Study suggests Alberta First Nations people tend to get lower level of emergency care
EDMONTON — Hospital emergency rooms in Alberta are likely to assess complaints from First Nations people as less urgent than those from other patients, even when their problems are the same, says a new study that looked at millions of such visits.
"If people have a long bone fracture, you might expect the treatment would be the same between groups," said Patrick McLane of the University of Alberta, a co-author of the study published Monday in the Canadian Medical Association Journal.
"First Nations people in emergency departments were less likely to get the higher triage score, which would result in higher urgency of treatment."
McLane and his colleagues analyzed more than 11 million emergency room visits between 2012 and 2017 from all across Alberta. They looked at five different categories of injury or disease as well as five specific diagnoses.
The data revealed that emergency room staff consistently rated First Nations people as less urgent than non-Indigenous.
Overall, the study found 12 per cent of non-Indigenous patients were rated at the most serious levels, whereas eight per cent of First Nations people received that rating.
The finding was consistent through all different types of visits — trauma, infection, substance use, obstetrics and mental health — with the widest gap between First Nations and non-Indigenous assessments coming with substance use.
The pattern also held in three of the five specific diagnoses the team looked at.
A First Nations person showing up in an emergency room with a broken bone had an 82 per cent chance of receiving as urgent an assessment as a non-First Nations person with the same problem. For a respiratory infection, the figure was 90 per cent.
If a First Nations person showed up with an anxiety disorder, they had two-thirds the chance of a high assessment as a non-Indigenous person.
The work is part of a larger effort to address systemic racism in Alberta's health-care system, said co-author Bonnie Healy, a former triage nurse and Blackfoot member of the Alberta First Nations Information Governance Centre.
"We are all working on better relationships, better partnerships, to work together for gap closure in some of the health outcomes," she said.
Both said the study isn't conclusive evidence of systemic racism in the province's emergency rooms.
"The differences we see could be multi-causal," McLane said.
But the authors point out their new findings mesh well with previous work they've done. Interview-based studies have found Indigenous people have significant concerns about racism and profiling in emergency rooms.
The same findings result in studies in other jurisdictions.
"This fits into a picture that comes from the literature," McLane said.
Healy said that many First Nations people, lacking family doctors, use emergency departments as primary care. If they're not being treated the same as other patients, that raises concerns about access to overall health care as well as emergency response, she said.
"A lot of the physicians and nurses don't understand that First Nations don't have funded primary care networks in their communities," she said. "We really wanted to gain some understandings on both sides."
Healy said the study will be presented to a group consisting of representatives from Alberta's health ministry and the province's First Nations that have been convened to discuss racism in health care.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 17, 2022.
— Follow Bob Weber on Twitter at @row1960
Bob Weber, The Canadian Press
Tuesday, January 18, 2022
SASKATCHEWAN
Support will help families of missing, murdered Indigenous women receive culturally safe healing treatments
Regina’s Caring Hearts Counselling is the recipient of $332,270 from Justice Canada’s Victims Fund. It marks the mid-way point of a three-year financial commitment from the government.
Dwayne Yasinowski, education director for Caring Hearts Counselling, said the funds will allow the organization to build a toolkit, which they hope to launch in October. That toolkit will have a “two-eyed seeing approach” and will demonstrate how traditional healing practises and western therapeutic approaches can work together to support families of missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls.
The toolkit will also ensure that the families are receiving the supports and services they need in a culturally-appropriate manner to help them feel comfortable and safe when seeking supports and that they feel respected in their beliefs, said Yasinowski.
He said the loss suffered by families of missing people is unique and impacts not only the individual and family but also the community.
“It’s a loss that’s full of questioning and uncertainty, that keeps families in a constant state of searching and in a constant state of trauma. They’re in a constant state of traumatic reaction, looking for support, looking for safety and all they find a lot of times is unanswered questions while their loved one is missing. If a family feels they cannot receive culturally appropriate and sensitive support, it adds another layer of frustration and trauma to an already unbearable and overwhelming situation that is quite honestly taking away their hope,” said Yasinowski.
The funding announced Jan. 13 to support families of #MMIWG and gender-diverse peoples, however, was not the major announcement expected when the Justice Department sent notice of the virtual press gathering. Many thought the event would deal with funding for the MMIWG national action plan.
“The implementation of the action plan … (is) complex and is taking time, but we are pushing that forward. We’re doing what we can,” said David Lametti, minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada.
The National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls and 2SLGBTQQIA+ released its final report in 2019. On the second anniversary of that report, the federal government announced its approach to creating a national action plan, which included a 12-month wait for developing an implementation plan.
While the $332,270 from Justice Canada’s Victims Fund to Regina’s Caring Hearts Counselling may seem like a drop in the bucket compared to the overarching work that is needed to address the complex issue, Lametti says the support should not be dismissed.
“There are a number of ministers who have a role working in partnership with Indigenous leadership across Canada as well as groups, like Caring Hearts …. This is one particular way in which the minister of Justice can support the implementation of the MMIWG report,” said Lametti.
The Victims Fund puts victims at the forefront of the justice system, he said, giving them a voice and access to the resources they need.
He said the Victims Fund had supported 30 Indigenous-led projects to provide community-based service, which is one way the government was working towards “broader efforts to transform the criminal justice system and better support the needs of victims and survivors.”
While the official announcement for Caring Hearts’ funding was made yesterday, the money was approved on Sept. 24, 2020.
Elder Lorna Standingready works with MMIWG families through Caring Hearts.
“Meegwitch for this way of giving money … so that we can go on…. It costs to travel when there is a voice calling for help… I’ve got to do what I can in the way I was taught so long ago,” she said.
Standingready said family members have questions and they have hope that those questions will be answered.
“I might be a small voice crying in the wilderness but, you know, I will be heard when it comes to missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls and others because it’s impacted my life too. Yes, and my heart is in what Caring Hearts does,” said Standingready.
Yasinowski said the funding will allow Caring Hearts Counselling to continue to build momentum as it creates relationships and raises awareness throughout Saskatchewan about the importance of providing culturally appropriate supports for families of MMIWG.
Windspeaker.com
By Shari Narine, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Windspeaker.com, Windspeaker.com
Support will help families of missing, murdered Indigenous women receive culturally safe healing treatments
Regina’s Caring Hearts Counselling is the recipient of $332,270 from Justice Canada’s Victims Fund. It marks the mid-way point of a three-year financial commitment from the government.
Dwayne Yasinowski, education director for Caring Hearts Counselling, said the funds will allow the organization to build a toolkit, which they hope to launch in October. That toolkit will have a “two-eyed seeing approach” and will demonstrate how traditional healing practises and western therapeutic approaches can work together to support families of missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls.
The toolkit will also ensure that the families are receiving the supports and services they need in a culturally-appropriate manner to help them feel comfortable and safe when seeking supports and that they feel respected in their beliefs, said Yasinowski.
He said the loss suffered by families of missing people is unique and impacts not only the individual and family but also the community.
“It’s a loss that’s full of questioning and uncertainty, that keeps families in a constant state of searching and in a constant state of trauma. They’re in a constant state of traumatic reaction, looking for support, looking for safety and all they find a lot of times is unanswered questions while their loved one is missing. If a family feels they cannot receive culturally appropriate and sensitive support, it adds another layer of frustration and trauma to an already unbearable and overwhelming situation that is quite honestly taking away their hope,” said Yasinowski.
The funding announced Jan. 13 to support families of #MMIWG and gender-diverse peoples, however, was not the major announcement expected when the Justice Department sent notice of the virtual press gathering. Many thought the event would deal with funding for the MMIWG national action plan.
“The implementation of the action plan … (is) complex and is taking time, but we are pushing that forward. We’re doing what we can,” said David Lametti, minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada.
The National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls and 2SLGBTQQIA+ released its final report in 2019. On the second anniversary of that report, the federal government announced its approach to creating a national action plan, which included a 12-month wait for developing an implementation plan.
While the $332,270 from Justice Canada’s Victims Fund to Regina’s Caring Hearts Counselling may seem like a drop in the bucket compared to the overarching work that is needed to address the complex issue, Lametti says the support should not be dismissed.
“There are a number of ministers who have a role working in partnership with Indigenous leadership across Canada as well as groups, like Caring Hearts …. This is one particular way in which the minister of Justice can support the implementation of the MMIWG report,” said Lametti.
The Victims Fund puts victims at the forefront of the justice system, he said, giving them a voice and access to the resources they need.
He said the Victims Fund had supported 30 Indigenous-led projects to provide community-based service, which is one way the government was working towards “broader efforts to transform the criminal justice system and better support the needs of victims and survivors.”
While the official announcement for Caring Hearts’ funding was made yesterday, the money was approved on Sept. 24, 2020.
Elder Lorna Standingready works with MMIWG families through Caring Hearts.
“Meegwitch for this way of giving money … so that we can go on…. It costs to travel when there is a voice calling for help… I’ve got to do what I can in the way I was taught so long ago,” she said.
Standingready said family members have questions and they have hope that those questions will be answered.
“I might be a small voice crying in the wilderness but, you know, I will be heard when it comes to missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls and others because it’s impacted my life too. Yes, and my heart is in what Caring Hearts does,” said Standingready.
Yasinowski said the funding will allow Caring Hearts Counselling to continue to build momentum as it creates relationships and raises awareness throughout Saskatchewan about the importance of providing culturally appropriate supports for families of MMIWG.
Windspeaker.com
By Shari Narine, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Windspeaker.com, Windspeaker.com
ALBERTA
Indigenous leaders, victims' families call for urgent action as MMIWG report filed to provinceThe Alberta Joint Working Group on Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls (MMIWG) has published its final report, which is expected to be published in the spring. Indigenous leaders and the families of victims hope the report will finally create real change, but are frustrated conversations on what to do have lasted for years.
The committee of three Indigenous leaders and three MLAs was created in March 2020. Their mandate was to advise the province on responding to the National Inquiry on Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls.
“We will review the final report and develop concrete and meaningful actions that will make Alberta a safer place for Indigenous women, girls, 2SLGBTQQIA+ people and all people in Alberta,” said Indigenous Relations Minister Rick Wilson in a statement.
McMurray Métis treasurer Cindy Bourque-Punko said in an interview that action on the inquiry’s calls for justice for victims and their families is overdue.
“The national inquiry was released in 2019 and I don’t see a ton of action,” she said. “Their loved ones deserve to have answers in terms of the investigation part, they deserve to know why they have gone missing or murdered and what could we have done to prevent or support these women.”
There are nine Indigenous women, girls and two-spirit people who have been reported missing or murdered in the Fort McMurray Wood Buffalo area since 2004.
The most recent death was Ellie Herman, a member of the Chipewyan Prairie Dene First Nation who was last seen in September 2019. Herman’s remains were found last year on March 20 near a trail by the Rotary Club Gazebo at Thicket Drive and Silin Forest Road.
Another victim is Amber Tuccaro, a member of the Mikisew Cree First Nation. Amber flew from Fort McMurray to Edmonton with her son and a friend in August 2010. She was last seen at a motel in Nisku, Alta. Her remains were found two years later in a field outside Leduc.
“We re-live it every day,” said Amber’s brother, Paul. “People call us with tips, and we tell them to pass it on to the RCMP and the RCMP says ‘oh we got it but it didn’t check out’.”
Tuccaro said the family is also working on a MMIWG2S learning module that uses Amber’s story. The family hopes to offer the course to schools across Alberta.
The Tuccaro family filed a complaint against the RCMP with the Civilian Review and Complaints Commission (CRCC) in 2014. The CRCC found that the police did a poor job at investigating Amber’s murder. Alberta RCMP admitted their officers mishandled the investigation and apologized, but the Tuccaro family has refused to accept their apology.
“I would like to see them put their money where their mouth is and set something up where families who have been affected can help other families… whether it is going to the RCMP to get updates or anything,” said Tuccaro .
Adrienne South, a spokesperson for Wilson, said the province has responded to some of the calls for action. This includes initiatives like Clare’s Law, preventing violent offenders from legally changing their names, and creating a task force on human trafficking in Alberta.
“ The TRC calls to action are a starting place, and we have gone further by taking other actions that will help Indigenous communities build prosperity and social wellness, such as creating the Alberta Indigenous Opportunities Corporation,” said South.
-with files from Sarah Williscraft
JeHamilton@postmedia.com
Jenna Hamilton, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Fort McMurray Today
In a small ceremony this week the Alberta joint working group will formally deliver its more than 100 recommendations to the province on actions the government should implement to address the issue of missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls (MMIWG).
And while the government takes time to study those recommendations, organizations like the Institute for the Advancement of Aboriginal Women (IAAW) will continue to help women and families who are impacted by the ongoing tragedy.
“There is actually lots being done currently. Nobody’s waiting on their hands until the government says, ‘Do this.’ I don’t know anybody who’s waiting on this. They’re still doing things. We are still doing things,” said Rachelle Venne, CEO of IAAW and co-chair of the Alberta joint working group on MMIWG.
Venne was joined on the group by three other Indigenous women, Josie Nepinak, executive director of the Awo Taan Healing Lodge, in Calgary; Lisa Higgerty, director of the Hinton Friendship Centre and co-chair of the Métis Women’s Council on Economic Security; and Suzanne Life-Yeomans, co-chair of the First Nations Women’s Council on Economic Security. The Métis and First Nations women’s councils on economic security were established by the province in 2013.
Three MLAs also served on the joint working group although those members changed since the group was appointed in March 2020.
The mixture of experienced Indigenous women and government members is the only way any action taken on MMIWG can be successful, said Venne.
“It has to be joint because all of the work that’s going to happen has to happen in concert with each other. I think this is a really good way to move forward on these massive changes that are necessary,” said Venne.
Each group member committed 46 full days and 337 hours of meetings, plus more than 100 hours of preparation for reading materials and reviewing presentations, said Venne.
That work included a look at “every department within the government that had a hand in anything to do with MMIWG,” interviewing police chiefs, examining the death review committee process, and looking at human trafficking, said Venne.
“What we did, we compared that to what is happening currently in Alberta and then made the recommendations on what each department will be doing or our suggestions on what sort of actions they can take to implement,” she said.
Some actions already being taken, she points out, include improved victims’ services by police departments; the RCMP historical homicides unit having re-opened some cases; the Edmonton Police Service allowing victims to immediately report sexual assaults online; and a human trafficking task force appointed by the Alberta government.
While Venne wouldn’t go into detail on the working group’s recommendations, she did tell Windspeaker.com that the more than 100 recommendations have been divided into short term, medium term and long term. She would not say how many were in each category.
“Some of the things we’re recommending for action, they do take multiple ministries and multiple different stakeholders, so those ones are going to take a little bit longer,” said Venne.
She added that one recommendation the joint working group said could be done immediately was completed six months ago. However, she “can’t release” what that recommendation was.
The group’s recommendations are guided by the 231 Calls for Justice from the final report of the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girl, which was delivered in 2019.
“We took the Calls for Justice. We added to them. What is currently being done, what needs to be done, so it’s an Alberta spin on those national recommendations,” said Venne.
She says the government will need to work with each department targeted by the working group to determine what is possible, what resources are required and when action can be taken. She doesn’t expect recommendations to start being implemented for another couple of months.
“We’re hoping for the spring and maybe it will be a staggered kind of thing that will come out. There will be some that they say, ‘Hey, let’s act on that right away’,” Venne said.
As to why the report can’t be made public the same time it is being presented to the government, Venne says that it’s the government’s process to take the time to review the recommendations before making them public.
“If you want to work together with partners, you don’t spring something on them so the media can pull it apart…You need the time to respond to that, to come back with answers that make sense,” she said.
“Once they are ready to respond, that will be a public opportunity to talk about the recommendations.”
As for criticism that the process needs to be decolonized, Venne said Elders were present at every meeting to help support the work that was done and the group continued with the work undertaken by the national inquiry.
“We used language that was in the national inquiry final report. We maintained the good work that was done with that report and brought that into Alberta. Those are ways we felt we kept with what was laid out in that final report,” she said.
With a provincial election slated for May 2023, the NDP leading in the polls right now, and some of the recommendations from the Alberta joint working group being long term, Venne said, “We spent a lot of time to make the actions. With this government or the next, me as running an organization and the other women that are on the group that actually do run organizations, we’re going to continue to work on what we’ve laid out. It’s not going to be just government.”
Windspeaker.com
By Shari Narine, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Windspeaker.com, Windspeaker.com
Milk without the cow: Cellular agriculture could be the future of farming, but dairy farmers need help
Evan Bowness, Postdoctoral Researcher, Food and Agriculture Institute, University of The Fraser Valley,
Evan Bowness, Postdoctoral Researcher, Food and Agriculture Institute, University of The Fraser Valley,
Robert Newell, Associate Director, Food and Agriculture Institute, University of The Fraser Valley,
Sarah-Louise Ruder, PhD Student at the Institute for Resources, Environment and Sustainability, University of British Columbia
A new wave of cow-less dairy is hitting the market. In the United States, Perfect Day is using genetically modified fungi to produce milk protein for ice cream at a commercial scale. And pre-commercial companies, like TurtleTree and Better Milk, are engineering mammary cells to produce human and cow milk in laboratories, although these remain in the early stages of development.
A new wave of cow-less dairy is hitting the market. In the United States, Perfect Day is using genetically modified fungi to produce milk protein for ice cream at a commercial scale. And pre-commercial companies, like TurtleTree and Better Milk, are engineering mammary cells to produce human and cow milk in laboratories, although these remain in the early stages of development.
© (Evan Bowness) Dairy cows in the Fraser Valley, B.C.
It might be some time before mammal-less dairy arrives in Canadian grocery stores. But these emerging technologies are part of the fourth agricultural revolution that aims to improve food security, sustainability and agricultural working conditions. With these promises for wins on the horizon, should the diary sector be worried?
As researchers from the Food and Agriculture Institute at the University of the Fraser Valley, in British Columbia, we study food systems in transition. The Fraser Valley is home to 60 per cent of B.C.’s dairy farms, so we’re especially interested in the impacts cellular agriculture might have on the dairy system.
Animal agriculture’s challenges
Animal agriculture plays a big role in the global food system. The Food and Agriculture Organization states that animal agriculture provides roughly a third of global food protein, supports the livelihoods of over a billion people and contributes to soil fertility.
But animal agriculture is facing increased scrutiny, especially around environmental impacts and animal welfare issues. It is a significant source of greenhouse gas emissions, upwards of 16.5 per cent of global emissions, by some estimates.
Animal agriculture is also vulnerable to extreme environmental conditions and climate change. Recent flooding in B.C. killed well over half a million farm animals and threatened to contaminate the sensitive freshwater ecosystems of the Fraser Valley with stored manure and agricultural chemicals. And it’s a known risk factor for zoonotic diseases and pandemics, such as H1N1 or the swine flu.
One way to reduce the risks introduced by animal agriculture is to remove — or nearly remove — livestock from the food production equation. Cellular agriculture uses cell cultures to produce animal products without raising livestock, hunting or fishing. While still in its early phases, this technology could help meet growing demand for animal protein, reduce environmental impacts and address animal welfare concerns.
How does cellular agriculture work?
Cellular agriculture makes biologically equivalent or near-equivalent foods to those produced with animals. This is different from plant-based meat and dairy alternatives, such as Beyond Burgers and oat milk, which use plant ingredients that approximate their non-vegetarian counterparts.
Read more: Plant-based doesn’t always mean healthy
One approach is to use advanced fermentation, where yeasts, fungi and bacteria are genetically modified to produce proteins. The approach is similar to brewing beer, but with highly specialized micro-organisms that follow instructions that have been added to their genetic code.
You may already be eating products created using this technology. Thirty years ago, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved the use of a bioengineered form of rennet enzymes, which is widely used in cheese making and replaces the original enzymes which were harvested from calf stomachs.
Today, vats of micro-organisms, genetically modified to carry the appropriate calf gene, supply rennet for about 70 per cent of cheese made in the U.S. It’s functionally identical to the original cheese-making enzymes, but it’s easier, less costly to produce and doesn’t rely on mammals.
It might be some time before mammal-less dairy arrives in Canadian grocery stores. But these emerging technologies are part of the fourth agricultural revolution that aims to improve food security, sustainability and agricultural working conditions. With these promises for wins on the horizon, should the diary sector be worried?
As researchers from the Food and Agriculture Institute at the University of the Fraser Valley, in British Columbia, we study food systems in transition. The Fraser Valley is home to 60 per cent of B.C.’s dairy farms, so we’re especially interested in the impacts cellular agriculture might have on the dairy system.
Animal agriculture’s challenges
Animal agriculture plays a big role in the global food system. The Food and Agriculture Organization states that animal agriculture provides roughly a third of global food protein, supports the livelihoods of over a billion people and contributes to soil fertility.
But animal agriculture is facing increased scrutiny, especially around environmental impacts and animal welfare issues. It is a significant source of greenhouse gas emissions, upwards of 16.5 per cent of global emissions, by some estimates.
Animal agriculture is also vulnerable to extreme environmental conditions and climate change. Recent flooding in B.C. killed well over half a million farm animals and threatened to contaminate the sensitive freshwater ecosystems of the Fraser Valley with stored manure and agricultural chemicals. And it’s a known risk factor for zoonotic diseases and pandemics, such as H1N1 or the swine flu.
One way to reduce the risks introduced by animal agriculture is to remove — or nearly remove — livestock from the food production equation. Cellular agriculture uses cell cultures to produce animal products without raising livestock, hunting or fishing. While still in its early phases, this technology could help meet growing demand for animal protein, reduce environmental impacts and address animal welfare concerns.
How does cellular agriculture work?
Cellular agriculture makes biologically equivalent or near-equivalent foods to those produced with animals. This is different from plant-based meat and dairy alternatives, such as Beyond Burgers and oat milk, which use plant ingredients that approximate their non-vegetarian counterparts.
Read more: Plant-based doesn’t always mean healthy
One approach is to use advanced fermentation, where yeasts, fungi and bacteria are genetically modified to produce proteins. The approach is similar to brewing beer, but with highly specialized micro-organisms that follow instructions that have been added to their genetic code.
You may already be eating products created using this technology. Thirty years ago, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved the use of a bioengineered form of rennet enzymes, which is widely used in cheese making and replaces the original enzymes which were harvested from calf stomachs.
Today, vats of micro-organisms, genetically modified to carry the appropriate calf gene, supply rennet for about 70 per cent of cheese made in the U.S. It’s functionally identical to the original cheese-making enzymes, but it’s easier, less costly to produce and doesn’t rely on mammals.
© (Shutterstock) Food scientists can use microorganisms to grow food ingredients in large vats, eliminating the need for livestock.
Another approach, called tissue engineering, uses cells collected from an animal to grow meat, fish or even leather in a controlled environment. The tissues grow, but in a nutrient-rich broth called growth media in bioreactor tanks.
Examples include GOOD Meat’s cellular chicken nuggets, the first commercially available cellular meat product, and WildType’s cellular salmon, which is being grown in stainless steel tanks in San Francisco.
What is at stake for dairy farmers?
Dairy is an important food commodity in Canada. Over 18,000 farm operators are employed at the roughly 10,000 dairy farms across the country, which together produced 9.5 billion litres of milk and earned farms over $7 billion in 2020.
To meet consumer demand and guarantee a fair price to the farmers, the Canadian supply management system controls dairy production volumes and the number of producers at the provincial level using a quota system. Farmers essentially buy the right to sell dairy products. Dairy farms are capital intensive and farmers often carry large debt loads, making it a difficult industry to enter.
Another approach, called tissue engineering, uses cells collected from an animal to grow meat, fish or even leather in a controlled environment. The tissues grow, but in a nutrient-rich broth called growth media in bioreactor tanks.
Examples include GOOD Meat’s cellular chicken nuggets, the first commercially available cellular meat product, and WildType’s cellular salmon, which is being grown in stainless steel tanks in San Francisco.
What is at stake for dairy farmers?
Dairy is an important food commodity in Canada. Over 18,000 farm operators are employed at the roughly 10,000 dairy farms across the country, which together produced 9.5 billion litres of milk and earned farms over $7 billion in 2020.
To meet consumer demand and guarantee a fair price to the farmers, the Canadian supply management system controls dairy production volumes and the number of producers at the provincial level using a quota system. Farmers essentially buy the right to sell dairy products. Dairy farms are capital intensive and farmers often carry large debt loads, making it a difficult industry to enter.
© THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jonathan Hayward Flood waters rise outside a dairy barn near Agassiz, B.C., in November 2021.
Livestock farmers in B.C. had an exceptionally challenging 2021. After a summer of encroaching forest fires and a record-breaking heat dome, the year ended with catastrophic floods followed by extreme cold. Fraser Valley farmers were forced to dump 7.5 million litres of raw milk in November when shipping routes were destroyed by flooding, which also killed 428 dairy cows.
Across the country, dairy farmers also dumped milk early in the pandemic — more than 30 million litres in the year ending July 31, 2020, according to one analysis — when demand plummeted due to restaurant closures and other system shocks.
Planning a just transition
We see animal-free dairy as possibly having some environmental and food security benefits, but with some trade-offs.
If cellular agriculture competes with conventional dairy in Canada, what would the impact be on dairy farmers? What would happen to the cows? To the farms? To the supply management system in general?
Addressing these questions is critical for developing policy that enables transitions to food systems with lower environmental and carbon footprints while ensuring harms and benefits are distributed equitably — what’s known as the just transition.
Much of our understanding of these just transitions comes from the energy sector, where coal mines have closed and oil production is declining as renewable energy becomes more available and less expensive, changing economies and forcing fossil fuel workers to find other work.
Canada recently developed a just transition task force to look for ways to reduce the livelihood disruptions that come with phasing out coal. The federal government has also recently initiated consultations for just transition legislation that would direct resources to communities negatively impacted by the transition towards a low-carbon future.
Just transition policies for cellular agriculture could encourage farmers to transition into animal-free dairy production through infrastructure transition grants, support with licensing new technologies, biodiversity conservation and carbon credits for land sparing, sanctuary planning for current dairy farms and land back incentives to provide pathways for agriculture towards decolonization.
It’s unclear how soon Canadian dairy farmers will face competition from cellular agriculture, although some have suggested U.S. beef and dairy sector revenues will decline nearly 90 per cent by 2035.
Is it reasonable to expect Canadian dairy farmers will make way for cellular dairy?
Livestock farmers in B.C. had an exceptionally challenging 2021. After a summer of encroaching forest fires and a record-breaking heat dome, the year ended with catastrophic floods followed by extreme cold. Fraser Valley farmers were forced to dump 7.5 million litres of raw milk in November when shipping routes were destroyed by flooding, which also killed 428 dairy cows.
Across the country, dairy farmers also dumped milk early in the pandemic — more than 30 million litres in the year ending July 31, 2020, according to one analysis — when demand plummeted due to restaurant closures and other system shocks.
Planning a just transition
We see animal-free dairy as possibly having some environmental and food security benefits, but with some trade-offs.
If cellular agriculture competes with conventional dairy in Canada, what would the impact be on dairy farmers? What would happen to the cows? To the farms? To the supply management system in general?
Addressing these questions is critical for developing policy that enables transitions to food systems with lower environmental and carbon footprints while ensuring harms and benefits are distributed equitably — what’s known as the just transition.
Much of our understanding of these just transitions comes from the energy sector, where coal mines have closed and oil production is declining as renewable energy becomes more available and less expensive, changing economies and forcing fossil fuel workers to find other work.
Canada recently developed a just transition task force to look for ways to reduce the livelihood disruptions that come with phasing out coal. The federal government has also recently initiated consultations for just transition legislation that would direct resources to communities negatively impacted by the transition towards a low-carbon future.
Just transition policies for cellular agriculture could encourage farmers to transition into animal-free dairy production through infrastructure transition grants, support with licensing new technologies, biodiversity conservation and carbon credits for land sparing, sanctuary planning for current dairy farms and land back incentives to provide pathways for agriculture towards decolonization.
It’s unclear how soon Canadian dairy farmers will face competition from cellular agriculture, although some have suggested U.S. beef and dairy sector revenues will decline nearly 90 per cent by 2035.
Is it reasonable to expect Canadian dairy farmers will make way for cellular dairy?
Or is up to policy-makers, industry leaders and food systems organizers to ensure this transition leads to a food system that is more sustainable, but also just?
Yadira Tejeda Saldana, research collaborations director at New Harvest, co-authored this article.
This article is republished from The Conversation, a nonprofit news site dedicated to sharing ideas from academic experts.
Evan Bowness receives funding from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC) of Canada and Future Skills Centre Canada.
Robert Newell receives funding from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC) of Canada and Future Skills Centre Canada.
Sarah-Louise Ruder receives funding from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC) of Canada and Future Skills Centre Canada.
Yadira Tejeda Saldana, research collaborations director at New Harvest, co-authored this article.
This article is republished from The Conversation, a nonprofit news site dedicated to sharing ideas from academic experts.
Evan Bowness receives funding from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC) of Canada and Future Skills Centre Canada.
Robert Newell receives funding from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC) of Canada and Future Skills Centre Canada.
Sarah-Louise Ruder receives funding from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC) of Canada and Future Skills Centre Canada.
A commercial BBC would fail British audiences, its boss says
LONDON (Reuters) - A BBC funded purely by commercial means would fail to serve a universal British audience in the way it does now, its boss warned on Tuesday, after the government questioned whether its public funding model should continue in future.
LONDON (Reuters) - A BBC funded purely by commercial means would fail to serve a universal British audience in the way it does now, its boss warned on Tuesday, after the government questioned whether its public funding model should continue in future.
© Reuters/HANNAH MCKAY FILE PHOTO: BBC Broadcasting House in London
Formed in 1922 to educate, inform and entertain, the BBC creates global, national and local radio, online content and television for mass audiences while also catering to those users who fail to have their interests served by commercial outlets.
It is funded by a licence fee paid by all television-owning households that is supposed to guarantee its editorial independence. In reality that forces the corporation to agree a funding round with ministers, often leading to tension.
On Monday Culture Minister Nadine Dorries, who has previously accused the BBC of metropolitan group-think, said the licence fee cost would be frozen for the next two years, and would rise in line with inflation for four years after that.
She added that a debate was needed on future funding models, questioning whether people should pay 159 pounds ($217) a year for the BBC when they can pay less for Netflix or Amazon Prime.
BBC Director General Tim Davie told BBC Radio that society would lose something precious if it pursued a commercial model.
"It serves the British public and all the British public," he said. "The principle of universality is absolutely the debate here. People say 'can this be a commercial operation?' Of course it can be a commercial operation, but it will not do what it does today."
The settlement, he said, would leave the BBC with a 285 million pound shortfall, requiring some services to be cut. He added that while BBC output needed to properly reflect all the communities it served, it was difficult to maintain an impartial reputation in an increasingly polarised world.
($1 = 0.7335 pounds)
(Reporting by Kate Holton, Editing by Paul Sandle)
Formed in 1922 to educate, inform and entertain, the BBC creates global, national and local radio, online content and television for mass audiences while also catering to those users who fail to have their interests served by commercial outlets.
It is funded by a licence fee paid by all television-owning households that is supposed to guarantee its editorial independence. In reality that forces the corporation to agree a funding round with ministers, often leading to tension.
On Monday Culture Minister Nadine Dorries, who has previously accused the BBC of metropolitan group-think, said the licence fee cost would be frozen for the next two years, and would rise in line with inflation for four years after that.
She added that a debate was needed on future funding models, questioning whether people should pay 159 pounds ($217) a year for the BBC when they can pay less for Netflix or Amazon Prime.
BBC Director General Tim Davie told BBC Radio that society would lose something precious if it pursued a commercial model.
"It serves the British public and all the British public," he said. "The principle of universality is absolutely the debate here. People say 'can this be a commercial operation?' Of course it can be a commercial operation, but it will not do what it does today."
The settlement, he said, would leave the BBC with a 285 million pound shortfall, requiring some services to be cut. He added that while BBC output needed to properly reflect all the communities it served, it was difficult to maintain an impartial reputation in an increasingly polarised world.
($1 = 0.7335 pounds)
(Reporting by Kate Holton, Editing by Paul Sandle)
Liberals move to 'modernize' CBC, making public broadcaster less reliant on advertising
Anja Karadeglija
A year after CBC president Catherine Tait defended the public broadcaster’s foray into sponsored content in front of the country’s broadcast regulator, the Liberal government has set its sights on moving the CBC away from the advertising business.
Heritage Minister Pablo Rodriguez’ mandate letter, released just before the House of Commons rose for the holidays, directs him to “modernize” CBC/Radio-Canada. That includes updating the CBC’s “mandate to ensure that it meets the needs and expectations of Canadian audiences, with unique programming that distinguishes it from private broadcasters.”
It also directs Rodriguez to provide additional funding to make CBC “less reliant on private advertising, with a goal of eliminating advertising during news and other public affairs shows.” The letter doesn’t include a figure, but during last year’s federal election the Liberals pledged $400 million over four years for that purpose.
During that election, the Conservatives also promised to review the mandate for CBC English TV, CBC News Network and CBC English online news, to ensure “it no longer competes with private Canadian broadcasters and digital providers.” In contrast to the Liberals’ pledge of more funding, the Conservative platform suggested assessing “the viability of refocusing the service on a public interest model like that of PBS in the United States.”
That was a departure from when Erin O’Toole ran for party leadership promising to defund the CBC, including cutting all funding for online news and with a goal of fully privatizing its English-language TV.
Asked about where the party stands on the Liberal plans, a spokesperson for the Conservatives said the party opposes new funding and believes “funding should be reduced, and the mandate modernized.” The Liberal “approach of throwing more and more taxpayer money at the CBC is not working,” the spokesperson said.
Menzies said he doesn’t think the Conservatives’ PBS model proposal “is helpful at all.”
“Maybe it has some political purposes in appealing to (their) base,” he said. “If you’re going to have a public broadcaster, have a public broadcaster.”
Menzies said the government’s plans for the CBC are “an avenue really worth pursuing.” He said it’s something the government could accomplish within a year if it wanted to – but could also drag it out for 10 years. He noted the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission still hasn’t issued its decision on the CBC’s licence renewal, a year after its public hearing.
Anja Karadeglija
A year after CBC president Catherine Tait defended the public broadcaster’s foray into sponsored content in front of the country’s broadcast regulator, the Liberal government has set its sights on moving the CBC away from the advertising business.
© Provided by National Post
The Liberal federal government has promised $400 million over four years to make the CBC less reliant on advertising.
The Liberals have promised $400 million over four years to make the CBC less reliant on advertising, and are aiming to ensure the public broadcaster’s programming is more distinct from its private sector competition.
“CBC really suffers from a sort of dualistic life as a half public broadcaster, and half of the time it thinks of itself as a commercial broadcaster. And I think that has to end if we’re going to get value from our investment in CBC in the years to come,” said former CRTC vice-chair Peter Menzies.
Private broadcasters have long maintained that CBC shouldn’t be competing with them.
“The CBC likes advertising but doesn’t need it,” said Kevin Desjardins, the president of the Canadian Association of Broadcasters. “They have an ability to skew the advertising market in a way, because it is not as essential as it is for private broadcasters, where that is the lifeblood of their business model.”
As for news in the digital sphere, the competition isn’t just with fellow broadcasters but with all other outlets with an online presence – news publishers and critics have been opposing the CBC’s competition for digital ads for years.
The Liberals have promised $400 million over four years to make the CBC less reliant on advertising, and are aiming to ensure the public broadcaster’s programming is more distinct from its private sector competition.
“CBC really suffers from a sort of dualistic life as a half public broadcaster, and half of the time it thinks of itself as a commercial broadcaster. And I think that has to end if we’re going to get value from our investment in CBC in the years to come,” said former CRTC vice-chair Peter Menzies.
Private broadcasters have long maintained that CBC shouldn’t be competing with them.
“The CBC likes advertising but doesn’t need it,” said Kevin Desjardins, the president of the Canadian Association of Broadcasters. “They have an ability to skew the advertising market in a way, because it is not as essential as it is for private broadcasters, where that is the lifeblood of their business model.”
As for news in the digital sphere, the competition isn’t just with fellow broadcasters but with all other outlets with an online presence – news publishers and critics have been opposing the CBC’s competition for digital ads for years.
Heritage Minister Pablo Rodriguez’ mandate letter, released just before the House of Commons rose for the holidays, directs him to “modernize” CBC/Radio-Canada. That includes updating the CBC’s “mandate to ensure that it meets the needs and expectations of Canadian audiences, with unique programming that distinguishes it from private broadcasters.”
It also directs Rodriguez to provide additional funding to make CBC “less reliant on private advertising, with a goal of eliminating advertising during news and other public affairs shows.” The letter doesn’t include a figure, but during last year’s federal election the Liberals pledged $400 million over four years for that purpose.
During that election, the Conservatives also promised to review the mandate for CBC English TV, CBC News Network and CBC English online news, to ensure “it no longer competes with private Canadian broadcasters and digital providers.” In contrast to the Liberals’ pledge of more funding, the Conservative platform suggested assessing “the viability of refocusing the service on a public interest model like that of PBS in the United States.”
That was a departure from when Erin O’Toole ran for party leadership promising to defund the CBC, including cutting all funding for online news and with a goal of fully privatizing its English-language TV.
Asked about where the party stands on the Liberal plans, a spokesperson for the Conservatives said the party opposes new funding and believes “funding should be reduced, and the mandate modernized.” The Liberal “approach of throwing more and more taxpayer money at the CBC is not working,” the spokesperson said.
Menzies said he doesn’t think the Conservatives’ PBS model proposal “is helpful at all.”
“Maybe it has some political purposes in appealing to (their) base,” he said. “If you’re going to have a public broadcaster, have a public broadcaster.”
Menzies said the government’s plans for the CBC are “an avenue really worth pursuing.” He said it’s something the government could accomplish within a year if it wanted to – but could also drag it out for 10 years. He noted the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission still hasn’t issued its decision on the CBC’s licence renewal, a year after its public hearing.
© Adrian Wyld/The Canadian Press/File
Federal Heritage Minister Pablo Rodriguez’s mandate letter directs him to update the CBC’s “mandate to ensure that it meets the needs and expectations of Canadian audiences, with unique programming that distinguishes it from private broadcasters.”
The Heritage minister’s office didn’t respond by deadline when asked about how it plans to move forward with modernizing the CBC.
Supporters of the CBC are also in favour of eliminating the ad money. “We’re very much looking forward to seeing what kind of mention it gets in the upcoming budget,” Sarah Andrews, a spokesperson for advocacy group Friends said.
In trying to find sources of revenue, CBC has “made choices that are maybe not the best,” such as the move into sponsored advertising. “That’s why we think it’s so important to bring the CBC back to its public service roots, because at the end of the day, that’s its role as a public broadcaster, to serve the Canadian public,” Andrews said. “They can’t have to rely on private advertising dollars.”
CBC’s sponsored content division, called Tandem, was put on hold briefly due to controversy over the initiative, but then resumed. Last year, the CBC got $1.4 billion in government funding, according to the CBC’s annual report, a figure that includes a $36.7 million advance from this year’s budget. A spokesperson for the CBC said its current advertising revenue is “just under $254 million.”
Menzies noted that relying on advertising affects the kind of programming CBC does, forcing the broadcaster to pay more attention to major markets, especially the GTA. “It gets over-covered and other areas get under-covered,” he said. Not relying on advertising would enable more coverage of areas like the North, Menzies said.
He suggested the government could also make CBC material free to other news organizations to use, which would be a boost to local news operators.
Broadcasting consultant Kelly Lynne Ashton noted that debate about the CBC’s mandate comes up regularly, including at multiple parliamentary committee studies in the past decade or so. “The reason that keeps coming up is that there’s a basic fundamental disconnect because the government keeps asking the CBC to do more but not giving them more money to do it,” she said.
“If you want them to move away from advertising, and stop competing with the private broadcasters for advertising and do the kind of content that the private broadcasters won’t do, then give them the money to do it.”
The Heritage minister’s office didn’t respond by deadline when asked about how it plans to move forward with modernizing the CBC.
Supporters of the CBC are also in favour of eliminating the ad money. “We’re very much looking forward to seeing what kind of mention it gets in the upcoming budget,” Sarah Andrews, a spokesperson for advocacy group Friends said.
In trying to find sources of revenue, CBC has “made choices that are maybe not the best,” such as the move into sponsored advertising. “That’s why we think it’s so important to bring the CBC back to its public service roots, because at the end of the day, that’s its role as a public broadcaster, to serve the Canadian public,” Andrews said. “They can’t have to rely on private advertising dollars.”
CBC’s sponsored content division, called Tandem, was put on hold briefly due to controversy over the initiative, but then resumed. Last year, the CBC got $1.4 billion in government funding, according to the CBC’s annual report, a figure that includes a $36.7 million advance from this year’s budget. A spokesperson for the CBC said its current advertising revenue is “just under $254 million.”
Menzies noted that relying on advertising affects the kind of programming CBC does, forcing the broadcaster to pay more attention to major markets, especially the GTA. “It gets over-covered and other areas get under-covered,” he said. Not relying on advertising would enable more coverage of areas like the North, Menzies said.
He suggested the government could also make CBC material free to other news organizations to use, which would be a boost to local news operators.
Broadcasting consultant Kelly Lynne Ashton noted that debate about the CBC’s mandate comes up regularly, including at multiple parliamentary committee studies in the past decade or so. “The reason that keeps coming up is that there’s a basic fundamental disconnect because the government keeps asking the CBC to do more but not giving them more money to do it,” she said.
“If you want them to move away from advertising, and stop competing with the private broadcasters for advertising and do the kind of content that the private broadcasters won’t do, then give them the money to do it.”
CANADA
Defence department to help feds plant two billion trees
The federal government has a new partner in its goal to plant two billion trees by 2030 — the Department of National Defence.
In an email to Canada’s National Observer, Defence department media relations confirmed the Canadian Forces Housing Agency (CFHA) will participate in the program and has tree-planting plans for most of its locations across Canada over the next seven years.
CFHA runs the department’s residential housing program and delivers other housing support to Canadian Armed Forces members and their families across Canada.
Details about the partnership will be available by the end of March when the ink has dried on a memorandum of understanding between Natural Resources Canada and DND.
The Liberals’ major 2019 campaign promise to plant two billion trees by 2030 to help get to net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050 hinges on cost-sharing with provinces, territories, municipalities, Indigenous communities and businesses.
After coming under fire for a slow start, Natural Resources Canada released its plan to ramp up tree-planting gradually so nurseries can keep pace with the demand. It aims to be planting up to 320 million trees per year from 2027 onwards.
In February 2020, Natural Resources Canada expressed interest in collaborating with the Defence department to meet its tree-planting commitment, according to a briefing note obtained by Canada’s National Observer through a federal access-to-information request.
The briefing note suggests a partnership makes sense because the Defence department owns over 2.1 million hectares of land — making it “one of the federal departments owning and managing the most land.”
It also notes the Defence department manages a National Wildlife Area at Canadian Forces Base Suffield near Medicine Hat, Alta., a nearly 46,000-hectare expanse of grassland that is home to 28 at-risk species.
In an email, the department said CFHA’s tree-planting proposals will be submitted on an annual basis for approval and include specific details for each planting location.
Once approved, proposals will have 50 per cent of planting costs covered by the program — including tree supply, transportation, equipment, and labour — while long-term tree maintenance and the remaining 50 per cent of planting costs will be covered by CFHA.
Other tree program partners include municipalities like Toronto, Brampton and Greater Sudbury, charities including ALUS (which helps farmers build nature-based solutions) and Canadian Trees for Life, the McLeod Lake First Nation, and Groupe Ramo Inc., a Quebec-based company that solves environmental problems using willow trees, among others.
Natasha Bulowski, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Canada's National Observer
Defence department to help feds plant two billion trees
The federal government has a new partner in its goal to plant two billion trees by 2030 — the Department of National Defence.
In an email to Canada’s National Observer, Defence department media relations confirmed the Canadian Forces Housing Agency (CFHA) will participate in the program and has tree-planting plans for most of its locations across Canada over the next seven years.
CFHA runs the department’s residential housing program and delivers other housing support to Canadian Armed Forces members and their families across Canada.
Details about the partnership will be available by the end of March when the ink has dried on a memorandum of understanding between Natural Resources Canada and DND.
The Liberals’ major 2019 campaign promise to plant two billion trees by 2030 to help get to net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050 hinges on cost-sharing with provinces, territories, municipalities, Indigenous communities and businesses.
After coming under fire for a slow start, Natural Resources Canada released its plan to ramp up tree-planting gradually so nurseries can keep pace with the demand. It aims to be planting up to 320 million trees per year from 2027 onwards.
In February 2020, Natural Resources Canada expressed interest in collaborating with the Defence department to meet its tree-planting commitment, according to a briefing note obtained by Canada’s National Observer through a federal access-to-information request.
The briefing note suggests a partnership makes sense because the Defence department owns over 2.1 million hectares of land — making it “one of the federal departments owning and managing the most land.”
It also notes the Defence department manages a National Wildlife Area at Canadian Forces Base Suffield near Medicine Hat, Alta., a nearly 46,000-hectare expanse of grassland that is home to 28 at-risk species.
In an email, the department said CFHA’s tree-planting proposals will be submitted on an annual basis for approval and include specific details for each planting location.
Once approved, proposals will have 50 per cent of planting costs covered by the program — including tree supply, transportation, equipment, and labour — while long-term tree maintenance and the remaining 50 per cent of planting costs will be covered by CFHA.
Other tree program partners include municipalities like Toronto, Brampton and Greater Sudbury, charities including ALUS (which helps farmers build nature-based solutions) and Canadian Trees for Life, the McLeod Lake First Nation, and Groupe Ramo Inc., a Quebec-based company that solves environmental problems using willow trees, among others.
Natasha Bulowski, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Canada's National Observer
DUH OH
Braid: Madu's phone call to police is cause for firing from cabinetDon Braid, Calgary Herald
Justice Minister Kaycee Madu got a $300 ticket for distracted driving in a school zone. He then called Edmonton’s police chief to talk about it.
© Provided by Calgary Herald Alberta Justice Minister and Solicitor General Kaycee Madu speaks to media in Calgary and online on Friday, October 29, 2021.
That’s a firing offence. There’s no blurring of this red line. When the politician who’s effectively in charge of the police calls the police with any discussion of a personal case, he’s done himself out of the job.
Monday night, Premier Jason Kenney said he asked Madu to step back from ministerial duties and noted details about an “independent review” would be made public in the near future.
“I conveyed to him my profound disappointment in his decision to contact the Edmonton Police Chief after receiving a ticket for a traffic violation,” Kenney said on Twitter.
“In the interim period, I have asked Minister Madu to step back from his ministerial duties,” Kenney said. “Minister Sonya Savage will act as Minister of Justice and Solicitor General during Minister Madu’s leave of absence.”
The ticket episode was widely known in cabinet circles and talked about in jocular tones, sources say.
The premier’s office was aware but that does not necessarily mean the information was passed on to Kenney himself. If not, it certainly should have been. And the result should have been Madu leaving the justice post immediately and permanently.
Now he’s out for a nice leave, because it’s public.
Kaycee Madu is very important in the UCP world. He is the only government MLA to be elected in Edmonton, and hence (obviously) the only minister from the capital.
Kathleen Ganley, who was justice minister for the NDP years of government, said that no minister of any portfolio should make such a call to police about a personal interaction with officers.
All ministers have a responsibility to avoid even apparent conflicts of interest, she said. The responsibility of the justice minister, especially when dealing with the police, is heaviest of all.
“I was pretty shocked to hear this,” Ganley said. “The conflict of interest is pretty clear on the face of the facts.”
That’s a firing offence. There’s no blurring of this red line. When the politician who’s effectively in charge of the police calls the police with any discussion of a personal case, he’s done himself out of the job.
Monday night, Premier Jason Kenney said he asked Madu to step back from ministerial duties and noted details about an “independent review” would be made public in the near future.
“I conveyed to him my profound disappointment in his decision to contact the Edmonton Police Chief after receiving a ticket for a traffic violation,” Kenney said on Twitter.
“In the interim period, I have asked Minister Madu to step back from his ministerial duties,” Kenney said. “Minister Sonya Savage will act as Minister of Justice and Solicitor General during Minister Madu’s leave of absence.”
The ticket episode was widely known in cabinet circles and talked about in jocular tones, sources say.
The premier’s office was aware but that does not necessarily mean the information was passed on to Kenney himself. If not, it certainly should have been. And the result should have been Madu leaving the justice post immediately and permanently.
Now he’s out for a nice leave, because it’s public.
Kaycee Madu is very important in the UCP world. He is the only government MLA to be elected in Edmonton, and hence (obviously) the only minister from the capital.
Kathleen Ganley, who was justice minister for the NDP years of government, said that no minister of any portfolio should make such a call to police about a personal interaction with officers.
All ministers have a responsibility to avoid even apparent conflicts of interest, she said. The responsibility of the justice minister, especially when dealing with the police, is heaviest of all.
“I was pretty shocked to hear this,” Ganley said. “The conflict of interest is pretty clear on the face of the facts.”
NDP energy critic Kathleen Ganley speaks to media at press conference on the steps of McDougall Centre in Calgary.
The CBC broke the story after obtaining the ticket that was issued to Madu. Postmedia confirmed the details.
The CBC also had an interview with Edmonton police chief Dale McFee, who acknowledged the call from Madu but said he hadn’t tried to get out of the ticket. Madu did, however, raise the issue of people of colour being ticketed. It’s a vitally important subject but not one the minister should be talking about to the police chief after he got the ticket.
Madu, because he’s the minister, got to talk to the police chief when all the rest of us will soon be deprived of our right to even challenge tickets or go to court.
Don’t even think about calling the chief under this new regime, an appalling violation of basic rights.
Besides the premier himself, Madu is also the UCP politician most eager to form an Alberta provincial police force to replace the RCMP.
Is this the way governance of that force would work? Hope not.
For Kenney, there’s also the question of who gets kicked out of his cabinet, and who gets to stay.
MLA Tracy Allard went to Hawaii on vacation a year or so ago. She and six other government voyagers prompted a huge uproar for travelling in the face of government advisories.
Kenney summarily kicked her out of cabinet. All the others were demoted and punished in various ways
The CBC broke the story after obtaining the ticket that was issued to Madu. Postmedia confirmed the details.
The CBC also had an interview with Edmonton police chief Dale McFee, who acknowledged the call from Madu but said he hadn’t tried to get out of the ticket. Madu did, however, raise the issue of people of colour being ticketed. It’s a vitally important subject but not one the minister should be talking about to the police chief after he got the ticket.
Madu, because he’s the minister, got to talk to the police chief when all the rest of us will soon be deprived of our right to even challenge tickets or go to court.
Don’t even think about calling the chief under this new regime, an appalling violation of basic rights.
Besides the premier himself, Madu is also the UCP politician most eager to form an Alberta provincial police force to replace the RCMP.
Is this the way governance of that force would work? Hope not.
For Kenney, there’s also the question of who gets kicked out of his cabinet, and who gets to stay.
MLA Tracy Allard went to Hawaii on vacation a year or so ago. She and six other government voyagers prompted a huge uproar for travelling in the face of government advisories.
Kenney summarily kicked her out of cabinet. All the others were demoted and punished in various ways
.
© Randy Vanderveen A sign mocks Municipal Affairs Minister Tracy Allard in front of her constituency office in Grande Prairie on Sunday, Jan. 3, 2021.
In November, when Kenney’s office was sued for alleged harassment, Agriculture Minister Devin Dreeshen resigned from cabinet, acknowledging a drinking problem. He had been named in the lawsuit.
Leela Aheer was dropped from cabinet after criticizing Kenney publicly.
Ministers and MLAs involuntarily depart Kenney’s inner circle for all sorts of reasons. It’s quite the swinging door, actually.
If Madu is allowed to come back to justice after this “leave of absence,” it will be both a scandal and a puzzle. Rarely has there been an incident that so clearly shows the gap between them and the rest of us.
Don Braid’s column appears regularly in the Herald
Twitter: @DonBraid
Facebook: Don Braid Politics
In November, when Kenney’s office was sued for alleged harassment, Agriculture Minister Devin Dreeshen resigned from cabinet, acknowledging a drinking problem. He had been named in the lawsuit.
Leela Aheer was dropped from cabinet after criticizing Kenney publicly.
Ministers and MLAs involuntarily depart Kenney’s inner circle for all sorts of reasons. It’s quite the swinging door, actually.
If Madu is allowed to come back to justice after this “leave of absence,” it will be both a scandal and a puzzle. Rarely has there been an incident that so clearly shows the gap between them and the rest of us.
Don Braid’s column appears regularly in the Herald
Twitter: @DonBraid
Facebook: Don Braid Politics
Alberta premier asks justice minister to 'step back' from job over phone call to police chief
Alberta Premier Jason Kenney says he's asked Justice Minister Kaycee Madu to "step back" from his job while an independent review examines if there was interference in the administration of justice after Madu phoned the Edmonton police chief about a traffic ticket.
The request follows a CBC News story Monday that revealed Madu had telephoned Edmonton police chief Dale McFee to discuss a distracted driving ticket he received March 10, 2021.
In a late-night announcement on Twitter, Kenney said that Alberta Energy Minister Sonya Savage will act as justice minister and solicitor general during Madu's leave of absence.
The premier said he will appoint an independent investigator to review relevant facts and determine whether there was interference in the administration of justice in this case. The findings of the review will be made public, he said.
"In the interim period, I have asked Minister Madu to step back from his ministerial duties," Kenney wrote.
Kenney said Madu told him that he did not ask the chief to have the ticket rescinded, and it wasn't his intention to interfere in the case. Madu also paid the ticket.
Jade Markus
CBC
Alberta Premier Jason Kenney says he's asked Justice Minister Kaycee Madu to "step back" from his job while an independent review examines if there was interference in the administration of justice after Madu phoned the Edmonton police chief about a traffic ticket.
The request follows a CBC News story Monday that revealed Madu had telephoned Edmonton police chief Dale McFee to discuss a distracted driving ticket he received March 10, 2021.
In a late-night announcement on Twitter, Kenney said that Alberta Energy Minister Sonya Savage will act as justice minister and solicitor general during Madu's leave of absence.
The premier said he will appoint an independent investigator to review relevant facts and determine whether there was interference in the administration of justice in this case. The findings of the review will be made public, he said.
"In the interim period, I have asked Minister Madu to step back from his ministerial duties," Kenney wrote.
Kenney said Madu told him that he did not ask the chief to have the ticket rescinded, and it wasn't his intention to interfere in the case. Madu also paid the ticket.
© CBC Alberta Justice Minister Kaycee Madu was fined for distracted driving in March 2021, according to a traffic ticket obtained by CBC News.
In a statement to CBC News Monday, prior to Kenney's announcement, Madu confirmed the incident and that he had already paid the ticket in full. However, he said he told the officer who pulled him over that he disagreed with the fine and that his phone was in his pocket.
He said he called McFee because he wanted to ensure he was not being "unlawfully surveilled" following a controversy surrounding the Lethbridge Police Service.
At that time, the provincial government was preparing to step in after reports of unlawful surveillance and database searches conducted by Lethbridge officers on NDP MLA Shannon Phillips during her time as environment minister.
Madu, who is Black, said he wanted to raise concerns around about racial profiling with the chief.
"Chief McFee assured me that that was most definitely not the case, and I accepted him at his word…to be abundantly clear, at no point did I request that the ticket be rescinded. I would never do that.
"However, in that particular call, I regret raising the issue at all with the Chief McFee," Madu said.
McFee has confirmed that Madu did not ask to get out of the ticket, and that Madu expressed concern about people of colour being stopped by police and political tension with the Lethbridge Police Service.
In a statement to CBC News Monday, prior to Kenney's announcement, Madu confirmed the incident and that he had already paid the ticket in full. However, he said he told the officer who pulled him over that he disagreed with the fine and that his phone was in his pocket.
He said he called McFee because he wanted to ensure he was not being "unlawfully surveilled" following a controversy surrounding the Lethbridge Police Service.
At that time, the provincial government was preparing to step in after reports of unlawful surveillance and database searches conducted by Lethbridge officers on NDP MLA Shannon Phillips during her time as environment minister.
Madu, who is Black, said he wanted to raise concerns around about racial profiling with the chief.
"Chief McFee assured me that that was most definitely not the case, and I accepted him at his word…to be abundantly clear, at no point did I request that the ticket be rescinded. I would never do that.
"However, in that particular call, I regret raising the issue at all with the Chief McFee," Madu said.
McFee has confirmed that Madu did not ask to get out of the ticket, and that Madu expressed concern about people of colour being stopped by police and political tension with the Lethbridge Police Service.
Yellowstone bison species decision questioned by US judge
YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK, Wyo. (AP) — A federal judge has ordered the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to revisit part of its decision not to protect Yellowstone National Park’s bison as an endangered species.
The Buffalo Field Campaign and Western Watersheds Project groups have been fighting since 2014 to have Yellowstone’s bison declared endangered or threatened under the Endangered Species Act.
They have argued that two separate groups of bison in the park are genetically distinct. Rather than set a population limit of 3,000 animals for the entire park, they said, the limit should be 3,000 for each herd, or 6,000 overall.
The Fish and Wildlife Service, citing a different study, has argued that the herds are not genetically distinct and rejected the listing petition in 2019, the Billings Gazette reported.
The federal agency failed to articulate why it chose one study over the other, District of Columbia U.S. District Judge Randolph D. Moss wrote in an opinion last week.
Moss set no deadline for the Fish and Wildlife Service to respond but will require both sides to update the court on the case within 90 days.
The Associated Press
YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK, Wyo. (AP) — A federal judge has ordered the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to revisit part of its decision not to protect Yellowstone National Park’s bison as an endangered species.
The Buffalo Field Campaign and Western Watersheds Project groups have been fighting since 2014 to have Yellowstone’s bison declared endangered or threatened under the Endangered Species Act.
They have argued that two separate groups of bison in the park are genetically distinct. Rather than set a population limit of 3,000 animals for the entire park, they said, the limit should be 3,000 for each herd, or 6,000 overall.
The Fish and Wildlife Service, citing a different study, has argued that the herds are not genetically distinct and rejected the listing petition in 2019, the Billings Gazette reported.
The federal agency failed to articulate why it chose one study over the other, District of Columbia U.S. District Judge Randolph D. Moss wrote in an opinion last week.
Moss set no deadline for the Fish and Wildlife Service to respond but will require both sides to update the court on the case within 90 days.
The Associated Press
SCHADENFREUDE
Alberta's health minister tests positive for COVID-19 as more than 1,000 Albertans hospitalized with the virusAnna Junker 9 hrs ago
Alberta’s Health Minister Jason Copping has tested positive for COVID-19 as the province reported more than 1,000 people hospitalized with the virus on Monday.
© Provided by Edmonton Journal Health Minister Jason Copping.
In a series of tweets posted Monday afternoon, Copping said he began displaying symptoms last week. He took a rapid test which came back positive.
He urged Albertans to stay home if they have symptoms, take a rapid test if they can, and get immunized or book a booster shot.
“Reports suggest fully vaccinated individuals are 19 times less likely to end up in the hospital with Omicron than unvaccinated individuals,” Copping said.
In a series of tweets posted Monday afternoon, Copping said he began displaying symptoms last week. He took a rapid test which came back positive.
He urged Albertans to stay home if they have symptoms, take a rapid test if they can, and get immunized or book a booster shot.
“Reports suggest fully vaccinated individuals are 19 times less likely to end up in the hospital with Omicron than unvaccinated individuals,” Copping said.
© Provided by Edmonton Journal
On Monday, the province reported that 1,007 Albertans were hospitalized with COVID-19, an increase of 185 since Friday. Of those, 94 are in intensive care units, an increase of 13.
The province’s peak of hospitalizations was reached in the fourth wave, when 1,128 Albertans were recorded to be in hospital on Sept. 27.
Alberta reported 6,293 new cases of COVID-19 on Friday, 5,407 on Saturday and 4,186 on Sunday. However, Alberta’s chief medical officer of health Dr. Deena Hinshaw has previously noted that the number of infections in the community is at least 10 times higher.
Positivity rates for each day were at 38.9 per cent on Friday, 35.2 per cent on Saturday and 37.6 per cent on Sunday.
Across the province, there are 72,368 active cases, an increase of 8,239.
In the Edmonton Zone, there are 26,002 active cases, while the city of Edmonton has 18,003, or 1,734.3 per 100,000 people.
Twenty-three more deaths raised the provincial death toll to 3,403. The deaths include that of a child between the ages of five and nine years old, who did not have any pre-existing conditions, Alberta Health confirmed.
Other deaths include Albertans in their 70s, 80s, and 90s.
On Monday, the province reported that 1,007 Albertans were hospitalized with COVID-19, an increase of 185 since Friday. Of those, 94 are in intensive care units, an increase of 13.
The province’s peak of hospitalizations was reached in the fourth wave, when 1,128 Albertans were recorded to be in hospital on Sept. 27.
Alberta reported 6,293 new cases of COVID-19 on Friday, 5,407 on Saturday and 4,186 on Sunday. However, Alberta’s chief medical officer of health Dr. Deena Hinshaw has previously noted that the number of infections in the community is at least 10 times higher.
Positivity rates for each day were at 38.9 per cent on Friday, 35.2 per cent on Saturday and 37.6 per cent on Sunday.
Across the province, there are 72,368 active cases, an increase of 8,239.
In the Edmonton Zone, there are 26,002 active cases, while the city of Edmonton has 18,003, or 1,734.3 per 100,000 people.
Twenty-three more deaths raised the provincial death toll to 3,403. The deaths include that of a child between the ages of five and nine years old, who did not have any pre-existing conditions, Alberta Health confirmed.
Other deaths include Albertans in their 70s, 80s, and 90s.
© Provided by Edmonton Journal
Meanwhile, the Alberta NDP continues to call on the province to take action on making schools safe for staff and students during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Education critic Sarah Hoffman said Monday that the UCP government is “setting up schools to close” as high absenteeism continues to be reported.
“Right now, during this Omicron surge, the UCP government has left students and staff to fend for themselves,” Hoffman said.
Late last week, the City of Edmonton donated a 10-day supply of KN95 masks for staff that had been given to the city by the province.
“Yes, the UCP government gave KN95 masks to the city but refuses to give them to schools and then claims that the masks were no good anyway,” Hoffman said.
However, after delaying the return to school by a week, the province said all students and staff would be sent home with rapid test kits and medical-grade masks in a phased approach upon their return to school on Jan. 10.
But Hoffman said the UCP’s response to the fifth wave has been “grossly inadequate.”
“It’s not too late for this UCP government to do the right thing and make schools safer for students and staff now,” Hoffman said, adding the NDP continues to call for N95 masks, HEPA filters for schools, funding to make substitute teachers full-time, funding for mental health counsellors in schools, accurate public reporting of infections and absenteeism in schools, and financial support for families.
Meanwhile, the Alberta NDP continues to call on the province to take action on making schools safe for staff and students during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Education critic Sarah Hoffman said Monday that the UCP government is “setting up schools to close” as high absenteeism continues to be reported.
“Right now, during this Omicron surge, the UCP government has left students and staff to fend for themselves,” Hoffman said.
Late last week, the City of Edmonton donated a 10-day supply of KN95 masks for staff that had been given to the city by the province.
“Yes, the UCP government gave KN95 masks to the city but refuses to give them to schools and then claims that the masks were no good anyway,” Hoffman said.
However, after delaying the return to school by a week, the province said all students and staff would be sent home with rapid test kits and medical-grade masks in a phased approach upon their return to school on Jan. 10.
But Hoffman said the UCP’s response to the fifth wave has been “grossly inadequate.”
“It’s not too late for this UCP government to do the right thing and make schools safer for students and staff now,” Hoffman said, adding the NDP continues to call for N95 masks, HEPA filters for schools, funding to make substitute teachers full-time, funding for mental health counsellors in schools, accurate public reporting of infections and absenteeism in schools, and financial support for families.
© Provided by Edmonton Journal
ajunker@postmedia.com
ajunker@postmedia.com
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