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Bobcaygeon, Ont., March 29: Sue Marit disinfects shopping carts in a Shopper's Drug Mart. A nursing home in the small cottage-country town has suffered a severe COVID-19 outbreak that, as of Sunday, had killed nine residents.
Christopher Katsarov/The Globe and Mail
The latest
COVID-19: THE LOCAL PICTURE
- Ontario: Premier Doug Ford offered condolences on Monday to the families at a nursing home in Bobcaygeon, Ont., whose deadly and widespread COVID-19 outbreak was revealed in a Globe and Mail report. But Long-term Care Minister Merrilee Fullerton did not commit to more testing or public reporting of nursing homes.
- Atlantic Canada: Newfoundland and Labrador announced its first COVID-19 death on Monday, the first such death in any Atlantic province. Health officials attribute the growth in new infections to services earlier this month at a St. John’s funeral home, whose director spoke with The Globe and Mail last week.
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Ottawa, March 30: Canada's Chief Public Health Officer, Theresa Tam, speaks about Canada's response to COVID-19.
Adrian Wyld/The Canadian Press
COVID-19: THE NATIONAL PICTURE
- Rising toll: This week “will be very, very important” to see whether social distancing is working, Canada’s chief public health officer said Sunday as she reported a nationwide surge in coronavirus-related hospitalizations, intensive-care admissions and deaths. As of Monday, there are more than 6,000 reported cases (up from about 4,000 on Friday) and 64 deaths. By Public Health Agency of Canada estimates, just under 7 per cent of COVID-19 cases are hospitalized, 3 per cent become critically ill and 1 per cent die.
- Relief: Businesses large and small, as well as charities and non-profits, will be eligible for the 75-per-cent federal wage subsidy if employers can show revenue losses of 30 per cent or more, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said Monday, elaborating on measures announced last week. He said coverage will be capped at $847 a week and backdated to March 15.
- Rides refused: If you plan to get on a domestic flight or intercity train on Monday, starting at noon you’ll be screened for COVID-19 and barred from boarding if you show symptoms. The new Transport Canada rules, announced by Mr. Trudeau over the weekend, don’t apply to passenger bus routes, though those are getting increasingly scarce as services like Alberta’s Red Arrow suspend service.
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New York, March 29: In Central Park, across from Mount Sinai Hospital, a crew from the non-profit Samaritan's Purse builds an emergency field hospital.
Mary Altaffer/The Associated Press
COVID-19 AROUND THE WORLD
- United States: With more than 140,000 cases and 2,400 deaths as of Monday, Canada’s southern neighbour is now the epicentre of COVID-19, and the nation’s top infectious-disease expert warns it could kill 100,000 to 200,000 Americans. Most deaths are in New York City, which remains under an intense lockdown. President Donald Trump, who had previously suggested lifting social-distance measures by mid-April, has now extended the voluntary national shutdown until April 30.
- Britain: Prince Charles ended his seven-day self-isolation on Monday and is “in good health” after testing positive for COVID-19, according to officials at his residence, Clarence House. Buckingham Palace said he met with the Queen on March 12, the day of his last public event, but it’s not clear whether the 93-year-old monarch has also been tested.
Essential resources
COVID-19, or the novel coronavirus, has killed thousands of people around the world since early this year. Later in this guide, you’ll see an overview of how the world is mobilizing to stop its spread and save lives, but first, here are some essential links answering key questions about how all Canadians can help. The Globe and Mail has lifted its paywall on coronavirus-related news stories, so keep checking back at globeandmail.com to stay informed free of charge. We’ve also got a daily coronavirus newsletter.
- Are you feeling unwell? If you’ve got COVID-19-like symptoms (dry cough, fever and aches) or have just returned to Canada, you should self-isolate right away. Here’s what that means. Here are some primers on safety for seniors and parents caring for sick or quarantined children. There’s also a visual guide to self-isolation below in the “how do I flatten the curve?" section.
- Are you distancing? “Social distancing” means minimizing close contact with others, not the 14-day self-isolation required for sick people and travellers. Generally, it means staying home unless absolutely necessary. Here are primers on good foods and supplies to stock, what cleaning products and methods are most effective, and tips on good exercise and mental-health habits.
- Are you home yet? If you’re still overseas and have no symptoms, the Canadian government wants you to come home now and self-isolate immediately. Don’t stop for groceries first; go straight home. As of March 26, returnees refusing self-isolation can face six-figure fines or prison time under the federal Quarantine Act.
- Are you getting the right information? Rumours and hoaxes can run rampant during crises, which is dangerous to public health. Stick to the facts as communicated by agencies like the World Health Organization, the Public Health Agency of Canada or your provincial health authority. If you need pointers on how to spot misinformation, try this media literacy quiz The Globe prepared in 2017.
- Are you scared? Being afraid is understandable in these circumstances, but preparation (which is helpful) and panic (which isn’t) aren’t the same. Then again, many experts say telling people not to panic isn’t helpful, because they generally don’t in crises. Here, columnist André Picard looks at tips from a risk-communications researcher on how to assuage fears. Mr. Picard has also been answering reader questions as the pandemic continues; e-mail here if you have questions too.
What we know so far about the disease
Symptoms
The new illness that emerged last December in China – officially called COVID-19, previously known as 2019-nCoV – is caused by a coronavirus called SARS-CoV-2. Corona means “crown” or “halo” in Latin, describing the viruses’ typical shape when seen under an electron microscope. The common cold is a type of coronaviral illness, but it tends to cause nasal congestion, which COVID-19 usually does not. COVID-19′s symptoms (dry coughing, fever and aches) resemble more serious and dangerous coronaviruses, like SARS and MERS. Initially the symptoms can also look like flu, which is caused by a different virus type, but don’t let the similarity fool you: COVID-19 is much deadlier than the flu (more on that below).
Human coronaviruses most commonly spread from an infected person to others through:
The air by coughing and sneezing
Close personal contact, such as touching or shaking hands
Touching the eyes, nose or mouth after touching an infected surface
Rarely, fecal contamination
WHAT ARE THE SYMPTOMS OF THE VIRUS?
Headache
Dry cough
Fever
In more severe cases, infection can cause pneumonia, severe acute respiratory syndrome, kidney failure and even death
SOME FACTS ABOUT THE VIRUS
Belongs to large family of viruses that cause illnesses ranging from common cold to more severe diseases such as MERS and SARS
Coronaviruses are zoonotic, meaning they are transmitted between animals and people
There are no specific treatments for coronaviruses, but symptoms can be treated
MURAT YÜKSELIR / THE GLOBE AND MAIL, SOURCE: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Health Canada, WHO
Human coronaviruses most commonly spread from an infected person to others through:
The air by coughing and sneezing
Close personal contact, such as touching or shaking hands
Touching the eyes, nose or mouth after touching an infected surface
Rarely, fecal contamination
WHAT ARE THE SYMPTOMS OF THE VIRUS?
Headache
Dry cough
Fever
In more severe cases, infection can cause pneumonia, severe acute respiratory syndrome, kidney failure and even death
SOME FACTS ABOUT THE VIRUS
Belongs to large family of viruses that cause illnesses ranging from common cold to more severe diseases such as MERS and SARS
Coronaviruses are zoonotic, meaning they are transmitted between animals and people
There are no specific treatments for coronaviruses, but symptoms can be treated
MURAT YÜKSELIR / THE GLOBE AND MAIL, SOURCE: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Health Canada, WHO
Human coronaviruses most commonly spread from an infected person to others through:
The air by coughing and sneezing
Close personal contact, such as touching or shaking hands
Touching the eyes, nose or mouth after touching an infected surface
Rarely, fecal
contamination
COMMON SIGNS OF INFECTION
Headache
In more severe cases, infection can cause pneumonia, severe acute respiratory syndrome, kidney failure and even death
Dry cough
Fever
SOME FACTS ABOUT THE VIRUS
Belongs to large family of viruses that cause illnesses ranging from common cold to more severe diseases such as MERS and SARS
Coronaviruses are zoonotic, meaning they are transmitted between animals and people
There are no specific treatments for coronaviruses, but symptoms can be treated
MURAT YÜKSELIR / THE GLOBE AND MAIL, SOURCE: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Health Canada, WHO
How COVID-19 CAN KILL YOU
COVID-19′s death rate varies considerably from country to country and among age groups, but even conservative estimates put it tens of times higher than seasonal influenza (0.1 per cent), though generally lower than SARS (10 per cent). The graphics below offer a step-by-step explanation of COVID-19′s lethal effects on the body in severe cases.
VIRUS
The virus enters the lungs and attaches itself to cells which make up the lungs’ protective lining.
CELLS
RNA
RECEPTOR
VIRUS
Once attached to a cell’s receptor, the virus injects its RNA into the cell, providing it with the blueprint to build copies of the virus.
IMMUNE
CELL
INFECTED
DEAD
The infected cell eventually self-destructs, releasing the virus to infect neighbouring cells. Exponential growth in infected cells triggers an excessive response by the immune system. Immune cells sent to fight the virus begin to destroy both infected and healthy cells.
ALVEOLI
BACTERIA
BACTERIAL
INFECTION
If enough of the protective lining is destroyed, it leaves the alveoli – the tiny air sacs via which breathing occurs – vulnerable to bacterial infection. This can lead to severe respiratory problems, making mechanical ventilation necessary to help the patient survive.
The immune system can become overwhelmed while the bacteria multiply. If bacteria enter the blood, they can overrun the body and cause death.
MURAT YÜKSELIR / THE GLOBE AND MAIL, SOURCE: KURZGESAGT
VIRUS
The virus enters the lungs and attaches itself to the cells that make up the protective lining of the lungs.
CELLS
RNA
RECEPTOR
VIRUS
Once attached to a cell’s receptor, the virus injects its RNA into the cell, providing it with the blueprint to build copies of the virus.
IMMUNE
CELL
INFECTED
DEAD
The infected cell eventually self-destructs, releasing the virus to infect neighbouring cells. Exponential growth in infected cells triggers an excessive response by the immune system. Immune cells sent to fight the virus begin to destroy both infected and healthy cells.
ALVEOLI
BACTERIA
BACTERIAL
INFECTION
If enough of the protective lining is destroyed, it leaves the alveoli – the tiny air sacs via which breathing occurs – vulnerable to bacterial infection. This can lead to severe respiratory problems, making mechanical ventilation necessary to help the patient survive.
The immune system can become overwhelmed while the bacteria multiply. If bacteria enter the blood, they can overrun the body and cause death.
MURAT YÜKSELIR / THE GLOBE AND MAIL, SOURCE: KURZGESAGT
VIRUS
The virus enters the lungs and attaches itself to the cells that make up the protective lining of the lungs.
CELLS
RNA
RECEPTOR
VIRUS
Once attached to a cell’s receptor, the virus injects its RNA into the cell, providing it with the blueprint to build copies of the virus.
IMMUNE
CELL
INFECTED
DEAD
The infected cell eventually self-destructs, releasing the virus to infect neighbouring cells. Exponential growth in infected cells triggers an excessive response by the immune system. Immune cells sent to fight the virus begin to destroy both infected and healthy cells.
ALVEOLI
BACTERIA
BACTERIAL
INFECTION
If enough of the protective lining is destroyed, it leaves the alveoli – the tiny air sacs via which breathing occurs – vulnerable to bacterial infection. This can lead to severe respiratory problems, making mechanical ventilation necessary to help the patient survive.
The immune system can become overwhelmed while the bacteria multiply. If bacteria enter the blood, they can overrun the body and cause death.
MURAT YÜKSELIR / THE GLOBE AND MAIL, SOURCE: KURZGESAGT
Transmission
Though SARS had a higher mortality rate than COVID-19, it infected and killed far fewer people (8,098 infections and 774 deaths worldwide, according to the U.S. CDC’s estimates). One possible reason for this is that unlike SARS, whose carriers generally knew they were sick, the new coronavirus may be transmissible before symptoms develop, according to one non-peer-reviewed analysis by Canadian and international scientists. On average, it takes about five days for people infected with COVID-19 to show symptoms, according to a U.S.-based team’s estimates published in the Annals of Internal Medicine. SARS’s incubation period was much longer, about 10 days.
Testing
Health officials in Canada and other countries have a test to make sure whether a patient has COVID-19 or some other illness. Depending on where you live in Canada, these may be available either at dedicated clinics or in at-home visits from health officials. If you start showing the symptoms of COVID-19, contact your local health authority or family doctor and do as they advise.
Where has it spread?
Every province had reported at least one coronavirus case by March 15, and infection numbers continue to rise. Many more Canadians have fallen sick on cruise ships overseas, such as the Diamond Princess off the Japanese coast and the Grand Princess off California.
What Canada has done
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Prime Minister Justin Trudeau speaks at one of his daily COVID-19 addresses to the nation outside Ottawa's Rideau Cottage, which became his base of operations after his wife tested positive for the virus.
Blair Gable/Reuters
Social distancing
Various governments introduced new limits on public assembly and events in mid-March, after the World Health Organization declared COVID-19 a pandemic.
- Public gatherings: Provincial governments have used state-of-emergency powers to limit public assemblies to as few as 10 people, and will use fines or other penalties to enforce that.
- Essential businesses: Quebec, Ontario and B.C. were the first to issue lists of businesses deemed “essential” and ban all others from operating, except as work-from-home or e-commerce operations. Alberta instead issued a list of specific non-essential businesses. Grocery stores, pharmacies and restaurant takeout or delivery are still permitted in those provinces, but dine-in restaurant service is closed.
- Schools: All provincial governments have closed their K-12 public school systems, either for two to three weeks or indefinitely.
Travel restrictions
- International travel: The United States and Canada suspended non-essential border traffic, except for essential supply chains, on March 20. Canada had already barred most non-American foreign nationals from entering and restricted international air travel to the airports in Vancouver, Calgary, Toronto and Montreal. Canadians abroad are urged to come home and self-isolate for 14 days, but only if they’re asymptomatic: airlines will refuse passage to anyone showing COVID-19 symptoms.
- Interprovincial and intercity travel: Getting on a train, plane or bus is being increasingly discouraged, and in some cases blocked. The Maritime provinces’ measures require most people entering, even from other parts of Canada, to self-isolate for 14 days, and the Northwest Territories has closed its borders except to essential supply chains and labour. Under Transport Canada rules that take effect on March 30, airline and railway staff will screen passengers on domestic flights or intercity trains and bar them from boarding if they have COVID-19 symptoms.
- Public transit: Some local transit agencies, like OC Transpo in Ottawa, have made service free but added safeguards to separate riders from each other and from drivers. The Toronto Transit Commission has made service free for those who normally pay with cash, but Presto card users are still encouraged to tap on entry.
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Toronto, March 2: Lucia Janerio puts on protectie gear before cleaning a negative pressure room at the ER of North York General Hospital.
Tijana Martin/The Globe and Mail
Hospitals on alert
Front-line health workers have been stepping up preparations for a possible pandemic since February, making sure they have the supplies and resources they need for any surges in demand. Ontario also revised its safety protocols for health-care staff as new evidence emerged about the virus’s spread: They are now focusing on “droplet precautions” like surgical masks, gowns and gloves, and not the less-effective safeguards against airborne transmission they had been using before.
To boost hospitals’ supplies of ventilators and other equipment, a federal emergency bill would revise the Patent Act to allow auto-parts makers to retool their factories and produce patented medical items.
Federal economic relief
Through mid-March, the Trudeau government’s stimulus measures grew from an initial $1.1-billion package to an $82-billion plan of “direct support” and tax deferrals that Ottawa has continued to add to. The measures include:
- A $2,000-a-month, 16-week emergency benefit to pay workers whose income drops to zero, even if they have been furloughed by employers but technically still have jobs.
- A three-month wage subsidy for small businesses, initially 10 per cent but later raised to 75 per cent.
- GST and HST payments deferred to June.
- Federal tax deadlines extended to June for filing and August for payment.
Customer relief
Canada’s major telecom companies have tried to help social distancing along by lifting data limits, waiving roaming fees or offering flexible-payment options. Banks are also offering financial-relief options or waiving fees for those whose income has been disrupted, though they are also limiting hours and closing some branches so they can continue to operate safely.
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Brian Hartlen, vice president of product marketing for Verafin Inc., is photographed at the Toronto satellite office. The company urged employees to work from home.
Tijana Martin/The Globe and Mail
Safety at work and home
An increasing number of Canadian technology companies have encouraged staff to work from home and avoid all but essential travel, and the heads of 30 of the largest Canadian companies wrote an open letter urging other businesses to do the same.
Safety in communities
Volunteer groups and local businesses have been organizing on social media to help those most affected by self-enforced isolation, such as by running errands or providing food. Poverty advocates are also stressing the need for better protection of vulnerable people who are homeless or in high-risk social housing.
The shifting epicentre: Wuhan to Milan to New York
Since the virus emerged last year, three countries – China, then Italy, then the United States – have taken turns as the most infected ones on the planet. Here’s how their governments have responded.
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Wuhan, March 10: Chinese President Xi Jinping talks by video with patients and medical workers at the Huoshenshan Hospital.
Xie Huanchi/Xinhua via AP
China
Last December, authorities in Hubei province initially dismissed warnings of a new virus, and even punished the Wuhan ophthalmologist who tried to sound the alarm. But within weeks, when the outbreak was spreading fast, China put millions of people in Wuhan and its environs under near-total quarantine, just as the Lunar New Year travel season was getting under way. Chinese lawmakers also banned the trade and consumption of wild animal meat, the suspected source of the virus. As the quarantines brought China’s economy to a standstill, local governments faced conflicting demands to bring people back to work but still prevent the spread of COVID-19. In March, after the number of new Chinese cases levelled off, travel restrictions in Hubei began to lift.
The Globe in China: Read the latest reports from Nathan VanderKlippe
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Rome, March 8: The Colosseum, closed after the government's new prevention measures on public gatherings, is reflected in a puddle where a face mask lies.
Alfredo Falcone/LaPresse via AP
Italy
COVID-19 hit northern Italy’s Lombardy region fast and hard in February after hospital staff failed to isolate a super-carrier who visited them several times. Soon, Italy had hundreds of cases, then thousands, and many countries across Europe and Africa traced their first COVID-19 cases back to the Italian epidemic. After local quarantines and the closing of schools and universities failed to stop the virus’s spread, by early March, the Italian government put Lombardy under a total lockdown – measures that were soon extended nationwide, affecting 62 million Italians. The quarantine requires most Italians to stay home, prohibits public assembly and non-essential travel and closes pools, theatres and sporting events. Additional measures announced on March 11 also closed all stores except groceries and pharmacies. Soon, Spain, France and the Czech Republic instituted Italian-style quarantine measures and other European nations were considering them.
The Globe in Italy: Read the latest reports from Eric Reguly
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Atlanta, March 6: U.S. President Donald Trump holds a photograph of coronavirus as Dr. Steve Monroe, right, with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention speaks to members of the press at the agency's headquarters.
Hyosub Shin/Atlanta Journal-Constitution via AP
United States
Through February and early March, U.S. President Donald Trump, who is up for re-election later this year, generally told Americans that they were not at great risk from COVID-19 and economic activities should go on as normal. He also contradicted public health officials on everything from the virus’s fatality rate to the risks posed by workers who come in sick. Meanwhile, U.S. health officials performed far fewer tests than other jurisdictions, including Canada. Under mounting pressure to act, Mr. Trump declared a national state of emergency and prodded Congress to pass three relief packages, the latest of which is worth more than US$2.2-trillion. Though he suggested (without evidence) that the economic harm of social distancing could be deadlier than the disease and that the measures should lift by mid-April, Mr. Trump eventually reconsidered and extended the voluntary nationwide shutdown until April 30.
The Globe in Washington: Read the latest reports from Adrian Morrow
How do I ‘flatten the curve’?
When diseases reach uninfected populations, a graph of the new infections will generally follow a curve: Infections rise, then peak, then fall. You’ll see a lot of officials talk about “flattening the curve,” or preventing the peak infections from exceeding their health systems’ ability to handle them. A big part of this is social distancing: Avoiding public gatherings, staying home from work or school and changing social habits, like touching elbows instead of shaking hands. If front-line health workers are spared from a sudden and overwhelming increase in new cases, lives will be saved. And when the pandemic is over, those workers will be better-equipped to act once there’s a vaccine available for the new disease, like the one researchers are racing to develop for COVID-19.
HOW TO ISOLATE AT HOME WHEN YOU HAVE COVID-19
Isolation means staying at home when you are sick with COVID-19 and avoiding contact with other people to help prevent the spread of disease to others in your home and your community. If you have been diagnosed with COVID-19, it is expected that you take the following measures.
AVOID CONTAMINATING COMMON
ITEMS AND SURFACES
At least once daily, clean and disinfect surfaces that you touch often, like toilets, bedside tables, doorknobs, phones and television remotes. Do not share personal items with others, such as toothbrushes, towels, bed linen, utensils or electronic devices.
CARE FOR YOURSELF
Monitor your symptoms as directed by your health-care provider or Public Health Authority. If your symptoms get worse, immediately contact your health-care provider or Public Health Authority and follow their instructions.
LIMIT CONTACT WITH OTHERS
Do not leave home unless absolutely necessary, such as to seek medical care. Do not go to school, work, other public areas or use public transportation (e.g. buses, taxis). Arrange to have groceries and supplies dropped off at your door to minimize contact.
KEEP YOUR HANDS CLEAN
Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds, and dry with disposable paper towels or dry reusable towel, replacing it when it becomes wet.
MURAT YÜKSELIR / THE GLOBE AND MAIL,
SOURCE: GOVERNMENT OF CANADA
HOW TO ISOLATE AT HOME WHEN YOU HAVE COVID-19
Isolation means staying at home when you are sick with COVID-19 and avoiding contact with other people to help prevent the spread of disease to others in your home and your community. If you have been diagnosed with COVID-19, it is expected that you take the following measures.
AVOID CONTAMINATING COMMON
ITEMS AND SURFACES
At least once daily, clean and disinfect surfaces that you touch often, like toilets, bedside tables, doorknobs, phones and television remotes. Do not share personal items with others, such as toothbrushes, towels, bed linen, utensils or electronic devices.
CARE FOR YOURSELF
Monitor your symptoms as directed by your health-care provider or Public Health Authority. If your symptoms get worse, immediately contact your health-care provider or Public Health Authority and follow their instructions.
LIMIT CONTACT WITH OTHERS
Do not leave home unless absolutely necessary, such as to seek medical care. Do not go to school, work, other public areas or use public transportation (e.g. buses, taxis). Arrange to have groceries and supplies dropped off at your door to minimize contact.
KEEP YOUR HANDS CLEAN
Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds, and dry with disposable paper towels or dry reusable towel, replacing it when it becomes wet.
MURAT YÜKSELIR / THE GLOBE AND MAIL,
SOURCE: GOVERNMENT OF CANADA
HOW TO ISOLATE AT HOME WHEN YOU HAVE COVID-19
Isolation means staying at home when you are sick with COVID-19 and avoiding contact with other people to help prevent the spread of disease to others in your home and your community. If you have been diagnosed with COVID-19, it is expected that you take the following measures.
AVOID CONTAMINATING COMMON
ITEMS AND SURFACES
LIMIT CONTACT WITH OTHERS
At least once daily, clean and disinfect surfaces that you touch often, like toilets, bedside tables, doorknobs, phones and television remotes. Do not share personal items with others, such as toothbrushes, towels, bed linen, utensils or electronic devices.
Do not leave home unless absolutely necessary, such as to seek medical care. Do not go to school, work, other public areas or use public transportation (e.g. buses, taxis). Arrange to have groceries and supplies dropped off at your door to minimize contact.
CARE FOR YOURSELF
KEEP YOUR HANDS CLEAN
Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds, and dry with disposable paper towels or dry reusable towel, replacing it when it becomes wet.
Monitor your symptoms as directed by your health-care provider or Public Health Authority. If your symptoms get worse, immediately contact your health-care provider or Public Health Authority and follow their instructions.
MURAT YÜKSELIR / THE GLOBE AND MAIL, SOURCE: GOVERNMENT OF CANADA
More reading
What’s cancelled
Retailers shutting down or limiting service amid coronavirus
Coronavirus-related cancellations sweep across Canadian cultural scene
From James Bond to bust: Why the coronavirus might kill the movie business as we know it
Your finances
On the science
Race is on as coalition sets tight timeline for coronavirus vaccine
A brief history of plague panic, from the 1600s to today’s coronavirus crisis
Compiled by Globe staff
With reports from Carly Weeks, Kelly Grant, Wency Leung, Ivan Semeniuk, Andrea Woo, Jeff Gray, Eric Atkins, Patrick Brethour, Robert Fife, Marieke Walsh, Bill Curry, Nathan VanderKlippe, Eric Reguly, Paul Waldie, The Associated Press, Reuters and The Canadian Press