OTTAWA — The federal government is prioritizing temporary travel visas for people seeking to attend the International AIDS Conference in Montreal at the end of July.
But the conference begins in two weeks and hundreds of people hoping to attend are still in limbo about their travel plans. Many others, mostly from Africa, Asia and South America, already had their visa requests rejected, including some who received scholarships partially funded by the federal government in order to attend.
A spokeswoman for Immigration Minister Sean Fraser said in an emailed statement to The Canadian Press that overseas visa offices were recently sent lists of attendees to the conference and told to put their applications to the top of the pile for processing.
“(Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada) has taken every measure available to expedite the applications as quickly as possible and facilitate travel for this event,” said Aidan Strickland.
Almost three weeks ago, Fraser received a letter signed by more than 250 Canadian and international humanitarian organizations heavily critical of Canada’s visa process and demanding he intervene. The letter said at least 400 delegates were still waiting for a visa.
“As things stand, the upcoming conference in Montreal will have doctors, scientists, and advocates from high-income countries attending in person — while many people living with HIV/AIDS from the most affected communities, as well as experienced health-care workers from the front lines, will either have to attend virtually or not at all,” reads the letter, which was led by the Quebec coalition of community AIDS organizations.
“This is not acceptable and not the image of Canada we want to showcase to the world.”
Tian Johnson, founder of the African Alliance, a health rights organization, slammed Canada in a recent statement, calling it “truly vile” that Canada had bid to host the conference, offered millions of dollars to make it happen, and then prevented the voices of those affected most by HIV/AIDS from participating.
“Without us, AIDS 2022 will (continue to) be white, privileged and academic,” Johnson said.
The pre-conference starts July 27 and the full conference July 29. The International AIDS Conference usually attracts up to 20,000 people. The last version was to be held in San Francisco in 2020, but ended up being entirely virtual because of COVID-19.
Javier Bellocq, an Argentine who sits on the communities delegation to the board of the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, said there are some positive signs that the Canadian government is trying to solve the visa delays.
He said in Argentina and Peru, people who have submitted the required fingerprints and submitted their applications have recently started receiving the documents they need to submit their passport for the final visa to be issued.
But he said even that is a lengthy process, noting he waited in line for hours in Buenos Aires recently, gave his passport over to the Canadian government, but has no idea when he’ll get it back with a visa.
“We only have two weeks,” he said.
He said for those living outside the major cities, they have to submit their passports by courier, which will take even longer to get the documents processed.
Jonathan Ssemanda, a PhD student at Makerere University in Uganda, who waited more than two months for his visa, said it was finally approved in late June.
“We have seen a significant change,” he said in a text message.
Ssemanda is to present his research at the conference on improving adhesion to antiretroviral medication at the conference, said he applied for a visa more than two months ago. He was told it would take 30 business days to process, but he still has not received a response.
Bellocq said this is not the first time visa limitations in developed countries have restricted people from developing countries from attending the AIDS conference and it won’t be the last. He said he is pushing to have a session at the Montreal event dedicated to discussing the problem.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 12, 2022.
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.
