CANADIANS BEWARE 

Canadians travelling to or through U.S. should pay close attention to their withering rights

Latest changes to Preclearance Agreement give U.S. officials dangerously extended power on Canadian soil

H.M. Jocelyn · for CBC News Opinion · Posted: Dec 15, 2019 4:00 AM ET | Last Updated: December 15

Increased authority given to U.S. border guards under amendments to the Canada-United States Preclearance Agreement earlier this year includes the ability to deny Canadians their right of withdrawal in preclearance zones. (Jacquelyn Martin/The Associated Press)

This column is an opinion by H.M. Jocelyn, a Ph.D. candidate in American Studies at Rutgers University-Newark. A dual Canadian-American citizen, she was born in Stratford, Ont., and crosses the international boundary between the two nations many times a year. For more information about CBC's Opinion section, please see the FAQ.

The United States and Canada share what's been known as the longest undefended border in the world, because of the neighbourly sentiment between the nations. Now defence has become irrelevant, because Canadian lawmakers have effectively invited an invasion by U.S. border authorities.

In the political climate of President Donald Trump's Muslim ban and Facebook groups comprising bigoted customs agents, Canadians travelling to or through the U.S. need to pay close attention to their withering rights.

While far less violent than the horrors at the southern boundary of the United States, problems arising across the northern U.S. line are alarming. Incidents of racial profiling against travellers of colour have risen significantly, and the number of people turned back by U.S. border guards has seen an increase in recent years.

The most recent incursion by U.S. border officials comes in the form of amendments made earlier this year to the set of laws that facilitate cross-border movement, known as the Canada-United States Preclearance Agreement.

Travellers on their way from Canada into the United States should be aware that these changes, ostensibly enacted to increase the efficiency of travel and trade across the boundary, give U.S. officials dangerously extended power in Customs preclearance areas on Canadian ground.

A line crossing the Haskell Library and Opera House in Stanstead, Que., marks the border between Canada and the U.S. Built in 1901, the library that straddles the international border at Derby Line, Vt., has long been a symbol of harmony between the two countries. (Paul Chiasson/Canadian Press)

U.S. officials can now carry sidearms in these preclearance zones, conduct strip searches, record and keep passenger information, and detain Canadian citizens.

Even if a Canadian official is "unwilling" to conduct a search or has deemed a detainment unnecessary, a U.S. official can override that call. In other words, Canadian law enforcement can now be countermanded within Canada by Americans.

• U.S. doubles number of 5-year bans on travellers from Canada

• U.S. border guards detain Canadian woman for 5 hours, refuse entry without visa

This new authority also allows U.S. border guards to deny Canadians their right of withdrawal. Before the amendment to the law was enacted, if a person felt at all uncomfortable in the course of preclearance questioning she could simply leave, retracting her intention to cross the border with no penalty.

Now, as a result of amendments, the guard is entitled to detain her if he finds "reasonable grounds" to do so. And the request to leave in itself could be construed as reasonable grounds.

As Michael Greene, a Canadian immigration lawyer, puts it: "they wouldn't be able to walk out. They can be held and forced to answer questions" — even if the questions are discriminatory.

The amendments to the Preclearance Agreement effectively mean that there will be no repercussions for anything 'done or ommitted' by U.S. border officials in the exercise of their powers. (Stephen Chernin/Getty Images)

Each new provision in the Preclearance Agreement comes with a similarly vague, deeply troubling caveat. For example, the new subsection 39(2) says, "A border services officer or other public officer is not permitted, in a preclearance area or preclearance perimeter, to exercise any powers of questioning or interrogation, examination, search, seizure, forfeiture, detention or arrest except to the extent that such powers are conferred on the officer by the laws of the United States."

In other words, authoritarian behaviour is prohibited — except as the U.S. deems necessary.

The intention of equivocal statements such as these can only be a broader interpretation of the limit (or limitlessness) of American power.

• Attention travellers: Despite recent ruling, U.S. border agents can still easily search your phone

• Ottawa gets an earful on proposed expansion of U.S. border pre-clearance powers

Scarier still is the provision that undergirds every amendment to the agreement: that U.S. border officials will not be held accountable for impropriety.

In the exact language of the bill, "no action or civil proceeding may be brought against a U.S. preclearance officer in respect of anything that is done or omitted in the exercise of their powers, or the performance of their duties and functions under the legislation."

So there will be no repercussions for anything committed in the exercise of their powers.

Canadian border guards at an inspection booth on the Canada-U.S. border. U.S. officials in preclearance zones can detain Canadian citizens even if a Canadian official deems a detainment unnecessary. (Darryl Dyck/Canadian Press)

This is a menacing leniency in our era of partisan conflict and rampant xenophobia.

Groups such as the Iranian Canadian Congress have expressed concern at these new broad powers, perturbed at their potential: "With the rise of discriminatory instances against Iranians in both Canada and the United States, and the current political climate between Iran and the two countries, removing the safeguards for withdrawing allows preclearance officers the ability to racially profile Iranian-Canadians with no restrictions or recourse for Iranian-Canadians."

Their worry is understandable, considering the concomitant increases in individual power and instances of racism among U.S. border guards.

• Pre-clearance bill would give U.S. border agents in Canada new powers

• Test your travel knowledge: What are you allowed to pack before getting on that flight?

It cannot be left to the whims and biases of individual U.S. officials to decide what happens to Canadian citizens in Canada. Trump encourages prejudice and discourages international partnership. There is a staggering hypocrisy in building a wall — or a moat full of alligators — at the border to the south, while extending jurisdiction across the border to the north.

• Canadian baby boomers being banned from U.S. for admitting they used pot years ago, lawyer says

• 'Don't take a chance, dump your stash,' says lawyer after Air Canada flight diverted to U.S.

Under Trump's leadership, any latent intolerance among border-protection agents is given room to roam. For Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to allow the practices of such an administration to seep over the borderline onto Canadian soil is to condone the behaviour of Trump's regime.

Worse, Trudeau's government is empowering foreign officials and disempowering Canadian citizens. He is kowtowing to American imperialism.

---

• This column is part of CBC's Opinion section. For more information about this section, please read our FAQ.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

H.M. Jocelyn

H.M. Jocelyn, a dual Canadian-American citizen, was born in Stratford, Ont., and grew up spending school years in New York City. As a border studies scholar in the American Studies PhD program at Rutgers University-Newark, she continues to cross the international boundary between the two nations many times a year. Her previous publications include a chapter in Critical Insights: American Short Story (Salem Press, 2015) and articles in The Journal of American Studies and in Interdisciplinary Literary Studies: A Journal of Criticism and Theory.

UNDER KENNEY AND UCP 

Soaring condo insurance rates help push Fort McMurray homeowner into bankruptcy

'There's not anything we can do anymore,' Kaleena Carriere says

Jamie Malbeuf · CBC News · Posted: Dec 15, 2019 6:00 AM MT | Last Updated: 5 hours ago

Kaleena Carriere with her daughter Raven and husband, Joseph. They moved from Fort McMurray in July looking for work. (Submitted by Kaleena Carriere)

A woman says she walked away from her Fort McMurray condo after skyrocketing insurance costs became "the final straw" in her battle to keep the home.

Kaleena Carriere, 31, bought her townhouse-style condo in April 2014. It was her first home. Now the bank owns it and the locks have been changed.

In September of this year, Carriere received a letter from the Cedarwoods Condominium Corporation explaining that the board had struggled to find an insurer to cover the complex.

The lone policy on offer came at a high cost, yet only promised coverage for a fraction of the complex's $65-million appraised value. The condo board accepted the offer.

As an owner, Carriere was hit with a $6,000 special assessment — six months of $1,000 payments — to cover her share of the insurance premium. It was a hit she couldn't take.

The condo board got only one quote from an insurer and it came with a premium of $925,000 for the whole complex. It struggled to get an insurer because it's considered "high risk." In the last three years the complex made four insurance claims totalling $11.7 million. Two were related to the 2016 wildfire, one was a water claim and the last was another small fire. 

• 'How could this be possible?' Fort McMurray condo board struggles to find insurance
• Wood Buffalo council will lobby province over condo insurance crisis

It's a problem that has been facing many condo boards in the regional municipality of Wood Buffalo in the wake of the Fort McMurray fire.

In July, Carriere and her husband had left Fort McMurray for work. They moved in with her dad in Kamloops, but they were still keeping up with payments on the condo, which was registered in her name.

"We've been struggling for the last year," she told CBC News. "Then we got this letter and it was just kind of the final straw. OK, we're going to lose the house. There's not anything we can do anymore."

It was just kind of the final straw. OK, we're going to lose the house.- Kaleena Carriere

Every month Carriere was making mortgage payments of $1,800, plus $450 in condo fees, $300 for heat, $100 for personal liability insurance and $50 for municipal services. 

Paying another $1,000 a month wasn't an option. In a Facebook post, Carriere said she stopped making payments on her home and "accepted that the bank was going to take it from me."

"I didn't believe it," Carriere told CBC. "I cried when I came to the realization that this was happening."

Kaleena Carriere's husband, Joseph, bringing home their baby girl in 2016. (Submitted by Kaleena Carriere)

Carriere said she considered selling the condo, but figures she would have ended up deep in debt.

She had paid $350,000 for the home but believes it is now worth less than $200,000 because of declining property values in Fort McMurray.

In a statement of claim, her bank alleges she still owed $278,000 on her mortgage when she stopped making payments.

Condo insurance is mandatory

In Alberta, condominium boards must carry insurance on all units and common property against loss resulting from destruction or damage caused by fire, lightning, windstorms, hail, explosions, water damage and other perils. The coverage must be for replacement cost value. Owners pay the insurance costs through their condo fees. 

The Cedarwoods condo board was offered $10 million of coverage, even though the appraised value of the 156-townhome complex was $65 million. That's despite the insurance premium of $925,000.

In 2018, the board had been able to get insurance coverage for the full property appraisal at a cost of $142,000.

• 'How could this be possible?' Fort McMurray condo board struggles to find insurance
• Wood Buffalo council will lobby province over condo insurance crisis

Dan Edwards, vice-chair of the Cedarwoods condo board, said the board got only one insurance offer and had to take it, in an effort to comply with the Alberta Condominium Property Act.

"You have to accept it whether you like it or not," said Edwards, who owns a condo in the complex. "I can't make an insurance company offer me insurance.

"No one wanted to pay this."

Not enough coverage for a disaster

Edwards said if there's a disaster that destroys everyone's property, the board doesn't have enough coverage to rebuild and everyone "will likely be out on the street."

"We don't understand what's going on. We're all hurt by this," he said.

He's not sure what the legal ramifications of not having enough coverage are because this is "uncharted territory," he said.

Edwards said the board is still working with a lawyer and trying to come up with a solution to get full coverage at a reasonable price.

Owners should be worried, lawyer says

Edmonton lawyer Robert Noce said owners of Cedarwoods condos should be worried.

The condo board's decision to accept insurance coverage that only accounts for one sixth of the appraised value is so uncommon that he's never heard of it happening before, Noce said.

"It's impossible to think that an insurer would only insure a portion of that, knowing full well that the value of the property is significantly higher," Noce said. "I can't think of any board, individual board members, that would be so negligent and expose themselves to personal liability by making such a decision."

Owners and the condo board should immediately seek legal advice, he said.

"I would truly hope that that particular condominium corporation has sought legal advice to protect them from what will inevitably be exposure at a personal level of the board members if they can't get this issue resolved."

The locks have been changed on Kaleena Carriere's home and she no longer has access. (Submitted by Kaleena Carriere)

In October, Wood Buffalo councillors voted to lobby the provincial and federal governments in an attempt to ensure that condo boards are able to secure complete, affordable insurance coverage.

Adam Hardiman, spokesperson for the Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo, confirmed the municipality sent letters to members of Parliament, local MLAs and the prime minister's office, among others. 

Crisis brewing, mayor tells PM

In a letter to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, Mayor Don Scott said the lack of affordable condo insurance options is quickly becoming a crisis that will affect other parts of Canada, "particularly those that have experienced flooding or wildfire."

Rob de Pruis, director of consumer and industry relations with the Insurance Bureau of Canada, said in an email that IBC is still talking to insurance companies and government about regulations for condo insurance.

"We understand the seriousness of this issue and we are doing everything we can to address individual circumstances," de Pruis said.

The government says it's still working with insurance providers about the issue, and Finance Minister Travis Toews has "asked industry to work to find solutions for condominium owners in the region," Service Alberta representative Tricia Velthuizen said in an emailed statement.

Carriere said it's unlikely she'll be able to buy a house again for years. She received an outpouring of support after posting about her bankruptcy on Facebook. She said dozens of people told her they were going through the same thing.

"There needs to be some sort of cap on insurance for housing," Carriere said. "There needs to be some regulation or something from the government that stops this from happening, because it's not just me.

"There's tons of my friends … tons of my neighbours. It saddens me that it's not as public as it should be."

British Columbia
'It's a milestone, I'm thrilled': B.C. survivor of conversion therapy applauds federal commitment to ban it
Peter Gajdics says 6 years of conversion therapy in Victoria almost killed him


CBC News · Posted: Dec 15, 2019














Peter Gajdics spent six years in Victoria B.C. undergoing conversion therapy from a psychiatrist who prescribed drugs which Gajdics says almost killed him. (Jon Hernandez/CBC)


A B.C. man who says he is still recovering from an attempt to change his sexual orientation through a practice known as conversion therapy is applauding a federal commitment to ban it in Canada.


This week, a mandate letter sent from Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to Minister of Justice and Attorney General David Lametti asked that the Criminal Code be amended "to ban the practice of conversion therapy and take other steps required with the provinces and territories to end conversion therapy in Canada."


Conversion therapy is a practice that aims to change an individual's sexual orientation or gender identity, aiming to "convert" them from gay, lesbian or bisexual to heterosexual, or from transgender to cisgender, which means identifying with the sex assigned to them at birth.


Peter Gajdics, author of the book The Inheritance of Shame, spent six years in conversion therapy with a licensed psychiatrist in Victoria.


"It's a milestone, I'm thrilled, I think it will be a journey to actually have it passed," he said about the federal move to end its practice in Canada.


He described his years in conversion therapy as painful.


"I just felt completely distorted and cut up inside by the drugs, by the primal scream, by the shame, by this effort to change myself into something that I wasn't," he said. "At one point the medications were at a fatal level, and I overdosed, and by all accounts I should have died."


He says a psychiatrist prescribed several antidepressants and a sedative in hopes that it would help Gajdic become heterosexual.


"I fell for these tactics because I wanted to believe what my family wanted me to be, that I could heal somehow," he said.


WATCH Peter Gajdics talk to the CBC's Jon Hernandez about his experience with conversion therapy

Watch
'Such long term-pain'
1 day ago
0:36

B.C. Conversion therapy survivor Peter Gajdics talks about his troubling experience. 0:36


Gajdics says he grew up ashamed of his sexuality because his parents didn't approve of it, and was cut off from his friends and family.
No proof it works


Conversion therapy employs various approaches, including talk therapy, medication and aversion therapy, which attempts to condition a person's behaviour by causing them discomfort through things like electric shocks when they're exposed to specific stimuli.


It is believed conversion therapy has existed for more than a century, with German psychiatrist Albert von Schrenck-Notzing being one of the first to use the practice on patients.


Conversion therapy has been widely condemned by health experts as having no scientific proof that it works. It is also described as being unethical and unprofessional.


Elizabeth Saewyc, a UBC nursing professor, says people who have gone through the therapy have a greater chance of developing depression and anxiety.


"It has created challenges around their ability to actually have caring relationships with others," she said.
Conversion therapy: What you need to know


In 2018, the City of Vancouver passed a bylaw that bans any business from providing conversion therapy.


Gajdics said he will watch how the federal government develops its amendments to the Criminal Code to ban conversion therapy. He's worried that loopholes will remain for the practice to carry on underground.


"Delineating exactly what conversion therapy is or maybe isn't in the Criminal Code will be vital," he said. "Practitioners, organizations, sidestep the issue. Immediately they say we don't practise that."


With files from Jon Hernandez and Alvin Yu


SEE https://plawiuk.blogspot.com/search?q=LGBTQ


SEE https://plawiuk.blogspot.com/search?q=CONVERSION

Couple who bought $120k banana art sense it will be iconic

In this Dec. 4, 2019 photo, gallery owner Emmanuel Perrotin poses next to Maurizio Cattlelan's "Comedian" at the Art Basel exhibition in Miami Beach, Fla. The work sold for $120,000. (AP Photo/Siobhan Morrissey)

Kelli Kennedy, The Associated Press
Published Thursday, December 12, 2019 3:00PM EST

MIAMI - A Miami couple who bought a headline-grabbing banana duct-taped to a wall have acknowledged the absurdity of the artwork, but say they believe it will become an icon and plan to gift it to a museum.

Billy and Beatrice Cox said in a statement that they spent more than $100,000 on the “unicorn of the art world” after seeing “the public debate it sparked about art and our society.”

The conceptual artwork - “Comedian,” by Italian artist Maurizio Cattelan - was the talk of last week's Art Basel Miami. The artist sold three editions, each in the $120,000 to $150,000 range, according to the Perrotin gallery.

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• Banana, duct tape add up to $150,000 at Art Basel Miami

“We are acutely aware of the blatant absurdity of the fact that “Comedian” is an otherwise inexpensive and perishable piece of produce and a couple inches of duct tape," the Coxes said. “Ultimately we sense that Cattelan's banana will become an iconic historical object.”

The piece was widely parodied on social media. Kelly Ripa and Ryan Seacrest framed a bagel with a piece of duct, tape over it and Brooke Shields taped a banana to her forehead, writing “An expensive selfie” on Instagram.

On Saturday at the art fair, Georgian-born artist David Datuna removed the latest iteration of the banana from the wall, unpeeled it and took a bite as a large crowd documented the moment with their phones.

“I respect Maurizio, but it's art performance: Hungry artist,” said Daturna, who was not among the buyers.

The piece became such a focus of gawking that the gallery removed it Sunday for the final day to encourage viewers to see the rest of the art fair.

The Miami couple - whose purchase included a “certificate of authenticity” along with the banana and the piece of tape - said they plan to loan and later gift the work to an unspecified art institution in hopes of attracting new generations to the museum.

They plan to throw out old bananas when appropriate. “Yes ... the banana itself will need to be replaced,” they said.

The couple compared the artwork to Andy Warhol's now iconic “Campbell's Soup Cans,” which said was initially “met with mockery.”

Critics reasoned they could easily recreate the pricey art following a quick trip to the grocery store, but the gallery said in a statement that certificates of authenticity are crucial in conceptual art.

Without one, “a piece of conceptual artwork is nothing more than its material representation.”

Salmonella outbreak in six provinces linked to snakes and rodents

A salmonella outbreak in six provinces has been linked to contact with snakes and rodents. (FILE/AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee)

The Canadian Press
Published Thursday, December 12, 2019 4:49PM EST

The Public Health Agency of Canada is advising exotic pet owners to practise good hygiene amid a salmonella outbreak in six provinces that's been linked to contact with snakes and rodents.

A notice issued this week counts 92 cases of the bacterial infection reported between April 2017 and October 2019.

The agency says exposure to snakes and rodents is the likely cause of the outbreak, with an investigation finding many of the affected individuals had contact with a snake, pet rat or rodent used as reptile food.

Reptiles and rodents can carry salmonella bacteria even if they seem clean and healthy, and people can fall ill from contact with the animals or places they have recently roamed, the agency says.

“There have been past outbreaks of salmonella illnesses linked to snakes and rodents,” the notice said. “The findings from these investigations have highlighted the important role snake and rodent owners can play in preventing new illnesses linked to these types of pets.”

The health notice advises frequent handwashing and safe handling of snakes, rodents and their food - including frozen rodents used as snake food - to prevent further illnesses.

It recommends pet owners immediately wash their hands after touching a reptile or rodent, their food or their habitats.

It also advises against kissing the animals, bathing them in kitchen sinks or bathtubs, or keeping their food stored in the same place as human food - with special notice that keeping frozen rodents in a freezer near human food does not kill salmonella.

The pets should be kept in their habitats, the notice says, and it advises keen attention to the pets' needs, saying “stress for a reptile can increase shedding of salmonella.”

Children under five, pregnant women, older adults and people with weakened immune systems are at greatest risk of becoming infected with the bacteria, the agency says. The health notice advises against keeping reptiles and rodents at daycare centres or schools for young children.

Six people have been hospitalized during the outbreak, though the agency says people usually recover within a few days from symptoms that include fever, chills, diarrhea, cramps, nausea and vomiting.

Fifty-two cases were reported in Quebec and the rest were in British Columbia, Ontario, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia and Newfoundland and Labrador. The majority of cases, 57 per cent, were reported among women and girls.

The agency says cases continue to be reported.

Dr. Bryna Warshawsky, a physician with Public Health Ontario, said the findings suggest a common rodent breeder as the source of the strain. The rodents may have been sold as pets or as food for a snake, then infected a snake or person with salmonella.

“It all probably traces back to a similar breeder or a connected series of breeders, but we don't know that for sure,” Dr. Warshawsky said.

She said it's not recommended to have a pet reptile, rodent, frog or toad in a household with children under five because young children don't understand the necessary hygiene precautions.

Adults can better understand the risks, but Dr. Washawsky stressed that all pet owners should wash their hands after touching animals or their food, even when a salmonella outbreak is not ongoing.

A previous salmonella outbreak in Canada spanning from 2012 to 2014 was eventually linked to feeder rodents for pet snakes. An investigation found snake owners were thawing frozen mice in mugs and pots that they would later use for drinking or cooking, causing the infection to spread.

Wade Samson, co-owner of Dartmouth exotic pet store Into The Wild, said he hasn't heard of any of his staff or customers becoming ill with salmonella after touching the animals, but said he generally agrees with the hygiene recommendations in the notice.

“If you have something dead, you don't want to put it next to your food,” he said by phone. “I think a lot of people just avoid that because it's gross to most people.”

Samson said common sense hygiene around pets like snakes and rodents is always advisable to avoid a variety of transferable illnesses, not just salmonella.

“I always recommend simple hygiene. That has obviously saved our civilization from a lot of stuff.”

-By Holly McKenzie-Sutter in St. John's, N.L.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 12, 2019.

LEBANON'S BUSINESS LEADERS DECLARE TAX STRIKE

VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN IS EPIDEMIC AND HAS LONG TERM CONSEQUENCES WHEN NOT FATAL

Brain injury from domestic abuse a 'public health crisis,' says B.C. researcher

A research trainee is seen during a demonstration of the measurement of blood flow to the brain through transcranial doppler ultrasound at the University of British Columbia's Okanagan campus, in Kelowna, B.C., in an undated handout photo. THE CANADIAN PRESS/HO-UBCO,

Brenna Owen, The Canadian Press
Published Sunday, December 8, 2019 2:48PM EST

VANCOUVER - A British Columbia mother in her late 30s says there was “no support in sight” after she suffered two serious blows to the head at the hands of different partners more than a decade ago.

“I was exhausted. I had to quit my job because I couldn't get up,” said the woman, whose name is not being used because she is separated from her child's father and fears for her family's safety.

“My head hurt so badly. I wasn't able to focus. I felt really down on myself because I didn't know why I couldn't function properly.”

The mother said it would have been “life changing” if first responders, hospital staff and even family members had been aware of the effects of a potential brain injury from domestic violence and offered her support accordingly.

“I had no understanding that my brain was not working properly,” she said, adding that she did not have trouble focusing, managing her time or multitasking before the first violent incident.

“It's been hell to figure it out on my own.”

She said learning about the effects of a brain injury helped her overcome the shame she felt after the two blows, which happened several years apart when she was in her 20s.

She sets timers and reminders on her phone to help structure her days and she keeps notes handy with ideas for meals and ingredients that sometimes elude her. She has also become certified in yoga and mindfulness, activities she said help her cope with the chronic effects of multiple concussions.

The B.C. mother is a member of an advisory committee for Supporting Survivors of Abuse and Brain Injury through Research, or SOAR. The organization was founded in 2016 by Karen Mason, the former executive director of the Kelowna Women's Shelter, and her partner Paul van Donkelaar, a professor in the school of health and exercise sciences at the University of British Columbia's Okanagan campus.

Compared with brain injury research being done on athletes, the research involving people who have suffered similar injuries from intimate partner violence is in its infancy, said van Donkelaar.

The silence and stigma shrouding domestic violence mean those who suffer brain injuries are falling through the cracks of what van Donkelaar calls “an unrecognized public-health crisis in Canada.”

Of nearly 96,000 victims of intimate partner violence reported to police in Canada in 2017, 79 per cent were women, according to Statistics Canada.

But spousal and domestic violence is often not reported to police and it's hard to determine how many survivors might have experienced traumatic brain injury as a result, said van Donkelaar.

Based on research from the U.S., including a study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, he said the prevalence of brain injuries could be anywhere from 30 to more than 90 per cent of all survivors.

The SOAR team is assessing women to determine how many may have sustained traumatic brain injuries and the extent to which their symptoms overlap with sports-related concussions.

The researchers use lab-based tests as well as a questionnaire that includes questions like 'Did you see stars?' and 'Did you lose consciousness or have a period where you couldn't remember things?'

The first results, published recently in the journal Brain Injury, show all 18 women initially recruited through the Kelowna Women's Shelter reported symptoms consistent with traumatic brain injury. The research is ongoing and van Donkelaar said his team has now assessed about 60 women.

Domestic violence often includes blows to the head, face or neck, as well as strangulation, said van Donkelaar.

“Each of those experiences absolutely have the potential to cause some form of brain injury, similar to what you would see in many collision sports like football or hockey,” he said.

The B.C. mother said her former partner was strangling her when her head smashed against a bedside table as she tried to fight back.

When family members brought her to the hospital, staff seemed “frustrated” that she didn't remember exactly what happened and she had difficulty speaking coherently, she said. They stitched up the gash in her head, told her she may have a concussion and advised her to rest at home.

The woman did not return to that abusive relationship, but several years later she sustained another serious blow to the head when a different partner threw her out of a moving car.

She doesn't remember how she got to the hospital, but she had a similar experience with staff at the hospital, where her then-partner urged her not to disclose what happened.

“I remember trying to ask for help and I feel like they treated me like I was intoxicated because I could not speak.”

They gave her an MRI, said she had a concussion, encouraged her to avoid watching television or otherwise straining her eyes and told her she should be fine within a couple of weeks.

In addition to assessments of the cause of the injury and the resulting symptoms, the best predictor of sustaining a concussion is having had one previously, said van Donkelaar.

“Each time, you will be less likely to recover fully,” he said, noting that people who have suffered multiple concussions may end up with chronic symptoms such as dizziness, nausea or difficulty concentrating.

“That can be debilitating and absolutely reduce the quality of life in terms of the ability to hold down a job or go to school or parent your children or interact with colleagues and friends.”

The fear and stigmas that make it difficult for survivors to disclose domestic violence mean that brain injury becomes even more invisible, particularly if there's a more visible injury, like a broken bone, van Donkelaar said.

In response, SOAR is developing resources to help shelter workers and health-care professionals have conversations with survivors of domestic violence to assess whether they might have a brain injury and refer them to the appropriate support services.

People with brain injuries often need a range of support services, said Mason, from counselling and parenting help to occupational therapy.

This past summer, the Department of Women and Gender Equality gave $1 million over five years to van Donkelaar and Mason's work, funding they hope to use to provide training for shelter workers in communities across B.C. next year.

The B.C. mother said she still struggles some days but the knowledge, tools and support she has mean she no longer feels guilty or ashamed.

“I was so upset about why I didn't feel like myself,” she said.

“Now I'm able to say, 'Well, there's a reason I can't do this,' and there's forgiveness.”

This story by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 8, 2019.

 A SAD STORY 

'Our team is heartbroken': Abandoned baby giraffe befriended by dog in Africa dies

In this Friday Nov 22, 2019 file photo, Hunter, a young Belgian Malinois, keeps an eye on Jazz, a nine-day-old giraffe at the Rhino orphanage in the Limpopo province of South Africa. Jazz, who was brought in after being abandoned by his mother at birth, died of brain hemorrhaging and hyphema it was announced Friday, Dec. 6, 2019. (AP Photo/Jerome Delay)

The Associated Press
Published Friday, December 6, 2019 3:16PM EST
Last Updated Friday, December 6, 2019 3:17PM EST

JOHANNESBURG - A baby giraffe that was befriended by a dog after he was abandoned in the wild has died, a South African animal orphanage said Friday. “Our team is heartbroken,” the orphanage said.

Jazz the giraffe collapsed after hemorrhaging in the brain, The Rhino Orphanage said in a Facebook post. “The last two days before we lost him, Jazz started looking unstable on his legs and very dull, almost like he wasn't registering everything,” it said. “He suddenly collapsed and we could see blood starting to pool back into his eyes.”

Resident watchdog Hunter seemed to realize something was wrong and didn't leave the baby giraffe's side, and was there when he died, the orphanage said. The dog then sat in front of the empty room for hours before going to its carers “for comfort.”

Orphanage staff had expected this to happen, assuming that the mother giraffe had abandoned the baby for a reason, Arrie van Deventer, the orphanage's founder, told The Associated Press.

“So we finally know that Jazz didn't have a bad giraffe mother that left him,” the orphanage's statement said. “She just knew. ... But we still have to try every single time (to help) no matter how hard it is.”

The baby giraffe had arrived a few weeks ago, just days after birth. A farmer found him in the wild, weak and dehydrated, and called the centre for help.

The orphanage's Facebook page, which featured several dozen photos documenting Jazz's progress during his weeks at the facility, showed the baby giraffe and his canine friend sleeping side by side on blankets and wandering outdoors together. A final photo showed Hunter sitting in front of the closed door of the room where he and the giraffe had spent time together.

The post had thousands of views and hundreds of comments expressing sadness for the giraffe's passing and concern for how Hunter would handle the loss of his friend.

The two animals bonded immediately, caretaker Janie Van Heerden said.

In its post, the orphanage paid tribute to Hunter's loyalty. “He stayed till the end and said his goodbyes,” it said. “Such a good boy. It added that Hunter was doing well and would continue training to be a tracking dog.

In its farewell to the giraffe, the orphanage said :“You have taught us so much in the last three weeks and we will remember you fondly.”“

The giraffe was buried close to the orphanage, van Deventer said.