A backlog of Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) background checks is leaving front-line workers across the province without jobs, including a social worker who recently moved to Labrador.

Sarah, who asked CBC not to use her last name, filed her vulnerable sector screening (VSC) application in mid-August but has heard nothing back. The check is required before she can begin her new job. She was supposed to start on September 5 and now expects to go months without income.

“I left Ontario because I couldn’t afford to live. Now I’m sitting here, unemployed, running through my savings,” she said.

Vulnerable sector screenings are required for anyone working with children, seniors, or other vulnerable populations. They involve a criminal record check, a local police information check, and a vulnerable sector query. Applications are taken in by Triton Canada but must be processed by the OPP.

Currently, the OPP is only working on applications received before July 22, leaving thousands of applicants in limbo. OPP spokesperson Erin Cranton said the backlog is due to high demand, with complex cases sometimes taking up to 55 days.

The delay is not only affecting individuals but also the province’s health care system. Miranda Romanowicz, CEO of the Ontario Personal Support Workers Association, said many personal support workers are losing jobs because they can’t get checks processed on time. “We’re looking at staffing shortages, which is already a huge issue in Ontario health care. Residents and clients are not getting the care they need,” she said.

The Solicitor General’s office has said it is working with the OPP to reduce processing times by adding more staff. But for Sarah and others like her, the wait has already had serious consequences. “Any other employer would have moved on,” she said. “I’m lucky mine hasn’t, but I don’t know how much longer they can wait.”

Alberta Premier Danielle Smith’s government says it intends to introduce legislation that would allow the province to disregard international agreements signed by the federal government if they fall under areas of provincial jurisdiction.

The proposal was outlined in Smith’s latest mandate letter to the intergovernmental relations ministry, which she oversees. Her office said the goal is to protect “Alberta’s authority” and ensure due process when Ottawa negotiates agreements that touch on provincial responsibilities.

Press secretary Sam Blackett said Alberta wants to make clear that such agreements would only be binding if passed into law under provincial legislation. He cited the World Health Organization’s Pandemic Agreement, ratified earlier this year, as an example given its potential impact on health care.

The plan mirrors a long-standing legislative framework in Quebec, according to the government.

However, constitutional experts note the law may not change much. University of Alberta law professor Eric Adams said Canada’s Constitution already divides powers between Ottawa and the provinces. While the federal government can sign treaties, provinces can choose whether to legislate them when they involve provincial matters.

“It’s not clear what provincial legislation would add to existing rules,” Adams said, noting health and the environment are examples of overlapping jurisdictions that often create complications.

Opposition NDP justice critic Irfan Sabir dismissed the proposal as “ridiculous political theatre,” accusing Smith of picking fights with Ottawa for partisan reasons.

The government has not said when the bill will be introduced, though the Alberta legislature is set to resume sitting next month.