B.C. to hammer distracted drivers with $543 in penalties
Getting caught using a cellphone behind the wheel is about to start hurting a lot worse in B.C.

Beginning June 1, distracted drivers will face a total of $543 in financial penalties, Solicitor General Mike Morris announced at a press conference Monday.

“We’re getting tough because distracted driving kills,” Morris said. “If you choose to engage in this high-risk behaviour with potentially fatal consequences, you’ll pay the price.”

B.C.’s current penalties consist of a $167 fine and three driver penalty points, making them some of the softest anywhere in Canada. The new penalties will rank among the toughest.

On top of an increased $368 fine, distracted drivers will be dinged with four penalty points, which is all it takes to incur an additional $175 insurance premium.

And the penalties only get worse for repeat offenders. Anyone caught driving distracted a second time within 12 months will face $888 in financial penalties, then $1,600 for a third.

Karen Bowman, founder of the Drop it and Drive campaign, said she’s ecstatic about the government’s hardline approach.

“What was put in place not only exceeds my expectations, but also exceeds my hopes,” Bowman said.

Distracted driving, which encompasses much more than just texting or talking on a cell phone, is also being changed to a high-risk driving offence, like excessive speeding. That means drivers in the graduated licensing program or repeat offenders – such as the Richmond woman who racked up 14 tickets for distraction in just five years – can be taken off the road more easily.

“Drivers who receive two or more tickets for distracted driving in a one-year period will have their records automatically reviewed and face a possible prohibition of three to 12 months,” Morris said.

According to the Insurance Corporation of B.C., distraction now kills and injures more people annually than impaired driving.

In 2014, the last year with available statistics, the bad habit was blamed for 630 serious injuries and 66 deaths, which Morris described as “totally, 100 per cent preventable.”

 

Norovirus-hit ship Balmoral heading for Halifax
More than 200 people showing signs of common infection that causes vomiting, diarrhea and cramps
CBC News Posted: May 10, 2016 9:50 AM AT Last Updated: May 10, 2016 9:51 AM AT



The Balmoral, a U.K. cruise ship, has 919 passengers, of whom 252 show symptoms of the disease, according to the U.S. Center for Disease Control and Prevention. It left Saint John, N.B., Monday and should dock in Halifax Wednesday.

Norovirus is a gastrointestinal virus that causes vomiting, diarrhea, cramps, weakness and chills. Symptoms can develop within 12 hours of exposure and sometimes also cause a low-grade fever, headache, muscle aches and fatigue.

After a 1-day stop in Saint John, a cruise ship with 200+ passengers with Norwalk virus is headed for Halifax. pic.twitter.com/36sNjJhUES

— @Brett_CBC
The Public Health Agency of Canada is monitoring "elevated gastrointestinal illness rates" aboard the Balmoral, Port Saint John said in a statement last week.

The health agency "is working in collaboration with the cruise ship operator to investigate the nature of the illness reported and mitigate the risk to other passengers or crew by ensuring that the vessel has implemented their outbreak prevention procedures," the statement said.

Gastrointestinal illnesses on cruise ships are "a routine occurrence and there is low public health risk," according to the statement. Among the general public, norovirus is second only to the common cold in rates of prevalence, it states.

Noroviruses are very contagious and can spread easily through direct contact with an infected person, by touching contaminated surfaces or objects, or by consuming contaminated food or water, according to the Public Health Agency of Canada's website.

The viruses are found in the stool and vomit of infected people.

People normally recover within one or two days, but can remain contagious for up to two weeks, according to the health agency. Good hygiene practices, including frequent handwashing, is advised.

The Fred Olsen Cruise Lines ship left England for a 34-day cruise taking in Boston, Portland, Saint John and next Halifax.

 

Canada's Big 5 banks sign up for Apple Pay
System allows users to pay with iPhones at places like McDonald's and Tim Hortons
Apple Pay is becoming much more useful in Canada, as the mobile payment system welcomes the partnership of all five major banks.

The mobile payment system allows customers to upload credit and debit card information to their smartphones and use it at stores and restaurants to make purchases of up to $100.

Royal Bank and CIBC customers, as well as holders of Canadian Tire Bank and ATB Financial MasterCards, were able to use Apple Pay as of Tuesday.

• Cashless future underway in Canada

TD Bank says it will be making the service available for Interac and Visa cards in the coming weeks.

The Bank of Montreal and Scotiabank have indicated they will roll out Apple Pay in the coming months.

The system launched in the U.S. in 2014 and in Canada late last year, but hasn't had much pickup because the big banks had been reluctant to sign up. Apple Pay used to only work with non-bank American Express cards, which are rare in Canada.

The company took that tack specifically because Amex is both the card issuer and payment processor, and thus easier to co-ordinate. Visa and MasterCard typically offer cards tied to financial institutions.

Compatible with iPhone 6
Apple Pay is available with the various iPhone 6 iterations and iPhone SE in compatible apps and stores.

Apple Watch (paired with iPhone 5 or later) works in stores, and four different iPads (Pro, Air 2, mini 4, mini 3) work in apps only.

Processing payments firm Moneris said in a statement that twenty-five per cent of its transactions are through contactless cards or devices — a number that has doubled year over year.

McDonald's, Tim Hortons ready
"With the support of two of the largest banks in Canada, BMO Financial Group and Royal Bank of Canada (RBC), consumer adoption of Apple Pay is expected to increase significantly," the statement said. "Many of Moneris's largest customers, including McDonald's Restaurants of Canada Limited, are 100 per cent contactless enabled and ready to accept Apple Pay."

London Drugs, Tim Hortons, Canadian Tire, Petro-Canada, and Pizza Hut are among the stores ready for Apple Pay, according to Apple's website.

Among the places where Apple Pay is "coming soon" include Air Canada, Pizza Pizza and the Toronto Transit Commission.

Apps that accept Apple Pay include Delta, Groupon, Kickstarter, Ticketmaster and Starbucks.

Businesses that accept Apple Pay can also receive "added visibility" on Apple's map app.

• Canadians still spending, but not using cash

Neil Bearse, director of marketing at Queen's University's Smith School of Business, said the roll-out has been "less magical and revolutionary" than Apple had once promised.

"The issue is that when you go to a gas station or a convenience store and it doesn't work or the person behind the cash register doesn't even know what Apple Pay is, that's when you run into hurdles," he said. "When you're trying to disrupt something that's as much of a habit as reaching for your actual physical wallet and paying with a plastic credit card, you need to be sure that your users are going to be confident enough that it's going to work."

That said, he thinks it has the potential to succeed, allowing many people to leave their wallets at home and using a phone that is harder to steal from than a typical debit or credit card.

"If it catches on, it is a leap forward in terms of making payment both easier and more secure."

The technology works in a way that should allow people to use Apple Pay and competitors Samsung Pay or Google Wallet anywhere where tap is available, Bearse said.

Canadians accustomed to tap
Avinash Chidambaram, vice-president of product and platform development at Interac, says he expects Canadians to embrace the technology quickly and readily.

When Apple Pay launched in the United States, contactless payments were a new phenomenon for shoppers, and it took some time for them to adjust their payment habits.

Canadians, on the other hand, are already used to paying with a tap because the technology was introduced into credit and debit cards some time ago, Chidambaram says.

"[In Canada] you can find contactless flash terminals at virtually any merchant that you want to shop at," says Chidambaram.

"Whereas in the U.S. they're just starting that process of converting their magnetic stripe [cards] to chip-and-pin and
contactless technology."

 

Mounties probing CSIS leak conducted unauthorized surveillance of 2 journalists
Officers spent 9 days watching Ottawa-based journalists, new document reveals
A rogue group of Mounties investigating the leak of a secret document spied on two Canadian journalists for more than a week without any authorization, CBC News has learned.

The RCMP investigators placed two Ottawa-based reporters under physical surveillance for nine days in 2007 in the hope they might lead them to the unidentified leaker, who could then be arrested.

Only after the surveillance of the reporters had occurred did officers ask their RCMP bosses for the required permission. They were immediately denied authorization, and told to cease the surveillance.

The bombshell revelation about a national police agency spying without authorization on Canadian journalists appears in a document obtained by CBC News under the Access to Information Act.

The partly censored briefing note for Public Safety Minister Ralph Goodale was written after media reports appeared last November detailing Project Standard.

Much more:http://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/rcmp-journalists-surveillance-spying-leak-1.3586940

 

Toronto cop that shot and killed guy on streetcar is getting sentenced today ...

 

Fort McMurray fires are blazing again and are taking out the oilsands camps north of the city and making their way towards Syncrude and Suncor rapidly.

 

Komagata Maru apology: Ship's story represents 'dark chapter' of Canada's past
Justin Trudeau to apologize for Canada's 1914 decision to turn away steamship carrying 376 migrants
It's an apology more than a century in the making.

Nearly 102 years after the Komagata Maru sailed into Vancouver, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau will tomorrow offer a full apology in the House of Commons for the government of the day's decision to turn away the ship, which was carrying hundreds of South Asian immigrants, most of whom were Sikhs.

• Justin Trudeau to apologize for 1914 Komagata Maru
• Komagata Maru 100th anniversary

The Komagata Maru arrived on Canada's West Coast on May 23, 1914, anchoring in Vancouver's Coal Harbour. Nearly all of the 376 passengers were denied entry and the ship sat in the harbour for two months. It was ultimately forced to return to India and was met by British soldiers. Twenty passengers were killed and others jailed following an ensuing riot.

Full story : http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/komagata-maru-backgrounder-apology-1.3584372

 

Senator Pamela Wallin won't face RCMP charges over expenses
Statement issued Thursday says investigation is complete

The RCMP won't press criminal charges against Independent Senator Pamela Wallin for irregularities in her Senate expenses.

"The RCMP has completed its thorough investigation into Senator Pamela Wallin's Senate expenses," assistant commissioner Gilles Michaud said in a statement Thursday. "Following consultation with Crown counsel, the RCMP has determined that no criminal charges will be laid against Senator Wallin and will be concluding its investigational file."

Wallin said Thursday she was happy to have avoided further scrutiny.

"I am relieved that the nightmare is over," Wallin told CBC News as she hurried out of a taxi and into Parliament Hill's Centre Block Thursday afternoon.
http://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/pamela-wallin-rcmp-investigation-1.3589497

 

Justin Trudeau's elbowing incident leaves House in an uproar
'There is not a parallel in contemporary Canadian history,' NDP House leader says following Commons uproar

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau was accused of "manhandling" Opposition whip Gord Brown and elbowing NDP MP Ruth Ellen Brosseau in the House of Commons as MPs gathered for a vote on the government's assisted-dying bill Wednesday afternoon.

In video from the House, Trudeau is seen walking toward Brown in a crowd of MPs in the Commons aisle, taking his arm in an apparent effort to move Brown toward his seat. While doing so, he encountered Brosseau, who was also standing in the aisle and was seen physically reacting after the contact.

"I was trying to start the vote, the prime minister grabbed my arm. I immediately told the prime minister to let go of me — now," Brown said in a statement released later. "Immediately afterward, the prime minister went back down the aisle of the House to confront other members of opposition parties."

"I later told the prime minister he should NOT have gotten out of his seat," Brown added.
Full story and video:http://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/trudeau-conservative-whip-1.3588407

 

Another great "CANADIAN" dies ...

60 Minutes' Morley Safer dies at 84

Longtime CBS newsman Morley Safer of "60 Minutes" and Vietnam War reporting fame dies at 84




Morley Safer

CBS News
Morley Safer, the CBS newsman who changed war reporting forever when he showed U.S. Marines burning the huts of Vietnamese villagers and went on to become the iconic 60 Minutes correspondent whose stylish stories on America's most-watched news program made him one of television's most enduring stars, died today in Manhattan. He was 84. He had homes in Manhattan and Chester, Conn.

Safer was in declining health when he announced his retirement last week; CBS News broadcast a long-planned special hour to honor the occasion on Sunday May 15 that he watched in his home.

 

Doctor-assisted dying about to become legal in Canada
TORONTO -- Doctor-assisted dying is about to become legal in Canada without clear legislation on how it would work.

Canada's Supreme Court last year struck down laws that bar doctors from helping someone critically ill die, but put the ruling on hold until midnight Monday to give the government time to come up with a new law. The House of Commons passed a law last week but it requires Senate approval and that could take days or weeks.

Provincial regulators issued guidelines based on the eligibility outlined by the Supreme Court but Health Minister Jane Philpott said Monday the guidelines do not provide enough clarity and protection to doctors. She hopes the federal legislation will pass soon.

"Doctors may have inadequate protection and I expect in these early days, many physicians will be extremely reluctant to provide assistance to patients wanting medical assistance in dying," Philpott told health care professionals in a speech in Ottawa. Philpott noted the guidelines vary from province to province and doctors lack standard criteria for who is eligible.

"Some of the regulatory recommendations talk about an age of 18 or over and some don't. There are differences in how many witnesses are required. In some cases it is one, others two," she said.

Philpott offered no advice to fellow doctors on whether to proceed with physician-assisted dying without legislation in place. She said they should contact their professional associations for advice.

Assisted suicide is legal in Switzerland, Germany, Albania, Colombia, Japan and the U.S. states of Washington, Oregon, Vermont, New Mexico and Montana. California lawmakers also passed legislation, expected to take effect in June, where proof of state residency will be required.

Canada's Supreme Court ruling means a doctor can't be prosecuted for assisting death for those with a "grievous and irremediable" illness. The government's proposed law applies to "adults who are suffering intolerably and for whom death is reasonably foreseeable." It says the person must be mentally competent, 18 or older, have a serious and incurable disease, illness or disability and be in an advanced state of irreversible decline of capability.

The proposed Canadian law applies only to citizens and residents, meaning Americans won't be able to travel to Canada to die. To get a doctor's help under Canada's proposed law, written request is required either from the patient or a designated person if the patient is incapable. The request would need to be signed by two independent witnesses. Two independent physicians or authorized nurse practitioners would have to evaluate it, and there would be a mandatory 15-day waiting period unless death or loss of capacity to consent was imminent.

Some groups have said the law doesn't go far enough and have noted law excludes people who have received a diagnosis of dementia or Parkinson's from making a request in advance for assisted suicide

Before the Supreme Court decision last year, it had been illegal in Canada to counsel, aid or abet a suicide, an offense carrying a maximum prison sentence of 14 years. But the top court said doctors are capable of assessing the competence of patients to consent, and found there is no evidence that the elderly or people with disabilities are vulnerable to being talked into ending their lives.

 

Walmart Canada to stop accepting Visa cards due to 'unacceptably high' fees
Visa Canada said in a written statement that the company 'regrets' Walmart's decision
Walmart says it intends to join the list of retailers in Canada that don't accept Visa cards, citing high fees for transactions. It's a move one retail analyst has said will cause "pain on all sides."

All credit cards charge fees to retailers, which generally are between one per cent and 2.5 per cent of the cost what's being sold. The fees vary depending on the type of card the customer is using — cash-back and premium cards generally have higher fees — and the type of retailer they're shopping at.

• Fired Walmart greeter, 78, gets support from angry shoppers
• Walmart Canada stops handing out free plastic bags

Walmart Canada quietly made the announcement on Saturday that it would gradually stop accepting Visa cards at all of its locations, citing "unacceptably high" fees.

But a statement from Visa said the credit card company offers "one of the lowest rates available to any merchant in the country."

Documents on Visa Canada's website show that for standard retail purchases made in-store, fees range from 1.42 to 2.08 per cent. Meanwhile, MasterCard's website shows that for standard purchases at independent retailers, its fees range from 1.44 to 2 per cent.

But MasterCard also offers lower rates to large retailers — as low as 1.26 per cent for those that have a minimum "net purchase volume" of $3 billion.

Representatives from Walmart Canada declined to provide the amount of total annual credit card sales. In a statement posted to its website the company said it pays "over $100 million in fees to accept credit cards each and every year."

Last month, Walmart reported worldwide total revenue for the first quarter of its 2017 fiscal year at $115.9 billion US.

Disadvantages on both sides
Doug Stephens, a Toronto-based retail analyst and strategist, noted that both sides will likely see disadvantages to this deal. "If you can't walk into a mass merchant and use a Visa card, that's going to seem very strange," Stephens said.

"You can't ignore the fact that Visa has a tremendous market share," he said. But he added, "If you do business with Walmart, and Walmart ceases to do business with you, you can't help but feel that."

Consumer finance industry newsletter Nilson Report says that Visa made up 56 per cent of credit card transactions globally in 2015, and Walmart Stores Inc., Walmart Canada's parent company, is widely reported to be the world's largest retailer.

"At the end of the day, when we strip everything out of the debate, we're dealing with the potential that six out of ten
customers will come into a Walmart store and be disappointed that they can't use their credit card," Stephens said. "Competition is extremely tough. This is not a good time to limit your consumer's ability to buy from you."

He said Walmart's analysts have likely crunched the numbers, and determined that without having to pay Visa's fees, it would stand to make more money than it loses.

While debit cards charge retailers only a couple of cents per transaction, regardless of the amount of the purchase, merchants get charged a percentage of what they sell to customers using credit cards.

Phasing out will start in Thunder Bay
Walmart's statement said the first stores to stop accepting Visa will be in Thunder Bay, Ont., starting July 18. After that, it will be rolled out Canada-wide in phases.

A representative from Walmart said the stores in that northern Ontario city have the infrastructure to easily make the change. He said Walmart started informing Thunder Bay customers of the change on Thursday.

Walmart has more than 400 locations in Canada, and more than 11,500 worldwide, according to the company's global website.

Walmart isn't the first store to stop accepting Visa — No Frills doesn't accept Visa or American Express, saying that they are too expensive for their business. And Costco only accepts MasterCard when it comes to credit card payments.

Walmart says it will continue to accept MasterCard, American Express and Discover cards.

A representative from Visa Canada said in a written statement that the company "regrets" Walmart's decision, and that it will have a "negative impact" on Walmart's shoppers.

Walmart Canada said the company is holding out hope that it will be able to "reach an agreement" with Visa for lower fees.

U.S. lawsuits
The two companies have sparred about similar issues south of the border, too.

Last month, Walmart Stores Inc. filed a lawsuit against Visa Inc. in a New York court, saying the payment operator was resisting the use of personal identification numbers (PINs) by U.S. customers making purchases on Visa debit cards.

Walmart and other U.S. retailers have pushed to allow customers to use PINs instead of old-school signatures in a bid to prevent counterfeit card fraud. However, banks and payment network operators recently adopted chip technology and prefer chip cards verified by signatures, seeing no need to invest further in more expensive PIN technology.

A wallet containing cash and a Visa card is shown in this 2011 file photo. Walmart is joining No Frills and Costco on the list of Canadian retailers who don't accept Visa cards. (Wilfredo Lee/Associated Press)

According to the lawsuit, Walmart says it pays Visa more for signature-based transactions rather than those made using PINs

And in March, Walmart had also sued Visa Inc. in an Arkansas court, where the company is headquartered, accusing Visa of excessively high swipe fees. The lawsuit came several months after the retail giant opted out of a $5.7 billion class-action settlement between merchants and Visa and MasterCard Inc, approved by a federal judge in Brooklyn, N.Y.

Walmart, Amazon.com Inc, and Target Corp were among those opting out of the monetary components of the settlement, in order to have the freedom to seek damages on their own.

• Visa, MasterCard agree to hold interchange fees at 1.5% for 5 years
• Credit card fees are unfair, tribunal hears

"The anti-competitive conduct of Visa and the banks forced Walmart to raise retail prices paid by its customers and/or reduce retail services provided to its customers as a means of offsetting some of the artificially inflated interchange fees," Walmart said in court documents.

"As a result, Walmart's retail sales were below what they would have been otherwise."

 

Congrats to Canada's newest sweetheart ... and her ranking goes to #2 in the world.

Canadian Henderson wins playoff at KPMG, captures 1st major title
SAMMAMISH, Wash. — Brooke Henderson beat top-ranked Lydia Ko with a birdie on the first hole of a playoff Sunday in the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship after overcoming a three-shot deficit on the back nine.

The 18-year-old Canadian, ranked No. 4 in the world, closed with a bogey-free 6-under 65 — the best round of the week at Sahalee — to match Ko at 6-under 278. Ko finished with a 67.

In the playoff on the par-4 18th, Henderson hit her second shot from 155 yards to 3 feet, while Ko’s second from farther back in the fairway left her with 20 feet. Ko missed to the left and Henderson tapped in to cap a week that started with a hole-in-one on her fourth hole of the tournament and ended with a major championship.

In regulation, Henderson saved par on 18 with a 12-footer, moments before Ko missed a 4-foot birdie try on the par-3 17th. Henderson also eagled the par-5 11th and birdied the par-3 13th. She won last year in Portland, Oregon, for her first tour title.

Henderson became the second-youngest winner in a major championship, with Ko the youngest last year in the Evian Championship in France. Henderson also ended Ko's bid for her third straight major victory.

Ariya Jautanugarn, in search of a fourth straight victory, shot 66 to finish a stroke back. She missed a birdie putt on the 18th that could have put her into the playoff.

 

Robert Hall, Canadian hostage, killed by Abu Sayyef militants in Philippines
Calgary man is 2nd Canadian killed in 2 months by al-Qaeda-linked group amid ransom demands
A Canadian man being held hostage for months by a militant group in the Philippines has been killed.

Al-Qaeda-linked Abu Sayyef had warned it would kill Robert Hall today if it didn't receive a multimillion-dollar ransom.

• A hostage's death in the Philippines tests a new government
• Why refusing to pay ransoms may not protect Canadians

Sources close to the situation in Jolo, the island where the al-Qaeda-linked group is based, and within Philippine security confirmed Hall's death early Monday to CBC News.

A spokeswoman with Global Affairs Canada said Ottawa is aware of the reports, and is "pursuing all appropriate channels" for more information.

Abducted from resort

Robert Hall, left, has been killed after being held for nine months by militant group Abu Sayyaf in the Philippines. The group also killed another Canadian, John Ridsdel, right, in April. (Site Intelligence Group/YouTube)

Hall, from Calgary, had been held since Sept. 21, 2015, along with former mining executive and fellow Canadian John Ridsdel, who was killed by the group in late April. Ridsdel and Hall were abducted from a seaside resort along with a Filipino woman and a Norwegian man.

The condition of the remaining hostages is not known.

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau last month urged fellow G7 leaders to refuse to pay ransom for hostages. He said at the time that the Canadian flag should not be "a target when worn on a backpack around the world."

Canada did not negotiate with the group, but lent assistance to the Philippine military, which has carried out operations against the group in recent weeks, according to CBC News correspondent Sasa Petricic.

"We are told by the Philippine military that, in fact, it had at least a couple of the Canadian military who were assisting — not on the ground, not on the front lines — but assisting as consultants with the Philippine government," Petricic said from Manila.

• Abu Sayyaf has 25-year record of violence

 

Woman in witness protection program sues RCMP for negligence
Woman who helped on drug case says RCMP compromised her identity, which forced her into witness protection


A judge has ruled that the RCMP must continue to financially support a woman in its witness protection program whose identity was compromised - and that she can sue the force for negligence.

A woman in the federal witness protection program is suing the RCMP for negligence and for undermining her trusted relationship with Canada's national police force.

The details of her case are contained in a judgment by Ontario Superior Court Justice Patrick Smith, who granted an injunction forcing the RCMP to continue financially supporting the woman, known as Jane Doe, as well as allowing her to expand the scope of her lawsuit against the Mounties.

The document tells the story of a woman who did the right thing, only to lose it all — family, friends, a good job and her mental health.

The heavily redacted court ruling summarizes the woman's claims, which included that after tipping off police about a drug crime, the RCMP compromised her identity and refused to own up to it.

• Allegations of bullying, harassment emerge in RCMP's witness protection program

The court ruling states that after happening upon intelligence related to a crime syndicate, she shared what she knew with her municipal police force.

The RCMP then used that information to investigate and prosecute several members of a criminal syndicate on drug-related charges.

Safety in jeopardy
It wasn't long though, before the RCMP perceived a threat to her safety and moved Jane Doe to a new location.

Even though she had not officially entered the witness protection program, Doe had to leave her old life behind. The RCMP gave her a one-time payment of $150,000 as well as a $25,000 reward for her assistance in the case.

But when Doe received something from the "threat zone" where she had once lived, the Mounties recommended she formally enter the federal witness protection program.

Doing so meant she had to sign an agreement promising not make any claims against the RCMP for any damages caused by her participation in the program.

Doe agreed to assume a new identity, leaving her friends and family behind, and the Mounties moved her to a new location.

After she signed the protection agreement, the document alleges, "an RCMP officer informed her that the reason she was put at risk and required the protection offered by the WPP was because of the RCMP's inadvertent disclosure of her identity and personal information [redacted]."

A year later, Doe launched a lawsuit.

In discovery, she says her lawyer heard audio recordings where members of the RCMP admitted the force had made ill-advised decisions in her case, along with revealing her identity.

The parties entered mediation sometime in 2014. According to the court document, Doe's lawyer informed the RCMP that if mediation didn't go well, he would seek to amend the original lawsuit to include broader allegations of negligence and breach of fiduciary duty.

The ruling says it was around that time that the RCMP first raised the idea of cutting off all financial support for Jane Doe.

Jane Doe told to apply for welfare
"On Feb. 12, 2015, Jane Doe learned from the RCMP officer handling her case that she was being directed to apply for social assistance and that the RCMP would be withdrawing her financial support," the ruling says.

The RCMP also told her to prepare to move into social housing and that "all support would cease as of March 31, 2015."

'...there is a real probability that irreparable harm will befall Jane Doe unless an injunction is granted pending the outcome of this litigation'
- Justice Patrick Smith
According to the document, the Mounties explained that the program's mandate is to ensure its protectees become self-sufficient.

But Doe apparently couldn't find steady, gainful employment without references from her past employers and her mental health has suffered. Her psychiatrist told the court Doe cannot work due to a dual diagnosis of PTSD and major depressive disorder.

The ruling also states that in 2013, after earning only $15,000 that year, Doe applied for disability benefits "but was denied because she lacked the requisite medical documentation under her new identity." In 2014, she earned even less.

The court document says the RCMP supplements her income by $2,100 per month.

The document reflects the argument of Canada's Attorney General that Doe "is simply being asked to move into social housing without (RCMP's) further financial support. Further they submit that Dr. [redacted] report recommends employment as a means to help Jane Doe break the cycle of unproductivity that contributes to her depressive symptoms."

Judge grants injunction and leave to expand lawsuit
Yet Justice Smith granted Doe's request for an injunction to force the Mounties to continue that financial support. He said it is evident Doe does not have the financial resources, family support, nor is she in the right state of mind to become self-sufficient.

"I accept that it is likely that Jane Doe will have to reach out to her family, located within the threat zone, if deprived of the RCMP's support," he said, before adding, "I find that the evidence provides that there is a real probability that irreparable harm will befall Jane Doe unless an injunction is granted pending the outcome of this litigation."

Justice Smith also granted Doe's request to expand the scope of her lawsuit.

"While Jane Doe did not initially seek to claim a legal remedy on the basis of the RCMP's knowledge of her claim and lack of disclosure, the RCMP cannot credibly claim that they did not know of the facts that gave rise to this claim. To borrow a phrase from Justice Lauwers, the RCMP knew without a doubt that the 'litigation finger' was pointing at them, and the facts upon which Jane Doe based her claim."

'We want them to be successful in their relocation site' - RCMP Assistant Commissioner Todd Shean
He reasoned that "Jane Doe was essentially asserting that something unsavoury happened, without having access to all the relevant information to determine the extent of her claim. She should not be penalized for now providing additional facts in support of her claim that the RCMP had access to throughout."

No one from the RCMP responded to CBC's request for comment.

When contacted by CBC News, Doe's lawyer Paul Auerbach declined to comment or provide any more details on the case as they are sealed.

The RCMP declined to comment as "this matter is currently before the courts."

Mounties say program focuses on needs of witnesses
But on April 7, 2016, CBC News conducted a wide-ranging interview about witness protection with the manager of the program, RCMP Assistant Commissioner Todd Shean.


RCMP Assistant Commissioner Todd Shean manages the witness protection program. (RCMP)

"All decisions made within the federal witness protection program in regard to protectees are centralized here. So the decision-making with regard to the protectees is my area of concern and my team's area of concern," he said.

Shean also reiterated that the program is focused on the needs of witnesses.

"We want them to be successful in their relocation site. What support do we need to provide them — it could be addictions treatment, it could be financial support, it could be employment support?" said Shean.

Last month, CBC News reported that three psychologists inside the program's headquarters in Ottawa complained to supervisors about being bullied and harassed by the program's director. The RCMP is currently investigating those allegations.

 

How the wrong mix of medication can lead to dementia and misdiagnosis ...
Up to 1 in 5 dementias are caused by bad combination of medications in Canadian seniors, expert says



Betty Wallwork fought to prove she didn't have Alzheimer's and got her driver's licence back


Three years ago, Betty Wallwork was taking a long list of drugs. Some to help her heal from a cataract operation, another to ease the pain of an earache, and others to treat a swollen ankle and help get rid of a lingering chest cold.

She's now warning others about what could happen when the wrong medications are mixed, after she was diagnosed with Alzheimer's.

'I was losing my temper, walking around the house in a daze ... I was so sick I didn't know I was sick.' - Betty Wallwork
"I was losing my temper, walking around the house in a daze. I was saying stupid things, I was having arguments with people. I was so sick I didn't know I was sick," the now 85-year-old Ontario woman told Go Public.

Experts say the wrong mix of drugs can cause unexpected cognitive side-effects in seniors, including confusion, memory loss and aggression: symptoms that may be misdiagnosed as Alzheimer's disease.

In Wallwork's case, she took her concerns to her family doctor. "I said to the doctor, 'It sounds like Niagara Falls in my head.'"

But instead of looking at her medications, Wallwork's doctor gave her an Alzheimer's test. When she failed it, her driver's licence was taken away.

Wallwork says she left the doctor's office angry, confused and in tears. Then she took matters into her own hands.

"I decided to prove there's nothing wrong with me. I looked up every drug I had ever taken," she says.


Betty Wallwork researched her medications on the internet and learned some of her drugs shouldn't have been taken together.

After spending hours online reading up on drug reactions, Wallwork realized her mix of medications was wasn't improving her health, but making it worse.

"It wasn't until I stopped taking all these medicines that I looked back and thought, 'Oh! Did I really say that or really do that?'... I was not myself."

Wrong mix of medications causes dementia
Larry Chambers, a scientific adviser with the Alzheimer Society of Canada, isn't surprised to hear what happened to Wallwork.

Chambers says up to 20 per cent of dementias could be due to a bad mix of medications.


Larry Chambers from the Alzheimer Society of Canada says the wrong mix of drugs can cause cognitive side-effects that could be misdiagnosed as Alzheimer's disease. (CBC)

"Some of the anticholinergics and antihistamines are very dangerous for cognitive impairment. The other really big one is benzodiazepine that is used for helping people sleep," he says.

It's not just prescription medications that can lead to cognitive issues — over-the-counter ones can too.

"Three really big ones are omega 3 fish oil, Aspirin, and garlic," Chambers says.

"These are known to be contraindicated and cause problems with cognitive functioning and lead to dementia if taken with some heart medications that a physician might prescribe."

In these cases, says Chambers, the dementia can be reversed once the medication is stopped or adjusted.

That's why he encourages seniors and their families to track all prescription and nonprescription drugs and share that information with their doctor and pharmacist.

Canada's polypharmacy problem
Chambers says the risk of the elderly developing dementia after taking the wrong mix of medications is increasing as more seniors are being prescribed more drugs.

It's called polypharmacy, the use of a large number of medications — commonly five or more — usually involving someone over the age of 65.

The number of Canadian seniors taking 5 or more medications is increasing


(CBC)


Chambers says people over 65 represent about 13 per cent of the population, but they take about 40 per cent of all drugs in the country.

"It's really easy for the health-care system to prescribe and prescribe and there aren't enough checks and balances in the system to avoid problems," says Chambers.

"The big issue with these drugs is you have to take people off them if they are going to be able to live a normal life."

Chambers also urges seniors to talk to their doctor before making any any changes to their medication.

Patchwork of provincial programs
Most provinces have drug monitoring systems that warn pharmacists about possible drug reactions, but it's up to individual provinces to decide how those systems work.

In most provinces, the participation of doctors and pharmacists in those programs is voluntary, and monitoring systems may cover the entire population — as is the case in British Columbia and Prince Edward Island — or only certain segments of the population.

Some programs only track certain types of drugs, such as narcotics, that are at risk for addiction or street resale.


Experts say there aren't enough checks in place to deal with Canada's polypharmacy problem. (CBC)

Another issue is that records are often not shared between pharmacies, so if prescriptions are filled at different locations, no alert is issued.

In Ontario, where Betty Wallwork lives, the province does monitor medications for certain groups. Those include people whose medications are covered by provincial drug benefit programs.

But according to Ontario Health, the information collected is used to track the amount and types of drugs dispensed in that province, not to flag adverse reactions.

Monitoring systems
The Canadian Pharmacists Association wants provinces to upgrade their monitoring systems to give pharmacists and hospitals "access to the patient's complete medication record."

That kind of system would track prescription, nonprescription and natural health products.

"However, governments need to invest in the tools required to ensure better information and enhanced safety," says Mark McCondach, director of communications with the Canadian Pharmacists Association.

In 2001, the federal government created Canada Health Infoway, with the mandate to help accelerate the adoption of digital health records. The organization's been pushing for electronic records that would track prescriptions paperlessly.

The Liberal government set aside $40 million in this year's budget to push that forward.

"If you can see all of the other medications that individual has been prescribed, then you empower the prescriber to do some front-line monitoring, for example," Lynne Zucker from Canada Health Infoway told Go Public.

Senior gets own cognitive test
After adjusting her medication, Betty Wallwork paid more than $500 to have her own cognitive test done, which showed none of the concerning signs her doctor noted in her previous test.


Betty Wallwork's doctor told her she had Alzheimer's disease, but the 85-year-old was actually having a reaction to a dangerous mix of medications. (CBC)

Then she took a driver's test and got her licence back. Wallwork says the medical system needs to do a better job of warning patients and their families about problems that arise from the wrong mix of medication.

"Nobody was monitoring this. I live alone, nobody was minding me," she says.

 

Thanks for your good and informative posts, JPT!

 

RBC and Shoppers Drug Mart latest to break up credit card marriage
Buyers beware: co-branded loyalty cards don't always lead to happily-ever-after

In the sometimes tumultuous world of co-branded loyalty cards, another partnership has gone sour. In this latest case, Canada's largest drugstore chain and biggest bank are parting ways.

Royal Bank and Shoppers Drug Mart are ending both their co-branded debit card and Shoppers Optimum MasterCard.

The cards allow Shoppers customers to earn extra Optimum points they can then exchange for free in-store products.

Neither card is available any longer. Their combined 200,000 existing customers will be switched over to other RBC banking products by the fall.

Both Shoppers and RBC say the breakup is mutual. Shoppers Drug Mart chalks it up to "business reasons."

Co-branded cards 'very much like marriages'
In Canada, we're obsessed with credit cards that earn us rewards with every purchase. To satiate our hunger, retailers and banks are rushing to hook up and offer freebies in exchange for our loyalty.

"Everybody wants to rack up as many points and as many free blenders and trips as they possibly can," says Queen's University marketing professor Kenneth Wong.

But the co-branded partnership doesn't always pan out, leaving customers who were reaping rewards to suddenly grapple with the change.

• Consumer group urges royalty reward program regulations
• Why points just aren't so rewarding: Don Pittis

"They're very much like marriages," says Simon Fraser University marketing professor Lindsay Meredith. "Very often, one person seems to think they're getting less out of it than the other and that contributes to these kind of shake-ups."

In the U.S., Costco recently switched credit card providers. Starting this week, American Express rewards card will no longer work at the popular bulk store, which is now working with Citi Visa. Canadian Costco stores ended their relationship with American Express in 2014, and then teamed up with Capital One to offer a co-branded MasterCard that includes cash-back rewards.

Bank of Montreal offers a co-branded BMO-Sobeys Air Miles MasterCard. But in 2014, the bank quietly ended its BMO Sobeys debit card.

Probably the biggest Canadian co-branding shake-up occurred in 2013. That's when Aimia, which operates the Aeroplan program, chose TD as the primary issuer of Aeroplan Visa credit cards. Previously, it was tied only to CIBC.


In 2013 some Aeroplan Visa card customers complained the transition from CIBC to TD was bumpy. (Ryan Remiorz/The Canadian Press)

After two months of negotiations,TD took on new Aeroplan Visa card customers and acquired half of the CIBC customers who didn't have a broader relationship with the bank.

TD promised a "seamless" transition for CIBC cardholders, but many complained that it was anything but smooth.

"Sold like railgrade cattle by .@cibc and .@Aeroplan. Lost cards in the mail, lousy website, missing statements," one customer tweeted shortly after the official switch in 2014.

"Transition from CIBC Visa to TD visa is disgusting. I'd rather keep my money in the couch," complained another.


.@TD_Canada Sold like railgrade cattle by .@cibc and .@Aeroplan. Lost cards in the mail, lousy website, missing statements.

— @MoffatChad
What broke up Shoppers and RBC?
Wong speculates the RBC-Shoppers marriage was doomed in 2013, when Loblaw grocery giant announced it was buying the drug store chain for $12.4 billion.

"I think that it was inevitable once [RBC's] contract expired," says Wong, pointing out that Loblaw offers President's Choice Financial banking services in partnership with CIBC.



RBC says existing customers with co-branded Shoppers Drug Mart cards will be switched over to other banking products by the fall. (RBC)

When the Shoppers-Loblaw merger was announced, some Shoppers customers feared that the Optimum program would be affected. But both businesses maintained the rewards program would keep its independence.

Wong believes Shoppers will unveil a new type of Optimum rewards credit card that may still remain independent but be managed centrally by its new owner. "It would be a Shoppers credit card with all its back-office support combined with President's Choice Financial services. That would be the logical model to me," he says.

Merry Walmart-MasterCard marriage
Of course, not all credit card marriages fall apart: many do flourish. "These alliances can bring great rewards," says Meredith.

They can also aid a retailer in a financial dispute. Walmart has a tight relationship with MasterCard, offering a rewards credit card with Walmart Canada Bank. Meredith says that strong partnership enabled the retail giant to drop Visa last week, after a dispute over merchant transaction fees.

"Don't think for a second that Walmart would have kissed off Visa if it didn't have a bit of a safety net going for itself."

• Walmart Canada to stop accepting Visa cards

The next time you sign up for a rewards credit card, don't forget that sometimes alliances shift. You may gleefully amass travel or other bonus points at the outset, but in the future your card may be declined or suddenly become associated with another bank.

However, our relationship with rewards cards is so strong, a few bad business break-ups are unlikely to cause shoppers to protest too loudly. We're too busy looking for our next opportunity to pile up points.

 

Earls switches back to Canadian beef
'I learned something from this whole process and it was a good lesson,' company president says

Canadian beef is back on the menu at Earls restaurants, at least in Alberta and Saskatchewan.

Earls president Mo Jessa announced Wednesday that 27 of its 66 restaurants are now serving Canadian-raised, ethically treated beef that is free of antibiotics and growth hormones. The rest of the restaurants will follow suit over the next couple of years.

• Earls pledges to get Alberta beef on the menu after switch to U.S. supplier sparks backlash
• Earls restaurants' move to drop Alberta beef provokes backlash

"I learned something from this whole process and it was a good lesson," Jessa told reporters, speaking outside an Earls location in downtown Edmonton.

Two months ago, the Vancouver-based Earls came under fire when it announced it would start sourcing its beef from a Kansas ranch accredited by the non-profit group Humane Farm Animal Care.

"We wanted to serve beef without antibiotics, hormones and had certification for ethical treatment," Jessa said.

While Canadian beef raised under those conditions exists, no single supplier was big enough to supply all 66 restaurants, he said.

'Today we changed the way we do things'
After Earls was castigated on social media, Jessa said, he realized his company made a huge mistake.

"Earls has been through a bit of a roller-coaster for the last little while. We've had to listen to our consumers," Jessa said. "The way we were running our business, we just went to our suppliers when we needed product and we weren't working with the industry.


'Earls has been through a bit of a roller-coaster for the last little while. We've had to listen to our consumers,' president Mo Jessa says. (CBC)

"Today we changed the way we do things.

Instead of looking for single-source supply, the company is now willing to work with multiple partners, Jessa said.

Since the controversy, Jessa has gone out to visit Canadian cattle ranches and meet with suppliers and stakeholders — "things I wasn't doing before," he said.

Earls is now working with Beretta Farms, based in Ontario, and Spring Creek Ranch, based in Vegreville, Alta.

And Jessa admits that working with several smaller suppliers has made his job harder.

"It's hard work. It's more co-ordination that's required."

Earls came under fire earlier this year after saying it planned to use a U.S. supplier to meet its criteria for humanely produced meat.

 

Canmore supports possible Calgary Olympic bid
Mountain town hosted Nordic events in 1988 and continues to see international competitions

So far, all Calgary has done is approve a study looking at the feasibility of bidding on the 2026 Winter Olympics, but some in Canmore are already on board for a bid.

• Olympics could be gold medal fix for Calgary's economy, says head of bid committee
• City council moves forward with study of 2026 Winter Olympic bid

Canmore Mayor John Borrowman said when he first heard the rumours he contacted the Calgary Sports and Tourism Association — the organization behind the study — as well as Calgary Mayor Naheed Nenshi's office, to say Canmore "would be very happy to work with them as a co-host."

Canmore would likely be the site of Nordic events, including cross-country skiing and biathlon.

'It was exciting times'
"For us to host another Olympics would do so much for the sport, for younger skiers, for the development of the sport, for the broadening of the community that the sport represents nation-wide, and of course it shines a spotlight on Canmore and Alberta," said Norbert Meier, president of the Alberta World Cup Society.

His organization runs international cross-country ski races at the Canmore Nordic Centre, a site built for the 1988 Winter Olympics.

"It was exciting times," he said of those games. "It's an opportunity that comes around, I'd thought once-in-a-lifetime, but now it seems maybe two times."

Long way to go
The possibility of a second run is still a long way off, with Calgary city council approving a 14-month $5 million study into the costs and benefits of a bid on June 20.

If that study recommends moving forward, organizers would then need approval from the Canadian Olympic Committee before placing a formal bid with the International Olympic Committee.

A host city would be selected in July, 2019.

Infrastructure
Borrowman said he's excited about the possibility and believes the costs to enhance infrastructure in the town would be worth it.

"There's a lot that will be needed, but it's part of what we're planning already. The town is growing, we're experiencing more and more congestion, particularly in the high visitor months, but our population has grown exponentially since '88," he said.

"None of it would be unattainable. And in a way, it would help us to focus on that specific need 10 years out, which would help to keep the work going."

Borrowman said the town's priority is easing its housing crisis and he'd advocate for some relief as part of Olympic development in the mountain town.

Meanwhile, Meier said the Nordic Centre doesn't require a lot of work for the Olympics, even though it's already in its late 20s.

"We had four races at the very highest level, we're ready right now," he said. "We are capable of hosting an international-level race, today."