Five years after Canada contracted with South Carolina-based Jankel Tactical Systems to buy 76 armoured Toyota Land Cruisers for its diplomatic missions at a unit cost of $261,622, less than half have been delivered. The Public Services & Procurement and Global Affairs departments are saying only that they are “working with the supplier […] to schedule delivery of vehicles as needed.” [node:read-more:link]
Labour unrest in Britain as well as several western European destinations, notably France, Germany, Italy and Spain, could result in significant Easter travel disruptions. [node:read-more:link]
Federal Health Minister Jean-Yves Duclos has warned that provinces and territories which permit private clinics to charge patients directly for virtual health care could see their future federal funding clawed back. He said in a March 9 letter to his counterparts that “there should be no fees for medically necessary health-care services, wherever people may live.” [node:read-more:link]
More than eight months after the U.S. administration agreed to compensate some “Havana Syndrome” victims for mysterious symptoms ostensibly connected with their foreign postings, the Defense Department continues to investigate, including whether a “weapon” was involved. The symptoms were first reported by embassy staff in Cuba. [node:read-more:link]
Health Canada’s approval of a B.C. cannabis company to get into the cocaine market has “astonished” Premier David Eby. Adastra Labs says it received permission February 17 through an amendment to its controlled substance dealer’s licence but Eby said March 2 that “it is not part of our provincial plan” to tackle drug overdose deaths. [node:read-more:link]
As the federal government continues to wrestle with the notion of universal oral care, the Canadian Dental Association said today that it should preserve private dental programs and using existing clinics. The recommendations are included in a policy paper after consultations with Health Minister Jean-Yves Duclos as well provincial and territorial associations and dentists themselves. [node:read-more:link]
A project led by Alexander McClelland, a criminology professor at Carleton University in Ottawa shows that 704 persons have died in incidents involving police use of force in Canada since 2000 and that the annual average has gradually risen. “We're hoping that this data sparks conversations and gets people looking further into why there has been a potential increase, what that means, and brings more scrutiny to the issue,” McClellan says. [node:read-more:link]
The federal government today confirmed more than $32 million to bolster “security and stabilization” in Ukraine, including some $9.7 million previously announced by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. The total includes $7.5 million for de-mining, $12 million to “counter chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear threats” and some $13 million for “accountability efforts” including addressing conflict-related sexual violence. [node:read-more:link]
The four Atlantic provinces and Ontario have agreed in principle to the federal government’s latest 10-year healthcare funding package. Each province now must come up with specific spending plans because some $46 billion is contingent on the provinces improving access to frontline care and to upgrading data systems. [node:read-more:link]
A B.C. Supreme Court judge (Docket No. 2021 BCSC 210) has ordered the sale of a house formerly owned by a man who left a beating victim permanently brain-damaged in 2016. Sentenced to seven years in October 2021, the attacker had “sold” the house to his parents for $1 in an attempt to avoid civil action by the victim’s family who now will receive the proceeds of an eventual sale. [node:read-more:link]
Governor General Mary Simon’s office said today it is turning off the comments sections on its social media accounts due to increasing “abusive, misogynistic and racist engagement on social media and online platforms, including a greater number of violent threats.” Appointed in July 2021, the former civil servant, broadcaster and diplomat is the first indigenous holder of the vice-regal office. [node:read-more:link]
As an estimated 20 per cent of Canadians in all jurisdictions continue to lack access to family physicians, fewer than 30 per cent of Canadian doctors trained abroad are matched to provincially-constrained residency positions. The system explicitly gives priority to students trained in Canada even though some fail their final examinations. [node:read-more:link]
The U.S. has advised its citizens, notably those with dual-citizenship potentially subject to conscription, to leave Russia “immediately” due to the risk of arbitrary arrest or harassment as the war on Ukraine nears its anniversary next week. [node:read-more:link]
Heavily-redacted reports released by the federal government in response to an Access to Information request show a disturbing trend of “violent rhetoric and intimidation tactics” in on-line threats to federal politicians. Targets included government opposition Members of Parliament and a far-right social network said some should be executed for treason. [node:read-more:link]
Canadian physicians spend 18.5 million hours a year on unnecessary administrative work, according to the Canadian Federation of Independent Business. It recommends that provincial governments could reduce the red tape by 10 per cent, potentially freeing up time for up to 5.5 million patient visits annually. [node:read-more:link]
