smg_canada

How Olympian Jamie Salé became a COVID protest champion

by

CALGARY—When it comes to greeting a crowd of adoring fans, Jamie Salé’s still got it. She shakes hands and hugs, she smiles wide and, if you’re lucky, leans in close to whisper a few words. The crowd this day mills in front of her, the carbonated vibe of a high school reunion bubbling just below … Read more

Poilievre called it ‘hell.’ The Downtown Eastside begs to differ

by

VANCOUVER—The skies over Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside threaten rain as they darken and release the odd drop to the bustling sidewalks of the country’s most controversial neighbourhood. Under a black fold-up canopy at the corner of Columbia and East Hastings, volunteers of the Overdose Prevention Society sit, somewhat safe from any impending downpour. Canopies like this … Read more

Did a Chinese balloon just prove it’s time for Canada, U.S. to modernize NORAD?

by

What the Pentagon called a high-altitude Chinese spy balloon drifted over the central US states Friday, leaving a trail of diplomatic turbulence and what some observers said should be a wake-up call for Canada and the United States to improve their early-warning defense systems. Yet in terms of actual consequences, one expert suggested the balloon’s … Read more

Did this troubled detainee not get enough ‘meaningful social interaction’? Inquest into his death looks at the new rules

by

What’s a meaningful social interaction? Attending a doctor’s appointment? Stepping out alone into the yard for some fresh air? Singing in the shower? The question of what constitutes such interaction for inmates in segregation — broadly, solitary confinement — was at the center of an inquest on Friday into the death of an immigration detainee … Read more

Ontario’s new gas plants will cost more than renewables: report

by

Renewable energy options, such as wind and solar, generate electricity with no carbon emissions. Paired with batteries, they can provide electricity on demand, even when the wind isn’t blowing and the sun isn’t shining. And, according to a new report, these clean technologies currently cost less than the type of natural gas-fired plants the Ontario … Read more

Why immigration detainee who died in custody was still in Canada

by

There was no timeline to get Abdurahman Ibrahim Hassan out of jail and out of this country. The immigration detainee was being held at the provincial jail in Lindsay, Ont., as he awaited deportation from Canada. He’d been there since losing a final court appeal in November 2013. And he was still there, more than … Read more

MPs call for plan to resettle 10,000 Uyghurs: ‘Canada is meeting the moment’

by

OTTAWA — MPs unanimously adopted a motion calling to resettle 10,000 Uyghurs and other Turkic Muslims who have fled China’s persecution, in Canada. The motion recognizes China’s treatment of the Uyghurs as genocide and calls on the federal government to resettle Uyghurs and other Turkic Muslims over two years, starting in 2024. “This is historic,” … Read more

Saskatchewan First Act will help in future court fights with Ottawa: justice minister

by

REGINA – Saskatchewan’s justice minister says Ottawa’s actions have a larger effect on investor confidence than pushback from Indigenous and environmental groups as she promotes a bill that the province contends would give it more autonomy. Bronwyn Eyre says the Saskatchewan First Act isn’t about carving new powers for Saskatchewan. The legislation, which passed a … Read more

Sly stickers redirect restaurant diners from menu to stories of mistreated farm workers

by

Dangerously Delicious Corn Bread, Out-of-This-Country Mushroom Pizza and Hazardous House Sangria. These “secret menu” items are coming to your local restaurant when you use your phone to scan a QR code waiting there to see your dining options. Look up the “corn bread” option and you’ll find the brief story of migrant farm workers Juan … Read more

OPP has no policy on improvised spit protection, inquest told

by

The OPP has a policy to govern the use of spit hoods, but it doesn’t cover the adoption of “improvised” tools such as a towel to restrain someone from spitting at an officer, an inquest has heard. Under the police service’s use-of-force order, a spit hood — a soft loose mesh — is a temporary … Read more