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These Canadians passed on alcohol long before going ‘dry’ became trendy

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Willow Yamauchi quit drinking about 17 years ago. She said booze made her feel unhealthy and she has never stopped thinking about an alcoholic uncle who died at 37.

Yamauchi, 50, drank as a teen and more recently raised a toast at her daughter’s wedding, for luck. But the Vancouver woman says since 2005, she’s never ingested more than a “centimetre” of alcohol.

People question her choice and assume she has allergies or an addiction.

“Alcohol is expensive and it has a lot of calories and it makes you feel crappy. So for me, it was a great decision to kind of get rid of it,” said Yamauchi, who would rather reserve her calorie intake for chocolate.

“Alcohol may be a preservative, but not for the face.”

Many Canadians are reassessing their alcohol consumption in the wake of soaring alcohol-related deaths during the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as new safe-drinking guidelines released in January that caused a stir.

The Canadian Centre on Substance Use and Addiction (CCSA) says that no amount of alcohol is entirely safe and recommends no more than two drinks a week for men and women.

That’s helping drive an interest in dry events and alcohol-free drinks. There are even groups that organize dry activities, from paint nights to picnics, like Sober Babes in Vancouver and Sober City in Halifax.

Non-drinkers before the trend

But some people skipped booze long before online support communities and mocktails.

People abstain for a range of reasons, from addiction fears to taste preferences.

Kevin Hamilton, 33, has never drunk alcohol, but many of his friends do. He’s more into exotic sodas. He was part of the go-dry trend long before it existed. (Kevin Hamilton)

Kevin Hamilton’s Christian grandparents saw imbibing as a vice, and he says drinking never seemed enticing to him after growing up in a mostly alcohol-free household in Newmarket, Ont.

“It’s never held an appeal to impair your own judgment and mental state,” said Hamilton, 33, a Toronto writer.

He says his abstinence made some social situations awkward — he was once offered a kid’s juice box at a winery — but he says most people are understanding and respectful.

 

Montreal filmmaker Guy Rex Rodgers, 68, says his first drink at 15 was “magical.” But by 28, he saw that drinking had turned him “nasty” like his father, whose boozing ended his parents’ marriage.

So when Rodgers’s father, Murray — a drinker for 45 years — suggested in 1983 that they both quit, he agreed. Rodgers has stuck to that deal for four decades, with no regrets.

Guy Rex Rodgers and his father, Murray, in 1985. (Guy Rex Rodgers)

“You lose a lot of friends,” said Rodgers, whose drinking buddies moved on from him. “I never saw a downside to quitting. I was just so happy to get away.”

Social pressure to imbibe

The role of alcohol at many social gatherings is obvious to people who take a pass on drinking. It’s in those situations that they face questions about why they don’t partake.

“It’s just that initial testy conversation,” said Hamilton. He adds that drinkers often become prickly, until he demonstrates he is not judging them for ingesting alcohol.

Hamilton says there were a few rough moments when he was 19 or 20. He recalls his “saddest” birthday when he returned home from university and planned to celebrate with friends. He was thinking “cream sodas and board games,” but ended up at a dingy pool hall to appease his pals, who considered a dry birthday boring.

Since then, he’s had many a “fabulous time” enjoying ginger ale and mozzarella sticks at a bar. He only feels left out when other drinkers compare tasting notes of their favourite wines or beers.

“People can kind of nerd out about their favourite wine or their favourite whisky,” he said.

Grocery stores in Canada now offer sections full of mocktails or alcohol-free mixed drinks, from zero-proof beers to spirit-free soda concoctions. (Yvette Brend/CBC News)

Growing alcohol-free options

For decades, teetotallers had little choice in restaurants.

“That tiny little section at the bottom right, above the kids’ menu, where it says ‘non-alcoholic beverages,'” said Hamilton. “My options are, you know, a few different types of popular soda and maybe some chocolate milk. If you’re lucky.”

But he sees that shifting.

Hamilton hoards a basement stash of China Apple, a soda from Singapore, and is always on the lookout for new drinks when he travels. He sees a real profit opportunity for restaurants and bars that offer more exotic non-alcoholic choices.

Yamauchi says “cranberry and soda” used to be as imaginative as it got at parties and in restaurants, but she is now able to enjoy drinks such as yogurt-based kefir or kombucha, a fermented drink made from tea, sugar, bacteria and yeast.

“I’ve been in the desert for 17 years and suddenly … I’m in this oasis of mocktails,” Yamauchi said. “It’s a good time to be a teetotaller.”

These faux gin and tonic alternatives are among the options on offer for teetotallers nowadays. (Yvette Brend/CBC News)

Hamilton acknowledges that by not drinking, he has saved money and skipped hangovers, but he wonders sometimes what else he’s missed.

“If I go to my grave never having tried alcohol … I’ll never know what type of drunk I am. Am I a happy drunk? A sad drunk? I’m curious, but I guess not that curious.”

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‘Ready for both’: Canadians prepare for any outcome as Trump declares victory

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WASHINGTON – Former president Donald Trump declared victory early Wednesday morning as the path to victory for Vice-President Kamala Harris was significantly diminished by Pennsylvania’s swing back to the Republican leader.

“I will govern by a simple motto: promises made, promises kept,” Trump said to cheering party faithful at a Florida watch party.

When the Republican leader gave his speech, only Fox News had declared his triumph. Trump spoke about helping the country heal and fixing the border, saying he will fight for American families with every breath in his body.

“Look what happened. Is this crazy?” Trump said. “But it’s a political victory that our country has never seen before.”

Americans anxiously watched as the results of Tuesday’s election rolled in, revealing a deeply divided United States as a handful of critical battleground states were still being counted late into the night.

Trump also took the battleground states of North Carolina and Georgia, crushing much of the hope Democrats were holding on to as they waited to see how Harris performed in Michigan and Wisconsin.

Harris’s campaign chair sent a memo to staff late Tuesday that the Midwestern “blue wall” states were the Democrat’s “clearest path” to victory and they were prepared for vote counting to continue through Wednesday morning.

“If you had asked me earlier, I would have said cautiously optimistic, I think seeing the numbers come in, I am feeling more trepidation,” said Alessia Stewart at a watch party in Washington where disappointment echoed through the room each time Trump showed gains. “But still trying to hold on to some optimism.”

As the chaotic presidential campaign reached its peak, many Americans remained caught between concern and excitement. Bars throughout the U.S. capital were packed with people watching the results come in.

At Union Pub near Capitol Hill, election specials included the Dirty Walz — with Mountain Dew, vodka and grenadine — and They’re Drinking The Cats — with whiskey and sour mix served with cat straws.

Some businesses had already boarded up windows and security fences were erected outside the White House, putting some visitors to the famous building on edge about violence on election day.

“Whatever happens in the election, I am confident in America,” said Randy Biard, who is from Tennessee, in Washington Tuesday afternoon.

Harris and Trump have presented starkly different visions for the future, but as millions of Americans cast their ballots, polling suggested the two remained in a dead heat.

Trump was holding a watch party at Mar-a-Lago in Florida where party faithful cheered loudly every time it was announced the Republican was leading Harris.

Harris was gathering with supporters at her alma mater, Howard University in Washington.

Howard students gathered in the campus gymnasium for a watch party filled with music and dancing. When early results started to come in, spirits remained high despite the uncertain outcome.

“I’m very excited, nervous, but I think what’s meant to be will be,” said 20-year-old party attendee Tyette Manna.

A shared history and an 8,891-kilometre border will not shield Canada from the election’s outcome. Kirsten Hillman, Canada’s ambassador to the United States, said “any election in the U.S. is important and impactful for us.”

“They are central to our economic prosperity. They are a vital security partner.”

Hillman has been travelling across America meeting with key members of the Republican and Democrat teams to prepare for any outcome. On election night, after her embassy duties were finished, she planned to watch the results with her husband and friends.

Hillman is keenly aware of the immense stakes at play for Canada.

“Whoever is sitting in the Oval Office and populating Congress is making decisions that may affect Canada, either decisions that provide us with opportunities or decisions that pose challenges for us,” Hillman said. “The job is to be ready for both.”

Both candidates have proposed protectionist policies, but experts warn if the Republican leader prevails the relationship between the neighbours could be much more difficult.

“Trump and some of the key people around him, including (former trade representative) Robert Lighthizer, really want to stick it to Canada,” said Fen Hampson, a professor of international affairs at Carleton University in Ottawa.

Trump’s first administration demonstrated how vulnerable Canada is to America’s whims when the former president scrapped the North American Free Trade Agreement.

Negotiating its successor, the Canada-U.S.-Mexico Agreement, was a key test for Ottawa after Trump’s victory. Whoever takes over the White House this time will be in charge during the agreement’s review in 2026.

A cause for concern in Canada and around the world is Trump’s proposed 10 per cent across-the-board tariff. A Canadian Chamber of Commerce report suggests those tariffs would shrink the Canadian economy, resulting in around $30 billion per year in economic costs.

American economists warned Trump’s plan could cause inflation, and possibly a recession, which would almost certainly have ripple effects in Canada. More than 77 per cent of Canadian exports go to the U.S. and trade comprises 60 per cent of Canada’s gross domestic product.

“When the American economy is growing, it’s generally good for us,” Hampson said. “If they take a deep dive under Trump … that will have a knock-on effect on us, on top of tariffs.”

The election outcome could also redefine America’s role in the world. Trump is critical of giving aid to Ukraine in its war against Russia, has attacked the United Nations and repeatedly claimed he would not defend NATO members that don’t meet defence spending targets — something Canada is not doing, and won’t do for years.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau promised to meet the target of spending the equivalent of two per cent of GDP on defence by 2032.

Trump’s first tenure also saw the Republican leader withdraw from the Paris Agreement, an international treaty to cut greenhouse gases.

Hampson said the Republicans’ push against international institutions and treaties will have “a profound impact” on Canada, but also key allies and the world order itself.

If Harris wins, it’s widely expected that there will be more normal relations based on established patterns and rules, but it does not necessarily mean smooth sailing for Canada.

It’s expected the vice-president would follow the path laid by President Joe Biden on foreign policy and trade with Canada.

Biden signed an executive order to revoke the permit for the Keystone XL pipeline, which would have transferred oil from Alberta to Nebraska. The administration’s Buy America procurement rules also caused concern in Canada.

Laura Dawson, an expert on Canada-U.S. relations and the executive director of the Future Borders Coalition, said she expects a Harris administration would continue nationalist and protectionist policies.

Harris has spoken on the campaign trail about the fact that she voted against the trilateral trade agreement and said she will return manufacturing jobs to the U.S.

It’s a great slogan and bumper sticker, Dawson said, “but it’s terrible if you are Canada.”

Dawson warned Trudeau’s team during a cabinet retreat in August that no matter who is the next president, Canada will have to work harder to maintain the existing benefits of integrated trade and travel.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 5, 2024.

— With files from The Associated Press



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Nunavut Premier P.J. Akeeagok to face confidence vote Wednesday

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OTTAWA – Nunavut Premier P.J. Akeeagok is expected to face a confidence vote today in the territorial legislature.

In a surprise move on Monday, Aivilik MLA Solomon Malliki gave notice that he’d present a motion calling for Akeeagok to be stripped of his premiership and removed from cabinet.

In Nunavut’s consensus style of government — in which there are no political parties — the MLAs elect a premier from amongst themselves.

If the motion passes, Akeeagok would be the second premier in Nunavut’s history to be ousted by the Legislative Assembly.

In 2018, Paul Quassa lost a confidence motion midway through his term.

MLAs ousted him in part because of lavish government spending at an Ottawa trade show.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 6, 2024.

The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.



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Final day for candidate nominations in Nova Scotia election campaign

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HALIFAX – Today is the final day for candidate nominations in Nova Scotia’s provincial election campaign.

Under the province’s Elections Act, nominations must close 20 days before election day on Nov. 26.

The Progressive Conservatives confirmed in a news release last week that they will have a full slate of 55 candidates.

The NDP and Liberals confirmed Tuesday that they will have a full slate of candidates, though there was no immediate word from the Green Party.

Liberal Leader Zach Churchill has a housing announcement planned in Halifax, while NDP Leader Claudia Chender is scheduled to hold an event today in the Halifax area.

Progressive Conservative Leader Tim Houston will be campaigning in the suburbs of Halifax Regional Municipality.

At dissolution, the Progressive Conservatives held 34 seats in the 55-seat legislature, the Liberals held 14 seats, the NDP had six and there was one Independent.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 6, 2024.

The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.



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