CANADA

Lawsuit against convoy organizers moves forward


CBC
Tue, February 6, 2024 

Police enforce an injunction against protesters near Parliament Hill on Feb. 19, 2022.

 (Evan Mitsui/CBC - image credit)

A $300-million class-action lawsuit filed against Freedom Convoy protesters, donors and organizers on behalf of downtown Ottawa residents and businesses is moving forward after a judge ruled against a motion filed by the defendants.

Superior Court Justice Calum MacLeod heard arguments in December for and against a motion brought under anti-SLAPP (strategic lawsuit against public participation) legislation.

The legislation serves to protect people from vexatious lawsuits filed to silence opponents through legal and financial intimidation. Convoy organizers filed the motion in an attempt to have the lawsuit tossed, arguing it amounted to an attack on freedoms of expression.

Lawyers representing the defendants, who include Tamara Lich and Chris Barber, argued political expression is fundamental to society.

But in his decision released Tuesday, MacLeod sided with residents and businesses by dismissing the motion.

He wrote that the case pitted the rights of individuals to use their property and public streets against the rights of protestors to make their grievances heard by using pressure tactics against the government.

The shaded areas on the map show the new additions to the "occupation zone" containing the plaintiff classes.

The shaded areas on the map of downtown Ottawa were added to the 'occupation zone' outlined in the class action. (Simon Smith/CBC)

Plaintiffs' case 'meritorious,' judge finds

The defendants argued that because their use of free expression was in the public interest, the plaintiffs did not meet the threshold required to launch a lawsuit.

MacLeod disagreed, writing in his decision that the plaintiffs have a "meritorious case."

"There is evidence that certain plaintiffs were subjected to what they contend to have been extreme amounts of noise, horn honking, incessant diesel fumes and other pollution, blockage of the streets and intimidation. There is evidence that plaintiffs had difficulty accessing their properties and that business was disrupted, reservations cancelled, and revenue negatively impacted," the decision reads.

While recognizing the defendants deny having had a common intention to block streets or pressure government by creating hardship on residents, MacLeod wrote it could still be concluded that disrupting daily life in the city is what organizers and participants were after.

"It cannot be said on the limited evidentiary record available on this motion that any of the potential defences are likely to prevail," the decision says.

Paul Champ, the lawyer who is bringing forward the class action, said in a statement he was "pleased" with the outcome.

"Another attempt by the defendants to derail this litigation has proven unsuccessful," his statement read. "We remain committed to obtaining justice and redress for the people of downtown Ottawa."

Lawyers representing the defendants say they are reviewing the decision and did not have any immediate comment.

COACHING IS ABUSE

Quebec unveils new bill targeting abuse in sports

CBC
Tue, February 6, 2024 

Quebec Sports Minister Isabelle Charest, seen above in 2020, has presented a new bill intended to prevent abuse and harassment in sports. (Jacques Boissinot/The Canadian Press - image credit)

The Quebec government has tabled a bill intended to reduce harassment and abuse in sports.

Bill 45, as it is currently known, would see the government appoint an integrity ombudsman to handle abuse and harassment complaints in sports and recreation.

The bill also expands government oversight of recreational organizations and sports federations and imposes background check requirements on all those involved in recreational activities involving minors or people with intellectual or physical disabilities.

"No matter what role someone plays in a sports organization, we won't make any compromises on their integrity," said Isabelle Charest, the sports minister, who tabled the bill on Tuesday.

In a message on the social media platform X, Premier François Legault said the bill was aimed at the few "bad apples" in children's sports. "We want to do everything we can to prevent them from being in a position where they can hurt our children," he wrote. "Isabelle Charest's bill will help prevent that."

The Regroupement Loisir et Sport du Québec (RLSQ), a government organization, already tracks complaints of abuse and harassment in sports. A spokesperson for the organization said in an email that it had received more than 1,000 complaints since Feb. 1, 2021, the vast majority of them in the past year.

But, a spokesperson for the organization said approximately 51 per cent of those complaints were more to do with general issues, that a child wasn't receiving sufficient playing time, for example — not harassment or abuse.

In February 2023, a National Assembly committee looked into acts of violence in sport and, in particular, during hockey initiations.

In a report published last year, investigators with the Education Ministry flagged shortcomings in criminal record checks for coaches in school sports.

Trevor Williams, a basketball coach who runs the Trevor Williams Kids Foundation, said a new, stricter law to prevent abuse and harassment in sports is long overdue.

"At this time that we live in, it's absolutely necessary for this type of bill," he said. "There have been a lot of bad incidents in sports and this will prevent a lot of negative behaviour in the future."

Tom Grainger, the president of Beaconsfield Hockey, welcomes any new mechanism that makes it easier for participants to denounce abuse.

"Anything that's brought forward that will allow people that are falling into a situation where they're abused, assaulted, whatever, is a great mechanism and will help out a great deal," he said.

Newfoundland and Labrador

Premier Furey's Dubai trip under fire from health workers' unions, who say staffing solutions can be found at home


CBC
Tue, February 6, 2024 

Premier Andrew Furey recently attended a recruitment event in Dubai, United Arab Emirates to encourage health care workers to consider working in Newfoundland and Labrador. (Andrew Furey/Facebook - image credit)

Premier Andrew Furey recently travelled to the Middle East to lure health-care workers to Newfoundland and Labrador, but union representatives say they'd like to see more effort retaining workers already in the province.

Late last week Furey headed to Dubai, United Arab Emirates, to attend the Canadian Health Attraction Recruitment Mission. In a statement, he said it was "an opportunity to showcase Newfoundland and Labrador as an ideal place for health-care professionals to work and live."

Not everyone is impressed by his trip, however.

Association of Allied Health Professionals spokesperson Erin Curran wrote in a statement that the union is "frustrated beyond measure with the premier's recent trip to Dubai and the celebratory tone used to position this trip as a demonstration of government's commitment to strengthening healthcare in this province."

While recruitment is important, Curran said it can't be a bigger priority than retention. She also called the premier's framing of Newfoundland and Labrador as a great place to work as "very misleading at best," pointing to hundreds of health care workers she says are close to leaving their jobs.

The backlash comes amid bargaining turmoil within the industry.

Three weeks ago, the health professionals' union — which represents an array of workers including physiotherapists, pharmacists and psychologists — walked away from contract talks with the provincial government. At the time, AAHP president Gordon Piercey said the union would be focusing on mobilizing its 800 members.

Members would still need to vote in favour of a strike.

"Our members are outraged and feel this is just another example of how little they are valued, appreciated and respected by their employer, especially since the premier has yet to make any effort to communicate with the AAHP," wrote Curran.

More proactive work needed

While Newfoundland and Labrador Association of Public and Private Employees president Jerry Earle applauded Furey for going to Dubai to recruit, he said it shows how serious the problem is regarding the "vast number of vacancies" in health care.

He'd like to see what he called a "homegrown solution" for more on-the-ground efforts to convince people to choose to work in health care in the province.

NAPE president Jerry Earle says the cost of building the new HMP isn't just financial but comes with a human cost  Earle says there needs to be more effort in recruiting local health care workers long before they graduate in order to address vacancies. 

(Terry Roberts/CBC)

"Yes, we have to rely on going international and that's not new. We've done that. But good on the premier for doing that piece," Earle told CBC News.

"But then the big piece in this province, we have to sit down and come up with a solution that's made right here in Newfoundland Labrador, to use that term."

Earle said he's spoken with nursing and social worker students who told him they haven't been approached by the government for work. In one class, he was told that recruiters from Nova Scotia had been around, but no one from Newfoundland and Labrador.

Earle said officials have to do a better job of recruiting locally and not waiting until people are already enrolled in post-secondary programs, but also reaching them in high school.

People who live here and are recruited to work here tend to stay, he said. Earle added he used to work in health care and can remember workers from Ireland being recruited, but few stayed.

"So we've just got a repetitive problem, where we're filling voids and losing people. Filling voids and losing people," said Earle.

"I continuously hear from members saying 'what about us? We're here today. We're working for Newfoundlanders and Labradorians. We're contributing everyday to our province.' So something has to be done."

So far, Earle said programs meant to address those concerns have been short-term based and he wants to see long-term solutions that will keep people working in N.L.

Registered Nurses' Union of Newfoundland and Labrador President Yvette Coffey says the provincial government has undermined public nurses in the health-care system by hiring a private company to run the vaccination clinic at Confederation Building. Coffey says the situation won't improve if the government can't retain the health-care workers it's recruiting. (Mark Quinn/CBC)

In a statement, Registered Nurses' Union Newfoundland & Labrador president Yvette Coffey also voiced her concerns over the government's focus on recruitment over retention.

"We commend government for its recruitment efforts. However, government must also pay equal attention to retaining our existing health-care professionals and those we have already recruited."

She pointed out last year the government had recruited 400 nurses, but lost 330.

"If our province is losing health-care professionals at the same rate or faster than we can recruit them, things will not get better."

Newfoundland and Labrador Medical Association president Dr. Gerard Farrell said in a statement it was "wonderful" that the government is looking to recruit physicians internationally, but like Earle, Coffey and Curran, he voiced concerns over retention.

Farrell added that there needs to be special focus on retaining the doctors coming out to Memorial University's medical school.

"If the government is truly serious about stabilizing the physician workforce, then it must ensure that Newfoundland and Labrador is at least competitive with the other provinces, otherwise we will keep losing doctors to other parts of Canada," he wrote.

CBC News reached out to Furey's office for an interview but he was unavailable because he is still in Dubai.

How Canada is lagging when it comes to clamping down on 'greenwashing'


CBC
Mon, February 5, 2024 

Environmental groups in Canada are calling for stronger measures to oppose greenwashing, a blanket term for misleading or unsupported statements about a product or company's environmental record

 (Alastair Grant/The Associated Press - image credit)

"Eco-friendly." "Carbon neutral." "Net-zero."

These kinds of claims are a near-constant in advertising campaigns and promotions.

But it can be difficult to know if they are true.

The federal government wants to strengthen how the Competition Bureau handles complaints about "greenwashing" — a blanket term for misleading or unsupported statements about a product or company's environmental record.

Even with those changes, though, advocates say Canada will still be far behind the European Union and other jurisdictions when it comes to making sure a company's statements are accurate.

"We are lagging," said Matt Hulse, a lawyer with the Canadian environmental group Ecojustice.

"We're seeing decisions by competition bureaus or the equivalent in other countries that we're not making here in Canada."

The calls for improvements come against a backdrop of increased accusations of deceitful marketing practices, with Canada's largest bank and an oilsands group both the subject of investigations.

Some business leaders, as well, fear rampant greenwashing undermines honest efforts to build enviro-friendly brands.

The Competition Act, which applies to advertising claims, is expected to be amended as part of legislation making its way through Parliament.

The proposed changes would require businesses that claim a product has environmental protection or climate change benefits to be able to back up their statements with "an adequate and proper test."

Yet these new rules will be difficult to enforce, critics say.

"We don't have the level of oversights and enforcement that we need and that's the result of a lot of different factors, one being the lack of capacity from the Competition Bureau to tackle these issues," Hulse said.

Environmental activist groups including Greenpeace are seen climbing a Shell oil tank to protest against advertisements in Netherlands in 2021. (Eva Plevier/Reuters)

Slow process, few fines

In total, eight investigations involving greenwashing have been opened by the Competition Bureau in the past two years, including one against the Royal Bank and another against Pathways Alliance, which represents major oilsands producers.

Neither has been settled. Others that have resulted in fines have been few and far between.

One of the most significant was against Keurig Canada, which was ordered by the Competition Bureau in 2022 to pay a $3 million penalty for making misleading claims that its single-use K-Cup pods can be recycled.

Last year, Shell Canada halted a promotional campaign which encouraged customers to fund carbon-offset projects at the fuel pump amid an investigation by the bureau.

Greenpeace filed the complaint, arguing there was a lack of evidence Shell could wholly offset emissions from its fossil fuels and major shortcomings with its carbon offsets scheme.

Innovation, Science and Industry Minister François-Philippe Champagne speaks at the Competition Summit, hosted by the Competition Bureau, in Ottawa on Oct. 5, 2023. (Sean Kilpatrick/The Canadian Press)

Keith Stewart, a spokesperson for the environmental group, said he sees Shell dropping the campaign as a victory.

But it also highlights Canada's flawed process, he said. The Shell campaign ran for three years, from 2020 until November 2023, ending before the bureau made a decision.

"If you're a company, what you could do is you could start an advertising campaign and when the complaint goes in, you withdraw the advertising campaign," Stewart said.

"We actually need to have some real teeth put into our truth-in-advertising laws."

In the Netherlands, by contrast, Shell was quickly ordered in 2021 to discontinue the Dutch version of its campaign, arguing that the neutrality claim could not be proven. (Shell disputed the decision, but lost its appeal).

In a statement, Shell spokesperson Stephen Doolan said the company decided to retire the program in Canada.

"Our focus remains on providing our customers with the most competitive offers, including low-carbon alternatives that keep pace with consumer demand," Doolan said.

Activists take part in a demonstration against greenwashing at a climate summit in Glasgow 2021. (Alastair Grant/The Associated Press)

A game of 'Whac-A-Mole'

In Canada, environmentalists argue the rules against greenwashing should apply not just to claims about a product itself, but also to a company's commitments, such as a promise to achieve "net-zero" by 2050.

Such commitments, Hulse says, should be supported with publicly available evidence.

A separate department within the Competition Bureau, something like a watchdog unit recently set up in the United Kingdom, would also help speed up the process, he said.

"It all starts with the enforcement capacity," he said. "Are we tackling this systemic problem in a systemic manner and not doing a bit of a Whac-A-Mole as complaints happen to come across the doorstep of the Competition Bureau?"

The European Union is planning to put in place more specific rules to address deceptive marketing.

Under a proposed law, terms like "environmentally friendly," "natural," "biodegradable" and "climate neutral" would be prohibited — unless a company can offer proof.

Businesses want clarity, too

In a statement, Innovation Canada, which oversees the Competition Bureau, said the proposed rules regarding environmental claims builds on the bureau's "existing expertise in enforcing the law, and will apply economy-wide."

Still, experts warn that, without stronger regulations, the faith consumers have in green commitments will be further eroded.

Already, more than half of Canadian consumers do not believe most green claims brands make, according to a recent survey by Deloitte.

As it stands, the lack of clarity isn't just an issue for environmentalists. Businesses are also frustrated, says Wren Montgomery, who specializes in corporate sustainability at the Ivey Business School at Western University in London, Ont.

"Companies are really scared about sort of stepping in it around greenwashing, which makes them really hesitant to speak out," she said.

Montgomery recalled speaking to a classroom full of executives who told her: "'We want to do more and we want to talk about what we're doing, but we're really scared that we're going to be called out for greenwashing.'"

"I think that really speaks to the sort of ambivalence and confusing nature of what's out there now," she said.

NDP calls for ban on 'misleading, deceptive' fossil fuel ads


CBC
Tue, February 6, 2024 

The Quest Carbon Capture and Storage facility at Shell's Scotford complex northeast of Edmonton. (Kyle Bakx/CBC - image credit)

Federal New Democrats say it's time for Canada to do to the fossil fuel industry what it did to tobacco companies by banning misleading ads that market the industry as offering a solution to climate change.

The NDP's natural resources critic Charlie Angus tabled a private members bill (C-372) in the House of Commons this week. The bill would ban what the party describes as misleading fossil fuel advertising, similar to the way cigarette ads were restricted in the 1990s.

At a news conference Tuesday, Angus said Canada's oil industry is shifting its "propaganda" strategy by promoting its products as clean and claiming they can be part of the climate solution.

"That's like Benson and Hedges telling you that they can help end lung cancer," Angus said. "This is because big oil has always relied on the big tobacco playbook of delay and disinformation."

In 1997, the Canadian government enacted new tobacco control legislation after the Supreme Court struck down a 1989 law which the tobacco industry challenged as an unconstitutional restriction of freedom of expression.

The new bill would outlaw marketing that downplays the climate-altering emissions and health hazards associated with the industry, or promotes fossil fuels in ways that are false, misleading or deceptive.

Health Canada estimates that air pollution caused primarily by burning fossil fuels in North America contributes to 15,300 premature deaths per year in Canada. The Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment (CAPE) cites research that states fossil fuel air pollution in Canada leads to 34,000 premature deaths annually.

CAPE was among the stakeholders standing with Angus at Monday's news conference. It's also one of the groups that complained to the Competition Bureau about an organization that represents the six largest oil and gas companies, the Pathways Alliance.

CAPE claims Pathways's net-zero ads were misleading because the consortium has not fully accounted for how it would achieve net-zero emissions.

"This is false. Oil can never be net-zero because 80 per cent of the life cycle emissions are released when oil is burned," said Leah Temper, CAPE's director of health and economic policy.

Burning coal, oil and gas accounts for 75 per cent of global climate-altering emissions and 90 per cent of all carbon dioxide emissions, according to the UN.

The Pathways Alliance was not immediately available to comment on the bill. The Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers (CAPP) said it follows Canadian advertising laws.

"Advertising is one way we can reach Canadians to ensure they are informed of the progress their oil and natural gas industry is making on these critical matters," said Lisa Baiton, CAPP's president and CEO.

In a statement, the office of Minister of the Environment and Climate Change Steven Guilbeault said the federal government is holding the oil and gas sector accountable for its emissions through measures like a proposed framework to cap oil and gas emissions. The statement stopped short of supporting Angus's bill.

"We welcome the NDP's bill to the House. Advertisement has a big role to play in public perception, and the industry is racking in record profits," said Kaitlin Power, press secretary to the environment minister. "We will carefully assess their bill and look forward to productive debates and discussions around this important issue."

Yukon Quartz Mining, Waters Act charges laid against Keno Hill mine


CBC
Tue, February 6, 2024 at 2:37 p.m. MST·3 min read

The courthouse in Whitehorse as seen from Second Avenue. (Jackie Hong/CBC - image credit)

The company behind the Keno Hill mine in central Yukon is facing charges for allegedly failing to meet water quality standards and improperly storing hazardous materials.

The Alexco Keno Hill Mining Corp. made its first appearance in Yukon territorial court last week on one charge under the Quartz Mining Act and two more under the Waters Act.

In court documents, the company is accused of storing hazardous materials in a manner contrary to an approved management plan between April 19, 2022, and July 25, 2023, a violation of its quartz mining licence.

The mine's New Birmingham water treatment system also allegedly exceeded allowable discharge limits on June 27, 2023, and Dec. 6, 2023, contravening the terms of the company's water licence.

The Quartz Mining Act charge and first Waters Act charge appear to be connected to issues identified during an inspection of the site by natural resource officers last summer.

A report published on the Yukon Water Board's website includes photos of bags of copper sulphate stacked in shipping containers, with some of the bags ripped and the contents spilling onto other bags or the floor and mixing with other compounds including zinc sulphate and PolyClear A2501. Officers had previously told Alexco to clean up spilled copper sulphate earlier in the year.

A photo included in a June 27, 2023, inspection report at Hecla Mining's Keno Hill project in Yukon shows sacks of copper sulfate with zinc sulfate spilled on top. 

(Yukon government)

The report describes copper and zinc sulphate as "corrosive, irritants, acutely toxic, and environmentally hazardous," while PolyClear A2501 is flammable and an irritant.

Other bags of copper sulphate were stored on wooden pallets outdoors with a tarp covering them, while sulphuric acid was being kept in large plastic containers outside with direct exposure to sunlight.

The report also notes that water from the New Birmingham treatment system failed a quality test that involves placing rainbow trout fry into the sample. In an acceptable sample, 100 per cent of fish should live at least four days, but in the New Birmingham sample, all of the fish died within 24 hours.

The Yukon's director of mining compliance, monitoring and inspections, at the time, said his branch was working with the company to ensure compliance and that it was continuing its investigation.

The Department of Energy, Mines and Resources offered little new information when asked about the charges, with spokesperson Holly Dalrymple writing in an email that the government "may exert a range of enforcement responses, from issuing warnings to pursuing formal charges through the courts" when "potential non-compliances" are identified during inspections.

Alexco's parent company, Hecla Mining Company, gave a written statement in response to an interview request on the new charges which partly mirrored the statement it gave following the release of the inspection report.

In an email, the company's director of governmental affairs Mike Satre once again wrote that the company is "committed to environmental excellence and continuous improvement at Keno Hill."

"We are currently implementing improvements to the environmental management system that was in place from the prior owner and will be investing significantly more than them on environmental compliance matters," he wrote. "We are reviewing the charges and have no comments at this time."

Alexco's next court appearance on the charges is scheduled for March.

SASKATCHEWAN
Patient, nurses sound alarm after union says extreme overcrowding forced unprecedented call for help


CBC
Tue, February 6, 2024 

Shaylyn Cowper says she waited seven hours to get treatment for her severe abdominal pain at St. Paul's Hospital in Saskatoon early Tuesday morning. She was placed in a bed that partially blocked the main entrance to the hospital's emergency room. (Sumbitted by Shaylyn Cowper - image credit)

A Saskatoon woman says she was placed in a hospital bed Tuesday morning that partially blocked the main entrance to the emergency room because there was no other space available.

The extreme overcrowding — which also resulted in another patient having a heart attack in the waiting room — forced staff to issue an unprecedented call for help known as the "stop the line" provision, according to the Saskatchewan Union of Nurses.

"I felt really ignored, very scared, really sad," Shaylyn Cowper said in an interview Tuesday afternoon after being discharged. "I've never really felt so exposed just being right in the entry way doors, sitting on a bed, so it was a terrible experience."

Cowper left her two children at home with her husband and drove herself to St. Paul's Hospital just after 6 p.m. Monday. She was vomiting repeatedly and the pain, which has forced her to make several other emergency hospital visits over the past year, had become unbearable.

Shaylyn Cowper spent several hours Tuesday morning in the emergency room of Saskatoon's St. Paul's Hopital. She says the extreme overcrowding forced staff to treat people in halls and take other extreme measures.  (Jason Warick/CBC)

Cowper says she waited several hours to get a bed as the vomiting continued.

It wasn't a private room, she says, or a share room with curtains or even in the hallway: Those spaces were filled.

Instead, she says, she was put in a bed at the emergency room's front entrance in full view of everyone, and blocking access to the security desk and entrance.

As she waited, she decided to call 911. She told the dispatcher that her bed's location was a fire hazard. She says a fire marshal came early Tuesday morning.

She said she saw several patients turned away by security, and others in the waiting room got increasingly stressed.

"There were a lot of people crying," she said.

Eventually, a student training to be a paramedic came to insert her IV line and administer medication. She was treated shortly after and discharged just before 4 a.m.

"The nurses, I mean they did absolutely everything they could," Cowper said. "They just looked so defeated by the time I left. It was really disheartening,"

Union president Tracy Zambory says it was so crowded that staff activated the "stop the line" provision in the regulations, the first time the provision has been used at St. Paul's. It's a phrase taken from other industries when production is halted when working conditions are unsafe.

Zambory said it was "extremely dangerous and unmanageable" for staff and patients, but nurses obviously can't stop treating patients. In this case, she says, it triggered an immediate call to management to send reinforcements and to come help out themselves.

"We had no choice. Patients' lives are at risk," she said.

Government plan 'an abysmal failure'

A government plan created last year in the wake of severe overcrowding pledged there would be no more patients treated in halls by the end of January, Zambory says.

"This plan has been an abysmal failure," she said.

Saskatchewan Health Authority vice-president John Ash says they are working hard to add more staff and beds, but there are still pressures.

Staff members were correct to identify the unsafe situation at St. Paul's and ask for more help. he said, adding the union wants staff to know that if something is unsafe "action needs to be taken to correct it."

He says the situation was the result of several days of high volumes of admissions, which made it even more difficult to transfer patients out of the ER to other wards.

Ash says they are also creating more spaces to care for patients outside of hospitals whenever possible.

He said front line staff members "are incredibly dedicated professionals" and thanked them for their service.

N.W.T. parents of transgender kids fear Alberta health care changes will make it hard to access care


CBC
Mon, February 5, 2024 

Amanda St. Denis, right, and her husband, Stephen O'Brien, live in the Northwest Territories and have two kids who are both transgender. They are worried about how restrictions on gender-affirming care in Alberta might impact their kids' access to key transgender health services. (Sarah Krymalowski/CBC - image credit)

Parents of transgender children in the Northwest Territories say they are worried policy changes in Alberta will impact their kids' access to gender-affirming care.

The Northwest Territories Health and Social Services Authority is responsible for providing health care for transgender, non-binary and gender nonconforming children and youth in the territory. However, most of its health care professionals have limited expertise in transgender health, so patients are often referred to specialists in Alberta.

In an announcement last week, Alberta Premier Danielle Smith said her government will ban puberty blockers and hormone therapy for all children 15 and under, and require parental consent for 16-and 17-year-olds who want access to those therapies.

Smith told reporters last Thursday that her government will begin implementing those policies — along with other restrictions on how gender identity is expressed in schools, sporting competitions and sex education — in the fall.

Long wait lists

Yellowknife resident Amanda St. Denis has two transgender kids, aged 9 and 12. St. Denis said she had a "visceral" reaction to the Alberta announcement.

"It's stressful — not only the uncertainty about what health care is going to look like, but the uncertainty about trans rights," St. Denis said.

Her daughter, 12, is scheduled for an appointment with gender-affirming care specialists in Edmonton next month, to get more information on puberty blockers and other supports available.

St. Denis said she contacted the Northwest Territories Health and Social Services Authority soon after Smith announced Alberta's new polices, but as of Sunday afternoon, she still hadn't gotten confirmation that she could go ahead with the appointment as planned.

"The wait lists are years long. This is our first appointment after being referred years ago. So if we have to be transferred to another clinic, what does that mean? Do we have to wait longer to see a specialist?" she said.

The day after Alberta Premier Danielle Smith announced plans to restrict access to transgender health care services for youth, Northern Mosaic Network executive director Chelsea Thacker, pictured here, said many N.W.T. families reached out to them for answers about how it would impact kids in the territory. (Sarah Krymalowski/CBC)

Northern Mosaic Network executive director Chelsea Thacker said many other families in the territory are facing the same uncertainty. They said the day after Smith announced the new restrictions in Alberta, about 10 families reached out to them for answers and support.

"There is a direct concern for any minors receiving [gender-affirming] care," they said.

"Any referral directly goes to Alberta services. So if they no longer decide that they are going to provide care, even to N.W.T. residents, then we will see a wipe-out of services that are available to families."

No answers yet

The Northwest Territories Health and Social Services Authority was not able to respond to questions from CBC about how restrictions on gender-affirming care in Alberta might impact youth in N.W.T.

In an emailed response Friday afternoon, spokesperson Krystal Pidborochynski said the health authority was "just learning" about the changes in Alberta gender policy, and said the health authority was working to "assess the impact this may have on access to gender-affirming care for Northwest Territories residents."

CBC North also reached out to the office of Alberta's health minister to ask if the coming restrictions on access to hormone therapy and puberty blockers will apply to youth on medical travel from the N.W.T.

In response, a spokesperson told CBC that Alberta will "engage with stakeholders, including our counterparts in the Northwest Territories, to determine exactly how these policies will be implemented."

Despite the uncertainty, St. Denis said she is committed to making sure her daughter gets a gender-affirming care plan.

"Getting at answers initially is our priority, and then just going one step at a time to see what happens and deal with it as it comes," she said.

TORIES OPPOSE LGBTQ RIGHTS, SURPRISE

Pierre Poilievre defends Alberta Premier Smith on transgender policies

Conservative leader says Trudeau should 'let parents raise kids and let provinces run schools and hospitals'

CBC
Tue, February 6, 2024 

Federal Conservative Party leader Pierre Poilievre speaks about his car theft policy during a news conference at the Port of Montreal on Tuesday, February 6, 2024. 

THE CANADIAN PRESS/Ryan Remiorz


Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre defended Alberta Premier Danielle Smith and her approach to transgender issues Tuesday, saying the Liberal government and the media have demonized her for policies that would give parents more say over their kids.

Speaking to reporters at a press conference on car theft in Montreal, Poilievre said the Liberal government is "spreading disinformation" about what Smith has proposed.

"If you keep it vague and you actually refrain from describing the policies Premier Smith is putting in place, you think you can misrepresent them and misrepresent conservatives," he said.

"This is exactly what Justin Trudeau has done. You notice Trudeau has not given a single example of any of the policies that Premier Smith has brought forward that he individually disagrees with because he doesn't want to be specific about it. He and you want to peddle disinformation in order to demonize Premier Smith and parents," Poilievre added, addressing his comments to the reporter who asked the question.

Danielle Smith, Liberals trade shots over transgender policies during her trip to Ottawa

Transgender allies gather in Calgary and Edmonton to rally against proposed government policies

Poilievre said Trudeau and his ministers need to "butt out."

"He should let parents raise kids and let provinces run schools and hospitals," he said.

When asked by a reporter if the policies could actually limit the rights of parents who support their child's pursuit of a gender transition, Poilievre said, "No."






Trudeau last week condemned what he called Smith's "anti-LGBT policies" and said such actions will worsen mental health issues and suicidal ideation among young people struggling with gender dysphoria.

Employment Minister Randy Boissonnault, a gay man, has been more specific about what the Liberal government opposes.

Referring to proposed policies that would demand that Alberta trans kids aged 15 and under get parental consent to use their preferred names and pronouns in school, Boissonnault said Monday that Smith is intent on "forcing kids out of the closet before many of them are ready."

He said a child shouldn't be forced to reveal their gender identity to an unsupportive parent.

"By mandating that schools force kids out of the closet before many of them are ready, she's taking away the safe space for some young people," Boissonnault said.

"To ban young LGBTQ2 kids from being who they are puts lives at risk."



Poilievre suggested that the federal government and the media are shying away from talking about Smith's other policies, which deal with sensitive medical decisions that have become a lightning rod for debate in Canada and south of the border.

Smith is promising a ban on so-called "top" and "bottom" surgeries for minors aged 17 and under, a practice that's very rare in Canada because it goes against the World Professional Association of Transgender Health (WPATH)'s standards of care.

Smith also wants to restrict puberty blockers and hormone therapy for children 15 and under.

The premier has pitched these policies as a way to protect young people who may come to regret having made life-altering decisions in haste.

Smith is also trying to keep trans women and girls out of women's sports, a policy she said is motivated by safety and fairness.

LGBTQ groups, trans advocates and Alberta's medical association, among many others, have condemned the policies as an infringement on trans people's constitutional rights.

Alberta NDP MP Blake Desjarlais, who is two-spirit, said Smith is "denying trans kids their basic human rights" and restricting their access to "life-saving health care."

Desjarlais blasted Poilievre and the Conservatives for their stance on the issue. He also urged the federal government to use its powers under the Canada Health Act to withhold health-care funding from Alberta if the province denies access to these services.

Some health-care providers also maintain that limiting blockers and hormones could have consequences for young people suffering from dysphoria.

"This is a direct attack on trans youth," said Dr. Ted Jablonski, a Calgary family physician who specializes in transgender care. "This is an assault on their medical care.

"There's no medical evidence to make any kind of restrictions. We have very good guidelines to manage trans youth."

The Canadian Pediatric Society (CPS) has said that "gender-affirming medical interventions may be an important component of comprehensive care" for some transgender or gender-diverse adolescents.

The CPS, citing past scientific research, has said access to puberty blockers "has been associated with lower odds of suicidal ideation over the life course."

It has said these drugs should not be prescribed before the onset of puberty for medical reasons but also because the puberty process is "an important experience through which young people may develop clearer understanding of their gender identity."

The CPS says gender-affirming hormone therapy, which it says produces reversible and irreversible changes, should also only be provided to young people who "demonstrate the capacity to understand and appreciate both the benefits and risks of these medications, given their profound effects."

Pod of at least 10 killer whales appears trapped by sea ice in Japan

Mayumi Maruyama, Lucas Lilieholm and Jerome Taylor, CNN
Tue, February 6, 2024 



A pod of at least 10 killer whales appears to be trapped by sea ice off Japan’s northern island of Hokkaido, public broadcaster NHK reported on Tuesday.

Officials from the coastal town of Rausu said they have no way to rescue the orcas, which were first spotted by a local fisherman, NHK reported.

“We have no choice but to wait for the ice to break up and for them to escape that way,” a Rausu official told NHK.

A local fisherman contacted the Rausu Coast Guard Station on Tuesday morning to report seeing a killer whale stuck by the ice drift not far from the shore, NHK reported citing the local coast guard.

Drone footage shared Tuesday by a local wildlife organization, Wildlife Pro LLC, shows the whales struggling in a small gap between ice flows. The organization said it encountered the whales while doing marine research, according to a statement on Facebook.

“I saw about 13 killer whales with their heads sticking out of a hole in the ice,” a Wildlife Pro LLC employee, who filmed the video, told NHK. “They seemed to be struggling to breathe, and it looked like they included three or four calves.”

A lack of wind in the area has meant the ice trapping the orcas has remained stagnant.

Sea ice hugs the coast of Hokkaido every winter, and is the lowest latitude sea ice in the world, but over recent years levels have been declining as global warming accelerates.

In 2005, a group of killer whales were also trapped in drift ice off the coast of the town and later died, according to NHK, citing Rausu town officials.

CNN’s Laura Paddison contributed reporting.