Nova Scotia premier to meet with health leaders over province’s stressed system

Nova Scotia Premier Tim Houston and Health Minister Michelle Thompson are to meet with leaders in the province’s health-care sector.

The meeting comes as public pressure mounts for the government to address overcrowding and staff shortages in hospitals and emergency departments. Concern has intensified after the recent deaths of two patients who had faced lengthy waits in emergency rooms.

The Health Department says representatives from regulatory colleges, professional associations, educational institutions, unions and service providers are expected to attend the meeting in Halifax.

#NovaScotia #healthcare

@maplechronicles

Soaring grocery prices in Canada spark increase in thefts from stores

Sylvain Charlebois, researcher at Dalhousie University in Halifax, says industry data shows grocery stores lose between $2,000 and $5,000 a week on average but it is hard to have accurate data as so many occurrences of theft are dealt with at the store or with security guards and do not involve the police.

"So a lot of people out there think that grocers are actually overcharging for food when in actuality it’s a global phenomena. In fact, Canada actually has one of the lowest food inflation rate in the world right after Japan. So but still, people are very, very angry. They’re angry at Loblaws, Galen Weston, grocers in general." - Charlebois

More than a third (36 per cent) of Canadians say their financial situations are very bad or somewhat bad heading into 2023, according to Ipsos Public Affairs polling conducted exclusively for Global News between Dec. 14 and 16.

@maplechronicles

Canada's inflation eases in December ahead of another likely rate hike

Canada's annual inflation rate eased more than expected in December as gas prices came down but core measures remained little changed from the previous month.

Inflation slowed to 6.3% in December from 6.8% in November, a notch lower than the 6.4% median forecast of analysts. Prices fell 0.6% from the previous month, again showing price pressures easing more than analysts' forecast for a 0.5% decline.

December's headline figure is still more than three times the Bank of Canada's 2% target. Most analysts agreed the Bank of Canada would hike rates by a quarter of a percentage point on Jan. 25, when it next meets.

@maplechronicles

During her visit to Kiev, Canadian Defense Minister Anita Anand announced that Ukraine will be provided with 200 armored vehicles.

The vehicles are manufactured in Ontario by the Roshel company, which employs 80 Ukrainians who have recently moved to Canada.

She reminded that more than 35,000 Ukrainian soldiers have already been trained "in the skills needed to defend the country" under the Canadian Operation UNIFIER.

Also, a Canadian unit is deployed in Prestwick, Scotland. There the airport is located used by military aircraft that provide all kinds of assistance from Canada and allies to Ukraine.

Perhaps I’m missing something but as far as I remember Canada is not the country that can afford wasting the money in such a reckless way. Little pot, stop.

@maplechronicles

🇺🇸🇨🇷 Amazon begins job cuts in US, Canada, Costa Rica

Amazon has said that the majority of its employees have been laid off from the WW Amazon stores business and people experience and technology organisation. It said the employees in the United States, Canada and Costa Rica who have been laid off will be notified by the end of today as part of its plan to lay off 18,000 employees.

The layoffs are the latest in the US technology sector, with companies cutting their bloated workforce and slashing costs to reverse pandemic-era excesses and prepare for a worsening global economy.

#US #CostaRica

@maplechronicles

Saskatchewan's Indigenous leaders 'hurt' by Trudeau

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is receiving more pushback from his visit to Saskatchewan on Monday after the province's Indigenous peoples uncovered partial remains at a former residential school.

The prime minister called the discovery "heartbreaking" but could not attend the site, citing uncertainty about his meeting with the Japanese Prime Minister.

An estimated 150,000 Indigenous children forcibly attended residential schools in Canada, with many experiencing emotional, physical, sexual, and spiritual abuse.

"His lack of respect is hurtful towards all residential school survivors and descendants, who are grappling with how to handle finding the child's remains and more unmarked graves." - First Nation's Chief Bobby Cameron says.

@maplechronicles

Canada’s pilot shortage made worse by surge of ‘discount airlines’

Experts say the low-cost airline model is exacerbating an already existing pilot shortage that could become an even bigger problem for Canada's aviation industry in the years to come.

Rapid proliferation of new flights and routes is putting pressure on the aviation labour market, including for pilots.

A pilot shortage has been brewing in Canada for years, based on a variety of factors including an aging workforce, pandemic-related layoffs and early retirements, and spiraling training costs. Becoming a commercial pilot can now cost upwards of $100,000.

@maplechronicles

🇺🇸U.S. seeing increase of illegal border crossings from Canada

U.S. Customs and Border Protection has seen a drastic uptick in recent months of people trying to enter North Dakota, Minnesota and Wisconsin illegally from Canada.

Those states have seen about 90 apprehensions since October, compared to roughly 80 apprehensions from October 2021 to September 2022.

“The numbers are definitely increasing back to a pre-pandemic type situation,” - says Kathryn Siemer, acting patrol agent in charge of the station in Pembina, N.D.

@maplechronicles

Ontario to introduce bill next month allowing out-of-province doctors to start practising more quickly

Health-care workers from across Canada could soon start practising in Ontario more quickly under legislation the provincial government plans to introduce next month.

Premier Doug Ford says new “as of right” rules would see credentials of health-care workers registered in other provinces and territories automatically recognized in Ontario, without the need to register with a regulatory college in this province.

He says it would allow professionals such as doctors and nurses looking to move to Ontario to get to work as soon as they arrive.

#Ontario #healthcare

@maplechronicles

🇨🇦⛽️ Canada is weighting options of the LNG market

The Shell LNG Canada export project in British Columbia (Canada) plans to start construction of the second phase with turbines powered by natural gas.

▪️LNG terminal was supposed to become environmentally friendly, running on turbines using electricity generated from renewable sources. But growing demand for natural gas in changing market landscape. Shell LNG Canada is planning to increase its annual capacity to 28 million tonnes by 2030. CEO Jason Klein said that initial program was to build natural gas-powered turbines and then switch to electric motors. This plan is aimed to please investors in the short run and reach ambitious emissions reduction goals set by the British Columbia.

▪️Using electric power would limit carbon emissions, but there are some major problems that are likely to hinder this project.

▪️There are no available electricity sources nearby. Hundreds of kilometers of new transmission lines have to be built to supply clean electricity from hydro power plants. That requires large scale investments and time. Both are not welcomed by investors looking for future dividends.

▪️And there is one more serious reason that investors will not like too. Production cost, if the LNG terminal is powered by electric turbines, is likely to be higher than in the case of gas turbines. This project is designed mostly for export, and high production cost makes it less competitive on the world LNG market. Apparently Shell is not going to discuss it on public, but the problem is still there. If investors see no quick return they will likely postpone or reduce their exposure.

▪️Nevertheless Shell is going to push forward different green projects, being quite sure that access to clean energy will be the basis for its competitive advantage.

▪️These problems put a very serious question about balance between decarbonization and profit. Any public company is looking for profit in the first place. Otherwise it won’t be able to get funding from investors. Green agenda is considered as an obstacle on the way to maximize return on investment (ROI). But it’s not that simple.

🔺Right now we see the energy watershed being formed. Some companies will get access to clean energy sources, others - not. In the new energy paradigm only the companies that have access to clean energy will be able to produce. That’s a serious limitation. The circle of «producers» will be very narrow, helping to concentrate power and funding mostly within the multinationals’ team. Investing in decarbonization now, is a ticket to the elite club of producers that will dominate the world economy just in a decade or so.

#LNG #Canada

@songofoil

🇨🇦🇺🇸 Canadian pseudo-PMC Black Maple Company in Ukraine

A Russian channel Rybar analysed activitiy of the Canadian "PMC."

In August last year Black Maple Company, which allegedly fights on the side of the AFU, was mentioned for the first time. But after six months, its founders became famous just for PR, not for real participation in combat operations.

🔺Black Maple Company was created by Canadian mercenaries Francis Dion and Luca Alves.

➖ Luca "Speedy" Alves is a driver from Quebec who fought with the Norman Brigade from March to August 2022. He was stationed in Canada until January.

➖ Francis "Ghost" Dion - served with the 22nd Royal Canadian Army Regiment for 12 years before the USO. From March to May 2022, he fought in the Norman Brigade with his fellow, sniper Olivier "Vali" Lavigne-Ortiz, before joining the International Legion.

▪️ According to their social media, Dion and Alves managed to lure at least two Norman Brigade soldiers - Canadian Samuel Thiboldier and American Carlos Jones - into their "Internet PMC."

▪️ Dion and Alves have been mainly collecting donations for their unit in recent months. Dion organized the last car fundraiser in early November. Black Maple Company accounts in recent months have been filled with old photos of Alves and Dion, as well as shots of enterprising Canadians they know - to imitate their participation in fighting.

▪️ Francis Dion said he is now aiming to send the Black Maple Company to the front and commercialize the project by selling branded merch.

It turns out that since the organization appeared in August 2022, it has never been detected on the frontline. This suggests that at the moment Black Maple Company only exists virtually.

But that did not stop its enterprising creators from cashing in on donations from naive Western Internet users. And it is possible that the founders of the pseudo-PMC had no other goals at all.

High-res

#Canada #mercenaries #Ukraine

@maplechronicles

Canada has agreed to repatriate 19 women and children held in Syria

Family members of 23 detained Canadians — six women, four men and 13 children — have asked a Federal Court to order the government to arrange for their return. They've argued that refusing to do so would violate their charter rights.

An agreement has been reached to secure the release and return of the women and children. The case of the four men is still before the court.

@maplechronicles

Canada expands immigration program for undocumented construction workers

The government is doubling the annual number of available spots in the program from 500 workers — plus their family members — to 1,000, as part of its plan to ease the labour shortage in skilled trades.

Potential applicants are required to first identify themselves to the Canadian Labour Congress, which pre-screens and refers qualified candidates for final assessment by the immigration department.

There are as many as 500,000 undocumented residents estimated to be in Canada. Many of them work in construction, cleaning, caregiving, food processing and agriculture.

@maplechronicles

It is not for the first time as Trudeau tries to limit the notwithstanding clause. His intentions are quite clear: the less opportunities to express their opinion the provinces have, the easier it is for the federal government to do what they want – even if it does harm for the country (which is not rare).

As for Legault’s unprecedented bravery, it is a bit early to say that the Quebec-Ottawa relationship will now change forever. But it’s definitely a sign that something very important is going on.

However, the capital had to allow Quebec to apply the clause earlier – and not once. Perhaps, Legault’s readiness to oppose the Trudeau’s administration will lead to something new. For sure, Quebec will not secede tomorrow, but it may obtain more independence.

#Canada #Quebec

@maplechronicles

Space launches from Canada will be allowed soon

Ottawa is hoping to capitalize on the country's vast geography and space expertise to lure in companies that want to launch commercial space flights from Canadian soil.

Transport Minister Omar Alghabra announced Friday that the federal government will develop the regulatory requirements, safety standards and licensing conditions necessary to authorize commercial satellite space launches from Canada within the next three years.

Montreal-area MP and former astronaut Marc Garneau said Canada has a number of geographic advantages when it comes to satellite launch locations, including a vast, sparsely populated territory and a wide range of possibilities for high-inclination orbits.

A number of companies have expressed interest in launching from Canada, including Maritime Launch, which is planning to build the country's first spaceport in northeastern Nova Scotia. The company hopes to be able to launch its first rocket capable of carrying a load in 2025, with plans to scale up to eight to 10 launches a year soon after.

@maplechronicles

🇮🇱 Israel's ambassador to Canada quits in protest of new government

Ambassador Ronen Hoffman tweeted Sunday morning that he has requested the Foreign Ministry to “shorten” his tenure and find a replacement, allowing him to return to Israel by the summer.

A fellow former Yesh Atid lawmaker-turned diplomat, Israeli Ambassador to France Yael German, announced her resignation last month, in protest of the formation of the new Netanyahu government.

#Israel

@maplechronicles

Canada to pay more than $2B to indigenous survivors of abuse

Canada will pay hundreds of indigenous communities more than $2 billion in compensation for nearly a century of abuse suffered by children in residential schools, its government has announced.

A class-action lawsuit brought by 324 Indigenous communities has resulted in the Can$2.8 billion (US$2.1 billion) settlement, which will be placed in a not-for-profit trust independent of the government.

It will be used to "revitalise Indigenous education, culture, and language – to support survivors in healing and reconnecting with their heritage," according to a government statement.

From the late 1800s to the 1990s, Canada's government sent about 150,000 children into 139 residential schools mostly run by the Catholic church, where they were cut off from their families, language and culture.

On the one hand, it’s good to make up for the mistakes of the past. On the other hand, I hope it won’t turn into somewhat-else-lives-matter.

@maplechronicles

🇺🇦 Defence minister won’t say whether Canada is willing to send battle tanks to Ukraine

Defence Minister Anita Anand says she has “no news to share” on whether Canada is willing to send some of its battle tanks to Ukraine following a meeting of 50 allied defence leaders this week.

#Ukraine

@maplechronicles

Ontario pediatric hospitals ask for help to deal with backlog of 12K surgeries

Nearly 12,000 children are on a wait list for surgeries across Ontario, a situation officials at four major pediatric hospitals say is part of a much bigger problem they need help from the province to solve.

A surge of viral respiratory illnesses, driven by a particularly bad strain of the flu and respiratory syncytial virus, overwhelmed the Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto, McMaster Children's Hospital in Hamilton, the Children's Hospital at London Health Sciences Centre and CHEO, a health care and research facility in Ottawa.

The hospitals say that surge has abated after three difficult months which saw surgeries cancelled and staff redeployed to help out overburdened emergency departments and intensive care units.

#Ontario #healthcare

@maplechronicles

Canada accepts amendments to expand IMO Council

Canada has become the latest country to accept amendments to the Convention on the International Maritime Organization (IMO) which will expand the size of the Council from its current 40 members to 52, extend the term of its Members to in general a four-year term, and recognize three additional language texts as authentic versions of the Convention.

The amendments have now been accepted by eight States: Canada, Honduras, Malaysia, Malta, the Netherlands, Norway, Singapore and Spain. The amendments were adopted at the 32nd session of the IMO Assembly held in December 2021. They require acceptance by two thirds of the IMO Membership (117 Member States based on the current number of 175 Member States) for entry into force.

The three additional languages for IMO texts will be Arabic, Chinese and Russian – all already official languages of the current Organization – supplementing the existing English, French and Spanish.

@maplechronicles

⚡️ Police increasing presence in downtown Ottawa ahead of 'Freedom Convoy' anniversary

The Ottawa Police Services Board will receive an update on police preparations for a possible 'Freedom Convoy 2.0' this afternoon, as the city braces for potential events to mark the one-year anniversary of the protests against COVID-19 vaccine mandates and public health measures.

#Ottawa

@maplechronicles