Good morning,
These are the top stories:
The Liberals have cut down on reserves’ boil-water advisories, but problems with the systems linger
The number of long-term advisories on First Nations reserves is now at 62, compared with the 105 when the Liberals took office in 2015. And Ottawa says it’s on track to end all advisories by March of 2021. But the national average risk score – which accounts for things like design, operation, maintenance and quality of source water – of nearly 800 systems has barely budged since 2015, a Globe analysis reveals.
“All these solutions are just temporary relief,” said Trevor Andrew, the treatment-plant operator for the Sahhaltkum No. 4 reserve adjacent to Chase, B.C. Sahhaltkum isn’t subject to an advisory and has been deemed a low-risk system. However, the community’s water is often brown because it contains elevated levels of manganese.
While previously believed to be purely an aesthetic issue, new Health Canada guidelines are expected to warn about the health effects related to manganese exposure – and Andrew believes this will spark more water advisories.
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John McCallum’s firing is drawing anger in Beijing
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau dismissed the ambassador over the weekend − and China is capitalizing on the controversy by lamenting McCallum as someone who was “merely stating the truth.”
His exit, after remarks that it would be “great for Canada” if the U.S. dropped its extradition request for Huawei’s Meng Wanzhou, is an issue that’s set to plague the Liberals as Parliament resumes today. A senior government official said McCallum has undermined Canada’s efforts to build an international coalition of countries to press Beijing to respect the rule of law and release two Canadian detainees.
Campbell Clark says the situation is another example of amateur-hour bumbling: “No one – not Beijing, nor allies, nor the public – can really know what the message is. Canada’s firm position is now weak, waffling confusion. It’s a screw-up, and Trudeau gets to own it.” (for subscribers)
And here’s the view from ex-diplomat John Higginbotham: “Our current China crisis is systemic as well as accidental. Canada’s vulnerabilities to Chinese and American pressures are deeply embedded and largely self-created.”
Experts are calling on Ottawa to address the country’s data gaps
Changes are being urged after The Globe launched a series detailing the cost of Canada’s data deficit. Among the questions that we are unable to answer: Which cities have the lowest vaccination rates?; At what rate are workers being killed on the job?; Are more people using unregulated mortgage lenders?; Are more of us getting married or divorced?
That means we’re missing an untold number of warning flags about the problems facing Canadians – problems we don’t know about and so can’t properly address. It means that, on a staggering range of issues, Canada and its leaders are flying blind.
Go here for a full rundown of the gaps, and if you notice any that aren’t mentioned, we have included a form where you can let us know.
U.S. Democratic Senator Kamala Harris has launched her campaign for the presidency
The 54-year-old first-term senator and career prosecutor used a speech yesterday to position herself as a fighter who can stand up to bullies, and – as the mixed-race daughter of immigrants – someone who can unite a divided country. Harris, who went to high school in Montreal, has garnered early attention in what’s expected to be a packed race.
Besides Harris, five others have announced that they’re looking at seeking the Democratic nomination, including 44-year-old Texas lawyer Julian Castro and Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren. That’s not to mention a long list of potential contenders like New Jersey Senator Cory Booker and former vice-president Joe Biden. Go here for a who’s who and the challenges they face.
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ALSO ON OUR RADAR
The families of the Humboldt Broncos crash victims are bracing for another heartbreaking week of proceedings. One of those set to deliver a victim-impact statement is Scott Thomas, who lost his 18-year-old son: “I relive the last two seconds of Evan’s life every day,” he says.
At least 58 people are dead and up to 300 are missing after a dam collapse in Brazil. Rescue workers are now searching mud-covered flats after the breach of iron-ore waste at a mine owned by Brazilian firm Vale. (for subscribers)
B.C.’s Speaker is offering to rip up non-disclosure agreements for fired legislature employees. Darryl Plecas spoke to people who said they were fired without cause for raising concerns about misspending, in turn fostering “a culture of insecurity.”
MORNING MARKETS
Stocks drop
World shares fell into the red on Monday, with equities markets from Asia to Europe buffeted as Chinese industrial profits fell and investors stayed cautious ahead of a busy week including Sino-U.S. trade talks and the Federal Reserve’s policy meeting. Tokyo’s Nikkei lost 0.6 per cent, and the Shanghai Composite 0.2 per cent, while Hong Kong’s Hang Seng eked out a tiny gain. In Europe, London’s FTSE 100, Germany’s DAX and the Paris CAC 40 were down by between 0.2 and 0.4 per cent by about 6:30 a.m. ET. New York futures were down. The Canadian dollar was above 75.5 US cents. Oil fell 1 per cent after U.S. companies added rigs for the first time this year, a signal that crude output may rise further.
WHAT EVERYONE’S TALKING ABOUT
In Venezuela, Canada promotes democracy. The U.S. does not
“Under U.S. President Donald Trump, the American approach to democracy promotion has been strikingly different to Canada’s. He has consistently and recklessly boasted about his willingness to use military force to secure the outcome he seeks in Venezuela.” – Ben Rowswell, Canada’s ambassador to Venezuela from 2014 to 2017
Create till you drop, and other lessons from late bloomers
“...very few magazine stories are written about the latest hot old thing. But these success stories are an inspiration to late-starters, zigzaggers, and others who discover that the bit of life where they were meant to slow down is the bit where they choose to run. Retirement now lasts 20 or 30 or 40 years; there’s only so much golf you can play.” – Elizabeth Renzetti (for subscribers)
Removing caps on class sizes is a failure of both education and economics
“It’s hard not to be outraged by Ontario Education Minister Lisa Thompson’s recent announcement that her government is considering removing the caps on the class size of kindergarten and primary grades. Anyone who teaches or has children in a primary school understands the critical importance of the teacher-to-student ratio and many will contend that they are already way too high.” – Naomi Buck
LIVING BETTER
The new Canada Food Guide doesn’t just tell us what to eat, but how – and that’s a good thing
“In our hectic North American lives, devoting more of our time and energy to regularly setting the table, planning a meal, cooking it, and taking the time to enjoy it with friends and family will always be a fraught issue. But it is worth tackling what is not just an individual issue but also a collective one. Whatever one thinks of Canada’s Food Guide in its latest incarnation, we can thank it for bringing us around the table and getting that conversation started.” – Laura Calder, author of four cookbooks
MOMENT IN TIME
The evolution of Holland Bloorview children’s hospital
For more than 100 years, photographers, photo editors and photo librarians working for The Globe and Mail have preserved an extraordinary collection of 20th-century news photography. Every Monday, The Globe features one of these images. In January, we’re looking back at Canadians living with disabilities.
(Erik Christensen/The Globe and Mail)Erik Christensen/the
One afternoon in 1899, a group of 22 women gathered for tea in Toronto to discuss establishing a facility to care for children with chronic illnesses and physical disabilities. The Ladies Committee raised funds to open the Home for Incurable Children, which accommodated 15 kids. Within weeks, it became clear the need for beds outstripped capacity and the women (18 of whom became founding members of SickKids) raised more money and moved again. So began a pattern – of new locations and incarnations – that included the 1962 opening of a new centre, where young Terry Luke was photographed by The Globe’s Erik Christensen admiring a totem pole. Today, it’s called the Holland Bloorview Kids Rehabilitation Hospital and offers hospital care, outpatient clinics, an integrated kindergarten program and community outreach to about 7,000 children/youth with disabilities and their families each year. – Gayle MacDonald
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Arik Ligeti