Storm Fiona cleanup and gun control in Alberta: In the news, September 27

In The News is a roundup of articles from The Canadian Press designed to start your day. Here’s what’s on our editors’ radar for the morning of Tuesday, September 27, 2022.

What we’re watching in Canada…

Newfoundlanders continue to report on what is left and what was destroyed this weekend when post-tropical storm Fiona tore through the province, demolishing homes and claiming the life of a 73-year-old woman.

Displaced residents of Port aux Basques, Newfoundland and Labrador, face an uncertain future as officials work on a relief fund to help them rebuild or relocate.

Some of those residents returned home on Monday, accompanied by rescue workers, to collect clothing or other essentials as they prepare for what could be an extended absence.

Premier Andrew Furey says the province is assessing exactly how many homes were damaged by the storm.

Shelters and hotels have been made available for people in immediate need, but Andrew Parsons, who represents the area in the provincial legislature, says finding long-term accommodation may require tapping into resources such as cabins and homes owned by seasonal residents.

In Nova Scotia, RCMP say the search for missing 81-year-old Larry Smith of Lower Prospect, last seen on Friday evening, has ended on the belief that he was taken at sea during the storm.

Nova Scotia Power also said Monday there were no issues preventing U.S. power crews from crossing the border to help fix the power grid, clarifying an earlier statement that claimed a problem with the controversial ArriveCan app had bothered the teams.

The Canadian military is deploying troops and equipment to the region after the federal government approved requests for assistance from Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island and Newfoundland and -Labrador over the weekend.

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Also this…

Alberta’s justice minister promises the province will oppose federal efforts to seize thousands of assault weapons, calling Ottawa’s plan a « politically motivated confiscation. »

As of May 2020, Ottawa has banned the use or sale of more than 1,500 different models of assault firearms in Canada.

He is committed to establishing a buy-back program to get these firearms out of communities.

Alberta Justice Minister Tyler Shandro said he received a letter from the federal Minister of Public Safety requesting police resources to begin confiscating firearms starting this fall.

Shandro said the federal government was « sowing fear » by labeling the guns « assault style, » which Shandro called a move aimed at scaring off Canadians unfamiliar with firearms.

Shandro told a press conference on Monday that many weapons do not pose any unusual danger or possess any additional mechanical capabilities.

Alberta also plans to seek intervener status in six pending judicial review applications challenging the constitutionality of the legislation.

The office of Public Safety Minister Marco Mendicino said in an email that the federal buy-back program will ensure that deadly firearms are taken off the streets.

« It’s very disappointing that Alberta released its statement before seeing the full plan, » said publicist Audrey Champoux.

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What we’re watching in the US…

Jury selection is set to begin Tuesday in one of the most serious cases to emerge from the Jan. 6, 2021 attack on the U.S. Capitol.

The founder of far-right extremist group Oath Keepers and four associates are charged with seditious conspiracy.

Stewart Rhodes and the others are the first Jan. 6 defendants charged with the rare Civil War-era offense to stand trial.

Authorities allege there was a serious week-long conspiracy to violently stop the transfer of presidential power from Donald Trump to Joe Biden.

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What we’re looking at in the rest of the world…

Rain and winds from Hurricane Ian are strengthening and battering the western tip of Cuba as it roars on a track that could see it hit the west coast of Florida as a Category 4 hurricane.

Officials in Cuba’s Pinar del Rio province evacuated 50,000 people, set up 55 shelters and took steps to protect crops in warehouses in Cuba’s main tobacco-growing region ahead of Ian’s expected arrival on Tuesday. morning as a major hurricane.

The National Hurricane Center on the west coast of the island could see up to 14 feet of storm surge.

After crossing Cuba, Ian needed to strengthen further before reaching Florida on Wednesday.

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On this day at 1918, Canadian and British troops storm the Canal du Nord, the last stretch of the German defensive « Hindenburg Line », leading to the end of the First World War. The Canadians captured over 7,000 prisoners and 205 heavy guns. Overwhelmed, the Germans abandoned the line and continued their retreat towards the east. An armistice was signed on November 11.

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In entertainment…

Freshly named a filmmaker to watch by the Toronto International Film Festival, Anthony Shim brings his acclaimed mother-son drama « Riceboy Sleeps » to a local crowd at the Vancouver International Film Festival this week.

Shim’s portrayal of a Korean family struggling with unresolved trauma and racism in Canada won TIFF’s prestigious $20,000 platform prize earlier this month, just as he launched a festival circuit which also takes him to the Calgary International Film Festival on Tuesday and Friday.

At TIFF, Shim noted that much of the film’s portrayal of coming-of-age and parental angst is inspired by his own experiences in British Columbia in the 1990s, but several storylines were invented. for dramatic effect.

The Calgary International Film Festival runs through Sunday. The Vancouver International Film Festival runs from Thursday to October 9.

“Riceboy Sleeps” is slated for theatrical release next year in Canada and the United States.

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Have you seen this?

New research indicates that family physicians in Ontario left the profession early in the pandemic at twice the rate of the years before COVID-19 arrived.

A study by Unity Health Toronto indicates that approximately 3% of family physicians in the province – or 385 physicians – ceased practice between March and September 2020.

Lead author Dr. Tara Kiran says these doctors accounted for an estimated 170,000 patients losing access to primary care.

The research builds on figures released last week which showed that in March 2020, almost 1.8 million Ontarians did not have a family doctor and an additional 1.7 million Ontarians had a doctor. family over 65 years old.

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This report from The Canadian Press was first published on September 27, 2022.

The Canadian Press