Latest news with #CBCKitchener-Waterloo
Yahoo
10 hours ago
- Health
- Yahoo
'Leave them alone': Expert shares how to stay safe after rabid bats found in Brantford, Centre Wellington
A rabid bat found at a Brantford daycare last week has renewed concerns about bat-related rabies exposure in southern Ontario. One child and one staff member came into contact with the infected bat, prompting a public health investigation and a temporary closure of the daycare. It reopened this week. In Centre Wellington, a person began precautionary treatment for potential exposure last week after a rabid bat was found there. Public health officials for Wellington-Dufferin-Guelph said bat-related incidents are on the rise this year. The number of investigations public health conducted last year related to bats was 47. So far for this year, that number is up to 61 bat-related investigations. While cases of human rabies are rare, experts warn that bats are a common carrier of the virus and that even small bites or scratches can pose a serious risk if not treated. To better understand how people can protect themselves and prevent bats from entering their homes, CBC Kitchener-Waterloo's Joe Pavia spoke to Brock Fenton, a biology professor emeritus at Western University. This interview has been edited for length and clarity. Joe Pavia: Should humans be afraid of bats? Brock Fenton: I would say instead of saying 'Don't be afraid of them' [just] leave them alone, don't handle them. So if you're somewhere out and a bat comes over, don't handle it. And if it's in your grandmother's bedroom, put on your ski glove before you grab it, something that the bat can't bite through. Rabies is spread by biting. Rabid animals, including bats, have the rabies virus in their bloodstream. If their blood gets into your bloodstream, that's bad news. Joe Pavia: How does a bat become rabid? Brock Fenton: We don't know for sure. I think that bats certainly spread it among themselves and that's probably where it comes from. Joe Pavia: How can people prevent bats from entering their home? Brock Fenton: If it's the occasional stray bat, there's probably not very much you can do about it. It's like trying to keep squirrels out of your garden, right? But if you've got bats living in your attic, you should take steps to get rid of them. That means getting in touch with somebody who does animal control. What they do is they block up the openings the bats would use. So if you've got a bedroom or bathroom and you have a fan, but there's no screen on it, that immediately allows the bat to get in because bats don't have the equipment to make openings. They have to use existing openings. Joe Pavia: Are bat boxes effective? Brock Fenton: Its pretty hard to tell what bats like as a place to live. I've put up lots of bat boxes but I've never had any move into them. I suspect they're much choosier about their real estate. Joe Pavia: Why are bats so important to the ecosystem? Brock Fenton: They occur pretty much everywhere in the world. They consume a lot of insects because most of them are insect eaters. All of the Canadian species are insect eaters. In the tropics, bats also pollinate plants, so they're also important in agriculture. My great love of bats just has to do with the fact that they're so lovely as a teaching animal. There's so much about them we don't know and people are usually intrigued by things they don't know. So that can keep you going for your whole career, and you're still learning new things about bats. There's all these things about bats that make them interesting and intriguing. Rabies is a sort of an unpleasant side effect. LISTEN | Bats, southwestern Ontario's other pollinator:
CBC
13-04-2025
- Politics
- CBC
Here's when local federal candidates will join CBC K-W's The Morning Edition for panel discussions
Voters go to the polls in this federal election on April 28 and to help inform local voters, CBC Kitchener-Waterloo's The Morning Edition will be hosting candidate panels. The candidates of the four parties with MPs in the House of Commons are invited to take part. Here's when to tune in to hear your local candidates: Guelph: Wednesday, April 16. Cambridge: Thursday, April 17. Kitchener Centre: Tuesday, April 22. Kitchener-Conestoga: Wednesday, April 23. Kitchener South-Hespeler: Thursday, April 24. Waterloo: Friday, April 25. Do you have a question for the candidates in your riding? Email us to let us know. You can also record a voice memo and email it or leave a question on our CBC K-W talk back line: 519-581-0636. Voters go to the polls on April 28.
CBC
06-04-2025
- Health
- CBC
Q&A: 1st-ever X-ray of an astronaut in space used technology developed in Waterloo region
The first-ever X-ray taken of an astronaut in space used new technology developed in Waterloo region. Startup KA Imaging's new X-ray detector was part of a mission to study Earth's polar regions from space. It is being used to track the effects of space travel on astronauts. The X-ray detector creates clear images of X-rays and can measure an astronaut's bone density while in space. Chief technology officer of KA Imaging, Karim Karim, joined CBC Kitchener-Waterloo's The Morning Edition with host Craig Norris to discuss how the new technology will impact the future of space travel and healthcare. This interview has been edited for length and clarity. Audio of the interview can be found at the bottom of this article. Craig Norris: Tell us more about the technology and how it works. Karim Karim: This tech was developed in the region. We started the company more than a decade ago. It has a lot of applications. Most of the applications are on Earth, primarily in health care, but also in security. The health care applications include usage in the intensive care units where this type of technology reduces the need for follow up CT scans. So it's really good for efficient healthcare and better patient outcomes. At the same time it has this really unique feature of quantitative X-ray imaging. It lets you measure things in the body like bone density Craig Norris: Why are X-rays needed in space? Karim Karim: There are well-known studies that show in low gravity or zero gravity environments, astronauts lose their bone mass and bone density. This is a problem because oftentimes when you see them come back to Earth, they have even trouble climbing out of the shuttle. That's because things have changed. So monitoring bone density is very important. It can allow for the correct exercise regiment or potentially pharmaceutical intervention. Karim Karim: I think the main reason people didn't do X-rays in space in the past is because of the weight associated with X-ray machines. The X-ray sources and the detectors were really heavy. What we've done is we've brought a very lightweight system to the market. We've also got a very unique capability that no other X-ray has. We're the only one where you can get a bone density measurement with the X-ray. Now mind you, this is research, but we can do it. So this is the reason why we were selected. Craig Norris: In what ways does this X-ray machine differ from a machine used in the hospital? Karim Karim: When everyone thinks of X-rays, they think of a room, they think of a giant X-ray source, they see these wall stands. This is very different, all you've got in your hand is a plate and you've got a source that you can carry in your hand. The total weight of something like this would be probably in the 25-pound range but that is still too heavy. We were told we need to miniaturize even more to make this more of a regular occurrence in space. It's super simple: You've got a source, you've got a detector, and maybe you've got a laptop that fits the data. Craig Norris: How can this new X-ray detector be used here on earth? Karim Karim: One of the biggest challenges we have in the region are long wait happens because of the way our health care system is set up. Everybody gets funnelled into the emergency room and then a triage happens. Sometimes you may be waiting there for hours. With this type of system, you could argue you could do the triage at the paramedic stage, maybe in the ambulance or even earlier at little clinics. This way you could alleviate wait times and you could get better health care. One of the nice things about this particular X-ray, because of its spectral capability, is it's better at early detection of almost every disease that an X-ray is good at. So things like indeterminate lung nodules for cancer, coronary arterial calcium for heart disease, and pneumonia. It's shown higher sensitivity for all of those diseases. If this was now adopted widely in our urgent care clinics and outpatient clinics, you would get early detection that would reduce the load on our CT system and CAT scan infrastructure, but also on the hospital emergency room waiting times. Karim Karim: Absolutely. So the bone density part is in the research phase. The rest of it is FDA cleared and Health Canada approved. There are a few hospitals in Ontario that are already using it clinically and there's a few in the U.S. and overseas that are also using it. Karim Karim: Hugely. Every time you have a patient in the intensive care unit who needs a follow up scan, you have to get staff to transport them to the CT room. You have to pay for the CT machine, the CT time. All of that adds up to thousands of dollars per patient. This device eliminates that. So by adopting something like this, you could be saving half a million to a million dollars per year just in one ICU.
CBC
02-04-2025
- Business
- CBC
Voters in Waterloo region say they're just trying to survive U.S. tariffs
With more U.S. tariffs on Canadian goods expected to take effect Wednesday, businesses and voters in Waterloo region are voicing growing concerns about the economic impact it could have. A voter survey by CBC Kitchener-Waterloo shows that nearly half of respondents say tariffs and the suggestion Canada should become the 51st state in the U.S. are both their top election concern. Just as the election was called on March 21, CBC K-W visited farmers' markets in St. Jacobs and Cambridge to speak to voters about their top election issues this federal campaign and most overwhelming said tariffs. Karen Bramble is an interior stylist who sells wellness products and dried floral arrangements twice a week at the St. Jacobs Farmers' Market. Bramble is feeling a direct impact on her business because she sources eucalyptus from California. It's a big part of her business and she says she may have to raise prices of each floral arrangement by about $3 on average. "This is my bread and butter so I need to do what I need to do to survive," she said. Impact on local community Ian McLean, CEO of the Greater Kitchener-Waterloo Chamber of Commerce, said tech, auto manufacturing and auto supply chain manufacturing are likely to take the biggest hit locally. "It's across the board," he said. The tariffs, which U.S. President Donald Trump announced as part of his 2024 re-election campaign, were scheduled to take effect earlier this year but were repeatedly postponed. Now, with the latest deadline set for Wednesday, local business leaders are already beginning the action plan process. But outside of the region's manufacturing industry, McLean said the impact on smaller businesses can be harder to gauge. "It's very individual because it really depends on where your input costs are going and where your final market is for your product," he said. He said organizations like his, alongside the Business Economic Support Team Waterloo Region (BESTWR), which is the culmination of five large local economic development agencies, are working to try and mitigate the issue as much as possible. They're helping small businesses find substitutions where materials come from and where products go. This is part of BESTWR's work to create a tariff action plan for the Region of Waterloo. Modelled after their COVID-19 measures, the plan gathers information from businesses and then creates a support plan to bring to higher levels of government. The chamber has also reactivated a pandemic-era website that has been redesigned to help businesses navigate the new trade environment. Action from the region, cities Waterloo region isn't the only municipality getting ahead on tariff action. The cities of Kitchener, Waterloo, Cambridge and Guelph have passed their own "Buy Canadian" motions. These detail plans to work with city staff to seek local alternatives for goods and services that may been purchased from U.S. suppliers in the past. Cambridge Mayor Jan Liggett also proposed tax-related measures to ease the impact of tariffs on local businesses. "We were already seeing the repercussions of the economy on our industrial municipal tax base," Liggett said in an interview with CBC News. "So I've also directed staff to look at deferring some of the notice fees based on how they're going to be hit." Liggett said the preliminary plan would see Cambridge businesses that are able to demonstrate significant losses directly related to a tariff receive more time to pay their municipal taxes. She added that a similar plan for residential taxpayers could follow if the impact becomes severe enough. Tariffs and Canadian sovereignty For many voters, the concern isn't just economic, but political, too. Public remarks and social media posts from U.S. President Donald Trump about Canada becoming the 51st U.S. state has people worried that tariffs could be part of a larger strategy to weaken and even annex Canada. Richard Gold, a professor of law at McGill University and a senior fellow with the Centre for International Governance Innovation (CIGI) in Waterloo, dismisses that possibility. "I believe it's between nil and zero," Gold said. "The U.S. may be our friends, but we don't want to be them." Gold said the differences are too great for many Canadians. "There's lots of concern over guns, over the divisive culture, the lack of support for those of us who are less well off," he said. Gold said he hasn't seen a groundswell of support for joining the United States, either. He also doesn't believe the U.S. military would want to put their army in Canada.
CBC
20-03-2025
- Politics
- CBC
Ontario roller derby teams cancel trips to U.S., say 2-gender rule makes it 'unsafe' for some athletes
Tri-City Roller Derby to skip bouts in U.S. due to Trump's 2-gender rule 1 hour ago Duration 3:29 Some Ontario roller derby teams say they won't travel to the United States this year to compete because the current climate makes it "unsafe" for their athletes. Teams in Waterloo region, Guelph, Toronto, Hamilton and Ottawa have said they will skip bouts in the U.S. On Sunday, Tri-City Roller Derby in Waterloo region issued a statement saying U.S. President Donald Trump's executive order recognizing only two genders — male and female — does "not allow the accurate reflection of gender expression on government documents." Maggie Middleton, a skater and board member for Tri-City Roller Derby, said the decision not to go to the U.S. was made to protect team members. "It was pretty clear from the get-go that people from various communities are becoming more and more unwelcome in the U.S., and then that was really solidified through the number of laws that were actually passed, the executive order etc.," she told CBC Kitchener-Waterloo's The Morning Edition with host Craig Norris. "It was really actually quite an easy decision. Some of our skaters were not going to be safe, were not feeling safe, were not feeling confident about travelling," she added. "If all of us can't go and feel good about it, then none of us are going to go." recognizing only two sexes on Jan. 20. The order mandates that identification documents issued by the government, including passports and visas, be based on "an individual's immutable biological classification as either male or female." Since 2019, Canadians who do not identify as female or male can list "X" as their gender on their passports. Ottawa says about 3,600 Canadians are using that marker. Being inclusive 'important ethos of our sport' Kaitrin Doll, a Tri-City Roller Derby athlete who also competes in Toronto, is completing a PhD dissertation on the experience of sexual and gender-diverse people in roller derby. Doll said that as a skater who is transgender and gender queer, they appreciate the team taking a stand on travel to the U.S. and for team leadership to take the proactive step in making the decision. "The reality is roller derby is a sport where we have had trans and gender-diverse inclusion since basically the inception of our sport. We are one of the only full contact sports that is crowned inclusive … that is an important ethos of our sport," Doll said. "I know and love this team and trust this team. But I think it was an important decision for our leadership to make that centred the well-being of our skaters over competition." The decision means Tri-City Roller Derby will miss out on eight bouts in the U.S. this year. Middleton said they will still compete in Canada, and U.S. teams are invited to attend those bouts, although they've heard concerns from the U.S. teams about travelling to Canada and what they might face upon returning to the U.S. Fewer bouts will impact season Toronto Roller Derby said in a post on Instagram that the team's decision was made "to prioritize the safety of our skaters." As well, Toronto Roller Derby will take additional steps to support athletes, including practices dedicated to skaters who "hold a marginalized identity," at no cost. "Our goal is to stand in solidarity with all communities affected and affirm that we will put in the work to create an inclusive space for all," the league said. WATCH | How Trump's policies on transgender people are affecting them: How Trump's policies on transgender people are affecting them 1 month ago Duration 7:37 Louis Stay, a transgender man and executive director of Trans Spokane, says U.S. President Donald Trump's sweeping executive orders will restrict transgender people's ability to travel and serve in the military. Stay says the orders are based on misinformation about transgender people. Megan Kole, the games liaison for Royal City Roller Derby in Guelph, said she got emotional when she had to email teams in Ohio and Michigan on Feb. 24 to tell them the Guelph teams wouldn't travel for bouts south of the border. "There's real love between our Canadian leagues and our U.S. leagues," Kole said. "When I wrote this e-mail, which I put a lot of time into to make sure that it wasn't another hit to them when all these things were happening, they were so caring, and they said they appreciated us supporting and protecting our trans and non-binary athletes. They absolutely understood." Kole said not attending U.S. bouts will potentially impact their league rankings. "We do have teams we can play within Canada, but there are more teams that are close to us in the U.S., so it can have an effect on our rankings," Kole said. "We're not necessarily going to get the games that we would want. It's going to shorten our season. We're going to have less games than we would usually have." Kole added Royal City Roller Derby has felt supported in its decision by the Women's Flat Track Derby Association (WFTDA), the international governing body of women's flat track roller derby. Kole said the association has told the teams it will work toward making sure all teams can attend playoff games and tournaments, including the world championships, which are scheduled for next year in Sweden. CBC News has reached out to the WFTDA for comment on Canadian teams not travelling to the U.S., but hadn't received a response by publication time. On Feb. 6, the WFTDA issued a statement about the U.S. administration's stance on gender. It said the gender identity of all participants "is considered confidential and private until such time, place and capacity in which the individual wishes to disclose it." "The [association] does not and will not differentiate between members regardless of presentation and identity, and does not and will not set minimum standards of femininity or androgyny for its membership, or interfere with the privacy of its members for the purposes of eligibility," the statement said. Sport 'is really struggling' Doll said they're worried about roller derby athletes in the U.S. who may be impacted by the U.S.'s two-gender rule, as well as the sport itself. "We were hit pretty hard during the pandemic. This is like another big giant hit to our sport," Doll said. "It's not necessarily just the skaters within the space. It's our sport in general that is really struggling and taking another hit here, which is a big challenge." Doll hopes people who are unfamiliar with the sport, and either want to experience it as a fan or an athlete, will attend bouts and information nights to learn more. "Roller derby is an incredibly fun, skilled-needed and talented sport. We have a lot of cool people — the environment is great," Doll said. "I've built my life around this sport and I've got my community with friends." Kole wants to see safety and respect for all the athletes.
