Morning Update: Ontario’s college strike; Zimbabwe’s difficult path to democracy

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Good morning,

These are the top stories:

Ontario is tabling back-to-work legislation to end a five-week college strike

Roughly 500,000 students have been shut out of classes since early October when 12,000 college workers went on strike. With colleges and the union unable to reach a deal, Kathleen Wynne's government is planning to force teachers back into the classroom. It's not yet clear when exactly that will be after the NDP refused to support the legislation, which means the bill will need to go through debate in the legislature. That could run through the weekend or beyond.

The move is expected to draw backlash from the Ontario Public Service Employees Union, which represents the workers. But the Liberals appeared to see the need to act with a provincial election just six months away. The Conservatives will support the back-to-work bill.

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Marijuana legalization: Private stores in Alberta and a zero-tolerance plan in Quebec

Alberta will be handing retail distribution of legal cannabis to the private sector, while at the same time maintaining government control of online sales. The province says it decided to oversee web purchases to address concerns about marijuana getting into the hands of minors; the legal age in Alberta will be 18. It will also follow federal guidelines in allowing residents to grow up to four pot plants per household.

Quebec, meanwhile, won't be allowing any home-grown cannabis. The province is also planning to crack down on the roads, where police would be able to suspend someone's driver's licence for 90 days if even a trace of cannabis or illicit drugs are found. The government will exclusively operate retail and online distribution. It's promising 15 stores by July 1, the federal deadline for legalization, before climbing to 150 shops in two years.

Like Quebec, Ontario is also taking sole control of marijuana sales. Manitoba will allow the private sector to handle both physical and online sales, while B.C. is looking at a hybrid system of both private and government retail locations.

Zimbabwe faces a difficult path to democracy

Despite the end of Robert Mugabe's 37-year rule, there are concerns that an equally repressive, military-dominated regime will follow. Opposition leaders are hoping to serve in a transitional government that could be set up by the military, Globe and Mail correspondent Geoffrey York reports from Zimbabwe. But even if that does happen, any inclusion is likely to be little more than a gesture from a military that has proved to be the most powerful player in the country after its quick and easy takeover of the capital on Wednesday. Former vice-president and military ally Emmerson Mnangagwa is likely to get a political post in the new government. And while Mnangagwa may help bring about much-needed economic reforms, he has a history of human-rights abuses.

A hearing into the police carding of a Hamilton politician has wrapped up

Hamilton City Councillor Matthew Green says he was targeted by a police officer because he is black. "What are you doing there?" he says the officer asked him as he was waiting for a bus. "Where are you going? … Are you even from this city?" Green recalled Constable Andrew Pfeifer asking. Pfeifer adjusted his tone after realizing he was speaking with a city councillor, Green says. Pfeifer, who is charged under a police act with discreditable conduct, says he stopped and questioned Green because he was concerned about his well-being. The final arguments in the case were presented yesterday.

The verdict is sure to raise questions about the necessity of police street checks at the same time as a provincial review explores whether the practice should be banned. Ontario recently implemented new carding rules meant to prevent race-based police stops.

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT

TransCanada's Keystone pipeline was shut after a 5,000-barrels of oil leaked

The spill comes just days before Nebraska decides on the company's Keystone XL pipeline, which has faced years of delays. Pipeline opponents said the spill highlights the risks of the XL project. Former U.S. president Barack Obama rejected Keystone XL in 2015 over environmental concerns, but Donald Trump reversed the decision and issued a permit. If Nebraska rejects the proposed pipeline route on Monday, the project's future would be put in doubt.

MORNING MARKETS

Global stocks continued to claw back losses on Friday after spending much of the week in the red, boosted by signs of progress in U.S. tax reform and strong corporate results. Tokyo's Nikkei gained 0.2 per cent, and Hong Kong's Hang Seng 0.6 per cent, though the Shanghai composite lost 0.5 per cent. In Europe, London's FTSE 100 was down 0.2 per cent by about 6:10 a.m. ET, with Germany's DAX and the Paris CAC 40 each up by less than 0.1 per cent. New York futures were down, and the Canadian dollar was just below 78.5 cents (U.S.). Oil prices rose but remained en route for their first week of losses in six.

Heads up: The Globe now provides all users access to real-time stock quotes for both Canadian and U.S. markets. Go here to find out about the major changes to our Globe Investor site.

WHAT EVERYONE'S TALKING ABOUT

Stop debating age and actually teach us about consent

"We cannot fathom everything at 13, but there is no question that young people should always feel they have control and an understanding of the rights of their body. Yet, it's difficult to expect this when the media frequently undermine its importance and comprehensive sex education is minimal. We need to learn that consent can be affected by power dynamics, the influence of substances and perceived safety. In order for us to feel safe and empowered in our decisions, conversations must be constant and reflective of our experience. Education has to start young, acknowledging that consent is not only mandatory for sex but also for any kind of healthy relationship. It's one answer that may seem too simple, yet many still grasp to understand. So, we have to keep talking about it, a thousand times over, until things start to change." – Tessa Hill, co-founder of We Give Consent, and a 16-year-old film student living in Toronto

Why are we killing critical thinking on campus?

"Wilfrid Laurier University in Waterloo, Ont., says in its mission statement that 'intellectual inquiry, critical reflection and scholarly integrity are the cornerstones of all universities.' It further claims that those words apply to itself. And yet, based on a recent incident in which a grad student was disciplined for exposing her tutorial students to two sides of a debate, Laurier has lost track of its mission. If the disciplinary action is not reversed, Laurier will have abandoned "intellectual inquiry, critical reflection and scholarly integrity" and replaced it with ideology and bogus censorship." – Globe editorial

Good art by bad people: Why it shouldn't be thrown away

"Art can be disturbing and noisy and embarrassing and downright awful, and I still feel curious about it. I love the movies of Michael Haneke and Lars von Trier, movies very much about moral cesspits, and I can't say I am experiencing pleasure exactly. Fictional narratives, good or bad, are a kind of oxygen for my brain. If I were to stop delving into unpleasant, embarrassing or possibly immoral art for any reason, I would feel cut off from my own intellect. I would feel stupid. I am baffled, genuinely baffled, by the idea that by consuming art one is somehow perpetuating the ideas in it. Do I absorb the values of Nazism by looking at Hitler's watercolours? Do I advance Nazism if I reprint Hitler's watercolours in a history book? And should I feel guilt if I find any of Hitler's watercolours pleasant?" – Russell Smith

HEALTH PRIMER

How to match your workout to your job

If you have a desk job, make sure to get up regularly and walk around. Cardio, as well as exercises to strengthen your core, chest and upper back are also key. If you have a standing job, make sure to stand equally on both legs and keep your knees slightly bent. At the gym, put extra emphasis on your ankles. You'll also want to stretch your legs and back and massage your feet.

Correction: Yesterday's Health Primer section incorrectly stated 58 per cent of Canadians were satisfied with their work-life balance eight years ago. In fact, 78 per cent were satisfied eight years ago, compared with 68 per cent today, according to a Statistics Canada survey.

MOMENT IN TIME

Wenjack inquest begins

Nov. 17, 1966: It was more than a year after Chanie Wenjack's bruised body had been found beside the railway track in the bush northwest of Kenora, Ont.: A coroner's inquest was convened to determine why the frail 12-year-old had run away from an Indian residential school and then died alone of exposure and hunger. The boys who fled with him told of the grim loneliness of the schools. Chanie, they said, was trying to get home. The testimony, and the coverage of the inquest by Macleans, opened Canadian eyes to the horrors of the schools. The jury urged that a study "be made of the present Indian education and philosophy. Is it right?" Gord Downie of the Tragically Hip devoted much of the final year of his life to immortalizing the boy's bleak story. "I never knew Chanie," Mr. Downie wrote, "but I will always love him." – Gloria Galloway

Morning Update is written by Arik Ligeti.

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