Canadian Crossing

British Columbia fine tunes decriminalizing drug policy

We wrote about the plan in British Columbia for a 3-year experiment to decriminalize certain drugs for a healthier policy on overdoses. About halfway through the experiment, the province, with the help of the federal government, is making some adjustments, mostly in the area of where people can consume those drugs.

We were a bit surprised — from a naive standpoint — about the strength of the rhetoric involving terms such as "failure" and "recriminalize." Marijuana is legal coast to coast to coast in Canada and the provinces have restrictions on where you can consume marijuana.

The changes stem from making sure the drugs are not consumed in public and other areas of note. The parallel is that the drug use isn't as much of an issue as where the drug use is happening. One key difference is that with homelessness as a factor of opioids that, unlike marijuana use, there isn't an "inside space" for easy consumption. Since Canada waited a long time with making edibles legal, and many restrictions on smoking inside rental apartments, drug policy happens in stages.

The Eby Government last fall passed a bill banning drug use in public spaces, such as parks, beaches, and transit. A BC Supreme Court judge ruled that the law would have "irreparable harm" to people who use drugs.

There are political elements at work for the changes. Federal opposition leader Pierre Poilievre referred to Justin Trudeau's policy (not his policy) as "wacko" in Parliament. That is allowed yet Poilievre also used that word about the prime minister, which got Poilievre tossed out of the House of Commons. Needless to say, a lot of money was raised as the stunt felt like just that, a stunt.

The province will have an election on or before October 19. Premier David Eby (New Democratic Party) have 55 seats in the current 87-seat parliament. The BC United Party is in opposition at 26 seats. The Green Party have 2 seats, Conservative Party have 2 seats, and there are 2 independents. The number of seats in October or earlier will be 93 seats.

The BC United (BCU) may seem new but this is the new name for what was the British Columbia Liberal Party (BC Liberals), which has not connection to the federal Liberals. The name change came on April 12, 2023. I remember in past trips having BC people explain that the "Liberals" had a lot of conservatives.

Eby, who had served as the attorney general under Premier John Horgan, took over for Horgan on November 18, 2022, and hasn't run for election as premier.

British Columbia decriminalizes some drugs but at a really low threshold

Canadian film review: Love in the Time of Fentanyl

Canadian film review: Kímmapiiyipitssini: The Meaning of Empathy

Despite what Poilievre and/or BC United might think, the fentanyl problem, overdoses (fatal and otherwise), opioids are a problem bigger than decriminalization. Decriminalization without housing help won't be as effective a solution. The safe supply issue, which is helping with overdoses, is making more progress than say Alberta's recovery-based solutions.

Toronto and Montréal also are looking into federal help for their drug areas. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is willing to work out solutions on a provincial level with Vancouver getting help only after British Columbia participated on a provincial level.

Ontario Premier Doug Ford, ironic given a number of drug-related allegations, won't agree to a safe supply position. Quebec Premier François Legault has not weighed in recently but has said "non" to the idea of decriminalization in the past.

This leaves British Columbia as the only option to learn what might be able to work. Needless to say, the experiment would be in jeopardy either in the 2024 provincial election or a 2025 federal election.

B.C. rolls back drug decriminalization (The Current on CBC Radio)

Backlash and walk backs: BC reverses drug policy (Front Burner)

We beg for political leadership to tackle difficult topics. We don't offer up that one solution will magically make the drug crisis in Canada go away. Those in the United States should praise what British Columbia is doing since they might benefit from the experiment in western Canada.

The other side has no solutions other than to stop this particular solution.

CanadianCrossing.com British Columbia coverage

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Back in the days of the drive-in theatre where you could see 3 films in a row, we would recommend a triple feature of Love in the Time of Fentanyl, The Body Remembers When the World Broke Open, and Kímmapiiyipitssini: The Meaning of Empathy.

The 2 documentaries (Love and Kímmapiiyipitssini) are about finding solutions for the opioids crisis while the other film takes place in the area in Vancouver known for its drug use. Your humble narrator learned a lot from these films and enough to know there is a lot I don't know. These people need help and we should do what we can.

video and photo credit: CBC News

Dealing with films about suicide that could be triggering

Editor's note: This article definitely talks about suicide and suicide attempts and may be triggering to some people.

We often watch films with certain themes where we don't have direct experience. A lot of us have no parenting experience yet we watch films about parenting issues and concerns. We were all children, after all.

I hadn't thought about the films I've seen where suicide was involved, and there were quite a few. A lot of them Canadian; some of them very American.

I did have someone, who was quite estranged from me, end their life recently at their own hands. Despite the estrangement, I feel quite a bit of pain from the act. This is complicated.

This isn't one of those self-indulging pieces where the author magically realizes the significance of a topic because what that person saw on the big screen now affects their life. Still, I wanted to examine this topic through a new lens.

Films that feature suicide can refer to a suicide attempt or the discovery of suicide or some other related matter. Some of this can be triggering if you have experienced a suicide of someone close to you. We apologize if this piece is triggering.

Heathers is more about murders made to look like suicides. This was the first film that entered my brain when I thought about this topic. The song featured in the above video also was in my head. I did see the film after 3 of my high school classmates had died, none of them by suicide. I wasn't triggered by that though many could be.

Other American films that leapt to mind: The Virgin Suicides, The Big Chill, The Perks of Being a Wallflower, the "black capsule" in M*A*S*H, Christine (as in Christine Chubbuck, the film with Rebecca Hall).

Close, the Belgium entry into this spring's Oscars for Best International Feature Film, also has a suicide in the film. A hauntingly beautiful film.

I did make a list of Canadian films that have suicide themes contained within the film. This is not a complete list.

• All My Puny Sorrows
• Our Loved Ones | Les êtres chers
• Queens of the Qing Dynasty
• Wilby Wonderful
• Monsieur Lazhar
• The Grizzlies
• All the Wrong Reasons
• Everything Is Fine | Tout est parfait
• Cas & Dylan
• 1:54
• Lost and Delirious
• The Barbarian Invasions
• Nelly

We have seen all of these titles with the exception of Queens of the Qing Dynasty and Everything Is Fine | Tout est parfait. We saw Ashley McKenzie's full-length feature debut Werewolf, an intense fictional film. Seeing that film makes me want to see Queens of the Qing Dynasty.

All My Puny Sorrows has suicide as a co-star while Wilby Wonderful has a more light-hearted approach to a suicide attempt. All My Puny Sorrows and Our Loved Ones | Les êtres chers were about generational suicide in families.

Anne Émond wrote and directed Our Loved Ones and Nelly. The latter film was based on a real-life person who did end her life.

Canadian film review: All My Puny Sorrows

Monsieur Lazhar starts out with a suicide. Cas & Dylan has that theme throughout with a terminal illness but the act comes near the end of the film.

All the Wrong Reasons doesn't show the suicide but the reaction is instrumental to Karine Vanasse's character.

Everything Is Fine | Tout est parfait deals with the reaction of the main character to 4 suicides.

1:54 has the suicide in the middle of the film. Lost and Delirious and The Barbarian Invasions have the act at the end of the film. The youth in The Grizzlies are surrounded by suicide. Queens of the Qing Dynasty reportedly starts out in the aftermath of a suicide attempt.

If you are intrigued for good or bad reasons to find more films on the subject, Wikipedia has such a list.

Doug Ford Government in Ontario proposes to do away with film ratings

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Quebec looked into putting a suicide content warning on films in 2011. That act ultimately didn't happen. Canada doesn't have a federal system for rating films, unlike the United States with the MPAA rating system. Provinces decide all of those elements for film distribution.

We don't generally object to such content warnings. We do wonder in films such as Close where the suicide is the twist in a film.

Filmmakers are often going to tell stories close to their heart. Suicide can easily be one of those topics.

Canadian TV notebook: Workin' Moms final season is on Netflix

Episode 7 of the Canadian TV series Three Pines showed the aftermath of a murder made to look like a suicide. Talk about the act can be a trigger for some people. Seeing the victim can be a trigger for a lot of people. All of our examples deal with suicide at different points in the process.

Newfoundland acting legend and former Codco member Andy Jones has a new one-person play Don't Give Up On Me, Dad about the suicide of his son at the age 28 after a long battle with mental illness. Jones joined Q and Tom Power to talk about Louis and the play.

My therapist mentioned The Bridge (2006), an American documentary on suicide jumpers off the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco Bay. I have not seen this film, though I gather from the description that this film might be quite triggering.

I do know from having walked that bridge that there are phones on the bridge for people to call for mental health assistance. That may not be a perfect solution but good to know that an option is there for those who need help.

Remembering Canadian actress Karyn Dwyer

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Here are a bunch of Canadian films that pass the Bechdel test

In our original story, we noted that Karyn Dwyer's Wikipedia page noted that the actor had committed suicide. That passage is no longer on her page.

Her passing was tragic and far too soon, regardless of the reason. Suicide shouldn't have a stigma.

As a film reviewer who tries to remain objective, I won't stray from reviewing a film based on the topic. The film may trigger some emotion but that is to be expected. The pain might be a bit more real than it was before the event in my own life.

I don't want to trigger people about the topic. Some suicide or suicide attempt survivors throw themselves into the topic instead of fleeing the idea.

We will try to be sensitive whenever possible. When we reviewed Prey, we noted that film could be triggering for those who were sexually abused, especially by a Catholic priest.

CanadianCrossing.com film reviews

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The recent saga of a Metro Vancouver man who was essentially outed for calling a mental health hotline should not discourage people who need help.

While the United States has the 988 option for suicide help, Canada won't have that option until November 30 of this year.

In the meantime, here are options for Canadians who need assistance. Thanks to CBC News for compiling this information.

• Talk Suicide Canada: 833/456-4566 (phone) | 45645 (text between 4 pm and midnight ET).
• Kids Help Phone: 800/668-6868 (phone), live chat counselling on the Web site.
• Canadian Association for Suicide Prevention: Find a 24-hour crisis centre.
• This guide from the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health outlines how to talk about suicide with someone you're worried about.

Please don't worry about the stigma of making such a call.

video credit: YouTube/Music from Movies
photo credits: All My Puny Sorrows; Our Loved Ones | Les êtres chers; Cas & Dylan

Finding a doctor in Canada is a lot harder in real life than in some Canadian films

Feels like I've seen The Grand Seduction twice. In reality, I saw the 2003 film Seducing Doctor Lewis | La grande séduction and the 2013 film The Grand Seduction.

Both films are written by Ken Scott (Michael Dowse co-wrote the English language version) with other directors: Jean-François Pouliot (Francaise) and Don McKellar (English).

The stories are the same, maddeningly. A lot more similar than Delivery Man, the English language remake of Starbuck (both from Ken Scott). The premise is that a small fishing village needs a plant that will provide jobs. The company insists the town have a doctor, something the town has struggled to find.

Big city doctor gets tricked into coming to the small town. The people of the small town work hard to convince said doctor to stay.

Canadian film has certainly tackled the issue of health care. Think Denys Arcand's The Barbarian Invasions, the only Canadian film to win an Oscar in the international film category. The image of patients in hospital beds in the hallway felt like a parody.

What has been a quaint topic in those Ken Scott films is an ever growing reality in Canadian health care: finding a doctor in Canada is a difficult task.

2022 Canada Day notebook

The Grand Seduction matches up well with Quebecois version

"Roughly six million Canadian adults don't have access to a family doctor—up from 4.6 million in 2019. The situation is particularly alarming in rural communities where only 8% of physicians are serving nearly one-fifth of Canada’s population." This according to a Royal Bank of Canada (RBC) report.

The numbers in Ontario alone is about 1.8 million without a family physician. This first person account gives some intricate details on the search for a family doctor.

Please do not capture this out of context as a bash of the medical system in Canada versus the United States. Medical debt and anxiety that only happens in the United States is not a part of the rest of the world. The Canadian health care system is being hit with retirement of doctors due to burnout from the COVID-19 pandemic, Baby Boomers doctors retiring, and difficulty of trained medical doctors from outside Canada to get credentials to practice in Canada. The Jason Kenney government was chasing away doctors in Alberta but that was more about politics.

Those who have watched Transplant either on CTV in Canada or NBC in the United States know the complex route of the pilot episode so Dr. Bashir Hamed can practice medicine in a Canadian hospital. That is not typical though the show gives us a perspective on that struggle, even in getting to practice medicine.

Canada has 2 huge struggles in administering medicine in a single payer system. The country is mostly rural (think The Grand Seduction) and health care is run by the provinces.

Also, the provinces ask for money from the federal government but don't always spend that money on health care.

A recent episode of the Backbench podcast explored some of the many concerns over Canadian health care. Mattea Roach, the Backbench host (yes, that Mattea Roach), has a nice perspective in that she grew up in rural Nova Scotia and now lives in the big city in Toronto. Roach noted that big Canadian cities are starting to see the inequities of the Canadian health care system that rural people have known for a long time.

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Canadian doctors have plenty of debt when they get out of university, though not nearly on the scale of the debt that U.S. doctors have. The issue with Baby Boomer doctors retiring, plus more old people who need care: these are true in Europe, Asia, and other parts of the world. The world also had to deal with the damage of the COVID-19 pandemic on health care systems.

CanadianCrossing.com health care coverage

CanadianCrossing.com film coverage

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W. Kamau Bell and his United Shades of America show took a look at the reality of health care in Canada in 2018. Some of that was from previous testimony from Dr. Danielle Martin on the realities of health care in Canada in 2017. British Columbia and Vancouver have been on the forefront on opioids in ways the United States could only dream of doing.

U.S. news rarely talks about Canada, even when the U.S. president comes to Canada and spends the night. Often, real TV journalists rely on stereotypes of other countries, especially Bell. We explore Canada and aren't afraid to delve into the true state of the country or talk about Nickleback (how did Nickleback get into the Canadian Music Hall of Fame?).

Health care should not be a profit-making enterprise, even as we saw the significance of private long-term care homes in Ontario. Canada is the closest example of single payer to the United States. Americans should pay more attention to health care north of the border, good and bad.

photo credits: The Grand Seduction; Transplant/CTV

Canadian film review: Love in the Time of Fentanyl

News will label something as "controversial" such as supervised injection facilities in Vancouver's Downtown Eastside. The average person might be frightened at the prospect of that type of facility. Love in the Time of Fentanyl shows us what that world is actually like and why it's unusual, but far better in the opioid battle.

The clinic is run by volunteers who are all too familiar with the opioid scene in that area in Vancouver, as in fellow users. The documentary takes us into the people mourning those who have been lost and saving people, so they are still around.

We don't get so close to the action to see actual drug injections but there is an intimacy to watching people do something highly personal that would never been shown on the late news. Safe injection sites have proven to be necessary in the time when opioids can easily be laced with fentanyl.

The film shows us Overdose Prevention Society (OPS) staff members administer Narcan for those who overdose and save their lives. Sometimes, the efforts are too late.

The unofficial narrator is Ronnie aka Narcan Jesus, a gentle giant who is one of the workers at the facility.

Director Colin Askey gives us the intimacy of startling moments without an all-knowing narrator. Sometimes the decisions you don't make are the smartest choices.

The intimacy can be a bit startling but Askey understands we need to see the reality of that world to see the importance of safe injection sites.

British Columbia decriminalizes some drugs but at a really low threshold

CanadianCrossing.com British Columbia coverage

The film reflected the reality in the time of filming. Now those in British Columbia can carry a small amount of drugs, including opioids, without fear of arrest. This includes opioids, which sadly may have fentanyl in them.

Reducing the stigma and the reality of being arrested gives these people a safer environment for themselves and others.

Love in the Time of Fentanyl is a play on the title Love in the Time of Cholera, a 1985 novel Colombian Nobel Prize-winning author Gabriel García Márquez. The book was later turned into a film that was released in 2007.

Canadian film review: Kímmapiiyipitssini: The Meaning of Empathy

We don't pair films together, like wine and food. If you want to learn more about opioids addiction, the Elle-Maija Tailfeathers documentary featuring her mother is an outstanding watch. While this is geared toward opioids in Indigenous communities, its solutions are just as relevant in the mountains of West Virginia in the United States.

Speaking of Tailfeathers, the part of Vancouver in this documentary is very close by where her earlier film, The Body Remembers When the World Broke Open, was filmed.

CanadianCrossing.com film reviews

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The beauty of documentaries, such as this one, is the way to see what is talked about in the news and show this to an audience who is curious.

Love in the Time of Fentanyl is a great example of showing us a "controversial" world and humanizing the experience. We suggest you watch the film with loved ones and compare notes after watching the film.

Love in the Time of Fentanyl has run in Canada and is available through Independent Lens on PBS. A reminder to our American readers that the PBS version has censored curse words from the documentary. As we have noted, Canadians are far less concerned over the impact of those words than in American society.

video credit: Independent Lens/PBS
photo credit: Love in the Time of Fentanyl

British Columbia decriminalizes some drugs but at a really low threshold

Decriminalize. A powerful word that we don't hear much about in North America. For example, the perception is that the Netherlands legalized marijuana for their coffee shops. In fact, marijuana is not legal but coffee shops are permitted to sell up to 5 grams of marijuana to customers for consumption on-site. No takeaway orders.

As of today, Canadians 18 years of age and older in British Columbia will be able to possess up to a cumulative 2.5 grams of opioids, cocaine, methamphetamine, and MDMA within the province.

Note that the total is half of what is the law in the Netherlands. British Columbia wanted a threshold of 4.5 grams but the federal government lowered the threshold to 2.5 grams.

We have noted that the marijuana threshold in Canada, where pot is legal coast to coast to coast, is 30 grams. So the threshold seems higher for the other drugs but that isn't a fair comparison.

The pilot program is in effect for 3 years. You still can't sell drugs though such a small possession marker would make that an odd charge.

The threshold may not matter too much in Kamloops, Prince Rupert, Abbotsford, Fort St. John, Kelowna, and Penticton. The limit may not be as much of a concern on Vancouver Island in places such as Victoria, Nanaimo, Tofino, and Ucluelet.

The key concern is opioids in Vancouver Downtown Eastside. Fentanyl and its analogues were detected in nearly 86% of drug toxicity deaths from 2019-2022, according to the latest report from the B.C. Coroners Service.

Experts say that some opioids users consume more than 2.5 grams in a day, citing the need for a higher threshold.

Your humble narrator is a bit surprised that the program is province-wide, given the significance of Vancouver Downtown Eastside. Then again, opioids use isn't limited to that area. 

Experiencing marijuana tourism in Canada

CanadianCrossing.com marijuana coverage

CanadianCrossing.com British Columbia coverage

While we promote the idea of marijuana tourism, we aren't as excited about the prospect of tourists taking too much advantage. An 18-year-old might find it unusual to be able to possess 2 grams of cocaine while marijuana is still illegal until they turn 19.

The help for opioids users is that they can have a safe supply and not overdose and die. That isn't the same as recreational use. There is also the theory that an American possessing a legal supply might be suspected of trafficking more than someone with a British Columbia drivers licence. 

We will be very curious to see how this pilot program goes and maybe a higher threshold within the 3 years.

photo credit: Victoria Police Department/CBC News

Canadian film review: Kímmapiiyipitssini: The Meaning of Empathy

Elle-Máijá Tailfeathers has had great success of late in front of the camera (Blood Quantum, Night Raiders, The Body Remembers When the World Broke Open) and behind the camera (The Body Remembers When the World Broke Open).

So taking a step to do a documentary on opioids and addiction might seem unusual. Somehow, this makes sense for someone such as Tailfeathers and her concern for her community.

Kímmapiiyipitssini: The Meaning of Empathy is a personal documentary in that Tailfeathers' mother is a physician on the front lines of this battle. The documentary focuses on Tailfeathers' home in the Kainai Nation community in Alberta.

The film explores the quandary between abstinence, an approach that works well for alcoholism, versus harm reduction, which can be more helpful for dealing with the addiction of opioids. Convincing the community of the differences in approach is a significant challenge.

We see the Kainai Nation visiting Vancouver Downtown Eastside, where The Body Remembers When the World Broke Open was set. They learn how harm reduction is helping cut the fatality rate.

Tailfeathers talks with people who are suffering as well as those who are helping those in need. The story of George and Leah is so important: they want to get help but they have 4 steps to get into a treatment centre. Even then, some of those steps have wait lists.

Tailfeathers also shows the push back from nearby Lethbridge residents, including violence and death.

Tailfeathers does have an agenda in that harm reduction is a meaningful approach to a very serious problem. She takes great care to show examples of why harm reduction is a working option.

Kímmapiiyipitssini: The Meaning of Empathy is also a personal documentary when she tells us that her cousin passed away from an overdose. Personal when her mother Esther forms a detox centre as a transition step to see if the patients want to go to a rehab centre.

There is a concern in taking such a personal interest in a story in a documentary. Tailfeathers helps us see the personification in what is mostly are faceless tragedies.

The film is surprisingly easy to follow and you feel the concerns of these people. This should be required viewing in Canada and the United States.

CanadianCrossing.com Indigenous coverage

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Kímmapiiyipitssini: The Meaning of Empathy won the Canadian Screen Award earlier this year for Best Feature Length Documentary. The documentary also received 2 other Canadian Screen Award nominations for Best Cinematography in a Documentary and Best Editing in a Documentary. The film was 1 of 5 winners of the Rogers Audience Award at the 2021 Hot Docs Canadian International Documentary Festival.

Kímmapiiyipitssini: The Meaning of Empathy is available via the National Film Board in Canada.

video credit: YouTube/NFB
photo credit: Kímmapiiyipitssini: The Meaning of Empathy

Would Americans get an abortion in Canada?

Canadians can access abortion services, though like most healthcare, getting an abortion is a lot easier if you live in a large Canadian city. The United States, even before the leak of a decision to overturn Roe v. Wade, has been a place where getting an abortion was extremely difficult unless you lived in a large urban setting.

Canadians don't have the draconian laws of their southern neighbours.

Karina Gould, Canada's minister of families, affirmed that Americans can access abortion services in Canada. “If they, people, come here and need access, certainly, you know, that’s a service that would be provided,” Gould told CBC News.

This may be notable in states such as Michigan that border Ontario.

Matt Galloway talked about abortion in a recent segment on The Current on CBC Radio One. The emphasis was mostly on Saskatchewan, pointing out that access was easier in Regina than even Saskatoon.

Canada is a safer place for abortion though access should be improved

Prince Edward Island eases abortion restrictions (2015)

Abortion definitely an issue in New Brunswick election (2014)

The Trudeau Government had recent announcements on already assigned funding: more than $3.5 million in funding for 2 initiatives to improve access to abortion services and reproductive health information.

Health Minister Jean-Yves Duclos said Action Canada would get $2.1 million over 3 years to improve information and referral services. The funding will also cover travel and accommodation costs for people seeking abortions.

The National Abortion Federation Canada will get $1.4 million over 3 years to help train health care providers to perform abortions and ensure facilities have the capacity to provide the service.

The U.S. helped out Canada on the abortion front in the late 1980s before a key decision from the Canadian Supreme Court.

The CBC News report noted the passport concern for Americans traveling to Canada for an abortion. Americans also need to register via the ArriveCAN app and be vaccinated to come to Canada, ideally in a land crossing.

CanadianCrossing.com health care coverage

Canada was a destination for same-gender marriages while the United States did this on a piece meal basis. The dreams of marijuana tourism have been thwarted by a delay on edibles and the pandemic. Plus, if you are an American wanting to do marijuana tourism, a flight to California has better weather at the destination and may be cheaper, depending on location.

Abortion tourism won't be marketed but might be a small slice of desperately need tourism money for Canada. As much as any kind of tourism would be helpful, abortion is the type of procedure where you want to be in your own bed after the procedure.

Home is an option for drugs that induce a miscarriage. That can make the process easier on women in Canada, the United States, and around the world.

There are groups of people who will particularly struggle with this not so distant future: poor women; women of colour, especially Indigenous women; and young women.

Women should have the full and complete right to decide when and how they get pregnant and how they deal with the situation should they become pregnant. Full stop.

photo credit: Full Frontal with Samantha Bee/TBS
video credit: CBC News

Canada surpasses 1 million COVID-19 cases

We have said Canada has had a better experience with COVID-19 as compared to the United States. Better federal government action on the virus and financial help for its citizens. A slower pace of cases and deaths than the southern neighbours.

Canada, west of the Atlantic provinces and south of the territories, is going through a rough patch in what is the third wave in the country. The Brazilian variant has been particularly troublesome for the population. The numbers are tracking toward younger people getting sick.

Over the Easter weekend, Canada went over the 1 million mark in COVID-19 cases.

The focus in Canada has been more on the vaccine numbers as in "why are Americans getting more vaccine." The Toronto Star reported as of Friday, "101.8 million people in the U.S. have received at least one dose of coronavirus vaccine, 31 per cent of the adult population. In Canada, the number is five million first doses, or just shy of 14 per cent of the adult population." In the spirit of disclosure, your humble narrator has had the first dose, something that may not have happened in Canada.

My Twitter feed has exploded with how vaccines are getting to the people who need them, especially in Ontario. The idea of getting a first shot and then waiting 4 months before the second shot seems like something Canadians should not have to confront, yet they are in some places.

Here is to hoping the vaccine situation gets so much better in Canada. Even if you are partially or completely vaccinated, still take precautions on masks and social distancing.

How the Canada-U.S. border closure has affected border towns

Remembering the COVID-19 'anniversary' in Canada

We wanted to give some perspective on the countries in a side-by-side COVID-19 comparison. These numbers are courtesy of Worldometers as of last night.

Cases and deaths

Country	Cases	Deaths	Active Cases
United States	31,420,331	568,777	6,904,851
Canada	1,003,988	23,062	58,402

The United States ranks 1st rather easily. Brazil and India have just under 13 million cases. Canada ranks 23rd on the list.

Canada has a 2.30% death rate (death/cases) versus the U.S. with a 1.81% death rate. This doesn't factor in the undercounting of cases, especially in certain U.S. states.

Canada is in much better shape with active cases. The U.S. has a 22% active cases rate (active cases/overall cases) while Canada has a 5.8% active cases rate.

Canada has about 11% of the population of the United States. The chart (below) factors in a similar comparison of per million people to give a proper comparison.

Cases and deaths per million people

Country	Cases	Deaths
United States	94,505	1,711
Canada	26,426	607

Number of positive cases climbing within the Vancouver Canucks. More than 20 players/coaches combined have tested positive. Variant symptoms include vomiting, cramping and dehydration. Family members are getting it. Scary situation. Next 5-7 days will determine scheduling.

— Darren Dreger (@DarrenDreger) April 4, 2021

The NHL is not indicative of the whole Canadian experience with COVID-19. The Vancouver Canucks situation is getting really bad. TSN's Darren Dreger reported yesterday that more than 20 players and coaches have tested positive.

The Vancouver Canucks haven't played since March 24. They don't expect the team to start playing again on April 8.

CanadianCrossing.com NHL coverage

Last month, the Montréal Canadiens became the first Canadian team to postpone games due to the COVID-19 protocols. The Habs lost 4 home games but those games have been rescheduled. That was far more mild than what the Canucks are dealing with on COVID-19.

The season is scheduled to end on May 11. The Vancouver Canucks might not start up again this season. Here is hoping that players, coaches, and family members recover well.

photo credit: CBC News
Twitter capture: @DarrenDreger

Remembering the COVID-19 'anniversary' in Canada

Circling March 11 can be considered a random date to note the impact of the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. We had heard of COVID-19 at least since January. The WHO did characterize COVID-19 as a pandemic on this date in 2020.

The Hometown Hockey tweet on March 11 cancelling the appearances in North Vancouver, Campbell River (BC), and Edmonton rang strong that this might last for awhile.

We contemplated the status of a Montréal Canadiens game scheduled for San Jose for March 19. We considered alternatives to Santa Clara County after the announcement of no gatherings larger than 1,000 would be allowed through the end of March.

The contemplation was mostly as to whether the NHL would considered playing a game in the actual Bay Area: Chase Center and the classic Cow Palace in San Francisco (San Francisco County) and Oakland Coliseum Arena (Alameda County). Those counties implemented similar bans.

The NBA shut down that night. The NHL shut down the next day.

We got the word on March 12 that Sophie Grégoire Trudeau, wife of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, tested positive for COVID-19.

Canada-U.S. border closes to non-essential traffic over COVID-19 coronavirus

COVID-19 forces TIFF Bell Lightbox to close for a month, cancel Canadian Screen Awards

NHL, MLB, MLS latest sports leagues to suspend their regular season

How COVID-19 is impacting Canadian sports

How Toronto recovered from the SARS impact

We learned about the impact of the chief public health officer, such as Dr. Theresa Tam on the federal level and Dr. Bonnie Henry in British Columbia. Canadians got updates from competent, relevant people, something Americans would have been drooling with jealousy. Canadians don't always have to compare themselves with Americans; the nightmare that was the U.S. federal response made Canadians relieved that the border was closed.

The Maritime provinces along with Newfoundland and Labrador even had a travel bubble during the summer.

Canadian hotel rooms are nice just not $2,000 nice

Where to visit Canada in 2021

Canadian travel update: The waiting is the hardest part

Driving to Alaska now has specific terms in Canada

Driving to Alaska should not be code for staying in Canada during a pandemic

Canadian travel bubbles could boost tourism within Canada

How COVID-19 is affecting Canadian snowbirds

CanadianCrossing.com border crossings coverage

CanadianCrossing.com trade coverage

CanadianCrossing.com travel coverage

The border has been closed, except to essential workers, since March 21, 2020.

Your humble narrator doesn't like to draw attention but the loss of access to Canada has been devastating. No butter tarts, real poutine, spending dollar coins, poppies. A land of plentiful garbage and recycling bins. No Tim Hortons, Canadian Tire, and Swiss Chalet. No trips to places where I need to go back (Montréal) and places where I have never been (Saskatoon, Jasper).

The pandemic has meant tremendous losses for people, especially those in long-term care homes. Didn't know before the pandemic that Ontario, in particular, had private long-term care homes. The pandemic has also done a lot of economic damage, especially along the U.S. border, on both sides. There are many communities along the border who didn't see the border as a major barrier; the nationalism that was prevalent as a result, well, hopefully, will subside as things improve.

When "normal" arrives, the unity of the Canada-U.S. border will hopefully be stronger and more appreciated than before COVID-19 became a part of our vocabulary.

I can't wait to go back to Canada.

photo credit: @VisitNovaScotia

Canadian politics notebook: Chrystia Freeland adds another first to her portfolios

It is both an honour and a privilege to be named Canada’s first female Minister of Finance. I am eager to continue our govts work of helping 🇨🇦s from coast to coast to coast get back on their feet. Together, we will ensure Canada’s economy bounces back from these difficult times.

— Chrystia Freeland (@cafreeland) August 18, 2020

Chrystia Freeland was already the deputy prime minister and intergovernmental affairs minister in Canada when Prime Minister Justin Trudeau asked Freeland to become the new finance minister.

Freeland will drop the intergovernmental affairs portfolio: Dominic LeBlanc will take over as intergovernmental affairs minister. LeBlanc had the intergovernmental affairs portfolio along with Northern Affairs and Internal Trade from July 2018 until November 2019.

Freeland has also had the foreign affairs and international trade portfolios.

Freeland is the first female finance minister in Canadian history. She succeeds Bill Morneau, who resigned as finance minister and MP for Toronto Centre over the WE charity scenario. A reminder that declaring conflicts of interest is always better. A scandal, perhaps, but still not as bad as finding out your chief of staff writing a $90,000 personal cheque to pay off a sitting Canadian senator to cover up an alleged crime. How Nigel Wright wasn't charged with a crime is still befuddling.

Kim Campbell briefly was prime minister as Brian Mulroney got in the lifeboat that was the sinking Mulroney Government. Freeland might be prime minister someday. She will be well qualified if that happens.

Senate finally passes gender-neutral O Canada bill

Julie Payette will be the new Governor General of Canada

Julie Payette was an ideal pick for governor general on the surface. A French-Canadian woman, an astronaut and scientist, Payette checked off a few boxes.

A governor general does have to understand that living in Rideau Hall that parts of the house are open to the public. The Trudeau family is living elsewhere on the campus since 24 Sussex Street has a number of serious issues. Privacy is a sacrifice a governor general needs to make.

The governor general has come under fire for bullying the employees under her, making demands for costly renovations for Rideau Hall, where she still has not moved into after 3 years in office, extra RCMP officers because she tries to evade them on trips, and costs due to last-minute trips.

Gov. Gen. Julie Payette engulfed in controversy (Front Burner CBC Radio)

Governor General's disregard for RCMP security detail driving up costs, sources say (CBC News)

A governor general term is usually 5 years, though we saw Stephen Harper extend David Johnston's time by an extra 2 years. Payette has been governor general since October 2, 2017.

The governor general is the one who decides whether Parliament can be prorogued. This was crucial this week when Payette gave permission to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to prorogue Parliament until September 23.

Proroguing Parliament means temporarily suspending Parliament. For a historical proroguing that was much more serious, recount The Daily Show with Jon Stewart take from 2008.

The governor general is the representative of Queen Elizabeth II, but this saga is a Canadian issue. Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland went out of her way to praise the office but not Payette when questioned in a recent interview.

A Canadian governor general has never had to be replaced before. We have noted in the past that the governor generals have been Canadian only since 1952.

We need young people to understand that now is not the time to go to large parties. @VancityReynolds & @Sethrogen - please help spread the message to stop the spread of #COVID19. pic.twitter.com/u9SodpRnxu

— John Horgan (@jjhorgan) August 12, 2020

“I hope young people in B.C. don’t kill my mom frankly. Or David Suzuki. Or each other. Let’s not kill anyone. That’s reasonable.”

Ryan Reynolds gave that message in response to British Columbia Premier John Horgan seeking help with COVID-19 cases stemming from young people more concerned about partying.

Both Reynolds and Seth Rogen replied positively online to Horgan's request.

Famous Canadians known to people in the United States are usually without a place tied to that person. Reynolds and Rogen aren't the only famous British Columbians but have obvious ties to the region.

Deadpool was filmed in Vancouver. We recently noted that Rogen took David Chang around Vancouver for an episode of the Netflix series Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner.

The BC COVID-19 numbers have been stellar but that is also due to concern when even a few cases come up.

Horgan runs a minority government in BC. Unlike his New Brunswick counterparts, that government is about as smooth a minority government as we've seen. This doesn't mean a perfect government, just one where the parties get along fairly well.

2020 Canadian politics preview

CanadianCrossing.com Canadian politics coverage

Today is the postal deadline for the 2020 Conservative Party of Canada leadership election. We will have the results when the party knows.

Late August is normally a slow time in politics. Since we can't go anywhere, we will be on top of Canadian politics, provincial and federal.

Twitter captures: @cafreeland; @jjhorgan
photo credit: CBC News