After 18 years of marriage Justin Trudeau and his wife Sophie are separating.

The Prime Minister’s office made the announcement today. In the statement, the PMO says both have signed a legal separation agreement.

It went on to say the pair are focused on raising their kids in a safe, loving, environment and Canadians can expect to see the family often together.

On her Instagram page Sophie Grégoire Trudeau says the decision came after many meaningful and difficult conversations.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Sophie Grégoire Trudeau (@sophiegregoiretrudeau)

The pair married in 2005 and have three children.

***With files from Wendy Gray

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The federal government has introduced long-awaited amendments to Canada’s bail system.  

Justice Minister David Lametti tabled Bill C-48 in Parliament on Tuesday.  

If passed, the bill would amend the Criminal Code to create a reverse onus provision for a variety of offences, which the country’s 13 premiers and territorial leaders have been calling on for months.  

Those include repeat offenders, specific firearm offences, and intimate partner violence. 

The bill would also require the court to consider if an accused person has any previous convictions involving violence and to include in the record a statement that the safety and security of the community was considered. 

The post Bail reform bill tabled in Ottawa appeared first on My Nelson Now.

The spread of COVID-19 is no longer a global public health emergency.

The World Health Organization made the declaration earlier Friday.  The W-H-O Director said it is with great hope that he declares COVID-19 over as a global health emergency.

He says globally the pandemic has been on a downward trend with population immunity increasing through vaccination and infection, mortality rates declining, and the pressure on health care easing.

But officials warn while the health emergency is over there is still a health threat out there as they expect the virus to continue to transmit.

The global health emergency was first declared in January of 2020 and officially deemed a pandemic in March of the same year.

The post WHO declares COVID-19 public health emergency over appeared first on My Nelson Now.

Applications are open for this year’s round of Canada Post Community Foundation grants. 

They are open to Canadian charities, schools and community organizations that provide programming for children and youth, up to age 21.

According to the foundation, applications for the grants, which range in value up to $25,000, will be accepted from all communities across the country with a focus on local grassroots initiatives. Those include literacy and language programs, youth outreach services, programs supporting Indigenous youth and well as gender diversity programs and many others.

In addition, the foundation also offers up to four $50,000-Signature Grants, one of which is the Indigenous Truth and Reconciliation Signature Grant introduced last year and awarded to an organization supporting educational initiatives for children and youth that increase the understanding of Indigenous culture and foster meaningful conversations in the spirit of Reconciliation.  

The deadline to submit applications is March 9 at noon Eastern Time, with recipients to be announced this August.

You can learn more about the grants or submit your own application by clicking here.

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Holidays are a time of giving for most, but the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre (CAFC) is reminding the public that for scammers, it is a time of taking.

The agency shared a list of popular holiday scams for Canadians to recognize, reject, report, and be merry.

The CAFC is warning of counterfeit merchandise and flashy discount ads that direct you to websites that look like legitimate manufacturers. Romance scams are also popular, and the CAFC says some fraudsters play on their victim’s emotions to get them to send money for various convincing reasons. 

The CAFC also says being vigilant while online shopping is important. Some fraudsters also pose as genuine sellers and post fake ads for items that do not exist, adding that whenever possible, you exchange goods in person or use your credit card for payment. 

Phishing emails and texts are also popular this time of year. The agency says some people may receive messages claiming to be from a recognizable source (e.g. financial institution, service provider, etc.) asking you to submit or confirm your information. Officials warn these emails or texts may include a malicious link for you to click.

Emergency scams: Officials say scammers will pose as a supposed loved one reaching out to you because they need money now and you’re the only one they trust to keep it a secret. The agency says to resist the urge to act immediately and verify the person’s identity by asking them questions a stranger wouldn’t know.

The CAFC says charity scams are also popular during the holidays. Officials say these scams involve any false, deceptive, misleading or fraudulent solicitation for a donation to a charity, association, federation or religious cause. 

Other popular holiday scams include those involving selling and buying goods and services online, crypto Investments, contests or raffle prizes, gift cards, Identity Theft, and Fraud, as well as pyramid schemes posing as Secret Santa scams.

The agency says anyone who suspects they have been the victim of cybercrime or fraud should report it to their local police and to the CAFC’s online reporting system or by phone at 1-888-495-8501, even if they are not a victim.

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Health Canada says TUMS Peppermint Regular Strength antacid sold in packages of three rolls with 12 tablets each may contain fiberglass fragments, paper, and aluminum.

While the agency says most people can digest the fragments with little to no concern, an elderly person with narrow areas of their intestines because of disease or surgery may be at risk of injury.

The products being recalled have an expiry date of August 2027.

If you have taken the product speak to your doctor if you have concerns about your health.

***With files from Wendy Gray

The post Some TUMS products being recalled appeared first on My Nelson Now.

There’s a massive recall of hair care products.

Health Canada says certain lots of Bed Head TGI, Dove, and Tresemmé dry shampoo products contain the cancer-causing chemical benzene.

The health agency says to immediately stop using and dispose of any of the recalled products you may have in your home.

Over 1.5 million units of the affected products were sold in Canada between January of 2020 and October 2022.

There have been no reports of any injuries and Health Canada says daily exposure to the benzene in these products would not likely cause “adverse health consequences.”

[caption id="attachment_33986" align="aligncenter" width="916"] Supplied By Health Canada[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_33985" align="aligncenter" width="925"] Supplied By Health Canada[/caption]

***With files from Wendy Gray

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All COVID-19 travel restrictions will be lifted in Canada on the first of October.

The easing of border measures includes the use of the ArriveCan app, which will no longer be necessary to get into the country.  Travellers, regardless of citizenship, will no longer need to provide proof of vaccination, undergo pre-or on arrival testing and health checks, quarantine on arrival, or report if they have signs or symptoms of COVID-19.

Masking has also been lifted for travel on trains or planes.  This also includes people on cruise ships.

The federal government, while still recommending the use of masks while travelling, says the decision was made to drop all travel restrictions because modelling shows the country has moved past the Omicron waves of the virus as well as lower hospitalization and death rates.

***With files from Wendy Gray

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Health Canada has greenlit a booster shot of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine for use in kids 5 to 11 years old. 

Chief Public Health Officer Dr. Theresa Tam says the National Advisory Committee on Immunization has authorized a ten microgram dose of Pfizer’s Comirnaty vaccine. 

Tam says the agency recommends children in the age group who have an underlying medical condition that places them at a higher risk of severe illness, including children who are immunocompromised, should be offered the first booster dose at least six months after completion of a primary series.

For all other kids in that age group, Tam says NACI recommends they “may be” offered the shot also six months after the first two. 

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The national outage of Rogers services is unacceptable. That's according to Canada’s Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry, François-Philippe Champagne. 

Friday’s outage left millions of people without internet, cell, and landline services and disrupted the ability to call 9-1-1.  The Interac system was crippled throughout the country, causing businesses only to take cash or credit. 

In 60 days, Champagne wants to see a formal agreement between Canada’s big three telecom companies.  That will include a plan to improve the time it takes to recover from an outage of that magnitude.

“The first thing that I want the formal agreement to cover is mutual assistance during outages, the second thing is emergency roaming, particularly during the time of emergencies like we have seen, and [third is] communications protocol to better inform the public and authorities during these times of crisis,” Champagne said.

He says the outage, caused by a systems failure after a maintenance upgrade, will be investigated by the CRTC. 

Meanwhile, a class-action lawsuit has been filed by a Quebec Rogers customer seeking 400-dollars-worth of compensation for each customer affected by Friday’s outage. 

A judge has yet to sign off on the suit.

***With files from Wendy Gray and Mo Fahim

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WARNING: The following story contains details some readers may find disturbing.

Kimberly Murray is now Canada’s first independent special interlocutor for unmarked graves at former residential schools. 

Canada’s Justice Minister and Attorney General, David Lametti officially appointed Murray to the role on Wednesday. 

Asked how her work will help communities across Canada who are in the process of discovering unmarked gravesites, Murray said with sites being discovered in different parts of the country it's really important to recognize the different barriers and unique challenges each jurisdiction will present. 

“When it comes to the search, what laws will be triggered when they find burials. Who gets called in, who doesn’t get called in, and which Indigenous law will apply. Part of the mandate of the Special Interlocuter’s office is to try and weave our way through all the conflicting jurisdictional quagmire mess that exists right now and try and find a solution for moving forward,” she says. 

Murray thinks the important part of her new role is to be there to help communities that are just starting the process of discovering unmarked gravesites. “They don't know how to start, they don't know where to begin and one of the most important things is to bring people together, to bring the communities together so they can learn from one another,” she said. 

Murray, a member of the Kanesatake Mohawk Nation, served as Ontario’s first-ever Assistant Attorney General for Indigenous Justice from 2015 to 2021. 

Before that, Murray was the Executive Director of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission and is currently the Executive Lead for the newly-created Survivors’ Secretariat at the Six Nations of Grand River working to recover the missing children and unmarked burials at the Mohawk Institute. 

Murray’s appointment to the new role comes after the federal government said last August they intended to appoint a Special Interlocutor to work with First Nations, Inuit, and Metis governments, representative organizations, communities, survivors, and families to make recommendations on how best to address the legal questions associated with unmarked graves.

The Indian Residential Schools Crisis Line is available 24-hours a day for anyone experiencing pain or distress as a result of his or her Residential school experience or for those affected by these reports.  The 24-hour crisis line is available at 1-866-925-4419.

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The Liberal government is introducing legislation to implement a national freeze on handgun ownership in Canada. 

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says the legislation, dubbed Bill C21, if passed, will make it no longer possible to buy, sell, transfer or import handguns anywhere in the country. 

In other words, Trudeau says, the federal government would be capping the market for handguns. 

He says the new bill would also increase maximum criminal penalties for gun smuggling and trafficking. In addition, the federal government would require the permanent alteration of long gun magazines, so they can never hold more than 5 rounds.

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Fewer than a couple of dozen suspected Canadian cases of monkeypox are currently being investigated at the national microbiology laboratory. 

Chief Public Health Officer Dr. Theresa Tam says the cases are mainly in Quebec. A couple of contacts were followed up in British Columbia as well, but those were determined not to be.

“We understand from other countries that are reporting cases that the current monkeypox strain, or clade, is the West African clade. We have not yet confirmed that in Canada,” she says.

However, Tam says two cases are confirmed in Canada. With the samples being processed at the national microbiology lab today, Tam says we could see more confirmations in the coming hours and days.

The World Health Organization says monkeypox has so far been reported in 11 countries that normally don't have the disease. WHO officials say as of Friday, there are about 80 confirmed cases and 50 pending investigations. Tam says the extent of the spread of monkeypox in Canada is currently unknown, but officials do know that the virus is generally spread through close contact. 

Tam says the vaccines currently being investigated by Health Canada for monkeypox were originally developed for smallpox which was declared eradicated by the WHO in 1980. 

“One of the vaccines seems to have an effect on monkeypox as well. So there hasn’t essentially been a clinical trial of the vaccines against monkeypox itself but I think based on what we know globally the smallpox vaccines can be applied to monkeypox. In particular, there is one that has monkeypox included in its labeling.”

Tam says Health Canada is having discussions internationally but also with provincial counterparts around potential use. She says the country has a limited supply of the smallpox vaccine but was not able to disclose the exact number based on security reasons.

1/4 A lot of comments re: #monkeypox (MPX) doesn’t spread efficiently. While this event is serious and vigilance is essential, monkeypox is considered to have limited spread compared to other viruses (e.g. COVID-19, influenza, measles, etc.) https://t.co/Obv9uTv4L6

— Dr. Theresa Tam (@CPHO_Canada) May 20, 2022

***With files from Mo Fahim

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Over $3.5 million in federal funding is going to improve Canadians' access to vital abortion services and accurate reproductive health information.

Women and Gender Equality Minister Marci Ien says barriers Canadians experience include the lack of everything from availability to financial and logistical resources required to travel to access abortion care and culturally safe, stigma-free sexual and reproductive health services.

“Despite abortion being decriminalized more than 30 years ago, for those who live in remote areas accessing [abortion] services is even harder,” she says. 

Ien says to address those barriers, just over $2.1 million is earmarked for Action Canada for Sexual Health and Rights and just under $1.5 million is going to the National Abortion Federation (NAF) Canada. Ien says Action Canada will use the funds to expand its Access Line and Sexual Health Information Hub programs. 

As for NAF Canada, she says they intend to provide financial and logistical support to women seeking abortion services, train health care providers in providing abortion services, and ensure abortion facilities have the capacity to continue to provide services and related care.

Ien says the money will be phased over three years and is coming from Canada’s Sexual and Reproductive Health Fund.

***With files from Mo Fahim

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There’s still no word on when or even if American officials will start recognizing AstraZeneca’s vaccine or mixing doses for entry to their country. 

Chief Public Health Officer Dr. Theresa Tam says Canada has been presenting its own data on the effectiveness of mixing AstraZeneca with the Pfizer of Moderna shot to the US, European countries and all top destinations for Canadians. 

She said because these countries haven’t been using the AstraZeneca shot they don’t have domestically generated information on it, so Health Canada has been providing some technical support to help them make a decision on the mixed doses. 

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Health Canada has given its stamp of approval to the Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna COVID-19 vaccines. 

The vaccines were given interim approvals in December that made it possible to get the shot out to Canadians faster.

The agency’s full approval came with the green light to start using the brand names from the vaccines’ manufacturers. 

The Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine will now be named Comirnaty and the Moderna vaccine will be SpikeVax. 

The AstraZeneca vaccine approved back in February, will be named Vaxzevria.

The post Pfizer and Moderna given approval from Health Canada, new names for both appeared first on My Nelson Now.

More at-risk Canadians can now get a third booster shot of a Pfizer or Moderna COVID-19 vaccine. 

The new guidance from the National Advisory Committee on Immunization, released Friday, makes the shot available to moderately or severely immunocompromised people. 

The agency says it continues to examine the need for booster doses, which, unlike additional doses, are intended to restore the levels of protection seen shortly after the first and second shots.

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Ottawa is predicting a difficult fall and grim winter as the fourth wave of the COVID-19 pandemic takes hold in Canada.

[caption id="attachment_30093" align="alignright" width="300"] Image provided by the Public Health Agency of Canada on Friday, September 3rd, 2021[/caption]

In her first public address since the election was called, Chief Public Health Officer Dr. Theresa Tam said the country is currently on track to exceed its hospital capacity by mid-January. 

Tam presented the latest modelling data on the virus which shows we could see about four times as many daily cases in Canada by October. 

She said short-term data has the country’s case count going up by over 43,000 cases over the next nine days. That’s about 5,000 cases a day.

The only way to lighten this Delta-driven blow, Tam said, is if more Canadians, especially 18 to 39-year-olds, roll up their sleeves in the coming weeks. The modelling, she said, shows the urgency for what she called an “immediate acceleration of vaccinations.”

As of this week, new cases among unvaccinated Canadians were 12 times higher than in those fully vaccinated and hospitalizations were 36 times higher.

The post New federal modelling shows 15K daily cases by October, hospital capacity at risk appeared first on My Nelson Now.

Ottawa is predicting a difficult fall and grim winter as the fourth wave of the COVID-19 pandemic takes hold in Canada.

[caption id="attachment_30093" align="alignright" width="300"] Image provided by the Public Health Agency of Canada on Friday, September 3rd, 2021[/caption]

In her first public address since the election was called, Chief Public Health Officer Dr. Theresa Tam said the country is currently on track to exceed its hospital capacity by mid-January. 

Tam presented the latest modelling data on the virus which shows we could see about four times as many daily cases in Canada by October. 

She said short-term data has the country’s case count going up by over 43,000 cases over the next nine days. That’s about 5,000 cases a day.

The only way to lighten this Delta-driven blow, Tam said, is if more Canadians, especially 18 to 39-year-olds, roll up their sleeves in the coming weeks. The modelling, she said, shows the urgency for what she called an “immediate acceleration of vaccinations.”

As of this week, new cases among unvaccinated Canadians were 12 times higher than in those fully vaccinated and hospitalizations were 36 times higher.

The post New federal modelling shows 15K daily cases by October, hospital capacity at risk appeared first on My Nelson Now.

All federal public servants will be mandated by Ottawa to get vaccinated against COVID-19. 

Intergovernmental Affairs Minister Dominic LeBlanc made the announcement today(Friday), adding the feds are leading by example.  

Leblanc said the hope is crown corporations and federally regulated industries will follow suit as well. 

In addition, Transport Minister Omar Alghabra said vaccinations will soon be required for employees in the federally regulated air, rail, and marine transportation sectors.

Set to take effect by the end of October at the latest, it will also extend to commercial air travellers, passengers on interprovincial trains, cruise ship passengers and will even extend to certain travellers.

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