No easy escape options for Alberta man stuck with hundreds more Canadians in Sudan
CBC
Tim Sanborn, of Cochrane, Alta., is one of hundreds of Canadians currently trapped in Sudan, where fighting between the country's top two generals has raged for nearly a week, making flights out of the country impossible.
In a hotel in Khartoum, the capital, Sanborn says he's on high alert. "A bullet went through the glass in the front foyer this morning," he told CBC on Thursday. "Nobody was hit, but, you know, but it's just a reminder of where you are."
According to the World Health Organization, the death toll from the conflict has risen to 330, with around 3,200 people wounded.
Sandborn, a father of two, traveled to Africa's third-largest country for his employer, which builds agricultural machinery and exports it across the globe.
When the conflict started Saturday, he was in a hotel near the city's international airport, which has been the target of heavy shelling. Satellite images show destroyed planes littering the tarmac.
On Wednesday morning, the company for which his employer is working transported him to another hotel in Khartoum that's housing other Canadians. Sanborn says his previous hotel was running out of supplies, such as water and diesel to run the generator.
While Sanborn says he feels safer around fellow Canadians, he's "not completely satisfied" with what he's heard from Ottawa.
So far, the government has advised Canadians in the country to shelter in place. Sanborn said that people from other countries appear to be more informed and connected to their fellow countrymen inside Sudan.
Foreign Affairs Minister Mélanie Joly told CBC News on Thursday that evacuating citizens and diplomatic staff from Khartoum is not an option currently due to security risks and fighting near the airport.
Global Affairs Canada (GAC) said roughly 1,500 Canadians have notified the government that they are in Sudan, adding that that figure is likely lower than the actual number.
In a statement, GAC said its embassy in Sudan is currently closed to the public and it's looking at all options to support staff on the ground.
Conservative MP Blake Richards, who represents the Cochrane area, said he's concerned about Sanborn's situation.
Sanborn has private evacuation insurance through his employer. He said there's talk of escaping by land with a private company. However, that's currently not his preferred option for escape.
"The most desirable option is to fly out on a government flag plane that's a humanitarian effort, not some kind of clandestine night move," he said.
Liberal leadership hopeful Mark Carney says he'd run a deficit to 'invest and grow' Canada's economy
Liberal leadership hopeful Mark Carney confirmed Sunday that a federal government led by him would run a deficit "to invest and grow" Canada's economy, but it would also balance its operational spending over the next three years.
The St. Anthony, N.L., Boys and Girls club is "starting to dream about what's possible to make the community even stronger" after its building was destroyed by a fire, said national CEO Owen Charters.
Groundhog Day: The Musical, based on the 1993 Bill Murray film, is having its Canadian premiere in Sudbury., following stints in London and New York.
A vacant north-end Halifax building that was previously described as an "immediate safety risk" by a fire inspector caught fire early Sunday.
This is part of a series called Ann's Eye, featuring the work of Ann Paul, a Wolastoqey content creator. You can see more Ann's Eye pieces by clicking here.
Olivier Soumis's green canvas tent sits in the middle of the frozen St. Lawrence River, providing a stark pop of colour against the muted tones of the snow and the open water in the distance.
A debate over how to adjudicate Treaty 4 rights was at the core of a federal court hearing in Manitoba this week.
Kael Flynn is the scion of a Saskatoon fashion dynasty, but the 22-year-old is more concerned with perfecting his curveball than selling suits.
The Regina Humane Society celebrated its first year in its new building on Saturday.
Beekeepers in Alberta's Peace region are watching nervously as the threat of a trade war looms.
In a world of shrinking margins and shuttered breweries, the last thing the craft beer industry in British Columbia needs is a tariff pushing up the price of the humble beer can.
Hamilton and the surrounding area is under a winter storm warning as up to 25 centimetres of snow is expected to accumulate Sunday, says Environment Canada.
With snow hammering Toronto overnight Saturday, Environment Canada is warning that the heaviest snowfall is still to come and travel conditions could "rapidly deteriorate" Sunday morning.