Parka-making course means new coats for kids in need — and lifelong skills for new sewers

Wed, February 22, 2023 

Rita Akearok holds up a parka she made as part of a three-week parka making course at Nunavut Arctic College in Iqaluit. (Submitted by Mariana Barney - image credit)

Sewers in Iqaluit put their best work on display Friday afternoon at Nunavut Arctic College in Iqaluit.

They were showcasing their handmade parkas at a fashion show, the final event after a special three-week parka-making course at the college.

The college said more than 100 people applied for the course, which was offered free of charge thanks to funding from the Qikiqtani Inuit Association. The college held a draw and selected 10 people randomly to participate.

Each person made two parkas — one for themselves, and a child's parka that will be donated to someone who needs it, said Sheila Oolayou, who taught the course alongside elder Annie Demcheson.

Jennifer Wilman, the continuing education co-ordinator at the college, said the funding from the Qikiqtani Inuit Association helped the college to redesign its parka program to allow for the children's parkas to be made.

She said many students have families and young children, and winter clothing can be expensive.

"We realized that we had an opportunity here to make things a bit easier for students," she wrote in a statement. "It was a win/win for everyone."

Submitted by Mariana Barney

Kendal Kuodluak, one of the participants, made the child's parka first — a little pink coat for a girl. It took her a little over half of the program to make that one, which was the first parka she had ever made.

"My second I made, it was much easier and I finished that one real quick," she said.

The parka she made for herself is a pullover one that she'll use for hunting.

"I've wanted to learn how to make parkas for a long time, and I finally seen an opportunity," she said.

Kuodluak now has patterns and can start making them for her family, too — and said she got to make some new friends along the way.

"I felt excited and felt in awe, because for a long time I always wondered how to make them," she said.

Submitted by Mariana Barney

Wilman said the overwhelming amount of people who applied for the program showed how much of a need there is for accessible, cultural programming.

"I'm hoping that with the success of this program, that we can offer more in the future," she stated.

The program was open to beneficiaries of the Nunavut Land Claim Agreement.

Surplus potatoes from federal research farm being donated to Charlottetown food bank

Wed, February 22, 2023 

Potatoes harvested at Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada's Harrington Research Farm are now destined for the shelves of The Upper Room food bank.

 (Shane Hennessey/CBC - image credit)

In the past, most of the potatoes grown at the Harrington Research Farm in central P.E.I. would be composted. Some would be turned into animal feed, and the rest would become potato starch.

But now, they have a new purpose — feeding hungry Islanders.

"Since we're in Prince Edward Island, obviously potatoes are what we grow a lot of and they're in our rotation crops all the time," said Chris Kirby, acting associate director of Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada's Charlottetown Research and Development Centre, which operates the farm.

"We never want to compete with a farmer, but we also want to feed the Canadian public."

Kirk Pennell/CBC

The farm grows produce for a variety of reasons, including improving best practices, testing pest resistance, and as rotational crops to keep soil healthy.

"We have to keep things going under the standard conditions that are used in Prince Edward Island," said Kirby.

Crops that are experimented on will still be directed away from human consumption, but the spuds grown in typical farm conditions will now end up at Charlottetown's Upper Room Hospitality Ministry.

Wasting 'perfectly good food'

In 2022 alone, more than 7,000 pounds of potatoes went to the food bank. And so far this year, 3,500 pounds were moved from the Research Farm's cold storage facilities to the food bank, one pallet at a time.

"We see hundreds of families every month coming in here with not enough food," said Mike MacDonald, executive director of The Upper Room. "So when there is food that's being wasted — perfectly good food — it does bother us, for sure."

Kirk Pennell/CBC

Across Canada, it's estimated that $50 billion worth of food is lost or wasted every year, even though many Canadians are struggling due to low incomes and high prices.

"This all came about after dealing with the pandemic, and everybody's worried about food security," said Kirby.

"So if we can give a constant supply of potatoes to the food bank from somewhere in December, January until April, that's a significant amount of time that they're able to get a product that they can then share with those in need. So we're very happy to be able to be a part of the solution for the public."

The initiative also exists in other provinces, with the Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada research farm in Newfoundland donating carrots and cabbage, apples being donated in Nova Scotia, and cherries and apples in British Columbia.

The Harrington Research Farm also grows other crops like barley and wheat, but potatoes made the most sense to donate. Kirby says the farm will keep up the donations as long as the food bank will take them.

"As long as they need it and we still have it, we will be giving them more potatoes," he said, adding, "I can't imagine we will stop growing potatoes anytime soon in Prince Edward Island."

Stellantis earnings rise as EV push drives higher sales

Wed, February 22, 2023 


AMSTERDAM (AP) — Automaker Stellantis on Wednesday reported its earnings grew in 2022 from a year earlier and said its push into electric vehicles led to a jump in sales even as it faces growing competition from an industrywide shift to more climate-friendly offerings.

Stellantis, formed in 2021 from the merger of Fiat Chrysler and France’s PSA Peugeot, said net revenue of 179.6 billion euros ($191 billion) was up 18% from 2021, citing strong pricing and its mix of vehicles. It reported net profit of 16.8 billion euros, up 26% from 2021.

Stellantis plans to convert all of its European sales and half of its U.S. sales to battery-electric vehicles by 2030. It said the strategy led to a 41% increase in battery EV sales in 2022, to 288,000 vehicles, compared with the year earlier.

The company has “demonstrated the effectiveness of our electrification strategy in Europe,” CEO Carlos Tavares said in a statement. “We now have the technology, the products, the raw materials and the full battery ecosystem to lead that same transformative journey in North America, starting with our first fully electric Ram vehicles from 2023 and Jeep from 2024.”

The automaker is competing in an increasingly crowded field for a share of the electric vehicle market. Companies are scrambling to roll out environmentally friendly models as they look to hit goals of cutting climate-changing emissions, driven by government pressure.

The transformation has gotten a boost from a U.S. law that is rolling out big subsidies for clean technology like EVs but has European governments calling out the harm that they say the funding poses to homegrown industry across the Atlantic.

Stellantis' Jeep brand will start selling two fully electric SUVs in North America and another one in Europe over the next two years. It says its Ram brand will roll out an electric pickup truck this year, joining a rush of EV competitors looking to claim a piece of the full-size truck market.

The company plans to bring 25 battery-electric models to the U.S. by 2030. As part of that push, it has said it would build two EV battery factories in North America.

Stellantis said that 40,500 unionized U.S. factory workers will get profit-sharing checks of about $14,760 on March 10. United Auto Workers members will get the checks based on North American pretax earnings last year.

A $2.5 billion joint venture with Samsung will bring one of those facilities to Indiana, which is expected to employ up to 1,400 workers. The other factory will be in Windsor, Ontario, a collaboration with South Korea’s LG Energy Solution that aims to create about 2,500 jobs.

The EV push comes amid a slowdown in U.S. car sales tied to a global computer chip shortage and other problems finding parts. Sales at Stellantis dropped 13% last year.

The company also announced a share buyback valued at up to 1.5 billion euros to be carried out this year as well as a 4.2 billion-euro dividend, amounting to 1.34 euros per share.

The Associated Press

EU pandemic fund inspectors say no sign of fraud in Spain

Wed, February 22, 2023 

MADRID (AP) — The European Parliament´s budget control committee said Wednesday it has found no evidence of deceit or fraud in Spain’s handling of the 31 billion euros ($33 billion) it has received so far in special European Union post-pandemic recovery funds.

But a visiting delegation urged the Madrid government to be more transparent and flexible in its use of the funds and in providing public information about them.

Speaking Wednesday at the end of a three-day inspection visit, committee chair Monika Hohlmeier said she was impressed with Spanish authorities’ commitment to make the most of the funds but added that she recognized that administrative hurdles were a major complaint from several regional officials.

“We have learned that the current implementation of the funds should be more flexible,” said Hohlmeier. “Administrative burden is a common complaint by the stakeholders. ”

She added that several of Spain’s regions complain about their proposals not being considered and called “on both the central and regional governments to deepen their dialogs and cooperation.”

Hohlmeier’s conciliatory tone in the end-of-visit press conference came as a surprise as it was expected that the delegation might be highly critical of Spain.

She said the visit was not chiefly intended to look for violations but rather to ensure transparency and that the funds be well spent.

Hohlmeier said there was a particular need to remove impediments to give fairer and faster access to the self-employed and small- and medium-sized companies that she said are so important to the Spanish economy.

She said the committee will draw up a series of recommendations in its upcoming report once they have reviewed all they have heard in the meetings with financial and political authorities during the visit.

Spain was one of the first EU countries to apply for and receive funds from the EU pandemic recovery fund and stands to be among its main beneficiaries. It is set to receive a total of 140 billion euros, half in direct transfers, half in loans.

Prior to the visit, the European Commission last Friday said it would deliver a further 6 billion euros to Spain, indicating its satisfaction with how Spain was handling the money so far.

Hohlmeier admitted that future funds would be contingent on Spain completing a reform of its pension system but said Madrid appeared committed to doing this and that there was no prospect of the money being blocked.

Ciarán Giles, The Associated Press

Horn of Africa drought trends said worse than in 2011 famine

Wed, February 22, 2023

ICONICLY IRONIC

NAIROBI, Kenya (AP) — Trends in a historic Horn of Africa drought are now worse than they were during the 2011 drought in which at least a quarter-million people died, a climate center said Wednesday.

The IGAD Climate Prediction and Applications Center said below-normal rainfall is expected in the rainy season over the next three months.

“This could be the sixth failed consecutive rainfall season” in the region that includes Somalia, Ethiopia and Kenya, the center said.

The drought, the longest on record in Somalia, has lasted almost three years, and tens of thousands of people are said to have died. More than 1 million people have been displaced in Somalia alone, according to the United Nations.

Last month, the U.N. resident coordinator in Somalia warned that excess deaths in Somalia will “almost certainly” surpass those of the famine declared in the country in 2011.

Close to 23 million people are thought to be highly food insecure in Somalia, Ethiopia and Kenya, according to a food security working group chaired by the U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization and the regional Intergovernmental Authority on Development.

Already, 11 million livestock that are essential to many families’ health and wealth have died, Wednesday’s statement said. Many people affected across the region are pastoralists or farmers who have watched crops wither and water sources run dry.

The war in Ukraine has affected the humanitarian response as traditional donors in Europe divert funding to the crisis closer to home. The head of IGAD, Workneh Gebeyehu, urged governments and partners to act “before it’s too late.”

The IGAD climate center is a designated regional climate center by the World Meteorological Organization.

Cara Anna, The Associated Press

Royal Ontario Museum returns Chief Poundmaker's pipe and saddle bag to family

Wed, February 22, 2023 

Nikita Ashley Poundmaker, left, and lawyer and family friend Lawren Trotchie look at a saddle during a repatriation ceremony at the Royal Ontario Museum, in Toronto, on Feb. 22, 2023. A pipe and saddle belonging to Chief Poundmaker were returned to the family from the ROM collections. 

(Evan Mitsui/CBC - image credit)

Century old artifacts belonging to a 19th century Plains Cree chief who was known as a peacekeeper were returned to his descendants in a repatriation ceremony at the Royal Ontario Museum.

After months of conversation, the Toronto-based museum transferred a ceremonial pipe and a saddle bag that belonged to Chief Poundmaker back to members of his family on Wednesday.

Pauline Poundmaker, or Brown Bear Woman, has been leading efforts to repatriate her great-great-grandfather's belongings and sacred objects from collections held in Canada and internationally.

"It's an honour to be the generation that's able to bring these artifacts home," she said in a phone interview.

Under Poundmaker Cree Nation laws, descendants are required to initiate and lead repatriation. Poundmaker's family members are striving to bring home his personal belongings, which they say were taken from him under duress.

Pauline Poundmaker travelled this week from Saskatchewan to Toronto with nine others, including other direct descendants, to partake in a repatriation ceremony with staff at the museum.

It was the first time she got to see the two items in person that belonged to her great-great-grandfather. The special moment was sacred and emotional, she said.

"I had a moment there where I couldn't hold back the tears. The significance of being here and the honour it is to be able to bring these artifacts home. It's hard to describe."

A famed 19th century Indigenous leader

The museum acquired the two items nearly a century ago. The saddle bag is made out of tan hide and adorned with beads in colours ranging from red, yellow and green. The museum said the item was sold to them in 1924.

The ceremonial pipe is dark in colour and made out of ceramic or stone. Like many First Nations customs objects used in ceremony, the pipe cannot be photographed. The museum said in an email information from the donor suggests Chief Poundmaker presented the pipe to a doctor in 1885 after which is was passed down to others in the medical field before the museum received it in 1936.

The ROM did not make any representatives available for an interview ahead of the repatriation ceremony.

Oliver Buell/Library and Archives Canada

Poundmaker, whose Cree name is Pitikwahanapiwiyin, is considered one of the great Indigenous leaders of the 19th century and was key in negotiations that led to Treaty 6, which covers the west-central portions of present-day Alberta and Saskatchewan.

A number of the leader's belongings were taken and housed in museums after the Northwest Rebellion in 1885 — the same year Poundmaker was convicted of treason for leading his warriors in the battle against Canadian Forces after government soldiers attacked about 1,500 Indigenous people, including women and children. He served seven months before dying shortly after his release.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau issued a formal apology and exoneration for Poundmaker at the First Nation that bears his name in 2019.

As the Poundmaker family strives to bring home the personal artifacts of Chief Poundmaker, they continue to be inspired by his willingness to stand up for what he believed in a peaceful way, said Pauline Poundmaker.

Parks Canada returned a ceremonial staff believed to belong to Chief Poundmaker last year that is to be put on display at the museum named in his honour in Saskatchewan.

Addressing harm

Pauline Poundmaker says the growing movement of institutions repatriating items shows there is a willingness to address previous harms against Indigenous Peoples.

"It's a beautiful shift to having different relationships and writing a different history," she said.

The saddle bag is to be put on display at the Chief Poundmaker Museum and the ceremonial pipe will be placed in safe keeping with the museum. The museum is tasked with making sure they are equipped with the tools to preserve the items for generations to come, said Pauline Poundmaker.

"We want to continue to preserve our history and honour history."

Liam Richards/The Canadian Press

She has been told there are about 20 other items spread across North America and Europe. The family is in the beginning stages of getting two other items repatriated.

The Royal Ontario Museum temporarily closed its gallery dedicated to First Peoples art and culture last year to work with Indigenous museum professionals on what they called critical changes to the gallery.

LA REVUE GAUCHE - Left Comment: Search results for POUNDMAKER 

US Air Force expands cancer review of nuclear missile personnel

Wed, February 22, 2023



WASHINGTON (AP) — The Air Force's review of cancers among its nuclear missile corps will include all personnel who worked on, guarded, supported or operated the nation’s ground-based warheads, Air Force Global Strike Command announced Wednesday.

Nine officers who had worked as missileers — the airmen who launch the warheads from underground silos and control centers — at Montana’s Malmstrom Air Force Base were diagnosed with with non-Hodgkin lymphoma, a type of blood cancer, Lt. Col. Daniel Sebeck of U.S. Space Force reported last month in a briefing obtained by The Associated Press.

Since that briefing, more missileers and missile support crew have come forward to the AP and other media outlets to report they, too, have been diagnosed with either non-Hodgkin lymphoma or other types of cancers.

The Air Force review will extend beyond Malmstrom to include F.E. Warren Air Force Base in Wyoming and Minot Air Force Base in North Dakota. Together the three bases operate 450 silos that house the nation’s arsenal of ground-based nuclear warheads carried by Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missiles.

Malmstrom was one of the sensitive military locations over which a suspected Chinese spy balloon loitered as it transited the United States earlier this month.

The “Missile Community Cancer Study,” to be conducted by the Air Force School of Aerospace Medicine, will look at all ICBM wings and all Air Force personnel who support the ICBM mission. It will review environmental factors at the missile bases and silos, and examine “the possibility of clusters of non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma” among missileers and those who maintained, guarded and supported the bases, the head of Air Force Global Strike Command, Gen. Thomas Bussiere, said in a statement.

The review will look at active-duty medical data and the Department of Veterans Affairs' cancer registry data, mortality data and public cancer registries. Col. Lee Williams, the command's surgeon general, said there was not yet a timeline for the study.

The Air Force has also established a website to address the missileer community concerns.

Tara Copp, The Associated Press

Higgs's comments about family doctors could hurt recruitment, says N.B. Medical Society

Wed, February 22, 2023 

Dr. Michèle Michaud, president of the New Brunswick Medical Society, says the work of family doctors involves more than just office visits. (New Brunswick Medical Society - image credit)

The president of the New Brunswick Medical Society is challenging a suggestion by the premier earlier this week that everyone could have access to a family doctor if doctors would take on more patients, and says his comments could hurt recruitment and retention.

Dr. Michèle Michaud contends family doctors are already working beyond maximum capacity.

"With the current resources, you won't get there just by saying, 'Take two or three more,'" she said in French.

Michaud was reacting to comments Premier Blaine Higgs made Monday at a news conference in Charlottetown.

"If every doctor in our province took two or three more patients a week, we wouldn't have a backlog," Higgs said.

Radio-Canada

"Every one of us has to find out a way that we can deliver health care differently, because I think, unanimously, we'll all say just putting more money into an unmanaged system isn't going to fix it," he said.

"I think we're all in a position to be innovative in this process."

About 55,000 people are registered with the province as not having a family doctor.

According to Michaud, who is a family doctor, palliative care physician, pain clinic physician and hospitalist at the Edmundston Regional Hospital, family doctors "have already had their capacity at maximum and even beyond their maximum for some time."

They care for patients who are increasingly sick, she said, pointing to the aging population, who each require more time.

In addition, the work of family doctors is not limited to office appointments, Michaud stressed. It could include "working in an emergency room, doing obstetrics, deliveries, pregnancy follow-up clinics, palliative care. We are also doing more and more oncology clinics, in addition to serving nursing homes, which need doctors present on site on a regular basis," she said.

There are also follow-ups on the health of patients, the management of test results, as well as the management of the personnel and the other administrative tasks, said Michaud.

We risk causing more professional burnout among doctors in the community. - Michèle Michaud, New Brunswick Medical Society president

To alleviate the waiting lists, she suggests instead filling the lack of human resources. This would, for example, support collaborative work in clinics.

"Asking family doctors [to work] more is currently not necessarily the solution: on the contrary, we risk causing more professional burnout among doctors in the community," Michaud said.

"It also risks, in the long and medium term, harming our recruitment and the retention of doctors who are already in office."

Opposition calls comments 'irresponsible,' 'attack'

New Brunswick Liberal Party Leader Susan Holt agrees.

"It was a little irresponsible comment to just say, 'Hey, get two or three more people a week.' It does not respect the nature of the problem," she said.

According to Holt, Higgs's comments, made on a regional forum following a meeting of Atlantic premiers, do not help New Brunswick.

"It is not a good message to attract people here that we are asking our doctors to do more. That's not a good recruiting message."

iStock

Green Party health critic Megan Mitton was also surprised by Higgs's comments. "It is not only bizarre, it is also problematic that the premier is attacking the various health-care professionals," she said.

Mitton rejects the idea that doctors are not already doing enough. "It's not true that they sit around and do nothing, so it's a bit of an attack on doctors."

Like Michaud and Holt, Mitton believes a collaborative approach could help reduce waiting lists for a family doctor.

It would also be necessary, according to her, to hire more doctors in hospitals to free up family doctors to devote more time to their patients.

NB

Use of private agency nurses at Vitalité spiked in 2022, documents reveal

Wed, February 22, 2023 

The Dr. Georges-L.-Dumont University Hospital Centre's emergency department in Moncton is one of the places where Vitalité is using private agency nurses.

 (Patrick Lacelle/Radio-Canada - image credit)

Vitalité Health Network spent nearly $6 million last year to hire nurses from private agencies, according to documents obtained under the Right to Information Act.

That's 12 times more than Horizon Health Network spent on agency nurses.

Vitalité aims to end within two years the controversial practice that sees travelling nurses paid more than their permanent colleagues, according to Sharon Smyth-Okana, the senior vice-president of programs and nursing.

Right now, she said the use of private agencies is not only necessary but expected to increase in the coming months — for nurses, nursing assistants and orderlies.

"To be able to provide services to patients — safe services, we need more hands."

Hospitals in both health networks have faced closures, reduced hours and interruptions in services because of staffing shortages.

Horizon also anticipates an increase in the use of private agency nurses, but with an earlier target to end this fall.

Meanwhile the provincial government has also used agency nurses, documents obtained by the New Brunswick Nurses Union show.

From January to April 2022, the government paid $2.68 million to Canadian Health Labs. This money was used, among other things, to dispatch nurses to COVID-19 vaccination clinics.

Mostly for Moncton and Campbellton ERs

Vitalité paid $5,943,054 to three agencies between July and December 2022, to dispatch travelling nurses, the documents obtained by Radio-Canada Acadie show.

Almost all of this sum was used to send nurses to the Dr. Georges-L.-Dumont University Hospital Centre in Moncton, Zone 1, and at the Campbellton Regional Hospital, in Zone 5.

The nurses worked 20,098 hours, mainly in the emergency departments of the two hospitals as well as in the Moncton hemodialysis unit.

Evan Mitsui/CBC

The average cost per hour worked by a travelling nurse was $295. This includes nurses' salaries — $70 to $100 an hour, about twice as much as their permanent colleagues — as well as travel and administrative costs.

Horizon has also called on private agencies to support its teams at the Moncton Hospital and the Saint John Regional Hospital. It spent $475,786 between October and the end of December 2022.

Last resort

Vitalité sees the use of travelling nurses as a measure of last resort, according to Smyth-Okana.

The health network tried several other things first, she said. For example, hospitals are using more attendants and changes have been made to models of care.

Pascal Raiche-Nogue/Radio-Canada

Without the agency nurses, however, Vitalité would have had to close certain units, she said. This includes the hemodialysis unit at the Dumont hospital, which is struggling with a "critical shortage" of personnel.

"Our staff did an incredible job, working overtime and trying to rearrange some things. But we can't keep pushing employees that way for long."

Comparisons difficult

Smyth-Okana suggested "a few factors" could explain the difference in spending between Vitalité and Horizon.

For example, emergency services and the shortage of nurses may not be exactly the same from one network to another, she said.

"So it's easy to compare us, but it might not be apples-to-apples. So sometimes you have to be careful."

It's also more difficult to recruit permanent nurses within Vitalité because there are fewer French-speaking nurses than English-speaking ones both in Canada and abroad, according to Smyth-Okana.

Temporary measure

Using private agencies is a temporary measure, she said.

"It is an intervention of last resort, which has a beginning and an end. It's not something you plan to continue for five, 10, or 15 years. It is not in our objectives at all.

"It's short-term to be able to restore our work atmosphere, to reduce the workload and so that the nurses want to stay in our communities."

Meanwhile, the network is tackling staff recruitment and retention issues, and has set itself the goal of no longer needing agencies by 2025, said Smyth-Okana.

"Our objective is really for the next two years, maximum."

Horizon Health Network says it recently decided to send agency nurses to more hospitals and units.

"The use of traveling nurses will continue through the spring and summer. The expected end date is September 1, 2023. A review, assessment and recommendations will then be made," according to the documents.

Move not supported by union

The trend of paying millions of dollars to private agencies is not welcomed by the New Brunswick Nurses Union.

The arrival of these health workers in hospitals often creates unease, according to first vice-president, Maria Richard.

"The members tell us that they understand why these nurses come, but they find it a lack of respect," she said.

What bothers some nurses, she said, is that their agency colleagues are much better paid and need more coaching.

"In everyday work, they have to be trained and supported more because they are not there [permanently] and they are not used to doing this work," said Richard.

Patrick Lacelle/Radio-Canada

Like Smyth-Okana, she regularly speaks to nurses who testify to the effects of the staffing shortage and who ask for reinforcements.

"It is reality. And if private agency nurses allow our nurses to do less overtime, that's not bad. But the rest of us certainly don't see that as a solution."

Richard would like the health networks and the government focus more on recruitment, retention and the improvement of working conditions.

Canadian auto production rose in 2022 to break streak of declines: DesRosiers


Wed, February 22, 2023



TORONTO — DesRosiers Automotive Consultants Inc. says Canadian auto production rose last year to break a five-year streak of declining output.

The consultancy says total light vehicle production totalled 1.24 million units in 2022, an increase of 12 per cent from a year earlier.

Auto production took a major hit during the COVID-19 pandemic as supply chain disruptions, including a protracted semiconductor chip shortage, left automakers scrambling to find parts.

Canadian production however has been declining for years from the 2.36 million units produced in 2016 as automakers cut back on shifts and closed plants.

The 2022 production numbers from DesRosiers show General Motors increased its production by 306 per cent in Canada from a year earlier, thanks in part to the reopening of its Oshawa assembly plant and the start of production of their BrightDrop EV delivery vans.

A recent Scotiabank report said that the parts situation that eased last year is expected to improve further this year to help boost production to an estimated 1.4 million units in Canada.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Feb. 22, 2023.

The Canadian Press

$WEAT$HOP ECONOMIC$

Gildan Activewear optimistic on long-term outlook despite current economic headwinds

Wed, February 22, 2023 



MONTREAL — Gildan Activewear Inc. is predicting single-digit revenue growth for this year as it faces short-term economic challenges, but is optimistic about its longer-term outlook.

“We feel cautiously optimistic despite ongoing uncertainty,” said executive vice-president Rhodri J. Harries on a call with analysts.

“In the first part of 2023 we expect continued headwinds ... nonetheless, we believe we are well positioned to gain share even in a softer demand environment.”

The Montreal-based company raised its dividend Wednesday and said that it is poised to benefit from clothing industry trends over the long term includingthe "casualization of apparel," the interest in private-label products and the creator economy.

The clothing maker said it will now pay a quarterly dividend of 18.6 cents US per share, up from 16.9 cents US.

The increased payout to shareholders comes as the company, which keeps its books in U.S. dollars, reported its profit and sales fell compared with a year earlier.

The company said it earned US$83.9 million or 47 cents per diluted share for the quarter ended Jan. 1, down from a profit of US$173.9 million or 89 cents per diluted share a year earlier.

RBC analyst Sabahat Khan said in a note Wednesday that Gildan’s results were below consensus and RBC forecasts.

Net sales in the quarter totalled US$720.0 million, down from US$784.3 million in the fourth quarter of 2021. Adjusted earnings per share were 65 cents in the latest quarter, down from 76 cents a year earlier.

The company faced economic challenges impacting its performance in the fourth quarter which it expects will continue into the first part of 2023, said president and CEO Glenn J. Chamandy in a news release Wednesday.

"In the first part of the year, we're expecting increased margin pressure due to higher raw material and input costs," said Harries.

"As we move past the first quarter, we expect these headwinds to start to abate, and to deliver strong margin performance during the remainder of the year."

Net sales for the full financial year were US$3.24 billion, up 11 per cent from 2021, which Gildan attributed to a 17 per cent increase in activewear driven in part by higher prices.

That was partly offset by a 14 per cent decline in hosiery and underwear due to weaker demand and tight inventory management at the retail level, the company said.

Net earnings for the year were down almost 11 per cent at US$541.5 million.

Harries said the company is one year into its sustainable growth strategy and proud of its progress.

Capital investments have led to more manufacturing capacity and more flexibility, said Harries.

“This has allowed us to invest in inventory and improve product availability, which together with leadership and pricing and ESG is enabling us to adapt to the current environment and take market share in key product categories,” said Harries.

He said the company is preparing the launch production at its new manufacturing facility in Bangladesh in late March, which will ramp up as the year progresses.

In its outlook for 2023, the company said it expects revenue growth for the full year to be in the low single-digit range, while its adjusted earnings per share are expected to be in line with 2022.

Internationally, the Asian markets have been more challenging, but the company is seeing more optimism from distributors in the European and U.K. market, said president of sales Chuck Ward on a call with analysts.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Feb. 22, 2023.

Companies in this story: (TSX:GIL)

The Canadian Press

Journalist deflates accusation at Vatican financial trial

Wed, February 22, 2023 



ROME (AP) — An Italian journalist on Wednesday deflated an accusation in the Vatican’s sprawling financial trial, as he disputed prosecutors’ claims about the source of a document concerning the Vatican’s 350 million euro investment in a London property.

Investigative journalist Emiliano Fittipaldi was called to testify by defense lawyers representing Tommaso Di Ruzza, the former head of the Vatican’s financial watchdog agency. Vatican prosecutors accused Di Ruzza of having given Fittipaldi a copy of a contract related to the London deal, in violation of Vatican confidentiality laws.

Fittipaldi, then a reporter at L’Espresso magazine and now with the Domani daily, had published a screenshot of the contract on Oct. 1, 2019, just as the Vatican investigation into the London deal was heating up.

Prosecutors ultimately charged 10 people, alleging that Vatican officials, Italian brokers and others fleeced the Holy See of tens of millions of euros and then extorted the Vatican of 15 million euros to hand over control of the London property. All 10 have denied wrongdoing.

Fittipaldi told the court on Wednesday that Di Ruzza didn’t give him the contract and had nothing to do with the article.

“I exclude it,” Fittipaldi said. While recalling that journalists don’t reveal their sources, Fittipaldi told the court he had asked the person who did show him the contract if he could reveal his identity and said the source agreed.

Fittipaldi identified him as Marcello Massinelli and provided text messages to the court indicating their correspondence. He said Massinelli was a colleague of another defendant, Raffaele Mincione, who had managed the London property for the Vatican until late 2018.

The Vatican ultimately decided to buy Mincione out of the deal and hand management over to another London-based Italian broker, Gianluigi Torzi. That transfer is at the heart of the Vatican trial, with prosecutors alleging Torzi defrauded the Vatican and then extorted it to get control of the building.

Fittipaldi said Massinelli had let him view the contract to show that, as far as Mincione was concerned, it outlined a legitimate, legal transaction.

In their indictment, Vatican prosecutors substantiated the charge against Di Ruzza by noting that Fittipaldi’s screenshot of the contract bore an “X” mark on one side, as did a copy found in the offices of Di Ruzza’s Financial Information Authority.

Fittipaldi is no stranger to the Vatican tribunal. He was put on trial by Vatican prosecutors in 2015, accused of publishing leaked Vatican documents. After an eight-month trial, the court ruled that it had no jurisdiction to prosecute him or another Italian journalist who was also put on trial in the so-called “Vatileaks 2” case.

The current financial trial, which opened in July 2021, is expected to wrap up before the end of the year.

Nicole Winfield, The Associated Press

ABOLISH THIRD PARTY AGREEMENT

Trudeau calls for renegotiated border treaty to halt Roxham Road migrants — U.S. envoy pushes back

Wed, February 22, 2023 

Asylum seekers arrive at the Roxham Road crossing. (Radio-Canada - image credit)

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says the federal government is working on closing the irregular border crossing at Roxham Road by renegotiating the Safe Third Country Agreement with the United States — but the American ambassador to Canada says changing the deal wouldn't address the problem.

"The problem is we have 6,000 kilometres worth of undefended shared border with the United States … People will choose to cross elsewhere," Trudeau told a news conference Wednesday.

"The only way to effectively shut down not just Roxham Road but the entire border to these irregular crossings is to renegotiate the Safe Third Country Agreement."

But in an interview with CBC's Power & Politics Wednesday, Ambassador David L. Cohen said changes to the Safe Third Country Agreement would do "very little" to address irregular migration.

Cohen added that the talks between the two governments are about irregular migration generally. He called Roxham Road a "symptom of that problem."

"It is a mistake to think that you can solve this problem by treating only symptoms. You have to treat the underlying causes of irregular migration," he said. "We're committed to the productive discussions that we are having with Canada around that subject."

Cohen would not confirm that the United States is renegotiating the agreement with Canada.

"You've never seen or heard anyone from the United States confirm that there are specific discussions occurring on the Safe Third Country Agreement, and I'm not going to be the first United States official to make that statement," he said.

A statement from Immigration Minister Sean Fraser's office responding to Cohen's comments said Canada agrees root causes need to be addressed. But Fraser's office also maintained that the Safe Third Country Agreement needs to be "modernized."

"The reality is that the solution to irregular migration into Canada demands a focus on both the root cause in a migrant's country of origin, as well as measures that promote welcoming immigration policies with controlled borders," the statement said.

"We look forward to continuing our work with the United States to advance our work internationally and along our shared border."

The agreement governs asylum claims between Canada and the United States. Roxham Road is not an official border crossing; an influx of irregular migrants entering Canada at the site has prompted Quebec Premier Francois Legault and Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre to call on the government to close it as a point of access.

In an open letter published in the Globe and Mail Tuesday, Legault said the refugee claims are pushing Quebec social services to their limits and the situation is raising humanitarian concerns.

Poilievre said Tuesday the government should come up with a plan to shut off access to Canada through Roxham Road within a month.

Patrick Doyle/The Canadian Press

But Trudeau dismissed any suggestion that the crossing could be closed by anything but a renegotiated Safe Third Country Agreement.

"Could somebody put up barricades and a big wall? Yes. If Pierre Poilievre wants to build a wall at Roxham Road, someone could do that," Trudeau said.

"People can toss out simplistic solutions. That's their right. But if someone wants to seriously solve the problem, you're going to have to roll up your sleeves and do the work, as we are."

Negotiations between Canada and the United States on the agreement are ongoing, Trudeau said. He did not say when the two sides are expected to wrap up the talks but said the government is "making real progress."

The agreement, signed in 2002, says migrants must submit their asylum applications in the first of the two countries they enter. The agreement does not apply to irregular crossing points like Roxham Road.

Approximately 39,000 people sought asylum in Canada by crossing at Roxham Road last year, Legault said in a letter to Trudeau last week.

In the same letter, Legault called on the government to help Quebec send some of the migrants to other provinces.

Fraser said Wednesday the government is working with other provinces to alleviate the pressures on Quebec by setting up temporary accommodations for migrants.

Fraser added that he sympathizes with Legault.

"Premier Legault has a very serious concern that he's right to raise," he told a news conference.

"It's not fair or right that one community or one province ought to bear the brunt of a challenge that we're facing as a result of Canada abiding by its domestic and legal obligations."

Trudeau said Wednesday that Quebec has been "stepping up significantly" by supporting irregular migrants.

But Fraser dismissed Poilievre's call to close Roxham Road within 30 days, calling the proposal "reckless" and "not a thoughtful approach."

"You would simply displace the problem to other points along the Canada-U.S. border," Fraser said. "The result would likely be serious risks that would fall on vulnerable migrants who are seeking a safe haven in Canada, who would be forced to potentially cross through a dangerous portion of the border."

Fraser said he'll be meeting with his American counterpart in the coming weeks to discuss the Safe Third Country Agreement.

Ojibway coffee company brews sweet new partnership with ice cream brand

Wed, February 22, 2023

The Birch Bark Coffee Co. is an advocate for improving drinking water quality in Indigenous communities across Canada. A portion of the proceeds from the company's collaboration with Chapman's will also support the initiative. (Submitted by Ashley David Chapman - image credit)

Birch Bark Coffee Co., an Ojibway-owned company based out of Ottawa, recently teamed up with one of Canada's most iconic brands of ice cream to create a brew-ti-ful new flavour.

Chapman's cold brew coffee-flavoured ice cream is hitting the shelves this month.

"I've tried a lot of ice cream and when I sampled this ice cream it was like a wow factor … we had just finished the tub of it," said Birch Bark Coffee's founder Mark Marsolais-Nahwegahbow.

Marsolais-Nahwegahbow, from Whitefish River First Nation, about 70 kilometres west of Sudbury, started the company in 2018. The name Birch Bark is a nod to his community, located on Birch Island.

Driven primarily through e-commerce at first, Birch Bark Coffee is now available in stores like Costco and through partnerships with Compass Canada, Sodexo Canada and Aramark – major food suppliers in Canada.

Submitted by Mark Marsolais-Nahwegahbow

"I have a big responsibility now as a mentor but also as a voice for all our communities," said Marsolais-Nahwegahbow.

The business advocates for improving drinking water quality in Indigenous communities across Canada and donates a water purification system to an Indigenous family for every 100 bags of coffee sold and one for every 50 bags sold directly from their online store.

Part of new product line

This is Chapman's first collaboration with another company since they were first established in 1973.

As Chapman's celebrates 50 years in the business, they're creating a "super-premium" product line.

Ashley David Chapman, Chapman's chief operating officer, said a partnership with Birch Bark was an easy decision after trying the coffee.

"Mark and I just became friends over the pandemic," said Chapman.

Submitted by Ashley Chapman

In making the super premium product line, he thought, "How cool would it be to do something with Birch Bark?"

Marsolais-Nahwegahb said this coffee ice cream is the first of its kind because it's made with cold brew rather than freeze-dried instant coffee crystals which are typically used to make coffee-flavoured ice cream.

A portion of the proceeds from the ice cream will go to Birch Bark's initiatives in improving drinking water quality in Indigenous communities.

Shawn Adler, chef and owner of Pow Wow Café in Toronto and the Flying Chestnut Kitchen in Eugenia, Ont., used to run the cafeteria for employees at Chapman's for about five years. He serves Birch Bark Coffee at both of his restaurants.

"I look forward to tasting the ice cream and I'm sure we'll work it into our menus," said Adler.

CSIS targeting of Canadian Muslims reveals the importance of addressing institutional Islamophobia

Baljit Nagra, Associate Professor, Criminology, L’Université d’Ottawa/University of Ottawa

Paula Maurutto, Associate Professor of Sociology, University of Toronto
Wed, February 22, 2023 

Muslim Canadians face mass surveillance that brings entire communities under suspicion. 

There has been an uproar recently among Québec politicians who have called for the resignation of Amira Elghawaby, Canada’s first special representative on combating Islamophobia.

Amira Elghawaby was appointed as Canada’s first special representative on combating Islamophobia on Jan. 26, 2023. 

The position was created in January 2023 to address the longstanding discrimination, hate crimes and intolerance faced by Muslim communities across the country.

In recent years, Canada has witnessed the highest number of Muslims killed in hate-motivated attacks out of all the G7 countries.

The controversy stems over Elghawaby’s 2019 criticism of Québec’s Bill 21. The law prohibits public servants from wearing religious symbols like hijabs, turbans, yarmulkes and crosses.

The bill has been criticized for unfairly impacting Muslim communities — particularly Muslim women.

Those in support of the bill, including Bloc Québécois leader Yves-François Blanchet, have gone as far as demanding that the federal government scrap the position of the special representative on combating Islamophobia altogether.

Our research on the treatment of Canadian Muslim communities by the Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS), shows how vital it is to address institutional Islamophobia.

In our recent study we interviewed 95 Muslim community leaders living in five major Canadian cities to learn about their experiences with CSIS.

This study is the first of its kind to map the anti-Muslim tactics employed by CSIS in its racialized surveillance of Muslim communities.

Men pray at the Hamilton Mountain Mosque in Hamilton, Ont. Mosques have become frequent targets of surveillance by CSIS. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Cole Burston

Muslims face mass surveillance

We found that CSIS adopts specific surveillance practices that are informed by Islamophobic tropes. This works on the premise that Islam and any expression of religious devotion to it represents a potential terror suspect.

Consequently, CSIS engages in mass surveillance that brings entire Muslim communities under suspicion. It relies on false radicalization assumptions that depict Muslim communities as hotbeds of extremism that must be contained through aggressive surveillance strategies.

CSIS engages in mass surveillance with devastating and prolonged effects on Muslim communities. We found that mosques have been transformed into sites of surveillance rather than a safe place for religious worship and community gatherings.

CSIS treats mosques as sites of radicalization and incubators of extremism in order to legitimize its intensive policing and infiltration. CSIS monitors who enters and exits them, and members, especially imams, are subject to interrogation and forced to provide intelligence on their congregations. We found there is a persistent deployment of CSIS operatives at mosques.

Muslim youth in particular are heavily targeted by CSIS. Those who attend mosques, are involved in Muslim student organizations, attend Muslim gatherings or summer camps are frequently interrogated by CSIS, often without their parents’ permission.

Muslim university students who we spoke to informed us they have found recording devices in their campus prayer spaces, and had their social media scanned. The result is that Muslim youth are subjected to extreme forms of state surveillance. At the University of Toronto, faculty and lawyers have even set up a support line to help Muslim students and provide representation when they are contacted by CSIS.

CSIS has used mass surveillance to target and monitor Muslim Canadian communities. 

(CP PHOTO/Fred Chartrand)

CSIS relies on coercive techniques

A key CSIS tactical strategy is the use of coercive techniques to pressure ordinary citizens to become informants. We were informed that CSIS threatens to show up at the workplaces of individuals who refuse to talk to them. They particularly seek out refugees or those with precarious immigration status.

They also use aggressive tactics such as making unannounced visits to people’s homes in the middle of night; actions that intimidated entire families, including children. We were informed that this is a common practice as individuals are unable to access legal counsel or community support at such times.
Political activism targeted

Those politically active and critical of the Canadian state found themselves at higher risk for interrogation. In our study, we found those who criticize state policies — particularly concerning politics in the Middle East — come under increased surveillance.

We were informed of the deep chilling effect this has on Muslim communities. Those we interviewed spoke about being fearful of voicing their concerns regarding state practices, as they believe this would incur CSIS surveillance.

This level of political suppression directly violates the CSIS Act. This act prohibits investigation of lawful advocacy and dissent.

The result for Muslim communities is a culture of suspicion and internal fear. We were informed of the common suspicion that others in the community are working for CSIS. Furthermore, some concealed being approached by CSIS because they believe they could be ostracized within their own communities.
Islamophobia institutionalized in Canada

CSIS is just one institution that racially targets Muslims. There are a host of other counter-terrorism laws and practices that also operate to reproduce racist perceptions and assumptions about Muslims. For example, our previous research has documented how Canada’s no-fly list and security practices at Canadian border crossings function as endemic practices of institutionalized racism. They target Canadian Muslims, exacerbate racial profiling and subject people to demeaning treatment.

Contrary to the demands for Elghawaby’s dismissal, our work speaks to the vital need for a special representative on combating Islamophobia and to make addressing Islamophobia an urgent priority.

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

It was written by: Baljit Nagra, L’Université d’Ottawa/University of Ottawa and Paula Maurutto, University of Toronto.

Read more:

Muslim family killed in terror attack in London, Ontario: Islamophobic violence surfaces once again in Canada

‘Caliphate’ podcast and its fallout reveal the extent of Islamophobia

Baljit Nagra receives funding from SSHRC.

Paula Maurutto receives funding from SSHRC.

Furey says upcoming talks with Quebec premier are discussions, not negotiations, on Churchill Falls

Wed, February 22, 2023 

Mike Simms/CBC

On the eve of Quebec Premier François Legault's visit to St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador Premier Andrew Furey downplayed the significance of any discussions about the Churchill Falls contract.

Furey, speaking with reporters Wednesday, said "very high-level" discussions would happen Friday but wouldn't go so far as to call them negotiations.

"At this point I would use the word 'discussions' and not 'negotiations.' What happens after Friday, I will certainly provide an update," he said. He added, however, that Legault seems to be approaching the talks "with a sense of urgency" to secure new sources of energy for Quebec.

"I think if you look at the disruption in the energy markets, specifically as it pertains to Quebec, there is an urgent need in Quebec, not just for export but for domestic use," Furey said.

In January, Furey said there wasn't a guarantee negotiations would even happen, adding it was important to note Hydro-Quebéc still owns nearly 35 per cent of Churchill Falls (Labrador) Corporation Limited. At the time, Furey said if negotiations were to happen, he was "comfortable" with Newfoundland and Labrador's negotiating position.

On Wednesday, he reiterated that point.

"Newfoundland and Labrador is in a great position, and we will make sure that we exercise the appropriate timeline to do the right deal for Newfoundland and Labrador," Furey said.

"Since I took over we managed to take care of Muskrat Falls with the rate mitigation deal. We are in a good position because of that. The economy has turned around. We're not on bended knee to Quebec. Quebec is coming to us."

Churchill Falls supplies nearly 15 per cent of Quebec's electricity needs. The contract, which took effect in 1969, is set to expire in 2041, and has been a sore spot for Newfoundland and Labrador for decades. The province is locked into selling electricity to Quebec for the rock-bottom price of 0.2 cents per kilowatt-hour to Quebec, which sells

Jacques Boissinot/The Canadian Press

Legault has said there's interest in expanding the Churchill Falls dam and building a new project at Gull Island, also on the Churchill River.

On Wednesday, Legault told reporters said striking a new deal will take time and won't be easy.

"There's an opening for both sides. Of course it will have to be a win-win agreement," he said.

"We know that it's important for us to renew the contract after 2041 as soon as possible because it needs about 15 years before building a new dam. So we need to know what will be our capacity starting in 2041."

Legault said Newfoundland and Labrador will have some demands, which he said he will listen to and balance to find a deal that is a good fit for both sides.

Need a gesture of good faith: Brazil

Interim PC Leader David Brazil said the situation is "alarming" and "confusing."

"We're reading that the premier of Quebec is talking about coming here for negotiations. The premier of Newfoundland and Labrador is talking about having discussions. We need to know what's happening on Friday," Brazil told reporters.

"Is there already a deal that's been struck? Is there already some conversations about what Quebec will benefit from this? What the time frames will be? The initial conversation here should be about how do we rectify the wrongs of the past and make sure that in good faith there's a negotiated deal that benefits the people of Newfoundland and Labrador."

Brazil said there's a lot of making up to do for the last 60 years and there has to be a gesture of good faith and Furey needs to release the details of the meeting after it happens.

He said he would like to see some compensation paid to Newfoundland and Labrador.

Furey said there haven't been discussions among officials from Quebec and Newfoundland and Labrador about a new Churchill Falls contract, other than the conversations he has had with Legault over the last 2½ years.

The premier wouldn't provide details Wednesday on what will be discussed in Friday's meeting, saying he didn't want to reveal Newfoundland and Labrador's commercial interests ahead of time.

B.C. diver finds horseshoe crab: 'I knew immediately it wasn't supposed to be here'


Wed, February 22, 2023 



VANCOUVER — A scuba diver cleaning part of the sea floor in a Vancouver inlet came across an animal that an expert says is a long way from home.

The unusual find has been identified as a horseshoe crab, native to the Atlantic Ocean along the North American coastline.

"This is not a species that's indigenous to our water here, but as soon as I saw it, I knew what it was," diver Henry Wang said in an interview.

"I knew immediately it wasn't supposed to be here."

Wang said he was really excited and posted a short clip to social media about his dive on Friday in False Creek, showcasing the discovery. In the video, he is seen gently nudging the shell before displaced sediment clouds the camera's view.

Michael Hart, a professor of biological sciences at Simon Fraser University, saw the video and said he doesn't believe the crab is alive.

"The long tail is used to dig in sediment, so I would expect a live animal to react by flexing the tail. The live animal also has five pairs of walking legs under the big dome-shaped carapace, and those would normally react by trying to back away from a large animal like a scuba diver," he said.

Hart noted there are four species of horseshoe crabs. Though he said it is hard to tell from the video, he speculates this was an Atlantic horseshoe crab, which live in the Atlantic Ocean along the North American coastline and Gulf coasts from Maine to Mexico. The other three species are found in Southeast Asia.

Hart said Pacific water around Vancouver is too cold for the crabs to survive and for them to reproduce as the embryos develop in the sand of warm beaches.

"Horseshoe crabs are often collected, killed, and the lacquered shells sold as ornaments. This could be a discarded decoration. The other possibility noted by the YouTube poster Henry Wang is that the crab was an aquarium pet that was dumped in the creek," Hart said.

"I sincerely think this isn't a biology story, it's a waste management story."

Wang, who is the co-founder of Divers for Cleaner Lakes and Oceans, said he lost all visibility after prodding the crab shell, and because he wasn't yet certain if it was dead, he did not remove the crab from the water.

"Crabs are above my pay grade," he joked. "I'm only there to get the garbage out."

Divers for Cleaner Lakes and Oceans has been removing trash from B.C.'s waterways since 2013. Wang said the group has done over 200 cleanup dives and removed more than 50,000 pounds of garbage.

He said they often film their dives to post on social media to showcase how much garbage they collect, hoping to inspire change in the way people act around waterways.

Wang explained he was diving in False Creek to recover mats that had been blown into the waterwhen he noticed the crab under a floating dock.

He said he considers it the "craziest" find so far. Other interesting discoveries, he said, include 120-year-old logging tools and a 90-year-old Puget Sound Falling Axe.

"This is my new craziest thing. It's awesome, but I'm sure something else will pop up eventually because I keep finding things," Wang said. "I had no idea I was going to find a horseshoe crab. That's just how things worked out."

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Feb. 22, 2023.

Brieanna Charlebois, The Canadian Press

IMPERIALIST RESCUE DELAYED
Under-equipped and under fire, Haiti's police await delayed shipments of Canadian armour

Wed, February 22, 2023 

Police patrol Port-au-Prince, Haiti on Jan. 31, 2023, after a funeral for three officers who were killed in the line of duty. The officers were killed in an ambush by gang members in the capital on Jan. 20. (Odelyn Joseph/Associated Press - image credit)

On Sunday, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced a third shipment of Canadian armoured vehicles to Haiti. The vehicles are meant to help the Haitian National Police fight a shooting war with heavily-armed gangs that control close to two-thirds of the capital Port-au-Prince.

But the three vehicles shipped this week, plus those already sent to Haiti in two previous shipments, amount to only half of the total number of vehicles Haiti purchased.

The deadline for the contract had been extended already to the end of December 2022 — by which point only three of 18 vehicles had been delivered.

This latest shipment won't come a moment too soon for a police force that is seeing its officers killed off at a rate of about one every two or three days.

With the delivery of three new INKAS mine-resistant, ambush-protected vehicles, the Toronto-based supplier will have fulfilled half of its contract to deliver 18 vehicles.

Three were delivered back in October of last year and three more landed on January 11. Both shipments were carried by a Royal Canadian Air Force C-17 Globemaster cargo plane.

Frustration over delays

Frustration over the slow pace of deliveries has ramped up tensions within the force, leading to armed protests and strikes by police officers — even as gangs gradually expand their areas of control.

The year to date has seen the plight of Haiti's police take a turn for the worse, Canada's Ambassador to Haiti Sébastien Carrière told CBC News.

"It's been a rough couple of months," he said. "They've had some losses, more than usual I would say in the last month. Brutal killings."

Levon Sevunts/Radio Canada International

Eugene Gerstein of INKAS, which produces the vehicles at its facility in Weston, Ont., said he's very aware of the conditions Haitian police face.

"I've personally visited Haiti with our teams multiple times. I've spoken to multiple officers," he said. "I understand their plight. I understand the predicament.

"I visited Haiti for the first time in 2010, right after the earthquake, and in the 13 years since I've seen the country spiral into darkness. We really want to help.

"In terms of protection, it's a terrifying feeling when you sit in an armoured vehicle and you hear .50-calibre projectiles hitting against the hull ... knowing that this is what stands between you and death. We're proud to be a part of this mission. We're proud to help save lives."

A police force in crisis

As almost the only part of the Haitian state that is still functioning, Haiti's police have borne the brunt of the battle to prevent the country from slipping into total anarchy.

Killings have occurred during police combat with heavily-armed gangs, but also in ambushes, targeted assassinations, and attacks on police stations.

When police are driven from a police station — as recently happened in the Port-au-Prince neighbourhood of Pernier — the gangs will often burn the building to prevent them from returning.

Port-au-Prince is now essentially surrounded by gang territory. The ring around the city is not complete but anyone passing through it is at risk of being kidnapped or robbed — or worse.

Odelyn Joseph/Associated Press

In late January, a shadowy group known as Fantome 509, made up largely of active and former police officers, staged angry protests around the city. Shots were fired at the residence of de-facto prime minister Ariel Henry, although he was out of the country at a summit in Buenos Aires at the time. Another group laid siege to the airport as he returned, forcing him to remain in the terminal for several hours.

And in the city of Gonaives, protesting police have stopped showing up for work since six of their comrades were killed in a nearby town by the Gran Grif gang — which mutilated their bodies and posted the videos to the internet. The bodies were not recovered.

CBC News contacted Haitian National Police but was unable to get the force to discuss those issues.

Odelyn Joseph/The Associated Press

The INKAS vehicles can provide police with the protection they need to enter gang territory. They were used last October to clear a gang blockade of Haiti's main fuel terminal that had brought commerce and transport almost to a standstill.

INKAS told CBC News the company is working flat-out to provide the remaining vehicles as soon as it can. The company said the delays are due to a combination of supply-chain issues and changes demanded by the Haitian buyers post-contract.

When it became clear the gangs had access to heavy weaponry, said Gerstein, the police "felt that they needed additional protection."

"One of the interesting things I've heard from them is, look, they shoot at us from above," he said.

"They required, for their confidence, protection in various additional areas. They wanted protective canopies of their own design that they've changed two or three times. I believe they currently have the final result. Looks like they're happy with it, so we're happy for them."

A 'trench fight' for parts

The supply-chain issues that have snarled manufacturing networks worldwide have also set back the manufacturing process for Haiti's armoured cars, said Gerstein.

"The war in Ukraine has affected manufacturers like Volkswagen Audi. It turned out that wiring harnesses for many vehicles that Volkswagen Audi produces are made in Ukraine," he said.

Gerstein said his company's vehicles have been caught up in the same supply chain tangles that are causing new civilian passenger cars to pile up in lots across North America.

"More often than not, a vehicle is ready, but it lacks a part that might be worth $100, like a sensor. Without that sensor, the vehicle cannot operate," he said.

"In our case, for example, transmission speed sensors were one of the issues that we've encountered.

"We're doing everything in our power to speed up the manufacturing process. We are acquiring the needed parts from everywhere, from all over the world ... working around the clock in shifts. Our procurement department is chasing parts around the world.

"It's a trench fight trying to get parts that someone else is trying to get."

A pound full of broken-down vehicles

In the meantime, INKAS said it has provided Haitian police with "a number of armoured personnel carriers for relief" that were not included in the additional contract.

There is also a question of training. CBC News has seen video shot in a Haitian police vehicle compound that shows a number of armoured vehicles, made by more than one manufacturer, that are clearly broken down. Many no longer have wheels. All show scars of small arms fire, sometimes on all sides of the vehicle.

But some also have voiced concerns about operator error and poor maintenance practices.

"Haiti needs, unfortunately, training, a lot of training," said INKAS chair Margarita Simkin.

Odelyn Joseph/Associated Press

According to both INKAS and Canadian officials, one of INKAS's brand new vehicles was rendered useless just days after arriving when Haitian police locked the differential and then tried to push the vehicle with a bulldozer, stripping the planetary gears.

"Aside from additional vehicles to Haiti, we have sent multiple groups of our own employees to train Haiti police with driver training, with mechanics," said Simkin. "We currently have two of our mechanics on the ground as is."

'They care for their country'

The vehicles are not a gift from Canada, but the Canadian air force has stepped up to fly them into the country and is expected to continue to do so.

Last week, Trudeau said Canada would be sending two coastal defence vessels to patrol the Port-au-Prince bay and harbour, an area that has seen a considerable amount of gang activity. The ships are also expected to play an intelligence and eavesdropping role.

Canada also sent a CP-140 Aurora surveillance aircraft to overfly the city for a few days earlier this month in support of police operations. The plane is expected to return at some point.

But the main battle is in Haiti's streets and shantytowns, where Haitian police can no longer venture without armoured vehicles.

Gerstein said INKAS hopes to fulfil its contract shortly; four more vehicles are set to leave in March and the final eight are to be dispatched within about 60 days.

"I've spent time talking to police officers in the Haitian national police, you know, from rank and file to senior officers, and there is one narrative that is there at all times. They care for their country," he said. "They care for the future of their children. They're risking their lives on a daily basis ... The criminals can find out what they look like. The criminals can find out where they live.

"They're hard workers and we're trying our best."

'Large tension crack' threatens major sewer line in Whitehorse

Wed, February 22, 2023 

A photo taken from a drone in June 2022 shows a manhole near a large tension crack on Whitehorse's escarpment. City officials say the crack is expected to eventually cause a slide, and that threatens one of the city's main sewer lines.

 (City of Whitehorse - image credit)

Whitehorse city officials say one of the city's main sewer lines is at risk from a probable landslide, maybe even this year — and it's a $10-million fix to avoid a potential "uncontrolled release" of raw sewage.

City engineers say a "large tension crack" was discovered last spring along the Takhini sanitary trunk line, which carries nearly half of the city's raw sewage to the Marwell lift station. The crack is just east of the Pepsi Softball Centre on Range Road, on a relatively steep section of the escarpment.

It's similar to other cracks that were seen elsewhere along the escarpment before a series of landslides last spring.

"Based on the hazard and risk assessment completed by the City's geotechnical engineering consultants, there is a high probability of imminent slope failure that will damage or destroy this portion of the main within the next year," reads an analysis presented at a city committee meeting on Monday.

Speaking at a news conference on Tuesday, Gareth Earl, the city's associate manager of engineering services, said a slide is "highly probable."

"So we're doing our due diligence to prepare for that."

Paul Tukker/CBC

The steel-pipe sewer line at risk was installed in 1975 and it carries raw sewage to the Marwell lift station from an area including the residential neighbourhoods of Takhini, McIntyre, Arkell, Ingram, Copper Ridge, and Granger, as well as Yukon University, the Canada Games Centre and the Whitehorse Correctional Centre. Earl says it carries about 40 to 50 per cent of the city's sewage, at a rate of about 150 to 200 litres per second, "roughly equivalent to like, 1,000 kitchen taps left on."

The plan is to construct a new sewer main around the potential landslide area later this year. City council is being asked to approve the $10-million budget so a tender can go out next month, and work can begin this spring.

The design includes approximately 1.2 kilometres of sewer line that would go along Range Road and then down a more gentle slope to Marwell.

In the meantime, city engineers have designed a temporary bypass that will be used once the spring melt begins, likely in April. The bypass involves an above-ground pipe and will be used until the new main is operational.

 

Paul Tukker/CBC

The city also dug a sump at the bottom of the slope last year to collect any sewage in case of a spill.

Several landslides in 2022

Whitehorse's escarpment was under the microscope last spring after several landslides during the spring melt. One large landslide blocked off one of the main thoroughfares into downtown for several weeks.

The tension crack that threatens the Takhini sewer main was discovered last June. It was not there during an inspection a year earlier, city officials say.

City council last summer approved $350,000 to immediately begin work on a solution for the sewer main. Now council is being asked to find another $9.75 million to complete the work.

The project would go out for tender next month, and work is expected to begin by May and be done before the end of 2023.

In the meantime, Earl said engineers will continue to monitor the tension crack and the sewage flow for any change.