RCI | English : Reports

By: RCI | English
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  • To discover, understand and put Canadian realities into perspective.
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Politics & Government Social Sciences
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  • RCI English section: goodbye

    RCI English section: goodbye
    May 14 2021
    Canada's international broadcast service from the English language team of Radio Canada International has come to an end. RCI, (originally the International Service, CBC-IS) was initially created towards the end of the Second World War. The purpose was to broadcast news and information from home via shortwave to Canadian military personnel fighting in Europe.  It also began providing  reliable news and information to recently liberated countries and to Germans still in the war. That reliable news and information was considered of great value during the subsequent Cold War years, as  several more languages were added to the service such as Russian, Ukrainian, Czech, Hungarian and Polish. Other language sections included those such as Brazilian Portuguese and Japanese. With 14 language sections in 1990 and some 200 staff, the full  English and French newsroom provided news of interest and importance for each language section specifically targeted to each of the various broadcast regions around the world. Following a major budget cut by Radio Canada of some 80 per cent in 2012, the shortwave and satellite service was terminated along with the majority of staff including the newsroom and some language sections. In recent years, only Chinese (Mandarin), Arabic, and Spanish remained along with English and  French.  RCI was transformed into a much smaller internet-based operation consisting of three people per language section. Until the pandemic obliged people to work from home, RCI language sections had weekly video programmes in addition to the daily online reports. Shown here in Nov. 2018 are Marc, Lynn, and Levon, with web editor and show contributor Marie-Claude Simard. In December 2020, the domestic public broadcaster CBC/Radio-Canada announced that the English and French sections of RCI would close for good in May. In their place curated stories from the domestic English and French public broadcaster will be provided. The Link weekly video, with Terry (sitting in for Levon), Lynn, and Marc, Oct 2019 A manager will now oversee the staff of eight who will adapt curated stories from the CBC and Radio-Canada into Mandarin, Arabic, and Spanish, along with Punjabi and Tagalog. They will also create a weekly podcast, with field reports in Mandarin, Arabic, and Spanish and Punjabi. An effort was and is being made by the RCI Action Committee to preserve and even expand the service which has garnered great support from a former prime minister, former diplomats and many academics, but the end date has come.  This is the last entry by the RCI English section. From the English Section consisting of Lynn, Marc, and Levon,  faithful and long-time popular replacement Terry Haig, and recently also Vincenzo Morello, as well as the many other dedicated producer presenters and news staff over that long history, we thank you for having shared our stories over these many years. - 30 - additional information RCI: Dec 3/20:Canadas public broadcaster announces new cuts to Radio Canada International RCI History- 50th anniversary booklet
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  • Exercising could help in pandemic but stress, anxiety a barrier

    Exercising could help in pandemic but stress, anxiety a barrier
    Apr 12 2021
    Researchers at McMaster University say that the COVID-19 pandemic “has created a paradox where mental health has become both a motivator for and a barrier to physical activity.”  A study was done to find out how and why mental health, physical activity and sedentary behaviour changed during the pandemic. After surveying more than 1,600 subjects, the researchers say people want to be active but they find it difficult to exercise because of stress and anxiety.  The respondents said the pandemic had triggered higher psychological stress and moderate levels of anxiety and depression. Meanwhile, aerobic activity declined by about 20 minutes a week, strength training declined by 30 minutes weekly and sedentary time increased by about 30 minutes a day when compared to the six months before the pandemic began.  Researcher say getting regular exercise can be difficult at the best of times and may be more difficult in a pandemic. (iStock) Too anxious to exercise "Maintaining a regular exercise program is difficult at the best of times and the conditions surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic may be making it even more difficult,” said Jennifer Heisz, lead author of the study and an associate professor in the Department of Kinesiology at McMaster. “Even though exercise comes with the promise of reducing anxiety, many respondents felt too anxious to exercise. Likewise, although exercise reduces depression, respondents who were more depressed were less motivated to get active, and lack of motivation is a symptom of depression.” The researchers also found that some demographics were hit harder than others. In particular, people with lower incomes and younger adults struggled to meet their physical activity goals. “It is plausible that younger adults who typically work longer hours and earn less are lacking both time and space which is taking a toll,” said Maryam Marashi, a graduate student in the Department of Kinesiology and co-lead author of the study. Researchers offered tips to help people get active Based on what they found, the researchers designed a toolkit and advice to help people get active. That advice included adopting the mindset that some exercise is better than none, lower exercise intensity is better if one is feeling anxious, move a little every day, break up sedentary time with standing or moving breaks, and plan workouts like appointments. They also suggested additional psychological supports would help. “Our results point to the need for additional psychological supports to help people maintain their physical activity levels during stressful times in order to minimize the burden of the pandemic and prevent the development of a mental health crisis,” said. Heisz. The study was published in the journal PLOS ONE.
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  • Pioneering hospital celebrates medical milestones

    Pioneering hospital celebrates medical milestones
    Mar 31 2021
    The Montreal General Hospital was founded in 1821 and is famous for many medical firsts including the fact that its founding doctors established Canada’s first faculty of medicine program at McGill University. The hospital treated patients through several major outbreaks of disease from  the deadly flu pandemic of 1918 to the COVID-19 pandemic, and is now one of only three Level 1 trauma centres in the province of Quebec. It is part of Canada’s largest hospital system called the McGill University Health Centre (MUHC). 'No shortage of history makers' “The Montreal General Hospital has no shortage of history makers in its first 200 years,” said MUHC President and Executive Director Dr. Pierre Gfeller. “While Sir William Osler, credited with pioneering bedside teaching in Canada, is often named, consider that the hospital might not have existed as early as it did were it not for the Female Benevolent Society, which identified the need for the four-bed ‘House of Recovery’ to address poverty and illness in the city. Then there is Miss Nora Livingston, whose founding of the School of Nursing helped transform the profession, and Drs William Wright and Eleanor Percival, the hospital’s first Black and Female attending physicians. Their actions and those of many more have altered the course of our institution, health system and community." Sir William Osler, introduced the novel practice of having medical students learn not only in class but at patients' bedsides. (University of Pennsylvania archives) Cancer break though and pain research celebrated To celebrate the hospital’s 200th anniversary there will be a large-scale exhibition posted online and several other activities. The virtual exhibit is billed as a journey through the two centuries of hospital history, medical innovation and exceptional individuals and teams. It features photos, artwork, text and videos from local and national collections and takes viewers through the excitement of the biomedical revolution. It highlights breakthroughs such as Dr. Phil Gold and Dr. Samuel Freedman’s discovery of the first biomarker for cancer and Dr. Ronald Melzack's contributions to pain theory which paved the way for research and treatment.  Nora Livingston pioneered nursing education and introduced standards to elevate the level of patient care. (Montreal General Hospital) Hospital was funded through philanthropy The Montreal General Hospital was one of the first public healthcare institutions in Montreal, and it relied largely on funding from community sources. Although health care is publicly funded in Canada, the General still benefits greatly from philanthropy.  Besides the virtual exhibition, the year’s activities will include a book launch by celebrity hockey surgeon Dr. David Mulder and public lectures on topics ranging from Mental Health and Aging to Trauma and Emergency Care. The theme for this anniversary is Reaching and Exceeding and is inspired by the quote from the poet Robert Browning, “A man’s reach should exceed his grasp.” The logo features an infinity symbol, which the hospital says represents the endless pursuit of excellence of healthcare workers and support staff. The anniversary logo features an infinity symbol, meant to represent the endless pursuit of excellence. (MUHC)
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