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Calgary Herald
an hour ago
- Business
- Calgary Herald
Alberta shows a lack of improvement when it comes to emergency room wait times: report
An Alberta Health Services building on 107 Street in Downtown Edmonton on Feb. 27, 2025. Photo by Shaughn Butts / Postmedia Alberta's emergency room wait times are just as long as they were last year for the median patient, according to a new report by the Montreal Economic Institute (MEI). THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Calgary Herald ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Calgary Herald ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account. Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments. Enjoy additional articles per month. Get email updates from your favourite authors. THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments Enjoy additional articles per month Get email updates from your favourite authors The median Albertan spent three hours and 48 minutes in the emergency room in 2024 — an increase of 54 minutes since 2020. According to the report, the Edmonton region had the highest median wait time at five hours and 54 minutes, followed by the Calgary region at four hours and 42 minutes. Krystle Wittevrongel, the institute's director of research, said over the past five years all 10 provinces have seen an increase in wait times. Your weekday lunchtime roundup of curated links, news highlights, analysis and features. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. Please try again 'Alberta didn't increase much from last year, but compared to the beginning of the five-year period, there was an increase of 54 minutes compared to the beginning of the period (2020), but it was zero minutes from last year. So we don't have much change, but it's hard to look at it just from one year's perspective,' Wittevrongel said. MEI obtained the data through freedom of information requests from all 10 provinces for the 2024-2025 fiscal year. Wittevrongel said despite getting both the average and median wait times, they chose to go with the median statistic since it was a better indicator when accounting for extreme outliers where some people may wait for very little or a long time, which can skew the average. This means 50 per cent of patients wait longer and 50 per cent wait less time than the median. When creating the report, Wittevrongel said her team looked at the time when a patient is triaged to the physician's initial assessment and the total length of stay from triage until they are discharged from the emergency room. She said they mainly focused on the length of stay since it is more indicative of a hospital's overall operation such as bed shortages. According to the report, the University of Alberta Hospital had the longest visits in Alberta with a median stay of eight hours and 30 minutes in 2024, followed by the Misericordia Community Hospital at seven hours and 54 minutes and the Royal Alexandra Hospital at seven hours and 42 minutes. 'Almost four hours for a length of stay doesn't seem that high, but it is quite high when we look at other countries and I really think that we've just gotten to a place where we accept long wait times and something has to change,' Wittevrongel said.
Toronto Sun
2 hours ago
- Business
- Toronto Sun
Tories win speech amendment, spelling Liberals' first loss in House
Construction on Parliament Hill in Ottawa June 2, 2025. Photo by TONY CALDWELL / Postmedia A push by the Conservatives to add an amendment to the Liberals' response to the Throne Speech narrowly passed Monday, marking the first defeat in the new House of Commons session. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account. Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments. Enjoy additional articles per month. Get email updates from your favourite authors. THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments Enjoy additional articles per month Get email updates from your favourite authors Don't have an account? Create Account The amendment, a largely non-binding call for the government to issue an economic update before the summer break, passed 166 to 164, enjoying full support of all opposition parties. All Liberal MPs voted against the amendment, but thanks to several no-shows it wasn't enough to defeat the motion. The amendment stemmed from the Mark Carney Liberals' assertion that they would not table a budget this year — a move they promptly walked back on amid outcry, promising one in the fall. That isn't good enough, Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre said last week, promising to pressure the government to open their books before the House rises for summer break later this month. Monday's vote was not a confidence motion, so the minority Carney Liberals are in no danger of toppling so early in their mandate. But the throne speech vote is a make-or-break vote, expected to happen once debate on the throne speech response wraps later this week. bpassifiume@ Columnists Sunshine Girls Olympics Technology Sunshine Girls
Toronto Sun
3 hours ago
- General
- Toronto Sun
DEAR ABBY: Marriage hasn't been the same over a decade
A husband seeks affection from his wife. Photo by stock photo / Getty Images Reviews and recommendations are unbiased and products are independently selected. Postmedia may earn an affiliate commission from purchases made through links on this page. DEAR ABBY: I have been married for 22 years. It was a normal relationship, and I was very happy . However, over the last 12 years, my wife has changed. There is ZERO affection, no hugging, holding hands and nothing sexual. We are like roommates. She blames it on having been molested when she was a child. Our level of intimacy was normal for 10 years. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account. Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments. Enjoy additional articles per month. Get email updates from your favourite authors. THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments Enjoy additional articles per month Get email updates from your favourite authors Don't have an account? Create Account I have suggested counselling, but she refuses. Bottom line: Should I stay, or should I go? I am 64 years old, and this is my second marriage. I don't want to start over. — STARVED IN INDIANA DEAR STARVED: Ask your wife if she ever received counselling after she was molested. If she did, she needs more. However, if she did not, then it's time to explain to her that for the last 12 years she has starved you of affection and human contact, and you do not intend to live the rest of your life this way. Then offer her a choice: counselling to deal with her issue or a divorce. You may not want to start over, but you may have to. DEAR ABBY: I brought my dad with dementia into my home. My husband has heart issues. We are all at each other's throats all the time. My siblings promised they would help take care of our dad, but they haven't helped much at all. Every once in a while they may take him for a couple hours, but then he's right back. Don't get me wrong, I love my dad. But we really could use more help, though I feel guilty asking for it. Am I supposed to feel this way? I mean, they are his children, too. — OBLIGATED IN KENTUCKY This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. DEAR OBLIGATED: I hope you realize you may have brought this situation on yourself, and it's up to you to do something about it. You said you feel guilty asking your siblings for more help taking care of your father. Lose that guilty feeling! They ARE his children, too, but they aren't mind readers. Tell them what you need, and if it is more time to yourself and your sick husband, don't be bashful about saying so. RECOMMENDED VIDEO DEAR ABBY: My husband bought me a beautiful diamond ring for our 35th anniversary. People often ask how much it cost and why we would spend that. I know I don't have to explain myself, and I try to be polite. We both work, are debt-free and don't bother anyone. What is the proper way to respond to questions like this? — DIAMOND GAL IN MASSACHUSETTS DEAR DIAMOND GAL: You are correct. You are not obligated to reveal personal financial information, so stop doing it. There's no end to the personal questions people ask these days. If someone inquires about how much your ring cost or why you would spend that amount of money, simply respond, 'You know, that's a very personal question, and I'm really not comfortable with it.' Then change the subject. — Dear Abby is written by Abigail Van Buren, also known as Jeanne Phillips, and was founded by her mother, Pauline Phillips. Contact Dear Abby at or P.O. Box 69440, Los Angeles, CA 90069. Sunshine Girls Columnists Sunshine Girls Technology Toronto Maple Leafs
The Province
5 hours ago
- Entertainment
- The Province
Vancouver band Mother Mother celebrates 20 years with new album Nostalgia
Riding a career high, Mother Mother releases its 10th album Mother Mother headlined the 30th edition of Bluesfest in 2024 in Ottawa at Lebreton Flats. Here, Ryan Guldemond plays with his sister, Molly Guldemond. Photo by Julie Oliver / Postmedia Reviews and recommendations are unbiased and products are independently selected. Postmedia may earn an affiliate commission from purchases made through links on this page. Mother Mother is celebrating 20 years as a band with the release of its 10th album. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Exclusive articles by top sports columnists Patrick Johnston, Ben Kuzma, J.J. Abrams and others. Plus, Canucks Report, Sports and Headline News newsletters and events. Unlimited online access to The Province and 15 news sites with one account. The Province ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on. Daily puzzles and comics, including the New York Times Crossword. Support local journalism. SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Exclusive articles by top sports columnists Patrick Johnston, Ben Kuzma, J.J. Abrams and others. Plus, Canucks Report, Sports and Headline News newsletters and events. Unlimited online access to The Province and 15 news sites with one account. The Province ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on. Daily puzzles and comics, including the New York Times Crossword. Support local journalism. REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account. Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments. Enjoy additional articles per month. Get email updates from your favourite authors. THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments Enjoy additional articles per month Get email updates from your favourite authors Titled Nostalgia, the Vancouver quintet's latest release lives up to its name, through the inclusion of material dating back to the band's beginnings, as well as new songs looking toward its future. There have been ups and downs for vocalist and lead guitarist Ryan Guldemond, vocalist and synthesizer player Molly Guldemond, vocalist and keyboardist Jasmin Parkin, drummer Ali Siadat and bassist Mike Young. The band was in a low in 2021 when its 2008 single, Hayloft I, went viral on Tik Tok. Then things took off. Suddenly finding itself in the midst of a massive career resurgence with media outlets such as Rolling Stone describing the song as the 'niche band's breakout,' the group followed the old track with a sequel, titled Hayloft II. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. With expanded global interest in its music and more touring opportunities, Mother Mother cemented its new fan connection with sharp new songs such as I Got Love, with its accompanying video comprised of submitted clips. That track was included on 2021's Inside. Grief Chapter followed in 2024. This February, the song Make Believe previewed the arrival of Nostalgia. Mother Mother Nostalgia album cover Warner Records The song captures the group's mix of driving grooves and angular, off-kilter harmony choruses that have been a characteristic of the band since the days when it had its first residency at The Blarney Stone in Gastown in 2005. Essential reading for hockey fans who eat, sleep, Canucks, repeat. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. Please try again This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. 'In creating Nostalgia, our goal was to embody a childlike creativity, which often becomes elusive as we age and gather too many tricks,' said Ryan Guldemond. 'We evaluated every creative choice by its emotional impact — whether that was a lyric, a reverb trail, or an EQ curve. If something didn't evoke a strong emotional reaction, we let it go.' One song on the album that has always evoked a reaction, dating back to Mother Mother's earliest days, is Finger. Long a favourite in live performances, the cheeky challenge to society's double standards about what is/isn't appropriate placement of everything from digits to dinner choices, was always seen as a bit too much for including on a record. It is the oldest material on Nostalgia, but still sounds fresh. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. 'Ali has been bugging me to produce Finger for 20 years, and I always thought it was a little too audacious,' he said. 'But the theme of this record is to celebrate 20 years and that includes that instinct that only young people possess when they first discover a passion and craft, and the absurd things that can be a byproduct of that discovery. Finger fits that brief and, I think, it could become a new anthem for our fan base.' This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Daydreaming can be a powerful drug that can produce valuable insights into very real things in life. A case in point is the opening song Love to Death, which dates back to 2008's O My Heart sessions. A popular bootleg live version has been cropping up online for the past decade, so it made sense to get a legit version on record. 'I think 20 years is a weird number where your adult life has been going on for that long,' he said. 'During that time, we have had a lot more than 20 opportunities to break up, and songs like Love to Death are reminders of that historic continuity. 'It seemed a time to celebrate it with a positive spin.' A song that's certain to become a winner in concert is On And On (Song for Jasmin), an upbeat banger expressing the deeply held love Guldemond has for his bandmate Parkin. A girl, he notes in a lyric, who 'I want to play guitar for' who helps him find a new apartment, among other things. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. 'Jasmin is my very best friend in the world, beginning with us being a couple 18 years ago, and moving through breaking up and staying bandmates, to this very deep friendship that has refined and reinforced itself over the years,' he said. 'In 2020, her dad died and I was the one who had to deliver that unexpected, sad news. That was very bonding and, in the grip of that grief and connection, I wrote this song as an ode to my friend, as an attempt to encapsulate her incredible personality.' As time has passed, Mother Mother has become all the more adept at sharing the lead vocals between its three singers, seamlessly transitioning into the band's signature harmonies. Blending them on the floating, psychedelic folk of Station Wagon, to the call-and-response grooves of Me & You, Nostalgia is a showcase for vocals. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. 'Mother Mother, at its best, is three personalities shining through vocally. And there have been times where that may have been inhibited for certain reasons,' he said 'Really listening back over nine albums, when we were our best and most authentic, were when the vocals were at their most democratic and colourful. So, we honed in on that with songs like Better Than Me, which is Jasmine's lead, or the closing song, To Regret, which is Molly's lead.' For Ryan and his sister Molly, music-making began growing up on Quadra Island,. That upbringing has direct influence on Nostalgia, which has many acoustic-forward songs. More than half of the new record could be strummed around a beachside campfire. 'There is a certain, unfortunate bastardization in the studio that happens with beautiful songs born on acoustic guitars,' he said. 'This time, we wanted to keep that intact, as the heart of a song so often begins on an acoustic guitar or a piano. We have been doing a campfire moment in the live set, which people celebrate.' This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. The band is touring Europe and debuting in Istanbul, Turkey, over the summer. Canadian dates are likely in 2026. Mother Mother live: from left, Molly Guldemond, Ryan Guldemond and Jasmin Parkin. Julie Oliver/Postmedia Photo by JULIE OLIVER / Postmedia Top 5 Mother Mother set list songs When you have logged 20 years, 10 albums and a load of hit singles along the timeline, selecting a set list becomes a challenge for all musicians. For Mother Mother, it's no different. 'It's an infuriating ordeal that takes a long time to put together,' admits Guldemond. 'It's obvious on paper what you need to do over 90 minutes — hits, new songs, deep cuts, campfire moment, a Molly song, a Jasmine song, etc. — but I've been working on it for a few months now. Obviously, Hayloft I and II are going to be there.' Here are the top 10 Mother Mother songs, according to 1. Hayloft 1 2. Bit By Bit 3. The Stand 4. O My Heart 5. Wrecking Ball 6. Ghosting 7. Verbatim 8. Burning Pile 9. Body of Years 10. Hayloft II sderdeyn@ Read More Vancouver Canucks Sports Vancouver Canucks Vancouver Whitecaps Local News
Toronto Sun
14 hours ago
- Politics
- Toronto Sun
LILLEY: Judge's crazy gun ruling brings court into disrepute
Outrageous ruling throws out serious gun charges and puts future prosecutions at risk over judge's imagined views of racism. Get the latest from Brian Lilley straight to your inbox Justice Renu Mandhane is pictured on March 10, 2020 when she was head of the Ontario Human Rights Commission in this Postmedia file photo. A Trudeau-appointed judge in Brampton has thrown out serious gun charges, claiming the accused was only stopped and searched due to racism. Justice Renu Mandhane, the former head of the Ontario Human Rights Commission, has put the future of many prosecutions in jeopardy with this flimsy judgment that must be appealed and overturned. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account. Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments. Enjoy additional articles per month. Get email updates from your favourite authors. THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments Enjoy additional articles per month Get email updates from your favourite authors Don't have an account? Create Account Mandhane has sullied the reputation of the Peel Police Service, the officer in charge and let a man arrested with a loaded rifle in his car walk free without trial. In October 2023, Officer Anand Gandhi, a man originally from India who moved to Canada and became a police officer, was on patrol in Brampton. While driving past a red Jeep, Gandhi's automatic plate reader alerted him that the owner of that vehicle had a suspended driver's licence and the vehicle was 'impound eligible.' He was also alerted that the man was facing drug charges in Toronto. At this point, Officer Gandhi called for back-up and then proceeded to approach the vehicle where the driver confirmed his identity. At this point, Gandhi cuffed the man and put him in the back of the cruiser while an inventory of the vehicle was taken. Your noon-hour look at what's happening in Toronto and beyond. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. Please try again This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Adrian Wolley, president of the Peel Police Association, said that it's standard for officers to place suspects in the back of a cruiser and to conduct an inventory before a vehicle is impounded to ensure that no one can claim something was stolen. Recommended video 'To search the car is always done now,' Wolley said. 'We're not going to pop the engine and look through the glove box or anything like that, but we're going to go and lift mats or lift through bags and stuff like that because they could say, 'I had $5,000 cash, and the officer must have stolen it.'' Wooley said the search was legal and by the books, but Mandhane declared it an illegal search contrary to the Charter. She also found that the decision to put cuffs on the accused and put him in the back of the car was a Charter violation. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. To arrive at all of this, Mandhane relied on the notion that everything Gandhi did was because of racial bias and not good policing. 'On a balance of probabilities, I find that Officer Gandhi relied on information about the accused's outstanding charges (of which he was presumed innocent) combined with stereotypes about Black men being more prone to criminality and more dangerous than other people, to justify his decision to arrest and detain the accused,' Mandhane wrote. 'While Officer Gandhi's racial bias was likely unconscious and the product of our culture and his own worldview, that is not an excuse or even a mitigating factor in terms of the seriousness of the conduct,' she wrote. 'The fact that Officer Gandhi is himself is racialized — he is a Brown man — does not insulate him from the insidious power of anti-Black racism, stereotype, and racial bias.' This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. With this finding, Mandhane excluded the loaded gun, and anything the accused said, from being used at trial which means the man was let go. These are exactly the kinds of guns that the Liberals in Ottawa say they want to take off the streets; in fact, this model was banned five years ago, put on a prohibited list, but Liberal-appointed judges come up with rulings like this. Read More Meanwhile, legal, licensed gun owners who used to take guns like this to the range are prohibited from using them. They would face serious jail time for taking them to the range. If you possess an illegal Beretta CX4 and carry it around loaded in the back of your vehicle, you can be set free without even a trial, depending on your race — and if you can get before Mandhane. 'While firearms offences are serious, admitting the firearm into evidence in the context of this case would bring the administration of justice into disrepute,' she wrote. No Justice Mandhane, you and your decision bring the administration of justice into disrepute. Let's hope this outrageous decision is overturned. 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