Why Canadian academics are being urged not to travel to the U.S.
The Canadian Association of University Teachers is advising professors to avoid non-essential travel to the U.S. because of the current political landscape. Association president Robin Whitaker says academics on both sides of the border are affected.
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Globe and Mail
29 minutes ago
- Globe and Mail
Mayors in border communities call on Ottawa to boost support for duty-free shops
A group representing Canadian land border duty-free stores has released an open letter signed by 15 mayors from border communities, calling on Ottawa to provide more support for the shops. The strain on the Canada-U.S. relationship has led to a drop in border traffic, and the stores are struggling to stay afloat as a result, said Barbara Barrett, executive director of the Frontier Duty Free Association. The shops had previously faced down the COVID-19 pandemic, she said. Drew Dilkens, the mayor of Windsor, Ont., said that duty-free shops in his region are seeing a 40-per-cent drop in sales. The letter also says that many stores are reporting revenue losses of 60 per cent to 80 per cent in just the past few weeks. The letter urges the federal government to provide immediate liquidity for the hardest-hit stores; to issue a ministerial directive that would reaffirm the export status and remove regulatory uncertainty; and to align excise tax policy with the export status so stores can fairly compete with their U.S. counterparts. How a Canadian suit maker got slammed by Trump's China tariffs Ms. Barrett said they would need to figure out the specific details of the liquidity ask, but she pointed out that the industry is small and 'we don't need much.' Mike Bradley, the mayor of Sarnia, Ont., said 3,000 jobs at independently owned duty-free stores across Canada are at stake. 'The message is very, very simple – this is a crisis,' he said. 'This is not a fat cat industry. The people we've spoken to who have these particular operations across this country are ordinary working people who live in their community, employ people in their community, and give back to their community.' Finance Minister François-Philippe Champagne's office did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Globe and Mail
29 minutes ago
- Globe and Mail
Quebec and Newfoundland's new energy deal sends strong message to U.S., Hydro‑Québec CEO says
The chief executive of Hydro‑Québec says a sweeping new energy deal with Newfoundland and Labrador Hydro is a signal to the United States that Canada can get 'big things done.' Michael Sabia was in St. John's, N.L., Tuesday, where he pitched the draft deal as a turning point in Quebec's relationship with Newfoundland and Labrador, and a step toward Canada becoming an 'energy superpower.' 'Let's be clear: Canada is under threat,' Sabia told a room full of representatives from Newfoundland and Labrador's energy industry. 'This is a time of real economic and political uncertainty. It's a time when Canadians need to work together to build the future,' he said. 'Ultimately, that's what this deal is about. It's about building now to secure Canada's energy future.' Sabia was speaking to the crowd at a conference held by Energy N.L., Newfoundland and Labrador's energy industry association. He was joined on stage by Jennifer Williams, president and chief executive of Newfoundland and Labrador Hydro. The two discussed an agreement in principle announced last year that would end a contract signed in 1969 that allows Hydro‑Québec to buy the lion's share of the energy from the Churchill Falls hydroelectric plant at prices far below market value. The contract has long been a source of bitterness in Canada's easternmost province. The new arrangement would end the contentious deal 16 years early and see Hydro‑Québec pay for more power while developing new projects with Newfoundland and Labrador Hydro along the Churchill River. Newfoundland and Labrador would also get more power from Churchill Falls. The memorandum of understanding has its critics. The Opposition Progressive Conservatives have been uneasy with the draft deal, demanding the Liberal government have it independently reviewed. The party also called for a halt to ongoing negotiations of final contracts, saying a proposed national energy corridor could bring better opportunities. Some in Newfoundland and Labrador have also wondered if Hydro‑Québec can be trusted and whether the province will truly get enough value for its resources. 'Show me a deal where there hasn't ever been skeptics,' Williams challenged when asked about those who have criticisms. Sabia addressed the tangled history of the provinces several times and said repeatedly that the new arrangement was 'balanced' and served the needs of both Newfoundland and Labrador and Quebec. Both sides made concessions, he said, adding that the deal contained items neither side wanted. He refused to elaborate on what those were. Sabia said the agreement is the 'single most important signal we can send to the United States right now,' as long as it goes ahead as planned. Williams agreed the proposed projects need to proceed smoothly and quickly, repeating 'rigour and speed are not incompatible.' Both said they were heartened by signs from Prime Minister Mark Carney that he would speed up project approvals. Williams touted the deal's promised economic benefits, which includes $17 billion in revenue to the provincial treasury by 2041. Newfoundland and Labrador expects to be carrying a net debt of $19.4 billion by the end of the current fiscal year. 'We have to take this opportunity now,' Williams told reporters after the event. 'If we don't, something this momentous may not come again for a very long time, and who will we have to blame? We have got to take this moment on.' Officials hope to have final agreements hammered out next year. In the meantime, preliminary topographic and soil studies are expected to begin in Labrador this summer, Sabia said.
CBC
31 minutes ago
- CBC
Ottawa's new central library Ᾱdisōke could face delays
Library on LeBreton Flats is still scheduled to open next summer Ottawa's new central library is nearing completion, but there are fresh concerns that its anticipated opening next summer could be delayed. During a construction update before the city's finance and corporate services committee Tuesday, project manager Tara Blasioli showed off the building's completed exterior, including its roof of sweeping curves and complex angles. "This is not your traditional construction," Blasioli told councillors on the committee. "One of the things we wanted to achieve with this building is openness, airiness, a lot of warmth, so that is certainly taking a lot of time." Given the complexity of the interior work that needs to be finished, including custom-made fixtures, furniture and art installations, she said there could be delays. "We want to make sure it's done well and we want to take our time with it," Blasioli said, stressing the work is being completed as quickly as possible. "There is a pressure, it's all hands on deck, but everybody wants to work together to recover that time and find strategies to mitigate further delays." Project pegged at $334M Ᾱdisōke (pronounced AW-de-SO-keh) means "storytelling" in the Anishinābemowin Algonquin language. Both the new library's name and its design grew from a collaboration with nearby First Nations Kitigan Zibi Anishinabeg and the Algonquins of Pikwakanagan. The project, which is a collaboration with Library and Archives Canada, is being funded by both the municipal and federal governments. It's expected to cost nearly $334 million, up from $192 million four years ago, with $27 million set aside for furniture, fixtures and other equipment. It will have a heritage workshop dedicated to Library and Archives Canada with rare collections, a retail space, main floor café, a kitchen space on the fifth floor, a gift shop and of course thousands upon thousands of books. Integrated solar panels on the building's exterior will generate about 10 per cent of the library's energy needs, while natural light and warm wood will bring "the feeling of nature inside the facility," Blasioli said. As Canada's trade war with the U.S. drags on, Coun. Riley Brockington wanted to know if a "buy Canadian" policy was in place for the library's furniture. "As much as possible, we do want to buy Canadian," Blasioli told reporters later. "We're not allowed to limit or restrict bidders that are only Canadian, but we'll endeavour to look at those opportunities." Another update on the the library's construction is scheduled for the fall.
