The Thursday news briefing: An at-a-glance survey of some top stories

Highlights from the news file for Thursday, Aug. 10

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SASKATCHEWAN’S BRAD WALL RETIRING FROM POLITICS: One of Canada’s most high-profile premiers who rose to national prominence for his down-to-earth style, sharp wit and, more recently, his willingness to lock horns with Ottawa is retiring from politics after a decade in office. Saskatchewan’s Brad Wall said he made the decision at the end of June after talking it over with his wife, Tami. Wall said he will stay on until his successor is chosen. Wall and his Saskatchewan Party have won three consecutive provincial elections, the last in 2016 where they took 51 of 61 seats. The party, which formed 20 years ago out of an alliance of disaffected Tories and Liberals, took more than 50 per cent of the popular vote in each of the contests. Wall, who is 51, routinely places high in opinion polls ranking the country’s most popular premiers and his knack for the zinger soundbite has made him a national political figure. Wall has been training his political guns afar, railing against opposition to pipeline projects that would see central Canada’s crude oil pumped to the coasts and markets overseas. He’s also waged war with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau over the federal government’s plan to force provinces to put a price on carbon, pledging to fight the move in court if necessary.

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PASTOR FREED IN NORTH KOREA ‘ON HIS WAY HOME’: Relatives of a Canadian pastor released this week after more than two years in a North Korean prison said Thursday he is “on his way home” and they are anxious to be reunited with him. The Korean Central News Agency reported Wednesday that North Korea’s central court had decided to free Hyeong Soo Lim, who was serving a life sentence for anti-state activities. The pastor’s release was described as “sick bail,” but no other details were given. In a statement Thursday, a spokeswoman for his family said they look forward to his return. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said Thursday he was “pleased and relieved” that Lim had been released. “Pastor Lim’s health and well-being remain of utmost importance to the government of Canada, and we are working to ensure that he receives any required medical attention,” Trudeau said in a brief statement. The prime minister also thanked Sweden for its assistance in the matter but said “operational security considerations” prevent the government from discussing the case further. While Canada lacks an embassy in North Korea, Sweden has maintained one in Pyongyang since 1975. Sweden acts as the “protective power” for Canada and other countries, meaning it can provide different services including consular responsibility for Canadian citizens.

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B.C. JOINS LEGAL FIGHT AGAINST TRANS MOUNTAIN: The British Columbia government wants to join the legal fight against the expansion of the Trans Mountain pipeline as it warned the company behind the project that it cannot begin work on public land until it gets final approval from the province. The province’s NDP government has hired former judge Thomas Berger to provide legal advice to the government as it seeks intervener status in legal challenges against the federal government’s approval of the pipeline expansion. The NDP has opposed the expansion of the pipeline, which received the blessing of the province’s former Liberal government earlier this year.  Premier John Horgan promised in the provincial election this spring to use “every tool in the toolbox” to stop the $7.4-billion project by Trans Mountain, a subsidiary of Kinder Morgan Canada. Several First Nations and municipalities have filed legal challenges against the expansion, which would triple the capacity of the Alberta-to-B.C. pipeline and increase the number of tankers in Vancouver-area waters seven-fold.

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ANIMAL CRUELTY CHARGES DROPPED AGAINST MARINELAND: Animal cruelty charges that had been laid against Marineland were dropped Thursday after prosecutors said there was no reasonable chance of conviction on most of the 11 counts faced by the Ontario tourist attraction. During a brief hearing in a Niagara Falls, Ont., courtroom, the Crown said it could have proceeded on three of the charges — which related to failing to comply with standards of care for a peacock, guinea hens and a red deer —  but did not believe it was in the public interest to do so, citing potential court costs and a weak case. Crown attorney Stephen Galbraith said prosecutors had instead come up with an alternative solution that included ongoing monitoring of the amusement park and zoo. “The Crown’s case is more circumstantial than direct evidence,” Galbraith told the court. “The photographs and video provided preserves observations, but there was no independent examination of the animals. The veterinarian’s report was not able to determine the cause of issues related to the animals.” The justice of the peace hearing the case accepted the Crown’s submission and withdrew the charges.

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FORMER PM EXPRESSES REGRETS ABOUT KHADR CASE: Former prime minister Paul Martin says he thinks a federal payout to Omar Khadr could have been avoided had Ottawa dealt with the situation differently from the start. Speaking after receiving an award in Halifax, Martin told The Canadian Press he feels the Khadr case was not handled well by a succession of governments. In 2002, the Canadian-born Khadr was imprisoned in the notorious U.S. detention facility in Guantanamo, Cuba, accused of killing an American soldier/medic during a firefight in Afghanistan at the age of 15. Martin, who became prime minister in late 2003 after serving in the previous Liberal cabinet, says he wishes Ottawa had taken a different approach in the early stages of the Khadr case, and says his own government followed the precedent set by its predecessors. The Supreme Court of Canada ruled in 2010 that Canadian authorities violated Khadr’s charter rights when they interrogated him there, despite the fact he was a minor, had no legal representation and had been tortured. Khadr subsequently launched a $20-million civil suit against the Canadian government. That was settled in July when the government agreed to pay him what sources reported was a $10.5-million settlement, rather than pursue what officials said would have been a costly court battle that the government had no hope of winning.

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B.C. LOOKS AT BACKCOUNTRY BAN OVER WILDFIRES: British Columbia is considering closing access to a vast section of its backcountry because of the wildfire risk. Restrictions on access to all Crown land in the Cariboo fire centre would go into effect at noon on Friday as the province continues to battle what Premier John Horgan has said is the worst fire season since the 1950s. There were 150 fires burning in the province on Wednesday. A final decision will be made Friday morning and will depend on wind conditions. A restriction order would mean people cannot remain in or enter the area without the prior written authorization. Exceptions include people who are travelling to or from their principle residence, a person acting in an official capacity or those who support efforts to fight wildfires. The Cariboo fire centre in the province’s Interior stretches from Loon Lake near Clinton in the south to the Cottonwood River near Quesnel in the north, and from Tweedsmuir Provincial Park in the west to Wells Gray Provincial Park in the east. The area is a popular destination for hikers and campers.

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JUDGE CHIDES TRANSPORT CANADA IN SAFETY CASE: A national union representing thousands of flight attendants is using a recent court ruling to push the federal government to tighten airline passenger safety rules. A Federal Court of Appeal judge ruled last week that Transport Canada couldn’t have reasonably concluded that passenger or crew safety wasn’t compromised when it allowed Sunwing Airlines to increase the ratio of passengers to flight attendants on its aircraft. The agency’s 2013 decision to allow one attendant for every 50 passengers instead of 40 came despite the airline failing three evacuation tests under the new system. The ruling also says the airline provided the government with a cursory risk assessment that contained little or no evidence to support its conclusions that safety was not compromised. The Canadian Union of Public Employees, which took the government to court over the Sunwing decision, says the Liberal government should force all airlines to use the lower ratio of passengers to crew to promote safety. CUPE national president Mark Hancock says the ruling should be a major wake-up call for Transport Canada to put the safety of passengers and crew before any other considerations.

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KEEP FIGHTING UNFAIR REFUGEE RULE, LAWYER SAYS: A law that leaves refugees forever at risk of losing their permanent residency must continue to be tested before the courts, says a B.C. lawyer who fell short Thursday in his efforts to have the Supreme Court examine the issue. The top court declined to hear lawyer Douglas Cannon’s case, which involved a refugee hoping to retain his Canadian citizenship but would have touched on a much larger debate about the principles underpinning Canada’s asylum system. A refugee’s status can be revoked at any time, but until 2012, such a development wouldn’t have impacted their permanent resident status. Similarly, a permanent resident could have that status revoked, but still be considered a refugee. Five years ago, the Conservative government at the time changed the law in order to remove people they felt ought not to have been given refugee status — and in turn permanent residency — in the first place. The intent was to go after fraud, but hundreds of people properly granted refugee status now find themselves stuck in an already clogged system with little chance of a hearing any time soon, Cannon said.

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CORNWALLIS STATUE IS LOCAL ISSUE, JUSTICE MINISTER SAYS: Federal Justice Minister Jody Wilson-Raybould says she defers to the views of local Mi’kmaq leaders when it comes to the issue of whether a controversial statue of Halifax’s founder should be moved. The Liberal cabinet minister is in Wolfville, N.S., today to attend a meeting with Nova Scotia chiefs and members of parliament to discuss increased self government for Mi’kmaq communities in the province. Last month protesters pledged to remove a bronze monument to Edward Cornwallis in a Halifax park, but instead the city temporarily covered it in a tarp. Cornwallis, as governor of Nova Scotia, founded Halifax in 1749 and soon after issued a bounty on Mi’kmaq scalps in response to an attack on colonists. Some members of the Mi’kmaq community have called for removal of tributes to Cornwallis, calling his actions a form of genocide. Wilson-Raybould says the regional leadership of the Assembly of First Nations and “the rest of the community and elders” will determine what actions to take to enhance reconciliation between First Nations and non-aboriginal residents in Nova Scotia.

The Canadian Press