How Finance Minister Dominic LeBlanc's life was saved by a 20-year-old German college student
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As the minister responsible for Canada-U.S. Trade, intergovernmental affairs and Prime Minister Mark Carney's 'One Canadian Economy' portfolio, Dominic LeBlanc will face many obstacles in the days and weeks ahead.
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But the veteran Liberal minister is no stranger to a challenge, having overcome a rare form of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma more than five years ago thanks to a stem cell donation from Germany.
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'Two years ago, Jonathan, the brave young man who saved my life, welcomed Jolene (Richard) and me to his family's home town in Germany, Bad Hersefeld,' he posted along with two photos of himself and his wife with the now 26-year-old and his family members.
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'I will cherish this moment and remember his kindness, and that of his family, forever.'
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In April 2019, while overseeing intergovernmental affairs, northern affairs and internal trade under then-prime minister Justin Trudeau, a 51-year-old LeBlanc, feeling particularly unwell, was informed by Moncton doctors he had a 'lethal form' of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma.
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His only chance at survival: 'very aggressive' chemotherapies and a stem cell donation via an allogeneic transplant — obtaining healthy stem cells from a donor who is not identical to the recipient.
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In an interview with DKMS, the German-based international blood science organization that ultimately paired him with Kehl, LeBlanc said it took doctors a few weeks to figure out the 'right recipe of chemotherapy' to get his cancer into remission before referring him to Montreal's Maisonneuve-Rosemont Hospital, a facility renowned for its expertise in hematology and stem cell transplants.
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Globe and Mail
44 minutes ago
- Globe and Mail
Letters to the editor, June 15: ‘U.S. Ambassador Pete Hoekstra claims America is a welcoming place. Really?'
Re 'U.S. envoy says Canadians facing device searches, detainment at border 'not a pattern' ' (Online, June 7): U.S. Ambassador Pete Hoekstra claims 'America is a welcoming place.' Really? Sound hollow to me, coming days after 'Trump bans citizens of 12 countries from entering U.S., citing national security' (June 6). Banned not because of anything an individual might have done, but simply due to their nationality. Eric LeGresley Ottawa Re 'Massive fires burning across Alberta have helped put climate change back on the G7 agenda' (June 12): Senior Trump administration officials employ phrases such as 'secular, woke religion' to describe climate change, part of their justification for gutting environmental regulations. This resembles to me the reactionary part of the Vatican when, in 1633, it tried and condemned Galileo for the heretical view that the Earth is not the centre of the solar system. As contributor Arno Kopecky previously points out ('Canada's air and water at risk as Trump administration guts environmental rules' – Opinion, May 31), carbon dioxide in the atmosphere has increased from 313 parts per million in 1958 to 427 ppm today. A measure of 450 ppm, which we are projected to reach in 2034 or 2035, is associated with 2 C of warming, which is also when scientists anticipate that we will start tripping uncontrollable feedback loops. When we cross our first tipping point, it could well demarcate the beginning of a climate apocalypse that Donald Trump and co. blithely dismiss. Patrick Wolfe Victoria Re ' 'National interest' must not be defined by economic interests alone. It must also reflect the rights of Indigenous peoples' (June 11): What better way to send a message to the U.S. President than to announce at the G7 that Canada's first ministers and Indigenous leadership affirm our commitment to Canada – with a focus on First Nations treaty rights and internal trade. Although some leaders might believe and act otherwise, First Nations treaty rights are constitutionally protected. These rights, which belong as much to you and I as to First Nations peoples, bind us together in ways that make internal trade possible, which trade by itself could never achieve. Otherwise, we'd still be a subsidiary of the Hudson's Bay Company. So why does the Prime Minister seem to be relegating treaty rights to backroom dealings? In response to Donald Trump's insults, they deserve marquee billing. Treaties should not be seen as obstacles to nation-building; they embrace the values which make us a nation, distinct and different from our American cousins. David Roddick Toronto Re 'Bus-only lanes can irritate drivers, but they help city dwellers share limited space' (Opinion, June 7): Please take blame away from the poor Uber drivers and delivery people. And stop with the trope that all bus riders take transit for environmental reasons. We should have more subways in downtown Toronto. We are not in the suburbs of Richmond Hill. What I see are public transit planners who have been horrible at their jobs, and have no choice but to implement a stop-gap measure that will likely destroy urban neighbourhoods. Apologies to Jane Jacobs: They screwed up. Rob Watson Toronto Contributor Jarrett Walker broke the first rule of consulting: Never give great advice away for free. We owe him a debt of gratitude. Advocating for 'transit priority' seems like common sense, but it also fundamentally contravenes what seems to be Doug Ford's 'common sense' belief that cars are God's gift to mankind. Timely, reliable public transportation would be the least expensive way to fight traffic congestion, improve urban living and reduce the impact of climate change. If, as stated, our city planners are aware of the public's reluctance to accept change, then we should get our politicians, and then the motoring public, onside to see that change is indeed common sense. I look forward to a photo op of the Premier getting to work faster on transit than by his car convoy. Len Ashby FCMC, Toronto Re 'Problematic smartphone use resembles a behavioural addiction, researchers say' (June 9): I read this after being without computer access for two days – days filled with failed short-term efforts to read (but the book was interesting the day before), jittering efforts to watch the Blue Jays (where last week it was a settle-in-for-two-hours pleasure), frenetic tidying and searching out recipes (suddenly I'm a neat freak or a cook?) and rummaging through on-demand television offerings. The 1955 Frank Sinatra flick The Man with the Golden Arm appealed. Ab Dukacz Mississauga Re 'Eleven mystery novels for your summer reading list' (Arts & Books, June 7): True confessions: Contributor Margaret Cannon's book reviews are my favourite part of the weekend Globe and Mail. I have been reading and saving them since my retirement 23 years ago. We seem to have a similar affinity for well-plotted murder mysteries. Recently I finished my 1,728th read: Murder your Employer (2023) by Rupert Holmes. (Not on Ms. Cannon's list, I believe; catchy title.) Thanks to Ms. Cannon. She is an inspiration. Edie Lewis Brantford, Ont. Re 'Day of the Jackal thriller writer worked as an informant for MI6″ (Obituary, June 10): I was saddened to read about the death of Frederick Forsyth. It was not only his spy novels that made him a household name in Canada, but also his story of a young British pilot trying to get home for Christmas. The Shepherd will be known to thousands of Canadian families, as it was read by Al Maitland on the CBC every Christmas eve. It has become a part of our family tradition on Dec. 24 to stop everything and be mesmerized by his incredible telling of this Christmas eve story. Andy Thomson Toronto Re 'Sunday morning' (Letters, June 7): A good reverend and letter-writer believes nature is 'God's first scripture' where we may go to find sanctuary. Ever since Victorian times, the Garden of Eden myth has been exploded, leading to some existential despair. In Michel Houellebecq's The Elementary Particles (1998), a character watches a whole host of atrocities play out on a nature documentary every week, leading to his conviction that 'nature, taken as a whole, was a repulsive cesspit.' I often partake in the therapeutic benefits of what the Japanese call shinrin-yoku, or forest bathing. But the 'spirit' involved is likely something very different than we'd like to believe. Luc Bouchet Calgary Letters to the Editor should be exclusive to The Globe and Mail. Include your name, address and daytime phone number. Keep letters to 150 words or fewer. Letters may be edited for length and clarity. To submit a letter by e-mail, click here: letters@
CBC
an hour ago
- CBC
What do you give the King? It could be cufflinks, a car or Indigenous beadwork
Hello, royal watchers. This is your regular dose of royal news and analysis. Reading this online? Sign up here to get this delivered to your inbox. Sometimes, a gift can say as much about the giver as it does about the person on the receiving end. So the list of official gifts to King Charles that was made public the other day by Buckingham Palace — complete with everything from cufflinks to a Rolls Royce — offers its own insights into leaders, countries and individuals who wanted to recognize his coronation or audiences they had with the monarch. Among the gifts are several with a Canadian connection. Many reflect Indigenous culture and heritage, whether they are beaded medallions or a four-volume Indigenous Peoples Atlas of Canada. "It definitely speaks to the great importance of Indigenous culture and history in Canada," Justin Vovk, a royal historian at McMaster University in Hamilton, said in an interview. "It speaks to a recognition that Canadian culture and Canada's relationship with the monarchy … cannot happen without the inclusion and the acknowledgement of our Indigenous history. "I think it also speaks to the respect that the King has for Indigenous history and Canada's Indigenous people. I feel like those gifts on a personal level would mean more to him than, 'Oh look, another Maple Leaf pen or another bottle of maple syrup.'" When Charles was in Canada last month to deliver the speech from the throne, he began with a land acknowledgment. "This land acknowledgement is a recognition of shared history as a nation," he said. "While continuing to deepen my own understanding, it is my great hope that in each of your communities, and collectively as a country, a path is found toward truth and reconciliation, in both word and deed." The gift list released by Buckingham Palace covers items received in 2023, including the Rolls Royce from the King of Bahrain; and cufflinks, photographs, letters and a jar of honey produced by White House bees from the U.S. president of the day, Joe Biden, and his wife, Jill. While there are extensive rules around the receipt of royal gifts, in general, they ultimately become part of the Royal Collection. The Rolls Royce Cullinan Series II motor car — valued in the British media at 300,000 pounds (about $550,000 Cdn) — was a coronation gift from Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, the king of Bahrain. Judith Rowbotham, a social and cultural scholar and visiting research professor at the University of Plymouth in southwestern England, suggests the gift says "a great deal" about the country giving it. Bahrain is noted for its lavishness, she said in an interview. "To have sent something like a jar of honey would have been humiliating for them." But for the United States, other factors could be at play. "With a [country] like the U.S., where there are real protocols about public expenditure on gifts of this kind of nature, you could expect something such as honey," said Rowbotham. "And the interesting thing is that honey, of course, lasts forever, so it can sit in the Royal Collection." As for the cufflinks from the Bidens, Rowbotham suggests they could come out on Charles's wrists when he's on official duties that have an American connection. "A state visit to the U.S. or U.S. state visit to the U.K., it could well be that King Charles will choose to wear his coronation gift cufflinks, because they will be there as objects to be used as part of the Royal Collection." During an audience with Charles in November 2023, Natan Obed, president of Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami, gave the King the four-volume Indigenous Peoples Atlas of Canada and a lidded wicker basket. Other gifts to Charles include items from retired Canadian astronaut Chris Hadfield, who met with the King in February 2023 to discuss sustainability in space. Hadfield gave the King a lunar policy handbook and a small 3D-printed model of an astronaut. Four months later, Hadfield gave Charles a copy of his book The Defector during a reception with global leaders on space sustainability. "I think there's probably a desire there for the novelty of it. What do you bring a person who's received virtually any kind of gift you can imagine?" Vovk said. "Well, probably something simple and unique with a personal touch." More recently, the government of Canada made a $50,000 donation to the King's Trust Canada, a national charity focused on youth opportunities, in honour of the visit by King Charles and Queen Camilla to Ottawa in May. "The government of Canada's donation is part of a longstanding tradition of recognizing visits or tours by members of the Royal Family with a meaningful gesture," it says on its website. The donation, Vovk said, is a way in which the Canadian government can show its support for what the monarchy does in a non-partisan way. "It's a way of contributing capital that will be used to promote shared values." Gifts from Commonwealth countries are "pretty much always" intended for use and display, Rowbotham said. There's a practicality to them, she said, and the Canadian government's recent donation is in keeping with that spirit. "You're not giving something to show off. You're giving something which has a legacy effect, and a legacy effect which in particular benefits the King as King of Canada." Getting ready for Prince Edward As a Canadian Armed Forces captain a decade ago, Chris Michaud recalls feeling anxious as he anticipated meeting his regiment's colonel in chief for the first time. Now, as commanding officer of the Prince Edward Island Regiment, Lt.-Col. Michaud is anticipating a similar feeling as he meets Prince Edward again later this month. "I can remember when I first met him myself 10 years ago and being nervous," Michaud said in an interview. "I expect to be nervous … when he arrives to greet him again and to welcome him to the regiment." Edward, the Duke of Edinburgh, will be on Prince Edward Island on June 25 as the unarmoured reserve regiment marks its 150th anniversary. Several events are planned over the two and a half days Edward is on the island. WATCH | Prince Edward visits the Prince Edward Island Regiment in 2015: Prince Edward inspects P.E.I. Regiment troops. 10 years ago Duration 0:56 "For us, it's a momentous opportunity," Michaud said. "We're small and this is an opportunity to celebrate the island's military history, its contribution to Canada, to peace operations, to [its] service in war as well…. "To have our colonel in chief to join us … on behalf of the soldiers, I can say it's a huge, huge honour and privilege to be able to welcome His Royal Highness to our birthday celebrations." Michaud said events planned by the regiment include a focus on priorities for Edward: the arts, Indigenous culture and youth. There will also be a royal regimental ball, a breakfast with serving members and a freedom of the city parade, something Charlottetown hasn't seen in almost 40 years. "For us, it's a huge opportunity to engage with the community as well because usually the only time that the island community … sees us is on Remembrance Day, so they'll have an opportunity to see us in a different light," said Michaud. Following Edward's time on Prince Edward Island, he will be, according to the Royal Diary, in Toronto on June 28 and Ottawa on Canada Day, July 1. Edward — in his role as chair of the Duke of Edinburgh's International Award — will also attend two youth development forums. One is in Charlottetown on June 26 and the other in Toronto on July 2. The forums will focus on efforts to integrate skills-focused experiences into public education. Edward's "presence highlights the global significance of Canada's efforts to lead in education innovation and youth development," the Duke of Edinburgh's International Award — Canada, said in a media release Thursday. Vovk says Edward's visit, coming right after King Charles's first official visit to Canada as monarch, will have a more official tone, and the fact that Edward will be here on Canada Day, and in Toronto and Ottawa, seems "particularly strategic." "The Duke of Edinburgh would not be able to be coming on an official visit, let alone be in the largest city in Canada, and the capital on Canada Day, without the government's invitation," Vovk said. "There is part of me that does wonder if because the King's [24-hour] visit was just so lightning fast, if this is the more comprehensive state visit that we've sort of been waiting for." Rowbotham also looks at the length of the trip — a week — and sees it as perhaps something of a makeup for visits that were called off last year, when both King Charles (after his cancer diagnosis) and Princess Anne (after an injury involving an incident with a horse) were unable to come to Canada. Edward and his wife, Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh, have made numerous visits — separately and together — to Canada since they were married in 1999. Many have been lower-profile, working visits, when they spend time with groups, organizations and regiments with which they are affiliated. "They are the members of the Royal Family that visit Canada most often and they have clearly taken that on. They clearly love Canada," Rowbotham said. Edward and Sophie, Anne and Charles enjoy their time in the country, she said. "You can see that in the body language. You can see that in the commitment. I mean the King was dressing himself up as King of Canada symbolically, body language, the speeches, his words. It was an absolute affirmation of his commitment to his role as King of Canada." William's appeal for the ocean Prince William's profile on the international stage has been on the rise, and he was back there the other day, delivering a speech urging the world to "act together with urgency" to protect oceans. "They need our help," he told the Blue Economy and Finance Forum in Monaco on World Oceans Day. "Rising sea temperatures, plastic pollution and overfishing are putting pressure on these fragile ecosystems, and on the people and communities who depend most upon them." The speech in the presence of leaders such as French President Emmanuel Macron is in keeping with William's interest in conservation and environmental issues. And it is in keeping with an interest that goes back a couple of generations in his family. It's "very much within the tradition" of his grandfather, Prince Philip, as well as his father, King Charles, said Rowbotham. "It was Prince Philip who ensured that his son and then his grandsons should have a consciousness of environmental issues," she said. "Prince Philip choosing to involve himself with the World Wildlife Fund was considered to be an almost embarrassing departure by many traditional courtiers back in the 1950s and 1960s." William is personally passionate about such issues, Rowbotham said. "That interest, that investment, personal as well as official investment, bears a very strong mark not just of his family heritage, but also the way in which figures, notably [broadcaster] David Attenborough, have been invited into royal circles to advise, to guide, to warn." Ahead of World Oceans Day, a video was released of a conversation between William and Attenborough, whose recently released film Ocean looks at the vast but fragile underwater world. William's oceanic interest spills into his personal life, Rowbotham said, noting that he takes his family to walk along the underpopulated beaches of the eastern England county of Norfolk, where "you have the chance to walk along and see day by day what the sea has washed up." "Those are not really 'having fun' and 'building sandcastle' beaches," said Rowbotham. "Those are beaches where you walk along and you pick up interesting stones, where you see various forms of marine life washed up." Other natural life was the focus of attention later this past week from William, who is Duke of Cornwall, as he launched a plan to restore peatlands and promote sustainable farming on the Duchy of Cornwall's Dartmoor estate. "Dartmoor is a magnificent and complex ecosystem — the balance between nature and people has evolved for thousands of years to shape the landscape we recognize today," William said in the forward to the plan. "To keep Dartmoor special, we must respond to the twin challenges of global warming and the requirement to restore nature, while ensuring the communities on Dartmoor can thrive." Royally quotable "Some of them might not want to see you that much. It's a mixed bag sometimes.'" — Prince William, as he joked that family can be something of a "mixed bag" when he spoke to soldiers at an army air field. Royal reads Crowds cheered as King Charles and Queen Camilla attended the Trooping the Colour parade to mark the monarch's official birthday. At the King's request, there were marks of respect to remember the victims of the Air India crash, with the Royal Family in the parade wearing black armbands. [BBC] Charles was praised for his "faultless" firing technique after using an artillery gun during a visit to the home of the Royal Artillery. [BBC] When it comes to marking her 75th birthday year, Princess Anne had only one request — to host as many charities as possible for a special gathering at Buckingham Palace. [Daily Mail] David Beckham, the former England soccer captain, has described being knighted in King Charles's most recent honours list as "truly humbling." [ITV] Prince Harry and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, explored the idea of changing their family name to Spencer amid repeated delays by British officials to issue passports for their children, the Guardian has been told. Meghan posted a video of her dancing while pregnant with Princess Lilibet four years ago to mark her daughter's birthday. [BBC]
CBC
an hour ago
- CBC
Despite 'massive shift' towards smoking over injection, Ontario has only 1 supervised drug inhalation space
Advocates and researchers say Ontario is far behind when it comes to protecting the growing number of drug users in the province who are choosing to inhale opioids rather than inject them. "We know what we need to help support people who smoke their drugs — and we've been really, really behind the curve on it," said Gillian Kolla, an assistant professor of medicine at Memorial University, who studies drug use across Canada. Data shared with CBC Toronto last week from the Ontario Office of the Chief Coroner shows that in 2024, just four per cent of deadly opioid overdoses are thought to have been caused by injection alone — down from 20 per cent in 2018. That's the opposite trajectory of the statistics for inhalation alone, which are thought to be responsible for 40 per cent of last year's fatal overdoses — up from 18 per cent in 2018. Though Kolla cautioned that the coroner's data has some uncertainty baked in, since about half of overdose fatalities are listed as having no evidence at all as to what consumption method was used, she said the growing move toward inhalation has been a clear trend in Canada for years. Opioid toxicity deaths in Ontario where inhalation was the only mode of use nearly doubled between 2017 and 2021, according to a study carried out by Kolla and academic colleagues. "We have multiple sources of data that are telling us about this," she told CBC Toronto. "We can see it when we talk to harm reduction programs which distribute equipment to people who use drugs," Kolla said. "And when we talk to people who use drugs about how their use is changing, they are also talking about how they have been moving more towards smoking." Ontario's only supervised inhalation booth The growing need for safer ways to inhale drugs has long been obvious to Joanne Simons, Casey House CEO. Her specialty Toronto hospital, which serves people who have HIV or are at risk of it, runs the province's only supervised inhalation booth, installed in 2021. "It's a very simple setup," Simons said of the small room. "There isn't anything super technical about it other than a very powerful fan that is venting any of the smoke outside of the building." She said the hospital decided to open the booth in the first place because clientele were requesting it, and that since then, about 80 per cent of the people who arrive to use supervised consumption services at Casey House are choosing to inhale over inject. "We're thinking about doing a second one because the need is so great," said Simons, describing the move toward smoking as a "massive shift." Ontario's 2019 consumption and treatment services plan, which approved 15 supervised consumption sites in the province, did not include funding for inhalation booths. At a price tag that Simons estimates around $50,000, that means only supervised consumption services that can solicit private funding and donations — like Casey House — can foot the bill to build one. "Since we've installed it, we have had consistent interest from [other health centres] across the country, in terms of what it does," said Simons. "I think the barrier to entry actually is the funds." The government "does not and will never support the use of illicit drugs in public spaces," said a spokesperson for Ontario Health Minister Sylvia Jones in a statement. "Our focus is on connecting people struggling with addictions challenges to treatment and recovery, not giving them the tools to use toxic, illegal drugs," Ema Popovic said via email. The safety question A couple of kilometres south of Casey House, at the MAP Centre for Urban Health Solutions in St. Michael's Hospital in downtown Toronto, Dr. Ahmed Bayoumi has been examining the health implications of the shift towards inhalation. The researchers and advocates that spoke to CBC Toronto for this story all said that part of what's been driving changing habits is the belief among people who use drugs that it's safer. So, is it? When it comes to the risks posed by needles specifically, Bayoumi says inhalation would "clearly be safer" since it dodges the possibility of infection via dirty equipment. The risk of overdose may also be lower, he said. "There is some evidence that … the rate at which the drugs accumulate in the blood is slower with smoking than it is with injecting, which allows people to control the amount of drug that they're taking in more precisely," said Bayoumi. Shifting provincial policy Calls to fund safe inhalation sites have been ongoing since Liberal Kathleen Wynne was premier in the mid 2010s, said Zo ë Dodd, co-organizer of the Toronto Overdose Prevention Society. Dodd said her organization set up a supervised inhalation tent in Moss Park in 2017, where they operated unsanctioned for a year. Eventually, they moved indoors and had to give up the tent. "We saw thousands of people through that service. And we reversed many, many overdoses within that tent itself," she said, adding that now, she and other harm reduction workers have to run outside when they're alerted to an inhalation overdose. This spring, Doug Ford's government closed nine supervised drug consumption sites and transitioned them into HART Hubs, their new concept for treating addiction and homelessness. The province invested over $500 million to build 28 HART Hubs across the province, according to the health minister's spokesperson. "HART Hubs will reflect regional priorities, providing community-based, life-saving services including mental health and addiction care, primary care, social and employment services," Popovic said.
