Canadians on board a cruise ship currently under quarantine in Japanese waters have been provided an escape route, after the Canadian government announced it plans to bring them home due to the “extraordinary circumstances” faced by passengers.
But the offer comes with a catch — those evacuated from the Diamond Princess will have to spend another two weeks in isolation on Canadian soil to make sure that they don’t carry the coronavirus that is currently spreading through Asia.
The decision raises questions about whether the government is being over-zealous in its use of quarantine, as the passengers were set to be released this Wednesday if they passed a final health check.
From quarantine to quarantine
Would-be evacuees had mixed reactions immediately after learning the news, with some saying the quarantine added a sour note to the otherwise sweet development.
“Well, you know, it’s not OK, but it’s better than here,” passenger Trudy Clement said. “We’ll be home.”
She said the evacuation gives her something to look forward to after weeks aboard a ship she previously described as a “luxurious prison.”
Paul Mirko of Richmond, B.C., says he and his wife have already tested negative for coronavirus on the Diamond Princess. 0:37
“The only hurdle we’ve got to cross now is they’re swabbing everybody,” Clement said. “So as long as neither one of us comes up positive, we’ll be on that plane.”
Paul Mirko, a Richmond, B.C., resident, said he’s not happy about swapping one quarantine for another, but that he doesn’t have much choice in the matter.
“We feel forced to do this under duress,” said Mirko. “To have to endure another 14 days and possibly not have to go outside is very irksome and I feel quite upset over the whole thing.”
Mirko questioned the utility of the quarantine and said that neither himself nor his wife, Kayoko, have shown any symptoms over the past two weeks while under quarantine.
Thousands of passengers have been stuck in their cabins since the Japanese government forced the Diamond Princess into quarantine on Feb. 3 off Yokohama, a city south of Tokyo, including up to 255 Canadians, according to Global Affairs Canada.
Infectious disease experts criticized the decision to quarantine the ship as doing more harm than good.
So far, 355 people on the cruise ship have contracted the illness caused by the coronavirus, now known as COVID-19, including 15 Canadians. Those infected represent the largest cluster of cases outside of China, according to the World Health Organization.
Canadians from the Diamond Princess cruise ship will be quarantined for 14 days at a hotel on the grounds of the NAV Centre, a conference centre in Cornwall, Ont. (Supplied by NAV Canada)
‘Extraordinary circumstances’
“In light of the extraordinary circumstances facing our citizens on the Diamond Princess, we are taking action to return Canadians home from Japan, while ensuring that appropriate measures are in place to prevent and limit the spread of the novel coronavirus,” said Foreign Affairs Minister François-Phillippe Champagne.
The repatriated Canadians will be flown to Canadian Forces Base Trenton in Ontario — where several hundred other Canadians are isolated after being evacuated from Wuhan, China — before being transported to the NAV Canada Training Institute in Cornwall, Ont., where they will be quarantined for another 14 days.
Global Affairs Canada said passengers will be screened for signs of the coronavirus before being allowed to board the plane out of Japan. Those who have symptoms will be transferred to the Japanese health-care system.
Dr. Ross Upshur, a physician and researcher who studies public health ethics at the University of Toronto, said the government’s decision raises questions about the use of quarantines.
Upshur said the fact that the WHO has declared a public health emergency of international concern doesn’t necessitate that the rights of individuals be completely overturned.
“I would want to know what risk information has occurred and has been found out that necessitates an additional 14 days quarantine, when they were 24 or 48 hours now away from completing their quarantine,” said Upshur.
He said there may be precautionary reasons for extending the quarantine of the returning Canadians, but that this needs to be clearly communicated.
Upshur said, if the quarantine is necessary, it’s important for the government to ensure proper supports for those in isolation because of the known psychological harms caused by such restrictive measures.
Canadians aboard the Diamond Princess cruise ship face another 14 days in isolation once they are repatriated. 5:51
The Northern Super League has fleshed out its front office with four appointments.
Jose Maria Celestino da Costa was named vice-president and head of soccer operations while Marianne Brooks was appointed vice-president of partnerships, Kelly Shouldice as vice-president of brand and content and Joyce Sou as vice-president of finance and business operations.
The new six-team women’s pro league is set to kick off in April.
“Their unique expertise and leadership are crucial as we lay the foundation for not just a successful league in Canada, but one that stands among the top sports leagues in the world,” NSL president Christina Litz said in a statement. “By investing in top-tier talent and infrastructure, the Northern Super League is committed to creating a league that will elevate the game and set new standards for women’s professional soccer globally.”
Da Costa will oversee all on-field matters, including officiating. His resume includes stints with Estoril Praia, a men’s first-division team in Portugal, and the Portuguese Soccer Federation, where he helped develop the Portuguese women’s league.
Brooks spent a decade with Canucks Sports & Entertainment, working in “partnership sales and retention efforts” for the Vancouver Canucks, Vancouver Warriors, and Rogers Arena. Most recently, she served as senior director of account management at StellarAlgo, a software company that helps pro sports teams connect with their fans
Shouldice has worked for Corus Entertainment, the Canadian Football League, and most recently as vice-president of Content and Communications at True North Sports & Entertainment, where she managed original content as well as business and hockey communications.
Sou, who was involved in the league’s initial launch, will oversee financial planning, analysis and the league’s expansion strategy in her new role.
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This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 17, 2024.
MAYERTHORPE, Alta. – An emergency alert has been issued in an area west of Edmonton for two armed men.
RCMP say the men are on foot after a robbery.
They say people in the area of Mayerthorpe should not open their doors to strangers or pick up hitchhikers.
They say the suspects are dangerous and should not be approached.
One man is described as white, about 30 years-old, five feet 11 inches tall, 205 pounds with dark hair and dark eyes, who was last seen wearing a cowboy hat and black sweater.
The other man is six feet tall, about 220 pounds, with brown hair and blue eyes, wearing a black flat brim hat with red letters.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 17, 2024.
“Communication is one of the most important skills you require for a successful life.” — Catherine Pulsifer, author.
I’m one hundred percent in agreement with Pulsifer, which is why my evaluation of candidates begins with their writing skills. If a candidate’s writing skills and verbal communication skills, which I’ll assess when interviewing, aren’t well above average, I’ll pass on them regardless of their skills and experience.
Why?
Because business is fundamentally about getting other people to do things—getting employees to be productive, getting customers to buy your products or services, and getting vendors to agree to a counteroffer price. In business, as in life in general, you can’t make anything happen without effective communication; this is especially true when job searching when your writing is often an employer’s first impression of you.
Think of all the writing you engage in during a job search (resumes, cover letters, emails, texts) and all your other writing (LinkedIn profile, as well as posts and comments, blogs, articles, tweets, etc.) employers will read when they Google you to determine if you’re interview-worthy.
With so much of our communication today taking place via writing (email, text, collaboration platforms such as Microsoft Teams, Slack, ClickUp, WhatsApp and Rocket.Chat), the importance of proficient writing skills can’t be overstated.
When assessing a candidate’s writing skills, you probably think I’m looking for grammar and spelling errors. Although error-free writing is important—it shows professionalism and attention to detail—it’s not the primary reason I look at a candidate’s writing skills.
The way someone writes reveals how they think.
Clear writing = Clear thinking
Structured paragraphs = Structured mind
Impactful sentences = Impactful ideas
Effective writing isn’t about using sophisticated vocabulary. Hemingway demonstrated that deceptively simple, stripped-down prose can captivate readers. Effective writing takes intricate thoughts and presents them in a way that makes the reader think, “Damn! Why didn’t I see it that way?” A good writer is a dead giveaway for a good thinker. More than ever, the business world needs “good thinkers.”
Therefore, when I come across a candidate who’s a good writer, hence a good thinker, I know they’re likely to be able to write:
Emails that don’t get deleted immediately and are responded to
Simple, concise, and unambiguous instructions
Pitches that are likely to get read
Social media content that stops thumbs
Human-sounding website copy
Persuasively, while attuned to the reader’s possible sensitivities
Now, let’s talk about the elephant in the room: AI, which job seekers are using en masse. Earlier this year, I wrote that AI’s ability to hyper-increase an employee’s productivity—AI is still in its infancy; we’ve seen nothing yet—in certain professions, such as writing, sales and marketing, computer programming, office and admin, and customer service, makes it a “fewer employees needed” tool, which understandably greatly appeals to employers. In my opinion, the recent layoffs aren’t related to the economy; they’re due to employers adopting AI. Additionally, companies are trying to balance investing in AI with cost-cutting measures. CEOs who’ve previously said, “Our people are everything,” have arguably created today’s job market by obsessively focusing on AI to gain competitive advantages and reduce their largest expense, their payroll.
It wouldn’t be a stretch to assume that most AI usage involves generating written content, content that’s obvious to me, and likely to you as well, to have been written by AI. However, here’s the twist: I don’t particularly care.
Why?
Because the fundamental skill I’m looking for is the ability to organize thoughts and communicate effectively. What I care about is whether the candidate can take AI-generated content and transform it into something uniquely valuable. If they can, they’re demonstrating the skills of being a good thinker and communicator. It’s like being a great DJ; anyone can push play, but it takes skill to read a room and mix music that gets people pumped.
Using AI requires prompting effectively, which requires good writing skills to write clear and precise instructions that guide the AI to produce desired outcomes. Prompting AI effectively requires understanding structure, flow and impact. You need to know how to shape raw information, such as milestones throughout your career when you achieved quantitative results, into a compelling narrative.
So, what’s the best way to gain and enhance your writing skills? As with any skill, you’ve got to work at it.
Two rules guide my writing:
Use strong verbs and nouns instead of relying on adverbs, such as “She dashed to the store.” instead of “She ran quickly to the store.” or “He whispered to the child.” instead of “He spoke softly to the child.”
Avoid using long words when a shorter one will do, such as “use” instead of “utilize” or “ask” instead of “inquire.” As attention spans get shorter, I aim for clarity, simplicity and, most importantly, brevity in my writing.
Don’t just string words together; learn to organize your thoughts, think critically, and communicate clearly. Solid writing skills will significantly set you apart from your competition, giving you an advantage in your job search and career.
Nick Kossovan, a well-seasoned veteran of the corporate landscape, offers “unsweetened” job search advice. You can send Nick your questions to artoffindingwork@gmail.com.
