Pearl Mamakwa, wife of Ontario NDP deputy leader Sol Mamakwa, dies
The speaker of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario, Donna Skelly, extended heartfelt sympathies for the Kiiwetinoong MPP through an Instagram post Sunday evening.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Edmonton Journal
7 hours ago
- Edmonton Journal
Saturday's letters: Secret research on puppies horrifies
Article content I just finished reading the article in your Aug. 7th paper about the use of dogs in a secret research lab and I am totally aghast. I had no idea that this inhumane research was still being done in Canada. Thankfully, a couple of whistleblowers were able to get the information out even though staff is warned never to speak to anyone about this, even to people they work with unless they are in the facility. Article content Article content Article content The image in my mind of a dog, motionless after a procedure, whimpering in a cage with no bed, is a nightmare. And to top it off, Frank Prato, the founder of the Lawson Imaging Research Program, has received $500,000 in grants since 2020 from Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (publicly funded through federal tax dollars). Article content Article content A few years ago, my husband drove me to the Misericordia after I was experiencing disorientation and confusion. I left the emergency room, without having any care, after an eight-hour wait. This scenario is far too common and is frankly, disgusting. In 2023, Danielle Smith promised to build a new, state-of-the art hospital in the Ellerslie area. Now, she claims there's no money in the budget to continue with construction, even though the land had already been purchased by the NDP. Article content Article content The billions of dollars in the Alberta Heritage Fund can easily pay for a new hospital and other infrastructure needs. Smith seems to have her own petty agenda and is not working for the people of this province. It seems she and Trump a have a lot in common. Article content Where was I when the traffic laws became a joke? It's deadly out there folks. Buses, trucks and cars stream through red lights like we are a Third World country. Stop signs are an absolute joke in Edmonton and be wary if it is a four-way stop because one of the four drivers gambles that the other three will actually be stopping as they blast through. Article content Ever been tailgated? The posted speed is irrelevant, be it 40, 60, 70 or a hundred. The self-entitled, self-important drivers don't care about safety, the law or you. Crosswalks, watch out and make yourself very seen. Vehicles with modified mufflers, yikes! Where was I when traffic laws became discretionary? Oh, let's change the insurance statutes. That will help, not.
Winnipeg Free Press
10 hours ago
- Winnipeg Free Press
A long-standing problem needs a Plan B
Opinion In his column Public patience wearing thin waiting for NDP health fix of Aug. 1, Tom Brodbeck outlines the NDP failure to address the health care 'disaster' the Conservatives left behind. His criticism is unfair to both parties. There were significant problems in Manitoba's health care system for years before Brian Pallister was elected in 2016 and before Gary Doer in 1999 and so on. Serious problems in surgical capacity, emergency roo, wait times and primary care access, among others, continue to this day — just like they do in every other province, no matter which party is in power. David Foot's 1996 book 'Boom, Bust and Echo' outlined the impact the baby boom generation has had at various life stages on education, housing, employment and health care and how Canada has largely been reactive rather than proactive in dealing with it. The median baby boomer turns 70 this year and with a 15 year life expectancy, aging Boomers' extensive, and expensive health care needs will continue to be a major challenge until at least 2040. Waiting for the Boomers to die off isn't much of a plan. Tossing money at the health care problems hasn't worked — there hasn't been enough money and won't be in the future, given deteriorating economic conditions and government debt at the national and provincial levels. Mr. Brodbeck's Aug. 6, 2025 column NDP, living in fiscal fantasy world, must face reality accurately describes the dilemma we face. Restructuring the health care system and bureaucracy hasn't worked either. The seemingly never-ending reorganizations give the appearance of taking action but in the end, most have produced marginal net improvements, or worse. A shortage of doctors in Canada has been part of the problem since the 1990s when all governments in Canada agreed to restrict medical school enrolments as part of a deliberate strategy to reduce the number of doctors (which was intended to reduce health care costs). We have never fully recovered from that mistake. However, positive changes are being implemented to make better use of doctors' time, including the introduction of virtual appointments, increased use of technology (e.g. AI note-taking during patient visits) and initiatives to reduce the administrative work required of doctors (e.g. eliminating most 'doctor's notes'). The creation of Minor Illness and Injury Clinics has diverted some patients from doctors' offices and ERs. The clinics are excellent and more are needed. But it will take years to obtain and, as importantly, retain more doctors especially in the areas of practice and locations where they are needed most. Fortunately, pharmacists, nurses, paraprofessionals, technologists, clinical assistants, physician assistants and others have extensive training, plus an interest in and aptitude for health care. Expanding the medical work these groups do can free up doctors for work that cannot be downloaded to others. While voters are clear that they want the problems in the health care system resolved, they reject any solutions that involve privatization and in doing so, work against their own interests. The question is not whether there will be private health care. It already exists — 30 per cent of health care costs in Canada are paid by patients or private insurance companies. Private health care has evolved differently in each province in the absence of a coherent national policy with for example, some types of surgeries provided in private clinics in various provinces but not others. In Manitoba, it can take over a year to get joint replacement surgery leaving patients in pain and with limited mobility for a lengthy period of time. The delay can cause or exacerbate clinical depression, chemical dependency and musculoskeletal issues arising from prolonged periods of restricted movement. We should not allow that to become the standard of treatment that a patient just has to accept. Mr. Brodbeck is correct when he suggests a need for benchmarks of service. But for benchmarks to be meaningful, there must be a Plan B. So the question really should be this: 'If the delay in providing service in the public system is serious enough, will we use private health care to alleviate patient pain and suffering?' A Plan B that involves a commitment to use out of province and even out of country medical services at government expense is required — regardless of whether those services are provided by the public or private sector in that jurisdiction. To be clear, this is not a slippery slope on the way to privatization. We can have it both ways. A public system with a stop-gap measure that may involve the private sector if required is part of humane treatment of patients. It does not undermine Canadians commitments to public health care. Robert Pruden writes from Winnipeg.
Vancouver Sun
19 hours ago
- Vancouver Sun
B.C. Conservatives demand government help residents whose homes now valued at $2
The B.C. Conservatives are calling on the NDP government to revisit a decision not to provide financial aid to Chilliwack River Valley residents whose homes are now valued at $2 because of increased landslide risk. In a news release, the Conservatives demanded the government release internal records and explain why protecting a road was worth millions in 2009, but protecting people today is worth just $2. The Conservatives pointed to a recent Postmedia investigation that revealed the province spent $2.25 million to buy out two landslide-threatened properties in Chilliwack Lake Road, one in 2009 and another in 2011. Start your day with a roundup of B.C.-focused news and opinion. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. A welcome email is on its way. If you don't see it, please check your junk folder. The next issue of Sunrise will soon be in your inbox. Please try again Interested in more newsletters? Browse here. But today, six families in the same area face similar risks but have been denied all compensation or support , noted the Conservatives. The properties have been valued at $2 by the B.C. Assessment Authority, as reported earlier by Postmedia. 'You can't live in the home, you can't fix it, you're told to keep paying the mortgage, and then they have the audacity to offer you two dollars. What does that say about this government's priorities?' said Á'a:líya Warbus, the Conservative MLA for Chilliwack-Cultus Lake and Opposition House Leader. The six Chilliwack River Valley property owners were refused financial help from the province after their homes were classified as unsafe to live in following heavy rains from an atmospheric river in November 2021 that caused billions in damage in B.C. and killed five people. The province has said no financial assistance was available because their homes were not actually damaged. But Warbus said the B.C. government is hiding behind claims of technical policy advice instead of showing compassionate leadership. She explained the Conservatives would like to see all correspondence on the government's decision, including how it was elevated, through which ministry or ministries, the basis for the decision, and how it was communicated. To the residents, it feels like nobody cares, said Warbus. Chris Rampersad, one of the six homeowners, said the increasing attention on their plight is helpful. 'The problem can't be ignored any longer, and the government can't say the case is closed. Some of the answers from government contradict their own policies,' said Rampersad, who continues to pay a mortgage on a home he can't live in. Macklin McCall, the Conservative critic for emergency management, added the province is dodging its duty to protect and represent people. He noted that other provinces offer buyouts and British Columbians deserve the same. 'This isn't the first time the NDP has ignored its responsibilities. It's a pattern,' said McCall. 'Instead, we're watching the government pass the buck while families are left stranded, again.' In Postmedia's reporting, the province has not responded to questions about why it does not have a provincial buyout program. Other provinces have bought homes at risk from floods and slides, including in Alberta, Quebec, New Brunswick and Newfoundland. The B.C. Emergency Management Ministry has said buyouts are the responsibility of municipal and regional governments. But the Union of B.C. Municipalities has said local governments do not have the revenue to take on such costs or risks. Trish Mandewo, the president of the Union of B.C. Municipalities, said earlier that since attention had been brought to this issue it is clear there is a policy gap that needs to resolved because climate change means landslides and other natural hazard risks are only going to increase. ghoekstra@
