Hundreds evacuate northern Alberta First Nation due to nearby wildfire

OTTAWA – The Canadian Medical Association says there should be better tracking of health care spending, following health care agreements the federal government has signed with the provinces and territories.

The doctors’ group has released a new report calling for a greater commitment to tracking improvements in delivery and patient outcomes, citing the complexity of the deals.

It says the report outlines gaps in the agreements, such as that no province or territory has set targets for eliminating emergency room closures.

The medical association wants to establish a national health accountability officer, who would be focused on tracking progress and reporting on the efficiency of health care spending.

Last year, Ottawa announced $196 billion in funding over 10 years to improve access to health care, of which about $45 billion was new money.

Provinces and territories were asked to improve data sharing and measure progress in exchange for funds. In March, Quebec became the last province to sign on.

The association says the report found five provinces and territories don’t have targets for electronic access to health data and seven don’t have targets for information sharing.

It says it urges “all levels of governments to embrace proven solutions to ensure this historic-level funding truly transforms our health system.”

The group says more than 6.5 million Canadians don’t have a primary care physician, “surgical backlogs remain substantial, and the human health resource shortage is overwhelming.”

Association president Joss Reimer says in a statement “enhanced accountability is crucial to successfully implementing durable changes in our health care system.”

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 9, 2024.

The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.

VANCOUVER – The union representing HandyDART workers in Metro Vancouver says it won’t be getting a counterproposal to end the strike until at least Thursday.

Amalgamated Transit Union Local 1724 says officials from the employer Transdev left mediation talks at the Labour Board just after 8 p.m. Sunday to consider the union’s latest proposal.

The union says it was informed through the mediator that Transdev won’t be able to meet and provide a counterproposal until Sept. 12, while the ATU says it was willing to negotiate around the clock.

It says it plans to hold a rally this Tuesday in front of the office of TransLink, the agency responsible for transit in Metro Vancouver.

HandyDART workers walked off the job last week to fight for a fair contract after turning down Transdev’s last contract offer.

It offers door-to-door service to people who are unable to navigate the conventional transit system, but the strike has brought an end to all service with the exception of some essential medical trips.

Local union president Joe McCann had said the union was cautiously optimistic a deal could be done ahead of Sunday’s mediated talks with their employer, but members are prepared to stay on strike “as long as it takes.”

As the negotiations continue, longtime HandyDART users are also watching closely.

Lynn Johnston says she relies HandyDART for most of her transportation needs, and she has been taking conventional transit to attend her doctor appointments due to the strike which has been “a horrible experience.”

Johnston says her heart goes out to many customers who have been left stranded at home by the strike, and she also hopes the mediated talks can bring about a “fair resolution” for the drivers who work hard and genuinely care about their customers.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 9, 2024.

The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.

WHISTLER, B.C. – RCMP in British Columbia say they’ve found the family of a boy who was found barefoot and wandering alone in Whistler over the weekend.

Mounties in Whistler say they responded to a report of an unaccompanied child, who they believed was about 12-years old, on Saturday night at Dairy Queen on Main Street.

Police said the boy was barefoot and described him as “completely non-verbal.”

They issued a public appeal on Sunday as they tried to locate the boy’s family and reported success hours later.

Staff Sgt. Kris Clark issued a statement saying Mounties had located the family and they would be reuniting them with the boy shortly, but offered no other details.

Clark thanked the public and the media for helping to make the reunion possible.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 8, 2024.

The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.