nationalobserver--2020-06-19--Trudeau calls on businesses to use wage subsidy as another business aid program delayed

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau will visit a gourmet cafe in Quebec today to underline his plea to small business owners to use the federal wage subsidy program to rehire workers .
But his visit to Biscotti & cie in the village of Chelsea comes at the same time that the federal government is delaying the start-date for another program that was supposed to help small businesses survive the COVID-19 pandemic .
Finance Minister Bill Morneau took to Twitter late Thursday to announce that the promised expansion of the Canada Emergency Business Account to include small owner-operated businesses will not launch @ @ @ @ @ @ @ which provides interest-free , partially forgivable loans of up to $ 40,000 , has been expanded twice to include more businesses .
Several weeks ago , the government announced the program was to be expanded again to include companies with payrolls of less than $ 20,000 and with non-deferrable expenses , like rent , utilities and property taxes , of between $ 40,000 and $ 1.5 million .
• 'Thought it was a panda : ' Second rare grizzly bear sighting in Banff National Park • Critics say Ontario ’ s new ‘ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ whistleblowers • People have legal rights to capture footage of police on the job The change was intended to cover owner-operated small businesses that had been ineligible for the program due to their small payrolls , sole proprietors who receive business income directly and family-owned operations that pay family members in the form of dividends .
`` Work continues around the clock to ensure the program can securely launch across over 230 financial institutions , '' Morneau tweeted .
`` We know how important the program is to small businesses & want to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trudeau 's visit to the Chelsea cafe , just north of Ottawa , is meant to underscore how the 75 per cent wage subsidy can help employers afford to rehire workers now that the economy is starting to slowly reopen after several months of pandemic-induced lockdown .
Biscotti & cie has used the program to hire back dozens of workers at the cafe and its sister operation , the Chelsea Pub .
This is the second company Trudeau has visited in as many weeks in a bid to persuade businesses to take advantage @ @ @ @ @ @ @ been almost begging them to use it as the government tries to wean jobless Canadians off the $ 2,000-a-month Canada Emergency Response Benefit and transition back to work .
The wage subsidy , originally budgeted at $ 73 billion , has had far less take-up than the federal government had hoped .
In the meantime , it has had to almost double the original budget for the CERB to $ 60 billion .
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau will visit a gourmet cafe in Quebec today , June 19 , 2020 , to underline @ @ @ @ @ @ @ use the federal wage subsidy program to rehire workers .
This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 19 , 2020 .

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau will visit a gourmet cafe in Quebec today to underline his plea to small business owners to use the federal wage subsidy program to rehire workers.
But his visit to Biscotti & cie in the village of Chelsea comes at the same time that the federal government is delaying the start-date for another program that was supposed to help small businesses survive the COVID-19 pandemic.
Finance Minister Bill Morneau took to Twitter late Thursday to announce that the promised expansion of the Canada Emergency Business Account to include small owner-operated businesses will not launch today as scheduled.
The CEBA, which provides interest-free, partially forgivable loans of up to $40,000, has been expanded twice to include more businesses.
Several weeks ago, the government announced the program was to be expanded again to include companies with payrolls of less than $20,000 and with non-deferrable expenses, like rent, utilities and property taxes, of between $40,000 and $1.5 million.


nationalobserver--2020-06-19--O'Toole sidesteps acknowledgment of systemic racism during debate

As three Conservative leadership candidates acknowledged the need to address systemic racism in Canada , a fourth , Erin O'Toole , would n't say whether he believes it exists .
A party member asked the four candidates for their thoughts on systemic racism and how they would demonstrate leadership in that area as they faced off for a debate last night .
The question underscored one of the party 's most crucial political tasks : diversifying their base of support .
Both during the debate , and afterward , O'Toole spoke of the need to have zero tolerance for racism @ @ @ @ @ @ @ government department , it must be stamped out .
When asked whether he believes systemic racism exists , or how he would define it , he did n't provide a specific answer .
• 'Thought it was a panda : ' Second rare grizzly bear sighting in Banff National Park • Critics say Ontario ’ s new ‘ ag-gag ’ law could target journalists , whistleblowers • People have legal rights to capture footage of police on the job `` You could define it to me , '' he said in response to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ debate .
`` I 've said , whenever we see an instance of racism , zero tolerance . ''
O'Toole said Conservatives are merit-based and believe in the rule of law and in ensuring equal outcomes for all .
He 's sold himself as a candidate who can win in the suburbs around Toronto , citing the fact he 's won his own riding in the area three times so far .
Leslyn Lewis , the first Black woman to run for leadership of the party , is also from Toronto .
She @ @ @ @ @ @ @ systemic racism and get defensive , feeling they are being accused of being individually racist .
As three Conservative leadership candidates acknowledged the need to address systemic racism in Canada , a fourth , Erin O'Toole , would n't say whether he believes it exists .
Lewis said they have to understand it 's not about that , but the way systems have been set up , leading to outcomes for certain people because of their race .
She cited residential schools as an example , as well as different outcomes in education @ @ @ @ @ @ @ people are more often convicted and sent to jail than non-Indigenous people in Canada , she noted .
`` Canada is the best country in the world but that does not mean we have an opportunity to not make it better , '' said Lewis .
`` All systems are imperfect , we need to look at them ( and ) look at how we can modify certain institutions , '' she added , pointing to the police , the education system and the criminal justice system as examples .
Politicians of all @ @ @ @ @ @ @ questions in recent weeks after several violent interactions between police and Indigenous people , sparking a debate about systemic racism in the justice system in particular .
O'Toole 's rival Peter MacKay , who served as justice minister in the last Conservative government , ducked a question after the debate about whether he bore any responsibility for the ongoing problem .
He said there has to be acceptance that racism is a problem , and it 's a difficult , awkward and necessary conversation to have .
`` It will only happen over @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be some magic approach that will allow it to happen quickly , '' he said .

As three Conservative leadership candidates acknowledged the need to address systemic racism in Canada, a fourth, Erin O'Toole, wouldn't say whether he believes it exists. A party member asked the four candidates for their thoughts on systemic racism and how they would demonstrate leadership in that area as they faced off for a debate last night. The question underscored one of the party's most crucial political tasks: diversifying their base of support. Both during the debate, and afterward, O'Toole spoke of the need to have zero tolerance for racism and said if it exists within any government department, it must be stamped out. When asked whether he believes systemic racism exists, or how he would define it, he didn't provide a specific answer.
"You could define it to me," he said in response to a question from a reporter after the debate. "I've said, whenever we see an instance of racism, zero tolerance." Billion-dollar land deals in Ontario raise corruption suspicions O'Toole said Conservatives are merit-based and believe in the rule of law and in ensuring equal outcomes for all.
He's sold himself as a candidate who can win in the suburbs around Toronto, citing the fact he's won his own riding in the area three times so far. As three Conservative leadership candidates acknowledged the need to address systemic racism in Canada, a fourth, Erin O'Toole, wouldn't say whether he believes it exists. Leslyn Lewis, the first Black woman to run for leadership of the party, is also from Toronto. She said individuals often misunderstand the issue of systemic racism and get defensive, feeling they are being accused of being individually racist. Lewis said they have to understand it's not about that, but the way systems have been set up, leading to outcomes for certain people because of their race. She cited residential schools as an example, as well as different outcomes in education and in the justice system.
Indigenous people are more often convicted and sent to jail than non-Indigenous people in Canada, she noted. "Canada is the best country in the world but that does not mean we have an opportunity to not make it better," said Lewis. "All systems are imperfect, we need to look at them (and) look at how we can modify certain institutions," she added, pointing to the police, the education system and the criminal justice system as examples.


nationalobserver--2020-06-19--Facing spending attacks, federal minister Catherine McKenna doubles down on 'social infrastructure'

Facing spending attacks, federal minister Catherine McKenna doubles down on 'social infrastructure' aims

As Canada 's gloomy economy hits new and historic lows due to the pandemic , the country 's infrastructure and communities minister is doubling down on her government 's equality and environmental agenda — despite opponents ' accusations the Liberals are trying to `` use this pandemic as an excuse to evade accountability '' to ram through unprecedented spending .
Far from tightening the fiscal belt during a fiscal crisis , Catherine McKenna told Canada 's National Observer her government is not going far enough , particularly in a moment when the continent is laser-focused on racial discrimination , inequality @ @ @ @ @ @ @ most vulnerable .
That 's why the minister of Infrastructure and Communities is looking to a new way of viewing what , exactly , infrastructure is : Not merely bridges , buildings and buses , but also the social institutions that have become essential during the pandemic .
She called it Canada 's `` social infrastructure . ''
It could include those sectors at the pandemic front lines , for instance in health , transit and the food chain , but also the many community services most shaken by COVID-19 — from deadly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the education and child-care tasks that have fallen mainly on women because of the economic shutdown .
McKenna spoke Tuesday to Canada 's National Observer in a wide-ranging online conversation where she spelled out why rebuilding the country 's economy after the pandemic must make this `` social infrastructure '' a priority — initiatives that must include at their centre women , racialized communities , Indigenous people , and the environment .
• 'Thought it was a panda : ' Second rare grizzly bear sighting in Banff National Park • Critics say Ontario @ @ @ @ @ @ @ could target journalists , whistleblowers • People have legal rights to capture footage of police on the job Video of Minister Catherine McKenna on 'the Canada we want ' Minister of Infrastructure and Communities , Catherine McKenna speaks with Canada 's National Observer editor-in-chief , Linda Solomon Wood .
One key aspect of what McKenna is reflecting on is equity , particularly around racial discrimination , she said .
Specifically citing the current Black Lives Matter uprising sparked by the latest in a string of racist police killings of unarmed Black civilians , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ she met Tuesday night with Black leaders and advocates to learn more about how she can be part of addressing systemic racism after she signed on to a letter acknowledging its persistence in the country 's institutions .
`` Social infrastructure has to be part of our reflection , '' she explained .
`` And we need to make sure everyone is succeeding , that we 're not leaving behind Indigenous people , we need to talk to the Black community ...
I 've certainly been reflecting about Black Lives Matter , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Canada .
`` We are not necessarily putting that at the fore .
Whether it 's racialized communities or Indigenous peoples , my team and I are now doing a lot more thinking about social determinants of infrastructure .
It 's not just what we build , but where we build and who we are building for . ''
It 's a different way of thinking about her task as minister , she admitted .
But that 's because she did not fully grasp the reason her post includes responsibility for communities , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that have seen the worst shocks from the health crisis , historic unemployment , and racial inequality .
'Systemic racism ... absolutely exists in Canada .
We are not necessarily putting that at the fore , ' says infrastructure minister @ CathMcKenna , calling for # Covid19 recovery spending to centre diversity , equity and climate `` When the economy is going south , '' she said , sometimes people can be tempted to throw such priorities “ out the window . ''
She told editor-in-chief Linda Solomon Wood , “ I ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ been the case in Canada.
” It ’ s certainly hardly a heartening economic picture facing her government .
According to Statistics Canada , unemployment has nearly tripled to 13.7 per cent ( surpassing even the 2008 financial crisis and the 1982 recession ) , $ 360 billion has been lost from our global market investments , our stock market has seen a 22 per cent drop , and there 's been a 29 per cent collapse in manufacturing sales .
On Tuesday , the minority Liberals ' nearly $ 90-billion COVID-19 spending @ @ @ @ @ @ @ backing of the NDP , with billions earmarked for infrastructure across the country .
But McKenna ’ s government has repeatedly refused Opposition pressure to release a budget update since March .
On Wednesday , Prime Minister Justin Trudeau instead promised a fiscal “ snapshot ... a picture of where our economy is right now , '' and where it might go in coming months .
But the `` snapshot '' wo n't come for another three weeks .
The Conservatives have seized on the lack of a fiscal update and opacity of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ alleging she and her government are trying to `` use this pandemic as an excuse to evade accountability , '' in a June 8 letter to the Standing Committee on Transport , Infrastructure and Communities .
`` The minister of Infrastructure and Communities would be accelerating infrastructure funding to municipalities in response to the financial impacts of COVID-19 on local governments , '' the Opposition MPs wrote .
`` Meanwhile , the parliamentary budget officer has said that his office has only been able to account for 33,000 of the 52,000 projects that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` The minister continues to commit enormous sums of money to new projects while there is no accounting for the projects that have been previously announced . ''
Frequently a lightning rod for Conservative criticism in her previous environment cabinet post , McKenna appears to not be letting concerns about pandemic relief spending temper her resolve .
In fact , she said the health crisis has offered a new perspective on shortfalls in Canada 's status quo she hopes to address through her infrastructure ministry .
`` After all this time through COVID @ @ @ @ @ @ @ challenges in the system , that makes us better placed to build this future , '' McKenna noted , `` as we figure out what investments we want to be making , and what future we want to be building . ''
With Canadians `` really worried '' about their health and their loved ones , about seniors and the vulnerable , about whether `` businesses down the street are going to survive , '' or even having a job , `` You get a little more focused on what 's really important @ @ @ @ @ @ @ big thing is really the future we want ... We have to keep that focus . ''
That lesson , for her , is key after a massive global crisis such as the coronavirus pandemic and its likely years-long shadow .
But while acknowledging such `` challenges in the system '' in the past may have worsened the crisis for many Canadians , what exactly does the McKenna `` social infrastructure '' future look like to her ?
The minister suggests the pandemic did not simply teach Canadians what we should n't do @ @ @ @ @ @ @ government could , and should , do .
With the $ 90-billion COVID-19 relief package now passed , her government needs to `` do more '' to seize the societal opportunity , and the lessons of the pandemic , which she confessed have exposed weaknesses in the country 's fabric for the most vulnerable .
`` That 's come to the forefront in COVID , the vulnerable populations .
I think we have to do better in terms of that piece , '' she admitted .
`` We need to really step back @ @ @ @ @ @ @ these other outcomes ?
Are we making sure we 're building for a more sustainable , more resilient future ?
Are we making sure those investments are being spread equally so every child or community has an opportunity to succeed ? '
'' She called the new line of thinking the `` social determinants of infrastructure , '' which refers to long-accepted public health research on the `` social determinants of health '' — how social and economic inequalities harm different populations ' well-being and health .
`` There 's so much inequality @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` It was clear that we need to work at home ( in Canada ) because so many Indigenous communities are still living in Third World conditions ... What do we need to do to address systemic racism ? ''
McKenna garnered some support from the Zoom conversation 's audience for that acknowledgement , although one commenter expressed some concerns about how the government would ensure the economic recovery did not merely pay lip service to equity and the environment — but measurably address `` historic harms '' without `` additional burdens '' @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be subsidizing ( fossil fuels ) if we 're trying to move to a cleaner future ' Attendees at the virtual event raised numerous questions — and criticisms — of the federal government 's climate change strategy .
One participant thanked McKenna for `` saying lots of nice things '' on climate change , and committing to sustainability in infrastructure funding recipients .
But many observers in the Zoom conversation were dismayed by some of her government 's measures , most notably its contentious purchase of the Trans Mountain pipeline , which McKenna @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in Canada ’ s national interest . ''
Several asked about Ottawa 's purchase of the Trans Mountain Pipeline expansion project ( TMX ) , which has faced environmental and Indigenous opposition , collapsed oil prices , and last weekend , a 190,000-litre spill near Sumas , B.C .
The Crown corporation says the release did not damage the environment and was contained to its own private property , but the nearby Semá : th First Nation expressed `` serious concerns '' for `` water quality for Semá : th reserve residents .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ oft-stated climate promises with owning and operating national pipeline infrastructure and other reported financial assistance to the country 's oil and gas sector , the minister insisted her government has ended all its direct oil industry subsidies as promised , and that the tax incentives that remain are provincial .
`` The TMX , I know that was a flashpoint , for some voters a really important point , in the election , '' she said .
`` All of the revenues we 've committed to go to the clean transition .
I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ just have it happen right away , that we would transition immediately .
We 're working extremely hard , we 've got more work to do , but we do need to figure this out — and it 's going to be a bit messy .
We 're not starting from zero here ... a lot of people are worried about jobs . ''
She said her government eliminated oil subsidies in the federal tax system , but needs provinces `` to also be part of the solution , '' because `` we @ @ @ @ @ @ @ trying to move to a cleaner future .
That 's not going to get us there . ''
But she reminded viewers that `` whole communities are built around the industry , '' so making the transition away from fossil fuels is about more than jobs .
`` If we forget that , I do n't know that we 'll be able to make the transition , '' she said .
And while she pressed provincial leaders to act on several issues , from submitting diversity-conscious infrastructure applications to curbing their own fossil @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a major focus in her efforts has moved to another level of government , away from her previous — and sometimes fraught — relationships with the provinces .
In her previous role as climate minister , she acknowledged there had been significant tensions .
During her tenure , with the exception of B.C.
, conservative-leaning premiers took office from Alberta all the way east to Quebec .
McKenna became a lightning rod for conservatives over everything from carbon pricing , to the cost of her travels to international climate negotiations , to the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said she had `` sadly '' faced `` a lot of fights ... with certain provinces '' in her previous role , lamenting that instead of outcomes that too often `` gets you showdowns . ''
After her cabinet shuffle to her current job , McKenna said she 's still eager to work with the provinces , but is hopeful she can make progress in her portfolio thanks to the fact that municipalities are often major drivers of infrastructure projects .
Asked if she had advice for where citizens could best apply pressure @ @ @ @ @ @ @ or exceed , their climate and social pledges , McKenna did n't hesitate in suggesting the lowest level of government in the country : municipalities , which under the Constitution are subsumed under provincial powers .
`` I do n't meet a lot of mayors who say climate change is n't real , '' she quipped .
`` They 're all dealing with floods , coastal erosion , forest fires , and extreme heat .
They 're all worried about this .
But we have to translate that into something real .
`` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ coming up with the projects .
So you need to push local governments : What are the projects that are going to deliver the outcomes you want ? ''
After months of social distancing , working from home , and going out only for essentials like groceries and exercise in nature , McKenna said the COVID-19 crisis has truly illuminated much more than the societal gaps and inequities .
It has also shown Canadians what is most essential .
`` You recognize how important local community really is , '' she said .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ 's National Observer ’ s Conversation series featuring topics around COVID-19 , the economy , politics and climate change .
To watch the full conversation , head to our YouTube channel .
To stay up to date on upcoming interviews , subscribe here .

McKenna spoke Tuesday to Canada's National Observer editor-in-chief Linda Solomon Wood in a wide-ranging online conversation where she spelled out why rebuilding the country's economy after the pandemic must make this "social infrastructure" a priority — initiatives that must include at their centre women, racialized communities, Indigenous people, and the environment.
It could include those sectors at the pandemic front lines, for instance in health, transit and the food chain, but also the many community services most shaken by COVID-19 — from deadly outbreaks in long-term care homes, or the education and child-care tasks that have fallen mainly on women because of the economic shutdown.
That's why the minister of Infrastructure and Communities is looking to a new way of viewing what, exactly, infrastructure is: Not merely bridges, buildings and buses, but also the social institutions that have become essential during the pandemic. She called it Canada's "social infrastructure."
Far from tightening the fiscal belt during a fiscal crisis, Catherine McKenna said her government is not going far enough, particularly in a moment when the continent is laser-focused on racial discrimination, inequality, and the health threat to the most vulnerable.
As Canada's gloomy economy hits new and historic lows due to the pandemic, the country's infrastructure and communities minister is doubling down on her government's equality and environmental agenda — despite opponents' accusations the Liberals are trying to "use this pandemic as an excuse to evade accountability" to ram through unprecedented spending.
One key aspect of what McKenna is reflecting on is equity, particularly around racial discrimination, she said. Specifically citing the current Black Lives Matter uprising sparked by the latest in a string of racist police killings of unarmed Black civilians, the cabinet minister and Ottawa MP said she met Tuesday night with Black leaders and advocates to learn more about how she can be part of addressing systemic racism after she signed on to a letter acknowledging its persistence in the country's institutions.
She told Solomon Wood, “I’ve been heartened that just has not been the case in Canada.”
"When the economy is going south," she said, sometimes people can be tempted to throw such priorities “out the window."
It's a different way of thinking about her task as minister, she admitted. But that's because she did not fully grasp the reason her post includes responsibility for communities, she said. And particularly those communities that have seen the worst shocks from the health crisis, historic unemployment, and racial inequality.
"We are not necessarily putting that at the fore. Whether it's racialized communities or Indigenous peoples, my team and I are now doing a lot more thinking about social determinants of infrastructure. It's not just what we build, but where we build and who we are building for."
"Social infrastructure has to be part of our reflection," she explained. "And we need to make sure everyone is succeeding, that we're not leaving behind Indigenous people, we need to talk to the Black community ... I've certainly been reflecting about Black Lives Matter, and systemic racism, which absolutely exists in Canada.
The Conservatives have seized on the lack of a fiscal update and opacity of pandemic spending to single out McKenna, alleging she and her government are trying to "use this pandemic as an excuse to evade accountability," in a June 8 letter to the Standing Committee on Transport, Infrastructure and Communities.
On Tuesday, the minority Liberals' nearly $90-billion COVID-19 spending plan barely squeaked through Parliament with the backing of the NDP, with billions earmarked for infrastructure across the country. But McKenna’s government has repeatedly refused Opposition pressure to release a budget update since March. On Wednesday, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau instead promised a fiscal “snapshot ... a picture of where our economy is right now," and where it might go in coming months. But the "snapshot" won't come for another three weeks.
It’s certainly hardly a heartening economic picture facing her government. According to Statistics Canada, unemployment has nearly tripled to 13.7 per cent (surpassing even the 2008 financial crisis and the 1982 recession), $360 billion has been lost from our global market investments, our stock market has seen a 22 per cent drop, and there's been a 29 per cent collapse in manufacturing sales.
"The minister of Infrastructure and Communities would be accelerating infrastructure funding to municipalities in response to the financial impacts of COVID-19 on local governments," the Opposition MPs wrote. "Meanwhile, the parliamentary budget officer has said that his office has only been able to account for 33,000 of the 52,000 projects that the government claims to be funding.
"The minister continues to commit enormous sums of money to new projects while there is no accounting for the projects that have been previously announced."
Frequently a lightning rod for Conservative criticism in her previous environment cabinet post, McKenna appears to not be letting concerns about pandemic relief spending temper her resolve. In fact, she said the health crisis has offered a new perspective on shortfalls in Canada's status quo she hopes to address through her infrastructure ministry.
"After all this time through COVID, where we've seen the real challenges in the system, that makes us better placed to build this future," McKenna noted, "as we figure out what investments we want to be making, and what future we want to be building."
With Canadians "really worried" about their health and their loved ones, about seniors and the vulnerable, about whether "businesses down the street are going to survive," or even having a job, "You get a little more focused on what's really important," McKenna mused. "The big thing is really the future we want ... We have to keep that focus."
That lesson, for her, is key after a massive global crisis such as the coronavirus pandemic and its likely years-long shadow. But while acknowledging such "challenges in the system" in the past may have worsened the crisis for many Canadians, what exactly does the McKenna "social infrastructure" future look like to her?
The minister suggests the pandemic did not simply teach Canadians what we shouldn't do. It also revealed to her what government could, and should, do.
With the $90-billion COVID-19 relief package now passed, her government needs to "do more" to seize the societal opportunity, and the lessons of the pandemic, which she confessed have exposed weaknesses in the country's fabric for the most vulnerable.
"That's come to the forefront in COVID, the vulnerable populations. I think we have to do better in terms of that piece," she admitted. "We need to really step back and say, 'Are we getting all these other outcomes? Are we making sure we're building for a more sustainable, more resilient future? Are we making sure those investments are being spread equally so every child or community has an opportunity to succeed?'"
She called the new line of thinking the "social determinants of infrastructure," which refers to long-accepted public health research on the "social determinants of health" — how social and economic inequalities harm different populations' well-being and health.
"There's so much inequality in Canada," she said. "It was clear that we need to work at home (in Canada) because so many Indigenous communities are still living in Third World conditions ... What do we need to do to address systemic racism?"
McKenna garnered some support from the Zoom conversation's audience for that acknowledgement, although one commenter expressed some concerns about how the government would ensure the economic recovery did not merely pay lip service to equity and the environment — but measurably address "historic harms" without "additional burdens" on marginalized communities.
'We cannot be subsidizing (fossil fuels) if we're trying to move to a cleaner future'
Attendees at the virtual event raised numerous questions — and criticisms — of the federal government's climate change strategy. One participant thanked McKenna for "saying lots of nice things" on climate change, and committing to sustainability in infrastructure funding recipients. But many observers in the Zoom conversation were dismayed by some of her government's measures, most notably its contentious purchase of the Trans Mountain pipeline, which McKenna herself has described as "vital infrastructure in Canada’s national interest."
Several asked about Ottawa's purchase of the Trans Mountain Pipeline expansion project (TMX), which has faced environmental and Indigenous opposition, collapsed oil prices, and last weekend, a 190,000-litre spill near Sumas, B.C. The Crown corporation says the release did not damage the environment and was contained to its own private property, but the nearby Semá:th First Nation expressed "serious concerns" for "water quality for Semá:th reserve residents."
Asked about how McKenna squared her oft-stated climate promises with owning and operating national pipeline infrastructure and other reported financial assistance to the country's oil and gas sector, the minister insisted her government has ended all its direct oil industry subsidies as promised, and that the tax incentives that remain are provincial.
"The TMX, I know that was a flashpoint, for some voters a really important point, in the election," she said.
"All of the revenues we've committed to go to the clean transition. I know that many people would love to just have it happen right away, that we would transition immediately. We're working extremely hard, we've got more work to do, but we do need to figure this out — and it's going to be a bit messy. We're not starting from zero here ... a lot of people are worried about jobs."
She said her government eliminated oil subsidies in the federal tax system, but needs provinces "to also be part of the solution," because "we cannot be subsidizing if we're trying to move to a cleaner future. That's not going to get us there."
But she reminded viewers that "whole communities are built around the industry," so making the transition away from fossil fuels is about more than jobs. "If we forget that, I don't know that we'll be able to make the transition," she said.
And while she pressed provincial leaders to act on several issues, from submitting diversity-conscious infrastructure applications to curbing their own fossil fuel tax subsidies, McKenna suggested that a major focus in her efforts has moved to another level of government, away from her previous — and sometimes fraught — relationships with the provinces.
In her previous role as climate minister, she acknowledged there had been significant tensions. During her tenure, with the exception of B.C., conservative-leaning premiers took office from Alberta all the way east to Quebec. McKenna became a lightning rod for conservatives over everything from carbon pricing, to the cost of her travels to international climate negotiations, to the long-standing federal equalization payment system.
McKenna said she had "sadly" faced "a lot of fights ... with certain provinces" in her previous role, lamenting that instead of outcomes that too often "gets you showdowns." After her cabinet shuffle to her current job, McKenna said she's still eager to work with the provinces, but is hopeful she can make progress in her portfolio thanks to the fact that municipalities are often major drivers of infrastructure projects.
Asked if she had advice for where citizens could best apply pressure to ensure governments live up to, or exceed, their climate and social pledges, McKenna didn't hesitate in suggesting the lowest level of government in the country: municipalities, which under the Constitution are subsumed under provincial powers.
"I don't meet a lot of mayors who say climate change isn't real," she quipped. "They're all dealing with floods, coastal erosion, forest fires, and extreme heat. They're all worried about this. But we have to translate that into something real.
"We want the local governments to be coming up with the projects. So you need to push local governments: What are the projects that are going to deliver the outcomes you want?"
After months of social distancing, working from home, and going out only for essentials like groceries and exercise in nature, McKenna said the COVID-19 crisis has truly illuminated much more than the societal gaps and inequities. It has also shown Canadians what is most essential.
"You recognize how important local community really is," she said.
This interview is part of Conversations, with Linda Solomon Wood, sponsored by Canada's National Observer. The segment with Minister McKenna was co-sponsored by the Trottier Foundation. Conversations features topics around COVID-19, the economy, politics and climate change. To see more Conversations, head to our YouTube channel.


nationalobserver--2020-06-19--Bloc leader tries to define systemic racism on his own

After thousands of Canadians marched in the streets demanding an end to systemic racism , amid repeated displays of deadly or heavy-handed use of force by police , the leader of the Bloc Québécois decided to offer his own definition of the issue .
“ Systemic racism — I ’ ve come up with my own definition .
Perhaps I ’ m a wannabe anthropologist , ” Yves-François Blanchet told media in French on Parliament Hill .
Blanchet said he believed in the notion of systemic racism , and called it “ a residual effect that is found in some @ @ @ @ @ @ @ those institutions ” — but added he felt “ a distinction needs to be drawn.
” Blanchet was responding to a question about systemic racism after one of his MPs , Alain Therrien , made a gesture at NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh during Wednesday ’ s parliamentary proceedings .
Singh , the MP for Burnaby South , would later describe the gesture as a racist brush-off of his concerns about police brutality and discrimination .
But he was punished for calling out the gesture by being tossed out of the House of Commons @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s press conference , and Blanchet attempted to dismiss the gesture as too vague to mean anything specific .
After thousands of Canadians marched in the streets demanding an end to systemic racism , amid repeated displays of deadly or heavy-handed use of force by police , the leader of the Bloc Québécois decided to offer his own definition of the issue .
“ How could someone interpret , or imagine the way someone looks at somebody else , or a gesture , which nobody seems to remember ?
” he said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ‘ Oh , he moved his hand in such a way , and this means this or that ? '
” Therrien ’ s gesture was not caught on House of Commons cameras , but Singh said it came when Therrien voted “ no ” on his motion to study the issue of systemic racism in the RCMP .
“ In this moment , when Indigenous people are being killed and brutalized , Black people are being killed and brutalized , in Canada , we have not seen any action , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are angry , people are frustrated.
” Singh ’ s motion followed weeks of reports of killings and displays of force by police forces .
A recently released dashcam video of the RCMP ’ s arrest in March of Athabasca Chipewyan First Nation Chief Allan Adam , for example , showed an Alberta officer slamming his body into Adam at high speed and putting him into a chokehold .
Then there were the police shootings in New Brunswick .
Rodney Levi from Metepenagiag Mi ’ kmaq Nation was killed June 12 after police @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that was less than two weeks after police shot Chantel Moore from Tla-o-qui-aht First Nation following a “ wellness check.
” Those came after the death of Regis Korchinski-Paquet in May in Toronto , after police became involved , and the police killing of Stewart Kevin Andrews in Winnipeg in April .
The RCMP says it stands against all forms of racism and discrimination .
But RCMP Commissioner Brenda Lucki has faced calls to resign after she initially said she was “ struggling ” with the term systemic racism — before saying later @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said it did exist .
Singh ’ s motion asked MPs to agree that there was systemic racism in the RCMP , and for police to make de-escalation a priority and review its use-of-force tactics .
It also would look at the RCMP budget to see if funding can be directed to health care instead .

After thousands of Canadians marched in the streets demanding an end to systemic racism, amid repeated displays of deadly or heavy-handed use of force by police, the leader of the Bloc Québécois decided to offer his own definition of the issue. “Systemic racism — I’ve come up with my own definition. Perhaps I’m a wannabe anthropologist,” Yves-François Blanchet told media in French on Parliament Hill. Blanchet said he believed in the notion of systemic racism, and called it “a residual effect that is found in some institutions, and results in conduct in those institutions” — but added he felt “a distinction needs to be drawn.” While “there are individuals that are racist,” Blanchet argued, “one should avoid saying that all individuals in that particular group are racist.” If someone “fully, deeply believes that systemic racism does not exist within our institutions,” he said, “it does not mean that that person is a racist.”
http://twitter.com/theJagmeetSingh/status/1273449551807078400 This month, Canadians joined protests and vigils in many cities calling for an end to systemic racism and discrimination that is rooted in Canada’s history, laws, cultures and institutions. Billion-dollar land deals in Ontario raise corruption suspicions The Parliamentary Black Caucus released a statement this week discussing the “systemic and insidious nature of racism in our country,” from “daily microaggressions to the rarer, but tragically fatal, hate-filled acts,” and called on Canada to enact urgent reforms.
Former governor general Michaëlle Jean has also said racism against Black and Indigenous people is deeply embedded in institutions, while the Canadian Human Rights Commission said “the roots of anti-Black racism and systemic discrimination in Canada run deep” and are “built into our institutions, and perpetuate the social and economic disparities that exist in everything from education to health care to housing and employment.” After thousands of Canadians marched in the streets demanding an end to systemic racism, amid repeated displays of deadly or heavy-handed use of force by police, the leader of the Bloc Québécois decided to offer his own definition of the issue. Blanchet was responding to a question about systemic racism after one of his MPs, Alain Therrien, made a gesture at NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh during Wednesday’s parliamentary proceedings. Singh, the MP for Burnaby South, would later describe the gesture as a racist brush-off of his concerns about police brutality and discrimination. But he was punished for calling out the gesture by being tossed out of the House of Commons. Therrien was not present at Thursday’s press conference, and Blanchet attempted to dismiss the gesture as too vague to mean anything specific. “How could someone interpret, or imagine the way someone looks at somebody else, or a gesture, which nobody seems to remember?” he said. “Who is entitled to say, ‘Oh, he moved his hand in such a way, and this means this or that?'”
Therrien’s gesture was not caught on House of Commons cameras, but Singh said it came when Therrien voted “no” on his motion to study the issue of systemic racism in the RCMP. “In this moment, when Indigenous people are being killed and brutalized, Black people are being killed and brutalized, in Canada, we have not seen any action,” said Singh on Wednesday. “People are angry, people are frustrated.” Singh’s motion followed weeks of reports of killings and displays of force by police forces.


nationalobserver--2020-06-19--For streaming: Mr. Jones recalls a genocide, Buffaloed follows the money, and DOXA documents everyth

For streaming: Mr. Jones recalls a genocide, Buffaloed follows the money, and DOXA documents everything

Only a miniscule number of movie theatres have reopened and even the Academy Awards show has been pushed back .
By two months , to late April .
It looks like the streaming era is going to be with us for some time .
Lucky there are still a lot of new movies coming available , plus this week , all those documentaries from the DOXA festival .
Jones ( played by James Norton ) saw it first-hand ( in some grim and chilling sequences ) and then had to fight to report it .
The Moscow New York Times @ @ @ @ @ @ @ opposed him ; though a fictional colleague ( Vanessa Kirby ) and later William Randolph Hearst of all people helped him .
The film doesn ’ t have his whole story and unnecessarily flashes to George Orwell ( Joseph Mawle ) a few times to suggest it helped inspire the novel Animal Farm .
But it does give the ethics of reporting a full airing .
One character says , “ It is not the job of a journalist to say , ‘ How dare you , sir.
” ' The film argues @ @ @ @ @ @ @ buy —EST— or , in two weeks to rent — VOD . )
3½ out of 5 MR. JONES : Here ’ s a salute to dogged journalism , plus a revelation about an historical horror that should be better known , and a thriller to boot .
It ’ s compelling viewing directed by Agnieszka Holland , who , as usual doesn ’ t hold back in making us feel outrage .
It ’ s multi-pronged here in the real-life story of Gareth Jones , a Welsh journalist who after one coup @ @ @ @ @ @ @ interview with Hitler , went for another .
He wanted to ask Stalin how Russia could afford the economic progress it was making and almost by accident found one answer in Ukraine .
It was a man-made famine .
People were forced into collective farming but went hungry as their grain was shipped to Russia .
Ukrainians know it as Holodomor , and the film draws on research at the University of Alberta .
BUFFALOED : This one is just as much fun as The Wolf of Wall Street , and just as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
They ’ re debt collectors .
They buy what they call “ paper ” from banks that can ’ t bother to go after small debtors and phone them up demanding payment .
It ’ s all explained right into the camera ( “ Get it ?
Good .
Continue.
” ) by a young and fiercely ambitious woman ( Zoey Deutch ) who gets into the business after her other money-making schemes in Buffalo , N.Y. , fail .
She succeeds because she ’ s better than the surrounding bullies in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ re good for a chick , ” says her boss ( Jai Courtney ) .
But it ’ s war when she sets out of her own , starts a competing agency and steals a lot of his business .
Her people are smooth-talkers who don ’ t threaten but sell “ financial freedom.
” There ’ s back and forth sabotage as the two agencies fight it out in this less-than-subtle comedy .
As a bonus , it gives quite a bit of background content .
Americans carry $ 13 trillion in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ figures ) , much of it for medical bills and student loans .
There are few laws and collectors can garnishee wages at will .
Sometimes they “ re-do , ” meaning they collect the same debt more than once .
“ Debt never dies , ” they say .
The film , directed by Tanya Wexler , is lively both as an attack on the lower rungs of the financial industry and a salute to women ’ s success .
( Available to buy or rent , EST or VOD . )
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ annual documentary film festival is also driven online this year by COVID-19 , and look at the benefits .
Tickets are only $ 8 ( $ 6 for students and seniors ; $ 60 for a pass to an unlimited number of films ) , and you ’ re not tied to a specific day or time .
Most titles are available to stream any time through the week .
Info and details at https : //www.doxafestival.ca Some events do have specific times .
Saturday ’ s discussion by Mira Burt-Wintonick , for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ about her father .
It opened the festival Thursday and I reviewed it last week .
Special guest will be Nettie Wild , who got some mentoring advice from Peter Wintonick on her 1988 film A Rustling of Leaves : Inside the Philippine Revolution , which is also in the festival .
The choices are as usual well-curated .
I ’ ve seen these so far .
INFLUENCE : If you ’ re wary of what ’ s happened to modern elections , watch this examination of a man who ’ s had @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Lord Tim Bell is said to have “ weaponized advertising ” and used it to elect Margaret Thatcher ( three times ) , fix the public image of Pinochet in Chile and help the U.S. in Iraq , and more ... until he did a disastrous interview on British TV , which led to his decline .
His innovations survive though : elections can be won without policy ; just by understanding group behaviour .
A new science , he called it .
4 out of 5 SOFTIE : Follows an actual @ @ @ @ @ @ @ one of the most corrupt countries on Earth .
Activist Boniface Mwangi ran for Parliament to counter the tribal divisions that he says the government inherited from the British and now use to divide the people .
The film plays like an action picture as police beat demonstrators , and as an engrossing drama .
Death threats force Mwangi to send his family to the U.S. for safety , and when they return , he has to face a bigger question : politics or family ?
Kenyan filmmaker Sam Soko expected to make @ @ @ @ @ @ @ but as the story got more and more compelling , he stayed with it for this full feature .
3½ out of 5 FINDING SALLY : Check out this one , too , I gave it a 4 out of 5 rating in April when it played on TV .
It ’ s a very strong documentary about family history , linking Canada and Ethiopia and offering surprises and a very emotional payoff .
EDDIE ’ S KINGDOM : An almost forgotten bit of B.C .
history drives this engrossing film .
Eddie @ @ @ @ @ @ @ immigrant .
He arrived with little , worked as a barber , and 20 years later , had enough to buy an island in Okanagan Lake with plans to build a theme park .
People across the lake objected , W.A.C .
Bennett , the premier and local MLA , opposed it , and before the story peaks , Eddie is charged as a terrorist , thrown into a mental hospital , compelled to sell his land , and arrested after taking hostages at the Canadian Embassy in Beirut .
To this day @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his island back .
Sometime along the way , he also built a huge house he called his castle .
In the film , he explains himself , while his daughters , his lawyer and others give varying views of his achievements .
Or are they obsessions ?
3½ out of 5 THERE ’ S NO PLACE LIKE THIS PLACE , ANYPLACE : I used to live in Toronto and was well aware of Honest Ed ’ s flashy discount department store , and bought a few things there myself .
Now in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the debate over gentrification it has sparked .
It ’ s exactly like so many right here and , in fact , the company developing the site is Vancouver ’ s Westbank Properties .
Director Lulu Wei shows the building coming down , with nearby residents waiting to be displaced and fighting for a say in what goes up .
Westbank trumpets its “ community engagement process.
” It ’ s not clear who won what , but it ’ s interesting to see the campaigns playing out .
3 out of 5 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a women ’ s movie in the best sense of that term .
It ’ s authentic about how they relate to each other , even if the basic situation here seems farfetched .
It also has mother-and-daughter conversations that match perfectly how they are in real life .
One in particular slides easily from a fun encounter to rancor , attesting to real talent by two new hands at this , screenwriter Alanna Francis and director Aisling Chin-Yee .
The latter is a veteran producer in Montreal .
Heather Graham plays a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Sophie Nélisse ) .
They can ’ t help but mourn when they hear their father has died , even though they both insist they hated him .
Heather learns that he left his finances in a mess ( accounts frozen , no insurance , house repossessed ) , takes pity on his widow ( Jodi Balfour ) and young daughter and allows them to stay in a camper trailer behind her house .
Her daughter hates the arrangement , hence the arguments with mom that include terse interchanges like : “ I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Not his mistress.
” “ Not anymore.
” The daughter warms to the other woman , though , and the film watches the characters struggling to get along , help out the widow and survive some surprise revelations .
It ’ s sympathetic , well-written and well-played .
( Video on demand . )
3½ out of 5 YOU DON ’ T NOMI : In 1996 , the film Showgirls won seven Razzies , the awards for bad movies .
It was a record at the time and was later followed by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 1990s .
Today there are people who call it a masterpiece .
How can that be ?
This film brings a whole range of opinion together .
Toronto critic Adam Nayman says it is “ very accomplished , very clever ” and “ completely singular ; like nothing else , ” while opposing comments include “ drearily pedestrian , ” “ kinda raunchy ” and “ a B-grade remake.
” I remember it as lurid and juvenile , though I do agree it has hysterical energy .
You ’ ll see lots of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ producers only provided photos of some stage-bound re-enactments .
That ’ s where the film started its resurgence , as a piece of camp for gay audiences .
Then it became appreciated as a genre picture of a woman clawing her way to the top .
Nomi is her name .
Looking to be a Las Vegas showgirl , she ’ s pressed into performing as a stripper , manipulated and abused by men .
Like an adolescent , Dutch director Paul Verhoeven relished showing a great deal of her stripping , which @ @ @ @ @ @ @ like a skin show to me , but the ties to All About Eve and to Maria Montez in Cobra Woman help make this a fascinating essay .
( Video on demand . )
2½ out of 5

Only a minuscule number of movie theatres have reopened and even the Academy Awards show has been pushed back. By two months, to late April. It looks like the streaming era is going to be with us for some time. Luckily, there are still a lot of new movies coming out, plus this week, all those documentaries from the DOXA festival.
MR. JONES : Here’s a salute to dogged journalism, plus a revelation about an historical horror that should be better known, and a thriller to boot. It’s compelling viewing directed by Agnieszka Holland, who, as usual doesn’t hold back in making us feel outrage. It’s multi-pronged here in the real-life story of Gareth Jones, a Welsh journalist who after one coup in the early 1930s, getting an interview with Hitler, went for another. He wanted to ask Stalin how Russia could afford the economic progress it was making and almost by accident found one answer in Ukraine. It was a man-made famine. People were forced into collective farming but went hungry as their grain was shipped to Russia. Ukrainians know it as Holodomor, and the film draws on research at the University of Alberta.
Jones (played by James Norton) saw it first-hand (in some grim and chilling sequences) and then had to fight to report it. The Moscow New York Times correspondent (played by Peter Sarsgaard) opposed him; though a fictional colleague (Vanessa Kirby) and later William Randolph Hearst of all people helped him. The film doesn’t have his whole story and unnecessarily flashes to George Orwell (Joseph Mawle) a few times to suggest it helped inspire the novel Animal Farm. But it does give the ethics of reporting a full airing. One character says, “It is not the job of a journalist to say, ‘How dare you, sir.”' The film argues the opposite. (Available now to buy —EST— or, in two weeks to rent — VOD.) 3½ out of 5
BUFFALOED: This one is just as much fun as The Wolf of Wall Street, and just as judgmental, though the players are downscale. They’re debt collectors. They buy what they call “paper” from banks that can’t bother to go after small debtors and phone them up demanding payment. It’s all explained right into the camera (“Get it? Good. Continue.”) by a young and fiercely ambitious woman (Zoey Deutch) who gets into the business after her other money-making schemes in Buffalo, N.Y., fail. She succeeds because she’s better than the surrounding bullies in the call centre. “You’re good for a chick,” says her boss (Jai Courtney).
Courtesy VVS Films
But it’s war when she sets out of her own, starts a competing agency and steals a lot of his business. Her people are smooth-talkers who don’t threaten but sell “financial freedom.” There’s back and forth sabotage as the two agencies fight it out in this less-than-subtle comedy. As a bonus, it gives quite a bit of background content. Americans carry $13 trillion in debt, the film says (2018 figures), much of it for medical bills and student loans. There are few laws and collectors can garnishee wages at will. Sometimes they “re-do,” meaning they collect the same debt more than once. “Debt never dies,” they say. The film, directed by Tanya Wexler, is lively both as an attack on the lower rungs of the financial industry and a salute to women’s success. (Available to buy or rent, EST or VOD.) 3 out of 5
DOXA: The annual documentary film festival is also driven online this year by COVID-19, and look at the benefits. Tickets are only $8 ($6 for students and seniors; $60 for a pass to an unlimited number of films), and you’re not tied to a specific day or time. Most titles are available to stream any time through the week. Info and details at https://www.doxafestival.ca
Some events do have specific times. Saturday’s discussion by Mira Burt-Wintonick, for instance, on the film she made about her father. It opened the festival Thursday and I reviewed it last week. Special guest will be Nettie Wild, who got some mentoring advice from Peter Wintonick on her 1988 film A Rustling of Leaves: Inside the Philippine Revolution, which is also in the festival.
The choices are as usual well-curated. I’ve seen these so far.
INFLUENCE: If you’re wary of what’s happened to modern elections, watch this examination of a man who’s had more than a little effect on them. Lord Tim Bell is said to have “weaponized advertising” and used it to elect Margaret Thatcher (three times), fix the public image of Pinochet in Chile and help the U.S. in Iraq, and more ... until he did a disastrous interview on British TV, which led to his decline.
Courtesy DOXA
His innovations survive though: elections can be won without policy; just by understanding group behaviour. A new science, he called it. 4 out of 5
SOFTIE: Follows an actual election in Kenya, said to be one of the most corrupt countries on Earth. Activist Boniface Mwangi ran for Parliament to counter the tribal divisions that he says the government inherited from the British and now use to divide the people. The film plays like an action picture as police beat demonstrators, and as an engrossing drama.
Courtesy DOXA
Death threats force Mwangi to send his family to the U.S. for safety, and when they return, he has to face a bigger question: politics or family? Kenyan filmmaker Sam Soko expected to make only a short guide for activists, but as the story got more and more compelling, he stayed with it for this full feature. 3½ out of 5
FINDING SALLY: Check out this one, too, I gave it a 4 out of 5 rating in April when it played on TV. It’s a very strong documentary about family history, linking Canada and Ethiopia and offering surprises and a very emotional payoff.
EDDY’S KINGDOM: An almost forgotten bit of B.C. history drives this engrossing film. Eddy Heymour seemed to be a classic successful immigrant. He arrived with little, worked as a barber, and 20 years later, had enough to buy an island in Okanagan Lake with plans to build a theme park. People across the lake objected, W.A.C. Bennett, the premier and local MLA, opposed it, and before the story peaks, Eddie is charged as a terrorist, thrown into a mental hospital, compelled to sell his land, and arrested after taking hostages at the Canadian Embassy in Beirut. To this day, he’s trying to get his island back.
Courtesy DOXA
Sometime along the way, he also built a huge house he called his castle. In the film, he explains himself, while his daughters, his lawyer and others give varying views of his achievements. Or are they obsessions? 3½ out of 5
THERE’S NO PLACE LIKE THIS PLACE, ANYPLACE: I used to live in Toronto and was well aware of Honest Ed’s flashy discount department store, and bought a few things there myself. Now in Vancouver, I’m intrigued by the debate over gentrification it has sparked. It’s exactly like so many right here and, in fact, the company developing the site is Vancouver’s Westbank Properties.
Courtesy DOXA
Director Lulu Wei shows the building coming down, with nearby residents waiting to be displaced and fighting for a say in what goes up. Westbank trumpets its “community engagement process.” It’s not clear who won what, but it’s interesting to see the campaigns playing out. 3 out of 5
THE REST OF US: This is a women’s movie in the best sense of that term. It’s authentic about how they relate to each other, even if the basic situation here seems farfetched. It also has mother-and-daughter conversations that match perfectly how they are in real life. One in particular slides easily from a fun encounter to rancor, attesting to real talent by two new hands at this, screenwriter Alanna Francis and director Aisling Chin-Yee. The latter is a veteran producer in Montreal.
Courtesy Level Film
Heather Graham plays a divorced mother with a headstrong daughter (Sophie Nélisse). They can’t help but mourn when they hear their father has died, even though they both insist they hated him. Heather learns that he left his finances in a mess (accounts frozen, no insurance, house repossessed), takes pity on his widow (Jodi Balfour) and young daughter and allows them to stay in a camper trailer behind her house. Her daughter hates the arrangement, hence the arguments with mom that include terse interchanges like: “I’m your dad’s wife. Not his mistress.” “Not anymore.” The daughter warms to the other woman, though, and the film watches the characters struggling to get along, help out the widow and survive some surprise revelations. It’s sympathetic, well-written and well-played. (Video on demand.) 3½ out of 5
YOU DON’T NOMI: In 1996, the film Showgirls won seven Razzies, the awards for bad movies. It was a record at the time and was later followed by yet another for worst picture of the 1990s. Today there are people who call it a masterpiece. How can that be? This film brings a whole range of opinion together. Toronto critic Adam Nayman says it is “very accomplished, very clever” and “completely singular; like nothing else,” while opposing comments include “drearily pedestrian,” “kinda raunchy” and “a B-grade remake.” I remember it as lurid and juvenile, though I do agree it has hysterical energy.
Courtesy Level Film
You’ll see lots of excerpts in this re-evaluation, although the producers only provided photos of some stage-bound re-enactments. That’s where the film started its resurgence, as a piece of camp for gay audiences. Then it became appreciated as a genre picture of a woman clawing her way to the top. Nomi is her name. Looking to be a Las Vegas showgirl, she’s pressed into performing as a stripper, manipulated and abused by men. Like an adolescent, Dutch director Paul Verhoeven relished showing a great deal of her stripping, which some think expounds deep themes. Looks like a skin show to me, but the ties to All About Eve and to Maria Montez in Cobra Woman help make this a fascinating essay. (Video on demand.) 2½ out of 5


nationalobserver--2020-06-19--North Quadra residents torn on best approach for wildfire safety and service

Residents ’ calls to 911 brought out the police and the ambulance service to treat the residents for smoke inhalation .
She couldn ’ t see the blaze from her property , but the night sky glowed red , she said .
Dalyce Dogterom recalls the night a neighbouring house in Quadra Island ’ s remote community of Bold Point caught fire a couple of years ago .
“ Neighbours had to work on hot spots the next day to prevent it from spreading into the forest underground , ” Dogterom said .
“ It was lucky nobody was killed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 2017 fire .
As such , the wildfire service did not respond to the blaze and the home burned to the ground , said Dogterom .
The provincial wildfire service does not fight structure or residence fires , but rather forest fires .
But the Quadra Island Fire Department ( QIFD ) wasn ’ t called out because fire protection services in the less densely populated and more isolated northern part of the island falls to the BC Wildfire Service , Dogterom said Monday .
Dogterom argues for open burning regulations that mirror @ @ @ @ @ @ @ south end of Quadra .
For the past couple of years , in response to a petition launched by Dogterom that garnered more than 500 signatures , the Strathcona Regional District ( SRD ) has been exploring the possibility of enacting burning regulations for residents and property owners in the northern part of Quadra Island .
But the outstanding question is how best to do that .
Dogterom believes steps need to be taken to safeguard all of Quadra Island from wildfires .
“ If ( the house fire ) had occurred in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for our lives , ” said Dogterom .
A total of 1,300 fires tore through the province , displacing 65,000 people and burning more than 1.2 million hectares of land that season .
It was only luck that conditions were not as dry as they ’ d been in the summer when B.C .
experienced its worst wildfire season on record , she added .
But according to results from a recent SRD survey on potential burning bans , and fire suppression in general , north Quadra Island got a limited response rate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Quadra falls under regional burning regulations for things like campfires and debris fires , as determined by the BC Wildfire Service .
Having two sets of regulations on the island is confusing , and they need to be unified for effective fire prevention , she said .
The SRD put the survey online and mailed it out to about 240 property owners in northern Quadra Island , but only got 84 responses , along with 20 responses from residents in south Quadra .
Residents of the north communities of Granite Bay , Bold @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and Village Bay Lake were asked if they were satisfied with the current burning regulation service .
Sixty-four per cent of respondents indicated they were satisfied , while 27 per cent said they were not , according to the survey results .
However , the survey showed a geographical division of opinion , said Shaun Koopman , SRD protective services co-ordinator , on Monday .
Most of those surveyed in the communities of Granite Bay and Village Bay Lake were satisfied with the current situation .
But most respondents from Bold Point @ @ @ @ @ @ @ farther south on the island in varying degrees — indicated they were not .
Some residents who were against new SRD burning regulations said they didn ’ t want new property taxes since they have the provincial service .
Others also suggested there was more rain on the north of the island , and many larger or water access properties have no way to dispose of debris aside from burning , and money for a new service would be better spent on locals to purchase their own fire suppression equipment .
Some respondents @ @ @ @ @ @ @ wanted a fire suppression service funded through the SRD .
While others thought the whole island , including Crown lands , should be under a single regulation because of higher fire risk due to concerns around climate change , adding that cabin owners , tourist and campers were not following fire regulations .
“ There was a very wide variety of opinion , ” said Koopman .
“ We got everything from stay out of our lives … to we want a fire department in the north , and we ’ ll pay @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The SRD did not limit survey questions strictly to the burning regulations issue because the district wanted a wider sense of residents ’ opinions around fire suppression services in north Quadra , he added .
“ We didn ’ t want anyone to feel anything was off the table , ” Koopman said .
But with 27 per cent of those surveyed indicating they aren ’ t happy with the current fire regulations and service model , staff have recommended the SRD board approve a report outlining next steps for engaging with north @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Koopman .
That might mean setting up an advisory committee or neighbourhood meetings , he said .
“ Our process right now is to determine what is possible and feasible , and probably most important to the residents , what is affordable , ” Koopman said .
“ Getting together with the communities to try to decide what is that level of service they are looking for.
” It ’ s a complex issue and opinions around fire regulations and suppression tactics are likely to be different for each community and residence , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Erdmann said .
“ I don ’ t have a window into everybody ’ s situation on the north island , ” Erdmann said .
However , he thinks harmonized regulations make sense , and he ’ d like to see residential fire suppression in some form across the island .
“ In my own opinion , it ’ s one island and should have one fire department , ” said Erdmann .
“ I recognize there is a feasibility problem there … but ideally , there should be some attempt made to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ continues to permit development outside the south island ’ s fire protection service zone and the resident population and number of visitors in the north is growing , he said .
To a certain extent , the problem is a planning issue , he said .
“ I ’ m not saying it ’ s a given that if you get a building permit somewhere outside a traditional ( fire ) service area that you should expect services to come with it , ” Erdmann said .
“ But the more you develop @ @ @ @ @ @ @ district and the province can ’ t just absolve themselves from providing service.
” The onus shouldn ’ t be on residents telling the district what they ’ d be willing to pay , he added , noting it ’ s a community-wide decision .
“ It ’ s should be up to the SRD to develop reasonable and practical improvements on services … rather than polling residents on costs , ” Erdmann said .
Bold Point resident Paul Doherty , also the area Neighbourhood Emergency Preparedness Program ( NEPP ) co-ordinator , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the moment by focusing on fire prevention .
“ Basically , the reality of it is … it would take half an hour for the fire department to drive out to me , and my house would be burned down , ” Doherty said .
At best , the fire department might be able to keep the fire from spreading , he said .
Through NEPP , community residents are encouraged to build ponds and get firefighting equipment like piss cans , hoses and pumps .
A phone network is set up so @ @ @ @ @ @ @ out fires early , Doherty said .
“ We have the same size hoses and fittings , so we can work together , ” he said .
But prevention and preparedness is what will provide the biggest return , Doherty stressed .
“ The best thing we can do at the moment is invest a lot to FireSmart our properties , ” he said .
“ And really , until people do that , it doesn ’ t make sense to have a fire engine come up .
”

The provincial wildfire service does not fight structure or residence fires, but rather forest fires.
But the Quadra Island Fire Department (QIFD) wasn’t called out because fire protection services in the less densely populated and more isolated northern part of the island falls to the BC Wildfire Service, Dogterom said Monday.
Residents’ calls to 911 brought out the police and the ambulance service to treat the residents for smoke inhalation.
She couldn’t see the blaze from her property, but the night sky glowed red, she said.
Dalyce Dogterom recalls the night a neighbouring house in Quadra Island’s remote community of Bold Point caught fire a couple of years ago.
“Neighbours had to work on hot spots the next day to prevent it from spreading into the forest underground,” Dogterom said.
“It was lucky nobody was killed,” she said about the December 2017 fire.
As such, the wildfire service did not respond to the blaze and the home burned to the ground, said Dogterom.
“If (the house fire) had occurred in summer, we would have been running for our lives,” said Dogterom.
A total of 1,300 fires tore through the province, displacing 65,000 people and burning more than 1.2 million hectares of land that season.
It was only luck that conditions were not as dry as they’d been in the summer when B.C. experienced its worst wildfire season on record , she added.
For the past couple of years, in response to a petition launched by Dogterom that garnered more than 500 signatures, the Strathcona Regional District (SRD) has been exploring the possibility of enacting burning regulations for residents and property owners in the northern part of Quadra Island.
But the outstanding question is how best to do that.
Dogterom believes steps need to be taken to safeguard all of Quadra Island from wildfires.
Dogterom argues for open burning regulations that mirror the QIFD rules in place on the south end of Quadra.
Having two sets of regulations on the island is confusing, and they need to be unified for effective fire prevention, she said.
Currently, North Quadra falls under regional burning regulations for things like campfires and debris fires, as determined by the BC Wildfire Service.
But according to results from a recent SRD survey on potential burning bans, and fire suppression in general, north Quadra Island got a limited response rate and mixed results.
The SRD put the survey online and mailed it out to about 240 property owners in northern Quadra Island, but only got 84 responses, along with 20 responses from residents in south Quadra.
Residents of the north communities of Granite Bay, Bold Point, Open Bay, Copper Bluffs, and Village Bay Lake were asked if they were satisfied with the current burning regulation service.
Sixty-four per cent of respondents indicated they were satisfied, while 27 per cent said they were not, according to the survey results.
However, the survey showed a geographical division of opinion, said Shaun Koopman, SRD protective services co-ordinator, on Monday.
Most of those surveyed in the communities of Granite Bay and Village Bay Lake were satisfied with the current situation.
But most respondents from Bold Point, Open Bay and Copper Bluffs — farther south on the island in varying degrees — indicated they were not.
Some residents who were against new SRD burning regulations said they didn’t want new property taxes since they have the provincial service.
Others also suggested there was more rain on the north of the island, and many larger or water access properties have no way to dispose of debris aside from burning, and money for a new service would be better spent on locals to purchase their own fire suppression equipment.
Some respondents who wanted new regulations also said they wanted a fire suppression service funded through the SRD.
While others thought the whole island, including Crown lands, should be under a single regulation because of higher fire risk due to concerns around climate change, adding that cabin owners, tourist and campers were not following fire regulations.
“There was a very wide variety of opinion,” said Koopman.
“We got everything from stay out of our lives … to we want a fire department in the north, and we’ll pay whatever it takes to get that.”
The SRD did not limit survey questions strictly to the burning regulations issue because the district wanted a wider sense of residents’ opinions around fire suppression services in north Quadra, he added.
“We didn’t want anyone to feel anything was off the table,” Koopman said.
But with 27 per cent of those surveyed indicating they aren’t happy with the current fire regulations and service model, staff have recommended the SRD board approve a report outlining next steps for engaging with north island residents on the issue, said Koopman.
That might mean setting up an advisory committee or neighbourhood meetings, he said.
“Our process right now is to determine what is possible and feasible, and probably most important to the residents, what is affordable,” Koopman said.
“Getting together with the communities to try to decide what is that level of service they are looking for.”
It’s a complex issue and opinions around fire regulations and suppression tactics are likely to be different for each community and residence, Copper Bluffs resident and former firefighter Rolf Erdmann said.
“I don’t have a window into everybody’s situation on the north island,” Erdmann said.
However, he thinks harmonized regulations make sense, and he’d like to see residential fire suppression in some form across the island.
“In my own opinion, it’s one island and should have one fire department,” said Erdmann.
“I recognize there is a feasibility problem there … but ideally, there should be some attempt made to work toward that eventuality.”
The SRD continues to permit development outside the south island’s fire protection service zone and the resident population and number of visitors in the north is growing, he said.
To a certain extent, the problem is a planning issue, he said.
“I’m not saying it’s a given that if you get a building permit somewhere outside a traditional (fire) service area that you should expect services to come with it,” Erdmann said.
“But the more you develop an area … the community, regional district and the province can’t just absolve themselves from providing service.”
The onus shouldn’t be on residents telling the district what they’d be willing to pay, he added, noting it’s a community-wide decision.
“It’s should be up to the SRD to develop reasonable and practical improvements on services … rather than polling residents on costs,” Erdmann said.
Bold Point Neighbourhood Emergency Preparedness Program (NEPP) co-ordinator Paul Doherty says prevention and preparedness are the best things residents outside the fire department's protection zone can do to reduce wildfire risk. Photo: courtesy Paul Doherty.
Bold Point resident Paul Doherty, also the area Neighbourhood Emergency Preparedness Program (NEPP) co-ordinator, said the community is best served at the moment by focusing on fire prevention.
“Basically, the reality of it is … it would take half an hour for the fire department to drive out to me, and my house would be burned down,” Doherty said.
At best, the fire department might be able to keep the fire from spreading, he said.
Through NEPP, community residents are encouraged to build ponds and get firefighting equipment like piss cans, hoses and pumps.
A phone network is set up so Bold Point residents can rally to put out fires early, Doherty said.
“We have the same size hoses and fittings, so we can work together,” he said.
But prevention and preparedness is what will provide the biggest return, Doherty stressed.
“The best thing we can do at the moment is invest a lot to FireSmart our properties,” he said.
“And really, until people do that, it doesn’t make sense to have a fire engine come up.”
Rochelle Baker/Local Journalism Initiative/Canada's National Observer


nationalobserver--2020-06-19--Youth group is pushing to influence post-pandemic policy

Paola Floro was working on Future Majority ’ s next campaign — ensuring climate action turned up in the federal budget in March — when the pandemic cancelled everything , including that budget .
The group sprung up ahead of last year ’ s federal election , targeting 15 competitive ridings with a concerted effort to get out the youth vote and let candidates know young people wanted more climate action , among other things .
But Floro and the rest of the Future Majority team have shifted , like everyone else , to dealing with COVID-19 and its fallout @ @ @ @ @ @ @ series of virtual town halls where young people can engage directly with politicians who represent them ( or will soon ) on how they want to rebuild .
With its budget shelved , the first official federal reckoning with COVID-19 ’ s cost will come via a fiscal snapshot on July 8 , Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said this week .
( Parliamentary budgetary officer Yves Giroux said on Thursday the federal deficit could hit $ 256 billion . )
“ We ’ re not a passive generation .
We ’ re going @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Floro , a Sheridan College post-grad who is in charge of getting politicians to attend an event in Oakville .
• 'Thought it was a panda : ' Second rare grizzly bear sighting in Banff National Park • Critics say Ontario ’ s new ‘ ag-gag ’ law could target journalists , whistleblowers • People have legal rights to capture footage of police on the job As Canada emerges from the COVID-19 shutdown , Future Majority wants to make sure those in power know that young people want better provision of mental health @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of a universal basic income , the non-partisan advocacy group says .
They also want more affordable post-secondary education and more focus on racial justice , the campaign said after two months of surveying its 52,000 members and other youth groups .
And climate action remains a key demand .
“ COVID has shined a lot of light on vulnerable populations within Canada , youth being one of those , ” said Madeleine Barberian , the group ’ s hub leader in Peterborough .
“ And so issues that we were championing before @ @ @ @ @ @ @ COVID.
” Madeleine Barberian says the pandemic highlights need for better mental health service , education affordability .
Photo supplied by Madeleine Barberian Some 40 municipal , provincial and federal politicians plan to attend one of Future Majority ’ s events , which are concentrated mostly in the Greater Toronto Area and elsewhere in Ontario , but are also taking place in Regina and Saskatoon in Saskatchewan and in Fredericton , N.B .
So far , Floro said the Oakville event has confirmations from federal Liberal MPs Pam Damoff and Anita Anand ( @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and procurement ) , as well as Oakville Mayor Rob Burton , for the 6 p.m. town hall on June 23 .
Talks are ongoing with provincial Progressive Conservative MPP Stephen Crawford .
As Canada recovers from COVID-19 , Future Majority wants those in power know young people want better mental health services , income security in the form of a universal basic income , climate action , racial justice and affordable education .
“ We , together as a collective , have been able to have a lot of conversations with high-profile @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Floro said .
“ The next step for Future Majority will be seeing how we can make sure that action comes from all these conversations we ’ re able to have.
” Aaron Myran , Future Majority ’ s executive director , said more than 250 volunteers have worked on the Canada 2.0 campaign and more than 1,000 young people have RSVP 'd so far to attend the online interactive video sessions .

Paola Floro was working on Future Majority’s next campaign — ensuring climate action turned up in the federal budget in March — when the pandemic cancelled everything, including that budget.
The group sprung up ahead of last year’s federal election, targeting 15 competitive ridings with a concerted effort to get out the youth vote and let candidates know young people wanted more climate action, among other things.
But Floro and the rest of the Future Majority team have shifted, like everyone else, to dealing with COVID-19 and its fallout, and will next week host a series of virtual town halls where young people can engage directly with politicians who represent them (or will soon) on how they want to rebuild.
With its budget shelved, the first official federal reckoning with COVID-19’s cost will come via a fiscal snapshot on July 8, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said this week. (Parliamentary budgetary officer Yves Giroux said on Thursday the federal deficit could hit $256 billion.)
“We’re not a passive generation. We’re going to be very vocal,” said Floro, a Sheridan College post-grad who is in charge of getting politicians to attend an event in Oakville.


nationalobserver--2020-06-18--Kenney exploring ditching Canada Pension Plan and RCMP

Alberta Premier Jason Kenney says he will call a referendum on pushing Ottawa for a better deal on equalization payments as well as explore the province cutting ties with the RCMP and leaving the Canada Pension Plan .
Kenney made the comments as he released recommendations from his Fair Deal panel , which he created last year to gauge the mood of Albertans and determine better ways the province could assert itself in Confederation .
`` Albertans are happy to have had the opportunity to contribute mightily to the rest of the federation , '' Kenney said Wednesday .
`` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not accept is governments across the country benefiting from that wealth and our resources while seeking to block and impair our development of that wealth . ''
He said a referendum will be held next year to gain a mandate to force federal officials to discuss reform .
• 'Thought it was a panda : ' Second rare grizzly bear sighting in Banff National Park • Critics say Ontario ’ s new ‘ ag-gag ’ law could target journalists , whistleblowers • People have legal rights to capture footage of police on the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a net $ 240 billion to the federation since 2007 .
A referendum would not change the equalization formula , something that requires action by the federal government and other provinces , but the panel said it would compel federal officials to at least negotiate .
The panel held consultations in late 2019 and early 2020 , wrapping up just as the COVID-19 pandemic hit with full force , shutting down jobs and leading to illnesses and deaths .
The health crisis forced the provinces and the federal government to work in lockstep @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the economy from catastrophically cratering .
The panel held 25 town hall meetings , met with others , and conducted a survey completed by 40,000 people to go with a phone poll of 1,000 more .
Based on the findings , the panel urged Kenney to also create an Alberta Pension Plan , similar to Quebec 's model , saying that Alberta 's young population would mean lower contribution costs and returns on par or better than the federal plan .
Kenney said his government will study that idea , along with a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Alberta Premier Jason Kenney says he will call a referendum on pushing Ottawa for a better deal on equalization payments as well as explore the province cutting ties with the RCMP and leaving the Canada Pension Plan .
The panel suggested the RCMP is becoming too bureaucratically inflexible and smaller communities are n't getting enough front-line officers .
Deputy Commissioner Curtis Zablocki , commanding officer of the Alberta RCMP , responded to the panel 's report by saying Mounties will continue to work closely with citizens , community groups and leaders , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and address issues .
`` The safety and security of citizens has always been the number one priority of the Alberta RCMP , and it will continue to be as long as we have the privilege of being Alberta 's provincial police service , '' Zablocki said in a release .
`` We will continue to modernize policing services and processes in the province , and we know the needs and concerns of Albertans play a large role in shaping how those services and processes will evolve . ''
The report does not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Albertans want a separate pension plan or want to abandon the RCMP .
In fact , it states that in the telephone poll of 1,000 Albertans , two-thirds do n't want a provincial police force and almost six in 10 want to stay with the Canada Pension Plan .
Asked to point to evidence in the report showing majority support for these two recommendations , panel chair Oryssia Lennie said , `` We heard this ( Alberta police initiative ) largely from rural Albertans . ''
Lennie added that overall `` we @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the surveys , but we also listened to people at town halls and we heard and read their electronic and written submissions and we spoke to experts .
`` Our conclusions and our recommendations ultimately reflect that . ''
Kenney added his government has also done independent polling `` which has found pretty significant support for the possibility of an Alberta provincial pension plan . ''

Alberta Premier Jason Kenney says he will call a referendum on pushing Ottawa for a better deal on equalization payments as well as explore the province cutting ties with the RCMP and leaving the Canada Pension Plan. Kenney made the comments as he released recommendations from his Fair Deal panel, which he created last year to gauge the mood of Albertans and determine better ways the province could assert itself in Confederation. "Albertans are happy to have had the opportunity to contribute mightily to the rest of the federation," Kenney said Wednesday. "But what Albertans cannot and will not accept is governments across the country benefiting from that wealth and our resources while seeking to block and impair our development of that wealth." He said a referendum will be held next year to gain a mandate to force federal officials to discuss reform.
The panel said Alberta has contributed a net $240 billion to the federation since 2007. A referendum would not change the equalization formula, something that requires action by the federal government and other provinces, but the panel said it would compel federal officials to at least negotiate. Billion-dollar land deals in Ontario raise corruption suspicions The panel held consultations in late 2019 and early 2020, wrapping up just as the COVID-19 pandemic hit with full force, shutting down jobs and leading to illnesses and deaths. The health crisis forced the provinces and the federal government to work in lockstep to reduce the infection rate while keeping the economy from catastrophically cratering.
The panel held 25 town hall meetings, met with others, and conducted a survey completed by 40,000 people to go with a phone poll of 1,000 more. Alberta Premier Jason Kenney says he will call a referendum on pushing Ottawa for a better deal on equalization payments as well as explore the province cutting ties with the RCMP and leaving the Canada Pension Plan. Based on the findings, the panel urged Kenney to also create an Alberta Pension Plan, similar to Quebec's model, saying that Alberta's young population would mean lower contribution costs and returns on par or better than the federal plan. Kenney said his government will study that idea, along with a recommendation to create an Alberta police force. The panel suggested the RCMP is becoming too bureaucratically inflexible and smaller communities aren't getting enough front-line officers. Deputy Commissioner Curtis Zablocki, commanding officer of the Alberta RCMP, responded to the panel's report by saying Mounties will continue to work closely with citizens, community groups and leaders, and the provincial government to hear concerns and address issues.
"The safety and security of citizens has always been the number one priority of the Alberta RCMP, and it will continue to be as long as we have the privilege of being Alberta's provincial police service," Zablocki said in a release. "We will continue to modernize policing services and processes in the province, and we know the needs and concerns of Albertans play a large role in shaping how those services and processes will evolve." The report does not provide evidence to demonstrate that a majority of Albertans want a separate pension plan or want to abandon the RCMP. In fact, it states that in the telephone poll of 1,000 Albertans, two-thirds don't want a provincial police force and almost six in 10 want to stay with the Canada Pension Plan.


nationalobserver--2020-06-19--China charges Kovrig and Spavor with spying in Huawei-linked case

China has charged two detained Canadians with spying , escalating tensions between the two countries following the arrest in Vancouver 18 months ago of a senior Huawei executive wanted on U.S. charges .
Chinese prosecutors said Friday that Michael Kovrig was charged in Beijing on suspicion of spying for state secrets and intelligence .
Michael Spavor was charged in Dandong city near the North Korean border on suspicion of spying for a foreign entity and illegally providing state secrets .
The charges were announced by China 's highest prosecutor 's office in brief social media posts .
Both men have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ move seen as an apparent attempt to pressure Canada to release Meng Wanzhou , a top executive at Chinese tech giant Huawei .
• 'Thought it was a panda : ' Second rare grizzly bear sighting in Banff National Park • Bloc leader tries to define systemic racism on his own China has denied any explicit link between her case and the lengthy detention of the two Canadian men , but outside experts see them as tied and Chinese diplomats have strongly implied a connection .
The daughter of Huawei 's founder was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 1 , 2018 , at the request of U.S. authorities who want her on fraud charges , which she and the company have denied .
Meng is out on bail as hearings are ongoing in B.C .
Supreme Court after a judge rejected the first set of arguments from her lawyers late last month in a bid to set her free .
Associate Chief Justice Heather Holmes ruled Meng 's alleged offences would constitute a crime in Canada and the case should proceed .
The next round of legal arguments is set to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ unlawful and whether the U.S. records of the case contain misstatements or omissions .
The Chinese embassy in Ottawa denounced Holmes 's decision and called once more for Meng 's immediate release .
China has charged two detained Canadians with spying , escalating tensions between the two countries following the arrest in Vancouver 18 months ago of a senior Huawei executive wanted on U.S. charges .
Foreign Affairs Minister Francois-Philippe Champagne responded in turn by calling for the release of the two `` arbitrarily detained '' Canadian men .
Kovrig is an ex-diplomat @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Group and Spavor is an entrepreneur who did business in North Korea .
They have been in Chinese prisons since they were arrested nine days after Meng 's arrest .
The conditions under which the two Canadians are being held has been the subject of scrutiny .
Kovrig and Spavor had no access to lawyers or their families as of May , with the exception of a phone call the Chinese embassy said Kovrig was allowed to make to his sick father in mid-March .
At the same time , the embassy said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ better food to strengthen their immunity against the novel coronavirus .
It said detention centres were closed due to the epidemic , so Kovrig and Spavor were receiving more frequent letters and parcels to ensure their contact with Canadian diplomats in China .
The allegations against Meng , who is Huawei 's chief financial officer , date back to 2013 .
The U.S. is seeking to extradite Meng on fraud charges based on allegations she lied to HSBC about Huawei 's relationship with Skycom , a telecommunications company in Iran , putting the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ against that country .
But in a case management memo dated June 12 , Meng 's lawyers assert their client delivered a presentation to an HSBC banker in Hong Kong that included statements about Huawei 's business activities in Iran , but the statements were omitted from U.S. records of the case .
They argue Meng 's statements provided the bank with `` the material facts it needed to know in order to assess whether there was any risk to HSBC in continuing to provide banking services to Huawei , including processing U.S. @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in Iran . ''
The tensions between Canada and China have spilled over into trade between the two countries including canola exports from Canadian farmers .
Earlier this month , Huawei 's ambitions to be a player in Canada 's 5G network were very much cast in doubt after two of the country 's three largest telecom companies announced partnerships with the Chinese company 's European rivals .
Bell Canada announced on June 2 that Sweden-based Ericsson will be its second supplier of the radio access network equipment — a major component in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Finland 's Nokia in February .
Later in the day , Telus Corp. , which uses Huawei equipment extensively in its current network , announced that it too had selected Ericsson and Nokia for its 5G network needs .
Huawei is the world ’ s biggest supplier of network gear used by phone and internet companies .
The announcements come as Ottawa continues its review of Huawei 's role in Canada 's 5G networks over security concerns due to suspicions about the company 's relationship with China 's government .
The United @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Kingdom and other allies that it will limit intelligence sharing with countries that have Huawei equipment in their 5G networks — citing its potential use for spying by China , an allegation Huawei denies .
— With files from The Canadian Press

China has charged two detained Canadians with spying, escalating tensions between the two countries following the arrest in Vancouver 18 months ago of a senior Huawei executive wanted on U.S. charges. Chinese prosecutors said Friday that Michael Kovrig was charged in Beijing on suspicion of spying for state secrets and intelligence. Michael Spavor was charged in Dandong city near the North Korean border on suspicion of spying for a foreign entity and illegally providing state secrets. The charges were announced by China's highest prosecutor's office in brief social media posts. Both men have been held since December 2018 in a move seen as an apparent attempt to pressure Canada to release Meng Wanzhou, a top executive at Chinese tech giant Huawei.
China has denied any explicit link between her case and the lengthy detention of the two Canadian men, but outside experts see them as tied and Chinese diplomats have strongly implied a connection. The daughter of Huawei's founder was arrested at Vancouver's airport on Dec. 1, 2018, at the request of U.S. authorities who want her on fraud charges, which she and the company have denied. Billion-dollar land deals in Ontario raise corruption suspicions Meng is out on bail as hearings are ongoing in B.C. Supreme Court after a judge rejected the first set of arguments from her lawyers late last month in a bid to set her free.
Associate Chief Justice Heather Holmes ruled Meng's alleged offences would constitute a crime in Canada and the case should proceed. China has charged two detained Canadians with spying, escalating tensions between the two countries following the arrest in Vancouver 18 months ago of a senior Huawei executive wanted on U.S. charges. The next round of legal arguments is set to focus on whether Meng's arrest was unlawful and whether the U.S. records of the case contain misstatements or omissions. The Chinese embassy in Ottawa denounced Holmes's decision and called once more for Meng's immediate release. Foreign Affairs Minister Francois-Philippe Champagne responded in turn by calling for the release of the two "arbitrarily detained" Canadian men. Kovrig is an ex-diplomat who was working for the International Crisis Group and Spavor is an entrepreneur who did business in North Korea.
They have been in Chinese prisons since they were arrested nine days after Meng's arrest. The conditions under which the two Canadians are being held has been the subject of scrutiny. Kovrig and Spavor had no access to lawyers or their families as of May, with the exception of a phone call the Chinese embassy said Kovrig was allowed to make to his sick father in mid-March.