P.E.I. MP, premier call for bridge and ferry toll cut by Canada Day
Mark Carney's promise on the campaign trial to cut bridge and ferry tolls came without one thing —a timeline. Now, calls are growing louder for the prime minister to say when that will happen. CBC's Wayne Thibodeau has the story.
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Ottawa Citizen
42 minutes ago
- Ottawa Citizen
DND says F-35 review will be completed in the summer
Article content The Department of National Defence's review of its F-35 purchase will be completed sometime in the summer, but officials won't say exactly when or whether the report will be released to the public. Article content Prime Minister Mark Carney ordered a review of Canada's $19-billion F-35 purchase in mid-March in the wake of threats against Canadian sovereignty by U.S. President Donald Trump. The U.S. has become increasingly hostile to Canada, with the American president continuing with his economic efforts to punish Canada and push for this country to become the 51st state. Article content Article content Article content At this point, Canada has only financially committed to purchasing the first 16 jets from the U.S. government. The entire order was for 88 F-35s, which are manufactured by the American defence giant Lockheed Martin. Article content Department of National Defence spokeswoman Andrée-Anne Poulin stated in an email that the F-35 review is being led by the offices of the assistant deputy minister for review services and the assistant deputy minister for materiel. They are receiving input from other organizations such as the Royal Canadian Air Force. The assistant deputy minister for material and the RCAF played key roles in the original selection of the F-35 for Canada. Article content 'It is anticipated that this review will be finalized in Summer 2025,' the email from Poulin pointed out. Article content DND could not say which month the review would be completed. Article content Asked by the Ottawa Citizen if it would be accurate to state the review would be finished by the end of August, the DND responded that, 'Further information will be provided in due course.' Article content Article content Poulin had previously noted that, 'The review would take into account the work already done to replace Canada's current fighter jet fleet.' Article content Article content Former defence procurement chief Alan Williams and various defence analysts have warned that the F-35 represents a strategic vulnerability for Canada since the U.S. has total control over software upgrades and spare parts on the aircraft. Article content The Ottawa Citizen reported May 5 that the U.S. owns all parts for Canada's F-35s even when they are located at Canadian bases.
CBC
an hour ago
- CBC
As new U.S. travel ban arrives, some Canadian dual nationals are worried
Christian Kodia is accustomed to visiting the United States on a weekly basis, but with a new travel ban coming into effect on Monday, he's not sure if that will continue. Kodia is a dual national with citizenship from both Canada and the Republic of Congo, one of 12 states whose citizens U.S. President Donald Trump has now banned from entering that country. "I travel to the United States of America, I would say, every weekend. I go to visit my family, I go for business, I go for friends," said Kodia, president of the Congolese-Brazzaville Community of Ottawa-Gatineau. Even though Kodia has a Canadian passport, he's unsure of what kind of welcome to expect from U.S. customs. "It's going to be difficult," he told Radio-Canada, predicting that the ban would have a "huge, negative impact" for many people. Citing national security, Trump said Thursday his administration would block entry for citizens of Afghanistan, Chad, Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Myanmar, Somalia, Sudan, and Yemen. Trump also announced restrictions to limit the entry of nationals of seven other countries: Burundi, Cuba, Laos, Sierra Leone, Togo, Turkmenistan, and Venezuela. In the case of the Republic of Congo, Trump cited high rates of overstaying among citizens visiting the United States: 29.6 per cent of those on temporary business or tourism visas, and 35 per cent of students and exchange visitors. For other countries he cited links to terrorism, failure to accept deportees or a lack of central authority as justification for barring their citizens. "If we had a government, a strong one, one that we elected, they [would] be able to deal with [Trump]," said Darlène Lozis, a Haitian community organizer in Gatineau, Que. Lozis said with much of her home country controlled by armed gangs, she doesn't think Haiti's government will be able to advocate for the rights of its citizens. "Whatever we do won't change anything. That man is a fool," she said, referring to Trump. "He will continue doing and saying whatever he wants." Entering 'the lion's den' Dual nationals like Kodia are now trying to establish whether they can still legally enter with their Canadian passports. But Ottawa immigration lawyer Betsy Kane suggests that given the potential risks,"it's not even about what's legal." Kane said she's asking her business clients whether it's worth risking the well-being of their staff by sending them to the United States, especially if they are dual nationals from one of the banned countries. "It's about putting yourself in the lion's den," said Kane, stressing that she's not a U.S. immigration specialist. U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents have wide discretion whether to admit travellers to the United States — even if they have a valid visa. They also have the power to detain people for questioning and to search their electronic devices. In April, Global Affairs Canada updated its travel advisory for the United States, warning Canadians to "expect scrutiny," which could include those devices. It also warned that Canadians denied entry could be detained while awaiting deportation. In an interview with the Canadian Press on Friday, U.S. Ambassador Pete Hoekstra said if a Canadian faced device searches, or detainment at the border, it was "an isolated event" and "not a pattern."
Canada Standard
3 hours ago
- Canada Standard
Opinion: 'Don't Look, Just Leap', Carney and Ford Agree
Prime Minister Mark Carney and Ontario Premier Doug Ford seem to think that environmental assessment laws governing new pipelines, mines, nuclear power plants, ports, power dams, and transmission lines are no longer needed. Trust us, they say. Give us and the other politicians in our cabinets unfettered discretion to decide in secret which projects are in the national interest, where free-fire special economic zones should be established, and which corporations we should accept as trusted partners in exploiting Canada's natural wealth No need for serious debate in legislatures, they say. Ontario's Bill 5, the Protect Ontario by Unleashing our Economy Act , was whipped through the provincial legislature in eight weeks. Carney wants Bill C-5, the Building Canada Act , enacted by Parliament by Canada Day, July 1. Independent scientists, civil society, and local communities need not be consulted on new megaprojects, they say. Governments know best. Yes, Indigenous nations must be heard from on account of that pesky Constitution and Supreme Court. But those consultations must be done quickly because project approvals are guaranteed within two years to ensure certainty for investors. View our latest digests Yes, they say, Canada's boreal forest is burning, atmospheric and other rivers are overflowing, and sea levels are rising. But action to address the climate and biodiversity emergencies really must be put on hold on account of the tyrant to the south. We need to let the U.S. President-not to mention the big investment banks-know that Canada can lay steel and pour concrete as fast as his country can. Benefits to Canadians from these national interest projects must wait, as well. Beginning roughly a half-century ago, Conservative federal and Ontario governments enacted laws requiring development projects to be assessed so that their environmental effects could be avoided, or at least mitigated. Ontario's Environmental Assessment Act was enacted in 1975, the Canadian Environmental Assessment Act in 1992. Premier Bill Davis amd Prime Minister Mulroney understood that bureaucrats and consulting engineers don't always get it right, and that the singular focus on economic growth can sometimes leads to ecological disaster. Look before you leap. Ensure that government decisions to approve new highways, oil sands mines, or pipelines at least consider possible adverse environmental effects. Otherwise you get Chornobyl, Fukushima, Deepwater Horizon, and the Mount Polley and Giant mines. Ontario's Bill 5 and federal Bill C-5 effectively override these environmental assessment laws for the very projects that most need assessment and public discussion. Thank goodness we have elected such wise men who truly understand that a tunnel under the 401 highway, a trans-Canada energy corridor, and new roads to the Arctic are environmentally sustainable and will generate amazing benefits to regular Canadians. As catastrophic climate change and species extinctions accelerate, Canadians may be comforted by the thought that oil and gas and mining companies and investment banks will enjoy healthy profits for at least a few more quarters. Stephen Hazell is a veteran environmental lawyer, a member of the Energy Mix Productions Board of Directors, and an advisor to two national organizations assessing the impacts of Bill C-5. Source: The Energy Mix
