A look at news events in January 2022:
4 – An Ontario court awarded $107 million to the families of six of the victims of the downing of a Ukraine International Airlines flight two years ago. More than 100 of the 176 people killed when the Iranian military fired a missile at the plane had ties to Canada, including 55 Canadian citizens. In the damages decision, Ontario Superior Court Justice Edward Belobaba found the missiles that brought down the passenger plane were fired deliberately at a time when there was no armed conflict in the area -- constituting an act of terrorism.
4 – Ottawa officially announced it had reached an agreement in principle with First Nations partners to compensate children harmed by its underfunding of child welfare. The federal Liberal government said that of the $40 billion earmarked to resolve the matter, $20 billion would be designated for compensation and the rest would be spent on reforming the system over five years.
6 – Sidney Poitier, the groundbreaking actor who transformed how Black people were portrayed on screen, died. He was 94. Poitier was the son of Bahamian tomato farmers, and became the first Black actor to win an Academy Award for best lead performance and the first to be a top box-office draw. Before Poitier, few Black actors were permitted a break from the stereotypes of servants and entertainers.
7 – Three white men who chased and killed Ahmaud Arbery were sentenced to life in prison in Georgia. The judge denied any chance of parole for father and son Greg and Travis McMichael, who armed themselves and initiated the deadly pursuit of the 25-year-old Black man. The McMichaels' neighbour, William (Roddie)' Bryan, was granted a chance of parole, but must first serve at least 30 years in prison.
9 – Bob Saget, a comedian and actor best known for his role on the sitcom ''Full House,'' died. He was 65. The Orange County, Fla., sheriff's office said via Twitter it was called about an ''unresponsive man'' in a hotel room at the Ritz-Carlton in Orlando. Detectives found no signs of foul play or drug use. Saget was in Florida as part of his ''I Don't Do Negative Comedy Tour.'' Saget was also a longtime host of ''America's Funniest Home Videos,'' and tributes from friends and fellow comics noted both his humour and kindness.
10 – Ousted Myanmar leader Aung San Suu Kyi was sentenced to four more years in prison after a court found her guilty of illegally importing and possessing walkie-talkies and violating coronavirus restrictions. Suu Kyi was convicted last month on two other charges and given a four-year prison sentence, which was then halved by the head of the military-installed government. About a dozen charges had been brought against the 76-year-old Nobel Peace Prize laureate since the army seized power last February, overthrowing her elected government.
11 – A federal judge said RCMP Commissioner Brenda Lucki flouted the law. Justice Jocelyne Gagne said Lucki failed to respond promptly to a watchdog report about alleged spying on anti-oil protesters. In her decision, Gagne said Lucki breached her duty under the RCMP Act by not submitting a response to the Civilian Review and Complaints Commission's interim report on the spying allegations "as soon as feasible.'' The ruling was a victory for the British Columbia Civil Liberties Association, which argued there was a culture of complacency in the RCMP.
11 – A 101-year-old Metis war veteran was being remembered for his powerful legacy. Louis Roy died at a long-term care home in the northern Saskatchewan village of Ile-a-la-Crosse. He was one of the oldest veterans of the Second World War. Granddaughter Glenda Burnouf said Roy was a wealth of knowledge for her. Roy, who could speak Cree, English and French, served in the Saskatoon Light Infantry in England, Africa and Italy and later worked as a carpenter.
11 – Manitoban First Nations musician Vince Fontaine died. The family said Fontaine died after having a heart attack at the age of 62. Fontaine co-founded the roots-rock group Eagle & Hawk in 1995. Bandmate Jay Bodner said some of his favourite memories with Fontaine include touring in Europe at the start of the band's career where they saw much success.
12 – The federal government gave Canadian and American truckers two months' notice that they would have to be fully vaccinated in order to cross into Canada. The trucking associations were pushing for an extension. They warned that the vaccine mandate will further strain supply chains and cause severe driver shortages.
13 – Ottawa stepped back from its promise to impose a vaccine mandate on Canadian truckers. The move came just days before the measure was to be put in place. However, the new rule would still take effect for American truckers, who would be turned away at the border unless they had been inoculated.
14 – Ontario cabinet minister Rod Phillips said he was resigning at the end of next month. The high-profile long-term care minister said he wouldn't be seeking re-election. Phillips said he was looking forward to returning to the private sector.
15 – Alexa McDonough, the trail-blazing politician who paved the way for women in the field, died at age 77. News of her death was confirmed by her family, who said McDonough had been living with Alzheimer's for several years. McDonough became the first female leader of a recognized Canadian political party when she took the helm of the Nova Scotia New Democrats in 1980. She held the post for 14 years before eventually taking the reins of the federal party from 1995 to 2002.
15 – Health Canada moved to allow physicians to request restricted psychedelic drugs for patients as part of their psychotherapy. Psychedelic-assisted therapy involves ingesting consciousness-altering substances -- including LSD or the active ingredient in ecstasy -- in a clinical setting as part of more traditional psychotherapy.
16 – Ottawa told Canadians not to take any non-essential trips to Ukraine. The change in risk level was due to the buildup of Russian troops near the country's border. Canadians who were in Ukraine for non-essential purposes were being told to consider leaving.
16 – One of the last surviving Tuskegee Airmen died. Charles McGee, who flew fighter combat missions over three wars, was 102. A family member said McGee died at his home in Bethesda, Md. The Tuskegee Airmen was the nickname of the first African American unit to fly combat airplanes. They flew in the Second World War, Korea and Vietnam.
17 – Health Canada approved Pfizer's antiviral pill for COVID-19 for adults with mild or moderate cases of the virus who are also at high risk of becoming more seriously ill. It was not authorized for teens or patients already hospitalized for COVID-19. Clinical trials showed the drug was almost 90 per cent effective at preventing serious illness in higher-risk patients who received it within the first five days of being infected.
20 – A Florida man was charged with human smuggling after the bodies of four people, including a baby and a teen, were found in Manitoba near the United States border. The people who died were a family of four Indian nationals separated from others in a group crossing the border.
21 – The World Health Organization was now recommending booster shots of COVID-19 vaccine -- starting with the highest-priority groups. That was a shift from its previous insistence that boosters weren't necessary for healthy adults. Last year, the WHO pleaded with rich countries to stop offering booster doses until the end of 2021 to allow for vaccine distribution to developing countries, an appeal that was almost entirely ignored.
21 – Canada offered financial help to the government of Ukraine. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced a $120-million loan, saying Ukrainian officials requested financial help during a meeting in Kyiv this week with Foreign Minister Melanie Joly. He said the money would help support Ukraine's economic resilience and that Canada was exploring other options to bolster the country in the face of Russian aggression.
21 – Canada's top doctor said there were early indications that the current Omicron wave of COVID-19 had peaked nationally. Dr. Theresa Tam pointed to dropping case rates, the share of tests coming back positive, and wastewater surveillance. Her comments echoed recent statements from several provinces, including Alberta, Ontario, and Quebec. But while patient numbers in some provinces showed signs of stabilizing, there remained a heavy strain on hospitals.
23 – Canada's Foreign Ministry advised staff serving around the world to watch for mysterious illness symptoms following unexplained health incidents among diplomats in Cuba. Canadian diplomats and family members posted to Havana have reported a number of difficulties since 2017, including cognitive and vision problems, noise sensitivity, mood changes and nosebleeds. Eight Canadian diplomats and their family members who became mysteriously ill while posted to Cuba were suing Ottawa in Federal Court for millions of dollars in damages.
24 – The families of American diplomats and embassy staff in Ukraine were ordered to leave the country, and non-essential staff were being allowed to leave as well amid growing fears of a Russian invasion. The State Department stressed the embassy in Kyiv would remain open and that this was not considered an evacuation, nor an easing of U.S. support for Ukraine. However, officials were warning all Americans against travel to Ukraine as well as to Russia.
24 – A convoy of unvaccinated truckers was on its way from B.C. to Ottawa to protest the federal government's cross-border travel vaccine mandate. They did not have the support of the Canadian Trucking Alliance, which argued this type of demonstration wasn't a safe or effective way of resisting the policy. The alliance said the vast major of truckers were vaccinated and that it strongly disapproved of any protests on public roadways, highways and bridges.
24 – Nunavut was the latest jurisdiction to sign a child-care deal with the federal government, leaving Ontario as the lone holdout. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced a $66-million agreement with the territory's premier, PJ Akeeagok. Trudeau said the deal means Nunavut's daycare fees will be $10 per day by March 2024, and the estimated savings for families in Iqaluit will be about $14,000 a year.
25 – GoFundMe froze the $4.2 million raised from more than 55,000 donors in support of the "Freedom Convoy'' of truckers. It said fundraisers must be transparent about the flow of funds and have a clear plan for how those funds will be spent and that it had contacted the page's organizer to verify that information. The GoFundMe page said the money would go to food, fuel and accommodation for the big-riggers taking part in the protest, which had been condemned by the Canadian Trucking Association.
25 – Canada joined the U.S. and Britain in ordering the families of its embassy staff to leave Ukraine.
25 – The National Advisory Committee on Immunization recommended immunocompromised kids between the ages of five and 11 be offered a third dose of an mRNA vaccine to protect them against COVID-19.
25 – There was another discovery in Canada of apparent human remains buried near an old residential school. This time, a First Nation in British Columbia's central Interior said a preliminary geophysical investigation had identified 93 "reflections'' that could indicate a number of children buried. Chief Willie Sellars of the Williams Lake First Nation said only excavation would confirm the presence of human remains and much more work was needed to make final determinations.
26 – Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said Canada would extend its military training operation in Ukraine for another three years. Operation UNIFIER had 200 Canadian troops on the ground and Trudeau said he had authorized the deployment of another 60 personnel with further capacity to increase that number to 400. The cost of the commitment was $340 million.
28 – Public Health Ontario said data suggested people with the COVID-19 Omicron variant remain contagious for about the same amount of time as those with other forms of the virus. The agency's report said the time span may be longer in some cases.
28 – Booster shots were now being recommended for 12- to 17-year-olds with underlying conditions or at high-risk of being exposed to COVID-19. The National Advisory Committee on Immunization's new advice also applied to teens in racialized or marginalized communities that have been hit hard by COVID-19 infections.
28 – The big rigs rolled into downtown Ottawa. The planned weekend anti-vaccine mandate protest was growing in numbers and in energy. The Ottawa Police Service called in reinforcements to help keep the peace. It was working with the Canadian Security Intelligence Service, RCMP and other agencies to identify any potential threats to public safety. Hundreds of vehicles and long-haul trucks continued their trek toward the nation's capital to demand an end to all COVID restrictions, including vaccine passports, from every level of government.
29 – Trucks jamming Ottawa streets shut down the core of the national capital. A shoulder-to-shoulder crowd packed Parliament Hill to demand the federal Liberal government end vaccine mandates and COVID-19 restrictions, promising to stay for as long as needed to fulfil their goals. The sounds of honking horns echoed around downtown from vehicles parked and idling in front of the parliamentary buildings, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's office and the National War Memorial as protesters weaved between the semis and personal vehicles parked for blocks. By the afternoon, the swell of traffic forced police to close streets and warn there was no longer room for vehicles downtown, other than first responders.
30 – Rafael Nadal won a men's record 21st Grand Slam singles title with a comeback five-set victory over second-ranked Daniil Medvedev in the Australian Open final. He had to do it the hard way after Medvedev won the first two sets in a final that started late in the day and ended almost five and a half hours later. The 35-year-old Spaniard now had one more than Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic, and became the fourth man in history to win all four of the sport's major titles at least twice.
30 – Global Affairs Canada said ''non-essential'' Canadian employees and their dependents were being temporarily withdrawn from the embassy in Ukraine.
31 – Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said he would not meet with truck protesters or bow to the intimidation tactics by organizers. He said some protesters had gone beyond calling for an end to government-imposed vaccine mandates and instead ended up harassing local businesses, waving Nazi flags and stealing food from the homeless. Trudeau said while "freedom of expression, assembly and association are cornerstones of democracy -- racist imagery and the desecration of war memorials are not."
The Canadian Press
