Good evening, let’s start with today’s top stories:
The federal government is suspending the COVID-19 vaccination requirement for domestic travel by airplane and train, and for people leaving Canada by air.
However, existing vaccination requirements for foreign nationals, as well as quarantine and testing requirements for unvaccinated Canadians, will remain in place.
The suspension of the mandate, which takes effect June 20, will also apply to federally regulated transport workers and federal employees. Vaccination requirements will remain in place for cruise ship passengers and crews due to the unique nature of cruise ship travel. Masking will still be enforced on planes, trains and ships.
Opinion: We can plan to beat the next wave of COVID-19, or we can try to wish it away. Take your pick, Canada – The Editorial Board
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Canada’s 2030 climate targets for oil and gas industry not feasible, government analysis says
Confidential government documents show a large gap between the federal Liberals’ promised target for reducing the oil and gas industry’s greenhouse gas emissions and what an internal analysis says is achievable by 2030.
The documents, which include findings from officials in the Environment and Natural Resources departments, show that when Prime Minister Justin Trudeau unveiled his government’s updated emissions reduction plan in March, Ottawa’s own numbers indicated the industry could reach only about half of the 81-megatonne cut it was assigned.
The internal analysis reveals that more emissions cuts in the oil and gas sector, beyond what department officials assessed was “technically feasible,” would likely come from production cuts.
Read more:
- Opinion: Is the Trudeau government’s plan for quick, deep cuts to oil emissions too ambitious? Yes – The Editorial Board
- Opinion: The fossil-fuel party is raging again, but Canada still needs a plan for the hangover to come – Mark Zacharias, Merran Smith
Many women who suffer from intimate partner violence don’t trust the police. Why are they the default response?
Shannon VanRaes/The Globe and Mail
Only 20 per cent of intimate partner violence victims reported their abuse to police in 2019, according to a survey released last year by Statistics Canada.
There are many reasons for this hesitation and mistrust. Some groups have faced historic and continuing discrimination by police.
Some survivors fear they won’t be believed. Others worry about their partners being removed from the home, causing economic upheaval. Women are told that calling the police is the answer but the majority of survivors don’t, says Angela Marie MacDougall, executive director of Battered Women’s Support Services (BWSS) in British Columbia.
Many women who do report their abuse often say they felt revictimized by police officers or the courts. As a result, experts, survivors and front-line workers argue that a system involving police as the primary respondents to domestic violence is deeply flawed.
ALSO ON OUR RADAR
Canadian crypto sector starting to see hiring slowdown: The global downturn in cryptocurrency is starting to squeeze domestic hiring in the sector – companies are either pressing pause on hiring or shelving growth plans altogether, according to industry executives and recruiters.
U.S. signs up Canada and other countries in deal to secure supplies of critical minerals: The Biden administration’s point man on securing supplies of rare earth minerals says more and more countries are joining with Canada and the United States as part of Washington’s push to counter Beijing’s dominance of critical mineral supply chains.
Flooding concerns rise in Western Canada: Preparations for potential flooding are underway in Calgary and southern Alberta as well as in areas of British Columbia as heavy rain contributes to swelling rivers across parts in both provinces.
Ukrainian forces struggle in Sievierodonetsk: Ukraine said its forces were still trying to evacuate civilians from the embattled area on Tuesday after Russia destroyed the last bridge to the devastated eastern city.
Apple, MLS announce 10-year streaming partnership: Apple and Major League Soccer have announced a 10-year partnership on a streaming service that will allow fans to watch every game without local blackouts or restrictions. The service will be available exclusively through the Apple TV app beginning next year.
MARKET WATCH
Canada’s main stock index moved further into correction territory Tuesday amid growing expectations that the U.S. Federal Reserve is on the cusp of announcing its largest interest rate hike in nearly three decades.
The Toronto Stock Exchange’s S&P/TSX composite index was down 194.05 points, or 0.98 per cent, at 19,548.51, a day after closing 10.6% below the record closing high it notched up in March.
The S&P 500 lost 14.15 points, or 0.38 per cent to end at 3,735.48 points, while the Nasdaq Composite gained 19.12 points, or 0.18 per cent, to 10,828.35. The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 151.91 points, or 0.5 per cent, to 30,364.83.
The Canadian dollar traded for 77.28 cents US compared with 77.77 cents US on Monday.
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TALKING POINTS
If Pierre Poilievre ignores calls to pivot toward the centre, he poses a real threat to the Liberals
“Mr. Poilievre should ignore critics who maintain he must abandon his angry populist message or face defeat in the next federal election, assuming he wins the leadership. Following that advice would cost him his most important political asset: his authenticity.” – John Ibbitson
Canada needs to speak up about global hunger at the G7
“Climate change, conflict and COVID-19 – the deadly trifecta has helped unleash the world’s worst global hunger and severe malnutrition crisis in a generation.” – David Morley
The world is returning to transactionalism – and the U.S. only has itself to blame
“This transactionalist turn does not bode well for the future of international relations. That’s particularly true for countries such as Canada, which doesn’t have a lot of geopolitical heft to throw around.” – Adnan R. Khan
LIVING BETTER
Three grams of omega-3s a day lowers blood pressure, study finds
Dietary guidelines recommend eating oily fish, rich in omega-3 fatty acids, twice a week to help guard against heart disease. A steady intake of omega-3s is thought to prevent abnormal heartbeats, improve blood vessel function and lower blood triglycerides (fats). Now, an updated review of studies has determined the ideal daily dose, writes Leslie Beck. Overall, a daily intake of 3 g of omega-3 fatty acids (DHA and EPA combined), whether from diet, supplements or both, was associated with the greatest reduction in blood pressure, albeit a modest one.
TODAY’S LONG READ
Who’s in charge of fixing B.C.’s flood defences? In communities near ‘orphan dikes,’ no one’s really sure
View of Mission Creek in Kelowna, B.C. looking eastward from Okanagan Lake. The Gordon Street bridge is in the background. The south bank dike is on the right.Melissa Tait/The Globe and Mail
The South Vancouver sea dike runs along a stretch of the north arm of the Fraser River to protect – notionally, at least – Vancouver’s Southlands neighbourhood, an improbable pocket of countryside in the middle of a metropolis of 2.5 million people.
A little more than 300 buildings, most of them residential, worth a combined value of about $1.7-billion have been built behind the dike. The aging, three-kilometre-long embankment gives the community a sense of protection from rising waters, but according to a 2020 survey of the structure conducted by independent engineers, it’s deteriorating badly and has a strong likelihood of failure. Repairs aren’t likely to happen soon, however, because no one wants to take responsibility for fixing it.
A so-called “orphan dike,” the South Vancouver structure is one of more than 100 in the province that have no owner or diking authority responsible for their maintenance. Most were built by the provincial government (or under its authority) during or after a flood, under difficult conditions and without a great deal of professional engineering or oversight. Once the crisis passed, they were forgotten or abandoned.
Evening Update is written by Prajakta Dhopade. 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.