Monday, February 20, 2023

Newfoundland and Labrador

Retired police officer breaks silence over RNC dismantling horse therapy program

Ottawa-based non-profit says it was ‘shocked’ force cut ties 

without consultation

A woman with cropped blonde hair and a hat holds her face near that of a horse.
Retired Const. Kelsey Muise still gets time with horses at the Avalon Equestrian Centre in Conception Bay South. (Ariana Kelland/CBC)

When the Royal Newfoundland Constabulary posted in late January about Bell Let's Talk day, a national corporate initiative to support people with mental illness, Kelsey Muise couldn't help but laugh at the irony.

The former constable retired months before the RNC espoused breaking the stigma in social media posts. Officers wore blue knitted hats and held signs saying, "Let's Talk."

Muise is now ready to talk.

"It's not a matter of if, it's a matter of when people are going to start taking their lives around here," Muise said in a recent interview with CBC News. 

Muise is breaking her silence because she says the force quietly dismantled its equine therapy program — an initiative that was meant to help fellow officers and first responders, and connect with the community. The collapse of the program is a symptom of a much larger issue within the force, she said.

Mental illness is not being treated appropriately, Muise said, and she fears for the officers who remain on the job.

"I knew that I was going to have hard, tough calls. I knew that there was going to be trauma and I knew that there was going to be things that I did not want to witness," Muise said of her career as a police officer.

"But I did not think that one of my biggest opponents was going to be my employer."

The RNC never publicly announced it was stopping the program, nor did it announce it had retired one of its horses — Dr. Rich, who was Muise's partner. Muise said the greatest hurt came when the RNC sent her partner, a Percheron, to another province without telling her.

Muise worked as a police officer for two decades, joining the police academy straight out of high school. (Submitted)

Muise said she was diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder in 2015, resulting from a culmination of events in her career. She was hospitalized because of her disorder and sought treatment in Ontario.

She thought her career was over. After 18 months on sick leave, Muise met with then chief Joe Boland, who suggested she work with the mounted unit.

She said it reignited her career and the work became her "passion" and what she believed was her "true purpose for being there."

Muise worked for three years with the mounted unit and trained to become an equine therapist. Horse-assisted therapies promote physical and mental well-being and are conducted with mental health facilitators. The program draws on a horse's ability to recognize human emotions and body language.

Muise guided a pilot project that provided equine therapy to first responders, including members of the RNC, and the wider community. She held multiple eight-week sessions with vulnerable populations who suffered from mental health issues, poverty and addiction.

I think it was a great rapport to be able to open that to a police force. And to see, it's kind of shut down with no explanation, no openness, no conversation about it. I feel that it's kind of going backwards."​​​​​- Ryan Theriault

 

Muise said it broke down barriers in the community and allowed a level of trust and connection with the RNC that had long been missing. 

"I think that it allowed participants to see us, meaning the police, as humans," Muise said. "Most people in the community don't come up to a police car [but] they'll come up to a police horse."

RNC Chief Patrick Roche addressed reporters on Feb. 1, 2022, after being appointed to lead the force. (Patrick Butler/Radio-Canada)

Boland retired as chief in late July 2021. Patrick Roche, the retired commanding officer for Corner Brook and Labrador, assumed the role on an interim basis in August 2021. That summer, Roche announced two Newfoundland ponies would be integrated into the therapy program. Muise said that work had begun under Boland. 

"The RNC continues to progress its safety and wellness strategy, sending heartfelt gratitude to the community partners who are so dedicated to building safe and healthy communities together," the force said in an Aug. 19, 2021, press release.

Roche declined an interview request about the status of the equine therapy program.

CBC News sent the RNC a list of questions that went unanswered.

'Change in management'

But Muise said there was a shift in priorities within the RNC, and the equine therapy program didn't seem to be one of them.

Muise said the ponies were never used for their intended purpose. The donor of one of the ponies told CBC News he was told to retrieve the pony and the equipment he donated. He's now paying to board the horse.

"As soon as there was a change in management, things went downhill," Muise said.

Roche was appointed to the top position permanently in February 2022. He told reporters that police mental health was among his top priorities.

"We have to be preventive in our treatment of mental health issues for our membership. And how do we do that? We need to work with professionals who are experts in that area to guide us," Roche told reporters at the time.

A grey pony is wearing a bright blue harness and grey blanket outside in a snowy field.
Midnight, a four-year-old Newfoundland pony, was added to the RNC's equine therapy program in 2021. He is now back at the Dixie H Farm in the Goulds, after being returned by the police force.  (Ariana Kelland/CBC)

Muise went on sick leave that same month. 

"It was just made very difficult for me to continue, so there were always obstacles put in my way to continue with my programs," Muise said.

Before going on sick leave, Muise said, she was told she could no longer speak directly with groups or organizations that wanted to set up equine therapy sessions. Instead they were told to contact another individual within the RNC who would co-ordinate. 

"I don't even know if someone else ever got back to them," Muise said. "They just stopped because I was told that I was no longer allowed to facilitate them myself."

Through the Ottawa-based Heroes Equine Learning Program, Muise held four retreats in one year for first responders who have occupational stress injuries. She said there were retired members of the RNC, RCMP, veterans, paramedics and firefighters. 

Momentum was building, she said, until that stopped, too.

"I was really defeated. Very hurt. But also extremely frustrated because again, these programs were proven to work, and you could see how much of an impact they were having on the community."

'Biggest knife to my back'

Muise continued to visit her partner, Dr. Rich, at the Rainbow Riders therapeutic riding centre in St. John's while she was on sick leave — until the day he was suddenly gone.

"At that point in time, I was quite sure that I probably wasn't going to return to the RNC. A lot of damage had been done. This was the biggest knife to my back," Muise said.

"They didn't allow me the opportunity to say goodbye. They didn't allow me the opportunity to even know what was going on with him."

Muise said the horse was sent to Prince Edward Island, where there is a veterinary hospital, for surgery. She said the horse had health issues but had improved greatly after being moved to Rainbow Riders. The RNC did not bring the horse back.

Muise helped bring the Heroes Equine Learning Program to Newfoundland and Labrador. (Jeremy Eaton/CBC)

Emails provided to CBC News show Muise had to retain a lawyer to find out where the RNC moved the horse. The RNC did not announce Dr. Rich's retirement, which has been a standard course of action once a service animal finishes with the force.

"I was on sick leave. This was my partner. They knew how much of a connection in a relationship that we had and it broke my heart," she said.

"I don't know how anybody could do that."

After two decades as a police officer, Muise retired in September. 

'It was a shock'

Ryan Theriault is co-founder of Heroes Equine Learning Program, a non-profit organization that provides therapy to first responders and military members. It offers a four-day residential program involving the horses and a mental health professional.

Speaking from his home in Nova Scotia last month, Theriault said he was blindsided when the RNC severed ties with his organization.

"I thought that we had a great relationship," Theriault said. "I think it was a great rapport to be able to open that to a police force. And to see it's kind of shut down with no explanation, no openness, no conversation about it, I feel that it's kind of going backwards.

"It was a shock to us, seeing that. You know, is it about money? Is it about the program? What is it about? There was no conversation about it."

Aside from a $150 registration fee, there is no cost to the individual or organization.

A man rests his arm on his knee. He is wearing a black vest with a H.E.L.P. logo on the side.
Ryan Theriault is the co-founder of the Heroes Equine Learning Program. (David Laughlin/CBC)

Theriault said there has been resistance from police forces across Canada to buy in to the therapeutic program, and he thinks he knows why. 

"They're in denial that their members are needing the help. They want to do all of the resources [internally]. So it seems like they're almost sheltering [it] and they don't want society to know that actually this is a problem."

Theriault said he hears from police officers across the country who are fearful to attend retreats in case their employer finds out. He said officers fear being shunned by their peers and having their careers stunted.

Muise said she has seen it first-hand. 

"I think that [the RNC] want the public to believe that they are supportive of their members," she said.

"There's a lot of people in that building suffering."



Canadians think tipping is ‘getting out of control,’ new poll suggest

By Irelyne Lavery Global News
Posted February 19, 2023 




Canadians are hitting their limit when it comes to tipping, new polling from the Angus Reid Institute appears to show.

“People feel like tipping is getting out of control,” Angus Reid Institute Research Director David Korinski told The Roy Green Show on Sunday.

“I think that it’s compounded by the fact that everything is more expensive.”

READ MORE: 1 in 4 Canadians can’t afford $500 unforeseen expense as inflation bites: report

While 62 per cent of respondents say they’re being asked to tip more, one-in-five also reported leaving a tip of 20 per cent or more the last time they dined out, suggests the polling, which was released Feb. 16.

“When you get the tipping machine, instead of 12, 15, and 18 per cent for the suggested tip, it now says 18, 24, and 30 per cent. I think for a lot of people, that it’s getting a little overwhelming,” Korinski said.

“This is great for people working in the industry and who are getting the benefits but it is a challenge for consumers.”



Those in British Columbia were the most likely respondents to report a “tip-flation,” while Atlantic Canadians were the least likely to say they’re being asked for increased gratuity.

And, as the cost of living has hit Canadians hard across the board, recent polling by Ipsos conducted exclusively for Global News also showed 22 per cent of respondents reported they are “completely out of money” to the degree that they would not be able to pay more for household necessities.

Canada’s annual inflation rate hit a 40-year peak last year, reaching 8.1 per cent in June 2022.

Last year’s inflation was up by 6.8 per cent compared to 2021, with Canadians seeing the largest price gains for transport, food and shelter.

However, in recent months, inflation has appeared to begin to ease.

'Better of a balance'

When it comes to gratuity, more places that previously didn’t request tips are now prompting for them — the Angus Reid polling suggests a total of four-in-five say too many establishments are appealing for tips nowadays.

“People are noticing that more places are asking for tips. We’ve got to remember that it’s an important part of the income for people who are in the service economy but it’s also Canadians who are looking for a little better of a balance,” Korinski said.

“If you’re somebody that doesn’t always have the financial means to be generous with your extra cash when you’re out and about – being asked all the time, I think it has this compounding guilt effect.”


According to University of Guelph food economics professor Mike Von Massow, tipping has “historically been a social norm.”

But now, “We’re getting wider range of places that are encouraging us to tip. It’s not that little jar on the counter anymore but it’s when we get that payment machine,” Von Massow told Global News.

To put an end to tipping in Canada, 59 per cent said they would like to see a “service included” model implemented. This means higher base wages for employees and the removal of gratuity fees for consumers.

“Looking at that 2016 to 2023 period, when we asked seven years ago, people actually preferred tipping,” Korinski said, referencing prior polling.

“People think that it’s time to switch to a service inclusive model where you’re just paying people better wages so that we don’t have to pass on to the consumer and rely on people’s generosity.”

With the current way of tipping in Canada, more than four-in-five of the Canadians who want to get rid of gratuity believe the existing system allows employers to underpay their employees.

Half of those who want tipping to stay agree.

“A lot of people look at that and say: ‘That’s not what this was designed for. That’s not the gratuity system,’” said Korinski.

“If these individuals actually need to be paid more, they think that it should be done through the wage system and less so on constantly increasing the amount that people are being asked to tip.”

READ MORE: What’s fuelling inflation? Bank of Canada’s Macklem grilled on Ottawa’s spending plans

Meanwhile, aside from being asked to pay more, most don’t actually believe service has improved, polling showed.

Only 13 per cent say they’ve actually seen better customer service since tips have inflated.

“If you’re being asked to pay more, you’re expecting that somebody is going to do a really over-the-top job,” said Korinski.

The Angus Reid Institute conducted an online survey from Jan. 31 – Feb. 2, 2023 among a representative randomized sample of 1,610 Canadian adults who are members of Angus Reid Forum. For comparison purposes only, a probability sample of this size would carry a margin of error of +/- 2 percentage points, 19 times out of 20. Discrepancies in or between totals are due to rounding. The survey was self-commissioned and paid for by ARI.

— With files from Saba Aziz
 


Facebook will be selling verification badges and not everyone's loving it

Irish Mae Silvestre
Feb 19 2023

rafapress/Shutterstock



Most of us don’t like change, less so when something requires us to pay up. So people were obviously less than thrilled about the fact that if they want to verify their Facebook accounts, they’ll have to pay a monthly fee.

On Sunday, February 19, Mark Zuckerberg announced that Facebook will be rolling out Meta Verified. Similar to Twitter blue, Facebook’s new subscription service that lets users verify their account with a government ID and a blue badge. He added that the new service will give users “extra impersonation protection against accounts claiming to be you” as well as access to customer support.

“This new feature is about increasing authenticity and security across our services,” he stated in the post.


Users in Australia and New Zealand will be the first ones who have the option to sign up for the service. As for rates, Meta Verified will start at USD$11.99 (CAD$16.16) a month on web or US$14.99 (CAD$20.20) a month on iOS.



Some people are onboard with the changes.







Others, less so.





 MARK ZUCKERBERG

WE'RE FOLLOWING IN ELON'S FOOTSTEPS ...Pay to be Verified w/ Meta!!!



Rescue teams treat animals saved from the rubble of Turkey quakes

Amid the immense human suffering caused by the earthquakes, animals have been hugely affected, too. 















By Patrick Keddie

Published On 19 Feb 2023

Antakya, Turkey – In a field hospital set up for animals in this southern city, a cat meowed in half-hearted protest as he was gently laid on a table, examined, and injected with painkillers and antibiotics by a volunteer veterinarian and her assistant.

The British Shorthair had been stuck in an apartment following two huge earthquakes on February 6. After almost two weeks, he finally jumped to the ground several floors below, where somebody found him injured.

The dust-coated cat could not use his back legs and was suffering from suspected hypothermia, so he was transferred to an incubator to warm up, where he continued protesting plaintively behind the glass. Once warm, he would probably have to be sent to a clinic outside the disaster zone where X-rays could be done on his legs and spine.

“There are lots of animals stuck inside rubble, many have been trapped for a long time,” Zinnet Patan, a 49-year-old vet normally living in Istanbul, told Al Jazeera at the field hospital.

“They get dehydrated and they have broken bones and wounds. The equipment is really limited here, so we only do first aid. Local vets are also the survivors of the earthquake and are often not able to help, so we are trying to help all kinds of animals.”

In a tent in a park about 1km (0.6 mile) downstream from Antakya’s devastated old city, Patan treats close to 100 animals a day. She administers vaccinations, stitches wounds, and helps animals give birth and care for their sickly young. Birds chirruped and cooed from their cages inside the small tent.

“People in this area really love pigeons – we once had 40 pigeons come in at once,” she said.

Vet Zinnet Patan, right, and veterinary technician Elif Akhan inspect an injured cat at the animal field hopsital in Antakya
Vet Zinnet Patan, right, and veterinary technician Elif Akhan inspect an injured cat at the animal field hospital in Antakya [Patrick Keddie/Al Jazeera]

The historic city of Antakya in Hatay province has been devastated by the magnitude 7.8 and 7.6 earthquakes, which have now killed more than 40,000 people in Turkey and about 5,800 in Syria.

It is thought that nearly 35 percent of the buildings in Hatay have collapsed, while about 30 percent are severely damaged.

Amid the immense human suffering caused by the earthquakes, animals have been hugely affected, too.

Haytap, an animal welfare organisation that has experience working in earthquake zones and areas hit by wildfires, has taken charge of coordinating aid efforts and volunteers, who come from across Turkey and abroad. It set up the animal hospital on the first day of the disaster.

Patan had been volunteering at the hospital for four days. She would be replaced by another vet and go home on Monday, and the steady stream of injured animals had not slowed.

“I work almost 24 hours!” she said, laughing. “I get woken up a lot during the night.”

The Haytap animal rescue truck in Antakya [Patrick Keddie/Al Jazeera]

‘A risk to our lives’

By the severely damaged seventh-century Habib-i Neccar mosque in Antakya’s old city, Haytap’s Hatay rescue team loaded more animals onto a truck carrying an assortment of cats, dogs, and rabbits.

Mehmet Gürkan TığoÄŸlu, who leads the rescue team, said Haytap volunteers are also working in three other earthquake-hit cities in southern Turkey – KahramanmaraÅŸ, Malatya, and Osmaniye.

“In Hatay alone, we have rescued more than 1,000 animals. It’s a huge number and a big responsibility. We are working constantly,” he told Al Jazeera.

“It’s not an easy job. We enter really dangerous, collapsed buildings – it’s a risk to our lives. We are really tired, but when we rescue the animals, it gives us so much joy.”

The animals do what they need to survive, including eating their own faeces, and when they are rescued, they are often highly agitated.

“The animals are very stressed, they scratch, they bite – but it’s normal, they are protecting themselves and they are traumatised by the earthquake,” he said.

Michael Sehr, who normally works in a police animal rescue team in Germany, arrived in Antakya on Tuesday with his seven-strong crew to help.

“We rescue animals big and small,” he said. “Yesterday we went to a village and rescued a cow that had been trapped for 12 days.”

Ömer Semih Çelik, a 30-year-old from the northwestern city of Bursa, was coordinating the field hospital site. He said the owners of many of the animals being treated died in the earthquake or lost everything and could no longer care for them. Animals can be permanently housed at a farm run by Haytap in Bursa, or they can stay there until they are re-homed.

“We got used to [rescuing animals] in other situations, but in Hatay, the situation is really tough right now so we’re getting emotional more easily,” he said. “We feed our souls by rescuing animals – it makes us really motivated.”

He said the field hospital in Antakya most urgently needed food.

“We especially need bird seed – most people donate food for cats and dogs. And we need to carry boxes and crates, in every size – because we treat everything from mice to huge dogs,” he said, pointing to an enormous black mastiff, whose owner could no longer look after him.

“We just rescued some koi carp. A goose just came in. People bring in their chickens,” he added.

Mehmet Gürkan Tığoğlu, left, head of Haytap's Hatay animal rescue team next to Michael Sehr, an animal rescuer from Germany, in Antakya's old town
Mehmet Gürkan Tığoğlu, left, head of Haytap’s Hatay animal rescue team, next to Michael Sehr, an animal rescuer from Germany, in Antakya’s old town [Patrick Keddie/Al Jazeera]

Reunited

Rabia Öztürk, field coordinator for the animal welfare group Mutlu Patiler (Happy Paws), said her team was closely working with other organisations to rescue animals, transport supplies, and arrange the neutering of street dogs when necessary. She said they had taken hundreds of calls seeking help since the earthquakes struck.

“We set up a warehouse close to the earthquake zone, and in every affected location, we go there or make connections and bring them what they need,” said Öztürk.

She recounted heart-warming stories, including the story of a golden retriever who was found in the southeastern city of KahramanmaraÅŸ. The dog had been microchipped, and when they contacted its owner, he told them the animal had been stolen a few months ago and must have escaped after the earthquake and found its way back to his ruined house.

“We made an online meeting – both of them cried, the owner and the dog,” Öztürk said. “They were reunited after that.”

For the vet Patan, some stories stand out in the blur of her time in Antakya.

She treated a 12-year-old Belgian shepherd that had worked with a search-and-rescue team from the Netherlands and suffered bleeding on the brain while scouring quake wreckage for survivors.

“It happened while on duty, and two days later, he died. The owner had to go home without him,” she said.

Patan said a woman brings a Maltese mix with breathing problems to the field hospital every day to receive treatment, and the dog means everything to her owner.

“We got closer and became friends – she told me she lost her husband in the earthquake,” she said. “She is always hugging the dog.”

Rabia Öztürk, field coordinator of animal welfare group Mutlu Patiler, holds a dog rescued in Antakya alongside her team
Rabia Öztürk, field coordinator of animal welfare group Mutlu Patiler, holds a dog rescued in Antakya alongside her team [Patrick Keddie/Al Jazeera]
SOURCE: AL JAZEERA

‘Moments of hope’: Broken-boned cats rescued from the rubble in Turkey

Talia the cat was rescued with a broken hip. | KahramanmaraÅŸ, southeastern Turkey, 13 February 2023. - Copyright PETA | AP Photo/Khalil Hamra

By Angela Symons • Updated: 17/02/2023

11 days after massive earthquakes hit Turkey and Syria, hopes of finding further survivors are dwindling.

As the devastating human death toll nears 42,000, organisations on the ground are aiding survivors.

But animals are also among the dead, injured and displaced.

Animal rights nonprofit PETA is in southern Turkey tending to those with broken bones and painful injuries.

“Among the rubble and devastation have been moments of hope,” says PETA Vice President Mimi Bekhechi.

Bright feathered budgies are ‘a welcome sight amid the grey debris’


Mimi is assisting local rescue teams in KahramanmaraÅŸ, a southern Turkish province at the epicentre of one of the earthquakes.

She recounts the story of a pet shop rescue mission.

“Shortly after we arrived… local rescuers - heroes who were risking everything to go into buildings on the verge of collapse and search for life - entered a pet shop in the basement of what was once a tower block and, miraculously, pulled out 40 budgies."

40 budgies were rescued from a pet shop in Kahramanmaras. | A vet treats a rescued puppy with a broken leg.PETA

“Their bright feathers were such a welcome sight amid the grey debris.”

PETA rushed the birds to a vet for urgent medical attention, before taking them to a sanctuary near Ankara.
Broken but not defeated: An injured cat welcomes human touch

“Amid the misery and chaos in KahramanmaraÅŸ, we spotted one little cat, who we’ve since named Talia, dragging herself across the street in search of food,” recounts Mimi.

X-rays revealed Talia had a broken hip, likely from fallen debris. Despite this, she was glad to receive treats and stroking, Mimi tells us. Talia is now safe at a clinic in Adana, where she’s undergoing surgery.

What struggles are animal rescuers facing in Turkey?

With no functional veterinary clinics in the earthquakes’ epicentre, animal rescue workers are sometimes forced to travel over 300 km to seek medical care.

Providing animals with food, water and warm blankets are top priorities, Mimi says, because many have been trapped in the debris in bitterly cold temperatures for days.

Communication is also a struggle for rescue teams.

“The catastrophe has created a lot of chaos. Information about animals who may be trapped in buildings has therefore been unreliable at times,” Mimi explains.

Often, her team spends time travelling to a site only to find out that it was already cleared and no animals were found inside.

“So the work requires adaptability. We’re always ready to move at a moment’s notice.”

Every passing hour counts - and the agility of rescue teams has paid off.

“Though it defies the odds, we’re still seeing humans and other animals pulled from the rubble alive, even after seven long days in near-freezing temperatures with no food or water,” says Mimi.
How can you help those affected by the earthquakes in Turkey and Syria?

Charities and NGOs have set up emergency appeals to help victims of the earthquakes in Turkey and Syria.

Disasters Emergency Committee, the Red Cross, Save the Children, and Islamic Relief are just a few.

Animals, too, are in desperate need of food, supplies, refuge and medical aid.

PETA’s Global Compassion Fund is powering animal rescue work on the ground and aiding partner organisations in Turkey and Syria, which are distributing dog and cat food, rescue crates, leads and other urgently needed supplies in some of the most affected areas.

“As the images of the fractured cities of Turkey and Syria fade from our television screens and social media feeds, as they inevitably will, I want to encourage people to continue to do all they can to help the victims - of all species - because they really do need all the support they can get,” urges Mimi.

Kangaroo's defensive dance

"Kanku is the alpha male of the orphaned kangaroos raised and released at Wild 2 Free kangaroo sanctuary. In this video, he can see a human approaching from a distance and wants to show that he is bigger. As a prey animal, kangaroos will often run when they sense threat, but Kanku stands strong, ready to defend as a true alpha male would". It does look rather hilarious though!

Hungarian ballet rehearses in car factory as energy prices soar

'The most important thing in a dancer's life is that they can't stop,' said ballet director

A ballet dancer rehearses next to a car.
A ballet dancer warms up before an open rehearsal at the Audi automobile factory in Gyor, Hungary, Thursday, Feb. 16, 2023. The Ballet Company of Gyor is rehearsing at the factory after being forced to shutter their rehearsal hall in response to soaring energy prices. (Denes Erdos/The Associated Press)

Reka Zalai clocked out for lunch on Thursday in the quality assurance department of an Audi automobile factory in Hungary.

But instead of heading to her ordinary spot in the factory's lunchroom, she walked to a nearby conference hall near the production line to watch a performance of a professional contemporary ballet troupe. 

The Ballet Company of Gyor, a city in northwest Hungary that is home to the sprawling car and motor plant, began rehearsing at the factory in January after being forced to shutter their rehearsal hall in response to soaring energy prices. 

A male and female ballet dancer rehearse together.
Here, two ballet dancers perform during the open rehearsal. Laszlo Velekei, the ballet company's director, said being able to maintain the continuity of rehearsals is essential to keeping them in top form. (Denes Erdos/The Associated Press)

With nowhere to rehearse and scheduled performances approaching, the troupe approached the Audi factory, a long-time sponsor, which offered to host the dancers in a heated room at the plant for a few weeks during the coldest winter months. 

In a converted conference room on Thursday, the dancers honed their pliés and pirouettes, while row upon row of new cars could be seen in a distant lot through the ceiling-high windows, and workers passed by outside dressed in bright red coveralls.

Laszlo Velekei, the ballet company's director, said that being able to maintain the continuity of rehearsals after the dancers left their theatre was essential to keeping them in top form.

"The most important thing in a dancer's life is that they can't stop," Velekei said. "There is a saying that we often repeat to one another: if you miss one day (of rehearsal), it's no problem. If you miss two days, then the dancer begins to feel it. If you miss three days, then the audience notices, too."

Three ballet dancers rehearse in an automobile showroom.
The Gyor Ballet's rehearsal hall is one of dozens of Hungarian cultural institutions that have temporarily shut down for the winter season as the country faces an energy crunch. (Denes Erdos/The Associated Press)

The Gyor Ballet's rehearsal hall is one of dozens of Hungarian cultural institutions that have temporarily shut down for the winter season in response to exponentially rising energy prices. Heating bills for some have risen tenfold since last winter, while high inflation and a weakening currency have compounded a dire economic outlook.

Hungary's government in July declared an "energy emergency" in response to rising prices and supply disruptions linked to Russia's war in Ukraine. It also made cuts to a popular utility subsidy program that since 2014 had kept the bills of Hungarians among the lowest in the 27-member European Union.

If you miss one day (of rehearsal), it's no problem. If you miss two days, then the dancer begins to feel it. If you miss three days, then the audience notices, too.- Laszlo Velekei

Reka Jakab, a press spokesperson for Audi, said the ballet company wanted to give something back for the plant's 12,000 workers in return for the rehearsal space.

"They offered to give one open performance for them each week, and they were also open to giving access to the rehearsals whenever the workers have free time," she said.

She said many workers had never seen a ballet before, but the responses have been very positive.

"Several people said that they would definitely attend the next performance in the theatre." 

A ballet dancer rehearses in front of a window looking out onto a parking lot.
Ballet dancers in Gyor, Hungary, give open performances to the Audi factory's employees each week and give them access to rehearsals. (Denes Erdos/The Associated Press)

Zoltan Jekli, a dancer with the Gyor ballet, said that the troupe had overcome some of the limitations of the new space by outfitting the floor with a layer of soft PVC foam and bringing their own equipment to make it feel like home.

"Whenever I come here, it fills me with good feelings and memories and I think everyone (in the troupe) feels the same," he said. "We don't have the sense that we're coming into a car factory. We like to be here."

Zalai, 28, said she's "always been amazed by ballet," but that seeing it up close and getting a chance to break from her daily routine had been a particularly special experience. 

"I was really recharged by this half-hour. Time stopped for me," she said.