It’s “critical” that politics be pulled out of the pandemic response in order to effectively combat COVID-19, which is precisely why a new pilot project, known as the Canadian COVID Collaboration, has launched in Guelph and Wellington County.
“At the local level, these things don’t tend to get that politicized,” Dr. Jeff Wilson of the Guelph-based social enterprise Novometrix told GuelphToday Wednesday morning following a presentation involving a number of experts and viewed by people throughout the country and elsewhere around the globe.
“We’re very interested in how this could be spread globally, and it all comes out of Guelph.”
The pilot project involves bringing together local community leaders, including MPs, MPPs, elected municipal officials, medical personnel, faith groups, charities, the University of Guelph and more to come up with a mass testing program, collect and analyse information, and focus education efforts where that information says it’s needed most.
“Guelph is very unique because we’re naturally very collaborative,” said Wilson, a veterinarian, noting a dozen or so “core leadership team” members began meeting in his Puslinch barn. “It’s a different governance model compared to what we’re normally used to. It’s actually much more inclusive and transparent, and builds accountability into the process.”
When it comes to establishing a “comprehensive” testing program, accompanied by questionnaires to help focus the findings, that’s being done with assistance from the U of G.
“The university has … very extensive testing capacity,” Wilson said, adding publicly-released data has focused on case counts, but more information is needed on the exposure points. “With that kind of data, you can really target in on … what’s causing the problem and then you can focus the vaccine and social distancing on the right groups.
“That’s a key part we’re not seeing in the provincial and federal response, that risk factor analysis.”
The project may also result in clinical trials of a prospective vaccine being tested here, Wilson explained, noting they would be built off trials happening in Australia involving a protein-based vaccine, rather than the mRNA platform like the one from Pfizer.
Vaxine, an Australian firm, is in the midst of human trials of a vaccine that can be transported and stored at traditional temperatures, making it easier to distribute compared to the minus 80C required for the Pfizer vaccine. If the next phase of testing is successful, their vaccine may be ready for roll out mid- to late-next year, said company founder Dr. Nikolai Petrovsky during Wednesday’s presentation.
“Protein-based vaccines take longer,” he said in comparison others such as the Pfizer vaccine, explaining 15 years of scientific research has gone into it.
Wilson believes the provincial and federal governments have done a poor job of managing the pandemic, falling short on several fronts including creating a transparent and inclusive outbreak leadership team and running an effective testing program, with thorough communication between agencies and the public.
“Politicians should never run outbreaks. They lack sufficient knowledge and they are primarily driven to get re-elected,” he said during Wednesday’s presentation. “It doesn’t mean they’re bad people. It’s just that they will lean strongly towards controlling the messaging to convince the public, and the media, that their government is on the right track.”
Upper-tier governments have focused the message on keeping the public calm – “we’re all in this together” – and deflecting criticism, and not the free flow of information Wilson feels would be most helpful.
“We’ve made progress on educating people and promoting mask use. Social distancing is apparently working, but it makes no sense to distance everyone in every situation as we are attempting to do now,” he said. “Obviously, we also need a vaccine, but the search for one needs to be systematic, transparent and based on evidence, not based on lobbying.”
Similarly, he feels vaccine corporations have focused on promoting their own interests rather than contributing to “any coherent strategy to end the pandemic,” while others are using the crisis to support their brands and sales.
Currently, a majority of vaccines used in Canada are imported, noted Dr. Don Gerson, president and CEO of vaccine manufacturer PnuVax Inc. Montreal. However, this country has a long history of manufacturing vaccines and is capable of doing it again – something he feels all countries should do so they’re not dependent on a few.
“We have quite a bit of capability,” he said. “Does it take time, money and effort? Of course it does, but there’s no fundamental barrier.”
It’s important that we learn from our experiences with COVID-19, including mistakes made, in order to be better prepared for the future, Petrovsky said, noting, “This isn’t going to be the last pandemic we face.”
Based on the number of infections around the world, and the global population, he figures we’re about 10 per cent of the way through this pandemic.
“People didn’t take it seriously enough,” he said of the initial reaction, which allowed the virus to spread quickly. “I wouldn’t throw away your masks just yet.”
Quebec legislature member Youri Chassin has announced he’s leaving the Coalition Avenir Québec government to sit as an Independent.
He announced the decision shortly after writing an open letter criticizing Premier François Legault’s government for abandoning its principles of smaller government.
In the letter published in Le Journal de Montréal and Le Journal de Québec, Chassin accused the party of falling back on what he called the old formula of throwing money at problems instead of looking to do things differently.
Chassin says public services are more fragile than ever, despite rising spending that pushed the province to a record $11-billion deficit projected in the last budget.
He is the second CAQ member to leave the party in a little more than one week, after economy and energy minister Pierre Fitzgibbon announced Sept. 4 he would leave because he lost motivation to do his job.
Chassin says he has no intention of joining another party and will instead sit as an Independent until the end of his term.
He has represented the Saint-Jérôme riding since the CAQ rose to power in 2018, but has not served in cabinet.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 12, 2024.
MONTREAL – NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh says he will not be taking advice from Pierre Poilievre after the Conservative leader challenged him to bring down government.
“I say directly to Pierre Poilievre: I’m not going to listen to you,” said Singh on Wednesday, accusing Poilievre of wanting to take away dental-care coverage from Canadians, among other things.
“I’m not going to listen to your advice. You want to destroy people’s lives, I want to build up a brighter future.”
Earlier in the day, Poilievre challenged Singh to commit to voting non-confidence in the government, saying his party will force a vote in the House of Commons “at the earliest possibly opportunity.”
“I’m asking Jagmeet Singh and the NDP to commit unequivocally before Monday’s byelections: will they vote non-confidence to bring down the costly coalition and trigger a carbon tax election, or will Jagmeet Singh sell out Canadians again?” Poilievre said.
“It’s put up or shut up time for the NDP.”
While Singh rejected the idea he would ever listen to Poilievre, he did not say how the NDP would vote on a non-confidence motion.
“I’ve said on any vote, we’re going to look at the vote and we’ll make our decision. I’m not going to say our decision ahead of time,” he said.
Singh’s top adviser said on Tuesday the NDP leader is not particularly eager to trigger an election, even as the Conservatives challenge him to do just that.
Anne McGrath, Singh’s principal secretary, says there will be more volatility in Parliament and the odds of an early election have risen.
“I don’t think he is anxious to launch one, or chomping at the bit to have one, but it can happen,” she said in an interview.
New Democrat MPs are in a second day of meetings in Montreal as they nail down a plan for how to navigate the minority Parliament this fall.
The caucus retreat comes one week after Singh announced the party has left the supply-and-confidence agreement with the governing Liberals.
It’s also taking place in the very city where New Democrats are hoping to pick up a seat on Monday, when voters go to the polls in Montreal’s LaSalle—Émard—Verdun. A second byelection is being held that day in the Winnipeg riding of Elmwood—Transcona, where the NDP is hoping to hold onto a seat the Conservatives are also vying for.
While New Democrats are seeking to distance themselves from the Liberals, they don’t appear ready to trigger a general election.
Singh signalled on Tuesday that he will have more to say Wednesday about the party’s strategy for the upcoming sitting.
He is hoping to convince Canadians that his party can defeat the federal Conservatives, who have been riding high in the polls over the last year.
Singh has attacked Poilievre as someone who would bring back Harper-style cuts to programs that Canadians rely on, including the national dental-care program that was part of the supply-and-confidence agreement.
The Canadian Press has asked Poilievre’s office whether the Conservative leader intends to keep the program in place, if he forms government after the next election.
With the return of Parliament just days away, the NDP is also keeping in mind how other parties will look to capitalize on the new makeup of the House of Commons.
The Bloc Québécois has already indicated that it’s written up a list of demands for the Liberals in exchange for support on votes.
The next federal election must take place by October 2025 at the latest.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 11, 2024.
Montreal Mayor Valérie Plante is defending her decision to turn off comments on her social media accounts — with an announcement on social media.
She posted screenshots to X this morning of vulgar names she’s been called on the platform, and says comments on her posts for months have been dominated by insults, to the point that she decided to block them.
Montreal’s Opposition leader and the Canadian Civil Liberties Association have criticized Plante for limiting freedom of expression by restricting comments on her X and Instagram accounts.
They say elected officials who use social media should be willing to hear from constituents on those platforms.
However, Plante says some people may believe there is a fundamental right to call someone offensive names and to normalize violence online, but she disagrees.
Her statement on X is closed to comments.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 11, 2024.
