Dion to Release Saudi Documents Amid Furor Over Military Contract
OTTAWA—The government plans to release documents it says show the “comprehensive basis” behind its decision to proceed with the controversial multi-billion dollar export of military vehicles to Saudi Arabia.
Sources say Foreign Affairs Minister Stephane Dion wants Canadians to have the details behind his decision to sign export permits totalling $11 billion of the $15 billion deal between the Saudi and an Ontario company for the fleet of armoured vehicles.
Dion says he will block future permits allowing the export of military vehicles to Saudi Arabia if evidence emerges they are being used against innocent civilians, but says so far, that is not the case.
Mulcair to Stay Put as NDP Leader For Now, Has Caucus Support
OTTAWA—Tom Mulcair, the embattled New Democrat chief who has come to embody last year’s bruising federal election defeat, says his caucus members want him to stay on as leader until his successor can be chosen— a process that could be as much as two years away.
Some NDP MPs had openly questioned whether he ought to stick around that long.
Mulcair made the announcement surrounded by his fellow MPs after their April 13 caucus meeting—their first since delegates at a convention this past weekend made it clear they believe it’s time for new leadership.
Veteran B.C. MP Nathan Cullen says he is considering a leadership bid and is discussing the possibility with his family.
Enforce Cheese Product Milk Requirement Rules, Dairy Farmers Tell Ottawa
MONTREAL—Milk producers in Quebec and the rest of Canada are demanding the federal government enforce rules governing how much real milk is included in cheese products across the country.
Stakeholders in Canada’s dairy industry say a U.S. milk protein, known as diafiltered milk, is being used improperly as actual milk, costing them tens of thousands of dollars a year in lost revenue.
Cheese producers are using the cheaper, diafiltered milk to satisfy the minimum milk requirement, which dairy farmers claim is breaking the rules. In Canada, all cheese sold must have a minimum percentage of protein sourced from actual milk.
Trudeau to Offer Apology for 1914 Komagata Maru Incident
OTTAWA—Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says he will offer a full apology in the House of Commons next month for a decision by the government in 1914 to turn away a ship carrying hundreds of South Asian immigrants.
The Komagata Maru arrived off Vancouver only to have nearly all of its 376 passengers denied entry due to the immigration laws at the time. The ship was eventually sent to Calcutta and at least 19 people were killed in an ensuing skirmish with British soldiers, while others were jailed.
Former prime minister Stephen Harper apologized for the incident in 2008 at an event in British Columbia. But members of Canada’s Sikh community have long said an apology should be offered formally in Parliament.
$32M Raised by Canadians To Help Syrians, To Be Matched by Liberals
OTTAWA—Canadians donated $32 million for aid to Syria under a matching program launched last fall.
The amount falls well short of the $100 million the federal government—first the Conservatives, then the Liberals—said they would match. But the Liberals say they will make up the difference and allocate an additional $68 million for humanitarian relief in the region.
The $32 million will go to UNICEF for education opportunities in Syria and Jordan. The rest of the money will be spread among other organizations active in the region.
Library Book Returned to Yukon 51 Years Overdue After Trip to New Zealand
WHITEHORSE—A book borrowed from a Yukon library in 1965 has been returned after 51 years and a journey to the other side of the globe.
Librarian Sarah Gallagher says “The Story of Madame Curie” by Alice Thorne ended up in New Zealand, where it was recently discovered by Roslyn Selby.
Gallagher says Selby mailed the book back, along with a donation of several other children’s books and a letter explaining her family moved away and accidentally took the book along.
April is amnesty month at the library so fines for overdue books are suspended.
Fisheries Minister on Bay de Verde Fish Plant Fire: ‘We’ll Rebuild’
ST. JOHN’S, N.L.—Newfoundland’s fisheries minister says he’s hopeful the Bay de Verde fish plant will be rebuilt with just “a short interruption,” but it’s too soon to confirm timelines.
Steve Crocker says he’ll work with the Quinlan Brothers, owners, to help displaced workers and ensure millions of pounds of seafood are processed at other sites.
A massive fire ripped through the company’s plant on April 11. Crocker says the cause of the disaster is still under investigation but economic effects will be felt around the region.
The plant was expected to employ about 700 people starting this month through November.
Thousands of Law Enforcement Officers Attend BC Mountie’s Funeral
COLWOOD, B.C.—About 2,000 law enforcement officers took part in a procession at a colleague’s funeral on Vancouver Island on April 12.
Hundreds of people lined the procession route as the hearse carrying Const. Sarah Beckett, who died in a car crash, made its way to a service at a local hockey arena in Colwood, B.C., near Victoria.
The 32-year-old was an 11-year member of the force and leaves behind a husband and two young children.
With files from The Canadian Press
