Ottawa Observations: Thursday-Friday, April 21-22, 2022

Our compilation of some of the stories of note from the day, reviewing the political developments from the Federal scene for   Thursday-Friday, April 21-22, 2022

Ukraine/Russia War

After fending off Russian troops in Kyiv, these Ukrainian Special Forces members are processing horrors and appealing for weapons 

Moscow aims to control all of southern Ukraine, Russian general says

Canada sending armoured vehicles to Ukraine, in talks to reopen embassy in Kyiv

Quickly cutting Russian gas imports to Europe could backfire

How a Silicon Valley boss struggled to protect his Ukrainian employees

Canada sends four pieces of field artillery to Ukraine as country braces for renewed Russian attack

More Canadian weapons, including heavy artillery, arrive in Ukraine 

The Global Coronavirus (COVID-19)

Government eases some COVID-19 travel measures, but not masking on planes 

BC sees increase in COVID-19 hospitalizations over past week

Majority of Canadians back inquiries into national, provincial pandemic responses: poll

National Respiratory Roundtable urges Canadians to ignore dropping of mask mandates by provinces

Globe and Mail

Ottawa cites cabinet confidentiality over decision to invoke Emergencies Act, court filing shows

Gander's famous airport hopes the past is a big part of its future

Hudson's Bay gifting flagship downtown Winnipeg store to First Nations group 

Ottawa faces blowback for plan to regulate internet

Pierre Poilievre's taps into textbook populism: conjuring unseen enemies in the place of real solutions

Shannon Phillip's ordeal is yet another reason why women don't enter politics 

Canadian military getting advanced spy planes in $247 million deal

Experts question whether new $15 billion Canada Growth Fund will repeat past Liberal missteps

When people stand in line to meet Pierre Poilievre, you know his message about 'normal life' has hit home

Majority of Canadians in favour of abolishing constitutional monarchy, new survey finds

CBC

Political rhetoric on inflation is out of touch with reality, experts say

As inflation ticks ever higher, Macklem won't rule out super-sized rate hike

Crowdfunding platform GoFundMe lobbied MPs before testifying on truck convoy protest

Premiers, Mayors, head of CBC all banned from visiting Russia in latest round of sanctions

Service Canada warns of long wait times due to 'unprecedented surge' in passport applications 

Canadian military announces new army, Air Force and navy commanders

Crown Corporation proposes a bigger building to replace PM's residence at 24 Sussex

First Nations hit more often with CERB repayment letters, government numbers suggest

Freeland says government 'talking about' reopening embassy in Kyiv

Ottawa, Newfoundland disagree on who will foot hefty Bay du Nord royalty bill

Toronto/Vancouver Star

Canada unveils measures to help international students become permanent residents

A new official residence for Canada's Prime Ministers? Feds draw up possible plans for bigger, grander location

Steam Whistle, Pierre Poilievre, and Canada's toxic partisanship 

Can we have a G20 without Russia? Chrystia Freeland sounds ready to give it a try

The hard road back to Canadian militarism and the procurement blues

Should Russia be kicked off international bodies like the G20? Canada says yes

Toronto Sun

Canada draws 1 million travellers in one week for first time since pandemic 

Trudeau celebrates Earth Day in true Liberal fashion -- by flying across country

Twitter slams Trudeau online censorship plans

Trudeau hid public criticism of his online censorship plan

Trudeau's words and actions don't match!

Flair Airlines vows to keep flying, offering Canadians cheap flights

Ontario's election race tightens up with six weeks to go

Liberals need to stop spending to control prices

Oil and Water: Pierre Poilievre and the media?

Opposition mounts to Trudeau's online censorship  

Pull the plug on PMs Power plan

National Post

'Your war is making us poorer': Freeland says G20 cannot function with Russia at the table

Attempts to colour code politics don't belong in Canada 

Trudeau must reconcile his jet-setting ways with his climate panic

Federal Government has spent $576B in new measures since start of COVID pandemic: PBO report 

Canada 'very supportive' of Sweden and Finland joining NATO alliance, Trudeau says

Poilievre promises 'carrots and sticks' to get big cities to build more housing

Trudeau burns the jet fuel, flying equivalent of three trips around Earth over past 10 months

Macleans                           

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The hunt for BC's most notorious fisherman

Justin Trudeau offer s no timeline for first-time home buyer bill

Global          

Second body found in wreckage of fire-ravaged Gastown heritage building

World's first winter Invictus Games coming to Vancouver, Whistler in 2025

BC company wins Elon Musk-funded award for carbon capture technology

Kelowna walk in clinics have 2nd longest average wait times in Canada: Medimap

Bruising CPC leadership contest could leave eventual winner with unity problem 

Months after flooding, Sumas Prairie residents frustrated by lack of government funds

As pandemic restrictions wane, labour shortage persists for BC businesses

BC First Nations to get $74M in gaming funds to offset pandemic losses

Vancouver Island demographics skewing younger, report finds

Feds finalize 'transformative' pact with Inuit to recognize territory, shape policy

Canadians more open to cutting ties with Monarchy, but still support Queen: Poll

Miscellaneous            

Two bodies found during demolition of fire-ravaged Gastown Hotel

Earth Day is no time for complacency

Forests Minister Katrine Conroy phones hunger striker Howard Green but doesn't meet his central demand

Preliminary investigation concludes Winters Hotel Fire originated from unattended candles on second floor

Rezone and Resell: Vancouver site approved for strata homes resists for lower price of $26.8 million

Behind Amazon Workers' Historic Union win

Why can't we Build like It's the 1970's?

How to confront our crisis of Youth Climate Distress

Why do masks on planes no longer fly?

Bike Lanes, SkyTrains and Automobiles

DRIPA or Terra Nulls? The Province can't have it both ways

Powerful US Senator Joe Manchin Loves the Oilseeds. Now What?

Ignored no more

The coming Indigenous power play

Living near fracked wells increases adverse birth outcome risk, study suggests