In the news today, April 10

Canada’s top energy thinkers as well as international experts warn there’s no pedal any premier can stomp to make that engine rev like it used to. Mark Jaccard, an energy economist at B.C.’s Simon Fraser University, who has advised governments on climate policy and helps write reports for the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, says he fears for Albertans who are unwilling to accept a steady oilsands output, with the resulting employment. The University of Manitoba’s Vaclav Smil, one of Canada’s most widely quoted energy analysts, says any move to renewable energy will take decades, not years. The transition, however, may be felt sooner.

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ONTARIO RESEARCHER AMONG TEAM UNVEILING PICTURE OF BLACK HOLE

An international team of researchers that includes an Ontario scientist is to unveil the first captured image of a black hole. The team includes Avery Broderick, an astrophysicist and associate professor at the University of Waterloo. The picture was compiled by the Event Horizon Telescope Collaboration, a group of scientists around the world bent on proving the existence of black holes and documenting what they look like despite the fact that they cannot release light. The image was compiled with help from eight earth-based telescopes around the world.

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LIBERALS SAY TORIES DISHONEST FOR NOT TELLING CANADIANS ABOUT CARBON TAX REBATES

The federal Liberals say booklets being distributed by Conservative MPs in their ridings that lay out a long list of tax credits Canadians should apply for when they file their taxes have a glaring omission: the new carbon-tax rebate that applies in four provinces. The brochure lists more than 30 tax benefits, from child-care deductions to medical expenses and meal claims for long-haul truck drivers. There is much emphasis on tax credits introduced by the former Conservative government and ones the Liberals eliminated, such as credits for children’s arts and sports programs, and for riding public transit. Nowhere at all is the carbon rebate, which can be worth hundreds of dollars, mentioned.

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VANCOUVER MAN FACES NEW MONEY-LAUNDERING CHARGE IN COLLEGE ADMISSIONS SCANDAL

Vancouver businessman David Sidoo faces an additional charge of conspiracy to commit money laundering for his alleged role in a college admissions scandal in the United States. In a new indictment from the U.S. District Court in Massachusetts today, Sidoo is accused of wiring about $100,000 in January 2013 from an account in Canada to an account in California. The indictment says the money was in the name of college-prep company The Key, and meant to be in exchange for William (Rick) Singer’s facilitation of a SAT cheating scheme for Sidoo’s younger son. Sidoo, a 59-year-old former Canadian Football League player and well-known philanthropist, was previously charged with conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud in connection with the scandal. He pleaded not guilty last month and was released by the federal court in Boston on a secured bond of $1.5 million and his travel was restricted to Canada and the United States.

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MONTREAL-AREA MAYOR CALLS BILL 21 ‘PEACEFUL ETHNIC CLEANSING’ IN DEFIANT INTERVIEW

Suburban Montreal mayor William Steinberg rejected calls for an apology Tuesday and insisted his comments last week equating Quebec’s secularism legislation with “ethnic cleansing” were accurate when taken in context. Steinberg drew the wrath of Quebec’s political class and much of the province’s francophone media last Friday when he likened Bill 21 — legislation prohibiting many public sector workers from wearing religious symbols on the job — to a war crime. In an interview with radio station CJAD, Steinberg rejected the criticism and maintained that his critics were the ones in the wrong. He said the media and politicians should not be focusing on the words “ethnic cleansing” but instead should pay more attention to the content of the bill.

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ALSO IN THE NEWS:

— A 45-year old man is expected to appear in court on impaired driving causing death and dangerous driving causing death from a September 2018 fatal collision involving a scooter. Police laid charges against Rakesh Sidhu, 45, in March and have determined that impairment by cannabis was a contributing factor.

— The next date for Wesley Clarkson charged with 10 sexual offences involving girls in New Westminster, Penticton and Naramata will be set today.

— Patrick Fox, who was convicted of criminally harassing his ex-wife through a revenge website, appears in court for a bail hearing on charges of breaching his probation order.

The Canadian Press

by Canadian Press

In the news today, April 10

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