Latest news with #YorkUniversity
Vancouver Sun
4 days ago
- Politics
- Vancouver Sun
Jobs subsidy for immigration minister's longstanding church raises 'perception' questions: ethics specialist
OTTAWA — When Immigration Minister Lena Metlege Diab dropped by a church kids camp this summer, she came to pose for photos to highlight the funding that came from the Canada Summer Jobs program. It might not have seemed unusual: members of Parliament have a hand in helping organizations in their riding get the summer-job subsidies in the first place. MPs get lists of organizations in their ridings that apply for the subsidy, and recommend who should get it. But Metlege Diab had a more personal relationship with this particular Lebanese parish church in Halifax than just representing it as an MP. She has been a parishioner there since the 1980s. Start your day with a roundup of B.C.-focused news and opinion. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. A welcome email is on its way. If you don't see it, please check your junk folder. The next issue of Sunrise will soon be in your inbox. Please try again Interested in more newsletters? Browse here. The situation does not seem to violate either the Conflict of Interest Act or codes that public office holders must follow, but one government ethics specialist said it touches on issues around perceptions of conflict, as well as what questions the department responsible for administering the money asks of MPs who may have ties to the organizations whose requests they review. 'Do I think that the minister, in this case, has broken the act or code? No,' said Ian Stedman, who previously worked for Ontario's integrity commissioner and now teaches as an associate professor at York University. 'Do I think that the program may want to protect itself by having a higher bar or a higher standard than the act or code? Yes.' The Canada Summer Jobs program offers a wage subsidy for employers to hire those aged 15 to 30 each summer. This year, the government announced it would spend $25 million more to create another 6,000 spots to combat the country's high youth unemployment rate. How it works is simple: An organization, including religious ones, applies for the subsidy. The department that administers it assesses the application to ensure it meets the criteria and then asks MPs for their feedback based on a recommended list, which, according to the program's website, is to ensure 'local priorities' are met. Their feedback, it says, is then used to inform the government's final decisions. In Metlege Diab's case, a spokeswoman in her Halifax West constituency office said she provided her feedback back in March, two months before Prime Minister Mark Carney promoted her to cabinet. She has represented the riding federally since 2021. 'The final funding decisions by (Employment and Social Development Canada) were made during the writ period,' the spokeswoman wrote, referring to the period during the spring federal election. Her office also confirmed she had been a parishioner of the church in question since its was established in the 1980s 'It was wonderful to visit Our Lady of Lebanon Parish and see how the Canada Summer Jobs program is helping our youth gain valuable work experience while supporting meaningful summer opportunities. Thank you for welcoming me — enjoy the rest of your summer!' Metlege Diab wrote in a recent Facebook post . The government confirmed the church received around $50,000 to fund 10 jobs. Last year, the Conflict of Interest and Ethics Commissioner's office released an advisory opinion directing MPs on when they should refrain from giving their opinion on whether a particular organization should receive funding. It added that an entity is not precluded from applying for government money just because an elected official or appointee has a personal connection to it, like a membership. The office advised that MPs should not provide opinions on applications from groups that employ or are owned by a family member, or where they have a 'private interest.' Stedman says under the rules, 'private interest' is defined in terms of it being a financial interest, which is narrow. He says that narrowness is evident when it comes to the Canada Summer Jobs program, which he said is unique in that the government asks MPs to directly weigh in on a funding decision. 'This is really them saying outright, 'We want you to help influence how our money is spent.'' While federal ethics rules concentrate on the issue of a public officer using their influence to benefit financially, the program itself is about the community. 'It's an organization she cares about. It's a church that she cares about, and the better they do, the longer they survive to be there for her and her community. And she benefits from that in a kind of interpersonal way,' Stedman said. 'It's just not the kind of benefit that's contemplated by the act, which can be unpalatable … for I think our modern take on what conflicts of interest could be.' He said he believes the program, in asking MPs for their recommendations on funding, should also ask whether they have any personal connections to the organizations on the provided lists. 'The public expects that their members of Parliament are going to do everything they can to avoid the perception of a conflict, because we want our government officials to care about public trust in their behaviour, and public trust is about perception as much as it is about reality.' In a statement, Employment and Social Development Canada did not directly say whether it asks MPs about having any personal ties to the organizations whose applications they review, but members are reminded of the rules under the Conflict of Interest Act and Code of Conduct. 'To ensure their recommendations are considered, they must attest to their compliance with the code by completing the required electronic confirmation. The code provides guidance to MPs regarding the disclosure of conflicts of interest and ensures transparency and accountability in their decision-making, including in the Canada Summer Jobs MP recommendation process,' wrote spokeswoman Liana Brault. 'The department provides final recommendations of projects to be funded after examining all applications against program criteria and national priorities and reviewing feedback from members of Parliament.' National Post staylor@ Our website is the place for the latest breaking news, exclusive scoops, longreads and provocative commentary. Please bookmark and sign up for our daily newsletter, Posted, here .
DW
6 days ago
- Science
- DW
Humans are using more resources than the planet can restore – DW – 07/23/2025
Little more than half a year into 2025, mankind has already hit Earth Overshoot Day, consuming resources at a rate that far outpaces the capacity to restore them. Are there ways to slow things down? July 24 marks the day where humanity has used up nature's entire budget of ecological resources for the year. That's according to the international sustainability organization Global Footprint Networkand York University in Toronto, Canada. The day, which is observed annually, comes just over a week earlier than last year's date— mainly due to the fact that oceans can absorb less CO2 than previously reported. We are overconsuming by depleting nature's capital faster than it can replenish, which is visible in deforestation, loss of biodiversity and the accumulation of carbon emissions in the atmosphere. And it is part of a trend that started back in the early 1970s. Mathis Wackernagel, co-founder of the Global Footprint Network, told DW that using too many resources is driving many "environmental ills," and that regularly using more than the planet can naturally reproduce has a cumulative effect. "Even if we keep it at the same level, we increase the ecological debt that the world endures," he said, adding that the ensuing "debt is measurable." Qatar, Luxembourg and Singapore were first in hitting their respective country overshoot days back in February. The US was not far behind. If everyone on the planet consumed like people in the US, resources would be depleted by March 13. Germany and Poland land on May 3, China and Spain on May 23, South Africa on July 2. Wackernagel said high income "typically leads to higher resource consumption," but added that it is not the only driver. Qatar, with a desert climate with low annual rainfall and intensely hot, humid summers, relies heavily on air conditioning powered by fossil fuel energy. "They have easy access to fossil fuels, so fossil fuel use is cheap and that has a big footprint," he said, adding the country also uses up a lot of resources for the energy intensive process of desalinating seawater. Uruguay, on the other hand, is not projected to start overconsuming until December 17. It has successfully turned to renewable energy to power its grid, relying mainly on hydroelectricity, wind and biomass. And then there are the countries that stay within bounds of the planet's capacity such as India, Kenya and Nigeria, among others. In order to stay within our means, the world's ecological footprint would have to equal the available biocapacity per person on our planet, which currently stands at about 1.5 global hectares. Biocapacity is defined as land and ocean areas that provide resources such as food and timber, can accommodate urban infrastructure and absorb excess CO2. Anything higher than the global available biocapacity per person is overexploiting resources. Germany has about the same amount of biocapacity per person as the global average, but uses about three times more, Wackernagel said. While India, the world's most populous country, uses more than the country itself can renew in a year, globally speaking "the level of consumption is less than one planet," he said, adding that one planet should not be the goal. "There are also other species, so we should probably be below one planet to be robust." Wackernagel said we are taking resources "far beyond what Earth can regenerate" yet have a collective understanding that what we are doing is fine. "But we're fooling ourselves." Paul Shrivastava, co-president of think tank Club of Rome, said it's time to rethink how we understand economies. "We need to change from that extractive mindset of the economy to a regenerative one," he told DW. "Mining is a kind of extraction. Oil is a kind of extraction. Once we take it out of the earth, we don't give anything back," he added. Wackernagel said it's not about what we need to give up, but rather how we can prepare ourselves for the future and what will be valuable then. Rather than adjusting economies to reduce overshooting, people are trying to squeeze the last bit out of the toothpaste tube, Wackernagel said. "In the United States, where I live, I could see that many of the themes around the elections last year were very overshoot related. For example, the fear of not having enough energy," he said. However, the government has failed to address the problem of overshooting and instead pushed to "drill more holes and get more fossil fuels" out of the ground. The Global Footprint Network has outlined a number of solutions in five key areas to push back the date of Earth Overshoot Day. The energy sector is by far the biggest factor at play: Placing a price on carbon emissions that reflects the true cost of carbon pollution on the planet would help move the date by 63 days. Smart cities with integrated transport systems, advanced energy management and foresight through sensors to regulate energy in buildings could add another 29 days to the calendar. Replacing coal and gas-fired power plants with renewable energy such as solar and wind and generating 75% of electricity from low-carbon sources would move the date by another 26 days. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video Halving food waste would provide another 13 extra days and replacing 50% of global meat consumption with plant-based alternatives would add seven days from CO2 emissions and land use alone. Just one meatless day per week would add around two days. "There are vested interests in maintaining the current system" such as in fossil fuels, said Shrivastava. And while individual changes such as eating less meat, favoring biking over car rides and vacationing closer to home rank comparatively low on the power of possibility chart, voters have the power to push for systemic changes. "We don't control all of that individually, but we can have a say in it and we can talk to the people who have a say in it," said Shrivastava, by engaging in peaceful protests and in supporting local political candidates that have an ecological vision. Such changes will come from the power of the people, he added. "Overshoot is the second-largest risk humanity faces this century," Wackernagel said. "The largest one is not to respond."
Hamilton Spectator
7 days ago
- Business
- Hamilton Spectator
This restaurant chain took a gamble on bitcoin to combat inflation. Here's what happened
Five years ago, when the world was gripped by the uncertainty of the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic , the founders of Tahini's, a Canadian fast-casual Mediterranean restaurant chain, took an unusual gamble. Co-founders and brothers Omar and Aly Hamam took Tahini's cash reserves and invested in cryptocurrency bitcoin. It was a prescient move. Since March 2020, bitcoin's price has risen from around $5,200 (U.S.) to just under $120,000 (U.S.). When they first started buying bitcoin, Tahini's CEO Omar Hamam says he was thinking, 'the government's printing money left, right and centre … it's just a matter of time before the inflation hits.' The brothers and their cousin and business partner, Ahmed Dessouki, considered investing in gold at first, but chose bitcoin in the end to hedge against inflation . 'It is volatile, absolutely. But in the long run, you make more money than anything else,' Hamam said about investing in the cryptocurrency, noting there were months at a time when he was worried about having done so. 'I saw (bitcoin's value) go down and I'm like, 'oh my god, is that a good decision?'' Now, Hamam says he sees bitcoin as the natural 'evolution of money.' 'Inflation is affecting everyone, and I feel like the only thing to fight it is bitcoin,' he said. Both Hamam and Henry Kim, director of the at York University's Schulich's School of Business, agree bitcoin has recently come to be seen as a more conventional investment, especially as U.S. lawmakers have become more accepting of cryptocurrencies under President Donald Trump . Though investing in bitcoin has gained popularity, the practice of businesses treating it as a treasury reserve asset, as Tahini's has, is 'still a minority thing to do, and also quite speculative,' said Kim. Bitcoin 'behaves a lot like gold,' but 'on more steroids,' Kim explained. 'If (the value of) gold goes up, oftentimes bitcoin goes up even more.' Bitcoin's value fluctuates though, and it was significantly cheaper during the pandemic than it is right now. According to CoinMarketCap , the cryptocurrency's market cap currently sits at $2.36 trillion. That Tahini's has seen success in bitcoin is 'great,' but all it means is that Hamam 'was a great investor,' said Kim. 'There's a bubble in there, and some people that are forming bitcoin treasuries right now will probably get hurt.' Paul Pincente, vice-president of digital assets at Purpose Investments, has a slightly more optimistic view. 'Responsibly contributing what your business can afford — not going overboard — it's a fantastic strategy,' said Pincente. He acknowledged that investing in bitcoin can be daunting for the non-tech savvy, but said doing so through an exchange-traded fund is one way to get around that. For those considering investing in bitcoin, education, patience and 'knowing that there are other options to exposure that aren't as risky from a loss perspective' is important, said Pincente. In Tahini's case, its reserve hasn't been dipped into yet. 'We've been saving it for a rainy day,' said Hamam. But when the time comes, 'it's good to know that we have that money in the bank accounts. It makes us feel confident.'
Daily Mirror
22-07-2025
- Daily Mirror
Claudia Lawrence neighbour says he had 'nothing to do' with her disappearance
A builder once arrested in connection with the disappearance of Claudia Lawrence has broken his silence to speak to the 'Answers for Claudia' podcast about the case A former neighbour who was quizzed by police about missing Claudia Lawrence has spoken out for the first time to say he had 'nothing to do' with her disappearance. Building boss Pete Ruane, 65, a close pal of Claudia's, has been quizzed by police in the past. He was one four of her drinking mates from the 'Nag's Head', arrested on suspicion of murder. They were all released without charge. He told journalist Tom McDermott on the 'Answers for Claudia' podcast he was 'close' to Claudia and 'misses her a great deal'. He told the ' Answers for Claudia ' podcaster: 'I had nothing to do with her disappearance. I was close to Claudia and I miss her great deal." He also said he would be happy to help Claudia's mum Joan Lawrence, if she "reached out" to him. and had known Claudia's dad for 20 years. Claudia's mum Joan Lawrence, 81, has said she is grateful new attention has been brought to the case because of the 'Answers for Claudia' podcast. She said she will "never, ever give up" fighting for answers: 'I've got to keep going. The not knowing where she is, is the hardest.' Journalist Tom McDermott made contact with Mr Ruane as he was immersed in Claudia's friendship group, speaking to people in Malton and Heworth where the Lawrences lived. The 35-year-old was reported missing after she failed to report for work as a chef at York University in March 2009. Her disappearance has been treated as a murder inquiry by North Yorkshire Police almost from the start, and the case has become one of the most high-profile unsolved crimes in the country. Her breakfast bowls had been left in the kitchen sink and the slippers by the door. Since then her home has been left a 'time warp' with her clothes and belongings just waiting. Joan regularly visits the home as a condition of the house insurance. Last year, following the 15th anniversary of her disappearance, Acting Assistant Chief Constable at North Yorkshire Police, Wayne Fox insisted the inquiry was not closed and said detectives are determined to uncover what happened to Ms Lawrence. The Answers for Claudia podcast have been working with Joan for several years. and have revealed Claudia's house "had been disturbed not once, but twice". The Mirror told earlier this year how in bombshell developments they fears the raiders have struck twice since the podcast revealed a secret attic had been found in the terraced home. Joan and journalist Tom. found the attic tucked away in a built-in wardrobe inside Claudia's bedroom after visiting the home together. They also found a tissue and a packet of half used chewing gum inside a black leather jacket, which they believe could hold vital DNA clues. But when they returned she was horrified to discover someone had been inside Claudia's home. Tom said: 'New information has come forward and along with that people of significant interest, who have perhaps not felt comfortable to speak for over a decade, perhaps even 16 years, have come forward. 'We have passed that new information to the police as we always do. 'From a human point of view we feel like it is working and although it's answers for Claudia, actually just as importantly answers for Joan as well. '...One of the challenges when we started this journey was the wall of silence almost as if people were reluctant to come forward…but what we are finding is, that's slowly lifting. ' He said they had 'noticed in recent months that the house has been disturbed not once but twice which is of particular concern' but they feel that it is probably due to work they are doing with the podcast. '...I think we are getting closer and new information has been handed over in recent months.'
Medscape
18-07-2025
- Health
- Medscape
Care Seeking for Concussion Varies by Material Deprivation
Children with the least material deprivation visit the emergency department (ED) for concussion more frequently than children with the most material deprivation, according to a Canadian study. The results suggest inequality in access to care, the study authors wrote. 'Underserved youth are about 1.5 to 1.8 times less likely to seek care than those in the highest socioeconomic bracket,' study author Alison Macpherson, PhD, professor of kinesiology and health science at York University in Toronto, told Medscape Medical News . The study was published online on July 11 in Injury Prevention . A Wide Gap ED visits for concussion have increased substantially over the past decade among patients younger than 20 years in Toronto. In the current study, researchers analyzed data for all Ontario ED visits for children and adolescents (ages 0-19 years) diagnosed with concussion between 2010 and 2020. The study population included 140,031 patients. Data were obtained from ICES (formerly known as the Institute for Clinical Evaluative Sciences), a health services research organization funded by the Ontario Ministry of Health. Socioeconomic status was assessed using factors of household material deprivation, which included low income, unemployment, single-parent families, parents without a high school diploma, and living in residences in need of major repair. Data were compared by age and sex. All age groups saw a rise in rates of concussion-related visits from 2010 to 2019, but the 10- to 14-year-olds and 15- to 19-year-olds saw the largest increases. For the former group, concussion-related visits per 100,000 increased from 350 in 2010 to 737 in 2019. For the latter group, visits increased from 382 in 2010 to 872 in 2019. Sex-related differences in concussion have been decreasing, and by 2019-2020, there were no significant differences between males and females, the researchers found. The gap in visits due to material deprivation was wide. The rates of concussion-related ED visits per 100,000 children were 36.7 in 2010 and 43.3 in 2020 among children with the greatest material deprivation. The corresponding rates in children with the lowest material deprivation were 62.6 and 61.8. Part of the reason for the difference could be inequitable participation in organized sports, Macpherson said, 'but the socioeconomic association persisted in 2020' amid the COVID-19 pandemic, a time when most organized sports were canceled. The study 'suggests that something else is going on,' she added. Concussions are 'an invisible injury,' and while the decision to seek care is clear-cut with a broken bone, for example, the decision is less automatic for a concussion, Macpherson said. Some of the barriers to seeking care may include a lack of awareness about concussions and parents' decreased ability to take time off to present their child for care. Rowan's Law in Ontario, which mandates concussion education in all high schools, and Parachute Canada, Canada's injury prevention organization, provide many of the education tools, Macpherson said. However, some parents might be unable to read the materials in English and might need them in another language. Special education may be needed in low-income areas with parent meetings, for example. Also, awareness could better expand to playgrounds and other areas outside of organized team sports settings, Macpherson said. A limitation of the study is that it was not able to determine whether care for concussion was sought in healthcare facilities outside EDs, the study authors acknowledged. Education Through Sports Commenting on the study for Medscape Medical News, Shannon Scratch, PhD, a clinician scientist and director of the Neurorehab Outcomes via Education and Learning Laboratory at Holland Bloorview Kids Rehabilitation Hospital in Toronto, said that she was heartened to see that sex differences in concussion care seeking in the ED are fading away. 'This is a really promising trend,' she said. 'It is also clear that there is a concussion care access divide based on socioeconomic status. We now need to focus on closing this gap,' Scratch added. 'Education initiatives in equitable settings may be one factor. But it is important to know that there are many reasons why some families do not feel comfortable or are unable to present to emergency services in Ontario.' So far, many adults have received concussion education only through their child's sports setting, Scratch said. Families from lower socioeconomic backgrounds do not have the same access to organized sports in the community and outside of school settings. 'There are also high barriers to entry in sports like hockey — for example, registration and equipment costs and ability to travel — where we have seen the greatest focus on concussion education and protocol development,' Scratch continued. 'Therefore, a more balanced and equitable approach to concussion education is needed. Young people and their parents should be provided with concussion education, including how to recognize symptoms and access care, within schools and their local communities. Focusing education on adults who support young people, including teachers and coaches, should also continue,' she said. The study was initially supported by a Canadian Institutes of Health Research Chair in Child and Youth Health Services and Policy Research. Macpherson and Scratch reported having no relevant financial relationships.
