Canada was not immune from an influx of shocking news this past year.
A horrifying mass shooting, the devastation caused by COVID-19, and plane crashes that claimed many lives have all shocked Canadians from coast to coast.
While these stories are dark and tragic, some positive news came out of 2020 for Canada, too.
The federal government made commitments to ban single-use plastics, and the Canadian Space Agency named its first-ever female president.
Here are just some of the top stories that captivated Canadians in 2020:
Canadian Space Agency gets first female president
Lisa Campbell, a long-time federal public servant who previously managed billions of dollars in planned military equipment purchases, will become the Canadian Space Agency’s first permanent female president.
She plans to invest in research and development as Canada works to develop new artificially intelligent robotics systems over the next 20 years for a U.S.-led plan to build a lunar space station.
She says ‘it’s about time’ a woman takes the helm of the organization, which was formed in 1989.
Tensions rise between levels of government, police, and Wet’suwet’en Nation due to pipeline project
Mass demonstrations, sit-ins, and blockades were held across the country during the early months of 2020 in solidarity with a movement to support the Wet’suwet’en Nation, who opposed a multi-billion-dollar pipeline project in northern British Columbia.
The hereditary chiefs of the Wet’suwet’en Nation have openly opposed the Coastal GasLink pipeline, which seeks to transport liquefied natural gas from northeastern B.C. to a terminal on the coast, cutting across Wet’suwet’en territory.
Tensions were furthered when RCMP began arresting protestors, asking them to leave the camp blocking access. Many spoke out against the arrests, calling them ‘unlawful and unjust.’
After months of negotiation, Indigenous leaders struck an unprecedented deal in May, whereby a memorandum of understanding was signed between the province, the federal government, and the Wet’suwet’en people. Hereditary chiefs said there’s still a lot of work ahead, but there is hope that it will end with recognition of their title to 22,000 square kilometres of traditional territory.
Snowbird crash kills Captain Jennifer Casey in Kamloops, B.C.
In an effort to spread hope and positivity from coast to coast in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Canadian Air Force Snowbirds launched ‘Operation Inspiration’, flying over communities across Canada. The cross-country tour was meant to pay tributes to Canadians, particularly the front-line health care workers who have fought tirelessly against coronavirus.
However, the mission of positivity turned catastrophic when one of the planes crashed in a residential area in Kamloops, B.C. Captain Jennifer Casey was tragically killed in the incident.
The Snowbirds cancelled the operation following the May 17 crash that claimed Casey’s life. Pilots in B.C. took up the mantle with ‘Operation Backup Inspiration,’ finishing the route from Abbotsford to Vancouver, paying tribute to the Snowbirds and their lost comrade.
The Snowbirds were not permitted to fly again until August.
Straws, plastic bags to be banned nationwide
Canada has vowed to ban single-use plastics nationwide by the end of 2021, bringing the country one step forward to zero plastic waste by 2030.
This marks the end of the road for plastic straws, stir sticks, carry-out bags, cutlery, dishes, take-out containers, six pack rings for cans, and bottles.
Canada currently recycles less than 10 per cent of the three million tonnes of plastic it produces each year, proving there is enormous room for improvement in terms of reducing the nation’s environmental impact.
Canada will be joining the dozens of other nations that have enacted various bans on single-use plastics, including France and the U.K.
Military helicopter crashes in Mediterranean, killing six Canadians
The nation mourned alongside the family and friends of the victims of a Canadian military helicopter crash off the coast of Greece.
At the end of April, a Cyclone helicopter, part of a NATO maritime force in the Mediterranean, crashed within sight of the HMCS Fredericton.
Six Canadian service members died, but only the remains of two were found in the days following the incident.
A month after the crash, search-and-recovery teams discovered a large piece of the fuselage and the remains of fallen military personnel.
While the investigation is still ongoing, analysts have suggested a major software glitch caused the accident.
COVID-19 targets migrant farm workers
In June, Mexico stated it wouldn’t send any more temporary foreign workers to Canada until it received more clarity on COVID-19-related deaths of its citizens.
During the first wave of COVID-19, outbreaks at farms in Ontario alone led to around 1,000 cases and three deaths.
While many cases can be linked to tight living quarters (making physical distancing difficult) and a short supply of PPE, the pandemic also cast a light on the system which employs migrant farmers, and the factors that may prevent them from accessing health care, including a fear of losing income.
In response, advocacy groups have raised awareness of the mistreatment many migrant workers face in an effort to improve conditions moving forward.
While both levels of government have introduced new strategies to curb the spread among migrant farm workers, advocates have said the plan falls short by leaving employee feedback out.
WE Charity scandal causes chaos during confusing period of federal COVID-19 relief funding
In June, heads were turned when a federal contract was awarded to a charity which had previously paid the prime minister’s family.
The WE Charity was selected to administer a $912M Canada Student Summer Grant program. When it came to light that the charity had previously paid Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s wife, mother, and brother significant sums of money to speak at various events, many were outraged that Trudeau failed to declare a conflict of interest. There were also negative implications for students caught in the crossfire of the fallout.
In August, Finance Minister Bill Morneau resigned, and many analysts saw this as a move designed to protect the Liberals from the unfolding scandal.
In September, WE Charity announced it was closing operations in Canada due to the political fallout, and effects of COVID-19. Shortly before this, the charity also announced it had repaid the balance it had received from the federal government.
Morneau and Trudeau are still under investigation for not recusing from cabinet discussions pertaining to the program.
Alex Trebek passes away
The beloved host of Jeopardy! passed away at his Los Angeles home on Nov. 8 after battling pancreatic cancer.
Born in Sudbury, Ont., Trebek began his game show hosting career in 1973 and went on to be the face of Jeopardy! for 37 seasons.
Throughout his career, he was honoured with seven Daytime Emmy Awards, has stars on both the Canadian Walk of Fame and the Hollywood Walk of Fame, and was presented the Order of Canada in 2017.
COVID-19 alert app launches
The federal government poured tech resources into creating an application to assist with contact tracing for the novel coronavirus – the COVID-19 Alert app.
The app was made available in Ontario in July, and was soon rolled out across Canada.
By mid-August, it had been downloaded 1.9 million times.
Many were apprehensive about the app, citing privacy concerns. The government assured the public repeatedly that no personal data would be collected.
While the app is not without its flaws, experts have agreed in analyzing the COVID-19 Alert app that it does attempt to share as little information as possible, while still allowing for contact tracing.
U.S. stands down on aluminum tariffs
The United States under President Donald Trump announced tariffs of 25 per cent on imports of Canadian steel, and 10 per cent on aluminum back in May 2018, after inability to reach a new NAFTA negotiation.
The tariffs remained in place for a year. In response, Canada implemented dollar-for-dollar countermeasures on American steel and aluminum.
After a year and a half of back and forth tariffs and counter measures, the U.S.finally agreed to lift tariffs on aluminum in October, retroactive to Sept. 1 of this year. The federal government welcomed the U.S. decision, which came just hours before Canada was set to unveil retaliatory measures.
Mi’kmaq lobster dispute in Nova Scotia ends on a positive note
In September and October of this year, Sipekne’katik First Nation in southwest Nova Scotia launched a self-regulated lobster fishery, asserting their treaty right allowing them to fish when and where they want, outside of the federally-regulated commercial fishing season.
Conflict between Mi’kmaq and non-Indigenous fishers ensued, with escalating violence across Nova Scotia. One lobster pound was ransacked, while a vehicle was set on fire at another. A Mi’kmaq lobster pound in Middle West Pubnico was destroyed by fire, bringing the conflict to a head.
Indigenous groups across Canada stood in solidarity with the Mi’kmaq fishermen.
The attacks prompted widespread outrage and calls for clarification on Mi’kmaq treaty rights.
A memorandum of understanding released to the First Nation in late November affirms the right of the Mi’kmaq to fish for a ‘moderate livelihood, a deal that Mi’kmaq chiefs call ‘historic.’
Nova Scotia shooter kills 22
In mid-April, 22 people, including an RCMP officer, were killed in a mass shooting in Portapique, N.S. by a gunman impersonating a police officer during a thirteen-hour crime spree.
This attack marked the deadliest rampage in Canadian history.
In the wake of the horrific attack, questions were raised surrounding RCMP’s decision not to use Alert Ready to warn the public about the attacks, as well as not responding to reports about the shooter’s past behaviour and acts of domestic violence.
The shooting also prompted Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to follow through on a 2019 campaign promise to ban ‘military-grade assault style’ weapons.
Pfizer vaccine approved in Canada
After months of anticipation as COVID-19 claimed the lives of over 13,000 Canadians and over one million people worldwide, Canada approved Pfizer and BioNTech’s COVID-19 vaccine in December of this year.
A vaccine was developed quickly, as countries around the world poured unprecedented time, money, and resources into the fight against COVID-19.
Canada signed deals to receive 249,000 doses of the drug, and since then, Toronto and Ottawa have received doses of the vaccine for health-care workers.
VANCOUVER – A chemical firm based in Port Coquitlam, B.C., claims Health Canada wrongfully cancelled its licences to make natural health products after being sanctioned by the U.S. Treasury Department for alleged involvement in importing precursor chemicals that could be used in illicit drug production.
The U.S. Treasury Department announced sanctions against Valerian Labs and its owner Bahman Djebelibak, who goes by Bobby Shah, in October 2023, and five days later Canada suspended and then cancelled Valerian’s licenses to make health products.
Valerian is now taking Health Canada to Federal Court, claiming in judicial review applications that the Canadian actions were solely based on a U.S. Treasury news release alleging it was involved in “the international proliferation of illicit drugs.”
Deputy Secretary of the Treasury Wally Adeyemo had said in a statement at the time that the targets of the sanctions included a China-based network involved in the manufacturing and distribution of fentanyl and “other substances that take thousands of American lives each year.”
Health Canada’s Office of Controlled Substances also revoked Valerian’s registration and certificate under the agency’s “Precursor Control Regulations,” which it says “provide a regulatory framework that allows Canada to fulfil its international obligations with respect to the monitoring and control of precursors used in the production of illegal drugs.”
A Health Canada guidance document defines precursors as “chemicals that are frequently diverted from legitimate activities to the illegal manufacture of drugs.”
Valerian Labs says the Health Canada decisions were unreasonable and unfair, having relied on an uncorroborated “foreign press release.”
The U.S. Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control named several China-based companies in the sanctions announcement, including Jinhu Minsheng Pharmaceutical Machinery Co., which sells equipment and materials allegedly used in the production of counterfeit oxycodone pills.
The department’s statement said Valerian Labs was a “major customer” of Jinhu Minsheng, receiving shipments of methylamine hydrochloride — which it called a precursor used to produce methamphetamine and MDMA.
Reached by phone and text message, Shah denied allegations related to the drug trade but acknowledged buying the chemical.
“I have bought Methylimine HCL, I have bought machinery,” he wrote in a text message.
His “only mistake” he wrote, was that he “didn’t just procure. I have them as commodities on my inventory that I offer as a chemical vendor.”
He said he had been instructed by his lawyer to “not engage” with The Canadian Press, and said he did not consent to the use of his remarks. He was told an off-the-record interview needed to be agreed upon from the outset.
Valerian’s applications filed Sept. 13 in Federal Court in Vancouver say Health Canada “has not set out any justification as to why the press release provides reasonable ground to believe that a suspension is necessary to prevent injury to the health of purchasers or consumers of products manufactured by Valerian Labs.”
A Health Canada spokesperson said no one was available for an interview about the company’s licence cancellations, and the agency would not comment on ongoing litigation.
In a written statement, Health Canada said its “top priority is protecting the health and safety of the people of Canada.”
“The department is committed to verifying that health products manufactured and sold in the Canadian market are safe, effective and of high quality. When there is information that could give rise to health and safety risks, Health Canada will determine if compliance and enforcement action is required and communicate the risks to the public, if warranted.”
Company registration records show Valerian Labs used to be registered in B.C. under the name Hollywood Vape Labs, and court records show he and his former wife, Ramina Shah, faced a civil forfeiture lawsuit from the B.C. government, but the case was dropped.
In 2021, a B.C. Provincial Court judge found police had breached the couple’s Charter rights against unreasonable search and seizure in a cheque fraud investigation.
Ramina Shah was murdered in January 2022, stabbed to death in a Coquitlam parkade, and the Integrated Homicide Investigation Team said in a written statement it could not comment on an “active ongoing investigation.”
The U.S. Department of the Treasury did not respond to a request for comment on the sanctions against Valerian Labs.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 27, 2024.
Barbara Nolan, an Anishnaabe elder on a mission to promote her nation’s language, says she loves to hear stories about how her work is influencing children.
Nolan launched a series of online videos last month to introduce the language — called Anishinaabemowin — to the very youngest members of the community.
“I know this one grandparent, she sends me a picture of her grandchildren sitting on the floor and they’re watching a big-screen TV,” Nolan said in a recent interview from Garden River First Nation, east of Sault Ste. Marie, Ont. “And guess who’s on that big-screen TV? It’s me!”
In her videos, Nolan uses immersion techniques — instead of teaching the language, she encourages people to live it. Her content tackles a wide range of topics from Halloween to animals to the blight of residential schools, presented in a way that a child can understand.
Nolan, 77, is an elder born in Wiikwemkoong First Nation, and a residential school survivor. Growing up, she said, she heard her parents only speak Anishinaabemowin.
“I never heard my dad speak English or my mom for that matter,” she said. “And so we grew up hearing all this language — grandparents, aunties, uncles, neighbours, you know, the whole community.”
Nolan says many residential school survivors had their language taken from them, a dispossession she actively resisted but one that left an indelible mark on others.
“I would say they don’t want to speak it — even today,” Nolan said. “They know it, but they don’t want to speak it. It’s too painful for them. They think somebody is going to come and do something harmful to them … they’re going to be punished if you speak your language.”
Nolan has tried to buck that trend, working to revive and spread the language since the early 1970s. She works as a daycare language instructor in Garden River, playing with kids in Anishinaabemowin, introducing them to basic words. When the children she looks after start to speak for the first time, they sometime uses Anishnaabe words alongside English.
But those children, she said, aren’t immersed in the language; when they aren’t with her, they don’t speak it — or hear it. “And I thought, I think it’s about time that I did videos in the language, fun videos, animated videos.”
So she teamed up with Esbikenh, an Anishinaabe Grade 3 teacher in Walpole Island First Nation who creates digital characters. Together, they created online videos, presented on TikTok and other social media; she has even participated in the development of an application that teaches Anishinaabemowin.
Randy Morin, an Indigenous studies professor at the University of Saskatchewan, says there are about 63 Indigenous languages spoken in Canada and only three are expected to be around in the long term. “As you know, our populations are aging and they’re the ones that still speak languages, and unfortunately, we’re losing their languages very rapidly,” Morin said in an interview.
A major reason for language loss, Morin said, is federal government policy, including the residential school system. “But now it’s our aging population, our elders are passing away so fast and when they pass away, we lose so much: we lose language, we lose the values, our world view of how you see the world and interact with the world.”
Indigenous languages, he said, should be made official languages in Canada, so that they can receive funding proportional to the money that is invested in English and French programs across the country. “We lose our stories and we kind of lose the meanings of words that are so significant, so we need to hold on to these languages for a variety of reasons,” Morin said.
Indigenous languages, he added, can hold answers to pressing modern questions. The world’s last biodiversity-rich lands are owned and managed by Indigenous people, he said, whose languages are encoded with the techniques to manage the territory. The world may lose important knowledge about climate change and sustainable development when those languages are lost.
Knowledge, he said, is “embedded in the languages and how we look at the world, how we interact with the world. So we have much to lose.”
Nolan is trying to leave some of that knowledge behind. The first 10 videos were published online in August, with more to come. She intends to keep going for as long as she can — leaving behind something that can stand the test of time.
Locals in Garden River have told her how much they like the efforts.
“They will stop me on the street and they say, ‘Barbara, my little granddaughter, she likes your video. She just loves you, you know,’ and that is so rewarding for me to hear,” Nolan said.
“It’s for the kids. I have done that for the kids.”
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 27, 2024.
HAILEYBURY, Ont. – Jacob Hoggard’s sexual assault trial is set to resume today with further cross-examination of his accuser, after several heated exchanges on Thursday.
The complainant alleges Hoggard raped, choked, slapped and urinated on her in his hotel room after she attended his band’s concert and an after-party in Kirkland Lake, Ont., eight years ago.
Hoggard has pleaded not guilty in the trial, which is taking place in the northeastern Ontario community of Haileybury.
The defence and Crown agree that a sexual encounter took place, but prosecutors are seeking to prove it was not consensual.
On Thursday, defence lawyer Megan Savard accused the complainant of fabricating her story and trying to hide from the jury that she was hoping to have sex with the Hedley singer.
The woman, whose identity is protected by a publication ban, forcefully denied those suggestions.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 27, 2024.
