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These are the top stories:
Trudeau’s office pressed Jody Wilson-Raybould to abandon prosecution of SNC-Lavalin
The then-justice minister was pressed to intervene in the corruption and fraud prosecution of Montreal engineering and construction giant SNC-Lavalin Group, sources say (for subscribers). Wilson-Raybould refused to ask federal prosecutors to make a deal with the company that could prevent a costly trial.
In 2015, prosecutors alleged SNC paid millions in bribes to officials in Libya to secure government contracts. After the charges, SNC lobbied officials in Ottawa to secure a “remediation agreement” that would set aside the prosecution.
But this past October, the federal director of prosecutions refused to negotiate a deal. Sources say Wilson-Raybould, who has since been shifted to overseeing Veterans Affairs, was urged to persuade prosecutors to change course.
For its part, the PMO said it “did not direct the attorney-general to draw any conclusions on this matter.”
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A group of diplomats is suing the federal government over its handling of ‘Havana syndrome’
In the suit, the diplomats say Ottawa failed to: warn them about the health risks associated with working in Cuba; remove them from the posting when they showed symptoms; and provide them with access to adequate medical care. The plaintiffs include five diplomats who were diagnosed with the mysterious Havana syndrome, which caused symptoms including nosebleeds, headaches and nausea.
“I think it became, ‘We are fed up. We don’t think we’re being treated properly and we’re going to take this as our only alternative,’" said Paul Miller, one of the lawyers representing the diplomats. “We’ve got some people who may not work again.”
Foreign Affairs Minister Chrystia Freeland says she has met with some affected diplomats and that they have her government’s “utmost sympathy and support.” She declined to comment on the specifics of the lawsuit.
How Canada’s racial data gaps can be hazardous to your health
Black women are more likely to get breast cancer – and more likely to die from it – than white women, according to U.S. research. As a result, the American College of Radiology encourages black women have their breast-cancer risk assessed by the age of 30. But Canada lacks this potentially life-saving information, and as a result black women here aren’t considered to be at higher risk for the disease.
It’s just one example of how a racial data gap is failing to illuminate health disparities. There are also scores of other data points Western countries collect on race and ethnicity that Canada does not: jobless rates, wage gaps, graduation rates and life expectancy are just a few.
Here’s the view from freelance writer Andray Domise: “Geopolitics are being tilted and societies are being reshaped by information asymmetries. Avoiding discussions about race has effectively left policy-makers wandering blindfolded through a forest, at the expense of communities of colour.”
The Globe is running a series examining Canada’s data gaps. Go here to read more.
Political interference has left BC Hydro with a $5.5-billion debt
The bottom line? “BC Hydro was not allowed to charge its customers enough to cover its operating costs each year,” Auditor-General Carol Bellringer said. Previous governments allowed “inappropriate” accounting to fester at the Crown agency and Bellringer says the only solution to tackle the debt now is by raising rates or via a provincial bailout. That debt amounts to $1,300 for every residential customer, more than $10,000 for each commercial and light industrial ratepayer, and almost $5-million for each large industrial consumer.
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ALSO ON OUR RADAR
Canada’s aid for Venezuelans will go to “trusted humanitarian partners,” not governments, Justin Trudeau says. A significant portion of the newly announced $53-million commitment will go to non-profits in neighbouring countries such as Colombia that are taking in Venezuelans fleeing the economic crisis, Trudeau said.
Former Ottawa-area MP Paul Dewar died of brain cancer at the age of 56. Dewar served as the representative for Ottawa Centre from 2006 to 2015, with a significant portion of that time as the NDP’s foreign-affairs critic, before running unsuccessfully for the party leadership in 2012. He’s survived by his wife and two sons.
Tim Hortons is taking a step toward ending its rift with disgruntled franchisees. The two sides have agreed to non-binding terms of a potential settlement of two-class action suits which emerged amid complaints that the coffee chain’s parent company was slashing costs and hurting the brand and franchisees’ bottom line. (for subscribers)
MORNING MARKETS
Stocks fall
World shares ground to a halt on Thursday as the dollar scored its longest winning streak since a hot run in early October that helped set off a wave of global ‘bear’ markets. Some poor earnings and weak data out of Germany ensured Europe’s main bourses started lower and kept MSCI’s main index of world stocks heading for only its second two-day run of falls of the year so far. Tokyo’s Nikkei lost 0.6 per cent. In Europe, London’s FTSE 100 was down 0.2 per cent by about 7 a.m. ET, while Germany’s DAX was down 1.24 per cent and the Paris CAC 40 0.6 per cent. New York futures were also down. The Canadian dollar was at about 75.4 US cents.
WHAT EVERYONE’S TALKING ABOUT
The crypto world is a dangerous place for ordinary investors, and regulators
“[QuadrigaCX founder Gerald] Cotten is dead, and no one can break into the encrypted computer where he apparently stashed $180-million worth of virtual currencies belonging to the platform’s 100,000 users. We regulate many things in Canada – from drinking to skinny-dipping – but this is one area regulators should probably avoid. Here’s the problem: Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies are not money. And based on their plunging value in the past year or so, they aren’t particularly good investments either. Many are now worthless.” – Barrie McKenna (for subscribers)
Full-day kindergarten keeps women in the work force. Let’s not mess with it
“For a government that purports to put Ontarians back to work to even consider changes to full-day kindergarten invites pause (and employer heartburn). With average monthly childcare costs at thousands of dollars a child, asking families to find a spot and absorb the fees for half a day of care means some parents would be forced to leave the work force entirely.” – Amanda Munday, Founder and CEO of The Workaround, a coworking space with childcare in Toronto
When will Canada take action for girls who endure FGM?
“Not long ago, I sat with Hadija (not her real name), a young Canadian woman, tears streaming down her face, as she told me about her summer holiday back to her birthplace in Somalia, where she came face to face with a razor blade in a mud hut and was forced to endure female genital mutilation at the age of 14. … Hadija’s case is not unique; FGM is an issue here too. Government documents released to journalists under the Freedom of Information Act show that thousands of Canadian girls may be at risk of this torture.” – Giselle Portenier, Vancouver-based journalist and filmmaker
LIVING BETTER
Tips and suggestions for your next adventure
If you’re looking to get away from the cold this winter, the museums and delicious food in Mexico City should be on your radar. February temperatures reach 24 C and there are direct flights from Toronto, Vancouver and Montreal.
It can be hard to plan romantic vacations where you get breathing room from your kids. One tip, writes contributor Heather Greenwood Davis, is to look for resorts that offer kids-only evening events such as movie nights or early dinners. Subscribers can go here to read about her other suggestions.
Planning a honeymoon? From Paris’ Hôtel Plaza Athénée to South Africa’s Sabi Sabi Selati Camp, read about six about unforgettable spots that are worth the splurge. (for subscribers)
MOMENT IN TIME
Young Glenn Gould wins Kiwanis music festival
(Library and Archives Canada)Library and Archives Canada
Feb. 7, 1944: Renowned classical pianist Glenn Gould won the grand prize at the first annual Toronto Kiwanis music festival when he was just shy of 12 years old. The festival was held at Toronto’s Eaton Auditorium and had approximately 7,000 contestants. Kiwanian George W. Peacock, in an attempt to promote greater public interest in music, suggested Toronto follow the example of successful festivals in Western Canada and start a Kiwanis competition of its own. After his unlikely win, Gould went on to receive national recognition. Known for his interpretations of the works of Johann Sebastian Bach as well as extreme technical proficiency, he was one of the most celebrated pianists of the 20th century. Gould disliked the impressionistic and early Romantic styles that filled standard piano repertoires. Instead, he preferred modernist composers. He believed it was a musician’s role to be immensely creative, so his musical interpretations were often unusual and unique, sometimes playing standard pieces at extreme tempos. In 1983, a year after his death, Gould was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame. In the same year, the Glenn Gould Foundation was established in Toronto in his honour. – Mira Miller
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