New screening approach eliminates 3-month deferral period Quebec’s blood agency has put an end to its blood donation eligibility assessment procedure that discriminates against gay and bisexual men, as well as others in the LGBTQ2+ community. As of Sunday, Héma-Québec lifted its policy that restricts people in this group from donating blood for three months after being sexually active. From now on, all potential blood donors in the province —  regardless of sex, gender or sexual orientation — will undergo the same initial evaluation. The assessment of risk for sexual behaviour will therefore be based on an individual basis,Read more

Report is latest to scrutinize treatment of Indigenous people in Quebec health-care services Nearly a year after the Quebec government’s self-imposed deadline passed to enshrine cultural sensitivity into its health-care law, the province’s Indigenous affairs minister says it will finally introduce a bill to do so by the end of this parliamentary session. Ian Lafrenière renewed his government’s promise Friday, just days after the release of a report that found at least 22 Indigenous women in Quebec had been forced or coerced into sterilization between 1980 and 2019, a practice that has been tied to colonialism andRead more

Surgeries cut as children’s hospitals struggle with surge of flu, COVID-19 and RSV When her nine-year-old son’s heart surgery was recently cancelled for the second time in as many months, Rachael Armstrong was left angry, frustrated and “visibly shaking.” “My reaction was not very good … my stress was through the roof,” said Armstrong from Kamloops, B.C. Her son Jackson Anderson has been waiting for surgery at B.C. Children’s Hospital since May. “As a parent, it’s scary to think that your child’s medical care might be getting pushed back and pushedRead more

Alberta premier claims act will ‘reset the relationship’ with Ottawa Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said he’s “not looking for a fight” after the Alberta government tabled controversial legislation Premier Danielle Smith said would tell Ottawa to “butt out” of the province’s jurisdiction. The Alberta Sovereignty Within a United Canada Act — tabled Tuesday in the Alberta legislature — was a centrepiece of Smith’s campaign for the leadership of the governing United Conservative Party this fall. The bill describes how the Alberta government plans to refuse to enforce federal legislation, policies orRead more

11 people died, 18 injured on James Smith Cree Nation and village of Weldon The federal government is to spend $1.2 million to repair and replace houses damaged during a mass stabbing in Saskatchewan nearly three months ago. Houses became crime scenes after 11 people died and 18 were injured on the James Smith Cree Nation and nearby village of Weldon during the Sept. 4 attacks. Myles Sanderson, the 32-year-old suspect in the attacks, later died in police custody. Repairs expected to be done next month Indigenous Services Canada said $750,000Read more

Measures could be financed through a one-time windfall tax on corporate profits, MPs say New Democrat parliamentarians are urging the federal Liberals to address what they say is corporate greed driving a cost-of-living crisis for northern and Indigenous communities. As record-high prices for food, fuel and heat ripple across the North, Ottawa can lighten the financial load by reforming its Nutrition North subsidy and cutting the GST from home heating, according to northern Manitoba MP Niki Asthon and Nunavut MP Lori Idlout. They told reporters in Ottawa on Wednesday the Liberals could payRead more

Crown sought ban, sealing order on conditional release hearing of Quewezance sisters A publication ban on an upcoming hearing to determine whether a pair of Indigenous sisters convicted of murder will be released on conditions would be “largely superfluous,” according to the judge who denied the Crown’s application for a publication ban on the proceeding. Odelia and Nerissa Quewezance, sisters from Keeseekoose First Nation, were convicted in 1994 of second-degree murder in the death of Anthony Joseph Dolff, a farmer from Kamsack, Sask. The sisters have maintained their innocence since the conviction. Their case isRead more

Kanien’kehá:ka community has been in the online gaming industry for 25 years The Mohawk Council of Kahnawà:ke (MCK) is taking iGaming Ontario and the Attorney General of Ontario to court over changes to how the province manages online gaming. A notice of application was filed in the Ontario Superior Court on Monday, arguing that the changes are “illegal and unconstitutional.” Olthuis Kleer Townshend LLP is representing MCK. None of the allegations have been proven in court. “It’s not our first choice,” said Ratsenhaienhs (elected council chief) Mike Delisle Jr. “It’sRead more

Sudbury, Ont., university says it can now start work on a new strategic plan and improve operations Laurentian University in Sudbury, Ont., has exited the Companies’ Creditors Arrangement Act (CCAA) restructuring process that followed its insolvency in February 2021. The university has continued to operate while dealing with its financial problems. Under the restructuring, it cut 76 programs in April 2021. As well, nearly 200 staff and faculty members lost their jobs. The CCAA was created for commercial enterprises to help them restructure after an insolvency. The future is brightRead more