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Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky implored Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to escalate international pressure on the Kremlin after Canada circumvented its own sanctions against Russia to help European allies.
In early July, the federal government announced it would release Russian-owned gas turbines that had been stranded in a Montreal repair facility because of Canada’s sanctions against Moscow. The agreement to return the turbines also allows for the import, repair and re-export of the equipment for up to two years.
The move angered Kyiv and the Ukrainian diaspora in Canada. At a protest on Parliament Hill on Sunday, supporters of Ukraine said that with the decision to release the turbines, the Trudeau government is now helping to fund Vladimir Putin’s war in Ukraine.
Just before the demonstration in the capital, the Prime Minister and Zelensky spoke for the first time since Canada bypassed some of the sanctions meant to put pressure on Putin to end his war. Canada’s July 9 decision to grant Russia a reprieve fell amid an increasing barrage of attacks that appeared to target civilians, including at universities in Mykolaiv and community buildings in Vinnytsia.
In recent days, Ukrainian cities have been pounded in strikes that Kyiv says have killed dozens. Ukraine says Russia is preparing for the next stage of its offensive, echoing a statement from Moscow that said its forces would step up military operations in “all operational areas.”
Kyiv is also facing trouble on the home front, as Zelensky fired his security service chief and a top state prosecutor, who led the effort to prosecute Russian war crimes. Zelenksy said in a Telegram post Sunday that the dismissals came as a result of discovering many cases of officials from their departments collaborating with Russia.
Read more on the war in Ukraine:
Supporters of Ukraine hold a rally against the Canadian government’s decision to send repaired parts of a Russian natural gas pipeline back to Germany, on Parliament Hill in Ottawa, on Sunday, July 17, 2022.Justin Tang/The Canadian Press
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Wildfires threaten communities, force evacuations in northern Manitoba and southern B.C.
Wildfires are threatening communities near Lytton, B.C. and in northern Manitoba, with hundreds of residents forced to evacuate and many others preparing to leave at a moment’s notice as the blazes grow in size.
The fire near Lytton started Thursday and has since grown to roughly 17 square kilometres and has destroyed at least six residences. Crews don’t believe they will have the area under control for several days. A little over a year ago, a previous wildfire swept through Lytton and destroyed nearly all of the village. Many residents whose homes were destroyed in that fire remain in temporary housing.
Local authorities say the village of Lytton is currently not threatened by this year’s blaze, though residents of the surrounding areas, including the nearby Lytton First Nation have many areas under evacuation orders.
In northern Manitoba, a 180-square-kilometre fire prompted the evacuation of most of the 2,000 residents of the Mathias Colomb Cree Nation on Sunday. The only ways out of the community this time of year are by air and train – residents were evacuated by planes and helicopters organized by the Red Cross and community leaders as well as the Keewatin Railway Company, owned by three partner First Nations.
Read more:
Indigenous nations, organizers struggle to secure space for residential school survivors for papal visit
Indigenous groups say they are worried that many residential school survivors will not be able to attend Pope Francis’s appearances across Canada later this month, owing to ticket shortages and poor communication from the Catholic Church and the federal government.
The Pope is scheduled to arrive in Edmonton for a week-long visit on July 24. He has described the trip as a “penitential” pilgrimage to apologize to Indigenous groups for abuses inflicted by the Catholic Church, including residential schools.
The Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops has said including residential school survivors in the papal visit is a priority and promised to help fund survivors’ attendance. The federal government has also vowed to help and has pledged $35-million in supports. Despite this, many Indigenous groups say they are struggling to access tickets and the funding for survivors.
Representatives of Indigenous groups requested during a visit to the Vatican months ago that the Pope issue an apology in Canada for the Catholic Church’s role in the residential school system. About 60 per cent of Canada’s residential schools were run by the Catholic Church.
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Also on our radar
British prime minister contenders clash in second TV debate: The five remaining candidates in the British Conservative leadership race debated tax cuts in their second televised showing. Ex-finance minister Rishi Sunak has emerged as the favourite among Conservative lawmakers, who will hold further votes this week to whittle down the field of contenders to a final two.
Two wounded in nightclub hours after deadly shooting near Union Station: Police say two people were seriously wounded in a shooting at a Toronto nightclub early Sunday morning just hours after a man was fatally shot near one of the city’s biggest transportation hubs. The shooting near Union Station led to a lockdown and a brief halt to all train and bus services. Toronto police say they don’t have anyone in custody for either of the shootings.
European heat wave threatens crops as grain from Ukraine remains blocked: Prolonged droughts and an intense heat have hurt the wheat crops in countries such as France, whose supply is especially important this year with more than 20 million tonnes of grain in Ukraine blocked from distribution by Russian warships.
Uvalde report finds nearly 400 officers responded but with ‘egregiously poor’ decisions: “Systemic failures” created a chaotic scene at the Uvalde elementary school shooting before the gunman, who took 21 lives, was finally confronted and killed, according to a report investigators released Sunday.
Morning markets
Risk appetite returns: World stocks, U.S. futures, oil prices and bond yields all rose on Monday as scaled back bets on the latest Federal Reserve rate hike next week and support pledges for China’s economy lifted the mood. Around 5:30 a.m. ET, Britain’s FTSE 100 rose 1.42 per cent. Germany’s DAX and France’s CAC 40 gained 1.4 per cent and 1.39 per cent, respectively. In Asia, Hong Kong’s Hang Seng jumped 2.7 per cent. Markets in Japan were closed. New York futures were positive. The Canadian dollar was higher at 77.08 US cents.
What everyone’s talking about
Nik Nanos: “By any measure, Canada is an energy superpower: We are a top exporter of clean hydro power to the United States and we are the world’s No. 4 oil producer and No. 5 gas producer. But we could – and should – be doing more.”
Robert Bell and Matthew Chow: “... primary care is in crisis in Canada. We also agree on taking three critical steps that will help us in finding a resolution. About 15 per cent of Canadians do not have a family doctor, and Canadians who do have a doctor can experience difficulty getting an appointment, especially since the pandemic began. On the other hand, family doctors have been vocal about experiencing burnout from overworking.”
Marcus Gee: “There are good reasons to take a dimmer view of the wellness movement. One is that much of this stuff simply doesn’t work. Lavender oil won’t cure your depression. Most vitamin supplements won’t give you anything you wouldn’t get from a normal, healthy diet.”
Today’s editorial cartoon
David Parkins/The Globe and Mail
Living better
Plan your summer vacation like a local with hand-picked guides to 11 Canadian cities
Wondering where to travel this summer? As flight delays and luggage chaos continue at airports across the country, and gas prices continuing to soar, the least stressful (and most economical) getaways this season might be close to home. With that in mind, we asked locals in major Canadian cities from coast to coast to recommend the best things to see, do, eat and drink in their respective necks of the woods.
From Whitehorse to Halifax, Canadians told us about their favourite summertime bars, restaurants, festivals, museums and more. With all there is to see and do, there’s no time like the present to get out and explore your own backyard.
Moment in time: July 18
At the press conference given on May 16th, 2002, La Ronde inaugurated the opening of its 36th season as well as its brand new ride The Vampire, the one and only exhilarating high-tech suspended looping roller coaster of its kind in Quebec which defies the laws of gravity and gives even the most adept riders, a completely overwhelming experience. Hold on, here it comes!PATRICK BERNATH/Courtesy of La Ronde via CNW
For more than 100 years, photographers and photo editors working for The Globe and Mail have preserved an extraordinary collection of news photography. Every Monday, The Globe features one of these images. This month, we’re looking at amusement parks.
The first modern roller coaster made its debut in Paris in 1817, so the idea of riders intentionally terrifying themselves for fun is not new. But the level of adrenalin rush has steadily increased. At La Ronde, the amusement park built for Montreal’s Expo 67 on Île Ste-Hélène in the middle of the St. Lawrence River, rides operate from May to October. Le Vampire, a Swiss-designed attraction pictured above, opened in 2002. This is not your grandfather’s amusement-park ride. Le Vampire is an inverted roller coaster – the train rides under the track with the seats attached to the wheel carriage. Thrill level: extreme. Passengers are strapped in, legs dangling, and get to experience a height of 32 metres, at speeds of up to 80 kilometres an hour, on a track of 823 metres, complete with five head-over-heels loops. Gravity defying, exhilarating, terrifying, and yes, fun. Philip King
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