A Sahtu teen sounds the alarm over lack of N.W.T. addictions treatment and wants MLAs to listen up
Seventeen-year-old Sierra McDonald from Norman Wells, N.W.T., is adding her voice to the many that have called for an addictions treatment facility in the territory.
Social Sharing
CBC News ·
Posted: Jan 09, 2021 7:00 AM CT | Last Updated: January 9
Seventeen-year-old Sierra McDonald says mental health isn t talked about enough and that an addictions treatment centre in the Northwest Territories is crucial.( Fostering Open Expression among Youth/Facebook)
A high school student from Norman Wells, N.W.T., is adding her voice to those that have called for an addictions treatment facility in the Northwest Territories.
Article content
As Canada continues to grapple with the second wave of COVID-19 infections and deaths, new questions are being asked about the role played by long-term care facilities (LTCs) in spreading the virus.
On Jan. 4, for example, the Ontario NDP called for the province’s Progressive Conservative government to recall the legislature in order to address the LTC crisis. Earlier, on Nov. 19, 2020, federal NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh tweeted that, “Profit-driven care is dangerous & it costs lives.”
We apologize, but this video has failed to load.
Try refreshing your browser, or Rupa Subramanya: Canada s long-term care system has failed us, but socialization is not the answer Back to video
Article content
There were lessons to be learned from the coronavirus ravaging care homes and killing thousands in Ontario and Quebec during the first wave of the pandemic. In June, the Canadian Institute for Health Information reported on the failure to enact safeguards for care homes lack of testing, supply and use of personal protective equipment, physical distancing, isolation of infected residents, and appropriate levels of staffing. Saskatchewan had months to be ready for the inevitable, yet remained ill-prepared.
Extendicare, Canada’s largest operator of for-profit care homes including Parkside, has received over $100 million from federal and provincial governments in COVID-19 aid, while paying dividends of $30.5 million to investors so far this year. They, along with the SHA, have known about the problems at Parkside for years and done little to improve the situation for staff and residents.
TORONTO As Canada roll outs the first COVID-19 vaccines to front-line workers, pride is washing over the Filipino community. But advocates say a true show of appreciation would involve the government doing more to protect them. Three of the first five people in the country to be inoculated were Filipino-Canadian, but thatâs hardly a surprise as, for decades, this community has been an integral part of Canadaâs health care system. When he was receiving his inoculation last week, registered practical nurse Lucky Aguila admitted he wasnât thinking of the significance to the Filipino community. âBut Iâm honoured to be one of the first,â told CTVNews.ca on Wednesday. Back in May, he began working in the Rekai Centre long-term care homes in Toronto â thrown into the middle of an outbreak.
Canada’s Pandemic Response Deeply Flawed, Says Former Provincial Emergency Agency Chief
COVID-19 is a ‘public emergency,’ not a public health emergency, says David Redman
The premise and focus of Canada’s pandemic response has been misguided but it’s not too late to change course, says a former emergency management expert and retired Canadian army officer, who has been trying to get all of Canada’s premiers on board with his detailed action plan since the spring.
David Redman is a former executive director of the Alberta Emergency Management Agency who later spent nearly 10 years as an organizational consultant working on best practices for emergency management. He also served as an officer with the Canadian Armed Forces for 27 years, leading complex missions as lieutenant-colonel.