Latest news with #Culbert
Vancouver Sun
3 days ago
- Health
- Vancouver Sun
Vancouver Sun honoured with Michener citation of merit
The Vancouver Sun received a Michener citation of merit for the work of longtime Postmedia journalist Lori Culbert on the circumstances around the overdose death of a University of Victoria student. The Sun was nominated for Culbert's relentless reporting on Sidney McIntyre-Starko, who collapsed in a UVic dorm in January 2024 and did not receive life-saving medical care after he overdose was mistaken for a seizure by the 911 call-taker and first aid attendants at the scene. It was one of six nominations honoured at a ceremony hosted by Governor General Mary Simon at Rideau Hall in Ottawa on Thursday. 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. La Presse was named the winner of this year's Michener Award for its stories exposing abuse, dysfunction and systemic failures in Quebec's youth protection system. Other finalists included Global News, The Toronto Star and The Globe and Mail, which had two entries. Established in 1970 by then Governor General Roland Michener, the Michener Award recognizes excellence in public service journalism. At Rideau Hall, Culbert thanked McIntyre-Starko's family including her mother Caroline McIntyre, an emergency room physician, for 'their incredible courage' in fighting for change. Just hours after Culbert's story was published in May 2024, the province called for an inquest into the student's death. Since then, a number of changes have been introduced, such as providing provide 1,600 new nasal naloxone kits in dorms , bars and other high-traffic buildings around the province. Campus first responders and 911 responders received updated training on handling overdoses. High school students across the province now also receive CPR training. An inquest also unfolded over 12 days in April and May this year, with a number of recommendations made to prevent similar deaths. This was Culbert's fourth time being named a Michener finalist. She was a co-author on three previous Vancouver Sun projects that were nominated for a Michener Award. A series of stories about the disappearance of women from the Downtown Eastside received an honourable mention in 2002. A series about B.C.'s child-protection system received a citation of merit in 2006, as did a series about children who age out of the foster care system in 2015. • Day 1: UVic student's mother takes stand on Day 1 of her coroner's inquest • Day 2: UVic student contradicts campus security evidence at coroner's inquest • Day 3: UVic security officer defends actions on day of student overdose death • Day 4: We 'did the best we could': Second UVic security guard testifies about evening student died • Day 5: 911 operator relied on what witness described as seizures of UVic students, coroner's inquest hears • Day 6: Paramedic suspected fatal UVic call was more serious than 911 report • Day 7: Drugs found by UVic students like something out of 'a Scarface movie,' police tell coroner's inquest • Day 8: U.S. doctor tells inquest B.C. 911 operators don't use best approach to cardiac-arrest calls • Day 9: After death of UVic student, changes aim to trim delays in getting paramedics to patients • Day 10: B.C.'s 911 system needs major changes, emergency care expert says • Day 11: U.S. firm that made B.C. Ambulance's 911 dispatch system told how to fix it • Day 12: B.C. coroner's jury deliberating changes to ambulance, education systems
Vancouver Sun
06-05-2025
- Health
- Vancouver Sun
Postmedia journalist Lori Culbert named Michener Award finalist for coverage of UVic teen's overdose death
Lori Culbert, a longtime Postmedia journalist, has been named a 2024 Michener Award finalist for her relentless reporting on the circumstances around the overdose death of a University of Victoria student. Sidney McIntyre-Starko, 18, collapsed in a UVic dorm in January 2024 and did not receive life-saving medical care after her overdose was mistaken for a seizure by the 911 call-taker and the first aid attendants at the scene. The teen's death — and some of the systemic failures surrounding that night — were detailed in a piece written by Culbert and published in May 2024 . Just hours after the story was published, the province called for an inquest into the student's death. 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. Following the announcement of the inquest, Culbert continued to report on the circumstances surrounding how the emergency was handled and what measures could have prevented the fatal outcome , as well as the family's push for answers. As a result, changes were introduced to provide 1,600 new nasal naloxone kits in dorms , bars and other high-traffic buildings around the province. Campus first responders and 911 responders received updated training on handling overdoses. High school students across the province now also receive CPR training. In announcing Culbert as one of six finalists, the Michener Awards Foundation praised her for writing 'a story with such passion, power and grace that it made us stare into the human cost of an overdose epidemic that we tried to ignore. She showed us that it wasn't only poor people dying of overdoses alone in dark alleys. It could happen to anyone.' Postmedia Editor-in-chief Harold Munro applauded Culbert's work and the impact it has had since in prompting changes. 'Lori Culbert's investigation into the tragic death of Sidney McIntyre-Starko revealed systemic failures in how post-secondary institutions respond to the toxic drug crisis. Premier David Eby ordered an inquest into the death just four hours after Lori's first story was published, and many safety improvements on campuses have followed,' said Munro. 'A Michener nomination is the highest honour in Canadian journalism, an acknowledgment of work that provokes positive change in the community. 'Lori's relentless pursuit of answers on behalf of all of us epitomizes what the Micheners are all about.' The inquest into McIntyre-Starko's death began on Monday, April 28 and continues this week. • Day 1: UVic student's mother takes stand on Day 1 of her coroner's inquest • Day 2: UVic student contradicts campus security evidence at coroner's inquest • Day 3: UVic security officer defends actions on day of student overdose death • Day 4: We 'did the best we could': Second UVic security guard testifies about evening student died • Day 5: 911 operator relied on what witness described as seizures of UVic students, coroner's inquest hears • Day 6: Paramedic suspected fatal UVic call was more serious than 911 report The winner of the 2024 Michener Award will be announced in Ottawa on June 5, 2025.
Yahoo
24-04-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Accident: Driver involved in a two-vehicle accident is cited
Apr. 24—A Creston woman was cited Wednesday after a two-vehicle accident in Creston. According to a Creston Police report, at approximately 10:47 a.m. a 1998 Ford Ranger, driven by Sheila A. Culbert, 55, of Creston, was westbound on Townline Street when it collided with a 2009 Infinity G37, driven by Julia L. Thompson, 66, of Creston, that was northbound on Lincoln Street. Both Culbert and Thompson said they had a green light at the intersection. Damage to the Ford was estimated at $1,500 and damage to the Infinity was estimated at $2,000. According to the Creston Fire Department, two individuals were transported to Greater Regional Health by ambulance. Culbert was cited for failure to provide proof of financial liability (no insurance).
CBC
12-03-2025
- Health
- CBC
Ottawa marks 5 years since 1st COVID-19 case, start of pandemic
The first confirmed COVID-19 case in the Ottawa region was announced five years ago on Tuesday, the same day the World Health Organization (WHO) announced a global pandemic. Since then, about 1,300 Ottawa residents with COVID have died, while more than 3.5 million COVID vaccine doses have been administered in Ottawa, according to data from Ottawa Public Health. Experts who spoke to CBC about lessons learned say the pandemic highlighted the ongoing importance of funding public health, and illustrated how in the digital era misinformation can spread just as quickly as an airborne virus — and prove equally dangerous. "In the age of the internet and social media, information travels exceedingly fast," said Ian Culbert, executive director of the Canadian Public Health Association. "And so public health has to be able to be ahead of the information curve to get the best information out there." 1st case declared March 11, 2020 The first official case of COVID-19 in Ottawa was identified on March 11, 2020, in a 41-year-old man who had recently travelled to Austria. He was not exhibiting signs of the illness before his flight home but developed symptoms after returning to Ottawa. The man took a COVID-19 test at the General campus of The Ottawa Hospital, days before Ottawa Public Health (OPH) began opening dedicated testing sites in the city. After receiving a positive result the man was placed in isolation at home, where his symptoms remained mild. But he was most likely not the first person infected with COVID-19 in Ottawa, public health officials later concluded. By November 2020, OPH believed that dozens of Ottawa-area residents had contracted the illness by March 11. That same month, Ottawa declared a state of emergency due to COVID-19 and the city recorded its first death linked to the virus. Months of lockdowns and closures followed as public health officials struggled to contain waves of the virus. The first vaccine in Ottawa was administered at The Ottawa Hospital to a personal support worker on Dec. 15, 2020. Mask mandates and travel restrictions continued until October 2022. In May 2023, the W HO declared that while the pandemic itself was not over, the associated global health emergency was. Public health officials now manage COVID-19 as an endemic disease with periodic surges, though its impacts have grown less severe due to population immunity from vaccines and previous infections. 'Systems run on money' With COVID-19 falling out of the headlines, there has been a clawback in public health funding, putting hard-won institutional knowledge at risk, according to Culbert. "At the end of the day, these systems run on money," he said. "We haven't fixed their data collection and sharing systems. We don't have good disaggregated data, so we can't really dive into which populations are at greatest risk or aren't taking advantage of vaccines or other programs that are being put in place. So there's a lot we still need to be doing." Canada has also not done enough to engage Canadians who are distrustful of the public health system, he said. "We haven't done enough to engage those populations and give them a reason to trust us." And that's a problem as diseases like measles and polio, which were nearly eradicated by global vaccination programs in the 20th century, make a resurgence in places like the United States and Gaza. With less regular exposure to these diseases, there is a risk of people forgetting about their seriousness, Culbert warned. "Most young parents today have never seen measles… so they're not as concerned about it. And so they're not as vigilant," he said. Danger of airborne diseases From a scientific perspective, COVID-19 highlighted the dangers posed by airborne diseases, according to cardiologist and epidemiologist Christopher Labos. "If there was one scientific discovery to have been made during the pandemic, it was about the importance of indoor air transmission of viruses and the importance of indoor air quality towards our health," he told CBC. Until COVID-19, most public health measures focused on containing transmissible diseases focused on person–to-person spread, Labos explained, "which is why for so much of the pandemic we were talking about wiping down surfaces and disinfecting things." The pandemic has forced a reckoning with the public health impact of buildings with poor ventilation, Labos added. "We need to start upgrading our HVAC systems so that we can filter the air and improve indoor air quality. Otherwise, we are going to keep getting sick with not just COVID, but also influenza, RSV [Respiratory syncytial virus] and all the other respiratory viruses that circulate every winter."
CBC
12-03-2025
- Health
- CBC
Ottawa marks 5 years since 1st COVID-19 case, start of global pandemic
The first confirmed COVID-19 case in the Ottawa region was announced five years ago on Tuesday, the same day the World Health Organization (WHO) announced a global pandemic. Since then, about 1,300 Ottawa residents with COVID have died, while more than 3.5 million COVID vaccine doses have been administered in Ottawa, according to data from Ottawa Public Health. Experts who spoke to CBC about lessons learned say the pandemic highlighted the ongoing importance of funding public health, and illustrated how in the digital era misinformation can spread just as quickly as an airborne virus — and prove equally dangerous. "In the age of the internet and social media, information travels exceedingly fast," said Ian Culbert, executive director of the Canadian Public Health Association. "And so public health has to be able to be ahead of the information curve to get the best information out there." 1st case declared March 11, 2020 The first official case of COVID-19 in Ottawa was identified on March 11, 2020, in a 41-year-old man who had recently travelled to Austria. He was not exhibiting signs of the illness before his flight home but developed symptoms after returning to Ottawa. The man took a COVID-19 test at the General campus of The Ottawa Hospital, days before Ottawa Public Health (OPH) began opening dedicated testing sites in the city. After receiving a positive result the man was placed in isolation at home, where his symptoms remained mild. But he was most likely not the first person infected with COVID-19 in Ottawa, public health officials later concluded. By November 2020, OPH believed that dozens of Ottawa-area residents had contracted the illness by March 11. That same month, Ottawa declared a state of emergency due to COVID-19 and the city recorded its first death linked to the virus. Months of lockdowns and closures followed as public health officials struggled to contain waves of the virus. The first vaccine in Ottawa was administered at The Ottawa Hospital to a personal support worker on Dec. 15, 2020. Mask mandates and travel restrictions continued until October 2022. In May 2023, the W HO declared that while the pandemic itself was not over, the associated global health emergency was. Public health officials now manage COVID-19 as an endemic disease with periodic surges, though its impacts have grown less severe due to population immunity from vaccines and previous infections. 'Systems run on money' With COVID-19 falling out of the headlines, there has been a clawback in public health funding, putting hard-won institutional knowledge at risk, according to Culbert. "At the end of the day, these systems run on money," he said. "We haven't fixed their data collection and sharing systems. We don't have good disaggregated data, so we can't really dive into which populations are at greatest risk or aren't taking advantage of vaccines or other programs that are being put in place. So there's a lot we still need to be doing." Canada has also not done enough to engage Canadians who are distrustful of the public health system, he said. "We haven't done enough to engage those populations and give them a reason to trust us." And that's a problem as diseases like measles and polio, which were nearly eradicated by global vaccination programs in the 20th century, make a resurgence in places like the United States and Gaza. With less regular exposure to these diseases, there is a risk of people forgetting about their seriousness, Culbert warned. "Most young parents today have never seen measles… so they're not as concerned about it. And so they're not as vigilant," he said. Danger of airborne diseases From a scientific perspective, COVID-19 highlighted the dangers posed by airborne diseases, according to cardiologist and epidemiologist Christopher Labos. "If there was one scientific discovery to have been made during the pandemic, it was about the importance of indoor air transmission of viruses and the importance of indoor air quality towards our health," he told CBC. Until COVID-19, most public health measures focused on containing transmissible diseases focused on person–to-person spread, Labos explained, "which is why for so much of the pandemic we were talking about wiping down surfaces and disinfecting things." The pandemic has forced a reckoning with the public health impact of buildings with poor ventilation, Labos added. "We need to start upgrading our HVAC systems so that we can filter the air and improve indoor air quality. Otherwise, we are going to keep getting sick with not just COVID, but also influenza, RSV [Respiratory syncytial virus] and all the other respiratory viruses that circulate every winter."
