Aug. 16, 2016
Toronto Star – Sandro Contenta and Jim Rankin
Report shines light on poverty’s role on kids in CAS system
Two researchers have a new report casting the spotlight of poverty on the process of child care in Ontario. The report, along with the extracted statistics on the number of Black and Aboriginal children in care of the child care societies, is revealing. The report is also suggesting that the contributory role of poverty in the myriad of problems is not getting the resources or the attention required to reduce or eliminate the problems, especially the housing of those in poverty. https://www.thestar.com/news/insight/2016/08/15/report-shines-light-on-povertys-role-on-kids-in-cas-system.html Related article: CBC News – Morgan Dunlop Homeless and pregnant in Toronto: 1 woman tells her story – About 120 homeless women give birth in Toronto every year. The challenge is how to help them http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/homeless-pregnant-1.3717484 Related article: CBC News – Mary Wiens Stretching money and hope as a homeless mother of 4 in Newmarket – ‘You go to sleep with a heavy weight on your shoulders,’ says mother of search for affordable housing http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/programs/metromorning/homeless-shelter-1.3347679 Related article: Edmonton CBC HER program: From pregnant and homeless to successful mother (A two minute video report) http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/edmonton/her-program-from-pregnant-and-homeless-to-successful-mother-1.3169458
Globe and Mail – Andrea Woo
Detained woman files constitutional challenge in B.C. Supreme Court
Z.B. felt suicidal while she was in a Nanaimo, B.C. coffee shop and asked the staff to call police, who duly arrived and brought her to hospital for a few days. Z.B. was then surprised to learn that she had been indefinitely committed without her consent for anything but the short term. She is legally challenging the continued hospitalization and treatment without consent. Her argument is that her involuntary commitment is in violation of the terms of the BC Mental Health Act and she is asking for Legal Aid to represent her in the anticipated hearing. http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/british-columbia/detained-woman-files-constitutional-challenge-in-bc-supreme-court/article31403654/ Related article: CTV News – Geordan Ormand, Canadian Press B.C. woman hospitalized involuntarily wants legal aid for mental health hearing http://www.ctvnews.ca/canada/b-c-woman-hospitalized-involuntarily-wants-legal-aid-for-mental-health-hearing-1.3028804
CNW Newswire / Black Lives Matter
Black Lives Matter – Toronto shuts down Yonge & Dundas intersection; demands justice for Abdirahman Abdi
Abdi was killed by a beating from two Ottawa police officers and died 45 minutes before arriving in hospital, even though the hospital announced in compliance apparently with police that Abdi was alive but in critical condition. Black Lives Matter have presented a list of nine demands for a complete and full investigation of the incident. http://www.newswire.ca/news-releases/black-lives-matter—toronto-shuts-down-yonge–dundas-intersection-demands-justice-for-abdirahman-abdi-590181601.html
CBC News
Canada’s immigration detention program to get $138M makeover – Public safety minister says goal is to find alternatives, make detention a last resort
Fifteen people have died in immigration detention since 2000 and the calls have been long and repeated for an end to the use of maximum security prisons and other unsavoury places for detention. Minister John McCallum says the Liberals are ready to spend $138 million to upgrade facilities across the country and to close one facility at Laval, QC, and a second in Vancouver. The emphasis, says the Minister, will be on finding alternatives to imprisonment for the 450-500 detainees at any time. Critics have voiced an objection to spending money on facilities for what amounts to indefinite imprisonment which they think a violation of human rights. http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/montreal/goodale-immigration-laval-1.3721125
CBC News – Murray Brewster
Feds want RCMP to look into Canadian firm’s armored car shipments to war-torn Libya – Request comes days after CBC News published series of stories about shipments to Africa
After all the controversy around the sale of armored vehicles to Saudi Arabia, here’s a twist for you. The United nations is complaining that Canada’s Streit Group, the manufacturers of the vehicles, have violated export and international arms embargo by sending personnel carriers to Libya. Global Affairs have turned the allegations over to the RCMP for investigation. The sale of the 131 vehicles in question dates from 2012. http://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/streit-libya-un-rcmp-brewster-1.3722409
NationTalk – Canadian Press
Canada must work to become leader in understanding radicalization: Goodale
The Liberal government appears to have taken a decision to step up the anti-radicalization of Canadian youth in the terrorism struggle. Minister Ralph Goodale made the remarks in Montreal in the light of the death of Aaron Driver in Strathroy. Government, he says, is in process of creating a new national office for community outreach and engagement. http://nationtalk.ca/story/canada-must-work-to-become-leader-in-understanding-radicalization-goodale-cp Related article: CBC News – Aaron Driver was turning his life around and ‘seemed happy,’ older brother says – Rob Driver says after a rocky childhood, ‘things were moving in the right direction’ for Aaron http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/manitoba/aaron-driver-brother-speaks-1.3719711 Related article: Toronto Star – Alex Ballingall Terrorist suspect killed by RCMP bullet, family says https://www.thestar.com/news/canada/2016/08/16/terrorist-suspect-killed-by-rcmp-bullet-family-says.html