Winnipeg Free Press

Winnipeg Free Press (Newspaper) - March 8, 2022, Winnipeg, Manitoba <§> PAGE A1 TheFree Press FOR MANITOBA. FOR 150 YEARS. FOREVER WITH YOUR SUPPORT. TUESDAY, MARCH 8, 2022 SERVING WINNIPEG AND THE WEST SINCE 1872 ADRIAN WYLD / THE CANADIAN PRESS Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau listens as British Prime Minister Boris Johnson responds to a question at 10 Downing Street in London on Monday. Trudeau is now in Latvia. Trudeau gets help from Putin's imprisoned rival; meets with Brit, Dutch leaders New sanctions as PM visits Europe MIKE BLANCHFIELD I ONDON — Canada poked Russia in the eye on Monday by ■J sanctioning 10 people identified by Vladimir Putin’s top domestic opponent as the federal government works with allies to hammer Russia’s economy in response to that country’s invasion of Ukraine. But Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, in London at the start of a four-country visit to Europe, conceded cutting off Russia’s lucrative oil and gas exports entirely is not as simple for Europe as it was for Canada. Trudeau, his British host Boris Johnson and their Dutch counterpart Mark Rutte did their best to project solidarity with Ukraine in the face of the unrelenting Russian invasion. Trudeau added 10 names to the growing list of Russians on Canada’s sanctions list — people whose assets in Canada are frozen and with whom Canadian financial institutions can no longer do business. This time, Trudeau said the names of former and current government officials, oligarchs and supporters of Putin, “come from a list compiled by jailed opposition leader Alexei Navalny.” “These sanctions put increased WAR IN UKRAINE pressure on Russia’s leadership, including on Putin’s inner circle,” said the prime minister. The three leaders chose a historic setting to kick off their talks: the Royal Air Force Station Northolt outside of London, which played a key role in the Battle of Britain that ultimately saved the island nation from a Nazi Germany bombardment in the Second World War. But Canada, Britain and their NATO allies are not keen to repeat the history of that great air battle any time soon. They have rejected desperate Ukrainian pleas for a no-fly zone to protect their civilians from Russian bombardment because they fear it could start a new world war if they engage with Russian planes. They are instead taking a sledgehammer to the Russian economy and to the personal wealth of oligarchs with heavy influence in the government, hoping it will devastate Putin’s ability to fund his invasion and con- vince his inner circle to pressure him to end the war. Trudeau said the unity of the approach surprised Putin. But that unity is being tested when it comes to Russian oil and gas. Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said over the weekend there needs to be even more sanctions, including stopping the flow of oil and gas out of Russia. “Stop Putin. Stop buying Russian oil. Act now,” he tweeted Saturday. Canada, which imported very little Russian oil or gas in recent years, banned them altogether last week. U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Sunday the U.S. is in talks with Europe to follow suit. But Europe is much more reliant on Russia for its energy supply. Rutte said the “painful reality” is that the continent is “still very much dependent on Russian gas and Russian oil” and that cutting it off full stop would have “enormous ramifications” both in Europe and around the world. “So we have to dramatically reduce our dependency on gas and oil from Russia. That will take time,” Rutte said at a joint news conference with Trudeau and Johnson at 10 Downing Street. Trudeau said many countries are realizing they can’t rely on Russia at all anymore and he’s heard from several European leaders that they will move away from Russian oil. He said Canada will be there to support that. Canadian Conservatives have called on Ottawa to do more to get Canada’s oil and gas to Europe, including restoring debate about building a new pipeline from the energy-rich Prairies to the East Coast. Trudeau did not say whether Canada’s support would include attempting to supply Europe’s energy itself. The three leaders also acknowledged the need to increase defence spending in response to both Russia’s actions and growing instability around the world. Asked whether Canada would increase its spending to meet NATO’s two per cent of GDP target, as Germany has recently announced, Trudeau noted that his government has previously promised billions of dollars for the Canadian military. But the prime minister also acknowledged the world has changed since his government released its defence policy in 2017, and that more may be needed. • SANCTIONS, CONTINUED ON A2 • MORE WAR IN UKRAINE / A4, A6-7 Then-health minister had said ICU capacity sufficient Didn't know COVID patients sent out of province: Stefanson DANIELLE DA SILVA HEATHER STEFANSON was unaware critically ill COVID-19 patients were being prepared for transfer to a Thunder Bay hospital last spring and, as health minister at the time, insisted local intensive-care units could handle the growing surge. Stefanson, Manitoba’s premier since November, acknowledged Monday that it wasn’t until after the first Manitoban was sent out of the province May 18 that her office learned of the move; earlier that day she told reporters the province could expand ICU capacity to 170 beds. Monday’s disclosure came after the Opposition NDP tabled the calendar of Shared Health chief executive officer Adam Topp in question period, claiming Stefanson misled Manitobans about the province’s ability to care for the sickest patients and was planning for imminent out-of-province transfers. The calendar, obtained through a freedom of information request, shows Topp held a meeting on May 13 on the topic of intensive-care capacity at Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre and met earlier that day with Stefanson to discuss ICU capacity. Stefanson rejected suggestions she misled Manitobans when she went on the record stating work was underway to add more critical-care nurses to ensure the health system could respond to the pressure of COVID-19. “I was made aware of the first out-of-province patient transfer after clinicians made those decisions in rapidly evolving environment,” Stefanson said in a statement in response to questions from the Free Press. She did not hold a media availability after question period Monday. “I understood Manitoba needed additional ICU capacity and as such was having daily briefings and incident command meetings with Shared Health and public health officials to be briefed on contingency plans,” the statement continued. “Elected officials do not make clinical decisions about moving patients, those decisions are made by senior health leaders.” Wab Kinew argued the premier ought to have known critically ill patients would be sent out of province during her meeting with Topp. The Opposition leader said the severity of the crisis in the province should have been clearly communicated by the former health minister. “We know that this is one of the most difficult periods of the pandemic in Manitoba. It affected so many folks, and to see that the premier, who was then the health minister, mishandle and misled Manitobans on this file is a big concern,” Kinew said. • STEFANSON, CONTINUED ON A2 Judge gives dose of leniency to pharmacist convicted in U.S. probe Ex-CanadaDrugs.com CEO Kristjan Thorkel-son received five years probation in 2019. DEAN PRITCHARD A judge has ordered that a Manitoba internet pharmacy pioneer who faced charges in the U.S. involving importing and selling counterfeit drugs be given back his licence to practise pharmacy. The Council of the College of Pharmacists of Manitoba cancelled Kristjan Thorkelson’s pharmaceutical licences in November 2019 following his conviction on charges in the U.S. “The College was not able to point me to any decisions where conduct of a comparable nature, at least in terms of the degree of seriousness, resulted in a pharmacist losing their licence,” Queen’s Bench Justice Colleen Suche wrote in a 25-page decision last month. “In fact, looking at the decisions from the College and elsewhere, conduct which arguably is as serious has resulted in nothing more than fines,” Suche said. Thorkelson was one of six Canadians arrested by U.S authorities in July 2017 and targeted for extradition in connection to the drug investigation. Thorkelson has been a licensed pharmacist since 1991 and is the former chief executive officer of now-defunct CanadaDrugs.com. In its heyday, the CanadaDrugs.com Group of Companies, which included U.K.-based wholesale pharmacy River East Supplies Ltd., made up the largest international pharmacy business in the world. In October 2011, River East purchased a cancer drug, Avastin, from Caremed, a wholesale pharmacy in Denmark, then resold some of it to a clinic in the U.S., says Suche’s decision. Within weeks, the U.S. clinic contacted River East and reported the drug appeared suspect. River East arranged to have the drug returned and quarantined and notified Caremed, who then contacted its European regulator. U.K. regulator Medicine and Healthcare Products Regulatory Authority launched an investigation, as did the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, who found in 2012 some of the Avastin contained no active ingredient. • PHARMACIST, CONTINUED ON A2 WEATHER SCATTERED FLURRIES. HIGH -6 — LOW -18 INSIDETHE GAS EFFECTAs gas prices rise, businesses forced to pass costs on to customers / B5TRADE TALKNumber of Jets could be leaving town if the team's fortunes don't soon improve / D1UNDERGROUND FANS REJOICEChef from late, lamented Exchange District café serving up sunburgers at new venue / C1 A_01_Mar-08-22_FP_01.indd 1 2022-03-07 10:29 PM ;