Good morning. Albertans will soon be able to self-refer and pay out-of-pocket for private diagnostic tests. More on that below, along with managing wildfires in France and Spain, and medals at the Commonwealth Games.
TOP STORIES
Alberta to expand private clinic access
In another move to remake its health care system, the Alberta government will soon allow residents to decide for themselves if they need medical diagnostic tests and to pay out-of-pocket for a private provider to do them. But if a test results in a cancer diagnosis, the provincial government will reimburse the cost for the scan.
The details: Coming into effect Friday, Premier Danielle Smith announced that the new policy will allow individuals to privately purchase MRIs, CT scans, ultrasounds and X-rays without a referral from a physician. The Opposition Alberta NDP criticized the plan, saying it will only benefit those able to pay thousands of dollars for tests.
The context: In October, Smith and Adriana LaGrange, then Alberta’s minister of primary and preventative health services, announced forthcoming changes that would allow Albertans to pay for “any diagnostic screening and test services they wish” and be reimbursed if the purchased test revealed a “significant or critical condition.” Yesterday’s announcement limited the scope of that promise.
Toronto Police investigate shooting at U.S. consulate
An assailant shot at the United States consulate in Toronto early Monday and led police on a high-speed chase through the city’s downtown that ended because of safety protocols. There were no reported injuries and at a news conference yesterday, authorities said they still did not yet have any suspects.
The context: This incident takes place only four months after a similar shooting at the same location that investigators linked to an alleged guns-for-hire network. An officer was killed last month as police executed a warrant to arrest suspects in that case. U.S. prosecutors previously tied the March shooting to an alleged Iraqi terrorist, but the RCMP said that it’s too early to determine a motive in yesterday’s shooting.
Monster wildfire under fragile control in France
French authorities ordered nearly 4,000 people evacuated from tourist sites on the Atlantic coast as returning heat threatened firefighters’ fragile hold on a vast wildfire west of Bordeaux. Meanwhile, water-dropping aircraft continued battling several major wildfires in Spain.
The effort: Fires in France and Spain have forced roughly 330,000 people to evacuate. French President Emmanuel Macron urged fire crews to “stay strong,” warning that the fight will take time, but vowing, “We will win this battle together.”
Back home: In Canada, a complex of fires continues to burn out of control and is threatening Clinton, B.C., 350 kilometres northeast of Vancouver. Already, homes and other structures have been destroyed, and evacuation orders continue to expand while around 130 wildfires burn in the province.
Kidney transplant volunteer to share their stories
A new program in Quebec connects patients with chronic kidney disease and their families with volunteers who themselves have gone through a transplant or donation. It aims to address a care gap: the sharing of first-hand knowledge about the transplant experience, which health care providers do not have.
The backstory: The Transplant Ambassador Program is a first in Quebec – operating out of Montreal General Hospital – and draws lessons from long-standing efforts by its co-founder Susan McKenzie, who received a kidney from her sister-in-law in 2010 and became a transplant advocate. The program first was launched in Ontario in 2017.
The Take
Students understand the stakes better than their institutions do. Nearly half of Canadian students say their critical thinking has deteriorated since they started using AI.
— Anna Jahn, executive director of the Centre for Media, Technology and Democracy at McGill University’s Max Bell School of Public Policy
Universities should stop treating AI as a cheating problem. Give up on policing and start leading, writes Anna Jahn.
The Shot
The Gordie Howe International Bridge has opened to motorists, and the Howe family made the first official crossing in honour of the Canadian-American hockey namesake.
The Wrap
What else we’re following
At home: Police are ending the ground search for an 11-year-old Calgary boy, who is autistic and non-verbal, and has been missing for 12 days.
Abroad: Mediators achieved progress yesterday in getting the United States and Iran back to negotiations, but scattered attacks underscore lingering tensions.
Europe: Survivors of Ireland’s St. Mary’s Mother and Baby Home search for answers as pathologists examine remains of buried children in the city of Tuam.
Exit: A Durham Regional Police deputy chief is retiring after the police board says a watchdog investigation uncovered misconduct.
Pause: A new study found that 10 per cent of Canadian manufacturing firms plan to delay major investments over the next 12 months in response to U.S. tariffs.
Review: Do seniors’ discounts really help you save money? We put them to the test.
Win: Canada captured a gold medal in hammer throw and gymnasts racked up six medals on a banner day at the Commonwealth Games yesterday.