OTTAWA —
Chinese telecommunications giant Huawei has quietly made a donation of medical supplies to Canada, CTV News has confirmed.
As reported first in The Globe and Mail, the donation includes more than a million masks, 30,000 goggles and 50,000 pair of gloves.
When CTV News contacted the telecommunications company, Huawei had no comment.
Huawei’s donation comes amid major concerns about Canada’s stockpile and supply of personal protective equipment (PPE), which includes items like masks and gloves. Speaking to reporters on April 1, Canada’s Health Minister Patty Hajdu confirmed that Canada’s stockpile appeared to fall short when the outbreak began.
“I think federal governments for decades have been underfunding things like public health preparedness and I would say that obviously governments all across the world are in the same exact situation,” Hajdu said, speaking at the daily cabinet ministers’ press conference at the time.
China produces a significant share of the world’s supply of PPE. When the COVID-19 pandemic erupted and China closed many of its factories, the global supply chain was sent reeling.
As the drought of protective equipment became clear, hospitals including Toronto’s Mt. Sinai Hospital were forced to ration their equipment. Staff at the Toronto hospital were being told last week to limit their use to one mask per day, and were not changing their masks between seeing different patients.
“I have heard those stories myself from frontline workers; I know provinces and territories are developing different sets of rules for frontline workers around the dispersement and use of personal protective equipment,” Hajdu said, adding that the government is pushing hard to build up its supply of PPE.
However, the international market for the hotly-demanded items is proving to be extremely competitive. As Hajdu noted, many other countries also did not have sufficient stockpiles, and are therefore looking to gobble up the available PPE on the global market.
“We are working I would say 24 hours, around the clock, trying to procure equipment in a global situation where equipment is extremely tight,” Hajdu said.
“Our government has the money, we have the will, we have the workforce, and everybody’s focus is firmly on getting PPE.”
As of April 2, the government had secured more than 157 million surgical masks and had ordered an additional 65 million N95 masks. Public Services and Procurement Minister Anita Anand said on Tuesday that the government was pushing hard to beef up its supply — fast.
“We are taking a very aggressive and proactive approach to procurement every day. We are working 24/7. This country has never seen procurement like it is occurring now. It is broad-based and aggressive,” Anand said.
Meanwhile, the donation from Huawei comes as the company has been actively pushing for inclusion in Canada’s core advanced 5G network. The United States has been pushing for its allies to shut Huawei out of their 5G networks in order to keep Chinese intelligence officials away from highly sensitive information.
Canada has yet to make a decision on Huawei’s potential inclusion in its 5G network.
EDMONTON – RCMP say a second suspect has been arrested in the killing of an Alberta county worker.
Mounties say 28-year-old Elijah Strawberry was taken into custody Friday at a house on O’Chiese First Nation.
Colin Hough, a worker with Rocky View County, was shot and killed while on the job on a rural road east of Calgary on Aug. 6.
Another man who worked for Fortis Alberta was shot and wounded, and RCMP said the suspects fled in a Rocky View County work truck.
Police later arrested Arthur Wayne Penner, 35, and charged him with first-degree murder and attempted murder, and a warrant was issued for Strawberry’s arrest.
RCMP also said there was a $10,000 reward for information leading to the arrest of Strawberry, describing him as armed and dangerous.
Chief Supt. Roberta McKale, told a news conference in Edmonton that officers had received tips and information over the last few weeks.
“I don’t know of many members that when were stopped, fuelling up our vehicles, we weren’t keeping an eye out, looking for him,” she said.
But officers had been investigating other cases when they found Strawberry.
“Our investigators were in O’Chiese First Nation at a residence on another matter and the major crimes unit was there working another file and ended up locating him hiding in the residence,” McKale said.
While an investigation is still underway, RCMP say they’re confident both suspects in the case are in police custody.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 13, 2024.
RICHMOND, B.C. – The Integrated Homicide Investigation Team says the 26-year-old son of a man found dead on British Columbia’s Sunshine Coast has been charged with his murder.
Police say 58-year-old Henry Doyle was found badly injured on a forest service road in Egmont last September and died of his injuries.
The homicide team took over when the BC Coroners Service said the man’s death was suspicious.
It says in a statement that the BC Prosecution Service has approved one count of first-degree murder against the man’s son, Jackson Doyle.
Police say the accused will remain in custody until at least his next court appearance.
The homicide team says investigators remained committed to solving the case with the help of the community of Egmont, the RCMP on the Sunshine Coast and in Richmond, and the Vancouver Police Department.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 13, 2024.
VANCOUVER – Mediated talks between the union representing HandyDART workers in Metro Vancouver and its employer, Transdev, have broken off without an agreement following 15 hours of talks.
Joe McCann, president of Amalgamated Transit Union Local 1724, says they stayed at the bargaining table with help from a mediator until 2 a.m. Friday and made “some progress.”
However, he says the union negotiators didn’t get an offer that they could recommend to the membership.
McCann says that in some ways they are close to an agreement, but in other areas they are “miles apart.”
About 600 employees of the door-to-door transit service for people who can’t navigate the conventional transit system have been on strike since last week, pausing service for all but essential medical trips.
McCann asks HandyDART users to be “patient,” since they are trying to get not only a fair contract for workers but also a better service for customers.
He says it’s unclear when the talks will resume, but he hopes next week at the latest.
The employer, Transdev, didn’t reply to an interview request before publication.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 13, 2024.
