RADIO - Red FM 93.1 Punjabi Morning - Vancouver, 20/05/2020 - COMMENTARY, Punjabi Summary Translation: Harjinder Thind - This pandemic caused immense sorrow - people got sick and died. However, some good things also happened like in relation to the environment and spending time with family. This has been a great time to boost the contribution and image of women in society. Women are included only in small numbers in the decisions made in board rooms. Boardrooms are usually predominated by middle-aged balding men. Now you will see that, since Prime Minister Trudeau made the first move towards gender balance, the number of women in boardrooms is increasing. During this COVID-19 crisis, women have shined. Of the 14 top healthcare officers, seven are women and they have done their job wonderfully. While they have shown excellent leadership, they also did not shy away from showing their emotions. Two names are worth mentioning here. One of them is Canada's Chief Public Health Officer Dr. Theresa Tam and the other is BC's Dr. Bonnie Henry. When at the height of difficulty Ontario's care homes were overwhelmed with death, Theresa Tam, despite criticism, stood her ground with a steely voice, keeping her emotions in control - even a man may not have been able to do so. On the other hand when Dr. Bonnie Henry appealed to people to maintain a distance of six feet with tears in her eyes, her request was adhered to in a way that maybe could not have been achieved even with a martial law in place. Dr. Bonnie Henry's tears were not a symbol of her weakness but a symbol of her passion with which she maintained firmness. Now, in the post-corona world the value of female leadership may increase. The expression of emotions by leaders should not be deemed their weakness. People will demand more such female leaders and male leaders who do not hide their true emotions from people. We congratulate these female leaders.
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TV - OMNI TV Focus Punjabi - Toronto, 19/05/2020 - FEATURE, 5 min, Punjabi Image Source: www.omnitv.ca Summary Translation: The Region of Peel is working with Peel Police, the school board and community partners to develop a Community Safety and Well-being Plan. Facilitator of the Plan Manvir Bhangu said there are three areas of focus. One is mental health and addictions. Many in the community use alcohol or drugs, and this is a big issue to address. Another area is discrimination and racism. This also has a gender angle. The third area is family violence. They want to understand these areas better, including the reasons, and how to prevent the issues. The Region is holding consultations through virtual sessions and will prepare a report. The reporter passed on the PeelCSWB social media handle and email. Indus Community Services CEO Gurpreet Malhotra said services addressing violence in the home have not grown with the population. We erect barrier upon barrier and then act surprised when our families face horrible challenges. Bhangu said they are doing research and talking to families, youth and service providers and will write a report addressing actions that youth, families and organizations can take. People can come forward and talk to them one-on-one about their needs and the gaps they see.
Toronto designers have raised over $100,000 to create the face mask of the future - Russian5/20/2020 WEB - Torontovka.com - Toronto, 19/05/2020 - NEWS, 1 page web, Russian Image Source: Torontovka.com Summary Translation: no byline - LuxMea, a multidisciplinary design studio with offices in Toronto and Boston, is working with Health Canada and testing their products at the University of Toronto so they can distribute them to frontline healthcare workers. LuxMea has an idea for a face mask that goes beyond the usual cotton or polyester varieties. They have raised over $100,000 to begin the mass production of masks made by 3D printers. What sets these masks apart is that they will be made using AI (artificial intelligence) technology so that they are individually tailored to each wearer. Each mask will be lightweight, flexible and glasses-friendly to prevent fog — a common issue with many cotton masks. They will also come with replaceable filters, making them reusable, durable and washable. The way personalization will work is that measurements for each individual customer will be taken online to generate the desired fit. The masks with then be 3D-printed by LuxMea's partner Shapeways, the largest 3D printing manufacturer in the world, and delivered directly to the customer's home.
TV - OMNI News: Punjabi Edition - Toronto, 11/05/2020 - FEATURE, Punjabi Summary Translation: The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) is redeploying staff from other areas to inspect meat processing plants. These workers are not properly trained to inspect meat processing sites, but they have been threatened with dismissal if they refuse to redeploy. Agriculture Union President Fabian Murphy said that as more and more meat inspectors contract COVID-19, they may run out of inspectors to send into these meat plants. They have been able to obtain some face coverings, but those masks are not personal protective equipment that would protect the wearer from this biological hazard. At the Cargill plant in High River, Alberta, 18 inspectors have contracted COVID-19. Another Cargill plant in Quebec has been closed after at least 64 workers tested positive. The Agriculture Union reports that the CFIA only gives the redeployed inspectors two-day training in meat sector inspection. Murphy said inspectors are expected to take the training and to "answer the call of duty." University of Ottawa Associate Professor Sarah Berger Richardson said the food industry has been quite irresponsible in saying that keeping the plants closed would lead to a food shortage. It would at most be a meat shortage, and even that might not impact consumers. Dalhousie University Director of the Agri-Foods Analytics Lab Sylvain Charlebois said he was wondering where the leadership on this was. We have seen plants close while others have not, with COVID cases. Companies seem to be deciding for themselves. CFIA has stated that staff have a right to refuse dangerous work and so far, nobody has refused to work.
NCM reviewed COVID-19-related coverage in ethnic media in collaboration with MIREMS, a media monitoring service. Overshadowed by the steady stream of mainstream media coverage, a content analysis of ethnic media outlets shows how they have kept their audiences informed during the pandemic. Compra Y Venta is one of several Latin American newspapers available in the Greater Toronto Area. Image Credit: Shan Qiao/NCM Stock Photo For the past two months, the story of COVID-19’s spread across Canada has been the primary focus of mainstream news organizations. While this story has garnered much attention from media critics, little attention has been paid to how Canadian ethnic media outlets have covered the coronavirus outbreak. This analysis has been produced with the recognition of this fact in mind. The review of hundreds of media clips from February 28 to May 1, 2020, shows that ethnic media has been effective in keeping its audiences informed during the COVID-19 outbreak. When it comes to conveying government messages, particularly those of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, the tone of the coverage has been neutral and balanced. Furthermore, media across the ethnic spectrum have likewise reported many of the key government announcements to fight COVID-19, such as orders to self-isolate, coupled with the threats of criminal penalties, in a neutral manner. Did the federal government downplay early warnings? Did Canada’s federal government take too long before declaring a crisis and did it downplay suggestions that urged it to act sooner? A number of reports published and aired in ethnic media have addressed this matter reflecting on what they considered as a long time for Canada to respond to the crisis and how it handled the urge to close the borders. There seems to be a growing consensus, in particular among the Chinese community media, that Canada reacted slowly in its response to COVID-19. In particular the Chinese media in Canada have insisted that the pandemic was downplayed. Other reports point out to some form of disregard for the tips and warnings offered by health authorities. Others, including Italian and Polish ethnic media, have reflected on the COVID-19 experience in Europe and have drawn comparisons between Canada and European countries reactions to COVID-19. Much like the Chinese ethnic media, these examples were more assertive in urging Canada’s governments to take more radical steps. Reporting on messages from other government agencies: controversies Generally speaking, the coverage across ethnic media was more contentious when reporting on the messages from other government agencies. Central figures in Canada’s fight against COVID-19, such as Dr. Theresa Tam, Canada’s top doctor, have shouldered most of the burden and pressure given their prominent public roles during the pandemic. The public communications from the federal Minister of Health, Patty Hajdu, and to an extent the Minister of Public Safety, Bill Blair (both sitting on the government’s special COVID-19 committee) have also received considerable media scrutiny. Comments made by Hajdu, in particular, when she suggested that Canadians “stockpile food and medicines in their homes” appears to have been controversial in ethnic media. Many outlets reported that Hajdu’s message lead to panic-induced buying sprees. “Chinese people in Metro Vancouver snap up grain,” wrote Chinese media Sing Tao Daily in its web edition following Hajdu’s advice to store food and medicine at home. It cited people saying they had no confidence in the market supply and the government’s ability to manage and control. A wide range of ethnic newspapers available for pick-up at B Trust supermarket in Toronto. Image Credit: Shan Qiao/NCM Stock Photo. In a similar fashion, the Russian web publication Knopka wrote that: “As panic over coronavirus heightens, Canadians and Americans stock up on goods at Costco” chronicled how consumers flocked stores as panic over the spread of the coronavirus intensified. The article further reported that the same thing was happening in California, claiming that over 500 people visited one Costco store in the first half-hour of its operation. However, it cautioned readers that according to Health Canada such a panic was unjustified, and there was no need to stock up on goods for weeks ahead. Hajdu later clarified that her advice was intended to be practical because people should always be ready for emergency situations. Minister Hajdu was also subject to criticism on another comment made before the House of Commons on March 12, 2020, when she said that between “30 and 70 per cent of Canadians could become infected with coronavirus.” In the wake of these comments, some ethnic media outlets reflected a deep concern with such predictions, some considered them “unexplained and doubtful” with little scientific basis. Others, by contrast, attempted to reassure their readers and calm the situation. “Panic will only help the pandemic to spread” wrote the Chinese Canadian Times. Another Chinese publication remarked that the federal Health Minister should not be making panic-stirring comments. The strongest praise and criticism observed in this analysis of ethnic media content was focused on Dr. Theresa Tam, Canada’s Chief Public Health Officer. Tam was scrutinized about contentious issues such as whether it is better that the public wear the masks, or not, as highlighted in the Italian Corriere Canadese with the headline: “Does it really help to use the masks? Yes, no, maybe.” These criticisms were brought forward after Tam earlier had claimed that masks were useless in protecting people shopping or walking in the streets. In this analysis, her role is seen as very important but controversial. Other areas that have stirred debate have been her hesitation to suggest closing borders, and her reliance on advice provided by the World Health Organization. At worst, some ethnic media outlets have insisted that she resign or be fired. COVID-19 as a political ballgame Besides being a human tragedy on an unseen scale, COVID-19 has become akin to a political ballgame between the government and opposition. Whereas in some countries the political bickering was left aside during crisis, this has not been the case in Canada. Whether Canada relied too much, too little or just about right on World Health Organization advice, this will be more a matter of further debate and emerging scientific evidence. The good news is that Canada’s coronavirus outbreak has slowed down and ethnic media most of the time have successfully accomplished their role of public information through these unprecedented times. This analysis has been created by New Canadian Media as a service to readers who wish to follow news and commentary in languages other than English and French, in partnership with MIREMS. Mirems monitors 600 outlets and 30 language groups daily, by far the most comprehensive read of multicultural media available in Canada. Link to original story: https://newcanadianmedia.ca/analysis-how-ethnic-media-is-covering-the-pandemic/ PRINT - Hamdard Daily - Toronto, 07/05/2020 - NEWS, p. 1, Punjabi Image Source: Hamdard Daily website Summary Translation: At least ten taxi drivers who operate taxis from Pearson International Airport in Toronto have lost their lives due to coronavirus infection so far. The president of the Airport Taxi Association, which has 350 taxis and 700 member drivers, Rajinder Aujla, has expressed anguish at the tragedy saying no effective measures have been taken for the safety of drivers while we know people from all over the world have been landing at the airport.
PRINT - Toronto Caribbean - Brampton, 04/05/2020 - Article, p.12, English Image Source: Toronto Caribbean website Summary: Janiece Campbell - Justicia for Migrant Workers (J4MW) is a volunteer advocacy group for migrant workers. They help to bring awareness to the community and the exploitive conditions that the indentured labourers work under. For nearly 20 years, the group has been addressing the systematic inequalities that these workers face, some of which have heightened amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Foreign workers are employed typically for up to 8 months through the Seasonal Agricultural Worker Program (SAWP) to assist with significant labour shortages. In recent weeks, a community in Leamington, ON shamed migrant workers online for their lack of applying social distancing standards. This prompted the Ontario Provincial Police to upload a YouTube video in an attempt to educate workers of their responsibility to socially distance in public. Failure to follow the rules will result in tickets or fines. On your next trip to the grocery store, before you pick up those crisp apples, remember the temporary migrant workers who are being used for a permanent labour demand.
PRINT - Contacto Directo - Vancouver, 01/05/2020 - NEWS, Spanish Image Source: Contacto Directo Summary Translation: No byline - In Montreal North, a culture of helping others, combined with close living quarters, has led to the creation of a hot spot in Quebec for COVID-19. Almost a quarter of the 1,100 people infected are health workers. The area is home for many new immigrants attracted to working as assistants for nurses and caregivers. The residents of the city have been sent in recent weeks to long-term care homes without staff in the province where the virus has been the worst. "These people arrive in Canada and Quebec and want to work, and it's the first job that is offered to them. And then the government, or the placement agencies for which they work, send them to seniors' homes, often totally unprotected, and then they get infected and return to their small apartments. It's very sad," said Paule Robitaille, MNA for Bourassa-Sauve and opposition critic for international relations and La Francophonie.
TV - Fairchild TV Ontario - Toronto, 05/05/2020 - News, Cantonese Translated Summary: No byline - The COVID-19 outbreak might be disproportionately impacting Torontonians living in low-income areas or with the highest proportion of recent immigrations, the city's medical officer of health Eileen de Villa said. In April, Toronto Public Health began analyzing race-based and socio-demographic data related to COVID-19. She said the preliminary findings suggest people in areas that have the highest proportion of lower income earners or areas that have the highest proportion of recent immigrants and high unemployment rates are experiencing higher rates of COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations.
PRINT - Toronto Caribbean (Twice Monthly) - Brampton, 04/05/2020 - p.38, English Image Source: https://torontocaribbean.com/ Summary: Nana-Adjie Poku - Over the past month, there have been certain trends found in common criminal offences. More than 70 shelters across Ontario have seen an increase in calls for assistance. One particular shelter (that caters predominantly to Muslim immigrant women and children) has received 400 calls per week as of April. This is double the number they typically receive.
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