OTTAWA —
Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has sparked major disruptions to a United Nations program that helps prevent hunger around the world, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau warned Monday during a trip to Europe aimed at working with allies to respond to the crisis.
“The challenge right now of Russia’s illegal invasion of Ukraine, is having ripple effects around the world, not just in energy prices for Canadians and for people in Europe, but for people in the global South as well,” Trudeau said Monday in London, adding that those include disruption to the UN World Food Program.
Ukraine is one of the world’s major wheat exporters and since Russia’s attack, global wheat prices have risen to levels not seen since 2008.
Sandra McCardell, an assistant deputy minister at Global Affairs Canada, told a Senate committee last week that there will be “a wide range of fallout” from Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, including food shortages in developing nations that import large amounts of Ukrainian wheat.
“We certainly are looking at contingencies. UN agencies are looking at contingencies,” she told the Senate foreign affairs committee on March 3. “This is not going to be just about Ukraine and Russia and we do need absolutely to be ready.”
Sen. Peter Harder, deputy chair of the committee, said in an interview that the reverberations of the Russian invasion would be felt worldwide.
In many countries, bread is a staple food and large numbers of countries in Asia and the Middle East import wheat from Russia and Ukraine. He said Lebanon imports 50 per cent of its wheat from Ukraine, Libya 43 per cent, Yemen 22 per cent and Bangladesh 21 per cent.
Ukraine’s planting season is due to start within the month. Some rely on foreign labour, which is fleeing or will not enter the country.
Canadian wheat producers warned that the Russian invasion will make it extremely difficult for Ukrainian farmers to get their seeds in the ground.
Dave Quist, executive director of the Western Canadian Wheat Growers, said Ukrainian farmers were “very concerned about not being able to get into the field at all.”
He said it is doubtful whether those that manage to plant their fields will be able to harvest in August or September.
Russia and Ukraine together export more than a quarter of global wheat supplies and the conflict has already led to a spike in wheat prices.
U.S. wheat futures rose to a 14-year high last week, with importers desperate to find supplies to fill the gap from Ukraine.
“We are already seeing wheat prices going through the roof with the potential to go up higher,” Quist said.
“If there is an overall shortage, then that will mean there is more demand in other parts of the world.”
Canada is a big exporter of wheat, along with the U.S., and farmers may benefit from the rising price of wheat. But most Canadian farmers have already bought the seed to plant this year’s crop and would find it difficult to pivot to plant more wheat if they have not prepared to do so, Quist said. Some pre-sold their crops at lower prices before the invasion, he said.
Quist said Argentina and Australia, which plant later in the year than Canada and the U.S., may have time to plant more wheat this year to cater to global demand.
With sanctions biting and the global community freezing out the regime of President Vladimir Putin, Russia’s wheat exports are likely to be disrupted as well.
Ukraine is facing its own food shortages, with the closure of shops, men called up to fight and its usual supply lines blocked by the Russian military.
NDP finance critic Daniel Blaikie said at a press conference on Friday that as a result of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, “there are likely to be serious economic consequences felt across the world.”
Even though Canada exports wheat, the drop in global supplies is likely to mean a rise in the cost of a loaf of bread in Canada.
NDP MP Rachel Blaney said what was happening in Ukraine could make existing inequalities in Canada “more profound.”
She said Canadians were already struggling to afford groceries, with more and more people, including those with jobs, turning to food banks.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 7, 2022.
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OTTAWA – Conservative MP Garnett Genuis told a federal inquiry today that parliamentarians who were targeted by Chinese hackers could have taken immediate protective steps if they had been informed sooner.
It emerged earlier this year that in 2021 some MPs and senators faced cyberattacks from the hackers because of their involvement with the Inter-Parliamentary Alliance on China, which pushes for accountability from Beijing.
In 2022, U.S. authorities apparently informed the Canadian government of the attacks, and it in turn advised parliamentary IT officials — but not individual MPs.
Genuis, a Canadian co-chair of the inter-parliamentary alliance, told a federal commission of inquiry on foreign interference today that it remains mysterious to him why he wasn’t informed about the attacks sooner.
Liberal MP John McKay, also a Canadian co-chair of the alliance, said there should be a clear protocol for advising parliamentarians of cyberthreats.
Several weeks of public inquiry hearings will focus on the capacity of federal agencies to detect, deter and counter foreign meddling.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 17, 2024.
TORONTO – After being drafted in the third round (61st overall) of the 2023 MLS SuperDraft, forward Charlie Sharp decided to put his dream of playing professional football on hold.
He spent a couple of weeks training with Toronto FC that summer and then returned for a fifth year at Western Michigan University.
“It was a really tough decision for me,” Sharp recalled. “Because I knew that going back to school, nothing was guaranteed. I could get injured or not perform well, but it seemed to really work out for me.”
Sharp scored 19 goals and added eight assists as a senior, leading the Broncos to a 17-2-3 record and a third-round appearance in the NCAA tournament where they eventually lost to national runner-up Notre Dame on penalty kicks. Sharp, who scored or assisted in nine of his last 10 matches, ranked first in the NCAA with 0.95 goals per game and 2.30 points per game and was tied for second with seven game-winning goals.
The 23-year-old Sharp, whose rights were retained by Toronto, spent time with the TFC first team in this year’s pre-season and signed with Toronto FC II in February. On Tuesday, he joined TFC 2 teammate Nate Edwards, a wingback from Brampton, Ont., in signing a first-team contract.
“We are happy to officially elevate Charlie at this time,” Toronto GM Jason Hernandez said in a statement Tuesday. “His strong mentality and mature playing style will be a welcomed addition to our young player group in the first team.”
Both players signed contracts that run through 2025 with club options for 2026 and 2027.
The deals were completed in advance of Friday’s MLS roster freeze but took their time working their way through the league office.
“A bit of unorthodox path that I chose,” said Sharp. “But I think you’re seeing it more now with players that get drafted.”
“I’m super-happy,” he added. “I think I made the right decision.”
As a senior, Sharp was one of three finalists for the 2023 MAC Hermann Trophy, which honours the top NCAA soccer player. The award eventually went to Clemson senior forward Ousmane Sylla.
The six-foot-five 185-pounder from Brighton, Mich., finished his collegiate career with 42 goals 22 assists, and 106 points in 89 games. He ranks first in career goals and games and tied for fourth in assists for Western Michigan.
In returning to Kalamazoo for a fifth year, Sharp also succeeded off the pitch by completing his degree in computer information systems.
Despite some niggling injuries, Sharp has five goals and two assists in 16 appearances with TFC 2 this season. He made his first-team debut off the bench May 15 against Nashville.
“I had a lot of friends and family watching,” he said.
“It’s been a journey,” Sharp added. “I’ve been thankful for every step of the way.,”
The 21-year-old Edwards has one goal and two assists in 23 games with TFC’s MLS Next Pro team.
“He has been a top performer with TFC II this season and we look forward to his continued growth within our environment,” said Hernandez
Edwards, who also joined TFC 2 in February, made his first-team debut May 21 in Canadian Championship play against Ligue1 Quebec champion CS Saint-Laurent.
The five-foot-eight 167-pounder split his college career between Syracuse University and Purdue University Fort Wayne. As a senior in 2023, he had one goal and four assists for Syracuse and was named to the 2023 All-Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) Academic Team and College Sport Communicators (CSC) Academic All-District Team.
At Purdue University Fort Wayne, he had two goals and an assist in 40 appearances across three seasons (2020-2022) with the Mastodons.
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This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 17, 2024.
CALGARY – A Calgary man who pleaded guilty to sharing Islamic State recruitment videos and propaganda on TikTok will spend the next six years behind bars.
Zakarya Rida Hussein was sentenced during a court appearance on Friday after he pleaded guilty to one of four terrorism-related charges.
Hussein admitted that he owned social media accounts that posted ISIS recruitment videos and propaganda.
He also admitted to sharing a bomb-making video online.
The man was arrested in June 2023 after a joint investigation led by the RCMP and the Calgary Police Service.
Hussein will need to submit DNA results and will be under lifetime ban from owning firearms after he’s released.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 17, 2024.
