🇬🇧 🇨🇦 Migrants will be encouraged to move to rural areas through a special visa to combat depopulation and replenish ageing communities under plans by Government advisers

Scotland, which is projected to see a significant decline in its rural population, has already proposed such a scheme but the MAC said any pilot would be “of interest to rural communities across the UK”.

A similar scheme in Canada to attract migrants to remote and rural areas along its Atlantic coast succeeded in retaining 94 per cent of them in the first year. Key to the success was a package of integrated settlement support services for newcomers.

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2022/12/13/migrants-encouraged-move-rural-areas-boost-economies-population

MPs pass bill mandating internet giants pay for news. Meta threatens to block content

The House of Commons passed a Liberal bill designed to require web giants to compensate journalism outfits for reposting their content, and Meta is once again threatening to remove news content from Facebook in Canada.

Federal Heritage Minister Pablo Rodriguez has argued the bill will "enhance fairness" in the digital news marketplace by creating a framework and bargaining process for behemoths such as Google and Meta, which owns social media sites Facebook and Instagram, to pay media outlets.

The bill would create a system overseen by the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission, which would have the power to impose administrative monetary penalties on companies that are not compliant with its provisions.

@maplechronicles

Defence Minister Anita Anand considering multibillion-dollar purchase of U.S.-built surveillance aircraft

Defence Minister Anita Anand is considering an offer from Boeing that could see the purchase for the Royal Canadian Air Force of a multi-billion dollar fleet of P-8 Poseidon aircraft.

The proposal to buy between eight and 12 P-8 Poseidon aircraft from Boeing in the U.S. is being examined, according to industry and defence sources. But whether it moves forward to cabinet still has to be decided.

@maplechronicles

🇭🇹 Trudeau not ruling out military intervention in Haiti

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says while he does not rule out the possibility of the country being part of a military intervention, or even leading one in Haiti, he also wants European countries to join the North American country in sanctioning the elites in the French-speaking Caribbean Community (Caricom) country over alleged ties to the violent gangs.

Speaking during a year-end interview with The Canadian Press, Trudeau noted however that Canada would seek to avoid some of its past mistakes as it responds to a request from Haiti’s Prime Minister Dr Ariel Henry for a foreign military intervention.

#Haiti

@maplechronicles

🇨🇦 Euthanasia deaths in Canada increase each year, and this is alarming

🔹Medical assistance in dying (MAID) program was implemented in Canada in 2016.
Since then, the yearly number of performed euthanasia has risen from 1,018 deaths in 2016 up to 10,064 in 2021. The latter number accounts for 3.3 % of all deaths in Canada that year.

In six years, 31,664 people have chosen to receive medical assistance in death. This number exceeds 30,281 deaths caused by COVID-19 in 2020 and 2021. If the increasing rate of MAID continues, euthanasia deaths might surpass total COVID deaths for this year. We will be able to assess it when the MAID data for 2022 is released.

🔹At first MAID was only supposed to end the suffering of the terminally ill. The majority of persons receiving MAID during 2021 had a type of cancer as their main condition (65.6%).

However, over time MAID has become available to a wider group of people. Thus, in March 2022 restrictions were broadened so people with disabilities or people struggling with pain could access MAID, even if not close to death. And in March 2023, according to plans, the procedure will become available to the mentally ill. There is also talk of making MAID available to 'mature minors'.

🔹This raises a fair question: wouldn't using MAID be just an easy solution in difficult but not hopeless cases? Can one be 100% sure that a person has received all the necessary medical, financial and psychological help before resorting to euthanasia?

The case of Christine Gauthier, paraplegic, was recently highlighted in the media. Gauthier has been fighting for home wheelchair ramp installation for five years and eventually was offered MAID "to end her sufferings."

Another case of MAID abuse is 65-year old Lester Landry, who has applied for MAID because of poverty.

🔹A 2020 survey among Canadians shows that 33 % are "Enthusiastic Supporters", 48 % are "Cautious Supporters," and 19 % are "Opposed," meaning, the majority of population is more or less pro-MAID.

However, 2/3 of people are concerned that expanding MAID may lead to people with mental-health issues like depression choosing death rather than dealing with the underlying causes of their condition. Their second concern is that the health-care system will begin to ignore long-term care and chronic disease in the elderly as MAID becomes more available and routine.

As 2021 report shows, the most commonly cited suffering reported by individuals receiving MAID in 2021 was the loss of ability to engage in meaningful activities (86.3%), followed closely by the loss of ability to perform activities of daily living (83.4%).

❓So maybe the focus should shift from expanding the MAID program to helping people with severe health issues live a more fulfilling and purposeful life?

#deepdive

@topicdujour

🇧🇷 Canada ups biodiversity aid as Brazil, others seek $100B from Global North

Ottawa announces increase of millions in aid it will send to low-income countries at UN biodiversity talks, where Brazil is seeking at least $100 billion from developed nations, a demand shared by India, Indonesia and African countries.

Canada has said it was ramping up its international biodiversity funding, an overture to developing countries during difficult UN talks aimed at sealing a "peace pact with nature."

Environment Minister Steven Guilbeault announced an increase of $186 million in the aid it will send to lower-income countries to help them protect their ecosystems, bringing the total figure to over a $1 billion annually.

#Brazil

@maplechronicles

🇷🇺 Canada brings back sanctions on Nord Stream turbines

Canadian authorities are reinstating sanctions against the turbines of Russia's Nord Stream pipeline, Foreign Minister, Melanie Joly, and Minister of Natural Resources, Jonathan Williams, announced.

"The Canadian government has decided to revoke a temporary permit issued to allow turbines repaired at the Siemens plant in Montreal to be returned to Germany," the statement said.

They said the decision was made after close cooperation with Ukraine, Germany and other European allies.

It was noted that Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz discussed the issue in a telephone conversation earlier.

#Russia

@maplechronicles

Grocery shoplifting mounting across Canada amid inflation, labour shortages

Shoplifting has surged to an alarming level across Canada, industry insiders say, with inflation and labour shortages cited as major factors behind the increase.

The uptick has triggered concern among Canadian grocers even as the rise in food prices helps pad their bottom lines. Grocery prices were up 11 per cent year-over-year in October and they’re not expected to ease any time soon. The total cost of groceries for a family of four is expected to be $1,065 more than it was this year, according to the most recent edition of Canada’s Food Price Report.

Inflation in food prices is one of the main drivers pushing more people to steal, says Sylvain Charlebois, senior director of the Agri-Food Analytics Lab at Dalhousie University in Halifax.

@maplechronicles

Young doctors look for professional opportunities outside of Canada and complain about poor medical training resources

Medical students and new doctors in Canada are struggling to find opportunities in their field to help fill the much-needed gap in the country's health-care system.

According to Dr. Desmond Leddin, a professor of medicine at Dalhousie University in Halifax, Canada needs to widen the process in accepting new students into medical school as the nation continues to struggle with a shortage of nurses and doctors as hospitals become overwhelmed with a “triple epidemic” of the flu, RSV and COVID-19.

According to the Canadian Institution for Health Information, there were 93,998 physicians that were working in Canada for 2021, a slight increase of two per cent in comparison to 2020 when 92,166 physicians were reported. This represents roughly 246 physicians per population of 100,000.

At the same time, the government strongly believes that introducing thousands of migrants into the healthcare system would handle the problem. Though if the country is not able to appropriately educate the doctors it has, I suspect the situation would even grow worse when it is necessary to educate more specialists?

#healthcare #migrants

@maplechronicles

🎉 We are very glad to say that our channel is growing – now we have 2,000 subscribers!

This path wouldn’t have been possible without all of you that’s why we are grateful for each reader and for each comment – that is what helps us work harder and make the picture of the situation in Latin American and U.S. borders clearer in the media.

🎉 We would also like to mention our colleagues who support us and provide an example of professionalism:

@CIG_telegram – broad range of news from a healthy point of view
@police_frequency – full overview of the U.S. events
@tupireport – most recent news on Latin America issues
@maplechronicles – our Canadian fellow-thinkers
@BellumActaNews – stay aware of the world conflicts
@topicdujour – current agenda with great sense of humour
@geopoliticalblog – up-to-date reports on the hottest issues
@africaintel – making problems of the African continent visible
@UkraineHumanRightsAbuses – War in Ukraine. Unbiased
@asianomics – fine analytics on the state of things in Asian states
@fiorellastele – standing and struggling for true journalsim
@songofoil – must-read to understand the current energy market

Thank you, stay tuned!

Yours,

@meriblood

Six dead, including 73-year old gunman, in Ontario shooting

A gunman opened fire and killed five people at a Toronto-area condo building on Sunday evening before he himself was shot by police, the regional force’s chief said.

Jim MacSween, head of the York Regional Police Force, said officers were called to what he described as an active shooting at around 7:20 p.m. In a separate news release, York Police said early reports suggested a man had shot multiple people.

MacSween confirmed there were a total of five victims, but provided no details as to their identities or ages as family members were still being notified.

#Ontario

@maplechronicles

🇺🇸🇲🇽🇨🇦 Biden to meet with Mexican, Canadian leaders next month

President Biden will attend the North American Leaders’ Summit in Mexico next month and meet with Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.

National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said the leaders will discuss economic stability, security and immigration on Jan. 9-1.

The White House announced the summit amid growing suspense along the U.S.-Mexico border over the future of pandemic-era restrictions on asylum seekers set to expire Wednesday.

#US #Mexico #Canada

@meriblood

Canada funded a suicide 'activity book' for children

Just as Ottawa publicly acknowledges that its assisted suicide regime might have gone too far, critics have highlighted the existence of a little-known medical assistance in dying (MAID) children’s activity book that was funded by the Canadian government.

The book is not intended for children who are themselves seeking assisted death, and it’s not subject to mass-distribution through schools or public libraries. Minors are ineligible for medically assisted death in Canada, although there has been a push by the Quebec College of Physicians to extend the practice to severely disabled newborns.

Rather, the activity book is intended for children who may soon be attending a medically assisted death in person. “Created for young people who have someone in their life who may have MAID,” the group declared in a statement.

@maplechronicles

Since Jan. 1, foreign investors won’t be allowed to buy property in Canada

As of Jan. 1, 2023, foreign investors will be banned by the Canadian government from purchasing non-recreational residential property. The federal government announced the full details for new regulations that have been finalized as part of the Prohibition on the Purchase of Residential Property by Non-Canadians Act, which was passed on June 23 and will be in place for two years before being automatically repealed.

Ahmed Hussen, minister of housing and diversity and inclusion, said that the government’s goal is to ensure the housing market remains available and affordable to Canadians, and prevent houses from being used “as financial assets for foreign investors.”

@maplechronicles

Canada posts C$174 mln deficit over first seven months of 2022-2023

Canada recorded a C$174 million ($127.91 million) budget deficit for the first seven months of the 2022/23 fiscal year, partly due to higher debt charges. By comparison, Canada posted a C$72.25 billion deficit in the period from April to October 2021.

Year-to-date revenues were up 17.6% on a broad-based improvement in income streams. Program expenses were down 15.6%, largely reflecting lower transfers to individuals and businesses as COVID-19 support wound down, the finance ministry said.

Public debt charges increased 35.7% this fiscal year, primarily driven by higher interest rates and higher inflation adjustments on real return bonds, which have a coupon that is linked to the level of the consumer price index.

@maplechronicles

🇰🇵🇷🇺 Canada denounced North Korea's arms deliveries to Russia's Wagner PMC

Canada condemned North Korea's arms shipments to Russia, saying Pyongyang's agreement with the private military company Wagner Group "clearly violates international law and United Nations Security Council resolutions."

"We will continue to work with international partners to deal with these developments and respond to further arms shipments, if they take place," Canadian Foreign Minister Melanie Joly said.

#NorthKorea #Russia

@maplechronicles

Storm in North America causes power outages and flight delays

Dangerously cold temperatures settled over a wide swath of the U.S. and Canada; a massive winter storm left millions without power or facing rolling blackouts. Utility companies from Texas to New York City urge customers to conserve power to protect supply.

Thousands of flights were canceled or delayed at the weekend, and road travel is an unsafe option right now.

@maplechronicles

Thousands remain without power in Quebec and Ontario following winter storms

As of Dec. 27, about 46-thousand Hydro-Quebec and Hydro One customers were without power in Quebec and Ontario.

Hydro company officials say some customers still remain without electricity, days after fierce winter storms knocked out power to hundreds of thousands of Canadians right before Christmas.

While the outage numbers have dropped significantly, tens of thousands of people are still in the dark as crews continue working to repair lines brought down by strong winds and fallen trees, complicated by heavy snow hindering access to some sites.

#Quebec #Ontario

@maplechronicles

Niagara Falls froze this week

Ontario Provincial Police expected to announce charges into fatal shooting of officer

Charges are expected to be announced today regarding a police investigation into a shooting that left an Ontario Provincial Police officer dead in southeast Ontario.

OPP say Const. Grzegorz Pierzchala of the Haldimand County detachment was shot just after 2:30 p.m. on Tuesday while responding to a vehicle in a ditch just west of Hagersville, Ont.

The force says two suspects, a 25-year-old male and a 30-year-old female, were arrested and no other suspects are at large.

#Ontario

@maplechronicles

Toronto mayor vows to push for bigger police budget in new year

Toronto Mayor John Tory says he will push to increase the city's police budget, saying inflation and a "fraying at the edges" of community safety make the move necessary.

The mayor would not give specifics about the ask which will come to city council next month when budget deliberations begin in earnest. But after constraining the police budget when he was first elected in 2014, he believes it's now time to grow the services' $1.1- billion annual spending package.

#Toronto

@maplechronicles