logo
University of P.E.I. and Holland College receive $100,000 towards cleantech scholarships

University of P.E.I. and Holland College receive $100,000 towards cleantech scholarships

CTV News2 days ago

Pictured is the sign at University of Prince Edward Island. (Jack Morse/CTV Atlantic)
Students attending the new cleantech programs at the University of Prince Edward Island (UPEI) and Holland College will be eligible to receive a portion of $100,000 in scholarships from the provincial government.
The funding will support students entering the Sustainable Business Leadership Post-Graduate certificate at Holland College and the Master of Cleantech Leadership and Transformation at UPEI, a news release said.
The new programs were developed in partnership with the PEI Energy Corporation and the Cleantech Academy in Georgetown, P.E.I.
'These programs are about more than education. They're about transformation,' said Gilles Arsenault, minister of Environment, Energy and Climate Action. 'We're investing in people who will help P.E.I. reach and maintain its net-zero goals, drive sustainable growth and position our province as a leader in cleantech innovation.'
Both programs are designed to help students prepare for working in the cleantech sector.
'We are incredibly grateful for the continued support from our provincial partners as we work to build a more sustainable future for Prince Edward Island,' said Sandy MacDonald, Holland College president and CEO. 'This funding will empower students to pursue education that not only meets their personal goals but also supports critical Island industries to transition to a net-zero economy.'
Students interested in the programs and information on the scholarships can visit:
For more P.E.I. news, visit our dedicated provincial page.

Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Premiers need to ‘put up or shut up' on internal trade at first ministers' meeting: Jason Kenney
Premiers need to ‘put up or shut up' on internal trade at first ministers' meeting: Jason Kenney

CTV News

time41 minutes ago

  • CTV News

Premiers need to ‘put up or shut up' on internal trade at first ministers' meeting: Jason Kenney

Former Alberta premier Jason Kenney says the provinces and territories need to maintain the momentum spurred by U.S. President Donald Trump's trade war and make quicker progress on eliminating interprovincial trade barriers. Prime Minister Mark Carney is set to meet with all of Canada's premiers on Monday, with interprovincial trade — and his promise to eliminate barriers to that trade by Canada Day — on the agenda. During a panel interview with former Ontario premier Kathleen Wynne for CTV's Question Period, Kenney said while he has 'a bit of skepticism' based on his previous experience trying to negotiate internal trade, he's hopeful. 'It's time for the premiers to put up or shut up,' Kenney told host Vassy Kapelos. 'This is, again, the time to be bold.' 'We had a sense of real urgency about 10 weeks ago because of the Trump threats,' Kenney added. 'Let's not lose that. Let's grasp this opportunity. Let's not waste a good crisis.' Repeatedly stating the longstanding Canada-U.S. relationship is 'over,' in the face of Trump's sweeping global tariffs, Carney vowed during the election campaign to diversify Canada's trading partners and 'create one Canadian economy out of 13.' Kenney said Monday's meeting has the potential to be 'hugely' significant, especially considering Carney 'has inflated expectations to sky-high levels.' He said while he's hopeful progress could come from the gathering, he also worries the prime minister could be 'setting himself up for great disappointment.' The former premier pointed to his previous efforts to 'create some momentum' on eliminating interprovincial trade barriers, but adding 'virtually no one followed suit.' 'Every premier is going to come with their own shopping list,' Kenney said, adding meetings between the prime minister and the premiers 'often devolve into what I call, derisively, begging-bowl federalism.' 'I hope they think in the national interest, they see the big strategic imperative to expand our economy, turn around the decline in productivity, expand our export markets,' Kenney said. 'This isn't an opportunity to go in front of the prime minister and just pitch for that highway you've been trying to finance or that new hospital you want to build.' Wynne said she thinks much of the provincial jockeying in service of regional self-interests will be put on pause for the sake of the national interest. The former Ontario premier added she doesn't think Carney will put up with the 'begging-bowl scenario,' which she called 'kind of a harsh version of it.' 'I think that he is going to be extremely clear about what the agenda has to be,' Wynne said. 'All the premiers have got their priorities, they've laid out their priorities. They're not going to get everything.' 'So, my hope is that there will be some clarity around at least what the plan is going forward,' she added. Some provinces have been taking action to remove some internal trade barriers, including New Brunswick Premier Susan Holt pushing for an Atlantic Canada free-trade zone. Ontario and Prince Edward Island are also working with Nova Scotia to introduce reciprocal legislation with the aim of eliminating internal trade barriers. And, on Friday, the Quebec government tabled what the province's economy minister called an 'ambitious' bill, which would help open the province's borders to products from other regions. Despite this, several sticking points remain in place and many interprovincial trade barriers continue to exist, such as geographic restrictions on the sale of certain goods, regulatory and policy differences across jurisdictions, and hurdles to labour mobility.

‘Crazy idea': Ontario councillors push back as strong mayor powers reach small towns
‘Crazy idea': Ontario councillors push back as strong mayor powers reach small towns

CTV News

timean hour ago

  • CTV News

‘Crazy idea': Ontario councillors push back as strong mayor powers reach small towns

Ontario Municipal Affairs and Housing Minister Rob Flack attends Question Period at Queen's Park in Toronto, Tuesday, May 13, 2025. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Cole Burston A month after Ontario's government extended strong mayor powers to a swath of new municipalities, some leaders are promising never to use the measures — but a chorus of small-town councillors warn that local democracy is under threat. As of May 1, another 169 mayors in the province can now veto bylaws, pass new ones with just one-third of council in favour and hire or fire municipal department heads unilaterally. Municipal Affairs and Housing Minister and MPP for Elgin-Middlesex-London Rob Flack said last month that the province decided to more than triple the number of mayors who can access the powers in an effort to build housing faster and streamline local governance. The measures were first introduced in 2022 and initially only applied to the mayors of Toronto and Ottawa, Ontario's two most populous cities. Several municipalities are taking active steps to reject the powers now that they have been granted more widely. Mark Hunter, one of 10 city councillors in Stratford, recently got unanimous support for his motion to reject the new powers. Hunter said it was symbolic and designed to show that municipal democracy shouldn't be 'subject to provincial whim.' Stratford City Hall downtown Stratford City Hall seen here on Feb. 4, 2021. (Dan Lauckner / CTV Kitchener) 'What it effectively does is get rid of majority rule in our council,' he said. 'It's the expectation of the residents in our community that their representatives are able to fully represent them and this change puts some level of diminishment on that.' Hunter said his fellow councillors can have strong disagreements at council, but lively discussions result in better decisions for the community. Anything that diminishes that discussion is worse for residents, he said. Councillors aren't concerned about Stratford's current mayor abusing his power, said Hunter, but they are worried about what could happen in the future. 'It's another example of concentrating power in fewer hands. Unfortunately in human history, that doesn't always work out so well,' he said. David O'Neil, a councillor in Quinte West, said he is also concerned about strong mayor powers, adding they represent 'a real misdirection' by the province. 'I think this decision is on par with the crazy idea of building a tunnel under the 401,' O'Neil said, referring to Premier Doug Ford's promise to add a tunnel under the major Ontario highway. He added he is skeptical that strong mayor powers would lead to new housing being built in his community, and thinks the province should waive development fees if it wants to see more housing built. Zack Card, another councillor for Quinte West, said he believes the expansion of the strong mayor powers will 'erode the democratic traditions of municipal councils in Ontario.' 'I believe effective councils work collaboratively and with an understanding that all voices carry equal weight. Tipping that balance could potentially hinder governance and make solving issues within our communities more difficult,' Card wrote in an email. Neither O'Neil nor Card would speak to the recent dismissal of the municipality's chief administration officer, which was described on the municipality's website as a 'mayoral decision' pursuant to the legislation, made on the first day the powers were available. Quinte West Mayor Jim Harrison said in an email to The Canadian Press that 'the decision was made in close collaboration and consensus with council, utilizing strong mayor powers to move forward.' Less than a week after the decision, he told a council meeting that he wasn't planning to make use of the strong mayor powers. O'Neil suggested his concern is more future-oriented: it's unclear what could a different sort of mayor do with these powers five, 10 or 20 years down the road. David Arbuckle, executive director of the Association of Municipal Managers, Clerks and Treasurers of Ontario, said unilateral power threatens a local government's administrative authority and staffers' ability to give non-partisan, evidence-based advice. 'It's changed the dynamic where (a city staffer) now has to be mindful of the fact that they could be hired or fired by the mayor at any point in time,' Arbuckle said in a recent interview. 'The advice they're bringing forward may not be as neutral as possible because ultimately they are now responding to one individual.' Corey Engelsdorfer, a councillor from Prince Edward County, said he's worried the powers will exacerbate existing divisions on his council and, should they be used, could 'sideline' constituents even as the community experiences a boom in development. The traditional model of majority rule is already divisive, Engelsdorfer said — especially when it comes to housing decisions — so decisions being made with even less support could lead to even more public cynicism. Queens Park Queens Park in Toronto is seen in this undated file photo 'The way we build homes is by working together as a council and not by one person or a third of council pushing through what they want to push through,' he said. 'I always hear Premier Ford say that these changes cut red tape, but democracy to me is not red tape. I don't think it's something that needs to be in place at all.' Mayor Steve Ferguson said in an interview that he was working to defer several of the strong mayor powers, including personnel decisions, back to council. The council also unanimously passed a resolution asking the province to rescind strong mayor legislation, Engelsdorfer said. Despite the concerns, Matti Siemiatycki, director of the University of Toronto's Infrastructure Institute and a professor of geography and planning, said the uptake of the powers has been 'fairly underwhelming.' Before last month, there were only 46 so-called strong mayors in Ontario. Only a few made use of their powers. High-profile examples include Hamilton Mayor Andrea Horwath advancing affordable housing development on two municipal parking lots in April 2024, and Mississauga's former mayor Bonnie Crombie passing bylaws to build fourplexes in October 2023. But Siemiatycki said he fears there's greater risk for strong mayor powers to go unchecked in smaller municipalities, where there is less oversight and, often, less journalistic scrutiny. 'We've seen an erosion and a decline of the local presses across Canada, and it's no more visible than in small communities,' he said. 'If you're concentrating powers, what's really needed is external oversight bodies. And the media is one of those, so smaller communities might struggle to have that accountability and people being aware of what's happening.' Siemiatycki said while he sympathizes with the province's desire to tackle a housing and infrastructure crisis, he agrees with the councillors who have raised concerns. 'It doesn't necessarily mean you'll go further just because you're aiming to go faster,' he said. 'The thing that's more sustainable over the long term is acceleration through processes that have very clear accountabilities and timelines to them.' This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 1, 2025.

Sucking carbon from the air; companies using AI bots for hiring: CBC's Marketplace cheat sheet
Sucking carbon from the air; companies using AI bots for hiring: CBC's Marketplace cheat sheet

CBC

timean hour ago

  • CBC

Sucking carbon from the air; companies using AI bots for hiring: CBC's Marketplace cheat sheet

Social Sharing Miss something this week? Don't panic. CBC's Marketplace rounds up the consumer and health news you need. Want this in your inbox? Get the Marketplace newsletter every Friday. How one company plans to suck carbon right out of the air (and make money doing it) Just off the highway near Innisfail, Alta., a town about 120 kilometres north of Calgary, is a construction site immediately identified by a large tent boasting the words "Deep Sky" in a groovy, arcade-style font. The roughly two-hectare facility, still under construction, is hosting what could be called a carbon-removal Olympics. It will test eight different versions of a similar technology using various machines that will suck in air, remove the carbon dioxide and send it to a central plant, where it will be compressed and liquified for storage deep underground. The winner of this initiative won't get a medal on a podium. Instead, Deep Sky, the Montreal-based project developer behind it, plans to take the best versions of the direct air capture technology that prove most effective in Canada's climate and deploy them on a commercial scale all over the country. "There are some preliminary data points about this for sure, but has anyone run this system in –30 C yet?" asked Alex Petre, the new CEO of Deep Sky, indicating one of the recently installed direct air capture machines. "No, we haven't." The company is so confident this will be successful that it's already begun initial work on two commercial projects, one in Quebec and the other in Manitoba. That's despite not yet knowing how they will be fully financed or which technology will be put to use. A B.C. couple waited weeks to get their stillborn daughter's remains. Then, they were invoiced for her autopsy Nick Bordignon was still deep in grief over the death of his infant daughter last October when an envelope from B.C.'s Provincial Health Services Authority (PHSA) turned up in his mailbox. It was addressed to the infant he and his wife had named Makayla Poppy when she was delivered at Eagle Ridge Hospital in Port Moody, B.C., four weeks earlier following an ultrasound that showed the child was dead. Inside was an invoice for the cost of an autopsy and an itemized list of tests conducted by a coroner, a bill the PHSA has since admitted the Bordignons were never supposed to see. And to make matters worse, the letter seemed to indicate Makayla's body was still in the morgue — two weeks after the autopsy was performed and nearly a month after she was stillborn. "I remember just standing there in disbelief ... and the initial confusion very quickly turned to rage," said Bordignon, who works as a police officer. "I'm no fool, I've seen autopsies performed, they are not pretty ... it was soul-crushing and just wrong.... It's just like, OK, so if this is an itemized list, this means the autopsy has been done. Where is she?" CBC News has learned that the Bordignons' concerns about both the invoice and the delay in releasing Makayla's body are now under investigation by B.C.'s Patient Care Quality Review Board — the body tasked with reviewing complaints about health authority policies and procedure. The story highlights what experts say is a lack of standardized care when it comes to stillbirths, which can result in errors that traumatize already grieving families. In a letter, the health services authority apologized for the invoice and said the charges for the autopsy had been reversed. After the Bordignons received the invoice in the mail and called the hospital, the process of getting Makayla's remains home unfolded quickly. Canada Post reports $1.3B operating loss with declines in both letter and parcel revenue Canada Post is reporting a $1.3-billion loss in operating expenses in its 2024 annual report. The Crown corporation made up for some of those losses by selling off certain ventures, including its logistics business, which it sold in January of last year. Excluding tax — and accounting for its divestments — Canada Post's losses totalled $841 million last year. That's larger than the $748-million loss reported in 2023, and in 2022 when it lost $548 million. The last time Canada Post made a profit was in 2017. Overall, the Crown corporation says it has lost $3.8 billion since 2018. Canada Post said in a news release that volumes and revenues declined in both traditional letter and parcel delivery and that the corporation faces stiff competition from private parcel carriers. "Our current structure was built for a bygone era of letter mail — the status quo has led us to the verge of financial insolvency and is not an option. The need to change, respond to our challenges and secure this important infrastructure for the future is more urgent than ever before," CEO Doug Ettinger said in the news release. Revenue from parcel delivery alone fell by $683 million compared with 2023, the report says. The corporation also said the postal worker strike late last year contributed to a loss of $208 million. This latest annual report comes with another potential strike looming. The last strike ended when the federal government ordered employees back to work under their existing contracts, which were extended until May 22 to allow the bargaining process to resume. What else is going on? PM says U.S. tariffs are 'unlawful' and 'unjustified' — and now a court agrees, in part. Her job interview was with an AI bot. It was odd Companies are using AI hiring bots to screen, shortlist and talk to job candidates. Advocates say the technology frees up human workers from tedious tasks, but some applicants say it adds confusion to the process, and there are concerns about HR job losses. Marketplace needs your help! Have you experienced a customer service nightmare? We're looking for frustrating, absurd or outrageously bad customer service stories. If you've been given the runaround or wrong info, or have been ignored or hung up on, share your story with us! We want to know who you think are the worst offenders. Email us at marketplace@

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into the world of global news and events? Download our app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store