Ontario Expanding Surgical, Diagnostic Centres to Reduce Wait Times

https://www.theepochtimes.com/world/ontario-expanding-surgical-diagnostic-centres-to-reduce-wait-times-5880008?ea_src=ca-frontpage&ea_cnt=b

Ontario will be expanding its publicly funded surgical and diagnostic centres to reduce wait times for MRIs, CT scans, and endoscopies, Premier Doug Ford announced.

The province will spend $155 million over two years to add 57 new facilities across the province that will provide MRI and CT scans and gastrointestinal (GI) endoscopy services, the Ontario government announced in a June 27 news release. The province says the expansion will help connect 1.2 million people to publicly funded services “faster.”

“The 57 new centres we are rolling out across Ontario will make a huge difference for people in the province, helping them get the care they need, when they need it,” Ford said in the release. “It’s all part of our plan to protect and improve our health-care services, all while ensuring people always receive the care they need with their OHIP card.”

The expansion will include 35 newly licensed MRI and CT scan centres and 22 newly licensed GI endoscopy centres. Licences will be issued starting this summer following a call for applications, the province says.

The expansion of these services aims to reduce wait times and ensure patients receive procedures within the “medically recommended timeframe,” the province adds.

“When it comes to wait times for surgeries and procedures, the status quo is not acceptable,” Health Minister Sylvia Jones said in the news release. “By licensing 57 new community surgical and diagnostic centres across Ontario, we are reducing wait times and ensuring more people can receive timely care in their community, for years to come.” Continue…

Ottawa Announces 50 Percent Surcharge on Some Steel Imports to Support Industry

https://www.theepochtimes.com/world/ottawa-announces-50-percent-surcharge-on-some-steel-imports-to-support-industry-5880429?ea_src=ca-frontpage&ea_cnt=b

Ottawa has announced new steel quotas to bolster the industry in response to U.S. tariffs, imposing a 50 percent surtax on steel imports exceeding 2024 levels from countries with which Canada does not have a free trade agreement.

“Our government has a mandate to build one Canadian economy—the strongest in the G7. That means standing up for our industries and workers and defending them from the harmful impacts of unjust U.S. tariffs,” Finance Minister François-Philippe Champagne said in a June 27 press release.

Ottawa has implemented tariff rate quotas that will add a surtax to steel imports from non-free trade agreement countries surpassing 2.6 million tonnes. The measure will help support Canada’s domestic steel industry, which has come under threat from tariffs by U.S. President Donald Trump, the finance department said.

The president implemented 25 percent global tariffs on steel and aluminum imports in March, and then doubled them to 50 percent in June. Canada initially responded by launching retaliatory tariffs targeting $30 billion in U.S. goods, but Prime Minister Mark Carney told reporters in June that Canada would “take some time” to determine how it would respond to the second round of steel tariffs.

The new quota policy will also prevent steel originally destined for the United States from being redirected to Canada, as U.S. tariffs have led many countries to seek new markets for their steel. The policy took effect on June 27 and will be reviewed in 30 days.

The federal government announced several measures to strengthen Canada’s steel and aluminum industries on June 19, including limiting federal procurement of the two building materials to Canadian suppliers and “reliable trading partners” with which the country has trade agreements. That measure begins on June 30. Continue…

Lawyer Accused in Holocaust Memorial Vandalism Fired by City of Ottawa

https://www.theepochtimes.com/world/lawyer-accused-in-holocaust-memorial-vandalism-fired-by-city-of-ottawa-5880472?ea_src=ca-frontpage&ea_cnt=b

The City of Ottawa has fired one of its lawyers who stands accused of spreading red paint on the National Holocaust Monument in Ottawa.

A 46-year-old Ottawa man has been charged in connection with the incident, the Ottawa Police Service (OPS) said in a June 27 press release.

The man has been charged with mischief to a war memorial, mischief exceeding $5,000, and harassment by threatening conduct. He was later identified as Iain Aspenlieder by local media, citing confirmation by the city.

Ottawa Mayor Mark Sutcliffe said the accused was a city employee who was on leave at the time of the incident. He is no longer employed by the city, Sutcliffe said in a June 29 social media post.

“While it’s encouraging to see that the police investigation into the incident at the National Holocaust Monument has progressed, I’m very disturbed to learn that the person charged is a city employee who was on leave,” Sutcliffe said in a separate post on June 28. “As a community and as an employer, the actions at the Monument do not represent our values.”

Aspenlieder’s status with the Law Society of Ontario has been marked as “Suspended Administratively,” according to the society’s website. Efforts to reach Aspenlieder for comment were unsuccessful. Continue…

Calgary starts adding fluoride to its tap water for first time since 2011

https://nationalpost.com/news/canada/calgary-adding-fluoride-to-tap-water-again?tbref=hp

Fluoride is back in Calgary’s drinking water.

The city, in a news release, says it has begun adding the mineral into the water at the direction of councillors.

Council’s decision follows a 2021 plebiscite in which about two-thirds of those who voted said they wanted fluoride put back in the water.

The city says fluoride is safe at low levels and is an effective way to prevent cavities and keep teeth strong.

Fluoride has been a contentious health issue with municipalities, and in Calgary, the water was fluoridated for 20 years until council directed it to be halted in 2011.

Edmonton, Red Deer and other Alberta municipalities already add fluoride to drinking water.

The change comes at a price, as the city says it will cost $28 million to upgrade its two water treatment plants for the fluoride.

Fluoride will cost $1 million more per year for operating and maintenance, and will be paid for through water rates.