Latest news with #P.E.I
Yahoo
13 hours ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Carney fills out team with 39 parliamentary secretaries
Prime Minister Mark Carney announced the team that will support him and his cabinet as his minority government tries to fulfil its mandate during tumultuous economic times. The list of 39 parliamentary secretaries include a handful of Liberal MPs who once served in cabinet but were dropped after Carney's win on April 28. Parliamentary secretaries are not cabinet ministers, but they assist ministers and secretaries of state. They're often tasked with supporting them in the House, during the legislative process and in making announcements. The job comes with a $20,200 bump on top of their MP pay of $209,800. "Canada's new parliamentary secretary team will deliver on the government's mandate for change, working collaboratively with all parties in Parliament to build the strongest economy in the G7, advance a new security and economic partnership with the United States and help Canadians get ahead," said Carney in a statement. Here are the the new parliamentary secretaries: Toronto MP Karim Bardeesy becomes parliamentary secretary to the minister of industry. Nova Scotia MP and onetime Liberal leader hopeful Jaime Battiste becomes parliamentary secretary to the minister of Crown-Indigenous relations. Former immigration minister and Montreal MP Rachel Bendayan becomes parliamentary secretary to the prime minister Former agriculture minister and Nova Scotia MP Kody Blois also becomes parliamentary secretary to the prime minister. P.E.I. MP Sean Casey becomes parliamentary secretary to the minister of veterans affairs and associate minister of national defence. Quebec MP Sophie Chatel becomes parliamentary secretary to the minister of agriculture and agri-food. Quebec MP Madeleine Chenette becomes parliamentary secretary to the minister of Canadian identity and culture and minister responsible for official languages, and parliamentary secretary to the secretary of state for sport. Toronto MP Maggie Chi becomes parliamentary secretary to the minister of health. Toronto MP Leslie Church becomes parliamentary secretary to the secretaries of state for labour, seniors, and for children and youth, plus parliamentary secretary to the minister of jobs and families (persons with disabilities). Quebec MP Caroline Desrochers becomes parliamentary secretary to the minister of housing and infrastructure. Former procurement minister and Toronto MP Ali Ehsassi becomes parliamentary secretary to the president of the King's Privy Council for Canada and minister responsible for Canada-U.S. trade. Former Treasury Board president and Ottawa MP Mona Fortier becomes parliamentary secretary to the minister of foreign affairs. Ontario MP Peter Fragiskatos becomes parliamentary secretary to the minister of immigration. Toronto MP Vince Gasparro becomes parliamentary secretary to the secretary of state of combating crime. Vancouver MP Wade Grant becomes parliamentary secretary to the minister of environment and climate change. Quebec MP Claude Guay becomes parliamentary secretary to the minister of energy and natural resources. Calgary MP Corey Hogan also becomes parliamentary secretary to the minister of energy and natural resources. Yukon MP Brendan Hanley becomes parliamentary secretary to the minister of northern and Arctic affairs. Montreal MP Anthony Housefather becomes parliamentary secretary to the minister of emergency management and community resilience. Nova Scotia MP Mike Kelloway becomes parliamentary secretary to the minister of transport and internal trade. British Columbia MP Ernie Klassen becomes parliamentary secretary to the minister of fisheries. Quebec MP Annie Koutrakis becomes parliamentary secretary to the minister of jobs and families. Manitoba MP Kevin Lamoureux becomes parliamentary secretary to the leader of the government in the House of Commons. Quebec MP Patricia Lattanzio becomes parliamentary secretary to the minister of justice and attorney general of Canada. Manitoba MP Ginette Lavack becomes parliamentary secretary to the minister of Indigenous services. Quebec MP and former provincial cabinet minister Carlos Leitão becomes parliamentary secretary to the minister of industry. Ontario MP Tim Louis becomes parliamentary secretary to the president of the King's Privy Council for Canada and minister responsible for intergovernmental affairs and "One Canadian Economy." Ontario MP Jennifer McKelvie becomes parliamentary secretary to the minister of housing and infrastructure. Montreal MP Marie-Gabrielle Ménard becomes parliamentary secretary to the minister of women and gender equality and secretary of state for small business and tourism New Brunswick MP David Myles becomes parliamentary secretary to the minister of Canadian identity and culture and minister responsible for official languages, and parliamentary secretary to the secretary of state for nature. Ottawa MP Yasir Naqvi becomes parliamentary secretary to the minister of international trade and parliamentary secretary to the secretary of state for international development. Vancouver MP Taleeb Noormohamed becomes parliamentary secretary to the minister of artificial intelligence and digital innovation. Toronto MP Rob Oliphant becomes parliamentary secretary to the minister of foreign affairs. Newfoundland and Labrador MP Tom Osborne becomes parliamentary secretary to the president of the Treasury Board. Quebec MP Jacques Ramsay becomes parliamentary secretary to the minister of public safety. Ontario MP Pauline Rochefort becomes parliamentary secretary to the secretary of state for rural development. Quebec MP Sherry Romanado becomes parliamentary secretary to the minister of national defence. Former families, children and social development minister and Ottawa MP Jenna Sudds becomes parliamentary secretary to the minister of procurement and parliamentary secretary to the secretary of state for defence procurement. Ontario MP Ryan Turnbull becomes parliamentary secretary to the minister of finance and national revenue and parliamentary secretary to the secretary of state for the Canada Revenue Agency and financial institutions. Carney also announced that Quebec MP Élisabeth Brière will serve as deputy chief government whip and Ontario MP Arielle Kayabaga, who briefly served as the government House leader during the election period, will serve as deputy leader of the government in the House of Commons.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Health
- Yahoo
A year in, teachers' union says phone ban boosts students' focus, but more action needed
It's been nearly a full school year since Prince Edward Island introduced restrictions on cellphone use for students, and teachers say they're seeing positive results. Andy Doran, president of the P.E.I. Teachers' Federation, said the changes have helped students focus better in class. "They were more engaged. There was better work being done. Students were asking more questions, and [there was] an overall improvement in the engagement of the students," Doran told CBC's Island Morning. But he believes the policy is just the beginning when it comes to addressing the larger issue of screen time. Under the policy, students in grades K-6 must have their phones silenced and out of sight while they are at school unless they are given specific permission from a teacher. Students in grades 7-12 are allowed to use their phones during lunch and other breaks but must follow restrictions during class time. While there have been some rule violations, Doran said that's expected. He added that younger students, in particular, have adapted well. "The pressure was off to have to constantly respond to social media and constantly respond to friend groups and [what] helped with the implementation of the whole thing is that the students bought into it, and their parents certainly did too," he said. Doran said school cellphone policies are only one piece of a bigger puzzle. "When I say screen time, I'm talking about not just school. I'm talking about 24 hours a day, the issue that our young people and younger adults are spending way too much time on screens, and not enough time in conversation or social interaction with others," he said. He said teachers are seeing the effects of excessive screen use outside of school, particularly when it comes to attendance. Some students who stay up late playing video games or using social media can struggle to attend or fully participate in school the next day. "We're seeing a lot of our attendance is attached to screen time," he said. That's why Doran believes education around responsible screen use should become part of the school curriculum in the coming years. While schools and teachers play a role, families must also take responsibility, he said. "We only have the students for six hours… But what I'm talking about is the other 18 hours a day, the other 150 days a year when the students aren't in school," he said. "Those guidelines have to come into play at home. The parents have to take the initiative to make sure screen time is limited outside school." They were more engaged. There was better work being done. Students were asking more questions. — Andy Doran, president of the P.E.I. Teachers' Federation As summer approaches, Doran is encouraging families to plan ahead and help children spend more time outdoors to avoid slipping back into unhealthy habits. "At our teachers convention last fall, a speaker got up and said that in the past, 'We'd think nothing of letting our kids walk down the street. Now, we don't let [our] kids walk down the street, but we allow them to go into their rooms with a cellphone and close the door,'" Doran said. "That got me thinking. That's so true, how much danger there is in a cellphone when it's unsupervised. So if I was advising parents: Continue to supervise their cellphone use, continue to limit their screen time use, and have a great summer."
CBC
01-05-2025
- CBC
Islanders come together to mourn lives lost at Filipino festival in Vancouver
'People whose families were killed, they need someone to hold them strong' Image | St. Dunstan's Basilica vigil Caption: More than 100 Islanders including members of the Filipino community attended a Mass at St. Dunstan's Basilica in downtown Charlottetown Wednesday to pray for those killed in the Vancouver Lapu-Lapu Day attack. (Tony Davis/CBC) More than 100 Islanders including members of the P.E.I. Filipino community attended a Mass at St. Dunstan's Basilica in downtown Charlottetown Wednesday evening to pray for and honour the 11 people killed at a Vancouver festival over the weekend. They died when an SUV crashed into the crowd Saturday night as Lapu-Lapu Day Festival events wrapped up and kiosks were being taken down. "I really feel sorry about the people — those who died, that got injured, and most of all for those who survived, because they're the ones that will be keeping this in their heart and their mind," says Raymundo Yu. He's been a member of the Filipino community on P.E.I. for over three decades and helped organize the event. A five-year-old girl and a 65-year-old were among those killed during the incident in Vancouver. "There's two families that had a father, mother and child that were there, and you know, died. That generation is gone," Yu said. Image | Raymundo Yu April 2025 Caption: 'People who experience this, people whose families were killed, they need someone to hold them strong,' says Raymundo Yu, a longtime member of P.E.I.'s Filipino community. (Tony Davis/CBC) Open Image in New Tab The community has a lot of support in P.E.I., Yu said. The choir at the basilica leapt into action at short notice and everyone was on board to organize an evening of mourning in conjunction with vigils held across Canada the same night. "It's really important because people who experience this, people whose families were killed, they need someone to hold them strong by doing this, by praying for them, to remind them there is still a God that will help us," Yu said. 'Our heart is broke' Billy Bautista is the president of the Filipino Association of Prince Edward Island. He learned of Saturday night's attack over social media. "It really feels bad and really devastating. Our heart is broke. We don't have any relatives there but they are our countrymen, fellow Filipinos. We care for them, they care for us," Bautista said. The greater Filipino community on P.E.I. is feeling the same way, he said. A 30-year-old Vancouver man, Kai-Ji Adam Lo, has been charged with eight counts of second-degree murder. After the incident, police said Lo had a history of interactions with officers and health-care professionals related to mental health. Bautista says if an SUV can ram into a street festival in Vancouver, it could happen elsewhere in the country too. "People, we don't know what's on their mind now," he said. Yu knows the community is hurting, but at times like his, he said he likes to think of a plant called a bumble that grows in the Philippines.
CBC
30-04-2025
- Business
- CBC
P.E.I. premier says he'll urge Carney to 'quickly' live up to ferry, bridge toll reduction promise
Social Sharing A day after the federal election, politicians in P.E.I. wanted to know what the provincial Progressive Conservatives' priorities would be for the new Liberal government. Premier Rob Lantz's answer to those questions Tuesday in the legislature wasn't surprising — reducing tolls on the Confederation Bridge and fees to take a ferry across the Northumberland Strait. Both the federal Liberals and Conservatives pledged to either reduce or eliminate those tolls in the lead-up to Monday's election, and Lantz said he'll hold newly elected Prime Minister Mark Carney to that promise. "It's obviously a very big commitment that they've made to this province and I want to make sure that they live up to it and they live up to it quickly," the premier said during question period. "I don't want this to be something that needs to be studied and mulled over for months and years at a time. I think it's something that can be very simply implemented." WATCH | With federal vote over, P.E.I. Premier Rob Lantz will be counting the days until bridge tolls drop: With federal vote over, P.E.I. Premier Rob Lantz will be counting the days until bridge tolls drop 3 hours ago Duration 6:22 As the dust settled from the April 28 federal election, the provincial legislature was full of reaction. Premier Rob Lantz congratulated Prime Minister Mark Carney and the new Liberal government, and said lobbying for promised reductions to the cost of using the Confederation Bridge and Northumberland Ferries are at the top of his list. U.S. President Donald Trump and his administration's continued threat to levy tariffs against the goods it imports from numerous countries, including Canada, has led to renewed talk of reducing trade barriers between provinces. Lantz has previously said removing or lowering the fees to cross the Confederation Bridge to New Brunswick and ride the ferries to Nova Scotia would be a "quick win" on the interprovincial trade front. P.E.I. politicians have long argued that this would be only fair, given that the two services amount to a continuation of the TransCanada Highway. The premier said Tuesday that he spoke with three of the four Liberal candidates who won their ridings Monday night, who also made the commitment to reducing those tolls as quickly as possible. Last week, Carney promised that if elected, he would lower the round-trip toll on the Confederation Bridge by more than half, from $50 to $20, and lower the $86 cost of a ferry round trip "by at least half." The federal Conservatives had promised to eliminate the bridge tolls altogether and review the ferry service. Lantz said Tuesday that a total elimination of fees is still his goal, but reducing the tolls is a good first step, saying it will leave money in Islanders' pockets. "My position has been to eliminate them, given the environment that we're in," he said. "It's an unnecessary cost for us, it holds us back. "But look, I'll take a significant reduction over nothing, so in that regard I'm pleased." 'Difficult times ahead' While the premier said he has no timeline as to when Carney might reduce the fees, he hopes to see a plan outlined in the new Liberal government's first budget. Carney spoke last month of his goal to achieve " free trade by Canada Day" among the provinces and territories. Lantz said it's important that provinces and the federal government continue to work to reduce trade barriers. The PC government has tabled a bill aimed at doing just that. WATCH | FULL SPEECH | Carney delivers message of unity as Liberals projected to win 4th term: FULL SPEECH | Carney delivers message of unity as Liberals projected to win 4th term 19 hours ago Duration 20:01 CBC News projects the Liberals will form the next government and that Liberal Leader Mark Carney will be elected to his first seat in the House of Commons in his suburban Ottawa riding of Nepean. Carney, speaking in Ottawa on election night, says he will always do his 'best to represent everyone who calls Canada home.' On Tuesday, Lantz said he's happy to see the election of a "stable" federal government that can forge a path in a global economic environment upended by the U.S. trade wars. "Donald Trump, he's given no sign of backing down. He's starting to repeat his threats against Canada," Lantz said. "There's difficult times ahead... I think we're well-positioned now, though, to move forward, and I'd like to see Canada become the most prosperous nation it can under those circumstances."
CBC
25-04-2025
- Health
- CBC
Lack of French-speaking staff leading to burnout at P.E.I. long-term care home, MLA says
Social Sharing Issues were raised in the P.E.I. Legislature around staffing shortages and patient safety at a provincially operated long-term care home in Charlottetown. Some nurses from Beach Grove Home were looking on Friday as Opposition health critic Gord McNeilly brought up their concerns about vacant bilingual nursing positions. The Liberal MLA said staff told him up to 84 resident-care worker (RCW) shifts go unfilled every month at the home due to a lack of French-speaking workers. "A nurse reached out to me and she said that… she's stressed. She goes home, can't relax. She used to do things like run and cycle and she had to put those on hold," said McNeilly, who represents Charlottetown-West Royalty where the home is located. "This is the dedication of our health-care staff, but we're burning them out… and it was heartbreaking to get that message." P.E.I. Health Minister Mark McLane confirmed that one of two bilingual licensed practical nurse positions at Beach Grove Home is vacant, while five of eight French-speaking RCW positions are unfilled. While he admitted it can be challenging to hire bilingual health workers, McLane said Collège de l'Île has restarted its training program for French-speaking RCWs, and the province is trying to recruit internationally. "At this time, there's actually only one bilingual resident at [Beach Grove Home], so the demands aren't too great," he said. "With New Brunswick being our neighbour, it's tough to compete for bilingual positions." In the legislature, the health minister pointed to efforts Health P.E.I. is making to recruit more nurses to its system, including grant programs and an expansion of UPEI's nursing program. McLane also said 500 nursing positions across the Island are being made permanent, which he said will help stabilize the workforce. But McNeilly said those efforts do little to help the burned-out staff at Beach Grove Home in the short-term. "We want the French services, but… you're leaving vacant shifts because of this technicality," he said. "It's not a language issue; it's a service issue." McNeilly asked whether McLane would commit to directing Health P.E.I. to hire English-only term roles for one year to complement the home's staff until those permanent positions can be filled. The health minister said he would take that suggestion back to his department. Unsafe shower facilities, says staff Beach Grove staff also wrote to McNeilly with concerns about subpar shower facilities for patients on the facility's Harbour wing. They said the stall's flooring is not designed for a shower, so water leaks out into the common area — conditions that caused injury to one worker, who slipped on the wet floor. The workers wrote that the shower also doesn't have a temperature gauge, which is against provincial policy. McLane said he would visit the home to speak to staff about the issues, adding that there is money in the provincial budget for upgrades.
