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The B.C. port workers’ walkout is entering it’s 10th day today. It has sent ripples across the economy, as the disruption to the supply chain, including trains and trucks, has stopped the flow of everything from imports of consumer goods to exports of raw materials. Potash and sulphur are among the commodities suspended from being loaded into the cargo holds of ships that would be destined overseas.
Employers estimate that up to $775-million a day in trade has been disrupted during the strike by 7,400 dock and warehouse workers across British Columbia, totalling $7-billion in cargo affected as of Sunday night.
A coalition of business groups has been urging the federal Liberal government to recall Parliament to introduce back-to-work legislation. The International Longshore & Warehouse Union Canada (ILWU) has listed contracting out as one of its three key issues. The other two main concerns are cost-of-living wage increases and the impact of automation on job security.
“All we are asking for is a small share of these profits so workers can continue to do this work with respect and dignity,” ILWU president Rob Ashton said in a statement.
Longshoremen with the International Longshore and Warehouse Union Canada (ILWU) hold a rally during their strike at Canada's busiest port of Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, July 9, 2023.CHRIS HELGREN/Reuters
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Nunavut judge’s ruling on repeat offender sheds light on bail system
A Nunavut man with a dozen convictions for beating up his intimate partners was released from custody on multiple new charges of the same crime last year, raising questions about how federal authorities address violence against women in the North. The RCMP and a prosecutor supported his release.
The 29-year old’s stints in jail have taken place within a matter of months of each other – he’s had 49 criminal convictions over the past nine years. Last year, the RCMP released him, on two separate occasions, on a promise not to go near his former partner. This winter, the RCMP refused to release him on his newest charges, but a federal prosecutor consented to his release on bail.
Justice of the Peace Amanda Soper said no to the release, which is rare for a federal judge when the Crown and defence both agree to it. Chief Justice Neil Sharkey of the Nunavut Court of Justice upheld her decision in a May 30 ruling, affirming that under some circumstances, justices of the peace have the power to deny bail even when Crown and defence lawyers have agreed that an accused should be released.
His written decision provides a rare window onto how bail works in Canada – unlike most bail hearings, it was not covered by a publication ban.
NATO unity will be tested at coming summit as Ukraine’s possible entry may be the biggest challenge
As the Russian invasion of Ukraine continues with no end in sight, NATO is struggling to agree on Sweden’s membership, who should be its next leader and how best to ease Ukraine into the alliance. In addition, military spending is falling short of long-standing goals.
Some maintain admitting Ukraine would fulfill a promise made years ago and be a necessary step to deter Russian aggression in Eastern Europe. Others fear it would be seen as a provocation that could spiral into an even wider conflict. President Joe Biden says Ukraine isn’t ready for membership, but that the U.S. should provide long-term security assistance to the country.
These disagreements come at a moment when NATO countries are heavily invested in demonstrating harmony among members. They don’t want to give Russian President Vladimir Putin any opportunity to exploit divisions, which he is eager to do as he struggles to gain ground in Ukraine and faces political challenges at home, including the aftermath of a brief revolt by the Wagner mercenary group.
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Also on our radar
Weekend heat warnings: Environment Canada issued heat warnings on Sunday for most of Alberta, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island, along with parts of British Columbia. High temperatures are exacerbating wildfire activity and putting vulnerable people at risk.
Tour de France: Michael Woods became the third Canadian to win a stage at the historic Tour de France on Sunday, in the biggest victory of his career. He overtook 24-year-old Matteo Jorgenson of the United States with 500 metres to go to win the ninth of 21 stages in four hours 19 minutes 21 seconds.
Apology for racism in Canadian military: Defence Minister Anita Anand said on Sunday that Ottawa is continuing to implement recommendations brought forward as part of an apology for the systemic hate and racism experienced by an all-Black Canadian unit that served in the First World War.
Sikh protests over the weekend: Sikh separatists squared off with counter-protesters supporting the government of India at the Indian consulate in Toronto on Saturday. There were similar demonstrations in Vancouver, London, San Francisco and Melbourne on the weekend as some Sikh groups press demands that the province of Punjab be carved from India to form an independent homeland called Khalistan.
Fighting in Sudan: UN Secretary-General António Guterres said Sudan is on the brink of a “full-scale civil war,” as fierce clashes between rival generals continued unabated Sunday in the capital of Khartoum. He said the conflict, which has turned Khartoum and other urban areas across the country into battlefields, will likely destabilize the entire region.
Morning markets
Markets await economic data, earnings: World stocks took a breath on Monday after a surprisingly low reading on Chinese inflation and ahead of data on U.S. inflation and corporate earnings later in the week.
Around 5:30 a.m. ET, Britain’s FTSE 100 was up 0.19 per cent. Germany’s DAX and France’s CAC 40 gained 0.29 per cent and 0.44 per cent, respectively.
In Asia, Japan’s Nikkei finished down 0.61 per cent. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng added 0.62 per cent. New York futures were modestly lower.
The Canadian dollar was steady at 75.30 US cents.
What everyone’s talking about
Canada’s billions to Stellantis and Volkswagen make for a bad joke
“Neither Canada nor Ontario is set to take any equity from the Volkswagen or Stellantis deals, despite each corporation enjoying revenues in the hundreds of billions. We are clearly not getting our money’s worth.” – David Moscrop
Bold actions must be taken at the NATO Vilnius summit to ensure a free Ukraine prevails
“Mr. Kissinger, the notorious great power realist who relegated Ukraine and other countries to Moscow’s “sphere of influence” for decades, has seen his misguided world view blown apart by Belarus’s 2020 prodemocracy uprising and Ukraine’s wartime heroism since February, 2022.” – Chris Alexander
Today’s editorial cartoon
David Parkins/The Globe and Mail
Living better
The six best Korean skin care products Canadians can buy right now
Strong UV protection, double cleansing, and moisturizing are the hallmarks of K-beauty – the umbrella term for the multibillion dollar industry of beauty products from South Korea. K-beauty tends to focus on protecting your skin, while North American products are often harsher cleaners and exfoliants. Hannah Sung guides you through the best K-beauty has to offer Canadians.
Moment in time: Archive Monday
Cecil Ing displays head tax certificate issued in 1923, October 30, 1988. He came to Canada and worked as a dishwasher and waiter from many years.Fred Lum/The Globe and Mail
Head tax on Chinese Canadians
More than 17,000 Chinese immigrants helped build the Canadian Pacific Railway. But by the mid-1880s, when the CPR was completed and the labour not needed, Canada started charging for the welcome mat. Canadian prime minister John A. Macdonald introduced a “head tax” in 1885, forcing every Chinese person to pay $50 to move to Canada. The law reflected racist anti-immigration feelings at the time. “On the whole, it is considered not advantageous to the country that the Chinese should come and settle in Canada,” Macdonald said in the House of Commons in 1887. The tax increased to $100 in 1890 and to $500 from 1903 until 1923, when the tax was abolished. Head-tax certificates were either issued in China, or in landing ports in British Columbia. From 1885 to 1923, more than 81,000 Chinese immigrants came to Canada, paying about $23-million in head tax. Chinese immigration to Canada was completely banned from 1923 until 1947. Catriona Koenig
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