By Canadian Press

In the news today, Sept. 9

Sep 11, 2019 | 2:23 AM

Six stories in the news for Monday, Sept. 9

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POST DORIAN CLEANUP A MASSIVE TASK

Post-tropical storm Dorian may have departed Atlantic Canada but the scars it inflicted across the region with its hurricane strength wind gusts and torrential rain will take some time to heal. Utility companies in Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, P.E.I. and Newfoundland and Labrador are facing a massive task in restoring electricity to hundreds of thousands of customers left in the dark as Dorian flattened trees that pulled down power poles across a vast area. And the huge amount of tangled debris littering streets is now making the work of utility crews that much harder.

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FEDS UNSURE HOW MANY ‘GIG’ WORKERS CANADA HAS

A newly released government document indicates federal officials feel stymied by data roadblocks in their bid to help policymakers tackle a growing political concern about the country’s “gig” economy. Documents obtained by The Canadian Press under the Access to Information Act show federal officials were leery about the reliability of existing data on the number of Canadians using online platforms to earn their livings, even though the data came from reputable sources. Federal officials have been closely watching the changes in the labour force away from full-time jobs in favour of part-time and contract work.

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MARINE HEAT WAVE HAS SCIENTISTS CONCERNED

Scientists are keeping a close eye on a wedge-shaped mass of warm water off the West Coast. It’s massive in size — starting near Vancouver Island and stretching all the way to Hawaii. The scientists say it resembles a marine heat wave nicknamed “the blob” that disrupted ocean ecosystems about five years ago. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration says water temperatures in the mass are three to four degrees Celsius higher than the  longterm average for those parts of the Pacific, and UBC professor Andrew Trites notes that’s enough to affect marine life.

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OBOMSAWIN DOC LOOKS AT MEDICAL CARE FOR INDIGENOUS KIDS

Alanis Obomsawin has spent much of her career documenting injustices facing Indigenous peoples in Canada, and the wrongs she outlines often overwhelm, infuriate and bewilder. But for the dogged 87-year-old Abenaki director, the work continues to inspire. Her latest project, “Jordan River Anderson, The Messenger,” examines the decade-long legal battle to secure equal care for Indigenous children with special needs. It starts with a look at the Manitoba boy who inspired a 2007 law known as Jordan’s Principle, which was supposed to guarantee equal access to health care and services but was continually ignored.

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EXHIBIT DETAILS N.L. CONNECTIONS TO SLAVE TRADE

An art installation at this year’s Bonavista Biennale is shining a light on a dark corner of Newfoundland’s history — slave ships that were built on the island during the 1700s. Camille Turner, a Toronto-based artist and academic, was intrigued when she heard the largely untold story of Newfoundland-built slave ships, and was surprised to find so many ships documented in a database of expeditions. Her installation laid out in the historic saltbox Mockbeggar Plantation Fish Store in Bonavista, N.L., includes a display of 19 cards, each commemorating a slave ship built in Newfoundland.

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TENILLE TOWNES/DALLAS SMITH WIN BIG AT COUNTRY MUSIC AWARDS 

Tenille Townes of Grande Prairie, Alberta and Dallas Smith from Langley, B.C. were the big winners at last night’s Canadian Country Music Association Awards in Calgary. Townes was named female artist of the year and won for single of the year for her song ‘Somebody’s Daughter’. She also won previously announced awards Saturday for video and songwriter of the year bringing her total to four. Smith, who co-hosted the show with Billy Ray Cyrus, won for male artist and entertainer of the year, which was reintroduced to the award show for the first time in 30 years.

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ALSO IN THE NEWS:

— AFN National Chief Perry Bellegarde releases “Honouring Promises: 2019 Federal Election Priorities for First Nations and Canada.”

— Foreign Affairs Minister Chrystia Freeland makes announcement in Oldcastle, Ont., about helping Canadians with skills training.

— Former Regina gymnastics coach Marcel Dubroy to appear in court on charges relating to alleged sex crimes committed against a former athlete.

— Union and First Nation leaders speak at New Westminster, B.C. news conference about the “unfolding disaster” in the salmon fishing industry.

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The Canadian Press