Uncategorized
Climate change driving rise in tick-borne illnesses such as Lyme disease
A warming climate is driving a rise in Lyme disease and the introduction of lesser-known tick-borne diseases, public health specialists say.
“Climate change in Canada is happening at a much more accelerated rate than we see in parts of the rest of the world,” said Heather Coatsworth, chief of field studies at the National Microbiology Laboratory in Winnipeg.
“Ticks, which are eight-legged organisms, but general bugs, all require a certain amount of heat and humidity to complete their life cycle,” she said.
Ontario, Quebec and Nova Scotia continue to be the hot spots for blacklegged ticks, which can carry bacteria, parasites and viruses that cause disease in humans — but the changing climate is allowing the tick population to grow in other parts of the country, including Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta and British Columbia, Coatsworth said.
Janet Sperling, a scientist who specializes in bugs and the president of the Canadian Lyme Disease Foundation, said that means increased awareness of tick-borne illnesses is needed not only among the public, but among primary-care providers and infectious disease specialists.
“A lot of doctors have been told — this was their training — ‘you can’t get Lyme disease in Alberta; if you don’t have a travel history don’t worry about it,’” said Sperling, who lives in Edmonton.
“There’s no doubt that it has changed and the education hasn’t caught up with some of the doctors,” she said.
The rise in tick-borne disease doesn’t mean you should stay inside, experts agree. But you can protect yourself. Here’s what to know about the illnesses and how to safely enjoy the summer weather.
How common is Lyme disease?
Lyme disease has been on the rise in Canada and the United States for several years. When provincial public health units started monitoring it in 2009, they reported 144 cases across the country. The preliminary case count for 2024 is 5,239, according to the Public Health Agency of Canada.
The real number is likely higher because many people may have had very general symptoms and never got a diagnosis, Coatsworth said.
“There’s estimates that if things keep going the way they are and climate change keeps going the way things go, that in 25 years we’d have about half a million cases of Lyme disease here in Canada,” she said.
What are the symptoms of Lyme disease?
Lyme disease can feel like many other illnesses and may bring on fever, chills, fatigue, headache, swollen lymph nodes and/or muscle and joint aches.
One telltale sign of Lyme disease is a rash that looks like a bull’s eye, a target or that is circular or oval-shaped.
But Coatsworth cautions that about 30 per cent of people who are infected never get a rash, so a Lyme disease diagnosis shouldn’t be ruled out if people have other symptoms.
What are some other tick-borne diseases?
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In the last couple of years, some provinces have started monitoring three other diseases spread by blacklegged ticks: anaplasmosis, babesiosis and Powassan virus.
Of those, anaplasmosis — although still rare — seems to be growing the fastest, said Coatsworth: “It’s kind of the new kid on the block.”
When public health officials first started monitoring it around 2012, there were about 10 to 50 cases per year in Canada.
There were more than 700 cases of anaplasmosis reported last year, Coatsworth said.
“It’s really picking up speed within the population.”
The symptoms of anaplasmosis can be similar to Lyme disease, without a rash. They can also include cough, diarrhea, abdominal pain and vomiting, according to the Public Health Agency of Canada.
Babesiosis can also cause similar symptoms to Lyme disease without a rash, but it often causes anemia as well, Coatsworth said.
Powassan virus can cause fever, chills, headache, vomiting and general weakness but it often progresses to serious neurological symptoms, such as encephalitis (brain swelling) and meningitis.
Can these diseases be treated?
Lyme disease and anaplasmosis are both caused by bacteria and can be treated with antibiotics, usually starting with doxycycline, said Coatsworth.
Babesiosis is caused by a parasite and is similar to malaria, she said. It can be treated with anti-parasitic medications.
There is no treatment for Powassan virus. Patients are treated with supportive care, which can include intravenous fluids, medications to reduce brain swelling and respiratory assistance.
What kind of ticks carry these dieases?
Two types of blacklegged ticks carry these diseases: Ixodes scapularis, also called a deer tick, is found in several parts of Canada, especially Ontario, Quebec and Nova Scotia. In parts of British Columbia, the dominant tick is Ixodes pacificus, also known as the western blacklegged tick.
Ticks feed on the blood of deer, mice, rabbits and other mammals, as well as birds and reptiles. Birds can carry the ticks long distances, so they can be transported to different parts of Canada. The ticks get infected if the host animal is infected, and they in turn transmit the disease to humans when they bite them and latch on.
What do the ticks look like?
“A lot of people are very surprised when I show them a blacklegged tick. They can’t believe how small they are,” said Dr. Curtis Russell, a vector-borne disease specialist at Public Health Ontario.
An adult tick that isn’t full of blood is about the size of a sesame seed. A younger tick is about the size of a poppyseed.
Where are the ticks found?
Ticks are found in wooded and grassy areas, according to the Public Health Agency of Canada.
That includes forests, parks and hiking trails, but ticks can also live in more populated areas, Coatsworth said.
“(It’s) a lot about the animals that exist in those environments. So a lot of those are peri-urban spaces … kind of those in-between spaces that now have become just maybe your local neighbourhood park where there’s a lot more squirrels. Small rodents and white-tailed deer, especially, have really contributed to sustaining the populations of ticks.”
How do I prevent tick bites?
Preventing tick bites is similar to repelling mosquitoes, said Dr. Mayank Singal, a public health physician with the BC Centre for Disease Control.
Wearing long sleeves, long pants and using bug spray are all important measures. Choosing light-coloured clothing is best because it’s easier to spot a tick when it lands.
Singal also encourages “trying to not come in contact with foliage and bushes, because that’s typically how they will latch on.”
Russell said that means when hiking, stay in the middle of the trail.
After outdoor activities, do a full-body tick check, including parts of the body that weren’t exposed. Russell suggested taking a bath or a shower.
“You can check all your areas where the ticks might have been and if they haven’t bit you yet … they can maybe wash off,” Russell said.
“They usually crawl around … before they bite and they usually tend to bite your hairline, your armpits, the back of your legs, your groin area.”
Russell also recommends washing your clothes and putting them in the dryer, where the high heat will kill ticks.
If I find a tick, should I remove it?
Yes. Do it with tweezers as soon as possible, experts agree.
A tick will embed its mouth in the skin as with the legs sticking out and it’s important to remove the whole tick.
“You want to grab it as close to the skin edge as possible, squeeze the tweezers … and grab the tick and then pull it straight up,” said Singal.
“We don’t want to twist, we don’t want to go left and right. Just pull it straight up so that we get all of it out as much as possible.”
It generally takes about 24 hours for the tick to transmit Lyme disease, anaplasmosis or babesiosis while it’s latched on.
Powassan virus can be transmitted as quickly as 15 minutes after attachment, but very few ticks currently carry the virus, according to the Public Health Agency of Canada.
Then what?
People can take a photo of the tick and submit it to etick.ca, along with information about where you were when you think it bit you. The service, run by several universities and public health agencies, will tell you what kind of tick it is and how much tick-borne disease risk there is in the area.
If you had a tick on you and begin to develop any symptoms, see your health-care provider and let them know you were possibly exposed to tick-borne illness, Russell said.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 28, 2025.
Canadian Press health coverage receives support through a partnership with the Canadian Medical Association. CP is solely responsible for this content.
Ontario Provincial Police say a motorcyclist is dead after a crash northeast of Tweed.
OPP say they were contacted shortly after 4 p.m. Sunday about a deceased male and his motorcycle in the ditch along Flinton Road.
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Police say the investigation is in its early stages and that OPP Collision Reconstructionist and Forensic Identification Services are assisting.
The identity of the deceased is not being confirmed at this time.
They say Flinton Road is closed between Robinson Road North and Elzevir Road.
Anyone with more information is asked to contact police.
© 2025 The Canadian Press
Uncategorized
Ford government fails to hit housing target, even after adding LTC beds, student dorms
Despite adding long-term care beds, retirement homes and student dormitories to its housing statistics, the Ford government fell tens of thousands of units short of its goal last year.
New data released by the province this month confirms that even with its modified definitions of new housing, Ontario achieved less than 80 per cent of its self-imposed 125,000-unit target for 2024.
The figure was introduced by the Ford government after it won the 2022 election, partly with a promise to build 1.5 million new homes over 10 years to 2031.
As part of the push, the government assigned housing targets to major municipalities, offering financial incentives to towns and cities that hit their targets.
The new data shows just 15 achieved their targets in 2024, while another eight managed 80 per cent or above, which the province also rewards municipalities for.
Another 27 — including major cities like Ottawa, Mississauga and Brampton — all failed to meet their targets.
“These are bad news numbers and they show what an utter failure the Ford government’s housing policy has been,” Green Party Leader Mike Schreiner said.
“I certainly understand why they want to delay releasing the bad news, and I also understand why they’re trying to fudge the numbers by including forms of housing that were never part of the intent of the original 1.5 million target.”
A spokesperson for the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing said the government was offering funds to help cities build new housing.
“With over $3 billion in housing and community-enabling infrastructure investments and $1.2 billion committed through the Building Faster Fund, we remained focused on delivering the homes Ontario families need,” they wrote in a statement.
Lower housing starts and increasing targets
Ontario’s cratering housing starts come as its targets ramp up.
As it looked to fulfil its promise of 1.5 million homes in a decade, Ontario introduced the Building Faster Fund, a pot of money designed to reward cities which meet their housing goals.
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The fund came with individual targets for municipalities, as well as for the province overall.
The annual goal for the province itself was staggered, beginning at 110,000 for 2023 and climbing every year. The goal for 2024 was 125,000, it is 150,000 this year and will increase to 175,000 per year for 2026 onwards.
In 2023, once it included long-term care beds and other dwellings in its statistics, Ontario exceeded its 110,000 by just under 600 new units.
The province managed just under 95,000 of its 125,000 target in 2024 — or 73,462 if long-term care beds, student housing and other extra categories were excluded.
A little over 20 per cent of housing starts in Ontario last year were actually long-term care, student dorms or other alternative categories not recognized by federal counts.
The added housing starts in 2024 were:
- 14,381 additional residential units, like basements or laneway houses
- 2,807 post-secondary student beds
- 2,278 long-term care beds
- 1,825 suites in retirement homes
The latest data was the first time Ontario has included retirement homes and student residences in its statistics. Long-term care beds were first added in 2023.
The government did not address a question asking if it planned to add even more categories to its definition of a new home.
Meanwhile, the number of municipalities hitting their goals also dropped significantly.
In 2023, there were 20 municipalities which exceeded their target and 12 which managed more than 80 per cent. Those fell to 15 exceeded and eight above 80 per cent through the latest funding.
Ontario Liberal MPP Adil Shamji said the failure of the majority of municipalities to hit their targets is an indictment of provincial — not local — policy.
“It’s like in a school classroom — if one student fails, maybe it’s the student’s fault,” he said. “When the whole class is failing, you’ve got to wonder what the teacher’s not doing right.”
The Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing pointed to its latest legislation as a cause for optimism that housing starts may improve.
“Through our legislation, the Protect Ontario by Building Faster and Smarter Act, we are getting more shovels in the ground by streamlining development processes, lowering costs, and reducing delays,” the spokesperson said in a statement.
While Ontario’s total housing starts have been available from federal sources since early this year, Ontario has spent months tabulating the figures and only released them in early August.
The government said it took time to update the data, which was further delayed by the snap election call in February.
Shamji, however, said he assumed the government was deliberately dragging its feet.
“No doubt this government is ashamed to have to publicly release this information because these are not results to be proud of,” he said.
“Imagine you’re a government that gets to set your own targets, your own definitions, even for what counts as housing, and… and even then you have nothing to show except such dismal results.”
Data from the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation shows that over the first six months of 2025, Ontario was on course to do even worse.
Housing starts until June for areas with a population of more than 10,000 people were at around 27,400 — a drop of 25 per cent compared to the same period last year.
Beyond a statement saying Ontario saw 9,125 new rental housing starts between January and June this year, the Ford government has not yet released any data for 2025.
© 2025 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.
First Nations in Ontario and the Manitoba Métis Federation say nearly $1 billion in federal funding went to a group they allege is fraudulently claiming Métis identity.
The Chiefs of Ontario, which represents 133 First Nations in the province, shared with The Canadian Press data on more than 20 years worth of federal funding provided to the Métis Nation of Ontario.
It suggests that $819,836,061 went from Ottawa to the MNO — an organization First Nations leaders say has no legitimacy and threatens their rights.
“This data shows just how badly First Nations in Ontario are being harmed by the diversion of government funding to the MNO and away from the needs of First Nations and other legitimate groups,” the Chiefs of Ontario said in a media statement.
“The question is, why is the Crown sending hundreds of millions of dollars to the MNO when there is overwhelming evidence contradicting their claims?”
The data indicates the money came from several federal departments, including Indigenous Services Canada, Crown-Indigenous Relations, Parks Canada and Environment and Climate Change Canada.
The MNO also received funds from the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission and the Impact Assessment Agency related to the potential impacts of projects in their communities.
The conflict between First Nations, some Métis groups and the MNO stems from a 2017 decision by the government of Ontario to recognize six “new, historic” Métis communities in the province — and a 2023 federal government bill, which never passed, that would have affirmed the MNO’s right to self-government.
First Nations and other Métis groups say the communities represented by the MNO have no claim to Métis heritage and Ottawa and Ontario have no right to recognize them.
Last month, history professor Leila Inksetter of the University of Quebec in Montreal released a report drafted on behalf of the Wabun Tribal Council that concluded there is no evidence of a mixed-ancestry community in the Wabun Tribal Council’s territory in northeastern Ontario.
The MNO rejected that report, saying that despite years of outside attempts “to discredit” it, “nothing has changed.”
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“The facts of history will not change because a new ‘expert’ has been paid to peddle the same Métis denialism,” the group said in a media statement.
The MNO has cited a 2003 decision by the Supreme Court of Canada to recognize a Métis community in and around Sault Ste. Marie, Ont. The case did not consider the six new communities recognized in 2017, but rather what may constitute a Métis right.
Another report, published last month and commissioned by Saugeen Ojibway Nation, also concluded there is no evidence of a distinct Métis community in their territory in southwestern Ontario.
“The historical evidence simply does not support this claim,” says the nearly 200-page report, written by two historians at the University of Toronto.
While the report says there were “certainly individuals and families of mixed ancestry” in the region, that can’t form the basis of a claim to a distinct community within Saugeen Ojibway Nation territory.
Jennifer St. Germain, MNO chief strategy officer, said Métis and First Nations “should not be working at odds as we are not enemies.”
“We have worked together throughout our shared history to push colonial governments to respect the rights of Métis and First Nations peoples, to properly invest in the programs that matter to our families and communities, and to uphold the honour of the Crown,” she said.
“When the MNO and Ontario First Nations work together, we make real change for the better for our children, families, and communities, as well as our lands and waters.
“It’s time to get back to the table rooted in our shared values of honesty, truth, and respect.”
The Chiefs of Ontario says that the academic research “merely reaffirms reality.”
“Not only are Ontario and Canada refusing to consult First Nations, they refuse to share the research they relied on or acknowledge the growing body of research and take steps to fix their mistakes,” the Chiefs of Ontario said in a media statement.
“It is extremely disappointing that Canada and Ontario … failed to do any adequate research before recognizing the MNO.”
Open disputes over claims to Métis heritage came close last year to ripping apart the Métis National Council, which once acted as a national voice for Métis but now has just two provincial members.
The Métis Nation-Saskatchewan withdrew from the Métis National Council last September, citing concerns about the MNO and claiming the council had failed to ensure the integrity of its citizenship registry.
The Métis Nation British Columbia withdrew from the council shortly after, saying it had lost confidence in the council’s ability to serve as a national advocacy organization.
Their departure came years after the Manitoba Métis Federation withdrew from the council, citing similar concerns.
Will Goodon, the Manitoba Métis Federation’s minister of identity protection and inter-Indigenous affairs, said the amount of public money available to Métis communities is limited and should not be shared with bodies that are not connected to what he calls the historic Métis Nation — largely recognized as descendants of the Red River communities in Manitoba.
One Parks Canada grant received by the MNO was meant to allow the organization to secure land and “support creation of an ecological corridor in the region along the north shore of Lake Superior,” says a federal document.
Goodon said that type of funding raises red flags for both Red River Métis and First Nations concerned about the prospect of the MNO seeking land in their territories.
The Manitoba Métis Federation said it’s also troubled by the fact that the federal government last week invited MNO leaders to a meeting to discuss its controversial major projects legislation.
The federation, which boycotted that meeting, said the MNO’s invitation undermined the integrity of the gathering and put the government’s major projects agenda at risk.
“Canada and Ontario are pushing pro-development agendas. They say they will consult with ‘Indigenous communities’ but, in Ontario, the only consultations that should occur are with the rights holders — First Nations,” the Chiefs of Ontario said in a media statement.
“Pan-Indigenous approaches do not work and only devalue the true rights holders.”
© 2025 The Canadian Press
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