The government is watching “a number of threat indicators” as coronavirusvaccine doses arrive in Canada and travel into different communities, according to the man who is leading the charge on Canada’s vaccine distribution plans.
Threat indicators are the behaviours that are consistent with a threat.
“As I indicated before, there are a number of threat indicators that we are closely monitoring between the agencies, intelligence service, the law enforcement agencies,” said Maj.-Gen. Dany Fortin, speaking to reporters on Tuesday.
“The appropriate level of information is shared down the line to provinces and territories, to the law enforcement agencies, so that they take concrete actions.”
His comments come less than a week after B.C.’s top doctor alluded to a “concerted effort” to disrupt the cold chain distribution of the vaccine in Canada, attributing her secrecy surrounding the vaccine storage locations to this potential threat.
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“It’s really around information that we’ve received internationally and from Canadian agencies that there has been a concerted effort to try and interrupt the cold chain, for example, and to sabotage immunization programs,” Dr. Bonnie Henry said, speaking to reporters on Thursday.
“We all need to make sure that we are taking appropriate precautions to make sure that it is safe and that we can make sure that it’s not tampered with during that whole process.”
0:48 How will B.C. officials safeguard COVID-19 vaccines?
How will B.C. officials safeguard COVID-19 vaccines?
Interpol has also been paying attention to the security of the vaccine supply chain. The international security organization issued a global alert to law enforcement on Dec. 2, warning them that vaccines could be targeted by nefarious actors.
“As governments are preparing to roll out vaccines, criminal organizations are planning to infiltrate or disrupt supply chains,” said Interpol Secretary-General Jürgen Stock.
“Criminal networks will also be targeting unsuspecting members of the public via fake websites and false cures, which could pose a significant risk to their health, even their lives.”
Vaccine doses began flowing into Canada on Sunday evening, with the first needles going into arms on Monday – and the government is slated to seriously ramp up its supply next week.
1:24 Coronavirus: Canada continuing negotiation on delivery of Moderna’s COVID-19 vaccine
Coronavirus: Canada continuing negotiation on delivery of Moderna’s COVID-19 vaccine
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced Tuesday that Canada will receive another 200,000 doses of the Pfizer vaccine next week. Those doses will be delivered to 70 different locations, up from the 14 that are in use this week. The vaccine has to be kept in ultra-cold freezers, a reality that adds to the logistical difficulties.
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Officials have also said that Canada is expecting to wrap up its regulatory approval of a second vaccine candidate, from Moderna, very soon. Once that approval comes down, Trudeau said doses will begin to arrive within 48 hours – and Canada has inked a deal that would see 168,000 Moderna vaccine doses arriving before the end of the month.
While Moderna doesn’t require the same level of ultra-cold storage, the sheer scale of this project makes the logistics – and the related security concerns – all the more important to monitor, Trudeau said.
“The logistical delivery of those vaccines has been extraordinarily important to establish, to secure, and to ensure no interference or problems along that chain,” Trudeau said.
1:33 Prime Minister Trudeau meets with COVID-19 vaccine recipients in Ottawa
Prime Minister Trudeau meets with COVID-19 vaccine recipients in Ottawa
Fortin added that various intelligence agencies, law enforcement agencies and delivery companies involved in the process are all monitoring the threat indicators involved with the vaccine delivery process.
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“What I could say to all Canadians is that the appropriate measures are being taken by the appropriate organizations,” Fortin said.
“I understand that there are questions about possible risks at a location or another, rest assured that it’s being closely monitored by all parties.”
VANCOUVER – Contract negotiations resume today in Vancouver in a labour dispute that has paralyzed container cargo shipping at British Columbia’s ports since Monday.
The BC Maritime Employers Association and International Longshore and Warehouse Union Local 514 are scheduled to meet for the next three days in mediated talks to try to break a deadlock in negotiations.
The union, which represents more than 700 longshore supervisors at ports, including Vancouver, Prince Rupert and Nanaimo, has been without a contract since March last year.
The latest talks come after employers locked out workers in response to what it said was “strike activity” by union members.
The start of the lockout was then followed by several days of no engagement between the two parties, prompting federal Labour Minister Steven MacKinnon to speak with leaders on both sides, asking them to restart talks.
MacKinnon had said that the talks were “progressing at an insufficient pace, indicating a concerning absence of urgency from the parties involved” — a sentiment echoed by several business groups across Canada.
In a joint letter, more than 100 organizations, including the Canadian Chamber of Commerce, Business Council of Canada and associations representing industries from automotive and fertilizer to retail and mining, urged the government to do whatever it takes to end the work stoppage.
“While we acknowledge efforts to continue with mediation, parties have not been able to come to a negotiated agreement,” the letter says. “So, the federal government must take decisive action, using every tool at its disposal to resolve this dispute and limit the damage caused by this disruption.
“We simply cannot afford to once again put Canadian businesses at risk, which in turn puts Canadian livelihoods at risk.”
In the meantime, the union says it has filed a complaint to the Canada Industrial Relations Board against the employers, alleging the association threatened to pull existing conditions out of the last contract in direct contact with its members.
“The BCMEA is trying to undermine the union by attempting to turn members against its democratically elected leadership and bargaining committee — despite the fact that the BCMEA knows full well we received a 96 per cent mandate to take job action if needed,” union president Frank Morena said in a statement.
The employers have responded by calling the complaint “another meritless claim,” adding the final offer to the union that includes a 19.2 per cent wage increase over a four-year term remains on the table.
“The final offer has been on the table for over a week and represents a fair and balanced proposal for employees, and if accepted would end this dispute,” the employers’ statement says. “The offer does not require any concessions from the union.”
The union says the offer does not address the key issue of staffing requirement at the terminals as the port introduces more automation to cargo loading and unloading, which could potentially require fewer workers to operate than older systems.
The Port of Vancouver is the largest in Canada and has seen a number of labour disruptions, including two instances involving the rail and grain storage sectors earlier this year.
A 13-day strike by another group of workers at the port last year resulted in the disruption of a significant amount of shipping and trade.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 9, 2024.
The Royal Canadian Legion says a new partnership with e-commerce giant Amazon is helping boost its veterans’ fund, and will hopefully expand its donor base in the digital world.
Since the Oct. 25 launch of its Amazon.ca storefront, the legion says it has received nearly 10,000 orders for poppies.
Online shoppers can order lapel poppies on Amazon in exchange for donations or buy items such as “We Remember” lawn signs, Remembrance Day pins and other accessories, with all proceeds going to the legion’s Poppy Trust Fund for Canadian veterans and their families.
Nujma Bond, the legion’s national spokesperson, said the organization sees this move as keeping up with modern purchasing habits.
“As the world around us evolves we have been looking at different ways to distribute poppies and to make it easier for people to access them,” she said in an interview.
“This is definitely a way to reach a wider number of Canadians of all ages. And certainly younger Canadians are much more active on the web, on social media in general, so we’re also engaging in that way.”
Al Plume, a member of a legion branch in Trenton, Ont., said the online store can also help with outreach to veterans who are far from home.
“For veterans that are overseas and are away, (or) can’t get to a store they can order them online, it’s Amazon.” Plume said.
Plume spent 35 years in the military with the Royal Engineers, and retired eight years ago. He said making sure veterans are looked after is his passion.
“I’ve seen the struggles that our veterans have had with Veterans Affairs … and that’s why I got involved, with making sure that the people get to them and help the veterans with their paperwork.”
But the message about the Amazon storefront didn’t appear to reach all of the legion’s locations, with volunteers at Branch 179 on Vancouver’s Commercial Drive saying they hadn’t heard about the online push.
Holly Paddon, the branch’s poppy campaign co-ordinator and bartender, said the Amazon partnership never came up in meetings with other legion volunteers and officials.
“I work at the legion, I work with the Vancouver poppy office and I go to the meetings for the Vancouver poppy campaign — which includes all the legions in Vancouver — and not once has this been mentioned,” she said.
Paddon said the initiative is a great idea, but she would like to have known more about it.
The legion also sells a larger collection of items at poppystore.ca.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 9, 2024.
