Premier, Regina mayor and councillor say Evraz workers unlikely to be disrupted by oligarch sanctions
CBC
Canada has announced another round of sanctions against Russia, including high-profile oligarch Roman Abramovich, who has a large stake in Evraz, a steel company that is one of the largest single employers in Regina.
In total, five top business leaders were added on Friday to the list of those deemed to be enabling President Vladimir Putin in his war against Ukraine.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, who announced the new penalties on the last day of his European trip, said the Russian elites will be prevented from doing business in Canada and their assets will be frozen.
Abramovich, owner of Chelsea Football Club in the United Kingdom, also holds a 28 per cent stake in Evraz, the steel company that has operations in Western Canada, including Regina.
Trudeau said the federal government has been mindful of the potential impact, but remains confident there will be no impact on the 1,700 people who work for Evraz in Regina.
"The sanctions on Russian officials and oligarchs like Abramovich are directed at them so that they cannot profit or benefit from economic activities in Canada — or the hard work of Canadians working in companies that they have investments in," Trudeau said in Warsaw, before boarding a flight home.
On Friday, CBC asked Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe to comment on the sanctions on Abramovich.
"In light of the new sanctions announced today, our government has been in contact with the federal government to ensure there are no local impacts to operations or employment at the Evraz Regina site," said Moe in a statement.
"We have been assured these sanctions will not negatively impact the mill, and we will continue to engage with the federal government to ensure that continues to be the case."
Prior to the Canadian sanctions on Abramovich, Regina Mayor Sandra Masters spoke with CBC's The House about what sanctions could mean for Evraz Steel workers in her city.
"A disruption in the contracts or any sanctions would have a significant impact on our workforce here," she said.
Masters said that Abramovich divesting himself from Evraz would be the best outcome.
"That is actually the way out of this in terms of the balance between needing to support Ukraine and accepting those sanctions and protecting the employment and the contracts and the livelihood of those workers."
Masters said she has heard from numerous Regina residents who are concerned about potential repercussions for the workers. But she said they also gave her a sense that they do not support Russian oligarchs or Russia itself.
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