Final arguments in Law Society case against Alberta's former justice minister

Story by The Canadian Press •

CALGARY — The lawyer for a former Alberta cabinet minister who is alleged to have broken the legal profession's code of conduct says complaints against his client were politically motivated, while counsel for the Law Society of Alberta says he was trying to quell legitimate public debate.

The allegations against Tyler Shandro, dating back to his time as provincial health minister early in the COVID-19 pandemic, involve an interaction with a longtime friend and party colleague about a social media post and two family doctors in central Alberta the former minister contacted about their concerns.

"These are all efforts to make an attack on Shandro's political activities and that should be a factor this panel considers in dismissing each of these complaints as not having the appropriate nexus as to the practice of law," said Grant Stapon, in his final argument to the Law Society of Alberta panel.

"I want you to consider the difference between prosecution and persecution in a case like this."

The lengthy hearings into the three complaints began in January. Shandro, who was later moved to the justice portfolio, was defeated in the May provincial election.

Dr. Mukarram Zaidi, who had posted a photo on social media of Shandro with a caption related to privatizing health care, earlier told the hearing the minister and his wife visited his home in March 2020. He said it occurred during fractious negotiations between the government and the Alberta Medical Association over fees.

The photo of Shandro, with a thought bubble caption, said: "So every Albertan that I can kick off health care is another client we can sign up for Vital Partners. We're going to be RICH." Shandro's wife, Andrea, is the co-founder of Vital Partners, a health insurance agency.

Zaidi said he agreed to take the post down.

In the other cases, two physicians from Red Deer confronted Shandro at an event and one demanded to know why he didn't speak to doctors who work in the hospital.

Shandro found their phone numbers and called both doctors. They talked to him, but said they were upset he had obtained their phone numbers and felt intimidated.

Stapon said Shandro was acting as a private citizen in his dealings with Zaidi. In his conversations with the other physicians, he was not acting as a lawyer, Stapon said.

Stapon said this wasn't a case involving misappropriation of funds, breach of trust or fraud.

"None of it involved the practice of law … I'm going to submit he's even innocent of this — it's the equivalent of jaywalking."

But Law Society counsel Ken McEwan wants sanctions against Shandro. He said in a credibility assessment, it's the evidence of the witnesses that should be preferred.

"There is a pattern of the respondent … attempting to quell legitimate public debate or criticism by improper communications, having the effect and design to intimidate a series of individuals," McEwan said.

"Each involved the respondent engaging in impulsive behaviour, each involves the respondent using inappropriate means and methods of communication, each involves the respondent being unable to accept political criticism."

A decision on potential sanctions is to be made at a later date.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 5, 2023.

Bill Graveland, The Canadian Press

Edmonton Police Service racially discriminated against 2 Black men, human rights tribunal finds

Story by Madeleine Cummings •

The Edmonton Police Service discriminated against two Black men by perceiving them as perpetrators of a crime when they had been trying to stop one, according to a recent decision from the Human Rights Tribunal of Alberta.

Yousef John and Caesar Judianga made human rights complaints in 2018 after being pepper-sprayed and arrested in 2017.

The men, who had called 911 for help, alleged that police treated them badly in part because of their race.

The tribunal found their complaints against EPS had merit.

"I find that the evidence supports that the general demeanour and attitude of the police officers was based on stereotypes regarding Black males, including that they were 'angry' and 'aggressive' and likely responsible for perpetuating a crime, not for trying to stop one," said commission member Erika Ringseis in the Aug. 29 decision.

Ringseis ordered that the complaints against the individual officers be dismissed, saying in the decision that there was no evidence that the officers intentionally or consciously discriminated against the complainants or acted grossly outside their scope of power.

The hearing will be reconvened to determine a remedy. Remedies provide compensation for losses and they can be financial or non-financial.

The complainants' lawyer, Nnam Okoye of the Oak Law Firm, said Judianga is happy with the decision, although disappointed by how long the human rights complaint process is taking. Okoye said he has not yet been able to reach John.

Lauren Wozny, EPS's director of media relations and public affairs, said the police service is applying for a judicial review of the decision. In an email on Friday, she said EPS was not in a position to comment further.
Early morning disturbance

At around 3:15 a.m. on May 5, 2017, Judianga heard a disturbance outside the residence he shared with John and a third man, Harry Lado.

When Judianga looked outside, he saw a white woman with pink hair throw what looked like a large rock through the window of the car that belonged to Lado's wife.

The three men chased the woman and while John called 911, Lado, a former bouncer, held her in place with his hands on her shoulders.




According to the decision, within less than a minute of arriving on the scene and without warning, EPS Const. Jordan Steele aimed his pepper spray at Lado, then John and Judianga. The woman received some spray in her eyes, but not as much as the men, whose eyes began to tear and burn.

The decision said Const. Steele, who was smaller than the three men, felt the situation was dangerous and that Lado was possibly assaulting the woman.

Steele then arrested the three men, told them to lie down and handcuffed them. Another police officer, Const. Celia Frattin, arrived and helped with the handcuffing.

The tribunal decision refers to the officers by their surnames only. EPS did not respond to an email asking for confirmation of their first names, but Okoye, the complainants' lawyer, confirmed the names with CBC News.
'Could have been shot'

Once Steele understood the three men, heard their accounts and verified their identification, they were released and given water to rinse their eyes.

The men accused the police officers of discrimination and during a heated discussion between them and the police, Frattin told them they were lucky it was just pepper spray because they "could have been shot."

Frattin testified that because she does not carry pepper spray, she would have had to pull out her gun if force was necessary. She said she did not make the comment because the men were Black.

The tribunal decision found the comment was grounded in discrimination and bias.

"There is no reason that a person of colour should be told to feel 'lucky' that they weren't shot after they had been accused of a crime, sprayed with [oleoresin capsicum] spray and arrested, even as they were on the phone to 911," the decision reads.

Frattin gave the woman water and let her sit in the back of a police car while she rinsed her eyes. Frattin then escorted the woman to her friend's house. The woman told the police officer she had been walking to her friend's house when she saw a man and a woman who threw a rock at a car. The woman was never charged for damaging the vehicle.

Frattin testified that the woman seemed like a traumatized young girl.
Complaint dismissed

In February 2018, John and Judianga complained to EPS's professional standards branch, which investigates misconduct allegations.

In October 2019, the professional standards branch finished its internal screening investigation of the two constables' actions and concluded there was no reasonable prospect of establishing the facts necessary to obtain a conviction at a disciplinary hearing.

The patrol sergeant who was on duty in the downtown region at the time of the incident and who examined the use of pepper spray, determined it was a reasonable and necessary use of force.

Another police officer, called by EPS to provide expert testimony at the tribunal hearing, agreed with Steele and the patrol sergeant that using the spray was acceptable.
Implicit bias

Two expert witnesses, called upon by the complainants and the tribunal's director during the hearing, spoke about implicit bias.

Eric Hehman, an associate professor of psychology at McGill University, who researches intergroup prejudice, testified that people tend to make more positive associations with people in their own group.

Akwasi Owusu-Bempah, an associate professor at the University of Toronto who studies racial bias and policing, testified that although he could not make any firm conclusions about whether implicit bias was at play in this incident, he said it would be likely to be present in the circumstances.
Community leader asks for apology

Mawien Akot, a physician and leader in Edmonton's South Sudanese community, called the incident appalling and said he wasn't surprised it happened.

All three of the men were of South Sudanese ancestry.

Akot said his community members have been racially profiled many times.

Akot said when he first arrived in Alberta 25 years ago, he used to teach children that police would protect them, but not anymore.

"Our people are so scared to the point that they don't even bother to call 911 anymore," he said.

Akot said he wants EPS to learn from what happened, apologize to the community and involve them in making positive changes.
Culture change

Shalini Sinha, the chair of Edmonton's anti-racism advisory committee and an anti-racism consultant, said the case struck her as an obvious example of discrimination.

She said addressing implicit bias requires cultural change.

"We have to shift some of the activities and responsibilities away from EPS to other well-resourced, community based, Black-led, Indigenous-led organizations that become partners with EPS," she said.

She also said that the individual police officers should be held accountable for their actions.

"Because without that, there isn't a motivation for individuals to stand up against the culture that they find themselves in," she said.

MANITOBA

SCO ‘Every Child Matters’ campaign launches in support of reconciliation

Story by The Canadian Press •12h

Manitoba First Nations leaders have launched a September campaign for the third year in a row, as they hope to see Manitobans reflect on the history and the legacy of Canada’s residential school system and the harm they caused to generations of Indigenous people.

“September is a significant month for all First Nations as we acknowledge the tragic legacy of residential and day schools, missing children, and the families they left behind, along with the intergenerational Survivors of those colonial institutions,” Southern Chiefs’ Organization (SCO) Grand Chief Jerry Daniels said in a media release announcing that SCO has kicked off their third annual Every Child Matters Truth and Reconciliation campaign.

The multi-media campaign will raise awareness and spark conversations about the residential school legacy through billboards and transit signs in Winnipeg, Brandon, Portage la Prairie, Dauphin, Selkirk, and Morden.

The message will also be reflected on all SCO social media streams, as well as their website, and in traditional media advertising throughout the month of September.

More than 150,000 Indigenous people in Canada were forced out of their homes and separated from their families to attend residential schools while the system ran for more than a century.

Residential schools attempted to assimilate Indigenous children into western European culture by isolating them from their own culture, religion and families, and many of those children have reported being subject to physical, mental and sexual abuse while in residential schools.

“The truth about this horrific time in Canadian history must be remembered,” Daniels said. “As we send our children back to school, our focus is on advancing reconciliation and renewing the relationship with non-Indigenous peoples based on recognition of rights, respect, and partnership.”

The campaign will conclude on Sept. 30, which marks the third annual National Day for Truth and Reconciliation and Orange Shirt Day in Canada, and there are several events planned in Manitoba and across Canada to commemorate Orange Shirt Day.

— Dave Baxter is a Local Journalism Initiative reporter who works out of the Winnipeg Sun. The Local Journalism Initiative is funded by the Government of Canada.

Dave Baxter, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Winnipeg Sun

Ottawa, Québec, pledge support for copper foil facility to improve domestic EV ecosystem

Story by MobileSyrup •1h



The Governments of Canada and Québec are working with Volta Energy Solutions Canada Inc. (VESC) to create a new copper foil facility.

Copper foil is an important component in electric vehicle (EV) batteries, and VESC’s parent company, Solus Advanced Materials, was the first to create battery-grade copper foil.

The facility will be located in Granby, Québec, and employ 260 people.

“Cutting down on emissions in the automotive sector is a key factor on our journey to make Canada carbon-neutral by 2050,” Pascale St-Onge, Minister of Canadian Heritage, said in a press release. “Volta’s project isn’t just about helping the environment — it’s also about bringing more opportunities for jobs and the economy to the people of Granby.”

The project is part of the federal government’s work to create a domestic battery ecosystem that has recently seen significant investment throughout Canada. This includes Ottawa’s recent $4 million investment in manufacturing company FBT Inc.

Image credit: Shutterstock

Source: Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada

MARTHA'S VINEYARD

White supremacist signs posted outside Black-owned businesses

Story by WBZ-News Staff •8h


Signs with the website of a white supremacist group were posted this weekend outside two Black-owned businesses on Martha's Vineyard in Massachusetts.

Cape and Islands District Attorney Robert Galibois said his office was made aware that the signs were posted in the town of Oak Bluffs and included the website for the white supremacist group Patriot Front.

The signs were found early Sunday morning outside two businesses that are owned by Black families, Galibois said. The district attorney said he has notified all 22 police chiefs in the district and is working with Massachusetts State Police detectives.

"If you observe any of these signs on public property or private property without the owner's permission then please notify your local police department," Galibois said in a statement. "We are all working collectively on identifying the individual[s] involved."

Patriot Front was founded in the wake of the violent 2017 "Unite the Right" rally in Charlottesville that left one woman dead and dozens injured. The group promotes fascism and calls for the formation of a white ethnostate, according to the Southern Poverty Law Center's website.

In June last year, 31 Patriot Front members were arrested on misdemeanor conspiracy to riot charges after they were found inside a U-Haul truck near a Pride event in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho.

According to the Southern Poverty Law Center, Patriot Front members are known to post flyers and stickers, put banners on buildings or overpasses and even perform acts of public service, all designed to maximize propaganda value.

New research may point the way towards frost-free heat pumps

Story by Amirreza Mahmoudi, PhD Candidate in Mechanical Engineering, University of Saskatchewan

 •THE CONVERSATION

A chilly winter morning, the car windshield shrouded in a thick layer of frost. Who has not experienced the frustration of scraping ice or waiting for the defroster to work? It is a daily winter struggle, but what if this frost issue extends far beyond your car, into your very home? Welcome to the hidden battle with frost in our energy systems.

Frost forms when humid air comes into contact with freezing cold surfaces. The colder the surface and the more humid the air is, the more likely frost will form on the surface.

In buildings, frosting is a problem that impacts several systems, including heat pumps that keep indoor spaces warm. Researchers at the University of Saskatchewan are working to eliminate this chilly scenario by creating frost-resistant heat pumps.
Current challenges

Frost poses serious challenges to the functionality of heat pumps. The frost layer acts as an insulator, reducing the heat transfer capability, which increases energy use and negatively impacts the comfort of users. Frost also blocks air passages, and a severe frost buildup can even damage or destroy the system.

Heat pumps electrify heating and play a pivotal role in our quest for energy efficiency and eco-friendliness, owing to their relatively high efficiencies. Acting as devices that transfer heat from one place to another, they are promising solutions for the future of heating. With the potential to cut down energy consumption and emissions, improving heat pumps is crucial in our eco-conscious world.

Read more: Heat pumps can cut your energy costs by up to 90%. It’s not magic, just a smart use of the laws of physics

To tackle frosting, commercial heat pumps usually go into recurrent defrosting cycles, during which heating is not accessible. Therefore, most heat pumps in cold climates are installed with backup fuel-burning or electric heating systems. Several optimization techniques have been suggested for the defrosting cycles to become more effective.

Given the challenges of removing frost from heat pumps, the prospect of creating frost-free systems becomes increasingly appealing. However, preventing frost without consuming excessive energy is a complex task, filled with intricate technical hurdles.

Ongoing research

A major part of the ongoing endeavours to develop frost-free heat pumps has roots in research into frost-free energy exchangers. The outdoor unit of a heat pump system is a heat exchanger. It facilitates heat transfer from outdoor air to the refrigerant fluid running through the coils.

Read more: Do heat pumps work in the UK's climate? An expert answers your low-carbon heating questions

If heat exchangers prevent condensation, they can reduce the risk of frosting. This is what membrane energy exchangers do by removing moisture and preventing air saturation.

Future heat pumps can benefit from membrane energy exchangers that use liquid working fluids. The membrane energy exchanger would replace the traditional finned tubes in heat pump outdoor units and make them frost-resistant.

Using membranes to develop frost-free solutions for heat pumps is not without its challenges. We need to address several issues regarding membrane energy exchangers. Finding commercial membranes and non-corrosive liquids suitable for the application are two examples. Frost detection is another challenge in membrane energy exchangers.

Properties, behaviour and the triggering conditions of frosting have already been investigated. Ongoing research by my team at the University of Saskatchewan is now trying to identify ideal membrane characteristics and design factors for the application.
Shaping a sustainable future

Future frost-resistant heat pumps will dramatically enhance energy efficiency, slash household bills and take a significant step toward a more sustainable future. Scientists are contributing to the technological advancements required to realize this futuristic concept.

Read more: How heating your home fuels climate change – and why government measures are failing to stop it

These advancements are not just about the science; they symbolize a transformation in our everyday lives, making winter days more convenient and our homes and buildings more environmentally friendly at the same time.

This article is republished from The Conversation, a nonprofit news site dedicated to sharing ideas from academic experts.

Read more:

Why we won’t be able to prevent climate breakdown without changing our relationship to the rest of the living world

The Conservatives have seized on cars as a political wedge – it’s a bet on public turning against climate action

Trial starts in Sweden of 2 oil executives accused of complicity in war crimes in Sudan



STOCKHOLM (AP) — Two executives of a Swedish oil exploration and production company went on trial Tuesday in Stockholm for securing the company's operations in Sudan through their alleged complicity in war crimes in 20 years ago.

Swedish prosecutors claim that former Lundin Oil chairman Ian Lundin and the company's former CEO, Alex Schneiter supported the Sudanese government of former dictator Omar al-Bashir, who was toppled in an April 2019 popular uprising.

The two executives are accused of involvement in the Sudanese government's military campaign to clear an area in southern Sudan for oil production. The campaign "entailed the Sudanese military and regime-allied militia systematically attacking civilians or at least carrying out systematic attacks in violation of the principles of distinction and proportionality," the prosecutors said.

Lundin told reporters at the Stockholm District Court that the accusations were “completely false.”

“We look forward to defending ourselves in court,” he said.

The trial is expected to run until early 2026.

Related video: Sudan war compels locals to fight for survival and support their families (WION)

A 1983-2005 civil war between the Muslim-dominated north and Christian south tore Sudan apart. A separate conflict in Darfur, the war-scarred region of western Sudan, began in 2003. Thousands of people were killed and nearly 200,000 displaced.

South Sudan gained independence from Sudan in 2011 to become the world’s youngest nation.

Swedish prosecutors said the Sudanese government conducted offensive military operations in the Block 5A oil field and its vicinity in southern Sudan between May 1999 and March 2003 to gain control of areas for oil prospecting and to create the necessary conditions for oil extraction, the prosecution said.

During the military operations, severe violations of international humanitarian law were committed, it said.

In a statement, the prosecution said Lundin and Schneiter “participated in the conclusion" of an agreement involving a right to search for and extract oil in a larger area in southern Sudan "in exchange for the payment of fees and a share in future profits."

Lundin was the operator of a consortium of companies exploring Block 5A, including Malaysia’s Petronas Carigali Overseas, OMV (Sudan) Exploration GmbH of Austria, and the Sudanese state-owned oil company Sudapet Ltd.

The prosecution wants the executives barred from conducting business activities for 10 years and the Swedish company fined 3 million kronor ($272,250). They also want 1.4 billion kronor ($127 million) confiscated from Lundin Oil because of economic benefits that were achieved from the alleged crimes.

In Sweden, the maximum penalty for complicity in war crimes is a life prison sentence, which generally means a minimum of 20 to 25 years. Prosecutors typically request the punishment they want for a conviction at the end of trials.

The Associated Press

IRAN

WOMAN, LIFE, FREEDOM
Mahsa Amini's uncle arrested ahead of protest anniversary
Story by By TZVI JOFFRE • JERUSALEM POST

A newspaper with a cover picture of Mahsa Amini, a woman who died after being arrested by the Islamic republic

(photo credit: MAJID ASGARIPOUR/WANA (WEST ASIA NEWS AGENCY) 

Safa Aeli, the uncle of Mahsa Amini, was arrested on Tuesday, a little over a week ahead of the anniversary of Amini's killing by Tehran "morality police," the 1500tasvir account reported.

According to 1500tasvir, which has closely covered protest activity in Iran in recent years, a large number of Iranian forces stormed Aeli's house and arrested him.

The Hengaw Human Rights Organization reported that Aeli was transferred to an unknown location after being arrested in Saqqez.

Amini was arrested by "morality police" officers in Tehran in mid-September last year for allegedly incorrectly wearing her hijab, with her family saying that she was beaten by the officers in the van that brought her to the police station.


Thousands of Iranians head to Mahsa Amini's grave in Saqqez, October 26, 2022 

(credit: 1500tasvir)

At the police station, she collapsed and was brought to the hospital where she later died. Her relatives have told foreign media that they were kept largely in the dark about the situation.

Amini’s death in September 2022 sparked nationwide protests often referred to as the "Women, Life, Freedom" protests that swept across Iran for months, only declining in January. Protests have periodically renewed in several locations in the months since then.

In May, glass around Amini's gravestone was shattered by vandals.




Related video: Iran: Mahsa Amini's uncle arrested ahead of protest anniversary (WION)


Amini's brother, Ashkan Amini, published a photo of the shattered glass on his Instagram story, writing "the glass of your tombstone also bothers them" and "break it a thousand times. We will fix it again. Let's see who gets tired."

The lawyer for Amini's family, Saleh Nikbakht, confirmed the report of the vandalism as well, stating that "people known to have done the same things in the past attacked and destroyed the grave," according to a statement published by Radio Farda.

Nikbakht added that the family has been prevented by government forces from constructing a canopy over the grave as well, with the person who was supposed to build the canopy being told his shop will be sealed if he does so.

Iranian authorities intensify crackdown ahead of anniversary of Amini's death

The arrest of Amini's uncle comes as Iranian authorities intensify their crackdown on activists and the relatives of protesters who were arrested or killed in the protests. Iranian officials have expressed concerns that protests could renew on the anniversary, set to take place on September 16.

According to Hengaw, at least 72 relatives of arrested or killed protesters have been arrested in the past five months.

Last week, Iranian singer Mehdi Yarrahi was arrested after publishing a music video expressing support for Iranian women protesting against hijab mandates and encouraging women to remove their hijab.

In early August, the commander-in-chief of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Hossein Salami stated that the protests sparked after the murder of Mahsa Amini by Tehran's "morality police" were "the strongest, most dangerous, and most serious" such protests in Iran.

Salami additionally referred to the protests as "the most unequal and broadest global fight against Iran's Islamic system," claiming that "the enemy was defeated in this heavy fight," according to the IRGC-affiliated Tasnim News Agency.

The IRGC commander also accused "the enemy" (usually a reference to the US and Israel) of planning to spark new protests on the anniversary of Amini's death.

In recent weeks, a number of Iranian professors who expressed support for protesting students during last year's demonstrations were suspended or fired from their positions.

 

Iranian women reject hijabs despite morality police return - BBC Newsnight


BBC News
Aug 15, 2023

In September it will be the anniversary of the death of Mahsa Amini, who was arrested by the Iranian Revolutionary guard for allegedly not wearing the hijab properly. Last year the movement for "Women, Life, Freedom" exploded onto the streets of Iran, and beyond, but in the country it was met with breath-taking brutality. More than 500 were blinded deliberately, thousands more arrested. But women are still defying the morality police, despite a renewed crackdown involving mass surveillance, risking violence and incarceration. The BBC cannot operate in Iran. The internet too, is restricted, and for many its a crime to talk to Western media, but Newsnight's Emir Nader, and producer Ali Hamedani talked to people inside the country to give us this virtual tour of Iran after the Women, Life, Freedom protests.

Australian lawmakers to urge release of Julian Assange during US visit

FILE PHOTO: Julian Assange's supporters say campaign for release 

on 'cusp of success'© Thomson Reuters

By Renju Jose

SYDNEY (Reuters) - A cross-party delegation of Australian lawmakers will travel to the United States this month seeking the release of WikiLeaks' founder Julian Assange, his support group said on Tuesday, ahead of a visit by Prime Minister Anthony Albanese in October.

Reuters VIDEO

Australian lawmakers to visit US over Assange release

Duration 1:52  View on Watch

The group will urge U.S. officials to drop their attempts to extradite Assange from a British prison to the United States, where he is wanted on charges over WikiLeaks' release of confidential U.S. military records and diplomatic cables.

The delegation will include former Deputy Prime Minister Barnaby Joyce and lawmakers from the Labor government, opposition and the Greens party.

Assange's brother and Chair of the Assange Campaign organisation, Gabriel Shipton, said the vast majority of Australians did not understand why the U.S. continued to demand his extradition.

"Australians see the U.S. as our closest ally ... but right now, Julian is being held hostage by a vengeful U.S. administration and it's damaging U.S.-Australian relations," he said in a statement.

The Australian delegation will meet with members of the Congress and Senate, officials at the State and Justice departments, and think-tanks including the American Civil Liberties Union and Reporters Without Borders.

Assange's supporters say he has been victimised because he exposed U.S. wrongdoing, including in conflicts in Afghanistan and Iraq. Washington says the release of the secret documents put lives in danger.

Albanese in May said he was frustrated that a diplomatic solution had not been reached to end Assange's detention, and that he remained concerned about Assange's mental health.

Support for Assange among U.S. policymakers remains low. Only a few members of Congress have come forward in support of the demand to drop charges against him.

If extradited, Assange faces a sentence of up to 175 years in a maximum-security prison.

(Reporting by Renju Jose in Sydney; Editing by Stephen Coates)

More than 3 years since pandemic started, some still take advantage of virtual school

Story by The Canadian Press 


TORONTO — When Cheryl Ambrose readies her granddaughter for the first day of second grade, the pair won't be walking to the bus stop or driving to school together.

Instead, the seven-year-old will mosey over to the front room in their Kitchener, Ont., home and set up for another year in a virtual classroom, as she has since she began junior kindergarten.

While many caregivers welcomed the end ofremote learning with open arms, Ambrose is among those clinging to virtual schooling options. For some, the continued spread of COVID-19 and potential risk of long COVID are motivating factors. Others found their children learn better outside of a traditional classroom.

It was a combination of the two for Ambrose, though the decision was not without compromise. She had enrolled her granddaughter in French immersion for the first grade, but the Waterloo Region District School Board stopped offering the program for remote learners this year due to a lack of demand.

"It's more important for her to be safe and for us to be safe — as safe as possible — than it is for her to continue with French immersion," Ambrose said.

In fact, if the school board stops offering a remote option, Ambrose said she'll start homeschooling her granddaughter rather than sending her back into a physical classroom.

"I never imagined I would be teaching. It's not one of the things that was high on my list of things to do. However, I'm well organized, and we have access to resources, so I would move into homeschooling," said Ambrose, who is partially retired but still manages business operations for her husband's construction company from home.

As it stands, the Waterloo public board said 248 elementary students were learning remotely along with 143 secondary students, compared to 501 and 308 the previous year.

While remote learning is no longer compulsory, many jurisdictions continue to offer it as an option.

In British Columbia, for example, 18 districts offer online schools, as do 16 independent school authorities. Saskatchewan has remote options for kindergarten through Grade 12, while Manitoba offers virtual classes for high schoolers.

In Ontario, each board was given the option of whether to provide remote schooling.

The province's largest, the Toronto District School Board, said roughly 1,250 elementary students and 950 high schoolers were enrolled in virtual learning for the upcoming school year, down from 2,300 and 1,375 the previous year.

While popularity waned significantly as the spread of COVID-19 slowed and enclosed spaces became less frightening for many, the pandemic-induced period of online learning pushed the field forward, said Roopa Reddy, a lecturer in social enterprise at the University of Waterloo with a particular interest in course design.

"There is a big difference between emergency remote teaching and learning that we started to experience a few years ago at the start of the pandemic, and courses that are designed to be online," Reddy said.

Over the last three years, she said, teachers have learned when to employ synchronous -- or simultaneous -- learning and when it's most effective to let students do things at their own pace.

For example, Reddy said, she's found luck creating "mini lecture videos."

"Duration is important," she said. "It's difficult to expect somebody to watch a one-hour or two-hour video of a lecture."

But a five, 10 or 20-minute video is much more approachable for students, Reddy said.

"My approach in general does depend on the context of my students -- things like the size of the class, the subject area, and the goals of the course all matter for those decisions of what makes more sense to be synchronous online, or synchronous in person, or asynchronous," she said. "All of that depends on the context."

Dave Cormier, a digital learning specialist at the University of Windsor, said that context can't be minimized.

"It's easy to forget that there are lots of people who still don't have good connection to the internet," he said.

That's of particular concern for students in remote or rural areas, who he noted stand to benefit the most from remote learning because it gives them access to more specialized courses that may not be offered nearby.

Statistics Canada found in 2021 that 1.2 per cent of households with children did not have access to the internet, and the portion jumped to 4.2 per cent for those in the bottom 25 per cent of income distribution.

"If you come from a family where there's one laptop and there are four kids, you're going to struggle to have the time to be able to do the work," Cormier added.

StatCan said 58.4 per cent of households with internet had fewer than one device per person.

Ambrose said she's acutely aware that not everyone can take the path she's on with her granddaughter's schooling, whether it's because of internet access, technology or even having to work from an office.

"Not everyone is able to take advantage of those opportunities," she said. "We're coming from a very privileged position. I can't emphasize that enough."

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 30, 2023.

Nicole Thompson, The Canadian Press