It’s possible that I shall make an ass of myself. But in that case one can always get out of it with a little dialectic. I have, of course, so worded my proposition as to be right either way (K.Marx, Letter to F.Engels on the Indian Mutiny)
Sunday, September 19, 2021
Canadian Households Spend More Income On Debt Than Any Other G7 Country: BIS
Canadian households devote an astronomical amount of income just to carry their debt payments. Data from the Bank of International Settlements (BIS) shows Canadian households have a very high debt service ratio (DSR). The ratio dropped in Q4 2020 slightly, but it’s still much higher than any other G7 country. Not even the US housing bubble reached this level in 2008.
Canadians Spend 12.4% Of Their Income On Debt Payments
Canadians spend an astronomical share of their income on debt payments. The household DSR reached 12.4% in Q4 2020, down from 13.5% in 2019. It dropped, but this was entirely due to the fact interest costs have fallen. Household credit growth is still booming, and at a much faster rate than income.
Canadian Debt Payments Dwarf The US… Even In 2008
Contrasting with our neighbors to the South, we can see their DSR isn’t even close to Canada. US households had a DSR of 7.6% in Q4 2020, down from 7.9% in the same quarter a year before. They spend a third less of their income on servicing debt.
The US wasn’t always this low, and did at one point spend much more on servicing debt. During the 2008 housing bubble, the DSR reached 11.1% before the financial crisis. Carrying higher debt loads makes households less flexible. In an emergency, this tends to amplify the shock. That’s why it’s common to see highly indebted households when doing an autopsy on a bad recession.
Canadian Households Spend The Most Income On Debt In The G7
No other G7 country has households so highly leveraged, and paying this much towards debt. The UK is in second place with a household DSR of 9.0% in the fourth quarter of 2020, about 27.4% lower than Canadians. Excluding Canada, the average DSR for the G7 is just 6.9% — nearly half the size. It might seem like not all that much, but compared to other economies of similar size, it’s huge.
Household Debt Service Ratios Across The G7
The share of income households devote to making the required payments on debt, across the G7
Quarter
Canada
US
France
Italy
Germany
Japan
UK
Q1 1999
10.8
9.4
4.7
3
9.5
8.9
8.8
Q2 1999
10.7
9.5
4.8
2.9
9.6
8.7
8.7
Q3 1999
10.6
9.6
4.8
2.9
9.6
8.8
8.7
Q4 1999
10.6
9.7
4.8
3.2
9.6
8.9
8.9
Q1 2000
10.9
9.8
4.8
3.2
9.8
8.9
9
Q2 2000
11.1
9.9
4.8
3.4
9.8
8.8
9.1
Q3 2000
11.1
9.9
4.8
3.6
9.7
8.8
9.2
Q4 2000
11.2
9.9
4.7
3.7
9.8
8.9
9.2
Q1 2001
11
9.9
4.7
3.6
9.8
8.8
9.1
Q2 2001
10.9
9.9
4.7
3.6
9.7
8.8
9
Q3 2001
10.7
9.9
4.7
3.6
9.7
9
9
Q4 2001
10.4
9.9
4.7
3.5
9.6
9
9
Q1 2002
10.2
9.8
4.7
3.4
9.5
9
9
Q2 2002
10.2
9.7
4.7
3.5
9.5
8.9
9
Q3 2002
10.4
9.7
4.7
3.5
9.5
8.9
9.3
Q4 2002
10.5
9.7
4.7
3.5
9.5
8.9
9.4
Q1 2003
10.4
9.7
4.7
3.5
9.5
8.9
9.4
Q2 2003
10.5
9.8
4.7
3.5
9.5
8.8
9.5
Q3 2003
10.7
9.8
4.7
3.5
9.4
8.8
9.7
Q4 2003
10.7
9.8
4.7
3.6
9.3
8.8
9.9
Q1 2004
10.9
9.8
4.7
3.7
9.2
8.7
10.2
Q2 2004
10.9
9.8
4.7
3.9
9.2
8.6
10.4
Q3 2004
10.9
9.9
4.8
3.9
9.1
8.5
10.9
Q4 2004
10.9
10.1
4.8
4
9.1
8.5
11.1
Q1 2005
11.2
10.2
4.9
4
9
8.2
11.3
Q2 2005
11.3
10.4
5
4.1
8.9
8.1
11.4
Q3 2005
11.5
10.7
5.1
4.2
8.9
8.1
11.6
Q4 2005
11.5
10.8
5.1
4.3
8.8
8.1
11.6
Q1 2006
11.8
10.9
5.2
4.5
8.7
8
11.6
Q2 2006
12
11.1
5.3
4.6
8.7
7.9
11.7
Q3 2006
12.3
11.2
5.4
4.7
8.6
7.8
12.1
Q4 2006
12.4
11.3
5.4
4.9
8.5
7.8
12.3
Q1 2007
12.5
11.4
5.5
4.9
8.4
7.7
12.5
Q2 2007
12.7
11.5
5.6
4.9
8.3
7.7
12.6
Q3 2007
13
11.5
5.6
5.1
8.3
7.7
13
Q4 2007
13.2
11.5
5.8
5.2
8.2
7.7
12.9
Q1 2008
13.2
11.4
5.8
5.2
8.1
7.6
12.9
Q2 2008
13.2
11.2
5.9
5.2
8
7.6
12.7
Q3 2008
13.1
11.1
6
5.3
8
7.5
12.9
Q4 2008
12.8
10.8
6
5.2
8
7.5
12.6
Q1 2009
12.6
10.7
6.1
5
7.9
7.5
11.7
Q2 2009
12.5
10.6
6.1
5
7.9
7.4
11.3
Q3 2009
12.6
10.6
6.1
5
7.9
7.4
11.4
Q4 2009
12.7
10.5
6.2
5
7.9
7.3
11.3
Q1 2010
12.6
10.3
6.2
5.1
7.8
7.2
11
Q2 2010
12.7
10.1
6.2
5.1
7.8
7.2
10.9
Q3 2010
12.7
9.9
6.2
5.2
7.8
7.1
10.9
Q4 2010
12.7
9.8
6.3
5.2
7.7
7.2
10.8
Q1 2011
12.8
9.6
6.3
5.2
7.5
7.2
10.7
Q2 2011
12.7
9.4
6.3
5.3
7.5
7
10.6
Q3 2011
12.8
9.2
6.3
5.4
7.5
6.9
10.5
Q4 2011
12.8
9.1
6.4
5.4
7.4
6.9
10.5
Q1 2012
12.7
8.9
6.4
5.3
7.3
6.8
10.3
Q2 2012
12.7
8.8
6.4
5.3
7.2
6.8
10.2
Q3 2012
12.7
8.7
6.4
5.3
7.2
6.7
10.2
Q4 2012
12.6
8.5
6.4
5.2
7.2
6.8
10.2
Q1 2013
12.6
8.5
6.4
5.1
7.1
6.8
10.1
Q2 2013
12.6
8.4
6.5
4.9
7.1
6.8
10.1
Q3 2013
12.6
8.4
6.5
4.8
7
6.8
10
Q4 2013
12.5
8.5
6.5
4.8
7
6.8
9.9
Q1 2014
12.5
8.4
6.5
4.9
6.9
6.8
9.7
Q2 2014
12.5
8.4
6.4
4.8
6.8
6.9
9.6
Q3 2014
12.6
8.3
6.4
4.8
6.8
6.9
9.6
Q4 2014
12.6
8.2
6.4
4.7
6.7
6.9
9.5
Q1 2015
12.5
8.1
6.4
4.6
6.7
6.9
9.5
Q2 2015
12.4
8.1
6.4
4.5
6.6
6.9
9.3
Q3 2015
12.5
8.1
6.4
4.5
6.6
6.8
9.2
Q4 2015
12.5
8.1
6.4
4.5
6.5
6.8
9.1
Q1 2016
12.5
8
6.3
4.5
6.5
6.8
9.2
Q2 2016
12.8
8
6.3
4.5
6.4
6.7
9.1
Q3 2016
12.8
8
6.3
4.5
6.4
6.8
9.2
Q4 2016
12.9
8
6.3
4.5
6.3
6.8
9.2
Q1 2017
12.9
8
6.3
4.4
6.3
6.8
9.2
Q2 2017
13
8
6.2
4.4
6.3
6.8
9.3
Q3 2017
13
8
6.2
4.4
6.2
6.8
9.3
Q4 2017
13.1
8
6.3
4.3
6.2
6.9
9.2
Q1 2018
13
8
6.3
4.3
6.2
7
9.1
Q2 2018
13.2
8
6.2
4.3
6.1
7
9.1
Q3 2018
13.4
8
6.3
4.3
6.1
7
9.1
Q4 2018
13.6
7.9
6.3
4.2
6.1
7
9.1
Q1 2019
13.5
7.9
6.3
4.3
6.1
7.1
8.9
Q2 2019
13.6
7.9
6.3
4.3
6.1
7.1
9
Q3 2019
13.6
7.9
6.3
4.3
6.1
7.1
9
Q4 2019
13.5
7.9
6.4
4.2
6.1
7.1
9
Q1 2020
13.4
7.9
6.4
4.3
6.1
7.1
9
Q2 2020
12.8
7.6
6.5
4.3
6.1
7.4
8.9
Q3 2020
12.5
7.6
6.5
4.3
6.1
7.5
8.9
Q4 2020
12.4
7.6
6.6
4.3
6.2
7.6
9
Source: BIS; Better Dwelling.
Households and policymakers perpetuate what’s happening in Canada is normal, but it’s not. Households spend almost double the share of income on debt payments in the G7. Most of the debt is due to non-productive investment in things like housing. It was tapped to create an economic boom over the past few years, but puts households in a highly vulnerable position. The costs of which are often shared by those without much debt.
Who is to blame for aggressive coyotes in Stanley Park?
Fences around Stanley Park in September 2021 as conservation officers trap and kill dozens of coyotes.
Alissa Thibault CTV News Vancouver Multi-Media Journalist Published Sept. 17, 2021 8
VANCOUVER -
It’s now been two weeks since the Vancouver Park Board and provincial officials erected a bright orange fence around Stanley Park to try and deal with aggressive coyotes.
When the plan to cull the animals was first announced, B.C.'s Ministry of Forests said professional contractors would be trapping up to 35 coyotes in the park.
So far, four coyotes have been caught and euthanized. In an emailed statement Friday, the ministry said it's "possible there may be less coyotes in the park than anticipated.”
Edward Kroc is an assistant professor of measurement, evaluation and research methodology at the University of British Columbia, and specializes in urban ecology.
“I would put the majority of the blame directly on the park board,” he said. “Presumably they have resources, they have money. I don’t know what they’re using it for but they are clearly not using it to maintain a healthy park, in terms of a healthy ecosystem, at all. It's basically just been a garbage pit for people to play in.”
As far as the province is concerned, Kroc says it’s “absurd” that officials don’t know how many coyotes are in the park.
“The cull should be halted and they should actually go out and study the population that they’re killing,” he said.
CTV News asked the Vancouver Park Board how much money has been spent so far on the coyote management project. An emailed response had no firm figure but said “most of the costs (which are minimal at this point) have been incurred within the last few weeks."
As a comparison request, CTV News was also provided the cost of the temporary Stanley Park bike lane, which came to $815,000 for public surveys, consultation and implementation. The lane is set to be removed in October.
Board Commissioner John Coupar has long been against the temporary bike lane and said the money spent on it was “unnecessary” and “wasteful.”
Coupar is also critical of Park Board Chair Camille Dumont. Dumont put forward the bike lane motion, and Coupar said he has also failed to handle the coyote issue.
“I would suggest the chair of the park board, who’s a member of the Green-COPE alliance on the park board, should have been more visible to the media and more visible to the public,” he said.
CTV News reached out to Dumont for comment, but did not hear back by deadline.
When asked if the park board was responsible for the coyote situation getting to the point of the animals needing to be culled, Coupar said the province should have stepped in sooner.
“Our job isn’t wildlife management, that’s the province, and even the ticketing and all that, that’s the province wildlife officers,” he said. “It’s really not the mandate of the park board to control wildlife in Stanley Park, never has been.”
No on from the Ministry of Forests was available for an interview Friday. In its statement, the ministry said the coyote traps will be “locked down and de-activated” over the weekend due to the weather, adding more information will be coming early next week.
TORIES ADMIT LIBERALS DID SOMETHING THEY WOULD DO
Algoma Steel applauds Conservative endorsement of Liberal financial contribution
Party supports $420 million federal financial commitments to facilitate Algoma’s proposed transition to electric arc furnace steelmaking
2 days ago By: SooToday Staff
Algoma Steel Chief Executive Officer, Michael McQuade made remarks following a $420 million funding announcement by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau at Algoma Steel on Monday, July 5, 2021. Donna Hopper/SooToday
In a release issued today, Algoma Steel Inc. Chief Executive Officer Michael McQuade praised comments from Conservative candidate Sonny Spina that affirmed his party’s commitment to honour a $420 million financial contribution announced by the Liberal government this past July.
“The nation’s push to address climate change, regardless of political affiliation, includes facilitating investment in competitive green steel products direct from this community,” said McQuade in the release. “As such, we applaud their endorsement.”
Full text of the news release follows:
Algoma Steel Inc. today applauded recent statements by Sonny Spina, the Conservative candidate for Sault Ste. Marie, affirming the Conservative Party’s endorsement of the $420 million of federal financial commitments to facilitate Algoma Steel’s proposed transition to electric arc furnace (EAF) steelmaking.
The financial commitment, announced July 5, 2021 by the Liberal Government, is expected to support the Company’s transition to become Canada’s leading producer of green steel. The financial commitment is subject to the negotiation of definitive documentation, and a final investment decision with respect to the proposed EAF transition has not yet been made by Algoma.
Algoma Steel Chief Executive Officer, Michael McQuade commented, “It is not surprising that the Conservative Party would support a program that is designed to ensure the continuation of thousands of very good direct and indirect jobs in Sault Ste. Marie and the province of Ontario. It also stands to reason that the nation’s push to address climate change, regardless of political affiliation, includes facilitating investment in competitive green steel products direct from this community. As such, we applaud their endorsement.”
Added McQuade, “Algoma continues to do the necessary work to move this transition program forward. This includes active engagement with all stakeholders within the community and across our labour groups, including ongoing discussions with the United Steelworkers District 6 and Local 2724. There is tremendous opportunity embedded in the EAF transformation, with a focus on growth and long-term, multi-generational job creation, with support and retraining programs where applicable. We look forward to continuing our work and updating the community as we move forward.”
MACABRE This stop-motion short from 1933 is perfect nightmare fuel POPKIN 10:25 AM FRI SEP 17, 2021
The Peanut Vendor is a charming and unintentionally terrifying animation from 1933. This black and white, two-minute short, features a creepy monkey puppet who sings a song about the "peanut vendor."
One of the things that makes this puppet so eerie is its googly-eyes that keep rolling around, and its incredibly long and slender arms.
If someone re-created this puppet and put it on their lawn this October, it would surely top any store-bought halloween decorations.
Afghan journalist on his escape from Kabul and waiting to come to Canada
CTV National News London Bureau Chief Published Friday, September 17, 2021
NOW PLAYING Afghan journalist Akbar Shinwari says he escaped Afghanistan with the help of Qatar's ambassador. Paul Workman reports from Doha. Afghan evacuee shares his daring story
NOW PLAYING Afghan journalist Akbar Shinwari shares the daring story of how the Qatari ambassador to Afghanistan helped evacuate his family to Qatar.
TORONTO / DOHA -- An Afghan journalist, who is now in Qatar, is telling the story of his escape from Afghanistan and his expectations for his life once he reunites with family in Canada.
Akbar Shinwari told CTV National News he has been in an evacuation centre in Doha, Qatar’s capital, for the past month after being rescued by the Qatari ambassador on the ground in Afghanistan.
"He was the one who was helping all others, including me," Shinwari explained.
He said the Qatari ambassador helped rescue about 150 members of the journalist community in Kabul, as well as their families, by leading them to the airport in a convoy of busses.
"He was wearing local clothes with a local hat and he was talking to the Taliban at multiple checkpoints," Shinwari said.
He said the journey took about 45 minutes, but he began to relax once they reached Kabul's former Green Zone.
Shinwari said he called the ambassador the "angel of life" for helping them flee.
"He was the one who was saving our lives with not only my life, the life of our families and everyone, because safety was not there. If he was not leading the convoy… forget about to get into the airport," Shinwari said.
Shinwari, who previously did some work for the Canadian government and The Canadian Press, is waiting in Qatar with his family to come to Canada so they can be with their relatives.
"My aunt is there and I also have some of my media friends there, and they are very happy. They're treated very well. I'm looking forward to a journey there," he said.
However, Shinwari said if was difficult to leave behind their life in Afghanistan and see the country deteriorate under Taliban rule.
"It was really painful because all those achievements that we had in the last 20 years, that is gone," he said. "Education system, the banking, the progress, the women's rights, the all of the rights that we had."
Shinwari said he understand that transitioning to a new life in Canada will have its challenges, but hopes there will be opportunities for all Afghans coming to the country.
He added that he is most looking forward to sending his daughters back to school, who were previously studying at the university in Kabul.
"They'll have a brighter future and maybe for the future they'll be very useful for Canada and also for Afghanistan," Shinwari said.
With files from CTVNews.ca's Brooklyn Neustaeter
FILE - Afghans prepare to to be evacuated aboard a Qatari transport plane, at Hamid Karzai International Airport in Kabul, Afghanistan, August, 18, 2021. (Qatar Government Communications Office via AP)
Election 2021: Tight race in Calgary Centre as Liberals look to win back riding
Author of the article: Stephanie Babych
Publishing date:Sep 18, 2021 •
Conservative incumbent Greg McLean (left) and Liberal candidate Sabrina Grover (right) are among candidates vying for the seat in Calgary Centre.
Calgary Centre, a riding that has proven to be a wild card in the Conservative heartland of Alberta, is once again polling too close to call between the riding’s blue and red candidates.
Calgary Centre is bound by Bow Trail to the north, the Bow River to the north and east, Glenmore Trail to the south and 37th Street S.W. to the west. With a younger and more diverse population than many other areas of the city, Calgary Centre is one of the few Alberta ridings considered to be in play this election.
The greater ethnicity and income diversity in the riding lend itself to a more progressive voter base, says Mount Royal University political scientist Lori Williams.
The riding has historically leaned progressive conservative, Williams said. Notably, Calgary Centre elected former prime minister Joe Clark, leader of the Progressive Conservative Party, 21 years ago.
But in 2015, when Justin Trudeau first became prime minister, Kent Hehr in Calgary Centre and Darshan Kang in Calgary Skyview won their seats, becoming the first Liberals elected in Calgary since 1968.
The Tories took back both ridings in 2019, painting the entire city and most of Alberta blue. Conservative candidate Greg McLean beat Hehr with 57 per cent of the vote.
This time, McLean’s biggest competition in the race, according to the polls, is Liberal candidate Sabrina Grover.
Pollster 338Canada has McLean ahead of Grover by about five points, with projected vote shares of 43 per cent and 38 per cent, respectively.
As the most recent MP, McLean will have greater name recognition than his opponents, which could give him the slight edge needed to win a tight race, Williams said. “It’s certainly going to give him a bit more momentum than a brand new candidate.”
But the Liberal candidate’s profile has been raised by hard work and an unfortunate incident.
“A lot of us were a bit surprised by the Liberal candidate in Calgary Centre because we know that it is going to be a riding that will be in play. But I have to say, (Grover) has done a really good job of connecting with people. She’s a strong candidate, personally. She’s just not as well known.”
Hehr was a good candidate for the riding in 2015 because he had previously represented the area at a provincial level. And while Grover doesn’t have the same name recognition, she has done a “remarkable” job of raising her profile, said Williams.
“This is a closer race than I would have expected.”
Where Conservative Leader Erin O’Toole might appeal to the progressive conservative voters, Trudeau’s financial supports likely helped many in the city centre through the pandemic.
“That will be more keenly felt by the population we have in Calgary Centre,” explained Williams, an area where there is a mix of middle-class neighbourhoods, university students and homeless shelters.
Grover said the conversations she’s had over the last few weeks have been positive and engaging.
“My experiences reflect the experiences of a lot of people in this riding,” she said.
“People want an economy that is built, not for the next 18 months, but for the next 18 years. They want an economy that is built on a clean and sustainable future, and they know that Calgary has the potential, the powerhouse, to be a leader in the low-carbon economy. At the end of the day, I think I’m the right person because I have an appreciation for all of those other things that go into building this amazing city that aren’t oil and gas.”
Another one of the greatest concerns people have brought up at the doors is ending the fight against COVID-19.
“We have a federal government that is taking leadership on that, especially where the province has continued to let Albertans down,” said Grover.
Liberal candidate Sabrina Grover is not happy to hear a couple of her volunteers were assaulted campaigning in Calgary Centre in Calgary on Tuesday, September 7, 2021.
Williams argued the incident may have raised Grover’s profile.
“It raised the issue of inappropriate and undemocratic behaviour,” she said. “There might be backlash from some people who move to support her or the Liberal party, in general, as a result of that.”
McLean declined Postmedia’s request for an interview.
McLean served as the shadow minister for Natural Resources under O’Toole and was vice-chair of the standing committee on natural resources. He previously served as the deputy shadow minister for National Revenue and as a member of the justice and human rights committee.
Conservative candidate Greg McLean was still door knocking during election day in Calgary on Monday, October 21, 2019.
Darren Makowichuk/Postmedia
Polling third in the riding is NDP candidate Juan Estevez, who said he’s running to have engaging conversations with voters and advocate for a more progressive Calgary.
“I can really connect with the students and younger people in the community,” said Estevez. “A lot of people like what the NDP has put forward on expanded health care and meaningful action on climate change.”
Austin Mullins is running for the Green party for a second time because he sees value in holding other candidates accountable.
“I represent change in a way we don’t often see in politics,” said Mullins. “I’m 23 and queer and working class. I work at Starbucks.
“I’m someone who comes from the bottom and really understands what people need. We’re missing that link in Parliament.”
Also running in Calgary Centre is Dawid Pawlowski with the Christian Heritage party. He and his brother Artur have been before the courts for challenging public health orders on the COVID-19 pandemic.
CALGARY — Alberta Health only catches a fraction of COVID-19 cases.
That coming from Alberta’s Chief Medical Officer of Health, Dr. Deena Hinshaw on Monday — and as cases continue to rise — it may have some wondering how many daily cases we actually have.
One doctor is saying countries around the world actually don’t have an accurate representation of their daily COVID-19 case numbers — but here in Alberta the misleading comments to the public has some doctors saying, ‘I told you so.’
“It’s really simple. It’s just two elements that you need to know. That the certain variant is present and how much more transmissible it is than the variant you already had as a dominant one,” said Dr. Gosia Gasperowicz. “So, already with just those two parameters, it was possible to predict the general direction of what is going to happen in the fall. And with every day, every week going on, it was more and more clear that those predictions were correct.”
Gasperowicz is among many doctors in the province who have shared their data online.
She began modelling the Delta variant in May, and she says her models predicted exactly what occurred.
“Well, I know that they don’t look at it on purpose. Like how much they can ignore it and especially that it was ignored before the third wave.
“I was raising alarms, raising alarms. Both people from Alberta Health, scientific advisory groups, their job is to monitor these things and see what is published. To evaluate it, to read it and understand it,” Gasperowicz said.
She knows that Premier Jason Kenney has seen her modelling online as he’s mentioned it in a press conference.
She says it’s heartbreaking to put out research that is getting dismissed from officials.
‘It’s scary’: nurse explains what it’s like to be redeployed to the ICU during COVID-19 pandemic
Alberta Health Services has announced more surgeries are being postponed to free up beds for COVID-19 patients and the staff needed to care for them. But the province's former chief medical officer of health says stunningly high ICU numbers are just the beginning. Morgan Black reports.
A registered nurse in Edmonton is shining a light on what its like to be redeployed to the ICU during the fourth wave of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Natalie Caramata has been a surgical RN for 11 years. During the earlier waves of the pandemic, she was occasionally redeployed to different units for a day or two to help out, but found herself redeployed to the ICU indefinitely on Sept. 2.
Caramata is one of many nurses who has been redeployed to the ICU to assist with the rise in COVID-19 cases. In order to free up space and health-care workers, Alberta Health Services has been forced to postpone significant numbers of surgeries since the middle of August.
“It was shocking because I have never worked in the ICU in my career,” she said. “I have no cardiac monitor training, I have no critical care training whatsoever.”
Caramata — like other nurses redeployed to the ICU — is limited in what care she can provide there. Basic patient care like administering medications, mixing IV medication, checking blood sugar or blood pressure is consistent across the board, she said, but she can’t handle anything to do with ventilation or monitors.
“Basically, we do what we can do so that the ICU nurses can do what we can’t,” she said.
That includes sometimes standing there and watching the patient to make sure they don’t move and rip out any of their leads. If something happens, often all Caramata can do is call for an ICU nurse.
“That’s very scary,” she said. “I am used to being competent in what I’m doing, and if something was to go wrong, I could act very fast and do what needs to be done. In this case, sometimes the only thing I can do is call for help and start putting on the PPE so I can go in the room.
“But it’s scary because I don’t know what to do when I’m in there. The monitors are beeping (but) I’m not trained on what all those other numbers mean, where all the leads are on the patient’s body — I’m not trained in that area.
“I can be an extra set of hands, but I can’t really jump right in and do what needs to be done.”
While Caramata calls the ICU nurses some of the most dedicated, amazing people she’s ever met, the reality, she says, is there just aren’t enough of them. She says the ones that are there are run down and exhausted, caring for more patients than they normally do.
And when COVID-19 ICU and hospitalization numbers weren’t as high as they are now, those nurses didn’t get a break as they cared for post-surgery patients who needed ICU care.
Caramata says the threat of Alberta having to activate an ICU triage document is now looming over the hospital too.
It’s something that nobody ever wants to do,” she said. “They go into medicine to save lives, not to decide who gets to live and who doesn’t.
“It doesn’t make it any easier, but it’s going to be necessary. People need to know… it’s so scary. Nobody ever wants to have to do that.”
As of Sept. 14, 71.4 per cent of eligible Albertans 12 and older were fully vaccinated with two doses of COVID-19 vaccine. Caramata is pleading with those who are unvaccinated or only have one dose not to wait to get their next jab.
“It’s bad and it’s going to get worse and it’s scary,” she said. People are dying.
“Trust the science. Just trust the science like you trust the pilot, like you trust the architect. Trust the professional.”
Alberta broke another record for number people with COVID-19 in ICUs on Wednesday. There were 877 people in hospital receiving care for the novel coronavirus, with 218 of those people in the ICU.
The province also confirmed an additional 1,609 new cases of COVID-19 on Wednesday. Full numbers are available in this story.
