Latest news with #MorningNorth
CBC
26-03-2025
- Business
- CBC
Canada needs to develop its natural resources as fast as possible, says pulp and paper CEO
Canada's next government needs to focus on developing the country's natural resources as quickly as possible to ensure its economic future, according to the CEO of a pulp and paper company in northeastern Ontario. "As a country, we have such massive natural resource wealth. And over the last, I'm going to say two decades, this country has struggled to be able to, to capitalize on those resources so that we have more financial capacity as a nation to battle these sorts of trade situations," said Kap Paper CEO Terry Skiffington in a panel discussion on tariffs on CBC's Morning North. During the federal election campaign, Skiffington said he'll be looking for action on projects to develop Canada's natural resources. Those include developing the Ring of Fire mineral deposits in northwestern Ontario and building an east-west pipeline for Alberta's crude oil. Skiffington said his own industry is already in a precarious position, and many pulp and paper mills would struggle to keep their doors open if U.S. President Donald Trump imposes broad tariffs on Canadian goods by April 2. The Kap Paper mill, located in Kapuskasing, Ont., is the last remaining pulp and paper mill in northeastern Ontario, following the closure of Domtar's Espanola mill in December 2023. In January, the mill received a $10-million loan from the provincial government to help diversify the business by building a biomass plant which would produce energy by burning wood. Mike Da Prat—president of United Steelworkers Local 2251 representing 2,700 workers at Algoma Steel in Sault Ste. Marie— said his industry has already been hit by 25 per cent U.S. tariffs on Canadian steel and aluminum. "Everybody's concerned, right?" he said. "And the answer is we have to wean ourselves off of the dependence on the American market." Since the tariffs, Algoma Steel has cut 29 jobs, but Da Prat said his members have not yet been affected. The company temporarily paused shipments to the U.S. over concerns from the tariffs, although half of its production normally goes south of the border. Da Prat said he'll be supporting the Liberals in this election because he feels party leader Mark Carney as the "only person that I'd see that has the credibility, and perhaps the experience, to attempt to redevelop new markets and reestablish old ones." For Will Runnalls, a canola farmer near New Liskeard and chair of Ontario's Canola Growers Association, potential U.S. tariffs on Canadian crops would arrive on top of China's new 100 per cent tariffs on Canadian canola oil. "With the potential of the tariffs starting next week to the States we're basically losing our two biggest markets," he said. Runnalls said Canadian crop farmers depend on exports because of Canada's relatively small population. He said there were discussions before the election about streamlining support programs for farmers, such as interest-free loans. "But for the most part farmers don't want any more loans," Runnalls said. "We need our export markets because we need free trade. So they're saying we don't want any handouts and we don't really want financial support."
CBC
24-03-2025
- Politics
- CBC
Northern Ontario man fights for Ukraine as drone operator, while his mother rallies support back home
It's been more than half a year since Kim Kazur's son Aidan announced his plans to volunteer in the Ukrainian army, fighting against the Russian invasion. "It was not a pleasant time for either of us. He only gave me about a week's warning that he was leaving, which, in hindsight, was smart, because if I had had three months to try to change his mind, I would have," Kim said on CBC's Morning North Monday. "I was angry and scared, but the one thing that he pulled out of me is a promise not to try to guilt trip him into staying or trying to change his mind. And I've stuck to that." She often finds herself asking if her son is "ready to come home yet" but said she usually receives a response of, "not yet." Aidan Kazur, from Kirkland Lake, Ont., has been working as a drone operator on and off the front line in eastern Ukraine since last summer. A mother's worry and pride Aidan said it was difficult last summer to "keep a secret that you know is going to change your life," which would have a powerful effect on the people around him. "The day eventually arrived where everything was confirmed and ready to go, and I needed to tell her, which was a very difficult conversation, let me tell you," Aidan said. "But I mean, as my mother said, it worked, and we've moved forward together, and she's been very supportive of me, even if she is very encouraging that I find my way home sooner rather than later." He's part of the the Third Separate Assault Brigade, a volunteer unit in the Ukrainian Ground Forces formed in 2022 during the early days of the full-scale invasion. Aidan, who has Ukrainian heritage, joined the Canadian Army Reserve at 16 years old. "I've been able to leverage my previous experiences in the Canadian Army," he said. Aidan said during his seven years of service with the Canadian military, he was "ready to defend the country or serve for human rights around the world" but didn't get the opportunity. "So there's a certain longing there where you train for a job and you never got to do it. Now I have the chance to do it," he said. Aidan grew up in the local Ukrainian community, where his church's priest would share stories of Ukrainian cities, hoping Aidan and his family would one day visit and reconnect with their ancestral roots. "Instead of coming here to see my family history, I've come here to protect it and protect the people here who are trying to create their own national identity, which is a very powerful feeling for me as well," Aidan said. He said his safety is always at the back of his mind, but he's with an experienced unit and he's never been "too fearful of the circumstances." "I have been to the point where, you know, there's Russian artillery shooting or trying to, I guess, aim at us specifically, which is a little more personal than just drones," he said. Kim said when she hears about his work, her stomach turns and heart pounds. She said Aidan gives her only basic-level information and protects her from some of his experiences. That way, she "can't obsessively get on the internet and look for detailed information." But Kim also said she's extremely proud of him. "I raised him in the Ukrainian church, and you know, we've followed lots of Ukrainian traditions. He is a very kind and thoughtful man. He always has been very caring and careful with people. He values kindness over everything," Kim said. Fundraising for the front lines Kim said her community has been rallying behind her son, sending her messages and posting on social media. She's also been fundraising, with all proceeds going directly to Aidan's unit for the purchase of defensive equipment. "The main focus that we started with was looking to purchase night vision goggles, because there are not enough to go around, so soldiers have to share them. So if one set gets damaged, that could impact a lot of soldiers and their safety. So we're fundraising for that," she said, adding that the money won't be used for ammunition. Kim said in the first few days of sharing her son's story, Kirkland Lake had raised more than $13,000. A local Facebook group, KL Ukrainian Community, is behind much of those efforts. The town is also home to refugee families from Ukraine who earlier fled the war. Aidan said he plans on fighting for as long as Russia's war on Ukraine continues. He said he wants people to know that this is "not a situation that is lost." "The first opening line of the Ukrainian anthem is, 'Ukraine has not yet perished.' And so I want to emphasize that and say, do not count this out," he said.
CBC
17-03-2025
- Health
- CBC
Trapped at sea, fighting at home: COVID-19's toll on northern Ontario 5 years later
Trudy Clement and her husband were among the first Canadians caught in the COVID-19 pandemic when their cruise ship became an unexpected quarantine zone in Japan. It was early February, 2020, and the couple from Callander, Ont., boarded their vessel with only a vague awareness of an emerging virus. Soon, the pair alongside approximately 3,700 other passengers, would be confined to their cabin for two weeks. "We just looked at each other, my husband and I, and it was like, 'You're kidding. You're really kidding me right now,'" Clement said in a 2020 interview. The ordeal stretched to nearly a month before the couple finally returned home to northern Ontario. "2020 was a horrible year," Clement told CBC's Morning North on Monday. Just days after returning from the cruise ship quarantine, Clement's brother died, marking the beginning of a difficult year. A few months later, her husband Steve passed away from cancer and restrictions prevented typical funeral proceedings. "A lot of people couldn't pay their respects, other than online or by card," she said. Follow Trudy as she disembarks from the Diamond Princess 5 years ago Duration 1:30 Five years later, Clement said she feels like the pandemic taught her to cherish time with family and friends. "If it's going to teach you anything, it's going to teach you to grow closer together, not grow apart. You don't want to be fighting with anybody during a stressful time like that," she said. Crisis in Kashechewan In the summer of 2021, more than a year after Clement's quarantine, one of the worst COVID-19 outbreaks in northeastern Ontario hit the fly-in Cree community of Kashechewan. More than 200 people in the James Bay First Nation of 1,800 were infected. Several were airlifted to hospitals in southern Ontario – including the elderly parents of Celina Wynne, a frontline mental health worker. "Mental health was rising, and a lot of anxiety, a lot of everything, because people were scared," she said. Wynne explained that mental health services had to adapt to COVID-19 restrictions. Counselors began making house visits and sessions took place outside or through a window. While she was caring for members in the community, her father was fighting for his life in an intensive care unit almost 1,000 kilometres away in Kingston, Ont. "He said it was like somebody sitting on his chest because he couldn't breathe," Wynne said. Her mother, who also tested positive, was transported to the same hospital in stable condition. "My mom was emotional, because she knew my dad was sick, really sick. She thought she wouldn't see him again," Wynne recalled. Her father eventually returned home and came off the airplane using a walker. "When he came home, it was sad to see because the strongest man I knew couldn't really walk," she said. Wynne said her father was encouraged to return to his hobby of making bird decoys out of tamarack, a traditional medicine often used for breathing problems. "And probably within a week, he was up and walking. He was feeling better. I believe in our medicines and that our traditional medicine helped a lot of people during COVID." While stories like Clement's and Wynne's unfolded in different ways across the country, healthcare workers and researchers faced a time of uncertainty, urgent decision-making and lessons still being processed. Dr. Fahad Razak, an internist at St. Michael's Hospital in Toronto and former scientific director of Ontario's COVID-19 science advisory table, remembers the fear and chaos of the early months. Razak had been working at a hospital where a healthcare worker had previously died from SARS, which he said contributed to the overall sense of unease. "There was a lot of institutional memory and fear of what could happen when something highly infectious and potentially lethal suddenly emerges," he said. At the start of the COVID pandemic, many healthcare workers isolated themselves in apartments or hotels to avoid exposing their households. "They were worried about taking the virus home and exposing young children or older parents," Razak said. He also recalls patients who died alone due to hospital restrictions. Calls for formal review of COVID-19 response The science advisory table, composed of volunteers, was initially expected to only last six months, but as the pandemic intensified, they began meeting 10 to 20 hours a week to analyze rapidly emerging research and provide recommendations. "You would prepare what you thought was the best possible recommendation based on science, and a new paper could literally come out that afternoon or the following morning, that would change the way you would think," Razak said. Now, five years later, he believes Canada still hasn't fully processed what happened. Unlike after the 2003 SARS outbreak, which led to a formal review, there has been no equivalent report on COVID-19. "At a national level and at a provincial level, we have not done a systematic review of the pandemic to learn those lessons the way that we did after SARS one," Razak said. While Canada has seen improvements in pandemic preparedness – particularly with advancements in vaccine development – Razak remains concerned about lingering weaknesses in the system. The pandemic left behind widespread staffing shortages, with many frontline workers retiring or leaving the field due to burnout. Without meaningful efforts to rebuild and support the health workforce, Razak fears the system will be even more vulnerable when the next pandemic arrives. "Almost every scientist that I speak to suspects that the pressures that created this pandemic, which is the very close interface between humans and animals, will create another pandemic situation for the world," he said. "So it's a question of when that will occur. And I would say the data suggests that even now, there are worrying candidates."
CBC
28-02-2025
- Politics
- CBC
2 northern Ontario races remain too close to call the day after the Ontario election
A day after the Ontario election, there remains some uncertainty around two northern Ontario ridings. In the massive riding of Mushkegowuk-James Bay, which covers roughly half of the far north, NDP incumbent Guy Bourgouin had a four-vote lead over PC candidate Dave Plourde with all polls reporting. "It's been a nail-biter," Plourde told CBC News while he was waiting for the final results. "We've been sitting, waiting for ballots to be counted for close to three, three and a half hours now. So yeah, it's been a long night." Plourde told CBC News he will pursue a recount, due to the close race and four-vote margin. In Sault Ste. Marie, Progressive Conservative candidate, Chris Scott, had a narrow 118-vote lead over the NDP's Lisa Vezeau-Allen with all polls reporting. A day later, CBC had not yet projected Scott as the winner because of the narrow vote margin. Elections Ontario will finalize the vote results on Saturday, March 1. Despite the close vote, Scott gave a victory speech after the final results came in. "My job is to represent Sault Ste. Marie, not solely the people that voted for me," he said. "So what am I going to do? I'm going to show up. I'm going to get to work and I'm going to keep doing the things that I did to get me elected, which was to be accessible, talk to people and be accountable." If both Scott and Bourgouin hold on to their leads, the Progressive Conservatives will have held the seat in the Soo, and will have narrowly lost a chance to gain one in Mushkegowuk-James Bay. However, the PC's did gain one new seat in northeastern Ontario – in the riding of Algoma-Manitoulin. Thessalon mayor, Bill Rosenberg, won that seat for the PC's after the incumbent, Michael Mantha, fell to fourth place. Mantha, who has held the riding since 2011, was kicked out of the NDP in 2023 due to workplace misconduct allegations, and was running as an independent. Al Spacek, the former mayor of Kapuskasing and a former Progressive Conservative candidate, said the party had a good result in northern Ontario. "It's worth noting that while we only picked up one more seat in northern Ontario, certainly our support right across the north was up considerably and that was at the expense of both the Liberals and the NDP," he said during a panel discussion on CBC's Morning North. Glenn Thibeault, a former Liberal MPP in Sudbury, said during the same panel discussion, that his party, which didn't win any seats in northeastern Ontario, needs to learn from this election. "We've known since at least October that this is coming," Thibuealt said. "We've got to do a better job up here to make sure that the progressive voice that we keep saying we want to be part of is represented." But Gilles Bisson, the former NDP MPP in Timmins for over 30 years, said his party has been the progressive voice in the region. A seat at the table NDP MPPs Jamie West, in Sudbury, France Gélinas, in Nickel Belt and John Vanthof, in Timiskaming-Cochrane each held onto their seats. Vanthof said he was not surprised the Progressive Conservatives did well in northern Ontario. "So the issue I heard while campaigning was, you know what, we almost have to vote Conservatives, otherwise we're not going to get government funding," he said, referring to what he heard from some of his constituents. "When you're knocking on doors, a message comes at several doors and several towns and it's the same message. And if that message is, well, we need to vote for the government side. We think they're going to win, so we need to vote for them so we have a seat at the table so we can get money. And that's concerning." Bisson said an MPP's party affiliation should not have any bearing on what a community receives from the province. "Any community that makes an application that is strong and is well founded, they get funded," he said.
CBC
12-02-2025
- Politics
- CBC
Northern Ontario educators want a bigger spotlight on education during the Ontario election
Social Sharing The director of education of a northern Ontario school board says she wants to see more discussion around education from the province's political leaders as the election looms. "I'd like education to be a discussion for all the parties across Ontario and then, as a director, I would really appreciate a concrete plan about the teacher shortage," said Lesleigh Dye, the director of education at the District School Board Ontario North East, which covers a region from Hearst to Temagami. Dye said during a panel discussion on CBC Radio's Morning North, that Ontario's supply of teachers is aging, and can't keep up with the growing number of students each year. "Without increasing the teacher supply, Ontario is not going to be able to deliver on the mandate of back to basics," she said. Chantal Rancourt, the Sudbury elementary president for the Ontario English Catholic Teachers' Association, said during the same panel discussion that while most people would say that education is a priority to them, it has fallen to the wayside this election cycle. "The unfortunate thing is that so many other portfolios are in dire need right now, that those are at the top of mind," Rancourt said. "You know, some situations that impact life or death, health, the health care crisis, economic crisis, those are absolutely going to naturally be at top-of-mind because they can mean such a difference." Rancourt said she would like to see Ontario's main political parties commit to restoring the money that funding cuts made to education. She noted that due to inflation, Ontario's public schools received $1,500 less per student in 2024 compared to 2018. The Elementary Teachers Federation of Ontario says that's equivalent to $3.2 billion in cuts for the 2024-2025 school year. "I would love to see a government that commits to consultation with those who are truly impacted," Rancourt said. "Teachers, education workers, students, board trustees, those are the people who are living the profession and could have some valuable input." Dye said more investment is also needed to upgrade schools across the province, but especially in northern Ontario. "The north continues to not receive the funding in terms of capital projects," she said. "And for [District School Board Ontario North East], the average age of our schools is about 65 years." So far, only the NDP has addressed the issue of education infrastructure with a promise to invest $830 million a year over 10 years to fix Ontario's "repair backlog" at schools. Nanak Sidhu, a Grade 12 student at Chippewa Secondary School in North Bay, and a student trustee at the Near North District School Board, said as a first-time voter, education is important to him. "It definitely is a huge factor in who young people might be voting for, just because we are currently in the system and we're able to see kind of those big struggles or gaps that we may have experienced in our past, or are currently still facing," he said during the panel discussion. Sidhu said he's feeling overwhelmed as he prepares to vote in a provincial election for the first time. I'm trying to consider the best party for myself, that represents my beliefs as well," he said.
