A new Canadian holds a Canadian flag, their citizenship certificate and a letter signed by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau as they sing O Canada after becoming a Canadian citizen, during a special Canada Day citizenship ceremony in West Vancouver on Monday, July 1, 2019. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck
Here is a roundup of stories from The Canadian Press designed to bring you up to speed on what you need to know today.
Citizenship test and Canada Day
Canadians’ hearts may be brimming with pride as Canada Day approaches, but a new poll suggests their minds aren’t full of the knowledge they would need to pass a citizenship test.
In a survey of more than 1,500 Canadian adults, Leger (LEH”-zhay) found that only 23 per cent would pass the citizenship test, based on their answers to 10 randomly selected questions.
People who wish to become Canadian need to answer 20 questions about citizens’ rights and responsibilities, as well as Canada’s history, geography, economy, government, laws and symbols.
They need to get 75 per cent of them right to pass – but the average score of the Canadians who were surveyed was only 49 per cent.
Ottawa urged to back Washington in pipline dispute
A progressive public policy think tank is urging the federal government to side against oil and gas transmission giant TC Energy in its ongoing dispute with the United States over the ill-fated Keystone XL project.
The Calgary-based company is seeking to recoup US$15 billion in lost revenue from the on-again, off-again cross-border pipeline expansion, which President Joe Biden killed off for good in 2021 on his first day as commander-in-chief.
The lawsuit is based on the investor-state dispute rules in the now-expired NAFTA, as well as that deal’s successor, the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement, which included a three-year extension of those rules for so-called “legacy” investors.
Shelters to get safety upgrade
A federal program that helps community institutions make safety-related improvements is being expanded to shelters for victims of gender-based violence.
The $5-million Security Infrastructure Program covers as much as half the cost of security equipment such as lighting, fencing, cameras and alarm systems, up to $100,000 per project.
Public Safety Minister Marco Mendicino says eligible recipients, including community centres, educational institutions, places of worship and others, can apply for funding until Aug. 31.
However, organizations that have experienced significant, direct hate-motivated crime against their facility might qualify for a new emergency stream of money accessible outside the annual call for applications period.
Here’s what else we’re watching
Wildfire smoke triggering more warnings
Canadian wildfires are continuing to send heavy clouds of smoke south, from Northern Ontario and Quebec, through both provinces and into the U-S.
The thick haze has triggered air quality warnings for Chicago, Detroit and Toronto.
The trio of cities currently hold three of the top four spots on Air-I-Q’s global ranking for poor air quality.
As of this morning, Dubai in the United Arab Emirates tops the list of major cities with a significant score of 411 — putting its air quality in the “Hazardous” category. Detroit ranks second, followed by Chicago, and Toronto in fourth, with an “Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups” rating of 159.
Alberta approach to overdose prevention not working, experts say
Experts say Alberta’s model for combating drug poisoning in the province is not working as opioid-related deaths reached an all-time high this April.
The latest provincial data, which was released on Monday, shows 179 people died from drug poisoning in April, making it the month with the highest-ever opioid deaths recorded in Alberta.
Elaine Hyshka, who is the Canada Research Chair in health systems innovation, says the latest numbers suggest that the province might be on track for the worst year yet.
Hyshka says the increased number of overdoses shows the illegal supply of drugs in Alberta is highly toxic.
She says the government lacks an emergency response to the crisis.
Toronto theatre awards handed out
The Dora Mavor Moore Awards followed the white rabbit, handing six statuettes to “Alice in Wonderland” at the Toronto theatre awards on Tuesday night.
The production from Bad Hats Theatre, presented by Soulpepper Theatre, won big in the musical theatre division.
It was awarded outstanding production and outstanding new musical, while Tess Benger won outstanding performance in a leading role for her portrayal of Alice.
The contemporary reimagining of Lewis Carroll’s classic tale also took home outstanding direction, outstanding achievement in design and outstanding original choreography.
Forty-six awards were handed out across seven categories at the ceremony in Toronto.
