LOSERS NO MORE

Maple Leafs win 1st playoff series in 19 years with OT victory over Lightning in Game 6

CBC
Sat, April 29, 2023 

Maple Leafs centre John Tavares, left, celebrates with defenceman Luke Schenn after scoring in overtime for a 2-1 win over the Lightning in Game 6 of their first-round series on Saturday night at Amalie Arena in Tampa, Fla. (Chris O'Meara/The Associated Press - image credit)

John Tavares had dreams of suiting up for the Maple Leafs.

When the chance to come home arrived, he couldn't pass up the opportunity to join the team he cheered for as a kid just down the road.

Despite a number of painful moments and plenty of tough questions, a night like Saturday made it all worth it.

Toronto finally exorcised its playoff demons — and is off to the second round of the NHL playoffs.

Tavares scored at 4:36 of overtime and Ilya Samsonov made 31 saves as the Leafs downed the Tampa Bay Lightning 2-1 to win their series 4-2 and advance in the post-season for the first time in nearly two decades.

"Special being a Maple Leaf," said the 32-year-old from Oakville, Ont. "Growing up in the [Greater Toronto Area], you get a sense of the history and tradition and what it means to the city, to the people and how big and how incredible Leafs Nation is.

"To get a big one tonight is really nice, especially with some of the disappointments."

The Leafs captain, who signed with Toronto in 2018 after bolting the New York Islanders in free agency, threw a puck in front that went off Lightning defenceman Darren Raddysh's skate and in for his fourth goal of the series to send Toronto players spilling off the bench in ecstasy.

The emotions ran the gamut for an organization that hasn't tasted playoff success in a generation under an intense microscope.

Getting the 'monkey off the back'

Relief was right up there alongside the jubilation.

"Great feeling when the puck goes in," said Leafs blueliner Morgan Rielly, who scored in OT in Game 3, tied Game 4 late and was in front of Tampa's net on the series clincher. "For it to be Johnny, I think is just extremely special.

"It's a mix of being relieved, being extremely happy, being grateful."

Auston Matthews had the goal in regulation for the Leafs, who lost to Tampa in seven games last spring.

"I've been here seven years," Matthews said. "It's huge mentally for us just to get that monkey off the back."

Steven Stamkos replied for the Lightning, who saw their streak of three straight trips to the Stanley Cup final come to an end. Andrei Vasilevskiy stopped 20 shots.

"We played well enough to win this series," Tampa head coach Jon Cooper said. "Anybody that watched the series would agree with that."

"At some point they were going to get a break," he added of the Leafs. "It sucks it was against us."

'Long time coming'

Toronto last made the NHL's final eight in 2004 — before the league introducing a salary cap, before Twitter was launched, and just over four months after Paul Martin became Canada's 21st prime minister — when they beat the Ottawa Senators in seven games.

Joe Nieuwendyk was the hero that night with two goals on a shaky Patrick Lalime. Toronto would go on to lose a second-round matchup with the Philadelphia Flyers when Jeremy Roenick scored the clinching goal in overtime of Game 6.

The wait for another series triumph in hockey's biggest market would last 6,948 days.

The Leafs have seen 268 skaters, 33 goalies, seven coaches and six general managers pass through the doors since.

"Long time coming," Toronto head coach Sheldon Keefe said. "Long time coming for a lot of players in our room, long time coming for myself, even longer coming for Leafs Nation.

"It's a big night."

Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images

Toronto entered Saturday with 10 straight losses in games where they had a chance to eliminate an opponent dating back to the start of the Matthews-Mitch Marner era, including a 4-2 loss in Game 5 this spring on home ice, in the process of stumbling at the post-season's first hurdle six years running.

"We just kept believing in our group here, didn't listen to anything outside and knew we had the potential to do something special," said Marner, who sported a bloodied lip.

Including a first-round defeat in 2013, Toronto's record in games where it could clinch a series sat at 0-11 before puck drop — the second-longest streak in NHL history.

"You want to keep pushing for more," said Rieilly, a black eye showing the price he paid. "That's great thing about our group — we're looking forward to the challenges that are ahead. We're proud of the effort.

"But ultimately we want to keep playing and we want to keep pushing."

Samsonov comes through in the clutch

Coming off Cup triumphs in 2020 and 2021 before falling in last year's final to the Colorado Avalanche in Game 6 at home, the Lightning tied things 1-1 at 4:11 of the third when Stamkos scored his second on a rebound.

Matthews bagged his series-leading fifth at 13:47 of the middle period for a 1-0 lead when he blasted a one-timer over Vasilevskiy's shoulder.

Samsonov made a big stop on Stamkos early in a spirited first where the Leafs were under siege at times.

"Don't think I can say enough great things about Sammy," Matthews said. "I admire his mindset, his attitude.

"Every single day just comes to the rink and he works his ass off."

Tampa beat Toronto 7-3 in Game 1, but lost Erik Cernak to an illegal check to the head from Michael Bunting on a sequence that kept the minute-crunching defenceman sidelined the rest of the series.

Toronto picked up a 7-2 victory two nights later before securing consecutive overtime wins in Tampa, including a 5-4 decision Monday after trailing 4-1 midway through the third period to build a 3-1 series lead.

The Lightning responded with that 4-2 victory Thursday at Scotiabank Arena to stave off elimination before the Leafs finally sealed the deal Saturday.

"It's been a long road for a lot of our guys," Keefe said. "They've been through a lot of [crap] to get here, to get to this spot. For them to get this feeling tonight, they deserve it.

"Those guys have worked incredibly hard and been through a lot, and have been questioned a lot. It's about time a bounce went our way."

Maple Leafs rewarded for staying the course

Toronto's loss to Tampa in last year's playoffs resigned the organization to that sixth consecutive opening-round exit, and more tough questions about roster makeup, management philosophy and coaching.

The Original Six franchise elected to stay the course with its high-priced core, Keefe and GM Kyle Dubas.

The decision paid off.

The Leafs made the playoffs just once in 11 years following the 2004-05 lockout, with their only appearance ending in a stunning Game 7 collapse against Boston.

Toronto, which already had Marner, Rielly and William Nylander in its system, then bottomed out in 2015-16 for the right to draft Matthews first overall.

The Leafs returned to the playoffs the next spring, falling to Washington in a solid showing from their young roster.

Toronto followed that up with two more seven-game defeats to Boston in 2018 and 2019.

The Leafs were then tripped up inside the NHL's COVID-19 bubble in 2020 by Columbus. Toronto dominated the league's pandemic-necessitated North Division in 2021 before blowing a 3-1 series lead and losing in seven to Montreal for another stunning low point.

The Leafs started to turn a corner by going toe-to-toe with the battle-tested Lighting last year, but lost in a matchup that went the distance despite leading the series 1-0, 2-1 and 3-2, including an OT defeat in Game 6 where they also led Tampa in the third period.

A year later, all that heartbreak is now well and truly in the past.

Oilers overcome Stuart Skinner's blunder to eliminate Kings in Game 6

Kailer Yamamoto scored the game-winning goal late in the third period as the Oilers punched their ticket to the second round of the NHL playoffs.


James O'Brien
·Contributing Writer

Sat, April 29, 2023

Oilers forward Kailer Yamamoto (56) celebrates his game-winning goal that eliminated the Kings from the playoffs. (Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports)

The Los Angeles Kings went down fighting against the Edmonton Oilers in Game 6 in a way that paralleled this exciting series overall. Los Angeles didn’t allow setbacks to leave it sagging for too long, rarely leaving Edmonton with a dull moment. Ultimately, the Oilers kept fighting back in their own right, outgunning the Kings 5-4 in Game 6 to notch a 4-2 series win.

Kailer Yamamoto ended up scoring the series-clincher with slightly more than three minutes remaining in Game 6.

With this result, the Oilers will face the Vegas Golden Knights in the two teams’ first-ever playoff meeting. The Golden Knights begin with home-ice advantage, yet with the way the Oilers have performed against the Kings (and down the stretch), plenty of people will pick Edmonton to prevail.

The wrong kind of Mike Smith flashbacks for Stuart Skinner

Here’s a take: for all of the ups and downs during Mike Smith’s time with the Oilers, his overall numbers were often pretty good (sometimes really nice, like a .923 save percentage in 2020-21), particularly considering how affordable his contract was.

It’s human nature to focus on the bigger memories. With Smith, puckhandling misadventures often stick in your mind.

Considering Stuart Skinner’s light NHL resume and similarly-cheap asking price, the unlikely All-Star’s already surpassed expectations. However, it’s tough to focus on that after an epic blunder on the 4-4 goal, when Skinner coughed up the puck and Phillip Danault scored shorthanded midway through the third period.

Although maybe it was just bad luck? Skinner’s stick appeared to break on that dreadful goal:

Luckily for Skinner, Yamamoto bailed him out a few minutes later to take most of the sting out of the gaffe.

Starting to thrive at 5-on-5

Remember when there were mild concerns about Connor McDavid being able to produce at even-strength against the Kings? Those worries have largely dissolved since Oilers coach Jay Woodcroft decided to load up with McDavid and Leon Draisaitl on the same line. Just 1:25 into Game 6, McDavid scored in a slightly unusual way for him: finding space and tipping in a brilliant pass by Evan Bouchard.

Luckily for the Oilers, such even-strength gains haven’t come at the cost of power-play potency. McDavid set up Draisaitl for a power-play marker during a hectic second period, giving Edmonton nine such goals in this series.

Repeating storylines from earlier in the series

While the Oilers’ increased even-strength threat level highlighted one change as this series went along, there were also some narratives that carried over (and sometimes resurfaced).

At times in this series, the Oilers struggled to maintain multi-goal leads versus the Kings. Adrian Kempe factoring into a rally was also a fixture, so maybe it shouldn’t have been surprising that he scored one of two Kings power-play goals to dissolve a 3-1 Oilers lead into a 3-3 tie.

Every now and then, the Kings baited the Oilers into taking extra penalties (or you could argue the Kings were getting favorable calls). That thought was difficult to shake during that frantic second period, as by the time it was 3-3, the Kings received three power-play opportunities (scoring twice) compared to the Oilers going 1-for-1.

In another familiar storyline, the Oilers got some crucial help from players not named Draisaitl or McDavid. In the case of Game 6, Klim Kostin scored two important goals, showing off his powerful release.

Make no mistake, Draisaitl, McDavid and the other top Oilers drove the bus. That said, if Edmonton wants to win a Stanley Cup, it will need other players to pitch in here and there. That’s especially true if the Oilers go top-heavy with Draisaitl and McDavid on the same line more often than not

Report: Ryan Reynolds, Remington Group preparing $1B bid to buy Senators

After finding success in the soccer world, Reynolds is ready to take on ownership in the NHL

Elias Grigoriadis
·Contributing Writer
Fri, April 28, 2023 

A consortium led by Ryan Reynolds is reportedly preparing a huge bid to buy the Senators. (Getty Images)

After his purchase of Welsh soccer team Wrexham AFC in 2020 along with fellow Hollywood star Rob McElhenney, which has resulted in incredible success both on and off the field, Ryan Reynolds looks to be gearing up to try his hand at a hockey team.

The ownership status of the NHL’s Ottawa Senators has been in the news since the passing of former owner Eugene Melnyk in March 2022. According to a report in the Ottawa Sun, a joint bid between Reynolds and real estate mogul Christopher Bratty of the Remington Group are accelerating, with the estimated figure expected to be over $1 billion, a far cry from the $92 million Melnyk paid for the franchise in 2003.

The New York-based Galatioto Sports Partners will be the ones in charge of overseeing the bids, with May 15 set as the deadline. According to the Sun, Reynolds’ consortium is very keen on getting the deal done as soon as possible and has been pushing aggressively throughout the process.

The offer will also reportedly include the building of a new arena closer to Ottawa’s downtown core. The Senators currently play at the Canadian Tire Centre in the suburb of Kanata, roughly 25 kilometers away from downtown Ottawa and has long drawn the ire of Sens fans for being so far away. However, another plan would be developing the 75 acres surrounding the Canadian Tire Centre instead of building an entirely new arena—something the Remington Group specializes in.

Reynolds’ bid is not the only one being considered, however. As many as six major groups have all expressed interest in acquiring the franchise, including a bid featuring Sacramento Kings owner Vivek Ranadivé, according to the report.

Reynolds initially expressed interest in ownership of the Senators in November 2022. He is not the only A-lister to have an eye on Ottawa, though, as actor and former star wrestler Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson threw his name in the ring last month.

Virginia Sole-Smith wants parents to have the 'fat talk' with their kids

The "Fat Talk" author on parenting and "how anti-fat bias shows up in your family life."


Meg St-Esprit
Mon, April 24, 2023 

Fat Talk author Virginia Sole-Smith shares how parents can do their part to break the cycle of exposing kids to diet culture. (Photo: Gabrielle Gerard Photography)

Welcome to So Mini Ways, Yahoo Life's parenting series on the joys and challenges of childrearing.

Virginia Sole-Smith wants every parent to talk about fat with their kids — and no, this does not mean she wants them to count calories and read labels. The writer actually encourages parents to do the opposite in her new book, Fat Talk: Parenting in the Age of Diet Culture, out April 25.

“We're really dealing with systemic culture-wide oppression of fat people and all the ways that ripples out and shows up in our daily lives," the mom of two tells Yahoo Life. "And so we have to name that bias.”

Sole-Smith says that means having frank and honest conversations with kids about what it means to be fat and why it’s become a dirty word in America. “We have to work on learning that bias,” she says. “We have to look at how that bias has caused harm for ourselves in our relationships and all the different public spaces. And so I really wanted this book to be a way to reckon with how anti-fat bias shows up in your family life.”

Ahead, she shares some of the biggest takeaways from her work exploring the overlap between anti-fat bias and parenting.
It's OK to enjoy food

One of the biggest things Sole-Smith fears parents have lost sight of is that it’s OK to enjoy food and teach kids to enjoy it, too. It’s fine for people to have a list of foods that fuel their body well and make them feel good, she says. What’s not fine is when needing to control their family’s food intake causes anxiety that interferes with life. That’s a surefire way to pass on food issues to kids.

“It’s great to have identified a way of eating that feels really good to me," she says. "But of course, it's great to go to the fair and eat all the concession foods and have fun. OK, so you poop afterward for two days. You made memories with your kids.”

The issue at the heart of this decision is how parents have begun to judge themselves and others on food choices. “It's the way we've intertwined morality with those food choices that makes it really problematic," Sole-Smith, who writes the Burnt Toast newsletter on Substack, explains.

Food can be a comfort too, she says. The label of “emotional eating” has become fraught and negative, but there is nothing wrong with providing comfort to kids through food. Her own child recently was seeking some connection and comfort before bed, so they microwaved some hot chocolate and snuggled up.

“That's when she'll sit and talk to me," she shares. "And from a nutrition perspective, having a nice big mug of hot chocolate is a great way to lock up some carbs and protein in her before bed. If I was overly worried about sugar — good foods and bad foods — I would feel like it couldn't just be a hot chocolate.” Removing that stress and stigma allows Sole-Smith to connect with her kid without berating herself over the bedtime snack.

Sole-Smith's new book explores how parents can better protect their kids from diet culture and anti-fat bias. (Photo: Courtesy of Henry Holt and Company)

Kids are watching

Sole-Smith says that the best way to for parents make sure kids don’t fall victim to diet culture is for them to heal their own relationships with food and body image. It’s no easy task, though. Her book walks parents through claims about the childhood obesity epidemic, the false narrative about food today’s parents were taught as kids and the messages currently being taught at the dinner table.

"Getting family dinner ‘right’ often feels like one of our most important parenting priorities," Sole-Smith writes. "Our discourse around family dinner, especially on social media, worships its potential without acknowledging how difficult, if not impossible, it can be to execute for families.”

Withholding dessert until kids eat a certain amount of dinner, having a power struggle over a bite of vegetables or forcing kids to clear their plates might seem like common parenting tactics, but they can be really damaging for kids who are already struggling with body and food issues. Sole-Smith says to praise kids for any adventurous food choice they make, even if it’s a new ice cream flavor. Forcing anyone to eat is rarely successful in building healthy relationships with food. Parents can also model positive self-talk out loud, too. When a parent is chiding themself over an extra bite of dessert, the kids are listening and internalizing that. Why not just enjoy the cake?
Parents deserve grace, too

Parents who were raised in diet culture, and are raising kids in today’s diet culture, are not going to get it perfect. Even Sole-Smith has moments where she realizes she is subscribing to outdated and harmful ways of thinking that have been ingrained in her. In addition, American parents are emerging from a collective trauma caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. It’s OK if a parent finds that routines and patterns have become different than what they imagined for their family. If drive-through milkshakes were a saving grace during the pandemic, that’s wonderful. Finding small joys through celebratory food is a wonderful parenting choice, no matter what the voices in one's head — or in the broader culture — may say.

“It's not that parents are like, ‘We don't have to try to raise healthy kids anymore, thank goodness,’” says Sole-Smith. Families are finding their rhythms again. Kids have also spent a lot more time inside being sedentary and might need to find joy in movement once more.

“Brainstorm with kids about how they like to move their bodies, what would feel good, what sounds fun to them. … You can do all of that without talking about weight. You should be doing that for your thin kids, too. They need to move their bodies as well,” she adds. “When we make it about weight, we always miss the bigger picture.”

Virginia Sole-Smith’s book, Fat Talk: Parenting in the Age of Diet Culture, is available at all major retailers on April 25.

Wellness, parenting, body image and more: Get to know the who behind the hoo with Yahoo Life's newsletter. Sign up here.

Canada's new investment rules are being inspired by dishwashers, refrigerators

Ottawa is attempting to bankroll a shift to lower-carbon energy

Jeff Lagerquist
Wed, April 26, 2023 

Canada's forthcoming rules for labelling "green" and "transition" investments aim to ease uncertainty about greenwashing. (AP Photo/Kevork Djansezian, file)

Canada's new labels for green investments are being inspired in part by energy ratings on refrigerators and dishwashers. That's according to Barbara Zvan, the Canadian pension fund boss looking to ease uncertainty for investors and shrink the estimated $115 billion per year shortfall in spending needed to hit Ottawa's net zero by 2050 goal.

Most consumers don't question the accuracy of the government-backed Energy Star product labels that spell out efficiency stats for furnaces, pool pumps, ceiling fans, and other household appliances, Zvan says. She hopes the federal government's yet-to-be-released labels for various types of climate-focused investments will offer similar peace of mind as Canada attempts to bankroll a shift to lower-carbon energy.

An Energy Star label is shown on a washing machine at an appliance store in Mountain View, Calif. In Canada, Energy Star is administered and promoted by Natural Resources Canada. (AP Photo/Paul Sakuma)

Known as a climate change maverick in the $2 trillion world of Canadian pension funds, Zvan became president and CEO of the nearly $12 billion University Pension Plan (UPP) in 2020. Taking charge following a nearly 25-year stint at the much larger Ontario Teachers' Pension Plan, she has promised a net-zero portfolio at UPP by 2040, 10 years ahead of the net-zero deadline set in the Paris Climate Agreement.

As leader of the Sustainable Finance Action Council's (SFAC) Taxonomy Technical Expert Group, Zvan is shaping the much-anticipated green framework being developed by finance industry experts at the request of the federal government. The plan is to deliver science-based definitions of climate-compatible investments for capital markets participants wary of "greenwashing," a term for the false or misleading environmental credentials that plague climate investment globally.

An interim report from the SFAC backed by Canada's 25 largest financial institutions recommends two investment buckets: "green" for low-to-no carbon purposes, like financing renewable energy or battery technology, and "transition" for investments to decarbonize emissions-intensive sectors. For example, a carbon capture and storage installation at an existing oilsands facility with a short to moderate lifespan.

The European Union taxonomy for sustainable activities came into force in July 2020. Zvan says more than 30 taxonomies are in different stages of development globally.

Yahoo Finance Canada spoke with Zvan last week about what investors can expect when the new rules are released in Canada. Comments have been edited and condensed:

Yahoo Finance Canada: What do you hope to accomplish with the new green and transition finance taxonomy for Canada? Is it mainly about reassuring institutional money managers?

Barbara Zvan: There's a really important number: $115 billion. That's the gap the federal government has estimated that Canada needs each and every year to meet its net-zero goals.

Take the big pension plans. That's $2 trillion in assets. If they can muscle themselves to get up to five per cent [in green investments], that's barely a year's worth of the capital that's needed. Then look at Canada's deficit. We spend $40 billion more than we collect. So the government can't fund $115 billion per year.

We have to go to foreign pools of capital. What do those pools of capital need? They need clarity. Is it green? Is it transition? They're not going to figure this out for Canada. They're going to move on and invest in other opportunities. We need to make it easy to get included in that conversation.

YFC: Will we see a wave of capital mobilize from the sidelines into these investments once the 'green' and 'transition' labels are applied?

BZ: In 2018, green bonds were about three per cent of bonds issued globally. Today, it's 15 per cent. So, huge growth. There's huge demand for this product because a lot of companies, like RBC (Royal Bank of Canada) and others are making sustainable finance commitments. It has spurred a whole market. You've seen it go into equities. Now, in Europe you have ratings for different types of sustainability funds.

YF: What types of securities and investments will the "green" and "transition" labels be applied to?

BZ: There are lots of different use cases. Most people think of "use of proceeds" bonds. Those could be called green bonds. We're hoping that we can also get a transition bond label created as well. That's why we've worked with a lot of international peers to make sure that our definition of transition would be seen as acceptable.

If you're an equity investor, and you want to look at how transition-aligned a company is, you can look at capex and say, if I use the taxonomy, is the capex going to things that would be considered "green" or "transition." Eventually, you could get ETFs (exchange traded funds) to say if they are "green" or "transition."

And if we're trying to build this green economy, why don't we have government procurement pointed that way? So, there are lots of different uses by different groups.

YF: You say there are about 30 taxonomies in various stages of development around the world. What challenges and opportunities are unique to Canada?

Most of those taxonomies, when you go around the world, are focused on "green" investments. Our roadmap report laid out a path to get a "transition" label that's really about defining activities in high-emitting sectors. Think energy and heavy industry, and how they can decarbonize while we need them.

We need oil and gas for a while, but that's 25 per cent of Canada's current emissions. They need financing for carbon capture and storage, and methane reductions, and investors need to know which actions actually qualify. We're actually targeting the hardest parts of our economy to decarbonize. It's not just green, like in Europe.

YF: When will the new framework be released, and take effect? Do you have a date circled on your calendar?

I wish. The report was released on the Government of Canada website in March. We're waiting to hear back from them in terms of their next steps, and hopefully funding as well. In the meantime, the group continues to meet. We also have an official sector coordinating group, so groups like OSFI (Office of the Superintendent of Financial Institutions) and the Bank of Canada are participating.

We're trying to expand out the details around the transition side, [and] more details around governance. OSFI is beginning its work to think about how to connect the taxonomy to capital, and we continue to work with peers globally to build a global definition. Hopefully, we can get an announcement from the government, and in terms of funding, and we can stand up the organization properly, similar to what Australia got today.

Nova Scotia mom wants policy change for organ, tissue donors after gay son's death

The Canadian Press
Fri, April 28, 2023 


When Liam Dee began receiving hospice care shortly after starting his nursing career, he knew the rare cancer that had ravaged his body meant his organs were too damaged to donate. But the 26-year-old was grateful his tissues, including skin, corneas, tendons and bones, could still go to people who needed them.

However, his tissues were rejected when he died last November, said his mother Cindy Gates-Dee, who learned from reading her son's medical records that his "homosexual status," as noted on a screening form by a tissue specialist, meant he was declined as a high-risk donor because he'd had sex with another man in the last five years.

But neither she nor Dee's husband was asked any questions about Dee's lifestyle to determine the probability of high-risk behaviour that specialists believe lead to increased risk of HIV or hepatitis B and hepatitis C, Gates-Dee said from Aylesford, N.S.

"Huge assumptions were made. I know that my son would have been upset," said Gates-Dee, adding he'd registered as an organ donor long before 2021, when Nova Scotia became the first province where residents are presumed to agree to donate their organs and tissue when they die, unless they opt out of the program.

"It is obvious that Liam had been discriminated against," she said.

Her mission now is to file a case with the Canadian Human Rights Commission so others are not stigmatized, she said, and people on long wait lists for organs and tissues are not deprived of them.

"If he couldn't leave a legacy in helping other people with his tissues, then at least I could try to help change some of these policies."

Jacob MacDonald said he and Dee married in March 2022, but nine days later his husband was diagnosed with an aggressive liposarcoma, which formed a large tumour in his chest.

"Liam and I were in a monogamous relationship for more than four years," he said. "I take a lot of offence to the assumption that just because we were in a homosexual relationship that we were having high-risk sex," MacDonald said.

"I would like to see a change that would reflect more on people's behaviours rather than just their sexual identity. Because they're writing off an entire group of people that could be donors."

A spokesman for Nova Scotia Health said men who have sex with men are asked about any high-risk behaviour over the last 12 months if they want to donate organs, in keeping with a national standard, even for those in a monogamous relationship.

But the abstinence requirement in that province is even longer when it comes to potential tissue donation from that group, Brendan Elliott said in an emailed response.

"We follow the American Association of Tissue Banks regulation, which includes a five-year timeline," he said of the province that sends its tissue to the United States for processing.

Grant-Dee said she was not made aware of any such policy when her son was in a hospice.

Screening a potential cell or tissue donor typically involves reviewing medical records, an interview with the donor or a close family member or physician, in addition to laboratory and medical testing.

Health Canada, which is responsible for enforcing regulations on human cells, tissues and organs for transplantation, said all potential donors must be assessed to ensure they would not be transmitting any infectious diseases to recipients.

Regulations are based on standards set by the Canadian Standards Association. They include an assessment of any high-risk behaviour and "are not intended to be discriminatory against specific groups," Health Canada said in an emailed response.

"Health Canada will engage the CSA technical committee in 2023 to discuss the potential for changes to the (men who have sex with men) donor screening criteria."

Organs such as heart, lungs and kidneys are labelled as coming from "increased infectious risk donors" if those organs have been donated by a man who had sex with a man in the last 12 months. But the organs can be transplanted with the consent of a recipient who may have been on a long wait list, based on Health Canada's "exceptional distribution process."

"This abstinence period doesn't make sense, it's too long," said Dr. Murdoch Leeies, an organ donation specialist and researcher at the University of Manitoba.

Tissues are routinely rejected due to the same abstinence criteria, but in provinces such as Nova Scotia, where the tissues are sent for processing in the U.S. and the criteria is set by the Food and Drug Administration, men who have sex with men must have been abstinent for five years, amounting to a "more discriminatory process," Leeies said.

Overall, those policies lead to stigma against LGBTQ people, even if they are in a monogamous relationship, use condoms and do not have anal sex, which is associated with a higher chance of transmitting HIV, he said.

Leeies's report on current "discriminatory" policies was published this week by a Vancouver non-profit called the Community-Based Research Centre (CBRC), which promotes the health of people from diverse sexualities.

In an interview, Leeies said the abstinence period should be lowered to 30 days for men who have sex with men because HIV can be detected through the Nucleic Acid Test (NAT) about seven days after someone is exposed to the virus. The test is not regularly offered to organ donors but is currently mandated by Health Canada for "increased risk donors," he added.

A cheaper antibody/antigen test is routinely used to screen for HIV and in most cases the virus can be detected 35 days after someone is exposed though it is possible for HIV to go undetected by this test for up to 12 weeks after exposure, Leeies said.

CBRC's recent recommendations to Health Canada include revising current eligibility for organ and tissue donation to be behaviour-based and not identity-based, and mandate that Nucleic Acid Testing be used for any donors who are considered to be an "increased infectious risk" based on "updated, evidence-informed, risk-based criteria."

Last year, Health Canada approved Canadian Blood Services' proposal to remove blood donation eligibility criteria specific to men who have sex with men, prompting the organization to update its screening questions to focus on higher-risk sexual behaviour for everyone, regardless of sexual orientation.

Leeies said it's time the organ and tissue transplant system is also revised so potential donors are not unnecessarily restricted based on their sexual orientation.

A 2019 federal standing committee on health, made of up members of Parliament, issued a report calling for an end to organ and tissue donor policies it said discriminate against LGBTQ people because of inequities that community experiences.

One of its 23 recommendations called on Canada to end discriminatory practices related to organ and tissue donation for men who have sex with men and to adopt donor screening policies that are based on evidence and behaviour.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 28, 2023.

Canadian Press health coverage receives support through a partnership with the Canadian Medical Association. CP is solely responsible for this content.

Camille Bains, The Canadian Press

Note to readers: This is a corrected story. A previous version incorrectly stated that Health Canada changed blood donation eligibility criteria for men who have sex with men. In fact, Health Canada approved Canadian Blood Services' proposal to change the criteria.

A gay Ukrainian military couple engaged only days ago is being pulled apart to face the fear and heartache of combat alone

Chris Panella

Sat, April 29, 2023 

Vladyslav (left) and Pasha (right).Pasha Lagoyda

• A gay Ukrainian military couple that got engaged only days ago is heading off into combat.

• Pasha, 21, and Vladyslav, 30, met a year ago and fell in love as war consumed their homeland.

• The couple told Insider that while war is tough, they haven't let go of hope.

Throughout the past year, thousands of Ukrainians have left their homes and former lives to fight against Russia's invasion. They've had to say goodbye to families and friends, unsure if they'd ever see them again. And as bloody battles rage on, Ukrainians have been forced to watch in horror as the war tears apart the country they once knew.

One couple has navigated much of the war with an added layer of concern: They're both fighting in the Ukrainian military.

In this war that has already claimed tens of thousands of lives, tragedy can strike in an instant. Pasha and Vladyslav, a newly engaged couple, are on their way into combat, but they won't be together. It's a tough time for the pair as Russian President Vladimir Putin continues his campaign, though it faces struggles, to break Ukraine's defenses and enforce his unwanted vision for the country's future.

They worry for each other's safety, partially because they serve in separate battalions and areas. "It is very difficult," Vladyslav told Insider, but if they were able to see each other more, or possibly fight alongside one another, it'd make the days a bit easier. Currently, Vladyslav's trying to switch to Pasha's unit. "We'd like to do the job together," he said, but "it's hard to change battalions."

A military land vehicle lies wrecked by a shelling on April 12, 2023 in Bakhmut, UkraineViktor Fridshon/Global Images Ukraine via Getty Images

The young gay couple began dating last year after Russia launched its invasion of Ukraine.

They told Insider, courtesy of translator Maxim Potapovych, that they met on a dating app. That's pretty common for many modern couples, and at first glance, Pasha and Vladyslav's relationship is like any other.

They share pictures together on Instagram, some selfies of them making dinner and cuddling. In the past year, they've celebrated birthdays and anniversaries. Vladyslav turned 30 last September, with Pasha commemorating 21 just a few weeks later. "You're already 21 years old, what can I say..." he wrote on Instagram, "So as not to be dead by 22."

The harsh realities of their situation in a war-torn country are hard to miss.

One picture, posted by Pasha, shows the two holding hands while wearing their military uniforms. Another post details a vacation they took together. Pasha wrote, "These 10 days of my vacation have been better than half of my life before the war! You know when you weren't around before, I didn't care about life or death, whether to be shot or shoot."

Just days before the pair deployed for combat operations, Pasha and Vladyslav got engaged. Pasha said there was sort of an ultimatum in play: it was either get engaged or leave one another. They chose to stay together, and they celebrated as much as possible before the war called them back.

On Friday, their last day in Kyiv, Pasha and Vladyslav told Insider it's been difficult to fight in the war because it constantly tries to pull them away from one another.

And the combat is intense, no matter how much time you've spent on the battlefield. Pasha says the fighting feels like entering a "volcano." He said that "if he could describe it simply," he would say that a "normal, city person" has suddenly been thrown into a new environment where the heat, pressure, and sweat of battle can be overwhelming.

Vladyslav and Pasha got engaged just days before returning to combat.Pasha Lagoyda

Pasha joined the military in 2021 and is now a gunner. Vladyslav joined last year. Though neither told anyone they were gay, Pasha recalled experiencing homophobia and discrimination from the other soldiers in his first few weeks at a training camp.

Before Russia invaded, Ukraine's stance on LGBTQ rights was murky. Gay marriage and adoption weren't legal, and although they still aren't, President Volodymyr Zelensky has since suggested same-sex civil partnerships could be revisited after the war. There was also varying public opinion on gender and sexual orientation, although anti-discrimination laws offered some protection, and homosexual relations weren't legal in Ukraine until 1991.

The atmosphere, especially in the military, has improved, the couple told Insider. There's a mutual respect of sorts, a realization that they're all fighting for the same cause regardless of sexual orientation.

That said, LGBTQ personnel don't have the same benefits as their heterosexual counterparts. When Ukrainian MP Inna Sovsun submitted a draft to legalize same-sex partnership in early March, she noted that if an LGBTQ person is injured in combat, their partner can't make decisions about their medical treatment.

Ukrainian soldiers fire targets on the front line in the direction of the city of Ugledar, Donetsk, Ukraine as Russia-Ukraine war continues on April 18, 2023Muhammed Enes Yildirim/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images

Pasha and Vladyslav have talked about this issue, too.

In a post for LGBTIQ Military — an organization of Ukrainian LGBTQ active military members, veterans, and volunteers fighting for equal rights — the couple expressed their support for legalizing same-sex partnerships. They wrote that while they want to be able to marry, have children, and live happily together, there are also more immediate concerns about not being legally recognized as a couple. If one of them is injured, the other has no say in their hospitalization and care. If one dies, the other won't be able to claim their body, they said.

It's a stark reality of both the war and LGBTQ rights. But Pasha and Vladyslav said they're hoping for a better future for themselves. They see the war as a fight against how Russia oppresses people, how it treats its LGBTQ people — "full of discrimination, killing activists," Vladyslav said.

Winning the war would mean winning freedom, both for Ukrainians and LGBTQ people like Pasha and Vladyslav. When Insider asked about the coming months of combat and how the couple is feeling, Vladyslav held Pasha closely and said: "We strongly believe Ukraine will win."

Tom of Finland exhibit celebrates Nordic country’s gay icon

April 27, 2023

Kiasma museum director Leevi Haapala poses at the exhibition of Finnish artist Tom of Finland during the media day of his retrospective exhibition 'Bold Journey' at the Finnish National Gallery Kiasma in Helsinki, Finland, Thursday, April 27, 2023. A new exhibition showing the works of Touko Laaksonen, better known by his pseudonym Tom of Finland, adds a personal touch to the late Finnish artist whose homoerotic drawings of muscular men gained a following in the gay community starting in the 1950s. (Vesa Moilanen/Lehtikuva via AP)


HELSINKI (AP) — A new exhibition showing the works of Touko Laaksonen, better known by his pseudonym Tom of Finland, adds a personal touch to the late Finnish artist whose homoerotic drawings of muscular men gained a following in the gay community from the 1950s.

“Tom of Finland — Bold Journey,” which opens Friday at the Museum of Contemporary Art Kiasma in Helsinki, features Laaksonen’s drawings, archive material, personal clothing items as well as memorabilia, letters, publications, magazines and films.

Laaksonen’s cheerful, sexually explicit works made an impact in the art world at a time when homosexuality was illegal or classified as a disease in countries around the world, including his native Finland. The Nordic country has since embraced the artist, who died in 1991, as a national icon.

“Tom is one of our national heroes who deserves to be seen as one of the most well-known Finnish artists of the 20th century,” said Kiasma museum director Leevi Haapala.

He said Tom of Finland had emerged as one of the country’s best known pop culture brands, along with the Moomins, the comic strip characters created by Finnish writer and illustrator Tove Jansson.

“His art has been liberating and empowering for countless gay men and sexual minorities for decades,” the museum said in a statement.

The chiseled male characters depicted by Laaksonen, including lumberjacks, bikers, sailors, soldiers and policemen, “exude vitality, joy and pride,” Kiasma said.

The retrospective of Laaksonen’s works is compiled by the Tom of Finland Foundation in Los Angeles and the Kiasma museum, which is part of the Finnish National Gallery. It is the largest exhibit of his works ever shown in his native country.

“There are sort of two different men; Touko had his own biography and Tom had his own biography, and they sort of paralleled,” said Durk Dehner, the president and co-founder of the Tom of Finland Foundation.

Haapala said Laaksonen’s works had directly influenced several well-known artists like Robert Mapplethorpe, Bruce Weber and David Hockney, and may have even inspired music acts like the Village People.

In Finland, his art is now embraced far beyond the gay community.

“In this polarized time, I think we need iconic figures like Tom to remind us of tolerance,” he said.

The exhibition runs through Oct. 29

A TOM OF FINLAND MEME

ONLY THE HEADS ARE NOT TOM'S 

CANADA

'Enhanced' wages part of latest government offer to striking public servants

CBC
Sat, April 29, 2023 

PSAC members have been striking for eleven days. The latest counter-offer by the federal government promises an enhanced wage package, but more details have not been released. (Justin Tang/The Canadian Press - image credit)

The federal government has presented a new "enhanced" wage package to striking Public Service Alliance of Canada (PSAC) members as part of its latest counter-offer.

The proposal put forward Friday is part of a "final comprehensive offer" tabled by the Treasury Board that addresses "all remaining PSAC demands," according to a Saturday afternoon statement released by the office of Treasury Board President Mona Fortier.

While details about the offer still remain scarce, Fortier's office said it includes an enhanced wage package building on the recommendation of the third-party Public Interest Commission.

"This is a fair, competitive and reasonable final offer, with wage and non-wage improvements, and we believe that employees should have an opportunity to review the details of it," the statement from Fortier's office said.

Adrian Wyld/The Canadian Press

The federal government also presented solutions to other PSAC concerns relating to telework, seniority, and contracting. Specific details about those solutions are being kept to the negotiating table and are not being released by either party.

The offer covers the larger Treasury Board group of about 120,000 workers. Talks are ongoing for the Canada Revenue Agency group of more than 35,000 workers, the union said.

Fortier's office said the government hopes to reach an agreement and bring an end to service disruptions as soon as possible.

Since the start of the strike on April 19, about 30 departments have been disrupted and a range of services are affected, including processing of income tax returns and passports.

PSAC did not immediately respond to a request for comment, but on Friday a union spokesperson told CBC there are plans to bargain through the weekend.

Adrian Wyld/The Canadian Press

Wages, remote work are key issues in negotiations

The union and government have been working on a new deal since 2021. The union says its members need help with the rising cost of living and the government has said it needs a deal that's fair for the union and taxpayers.

Both sides agree members should get a raise, but they differ on how much. At least publicly, the government has said it won't give a raise of more than nine per cent over three years, while the union wants a larger raise.

The other key sticking points during negotiations include who sets remote work rules, contracting and seniority during layoffs, according to what's been shared publicly.

In danger abroad? The Canadian government says it isn't obligated to rescue you

CBC
Sat, April 29, 2023 

British nationals walk to board an RAF flight to Cyprus at Wadi Seidna airport in Sudan on April 26, 2023. Experts say Canada doesn't have the same resources countries the United Kingdom and United States have to evacuate citizens abroad. 

(Photo Arron Hoare/UK MOD/Reuters - image credit)

The evacuation of Canadians from Sudan is raising some thorny questions about the federal government's obligations toward citizens in danger abroad — and its ability to help them.

As of Friday, Ottawa had evacuated 250 Canadians from Sudan, which is currently in the throes of a bloody new civil conflict. Ottawa says some of the evacuees have left on flights organized by Canada's allies, while 117 got out on Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) transport aircraft. The Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) has deployed troops to support the effort.

The government has received hundreds requests for assistance from Canadians and their dependents in Sudan.

But even though the government is evacuating Canadians from Sudan now, it has argued in the past that it's not actually required to do so.

"Traditionally, the Canadian government has taken the position that it does not have a legal obligation to repatriate Canadians abroad," Yves Le Bouthillier, a law professor at the University of Ottawa, said in an email.

Section 6(1) of the Charter of Rights and Freedoms says every Canadian citizen "has the right to enter, remain in and leave Canada."

That right doesn't necessarily mean the government has to rescue Canadians in distress around the world.

"At the very least, the Canadian government has a legal obligation not to create obstacles to the return of Canadians from abroad," Le Bouthillier said.

Whether the government is required to repatriate Canadians is a question now before the courts.

Earlier this year, the Federal Court ruled that Canada must repatriate four Canadian men from Syria. The government has been reluctant to do that because the men are suspected of having joined the terrorist group ISIS.

The government appealed the decision, saying in its notice of appeal that the Federal Court judge erred in "effectively" creating "a right to be returned."

Le Bouthillier said the Federal Court of Appeal likely will decide on the matter within months.

Evacuations test Canada's diplomatic, military capabilities

While the Canadian government doesn't believe it has a legal obligation to evacuate citizens abroad, it usually makes efforts to do so in cases where Canadians find themselves trapped by war, severe civil unrest or natural disasters.

But practical difficulties can get in the way even when the government wants to help.

Evacuation operations often require prudent diplomatic and military involvement, according to foreign affairs experts. Canada's ability to evacuate citizens depends on a wide range of factors, including geography, Canada's relationship with the country where citizens are in danger, and the availability of Canadian or allied military resources.

Colin Robertson, a Canadian Global Affairs Institute Fellow and former Canadian diplomat, said Canadian embassies abroad ask Canadian citizens living in potentially dangerous places to register with them in order to make assistance efforts easier when disaster strikes.

"Only about five or 10 per cent of people actually take up this offer, and the lists are usually woefully out of date when catastrophe happens," Robertson said.

Robertson said that in a crisis situation, diplomats will focus on securing air clearance for evacuation flights, working with allies and communicating with local authorities.

These efforts require a robust diplomatic presence on the ground — and Robertson said that's not something Canada can always guarantee.

"We have not invested in our diplomatic capacity for about 20 years. In fact, we've reduced it," he said.

Robertson said that while Canada has increased the number of diplomatic staff over the years, staffing hasn't kept pace with the demand for consular assistance. That's largely because Canada's population is more diverse and Canadians are travelling and living abroad more than in the past, he said.

"Is it increased sufficiently? Well, you'd have to judge by recent incidents and you would probably conclude no, we need to put more emphasis, and that means more people — to use the military term, more boots on the ground — for desperate situations," Robertson said.

Denis Thompson, a retired Canadian Army major-general, said the military faces a different set of problems when it evacuates citizens stuck abroad.

Ryan Remiorz/The Canadian Press

"Sudan is over 11,000 kilometres from our principal air base, which is [in] Trenton, Ontario. So we have to remember that Canada does not have permanent bases overseas like some of our allies do." Thompson said.

"If this happened in Haiti, yes, we can get there overnight. But it didn't happen in Haiti — it happened in Sudan, and that's a long way from home."

Thompson said that while a network of global military bases would ease logistical challenges, the cost to Canadian taxpayers would be enormous. He said Canada is wise to rely on close allies like the U.S. and U.K., which do have bases around the world.

The government has said it has tasked up to 200 CAF troops to assist the evacuation effort in Sudan, but a defence official told a technical briefing Thursday that the number doesn't include the air crew, special forces or naval personnel involved in the operation.

While Chief of the Defence Staff Gen. Wayne Eyre recently has voiced concerns about the military's overall operational readiness, Thompson said CAF is well prepared for operations of this nature.

"The army keeps a noncombatant evacuation operation company in readiness at all times, just as they do the DART, the Disaster Assistance Relief Team," Thompson said. "The RCAF does the same thing in terms of aircraft."

But Robertson said he worries about Canada's ability to respond to crises around the world, especially as the country's population grows more diverse and the world more dangerous.

"We probably do need more people on the ground," he said.

"We need to have the capacity to be able to deal with both our growth as a country and the changing geopolitical situation."