Health
Update… Improved And Expanded Health Care Coming To Sylvan Lake… With Full Announcements
By Sheldon Spackman
It’s been six years in the making. Finally, improved and expanded health care for Sylvan Lake. The province has announced it will create an “Advanced Ambulatory Care Clinic” at the Sylvan Lake Community Health Centre.
The long-awaited announcement was made at the Sylvan Lake Municipal Government Building Monday afternoon with numerous dignitaries on hand to celebrate. Among them, Alberta’s Health Minister Sarah Hoffman who says the government will provide $2 Million for start-up costs and renovations to the current health facility. She says work will begin this Spring, with the enhanced facility to open early next year. Hoffman says these enhanced health care services will allow the Advanced Ambulatory Care Clinic at the Sylvan Lake Community Health Centre to offer treatment for urgent care and injuries like stitches and basic fractures up to 16 hours a day / seven days a week. Hoffman says “It’s actually really good timing that when he have a bit of a downturn in the economy, you can stretch your capital money a little bit further and we want to get people working as much as possible, so this is a really good fit time-wise.”
Sylvan Lake Mayor Sean McIntyre says he’s very proud and extremely happy to see this project become a reality, both for the town and surrounding region. He says “It’s been a long road, six years that we’ve been advocating very strongly and persistently for this increase in services and now for that need to be acknowledged and met by the Health Ministry and by Alberta Health Services, we have a lot to celebrate in Sylvan Lake today.” McIntyre also points out how incredible the community has been in supporting this initiative, saying “They’ve been fundraising, they’ve been advocating, writing letters, they’ve been both active and patient with our advocacy efforts and this celebration today really belongs to them!”
Former Sylvan Lake Mayor and current Chair of the Sylvan Lake Urgent Care Committee Susan Samson says it’s almost hard not to cry tears of joy, adding “These services are desperately needed. We’re talking about medical services for non-life threatening injuries and our deal was we were always plugging up the Emergency Rooms at the Red Deer Regional Hospital and at other nearby Emergency Rooms with things that should be treated at home. Things like your child with an ear ache or broken bone or just the simple things. We need to treat them at home and take the pressure off the system and that’s what we’ve got today.” Samson speculates the hours of the new services would likely be roughly 8:00 am to 10:00 pm seven days a week but that’s yet to be decided.
Samson says the first part of the renovations will involve relocating physiotherapy at the Sylvan Lake Community Health Centre, as they have a large, open space that will be easy to work in. Samson adds the community helped raise $197,000 for this project over the past six years. She says it will be turned over to AHS to purchase equipment and be added to the $2 Million the Province is providing.
(Photo by Lindsay Wiebe)
Break The Needle
Why psychedelic therapy is stuck in the waiting room

There is mounting evidence of psychedelicsā effectiveness at treating mental disorders. But researchers face obstacles conducting rigorous studies
In a move that made international headlines, Americaās top drug regulatorĀ deniedĀ approval last year for psychedelic-assisted therapy to treat post-traumatic stress disorder.
In its decision, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration cited concerns about study design and inadequate evidence to assess the benefits and harms of using the drug MDMA.
The decision was a significant setback for psychedelics researchers and veteransā groups who had been advocating for the therapy to be approved. It is also reflective of a broader challenge faced by researchers keen to validate the therapeutic potential of psychedelics.
āSometimes I feel like itās death by 1,000 paper cuts,ā said Leah Mayo, a researcher at the University of Calgary.
āIf the regulatory burden were a little bit less, that would be helpful,ā added Mayo, who holds the Parker Psychedelics Research Chair at the Psychedelic and Cannabinoid Therapeutics Lab. The lab develops new treatments for mental health disorders using psychedelics and cannabinoids.
Sources say the weak research body behind psychedelics is due to a complex interplay of factors. But they would like to see more research conducted to make psychedelics more accessible to people who could benefit from them.
āIf you want [psychedelics] to work within existing health-care infrastructure, you have to play by [Canadian research] rules,ā said Mayo.
āTherapy has to be reproducible, it has to be evidence-based, it has to be grounded in reality.ā
Psychedelics in Canada
Psychedelics are hallucinogenic substances such as psilocybin, MDMA and ketamine that alter peopleās perceptions, mood and thought processes. Psychedelic therapy involves the use of psychedelics in guided sessions with therapists to treat mental health conditions.
Psychedelics are generally banned for possession, production and distribution in Canada. However, two per cent of Canadians consumed hallucinogens in 2019, according to the latestĀ Canadian Alcohol and Drugs Survey. Psychedelics are also used in Canada and abroad in unregulated clinics and settings to treat conditions such asĀ substance use disorder,Ā post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)Ā and variousĀ mental disorders.
āThe catās out of the bag, and people are using this,ā said Zachary Walsh, a professor in the Department of Psychology at the University of British Columbia.
Within Canada, there are three ways for psychedelics to be accessed legally.
The federal health minister can approve their use for medical, scientific or public interest purposes. Health Canada runs aĀ Special Access ProgramĀ that allows doctors to request the use of unapproved drugs for patients with serious conditions that have not responded to other treatments. And Health Canada can approve psychedelics for use inĀ clinical trials.
Researchers interested in conducting clinical trials involving psychedelics face significant hurdles.
āThereās been a concerted effort ā and itās just fading now ā to mischaracterize the risks of these substances,ā said Walsh, who has conducted several studies on the therapeutic uses of psychedelics. These include studies on MDMA-assisted therapy for PTSD, and the effects of microdosing psilocybin on stress, anxiety and depression.
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The U.S. government demonized psychedelic substances during itsĀ War on DrugsĀ in the 1970s, exaggerating their risks and blocking research into their medical potential. Influenced by this war, Canada adopted similar tough-on-drugs policies and restricted research.
Today, younger researchers are pushing forward.
āNew ideas really come into the forefront when the people in charge of the old ideas retire and die,ā said Norman Farb, an associate professor in the Department of Psychology at the University of Toronto.
But it remains a challenge to secure funding for psychedelic research. Government funding is limited, and pharmaceutical companies are often hesitant to invest because psychedelic-assisted therapy does not generally fit the traditional pharmaceutical model.
āItās not something that a pharmaceutical company wants to pay for, because itās not going to be a classic pharmaceutical,ā said Walsh.
As a result, many researchers rely on private donations or venture capital. This makes it difficult to fund large-scale studies, says Farb, who has faced institutional obstacles researchingĀ microdosingĀ for treatment-resistant depression.
āNo one wants to be that first cautionary tale,ā he said. āNo one wants to invest a lot of money to do the kind of study that would be transparent if it didnāt work.ā
Difficulties in clinical trials
But funding is not the only challenge. Sources also pointed to the difficulty of designing clinical trials for psychedelics.
In particular, it can be difficult to implement aĀ blindĀ trial process, given the potent effects of psychedelics. Double blind trials are the gold standard of clinical trials, where neither the person administering the drug or patient knows if the patient is receiving the active drug or placebo.
Health Canada also requires researchers to meet strict trial criteria, such as demonstrating that the benefits outweigh the risks, that the drug treats an ongoing condition with no other approved treatments, and that the drugās effects exceed any placebo effect.
It is especially difficult to isolate the effects of psychedelics. Psychotherapy, for example, can play a crucial role in treatment, making it difficult to disentangle the role of therapy from the drugs.
Mayo, of the University of Calgary, worries the demands of clinical trial models are not practical given the limitations of Canadaās health-care system.
āThe way weāre writing these clinical trials, itās not possible within our existing health-care infrastructure,ā she said. She cited as one example the expectation that psychiatrists in clinical trials spend eight or more hours with each patient.
Ethical issues
PsychedelicsĀ research can also raise ethical concerns, particularly where it involves individuals with pre-existing mental health conditions.
A 2024Ā studyĀ found that people who visited an emergency room after using hallucinogens were at a significantly increased risk of developing schizophrenia ā raising concerns that trials could harm vulnerable participants.
Another problem is a lack of standardization in psychedelic therapy. āWe havenāt standardized it,ā said Mayo. āWe donāt even know what people are being taught psychedelic therapy is.ā
This concern was underscored in a 2015Ā clinical trialĀ on MDMA in Canada, where one of the trial participants was subjected to inappropriate physical contact and questioning by two unlicensed therapists.
Mayo advocates for the creation of a regulatory body to standardize therapist training and prevent misconduct.
Others have raised concerns about whether the research exploits Indigenous knowledge or cultural practices.
āThereās no psychedelic science without Indigenous communities,ā said Joseph Mays, a doctorate candidate at the University of Saskatchewan.
āWhether itās medicalized or ceremonial, thereās a direct continuity with Indigenous practices.ā
Mays is an advisor to theĀ Indigenous Reciprocity Initiative, which funnels psychedelic investments back to Indigenous communities. He believes those working with psychedelics must incorporate reciprocity into their work.
āIf youāre using psychedelics in any way, it only makes sense that you would also have a commitment to fighting for the rights of [Indigenous] communities, which are still lacking basic necessities,ā said Mays, suggesting that companies profiting from psychedelic medicine should contribute to Indigenous causes.
Despite these various challenges, sources remained optimistic that psychedelics would eventually be legalized ā although not due to their work.
āItās inevitable,ā said Mays. āTheyāre already widespread, being used underground.ā
Farb agrees. āA couple more research studies is not going to change the law,ā he said. āPower is going to change the law.ā
This article was produced through the Breaking Needles Fellowship Program, which provided a grant toĀ Canadian Affairs, a digital media outlet, to fund journalism exploring addiction and crime in Canada. Articles produced through the Fellowship are co-published by Break The Needle and Canadian Affairs.
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Health
Dr. Pierre Kory Exposes the Truth About the Texas āMeasles Deathā Hoax

āShe did not die of measles by any stretch of the imagination. In fact, she died of pneumonia. But it gets worse than that…ā
Turn on the news today, and youāll hear about a measles outbreak in Texas. The headline? A 6-year-old girl has ādied from measles.ā The coverage is nonstop. And the goal is simple: to make youĀ angryĀ andĀ afraid.
But hereās what theyāre not telling you.
That little girl should still be alive. She should be at home with her mom, dad, and siblings. But their unconscionable loss, which is being heavily politicized, is not what the mainstream has led us to believe.Ā Her death was the result of medical error. Plain and simple.
And youĀ shouldĀ be angry.
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When this case first made the news, little was known. But those who know itās okay to ask questions began asking them.
Was she vaccinated for measles? If so, was the vaccination done recently or while she was ill? What treatment did she receive, if any? Was she infected with the wild type, or was this due to a leaky vaccine? Did she dieĀ withĀ measles orĀ fromĀ it?
Childrenās Health Defense (CHD) stepped up andĀ interviewedĀ the mourning parents to uncover the truth about what really happened to their 6-year-old daughter.
Headlines
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Parents of Child Who Died During Texas Measles Outbreak Speak Out |
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This article originally appeared on The Defender and was republished with permission. | |
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The emotional interview reveals the child was not vaccinated for measles. She fell ill, and while the spots faded quickly, her breathing was affected. Her parents became concerned and took her to the emergency room at Covenant Childrenās Hospital in Lubbock, Texas.
It was all downhill from there. And before long, their daughter was gone.
Dr. Pierre Kory Shares Disturbing Information
In a display of journalistic integrity, CHD obtained the 6-year-oldās medical records from her parents. Dr. Pierre Kory, a critical care physician, had a chance to analyze the records and shared his thoughts with CHD.
According to Dr. Kory, the child ādid not die of measlesĀ by any stretch of the imagination. In fact, she died of a pneumonia. But it gets worse than that, because she didn’t really die of pneumonia.Ā She died of a medical error.ā
Let that sink in.
Loving parents just lost their young child due to a medical error. But not only that, their story is being twisted and used to spread fear about measles and to push the measles vaccineātwo things this family does not appear to agree with.
As it turns out, their four other children came down with measles following their sisterās death. All four were treated with cod liver oil (vitamin A) and budesonide (a steroid). And all four recovered quickly. No vaccination necessary.
Kory calls the case āabsolutelyĀ enraging.ā
āWhen you admit someone to the hospital for pneumonia, what you need to do is you treat what’s called empirically, meaning you put them on antibiotics that you think will cover the most common organism.ā
Covenant Childrenās Hospital failed to do this.
āI mean, this is like medicine 101. You put them on two antibiotics to cover all the possibilities.Ā It’s a grievous error, and it’s an error which led to her death.ā
Not only did Covenant Childrenās Hospital fail to provide the appropriate antibiotics, when they noticed their error, they dragged their feet and delayed another 10 hours.
āBy that time, she was already on a ventilator. And approximately 24 hours later, actually less than 24 hours later, she died.ā
And she did not pass away peacefully. According to Kory, āshe died rather catastrophically.ā
āI can only surmise that she died of a catastrophic pulmonary embolism.ā
Kory calls the whole thing ādisturbing.ā
And it is. What happened to this young girl at Covenant Childrenās Hospital was indeed disturbing. But the way this tragedy is being portrayed in the media and used inappropriately and inaccurately to cause fear and push the measles vaccine is downrightĀ disgusting.
Gone are the days when people seek help from local media to expose injustices. The media machine has one job and it isnāt to help you.
This young girl should still be here. Hugging her parents and giggling with her siblings. Enjoying the start of Spring and looking forward to celebrating Easter.
Instead, the media is exploiting this familyās unimaginable loss to push an agenda, and social media is swirling with nasty criticisms.
We can only hope this poor family receive justice and support as they combat the unwarranted attacks on their character, choices, and way of life.
āPray. Just pray for us. Thatās the best you can do, for now,ā the father said.
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