Varcoe: Canadian oilsands giant hopes grand bargain 'comes to fruition' — new pipeline and massive carbon capture project
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Canadian Natural Resources president Scott Stauth would also welcome a massive carbon capture network in the oilsands making it onto the federal list — part of what Premier Danielle Smith says could be part of 'grand bargain' to also advance a greenfield pipeline.
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However, there are plenty of kilometres still to go in this marathon — and no assurances how the race will play out.
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Oilsands producers want several federal policies changed, allowing them to increase output that could fill a new multibillion-dollar pipeline.
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'I do believe Canada will need a new oil egress pipeline within the next five to 10 years. And I think it's important the government continue on the path that they have, to consider a pipeline,' Stauth said in an interview Thursday.
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Canadian Natural, which released its second-quarter earnings Thursday, produced 1.42 million barrels of oil equivalent per day in the April-to-June period, and is one of six members in the Pathways Alliance group of oilsands producers.
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The federal Liberal government recently passed Bill C-5, which expedites projects of national significance. Alberta's premier has said both developments should be included on the major projects list, an idea Prime Minister Mark Carney appears to be considering.
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However, Smith's idea of building a new million-barrel-a-day oil pipeline to the Pacific Coast — and doubling Alberta's oil and gas production in the future — is ambitious. And no private sector proposals for a greenfield pipeline are on the table, yet.
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The Province
3 hours ago
- The Province
The controversy over Canada's rules on military exports to Israel, explained
Published Aug 10, 2025 • 7 minute read Sen. Yuen Pau Woo, facilitator of the Independent Senators Group, speaks to reporters after the vote on Bill C-45, the Cannabis Act in the Senate on Parliament Hill in Ottawa on Tuesday, June 19, 2018. Photo by Justin Tang / THE CANADIAN PRESS OTTAWA — A Canadian senator is calling on Ottawa to be more transparent on its policy to restrict arms exports to Israel, following contradictory reports about what manufacturers have been allowed to send to the Middle East. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Exclusive articles by top sports columnists Patrick Johnston, Ben Kuzma, J.J. Abrams and others. Plus, Canucks Report, Sports and Headline News newsletters and events. Unlimited online access to The Province and 15 news sites with one account. The Province ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on. Daily puzzles and comics, including the New York Times Crossword. Support local journalism. SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Exclusive articles by top sports columnists Patrick Johnston, Ben Kuzma, J.J. Abrams and others. Plus, Canucks Report, Sports and Headline News newsletters and events. Unlimited online access to The Province and 15 news sites with one account. The Province ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on. Daily puzzles and comics, including the New York Times Crossword. Support local journalism. REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account. Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments. Enjoy additional articles per month. Get email updates from your favourite authors. THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments Enjoy additional articles per month Get email updates from your favourite authors 'I'm horrified to hear this news about certain arms exports and parts going to Israel, directly or indirectly,' Sen. Yuen Pau Woo said in an interview with The Canadian Press. 'Civilians are being killed and starved, and the Israeli government has only made things worse.' Ottawa insists it hasn't been allowing exports of lethal weapons to Israel and has been blocking any military goods that could be used in Gaza. Here's a look at what we know — and don't know — about Ottawa's efforts to keep Canadian weapons out of Gaza while allowing Israel to import military goods for other purposes. What is Canada holding back from Israel? In March 2024, Parliament voted in favour of a non-binding motion to halt new arms permits for Israel. The government announced a review of export permits and suspended about 30 of them to determine whether they involved lethal uses. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Ottawa has allowed all other military export permits for Israel to continue. There were 164 such permits used to export military goods to Israel in 2024, and some of them are valid for years. Of the 30 suspended permits, some have expired and the rest remain suspended, says Global Affairs Canada. In March 2024, the office of then-foreign affairs minister Melanie Joly said that none of the valid permits allowed for the export of 'lethal goods' to Israel, such as weapons technology and equipment. Her office also said Canada stopped approving permits for Israel on Jan. 8, 2024, citing human rights concerns. While Israel's foreign minister suggested at the time the decision would undermine Israel's ability to defend itself, Israeli Ambassador Iddo Moed said 'we will be able to continue to defend ourselves.' Essential reading for hockey fans who eat, sleep, Canucks, repeat. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. Please try again This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. What is Canada still allowing into Israel? Ottawa has said its restrictions exclude 'non-lethal' equipment. The government provided Parliament with a list of all existing permits in June 2024. The list mentions circuit boards well over a hundred times. In September 2024, after the U.S. State Department approved the purchase of mortar cartridges made in Quebec for Israel, Joly said Canadian-made weapons were prohibited from reaching the Gaza Strip. 'We will not have any form of arms or parts of arms be sent to Gaza, period,' Joly said at the time. 'How they're being sent and where they're being sent is irrelevant.' Anand said in an Aug. 1 statement that this pledge actually goes back to January 2024. Groups like Project Ploughshares argue the term 'non-lethal' is poorly defined and misleading. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Activists say Israel can use Canadian-made components such as lenses and cameras in the Gaza war and in military campaigns in the West Bank, despite Ottawa saying Israel is violating international law in both theatres. What does Israeli customs data say? In late July, pro-Palestinian activists reported that the Israel Tax Authority had listed publicly imports from Canada that were officially recorded in customs data as bullets, guns and other weapons. The data suggested 175,000 bullets were sent from Canada to Israel under the customs code that Israel uses for 'munitions of war and parts thereof,' with three similar shipments in 2024. Israeli customs agents recorded another Canadian shipment in the category of 'tanks and other armoured fighting vehicles, motorized, whether or not fitted with weapons, and parts of such vehicles.' This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. It took the Canadian government three days to respond to the claims. Foreign Affairs Minister Anita Anand's office said it took the time 'to verify if any of the serious allegations of wrongdoing were true.' In her reply, Anand said the report was flawed and its findings 'are misleading and significantly misrepresent the facts.' The bullets were 'paintball-style projectiles' that cannot be used in combat, Anand's office said. Sen. Woo called that explanation trivializing and suggested Israel is likely using those materials to train its soldiers. Woo was among 32 senators — a third of the Senate — who called for a thorough investigation into what's reaching Israel from Canada. He called Anand's statement 'very limited, slippery and highly defensive.' This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. 'She missed an opportunity to grasp the gravity of the situation in Gaza,' he said. What about aircraft? Advocates argue Canadian components are being used in Israeli fighter jets and drones, citing exports of items such as circuit boards and scopes or cameras. The July report noted that specific companies in Israel receiving Canadian imports have also been equipping Israel's offensive in Gaza. The report pointed to no direct, explicit evidence that Canadian arms had been used on the ground in Gaza. Ottawa insists it is doing everything it can to ensure Canadian components aren't used in Gaza. What about that parliamentary report? On Aug. 4, the Canadian Muslim Public Affairs Council released a report assembled by the Library of Parliament that it said disproves much of what the government has claimed. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. The July 8 report is marked 'not to be published' and the Library of Parliament said in a statement that it 'provides impartial customized research services for individual parliamentarians,' on the basis that the 'client's research request (will) remain confidential.' The government says the report is a rehash of publicly available information that doesn't contradict what the government has said publicly. Advocates seized on the portion of the report showing two arms permits to send goods to Israel were issued in 2024. Anand's office noted the permits were disclosed to Parliament last June and were issued on Jan. 8, 2024, the day Ottawa stopped issuing new permits. The advocates also noted that the report cited $2.3 million in Canadian sales to Israel listed as 'bombs, torpedoes, rockets, missiles, other explosive devices and charges and related accessories, components and equipment.' This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Anand's spokesman James Fitz-Morris wrote that these were 'electronic components for detection equipment' in Israel's Iron Dome system, which intercepts and destroys incoming rockets. RECOMMENDED VIDEO Did Carney change the Trudeau government's policy? While the government insists it hasn't changed policies, its language has shifted. Joly and her office spoke about non-lethal uses for arms. Anand has avoided that language. 'For a year and a half, we have been clear: if an export permit for an item used to protect civilians is requested, it will be approved,' her office wrote in a statement this week. 'Canada has not approved the export of any lethal weapons or munitions to Israel since January 2024, and any such permit that could have allowed such items were suspended and remains inactive today.' This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Woo said Anand is 'prevaricating, with the shift in language and … an effort to try to be legalistic about the government's adherence to its own promise.' Fitz-Morris wrote that it would be 'a disingenuous claim, at best' to suggest Ottawa's language has been shifting. 'The government's position has not changed. Minister Anand is not reading from a script. She uses different words sometimes to convey the same message or to add clarity, depending on the circumstances and what she is responding to,' he wrote. 'The only permits that may be granted are for the items used to defend civilians, such as the Iron Dome, and items that are transiting through Israel as part of the global supply chain such as items (whose) end-users include Canada and/or NATO allies.' This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Why not end all arms exports to Israel? The government says it would compromise the complex supply chains that Canada and its allies rely on if Canada refused to export military goods to Israel, or to import them from that country. 'Any consideration of a two-way arms embargo that would block Israeli-made components from entering Canada would need to take into consideration the impact that would have on Canada, including the (Canadian Armed Forces),' Fitz-Morris wrote. Sen. Woo said Anand should halt all military trade with Israel. 'She's digging a deeper hole for herself and for our government, particularly if there are in fact legal consequences around complicity, aiding and abetting war crimes,' he said. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. 'We are witnessing, in the memorable words of Amnesty International, a live-streamed genocide. It's tearing at our souls.' Israel says it's in an existential war of self-defence and blames Hamas for the high casualty count. What do Canadians want? In an online survey of 1,522 Canadians conducted by the Angus Reid Institute from July 31 to Aug. 5, 54 per cent said they want Ottawa to ensure Canada is not selling lethal military equipment to Israel. One-fifth of respondents said they want the restrictions dropped. Another 27 per cent said they were unsure or opted not to respond. Is the government being transparent? 'The Government of Canada tables regular reports concerning arms exports and has provided thousands of pages of documentation to the House of Commons Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs — which the committee then published to its website,' Fitz-Morris wrote. That's not good enough, Woo said. 'To play with words, when a genocide is happening before our very eyes … it's scandalous,' he said. University Local News Local News News Op-Ed
Canada News.Net
3 hours ago
- Canada News.Net
OpenAI unveils GPT-5, expands access to advanced AI capabilities
SAN FRANCISCO, California: OpenAI has unveiled GPT-5, the latest version of the technology behind ChatGPT, promising significant gains in enterprise uses such as software development, finance, and health-related queries. The model is now available to all 700 million ChatGPT users. The launch comes at a time of surging investment in AI, with Microsoft-backed OpenAI and rivals like Alphabet, Meta, and Amazon collectively set to spend nearly US$400 billion this fiscal year on AI infrastructure. The question is whether enterprise adoption will justify those costs. "So far, business spending on AI has been pretty weak, while consumer spending … has been fairly robust because people love to chat with ChatGPT," said economics writer Noah Smith. "But … it isn't going to be nearly enough to justify all the money … spent on AI data centers." CEO Sam Altman called GPT-5 "the first time … one of our mainline models has felt like you can ask a legitimate expert, a PhD-level expert, anything." He highlighted its "software on demand" abilities, with demos showing the model creating entire working programs from text prompts—known as "vibe coding." Two early reviewers told Reuters GPT-5 is strong in coding and solving science and math problems, though they felt the leap from GPT-4 was smaller than previous jumps. Altman noted GPT-5 still cannot learn on its own, a key step toward human-level capability. The model incorporates "test-time compute," which lets it spend more processing power on hard questions—technology now available to the public for the first time. GPT-5's release follows scaling challenges. After GPT-4's 2023 debut, which outperformed GPT-3.5 by passing the bar exam in the top 10 percent versus the bottom 10 percent, OpenAI sought further gains by adding compute power and data. But it hit a "data wall," as internet-scale human text datasets ran out. Training large models also risks hardware failures late in multi-month runs. OpenAI's $500 billion valuation goal, up from $300 billion, and reports of $100 million signing bonuses for top AI researchers underscore the high stakes. Altman insists global infrastructure investment is still insufficient: "We need to build a lot more … to have AI locally available in all these markets."
The Province
8 hours ago
- The Province
Mark Carney's popularity cooling off in the summer, but still remains broadly positive: poll
Abacus Data says the Carney-led Liberal government's approval dipped to 50% in its latest polling Published Aug 10, 2025 • 1 minute read Prime Minister Mark Carney speaks with reporters during a news conference in Ottawa, Wednesday, July 30, 2025. Photo by Adrian Wyld/The Canadian Press A new poll suggests Prime Minister Mark Carney's popularity is cooling off in the summer, but still remains broadly positive. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Exclusive articles by top sports columnists Patrick Johnston, Ben Kuzma, J.J. Abrams and others. Plus, Canucks Report, Sports and Headline News newsletters and events. Unlimited online access to The Province and 15 news sites with one account. The Province ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on. Daily puzzles and comics, including the New York Times Crossword. Support local journalism. SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Exclusive articles by top sports columnists Patrick Johnston, Ben Kuzma, J.J. Abrams and others. Plus, Canucks Report, Sports and Headline News newsletters and events. Unlimited online access to The Province and 15 news sites with one account. The Province ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on. Daily puzzles and comics, including the New York Times Crossword. Support local journalism. REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account. Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments. Enjoy additional articles per month. Get email updates from your favourite authors. THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments Enjoy additional articles per month Get email updates from your favourite authors Abacus Data says the Carney-led Liberal government's approval dipped to 50 per cent in its latest polling, down two percentage points compared to mid-July and the lowest level since March. Canadians were surveyed in the week after U.S. President Donald Trump levied new 35 per cent tariffs on Canada — seemingly a consequence of failing to secure a new trade deal by the Aug. 1 deadline. U.S. President Donald Trump, right, and Prime Minister Mark Carney at the G7 Summit in Kananaskis, Alta., on June 26. Photo by BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI/AFP Carney himself maintains a positive net approval rating despite a couple percentage points of mild cooling. Abacus CEO David Coletto says the drop in popularity could be tied to a lack of perceived progress on key domestic files and ongoing high-profile international negotiations. Despite a modest cooldown for the Liberals, the polling firm says political preference has been largely unchanged through the summer. Read More Our website is the place for the latest breaking news, exclusive scoops, longreads and provocative commentary. Please bookmark and sign up for our daily newsletter, Posted, here. University Vancouver Whitecaps Op-Ed News Sports
