlikely to become a mother while keeping her job, let alone get promoted.

"I didn't see a lot of moms there, especially [among] the managers … managers were [mostly] male, [and] the ground staff who worked at the airport were women. Most people quit their job once they got pregnant," said Yamamoto Woods, now an early childhood facilitator who lives with her Canadian husband and their two young children in Metro Vancouver.

Yamamoto Woods, 40, is one of the nearly 14,000 women who have emigrated from Japan to Canada over the past two decades. This accounts for 76 per cent of all Japanese immigrants during that period, census data shows.

And the entrenched gender inequality in Japan is a compelling reason for many to leave, according to some of those who have emigrated — including a University of Toronto social work professor.

Percentages of women out of Asian immigrants to Canada, 2001-2021

Yamamoto Woods, who first came to Vancouver in 2006 on a working holiday and became a permanent resident several years later, says it's easier to be a working mom in Canada than in Japan. Most of her co-workers are mothers, and her husband helps with child-rearing and housework, she said.

"I feel more free in Canada," she said.

Ben Nelms/CBC

Sexism remains strong in Japan, prof says

Emigration numbers have made national headlines in Japan in recent months.

The Asahi Shimbun newspaper says more than 550,000 Japanese citizens — 62 per cent of them female — live and work abroad as permanent residents mainly due to frustration with Japan's sluggish economy, fears of another natural disaster after the 2011 earthquake and, for women specifically, deep-seated gender inequality.

Japan hasn't progressed much in women's empowerment, according to the World Economic Forum's annual Global Gender Gap Report, which has consistently ranked it around 120th among approximately 150 countries — and dead last among the G7 group of industrialized democracies — due to a declining female workforce and a low number of women in leadership positions.

University of Toronto social work professor Izumi Sakamoto, who moved from Japan to work in Canada in 2002, says women are as well educated as men in Japan, but the gender gap becomes obvious immediately after graduation.

She says Japanese society still places disproportionate expectations on women to rear children and manage household chores, making it difficult for them to stay in the workforce and advance their careers.

Koji Sasahara/The Associated Press

Japan's economic downturn — which began in the early 1990s after an asset bubble burst — has forced an increase in precarious jobs, Sakamoto says, adding that women take up most of these roles due to pervasive male privilege in the workplace.

"Sexism at all levels of the male-dominant society is very strong," she said, adding that this might explain why many Japanese women have come to Canada as a working holiday visa holder or as a Canadian's spouse in order to get permanent residency.

Anecdotally, only a few have returned to Japan due to language barriers or being unable to find meaningful employment.

'Suffocating' culture

Mika Nakagawa Antonovic, who gained permanent residency in 2009 and works as a braille transcriber for visually impaired students in Victoria, says she immigrated to Canada to break free from what she describes as the "suffocating" aspects of Japanese culture, including its emphasis on women's physical appearance.

One example of this, says Nakagawa Antonovic, 44, is that whenever she travels back to Japan she has to hide the tattoo she got in Victoria, due to the commonplace association of tattoos with gangsters in her home country.

That's not an issue in Canada, she says — not even in the workplace.

"My bosses don't care that I have a tattoo," she said.

Nakagawa Antonovic said she feels more comfortable in Canada because she's an outspoken person and felt like she didn't fit in Japanese culture, which prefers conformity; and she generally feels more respected here because she was able to get professional qualifications in her field.

Submitted by Mika Antonovic

Gender studies professor Jacqueline Holler of the University of Northern British Columbia, who taught in Tokyo a decade ago, says female emigration should concern Japan given the country's aging population and low birth rate.

She says Japanese society should try to strike a better balance between its traditional communal culture and Western individualism in order to accommodate women's aspirations.

At the same time, Canada can take advantage of the trend, she said.

"Canada is doing a really good job of attracting highly educated immigrants in general, and these Japanese women are probably part of that broader trend," Holler said.

SASKATCHEWAN

4 women explain what feminism looks like to them in 2023

Wed, March 8, 2023 

On March 8, 1979, Iranian women’s celebrations of International Women’s Day turned into protests against a new decree by Khomeini about mandatory veiling. (Hengameh Golestan - image credit)

The meaning of feminism has changed over the years — from fighting for rights to vote and own property, to equality and anti-discrimination, to now a push for more inclusivity beyond white, cisgender women.

On Tuesday, one day before International Women's Day, CBC Saskatchewan's Blue Sky hosted a discussion on feminism in 2023. Guests shared their unique experiences and spoke about what feminism means to them.

"When I had a same sex partner in the late '90s and was in the process of coming out, the personal definitely became political," Nicole White said on the program.

"The fight isn't over yet. There has been an active attack on particular marginalized communities and it's been really disconcerting. We have to constantly be looking around the table and asking ourselves who isn't here and why aren't they here and creating space for them and amplifying those voices whenever possible."

White said her version of feminism is different as it was 20 years ago and hopes it will continue to evolve.

Submitted by Nicole White

White founded Moontime Sisters, an organization that supplies free menstruation products to people in Northern Saskatchewan.

"A menstrual product that I would pay $5 for in Saskatoon could be upwards of $20 in northern Saskatchewan communities, and that is absolutely considered a luxury product for a family," she said, noting access and equity remain as hurdles.

After consultation with two-spirit elders, White said the organization has started the process of changing its name to Moontime Connections.

"To honour two-spirit and trans menstruators in Canada and recognizing that we can still honour the sisterhood and the kinship when it comes to menstruators across the province. We never ever want to turn someone away with the use of language that's not inclusive."

She is now the project leader of Enough Already, an organization that challenges sexual harassment in the workplace, and said the situation with gender-based and sexual violence is still fairly dire.

Responding to a Blue Sky listener's question about ageism, White said more safe spaces should be created for female seniors.

'Equity more than equality'

Yashica Bither says she faced microaggressions throughout elementary school in Regina, and found feminism in high school.

Bither is now women's centre co-ordinator at University of Saskatchewan Student Union. She spoke about intersectional feminism, which looks at how different elements of a person's identity — their race, gender, orientation and others — inform their experience.

"My definition of intersectional feminism is looking at equity more than equality. Feminism is all about equality. That intersectional lens allows all members of the community to benefit from that and not just a particular group," they said.

"We do need an intersectional lens to feminism. White folk are not the only people who should be at the forefront. Especially as Saskatchewan gets more diverse, we need to acknowledge that these voices need to be amplified."

Bither said the centre offers peer support, menstrual products, pregnancy tests, contraceptive products and a listening ear.

"Allyship is important to the movement, especially to the trans folks," Bither said, noting in many such movements, Black trans voices led the fight.

"They deserve safe spaces as much as we do. Trans people are not confused.… They are who they are and they need to be listened to."

Submitted by Yashica Bither

Tasnim Jaisee agreed, saying trans women are women and that everyone needs "to protect our sisters."

Jaisee is a USask undergraduate student in political studies and women's and gender studies, with a research interest in intersectional feminism and critical disability studies.

She said she grew up facing a combination of "sexism, racism and ableism," as she is a woman of colour who uses a wheelchair.

"Pop feminism is the first step of girls empowering girls, women empowering women. It's a feel-good version of feminism. But moving into intersectional feminism is a bit different, because it is essentially becoming more critical of the system of power."

Jaisee said intersectional feminism unpacks how identity has layers, like how women of colour experience racial and gender-based systemic barriers.

"That intersectional layer is very, very critical to understanding some of those unique experiences."

Submitted by Tasnim Jaisee

Jaisee's mother fled Bangladesh to Canada after the outbreak of the Bangladesh Liberation War.

"Her feminism was different from mine. Her feminism was to seek opportunities of education and that again was quite revolutionary."

Disability activism work within intersectional feminism has helped Jaisee feel more included.

"My racial and disability identities have impacted everything I do. Intersectional feminism makes me realize that the systemic barriers I face are not my fault."

She said women mentors — like her professors, supervisors and bosses — have been pillars of support.

'The only way forward is with compassion and empathy and love in our hearts'

Cecilia Rands said growing up with a single father who identified as a feminist helped her immensely with embarking on her own feminist journey.

Rands said she realizes the privilege she has, being a white cisgender woman.

"Having those privileges never means you can't fight for the rights of others. My father always worked to be an ally and that gave me a good push," she said.

Rands's work focuses on education around gender based violence and allyship, and involves working with men and boys to make them realize their role in helping end oppression and violence.

"The only way forward is with compassion and empathy and love in our hearts," she said.

"We can't expect men and boys to take up that mantle if they don't feel that love and compassion and acceptance just as much as we want women and everyone to feel."

Submitted by Cecilia Rand

Rands, who has also worked at a Planned Parenthood, said demystifying abortion is also very important.

"Abortion is health care. It's that simple. Saskatchewan has a really tragic situation of access to reproductive health care," she said.

She said access to medical abortion is not equitable in the province, especially for communities in the northern communities.

She also spoke about violence against women.

"As many strides as we've made as women and feminists, particularly in Saskatchewan, the rates of intimate partner violence and gender based violence are still incredibly staggering and serious. There's still a lot of work to do," Rands said.

"It's hard for me not to worry about my daughter's future in terms of safety."

Canadian group on front line of efforts to ensure Afghan girls, women get an education

Wed, March 8, 2023 

Afghan students are shown attending class at an all-girls school in October 2021. Since retaking control of Afghanistan that year, the Taliban regime has increasingly blocked access to schooling for girls and women. (Jared Thomas/CBC - image credit)

After taking attendance and greeting each bright voice chiming in from behind the colourful circles on her screen, the teacher launches into her lesson. She lectures as she scrolls through slides, moving through rainbow-hued maps, photos of mountain ranges and geographical facts about Asia.

It seems like a typical virtual lesson — a format now familiar to most Canadians after the prevalence of online learning during the COVID-19 pandemic — but this Grade 7 geography class is actually a clandestine one: The students are all girls in Afghanistan taking remote classes from their homes thanks to the work of a Canadian non-governmental organization.

Since retaking control of the country in 2021, the Taliban have increasingly blocked access to schooling for girls and women.

A growing list of restrictions spans elementary school through post-secondary, with edicts blocking access beyond Grade 6 and a ban on women in workplaces — including principals and teachers — also disrupting education for girls from Grade 1 onward.

Though some Afghan women and girls fled the country, students who remain are top of mind for many people worldwide, including Canadians supporting their efforts to continue learning.

WATCH | Canadians support secret classes as Taliban halt Afghan girls' schooling:

"It's a risky job and we're very careful about this.... [My students] face danger because they are not allowed," said A., the Afghan instructor teaching the virtual geography class from outside the country. CBC News is not disclosing her full name, nor that of her students, to protect their safety.

"I love my people," the teacher said. "That's why I [joined] this program: to teach them. To do something for them."

The value of education isn't lost on her students, who share that they're still dreaming of careers in such fields as medicine, engineering, computer science and aviation.

Ebrahim Noroozi/The Associated Press

"We are studying for the future, and we hope the situation [in Afghanistan] changes and we would be able to work for this country," said M., one of the Grade 7 students. "If the girls are educated, in the future the society will be educated."

Without schooling for girls, "we won't have any power in the future," said B., her classmate. "We would like to take this risk to be educated and to build Afghanistan, because this country needs us."

Parents make 'sacrifices' for girls' education

Having seen the strides young women have made since the Taliban was last in government 20 years earlier, many Afghans are dedicated to ensuring girls continue learning, said Lauryn Oates, executive director of Canadian Women for Women in Afghanistan (CW4WAfghan), an NGO with chapters in various provinces.

"Families recognize that this is the way out of poverty, that you really need education to make something of yourself in the world," Oates said from Vancouver.

"We're always so amazed at hearing these stories of women, mothers, fathers making sacrifices to get girls in school under the circumstances."

Nicholas Allan/CBC

Over the past 20 years, CW4WAfghan tapped into the internet infrastructure that was rapidly established across Afghanistan, using virtual technology to train Afghan teachers and share a trove of educational resources.

More recently, staff were developing a new sister site of online courses — like the ones offered by many international universities and colleges — for older students seeking to boost their higher education qualifications.

After the fall of Kabul, Afghanistan's capital, to the Taliban in August 2021, the group urgently pivoted to a new effort: continuing girls' learning through online classes. Primary and secondary students now log in for live lessons with educators, complete and submit assignments and write exams online to move onto the next grade. The schedule follows that of a regular school year.

"The longer someone stays out of school, the less likely they are to ever go back to school and gain all the benefits that come from completing one's education," Oates said, adding that the goal "is just to keep everyone learning, no matter the circumstances in the country. And we're reaching both Afghans in Afghanistan, but also displaced Afghans."

Ahmad Sahel Arman/AFP/Getty Images

Over time, more online school offerings and alternative learning initiatives — many started by Afghans in the diaspora — are blossoming in what's becoming a somewhat busy space. Amid the ongoing crisis for female students, Oates said, she's hopeful that there will be more positive developments.

"This may spur innovation in access to education for everyone: for girls and women and the whole Afghan population, for people with disabilities and other challenges," Oates said.

Canadian schools encouraged to ease barriers

CW4WAfghan has also been working to quickly match Afghan post-secondary students with Canadian schools — an avenue given greater impetus since the Taliban extended restrictions to that sector in late 2022, beginning with its ban on women studying at the university level in December.

"We weren't asking universities to [start] new programs or start new scholarships, but to look at their existing resources and ask, 'What can we do in response to this crisis?'" Oates said.

"We might not see the change that we want to see in Afghanistan ... in our lifetimes, but the work that we're doing now will make a big difference in the future. It's like planting a seed for a tree to grow."

Carolyn Watters, a professor emeritus and a former provost at Dalhousie University in Halifax, was among the Canadian academics moved to act. Over the past few months, the retired computer science professor, now based in Victoria, has helped develop a toolkit for Canadian institutions to support Afghan women pursuing or continuing post-secondary studies.

Her suggestions range from adapting current programs to thinking differently about existing offerings. A school may already have a policy accepting students transferring under unusual or extreme circumstances, for instance, or scholarships for international students in need.

They may already be streaming online courses to students located abroad. These measures could include Afghan women as well — if the students know about it, Watters said.

Arshad Butt/The Associated Press

Watters also encourages easing barriers for Afghan women now applying to Canadian institutions, whether it be through waived application fees, creating bursaries for living expenses (which further support beyond academic scholarships), improved access to English-language classes if needed and a fresh look at transferring course credits or partial degrees from Afghanistan to the Canadian context.

"If the universities and colleges have capacity and [Afghan] women have needs, how do you make that connection? We need to make these things align a lot better," Watters said.

Spreading the word of these opportunities through partnerships — such as with NGOs like CW4WAfghan — is essential to ensure efficient uptake, she said.

"We need to kind of step up because two years from now, we will have lost a huge generation of people who want to learn."

'Life means nothing without freedom'

Grade 12 student Razia Arifi, a member of the Hazara ethnic and religious minority in Afghanistan, fled the country with her cousins in 2021. Adjusting to a new language and life in Toronto was difficult after the trauma of leaving behind her parents and a sibling, she said.

Still, Arifi said she knows her parents had her future and well-being in mind. The active teen has always been happiest going to the gym ("which was forbidden and taboo for girls" in Afghanistan, she said), talking about sports or cycling outside.

Paul Smith/CBC

"They prefer that if I go somewhere ... it's better to be somewhere else [where] I can be happy and still I can continue my education," the 18-year-old said, adding that physics and astronomy are her favourite subjects at school.

"Life means nothing without freedom," Arifi said. "When I'm thinking about [Afghan girls back at home], I think that now that I'm here and I have a big chance, I should try to work hard. I should try to do something, so that one day if I go back, I might be able to help some of them."

P.E.I. horse owners worried about lack of veterinarians

Wed, March 8, 2023

Christine Lecky says she's worried about what would happen if her horse Darling Jane needs medical care. (Tony Davis/CBC - image credit)

Christina Lecky is worried about something happening to her horses. The owner and operator of Bracken Hill Stable in Baltic says she doesn't have a veterinarian if her horses need one.

"If there's an accident or there's a reason to need a vet for emergency purposes, there's no one I can call," Lecky said. "So it's pretty precarious right now."

Lecky's stable houses seven horses right now, and while she started breeding in 2019, she won't have any foals this year.

"Last year I had a foal that needed to have a plasma transfusion and I had a mare that needed emergency care and both wouldn't be here if I didn't have emergency services," she said. "So I'm in that position where I'm nervous about expanding my business."

Tony Davis/CBC

'Very few horse vets on P.E.I.'

Lecky has joined a group called Concerned Equine Owners of P.E.I.

It was started by Julia Smith of Briarrose Stables in Indian River when Kensington Veterinary Clinic stopped treating horses.

"There's very few horse vets on P.E.I.," said Smith.

"We can't get any medications. If our animals get injured or hurt, we can't have them humanely euthanized.... It's terrifying. Absolutely terrifying."

Smith said the group has more than 125 members and that at least 800 Island horses are affected by the lack of veterinarians.

Tony Davis/CBC

The Atlantic Veterinary College in Charlottetown provides referral and emergency care in hospital for horses.

It also has an ambulatory service that does farm calls, though the college said in an email that it's currently at capacity "due to a veterinary shortage within the service," and that it's unable to take on more clientele at the time.

P.E.I's Emergency Animal Response Team has approached the AVC and offered to transport horses from farms to the college, a representative of the group said through email.

However, it's hard for people to bring their sick or injured horses to the college to be treated, Smith said.

"Maybe they broke a leg, or they're in the middle of having a foal and there's complications, or they're having a really bad colic episode and they're thrashing around," Smith said.

"Not only is it a danger to the horse, the trailer, the truck driver, the general public, because they're going to be bouncing that trailer all over the road. It's just not safe."

'Knowledge is our best bet now'

Alison Lecky, also at Bracken Hill Stable, said she's considering taking an equine first aid course so she can help her horse in an emergency.

"I imagine that's gonna be something that I will take in the near future. There's a few different people offering it on P.E.I., that would be where I would start," she said. "Knowledge is our best bet now."

Tony Davis/CBC

Christine Lecky says she's spoken with other veterinary clinics about caring for her horses, but they don't have any availability.

"It's the whole industry; they're spread thin," she said.

She and Smith both said they hope more veterinarians want to treat horses on P.E.I. in the future, and they're surprised at the difficulty finding care considering the harness racing industry's prevalence and the local veterinary college.

"We need to be promoting the equine industry and getting more vets out here in P.E.I." said Smith.

Maine has a surplus of human waste. It's being shipped to New Brunswick


Wed, March 8, 2023 

Casella Waste Systems was shipping sludge to Québec for agricultural use but after Radio-Canada reported on those shipments last December that province imposed a moratorium. (Francois Genest/Radio Canada - image credit)

A Maine company with a surplus of human waste is increasing its shipments to New Brunswick.

Casella Waste Systems confirmed that it's shipping more sludge from its large landfill north of Bangor across the border and into this province.

"We have recently entered into a new contract with a disposal outlet in New Brunswick," Jeff Weld, the director of communications for Casella, told Radio-Canada in an email.

The New Brunswick government appeared unaware of the increased shipments when contacted for comment.

Environment Department spokesperson Anne Mooers said Fredericton-based Envirem Organics is the only company in the province licensed to import biosolids and has been doing so "for a number of years."

She said the company imported 13,400 tonnes from Maine and Nova Scotia in 2022. "This isn't new," Mooers said in an initial response.

Francois Genest/Radio-Canada

But Casella is moving far more than that amount, according to a company letter.

It's shipping 3,600 tonnes of Maine sludge — about 130 truckloads, according to one Maine media report — to New Brunswick each month.

In a second response, Mooers said Envirem has a "cap" of 100,000 tonnes annually so it "can handle" the additional shipments from Maine.

"The government of New Brunswick takes its role to protect the environment extremely seriously," she said.

"We have had strict regulatory requirements for importing biosolids for many years. New Brunswick legislation requires all importation of waste products to be approved by the province."

'Short term' increase, company says

Envirem CEO Bob Kiely said in a text message that the company has had contracts with Casella for years and "the increase in volume … is expected to be short term."

He said the company has developed more stringent standards for what it accepts "than any other regulatory jurisdiction."

Casella is facing a serious capacity crunch as a result of two new state laws.

A law which took effect Feb. 8 bans the use of the sludge for agricultural production in Maine.

It's a response to concerns the sludge contains so-called "forever chemicals" known as PFAS that are considered a risk to human health.

Francois Genest/Radio-Canada

Another problem is a recent state ban on importing large bulky waste that Casella could mix with the sludge to bury it.

The two bans leave Casella with too much sludge to handle at its landfill site in Old Town, north of Bangor. The site receives sludge from about three dozen local sewer plants.

Casella was shipping sludge to Québec for agricultural use but after Radio-Canada reported on those shipments last December that province imposed a moratorium, based on the same concerns about PFAS.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency says exposure to certain levels of PFAS, or perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances, have been linked by peer-reviewed studies to some cancers, decreased fertility, low birth weights and other effects.

PFAS are chemicals used to make coatings that resist heat, oil and water and can be found in adhesives, packaging and non-stick cooking surfaces among other places. They do not break down and can accumulate.

Weld said in his email that the Québec moratorium "does not have anything to do with" the shipments to New Brunswick.

"All operations are in full compliance with regulations," he said.

Kiely said he expects Casella to find other sources of large bulky waste to mix with the sludge, which will allow it to be buried and reduce the surplus at the landfill, returning export levels to normal.

Concern from N.B. agricultural group

Joel Lamarche, president of the Agricultural Alliance of New Brunswick, said he was concerned about the shipments and would discuss them with the organization's board.

In the meantime, he is warning farmers in the province to not accept any biosolid-based fertilizers that might be from Maine.

"What I would tell them is to refuse it. It's better to refuse it and have no problems than accept it and risk having a major problem," he said.

"If you don't know what's in it, don't use it."

Kiely said Envirem makes compost and its product isn't used on agricultural land. He said he's not aware of any sludge applied to farm crops in the province by Envirem or anyone else.

CBC News file photo

He also said the company is "very selective" about what it receives and recently added even more stringent standards to address "new and emergent concerns."

That includes allowing only "very low" levels of PFAS, he said.

Green Party MLA Megan Mitton says the province needs to act on the Maine shipments.

"They're sending them to New Brunswick because they don't want to deal with the consequences of those products," she said. "I don't want New Brunswick to have to deal with those consequences either."

Sabaa Khan, the David Suzuki Foundation's director-general for Québec and Atlantic Canada, says New Brunswick needs stricter rules on PFAS.

"Under New Brunswick's guidelines, PFAS levels in biosolids are not integrated into the quality criteria. Québec is now looking at that situation and New Brunswick has to take the same action."

Francois Genest/Radio-Canada

New Brunswick's environmental guidelines for the use of industrial byproducts in agricultural soil bans the use of "materials derived from municipal biosolids, which have high levels of pathogens," but does not mention PFAS.

Mooer's response from the environment department Tuesday did not address PFAS either.

In a Feb. 24 letter to a municipal sanitary authority in Maine, obtained by Radio-Canada and CBC News, Casella said the new state legislation had "greatly diminished" the volume of biosolids that its landfill could handle.

That would require 4,000 U.S. tons —the equivalent of 3,600 metric tonnes — to be sent "out of Maine," leading to higher fees to municipal sewage operations, the letter said.

Khan says in Canada, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency regulates the use of biosolids on agricultural land growing food for human consumption, but its criteria do not cover PFAS.

Provinces have the jurisdiction to regulate biosolids through environmental guidelines, she adds.

"It's incumbent on every province to ensure its biosolid regulations are up to date."

Chinese Canadians walk tightrope in political arena amid foreign interference debate

Wed, March 8, 2023 


Mark Lee, a professional translator and former council candidate in Richmond, B.C., says he knows what it's like to walk the fine line faced by fellow Chinese Canadians entering the political arena amid scrutiny of alleged foreign interference.

He says he's not ignorant of the risks and considers potential political interference a serious issue that needs to be addressed.

"I've seen things that I think are maybe suspicious, or I feel like I don't agree with coming out of, for example, the (Chinese) consulate," said Lee, who ran unsuccessfully last year as part of the slate for the Richmond Citizens Association.

But he also worries about Chinese Canadians being tarred by association, and the potential for misunderstanding of "cultural dynamics" during a debate about political interference that has been going on for years within Chinese communities but has recently triggered broader scrutiny and calls for a public investigation.

“There were some people in Richmond who were basically treating it like, if you have any connection with certain groups, then you must be a Chinese government spy or infiltrated or something like that,” said Lee, who lives in the most ethnically Chinese city in Canada.

Lee's concerns are echoed by Chinese Canadian figures across the political spectrum who simultaneously worry, with varying emphasis, about interference by Chinese authorities, a lack of nuance, racism and the use of the debate to push wedges into ethnic Chinese communities.

The Globe and Mail newspaper reported last month that China had worked to help ensure a Liberal minority victory in the 2021 federal election, as well as defeat Conservative politicians considered unfriendly to Beijing, including Kenny Chiu, who lost his seat in Steveston-Richmond East.

Chiu says he's gravely concerned that possible foreign interference may have played a role in his election loss, but also worries about oversimplification, and a monolithic view that Canadians with Chinese links are more likely to be influenced.

Doing so, he said, would play into the hands of foreign governments looking to shape the outcomes of Canadian elections while also putting Canada's multicultural society at risk.

The key, Chiu said, is to fight racism regardless of the victims' ethnicity or cultural background, reducing the chance of it being used to turn Canadians against each another.

"They know that this is a wedge that they can drive into Canadian society," Chiu said of potential Chinese meddling and accusations of racism.

He added that there was a lack of nuance in the debate and was "alarmed" by some of the comments he heard from people generalizing about ethnic origins that, for example, if you were from Taiwan, you must be pro-democracy and for freedom and justice, which isn't necessarily true.

Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre and NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh have called for a full public inquiry into foreign meddling in Canadian elections, something that Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has resisted.

Poilievre said on March 1 that Chinese Canadian community members are "wonderful" and victims of foreign interference, and any inquiry should include ways to protect people from Beijing.

"Chinese Canadians are patriotic. They are faithful to our country. They deserve our protection," said Poilievre, calling it "absolutely unacceptable" that they should be harassed or intimidated by foreign powers.

Kenneth Tung, a former chair of Vancouver-based immigrant services group SUCCESS, hosts a news talk show on Chinese language radio AM1470.

Tung said that attributing any scrutiny of Chinese Canadian politicians to racism would be a mistake.

Canadians with ethnic, cultural, linguistic or other links to China shouldn't run into problems if their actions reflect Canadian values as a priority, he said.

"I think it's important to make it clear: As a Canadian Hong Konger or Canadian Chinese, we don't need to defend an issue, especially issues that will confuse (observers) if we are defending the Beijing regime," Tung said.

He added "if it's an issue related to the Beijing regime, if it's not our Canadian value, we should condemn it."

In 2016, then Vancouver city councillor Kerry Jang faced criticism when he and dignitaries including then Chinese consul-general Liu Fei wore red neckerchiefs as the Chinese flag was raised at City Hall to mark Chinese National Day.

Critics said the knotted scarves were a Communist symbol, while event organizer Ma Zaixin said a provider had "misunderstood" what type of scarves were required, according to documents released under a freedom of information request.

Jang, a third-generation Chinese Canadian, said he “vividly remembered getting hate mails, death threats. I never was once influenced or told to do something," he said.

As a former politician, Jang said he had met diplomats from many countries, including China. That didn't automatically make him a spy from China, he said.

He said insinuation is no substitute for evidence. “If there is proof that you should charge somebody, you should put them in jail for interfering in our elections," Jang said. "Or if it was a diplomat from whatever country, send them home. Have them expelled."

Lee says the debate isn't deterring him from the political scene, and he plans to run again at the next municipal election.

He sees Chinese Canadians' participation in politics important in the context of the foreign interference debate, because their interactions with Chinese authorities have given them "a pretty realistic understanding of the way they operate."

Lee sees a role for Chinese Canadians that transcends them being seen as victims or perpetrators of foreign interference. Instead, he wants them to play a bigger role interpreting the hazards.

Chinese Canadians like him, he says, "maybe have a little bit more cultural knowledge or a little bit more understanding of the way (this) type of interference can look."

This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 8, 2023.

This story was produced with the financial assistance of the Meta and Canadian Press News Fellowship.

Chuck Chiang and Nono Shen, The Canadian Press

'If we lose this fight, we lose everything': Naskapi, Innu nations oppose Quebec mining project


Wed, March 8, 2023 

Napess Vollant, who lives in the Naskapi Nation of Kawawachikamach, says he is ready to do whatever it takes to stop Century Global's mining project. (Delphine Jung/Radio-Canada - image credit)

A mining company wants to set up a large operation in Labrador, producing 2.5 million tonnes of iron annually and building a transportation corridor to help get the material from northern Quebec to Sept-Îles.

Century Global says its venture, which has been in the works for several years, would bring in tens of millions of dollars and create hundreds of jobs.

Napess Vollant wants no part of it.

Vollant, who is a member of the Naskapi Nation of Kawawachikamach — located about 1,100 kilometres from Montreal —says the project would ruin Lake Joyce and its surrounding area.

It's a traditional hunting and fishing ground. Vollant says he won't let anything happen to it.

"I am ready to get arrested for it and a lot of my friends are as well," said Vollant.

He's printed T-shirts and created a social media group to spread the word about the project and make sure it never gets approved.

"If we lose this fight, we lost everything," said Vollant.

"This area is what's left for us to find peace. It's our garden… I often think about our elders who lived there."

Delphine Jung/Radio-Canada

'They're wasting their time'

Shane Vollant, who is both Innu and Naskapi, is one of many people who own a small cabin near Lake Joyce.

"I spent most of my youth in that cabin. We've been hunting Canada geese every spring there for generations," he said. "The mine would be right in front of our cabin."

A potentially obstructed view of the lake isn't his biggest concern, however.

He's also worried a new mine could affect the water quality in the region.

"I don't want a mine even if we're promised work. We are the only Naskapis in the world and we only have one territory, we can't let it go," he said.

Theresa Chemaganish, the grand chief of the Naskapi Nation of Kawawachikamach, says she shares some of the concerns from her community.

"Since the beginning, we have said that the population's opinion was important. And it's because of this opposition that the council wants to be very transparent," she said.

Facebook/Shane Vollant

Réal Mckenzie, the chief of Matimekush-Lac John, which is about 10 kilometres away from Kawawachikamach, says Century Global might as well drop the project.

He won't budge on the issue.

"There's not going to be a mine there, is that clear? That lake is sacred!" he told Radio-Canada.

"They should stop giving permits to mining companies, it's pointless… They're wasting their time because for us, it will be a no."

The council for the Naskapi Nation appears to be keeping more of an open mind. It says it wants to study the project's potential effects on its territory and traditions.

By law, the communities must hold public consultations.

"We respect the position of the Innu and they respect ours. We just have a different approach. We will follow the process," Chemaganish said.

After meeting with Century Global last november, the Naskapi Nation met with about 60 of its residents.

Century Global told Radio-Canada it wants to continue consulting with different Indigenous communities to "identify their concerns and come up with mitigation measures."

Ivanoh Demers/Radio-Canada

Environmental impact

According to Century Global, the project — if approved — would last about 10 years, including two years of construction and seven years of production.

On the federal government's website, the only external opinion about the project comes from a group of students from the University of Waterloo.

The students wrote that the project should be categorically refused because of "its biophysical consequences and socio-economic impacts."

Century Global has questioned the students' methodology.

Delphine Jung/Radio-Canada

Émile Cloutier-Brassard, a mining analyst with the Montreal-based non-profit organization Eau Secours, agrees. He says the study had some shortcomings in terms of accuracy and scientific method.

But he does support the students' position that the mining operation would drain the lake, which would affect the environment.

Century Global says draining the lake "is necessary to ensure the safety of workers in the open pit mine."

The mining company promises to refill the lake during the last two years of production.

Allan Gan, who is managing the project for Century Global, says this process will make Lake Joyce deeper, larger and a healthier living environment for fish.

"I have my doubts about the fact that a mining company can bring improvements to a territory or its environment," Cloutier-Brassard said. "That seems counterintuitive to me."

Debate about this project is unlikely to end anytime soon.

Last July, the Impact Assessment Agency of Canada gave Century Global a three-year extension to provide the studies needed for the project to be formally reviewed and, possibly, approved.