Recent Russian moves in the Arctic have renewed debate over that country's intentions and Canada's own status at the top of the world.

The newspaper Izvestia reported late last month that Russia's military will resume fighter patrols to the North Pole for the first time in 30 years. The patrols will be in addition to regular bomber flights up to the edge of U.S. and Canadian airspace.

"It's clearly sending strategic messaging," said Whitney Lackenbauer, an Arctic expert and history professor at the University of Waterloo. "This is the next step."

Russia has been beefing up both its civilian and military capabilities in its north for a decade.

Old Cold-War-era air bases have been rejuvenated. Foreign policy observers have counted four new Arctic brigade combat teams, 14 new operational airfields, 16 deepwater ports and 40 icebreakers with an additional 11 in development.

Bomber patrols have been steady. NORAD has reported up to 20 sightings and 19 intercepts a year.

Commercial infrastructure has kept pace as well. A vast new gas field has been opened in the Yamal Peninsula on the central Russian coast. Control and development of the Northern Sea Route — Russia's equivalent of the Northwest Passage — has been given to a central government agency. Russian news sources say cargo volume is expected to grow to 40 million tonnes in 2020 from 7.5 million tonnes in 2016.

Falling behind

Canada has little to compare.

A road has been completed to the Arctic coast at Tuktoyaktuk in the Northwest Territories and work for a port at Iqaluit in Nunavut is underway. The first Arctic patrol vessel has been launched, satellite surveillance has been enhanced and a naval refuelling station built on Baffin Island.

But most northern infrastructure desires remain unfilled.

No all-weather roads exist down the Mackenzie Valley or into the mineral-rich central N.W.T. Modern needs such as high-speed internet are still dreams in most of the North. A new icebreaker has been delayed.

Nearing the end of its term, the Liberal government has yet to table an official Arctic policy.

Canada needs to keep pace if only because it can't count on the current international order to hold, said John Higginbotham of the Centre for International Governance Innovation in Waterloo.

"If the globalized system fragments, we're going to get a world of blocs. The blocs will have power to close international shipping channels.

"It's a dreadful strategic mistake for Canada to give up our own sea route."

Whenever there's issues that happen to occur elsewhere, we've already seen the behaviour of the Russians — they start doing overflights of other countries to bring pressure.Rob Huebert, University of Calgary

Arctic dominance would also give Russia a potent card to play, said Rob Huebert of the Centre for Military and Strategic Studies at the University of Calgary.

"It gives you presence," he said. "Whenever there's issues that happen to occur elsewhere, we've already seen the behaviour of the Russians — they start doing overflights of other countries to bring pressure."

Norway, the Baltics and the United Kingdom have all reported increased airspace violations, Huebert said.

Few expect Russian troops to come pouring over the North Pole. The country is sticking with a United Nations process for drawing borders in Arctic waters and is a productive member of the eight-nation Arctic Council.

"There's vigorous debate over whether their posture is offensive-oriented," Lackenbauer said. "The Russians insist this is purely defensive. It also offers possibilities for safe and secure shipping in the Northern Sea Route.

"They're not doing anything wrong."

They see the northern trade route as an excuse to put up military bases at the same time they're working with the Chinese to open up trade routes for the export of their resources.Ron Wallace, Canadian Global Affairs Institute

Canada would be mistaken to ignore the awakening bear, said Ron Wallace of the Canadian Global Affairs Institute in Calgary.

"It's important for Canadians to be aware of their Arctic and the circumpolar Arctic and what's going on in the North," he said.

Canada is unlikely to take much from Russia's command-and-control style of development, Wallace said, but there are lessons to learn. Combining civilian and military infrastructure is one of them.

"That's the kind of thinking I haven't seen here, but that's the thinking the Russians are using," he said. "They see the northern trade route as an excuse to put up military bases at the same time they're working with the Chinese to open up trade routes for the export of their resources."

That would also help fulfil federal promises to territorial governments, said Wallace.

"Somewhere in the middle there is a better policy for northern Canada."

Also on HuffPost:

OTTAWA — Conservative Leader Andrew Scheer has written directly to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau asking him to waive solicitor-client privilege so former attorney general Jody Wilson-Raybould can publicly talk about what happened with SNC-Lavalin.

The request is contained in an open letter dated Sunday, in which Scheer says he also wants all communications to or from the prime minister or members of his staff about the criminal prosecution of SNC-Lavalin to be opened up to public scrutiny.

"Solicitor-client privilege and the duty of confidentiality are important values in our legal system," Scheer wrote.

"But in the present situation, they must be subordinated to a higher value: the confidence of Canadians in the integrity, fairness and impartiality of our criminal justice system."

Demoted from role as justice minister

The request follows a Globe and Mail report last week that members of Trudeau's office leaned on Wilson-Raybould to have federal prosecutors negotiate a "remediation agreement" with SNC-Lavalin rather than move ahead with a criminal prosecution.

The Quebec engineering and construction giant has faced legal trouble over allegations it paid millions of dollars in bribes to get government business in Libya, which would be a crime under Canadian law and threaten its ability to win future federal work.

Wilson-Raybould, who was demoted from her role as justice minister and attorney general last month, has said she cannot comment because in her role as the government's top lawyer, she is bound by solicitor-client privilege.

Government officials have acknowledged to The Canadian Press that Wilson-Raybould was involved in extensive, internal discussions last month about whether SNC-Lavalin should be allowed to avoid criminal prosecution.

But they maintain there was nothing wrong with that, while Trudeau has publicly denied he or anyone in his office "directed" the minister on the matter.

Wilson-Raybould's refusal to comment publicly has nonetheless added fuel to the political fire, sparking opposition demands for transparency and accusations of government interference in a criminal case.

In his letter, Scheer said Canadians deserve answers "as the allegations surrounding it strike at the very heart of fair and impartial law enforcement and prosecutorial functions, themselves vital to the rule of law and to our democracy."

While the Prime Minister's Office did not respond to questions Sunday, a Toronto Star report cited unnamed senior government officials as saying the privilege would not be waived because the case against SNC-Lavalin remains before the courts.

One senior official also reportedly told the newspaper that the government would not agree to Opposition demands for an emergency meeting of the House of Commons justice committee to hear from Wilson-Raybould and members of Trudeau's staff.

Parliamentary committees are supposed to be masters of their own domain because of their role in holding the government to account.

The chair of the committee, Liberal MP Anthony Housefather, stated on Twitter on Sunday that "nobody has attempted to influence me" about the opposition's attempts to hold hearings on SNC-Lavalin.

"I intend to independently determine whether committee study of the issue will be useful for Canadians (and) colleagues will do same," Housefather wrote, adding the committee will convene on Wednesday to discuss the issue.

Liberal MPs nonetheless have a majority of members on the committee, meaning they could move to block any opposition request to conduct a probe.

Current Justice Minister and Attorney General David Lametti, who replaced Wilson-Raybould, told CTV's Question Period in an interview broadcast Sunday that he did not believe there was any justification for a committee hearing into the matter.

"All we've heard are allegations in a newspaper," said Lametti. "The prime minister has said that these allegations are false. We haven't had any corroborating evidence there. There hasn't been anything to my mind that justifies a committee investigation."

Wilson-Raybould, now veterans affairs minister, released a statement on Friday saying she is bound as the former attorney general by solicitor-client privilege and cannot publicly talk about aspects of the case.

SNC-Lavalin has been charged with bribery and corruption over its efforts to secure government business in Libya and wants a deal, allowed under the law, to pay reparations rather than be prosecuted.

A guilty verdict on bribery and corruption charges would result in SNC-Lavalin being barred from government contracts in Canada for 10 years. Officials have said it could also cause foreign government contracts to dry up, potentially putting it out of business.

Consequently, they said, it was natural for internal discussions to have taken place after the director of public prosecutions, Kathleen Roussel, informed SNC-Lavalin last October that a remediation agreement would be inappropriate in this case.

The company is challenging her decision in court.

Heavy lobbying

SNC-Lavalin has heavily lobbied ministers, government officials and even Scheer and NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh to make its case for avoiding a prosecution. Quebec Premier Francois Legault has also pressured Trudeau to intervene on the company's behalf.

Scheer's office confirmed to the Star on Sunday that the Conservative leader met with the head of SNC-Lavalin last year to discuss the case against the company and a possible remediation deal. Scheer's spokesman Brock Harrison did not respond to emails.

Under the law, the attorney general may issue a directive to the director of public prosecutions on how to handle a specific case, provided the directive is in writing and made public.

Also on HuffPost:

Everyone's favourite overachieving nonagenarian has discovered yet another way to shame us all for our ineptitude.

Former Mississauga mayor Hazel McCallion, 97, recently stopped by the city's newly-opened Hub Climbing to take a crack at scaling a route — outfitted in cute (albeit impractical) leather booties.

"We can honestly say she is the first 97 year old on our walls," climbing gym staff wrote on Facebook Saturday. "Past Mayor of Mississauga, Hazel McCallion, is an absolute legend!"

Hub Climbing bills itself as the largest and tallest rock climbing gym in the Greater Toronto Area with its 30,500 sq. ft facility. Featuring climbs for beginners and aspiring Olympians alike, its tallest wall stands at a towering 48 feet.

McCallion served as the mayor of Mississauga from for 36 years until she stepped down in 2014. She was succeeded by current mayor, Bonnie Crombie, who also made an appearance at Hub Climbing's grand opening event.

McCallion recently made headlines when she turned down a lucrative job offer from Ontario Premier Doug Ford. She explained she couldn't accept the special adviser role due to her "extensive commitments."

Her endorsement of Ford in the 2018 election helped propel the Progressive Conservatives' to power. She has worked in local government for 44 years.

In addition to her newfound fondness for stylishly scaling rock walls, Hurricane Hazel serves as a director on several boards and is an adviser with the University of Toronto's Mississauga campus to help the school develop new courses and degrees. She also volunteers with the Ontario Women's Hockey Association.

McCallion will turn 98 on February 14. The date was dubbed Hazel McCallion Day across Ontario by the former Liberal government.

Also on HuffPost:

As awards shows go, the Grammys can be polarizing. Several big-name artists including Drake, Justin Bieber and Frank Ocean have questioned their relevance. Because, as we know, the Grammys have made some truly baffling choices — never forget that Macklemore (!) beat out Kendrick Lamar (!!) along with Drake, Jay-Z and Kanye West (!!!) for Best Rap Album in 2014.

This year's ceremony has already been marked by controversy, with Ariana Grande declining a performance after a fight with the producers and Drake, Kendrick Lamar and Childish Gambino reportedly turning down offers to perform. Still, this year's awards include a pretty stellar lineup of performers: Cardi B, Shawn Mendes, Lady Gaga, Diana Ross and St. Vincent are just some of the musicians you'll be hearing from.

But of course, as we all know, the best part of any awards show is the outfits. This year's selection was largely confusing, with a lot of choices that are likely to provoke debate. Here are some of the night's most memorable red carpet looks.

A trio of deer roamed through a city east of Toronto this morning, checking out a local bar and damaging a politician's office.

Oshawa, Ont., bar the Atria posted on its Facebook page this morning that a deer had broken through its front window, although by late afternoon the music venue was "officially open."

Jennifer French, a local NDP member of the legislature, also posted on Facebook that her community office was damaged by a deer, and will reopen when it's cleaned up.

Durham regional police say two deer managed to escape while the deer that broke into the bar was captured around 4 p.m. and treated for a minor cut.

The province's ministry of natural resources and forestry says that deer was tranquilized and will be released away from the city.

Erum Khan, who works near the Atria, says she was sitting in her car when the deer ran past her and into the bar's window around 11 a.m.

She says people on the street were screaming and running away.

Also on HuffPost:

With all that bling, who else could it be but Lilly Singh? Canada's own "Superwoman" shone bright like a diamond as she stepped onto the Grammys red carpet Sunday night.

In the midst of the red carpet hustle, filled with the music industry's best of the best repping their finest fancy-garb game, YouTube queen Singh sparkled.

Decked out in a sexy, silver and black sequined jumpsuit with a criss-crossed halter-inspired top and flared, bell-bottom pants, Singh could have just as easily been shimmying to disco at Studio 54. Her look was accented with six diamond-encrusted clips holding up a side-swept hairstyle that showed off some bling-y drop earrings.

Singh Insta-storied getting ready for her big night with an excited announcement that she'll be taking over Grammy host Alicia Keys' social media accounts for the night.

SHE TAKING OVER @aliciakeys SOCIALSSS😍🤤👑 @IISuperwomanII#GRAMMYSwithLILLY#Grammyspic.twitter.com/YOPiV245Sm

— Montesha💗💍 (@LillySinghsBbyg) February 10, 2019

Funnywoman Singh rose to fame on YouTube with hilarious and relatable videos about her South Asian culture, dating and life in general. Her rise to YouTube fame was so prolific (12 million fans and counting), she came 10th on the 2017 Forbes list of the world's highest paid YouTube stars and top Influencers in the entertainment category.

Watch "How to Make a Migos Song." Story continues below.

If you follow the self-made YouTube star, you'd know that she'd taken a YouTube and social media break to focus on her mental health and happiness. She ended her break by dropping beats and rhymes in parody rap jams, staying true to her Scarborough, Ont. roots. She even joked that she was waiting for her Grammy when she dropped the video.

View this post on Instagram

These days I have no idea what rap lyrics mean but they still bump SO HARD. So I figured I'd try to make my own Migos style song and I did it in 9 easy steps. Got my team to pick three random words, found all rhyming words, added some sound effects and now I'm patiently waiting for my Grammy. Haha! Check out my new video and parody song titled #DropSplashBanana! Link in bio! Comment 🍌 if you've already seen it! And thanks for watching. I had so much fun 🙏🏽❤️

A post shared by Lilly Singh (@iisuperwomanii) on Jan 26, 2019 at 3:52pm PST

We're not sure she'll be taking home a Grammy for that big tune, but Superwoman definitely lit up the red carpet.

More from HuffPost Canada:

• Canadians Lilly Singh And Rupi Kaur Lend Their Star Power To Cosmo India
• 'Superwoman' Lilly Singh Takes A Break From YouTube To Focus On Her Happiness
• '11 Canadian Women Who Were 'Firsts' In Their Fields

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The best part of Sunday night for Canadian R&B singer Daniel Caesar was, undoubtedly, taking home his first Grammy award.

Fittingly, the Toronto-raised musician split the honour for Best R&B Performance with American performer, H.E.R., for their song, "Best Part.''

Caesar was previously nominated twice at the 2017 Grammys for his debut album, "Freudian," and single, "Get You."

The album was produced by Toronto duo Matthew Burnett and Jordan Evans — who have worked with Eminem, Drake and Nicki Minaj. After the album dropped, it instantly elevated awareness of Caesar's talent.

He was selected as Apple Music's "Up Next" artist, which helped "Freudian" debut at No. 25 on the Billboard albums chart. Even more stunning is that Caesar has accomplished these feats as an independent artist without the backing of a major record label.

Daniel Caesar and H.E.R. won "Best R&B Performance" for their song "Best Part". Truly deserved it. One of my favourite songs and the best live performers!✨ #GRAMMYspic.twitter.com/Q3Q09lzFaf

— 𝕹𝖔𝖗𝖎𝖊𝖌𝖆 (@norizzlepie) February 10, 2019

The album also landed a cozy spot on several critics' best-of-the-year lists, after tracks like "Get You" and "Japanese Denim" enjoyed prime positions on popular streaming music playlists.

Caesar's rise in popularity stands out especially because it came without much support from Canadian radio stations. Airplay is still considered a significant tool in making most artists household names.

It's fitting that Caesar won a Grammy on a night with a performance by the legendary Diana Ross, for her 75th birthday, a planned — and criticized — Motown tribute by Jennifer Lopez, and tributes to Aretha Franklin. Motown legend Stevie Wonder has praised Caesar for his talent.

"He came in and asked to hear (my) song again. And that was probably the craziest part to see Stevie Wonder vibe out to a song I wrote," he told The Associated Press earlier this year. "I was very shook ... I'll never forget that moment."

View this post on Instagram

'Best Part, a Visual' w/ @hermusicofficial. directed by @keavanx & @byseanbrown for theENDS. link in story.

A post shared by Daniel Caesar (@danielcaesar) on Apr 11, 2018 at 10:25am PDT

He's also apparently popular among presidential legends as well. Former U.S. president Barack Obama shared a list of his favourite songs of 2017, which includes "Blessed" from "Freudian."

Caesar also appears on Chance the Rapper's "First World Problems," a performance the pair debuted on Stephen Colbert's late-night show last September, which also showed up on Obama's choice-picks list.

The singer's Grammy win will certainly draw more famous names to Daniel Caesar's circle. Are you a fan? Tell us in the comments below.

More from HuffPost Canada:

• Juno Winners List 2018 Includes Gord Downie, Daniel Caesar And More
• 'These Are All The 2018 Grammy Winners
• Junos Red Carpet 2018: See All The Looks From Canada's Best Musical Talent

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Even though he lost the award for Song of the Year to Childish Gambino, Canada's own Shawn Mendes had a pretty good night at his first-ever Grammys on Sunday.

The 20-year-old singer-songwriter brought a special date to the awards show: his dad. (Aw!) The younger Mendes has spoken often about how close he is with her father, Manuel.

The Pickering, Ont. native was also accompanied by a special friend when he got onstage to perform his hit single "In My Blood." He started the song on his own, seated at the piano, fog swirling around him.

None other than Miley Cyrus came out to join him after the first verse, and he switched from keyboard to guitar.

His collaboration with Miley Cyrus was initially intended to be a surprise, according to People, but she let the cat out of the bag via Instagram in the days leading up to the awards. The two are apparently working on a collaboration for Cyrus's upcoming album.

One quick question for all the Shawnheads out there: is the sleeveless look his new go-to? He's wearing full sleeves in most of his older performances, but his arms were notably unencumbered during Sunday night's performance. And this isn't the first time: he wore a sleeveless white shirt during his VMA performance over the summer, prompting Bruce Springsteen comparisons.

"In My Blood" is about depression, and Mendes has spoken about the impact the song has had on other people. He told Rolling Stone that after reading tweets from people who found the song moving, "I broke down in my hotel room," he said. "I started crying, and I was just like, 'This is why you talk about shit that actually is real.' I was like, 'God, don't ever fucking question the feeling of writing the truth again.'"

"In My Blood" lost Song of the Year to "This is America" by Childish Gambino — the first time a rap song has ever won in that category. Mendes' self-titled album was also nominated for Best Pop Vocal Album, which he lost to Ariana Grande.

Also on HuffPost:

A trio of deer roamed through a city east of Toronto on Sunday, checking out a local bar and damaging a politician's office.

Oshawa, Ont., bar the Atria posted on its Facebook page that a deer had broken through its front window, although by late afternoon the music venue was "officially open.''

Jennifer French, a local NDP member of the legislature, also posted on Facebook that her community office was damaged by a deer, and will reopen when it's cleaned up.

I work with @jennkfrench on the @GLLCaucus. Clearly these Canadian deer wanted to speak with her about Great Lakes issues and couldn't wait to schedule a meeting. https://t.co/7opsYgXDV9

— Kent #BestWhipSmith Smith (@KentKSmith) February 11, 2019

Durham regional police say two deer managed to escape while the deer that broke into the bar was captured around 4 p.m. and treated for a minor cut.

The province's ministry of natural resources and forestry says that deer was tranquilized and will be released away from the city.

Erum Khan, who works near the Atria, says she was sitting in her car when the deer ran past her and into the bar's window around 11 a.m.

She says people on the street were screaming and running away.

Related: Animal rescuer tackles deer and removes jar stuck on its head

Drake might just be Canada's Kanye West when it comes to awards show speeches.

The Toronto-born rapper initially surprised everyone Sunday night by making an unexpected appearance to accept a Grammy for Best Rap Song.

However, the bigger surprise came when he spent most of his acceptance speech having none of the Grammys or his award, pretty much emulating K-West styles.

Drake won Best Rap Song for his hit track, "God's Plan," which beat out songs by Travis Scott ("SICKO MODE," which also features Drake), Jay Rock, Eminem and Boi1-da, among others.

During his acceptance speech, Drizzy called his win "the first time in Grammy history where I actually am who I thought I was for a second, so I like that."

He then went on to explain that the music industry is a business where sometimes recognition is "up to a bunch of people that might not understand what a mixed race kid from Canada has to say."

"We play in an opinion-based sport, not a factual-based sport," he said, holding the award in his hand. "The point is, you've already won if you have people who are singing your songs word for word, if you're a hero in your hometown."

"Look, if there's people who have regular jobs who are coming out in the rain and snow, spending money to buy tickets to your shows, you don't need this right here. You already won."

At that point, however, Drake had actually already won and accepted the award in person, so let's not forget that.

It wasn't so much of a mic-drop moment as it was a mic-cut moment. The Grammys basically responded with, "Yo, Drake, I'm really happy for you, but I'mma NOT let you finish!"

They cut DRAKE off. DRAAAAAKKKKE? #grammyspic.twitter.com/PVjmyOABiX

— Gerrick D. Kennedy (@GerrickKennedy) February 11, 2019

The Grammys have come under fire in the past for overlooking rap for its most prestigious awards, including the memorable 2014 scandal after Macklemore took home the Best Rap Album Award over Kendrick Lamar.

And, this is not the first time Drake has gone off-script during an awards show appearance. You may remember the fateful misfire he made in 2016 when he presented then rumoured-love Rihanna with her MTV Vanguard award. He declared his undying love for her, making her moment more about him than her or her accomplishments, went in for a kiss, and was awkwardly rebuffed by the Barbados-born superstar. And then, permanently rebuffed.

The rapper made Grammy headlines ahead of this year's show when producer Ken Ehrlich revealed that the Champagne Papi, Childish Gambino, and Kendrick Lamar all declined to perform at this year's show.

His appearance to accept the award came as a surprise in light of these circumstances, with many assuming that the Canuck star would skip the ceremony altogether. We're pretty sure the Grammys now wished he had.

More from HuffPost Canada:

• Drake Kisses, Caresses 17-Year-Old Fan Onstage In Newly Surfaced Video
• Drake, Ariana Grande Crush Spotify's Year-End Charts
• Drake Gives Toronto A Shoutout At The American Music Awards

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TORONTO — Michael Wilson, a former politician, diplomat and longtime mental health advocate, has died at 81.

The University of Toronto, where Wilson served as chancellor from 2012 to 2018, confirmed his death in a post on its website Sunday evening, saying the school's flag will fly at half-mast until Wilson's funeral.

The school's president, Meric Gertler, called Wilson a "great Canadian" who improved many lives through his "comprehensive excellence, his unassuming generosity and his quiet compassion.

"From spearheading public policy of the highest significance to publicly confronting the challenge of mental illness, Michael Wilson was a true champion," Gertler said in a statement.

Earlier: Michael Wilson says budgets are about more than balancing numbers

"He bore the title, 'the Honourable,' by virtue of the public offices he held. But the description came spontaneously to all who had the good fortune to know him."

Wilson served for over a decade as the Progressive Conservative MP for the Toronto-area riding of Etobicoke Centre, including time as finance minister and minister of international trade under then prime minister Brian Mulroney.

From March 2006 until October 2009, he served as Canada's ambassador to the United States.

Former prime minister Stephen Harper, who appointed Wilson to the post in Washington, said he served Canada with "exceptional skill and dedication.

"From the Cabinet table to serving our country with dignity and wisdom as Ambassador in Washington, Mike embodied the best of public service," Harper wrote on Twitter.

After losing his son Cameron to suicide in 1995, Wilson became a passionate advocate for mental health, and often spoke about the need for access to care.

He was involved with a number of advocacy groups, including the Mental Health Commission of Canada and the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, and was a companion of the Order of Canada.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said Wilson's "dedicated service" to Canadians will leave a lasting impact on the country.

"We've lost a truly great Canadian. My condolences to his family and friends," Trudeau wrote on Twitter.

BURNABY, B.C. — Justin Trudeau said the Liberal candidate in Burnaby South will be a strong voice for the community, as he campaigned on Sunday in the riding where New Democrat Leader Jagmeet Singh is seeking a seat.

The prime minister told a crowd of supporters that Richard T. Lee served Burnaby, B.C., for 16 years as a provincial legislator and continues to work hard every day to put the best face forward for the city.

"We need strong local voices standing up for you, fighting for you in Ottawa, and that's exactly what Richard is going to be," Trudeau said.

"Nobody make any mistake: The Liberal party is going to win this riding of Burnaby South."

Earlier: Jagmeet Singh speaks to 'Backbenchers' about byelection bid

Lee is a former provincial legislator who replaced the Liberals' first candidate, Karen Wang, after she resigned following an online post in which she contrasted herself, the "only" Chinese candidate, with Singh, who she called "of Indian descent."

Singh is seeking his first seat in Parliament in the byelection, scheduled for Feb. 25, and earlier Sunday he attended the annual Chinese New Year parade in Vancouver.

After the parade, Singh called on Trudeau to waive solicitor-client privilege to allow former attorney general Jody Wilson-Raybould to speak about allegations the prime minister's office pressured her to tell federal attorneys to drop the SNC-Lavalin prosecution in favour of a remediation agreement. Trudeau has denied his office "directed" her.

While the Green Party of Canada has extended a "leader's courtesy" to Singh by not running a candidate against him, other parties have not. Conservative Jay Shin and People's Party of Canada candidate Laura-Lynn Tyler Thompson are also vying for a seat.

More from HuffPost Canada:

• Richard Lee Suggests United Nations Should Regulate Internet
• Former Liberal Candidate's Call For 'Second Chance' Flops
• Jagmeet Singh Says He'll 'Absolutely' Lead NDP Into 2019 Election, Even If He Loses In Burnaby South

The New Democrats narrowly beat the Liberals in the riding in the 2015 election by about 550 votes. The Conservatives placed third, losing by about 3,600 votes.

Lee said he's proud to be part of "Team Trudeau" because he believes in transparent, better politics and a strong, multicultural Canada.

"In Burnaby South, we need a committed, local champion for our community," he said, adding he has lived in the Metro Vancouver city for 32 years.

Singh is a former Ontario legislator who has been campaigning in the riding since last summer.

Trudeau was met by protesters on both sides of the political spectrum at the Burnaby event. Outside, demonstrators clad in yellow vests spoke out against his government's policies on migration.

Yellow vest, anti-pipeline protesters target event

While Trudeau and Lee spoke inside the event, a small group of people began shouting anti-pipeline slogans. Burnaby is the terminus of the Trans Mountain pipeline, which Trudeau's government has purchased and plans to expand.

"I think we also hear a reminder tonight that there are going to be people out there who choose the politics of anger, of fear and of division, and try to shout people out," Trudeau said.

"But Liberals will stay focused on serving Canadians, on bringing people together and building a better future for us all."

A number of Liberal MPs stood behind Trudeau at the event, including Defence Minister Harjit Sajjan, International Trade Diversification Minister Jim Carr and Fisheries and Oceans Minister Jonathan Wilkinson. But absent was Wilson-Raybould, who represents Vancouver Granville and earlier attended the city's Chinese New Year Parade.

Trudeau later attended a Chinese New Year celebration gala at a restaurant in Vancouver's Chinatown. He told the packed gala that the Chinese-Canadian community has contributed greatly to the country over generations.

He also said racist, xenophobic policies such as the Chinese head tax or the exploitation of Chinese labour during the construction of the Canadian Pacific Railway constituted some of the most shameful chapters in the country's history.

"We cannot forget, for they remind us of our collective responsibility to stand up to discrimination and persecution in all its forms," he said.

Trudeau did not take questions from reporters at either event. He is set to make an affordable housing announcement and hold a media availability at a rental housing development in Vancouver on Monday before meeting with Telus CEO Darren Entwistle.

I live next to a swamp. After 20 years of having this swamp as my neighbour, it's kind of grown on me. I enjoy the spring flush of marsh marigolds, the annual reawakening of spring peepers, and I still smile when I see a colourful wood duck perched in a tree.

My swamp has two sources that keep it wet: water that seeps from the ground, and runoff from snowmelt and heavy summer rains. All wetlands are wetlands because they are permanently or seasonally wet.

There was a time when almost nobody liked swamps or any other type of wetland. Wetlands have a long history of being seen as wastelands. Places to be filled or drained.

In Canada and around the world, most wetlands are in trouble. It's estimated that 64 per cent of the world's wetlands have disappeared since 1900, according to the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands. In the last 50 years, our planet's inland and coastal wetlands have declined by over one-third (where data is available) — a rate three times greater than the loss of forests. While the loss of wetlands has recently slowed in Europe, it has accelerated in Asia. In the U.S., states like California, Ohio, New York and Idaho have lost over half of their wetlands.

Canada's northern hinterlands hold a huge majority of the world's remaining wetlands. The Hudson Bay Lowlands and Mackenzie Basin are some of the largest areas of wetland left on Earth. Collectively, Canada's wetlands represent almost one-quarter of the wetlands remaining on the planet. These northern wetlands are important for Canada, and for the world. They provide breeding habitat for millions of waterfowl, are a global motherlode of carbon storage, and represent one of a few dwindling places on our planet where wetlands are still wilderness.

But our wetlands in southern Canada reflect the fate of wetlands around the world. It's been estimated that by 1990, 49.9 million acres (20 million hectares) of Canada's wetlands had been lost. Wetlands associated with urban areas are particularly threatened, with 80 to 98 per cent converted to other uses. But almost everywhere Canadians live, most of the original wetlands have been lost.

Wetland loss in Canada

Location

• Okanagan and Lower Similkameen Valleys, B.C.
• Southern Ontario
• Atlantic Canada coastal salt marshes
• Prairie potholes
• Pacific estuaries

Canadians have done a good job conserving some wetlands, designating 37 sites as Wetlands of International Importance. Many are protected in national parks, ranging from Lake Erie marshes at Point Pelee to the massive Peace-Athabasca Delta in Wood Buffalo. We are continuing to add to our portfolio of protected wetlands and build new wetland conservation partnerships. Groups like the Nature Conservancy of Canada and Ducks Unlimited Canada are preserving wetlands with the help of Canadians and the Government of Canada's Natural Areas Conservation Program.

But despite our collective conservation efforts, we are still losing wetlands. Not only are we continuing to see them disappear under roads, cities and farms, but even wetlands that are protected are increasingly threatened. Invasive species such as European common reed and glossy buckthorn are degrading many of the wetlands we have left in southern Canada. Black ash, a still-common tree found in many swamps, was recently assessed as a threatened species in Canada because of the predicted impact of the invasive emerald ash borer.

To conserve wetlands we need to think bigger than wetlands. Many species that live in wetlands also depend on the surrounding uplands. Spring peepers move into forests after they are done spring peeping. At our place, a wood duck nests in a big old beech tree and then marches her young to the swamp. The water that comes and goes from wetlands impacts the broader watershed, and that watershed impacts the wetlands. The connections of wetlands to surrounding lands and waters is diverse and deep.

I don't need to look any further than my swamp to appreciate the critical role that wetlands play, for nature and for people. In addition to habitat for marsh marigolds, spring peepers and wood ducks, it also supports hundreds of other wildlife species.

I'd never drain my swamp because I like plants and birds and that sort of thing, and would deeply miss them. My swamp also qualifies under the Ontario Conservation Land Tax Incentive Program, which exempts the wetland portion of my property from taxes. But beyond ecology and economy, I feel a certain civic pride and duty about this place. Fill my swamp and another wild space disappears. Fill my swamp and I add the millions of gallons of water that it holds to my neighbour's property and beyond. This impact would cascade to farmers and communities downstream.

Wetlands in and around cities and farms might be some the hardest-working ecosystems on the planet. They help clean water, prevent floods and protect wildlife. They have done this for centuries. Left intact, they will continue to do so for centuries to come.

There's much more we can do to protect wetlands. Canada's national wetland inventory needs to be completed. Key wetland areas need to be identified, protected and restored. All private landowners should be rewarded for protecting wetlands, and not given incentives to drain them. We need management plans that prevent invasive species and plan for the health of our watersheds. Perhaps most importantly, we need a new appreciation of what wetlands provide to us.

I don't want my children to grow up in a diminished natural world. In a world without wetlands, there is no opportunity to hear spring peepers calling and no memories of marsh marigolds. In a world without wetlands, the jobs and costs of flood control and water purification are downloaded from nature to people.

More blogs from HuffPost Canada:

• Indigenous Waters Are Still Vulnerable, And Ontario Needs To Step Up
• One Of The World's Most Threatened Lakes Is in Canada, And We Can Save It
• Why Canada Matters On World Wetlands Day

There will never be a better time to protect Canada's wetlands than there is today. As our human population grows while wildlife populations decline, and as we each bear witness to rapid planetary changes that will forever affect the lives of future generations, Canada and the world needs our wetlands more than ever.

This post was written by Dan Kraus and originally appeared on the Nature Conservancy of Canada's blog, Land Lines.

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Valentine's Day is almost here, and what sweeter way to celebrate than with a heart-shaped cake?

If you don't happen to own a heart-shaped baking pan, this simple hack from Delish will save the day. All you need is a square pan, a round pan, and their ridiculously yummy recipe for red velvet cake and cream cheese icing.

Make it for your kids, make it for a loved one, or just make it for yourself because YOU DESERVE CAKE.

No time to bake from scratch? No problem. A boxed cake mix will work just as well... and no one has to know.

Get the full recipe for heart-shaped cake here.

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Huawei chief financial officer Meng Wanzhou was arrested in Vancouver on Dec. 1, 2018, pursuant to a provisional arrest warrant that was issued under the "Extradition Act." The United States has now made a formal request for Wanzhou's extradition.

On Jan. 22, 2019, John McCallum, Canada's ambassador to China, told a gathering of Chinese-language journalists in Toronto that he thought Meng Wanzhou had a strong case to fight extradition to the United States. He also raised several arguments that he thought would support her case.

During his meeting with Chinese-language journalists, Mr. McCallum specifically referred to the following arguments:

• Political involvement by the White House in connection with the extradition request;
• The extraterritorial aspect to her case; and
• That Canada has not signed onto the same Iran sanctions that Huawei is accused of violating.

After making the above comments, John McCallum was forced to resign on Jan. 25, 2019. There is no doubt that his comments were politically controversial, but were they legally accurate?

Political involvement by the White House

U.S. President Donald Trump has publicly stated that he would be willing to "intervene" in Meng Wanzhou's criminal matter if it would help him establish a new trade deal with China. If the criminal allegations made by the United States are in fact politically motivated (i.e., they are being used as a bargaining chip in its trade dispute with China), Meng Wanzhou could actually fight extradition on this basis (during the extradition hearing and when the Minister of Justice is considering whether to issue a Surrender Order).

The extraterritorial aspect

This apparently refers to the fact that the alleged conduct, upon which the extradition request is based, appears to have occurred outside of U.S. territory. The alleged bank fraud involved multinational financial institutions, and the Iran-related transactions involved a Hong Kong-based corporation (Skycom). The only potential link to the United States was the fact that Skycom had to repatriate income from Iran through U.S. dollar clearing transactions, which typically pass through the United States.

Section 5 of the Act makes clear that extradition may occur even if the conduct upon which the request is based occurred outside of the foreign country's territory. It is also irrelevant whether Canada could exercise jurisdiction in the same circumstances.

So claims that the United States is attempting to apply its laws to conduct that occurred outside of its own territory will not prevent the extradition process from going forward. However, as confirmed by Section 47 of the Act, the Minister of Justice may refuse to issue a Surrender Order if she is satisfied that none of the conduct, upon which the extradition request is based, occurred in the territory over which the United States has jurisdiction.

In other words, the extraterritorial application of U.S. laws could be used to support the Minister of Justice's decision to not issue a surrender order, once the extradition process reaches the final stage.

Canada has not signed onto the same Iran sanctions

John McCallum suggested that Canada and the United States do not impose the same economic sanctions against Iran. Although this may be true at the present time, the RCMP affidavit filed in support of Meng Wanzhou's provisional arrest warrant claims that the alleged bank fraud occurred between 2009 and 2014. So John McCallum's statements on this point appear to be inaccurate, at least in relation to the period in question.

The Global Affairs Canada website provides a helpful summary of Canada's history of economic sanctions against Iran. According to the website, Canada's economic sanctions against Iran closely tracked those imposed by the United States until 2018. This recent divergence was the result of the United States' withdrawal from the "Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action" (JCPOA)

On May 8, 2018, President Trump announced that the United States would withdraw from the JCPOA. On the same day, the Government of Canada reaffirmed its continued support for the JCPOA. On Nov. 5, 2018, the United States fully restored the tougher economic sanctions that had been lifted as a result of the JCPOA.

In summary, Canada's economic sanctions against Iran only began to diverge from those of the United States on Nov. 5, 2018. During the period when the alleged bank fraud is alleged to have occurred (2009 to 2014), both Canada and the United States imposed the same economic sanctions against Iran.

More from HuffPost Canada:

• Clock Ticking For Canada's Response To Meng Wanzhou Extradition Request
• Scheer Calls Trudeau's Foreign Policy A 'Disaster' After Ambassador's Firing
• U.S. Hits China's Huawei With Charges For Stealing Secrets, Ducking Sanctions

It would appear that at least two out of the three arguments that John McCallum raised could theoretically be argued in support of Meng Wanzhou's release, either during her extradition hearing or in submissions to the Minister of Justice. Nevertheless, he should never have commented on whether those arguments would ultimately be successful. In doing so, he created the perception that the extradition process could be affected by political influence.

Have you been affected personally by this or another issue? Share your story on HuffPost Canada blogs. We feature the best of Canadian opinion and perspectives. Find out how to contribute here.

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