By Canadian Press

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

Apr 3, 2017 | 1:45 PM

Highlights from the news file for Monday, April 3

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CEO SAYS BOMBARDIER DID ‘BAD JOB’ ON COMPENSATION: Bombardier did “a bad job” explaining its decision to raise executive compensation, but the company has listened to the public and is now ready to turn the page, CEO Alain Bellemare says. In an interview, Bellemare acknowledged that Bombardier underestimated the anger that would erupt over the pay hikes, which were to come as it was issuing pink slips to thousands of employees while receiving federal and provincial assistance. Bellemare announced late Sunday that he has asked Bombardier’s board of directors to delay the payment of more than half of this year’s total planned compensation for six executive officers, including himself, by one year — until 2020. Last week, the company issued a proxy circular showing that Bellemare and five others were in line for a nearly 50 per cent increase in compensation, most of which was to be granted in 2019. The disclosure stoked fierce outcry that lasted for days, including a weekend protest at Bombardier’s headquarters in Montreal. Federal Economic Development Minister Navdeep Bains said Monday that like many Canadians, he was disappointed by the Bombardier executive pay raises, but added it seems like the company is trying to address those concerns.

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BLAST ON RUSSIAN SUBWAY KILLS 11 PEOPLE: A bomb blast tore through a subway train deep under Russia’s second-largest city Monday, killing 11 people and wounding about 40 in a chaotic scene that left victims sprawled on a smoky platform. Hours later, anguish and fear rose again when police found and defused a shrapnel-packed explosive device at another St. Petersburg station. There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the attack, which came while President Vladimir Putin was visiting the city, his hometown. In the past two decades, Russian trains and planes have been frequent targets of terrorism, usually blamed on Islamic militants. News reports said police were searching for two suspects, and Russian state television showed a photo of one suspect wearing what appeared to be a skullcap characteristic of Russia’s Muslim regions. The Investigative Committee, the country’s top criminal investigation body, said it had begun a probe based on the assumption that it was terrorism but added that other possibilities were being considered.

modified weapon

Sawed-off shotgun seized after Nanaimo RCMP spot well-known offender

2h ago

rainbow eyes

Nanaimo judge hands old growth logging protestor additional jail time

4h ago

Paris Bound

Nanaimo race walker Olivia Lundman qualifies for Paris Olympic Games

6h ago

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DRUNK PILOT SENTENCED TO EIGHT MONTHS IN JAIL: An airline pilot who was so drunk he appeared to pass out in the cockpit before takeoff has been sentenced to eight months in jail, a penalty the judge said should deter pilots around the world from showing up to work impaired. Miroslav Gronych, 37, pleaded guilty last month to having care and control of an aircraft while he had a blood alcohol level that was three times the legal limit. Judge Anne Brown banned him from flying for one year after his release and took into account time Gronych has already spent in custody, reducing his sentence to slightly more than seven months. Gronych, a Slovakian national who was in Canada on a work visa, will also have to pay a $100 victim fine surcharge. Gronych was escorted off a Sunwing Airlines plane in Calgary on Dec. 31, before the plane was supposed to fly to Regina and Winnipeg before continuing to Cancun, Mexico. The court heard that Gronych, who is married and has two young children, has lost his job. Sunwing has said it has a zero tolerance policy on crew members consuming alcohol within 12 hours of going on duty.

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MORNEAU SAYS BORDER TAX MIGHT HURT U.S. MORE: Canada’s finance minister is warning business leaders in New York that a proposed U.S. border tax threatens to make both countries poorer — and might even hurt Americans more. In an appearance Monday at a World Economic Forum event, Bill Morneau cautioned that a tariff-like tax would sting families on both sides of the frontier by disrupting a mutually beneficial trading relationship and imposing extra costs on U.S. firms. Morneau’s strong public stance against the border tax came after Natural Resources Minister Jim Carr noted last week that the policy faces huge opposition in Washington. Carr made the comments after he held a series of meetings in Washington with lawmakers, administration officials, and business people whom he said cast doubts on whether the import tax had any chance of passing in an upcoming omnibus tax bill.

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CENTRAL BANK SENSES MODEST INVESTMENT PICKUP: The Bank of Canada says it’s detecting early signs of a “modest” pickup in corporate investment over the near term, even amid considerable uncertainty surrounding the U.S. economic agenda. In its first business outlook survey since U.S. President Donald Trump was inaugurated, the central bank said Monday that signals of a recovery in business investment are starting to emerge after a two-year period of weakness triggered by the oil-price shock. “Although many firms expect additional spending to be modest, intentions to increase investment have become more widespread, driven by strengthening demand,” the bank said in the report that accompanied its survey of about 100 executives. The findings indicated a greater percentage of Canadian firms surveyed were more optimistic about future sales growth than they were in January, even though many hadn’t seen their sales expand for nearly two years. Hiring intentions remained positive but little changed, the report said. The results, taken from surveys conducted between mid-February and early March, follow other recent reports that showed encouraging gains in Canadian economic growth, trade and jobs.

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CHARGES LAID IN SASKATOON COURTHOUSE BLAST: A threatening phone call led to charges being laid in an explosion last week outside Saskatoon’s provincial courthouse. The blast happened late Wednesday evening near the front doors of the building. Part of the cover over the entranceway was damaged, but no one was hurt. Police later said they ruled out international terrorism. Insp. Randy Huisman says someone called police dispatch the next day saying they would “finish the job” at the courthouse. Rodney James Wilkie, 44, of Saskatoon, is facing numerous charges, including intent to cause an explosion and threats to cause damage. Police searched two homes in Saskatoon and a vehicle and made an arrest on Sunday. Huisman said police are still investigating whether there are any links between the explosion and a backpack containing fireworks found in front of the courthouse in February. Wilkie’s next court date is Wednesday.

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MINISTER SAYS COMEDIAN’S COMMENTS AT JUNOS INAPPROPRIATE:  Comments made by comedian Russell Peters while hosting the Junos on Sunday night are not welcome by Heritage Minister Melanie Joly. Peters, who hosted the music awards ceremony in Ottawa along with musician Bryan Adams, called the minister “hot” before introducing her on stage. He also commented on the number of young women in the audience, suggesting it was a “felony waiting to happen.” Joly says Peters’ comments were clearly inappropriate, adding this type of humour does not have a place at the Junos. The minister says she is proud to represent an industry worth $53 billion, noting Canada is the third largest exporter of music in the world. Joly adds she wants to see hosts of the Junos promote values including gender parity.

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INQUIRY NOT REACHING OUT TO FAMILIES, ADVOCATES SAY: A coalition of aboriginal women’s advocacy groups is expressing grave concerns about the national missing and murdered women’s inquiry, saying the commission has failed to adequately reach out to families. The Coalition on Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls in British Columbia says it’s concerned about media reports that say the inquiry has only identified about 100 family members or survivors. Coalition member Fay Blaney says she understands that the federal government has not shared with the inquiry the names of those who came forward during preliminary consultations. She’s calling on the inquiry to immediately request that all levels of government and indigenous organizations contact family members and survivors to ensure they know how to register to be a witness. Lorelei Williams, whose aunt went missing decades ago and whose cousin’s DNA was found on serial killer Robert Pickton’s farm, says family members are extremely stressed out about the inquiry. Chief Commissioner Marion Buller was not immediately available to comment, but the inquiry is conducting preliminary meetings this month before the first public hearing is held May 29 in Whitehorse.

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ONTARIO’S FIRST CAP-AND-TRADE AUCTION SELLS OUT: Ontario’s first cap-and-trade auction has sold out all current allowances. The system aimed at lowering greenhouse gas emissions requires certain electricity importers, natural gas distributors and fuel suppliers to participate. They have caps on the amount of pollution they can emit and if they exceed those limits, they must buy an equal number of credits — or allowances — at auction or from other companies that come in under their limits. Results released Monday from the March 22 auction show that all current allowances were sold. The government says the auction brought in $472 million. The provincial Liberal government hopes the quarterly auctions will bring in $1.9 billion a year, to be invested in programs that reduce emissions and help businesses and consumers adapt to a low-carbon economy.

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LIBERAL MP APOLOGIZES FOR SEXIST REMARK: Liberal MP Nicola Di Iorio has apologized in the House of Commons for making what was described as “a suggestive and very inappropriate” comment during a committee meeting last month. Di Iorio directed a stripper-related remark to British Columbia Conservative MP Dianne Watts. The incident occurred on International Women’s Day, March 8. The Quebec Liberal says he is “profoundly sorry” for the comment. He says he never meant to offend Watts. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau promised to look into the matter. Di Iorio and Watts were at a closed meeting on the public safety committee when he heard a colourful ring tone on her cellphone and asked: “Where’s your pole to slide down on?” Watts said in a statement afterwards that the remark  “left me, staff, and other members of Parliament feeling very uncomfortable.” On Monday, Di Iorio rose in the Commons to apologize. “Today in this House I wish to reassure the member, once again, that none of my words sought to embarrass or offend her.” he said. “Despite this, before all my colleagues here in the House of Commons I wish to reiterate my most sincere apology.”

The Canadian Press