In the news today: Consular freeze worries Ukrainian man in Canada

Here is a roundup of stories from The Canadian Press designed to bring you up to speed on what you need to know today…

Consular freeze worries Ukrainian man in Canada

A Ukrainian man living in Canada says he’s worried a freeze on consular services for Ukrainians abroad could put his future in peril.

Mykyta Zakharchenko lived under the shadow of two major conflicts in his home country before he escaped to Canada during the Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022.

This week, the Ukrainian foreign affairs minister announced Ukrainian men of fighting age would no longer be able to access consular services abroad.

The move is an effort to bring Ukrainian men eligible for military service back to the country, where they can be conscripted for the war effort.

The Canadian Immigration Department and the Ukrainian Embassy in Canada did not immediately respond to requests for comment. 

Here’s what else we’re watching…

Norad commander praises new defence policy

The new commander of Norad is praising the federal government’s updated defence policy, saying it aligns with his plans to defend the continent. 

General Gregory Guillot says it aligns with his plans to defend the continent and he’s focused ensuring American troops are ready to handle the harsh conditions in the Arctic. 

That will mean more training in the North, better cold-weather gear and improved infrastructure. 

Canada’s updated defence policy is heavily focused on Arctic sovereignty, with plans to buy new equipment and update what’s there. 

The policy calls for an additional 73-billion dollars to be spent on national defence.

— 

Ottawa still blocking some aid for Afghanistan

Foreign aid groups say the federal government must work faster to stop blocking them from helping people in Afghanistan. 

Aid workers are vulnerable to prosecution under the Criminal Code if they pay taxes for labour or goods to Afghanistan’s Taliban government.

That’s because Ottawa would qualify that as financially supporting a terrorist organization.

The United States, the European Union and Australia all issued exemptions to their terror laws by February 20-22, about six months into the Taliban’s rule. 

M-Ps have been asking for Ottawa to do the same for nearly two years, with Parliament acting last session to pass bill to facilitate humanitarian aid. 

—

Guilbeault concerned about Sarnia styrene plant

Canada’s Environment Minister says he ‘s looking for more way to protect a southern Ontario First Nation from repeated exposure to benzene from a nearby chemical plant.

Leaders from Aamjiwnaang (AHM’-joo-nong) First Nation and international environment advocates wrote to Steven Guilbeault Thursday asking him to take immediate steps to ensure the Ineos Styrolution plant in Sarnia remains closed until the First Nation deems it safe to reopen.

The letter comes as the plant issues a new warning about air pollution and initiates a shutdown to fall within a provincial compliance order.

The province is calling for the plant to take steps to fix the benzene pollution problem.

Guilbeault says he has met with First Nation leaders and wants to help solve the issue.

—

With changing climate, saffron blooms in Canada

A saffron researcher based in India says it’s not surprising that certain parts of Canada are increasingly suitable for growing saffron.

Saffron is now grown in parts of Nova Scotia, Quebec, Ontario and British Columbia, but has been traditionally grown in multiple countries, including India, Afghanistan and Spain.

Bashir Ahmad Allie, head of the saffron research station at Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology in India, this shouldn’t be shocking, considering how climate is changing across the globe.

Allie notes that the climate change that has made saffron cultivation viable in Canada has had the opposite effect in the regions of India where it is grown. 

—

This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 26, 2024.

The Canadian Press