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    Reuters

    Democracy darkens: Hong Kong activists reel from Chinese moves

    Prince Wong was still in her mother's womb when the Chinese government reclaimed control over Hong Kong from the British in the summer of 1997. For her 23rd birthday this year, Wong posted a photo of herself on Instagram wearing a pastel-striped paper hat trimmed with pink pompoms. On a recent day, Wong spun a gold ring on her finger in continuous circles as she spoke quietly about the past year of her life.

-   Initiative de journalisme local

    50 terrains considérés "contaminés" à Boucherville

    Le Ministère de l’environnement recense encore, en date du 20 octobre dernier, 50 terrains qui sont considérée comme contaminés, à divers degrés, sur le territoire de la Ville de Boucherville. Des terrains de station-service, des terrains d’entreprises du parc industriel mais également des terrains de quelques écoles et plusieurs terrains privés. La listes des terrains considérés comme contaminés compte 86 sites à Boucherville mais 36 d’entre eux ont été complètement réhabilités au fil des 20 dernières années ayant fait l’objet de travaux d’excavation pour y retirer la terre contaminée. Dans plusieurs cas, la contamination se limite à la présence d’hydrocarbure parce qu’un réservoir d’huile ou d’essence a, un jour, laissé écouler plusieurs litres de liquide, contaminant du même coup le terrain. Au nombre des 50 terrains inclus dans le répertoire du ministère de l’Environnement, quatre d’entres eux contaminent également les eaux sous-terraines avec des matières diverses.  Par exemple, le terrain des Promenades Montarville écoule des hydrocarbures, le 500 Mortagne, contamine l’eau sous-terraine en raison de la présence de benzène, du toluène et de l’éthylbenzène. Au 1270 Nobel, ce sont des hydrocarbures, du pétrole entre autres qui coulent dans le sous-sol du terrain. Enfin, le parc des Iles de Boucherville est aussi dans la liste car le terrain laisse écouler du bisphénol poly chloré et du phosphore dans la nappe d’eau sous terraine. Au nombre des autres terrains qui présentent des traces de contamination, selon le même répertoire, on note de nombreux terrains dans les parcs industriels ainsi que d’anciens sites de station-service. Dans la majorité des cas ce sont des hydrocarbures qui ont été identifiés par le ministère, comme contaminent. Sur d’autres sites on note la présence de cuivre, de trichloréthylène des métaux, du benzène de l’éthylène, du nickel, du cadmium, du plomb, de l’arsenic, du chrome et du zinc.   La fameuse carrière Landreville sur le rang d’Anjou y figure bien sur mais le club nautique aussi tout comme les écoles Antoine-Girouard, Pierre-Boucher et Oriente Impact, dans le Vieux Boucherville.  Au chapitre des terrains résidentiels, on note trois cas, par exemple, sur la rue Nicolas-Lemaire, un sur la rue Benjamin-Sulte, un sur la rue De Grosbois, un sur Louis-Joseph-Lafortune, un sur la rue De Muy et un autre sur de Touraine. La liste complète des terrains considérés comme contaminé, à Boucherville peut être consultée sur le site internet du ministère de l’Environnement et de la lutte aux changements climatiques au www.environnement.gouv.qc.ca .  Et à simple titre de comparaison, la situation n’est guère mieux à Longueuil ou on recense plus de 300 terrains contaminés dont ceux des hôpitaux Pierre-Boucher et Charles-Lemoyne ainsi que plusieurs autres dans le secteur du Parcours du Cerf.    François Laramée, Initiative de journalisme local, La Relève

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    The Canadian Press

    GM rethinks planned stake in electric vehicle maker Nikola

    NEW YORK — General Motors will not be taking a stake in the electric vehicle company Nikola, and the company said Monday that it was scuttling one of its marquee vehicles, an electric and hydrogen-powered pickup, after GM pulled technological support from the project.Shares of Nikola plunged 24%.Nikola on Monday released updated terms between the companies for a supply agreement related to GM's fuel-cell system, replacing an agreement signed in September. That deal would have given GM an 11% stake in Nikola.The early agreement would also have allowed Nikola to use GM’s new battery electric truck underpinnings for its electric and hydrogen-powered pickup called the Badger, and its fuel cell and battery technology as well. That is no longer part of the agreement, essentially gutting Nikola's plans for the Badger.Nikola said Monday that it will begin refunding deposits made by customers who wanted first dibs on that pickup.“In a nutshell, the signing of GM as a partner is a positive but ultimately no ownership/equity stake in Nikola and the billions of R&D potentially now off the table is a major negative blow to the Nikola story," said Wedbush analyst Dan Ives. “This went from a game changer deal for Nikola to a good supply partnership but nothing to write home about."There were hints that the partnership was going sideways in late September as a deadline for an binding agreement approached. GM said then that negotiations about its $2 billion role were ongoing, sending shares of Nikola sliding.That announcement came just days after Nikola founder and Chairman Trevor Milton resigned after Hindenburg Research, a company that’s betting Nikola stock will drop, accused Nikola of Fraud.Hindenburg said Nikola’s success was an “intricate fraud,” including a video showing a truck rolling downhill to give the impression it was cruising on a highway, and stenciling the words “hydrogen electric” on the side of a vehicle that was actually powered by natural gas.Nikola denies the allegations and called them misleading. The Securities and Exchange Commission and the Justice Department are reportedly investigating.On Monday, GM spokesman Jim Cain said the revised agreement is more focused. He said the new memorandum of understanding will help Nikola produce its commercial trucks, and help GM commercialize its fuel cell technology.Nikola said Monday that its work on heavy trucks will continue. GM will still be part of a global supply agreement that would integrate GM’s Hydrotec fuel-cell system into Nikola’s commercial semi-trucks.“Heavy trucks remain our core business and we are 100% focused on hitting our development milestones to bring clean hydrogen and battery-electric commercial trucks to market," said CEO Mark Russell.Nikola is based in Phoenix.The Associated Press

-   The Canadian Press

    11 test positive for COVID-19 after soccer game at York Region sports centre

    VAUGHAN, Ont. — York Region has confirmed 11 cases of COVID-19 linked to a soccer game at a sports facility in Vaughan, Ont.The public health unit says about 25 people played at TRIO Sportsplex and Event Centre on Nov. 11 and 15.It says the players wore masks during the game but not while they were in the change rooms.Most of the cases were Toronto residents, with some from surrounding areas.Team sports were allowed in York Region at the time but screening of patrons was required.The region moved to stricter pandemic restrictions on Nov. 16, prohibiting team sports except for training.This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 30, 2020.This story was produced with the financial assistance of the Facebook and Canadian Press News Fellowship.The Canadian Press

-   Local Journalism Initiative

    Kasenberg’s inclusivity, anti-racism charter silently rejected by Perth County council

    PERTH COUNTY – When Coun. Todd Kasenberg brought forward a motion to Perth County council on Nov. 19 to establish an inclusivity and anti-racism charter and a committee of county staff and community members interested in starting a conversation on actions which could be taken to strengthen inclusivity in the county, he was met with silence from council.   “I’ll just say that certainly we’ve been watched through society,” he said. “Changes occurred over the last year which has heightened our attention to inclusivity and diversity and I believe that Perth County is a place where we welcome and value all people and all their contributions but I think there have been occasions where I have felt that has been substandard in our communities, in our county.” Kasenberg was dismayed at the Canada Day parade in Atwood a few years back when a tractor included the Confederate flag and displayed U.S. political paraphernalia.  “It just wasn’t appropriate,” he said. “Letters to the Lion’s Club from the community called out the provocative behaviour of the parade participant.”  The Lion’s Club struggled with how to proceed because some people say it is a matter of freedom of speech versus community inclusivity standards.  “I could tell you that the Lion’s Club at the time, we weren’t prepared,” said Kasenberg. “We weren’t aware and certainly our stand wasn’t solid so I find myself at this time in response to those who have presented to this council and who have petitioned council for action thinking it is at least a small step we can take to begin a discussion. Can I say I know what racism is? Can I say I know what I believe inclusivity requires of us? Not fully.” He knows he is privileged enough that he has not had to face racism but he said he is open to the conversation and to learn about the experiences of people who do face racism in Perth County.  “Which is why I think our path forward is to start a committee to evaluate a few things and those few things include the possibility of our county joining an associate which is committed to inclusivity and diversity in communities and also to establish, as other communities in Ontario have, a charter that speaks to inclusivity and diversity and anti-racism,” said Kasenberg. “We’ve heard from our constituents. We have an opportunity to take some action and that action probably is best served at this point by deliberate and thoughtful conversations amongst ourselves and some of those citizens who are interested in this matter. So that’s why I’ve put forward this motion and I so move it.” Warden James Aitcheson asked for a seconder for the motion. Council was silent.  None of the other councillors wanted to support, discuss or vote on the motion.  “It’s failed,” said Aitcheson. “Todd, that never got a seconder so that will be the end of that discussion. OK, we’ve dealt with that.” Kasenberg was disappointed his colleagues did not want to take what he considers to be small steps towards improving inclusivity and diversity platforms in Perth County.  “I believe that through the disinterest shown by the county council to this motion, we risk sending messages that are contrary to who we are – namely, good, hospitable people who are progressive and opportunity-creating for all those of goodwill,” he said. “I find myself wondering how those of minority communities are feeling at the neglect of this motion. This could send unintended signals.” Even with the complete shutdown of his motion by the other councillors, Kasenberg said he will continue personal work and, to the extent possible, political work to ensure that Perth County is a welcoming place for people to work and live.  “It is fundamental to my belief in the worth and dignity of all,” he said. “I understand that my motion arose in the aftermath of some constituent criticism of the lack of ability by a lower-tier municipality to act to a private insult in plain sight to the general public. But I can assure – my motion was not intended to irritate a neighbouring municipality, or to call them out for their actions. It was a reaction to what I believe is a general harm that we can express ourselves about – and not a judgment on one of our peers.  “Sometimes, we in politics can take things as slights – in this case, that was never the intent. Through this motion, I urged council to study possibilities for actions that will address those who feel unsafe or unwelcome, who feel diminished from being whole.” Melissa Bender raised the issue of a bylaw to deter hate speech and anti-racist action to both the Township of Perth East and Perth County councils. She was disgusted and disappointed as she watched the council ignore Kasenberg’s motion. “It was hard to watch,” she said. “I think it speaks volumes really about the council and the people who are on it. When you have the Region of Waterloo hosting anti-racism town halls, the City of Stratford joining the Coalition of Inclusive Municipalities, and Stratford and the Township of Wellesley petitioning the provincial and federal governments to strengthen laws regarding symbols deemed unacceptable and Perth County can’t even put out an inclusivity statement. It’s pathetic.” Bender said she is deeply grateful to Kasenberg for bringing this issue to council.  “I hope the lack of support that he received brings awareness to the character of the other council members in Perth County,” she said. “I hope their blatant disinterest in promoting diversity and inclusivity motivates people to speak up, get involved and run for council when the opportunity arises.” The lack of action from council on what she thought was a simple step has left her shocked and not sure of any future action she might take.  “I guess I was hoping that charter Todd was proposing was going to be the solution to what I wanted and I thought that I was going to accept that as a step in the right direction,” she said. “I didn’t think there was going to be a need for anything else. I brought it twice to the Township of Perth East – the Confederate flag specifically and other anti-racism initiatives and I brought it forward to Perth County and Kasenberg… if they are not listening to a member of their council – if anyone has the power to sway them, it would be a member of their council and if they can’t even do it I don’t think I can.” Bender said in one of the letters from constituents she forwarded to both Perth East and Perth County, a resident who is concerned about hate symbols being displayed in Perth East said: “The solution is to elect better members of council or to run yourself.”  “I hope this lights a fire,” said Bender. “I think it sheds a light on who is representing you. Maybe it will make people want to run and make change happen because it’s not going to happen with this council. I don’t want to believe that – say there are 10 councillors – I don’t want to believe that 90 per cent of them feel racism doesn’t exist and that 90 per cent of the population feels that racism doesn’t exist.” He doesn’t know what motivated the other councillors to not support the motion, but Coun. Daryl Herlick said he made his decision because he has worked in the agriculture community his entire life and mixed races are employed in that field.  He has also worked in construction for the last five years where he also works with mixed cultures and races. “Me, myself – I don’t see racism as an epic issue,” he said. “I don’t believe having a working task force to combat something that isn’t there is necessary.” He said a mission statement is something he was considering bringing back to council to allow the community to know annually that Perth County is an inclusive, antiracist community. “I’ll tell you another thing,” he said. “My cousin is common-law with a Black lady. They have kids who are from mixed-race now. They come and go within the community like nothing. One of my best friends is dating a Filipino. On top of that, one of my best acquaintances on the side right now is the (owner of a) local gas station and he’s from the Pacific rim – Malaysian. He’s involved with the Tavistock community so to have a task force that we’re always trying to combat, you can get to the point where you are making people a poster child who doesn’t even want it. I don’t see colour. Some people do continuously, supposedly, but I don’t see it and to be honest, my community doesn’t. I know nobody that does.” Herlick said hog farmers “use people from all over the world.” “Is there going to be a racist?” he asked. “Of course there is always going to be a goof, of course, there is going to be but that it is epic and huge, I don’t see it. I don’t see it so I can’t support it.” Herlick said creating the committee would have people walking around on tiptoes scared to talk to mixed cultures or races because they might say the wrong thing.  “It’s supposedly this epic issue that I don’t even see myself,” he said. “This summer I worked with three Black people off and on for two months straight and they worked with mixed cultures and they were great people.” Reassuring the community that there is no racism in Perth County is something Herlick said he can support.  “Twenty years ago when I was in high school there was a couple of Black people and a couple of Asians and we shot the crap and I just don’t know, it’s frustrating to me at times; for me, I just don’t want to be making people uncomfortable,” he said. Herlick repeated that the farming community works with different races, cultures from around the world in sow barns.  “The working relationships are great,” he said. “It’s a tough one for me to say we need to have a full-blown working task force because I don’t want to see – I don’t see colour.”  “I don’t see colour and I haven’t ever. It’s weird. I don’t know if that’s naturally who I am but I say not because I have too much experience with people who think the same as me including all my family members.”  Multicultural Association of Perth-Huron founder Gezahgn Wordofa said there are a lot of people from all around the world living and working in Perth County, but the Multicultural Association has to help many newcomers because they are struggling and there is very little support for them locally. “Nobody is helping us, nobody is supporting us,” said Wordofa. “We need more support because we are struggling. There are a lot of newcomers who need support, who need help.” Wordofa said the Multicultural Association does receive support for its efforts from local grassroots organizations, mostly churches and the Chamber of Commerce, but not much help comes from municipal levels of government.   “We are working with church groups here in town,” he said. “We are working with the Salvation Army. Grassroots, many people are helping us.” Many of the people who Wordofa helps who work in Perth County factories are forced to commute from other cities because housing is not affordable. “Some of the newcomers are sleeping in their van,” he said. “Is this India? Is this Africa? We’re in Canada and we’re struggling and the factories are calling us. They need more people. They have a lot of jobs. They are telling us how we are lucky to be in this county but there are not enough affordable houses.”  Wordofa said many newcomers to Canada feel forgotten and sometimes they face racism when they are out in the community. “Sometimes they tell us to “go home” when we walk into places like Tim Hortons,” he said. “Our home is here. There are so many people working in the factories. We don’t get support from the council or the city. It is not good. We are struggling. Me, of course, I can defend myself but lots of people don’t speak the language. We need support, we need to work together. There are so many Africans, there are so many multicultural people here, they are working in the factories, in variety stores and gas stations. We are working, paying taxes and other people reject us. We are working in these communities and we ask them for support many times, they reject us.” Clinton Springer Sr., a volunteer with the Multicultural Association, said there is education to be done for everyone. “We want to be educated in the Canadian culture but we also want to educate them on our culture,” he said. “This is an era when people are seeing a lot of stuff in the news, things like Black Lives Matter and people think ‘oh my god I don’t want anyone in Listowel to be into that’ and what they don’t understand is – that is change. If you talk to the young people in Listowel, in Stratford, the younger generation… it’s not us and them, it’s let’s build ‘we’. “Just remember in a few years from now that council might knock at my door to get my vote. So when the councillors who said ‘no, I don’t want it’ is knocking at my door and I open it, they will ask, can I have your support?”  Colin Burrowes, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Listowel Banner

-   The Canadian Press

    Uproar in France over proposed limits on filming police

    PARIS — French activists fear that a proposed new security law will deprive them of a potent weapon against abuse — cellphone videos of police activity — threatening their efforts to document possible cases of police brutality, especially in impoverished immigrant neighbourhoods. French President Emmanuel Macron’s government is pushing a new security bill that makes it illegal to publish images of police officers with intent to cause them harm, amid other measures. Critics fear the new law could hurt press freedoms and make it more difficult for all citizens to report on police brutality. “I was lucky enough to have videos that protect me,” said Michel Zecler, a Black music producer who was beaten up recently by several French police officers. Videos first published Thursday by French website Loopsider have been seen by over 14 million viewers, resulting in widespread outrage over police actions. Two of the officers are in jail while they are investigated while two others, also under investigation, are out on bail. The draft bill, still being debated in parliament, has prompted protests across the country called by press freedom advocates and civil rights campaigners. Tens of thousands of people marched Saturday in Paris to reject the measure, including families and friends of people killed by police. “For decades, descendants of post-colonial immigration and residents in populous neighbourhoods have denounced police brutality,” Sihame Assbague, an anti-racism activist, told The Associated Press. Videos by the public have helped to show a wider audience that there is a “systemic problem with French police forces, who are abusing, punching, beating, mutilating, killing,” she said. Activists say the bill may have an even greater impact on people other than journalists, especially those of immigrant origin living in neighbourhoods where relationships with the police have long been tense. Images posted online have been key to denouncing cases of officers’ misconduct and racism in recent years, they argue. Assbague expressed fears that, under the proposed law, those who post videos of police abuses online may be put on trial, where they would face up to a year in jail and a 45,000-euro ($53,000) fine. “I tend to believe that a young Arab man from a poor suburb who posts a video of police brutality in his neighbourhood will be more at risk of being found guilty than a journalist who did a video during a protest,” she said. Amal Bentounsi's brother, Amine, was shot in the back and killed by a police officer in 2012. The officer was sentenced to a five-year suspended prison sentence. Along with other families of victims, in March she launched a mobile phone app called Emergency-Police Violence to record abuses and bring cases to court. “Some police officers already have a sense of impunity. ... The only solution now is to make videos,” she told the AP. The app has been downloaded more than 50,000 times. “If we want to improve public confidence in the police, it does not go through hiding the truth,” she added. The proposed law is partly a response to demands from police unions, who say it will provide greater protection for officers. Abdoulaye Kante, a Black police officer with 20 years of experience in Paris and its suburbs, is both a supporter of the proposed law and strongly condemns police brutality and violence against officers. “What people don’t understand is that some individuals are using videos to put the faces of our (police) colleagues on social media so that they are identified, so that they are threatened or to incite hatred,” he said. “The law doesn’t ban journalists or citizens from filming police in action ... It bans these images from being used to harm, physically or psychologically,” he argued. “The lives of officers are important.” A “tiny fraction of the population feeds rage and hatred” against police, Jean-Michel Fauvergue, a former head of elite police forces and a lawmaker in Macron's party who co-authored the bill, said in the National Assembly. “We need to find a solution." Justice Minister Eric Dupond-Moretti has acknowledged that “the intent (to harm) is something that is difficult to define." In an effort to quell criticism, lawmakers from Macron's party announced Monday they would rewrite the criticized article of the bill, which will be debated by the Senate early next year. Activists consider the draft law just the latest of several security measures to extend police powers at the expense of civil liberties. A statement signed by over 30 groups of families and friends of victims of police abuses said since 2005, “all security laws adopted have constantly expanded the legal field allowing police impunity.” Riots in 2005 exposed France’s long-running problems between police and youths in public housing projects with large immigrant populations. In recent years, numerous security laws have been passed following attacks by extremists. Critics noted a hardening of police tactics during protests or while arresting individuals. Hundreds of complaints have been filed against officers during the yellow vest movement against economic injustice, which erupted in 2018 and saw weekends of violent clashes. Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin said out of 3 million police operations per year in France, some 9,500 end up on a government website that denounces abuses, which represents 0.3%. France’s human rights ombudsman, Claire Hedon, is among the most prominent critics of the proposed law, which she said involves “significant risks of undermining fundamental rights.” “Our democracy is hit when the population does not trust its police anymore,” she told the National Assembly. ___ AP writer John Leicester contributed from Le Pecq, France. ___ Follow all AP stories on racism and police brutality at https://apnews.com/Racialinjustice Sylvie Corbet, The Associated Press

-   Local Journalism Initiative

    Maitland Conservation to push back against changes

    WROXETER – Proposed changes to the Conservation Authorities Act have the board members of Maitland Conservation (formerly Maitland Valley Conservation Authority) concerned. At the MC meeting on Nov. 18, the members agreed that they must get loud and push back, making “as much noise as possible” to make sure the government hears their concerns.  Among their concerns is “the glaring omission” of watershed management as a core service of conservation authorities.  “Watershed management is the main reason that conservation authorities were formed,” according to a summary report prepared by the MC. “The province, municipalities and conservation groups realized that the best way to conserve forests and rivers was to undertake conservation stewardship on a watershed basis.” MC’s chairs and vice-chairs made this point to Jeff Yurek, Ontario’s minister of environment, conservation, and parks, and Huron-Bruce MPP Lisa Thompson when they met at MC’s office last August. Yurek did say that he could add watershed management services as a core service by regulation, according to a report presented to the MC board members. “Tacked on to the recent Government of Ontario omnibus Budget Bill 229 is Schedule 6, a proposal for significant changes to the Conservation Authorities Act. Schedule 6 has set off alarm bells amongst Conservation Authorities and our partners across the province,” a press release dated Nov. 22 from MC said. “The proposed changes will severely curtail the role of Conservation Authorities in watershed planning and management. This will negatively impact our efforts to build watershed resiliency and deliver stewardship, monitoring and flood and erosion safety services to our member municipalities and watershed residents.” Dave Turton, chair of MC, said that the government surveyed the 36 Ontario conservation authorities in 2019. They provided feedback to the province on flood and erosion safety, watershed stewardship, funding, severe weather events other than spring thaws, and water quality.  He said they would like Schedule 6 removed, “as it goes against a lot of our thoughts to the province last year.” Yurek sent a letter to conservation authorities on Nov. 5 outlining the Conservation Authorities Act and the Planning Act. These updates, according to the letter, would “improve the consistency and transparency of the programs and services that conservation authorities deliver.”  Yurek added that the updates would provide additional oversight for municipalities and the province. They would also streamline conservation authority permitting and land use planning reviews to increase accountability, consistency, and transparency. The anticipated changes are exempt from the public consultation requirements set out by the Environmental Bill of Rights because they are part of a budget. Once the province approves that budget, it will support the Conservation Authorities Act’s changes. During the discussion at the meeting, the board’s opinion was that the Ford government was again trying to change the greenbelt designation in Vaughn.  “The government seems to be bending to the developers in and around the Toronto area,” said Turton. “The land development is so vast that all the non-conservation land is used up, and now where do you build?”  Added Turton, “We understand that some environmentally-friendly areas are being filled in with dirt for housing construction, etc. This is not right. The Conservation Authorities have used science-based collaborative strategies in decision making and will continue this path.” The greenbelt has been a controversial subject since 2019, when landowner Lucia Milani of Rizmi Holdings approached the provincial government, intending to get the protected status lifted off a 60-acre piece of land in northeast Vaughan. The CBC reports that the campaign has since been closed.  The MC encouraged watershed residents to “take a moment to read the material developed by Ontario Nature and the Canadian Environmental Law Association and sign their petition.” You can find it at Ontario Nature Petition.  The campaign asks the Ontario government to retain the current mandate of the province’s 36 Conservation Authorities. An excerpt from the campaign letter said, “Ontario’s Conservation Authorities are a unique and widely- respected innovation. They provide a much-valued bridge across municipal boundaries to understand and address environmental concerns, such as flooding. They are ideally positioned to encourage science-based collaborative strategies and decision-making because they operate at the watershed level. “The changes proposed in Schedule 6 will reduce or constrain the mandate of Conservation Authorities, and are therefore contradictory to the interests of the people of Ontario, who are facing enormous risks and costs as a result of climate change and ongoing biodiversity loss.” In a statement on its website, Ontario Nature says, “The vital role of our Conservation Authorities in watershed-based land use planning and permitting must be retained to prevent unchecked development, that puts communities at risk from flooding and other climate change impacts through the loss of wetlands, woodlands, and farmland.”  Conservation Authorities’ core role has been under review since 2019 when Ontario committed to its Made-in-Ontario Environment Plan to ensure that conservation authorities focus and deliver on their core mandate. The roles of preparing and protecting against the impacts of natural hazards, maintaining and managing conservation lands, and drinking water source protection are the focus of the review. According to a notice posted on Ontario.ca, consultations have been held with “conservation authorities and a diverse group of stakeholders, including municipalities, the agricultural and development sectors, environmental and conservation organizations, and landowners,” on the appropriate role for conservation authorities. Phil Beard, general manager of MC, said, “I attended the consultation session in London. The majority of presentations were supportive of conservation authorities and their present mandate and services. “However, the government did not release the results of the consultation sessions,” he added. “So, they are the only ones who know what was actually submitted for comments.” “If the government would reveal the results of the consultation sessions, then it would be transparent to everyone that they have or have not taken the consultation sessions into account,” added Beard. Conservation Ontario  (CO) recommends the province repeal Schedule 6 because the changes being proposed will create more red tape and higher costs for Ontario taxpayers, as well as threaten the independent watershed-based approach used by conservation authorities in land-use planning, it said in a press release dated Nov. 18. CO is encouraging residents and watershed partners to reach out to the Premier, the Minister of Finance, the Minister of Environment, Conservation and Parks, the Minister of Natural Resources and Forestry and the Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing, as well as their local MPPs to request them to repeal Schedule 6 of the Bill 229: Protect, Support and Recover from COVID- 19 Act (Budget Measures Act).Cory Bilyea, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Wingham Advance Times

-   Local Journalism Initiative

    Bruce County committee discusses agricultural plastic and materials recycling pilot project

    BRUCE COUNTY – County Coun. Steve Hammell, mayor of Arran-Elderslie, has been asked to be a member of the steering committee for an agricultural plastic waste recycling pilot project. Bruce County’s Transportation and Environmental Services Committee approved the CleanFarms Inc. project for collecting agricultural plastic waste in the county.  In October, staff met with two representatives from CleanFarms Inc., a non-profit environmental stewardship organization that operates permanent collection programs for a variety of agricultural plastics across Canada. CleanFarms has 10 years of experience in such programs. The Bruce County bale wrap and twine collection pilot project would be a first for Ontario. The purpose, as stated in a report to the transportation and environmental services committee, “is to build a collection model that will be practical for farmers, cost effective and that can eventually be replicated in other regions of Ontario.” The Bruce County pilot project will be funded by CleanFarms and the Agricultural and AgriFood Canada’s Canadian agricultural strategic priorities program. “This could have a big impact on diverting waste,” said Miguel Pelletier, director of transportation and environmental services. Hammell said his farm does recycle bale wrap (with a different company). He said the pilot program, if successful, would “divert a lot that’s currently being burned.”Pauline Kerr, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, The Walkerton Herald Times

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    CBC

    Montague couple adapts to ensure weekly free meal still on the table during pandemic

    For Norma and Darren Dingwell, Wednesday mornings are spent with a handful of volunteers, peeling and chopping vegetables in the kitchen of St. Andrew's Presbyterian Church in Montague, P.E.I.The couple has been hosting a weekly Wednesday night meal for people in the area for several years now. This spring, COVID-19 restrictions put that weekly tradition on hold temporarily, but the couple has found a way to keep it going, while adhering to public health measures."It's something that people had looked forward to for almost four years," said Norma."So then when COVID hit and everything had to stop, you know, we'd run into people that would come and they'd be like, 'Can you do it again? Can you tell us if you're going to do it again?' So, yeah, it was nice to start back up again."Before the pandemic, people would gather in person to enjoy the weekly dinner together. When that was no longer an option, Norma reached out to the Chief Public Health Office to find a way to make it work. > It's the best part of my week. — Darren DingwellNow, the meal is served in compostable takeout containers for people to enjoy at home. Masks are worn and hand sanitizer is used. And people come in one door, and go out another. 'Feeling of community'Norma said many people in her community struggle to pay for food, or go without so that their children have enough. She said the need for this meal has only grown — and it was important to find a way to keep offering it. "It saddens us that so many people rely on something like this," Norma said, adding that 80-90 people usually show up for the weekly meal. "But then we are very blessed that we are able to provide even just one good meal a week for people. It's something that they don't have to worry about, a Wednesday meal. They know that they can get one here." The meals are prepared entirely by volunteers, with food paid for entirely through donations. "It's the best part of my week," said Darren, who comes up with the meal plans — everything from spaghetti and meatballs to roasted vegetables served with pork gravy and homemade biscuits. "We still want to make sure that people have that feeling of community, that there is somebody there for them … Even though we can't dine in and share a meal together, we can still look after one another this way. And this, we felt it was very important." People asked to book ahead for Christmas mealThe couple plans to host a Christmas meal, as they usually do, but with some changes: It'll be a take-out dinner, and this year, the pair is offering to deliver it anywhere in the Montague area. "We want to get the word out to people that we're here on Christmas Day," Darren said."And don't go without. We're going to have all kinds." The couple asks that anyone interested in having a meal on Christmas Day contact them by Dec. 17, so that they know how much food to purchase and prepare. More P.E.I. news

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    The Canadian Press

    Data is king on Wall Street; 2 providers join in $44B deal

    The value that Wall Street places on access to billions of bytes of data, rather than old-school stock picking, became abundantly clear Monday as two of the biggest providers of such information become one in the biggest takeover of the year.S&P Global announced that it would acquire IHS Markit, based in London, for about $44 billion in an all-stock deal.Data collection has become pivotal on Wall Street as algorithms and high-speed trading drive global markets. And growth has been explosive for the companies that can provide that information instantly and in bulk.IHS and Markit merged just four years ago to create a $13 billion company. The company has almost tripled in value since then, and is now worth close to $37 billion.The size of the deal announced Monday eclipsed Nvidia's acquisition of rival chipmaker Arm Holdings for $40 billion in September, and Nippon Telegraph & Telephone acquisition of a subsidiary for nearly that much in the same month.The newcomer IHS Markit is being acquired by a company with roots dating back to the 19th century, when Henry Varnum Poor published the History of the Railroads and Canals of the United States to provide transparency for investors.IHS Markit has more than 50,000 business and government customers, including 80% of the Fortune Global 500 and the world’s leading financial institutions.Each share of IHS Markit common stock will be exchanged for a fixed ratio of 0.2838 shares of S&P Global stock. Current S&P Global shareholders will own approximately 67.75% of the combined company, while shareholders of IHS Markit, based in London, will own about 32.25%.The transaction puts IHS Markit's enterprise value at $44 billion, including $4.8 billion of debt.The combined company will be headquartered in New York, where S&P Global is based, with a substantial presence in key global markets across North America, Latin America, EMEA and Asia Pacific.Douglas Peterson, the CEO of S&P Global, will hold that title at the combined company. Lance Uggla, Chairman and CEO of IHS Markit, will become a special advisor to the company for a year after the deal closes.The transaction is expected to close in the second half of next year. It needs the approval of both companies' shareholders.Shares of IHS Markit rose more than 7% at the opening bell Monday. S&P Global's stock was essentially flat.Michelle Chapman, The Associated Press

-   The Canadian Press

    Montenegro firm on expelling Serb diplomat despite EU call

    PODGORICA, Montenegro — Montenegro will follow through with its decision to expel the Serbian ambassador, the country's foreign ministry said on Monday, despite a call from the European Union to reverse it. Just days before the inauguration of a new, pro-Serbian government, Montenegro’s outgoing cabinet on Saturday proclaimed the Serbian diplomat persona non grata, citing his “long and continuous meddling in the internal affairs of Montenegro.” Serbia initially reacted by ordering the Montenegrin ambassador to leave the country, but on Sunday went back on its decision. The EU enlargement commissioner, Oliver Varhelyi, has called on Montenegro to do the same, saying “respect for good neighbourly relations and regional co-operation are cornerstones of EU enlargement.” But Montenegro's foreign ministry chided Varhelyi for offering advice before having full knowledge of what led to the country's decision. “Unfortunately, Commissioner Varhelyi has, before making the suggestion, failed to consult with partners and friends in Montenegro’’ about the basic information that led to the expulsion of the Serbian ambassador, the ministry said in a statement. Montenegro, the small Adriatic state of some 620,000 people, is considered the first in line of all the Western Balkan states to join the EU. Although also formally seeking the membership, much bigger Serbia has been forging close political, economic and military ties with China and Russia. The diplomatic incident added to already tense relations between Montenegro and Serbia that were part of one country before an independence referendum in 2006 led to Montenegro splitting off. Montenegro remains deeply divided among those seeking closer ties with traditional Slavic allies Serbia and Russia, and those who view Montenegro as an independent state allied with the West. The long-ruling pro-Western Democratic Party of Socialists was defeated in an August election by a pro-Serb coalition whose government is set to take office this week. The DPS-led government defied Serbia and Russia to join NATO in 2017. The outgoing authorities have accused Serbia of aiding pro-Serb political forces in Montenegro with the goal of installing allies in power and regaining influence. ____ This story corrects the spelling of the last name of the EU official to Varhelyi. Predrag Milic, The Associated Press

-   Local Journalism Initiative

    Museum committee asking for council’s commitment

    NORTH HURON – The museum committee has asked North Huron council to commit to owning and operating the North Huron Museum before they spend the time necessary to complete a proposal. Council had a lengthy discussion at their Nov. 16 meeting. Councillors expressed their concerns, reiterating the KPMG service review recommendations that the township should not be in the business of operating a museum. The KPMG report said that “the facility appears to be in need of a significant investment of upwards of $4 million.” They advised council in their report to consider “seeking out a third party to be responsible for the operation of the facility, including the assumption of gains or losses.” If that were not a viable option, they should “cease operations of the facility and determine how the township can display its exhibits through alternate means such as making use of other municipal facilities.” The report, presented by Vicki Luttenberger, director of recreation and community services, said that if council were to decide to discontinue museum programming and services, the township would need to commit both staff and financial resources for the deaccessioning of the museum collection. It is estimated that process would take approximately 12-18 months. Previously, volunteers ran the museum, and the township allocated $20,000 annually.  The concern for additional costs associated with staffing requirements set out by the Government of Ontario, specifically hiring a full-time curator, was also discussed at length. A proposal to the previous council indicated that North Huron could obtain the former Wingham train station for $1. This proposal contained stipulations, including that North Huron staff be responsible for the day-to-day operations and commit to doing so for 20 years. Without a good business/financial plan, councillors are unwilling to commit to taking over the daily operations. The financial obligation needs to be presented to them, and an operational plan is required. Council prepared a motion to send back to the museum committee to prepare two proposals: one that utilizes township funds and one that doesn’t. Without this information, council feels they can not make an informed decision. Council also directed the museum committee to reach out to the current owner of the train station, Doug Kuyvenhoven, to determine if the stipulations set out in the offer to donate the train station for $1 are still the same as proposed to the previous council. They would like to confirm the stipulations to make sure they are still on the table or if revisions can be made for reconsideration. This matter will be before council again at a future meeting.Cory Bilyea, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Wingham Advance Times

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    The Canadian Press

    Home prices rise in cottage country amid demand from remote workers, retirees

    TORONTO — Home prices are increasing in Canada’s cottage country as more buyers look to move there full-time, according to a report released Monday by Royal LePage. Prices of single-family recreational homes rose 11.5 per cent to an aggregate of $453,046 in the first nine months of the year, the real estate brokerage said.The data from Royal LePage comes amid an overall uptick in home prices this year, after COVID-19 lockdowns stymied the spring buying season. A rush of demand and a limited supply as the economy reopened this summer and fall meant that home prices were up 15.2 per cent last month in Canada compared to a year ago, according to the Canadian Real Estate Association.Royal LePage chief executive Phil Soper says the number of cottages, cabins, chalets and farmhouses on the market have also dwindled amid the increased demand, at least through September.“Inventory levels are the lowest I've seen in 15 years," said Heather FitzGerald, a Royal LePage agent in Moncton, NB, in the report. While local buyers have moved away from cities and closer to nature, FitzGerald also noted an increase in buyers from Ontario and Quebec. Corey Huskilson, another Royal LePage agent quoted in the report and based in Halifax, said buyers from outside of the Maritimes, "who expect to be working remotely for the foreseeable future, are flocking to the area."Real estate agents in 54 per cent of regions told the brokerage that there was a significant increase in buyers looking to work remotely at a cottage as a primary residence. Eric Leger, a Laurentians-based agent, said in the report that Quebec’s lockdown periods “sparked an urgent desire for many city dwellers, in need of more living space, to relocate to the suburbs and cottage country.” Agents in other provinces noted similar trends, with one agent noting that Alberta-based buyers are competing with people across the country for properties in Canmore.“Highway developments have reduced the drive from Saskatoon to 1.5 hours, which makes working remotely more possible for those who still have to go into the office a few days a week," said broker Lou Doderai in the report.The report says retirees have also bid up cottage prices, with agents in 68 per cent of regions saying more retirees are buying cottages this year compared to last year. "Retiring baby boomers have been putting upward pressure on prices and reducing inventory for the last few years. Retirees are now finding themselves competing against remote workers,” said Bob Clarke, an agent in Ontario's Muskoka region, in the report.“The most common question used to be 'is the property West-facing?' Now my clients' biggest concern is internet quality." This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 30, 2020.Anita Balakrishnan, The Canadian Press

-   The Canadian Press

    Dictionary companies choose same word of the year: pandemic

    NEW YORK — In the land of lexicography, out of the whole of the English language, 2020's word of the year is a vocabulary of one.For the first time, two dictionary companies on Monday — Merriam-Webster and Dictionary.com — declared the same word as their tops: pandemic. A third couldn't settle on just one so issued a 16-page report instead along the same lines, noting that a world of once-specialized terms entered the mainstream during the COVID-19 crisis.The year, Oxford Languages said in the report last week, “brought a new immediacy and urgency to the role of the lexicographer. In almost real-time, lexicographers were able to monitor and analyze seismic shifts in language data and precipitous frequency rises in new coinages."Its Oxford English Dictionary and others found themselves madly updating well beyond routine schedules to keep up. Such publication updates are usually planned far in advance. Because the coronavirus pandemic brought on gargantuan language changes, according to Oxford Languages, “2020 is a year which cannot be neatly accommodated in one single `word of the year.'”Not so at Merriam-Webster and Dictionary.com, both of which also noted enormous shifts toward many other related words but announced just one nonetheless.Pandemic “probably isn’t a big shock,” Peter Sokolowski, editor at large for Merriam-Webster, told The Associated Press ahead of the announcement.“Often the big news story has a technical word that’s associated with it and in this case, the word pandemic is not just technical but has become general. It’s probably the word by which we’ll refer to this period in the future,” he said.John Kelly, senior research editor at Dictionary.com, told the AP before breaking the news that searches on the site for pandemic spiked more than 13,500% on March 11, the day the World Health Organization declared an outbreak of the novel coronavirus a global health emergency.The daily spike, he said, was “massive, but even more telling is how high it has sustained significant search volumes throughout the entire year."Month over month, lookups for pandemic were more than 1,000% higher than usual. For about half the year, the word was in the top 10% of all lookup on Dictionary.com, Kelly said.Similarly, at Merriam-Webster.com, searches for pandemic on March 11 were 115,806% higher than spikes experienced on the same date last year, Sokolowski said.Pandemic, with roots in Latin and Greek, is a combination of “pan,” for all, and “demos,” for people or population, he said. The latter is the same root of “democracy,” Sokolowski said. The word pandemic dates to the mid-1600s, used broadly for “universal” and more specifically to disease in a medical text in the 1660s, he said.That was after the plagues of the Middle Ages, Sokolowski said.He attributes the lookup traffic for pandemic not entirely to searchers who didn’t know what it meant but also to those on the hunt for more detail, or for inspiration or comfort in the knowing.“We see that the word love is looked up around Valentine’s Day and the word cornucopia is looked up at Thanksgiving,” Sokolowski said. “We see a word like surreal spiking when a moment of national tragedy or shock occurs. It’s the idea of dictionaries being the beginning of putting your thoughts in order.”The pandemic, Kelly said, made us all worthy of watercooler chatter with Dr. Anthony Fauci as our knowledge grew about all things pandemic, aerosols, contact tracing, social distancing and herd immunity, along with the intricacies of therapeutic drugs, tests and vaccines that can help save lives.“These were all part of a new shared vocabulary we needed to stay safe and informed. It’s incredible,” said Kelly, who works with a team of lexicographers to come up with words of the year based primarily on site traffic.Merriam-Webster began designating a word of the year in 2008, with “bailout.” The company's word of the year for 2019 was “they,” when a shifting use of the personal pronoun was a hot subject and lookups increased by 313% in 2019 over the previous year.Dictionary.com has been in the word of the year game since 2010, with “change.” Its word of the year in 2019 was “existential" in a year that climate change, gun violence, the very nature of democracy and an angsty little movie star named Forky from Disney's “Toy Story 4” helped propel search spikes.Oxford went with two words last year: climate emergency.Kelly, Sokolowski and Oxford Languages noted other worthy search trends beyond the pandemic. After the May 25 death of George Floyd under the knee of a Minneapolis police officer, words around racial justice experienced spikes, including fascism, anti-fascism, defund and white fragility, Kelly said.“There was no way for us to leave that out of the conversation this year,” he said.Oxford included a range in its report, from “karen” to “QAnon.”But it was all things pandemic that ultimately won the annual word sweepstakes.Jennifer Steeves-Kiss, chief executive for Dictionary.com, said one key ingredient in the hunt for the site’s word of the year is sustained interest over time. Pandemic met that standard.“This has affected families, our work, the economy,” she said. “It really became the logical choice. It’s become the context through which we’ve had dialogue all through 2020. It’s the through line for discourse.”Leanne Italie, The Associated Press

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    Global News

    Coronavirus: Ford demands information on vaccine delivery from feds, pharmaceutical companies

    Ontario Premier Doug Ford on Monday demanded answers on the exact delivery date and quantities of COVID-19 vaccines for the province - when such information is available - from the Canadian federal government and from pharmaceutical companies. The premier called it “unacceptable” that hundreds of millions of dollars are being spent on vaccine efforts and no delivery date for them is yet to be provided.

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    The Canadian Press

    Bombardier names veteran executive Bart Demosky as chief financial officer

    MONTREAL — Bombardier has named veteran executive Bart Demosky as chief financial officer, effective immediately. The company says Demosky replaces John Di Bert, who will be leaving the company.Demosky joins Bombardier after serving in senior roles at some of the biggest names in corporate Canada.He has served as the chief executive of Universal Rail Systems Inc., chief financial officer for Canadian Pacific Railway and chief financial officer for Suncor Energy.Bombardier has been working to transform itself from a maker of trains and aircraft into a company focused on business jets.The company is expected to complete the sale of its railway division to French company Alstom early next year.This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 30, 2020.Companies in this story: (TSX:BBD.B, TSX:CP, TSX:SU)The Canadian Press

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    The Canadian Press

    Retirees protest Belarus leader amid crackdown on protests

    KYIV, Ukraine — Hundreds of retirees rallied in the Belarusian capital on Monday against the country's authoritarian leader, as security forces moved in to break up the traditional weekly march.The crowd of retirees in Minsk were demanding that President Alexander Lukashenko resign after he won a sixth term in office in an election the opposition says was rigged. But they ran into police cordons along the march route and broke up into smaller groups that went into different directions.The demonstrators carried red and white umbrellas and flags that have become the symbol of the protests, and chanted “Rat, go away!”“Grandmothers and grandfathers will go all the way to a victory,” one banner read.Mass protests have gripped Belarus, a former Soviet republic in eastern Europe, since official results from the Aug. 9 presidential election gave Lukashenko a landslide victory over his widely popular opponent, Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya. She and her supporters refused to recognize the result, saying the vote was riddled with fraud.Authorities have cracked down hard on the largely peaceful demonstrations, the biggest of which attracted up to 200,000 people. Police have used stun grenades, tear gas and truncheons to disperse the rallies. Thousands of people have been detained — and many of them badly beaten — since the protests began, human rights advocates say.Mass detentions, as well as the use of tear gas and stun grenades, continued even as protests have grown smaller this month. On Sunday, police detained 313 people during rallies spanning several cities, including Minsk. The Viasna human rights centre put the number of detainees at 424.At least nine people were detained on Monday, according to Viasna. Footage and photos of the Monday rally posted on social media showed security forces surrounding groups of retirees, preventing the march from continuing.“Don't beat me, son,” another banner carried by demonstrators read.___Read all AP stories about the protests in Belarus at https://apnews.com/Belarus.The Associated Press

-   Local Journalism Initiative

    New Honey Harbour library opens for curbside service

    Georgian Bay’s Honey Harbour Public Library is reopening at their new location, but only for curbside pickup, on Tuesday, Dec. 1 following  its pandemic-related closure earlier this year.  They’ll be open four days a week, Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday and  Saturday, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Currently, the library is only handling  drop-ins and contact-free pickups at their other locations in Georgian  Bay, at the MacTier and Port Severn branches. On Dec. 1, all their  locations will transition into curbside service only. The new library is located inside the Honey Harbour Public School at  2586 Honey Harbour Road. Tracey Fitchett, the library’s CEO, said she’s  “really excited” to finally be operating out of the new facility, even  though the public can’t come in. Official talks about relocating to the public school from their old  location began last year. Fitchett said renovations began in fall 2019.  Staff were in the midst of moving their things to the new location when  public schools were closed provincewide on March 14. Until Friday, Nov. 27, their plan was to open the facility to the  public, but they changed their plans out of fear of contributing to the  spread of the coronavirus. “The numbers are so high every day and with other areas being in  lockdown and potentially a lot of people from the red and grey zones  will be coming here to stay at their cottages,” she said. “It’s just  added risk to the staff and the people that come into the library.” Georgian Bay falls under the jurisdiction of the Simcoe Muskoka  Public Health Unit, currently in the orange zone. No more than ten  people can gather indoors under these rules. Curbside pickup will operate the same way it does at the other  library locations in Georgian Bay. People can reserve books or movies  online or over the phone, then the library will take either a day or up  to two weeks to acquire the materials. Renters can then come pick up the  materials during open hours and drop them off at the drop box. “It’s a beautiful space,” Fitchett said about the new library. “It’d be nice to have the community be able to come in again.”  Zahraa Hmood is a Local Journalism Initiative reporter covering the municipalities of Muskoka Lakes, Lake of Bays and Georgian Bay. Her  reporting is funded by the Canadian government through its Local  Journalism Initiative.Zahraa Hmood, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, muskokaregion.com

-   Local Journalism Initiative

    Is Ontario's back-to-school strategy working, or are COVID-19 cases going untraced?

    The number of COVID-19 cases recorded in Ontario’s schools is lower per capita than in the province’s general population and in the schools of neighbouring Quebec, the government says. But is Ontario doing enough testing and contact tracing to stop possible spread of COVID-19 in schools? Stephen Lecce, the province’s education minister, has boasted in recent weeks that the Progressive Conservatives’ back-to-school strategy is working, but epidemiological studies and experts suggest it’s difficult to make that claim without more testing. A study from Alberta released last week added to mounting evidence that younger people infected with COVID-19 either show mild symptoms or none at all, meaning they could potentially be silently spreading the virus in schools and then taking it home.  “I think to say schools are the safest place for kids in terms of this virus is not a statement that is backed by the evidence at this point,” said Gabrielle Brankston, a PhD student at the University of Guelph who has been compiling data on COVID-19 in Canada. Just under 36 per cent of the almost 2,000 young people who tested positive for COVID-19 during a first test in Alberta did not have any symptoms associated with the virus, according to research published in the Canadian Medical Association Journal last Tuesday. That proportion of asymptomatic cases among young people is much higher than the 15 to 20 per cent range estimated in previous pediatric reviews, said Dr. Nisha Thampi from the Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario and other medical experts who reviewed the findings. The discrepancy may be due to Alberta’s strategy of testing close contacts of known cases since early April, the study noted, but probably still doesn’t capture all the asymptomatic transmission. “It is important to note that this is likely an underestimation of the true prevalence of asymptomatic SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) infection, as those without symptoms are much less likely to seek testing than those with symptoms,” authors James King, Tara Whitten, Jeffrey Bakal and Finlay McAlister wrote in the study. The Alberta research follows a massive contact tracing study of two states in India done by Princeton and other U.S. universities that warned in September children may be key spreaders of the virus. Ontario recorded a record number of cases (1,855) on Friday as the province’s labs processed more than 58,000 tests the previous day, or nearly 10,000 more than the previous busiest day of the year. There have been a total of 1,180 cases in Ontario schools reported in the last 14 days, the province says, while its overall count is just under 1,400 new cases each day on average over the last week. (Around 1.5 million students are in Ontario classrooms currently, while the province has a population of about 14.5 million people.) Six Ontario schools are currently closed and 14 per cent (or 671 of 4,828 sites) have a reported case.  Public health officials say that’s not too bad. “Parents should have a fair bit of confidence in schools being as safe as possible,” said Dr. Brent Moloughney, the associate medical officer of health at Ottawa Public Health, which fought off a sharp spike in cases in the capital in late September and early October. He said that public health is aiming for constant improvement, though, and that with where we are now in the outbreak, “we need to be spending a bit more time trying to further break chains of transmission, and I think schools are one of those settings.” Moloughney said that means upping testing in schools, with a focus on the highest-risk contacts of known cases.  “Let's get them tested, or more of them tested, and let’s see what that tells us so that can inform the next step,” he said. That’s exactly what the government just said it will do, launching a targeted voluntary test campaign to reach asymptomatic students and staff where COVID-19 is running rampant, including in Toronto and Ottawa, so as to more easily track and prevent its spread in classes. Tracing contacts of known cases has long been a challenge, but the University of Guelph’s Brankston said she and several peers responded to a call for volunteers to help with contact tracing early in the pandemic, but none had been called up for the labour-intensive task of trying to map transmission pathways. “I was quite willing to offer my time to do it,” she said. “And I know several graduate students in epidemiology who (volunteered and) haven’t been called,” she said. “There’s an untapped resource there.” Marit Stiles, the Opposition NDP’s education critic, said the report out of Alberta adds to her party’s concerns about the Ontario government’s handle on COVID-19 transmission in schools. “It confirms the lack of confidence educators and parents have in Doug Ford and Stephen Lecce's totally inadequate plan to protect kids, teachers and staff and lessen the virus's spread from schools to the wider community,” she said. Stiles said an NDP government would have capped class sizes and moved quickly to spend billions of dollars available to increase testing and improve contact tracing and screening in schools. But while acknowledging the paucity of available data, other public health experts say Lecce is likely correct to assume low-level or modest transmission. “We simply are not seeing widespread outbreaks in schools,” said Barry Pakes, the director of the public health and preventive medicine residency program at the University of Toronto’s Dalla Lana School of Public Health. “There are many single cases, some with two cases, but if the numbers of students who have COVID-19 were much larger than we know of, we would actually be seeing more related morbidity and mortality inside and outside of the schools,” he said. Pakes advised against diverting recently approved rapid tests to schools, noting the high false positive rates in low-prevalence settings as well as logistical challenges and possible stigma. “It would really take away critical infrastructure and resources from other areas,” he said.Alastair Sharp, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, National Observer

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    Canadian Press Videos

    NYC schools to be re-evaluated after holidays

    New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio says the plan for the city's school system is to reopen to in-person learning and increase the number of days a week many children attend class before re-evaluating the situation after the holiday season. (Nov. 30)

question: When did the Chinese government reclaim Hong Kong from the British?

answer: In the summer of 1997.

question: What happened after GM announced that they will not be taking a stake in Nikola, the electric vehicle company?

answer: Nikola's shares plunged 24%.

question: How many cases of COVID was linked to the sports facility in Vaughan?

answer: 11 cases.

question: What was Coun. Todd Kasenberg's recommendation to the Perth Council on November 19?

answer: He recommended the council establish an inclusivity and anti-racism charter in the light of recent events.

question: Write a ~5 sentence summary.

answer:
Prince Wong wasn't born when the British handed over Hong Kong to the Chinese government.

General Motors has turned down the chance to buy a stake in Nikola, the electric vehicle company. Nikola's shares have plunged 24% as a result.

Coun. Todd Kasenberg has recommended that Perth County council establish an inclusivity and anti-racism charter in the light of recent events that have undermined the community's cohesiveness and inclusivity.


split: train

text:
The tunnel struck by Israel's Air Force inside Gaza is the second destroyed in two days.

A general view of the interior of a cross-border attack tunnel dug from Gaza to Israel, near Kissufim, seen on January 18, 2018

(photo credit: REUTERS/JACK GUEZ)

The Israel Air Force struck an underground network of terrorist tunnels in the Gaza Strip overnight on Sunday, after a rocket launched from the Hamas-run enclave struck southern Israel, the IDF announced.

It was the second Hamas tunnel in Gaza to be struck in as many days, and the sixth tunnel destroyed since late October.
“Hamas is responsible for everything that happens in the Gaza Strip, above and below ground,” the statement read. “The army will continue to act to ensure security for the citizens of Israel using all means at its disposal.”

Earlier on Sunday, incoming rocket sirens were activated in communities in the Sha’ar Hanegev region bordering the northern Gaza Strip. A rocket fell in open territory near the city of Sderot causing no damage or injuries.

According to Palestinian reports, jets fired some 10 missiles towards the Hamas tunnel. The tunnel was located in an agricultural area near the destroyed Dahiniye airport, east of Rafah in the southern part of the Strip close to the Israeli border. No casualties were reported.

The previous night, a home in the Sha’ar Hanegev community of Or Haner was directly hit by a rocket causing damage but no injuries to the family inside.

The rocket was launched several hours after four IDF soldiers were wounded – two seriously, including a combat engineer officer, and two moderately – after an improvised explosive device detonated against their military jeep as they patrolled the border fence south of the Gaza Strip on Saturday afternoon.

The IDF later confirmed that it had carried out large-scale strikes against 18 terrorist targets belonging to Hamas, including an attack tunnel in the Zeitun neighborhood of Gaza City that was dug toward Israeli territory.

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“Harming IDF soldiers constitutes a grave terrorist [attack],” Maj.-Gen. Eyal Zamir, the head of the southern command, said Sunday afternoon at a military ceremony. “We will not abide by this reality of using the land around the fence for terrorism.”

“Anyone seeking to undermine Israel’s security will be met with a determined response. We have considerable power and will not hesitate to exercise it as needed, despite our desire to maintain stability and avoid escalation.”

While the security establishment does not believe that Hamas currently seeks another war, the situation is fragile, especially given the worsening conditions in the Strip. Gazans have been demonstrating on the border fence with Israel each Friday throughout recent months and the army believes that Hamas is using these weekly demonstrations as a cover to carry out terrorist attacks.

The explosive device that detonated on Saturday had been hidden inside a Palestinian flag and placed near the fence during last Friday’s demonstrations.

“This is further proof of the utilization of disturbances near the fence by Hamas and other terrorist groups as cover for terrorism. Anyone seeking to undermine Israel’s security will meet a determined response based on intelligence and aerial, land and naval capabilities,” Zamir warned.

Defense Minister Avigdor Lieberman vowed to eliminate those responsible for the attack, which he said was carried out by the Popular Resistance Committees organization, a group comprising several terrorist groups.

“Until we eliminate them, the score remains unsettled,” he said. “It will take two days, a week, or two weeks. We’ll eliminate anyone behind the attack’s execution.”

question: What does the text have to say about Hamas?

answer: The article discusses Israel's response to a rocket launched from the Hamas-run enclave in the Gaza strip that struck southern Israel. Israel carried out large scale strikes against 18 terrorist targets belonging to Hamas. Israel believes Hamas is responsible for everything that happens in the Gaza Strip, and is using Gazan demonstrations at the Israel border fence as a cover to carry out terrorist attacks. Despite this, it's not believed Hamas wants to carry out another war.

question: Summarize Israel's threats against terror.

answer: In response to what the IDF believes were Hamas terrorist attacks on them, spokespeople from Israel claim that anyone looking to undermine Israel's security will meet a determined response based on any capabilities of intelligence, aerial, land, and naval. They threaten the considerable power of Israel and how they won't hesitate to use it. It was announced that they will eliminate anyone behind the attack's executions as soon as possible. To make these threats concrete, Israel struck several Hamas underground tunnels in the Gaza strip.

question: Summarize the IDF's use of rockets.

answer: The IDF carried out large-scale strikes against 18 terrorist targets belonging to Hamas as response to what they perceived to be a terrorist attack against them. Multiple Hamas tunnels in Gaza were struck by rockets, including one in Gaza City that was dug toward Israeli territory. Palestinian reports claimed jets fired some 10 missiles towards a Hamas tunnel in Sderot. A home in the Sha'ar Hanegev community of Or Hanor was directly hit by a rocket.

question: Summarize United States intervention.


text:
The winners of the VANCOUVER FILM CRITICS CIRCLE AWARD FOR BEST FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM are listed below:

Winners and nominees

2000s

  YEAR                                  WINNERS AND NOMINEES                     ORIGINAL TITLE                      COUNTRY                              DIRECTOR(S)          REF
  ------------------------------------- ---------------------------------------- ----------------------------------- ------------------------------------ -------------------- ------
  2002                                  _TALK TO HER_                            _HABLE CON ELLA_                    SPAIN                                PEDRO ALMODÓVAR      [1]
  _And Your Mother Too_                 _Y Tu Mamá También_                      Mexico                              Alfonso Cuarón                       [2]
  _Mostly Martha_                       _Bella Martha_                           Germany                             Sandra Nettelbeck                    [3]
  2003                                  _CITY OF GOD_                            _CIDADE DE DEUS_                    BRAZIL                               FERNANDO MEIRELLES   [4]
  _L'Auberge Espagnole_                 _L'Auberge Espagnole_                    France/Spain                        Cédric Klapisch                      [5]
  _The Triplets of Belleville_          _Les Triplettes de Belleville_           France/Canada                       Sylvain Chomet                       [6]
  2004                                  _A VERY LONG ENGAGEMENT_                 _UN LONG DIMANCHE DE FIANÇAILLES_   FRANCE                               JEAN-PIERRE JEUNET
  _Maria Full of Grace_                 _María, llena eres de gracia_            Colombia                            Joshua Marston
  _The Motorcycle Diaries_              _Diarios de motocicleta_                 Argentina                           Walter Salles
  2005                                  _PARADISE NOW_                           _الجنّة الآن_                       PALESTINE                            HANY ABU-ASSAD
  _Downfall_                            _Der Untergang_                          Germany                             Oliver Hirschbiegel
  _Kung Fu Hustle_                      功夫                                     Hong Kong                           Stephen Chow
  2006                                  _VOLVER_                                 SPAIN                               PEDRO ALMODÓVAR                      [7]
  _The Child_                           _L'Enfant_                               Belgium                             Jean-Pierre and Luc Dardenne         [8]
  _Letters from Iwo Jima_               硫黄島からの手紙                         United States/Japan                 Clint Eastwood                       [9]
  2007                                  _4 MONTHS, 3 WEEKS AND 2 DAYS_           _4 LUNI, 3 SĂPTĂMÂNI ȘI 2 ZILE_     ROMANIA                              CRISTIAN MUNGIU
  _The Diving Bell and the Butterfly_   _Le Scaphandre et le papillon_           France                              Julian Schnabel
  _Persepolis_                          _Persepolis_                             France                              Marjane Satrapi, Vincent Paronnaud
  2008                                  _THE EDGE OF HEAVEN_                     _AUF DER ANDEREN SEITE_             GERMANY                              FATIH AKIN           [10]
  _Let the Right One In_                _Låt den rätte komma in_                 Sweden                              Tomas Alfredson                      [11]
  _Tell No One_                         _Ne le dis à personne_                   France                              Guillaume Canet                      [12]
  2009                                  _SUMMER HOURS_                           _L'HEURE D'ÉTÉ_                     FRANCE                               OLIVIER ASSAYAS
  _Broken Embraces_                     _Los abrazos rotos_                      Spain                               Pedro Almodóvar
  _The Headless Woman_                  _La mujer sin cabeza / La mujer rubia_   Argentina                           Lucrecia Martel

2010s

  YEAR                           WINNER AND NOMINEES                  ORIGINAL TITLE                COUNTRY                                 DIRECTOR(S)         REF
  ------------------------------ ------------------------------------ ----------------------------- --------------------------------------- ------------------- ------
  2010                           _CARLOS_                             FRANCE                        OLIVIER ASSAYAS
  _Mother_                       마더                                 South Korea                   Bong Joon-ho
  _A Prophet_                    _Un prophète_                        France                        Jacques Audiard
  _The Secret in Their Eyes_     _El secreto de sus ojos_             Argentina                     Juan José Campanella
  2011                           _A SEPARATION_                       _'_جدایی نادر از سیمین _'_    IRAN                                    ASGHAR FARHADI
  _Poetry_                       _시_                                 South Korea                   Lee Chang-dong
  _The Kid with a Bike_          _Le Gamin au vélo_                   Belgium                       Jean-Pierre Dardenne and Luc Dardenne
  2012                           _HOLY MOTORS_                        FRANCE                        LEOS CARAX
  _Amour_                        France/Austria                       Michael Haneke
  _The Intouchables_             _Intouchables_                       France                        Olivier Nakache & Éric Toledano
  2013                           _THE HUNT_                           _JAGTEN_                      DENMARK                                 THOMAS VINTERBERG
  _Blancanieves_                 Spain                                Pablo Berger
  _Blue is the Warmest Colour_   _La Vie d'Adèle – Chapitres 1 & 2_   France                        Abdellatif Kechiche
  2014                           _FORCE MAJEURE_                      _TURIST_                      SWEDEN                                  RUBEN ÖSTLUND
  _Ida_                          Poland                               Paweł Pawlikowski
  _We Are the Best!_             _Vi är bäst!_                        Sweden                        Lukas Moodysson
  2015                           _THE ASSASSIN_                       _刺客聶隱娘_                  TAIWAN                                  HOU HSIAO-HSIEN
  _Goodnight Mommy_              _Ich seh, Ich seh_                   Austria                       Veronika Franz and Severin Fiala
  _Son of Saul_                  _Saul fia_                           Hungary                       László Nemes
  2016                           _TONI ERDMANN_                       GERMANY                       MAREN ADE
  _Elle_                         France                               Paul Verhoeven
  _The Handmaiden_               _아가씨_                             South Korea                   Chan-wook Park
  2017                           _BPM (BEATS PER MINUTE)_             _120 BATTEMENTS PAR MINUTE_   FRANCE                                  ROBIN CAMPILLO
  _A Fantastic Woman_            _Una mujer fantástica_               Chile                         Sebastián Lelio
  _The Square_                   Sweden                               Ruben Östlund
  2018                           _ROMA_                               MEXICO                        ALFONSO CUARÓN                          [13]
  _Burning_                      _버닝_                               South Korea                   Lee Chang-dong                          [14]
  _Shoplifters_                  _万引き家族_                         Japan                         Hirokazu Kore-eda                       [15]
  2019                           _PARASITE_                           _기생충_                      SOUTH KOREA                             BONG JOON-HO        [16]
  _The Farewell_                 _別告訴她_                           United States                 Lulu Wang                               [17]
  _Pain and Glory_               _Dolor y gloria_                     Spain                         Pedro Almodóvar                         [18]

[1] David Spaner, “More Moore, please: Local critics name the Far From Heaven star 'best actress of 2002'”. _The Province_, January 30, 2003.

[2]

[3]

[4] David Spaner, “Lost in Translation wins big”. _The Province_, February 5, 2004.

[5]

[6]

[7] Peter T. Chattaway, “Vancouver Film Critics Circle — the winners!”. _FilmChat_, January 15, 2007.

[8]

[9]

[10] Peter T. Chattaway, “Vancouver Film Critics Circle — the winners!”. _FilmChat_, January 12, 2009.

[11]

[12]

[13]

[14]

[15]

[16] Etan Vlessing, “'Parasite' Named Best Picture by Vancouver Film Critics Circle”. _The Hollywood Reporter_, December 16, 2019.

[17] Adrian Mack, “Marriage Story dominates Vancouver Film Critics Circle noms”. _The Georgia Straight_, December 13, 2019.

[18]

question: What film won the Vancouver Film Critics Circle Award for Best Foreign Language Film in 2003?

answer: A Very Long Engagement

question: What film won the Vancouver Film Critics Circle Award for Best Foreign Language Film in 2002?

answer: Talk to Her

question: What film won the Vancouver Film Critics Circle Award for Best Foreign Language Film in 2007?

answer: 4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days

question: What film won the Vancouver Film Critics Circle Award for Best Foreign Language Film in 2009?

answer: Summer Hours

question: Write a ~1 sentence summary.

answer: The article lists the winners of the Vancouver Film Critics Circle Award for Best Foreign Language Film from 2002 to 2019.


text:
Rigel looked at her for what seemed the first time to her. She felt him peer down to the dark in her soul. Sensed him delving into what made her her. Prodding, seeking; searching for something in her. As she peered on his face, pallid in the low light of flickering arcane candles, she saw years of trained mental acuity reflected in his concentrated visage. Then with a crack resemblant of firecrackers he ceased to stand before her, but she continued to sense his presence as unbridled fear began to well up in her from the deep dark pits of her soul. Memories she had long buried. Tucked out of her conscious mind. Forgotten by a tortured mind in a fragile state. Claire shrieked as these dark fragments of time tore themselves from the long guarded reaches of her mind and came to play before her eyes as though they were yesterday.

Two young children walking through a field. Bright day. Grain swaying in the gentle breeze off the sea. Cool moisture. Lightning. Thunder. The taste of iron; Smell of blood. The touch of death grazed her child-mind as she turned violently, the world shaking as her senses were bombarded by blast after blast. Her friend lay there, torso burned out by strike after strike of lightning. Corpse blackened. Crisped to the bone. Face frozen in the smile she had been sharing with Claire, innocent and happy. The smell of blood lingered on her face but was replaced by the more pungent odor of burned flesh. Then as if by the lightning itself her self was returned to the dingy cabin with it's arcane tallow candle light and Rigel's penetrating glare.

The thunder still booming behind her eyes Rigel caught hold of her slender frame before she could drop to the dark pine wood of the forest cabin. Her rich auburn hair, as though flowing water, pooled beneath her head as he gently lowered Claire into a lying position. After fetching a soft lamb skin to cover her with Rigel sat back to contemplate what he had found while delving into her memories.

...Perhaps continued

EDIT: Spelling and fyi I think I could continue this for a while I have  character and environment development in mind - but am lacking in overall plot. I don't know where this would go long run

title: Exercise in sensory descriptions

question: Describe the major characters.

answer:
Rigel has the ability to go into Claire's memories.
Claire is slender, with auburn hair, and experiencing trauma.

question: What is the author's goal?

answer: To practice writing sensory descriptions.

question: Why is Claire afraid?

answer: She is afraid because she can feel Rigel prying into her memories, leaving her with no control of her own mind, let alone the situation.

question: What happens in the memory?

answer: Claire is a child, walking with her friend, when her friend is killed by multiple strikes of lightning.

question: Which occurs first, chronologically - Claire's shriek or Claire's friend dying?

answer: Claire's friend dying; this is implied to have happened years before.

question: Write a ~1 sentence summary.

answer: In a dark forest cabin, Claire relives a traumatic childhood memory of her friend's death by lighting strike as Rigel delves into her mind.


text: Elliott awoke in his bed. Not quite sober, not quite drunk. Being a 25 year old neanderthal is simple, in his own mind, but arduous in the worlds mind. Upon placing his feet halfway on the floor he pondered if he should start his day, or end his day. Both ended in the same outcome of misery. With his head full of half stars he started his day,thinking about his failures as well as grandiose ideas of the day to come. He slid on his shoes and clothed himself the way he did yesterday, or anyday prior as far as he was concerned. He peered into the vacant window of his failures as he sipped his Irish coffee, contemplating on if he should start his day. There was never really any choice, anyway. He humbly yet stressfully lulled his way into his job, wondering why. He took his old cutless to work, thinking along the way of his failures. The flask in his inned jacket pocket, beating louder than his heart, reassured him of his confusion. Whilst passing beautiful women along his comute, he couldn't help but think of what could've been, The luxury of no anxiety, the freedom of his mind, and why he couldn't get his damn oil changed. As he strolled into his mundane job, the flask beat loudly as he imagined it in his blood stream. But his anxiety helped him carry on into his cubicle. He could see the poeticness of it, but chose to ignore it as his glee-full co-workers passed him by. He confusingly had an innermonolouge, but to hell with it, at least I have my flask, as he thought as he took a swig, How can a sell this nonsense to others, he thought. As sad as he was, he was the most enlightened one in this prison, or so he thought. He took a heroic swig from his flask and stared blankly at his monitor. "I'm not better than this", he thought. He jumped heart first into his workday, his flask of a heart picking up pace. He certainly had a case of the Fridays. The Fridays filled with booze and sorrow. He fumbled through his logic and decided that it was time for sleep. He stood up, strolled out of his office hoping someone would pick up on his aura, but no one did other than the rotating door upon his exit. As he decended down the stairs, he couldn't help but feel this was a soliloquy for his life. Down, down, down. Step after step until he reached the exit, The relief, the agony, the purity hit him at once, At that moment he fantasized that everything was not going to be alright, even though it was. During his ride back "home", he contemplated not life, but the actions in it. And in that pure moment he felt happiness, The happiness that only happens in commercials. It was okay. Today was okay, Tomorrow was a mystery, and he took solace in that. Finally, a half smile showed on his face. He had found his love, The love for the unknown. Praise be to his gods.

title: Feedback would be nice.

question: Is Elliott employed?

answer: Yes.

question: What was in his flask?

answer: It may be implied the flask was filled with alcohol.

question: Where did Elliott work?

answer: It may be implied that his job had something to do with computers.

question: What is Elliott's love?

answer: Elliott's love is the unknown. The fact that the next day is a mystery is what he loved.

question: Write a ~6 sentence summary.

answer:
Elliott is a 25-year-old living a mundane life. He wakes up and gets ready for work pondering on the failures of his life. On his way to work, he thinks of the luxury of not being anxious and the freedom of mind.

He gets to his cubicle and stares at the monitor for the rest of the day, lost in his own thoughts. Finally, the day ends and he heads for the exit fantasizing how everything would be alright. At that moment, he realizes how much he loves the fact that tomorrow is a mystery.


text:
ROSICLEY PEREIRA DA SILVA (born 22 April 1993), commonly known as ROSSI, is a Brazilian professional footballer who plays as a winger for Bahia.

Club career

Born in Prainha, Pará, Rossi represented Flamengo and Fluminense before joining Ponte Preta in 2011. On 22 January 2012 he made his first team debut, coming on as a second half substitute for Caio in a 0–1 Campeonato Paulista away loss against São Caetano.[1]

Rossi made his Série A debut on 11 November 2012, replacing Rildo in a 1–0 home win against Internacional.[2] After not being utilized during the first half of the 2013 season, he was loaned to Mogi Mirim until the end of the year on 14 May.[3]

Returning to Ponte ahead of the 2014 campaign, Rossi appeared sparingly as his side achieved top tier promotion. The following year, he served loan stints at Paraná[4] and Operário Ferroviário.[5]

On 21 December 2015, Rossi joined São Bento permanently.[6] The following 23 May, he signed for Série B side Goiás.[7]

Rossi was the club's second top goalscorer of the _Esmeraldino_ during the 2016 campaign, only two goals shy of Léo Gamalho; highlights included a brace in a 4–2 home win over Náutico on 16 July. On 21 December, after failing to agree new terms, he moved to Chapecoense in the Série A.[8]

On 14 July 2017, Rossi signed for China League One side Shenzhen.[9]

He transferred to Internacional on loan in March 2018.

Career statistics

Club

[10]

  Club                          Season    League             State League   Cup     Continental   Other   Total
  ----------------------------- --------- ------------------ -------------- ------- ------------- ------- ------- ------- ------- ------- ------- ------- ---- ---
  Division                      Apps      Goals              Apps           Goals   Apps          Goals   Apps
  Ponte Preta                   2012      Série A            3              0       5             0       1
  2013                          0         0                  0              0       1             0       —
  2014                          Série B   9                  0              14      1             5       1
  2015                          Série A   0                  0              0       0             0       0
  TOTAL                         12        0                  19             1       7             1       —
  Mogi Mirim (loan)             2013      Série C            15             2       —             —       —
  Paraná (loan)                 2015      Série B            0              0       8             2       2
  Operário Ferroviário (loan)   2015      Série D            9              2       —             —       —
  São Bento                     2016      Paulista           —              13      2             —       —
  Goiás                         2016      Série B            31             9       —             —       —
  Chapecoense                   2017      Série A            10             2       17            4       2
  Shenzhen                      2017      China League One   8              2       —             0       0
  Internacional (loan)          2018      Série A            27             1       1             0       2
  Vasco da Gama (loan)          2019      Série A            29             2       10            1       2
  Bahia                         2020      Série A            0              0       0             0       1
  CAREER TOTAL                  141       19                 68             10      16            2       8

Notes

Honours

Chapecoense

-   Campeonato Catarinense: 2017

[1]

[2]

[3]

[4]

[5]

[6]

[7]

[8]

[9] 深圳宣布沙佩科前锋加盟 身披7号将替换奥巴西 at sports.sina.com 2017-07-15 Retrieved 2017-07-17

[10]

[11] Five appearances and one goal in Copa Libertadores, one appearance in Copa Sudamericana

[12] Appearance(s) in Recopa Sudamericana

[13] Appearance(s) in Copa Sudamericana

[14] Appearance(s) in Copa do Nordeste

title: Rossi (footballer)

question: What is Rossi's full name?

answer: Rosicley Pereira da Silva

question: What position does Rossi play?

answer: winger

question: What club does Ross play for?

answer: Bahia

question: When did Rossi make his Série A debut?

answer: 11 November 2012

question: Write a ~1 sentence summary.

answer: Rosicley Periera da Silva, commonly known as Rossi, is a Brazilian professional footballer who plays as a wingre for Bahia.


text:
I remember this story,
I remember it well.
It had a devilish intention,
To stay in mind to only dwell.

It happened so fast,
It happened in vain.
It happened at night,
In a vast land we call the plains.

When the sun was almost done,
And forming on the horizon a small crest.
A farmer came out to sit on his porch,
After a long day of work to take his rest.

When his wife came out,
And kissed him on the cheek.
She said to him you work to hard,
Maybe you should rest for a day or week.

You know I can’t said the farmer,
We have to worry about food.
And all bills we have to pay,
Do you want to live in a hood?

 You no I don’t,
Said the woman in such an attitude.
That made the farmer thinks,
Why was she talking this rude?

But the farmer thought nothing of it,
And arose to go to bed.
He walked up the stairs,
And laid down to rest his weary head.

In the middle of the night,
Arose such a clatter.
That the farmer rose,
To see what was the matter.

He rushed to his closet,
And through open the door.
To grab his gun his father gave him,
Who told him it was useful for ever more.

He went down the stairs,
In a manner so gentle.
That made the man think could this be his wife leaving?
Why he was thinking this, she could never leave him, was he mental?

Why did he think this?
 He knew he could not be.
If he thought this it could not be true,
Not one thing is wrong with me.

When he arrived down the stairs,
He saw into the room.
But saw nothing but the furniture,
And some glass beside a broom.

He starts for the kitchen,
Since the lights were still going along.
He turned the corner,
And saw something was wrong.

His wife was in there,
A man had his arms around her shoulders rim.
How could she do this he thought?
 So a fury of anger rose within him.

He dashes in brandishing the gun,
And yells at her I kill you and this man if I can.
So he pulled the trigger,
But nothing came out and killed man.

Then everything happened in a fury,
 The farmer was on the ground after he fell.
The unknown man was now on top of him,
And the farmers head was ringing like a bell.

The farmer fell asleep then,
Not knowing where he was.
He awoke with his hands tied in a dark cold room,
With a lot of commotion coming from the room above that came like a buzz.

He realized he was in his basement,
And could no longer move his arms in any motion.
So he tried to create a noise to be heard,
But could not because of the upstairs commotion.

With that man upstairs with his wife,
And he down here with his hands behind his back.
That man was messing around with his wife,
And all he wanted to do is grab the axes and hack.

His ties came loose,
His hands were free.
He got up and grabbed the axe,
He ran to the door and yelled out you are only me.

He slashed down the axe,
It went down in a whir.
The man now led dead on the cold floor,
So now the farmer started for her.

She exclaimed out to him,
That was your son you just hurt, you are acting crazy.
We put you down there to keep you come till we could surprise you in the mor…
She went down like the man before her and the rest is a little hazy.

When the farmer finally came back to reality,
He was in a strange room.
He stood before a man in black,
Who seemed to be in a gloom?

He said to the farmer in a booming voice,
For what you have committed is so vile I can not think of a punishment to give.
So I give you live in prison,
You will never be a free man as long as you live.

The farmer is now in a strange small room,
A room he could no longer leave as he may.
He said in a sorrowful voice how can I atone myself,
He heard voice behind him say, I can think of a way.

title: a little alliteration i made one boring day

question: What is the gist of the poem?

answer: A farmer suffers a surprise mental breakdown and kills his wife and son, thinking he's being cheated on.

question: What is the way of atonement mentioned at the end?

answer: The way to atone is only mentioned. However, given the dark tone of the story, it's probably suicide.