Hundreds of nurses rallied outside several Ontario hospitals on Thursday to demand that CEOs improve patient care by implementing safe staffing levels across the province.

The Sask. Party amended an NDP motion, confirming its stance that Canada would never be the 51st state, but removing Donald Trump's name.

This International Women’s Day, The Discourse and Cowichan IWD collaborated to host a panel discussion titled Building a Circle of Care for Vancouver Island. The event brought together community members and five panellists to discuss the question: ​​What supports are required to help women make empowered and informed decisions, whatever those decisions are? The event, which had a health care focus, was live-streamed via Zoom and archived on The Discourse’s YouTube channel.

Community members gathered at Craig Street Brew Pub to hear from Cowichan Valley NDP MLA and Provincial Secretary for Rural Health Debra Toporowski (Qwulti’stunaat),  NDP MP for Cowichan-Malahat-Langford Alistair MacGregor, Cowichan Women’s Health Collective executive director Beverly Suderman, Lelum ‘u tu S’tsa –ehl teyt-en (House of Honourable Mothers) manager Laura Interlandi and Vancouver Island Women’s Clinic’s Dr. Emily Stuart.

Attendees learned about the need for accessible and culturally safe health care, the importance of addressing food insecurity and housing and the importance of trauma-informed care to empower women’s health decisions. They spoke of the need for a community health centre in the Cowichan Valley and more collaboration between medical practitioners and service providers as well as a health care system in the province that is equitable for all women, regardless of where they live.

Defining women’s health care is complicated

“We want women to be thriving, not just surviving,” Suderman said in response to a question about what women’s health care encompasses. 

To address the issues surrounding women’s health care in general, Suderman said communities need to make sure fundamental things such as having a stable income, nutritious food to eat and safe housing are all available. She said ensuring those “social determinants” are met is just one way to address complex health care gaps and issues.

Suderman said she has been advocating for women’s health — and the creation of a women’s health centre in the Cowichan Valley — because her granddaughters aren’t receiving the same quality of health care that Suderman received when she was a teenager.

Topowroski emphasized the challenges women living in rural areas face when it comes to accessing health care, such as lack of transportation options and the cost of travelling long distances to receive health care. She said in her work as parliamentary secretary for rural health, she has met with local stakeholders to “ensure that [women] have access to a diverse range of affordable, equitable and culturally safe health-care services.”

MacGregor said his work has dealt with issues ranging from intimate partner violence and online harms to food security, all of which disproportionately affect women’s health. He said food security is an essential part of improving the overall quality of life for women who are struggling to feed their families. 

“When you’re having that kind of stress on the family, it can lead to really poor health outcomes,” he said.

Interlandi added that there needs to be an acknowledgement of the discrimination that takes place in health care, especially towards Indigenous people, and that practices need to change. She said accessing health care can be a traumatic experience for people who have been — or have family members who have been — abused and harmed by the medical system, and this is a reality for many women. 

“People deserve support while going to doctors appointments, particularly if they are likely or possibly going to be discriminated against,” she said.

Stuart agreed that there has been systemic racism in medicine — especially in obstetrics and gynecology — throughout history, and it still exists. She said having an advocate present in the room for women during doctor appointments can be a huge help.

One reason why Stuart said she chose to work in women’s health as a doctor is the “clear examples of how women weren’t listened to with painful procedures and pregnant people were given disinformation.”

Suderman pointed to the Cedar Branches Shelter, operated by Cowichan Women Against Violence Society, as a successful example of how combining access to health-care workers with low-barrier housing for women results in better health outcomes.

The need for wraparound care

Speakers at the event highlighted the need for cross-disciplinary collaboration to keep women informed of what services exist in their community. Interlandi said she tries her best to get out of her “practice silo” to ensure she knows what different local groups offer in terms of care and support.

“How do I get them great care, and how do we make sure that there are fewer and fewer gaps?” she said. “Because the more gaps, this is where the harm happens.” 

She said hospitals need to feel like centres of healing, where there is access to all types of support in one place and a friendly environment where people can feel comfortable asking questions. 

MacGregor spoke on how the number of supports or options for health care available to a person depends greatly on how wealthy they are. 

“We need to find ways where we are lifting people up so that they have that economic empowerment, where their day-to-day lives are not just scraping by,” he said.

Topowroski said there is a big push for the government to bring mental health and addictions back under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Health in order to build better mental health and addiction care. She sees this as a positive development that could increase access to health care. She drew on her own experience as a woman coming out of an abusive relationship and how the outcome could have been different had she not been connected to the right supports. 

“If I wasn’t in the hospital … I wouldn’t have found the social worker that came in and talked to me and said there are these services for you, and you can get the help that you need,” Toporowski said.

Suderman said the Cowichan Women’s Health Collective believes there are four main areas to build a circle of care for women: access to health care, information about community supports, a wide range of choices in those supports and cultural safety to combat the weaponization of health care against marginalized groups. 

Women’s health suffers when access to care is limited

Stuart said another way to support women and pregnant people is to ensure abortion and reproductive care remain legal and safe in Canada, despite legislation brought forth by conservative MPs to limit access to abortion care.

She said bills put forward in the House of Commons to legalize abortion could also be a problem. 

“In the medical sense, abortion should just be a medical procedure. So we don’t want to have any laws that will say yes, it’s allowed. Because we don’t have any laws for other medical procedures,” she said. 

Currently, abortion is part of health care the same way other procedures, such as an appendectomy, are. Stuart said introducing laws that legalize abortion — or any other medical procedure — opens up the possibility to pass laws that make abortion and other procedures illegal.

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Stuart also pointed out that Abortion Care Canada, one of the largest charity organizations in the country that provides abortion care, said it may need to shut down after the federal government declined to renew its funding. The organization uses funding for various things, such as to provide grants to people who need to travel long distances to access abortion care or run phone lines where people can call in to find the closest abortion centre or miscarriage care provider.

While abortion care charities struggle to get by, Vancouver Island has a growing number of crisis pregnancy centres which outnumber abortion care centres or hospitals that provide abortions.  Stuart said these crisis pregnancy centres seem like they are a good choice for women looking to get information on abortion or what options they have, but often spread misinformation and repeat anti-choice rhetoric.

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“I’ve unfortunately had many people come to me that have visited a crisis pregnancy center first … and they say ‘I was told it would ruin my fertility, that I would get depression from having an abortion,’ all of these things that ultimately are just making them feel shame,” Stuart said.

Stuart highlighted the Abortion Support Collective, based in Victoria, that is made up of doulas and allied health professionals committed to supporting people through their reproductive journeys.

She said the collective can be a great resource for those receiving a surgical procedure. 

“Or, if you want to have someone to advocate for you during an appointment, you can have some of these doulas come with you,” Stuart said.

A wishlist for women’s health care on Vancouver Island

Speakers were asked what would be on their wishlist for women’s health care and what they’d like to see done in the short term.

Speakers highlighted the need for subsidized and supportive housing that allows low-income families to live and meet their needs. Having access to basic care is part of health care, they said. 

The need for better transit options was also a topic that came up amongst panellists and audience members.

Interlandi recalled a recent client of hers who had successfully transitioned out of the House of Honourable Mothers but didn’t have a vehicle and, as a result of the current transit strike, had no way of getting her toddler to the doctor. 

“How is somebody going to get to the hospital? How is somebody going to get to the doctor?” she said. “That’s failing people today, right now.”

Audience members noted that even when transit workers weren’t on strike, options to get around the Cowichan Valley and Vancouver Island are limited — particularly in the evening and at night. This also poses a safety concern for women who don’t have access to a vehicle and may have to walk from place-to-place alone or rely on rides. Audience members said they’d like to see expanded transit options or safe ride options for women.

Suderman said she wants to see a community health centre in the Cowichan Valley where women can receive wraparound care for all of their health needs. She also wants to see more support for youth mental health-care.

While discussing a health centre, Topowroski pointed out that Cowichan Tribes has outgrown the current Ts’ewulhtun Health Centre and hopes it will be replaced soon. Having a centre that houses health services for seniors and youth under one roof would ensure “that we don’t leave anybody behind in our health care,” she said.

MacGregor’s wishlist includes safe, supportive and stable housing, which he considers a crucial primary step before building services around that housing.

To close the event, Interlandi said there needs to be space for people to have tough conversations with those they disagree with. She said if we’re learning anything from what’s happening in America, “there’s some really great organization happening on the right, and we need to be mindful about how we’re not splintering our communities,” she said. 

Health care should be unconditional, she added, “so people don’t owe us healing, and they don’t owe us positive outcomes. Their human right is to receive care.” 

The post Advocates call for wraparound care and community health centre for women in Cowichan appeared first on The Discourse..

By William Crooks

Local Journalism Initiative

The long-awaited restoration of Sherbrooke’s historic armouries is moving ahead, with government officials announcing the launch of the design phase. The project, which has been in the works for nearly a decade, will see the Belvédère Street and William Street Armouries preserved and modernized, while plans for a third facility are also in the works.

The announcement was made by Élisabeth Brière, Minister of Veterans Affairs and MP for Sherbrooke, alongside Marie-Claude Bibeau, MP for Compton-Stanstead, and Honorary Colonel Wilfrid Morin. The event, held in Sherbrooke on March. 19, confirmed that the federal government has signed an agreement to move the project forward.

“Today marks an important milestone in the preservation of our armouries in Sherbrooke,” said Brière. “After four years of hard work alongside reservists, veterans, the city and the Sherbrooke community, I am very proud to have obtained the signature of phase 2 of the project.”

The restoration efforts are part of Canada’s broader defence strategy, aiming to provide reservists with modern, well-equipped infrastructure while maintaining the historical significance of these buildings.

A decade-long battle

The fight to preserve the two historic armouries dates back to 2015, when the possibility of replacing them with a new facility was first discussed. At the time, there was opposition from certain branches of the Department of National Defence (DND), which had proposed a completely new building rather than investing in restoration.

“They would have preferred something new, something functional near the highway, like a Costco,” Bibeau said in an interview after the announcement. “But Sherbrooke has such a rich military history, and these two armouries are an important part of our heritage.”

Bibeau and Brière worked closely with Morin and the “Sauvons les manèges” group to push for the preservation of the existing buildings. The efforts were supported by strong recruitment numbers from Sherbrooke’s reserve units, which are among the most active in Canada.

“Sherbrooke is recognized for being one of the best in Canada in terms of recruitment and responding to calls for action,” Bibeau noted. “When National Defence calls Sherbrooke, we go.”

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L’article Sherbrooke armouries restoration moves forward with design phase announcement est apparu en premier sur Sherbrooke Record.

By William Crooks

Local Journalism Initiative

The Lennoxville Borough Council’s March 18 meeting was short but packed with updates on community events and upcoming projects. With only one resident in attendance, the meeting moved quickly through formalities before borough councillors took the opportunity to share news about local initiatives, including the firefighter memorial and the participatory budget process.

Borough Councillor Jennifer Garfat provided an update on the firefighter memorial project, responding to a question about its timeline. She confirmed that the borough is still waiting for a response from the firefighters’ association regarding a suitable date for the dedication ceremony. “We’re hoping to hear back soon so we can start planning,” she said, adding that the borough aims to hold the event within the next few months.

A key highlight of the meeting was the announcement of the participatory budget presentation, which will take place at the Centre Amédée-Beaudoin on March 31. Residents will have the chance to review and vote on four different projects vying for funding. “For the first time, we have more than two contestants,” a councillor remarked, noting the added element of competition this year. Council members encouraged the public to get involved, emphasizing that votes can be cast in person, online, or at the borough office for those unable to attend on the set date.

In their closing remarks, councillors highlighted several upcoming events in the community. The Lennoxville Library was praised for its recent Canada Reads event, and council members acknowledged the successful return of the Women’s Centre’s International Women’s Day dinner, which hadn’t been held since 2019 due to pandemic disruptions.

Other community activities include the Grace Village book sale running from March 20 to 22, a public consultation on the Nature Plan scheduled for April 16, and a lecture by the Eastern Townships Resource Centre on asbestos and its global impact. Additionally, the Bishop’s University Singers are set to perform multiple shows at the end of the month, and council members recommended purchasing tickets in advance due to high demand.

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L’article Councillors highlight local events and budget process at Lennoxville borough meeting est apparu en premier sur Sherbrooke Record.

B.C. Greens, Conservatives want answers about New Democrats' emergency powers legislation introduced last week.

Toronto police say their homicide unit is investigating after a man was found dead on the University of Toronto campus.

“We’re cold,” said Edward Tapardjuk Sr., during an interview with Nunatsiaq News on Thursday morning.

He said his family’s three-bedroom public housing unit on the southeast side of Igloolik was without heat overnight Wednesday into Thursday afternoon, as the temperature outside dipped to -19 C.

“I tried turning the heat back on last night and there was a huge spark on the furnace and we have not had heat since,” Tapardjuk said.

“I’ve requested to move out of the house for a while now because it’s not safe.”

It’s not the first time his family’s home went cold this winter. A few weeks ago, the furnace was out for three days.

“The heat has gone out just about every week since December,” he said.

However, an unreliable furnace is not the family’s only issue with the house.

There’s the electrical system that “crackles,” a broken door frame that lets in cold air, a toilet off its moorings, a window broken by a neighbour that was patched up three years ago with wood and a garbage bag, and damaged pilings that caused the floor to tilt.

Those are the structural issues Tapardjuk wants fixed, after what he says are years of fruitless complaints to the Igloolik Housing Authority.

Tapardjuk shared evidence of his correspondence with the housing authority dating back to October 2024 with Nunatsiaq News.

A crew works on the power lines next to Edward Tapardjuk’s home in Igloolik Thursday. (Photo courtesy of Edward Tapardjuk Sr.)

And there is also the matter of his $46,000 in rent arrears, according to his bill from the housing authority. Considering the state of the house, he believes he’s being overcharged.

Frustrated with the lack of maintenance on the home and questioning the $1,700 monthly rent he was charged by the housing authority, Tapardjuk said he stopped paying rent five years ago.

As a single parent caring for three sons, Tapardjuk said he had trouble balancing the demands of work and parenting.

He left his job with the local hunters and trappers organization due to stress in September. That led to the housing authority eventually lowering his rent to $675 three weeks ago, he said.

“It should still be a lot less than that because I can’t afford that,” he said.

Tapardjuk and his three sons, who are 16, 20 and 24, moved into the house seven years ago and some of the building’s problems were evident even then, he said.

“It was already in bad shape. It smelled pretty bad and the walls were filthy,” he said.

After viewing photos that showed the repairs needed in the Tapardjuk home on March 10, Donna Crooks, a spokesperson for Nunavut Housing Corp., replied to Nunatsiaq News on March 13 saying the repairs will be undertaken.

“(Nunavut Housing Corp.) is providing support to the Igloolik Housing Authority to resolve the issues that have been identified,” she said.

Crooks declined to comment on Tapardjuk’s tenancy and his rental agreement with the housing authority.

At about 1 p.m. Thursday, a crew including an electrician and an oil burner mechanic arrived to fix the furnace. The heat was back on by 2 p.m.

Otherwise, none of the repairs to the interior of the house or the piling underneath had yet been addressed, Tapardjuk said.

As reports suggest Canada could be headed for a federal election call as soon as Sunday, yesterday's Swift Current Museum Lunch & Learn was an appropriate topic.

Teachers Chris Garner and Riley Sharp spoke about the state of Canada's parliamentary democracy.

"We both want people to just be informed on what this is," Garner said. "What we've been finding even in the media and the echo chamber of Swift Current where we live is people not understanding the Westminster system. We're not wanting you to all of a sudden be gung-ho patriotic loving the system, we just want you to be aware of it so that when you're engaging with materials, you're engaging with it accurately."

As we head into another election Garner noted one threat to our democracy is growing mistrust in government and the electoral process. 

"Even in Canada people do not trust our parliamentary process and our elections," Garner said. "Elections Canada does a wonderful job of informing people of how elections operate. It's a third-party institute that runs it. They go through everything to try and legitimize those elections. They even talk about foreign threats and interference and how they minimize that.

"I think in Canada we do have a strong handle on protecting the integrity of our elections. It's informing the electorate that they should have trust in that system."

He does see some threats to our democracy including trends among youth.

"The youth voter is becoming more and more aligned with autocratic leadership," Garner said. "That could have to do with instant gratification and instant decision-making. As we're seeing down south that kind of leadership can lead to a lot of chaotic changes very quickly. In our system, which is relatively stable, the consensus decision-making model is slow intentionally to try and avoid the chaotic responses we're seeing down south."

Garner feels in a time of growing misinformation and disinformation;

more education and continuing education are always valuable. 

A doctor in The Pas has denied allegations of racism in response to a lawsuit filed by a Cree man who accused the physician of mistaking symptoms of acute appendicitis for a hangover.

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