COVID-19 'Pandemic'

[55Mercury]

meanwhile in New Zealand....

This statistician and whistleblower, Barry Young, 56, has been arrested by New Zealand authorities for exposing this data:
Mr. Young examined connections between specific COVID-19 vaccine batches and mortality rates. What he found was alarming:
Batch ID 1: Total Vaccinated 711, Death Count 152, 21.38% Dead
Batch ID 8: Total Vaccinated 221, Death Count 38, 17.19% Dead
Batch ID 3: Total Vaccinated 310, Death Count 48, 15.48% Dead
Batch ID 4: Total Vaccinated 364, Death Count 37, 10.16% Dead
Batch ID 6: Total Vaccinated 1006, Death Count 101, 10.04% Dead
Batch ID 2: Total Vaccinated 1018, Death Count 98, 9.63% Dead
Batch ID 7: Total Vaccinated 38, Death Count 3, 7.89% Dead
Batch ID 72: Total Vaccinated 5882, Death Count 278, 4.73% Dead
Batch ID 62: Total Vaccinated 18173, Death Count 831, 4.57% Dead
Batch ID 71: Total Vaccinated 11019, Death Count 498, 4.52% Dead
The underlying mortality rate in New Zealand should be only 0.75%, said Young. So the odds of all these deaths happening by chance is approximately 100 billion to 1.
"So statistically, what we're saying is that there is no chance that this vaccine is not a killer," declared Young.
Steve Kirsch (@stkirsch
) earlier today said:
"The data is legit; that's why they are arresting Barry. He's a hero for exposing the truth."
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

so many people - including all you fart-checkers! - need to be lined up and catch my drift.

 

[55Mercury]

https://x.com/liz_churchill10/status/1732093586873696291?s=20

 

[55Mercury]

let's send Gene Simmons to Hamastine so he can understand what an enemy is...

and KISS his ass good-bye.

 

[spaminator]

Nova Scotia senator censured for ’insensitive’ comments during ’Freedom Convoy’
Author of the article:Canadian Press
Canadian Press
Dylan Robertson
Published Dec 05, 2023 • 3 minute read

OTTAWA — Senators have voted to condemn one of their own, following a colourful rant covertly recorded during the self-styled “Freedom Convoy” protest last year.


The Senate ethics watchdog found this spring that Conservative Sen. Michael MacDonald violated the code of conduct.


The Nova Scotia senator was caught on video in February 2022 castigating downtown Ottawa residents who complained about the protests, saying locals were overpaid and underworked.

MacDonald apologized for his remarks in the Senate and he told media he had been drinking on the evening in question.

The Senate’s ethics officer ruled he had breached six sections of the code that governs senators, including two related to his conduct and four others for a lack of compliance in the investigation itself.


The ethics officer determined that the Red Chamber must formally censure members whose conduct undermines the Senate’s reputation and senators recently voted to do so.

On Nov. 30, the chamber voted on division to issue the sanction against MacDonald, which does not come with any penalties but holds symbolic value.

Sen. Dennis Patterson spoke out against the censure, saying the scope of the ethics code seems to go beyond other parliamentary rules that only focus on senators’ conduct while they are carrying out their Senate-related duties.

“Not agreeing to the remediation recommendations of the (ethics officer) is quite different than not co-operating,” Patterson added in remarks right before the vote last week.


Patterson was a former Conservative colleague of MacDonald’s, but left the party during the convoy protests, which saw thousands of demonstrators gridlocking downtown Ottawa over their opposition to COVID-19 public-health measures.

He said at the time that he was “appalled that we appear to be associated with extremists,” whom he argued undertook a “hostage occupation of the heart of our Canadian democracy.”

MacDonald apologized again last week for his “insensitive” remarks and added that he regretted his conduct during the investigation. He said a parliamentary committee had treated him fairly.

“I was eager to move on, yet felt embarrassed, isolated and frustrated by the process. But I could have handled it better; that is entirely on me,” he told the chamber.


The watchdog’s investigation had been prompted by complaints from nine of MacDonald’s peers.

Shortly after the video footage emerged, MacDonald apologized in the chamber and stressed that the conversation wasn’t meant to be recorded.

In the recording, MacDonald is heard saying he doesn’t want to be recorded. The videographer responds by saying “OK.”

MacDonald then goes on to some frank remarks.

“It’s everybody’s f—ing city, this is the capital of the country. It’s not your goddamned city just because you have a six-figure salary and you work 20 hours a week. You haven’t worked a full week in two years. It’s sickening,” MacDonald says in the recording.

In the video, MacDonald refers to his wife as a “Karen” — a derogatory term for a self-entitled woman — for opposing the protests. Despite police ordering protesters to clear the scene, MacDonald says that “I don’t want them to leave.”


Senate ethics officer Pierre Legault said the senator’s request to not be filmed showed “an intentional failure to exercise dignified reserve and restraint” and that his comments left a “significant impact” on the institution.

The watchdog added that the senator’s initial apology was undermined by his comment that his comments weren’t meant to be captured on video.

“Senators are expected to represent Canadians, not denigrate, mock and demean them, while encouraging illegal activities at a time when a state of emergency had been declared,” Legault said in a July report.

The ethics officer and MacDonald argued over the mandate of his office, such as pushing back on a request to know whom MacDonald was dining with before the video, to tell whether he had been conducting Senate business.

The Senate ethics committee, staffed by MacDonald’s peers, issued a report in September finding that he had not appropriately complied with the investigation.

“It was a direct challenge to the integrity and mandate of the Senate-approved process by which senators — and the Senate itself — are to be held accountable,” the report says.

Nova Scotia senator censured for ’insensitive’ comments during ’Freedom Convoy’

Senators voted to condemn one of their own following a colourful rant covertly recorded during the "Freedom Convoy" protest last year.

torontosun.com

 

[spaminator]

Sask. man who abducted daughter over COVID vaccine aims to have judge dismissed
"You're so biased, and you don't follow the law, at all," the accused man said Wednesday to the judge handling his case.

Author of the article:Brandon Harder
Published Dec 13, 2023 • Last updated 15 hours ago • 3 minute read
Michael Gordon Jackson is charged with one count of abduction in contravention of custody or parenting order. That charge has not been proven in court.
Michael Gordon Jackson is charged with one count of abduction in contravention of custody or parenting order. That charge has not been proven in court.
A Saskatchewan man accused of abducting his own daughter has levied some of his own accusations against the judge who is slated to hear his upcoming trial.


Michael Gordon Jackson, 54, was charged before he was located in Vernon, B.C. with the child in February 2022, having crossed provincial borders and eluded police in an apparent bid to stop the then seven-year-old from receiving a vaccine for COVID-19.


He is charged with one count of abduction in contravention of a custody or parenting order. That charge has not been proven in court.

In Regina’s Court of King’s Bench Monday, he was addressed directly by Justice Heather MacMillan-Brown, as he is again handling his own case without the help of a lawyer.

She said it was her understanding that Wednesday had been reserved for a proceeding to determine whether a proposed expert witness, to be called by Jackson, could be qualified as such.


Such a qualification would allow the witness to provide opinion evidence related to what’s been determined as their field of expertise. Such witnesses can assist the court in an understanding of technical matters.

However the proposed expert was not in court.

“I’d like an explanation,” the judge said.

Jackson then said that he’d already indicated he would be making an application to have MacMillan-Brown “removed as the trial judge,” and as a result he didn’t “see the point” in having the proposed expert in court before a decision is made on that application.

“The difficulty is, that’s not a decision you get to unilaterally make,” the judge told him, while acknowledging he does have a right to apply to have her disqualified.


“Unless and until I’m disqualified, I’m the trial judge, and the trial is taking place in April,” she went on, noting the expert witness qualification proceeding could’ve gone ahead Wednesday.

Now the court was faced with trying to find new dates for that proceeding before the trial.

Jackson acknowledged he may have made a mistake in not applying for an adjournment, but accused the judge of “intentionally delaying the situation” having taken “major time” to make previous decisions on the case.

“This all comes back to you in my mind,” he said.

“I can’t trust that you’re going to follow the rule of law when it comes to experts, and I’m not going to waste the expert’s time.”

He said he felt it was “obvious” she would not qualify the proposed expert.


The judge explained to Jackson that there is law governing expert qualification, and that a past decision she’d made on one proposed expert wouldn’t dictate a future decision on another.

She told him a new date would need to be set to hold the qualification proceeding, which he said he still hoped to proceed with.

However, the accused man said he thinks his former lawyer had been “lying” to him, and noted he planned to attempt appeals of the judge’s past decisions in the case, if possible.

He may make an application to adjourn the trial itself, depending on how everything else goes, he said.

The judge scheduled a hearing for the application to have her disqualified in January, but asked Jackson to try to canvass dates his proposed expert may be available.

Jackson said he’d try, but went on to say: “Even if you’re not disqualified, I’ll appeal it.”

“I am not going to go to trial with you because I can see where it’s going. You’re so biased, and you don’t follow the law, at all.”

The judge simply replied by saying “all right,” before noting there wasn’t much more that could be done with Wednesday’s scheduled court time.

She then said that in the future, if there was a need for an adjournment, he would have to apply to do that.

“Today was a tremendous waste of court resources.”

bharder@postmedia.com

Sask. man accused of abducting daughter over COVID vaccine aims to have judge disqualified

Michael Gordon Jackson, who is charged abducting his own child, told court Wednesday he plans to apply to have his trial judge disqualified.

torontosun.com

 

[Tecumsehsbones]

Meh, who needs an expert? Just play the YouTube video.

 

[Twin_Moose]

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1736386014648684597

 

[spaminator]

Why some doctors see COVID as a new risk factor for cardiovascular disease
"Studies are showing that even young, active people can experience heightened risk of these complications."


Author of the article:Elizabeth Payne
Published Dec 22, 2023 • Last updated 1 day ago • 3 minute read

High blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes, obesity: These are some of the well-known risk factors that can put people at heightened risk for heart attack and stroke.


Now some health experts say COVID-19 should be added to that list.


Early in the pandemic, experts began to understand COVID-19 as a vascular disease, not simply as a respiratory illness.

“We have a much better understanding of the nature of COVID today,” says Dr. Peter Liu, chief scientific officer and vice-president of research at the University of Ottawa Heart Institute. “COVID damages the inner linings of the blood vessels.”

That has implications for cardiovascular health, according to Liu, who is also a researcher for Heart & Stroke, which supports research, awareness and prevention campaigns in Canada.

In fact, Liu says, there is a growing movement to view COVID-19 as an additional risk factor for cardiovascular disease along with other well-known factors such as high cholesterol and diabetes.


“It causes inflammation of the blood vessels that can increase the risk of blood clots. We know it can, over time, lead to increased risk of having a heart attack, stroke, heart failure and things like that,” Liu says.

It’s well-known that high blood pressure, diabetes, smoking are among the risk factors for cardiovascular disease, Liu adds, and some experts want to see a previous serious COVID-19 infection treated as another one.

Heart & Stroke encourages physicians and patients to talk about recent COVID-19 infections in relation to cardiovascular disease. Liu says it is important for people with risk factors to do what they can to minimize those risks.

“Since cardiovascular disease can be silent, it’s important to get your blood pressure checked and do further screening for cardiovascular disease if there are concerns,” Liu says.


And it is not just people with pre-existing cardiovascular risk factors or the more medically vulnerable who are at potential risk from COVID, according to Heart & Stroke.

“The severity of the infection doesn’t seem to make a difference,” Liu says. “These complications can occur even in people who have very mild symptoms. The big surprise is how much this can affect younger people. Studies are showing that even young, active people can experience heightened risk of these complications.”

Medical experts have linked an increased risk of myocardial infarction (heart attack), as well as heart rhythm abnormalities, heart failure and myocarditis (inflammation of the heart) with recent COVID-19 infections. The mRNA COVID-19 vaccines can also increase the risk of myocarditis, but the risk from COVID is greater than the risk from the vaccine.


A 2022 study published in Frontiers of Cardiovascular Medicine found the risk of myocarditis was more than seven times higher in those who had been infected with COVID-19 than in those who received the vaccine.

Similarly, the risk of developing a blood clot following a COVID-19 infection is many times greater than after receiving a COVID vaccine, Liu says.

“So the benefit of vaccines far outweighs the risk when it comes to COVID, especially now we realize how COVID can be so insidious and harmful for our cardiovascular system.”

COVID-19 impacts other systems of the body as well, including neurological.

Liu says he worries when he hears people dismiss COVID-19, nearly four years into the global pandemic, as just a cold.


“The message here is you don’t want to get COVID-19 if you can help it,” he says.

Vaccines can reduce complications, even if people become infected, and masking and following other public health advice can reduce the risk of getting infected in the first place, he says.

More than 11 per cent of Canadians have experienced long-term symptoms from COVID infections, according to recent information from Statistics Canada. A recent study published in the journal Nature found that children vaccinated against COVID-19 were less likely to get Long COVID, which can last for years.

Most of Ontario has been experiencing a surge of COVID-19 cases after months of relatively high transmission. The latest COVID-19 wave is fueled, in part, by low uptake of the latest vaccines and a new, more contagious sub-variant .

Health officials have urged people to protect themselves with masks and vaccines and to stay home if they become infected.

“I don’t think we are going to get rid of COVID, so we need to protect ourselves against it,” Liu says.

Why some doctors see COVID as a new risk factor for cardiovascular disease

The virus causes inflammation of blood vessels that can lead to heart attacks and strokes.

torontosun.com

 

[55Mercury]

 

[spaminator]

One-fifth of small biz with CEBA loans won't make repayment deadline
The CFIB was pressuring Ottawa to extend the deadline

Author of the article:Jane Stevenson
Published Jan 11, 2024 • Last updated 2 days ago • 1 minute read

The Canadian Federation of Independent Business says 22% of 900,000 small businesses with CEBA (Canada Emergency Business Account) loans will be unable to repay Ottawa by the Jan. 18 deadline.


The CFIB had hoped the federal government would extend the repayment deadline but they now say “it’s highly unlikely” that will happen, meaning businesses won’t get to keep the forgivable portion of $20,000.


“Following many conversations with government, I’m convinced there won’t be any last-minute extension to the current January 18 deadline,” said CFIB president Dan Kelly in a statement.

“For business owners who remain eligible, now is the time to repay if you possibly can. There’s only one week left to repay the loan while securing the up to $20,000 forgivable portion. This decision has huge implications for Canada’s economy.”

CFIB advises its members that if they’re looking to borrow to repay their CEBA loan and keep the forgivable portion, they need to apply for a refinancing loan with the bank that issued your original CEBA loan before Jan. 18 to qualify for a special extension to Mar. 28.

And if they’re rejected for refinancing from their CEBA bank, they will still qualify for the extension to March 28 as long as their account is in good standing.

CFIB says small businesses that cannot repay or borrow to repay the loan will lose the forgivable portion but will have three years – until the end of 2026 – to repay the balance at 5% interest.

Business owners can visit CFIB’s website for more information on their CEBA financing options.

Canadian Federation of Independent Business | CFIB

Canadian Federation of Independent Business, CFIB. In business for your business since 1971.

cfib-fcei.ca

One-fifth of small biz with CEBA loans won't make repayment deadline

The CFIB says 22% of 900,000 small businesses with CEBA loans will be unable to repay Ottawa by the Jan. 18 deadline.

torontosun.com

 

[Taxslave2]

One-fifth of small biz with CEBA loans won't make repayment deadline
The CFIB was pressuring Ottawa to extend the deadline

Author of the article:Jane Stevenson
Published Jan 11, 2024 • Last updated 2 days ago • 1 minute read

The Canadian Federation of Independent Business says 22% of 900,000 small businesses with CEBA (Canada Emergency Business Account) loans will be unable to repay Ottawa by the Jan. 18 deadline.


The CFIB had hoped the federal government would extend the repayment deadline but they now say “it’s highly unlikely” that will happen, meaning businesses won’t get to keep the forgivable portion of $20,000.


“Following many conversations with government, I’m convinced there won’t be any last-minute extension to the current January 18 deadline,” said CFIB president Dan Kelly in a statement.

“For business owners who remain eligible, now is the time to repay if you possibly can. There’s only one week left to repay the loan while securing the up to $20,000 forgivable portion. This decision has huge implications for Canada’s economy.”

CFIB advises its members that if they’re looking to borrow to repay their CEBA loan and keep the forgivable portion, they need to apply for a refinancing loan with the bank that issued your original CEBA loan before Jan. 18 to qualify for a special extension to Mar. 28.

And if they’re rejected for refinancing from their CEBA bank, they will still qualify for the extension to March 28 as long as their account is in good standing.

CFIB says small businesses that cannot repay or borrow to repay the loan will lose the forgivable portion but will have three years – until the end of 2026 – to repay the balance at 5% interest.

Business owners can visit CFIB’s website for more information on their CEBA financing options.

Canadian Federation of Independent Business | CFIB

Canadian Federation of Independent Business, CFIB. In business for your business since 1971.

cfib-fcei.ca

One-fifth of small biz with CEBA loans won't make repayment deadline

The CFIB says 22% of 900,000 small businesses with CEBA loans will be unable to repay Ottawa by the Jan. 18 deadline.

torontosun.com

Not a problem. All they gotta do is claim they are a minority and turdOWE will borrow the money for them.

 

[IdRatherBeSkiing]

Lots of ads on radio now from less than reputable lenders offering bridge financing for cerbra loans.

 

[spaminator]

Small biz owner predicts 'chaos' after CEBA loan repayment deadline
The deadline to repay the CEBA loan is Thursday in order to receive the forgiveable portion.

Author of the article:Jane Stevenson
Published Jan 17, 2024 • 2 minute read
A Kingston entrepreneur predicts 'chaos' after Thursday's deadline for Canada's 900,000 small businesses to repay their CEBA loans.

The owner of an environmentally-friendly general store in eastern Ontario pulled out all the stops to repay her CEBA (Canada Emergency Business Account) loan in time for Thursday’s deadline.


Laurie Davey-Quantick, who’s owned Verde in downtown Kingston, Ont., since 2011, says she began a 40% off sale on Dec. 27 which helped her pay back $40,000 to the government and ensured she qualified for a forgivable component of the loan, which amounted to $20,000.


That doesn’t mean, however, it’s all smooth sailing, as she will close her brick-and-mortar store on Jan. 27 to become an online retailer.

“I happen to have a location on my home property that will receive all of my inventory,” said Davey-Quantick on Wednesday.

“And in three or four months, we’ll start to think about whether we want to open a destination store, but we don’t know yet.”

Almost 900,000 businesses and non-profits received a CEBA loan during the COVID-19 pandemic, securing up to $60,000 in interest-free loans — with a forgivable component — to help them survive. Those who took the full amount will be forgiven $20,000 if they paid $40,000 on Thursday.


The Canadian Federation of Independent Business predicted thousands of small businesses will miss the deadline, driving up the amount they owe from $40,0000 to $60,000.

If they can’t repay $40,000 by Thursday, their entire debt will be converted into a three-year loan, with 5% annual interest.

“I believe the government will regret the decision to not grant more time as small businesses fail and default on their entire loan,” said CFIB president Dan Kelly in a statement.

“For many businesses, CEBA will be the straw that breaks the camel’s back.”

Davey-Quantick agreed, predicting “impending chaos. And I’ve been saying that for two years now.”

She said, in a perfect world, small businesses would have been forgiven $40,000 by Ottawa and only required to pay back $20,000, with a deadline extension until the end of 2025.


“The economy has not rebounded the way the policy makers (think),” she said. “They all believe we’re going gangbusters — but we’re not. The small businesses that I know are desperately trying to cobble together the money to pay back that $40,000 so that they can have that $20,000 forgiven. But that means many are going to be dipping into any personal finances that they have; they might have to go to family, or they might have to go to their banks.”

Davey-Quantick added her bank was quoting a lending rate of 12.5% interest over two years if she hadn’t been able to make the repayment.

“So that works out to about a $2,000 per month expense,” she said.

Small biz owner predicts 'chaos' after CEBA loan repayment deadline

A Kingston entrepreneur predicts 'chaos' after Thursday's deadline for Canada's 900,000 small businesses to repay their CEBA loans.

torontosun.com

 

[spaminator]

Chinese scientists create mutant COVID strain that kills mice
Author of the articleostmedia News
Published Jan 17, 2024 • Last updated 1 day ago • 2 minute read
A pre-print study from China says mice infected with a mutant COVID-19 strain had a 100% death rate.
A pre-print study from China says mice infected with a mutant COVID-19 strain had a 100% death rate.
Scientists in China have created a mutant strain of COVID-19 in a lab that has a 100% death rate for mice with human genes.


The pre-print study, published in early January on bioRxiv by researchers in Beijing, identified two SARS-CoV-2-related pangolin coronaviruses documented in 2017 and 2019, before the COVID-19 outbreak, called pCoV-GD01 and GX_P2V.


The scientists focused on GX_P2V and created a strain that infected the lungs, bones, eyes, tracheas and brains of four lab mice.

After infecting them with the engineered GX_P2V virus, scientists noted the rodents began losing weight, showed signs of a hunched back and became lethargic before their eyes turned white.

The test subjects died within eight days, which researchers said was “surprisingly” quick.

“This finding suggested that severe brain infection during the later stages of infection may be the key cause of death in these mice,” the authors of the paper wrote.



There is a potential the GX_P2V virus could infect humans, the researchers warned, although there is no evidence that this version of the virus is in the wild.

“To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report showing that a SARS-CoV-2-related pangolin coronavirus can cause 100% mortality in hACE2 (humanized) mice, suggesting a risk for GX_P2V to spill over into humans,” the authors said.

Pangolins, sometimes known as scaly anteaters, are mammals that are found in the warmer climates of Asia and Africa. They are an evolutionary — but not direct — link to the current COVID-19 virus.

After its publication, the director of the Genetics Institute at the University College London called the pre-print study “terrible” and scientifically “totally pointless.”

“I can see nothing of vague interest that could be learned from force-infecting a weird breed of humanized mice with a random virus,” Prof. Francois Balloux shared on social media site X. “Conversely, I could see how such stuff might go wrong …”

Balloux added the research was likely “submitted to a scientific journal under a ‘letter to the editor’ format.”

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1744932362704556331

Lethal Infection of Human ACE2-Transgenic Mice Caused by SARS-CoV-2-related Pangolin Coronavirus GX_P2V(short_3UTR)

SARS-CoV-2-related pangolin coronavirus GX\_P2V(short\_3UTR) can cause 100% mortality in human ACE2-transgenic mice, potentially attributable to late-stage brain infection. This underscores a spillover risk of GX_P2V into humans and provides a unique model for understanding the pathogenic...

biorxiv.org

Chinese scientists create mutant COVID strain that kills mice

Scientists in China have created a mutant strain of COVID-19 in a lab that has a 100% death rate for mice with human genes.

torontosun.com

 

[IdRatherBeSkiing]

Yes, COVID was not a Chinese lab experiment that got away.

 

[petros]

Yes, COVID was not a Chinese lab experiment that got away.

US funded Chinese lab experiment that got away.

 

[spaminator]

MP Hepfner's husband must repay pandemic relief cheques
The Hamilton Mountain MP's husband is a CBC cameraman

Author of the articleostmedia News
Published Jan 18, 2024 • Last updated 1 day ago • 1 minute read

The husband of Liberal MP Lisa Hepfner must repay pandemic relief cheques that were improperly claimed according to records, says Blacklock’s Reporter.


Hepfner, who represents Hamilton Mountain, made a filing with the Ethics Commissioner on Wednesday that her CBC cameraman husband Michael Aitkens faced a “Canada Emergency Response Benefit repayment to the Government of Canada.”


Hepfner, who is also parliamentary secretary for gender equality, had no comment but earlier praised cabinet for “rolling out these programs to help Canadians.”

Parliament passed the Canada Emergency Response Benefit Act in 2020 to pay $2,000 monthly cheques to jobless tax filers facing eviction or foreclosure.



“These were really complicated programs the government was rolling out,” Hepfner told the Commons Ethics Committee on Feb. 10, 2023.

The ethics filing did not disclose how much Aitkens was ordered to repay.

Records show more than 1.1 million Canadians who improperly claimed pandemic relief cheques have been ordered to repay $2.1 billion to date.

Hepfner’s ethics disclosure summary showed the couple owned rental property in Hamilton and St. Catharines.

Hepfner was previously a television reporter with CHCH-TV in Hamilton at the outbreak of the pandemic.

MP Hepfner's husband must repay pandemic relief cheques

Liberal MP Lisa Hepfner's husband must repay pandemic relief cheques that were improperly claimed according to records.

torontosun.com

 

[spaminator]

Deadline to get partial CEBA forgiveness arrives as business groups warn of closures
Author of the article:Canadian Press
Canadian Press
Published Jan 18, 2024 • 1 minute read
The deadline for Canadian businesses to repay pandemic loans and receive partial forgiveness has arrived, as business groups say it could mean closure for many firms.
The deadline for Canadian businesses to repay pandemic loans and receive partial forgiveness has arrived, as business groups say it could mean closure for many firms.
The deadline for Canadian businesses to repay pandemic loans and receive partial forgiveness has arrived, as business groups say it could mean closure for many firms.


Hundreds of thousands of businesses and non-profits received a Canada Emergency Business Account loan of up to $60,000 during the COVID-19 pandemic.


Up to one-third of the loans could be forgiven if the outstanding amount is repaid by today, otherwise the debt will convert into a three-year loan with five per cent annual interest.

Businesses also have the option to refinance the loan with a financial institution, giving them until March 28 to set up the arrangement and still be eligible for partial forgiveness.

The Canadian Federation of Independent Business and Restaurants Canada have been calling for another extension to the deadline.

But on Wednesday, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said it’s time to wrap up pandemic financial aid programs.

Deadline to get partial CEBA forgiveness arrives as business groups warn of closures

This comes as business groups warn of closures.

torontosun.com

 

[spaminator]

Fewer tourists and business people coming to Toronto post-pandemic: Report
Author of the article:Kevin Connor
Published Jan 22, 2024 • 1 minute read

Visitor spending in Toronto reached a record $7 billion last year, but the number of tourists and business people coming to the city remains below pre-pandemic levels, according to a new report.

Toronto’s “Visitor Economy: 2023 Market Performance Highlights” found spending surpassed pre-pandemic levels for the first time, but the city is still at 93% of pre-pandemic arrivals, with 8.9 million visitors in 2023.


The report — published Monday by Destination Toronto — in 2019, Toronto attracted nearly 9.6 million visitors who spent $6.7 billion, generating more than $10 billion in economic impact.


“Toronto has always benefited from a diversified visitor economy with strong visitation coming from within Canada as well as from the U.S. and overseas markets,” said Andrew Weir, executive vice president of Destination Toronto.

“Up to this point, some international markets have recovered more slowly, and business events and business travel are still lagging behind leisure travel. For our visitor economy to be the economic engine it has proven to be for jobs and growth, all of these vital markets and segments need to return to full steam.”

Domestic travellers accounted for 71% of all visitors, compared to 64% in 2019. International travel to Toronto has been lacklustre, falling about 25% below 2019 levels.


“Toronto’s visitor economy is a vitally important sector of the city’s economy, supporting restaurants, arts and culture, retail, attractions, and creating business opportunities for local industries. We salute all sectors of this industry and the contribution they make to Toronto’s vibrancy and prosperity,” said Mayor Olivia Chow.

Recommended video
Major meetings and events continue to be a core driver of the city’s visitor economy.

In 2023, major meetings brought 290,000 people to Toronto, but both the number of events and total attendees remain below pre-pandemic levels. In 2019, 444,000 people descended on the city for meetings.

The report says the pandemic highlighted the crucial role visitors play to the city’s economic well-being.

Fewer tourists and business people coming to Toronto post-pandemic: Report

Visitor spending in Toronto below pre-pandemic levels.

torontosun.com

 

[spaminator]

Federal committee nixes call to make failed vaccine supplier's contract public
Author of the article:Kevin Connor
Published Jan 22, 2024 • Last updated 1 day ago • 2 minute read
Members of a commons committee voted 6-5 vote to reject public disclosure of a contract issued to a failed Quebec vaccine supplier.

Members of the Commons health committee voted 6-5 vote to reject public disclosure of a contract issued to a failed Quebec vaccine supplier.


Conservative MP Rick Perkins said scant records show cabinet lied about why it paid a $150 million for COVID vaccines that were never delivered. And, as part of the deal, a vaccine factory, which was to be built in Public Works Minister Jean-Yves Duclos’ Quebec riding, never proceeded.


“They misled a committee of Parliament,” said Perkins. MPs had “the responsibility to call them back and call them on their misrepresentation to Parliament,” he said.

Cabinet “lied to this committee,” Perkins told a public hearing Friday, according to a Blacklock’s story.

In 2020, Medicago Inc. — owned by Japan’s Mitsubishi Chemical Group — was paid $150 million for Covid-19 vaccines that were never delivered.

It also received $173 million in research subsidies under the Department of Industry’s Strategic Innovation Fund, a total $323 million in federal aid.


Medicago was to build a vaccine factory, but that never happened.

Cabinet had claimed the $150-million advance payment was written into its contract with Medicago.

Perkins claimed censored versions of the contract tabled with the Commons public accounts committee show payments were only to be made on delivery of vaccines, but none were shipped.

“What was the payment for?” asked Perkins.

Conservatives sponsored a motion asking that the health committee “order the production of unredacted copies of the vaccine supply contract” and all other agreements with Medicago for public release.

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“It is voting for a cover-up. It is voting to cover up Liberal incompetence on pissing away $323 million of taxpayer money when there is no contractual requirement to do so. Incompetence, stupidity, government waste, what’s the reason,” Perkins said.

Liberal MP Marcus Powlowski dismissed the Medicago contract as old news.

“This is two years later,” said Powlowski.

“These are contracts which have already been made available to another committee, yet some Conservative in the middle of the night wakes up with this brain wave, ‘Oh my God, what happened with those contracts we haven’t seen? Let’s call back the health committee to discuss this right now.’”

Federal committee nixes call to make failed vaccine supplier's contract public

Members of a Commons committee voted 6-5 vote to reject public disclosure of a contract issued to a failed Quebec vaccine supplier.

torontosun.com