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CTV News
20 minutes ago
- CTV News
Province to stop funding central Alberta harm reduction centre
The Turning Point Society is a harm reduction centre that has been providing services to Red Deer, Alta., for nearly 40 years. (Turning Point Society/Facebook) A harm reduction centre that has been operating in Red Deer for nearly 40 years said last week the province will no longer fund its services as of Nov. 1. A Facebook post by Turning Point Society on Aug. 13 said the cuts account for the majority of their annual budget, putting the agency at 'serious risk.' 'More importantly, this puts our clients and community at risk, particularly with this transition occurring right before winter hits our city,' said the post. As a result of the funding cuts, several programs will be shut down as of Nov. 1, including the Women's Program, which offers pregnancy and parenting support to women at risk, in poverty and on the streets; Health Promotion, a program that offers harm reduction supply access, referrals and IDs; Test and Treat, which does sexually transmitted blood borne infection testing; and Downtown Drop-In. A statement from the Ministry of Primary and Preventative Health Services said it will transfer services to other providers as staff transition from Alberta Health Services to provincial health agencies. 'A comprehensive transition plan will be established within the upcoming weeks to minimize service disruptions and ensure a smooth transfer to alternate providers, maintaining continuity of care,' said the ministry. Turning Point said it is working on a transition and sustainability plan in hopes that a more supportive solution can be made in recognition of the services it provides. 'We love our clients and this work, and we know the services we provide are unique and irreplaceable,' said Turning Point's Facebook post. 'This agency, the clients and the community at large are affected, and it's time to come together to find solutions.' There is a GoFundMe for Turning Point in hopes of raising $250,000 to keep the agency open. 'Right now, we are focusing on staying open to provide food and shelter for our houseless population during daytime hours in the winter months,' said Turning Point. 'This also gives us time to look for grants and other funding.' Turning Point was established in 1988 as a community-based response to the AIDS crisis in central Alberta. With files from CTV News Edmonton's Destiny Meilleur
CTV News
an hour ago
- CTV News
New training for Sask. pharmacists will allow for medication substitutions
Prescription drugs are seen on shelves at a pharmacy in Montreal on March 11, 2021. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Ryan Remiorz New training in Saskatchewan will allow pharmacists in the province to substitute medications under certain conditions. According to the province, pharmacists will be able make faster adjustments in specific cases, such as supply disruptions or shortages of a prescribed drug, allowing them to prescribe an alternative. 'Pharmacists are trusted, highly skilled health professionals, who, in many communities, are the primary access point for health-care services,' Health Minister Jeremy Cockrill said in the news release. 'Giving pharmacists the ability to prescribe alternative medications means Saskatchewan patients can benefit from more timely and accessible health care.' In addition to supply shortages, pharmacists will also have the ability to prescribe an alternative drug in other cases, including when a drug is withdrawn from the market, if the patient's safety is at risk, or if the patient is unable to take the drug and would benefit from a different one or a different way of taking it. Pharmacists will be required to take the training, meet competency requirements, and follow mandatory guidelines under the Saskatchewan College of Pharmacy Professionals. 'Pharmacists are the health system's medication experts. By expanding pharmacists' scope and enabling them to replace a patient's prescribed medication, the government is increasing health system capacity for Saskatchewan residents,' Pharmacy Association of Saskatchewan CEO Michael Fougere said in the release. Nine other provinces and territories have implemented similar policies, according to the news release. Pharmacists in Saskatchewan were first given the authority to prescribe for four minor ailments in 2012, with that list growing to more than 30 conditions. Saskatchewan College of Pharmacy Professionals
CTV News
4 hours ago
- CTV News
‘Like a ticking time bomb': Saskatoon seeing more cases of Dutch elm disease
The City of Saskatoon is renewing calls for residents to be vigilant in the fight to prevent the spread of Dutch elm disease, after several cases were identified in multiple neighbourhoods across the city. On Monday the City identified positive cases in three elm trees in the Montgomery neighbourhood, two cases in Riversdale, one in Caswell Hill and an unspecified number of cases in City Park and Sutherland. Some cases are near where previous cases have been identified since Saskatoon's first case of Dutch elm disease in 2015. Others are in areas that have been un-affected until now. 'Kind of all over the city, we're seeing it in various places,' said Cate Francis, a parks superintendent with the city's urban forestry division. 'It's likely due to wood being moved around.' Francis said a combination of complacency with ongoing regulations and a lack of understanding from the general public has caused cases to increase over the last number of years. Following a positive case of the disease, the City immediately removes all positive trees and looks for stored elm wood in the immediate area. Samples are collected from symptomatic trees within one kilometre of an infected tree, and staff sweep a one-kilometre radius for any stored wood once a Dutch elm case is confirmed. Despite continued efforts reminding people not to store elm wood, city crews have already destroyed more than 4,000 kilograms of seized wood this summer. 'One log is almost like a ticking time bomb,' Francis said. 'If that fungus that causes Dutch elm disease [is] on that log and elm bark beetles get into that log, they get the fungus on them, and they will fly to nearby healthy trees to feed and transmit that fungus to all of those trees.' Dutch elm disease is caused by a fungus spread by elm bark beetles that breed under the bark of dead or dying elm wood. According to the province's Forest Resources Management Act, potential fines can reach $250,000 for individuals and $1,000,000 for corporations, or imprisonment of up to five years for transporting or storing elm wood. Residents are also encouraged to avoid pruning elm trees from April 1 to August 31, as freshly-cut wood attracts the beetles — but that hasn't stopped the disease from flourishing in recent years. 'What started off as a big Dutch elm disease scare has turned into a Dutch elm disease reality,' says David Kearns with Kearnsy Consulting and Educational Services. Kearns says Saskatoon's urban canopy has become susceptible to certain diseases after years of drought or dry conditions. He adds another factor is the cost of removing a tree. Some trees can be removed for as little at a few hundred dollars while more mature trees could cost $7,000 to remove. Saskatoon began allowing people to dispose of elm wood for free in 2024, but Kearns says many people have a problem seeing a stressed tree in their backyard affecting an entire community or beyond. He says there are thousands of trees across the city that may have to be cut down if the disease continues to spread. 'It's not just a municipal problem, it's everybody's problem,' he said. 'I think a lot of people aren't seeing the connection between the tree in their backyard and the hundreds of thousands, if not tens of millions of dollars the City of Saskatoon is going to be on the hook for controlling this problem.' The city says American elm trees with Dutch elm disease can start showing symptoms as early as June. Typically the leaves will start to wilt and turn yellow, then curl and turn brown.
