Passionate about your neighbourhood? Organizers of Jane's Walks are looking for you

CBC
Wed, April 5, 2023 

A Jane's Walk focused on some of the murals in Calgary in 2018.

 (Submitted by Amani Khatu - image credit)

From a tour of shooting locations used by HBO's The Last of Us, to an urban wildlife exploration of Weaselhead Flats, to a literary journey discovering the novelists, poets and publishers who've lived in Elbow Park.

Jane's Walks are volunteer-led walking tours, offering people an opportunity to explore their community through a new lens.

The annual walks are named after Jane Jacobs, an urbanist and activist who encouraged people to get out into their neighbourhoods.

The walks are held globally each May, with organizers in Calgary hoping to get back to full offerings after scaling back in recent years due to the pandemic.

"We are hoping to have around 40 walks, but [in] one year we had like 82," said Awani Khatu, community activator at the Federation of Calgary Communities, in an interview on the Calgary Eyeopener.

"We want to get that momentum back. We want to get people. Even if you're in the suburbs, we definitely want you hosting a walk as well. This isn't just restricted to people in the inner core."

The group is putting out a call for more walk leaders — people passionate about an aspect of the city they're willing to tell others about.

Bob Chartier started his walk of Calgary's Music Mile in Inglewood about seven years ago. It runs along Ninth Avenue S.E. from the King Eddy to The Blues Can, including stops at the National Music Centre, the CKUA radio station and the Ironwood.

He finishes off the tour with his own song about the Music Mile.

"The Jane's Walk idea is the coolest thing in the world. It says that everywhere you go that neighbourhoods are interesting.… You just need some great stories and just say, 'Come on a walk with me through this neighbourhood and I'll tell you why I like it,'" he said.

Submitted by Awani Khatu

Chartier is a later-comer singer-songwriter and musician, and he's spent time getting to know people up and down the avenue. So he says he speaks from the heart.

"It's not a scripted walk with me," he said.

"I think what people get out of it is not only a classic urban walk, but they get introduced to the notion that, 'Hey, this is an arts district that was made from the ground up."

How to lead a walk

Khatu says a great conversation, not a scripted lecture, is exactly what they're looking for, whether you're interested in art, architecture or even dogs.

"It can be like a walking tour with all the neighborhood four-legged friends and you go to the local dog park. So it can really be on anything that you want," she said.

"The great thing about being on your feet is that you get to pause whenever you need to pause. And if there's a detour, like take it, you know, go and explore. It's about the journey, not the destination."

Submitted by Awani Khatu

Some other walks scheduled for the May 5-7 event are focused on gardens, astrophysics and neighbourhood history.

Walk leaders just need to submit a form on the federation's website, providing a walk summary, accessibility considerations and a short bio.

The deadline to apply is April 22, although Khatu says that may be extended.

"If you want to have fun, this is for you."

EDMONTON JANES WALK: Jane's Walk YEG – Walk Together. (wordpress.com)

PDF 

https://www.buurtwijs.nl/sites/default/files/buurtwijs/bestanden/jane_jacobs_the_death_and_life_of_great_american.pdf

THE DEATH AND LIFE OFGREAT AMERICAN CITIES - Buurtwijs 

THE DEATH. AND LIFE. OF GREAT. AMERICAN CITIES. •. Jane Jacobs. VINTAGE BOOKS ... through he gn.ee of the great American I»nking system, which.

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https://socialwelfare.library.vcu.edu/programs/housing/jacobs-jane-1916-2006

Social Welfare History Project Jacobs, Jane — 1916 – 2006 

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Head of Canadian Museum of History looks to move past a tumultuous few years

The Canadian Press
Tue, April 4, 2023 



GATINEAU, Que. — Caroline Dromaguet first started working at the Canadian Museum of History as a summer guide, where as a student she fell in love with the world of museums.

Over the years she saw the exhibits change, with her life experience changing, too.

The museum is where she got her first "grown-up job," and 25 years later, she has climbed to the top.

In December she was appointed president and CEO of the Canadian Museum of History Corp., a federal Crown corporation responsible for both the history museum in Gatineau, Que., and the Canadian War Museum on the Ottawa side of the river, after serving as interim CEO for two years.

"I just feel extremely lucky," Dromaguet said in a recent interview with The Canadian Press, describing her appointment as "quite unexpected."

Her predecessor, Mark O'Neill, resigned in 2021 following allegations of workplace harassment. He had been on medical leave since the summer of 2020, when an independent investigation was launched.

Dromaguet, the first French-speaking woman to hold the position, is now tasked with reforming the museum's policies following years of turmoil, and upholding the commitment to further advance truth and reconciliation.

A public report released two years ago showed the corporation's structure "primarily focused on control" where employees "did not feel a sense of community at the organizational level."

The workplace assessment report, commissioned by the corporation, said the culture didn't enable innovation. Employees described poor behaviour including bullying, blame, suspicion, maliciousness and fear-driven leadership.

The COVID-19 pandemic arrived during this tumultuous period, and Dromaguet said remote work further weakened communication and in-person connection among employees.

"We needed to establish a sense of trust among ourselves and our organization," she said.

Citing privacy laws, Dromaguet declined to provide details of the harassment allegations, how many people were ultimately disciplined, or any possible severance payouts.

"Like everyone I have read (about) it on our public platforms. I personally can't speak to that period. I was here at that time, but the findings are there and are publicly available," she said, also declining to answer whether she witnessed or experienced harassment herself.

She was willing to speak to the corporation's approach to addressing bad behaviour since then.

"That's something we were all responsible for," said Dromaguet, adding that the corporation has defined its workplace values, one of six recommendations from the April 2021 workforce assessment report.

"Acting with integrity is one of those values, and I firmly believe in that and nobody should get a free pass when it comes to (bad behaviour)."

All six recommendations are being implemented, Dromaguet said. They include stabilizing the leadership team; offering leadership development, coaching and training; establishing a sense of trust; defining desired culture; and addressing barriers to diversity and inclusion.

Human resources also renewed its harassment and violence in the workplace policy.

The organization is working to repatriate objects to First Nations and other Indigenous Peoples, and will soon release its results of a three-year plan that focused on Indigenous relations, adopting new policies and building relationships with First Nations.

"I want to think that the needle is moving, but I don't want to take everything for granted. I think we are moving in the right direction, but it's an ongoing work," Dromaguet said.

She said contributing to a cultural transformation has taken a lot of collaboration and listening on her part. She also credits a new "employee experience journey" program for driving further change.

"It's a lot of work. Change is hard. But I'm really inspired to see that engagement from staff and it's looking bright."

While the workplace assessment report notes improvements, Dromaguet said she has learned that workplace culture is as important as the culture displayed within the museum walls.

Standing in the Canadian Museum of History's Haida Gwaii Salon, she pointed to her favourite installment: Alex Janvier's Morning Star, seven floors up.

Completed in just three months in 1993 with the help of his son Dean, the painting illustrates the Denesuline artist's perspective on the history of the land we inhabit and expresses hope for mutual respect.

"It really tells the beautiful story of humans cohabitating and living together," Dromaguet said.

"I find it inspirational in terms of our work, and our journey towards reconciliation. It's just a nice inspiration and reminder for me."

This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 4, 2023.

Mickey Djuric, The Canadian Press

RMC grad to be first Canadian in deep space


Local Journalism Initiative
Tue, April 4, 2023 

A former student at RMC will be part of the first crewed mission to the moon since the last of the Apollo ships launched in 1972.

The Artemis II Crew was unveiled on Monday morning and Colonel Jeremy Hansen was among those selected, making him set to be the first Canadian to ever encircle the moon on what will also be his first trip to space.

Hansen joined the 614 Royal Canadian Air Cadet Squadron in his hometown of London in 1988 to set his career in aviation in motion.

The CF-18 pilot in the Royal Canadian Air Force graduated from RMC in 1999 with a bachelor's degree in honours space science, later achieving a master of science in physics.

He was selected by the Canadian Space Agency in 2009 through the third Canadian Astronaut Recruitment Campaign and graduated Astronaut Candidate Training in 2011.

In 2017, he became the first Canadian to be entrusted with leading a NASA astronaut class.

After the announcement was made, Hansen said he was humbled, excited, and in awe of what "strong leadership, setting big goals, with a passion to collaborate and a can-do attitude can achieve".

"Being part of the Artemis II crew is both exciting and humbling. I'm excited to leverage my experience, training, and knowledge to take on this challenging mission on behalf of Canada," Hansen said.

"I'm humbled by the incredible contributions and hard work of so many Canadians that have made this opportunity a reality. I am proud and honoured to represent my country on this historic mission."

RMC Vice-Principal of Academics and Professor of Physics Dr. Ribal Georges Sabat said it was a great honour for the school's Department of Physics and Space Science to see one of their own grads get selected for the mission.

"The Royal Military College of Canada is extremely proud of ex-cadet Col. Jeremy Hansen for being selected to be a mission specialist for the Artemis II NASA mission," said Sabat in a statement.

"The Space Science program at RMC is one of the very few university programs in Canada that provides specialized training in space-related physics, including orbital mechanics, space mission design and analysis, as well as satellite tracking, remote sensing and communications... It is a great honour for RMC, and particularly the Department of Physics and Space Science, to have one of our graduates be selected for such an amazing historical event."

Artemis II will engage in up to a three week flyby trip in 2024, in a mission to make sure that everything is prepared for Artemis III where the aim is to once again put humans on the surface of the moon in 2025 and build a "long term presence on the moon" and ultimately to dispatch humans to Mars.

The other astronauts on the mission- Christina Hammock Koch, Victor Glover, and G. Reid Wiseman- are all American.

Artemis II is expected to launch in November 2024.

Owen Fullerton, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, YGK News

Lawyer urges Canada to repatriate Quebec mother and children detained in Syria

CBC
Wed, April 5, 2023 

The six children of a Quebec women detained in a northeastern Syrian camp for families of those with suspected ISIS ties hold a sign thanking their mother's lawyer, Lawrence Greenspon, for his efforts to get them to Canada.

(Submitted by Lawrence Greenspon - image credit)

An Ottawa lawyer says he's now asked the federal government to take urgent steps to repatriate a Quebec mother along with her six children who are detained in a camp in northeastern Syria for families with suspected ISIS ties.

Lawrence Greenspon said he received a call directly from his client overnight and was informed she has made the decision to send her six children to Quebec on an upcoming repatriation flight organized by Canada, but said she wants to come with them.

Global Affairs Canada determined the six children are eligible to come to Canada, but the mother cannot join them on the flight because Canada hasn't finished her security assessment, said Greenspon.

"This is incredible, by that I mean not believable, when you consider that she was advised in writing more than four months ago, namely on Nov. 24, 2022, that she and her six children were eligible for assessment," said Greenspon in an email to CBC News.

The federal government is working behind the scenes to fly a group of women and children from Syrian camps controlled by Kurdish forces that reclaimed the war-torn region from ISIS. The women held there are believed to be married to ISIS fighters or have their own ties to ISIS, but have not faced any charges. Greenspon said they are arbitrarily detained.

The repatriation efforts underway are part of a last-minute deal that Global Affairs struck in January, a day before a federal court judge issued his decision ordering the government to repatriate the women, children and four Canadian men in prisons.

The government has argued in court that it advised against Canadians travelling to ISIS-controlled Syria and has no obligation to risk sending officials to the region to repatriate them now that they're detained in camps and prisons for suspected ISIS fighters and their families.

RCMP on the ground

The RCMP were at al-Roj camp last week asking to conduct on-camera interviews with some Canadian women detained, which Greenspon said was a "good sign" that tells him the government "is doing their best to live up to the terms of the agreement."

But he said separating the Quebec mother from her children is unacceptable.

"To separate a mother from her children is contrary to every international children's rights convention to which Canada is a signatory."

Greenspon said the move is also against Global Affairs' own policy created in January 2021 that says "thou shall not separate parent from child," he said

UN experts urge countries to repatriate children with mothers

UN experts recently called on countries to urgently repatriate children from northeast Syria with their mothers, saying "children in conflict zones must be protected, not punished."

Fionnuala Ní Aoláin, UN special rapporteur on human rights and counter-terrorism, and the Committee on the Rights of the Child issued the urgent statement on March 31.

"States must urgently repatriate children, together with their mothers — a solution that we now know is eminently feasible. We note that it is of the utmost importance that comprehensive rehabilitation programmes are in place when children are repatriated," the UN statement said.

The Quebec woman is not part of the deal struck with the federal government. In total, 26 women and children received letters last fall telling them they were eligible for assessment.

A group of Canadian immigration lawyers are also working on urging Canada to repatriate a group of four foreign mothers who have Canadian children detained in the camps.

Some children have urgent medical needs

Toronto immigration lawyer Asiya Hirji represents two of the foreign mothers that both have three children, including some with serious medical needs that she said require immediate attention.

One of their children has an eye issue that requires urgent surgery and if left untreated could go blind, said Hirji. Another foreign mother has a nine-year-old with autism and who also has a cerebral issue that is fatal and requires urgent surgery, she said.

Hirji said she has not yet informed Global Affairs Canada if the two foreign mothers she represents plan to send their six children in total to Canada. She said the children would go into foster care because they don't have family in Canada able to support them due to their age and other circumstances.

"I have a letter from an organization that works with autistic children that said the mom and child being separated would be catastrophic for the child's well-being," said Hirji.

CBC News requested a comment from Global Affairs on Tuesday evening about the Quebec mother and her six children and has not yet received a response.

The federal government has appealed Federal Court Justice Henry Brown's decision in January that ruled the four men detained in Kurdish prisons were entitled to have the federal government make a formal request for their release "as soon as reasonably possible."

Government lawyers told a Toronto court that the Federal Court made errors in its ruling and misinterpreted the Charter of Rights and Freedoms when it directed officials to "take extraordinary measures" to secure the release of the men.

New Canada-U.S. immigration deal puts ‘people in danger’ says former asylum seeker

Local Journalism Initiative
Tue, April 4, 2023 

Seidu Mohammed knows the lengths that asylum seekers will often go to when trying to cross the border into Canada and he worries that a newly signed agreement between the U.S. and Canada will cause even more desperation and harm to those trying to get into this country.

“I am speaking from experience, I almost froze to death, I lost my fingers, and I know what this is going to do for people trying to come here to seek safety, and it’s going to make it even harder on people,” Mohammed said on Monday in Emerson near the Canada-U.S. border.

“It’s going to put a lot of people in danger and it’s going to put a lot of refugees at risk because the United States is not a safe place for refugees.”

On Monday, 30-year-old Mohammed joined NDP Critic for Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship MP Jenny Kwan, and Winnipeg Centre MP Leah Gazan at a media conference in Emerson, where they spoke out against a new agreement reached between Canada and the U.S. on March 29 that will tighten rules around refugees seeking asylum into Canada.

The agreement now sees the Safe Third Country Agreement (STCA) applied to the entire Canada-U.S. land border. It will see migrants coming from the U.S. who are looking to make asylum claims at unofficial points of entry turned back by border agents in Canada, and will now stipulate that asylum seekers must make their claims in the first safe country they reach.

The agreement also allows immigration officers to bring people back to the border to turn them over to authorities if they are found within 14 days of crossing the border illegally.

In 2016, Mohammed was one of two men who journeyed hundreds of kilometres on foot in the dead of winter to get to Manitoba near the community of Emerson to seek asylum.

But the journey cost Mohammed all of his fingers due to frostbite, as he says he was outside for about seven hours in early January of 2016 when temperatures were as low as minus-28C.

Mohammed is originally from Ghana, but he fled the country out of fear for his safety because of his sexuality, as Ghana law prohibits same-sex sexual activity under their Criminal Code.

He originally applied for asylum in the U.S. after leaving Ghana, but was denied asylum there, which led him to travel on foot to seek asylum in Canada.

He has since become a Canadian citizen, but said if the new agreement had been in place when he got to Canada in 2016, he would have been returned to the U.S., and believes he would have been deported back to his home country, where his life would be in danger.

“If this law had been in effect then I would not be standing here in Canada today, and I don’t think I would even be alive,” he said.

During Monday’s media conference, Kwan spoke about the damage she thinks will be done to asylum seekers through the new agreement.

“Ask yourself whether that level of security is what Canadians want, and simply to protect us from those who are coming to Canada because they are desperate and in need of protection,” Kwan said.

“This solution to crossing in communities like here in Emerson is not expanding the STCA agreement, the solution is to end it, because expansion means that already desperate people will be pushed further underground into unsafe pathways.”

Emerson-Franklin Reeve Dave Carlson said on Monday he is hopeful that the new agreement will make border crossings safer for those trying to get into Canada, and for emergency workers who he said are often called on to help refugees when they are in danger.

“This was a really big issue back in 2017-18 in Emerson before COVID hit, and there were a lot of emergency services people responding to a lot of calls of people in distress and things of that nature because of how remote this area can be, and how cold it can get,” Carlson said.

“It is just so dangerous in the winter when people are outside in a forest or a field, because of how treacherous that can be.”

Carlson said he hopes the new agreement will help, but added he also hopes it does not bring any further pain or suffering to those trying to get to Canada.

“We need some time to see how this will play out and we understand that desperation, but my hope is that this does what it’s intended to do, and discourages any sort of unsafe crossing, because we want people to be safe, and we have seen what can happen when these situations go wrong.”

The federal government didn't respond to a request for comment from the Winnipeg Sun on Monday.

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

Dave Baxter, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Winnipeg Sun

Desperation behind illegal border crossings, Akwesasne chief says

CBC
Tue, April 4, 2023 

Akwesasne Grand Chief Abram Benedict poses on Kawehno:ke, also known as Cornwall Island, in March 2020. (Christinne Muschi/Reuters - image credit)

The grand chief of Akwesasne's elected council says desperation is driving some people to risk their lives crossing the Canada-U.S. border illegally, and economic pressure is driving some community members to help them.

The bodies of eight people — four from India and four of Romanian descent — were pulled from the St. Lawrence River near the Kanien'kehá:ka or Mohawk community about 130 kilometres west of Montreal on the Quebec, Ontario and New York borders.

Police believe the victims were attempting to cross into the U.S. from Canada by boat.

Akwesasne's Casey Oakes, whose boat was found near the bodies, remains missing.

Police said in a news release Tuesday they believe Oakes was connected to the deaths. They had previously declined to make that connection.

Grand Chief of the Mohawk Council of Akwesasne Abram Benedict told CBC's Ottawa Morning on Tuesday that the tragedy has taken a toll on the community, particularly on the first responders who took part in the search.

Benedict said he hopes the tragedy causes policymakers in both countries to question their approach to immigration.

"We need to take a moment, pause and think about how desperate these folks were that they would put their family's lives at risk … to choose illegal routes to enter into another country," he said, singling out long processing times for immigration applications and a lack of information for would-be migrants.

A friend of the victims who had ties to Romania said on Monday the family had been facing deportation from Canada. Local police in India didn't know much about the circumstances of the other family.

Christinne Muschi/Reuters

Authorities have said the territory's unique geography makes it a popular spot for human smugglers, with police making 48 separate interceptions so far this year.

Benedict said some community members who are struggling financially can be tempted into helping organized criminals smuggle people across the border.

"One would argue that smuggling, whether that's people or goods, takes place because people need money," he told CBC's As It Happens on Monday. "The government needs to continue to support communities like Akwesasne with economic development.

Considering root causes

Last month, Canada negotiated a deal with the United States to turn away asylum seekers at unofficial border crossings such as Roxham Road in Quebec, closing a long-standing loophole in the Safe Third Country Agreement.

Immigration advocates have warned the new rules would push people to take even greater risks in their efforts to cross the border.

Immigration Minister Sean Fraser called the eight deaths in Akwesasne horrific and said Monday they have caused him to think about potential solutions including addressing some of the root causes behind irregular border crossings.

WATCH | Immigration minister on possible policy changes:

Whatever happens, Senator and former Cornwall, Ont., mayor Bernadette Clement told All In A Day on Monday local governments have to be partners in decisions because they're often the first to respond.

"As more and more desperate people cross borders, this is going to have local impacts," she said. "We want to make sure that municipalities and local authorities and Akwesasne and First Nations communities are at the planning table."

Federal NDP immigration critic Jenny Kwan called on the government to suspend the Safe Third Country Agreement Monday, saying it was negotiated in secret and without consultation.

Conference highlights the role of immigrants in Canada’s growth

By 2041, immigrants could make up one-third of Canada's population

Local Journalism Initiative
Tue, April 4, 2023 

By 2041, immigrants could make up one-third of Canada’s population, Anil Arora, Chief Statistician of Canada told attendees at the Metropolis Conference held in Ottawa in March. And given Canada’s aging population, and dropping birth rate, immigration is Canada’s best bet for the country moving forward, Arora said.

For comparison, twenty-five years ago the ratio of immigrant population in Canada was one in six. Today it is one in four.

The conference, entitled “25 years of conversation on migration: our legacy, our future”, attracted close to 1200 Immigrant service providers, policy makers and researchers who came together to discuss emerging policy needs and to share information on successful practices of integration and inclusion as the number of immigrants grows. In November, the federal government announced that it anticipated bringing in 500,000 immigrants annually by 2025.

Not only has attendance to the conference grown over the years, but the conference continues to cover a wider range of issues, said Jack Jedwab, the president and CEO of the Association for Canadian Studies and Metropolis Institute.

“We think, and a majority of Canadians agree, that immigration is a key dimension of economic growth and has been for some time the single source of population growth,” Jedwab said. “Birthrates are not sufficient to support population renewal.

“During the pandemic we lowered immigration substantially and we saw population decline in some places,” he added. “This reminds us how immigration is important to population growth.

“ It is critical,” Jedwab said.

Jedwab said he was pleased to hear from the Minister of Immigration and their staff that consultations were under way on how to best adjust the system to further streamline the process of admission to Canada of new immigrants.

Lori Wilkinson, Professor of Sociology and Director at the University of Manitoba has been involved with the conference from the beginning when the University of Alberta in Edmonton hosted the first conference 25 years ago. She’d like to see more immigrants and refugees attend future conferences to enable attendees to hear first hand their experiences.

“It would be great to have the ground-up view alongside the eagle eyes view,” Wilkinson said.

The conference brings together Immigrant service providers, policy makers and researchers and is held in various parts of Canada. Besides discussions on how Canada’s identity is evolving, addressing the challenges around admitting refugees to Canada and challenges around Temporary Foreign Workers were also discussed.

John Lefferty, Director of Immigrant Services, from Lethbridge Family Services in Alberta was one of the attendees at the conference in Ottawa this year. It was his first time attending. For him the main takeaway was the fact there were discussions not just on immigration numbers and how to streamline the immigration process but also how to upgrade infrastructure and ensure growth to keep up with demand.

“One particular aspect that caught my attention was that Canada will need an additional three million homes by 2030 to accommodate its growing housing needs,” Lefferty said. “Equally important considerations are being given to the needs in the medical sector and employment sector in order to meet the ambitious plans that we have for the future.”

A poll conducted by Léger leading up to the conference found that 68 per cent of those surveyed had a positive attitude towards immigrants. When asked what made them proud of Canada, 11 per cent listed the country’s inclusiveness, and eight per cent said its multiculturalism and diversity.

Naser Miftari, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, New Canadian Media

AFN chiefs endorse revised child-welfare settlement, call on Trudeau to apologize

The Canadian Press
Tue, April 4, 2023 


OTTAWA — First Nations chiefs have endorsed a revised multi-billion-dollar settlement for children and families harmed by Ottawa's underfunding of on-reserve child and family services.

Chiefs gathered for a special meeting of the Assembly of First Nations passed a motion today supporting the new deal, which includes an extra $3 billion from Ottawa and increases the total compensation package to $23 billion.

In 2019, the Canadian Human Rights Tribunal ordered the federal government to pay $40,000 in compensation to First Nations families and kids who were wrongfully separated as a result of its underfunding of on-reserve child welfare, prompting two class-action lawsuits.

The federal government started negotiating with the Assembly of First Nations in 2021 to settle the suits, and ultimately agreed to spend $20 billion on reforming the child-welfare system and another $20 billion on compensation.

The deal was thrown into question last year after the tribunal rejected the proposed settlement, stating concerns that not all claimants would receive the $40,000 in compensation.

But as chiefs gathered this week in Ottawa, the assembly announced that a revised settlement had been reached, which would included 13,000 more children and other amendments that it felt would satisfy the tribunal's concerns.

The new settlement agreement will now be presented to the tribunal for approval.

Chiefs also called on Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to make a "formal and meaningful" apology to the plaintiffs and victims.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 4, 2023.

Stephanie Taylor, The Canadian Press

Saskatchewan community groups lead charge on safe consumption sites

The Canadian Press
Tue, April 4, 2023 



REGINA — Emile Gariepy usually supervises people using drugs inside one of Saskatchewan’s overdose prevention sites but says it’s those in the nearby parking lot who often need his attention.

Gariepy, the harm reduction manager at the Newo Yotina Friendship Centre in Regina, says he regularly helps people overdosing in the parking lot behind the centre, administering naloxone to prevent what could be another death.

“We just did that last week. It happens all the time,” Gariepy said in an interview. “A lot of the overdoses ... are outside because of people smoking outside.”

The centre can only offer supervision of injected drugs. But if it could provide a supervised smoking room, Gariepy said, it would give those who smoke a safe place.

Getting that room, let alone any additional harm reduction measures, is expected to be an uphill battle.

Unlike other provinces that offer safe consumption sites, the Saskatchewan government does not fund those services. Community organizations, such as the Newo Yotina Friendship Centre, have taken on the work and rely on grants.

Prairie Harm Reduction in Saskatoon is a second site in the province that offers such services.

The organizations have long asked for provincial funding, saying the money would keep doors open longer and provide clients with more safe resources.

Gariepy said that would help prevent overdose deaths, as well as save time for first responders who are already strained.

"It saves the community and the health-care system money,” he said, noting that the Newo Yotina Friendship Centre has received some funding from the City of Regina.

“In here, if someone does overdose, we’re watching it in real time. It’s a lot easier to reverse that than if someone is on the streets.”

Supervised consumption sites have grown in popularity across Canada as provinces and cities look to reduce the number of overdose deaths and spread of diseases, such as HIV.

Trained staff supervise in a hygienic environment, providing clean equipment and connecting users with services.

Alberta, British Columbia and Ontario provide funding for such sites. Manitoba does not have a stand-alone location, but that province recently introduced legislation that would require organizations to apply for provincial licences.

In Saskatchewan, Mental Health and Addictions Minister Everett Hindley has questioned the effectiveness of the sites, pointing to the overdose crisis in Vancouver.

British Columbia leads the country in overdose deaths per capita, followed by Alberta then Saskatchewan.

In 2022, Saskatchewan had 245 confirmed drug toxicity deaths and 159 suspected deaths. In 2016, there were 109 confirmed drug toxicity deaths.

Hindley has said the government is focusing on treatment and recovery. There is funding for new detox beds, he said, and the province is making drug testing strips and naloxone kits more available.

However, advocates in Saskatchewan say what’s lacking are “earlier” services, like safe consumption sites.

Barb Fornssler, a professor at the University of Saskatchewan who studies harm reduction and substance use, said many people can’t access services.

“(The government) has been asked for years now to provide additional services that they might find morally objectionable, but it's not about our morality as leaders,” Fornssler said. “It's about what the research evidence says works, and harm reduction works. And it's less expensive and it saves lives.”

She said more education on prevention is also needed, where youth can learn how to cope with stress without having to turn to drugs or alcohol.

Since December, the Newo Yotina Friendship Centre said staff have seen 924 drug consumptions with 13 overdoses. Of those overdoses, 12 required naloxone. No one died.

“We're not enabling people to use drugs. People are already using drugs and there’s already a crisis,” Gariepy said.

“People are already dying all over Regina and Canada, and we're having the worst drug death rates we've had ever. Why can't we meet people and help them to use safely and maybe lower those numbers a little bit?”

Advocates have said the services have eventually directed some toward a path of recovery.

Gariepy said the centre calls those cases a “small win.”

“Recently one guy kind of vanished from the scene and I found out he's somewhere up north trying to get clean and trying to get off the streets of Regina. Those are just small good things that happen," he said.

"If we can have more resources, more people coming in, we may see more of those more often.”

This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 4, 2023.

Jeremy Simes, The Canadian Press

BC

Could opposition to camping derail the $40-million Bowen Island park and campground?

CBC
Wed, April 5, 2023 

The Cape Roger Curtis site on Bowen Island is set to be purchased by Metro Vancouver and converted into a campground, the regional government said in August 2022. (Metro Vancouver - image credit)

When Metro Vancouver vice-chair John McEwen thinks about the 240-acre, waterfront parcel of land on Bowen Island that the regional government wants to purchase, a simple word enters his mind.

"It's amazing," he said.

"And I think that having this open to the public domain rather than it being private residences is a very unique opportunity."

Eight months ago, Metro Vancouver announced they planned to buy the land at Cape Roger Curtis from a developer for $40 million, with the intention of turning it into a regional park and campground.

At the time, it was seen as a way to add protected parkland to Metro Vancouver, while eliminating the possibility of dozens of new mansions on the Island's waterfront.

Today, the project is in serious jeopardy, with a series of local and regional meetings happening in the next few weeks that will likely decide whether the park goes ahead, or if the land will be returned to the private developer.

The reasons for the conflict are complex: a story of regional desires vs. local concerns, Island vs. big-city culture, and the vagaries of consultations, elections and legal timelines.

But it means something nearly everyone agrees could be a win for both Bowen Island and Metro Vancouver could slip through the region's fingers.

Metro Vancouver

'It's Sleepy Hollow'

"I think absolutely everybody on this island is in favour of some sort of preservation … that's good news. The camping is the new part."

Like many on Bowen Island, Coun. Judith Gedye notes how long she's lived on the island without prompt — 43 years — and is protective of its unique character.

"We're going to have a whole bunch of visitors that come over and are disappointed. 'I thought there was going to be a shopping mall. I thought there was going to be a hotel,'" she said.

"No, it's Sleepy Hollow. It's still rural. We're trying to keep it tiny."

A retired judge, Gedye was elected to council in October with the most votes, with one of her priorities being "no to camping on Bowen without safeguards against negative effects."

It's a stance with plenty of support on Bowen, with a petition sitting at more than 1,300 signatures, nearly a third of the island's population.

Gedye admits there's some on Bowen fervently opposed to any overnight camping.

However, she hopes most concerns can be addressed if Metro Vancouver and Bowen Island can come up with plans and funding to mitigate the traffic, noise, emergency vehicle and ferry issues that could arise with hundreds of more people travelling to the island every summer weekend.

"It's not a bad project. It's just a new project and it's a big project," she said, adding that a phased-in approach might get support.

"So there's lots and lots and lots of details that we're familiar with because we live here and we live through the lineups every day."

To camp or not to camp?

But from Metro Vancouver's perspective, there's a sense of urgency in figuring out those details — and whether to go ahead with the purchase.

In a letter to the local newspaper, Gedye referenced May 9 as a deadline for the regional government to make a decision on the property. Metro Vancouver told CBC News they "can't comment on the particulars of a pending real-estate transaction," but when asked, directors haven't denied the date holds significance.

Currently, the land is zoned for residential use, not for overnight camping. There is little indication that Bowen Island will accelerate its consultation process to fast-track a vote — let alone approval — on the rezoning.

Metro Vancouver has rescheduled its regional parks committee meeting this month so it can be held after Bowen Island's council meeting next Monday, in the hopes of having more clarity.

Without a firm commitment to camping, McEwen, who also chairs the parks committee, says it could be difficult to get the support from other Metro Vancouver politicians to move forward.

"Forty million is a significant amount … that took us about four or five years to save those funds to be able to have that money in the bank to buy this land," he said.

"Directors are starting to wonder if that money could be spent in [their own] municipality."

For her part, Gedye believes it was naive of Metro Vancouver to think they could purchase such a large amount of land and expect a rezoning from Bowen less than a year later.

"They should have known, or been told that it was going to be controversial. Bowen rises to the occasion," she said.

"They love that. Everyone here is very well educated and has lots of experiences speaking out, and we encourage that, and so it was going to be something that we'd have to work through as a process."

And McEwen isn't opposed to a process playing out, pointing out that across Metro Vancouver, smaller neighbourhoods have integrated popular parks over time with success, be it Quarry Rock in Deep Cove, or Buntzen Lake close to Anmore, where McEwen is mayor.

"When you're working with municipalities, anything can be overcome. And I think down the road the legacy that this could be created would be amazing for the region," he said.

Whether it comes to reality is another question.

"It's not big bad evil Metro. It's not big bad evil Bowen," she said.

"It's trying to protect Cape Roger Curtis and figuring out if we can do that with camping."