King Charles, Queen Camilla greeted by sun and warm crowds in Ottawa on 1st day of royal tour
King Charles met in private with Prime Minister Mark Carney, Governor General Mary Simon and Indigenous leaders at Rideau Hall this afternoon.
He and Queen Camilla took part in a tree planting ceremony at Rideau Hall, where the swearing-in of Camilla as a member of the King's Privy Council in Canada is taking place.
Earlier, they went to Lansdowne Park, where they took part in a street hockey puck drop and met food vendors amid a crowd of hundreds.
They landed in Ottawa earlier today.
Tomorrow, Charles will deliver the speech from the throne in the Senate chamber to launch the 45th Parliament.
The event will mark the third time a monarch delivers the throne speech in Canada. Charles's mother and predecessor, Queen Elizabeth II, read the speech in 1957 and 1977.
The visit aims to underscore Canadian sovereignty amid tensions with U.S. President Donald Trump.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
CBC
30 minutes ago
- CBC
Canada is running out of runway for its F-35 review
Social Sharing There was an interesting — albeit brief — recent eruption of clarity in the ongoing saga of whether Canada intends to proceed with the full order of American-made F-35 fighters. It was courtesy of the U.S. ambassador to Canada, Pete Hoekstra, who perhaps spoke the quiet part out loud last week in an interview with Canadian independent podcaster Jasmin Laine. Hoekstra, a no-nonsense Republican from Michigan, was asked about the Liberal government's review of the $27.7-billion purchase of stealth fighters and the possibility that after delivery of the first tranche of jets, Canada could decide to fill the rest of its order with another type of aircraft. "You can't afford two fighters, two different fighter jet programs," said Hoekstra. "Canada should just decide what they want. Do they want F-35s? Do they want some other product? That's your decision to make, but you can't afford both of them." But then, he added that the ongoing review is "an irritant that makes it harder to get to a [trade] agreement." It's not much of a stretch to suggest that few Canadian tears would be shed over the notion that the Trump administration is irritated by the uncertainty. But the fact he's said so publicly is significant and it represents an interesting escalation from earlier remarks that suggested not buying the F-35s would endanger NORAD, the binational defence pact with the United States. What's even more potentially entertaining is the lengths to which everyone on the Canadian side has twisted themselves into pretzels to downplay the notion that the fighter jet program is being used as a significant piece of leverage in negotiations with Washington. Speaking on CBC Radio's The House last weekend, the country's top military commander, Gen. Jennie Carignan portrayed the review as a prudent, business-as-usual, due diligence exercise. "With the new government coming into place, it's perfectly normal," Carignan said. "There's a request to ensure that our processes are still valid, that we are getting what we need." With any other major defence purchase, that might be a reasonable argument. But the F-35 has been — over 15 years of political drama — the subject of enormous study. Parliamentary watchdogs, an independent panel and a legion of experts have lined up to analyze, slice, dice and dissect the plan. One wonders what more can be said that couldn't be found in a ministerial transition briefing book. The review has been going on since the early spring and with so much information already at their fingertips, the question of what the political impact might be only gets larger as time goes on. Retired vice-admiral Mark Norman, also speaking on The House last weekend, said there's obvious "trepidation" and consideration of "what kind of blowback reaction" there could be in Washington should Canada opt to shop elsewhere. Others argue that the tantrums of Trump and the irritation of his administration shouldn't dictate Canadian defence policy. "I think the Trump administration will decide if they wish to punish us or not based on whatever current thought of the moment is in the heads of the president and his key advisers," said Wendy Gilmour, a Canadian former assistant secretary general for defence investment at NATO. "I think Canada needs to make the best decisions it can for our own interests." And that's what makes the specifics of what, precisely, the Department of National Defence has been told to review so crucial. When you ask for the terms of reference or even the obstacles and costs of running two fleets of fighters, more often than not, you get boilerplate responses about spending wisely and the scope of the enormous investment. "The nature of aerial combat, the nature of warfare, the nature of our responsibilities, the scale of our investment — all of those elements have changed over the course of recent years," Prime Minister Mark Carney said a couple of weeks ago, while announcing a military pay increase. "We also need the appropriate air capabilities for the Arctic, for the runways in the Arctic, for the threats that we're faced in the Arctic … is the F-35 best suited for that?" The security risks for Canada The contract to buy the F-35 was announced in January 2023 and one would hope the debate about Arctic operations would have been long settled before that. It's important considering, as the Ottawa Citizen reported last month, construction of new hangar and infrastructure facilities to house the F-35s is about to get underway at the military's principal fighter bases in Cold Lake, Alta., and Bagotville, Que. Interestingly, the one non-political aspect of the F-35 deal that would provide an important, logical rationale for a review is the one nobody wants to discuss publicly: the potential national security risks to Canada. Buying the F-35 makes the Canadian air force dependent on the U.S. for software and repair, which has the potential to create delays in deployment and affect operational readiness. It was an issue that raised its head briefly after U.S. President Donald Trump returned to office last winter and suggested allies could end up with less capable versions of the aircraft. It could also be argued that the escalating costs (with the purchase estimate for 88 aircraft, including weapons and training, going from $19 billion to $27 billion), would justify an urgent review. Defence Minister David McGuinty, however, suggested last week the government would take its "lead from the experts that performed the review, both in the Department of National Defence and the Canadian Armed Forces." WATCH | Cost of F-35 program balloons: F-35 costs skyrocketing, not enough pilots to fly them: AG report 2 months ago A new Auditor General's report finds the cost of buying U.S.-made F-35 stealth fighter jets has ballooned almost 50 per cent from an estimated $19 billion to $27.7 billion — and that's without the additional cost of weapons and infrastructure. The program is also facing a shortage of trained pilots. As if there was any doubt about where the military stands, there was a pretty clear indication with a recent report by Reuters, based upon sources, which said the air force was recommending sticking with the F-35. Carney was clear that no decision had been made and that it would be sometime in the late summer or early fall before the review would be considered. Playing politics with defence purchases is nothing new in Canada, but Norman argues that given the state of the world, the military can't afford games and uncertainty, especially with the current CF-18s rapidly approaching the end of their useful life. "What we need to be careful of is that we don't inadvertently — or perhaps for superficial political reasons — make what I would characterize as dumb decision," Norman said.
CBC
30 minutes ago
- CBC
Students caught in limbo as LaSalle College scrambles to comply with Quebec quotas
Less than a month before the start of classes, dozens of students attending LaSalle College in Montreal were abruptly shifted from full-time to part-time status as the school scrambles to comply with Quebec's language reform. Alex Abraham, 33, who was about to enter the second and final year of his network management program, says the last-minute change is a devastating blow to his plans of building a career in Quebec. "I was shocked," he said of his reaction to last week's email notifying him of the change. "We all came here with lots of expectations and dreams." Part-time students are not eligible for Canada's post-graduation work permit and cannot work off-campus while they're studying unless they meet certain conditions. The new status would mean Abraham would effectively have to leave the factory job that he was counting on to stay afloat. "How can I meet my expenses?" he said. "So suddenly if they change my enrolment into part time, that's obviously going to affect me very badly so, I'm concerned." In a statement, the private college says the measure affects about 90 students and concerns only the fall semester. Spokesperson Caroline Gervais writes the measures "are specifically to ensure that we remain fully compliant for Fall 2025 with the requirements of the Charte de la langue française and the government-imposed quotas on English-language AEC programs," which are a type of vocational post-secondary diploma. In the email sent to Abraham last week and reviewed by CBC, the college said it had the capacity and resources to accommodate him as a full-time student, but couldn't due to the government cap. "We understand that such changes can be stressful and disruptive — especially for those whose graduation timelines, financial aid, or immigration status may be affected," a statement sent by Gervais over the weekend reads. During the 2024-25 academic year, the number of students enrolled in the college's English-language programs exceeded the quota by 1,066, resulting in a $21,113,864 fine by the Quebec government. That amount was in addition to the $8.7 million fine it had already accrued the year earlier for the same infraction, bringing its total debt to the government to nearly $30 million. The college is challenging the fines in a civil suit in Quebec's Superior Court. According to that lawsuit, 70 per cent of students enrolled in English-language AEC programs are international students, like Abraham. He learned about the college through an agency while living in India. "The standard of living is good here in Canada compared to India," he said. "We are all putting the effort to learn the [French] language and also we are trying to build a career here. We like the Quebec culture, that's why we are here." 'I am not the reason for the fine' Abraham says he was aware of the college's sizable fine, but thought the school would be able to find a solution. That it would unilaterally change his course load was not something he saw coming. Gervais explains that factors beyond the school's control, such as student failures and altered academic pathways, affect the availability of certain classes in September. She says those factors played a role in the students' status changes. "This does not mean that LaSalle College exceeded its overall AEC quota. Instead, it reflects the constraints of the respective capacity of AEC and DEC programs within those quotas, combined with scheduling realities," says Gervais. A spokesperson for the office of Higher Education Minister Pascale Déry said it wouldn't comment so as to not harm the judicial process. LaSalle College says that many of the students affected had either failed multiple classes or deviated from their original pathway in some way, but neither of those two scenarios apply to Abraham. The college let him know over email that in his case, the change is not due to his academic performance. That he ended up among the group of affected students feels random, he says. The college set up a meeting for the students with Immigration Canada and a college representative Tuesday afternoon and Abraham says he hopes it will provide him with some answers. "I have the right to know the reason," he said, adding that he'll be dissatisfied if it's merely the college's way of avoiding more fines. "I am not the reason for the fine. They did the wrong thing, they violated the rule," he said.
CBC
30 minutes ago
- CBC
Foreign interference watchdog to be named next month, public safety minister says
Social Sharing Canada's first foreign interference watchdog will be named next month and a new foreign agent registry will be launched later this fall, said Public Safety Minister Gary Anandasangaree. In an interview with CBC News, Anandasangaree said fighting transnational repression and foreign interference in Canada "is an utmost priority of the prime minister." He said Prime Minister Mark Carney has tasked him with ensuring the government is ready to move forward with measures adopted in last year's foreign interference legislation by the time Parliament resumes sitting. "We put the world on notice that Canada is an independent, sovereign nation with a clear ability to ensure the safety and security of Canadians. And any attempts that circumvents or undermines that principle, we will take action," Anandasangaree said. The minister suggested U.S. President Donald Trump's attacks on Canada further illustrate the urgent need to fight transnational repression. "As we talk about the strength of Canada, the sovereignty that we're proud of, that we will never be a state of another country, I think it's more important that we tell the world and we amplify this message: that Canada is not a place where you can come and interfere with the civil and human rights of Canadian citizens," he said. Government screening candidates Anandasangaree's comments come more than a year after Parliament adopted Bill C-70, legislation prompted by revelations of foreign interference. The legislation, passed in June 2024, provides for a new foreign interference transparency commissioner to be appointed following consultation with recognized opposition parties in the House of Commons. The legislation also provides for the creation of a public registry listing those who have made arrangements to work in Canada as agents on behalf of foreign governments. Anandasangaree said the government is currently screening and vetting potential candidates for the position. He hopes to be able to present candidates for review by the Conservatives and Bloc Québécois — the only opposition parties currently with recognized status — before Parliament resumes on Sept. 15. "We will have names for the opposition to consider and shortly thereafter, we should be able to finalize a name," he said. Once the commissioner is named, the government will move forward with the order-in-council needed to create the registry, said Anandasangaree. He said the regulations are now being written. "Certainly, before Christmas," he said of the new registry. "I hope it's well ahead of that. My expectation is by Thanksgiving, we should be able to get this done." Anandasangaree said the government is also planning to implement "many" of the recommendations of the public inquiry into foreign interference headed by Justice Marie-Josée Hogue. Hogue concluded that transnational repression in Canada was a "genuine scourge" and that the People's Republic of China was the "most active perpetrator of foreign interference targeting Canadian democratic institutions." A recent CBC News investigation documented cases of Chinese transnational repression in Canada. The investigation, part of a worldwide investigation by the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ) found that China has become more brazen over the years. In many cases, dissidents are targeted for expressing opinions contrary to the Chinese government's positions on what it calls "the five poisons": democracy in Hong King, treatment of Uyghurs, Tibetan freedom, the Falun Gong and Taiwanese independence. The ICIJ investigation documented how the Chinese Communist Party and its proxies have used international organizations such as Interpol and the United Nations to go after its critics, and how little some countries have done to stop China's attacks on people living within their borders. Anandasangaree said he has spoken with Canadian residents targeted by transnational repression, which he calls "completely unacceptable." He said the government is also addressing allegations of Chinese centres in Canadian cities being involved in transnational repression. He said the centres are currently the subject of a Canadian police investigation. "Let me be very clear. The notion of, for example, the Chinese government having police stations in Canada, in Toronto, in Scarborough, for example, is completely unacceptable," he said. "We will go to the full extent of the law to ensure that if that is the case, that is no longer a reality."
