Immigration officials have given family members of detained Huawei telecom executive Meng Wanzhou permission to travel to Canada, CBC News has confirmed.
“As in all cases, this decision was made in accordance with Canadian laws and in strict compliance with the current travel [Orders in Council],” said a statement from Global Affairs Canada.
In court yesterday it was revealed that Meng’s husband, Liu Xiaozong, and her two children were granted permission to come to Canada by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada officials. Liu came to Canada in October and in December was followed by the couple’s children.
Global Affairs said that Meng’s family members were granted permission to come here through a process that allows family members of foreign nationals to visit Canada temporarily.
The statement from Global Affairs said the minister was aware of the exemption that was granted.
Meng, chief financial officer for Huawei Technologies Co., was detained in December 2018 while she was changing planes in Vancouver. She was arrested on a U.S. extradition request over allegations she lied to a Hong Kong banker in August 2013 about Huawei’s control of a subsidiary accused of violating U.S. sanctions against Iran.
She has been released on bail and consistently denies the charges against her.
Under her bail conditions, Meng is required to wear a GPS ankle monitoring bracelet and is confined to her home from 11 p.m. to 6 a.m. every day. She is allowed to travel around the Lower Mainland with security guards during the day; she has to pay for the security herself.
Shortly after Meng’s arrest, Canadians Michael Kovrig and Michael Spavor were detained in China, where they remain in detention facing charges of spying for Canada.
‘Increased access’ granted
Global Affairs said that the detention of the two Canadians is “unacceptable” and that while the federal government is continuing to push for their immediate release, it has made some progress toward improving the conditions of their imprisonment.
“Over the past months, Canada has obtained agreements involving increased family and consular access for Michael Kovrig and Michael Spavor,” the statement said.
A source speaking on background told CBC News that the “increased access” refers to a resumption of consular visits and exchange of family letters that Kovrig and Spavor were granted prior to the outbreak of the pandemic. From January to October of last year, family and Canadian officials had no access to the two men.
Meng, meanwhile, launched a bid in a B.C. court this week to loosen her bail restrictions. Earlier this week, the 48-year-old — who has survived thyroid cancer and has hypertension — claimed the changing roster of guards who accompany her everywhere during daylight hours is placing her at heightened risk of catching COVID-19.
Conservative MP Raquel Dancho said the decision to grant Meng’s family a pass to enter Canada is an insult to the families of Kovrig and Spavor.
“The Liberals rolled out the red carpet and granted a special travel exemption for the Huawei CFO’s family to reunite in time for the holidays. This is an insult to the millions of Canadians who were told by this government not to visit loved ones,” she said.
Rights violations
In court this week, Liu Xiaozong claimed the constant presence of guards is also preventing his family from spending quality time together without attracting the attention of strangers anxious to photograph the woman at the centre of a high-profile international court case.
The extradition proceeding itself is expected to get underway at the beginning of March, and to continue in various stages until the end of April.
The first part of the proceedings will involve a defence bid to have the case tossed because of alleged violations of Meng’s rights.
Her lawyers claim she is being used as a political pawn by U.S. President Donald Trump and they also say the Canada Border Services Agency and RCMP conspired with the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation at the time of her arrest to deny her access to a lawyer.
The defence claims that the U.S. deliberately misled Canada about the strength of the case against Meng and is reaching beyond its jurisdiction to punish her.
The final part of the proceedings will be a test of the strength of the extradition request itself.
LONGUEUIL, Que. – People in a part of Longueuil, Que., were being asked to stay indoors with their doors and windows closed on Thursday morning after a train derailed, spilling an unknown quantity of hydrogen peroxide.
Police from the city just east of Montreal said it didn’t appear anyone was hurt, although a CN rail official told a news conference that three employees had been taken to hospital as a precautionary measure.
The derailment happened at around 9 a.m. in the LeMoyne area, near the intersection of St-Louis and St-Georges streets. Mathieu Gaudreault, a spokesman for CN rail, said about eight cars derailed at the Southwark rail facility, including four that toppled over.
“As of this morning, the information we have is it’s hydrogen peroxide that was in the rail car and created the fumes we saw,” he said, adding that there was no risk of fire.
François Boucher, a spokesman for the Longueuil police department, said police were asking people in the area, including students at nearby schools, to stay indoors while experts ensure the air is safe to breathe.
“It is as a preventive measure that we encourage people to really avoid exposing themselves unnecessarily,” he told reporters near the scene.
Police and fire officials were on site, as well as CN railworkers, and a large security perimeter was erected.
Officers were asking people to avoid the sector, and the normally busy Highway 116 was closed in the area. The confinement notice includes everyone within 800 metres of the derailment, officials said, who added that it would be lifted once a team with expertise in dangerous materials has given the green light.
In addition to closing doors and windows, people in the area covered by the notice are asked to close heating, ventilation and air exchange systems, and to stay as far from windows as possible.
Gaudreault said it wasn’t yet clear what caused the derailment. The possibilities include a problem with the track, a problem with a manoeuvre, or a mechanical issue, he said.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 14, 2024.
HALIFAX – Nova Scotia’s Liberal party is promising to improve cellphone service and invest in major highways if the party is elected to govern on Nov. 26.
Party leader Zach Churchill says a Liberal government would spend $60 million on building 87 new cellphone towers, which would be in addition to the $66 million the previous Progressive Conservative government committed to similar projects last year.
As well, Churchill confirmed the Liberals want to improve the province’s controlled access highways by adding exits along Highway 104 across the top of the mainland, and building a bypass along Highway 101 near Digby.
Churchill says the Liberals would add $40 million to the province’s $500 million capital budget for highways.
Meanwhile, the leaders of the three major political parties were expected to spend much of today preparing for a televised debate that will be broadcast tonight at 6 p.m. local time.
Churchill will face off against Progressive Conservative Leader Tim Houston and NDP Leader Claudia Chender during a 90-minute debate that will be carried live on CBC TV and streamed online.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 14, 2024.
TORONTO – A group of hotel service workers in Toronto is set to hold a rally today outside the Fairmont Royal York to demand salary increases as hotel costs in the city skyrocket during Taylor Swift’s concerts.
Unite Here Local 75, the union representing 8,000 hospitality workers in the Greater Toronto Area, says Royal York employees have not seen a salary increase since 2021, and have been negotiating a new contract with the hotel since 2022.
The rally comes as the megastar begins her series of six sold-out concerts in Toronto, with the last show scheduled for Nov. 23.
During show weekends, some hotel rooms and short-term rentals in Toronto are priced up to 10 times more than other weekends, with some advertised for as much as $2,000 per night.
The union says hotel workers who will be serving Swifties during her Toronto stops are bargaining for raises to keep up with the rising cost of living.
The union represents hospitality workers including food service employees, room attendants and bell persons.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 14, 2024.
