Calgary’s firefighter union calls for action from fire chief amid funding concerns

Adam MacVicar - Yesterday - Global News

The Calgary Firefighters Association is calling for action from Calgary Fire Department Chief Steve Dongworth amid concerns over the fire department's funding in the upcoming city budget.


In a letter to the Calgary Firefighters Association membership, the union's president said decisions by the city and the fire chief have firefighters at a "breaking point."

In a letter sent on Monday to the union's membership obtained by Global News, association president Codey McIntyre said decisions by city administration and the fire chief "are continuing to push Calgary Firefighters to the breaking point."

"The fire chief has not been allowed to speak about these cuts nor to these ongoing issues," McIntyre said in the letter. "The fire chief is not standing up for public and firefighter safety."

The letter outlined a "history of cuts" the fire department has undergone since 2015 and "under-resourced" divisions like training and hazardous materials.

According to McIntyre, the fire department budget has been reduced by $30 million since 2015, including the elimination of 185 department positions since that same year. McIntyre said five fire trucks were also cut in 2019, and added that Calgary has the lowest staffed metropolitan fire department in the country.

Despite this, the 2022 Spring Pulse Survey of Calgarians resulted in a 96 per cent satisfaction rating for the fire department's emergency response amongst residents.

In the most recent budget adjustment in 2021, city council voted unanimously for a $13 million increase to the fire department's budget to cover the addition of 56 firefighters and training officers.

Video: Funding to improve Calgary firefighter response not expected until 2025, document reveals

The letter to members comes just days after revelations of a request from the fire department to help reduce response times may largely go unfunded in the upcoming four-year budget.

The total cost of the funding options came to $52 million in operating funds and $51 million in capital funds with the addition of 315 firefighters over the next four years.

Global News obtained preliminary budget figures that show city administration is recommending a deferral of the capital funding request to the next four-year budget cycle, while the department could receive $16.2 million of their operating funding request split between 2025 and 2026.

Read more:

Funding to improve Calgary firefighter response not expected until 2025, document reveals

However, City of Calgary officials told Global News the city’s budget and service plans “are still under development."

"The fire chief has been told by city administration to pare down his budget once again and to save it for the next business cycle in four years," McIntyre's letter said. "Where is Calgary’s fire chief in this discussion and how is he looking out for public and firefighter safety? We need a fire chief who will vocally support his firefighters and stand up for the safety of us and all Calgarians."

The letter stated the goal of the firefighters association is to get to a phased implementation of National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) standards of four people on all fire engine, rescue and ladder trucks.

Earlier this year, city administration determined NFPA standards would not be feasible in Calgary due to the funding required and an estimated time period of 15 to 20 years to implement them.

In an interview with Global News, McIntyre said he wants to see Dongworth speak up both in public and behind closed doors to advocate for more resources for the fire department.

Read more:

‘It’s not sustainable’: Calgary firefighters look at funding boost to help improve response times

"We've seen this time and time again and we've been communicating it for two years," McIntyre said. "I'm asking the fire chief to stand up and fight for the safety of the firefighters and the safety of all Calgarians."

In a statement to Global News, Dongworth said he couldn't comment on the upcoming budget as it is still in development and additional details remain confidential.

"However, there is no question that the Calgary Fire Department needs significant additional investment to keep pace with record call levels in an increasingly complex world," Dongworth's statement read. "The challenge continues to be securing those investments in a constrained financial environment with only so many dollars to go around with many competing priorities."

Video: Calgary firefighters prepare to rough it on pub rooftop

Dongworth said the budget recommended by city administration to council won't include cuts and will include funding increases for the fire department over the next four years.

"As one of only nine fire services in Canada to achieve international accreditation, we know how important our fire service is to Calgarians and we continue to serve the community with innovation, flexibility, and by being proactive in the way we plan for and respond to community risk and emergencies," Dongworth added.

The letter to members also outlined the union's plan to advocate for more funding ahead of budget talks, which includes community outreach, targeted digital advertising, direct discussions with city councillors, as well as having an ongoing presence at city council meetings.

Read more:

Longer wait times expected following budget cuts: Calgary fire chief

McIntyre urged local firefighters to share their experiences on social media as part of their advocacy.

City administration will present the proposed budget to city council for the first time on November 8, and deliberations are scheduled to begin on November 21.

According to McIntyre, the firefighters association will present a public submission during those budget talks.

Video: Calgary firefighters look at funding boost to help improve response times

 

Red Cross calls for civilian force, less reliance on military for disaster response


OTTAWA — Canada needs a new civilian force to respond to natural disasters and other emergencies as such events become more common and severe, the head of the Canadian Red Cross said Tuesday.



In an interview CEO Conrad Sauvé compared Canada’s current approach to responding to emergencies to fighting a fire without any previous planning or preparation.

“We're trying to sort out who does what after the fire started,” he said.

Right now, Sauvé said, "we're not paying for the firehouse."

The result is that governments at all levels across Canada are relying more and more on both the Red Cross and the military whenever a disaster or other emergency strikes, which is putting a strain on both.

It is in that vein that Sauvé is advocating for more emergency readiness as well as the creation of a dedicated civilian force that is ready to act as the sheer volume and scale of emergencies hitting Canada continues to grow.

“We need to build that standby capacity,” he said. “That civilian capacity needs to be built up so we have a deployable capacity that’s not military.”

Governments at all levels have been increasingly turning to the Armed Forces for assistance after various disasters, most recently in the aftermath of Hurricane Fiona in Atlantic Canada where more than 700 troops are currently deployed.

While the military is supposed to be the force of last resort, such domestic deployments have become a regular occurrence as the number of emergencies continues to increase alongside the scale of the devastation.

The situation has reached such a point that chief of the defence staff Gen. Wayne Eyre has expressed concern that the strain is affecting the Armed Forces’ readiness to defend Canada from attack and conduct missions abroad.

Sauvé said the COVID-19 pandemic also demonstrated that the military is not always properly equipped to respond in certain emergencies. He specifically cited the deployment of troops to long-term care homes in 2020.

“It's a blunt instrument not necessarily made for this,” he added of disaster response. “And they have very specialized equipment. I was on a panel with a Canadian general who said they used an attack helicopter to transfer hoses … in the B.C. fires.”

The creation of a dedicated emergency response force wouldn’t mean the end of military assistance, Sauvé added, nor would it have to be run by the Red Cross. He also underscored the importance of building capacity and capabilities in local communities.

The point, he said, “is this is clearly in the civilian role. The military has another role and (needs) to be brought in as a last resort.”

Emergency Preparedness Minister Bill Blair says the federal government is already taking action, with $150 million committed in May to the Red Cross and three other organizations to build up their ability to respond to humanitarian needs in Canada.

“We are committed to bolstering Canada’s humanitarian workforce and my mandate letter includes a commitment to strengthen Canada’s all hazards approach to emergency management,” Blair said in a written statement.

“The importance of these organizations cannot be overstated. Every day, around the clock, often at a moment’s notice, they bring relief and assistance to people who are experiencing the most challenging moments of their lives.”

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 4, 2022.

Lee Berthiaume, The Canadian Press

Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson's potential impact on corporate America "cannot be overstated"

insider@insider.com (Marguerite Ward)

A new day could be dawning for leadership in America with Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson on the Supreme Court. 

Kevin Lamarque-Pool/Getty Images

Ketanji Brown Jackson was sworn into the Supreme Court in June and is now hearing cases.

Jackson is the first Black woman to serve on the Supreme Court.

Corporate diversity consultants said it could prompt CEOs to make similar moves.

It's no secret that prestigious and powerful roles like a Supreme Court justice or a Fortune 500 CEO have historically been occupied by white men.

There are few exceptions who've defied the odds and ascended to the highest court — or corner offices — in the land. Former justices Thurgood Marshall and Sandra Day O'Connor broke barriers, as did current justice Sonia Sotomayor. There are high-profile CEOs like Jane Fraser, head of Citi, and Marvin Ellison, who is Black, and runs the hardware chain Lowe's. Thasunda Brown Duckett, a Black woman, heads TIAA, the insurance and investment company. Each of these leaders are history-makers in their own right.

But political and social tides could be changing: Ketanji Brown Jackson was sworn in as the first Black female Supreme Court justice in June, following Justice Stephen Breyer's retirement. In her first week hearing cases, Jackson drew approval from some observers for her reasoning. Legal experts called her a "force to be reckoned with."

Corporate consultants said Biden's Supreme Court decision was bold and direct, just like his decision to choose Kamala Harris, a Black woman, as his running mate. While Biden makes moves in the political sphere, corporate America, too, is trudging forward. CEOs are naming Black women as their successors. Others are promoting women of color to leadership roles. Jackson's work in the Supreme Court could inspire leaders in different sectors to further advance diversity, equity, and inclusion, sources said.




"I think the importance for society cannot be understated," Malia Lazu, a lecturer at the MIT Sloan School of Management, told Insider. "It's happening as America is wrestling with its history and current actions of white supremacy."

Despite an emphatic backlash, Biden's move signals a departure from the Supreme Court's 233-year history, and its implications reach far beyond the nation's capital. At a time when Americans are demanding equity in all aspects of life, CEOs will be pressured into making similar calls for equity in their own companies, diversity consultants said.

A new attitude


Thasunda Brown Duckett, the CEO of TIAA. Consultants said CEOs have been realizing their role in advancing diversity. TIAA© TIAA

Consultants described Biden's move as similar to what they were seeing in corporate America: More leaders are starting to understand how racism and patriarchy have historically kept Black women out of spaces of power.

"I think George Floyd's murder raised consciousness in a lot of people," Tara Jaye Frank, a corporate consultant and author of "The Waymakers," told Insider. "It's no longer 'these Black people talking about it.' Business leaders had an opportunity to see it with their own eyes."

Surveys have suggested that America is asking CEOs to act on that new understanding.

"What I hope CEOs take away from this moment is that equity does not happen by accident," Frank said. "What's been happening for years is companies say, 'We're going to hire the most qualified people,' but what ends up happening is their affinity bias takes over."

Workplace experts define affinity bias as the phenomenon of people associating, recruiting, and hiring people who remind them most of themselves. It's been pervasive in corporate culture and in America's courts, Frank said. Some business leaders, she said, have recently started to grasp this.

"This is about representation in its purest form. Every American deserves to have their needs, interests, concerns represented by someone who shares their lived experience and cares about it intuitively," Frank said. "You don't get there without being intentional."

Tina Opie, a Fortune 500 strategist and an associate professor of management at Babson College, is hopeful about the future of corporate America. More white male CEOs, she said, are calling her for guidance on how to be deliberate in advancing diversity. They are having complicated and uncomfortable conversations with their communities, she added.

For example, Opie said she was encouraging CEOs to question the backlash to Biden's decision.

"Why is it so unfair to declare the nominee will be a Black woman?" Opie said. "You all were completely fine with white men representing over 90% of justices for decades. But we even say a Black woman, all of a sudden you start talking about quality and qualifications."

Positioning Black women for success


Joe Biden's decision to pick Kamala Harris as his vice president and to nominate a Black woman to the Supreme Court show the importance of allyship, experts said. 

Alex Wong/Getty Images

Experts said Biden's decisions to choose Harris as his vice president and a Black woman as his Supreme Court nominee were a testament to white male allyship.

"Biden's leadership here is a real example of not only allyship but co-conspiratorship," Lazu said. "It's not enough that you're not racist, that you put up a Black Lives Matter sign. It's what are you doing with the power you have to move the needle on equity and inclusion?"

Piper-Simone Casey, a law student at the University of Pennsylvania, said that while Biden's allyship was admirable, the business community needed to push itself further.

"I think it is time that corporate America stops questioning Black women and their merit just because they want to uphold spaces that are dominated by white men," Casey said. "Not only are Black women capable of working in these spaces, but they are likely to impart a great deal of wisdom and creativity while doing so."

The journey forward will be bumpy, Opie said, but CEOs are on a promising trajectory.

"I would encourage CEOs to approach their constituents and say something like: 'Look at the prior CEOs of our organization since its inception. What do you notice? It's largely homogenous. We have been having affirmative action for white people, and today that stops. My next successor will be a Black woman,'" she said.

This article was originally published on February 2022.

Flight 752 families want Ottawa to get tougher on Iran

OTTAWA — The families of those killed when Iran's military shot down Flight 752 in January 2020 are demanding the Canadian government take a harder line against the regime.



Iranian-Canadians gathered on Parliament Hill Tuesday to mark 1,000 days of mourning their relatives, and the crowd made clear their displeasure at the federal government's actions to date.

"I already lost all my life, all my future, said Maral Gorginpour whose husband Fareed Arasteh died in the crash.

The two got married in Iran, three days before he boarded the flight.

"I need justice; I need the truth and until that day I won't stop," said Gorginpour, who joined hundreds in front of the Supreme Court before marching through the parliamentary precinct.

In her speech the crowd, Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland promised Ottawa would take more action but did not say specifically what that would be.

"We will use all the tools at our disposal, to isolate and punish the brutal dictatorship," Freeland said.

Her remarks were interrupted multiple times, as demonstrators called on the Liberals to kick Iranians with ties to the regime out of Canada.

Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre revved up the crowd by saying the Trudeau government has refused to deem the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, a branch of Iran's army, as a terror group.

Poilievre endorsed a formal request last month by the Association of Families of Flight PS752 Victims to have the International Criminal Court launch a war-crime investigation. So far, Canada has helped Ukraine pursue its own criminal case, in recognition that the airliner was registered in Ukraine.

"We've had 1,000 days of words; we need action," Poilievre said, drawing cheers.

"The time has come for deeds, and I want you to know you have friends in the Conservative Party who will fight tooth-and-nail."

Sanctions experts have said it would be challenging to list the IRGC as a terrorist organization without barring entry to Canada and freezing assets for thousands of people who had been conscripted into brief, low-ranking positions such as a cook.

But Liberal MP Ali Ehsassi, who has also been pushing his own government to step up its response, said recently Ottawa should work to find a way to deem the revolutionary guard a terrorist group without punishing those who were drafted into non-combat roles.

On Monday Canada sanctioned 25 Iranian officials and nine entities including the head of the revolutionary guard. Ehsassi, whose Willowdale riding in Toronto has a large Iranian-Canadian population, said on Twitter the sanctions are "not sufficient."

In Halifax Tuesday, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said Canada is working with other countries to get justice.

"All Canadians, this government and all political parties stand with the people of Iran as we stand up for women's rights and human rights," he said.

Iranian police have violently cracked down on protests across Iran following the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini in mid-September, two days after she was arrested by Iran's morality police for allegedly wearing her hijab too loosely.

Gorginpour said Ottawa needs to take a tougher line against the regime, or it will continue to beat protesters, down flights and torture political prisoners.

"While they keep silent, the regime kills more people, and they are not accountable."

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 4, 2022.

Dylan Robertson, The Canadian Press

Laurentian University closer to exiting insolvency with Ontario court sanction of its plan

Kate Rutherford - 

Laurentian University, the first public post-secondary institution in Canada to ever seek insolvency, is poised to finally exit the process with a court-approved plan that paves the way for a streamlined and dramatically altered institution.

The Sudbury, Ont., university will implement its plan to pay back creditors and settle claims on a day, yet to be determined, in November.

Laurentian declared insolvency and applied for creditor protection under the Companies' Creditors Arrangement Act (CCAA) on Feb. 1, 2021, allowing it to operate while working to deal with its financial problems. During the months of financial upheaval and restructuring, more than 70 programs were cut and 196 full-time staff were terminated.

On Wednesday, an Ontario Superior Court judge sanctioned the exit plan, which has been designed to pay back creditors as well as put the university on more stable financial footing into the future.

In a news release, Laurentian's administration said, "With this most recent approval, Laurentian is now weeks away from being able to successfully emerge from the CCAA (Companies' Creditors Arrangement Act) process. This significant milestone should give confidence to those applying to Laurentian that they will be able to start and finish their degrees here."

Fabrice Colin, president of the Laurentian University Faculty Association, told CBC News there's a sense of relief among remaining faculty members now that Laurentian is moving ahead with its plan to exit insolvency.

"The focus now can be brought on rebuilding Laurentian University," and providing students and faculty "with the appropriate support so to make the educational experience at Laurentian University the best possible," Colin said.

Most claims resolved, says Laurentian

During exit-plan court hearing, Laurentian's lawyer, DJ Miller, said 98.8 per cent of claims have been resolved.

She said upon the plan implementation date, about $14.6 million in cash will be delivered to NOSM University to restore their endowments, and the university will put in place a long-term exit loan of $35 million to repay the debtor-in-possession loan held by the province.

Laurentian will also be pre-funding a distribution pool to pay out priority claims that include vacation pay to staff and faculty.

Other steps that will happen prior to, or on, the plan implementation date will be the renewal and transition of the president and provost position at Laurentian.

It has already been announced that president Robert Haché and provost Marie-Josée Berger would retire as part of the university's transition out of creditor protection.

The Terminated Faculty Committee, which represents some of the professors who lost their jobs due to Laurentian's program cuts, said in a statement the university should never have entered into creditor protection under the CCAA in the first place.

"The decision to allow a public institution to use the CCAA process (which was designed to protect private corporations) now leaves all public institutions (including other universities, municipalities, and public institutions) vulnerable to being dismantled the same way," the statement said.



Laurentian University president Robert Haché is expected to retire prior to or on the date the university's plan of implementation takes effect, expected in November.© Screen capture from Zoom meeting

Huntington University's claims will also be released on the plan implementation date. Huntington was previously a federated university affiliated with Laurentian.

Finally, two documents that were sealed at the beginning of the insolvency proceedings because lawyers argued they would jeopardize restructuring will be unsealed on the plan implementation date.

As for which day that might be, Laurentian spokesperson Sarah De Blois said in an email that remains unclear at this moment.

"We do not have a specific date for plan implementation," the email said.

"Plan implementation will occur after all of the conditions to closing as set out in the plan are met. We currently expect that to be in the month of November 2022."

The university is also committed to develop a new strategic plan and take steps to conduct an operational transformation as outlined in reports commissioned from Nous Group.

A request will be made to the province to change legislation to allow representation from the faculty and staff unions on the university's board of governors.

That transformation, the university's lawyer said, will cost about $30 million.

Maintenance needed

In addition, Miller noted that Laurentian has spent very little on keeping up its infrastructure during its insolvency, has accrued $200 million in deferred maintenance costs, and that it is important that it catch up.

Both Miller and the lawyer for the court monitor emphasized this plan is much better for creditors than if it had been rejected and Laurentian had gone bankrupt.

Miller said claimants will receive between 14.1 and 24.2 per cent of their claims as opposed to between 8.5 and 16.7 per cent if the university had ceased operations and been liquidated.

The variability in the payback depends mostly on proceeds from the sale of real estate to the province.

Upon wrapping up the sanction hearing, Ontario Chief Justice Geoffrey Morawetz said this has been a difficult and challenging process for all involved.

"It's taken about 21 months I think from start to finish and there's been a number of highly contested matters throughout but a compromise has been arrived at and it has been approved by the creditors and affected parties and under very difficult circumstances," said Morawetz.

"I do hope this provides a resolution to the past and a roadmap to the future for Laurentian University, for its students, its professors, all its employees and for the City of Sudbury. It has been a challenging time and I hope there are better days ahead."

Buffy Sainte-Marie isn't retiring, she just can't deal with air travel


TORONTO — Buffy Sainte-Marie has had enough.


Buffy Sainte-Marie

Coming off a difficult summer that included a bout of COVID-19, the acclaimed singer-songwriter's usually optimistic tone is undercut by a sense of frustration.

Over the past few months, on at least two instances, she's been among the many airline passengers left stranded by a Canadian airline. One time, she was stuck at an airport for three days as delays and flight cancellations dragged on.

“The airlines are broken,” she says while sitting in a Toronto hotel.

“WestJet abandoned me. Air Canada abandoned me. Badly.”

Sainte-Marie says she’s “not trying to cast blame,” but as far as she’s concerned there’s no frequent flying in her future, which means far fewer concerts and appearances. She lives in Hawaii and the jet lag from flying to the mainland has become too much to bear, even without the prospects of being stuck in an airport.

“If I was 21, maybe I would, but I’m 81 and I deserve better, and I’m going to give it to myself,” she adds.

A tribute concert set for Ottawa's National Arts Centre on Friday and Sainte-Marie performance booked in Vancouver on Sunday are part of what she says is "probably going to be my last tour."

“I’m not saying that I’m never going to perform again. It’s not like: 'She’s going to retire.' I’m not in the business world. I’ve retired many times without ever calling it retirement," she insists.

"I’m just going to hang it up.”

Knowing that context, it's easy to see “Buffy Sainte-Marie: Carry It On” as the final word on the acclaimed Cree artist’s legacy.

The career-spanning documentary, which made its premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival earlier this month, plays at various other Canadian film festivals throughout September before its streaming debut on Crave in October.

Using interviews with Sainte-Marie, as well as contemporaries Joni Mitchell, Alanis Obomsawin, Robbie Robertson and others, the feature-length film profiles an artist and activist who was decades ahead of her time.

Stories reflect on Sainte-Marie's roots in Qu’Appelle Valley, Sask. and her adoption by an American family from Massachusetts. When she was younger, she says people discouraged her from learning more about her Indigenous identity and pursuing a career in music, but eventually she fled to New York's Greenwich Village to perform in coffee houses.

Sainte-Marie recalls how it felt to write and record anti-war anthem “Universal Soldier” only to see it become a hit through 1960s Scottish singer Donovan. And she details the painful history tied to winning a best original song Oscar for “Up Where We Belong” which she co-wrote with her ex-husband Jack Nitzsche, whom she describes as abusive.

Lighter memories detail her cultural influence as a recurring guest on children’s program “Sesame Street,” where she breastfed her child on national television, and her foray into digital art in the 1990s.

While many of these stories have been told before in other documentaries and interviews, “Carry It On” steps back farthest to put Sainte-Marie's perseverance into a broader social context.

Telling her story from a new vantage point was important, she says.

At first, she wasn't convinced the world needed another Sainte-Marie documentary when Toronto production company White Pine Films approached her with a rough pitch. She recoiled at the thought of being the subject of a rockumentary filled with musicians singing her praises.

"Some documentaries are that old-style, boring thing and I’m not interested,” she says.

“It just kind of sounded like scrapbooking."

As conversations with White Pine continued, Indigenous-led production house Eagle Vision got on board. They brought in Madison Thomas, a Winnipeg-based filmmaker who is Ojibwe-Saulteaux and Russian-Ukrainian, to help shape the idea.

Andrea Warner, author of Sainte-Marie's 2018 authorized biography, was also added to the group as a co-writer, which Sainte-Marie says created a "real comfort zone" to discuss how the film would take shape. The three women broke off from the production companies and held regular meetings over Zoom in the midst of the pandemic.

Their finished documentary arrives as more attention is put on making space for Indigenous creators in the Canadian film scene. Sainte-Marie hopes those conversations will extend to Hollywood as well.

She points to a recent apology to Sacheen Littlefeather by organizers at the Academy Awards as a sign of positive change.

Littlefeather became a target of hate when she was booed at the 1973 Oscars for refusing the best actor award on behalf of Marlon Brando. In her speech, she criticized Hollywood's portrayal of Indigenous people and called for more attention to the standoff at Wounded Knee.

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences recently sent a letter of apology to Littlefeater and will host an event this weekend in her honour.

"I’m so glad they did," says Sainte-Marie, who is recognized in the newly minted Academy Museum of Motion Pictures in Los Angeles.

"In repairing their reputation they’re doing something that needed to be done for a long time," she added.

"So let’s applaud that and not carry a grudge."

Sainte-Marie says she hopes this is a sign of further efforts the Academy may take for Indigenous representation, particularly among its voting members.

Holding those optimistic hopes is what keeps her moving forward, she adds.

"I seek out joy. I seek out good friends," she says.

"And I have enough good food in my diet to survive just about any chocolate cupcake that comes along."

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 15, 2022.

David Friend, The Canadian Press

Trudeau appoints former heads of Canadian Medical Association, federal public service to Senate

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has appointed a high-profile surgeon and the former head of Canada's public service to the Senate.

Ian Shugart, who left his job as Clerk of the Privy Council in May, was also appointed a privy councillor.© Justin Tang/The Canadian Press

"I am pleased to welcome Flordeliz Osler and Ian Shugart as Parliament's newest independent senators," Trudeau said in a statement issued Monday.

"I am confident that their dedication, unique perspectives and stellar careers will help them best serve Canadians from all walks of life."

Osler is an assistant professor at the University of Manitoba and a former president of the Canadian Medical Association.

Shugart is the former Clerk of the Privy Council. The clerk is Canada's most senior federal civil servant; the person holding the office leads the federal public service and serves as both secretary to cabinet and deputy minister to the prime minister.

Osler was born in Winnipeg to parents who immigrated to Canada from the Philippines and India. She works with racialized medical students through the Filipino Association of Medical Students in Manitoba and by helping to train surgeons in Africa.

The first female visible minority appointed to lead the CMA, she used the opportunity to craft the organization's first policy on equity and diversity.

The announcement came on the same day Trudeau made Shugart a privy councillor.

"For over 40 years, Ian Shugart's advice and leadership in service of Canadians has been invaluable," Trudeau said.

"I am pleased to appoint him as Canada's newest privy councillor to recognize his contributions and dedication to making Canada a better place for everyone."

Shugart, who led the federal public service's response to the COVID-19 pandemic, also served as deputy minister of foreign affairs, deputy minister of employment and social development and deputy minister of the environment.

The appointments process

Under the Constitution, the Governor General appoints individuals to the Senate. By convention, senators are appointed on the advice of the prime minister.

When the Liberal government was first elected in 2015, it promised to rid the Senate of partisanship by ending the decades-old Liberal and Conservative duopoly in the upper house.

To that end, the government appointed an independent advisory board of distinguished Canadians to help the prime minister make his Senate picks.

The Independent Advisory Board for Senate Appointments oversees the process. The board is made up of five members. Three of those members are federal permanent members. The remaining two spots on the board are for provincial representatives who change depending on which province or territory is getting a new senator.

Provincial board members have standing equal to that of federal permanent members.

Trudeau appointed Osler and Shugart after they were recommended to him by the federal government's independent advisory board for Senate appointments.

Osler and Shugart's appointment means that Trudeau has now made 62 independent appointments to the Senate using the advisory board process.

These appointments reduced the number of vacancies in the 105 seat upper house from 17 to 15.

CLIMATE CRISIS

'Major damage': East Coast fishing industry feeling impact from post-tropical storm

HALIFAX — The impact of post-tropical storm Fiona on Atlantic Canada's fishing industry is still being tallied, but Osborne Burke already knows just how bad it could be.

'Major damage': East Coast fishing industry feeling impact from post-tropical storm© Provided by The Canadian Press

Burke, general manager of Victoria Co-operative Fisheries in Neils Harbour, N.S., says it will cost up to $2 million to repair the high-tech seafood processing operation, which was torn open by hurricane-force winds and a destructive storm surge last Saturday.

"We have major damage," he said in an interview Friday, adding that no one was injured. "We were front and centre."

Burke said the co-operative, in operation since 1956, was well-prepared for the storm. Staff stopped production last Thursday to allow them time to install barricades and pull fishing boats from the water. But the shrieking winds and 2.5-metre storm surge were too much for the building.

"It overwhelmed the facility," Burke said. "The wall facing the ocean, it took that wall out completely."

The co-operative, which buys a variety of seafood from seven harbours, received a $3-million upgrade only 18 months ago. Its crab cooker alone was worth $1 million. With sales of $50 million a year, the plant ships product across Canada, the United States, Europe, China, Singapore, Taiwan, South Korea and Japan.

"Everything was basically destroyed in there," Burke said. "It's hard to imagine, considering it looked as clean as a hospital a week before."

Meanwhile, major damage to fishing boats and small-craft harbours has been reported in Nova Scotia's eastern mainland, Cape Breton and P.E.I. Power outages have made it difficult to assess the damage along Nova Scotia's north shore.

The Gulf Nova Scotia Bonafide Fishermen's Association says smaller fishing communities in the province are still without electricity and internet service, which is making it difficult for the group to assess the impact of the storm on all its members.

Earlier this week, the federal Fisheries Department said five of the 180 harbours in the region were no longer operational, another 99 were partly working and 20 would need further assessment. Fisheries Minister Joyce Murray said she expects the number of unusable harbours to increase as inspections continue.

Related video: More than half the fishing ports in Fiona's path were damaged

Duration 2:47   View on Watch

Gordon Beaton, vice-president of the Nova Scotia wing of the Maritime Fishermen's Union, said he had received reports that a large gear shed in Cribbons Point, N.S., had its roof torn off.

"It flew down and landed on a few guys' boats," said Beaton, whose union represents more than 1,300 inshore fish harvesters in New Brunswick and Nova Scotia. "Fairly major repairs are needed for some guys' vessels."

The breakwater in Arisaig, N.S., on Nova Scotia's north shore, was badly damaged, he said, adding that there are reports that those now fishing in Lobster Fishing Area 25 are having trouble retrieving their traps from the Northumberland Strait.

"There's a heavy amount of gear loss," Beaton said, adding the rich lobster fishing grounds are between northern Nova Scotia, eastern New Brunswick and southern P.E.I.

He said the storm caused such a commotion in the strait that many lobster traps were cut loose from their buoys or buried by heaving sand on the bottom. "Even if they can find the traps, the ropes aren't sufficient to pull them up," Beaton said. "Sometimes they're just so full and stuck to the bottom that they break off."

In P.E.I., the Prince Edward Island Fishermen’s Association is still collecting damage reports.

"Our captains made every effort to prevent and minimize damage to their fleets, but as all Islanders are finding, this has been a storm without equal," the association said on its Facebook page.

The damage in Stanley Bridge, P.E.I., on the Island's north shore, was so bad that it attracted national attention when Prime Minister Justin Trudeau showed up for a brief visit on Tuesday.

In Charlottetown, P.E.I. Premier Dennis King said Friday the damage to the Island’s fishing operations has been severe.

“If you make a living on the water and you come through the hurricane we came through with that storm surge, there’s very little that hasn’t been impacted on the water,” King told a news conference. “There’s a lot of damage in our bays and estuaries all across P.E.I.”

He said the Island's north shore bore the brunt of the hurricane-force winds. And he said the storm dealt a blow to the province’s lobster, mussel and oyster industries.

"It's, quite frankly, a mess," he said. "We're trying to work with our producers and processors to find a way to get through the initial shock of this and find a way forward."

— With files from Lyndsay Armstrong in Halifax.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 30, 2022.

Michael MacDonald, The Canadian Press

Note to readers: This is a corrected story. A previous version said Victoria Co-operative Fisheries is based in Glace Bay, N.S.

Using tax system for social benefits a 'sticking point' for dental benefit: experts

OTTAWA — Economic and public policy experts warn the proposed federal dental benefit may not reach the families most in need because the government has chosen to distribute it through the tax system.



The federal government plans to send cheques of up to $650 to qualifying low- and medium-income households to help pay for children's dental needs through the same platform used for Canada Child Benefit payments.

That is run through the Canada Revenue Agency, which the experts suggest could be a problem because many low-income families are less likely to file tax returns.

That means they face barriers to accessing the Canada Child Benefit payments and could encounter similar roadblocks when it comes to getting the new dental benefit.

"Low-income people, homeless people, people on social assistance — all of these groups of people have really low tax filing rates and low take-ups of benefits that are already out there like the Canada Child Benefit," said Gillian Petit, an economist and research associate at the University of Calgary's School of Public Policy.

"Pushing out the dental benefit using the same platform is going to run into a lot of the same issues."

The same is true for those who do not speak English or French, she said, citing the onerous and daunting administrative work as a potential factor. She said this will likely also be the case for the proposed dental benefit.

The Canada Revenue Agency plans to use past tax returns to determine if families meet the income criteria and confirm that they have a child under the age of 12. After that, families will need to attest that they do not have private dental insurance and that they have out-of-pocket dental expenses. They will also have to provide their dentist's contact information and the approximate date of their child's appointment and keep their receipts in case they are audited.

"It's just a lot of paperwork and time," Petit said.

Jennifer Robson, an associate professor and program director of political management at Carleton University, says about 10.5 per cent of adults with children under the age of 18 don't file a tax return, and those families tend to be below the poverty line.

Related video: Federal government announces legislation for Canada Dental Benefit
Duration 1:11  View on Watch

"Intuitively, those are an awful lot of people who are probably financially vulnerable and less likely to have access to dental insurance," said Robson.

Cindy Blackstock, executive director of the First Nations Child and Family Caring Society, has previously spoken about how there are also many reasons Indigenous Peoples may not fill out their income tax returns, from principled stands against colonization and lack of trust in government to lower literacy stemming from poorly funded public services.

She made the comments in June, when auditor general Karen Hogan found the government was not doing enough to make sure income-tested supports like the child benefit get to hard-to-reach populations like those living on reserves, despite spending tens of millions of dollars on outreach.

The dental benefit is a key element of the supply and confidence agreement struck between the Liberals and the NDP, which stipulates that the government has until the end of the year to offer dental care to children under the age of 12 with a household income under $90,000.

This newbenefit is therefore meant to be an interim measure while the federal government works on a more complete dental-care plan.

"This is what you get when you rush policy because you have an artificial deadline," Robson said. "You cobble something together because a better delivery mechanism would take an awful lot more time to develop."

In a joint statement, Health Minister Jean-Yves Duclos and National Revenue Minister Diane Lebouthillier said children shouldn't have to wait to access the care that they need.

"The Canada Revenue Agency has the resources to quickly deliver this interim program due to its extensive infrastructure, long-standing experience in providing services to Canadians and outreach work within communities to help Canadians navigate the tax and benefit system," they said in the written statement sent Tuesday.

The ministers urged potentially eligible parents to sign up for a CRA account and make sure they filed their 2021 tax returns.

Robson disagrees. She said the tax-collection agency is designed to do just that — collect taxes — and is not equipped to distribute social benefits.

"The government learned during the pandemic that CRA is pretty good at cutting cheques to a lot of people," she said. "I don't think that we have come to grips with what that comes along with."

The Liberal government's dental-care legislation is still awaiting a second-reading vote in the House of Commons, but is expected to pass with support from the NDP.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 4, 2022.

Laura Osman, The Canadian Press

‘A historic moment’: Vancouver elects first Chinese-Canadian mayor

Kristen Robinson -  Global News - YESTERDAY

When Ken Sim ousted incumbent Kennedy Stewart in a sweeping victory Saturday, he also made history as the first mayor of Asian heritage elected in Vancouver.


Business owner Susanna Ng and Vancouver's mayor-elect Ken Sim.

Video: B.C. municipal election: Vancouver mayor-elect Ken Sim gives victory speech 4 years after defeat

Sim’s win is being well-received in Chinatown, which is still struggling with social challenges exacerbated by the pandemic.

Seniors at the Chau Luen Society on Keefer Street marked the dawn of a new era Sunday.

“I’m so happy we have Chinese voices in the city hall,” said society chair Kam Tam.

Read more:

Ken Sim defeats Kennedy Stewart to become mayor as ABC party sweeps Vancouver election

Chau Luen Society board member Michael Tan, who also co-chairs the Vancouver Chinatown Legacy Stewardship Group said Sim’s election is a momentous occasion that should be recognized.

“It’s definitely a historic moment,” Tan told Global News in an interview Sunday.

“I was elated to hear that, to feel like someone that looks like me is the mayor of a major Canadian city.”

In his victory speech, Sim acknowledged the racist policies early Chinese immigrants endured.

“One-hundred-and-thirty-five years after the first Chinese head tax was paid just for the right to come here and work on building a railway, Vancouver has elected its first Chinese-Canadian mayor,” Sim said as cheers erupted from the ABC Vancouver crowd.

Majority of Chinese Canadians surveyed in a new poll say they have been targets of anti-Asian racism

The Chinese Canadians who helped build B.C. were denied the right to vote and rewarded with racism, segregation and discrimination.

More than 80,000 paid the head tax, which was meant to discourage Chinese immigration – although Chinese immigrants fought alongside Canadian soldiers.

“The history of this moment isn’t lost on me,” said Sim.

“Ken will have that empathy and understand where a lot of those pains are,” said Tan.

Read more:

B.C. apologizes to Chinese Canadians

Campaign signs left over from the ‘Sim City’ landslide were still visible Sunday in Chinatown, where residents and business owners are hopeful the mayor-elect will act on his public safety promises.

Tam said he and his family rarely visit Chinatown due to the street disorder.

“Chinatown is very dirty OK, and also (on) Hastings, a lot of tents on both sides of the sidewalk.”

“All the hate crimes that were happening to Asians, it’s nice to have an Asian mayor come in,” said Diaz Combat Sports owner Ryan Diaz.

“Obviously being Asian, it’s nice to have another Asian in a good position to help us.”

Video: Vancouver mayoral candidates square off in Chinatown debate

“It’s a big thing because I think being in Chinatown, we need someone to represent us,” added Una Mak of New Town Bakery.

In its 42 years in Chinatown, New Town Bakery has never endorsed a mayoral candidate – until this recent civic election.

On Saturday, owner Susanna Ng put a sign up encouraging the community to vote for “a better Vancouver and Chinatown”.

Days earlier, Ng put her support behind Sim and his ABC slate.

“Because the situation in Chinatown, it’s really out of hand,” explained Mak, Ng’s sister.

“We need a change.”

Read more:

Vancouver’s 5 mayoral candidates debate safety, homelessness in Chinatown

Mak and Ng were also sold on Sim’s pledge to put a city hall office in Chinatown to engage with residents and businesses on the ground.

Tan said electing mayors of Asian descent is a continuing trend across North America, where the U.S. cities of Boston, Cincinnati and Seattle are led by Asian Americans.

“And now we're starting to see that happen finally here in Canada.”

Read more:

‘If it is lost, it’s lost forever’: Forum seeks feedback on future of Vancouver’s Chinatown

Tan hopes Sim’s mayoralty will include prioritizing projects like Chinatown’s UNESCO world heritage site application.