VANCOUVER, British Columbia (AP) — North America’s only legal drug injection facility saves lives and should stay open, Canada’s Supreme Court ruled Friday.

The court’s decision could facilitate the eventual opening of other facilities in different cities, but the court’s ruling applied only to the site in Vancouver.

The facility called Insite was promoted by its founders as a safe, humane space for drug abusers. Canada’s Conservative government said it aids drug abuse, but the court ruled the government should stop interfering in the controversial clinic.

The top court issued its 9-0 decision in a landmark case that received international attention.

As of 2009, there were 65 injection facilities in 27 cities in Canada, Australia and western Europe, according to the Canadian Medical Association Journal. The World Health Organization has called them a “priority intervention” in slowing the spread of AIDS via infected needles.

When Insite opened, the Bush administration’s drug czar, John Walters, called the operation “state-sponsored suicide.”

Addicts are given clean needles and sterilized water in which to mix their drugs. They bring their own drugs and inject at 12 stainless steel alcoves with mirrors on the walls so nurses on a raised platform can see them.

Defenders of Insite — a taxpayer-funded operation in a seedy, drug-infested district of Vancouver, British Columbia — said the facility is providing a form of health care that is a provincial matter under Canada’s constitution. The Canadian government countered that because heroin is a federally banned substance, national law should trump provincial rights.

The ruling said the government’s previous decision to end the drug-law exemption threatened injection drug users’ health and their lives.

“During its eight years of operation, Insite has been proven to save lives with no discernible negative impact on the public safety and health objectives of Canada,” the court said. “The effect of denying the services of Insite to the population it serves and the correlative increase in the risk of death and disease to injection drug users is grossly disproportionate to any benefit that Canada might derive from presenting a uniform stance on the possession of narcotics.”

Insite lawyer Joe Arvay said it means the facility can remain under a permanent exemption from Canada’s criminal drug laws.

The president of the Canadian Medical Association said he was pleased with the ruling and said it could pave the way for similar sites in Montreal and Toronto.

“It saved lives and it’s a proven tool in management of addiction,” Dr. John Haggie said. “We would like to see it as part of a national strategy.”

Laura Thomas, California deputy director of the Drug Policy Alliance, said no one has tried to open a legal safe injection facility in the U.S. but that the Canadian ruling will help U.S. cities, such as New York and San Francisco, where there are advocates.

Conservative Health Minister Leona Aglukak said in Parliament that the government was disappointed with the ruling but would comply. She said the system should be focused on prevention and treatment as the best ways to combat drug addiction.

Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper underscored that sentiment.

“We’re disappointed. We have a different policy. We’ll take a look at the decision but we’ll clearly act within the constraints of the decision,” he said.

Arvay said there is no other avenue of appeal for the Canadian government.

The decision was greeted with a massive cheer from hundreds gathered outside Insite before dawn Friday.

The storefront facility sits in the Downtown Eastside, 15 blocks of cheap rooming houses where addiction and street prostitution are rampant and an estimated 5,000 of the area’s 12,000 residents are believed to be addicted to drugs.

Julio Montaner, past president of the International AIDS Society and the director for the B.C. Centre for Excellence in HIV/AIDS, said the area’s infection rate is the worst in the developed world. He said the decision “represents a victory for science over ideology.”

The Vancouver Coastal Health Authority Chief Medical Health Officer Patricia Daly said it means they can prevent life-threatening diseases in a vulnerable population.

Insite averages more than 800 visitors a day and has supervised more than a million injections since it opened in 2003. Insite has not reported any deaths at the facility.

Dr. Thomas Kerr of the University of British Columbia’s Faculty of Medicine said there have been about 1,500 overdoses at Insite.

“Nobody has died at this facility,” he said. “This is without a doubt a facility that saves lives.”

Article source: http://news.yahoo.com/canada-court-lets-injection-facility-remain-open-140714751.html

US defense chief Leon Panetta paid tribute Friday to Canada’s “tremendous work” in Afghanistan, acknowledging the sacrifices made by America’s northern neighbor in the 10-year war.

Canada, which once had about 3,000 soldiers in Afghanistan, officially ended its combat mission there in July, after losing 157 lives and over $11 billion since 2002.

The war also killed one of its diplomats, two aid workers and a journalist.

A separate Canadian training mission involving 950 troops is working in northern Afghanistan to help build the fragile Afghan security forces. Canada will also continue to give aid to Afghanistan, with its overall involvement between now and the end of 2014 expected to cost around $700 million a year.

“In Afghanistan, the Canadians are doing tremendous work, providing trainers, they have a presence in Kandahar,” Panetta said after meeting at the Pentagon with his Canadian counterpart Peter MacKay for an hour.

“Canada is one the NATO countries that suffered the most in terms of those who lost their life. And we pay tremendous respect to Canada for the sacrifice that they’ve made.”

He also saluted Ottawa’s partnership with the United States in Libya as part of a NATO campaign against the regime of long-time leader Moamer Kadhafi.

“Canada and the United States have in my view the best relationship on the planet that really sets a gold standard for other countries around the globe,” said MacKay, stressing the “special relationship” between the neighbors.

He repeated Canada’s request to purchase American F-35 jet fighters, whose development costs are proving far higher than initially anticipated.

Article source: http://news.yahoo.com/pentagon-hails-canadas-tremendous-afghan-223250916.html

Canada’s top court on Friday ordered the federal health minister to allow North America’s first government-sanctioned drug injection facility to remain open in Vancouver’s seamy Downtown Eastside.

The InSite clinic in one of Canada’s poorest neighborhoods is the only place on the continent where addicts can receive medical supervision as they inject heroin illegally bought on the street.

The facility was established in September 2003 in response to a rash of drug overdoses and is operated by a non-profit organization under a special exemption from federal drug trafficking and possession laws.

The federal health minister’s decision in 2008 not to renew the exemption led to a court fight pitting enforcement of federal drug laws against medical studies claiming InSite saves lives.

The Supreme Court ruled that the province of British Columbia may not offer health services that breach federal drug laws.

However, it added that the health minister’s decision to deny an exemption for InSite to operate violated the rights of heroin addicts to access health services and counseling at the facility, “threatening their health and indeed their lives.”

“The effect of denying the services of InSite to the population it serves and the correlative increase in the risk of death and disease to injection drug users is grossly disproportionate to any benefit that Canada might derive from presenting a uniform stance on the possession of narcotics,” the justices said in a unanimous decision.

Thus, “the minister is ordered to grant an exemption (from federal drug laws) for InSite.”

The decision also opens the door for more safe injection sites to be set up in cities across Canada that are coping with rising drug addiction.

“We are disappointed with the decision, but we will comply,” Health Minister Leona Aglukkaq said.

“We believe that the system should be focused on preventing people from becoming drug addicts in the first place,” she said in parliament, adding that the government would also review the court’s decision.

Supporters of InSite, meanwhile, applauded the ruling.

“Addiction-related drug use is a health issue and not a criminal justice issue,” said Canadian Public Health Association chief executive Debra Lynkowski.

“Collectively, we have the responsibility to protect the health of all Canadians, no matter what their situation.”

Liberal MP Justin Trudeau called the decision “a victory for medical science, Charter rights, and common sense over narrow, right-wing ideology and politicking.”

“It’s a wonderful repudiation of (Prime Minister Stephen) Harper’s ideology,” echoed InSite manager Russ Maynard, as dozens of people outside the facility celebrated the court decision.

Canadian Medical Association president John Haggie, meanwhile, commented: “While for some this is an ideological issue, for physicians it’s about the autonomy to make medical decisions based on evidence, and the evidence shows that supervised injection reduces the spread of infectious diseases and the incidence of overdose and death.”

The stated aim of the drug supervision facility frequented by 12,000 clients annually in Vancouver is to prevent overdoses, offer health services and refer addicts to detoxification facilities.

There have reportedly been nearly 2,400 overdoses at the clinic, but no fatalities.

Lawyers for InSite in court pointed to more than 50 peer-reviewed studies showing it has helped reduce the spread of diseases such as HIV and hepatitis, as well as curbed open drug use.

Ottawa, however, argued the facility fosters addiction.

The government also suggested that InSite’s nearly $3 million annual budget — paid by the province of British Columbia through its health authority — would do more good if spent on expanding detoxification centers.

Article source: http://news.yahoo.com/canadas-top-court-rules-keep-drug-injection-open-155818757.html

Lonely Planet: In vino veritas: Italy’s regional wines

Okanagan Valley

The rolling hills of this lakeside BC region are well worth the five-hour drive from Vancouver. Studded among the vine-striped slopes are more than 100 wineries enjoying a diverse climate that fosters both crisp whites and bold reds. With varietals including pinot noir, pinot gris, pinot blanc, merlot and chardonnay, there’s a wine here to suit almost every palate. Most visitors base themselves in Kelowna, the Okanagan’s wine capital, before fanning out to well-known blockbuster wineries like Mission Hill, Quail’s Gate, Cedar Creek and Summerhill Pyramid Winery (yes, it has a pyramid). Many of them also have excellent vista-hugging restaurants.

Find out more about BC’s wine regions and annual festivals — and download free touring maps — at www.winebc.com.

Golden Mile

Some of BC’s best Okanagan wineries are centered south of the valley around the historic town of Oliver, where the Golden Mile’s hot climate fosters a long, warm growing season. Combined with gravel, clay and sandy soils, this area is ideally suited to varietals like merlot, chardonnay, gewürztraminer and cabernet sauvignon. While the 20 or so wineries here are not actually crammed into one mile — it’s more like 20 kilometers — the proximity of celebrated producers like Burrowing Owl, Tinhorn Creek and Road 13 Vineyards makes this an ideal touring area. And if you’re still thirsty, continue south to Osoyoos and check out Nk’Mip Cellars, a First Nations winery on the edge of a desert.

Vancouver Island

Long-established as a farming area, Vancouver Island’s verdant Cowichan Valley is also home to some great little wineries. A short drive from Victoria, you’ll find Averill Creek, Blue Grouse, Cherry Point Vineyards and Venturie-Schulze. Also consider Merridale Estate Cidery, which produces six celebrated ciders on its gently-sloped orchard grounds. For information on the wineries here, visit www.wineislands.ca.

Niagara Peninsula

This picture-perfect Ontario region of country inns and charming old towns offers more than 60 wineries and grows more than three-quarters of Canada’s grapes. Neatly divided between the low-lying Niagara-on-the-Lake area and the higher Niagara Escarpment, its complex mix of soils and climates — often likened to the Loire Valley — is ideal for chardonnay, riesling, pinot noir and cabernet-franc varietals. This is also the production center for Canadian icewine, that potently sweet dessert drink made from grapes frozen on the vine. Home to some of Canada’s biggest and best wineries, including Inniskillin, Jackson-Triggs and Peller Estates, don’t miss smaller pit-stops like Magnotta and Cave Spring Cellars in the Escarpment area.

Lonely Planet: Tripping California Wine Country

Prince Edward County

Proving that not all of Ontario’s wineries are clustered in Niagara, this comparatively new grape-growing region — located in the province’s southeastern corner and almost three hours drive from Toronto — is a charming alternative if you want to avoid the tour buses winding through the main wine area. A long-established fruit-growing district with generally lower temperatures than Niagara, cooler-climate wines are favored here — including chardonnay and pinot noir. The most intriguing wineries include Closson Chase, Black Prince Winery and Grange of Prince Edward. If your taste buds are piqued, consider checking out other Ontario wine regions like Pelee Island and Lake Erie North Shore.

Eastern Townships

Starting around 80 km southeast of Montréal, this idyllic patchwork farmland region in Québec is studded with quiet villages, leafy woodlands, crystal clear lakes and winding countryside roads. A rising tide of wineries has joined the traditional farm operations here in recent years, with rieslings and chardonnays particularly suited to the area’s cool climate and soil conditions. But it’s the local icewines, dessert wines and fruit wines that are the area’s main specialties, so make sure you come with a sweet tooth. Wineries to perk up your taste-buds here include Domaine Félibre, Vignoble de L’Orpailleur and Vignoble le Cep d’Argent.

Montérégie

The dominant player in Québec’s wider Eastern Townships, this bumpy and bucolic area is packed with vineyards and orchards (not to mention a surfeit of maple groves). A major fruit farming region — this is an ideal spot to try ciders and flavor-packed fruit wines — growers here are happy to try just about any red or white varietal, but it’s their rosés that are particularly memorable. Recommended wineries include Domaine St-Jacques, Les Petits Cailloux and Vignoble des Pins; and keep in mind that Québec restaurants often encourage diners to bring their own bottles, so fill your car as you explore the region.

Nova Scotia

Divided into six boutique wine-producing regions — from the warm shoreline of Northumberland Strait to the verdant Annapolis Valley — Nova Scotia’s two-dozen wineries are mostly just a couple of hours drive from big city Halifax. One of the world’s coldest grape-growing areas, cool-climate whites are a staple here, including a unique varietal known as l’Acadie Blanc. Innovative sparkling wines are a Nova Scotia specialty and they tend to dominate the drops that are on offer at the popular stops such as the excellent Benjamin Bridge Vineyards. Other highly recommended destinations to fill up your glass include Gaspereau Vineyards, Jost Vineyards and Domaine De Grand Pre.

Lonely Planet: Top 10 Canadian adventures

© 2011 Lonely Planet. All rights reserved.

Article source: http://www.cnn.com/2011/09/30/travel/wine-canada-lp/index.html

Fri Sep 30, 2011 8:18pm BST

WHAT: Canadian September employment report

WHEN: Friday, Oct. 7, at 7 a.m. (1100 GMT)

REUTERS FORECAST:

ECONCA

Sept F’cast range prior (Aug)
Jobs gain/loss +10.0K -20K to +30K -5.5K
Unemployment rate 7.3 pct 7.2 to 7.4 pct 7.3 pct

For individual forecasts see: [ECI/CA]

FACTORS TO WATCH:

Recovery:

Employment is expected to bounce back modestly after
August’s surprise job loss. Twenty-one of 24 forecasters
surveyed by Reuters see a gain.

Education:

Teachers and assistants returning to work should provide
some of the bounce — education employment had fallen by 30,000
in July, rising by 9,500 in August. Despite Statistics Canada’s
efforts to adjust for seasonality, a Scotia Capital study shows
that 21,000 to 43,000 education jobs were added in the
back-to-school season each year since 2007.

Economic jitters:

However, continued economic uncertainty as the result of
Europe’s debt crisis is seen tempering growth. The jobs report
will help show how big an effect this is having on the Canadian
economy.

Wages:

Wages should remain subdued. The annual growth in the
average hourly wage of permanent employees, watched by the Bank
of Canada for inflationary pressures, rose to 1.5 percent in
August from 1.2 percent in July, in either case well below the
bank’s 2 percent inflation target. The lack of domestic price
pressures makes it easier for the central bank to justify
keeping rates low for longer in the face of a global
downswing.

MARKET IMPACT:

Any upside surprises in employment should give a bit of
bounce to the Canadian dollar, which hit a 12-month low on
Friday, and put a damper on bonds.

While bank economists say the next interest rate move by
the Bank of Canada will be up, the market has priced in a cut
BOCWATCH, and strong employment gains would mitigate the need
for a cut.

Weaker-than-expected employment would have the reverse
effect, putting new pressure on the Canadian dollar and
providing a fillip to bonds.
(Reporting by Randall Palmer; Editing by Jeffrey Hodgson)

Article source: http://uk.reuters.com/article/2011/09/30/canada-economy-jobs-idUSS1E78T1ES20110930

VANCOUVER, British Columbia — North America’s only legal drug injection facility saves lives and should stay open, Canada’s Supreme Court ruled Friday.

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The court’s decision could facilitate the eventual opening of other facilities in different cities, but the court’s ruling applied only to the site in Vancouver.

The facility called Insite was promoted by its founders as a safe, humane space for drug abusers. Canada’s Conservative government said it aids drug abuse, but the court ruled the government should stop interfering in the controversial clinic.

The top court issued its 9-0 decision in a landmark case that received international attention.

As of 2009, there were 65 injection facilities in 27 cities in Canada, Australia and western Europe, according to the Canadian Medical Association Journal. The World Health Organization has called them a “priority intervention” in slowing the spread of AIDS via infected needles.

When Insite opened, the Bush administration’s drug czar, John Walters, called the operation “state-sponsored suicide.”

Addicts are given clean needles and sterilized water in which to mix their drugs. They bring their own drugs and inject at 12 stainless steel alcoves with mirrors on the walls so nurses on a raised platform can see them.

Defenders of Insite — a taxpayer-funded operation in a seedy, drug-infested district of Vancouver, British Columbia — said the facility is providing a form of health care that is a provincial matter under Canada’s constitution. The Canadian government countered that because heroin is a federally banned substance, national law should trump provincial rights.

The ruling said the government’s previous decision to end the drug-law exemption threatened injection drug users’ health and their lives.

“During its eight years of operation, Insite has been proven to save lives with no discernible negative impact on the public safety and health objectives of Canada,” the court said. “The effect of denying the services of Insite to the population it serves and the correlative increase in the risk of death and disease to injection drug users is grossly disproportionate to any benefit that Canada might derive from presenting a uniform stance on the possession of narcotics.”

Insite lawyer Joe Arvay said it means the facility can remain under a permanent exemption from Canada’s criminal drug laws.

The president of the Canadian Medical Association said he was pleased with the ruling and said it could pave the way for similar sites in Montreal and Toronto.

“It saved lives and it’s a proven tool in management of addiction,” Dr. John Haggie said. “We would like to see it as part of a national strategy.”

Laura Thomas, California deputy director of the Drug Policy Alliance, said no one has tried to open a legal safe injection facility in the U.S. but that the Canadian ruling will help U.S. cities, such as New York and San Francisco, where there are advocates.

Conservative Health Minister Leona Aglukak said in Parliament that the government was disappointed with the ruling but would comply. She said the system should be focused on prevention and treatment as the best ways to combat drug addiction.

Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper underscored that sentiment.

“We’re disappointed. We have a different policy. We’ll take a look at the decision but we’ll clearly act within the constraints of the decision,” he said.

Arvay said there is no other avenue of appeal for the Canadian government.

The decision was greeted with a massive cheer from hundreds gathered outside Insite before dawn Friday.

The storefront facility sits in the Downtown Eastside, 15 blocks of cheap rooming houses where addiction and street prostitution are rampant and an estimated 5,000 of the area’s 12,000 residents are believed to be addicted to drugs.

Julio Montaner, past president of the International AIDS Society and the director for the B.C. Centre for Excellence in HIV/AIDS, said the area’s infection rate is the worst in the developed world. He said the decision “represents a victory for science over ideology.”

The Vancouver Coastal Health Authority Chief Medical Health Officer Patricia Daly said it means they can prevent life-threatening diseases in a vulnerable population.

Insite averages more than 800 visitors a day and has supervised more than a million injections since it opened in 2003. Insite has not reported any deaths at the facility.

Dr. Thomas Kerr of the University of British Columbia’s Faculty of Medicine said there have been about 1,500 overdoses at Insite.

“Nobody has died at this facility,” he said. “This is without a doubt a facility that saves lives.”

Copyright 2011 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Article source: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/44730622

Fri Sep 30, 2011 10:43am EDT

Article source: http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/09/30/markets-canada-dollar-bonds-idUSS1E78T0MU20110930

Canada’s gross domestic product
rose for a second month in July on gains in manufacturing and
wholesaling, enough to avert a recession in the third quarter,
economists said.

Output rose 0.3 percent to C$1.26 trillion ($1.21 trillion)
on a seasonally adjusted basis, Statistics Canada said today in
Ottawa, matching the median estimate in a Bloomberg survey with
23 responses.

The economy shrank in the second quarter as a high Canadian
dollar and manufacturing shutdowns reduced exports, raising the
prospect of the second recession since 2009 if output declined
again on further global weakness. Growth may stumble in the next
few quarters because of weak U.S. demand and Europe’s debt
crisis, economists said.

“Canada is better placed than many countries but it’s
still a risky environment,” said Leslie Preston, an economist
at Toronto-Dominion Bank. (TD) “If the U.S. falls into a recession
Canada is likely to follow.”

Canada’s dollar depreciated for a third day versus its U.S.
counterpart, falling to the lowest in more than a year, on
concern a slowdown in the global economy will crimp exports. The
currency fell 0.4 percent to C$1.0398 per U.S. dollar at 10:39
a.m. in Toronto, compared with C$1.0359 yesterday. Earlier it
touched C$1.0467, the weakest level since Sept. 8, 2010. One
Canadian dollar buys 96.18 U.S. cents.

Economists surveyed by Bloomberg last month forecast a
third-quarter annualized growth rate of 2 percent. The quarterly
growth rate would still be 1.3 percent even if output stalls in
August and September according to Michael Gregory, senior
economist at Bank of Montreal (BMO) in Toronto.

Still, exports make up a third of Canada’s economy, and a
Bloomberg poll of global investors taken Sept. 26 had 37 percent
saying that a debt crisis in the euro zone will lead to a global
economic meltdown within the next year.

“There is a little bit of momentum here” in Canada,
Gregory said in a telephone interview. “Those next couple of
quarters coming down the pipe are the ones where the recession
risks are getting a little bit higher.”

The International Monetary Fund cut Canada’s economic
growth forecast Sept. 20, citing weaker U.S. demand and slower
government spending, and said Finance Minister Jim Flaherty can
afford to offer new stimulus if needed. The 2011 growth forecast
was reduced to 2.1 percent from a June prediction of 2.9
percent, and the expansion will slow further to 1.9 percent next
year, the IMF said.

Manufacturing rose 1.4 percent in July, the first increase
in four months, with gains in automobiles, machinery and
chemicals, Statistics Canada said. Wholesaling rose 1.5 percent,
and the production of utilities rose at the same rate as warm
weather boosted demand for electricity. Transportation and
warehousing rose 1.8 percent after labor disruptions at the
national postal service ended.

The gains in goods production are a reversal from the
second quarter when the economy shrank at a 0.4 percent
annualized pace.

Gross domestic product grew 2.3 percent in July from the
same month a year earlier, Statistics Canada said today.

The July report also showed some signs of weakness.
Construction fell 0.3 percent during the month, and mining and
oil and gas production declined by the same amount.

Retailing fell 0.7 percent on fewer sales of automobiles.
Excluding autos, output of retailers was little changed,
Statistics Canada said. The output of real estate agents and
brokers fell 1.1 percent.

Household debt as a share of disposable income rose to a
record 150.8 percent at the end of June from 149.5 percent the
previous quarter, Statistics Canada said Sept. 13.

“There are some signs of the consumers engaging in more
cautious behavior, which I think is a good thing at this time,”
Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce Chief Executive Officer
Gerald McCaughey said at a Sept. 21 investor conference.

To contact the reporter on this story:
Greg Quinn in Ottawa at
gquinn1@bloomberg.net

To contact the editors responsible for this story:
Christopher Wellisz at
cwellisz@bloomberg.net;
David Scanlan at dscanlan@bloomberg.net.

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Article source: http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-09-30/canada-july-gross-domestic-product-rises-0-3-on-manufacturing.html

VANCOUVER, British Columbia (AP) — North America’s only legal drug injection facility saves lives and should stay open, Canada’s Supreme Court ruled Friday.

The court’s decision could facilitate the eventual opening of other facilities in different cities, but the court’s ruling applied only to the site in Vancouver.

The facility called Insite was promoted by its founders as a safe, humane space for drug abusers. Canada’s Conservative government said it aids drug abuse, but the court ruled the government should stop interfering in the controversial clinic.

The top court issued its 9-0 decision in a landmark case that received international attention.

As of 2009, there were 65 injection facilities in 27 cities in Canada, Australia and western Europe, according to the Canadian Medical Association Journal. The World Health Organization has called them a “priority intervention” in slowing the spread of AIDS via infected needles.

When Insite opened, the Bush administration’s drug czar, John Walters, called the operation “state-sponsored suicide.”

Addicts are given clean needles and sterilized water in which to mix their drugs. They bring their own drugs and inject at 12 stainless steel alcoves with mirrors on the walls so nurses on a raised platform can see them.

Defenders of Insite — a taxpayer-funded operation in a seedy, drug-infested district of Vancouver, British Columbia — said the facility is providing a form of health care that is a provincial matter under Canada’s constitution. The Canadian government countered that because heroin is a federally banned substance, national law should trump provincial rights.

The ruling said the government’s previous decision to end the drug-law exemption threatened injection drug users’ health and their lives.

“During its eight years of operation, Insite has been proven to save lives with no discernible negative impact on the public safety and health objectives of Canada,” the court said. “The effect of denying the services of Insite to the population it serves and the correlative increase in the risk of death and disease to injection drug users is grossly disproportionate to any benefit that Canada might derive from presenting a uniform stance on the possession of narcotics.”

Insite lawyer Joe Arvay said it means the facility can remain under a permanent exemption from Canada’s criminal drug laws.

The president of the Canadian Medical Association said he was pleased with the ruling and said it could pave the way for similar sites in Montreal and Toronto.

“It saved lives and it’s a proven tool in management of addiction,” Dr. John Haggie said. “We would like to see it as part of a national strategy.”

Laura Thomas, California deputy director of the Drug Policy Alliance, said no one has tried to open a legal safe injection facility in the U.S. but that the Canadian ruling will help U.S. cities, such as New York and San Francisco, where there are advocates.

Conservative Health Minister Leona Aglukak said in Parliament that the government was disappointed with the ruling but would comply. She said the system should be focused on prevention and treatment as the best ways to combat drug addiction.

Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper underscored that sentiment.

“We’re disappointed. We have a different policy. We’ll take a look at the decision but we’ll clearly act within the constraints of the decision,” he said.

Arvay said there is no other avenue of appeal for the Canadian government.

The decision was greeted with a massive cheer from hundreds gathered outside Insite before dawn Friday.

The storefront facility sits in the Downtown Eastside, 15 blocks of cheap rooming houses where addiction and street prostitution are rampant and an estimated 5,000 of the area’s 12,000 residents are believed to be addicted to drugs.

Julio Montaner, past president of the International AIDS Society and the director for the B.C. Centre for Excellence in HIV/AIDS, said the area’s infection rate is the worst in the developed world. He said the decision “represents a victory for science over ideology.”

The Vancouver Coastal Health Authority Chief Medical Health Officer Patricia Daly said it means they can prevent life-threatening diseases in a vulnerable population.

Insite averages more than 800 visitors a day and has supervised more than a million injections since it opened in 2003. Insite has not reported any deaths at the facility.

Dr. Thomas Kerr of the University of British Columbia’s Faculty of Medicine said there have been about 1,500 overdoses at Insite.

“Nobody has died at this facility,” he said. “This is without a doubt a facility that saves lives.”

Article source: http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=140948831

Goalkicking fullback James Pritchard will miss Canada’s final Pool A match against unbeaten group leaders New Zealand in Wellington on Sunday.

Pritchard picked up a knock to the head in Tuesday’s 23-23 draw with Japan and will be replaced by Matt Evans, who slides across from the wing.

Conor Trainor comes off the bench to take Evans’ spot in what is otherwise a full-strength Canadian team.

“We decided when we came to the World Cup to field the best team in every game,” said Canada’s coach Kieran Crowley, a former All Blacks fullback and national selector.

Crowley, whose side pulled off a surprise 25-20 opening win over Tonga but lost 46-19 to France before the Japan draw, was left ruing the short turnaround from their most recent match.

“It’s been a five-day turnaround for this one,” he said. “Five didn’t train today because of soft tissue issues.”

Crowley added that he had been impressed by his side’s progress at the World Cup.

“We’ve made a massive improvement,” he said. “I’d rather be sat here with three wins, of course, but our performances against France and Tonga were pretty damn good, I was really pleased with those two.

“But we showed a lack of maturity against Japan.”

Crowley struggled to find any weak points in the All Blacks’ game, warning that their starting XV would be fired up for good individual performances ahead of the knock-out phase of the tournament.

“You don’t have weaknesses when you’re the All Blacks or South Africa,” he said. “We just have to attack areas where we think there is a creak in their structure.

“The All Blacks will be pushing their claims for a quarter-final spot.

“We’ve got some goals within the team and if we hit three or four of those, we’ll be happy.”

Captain Pat Riordan said playing New Zealand was a “chance to measure yourself against the best team in the world” but that it did offer a “mental hurdle”.

“It’s exciting to be doing it in their country at the World Cup,” he said. “The onus is on us to make it a good memory.

“When you play them in a game, you realise they’re only human and do go down, even though they do play at speed and sometimes you’re left thinking ‘Wow, that wasn’t bad’.”

Crowley added a word of praise for counterpart Graham Henry, who will lead the All Blacks for the 100th time on Sunday.

“It’s a great achievement in this day and age, he’s done a great job,” he said.

Canada (15-1)

Matt Evans; Conor Trainor, DTH van der Merwe, Ryan Smith, Phil Mackenzie; Ander Monro, Ed Fairhurst; Aaron Carpenter, Chauncey O’Toole, Adam Kleeberger; Jamie Cudmore, Jebb Sinclair; Jason Marshall, Pat Riordan (capt), Hubert Buydens

Replacements: Ryan Hamilton, Scott Franklin, Andrew Tiedemann, Tyler Hotson, Nanyak Dala, Sean White, Nathan Hirayama

Article source: http://news.yahoo.com/canada-lose-pritchard-zealand-clash-030928198.html