It’s possible that I shall make an ass of myself. But in that case one can always get out of it with a little dialectic. I have, of course, so worded my proposition as to be right either way (K.Marx, Letter to F.Engels on the Indian Mutiny)
Sunday, June 04, 2023
How copper prices are getting affected by complex interplay of supply and demand
Weaker-than-expected demand for copper form China dampened the sentiment for the base metals. Copper, the widely used industrial metal is trading down by more than 8 percent so far this month in key London Metal Exchange and domestic futures platforms. A similar trend was witnessed in the China Shanghai futures as well.
Copper prices were on a bullish trajectory in the first quarter of the year on hopes that China’s property market would recover following the pandemic-induced slowdowns. However, a string of recent disappointing economic releases from the country pointed to a weak demand outlook that has battered the price of the metal in the past few weeks.
Though the latest industrial output data from China showed a growth of 5.6 percent in April when compared to a year earlier, it still missed expectations by a large margin. Additionally, retail sales numbers also came in lower than expected at 18.4 percent against a forecast of a 21 percent increase.
As consumer prices barely grew in April, a cooling of demand is clearly visible in the country. The inflation rate of 0.1 percent year-on-year growth in April was also the slowest since 2021. In addition, due to a global downturn, imports and exports have slowed down in the same period.
China’s exports increased by 14.8% yearly in March but dropped to 8.5 % in April. In the meantime, imports fell by 1.4% in March, and the decline in imports grew to 7.6% in April.
Copper is the third most widely used industrial metal worldwide and China is the largest consumer of the metal accounting for more than 50% of the global consumption. It is an essential commodity in industries like electronics, appliances, electrical grids, vehicles, and renewable energy technologies. Hence, the demand for this metal is traditionally considered a leading indicator of global economic health.
The aggressive policy measures of the US Federal Reserve have also dampened business moods across the world. A contraction in business activities lowered the prospects of the metal.
Resilience in the US dollar pounded the price of commodities. The greenback strengthened in the recent sessions, as markets bet that the US interest rates are likely to remain higher for a long period. The US dollar index has corrected by more than 12 percent since September last year when it hit a twenty-year high.
The US greenback is the benchmark pricing mechanism for all international commodities. Hence, when the dollar appreciates, the price of commodities measured in other currencies rises. This causes an increase in raw materials that eventually leads to a decline in demand.
At the same time, the global copper supply has seen moderate growth in recent years, driven by increased mining activities and the exploration of new projects. However, the overall growth rate has been hindered by declining ore grades, environmental challenges, and limited investment in new mining projects.
Looking ahead, the global copper market continues to be influenced by a complex interplay of factors affecting both supply and demand. While supply faces challenges related to mining production and environmental constraints, demand is projected to grow steadily which is largely driven by economic growth, technological advancements, and sustainability initiatives. Technological innovation and the transition to a low-carbon economy are likely to fuel long-term demand.
Global investment in clean energy is on course to rise to $1.7 trillion in 2023
For every dollar invested in fossil fuels, 1.7 dollars are now going into clean energy
Published: May 27, 2023
Clean energy investments have been boosted by a variety of factors in recent years, including periods of strong economic growth and volatile fossil fuel prices that raised concerns about energy security.
Image Credit: Shutterstock
Paris: Global investment in clean energy is on course to rise to $1.7 trillion in 2023, with solar set to eclipse oil production for the first time.
Investment in clean energy technologies is significantly outpacing spending on fossil fuels as affordability and security concerns triggered by the global energy crisis strengthen the momentum behind more sustainable options, according to a new IEA report.
About $2.8 trillion is set to be invested globally in energy in 2023, of which more than $1.7 trillion is expected to go to clean technologies - including renewables, electric vehicles, nuclear power, grids, storage, low-emissions fuels, efficiency improvements and heat pumps - according to the IEA’s latest World Energy Investment report. The remainder, slightly more than $1 trillion, is going to coal, gas and oil.
Annual clean energy investment is expected to rise by 24 per cent between 2021 and 2023, driven by renewables and electric vehicles, compared with a 15 per cent rise in fossil fuel investment over the same period. But more than 90 per cent of this increase comes from advanced economies and China, presenting a serious risk of new dividing lines in global energy if clean energy transitions don’t pick up elsewhere.
“Clean energy is moving fast - faster than many people realise. This is clear in the investment trends, where clean technologies are pulling away from fossil fuels,” said IEA Executive Director Fatih Birol. “For every dollar invested in fossil fuels, about 1.7 dollars are now going into clean energy. Five years ago, this ratio was one-to-one. One shining example is investment in solar, which is set to overtake the amount of investment going into oil production for the first time.”
Clean energy investments have been boosted by a variety of factors in recent years, including periods of strong economic growth and volatile fossil fuel prices that raised concerns about energy security.
Led by solar, low-emissions electricity technologies are expected to account for almost 90 per cent of investment in power generation. Consumers are also investing in more electrified end-uses. Global heat pump sales have seen double-digit annual growth since 2021. Electric vehicle sales are expected to leap by a third this year after already surging in 2022.
Clean energy investments have been boosted by a variety of factors in recent years, including periods of strong economic growth and volatile fossil fuel prices that raised concerns about energy security, especially following the crisis in Ukraine. Enhanced policy support through major actions like the US Inflation Reduction Act and initiatives in Europe, Japan, China and elsewhere have also played a role.
Fossil fuel investment set to rise
Spending on upstream oil and gas is expected to rise by 7 per cent in 2023, taking it back to 2019 levels. The few oil companies that are investing more than before the pandemic are mostly large national oil companies in the Middle East. Many fossil fuel producers made record profits last year because of higher fuel prices, but the majority of this cash flow has gone to dividends, share buybacks and debt repayment - rather than back into traditional supply.
Nonetheless, the expected rebound in fossil fuel investment means it is set to rise in 2023 to more than double the levels needed in 2030 in the IEA’s Net Zero Emissions by 2050 Scenario. Global coal demand reached an all-time high in 2022, and coal investment this year is on course to reach nearly six times the levels envisaged in 2030 in the Net Zero Scenario.
The oil and gas industry’s capital spending on low-emissions alternatives such as clean electricity, clean fuels and carbon capture technologies was less than 5 per cent of its upstream spending in 2022. That level was little changed from last year - though the share is higher for some of the larger European companies.
The biggest shortfalls in clean energy investment are in emerging and developing economies. There are some bright spots, such as dynamic investments in solar in India and in renewables in Brazil and parts of the Middle East.
However, investment in many countries is being held back by factors including higher interest rates, unclear policy frameworks and market designs, weak grid infrastructure, financially strained utilities, and a high cost of capital. Much more needs to be done by the international community, especially to drive investment in lower-income economies, where the private sector has been reluctant to venture.
HIP CAPITALI$M
Owner of three popular Toronto bars, including Death and Taxes, files for creditor protection
The Vancouver-based company that owns three popular downtown Toronto bars as well as a Muskoka dispensary has filed for creditor protection. Freehouse Collective, formerly known as the Donnelly Group, owns dozens of restaurants and bars in Vancouver and Toronto, as well as a brewery and a chain of cannabis dispensaries.
But after pandemic-related financial struggles, the company initiated Companies’ Creditors Arrangement Act proceedings in BC on Tuesday. It owes a combined total of more than $20 million on its lines of credit, to its landlords, and on unpaid taxes.
The three Toronto bars named in court documents are:Death and Taxes Belfast Love Walrus Pub and Beer Hall
Harrison Stoker, chief growth officer with Freehouse Collective, told Daily Hive the company initiated CCAA proceedings in an effort to restructure and retain its 800+ staff as well as its myriad businesses. It hopes to find a more lenient repayment plan with its primary lender, Bank of Montreal.
“This is very much aimed at being a constructive versus destructive journey,” Stoker said. “This will be a survivor’s story.”
While Freehouse is keen on keeping its hospitality businesses open, it’s already begun selling off its cannabis dispensaries — operated by Lightbox Enterprises under the brand name Dutch Love.
The Dutch Love location in Parry Sound, Ontario, was recently sold to SNDL Inc. along with three other locations in Vancouver. SNDL is a Calgary-based firm that owns several cannabis dispensary locations and liquor stores.
Stoker told Daily Hive that SNDL will need to rebrand the four Dutch Love locations it purchased, as another buyer is in the process of acquiring the IP for the brand as well as several other locations.
May 25, 2023
The Donnelly GroupA company behind some popular restaurants and pubs in Vancouver has filed for creditor protection. Sarah Chew speaks to industry insiders about the struggles many B.C. restaurants are facing.
Lunar Orbital Congestion II: Economic and Strategic Drivers
Image take by ipsace's Hakuto-R lander about 100km above the Moon's surface.
SPACE
In my previous article, Lunar Orbital Congestion Is Gonna Be A Thing, I brought up the possibility of orbital congestion and debris becoming an issue at the Moon sooner than most people would think. That article focused on the problem of satellites in low lunar orbit (LLO). This area between 30 and 1,000 km is very attractive to remote imaging and communications constellations because proximity to surface increases their performance. Satellites in those low orbits pass quickly over the lunar surface and continuous coverage will require a lot of them, which is how Earth orbit observation (Planet) and communications constellations (Starlink) have evolved.
Artist rendering of a base on the Moon, including launch sites, an observatory and satellite dish, ... [+]
FUTURE PUBLISHING VIA GETTY IMAGES
Today, satellites are expensive and getting them to Moon takes a lot of energy, so most proposed plans for lunar surveying and comms are less ambitious than the Earth orbital constellations. They depend on just a few satellites into higher, elliptical orbits, from which they can cover a lot of surface area, but are subject to longer observational distances and communications latency. In the last article, I predicted that we would see 1,000 satellites in lunar orbits by 2030. This aggressive forecast assumes a significant cost drop in both launch and satellite costs, which I believe are inevitable. If I am correct, the congested space around the Moon may result in international contention and/or a troublesome debris problem, similar to the one plauging Low Earth Orbit (LEO).
An Embarrassment of Rocket Riches
A ULA Atlas V rocket liftoff from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station.
GREG AUTRY
This is the golden age of space launch. We have workhorse launch systems developed by governmental agencies and state-founded enterprises including the Russian Soyuz, the European Vega and Ariane rockets, China’s Long March series, and Japan’s H-IIA. A growing livery of highly competitive commercial rockets is rapidly rendering these governmental systems economically obsolete. These include: the Atlas V from United Launch Alliance (ULA), the Falcon 9 from SpaceX, the Antares from Orbital ATK / Northrup Grumman, and the Electron from Rocket Lab. Several promising launch solutions are in the proving stage including the Alpha from Firefly, the Astra Launch System 2 Rocket, the Terran from Relativity Space, and LauncherOne from Virgin Orbit (moment of silence). This is an embarrassment of riches for satellite companies. Competitive pressures are growing, manufacturing processes are improving, and economies of scale are being captured. Consequently the launch price for payloads to Low Earth Orbit (LEO) has dropped from many tens of thousands of dollars per kilogram to under $5,000. The price of delivery to the Moon is also dropping and will continue to do so.
The author poses next to two of SpaceX's Starship prototypes at Starbase, near Brownsville, Texas. ... [+]
GREG AUTRY
Several new rockets are about to hit the market including ULA’s Vulcan-Centaur, Blue Origin’s New Glenn, SpaceX’s Starship / Super Heavy, and Rocket Lab’s Neutron. These next generation vehicles promise more power, greater efficiency and significantly reduced launch costs. Meanwhile, the satellite industry is recognizing economies of scale and standardization in manufacturing. The bottom line is that a lot of smallsat could be delivered to the Moon for a remarkably small amount of money in the next few years. The only remaining question is would any want to send all those satellites to LLO?As I noted in the previous article, useable LLO orbits are highly constrained by the Moon’s smaller orbital volume and the gravitational anomalies induced by mass concentrations (mascons). Orbital real estate is extremely limited and – in the absence of any coordination or law preventing occupation of those desirable orbits – the rules of First Mover Advantage must apply. If someone wants to own the lunar surface observation and low-latency communications business for the next century, getting their satellites into the prime real estate of low, stable orbits evenbefore market demand materializes is a smart business strategy. If it can be done for relatively cheap, I cannot imagine why some smart entrepreneur would not pack a Starship or two full of inexpensive satellites and jumpstart the lunar economy. In fact, I would bet on that. Presuming it is done well, I would applaud it, because the upsides of lunar development promise a great deal for all of humanity and our blue planet.
The Moon’s Prime Real Estate
The previous article noted that orbital congestion around the Earth is not limited to LEO. We also find many satellites in Geostationary Orbit (GEO), an arc 35,786 km above the Earth. At this distance, satellites move at the same angular speed as the Earth’s rotation and if they are over the equator, they will appear to “hover” there. If you’ve ever pointed your satellite TV antenna at a spot on the southern horizon (north if you’re down under) you’re aiming at one of those. There is no “Lunarstationary Orbit,” because such a point would so far above the Moon that it would disrupted by the stronger gravitational pull of the Earth, but there is something similar.
Earth-Moon Lagrange Points and gravitational contours.
NASA
The lunar equivalent of GEO are two points in space known as the Earth-Moon Lagrange Points 1 and 2 (L1 and L2). These gravitationally stable points in space are about 60,000 km above the Moon. L1 is located between the Earth and Moon; imagine the spot where the relative pull of the bigger Earth and smaller Moon balance. L2 is 180° away, on the far side of the Moon, at the same distance. All two-body celestial systems have these Lagrange Points, where a third body can settle in at. Even more interestingly, it is possible to place something into orbit around the empty space of L1 or L2. This is known as a “halo orbit.” The James Webb Space Telescope is in a halo orbit around the L2 point in the Sun-Earth system, million miles from Earth, opposite the sun. Several space weather satellites are located at Sun-Earth L1 and several more are planned. Among them is the Deep Space Climate Observatory (DSCOVR) which provides us with early warning of potentially dangerous solar storms and glorious pictures of the Earth-Moon system.
Earth-Moon L2 is a great place to put a satellite for communicating with landers or rovers on the Moon’s far side, and China located their Queqiao relay satellite there to support their Chang’e 4 lander and Yutu-2 rover mission. The Lunar Gateway, a NASA lead multi-national space habitat, will be placed in a special halo orbit around L2, called a Near-Rectilinear Halo Orbit (NRHO). This weeklong orbit has one end which allows the Orion deep space capsule to dock and another in a good location for dropping a lander on the surface of the Moon. That’s important because Orion’s service module doesn’t have the power required to bring Orion into LLO to drop a lander and get back out of that orbit to return to Earth. The decision to use left-over Shuttle Orbital Maneuvering Engines (6,000 lbs. of thrust) to power the large Orion capsule left it much less lunar capable than the Apollo Command Module. An Apollo capsule weighed about half as much as an Orion and had a similar but much more powerful Service Module Propulsion System (21,900 lbs. of thrust). This shortfall created the opportunity for Gateway, a solution conceived while I was at NASA headquarters. While its original purpose was to fill this gap, I have argued that the Gateway is exactly the sort of flexible infrastructure NASA can use in a variety of future missions. Planting a big stake in the valuable L2 neighborhood is not a bad idea either.
Going Down?
Diagram of a lunar space elevator
STAR TECHNOLOGY AND RESEARCH, INC./JEROME PEARSON & BRYAN DERKSEN VIA WIKIMEDIA
One way to avoid the need for powerful rockets to get into and out of LLO would be a Lunar Space Elevator. Such an elevator would ride on a cable tethered from L1 or L2 that extended down to a surface location on the Moon’s equator. People and material could be transported from the lunar surface to a high orbit and back, with very little energy, on lunar funicular cars. The system requires a counter-balancing cable extending in the other direction. Zephyr Penoyre and Emily Sandford, scientists from Cambridge and Columbia, published a paper suggesting the cable could potentially reach as close to the Earth as the GEO arc. Earth based space elevators have been an idea for a long while, but while it is theoretically possible to run a cable from GEO to a spot outside of Quito Ecuador (or some other equatorial location) it is practically impossible. No material that can currently be manufactured in quantity could withstand the stresses associated with the weight of a space elevator cable under Earth’s gravity. Several engineers – including NASA leaders whom I’ve explored this topic with – agree that cables made of traditional materials like steel would suffice in lunar gravity. This makes L1 a very valuable piece of orbital real estate. The anchor point on the Moon’s equator underneath L1 would also be coveted. L2 has also been proposed as a location for assembling and launching ships constructed from lunar material deeper into the solar system. A space elevator at that point would facilitate such an orbital shipyard and spaceport. L1 and L2 may very well turnout to be the Suez and Gibraltar of cis-Lunar space and hot spots of international contention.
As you can see from the illustration, there are also three other Lagrange Points. L3 is on the other side of the Earth, directly opposite the Moon. There really aren’t many apparent reasons to use L3. L4 and L5 hang off to the sides and optical communications satellites might be located at either of these points to relay transmissions from a satellite at L2. Orbits around L5 were proposed as stable locations to locate large human space habitats by space settlement pioneer Gerard K. O’Neill in his seminal book, The High Frontier. In fact, I joined the L5 Society as a student in high school and my first space policy work was fighting the Moon Treaty with fellow L5 members. Back in 1980, we convinced the US Senate not to ratify that misguided UN agreement, which would have turned the Moon (and possibly all of space) into a boundless scientific preserve, making commercial development of space about as difficult as it is in Antarctica. This would have denied all humankind the economic benefits of space and denied our planet the ultimate release valve for its environmental pressures. I’m now proud to serve as Vice President of Space Development for the L5 Society’s successor, the National Space Society. If you share our vision of a brighter future with humans living and working in space, please join.
Famed Canadian producer and actor Jennifer Podemski has taken on the role of showrunner for the new Crave and APTN lumi drama series Little Bird, authentically and honestly telling the story of a Sixties Scoop survivor uncovering her family history, starring Darla Contois.
Little Bird is a story told in multiple time periods. It begins in the '60s, when we see the Canadian government's abhorrent practice of taking Indigenous children away from their parents, where some ended up in foster homes and others got adopted.
It's estimated that between 20,000 to 40,000 children were part of the Sixties Scoop removal of Indigenous kids from their families.
Little Bird jumps 18 years into the future, in 1985, and brings us to Montreal, specifically to an engagement party for Esther Rosenblum (Contois), who was adopted by her Jewish family when she was five, and her fiancé David (Rowen Kahn).
It's after this party that Esther, born Bezhig Little Bird, starts off on her path to find out about her life before her adoption, in Long Pine Reserve in Saskatchewan, including her quest to find the siblings she was separated from.
Darla Contois and Lisa Edelstein in the Canadian Crave and APTN series Little Bird 'It's about time that we understand the gravity of these experiences'
The initial idea for the project was brought to Podemski from Rezolution Pictures in 2015, the general concept of an Indigenous adoptee who was raised by a Jewish family. Podemski herself is Jewish on her father's side, and Anishinaabe, Leni Lenape and Métis on her mother's side, so it connected to her personal life.
“From that sort of conceptual pitch, I was just hooked right away and really wanted to dive into not just that identity intersection, but also as an important story, like the Sixties Scoop, which I had also been working on in various ways for many years,” Podemski told Yahoo Canada. “I knew very consciously that nobody knew about it.”
Contois is absolutely exquisite in portraying Esther, with the actor revealing that she was "immediately very excited" to take on a project about the Sixties Scoop, attached to Crave and APTN.
“I think one of the things that was mainly attractive was that it's about time that we tell the story and it's about time that we understand the gravity of these experiences, and add to the collective Canadian consciousness of what happened,” Contois said.
“I think because in my career I've always focused so much on authenticity and honesty when it comes to the Indigenous experience, the role of Esther was sort of made for me and meant for me. [I] got so lucky because this has been my focus for such a long time. So walking into Esther and playing Esther, I was just so honoured and so grateful to be there.”
Contois, describing the experience on set, said that there were moments where she really relied on co-directors Zoe Hopkins and Elle-Máijá Tailfeathers, with this being the actor's first "major" production.
“There was a lot of trust involved in our working relationship," Contois said. "But also, they allowed me a freedom to sort of just go where I needed to go for Esther and allowed me to really bring her experience to life through what I thought was necessary.”
In balancing the different elements of this story, from the historical components to the psychological element of Esther's journey and social commentary, Podemski explained that it was important to have everything established "through Esther's lens."
“Our dominating rule was if it's in the 1985 storyline, our timeline, every single thing has to be centred through Esther's perspective,” Podemski said.
“That made it ... easy to interconnect that social commentary because it's seen through someone's lens, and the psychological journey that she's on and the PTSD that she's experiencing. Everything was woven in very consciously … to help us incorporate the multiple complex layers of storytelling that had to take place.”
Canadian Crave and APTN series Little Bird
'The space between being alienated and integrated'
Another core element for this series is the concept of "belonging," as Esther explores what "home" means for her.
“One of our guiding principles [was] to utilize this idea of belonging and not belonging, and sort of the space between being alienated and integrated, and that wavering between those places that you may never exist entirely,” Podemski said. “The overall tone was exactly that, was trying to anchor it in this feeling of, what is family and what is belonging and that is more of a universal experience.”
“Something that everybody can relate to is, where do I belong? And seeing it through Esther's perspective, anchored in Indigenous identity and birthplace and homelands, and all of those things. Then her experience being Jewish, her search for home brings her to a place where she realizes that home is maybe not a place necessarily.”
With a project that is this authentic, real and harrowing to depict on screen, it can be hard for people watching to imagine taking on a role like Esther and then leaving that on the set at the end of the day. Contois recognizes that she's acquired the skill of "compartmentalization."
“Then also, because I am a mother to a toddler, there's a different hat that you have to put on when you're a mother and there are certain things that you have to learn how to do, like setting work aside," Contois said. "So that was really important and something that I learned very quickly.”
While the whole story of Little Bird is incredibly compelling, the sounds of the series really help build tension, but also really ground the story in its locations and time periods.
“I knew going into this that I did not want a soundtrack and I wanted to have a very like diegetic audio experience, or acoustic experience, that was very much connected to her psychological journey,” Podemski said. “Very authentic sort of source music from the eras and also, this kind of idea that the land has a voice.”
“For sound, it was really an incredible journey. It was the first time I was able to work with our location sound person and our post-production sound person, who were both brilliant and they kind of worked together to bring the sounds of the environment into the soundtrack, into the acoustic soundtrack that was the land speaking to Esther.”
Podemski also praised the "brilliant artists" behind making the series visually come to life.
“We were really looking for a very poetic expression of two different, very different, versions of Esther, without feeling like we were telling a historical story,” Podemski said.
Actresses from the Crave and APTN Original Drama Series, LITTLE BIRD, Darla Contois, centre, Jennifer Podemski, left, creator of the series, and Lisa Edelstein pose for a photograph in Toronto on Thursday, May 25, 2023. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Nathan Denette
'It's pretty dire in terms of representation'
In terms of where we stand with telling Indigenous stories in entertainment, specifically with Indigenous talent in front of and behind the camera, veteran actor/producer/director Podemski indicated that it seems that things are "a little bit better."
“I think in front of the screen, it seems like things are doing better, a little bit better maybe even behind the scenes sort of above the line with directors, and maybe writers and producers," Podemski said. "Just marginally sort of better than lets say the last 20 years.”
Podemski also has a non-profit organization, The Shine Network, that tackles the underrepresentation of Indigenous women in Canada’s media production industry. The research pulled from that work indicates that there is still significant work to do.
“It's pretty dire in terms of representation and ownership of IP and production companies, and just generally, there's a lot of capacity to be built and a lot of narrative sovereignty to be achieved,” Podemski said. “There's a lot of work to be done, but I'm not going to discredit the work that’s being done and the incredible, beautiful storytellers that have emerged.”
“But there is a lot of work to be done and it's really the platforms that are the most important. So the fact that Crave, along with APTN lumi, took [Little Bird] to this level, and other stories like it, I think is a good sign that people, industry is beginning to step up to the plate and recognize the importance of uplifting these kinds of stories.”
When it comes to what Podemski hopes viewers take from watching the Little Bird series, she hopes that "people see themselves in the story.
“I hope that people experience an entirely new perspective from the story,” Podemski said. “I hope that people are awakened by the story in a way that might impact bigger societal change, as it relates to the current reality for Indigenous people and how we are seen in this country."
"I hope that uplifts Indigenous voices, and makes an impact on the hearts and minds of all the viewers.”
Canada issues grim U.S. travel advice amid mass shootings: 'Risk of being in the wrong place at the wrong time'
The Government of Canada is warning its residents about mass shootings and the high rate of guns in the U.S.
Leticia Gaba ·Writer, Yahoo News Canada May 27, 2023· “It is that this is happening with enough frequency that nobody knows when or where, but there is a risk all the time,” says an attorney on the rise in gun violence in America. (Credit: Getty Images)
Travel advice issued by the Government of Canada is asking Canadians to "familiarize yourself on how to respond to an active shooter situation" when visiting the United States, in light of the mass shooting trend looming over the country.
The Government of Canada’s travel information page reminds travellers to be cautious and take security precautions when visiting down south, while pointing in particular to the common nature of gun violence in America.
“The rate of firearm possession in the United States is high,” notes the official travel advice, last updated on May 19, 2023.
“Incidents of mass shootings occur, resulting most often in casualties. Although tourists are rarely involved, there is a risk of being in the wrong place at the wrong time."
There’s been an upward trend of mass shootings and gun-related deaths in recent years, with more than 200 mass shootings having occurred in the first five months of 2023 alone, according to the Gun Violence Archive, a nonprofit research group that has been tracking gun violence patterns.
For Florida-based attorney Sean Domnick, whose work intersects with the mass shooting trend in America, the problem isn’t a matter of “are we generally safe.”
“It is that this is happening with enough frequency that nobody knows when or where, but there is a risk all the time,” said Domnick to Yahoo News Canada.
“There is no predicting where it is that this is going to occur before it occurs.”
The U.S. is generally consider safe for travel by the Government of Canada. However, it is the sporadic nature and frequency of mass shootings that poses a risk.
The worst of the mass shootings, such as a recent one in a Dallas-area mall, which left nine people dead including the gunman, have been making headlines worldwide, adding to the fear and validity of the advice.
And the stories don’t stop here, as it seems you can track a new story for almost every day of 2023, as mass shootings become common in the U.S.
In a statement to Yahoo News Canada, James Emmanuel Wanki, spokesperson for Global Affairs Canada says “the Government of Canada takes the safety and security of Canadians abroad very seriously.”
“Canada monitors safety and security conditions abroad 24 hours/day, 7 days/week, to provide credible and timely information in our Travel Advice and Advisories.”
Global Affairs Canada did not specify to Yahoo News Canada when exactly its "gun violence" advice was issued. However, it’s not just Canada that has issued an advice. Other countries such as New Zealand and Australia have also advised their citizens to exercise increased caution while visiting, directly pointing to the gun violence issues.
For Domnick, the advisories are not so much a warning — rather, it is a reminder to be cautious and take preventative measures.
“Gun violence is not unique to the U.S.A., but it is prevalent in the U.S.A. The risk is everywhere. You have to be aware of your surroundings.” A deeper look into the gun pattern in America
According to the Gun Violence Archive, in each of the three last complete years in the U.S., there have been more than 600 mass shootings — almost two each day — which is when there are at least four injuries or fatalities. In 2022, there were 20,200 deaths as a result of guns and 38,550 injuries.
A study by The Violence Project, a nonprofit, nonpartisan research centre, shows where public mass shootings have been taking place between 1966 to present. Top of the list is retail locations — which are known to have high and uncontrolled foot traffic — followed by restaurants and bars.
In February 2023, U.S. President Joe Biden spoke out following a mass shooting, representing one of the many occasions he’s done so, as he looks for action at a political level, noting that their current system of for gun background checks isn't enough.
“Gun violence is an epidemic and Congress must act now,” wrote Biden in a statement.
“We need—need—commonsense gun law reforms. That includes requiring background checks on all gun sales, banning assault weapons and high-capacity magazines, fully closing the boyfriend loophole to keep guns out of the hands of domestic abusers, requiring safe storage of guns, and eliminating immunity for gun manufacturers who knowingly put weapons of war on our streets." Familiarize yourself on how to respond to an active shooter situation
They can select victims at random, and events evolve very quickly — so it’s important to know how to react in order to protect yourself and others around you. The protocol is to first run, hide, and fight only as a last resort.
“Follow the path of least resistance,” said Domnick. “The first thing you want to do is get away, and be aware of your surroundings.”
When an active shooter is in your vicinity, you should immediately leave your belongings behind and start to plan an escape route. While evacuating, help others escape — but do not move the wounded.
Call 911 when you are safe, and aim to hide in an area that is out of the shooter’s view, ideally with a blocked entry. It is important to share the following information with 911 operations while on the phone:
Location of the active shooter.
Number of shooters.
Physical description of shooters.
Number and type of weapons the shooter has.
Number of potential victims at the location.
Once you have reached a safe location, you will likely be held in that area by law enforcement until the situation is under control.
Upon law enforcement arrival, do not ask immediate questions, remain calm and follow instructions. For more information on how to protect yourself in an active shooter situation, review the official Active Shooter Reference Guide.
Correction: A previous version of this article stated that the Government of Canada issued an "advisory" in relation to gun violence, but instead it is "advice." Yahoo Canada regrets this error. For a full list of advice related to U.S. travel, review the Government of Canada’s travel page.
Poilievre tries to head off PPC vote as Bernier bets on social conservatives
Pierre Poilievre is off to Manitoba to rally Conservative supporters ahead of a byelection that Maxime Bernier is hoping will send him back to Parliament.
The far-right People's Party of Canada leader lost his Quebec seat in the 2019 federal vote and lost again in the 2021 election.
The riding of Portage--Lisgar came up for grabs after longtime Conservative MP Candice Bergen, who served as the party's interim leader before Poilievre took over, decided to resign. Bernier will test his luck in the rural Manitoba riding that delivered his fledging party its best result in 2021, with slightly more than 20 per cent of the vote.
Bernier stood vehemently against COVID-19 health restrictions, while then-Tory leader Erin O'Toole struggled to strike a position on vaccine mandates that satisfied anyone the party's base.
Now with Poilievre at the helm, the federal Conservatives are facing a rematch and supporters are looking for a victory that quashes the idea that the PPC poses a real threat.
Poilievre plans to host a "special meet and greet" rally Friday evening in Winkler, a city roughly an hour and a half south of Winnipeg. MPs have also visited the area, including House leader Andrew Scheer, whose razor-thin defeat of Bernier in the Conservatives' 2017 leadership race paved the way for the former Quebec MP to strike out on his own.
During a news conference in Winnipeg on Friday, Poilievre strongly criticized Bernier and tried to draw a parallel between him and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.
They would both "need a map to find Portage or Winkler," he said.
"If you vote for either of them, you'll end up with a Liberal government."
The People's Party's candidate from the 2021 race attributes his support in that vote to momentum driven by strong feelings about the pandemic.
And Solomon Wiebe thinks the political climate has shifted.
"(Bernier) would be very lucky to get half of what I got last time," he said in an interview on Thursday.
"This is just what my expectations are, and I like to keep my expectations real."
As far as Bernier is concerned, his biggest challenge is operational, given that his party lacks the strength of the Conservatives. "We didn't have that team in the beginning of the campaign." Money is another matter, as the Tories raised $8.3 million in the first three months of the year, compared to the People's Party, which hauled in just under $300,000.
Bernier believes people across the acres of farmland and Mennonite communities that dot the sprawling rural riding remember the pandemic.
It's a reality the Conservative candidate knows, too.
Branden Leslie -- who managed Bergen's election campaign in 2019 -- won the party's nomination over three others, including the former provincial health minister, by highlighting that he stood as "pro-freedom" while his opponent locked down churches.
It was in the region where Bernier was also arrested for violating COVID-19 restrictions in 2021.
His strategy for attracting support for the June 19 byelection has so far involved making anti-trans statements targeting youth and children -- characterizing it as a position on "gender ideology" -- and vowing to reopen the abortion debate. Both are issues he views as weaknesses for the federal Conservatives.
"It's important for people here," he said in an interview. "People want to have a real debate about (these) issues."
He also hopes to tap into frustration over what he calls "climate hysteria."
Poilievre also rails against what he calls "destructive woke policies," releasing a recent video showing the toppling of statues, vandalized Christian churches and a decision by one Quebec school to replace Mother's Day events with a celebration of parents -- a move that was made to acknowledge that some students were living in foster care, or had lost a parent.
Poilievre earned the support of social conservatives during last year's leadership race for his vocal opposition to vaccine and mask mandates, but there remain some who believe he should put a greater focus on cultural issues.
He has said a future Conservative government would not pass a law restricting abortion. And after ousting a social conservative candidate during a nomination race in rural Ontario back in March, some supporters of Campaign Life Coalition say they are "very cautiously observing" what Poilievre does next.
"We're not ready to abandon the Conservative party by any means," said Jack Fonseca, director of political operations for the anti-abortion group, adding he hopes that situation was a "one-off" and not indicative of the way social conservatives can expect to be treated.
At the time, a party spokeswoman said the candidate, Gerrit Van Dorland, was barred for failing to comply with a request to provide all previous comments made online or in other publications. His campaign disputed that.
Fonseca, who said his group has support in almost 900 households across Portage--Lisgar, likes at least some of what Bernier is proposing.
RightNow, another anti-abortion group that spoke out after Van Dorland's disqualification, is providing its supporters with information on where Bernier and Leslie stand on certain matters in the upcoming byelection, rather than endorsing anyone outright. That's because both espouse certain "pro-life" stances, according to co-founder Alissa Golob.
In a written statement, Leslie said he is "pro-life" and attacked Bernier as a parachute candidate.
"Maxime Bernier will say and do whatever he thinks people want to hear in order to get attention. He is pretending to be a social conservative, even though his entire record as an MP was to support woke policies," Leslie said.
Bernier, meanwhile, continues to blast the federal Tories as "fake conservatives." His message to prospective supporters is to "give Maxime a chance."
"'If you don't like what I'm doing, if I'm not keeping my word, then just vote me out in 2025."
This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 2, 2023. Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre takes part in the National Prayer Breakfast in Ottawa on Tuesday, May 30, 2023. (THE CANADIAN PRESS/Sean Kilpatrick)
LIBERTARIAN FASCISM
Maxime Bernier part of group convicted of violating Sask. public safety rules
CBC Sat, June 3, 2023 A Regina provincial court judge has found Maxime Bernier, along with six others, guilty of violating Saskatchewan’s public health order after an anti-COVID-19 restrictions rally was held in Victoria Park in May 2021. (Jaison Empson/CBC - image credit)
The leader of the People's Party of Canada has been convicted of violating Saskatchewan's public safety rules in the thick of the COVID-19 pandemic.
In his 26-page decision dated May 25, provincial court judge Murray Hinds found Maxime Bernier — a right-wing politician originally from Quebec — and six others guilty in connection with what was advertised as a "freedom rally" in Regina two years ago.
At the time, there was a public health order in effect banning outdoor gatherings of more than 10 people. The order, put in place to prevent the spread of COVID-19, was later repealed.
Police presented evidence that there were more than 200 people at the protest at the cenotaph in Victoria Park on May 8, 2021 and Bernier was among the promoted speakers.
More than a dozen people were ticketed at the time for attending the event.
PEACE, ORDER AND GOOD GOVERNMENT (POGG) At one point, defence lawyer Elaine Anderson argued her clients' charges were a violation of their charter right to peaceful assembly.
However, Justice Hinds rejected that argument late last year, ruling the public health order "is not unconstitutionally vague nor is it overbroad."
