Good evening, let’s start with today’s top stories:
Five current and former NHL players who have been accused of attacking a woman in a hotel room after a Hockey Canada fundraiser in 2018 will appear in court Monday on sexual-assault charges.
A charging document filed in London, Ont., this week shows that Dillon Dubé, Cal Foote, Carter Hart, Alex Formenton and Michael McLeod are each charged with one count of sexual assault in connection with an attack on a woman identified as E.M. on June 19, 2018. The players’ lawyers issued statements this week denying wrongdoing and promising to defend them against the charges.
- Listen to The Decibel: Robyn Doolittle explains what happened in 2018 and how it led to this week’s charges
- Opinion: It’s time for hockey parents to have The Talk – and for systemic change, too
Ottawa proposes delaying MAID expansion for patients with mental illness until 2027
Today, the Liberals tabled legislation to delay expansion of medical assistance in death eligibility for individuals with mental illness for three more years.
At present, MAID for mental illness is set to take effect as of March 17. But this week, members on a special committee of MPs and senators indicated that Canada was not prepared to proceed. Health Minister Mark Holland and Justice Minister Arif Virani said today the extension will allow for a parliamentary review to take place in two years to assess the state of readiness.
- Editorial board: A delay is not enough. Ottawa should withdraw its MAID law for the mentally ill
Hamas may not reject ceasefire, but wants Israel to commit to ending war
Hamas is unlikely to reject a Gaza ceasefire proposal it received from mediators this week, but will not sign it without assurances that Israel has committed to ending the war, a Palestinian official close to the talks said today. Israel so far has vowed not to pull troops out until “total victory,” defined as eradicating Hamas.
Mediators from Qatar and Egypt presented Hamas with the first concrete proposal for an extended halt to fighting in Gaza, agreed with Israel and the United States at talks in Paris last week. The big gap between the two sides appears to be over what would follow any agreed truce.
More from the Middle East
- Biden sanctions Israeli settlers accused of attacking Palestinians and peace activists in West Bank
- U.S. hints large response to Iran-backed militias is imminent as Houthi rebels target another ship
Review of safe supply program in British Columbia
B.C.’s public health officer released her in-depth review of the B.C. safer supply program today, saying the province should work with drug makers and distributors to expand choices for those at risk of overdose. Bonnie Henry says in part through her report that the province should increase the range of drugs available to include smokable fentanyl and other substances.
The review was issued after Wednesday’s one-year anniversary of the decriminalization of possession of small amounts of opioids and other drugs in B.C., under a three-year exemption from Health Canada.
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ALSO ON OUR RADAR
Transgender rights: Federal ministers joined others in voicing opposition to Alberta’s proposed restrictions on transgender rights, arguing the province will put youth at risk with one of the most aggressive policies of its kind in Canada.
- Just published: Conservatives tell MPs not to comment on Alberta transgender policies, prioritize parental rights, internal e-mail shows.
Retail: The controlling shareholder of Indigo Books & Music Inc. plans to take the company private.
Bank of Canada: BoC Governor Tiff Macklem says the central bank can’t solve the housing crisis with interest rates because the root cause is a supply shortage.
Nobel Peace Prize: A pair of U.S. lawmakers have nominated Hong Kong publisher and pro-democracy tycoon Jimmy Lai for the prize, along with jailed Uyghur scholar Ilham Tohti and Chinese legal activists Ding Jiaxi and Xu Zhiyong.
Energy transition: Alberta Investment Management Co. has established a $1-billion fund to invest in energy-transition and decarbonization opportunities, while saying it will hang on to high-carbon assets within its portfolios.
Telecommunications: Rogers Communications Inc.’s fourth-quarter revenue grew by 28 per cent and profit dropped 35 per cent as its $20-billion takeover of Shaw Communications Inc. boosted its customer base while also resulting in higher costs.
Behind the scenes of Secret Canada: What to know about ‘vexatious’ freedom-of-information requester provisions
MARKET WATCH
U.S. stocks rebounded as investors looked to a spate of high-profile earnings and the Friday’s employment report the day after the Federal Reserve quashed lingering bets that interest rate cuts could begin as early as March. Meanwhile Canada’s main stock index gained almost a hundred points Thursday despite weakness in energy stocks.
The S&P/TSX composite index closed up 97.33 points at 21,119.21. According to preliminary data, the S&P 500 gained 60.66 points to end at 4,905.95 points, while the Nasdaq Composite gained 197.63 points to 15,361.64. The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 368.55 points to 38,518.85.
The Canadian dollar traded for 74.60 cents UScompared with 74.64 cents US on Wednesday.
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TALKING POINTS
Canada needs to be one step ahead of China on research security
“As agencies and universities implement new security measures and track how China responds, adequate resourcing and expertise on China will be essential; breaches of the policy will also have to be carefully and fairly investigated.” – Alex Joske and Margaret McCuaig-Johnston
It’s too late for universities and colleges to complain about the foreign student cap
“Still, the ball was dropped. The warnings went unheeded. The feds finally listened to them last fall, and Mr. Miller started telling provinces that Ottawa would act to control the numbers if they didn’t. And they didn’t.” – Campbell Clark
Taylor Swift may speak now about sexual deepfake images. But that’s not enough
“In the end, while the law slowly catches up, what we really need most urgently is to face the more complicated social question: Why do people (typically men) feel entitled to make and share intimate images of others (typically women)?” – Suzie Dunn and Kristen Thomasen
LIVING BETTER
Kids join the crowd chasing giant bubbles in Ghent, Belgium.Shannon Proudfoot/The Globe and Mail
Kid-friendly vacations as told by the parents who survived them
There’s travelling, and then there’s travelling with children. Let the parents who’ve done the work and survived to tell the tale help you plan your next family getaway. From waffles in Europe to selfies in New York, there’s a family trip in your future that your children will remember and you might actually enjoy, too.
Also read:
- Staying indoors with the family? Here’s what to watch this weekend
- Chilling solo this weekend? Spending time alone is healthy, just don’t overdo it
TODAY’S LONG READ
Two Africville children, with Seaview African United Baptist Church and houses behind it in the distance, in the 1960s. Bob Brooks, Nova Scotia Archives 1989-468 vol. 16Bob Brooks/Nova Scotia Archives
How The Globe changed its outlook on Africville, the razing and the racism
This following a piece of an excerpt from A Nation’s Paper: The Globe and Mail in the Life of Canada, a collection of history essays from Globe writers past and present, coming this fall from Signal/McClelland & Stewart.
Under the banner of progressivism, Canada was on a mission to clear out so-called ghettos and liberate their residents from poverty, but without taking responsibility for how the state had contributed to the historical injustices that had created those communities in the first place. And they, as well as the press, gave residents little voice during this process.
Perhaps nowhere in Canada was this seen more starkly than in Africville, where between 1964 and 1967, about 400 residents were displaced from the 12-acre settlement that had been an established Black community with a rich history and culture for more than a century. The Globe was an active participant in shaping the narrative around Africville and justifying its razing. Read the full excerpt here
Evening Update is written by Sierra Bein. 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.