U.S. ambassador asked about future of Canadians at Harvard — including PM's daughter
U.S. Ambassador to Canada Pete Hoekstra spoke at an event on Tuesday organized by the Empire Club of Canada. In conversation with Global Investment Banking at CIBC Capital Markets Vice-Chair Lisa Raitt, he discussed Canada-U.S. relations and responded to a question about the future of Canadians trying to go to Harvard — including Prime Minister Mark Carney's daughter Cleo Carney.
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National Observer
an hour ago
- National Observer
Canada's retrofit momentum hinges on more than just heat pumps
The new federal mandate letter call for 'bringing down costs for Canadians' and 'creating new careers in the skilled trades.' Residential retrofits can do both, giving renewed urgency to programs like the Canada Greener Homes Initiative. A special warrant issued just before the federal election ensured a temporary top-up for the Greener Homes Loan program. However, unless long-term funding is secured, the program could soon stall, mirroring the abrupt end of the Greener Homes Grant. The Greener Homes Initiative — largely due to the grant portion — has arguably been successful in meeting government goals. According to Green Communities Canada, from 2020 to 2024, the Greener Homes Grant and other rebate and grant programs supported more than 605,000 retrofits. However, only 29,000 were considered deep energy retrofits. Most of the funds went to mechanical system upgrades, like heat pumps, to replace existing heating and cooling units approaching the end of their lives. Heat pumps have become a go-to solution for electrifying heating and cooling, especially when a furnace or air conditioner reaches the end of its life. They are efficient and climate-friendly. But heat pumps alone do not constitute a deep retrofit. According to Natural Resources Canada, a deep energy retrofit involves a suite of coordinated upgrades that reduce a building's energy use by up to 60 per cent. That includes insulation, air sealing, ventilation, windows and doors, mechanical systems like heat pumps, and smart grid integration. Design teams at the Pembina Institute's Reframed Lab estimate that deep retrofits can cut energy use by as much as 90 per cent, and reduce operational carbon emissions between 68 and 99 per cent. Compare that to a standard mechanical replacement at end-of-life, which delivers reductions of just three to 55 per cent. While there are many on-ramps in the retrofit process, one of the most impactful, especially for older homes, is starting with the building envelope. Adequate insulation and airtightness reduce heating and cooling demand, making homes more comfortable and efficient. These improvements also last for decades, far longer than the average 15-year lifespan of furnaces or heat pumps. The clock is ticking. Roughly 12 million existing low-rise houses in Canada must be retrofitted by 2050, write Betsy Agar, Jessica McIlroy and Jay Nordenstrom Crucially, an envelope-first approach allows for properly 'right-sized' heat pumps, which perform better and cost less to operate. Yet insulation and air sealing — considered 'minor' and 'low-cost' by federal program definitions — remain underused. ICF estimates that 89 per cent of Canadian homes are under-insulated. Many current programs unintentionally reinforce this pattern by supporting heat pump replacements without encouraging homeowners to complete multiple, coordinated upgrades. That leaves efficiency gains — and emissions reductions — on the table. And the clock is ticking. Roughly 12 million existing low-rise houses in Canada must be retrofitted by 2050. That's an average of 480,000 homes per year for the next 25 years. It's a staggering target that cannot be reached without deeper, better-sequenced retrofits. The new government is also reviewing its overall approach to energy efficiency, making this a crucial moment to ensure retrofit programs evolve to meet today's challenges. Now is the time to strengthen policies that reduce emissions, bring down household costs, and create good jobs across the country. The urgency to extend funding for programs like the Canada Greener Homes Initiative is real, but so is the need to evolve. As governments look to secure the loan program's future, they should ensure it's structured to deliver on its full potential — not just enabling action, but helping Canadians take the right steps, in the right order. Future programs should also focus on comprehensive deep retrofits for social, below-market housing, especially low–rise, multi–unit residential buildings (MURBs) built in the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s. Canada needs to protect this particular type of housing segment from declining in condition and number. Markets will respond if retrofit programs are adjusted in simple, strategic ways. To scale deep retrofits, we need a stronger business case — one that highlights more than just energy savings. These upgrades improve health, boost resilience during extreme weather, reduce insurance risks and lower household costs. Heat pumps are efficient, but they aren't deep retrofits on their own. Federal, provincial and municipal governments — as well as utilities — must rethink their programs. That means redesigning or adding offerings that support the full sequence of upgrades. Only then can we help homeowners make smarter choices and reach our climate goals. Betsy Agar is director of buildings policy at Efficiency Canada.
Global News
an hour ago
- Global News
Public safety minister asks officials to ‘screen' him from conflict of interest
Public Safety Minister Gary Anandasangaree has stepped back from national security decisions related to the 'Tamil community,' he has acknowledged in a statement to Global News. The announcement from the minister leading the government's initiative to secure Canada's borders amidst U.S. pressure gave little detail on what he has deemed off limits or why. But it came after Global News asked questions about his past actions and statements, some of which could put him at odds with the work of the border and national security agencies he now oversees. The statement sent by the minister's office late Thursday said Anandasangaree and his family were Tamil-Canadians, and he had been a lifelong advocate for that community. 'In an abundance of caution, and to ensure that there is no perception of any conflict, I have asked Public Safety officials to implement a screen on any national security issues relating to the Tamil community,' the minister said. Story continues below advertisement 'In all national security decisions, my upmost concern is the safety of Canadians. I will support law enforcement and national security agencies who do their work impartially, and effectively,' he said. A conflict of interest screen is a preventive compliance measure mutually agreed upon by a politician and the Ethics Commissioner. It aims to help MPs avoid conflicts of interest. It consists of a statement in which an elected official agrees 'to abstain from any discussions, decisions, debate or votes concerning the matter that forms the subject of the conflict of interest,' according to the Commissioner's website. 'A screen also seeks to minimize the possibility of conflicts arising between the public duties of the public office holder and their private interests or those of their relatives and friends.' But it likely means the minister will have no say in what has been a key area for the national security agencies in his portfolio. Anandasangaree came to Canada from Sri Lanka in 1983 and was a Tamil community activist, realtor and lawyer before becoming a Liberal MP in Scarborough, Ont. in 2015. His father, from whom he is estranged, was the leader of a Tamil political party in Sri Lanka, where a civil war between Tamil Tigers separatist rebels and government forces erupted in 1983. Story continues below advertisement After the war ended in 2009, Anandasangaree helped hundreds of Sri Lankan migrants who had paid human smugglers to ferry them to Canada's West Coast on board the ships MV Ocean Lady and MV Sun Sea. When the Sun Sea was heading for Canadian waters, he 'supervised the preparation of an injunction in the event Canada blocked the entry' of the ship, according to his LinkedIn page. Get daily National news Get the day's top news, political, economic, and current affairs headlines, delivered to your inbox once a day. Sign up for daily National newsletter Sign Up By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy The Associated Press reported that he said those on board would have legitimate refugee claims even if some were members of Sri Lanka's Tamil Tigers rebel group. He and his wife have also been critical of Canada's national security agencies, particularly when it comes to their handling of issues related to Tamil refugees from Sri Lanka. As an MP in 2020, Anandasangaree accused the Canada Border Services Agency and RCMP of 'intimidation and constant harassment' of the Sun Sea migrants. Both agencies now report to him. 2:03 Carney, Trump in direct trade and security talks With President Donald Trump waging a trade war he has justified partly over concerns about border security, Prime Minister Mark Carney has tasked Anandasangaree with hardening Canada's frontiers. Story continues below advertisement On June 3, Anandasangaree announced new legislation to 'strengthen border and immigration security' and 'combat illegal migration,' partly through expanded maritime patrols. Asked by Global News about his credibility to secure the borders given his past work with the passengers of the human smuggling ships, he responded that he had a history of 'supporting and working' with refugees. 'So I do believe I have the credibility to talk about issues at our border, those who come to Canada by irregular means,' he said at a news conference in Ottawa on Tuesday. 'There is a moment in history right now where we have the opportunity to respond to some of the concerns that exist with Canada, but also with the United States, and those are the steps that we're taking today.' But former CBSA officer Kelly Sundberg questioned whether the minister was the right person to lead a crackdown on those who flout Canada's borders. At a time Canada needs to reassure the Trump administration it is serious about border security, Anandasangaree's past could become an issue, he said. Sundberg said he was concerned the U.S. could interpret Carney's pick of public safety minister as a sign his government isn't really serious about the border. 'It's just the wrong guy to do it,' said Sundberg, a criminology professor at Calgary's Mount Royal University. 'Read the room.' Story continues below advertisement Many activists and lawyers help those seeking refuge in Canada. Anandasangaree is now minister of the agencies responsible for screening migrants like those he once advocated for, and deporting those who are rejected. Sri Lanka also remains a recurring topic for the national security agencies charged with ensuring that those seeking to live in Canada are not security risks or members of terrorist groups. The minister is additionally responsible for Canada's list of terrorist entities, which currently includes the Tamil Tigers, also known as the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam, or LTTE. Also on the list is the World Tamil Movement, the Toronto-based front organization that raised millions for the LTTE, partly through intimidation and extortion of Canadian Tamils. But in 2000, Toronto Now quoted Anandasangaree saying that the harassment was overblown. 'The real issue is the media attack on the community,' he reportedly said. In his statement to Global News, Anandasangaree said that during his decade as an MP he had never asked agencies to remove any groups from the terrorist list. 'Canadians have confidence in their national security agencies, and as minister of public safety I will preserve and protect that confidence,' he said. 0:35 New border bill has elements 'that will strengthen' Canada-U.S. relationship: Anandasangaree According to his LinkedIn, when the human smuggling vessel MV Ocean Lady reached the B.C. coast in 2009, Anandasangaree met with 74 of the 76 migrants on board and coordinated their release from detention. Story continues below advertisement The following year, he flew to B.C. when the MV Sun Sea arrived and was the 'first lawyer permitted to individually advise most of the 492 arrivals,' his LinkedIn page indicates. He was the 'principal coordinator for a global community response to the arrival' of the refugee claimants, and intervened in cases that 'had broader social concerns.' The ships sailed from Thailand but those on board were originally from Sri Lanka, and the incident raised national security concerns for Canada due to fears that LTTE members fleeing the aftermath of the war could be on board. A handful of them were linked to the LTTE by Canadian immigration officials and the RCMP, but many were civilians and children. His LinkedIn page also says he is married to Harini Sivalingam, an activist and lawyer who has written critically about the arrival of the ships in 'white settler society,' as well as the government's decision to outlaw the LTTE and its primary fundraising front office. 'I am proud of Harini's work to defend and protect rights and freedoms for marginalized and vulnerable communities in Canada and abroad,' the minister said in a statement to Global News.
Toronto Star
3 hours ago
- Toronto Star
Many Canadians losing confidence in future of trade relationship with U.S.: Poll
OTTAWA - Almost two in five Canadians say recent court rulings in the U.S., and the ongoing legal battle over President Donald Trump's tariffs, have made them feel less confident in the future of trade relations, a new poll suggests. The poll suggests that 38 per cent of Canadians say they feel less confident now about the future of Canada-U.S. trade as well as trade between the U.S. and other countries.
