Thursday, July 28, 2022

21 victims. $8.9M in compensation. Hockey Canada reveals its history of settling sexual misconduct claims

Hockey Canada has been under fire since news broke that members of the 2018 world junior team were accused of a group sexual assault.

By Kieran Leavitt
Edmonton Bureau
Wed., July 27, 2022

Millions of dollars have flowed from Hockey Canada to more than 20 victims of sexual misconduct going back to 1989, it emerged Wednesday, as the curtain was at least partly pulled back on how the organization — now under a cloud of suspicion and scandal — has systemically dealt with allegations against its members.

Hockey Canada has settled 21 sexual misconduct claims, paying out $8.9 million in compensation, executives with the organization revealed before a committee of MPs in Ottawa.

The admission to the standing committee on Canadian heritage was accompanied by calls from some of those MPs for Hockey Canada president Scott Smith’s resignation, even as he sat before them.

Smith told the committee that should the board of Hockey Canada or the governance review launched recently recommend it, he would step aside.

“Canadians have been clear, they expect those representing our national sport to do better,” Smith said.

“We own it.”

Smith was flanked by some of the sport’s most powerful men and longtime stewards, including the heads of the country’s prominent junior hockey leagues, as the nation’s hockey giant — known for bringing championship hockey teams to fans all over the world — was raked over the coals for three hours Wednesday for what has been widely condemned as a systemic failure in addressing allegations of sexual assault.



Some MPs on the all-party committee expressed disgust at the sexual assault allegations that have been revealed and said that Canadians have lost confidence in the organization. Some noted the lack of diversity among the group before them and said it was time to place women, people of colour and Indigenous leaders into positions of power within the sport’s dominant structures.

Smith said at several points he believes he is the right person to take on the challenge at hand.

The total number of cases and dollar figures around sexual misconduct settlements emerged gradually at the hearing. Of the total paid out, $6.8 million was for incidents related to Graham James, the former Canadian junior hockey coach who was convicted of sexually abusing players. Nine victims have been paid from Hockey Canada’s controversial equity fund, the existence of which has been revealed in recent weeks. (There have been 20 payouts from that fund in total since 1989, with nine being for sexual assaults.)

The national equity fund has been partly funded by membership fees paid for by parents entering their kids into the sport. Since news of the fund broke, Hockey Canada has pledged to stop using it for settling sexual assault claims and released an action plan to start to “eliminate toxic behaviour” in the sport.

Brian Cairo, the chief financial officer for Hockey Canada, told the committee that in addition to the nine settlements from the equity fund, 12 settlements have been done through Hockey Canada’s insurance. Those claims totalled $1.3 million over the years, he said.

That’s a total of 21 cases of sexual misconduct settlements. The nine cases settled using the equity fund came between 1989 and 2021; while the 12 settled through insurance happened between 1996 and 2022, the committee was told.

Sheldon Kennedy told the Star on Wednesday that Hockey Canada paid him a cash settlement after he publicly accused former junior hockey coach Graham James of sexual assault.

“Yeah, absolutely,” he said. “I sued Hockey Canada after (police) charged Graham James and he went to jail. There was a settlement made.”

Kennedy, a former junior hockey star, played in the NHL for parts of eight seasons, including stints with the Detroit Red Wings and the Calgary Flames. In 1996, he revealed that James, his former coach, had repeatedly sexually assaulted him when he was a member of the Swift Current Broncos in the Western Hockey League.

“That was the first case that came forward,” he said.

Kennedy said that he doesn’t know whether Hockey Canada paid his settlement out of the so-called National Equity Fund. “I had no idea how they were paying it out,” he said.

Asked if he had signed a nondisclosure agreement as part of his settlement, Kennedy, who was named a member of the Order of Canada in 2014 for his advocacy, replied: “I signed something, but I mean, obviously I haven’t been following it very well if I did.”

Former NHL star Theoren Fleury, who revealed in 2009 that he too had been sexually abused by James as a teen, said it was “nobody’s business” whether he had received a settlement from the equity fund.

“There’s bigger problems with Hockey Canada than people getting settlements,” he said. “I talked to these guys until I was blue in the face and told them that this is exactly what’s going to happen if they’re not proactive.”

The Hockey Canada president told the committee Wednesday that any victims who have signed nondisclosure agreements but who may want to speak out about their experiences could be allowed to.

“If they wish to eliminate those, unless there is a legal reason not to that I’m not aware of, I’m not sure why we wouldn’t,” he said.

Hockey Canada has been under fire since news broke in May that members of the 2018 world junior team were accused of a group sexual assault after a gala event in London, Ont. Police did not lay charges, but the woman at the centre of the allegations sued Hockey Canada, the Canadian Hockey League and several players this spring.

Hockey Canada swiftly settled the case for an undisclosed amount and MPs on the committee are now probing how it dealt with the allegations and the lawsuit. Meanwhile, London police have reopened their investigation into the incident.

Hockey Canada receives cash from the federal government, representing about six per cent of its overall funding, and saw that money suspended in the wake of revelations about the lawsuit settlement. The organization has also watched as corporate sponsors have fled amid the fallout.

Cairo, in response to questions Wednesday, said that Hockey Canada didn’t go through insurance with respect to the 2018 allegations and instead opted to use the national equity fund to pay the settlement.

“The right thing to do was to deal with the woman, the young woman, and, secondly, it was right for the organization,” he said.

“We didn’t know all the details of the night, but we did believe harm was caused.”

The decision to settle came after discussions involving the young woman’s and the organization’s lawyers. The board of directors at Hockey Canada voted to allow the maximum payout amount, the committee heard.

“We advised all players after we settled with the young woman,” Smith said during questioning. “We made the decision to settle on behalf of Hockey Canada and the other named defendants, and we did so in the best interest of the young woman, in protecting her privacy, and also her benefit going forward.”

Reports further emerged last week of separate allegations about another group sexual assault involving members of the 2003 world junior team. Halifax police have said they opened an investigation into that incident as well.

Most of the hearing Wednesday dealt with the 2018 incident and didn’t significantly address the 2003 allegations, although some on the committee expressed some interest in hearing more testimony from the Hockey Canada officials in the future.

Smith did say that officials became aware of a rumour circulating about something “bad” happening involving members of the 2003 team about two weeks before becoming aware of the details through contact with the media. A TSN reporter contacted the organization with details last week and the allegations were revealed publicly soon thereafter in a Hockey Canada news release.

Smith said that the organization could have done better in how it responded to the allegations in 2018, which were subject of an independent investigation that didn’t make participation by players mandatory. Now that the probe has been relaunched, player participation is mandatory.

Committee members told Smith their confidence in his ability to lead cultural change at Hockey Canada was low, given his many years with the organization and the decades of abuse that have plagued the sport.

“What we’ve seen is a complete erosion in the public trust,” NDP MP Peter Julian told Smith during the hearing Wednesday.

Julian also said it’s “time for new leadership.”

Others echoed the call for resignations.

“There’s times that good people have to step aside because the public has lost confidence in them, and I’m afraid this might be one of these times,” Liberal MP Anthony Housefather said at the close of the hearing.

The testimony Wednesday came a day after it emerged that the federal agency in charge of Canadian sports policies knew early on about sexual assault allegations against members of the 2018 world junior team.

On Tuesday, Michel Ruest, a senior director at Sport Canada, told MPs on the House of Commons heritage committee that his organization was made aware of the London allegations, but did not follow up with the national governing body or tell the minister’s office.

Minister of Sport Pascale St-Onge told MPs that “procedures absolutely need to be improved so that there can be better monitoring of the cases that are signalled to Sport Canada,” a branch of the federal Department of Canadian Heritage.


With files from Richard Warnica and The Canadian Press

Kieran Leavitt is an Edmonton-based political reporter for the Toronto Star. Follow him on Twitter: @kieranleavitt

Tweets by ‎@kieranleavitt

  1. Kieran Leavitt✔@kieranleavitt

    21 victims. $8.9M in compensation. Hockey Canada reveals its history of settling sexual misconduct claims https://www.thestar.com/news/canada/2022/07/27/hockey-canada-scandal-president-former-ceo-to-appear-before-committee.html … via @torontostar

    Update: Hockey Canada has paid out $8.9M over 21 sexual misconduct incidents

    Hockey Canada has been under fire since news broke that members of the 2018 world junior team were accused of a group sexual assault.

    thestar.com
      •  
  2. Kieran Leavitt✔@kieranleavitt
    Replying to @kieranleavitt

    Smith says that if a victim comes forward wanting to speak and there's no legal issues around it, they would be prepared to wave a signed NDA.

      •  
  3. Kieran Leavitt✔@kieranleavitt
    Replying to @kieranleavitt

    Cairo says that, in addition to the 9 settlements from the equity fund, 12 settlements have been done through Hockey Canada's insurance. Those total $1.3 million in addition to the $7.6 million from the equity fund. 21 cases of sexual misconduct settlements in total.

      •  
  4. Kieran Leavitt✔@kieranleavitt
    Replying to @kieranleavitt

    Since 2018, there have been 4 incidents reported to the federal government. 2 - from 2018 and 2003 - involve sexual assault allegations. The two others are related to a different case involving one family and a father's conduct at arenas, says Smith. Not sexual misconduct.

      •  
  5. Kieran Leavitt✔@kieranleavitt
    Replying to @kieranleavitt

    A Bloc MP said that in June during HCs first appearance, people pointed out that Smith seemed to "trivialize" the allegations. He says that wasn't his intent. One incident is one too many, Smith says.

    “We’ve used money to support families,” he says, not to maintain HC's image.

      •  
  6. Kieran Leavitt✔@kieranleavitt
    Replying to @kieranleavitt

    Tim Louis, Liberal MP, asks why not use insurance to settle claim from 2018?

    Smith: There were some questions about coverage and they thought it could take months or years to figure that out. Made decision to use the national equity fund in “best interests of the young woman.”

      •  
  7. Kieran Leavitt✔@kieranleavitt
    Replying to @kieranleavitt

    Karen Vecchio, CPC MP, asks: Why did HC decide to cease the investigation? Why not continue asking questions of these 2018 players and start changing the culture?

    Smith: “I don’t believe that we swept it under the rug.” The investigation is back on today, he says.

      •  
  8. Kieran Leavitt✔@kieranleavitt
    Replying to @kieranleavitt

    Cairo says that women's hockey has received more money from Hockey Canada than men's over the last 4 years. Men's ~$17 million, Women's ~$20 million, says CFO.

      •  
  9. Kieran Leavitt✔@kieranleavitt
    Replying to @kieranleavitt

    Smith is asked about the homogeny of the group there today. Do you think it would help Hockey Canada if it had some women in leadership positions? Two directors on the board are women, says Smith. Other women leaders there as well, he says.

      •  
  10. Kieran Leavitt✔@kieranleavitt
    Replying to @kieranleavitt

    Smith says they stand by the decision to do so.

      •  
  11. Kieran Leavitt✔@kieranleavitt
    Replying to @kieranleavitt

    Housefather says that not all the facts were known by HC before the settlement was made. Why not use the lawsuit to depose the plaintiff?

    Smith says "We made the decision to settle in the best interests of the young woman and to respect her privacy."

      •  
  12. Kieran Leavitt✔@kieranleavitt
    Replying to @kieranleavitt

    Liberal MP Anthony Housefather says some John Doe players weren't contacted about HC decision to settle the 2018 allegations within a few weeks of getting the statement of claim

    Smith says we “did so in the best interest of the young woman” when the settlement decision was made.

      •  
  13. Kieran Leavitt✔@kieranleavitt
    Replying to @kieranleavitt

    How many sexual assault victims have received payments from national equity fund?

    9, says Cairo. There have been a total of 20 people paid out from that fund, including the 9, he says.

      •  
  14. Kieran Leavitt✔@kieranleavitt
    Replying to @kieranleavitt

    Two weeks before the details emerged last week, Hockey Canada had heard a rumour about "something bad" happening in 2003 in Halifax and they brought in an independent investigator. The details weren't known until HC was contacted about 2003 allegations by the media, says Smith.

      •  
  15. Kieran Leavitt✔@kieranleavitt
    Replying to @kieranleavitt

    NDP MP Peter Julian: “The Canadian public has lost confidence in Hockey Canada,” he says. This hearing is a “last opportunity” to establish some credibility, he says.

    Smith says he wasn't aware of the 2003 allegations that emerged last week before they came to light recently.

      •  
  16. Kieran Leavitt✔@kieranleavitt
    Replying to @kieranleavitt

    Lemire says it seems like money can buy anything at Hockey Canada and says Smith should resign.

      •  
  17. Kieran Leavitt✔@kieranleavitt
    Replying to @kieranleavitt

    Lemire: “Would you allow your daughter to take part in Hockey Canada events?”

    Smith: I do believe that the current situation is troubling, he says. “I do think that there certainly is an opportunity to put young girls in the game and deliver a safe environment.”

      •  
  18. Kieran Leavitt✔@kieranleavitt
    Replying to @kieranleavitt

    Lemire: Without public outrage and if the media hadn’t played the role it played, would people be doing anything in Hockey Canada?

    Smith: We launched a safe sport department. “Yes there’s been lots of work that’s been done in the last 6 weeks,” he says, but safety is priority.

      •  
  19. Kieran Leavitt✔@kieranleavitt
    Replying to @kieranleavitt

    What are you apologizing for exactly? asks Bloc MP Sebastien Lemire. Smith says in 2018 “we should have done more” and things could have been done “quicker.”

    Hockey Canada apologizes for that, says Smith.

      •  
  20. Kieran Leavitt✔@kieranleavitt
    Replying to @kieranleavitt

    But he believes he has the confidence of the organization to take on this issue. He's responding to an MP who pointed out that Smith has been with Hockey Canadian for some 30 years. What's changed now? Why is he to be trusted to take it on now? sked the Liberal MP.

      •  
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Growing crop of young farmers in Manitoba raises hopes for future

Province now has highest proportion of farmers under 35

as number has grown in last decade: Stats Can

Cameron MacLean · CBC News · 
A man with long dark hair and a beard stands in a field in front of a hay bale. He wears sunglasses, blue coveralls and a leather glove, and gives a thumbs up to the camera.
Jamal Abas, 30, is one of a growing number of young farmers in Manitoba. A recent Statistics Canada report says the province has the highest proportion of farm operators under 35 in Canada. (Jamal Abas/Twitter)

When Anastasia Fyk finished high school and left her family's farm, she never imagined she'd live there again.

But after eight years abroad, concerns about climate change drew her back to western Manitoba and her family's land northwest of Dauphin, with the goal of finding a more sustainable way to produce food.

"I'm working on getting back to how we used to farm but with new technology," the 33-year-old said.

She's part of a rising number of young people in Manitoba taking up farming, Statistics Canada says.

Data from the recently released 2021 census of agriculture says Manitoba had the highest proportion of farm operators under age 35 in Canada — 11.5 per cent of Manitoba's farmers are in that age range, compared to the national average of 8.6 per cent.

That's up from 2016, when Manitoba also had the highest proportion of young operators, at 10.8 per cent.

Fyk's family grows buckwheat, wheat, oats and canola.

She practises permaculture, a method of growing food that aims to match natural processes to maintain the health of the soil.

The harmful impacts of industrial monoculture farming on the environment concerned Fyk, but she also saw potential solutions in changing the way people grow food.

"We could be sequestering a lot more carbon by doing things like permaculture … instead of annual agriculture," she said.

'We're still bleeding farmers'

The latest statistics showing the rise in young people farming in Manitoba are encouraging, Fyk said, but the sector still faces many challenges that are forcing more and more people out of the business.

"I think that it's amazing that Manitoba does have the most young farmers, but at the same time, we're still bleeding farmers. There's not nearly enough farmers, and especially young farmers, to fill the gap."

Anastasia Fyk decided to take over her family's farm northwest of Dauphin, Man., out of concerns about climate change and a desire to ensure the land was taken care of. (Submitted by Anastasia Fyk)

There were 34,780 farm operators in Manitoba in 1991 — the first year Statistics Canada collected comparable data in its agriculture census. That number has declined every census period since, dropping to 19,465 in 2021.

The number of farmers under 35 in Manitoba dropped to a low of 1,965 in 2011, before climbing in 2016 to 2,175, and then again to 2,230 in the latest census.

Despite the increase in the number of younger farmers, the average age of Manitoba farmers continues to get older, rising from 53 in 2016 to 54 in 2021.

Statistics Canada also reports an increase in the percentage of women operating farms in Manitoba — from 23.8 per cent in 2016 to 26.5 per cent in 2021.

"I think that's a really neat thing, that it's not just, 'OK … the son is going to take over the farm,'" said Colin Penner, a University of Manitoba farm management professor.

"It's not necessarily gender-based anymore."

Those are encouraging signs in what have been difficult times for Manitoba farmers, who endured a painful drought and grasshopper infestation last summer, followed by an extended wet spring that delayed seeding.

"This year, seeding was unlike any I've ever seen, and I think unlike any that my dad's ever seen, and he's … been farming for many decades," said Jamal Abas, 30.

He and his family have 190 breeding cattle on a farm near Hodgson, in Manitoba's Interlake region, where they also grow wheat, canola and oats. 

In addition to being a full-time farmer, Abas is going to law school, but farming will always be a way of life for him, he said.

"It's quite a feeling to be running your cultivator on a piece of land that your granddad and your great-grandparents and your great-uncles and great-aunts cleared with axes and horse-drawn plows," he said.

"There's a sense, of course, of pride with that."

'I was a lot happier'

Jake Ayre also comes from a long line of farmers, stretching back more than seven generations in the United Kingdom, before his family immigrated to Canada in 2002. 

The 25-year-old left his family's farm near Minto, in southwestern Manitoba, to go to university in Winnipeg. He had no intention of getting back into the business.

A man wearing a green hat and blue T-shirt sits in the cab of a farm machine with fields of crops visible through the windows behind him.
Jake Ayre, 25, left his family's farm near Minto, Man., to go to university in Winnipeg but found himself drawn back to the business. (Jake Ayre/Facebook)

"I was working in the city and I was finding myself daydreaming about the farm all the time," he said.

"I realized that I was a lot happier at home, on the farm, and this is something I could see myself doing. And it gave me a sense of fulfilment."

Interest in the sector seems to have increased, as indicated by the number of students the U of M's Penner sees in his classroom.

"Our classes for the last number of years have been just about at capacity, which has been a lot of fun," he said.

But those young farmers face challenges. 

Many families sold their farms during tough economic times over the last few decades, and Fyk says most young people going into farming are either taking over family operations or doing small-scale, direct-to-consumer farming.

"I would say that anybody looking to get into farming as a first-generation farmer, it's really not an easy task," she said.

"There's a lot of obstacles when it comes to land, when it comes to machinery. It's extremely expensive. And for somebody who's never farmed, it's a huge risk to take."

But she felt a responsibility to move back — in part because of concern over what would happen to her family's land if she didn't take it over.

"Otherwise it would be going into hands that I'm not sure would take that necessary care of the land," she said.

"I know that if I'm not the one doing it, I'm not sure anybody else would."

Manitoba has Canada’s highest proportion of young farmers, StatCan data shows

By Sam Thompson Global News
Posted July 27, 2022 


Stats Canada is reporting that Manitoba has the highest proportion of farmers under 35 in Canada.

Farming isn’t an easy job in Manitoba — especially with challenging weather in recent years — but the province’s producers top the rest of the country in one interesting category.

According to a report by Statistics Canada this summer, Manitoba is home to the highest proportion of farmers 35 years of age and under nationwide.

One of those farmers, St. Malo’s Byron Falk, says he wants to encourage his fellow young people to get involved in the industry.

Falk told Global News he didn’t grow up on a farm. It’s a venture he started on his own, but it’s been a very rewarding career choice despite the hard work.

“When that new calf is born in spring, and you see it running around — or you get that seed in the ground and a week later it’s sprouted … there are these realities that all take time and money and investment and hard work, but … man, when it’s start working and you see the result …

“I think that’s the part that keeps me in it, as well as just being outdoors all the time.”

READ MORE: Latest stretch of dry weather welcomed by Manitoba farmers

Falk said this spring has been nothing short of a challenge, and that he’s only getting to some seeding this week, but is still optimistic about his decision to take the plunge into farming despite the long days and late nights.

According to data from Statistics Canada’s 2021 agricultural census, Manitoba, which has the third-largest farm area in the country, has more than 11 per cent of its agricultural operators identifying as 35 or younger.

That’s notably higher than the overall Canadian percentage of 8.6.

Manitoba is also being boosted by an increase in female farmers, the report said. The proportion of female operators in the province saw an increase from 23.8 to 26.5 per cent, representing a total of 5,150 farmers.

 
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High energy bills see some Canadians risking the heat

New research finds that many Canadian households may be struggling to pay their energy bills or limiting their energy use when they need it most
The Conversation



Almost one in 10 Canadian households spend more than 10 per cent of their income to heat and cool their homes, keep the lights on and to store or cook food. For these households, the high cost of energy, which includes electricity, natural gas, heating oil and propane, means they may ration their use, leading them to live in energy poverty.

Energy, in its many forms, has a vital role in people’s lives. It can provide entertainment, nourishment and the ability to work, but it also supplies critical services, such as heating or cooling.

Extreme weather events, like the 2021 heat dome in Western Canada, are expected to increase in frequency in the future and will amplify the need for these critical energy services. A household’s high energy burden could be a risk to the lives of everyone in that home.

Our research shows that some households in Canada spend up to 16 per cent of their household budget on energy — almost five times more than those who do not live in energy poverty. It strongly suggests that many households in Canada are struggling to meet their basic energy needs.

Energy poverty impacts quality of life

Canada — unlike many other countries in the world — does not recognize energy poverty, the lack of adequate and necessary home energy services.

Living in energy poverty means, for example, being too hot or too cold at home, or having stress over high energy bills. These can negatively impact health, relationships and regular day-to-day life.

Energy poverty usually results from the combination of low income, high energy prices and low energy efficiency. Poorly insulated homes and inefficient appliances increase the cost of energy use, particularly affecting those who have low incomes.

Housing costs also impact disposable incomes for energy expenditures. Across Canada, many households struggle with affordable and adequate housing. And the Bank of Canada’s recent benchmark interest rate hike is the largest one in more than two decades. Housing has reached a crisis point, prompting the federal government to present a $70-billion National Housing Strategy to reduce homelessness, remove families from housing need and invest in new housing construction.

A key area of concern is older, inefficient housing, which has higher energy costs and reduced comfort levels. The Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation considers housing to be affordable when it costs less than one-third of a household’s before-tax income. An energy burden and high housing costs have the potential to make life less affordable for Canadians.

A danger to life

More people have been working from home since the pandemic. This has likely increased energy use at home — as well as the amount households spend on energy. Some governments, including in British Columbia, provided some relief with electricity bills. The federal government changed home office expense claim amounts on personal income tax returns if people worked more than 50 per cent of the time from home for at least four consecutive weeks. But it may not be enough.

With increasing summer temperatures and extreme weather, the use of air conditioning and fans will likely rise — along with energy costs. Toronto, for example, is projected to experience nearly 40 very hot days (greater than 30 C) by 2050 under a climate scenario where greenhouse gas emissions decline rapidly after 2050. Windsor, Ont., could face up to 80 very hot days by 2050 under a high-carbon scenario, four times as many as it did on average between 1976 and 2008.

Heat-related deaths are on the rise globally. When temperatures reached over 40 C in many parts of British Columbia in late June 2021, 619 people died. Nearly all of them indoors, and most lacked adequate cooling systems. Many households avoid using air conditioning during very hot weather because they are concerned about adding to their electricity bills, and there is widespread lack of cooling infrastructure.

With Canada’s inflation rate rising at its fastest pace in 40 years, and with costs increasing across all corners of the economy, day-to-day life is becoming less affordable. Energy poverty is a real issue for many Canadians, and many more are likely to struggle with rising energy costs in the future.

It’s essential for people to be able to have access to energy services like heating or cooling, but they must be affordable. Energy burdens need to be considered as a key factor in Canadian energy policy, given it could be a matter of life and death.

The federal government should start by officially recognizing the issue of energy poverty. This has been done in the United Kingdom, and has allowed the country to begin to address the challenge of energy poverty.The Conversation

Runa Das, Associate Professor, College of Interdisciplinary Studies, Royal Roads University and Mari Martiskainen, Senior Research Fellow, University of Sussex

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

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Alberta consumers face ‘unprecedented’ utility costs

THANKS TO KLEIN'S DEREGULATING ELECTRICITY

By Emily Mertz Global News
Posted July 27, 2022 


The cost of electricity in Alberta is going up, driven by a combination of high demand and tight supply. As Ton Vernon explains, it's renewing calls for the provincial government to step in.



The price of power in Alberta has taken another big jump.

“The cost of generating electricity has gone through the roof as a result of the price of natural gas increasing,” said Sophie Simmonds, the director of Anova Energy.

“The actual cost of generating electricity has gone up significantly in the past nine to 12 months.”

The regulated rate has increased by over 150 per cent in the past 18 months, she says.

“It is unprecedented in the market at the moment.”

READ MORE: Surging commodity prices lead to spike in Alberta utility bills

In Alberta, customers can choose their electricity service provider and can also choose between a fixed or variable regulated rate option (RRO).

Utility bills are based on power consumption for the billing period, calculated per kilowatt-hour (kWh).

2:02 Alberta government tables bill for electricity bill rebates, possible natural gas rebates – Apr 20, 2022


The Alberta Utilities Commission approved the regulated rate option prices for the month of August and they remain at historical highs.

Both Enmax and Epcor have had rates higher than 17 cents/kWh approved — 17.341 cents/kWh and 17.129 cents/kWh respectively. Direct Energy’s regulated rate sits at 16.879 cents/kWh.

Outside Edmonton, the utilities commission shows Epcor’s regulated rate at about 17.345 cents/kWh.

4:10 Saving money on your electricity bills – Jun 30, 2022

Energy analysts say the rising prices come from a few factors, including high demand on tight supply and the high cost of natural gas.

Experts say the best thing consumers can do is get on a contract.

“Anyone who is looking at their residential electricity, that would be our number one suggestion… fix your power sooner rather than later,” Simmonds said.

READ MORE: Alberta utility bills expected to remain high throughout 2023

She doesn’t expect to see much relief in the high prices for the next couple of years.

The UCP government is providing $50-per-month rebates directly on bills until the end of the year, a total of $2.3 billion in relief.

1:57 Costly commute: Getting to work taking a bigger bite out of people’s paycheques – Jun 8, 2022




Associate minister of natural gas and electricity Dale Nally said the Alberta government “understands the challenges that rising energy costs” present, which is why it also got rid of the provincial fuel tax.

READ MORE: Gas tax savings to start for Alberta drivers Friday: ‘Watching like a hawk’

Nally said he’s concerned federal Liberal policies will push energy and electricity prices even higher.

“Alberta’s government is prioritizing affordability as we look at different options to keep our electricity system reliable while decarbonizing. We are pursuing all avenues — maximizing the efficiency of existing infrastructure, integrating new technologies into our grid and better managing system costs.

“Our commitment to maintaining a competitive energy-only market has also led to more than $13.9 billion in new generation projects since 2019, the vast majority of which are for renewable power.”

2:09 Number of condo owners frustrated by exclusion from Alberta electricity rebate



The NDP says more can be done and these steps are not enough.

“I think it’s an incredible challenge for Albertans, and it’s a challenge for Albertans at a time when people are facing a lot of other challenges,” said NDP energy critic Kathleen Ganley.

“If (consumers) get disconnected, you’re potentially dealing with people who can’t even run a fan,” Ganley said.

READ MORE: Alberta government to extend $50 electricity rebate for 3 more months
MY BILL DOUBLED TO OVER $400 MONTHLY 

Ganley says the province should consider a price cap — like the NDP government had in place — and pass legislation protecting Albertans from being cut off if they’re late on their bill.

“We have offered to come back to the house, we have offered to work on policies, we worked on draft legislation to prevent disconnections that they didn’t even want to look at.”


© 2022 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.
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What On Earth

Why reporting on GHGs more often would help Canada advance its climate agenda

Ottawa should follow Europe's lead and release quarterly climate data: economist

Dannielle Piper · CBC Radio · 
A flare stack lights the sky from the Imperial Oil refinery in Edmonton in December 2018. Statistics Canada releases a detailed report each year on the state of greenhouse gas emissions in the country. But national economic data is released much more frequently. (Jason Franson/The Canadian Press)
What On Earth13:16Environmental economist, Robert Smith rethinks statistics.

Canada should measure and report statistics on greenhouse gas emissions quarterly instead of annually to bring them in line with the way economic indicators are reported and as a way to give more weight to environmental health and wellness, says a prominent environmental economist.

"The concern that I have is that we've got an issue of global significance — and certainly national significance — called climate change," said Robert Smith, principal at Midsummer Analytics in Ottawa and a senior associate with the International Institute for Sustainable Development.

"And we aren't providing people with statistics that are of equal robustness to what they get in the world of economic and social statistics," he told CBC Radio's What on Earth.

Every year, Statistics Canada releases a detailed report on the state of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. It's important information about how and why Canada's climate is changing — and yet by the time Canadians read that important information, it's already two years old.

The same is true for Environment and Climate Change Canada's National inventory report: greenhouse gas sources and sinks in Canada.

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Environmental economist Robert Smith says Canada must give more weight to climate data. (Submitted by Robert Smith)

The latest greenhouse gas data released from Statistics Canada can be found here.

Comparatively, Canada's gross domestic product is measured and reported monthly, quarterly and yearly. It's considered critical in understanding the health and well-being of the national economy.

Smith recommends that Canada do the same with GHGs. He made the same recommendation a decade ago when he was director of the environment accounts and statistics division at Statistics Canada from 2003 to 2013.

Back then, Smith said, there was an imbalance of resources devoted to the collection of environmental statistics versus economic statistics. While his team comprised fewer than 50 people, other departments had hundreds, and this disparity made it difficult, he said.

Still, Smith remains adamant that making the change now is imperative, and he points to European nations as prime examples of its positive effects.

'Real-time information' more effective

"Other countries have gone ahead and started measuring GHGs on a quarterly basis," Smith said. "Now, the European Union has decided to start publishing quarterly GHGs for every EU member state."

Frans Duijnhouwer, an economist with the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Climate Policy in the Netherlands, noted the positive impact of quarterly reporting on GHGs by Statistics Netherlands.

"It's more accurate information and more real-time information," Duijnhouwer said. "And therefore we can inform parliament better than [with] the yearly greenhouse gas emissions. With the quarterly emissions, we can inform them on that on a more regular basis."

The opencast lignite mine Nochten and the coal-fired Boxberg Power Station are shown in Nochten, Germany, in March. The European Union began publishing estimates of quarterly greenhouse gas emissions for every member state in November 2021. (Matthias Rietschel/Reuters)

Duijnhouwer said that more frequent reporting of GHGs can also lead to the introduction of new policy measures by governments to reduce emissions.

Ultimately, he said, it's up to Canada to decide whether to change the way it reports its emissions. But he does believe that more timely reporting provides better insights into how to achieve climate goals.

StatsCan considering shift to quarterly reports

What On Earth reached out to Statistics Canada, and the government agency revealed that it is currently researching how to make the shift to quarterly reporting of GHGs.

"The agency is taking a look at how we could kind of improve on the timeliness and the frequency of that information," said Greg Peterson, assistant chief statistician at Statistics Canada.

"We're taking a look at some other countries. We are taking a look at their methodology, and we're examining how we might be able to replicate that in Canada."

According to Peterson, a switch to more frequent reporting is in its conceptual stage, with no solid timeline on when it might move forward.

For Smith, continuing with the status quo is problematic.

"What gets measured appears to matter to people," he said.

"If we measure things less frequently, I think that sends an implicit signal that those things don't matter as much as the things that we spend a lot of resources measuring."

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Supply-chain issues cause shortage of epidural supplies in western Canada

Epidurals are injected into patients' backs, and are most commonly administered to pregnant women during labour and delivery

Author of the article:Jason Herring
Publishing date:Jul 25, 2022 • 

A patient receives an an anaesthetic prior to an epidural at an Ottawa hospital. 

Alberta is among provinces facing a shortage of epidural supplies which could lead to some patients receiving alternative treatment.

The province’s health authority says the crunch is the product of global supply chain challenges, with epidural catheters and tubing impacted.

“In terms of Alberta, we currently have more than two weeks’ worth of supply, and there is no imminent impact on patients,” said Alberta Health Services spokesperson Kerry Williamson.

“Given this international shortage, AHS is considering safe alterations of practice to ensure patients receive an appropriate alternative and will support the continued availability of supply where no clinically appropriate alternative can be used.”

AHS explained the epidural catheters are used for obstetrical care alongside general anesthesia to relieve pain during and after operations.

Epidurals are injected into patients’ backs, and are most commonly administered to pregnant women during labour and delivery.

The supply shortage has impacted hospitals in British Columbia, Saskatchewan and Manitoba, according to Health Canada. The federal department said in a statement to Postmedia the provinces “are experiencing varying degrees of constrained supplies.”

Health Canada said it is working with with hospitals, health authorities and manufacturers to learn more about epidural catheter supply to determine whether there is a national shortage.

“If the shortage is confirmed to be of national scope, Health Canada will take action if needed to help mitigate the impact of the shortage on patients, which may include exploring access to international supply, if possible,” the statement read.

Under Health Canada regulations introduced in March 2020, medical device manufacturers and importers are required to report shortages of select devices to the federal department.

Williamson said though there is epidural supply for the immediate future, AHS is actively working to fortify its stock.

“We are working with our vendors to have urgent shipments sent as soon as possible and are investigating whether alternate supplies we have in stock may be used,” he said.

“AHS will monitor the situation closely and will work with patients directly to discuss options as required.”

This isn’t the first time in recent months supply-chain strain has led to supply scarcity in Alberta’s health system.

Earlier this year, Albertans faced reduced access to blood testing as a shortage of blood collection tubes put pressure on the province’s public labs.

Global shortage of epidural tubes hits Western Canada, has Ontario hospitals on alert

A global shortage of the tubes, used mainly to deliver pain relief during labour and delivery, has hit four western provinces.
THE STAR
Staff Reporter
Tue., July 26, 2022

A global shortage of epidural tubes, used mainly to deliver pain relief during labour and delivery, has hit four western provinces and has some Ontario hospitals on alert, including in Toronto and Hamilton.

Epidurals are administered through a shot to the spine, and numb the bottom half of the body.

There are other ways to manage pain during birth, such as opioids or laughing gas, but the epidural is considered the “gold standard” both in terms of pain relief and safety, says Dr. Dolores McKeen, the president of the Canadian Anesthesiologists’ Society.

“It’s certainly not desirable for any patient who may be denied what we consider as gold standard,” she said.

Health Canada spokesperson Tammy Jarbeau said in an email that Alberta, Manitoba, Saskatchewan and British Columbia “are experiencing varying degrees of constrained supplies.”

Health Canada is working with provinces and territories “to gather information regarding current supplies of epidural catheters in Canada and to determine whether there is a national shortage.” If it is confirmed, it will “take action if needed to help mitigate the impact of the shortage on patients, which may include exploring access to international supply, if possible.”

In the midst of this shortage, the Saskatchewan Health Authority put out a statement last week, warning that it may impact patients and asking them to review other pain-management options. The Health Authority has also issued triage guidelines, on how to prioritize the highest-risk patients, given the limited supply.

None of the Ontario hospitals the Star surveyed reported limiting or triaging epidurals, but the shortage is something they’re paying close attention to.

No patients have been affected at Unity Health, the hospital network that includes St. Joseph’s and St. Michael’s in Toronto, and patients will continue to get epidurals when needed. But they “should know that “we are working with our anesthetists and suppliers to explore product options in the event the availability changes, and that we continue to monitor the situation closely,” said spokesperson Jennifer Stranges in an email.

A memo from Hamilton Health Sciences leaders to Labour and Delivery and Surgical Teams, sent Friday, noted that some provinces are reporting low supplies of the tube used to deliver pain relief during birth and for some other types of surgery.

“At this time, we have not experienced low supplies in Ontario, however, this is likely to change,” the memo noted.

“Currently, we have sufficient supplies to continue to meet the needs of patients in the short term,” the memo added. But hospital leaders are working with procurement “to secure alternative vendors” and “stabilize” longer-term supplies.

Kingston Health Sciences Centre is also monitoring the shortage and although not limiting procedures at this time, it is “preparing contingency plans should this become a long-lasting shortage,” a spokesperson said in an emailed statement. London Health Sciences Centre is working to “find supply alternatives,” but so far no patients have been affected, a spokesperson confirmed.

According to a report from the Canadian Institute for Health Information, epidurals were used in 59 per cent of vaginal deliveries in 2017-2018.

Epidurals are often used in high-risk pregnancies, in the case of twins, for example, and allow a medical team to quickly pivot to an emergency Caesarean section, if needed, without putting the mom to sleep, added McKeen, who is also a professor of anesthesia at Memorial University, and an obstetrical anesthesiologist.

“So it’s actually a safety strategy that we sometimes will use, particularly if we think a woman is at risk of going to the operating room,” she said. The Canadian Anesthesiologists’ Society has been hearing reports from various regions of changes in the supply for the past few months, but the situation has become more urgent, with some providers out west starting to run short of epidural catheters and kits, she said.

McKeen said they suspect the root of the shortage is “definitely supply chain, most likely fallout from COVID.”

It’s not the first medical essential to be affected by global supply chain shortages. This winter, Ontario hospitals faced a critical shortage of collection tubes required for routine blood work.

Three hospitals in Waterloo region, as reported by the Star’s sister paper The Record last week, still have the supplies in stock, but are working together to “develop a plan to manage next steps,” according to a statement posted on the Grand River Hospital website.

“We are investigating the procurement of substitute options, should they be needed,” the statement added.

May Warren is a Toronto-based breaking news reporter for the Star. Follow her on Twitter: @maywarren11


Ontario monitoring epidural shortage in Western Canada, hospitals making plans

By Caryn Lieberman Global News
Posted July 27, 2022

Health officials in Ontario are monitoring a global shortage of epidural supplies and obstetric patients may be paying particular attention as well. Caryn Lieberman reports.

When Shaneeza Shaw planned for the birth of her first baby, she had hoped for an unmedicated delivery, but baby Jaylen had other plans.

“Initially labour went fine and then I started getting a lot more pain,” recalled the new mother.

“My initial plan was not to take the epidural, but I ended up getting the epidural because at that point I knew I couldn’t handle it anymore,” she said.

Shaw ended up having an emergency C-section Tuesday morning and gave birth to a healthy baby boy.

Dr. Lesley Hawkins, obstetrician and gynaecologist at Humber River Hospital, said an epidural is “one of the most popular choices for pain management in labour.”


READ MORE: Prepare for shortage of epidural catheter kits for pain management during childbirth: SHA

There are concerns right now in Canada and around the world due to a worldwide shortage of epidural kits used to treat pain in childbirth, but also for pain relief during or after various surgical procedures.

“An epidural is part of really multi-modal options for pain management in labour and the discussion about an epidural happens throughout the entire pregnancy with the patient’s provider, whether that’s an OBGYN like me, a family physician or a midwife … and it is absolutely a patient’s choice,” said Hawkins.

The Ontario Ministry of Health is watching the situation unfold in other Canadian provinces where there are shortages in the availability of epidural catheters due to supply chain issues.

“Currently, Ontario has an adequate supply of epidural catheters and women are able to access epidurals for childbirth. The Ministry of Health and Ontario Health are actively engaging with Health Canada, suppliers, distributors and manufacturers across Ontario to understand the current situation and supply forecasts in order to mitigate any potential impact to patients,” a spokesperson for the ministry told Global News in a statement.

The shortage is due to a supply chain issue from one component of the epidural catheter kit.

READ MORE: Expectant parents bracing for epidural shortage in Saskatchewan

“An epidural is a great mode of analgesia, one of many different options for pain management in labour and it really helps with the discomfort and the pain that happen during labour and delivery,” explained Hawkins.

“It certainly is something that is on all of our minds and it is a concern,” she added.

From Seed to Sprout, a perinatal organization based in Saskatchewan, is hoping to inform expectant parents about other methods that can be used for pain management in labour.

“We like to talk about it in terms of tools in your toolbox. So an epidural is one of the tools in your toolbox, and it’s the most commonly thought of tool in your toolbox, but it’s just one of them. So the very first tool that every pregnant person should have in their toolbox is education and education about the labour process, about birthing, about the norms, the expectations,” explained registered nurse and co-owner of From Seed to Sprout, Loreli Palandri.

She listed a number of alternative options to an epidural that can help with pain management, like baths and showers during labour.

“You actually can decrease the sensations that contractions give you because the water kind of changes your buoyancy and the gravitational pull on you so it literally changes the sensations that you will feel. You can also enlist your support people … we know that having continuous support during labour and birth is also proven to make you feel better,” said Palandri.

READ MORE: Alberta Health Services taking action over shortage of epidural catheters

In a statement, Health Canada told Global News that it “has engaged with provincial and territorial (PT) health authorities, hospitals and manufacturers to gather information regarding current supplies of epidural catheters in Canada and to determine whether there is a national shortage.”

Preliminary information indicates that “the provinces of Alberta, Manitoba, Saskatchewan and British Columbia are experiencing varying degrees of constrained supplies.”

“It is a concern but something that our team is working really hard on,” said Hawkins.

“Our team is working really hard from our leadership to the physicians and other health-care providers on our team for a shortage should it happen.”

Hawkins also pointed out there are other options to consider during labour.

“For example, nitrous oxide or other pain medications to help with labour pain management and then there is all the non-medication options as well that we’re employing, like using the birthing ball, a warm bathtub, different mobility exercise, all sorts of things that we use for pain management in labour.”

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