In today's news: Politicians agree on compulsory treatment for severe drug addiction

Here's a roundup of stories from the Canadian Press to bring you up to speed…

BC and NB politicians seem to agree on drug treatment

As they both fight for re-election, the premiers of British Columbia and New Brunswick appear to agree on a controversial issue: the involuntary commitment of people with severe drug addictions.

Earlier this month, British Columbia NDP Leader David Eby committed to providing involuntary care to people struggling with a combination of addiction, mental illness and brain damage. He said the new approach will “provide clarity and ensure that people, including youth, can and should receive care when they are unable to seek it themselves.”

Eby has promised to build lower-security facilities for people who pose a danger to themselves or others to ensure they are treated in a safe environment. His decision came after a report by Dr. Daniel Vigo, BC's first chief scientific adviser for psychiatry, toxic drugs and comorbidities, who made the recommendation.

In New Brunswick, Eby's promise caught the attention of Progressive Conservative Leader Blaine Higgs, who last week called a new election for Oct. 21. Higgs suggested that he and Eby are on the same side despite their political backgrounds.

Higgs has stated that if his party is re-elected for a third term, the Tories would introduce a so-called Compassionate Intervention Act. This would allow the government to provide treatment to people with severe drug addictions without their consent, but not without consulting their families, doctors and the police.

Prices put pressure on households and parties in British Columbia

In the seven years since the NDP came to power in British Columbia, food prices have risen by nearly 30 percent.

Rents and transport costs rose by around a quarter, and fuel costs rose by almost half.

It has been a painful process that has made the cost of living a major issue ahead of the Oct. 19 provincial election. But experts say that while some provincial policies may have an impact, inflationary pressures are largely global in origin.

Werner Antweiler, an associate professor at the University of British Columbia's Sauder School of Business, said that while interest rates and tax policy can change housing prices, the pressures that have pushed up food prices are not so easily influenced at the local policy level.

Living under a 29-year boil water advisory

Every other day, Derek Moonias drives 15 minutes to the Neskantaga First Nation airport and fills his pickup truck with boxes of bottled water flown in at government expense.

The community about 450 kilometers north of Thunder Bay, Ontario – which is only accessible by plane and a road that is icy in winter – has the longest boil water advisory in the country, at 29 years old and counting. Many of the community's residents have never lived in a time when the water from their taps was declared safe to drink.

This morning, Moonias, the water distribution coordinator, is tired. A young mother had called him overnight, looking for clean water to make a bottle for her baby. He pulled some out of his secret stash, which he had kept just for such occasions, and brought it over quickly.

Descendant of the Franklin Expedition proud of his ancestor

Nigel Gambier was always proud of his ancestor, who was captain of one of the ill-fated ships on Sir John Franklin's disastrous expedition in search of the Northwest Passage.

Now that DNA analysis has identified the remains of Gambier's predecessor and confirmed his relationship to James Fitzjames, there is a mixture of pride and sadness.

“He's a relative and I'm very proud of him,” said Gambier, a retired furniture importer from Bury St. Edmunds, England, and Fitzjames' second cousin on his father's side. “I'm sorry he met such a bad end.”

Whistleblower proposes social media scorecard

Facebook whistleblower Frances Haugen is “extremely confident” that society will succeed in improving the security of social media platforms. However, for things to change, she believes companies need to be motivated in new ways.

“We are not powerless,” Haugen said in an interview during a visit to Toronto, where she was scheduled to speak at a conference on online safety for children.

“It's not impossible to fix these systems. We just lack the incentives today to get these platforms to act positively.”

Haugen's criticism of social media platforms and the broader societal systems they have spawned has grown over her 20-plus years in the technology industry, including stints at Google, Hinge, Yelp and Pinterest.

Visual effects and animation studios want new deal

Visual effects and animation companies are working together to negotiate a better deal with the Quebec government after it implemented tax changes that some companies say will cost them nearly two-thirds of their revenue next year.

Last spring, the provincial government included in the budget a 65 percent cap on tax credits that international film studios can claim when they contract work to VFX and animation companies operating in Quebec. The original, uncapped subsidy was introduced in 1998 and has since become too expensive, according to the government.

The tax change came into effect on May 31 and, according to VFX and animation studios, means that major film companies have less incentive to employ talent from Quebec.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published September 26, 2024.

The Canadian Press