Top Stories – Oct 26 – Federal Dental

A major part of the federal government’s affordability plan is expected to pass final reading after the Liberals fast-tracked Bill C-31 through the health committee. It includes a new dental-care benefit for children under 12 in low-and modest-income families and a one time $500 allowance for low-income renters. The bill is expected to come to a vote tomorrow and is expected to pass with NDP support.

The proposed dental care benefit is susceptible to fraud if verification measures aren’t put in place. Canada’s Parliamentary budget officer warned the overall cost could be higher if the government doesn’t take steps to verify the claims are legitimate. The legislation would only require people to attest that they have received or plan to receive dental services that are not covered by an insurance program.

Canada’s economy lost almost $13 Billion over the past year due to the labour and skill shortage in the manufacturing sector. The Canadian Manufacturers and Exporters’ report found that almost two thirds have lost or turned down contracts and experienced production delays due to a lack of workers. 43 percent of companies postponed or cancelled capital projects because of the shortages.

Hockey Canada says it will not collect a participant assessment fee for the upcoming season. It’s typically $3 per player but several organizations had already withheld those fees due to the ongoing scandal. A judge is reviewing the organization after its mishandling of a group sexual assault allegedly involving members of the 2018 men’s junior team.

A 10-metre-long humpback whale entangled in fishing gear in the Strait of Georgia was rescued with the help of a team of experts, a drone, a satellite tag, and an acrobatic twist from the whale itself. Calls about a whale caught in fishing line pulling a yellow buoy began coming in last Thursday. The rope was caught in the whale’s mouth and the team spent four hours cutting the entanglement and then the whale did a backflip and popped all the line out.

With the NFL’s Thursday game streaming exclusively on Amazon Prime, the Nielsen company says 7.8 million people watched last week’s game between New Orleans and Arizona. But Amazon says there were actually 8.9 million people watching. Depends on who you want to believe as Nielsen says the Thursday night games have averaged 10.3 million viewers, while Amazon, who sells the commercial time, says the average is 12.1 million.

Aaron Volpatti’s road to the NHL was so unique, it deserved to be told in a book. The former NHL forward, who now calls Vernon home, is set to release his story: ‘Fighter: Defying the NHL odds.’ He was badly burned in a camping accident when a player for the BCHL Vipers, but fought back to eventually play 114 NHL games including 54 with the Canucks. The book will be launched next week at an event in Vernon.

Industry Minister François-Philippe Champagne said he will not approve the proposed deal between Rogers and Shaw, though he left the door open to a revised agreement. He said before approving Montreal-based Videotron buying Freedom Mobile from Shaw, he requires additional concessions. He added he would expect to see wireless prices in Ontario and Western Canada lowered by about 20 percent.

The Canadian Human Rights Tribunal says a $40 Billion child welfare settlement agreement the federal government reached with First Nations doesn’t meet all the requirements of the tribunal’s orders. In 2019 the tribunal ordered Ottawa to compensate children and families three years after ruling that Ottawa had discriminated against First Nations children for years by not properly funding child welfare services on reserves.

Sports

Kelowna’s own, Kelsey Serwa will be joining the BC Sports Hall of Fame. Among her achievements, the national ski cross team member won a gold medal at the 2018 Winter Olympics and a silver at the 2014 games.

Kelowna Rockets Andrew Cristall and Caleb Price have been put on NHL Central Scouting’s Players to Watch list.

There’s speculation that Caleb Evans will start at quarterback for the Ottawa Redblacks in their upcoming regular season finale. Nick Arbuckle started the last eight games.

The Toronto Raptors will be looking to improve to 3 wins against 2 losses tonight when they host Philadelphia at 4:30.