Timmins grants Freedom of the City to Algonquin Regiment
The Algonquin Regiment received the Freedom of the City in a ceremony marking its 125th anniversary in Timmins. Mayor Michelle Boileau praised the unit's service, calling the honour a symbol of trust.
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CBC
an hour ago
- CBC
Army investigating 'abhorrent' racist, homophobic and antisemitic Facebook group
Social Sharing The Canadian Army is investigating members who allegedly shared what the country's top soldier called "abhorrent" content within a private Facebook group. According to a statement from Lt.-Gen. Mike Wright, the "Blue Hackle Mafia" group featured "racist, misogynistic, homophobic and antisemitic comments and images." In the message to armed forces members shared with CBC News, the army commander wrote that he is "disgusted by the content of some of the posts published on this group." Wright called the chat's content "abhorrent," and warned of consequences. "I have ordered that any serving Canadian Army members currently on this social media group immediately cease their participation," Wright wrote. Wright said the contents were reported up the chain of command "as recently as December" and that he was made aware of the alleged misconduct June 25. Military police investigating A message from the Office of the Canadian Forces Provost Marshal, also shared with CBC News, said complaints about the private Facebook group were first investigated by the military police in Ottawa and were later transferred to the unit to conduct a disciplinary investigation. Those investigations are meant to determine if there are sufficient grounds to believe a serious offence may have been committed. "The transfer to the unit for a disciplinary investigation was considered the best use of options available in the military justice system, in this case," said the statement. The provost marshal's office said the military police re-opened their investigation on June 27. "This new investigation is ongoing and no further information will be provided at this time to protect the integrity of the investigation," it said. Not much else is known about the Blue Hackle Mafia group, including how many CAF members allegedly participated. "Hackle" could be a reference to the plume some infantry regiments wear. Reports urge CAF to clamp down on extremism The Canadian Armed Forces has been under pressure to better handle members drawn to hateful views and extremism. A 2022 report from the military's advisory panel on systemic racism and discrimination found the number of Canadian Armed Forces members belonging to extremist groups on the rise. The panel also found that the Department of National Defence (DND) has struggled to sniff out extremists in its ranks. "The detection of extremist pockets or individuals is still very much siloed and inefficient," the panel wrote. In 2021, the National Security and Intelligence Review Agency, one of the country's independent watchdogs, issued a report warning white nationalism is an "active" threat to the Canadian Armed Forces and stressed that more resources are needed to effectively address the issue. "White supremacist groups actively seek individuals with prior military training and experience, or conversely, encourage individuals to enlist in order to gain access to specialized training, tactics and equipment," said the report. A 2020 CBC News investigation of a Canadian Ranger unit uncovered how Erik Myggland, a British Columbia reservist who openly supported two far-right groups, was allowed to continue serving even after he had been identified by military counterintelligence and interviewed as a potential threat. In 2021, a U.S. judge sentenced former Manitoba army reservist Patrik Mathews to nine years in prison for charges related to what the FBI described as a neo-Nazi plot to instigate a race war in the United States.
National Post
an hour ago
- National Post
'We're optimistic': Repealing federal electric vehicle mandate top ask for Carney, industry association says
OTTAWA — The president of the Canadian Vehicle Manufacturers' Association says the top ask of Prime Minister Mark Carney, who recently met with auto industry leaders, is to repeal the federal electric vehicle sales mandate, adding pressure to the Liberals to revisit the climate policy. Article content Brian Kingston met with Carney on Wednesday, alongside the CEOs of Ford, General Motors, and Stellantis, where they discussed their push to see the policy repealed, saying they have 'made the case pretty clearly,' but will ultimately have to wait for what the Liberals decide. Article content Article content Article content 'I think there's an understanding, and we're optimistic that there will be a change on the horizon.' Article content Article content Carney met with the automakers as he tries to negotiate a deal with U.S. President Donald Trump that would see tariffs removed on Canadian products, including on the auto sector, where parts that comply with a free trade agreement between Canada, the U.S. and Mexico are exempt. Article content While trade and tariffs were one focus of the meeting, Kingston says the other was the government's electric vehicle sales mandate, which aims to see all new vehicles sold be zero-emission by 2035, with the first target of 20 per cent set for 2026. Article content 'A 25 per cent tariff on Canadian production is a huge challenge for the future of this industry. But at the end of the day, we do not control the outcome of those negotiations,' he said, adding they have 'full confidence' in the government's efforts to see tariffs lifted. Article content 'But we do not control what the president ultimately does,' he says. 'What we do control is our own policy framework, and why, at a time when the industry is under pressure, would we keep in place a domestic policy that is hugely damaging to this industry? So that's why it's the focus.' Article content Article content A spokeswoman for the Prime Minister's Office said it had nothing more to add about the meeting besides the readout it released following Wednesday's meeting, when asked whether the government was open to repealing or changing the mandate. Article content Article content That earlier statement did not directly mention the electric vehicle mandate itself, saying the ongoing negotiations with the U.S., was discussed as were the efforts to support the sector, as well as 'opportunities to make Canada's auto sector more sustainable and competitive in the face of shifting trade relationships, market conditions, and supply chains.' Article content While automakers have long opposed the federal electric vehicle mandate, industry leaders have been expressing new concern in light of the ongoing trade war with the U.S., and the fact that Trump has backed off its previous electrification plans. Article content Companies also point to falling electric vehicle sales. Under the mandate, manufacturers must earn credits through either selling zero-emission vehicles, purchasing them from other electric-vehicle makers, or spending on building out charging infrastructure.
CTV News
an hour ago
- CTV News
Local mayors push for realistic EV sales targets to support automakers and protect jobs
The newly formed Simcoe County Auto Mayors Association is calling on the federal government to adopt more realistic electric vehicle (EV) sales targets and expand Canada's Zero-Emission Vehicle (ZEV) mandate to include non-plug-in hybrid vehicles - a move it says would support Canadian auto manufacturers and protect local jobs. The call comes after Prime Minister Mark Carney met with the automotive sector CEOs Wednesday morning to discuss U.S. tariffs and ways to protect Canadian supply chains from the trade war with the United States. A recent slowdown in electric vehicle (EV) sales, along with the imposed U.S. tariffs, is having an impact locally. Communities in Simcoe County are feeling the pinch after Honda's decision to delay construction of its $15 billion EV and battery plant in Alliston by at least two years. The auto industry is warning the government that current EV sales targets are too ambitious and not realistic, asking for a more practical approach to growing the market. To maximize their goals, local mayors met with auto sector leaders and sent a formal letter to the prime minister and honourable ministers to revise the ZEV sales goals. In the letter, they ask that non-plug-in hybrids to be included in the ZEV mandate and given full credit toward meeting the targets. Non-plug-in hybrids combine a gasoline engine with an electric motor and battery and do not require external charging. 'The Non‐Plug in Hybrids should earn a full compliance credit and should not be treated differently from the other eligible vehicles under the mandate," the letter states. 'This will support Canadian auto manufacturers while providing Canadian consumers an 'on‐ramp' away from traditional gas‐powered vehicles and would serve as a critical bridge to the long‐term goal of full electrification for Non‐Plug in Hybrids as fully eligible vehicles towards achieving the targets." Honda has been a major employer in Simcoe County for decades, employing about 4,200 people directly and supporting another 30,000 jobs across the chain. Its impact extends throughout Simcoe County supporting local parts suppliers, infrastructure projects, and workforce training. 'Allowing non-plug-in hybrids to be part of the ZEV mandate will help stabilize local economies, protect jobs, and strengthen Canada's automotive industry during this difficult time,' the mayors wrote in the letter. Most ZEV-qualified vehicles today are imported. The auto mayors association states that as the targets increase, Canadian-made vehicles risk being pushed out of the market. That means a missed opportunity to grow manufacturing here at home. 'With the increasing targets, the mandate is expected to further displace Canadian made vehicles, which the local association says could miss key opportunities to bolster domestic manufacturing,' the letter continued. Local mayors say they have heard from auto suppliers with ties to U.S. companies that production is already shifting from Canada to the U.S., resulting in job losses and fewer investments here at home. Many Canadian auto plants already make non-plug-in hybrids or could do so with minimal changes, according to the association. If these vehicles aren't included in the ZEV mandate, members of the Simcoe County Auto Mayors Association feel it could hurt the competitiveness of Canada's auto industry at a time when it's already facing challenges. 'By supporting non-plug-in hybrid production in Canada, the government can protect jobs, strengthen the economy, and help build a more resilient, self-sufficient auto sector,' the mayors stated in closing. The Simcoe County Auto Mayors Association consists of municipal leaders including New Tecumseth Mayor Richard Norcross, Midland Mayor Bill Gordon, Penetanguishene Mayor Doug Rawson, Bradford Mayor James Leduc, Clearview Mayor Doug Measures, Ramara Mayor Basil Clarke, Collingwood Mayor Yvonne Hamilton, and Innisfil Mayor Lynn Dollin.
