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WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW
Alberta elects Jason Kenney and the UCP - what happens next
Last night, Jason Kenney’s United Conservative Party rode a wave of economic angst and western alienation to power in Alberta’s election, routing Rachel Notley’s NDP and winning a decisive 63-seat majority.
Now oil-industry executives are counting on the premier-designate to be their champion in taking on the federal government and the industry’s critics, but Mr. Kenney faces an industry divided on some key issues (for subscribers).
Opinion: “By vowing to roll back the previous NDP government’s price on carbon and scrap a plan to ban coal-fired electricity by 2030, Mr. Kenney is setting up Alberta for a protracted fight – with Ottawa, with its own energy industry and with potential buyers of its oil and gas.” - Barrie McKenna (for subscribers)
For a recap of the election and a look ahead, check out our new guide.
Fast-acting firefighters saved Notre-Dame bell towers, official says
Notre-Dame Cathedral would have burned to the ground in a “chain-reaction collapse” had firefighters not moved as rapidly as they did to battle the blaze, said Jose Vaz de Matos, a fire expert with France’s Culture Ministry.
The firefighters acted aggressively to protect wooden supports in the twin medieval bell towers from the flames, averting a bigger catastrophe, he said.
French President Emmanuel Macron has pledged to restore the cathedral and several donors have stepped up in funding efforts. For what we know so far about the devastating blaze and the latest development, here’s our explainer.
Opinion: “No matter that barely 5 per cent of French Catholics regularly attend Sunday mass, or that the church itself is held in low regard by most, the entire country has united around a monument to its enduringly Catholic identity.” - Konrad Yakabuski (for subscribers)
Also: “As Parisians take stock of the fire damage, they should take a broad view of what “rebuilding” might mean. A monument as tough and sophisticated as Notre-Dame can always accommodate creative and historically intelligent reinterpretation.” - Joseph L. Clarke, assistant professor of architectural history at the University of Toronto
New research casts doubts on Huawei’s claims of being employee-owned
Corporate documents raise doubts about Huawei’s claims to be an employee-owned company that operates independently of Chinese political influence, two U.S. scholars argue in a new analysis that prompted an indignant denial from the tech giant.
Battling to persuade customers – and national leaders – around the world to buy its 5G wireless technology, Huawei has insisted that it is a private firm with no state links, repeatedly attacking critics who suspect it of being a tool of the Chinese state.
China-Canada relations have been fraught since the Dec. 1 arrest of top Huawei executive Meng Wanzhou in Vancouver at the request of U.S. officials who are seeking her extradition. In apparent retaliation, the Chinese government has detained two Canadians - former diplomat Michael Kovrig and businessman Michael Spavor - on espionage-related offences, although neither has been formally charged.
Ontario’s Peel District School Board issues layoff notices to almost 200 high-school teachers
The Peel District School Board, covering an area to the west of Toronto, has issued layoff notices to almost 200 high-school teachers partly in response to class-size increases announced by the provincial government.
Education Minister Lisa Thompson has stressed that there would be no layoffs and that teaching positions would be lost only through attrition.
The notices come as Premier Doug Ford is telling teachers not to strike, saying they have a good deal with three months of holidays and the best benefits and pensions in the country.
Ontario could start bargaining at the end of this month with teachers and education workers, whose contracts expire at the end of August.
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ALSO ON OUR RADAR
Playoff action: In the NHL tonight, the Toronto Maple Leafs host the Boston Bruins, leading the series 2-1. The Calgary Flames take on the Avalanche in Colorado, trailing in that series 2-1. Check back at GlobeSports.com later tonight for the scores and highlights.
Last night, the Winnipeg Jets tied the series with the St. Louis Blues 2-2 with an overtime goal (for subscribers). In the NBA, the Toronto Raptors bounced back to tie the series with the Orlando Magic 1-1 with a decisive win at home.
Screen time caution for kids: New Canadian research has found that excessive screen time is a stronger predictor of behavioural problems in five-year-olds than any of the other risk factors the study considered, including parental stress, socioeconomic woes and how long children slept at night.
Peru ex-president dies of self-inflicted gunshot wound: Peru’s former president Alan Garcia died in a hospital in Lima today, hours after shooting himself in the head to avoid arrest in connection with a bribery probe, authorities say.
Kraft massage parlor video: Prosecutors say they intend to release undercover video of New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft and others allegedly receiving sex acts at a Florida massage parlour, but his attorneys filed an emergency motion today to block the release.
Early Newfoundland election expected: Newfoundland and Labrador Premier Dwight Ball is meeting with the province’s lieutenant-governor, and is expected to announce tonight that an early election will be held in mid-May (for subscribers).
Ontario to tighten rules on financial planners, advisers: The government of Ontario is proposing stricter regulations for financial planners and financial advisers by cracking down on individuals who are not qualified to use those titles (for subscribers).
MARKET WATCH
Canada’s main stock index rose today, while a continued flight from healthcare shares dragged on Wall Street, overshadowing upbeat economic data from China. Mixed corporate results, including a revenue miss from IBM, also contributed to Wall Street’s stall.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 3.12 points to 26,449.54, the S&P 500 lost 6.61 points to end at 2,900.45 and the Nasdaq Composite dropped 4.15 points to 7,996.08.
The Toronto Stock Exchange’s S&P/TSX Composite index rose 42.04 points to 16,544.24, lifted by energy stocks.
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WHAT PEOPLE ARE TALKING ABOUT
Did Jody Wilson-Raybould understand her role as attorney-general?
“Advocacy in the adversarial process does not undermine independence. In fact, the public interest is best served by ensuring that the decision-maker has meaningfully examined the conflicting positions and has been exposed to a comprehensive review of all relevant considerations.” - Brian Greenspan, past president of the Criminal Lawyers’ Association
LIVING BETTER
Cooking for one doesn’t have to be a dull chore. It can be an opportunity to get creative in the kitchen - and better yet, eat exactly what you want. Saving up small quantities of leftovers - rice, roasted vegetables - and a few pantry staples can help a meal come together quickly. Check out this recipe for fast stir-fried eggplant from Anita Lo’s Solo: A Modern Cookbook For A Party of One. (for subscribers)
(Photo by Tara O'Brady for The Globe and Mail)Tara O'Brady
LONG READ FOR A LONG COMMUTE
A minimalist home in Port Hope shows clean, cool architecture can also be cost-effective
The irony of minimal design is that it often requires a maximal budget. That’s because without traditional frills such as moldings and baseboards, the junctures of the various surfaces – floors and walls, walls and ceilings – are left exposed. And to adjoin the different, unadorned materials in an elegant, not messy way (rough plaster edges don’t look nice), it takes a lot of care and therefore money.
A new house, completed last year in the quaint Victorian town of Port Hope, Ont., is therefore an achievement. The outside has a crisp, crystalline form. The same minimalism carries through the 1,550-square-foot, single-storey interior. The bright white plaster walls gently kiss the burnished concrete floor; clean-lined strips of LEDs are surgically incised (free of visible hardware or casings) into the simple, though dramatically pitched ceiling. But the overall construction budget was $300,000, or $200 per square foot, which is modest by any standard – let alone for a custom, ground-up build with such a specific aesthetic. Globe subscribers, read Matthew Hague’s full story here.
(Photo by Jeremie Warshafsky)Jeremie Warshafsky/Jeremie Warshafsky
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