Canada short 13,000 troops, but U.S. military ties are ‘solid,' top soldier says
The Canadian Armed Forces is still short some 13,000 troops, but top soldier Gen. Jennie Carignan says the military is working to modernize the recruitment process to boost those numbers. Carignan also said despite recent tensions, Canada-U.S. military ties are 'solid.'
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CTV News
9 minutes ago
- CTV News
'People being on the street, people living here': Richmond Row office building is being converted to apartments
The city partnered with Farhi holdings to turn Richmond Row office space into apartments, reports CTV's Gerry Dewan. The city partnered with Farhi holdings to turn Richmond Row office space into apartments, reports CTV's Gerry Dewan. London's mayor Josh Morgan announced a new office-to-residential conversion on Tuesday. It's the city's third such project for the city, this one a partnership with Farhi Holdings. Work is already underway at 685 Richmond Street where they are taking almost 32,000 square feet of office space and converting it into 41 residential units that will house approximately 80 people. 060325 - housing Third office-to-residential project announced by the city. (Gerry Dewan/CTV News London) According to Morgan, 'In the long run, people being on the street, people living here, are what supports the businesses in the area.' The offices in the four-storey building have been mostly empty for five years. Total office vacancy rates in the downtown have reached about 32 per cent, according to analysis from CBRE Limited. Morgan says the office conversions address three issues -- office vacancies, the demand for affordable housing and the goal of maintaining a vibrant downtown core. 'The people who are going to live in this building are going to walk out the doors to support the businesses and the downtown core. They're going to have opportunities to work in the downtown core as well,' said Morgan. 060325 - housing Third office-to-residential project announced by the city. (Gerry Dewan/CTV News London) Ilias Korakianitis and his family members operate Dimi's Greek House, an eatery located close to where the conversion is taking place. He told those gathered for the announcement that having more downtown residents, along with increased policing and street maintenance, could bring significant improvements to the core. 'If we want downtown to come back to life, we need leadership. We need support, and we need urgent action,' he said. Farhi Holdings owner Shmuel Farhi says the conversions also prevent buildings from falling to the wrecking ball. 'Every building we adapt saves tons of concrete, glass, steel from the landfill,' said Farhi. The city has provided economic incentives amounting to about $35,000 per residential unit. Farhi told CTV News incentives are necessary because the conversions aren't easy or cheap, pointing to the heating system as one example. 'The heating that was for an office wasn't conducive to heating for residential. So that's another million dollars that we have to put there,' he said. 060325 - housing Third office-to-residential project announced by the city. (Gerry Dewan/CTV News London) Morgan said the money comes from the $85 million Housing Accelerator Fund which is supported with money from the federal government. He said more downtown residential conversions are coming, including a proposed 35 storey tower planned for the southwest corner of Oxford and Richmond, where retailer Urban Outfitters was once located. That project is being spearheaded by Toronto developer Fitzrovia Real Estate.
Globe and Mail
15 minutes ago
- Globe and Mail
National strategy to fight wildfires needed, fire chiefs say
Raging wildfires that have forced mass evacuations and triggered states of emergency in two Canadian provinces have led to renewed calls for a federal agency responsible for fire management and emergency co-ordination. The Canadian Association of Fire Chiefs has advocated for a national fire administration for close to a decade, its calls increasing in urgency after the country experienced its most destructive wildfire season on record in 2023. 'The significant increase of wildfires in Canada has continued to remind us of the importance of not stopping, and not giving up this effort,' CAFC president Ken McMullen said in an interview on Tuesday. 'In fact, these fires remind us that the importance of this increases every day.' Thousands of hotel rooms opened for wildfire evacuees from Western Canada The association, which represents about 3,200 fire departments across Canada, has had productive conversations with former ministers of emergency preparedness Bill Blair and Harjit Sajjan, who, along with former prime minister Justin Trudeau, had acknowledged a need for some sort of a national disaster response agency. However, with the 2025 wildfire season well under way, Canada remains one of the few G7 countries without such an agency. This week, Mr. McMullen's association wrote to federal party leaders, their top aides and key ministries, reiterating its call to co-ordinate fire-related matters through a national fire administration. It has not yet received a reply. The Ministry of Emergency Management and Community Resilience did not respond to a request from The Globe and Mail for comment on Tuesday. In the U.S., the Federal Emergency Management Agency co-ordinates the federal response to all types of large-scale disasters, working with states, Tribal Nations and territories. The U.S. Fire Administration operates within FEMA and focuses on fire prevention, education, research and training. Wildfire smoke map: Which parts of Canada are under air quality warnings? Currently, provinces and territories are primarily responsible for their own wildfire management, with support from the federal government. The Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Centre co-ordinates firefighting resources for wildland fire management agencies in Canada and internationally, handling requests for additional personnel, equipment, aircraft, information and expertise. Ali Asgary, a professor of disaster and emergency management at York University in Toronto, said current arrangements are neither sufficient nor efficient in managing or responding to multiple and multiprovincial emergencies across Canada. 'The existing level of support often comes too late, and not up to the tasks at hand, since the personnel are not trained for such tasks, and the required resources are not organized and distributed well for an immediate and rapid response,' he said. A Canadian FEMA-like organization would enable local governments 'to do more and better with their limited resources, and benefit from an economy of scale that saves a lot when such resources are available to all provinces.' Mike Flannigan, a professor of wildland fire at Thompson Rivers University in Kamloops, B.C., said Canada would benefit from a federal firefighting force that can deploy quickly and proactively – based on fire weather forecasts – under a unified command, without the jurisdictional issues of the current approach. 'Right now when you make the call, there will be three days before you see that firefighter, that pump, that hose, that helicopter on the fire line,' he said. 'Many times, that's three days too late.' Prof. Flannigan noted that while some wildland firefighting agencies – such as those in B.C. and Alberta – are moving toward pro-active resource deployment, the changing climate requires Canada take a more comprehensive approach. Mr. McMullen, the CAFC president, noted that the role of a national fire administration would reach far beyond wildfire response and prevention. As cities grappling with housing shortages mull building code changes to allow for single-stairwell apartments, for example, the office could provide a high-level subject matter expert on fire safety issues. A national fire administration could also advise on federal policy such as that involving electric vehicles and lithium ion batteries, climate adaptation and the transportation of dangerous goods, he said.
Globe and Mail
15 minutes ago
- Globe and Mail
Some wildfire evacuees are leaving their First Nation for first time ever, chief says
Globe Events Tickets now on sale On June 9th, The Globe will present INTERSECT/25, where business leaders and policy experts will come together to propose the paths to a more prosperous Canada.
