Good evening, let’s start with today’s top stories:
China’s Foreign Minister took his Canadian counterpart to task during a G20 meeting this week over allegations his country interfered in Canadian politics, as lawmakers in Ottawa continue to push for a public inquiry that could be deeply embarrassing for Beijing.
Speaking to Mélanie Joly in New Delhi, Qin Gang urged Canada to do more to “prevent rumours and hype from disturbing bilateral ties,” according to an account published by Chinese state media Friday. He insisted accusations of Chinese meddling were a “groundless fallacy,” adding China “has never meddled with other country’s internal affairs, and opposes such attempt by any country.”
Allegations of interference in Canadian politics by China have dominated the political debate in recent weeks after The Globe published a series of reports based on documents prepared by the Canadian Security Intelligence Service.
Read more:
- Canada’s foreign-interference alert system failed voters in the 2021 election. Let’s make sure that doesn’t happen again
- Ottawa’s sounds of silence on election meddling
- We don’t need a public inquiry into foreign interference in Canadian elections
Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang looks on during his meeting in Cairo, Egypt, Jan. 15, 2023.MOHAMED ABD EL GHANY
Asylum seekers face a long journey to freedom along Roxham Road
Last year alone, almost 40,000 asylum seekers were intercepted by RCMP entering into Canada at an irregular border crossing. This might be the vast stretches of farmland where the Prairies meet Montana and North Dakota, or the otherwise unremarkable Roxham Road, an eight-kilometre-long rural road that connects Champlain, N.Y., to Saint-Bernard-de-Lacolle, Que.
These asylum seekers have entered the U.S. from another country. And from there, the majority of them have made their way to Canada through Quebec, and via Roxham Road. The number of asylum seekers crossing at an irregular border surged last year (up from 4,246 in 2021) owing in large part to a backlog of people making their way through now that COVID-19 border closures have lifted. They’ve come from all over the world – often from Haiti, Nigeria or Colombia – fleeing war, violence and poverty.
So for many, the white pillar at Roxham Road can feel like a finish line. But in fact it’s yet another beginning – the long and drawn-out, years-long process of a refugee claimant in Canada.
This aerial view shows migrants from Venezuela, Nigeria, Haïti and other countries arriving at the Roxham Road border crossing in Roxham, Quebec, on March 2, 2023.SEBASTIEN ST-JEAN/AFP/Getty Images
Russians pound access routes to Ukraine’s besieged Bakhmut
Russian troops and mercenaries rained artillery on the last access routes to the besieged Ukrainian city of Bakhmut on Friday, bringing Moscow closer to its first major victory in half a year after the bloodiest fighting of the war.
The head of Russia’s Wagner private army, speaking in a video recorded some seven kilometres north of Bakhmut, said the city, which has been blasted to ruins, was now almost completely surrounded with only one road still open for Ukraine’s troops.
Victory in Bakhmut, with a pre-war population of about 70,000, would give Russia the first major prize of a costly winter offensive, after it called up hundreds of thousands of reservists last year. It says it would be a stepping-stone to capturing the surrounding Donbas region, an important war aim.
Read more:
Ukrainian service members prepare to shoot from a howitzer at a front line, as Russia's attack on Ukraine continues, near the city of Bakhmut, Donetsk region, Ukraine, March 2, 2023.STRINGER
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ALSO ON OUR RADAR
When Mr. Loud becomes Mr. Quiet: If Pierre Poilievre was drawn as a Mr. Men character, he would be a mouth on legs. It’s a role he now inhabits as much in his prolific and skillful use of social media as in real life. So what happens when Mr. Loud turns into Mr. Quiet?
CERB audit of high-risk cases finds 65 per cent went to ineligible recipients: An internal Canada Revenue Agency audit of more than $5-billion in CERB and other emergency payments to individuals during the pandemic has determined that about 65 per cent went to ineligible recipients who must pay back the money.
SNC-Lavalin conducting strategic review after weaker-than-expected fourth quarter earnings: SNC-Lavalin Group Inc. is exploring its options for selling assets as the Canadian engineering company reported weaker-than-expected earnings for its latest quarter.
From Kmart to Nordstrom: A list of U.S. retailers that have closed down in Canada: Nordstrom is the second major U.S. retail chain to wind down Canadian operations in a matter of weeks, after Bed Bath & Beyond announced in February it would close all of its 65 stores and 11 of its buybuy BABY stores. Here’s a list of other American retail chains that have shut their doors in Canada for good.
Don’t bury the Academy Awards just yet: Why the Oscars matter more than we realize: Despite some requisite quibbles and obvious snubs that are perennially part of the Oscars experience, moviegoers could not ask for a better representation of the year in cinema. Barry Hertz reports on why the Oscars still matter.
MARKET WATCH
Canada’s main stock index rose almost 250 points in a broad-based rally Friday, ending the week on an upswing as Wall Street stocks also posted strong gains.
The S&P/TSX composite index was up 244.37 points at 20,581.58.
In New York, the Dow Jones industrial average was up 387.40 points at 33,390.97. The S&P 500 index was up 64.29 points at 4,045.64, while the Nasdaq composite was up 226.03 points at 11,689.01.
The Canadian dollar traded for 73.48 cents US compared with 73.45 cents US on Thursday.
The April crude contract was up $1.52 at US$79.68 per barrel and the April natural gas contract was up 24 cents at US$3.01 per mmBTU.
The April gold contract was up US$14.10 at US$1,854.60 an ounce and the May copper contract was down one cent at US$4.07 a pound.
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TALKING POINTS
Population decrease is irreversible. How will we manage the decline of humanity?
“A society in which fewer children are born each year than were born the year before, even as people overall are living longer, suffers the economic consequences of aging: fewer and fewer workers whose taxes support pension and health care systems; fewer young consumers to purchase the cars and houses and appliances and clothing that drive economic growth; fewer creative young minds to help us innovate our way out of pressing problems.” – John Ibbitson and Darrell Bricker
If Canada loses its citizenship ceremonies, we risk losing ourselves
“It’s not a big deal. But it is important. And everyone who is sworn in across the country as citizens recognizes that the others around them are people who, like them, have taken the risk of leaving their own country with the courage to come and make a new life in Canada.” – Adrienne Clarkson
BP’s Beyond Petroleum rolls back climate ambitions, sends shares soaring
“What is going on here? Is European Big Oil extending the middle finger to investors who worship at the altar of the environmental, social and governance (ESG) movement? Is the desire to keep oil production stronger for longer related to last year’s energy crisis? Have hydrocarbons become so profitable that shareholders simply will not tolerate the fuels’ slow-motion extinction?” – Eric Reguly
LIVING BETTER
14 March break travel ideas for kids who love science
Spring break travel options are as diverse as Canada’s landscape and climates. Choosing a destination that offers both recreation, relaxation and a bit of learning along the way can make for an incredible – and unique – experience for the whole family.
When planning your trip, take the time to research and learn about the sites you are looking to visit. Encourage kids to make notes and even write down questions they want to answer or unique elements they want to see. Afterward, take some time to reflect on your experiences and what you observed. Was the bridge as big as expected? What was the most unique feature of a building? How did the forest you explored change as you rose in altitude? Did the size of an animal surprise you? Here are some ideas to consider.
TODAY’S LONG READ
Canada’s surf prodigy pushes the sport to new heights ahead of Olympics
Erin Brooks poses for a portrait on Velzyland Beach, in the North Shore of Oahu in Hawaii, on December 6, 2022. MELISSA RENWICK/THE GLOBE AND MAILMelissa Renwick/The Globe and Mail
Erin Brooks, at 15, is seen as a transformative figure in the sport, both for her propensity to huck giant airs, and to surf waves that have traditionally been the preserve of men.
When, at 13, she landed a near-perfect 360-degree rotation in competition, Stab Mag, the iconic surfing rag, asked whether it was “The Best Air Ever Done by a Female Surfer?” The teen is already earning more than most of Canada’s top female athletes, thanks to lucrative sponsorship deals with brands such as Red Bull, Rip Curl and Dakine.
Last August, Erin made history at the invite-only Padang Padang Cup in Bali. She paddled out for the men’s competition, becoming was the first woman – and youngest person – to compete in the event.
She made the men’s finals, knocking off some of the world’s most eminent surfers, including her mentor, big-wave legend Shane Dorian. After taking fourth place in the final round, Erin won the inaugural women’s competition, cementing her place as one of the world’s best barrel riders.
As she gets ready to take on the world in Paris 2024, The Globe takes a deep dive into her gravity-defying techniques.
Evening Update is written by Emerald Bensadoun. If you’d like to receive this newsletter by e-mail every weekday evening, go here to sign up. If you have any feedback, send us a note.