Morning Update: Pro-Russian cyberattacks strike at PMO, Senate websites

Good morning,

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said yesterday he was aware of an apparent Russian cyberattack on the websites of the Prime Minister’s Office and Senate, and an earlier attack on a Canadian energy company, but said they didn’t cause any physical damage.

Leaked Pentagon documents say a group working with Russia’s spy agency claimed earlier this year to have disrupted operations at a Canadian natural-gas pipeline company.

National security experts noted that Trudeau only mentioned physical and not economic damage as the leaked documents say the Russia-based hackers “claimed that sufficient damage had been done to cause profit loss to the company.”

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Trudeau foundation CEO, board resign after revelation of gift tied to China

The president and chief executive of the Pierre Elliott Trudeau Foundation resigned yesterday along with the board of directors after it was revealed that the Chinese government was behind a $140,000 donation from a Beijing billionaire to the foundation.

The foundation announced in early March that it planned to return the money after The Globe and Mail reported that it was part of a plan by Beijing to gain favour with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.

Opposition Leader Pierre Poilievre called for an investigation into the matter, saying the country needs to know who gained access to the Prime Minister as a result of donations made to the Trudeau foundation. Trudeau told reporters he disassociated himself from the foundation after becoming Prime Minister, but he expressed concern about political attacks on the organization.

• Campbell Clark: Too many lines converge at the intersection of Trudeau and foundation

As cities struggle with mental health and addiction crises, B.C.’s Red Fish offers controversial alternative to institutional care

A health centre in Coquitlam, B.C., is getting positive global attention for the way it treats those who suffer from mental health issues and severe addictions, but its method may be controversial to some – about 60 per cent of the patients at the Red Fish Healing Centre for Mental Health and Addiction are there against their will.

Still the centre is producing successful outcomes with Red Fish’s internal data showing 92 per cent of patients have improved their mental health by the time they are discharged, about that same percentage of alcoholics recover during their stay and three quarters improve their substance use disorders.

B.C. Premier David Eby is pointing to the method used by Red Fish as a potential solution to the problem of what to do with people battling homelessness, mental-health issues and addictions, who continue assaulting strangers on city streets.

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Also on our radar

Ontario knew about long-term care property sell-off, minister says: Long-Term Care Minister Paul Calandra said yesterday that the Ontario government has known for a while that a number of for-profit nursing homes plan to shut down and sell their properties to real estate developers, and that the government is turning to hospitals to fill the void.

Teck’s spin-off company easy for foreign takeover, Glencore says: Teck Resources will likely fail in its efforts to keep all its assets in Canadian hands, the CEO of Swiss mining giant Glencore said in an exclusive interview with The Globe and Mail. Gary Nagle said the Vancouver miner’s plans to create a pure coal company will be an easy target for predatory foreign investors.

IMF warns of a ‘hard landing’ for global economy: The International Monetary Fund said yesterday that high inflation and the recent troubles in the U.S. and European banking sectors may lead to to a “hard landing” for the global economy and warned that the economic outlook is now uncertain.

Map of dark matter sheds new light on universe: Researchers have developed an extensive map that shows how dark matter was distributed in space, giving them a new tool to measure how the universe is being shaped.

A plan to save B.C.’s white sturgeon: The white sturgeon has survived for millions of years, but land conversion, habitat loss and fishing are now threatening the sturgeon’s existence in parts of the Fraser River watershed. The Fraser Valley Angling Guides Association has a plan to try to save the fish – study the juvenile population to see the impact of human activity.

Blue Jays win home opener: The Toronto Blue Jays welcomed fans back to a newly-renovated Rogers Centre with a 9-3 victory over the Detroit Tigers. Back-to-back homeruns from Kevin Kiermaier and George Springer, and a three-run homer by Alejandro Kirk helped lift the team to a 7-4 record so far this season.

• Cathal Kelly: The stadium – and team – is better at Blue Jays home opener

Morning markets

U.S. inflation in focus: World stocks and bond yields stalled on Wednesday as markets anticipated crucial U.S. inflation data which could give signals on how soon the Federal Reserve will end its aggressive rate hikes. Around 5:30 a.m. ET, Britain’s FTSE 100 rose 0.64 per cent. Germany’s DAX and France’s CAC 40 gained 0.20 per cent and 0.35 per cent, respectively. In Asia, Japan’s Nikkei closed up 0.57 per cent. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng lost 0.86 per cent. New York futures were little changed. The Canadian dollar was relatively steady at 74.25 US cents ahead of the Bank of Canada’s rate decision later in the morning.

What everyone’s talking about

Editorial: “There is the possibility of deference – that the Supreme Court did not believe that it would be proper to rule on a matter best left to the political arena, particularly for a complex policy such as health care ... Yet the highest court in the land has not hesitated to intervene on other hot political issues. In those instances, the Supreme Court did not shy away from its duty to provide legal clarity on complex issues.”

Tony Keller: “[The First Home Savings Account] is bad tax policy. The FHSA is bad housing policy. The FHSA is bad public policy. Also, I’m going to rush out and open one as soon as possible.”

Today’s editorial cartoon

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Living better

Not sure how to redeem your loyalty points? Read this

Loyalty points are a great way to offset the cost of groceries, travel, merchandise and more. But every redemption is different, so you need to know the value of your points to ensure you’re maximizing your rewards. And if you find that confusing, well, you’re not alone, but here’s some help.

Moment in time: April 12, 2002

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Atanarjuat (The Fast Runner), the first movie in Inuktitut, is released

Anyone who works in the Canadian film industry will tell you that it’s very hard to make a movie in this country. And then there’s this: Shot entirely in Inuktitut and on location near Igloolik, Nunavut, Atanarjuat: The Fast Runner is an adaptation of a centuries-old Inuit folk tale about the disintegration of community, jealousy, betrayal, murder and revenge. Director Zacharias Kunuk, his crew and all-Inuit cast – the film takes place before European contact – filmed over the course of six months in the Arctic to tell a story drawn from recordings of eight elders, who recounted it as it had been told to them. With a central scene that sees its main protagonist, Atanarjuat, desperately fleeing naked across the ice, with his nemesis, Oki, in hot pursuit, the film stunned audiences at Cannes. It won the Caméra d’Or there and some two dozen prizes around the world. Critic A.O. Scott of The New York Times wrote: “Mr. Kunuk has accomplished the remarkable feat of endowing characters from an old folk tale with complicated psychological motives and responses. The combination of dramatic realism and archaic grandeur is irresistibly powerful.” Massimo Commanducci

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