This sports-filled activity day is encouraging girls to stay active
Fillactive, a non-profit that aims to reverse the trend of teenage girls quitting sports, organized the event in Montreal's Maisonneuve Park. The hope is that even more girls can see the benefits of physical activity while feeling good about themselves.
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CBC
29 minutes ago
- CBC
Soldiers from N.B. serving near Russia return home to increased defence spending
Another six-month rotation of Canadian soldiers in Latvia is coming to an end, and two soldiers from New Brunswick will be among the troops coming home to the news that Canada is increasing and accelerating investments in defence. Lt.-Col. Jacques Pinard and Chief Warrant Officer Jean Sebastien Morin have both been serving among the 2,000 Canadian troops stationed in Latvia, where they're defending the eastern flank of NATO. Based at Camp Adazi, about an hour's drive from the Russian border, they're tasked with protecting a population that lives in a state of vigilance. "There are cameras on every corner," Pinard said. "You can't go anywhere in Latvia without being recorded. And it's accepted by the Latvian public that this is just a thing that's there to provide safety for everyone." The war between Ukraine and Russia is never far from their thoughts, he said. "For instance, drones that are flying around, those are taken very seriously if they haven't been approved prior to having them up in the air, so that is very tightly controlled," Pinard said. On Monday, Prime Minister Mark Carney pledged an extra $9 billion this fiscal year to strengthen existing and emerging military capabilities. That includes money to accelerate recruitment. The goal is to bring the Canadian Armed Forces to 71,500 regular and 30,000 primary reserve members by 2030. That's an increase of 13,000 members. Military personnel will also get pay raises. Some new hires may find themselves in Latvia, where Canada's commitment has no end date. The first 100 Canadian soldiers arrived there in 2017, and now Canada leads an international brigade, supported by 14 countries, including NATO's newest member, Sweden. Less than a year after joining NATO, Sweden sent hundreds of troops to join the battle group in February. Soldiers focused on improving health care Providing health care on site is part of Canada's growing responsibility in Latvia. A multidisciplinary health-care team that includes doctors, nurses, a dental team, social workers, physiotherapists and a pharmacy, is expected to expand. "We're definitely looking after a much larger group of individuals from different nations," Morin said in his role as the regimental sergeant major for the multinational medical units. He said Canada is also working to increase its ability to provide medical care to soldiers in the field. "The medical capacity we're trying to build is, well, I would put it as bringing health care as far forward as possible in the battle space," he said. "We will definitely bring everything to where it needs to be and strategically placed so we can ensure the personnel who are injured have the best chance of survival." The Canadians have been leading various military practice exercises, including a simulated response to mass casualty events. New investment good for morale Canada's new spending is sure to benefit all Canadian military bases and boost troop morale, said Christian Leuprecht, a professor at the Royal Military College of Canada. "The prime minister's announcement specifically mentions armoured vehicle and artillery pieces, both of which the Canadian Armed Forces are desperately short on, and are in high demand at [CFB] Gagetown," Leuprecht said from Riga, Latvia, where he's attending a NATO conference on strategic communications. Meanwhile, as long as conflict prevails in Ukraine, Leuprecht said, it's less likely that Russia will have the capacity to focus its aggression elsewhere. That could change quickly, however, if the fighting stops, he said. "If [Putin] sets his sights on a country, chances are it's going to be one of the three smallest countries in the alliance, that being Estonia, Latvia or Lithuania," Leuprecht said. "And Latvia is the country that has the largest Russian-speaking minority and the direct border. So it has always been a very high risk place." It will take several flights over the next few weeks to repatriate Canadian soldiers who are winding up their deployment. Pinard said he'll be returning to New Brunswick to pick up his family and move them to Edmonton. Morin said he hopes to visit family in northern New Brunswick. Neither could be reached for comment on the new spending announcement. A media relations officer at the Department of National Defence was unable to say how the pledge to bring defence spending up to the NATO target of two per cent of Canada's gross domestic product will impact the mission in Latvia, called Operation Reassurance.
CBC
29 minutes ago
- CBC
Province will spend $6.5M to keep paramedic, EMT graduates in N.B.
Social Sharing The province has announced a $6.5-million bursary program for paramedic and emergency medical technician students that train in New Brunswick and commit to working in the province. The program will be available to current and future students until March 2026. To be eligible, paramedics must sign a two-year agreement and emergency medical technicians will need to sign a one-year agreement. Students will then be reimbursed in two payments — the first when they finish school and the second when they complete their "return-of-service" agreement. Craig Dalton, the CEO of EM/ANB Inc., previously known as Ambulance New Brunswick, said the funding will address current staffing shortages and, in turn, reduce the pressure on staff. "The reality of serving today … is that doing what they do in a system that has been beset with staffing shortages is a challenge and it takes a toll," Dalton said. The funding will cover the full cost of training for 273 paramedics and 39 EMT students. Of the paramedics, 75 are currently enrolled and up to 198 would start training in the 2025-26 academic year. WATCH | Reimbursement will help work-life balance, Ambulance N.B. CEO says: Paramedic, EMT students to get tuition money back if they work in N.B. 2 hours ago Duration 2:10 New Brunswick is putting $6.5 million into a tuition reimbursement fund for paramedic and emergency medical technician students who promise to work in the province after they graduate. Health Minister John Dornan said the province is "down by about 200" staff and this recruitment effort will help create a "more comfortable working environment." "We need to have more paramedics and EMTs on the road and this initiative will help ensure there's a pipeline of trained professionals training here to help fulfil current and future vacancies," Dornan said. Dalton said staffing struggles are "like any other health-care profession." "It's been that way for five plus years. So, it's a challenge to get that very small group of talent, and this is a huge tool in our toolbox to be able to do that," he said. Dornan said the role of paramedics is evolving, and the services they provide continue to expand. "It's tougher to be a paramedic today than it was 20 years ago," said Dornan, a doctor and former Horizon Health CEO. He said paramedics are able to put tubes into people's lungs and defibrillate patients in the ambulance. He said the province is also working to allow paramedics to give "clot busters" in the ambulance to help people survive heart attacks. "The ability, the tools that paramedics can use now are way more than they were in the past and they want this, they're asking us to let them do more." In the future, he said paramedics will be "very integrated" with the province's collaborative care teams. "Sometimes a paramedic will come to your door and you might not need to go to the hospital," Dornan said. Dalton said seven additional ambulance units will be introduced across the province this year, "in areas where we are particularly stressed with the services." Ambulance New Brunswick will also work with the province to rethink how units are dispatched. "My message is the system needs to evolve as the environment evolves, and I'm confident that we're doing that," Dalton said. Rebecca Bird has been a paramedic for three years and loves her job, despite it being difficult at times. She attended the announcement in Moncton and is glad the province is helping students. She said she would've liked the same opportunity during her training. According to Medavie HealthEd's website, the 50-week primary care paramedic program costs approximately $21,000. Bird looks forward to having more staff in the province to improve the lives of current staff. "It's really going to help staff our trucks, ensure that we're getting off on time … we're going to be able to help our other colleagues with covering what needs to be covered and hopefully giving us that work-life balance that we desperately need." According to a news release from the province, the program covers training offered by Omni Life Support Training & Consulting, Medavie HealthEd, Oulton College and Collège communautaire du Nouveau-Brunswick. Dornan didn't say whether the province would renew the bursary program, but said they would "evaluate" its value.
CBC
36 minutes ago
- CBC
Mooseheads asking city for $1.6M to expand Dartmouth training facility
The Halifax Mooseheads are asking Halifax regional council for up to $1.625 million to expand the training facility they lease at the RBC Centre in Dartmouth. Mooseheads general manager Cam Russell and Elizabeth Powell of architecture firm Fathom Studio outlined plans for a proposed 4,700-square-foot addition at a standing committee meeting on Wednesday. They said the project at the municipally owned centre would benefit both the team and the public. Russell, who has been with the Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League organization for 25 years, told the committee the current training facility is challenging to use. "Our gym isn't big enough, we have to work out in two or three different groups," he said. "We have a lounge that only seats three to four players. We don't have a wellness area that would be good for the kids, for their mental health and their well-being." Russell told the committee a state-of-the-art facility would enhance the Mooseheads' ability to attract top talent, putting the team on the same level as NCAA teams, universities and colleges. Russell said the proposed expansion would include a high-performance gym equipped with hockey-specific training gear, a 21-metre turf training track, and a dedicated shooting room for skill development, which he said would be a first in the QMJHL. The plans would also incorporate a sauna, steam room and cold plunge recovery area, a more spacious player lounge and a publicly accessible, barrier-free washroom. The timeline for the project is about six months for the design and eight months for construction, said Powell, the project architect. Russell said the Mooseheads are asking the municipality to fund the construction of the building shell, while the team would cover interior costs and remain the exclusive tenant of the training facility. The Mooseheads' current lease, set to expire next year, costs the team about $45,000 annually, he said. Coun. Patty Cuttell said while she understood the need for the expansion, she had concerns about the municipality paying for a space for the exclusive use of a privately owned franchise. "If we build this, what's the cost recovery through the lease?" she asked. Maggie MacDonald, the executive director of parks and recreation, recommended a staff report to examine the financial implications, the assessment of public good, and potential cost recovery mechanisms. Cuttell said she would be willing to ask for a staff report once she examined the motion in greater detail.
