2020: Child abuse a big concern during COVID-19 outbreak.

Agencies that serve abused children are bracing for an increase in abuse cases as they reduce their services because of COVID-19. With governments calling for people to stay home, and schools and some social support services closing, many who work with abused children are worried. For some children, group and foster homes are not a safe or healthy place. https://www.ottawamatters.com/national-news/child-abuse-a-big-concern-during-covid-19-outbreak-2186077?fbclid=IwAR0684bb6G6FqWPch-cSdP563mbvYBp1P8CIiMJ7t9kAWogndjtE6db15q8

::: 2020: Orleans-area youth group home worker faces sex-related offences involving minor A youth group home worker based in Orleans is facing sex-related offences in relation to a minor, according to Ottawa police. Shelby Wilson, a 21-year-old, who was previously employed at a group home in the Orleans area, was arrested on Friday, following complaints received by police earlier this month. READ MORE: Woman charged with sex assault of minors worked at group home at time of alleged offences https://globalnews.ca/news/6491236/orleans-youth-group-home-sex-offences-minor/ ::: 2007: Kids see group homes as 'gateways to jail': child advocate. Almost half of Ontario's young offenders in detention for minor crimes came through the child welfare system, a report from the Office of Child and Family Service Advocacy shows. The trend is a concern for child advocates across the country and Ontario Child Advocate Judy Finlay said many of the province's young people are beginning to think of group homes as "gateways to jail." "We're taking them out of very difficult family circumstances, bringing them into state care and then we're charging them for their behaviour. It's very concerning to me," Finlay said. https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/kids-see-group-homes-as-gateways-to-jail-child-advocate-1.675937 ::: Shedding light on the troubles facing kids in group homes. https://www.thestar.com/news/insight/2015/07/03/kids-in-toronto-group-homes-can-be-arrested-for-being-kids.html ::: Toronto group homes turning outbursts from kids into matters for police. https://www.thestar.com/news/insight/2015/07/03/toronto-group-homes-turning-outbursts-from-kids-into-matters-for-police.html ::: Drugs, theft, alcohol and inappropriate relationships alleged at Children’s Aid group home https://globalnews.ca/news/5334666/drugs-theft-alcohol-abuse-alleged-childrens-aid-group-home/ ::: Two teens' harrowing stories of Ontario group homes. https://www.thestar.com/news/canada/2016/03/14/two-teens-harrowing-stories-of-ontario-group-homes.html ::: Victim says a “sex cult” was run out of an Ontario foster home for years and Children’s Aid Society knew. Global News is reporting that an Ontario county Children’s Aid Society failed to detect or act on the systemic abuses of countless vulnerable children in several foster care homes over a span of 8 years. https://thepostmillennial.com/a-sex-cult-was-run-out-of-an-ontario-foster-home https://nypost.com/2019/06/12/childrens-aid-society-in-canada-turned-a-blind-eye-to-sexual-abuse-report/ ::: In a rare legal case, Toronto teen gets green light to sue children’s aid for negligence. https://www.thestar.com/news/canada/2019/08/23/in-a-rare-legal-case-toronto-teen-gets-green-light-to-sue-childrens-aid-for-negligence.html ::: Three CAS cases settled. https://www.intelligencer.ca/2014/10/21/three-cas-cases-settled/wcm/3fd07287-3f2a-1755-7386-1c8c2353c943 ::: Crown Ward Class Action (Children who suffered abuse before and while they were Crown wards, including in foster care and foster homes, and while in the care of the Children’s Aid Society (“CAS”)). https://kmlaw.ca/cases/crown-ward-class-action/ ::: EXCLUSIVE: Convicted group home owner moves operations to Oshawa. The man at the centre of an in-depth CityNews investigation into illegal group homes is now accused of moving his operations to Oshawa. Authorities in Oshawa believe Winston Manning is in breach of probation and say more charges are pending, adding that vulnerable people have been put in danger. In 2016, Manning was a key figure in an Ontario Provincial Police probe into illegal group homes. The investigation found that people with physical and mental health issues were living in deplorable conditions: mattresses on the floor, inadequate food, mouse feces and the smell of urine in the homes. The findings were corroborated by a former tenant at the time, who was identified only as Dave. “[It was] filthy. Turn on a light in the middle of the night and you could see the cockroaches moving, almost like a carpet. There were thousands of them,” he told CityNews. https://toronto.citynews.ca/2019/07/10/group-home-owner-moves-operations-to-oshawa/ ::: Drugs, theft, alcohol and inappropriate relationships alleged at Children’s Aid group home. https://globalnews.ca/news/5334666/drugs-theft-alcohol-abuse-alleged-childrens-aid-group-home/ ::: Child abuse a big concern during COVID-19 outbreak. https://www.ottawamatters.com/national-news/child-abuse-a-big-concern-during-covid-19-outbreak-2186077 ::: Kids see group homes as 'gateways to jail': child advocate CBC News · Posted: Mar 07, 2007 6:28 AM ET | Last Updated: March 7, 2007 Almost half of Ontario's young offenders in detention for minor crimes came through the child welfare system, a report from the Office of Child and Family Service Advocacy shows. The trend is a concern for child advocates across the country and Ontario Child Advocate Judy Finlay said many of the province's young people are beginning to think of group homes as "gateways to jail." "We're taking them out of very difficult family circumstances, bringing them into state care and then we're charging them for their behaviour. It's very concerning to me," Finlay said. The report, which was obtained by CBC News, lays much of the blame on group homes that rely too heavily on police to resolve problems that could be handled by staff. Kids have been charged for everything from refusing to read a book or hitting someone with a tea towel, Finlay said. One group home in Ontario called police 400 times in a single year. https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/kids-see-group-homes-as-gateways-to-jail-child-advocate-1.675937 ::: Judge certifies $600-million class-action lawsuit on behalf of former residents of Ontario's training schools. An Ontario Superior Court judge has certified a class-action lawsuit seeking $600 million in damages against the Ontario government on behalf of former residents of the province's training schools.Dec 4, 2018. https://globalnews.ca/news/4731951/ontario-training-schools-survivors/ ::: The priest's confession: What the Catholic bishops knew - The Fifth Estate. https://youtu.be/IX-rDwCsUCU ::: Doctors Without Boundaries - the fifth estate. https://youtu.be/xifx_Iatlgs ::: Scout's Honour - Sexual abuse in the Boy Scouts - the fifth estate https://youtu.be/K-1GO1WcsEE ::: 2011: Bad teachers: Ontario's secret list. By Kevin Donovan Staff Reporter. Here are some of the people licensed in Ontario to teach your children and report the suspected abuse and neglect of children. A teacher who disciplined students by warning they would “spend time with a pedophile” and if the behaviour got worse it “would be without vaseline.” READ MORE: https://www.thestar.com/news/canada/2011/09/29/bad_teachers_ontarios_secret_list.html ::: Could you spot a pedophile? Here are the warning signs. SOME child molesters jump out of bushes and molest your child on the way home from school. But more likely, he is your friendly neighbor or attentive shopkeeper. He could be a charming relative or the son of a friend who is all too willing to babysit your children. The pedophile in your midst may be the schoolteacher, the bus driver, the youth worker or the lay preacher at your church. The Australian Royal Commission into institutionalized child sex crimes, running since April, has entered a new round of hearings and a concurrent inquiry is continuing into child sex offences in the Catholic Church's NSW Hunter Valley diocese. Child-related workers While pedophiles can work anywhere, they do find ways to be around children as often as possible. It may not be their principal profession, such as a teacher or priest, but a voluntary or weekend position as a sports coach, camp counsellor, school bus driver, daycare worker, Boy Scout leader, church or secular youth worker can provide the contact with children they need. Some well-known pedophiles have placed themselves as teachers or leaders of artistic bodies such as dance schools, where they have surrounded themselves with adoring and aspiring performers. Andrew Manners was a convicted pedophile who had committed offences against minors in Queensland in 1998. He was on parole and prohibited from working with children when he surfaced in 2002. Manners turned up as a fill-in teacher at his mother's Scottish dance school, where he was spotted by an observant parole officer. Former performing arts schoolteacher, Peter Gerard Boys, was also a band leader of the musical troupe the Marching Koalas in the NSW Hunter Valley region when, aged in his 40s, he began having a sexual relationship with four of his students. He was convicted and sentenced to eight child sex offences against girls aged 10-16 years, and on his release from prison is believed to have subsequently married one of the girls who had come of age during his incarceration. Watch out for teacher adoration beyond the bounds of a normal crush, accompanied by "secret" phone calls and special individual attention. The every-man When looking out for a child sex offender, don't be fooled by a person's appearance, outward respectability or importance in the community. Pedophiles are almost always men, more often married adult males and they work in a very wide range of occupations, from unskilled work up to corporate executives. What to look out for is someone who relates better to children than to adults, and has either very few adult friends or whose friends might also be sex offenders. Signs to watch for: pedophiles usually prefer children in one specific age group, such as infants and toddlers, children between six and ten years old, or "tweens" and young teenagers up to the age of 16. Pedophiles can be bisexual but more commonly will prefer children or the one gender, males or females. https://www.news.com.au/national/could-you-spot-a-paedophile-here-are-the-warning-signs/news-story/a0502e8c3edd265972204ce6fb435982 ::: A Letter to Justice LeSage about the Ontario College of Teachers C4A Editorial, Whistleblowers in Canada / By Ian Bron Some of you may be aware that we have been following the case of Ontario teacher Jim Black. Jim spoke out about the Ontario College of Teachers reinstating of teacher with criminal records – records that involved sex with minors. He did this before most people knew it was a problem, and he was punished by the OCT for his effort. Last year, however, public outcry became loud enough that the government forced the OCT to conduct an independent inquiry of its mandate and functions (read a fuller explanation of his role on the OCT website). We put together a letter for Mr. LeSage and sent it to him directly – avoiding the filter of the OCT. In the past, the OCT has prevented us from commenting on Mr. Black’s case in their magazine, Professionally Speaking. Besides the letter below, I also encourage you to read the summary of Mr. Black’s case on our Cases and Issues page. ===================================================== 7 February 2012 Hon. Patrick J. LeSage CM, OOnt, QC 1 First Canadian Place 100 King Street West , Suite 1600 Toronto ON M5X 1G5 Re: Ontario College of Teachers review of investigation and disciplinary procedures and outcomes and dispute resolution program Dear Mr. LeSage: I am writing you to provide input into your review of the Ontario College of Teachers procedures and programs. Canadians for Accountability is an organization created by a group of grassroots whistleblowers and accountability activists. Our mission is to advance integrity and accountability and to help and advocate for whistleblowers in all parts of our society. We are interested in your inquiry as we have been approached by a number of Ontario teachers with concerns about the OCT’s handling of complaints regarding unethical behaviour at schools and at the College itself. Some of them fit our definition of whistleblowers and have faced reprisals – in one notable case, by the College. One case in particular caught our attention: that of James Black, an award winning teacher who spoke out and was punished for doing so. Mr. Black was contacted by the Ontario Ministry of Education in 2004 and asked to provide a critique of the Ontario College of Teachers. As his experience there was troubling, he produced a four-page report that was very critical of the College – notably in its allowing sexual offenders back into the classroom – and recommended some significant changes. Following this, he reports a series of escalating reprisals. He retired in 2006 and made his report more public. This resulted in media attention, which in turn led to disciplinary action by the College. Mr. Black went through a Kafka-esque pseudo-legal nightmare, charged with vague offences and threatened with fines and suspension – despite the fact that he had retired. Principles of natural justice were ignored and in July 2009, Mr. Black was fined $1000 and suspended from teaching for 24 months – despite the lack of clear evidence. His name and case was published in the College magazine Professionally Speaking, which is circulated to some 220,000 teachers. Nowhere in the description of his case does it mention that the complaint was laid by an individual convicted of sexual offences against students, and the standard of proof described is a travesty. The case against Mr. Black has the hallmarks of a personal vendetta and the quality of the investigation and disciplinary process appalling. We attempted to intervene on his behalf, but were ignored. And, as far as we can determine, no action has been taken to address the problems that Mr. Black reported. Even when the more recent investigations were done validating Mr. Black’s concerns, his case was not re-examined. You can find a summary of Mr. Blacks case on our website at http://acac.onefishcreative.ca/acac/issues-and-cases/#jb. I have attached a letter which we sent to the College: it summarizes our concerns about his case. We are also familiar with another case, a teacher in southern Ontario who has blown the whistle on four teachers. One was ultimately convicted of theft in a very public prosecution, yet had been fervently defended. The whistleblower, meanwhile, faced reprisals for speaking out. Interestingly, the teacher who was prosecuted – Wes McConnell – was never disciplined by the College. See http://www.lfpress.com/sports/columnists/morris_dalla_costa/2011/03/16/17645961.html for the London Free Press story. Based on these cases and others we have observed, it is our opinion that the OCT is deficient in performing its functions in respect to investigative and disciplinary processes and decisions. Part of the problem, we feel, is that the College is a self-regulating body with no oversight. Canadians for Accountability is opposed to such bodies on principle as we feel all bodies should have oversight – especially those where professionals may be judging their colleagues and inappropriate influence is possible. We would like to see the Ontario Ombudsman have the authority to investigate and make findings against the College as a precaution against such potential abuses. As you are no doubt aware, the Province of Quebec maintains an oversight function via the Office des professions, and publishes annual reports on the findings of its reviews in the Montreal Gazette and other pubic media. Such an office could serve as an alternative to the Ombudsman. In addition, we are concerned that professional training and standards for investigators and disciplinary panel members may not be deficient. The outcome of the cases above certainly suggests so. There are professional accreditations in investigation available – perhaps these should be requirement, particularly given the fact that children are the ones vulnerable to any misconduct that may occur. I hope that this information is helpful to you. Should you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact us directly. Yours truly, Ian Bron Managing Director cc: Ontario College of Teachers http://acacanada.ca/2012/03/23/a-letter-to-justice-lesage-about-the-ontario-college-of-teachers/ ::: 2011: Soft-porn writing teacher resigns from watchdog. The former head of the discipline committee of the Ontario College of Teachers (OCT) is facing professional misconduct charges for his role in co-authoring a sexually explicit novel for teens. Jacques Tremblay resigned his position as chair of the OCT’s disciplinary committee, a position that involves overseeing sexual assault cases, in 2011 after his part in writing a soft porn novel titled “The Sexteens and the Fake Goddess” was exposed in a Toronto Star investigation. The book “is a lurid tale of striptease, breast fondling, bum grabbing, orgasms, drugs and blackmail,” reported the Star’s Kevin Donovan in the exposé. The cover of the book depicts the backs of a boy and a girl naked from the waist up looking at a silhouette of the CN Tower. The other authors of the book are identified as Tremblay’s wife, Marie-Ange Gagnon, and Frederic Tremblay. Following Jacques Tremblay’s resignation the OCT launched an investigation into the situation, although the teachers’ watchdog had earlier maintained that Tremblay’s writing did “not have an impact on his ability to act in the public interest.” Tremblay himself had argued that his book was “entirely separate” from his work at the College and service to the public, saying the book was meant to “empower teenagers, to encourage them to be strong and resist or avoid peer pressure.” However, in an article on his website Tremblay says the purpose of his novel is to help teens “find their inner voice” which will affect their “future sex life” because “having higher self-esteem below the belt leads to better sex.” He also warns teens that having negative attitudes about sex could have a “direct impact on orgasm.” https://mychristiandaily.com/teen-sex-novel-lands-former-ontario-teachers-disciplinary-head-in-hot-water/ ::: 2009: Why it’s so hard to fire bad teachers. From 2009: Most principals would rather hide or transfer incompetent teachers than try to oust them. https://www.macleans.ca/news/canada/why-its-so-hard-to-fire-bad-teachers/ ::: 2011: Ontario’s top teacher watchdog has quit. Jacques Tremblay, who the Star reported was a writer of soft porn replete with questionable administrator-teacher-student conduct, resigned Tuesday. He was the chairperson for five years of the Ontario College of Teachers’ disciplinary panel, which sits in judgment on hundreds of teachers accused of misconduct. In the novel, main character Leila Montana is introduced as a “young teen” just starting high school. She is also joining a group called the Sexteens’ Select Society. As she awaits initiation into this mysterious alliance, the book describes her appearance as follows: “Her half-open shirt divulges the roundness of her gorgeous bosom. Leila’s particularly short skirt exposes her barely fleshy buttocks.” There are several other detailed references throughout the book about the bodies of Leila and other girls. Taking an oath to the mysterious society, Leila promises to “develop my teenage life at my own rhythm inspired by the aphrodisiac cult, which is based on the power of love and the emancipation of my sexuality.” On the day after the initiation, “Leila wakes up and feels a new energy swelling within her. . . . Despite her efforts, however, Leila can’t remember what really happened. She is peaceful and undisturbed by this lapse of memory. Meanwhile, Leila feels a very light, but quite pleasant, tingling on her upper right buttock.” (Nothing at all creepy about this is there and everything about this little scenario is perfectly normal, right?) ::: Date rape drugs facts: It’s Not Just Roofies Anymore. Date rape drugs are drugs used to assist in a sexual assault, which is any type of sexual activity a person does not agree to. These drugs can affect you very quickly and cause victims to become weak, confused, and even pass out. You may not remember what happened while you were drugged. The most common date rape drugs -- also called "club drugs" -- are flunitrazepam (Rohypnol), also called roofies; gamma hydroxybutyric acid (GHB), also called liquid ecstasy; and ketamine, also called Special K. These drugs may come as pills, liquids, or powders. Alcohol may also be considered a date rape drug because it affects judgment and behavior and can be used to help commit sexual assault. The club drug "ecstasy" (MDMA) has also been used to commit sexual assault. Protect yourself by not accepting drinks from others, not sharing drinks, watching your drink, and by avoiding creepy societies and having a non-drinking friend with you to make sure nothing happens. If you suspect you have been exposed to a date rape drug or have been sexually assaulted, call 911 and get to an emergency room immediately. Date rape drugs can also cause seizures and even death. Adverse Effects of Club Drugs Uncertainties about the sources, chemicals, and possible contaminants used to manufacture many club drugs make it extremely difficult to determine toxicity and associated medical consequences. Nonetheless, we do know that: Coma and seizures can occur following use of GHB. Combined use with other drugs such as alcohol can result in nausea and breathing difficulties. GHB and two of its precursors, gamma butyrolactone (GBL) and 1,4 butanediol (BD), have been involved in poisonings, overdoses, date rapes, and deaths. Rohypnol may be lethal when mixed with alcohol and/or other CNS depressants. Ketamine, in high doses, can cause impaired motor function, high blood pressure, and potentially fatal respiratory problems. https://nationalpost.com/news/canada/chairman-of-teachers-discipline-committee-resigns-over-blue-teen-novel https://www.thestar.com/news/canada/2011/10/05/top_teacher_watchdog_who_wrote_porn_resigns.html https://www.thespec.com/news-story/2221198-soft-porn-writing-teacher-resigns-from-watchdog/ ::: 2012: Why bad teachers don’t get fired in Ontario. https://www.theglobeandmail.com/opinion/why-bad-teachers-dont-get-fired-in-ontario/article4249405/ ::: 2015: Ontario College of Teachers Cases of Teacher Sexual Misconduct. Teacher sexual misconduct in Ontario was examined by using cases reviewed by the Ontario College of Teachers between 2000 and 2013. Despite the impetus by key stakeholders to develop appropriate policies to circumvent teacher-student sexual relationships, this phenomenon is still not well understood. The current study found that around 92 percent of perpetrators are men. The results indicate that male perpetrators who abuse elementary school-aged males are more likely to have multiple victims and longer offending careers. This study found less intrusive sexual behaviour, fewer multiple victim perpetrators, and shorter offending careers in more recent cases. This suggests that the government-commissioned report published in 2000 may have raised awareness and shaped this issue in a positive way. Practitioners, policy-makers, and the public are provided with a comprehensive picture of the perpetrators, victims, and the nature of abuse to engage in meaningful discourse and implement program and policy. https://www.cais.ca/uploaded/Research/Current_Resources/Sexual-Misconduct/Ontario-College-of-Teachers-Cases-of-Teacher-Sexual-Misconduct.pdf ::: Project Spade arrests by the numbers In Canada: 40 teachers (no surprises here) 9 doctors and nurses (no surprises here) 32 volunteers (volunteers for who?) 6 law enforcement personnel (no surprises here) 9 faith leaders (priests and pastors) 3 foster parents (big surprise it wasn't more) Ontario: 50 Rest of Canada: 58 United States: 76 International: 164 https://www.macleans.ca/general/huge-child-porn-ring-busted-toronto-police-say-348-arrested-in-project-spade/ https://www.toronto.com/news-story/4219011-toronto-police-s-project-spade-results-in-international-child-porn-arrests/ https://www.cbsnews.com/news/almost-350-suspects-nabbed-in-huge-child-porn-bust/ ::: Ontario portrayed as pedophile paradise in U.S. ruse to capture predators A website set up by Homeland Security promoted the bogus firm Precious Treasure Holiday Co., which promised to arrange illegal encounters in Ontario for pedophiles. October 10, 2011. U.S. authorities have defended their online portrayal of Ontario as a haven for child-sex tourism, saying the ploy helped them catch four predators. A controversial website set up by the Department of Homeland Security promoted the bogus firm Precious Treasure Holiday Co., which promised to arrange illegal encounters in Ontario for pedophiles. Four people — two Germans and two Americans — fell for the sophisticated ruse and signed up for a trip. A pamphlet that came with the website offered one night hotel accommodations in Canada and travel under the guise of “boyfriend and girlfriend going to gamble at casino.” The pamphlet said transportation to Cleveland, meals and “condoms, lube, etc. . . ” were not included in the travel package. But it was the use of Canada as a safe haven for sex tourism that raised questions about how the country was portrayed in the sting. “Canada made for a more plausible scenario,” Brian Moskowitz, the special agent in charge of the investigation, told Postmedia News shortly after the indictments were announced. “It was never our intent to take anyone to Canada and no children were involved. It was merely part of a scenario that we built.” He said that Canada wasn’t used in the scenario over any perceived weaknesses or legal vulnerability. Canadian authorities, such as those in Windsor, across the river from the Detroit offices of Homeland Security where Moskowitz is based, are alerted whenever such a sting is underway to prevent them from wasting resources on chasing the American operation, he said. Homeland Security first set up the website in 2009. It remained online in several reincarnations until it was finally outed in March as a government sting by The Smoking Gun website. “Sex tourism is a scourge and must be combated with every available resource,” Moskowitz said in a release when the convictions were announced in early September. “These cases show international borders are no longer a hindrance for predators.” The two German men convicted in the sting paid up to $1,600 to have sex with girls and boys between the ages of 10 and 13. One, a 49-year-old doctor from Stuttgart, was allegedly found with lingerie, sex toys, bondage ropes, straps, a mask, lubricant, 17 condoms as well as four stuffed unicorns and a paint-by-number set, Homeland Security said. Two Ohio men also pleaded guilty to sex trafficking offences and possession of child pornography as a result of the sting. In one case, a 38-year-old man tried to organize a sexual encounter with an eight-year-old girl. In the other case, a 25-year-old man wasn’t legally allowed to enter Canada because he was on parole for a molestation conviction, Homeland Security said. https://nationalpost.com/news/ontario-portrayed-as-pedophile-paradise-in-u-s-ruse-to-capture-predators ::: Cornwall sex abuse victims given large settlements Published Thursday, June 10, 2010 12:20PM EDT ctvottawa.ca Some victims of the Cornwall sex abuse scandal are receiving large financial settlements after decades of allegations that a cover-up of a pedophile ring existed in the eastern Ontario city, CTV Ottawa has learned. The sex abuse scandal was uncovered in the early 1990s. A public inquiry ended in December 2009 after four years. The inquiry found the Catholic Church, police, the Ontario government and the legal system all failed to protect children from sexual predators. Now, Ontario's attorney general has confirmed to CTV that several financial settlements have been reached with victims, and more lawsuits are outstanding. The Project Truth inquiry into a pedophile ring cover-up and sex abuse allegations in Cornwall ended in December 2009. Alleged victim Steve Parisien says the public has a right to know about large settlements paid out to sex abuse victims. Although confidentiality agreements could mean taxpayers will never learn the true cost of the settlements, a former MPP predicts the payouts will total tens of millions of dollars. "I would look at somewhere between $70-100 million," said Garry Guzzo, a former Conservative MPP who blew the whistle on the scandal and pushed for a public inquiry. "It's a lot of money coming from very few taxpayers, and the people of the Catholic Church are taxpayers." While sources have told CTV the payouts are in the millions, alleged victim Steve Parisien says some individuals are getting less than $20,000. "I think parishioners and taxpayers have a right to know how much has been paid out," he said. A lawyer representing dozens of the victims wouldn't reveal how much money was paid. However, he confirmed several settlements have been reached with the Catholic diocese, the Ontario government and other Catholic organizations. There are also several cases in the works against the Children's Aid Society. Cornwall's Catholic Diocese says it has settled all 16 of the lawsuits against the Catholic Church. The last lawsuit was settled a few weeks ago. Bishop Paul-Andre Durocher says the total payouts from those lawsuits amount to $1.2 million. He adds none of those settlements involved confidentiality agreements. "There's no doubt in my mind that these victims deserve this money," said Guzzo. "You know the confidentiality agreement - never going to trial, never allowing it to become public - there's an element of hush money." Although Parisien hasn't received a settlement, he is hoping to get some compensation for his experience. He says while no amount of money will change his life, it will help validate what he went through. "Just for my loss of wages - that's all I seek. I don't want nothing else from these people, they've done enough damage. And they have to sleep with themselves at night." With a report from CTV Ottawa's Catherine Lathem https://ottawa.ctvnews.ca/cornwall-sex-abuse-victims-given-large-settlements-1.521190 ::: Three CAS cases settled. When it was filed in 2013, the civil suits totalled $14 million ($2.8 million per plaintiff). Each plaintiff initially claimed $350,000 for pain and suffering, in addition to $1 million each for loss of future earnings and another $1 million for punitive damages. They sought $100,000 in future care costs, plus $100,000 for special damages and $250,000 for aggravated damages. Two outstanding plaintiffs will be addressed shortly, Bonn said. “We continue to work on those,” he said. “We intend to mediate those.” The suit directed at the CAS also targets four former foster parents, two are now serving prison terms for sexual abuse of children placed in their care. A third convicted predator’s case is now before the Ontario Court of Appeal. “Like most of these issues, they’re difficult all the way through and deal with unpleasant issues, but the fact that we’ve been able to reach some form of agreement means that each side is able to live with it at some level,” Bonn said Tuesday. Bonn filed the claims on behalf of the five female plaintiffs, now in their late teens and early 20s. “With litigation done, it would bring an end to this piece of their involvement with the CAS,” Bonn said. All complainants listed claim the Prince Edward County CAS (PECCAS) is liable for the abuse each of them suffered while in the care of PECCAS. The County society is now part of the newly-amalgamated Highland Shores Children’s Aid Society, which also spans the societies of Hastings and Northumberland counties. Mark Kartusch, the society’s executive director, was also tight-lipped about the settlement. “I can’t disclose any of the details,” he said Tuesday. “However, we do hope this helps these youths move forward.” Kartusch wouldn’t go as far as viewing the settlements as a form of closure for the plaintiffs. “How does one ever have closure?” he said. “We believe in these young people and their future and want to support them in that.” Before the 2013 merger, PECCAS was subjected to an extensive government probe which revealed a bevy of damning findings. The investigation led by the Ministry of Child and Youth Services in Dec. 2011 – following a rash of child sex abuse charges against County foster parents – showed the agency was rife with significant internal conflicts recklessly placing vulnerable children in homes not properly screened and some cases not screened at all for months. Kartusch said the agency has found better footing since the findings triggered amalgamation. “I think we’re moving forward but will not forget the past,” he said. Some concerns linger. “I’m concerned that this may cause people to lose confidence in fostering or foster families,” he said, adding few bad apples aren’t representative of the whole bunch. The 2013 statement of claims alleged “PECCAS is responsible, in fact and in law, for its own negligence and breaches of its statutory and fiduciary duties as well as for the negligence and breaches of duty committed by its servants, agents and employees,” states the claim, a copy of which was obtained by The Intelligencer in April 2013. One statement of claim states, “PECCAS caused (the plaintiffs) permanent and extensive injuries and losses” ranging from alcohol and substance abuse to inability to trust, impairment of mental health, nightmares of abuse, suicidal thoughts and suicide attempts. “They (plaintiffs) have incurred medical expenses and will continue to require therapy and medical attention,” the 2013 statement of claim adds. Two of the former foster parents initially targeted in the claim were Walter Joseph Holm, 46, and his wife, Janet Holm, 49. They pleaded guilty to several charges, including possession of child pornography, sexual assault and invitation to sexual touching and were sentenced in November 2011 to four- and three-year prison terms respectively. Three of the five plaintiffs, now ages 21, 23, and 19, are linked to the Holms. It’s not known if they were the three of five now concluded. Justice Geoff Griffin blasted the Holms for turning their home into a “sexual cult” while fostering 25 teenagers over the course of nine years. The three plaintiffs further implied that PECCAS was “vicariously liable for the actions” of the Holms. https://www.intelligencer.ca/2014/10/21/three-cas-cases-settled/wcm/3fd07287-3f2a-1755-7386-1c8c2353c943

Pandemic Prepping | Doomsday Preppers

2020: America’s ‘survivalists’ feel vindication as they lock down for coronavirus epidemic — with ‘beans, bullets and Band-Aids’



This is a key moment for “preppers” or “survivalists” like Rawles. While the coronavirus has spooked markets into massive sell-offs and sent shoppers to stores like Costco COST, +1.07% to stock up on supplies, survivalists, who have often been ridiculed as extremists and conspiracy theorists, have been prepping for something like this for years. Even decades.



“I was a ‘prepper’ long before that term even came into being,” says Jim Cobb, author of Preppers’ Long-Term Survival Guide and Urban Emergency Survival Plan. “Since I was 16 years old,” says Rawles, when asked when he first started readying himself for a possible apocalypse. “That was in 1976.”



Nobody knows for sure, but there may be many more preppers in the U.S. The term covers everything from “doomsday preppers” in the northern mountain states to people who just make sure to be stocked up at home in case of disaster.



https://www.marketwatch.com/story/how-americas-extreme-survivalists-are-preparing-for-a-worst-case-coronavirus-epidemic-beans-bullets-and-band-aids-2020-03-02



https://www.bostonglobe.com/2020/03/23/magazine/apocalypse-preppers-survivalists-homesteaders-arent-that-worried-by-coronavirus/



https://247wallst.com/economy/2020/03/12/lessons-of-doomsday-preppers-for-the-covid-19-pandemic/



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2012: Pandemic Prepping | Doomsday Preppers



Donna Nash is readying herself and her family to survive a potential global pandemic.



https://youtu.be/7FTv06szcW0



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2020: Germany's low coronavirus mortality rate intrigues experts.



Some query data methodology while others say high testing rates are giving more accurate picture.



https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/mar/22/germany-low-coronavirus-mortality-rate-puzzles-experts



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The Harris government cut funding of major urban infrastructure projects upon assuming office. ... Harris's government also cut health spending to counter the $30 billion cut in transfer payments from the Liberal federal government.



https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mike_Harris



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2019: Workers at risk of losing jobs can be retrained for health care, RBC says.



OTTAWA -- A new report says some of the more than one million Canadian workers who could lose their jobs could fill growing gaps in the nation's health-care system with the right training now.



The issue is time and money for a sector that previous research suggests doesn't invest as much as other industries do in skills training.



Health-services jobs account for 13 per cent of the country's workforce and federal projections estimate the rapid pace of growth seen over the last decade will continue over the next.



https://www.ctvnews.ca/health/workers-at-risk-of-losing-jobs-to-ai-can-be-retrained-for-health-care-rbc-says-1.4685009



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2018: $22 billion in cuts to funding for public services planned by Mr. Ford, worse than Harris, we are “extremely worried”



Many Ontarians are captured by the idea of getting the same or more services for less money. But few know what the numbers might actually mean. Since Doug Ford did not release a clear platform, Ontarians know more about how much a beer may cost if the Conservative leader is elected than they know about how much their hospitals may be funded. This is a serious problem because the numbers that Mr. Ford has revealed are disturbing.



On Wednesday in a radio interview, Mr. Ford said that he was going to eliminate the provincial deficit in 3-years. This is on top of major revenue cuts. Mr. Ford has also pledged to cut $6 billion in public service spending through “efficiencies” over 4-years. These are big figures and Mr. Ford has not provided any details of what he plans for hospital and other vital health service funding as a result. But economists have crunched the numbers and by every tally the planned cuts amount to tens of billions of dollars. We are extremely worried.



https://www.ontariohealthcoalition.ca/index.php/22-billion-in-cuts-to-funding-for-public-services-by-mr-ford-planned-worse-than-harris-we-are-extremely-worried/



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2019: Ford government "worse than Mike Harris": Durham Region shorted 40 hospital beds.



When it comes to hospital funding, Doug Ford’s Progressive Conservative (PC) government is “worse than Mike Harris” new data reports released in Oshawa today by the Ontario Council of Hospital Unions (OHCU) show.



For Doug Ford’s government to keep its proposed budget plan for the next five years, “it is now apparent that the PCs will need to make larger cuts to hospitals (and health care generally) than previously estimated. Rather than ending hallway medicine in a year as the Premier recently stated, the PCs are creating a patient access crisis and hallway health care will get much worse,” said Michael Hurley, president of the Ontario Council of Hospital Unions (OCHU).



Based on the recent budget and economic review of Ontario’s Financial Accountability Office (FAO), the government’s spending plan needs billions of dollars more in extra, unidentified and unannounced cuts to public services in order to meet its savings targets. The unidentified and unannounced health cuts exist even for this fiscal year – but they become a much bigger issue as the years go along until they account for $5.2 billion out of $8 billion in total cuts required by the government’s fiscal plan in 2023-24.



https://cupe.ca/ford-government-worse-mike-harris-durham-region-shorted-40-hospital-beds



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2019: Ontario moves forward with plans to scrap OHIP program for travellers abroad.



TORONTO – Ontario is moving ahead with a plan to scrap a provincial program that offers basic out-of-country travel insurance.



Health Minister Christine Elliott says the Progressive Conservative government has decided to make the change after holding a six-day public consultation that ended Tuesday.



READ MORE: Ontario looks to cut OHIP program covering emergency medical costs abroad



https://globalnews.ca/news/5198684/ontario-to-cut-ohip-abroad-medical-costs/



https://www.bnnbloomberg.ca/ford-government-considers-cutting-ohip-travel-coverage-cites-high-admin-costs-1.1248903



https://www.theglobeandmail.com/canada/article-ford-government-reveals-health-services-to-be-delisted-from-ohip/



https://globalnews.ca/news/5977953/ohip-changes/



https://settlement.org/ontario/health/ohip-and-health-insurance/ontario-health-insurance-plan-ohip/does-ohip-cover-me-when-i-am-outside-ontario/



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2019: List of the Ford government health care cuts to date.



Public Health cuts/restructuring (LESS BEDS, DOCTORS AND NURSES)



In the 2019 Provincial Budget it was revealed that the Ford government plans to cut provincial funding for Public Health by 27 per cent and cut the number of local Public Health Units from 35 to 10. ... The plans that have been revealed to date follow here.Nov 20, 2019.



https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/extremely-concerned-protesters-decry-ontario-health-care-cuts-changes-1.5354513



https://www.ontariohealthcoalition.ca/index.php/update-mounting-health-care-cuts/



https://www.theglobeandmail.com/politics/article-doug-ford-announces-that-cuts-to-municipal-public-health-and-childcare/



https://www.unifor.org/en/whats-new/news/hundreds-rally-against-doug-fords-health-care-cuts



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2020: Trudeau says Canada won't be able to get all Canadians home.



https://www.nationalobserver.com/2020/03/22/news/trudeau-says-canada-wont-be-able-get-all-canadians-home



Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says not all Canadians abroad will be able to come home.



More flights to other locations are in the works, but for those who cannot return, 'We're going to ask people to stay safe, make smart choices'.



https://www.guelphtoday.com/local-news/prime-minister-justin-trudeau-to-update-canadians-on-covid-19-situation-as-case-count-rises-to-1087-2186738



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2019: Ford government stops counting homeless people in Ontario.



Tories pause to look at ‘best practices,’ but critics say real-time data needed.



https://www.thespec.com/news-story/9685648-ford-government-stops-counting-homeless-people-in-ontario/



https://globalnews.ca/news/6151971/ontario-government-homelessness/



https://www.thestar.com/news/canada/2019/11/10/ontario-pauses-homelessness-count-citing-gaps-and-limitations-in-data.html



https://www.pressreader.com/canada/toronto-star/20191111/281526522874713



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2020: 'No new eviction orders will be issued until further notice': Ontario suspends evictions during coronavirus outbreak.



Eviction orders in Ontario have been put on hold, and there could be a stop to new orders in light of COVID-19.



In an email to the Mercury Tribune Monday evening, Jesse Robichaud, spokesperson for the Office of the Attorney General, said the province’s “top priority is the health of well-being of Ontarians and we are actively looking at all tools and options to protect families and individuals as the public health situation evolves.



“For example, we understand that Tribunals Ontario is reviewing pending eviction matters in light of the rapidly evolving circumstances related to COVID-19 and that no new eviction orders will be issued until further notice,” he added.



https://www.insideottawavalley.com/news-story/9908552--no-new-eviction-orders-will-be-issued-until-further-notice-ontario-suspends-evictions-during-coronavirus-outbreak/



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2020: How do you self-isolate when you don’t have a home?



'We have 14 people who are in shelter. We can’t have them self-isolate when it’s communal living,' says local Lighthouse official



https://www.orilliamatters.com/local-news/how-do-you-self-isolate-when-you-dont-have-a-home-2170006



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2017: Youth homelessness linked to foster care system in new study.



 A first-of-its-kind study in Canada is drawing a link between youth homelessness levels and a foster care system that researchers say could be playing a more active role in keeping young people off the streets.



The study, to be released Wednesday, found nearly three out of every five homeless youth were part of the child welfare system at some point in their lives, a rate almost 200 times greater than that of the general population.



Of those with a history in the child welfare system, almost two of every five respondents eventually "aged out" of provincial or territorial care, losing access to the sort of support that could have kept them from becoming homeless, the study found.



https://www.cbc.ca/news/health/homeless-youth-foster-care-1.4240121



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2020: Ford hires U.S. firm to push Ontarians off welfare.



https://www.thestar.com/opinion/contributors/2020/02/24/ford-hires-us-firm-to-push-ontarians-off-welfare.html



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2013: Doug Ford accused of 'vote buying' after being filmed handing out $20 bills to public housing residents.



Toronto Councillor Doug Ford is once again under fire for vote buying after he was filmed handing out $20 bills to public housing residents.



https://youtu.be/2ckIcOiJyH4



https://nationalpost.com/news/toronto/doug-ford-hands-out-20-bills-to-public-housing-residents-accused-of-vote-buying



https://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/toronto/doug-ford-defends-himself-after-handing-out-20-bills-to-constituents/article15920479/



https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/doug-ford-sorry-for-handing-out-cash-will-stick-to-gift-cards-1.2461797



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2020: American firm hired by Ford government to privatize welfare services was fined for stealing employee pay.



Fedcap was investigated and fined by the U.S. Department of Labour in 2018.



In 2018, Fedcap was investigated by the U.S. Department of Labor.  The investigation found that Fedcap had been failing to pay and illegally deducting fees from 443 workers. Fedcap was forced to hand back nearly $3 million of withheld or deducted pay to its employees.



This same firm is now responsible for finding employment for welfare recipients in Ontario.



https://north99.org/2020/02/26/american-firm-hired-by-ford-government-to-privatize-welfare-services-was-fined-for-stealing-employee-pay/



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2020: Ontario Moving Ahead with the Reform of Employment Services



February 14, 2020 10:00 A.M.Ministry of Labour, Training and Skills Development



January 2020 - Service System Managers selected



The government evaluated all qualified proposals and selected a Service System Manager for each prototype region that is best positioned to manage the employment system and deliver results:



For Region of Peel: WCG, part of the APM Group.



WCG is a Canadian subsidiary of The International APM Group Pty Ltd (APM), a global human service organization based in Australia. In the last year, APM supported more than 350,000 people across 10 countries by designing and delivering employment, health and rehabilitation services.



For Hamilton-Niagara: A consortium led by Fedcap.



The consortium led by Fedcap includes two current Employment Ontario service providers (Canadian Council on Rehabilitation and Work, Operation Springboard) and two current providers of Ontario Disability Support Program Employment Supports (Corbrook, Community Living Toronto).



For the Muskoka-Kawarthas region: Fleming College.



Fleming College has more than 50 years of experience delivering education, skills training and employment services to students, job seekers and employers. Each year, 3,000 job seekers access Employment Ontario services via Fleming College.



https://news.ontario.ca/mol/en/2020/02/ontario-moving-ahead-with-the-reform-of-employment-services.html



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SELLING CANADIANS TO THE LOWEST BIDDER...



2020: For-profit welfare scheme draws concerns.



The idea of a welfare system in Ontario run by multinational, for-profit corporations strikes Dr. Gary Bloch as a bit odd.



“Where I get worried about it, is thinking around, really, what are the goals? What are the incentive structures put in place and who will be administering this?” asked the researcher and family physician with St. Michael’s Hospital’s City Health Associates. “We know there will be private companies bidding to help administer this system. That, to me, is extremely concerning.”



https://www.catholicregister.org/item/31137-for-profit-welfare-scheme-draws-concerns



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2019: 4 in 10 Insolvencies Driven by Payday Loans.



As everyday Canadians face multiple pressures like rising borrowing costs, increases to the costs of living, and a sharper tax bite, the last thing they need is to be stung by high-interest products. Unfortunately, that seems to have happened to an unsettling number of Ontarians.



New research from Licensed Insolvency Trustee firm Hoyes, Michalos & Associates has revealed that in 2018, nearly four in 10 (37%) Ontario insolvencies involved payday loans. That’s an increase from 32% that was tallied in 2017, marking the seventh consecutive rise since the firm’s initial study in 2011.



“Regulatory changes to lower the cost of payday loans and lengthen the period of repayment are not working for heavily indebted borrowers who feel they have no other option but to turn to a payday loan,” said co-founder Ted Michalos.



According to the firm, insolvent borrowers are just over three times more likely to have at least one payday loan outstanding when they file a bankruptcy or consumer proposal compared to 2011. This is despite legislation in Ontario that, aside from lowering costs, was designed to:



Cap loans at 50% of a borrower’s net pay beginning July 1, 2018;



Make lenders offer an extended repayment period to those who take out three loans within a 63-day period starting on July 1, 2018; and Limiting fees to $15 per $100 borrowed for two weeks effective January 1, 2018



It might take some time for the regulations to take full effect. But according to the firm, payday loan borrowers are finding ways to circumvent the very rules formulated to protect them. Some heavily indebted Ontarians, for example, visit more than one lender in order to get the total cash loan they feel they need — even if it’s actually beyond their financial wherewithal to pay back.



Exacerbating the problem, payday lenders are coming up with new products and tactics. According to the firm, payday lenders as well as new online lenders have started to offer larger-dollar, high-cost, fast-cash installment loans and lines of credit. While they might be promoted as monetary relief to prospective borrowers, they are more likely to create more burdens down the road.



“The problem is this type of easy access credit does not help someone who already carries a significant debt load,” the report said. “In fact, it makes their situation much worse.”



The average insolvent payday loan borrower, according to figures from the firm, owes $5,174 in payday loans spread over an average of 3.9 loans. In total, they owe twice their total monthly take-home pay on loans with interest rates that are generally between 29.99% and 59.99% for longer-term loans and 390% for traditional payday loans.



https://www.bnnbloomberg.ca/personal-finance/video/40-of-ontario-insolvencies-driven-by-payday-loans-report-finds~1614966



https://www.wealthprofessional.ca/news/industry-news/payday-lenders-fingerprints-found-on-nearly-40-of-ontario-insolvencies/254715



https://www.newswire.ca/news-releases/4-in-10-insolvencies-driven-by-payday-loans-809283141.html



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2020:  ‘My patients don’t die from old age’: Hamilton doctor calls for data on homeless deaths “I often say goodbye to a patient ... and I seriously wonder if I will ever see them again,’ says Jill Wiwcharuk.



Hamilton’s Dr. Jill Wiwcharuk, an inner city physician, suggests that her patients don’t typically die of old age.  They die of a myriad of illnesses related to homelessness.



https://ahandup.ca/2020/03/09/hamilton-on-struggles-with-homeless-database/



https://www.thespec.com/news-story/9878900--my-patients-don-t-die-from-old-age-hamilton-doctor-calls-for-data-on-homeless-deaths/



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2019: Ontario correctional workers get 4-year-contract, 7.5% wage increase.



TORONTO – An arbitrator has awarded a four-year contract to Ontario’s correctional workers.



The union for the workers calls the deal a win for its members and notes it features an average 7.5 per cent wage increase over the life of the deal.



READ MORE: Ontario government to fund new, comprehensive mental health program for provincial police officers



https://globalnews.ca/news/5110112/ontario-mental-health-provincial-police/



Chris Jackel, the chair for the corrections division of the Ontario Public Service Employees Union, says the deal is retroactive to 2018.



He says the main bargaining issues included wages and psychological benefits.



READ MORE: Ontario government offers public servants contract extensions, 7.5% raises



https://globalnews.ca/news/3520556/ontario-government-offers-public-servants-contract-extensions-7-5-raises/



Jackel says a per session cap on psychologist visits has been eliminated, which will help the roughly 20 per cent of workers who are off due to operational stress injuries.



The province did not immediately respond to a request for comment.



https://globalnews.ca/news/5122393/ontario-correctional-workers-contract/



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2019: Ontario is using a new law to retroactively dismiss lawsuits it lost: lawyer. A class action lawyer suing the Ontario government over alleged mistreatment of several vulnerable groups says a new law the province is using retroactively to try to shut down those cases is unprecedented and unfair.



https://www.cbc.ca/radio/asithappens/as-it-happens-monday-edition-1.5389171/ontario-is-using-a-new-law-to-retroactively-dismiss-lawsuits-it-lost-lawyer-1.5389627



https://www.theloop.ca/watch/canada/news/new-law-retroactively-ends-lawsuits-lost-by-ontario-government/6117786163001/1653715534829397999/



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2018: Half of Canadian jobs will be impacted by automation in next 10 years.



Automation will likely affect over half of Canadian jobs in the next decade, but being human could be the very thing that helps Canadians stay employed, a new RBC report claims.



https://globalnews.ca/news/4105713/automation-workforce-canada-human/



2019: Workers at risk of losing jobs can be retrained for health care, RBC says.



https://www.ctvnews.ca/health/workers-at-risk-of-losing-jobs-to-ai-can-be-retrained-for-health-care-rbc-says-1.4685009



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2019: Doug Ford’s cancellation of green energy deals costs Ontario taxpayers $231 million.



The government cancelled the contracts last July, saying the move would save ratepayers $790 million — a figure industry officials have disputed.



https://business.financialpost.com/commodities/energy/doug-fords-cancellation-of-green-energy-deals-costs-ontario-taxpayers-231m



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2019: A robot in every factory: The $230-million bid to help automate Ontario’s manufacturing sector.



Innovation Nation: If the program works as intended, cookie factories and printing shops could soon be using robotic arms and self-driving vehicles.



The centrepiece of Canada’s innovation strategy is the $950-million “supercluster” initiative. The goal, according to the federal government, is for companies of all sizes, academia and the non-profit sector to collaborate on new technologies, to spur economic growth and create jobs. As part of the Innovation Nation series, the Financial Post is taking an in-depth look at each of the five regional projects, and provide continuing coverage of their progress. You can find all of our coverage here.



https://business.financialpost.com/technology/a-robot-in-every-factory-the-230-million-bid-to-help-automate-ontarios-manufacturing-sector



Automated for the Future (Ontario Grade 8)



Automated for the Future is an inquiry-based elementary school educational resource. Students delve into the complex world of coding, explore the impact of automated systems, and build their own innovative mechanical system. Circle relationships and GPS connections target real-world connections. This digital resource is designed to excite learning in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) with an emphasis on 21st century skills including creativity, collaboration, problem solving, and perseverance.



https://resources.perimeterinstitute.ca/products/automated-for-the-future



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2019: Fiscal restraint? Doug Ford's Ontario government spent billions more than Wynne had planned in 2018-19.



Opinion: At the current rate of spending, an additional $42 billion will be added to Ontario’s debt from now until a balanced budget in 2023.



https://business.financialpost.com/opinion/doug-fords-ontario-government-spent-billions-more-than-wynne-had-planned-in-2018-19



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Corporatism is a political ideology which advocates the organization of society by corporate groups, such as agricultural, labour, military, scientific, or guild associations on the basis of their common interests.



Fascism's theory of economic corporatism involved management of sectors of the economy by government or privately-controlled organizations (corporations).[Ontario's children's aid societies] Each trade union or employer corporation would theoretically represent its professional concerns, especially by negotiation of labour contracts and the like. It was theorized that this method could result in harmony amongst social classes. However, authors have noted that historically de facto economic corporatism was also used to reduce opposition and reward political loyalty.



In Italy from 1922 until 1943, corporatism became influential amongst Italian nationalists led by Benito Mussolini. The Charter of Carnaro gained much popularity as the prototype of a "corporative state", having displayed much within its tenets as a guild system combining the concepts of autonomy and authority in a special synthesis. Alfredo Rocco spoke of a corporative state and declared corporatist ideology in detail. Rocco would later become a member of the Italian fascist regime.



https://www.britannica.com/topic/corporatism



Corporatism: Fascism's theory of economic corporatism involved management of sectors of the economy by government or privately-controlled organizations (corporations). Each trade union or employer corporation would theoretically represent its professional concerns, especially by negotiation of labor contracts and the like.



Marketization of law making is a process that enables the elites to operate as market oriented firms by changing the legal environment in which they operate in, in the best interest of the child according to a bunch of sociopathic child poaching funding predators...



One of the 14 characteristics of fascism is -



Corporate Power is Protected.



The industrial and business aristocracy of a fascist nation often are the ones who put the government leaders into power, creating a mutually beneficial business/government relationship and power elite.



The people in fascist regimes are persuaded that human rights and procedural protections can be ignored in certain cases because of special need.



When the people who have power in our society can have an influence in law making, the laws that get created will not maintain the appearance of equality and the elites in society can lobby and eventually criminalize the poor.



The laws will start to benefit the big corporations (elites). This is well illustrated in Stan Cohen’s concept of the moral panic. A moral panic refers to the reaction of a group within society (elite) to the activities of a non elite group. The targeted group is seen as a threat to society also referred to as the folk devil.



Today we can see child welfare law is not applied equally to everyone. In this particular instance the child welfare law is benefiting the people with means.



Comack states; “While the pivotal point in the rule of law is ‘equality of all before the law’, the provision of formal equality in the legal sphere does not extend to the economic sphere. Thus, the law maintains only the appearance of equality because, it never calls into question the unequal and exploitative relationship between capital and labour.” This statement implies that the law is in place to be neutral. Therefore, the law would apply equally to everyone, including both the working and elite class. It can be said that in today’s society we have the marketization of law making.



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2020: Ford government going to court to keep ministers' mandate letters secret.



Province fighting order from commissioner to release letters after CBC News freedom of information request.



Ontario's information and privacy commissioner says the government is going to court to prevent the release of Premier Doug Ford's mandate letters to his cabinet ministers, which outline their key priorities.



Former premier Kathleen Wynne began making those documents public in 2014, but the current government is fighting an order from the commissioner to release them.



https://www.thestar.com/opinion/contributors/2020/02/24/ford-hires-us-firm-to-push-ontarians-off-welfare.html



The government denied a CBC News freedom of information request for the mandate letters, saying they are cabinet documents and therefore automatically exempt from disclosure.



https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/ford-government-going-to-court-to-keep-ministers-mandate-letters-secret-1.5255495



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2019: Study finds more than half of university students feel they need better basic skills to succeed.



(MAYBE IF THE GOVERNMENT SPENT MORE ON EARLY, SECONDARY AND POST SECONDARY EDUCATION WOULDN'T BE AN ISSUE.)



TORONTO, April 25, 2019 – A survey of students at four Ontario universities has found that more than half feel they lack competence in basic academic skills that would enable them to succeed in university and beyond.



Researchers from York University, Western University, the University of Waterloo and the University of Toronto (Scarborough and Mississauga campuses) surveyed 2,230 students at their universities to learn how confident they were with their writing, test taking, analysis, time and group management, research, presentation and numeracy skills.



Based on the students’ responses, an advanced statistical classification algorithm allowed researchers to conclude in their study that only about 44 percent of students felt they had the generic skills needed to do well in their academic studies, 41 percent could be classified as at risk in academic settings because of limited levels of basic skills, and 16 percent lacked almost all of the skills needed for higher learning.



The study team, co-led by York University Department of Sociology Professor J. Paul Grayson and Western University Department of Sociology Professor James Côté, included professors Robert Kenedy of York University, Liang Hsuan Chen of the University of Toronto Scarborough and Sharon Roberts of the University of Waterloo.



Using the results of the student survey, the researchers concluded the skill deficiencies of students at each of the four universities were about the same. Family background had no noticeable influence on the skill level and neither did factors such as being a first-generation university student or an international student.



Not surprisingly, students with inadequate skill levels got relatively low grades, frequently thought of dropping out, and were generally dissatisfied with their university experience. In other words, skill levels as measured in the study were predictive of important university outcomes. Over two-thirds said they would welcome a first-year course in academic skills such as effective studying, critical thinking, writing and university standards.



The researchers point out that Ministry of Education policy documents show that most of the skills in which they are interested are objectives of the secondary school system in Ontario. Still, students can obtain good high school grades and still be deficient in these skills. In other words, high school grades do not reflect the development of many skills embodied in Ministry objectives. Arms length evaluations of students would be one way of ensuring that grades reflected the Ministry’s objectives.



"Students want help. They want to do well in school, future jobs, and in their roles as citizens,” said Grayson. “Students recognize they are lacking sufficient skills including literacy and numeracy, which are part of Ontario’s secondary school curriculum and key factors for academic and job success.”



The researchers surveyed students in humanities, social sciences and professional studies programs.



“The most shocking findings were that many of the students who were surveyed and said they have low levels of academic skills also reported being given very high grades in high school,” said Côté. “Some of the same students apparently can make their way through university without much trouble and without acquiring basic academic skills.”



Student participants with serious skills deficits earned high grades in secondary school, according to the survey. In high school, 63 percent of students classified as functional earned grades of A or A+; however, 56 percent of the at-risk students and 45 percent of the dysfunctional students also made those grades.



The research team also discovered that the skill gaps did not improve with more time spent in university. About the same percentages of students in all year-levels of university were considered deficient in their academic skills.



Additional quotes from researchers on the study:



"The data regarding student skills is disturbing, even though we suspected this was the case through our anecdotal experiences. We need to make sure student skills courses are available in order to ensure student success and resilience."



– Robert Kenedy, York University, Associate Professor, Department of Sociology



 “There is a troubling skills deficit - pervasive among domestic, first generation and international students. The need to provide more support to students across the board is clear and urgent.”



–  Liang Hsuan Chen, University of Toronto Scarborough, Associate Professor, Department of Management



“These preliminary findings confirm that a significant proportion of our undergraduate students face challenges related to fundamental academic competency skills at all levels of undergraduate study. Our findings suggest that many students need extensive supports in place before and after they enter university.”



–  Sharon Roberts, University of Waterloo, Associate Professor, Social Development Studies Department



York University champions new ways of thinking that drive teaching and research excellence. Our students receive the education they need to create big ideas that make an impact on the world. Meaningful and sometimes unexpected careers result from cross-disciplinary programming, innovative course design and diverse experiential learning opportunities. York students and graduates push limits, achieve goals and find solutions to the world’s most pressing social challenges, empowered by a strong community that opens minds. York U is an internationally recognized research university – our 11 faculties and 25 research centres have partnerships with 200+ leading universities worldwide. Located in Toronto, York is the third largest university in Canada, with a strong community of 53,000 students, 7,000 faculty and administrative staff, and more than 300,000 alumni.



York U's fully bilingual Glendon Campus is home to Southern Ontario's Centre of Excellence for French Language and Bilingual Postsecondary Education.



Media Contact:

Janice Walls, York University Media Relations, 416 455 4710, wallsj@yorku.ca



https://news.yorku.ca/2019/04/25/study-finds-more-than-half-of-university-students-feel-they-need-better-basic-skills-to-succeed/



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2010: University students can’t spell. Profs say high schools aren’t teaching grammar.



(maybe were there really enough teachers and schools were properly funded this wouldn't be an issue.)



Little or no grammar teaching, cellphone texting, social networking sites like Facebook and Twitter, are all being blamed for an increasing number of post-secondary students who can’t write properly. For years there’s been a flood of anecdotal complaints from professors about what they say is the wretched state of English grammar coming from some of their students.



Now there seems to be some solid evidence.



The University of Waterloo  is one of the few post-secondary institutions in Canada to require students to pass an exam testing their English language skills. Almost a third of those students are failing. “Thirty per cent of students who are admitted are not able to pass at a minimum level,” says Ann Barrett, managing director of the English language proficiency exam at Waterloo. “We would certainly like it to be a lot lower.” Barrett says the failure rate has jumped five percentage points in the past few years, up to 30 per cent from 25 per cent. “What has happened in high school that they cannot pass our simple test of written English, at a minimum?” she asks.



https://www.macleans.ca/education/uniandcollege/university-students-cant-spell/



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2018: One in four Ontario postsecondary students lacks basic literacy, numeracy skills, studies say.



(maybe is there were enough teachers and the schools were properly funded this wouldn't be an issue)



About a quarter of graduating students in Ontario’s postsecondary programs lack adequate literacy and numeracy skills, according to new research from the government agency that monitors the system.



The Higher Education Quality Council of Ontario (HEQCO) completed two large studies of more than 7,500 students at 20 Ontario postsecondary institutions and found that a large number of students achieved scores below the level it considered adequate to succeed in today’s job market. Less than a third of graduating students scored at a superior level.



Harvey Weingarten, president and chief executive of HEQCO, said the research is among the first of its kind to try to measure employment-related skills outcomes in the higher-education system. He said one of the main reasons students pursue postsecondary education is to get a good job. But while universities and colleges say they prepare students for the world of work, employers are frustrated, he said. Many employers say the students they encounter don’t have the communication, problem-solving and critical-thinking skills they’re seeking.



“It troubles us that, in our opinion, too many students are graduating with skills in those two areas that are not as highly developed as we would like,” Dr. Weingarten said. “We need to do better than we’re doing now.”



This work aims to measure student skills and provide a basis for understanding what is valued in the labour market, and how those attributes could be taught.



https://www.theglobeandmail.com/canada/article-one-in-four-ontario-university-students-lack-basic-literacy-numeracy/



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BACK TO THE SOUP KITCHEN LINE ...



Approximately 700,000 students attend more than 850 publicly funded secondary schools in Ontario. Every student is unique, and our high schools are changing to meet students' individual needs.



Innovative programs that help students customize their learning are helping more students graduate. The government's goal is to have 85 percent of students graduating.



85%... WTF IS THAT???



Might just as well just put 15% of them on welfare now...



http://www.edu.gov.on.ca/eng/secondary.html



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Concerns have been raised that child welfare systems may inappropriately target poor families for intrusive interventions. The term “neglect” has been critiqued as a class-based label applied disproportionately to poor families WHITE, RED OR BLACK.



The objectives of the study are to identify the nature and frequency of clinical and poverty-related concerns in child neglect investigations and to assess the service referral response to these needs; to examine the contribution of poverty-related need to case decision-making; and to explore whether substantiated cases of neglect can be divided into subtypes based on different constellations of clinical and poverty-related needs.



This study is a secondary analysis of data collected through the 2008 Canadian Incidence Study of Reported Child Abuse and Neglect (CIS‑2008), a nationally representative dataset. A selected subsample of neglect investigations from the CIS‑2008 (N = 4,489) is examined through descriptive analyses, logistic regression, and two-step cluster analysis in order to explore each research objective.



Children and caregivers investigated for neglect presented with a range of clinical and poverty related difficulties. Contrary to some previous research, the existence of poverty-related needs did not influence case dispositions after controlling for other relevant risk factors. However, some variables that should be, in theory, extraneous to case decision-making emerged as significant in the multivariate models, most notably Aboriginal status, with Aboriginal children having increased odds of substantiation, ongoing service provision and placement. Cluster analyses revealed that cases of neglect could be partitioned into three clusters, with no cluster emerging characterized by poverty alone.



The majority of children investigated for neglect live in families experiencing poverty-related needs, and with caregivers struggling with clinical difficulties. While poverty-related need on its own does not explain the high proportion of poor families reported to the child welfare system, nor does it account for significant variance in case decision making, cluster analysis suggests that there exists a subgroup of “neglected” children living in families perhaps best characterized by the broader notion of social disadvantage. These families may be better served through an orientation of family support/family welfare rather than through the current residual child protection paradigm.



PUBLICATION DATE: 2012



https://www.homelesshub.ca/resource/exploration-relationship-between-poverty-and-child-neglect-canadian-child-welfare



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Is the high cost of clean water and hydro putting your family at risk of CAS involvement?



The effect of provincial policies on struggling families was especially apparent in the late 1990s, when the Conservative government slashed welfare payments and social service funding while at the same time, it introduced in child protection the notion of maltreatment by “omission,” including not having enough food in the home and this after giving the society what amounted to an unlimited funding scheme. The number of children taken into care spiked as did their funding.



“The ministry has been pretty clear with us that advocacy is not part of our mandate,” Goodman said speaking for the society. “It’s not like they’re asking for the (poverty) data. They’re not.” Goodman then when on to suggest the silence suited the government more than the silence suited the society's funding goals.



https://www.thestar.com/news/insight/2016/08/15/report-shines-light-on-povertys-role-on-kids-in-cas-system.html



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2019: Fiscal restraint? Doug Ford's Ontario government spent billions more than Wynne had planned in 2018-19.



Opinion: At the current rate of spending, an additional $42 billion will be added to Ontario’s debt from now until a balanced budget in 2023.



https://business.financialpost.com/opinion/doug-fords-ontario-government-spent-billions-more-than-wynne-had-planned-in-2018-19



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Are Ford's alleged net gains greater than the net losses?



2019: Canada’s jobs market suffered its single-worst month since 2009, shedding 71,200 jobs in November, according to Statistics Canada. The Financial Post dug into the numbers and asked some of the country’s top economists whether this is a blip, or a sign of something more ominous.



By Victor Ferreira, Financial Post.



THE DEEPEST JOB LOSSES — 27,500 — CAME IN MANUFACTURING



ACCOMMODATION AND FOOD/RETAIL LOST A COMBINED 14,300 JOBS



Stephen Brown, senior Canada economist at Capital Economics: “It’s pretty clear the slowdown in GDP growth, both at home and globally is weighing on the labour market and you can see that in the manufacturing figure.



https://business.financialpost.com/news/economy/canada-just-had-its-worst-month-for-job-losses-in-a-decade-so-just-how-bad-was-it



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2018: 'Wacky' Canadian economy lost 51,600 jobs, led by Ontario plunge. By Theophilos Argitis, Bloomberg News.



Canada’s economy unexpectedly lost 51,600 jobs, with wage gains slowing and Ontario recording its biggest employment drop in nearly a decade, removing any urgency for the central bank to accelerate rate hikes.



The nation’s largest province lost 80,100 jobs in August, all part-time, the biggest decline for Ontario since 2009. Nationally, the economy lost 92,000 part-time workers, though a 40,400 gain in full-time employment is one sign the labour market is firmer than the headline number suggests.



https://www.bnnbloomberg.ca/canada-s-economy-lost-51-600-jobs-in-august-1.1134558



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Out of Mind, Out of Sight: Inside the Brockville Psych | A TVO Original ...

Raising awareness and sharing stories about mental illness helps us with our goal of making a positive difference in the lives of individuals, families and communities impacted by schizophrenia and psychosis.

https://www.schizophrenia.ca/advocacy.php

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2020: Loss of mental health teams a 'step backward,' police warn

Police in Lanark County are warning the loss of a program that pairs mental health nurses with front-line officers is a "step backward" in how they deal with vulnerable people in the community.

The mobile crisis response teams involving Lanark County OPP and Smiths Falls police were given a two-year provincial grant of $158,000. The money runs out in March, and will not be renewed.

Participants say the program has helped reduce the number of people taken into custody.

"I've seen guys down in the cells after they've just faced some serious charges, I've seen people who are missing a purse and we found out they have dementia, or you just see teenagers in distress," said nurse Christine Lapeer, who responds to calls and conducts follow-up visits with Const. Aaron Tompkins of the Smiths Falls Police Service.

"They see it as police ... trying to help them, as well as mental health services."

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/ottawa/opp-smiths-falls-police-mental-health-crisis-1.5488509

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Smiths Falls Squalor: What ACT Team and South East LHIN deem suitable living conditions.

https://youtu.be/61mzn9SgWgU

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SMITHS FALLS SQUALOR PT 2 – Update

https://youtu.be/MCIKfH27Pp0

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SMITHS FALLS SQUALOR PT 2 – Updated

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gAoRhv4ZXO0&t=10s

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In this recording a representative of the Smiths Falls police explains to a property owner why he can't remove her 52 year old schizophrenic son from her home..

https://youtu.be/l3VAtBiN1qA

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Still failing to ACT. Mar 9, 2020

https://youtu.be/WWbmkKM0GE8

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Families of Schizophrenia Support Group

https://www.facebook.com/groups/268866299859344/

We paid for three days in a hotel room (and deposit) and offered to put his things in storage and offered to buy him food till he could get a hold of his trustee. He refused.

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What does the Schizophrenia Society of Canada advocate for?

Advocating on behalf of individuals and families affected by schizophrenia is an important part of the SSC's mission. Our organization is committed to improving the quality of life for those affected by schizophrenia and psychosis through education and mental health resources, support programs, public policy and research.

The SSC's advocacy initiatives are directed by the Public Policy and Advocacy Committee of the Board of Directors. In 2006, the Advocacy Committee established several priorities for the SSC's advocacy efforts. They are:

Canadian Mental Health Commission

Decriminalization

Early Interventions

Currently, the SSC is focusing its advocacy resources on the Canadian Mental Health Commission and Access to Schizophrenia Treatment Options. For more on these efforts, please see the Advocacy Issues page.

The SSC has been an active advocate on behalf of individuals affected by mental illness. To read more about our advocacy efforts on a number of issues, please view see the Position Papers and Reports section.

Learn More

Advocacy Issues:

Get the latest news and updates on the SSC's ongoing advocacy initiatives.

Advocacy Resources:

"What is Advocacy" article from The Bulletin newsletter

Advocacy Tips

How You Can Help:

Find out how you can help advocate on important issues impacting those with mental illness

https://www.schizophrenia.ca/advocacy.php

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Schizophrenia Society of Ottawa: What Causes Schizophrenia?

Schizophrenia occurs in every race, culture and socio-economic group. It occurs equally in men and women. In Canada, more than 360,000 people live with the disease, of which 140,000 live in Ontario. The illness usually begins when people are in their teens or early twenties, although it can occur later in life. Because it strikes young people in their formative years, it is often referred to as "youth's greatest disabler."

https://www.tvo.org/video/documentaries/out-of-mind-out-of-sight-inside-the-brockville-psych

https://youtu.be/qYgNp9v8JSw

https://www.tvo.org/video/documentaries/out-of-mind-out-of-sight-feature-version

Men usually develop schizophrenia at an earlier age than women. In most cases, schizophrenia begins gradually – so much so that it is often months or years before the individual or their family recognizes that something is wrong. With some people, however, the onset can be very rapid.

Currently, researchers do not know the exact cause or causes of schizophrenia but know that there are several contributing factors. It is known that genetics play a role. While we do know that someone who has a relative with schizophrenia has a greater chance of developing the disease than someone who does not, genetics does not account for all cases of schizophrenia. Researchers are also looking at viruses that may affect brain development during the second trimester of pregnancy.

Symptoms of Schizophrenia and Psychosis

The first sign of schizophrenia is often psychosis, a mental condition altering a person’s ability to perceive reality

Other symptoms can include profound disruptions in thinking affecting language, perception and sense of self as well as psychotic experiences, e.g., hearing voices, hallucinations or delusions

Cognitive symptoms include difficulties with attention, concentration and memory.

Schizophrenia can also impair brain functioning, affecting a person’s ability to integrate well into their social environment, i.e. earn a livelihood and maintain healthy relationships

How is Schizophrenia Treated?

Schizophrenia varies in severity from one person to another, and treatment will often depend on an individual’s personal health and needs. Some people will require hospitalization during the course of their illness - some for longer periods than others, while others can effectively receive treatment in the community.

Families and individuals affected by this illness require a broad range of support, depending on the issues that they encounter. Treatment can include:

Psychiatric treatment such as medication, hospital-based care, support and care provided directly by a psychiatrist, etc.,

Psychosocial therapies. SSO provides Cognitive Behaviour Therapy for psychosis (CBT-p) workshops for caregivers and professionals Community supports and services such as counselling, community-based mental health care services and programs such as ACT teams, peer support programs,

Social supports such as housing, income assistance and employment support,

Treatment and medication is often trial and error process, usually involving a number of attempts and adjustments before the right treatment is found. Even when the right combination of therapy and medication is determined, individuals with schizophrenia can experience relapses and may require additional support to follow their treatment plan. Relapse in symptoms and treatment non-adherence are very common and are a natural part of the recovery process.

Health Quality Ontario has developed helpful guidelines for care detailing how to best support adults with schizophrenia in the community they live in as well as in the hospital, when needed. You can find more information about these here.

Chances for Recovery?

3 in 10 people recover quite well and are eventually able to return to resume their previous lives

3 in 10 people recover to a lesser extent, but are usually able to live independently

3 in 10 people require more extensive help, such as living in supportive housing or in a supportive care facility

Sadly, the remaining 10% do not survive schizophrenia and usually die due to suicide

Recovery and living well with this is illness is now considered to be a realistic possibility. Rather than a total lack of symptoms, recovery means living well with the illness.

About Schizophrenia

About Psychosis

Psychosis is a debilitating mental condition that alters how a person thinks, perceives the world and ultimately how they feel, behave and function. Psychosis may be caused by a psychiatric illness such as schizophrenia or bipolar disorder. It can also be caused by brain injury, infection or substance abuse. Symptoms can include delusions, hallucinations, disorganized thinking and /or bizarre behavior. Onset generally develops slowly over several months or even years and typically occurs during late adolescence or early adulthood. Psychosis can impact all facets of a person’s life, such as career, education, relationships and employment. Each year about 12 of out every 100,000 people in Ontario will experience their first episode of psychosis and the overwhelming majority of them will be adolescents and young adults between the ages of 14 and 35 (Jablensky, et al., 1992 ; Ministry of Health and Long Term Care: Early Psychosis Intervention Program Standards, 2011).

What is Schizophrenia?

Schizophrenia is a chronic but highly treatable brain disease

Schizophrenia is a chronic illness – most people who are diagnosed will require various levels of support for most of their lives.

Schizophrenia affects everyone – it occurs in every race, culture or socio-economic group. It occurs equally in men and women.

People can – and do – get better with the help of:

Family and friends

Community-based services, social and peer supports, counselling and crisis services

Doctors, medications, hospitals

Healthy lifestyle, exercise and healthy eating

Employment and education

Supportive housing

View an inforgraphic with information on schizophrenia here.

https://www.schizophrenia.on.ca/getattachment/News-Events/Schizophrenia-and-the-Mental-Health-System/SSO-Public_v14.pdf.aspx?lang=en-CA

http://www.schizophrenia.on.ca/Get-Help/Resources/Henson-Test

Do you have a story to tell? Consider joining our Speakers Bureau!

Our Speakers Bureau features speakers who want to share their personal experience with mental illness. Sharing stories of how mental illness has impacted them directly or how it affected them through a family member or loved one, their stories serve to educate others about schizophrenia and open the conversation to a better understanding of what it means to live with it.

Raising awareness and sharing stories about mental illness helps us with our goal of making a positive difference in the lives of individuals, families and communities impacted by schizophrenia and psychosis.

If your organization needs a presenter to speak about their experience of living with a mental illness, or about being a family member/caregiver of an individual living with mental illness, please download and complete the Request a Speaker – Submission Form and send to communications@schizophrenia.on.ca

For information on early intervention or to speak to a counselor, contact Ask the Expert at asktheexpert@schizophrenia.on.ca or 1-855-449-9949 Monday to Friday 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. EST.

Learn more about schizophrenia and psychosis.

https://www.schizophrenia.on.ca/Get-Help/Resources/About-Schizophrenia

https://www.schizophrenia.on.ca/About-Us/Mission,-Vision-and-Mandate

Find out more about the act here: http://www.mcss.gov.on.ca/en/mcss/programs/accessibility/index.aspx

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