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Category: Canada

  • MIL-OSI Global: Plastics threaten ecosystems and human health, but evidence-based solutions are under political fire

    Source: The Conversation – Canada – By Tony Robert Walker, Professor, School for Resource and Environmental Studies, Dalhousie University

    Negotiations toward a global, legally binding plastics treaty are set to resume this summer, with the United Nations Environment Programme announcing that the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee on plastic pollution will reconvene in August.

    The committee was established to develop an international legally binding instrument — known as the plastics treaty — to end plastic pollution, one of the fastest-growing environmental threats.



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    Here’s how the new global treaty on plastic pollution can help solve this crisis

    Globally, 40 per cent of plastics production goes into the production of single-use plastic packaging, which is the single largest source of plastic waste and is a threat to wildlife and human health. Without meaningful action, global plastic waste is projected to nearly triple by 2060, reaching an estimated 1.2 billion tonnes.

    As the world prepares for another round of talks, Canada’s own plastic problem reveals what’s at stake, and what’s possible for the future.

    Canada’s plastic problem

    Canada is no exception to the global plastic crisis. Nearly half (47 per cent) of all plastic waste in Canada comes from the food and drink sector, contributing 3,268 million tonnes annually. Canadians use 15 billion plastic bags annually and nearly 57 million straws daily, yet only nine per cent of plastics are recycled — a figure that is not expected to improve.

    Most of Canada’s plastic — except for plastic bottles made of PET (polyethylene terephthalate) — are uneconomical or difficult to recycle because of the complexity of mixed plastics used in our economy. As a result, 2.8 million tonnes of plastic waste — equivalent to the weight of 24 CN Towers — end up in landfills every year.

    This is not a trivial problem, as Ontario is projected to run out of landfill space by 2035. Plastic pollution poses growing risks to both urban and rural infrastructure.

    In addition to landfill overflow, around one per cent of Canada’s plastic waste leaks into the environment. In 2016, this was 29,000 tonnes of plastic pollution. Once in the environment, plastics disintegrate into tiny particles, called microplastics (small pieces of plastic less than five millimetres long).

    We drink those tiny microplastic particles in our tap water, and eat them in our fish dinners. Some are even making their way into farmland.

    Plastics are everywhere, including inside us

    More than 93 per cent of Canadians have expressed concerns over single-use plastics used in food packaging and have supported government bans. There is a good reason for concern over the mounting levels of plastics in the environment, in our food and in us.

    Growing evidence indicates that plastics can cause harmful health effects in humans and animals. Microplastics and smaller nanoplastics (less than one micron in length) have been found in humans, including infants and breast milk. They can cause metabolic disorders, interfere with our immune and reproductive systems and cause behavioural problems.

    These health problems may be caused by chemicals added to plastics, including single-use plastics, of which 4,200 chemicals have been identified as posing a hazard to human and ecosystem health.

    It is for these reasons that the Canadian government introduced a ban on single-use plastics in 2022 as part of a plan to reach zero plastic waste in Canada by 2030.

    The decision was based extensive public and industry consultation, as well as decades of data on plastic pollution gathered from the Great Canadian Shoreline Cleanup. This data shows the most common plastic litter items found in the environment across Canada, known as the “dirty dozen” list.

    Six of these items were included in the federal ban. Three eastern Canadian provinces had already implemented single-use plastic bag bans before the federal government, with little to no public or industry opposition. Prince Edward Island was the first Canadian province to implement a province-wide plastic bag ban in July 2019, closely followed by Newfoundland and Labrador and Nova Scotia in October 2020.

    The politics of plastic

    Despite overwhelming scientific consensus, debates around plastic pollution are becoming increasingly politicized.

    In February in the United States, President Donald Trump signed an executive order directing the U.S. government to “stop purchasing paper straws and ensure they are no longer provided within federal buildings.”

    Trump told reporters at the White House: “I don’t think plastic is going to affect a shark very much, as they’re munching their way through the ocean.” Almost 2,000 peer-reviewed studies have reported, however, that more than 4,000 species have ingested or been entangled by plastic litter.

    In Canada, plastic has also become a political flashpoint. During the recent federal election, Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre said he would scrap the federal government’s ban on single-use plastics and bring back plastic straws and grocery bags. He argued the government’s ban was about “symbolism” rather than “science,” saying, “the Liberals’ plastics ban is not about the environment, it’s about cost and control.”

    His promise would have harmed Canadians by dismissing the overwhelming scientific evidence showing that plastics in our bodies are linked to health impacts. Legislation to ban single-use plastics can be highly effective, ranging from 33 to 96 per cent reductions in plastic waste and pollution in the environment, depending on the policy and jurisdiction.

    Canada’s single-use plastics ban is a great example of evidence-based policymaking. The latest data from the conservation group Ocean Wise shows there was a 32 per cent drop in plastic straws found on Canadian shorelines in 2024 compared to the previous year.

    Science-based policies are needed

    It is indisputable that growing plastic production is directly related to plastic pollution in the environment and in human beings. Increasing plastic pollution is a global threat to human and ecosystem health, regardless of borders and political affiliation.

    As negotiators gear up for another round of talks to finalize a Global Plastics Treaty to end plastic pollution, the need for policies that are supported by scientific evidence is more urgent than ever.

    Future generations deserve a healthy and sustainable planet. The path towards a healthy and sustainable planet requires supporting action based on scientific evidence, not misinforming people with catchy phrases and political rhetoric.

    Tony Robert Walker receives funding from the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada, Canada Foundation for Innovation, and Research Nova Scotia. He is also a non-remunerated member of the Scientists’ Coalition for an Effective Plastics Treaty.

    Miriam L Diamond receives funding from Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council, Ontario Ministry of Environment, Conservation and Parks, Future Earth, and Environment and Climate Change Canada. She is affiliated with the University of Toronto, serves as a paid expert for the Scientific and Technical Advisory Panel of the Global Environment Facility, and has non-remunerated positions with the International Panel on Chemical Pollution (Vice-Chair), is a member of the Scientist Coalition for an Effective Plastics Treaty, and sits on the board of the Canadian Environmental Law Association.

    – ref. Plastics threaten ecosystems and human health, but evidence-based solutions are under political fire – https://theconversation.com/plastics-threaten-ecosystems-and-human-health-but-evidence-based-solutions-are-under-political-fire-256764

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Decolonizing history and social studies curricula has a long way to go in Canada

    Source: The Conversation – Canada – By Sara Karn, Postdoctoral Fellow, Department of History, McMaster University

    In June 2015, 10 years ago, the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada (TRC) called for curriculum on Indigenous histories and contemporary contributions to Canada to foster intercultural understanding, empathy and respect. This was the focus of calls to action Nos. 62 to 65.

    As education scholars, we are part of a project supported by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council called Thinking Historically for Canada’s Future. This project involves researchers, educators and partner organizations from across Canada, including Indigenous and non-Indigenous team members.

    As part of this work, we examined Canadian history and social studies curricula in elementary, middle and secondary schools with the aim of understanding how they address — and may better address in future — the need for decolonization.

    We found that although steps have been made towards decolonizing history curricula in Canada, there is still a long way to go. These curricula must do far more to challenge dominant narratives, prompt students to critically reflect on their identities and value Indigenous world views.



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    Reimagining curriculum

    As white settler scholars and educators, we acknowledge our responsibility to unlearn colonial ways of being and learn how to further decolonization in Canada.

    In approaching this study, we began by listening to Indigenous scholars, such as Cree scholar Dwayne Donald. Donald and other scholars call for reimagining curriculum through unlearning colonialism and renewing relationships.



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    The late education scholar Michael Marker, a member of the Lummi Nation, suggested that in history education, renewing relations involves learning from Indigenous understandings of the past, situated within local meanings of time and place.

    History, social studies curricula

    Curricula across Canada have been updated in the last 10 years to include teaching about treaties, Indian Residential Schools and the cultures, perspectives and experiences of Indigenous Peoples over time.

    Thanks primarily to the work of Indigenous scholars and educators, including Donald, Marker, Mi’kmaw educator Marie Battiste, Anishinaabe scholar Nicole Bell and others, some public school educators are attentive to land-based learning and the importance of oral history.

    But these teachings are, for the most part, ad hoc and not supported by provincial curriculum mandates.

    Our study revealed that most provincial history curricula are still focused on colonial narratives that centre settler histories and emphasize “progress” over time. Curricula are largely inattentive to critical understandings of white settler power and to Indigenous ways of knowing and being.

    Notably, we do not include the three territories in this statement. Most of the territorial history curricula have been co-created with local Indigenous communities, and stand out with regard to decolonization.

    For example, in Nunavut’s Grade 5 curriculum, the importance of local knowledge tied to the land is highlighted throughout. There are learning expectations related to survival skills and ecological knowledge.

    Members of our broader research team are dedicated to analyzing curricula in Nunavut, the Northwest Territories and the Yukon. Their work may offer approaches to be adapted for other educational contexts.

    Dominant narratives

    In contrast, we found that provincial curricula often reinforce dominant historical narratives, especially surrounding colonialism. Some documents use the term “the history,” implying a singular history of Canada (for example, Manitoba’s Grade 6 curriculum).

    Historical content, examples and guiding questions are predominantly written from a Euro-western perspective, while minimizing racialized identities and community histories. In particular, curricula often ignore illustrations of Indigenous agency and experience.



    Read more:
    Moving beyond Black history month towards inclusive histories in Québec secondary schools

    Most curricula primarily situate Indigenous Peoples in the past, without substantial consideration for present-day implications of settler colonialism, as well as Indigenous agency and experiences today.

    For example, in British Columbia’s Grade 4 curriculum, there are lengthy discussions of the harms of colonization in the past. Yet, there is no mention of the ongoing impacts of settler colonialism or the need to engage in decolonization today.

    To disrupt these dominant narratives, we recommend that history curricula should critically discuss the ongoing impacts of settler colonialism, while centring stories of Indigenous resistance and survival over time.

    Identity and privilege

    There are also missed opportunities within history curricula when it comes to critical discussions around identity, including systemic marginalization or privilege.

    Who we are informs how we understand history, but curricula largely does not prompt student reflection in these ways, including around treaty relationships.

    In Saskatchewan’s Grade 5 curriculum, students are expected to explain what treaties are and “affirm that all Saskatchewan residents are Treaty people.”

    However, there is no mention of students considering how their own backgrounds, identities, values and experiences shape their understandings of and responsibilities for treaties. Yet these discussions are essential for engaging students in considering the legacies of colonialism and how they may act to redress those legacies.

    A key learning outcome could involve students becoming more aware of how their own personal and community histories inform their historical understandings and reconciliation commitments.

    Indigenous ways of knowing and being

    History curricula generally ignore Indigenous ways of knowing and being. Most curricula are inattentive to Indigenous oral traditions, conceptions of time, local contexts and relationships with other species and the environment.

    Instead, these documents reflect Euro-western, settler colonial worldviews and educational values. For example, history curricula overwhelmingly ignore local meanings of time and place, while failing to encourage opportunities for land-based and experiential learning.

    In Prince Edward Island’s Grade 12 curriculum, the documents expect that students will “demonstrate an understanding of the interactions among people, places and the environment.” While this may seem promising, environmental histories in this curriculum and others uphold capitalist world views by focusing on resource extraction and economic progress.

    To disrupt settler colonial relationships with the land and empower youth as environmental stewards, we support reframing history curricula in ways that are attentive to Indigenous ways of knowing the past and relations with other people, beings and the land.

    Ways forward

    Schools have been, and continue to be, harmful spaces for many Indigenous communities, and various aspects of our schooling beg questions about how well-served both Indigenous and non-Indigenous students are for meeting current and future challenges.

    If, as a society, we accept the premise that the transformation of current curricular expectations is possible for schools, then more substantive engagement is required in working toward decolonization.

    Decolonizing curricula is a long-term, challenging process that requires consideration of many things: who sits on curriculum writing teams; the resources allocated to supporting curricular reform; broader school or board-wide policies; and ways of teaching that support reconciliation.

    We encourage history curriculum writing teams to take up these recommendations as part of a broader commitment to reconciliation.

    While not exhaustive, recommendations for curricular reform are a critical step in the future redesign of history curricula. The goal is a history education committed to listening and learning from Indigenous communities to build more inclusive national stories of the past, and into the future.

    Sara Karn receives funding from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC).

    Kristina R. Llewellyn receives funding from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC).

    Penney Clark receives funding from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC).

    – ref. Decolonizing history and social studies curricula has a long way to go in Canada – https://theconversation.com/decolonizing-history-and-social-studies-curricula-has-a-long-way-to-go-in-canada-253679

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: B.C.’s mental health law is on trial — and so is our commitment to human rights

    Source: The Conversation – Canada – By Anne Levesque, Assistant professor, Faculty of Law, L’Université d’Ottawa/University of Ottawa

    The British Columbia Supreme Court has begun hearing a long-awaited constitutional challenge to the province’s Mental Health Act.

    The case, nearly a decade in the making, is now drawing greater attention in the wake of the tragedy at the Filipino Lapu Lapu Day street festival earlier this year that left 11 people dead in Vancouver.

    The event has shaken many in the community, leaving behind grief and fear. Furthermore, in light of reports that the person accused of the crime was under Mental Health Act supervision, difficult questions arise. The pain is real, and any conversation about mental health must begin with compassion for all of those affected.



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    At the same time, it’s important to ensure this moment of reckoning leads to thoughtful dialogue, not reactive policy. Unfortunately, much of the public discourse has become mired in fear and misinformation, creating a false and dangerous choice: that Canada must sacrifice individual rights in order to protect public safety.

    As a legal scholar in equality rights and public interest litigation, I don’t believe Canadians have to choose. A mental health system that respects Canada’s Charter of Rights and Freedoms can also promote safety.

    What’s the case is about?

    The case currently before the B.C. Supreme Court was initiated by the Council of Canadians with Disabilities (CCD), a national human rights organization led by people with disabilities. The group is fighting provisions in the province’s Mental Health Act that strip patients of any right to choose their own health care, or to appoint a loved one to make health care decisions on their behalf.

    The CCD’s motto — “Nothing about us without us” — reflects a longstanding commitment to ensuring that people most affected by policies and systems have a voice in shaping them. This litigation will amplify the voices of people who underwent psychiatric treatment without consent and to shine a light on the deep and lasting harms they have suffered.

    Let’s be clear about what this Charter challenge actually seeks and what it doesn’t. It doesn’t aim to eliminate involuntary hospitalization. It does not change who can be detained, how long they can be held or the legal criteria for involuntary admission.

    What it does seek is something far more modest and humane: to ensure that when psychiatric care is forced, it is delivered with dignity, oversight and the involvement of trusted supporters in accordance with the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms.

    One of the key reforms that CCD has long advocated for is the right for people to name a family member or friend to be involved in treatment decisions. Far from undermining care, this kind of involvement can help bridge the gap between medical necessity and personal dignity.

    It’s a safeguard that respects patients’ values and builds trust, which the current system desperately lacks. And yes, it could even enhance public safety. Reports suggest that a family member of the man accused in the Lapu Lapu mass murders in April was concerned about his deteriorating mental health and had reached out for help just before the tragedy occurred. A more responsive system with the embedded involvement of trusted decision-makers might have made a difference.



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    Reforming the Mental Health Act

    British Columbia is currently an outlier in Canada. It’s the only province where people detained under mental health laws are automatically deemed to consent to any treatment authorized by the facility — regardless of their actual wishes or capacity.

    There’s no right to name a substitute decision-maker, no ability to appeal a treatment decision, no independent oversight, and treatment is often imposed through isolation, physical restraints or security force.

    Advocates have been calling for change for decades. But in the wake of the Lapu Lapu attack, some politicians are proposing not a more compassionate or rights-respecting approach, but harsher, more coercive powers over people with mental health issues. That would be a mistake.

    The current system, which experts have long said is inconsistent with human rights, did nothing to prevent this tragedy. Violating the rights of people in crisis did not and will not keep the public safer.

    B.C. Premier David Eby has acknowledged the shortcomings in the current system, but has said that engaging in law reform while litigation is undergoing would pose a risk. Instead, he says it’s better to wait to hear what the court decides before changing the law.

    That logic is arguably akin to a citizen saying it’s risky to stop driving at a speed they know is over the lawful limit until they’re pulled over.

    Pointless to wait

    Waiting for the courts to force change wastes precious time, and public resources, that could be better spent on designing a new, Charter-compliant mental health system in collaboration with experts, service providers, families and people with lived experiences.

    Meanwhile, substantial public funds are being spent on government lawyers to fight a legal battle defending a regime that is clearly unconstitutional and fails both patients and public safety.

    That money would be far better spent consulting with experts, families and people with lived experiences and developing legislation that upholds constitutional rights and keeps communities safe.

    The time for delay is over. The B.C. government must act now to rewrite the Mental Health Act in order to protect the public and respect Charter rights.

    Anne Levesque is co-chair of the Disability Justice Litigation Initiative of the Council of Canadians with Disabilities.

    – ref. B.C.’s mental health law is on trial — and so is our commitment to human rights – https://theconversation.com/b-c-s-mental-health-law-is-on-trial-and-so-is-our-commitment-to-human-rights-258671

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: What could have caused the Air India crash? An expert examines the proposed failure scenarios

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Ali Elham, Professor of Design Optimisation, Department of Aeronautics and Astronautics, University of Southampton

    The recent crash of an Air India Boeing 787 Dreamliner in Ahmedabad has prompted widespread discussion about potential causes. As an expert with a background in aircraft design, I would not attempt to speculate on the cause of the incident. We should wait for the crash investigators to carry out a rigorous analysis.

    Instead, I will explain the various flight scenarios currently being discussed in the public domain, and explore what each of them implies from the perspective of aircraft design and performance.

    Understanding how such factors interact with aircraft systems and flight performance can shed light on how modern aircraft are designed to handle rare but critical situations.

    Loss of engine thrust

    Modern commercial aircraft are designed to safely continue takeoff and climb with
    one engine not operating. This is a fundamental certification requirement, particularly for twin-engine aircraft. It ensures that the loss of a single engine, even during the critical takeoff phase, should not result in a catastrophic failure.

    However, the loss of both engines is an extremely serious scenario.

    A notable case of dual engine failure occurred in 2001 on Air Transat Flight 236, which was travelling from Toronto, Canada, to Lisbon in Portugal. The Airbus A330 aircraft lost both engines over the Atlantic Ocean due to a fuel leak, but managed to glide approximately 75 miles (120km) before safely landing at Lajes Air Base in the Azores. This was possible because the aircraft had sufficient altitude and airspeed at the time of its total engine failure.

    However, takeoff and landing are considered the most critical phases of flight
    because the aircraft is close to the ground, giving pilots limited time and
    altitude to respond to failures. At low speed and altitude, the aircraft may also lack the necessary energy (in terms of both airspeed and height) to glide a meaningful distance.

    Bird strikes can also cause engine failure, as seen in the case of US Airways Flight 1549, an Airbus A320 that struck a flock of birds shortly after take off from New York’s LaGuardia Airport on January 15 2009. Both engines failed and, due to the aircraft’s low altitude and limited speed, the pilots determined that returning to the airport was not feasible.

    Instead, pilot Chesley “Sully” Sullenberger and co-pilot Jeffrey Skiles executed a successful emergency water landing on the Hudson River, resulting in the survival of all onboard. As such, the incident became known as the “miracle on the Hudson”.

    These examples highlight how altitude, speed and pilot decision-making, along with robust aircraft design, play a critical role in the outcome of rare but severe engine failure events.

    The US Airways plane involved in the ‘miracle on the Hudson’ on display in the Sullenberger Aviation Museum in Charlotte, North Carolina.
    Kevin M. McCarthy / Shutterstock

    Landing gear not retracted

    During a normal takeoff procedure, the landing gear – the sets of wheels under a plane that support it on the ground – is retracted within seconds after liftoff, once the aircraft has safely left the ground.

    Extended landing gear produces significant aerodynamic drag. So, during the initial climb when the aircraft requires maximum thrust to gain altitude, eliminating this drag by retracting the landing gear is highly beneficial for both climb performance and fuel efficiency.

    However, commercial aircraft are designed to remain controllable and flyable even if the landing gear fails to retract. In such cases, the aircraft should still be able to perform a “go-around” before safely landing again, assuming no other critical failures have occurred.

    That said, a scenario involving both loss of engine thrust and non-retracted landing gear can severely degrade glide performance. The additional drag from the extended gear reduces the aircraft’s lift-to-drag ratio, an indication of the aerodynamic efficiency of the airplane.

    The extended landing gear might limit the distance it can glide and increase its descent rate – which is especially critical when altitude is limited.

    Landing gear on a modern airliner.
    Frank Peters / Shutterstock

    Flaps retracted prematurely

    An aircraft’s ability to generate lift depends on several factors, including wing area, airspeed, altitude, and the “lift coefficient” – a number that describes how effectively a wing or other surface generates lift under specific flight conditions. The lift coefficient is largely influenced by the wing’s geometry, particularly its curvature (called camber).

    During takeoff and landing, the aircraft operates at relatively low speeds where the wings alone may not generate enough lift. To compensate, high-lift devices such as flaps are deployed. These devices are usually mounted on the wings’ trailing edges and, when extended, increase each wing’s curvature and surface area, thereby raising the lift coefficient and allowing the aircraft to remain airborne at lower speeds.

    Airplane wing with flaps and spoilers fully extended to slow down the aircraft after landing.
    Desintegrator / Shutterstock

    However, deploying flaps also increases aerodynamic drag. For this reason, once the aircraft accelerates and reaches a safe climb speed, the flaps are gradually retracted to reduce drag and improve fuel efficiency.

    If the flaps are retracted too early, before the aircraft has reached sufficient speed, there can be a sudden loss of lift. This may result in a stall or insufficient climb performance.

    This situation becomes even more critical if it occurs in combination with other issues, such as extended landing gear (which increases drag) or a loss of engine thrust, as the combined aerodynamic penalties may prevent the aircraft from maintaining controlled flight.

    Conclusion

    Over the years, numerous improvements in aircraft design, maintenance and operational procedures have resulted from crash investigations. Each incident, especially a fatal one such as the Air India Boeing 787 crash, offers valuable lessons that can drive further enhancements in aviation safety.

    The fact that both the aircraft’s flight data recorder and cockpit voice recorder (sometimes referred to as the “black boxes”) have now been recovered offers hope that the precise cause of this crash will be identified.

    Whatever is ultimately determined to be the cause – technical failure, human error, or a combination of both – there will be lessons to be learned. Every event highlights areas where systems, procedures or training can be strengthened to make aviation even safer in the future.

    Ali Elham 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. What could have caused the Air India crash? An expert examines the proposed failure scenarios – https://theconversation.com/what-could-have-caused-the-air-india-crash-an-expert-examines-the-proposed-failure-scenarios-259099

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Canada: Technology transforming tailings ponds

    [. Yet, for decades, operators have been forced to store most of the water they use on site, leading to billions of litres now contained largely in tailings ponds.

    Alberta is investing $50 million from the industry-funded TIER system to help develop new and improved technologies that make cleaning up oil sands mine water safer and more effective. Led by Emissions Reduction Alberta, the new Tailings Technology Challenge will help speed up work to safely reclaim the water in oil sands tailing ponds and eventually return the land for use by future generations.

    “Alberta’s government is taking action by funding technologies that make treating oil sands water faster, effective and affordable. We look forward to seeing the innovative solutions that come out of this funding challenge, and once again demonstrate Alberta’s global reputation for sustainable energy development and environmental stewardship.”

    Rebecca Schulz, Minister of Environment and Protected Areas

    “Tailings and mine water management remain among the most significant challenges facing Alberta’s energy sector. Through this challenge, we’re demonstrating our commitment to funding solutions that make water treatment and tailings remediation more affordable, scalable and effective.”

    Justin Riemer, CEO, Emissions Reduction Alberta

    As in other mines, the oil sands processing creates leftover water called tailings that need to be properly managed. Recently, Alberta’s Oil Sands Mine Water Steering Committee brought together industry, academics and Indigenous leaders to identify the best path forward to safely address mine water and reclaim land.

    This new funding competition will support both new and improved technologies to help oil sands companies minimize freshwater use, promote responsible ways to manage mine water and reclaim mine sites. Using technology for better on-site treatment will help improve safety, reduce future clean up costs and environmental risks, and speed up the process of safely addressing mine water and restoring sites so they are ready for future use.

    “Innovation has always played an instrumental role in the oil sands and continues to be an area of focus. Oil sands companies are collaborating and investing to advance environmental technologies, including many focused on mine water and tailings management. We’re excited to see this initiative, as announced today, seeking to explore technology development in an area that’s important to all Albertans.”

    Kendall Dilling, president, Pathways Alliance 

    Quick facts

    • All mines produce tailings. In the oil sands, tailings describe a mixture of water, sand, clay and residual bitumen that are the byproduct of the oil extraction process.
    • From 2013 to 2023, oil sands mine operations reduced the amount of fresh water used per barrel by 28 per cent. Recycled water use increased by 51 per cent over that same period.
    • The Tailings Technology Challenge is open to oil sands operators and technology providers until Sept. 24.
    • The Tailings Technology Challenge will invest in scale-up, pilot, demonstration and first-of-kind commercial technologies and solutions to reduce and manage fluid tailings and the treatment of oil sands mine water.
    • Eligible technologies include both engineered and natural solutions that treat tailings to improve water quality and mine process water.
    • Successful applicants can receive up to $15 million per project, with a minimum funding request of $1 million.
    • Oil sands operators are responsible for site management and reclamation, while ongoing research continues to inform and refine best practices to support effective policy and regulatory outcomes.

    Related information

    • Emissions Reduction Alberta
    • Using science and technology to tackle tailings ponds (June 12, 2025)

    Multimedia

    • Watch the news conference

    MIL OSI Canada News –

  • MIL-OSI Canada: Prime Minister Carney meets with Secretary General of NATO Mark Rutte

    Source: Government of Canada – Prime Minister

    Today, the Prime Minister, Mark Carney, met with the Secretary General of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), Mark Rutte, at the 2025 G7 Leaders’ Summit in Kananaskis, Alberta.

    Prime Minister Carney shared his government’s plan to rebuild, rearm, and reinvest in the Canadian Armed Forces – meeting the NATO 2 per cent target this year and accelerating those investments in the years to come.

    Prime Minister Carney emphasized the new government’s mandate to assert Canada’s sovereignty and increase collaboration with the NATO Alliance. The leaders discussed trans-Atlantic security and helping Ukraine achieve a just and lasting peace, including through the provision of military assistance.

    The Prime Minister looked forward to meeting again with the Secretary General at the upcoming NATO Summit in The Hague, the Netherlands, from June 24 to 25.

    Associated Link

    MIL OSI Canada News –

  • MIL-OSI Canada: Statement from Chief Accessibility Officer Stephanie Cadieux on release of second report on accessibility in Canada

    Source: Government of Canada News

    June 17, 2025 – Ottawa (Ontario)

    Today, Canada’s first Chief Accessibility Officer, Stephanie Cadieux made the following statement, following the release of her second report on the outcomes being achieved under the Accessible Canada Act (ACA):

    “The Accessible Canada Act (ACA) has seven priority areas, including employment. While looking at overall outcomes under the ACA, this report places a special emphasis on what is happening with employment for people with disabilities, recognizing that progress in this area reflects progress overall.

    “Until the number of people with disabilities increases throughout the workforce, our progress in other areas will be slowed as well. Not only will hiring more people with disabilities position them to help identify gaps and challenges in accessibility that others may miss, but we also know that inclusive workplaces are more innovative and productive. The business case is irrefutable. Everyone benefits.

    “In spite of this, progress on employment for people with disabilities has been uneven and awareness and understanding of the ACA remains low. National surveys show that, despite minor improvements, many equity gaps remain. For example, people with disabilities are still less likely to be employed, to have a full-time job, or to have an income higher than $80,000. This is a significant loss, considering that more than 1 in 4 Canadians live with one or more disabilities, and that many of us, including those in the workforce, will experience a condition that affects our mental, cognitive, and/or physical functions at some point in our lives.

    “Some sectors are making progress faster than others. Overall, we still have a lot of work to do. Far too many people with disabilities in Canada are highly qualified and eager to work but are prevented from doing so. Systemic barriers to employment persist, from the hiring process to organizational culture and retention. Not only does this reduce opportunities and quality of life for people with disabilities, but it comes at a high cost to our economy, stalling innovation and hindering our competitiveness in the global marketplace.

    “This report includes four recommendations for action in key areas. It also includes testimonials from people with disabilities seeking work, or working in sectors from the service industry, to neurology, academia, law and the performing arts. Their reflections shed light on the undeniable value people with disabilities bring to their places of employment, clients, and the public as a whole.

    “We need to recognize that people with disabilities are vastly, diversely talented and stop limiting our assumptions about what they are capable of and what kind of work they can do. Attracting labour and top talent has never been more challenging, but doing so is critical. We can solve the problem of excluding skilled people. There are excellent models in Canada and in other countries to look to as examples of how to do it. I know the will is there. We just have to move from words to actions. 

    Quick facts

    • The role of Chief Accessibility Officer (CAO) was created by the Accessible Canada Act (ACA), which came into force in 2019
    • As an independent adviser to the Minister, the CAO provides advice on wide-ranging accessibility issues, monitors and report on progress made under the ACA, and provides annual reports detailing outcomes achieved under the ACA, as well as systemic and emerging accessibility issues
    • The Office of the CAO serves as a trusted source of information on accessibility, and supports the CAO in promoting a positive and productive dialogue between the federal government, disability stakeholders, national and international organizations
    • This report was developed with information gathered, in part, by conducting targeted interviews with disability service providers, post-secondary institutions, international experts, federally regulated entities (FREs) in the public and private sectors, provincial and territorial government departments, disability experts/advocates, and representatives from employees with disabilities networks across the federal public service, as well as through an examination of Accessibility Plans and Progress reports, which are required by FREs under the ACA.

    Related products


    Associated links

    MIL OSI Canada News –

  • MIL-OSI Canada: The federal government invests in Indigenous-led solar initiative in Watson Lake

    Source: Government of Canada News

    Watson Lake, Yukon, June 17, 2025 — Investing in green energy infrastructure is vital to building cleaner and more sustainable northern communities. With a joint investment of more than $28.6 million from the federal government, the Government of Yukon and First Kaska Utilities LP, the Sādę Solar Initiative project will significantly reduce diesel use for power generation in Watson Lake.

    This project will construct a 2.85MW solar power plant combined with a battery energy storage system that will connect to the existing micro-grid in Watson Lake, which is currently powered by diesel generators. The plant, located within the asserted traditional territory of the Liard First Nation (LFN), will be brought online in two stages to maintain grid stability and manage power fluctuations. Additional works include preparing the site for solar panel installation and upgrading the access road to support a high volume of transport trucks during the construction period.

    When running at full capacity in the peak season, the plant will provide more energy than peak loads, allowing for full generator off time. The solar energy produced is expected to replace more than 24 percent of the diesel-generated power in Watson Lake, ultimately reducing diesel consumption by approximately 1,020,300 litres and cutting GHG emissions by 3,509 tonnes annually. This initiative is also expected to have economic benefits for LFN, allowing them to generate revenues by selling surplus power to the grid operator, while creating jobs and training opportunities. 

    MIL OSI Canada News –

  • MIL-OSI Economics: Breaking down the chaos of a seemingly infinite workday

    Source: Microsoft

    Headline: Breaking down the chaos of a seemingly infinite workday

    In our recent 2025 Work Trend Index Annual Report, we charted the emergence of the Frontier Firm—powered by intelligence on tap, run by human-agent teams, and defined by a new role for every employee, the agent boss. These firms are redesigning business processes around AI and agents to scale rapidly, operate with agility, and generate value faster than traditional companies.

    But organizations will never complete their journey to becoming a Frontier Firm by concentrating on process alone. Our research, based on trillions of globally aggregated and anonymized Microsoft 365 productivity signals, reveals a challenging new roadblock: a seemingly infinite workday. 

    AI offers a way out of the mire, especially if paired with a reimagined rhythm of work. Otherwise, we risk using AI to accelerate a broken system. To get a handle on this barrier to transformation, let’s start our infinite workday. 

    The workday often begins before a lot of people are out of bed. By 6 am, many Microsoft 365 users are scanning overflowing inboxes in hopes of getting ahead. Our telemetry data shows:  

    • 40% of people who are online at 6 am are reviewing email for the day’s priorities. 

    • The average worker receives 117 emails daily—most of them skimmed in under 60 seconds. 

    • Mass emails with 20+ recipients are up 7% in the past year, while one-on-one threads are on the decline (-5%). 

    The inbox may still be the front door to work, but too often it opens to a flood of unprioritized chaos. 

    The chaos of the infinite workday

    It starts early, mostly in email, and quickly swells to a focus-sapping flood of messages, meetings, and interruptions. 

    By 8 am, Microsoft Teams overtakes email as the dominant communication channel, shifting the day into high gear.  

    • The average worker receives 153 Teams messages per weekday. 

    • Messages per person are up 6% YOY globally—more than 20% in regions like Central and Eastern Europe, the Middle East, and Africa, and over 15% in the UK and South Korea. 

    Each email or message notification may seem small, but together they can set a frenetic tempo for the day ahead.  

    The most valuable hours of the workday are often ruled by someone else’s agenda. Half (50%) of all meetings take place between 9–11 am and 1–3 pm—precisely when, as research shows, many people have a natural productivity spike in their day, due to their circadian rhythms. But our data reveals that we fill this time with meetings, leaving little room for deep focus. Tuesdays now carry the heaviest meeting load (23%), while Fridays taper to just 16%. Instead of deep work, these prime hours are spent cycling through a carousel of calls. 

    Meetings hijack prime focus time

    Studies show that many people have two natural performance spikes each day, but our data reveals that we fill one of them with meetings, leaving little room for focus work.

    An area chart showing average productivity levels for workers between the hours of 6 am and 12 am, indicating that a high percentage of meetings are often scheduled during peak productivity hours, leaving workers with less time to dedicate to focus work.

    But meetings aren’t the only force fracturing attention. By 11 am—peak productivity for many—message activity also surges, with 54% of users active. According to our telemetry data it’s the most overloaded hour of the day, as real-time messages, scheduled meetings, and constant app switching converge, making focus on any one task nearly impossible. 

    Calendars may show a break in meetings after lunch, but that could also be a mirage. During this time we see Word, Excel, and PowerPoint (WXP) usage surge as employees attempt focus work like writing, analyzing data, and creating decks—but that time is fragmented. Our telemetry data shows that, on average, employees using Microsoft 365 are interrupted every 2 minutes by a meeting, email, or notification. That competing digital noise doesn’t appear on calendars, but as many information workers will likely attest, it’s deeply felt. In fact, our global Work Trend Index survey shows that nearly half of employees (48%)—and more than half of leaders (52%)—say their work feels chaotic and fragmented. 

    The issue isn’t just volume—it’s sprawl. Our data shows that modes of communication are changing, coordination is more complex, and mental load is heavier.  

    • 57% of meetings are ad hoc calls without a calendar invite—and 1 in 10 scheduled meetings are booked at the last minute.  

    • Large meetings (65+ attendees) are the fastest-growing type—likely a result of employees navigating increasingly complex, cross-functional teams. 

    • Nearly a third of meetings now span multiple time zones—up 35% since 2021. 

    • And in the final 10 minutes before a meeting, PowerPoint edits spike 122%—the digital equivalent of cramming before an exam. 

    For many, the workday now feels like navigating chaos—reacting to others’ priorities and losing focus on what matters most. In a time when every hour counts, that drift could quietly drain energy and stall business progress. 

    The shift to the triple peak day that started during the pandemic is no longer a trend—for many, it’s the norm. Today’s workday stretches well into the evening. Our telemetry data shows that meetings after 8 pm are up 16% year over year, with global and flexible teams accounting for much of the increase. And it’s not just meetings: the average employee now sends or receives more than 50 messages outside of core business hours, and by 10 pm, nearly a third (29%) of active workers dive back into their inboxes, pointing to a steady rise in after-hours activity. 

    But “working late” can be experienced differently. A recent study from Microsoft Research found that remote workers often see evening hours as a productive window for quiet catch-up. Hybrid workers, by contrast, are more likely to experience that same time as a source of stress. For managers and leaders, this isn’t just a footnote—it’s a signal that can help set clearer expectations, shape team culture, and better support teams. 

    And for some, this pressure spills into the weekend—making Sunday feel like just another Monday:  

    • Our telemetry data shows a notable bump in weekend email usage. Nearly 20% of employees actively working on the weekend are checking their email before noon on Saturday and Sunday—waking up to work, even on typical days off. And over 5% are back in email on Sunday evenings (6 pm and later)—the Sunday scaries are real and measurable. 

    • And while email patterns mimic the workweek, other apps tell a different story: over the weekend, usage of WXP overtakes Teams messages as employees finally carve out time for uninterrupted focus work. 

    The infinite workday bleeds into evenings and weekends

    Boundaries are eroding as 1 in 3 employees say the pace of work over the past five years makes it impossible to keep up.

    This points to a larger truth: the modern workday for many has no clear start or finish. As business demands grow more complex and expectations continue to rise, time once reserved for focus or recovery may now be spent catching up, prepping, and chasing clarity. It’s the professional equivalent of needing to assemble a bike before every ride. Too much energy is spent organizing chaos before meaningful work can begin.  

    Leaders are feeling the squeeze. With flat budgets and rising pressure to perform, 1 in 3 employees in our global Work Trend Index survey responded that the pace of work over the past five years has made it impossible to keep up. The signals are clear: it’s time to break the cycle. The future of work won’t be defined by how much drudgery we automate, but by what we choose to fundamentally reimagine. AI can give us the leverage to redesign the rhythm of work, refocus our teams on new and differentiating work, and fix what has become a seemingly infinite workday. The question isn’t whether work will change. It’s whether we will. 

    Adopting AI isn’t enough. What you need now is a Frontier Firm mindset—one that questions how time is spent, how work gets done, and what truly drives impact. Here are three places to start: 

    1. Follow the 80/20 rule. In a world of flat budgets and shrinking attention, activity is not the same as progress. The most effective organizations know this—and act on it. Frontier Firms are putting the Pareto Principle into practice, focusing on the 20% of work that delivers 80% of the outcomes. AI makes this not only possible but scalable. By deploying AI and agents to streamline low-value tasks—status meetings, routine reports, admin churn—leaders can reclaim time for what moves the business: deep work, fast decisions, and focused execution. The companies that can win in the age of AI won’t just work harder—they’ll work smarter and sharper. Not sure where to start? Watch this leadership keynote from the Microsoft 365 Community Conference on Building the Future Firm.  

    2. Redesign for the Work Chart. Today, teams are organized by static functions like finance, marketing, and engineering. But with expertise available on demand through AI and agents, rigid structures add unnecessary friction. Take a product launch: content lives in marketing, data in analytics, budget in finance, and messaging with comms. A simple update like a price adjustment can take days and multiple meetings. It’s time to move from the org chart to the Work Chart—an agile, outcome-driven model in which lean teams form around a goal and use AI to fill skill gaps and move fast. At Supergood, an AI-first agency formerly called Supernatural, employees use a platform powered by decades of ad strategy to access insights instantly—no need to loop in a strategist on every brief. 

    3. Become an agent boss. There’s a new generation of professionals rising through the chaos—not by working more, but by working smarter. We call them agent bosses. Take Alex Farach, a researcher at Microsoft who uses a trio of agents to supercharge his work: one collects new research daily, the next runs statistical analysis, and the third drafts briefs to help connect the dots. Instead of getting bogged down in manual work, Farach can focus on what matters—fast, high-quality insights that benefit the entire team. This is the future of work: human-agent teams built to adapt and scale. 

    Methodology 

    Microsoft 365 Telemetry  
    All data is based on aggregated and anonymized Microsoft 365 productivity signals, ending February 15, 2025. Data excludes education (Edu) and European Union (EU) tenants. 

    • Interruptions 
      Employees are interrupted every two minutes during core work hours—275 times a day—by meetings, emails, or chats.  
      Calculated as a rolling 28-day sum of pings (meeting invites, emails, chats) per unique user per workday. The two-minute figure reflects the average time between pings during an eight-hour workday. The 275 is based on the 24-hour day. Based on the top 20% of users by ping volume received. 

    • Last-Minute PowerPoint Edits  
      Edits in PowerPoint spike 122% in the final 10 minutes before a meeting.  
      Calculated as a rolling 28-day sum of PowerPoint view and edit actions per meeting participant, measured across fixed time windows before meetings. 

    • Ad Hoc Meetings  
      60% of meetings are unscheduled or ad hoc.  
      Based on a rolling 28-day volume of unique meetings per user per workday. Represents the top 20% of users by meeting volume. 

    • After-Hours Chats  
      Chats sent outside the standard 9-to-5 workday are up 15% year over year, with an average of 58 messages per user now arriving before or after hours.  
      Calculated as a rolling 28-day sum of chats sent outside of Monday–Friday, 9 am–5 pm 

    • Late-Night Meetings & Cross–Time Zone Work  
      Meetings starting after 8 pm are up 16% year over year, driven by an increase in cross–time zone collaboration. 30% of meetings now span multiple time zones—a figure that has risen 8 percentage points since 2021.  
      Measured as a rolling 28-day sum of meetings starting between 8 pm and 11:59 pm, adjusted for each participant’s local time. 

    Work Trend Index Survey  
    The Work Trend Index survey was conducted by an independent research firm, Edelman Data x Intelligence, among 31,000 full-time employed or self-employed knowledge workers across 31 markets between February 6, 2025 and March 24, 2025. This survey was 20 minutes in length and conducted online, in either the English language or translated to local languages across markets. 1,000 full-time workers were surveyed in each market, and global results have been aggregated across all responses to provide an average. In the US, an additional sample of 4,500 full-time employed or self-employed knowledge workers was collected across nine sub-regions/metros. 

    Global markets surveyed include:   
    Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, Colombia, Czech Republic, Finland, France, Germany, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, Netherlands, New Zealand, Philippines, Poland, Singapore, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, Thailand, United Kingdom, United States, and Vietnam. 

    Sub-regions/Metros in the United States surveyed include: Atlanta, Austin, Boston, DC Metro, Houston, New York City, North Carolina, Pittsburgh, and the San Francisco Bay Area. 

    Audiences mentioned in the report are defined as follows: 

    • Knowledge workers: Those who typically work at a desk (whether in an office or at home). This group includes those who are in person or working remotely in some capacity. 

    • Leaders: Knowledge workers in mid to upper job levels (e.g., SVP, VP, Sr. Director, General Manager, EVP, C-Suite, President, etc.) who have at least some decision-making influence related to hiring, budgeting, employee benefits, internal communications, operations, etc. 

    • Employees: Knowledge workers who are not in mid to upper job levels or have no influence on decision-making related to hiring, budgeting, employee benefits, internal communications, operations, etc. 

    • Managers: Knowledge workers who manage a team or group of employees. Managers can be business decision makers or non-business decision makers. 

    • Frontier Firms: Leaders who say their company has organization-wide deployment of AI and believe their organization is a leader in actively investing in AI, and is measuring ROI on these investments. They say they have seen some ROI from implementation of AI and believe it is critical to their long-term success as an organization. They believe agents will be key to realizing a return on their company’s AI investments. These leaders say they work at organizations that are currently using agents or other AI tools that bring previously outsourced skill sets in-house, or are using multi-agent systems that collaborate to achieve a goal or execute complex workflows. Their company plans to moderately or extensively incorporate agents into its AI strategy over the next 12–18 months. 

    MIL OSI Economics –

  • MIL-OSI Canada: Canada-Italy Joint Statement

    Source: Government of Canada – Prime Minister

    Today in Kananaskis, Alberta, Prime Ministers Mark Carney and Giorgia Meloni met on the margins of the G7 Summit and reaffirmed the vitality and strategic value of the Canada-Italy partnership and their fruitful cooperation within the UN, NATO and the G7 to foster global peace, the rule of law, economic growth and prosperity and strong international institutions.

    The Prime Ministers took stock of the implementation of the Italy-Canada Roadmap for Enhanced Collaboration, including the launch of a Joint Advisory Group on Artificial Intelligence, a Joint Statement on Critical Minerals and Critical Raw Materials Cooperation, actions to enhance cooperation in defence, outer space, science, technology and innovation, and mutual economic prosperity. As agreed during Prime Minister Carney’s recent visit to Rome, a Canada-Italy Energy Dialogue will be launched in the coming months to enhance cooperation on critical minerals, conventional and clean energies, and hydrogen.

    Acknowledging the unprecedented challenges facing the world since the Roadmap was launched last year, and the need to seize on new opportunities, Prime Ministers Carney and Meloni announced additional cooperation between Canada and Italy the following areas:

    Prosperity and Innovation

    Building on the strong foundation enabled by the Canada-EU Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement, the Leaders committed to deepening commercial ties and diversifying trade between Canada and Italy. This would include organizing high level business and investment trade missions, aimed at foster greater engagement between respective industry and private capital stakeholders, in priority sectors such as energy, life sciences, defence and infrastructure.

    Noting also the recent high tempo of interaction between Canadian and Italian researchers and industrial stakeholders on artificial intelligence, quantum computing, clean technologies, nuclear and photonics, the Prime Ministers encouraged the pursuit of further opportunities for cooperation between Italian and Canadian organizations in areas such as nuclear energy and medical isotopes, hydrogen, AI and supercomputing and quantum. They likewise looked forward to proposals for future work by the Joint Advisory Group on Artificial Intelligence on AI for Health and AI for Science.

    Security and Defence

    The two Leaders signaled the importance of closer collaboration as NATO Allies, including through information exchange and high-level dialogue to address current and future security challenges. They also recognized the opportunities for increased engagement and expanded commercial ties in the defence sector, as both countries seek to enhance their respective industrial defence bases.

    Finally, the two leaders expressed appreciation for the continuity of priorities and results between their respective G7 Presidencies and signaled the importance of close coordination on key global challenges, including in the lead up to the upcoming NATO Summit in The Hague.

    Associated Link

    MIL OSI Canada News –

  • MIL-OSI Canada: New community health centre opens in Kamloops

    Source: Government of Canada regional news

    People living in and around Kamloops now have more access to team-based primary care through the new Supporting Team Excellence with Patients Society (STEPS) North Shore Community Health Centre (CHC) at 202B-780 Windsor Ave.

    “The STEPS North Shore Community Health Centre brings us closer to our goal of providing everyone in B.C. the high-quality health care they need, when and where they need it,” said Josie Osborne, Minister of Health. “This centre is expected to facilitate more than 30,000 patient visits each year in a culturally safe, trauma-informed environment.”

    Once fully operational, STEPS North Shore CHC will provide comprehensive person-centred primary care that will connect 4,300 people in the area without a family doctor or nurse practitioner with a primary-care provider.

    “STEPS is focused on strengthening long-term relationships between patients and health-care providers,” said Colin O’Leary, president, STEPS. “These relationships have been shown to improve health outcomes, help avoid preventable illness and reduce the cost of health care. The new North Shore Community Health Centre will expand on the network of care we have built in the Thompson region and enhance primary-care services for underserved populations in our community.”

    Since May 15, 2025, when the CHC opened, STEPS has hired 0.2 full-time equivalent (FTE) family physician, one FTE registered nurse, one FTE mental-health therapist, 0.8 FTE community-health worker and one FTE executive director. It is currently interviewing for additional clinical positions.

    Once fully operational, the CHC will have a clinical staffing complement of approximately 13.5 FTE health-care workers, including two FTE family physicians, three FTE nurse practitioners, 2.3 FTE registered nurses, 1.15 FTE licensed practical nurse, 2.8 FTE social workers and community-health workers, and one FTE physiotherapist, and an executive director and support staff. 

    “By working closely with community partners, such as STEPS, we are expanding access to primary care, which includes health promotion and wellness services,” said Susan Brown, president and CEO of Interior Health. “This means more people will be supported in staying healthy through early intervention, personalized care plans and a broad team of health professionals focused on long-term health and well-being.”

    The STEPS North Shore CHC plans to be open six days a week, including some morning and/or evening hours.

    “As we continue to implement a primary-care network across the region, this new centre represents a key step in aligning community-based services with our shared vision for integrated, team-based care,” said Dr. Meghan Macdonald, president of the Thompson Region Division of Family Practice.

    The Province has committed more than $2.6 million in annual operating funding with more than $2 million in additional, one-time start-up funds, which includes more than $1.3 million for tenant improvements for the North Shore CHC.

    The health centre will be operated by STEPS, a non-profit society that has been providing interdisciplinary, team-based primary health care in the Thompson Region since 2017. It is a community driven initiative made possible through the collaboration of STEPS, Interior Health, the Thompson Region Division of Family Practice and the Ministry of Health.

    The STEPS North Shore CHC will be part of the Thompson Region Primary Care Network (PCN), which brings together health-care providers in Kamloops and the Lower Thompson region to improve access and attachment to team-based, comprehensive and culturally safe primary care.

    The investment in the STEPS North Shore CHC aligns with the Province’s primary-care strategy to improve access to team-based, patient-focused care though PCNs, which are geographically based, locally planned and co-ordinated systems of primary care, as well as single-site models of care, such as First Nations Primary Care Initiatives and Urgent and Primary Care Centres.

    Quick Facts:

    • Including the new STEPS North Shore CHC in Kamloops, there are 13 publicly funded CHCs in B.C. that are delivering services, including one publicly funded CHC operating in the Interior Health region.
    • Publicly funded CHCs are required to be integrated into primary-care networks.

    Learn More:

    To learn more about the Province’s Primary Care Strategy, visit: https://news.gov.bc.ca/releases/2018PREM0034-001010

    To learn about the Province’s Health Human Resources Strategy, visit: https://news.gov.bc.ca/releases/2022HLTH0059-001464

    To sign up to be matched with a family doctor or nurse practitioner on the Health Connect Registry, visit: https://www.healthlinkbc.ca/health-connect-registry

    MIL OSI Canada News –

  • MIL-OSI Canada: Governments of Canada and Saskatchewan Invest $3.4 Million to Support Usask’s Integrated Genomics for Sustainable Animal Agriculture and Environmental Stewardship Project

    Source: Government of Canada regional news

    Released on June 17, 2025

    Canada’s Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food Heath MacDonald and Saskatchewan Agriculture Minister Daryl Harrison today announced $3.4 million over four years to support the development of two new facilities at the University of Saskatchewan (USask) which includes the Omics Resource Centre at the Western College of Veterinary Medicine (WCVM) and Beef Reprotech facilities at the Livestock and Forage Centre of Excellence (LFCE).

    The investment will be delivered through the Sustainable Canadian Agricultural Partnership (Sustainable CAP) as part of the governments’ commitment to support partnerships with strategic agricultural research organizations.

    The new initiative, called IntegrOmes (Integrated Genomics for Sustainable Animal Agriculture and Environmental Stewardship), will advance beef genetics by matching genomic markers with desirable traits and evaluate reproductive efficiencies. This integrated approach will enable producers to make more precise and data-driven breeding decisions that improve livestock productivity in Saskatchewan.

    “Innovation – like what we are seeing through genomics research – is vital to the continued success of Canada’s agriculture sector,” MacDonald said. “This shared investment with Saskatchewan will support the expanded efforts of these facilities and ensure a vibrant future for Saskatchewan’s livestock sector.” 

    “Saskatchewan producers already bring generations of expertise and innovation to our livestock sector, and this investment builds on that legacy – helping ensure Saskatchewan’s ranchers remain global leaders at what they do best,” Harrison said. “The work of USask is recognized globally, and we are proud to support this initiative and the livestock sector it serves.”

    The IntegrOmes project will address issues of beef cattle production and reproductive efficiency, animal health and the environment through the adoption of genomic tools. Saskatchewan producers will benefit from having access to these tools to stay competitive in the domestic and international market.

    “Genomic research is advancing rapidly, and USask is leading the way in this evolving field,” University of Saskatchewan Research Vice-President Baljit Singh said. “Our researchers are applying cutting-edge methods to advance our understanding of beef genetics, which couldn’t be possible without the support of this joint funding from the provincial and federal governments. We thank them for their continued support as we aspire to be the university the world needs.”

    USask, the WCVM and the LFCE are world-class research, teaching and knowledge-transfer facilities that connect innovation across the livestock production chain. USask’s work in feedlot and cow-calf management, veterinary science and forage systems plays a vital role in driving improvements in productivity and sustainability in the sector.

    This investment builds on the long-standing support for agricultural research by the governments of Canada and Saskatchewan. Through shared priorities under Sustainable CAP, over the past five years nearly $170 million has been committed in Saskatchewan toward research to improve productivity, expand markets and ensure our agri-food products remain globally competitive.

    With today’s announcement, USask’s LFCE and the WCVM continue to strengthen Saskatchewan’s reputation as a global leader in high-quality, safe and sustainable food production.

    Sustainable CAP is a five-year, $3.5 billion investment by federal, provincial and territorial governments.

    To strengthen competitiveness, innovation and resiliency of Canada’s agriculture, agri-food and agri-based products sector. This includes $1 billion in federal programs and activities and a $2.5 billion commitment that is cost-shared 60 per cent federally and 40 per cent provincially/territorially for programs that are designed and delivered by provinces and territories.

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    For more information, contact:

    MIL OSI Canada News –

  • MIL-OSI Canada: Short Line Rail Infrastructure Investment Increases by 88 Per Cent

    Source: Government of Canada regional news

    Released on June 17, 2025

    Today, Highways Minister David Marit announced the provincial government’s allocations of $1 million in short line rail infrastructure investments, an increase of $470,000 or 88 per cent from last year’s budget. This increase recognizes the key role rail transportation plays supporting Saskatchewan’s export-based economy.

    “Short line railways are an integral link that help move our commodities to markets around the world,” Marit said. “They support Saskatchewan’s export-based economy that sustains our quality of life. Short lines are a safe and efficient way to move bulk commodities, which reduces wear and tear on Saskatchewan highways.”

    Ministry of Highways’ Short Line Railway Improvement Program (SRIP) funding will go toward track upgrades and expansion, improved crossing surfaces and sightlines, bridge maintenance, track rehabilitations and other projects. As the SRIP is a 50-50 cost-sharing program between the provincial government ($1 million) and privately-owned short lines ($1 million) for eligible projects, the total short line rail infrastructure investment will be up to $2 million this year under this program.

    Provincial government funding allocations for 2025-26 are:

    • Big Sky Rail (Delisle, Eston, Elrose region) $167,541.
    • Carlton Trail Railway (Saskatoon to Prince Albert area) $71,391.
    • Great Sandhills Railway (Swift Current to Leader area) $82,945.
    • Great Western Railway (Assiniboia, Shaunavon, Coronach area) $250,073.
    • Last Mountain Railway (Regina to Davidson) $56,122.
    • Long Creek Railroad (west of Estevan) $45,000.
    • Northern Lights Rail (west of Melfort) $45,000.
    • Red Coat Road and Rail (Ogema area) $47,456.
    • Southern Rails Cooperative (south of Moose Jaw) $45,000.
    • Stewart Southern Railway (southwest of Regina to Stoughton) $54,471.
    • Thunder Rail (Arborfield area) $45,000.
    • Torch River Rail (Nipawin to Choiceland area) $45,000.
    • Wheatland Rail (Cudworth, Wakaw area) $45,000.

    “The Western Canadian Short Line Railway Association thanks the Saskatchewan Ministry of Highways for their support of the short line railway industry,” Western Canadian Short Line Railway Association Director of Communications and Government Relations Rachel Mackenzie said. “Rising material costs over the last three years means that it is now more expensive per mile for railways to maintain their tracks to meet and exceed the safety and performance standards required.

    “The Saskatchewan railway improvement program now provides more funding per mile to support the maintenance and improvement of this valuable trade-enabling infrastructure. This increase of almost 90 per cent to the program will go a long way to further supporting the value that short line railways bring to the supply chain.”

    The provincial grants provide up to 50 per cent of eligible project costs and determined by how much track each short line owns. Short lines with less than 80 kilometres of track receive at least $45,000. Larger networks receive a proportional amount based on how much track they operate.

    Thirteen provincially regulated short line railways operate on 2,123 kilometres of track in Saskatchewan.

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    For more information, contact:

    MIL OSI Canada News –

  • MIL-OSI Canada: Saskatchewan Recognizes Officers and Highlights Support for Community Safety Officer Program

    Source: Government of Canada regional news

    Released on June 17, 2025

    Two Community Safety Officers (CSOs), Keenan Gill from Flying Dust First Nation and Cathie Rosen from Prince Albert, were formally recognized last week at the 2025 Community Safety Officer Conference for their exceptional contributions and commitment to public safety, community engagement and collaborative partnerships. 

    “The CSO program was created to enhance local policing in municipalities and First Nations communities, and it is great to see these dedicated officers being recognized for the differences they are making in their communities,” Corrections, Policing and Public Safety Minister Tim McLeod, K.C. said. “CSOs address bylaw infractions and less severe criminal offences, such as property damage, that if left unresolved, have a negative impact on their communities. We are proud to support programs that continue to build strong relationships between law enforcement and the people they serve.” 

    In summer 2024, CSO Gill received critical information from the Meadow Lake RCMP about an individual potentially posing a threat to attendees of the Flying Dust First Nation Pow Wow. CSO Gill was instrumental in identifying the individual, notified the RCMP and provided continuous updates while maintaining a visual on the suspect until the RCMP arrived. His efforts contributed to the RCMP’s apprehension of the individual without incident. CSO Gill played a vital role in preserving public safety through his collaborative approach, adherence to established protocol and procedures and professionalism during the incident.” 

    “Community Safety Officer Gill is a great partner and the CSO program an invaluable resource to the Meadow Lake Detachment,” Meadow Lake RCMP Detachment Commander Staff Sergeant Carl Dinsdale said. “CSO Gill is known by the local community and our detachment as a positive contributor to many aspects of public safety and is dedicated to service. This incident is an example of how his local knowledge and relationships with the community only enhance our ability to effectively serve and keep Flying Dust First Nation safe.”

    In spring 2025, CSO Rosen conducted a routine patrol of the Prince Albert downtown area when she observed three individuals that were familiar to her through years of compassionate community engagement in her role. Upon approaching, CSO Rosen identified one individual as unresponsive and quickly requested Emergency Medical Services (EMS) and police assistance. CSO Rosen remained on scene, providing important information to the police and EMS, which contributed to a prepared and coordinated response. CSO Rosen offered support to those involved and ensured a caring and professional resolution.

    “The Prince Albert Police Service (PAPS) recognizes the strength of the CSO program in the province of Saskatchewan,” PAPS Chief Patrick Nogier said. “Locally, our policing model depends on multiple levels of response and public engagement, which includes the successful integration of CSOs in our community. We have been fortunate to attract and retain exceptional individuals within our organization, as demonstrated by the recognition of CSO Rosen’s contributions in Prince Albert. CSO Rosen has clearly embraced the vision, mission, and values of our Service and exemplifies these principles in her daily work. As Chief, I could not be prouder.”

    The Government of Saskatchewan continues to promote and support the CSO program, offering municipalities and First Nations communities the opportunity to enhance existing community safety services. The program is designed to supplement local police services with uniformed presence ready to address high priority, low risk of harm issues and provide police services more time to investigate serious and emergent crimes. 

    In 2025-26, the governments of Canada and Saskatchewan are investing over $3 million in the First Nations CSO pilot project to enhance public safety in First Nations communities and ensure Saskatchewan is a safe place to live, work and raise a family. 

    -30-

    For more information, contact:

    MIL OSI Canada News –

  • MIL-OSI Canada: Canada Leads the Way in Innovation for Safer Maritime Navigation

    Source: Government of Canada News

    June 17, 2025

    Ottawa, Ontario – Safe and reliable navigation of waterways is necessary for global trade and transportation, making accurate and accessible marine data essential. That’s why the Canadian Hydrographic Service (CHS), under Fisheries and Oceans Canada, is taking a leading role in validating new digital hydrographic standards.

    Today, the Minister of Fisheries, the Honourable Joanne Thompson, announced the launch of the S-100 Sea Trials on the St. Lawrence River. The S-100 data model is a new global standard created by the International Hydrographic Organization (IHO), which offers a new way of visualizing the marine environment using layered, interactive digital data that can be added to navigational charts. Unlike traditional paper or electronic charts, the new standard integrates real-time information – like depths, landmarks, tides, and currents into a single, dynamic format.

    Until November 2025, Canada is offering S-100 digital navigation products and services free of charge to mariners, stakeholders, developers and other interested parties to test performance in real-life scenarios. The complex conditions of the St. Lawrence River, such as varying water depths, changing currents and navigational aids, position it as an ideal testing ground, and will provide invaluable insights for S-100’s future adoption across global waters.

    Canada’s leadership in hosting the S-100 Sea Trials will advance the global transition toward consistent and reliable digital hydrographic standards. International adoption of these standards will allow mariners to enhance maritime safety, better route navigation and planning, and transportation efficiency which will reduce costs and contribute to a cleaner environment and ocean.

    MIL OSI Canada News –

  • MIL-OSI: Dialbox Launches as Canada’s First AI-Powered Voice Answering Service

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    TORONTO, June 17, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Dialbox, Canada’s first fully bilingual AI voice receptionist, launches today to help Canadian businesses instantly turn incoming calls into booked appointments and captured leads. Dialbox ensures no call goes unanswered, answering on the first ring, capturing leads, booking appointments, and increasing sales, all while maintaining PIPEDA compliance and local data residency.

    Key Highlights:

    • 24/7 Voice Answering: No hold queues, no missed leads, even after hours or on holidays.
    • Bilingual & Multilingual: Speaks English and French fluently.
    • Lead Capture & Bookings: Schedules and reschedules appointments, collects caller info, and integrates with calendars and CRMs.
    • Call Intelligence: Automatically generates call recordings, transcripts, and summaries.
    • Simple Pricing: Starts at $69/month with 25 free minutes, scalable plans available for growing teams, and no hidden fees.

    Designed for Different Industries from Trades to Tech

    Dialbox works for a range of sectors, from trades like plumbing and HVAC to IT, wellness, and professional services. It intelligently captures industry-specific caller details and escalates high-priority calls when needed. Each deployment is tailored to meet the communication needs of that specific industry.

    Why Now? Why Dialbox?

    Up to 80% of callers hang up on voicemail, costing businesses leads and revenue. Human receptionists are costly and inconsistent. Dialbox offers a cost-effective, always-on solution, with some users seeing ROI within their first month.

    Available Now Launch Offers

    Businesses across Canada can start today—no credit card required. Get:

    • 25 free minutes
    • Easy 5-minute setup: train AI, forward your number, and go live in minutes

    With affordable pricing tiers and enterprise-grade options, including advanced integrations, dedicated support, Dialbox caters to businesses of all sizes.

    Founder & CEO Mike Dawson says:

    “Dialbox is transforming how Canadian small businesses manage phone calls. Instead of losing valuable leads to voicemail, businesses can now leverage AI to engage every caller instantly and professionally. It’s efficient, affordable, and delivers immediate value for both businesses and their customers.”

    About Dialbox
    Founded in 2025, Dialbox is headquartered in Toronto and is the first AI voice receptionist specifically engineered for the Canadian market. Offering bilingual support, 24/7 availability, PIPEDA-compliant privacy, and seamless integrations, Dialbox transforms missed calls into business opportunities. 

    Website: https://dialbox.ca 

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI Canada: Dr. Maria Angwin Memorial – Wyse Road Health Clinic

    Source: Government of Canada regional news

    The Dr. Maria Angwin Memorial – Wyse Road Health Clinic in Dartmouth offers a range of health services including primary care, gynecology, obstetrics, urology and midwifery. Dr. Maria Angwin became the first woman licensed to practice medicine in Nova Scotia in 1884, and she dedicated her career to women’s health and preventive medicine. (Province of Nova Scotia)

    MIL OSI Canada News –

  • MIL-OSI Canada: New Health Clinic Opens in Dartmouth North

    Source: Government of Canada regional news

    Quotes:

    “We’re proud to open the doors to a clinic that is committed to providing high-quality, patient-centered care in Dartmouth North. Our health home model for primary care, integrated in a space with Nova Scotia Brotherhood and Sisterhood, will allow us to better support the community of Dartmouth North by making care more connected, consistent and responsive to their needs.”
    — Ashley Harnish, Director, Primary Health Care, Central Zone, Nova Scotia Health

    “We are excited to enhance IWK Health’s dedication to providing accessible, inclusive care of specialty women’s health services at the new Dr. Maria Angwin Memorial – Wyse Road Health Clinic. This new facility enables us to effectively support the health and well-being of women and families in the community, where they live and work.”
    — LeeAnn Larocque, acting Vice-President, Clinical Care, IWK Health

    “As a family doctor who has had a rewarding career in Dartmouth North for more than 40 years, I am proud of the strong sense of community and committed leaders that have developed here. I am thrilled to see this community receive the resources they need to thrive. The government’s investments in collaborative primary healthcare in our province are greatly benefiting how we deliver care to Nova Scotians. We are proud to collaborate with our colleagues in this new clinic, and we are confident the Dartmouth North community will feel the positive impact.”
    — Dr. Janet Howard, family physician, Albro Lake Medical Clinic

    Quick Facts:

    • in 1884, Dr. Maria Angwin became the first woman licensed to practice medicine in Nova Scotia; she dedicated her career to women’s health and preventive medicine
    • the Nova Scotia Sisterhood and Brotherhood initiatives are free programs for Black women and men to access healthcare in the community and to improve health and well-being
    • a health home is a place where patients receive comprehensive care from a team of healthcare professionals such as doctors, nurse practitioners, dietitians, social workers and others

    Additional Resources:

    Nova Scotia Sisterhood: https://www.nshealth.ca/nova-scotia-sisterhood

    Nova Scotia Brotherhood: https://www.nshealth.ca/nova-scotia-brotherhood

    Health homes in Nova Scotia: https://www.nshealth.ca/primary-care-and-family-medicine/health-homes-nova-scotia

    Other than cropping, Province of Nova Scotia photos are not to be altered in any way.

    MIL OSI Canada News –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: UN Human Rights Council 59: Joint statement for the Interactive Dialogue with the Commission of Inquiry on the Occupied Palestinian Territories, including East Jerusalem.

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    Speech

    UN Human Rights Council 59: Joint statement for the Interactive Dialogue with the Commission of Inquiry on the Occupied Palestinian Territories, including East Jerusalem.

    Joint statement for the Interactive Dialogue with the Commission of Inquiry on the OPTs. Delivered by the UK’s Human Rights Ambassador, Eleanor Sanders.

    Mr President, this statement is on behalf of Australia, Canada, New Zealand, Norway and the UK.

    We regret that the Commission of Inquiry was established on an open-ended basis, against usual practice. Nevertheless, we remain committed to upholding human rights, and we support the Commission in undertaking proportionate scrutiny of the situation in Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories.

    We oppose the Israeli Government’s escalating military action in Gaza, and reject its intention to take control of the Gaza strip. 55,000 Palestinians have been killed, including many women and children. The Israeli hostages held by Hamas continue to suffer an unimaginable ordeal.

    The human suffering in Gaza is intolerable; all of Gaza is at risk of famine. We strongly urge Israel to enable food and other critical supplies to reach people safely, and at scale, to address increasing urgent needs. Attacks on UN and other aid workers are outrageous and must be investigated.

    In the West Bank, violent settlers assault and abuse Palestinians. We have announced further sanctions on individuals and entities promoting violence against these communities and will continue to take appropriate action.

    We continue to call on all parties to urgently agree to a ceasefire/hostage deal; the best hope of ending the agony of the hostages and their families, alleviating civilian suffering in Gaza, ending Hamas control and supporting a two-state solution.

    Updates to this page

    Published 17 June 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI Canada: Speech by FCAC Commissioner Shereen Benzvy Miller for the Open Banking Expo Canada 2025

    Source: Government of Canada News

    Check against delivery. This speech has been translated in accordance with the Government of Canada’s official languages policy and edited for posting and distribution in accordance with its communications policy.

    Delivered June 17, 2025, in Toronto, Ontario

    Thank you for the invitation to speak at Open Banking Expo. It is a pleasure to be here.

    I’ll be speaking in English today, but if any of our francophone colleagues have questions or would like me to clarify anything, please don’t hesitate to come chat with me afterwards. / Je vais m’exprimer en anglais aujourd’hui, mais si les participants francophones ont des questions ou souhaitent des précisions, n’hésitez surtout pas à venir me voir par la suite.

    As you have heard, I am Commissioner of the Financial Consumer Agency of Canada, the organization responsible for implementing Canada’s Consumer-Driven Banking Framework.

    This is a new role for us. In taking it on, we build on a foundation of: 

    • deep knowledge of how the banking industry in Canada functios
    • long-lasting and ongoing partnerships and collaboration with stakeholders in the financial ecosystem
    • and our research and data-driven insights on consumers’ needs, behaviours, and expectations.

    I want to update you on progress we and our partners have made in developing a secure framework for consumer-driven banking, which will protect Canadians, foster innovation, and build consumer trust.

    I will also highlight how our approach is grounded in research and data. I want to emphasize that evidence is shaping every step we take.

    Consumer-driven banking — or “open banking” — is already part of the lives of Canadians.

    A growing number of us share our financial data online with various service providers, including the many fintechs here today.

    Canadians appreciate the growing array of products and services offered by fintechs. Thanks to these, the financial industry is more inclusive and efficient than ever.

    But …. in this generally positive picture, there is an important blemish.

    It won’t surprise you to hear that I am referring to screen-scraping. I know that for many of you, screen-scraping only touches a subset of your business.

    But we can all agree that there is a better way to share data, given the host of security, liability, and privacy risks posed by screen-scraping—both for consumers and for the financial system.

    FCAC’s research on public awareness and understanding of open banking indicates a significant preference against the use of screen-scraping.

    When Canadians were introduced to the concept of screen-scraping and given an explanation of how it works—because most were unfamiliar with it—86% stated they would rather not use it.

    This finding highlights the public’s preference for trustworthy, transparent, well-regulated methods for participating in financial transactions online, that ensure privacy, security, and control over their financial data.

    Consumer trust

    Our international research tells us that trust not only strongly influences consumers’ willingness to engage with open banking products and services, but that it’s also key to increasing financial inclusion—because consumers are more willing to share financial data when they trust the system.

    We also know from the open banking experience in the UK and Australia that good design—which emphasizes transparency, control, and ease of use—significantly increases consumers’ comfort with data sharing.

    And consumer trust is not just essential for individuals—it’s a driving force for business growth and innovation.

    A Bank of England study found that even a modest increase in consumer trust made fintechs nearly 4 times more likely to invest and participate in open banking.

    This shows that when consumers feel secure about financial innovations, businesses are more willing to invest, expand, and develop solutions that drive the future of finance.

    As for consumer protection, our research confirms that most Canadians would not trust sharing their financial data without the safeguards they are used to when dealing with regulated entities like banks, such as:

    • protection from identify theft and financial losses due to data breaches or fraud
    • and clear complaints-handling and redress mechanisms to make things right if something goes wrong.
    • It follows that success will be measured by our ability to develop a financial experience that is both seamlessly integrated and highly trusted, so it becomes part of daily life.

    The same way we no longer think twice about tapping a screen to connect with loved ones, navigate a city, or take a photo.

    We envision a future—not too far off—where consumers can securely share their financial data with trusted providers at the tap of a button, receive personalized insights in real time, and switch between services with the same ease as switching between apps.

    So, how do we build consumer trust?

    We do it by getting the foundation right.

    Foundational elements

    The foundational elements are set out in the Consumer-Driven Banking Act that came into force last year. It was an important step in reshaping the financial landscape.

    Among other things:

    • The Act authorizes FCAC to implement and oversee the Consumer-Driven Banking Framework with a focus on safeguarding consumer interests.
    • The Act also grants the Minister of Finance the authority to designate a technical standards body that will be responsible for developing secure application programming interface standards to be used by participants when sharing consumers’ financial data.
    • And the Act clarifies some of the requirements—including what is the in-scope data that can be shared between Framework participants—as creates a public registry of participants by FCAC (which are requirements that are not yet in force).

    Since the Act was adopted, my team has been working closely with the Department of Finance, with industry, and with other stakeholders.

    Along the way, we have drawn important lessons from the experience of other jurisdictions, which we aim to capitalize on.

    Technical standards and common rules

    Under the new Act, FCAC will be responsible for supervising the technical standards body, the external complaints body, and the financial service providers participating in open banking, to ensure they meet their respective obligations.

    We are also developing common rules with the Department of Finance. These will address consumer protection interests, as well as privacy, liability, security, national security, and integrity obligations.

    The common rules will ensure a consistent application of safeguards and uniformity of practice by financial service providers.

    Accreditation

    We are also working on developing an accreditation process to ensure only trusted entities can access financial data when requested by a consumer.

    Accredited entities will display a common visual identifier. Upon seeing this logo, consumers will be able to trust that they are dealing with a provider that has been authorized to participate in the open-banking ecosystem.

    We want to design a process that allows for as many participants as possible, to foster innovation, encourage competition, and promote a more inclusive financial system.

    Key desired elements of the eventual accreditation scheme have already been outlined in public policy statements.

    They include the need for participants to:

    • meet national security safeguards that align with existing financial sector frameworks such as the Retail Payment Activities Act
    • provide mandatory reporting of key information to FCAC on a regular basis
    • and demonstrate robust cybersecurity and data-protection practices, and an ability to meet common rules on consumer protection.

    Together, these elements form the foundation of a robust accreditation framework that prioritizes national security, regulatory transparency, and consumer trust.

    Consumer awareness

    FCAC is also developing a consumer awareness strategy.

    To inform the strategy, we are conducting public opinion research and collaborating with international jurisdictions that have implemented open banking, to learn from their experiences.

    One lesson we have already learned is that timely communications—about how open banking works and how it will add value—are vital.

    By timely, I mean that wide-spread promotion should ideally take place as soon as there are concrete and compelling applications by participants in the Framework.

    The awareness strategy will also be driven by the reality that most consumers have never heard of open banking.

    Our research shows that only 9% of Canadians know what it is, and awareness is especially low among seniors, lower income respondents, and women.

    Moreover, of the Canadians who have heard of open banking, few understand how it works or how it can benefit them.

    We’ll have to demystify open banking and demonstrate through real-life examples how open banking can give them more control, more choice, and more confidence in their financial lives.

    Next steps

    Today, I have discussed how the Financial Consumer Agency of Canada is moving with partners to establish the necessary foundational elements of Canada’s Consumer-Driven Banking Framework—all based on best practices and evidence-based research.

    As for the next steps, we look forward to the next round of legislative amendments being tabled in Parliament by the Minister of Finance. These will be followed by regulations.

    And to make sure that industry players understand what’s expected of them, our Agency will issue supervisory guidance.

    This guidance will reflect the Agency’s commitment to promoting understanding and compliance within the consumer-driven banking ecosystem.

    And to facilitate collaboration, we will establish an advisory committee including members from Federal, provincial, and territorial governments.

    Our goal is to deliver a modern financial ecosystem that fosters innovation, enhances Canada’s global competitiveness, protects consumers, and maintains their trust.

    Specifically, consumers must trust that they can control, edit, manage, and delete their financial information, and that they can decide when, how, and to what extent their data are shared with others.

    Together, we can develop a framework that doesn’t just open doors to innovation but opens possibilities for every Canadian to take control of their financial journey.

    My team at the Agency and I are committed and excited about what the future will bring.

    We look forward to continuing our collaboration with all of you on developing a framework that will benefit both Canadians and Canada’s financial system

    Thank you

    MIL OSI Canada News –

  • MIL-OSI Canada: Increasing productivity among Quebec SMEs: Nearly $8.5M for Cotech to Expand and Automate its L’Isle-Verte Plant

    Source: Government of Canada News

    L’Isle-Verte, Quebec, June 17, 2025 –  The Member for Rivière-du-Loup–Témiscouata–Les Basques, Amélie Dionne, on behalf of the Minister of Economy, Innovation and Energy and Minister Responsible for Regional Economic Development, Christine Fréchette, the Minister of Industry and Minister responsible for Canada Economic Development for Quebec Regions (CED), the Honourable Mélanie Joly, as well as Investissement Québec announce that a total of $8,440,000 in investments have been made in Cotech, a manufacturer specializing in agricultural, snow removal and excavation equipment. This funding has enabled the business to expand its plant in L’Isle-Verte and acquire automated equipment to increase its productivity.

    In addition to creating jobs, this project, valued at approximately $18 million, will help Cotech increase its efficiency and continue to thrive. In the current geopolitical context, it is more necessary than ever to invest in the growth and productivity of businesses to make them more attractive and competitive in strategic sectors such as manufacturing.

    Quotes

    “Thanks to its innovative products, Cotech has been recognized as a leader in its field for over 25 years. I am proud it set up shop in L’Isle-Verte, right here in our riding of Rivière‑du-Loup–Témiscouata–Les Basques, thereby creating wealth and jobs to the benefit of our community. Congratulations to the team on this visionary project to expand, which will help to further dynamize our region!”

    Amélie Dionne, Member for Rivière-du-Loup–Témiscouata–Les Basques

    “A priority of the Government of Canada is to ensure our communities prosper and, with this in mind, SMEs are essential to the country’s economic growth. That is why CED is proud to invest in this project, which will help increase Cotech’s productivity and production capacity and have positive spin-offs for the entire Bas-Saint-Laurent region.”

    The Honourable Mélanie Joly, Minister of Industry and Minister responsible for CED

    “Fostering productivity is an effective way to protect our SMEs and our economy. These investments will enable Cotech to accelerate its shift to automation to enhance its performance even further in its line of business. With these kinds of forward-looking projects, we can consolidate the presence of our SMEs and Quebec as a whole on the North American market.”

    Christine Fréchette, Minister of Economy, Innovation and Energy and Minister Responsible for Regional Economic Development

    “By placing automation at the heart of its strategic priorities, Cotech is able to pursue growth and deepen its roots in the Bas-Saint-Laurent region. Investissement Québec, as a frontline player in supporting this kind of initiative, salutes this new milestone, which will enable the business to increase its production capacity while remaining at the cutting edge of technology.”

    Bicha Ngo, President and CEO, Investissement Québec

    “This project is a direct response to the sustained increase in the demand for our products and reflects our willingness to better serve our clients, while also maintaining the highest quality standards. This investment ensures our competitiveness on the North American market. It is also a strong gesture that demonstrates our long-term commitment to our region, our employees and the future of our sector.”

    Etienne Côté, President, Cotech

    Quick facts

    • For over 25 years, Cotech has been manufacturing agricultural, snow removal and excavation equipment. The business designs and manufactures innovative accessories of superior quality adapted to small and medium capacity equipment such as snowplows, excavator and wheel loader buckets, and pallet and agricultural forks.
    • The funding includes a loan of $4,500,000 through the ESSOR program, administered by Investissement Québec as the government’s representative; a loan of $2,440,000 provided from Investissement Québec capital funds; and a repayable contribution of $1,500,000 from CED granted under the Regional Economic Growth through Innovation program.
    • The ESSOR program aims to support investment projects in Quebec with a view to increasing competitiveness and productivity, creating jobs and boosting sustainable development.
    • CED’s Regional Economic Growth through Innovation program targets entrepreneurs leveraging innovation to grow their businesses and enhance their competitiveness, as well as regional economic stakeholders helping to create an entrepreneurial environment conducive to innovation and growth for all, across all regions.

    Stay connected

    Ministère de l’Économie, de l’Innovation et de l’Énergie on social media:

    Investissement Québec on social media:

    Follow CED on social media
    Consult CED’s news

    Sources

    Amélie Martineau
    Press Secretary
    Riding Office of the Member for Rivière-du-Loup–Témiscouata–Les Basques
    Tel.: 418-551-0975

    Catherine Pelletier
    Press Secretary
    Office of the Minister of Economy, Innovation and Energy, Minister Responsible for Regional Economic Development and Minister Responsible for the Metropolis and the Montréal Region
    Cell: 450-204-5158

    Véronique Simard
    Director of Operations and Acting Director of Communications
    Office of the Minister of Industry and Minister responsible for Canada Economic Development for Quebec Regions
    Email: veronique.simard2@ised-isde.gc.ca

    Information

    Jean-Pierre D’Auteuil
    Head of Media Relations
    Communications Branch
    Ministère de l’Économie, de l’Innovation et de l’Énergie
    Cell: 418-559-0710
    Email: relationsmedias@economie.gouv.qc.ca

    Samuel Bergeron
    Advisor – Media and Government Affairs
    Investissement Québec
    Tel.: 263-999-8144
    Email: samuel.bergeron@invest-quebec.com

    Media Relations
    Canada Economic Development for Quebec Regions
    Email: media@dec-ced.gc.ca

    MIL OSI Canada News –

  • MIL-OSI: Anthem and BGO to develop purpose-built rental community in Coquitlam centre

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    COQUITLAM, British Columbia, June 17, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Anthem Properties and BGO announced today the formation of a partnership to develop a purpose-built rental, low-rise multi-family residential development on a 2-acre site located at 1184 Inlet Street, Coquitlam, BC. This marks the first joint venture between Anthem and BGO.

    The redevelopment plan for the site consists of two six-storey woodframe buildings that will include 197 homes ranging from studios to spacious three-bedroom apartments. Located adjacent to Lafarge Lake, the project will offer residents excellent access to numerous parks, Douglas College, SkyTrain and West Coast Express, along with ample retail, dining, and services at Coquitlam Centre. The Property will provide tenants with an attractive amenity offering, including dog wash stations, bike storage, parcel storage, a fitness facility, party room, outdoor playground, urban agriculture plots, and BBQ areas. The tenant package will include 3,025 SF of amenity space, 173 parking stalls and 196 storage lockers.

    “We look forward to a productive new partnership between Anthem and BGO to deliver a project that is well-positioned to meet the current market demands for well-located, low-rise rental housing in one of Metro Vancouver’s fastest growing cities,” said Jordan Carlson, Senior Vice President, Investment Group, Anthem Properties.

    “We’re excited to add to our portfolio with the launch of this new development project for our Canadian Value-Add strategy in partnership with Anthem—a highly capable and experienced developer with deep local roots,” said Chetan Baweja, Managing Director, Head of Canadian Value-Add & Separate Accounts, BGO. “1184 Inlet Street is a compelling, amenity-rich, low-rise development that aligns perfectly with our strategy—well-located, community-focused, and built for high quality sustainable living. It reflects our strong conviction in the need for low-rise purpose-built rental housing and the enduring fundamentals driving demand in Coquitlam and the Tri-Cities region.”

    The Property is designed and is expected to be 50% more energy-efficient than the 2018 BC Building Code standards, achieved through enhanced insulation, upgraded glazing, advanced air barriers, and high-performance energy-recovery ventilators.

    Construction financing and municipal approvals have been secured, and the co-owners, with Anthem acting as the Development, Construction and Property Manager, are planning to commence construction immediately. Completion is anticipated for late 2027.

    About Anthem Properties

    Founded in 1991, Anthem is a real estate development, investment and management company of 850+ people driven by creativity, passion, and direct communication. Anthem has invested in, developed or managed – alone or in partnership – more than 400 residential and commercial projects across North America. Our growing residential portfolio includes 44,000 homes that are complete, in design or under construction, from mixed-use residential to townhome, rental and single-family homes. We own, co-own, manage or have previously owned 12 million square feet of retail, industrial and office space, and our land portfolio includes more than 60 communities, spanning 9,100 acres across Canada and the United States. We are Growing Places.

    About BGO

    BGO is a leading, global real estate investment management advisor and a globally-recognized provider of real estate services. BGO serves the interests of more than 750 institutional clients with approximately $86 billion USD of assets under management (as of March 31, 2025) and expertise in the asset management of office, industrial, multi-residential, retail and hospitality property across the globe. BGO has offices in 27 cities across thirteen countries with deep, local knowledge, experience, and extensive networks in the regions where we invest in and manage real estate assets on behalf of our clients in primary, secondary and co-investment markets.

    BGO is a part of SLC Management, the institutional alternatives and traditional asset management business of Sun Life.

    The assets under management shown above includes real estate equity and mortgage investments managed by the BGO group of companies and their affiliates, and as of 1Q21, includes certain uncalled capital commitments for discretionary capital until they are legally expired and excludes certain uncalled capital commitments where the investor has complete discretion over investment.

    For more information, please visit www.bgo.com

    MEDIA CONTACTS

    Elisha McCallum
    Vice President, Communications, Anthem Properties
    Phone: 604.488.3612 Mobile: 778.668.0185
    Email: emccallum@anthemproperties.com

    Rahim Ladha Global Head of Communications, BGO
    Email: media@bgo.com

    A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/af12d0e9-d7a1-4043-a6ef-04c55c519c45

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: ReconAfrica Announces Closing of C$19 Million Underwritten Offering, Including the Full Exercise of the Over-Allotment Option

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    **NOT FOR DISSEMINATION IN THE UNITED STATES OR FOR DISTRIBUTION TO UNITED STATES NEWS WIRE SERVICES**

    CALGARY, Alberta, June 17, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Reconnaissance Energy Africa Ltd. (the “Company” or “ReconAfrica”) (TSXV: RECO) (OTCQX: RECAF) (Frankfurt: 0XD) (NSX: REC) is pleased to announce that it has completed its previously announced and upsized underwritten public offering (the “Offering”) of units of the Company (the “Units”) at a price of C$0.50 per Unit, including the full exercise of the over-allotment option, for aggregate gross proceeds of approximately C$19 million.

    The Offering was led by Research Capital Corporation as the lead underwriter and sole bookrunner, on behalf of a syndicate of underwriters, including Canaccord Genuity Corp. and Haywood Securities Inc. (collectively, the “Underwriters”).

    BW Energy Limited (“BW Energy”) (OSE: BWE), directors and management of ReconAfrica and certain other investors, participated in the Offering for approximately C$4.7 million. The Units purchased by BW Energy are subject to a six-month lock-up agreement.

    Each Unit is comprised of one common share of the Company (“Common Share”) and one Common Share purchase warrant of the Company (“Warrant”). Each Warrant entitles the holder thereof to purchase one Common Share at an exercise price of C$0.60‎ until June 17, 2027. The Warrants will commence trading on the TSX Venture Exchange (“TSXV”) under the symbol “RECO.WT.A” on or about June 24, 2025, subject to final TSXV acceptance.

    The net proceeds from the Offering will be used for exploration activities, working capital and general corporate purposes. The primary exploration activity to be funded with net proceeds from the Offering will be the drilling of Prospect I, which has been named the Kavango West 1X well. Work on the access road and drill site is currently being completed while the Company awaits receipt of the remaining requisite permits. The rig mobilization to the Kavango West 1X location is scheduled in late June, with drilling to begin thereafter.

    Kavango West 1X – High Potential Exploration Well

    The Kavango West 1X exploration well will be the second test in the expansive Damara Fold Belt play. The prospect is a large fold identified on modern 2D seismic data which extends over 20 kilometers long by 5 kilometers wide and is expected to penetrate a thick Otavi carbonate reservoir section, which is the primary target in the play. The Kavango West 1X well will be drilled to a planned total depth of approximately 3,800 metres (12,500 feet) and is targeting 346 million barrels of gross unrisked (30 million barrels of gross risked) prospective light/medium crude oil resources on a 100% working interest basis, 312 million barrels(1,2) net unrisked (27 million barrels net risked) to ReconAfrica’s 90% working interest as at the date of the NSAI report or 1,839 billion cubic feet of gross unrisked (133 Bcf risked) prospective natural gas resources on 100% working interest basis, 1,655 billion cubic feet(1,2) unrisked net (120 Bcf net risked) to ReconAfrica’s 90% working interest as at the date of the NSAI report), based on the most recent prospective resources report prepared by Netherland, Sewell & Associates, Inc. (“NSAI”) as at December 31, 2024, filed on SEDAR+ at www.sedarplus.ca (the “NSAI Report”)(1)(2).

    Damara Fold Belt Play Across 11.5 Million Acres in Namibia and Angola

    The Damara fold belt trend is identified in the subsurface by a grid of 2D seismic data, and the Company has mapped 19 prospects and 4 leads on the Namibia side of the play. The Namibia area is estimated to hold 2.6 billion barrels(1,2) of unrisked prospective light/medium crude oil resources and 157 million barrels(1,2) of risked prospective light/medium crude oil resources from the Damara Fold Belt play prospects on PEL 73.

    1. There is no certainty that any portion of the resources will be discovered. If discovered, there is no certainty that it will be commercially viable to produce any portion of the resources. Prospective resources are those quantities of oil estimated, as of a given date, to be potentially recoverable from undiscovered accumulations by application of future development projects. Prospective resources have both an associated chance of discovery and a chance of development. Prospective resources are the arithmetic sum of multiple probability distributions. Unrisked prospective resources are estimates of the volumes that could reasonably be expected to be recovered in the event of the discovery and development of these prospects.
    2. Not reflective of ReconAfrica’s current working interest of 70% of PEL 73.

    Recently, the Company has entered a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with National Agency for Petroleum, Gas and Biofuels of Angola (ANPG) ‎for a joint exploration project in the Etosha-Okavango basin, located onshore in southeastern Angola. This agreement is a strategic addition to the Company’s asset portfolio, which creates an opportunity for early entry into onshore Angola at a low cost, with minimal work commitments. It complements ReconAfrica’s activities in Namibia and highlights the potential of the Damara Fold Belt and Rift Basin by adding 5.2 million contiguous acres in Angola to the existing 6.3 million acres in Namibia in the Damara Fold Belt and Rift Basin exploration plays.

     
    Damara Fold Belt (Namibia)
    Best Estimate (2U) Prospective Light & Medium Crude Oil Resources (MMbbl)‎(1)(2)(3)
     
        Unrisked
    		   Risked
                             
                             
    Play Area/Subclass   Gross
    (100%)    		   Company
    Gross    (1)(2)(3)    		   Net(1)(2)(3)   Gross
    (100%)    		   Company
    Gross    (1)(2)(3)    		   Net(1)(2)(3)
    Damara                        
    Prospects   2,566.1   2,309.5   2,194.0   156.5   140.9   133.8
    Leads   123.2   110.9   105.3   4.1   3.7   3.5
                             

    Notes:

    1. The “Company Gross” and “Net” figures in the table above are as set out in the Resource Report (as defined below) and have not been adjusted for the 20% working interest acquired by BW Energy from ReconAfrica pursuant to the strategic farm down that closed January 29, 2025. As of December 31, 2024 (and the effective date of the Resource Report, ReconAfrica owned a 90% working interest in PEL 73. ‎As of the date hereof, ReconAfrica holds a 70% working interest in PEL 73 (with BW Energy Limited holding a 20% working interest and the National Petroleum Corporation of Namibia ‎‎holding a ‎‎10% carried participating interest). “Net” includes a 5% deduction for royalties.
    2. ReconAfrica engaged Netherland, Sewell & Associates, Inc. (“NSAI”), an independent qualified reserves ‎evaluator, to provide an updated prospective resource report ‎dated March 26, 2025 (with an effective ‎date of December 31, 2024) relating to the Company’s prospective resources (the “Resource Report”). ‎The ‎Resource Report focused solely on the Company’s interest in certain prospects and leads located in ‎the Damara Fold and Thrust Belt (Damara) play area and the Karoo Rift play area of PEL 73‎. ‎The preparation date of the Updated Report is ‎January 1‎, 2025. Prospective resources are the arithmetic sum of multiple probability distributions‎. See “Disclosure of Oil and Gas Information” for further information.
    3. There is no certainty that any portion of the prospective resources will be discovered. If they are ‎discovered, there is no certainty that it will be commercially viable to develop and produce any portion of ‎the prospective resources.‎

    Additional Details on the Offering

    The Offering was completed by way of a prospectus supplement to the Company’s short form base shelf prospectus dated February 29, 2024, filed in all of the provinces and territories of Canada, and the Units were sold outside of Canada on a private placement basis. Copies of the prospectus supplement and the base shelf prospectus are available under the Company’s profile on SEDAR+ at www.sedarplus.ca.

    Directors and officers of the Company participated in the Offering and were issued an aggregate of 687,400 Units. Such participation in the Offering constitutes a “related party transaction” as defined in Multilateral Instrument 61-101 – Protection of Minority Security Holders in Special Transactions (“61-101”). The Offering is exempt from the formal valuation and minority shareholder approval requirements of 61-101 as neither the fair market value of the securities issued to related parties nor the consideration for such securities exceed 25% of the Company’s market capitalization. The Company did not file a material change report 21 days prior to closing of the Offering as the participation of insiders of the Company in the Offering had not been confirmed at that time and the shorter time period was necessary in order to permit the Company to close the Offering in a timeframe consistent with usual market practice for transactions of this nature.

    The Underwriters received a cash commission equal to 7.0% of the gross proceeds of the Offering (other than from the sale of Units to BW Energy and purchasers on the president’s list, for which a 3.0% cash commission was paid), for an aggregate of C$1,124,936. In addition, the Underwriters were issued an aggregate of 2,124,472 broker warrants (the “Broker Warrants”), equal to 7.0% of the number of Units sold under the Offering (other than with respect to those sold to BW Energy and purchasers on the president’s list, for which no Broker Warrants were issued). In addition, the Underwriters received an advisory fee of C$95,000 (plus GST) and 121,380 advisory broker warrants on the same terms as the Broker Warrants. Each Broker Warrant entitles the holder to acquire one Common Share at a price of C$0.50 until June 17, 2027.

    This press release is not an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy the securities in the United States or in any jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to qualification or registration under the securities laws of such jurisdiction. The securities being offered have not been, nor will they be, registered under the U.S. Securities Act and such securities may not be offered or sold within the United States or to, or for the account or benefit of, U.S. persons absent registration or an applicable exemption from the registration requirements of the U.S. Securities Act and applicable U.S. state securities laws.

    TSXV Final Approval of Certain Warrant Extensions

    The TSXV has approved the application for extension of certain previously issued unlisted warrants announced by the Company in a news release on May 21, 2025. The warrants with an original expiry date of September 1, 2025, and an exercise price of C$1.40 per Common Share will be extended to March 1, 2027. The warrants with an original expiry date of July 18, 2025, and an exercise price of C$1.35 per Common Share will be extended to January 18, 2027. Warrant holders will not have to take any action in connection with the extensions. The exercise prices remain unchanged.

    About BW Energy

    BW Energy is a growth E&P company with a differentiated strategy targeting proven offshore oil and gas reservoirs through low risk phased developments. The Company has access to existing production facilities to reduce time to first oil and cashflow with lower investments than traditional offshore developments. The Company’s assets are 73.5% of the producing Dussafu Marine licence offshore Gabon, 100% interest in the Golfinho and Camarupim fields, a 76.5% interest in the BM-ES-23 block in, a 95% interest in the Maromba field in Brazil and a 95% interest in the Kudu field in Namibia, all operated by BW Energy.

    BW Energy, 74% owned by BW Group Ltd., was created as the E&P arm of Oslo listed BW Offshore, a company with more than four decades of experience in operating advanced offshore production solutions and executing complex projects. Since its origin, BW Offshore has executed 40 FPSO and FSO projects.

    About ReconAfrica

    ReconAfrica is a Canadian oil and gas company engaged in the exploration of the Damara Fold Belt and Kavango Rift Basin in the Kalahari Desert of northeastern Namibia, southeastern Angola and northwestern Botswana, where the Company holds petroleum licences comprising ~13 million contiguous acres. In all aspects of its operations, ReconAfrica is committed to minimal disturbance of habitat in line with international standards and implementing environmental and social best practices in its project areas.

    Neither the TSXV nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in policies of the TSXV) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

    For further information contact:
    Brian Reinsborough, President and Chief Executive Officer
    Mark Friesen, Managing Director, Investor Relations & Capital Markets

    Email: admin@reconafrica.com
    IR Inquiries Email: investors@reconafrica.com
    Media Inquiries Email: media@reconafrica.com

    Tel: +1-877-631-1160

    Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements:

    Certain statements contained in this press release constitute forward-looking information under applicable Canadian, United States and other applicable securities laws, rules and regulations, including, without limitation, statements with respect to the expected use of proceeds from the Offering, the anticipated listing of the Warrants on the TSXV, spudding of the Kavango West 1X well following final completion of the access road and drill site preparation, receipt of all required permits and the rig being moved to the drilling location, which has been scheduled for late June 2025, the well being drilled to a planned total depth of approximately 3,800 metres (12,500 feet) and targeting 255 million barrels of unrisked prospective oil resources or 1,350 billion cubic feet of unrisked prospective natural gas resources, and the Company’s commitment to minimal disturbance of habitat, in line with best international standards and its implementation of environmental and social best practices in its project areas. These statements relate to future events or future performance. The use of any of the words “could”, “intend”, “expect”, “believe”, “will”, “projected”, “estimated” and similar expressions and statements relating to matters that are not historical facts are intended to identify forward-looking information and are based on ReconAfrica’s current belief or assumptions as to the outcome and timing of such future events. There can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate, as the Company’s actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in these forward-looking statements as a result of the factors discussed in the “Risk Factors” section in the Company’s annual information form (“AIF”) dated April 29, 2025 for the financial period ended December 31, 2024, available under the Company’s profile at www.sedarplus.ca. Actual future results may differ materially. Various assumptions or factors are typically applied in drawing conclusions or making the forecasts or projections set out in forward-looking information. Those assumptions and factors are based on information currently available to ReconAfrica. The forward-looking information contained in this release is made as of the date hereof and ReconAfrica undertakes no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking information, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by applicable securities laws. Because of the risks, uncertainties and assumptions contained herein, investors should not place undue reliance on forward-looking information. The foregoing statements expressly qualify any forward-looking information contained herein.

    Disclosure of Oil and Gas Information:

    The Resource Report and the prospective resource estimates contained therein and in this press release were prepared by NSAI, an independent qualified reserves evaluator. The Resource Report was prepared in accordance with the definitions and guidelines of the Canadian Oil and Gas Evaluation Handbook maintained by the Society of Petroleum Evaluation Engineers (Calgary Chapter)‎ and National Instrument 51-101 — Standards of Disclosure for Oil and Gas Activities.

    Prospective resources are those quantities of petroleum estimated, as of a given date, to be potentially ‎recoverable from undiscovered accumulations by applying future development projects. Prospective ‎resources have both an associated chance of discovery and a chance of development. Prospective ‎resources are further categorized according to the level of certainty associated with recoverable ‎estimates assuming their discovery and development and may be subclassified based on project ‎maturity. The prospective resources included in Resource Report and in this press release should not be construed as reserves or ‎contingent resources; they represent exploration opportunities and quantify the development potential in ‎the event a petroleum discovery is made. A geologic risk assessment was performed for these ‎prospects and leads, as discussed in the Form 51-101F1 — Statement of Reserves Data and Other Oil and Gas Information (“Form 51-101F1”) dated April 29, 2025 and effective as of December 31, 2024‎, available under the Company’s profile at www.sedarplus.ca. The Resource Report is also available under the Company’s profile at www.sedarplus.ca

    The Resource Report does not include ‎economic analysis for these prospects and leads. Based on analogous field developments, it appears ‎that, assuming a discovery is made, the unrisked best estimate prospective resources in the Resource ‎Report have a reasonable chance of being economically viable. There is no certainty that any portion of ‎the prospective resources will be discovered. If they are discovered, there is no certainty that it will be ‎commercially viable to develop and produce any portion of the prospective resources.‎

    For additional information concerning the risks and the level of uncertainty associated with recovery of the prospective resources detailed herein and in the Resource Report, the significant positive and negative factors relevant to the prospective resources estimates detailed herein and in the Resource Report and a description of the project to which the prospective resources estimates detailed herein and in the Resource Report applies are contained within the Form 51-101F1.

    The prospective resources shown herein and in the Resource Report have been estimated using probabilistic methods and are dependent on a petroleum discovery being made. If a discovery is made and development is undertaken, the probability that the recoverable volumes will equal or exceed the unrisked estimated amounts is 90 percent for the low estimate, 50 percent for the best estimate, and 10 percent for the high estimate. Low estimate and high estimate prospective resources have not been included in the Resource Report. For the purposes of the Resource Report, the volumes and parameters associated with the best estimate scenario of prospective resources are referred to as 2U. The 2U prospective resources have been aggregated beyond the prospect and lead level by arithmetic summation; therefore, these totals do not include the portfolio effect that might result from statistical aggregation. Statistical principles indicate that the arithmetic sums of multiple estimates may be misleading as to the volumes that may actually be recovered.

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Alton — Colchester County District RCMP investigates fatal residential fire

    Source: Royal Canadian Mounted Police

    Colchester County District RCMP is investigating a fatal house fire that occurred in Alton.

    On June 16, at approximately 6:30 a.m., Colchester County District RCMP, fire services and EHS responded to a structure fire on Alton Rd. near the 4000 block. When RCMP officers arrived at the scene, the home was fully engulfed in flames.

    Once the fire was extinguished, human remains were located inside the home.

    At this time, from the information and evidence gathered, the fire is not believed to be suspicious in nature.

    The investigation remains ongoing and is being assisted by the Nova Scotia Fire Marshal’s Office and the Medical Examiner Service.

    Anyone with information about this incident is asked to contact Colchester County District RCMP at 902-896-5000. To remain anonymous, call Nova Scotia Crime Stoppers, toll-free, at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477), submit a secure web tip at www.crimestoppers.ns.ca, or use the P3 Tips app.

    File # 2025-838765

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Justice Department Requires Safran to Divest Assets to Proceed with Acquisition of Raytheon Assets

    Source: US State of North Dakota

    The Proposed Settlement Requires a Substantial Divestiture Package That Will Preserve Competition for Critical Flight Control Components

    The Justice Department’s Antitrust Division announced today that it will require Safran, S.A. and Safran USA Inc. (Safran) to divest its North American actuation business and related assets to resolve antitrust concerns arising from its proposed $1.8 billion acquisition of Collins Aerospace’s actuation and flight control business from RTX Corporation (RTX) (formerly Raytheon Technologies). The divestiture resolves concerns that the transaction would recombine assets that were divested as part of the Division’s settlement of United Technologies Corporation’s (UTC) acquisition of Rockwell Collins in 2018. UTC merged with Raytheon Company in 2020, forming Raytheon Technologies.

    The Antitrust Division filed a civil antitrust lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia to block the proposed transaction. At the same time, the Division filed a proposed settlement that, if approved by the court, would resolve the Division’s competitive concerns.

    “Today’s settlement is a structural solution to an acquisition that would have harmed competition for important aircraft components that are critical to passenger safety. The proposed divestiture to Woodward, an established provider in the aerospace industry, ensures that American customers will continue to benefit from competition, and the incentives of Woodward, the merging parties, and their customer base are aligned with the remedy’s success,” said Assistant Attorney General Abigail Slater of the Justice Department’s Antitrust Division. “This settlement is another example of our commitment to transparency and relief that secures robust and enforceable commitments from the merging parties that account for industry dynamics. The Antitrust Division will apply heightened scrutiny to transactions that propose to recombine assets divested in response to the Division’s prior enforcement actions, taking appropriate consideration for changes in competitive conditions.”

    As detailed in the complaint, Safran and RTX are two of the leading suppliers in the market for trimmable horizontal stabilizer actuators (THSAs) for large aircraft. A THSA helps an aircraft maintain the proper altitude during flight and is critical to the safety and performance of the aircraft. Safran and RTX compete head-to-head to develop and sell this critical component. Without the proposed divestiture, Safran’s acquisition of RTX’s actuation and flight control business would likely result in higher prices, lower quality, and reduced innovation to the detriment of customers and American consumers. The proposed divestiture of Safran’s North American actuation business includes the assets Safran had acquired under the Division’s 2018 settlement with UTC and Rockwell Collins. Safran has since operated these assets as a viable competitor in the market for THSAs.

    The proposed settlement requires Safran to divest its North American actuation business, including THSAs and secondary flight control actuators, and its Canada-based electronic control unit, to Woodward Inc., an American company with significant experience in the aerospace industry, including serving large aircraft manufacturers. The divestiture assets also include the tangible and intangible assets necessary to produce and sell THSAs, secondary flight control actuators, and electronic control units. Woodward is expected to hire certain key Safran employees that today support the divested business lines.

    The Antitrust Division, the European Commission, and the Competition and Markets Authority cooperated closely throughout the course of their respective investigations.

    Safran is a French multinational company with its headquarters in Paris, France. Safran produces a wide range of products for the aviation, space, and defense sectors. In 2024, Safran had revenues of approximately €27 billion. 

    RTX is an American multinational company, incorporated in Delaware and is headquartered in Arlington, Virginia. RTX is a major provider of aerospace and defense products and systems. In 2024, RTX had revenues of approximately $80 billion.

    As required by the Tunney Act, the proposed settlement, along with the Department’s competitive impact statement, will be published in the Federal Register. Any person may submit written comments concerning the proposed settlement within 60 days of its publication to Soyoung Choe, Acting Chief, Defense, Industrials, and Aerospace Section, Antitrust Division, U.S. Department of Justice, 450 Fifth Street, NW, Suite 8700, Washington, D.C. 20530 or via email at ATR.DIA.Information@usdoj.gov. At the conclusion of the public comment period, the court may enter the final judgment upon finding that it is in the public interest.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Justice Department Requires Safran to Divest Assets to Proceed with Acquisition of Raytheon Assets

    Source: United States Attorneys General

    The Proposed Settlement Requires a Substantial Divestiture Package That Will Preserve Competition for Critical Flight Control Components

    The Justice Department’s Antitrust Division announced today that it will require Safran, S.A. and Safran USA Inc. (Safran) to divest its North American actuation business and related assets to resolve antitrust concerns arising from its proposed $1.8 billion acquisition of Collins Aerospace’s actuation and flight control business from RTX Corporation (RTX) (formerly Raytheon Technologies). The divestiture resolves concerns that the transaction would recombine assets that were divested as part of the Division’s settlement of United Technologies Corporation’s (UTC) acquisition of Rockwell Collins in 2018. UTC merged with Raytheon Company in 2020, forming Raytheon Technologies.

    The Antitrust Division filed a civil antitrust lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia to block the proposed transaction. At the same time, the Division filed a proposed settlement that, if approved by the court, would resolve the Division’s competitive concerns.

    “Today’s settlement is a structural solution to an acquisition that would have harmed competition for important aircraft components that are critical to passenger safety. The proposed divestiture to Woodward, an established provider in the aerospace industry, ensures that American customers will continue to benefit from competition, and the incentives of Woodward, the merging parties, and their customer base are aligned with the remedy’s success,” said Assistant Attorney General Abigail Slater of the Justice Department’s Antitrust Division. “This settlement is another example of our commitment to transparency and relief that secures robust and enforceable commitments from the merging parties that account for industry dynamics. The Antitrust Division will apply heightened scrutiny to transactions that propose to recombine assets divested in response to the Division’s prior enforcement actions, taking appropriate consideration for changes in competitive conditions.”

    As detailed in the complaint, Safran and RTX are two of the leading suppliers in the market for trimmable horizontal stabilizer actuators (THSAs) for large aircraft. A THSA helps an aircraft maintain the proper altitude during flight and is critical to the safety and performance of the aircraft. Safran and RTX compete head-to-head to develop and sell this critical component. Without the proposed divestiture, Safran’s acquisition of RTX’s actuation and flight control business would likely result in higher prices, lower quality, and reduced innovation to the detriment of customers and American consumers. The proposed divestiture of Safran’s North American actuation business includes the assets Safran had acquired under the Division’s 2018 settlement with UTC and Rockwell Collins. Safran has since operated these assets as a viable competitor in the market for THSAs.

    The proposed settlement requires Safran to divest its North American actuation business, including THSAs and secondary flight control actuators, and its Canada-based electronic control unit, to Woodward Inc., an American company with significant experience in the aerospace industry, including serving large aircraft manufacturers. The divestiture assets also include the tangible and intangible assets necessary to produce and sell THSAs, secondary flight control actuators, and electronic control units. Woodward is expected to hire certain key Safran employees that today support the divested business lines.

    The Antitrust Division, the European Commission, and the Competition and Markets Authority cooperated closely throughout the course of their respective investigations.

    Safran is a French multinational company with its headquarters in Paris, France. Safran produces a wide range of products for the aviation, space, and defense sectors. In 2024, Safran had revenues of approximately €27 billion. 

    RTX is an American multinational company, incorporated in Delaware and is headquartered in Arlington, Virginia. RTX is a major provider of aerospace and defense products and systems. In 2024, RTX had revenues of approximately $80 billion.

    As required by the Tunney Act, the proposed settlement, along with the Department’s competitive impact statement, will be published in the Federal Register. Any person may submit written comments concerning the proposed settlement within 60 days of its publication to Soyoung Choe, Acting Chief, Defense, Industrials, and Aerospace Section, Antitrust Division, U.S. Department of Justice, 450 Fifth Street, NW, Suite 8700, Washington, D.C. 20530 or via email at ATR.DIA.Information@usdoj.gov. At the conclusion of the public comment period, the court may enter the final judgment upon finding that it is in the public interest.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: UK turns the screw on Putin as allies unite behind Ukraine

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    Press release

    UK turns the screw on Putin as allies unite behind Ukraine

    The Prime Minister has ramped up economic pressure on Russia with a raft of new sanctions.

    • 30 new UK sanctions hit Russian finance, military and energy targets
    • Prime Minister ramps up pressure at G7 Summit as Putin continues to avoid peace.
    • Comes after further devastating Russian attacks on Kyiv in the last few hours

    The Prime Minister has ramped up economic pressure on Russia with a raft of new sanctions, as he galvanises support behind Ukraine at the G7 Summit in Canada today.  

    The 30 targets strike across Russia’s financial, military and energy sectors in response to Putin’s continued aggression. His repeated refusals to engage seriously in peace has redoubled the UK’s resolve to apply a stranglehold on the Russian economy. 

    The new sanctions crack down further on Putin’s shadow fleet, targeting 20 of his oil tankers. The UK is also tightening the net around those who enable Putin’s illicit oil trade, sanctioning Orion Star Group LLC and Valegro LLC-FZ, for their role in crewing and managing shadow fleet vessels.  

    Today’s action also targets Russia’s military capabilities, hitting the military agency leading the development of Russia’s underwater intelligence gathering operations (GUGI), protecting the UK from attacks on subsea infrastructure, restricting Putin’s war machine and increasing our security at home. 

    In addition, two UK residents Vladimir Pristoupa and Olech Tkacz operating a shadowy network of shell companies, have now been sanctioned for collectively funnelling over $120 million of electronics, many of which are on the Common High Priority goods list, to Russia. 

    These individuals, who live and own businesses in the UK, are responsible for supplying Russia with high tech electronics which are crucial to Putin’s war effort. The UK will not tolerate those who enable Putin to wage his illegal war, and today’s sanctions demonstrate there is nowhere to hide. 

    Prime Minister Keir Starmer said:

    “These sanctions strike right at the heart of Putin’s war machine, choking off his ability to continue his barbaric war in Ukraine. 

    “We know that our sanctions are hitting hard, so while Putin shows total disregard for peace, we will not hesitate to keep tightening the screws.

    “The threat posed by Russia cannot be underestimated, so I’m determined to take every step necessary to protect our national security and keep our country safe and secure.”

    Foreign Secretary, David Lammy said: 

    “With his continued attacks and needless bloodshed, it is clear that Putin has no interest in peace. 

    “Today’s sanctions show we will systematically dismantle his dangerous shadow fleet, starve his war machine, and support Ukraine to defend itself.     

    “The UK and our allies will not sit idly by whilst Putin’s cowardly inaction continues to cost lives.”  

    The UK also plans to move with partners to tighten the Oil Price Cap to hurt Russia’s oil revenues, while ensuring stability of the energy market.  

    We are determined to hit Putin where it hurts by striking at his oil revenues – the single most important source of funding for his barbaric war.

    Additional infomation

    • GUGI is the common name for the Main Directorate of Deep-Sea Research within Russia’s Ministry of Defence. 

    • A full list of today’s targets can be found here

    Updates to this page

    Published 17 June 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Preserving Energy Ties with Canada

    Source: US State of New York

    arlier today, Governor Kathy Hochul participated in an economic development roundtable with Northeastern Governors and Canadian Premiers in Boston, Massachusetts.

    VIDEO: The event is available to stream on YouTube here and TV quality video is available here (h.264, mp4).

    AUDIO: The Governor’s remarks are available in audio form here.

    PHOTOS: The Governor’s Flickr page will post photos of the event here.

    A rush transcript of the Governor’s remarks is available below:

     First of all, thank you to Governor Maura Healey for inviting us here to the beautiful Massachusetts State House and convening the Northeastern Governors as well as the Eastern Canadian Premiers and Representatives. It’s an important conversation, and perhaps it should have started at the outset because we’re reminding ourselves of the shared interests, the common bond that exists between all of us.

    It’s not just the tourism or the industries that the governor just spoke of — it’s our neighbors. These are relationships that have now been damaged because of rhetoric out of Washington as well as tariffs. Which, how do you spell tariff? It is nothing more than a T-A-X — tax. And Americans need to know that this is a tax on everything they buy, and it hurts our competitiveness and we stand to lose hundreds of thousands of jobs if these truly go into effect as envisioned.

    So I always want to call out what this is all about as well as condemning the insults to our Canadian friends, and we want them to come back to our country, but we understand the anger that they feel. But I’m worried about families in New York State and the additional cost that they’re going to spend on everything, including energy.

    Energy is now becoming a huge cost driver for our homes, and we have great relationships. Next year, we’ll power over one million homes with hydroelectric power from Quebec. That starts because you have a friendship, a relationship of trust and I’m very excited about announcing that I launched it in my very first days as Governor.

    The electric grid is so important because we’re bringing Micron, we’re bringing semiconductor manufacturers, we’re bringing artificial intelligence companies that are going to be huge consumers of power. And I want to make sure that we continue being as competitive as we can.

    But we have to use that, and Canada has been a friend of ours in providing this, so I don’t want any more rhetoric, tariffs or anything that’s going to set our relationship further back than it already has been. Now it’s time to start healing and having our own individual relationships between New York, our own states and the various provinces to secure our energy future regardless of what happens in Washington.

    We have to operate as independent actors in this space and think of ourselves because clearly Washington is not, and I apologize. I have to get back to the great State of New York because it’s always complicated — something’s always complicated.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Groves Point — RCMP arrests impaired driver involved in fatal collision

    Source: Royal Canadian Mounted Police

    Northeast Traffic Services – Cape Breton (NETS) is investigating a fatal collision in Groves Point involving an impaired driver.

    On June 14, at approximately 7 a.m., RCMP officers, Cape Breton Regional Police Service, fire services, and EHS, responded to a report of a two-vehicle collision on Hwy. 105. Officers learned that a sedan and a Harley Davidson motorcycle had collided. The sedan then fled the area.

    The lone rider of the motorcycle, a 40-year-old man from Bras D’Or, suffered life-threatening injuries. He was transported by EHS to hospital where he was succumbed to his injuries the following day.

    From the information gathered, officers located the sedan involved in the collision on Brady Dr., in Groves Point, and safely arrested the driver, a 42-year-old man from Sydney mines, who was exhibiting signs of impairment.

    The 42-year-old man was transported to the North Sydney RCMP detachment where he provided breath samples that registered 90mg%. He was later released and will appear in Sydney Provincial Court at a later date.

    An RCMP collision reconstructionist attended the scene and the investigation is ongoing.

    Criminal charges are anticipated.

    The highway was closed for several hours but has since reopened.

    Our thoughts are with the victim’s loved ones at this difficult time.

    Anyone with information about this incident is asked to contact Northeast Traffic Services – Cape Breton at 902-794-5800. To remain anonymous, call Nova Scotia Crime Stoppers, toll-free, at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477), submit a secure web tip at www.crimestoppers.ns.ca, or use the P3 Tips app.

    File #: 2025-831028

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Groves Point — RCMP arrests impaired driver involved in fatal collision

    Source: Royal Canadian Mounted Police

    Northeast Traffic Services – Cape Breton (NETS) is investigating a fatal collision in Groves Point involving an impaired driver.

    On June 14, at approximately 7 a.m., RCMP officers, Cape Breton Regional Police Service, fire services, and EHS, responded to a report of a two-vehicle collision on Hwy. 105. Officers learned that a sedan and a Harley Davidson motorcycle had collided. The sedan then fled the area.

    The lone rider of the motorcycle, a 40-year-old man from Bras D’Or, suffered life-threatening injuries. He was transported by EHS to hospital where he was succumbed to his injuries the following day.

    From the information gathered, officers located the sedan involved in the collision on Brady Dr., in Groves Point, and safely arrested the driver, a 42-year-old man from Sydney mines, who was exhibiting signs of impairment.

    The 42-year-old man was transported to the North Sydney RCMP detachment where he provided breath samples that registered 90mg%. He was later released and will appear in Sydney Provincial Court at a later date.

    An RCMP collision reconstructionist attended the scene and the investigation is ongoing.

    Criminal charges are anticipated.

    The highway was closed for several hours but has since reopened.

    Our thoughts are with the victim’s loved ones at this difficult time.

    Anyone with information about this incident is asked to contact Northeast Traffic Services – Cape Breton at 902-794-5800. To remain anonymous, call Nova Scotia Crime Stoppers, toll-free, at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477), submit a secure web tip at www.crimestoppers.ns.ca, or use the P3 Tips app.

    File #: 2025-831028

    MIL Security OSI –