New Brunswick

ARC's small nuclear reactors won't fill electricity gap left by Belledune

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CEO says company’s current plan would still leave ‘shortfall in megawatts’ after coal phaseout

Jacques Poitras · CBC News · Posted: Feb 14, 2023 

Bill Labbe, president and CEO of ARC Clean Energy, appeared before the New Brunswick legislature's climate committee on Tuesday. (Jacques Poitras/CBC)

One of the companies planning to build small modular nuclear reactors in New Brunswick says its technology won't be enough to replace all the electricity N.B. Power is now generating with coal.

The provincial government has touted SMRs as a key element of its climate action plan to shift away from generation that emits greenhouse gases that warm the atmosphere.

"Our mission is to protect the planet with clean energy," ARC Clean Energy CEO Bill Labbe told MLAs on the legislature's standing committee on climate change.

But Labbe said the company's plans do not include enough SMRs to make up for the 450 megawatts of electricity generated annually by the Belledune coal-fired power station.

"No, I think there's a significant shortfall in megawatts," he told reporters. "That shortfall will require hundreds of megawatts of new generation."

• SMRs could be key weapon in climate-change battle, engineer says

• Nuclear opponents taking 'best shot' to slow approval of N.B.'s small reactors

Belledune must stop burning coal by 2030, creating a potential gap in the province's electricity generation.

Labbe said ARC is confident its first SMR will be operating at Point Lepreau by then, but it will only generate 100 megawatts of electricity.

The company plans to have eight to 12 SMRs in Belledune eventually, but they probably won't be in place until 2032 to 2036.

And all their output will be for a proposed plant to generate hydrogen power for export — meaning it won't be available for the N.B. Power grid.

The other New Brunswick-based SMR developer, Moltex Energy, says it is "on its way to having an operational reactor by the early 2030s."

Committee already warned

Last year, a former N.B. Power CEO and a vice-president at Saint John Energy both warned the same committee that costs and regulatory processes could prevent SMRs from being ready in time for 2030.

Labbe said other SMRs could be set up in New Brunswick to generate more electricity for the grid but there's nothing on the drawing board for that yet, and that means they wouldn't be operating by the time coal is phased out.

And he said because every unit after the first Lepreau unit will be subject to federal, not provincial, environmental assessments, the process will take more time — unless ARC can persuade Ottawa to adopt an accelerated regulatory process. 

• ANALYSIS
  Why it's so hard to decide whether nuclear power is a good idea for the climate

He said that would not mean cutting corners on safety but perhaps allowing for licensing and permitting to happen for several units simultaneously. 

"We believe there's opportunity to make that process efficient, that's all.… but we still want to ensure that we are following all of the expectations," he said. "We just think that we can do it in an efficient sort of way."

Labbe made the comment during the first of four days of meetings of the climate change committee. Two days are being devoted to small modular reactors.

Total of $30M from province

The Higgs government gave ARC $20 million in 2021, adding to the $10 million it received from the previous Liberal government. Labbe told MLAs Tuesday that ARC won't need any more public money from now on.

Tuesday's committee session featured a testy exchange between Energy Minister Mike Holland and anti-nuclear activist Susan O'Donnell of the Coalition for Responsible Energy Development in New Brunswick.

Holland said O'Donnell is proposing an alternative energy plan, renewable power plus large-scale battery storage, that is no more proven or viable than small reactors.

Susan O'Donnell of the Coalition for Responsible Energy Development in New Brunswick got into a testy exchange with Energy Minister Mike Holland. (Jacques Poitras/CBC)

"Storage for renewables is as far out on a trajectory on a cost-effective basis as SMRs," he said.

"So what you're talking about doing is something that is unrealistic for the current day and age." 

The CRED-NB proposal is for new battery technology to store electricity from solar and wind power that could then be used on days when it's not windy or sunny.

"The technology is very expensive right now for storage, but the costs are dropping rapidly, at the same time that the costs are dropping rapidly for solar and wind, they're dropping for storage," O'Donnell said.

Holland said O’Donnell is proposing an alternative energy plan that is no more proven or viable than small reactors. (Jacques Poitras/CBC)

Holland argued that each SMR built will be less expensive than the previous unit, driving costs down so that eventually "the nth of a kind" won't be as costly as a first-of-a-kind large battery storage facility.

The minister said both technologies may eventually be viable, so "why wouldn't we go down both tracks simultaneously?"

"Well, minister, you're assuming there will be an nth-of-a-kind [SMR]," O'Donnell said.

"Well, you're assuming there won't," Holland answered.

O'Donnell said experts appearing later at the committee meetings would be better able to answer questions about the cost of a renewable-plus-storage option for electricity generation.

"It's really not up to us, a volunteer group, to come up with a Plan B," she told reporters later. "This is what N.B. Power should be doing. This is what the ministry should be doing."

Why has a Canadian company partnered with the tiny island of Nauru to fast-track deep-sea mining?

A leaked video of ocean pollution during a trial by The Metals Company (TMC) has renewed calls for a ban on deep-sea mining.

By Joanna Chiu

Staff Reporter
Mon., Feb. 20, 2023

Brown-black discharge gushed out of a pipe from a hulking ship, dispersing murky clouds of sediment into the international waters of the Pacific Ocean.

The scene, captured in a video that’s garnered international attention, turned a spotlight to a controversial Canadian company that is poised to become the first in the world to extract critical metals from the ocean floor — with the help of a tiny island in Micronesia.

While The Metals Company (TMC) insists the incident during a mining trial was harmless, the spill has renewed calls for a global ban on deep-sea mining. Protesters in Vancouver recently waved placards that singled out TMC for its operations, and asked that delegates to a global ocean conference push for a ban.

The uproar has highlighted the tension between our world’s growing demand for metals that power renewable energy technologies and the impact on the earth of pursuing them.

This month, Canada issued a surprise domestic moratorium on deep-sea mining and said international mining should only take place if regulators can ensure environmental protections.

But the federal government stopped short of weighing in on whether there should be a global ban.

“It’s a huge debate we’re having about how to responsibly produce batteries for electronic vehicles and other technologies for clean energy,” says Dr. Juan José Alava, principal investigator at the University of British Columbia’s Ocean Pollution Research Unit.

“But as metals or valuable elements from the land become scarce or more difficult to extract, more industries are looking to the ocean bottom.”

Speaking a day after the Natural Resources Canada statement, TMC chief executive officer Gerard Barron defended his company’s handling of the incident on the ship Hidden Gem and laid out his arguments for why the benefits of deep-sea mining would outweigh harm to marine life.

“It wasn’t toxic waste,” he told the Star. “It was water and nodules and sediment … We shut it off right away.” (In the mining trial, the company picked up nodules — potato-sized rocks containing metals such as cobalt, copper, nickel and manganese needed for batteries — but is not allowed to sell them commercially.)



The International Seabed Authority, a United Nations body regulating mineral-related activities, said a preliminary assessment by its experts identified no threat of harm to the environment. But it was awaiting a more detailed report from TMC’s subsidiary, Nauru Ocean Resources Inc.

The video came from scientists who were part of TMC’s required team of experts to monitor mining trials, a Greenpeace spokesperson told the Star. The scientists shared the video with a group of NGOs including Greenpeace, and allowed Greenpeace to post the video and share with media. The scientists shared it with organizations but declined to speak with journalists, according to the spokesperson.

Barron objected to calling the video a “leak” from concerned scientists. “There were more than 200 people on board. We weren’t trying to hide anything,” he said.

Hundreds of international experts have questioned the company’s claims, saying the deep-sea environment is the least understood ecosystem in the world and that scientists simply don’t have enough data to understand the effects of using heavy machinery to hoover up nodules that took millions of years to form.

Sharing slides over a Zoom call, Barron displayed a map of the Clarion-Clipperton Zone, which spans 4.5 million square kilometres between Hawaii and Mexico. It is here where some of the world’s deep-sea mining companies are conducting trials in anticipation that the International Seabed Authority may soon announce a regulatory framework for projects to begin.

Barron pointed out an area near an edge of the zone. “In this section alone, where we’ve invested 90 per cent of our resources (hundreds of millions of dollars), there is enough metal to power 60 million mid-sized electric vehicle batteries,” he said.

“In this area, most life is under the sea floor, and those are very small organisms … Let’s look at it from a bigger perspective. Let’s not just think about the worms,” Barron said.

The longtime Australian investor, who works out of TMC headquarters in Vancouver, said he was drawn to deep-sea exploration for environmental protection reasons.

To him, the prospect of “picking up” nodules from the sea floor seemed far less destructive than mining on land, which is “threatening rainforests in the Philippines and Indigenous communities.”

Alava, from UBC, said the company should allow independent scientists to closely review all data and protocols related to the incident since video clips and TMC’s public statement may not tell the full story.

“Simply calling it an accident is unacceptable. We don’t know if it was human error, engine failure or machine failure,” he said. “When you have a lot of suspension of sediment, it can obstruct the feeding processes of marine life for quite some time.”

It’s not only the prospect of future deep-sea mining that worries scientists, but existing activities such as offshore oil exploitation and natural gas drilling.

“A lot of research is still needed on whether we can use modelling tools to predict impact in the long term on seawater quality and marine biodiversity because there are more marine species being discovered every day.”

The concern is that we might lose unique marine species, ones which may have applications in medicine and technology before they are found.”

Newly discovered deep-sea creatures include a blind eel with transparent skin, deep-sea batfishes that are flat with beady eyes and a new species of spiderfish with large mouths, which dwell below the surface of the Indian Ocean.

TMC pairs up with Nauru

While 22 different companies have deep-sea mining exploration contracts from the ISA, a consensus among industry observers is that TMC and its subsidiaries are clearly in the lead. Barron confirmed TMC could start mining as early as next year, pending regulatory approvals.

The imminent legalization of deep-sea mining projects is connected to the actions of Barron’s company, too.

Since 2011, TMC has partnered with the tropical island nation of Nauru, which has a population of 12,500. The Canadian company’s wholly owned subsidiary, Nauru Ocean Enterprises, is registered in Nauru. Nauru acts as the firm’s official state sponsor.

Since deep-sea mining in international waters is not allowed because no regulations exist to govern the industry, Nauru issued a two-year deadline to the ISA in June 2020 to complete rules on deep-sea mineral exploitation. They invoked the so-called “two-year rule,” a treaty provision obliging the authority to try to finalize decisions within the deadline.

In response to Nauru and TMC’s gambit, more than 700 marine science and policy experts signed a letter calling for a pause to deep-sea mining. The experts said organisms in the deep sea support “ecosystem processes necessary for the Earth’s natural systems to function,” playing a key role in climate regulation and elemental cycling.

Major companies using advanced batteries, including Google, Samsung, Volvo and BMW, also joined a World Wildlife Fund call for a moratorium on deep-sea mining over fears of environmental impact.

A spokesperson for the ISA said the body has been discussing a draft exploitation regulation since 2019 and declined to comment on criticisms that Nauru’s deadline put pressure on the authority to rush the process.

“Discussions are progressing well, and ISA member states have agreed to continue their work with a view to reaching an agreement for the adoption of the exploitation regulations for July 2023, if possible.”

In his interview, Barron said his company was “utilizing” the two-year rule to ask for regulations to be completed by this year, before correcting himself to say it was Nauru that had invoked the treaty provision at the ISA.

“I think scientists will be very pleased when they see the volume and quality of the science we’ve been gathering this last decade,” Barron said.

If mining exploitation can go forward, it’s not clear how Nauru will benefit. Negotiations on future revenue sharing are underway but for now, TMC supports several local jobs including two Nauruan directors as well as initiatives such as university sponsorships, according to Barron. In the future, the company may pay taxes to Nauru. A representative for the Nauru government at the UN could not be reached for comment.

The whole situation has raised eyebrows, says Pradeep Singh, a specialist in ocean regulation and fellow at the Research Institute for Sustainability, Helmholtz Centre in Potsdam, who advises several governments on deep seabed mining and attends ISA meetings as an observer delegate.

“It is apparent that the company does not currently have a significant presence or meaningful and physical assets within the jurisdiction of Nauru so the question is raised as to whether it is appropriate for the country to be sponsoring this company,” Singh said.

“The pertinent question to ask is whether Nauru has effective control over the actual activities that are being carried out in the name of Nauru Ocean Enterprises Inc.,” he added.

TMC has struck similar deep-sea mining exploration partnerships with the countries of Tonga and Kiribati, in 2012 and 2015, respectively. “Without investment in this industry from private sector companies such as ours, developing nations would not otherwise have an opportunity to benefit from this new resource opportunity,” Barron argued.

Green Party supports ban

Besides questions over Nauru’s role, the crux of TMC’s reasoning for the relative environmental good of deep-sea mining is flawed, Singh says.

“The launch of a deep-sea mining industry doesn’t mean that traditional mining companies will drop out as competition. Rather, it is likely that terrestrial miners will compete, and in so doing, make matters worse by digging further and deeper, with lesser controls, more abuses just to gain a competitive edge,” Singh told the Star.

“So that really eats into the narrative that deep-sea miners claim to reduce terrestrial mining, whereby in reality, we will just see more of the old problems on land and new ones at sea.”

Elizabeth May, leader of the Green Party, is among those supporting an international ban on deep-sea mining and says Canada should take a stronger leadership role on such a position.

“I think we should ban deep-sea mining and that should be (Canada’s) position globally … It’s too big a threat to the climate, it’s a threat to biodiversity,” she told the Star.

“The question you have to ask is, ‘Do we need this?’ There are many ways to recycle metals and minerals. There are other places to be mining for lithium and other metals that are needed in electric vehicles. We have plenty of sources.”

In fact, international and Canadian companies are set to open several new lithium mines across Quebec, Manitoba and the Northwest Territories, in what is being dubbed the “White Gold Rush.”

Calls from countries for a pause on deep-sea mining now include several ISA Council members including Palau, Fiji, Samoa, Micronesia, New Zealand, Costa Rica, Spain, Germany, Panama and Chile. Last month, France became the first country to call for an outright ban on international deep-sea mining.

Barron chalks up the growing opposition from some governments to “narrative warfare” waged by activist groups who “think some magical cure will drop out of the sky” to meet renewable energy power needs.

“What we can do is be as transparent as possible. It’s an understandable question people have of, ‘How do we know what you’re doing deep in the ocean, thousands of miles from shore?’ We have a plan to set up a digital dashboard from our ships so regulators and stakeholders can get a near-live view of what we’re doing.”

With files from Marco Chown Oved

Joanna Chiu is a B.C.-based staff reporter for the Star. She covers global and national affairs. Follow her on Twitter: @joannachiu

Serena Williams lists Canadian rock band as one of her all-time favourites

Sabrina Gamrot
Feb 17 2023

Robert Deutsch-USA TODAY Sports

Tennis great Serena Williams has shown some love for an iconic Toronto rock band, saying the group is one of her favourite musical acts.

Speaking with Rolling Stone about her Super Bowl commercial for Remy Martin, the 23-Grand Slam holder was asked by Canadian journalist Tim Chan what music she listens to before a match.

She listed some pop music singers like Beyonce, Bruno Mars and The Weeknd as fun “warm-up” songs, and then Chan asked the 41-year-old tennis superstar what her first concert was.

At a mere 14 years old, little Serena’s first concert was Green Day as they toured for their Dookie album.

The two chatted about Williams’ love for rock music when Chan asked what people would be surprised to know she listens to.

Lo and behold, Serena listed good ole Toronto group Our Lady Peace.

“Oh, I went to the show for Our Lady Peace recently. It was a small show, and they literally sounded just like their album, and I was like, ‘Oh my god, this is nuts! I love their albums!'” she responded.

Who would’ve thought that the scrappy, decades-old Toronto band would be at the top of the list for the best tennis player in the world?

As a fellow Canadian, Chan got super excited and asked which Our Lady Peace songs were Williams’ favourites.

She replied that she loves “Clumsy” and has always been a fan of “Superman’s Dead.”

“I mean, what was I doing singing that song? I didn’t even understand the lyrics. I was like, ‘Serena, you should not be singing this,'” she told Chan, speaking about the band’s 1997 hit.

From the golden days at MuchMusic’s Indie show to being recognized by one of the best athletes of all time, I’m sure this is a huge career highlight for OLP!

CANADIAN VIDEO

 

AMERICAN ALTERNATE VIDEO

Arizona aquarium celebrates hatching of 3 endangered African penguin chicks

African penguins have suffered massive population decline over the decades

An Arizona aquarium is celebrating the hatching of three endangered African penguin chicks, saying the tiny additions are genetically valuable as zoos and aquariums around the world work to ensure the species' survival through breeding programs and conservation efforts.

Officials at OdySea Aquarium made the announcement Friday, posting video of the fuzzy birds on social media. They hatched a few weeks ago and will remain behind the scenes with their parents until they're ready for a public appearance.

African penguins have suffered a massive population decline over the decades and are listed as endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature.

So any successful hatching is cause for celebration, said Jess Peranteau, director of animal care and education at the aquarium.

"As the population of the African penguin continues to rapidly decline — down 23% in the past two years alone — OdySea Aquarium remains committed to the survival of the species in partnership with other Association of Zoos and Aquariums’ accredited facilities," Peranteau said in a statement.

Arizona veterinarians examine one of the African penguin chicks recently hatched at the OdySea Aquarium in Scottsdale on Feb. 1, 2023. (OdySea Aquarium via AP)

The breeding program established by the association aims to build up a viable genetic pool for the species.

Officials say two of the three new chicks in Scottsdale are clutch-mates, born to parents Mojo and Lemieux — a power couple of sorts that was selected for pairing as part of the breeding program. The third chick was born to first-time parents Bubbles and Weasley.

Aquarium workers will regularly conduct "chick checks," brief exams to monitor their growth and development and ensure they are hitting all necessary milestones.

The three chicks have yet to be named, and their sex has not yet been determined. For now they're known by their numbers, 42, 43 and 44.

In all, OdySea Aquarium now has 40 African penguins and has recorded 13 successful hatchings.

The aquarium bills itself as the largest in the Southwest.

The largest ever penguin species has been discovered in New Zealand


The penguin Kumimanu fordycei would have towered over other speciessuch as Petradyptes stonehousei more than 55 million years ago. Image © Dr Simone Giovanardi.

By James Ashworth
First published 17 February 2023

Two new species of giant penguin have been described from fossils found on a New Zealand beach.

One species, Kumimanu fordycei, weighed an estimated 150 kilogrammes and is currently thought to be one of the largest penguins ever.

Giant penguins once roamed the seas and beaches of New Zealand over 50 million years ago.

Weighing about the same as a giant panda, and heavier than even the largest bird alive today, Kumimanu fordycei would have been a graceful giant as it swam through the oceans.

Dr Daniel Field, a University of Cambridge researcher who co-authored the description of the species, says, 'Fossils provide us with evidence of the history of life, and sometimes that evidence is truly surprising.'

'Many early fossil penguins attained enormous sizes, easily dwarfing the largest penguins alive today. Our new species Kumimanu fordycei is the largest fossil penguin ever discovered.'

The paper, published in the Journal of Paleontology, also describes a second substantially sized species, Petradyptes stonehousei. Even though it is around 100 kilogrammes lighter than K. fordycei, it's still larger than any living penguin.

Together, these birds would have been an important part of marine ecosystems recovering from a mass extinction that wiped out almost 80% of all species.

Fossil penguins are known mainly from arm and leg bones, with the known bones of Kumimanu fordycei (left), Petradyptes stonehousei (middle) and an emperor penguin (right) shown in white. 

Image © Dr Simone Giovanardi.Read more

What are the largest penguins?

The largest living penguin is the emperor penguin, with the biggest individuals weighing around 45 kilogrammes and standing around 1.2 metres tall. But in the past penguins were much bigger.

The tallest ever penguin was probably Palaeeudyptes klekowskii, which was discovered on Seymour Island off the coast of Antarctica. It is thought to have been around two metres tall, and weighed around 116 kilogrammes.

A fossil of an Anthropornis penguin found on the island may have been even taller, but this is likely to be an exception. The majority of these penguins were only 1.7 metres tall and weighed around 80 kilogrammes.

While Palaeeudyptes klekowskii remains the tallest ever penguin, it is no longer the heaviest. At an estimated 150 kilogrammes, Kumimanu fordycei would have been around three times heavier than any living penguin.

While it's uncertain how tall the species was, the height of a closely related species, Kumimanu biceae, has been estimated at 1.77 metres.

These measurements, however, are all open for debate. Many fossil penguins are only known from preserved arm and leg bones, rather than complete skeletons. This means that scientists have to estimate how big they were based on the relationship between bone size and overall size in living species.

As a result, it's very possible that the estimated size of these penguins could change as new fossils are discovered.

'Kumimanu fordycei would have been an utterly astonishing sight on the beaches of New Zealand 57 million years ago, and the combination of its sheer size and the incomplete nature of its fossil remains makes it one of the most intriguing fossil birds ever found,' Dr Field says.

'Hopefully, future fossil discoveries will shed more light on the biology of this amazing early penguin.'

How did giant penguins evolve?

Zealandia, an area of the Earth's crust containing New Zealand and New Caledonia, was once a hotspot of penguin life. Many of the earliest known species have been found in this region, with scientists believing that this is where penguins first evolved.

The oldest fossil penguin remains are around 62 million years old, but they only appear around 30 million years after penguins are first thought to have evolved from their closest relatives, the petrels.

Like some modern species of petrels, the ancestors of penguins are thought to have been divers that swam on the surface using their feet and used their wings to help propel them underwater. Over time, the birds became more adapted for an aquatic lifestyle as their wings became flippers more adapted to gliding through the water.

Eventually, the birds lost the ability to fly altogether. This would have allowed early penguins to become much bigger, as they no longer had to support their own weight to take off.

Being large would have been helpful as it reduced the amount of energy needed to dive.

 But it also had a number of other advantages.

'A bigger penguin could capture larger prey, and more importantly it would have been better at conserving body temperature in cold waters,' says Dr Daniel Ksepka, a curator at the Bruce Museum. 'It is possible that breaking the 45-kilogramme size barrier allowed the earliest penguins to spread from New Zealand to other parts of the world.'

Emperor penguins are the largest living penguins, but evolved much later, and are much smaller, than their giant relatives. 

Image © vladsilver/Shutterstock

Why did giant penguins become extinct?

With a variety of large species found throughout the Paleogene Epoch (66-23 million years ago), giant penguins appear to have been thriving. They are known to have reached as far as Antarctica and Peru as they spread across the Earth.

Around 20 million years ago, however, they vanished from the fossil record. While it's not entirely certain what led to their demise, the arrival of new predators might be to blame.

'The disappearance of large penguins is around the same time that seals are spreading throughout the Southern Hemisphere,' Dr Ksepka says. 'We don't know exactly when the first seal arrives or the last giant penguin dies, but I think it is plausible that competition with pinnipeds wiped out the largest penguins.'

'This could have been due to a combination of direct predation pressure, competition for prey, and seals monopolising nesting sites.'

Smaller penguins, meanwhile, were less affected by these new arrivals and would give rise to the ancestors of modern species around 14 million years ago.

Grocery giants may have to sing for their supper

Author of the article:

Liz Braun

TORONTO SUN

Published Feb 18, 2023  • 

Galen Weston PHOTO BY LOBLAW COMPANIES LIMITED /CNW Group

Article content

Canadian consumers outraged at food prices may have their voices heard yet.

The CEOs of Canada’s supermarkets may be on the hot seat if asked to testify before the House of Commons Standing Committee on Agriculture and Agri-Food.

At an agri-committee meeting last week, NDP MP Alistair MacGregor put forward a motion asking that the supermarket CEOs report to the House of Commons to be questioned about food prices and food price inflation.

The committee’s vote to adopt MacGregor’s motion was unanimous.

As MacGregor tweeted, “Today members of the #AGRI Committee unanimously passed my motion to summon the Presidents and CEOs of the three biggest grocery chains in Canada: Empire, Loblaws, and Metro to answer for their profit-driven inflation of food prices.”

Article content

The Standing Committee on Agriculture and Agri-Food’s study of food price inflation began in early October. 

Expert witnesses on the subject who gave testimony at last week’s meeting, fourth of its kind, included Dr. Jim Stanford, who presented a report on how grocery prices have risen faster than inflation.

The scathing report notes that despite their protestations, “Loblaw and the other chains are not innocent intermediaries.” Loblaws has claimed that it is not the cause of high food prices, suggesting manufacturers are the real culprits.

In a recent Toronto Life Magazine story, Stanford referred to Loblaw chief Galen Weston as the, “poster boy for excess.”

The economist did not mince words in blaming grocery stores for sky high food prices.

Stanford tweeted recently about his appearance at the House of Commons Agri-Food Committee’s inquiry on food inflation — above a graph titled “Food Retail Profit Doubled Since Pandemic.”

Both Galen Weston and the CEO of Empire, Michael Medline, have said that if asked, they would appear before a parliamentary committee to answer questions about food prices and corporate profits.

Newfoundland and Labrador

Retired police officer breaks silence over RNC dismantling horse therapy program

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Ottawa-based non-profit says it was ‘shocked’ force cut ties 

without consultation

Ariana Kelland · CBC News · Posted: Feb 19, 2023 

Retired Const. Kelsey Muise still gets time with horses at the Avalon Equestrian Centre in Conception Bay South. (Ariana Kelland/CBC)

When the Royal Newfoundland Constabulary posted in late January about Bell Let's Talk day, a national corporate initiative to support people with mental illness, Kelsey Muise couldn't help but laugh at the irony.

The former constable retired months before the RNC espoused breaking the stigma in social media posts. Officers wore blue knitted hats and held signs saying, "Let's Talk."

Muise is now ready to talk.

"It's not a matter of if, it's a matter of when people are going to start taking their lives around here," Muise said in a recent interview with CBC News. 

Muise is breaking her silence because she says the force quietly dismantled its equine therapy program — an initiative that was meant to help fellow officers and first responders, and connect with the community. The collapse of the program is a symptom of a much larger issue within the force, she said.

Mental illness is not being treated appropriately, Muise said, and she fears for the officers who remain on the job.

"I knew that I was going to have hard, tough calls. I knew that there was going to be trauma and I knew that there was going to be things that I did not want to witness," Muise said of her career as a police officer.

"But I did not think that one of my biggest opponents was going to be my employer."

The RNC never publicly announced it was stopping the program, nor did it announce it had retired one of its horses — Dr. Rich, who was Muise's partner. Muise said the greatest hurt came when the RNC sent her partner, a Percheron, to another province without telling her.

Muise worked as a police officer for two decades, joining the police academy straight out of high school. (Submitted)

Muise said she was diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder in 2015, resulting from a culmination of events in her career. She was hospitalized because of her disorder and sought treatment in Ontario.

She thought her career was over. After 18 months on sick leave, Muise met with then chief Joe Boland, who suggested she work with the mounted unit.

She said it reignited her career and the work became her "passion" and what she believed was her "true purpose for being there."

Muise worked for three years with the mounted unit and trained to become an equine therapist. Horse-assisted therapies promote physical and mental well-being and are conducted with mental health facilitators. The program draws on a horse's ability to recognize human emotions and body language.

Muise guided a pilot project that provided equine therapy to first responders, including members of the RNC, and the wider community. She held multiple eight-week sessions with vulnerable populations who suffered from mental health issues, poverty and addiction.

I think it was a great rapport to be able to open that to a police force. And to see, it's kind of shut down with no explanation, no openness, no conversation about it. I feel that it's kind of going backwards."​​​​​- Ryan Theriault

 

Muise said it broke down barriers in the community and allowed a level of trust and connection with the RNC that had long been missing. 

"I think that it allowed participants to see us, meaning the police, as humans," Muise said. "Most people in the community don't come up to a police car [but] they'll come up to a police horse."

RNC Chief Patrick Roche addressed reporters on Feb. 1, 2022, after being appointed to lead the force. (Patrick Butler/Radio-Canada)

Boland retired as chief in late July 2021. Patrick Roche, the retired commanding officer for Corner Brook and Labrador, assumed the role on an interim basis in August 2021. That summer, Roche announced two Newfoundland ponies would be integrated into the therapy program. Muise said that work had begun under Boland. 

"The RNC continues to progress its safety and wellness strategy, sending heartfelt gratitude to the community partners who are so dedicated to building safe and healthy communities together," the force said in an Aug. 19, 2021, press release.

Roche declined an interview request about the status of the equine therapy program.

CBC News sent the RNC a list of questions that went unanswered.

'Change in management'

But Muise said there was a shift in priorities within the RNC, and the equine therapy program didn't seem to be one of them.

Muise said the ponies were never used for their intended purpose. The donor of one of the ponies told CBC News he was told to retrieve the pony and the equipment he donated. He's now paying to board the horse.

"As soon as there was a change in management, things went downhill," Muise said.

Roche was appointed to the top position permanently in February 2022. He told reporters that police mental health was among his top priorities.

"We have to be preventive in our treatment of mental health issues for our membership. And how do we do that? We need to work with professionals who are experts in that area to guide us," Roche told reporters at the time.

Midnight, a four-year-old Newfoundland pony, was added to the RNC's equine therapy program in 2021. He is now back at the Dixie H Farm in the Goulds, after being returned by the police force.  (Ariana Kelland/CBC)

Muise went on sick leave that same month. 

"It was just made very difficult for me to continue, so there were always obstacles put in my way to continue with my programs," Muise said.

Before going on sick leave, Muise said, she was told she could no longer speak directly with groups or organizations that wanted to set up equine therapy sessions. Instead they were told to contact another individual within the RNC who would co-ordinate. 

• RNC teams with Rainbow Riders to offer equine therapy program to first responders with PTSD

"I don't even know if someone else ever got back to them," Muise said. "They just stopped because I was told that I was no longer allowed to facilitate them myself."

Through the Ottawa-based Heroes Equine Learning Program, Muise held four retreats in one year for first responders who have occupational stress injuries. She said there were retired members of the RNC, RCMP, veterans, paramedics and firefighters. 

Momentum was building, she said, until that stopped, too.

"I was really defeated. Very hurt. But also extremely frustrated because again, these programs were proven to work, and you could see how much of an impact they were having on the community."

'Biggest knife to my back'

Muise continued to visit her partner, Dr. Rich, at the Rainbow Riders therapeutic riding centre in St. John's while she was on sick leave — until the day he was suddenly gone.

"At that point in time, I was quite sure that I probably wasn't going to return to the RNC. A lot of damage had been done. This was the biggest knife to my back," Muise said.

"They didn't allow me the opportunity to say goodbye. They didn't allow me the opportunity to even know what was going on with him."

Muise said the horse was sent to Prince Edward Island, where there is a veterinary hospital, for surgery. She said the horse had health issues but had improved greatly after being moved to Rainbow Riders. The RNC did not bring the horse back.

Muise helped bring the Heroes Equine Learning Program to Newfoundland and Labrador. (Jeremy Eaton/CBC)

Emails provided to CBC News show Muise had to retain a lawyer to find out where the RNC moved the horse. The RNC did not announce Dr. Rich's retirement, which has been a standard course of action once a service animal finishes with the force.

"I was on sick leave. This was my partner. They knew how much of a connection in a relationship that we had and it broke my heart," she said.

"I don't know how anybody could do that."

After two decades as a police officer, Muise retired in September. 

'It was a shock'

Ryan Theriault is co-founder of Heroes Equine Learning Program, a non-profit organization that provides therapy to first responders and military members. It offers a four-day residential program involving the horses and a mental health professional.

Speaking from his home in Nova Scotia last month, Theriault said he was blindsided when the RNC severed ties with his organization.

"I thought that we had a great relationship," Theriault said. "I think it was a great rapport to be able to open that to a police force. And to see it's kind of shut down with no explanation, no openness, no conversation about it, I feel that it's kind of going backwards.

"It was a shock to us, seeing that. You know, is it about money? Is it about the program? What is it about? There was no conversation about it."

Aside from a $150 registration fee, there is no cost to the individual or organization.

Ryan Theriault is the co-founder of the Heroes Equine Learning Program. (David Laughlin/CBC)

Theriault said there has been resistance from police forces across Canada to buy in to the therapeutic program, and he thinks he knows why. 

"They're in denial that their members are needing the help. They want to do all of the resources [internally]. So it seems like they're almost sheltering [it] and they don't want society to know that actually this is a problem."

Theriault said he hears from police officers across the country who are fearful to attend retreats in case their employer finds out. He said officers fear being shunned by their peers and having their careers stunted.

Muise said she has seen it first-hand. 

"I think that [the RNC] want the public to believe that they are supportive of their members," she said.

"There's a lot of people in that building suffering."

Canadians think tipping is ‘getting out of control,’ new poll suggest

By Irelyne Lavery Global News
Posted February 19, 2023 

Canadians are hitting their limit when it comes to tipping, new polling from the Angus Reid Institute appears to show.

“People feel like tipping is getting out of control,” Angus Reid Institute Research Director David Korinski told The Roy Green Show on Sunday.

“I think that it’s compounded by the fact that everything is more expensive.”

READ MORE: 1 in 4 Canadians can’t afford $500 unforeseen expense as inflation bites: report

While 62 per cent of respondents say they’re being asked to tip more, one-in-five also reported leaving a tip of 20 per cent or more the last time they dined out, suggests the polling, which was released Feb. 16.

“When you get the tipping machine, instead of 12, 15, and 18 per cent for the suggested tip, it now says 18, 24, and 30 per cent. I think for a lot of people, that it’s getting a little overwhelming,” Korinski said.

“This is great for people working in the industry and who are getting the benefits but it is a challenge for consumers.”

Those in British Columbia were the most likely respondents to report a “tip-flation,” while Atlantic Canadians were the least likely to say they’re being asked for increased gratuity.

And, as the cost of living has hit Canadians hard across the board, recent polling by Ipsos conducted exclusively for Global News also showed 22 per cent of respondents reported they are “completely out of money” to the degree that they would not be able to pay more for household necessities.

Canada’s annual inflation rate hit a 40-year peak last year, reaching 8.1 per cent in June 2022.

Last year’s inflation was up by 6.8 per cent compared to 2021, with Canadians seeing the largest price gains for transport, food and shelter.

However, in recent months, inflation has appeared to begin to ease.

'Better of a balance'

When it comes to gratuity, more places that previously didn’t request tips are now prompting for them — the Angus Reid polling suggests a total of four-in-five say too many establishments are appealing for tips nowadays.

“People are noticing that more places are asking for tips. We’ve got to remember that it’s an important part of the income for people who are in the service economy but it’s also Canadians who are looking for a little better of a balance,” Korinski said.

“If you’re somebody that doesn’t always have the financial means to be generous with your extra cash when you’re out and about – being asked all the time, I think it has this compounding guilt effect.”

According to University of Guelph food economics professor Mike Von Massow, tipping has “historically been a social norm.”

But now, “We’re getting wider range of places that are encouraging us to tip. It’s not that little jar on the counter anymore but it’s when we get that payment machine,” Von Massow told Global News.

To put an end to tipping in Canada, 59 per cent said they would like to see a “service included” model implemented. This means higher base wages for employees and the removal of gratuity fees for consumers.

“Looking at that 2016 to 2023 period, when we asked seven years ago, people actually preferred tipping,” Korinski said, referencing prior polling.

“People think that it’s time to switch to a service inclusive model where you’re just paying people better wages so that we don’t have to pass on to the consumer and rely on people’s generosity.”

With the current way of tipping in Canada, more than four-in-five of the Canadians who want to get rid of gratuity believe the existing system allows employers to underpay their employees.

Half of those who want tipping to stay agree.

“A lot of people look at that and say: ‘That’s not what this was designed for. That’s not the gratuity system,’” said Korinski.

“If these individuals actually need to be paid more, they think that it should be done through the wage system and less so on constantly increasing the amount that people are being asked to tip.”

READ MORE: What’s fuelling inflation? Bank of Canada’s Macklem grilled on Ottawa’s spending plans

Meanwhile, aside from being asked to pay more, most don’t actually believe service has improved, polling showed.

Only 13 per cent say they’ve actually seen better customer service since tips have inflated.

“If you’re being asked to pay more, you’re expecting that somebody is going to do a really over-the-top job,” said Korinski.

The Angus Reid Institute conducted an online survey from Jan. 31 – Feb. 2, 2023 among a representative randomized sample of 1,610 Canadian adults who are members of Angus Reid Forum. For comparison purposes only, a probability sample of this size would carry a margin of error of +/- 2 percentage points, 19 times out of 20. Discrepancies in or between totals are due to rounding. The survey was self-commissioned and paid for by ARI.

— With files from Saba Aziz