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The federal government will unveil today new national standards for long-term care aimed at addressing systemic problems exposed by the coronavirus pandemic, but there is no plan to make the standards mandatory.
The federal government is not planning to introduce legislation to make the standards mandatory, said Guillaume Bertrand, a spokesperson for Health Minister Jean-Yves Duclos. As a result, Canada will continue to have a patchwork of practices, with some provinces – Quebec, British Columbia and Alberta – requiring homes to be accredited and adhere to standards of excellence while accreditation is voluntary for nursing homes in Ontario.
Canada had the worst record for COVID-19 fatalities in nursing homes among wealthy countries during the first wave of the pandemic. The virus was particularly lethal in Ontario and Quebec, where thousands of vulnerable people died alone in understaffed homes.
Residents at the Oakcrossing long term care home in London, Ont., on Mar 24, 2022.Fred Lum/the Globe and Mail
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Ottawa contracts comprise up to 10 per cent of McKinsey’s Canadian revenue
Global management consulting giant McKinsey & Company says its contracts with the federal government make up as much as 10 per cent of its gross revenue in Canada.
The Canadian revenue figures for McKinsey’s Canadian operations, contained in a U.S. court filing, show how integral federal government contracts are to the New York-based firm, which has offices in Toronto, Montreal, Calgary and Vancouver.
McKinsey’s contracts with Ottawa are being investigated by the House of Commons committee on government operations and estimates, because of the company’s ties to the Liberal government and the many international controversies in which it has been involved.
As tornadoes in Canada get more destructive, momentum builds for new building codes to save homes
Destructive twisters usually strike southern Ontario, southern Quebec, and the southern Prairies – and it’s a problem that’s getting worse. As the Earth warms, tornadoes, as well as other extreme weather events, are increasing in frequency and severity in Canada and around the world. These natural disasters can be deadly and can cost millions, if not billions, in insured property damage.
A Globe and Mail analysis of building codes across the country found that regulations governing homes and small buildings are inadequate to withstand the uptick in natural disasters fuelled by climate change.
Across Canada, a patchwork of codes are in effect, with some jurisdictions working off of decades-old national code editions. There are deficiencies in the climate data that dictate how a structure should be built. And, even in its most recent iteration, the national code doesn’t contain any provisions related to wildfires, permafrost loss, flooding or overheating.
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Also on our radar
Quebec cardinal resigns amid misconduct allegations: Cardinal Marc Ouellet, Canada’s highest-ranking Catholic cleric and a onetime papal front-runner, stepped down yesterday amid sexual misconduct allegations that he has vehemently denied.
L’Arche co-founder Jean Vanier sexually abused women, report finds: At least 25 women were abused over nearly seven decades by Jean Vanier, the Canadian co-founder of L’Arche, a global organization for the intellectually disabled, a lengthy independent report has found after a two-year investigation.
Ottawa urged to tell universities to halt research with Chinese scientists: The Official Opposition called on the federal government yesterday to ban research partnerships with Chinese military scientists and issue a ministerial order to advise provinces and Canadian universities to do the same.
Private equity shows interest in daycare industry: Private equity firms and institutional investors are increasingly taking an interest in the daycare industry amid government investment in the sector, a trend that child-care experts say could cause problems unless strict cost-control measures are introduced.
Hockey legend Bobby Hull dies: Hockey’s supreme individuals are distinguished by a defining characteristic. No one was more intense than Maurice Richard, no defenceman could handle the puck like Bobby Orr, no one could anticipate the play like Wayne Gretzky. And no one, but no one, could rifle the puck like Bobby Hull – no one before, no one contemporary, no one since. Hull died yesterday at age 84, leaving behind one of the greatest legacies on ice.
Morning markets
Global stocks waver: World stocks stumbled and bond yields edged lower on Tuesday as hotter than anticipated European inflation numbers jangled investor nerves ahead of a slew of earnings reports, central bank meetings, and key U.S. economic data. Just after 5:30 a.m. ET, Britain’s FTSE 100 was down 0.69 per cent. Germany’s DAX and France’s CAC 40 lost 0.59 per cent and 0.51 per cent. In Asia, Japan’s Nikkei finished down 0.39 per cent. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng lost 1.03 per cent. New York futures were weaker. The Canadian dollar was lower at 74.32 US cents.
What everyone’s talking about
Campbell Clark: “If anyone thought the return of Parliament would pit two opponents clawing at each other in high-pitched frenzy, well, that was nothing like Monday in the Commons. The speeches that Mr. Trudeau and Mr. Poilievre gave to pump up their own MPs last week suggested they were itching for the kind of toe-to-toe combat that would make us wonder how long it could go on before it would break out into an election campaign. But there was no grand clash.”
Editorial: “There are also proposals for tobacco-like warnings on alcohol bottles that would flag cancer risks, for instance, and urge consumers to reduce their consumption. Such warnings are an excellent idea for tobacco, whose health effects are demonstrably and entirely negative. But as the centre’s own study shows, the verdict is not so stark for alcohol.”
Today’s editorial cartoon
Brian Gable/The Globe and Mail
Living better
Why you need to prioritize protein at breakfast
You might not give much thought to when you consume protein. Turns out, there are good reasons why you should. Evidence suggests that forgoing – or skimping – protein at your morning meal can hinder weight loss, muscle health and perhaps even blood-sugar control. Here’s what the research says, plus tasty ways to get your morning dose of protein.
Moment in time: Jan. 31, 1936
Al Hodge who played Britt Reid (The Green Hornet) from 1936-1943 for the radio version of "The Green Hornet."ABC Photo Archives/Disney General Entertainment Content via Getty Images
The Green Hornet radio show debuts
Who hunts the biggest of all game: public enemies that even the G-men can’t reach? It’s a question to which plenty of children of the 1930s and early 1940s knew the answer. The Green Hornet, the crime-fighting alter ego of newspaper publisher Britt Reid, was one among a legion of fictional masked avengers who were insinuating their way into radio broadcasts and the nascent medium of comic books. The character’s audio adventures made their debut on the Detroit radio station WXYZ and soon entered national syndication. He carried the DNA of some preradio forebears, such as Zorro, but he was most indebted to another radio fixture, the Lone Ranger, who was created by the same writer, Fran Striker. Unlike many radio stars, the Green Hornet was not killed by video. A 1966 TV series is notable for having introduced Bruce Lee to Western audiences as Mr. Reid’s sidekick, Kato. The Hornet even got swept up in the superhero movie craze of the 2000s. A 2011 film with Canadian Seth Rogen in the title role did mediocre box office business. But Hollywood can only make so many Batman movies, so naturally a Green Hornet reboot is reportedly now in development. Steve Kupferman
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