Housing N.W.T. and N.W.T. Disabilities Council part ways on accessible apartment complex
For five years, the two organizations had been working together to build an apartment complex in Yellowknife specifically for people with disabilities. The project now won't be proceeding.
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Globe and Mail
27 minutes ago
- Globe and Mail
House approves Bill C-5 to fast-track projects, Carney pledges summer consultations with Indigenous leaders
The House of Commons approved the government's legislation to fast-track big projects Friday before breaking for summer, wrapping up a brief but hectic four-week sitting. Prime Minister Mark Carney marked the event with an evening news conference alongside Indigenous Services Minister Mandy Gull-Masty and other MPs, where he vowed to address Indigenous concerns that the bill would allow Ottawa to override their rights. Mr. Carney laid out a plan for formal summits with Indigenous leaders over the summer to work out the details of how the new project regime will work. He also acknowledged that his government could have done a better job of explaining how the process will ensure Indigenous rights are protected. 'Being a reliable partner to Indigenous peoples is not just about upholding the duty to consult. It's about enabling the creation of long-term wealth and prosperity for Indigenous peoples through full equity ownership,' he said. Carney responds to Indigenous criticism of Bill C-5, says consultation is 'at the heart' of legislation Bill C-5 contains a section that aims to eliminate federal barriers to interprovincial trade and a section that allows the government to list specific large projects as national priorities and then exempt them from various legal requirements to speed up approvals. Mr. Carney said the plan was a central plank of the Liberal platform and pledged that it will be 'the most important economic initiative this country has seen for a long time.' Ms. Gull-Masty, the first Indigenous person to serve as Indigenous Services Minister, said the bill lays out a plan to co-develop projects with Indigenous communities. 'Now the real work begins,' she said. The House of Commons is not scheduled to resume sitting until Sept. 15. But the Indigenous consultations on C-5 are just one of many policy files that will continue to play out over the summer. Canada's 45th Parliament kicked off just a month after the April 28 federal election that returned the Liberals to power with another minority government, this time under Mr. Carney, the party's new leader. Trade tensions with the United States dominated Canadian political debate during the election campaign and that has carried through the early days of the Carney government. Chartrand on Bill C-5: 'We do have to have consent from Indigenous rights holders' The Prime Minister and U.S. President Donald Trump set a 30-day deadline at this week's Group of Seven summit in Kananaskis, Alta., to reach a deal aimed at resolving trade issues between the two countries. Mr. Carney leaves Sunday for Brussels and then The Hague for meetings of the Canada-European Union summit and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization summit. In an interview Friday in Parliament's West Block, Government House Leader Steven MacKinnon said Canadians should not expect Mr. Carney's pace to slow down during the summer. 'I think that we have a Prime Minister who very much is going to be a 365-day-a-year leader of this country,' he said. Further, he said the sheer number of outside issues that require attention, such as recent developments in the Middle East or wildfires across the country, means there is no slow period in government. 'The pace of events when one is in public life today is beyond dizzying,' he said. In addition to negotiating defence issues with the Europeans and trade matters with Mr. Trump, Mr. Carney's pledge to release a 2025 budget shortly after Parliament resumes means the traditional prebudget lobbying and consultation will run through the summer. Explainer: What federal Bill C-5, the One Canadian Economy Act, is all about Mr. MacKinnon boasted that the Liberals accomplished a lot in a short period, listing the adoption of tax cuts, billions of dollars more for the military and the passing of Bill C-5. In addition to C-5, the House of Commons adopted two bills related to approving government spending. However, other legislation related to border security and tax cuts did not get through the House. Both bills contain elements that are drawing strong criticism from privacy advocates. The tax measures, including an income-tax cut and removing the federal fuel charge, can still go ahead, however, because they were approved in an earlier vote. The government treats tax changes as if they are in place once legislation has received an initial vote of support. Bill C-5 is widely expected to be approved by the Senate next week. Conservative House Leader Andrew Scheer said Mr. Carney has not delivered on his campaign pledges to curb government spending, which is why his party voted against two spending bills this week. 'Maybe he gets some points for new rhetoric, but so far, it's pretty much the same Liberal approach on borrowing, spending, talking down our energy sector, refusing to commit to new big energy projects and defending the Liberal crime policies,' he said in an interview Friday. 'Nothing's off the table': AFN warns of potential legal action if Bill C-5 passes The Conservatives supported C-5 and Mr. Scheer said the party will continue to vote in favour of measures if they involve lower taxes or improving the economy. 'If the government is serious about meeting those objectives, we work with them. And if they don't, then we oppose,' he said. Bloc Québécois Leader Yves-François Blanchet predicted this week that when the Conservatives return in the fall, after party leader Pierre Poilievre is expected to regain a seat via a summer by-election, the party will be less likely to support the Liberals in the House. 'At a certain point, the Conservatives will return to being Conservatives,' he said at a news conference Wednesday, adding that the Liberals will then be more dependent on Bloc support. NDP interim leader Don Davies said that the Liberals under Mr. Carney are adopting more conservative policies. 'So far, I think the empirical evidence from the Carney government is absolutely that they're a right of centre government,' he said in an interview Friday. 'I mean, the first three things that Mr. Carney did was he ripped three policies directly out of the Conservative playbook. He cancelled the carbon tax, he cancelled the capital-gains inclusion policy and he indicated he was going to cut public service jobs,' he said. Having been reduced to just seven seats in the April election, the NDP no longer has party status and is not invited to the weekly meetings of House leaders that sets the parliamentary agenda. Nonetheless, Mr. Davies said his party has been effective at securing amendments to government legislation and bringing public attention to issues such as wildfires in Western Canada.
CTV News
an hour ago
- CTV News
A moving company says cluttered, unsafe homes are leading to an increase in challenges
Movers say they're seeing more difficult cases, including homes in extreme disarray, hoarding situations, and units that pose health hazards to workers. A moving company says cluttered, unsafe homes are leading to an increase in challenges A moving company and a pest control company say they've seen a sharp rise in especially difficult moves since the pandemic. These include homes in extreme disarray, hoarding situations, and units that pose health hazards to the workers walking in. Pierre-Olivier Cyr, co-owner of Déménagement Le Clan Panneton, said that before the pandemic, his team would encounter mental health-related moving challenges roughly once a month. But now, he says, 'we're seeing that kind of situation two to three times a week.' He believes the issue has exploded in the past year. In many cases, Cyr said movers show up to an apartment to find no boxes packed, belongings everywhere — or worse. moving Sometimes movers will find things like needles, blood and condoms on the ground. (Submitted by Pierre-Olivier Cyr) 'It's not rare that the movers arrive, for example, at an apartment and they see some syringes, some condoms, some blood on the floor,' he said. 'Sometimes the person [client] is just there sitting, in shock.' Cyr believes these situations are linked to what he sees as a rise in mental health struggles that have persisted since the height of the COVID-19 crisis. 'In the past, people were ready for moving day,' he explained. 'Now we're called to reschedule because they aren't prepared. Other times, we arrive and realize they're hoarders and nothing has been touched.' 'Our movers aren't psychiatrists' The result, he said, is a growing burden on his employees. Not only are they asked to pack up entire apartments, but they must also navigate potentially unsafe conditions. 'Our movers aren't psychiatrists or mental health professionals,' Cyr said. 'So, we've had to put in place procedures to help.' He explained that, if movers walk into a situation with a customer in a mental health crisis, they call a dispatcher at their office right away. 'We manage it as a team, and we train our staff to be ready, but it's different every time,' he added. It's a pattern pest control expert Alexis Laberge, owner of Alextermination, is also seeing. He said he encounters heavily cluttered or unsanitary apartments every week, often in the context of a move. 'These apartments are very dirty and very clustered, which makes it harder for us to treat for pests like cockroaches or bedbugs,' he said. Pierre-Olivier Cyr, Pierre-Olivier Cyr, co-owner of Déménagement Le Clan Panneton, said that before the pandemic, says his team is encountering more mental health-related moving challenges. (Laurence Brisson Dubreuil/CTV) Laberge said the problem is logistical and financial. Treatment requires that apartments be emptied in advance, but when they're not, his team is stuck doing all the prep work. 'For every apartment that's not ready, we lose two to five extra hours,' he said. 'That's not what we quoted, so it becomes extra costs for the owner, the tenant, or the moving company and no one wants to take responsibility.' In one case about a month ago, Laberge said he and his team spent two extra days emptying a severely neglected unit filled with animal and human feces, cockroaches, and mice droppings. 'It was a nightmare,' he said. 'And in the middle of our busiest season.' He says these cases are not just draining — they're emotionally exhausting. 'It creates a lot of stress and anxiety for us, too. But we can't leave people like that. Sometimes, we just do it for free.' Pandemic made problems worse According to clinical psychologist Dr. Natalia Koszegi, these situations can stem from a combination of mental health issues, including compulsive hoarding disorder. Koszegi is the clinical coordinator at the Centre d'étude clinique sur les troubles obsessionnels-compulsifs (CETOC), where she specializes in obsessive-compulsive and hoarding disorders. 'Hoarding is a mental health disorder where people accumulate objects and have extreme difficulty letting them go,' she explained. 'They often feel emotionally attached or justify the need to keep them. Over time, it creates serious clutter.' She added that the pandemic exacerbated existing mental health problems for many people. 'The stress, unpredictability, and insecurity created by the pandemic affected everyone,' she said. 'But for people who already had a mental illness — including those with obsessive-compulsive or hoarding disorders — it got worse.' Koszegi also pointed out that not all disorganized homes are a result of hoarding. She said other conditions like depression, psychosis, or substance use can lead to over-accumulation. hoarding Movers say they're seeing more difficult cases, including homes in extreme disarray, hoarding situations, and units that pose health hazards to the workers walking in. (Laurence Brisson Dubreuil/CTV) But, when it comes to people with hoarding disorders, she said the experience of moving can be 'extremely complex' and lead to people being in crisis. 'Just gathering their belongings and putting them into boxes can take forever,' she said. 'It creates massive anxiety. People worry about losing or damaging their possessions, or being forced to throw them away.' In severe cases, she said, even the thought of packing can trigger distress. 'They might be afraid they won't have space for everything in their new home. It's not just a problem of organization, it's an emotional struggle.' Resources exist to help people navigate these challenges, but Koszegi said access remains limited. 'There are not enough services,' she said. 'But there are some community organizations and even city-level supports that can help people plan or prepare for a move.' She pointed to tools available through the Comité d'action pour le trouble d'accumulation compulsive (CATAC), a Quebec-based network offering peer support and professional resources for people living with hoarding disorder. For Cyr, the message is simple: these can be more than simply messy moves — sometimes, they're cries for help. 'We need to be ready to manage them with care,' he said.
CTV News
an hour ago
- CTV News
London celebration of Solidarity Day
A celebration of Solidarity Day was held on The Green in Wortley Village. Loading the player instance is taking more time than usual Loading the player instance is taking more time than usual A celebration of Solidarity Day was held on The Green in Wortley Village. Today's event included a sunrise ceremony, grand entry, traditional food, dance and crafts. This all precedes National Indigenous People's Day tomorrow. Organizers say its about allowing First Nation communities and allies to celebrate together. Ira Timothy, Solidarity Day planning committee member said it allows people to share from each community and nation. 'It shows that we're all related. We're all together underneath a great tree of peace,' said Timothy.
