Latest news with #P.E.I.
CBC
2 days ago
- Business
- CBC
Changes to P.E.I.'s energy-saving incentives get mixed reactions
Businesses have some mixed opinions about the changes being made to Prince Edward Island's provincial energy incentives and rebates. The province announced changes to its Net Zero and efficiencyPEI rebates on Thursday, after it paused accepting new applications for some programs earlier in the year. "I'd be lying if I said I wasn't disappointed to see the rebates for the industry we work in halved," said Steve Howard, the owner of Renewable Lifestyles, a P.E.I. company that specializes in solar electricity products, like solar panels. "But that's the reality of things. When these rebates come out, you can't expect them to be around forever," he said. The province's solar panel rebate offer was paused in February, with no new applications being taken. It has been reactivated, but the amount of money Islanders can get for installing an array of solar panels to power their homes is being capped at $5,000 — down from the previous $10,000. Howard said he expected the rebates to decrease over time, but his main complaint about the change is how the province communicated it. "The real headscratcher is that… this workforce that is capable of installing and transitioning to these green technologies... was just put at risk by the way that they suddenly stopped the rebates, the timing of those rebates," he said. If the change had been made at the end of the installation season, with proper notice given ahead of time, people could have planned ahead, he said. P.E.I.'s energy-saving rebate changes will let infrastructure catch up by slowing demand, some say 34 minutes ago Duration 2:17 A company in P.E.I.'s solar panel industry says the province is putting jobs at risk by cutting a homeowner rebate in half. But some, like Trevor Leeco of Centennial Nissan (shown) say it's good to put the brakes on encouraging the sale of heat pumps and electric cars, at least until the Island charging network and power grid catch up with demand. CBC's Sheehan Desjardins reports. EV incentives down Electric vehicle rebates are among the incentives set to be reduced, but there is still some money to be claimed. For Trevor Leeco, the general manager of Centennial Nissan in Charlottetown, the fact that there is still a rebate at all is good news. "We're very lucky. Some of the other provinces have done away with it altogether," Leeco said. "We were also very fortunate that we did get a little notice, compared to when the federal one went away… So we had a little bit of time to prepare." Leeco said he doesn't expect EV sales to drop dramatically because of the change, but he thinks slowing consumer uptake could be a good thing. "The infrastructure for us to all be electric is not there yet, so I think slower is probably better. And this may slow the pace slightly." Lowering pressure on the grid Provincial incentives for heat pump installation are down, too. But rebates on adding home insulation and replacing windows and doors are set to increase. While that could put more pressure on the construction industry, it could also reduce the load on the electricity grid in the short term, said Sam Sanderson, the executive director of the Construction Association of P.E.I. and a member of the Net-Zero Advisory Council. "[Heat pumps] are a great source of heat, a great source of cooling. But they're also adding, you know, huge pressure on our electrical grid," he said. "Every heat pump we install… adds a little bit more pressure on the demand for power." Insulation incentives could be an opportunity for education, Sanderson said, as more people look into what's actually inside their walls, and how that leads to their home losing heat in the winter and letting heat in during the summer. The province said it will keep an eye on the programs it has to make sure they're working. A re-evaluation will take place in two years, Environment, Energy and Climate Action Minister Gilles Arsenault said.
CBC
2 days ago
- General
- CBC
Islanders urged to prioritize sun safety as skin cancer rates rise in Canada
Social Sharing As Islanders prepare to soak up the sunshine this summer, experts say it's crucial to take sun protection seriously given the rising rates of skin cancer across Canada. A new study from Melanoma Canada shows more than 11,000 Canadians were diagnosed with melanoma in 2024 — a 17 per cent increase over the previous year. An increasing number of those new cases appeared in young people. Falyn Katz, CEO of Melanoma Canada, said men continue to be diagnosed more frequently than women. Of Canada;s 11,300 new skin cancer patients, 6,500 were men and 4,800 were women. "We also need to be talking about the death rate, which is also on the rise. A lot of Canadians don't realize that skin cancer can be deadly — 1,300 deaths each year, so about three to four a day, and 850 out of those are men," Katz told CBC's Island Morning. The study points to two major reasons behind the increase, one of which is a lack of sun safety practices, partly due to the spread of false information, Katz said. "There's a lot of misinformation out there online on sunscreens not being safe or even causing cancer. They're totally untrue. All sunscreens in Canada are reviewed by Health Canada… so they are perfectly safe," she said. She added that Canada's aging population is also contributing to the rising number of cases, since both melanoma and non-melanoma skin cancers are more commonly diagnosed in older adults. Support available on P.E.I. Health P.E.I. told CBC News that Islanders without a family doctor who are concerned about possible skin cancer, such as a suspicious mole, can reach out for advice through the virtual health-care service Maple. Those already registered on the P.E.I. patient registry can use Maple for free. The service lets them consult a health-care professional who can refer them to a local clinic for in-person assessment. How to protect your skin from the sun Katz said using sunscreen is an important first step in protecting your skin, but the wide variety of products can make it hard to know which one to choose. She recommends choosing broad-spectrum sunscreens with an SPF of 30 or higher — ideally 50 or higher — to protect your skin from both UVA rays (which cause the skin to look older) and UVB rays (which cause burns). "There are chemical and mineral sunscreens available. Check out the ingredients and pick the one that's best for you. Ideally, apply it 20 to 30 minutes before you're going outside in the sun," Katz said. "And [it's] really important to make sure you're reapplying every two hours or more often, if you're swimming or sweating." For those who can't or don't want to wear sunscreen, Katz said covering up is essential. That includes wearing sun-protective clothing with a UPF (Ultraviolet Protection Factor) rating, or at least using tightly woven fabrics, a wide-brimmed hat and sunglasses. She also recommends avoiding peak UV hours — usually from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. — and checking the daily UV index on a weather app or website. This week, P.E.I. had several days where the index reached 6 or 7, which is in the range of high to extremely high. Start sun safety young Katz said it's important for parents and schools to teach sun safety early in life, especially given the lasting impact of sunburns in childhood. "One to two blistering sunburns in your youth can double your chances of being diagnosed with melanoma later in life. So it's really important that we establish sun safety behaviours early," she said. That message is echoed by the Canadian Cancer Society. Elizabeth Holmes, director of health policy at the society, said the organization's SunSense program is designed to promote healthy sun habits in children. "It's... working with daycares and in schools to really instill those sun safety behaviours and best practices at an early age, and really creating the support within the school as well as... that individual learning and making it part of your routine," Holmes said. Know the signs, catch it early Holmes said early detection of melanoma greatly improves the chances of treatment being successful, so that the cancer doesn't spread. She said health professionals are trained to look for signs using the ABCDE method. That stands for Asymmetry, Border irregularity, Colour, Diameter and Evolution. People should have a mole checked out if it's asymmetrical rather than round, if the border looks irregular, if the mole changes colour over time, if it seems to be growing, or any other change, like starting to ooze or bleed.
CBC
2 days ago
- General
- CBC
79-year-old retired priest charged in P.E.I. with sex-related offences from the late 1980s
Rev. Brendon Gallant served more than 15 Roman Catholic parishes on P.E.I. before he retired. Now he's facing charges that go back to the late 1980s, allegedly involving sexual misconduct against a minor. The CBC's Nicola MacLeod explains.
CBC
2 days ago
- General
- CBC
How do you talk to kids about sensitive topics like inappropriate touching?
That might be something they've asked about after some high-profile news stories about a former P.E.I. substitute teacher recently. On CBC News: Compass, psychologist Dr. Brent MacDonald has some advice on how to broach the subject with children, and how to rebuild trust in the school system.
CTV News
2 days ago
- General
- CTV News
A hot air balloon forced to touchdown in P.E.I.
A hot air balloon forced to touchdown in P.E.I. The first hydrogen, open basket gas balloon to head across the Atlantic was forced to touch down in Cardross P.E.I.
