Canada in Brief, Feb. 14-20

Minister of Foreign Affairs Chrystia Freeland speaks to MPs before appearing at a House of Commons Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs and International Development on Parliament Hill in Ottawa on Feb. 8, 2018. (The Canadian Press/Justin Tang)

Canada contributing $12M to rebuild infrastructure in Iraq

Foreign Affairs Minister Chrystia Freeland says Canada is contributing another $12 million for reconstruction efforts in Iraq.

She says the money will support the rebuilding of critical infrastructure, such as roads, bridges, power stations, hospitals, and government buildings in regions freed from the control of the ISIS terrorist group.

Canada has committed $2 billion over three years for security, stabilization, and humanitarian and development assistance. Freeland says the latest contribution is part of an international effort to improve security and stability in the Middle East.

Canadians on meds spend less on food, study finds

A recent study suggests nearly one million Canadians taking prescription drugs are cutting back on food and electricity to afford them.

The pan-Canadian review was conducted by researchers at four major universities and published Feb. 13 in the online version of the Canadian Medical Association Journal.

The study indicates 968,000 Canadians reduced their spending on basic necessities to pay for medication—with 730,000 cutting their food bills and another 238,000 skimping on heating.

Quebec had the lowest percentage of people not filling a prescription due to the costs. The worst was British Columbia.

Some farmers support murder acquittal of Gerald Stanley

Mark Pashovitz believes he and other Saskatchewan farmers are easy targets. They live in rural, isolated areas where it often takes police longer to respond to crimes. And their farm vehicles and equipment are tempting for thieves.

That’s why he recently donated $1,000 to an online fundraiser to help pay the legal bills of Gerald Stanley, a white farmer acquitted last week of murder in the 2016 shooting death of Colten Boushie, a 22-year-old Cree man.

Pashovitz farms near Biggar, about 30 kilometres from Stanley’s farm and the same distance from the Red Pheasant First Nation, where Boushie lived with his mother.

He said he’s had vehicles stolen from his property before, as have many other farmers in the area. “There was no respect for [Stanley] or his property,” he said. “It could have been me.”

Calgarian uses billboards in the hope of finding kidney donor

Calgary teacher Ryan Mclennan has purchased ad space on billboards across the busiest part of Alberta in hopes it will help him find an organ donor for an operation that could save his life.

The ads feature a picture of Mclennan and his wife Shakina, his blood type, their phone number, and the message that he needs a living donor for a second kidney.

Friends are also driving vehicles around with window decals that carry the same message and the couple have a “Find A Kidney For Ryan Mclennan” Facebook page.

Alaskan musher wins Yukon Quest dog sled race

An Alaskan musher has won the 35th Yukon Quest international dog sled race.

Allen Moore of Two Rivers, Alaska, crossed the finish line in Whitehorse on Feb. 13 with a time of nine days, 18 hours, and 53 minutes to win his third quest title. The 60-year-old musher finished the more than 1,600-kilometre race with a full team of 14 dogs.

Moore wins just over US$23,000 for his share of the purse, and because he was first to make it to Dawson City and finished the race, he'll also get two ounces of Klondike Placer gold.

With files from The Canadian Press