Latest news with #PEI
CTV News
2 days ago
- Health
- CTV News
New fungal disease threatening strawberry crops across Canada
Fresh strawberries are seen at Montreal's Jean Talon Market, on Tuesday, June 16, 2020. (THE CANADIAN PRESS/Paul Chiasson) A new fungal disease is threatening strawberry crops across Canada. Known as Neopestalotiopsis, or 'Neo-P' for short, there is no known cure for the disease, which can spread quickly and affect all parts of the plant. 'It's basically taking out what should be a healthy strawberry plant and making it very weak,' P.E.I. strawberry farmer Matthew Compton told CTV's Your Morning. 'Where I should see a really wide, matted row of strawberries, I see a really narrow row of strawberries – and I would see a lot of skips in between where some of the infected plants may have died out.' Compton is the owner and operator of Compton's Farm Market in Summerside, P.E.I. He says the fungal disease has already decimated early varieties of strawberries that he would normally be harvesting now. 'There's one variety that we will not harvest,' Compton said. 'The other variety, that three acres, we're going to get about half a crop off it, so better than nothing.' Compton estimates that these losses will cause between a 20 to 25 per cent hit to his overall business this year. While nothing can fully save an infected plant, fungicides can keep the disease from spreading. 'There's no fungicide that's going to eradicate Neo-P,' Compton said. 'It'll keep it at bay if it's there, but it won't get rid of it.' Such a fungicide was recently approved for emergency use in strawberry fields in Ontario, British Columbia, Alberta, Quebec, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island and Newfoundland and Labrador. Neo-P was first recorded in Florida in 2017, where it led to severe outbreaks in strawberry fields. It has since been found in Mexico and parts of the eastern U.S. and Canada. The first Canadian case was reported in Ontario in 2020. A 2021 alert from Ontario's Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs urged growers to be on the lookout for the disease, which 'has shown to be economically damaging in other jurisdictions.' 'On leaves, look for small leaf spots with a light centre and slightly darker border that expands and becomes irregular in shape,' the ministry alert explained. 'Eventually, the whole fruit may be rotted and mummified.'
CBC
3 days ago
- Sport
- CBC
High-level golf event in full swing at Mill River, with the hopes of many young golfers on the line
Mill River is hosting a international golf tournament this week. It's a big deal for players; winning here could lead to a spot on the PGA tour for golfers like Charlottetown's Tyler Hashmi (shown). For the western P.E.I. golf resort, it's meant a lot of work behind the scenes to get things ready. CBC's Connor Lamont reports.
CBC
3 days ago
- Health
- CBC
#TheMoment a class brought grad celebrations to a hospital in another province
Lauchlan McCabe and his mother recount the moment his Grade 9 class travelled 230 kilometres from rural P.E.I. to a children's hospital in Halifax so he could celebrate the end of junior high while being treated for leukemia.
CBC
4 days ago
- Health
- CBC
Grade 9 class travels 230 km to bring grad party to P.E.I. teen in Halifax hospital
Fifteen-year-old Lauchlan McCabe is going to miss his Grade 9 graduation later this month because he is undergoing treatment for leukemia at the IWK Health Centre. But his class wasn't going to let him graduate without a proper ceremony. That's why his schoolmates and teacher travelled some 230 kilometres to Halifax from rural P.E.I. to celebrate the end of junior high with him at the children's hospital. "It was pretty cool," said McCabe. "Different, but really cool." McCabe, who was recently diagnosed with leukemia, said he was surprised to see that some of his friends had shaved their heads in solidarity. He also received snacks and a plush toy as graduation gifts. His teacher, Paige Richards, helped co-ordinate the one-day visit alongside hospital staff and the principal and vice-principal of Vernon River Consolidated School. Last Thursday, Richards, the school's vice-principal, and a parent hit the road bright and early with 14 students — nearly the entire class — and made the drive to Halifax some three hours and 40 minutes away. "It was one of the hardest things for me to see because they knew that over the last couple of weeks, Lauchie wasn't doing well. They knew he was sick," said Richards, recalling the morning the school told the students about their classmate's illness. But once the day came to see McCabe, she said her students "made it so natural." "They're fooling around, being silly, and I was just so proud of them," said Richards. They all gathered at a theatre inside the hospital, ordered pizza and had a small graduation ceremony, where McCabe received his Grade 9 diploma and a physical education award. McCabe's mother, Janessa McCabe, said it was hard for the family to hear the diagnosis, but it helps to know what they're up against and receive the right treatment. She said the community in P.E.I. has been incredibly supportive, and the family has launched a GoFundMe to help with the cost of driving to and from Nova Scotia, where her son will receive his first treatments. Leukemia is a form of cancer that targets the body's blood-forming tissues, including the bone marrow and the lymphatic system. McCabe said seeing everyone show up for her son during these difficult times was really emotional. "You just appreciate the thought and the effort that went into it," she said. "It was nice to just see him with his friends." Lauchlan McCabe said his treatment is scheduled to last at least 2½ years, but the first month is the real challenge. He said he's determined to go through the treatment and looks forward to guarding the net of his AAA U15 hockey team, the Eastern Express, once again.
CBC
5 days ago
- Health
- CBC
5 types of presumptive cancer to be added to coverage list for P.E.I. firefighters
New Workers Compensation Board expands coverage to include more cancers women may face The Workers Compensation Board of P.E.I. has added five more presumptive cancers for which Island firefighters are eligible to receive health coverage, bringing the total to 19. Under P.E.I.'s Workers Compensation Act, presumptive coverage means that it is presumed a primary cancer for a fire inspector or firefighter is related to their work unless proven otherwise, according to a news release from the WCB. Those eligible for coverage include inspectors, and paid or volunteer firefighters who are members of a department or brigade. Gerard McMahon, the district deputy chief of the Charlottetown Fire Department, said this initiative helps ease the mind of firefighters. "[It] gives you peace of mind that you're going to be covered if you need any extra expense for medical coverage or trips off the Island," he said. The five cancers added to the coverage list include: Cervical. Ovarian. Penile. Pancreatic. Thyroid. Increased coverage for women Firefighting is a dangerous job, and not always due to the physical threat of fire. Issues can arise long after someone has served their community. Firefighters are nine per cent more likely to be diagnosed with cancer, and 14 per cent more likely to die of cancer compared to the general public, according to Health Canada. Allison Wyatt, director of claims and compensation with the WCB, said the board looked at cancers affecting women when expanding its coverage. Image | Allison Wyatt - Firefighter Coverage Caption: Allison Wyatt, director of claims and compensation with the Workers Compensation board of P.E.I., says the board looked particularly at cancers that can affect women as the firefighting workforce diversifies. (Rick Gibbs/CBC) Open Image in New Tab "We particularly looked at enhanced coverage for female cancers as we look at a more diverse workforce within firefighting," Wyatt said, adding that the coverage extends beyond the firefighter. "You think about people who are experiencing illness of any kind and you think about the impact that has on their families, you think about the impact that has on their community, and so really this… legislation is about the support for both them, their community and their families." P.E.I. Workforce Minister Jenn Redmond said she hopes this expanded coverage will increase the number of firefighters on the Island. "To be able to ensure that we have supports in place should they need them is a really big benefit in removing that barrier to have them come and join forces in their communities," she said. "Sometimes we focus very much on the volunteer firefighter force as being male-dominated, which it would be, but we have a lot of female firefighters.... Understanding when they face cervical, ovarian cancers connected to their volunteerism, it's really important."
