In the news today: Big chill to grip B.C., and N.S. doc calls for safer opioid supply

By The Canadian Press on January 10, 2024.

Here is a roundup of stories from The Canadian Press designed to
bring you up to speed on what you need to know today…

Expect -50 C wind chill for parts of northern B.C.

Environment Canada is warning parts of northern British Columbia to expect wind chill values as cold as -50 C for at least the rest of the week.

An extreme cold warning issued for the Peace River region says an arctic ridge over the province means temperatures will remain between -30 and -40 C until Sunday.

It says the frigid temperatures combined with winds of around 20 km/h will produce wind chill values as low as -50 C.

A separate warning issued for coastal and inland sections of the north and central coast says Arctic air combined with strong winds means frostbite and hypothermia can occur within minutes if precautions are not taken.

Communities, including Stewart and Terrace, are being told to prepare for wind chills of as much as -30 C starting this evening.

The warning says temperatures may warm up on Sunday, but that timing remains uncertain.

Calls for more safer opioid access in Nova Scotia

As the illicit drugs that have devastated Western and Central Canada become more prevalent in Nova Scotia, a Halifax physician is renewing calls to expand access to “safer opioid supply” treatment to prevent overdoses and deaths.

Doctor Mike Gniewek is warning that opioids sold and consumed in Nova Scotia are increasingly unpredictable and often contaminated.

In a recent interview, the family and addictions physician with Halifax’s Mobile Outreach Street Health unit said to save more lives, more doctors in the Atlantic region should be trained on how to treat some patients with pharmaceutical-grade opioids – known as safer supply opioids – a medical approach in which drug users are prescribed what’s considered a safer alternative to what they are consuming.

The approach, he noted, comes with ongoing monitoring and primary health-care support.

The problem right now, he added, is that he knows of only three doctors in the province willing to prescribe patients with a safer supply of an opioid – and he is one of them.

AI skills in demand as companies begin 2024 hiring

Canadian companies that are hiring this year are on the lookout for workers with artificial intelligence skills.

Members of the country’s tech community say finding staff who can develop A-I-based products or use them to help trim costs is a priority as the global race to take advantage of the technology tightens.

Jenny Yang, a senior advisor at the Marsinnovation hub in Toronto says everyone seems to be looking for people who understand A-I to help them use chatbots or develop their own A-I systems.

Alik Sokolov (Alek SOCK’-oh-lov) of Montreal-based A-I company Responsibli (Responsibly) says the spike in interest in A-I jobs is largely attributable to the November 2022 release of ChatG-P-T.

Judge to hear challenge to pronoun law

A Saskatchewan judge is to hear a legal challenge over a law that requires parental consent when children under 16 want to change their names or pronouns at school.

Lawyers for UR Pride, an LGBTQ organization in Regina, have challenged the law and say it violates the rights of gender diverse youth.

The lawyers say those youth should be entitled to a free society and safe educational environment.

The province’s lawyers have asked the court to dismiss the case, arguing it is moot as the Saskatchewan government invoked the notwithstanding clause.

The clause is a rarely used measure that lets governments override certain Charter rights for five years.

B.C. volunteer rescue leaders allege mistreatment

In a joint letter to British Columbia Premier David Eby, current and former search and rescue team leaders say there is “institutionalized bullying” of volunteers by the province’s Ministry of Emergency Management and Climate Readiness.

They also allege there is a lack of consultation, including about new equipment that could improve safety and save lives.

Dwight Yochim, who was ousted as CEO of the B.C. Search and Rescue Association last week, says the province has been ignoring pressing safety issues, while leaving team leaders in the dark about important policy decisions.

He says the situation between the association and the ministry has become toxic, partly due to the government’s opposition to their group’s advocacy work on behalf of search and rescue volunteers.

U.S. Secretary of State seeks Palestinian governance reform

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken plans to seek governance reforms when he meets with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas on Wednesday.

Blinken says he has secured commitments from multiple countries in the region to assist with rebuilding and governing Gaza after the war against Hamas, and that wider Israeli-Arab normalization is still possible, but only if there is “a pathway to a Palestinian state.”

That approach faces serious obstacles, beginning with the Israeli government’s adamant opposition to Palestinian statehood.

But it would also have to grapple with the Western-backed Palestinian leadership’s dearth of legitimacy among its own people.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 10, 2024

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