RCI | English : Interviews

In Canada’s federal election, 63 per cent of voters chose parties with strong platforms on mitigating climate change. The Liberal Party will form the government but, since it does not have a majority of seats, it will have to seek the support of other parties in order to govern. Two of these parties strongly favour tougher measures to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. 

The New Democratic Party and the Green Party both campaigned hard for major reductions in greenhouse gas emissions. (iStock)

Two opposition parties seek stronger climate action

“We see that the Liberals, the New Democratic Party...the Green Party...all agree that this country needs to step up the ambition of our climate commitments,” says Catherine Abreu, Executive Director of the Climate Action Network of Canada, a coalition of groups concerned about climate change. 

“We need to meet that 2020 deadline set out by the UN to come back to the table with a stronger commitment under the Paris Agreement. We need to legislate..emissions reduction targets...that help us get there, as well as holding ourselves accountable for those commitments and establishing institutions that keep us on track.  

But the Conservative Party ran on a promise to kill the carbon tax that the previous Liberal government levied on provinces. The leaders of the oil-rich, western provinces of Alberta and Saskatchewan are opposed to the tax and other environmental measures that would weaken the oil industry. 

The challenge of the new minority government will be to reconcile those conflicting visions. 

Political parties recognize there will be a need for a transition from oil industry jobs to greener alternatives. (iStock)

Parties agree job diversification needed

Some of the parties emphasized a need for economic diversification and job creation as the country moves away from fossil fuel industries and toward what they call a climate-safe future. 

Abreu likens the situation to the collapse of the cod fishing industry in the 1970s in eastern Canada that forced families to leave and seek work in other parts of the country. “Even though politicians foresaw the collapse of the cod fishery, they didn’t plan for it. And I want us to make sure that we are not in the same position in the next couple of decades, that we see that the oil and gas industry...does need to wind down gradually...over time, and that we need to plan and prepare for it, have conversations with workers and communities about what they need to prepare for it and invest in the industries of the future that are going to protect people and the planet.”

The Liberals will form a government with 157 seats, leaving it short of the 13 required for a majority. For support on climate issues, it can seek the help of the NDP which obtained 24 seats, the Bloc Quebecois which garnered 32 seats, and/or the Greens with three.

Conservative Party is a strong supporter of the oil industry

The Conservative Party which supports the oil industry obtained 32 seats and so, does not have enough to topple the government if it disagrees with climate policy. 

However, even though his Liberal Party did not win any seats in Alberta and Saskatchewan, Prime Minister Trudeau has said he wants to serve people there as well and he plans to go ahead with the expansion of the Trans Mountain Pipeline to bring oil product to tidewater. The NDP, the Bloc Quebecois and the Greens are opposed. 

The prime minister has made no formal alliance with any party and says he will seek their support on a case-by-case basis.

It will be interesting to see how he manages.

A minority government in Canada typically falls in about 18 to 24 months.

Catherine Abreu says there will be much opposition party support for strong action to mitigate climate change.EN_Interview_2-20191024-WIE20

It seems counterintuitive, calm your brain activity, and you live longer.

That’s seemingly the results of a new American research study led by researchers at the Harvard Medical School in Boston.

Others say this research should not replace the “use it or lose it” doctrine.

Dr. Iris Gorfinkel, (M.D., CM) is a family physician, and founder of Prime Health Clinical Research in Toronto

ListenEN_Interview_1-20191024-WIE10

It seems that in the study, the brains of people who died before their mid-80’s had fewer proteins known as REST than did the brains of people who lived to be 100 or more. These proteins help tamp down brain activity. Thus the theory that people with a less-active brain, or less excited brain, live longer.

Dr Iris Gorfinkel (MD, CM): Don't rush to conclusions from this study, it's still better to keep the brain stimulated

The study was published in the journal Nature, under the title, Regulation of lifespan by neural excitation and REST. (abstract here)

Using worm and mouse models, the researchers added REST, and the creatures lived longer.  But, does that mean that as we age we should not be trying to learn to play an instrument, a new language, or do crosswords or soduku to stimulate the brain?.

Dr. Gorfinkel says no,  keeping the brain active keeps you active into old age.

In addition, there are many variables related to the study,  and implications of other studies that show for example older people activate more brain cells than younger people to accomplish a particular task indicating possibly less efficient brains ion the elderly or attempts to use more circuits to compensate. Ageing, brain use, and human behaviour are exceptionally complex, and one study should not be taken on its own as an answer.

Dr Gorfinkel notes that the higher one is on the knowledge and intelligence scale, and with continued learning, the longer and slower is the eventual descent toward dementia, and that people who continually stimulate their brain have less loss over time. She also says avoiding depression is extremely important as well for a longer happier life.

Additional information

Nature: Research study

Washington Post: C.Y. Johnson: Oct 16/19:  Excessive brain activity linked to shorter life

Very Well Health: M Stibich(PhD): Apr 5/19: Important longevity to-dos for your 70’s

A new book suggests that depression should be considered an inflammatory illness. That is to say, depression can provoke high levels of stress hormone which cause certain brain cells to stop working properly and to produce proteins that cause inflammation. Inflammation can cause other problems like heart disease, diabetes and obesity.

“When you have multiple or very severe episodes (of depression) there’s actually an inflammatory cascade that is set up in the brain and it can lead to real measurable changes in the brain’s structure and functioning,” says Dr. Diane McIntosh, a psychiatrist  and author of the book This is Depression: A Comprehensive Compassionate Guide for Anyone who Wants to Understand Depression.

“We can see in the brains of chronically, severely depressed patients that they have shrinkage of particular brain areas, one called the hippocampus. We can measure that in people who have severe and chronic depression and that’s related to an inflammatory cascade.”

Severe and chronic depression can cause changes in the brain. says author. (iStock)

Treatment must be tailor-made, says psychiatrist

McIntosh says there are no specific anti-inflammatory treatments for depression yet and there is much work being done to be more specific in the targeting of depression. However, many current treatments for depression do have an impact on the inflammatory system and neurotransmitters, and they help nourish the brain. Among the treatments are anti-depressants, electro compulsive therapy, and exercise to can have a beneficial effect.

The difficulty is that everyone is different and every treatment needs to be tailor-made for each patient. Things like yoga and mindfulness can also help patients manage their symptoms. McIntosh says there is much trial and error involved in finding the right regimen for each patient.

Dr. Diane McIntosh says depression is complex and involves inflammation.EN_Interview_2-20191023-WIE20

The Canadian electorate has returned Justin Trudeau to power but he will need the support of another party or parties for his government to survive. To hold a majority in Canada’s House of Commons, a party needs 170 seats, but the Liberals only obtained 157. The Conservative Party was disappointed to obtain 121 seats, in spite of the fact that they got marginally more of the popular vote. 

This means the Liberals will have to get the support of either the New Democratic Party (NDP) which won 24 seats, or the Bloc Québécois which won an extraordinary 32 seats and is a nationalist party representing the special interests of the mainly French-speaking province of Quebec. The Liberals may also seek support for the Green Party, but it only picked up three seats.

The only right-leaning, populist party in the running, The People's Party of Canada, failed to gain a seat.

Former Liberal cabinet minister Jody Wilson-Raybould narrowly won her seat as an independent. She was ejected from the Liberal Party over the SNC-Lavalin scandal. At the time, she was attorney general and charged that she was pressured by the Prime MInister's Office to spare the engineering company from prosecution and instead make a reparations agreement.

For the first time, no party got more than one-third of the popular vote. 

The result is indicative of stark regional differences in Canada. This was immediately acknowledged by Trudeau.

ListenEN_Clip_3-20191022-WME30

Andrew Scheer and his Conservative Party are strong supporters of the oil industry and were massively supported by voters in Alberta and Saskatchewan. (Jeff McIntosh/The Canadian Press)

Concerns for the oil industry, economy apparent in west

The Liberals were shut out of the western provinces of Alberta and Saskatchewan. These are oil-rich provinces and they will be represented by the Conservative Party, as they traditionally have been.During the election campaign the Conservatives had vowed to withdraw the carbon tax imposed by the Liberal government as a measure to combat climate change. The Liberal government had tried to balance this effort to reduce greenhouse gas emissions with a boost to the oil industry in the form of purchasing a major oil pipeline. This appears to not have assuaged western voters who are worried about the decline of the oil industry and harm they have suffered to their economy.

Promotion of Quebec interests popular

On the other side of the country, voters in Quebec were not happy with the Conservative idea of building an oil pipeline through that province. Quebec was one of the first adopters of a carbon cap and trade system and voters are very sensitive to the environment. In addition, they are very protective of their unique culture and French language. While the Bloc Québécois is a sovereigntist party, it has vowed it will not seek the independence of Quebec during this mandate. Indeed, public opinion polls show there is no appetite for sovereignty at this time.

Trudeau's Liberal Party is centre-left and the New Democratic Party (NDP) would appear to be a natural ally for the Liberals. Leader Jagmeet Singh expressed his willingness to work with the Liberals during the election campaign.

Minority governments in Canada generally last 18 to 24 months. Analysts have pointed out that no party is in a position any time soon to vote no confidence in a Liberal government and trigger another election. They will need time to raise more money and to regroup. Conservatives may question the leadership of Andrew Scheer who did not deliver the number of seats they thought they would win. His deputy leader, Lisa Raitt, also lost her seat.

Hear Liberal Leader Justin Trudeau's victory speech:

NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh is the leader whose views are closest aligned with those of the Liberal Party. Hear his election night speech.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L6BmJu1vItM&t=43s

The Conservative Party did not win as many seats as expected,

Two men were shot early on Oct. 20, 2019 at an Ottawa home that neighbours told CBC was an Airbnb rental. This was not confirmed by the company. But several neighbours told CBC reporters that the home was what they called a “ghost hotel” and the site of frequent noisy parties.

There have been several other complaints about short-term rentals in Canada. In February 2019 a woman was arrested for throwing a chair from the balcony of what was thought to be a short-term rental unit in a high-rise.

“It demonstrates that regulations for short-term rental companies like Airbnb are very much needed across the country,” says Thorben Wieditz, a researcher with Fairbnb, a group that campaigns for such regulations. He says the number of short term-rentals has increased dramatically in Canadian cities and is growing in smaller cities and suburbs too. 

Tens of thousands of homes lost to the housing market, says researcher

Wieditz is not just concerned about the noise and disruption caused by some of the tourists renting these units. He says companies like Airbnb are having a dramatic effect on the housing stock in some cities. 

“Airbnb is removing tens of thousands of homes from the housing market and turns them into full time, what we call ghost hotels. So, it has an immense impact on the availability and affordability of housing in our cities.” 

Posters in Toronto’s Kensington Market call for action on short-term rentals and the problem of tenants who are evicted to make room for renters using websites like Airbnb. (Martin Trainor/CBC News)

A call for a 'fair and balanced' approach

The city of Toronto is considering regulations to deal with the problems but home owners affiliated with Airbnb are fighting the change.  Wieditz explains the proposed regulations: “It’s a very fair and balanced approach,” says Wieditz. “If you and I want to rent out our home on Airbnb, we’re allowed to do so, but where Toronto’s rules would draw a line in the sand is to say, if you and I buy up, lease up, or otherwise acquire dozens and dozens of properties, condos or rental apartments for the sole purpose of turning these into ghost hotels that would not be allowed.”

This would prevent the huge loss of rental housing stock. And Wieditz says the problems of noise and disruption would diminish since individual homeowners are more likely to monitor such problems in order to maintain relations with their neighbours.

Wieditz is not in favour of Canada-wide rules to control short-term rentals because the problems are different in each city. But he urges city officials to study the problem in each jurisdiction in order to come up with the solutions that suit them best.

Thorben Wieditz says short-term rentals are removing tens of thousands of homes from Canada’s housing stock making rental units less available and less affordable. (Fairbnb)

ListenEN_Interview_2-20191021-WIE20

With files from CBC reporters Hillary Johnstone and Laura Glowacki.

In the Great Professional Tennis Scheme of Things, an ATP 250 in Stockholm and an ATP Challenger in Las Vegas are not the kind of tournaments that garner a lot of headlines.

But don't kid yourself.

Unless you're a top-ten player, it's no cakewalk to the winner's circle, which is where two Canadian tennis players, Denis Shapovalov and Vasek Pospisil, wound up this weekend.

They are quite a ways apart on the ATP ranking spectrum

Shapovalov is a hot-shot comer at the age of 20.

Pospisil, who is 29, is trying to resurrect a career long-plagued by injuries

Both have to be feeling pretty darn good about themselves right now.

Shapovalov caught the tennis world's attention a couple of years ago in Montreal when he made the semifinals of the Rogers Cup and then advanced to the fourth round of the U.S. Open, winning lots of fans with his emotional, all-out, go-for-broke style.

But as more and more players grew to know what to expect from him, he had more than a few problems, going 0-7 in semifinals at tournaments around the world.

That all changed this week.

In his first-ever ATP final, Shapovalov scored a 6-4, 6-4 victory over Serbian Filip Krajinovic, the world's No. 60.

Ranked No. 34 going into the tournament, Shapovalov is now back in top-30 for the first time since July.

Vasek Pospisil was all smiles after his victory Sunday in Las Vegas. (Twitter)

Meanwhile in Las Vegas, Pospisil claimed his eighth ATP Challenger Tour title and first in nearly two years, defeating Australian World No. 133 James Duckworth 7-5, 6-7(11), 6-3.

The victory was the latest step in a long, tough and gritty comeback campaign for Pospisil, who advanced to the Round of 16 appearance at the Rolex Shanghai Masters as a qualifier earlier this month.

At Shanghai, he earned his second Top 20 win in recent weeks, upsetting Diego Schwartzman after toppling Karen Khachanov at the US Open.

Once upon a time--in January, 2014--Pospisil was ranked No. 25 in the world.

Since then, because multiple injuries, he has seen his ranking fall.

Sunday's victory moved him from No. 191 to No. 168.

For some perspective on Shapovalov and Pospisil's victories and what they mean for each player, I spoke with Stephanie Myles, editor-in-chief of Tennis.life and the author of an upcoming book on Bianca Andreescu, the Canadian who won this summer's Rogers Cup and the U.S. Open.

ListenEN_Interview_4-20191021-WIE40

An international panel of experts in cancer and rehabilitation has devised new guidelines to help people prevent cancer or recover from it and improve their survival.

“In terms of cancer treatment, we know that being active, in theory, has been safe. We’ve done a lot of research there and it’s beneficial,” says Kristin Campbell, associate professor of physical therapy at the University of British Columbia and the Canadian representative on the international panel.

Exercise said to reduce fatigue, anxiety, depression

“The research suggests that 30 minutes of aerobic activity, three days per week and two days a week of strength training can reduce cancer-related fatigue, improve feelings of anxiety and depression, improve your physical function and improve your overall quality of life.”

The panel suggests doctors work out an exercise plan with cancer patients as part of their overall recovery regimen. (iStock)

Exercise said to help prevent 7 cancers

The panel also found that 150 minutes of moderate to vigorous physical activity like brisk walking or running can reduce the risk of getting seven common cancers. They are colon, breast, endometrial, kidney, bladder, esophagus and stomach cancer. 

A new program has been devised to help health care providers ensure that people living with and beyond cancer are assessed and referred to appropriate exercise and rehabilitation as part of their overall care. 

The Canadian Society for Exercise Physiology was one of the 17 groups on the panel which also included American Cancer Society, German Union for Health Exercise, Exercise and sport Science Australia among others.

Prof. Kristin Campbell explains what exercise can help prevent cancer or improve the lives of cancer survivors. (Martin Dee/University of British Columbia)EN_Interview_2-20191018-WIE20

As of Thursday--a year to the day that the dried forms of the drug were declared legal--cannabis edibles followed suit.

It's now time for Phase Two of this giant social experiment, the effects of which appear destined to make their way to the world of sports--both amateur and professional.

Cannabis-infused drinks: both the kind that might get you high (the ones containing tetrahydrocannabinol, or THC) and the others (the ones containing cannabidiol, or CBD) that might go a long way to easing the pain that most serious athletes deal with constantly will soon be on shelves.

Gatorade, brace yourself for BioSteel's signature pink hydration drink.

Toronto-based BioSteel's CBD-infused product line will include drink mixes, protein powders and topical creams. (BioSteel )

"We're going to take out the amino acids and add CBD," says John Celenza, co-founder of Toronto-based BioSteel Sports Nutrition Inc.

"CBD became something that NHL players and pro-athletes and a lot of people were turning to as a healthier alternative to the methods they were using previously," says Mike Cammalleri, a former NHL player, who is Celenza's partner.

In 2018, the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) removed CBD from its prohibited list but advised athletes "use extreme caution when using CBD products."

Major League Baseball, the National Basketball Association and the National Football League, all of them based in the U.S., prohibit their players from taking CBD, citing the risk of THC contamination in the products that could lead to a positive doping test.

John Celenza and former NHL player Mick Cammalleri are taking a flyer that they've found a better way to help athletes deal with pain and recovery. (Laura MacNaughton/CBC)

The National Hockey League doesn't outright ban athletes from using CBD products but urges "caution when using" while the Canadian Football League has no ban on marijuana.

How this plays out for Celenza, Cammalleri and BioSteel as well as Canadian and U.S. athletes remains anybody's guess.

For some perspective on some of the challenges, I spoke with Bruce Dowbiggin, the Calgary-based author, broadcaster and journalist, who runs the Not The Public Broadcaster website.

ListenEN_Interview_4-20191018-WIE40

Being lonely in a world of people has sometimes been labelled an epidemic in modern society.

Brandy Yanchyck explored loneliness in a new documentary that looks at how some people have found new meaning, purpose and the needed personal connections in their lives.

Brandy Yanchyk of Brandy Y Productions on the new documentary Breaking LonelinessEN_Interview_1-20191017-WIE10

Everybody is rushing and there’s so much instability as people and family members move away for jobs etc, and old friends lose touch. Or maybe a long-time partner, wife, or husband passes away and after years, decades of companionship, someone is alone. There may also be trauma in your personal life so that making connections are difficult

Tom Greyson became a volunteer driver with an Edmonton service called Drive Happiness, which helped alleviate the loneliness he has felt since his wife of 46 years died, in addition to having a purpose and activity (Submitted by Brandy Yanchyk)

And then there’s technology.

I’ve had a few different Facebook accounts. I’m all the friends in the world on the Internet but that doesn’t mean you’re not sitting in your living room alone on your laptop or your phone. You know? Katelyne Beaulieu-Soboleski:

Social media may connect you to others around the world, but these are not people that can come help you with a project, drop in for a chat with you in person, or any kind of face to face connection.

Yanchyk’s film shows how several people from entirely different walks of life have experienced loneliness and how they’ve managed to find ways out of that harmful state. She wants the film to offer suggestions and hope for those many people who are feeling social isolation and loneliness.

Trailer for the documentary (links to full film below)

additional information

Breaking Loneliness: CBC GEM in Canada

Breaking Loneliness: Vimeo on demand  worldwide

Breaking Loneliness webpage

Harvard U: H.Schulze: Apr 16/18: Loneliness, an epidemic?

Science shows that obesity is a chronic disease like diabetes or cancer, yet people living with it are being told “they did this to themselves, and that they don’t deserve to be supported,” says Dr. Arya Sharma, the scientific director for the non-profit Obesity Canada. 

Misconceptions abound, says doctor

He says a new survey shows there are many misconceptions among health care professionals, employers and people living with obesity.   The latter “shouldn’t look at this as being their own fault. This is something that happens to people in the same way that diabetes...or high blood pressure happens to people.  And when it happens...you need to get treatment that actually works,” says Sharma.

While exercise is good for everyone, it and diet change alone are not enough to treat obesity, says doctor. (iStock)

Better and long-term help is needed

He adds, too many doctors simply recommend a change of diet and exercise, but that is not enough to treat obesity. People may need medication, cognitive behavioural therapy and, in some cases, bariatric surgery. And they need to understand there is no cure and the disease will require lifelong management. There are strong biological reasons that weight returns after weight loss and it is a long-term battle to fight them.

Discrimination said to be 'deeply ingrained'

Sharma says that weight bias and discrimination are “deeply ingrained among health care providers and employers and this is preventing people from accessing meaningful obesity care.” For example, employers often provide extended health benefits but don’t cover the cost of medications of psychological services to treat obesity. 

In Canada, there are some seven million people living with obesity and the incidence is projected to reach 30 per cent of the population by 2030.  The Canadian Medical Association and the American Medical Association have recognized as a chronic disease, but not everyone has. Sharma says it’s time for people to understand that obesity is a complex problem and they should start removing the obstacles people face in getting the care they need.

Dr. Arya Sharma describes obesity as a chronic disease which is misunderstood making it difficult for people to get treatment. (Obesity Canada)EN_Interview_2-20191017-WIE20

Survey involved over 2,500 respondents

The Awareness, Care and Treatment in Obesity Management (ACTION) Study collected information from 2,000 individuals living with obesity,  395 doctors and allied health professionals who manage it, and 150 employers. Results were published in the journal Clinical Obesity in October 2019.