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National Defence vows to get better at helping men who report military sexual misconduct
The number of male soldiers reporting sexual misconduct has been increasing The Department of National Defence (DND) says it’s taking steps to improve training for staff at the military’s sexual misconduct support centre, acknowledging that men who report being abused have not always felt “safe, secure and supported.” The federal government issued a notice late in December saying it intends to award a sole-source contract to an Ottawa-based company to provide personnel training at the Sexual Misconduct Support and Resource Centre (SMSRC). The centre “has a requirement for the provision of training on how to bestRead more
Ontario cities need help — and cash — to meet 2025 accessibility deadline, advocates say
Province says it’s working with all governments, investing in accessible services and infrastructure CBC Toronto is breaking down accessibility in Ontario in four stories: the progress made so far, how legislation is enforced, if the province can reach its 2025 goal and what accessibility looks like in cities, zooming in on Toronto. As a hard of hearing person, Kellina Powell says she can rarely make out the announcements on the GO train, often leaving her in the dark about what’s happening on her commute from downtown Toronto to her homeRead more
Air Canada fined $97.5K for failing to assist passenger in wheelchair
Canadian Transportation Agency found airline violated disability regulations The Canadian Transportation Agency has handed Air Canada a fine of $97,500 after a passenger who uses a wheelchair was made to drag himself off a plane in Las Vegas. In a statement, the CTA said the airline must pay for “several violations of the Accessible Transportation for Persons with Disabilities Regulations.” On Aug. 30, Prince George, B.C., resident Rodney Hodgins, who has spastic cerebral palsy and uses a motorized wheelchair, was told by Air Canada crew in Las Vegas that no assistanceRead more
Lower Sackville neighbours band together to help residents of homeless encampment
Newly formed Gated Community Association started as a Facebook group and is now a registered non-profit For the people living in tents on a baseball field in Lower Sackville, N.S., a group of strangers has become a lifeline. Close to 40 tents are clustered around the field on Cobequid Road, providing shelter for people who have nowhere else to go. Some were recently evicted, some have been living in their vehicles for months and some have been on the streets for years. And as Halifax’s homeless population climbs beyond 1,000, members of the newlyRead more
Inquest jury makes recommendations after teen denied help at Fredericton hospital
Lexi Daken died by suicide within days of turning to Chalmers Hospital emergency room for help A coroner’s jury has made 10 recommendations to try to prevent deaths similar to Lexi Daken’s. The 16-year-old Fredericton-area girl died by suicide within days of days of being turned away from the Dr. Everett Chalmers Hospital in February 2021. Testimony at the inquest into Daken’s death wrapped up Wednesday morning, and the jury of three women and two men began deliberations before noon. By 3 p.m., they returned with their recommendations. They began by endorsing 12Read more
A northern Saskatchewan community is calling for help amid unrelenting violence
Pelican Narrows under state of emergency after killing of teen: ‘It’s crazy out there,’ elder says At 10 p.m., a blaring siren signals it’s time for people throughout Pelican Narrows to go home. Residents of the northern Saskatchewan community say it often precedes the sounds of gunshots. The siren is one action taken as part of a state of emergency that has been in effect for nearly a year in the approximately 2,173-person Pelican Narrows reserve, about 420 kilometres northeast of Saskatoon. That state of emergency has recently been expanded to the restRead more
Palestinians in the GTA appeal to federal government to help loved ones flee Gaza
More than 4,300 people have been killed in Gaza, according to Hamas-run Health Ministry A group of Palestinians living in the GTA are appealing to the federal government to bring family members living in Gaza to Canada faster than standard immigration policies allow. Milton local and permanent resident Abdallah Alhamadni says they’re hoping Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) will create a humanitarian pathway for Palestinians fleeing from the Israel-Hamas war, similar to those implemented for people escaping violence in places like Syria and Ukraine. “I have a great hope, it’s not impossible to do that,”Read more