Highlights review of how RCMP handles harassment claims pulls no punches
OTTAWA – The Civilian Review and Complaints Commission for the RCMP says bullying and harassment are serious problems within the national police force and is urging fundamental changes. Some highlights from Monday’s hard-hitting report:— Abuse of authority remains a significant problem within the RCMP and hurts not only individuals, but the integrity of investigations, the efficiency of operations and the effectiveness of the Mounties as a whole.— The force has failed to address the problem of harassment, beyond local, limited programs, with no effort by national headquarters to institutionalize reforms.— Given those failings, strong civilian oversight and government leadership are required to ensure sustained reform.— As it is currently set up, the Office for the Co-ordination of Harassment Complaints has a useful but limited role.— Complaints are often handled badly, with poorly trained decision-makers using the wrong legal tests and looking at irrelevant and prejudicial considerations, which may result in complaints being dismissed as unfounded.— Civilian experts should be recruited at senior levels of human resources and labour relations.— The governance structure within the RCMP should be modernized to bring in civilian governance and/or oversight and to enhance accountability.— The RCMP should adopt a simplified definition of harassment in its policies, following the approach adopted by the Canadian Human Rights Tribunal and other Canadian jurisdictions, to facilitate the investigation and resolution of valid complaints.— Policies and procedures should be revised to give divisional commanding officers the discretion to screen complaints to determine if a prima facie case of harassment has been made out, applying an appropriately broad and simplified definition of harassment.— The force should hire skilled, competent and dedicated administrative investigators (not uniformed members), who are independent of the chain of command, to conduct harassment investigations.(Source: Report into Workplace Harassment in the RCMP, Civilian Review and Complaints Commission for the RCMP)
It lit a fire under me federal justice minister says of ruling
OTTAWA – They did not see it coming, but they knew that something likely would derail their plans.More than a year ago, Justice Minister Jody Wilson-Raybould convened a meeting of people engaged in the criminal justice system to hear their views on reform, which included a sober and prescient reflection.“Extraneous circumstances and events, which are unforeseeable to us today, will hijack the agenda — use them as they can be an effective way to attract and commit public interest,” said a summary of the May 2016 discussion obtained through an access-to-information request.Seven weeks later, the Supreme Court of Canada released its groundbreaking ruling, R v. Jordan, that urged everyone to get serious about reform.“It lit a fire under me,” Wilson-Raybould said in an interview.The Charter of Rights and Freedoms gives someone charged with an offence the right to have their case tried within a reasonable amount of time and in the drug-related case of Barrett Jordan of Surrey, B.C., it had taken more than four years.“A culture of complacency towards delay has emerged in the criminal justice system,” the high court wrote in a 5-4 ruling that sent a strong message that enough was enough.The Supreme Court imposed strict limits on the amount of time a case could take to make its way through the system — 18 months in provincial courts and 30 months in superior courts.Those presumptive ceilings were upheld in another ruling last month.The only remedy for a case that goes on so long is a stay of proceedings, no matter how serious the charge, and a dissenting minority opinion argued the new time limits could lead thousands of cases being tossed.The ruling came with a transitional measure for cases already in the system, but there have been some high-profile examples of stayed proceedings, including murder charges, which has brought a greater sense of urgency.Rick Woodburn, president of the Canadian Association of Crown Counsel, said there was a crisis in the justice system long before the ruling came out.“The Supreme Court of Canada just put the exclamation point on it.”Eric Gottardi, one of the lawyers who argued for the defence in the Jordan case, said a stay of proceedings should be viewed as a health check on a system that needs fixing.“It’s not a reward for the person who has been accused of a terrible crime,” he said.There have been a number of different solutions proposed.A recent report from the standing Senate legal committee on legal and constitutional affairs proposed a wide range of ideas, including having the federal government fill a judicial vacancy the same day a Superior Court judge retires and moving most impaired driving cases out of the criminal courts.The province and territorial justice ministers, meanwhile, came out of an emergency meeting on judicial delays this spring having agreed to think about criminal law reforms, changes to mandatory minimum penalties, bail, preliminary inquiries and the reclassification of offences.“My approach is recognizing there isn’t one solution,” said Wilson-Raybould.Many of these suggestions were familiar to those who took part at that first roundtable in Toronto last year, where Wilson-Raybould spoke of finding more off-ramps from the criminal justice system and getting serious about how to tackle the overrepresentation of Indigenous Peoples and those living with mental health issues and addictions.There was also a sense in the room that no one wanted to wait much longer.“We know what is needed and in what areas,” said the summary of the discussions. “We should do them and move beyond the normal reflex of problem identification exercises, which delay action.”Topping the list of things the participants told Wilson-Raybould she could rather quickly review was existing and mandatory minimum penalty provisions.Wilson-Raybould said she remains committed to this, especially since more than half of the charter challenges her officials are tracking involve mandatory minimums.She said other research by the department has shown they do not even increase sentences.“They are becoming the ceiling, rather than the floor,” she said.More than a year since they gathered in Toronto for what they described as a refreshing and inspiring roundtable with the relatively new federal justice minister, some are tired of waiting.“People are going to jail that shouldn’t be going to jail because there are mandatory minimum sentences — every day that is happening,” said Jonathan Rudin, program director at Aboriginal Legal Services in Toronto.Sen. Kim Pate, a long-time advocate for female prisoners, said she understands broader reforms could take longer, but that is not the case for everything.“Some of these criminal law approaches really could be implemented now,” she said.Patrick Baillie, president of the Canadian Psychological Association, said his ongoing patience will depend on the result.“I think if we end up with a process that gets rid of some of the silos so that health and social services and housing and education and justice and Aboriginal services and immigrant and refugees services are all talking about what we can do to address the overrepresentation of certain groups within the justice system, then that’s a worthwhile dialogue,” he said.Bill Trudell, chair of the Canadian Council of Criminal Defence Lawyers, noted that Wilson-Raybould has had a lot on her plate, including the legalization of marijuana.So, he too is willing to wait for legislative changes — for a little while.“I think they’ll come, but if they don’t, six months from now, we’ll feel like it was a lot of words,” he said.Wilson-Raybould said she, too, is “anxious about time frames” and she understands those who are frustrated by the pace of reform.“I am hopeful they will see their voices in those reforms and they will contribute to the dialogue around potentially improving in the fall when we introduce measures for change,” she said.— Follow @smithjoanna on Twitter
ALS patients taking antipsychotic drug in Calgarybased trial
CALGARY – Cliff Barr has no illusions about how his life is going to end but he still has hope.The 70-year-old from Okotoks, Alta., is one of 100 patients taking part in new Canada-wide clinical trial to treat ALS — a debilitating and ultimately deadly neural disease that has few treatments and no cure.“It is a difficult and an awkward disease,” Barr said Thursday at the University of Calgary, which is running the trial.“I found the idea of the clinical trial promising. It gives you a little more hope.”Barr was diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease, in October. It causes paralysis because the brain is no longer able to communicate with the body’s muscles.Over time, as the muscles break down, an ALS patient loses the ability to walk, talk, eat, swallow and, eventually, breathe. Experts say one in 400 Canadians will die of ALS.Even on good days, Barr said, the disease is always there.“The disease kind of reared its head and I’m a little weaker than normal,” said Barr, who retired 10 years ago. “This morning, I couldn’t do my pants up. I couldn’t brush my hair. I needed help doing the zipper up on this sweater.”Dr. Lawrence Korngut from the University of Calgary’s Cumming School of Medicine is running the clinical trial over the next 1 1/2 years at nine different Canadian universities.He said an anti-psychotic drug called pimozide slowed down the disease in zebra fish, worms and mice, as well as in humans with ALS in a limited six-week trial a couple of years ago.Korngut said the drug doesn’t address the primary cause of the disease, which destroys nerves. But he adds that it’s now believed that there’s an electrical failure that accompanies the breakdown.“This treats that electrical failure. We’re hoping by preserving that electrical function, even if the cable keeps breaking down, that will buy people time.“It will prolong life.”Korngut said people shouldn’t jump to any conclusions about how well the trial will turn out and he’s only “cautiously optimistic.”“We’ve been through this before. We know that sometimes animals behave very differently from humans and we just have to do things properly and find out these answers.”Barr said he has been told he is likely to have between three and five years to live. The research is a double-blind study so only half the participants will receive the drug. The rest get a placebo.“I am a fighter. You pay your money. You take your chances,” Barr said.“It can’t make it better. It can’t repair the muscle damage … but it can slow down the progression which would in effect help me maintain the quality of life for longer than I would have.”Korngut said it could be years before all the results are known and he grateful for those willing to volunteer.“ALS is a disease of weakness but these are the strongest people I know. These people fight this disease so courageously.”— Follow @BillGraveland on Twitter
Toronto cop convicted in death of teen seeks to appeal case to
TORONTO – A Toronto police officer convicted of attempted murder in the shooting death of a troubled teen on an empty streetcar is seeking leave to bring his case before Canada’s top court.Const. James Forcillo fired two separate volleys at 18-year-old Sammy Yatim, who was standing alone and holding a small knife, in an incident that ignited public outrage after a bystander’s video came to light.In 2016, a jury acquitted Forcillo of the more serious charge of second-degree murder related to the first volley of shots — which killed the teen — but found him guilty of attempted murder related to the second hail of bullets, fired seconds later while Yatim was lying on his back.Lawyers for Forcillo challenged the ruling but Ontario’s top court dismissed the appeal in April.In upholding Forcillo’s conviction and sentence, Ontario’s Court of Appeal found Forcillo’s second round of shots was “clearly unnecessary and excessive.”His legal team is now seeking to challenge the appeal court decision, arguing that the first and second volleys were “artificially” divided into two separate events, leading to the separate charges.Michael Lacy, Joseph Wilkinson and Bryan Badali are asking the Supreme Court to decide whether prosecutors were required to prove that the first and second rounds of shots were two different “transactions.”They are also contesting Forcillo’s initial six-year sentence, which was a year longer than the mandatory minimum.In their application to the court, the lawyers write that mandatory minimum sentences are intended to deter people from committing crimes.But the lawyers argue that when someone carrying a firearm legally uses it in good faith — as they suggest Forcillo did — that person is not deterred because they believe they’re obeying the law and therefore would not go to prison.The Crown has 30 days to respond to the application.The court has said it takes an average of three months to decide on leave applications after they are filed.Forcillo recently had six months added to his sentence after pleading guilty to perjury. He had also been charged with breaching the conditions of his bail while awaiting the Ontario Court of Appeal decision, along with obstruction of justice, but those charges were dropped after he entered the guilty plea.
Ontario schools prepare for legalization of recreational cannabis
TORONTO – As the arrival of legal cannabis looms, school boards across Ontario are grappling with how to discuss the drug with underage students barred from consuming it while ensuring rules and policies reflect the province’s new legal and social reality.Like alcohol, recreational cannabis will be off-limits to those under 19 and banned from school property when it becomes legal on Wednesday, and school boards say they are working to update their codes of conduct and disciplinary processes to reflect the details of provincial law.Many boards say they are also training staff to deal with questions and issues surrounding cannabis both in and out of the classroom as they await further direction from the government.“This is new territory for everyone,” said John Yan, spokesman for the Toronto Catholic District School Board. “As someone who grew up in the 60s, I didn’t think there would come a day when marijuana would be legalized in this country and it’s a reality that is going to take some adjustment for everyone.”The Catholic board noted that its staff would be guided on various potential circumstances that could involve cannabis.“Some of our students may be exposed to smoke, whether vape or anything related to cannabis, and not have consumed,” Yan said. “So we have to train our teachers and school administrators to be able to tell the difference as best they can.”Ontario’s Ministry of Education has published some resources for educators and parents highlighting the changes contained in the Cannabis Act, which is expected to pass this week. But it has yet to give specific instructions to school authorities on the issue.What’s more, consultations are currently underway on the health and physical education curriculum, which deals with substance use as well as sexual education. An interim curriculum put in place by the government this summer does not discuss the legalization of cannabis.“Once legalized, policies and resources on suspension, expulsion, and code of conduct will be updated and posted on the ministry’s website. School boards will be expected to update their policies accordingly,” ministry spokeswoman Heather Irwin said in an email.“Additional resources for principals/vice principals and educators are being developed for release this fall to help ensure they have the necessary information to support students and keep schools safe. The ministry is also currently consulting on the best way to efficiently support the training needs of staff in school boards and schools.”At Canada’s largest school board, educators began writing lesson plans over the summer to reflect details of cannabis legislation, said George Kourtis, the health and physical education co-ordination for the Toronto District School Board.Those plans will touch on topics such as driving under the influence of cannabis, he said, and strive for a non-judgmental tone. And while substance use and abuse is technically in the curriculum for December, teachers are being encouraged to discuss it this week since cannabis will be a “hot topic,” he said.“It’s going to be very similar to the conversation about alcohol that we’ve been used to having over the last few years but now for the first time we’ve been talking about an illegal substance for many, many years and now it’s becoming a legal substance,” he said.The board is also working with its guidance counsellors and mental health support staff so that they, too, are equipped to discuss cannabis with students.“I think the more people we get involved, the better we can not only address the issue, but address issues as they arise because of legalization,” Kourtis said.Abby Goldstein, an associate professor of psychology at the University of Toronto and Canada research chair in the psychology of emerging adulthood, said legalization opens the door to conversations about cannabis that may have been unlikely in the past.“There are sort of lessons to be learned as far as what wasn’t done with alcohol, and the opportunity to do this differently here is around having more of a harm reduction perspective,” she said.“So recognizing that teens and young adults are going to use cannabis and so how can we inform them in a way that makes the harms known to them so that they can make educated and healthy decisions about responsible cannabis use once they do reach the legal age.”Urmila Persaud, a Grade 11 student in Richmond Hill, Ont., north of Toronto, said her school hasn’t yet broached the issue of legalization or how it may affect school rules and policies.Persaud, who believes those under 19 shouldn’t use cannabis, said having those conversations in school could help prevent problems down the line.In the past, she said, students have been given literature on drugs in gym class, which is mandatory in Grade 9.“I think it would be a lot more effective if they actually talked to us because with the pamphlet someone could easily just throw it away,” she said.Students aren’t the only ones seeking information on the transition, said Stephen Sliwa, director of education for the Upper Canada District School Board, in the region surrounding Ottawa.The board has been hosting community information sessions in collaboration with public health officials, partly to address concerns from parents, he said.“I think parents are looking to us to partner with them about strategies and conversations that they can use at home, that are carry-overs and enhancements to what we’re doing at school,” he said. “They’re looking for insights on how is this playing out once Oct. 17 arrives.”
Big city issues resonate across town lines in Ontarios municipal elections
Wendy Landry is worried about affordable housing, accessible public transit and infrastructure.Her checklist of issues, which reads like a snapshot of big-city newspaper headlines, encapsulates some of the challenges facing the small northern Ontario community of Shuniah, east of Thunder Bay, where she’s been acclaimed to a second term as mayor.Like most of the 417 municipalities where local elections are taking place on Monday, Shuniah’s campaign unfolded quietly in the shadow of Toronto’s more high-profile race.Most of the airtime was consumed by the city’s bruising battle with the provincial government over the size of city council, but the list of issues dominating Toronto’s campaign trails is known well beyond its borders.Its contents resonate with voters across the province, Landry said, adding many of the concerns typically framed as unique to big cities transcend town lines and are relevant in communities of all sizes.Now that the Toronto fight has come to an end, Landry said she hopes those in higher orders of government can work with newly minted councils to tackle universally pressing issues.“We weren’t getting any of our issues addressed,” Landry said in a telephone interview. “But they’re the powers that be, so you have to let them get through their stuff and then hopefully come back and take a look and hear what we have to say about our issues.”Simon Jefferies, a spokesman for Premier Doug Ford, said Municipal Affairs Minister Steve Clark “has been working day-in and day-out with local governments on the priorities that are important to them.”Landry cites mass transit as one of the top issues facing much of northern Ontario, including her community of about 2,700 people.Residents, she said, have few if any options for traversing the hundreds of kilometres between communities and require a broader bus network.Other municipalities have tried to take action on transit over the past four years, with some turning to the private sector for either inspiration or direct help.Innisfil, Ont., struck a partnership with Uber that sees the ride-hailing company provide service to designated areas for a flat fee subsidized by the town.More recently, Belleville, Ont., established an Uber-style bus service in which residents travelling at night request pickups from buses that then follow routes based on demand rather than pre-determined stops.Landry said accessible housing is another broadly relevant issue, adding the existing supply is not well-suited to the needs of an aging and changing population.Liz Huff, retiring councillor for Leeds and the Thousand Islands in eastern Ontario, agrees.She said the single-family homes that dominate rural communities like hers become too unwieldy for seniors whose health needs may grow complex over time.That supply is stretched even thinner, she said, by an influx of both retirees and working professionals relocating to areas beyond the expensive cities where housing may now be unaffordable.Huff said the growing shortage forces life-long residents to uproot themselves and relocate in order to survive, adding incoming local governments are increasingly forced to confront the issue.“We don’t have suitable housing for aging in place,” she said, echoing sentiments expressed by other municipal politicians across the province. “People have to leave and go to … assisted living or retirement communities because they can no longer take care of their farm or their waterfront property.”Anecdotes from the province’s many election trails suggest candidates also find themselves frequently fielding questions on the interconnected issues of infrastructure and taxation, according to the Association of Municipalities of Ontario.Executive Director Pat Vanini said nearly every jurisdiction has a pet infrastructure project that galvanizes local debate, adding they can range from roads to flood-water management systems to internet coverage.While the projects may vary, Vanini said there’s a universal, perennial question underpinning the discussions.“The question has always been, ‘how do we pay for it,’” Vanini said. “If you don’t want your taxes to go up, what services don’t you want? Those are the things that councils deal with daily. Voters don’t necessarily deal with it in the same way. They deal with it in an emotional piece, for sure, but they’re not…trying to figure out how to thread the needle on all of this.”Huff added that taxation becomes a particularly contentious issue in municipalities that don’t provide curbside garbage pickup or local water treatment services.Gary McNamara, recently acclaimed to a fifth term as mayor of Tecumseh, Ont., said taxation has loomed large in every municipal campaign he’s witnessed. This year, however, he said local governments across southwestern Ontario and beyond are wrestling with a new arrival on the municipal scene — legal cannabis.The provincial government, tasked with creating the framework for the new federal law lifting the ban on recreational pot, has allowed municipalities a short window in which to decide whether to allow private cannabis retailers to operate within their boundaries.That issue, plus decisions around welcoming cannabis-affiliated businesses and absorbing the potential influx of people that come with them, has engaged voters so far and promises to keep freshly elected councils busy early in their new mandates, he said.“After inaugurations, boom, that’s probably the first piece of business that’s going to have to be dealt with,” McNamara said. “There’s still some uncertainty there.”
Crown outlines case against Quebec man charged with suffocating ailing wife
MONTREAL — The Crown outlined its case this morning against a Quebec man who is charged with killing his ailing wife after concluding she did not qualify for a medically assisted death.Michel Cadotte is accused of suffocating his wife, Jocelyne Lizotte, at a Montreal long-term care facility in February 2017.She had been living there for three years with advanced Alzheimer’s. She could no longer speak, take care of herself or recognize relatives.Prosecutor Antonio Parapuf says the 60-year-old woman had been suffering from Alzheimer’s for about a decade, and the evidence will show that Cadotte struggled with his wife’s condition.Cadotte had looked into assisted death for her in 2016. He discovered she did not qualify because she was not able to consent to the procedure and was not considered to be at the end of her life.The eight-man, four-woman jury will begin hearing from police witnesses later today at the Montreal courthouse.The Canadian Press
Piranhas found in BC lake likely unwanted pets conservation service
NANAIMO, B.C. — British Columbia conservation officers say two piranhas found in a Vancouver Island lake were likely unwanted pets.One red-bellied piranha was reeled in by an angler at Westwood Lake in Nanaimo last week.Another was caught in the same lake during the summer.The provincial Conservation Officer Service says in a Facebook post that the tropical fish with sharp teeth can’t survive winter climates.The service says introducing aquatic invasive species can have harmful impacts, including threatening native fish, ecosystems and other species.It adds that it’s illegal and a conviction for a first offence could result in a fine of up to $100,000 and a prison term of up to one year.This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 30, 2019.The Canadian Press
Skype With James Cameron And Tour His Deepsea Challenger
A new charity auction is giving the chance of a lifetime to a budding adventurer – Skype with James Cameron when you and a friend tour his Deepsea Challenger with its Chief Scientist on February 16 in Santa Barbara.On March 26, 2012, National Geographic Explorer James Cameron made a record-breaking solo dive to the Earth’s deepest point.Enjoy this truly special and unique opportunity to visit the submarine that went to the greatest depth of the water in a intimate evening where the Deepsea Challenger is being kept. This is an unprecedented opportunity to see something previously seen only by members of Camerons’ expedition team.The auction lot includes: a local organic plant-based meal Tour the inside of the submarine with engineers who helped create it and who were on the expedition Opportunity to take photos with the submarine and get inside the simulator Take home foam that was used on the submarine for flotation signed by James Cameron James Cameron will Skype in for a discussion, Q & A and a toastDonations will benefit the Emerging STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Math) program at MUSE School.The auction is open until Feb 12, and can be accessed via CharityBuzz.com.
Enjoy Super Bowl Week And Help Charity
You’re probably ready for some football, but are you ready for VH1’s Super Bowl Blitz? You and a guest will have the opportunity to attend every show in the series and meet Gavin DeGraw (before the show), Janelle Monae (after the show), Fall Out Boy (before the show), and Goo Goo Dolls (before the show). (Benefits VH1 Save The Music Foundation).To access these and many more auctions, visit CharityBuzz.com. VIP Gold “The Catch” Game Day Party Tickets plus the opportunity for 1 guest will get to catch a pass from Joe Montana at halftime. (Benefits Autism Speaks). You and a guest can party with three-time Grammy Award winners Maroon 5 at a private party and concert in New York City with 2 VIP tickets! The show will take place on January 31 as a pre-party for the 2014 Superbowl. (Benefits the Pablove Foundation). Here’s your chance to experience Super Bowl week and help charity at the same time.CharityBuzz.com has a number of celebrity and VIP experiences going under the hammer, which will give you never-to-be-forgotten experiences while doing good.Among the auctions lots are: The chance to attend the-invitation-only Direct TV party at an undisclosed Manhattan location on Super Saturday Night, Feb. 1st, hosted by Mark Cuban and Eli Manning, including an open bar. The Headliner is Jay Z, with additional yet-to-be-released artists performing. (Benefits the Multiple Myeloma Research Foundation). You and a guest can party with American Music Award winners Imagine Dragons at a private party and performance in New York City! The show – which includes a meet and greet with the band – will take place on January 31st as a pre-party for the 2014 Super Bowl. (Benefits the Pablove Foundation). The ultimate Super Bowl week experience: 4 lower level tickets to the game and much more. (Benefits NY/NJ Snowflake Youth Foundation). Here’s your chance to test your skill at indoor electric go kart racing on a challenging 1/4 mile track – all in the name of charity. Bring along 9 lucky friends to race on a team captained by former New York Giant and Super Bowl MVP OJ Anderson at The Legends Party on January 30th as part of Super Bowl Week at Pole Position Raceway in Jersey City, NJ. (Benefits NFL Alumni Association NY/NJ Chapter).
Halle Berry Joins Bruce Willis At EIF Revlon RunWalk For Women In
On Saturday, May 10, 2014, the 21st Annual EIF Revlon Run/Walk For Women took place in Los Angeles.Created by the Entertainment Industry Foundation (EIF), Revlon, and Lilly Tartikoff, the EIF Revlon Run/Walk for Women has become one of the largest single-day fundraisers for women’s cancers in the United States. More than 30,000 participants joined together to help raise critical funds to support women’s cancer research, counseling and outreach programs.Hosted by Revlon Global Brand Ambassador Halle Berry, Golden Globe and double Emmy-winning actor Bruce Willis, and Emmy Award-winning actress Christina Applegate with special guest Entertainment Tonight’s Brooke Anderson.During the opening ceremony, Grammy Award-winning artist Brandy sang the National Anthem, and British crooner and recording artist Matt Goss performed his hit song “Strong” for participants. Additional guests were Nolan Gould, Aubrey Anderson-Emmons, Tallulah Willis, AnnaLynne McCord, Samantha Harris, Sandra Taylor and many more. Social Media Ambassador Stefanie Michaels tracked the day’s events via her highly popular Twitter page.Launched in 1994 through the combined efforts of Lilly Tartikoff, Ronald O. Perelman (Chairman of Revlon, Inc.) and the Entertainment Industry Foundation (EIF), the EIF REVLON Run/Walk for Women has distributed more than $70 million to date for cancer research, counseling and outreach programs. The events have raised much needed funds that have helped to deliver a novel, non-toxic treatment for breast cancer called Herceptin with another promising non-toxic treatment on the way.
Los Angeles Mission To Host End Of Summer Block Party This Weekend
The Los Angeles Mission’s End of Summer Block Party will take place this Saturday, August 9, with a star-studded guest list.The Los Angeles Mission’s End of Summer Block Party was invented to give children a chance to celebrate the simple pleasures of summer; while, at the same time, preparing them for school. This giant street fair on 5th Street is designed to give children who live in a very tough area a day of carefree summer play.Nearly a thousand children are expected to attend the Block Party where each child will get a new backpack filled with school supplies, enjoy a kid-friendly meal, and make some happy memories.Celebrities and community leaders will join hundreds of other volunteers to help serve the nearly 3,000 people who will attend. Approximately 1,000 backpacks of school supplies will be distributed to school-aged children.Scheduled to appear: Jamie Grey Hyder (True Blood), Jen Lilley (Days of Our Lives), Dylan Riley Snyder (Kickin’ It), Kiersey Clemons (Cloud 9), Bess Rous (Murder in the First), Fernanda Romero (Drag Me to Hell), Octavius Johnson (Ray Donovan), Brandon Molale (Granite Falls), Kwesi Boakye (The Amazing World of Gumball), Jimmy Deshler (General Hospital), Christopher Rich (Murphy Brown) and his wife Eva Halina Rich, Omid Abathi (Argo), Joey Luthman (Kickin’ It), Abhi Sinha (The Social Network), Ciera Danielle (Daisy’s), Brielle Barbusa (The Starter Wife), Antonio Jaramillo (Kill the Dictator), Ricky Garcia, Emery Kelly and Liam Attridge (Forever In Your Mind), Barry Fortgang, Joe Caigoy, Jules Cruz, Niko Del Rey, Trace Gaynor and V. J. Rosales (Filharmonic), State Senator Kevin De Leon, City Attorney Mike Feuer and many others.The End of Summer Block Party gives children who often experience fear, hunger, health issues and stress on a daily basis a chance to spend the day just being a kid!There is a serious side to this back to school event. School attendance is a key predictor of success in life. With the cost of school supplies continuing to rise, up 12 percent over last year, the Mission’s backpacks for kids will help more than ever. Families who receive backpacks won’t have to decide between food and school supplies for their children.WHEN: SATURDAY August 9, 2014 serving time: 11:00 AM to 3:00 PM Set-up: 8:00 AM Celebrities and other volunteers go to street 10:45 AMWHERE: Los Angeles Mission, 303 East 5th Street (on the corner of 5th and Wall Street), Los Angeles, CA 90013.
Prince William And Prince Harry Visit Support4Grenfell Community Hub
Prince William and Prince Harry have visited the newly established Royal Foundation Support4Grenfell Community hub, which provides support to the Grenfell Tower community in London.Prince William And Prince Harry Visit Support4Grenfell Community hubTheir Royal Highness also visited Al-Manaar, The Muslim Cultural Heritage Centre, which was one of the first centres to respond to the tragedy on the night of the fire.After the Grenfell Tower fire on 14 June 2017, The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and Prince Harry, like others, wanted to support the community in North Kensington.The Royal Foundation, of The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and Prince Harry, established Support4Grenfell Community Hub.The hub is a centre point for organisations already involved in supporting the community to come together to provide additional mental health resources for the children, young people and families affected by the Grenfell Tower fire.The Duke and Prince Harry heard how the hub provides a space for various agencies and community groups to continue working collaboratively.Their Royal Highnesses met representatives from organisations leading the emotional support response at the hub, including Child Bereavement UK, Place2Be, The Art Room and Winston’s Wish.Many of these charities have been working with local partners, schools, community groups within Kensington for some years. The hub has allowed these charities to react quickly to scale up their local support in response to the tragedy, as others have done.Afterwards, The Duke and Prince Harry visited Al-Manaar, The Muslim Cultural Heritage Centre, to meet members of the centre’s community. Al-Manaar was one of the first centres that responded to the tragedy on the night of 14 June. Volunteers there co-ordinated other volunteers – and offered food, water, shelter and counselling to survivors of the Grenfell fire.Al-Manaar continues to work with the families and residents affected to provide counselling, advice and a safe space.Source:Royal.uk
Casting Director Melissa A Smith will be joining the panel for TIFF
LEAVE A REPLY Cancel replyLog in to leave a comment Casting Director Melissa A. Smith will be joining the panel for TIFF SLAM!!! Advertisement Advertisement Login/Register With: Facebook Twitter
Killjoys Michelle Lovretta talks How to Kill Friends and Influence People
Facebook Advertisement “How to Kill Friends and Influence People,” co-written by Michelle Lovretta and Jeremy Boxen and directed by Peter Stebbings, was a jam-packed finale and there’s a lot we’re still digesting. Thankfully Killjoys creator and showrunner Lovretta was able to join us one last time this season to break down that finale and look ahead to Season 3. She shares some of her plans for the future and lets us know whether we’ve truly seen the last of beloved characters such as Pawter and Khlyen.The TV Junkies: There was so much to digest in this finale, but since this is Dutch’s show let’s start there. While the team was able to stop the Black Root’s takeover of the Quad, Aneela is still out there. So for Season 3 are we headed for a Dutch vs. Aneela showdown?Michelle Lovretta: Dutch vs Dutch: the Dutchening? Ok, yes, I already have a lot of baby hopes and wishes in store for Season 3, and I think you can tell from the way we constructed the finale what I’m hoping for: a glittering, gleeful head on collision between Aneela and Dutch. I want to really explode the secrets and lies between the two of them, and get at the truth. It’s not what you think. Advertisement Advertisement Login/Register With: *** Warning: This article contains major spoilers for the Killjoys Season 2 finale episode “How to Kill Friends and Influence People” ***OK take some deep breaths Killjoys fans because if you’re anything like us you’re going to need a minute (or five!) to recover from that Season 2 finale episode. The mystery of the green plasma that has plagued the team all season long finally was revealed and with the surprising help of Khlyen (Rob Stewart), Dutch (Hannah John-Kamen) and the Jaqobis brothers were able to save the Quad from a Black Root takeover. Yes, Aneela may be thwarted for now, but now that Killjoys has been renewed for Season 3 it certainly seems like she and Dutch are headed for one hell of a showdown.Will Dutch be down one Jaqobis in this fight since John (Aaron Ashmore), still reeling from Pawter’s (Sarah Power) death, was headed to parts unknown with Clara (Stephanie Leonidas) when we last saw him? He’s surely got a lot to figure out after unexpectedly shooting Delle Seyah (Mayko Nguyen) in that back alley of Old Town. LEAVE A REPLY Cancel replyLog in to leave a comment Twitter
Deal lets arts group into Edge condo space on Lisgar at last
LEAVE A REPLY Cancel replyLog in to leave a comment Advertisement Twitter Facebook Login/Register With: The City of Toronto announced on Tuesday that it had reached an agreement with the Toronto Media Arts Cluster (TMAC), a coalition of local arts charities, that would allow the group to move into its long-contested space on Lisgar St. in the city’s west end.For TMAC, as good news goes, it’s a ‘yes, but:’ The terms of the agreement will require TMAC to satisfy a range of provisions and obligations to take permanent ownership of the space, which was built for them in the base of a condominium tower as part of a city cultural development program.Should TMAC fail to meet the provisions, it has agreed to vacate and give up all future legal claim on the space. Details of the agreement have not been disclosed, pending court approval. Advertisement Henry Faber, the group’s president, suggested that the deal could indeed prove to be too onerous for TMAC to meet, “but had we not agreed to these terms, we would have had zero chance of finally taking ownership,” he said. “But I’m hopeful, because we were able to do significantly more than anyone thought we could. This is where we’ve landed with the best opportunity to provide what the community asked for.” Advertisement
THE UMBRELLA ACADEMY GETS A SECOND SEASON FROM NETFLIX
Toronto will once again be home to a dysfunctional family of superheroes.The series Umbrella Academy, which shoots in the city, is getting a second season from Netflix.Based on the popular comic book series by Gerard Way of My Chemical Romance, the show is about seven step-siblings born in bizarre circumstances, adopted by an autocratic billionaire and trained to save the world. From left, Aidan Gallagher, Ellen Page, Emmy Raver-Lampman, Robert Sheehan, Tom Hopper and David Castaneda in The Umbrella Academy. (CHRISTOS KALOHORIDIS / NETFLIX) Advertisement Login/Register With: Facebook Advertisement
LEAVE A REPLY Cancel replyLog in to leave a comment Advertisement They scatter as adults, but the six surviving siblings reunite when their father dies. Despite their ongoing differences, they are forced to work together to avoid an imminent apocalypse. Twitter
Warriors and Indigenous resistance InFocus part 2
APTN National NewsThis week we are putting indigenous resistance InFocus.Sakej Ward, who is a member of the Warrior Alliance, Ellen Gabriel, from Kanesatake, and Jo Redsky from the Warrior–Ogitchida Society, join this week’s APTN’s InFocus panel.For part 1 click here.
RCMP responds to APTN story on Elsipogtog protests
APTN National NewsThe RCMP had something to say about an APTN National News story we brought to you last week.The story focused on RCMP relations within the community of Elsipogtog.Some Mi’kmaq say they’ve lost trust in the RCMP because of a number of arrests.In a news release on Wednesday the RCMP pointed out the right to protest doesn’t mean you can break the law.APTN’s Trina Roache has more from Halifax.
APTN chats with Neil Young on Honour the Treaties tour
APTN National NewsRock legend Neil Young’s ‘Honour the treaties tour’ continued on Thursday in Winnipeg.Throughout his career his music highlights the struggles of people fighting for what they think is right.Now in his partnership with the Athabasca Chipewyan, he’s helping fight big oil companies’ efforts to triple production in the Alberta tar sands.Neil Young sat down with us last afternoon to talk about why he believes so much in this cause.