Ottawa sides with CRTC to boost competitor access to fibre networks
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In a landmark decision announced late Wednesday evening, Joly sided with the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission's (CRTC) after it decided to allow for greater competition on existing networks for high-speed Internet services across the country.
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The CRTC authorized Canada's three major telecommunications companies to resell fibre optics to Internet service providers (ISPs) on their respective networks.
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This decision means, for example, that Telus, which is strong in Western Canada, can use other providers' networks to attract thousands of customers in Ontario and Quebec instead of building its own infrastructure.
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'By immediately increasing competition and consumer choice, the CRTC's decision aims to reduce the cost of high-speed Internet for Canadians and will contribute toward our broader mandate to bring down costs across the board,' said Joly in a statement.
The August 2024 decision, confirmed in June 2025 by the regulator, was based on extensive expert consultation, and the CRTC received more than 300 public comments.
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'This decision… sends a strong signal to consumers, businesses and investors that the Canadian regulatory system is robust, transparent and effective in balancing the needs of stakeholders, and enabling government policy,' said Telus President and CEO Darren Entwistle.
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The CRTC recently said that 'several thousand Canadian households' are already benefiting from new plans offered by 'dozens of providers that are using the access enabled by the Final Decision.'
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'Changing course now would reverse the benefits of this increased competition and would prevent more Canadians from having new choices of ISPs in the future,' wrote the CRTC in its June 20 decision.
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Telus has been lobbying lawmakers for over a year and even launched a petition that garnered over 300,000 signatures in support of the regulator's decision.
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Entwistle signalled that his company is 'passionately committed to building national infrastructure and technology for the benefit of consumers, and the productivity and innovation of our private and public sectors.'
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However, key players like Bell, Rogers and Cogeco aren't thrilled about it. Many companies had been challenging the decision and asked cabinet to review it.
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Winnipeg Free Press
33 minutes ago
- Winnipeg Free Press
AI-powered personal finance is here: for better and for worse
Opinion Financial advice at your fingertips is by no means a new innovation. Yet with the rise of artificial intelligence, getting insights about your money has been taken to new heights of potential benefit — and dangers. 'There is a lot of upside to using AI, especially for budgeting, and it's often good as a first draft for anything you want to do,' says Monisha Sharma, Toronto-based chief revenue officer at Fig Financial, which provides consolidation, home improvement and unsecured loans. Fig has some insight on AI's benefits. The fintech company leverages AI technology to make loans quickly to Canadians, but its use case is contained to Fig's own specific data to ensure a low error rate. When generative AI tools like ChatGPT are used by consumers to search for answers to their questions about personal finance, 'it's by no means perfect,' she adds. Yet AI-driven insight and advice is likely to get much better in the years — maybe even months — to come. A 2024 study by MIT's Laboratory for Financial Engineering suggests that AI already shows potential in providing good financial advice. Yet it still has challenges ensuring the advice is based on correct information. Overall, the research points to how, with the right data and protective guardrails, generative AI could be pretty good at providing financial advice. Just don't blindly trust it. That said, blind trust in finance is a bad idea with human experts too. By now, anyone who has used the AI tools — Google's Gemini, Microsoft's CoPilot, Perplexity, among many others — understands what a 'hallucination' is. These fabricated errors produced from generative AI models range from rates of less than one per cent to close to 30 per cent, depending on the search engine, according to one study from early August. When it comes to your money, a hallucination could prove costly. 'A lot of people focus on the pros and forget about the cons,' says Jessica Moorhouse, financial counsellor and bestselling author of Everything but money: The Hidden Barriers Between You and Financial Freedom in Toronto. The stakes are higher with finances, more complicated and nuanced than, by comparison, meal planning, she adds. 'It's unlikely that ChatGPT is going to give you a recipe that is super unhealthy, but when it comes to using AI for money management advice, you have to be cautious.' That said, a lot of Canadians are using generative AI searches to provide them with money know-how. One BMO study from last year found that a third of respondents use it for their finances, though mostly for financial literacy, and the younger you are, the more likely you're going to use it. AI can be a truly valuable personal finance tool if you remember its limitations, says Christi Posner, a Winnipeg-based fintech strategist helping financial companies develop AI tools for personal finance. 'The beauty of gen-AI is that you can talk to it like you text a friend, and it turns complex topics into something you can understand fast,' she says, noting the algorithmically driven software 'learns' from potentially hundreds of millions of documents on a variety of subjects that it can access. It excels at building budgets, discovering savings and investing strategies, while explaining complex financial concepts in plain language. It can even tell you, based on your savings, age and forecast retirement date, whether you're on track to reach your goal. 'AI makes money choices easier,' says the former debt counsellor, who understands well the impact of emotionally driven poor choices. 'From comparing mortgage options to meal planning, AI can simplify the hardest parts of money management.' That includes helping individuals find the best deals on travel, which another recent study found. The research by Adyen, a payment services provider, found a third of respondents are using it to help with travel decisions. 'We found it's used mostly to build a personalized travel itinerary,' says Sander Meijers, Canada country manager at Adyen in Toronto. He's used it himself when on vacation for finding suitable activities for his kids. 'What might take me a couple of hours to plan, maybe, takes seconds.' Still, the study found people still prefer the human touch — like getting one-the-ground advice from a hotel concierge. Similarly, it's difficult to replace the human mind and its ability for nuance required for personalized financial advice because of the emotions that often factor into them. 'It's tempting to let AI figure it out for you, but financial planning has emotional and behavioural components that AI can't handle,' Posner says. Monday Mornings The latest local business news and a lookahead to the coming week. It can draft a budget, but it can't make you stick to it. It can point to places where you can cut expenses, but it does not know which ones bring joy to your family, Posner adds. But it does make learning about money more approachable. 'People's financial lives are deeply personal, and talking about money can be scary,' she says. 'AI takes away the fear and stigma about money and debt, and provides a non-judgmental starting point.' Joel Schlesinger is a Winnipeg-based freelance journalist joelschles@
Winnipeg Free Press
33 minutes ago
- Winnipeg Free Press
Singer's upcoming performance controversial
As of this writing, Sean Feucht — the controversial right-wing and pro-Trump evangelical Christian worship leader — is still slated to perform in Winnipeg on Aug. 20. Originally, he was scheduled to play and preach in Central Park. But the city refused to issue him a permit after determining it was not feasible due to the large number of people (2,000) Feucht claimed would be there. In denying him a permit, Winnipeg joined other cities across Canada that either refused him a permit or cancelled previously-issued permissions to play in public parks and other settings due to his anti-COCID lockdown, anti-Black Lives Matter and anti-LGBTTQ+ rhetoric. Jose Luis Magana / The Associated Press files Christian musician Sean Feucht sings during a rally at the National Mall in Washington, Oct. 25, 2020. In those other locations, Feucht found private places to play and preach — which is his right, just as people in this country have a right to invite him to perform. He might do the same in Winnipeg, too. While his visit has prompted a lot of media attention, this is not the first time the controversial singer has been to Canada. He sang and preached in Edmonton in 2022 and Calgary, Vancouver and Ottawa in 2023. But his presence back then didn't generate much in the way of media attention. There are a number of worrisome aspects to Feucht's visit, including how some might be tempted to lump Canadian evangelicals together with his brand of evangelical Christianity. In fact, he is quite unlike the majority of evangelical Christians in this country. Although it's true that most Canadian evangelicals lean towards the Conservative Party, many others vote Liberal and NDP. They are not at all like their co-religionists in the U.S., where about 80 per cent of evangelicals voted for Donald Trump. In fact, I suspect most Canadian evangelicals would be very uncomfortable with Feucht's in-your-face style. That's not how the vast majority would conduct themselves in public. It's also worth noting that, as far I can tell, Feucht was not invited to Canada by any Canadian group. He says he was 'sent' to Canada to bring his message, although he doesn't say who sent him. He seems to have decided to come here all on his own. Before deciding to come, it might have helped if Feucht had done some homework about Canada. If he had, he would have discovered that Canada's culture and context is not at all like the U.S. While his Fox News style views may be acceptable to many in the U.S., they are not welcome by most people here — just like Trump's talk of Canada being the 51st state is off-putting to the vast majority of Canadians. What Feucht also gets wrong is assuming what's true for him as a Christian in the U.S. must be true all over the world. It's the worst kind of American hubris, the kind that drives the rest of us crazy. If he had done a bit of research, Feucht would realize his not being persecuted for his faith or beliefs. It's because of how he shares them. That's not how Canadians like to talk to each other over difficult and challenging subjects. For proof, consider that many religious groups are also opposed to abortion and have views on LGBTTQ+ that are different from the majority of Canadians. But nobody calls for their services to be cancelled or prevents them from holding public rallies, even though they might attract protestors. And why is that? It's because unlike Feucht, most religious groups in Canada that hold positions contrary to public opinion are respectful in sharing their views (even if a few on the fringe might be shrill in trying to force those minority views on others). So where does this leave us? First, the uproar over Feucht should remind Canadian religious groups about the importance of respectful dialogue and active listening when it comes to difficult and controversial issues. Everyone has a right to our opinions, as long as they don't venture into the area of hate, but we also have an obligation to hear each other and find ways to live together peacefully in this land. Sundays Kevin Rollason's Sunday newsletter honouring and remembering lives well-lived in Manitoba. Second, Feucht may believe he is coming to bring 'revival' to Canada, but the opposite will likely happen. Sure, there may be a few Christians who like what he says. But research consistently shows that one of the main reasons people leave Christianity is due to the harsh, judgemental, anti-LGBTTQ+ and pro-Trump positions taken by many evangelical Christians in the U.S. — the same ones that Feucht touts and represents. His coming, in other words, may cause more people to decide against Christianity than to be interested in it. But maybe Feucht's coming to Canada will end up being a gift to Christians in this country, in a backwards sort of way by causing them to reflect on the best ways to show faith to others. Is it to be loud and brash, or is it best to quietly be of service in their communities? I think most will choose the latter. And his visit could prompt Christians in Canada to ask if Feucht doesn't represent what faith looks like to them, then what does a Canadian version of Christianity looks like? If that happens, then maybe his visit, and all the negative media attention it produced, will be worth it. faith@ The Free Press is committed to covering faith in Manitoba. If you appreciate that coverage, help us do more! Your contribution of $10, $25 or more will allow us to deepen our reporting about faith in the province. Thanks! BECOME A FAITH JOURNALISM SUPPORTER John LonghurstFaith reporter John Longhurst has been writing for Winnipeg's faith pages since 2003. He also writes for Religion News Service in the U.S., and blogs about the media, marketing and communications at Making the News. Read full biography Our newsroom depends on a growing audience of readers to power our journalism. If you are not a paid reader, please consider becoming a subscriber. Our newsroom depends on its audience of readers to power our journalism. Thank you for your support.
Winnipeg Free Press
an hour ago
- Winnipeg Free Press
Were you planning to fly Air Canada? What you need to know about the strike
Air Canada flights are cancelled after thousands of flight attendants began a strike early Saturday morning. The company says the work stoppage means all Air Canada and Air Canada Rouge flights would be cancelled amid the work stoppage. Around 130,000 customers will be affected each day that the strike continues. For summer travellers worried about what this means for their plans, here's what you need to know. Has a strike started? Yes. More than 10,000 flight attendants working for Air Canada have walked off the job. The Air Canada component of the Canadian Union of Public Employees said the two sides were unable to reach a deal before the 12:58 a.m. ET deadline on Saturday. Will all Air Canada flights be cancelled? The work stoppage affects Air Canada's main operations and Air Canada Rouge. Air Canada began a gradual suspension of flights in advance of the strike deadline to allow an orderly shutdown leading up to Saturday. More than 600 flights were cancelled affecting 100,100 customers. Flight attendants working for Jazz and PAL, which operate Air Canada Express flights, are not part of the strike. Flights under those banners will continue to operate as normal. What should I know about my upcoming flight? Air Canada has said it will notify customers via email and text message if their flights have been cancelled. The airline has said passengers whose flights are cancelled will be offered a full refund or the opportunity to change their travel plans without a fee. The company also said it has made arrangements with other Canadian and foreign carriers to provide customers with alternative travel options to the extent possible. That includes passengers whose itineraries change mid-journey. 'However, given other carriers are already very full due to the summer travel peak, securing such capacity will take time and, in many cases, will not be immediately possible,' it said. Air Canada said it strongly advises affected customers not to go to the airport unless they have a confirmed ticket on an airline other than Air Canada or Air Canada Rouge. For customers due to travel soon whose flights are not yet cancelled, Air Canada said it will allow them to rebook their travel or obtain a credit for future travel. The airline has cautioned that under Canada's Airline Passenger Protection Regulations, customers are not eligible for compensation for delayed or cancelled flights, meals, hotels for situations outside the carrier's control, such as a strike or lockout. How did we get here? The two sides have been in contract talks since the start of the year, but concluded a conciliation process without reaching a deal. On July 28, the union's strike mandate vote kicked off. It wrapped Aug. 5, with CUPE announcing its members voted 99.7 per cent in favour of a strike mandate. At first, both sides seemed optimistic they could avoid a work stoppage despite the strong strike mandate. They returned to the bargaining table on Aug. 8. But on Tuesday, Air Canada said it had reached an 'impasse' in negotiations with the union as the two sides were 'far apart' on key issues. The union told its members that the company 'decided they no longer want to negotiate.' CUPE rejected a proposal by Air Canada to enter a binding arbitration process. That would have suspended the union's right to strike, as well as Air Canada's right to lock out union members. While Air Canada argued there was precedent to go that route, CUPE said it preferred to negotiate a contract that its members could then vote on. The union issued a strike notice hours after talks broke down, while Air Canada issued a 72-hour lockout notice. The parties weren't able to reach a deal in the days that followed as both accused one another of not wanting to negotiate. Air Canada has requested government-directed arbitration to end the dispute, however Jobs Minister Patty Hajdu has not said whether Ottawa will oblige. What is this dispute all about? The union has said its main sticking points revolve around what it calls flight attendants' 'poverty wages' and unpaid labour when planes aren't in the air. It told members it has put forward a proposal seeking cost of living enhancements each year, with a catch-up 'to where we should be at for 2025.' CUPE said entry-level Air Canada flight attendants' wages have increased 10 per cent, or $3 per hour, over the past 25 years, which has been far outpaced by inflation. Monday Mornings The latest local business news and a lookahead to the coming week. It also said flight attendants are not paid 'for a significant portion of their time on the job,' such as when performing safety checks, attending to onboard medical and safety emergencies, and assisting passengers with boarding and deplaning. Air Canada said its latest offer included 38 per cent total compensation increases over four years, including 25 per cent in the first year. It said that proposal also addressed the issue of ground pay, improved pensions and benefits, increased crew rest and other enhancements to work-life balance. The airline said that offer would make its flight attendants the best compensated in Canada. But it said the union submitted a counter-offer 'seeking exorbitant increases beyond those presented in earlier submissions.' This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 16, 2025. Companies in this story: (TSX:AC)
