Trudeau: Russia should be part of D-Day ceremony, despite Ukraine invasion
TORONTO (CP) – Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says he supports France’s decision to invite Russian officials to a D-Day commemoration, despite the invasion of Ukraine.
Trudeau says Canada is in “extreme disagreement” with Russia and that Moscow must be held accountable for violating fundamental rules about respecting sovereign borders.
But he says it’s still important to recognize all countries involved in liberating France from the Nazis in the Second World War.
Mission Libération, the French government committee organizing the 80th anniversary commemorations for D-Day, told European media last week they have invited officials from Russia though an invite was not extended to President Vladimir Putin.
He is subject to an international arrest warrant for war crimes related to the forced transfer of children from Ukraine.
French President Emmanuel Macron says Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy will attend the ceremonies as will Trudeau and U.S. President Joe Biden.
VACCINE PLANT OPENED
Meanwhile, Trudeau announced the opening of a major vaccine production plant in Toronto today — part of Canada’s efforts to build up the domestic biomanufacturing sector in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The new Sanofi facility is the largest in Canada and is expected to significantly increase Canada’s domestic production of pediatric and adult vaccines for whooping cough, diphtheria and tetanus.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, it became clear that Canada’s domestic production capacity was insufficient to respond to the pandemic emergency, leaving Canada to rely on imported vaccines.
Sanofi, a global biopharmaceutical company, received $415 million from Canada and another $55 million from the Ontario government, to build a flu vaccine and pandemic preparedness plant at its Toronto campus by 2026.
The company says that facility will be ready in 2027.
Between May 2020 and April 2022, Canada promised more than $1.3 billion for 12 new or expanded biomanufacturing plants to make vaccines and antibody treatments.
Cabinet minister in camouflage with gun nearly caused security alert at legislature
By: Jeremy Simes
REGINA (CP) – A leaked letter says Saskatchewan Trade Minister Jeremy Harrison nearly triggered a security incident when he walked into the legislature in camouflage gear toting a long gun in a case in April 2016.
The Opposition NDP said Wednesday the document stokes further suspicions of Harrison’s story and reinforces that he has lost trust and needs to be fired from Premier Scott Moe’s cabinet.
“These are not minor inconsistencies,” NDP Leader Carla Beck told reporters while presenting the letter, which was also obtained by The Canadian Press.
“The minister has been caught again red-handed in a lie. This has to be it. The premier has to show some leadership here.”
Beck noted the Saskatchewan Party member took the gun into the legislature in April 2016, more than a year after a lone gunman killed a ceremonial guard at the War Memorial in Ottawa before entering Parliament, where he was shot to death.
“There was heightened security (after that). We saw a number of security measures come in, and this is (Harrison’s) judgment?” Beck said.
When the matter came to light two weeks ago, Harrison denied it happened.
Earlier this week, he admitted he did bring a gun inside the legislature but insisted security was kept in the loop.
The letter, however, says security was not informed.
The letter, dated April 29, 2016, is from the acting sergeant-at-arms. The legislature was not sitting at the time, as the provincial election had been two weeks earlier.
The name of the person the letter was sent to is redacted.
On that day, the letter says things got tense when security noticed an unrecognizable man wearing camouflage holding a gun case walking towards the legislature.
The letter says a desk officer “was at the point of keying his radio and announcing that there was a GUN.”
A security officer got closer to the man to get his attention by saying, “Sir,” before realizing it was the legislature member.
“Harrison walked past the (security) kiosk carrying his gun case and disappeared around the corner. The gun itself was not visible, however, it was obvious that it was a gun case,” the letter says.
It adds that Harrison was going to go coyote hunting with the Speaker at the time.
In the letter, the acting sergeant-at-arms writes security “should be advised in advance of this type of behaviour, even by an MLA.”
The letter also says security should be allowed to confiscate all weapons. “There is no need for anyone to have a gun in this building under these circumstances.”
Environment Canada says winds reached 155 km/h in destructive Quebec tornado
MONTREAL (CP) – Environment Canada says the tornado that hit west of Montreal on Monday generated maximum wind speeds of about 155 kilometres per hour.
The agency says in a statement today that the storm’s path was 14 kilometres long, from Très-Saint-Rédempteur, Que., to Pointe-Fortune.
Data collected by the Northern Tornadoes Project from Western University in London, Ont., place the tornado as an EF-1, which is on the lower end of the Enhanced Fujita Scale used to measure tornado severity.
The tornado tore through the communities roughly 60 kilometres west of Montreal at about 5:30 p.m. Monday, taking seconds to rip apart homes, vehicles and farm buildings.
Très-Saint-Rédempteur Mayor Julie Lemieux said the tornado toppled trees and damaged several homes and farm buildings in her community as well as in nearby Rigaud.
No injuries were reported.
Saskatchewan farmer who found space junk in field not alone; others discover debris
ITUNA, SASK. (CP) – A Saskatchewan man who found a giant piece of space junk on his farm says he is not alone.
Barry Sawchuk says five more fragments of debris from high in the sky have been found by his neighbours.
Sawchuk has a farm north of Regina and last month discovered in his field a large rectangular piece of scorched, honeycombed aluminum carbon fibre as tall as he is.
He says he been contacted by SpaceX and is negotiating a fee to return it, even though the spacecraft manufacturer owned by Elon Musk has not publicly acknowledged it came from one of its rockets.
Saskatchewan astronomy professor Samantha Lawler says there are likely many more pieces still out there.
Lawler says the fact they didn’t burn up in the atmosphere is a black eye for SpaceX.
Police investigating after Montreal Jewish school hit by gunfire
MONTREAL (CP) – Montreal police were investigating Thursday after a Jewish school in the city was hit by gunfire, only days after a Toronto Jewish girls school was also the target of a shooting.
Police responded after they received information that projectile impacts were visible on the school located on Hillsdale Road in the Côte-des-Neiges—Notre-Dame-de-Grâce borough.
Police arrived at the school at around 6 p.m. Wednesday and discovered signs of two bullets having hit the front of the school.
The Jewish Community Council confirmed the alleged shooting occurred at the Belz school, which is located at the Young Israel of Montreal Synagogue.
Police said there were no injuries, and they’re not sure when the shooting occurred. No suspects have been identified.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau denounced the latest violent act and promised that law enforcement was working to ensure those responsible would be caught.
“I was of course relieved that no one was hurt, but I’m disgusted by these vile and despicable acts of antisemitism. It needs to stop now,” he said Thursday in Toronto.
“To Jewish parents and students across the country, we stand with you. We will always work to safeguard your right to live proudly Jewish lives in Canada.”
The shooting was discovered less than a week after Toronto police said shots were fired at the Bais Chaya Mushka Elementary School, and months after similar incidents at other Montreal Jewish institutions in the weeks following the start to the Israel-Hamas war.
Montreal police announced last week they had arrested a 20-year-old man in connection with gunshots that were fired at a Jewish school in the city in November. A separate Jewish school in Montreal was also targeted by gunfire and a synagogue in the city’s suburbs was firebombed in late 2023.
Nobody was hurt in any of the incidents.