Hello,
The RCMP says it will begin collecting race-based data in several areas of the country to better understand the experiences of Indigenous, Black and other racialized individuals and communities.
The Race-Based Data Collection Initiative, announced today by the Mounties, will begin this month. It will look at police interactions such as wellness checks, arrests and the use of force, said a statement, to improve how it provides services to diverse communities.
Priorities for the effort include identifying differences in policing outcomes for racialized communities, better understanding the nature, extent and impact of systemic racial disparities in community safety, and enabling data-driven decision-making and policy development.
RCMP Commissioner Mike Duheme said the initiative is about helping the force identify and improve its policies, practices and training to better support employees.
“The evidence-based solutions it provides can empower us to better serve communities,” Duheme said in a statement.
The project is to begin in Whitehorse, Wood Buffalo/Fort McMurray in Alberta, and Thompson, Man., with additional pilot sites to follow in British Columbia and Nova Scotia.
The force said piloting the initiative in these communities will allow for fine-tuning before a national rollout.
Brenda Lucki, Duheme’s predecessor as commissioner, conceded in 2020 that systemic racism exists in the RCMP. In 2022, the force received federal funding for initiatives to address the issue, including for the race-based data collection.
Meanwhile questions are being raised about the whereabouts of the RCMP’s response to the Nova Scotia mass shooting inquiry.
When the Mass Casualty Commission released its final report into the worst mass shooting in modern Canadian history, the Mounties said they planned to release an “implementation strategy” before the end of 2023, but the deadline has passed without the strategy.
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TODAY'S HEADLINES
NASA delays Artemis II moon mission that includes Canadian astronaut Jeremy Hansen: The mission initially scheduled for this November will be pushed back to September, 2025, because of a number of technical issues and to allow more preparation time.
B.C. launches Canada’s first self-screening cervical cancer plan, with at-home tests: Premier David Eby says it’s the first at-home self-screening program in Canada and it could make ending cervical cancer in B.C. a real possibility. Story here.
Iranian student, denied permit to study in Canada, disputes security danger label: A lawyer for Reza Jahantigh says his client was distraught upon learning of the refusal and will seek judicial review in Federal Court.
With 2023 hottest year on record, the world is now on track to eclipse 1.5 C above preindustrial levels: Unprecedented global temperatures from this past June onward resulted in 2023 overtaking the previous warmest year, 2016, by a large margin, says Copernicus Climate Change Service, a component of the European Union’s space program that focuses on climate data.
Government looking at ways to “responsibly list” Iran’s IRGC a terrorist organization: PM: Justin Trudeau mentioned the priority around Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps at a ceremony this week commemorating the victims of Flight PS752. Story here.
Federal Court bans judges from using AI in decisions: The Federal Court said in a statement posted on its website late last month that while artificial intelligence offers the potential for considerable benefits, it also has risks. Story here.
Shareholder advocacy group alleges misleading disclosures on sustainable finance from Canada’s Big Five banks - Investors for Paris Compliance is filing a complaint today with the Ontario Securities Commission and Autorité des marchés financiers of Quebec, urging investigations into the accuracy of the banks’ disclosures. Story here.
Companies need to beef up disclosures on forced labour to meet new federal requirements, report says: The conclusion is part of a wide-ranging study undertaken by the law firm Fasken Martineau DuMoulin LLP, and released today.
Quebec releases $300-million catch-up plan after students miss weeks of class owing to strike: Education Minister Bernard Drainville says it will be up to schools to decide how best to use that money, including for educational activities during spring break or tutoring sessions after class.
Hopes remain for Rideau Canal Skateway opening after last year’s historic closing: Last year’s unseasonal warmth kept the skateway in the nation’s capital from opening for the first time in its history. After Ottawa experienced a nearly snowless and unusually warm December, concerns mounted that history was going to repeat itself.
THIS AND THAT
Commons and Senate on a break: The House of Commons is on a break until Jan. 29. The Senate sits again on Feb. 6.
Deputy Prime Minister’s day: Private meetings in Toronto.
Ministers on the road: Employment Minister Randy Boissonnault, in Edmonton, made an announcement supporting Indigenous women’s and LGBTQ organizations in Alberta.
Reappointment of chairperson of Civilian Review and Complaints Commission: Michelaine Lahaie has been reappointed chairperson of the independent review body that examines public complaints about the RCMP. Public Safety Minister Dominic LeBlanc announced today that the one year reappointment is effective Jan. 2. She was initially appointed chairperson for a five-year term on Jan. 2, 2019.
PRIME MINISTER'S DAY
No public events scheduled.
LEADERS
Green Party Leader Elizabeth May, in her Saanich-Gulf Islands riding, met with constituents at a community recreation and cultural centre on Saturna Island.
No schedule released for other party leaders.
THE DECIBEL
Today’s edition of The Globe and Mail podcast features Alice Davidson – a professor of developmental psychology at Rollins College in Florida – on gentle parenting, a catch-all term for parents who try to stay calm, place a lot of importance on their child’s emotions, and show a lot of physical affection. The Decibel is here.
PUBLIC OPINION
Temporary foreign workers: Most Canadians support employers bringing in temporary foreign workers to fill jobs they can’t find Canadians to do, according to a poll for The Globe and Mail, despite growing numbers opposed to increased immigration. Details here.
Satisfaction with provincial governments: Overall satisfaction with the work of provincial governments in dealing with health care has dropped sharply since 2020 according to newly released research by the Angus Reid Institute. Details here.
OPINION
The Globe and Mail Editorial Board on Ontario Premier Doug Ford’s conversion on renewable power: “What he previously felt was a political winner quickly morphed into an out-of-date idea that potentially undermined economic development. He started to turn away from his conviction that renewable power was economically ruinous.”
André Picard (The Globe and Mail) on how ER overcrowding won’t be solved by telling sick people to stay home: “This kind of idiocy is rampant in Canada right now. Telling people to avoid hospitals is not a solution to ER overcrowding. It’s a recipe for disaster. It’s also a grievous failure to do what actually needs to be done: fix the underlying problems that are causing ER backlogs and closures around the country.”
Rosalie Abella (Contributed to The Globe and Mail) on how the genocide case against Israel is an abuse of the postwar legal order: “The International Court of Justice is about to hear arguments in a case, brought by South Africa – the country that in 2015 refused to send former Sudanese president Omar al-Bashir of Sudan to the International Criminal Court to stand trial for his contribution to war crimes in Darfur, and instead facilitated his return to Sudan where he continued his crimes – that alleges that Israel has not complied with the Genocide Convention and calls on the Court to order Israel to stop committing acts of “genocide” in Gaza. To me, this case represents an outrageous and cynical abuse of the principles underlying the international legal order that was set up after the Second World War.”
Geoff Norquay (Policy Magazine) on opportunities and hazards on the Conservatives’ road to the next election: “The Conservatives face a zero-sum choice: conveying the sense to Canadians that they are like Trump may please their base but will scare away many more potential mainstream votes.”
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Ian Bailey