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WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW
OECD raises concerns about political interference in SNC-Lavalin prosecution
The Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development has raised concerns with the Canadian government about allegations of political interference in the prosecution of Montreal engineering giant SNC-Lavalin Group (for subscribers).
The decision to prosecute SNC-Lavalin should be left to the discretion of the director of the Public Prosecution Service, Kathleen Roussel, and potential job losses should not be a consideration in granting an out-of-court settlement to the company, OECD’s Drago Kos told The Globe and Mail.
Separately, Procurement Minister Carla Qualtrough said there remains a case for a deferred prosecution agreement with SNC-Lavalin because corporate crimes can prove hard to prosecute. She observed that the seriousness of the criminal allegations likely explains why federal prosecutors did not cut an out-of-court settlement and why former attorney-general Jody Wilson-Raybould refused to intervene.
Get up to speed on the SNC-Lavalin affair here.
Are 9,000 SNC jobs really at risk? Here’s a reality check.
Opinion: “Notwithstanding the continuing and incessant mantra that a DPA for SNC-Lavalin might save Canadian jobs, the inconvenient truth is that neither the prosecutor nor the attorney-general can even consider the issue of potential job losses when making its decision.” - Allan Lanthier, former chair of the Canadian Tax Foundation
“If Canadians want to send a message, they have only one recourse: voting for a different candidate for MP in the upcoming election. It’s the way the system works.” - Angela Wright, political analyst and former Conservative staffer
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The latest on the Ethiopian Airlines crash
Eighteen Canadians were among the 157 people killed when an Ethiopian Airlines Boeing 737 Max 8 bound for Nairobi crashed minutes after takeoff yesterday. Here are the latest developments:
- Investigators found the flight recorders from the field where the plane went down.
- Authorities in Ethiopia, China and Indonesia have grounded all Boeing 737 Max 8 aircraft.
- Transport Minister Marc Garneau has stressed his confidence in the plane.
The United Nations is “united in grief” in the aftermath of the crash that killed at least 21 staff workers from about five UN agencies, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres says.
The Boeing 737 Max 8 is under intense scrutiny after two crashes in five months. Read more here.
A family of six from Brampton, Ont., a professor from Ottawa, a young environmentalist from Toronto, and a mother and five-year-old daughter from Edmonton were among the Canadians killed. Read about them here.
Prerit Dixit and Kosha Vaidya and their daughters Anushka and Ashka Dixit are among the Canadians killed in the crash.Supplied/None
Ford government names new OPP Commissioner after Taverner declines post
The Ontario government today named York Regional Police deputy Chief Thomas Carrique as the province’s new top cop after Toronto Police Superintendent Ron Taverner said he was pulling out of contention.
The newly named Commissioner of the Ontario Provincial Police says he has “no relationship whatsoever” with Premier Doug Ford or his family, after months of controversy stemming from the appointment of the Ford-family friend.
Brad Blair, a veteran OPP commander, was fired last week after launching a lawsuit to compel the provincial Ombudsman to review the hiring process. Mr. Blair, who was also a front-runner for the position, went public with his concerns in December, alleging that “inappropriate political interference or cronyism” could affect OPP operations.
Barrick drops hostile bid, signs Nevada joint venture with Newmont Mining
Canada’s Barrick Gold and U.S.-based Newmont Mining have agreed on terms of a joint venture in Nevada that will see Barrick drop its US$17.8-billion hostile bid for Newmont.
The ownership split under the terms of the JV announced on Monday will be 61.5 per cent in favour of Barrick, slightly less than the 63 per cent Barrick pushed for. Barrick has also been named the operator of the JV, which is something its chief executive Mark Bristow said was essential.
MARKET WATCH
Global equity markets surged today, lifted by talk of more stimulus from China and by a broad rally on Wall Street that overcame a decline in Boeing shares following the Ethiopian Airlines crash.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 200.64 points to 25,650.88, the S&P 500 gained 40.23 points to close at 2,783.30 and the Nasdaq Composite added 149.92 points to end the day at 7,558.06.
Canada’s main stock index rebounded from a three-week low, led by shares of energy companies, as global stocks stabilized from their worst week this year. The Toronto Stock Exchange’s S&P/TSX composite index rose 110.03 points to 16,106.24.
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ALSO IN THE NEWS TODAY
Fifteen prominent U.S. foreign policy experts today called for the release of Canadian former diplomat Michael Kovrig, detained in China in apparent retaliation for the arrest of Huawei executive Meng Wanzhou.
British Prime Minister Theresa May rushed to Strasbourg, France, today to seek concessions from the European Union in a last-ditch attempt to avoid another humiliating defeat in parliament of her Brexit deal.
The Ontario government says it will provide more training for teachers to support students with autism as program changes are set to come into effect April 1.
Charles Poulin, a failed Conservative candidate from the 2015 federal election, has been charged with stealing more than $5,000 from campaign coffers.
TALKING POINTS
“If Canadians don’t like our laws, or our Supreme Court judges rule they are unconstitutional, we can change them. And the governments that proposed them in the first place. That’s why Canada is glorious and free. Canadians want to keep it that way.” - Pat Carney, former Conservative MP
Netflix’s After Life from Ricky Gervais: Mad, melancholy and powerful
“After Life (now streaming on Netflix Canada) is infuriatingly difficult to define. It is by turns outrageous, uplifting, unflinching, sad, hilarious and angry. Mostly, it’s an exercise in melancholy, and I adored it.” - John Doyle
The Leafs don’t need time to think
The Toronto Maple Leafs’ first-round playoff match-up has essentially been decided with a month to play in the regular season. That gives everyone some time for quiet reflection. Which is never a good thing. It is especially not a good thing near the Leafs, where no matter how well things are going, every pause must be filled with low moaning. - Cathal Kelly
LIVING BETTER
Food labels can be confusing. Here’s what you need to know to decode the sugars in packaged foods. Not all sugars need to be avoided. Naturally occurring sugars in whole fruit (fructose) and plain milk and yogurt (lactose) come packed with vitamins. Added and free sugars are the ones to limit. Added sugars go by many different names including brown sugar, cane syrup, honey, brown rice syrup, maltose, dextrose and glucose-fructose. “Free” sugars, according to the World Health Organization, are added sugars as well as sugars naturally present in fruit juice and fruit juice concentrates.
LONG READS FOR A LONG COMMUTE
Could more daylight be a simple, free way to improve the lives of dementia patients?
A long-term care facility in Quebec is helping to shed light on a tantalizing question: Could opening the curtains more often improve cognitive function in patients with dementia?
The study is one of two led by Dr. Julie Carrier, professor of the psychology department at the University of Montreal, to test the effects of light therapy on older adults with cognitive impairment.
Scientists have long recognized that changes in light exposure can alter one’s circadian rhythm, including sleep-wake cycles. Now, they’re also learning about the mechanisms involved in the direct, stimulating effects of light on the brain – the kind of instant clearing of the cobwebs that happens when you step outside on a sunny day. Read Wency Leung’s full story here.
A resident reads in the "winter garden room" at the Institut universitaire de gériatre de Montréal. (Photo by Christinne Muschi for The Globe and Mail)Christinne Muschi/The Globe and Mail
Serial entrepreneur Devon Brooks taps into the popularity of coaching for her new venture
When Devon Brooks was in her early 20s, she co-founded Blo Blow Dry Bar in Vancouver, a hair drying salon that was a fast success and grew rapidly.
It was an intense time for Ms. Brooks, as she learned to lead on the job, and outside work she was embroiled in two legal cases that stemmed from a rape and an assault she suffered. Ms. Brooks said the coaching she received from others during the period was fundamental to her success.
After she left Blo, Ms. Brooks used the experience she had gained to begin coaching others. Then, two years ago, she founded Stellar Guidance Technologies Inc. and came up with the idea for Sphere, an app she and a small team have developed to bring together coaches and people seeking guidance on work, life or health. Ms. Brooks says coaching is on a cusp similar to that of yoga and meditation in years past. She sees potential for Sphere to gain an audience like the popular app Headspace did among those who practise meditation. Read David Ebner’s full story here.
Devon Brooks, founder Stellar Guidance Technologies and creator of the coaching app Sphere. (Photo by Ben Nelms for The Globe and Mail)BEN NELMS/Globe and Mail
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