NewzIntel.com

Category: Canada

  • MIL-Evening Report: Why isn’t there an opposition leader to unite Democrats in the US?

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Samuel Garrett, Research Associate, United States Studies Centre, University of Sydney

    In just two months back in the Oval Office, President Donald Trump has tested the limits of the US Constitution, from overhauling immigration to drastically reducing the federal workforce and dismantling government agencies.

    With Republicans now in control of both the Senate and House of Representatives, Congress has so far shown little sign it will stand in Trump’s way.

    The judiciary is the other branch of government that can check the power of the president. However, the Trump administration has appeared increasingly willing to simply ignore decisions handed down by judges.

    There has also been a notable lack of unified opposition from the Democratic Party.

    Congressional Democrats are demoralised and deeply divided over how to respond to Trump. They face criticism, too, over their apparent lack of strategy.

    This has led some to ask why the United States lacks a formal political opposition leader.

    How opposition leaders operate in other countries

    In the American political system, the loser of the presidential election doesn’t retain a position as leader of the party in opposition. Instead, they tend to disappear from view.

    Kamala Harris is considering a run for governor of California — and could well attempt another run for president in 2028 or beyond. But she hasn’t remained a vocal counterpoint to Trump since he took office.

    By contrast, in countries with Westminster-style parliamentary systems, such as Australia, the United Kingdom, Canada and India, the main party not in power selects an opposition leader from among their ranks. In most countries, this position is defined by convention, not law.

    The opposition leader in many countries serves as the main face — and voice — of the party not in power. They work to keep the government accountable and are seen as the leader of an alternative government-in-waiting.

    What it takes to lead the opposition in the US

    During Trump’s first term, the Democratic speaker of the House, Nancy Pelosi, was widely recognised as the de facto Democratic opposition leader.

    A skilled negotiator, Pelosi was largely able to unite the Democrats behind her to lead the opposition to Trump’s legislative agenda — famously ripping up a copy of Trump’s State of the Union address on the House podium in 2020.

    As Senate majority and minority leader, Republican Senator Mitch McConnell successfully blocked swathes of legislation during Barack Obama’s presidency. He even thwarted a US Supreme Court nomination.

    In the 1980s, then-Speaker of the House Tip O’Neill led the Democratic opposition to Republican President Ronald Reagan’s domestic agenda, without resorting to obstructionism.

    However, for an opposition figure to have this level of influence, they usually need decades of experience, political skill, and a party in control of the House or Senate.

    The Democrats no longer have a majority in either chamber and are no longer led by Pelosi. Hakeem Jeffries has been the House minority leader since 2023, but without the speaker’s gavel or control of any committees, he has limited influence.

    Party discipline is typically far more unwieldy in the United States compared to other countries. In Australia, for instance, crossing the floor to vote against your own party is very rare.

    Unruly party caucuses make it significantly more difficult for a single party figurehead to emerge unless they command near-universal party loyalty and respect among their members in both chambers.

    Will Democratic cracks shatter the party?

    The Democratic caucus, already strained by Joe Biden’s late withdrawal from the 2024 presidential race, is now even more fractured.

    The Democrats continue to grapple with their resounding defeat in November, which saw the party lose ground with almost every demographic across the country. Polling shows public support for the Democrats has slumped to unprecedented lows, with just over a quarter of voters holding a positive view of the party.

    Most dramatically, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer defied fellow Democrats (including Jeffries) by voting in favour of a resolution in recent weeks to avoid a government shutdown. His decision sparked an uproar from his party colleagues.

    Visual images of the party’s disarray were also on clear display during Trump’s joint address to Congress earlier this month. While some representatives protested loudly, others followed leadership instruction to remain silent.

    Democrats were in near lock-step on almost all issues during Trump’s first term, as well as Biden’s presidency. Now, some are calling on Schumer to step aside as minority leader — and for the Democrats to coalesce behind a younger, more outspoken leader such as Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.

    Where next for the party?

    In the fractious debates now consuming the party, some see parallels with the emergence of the Tea Party movement within the Republican Party during Barack Obama’s first term in office.

    The current Democratic division could result in the emergence of a stronger dissident faction within the party. And this could push a harder line in opposition to Trump, no longer toeing the line from party leadership.

    Yet, while the political outlook for Democrats may appear bleak, electoral turnarounds can happen quickly in the United States.

    Few expected a demoralised Democratic party to turn John Kerry’s heavy defeat to George W Bush in 2004 into a generational victory just four years later. Similarly, after Obama decisively won reelection against Mitt Romney in 2012, few Republicans could have predicted they’d soon be back in power with Trump.

    But, as was the case 20 years ago, the soul-searching process will be painful for the Democrats. Whether it’s Ocasio-Cortez or another figure, the 2026 midterm elections are likely to be the best opportunity for a new central leader to emerge on the national stage.

    The authors do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

    – ref. Why isn’t there an opposition leader to unite Democrats in the US? – https://theconversation.com/why-isnt-there-an-opposition-leader-to-unite-democrats-in-the-us-252384

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI Canada: Government of Canada signs pharmacare agreement with Government of Yukon to improve universal access to free medications

    Source: Government of Canada regional news

    Government of Canada signs pharmacare agreement with Government of Yukon to improve universal access to free medications
    zaburke
    March 20, 2025 – 2:18 pm

    This is a joint news release between the Government of Canada and the Government of Yukon.  

    No one should have to choose between paying for prescription drugs and putting food on the table. That’s why the Government of Canada is taking action so Canadians can get the medication they need, regardless of their ability to pay.

    Today, Canada’s Minister of Health Kamal Khera and the Government of Yukon’s Minister of Health and Social Services Tracy-Anne McPhee, announced the signing of a pharmacare agreement to invest up to $9.5 million over four years to provide universal access to contraceptive and diabetes medications for residents of the Yukon. The funding from this agreement will also improve access to diabetes devices and supplies.

    Through this historic agreement, Yukon residents will receive public coverage for a range of contraceptives and diabetes medications at little to no cost. This will support the reproductive freedom of more than 12,000 Yukoners and make sure that over 3,000 residents with diabetes can access essential medications to reduce their risk of serious health complications and improve their quality of life.

    Yukon residents can anticipate beginning to receive coverage for these products not later than January 2026.

    This announcement is an important step forward to improve health equity, affordability and health outcomes for Canadians. The Government of Canada will continue working with the provinces and territories, Indigenous Peoples, partners and stakeholders to make sure every Canadian has access to the essential medications and medical devices they need. 
     

    This national pharmacare agreement with Yukon represents a significant step in ensuring Yukoners have improved access to the essential medications they need. Today’s announcement reflects our shared commitment to building a stronger healthcare system for all Canadians.

    Minister of Health Kamal Khera

    The cornerstone of the Canadian health care system is that access is based on need, not ability to pay. By ensuring that all Yukoners can access essential diabetes medications and supplies and contraceptives without facing financial barriers, our government is taking real action to build a more inclusive, equitable health care system. We’re proud to join other jurisdictions who have signed on to this agreement, and we will continue working with the Government of Canada to support Yukoners and their health care needs.

    Minister of Health and Social Services Tracy-Anne McPhee 

    Quick facts

    • In 2021, Statistics Canada found that one in five adults in Canada did not have the insurance they needed to cover their medication costs.

    • On October 10, 2024, the Pharmacare Act received Royal Assent and immediately came into force. To date, three other provinces – Manitoba, British Columbia and Prince Edward Island – have reached a pharmacare agreement with the Government of Canada. 

    Media contact

    Matthew Kronberg
    Press Secretary
    Office of the Honourable Kamal Khera
    Minister of Health
    343-552-5654

    Media Relations
    Health Canada and Public Health Agency of Canada
    613-957-2983 
    media@hc-sc.gc.ca 

    Laura Seeley
    Cabinet Communications
    Government of Yukon
    867-332-7627
    laura.seeley@yukon.ca   

    Ayodeji Awobamise
    Department of Health and Social Services
    Government of Yukon
    867-332-8342
    ayodeji.awobamise@yukon.ca 
        
    Public Inquiries:
    613-957-2991
    1-866-225-0709
     

    News release #:

    25-123

    Related information:

    About Pharmacare
    Prescription drug insurance coverage
    Government of Canada signs pharmacare agreement with Yukon to improve universal…

    MIL OSI Canada News –

  • MIL-OSI Canada: What We Heard report released on proposed Little Atlin Lake fishing regulation amendments

    Source: Government of Canada regional news

    What We Heard report released on proposed Little Atlin Lake fishing regulation amendments
    jlutz
    March 20, 2025 – 11:50 am

    This news release has been updated to reflect that this regulation change is a Government of Yukon proposal, not a joint proposal with the Yukon Fish and Wildlife Management Board. 

    The Government of Yukon has released a What We Heard report summarizing public feedback on the proposed changes to fishing regulations for Little Atlin Lake.

    Little Atlin Lake, in south-central Yukon, experiences high recreational fishing pressure due to its proximity to Whitehorse. In order to protect the lake trout population, the Government of Yukon is proposing to amend fishing regulations in this area. Proposed changes include:

    • implementing a harvest slot (allowable fish size) for lake trout from 58.5 cm (585 mm or 23 in) to 65 cm (650 mm or 25.6 in);
    • implementing a seasonal closure for lake trout on Little Atlin Lake from July 1 until November 30; and
    • requiring the use of single-point barbless hooks for all fishing on Little Atlin Lake.

    The public engagement was launched in collaboration with the Yukon Fish and Wildlife Management Board to learn whether Yukoners support the proposed changes. It ran from November 18, 2024, to January 17, 2025. Yukoners and stakeholders were invited to attend information sessions or complete an online survey.

    Of the 132 total survey respondents who participated in the engagement:

    • 91.7 per cent of respondents indicated support for the recommended harvest slot for lake trout;
    • 76.5 per cent of respondents indicated support for the proposed seasonal closure; and
    • 84.1 per cent of respondents indicated support for the proposed requirement of single point barbless hooks.

    During the public engagement process, feedback received also focused on four main themes: education; evidence-based management; enforcement and compliance; and broad versus targeted measures.

    Input obtained from this public engagement will inform educational efforts and potential regulatory changes for the 2025–26 fishing season, which will be reflected in the Yukon fishing regulations summary.

    Thank you to Yukoners for taking the time and effort to learn and provide feedback on the proposed regulation amendments for Little Atlin Lake. The Government of Yukon remains committed to working with our management partners, Yukon First Nations and the public to ensure fish populations remain sustainable and are appreciated by future generations. 

    Minister of Environment Nils Clarke

    The Board appreciates the thoughtful feedback provided during this public engagement. The strong support for these regulation changes demonstrates that Yukoners are deeply committed to keeping Little Atlin Lake’s fish populations healthy for future generations. We applaud the Department’s forward-thinking approach, which incorporates local and traditional knowledge with scientific evidence and includes plans for continued monitoring. The Board will continue working with all our partners to ensure the management of our freshwater fisheries balance conservation with angling opportunities.

    Yukon Fish and Wildlife Management Board Chair Michelle Dawson-Beattie

    Quick facts

    • The public engagement ran from November 18, 2024, to January 17, 2025. Yukoners and stakeholders were invited to attend information sessions or complete an online survey.

    • Letters of support for the proposed changes were provided earlier in the process by Carcross/Tagish Renewable Resources Council and Taku River Tlingit First Nation.

    • The Government of Yukon sent consultation letters to Carcross/Tagish First Nation, Carcross/Tagish Renewable Resources Council, Taku River Tlingit First Nation and the Yukon Fish and Wildlife Management Board on November 20, 2024.

    • A harvest slot refers to a regulation that restricts individuals from keeping fish outside a certain size range. This means that fish that fall within this “slot” – typically between a minimum and maximum length – may be kept, while fish outside of this range must be released back into the water.

    • The fishery status report for Little Atlin Lake was published in 2023 and documented the population concerns around lake trout in Little Atlin Lake. The proposed fishing regulation amendments for Little Atlin Lake stem from recommendations from this report.

    Media contact

    Laura Seeley
    Cabinet Communications
    867-332-7627
    laura.seeley@yukon.ca

    Linea Volkering
    Communications, Environment
    867-332-2688
    linea.volkering@yukon.ca 

    News release #:

    25-121

    Related information:

    Public feedback sought on proposed fishing regulation amendments for Little Atl…
    Engage Yukon: Little Atlin Lake fishing regulation amendment
    What We Heard report: Little Atlin Lake fishing regulation amendment engagement

    MIL OSI Canada News –

  • MIL-OSI Canada: Government of Yukon shares What We Heard report on proposed new Contaminants Regulation

    Source: Government of Canada regional news

    Government of Yukon shares What We Heard report on proposed new Contaminants Regulation
    jlutz
    March 20, 2025 – 2:15 pm

    The Government of Yukon is sharing a What We Heard report summarizing feedback on the proposed new Contaminants Regulation that would repeal and replace the existing Contaminated Sites Regulation and the Spills Regulation.

    The proposed new regulation aims to enhance environmental protection by updating standards, clarifying expectations and ensuring effective contaminated site remediation. The government sought feedback on key provisions of the proposed new regulation, including updated contaminant standards and spill reporting thresholds, transferring responsibility for contaminated sites, streamlining the permitting process and further defining how contaminated sites are designated.

    The government engaged Yukon First Nations governments and industry stakeholders from August 6 to September 30, 2024. This engagement was a follow-up from broad public engagement in 2018 and provided an opportunity for these governments and organizations to share final comments.

    Participants were generally supportive of the proposed changes to the regulations. Considerations raised during the engagement included:

    • ensuring transfer of responsibility for contaminated sites is open and transparent;
    • allowing flexibility in standardized permits for site-specific remediation;
    • providing opportunities for affected First Nations to be involved in managing contaminated sites;
    • keeping site investigations and assessments flexible and straightforward to avoid delaying remediation; and
    • ensuring remediation facilities are built to protect human health, the environment and Indigenous rights. 

    This valuable feedback will help shape the final Contaminants Regulation, helping to ensure it is effective, practical and responsive to the needs of Yukoners. By strengthening the management of contaminated sites and spills, the Government of Yukon is taking an important step toward protecting the territory’s water and land while unlocking economic opportunities through the redevelopment of remediated sites, including much-needed housing.

    Thank you to the representatives from Yukon First Nations governments, industry, business and environmental consulting firms who weighed in on our proposed new Contaminants Regulation. Once completed, this new regulation will streamline and simplify permitting processes and make it easier to remediate, develop and sell contaminated properties. This is an important step our government is taking to build a modern framework for regulating contaminated sites and spills that prioritizes the wellbeing of Yukoners and the environment.

    Minister of Environment Nils Clarke 

    Quick facts

    • The Government of Yukon invited 172 representatives from over 80 organizations to provide feedback on the proposed new Contaminants Regulation. 

    • Online information sessions were attended by 35 participants and 14 written submissions were received as part of the engagement. 

    • The Government of Yukon previously engaged with the wider public, Indigenous governments and groups and industry on the proposed new Contaminants Regulation in 2018. The government re-engaged Indigenous governments and groups and key industry stakeholders in 2024 to update their feedback due to the time that has passed since 2018.

    Media contact

    Laura Seeley
    Cabinet Communications
    867-332-7627
    laura.seeley@yukon.ca

    Kyle Nightingale
    Communications, Environment
    867-334-5922
    kyle.nightingale@yukon.ca 

    News release #:

    25-122

    Related information:

    What We Heard report: Engaging on a new Contaminants Regulation
    New contaminants regulation engagement

    MIL OSI Canada News –

  • MIL-OSI China: Trump’s ‘transactional foreign policy’ hits deadlock

    Source: China State Council Information Office

    In the two months since taking office, U.S. President Donald Trump’s administration has been aggressively pursuing its foreign policy agenda under the belief that everything is subject to “deals,” triggering wide backlash in international society.

    The essence of Trump’s foreign policy is “purely transactional,” said an article on the U.S. website The National Interest.

    “All I know, is… deals”

    “My whole life is deals. That’s all I know, is deals,” said Trump following his meeting with French President Emmanuel Macron about a month ago.

    When it comes to the means to facilitate these deals, as Kevin Hassett, director of the White House National Economic Council, put it, “We could do that with carrots, and we can do that with sticks.”

    On the issue of the Ukraine crisis, to facilitate negotiations between the parties, the Trump administration threatened that Russia would face U.S. sanctions if it refused to participate in talks, and that Ukraine would lose U.S. aid if it declined to negotiate.

    The United States has also coveted Ukraine’s resources, initially demanding rare earth elements, followed by oil, natural gas and other mineral resources.

    Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky strongly opposed these demands at first. His fiery clash with Trump at the White House on Feb. 28 shocked the world, prompting the United States to suspend military aid to Ukraine and cut off intelligence-sharing.

    When they spoke by phone on Wednesday, Trump even suggested to Zelensky that the United States could help run, and possibly own, Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, according to a statement by the U.S. presidential administration.

    On the Palestinian question, Trump demanded that Hamas release detained Israeli hostages, threatening that “or it is OVER for you” on March 5 in a post on Truth Social.

    Trump also proposed to “clean out” Gaza in late January and used the suspension of aid as leverage to pressure Egypt and Jordan to accept Palestinians.

    To address the issues of illegal immigration and fentanyl within the United States, the Trump administration wielded the “tariff stick” against Mexico and Canada. According to the Trump administration’s logic, these two major problems were caused by Canada and Mexico, and if they are not resolved, tariffs will be imposed.

    Trump also set his sights on Greenland, an autonomous territory of Denmark.

    He said that the United States would take control of Greenland “one way or the other,” refusing to rule out economic or military coercion. Trump said he would consider imposing tariffs on Denmark “at a very high level” if it resisted his offer to acquire the territory.

    Referring to Trump’s book where he talks about his experiences as a hotel developer, Sina Toossi, a fellow at the U.S. think tank Center for International Policy, told AFP: “He approaches diplomacy the way he approached real estate in ‘The Art of the Deal:’ — escalate tensions, maximize threats, push the situation to the brink of disaster and then, at the last minute, strike a deal.”

    “Transactional foreign policy” reaches impasse

    “My proudest legacy will be that of a peacemaker and unifier,” Trump declared in his inaugural address on Jan. 20. But how effective is his “transactional foreign policy?”

    After Trump’s phone calls with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Zelensky on Tuesday and Wednesday respectively, U.S. media believe that Russia has in effect rejected the U.S.-proposed 30-day ceasefire plan for Russia and Ukraine.

    The Washington Post reported that the call between the U.S. and Russian leaders highlighted differences more than agreement.

    Meanwhile, Ukraine is also dissatisfied with the proposal to halt attacks on each other’s energy infrastructure within 30 days, hoping to extend the ceasefire to include other civilian infrastructure.

    Zelensky said that Ukraine has no intention of transferring the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, which the Trump administration is interested in.

    As with Ukraine, Trump has pledged to bring “peace” to the Middle East, but his failure to facilitate “deals” through coercion and pressure has led to the rekindling of the flames of war in Gaza and Yemen.

    After “full coordination with the United States,” the Israeli military resumed large-scale airstrikes on the Gaza Strip on Tuesday, signaling the collapse of the Gaza ceasefire agreement.

    Additionally, the U.S. military began large-scale military operations against Yemen’s Houthi group on March 15. In retaliation, the Houthis claimed to have attacked U.S. aircraft carriers multiple times.

    After the Trump administration launched its “tariff war,” many countries implemented countermeasures. On March 12, the Canadian government announced a 25-percent retaliatory tariff on 29.8 billion Canadian dollars’ (20.7 billion U.S. dollars’) worth of U.S. goods.

    On the same day, the European Commission declared that the European Union (EU) would impose retaliatory tariffs on 26 billion euros’ (28.3 billion U.S. dollars’) worth of U.S. goods starting in April, targeting items such as beef, poultry, whiskey and motorcycles.

    Trump’s tariffs “are an act of self-harm,” The Economist said in a recent article.

    Trump’s remarks about Greenland have also increased anti-American sentiment on the island. To protest Trump’s remarks about acquiring the territory, an anti-American rally was held on March 15 in Nuuk, the capital of Greenland, with thousands of demonstrators marching to the U.S. Consulate there.

    Danish and EU officials also voiced their support for Greenland. “I believe that Greenland will remain part of the Danish Commonwealth for quite some time,” Danish Foreign Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen said recently.

    “To all the people of Greenland and of Denmark as a whole, I want to be very clear that Europe will always stand for sovereignty and territorial integrity,” European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said Tuesday.

    The Japanese daily Yomiuri Shimbun commented Thursday: “Another major offensive has begun in the Middle East, and Russia declined to endorse a full ceasefire in Ukraine. U.S. President Donald Trump’s diplomacy based on deals has apparently stalled.”

    A more dangerous world

    Analysts believe that the root cause of the impasse in “transactional foreign policy” lies in Trump’s sole focus on U.S. interests. He disregards the demands and needs of others, especially those of conflicting parties, and makes no effort to address the underlying issues.

    “For Trump, foreign policy isn’t about carefully negotiated peace deals. It’s about performance, leverage and crafting a narrative that sells,” Toossi said.

    Trump’s ability to create bargaining chips out of thin air and force concessions through coercion and inducement rely on the United States’ military and economic strength, analysts said.

    The essence of his “transactional foreign policy” is nothing more than coercion diplomacy rooted in power, serving the narrow self-interests of the United States. Rather than solving problems at their root, it ignores the concerns of relevant parties and pressures them to accept U.S. terms.

    “Team Trump claims that its dealmaking will bring peace and that, after 80 years of being taken for a ride, America will turn its superpower status into profit,” said The Economist in an article.

    “Instead it will make the world more dangerous, and America weaker and poorer,” it added. 

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Taking on Trump & Farage – and fixing church roofs

    Source: Liberal Democrats UK

    We meet at a time of great peril. For our continent, and for our country.

    Because Donald Trump is not only betraying Ukraine. It’s not only their sovereignty he’s selling out. It’s our security. The security of Europe and the security of our United Kingdom.

    And that is unforgivable.

    Putin might be able to fool Donald Trump into thinking that his ambitions do not extend beyond parts of Ukraine, but we know better. Just look at what he’s already doing in Georgia, in Moldova, in Romania – undermining their democracies and seeking to extend his grip further into Europe.

    Our brave Ukrainian allies are on the frontline. Fighting not just for their homes. Not just for their freedom. But for the freedom and security of people across Europe, including ours here in the UK. Their fight is our fight.

    So to our Ukrainian friends, on behalf of all Liberal Democrats, let me say once again – We thank you. We salute you. We stand with you. Today. Tomorrow. Always.

    And of course, that solidarity must go beyond mere words. That’s why I am proud that the United Kingdom has been Ukraine’s staunchest ally right from the start. Why I am so proud of the tens of thousands of British families who welcomed Ukrainians into their homes. Showing the incredible warmth and generosity of the British people. Why I am proud of all the military assistance we have given to the Ukrainian armed forces – the tanks and training, missiles and drones to repel Putin’s war machine. And it’s why I was proud that the Prime Minister brought Europe and Canada together here in Britain to chart a way forward, the day after those appalling scenes of Trump and Vance ambushing President Zelenskyy in the Oval Office.

    And Trump’s so-called “special envoy” might dismiss British leadership as pointless posturing, but we know what it really is… Britain, leading in Europe again, as we have done at the greatest moments in our nation’s history. And friends, it was good to see that again after such a long time, wasn’t it?

    But now we must step up our efforts and do more. Much more. For the defence of Ukraine, for the defence of Europe, and for our own national defence too.

    So we Liberal Democrats have led calls for far more support for Ukraine – funded by the tens of billions of pounds of Russian assets frozen in the UK, and the hundreds of billions of pounds frozen across the G7. We backed proposals for a new European Rearmament Bank, to finance a massive expansion of defence manufacturing here at home and across the continent. We pressed the Government to raise defence spending to 2.5% of GDP – and now we are continuing to push for cross-party talks to get it to 3%.

    Because the threat we face is existential.

    To our east, a murderous dictator hellbent on building a new Russian empire – and committing atrocities on European soil in pursuit of it. And to our west, for the first time in my life, a President of the United States willing not merely to turn a blind eye to Putin’s aggression – but actually to praise it. A President who has repeatedly demonstrated that he is not a reliable ally to Ukraine, to Britain, to Europe, or to anyone else.

    So the fundamental questions we now face are these:

    How do we deal with Putin?

    And how do we deal with Trump?

    Well, let me tell you how not to deal with them. Just like any bully, you don’t deal with them by curling up in a ball and hoping they’ll leave you alone. You don’t turn a blind eye as they attack your friends, praying that maybe they’ll stop there. You have to stand up. Stand tough. Stand together with our friends. Make clear that an attack on one is an attack on all.

    And that – for the vast majority of people in our country – is our instinctive response. Brits can’t stand a bully.

    What Trump and Putin are doing offends our fundamental British values of decency, fair play, respect for national sovereignty and the rule of law. Almost everyone I speak to – in every part of our country – feels that way. But there is one man who thinks differently.

    One lone holdout. Someone who simply doesn’t seem to get it. A man who splits his time between GB News, Mar-a-Lago… and weirdly selling nappies on social media, apparently. A man who can even, legend has it, occasionally be spotted in the House of Commons and – if you wait long enough – in the town of Clacton-on-Sea. Nigel Farage.

    Unlike you and me, Nigel Farage thinks Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin are great. Not in a “look, we have to be pragmatic and work with them” kind of way. More in a teenager with a celebrity crush kind of way.

    Don’t forget, when Farage was asked which world leader he most admired, his answer was Vladimir Putin. Yes, really. Now, to be fair, that was before Donald Trump became President – so I guess Putin might have slipped to number two by now. 

    A tyrant responsible for the brutal suppression of Russia’s own people, and countless atrocities in Ukraine. Who has murdered thousands of innocent civilians. And abducted 20,000 children from their homes. Snatched them away from their families.

    That, apparently, is the sort of man who wins Nigel Farage’s admiration.

    How despicable. How completely out-of-touch with British values. With human values. How unpatriotic. How deeply un-British. And this from a man who thinks he can be our Prime Minister. Not on our watch.

    With war on our continent, an unpredictable President in the White House, and an increasingly volatile world… This is no time for a nationalist.

    We need real British patriotism instead. At home and abroad, our country has big problems to solve. And let’s be absolutely clear: Nigel Farage is not the least bit interested in solving them.

    If Farage had his way, he would turn our great country into little more than a Donald Trump tribute act. He has said it himself: he sees Trump as his inspiration. He wants to do to Britain what Trump is doing to America: All the division. The nasty culture-war nonsense. The economic self-harm of tariffs. Cruelty for the sake of being cruel. Siding with criminals and undermining the rule of law. And of course, limiting your access to healthcare. And making you pay more for it.

    Farage doesn’t like to talk about it much these days, but he has been very clear throughout his long political career that he doesn’t believe in the fundamental NHS principle of universal healthcare free at the point of use. He’s called for an American-style insurance-based model. He says he’s “open to anything” when it comes to the future of the NHS – including privatisation. Just like his idol Donald would want.

    And apart from that, isn’t it striking that Farage has nothing to say about the challenges facing our NHS? Nothing to say about how to make sure people can actually see a doctor or a dentist when they need one. Nothing to say about ambulance delays or crumbling hospitals. Nothing to say about fixing social care, so that our loved ones get the care they need and carers get the support they deserve. And I mean literally – nothing to say. 

    Farage has never uttered the word “care” once in Parliament. Because the truth is: Nigel Farage doesn’t care.

    He hasn’t mentioned the “NHS” once either – or GPs, hospitals, ambulances, dentists. Imagine that. A political party whose leader has nothing at all to say on one of the biggest issues on people’s lips, and the biggest challenges we face. Our country has big problems to solve. And Nigel Farage is not the least bit interested in solving them.

    But friends, that’s not the worst of it, is it? What worries us most about Farage and Reform is the deeply destructive, divisive brand of politics they deploy.

    The weaponisation of difference. The demonisation of diversity. The scapegoating of “the other”. The superficial, simplistic, snake-oil solutions they peddle. We know where it all will lead, if we don’t stop it.

    We know what happens when cynical, opportunistic politicians seize on the struggles and the anxieties of ordinary people – Anxieties about the cost of living. About cultural and technological change. About sovereignty and security. When they exploit those struggles and anxieties for their own selfish ends – When they point the finger of blame at those who differ from you because of their religion or their nationality or the colour of their skin – When they teach that those people threaten your job or your family or your way of life – When they manipulate new forms of media to spread lies, sow fear and stir hatred – When they use those tools to convince you that their cause alone is righteous and all who stand against them are evil… We know where that ends.

    We have seen it before across history – too many times. It is the populist playbook, and its pages are very well-worn. It is ugly. It is powerful. And it is incredibly destructive. Not only to the groups they target – the vulnerable, the minorities – but ultimately to us all. To our whole society. To the very idea of liberal democracy that our United Kingdom embodies.

    And if this sounds alarmist or over-the-top, remember this: It always starts that way.

    With a reasonable, even beguiling face. With an appeal to “common sense” and “plain speaking”. But if allowed to take root, it grows and mutates with such speed and ferocity, till it fills every crack in the foundations of our country… Until those cracks become chasms.

    And what is broken can never be mended. So we know where it leads. We know what is at stake. Not just an election. Not just a set of policies. But the very future of liberal democracy itself.

    That is what’s under threat. And friends – Liberal Democrats – it falls to us to save it.

    Because with the Conservatives desperately chasing Reform’s tail – And Labour sounding more and more like them every day – We Liberal Democrats are the only ones with the courage and the conviction to stand up and offer something different. Offer a positive alternative. Something better… Hope.

    And here’s the good news – Because I know it can feel like the tides of history are against us right now. I know that when you look at Trump in America, Le Pen in France, the AfD in Germany, Reform here in the UK – When the headlines are so often so bleak – It can be tempting to give in to despair.

    Well the good news is this: What we can offer people is even more powerful than all their lies. All their false promises. The easy answers of the populist right. Even more powerful, and even more popular. Real hope.

    Hope based not on empty rhetoric or magical thinking – But on hard work and concrete action that people can see making a difference to their lives and to their communities.

    That’s what good old-fashioned Liberal Democrat community politics has always been all about. Winning people’s trust by getting things done. Showing them what liberal democracy can do for them – not by talking about it, but by rolling up our sleeves and actually doing it. Putting our policies into practice and our ideals into action.

    I don’t know if you heard what Kemi Badenoch said about us recently. Did you hear this?

    She said – and I quote: “A typical Liberal Democrat will be somebody who is good at fixing their church roof. And people in the community like them.”

    Good at fixing the church roof. People in the community like them.

    I think she meant it as an insult! But I’ll happily wear it as a badge of honour.

    Because she’s right. Liberal Democrats fix things.

    And isn’t it telling, that attitude from the Leader of the Conservative Party? 

    Not that she doesn’t like us – I’m not surprised about that. She’s got good reason not to like the Liberal Democrats… After all, we did take 60 seats off them last July! I’ll say that again, Conference… We took 60 seats off the Conservatives! So you can hardly blame them for being a bit upset!

    But what I’m talking about is the sneering attitude of the Leader of the Conservatives. The sneering attitude that says fixing church roofs is somehow beneath her. Even beneath politics altogether. That what happens in our communities is trivial and insignificant compared to debating the true meaning of conservatism on Twitter.

    And it goes far beyond Kemi Badenoch and church roofs. It’s the whole Conservative Party – whether in Westminster or in town halls and county halls across the country. They have abandoned our communities.

    The Conservatives left schools and hospitals to crumble. Left whole areas without enough GPs or dentists. Left water companies to pump filthy sewage into our rivers and seas. And they have left decent, traditional Conservatives without a political home.

    Their out-of-touch, disdainful thinking is why the Conservative Party is in the mess it is today. Treating the day-to-day things that matter in people’s lives not just with indifference, but outright contempt.

    It’s why so many lifelong Conservative voters have turned to the Liberal Democrats. It’s why people rightly kicked them out of government last July – And why we must kick them out of our councils in May too.

    But that Conservative disdain and neglect is also what has opened the door to Reform. And that’s why it’s so important that we Liberal Democrats are rooted in our communities, getting things done.

    Fixing the church roof – and much more besides. Showing people that politics can work for them. That who they vote for can make a difference. That their voice matters. 

    That is how you defeat the populists. How you drain away the cynicism that feeds them. How you win back people’s trust and restore their hope.

    It’s not easy, our way of doing politics.

    Liberal Democrat MPs certainly have to spend a lot more time in our constituencies than Nigel Farage spends in Clacton – although I admit that’s a low bar.

    That’s why no one ever joins the Liberal Democrats as a shortcut to high office. And if that’s why any of you are here today, I’m sorry to have to let you down like this.

    We join because we want to make a difference to our communities and our country. Even though we know it’s hard work. 

    And we join – we all joined – because of a genuine belief in the core Liberal values that have made our country great: Freedom and equality. Community and internationalism. A commitment to human rights, to the environment, and to democracy. And those values are exactly what this moment in history demands.

    At a time when people are facing so many daily challenges on so many different fronts – The cost of living crisis. An economy that is still barely growing. Public services that just aren’t working the way they should. Opportunity that feels further and further out of reach for too many young people.

    These are challenges that can really test our values. When people feel so economically insecure. When times are so tough. Historically these are the times that liberalism has struggled, that progress has stumbled. But these are the times when our liberal values are needed more than ever.

    To build the fair, free and open society we all believe in. So that people can get on in life – with real power to make their own choices and pursue their own dreams.

    Because we understand that if you free people – If you empower them to make their voices heard and hold the powerful properly to account – Then you unleash the best in people and create a better society and a stronger economy as a result.

    So that everyone gets a fair deal. Every child gets the best possible start in life, and everyone sees their hard work and aspiration properly rewarded. Everyone gets the care they need when they need it, and a helping hand if they fall on tough times.

    And friends, how critical are our Liberal, internationalist values right now?

    Not just on Ukraine and defending Europe from Putin – critical though that is. But on so many big, global challenges – from the rise of China to the threat of climate change to the risks of artificial intelligence.

    These are challenges that no nation can afford to ignore. And challenges that no nation can tackle alone. Pulling up the drawbridge simply isn’t an option. Like I said, this is no time for a nationalist.

    What we need is a movement of proud internationalists – People who believe that our country and our people thrive when we are open and outward-looking. Who know that the UK can be an incredible force for good when it stands tall on the world stage. And stands up for what is right. Who recognise that the concerns of one nation inevitably become the concerns of all nations. A movement of proud internationalists. And Liberal Democrats, that is who we are.

    The only party that has consistently opposed the Conservatives’ damaging Brexit deal from the start. The only party arguing for a new deal with the EU, with a Customs Union at its heart – putting us on a path back to the Single Market. The only party still championing international aid, after first the Conservatives and now Labour shamefully cut it.

    And friends, we’re the only party in British politics speaking up in defiance of Donald Trump. The only ones willing to state the obvious truth: that he is no leader of the free world. I mean, this is a man who stands on the White House drive, flogging Teslas for Elon Musk like a particularly bad used car salesman. It’s hardly “Ask not what your country can do for you”, is it?

    And more despicably, this is a man who halted shipments of food, medicine and other essential aid supplies to people around the world who desperately need them. Locking whole shipping containers in port for their contents to rot. So much for Ronald Reagan’s “shining city on a hill”.

    And remember – this is the man Nigel Farage calls his “inspiration”. We’re the only ones willing to say that Trump cannot be relied upon to play by the rules, or stick to agreements. That his presidency is a threat to peace and prosperity in the UK, across Europe, and around the world. And that we must deal with him as he is. Bullying. Narcissistic. Unpredictable. We must deal with Trump from a position of strength, not weakness.

    Like on trade. If there’s one thing we know, it’s that Donald Trump loves tariffs. He says it’s “the most beautiful word in the dictionary”…

    Which, when you think about it, really is a very Donald Trump way of deciding your economic policy, isn’t it?

    Now, as Liberals, we profoundly disagree. After all, it was the Victorian Liberals who overturned centuries of protectionism and ushered in a new era of free trade and prosperity. We can already see the damage Trump’s tariffs are doing to the US economy, with forecasters saying he may plunge it into recession. And we fear the damage his trade war could do to the world economy, impacting jobs and living standards here in the UK too.

    So the question, again, is how do we deal with him?

    And the answer, we say again, is from a position of strength. Regrettably, that’s not Labour’s strategy. They say: “Let’s be nice to him and hope he won’t hurt us”.

    Now Labour’s even talking about scrapping Britain’s tax on social media giants. Changing the UK’s tax policy to appease Donald Trump – and Elon Musk. Well appeasement never works with bullies, and it doesn’t work with Trump – as his tariffs on British steel already show.

    And let me say this to Elon Musk, who I know is my biggest fan… We will make out-of-control social media giants like you pay more – so we can defend our children and young people from the harm you’re causing them.

    But it’s not just Labour bending the knee to this White House. It’s the Conservatives too. They’d have us go to Mar-a-Lago, begging bowl outstretched, pleading for a trade deal on whatever terms Trump will give us. The Conservatives would sell out British farmers to President Trump, just as they sold them out in their damaging trade deals with Australia and New Zealand. And then they’d let Trump’s billionaire mates carve up the NHS between them. 

    Another Elon Musk rebrand, this time to NH-X.

    More and more appeasement – in the futile hope it would protect us from more Trump tariffs in future. But we know it wouldn’t. Of course it wouldn’t.

    Just look at how he’s treated Canada – a steadfast ally who fought fascism alongside the US and the UK. He has hit them with outrageous tariffs, breaking the trade deal between their two countries. Because he doesn’t like the deal, so he doesn’t think he has to stick to it.

    Last month he asked “who would ever sign a thing like this”. The answer, of course, is you did Donald. Only five years ago. His signature means nothing.

    So no, a bad Trump deal won’t protect us from tariffs. And playing nice, being weak, is no way to deal with him either. So let’s stand up to Trump. Let’s stand side by side with the EU and with our Commonwealth ally Canada. I urge the Prime Minister to bring those leaders together here in the UK to agree a coordinated response to Trump’s trade war – just like he’s rightly done on Putin’s murderous war. As others have done, we should hit back with tariffs of our own – starting with those Teslas Trump is so desperate to sell. 

    And Conference, let’s put ourselves in the strongest possible position by rebuilding our trade with Europe – Strengthening British businesses and showing Trump we have other options.

    So you see, when it comes to dealing with Trump – as with the other looming threats in the world right now – it is our liberal belief in internationalism that offers the solution. Conference, with Trump in the White House and Farage leading a Trump tribute act here in the UK – Our role in British politics has never been more essential. Our precious liberal values are the only antidote to their destructive nationalism. Our trademark community politics is the only way to defeat their cynical populism.

    The threat they pose is grave. The challenge before us is great. This is a battle of competing values. A battle of competing visions. A battle for the future.

    We didn’t choose this fight. But friends, I know you are up for it. I know together we can win it.

    For the future of our democracy. For the good of our communities. For the love of our country. Let’s go to battle.

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Trouble at Tesla and protests against Trump’s tariffs suggest consumer boycotts are starting to bite

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Erin O’Brien, Associate Professor, School of Government and International Relations, Griffith University

    Getty Images

    When the United States starts a trade war with your country, how do you fight back? For individuals, one option is to wage a personal trade war and boycott products from the US.

    President Donald Trump has said no nation will be exempt from his tariffs, and this includes both Australia and New Zealand. His tariffs on all steel and aluminium imports, in particular, could hurt the sector in Australia, while New Zealand’s meat and wine exports to the US could also feel the effect.

    So far, political leaders have responded differently. Canada, Mexico and the European Union have imposed reciprocal tariffs on the US, while Australia has indicated it will not retaliate.

    But whether governments choose to push back or not, citizens in those and other countries are making their own stands. This includes artists such as renowned pianist András Schiff, who has cancelled his upcoming US tour.

    Most notably, collective outrage at the US president has led to a growing global boycott of Elon Musk’s Tesla due to his role in the Trump administration. Sales of new Tesla vehicles are down 72% in Australia and 76% in Germany. The share price has dropped by more than 50% since December 2024, with calls for Musk to step down as chief executive.

    Some governments are even encouraging consumer boycotts. The Canadian government, for example, has urged citizens to “fight back against the unjustified US tariffs” by purchasing Canadian products and holidaying in Canada.

    Canadians are clearly embracing this advice. Road trips to the US have dropped by more than 20% in the past month and US liquor brands have been removed from some Canadian stores altogether.

    This rise in calls for boycotts of American brands and companies is unsurprising in the Trump 2.0 era, where the lines between government and corporate America have become increasingly blurred.

    Political change by proxy

    When people want to protest a government policy, but have no political leverage because they’re not citizens of that country, boycotting corporations or brands gives them a voice. These actions are sometimes called “surrogate” or “proxy” boycotts.

    This form of “political consumerism”, where individuals align their consumption choices with their values, is now one of the most common forms of political participation in western liberal democracies.

    When France opposed the war in Iraq in 2003, US supporters of the war aimed boycotts at French imports. Consumers in the US, United Kingdom and elsewhere have boycotted Russian goods over the invasion of Ukraine, and targeted Israel over its military action and policies in Gaza and the West Bank.

    Most famously, protests against the apartheid regime in South Africa from the 1950s through to the 1990s helped isolate and eventually change its government.

    The current boycotts are not just protesting Trump’s trade war, of course. They are also about the role of unelected leaders from the corporate world, such as Musk and the heads of the Big Tech and social media companies, and their perceived self-interest and influence.

    Trump has responded angrily to consumer boycotts, calling the actions against Tesla “illegal”, which they are not. Indeed, political leaders like Trump often argue that consumer action, rather than government regulation, should be relied on to ensure corporations conform to social expectations.

    Ukrainians demonstrate in front of the Lukoil headquarters in Belgium over European imports of Russian fossil fuels, 2022.
    Getty Images

    How to wage a personal trade war

    Consumer boycotts do create change under certain conditions – typically when there is a contained problem that the targeted corporation has the power to solve.

    For example, consumer boycotts against Nestlé in the 1970s over false and dangerous marketing of powdered milk for infants led to changes in the firm’s marketing approaches. Boycotts of Nike products over sweatshop conditions for workers had a direct impact on the company’s bottom line and led to improvements.

    Things may still need to improve at Nestlé and Nike, but these boycotts show consumer pressure can catalyse corporate action. However, it is much harder – though not impossible – for boycott campaigns to succeed when the target is a government.

    Consumers boycotting American products can amplify the impact of their protest by also lobbying retailers. For example, if enough consumers stop buying a bottle of soft drink from the US, major supermarkets like Woolworths and Foodstuffs will stop buying thousands of bottles.

    There are also other ways to “vote with your wallet”. People can engage in “political investorism” by using their power as a shareholder, bank customer or pension-fund member to express their political views.

    After Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, for example, investors sought to divest from Russian companies, and superannuation funds were pressured by their members to do the same.

    As consumers and investors, individuals can wage a personal trade war, sending a clear message. Trump may not be willing to listen to the leaders of allied nations, but if consumer and investor pressure is sustained and spreads globally, he may yet hear the voice of corporate America.

    Erin O’Brien receives funding from the Australian Research Council to examine consumer and investor activism for social change. She is affiliated with the Australian Political Studies Association.

    Justine Coneybeer receives funding from the Australian Research Council to investigate ethical investment.

    – ref. Trouble at Tesla and protests against Trump’s tariffs suggest consumer boycotts are starting to bite – https://theconversation.com/trouble-at-tesla-and-protests-against-trumps-tariffs-suggest-consumer-boycotts-are-starting-to-bite-252489

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI Canada: Government of Canada to provide update on protection measures for the general election

    Source: Government of Canada News

    Ottawa, Ontario, March 23, 2025 – Government of Canada representatives will provide a technical briefing to media, to update on measures in place to protect Canada’s General Election 45.

    Date : Monday, March 24, 2025
    Time (all times local): 12:00 p.m. EDT
    Location: National Press Theatre
    Room 325 Wellington Building
    180 Wellington, Ottawa, Ontario

    • Reporters can also join via videoconference. Information on how to join will be sent by the Press Gallery

    Participation in the question and answer portion of this event is in person or via Zoom, and is for accredited members of the Press Gallery only. Media who are not members of the Press Gallery may contact pressres2@parl.gc.ca for temporary access.

    Materials

    To receive briefing materials, please register with Privy Council Office Media Relations (media@pco-bcp.gc.ca). Materials will be made available right before the technical briefing begins.

    By registering to receive materials in advance, participants agree to keep materials under embargo until the technical briefing has started.

    MIL OSI Canada News –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Trump threats: Is foreign policy the biggest issue for Canadian voters this election?

    Source: The Conversation – Canada – By Adam Chapnick, Professor of Defence Studies, Royal Military College of Canada

    Canadians are heading once again to the polls on April 28 to vote in a federal election.

    This election will offer voters competing visions of Canada’s future at a time when it has become all but impossible to separate foreign policy from domestic politics.

    There’s no question much of the conversation during the campaign will centre on how the next government will deal with United States President Donald Trump amid his continuing threats to Canadian sovereignty.

    But even though the Trump administration has undermined the liberal democratic world order in which Canada has prospered for close to a century, it’s unclear whether threats of a global tariff war, an ongoing divisive conflict in the Middle East and continued Russian aggression in Ukraine will directly affect how Canadians cast their votes.

    Most political scientists have traditionally argued that foreign policy does not matter to Canadians at the voting booth.

    But a recent book by historian Patrice Dutil has claimed that “at least half of Canada’s national elections featured substantive discussions of Canada’s place in the world.”

    So who’s right?

    Foreign policy as an issue

    My new report, “Foreign Policy and Canadian Elections: A Review,” finds truth on both sides.

    Foreign policy is what people who study elections call an “issue,” just like the economy, national security or health care.

    Issues compete with many other considerations — like ideology, perceptions of leadership and the need for change — to determine a voter’s ultimate decision.

    Local candidates can affect how people vote, as can party affiliation. If you live in a riding where your preferred candidate is unlikely to win, you might vote strategically.

    According to Canadian political scientist Elizabeth Gidengil, for an issue like foreign policy to really matter in an election, it must satisfy three conditions:

    • Political parties must position themselves on opposite sides of it;
    • Voters must be aware of the differences between the parties’ views;
    • The balance of opinion on the issue must clearly favour one side over the other.

    That rarely happens in relation to Canadian foreign policy. Our political parties don’t typically differ significantly on world affairs. When they do disagree, it’s unusual for the public to overwhelmingly support one side over the other.



    Read more:
    Trump’s potential embrace of ‘continentalist geopolitics’ poses grave risks to Canada

    Handling the Trump threat

    There are no real divisions between the election’s front-runners — Liberal Mark Carney and Conservative Pierre Poilievre — over how to deal with Trump.

    Both have pledged that Canada will never become the 51st state and have promised to strike back at American tariffs with economic measures of their own.

    Poilievre says he’ll manage Canada-U.S. relations more effectively than the Liberals would, but he has not proposed any different tactics to do so.

    On the other hand, Poilievre was clearly onto something in his endless quest to make the election all about the Justin Trudeau government’s carbon tax and rebate.

    Until Carney replaced Trudeau, the differences between the Conservatives and the Liberals on carbon pricing were stark. Thanks to an extraordinary Conservative marketing campaign, the Canadian public was well aware of those differences — and a significant majority of Canadians sided with Poilievre.

    Now that Carney has axed the tax himself, those differences have become much less significant.

    Domestic politics aside, Trump will still loom large throughout the next five weeks.

    But international and domestic issues have been, and remain, sufficiently interconnected that it’s hard to discuss one to the exclusion of the other.

    Free trade with the United States was a key topic of debate during four election campaigns — 1891, 1911, 1935, 1988 — because of its impact on Canadians’ sense of independence.

    Canadians were divided over conscription during the 1917 election campaign. They differed over support for Britain during the 1956 Suez crisis and throughout the election the following year.

    Just as the American invasion of Iraq split the Liberals and the Canadian Alliance during the election of 2003, so did attitudes towards increased defence spending in 2000. Canadian support for Syrian refugees came up regularly during the 2015 election campaign.

    Still, it’s not clear if these differences affected more than a small number of individual Canadians when they marked their ballots.

    Voters tend to cast their ballots emotionally, and even though Trump is preoccupying the national consciousness at the moment, the leading political parties have not offered us specific policy alternatives to deal with him.

    What’s ahead this election campaign

    Over the next five weeks, Canadians should expect to learn about the leading political parties’ views on relations with the U.S., the situations in the Middle East and Ukraine, foreign interference in the affairs of state and Canada’s global defence.

    Voters can and should demand that those who wish to lead the country are thoughtful and literate on these and other international issues.

    As then Prime Minister Stephen Harper reflected in 2011:

    “Since coming to office — in fact, since becoming prime minister [in 2006] — the thing that’s probably struck me the most in terms of my previous expectations … is not just how important foreign affairs/foreign relations is, but in fact that it’s become almost everything. There’s hardly anything today of any significance that doesn’t have a huge international dimension to it.”

    But expecting party views on foreign policy to shape the election’s outcome is probably unrealistic.

    When we head to the voting booths, most Canadians will likely just listen to their gut.

    Exactly how Carney or Poilievre promises to deal with Trump probably won’t matter nearly as much as who they simply feel will do a better job on a host of issues.

    Adam Chapnick does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

    – ref. Trump threats: Is foreign policy the biggest issue for Canadian voters this election? – https://theconversation.com/trump-threats-is-foreign-policy-the-biggest-issue-for-canadian-voters-this-election-247065

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Can Mark Carney truly connect with Canadian voters? Canada will now find out

    Source: The Conversation – Canada – By Kevin Quigley, Scholarly Director of the MacEachen Institute for Public Policy and Governance, Dalhousie University

    After a busy two weeks as prime minister, Mark Carney has called an election for April 28.

    As the first in Canadian history to be named prime minister without ever having held public office, Carney is hoping he can win the trust of Canadians. He’ll run for a seat in the Ottawa riding of Nepean.

    Trustworthiness is awarded to those who are at least perceived as knowledgeable, transparent and concerned. Can Carney pull it off?

    When it comes to economics, Carney is among the most knowledgeable in the country. After obtaining a PhD at the University of Oxford, Carney has had a distinguished public service career in the Canadian Department of Finance, the Bank of Canada and the Bank of England.

    With such a high level of economic uncertainty today in the face of repeated threats from United States President Donald Trump, his supporters say he’s the right person to lead Canada. His chief rival, Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre, was first elected to the House of Commons at the age of 25 and has quite a different CV.

    Is Carney empathetic?

    Carney, however, might struggle more with the other characteristics of trustworthiness — seeming open and showing concern.

    The Conservatives have criticized Carney for not being more transparent about his private financial interests. While Carney is following disclosure rules, the Conservatives argue Canadians need to know more about whether he’s in a conflict of interest when he makes decisions in government.

    Carney’s answers to questions about his time at Brookfield Asset Management have on occasion been unsteady.

    On the surface, this is about transparency, but in fact it’s just as much about empathy and whether Carney can relate to working-class voters. By alluding to Carney’s wealth and connections, the Conservatives are implying that Carney is an out-of-touch elite who doesn’t share the concerns of average Canadians.

    Some of the early visuals of Carney can cut both ways.

    His recent chummy embrace at the Élysée with French President Emmanuel Macron exemplifies how immediately comfortable he is with world leaders. Some will find this reassuring, given the state of geopolitics; others might find it privileged and off-putting. Even his hockey skills, which were part of a recent photo-op in Edmonton when he practised with the Oilers, were acquired partly during his time at Harvard University, an institution among the most elite in the world.

    Empathy, instinct

    Can Carney connect with people?

    Arguably, he needs work on this front. He might consider some of his Liberal predecessors.

    Former prime minister Justin Trudeau could certainly rally a crowd. Trudeau became a motivational speaker in the 2000s and used opportunities like the WE Charity to practise public speaking to what would become an important constituency for him — young voters — when he led the Liberals to victory in 2015.

    Not everything can be taught at school. Political instinct is also crucial. It requires reconciling the knowledge of experts with the concerns of everyday citizens. There is no formula for this balance sheet.

    Here again, Trudeau had insight. Bill Morneau, a corporate executive himself and the former federal finance minister, noted after the COVID-19 pandemic that government payouts had been too generous and driven more by Trudeau’s view of the politics of the moment than by the economic analysis provided to him by the Finance Department.

    This may be so, but most would say Trudeau handled the early stages of the pandemic deftly.

    Chretien’s skills

    It was interesting that at the recent Liberal convention confirming Carney as leader, delegates gushed over former prime minister Jean Chretien, far from an elitist. A winner of three consecutive majorities, Chretien delivered a speech that went over at least as well with delegates as Carney’s.

    Chretien had unparalleled political instincts. When Conservative Prime Minister Brian Mulroney rolled out the GST in 1991, it was deeply unpopular. Despite Chretien later famously backtracking on his original opposition to the GST, the Liberal Party under his stewardship used the issue to exact maximum damage on the Progressive Conservatives, delivering them a near-fatal blow.

    Chretien’s killer instincts trumped expert knowledge. While the Progressive Conservatives paid a heavy price for adopting the GST, the policy was largely advocated and shaped by business and economic elites, including in the Department of Finance. Good economics does not always make for good politics.

    Emotions to run high

    If the 1988 federal election that focused almost exclusively on free trade with the U.S. is any indication of what the next few weeks will look like in Canada, the election campaign is going to get heated quickly. Arguments may be more emotional than sensible.

    The fact that Carney dropped the carbon tax and capital gains tax was an early sign that he’s not an economist anymore, he’s a politician.

    The challenge for Carney — and for any politician in the heat of an election campaign battle — will be to find the sweet spot that reconciles expert opinion with public concerns and to articulate policies in a manner that voters will understand and support.

    Kevin Quigley receives funding from SSHRC.

    – ref. Can Mark Carney truly connect with Canadian voters? Canada will now find out – https://theconversation.com/can-mark-carney-truly-connect-with-canadian-voters-canada-will-now-find-out-252365

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Trump threats: Is foreign policy really the biggest issue for Canadian voters this election?

    Source: The Conversation – Canada – By Adam Chapnick, Professor of Defence Studies, Royal Military College of Canada

    Canadians are heading once again to the polls on April 28 to vote in a federal election.

    This election will offer voters competing visions of Canada’s future at a time when it has become all but impossible to separate foreign policy from domestic politics.

    There’s no question much of the conversation during the campaign will centre on how the next government will deal with United States President Donald Trump amid his continuing threats to Canadian sovereignty.

    But even though the Trump administration has undermined the liberal democratic world order in which Canada has prospered for close to a century, it’s unclear whether threats of a global tariff war, an ongoing divisive conflict in the Middle East and continued Russian aggression in Ukraine will directly affect how Canadians cast their votes.

    Most political scientists have traditionally argued that foreign policy does not matter to Canadians at the voting booth.

    But a recent book by historian Patrice Dutil has claimed that “at least half of Canada’s national elections featured substantive discussions of Canada’s place in the world.”

    So who’s right?

    Foreign policy as an issue

    My new report, “Foreign Policy and Canadian Elections: A Review,” finds truth on both sides.

    Foreign policy is what people who study elections call an “issue,” just like the economy, national security or health care.

    Issues compete with many other considerations — like ideology, perceptions of leadership and the need for change — to determine a voter’s ultimate decision.

    Local candidates can affect how people vote, as can party affiliation. If you live in a riding where your preferred candidate is unlikely to win, you might vote strategically.

    According to Canadian political scientist Elizabeth Gidengil, for an issue like foreign policy to really matter in an election, it must satisfy three conditions:

    • Political parties must position themselves on opposite sides of it;
    • Voters must be aware of the differences between the parties’ views;
    • The balance of opinion on the issue must clearly favour one side over the other.

    That rarely happens in relation to Canadian foreign policy. Our political parties don’t typically differ significantly on world affairs. When they do disagree, it’s unusual for the public to overwhelmingly support one side over the other.



    Read more:
    Trump’s potential embrace of ‘continentalist geopolitics’ poses grave risks to Canada

    Handling the Trump threat

    There are no real divisions between the election’s front-runners — Liberal Mark Carney and Conservative Pierre Poilievre — over how to deal with Trump.

    Both have pledged that Canada will never become the 51st state and have promised to strike back at American tariffs with economic measures of their own.

    Poilievre says he’ll manage Canada-U.S. relations more effectively than the Liberals would, but he has not proposed any different tactics to do so.

    On the other hand, Poilievre was clearly onto something in his endless quest to make the election all about the Justin Trudeau government’s carbon tax and rebate.

    Until Carney replaced Trudeau, the differences between the Conservatives and the Liberals on carbon pricing were stark. Thanks to an extraordinary Conservative marketing campaign, the Canadian public was well aware of those differences — and a significant majority of Canadians sided with Poilievre.

    Now that Carney has axed the tax himself, those differences have become much less significant.

    Domestic politics aside, Trump will still loom large throughout the next five weeks.

    But international and domestic issues have been, and remain, sufficiently interconnected that it’s hard to discuss one to the exclusion of the other.

    Free trade with the United States was a key topic of debate during four election campaigns — 1891, 1911, 1935, 1988 — because of its impact on Canadians’ sense of independence.

    Canadians were divided over conscription during the 1917 election campaign. They differed over support for Britain during the 1956 Suez crisis and throughout the election the following year.

    Just as the American invasion of Iraq split the Liberals and the Canadian Alliance during the election of 2003, so did attitudes towards increased defence spending in 2000. Canadian support for Syrian refugees came up regularly during the 2015 election campaign.

    Still, it’s not clear if these differences affected more than a small number of individual Canadians when they marked their ballots.

    Voters tend to cast their ballots emotionally, and even though Trump is preoccupying the national consciousness at the moment, the leading political parties have not offered us specific policy alternatives to deal with him.

    What’s ahead this election campaign

    Over the next five weeks, Canadians should expect to learn about the leading political parties’ views on relations with the U.S., the situations in the Middle East and Ukraine, foreign interference in the affairs of state and Canada’s global defence.

    Voters can and should demand that those who wish to lead the country are thoughtful and literate on these and other international issues.

    As then Prime Minister Stephen Harper reflected in 2011:

    “Since coming to office — in fact, since becoming prime minister [in 2006] — the thing that’s probably struck me the most in terms of my previous expectations … is not just how important foreign affairs/foreign relations is, but in fact that it’s become almost everything. There’s hardly anything today of any significance that doesn’t have a huge international dimension to it.”

    But expecting party views on foreign policy to shape the election’s outcome is probably unrealistic.

    When we head to the voting booths, most Canadians will likely just listen to their gut.

    Exactly how Carney or Poilievre promises to deal with Trump probably won’t matter nearly as much as who they simply feel will do a better job on a host of issues.

    Adam Chapnick does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

    – ref. Trump threats: Is foreign policy really the biggest issue for Canadian voters this election? – https://theconversation.com/trump-threats-is-foreign-policy-really-the-biggest-issue-for-canadian-voters-this-election-247065

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: How political leaders communicate climate policy will be a defining factor this election

    Source: The Conversation – Canada – By Andrew Heffernan, Climate Associate at the Information Integrity Lab and Adjunct Professor in Political Studies, L’Université d’Ottawa/University of Ottawa

    Prime Minister Mark Carney has called an April 28 federal election, setting the stage for a campaign where climate policy could be a central issue.

    The current iteration of Canada’s consumer carbon rebate is dead — which many view as a casualty of effective communication — yet climate policy remains a pressing topic for voters and a major battleground for political leaders.



    Read more:
    The Canada Carbon Rebate is still widely misunderstood — here’s why

    As Canada grapples with intensifying climate-related challenges, the next government will not only need to implement evidence-based policies to meet international climate commitments, but also effectively communicate its vision to voters.

    The public remains concerned about environmental issues, yet many are worried that bold climate policies have damaged the economy. This tension between environmental responsibility and economic growth will shape how each party formulates and communicates their climate policies in the upcoming campaign.

    The Liberals: Navigating the middle ground

    For Carney and the Liberal Party, the challenge is twofold. First, the Liberals must present a new climate plan after the collapse of the consumer carbon rebate, which has faced widespread public opposition in recent years.

    While the new Liberal leader has already terminated the the carbon rebate, it still remains unclear what exactly his comprehensive climate plan will look like. Carney’s website states that his strategy will: “Provide incentives for consumers. Put more of the burden on big polluters. And help us build the strongest economy in the G7.”



    Read more:
    Big government, big trouble? Defending the future of Canada’s climate policy

    This suggests his climate policy will hinge more on positive incentives for consumers to invest in sustainable approaches rather than putting a cost on polluting.

    While the carbon rebate initially enjoyed broad support as a key tool for reducing emissions, it has become a lightning rod for political controversy.

    Climate change is no longer just an environmental issue; it’s increasingly seen as a matter of economic survival, with green energy jobs and clean technologies representing an opportunity for Canada to position itself as a global leader in the sector.

    Carney will have to make a convincing case that his policy will create jobs, stimulate innovation and provide a clear path toward a greener, more sustainable economy.

    Failing to do so could lead to the loss of centrist and moderate voters, some of whom are wary of the perceived economic risks of aggressive climate action.

    The Conservatives: Axing the rebate isn’t enough

    On the opposite end of the political spectrum, federal Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre has made axing the carbon rebate a central part of his platform.

    Framing the carbon rebate as an economic penalty, Poilievre has played into populist sentiments by promising to “axe the tax” and relieve financial pressures on Canadian families and businesses.

    However, even if the Conservatives are successful in eliminating the carbon rebate, they still face the challenge of needing a comprehensive climate policy that lowers emissions and meets Canada’s Paris Agreement targets. Poilievre has said he would not withdraw Canada from the accord, but he hasn’t addressed how he would meet Canada’s commitments.

    Poilievre’s populist rhetoric may resonate with voters who feel economically squeezed, but it’s unlikely to be enough to win over voters concerned about the climate crisis — especially as he has voted against environmental and climate action in Parliament over 400 times in his career, a point his opponents will be sure to raise repeatedly.

    For the Conservatives, the real challenge will be how to present a climate policy that appeals to both economic conservatives, who prioritize fiscal responsibility, and environmental conservatives, who are concerned about the future of the planet.

    Poilievre will need to clearly articulate how his policies will preserve Canada’s environmental future without stifling economic growth or inflating costs for the average Canadian.

    NDP and Green Party

    A key piece of the future of climate policy in Canada will be the NDP and Green Party, who are generally considered left-of-centre parties alongside the governing Liberals.

    The NDP, which can siphon progressive votes away from the Liberals — which sometimes benefits Conservatives — have been clear as mud when it comes to their climate policy for the next election.

    NDP leader Jagmeet Singh rescinded his party’s long-standing support for the Liberal carbon rebate in April 2024, but has not yet said what his party would put in its place.

    Meanwhile, the Green Party, which has historically played a less significant role in electoral outcomes in terms of vote splitting, has generally maintained its support for the carbon rebate. Its website suggests the party supports the polluter-pays principle. However, the Greens have yet to take a clear stance on the shifting climate grounds on which this election could partially be fought.

    Political communication the key to success

    In the coming years, the future of climate policy in Canada will be less about crafting the perfect policy and more about crafting a message that addresses how people are feeling.

    The Liberal Party has been open about the demise of the carbon rebate being a combination of a lack of their own effective communication strategy, mixed with harmful disinformation campaigns that led to the demise of their signature climate policy.

    For the Liberals, Conservatives, NDP and Greens alike, the road to effective climate policy will lie in this communication. Political leaders will need to balance ambition and pragmatism, ensuring their policies align with Canadians’ economic interests.

    With 71 per cent of Canadians suggesting they want the next government to do more to address climate change, leaders who can articulate a vision for a sustainable, prosperous future while addressing the immediate concerns of Canadians will be the ones who have the best chance of winning the public’s trust — and the next election.

    Andrew Heffernan is affiliated with the Liberal Party of Canada.

    – ref. How political leaders communicate climate policy will be a defining factor this election – https://theconversation.com/how-political-leaders-communicate-climate-policy-will-be-a-defining-factor-this-election-251990

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Could bullying be an evolutionary trait?

    Source: The Conversation – Canada – By Tony Volk, Professor, Child and Youth Studies, Brock University

    Given the seriousness of the consequences of bullying for its victims, it behooves us all to take a good, hard look at why so many people continue to bully. (Shutterstock)

    Bullying is a serious problem that impacts hundreds of millions of young people across the world each year. Defined as the goal-directed, harmful abuse of a power imbalance, bullying can cause serious, long-term physical and mental health outcomes for victims.

    As a result, countries around the world have mobilized anti-bullying efforts. Unfortunately, these efforts have had relatively little impact on bullying worldwide.

    Why? One reason might be that bullying is, at least in part, an evolutionary adaptation that offers adolescent perpetrators benefits, like popularity, resources and even dates and sex.

    But do these benefits extend beyond adolescence? This is what we set out to test at Brock University’s Research on Aggression and Victimization Experiences group. In particular, we wanted to know if the earlier and more frequent dating and sex that adolescent bullies experienced translated into having more children in later life.

    Children of bullies may learn how to be bullies themselves, through directly experiencing bullying from their parents or through indirectly watching their parents bully others.
    (Shutterstock)

    An evolutionary trait?

    There is very little data on whether bullying benefits like popularity or sex extend beyond adolescence, but early data suggested that might be the case. We sought to replicate that research using two studies.

    The first was a longitudinal study of adolescents: approximately 600 Canadian boys and girls from age 14 until their mid-20s. The second was a retrospective study of more than 500 North American adults ages 18-35. We found that adolescents who bullied others reported having children earlier and having more children in total, compared to adolescents who did not engage in bullying.

    While we note that a complete study should entail following adults into their mid-40s (the very end of most child births), we wanted to compile data now rather than waiting another 15-20 years for our longitudinal sample to mature. That means that while we can’t rule out that non-bullies might catch up with later reproduction, the data clearly shows that onset of reproduction is tied closely to total reproduction.

    Is having children early, and more often, a good thing? Given that bullying does appear to be partly due to evolved genetics (with the environment still playing a pivotal role in its expression), reproduction is the ultimate currency of evolution. Passing on genes is, quite literally, the biological meaning of life. So this is strong evidence for the theory that bullying is, at least in part, an evolutionarily successful strategy in some contexts.

    Socially, bullies are also more likely to be in the romantic relationship that is typically required to have children. We believe this is because bully’s power is related to potentially positive attributes, like attractiveness, strength and even social skills.

    Our yet-to-be published data also indicates that former bullies end up investing more energy into their children than average parents. Think of the hockey or soccer parents yelling on the sidelines, bullying their child’s coach, referees or other players in order to benefit their own child. Bullying’s links with parenting go beyond purely quantitative considerations and impact both mating success and parental effort.

    If bullying offers benefits, we want to reduce, replace and redirect those benefits.
    (Shutterstock)

    Why does this matter?

    It matters because it helps explain why bullying is so ubiquitous and hard to prevent. Bullying appears to offer meaningful benefits to those who use it and that’s critical information if parents, teachers, schools and governments want to come up with strategies for preventing it.

    What might some of those strategies look like? If bullying offers benefits, we want to reduce, replace and redirect those benefits. We can do so by getting peers to not reward bullies with the attention and popularity that they desire. We can replace benefits with costs by pointing out that while bullies gain popularity, they lose likeability. People might fear the bully’s power, but they generally don’t like them.

    Finally, we can try to teach adolescents to replace bullying with more prosocial behaviour that might have equal or better outcomes with respect to peer support.

    This also matters because our data shows bullying as a potentially intergenerational problem. We know that violence can be transmitted from parents to their children. It is possible that children of bullies will learn how to be bullies themselves, through directly experiencing bullying from their parents or through indirectly watching their parents bully others.

    This generational transmission might very well be another reason why bullying is so hard to prevent — because it starts in the home. Given the seriousness of the consequences of bullying for its victims, we must all to take a good, hard look at why so many people continue to bully, or support bullies, so that we can understand how we to best stop this toxic and damaging pattern of behaviour.

    Tony Volk receives funding from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada.

    – ref. Could bullying be an evolutionary trait? – https://theconversation.com/could-bullying-be-an-evolutionary-trait-251237

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Asteroid 2024 YR may not hit Earth in 2032, but it — and others — will keep coming back

    Source: The Conversation – Canada – By Martin Connors, Professor of Astronomy, Mathematics, and Physics, Athabasca University

    A double plume created by the Chelyabinsk meteor that flew over Russia on Feb. 15, 2013. The shock wave caused damage and a small meteorite dropped. (Shutterstock)

    In late 2024, astronomers spotted asteroid 2024 YR4 on a trajectory that could potentially threaten Earth. This observation triggered a fervid series of observations of the object — possibly as big as a football field — to determine that it will not hit. However, an impact on the moon cannot be ruled out.



    Read more:
    What are the chances an asteroid will impact Earth in 2032?

    Then in January of this year, the near approach of an asteroid perhaps a million times more massive went almost unnoticed.

    Asteroid 2024 YR4 has a diameter between 40 to 90 metres and was referred to as a “city-killer” capable of causing regional damage and affecting the climate; the larger asteroid, 887 Alinda, is over four kilometres in diameter and could cause a global extinction event.

    A radar image of asteroid Alinda taken in January 2024. The rectangular region is about three kilometres a side.
    (NASA/JPL)

    Alinda remains just outside Earth’s orbit, while 2024 YR4 does cross our orbit and still could impact Earth; however, this won’t occur in the foreseeable future.

    Asteroid orbits

    Both 887 Alinda and 2024 YR4 orbit the sun three times for every time the massive planet Jupiter goes around once. Since Jupiter’s orbit takes 12 years, the asteroids will take four years to be back on similar paths in 2028. These special kinds of asteroids are dangerous, since they come back regularly.

    Alinda was discovered in 1918 and has made several sequences of near passes at four-year intervals. 2024 YR4 has made what NASA considers close passes every four years since 1948, but was only recently noticed.

    Not since the 1970s has so much attention been paid to asteroids with a three-to-one relation to Jupiter. Such relationships had already been noted as a curiosity by American astronomer Daniel Kirkwood in the late 1800s. Working with very sparse data since few asteroids were known at the time, he noted none went around the sun twice for each Jupiter orbit, nor three times, nor in more complex ratios like seven-to-three or five-to-two.

    These so-called Kirkwood gaps are not obvious since they show up only in plots of the average distance of asteroids from the sun. The gaps remained a mere curiosity of the solar system for about 100 years.

    Numbers of asteroids by averaged distance from the sun, showing the Kirkwood gaps. The gap labelled 3:1 harbors both Alinda and 2024 YR4, located at an average distance 2.5 times Earth’s orbit radius from the sun.
    (NASA/JPL)

    The employment of new computer technologies to calculate orbits revealed the effects of resonance to scientists in the 1970s. Resonance occurs when asteroids appear to move at the same, or a multiple of, the orbit speed of another external object — in this case, Jupiter.

    The Kirkwood gaps are explained by asteroids similarly interacting with Jupiter to leave the asteroid belt, even while their average distance from the sun does not change. By dipping into the inner solar system, these asteroids are often removed from the gaps in a very simple way: by hitting an inner planet like Mars, Venus or Earth.

    Scientists also found that these gaps were not completely empty; Alinda, for example, was in the three-to-one gap. Many more such asteroids have been found, and they are generically named “Alindas,” after the prototypical first discovery whose name origin is a bit obscure.

    Return of the asteroids

    If the bad news is that Kirkwood gaps are due to asteroids hitting inner planets, including Earth, can it get much worse? For Alinda-class asteroids it does. Alindas follow their pumped-up orbit every four years, so properly aligned Alindas get a chance to hit Earth about that often.

    Near passes of these asteroids tend to happen spaced by longer intervals, but when aligned, they come back several times with four-year spacing. A limiting factor is how tilted their orbits are: if they are quite tilted, they are not often at a “height” matching Earth’s, so are less likely to hit.

    The bad news about that is that both Alinda and 2024 YR4 are very nearly in the plane of Earth’s orbit, and are not tilted much, so are more likely to hit.

    The resonant “pumping” stretching the orbit both inward and outward from the asteroid belt has already made 2024 YR4 cross Earth’s orbit, giving it a chance to impact. The much more dangerous Alinda is still being pumped: in about 1,000 years, it may be poised to hit Earth.

    One piece of good news is that 2024 YR4 will miss in 2032, but by coming close it will be kicked out of its Alinda orbit. It will no longer come back every four years.

    However, getting an orbital kick from Earth, its orbit will still cross ours, just not as often. The current orbit shows a somewhat close approach (farther than the moon) in 2052, and beyond that, calculations are not very accurate.

    Other asteroids

    Although Earth is a small target in a big solar system, it does get hit.

    If 2024 YR4 managed to sneak up on us in 2024, can other asteroids also surprise us? The last damaging one to do so appeared undetected on Feb. 15, 2013, over Chelyabinsk, Russia, injuring many people when its shock wave shattered glass in buildings.

    In 1908, a larger explosion took place over Tunguska, Russian Siberia, a remote region where huge areas of forest were devastated but few people injured.

    Part of the huge region of Siberian forest blown down by the Tunguska meteor explosion of 1908; this photograph was taken in 1929.
    (Leonid Kulik)

    Keeping watch

    While astronomers work diligently to survey the night sky from Earth’s surface, space-based surveys like the upcoming Near-Earth Object (NEO) surveyor can be very efficient in detecting asteroids. They do so by their heat (infrared) radiation and, being in space, can also study the daytime sky.

    According to Amy Mainzer, lead on the NEO surveyor, “we know of only roughly 40 per cent of the asteroids that are both large enough to cause severe regional damage and closely approach Earth’s orbit.” Once launched in late 2027, NEO will “find, track and characterize the most hazardous asteroids and comets,” eventually meeting the U.S. Congress-mandated goal of knowing of 90 cent of them.

    Among asteroids, we must pay special attention to resonant ones, such as 2024 YR4, because eventually, they’ll be back.

    Martin Connors has received funding from NSERC and the Canada Foundation for Innovation, and the Canadian Space Agency. He is currently a self-funded academic visitor at UCLA.

    – ref. Asteroid 2024 YR may not hit Earth in 2032, but it — and others — will keep coming back – https://theconversation.com/asteroid-2024-yr-may-not-hit-earth-in-2032-but-it-and-others-will-keep-coming-back-250958

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Pharmacare is now law in Canada, but negotiations with provinces could slow progress

    Source: The Conversation – Canada – By Jane Fletcher, PhD Candidate in Community Health Sciences, University of Calgary

    Ensuring people have coverage for essential medications is crucial. (Shutterstock)

    Despite Canada’s commitment to universal health care, one in 20 Canadians cannot afford their prescribed medications, with people from Alberta, New Brunswick and British Columbia being the most likely to say they’re missing doses due to costs.

    When people skip medications, it leads to more emergency room visits, costly hospital stays and worse health.

    Ensuring people have coverage for essential medications is crucial. In October 2024, Canada took a step forward when Bill C-64, or the Pharmacare Act, received royal assent and became law.

    The act will cover contraceptives for nine million Canadians, helping with family planning and managing conditions like endometriosis and polycystic ovary syndrome.



    Read more:
    Pharmacare’s design could further fragment and politicize Canada’s health system

    It will also cover diabetes medications for the 3.7 million Canadians living with the disease — critical for managing blood sugars and preventing complications like blindness, kidney failure, heart attacks and strokes.

    Despite this historic passage of pharmacare legislation, its rollout remains uncertain. The government’s next steps are complicated by the Constitution Act of 1867, which gave provinces jurisdiction over health care.

    The federal government must now negotiate agreements with each province to implement the plan — a task made more difficult because medication coverage varies widely across Canada. Without full co-operation, pharmacare’s impact could be limited, with coverage gaps persisting for millions of Canadians.

    Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre has also said he’ll scrap pharmacare.

    Coverage differs among provinces

    In many provinces — including B.C., Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Ontario, Nova Scotia, P.E.I. and Newfoundland and Labrador — pharmacare coverage is provided universally with income-based deductibles. This means provincial coverage only kicks in after an individual reaches a spending threshold on medications. This threshold varies by age and income level.

    Alberta and New Brunswick use premium-based systems, requiring monthly membership fees.

    Most provinces also use co-payments, meaning people must cover part of the cost of each prescription — for example, 20 to 30 per cent of the full cost, or a flat fee of $5 to $10. Only Québec mandates prescription insurance coverage, either privately or through its public plan.

    Currently, a major driver of how much Canadians pay for their medications is arbitrary — it’s about where one lives. For example, a young Albertan living with diabetes and heart disease who earns $14,000 would need to pay $1,000 annually for medications. In Ontario, that same person would pay just $100.

    Such differences can influence where people choose to live and can hinder interprovincial labour mobility. It’s a driving force behind the push for pharmacare — to ensure free access to the most important medications, regardless of where someone lives.

    An opportunity for national pharmacare

    Pharmacare could have been implemented nationally, like it was for the Canadian Dental Care Plan, offering federal coverage for essential medications like contraceptives and diabetes medications, while insurers and provincial plans cover the rest.

    This would have been a simple approach that would have allowed for future changes, and could have been implemented by provinces much like vaccines are — paid for using people’s provincial health numbers, sidestepping the difficulty of enrolling people in a new plan.

    But in the waning days of the current Liberal federal government, it appears the chosen direction has been to negotiate separate agreements with each province and territory to establish a minimum standard.

    Movement in this direction has already been seen in B.C., Manitoba and P.E.I. where deals have already been made with the federal government, while other provinces remain in talks.

    The pace of these agreements remains uncertain, and it’s unclear when — or if — all the provinces and territories will sign on.

    The fight for pharmacare isn’t over

    As Canada takes its first steps toward pharmacare, many questions remain. For provinces with income-based deductibles, would the deductible simply shift to other drugs, meaning people with other health conditions won’t really save on their overall medication costs each year?

    For those with premium-based coverage, how would those who don’t enrol in the public plan access coverage? How would this be rolled out in Québec where some form of medication coverage is already mandatory?

    The push for universal drug coverage in Canada dates back decades. When medicare was first recommended in 1964 by the Hall Commission, it included a proposal for universal drug coverage that was ultimately never implemented.

    Over the decades, multiple reports, including the 1999 Kirby Report and the 2019 Pharmacare For All Report, have called for its implementation.

    Organizations like the Canadian Medical Association and the Canadian Nursing Association have similarly stressed its importance. Yet, despite decades of advocacy, Canada has remained the only country with a universal health-care system that doesn’t provide comprehensive drug coverage.

    With negotiations on pharmacare officially underway, its success will depend on federal-provincial co-operation, which has been increasingly strained in recent years. Advancing pharmacare is in Canadians’ best interest — especially for the 7.5 million people who cannot afford the medications their doctor prescribes.

    The question now is whether governments will act swiftly to implement pharmacare, or if political roadblocks will delay access to life-saving medications even further.

    Jane Fletcher receives funding from CANTRAIN (Canadian Institutes of Health Research) and Alberta Innovates.

    David Campbell receives funding from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research, Diabetes Canada, and Alberta Innovates.

    Braden Manns and Reed F Beall do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

    – ref. Pharmacare is now law in Canada, but negotiations with provinces could slow progress – https://theconversation.com/pharmacare-is-now-law-in-canada-but-negotiations-with-provinces-could-slow-progress-250888

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: Mind your language: The battle for linguistic diversity in AI

    Source: United Nations 2

    By Fabrice Robinet

    Culture and Education

    For two years, one international organization under the umbrella of the UN has been leading a relentless campaign in the corridors of global digital diplomacy. Its mission? To bring linguistic diversity to English-dominated artificial intelligence.

    With his signature geeky glasses and TED-Talk-style headset, Sundar Pichai looked straight out of a Silicon Valley incubator.

    That Monday, February 10, Google’s chief executive took the stage at the Artificial Intelligence Action Summit in Paris. From the Grand Palais podium, he heralded a new golden age of innovation.

    “Using AI techniques, we added over 110 new languages to Google Translate last year, spoken by half a billion people around the world,” said the tech mogul, his eyes fixed on his notes. “That brings our total to 249 languages, including 60 African languages – more to come.”

    Delivered in a monotone, his statement barely registered among the summit’s attendees – an assembly of world leaders, researchers, NGOs, and tech executives.

    © Permanent Mission of Canada

    But for advocates of linguistic diversity in artificial intelligence, Mr. Pichai’s words marked a quiet victory – one achieved after two years of intense, behind-the-scenes negotiations in the arcane world of digital diplomacy.

    “It shows the message is getting through and tech companies are listening,” said Joseph Nkalwo Ngoula, digital policy advisor at the UN mission of the International Organisation of La Francophonie, in New York.

    Linguistic divide

    Mr. Pichai’s speech was a far cry from the linguistic missteps of early generative AI – a branch of artificial intelligence capable of creating original content, from text to images, music and animation.

    When OpenAI launched ChatGPT in 2022, non-English speakers quickly discovered its limitations.

    A query in English would generate a detailed, informative response. The same prompt in French? Two paragraphs, followed by a sheepish apology: “Sorry, I haven’t been trained on that,” or, “my model isn’t updated beyond this date.”

    Such a gap lies in the intricate mechanics of AI tools, which rely on so-called large language models (LLMs) like GPT-4, Meta’s LlaMA, or Google’s Gemini to digest vast troves of internet data that help them understand and generate text.

    But the internet itself is overwhelmingly Anglophone. While only 20 per cent of the world’s population speaks English at home, nearly half of the training data for major AI models is in English.

    Even today, ChatGPT’s responses in French, Portuguese, or Spanish have improved but remain less illuminating than their English counterparts.

    UN Photo/Elma Okic

    Sharper focus

    “The volume of available information in English is much greater, but it’s also more up to date,” said Mr. Nkalwo Ngoula. By default, AI models are conceived, trained, and deployed in English, leaving other languages struggling to catch up.

    The divide isn’t just quantitative. AI, when deprived of robust training in any given language, starts to “hallucinate” – generating incorrect or absurd answers with unsettling authority – much like an overconfident friend bluffing his way through trivia night.

    A classic AI hallucination consists of responding to a request for biographical details about a famous person by inventing a Nobel Prize or coming up with an odd parallel career, as in this example generated by ChatGPT, at the behest of UN News:

    UN News: ‘Who is Victor Hugo?’

    Hallucinating AI: “Victor Hugo, the 19th-century French writer, was also a passionate astronaut who contributed to the early design of the International Space Station.” 🚀😆

    Black box

    “It’s a black box absorbing data,” Mr. Nkalwo Ngoula explained. “The results might be formally coherent and logically structured, but factually, they can be wildly inaccurate.”

    Beyond factual errors, AI tends to flatten linguistic richness. Chatbots struggle with regional accents and language variations, such as Quebecois French or Creole languages spoken in Haiti and the French Caribbean.

    AI-generated French often feels sanitized, stripped of its stylistic nuances.

    “Molière, Léopold Sédar Senghor, Aimé Césaire, Mongo Beti – they’d all be turning in their graves if they saw how A.I. writes French today,” joked Mr. Nkalwo Ngoula.

    The issue runs deeper in multilingual countries, as in the diplomat’s native Cameroon, where youth commonly speak Camfranglais – a hybrid of French, English, Pidgin, and local languages.

    “I doubt young people could ask an AI something in Camfranglais and get a meaningful response,” he said. Expressions like “Je yamo ce pays” (I love this country) or “Réponds-moi sharp-sharp” (Answer me quickly) would likely leave A.I. models bewildered.

    UN Photo/Loey Felipe

    Shadow Campaign of La Francophonie

    Mr. Nkalwo Ngoula’s organization, La Francophonie – which brings together 93 states and governments around the use of French, representing more than 320 million people worldwide – has made this linguistic gap a centerpiece of its digital strategy.

    The group’s efforts culminated in last year’s UN Global Digital Compact, a framework for AI governance adopted by the Member States. From 2023 onward, La Francophonie leveraged its diplomatic network – including the influential Francophone Ambassadors’ Group at the UN – to ensure linguistic diversity became a core principle in AI policymaking.

    Along the way, unexpected allies emerged. Lusophone and Hispanic advocacy groups joined the fight, and even Washington sided with their cause. “The US defended language inclusion in AI development,” Mr. Nkalwo Ngoula noted.

    Their push paid off. The final Global Digital Compact explicitly recognizes cultural and linguistic diversity – an issue that had initially been buried under broader discussions on accessibility. “Our goal was to bring it to the forefront,” he said.

    The movement even reached Silicon Valley. At the UN Summit for the Future in September 2024, where the Compact was officially adopted, Sundar Pichai, Google’s CEO, surprised many by emphasizing the need for A.I. to provide access to global knowledge in multiple languages.

    “We’re working toward 1,000 of the world’s most spoken languages,” he pledged – a commitment he reaffirmed in Paris months later.

    Limits of the Global Digital Compact

    Despite these gains, challenges remain. Chief among them is visibility. “Francophone content is often buried by platform algorithms,” Mr Nkalwo Ngoula warns.

    Streaming giants like Netflix, YouTube, and Spotify prioritize popularity, meaning English-language content dominates search results.

    “If linguistic diversity were truly considered, a French-speaking user should see French-language films at the top of their recommendations,” he argued.

    The overwhelming dominance of English in AI training data is another hurdle sidestepped by the Compact, which also omits any reference to UNESCO’s Convention on Cultural Diversity – an oversight that, according to Mr. Nkalwo Ngoula, should be rectified.

    “Linguistic diversity must be the backbone of digital advocacy for La Francophonie,” Nkalwo Ngoula insisted.

    Given the pace of AI development, those changes can’t come a moment too soon.

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Whitehorse — Whitehorse RCMP seek public assistance in locating Michael Bland

    Source: Royal Canadian Mounted Police

    RCMP is seeking public assistance in locating 44-year-old Michael Steven Bland who was reported missing the morning of March 21, 2025.

    Police are concerned for Mr. Bland’s well being. His photo is attached to this news release.

    Mr. Bland was last seen on at approximately 10:15 am on March 18, 2025, in the downtown area and usually wears all black clothing.

    Anyone with information on the whereabouts of Mr. Bland is urged to contact Whitehorse RCMP immediately at 867-667-5555.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Canada: Canada and Yukon announce funding to build a new convention centre in Whitehorse

    Source: Government of Canada News (2)

    March 22, 2025 – Whitehorse, Yukon – Canadian Northern Economic Development Agency

    This is a joint news release between the Government of Canada and the Government of Yukon.

    Today, Dr. Brendan Hanley, Member of Parliament for the Yukon, on behalf of the Honourable Anita Anand, Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry, who oversees the Regional Development Agencies, including CanNor, announced a funding commitment of $56.25 million for the construction of the Yukon Gathering Place, a new convention centre in Whitehorse. Yukon Premier Ranj Pillai also announced a contribution to the project.

    The Centre will be built adjacent to the Kwanlin Dün Cultural Centre on the Whitehorse waterfront in the traditional territory of the Kwanlin Dün First Nation. It will be owned by the Kwanlin Dün First Nation and operated by Chu Níikwän Limited Partnership and the Kwanlin Dün Cultural Centre.

    This investment will help drive economic growth and job creation by strengthening Yukon’s tourism industry and attracting meetings, conferences and events to the territory. It also increases opportunities for northern Indigenous communities and businesses to participate in the economy.

    MIL OSI Canada News –

  • MIL-OSI Canada: Government of Canada announces support for agricultural sector following the imposition of tariffs by China

    Source: Government of Canada News (2)

    March 22, 2025 – Ottawa, Ontario – Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada

    Our hard-working producers provide world-class food to Canadians and the world. Their products meet the highest standards, our inspection systems are robust, and we adhere to rules-based trade.

    Following the conclusion of China’s domestic ‘anti-discrimination’ investigation launched against Canada on September 26, 2024, China imposed 100 percent tariffs on canola oil, canola meal and peas, as well as 25 percent tariffs on certain pork, fish and seafood products. The Government of Canada is deeply disappointed by this decision, which will hurt Canadian farmers, harvesters and businesses, and will raise prices and diminish choice for Chinese customers, as well as in the agriculture, fish and seafood, retail, restaurant, and food-preparation industries.

    The agriculture sector is experiencing multiple challenges, including the tariffs imposed by China, trade uncertainty with the United States, and other risks like animal disease. To help our hard-working producers get through these challenges, today, the Honourable Kody Blois, Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food and Rural Economic Development announced supports for the agricultural sector through AgriStability.

    AgriStability offers affordable, whole farm protection to support producers when challenges are beyond their capacity to manage. The additional proposed supports include increasing the compensation rate from 80 percent to 90 percent and doubling the current payment cap to $6 million for the 2025 program year.

    To get money to producers faster, the Government of Canada has also provided provincial and territorial governments with the option to proactively enter into an agreement to issue interim payments at a higher payment rate and initiate Targeted Advance Payments in the event of tariffs, or for the hog sector in the event of African Swine Fever. In provinces and territories that adopt these enhancements, it would mean producers enrolled in AgriStability will be eligible to apply for an interim payment up to 75 percent of their estimated final payment for the 2025 program year. Additionally, an administrator will be able to establish a Targeted Advance Payment for the 2025 program year, for example, where analysis shows that market disruptions have resulted in a sufficient loss to trigger AgriStability payments for a particular sector or region.

    The Government of Canada will always stand up for the Canadian agricultural industry and support their interests and success at home and in markets abroad. The Government of Canada will continue to work with provincial and territorial partners and industry stakeholders moving forward and remains open to engaging in constructive dialogue with China to resolve our trade differences on the basis of mutual respect and equality.  

    MIL OSI Canada News –

  • MIL-OSI Canada: Federal government invests in community buildings across Canada to build more vibrant communities

    Source: Government of Canada News (2)

    Ottawa, Ontario, March 22, 2025 — Today, the Honourable Nathaniel Erskine-Smith, Minister of Housing, Infrastructure and Communities, announced a federal investment of more than $153.8 million through the Green and Inclusive Community Buildings program to support 70 projects across multiple regions in Canada. This investment will help create energy-efficient, climate-resilient, and accessible community spaces that reduce greenhouse gas emissions and support the transition to net-zero building standards.

    For families, these initiatives mean access to safer, healthier, and more welcoming public spaces, where children can play, learn, and grow. Community hubs, recreational centers, and cultural spaces will become more vibrant, fostering social connections and a sense of belonging. By supporting local job creation and economic growth, these projects will provide new opportunities, strengthening communities for generations to come.

    Through investments in sustainability and accessibility, these projects align with Canada’s commitment to building a more equitable future—one where every person regardless of age, ability, or background has the opportunity to succeed and every community can reach its full potential.

    MIL OSI Canada News –

  • MIL-OSI Canada: The Government of Canada introduces new employment insurance measures to support Canadian workers impacted by foreign tariffs

    Source: Government of Canada News (2)

    March 22, 2025              Gatineau, Quebec              Employment and Social Development Canada

    Tariffs imposed on Canadian goods by the United States and other trading partners are unwarranted and unreasonable. They hurt Canadian workers and employers and pose a significant challenge to the Canadian economy. 

    While the Government’s primary focus is on having these tariffs removed, it is equally important to help Canadian workers during a difficult and uncertain time. This is why yesterday, Steven MacKinnon, Minister of Jobs and Families, highlighted the Government’s intention to introduce new temporary employment insurance (EI) measures to support Canadian workers whose jobs are impacted by the current economic uncertainty caused by these tariffs.

    The temporary measures will be implemented through a pilot project and include: 

    • Artificially boosting the regional unemployment rates used to determine access to and duration of EI benefits. The rate will be boosted by one percentage point in all EI regions, with no region seeing an unemployment rate of less than 7.1%. This temporary measure will reduce the hours required to qualify for regular benefits to no higher than 630 hours and increase the weeks of entitlement by up to four additional weeks. This measure will be in effect for three months.
    • Allowing claimants to receive EI benefits sooner by suspending the rules around treatment of severance, vacation, and other monies upon separation so that they do not need to be used up before claimants are able to start receiving EI benefits. This measure will be in effect for six months.
    • Waiving the waiting period so that workers will be able to receive benefits for the first week of unemployment, helping unemployed workers more easily adjust to a drop in income. All claimant types (regular, special, fishing) are eligible for this measure. This measure will be in effect for six months.

     
    These measures are in addition to the EI Work-Sharing Program to temporary flexibilites announced by the Government of Canada on March 7, 2025 to make it more accessible to workers and employers. 

    The Government of Canada also recognizes the important role of provinces and territories in their delivery of employment assistance and retraining for EI-eligible workers. The Minister looks forward to further discussions with provinces and territories on workforce development while also advancing labour mobility and foreign credential recognition.

    MIL OSI Canada News –

  • MIL-OSI Canada: Dempster Highway now part of Yukon Resource Gateway Project

    Source: Government of Canada regional news

    Dempster Highway now part of Yukon Resource Gateway Project
    hgillesp
    March 22, 2025 – 11:11 am

    This a joint news release between the Government of Canada and the Government of Yukon.

    To enhance Arctic security, regional connectivity and ongoing access to resources, the governments of Yukon and Canada have agreed to include the Dempster Highway in the Yukon Resource Gateway Project. This is a significant step in the ongoing enhancement of Canada’s only all-season highway crossing to the Arctic Circle.

    The Dempster Highway is a vital regional link for Yukoners and the communities it serves, both in the Yukon and in the Northwest Territories. This nationally significant highway enables the transportation of resources, goods and services while attracting tourists from around the world.

    By including the Dempster Highway in the Yukon Resource Gateway Project, the Government of Yukon is investing in improving year-round reliability, upgrading northern infrastructure, and ensuring safer, more efficient travel for Yukoners. The planned improvements will focus on making the highway safer and more reliable through road surface improvements, road reconstruction, avalanche and rockfall mitigation, sinkhole repairs, improved roadside safety measures and improved drainage.

    This work will create jobs for Yukoners, strengthen northern communities, drive economic growth, and help mitigate the impacts of climate change.

    Initiated in 2017, the Yukon Resource Gateway Project supports infrastructure upgrades for existing roads in mineral rich areas to support long-term, sustainable mineral development. With the addition of the Dempster Highway, the project will now also contribute to supporting Arctic security and sovereignty.

    For each component of the Yukon Resource Gateway Project, the Government of Yukon negotiates a project agreement with the Yukon First Nation in whose Traditional Territory the project resides. These project agreements provide a process for the Government of Yukon and Yukon First Nations governments to work collaboratively to create meaningful employment and business opportunities that create lasting benefits.

    By building a more resilient Dempster Highway, we are enhancing a critical corridor that serves multiple sectors, including tourism and the transport of vital supplies to local communities. This addition to the project compliments our ongoing commitment to invest in infrastructure upgrades to support economic growth and long-term, sustainable mineral development across the territory. 
     

    Modern and accessible infrastructure is a key component of resiliency and long-term economic growth for Yukoners while reinforcing their sovereignty and security. Through the inclusion of the Dempster Highway in the Yukon Resource Gateway Project, we will be able to better support the expansion, sustainability, and reliability of a vital northern route that provides essential travel and transportation.

    Dr. Brendan Hanley, Member of Parliament for Yukon, on behalf of the Honourable Nathaniel Erskine-Smith, Minister of Housing, Infrastructure and Communities

    A strong and reliable transportation network is essential for the prosperity of our communities and industries. Investing in the Dempster Highway will improve safety, support economic opportunities, and reinforce Canada’s Arctic sovereignty. This initiative underscores our commitment to infrastructure that meets the needs of Yukoners while contributing to Canada’s broader strategic priorities in the Arctic.

    Minister of Highways and Public Works Nils Clarke

    The inclusion of the Dempster Highway in the Yukon Resource Gateway Program marks a bold step forward in fortifying our northern transportation network. This not only enhances safety and accessibility for all Yukoners, but it also paves the way for future economic opportunities. By modernizing a critical corridor and working hand-in-hand with Yukon First Nations, we are strengthening our commitment to both community prosperity and Canada’s Arctic sovereignty.

    Minister of Energy, Mines and Resources John Streicker

    Quick facts

    • The Yukon Resource Gateway Project now targets roads benefiting mining, Arctic security and regional connectivity projects.

    • The project is designed to enhance the safety, reliability and accessibility of the Yukon’s road network while supporting Canada’s long-term economic growth and prosperity.

    • The Dempster Highway is a nationally significant road that connects the Yukon and the Northwest Territories to the rest of Canada via the National Highway System. As Canada’s only all-season public road crossing the Arctic Circle, the Dempster Highway is a vital transportation route for residents, businesses, and travelers. 

    Media contact

    Laura Seeley
    Cabinet Communications
    867-332-7627
    laura.seeley@yukon.ca

    Krysten Johnson
    Communications, Highways and Public Works 
    867-332-4847
    krysten.johnson@yukon.ca

    Alison Callaghan
    Communications, Energy, Mines and Resources
    867-334-3460
    alison.callaghan@yukon.ca

    News release #:

    25-127

    MIL OSI Canada News –

  • MIL-OSI Canada: Government of Canada and Government of Yukon invest over $11.1M to enhance water services in Mayo and Whitehorse

    Source: Government of Canada regional news

    Government of Canada and Government of Yukon invest over $11.1M to enhance water services in Mayo and Whitehorse
    zaburke
    March 21, 2025 – 12:31 pm

    This a joint news release between the Government of Canada and the Government of Yukon.

    The Village of Mayo and City of Whitehorse will see improvements to water service through two projects after a joint investment of more than $11.1 million from the federal and territorial governments. 

    In the Hillcrest Subdivision area of Whitehorse, rehabilitation of water, sewer and roads will include upgrades to the sanitary and main lines and expansion of the underground storm systems and culverts.

    In the Village of Mayo, funding for underground utility upgrades will result in safer and more accessible drinking water, improved flow of water for firefighting and better capacity to transport sewage. The rehabilitation of water infrastructure will also result in the resurfacing of the impacted roads.

    Supporting infrastructure projects that provide effective and reliable water services for communities helps create healthier environments for the future.
     

    Our government is proud to support water and sewer upgrade projects in Whitehorse and the Village of Mayo. Reliable and stable water infrastructure will benefit the wellbeing of Yukoners in their day to day lives by ensuring efficiency and resiliency in essential services for these communities for years to come.

    Member of Parliament for Yukon Dr. Brendan Hanley on behalf of Minister of Housing, Infrastructure and Communities Nathaniel Erskine-Smith

    Investing in essential infrastructure, like water services, is key to building resilient communities. The improvements in both the Village of Mayo and the City of Whitehorse will ensure safer, more reliable access to water, better sewage capacity and enhanced road systems. This joint investment of over $11.1 million reflects our commitment to strengthening the foundations of our communities and fostering a healthier, more sustainable future for Yukoners.

    Minister of Community Services Richard Mostyn

    The Village of Mayo is excited with the announcement that the 4th and final phase of our long-term project to replace the outdated water and sewer infrastructure will be completed soon. This vital upgrade will ensure the Village is well-equipped for many years to come. 

    Mayo Mayor Trevor Ellis  

    We are pleased to be working in partnership with the governments of Canada and Yukon to invest in community infrastructure. Whitehorse is one of the fastest growing cities in Canada and enhancing infrastructure is key to ensuring the sustainable growth of our community. Meeting the growing needs of our city will require substantial investments in the years to come and ongoing support from our federal and territorial partners.

    Whitehorse Mayor Kirk Cameron

    Quick facts

    • The federal government is investing $9,612,500 under the Green Infrastructure Stream (GIS) and Rural and Northern Communities Infrastructure Stream (RNIS) through the Investing in Canada Infrastructure Program (ICIP). The Government of Yukon is contributing $1,537,500.

    • The Green Infrastructure Stream helps build greener communities by contributing to climate change preparedness, reducing greenhouse gas emissions and supporting renewable technologies.

    • Including today’s announcement, over 30 infrastructure projects under the Green Infrastructure Stream have been announced in the Yukon, with a total federal contribution of more than $138 million and a total territorial contribution of nearly $32.4 million.  

    • The Rural and Northern Communities Infrastructure Stream supports projects that increase access to more efficient and reliable energy sources, improve community infrastructure and improve internet connectivity for rural and northern communities.

    • Including today’s announcement, 20 infrastructure projects under the Rural and Northern Communities Infrastructure Stream have been announced in the Yukon, with a total federal contribution of more than $141 million and a total territorial contribution of nearly $39.4 million. 

    • Under the Investing in Canada Plan, the federal government is investing more than $180 billion over 12 years in public transit projects, green infrastructure, social infrastructure, trade and transportation routes, and Canada’s rural and northern communities. 

    • Federal funding is conditional on fulfilling all requirements related to consultation with Indigenous communities and environmental assessment obligations.

    Media contact

    Laura Seeley
    Cabinet Communications
    867-332-7627
    laura.seeley@yukon.ca 

    Taylor Harvey 
    Communications Analyst 
    Government of Yukon 
    867-332-1237 
    taylor.harvey@yukon.ca  

    Sofia Ouslis 
    Press Secretary 
    Office of the Minister of Housing, Infrastructure and Communities 
    sofia.ouslis@infc.gc.ca  

    Media Relations 
    Housing, Infrastructure and Communities Canada 
    613-960-9251 
    Toll free: 1-877-250-7154 
    Email: media-medias@infc.gc.ca  
    Follow us on X, Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn 
    Web: Housing, Infrastructure and Communities Canada 

    Matthew Cameron
    Manager, Strategic Communications
    City of Whitehorse
    867-689-0515
    matthew.cameron@whitehorse.ca 
     

    News release #:

    25-126

    Related information:

    Investing in Canada: Canada’s Long-Term Infrastructure Plan
    Green Infrastructure Stream
    Housing and Infrastructure Project Map
    Strengthened Climate Plan

    MIL OSI Canada News –

  • MIL-OSI Canada: Statement from Premier Pillai, Minister Mostyn and Minister McLean on Yukon Native Hockey Tournament

    Source: Government of Canada regional news

    Statement from Premier Pillai, Minister Mostyn and Minister McLean on Yukon Native Hockey Tournament
    zaburke
    March 20, 2025 – 4:29 pm

    Premier Ranj Pillai, Deputy Premier and Minister Jeanie McLean, and Minister of Community Services Richard Mostyn have issued the following statement:

    “Today, March 20, 2025, the puck drops for the 45th annual Kilrich Yukon Native Hockey Tournament, presented by Finning Canada.

    “Established in 1977, this annual tournament has become a beloved event for players, friends and families from across the Yukon and beyond, who come together in the capital for a weekend of competition and reunion.

    “To help make this event possible, our government is proud to invest more than $71,000 through the Community Development Fund to support the costs from this year and the next.

    “This year, we’re joined by teams from British Columbia and the Northwest Territories, for a total of almost 60 teams and 1,020 players across eight divisions. 

    “The reach of this tournament is truly remarkable. With the arrival of so many in Whitehorse, we acknowledge the immense effort that goes into making this event a success.

    “The Yukon First Nation Hockey Association has long brought us together for this tournament and for that we thank for their years of effort.

    “It also takes many volunteers to run the tournament. Volunteers are truly the backbone of our sporting community and their commitment demonstrates what truly makes our sport scene so vibrant.

    “We encourage everyone to take in one of the many hockey games this weekend. The energy at the Canada Games Centre and Takhini Arena is going to be electric as always.” 
     

    Media contact

    Laura Seeley
    Cabinet Communications
    867-332-7627
    laura.seeley@yukon.ca 
     

    News release #:

    25-125

    MIL OSI Canada News –

  • MIL-OSI Canada: Statement from Minister Streicker on International Francophonie Day

    Source: Government of Canada regional news

    Statement from Minister Streicker on International Francophonie Day
    zaburke
    March 20, 2025 – 3:58 pm

    Minister responsible for French Language Services Directorate John Streicker has issued the following statement: 

    “International Francophonie Day, observed annually on March 20, encourages us to take a moment to appreciate the richness and diversity of the French language and cultures here in the Yukon and around the world.

    “This year marks the 55th edition of International Francophonie Day, highlighting the global Francophone community and the long-standing role it plays in enriching our cultural, social and economic landscape.

    “In Canada, the Rendez-vous de la Francophonie is a nationwide celebration held every March surrounding International Francophonie Day. The Rendez-vous promotes the French language and the many ways people express it across Canada.

    “This year’s theme, Cultivate your roots, is an opportunity to celebrate Canada’s vibrant Francophonie – to experience it, cultivate it and share it with others. The Yukon Francophonie embodies this year’s theme perfectly.

    “Hearing the various accents of French spoken in the Yukon every day is a beautiful reminder of our growing and vibrant Francophone community. Every voice shares a story – of journeys, traditions and roots – weaving together a rich and diverse cultural tapestry that shapes our territory.

    “Whether through music, improv, art or our daily conversations, the roots of our Francophonie are deep and, as we cultivate them, will continue to thrive for generations to come.

    “I want to take this opportunity to recognize the community-based organizations who share and cultivate a dynamic Francophonie in the territory, from the Association franco-yukonnaise, Les Essentielles and the Fabrique d’improvisation du Nord, to the Société Historique Francophone du Yukon and many more.

    “All year round, community-run events showcase the vibrancy and creativity of the Yukon Francophonie. To celebrate our local talents, I invite all Yukoners to take part in Les Rendez-vous de la Francophonie events happening in the territory until the end of the month.

    “Whether you attend any of these events or celebrate Yukon Francophonie another way, I wish you a Happy International Francophonie Day!”
     

    Media contact

    Laura Seeley
    Cabinet Communications
    867-332-7627
    laura.seeley@yukon.ca 
     

    News release #:

    25-124

    MIL OSI Canada News –

  • MIL-OSI Canada: Backgrounder: Federal government invests in community buildings across Canada

    Algonquins of Pikwakanagan First Nation

    Ontario

    Algonquins of Pikwakanagan Health Centre Renovations

    Replace the wood siding and wood frame windows with triple-paned windows, and increasing the basement insulation. The heating will be upgraded to an energy efficient heat pump, which provides significant GHG savings. The propane unit will remain, providing back up support in the case of extreme cold temperatures. Energy saving will also come from upgrading to low flow plumbing fixtures and lighting to LEDs. Accessibility will be improved by retrofitting the bathroom and upgrading the ramp to the building to meet code. A wing of the Centre will be retrofitted to improve accessibility with wider hallways and larger door frames.

    $2,989,125

    Ayr

    Ontario

    North Dumfries Net Zero Arena Project

    The Township of North Dumfries is embarking on an exciting project to construct a new state-of-the-art ice arena. This facility aims to provide a modern, accessible, and energy-efficient space for ice sports and community events. The project includes a full-sized ice rink, seating for spectators, locker rooms, and multipurpose rooms for community use.

    The goal is to create a hub for local sports teams, recreational leagues, and public skating, fostering a sense of community and promoting healthy, active lifestyles. The new arena will serve residents of all ages, from young children learning to skate to seniors participating in recreational activities. By incorporating sustainable building practices and energy-efficient technologies, we aim to minimize the environmental impact and ensure long-term operational cost savings.
    This project will not only enhance the quality of life for North Dumfries residents but also attract visitors and events, boosting local economy and community spirit.

    $5,000,000

    Beamsville

    Ontario

    The Next Chapter – Vineland Library

    The Town of Lincoln will retrofit and expand the public library in Vineland. The branch, built in 1996, is showing signs of wear and aging. It is the only public space on the East side of Lincoln and is currently visited by over 38,000 each year.  Lincoln is experiencing significant planned residential growth, and the increased population will include newcomers, seniors and children at risk, who require space to meet and connect.
    This project will include a 6000 sq foot addition, including new study and community spaces and a place for the local archives, a green retrofit complying with the zero-carbon building design standard v4, and will improve the accessibility of the branch to 2024 AODA (Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act) standards.

    The upgraded library will provide inclusive space for residents to access library programs and services and be a model of Net Zero design and construction in the Niagara Region.

    $2,000,000

    Blood 148

    Alberta

    Unlocking Energy Efficiency Potential for Blood Tribe Employment and Skills Training (BTEST) Building

    Improve the comfort and efficiency of the facility and the success of programming by lowering energy consumption, reducing operating costs and demonstrating energy efficiency leadership.
    Works include upgrading lights to LED, improving insulation and sealing of windows and doors, and building out a solar array. The expected energy efficiency improvements from these projects is 32.4%.

    $307,119

    Bonnechere Valley

    Ontario

    Eganville Community Arena GHG Reduction and Energy Efficiency Upgrades

    Replace refrigeration equipment, install a 272 kW solar array, upgrade to LED lighting, improve air tightness and optimize the Building Automation System (BAS) for better climate control.
    These measures aim to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, lower operational costs, and ensure the arena remains a vital community space for activities and events.

    $1,000,000

    Breton

    Alberta

    Carolyn Strand Civic Centre Energy Retrofit Improvements

    Replace the outdated HVAC system with a high-efficiency heat pump and upgrade interior lighting with LED fixtures and a control panel, which will reduce energy consumption by 54.5%. An accessible ramp will also be installed to ensure all community members, including those with mobility challenges, can access the services.

    $527,625

    Brokenhead Ojibway Nation Reserve

    Manitoba

    Brokenhead Ojibway Nation Community Hall

    Convert the existing kitchen into a commercial-grade kitchen, install an energy efficient backup generator for emergency power, improve HVAC and audio-visual systems, and accessibility within the building based on CSA standard. Energy efficiency upgrades will feature an air source heat pump, ductwork repairs, demand-controlled ventilation, and repairing the kitchen’s heat recovery ventilator (HRV), leading to a 47.1% reduction in energy consumption and carbon emissions.

    $996,368

    Burlington

    Ontario

    Skyway Community Centre and Park

    Build a new facility that will exceed the Ontario Building Code (OBC) and the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA) for accessibility requirements. This new community centre will feature a revitalized park which includes a baseball diamond, natural playground, arena, program rooms and an indoor walking track. This will be a low carbon operating facility which aligns with the City’s goal of being a net carbon operation by 2040.

    $1,000,000

    Caledon

    Ontario

    Low Carbon Electric Heating Retrofits and Building Automation System Expansion at Caledon East Community Complex

    Retrofit end-of-life natural gas heaters to electric radiant heaters in two arenas and a garage bay at the Caledon East Community Complex. Expand existing building automation system (BAS), as well as optimize the remaining assets which span the remaining 95,962 ft2 of original floor space at the complex. The retrofitted heaters and expanding the BAS system will result in energy savings of 944,583 ekWh and abate 131 tonnes of CO2e from entering the atmosphere.

    $336,688

    Cape Breton Regional Municipality

    Nova Scotia

    Going Green in 2023 2023

    Install a new refrigeration system which will utilize significant green energy and carbon  reductions measures and put in place solar  panels as the primary energy source. This will lead to greater efficiency and significantly reduced utility rates and will also be part of a net-zero objective. Building renovations will assist with greater accessibility.

    $1,000,000

    Edmonton

    Alberta

    Pimatisiwin Bridge Housing Renovation

    The Pimatisiwin Bridge Housing Renovation Project will rehabilitate and transform a former tavern space into a comprehensive support hub featuring 44 bridge housing units, a commercial kitchen, office space, conference rooms, spiritual space, and accessible washrooms. This project will serve individuals experiencing chronic homelessness by providing 24/7 accommodations, meals, showers, and wrap-around services. Residents will receive culturally sensitive support, helping them stabilize and transition to permanent housing. The renovated space will accommodate over 100 people daily, offering holistic care, including cultural, spiritual, and healthcare services. This project directly supports Edmonton’s unhoused population, particularly Indigenous individuals, and promotes long-term housing solutions.

    $5,000,000

    Edmonton

    Alberta

    Terra Centre 146 Street Renovation

    Terra Centre recently purchased a building to accommodate the expansion of our programmes. Terra Centre is instrumental in raising the standard of living for minority families in Edmonton by being the only organization solely dedicated to pregnant and parenting teen mothers.

    By reducing energy consumption and operating costs, we can ensure that services remain free for teen parents and their families. The agency has implemented many strategies to achieve this goal:

    – Energy Efficiency Upgrade: HRV Replacement, Built-Up Roof System Replacement, Windows, Skylight and Storefront Replacement, LED Lighting Fixture Upgrade.
    The retrofit plan includes enhancing accessibility in the building to welcome more employees, clients, and members of the public, thereby expanding access to more people who require service – Accessibility Retrofits: Accessible family washrooms, Ramps (Exterior and Interior), Automatic Doors, Accessible Reception Desk.

    $1,000,000

    Edmonton

    Alberta

    North Glenora Community League – Net Zero Retrofit

    Improve the energy efficiency of the Community Leagues buildings and retrofit them to net zero. This project will eliminate the carbon emissions of the Community League, act as a demonstration for energy retrofits for residents, improve community climate resilience by providing emergency shelter from extreme weather, and increase the accessibility of the League buildings.

    $752,113

    Edmonton

    Alberta

    Avonmore Community League – Hall Building – Stepped Pathway to Net Zero

    Reduce annual energy consumption by 87.3% (45,880 kWh), reduce annual greenhouse gas emissions by 89.4% (10.1 tCO2e), improve climate resilience, and work towards removing accessibility barriers. This will be achieved with a building envelope retrofit, reduction of natural gas consumption, electric heating and cooling, renewable energy generation, and accessibility enhancements.

    $406,667

    Edmonton

    Alberta

    Ritchie Community Hall Replacement Project

    Replace the hall to align with community needs and municipal requirements. With a secured development permit, support from various organisations and access to 552 memberships and over 30 businesses, the league is shovel ready and feasible. The building currently serves as an affordable space for charities and non-profit organisations to provide affordable programs to young families and cultural groups. The new hall will also better serve houseless residents.

    $4,287,392

    Edmonton

    *Announced on March 21, 2025

    Alberta

    Crestwood Hall HVAC and Envelope Upgrades

    Correct stucco cladding, windows and doors, and heating and air conditioning systems.
    This will also support the long term goal of becoming NetZero in an incremental and financially responsible way. This project will cut energy use by 44%, and prepare the building for full electrification.

    $396,000

    Edmonton

    *Announced on March 21, 2025

    Alberta

    Edmonton’s Food Bank (EFB) Solar Array Project (Main Building)

    Reduce the operating costs for EFB yearly by at least $70,000 and reduce the carbon emissions (GHG) associated with the operation of EFB by 225 tCO2. Funding will also create a sustainable and prosperous community by reduced costs and reinvestment into the local economy through things like food purchases and programs.

    $482,160

    Georgina

    Ontario

    Energy, Accessibility, and Climate Resiliency Retrofit of Sutton Arena

    Improve the energy efficiency, accessibility, and climate resiliency of the facility by retrofitting the building envelope and equipment to reduce energy usage by over 26%, upgrading the elevator and flooring to meet accessibility standards, and implementing low impact development features in the parking lot to mitigate climate risks. The project will improve the enjoyment and usability of the space for the community by improving temperature controls and occupancy comfort, improving indoor air quality and accessibility, and building in climate resiliency.

    $1,118,412

    Grand Cache

    Alberta

    Aseniwuche Winewack Nation of Canada (AWN) Tawow Centre Retrofit

    Reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and operational costs while expanding programming for the community. Key upgrades will include optimizing heating and cooling systems, improving insulation, replacing windows and lighting with energy-efficient alternatives, and enhancing air quality.
    The retrofit will benefit over 500 AWN members, including youth, elders, and families.

    $399,700

    Hamlet of Kugaaruk

    Nunavut

    Wellness Centre Renovation and Expansion

    Renovate and expand the Centre to better serve the rapidly growing community, with a programming based on Inuit traditions. The Hamlet will install a new kitchen and additional food storage to support the Elders lunch and soup kitchen programs that provide services for the most vulnerable. To better serve expecting mothers and early families through the Canadian Prenatal Nutrition Program, a 25 m² expansion is planned. Additionally, the project will include a solar and battery energy storage system, enabling the Centre to operate essential services in emergencies and reducing reliance on diesel-powered electricity.

    $2,998,331

    High Prairie

    Alberta

    High Prairie Friendship Centre Retrofit

    Improve the building envelope and HVAC systems, as well as implement rooftop solar. These upgrades will significantly reduce energy consumption, lower operating costs, promote climate resiliency, improve accessibility and building comfort, and ensure vital community services for years to come.

    $1,350,995

    Kingston

    Ontario

    Isabel Turner Library Renovation

    Isabel Turner Library is a 32,000 sq. ft public library constructed in 1997 and serves as a critical community hub in the west-end of Kingston. The retrofit project will involve aggressive decarbonization measures, energy efficiency upgrades, and site-wide accessibility improvements, including:

    • Extensive building mechanical upgrades (i.e. new high efficiency heat pumps) 
    • Full lighting replacement from fluorescent to LEDs
    • Modifications to public and staff entrances to make them fully accessible 
    • Washroom renovations to make them accessible and a new universal washroom 
    • General accessibility improvements, including: colour contrasting floors and walls, improved circulation, elevator repairs, low reach shelving, integrated assistive devices, and wayfinding
    • Building envelope improvements (water sealing).

    $1,000,000

    Kingston

    Ontario

    Solar PV Array – Rideau Heights Community Centre

    Retrofit the facility with a net-metered photovoltaic array on the roof and in the adjacent parking lot.

    $1,294,560

    Kitchener

    Ontario

    Quad Gymnasium at RBJ Schlegel Park

    The new 33,800 sq. ft. gymnasium will be Kitchener’s first facility of this kind, designed to competition standards for pickleball, basketball, indoor cricket, volleyball, and badminton. Located at the intersection of Huron Road and Fischer-Hallman Road, the facility is in the rapidly growing southwestern area of Kitchener, an area that has historically lacked sufficient recreational infrastructure. Just a 10-minute drive from Highway 401 and near other arterial routes the facility will be easily accessible by many, with an expected 150,000 local and non-local visitors in the first year with numbers expected to grow. The gymnasium will operate as a Net-Zero facility, making it one of the most environmentally sustainable recreation centers in Ontario. This will be achieved through a combination of advanced geo-thermal and solar photovoltaics as well as sustainable material selection such as cross-laminated timber wall systems, which significantly reduce the building’s carbon footprint.

    $2,000,000

    Lac Brome, Quebec (formerly known as Knowlton)

    Quebec

    Lac Brome Museum Expansion – New Building

    Construction a 6000 sq.ft., 2-story building to expand museum displays/public spaces and to provide access during winter to museum and public events.  The climate-controlled building will have an elevator, disabled-friendly washrooms and ground-floor exhibits.

    $2,211,089

    Lindsay

    Ontario

    Ampere’s Community STEAM Space

    Ampere is undertaking a green and inclusive retrofit to create a community STEAM space in Lindsay, Ontario.

    Currently, this 13,248 sq.ft. facility is largely inaccessible with poor energy efficiency. Retrofits will help create a safe, energy efficient, and inclusive multi-purpose learning and activity space. Its ambitious goals include:
    – Green measures (target  65% energy savings, -90% in annual GHG emissions): Adding insulation and curtain walls, upgrading windows and exterior doors, upgrading HVAC, installing LED lighting
    – Accessibility measures (exceeding the highest accessibility standards): Installing exterior/interior ramps, non-slip flooring, elevator, and accessible doors.

    This project will primarily benefit underserved/high needs groups in rural Ontario, including people experiencing poverty, Indigenous peoples, people living with disabilities, newcomers, and seniors.

    $2,000,000

    Little Current

    Ontario

    Fuel Electrification and Solar Net Metering at NEMI Municipal Library

    Offset existing propane and heating oil fuel consumption through installation of cold temperature air-source heat pumps as the new primary heating source, while retaining some of the existing heating system for backup and peak heating demand during extreme cold weather. Other ventilation, HVAC control and building envelope improvements are planned to increase occupant comfort and reduce issues around shoulder season heating with existing heating systems.

    $97,362

    London

    *Announced on March 20, 2025

    Ontario

    Shelter from the Heat: Creating a Community Forestry Centre for Southwestern Ontario

    Transform a 1940s Veterans facility into an energy-efficient, solar-powered, climate-resilient centre for community forestry programs aimed at combating climate change, particularly extreme heat, through tree planting and other nature-based solutions. The centre will offer a variety of free, publicly accessible programs, events, and services.

    $2,195,115

    London

    Ontario

    LOSC BMO Sports Centre Green Retrofit Project

    Retrofit windows and minimize energy loss, and update outdated mechanical systems and HVAC equipment to optimize performance and reduce environmental impact. The project will provide a more eco-friendly facility, benefiting the London community and its 600,000+ annual visitors by improving comfort and lowering operational costs.

    $600,000

    Madeira Park,  Sunshine Coast Regional District, Area A

    British Columbia

    Pender Harbour Community Hall  Renovation & Upgrade Project

    Replace the rafters and roof of the Hall with the goal of extending the life of the building and reduce GHG emissions by upgrading insulation, installing LED lighting and an ERV. The project will enable a solar panel array on the roof. The project will improve accessibility by installing automatic door opener at the main entrance which will complement the accessibility ramp donated by a local business. The project will reduce operating costs by reducing energy consumption and making the Hall more accessible for stakeholders.

    $532,059

    Mississippi Mills

    Ontario

    Reducing the Carbon Footprint: Museum Retrofit

    Improve energy efficiency, reduce the carbon footprint of the MVTM, and increase long-term viability of the site through investments in grid-connected solar PV, high-efficiency electric heat pumps, improved thermal performance, electrical system upgrade, and WIFI-enabled computerized energy management.

    $800,000

    Montréal

    Quebec

    Project Second Chance –  Enhancing Community Inclusion, Integration and Support Services to Ex-Inmates

    Expand the Maison Belfield facility by approximately 8% by removing walls between the living room, kitchen, and dining areas to create a more open and functional environment and enhance public accessibility to group meetings, social events, and rehabilitation activities.

    $294,455

    Montréal

    Quebec

    The Oasis in Transformation: together for an inclusive and sustainable environment for the families of our community

    Renovation of the backyard to better manage rainwater and reduce its impact on the building. To improve accessibility, plans include renovating common areas, automating one of the entrance doors, and installing a weather-protected universal access ramp. Improvements to insulation, windows, doors, the air conditioning and heating system, and lighting are also planned.

    $550,000

    Montréal

    *Announced on March 19, 2025

    Quebec

    Montreal North Sport Centre

    Build the sports section of the arena, which includes a double gymnasium, a gymnastics area, a walking track, locker rooms, bleachers, and administrative offices for the organizations.

    $15,000,000

    Municipality of Pictou

    Nova Scotia

    MARSA Expansions

    Expand kitchen and greenroom/storage, deck, and improve energy and climate and accessibility.

    $202,840

    Nepean

    Ontario

    Mamaawi Lodge: Expanding Green Spaces for an Inclusive Future

    The Mamaawi Lodge Expansion project involves a substantial addition to cultural performance and education facility, addressing the growing demand for its programming. The expansion will add 457.7 m² to the existing 442 m² pavilion, creating space for an artisan marketplace, office, makerspace, classroom, storage, washrooms, and more.

    Upgrades to the current pavilion will include refinishing the event space, energy-efficient lighting, new AV and stage systems, and enhancements to the building envelope such as re-cladding, new windows, doors, insulation, and barriers. A new heat pump, septic system, and hydro service upgrades will further improve sustainability.
    This expansion enhances the organization’s ability to offer culturally immersive and educational experiences, benefiting Indigenous and non-Indigenous communities by promoting cultural understanding and reconciliation.

    $5,000,000

    Norfolk County

    Ontario

    Reducing CO2 Emissions: Port Rowan Community Centre Retrofit

    Install a new roof with insulation, solar panel installation with battery storage, HVAC improvements, building envelope upgrades, and enhanced accessibility features.

    $1,510,000

    Oka

    Quebec

    Renovation of Juliette Huot Place

    Modernize and make this seniors’ reception center more environmentally friendly. The work will include demolishing and rebuilding the entrance ramp for better accessibility, replacing doors and windows with more energy-efficient models, adding gutters and roof ventilators, and improving insulation. The project also includes decontaminating and removing a buried oil tank, installing an electric furnace, and making various repairs to the building envelope.

    $442,008

    Ottawa

    Ontario

    African, Caribbean & Black Wellness Resource Centre: Breaking Barriers

    Install energy-efficient windows, lighting, and HVAC systems to reduce the building’s environmental impact and operational costs. Install automatic, wheelchair-accessible doors and an exterior ramp, ensuring ease of access for all members of the community, especially those with mobility impairments. The subfloors will be upgraded to smooth, safe vinyl flooring, improving traction and significantly reducing the risk of accidents.

    $237,699

    Percé

    Quebec

    Renovation of the Charles Robin heritage barn (built in 1780) into the Percé community Art Centre

    For 16 years, the Percéides Festival has been a major cultural player in the region, offering programming for all audiences. As a long-term tenant of the Charles Robin heritage building, Les Percéides wants to restore this venue’s artistic and community vocation by restoring and redeveloping it into the Percé Art Centre, offering cutting-edge cultural, community, and educational activities year-round, aimed at all ages. The winterized building will be accessible and serve the various communities of Greater Percé and the Gaspé Peninsula so they can meet and develop social and multidisciplinary activities. The renovated building will include various accessible spaces such as a meeting room, a community kitchen for events, a community café, a screening room, artist residencies, and an exhibition hall.

    $2,000,000

    Pictou County, District 10:   Coalburn, Greenwood, Kirmount, McLellans Brook, McLellans Mountain

    Nova Scotia

    Ivor MacDonald Deep Energy Retrofit Project

    Reduce the building emissions (by over 85%) from the Ivor MacDonald Community Arena by making vast improvements to the properties envelope, mechanical, lighting, and renewable energy systems. Targeted upgrades include converting aging oil and wood boilers to an efficient closed-loop geothermal heating system, installing ductless heat pumps, adding a 75kW solar PV array, replacing fluorescent lighting with LED, upgrading controls, and increasing wall insulation. In total the project looks to reduce total on-site energy use by 87%.

    $200,000

    Qualicum Beach

    *Announced on March 22, 2025

    British Columbia

    Ravensong Aquatic Centre Expansion Project

    Double the size of the current facility, connecting rural and urban residents of the Oceanside, BC area with publicly accessible, affordable aquatics programming. This improve community services while meeting the Canada Green Building Council’s Zero Carbon Standard V4.The new facility includes a new pool area and modernized change rooms.

    $7,000,000

    Rothesay

    New Brunswick

    The Rothesay Intergenerational Centre – Phase 2

    The Rothesay Intergenerational Centre (RIC) – phase 2 project is to refurbish and repurpose the 50-year-old Rothesay Arena as a multiuse recreation facility serving the broad Rothesay community and the nearby town of Quispamsis (total population ±35,000).
    The existing rink boards and ice plant will be removed and a new multipurpose floor installed suitable for a variety of sports, recreation and cultural activities. The existing structure and select components of the building will be retained and a new, energy-efficient building envelope and HVAC system added. The facility will be upgraded to universal design standards (barrier free). Usage will be intergenerational responding to the needs of a growing senior’s population, active adults and emerging needs of newcomers. Sited adjacent one of our neighbourhoods under stress and within walking distance of a second, this facility is expected to provide wellness opportunities for youth and adults otherwise unserved or underserved.

    $7,000,000

    Saint-Félix-de-Valois

    Quebec

    Energy renovation and remodelling of the old Presbytery

    Modernization, roof repair, replacement of the heating and ventilation system, renovation of the sanitary blocks and redefinition of the storage and office spaces so that the building complies with the building code will allow the rehabilitation of the premises to accommodate community organizations, to preserve an important element of the built, religious and historical heritage of the community while improving the accessibility of the building and its ecological footprint in order to make it a truly green, inclusive and accessible community building.

    $1,300,000

    Saint Theresa Point First Nation # 298

    Manitoba

    Saint Theresa Point First Nation Daycare Solar Project

    Retrofit the St. Theresa Point First Nation Daycare building with a grid tied solar photovoltaic system. The 50.6 kW solar PV system is designed to reduce carbon emissions and overall carbon footprint. The solar system will create ~55,900 kWh or 98% of the electricity requirements, lowering operating expenses by ~$6000/year that can to go towards equipment, toys, lunches and even additional staff to meet the constant demand.

    $255,332

    Sault Ste. Marie

    Ontario

    John Rhodes Community Centre Energy Retrofit and Accessibility Project

    Replace the existing roof to support solar panel installation, upgrading the roof condenser and air handling units for better HVAC efficiency, converting the entire facility to LED lighting and solar panel installation. These changes aim to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and operating costs, aligning with Canada’s climate goals. Additionally, accessible bleachers will be installed in the hockey arena to create an inclusive environment for families, seniors, and individuals with disabilities.

    $1,000,000

    Seine River First Nation

    Ontario

    Seine River Community Centre Renovations

    Retrofit the 20-year old gymnasium / community centre, that includes replacing the diesel boiler with a geothermal system, adding a solar panel array and replacing windows, and improving accessibility of the building by installing a wider entryway with a concrete apron.

    $2,998,863

    St. John’s

    Newfoundland and Labrador

    Kilbride Lions Community Centre: Deep Energy Retrofit & Renewal Project

    The City of St. John’s is undertaking a comprehensive retrofit of the Kilbride Lions Community Centre to improve energy efficiency, accessibility, and safety. This project will focus on deep energy retrofits, including upgrades to insulation, heating systems, and lighting, key accessibility upgrades, such as the installation of a gender-neutral accessible washroom and an elevator and, critical safety upgrades, including modernizing outdated electrical systems to address long-overdue maintenance issues.

    These improvements target an 80% reduction in energy use and greenhouse gas emissions, aligned with the City’s climate action plans, while also promoting inclusivity and safety. The project will benefit all residents, especially vulnerable populations such as indigenous households, single-parent families, and those experiencing energy poverty in the community.

    $1,000,000

    Surrey

    British Columbia

    North Surrey  Indigenous Learning Centre

    The North Surrey Indigenous Learning Centre is a new construction project designed to support the cultural, educational, and social needs of the Kwantlen, Katzie, and Semiahmoo First Nations. The Centre will feature workshops, classrooms, and gathering spaces, fostering cultural knowledge sharing and Indigenous traditions like wood carving. Designed with a focus on sustainability and accessibility, the fully electrified building will meet Zero Carbon Building standards and feature energy-efficient systems. The Centre will also offer the broader Surrey community an opportunity to learn about and engage with First Nations culture, enhancing cultural exchange and inclusivity.

    $2,000,000

    Temiskaming Shores, Timiskaming District

    Ontario

    Waterfront Pool & Fitness Centre Energy & GHG Retrofit

    Upgrade the regional health and wellness facility, which is the only indoor aquatic and fitness facility within a 75 km radius, providing essential services to seniors, low-income families, and other vulnerable populations, and improve thermal comfort by modernizing HVAC system. This will achieve a 32% improvement in energy efficiency.

    $810,160

    The Magdalen Islands

    Quebec

    Musée de la Mer des Îles-de-la-Madeleine: Geothermal upgrading and climate resilience

    Improve the performance of the envelope to save energy. Subsequently, an increase in auxiliary power will be necessary to relieve the overstressed geothermal units in the friable soil of the archipelago by about 40%. The new auxiliary system will consist of overhead VRV (Variable Refrigerant Volume) units to complement the geothermal system.

    $116,766

    Thessalon

    Ontario

    The Town of Thessalon Sustainability Initiative: Enhancing Energy Efficiency and Accessibility at the Thessalon Memorial Arena and Thessalon Curling Club

    This transformative project aims to modernize the Thessalon Memorial Arena and Curling Club by installing an energy-efficient CO2 refrigeration plant and implementing a suite of energy conservation measures, including electric resurfacing equipment, space temperature setbacks, and ice temperature optimization. The project will reduce electrical consumption by 35.3% and lower CO2e emissions by 42.4%, supporting Canada’s climate goals. Additionally, key accessibility upgrades, such as automatic door openers, improved washrooms, and ramp modifications, will ensure that the facility is inclusive for all community members. These improvements will safeguard the arena’s future, ensuring it remains a vital recreational hub for Town of Thessalon, Thessalon First Nation and many other surrounding communities.

    $2,000,000

    Thunder Bay

    *Announced on March 19, 2025

    Ontario

    Science North Thunder Bay: A Net Zero Attraction and Home for Science in Northwestern Ontario

    Build a net-zero science centre attraction in Thunder Bay, designed to the Canadian Green Building Council’s Zero Carbon Building Standard (V4) and provide accessible community services to 67,500 people annually, including populations experiencing higher needs.

    $20,000,000

    Toronto

    Ontario

    YMCA Bridletowne Neighbourhood Centre

    This is a new mixed-use community and recreation centre, owned by the YMCA of Greater Toronto, will contain a combination of health, fitness and child programming along with leased spaces for local community social and health services. The facility will be roughly 14,000 m2 and brings together numerous local small United Way community agencies alongside large established organizations like Scarborough Health Network (SHN) to weave health and well-being into this forward-thinking model of caring for all ages at all stages of their wellness journey.

    The project is targeting LEED certification, Toronto Green Standard Tier 2, and Fitwel – making it an example of healthy and climate-smart development. The current design includes ultra-efficient energy systems and low-carbon materials, and GICB funding will allow the project to achieve Zero Carbon Standard certification by eliminating fossil fuels and offsetting any residual emissions associated with the project.

    $9,000,000

    Toronto

    Ontario

    Central YMCA energy infrastructure retrofit

    Implement a variety of repairs and retrofit measures to significantly reduce energy consumption and GHG emissions, which will ultimately result in a 38% reduction in fuel consumption, 32% reduction in fuel cost, and 49% reduction in carbon emissions.

    $1,060,152

    Toronto

    Ontario

    Oshawa YMCA energy infrastructure retrofit

    This is an existing, 5,794 sqm mixed-use community and recreation centre owned by the YMCA of Greater Toronto. It brings together the local community and features a wide range of health and fitness facilities and programs, childcare, and day camps. However, as an older building, the building currently contains a number of inefficient systems and building features, resulting in higher energy consumption and GHG emissions, as well as increased fuel cost.

    The project will implement a variety of repairs and retrofit measures to significantly reduce energy consumption and GHG emissions, which will ultimately result in a 40% reduction in fuel consumption, 34% reduction in fuel cost, and 60% reduction in carbon emissions. With these measures funded through the GICB program, this project is an excellent example of retrofitting existing buildings to convert them into modern, high-performance facilities.

    $1,000,000

    Toronto

    Ontario

    Parkdale Activity-Recreation Centre (PARC) Community Hub Revitalization and Energy Saving Retrofit

    Replace the windows and the roof, insulating walls and replace the 25-year-old rooftop HVAC units with a new, highly efficient centralized HVAC (VRF) system. Accessibility and fire safety systems will conform to the highest standards. The renovation will not only improve energy efficiency, accessibility, and safety but will reduce GHG emissions, make PARC more resilient to climate change and reduce the risks and costs associated with it.

    $500,000

    Toronto

    Ontario

    Westend YMCA energy retrofit

    Implement a variety of repairs and retrofit measures to significantly reduce energy consumption and GHG emissions, which will ultimately result in a 39% reduction in fuel consumption, 32% reduction in fuel cost, and 44% reduction in carbon emissions.

    $414,624

    Town Of Bancroft

    Ontario

    The Green Ice Initiative:  Accessible and Sustainable Upgrades to the North Hastings Community Centre

    Upgrade to the Thermalcare refrigeration system, which is safer and offers up to a 41% reduction in energy costs, and install a universal washroom addressing the lack of accessible facilities in the arena.

    $1,944,217

    Town of Main Brook

    Newfoundland and Labrador

    Moving Towards a Green Future – Revitalizing Community Spaces

    Retrofit an existing municipal storage and warehousing building to become a multi-purpose building that enhances community engagement and interactions, attracts guests, visitors and new families, and supports diverse and underserved local groups with a focus on mental health, aging in place, education and entertainment for youth.

    $230,323

    Town of Olds

    Alberta

    Olds Men’s Shed and Community Arts Hub: Activating the former Town of Olds Operations Shop

    Renovate the interior of the building to ensure it is safe, accessible, and functional as a community building while improving energy efficiency, lowering carbon emissions and enhancing climate resilience. A Community Arts Hub would offer space for local artists to gather, create and share their talents through various projects and cultural events. The Hub would also be a place for community members to come together to engage in art creation, appreciate art, and participate in other cultural activities.

    $199,824

    Town of Whitby

    * Announced on March 14, 2025

    Ontario

    55+ – Feasibility Study / HVAC Upgrades & Interior Renovations

    Upgrade the Seniors Activity Centre HVAC systems, including new air handling units, rooftop unit condensers, replacement of hot water tanks, and building automation system upgrades.

    $798,486

    Township of Johnson

    Ontario

    Johnson Township Community Centre Green Efficiency Updates

    Improve the ice making plant, HVAC system, bathrooms, showers, lighting, and enclosure tightness. The installation of automation solutions and replacement of equipment long past its useful life, will reduce consumption, limit water usage, and reduce product waste throughout the building. This will increase energy efficiency’s by approximately 25%, reduce GHG emissions by approximately 35%, reduce costs by $45,000, and reduce water consumption by a minimum of 660,000 gallons annually.

    $1,309,728

    Trenton

    Ontario

    Wooler Schoolhouse Project

    The Wooler Schoolhouse Project will renovate the heritage 1915 Wooler Schoolhouse in Quinte West, Ontario to return it community service as a modernized, sustainable, climate change resilient, and accessible recreation facility. Renovations will include an addition to provide elevator access and a second emergency exit.
    The Schoolhouse’s 2.8-acre property will be developed to support outdoor recreational and cultural activities identified by the community. 

    The Project is led by the non-profit Wooler and Area Community Organization that will operate the renovated Schoolhouse to provide inclusive, affordable, local access to recreational programs and spaces for community events, services missing in the area since the demolition of the Wooler Town Hall in 2012.
    The revitalized Schoolhouse will become a sustainable platform for community engagement, economic development, preservation of history, and cultural events, including meeting the needs of underserved area youth and seniors.

    $1,000,000

    Village of Memramcook

    *Announced on March 21, 2025

    New Brunswick

    Memramcook Recreation Centre

    Build a sustainable recreation centre in the rural linguistic minority community. This centre will be a modern and inclusive space, designed to meet the needs of vulnerable groups such as at-risk youth, newcomers, seniors, people with disabilities, and low-income families. The centre will offer affordable and accessible programming. The project aligns with Canada’s net-zero carbon energy goals, aiming for net-zero energy performance.

    $6,000,000

    Waterloo

    Ontario

    MSCC Energy and Accessibility Retrofit

    Reductions Energy/GHG by electrification of (natural) gas heating systems, energy recovery, lighting, controls, and new roofing. Accessibility and inclusivity is enhanced with a new universal washroom, and automatic door operators. Community service offering is increased with a new arena dehumidifier with air conditioning.

    $2,399,582

    Westport

    Ontario

    WTC Communication Center GHG Reduction & Energy Efficiency Upgrades

    The Westport Community Arena Energy Efficiency and Sustainability Upgrades project aims to enhance the facility’s energy performance and environmental impact through a series of targeted measures. These include optimizing dehumidifier controls, installing air-source heat pump water heaters, implementing night temperature setbacks, and upgrading to LED lighting with occupancy sensors. Additionally, the project will integrate a hydronic forced-air bleacher heating system using reclaimed heat, and install a solar photovoltaic system on the roof. These upgrades will reduce energy consumption by 98.6%, lower operational costs, and decrease greenhouse gas emissions by 96.1%, benefiting the entire Westport community by providing a more sustainable and cost-effective recreational facility. The project will also improve accessibility, indoor air quality and comfort for users, ensuring a healthier and more enjoyable environment for all.

    $2,000,000

    Winnipeg

    *Announced on March 21, 2025

    Manitoba

    Le Musée de Saint-Boniface Museum Energy & Envelope Upgrade

    Replace windows, and mechanical systems including HVAC system with heat pumps, new ductwork, controls and energy recovery ventilators.

    $1,000,000

    Winnipeg

    *Announced on March 19, 2025

    Manitoba

    Riverview Community Centre –  Comprehensive Green Energy Retrofit: Interior & Exterior

    Replace mechanical systems and interior and exterior components that have exceeded their functional lifespan. These upgrades will improve energy efficiency, reduce operating costs, and prepare the centre to serve the community in a carbon-constrained future.

     $924,079

    Yellowknife

    Northwest Territories

    Endacho Healing Lodge

    Build a new, energy efficient and eco-sensitive Endacho Healing Lodge that will be built as a place of harmony with the land and water. In this place, Indigenous people who have suffered trauma can heal by connecting with their culture and the land through a combination of traditional and western healing methods.  The Lodge is designed to integrate into the natural contours of the land, incorporating energy efficiency technology proven effective and sustainable in the northern environment.

    $7,000,000

    MIL OSI Canada News –

  • MIL-OSI Canada: Government launches consultations on trade measures to prevent diversion of steel products into Canada

    Source: Government of Canada News

    March 22, 2025 – Ottawa, Ontario – Department of Finance Canada

    Canadian steel producers and workers are facing potential harm from the threat of increased steel imports into Canada, triggered by the unjustified 25 per cent tariffs the United States (U.S.) imposed on steel products from all countries.

    Today, the Honourable François-Philippe Champagne, Minister of Finance and the Honourable Anita Anand, Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry announced the launch of a 30-day public consultation on possible trade measures to protect against the threat of diversion of steel products from third countries into the Canadian market as a result of the recent trade measures by the U.S.

    The global steel market currently has too much supply compared to demand. This severe overcapacity leads to cheap foreign steel being sold at artificially low prices in Canada and globally. When such steel enters the Canadian market, it negatively impacts Canadian steel workers and businesses. Following recent U.S. tariffs, there is a heightened risk that these steel products may flood the Canadian market putting both producers and workers at risk. 

    Potential new trade measures would complement measures recently announced by the Government of Canada to support Canadian steel and aluminum workers and industries. As a first response to the direct threat posed by U.S. tariffs, Canada imposed 25 per cent reciprocal tariffs, effective March 13, 2025, on a list of steel products worth $12.6 billion and aluminum products worth $3 billion, as well as on additional imported U.S. goods worth $14.2 billion, for a total of $29.8 billion. 

    The federal government also applied a 25 per cent surtax on imports of steel and aluminum products from China, effective October 22, 2024. This measure was taken in response to China’s non-market policies and practices and to prevent trade diversion resulting from actions taken by Canadian trading partners. 

    Beyond these recent actions, Canada also maintains robust trade remedy and import monitoring systems to help protect against unfair trade from all sources and provides direct recourse for Canadian businesses and workers that are harmed by unfairly traded goods entering the Canadian market.

    The federal government continues to monitor the trade situation closely and will take additional steps as needed to support our industries against these threats. 

    MIL OSI Canada News –

  • MIL-OSI Canada: Removing the consumer carbon price, effective April 1, 2025

    Source: Government of Canada News

    Backgrounder

    The Government of Canada has made regulations that cease the application of the federal fuel charge, effective April 1, 2025, and is also removing requirements for provinces and territories to have a consumer-facing carbon price as of that date. These actions refocus federal carbon pollution pricing standards on ensuring carbon pricing systems are in place across Canada on a broad range of greenhouse gas emissions from industry. A price on pollution for large emitters will continue to be a pillar of Canada’s plan to build a strong economy and greener future. It is a system that is fair and effective. Industrial carbon pricing is one of the most important greenhouse gas emission reduction policies in the government’s comprehensive Emissions Reduction Plan to bend the curve and meet Canada’s 2030 greenhouse gas emissions reduction target. Carbon pricing systems for industry are also designed to keep costs low to protect against competitiveness risks. 

    This backgrounder provides details on how removing the consumer carbon price will work and on how the proceeds return mechanisms (including the Canada Carbon Rebate) will be wound down.

    Ceasing the Application of the Federal Fuel Charge

    The federal fuel charge currently applies in Newfoundland and Labrador, Prince Edward Island, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Ontario, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta, Nunavut and Yukon (referred to as listed provinces). Under the Greenhouse Gas Pollution Pricing Act, the fuel charge generally applies to 21 fossil fuels and combustible waste upon delivery, importation or use in listed provinces.

    The federal government removed the fuel charge, effective April 1, 2025, via regulations. It will also be considering broader amendments to the Greenhouse Gas Pollution Pricing Act, including proposed amendments to complete the orderly wind-down of the fuel charge.

    After March 31, 2025, the applicable fuel charge rates for all types of fuel and for combustible waste will be set to zero. Therefore, beginning on April 1, 2025, the fuel charge ceases to apply.

    The regulations will also cease the application of certain administrative requirements that are no longer necessary. Specifically:

    • After March 31, 2025, requirements for registered emitters subject to a provincial output-based performance standards system to provide certain information in respect of changes to their facilities to the Minister of Environment and Climate Change will cease to apply. After September 30, 2025, all residual requirements in respect of those registered emitters will cease to apply.
    • After March 31, 2025, no persons will be required to newly register in respect of any category or any type of fuel. All existing registrations will be cancelled on November 1, 2025.
    • For reporting periods beginning after March 31, 2025, there will be no requirement to file a return if no positive amount of fuel charge is payable.

    The regulations do not affect obligations for reporting periods prior to April 1, 2025. Fuel charge payers are still required to pay amounts owed, continue to be able to claim rebates to which they are entitled, and are subject to assessments and re-assessments in respect of past reporting periods.

    Canada Carbon Rebate

    The Canada Carbon Rebate was introduced to return direct proceeds from the federal fuel charge to residents of provinces where it applied. With the removal of the federal fuel charge effective April 1, 2025, eligible Canadians will receive a final Canada Carbon Rebate payment, starting April 22.

    In provinces where the federal fuel charge currently applies, a family of four will receive up to $456 under the base Canada Carbon Rebate for April 2025 (see table below for specified amounts by province). In addition to the base rebate amounts, a rural top-up of 20 per cent is provided for individuals residing in small and rural communities.

    To receive their Canada Carbon Rebate for April 2025, Canadians need to file their 2024 tax return. For Canadians who are registered for direct deposit with the Canada Revenue Agency, the Canada Carbon Rebate will be deposited directly into their bank account; otherwise, the Canada Carbon Rebate will be delivered via cheque. For those who have a spouse or common-law partner, the person who files their tax return first will receive the Canada Carbon Rebate amount for all members of the household, including children.

    Table 1
    April 2025 Canada Carbon Rebate Amounts, as specified by the Minister of Finance
    ($)
    NL PEI* NS NB ON MB SK AB
    First Adult 149 110 110 165 151 150 206 228
    Second Adult 74.50 55 55 82.50 75.50 75 103 114
    Each Child 37.25 27.50 27.50 41.25 37.75 37.50 51.50 57
    Family of Four 298 220 220 330 302 300 412 456
    *As all residents in PEI are considered to be living in a small or rural community, the rural supplement is already included in the base amounts for that province. The amounts for other provinces do not include the rural supplement; those eligible for the supplement will receive 20 per cent more.

    Canada Carbon Rebate for Small Businesses

    In provinces where the fuel charge currently applies, a portion of fuel charge proceeds from the price on pollution is returned to eligible small- and medium-sized businesses via the Canada Carbon Rebate for Small Businesses, an automatic, refundable tax credit provided directly to eligible businesses.

    With the removal of the federal fuel charge effective April 1, 2025, the Canada Carbon Rebate for Small Businesses payment in respect of the 2024-25 fuel charge year will be the final payment to eligible businesses.

    The Minister of Finance will specify payment rates to return the previously specified $623.1 million in proceeds for the 2024-25 fuel charge year once sufficient information is available from the 2024 taxation year.

    Fuel Charge Proceeds Fund for Indigenous Governments

    In provinces where the fuel charge was in place prior to April 1, 2025, a portion of fuel charge proceeds from the price on pollution is being returned to eligible federally recognized Indigenous governments by Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC) through grant agreements delivered by the Fuel Charge Proceeds Fund for Indigenous Governments (FCPFIG). The FCPFIG offers maximum flexibility for eligible First Nations, Inuit, and Métis governments to manage and use their share of fuel charge proceeds towards self-determined priorities.

    Following the removal of the federal fuel charge effective April 1, 2025, ECCC will continue to work with eligible recipients to return $531.5 million in proceeds for the 2020-21 to 2024-25 period, consistent with the amounts previously specified by the Minister of Finance. The Government of Canada is committed to establishing the necessary grant agreements and issuing payments through the FCPFIG to eligible Indigenous governments as soon as possible.

    Return of Fuel Charge Proceeds to Farmers Tax Credit

    Recognizing that many farmers use natural gas and propane in their operations, the federal government provides a refundable tax credit to return fuel charge proceeds to farming businesses that operate in provinces where the federal fuel charge currently applies.

    The Minister of Finance has the authority under the Income Tax Act to specify payment rates for eligible farming expenses that are incurred in the 2025 calendar year, which would have corresponded to returns of fuel charge proceeds for the 2025-26 fuel charge year, and the designated provinces in which these payment rates will apply. Those provinces are Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Ontario, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, and Newfoundland and Labrador.

    With the removal of the federal fuel charge effective April 1, 2025, the Return of Fuel Charge Proceeds to Farmers Tax Credit in respect of the 2024-25 fuel charge year will be the final credit available to eligible farming businesses. Consequently, the Minister of Finance has specified the payment rate per $1,000 in eligible farming expenses that are incurred in the 2025 calendar year (in respect of the 2025-26 fuel charge year), in the designated provinces, to be nil.

    This nil payment rate replaces the payment rate for the same calendar year (and fuel charge year) that was previously announced on January 10, 2025.

    Strengthening Industrial Carbon Pricing

    Canada’s Emissions Reduction Plan contains a comprehensive suite of mitigation measures, strategies, and investments, including policies that complement carbon pricing. A price on pollution for large emitters will continue to be a pillar of Canada’s plan to build a prosperous net-zero economy and make progress on climate targets. According to independent estimates, industrial carbon pricing is the climate policy with the single largest contribution to achieving our climate targets, all while helping us transform and grow our economy. The government intends to refocus federal carbon pollution pricing requirements on ensuring carbon pricing systems are in place across Canada on a broad range of greenhouse gas emissions from industry. The government intends to strengthen Canada’s approach to carbon pricing for industry to ensure its continued effectiveness.

    The federal government intends to engage with provinces, territories, Indigenous Peoples, and stakeholders on changes to the minimum national stringency standards for carbon pollution pricing, known as the federal ‘benchmark’ criteria.

    Changes would focus the benchmark on ensuring industrial pricing systems continue to maximize emissions reductions and encourage the transition to low carbon technologies, while protecting industry against competitiveness and carbon leakage impacts. Improving the emissions performance of Canadian industry makes it more efficient and can support its competitiveness as Canada works to diversify its trading relationships and deepen market access, especially in jurisdictions that increasingly value lower emitting goods, such as the European Union.

    The goal of the benchmark criteria would continue to be that systems are similarly stringent, fair and effective. The benchmark review will consider opportunities to strengthen industrial carbon markets so that they deliver the incentives needed for major decarbonization projects across industry, while creating jobs and driving investment in the technologies that will shape the clean economies of the future.

    MIL OSI Canada News –

  • MIL-OSI Canada: Federal government invests in greener public transit across Quebec

    Source: Government of Canada News

    Montréal, Quebec, March 22, 2025 — The federal government is investing over $400 million in 11 infrastructure projects, including three in Montréal, to make public transit greener across Quebec.

    First, more than $200.5 million will be used to electrify the St-Laurent ($106.7 million) and Anjou ($93.7 million) transport centers through the acquisition and installation of electrical equipment that will allow the installation of several dozen charging points. In total, 148 charging points will be installed at the St-Laurent transport center, and 132 will be installed at the Anjou transport centre.

    An investment of more than $83.2 million will go towards the partial electrification of the Legendre transport centre, allowing the installation of 72 charging positions for buses. This project includes technical studies, the acquisition and commissioning of equipment and infrastructure, as well as the expansion of premises for electrical equipment, the modernization of infrastructure such as the fire protection system and telecommunications rooms, the reinforcement of the building structure, and the connection to the existing generator.

    The federal investments announced today will also be used to fund electrification projects at transit authority garages and operations centres across the province, notably in Longueuil, Lévis, Quebec City, Sherbrooke, and Saguenay.

    MIL OSI Canada News –

  • MIL-OSI Canada: Backgrounder: Federal government invests in greener public transit projects across Quebec

    Source: Government of Canada News

    Backgrounder

    The federal government is investing over $400 million through the Zero Emission Transit Fund to support 11 projects across Quebec.

    Project information:

    Location

    Project Name

    Federal Funding

    Lévis

    Conversion of the St-Omer Garage to Electric Propulsion

    $7,625,369

    Lévis

    New Bus Depot for the Société de transport de Lévis

    $4,720,000

    Longueuil

    NCESH Phase 2: Opportunity File and Business File

    $10,757,430

    Longueuil

    Construction of electrical infrastructure and a bus charging shelter at the Vieux-Longueuil Operations Centre

    $34,835,216

    Longueuil

    Planning of Phase 1 for the Construction of the Saint-Hubert Operations Centre

    $8,579,879

    Montréal

    Electrification of the Anjou Transportation Centre

    $93,772,567

    Montréal

    Electrification of the St-Laurent Transportation Centre

    $106,774,883

    Montréal

    Partial electrification of the Legendre Transportation Centre

    $83,275,026

    Saguenay

    Electrification of the Garage of the Société de transport du Saguenay – Phase 1

    $15,577,230

    Sherbrooke

    Expansion of Cabana Operations Centre

    $30,805,687

    Québec

    Functional and Technical Program and Studies for the Lebourgneuf Centre

    $3,430,320

    MIL OSI Canada News –