Canada continues to fall behind on building up EV charging network: experts
There are a little more than 35,000 charging stations across the country right now — well short of the 100,520 Canada needs to meet its policy goals for electric vehicles, researchers with the Montreal-based consultancy Dunsky Energy and Climate said in a report released last year.
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Winnipeg Free Press
4 hours ago
- Winnipeg Free Press
Anand says Indo-Pacific strategy will have economic focus but maintain values
OTTAWA – Foreign Affairs Minister Anita Anand says the economy is becoming the primary focus of Canada's relationships in the Indo-Pacific — a shift that appears linked to Canada's recent moves to overcome its security dispute with India. Anand was in Japan and Malaysia this week for her first trip to the region since taking over as foreign minister in May. Her message coming out of that trip was that Canada's foreign policy is shifting — though not abandoning — the priorities set by the previous Liberal government of former prime minister Justin Trudeau. 'It is important for us to revisit our policy — not only in the Indo-Pacific but generally speaking — to ensure that we are focusing not only on the values that we have historically adhered to,' Anand said Thursday in a teleconference from Malaysia. 'Foreign policy is an extension of domestic interest and particularly domestic economic interests. This is a time when the global economy is under stress.' The Trudeau government put language on environmental protection, labour standards and gender equality in its trade agreements. Goldy Hyder, head of the Business Council of Canada, said that made Canada appear 'a bit preachy' to other countries. He said Canada has to be respectful in the way it stands up for democratic values. A focus on the economy is quickly becoming a defining trait of the government of Prime Minister Mark Carney, a former central banker who is intent on building up Canada's domestic capacity and reshaping its trade and security plans to rely less on the United States. Carney has been mostly focused on Europe so far; he has visited the continent three times since March. Anand's visit this week 'sets the stage' for Carney's planned visits this fall to the Association of South East Asian Nations leaders' summit in Malaysia and the APEC forum in South Korea, said Vina Nadjibulla, research vice-president for the Asia Pacific Foundation. Anand visited Tokyo to sign an information-sharing agreement that could lead to defence procurement deals, before heading to Malaysia for a meeting of the Association of South East Asian Nations, or ASEAN. Her visit also comes as Canada tries to restore ties with India after two years of diplomatic chill following the 2023 shooting death of Sikh activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar near Vancouver — a crime Ottawa linked to agents of the Indian government. The RCMP said last year it had evidence of New Delhi playing a role in acts of homicide, coercion and extortion targeting multiple Sikh-Canadians. Canada subsequently expelled six senior Indian diplomats; New Delhi expelled six Canadian diplomats in response. India claims Canada is enabling a separatist movement that calls for a Sikh homeland — Khalistan — to be carved out of India, and calls that a violation of its sovereignty. Carney began to thaw the relationship in June. He invited Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi to the G7 summit in Alberta and the two leaders agreed to reinstate their high commissioners. The two countries are also starting security talks. As the world's most populous country, India is seen as a critical partner as Carney pushes to disentangle Canada from its heavy reliance on trade with the U.S. The two countries have engaged in on-and-off negotiations on a trade deal since 2010, with frequent pauses — including Ottawa's suspension of talks after the Nijjar assassination. Hyder said India's corporate sector has been urging Canadian corporations to continue expanding trade in spite of the tensions between Ottawa and New Delhi. 'One day this is all going to be resolved, and we don't want to have lost all that time,' he said. He said the reduced number of Canadian diplomats has made it more challenging for members of his council to engage in India, because there are fewer trade commissioners in India to help Canadians connect companies with contacts and opportunities on the ground. Hyder, who spoke just before leaving for a fact-finding mission to India, said the appointment of high commissioners will set the tone for eventual trade talks. He said a trade deal would be helpful but is not 'a precondition' for boosting trade, and suggested Ottawa should focus on scaling up the roads and ports needed to meet Asia's demand for Canadian commodities. Vijay Sappani, a fellow with the Macdonald-Laurier Institute, said an India trade deal could come quite soon. 'If we put in the right efforts on our end, I feel like we could probably get a free-trade agreement done before the end of this year, if not (the first quarter) of next year,' said Sappani. 'There is no Indo-Pacific without India, and if we want to play in the global markets, where we've been kind of shunned … then we need to step up to the plate.' Monday Mornings The latest local business news and a lookahead to the coming week. Sappani said Ottawa should seek assurances from India that it will never play a role in violence in Canada. In turn, he said, Ottawa could commit to not having politicians show up at any event where there are displays commemorating those who took part in violence in support of the Khalistan movement. 'That is the biggest thing that we Canadians can do to stop some level of irritants within the Indian side, and trade definitely will come on back on the table,' he said. Anand would not say how soon Canada and India could appoint top envoys, or start trade talks. 'We will take the relationship with India one step at a time,' she said Thursday. 'That timeline will be steady, not immediate.' This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 12, 2025.
CBC
16 hours ago
- CBC
Montreal public market teams up with community organizations to tackle food insecurity
Austin Ola-Daniels was making the most of his Saturday morning, browsing the stalls at his local farmer's market in east end Montreal. With a huge smile on his face, Ola-Daniels showed off his food coupon card — a recurring voucher provided to vulnerable people or families who are facing food insecurity. "I love this card, it's been so helpful to my family," Ola-Daniels said. The new Montrealer arrived with his family from Nigeria just one year ago. He says he uses his card to supplement his family's needs. The voucher system is part of a new program being offered at the Pointe-aux-Trembles Public Market in partnership with three local community organizations, each with a different clientele base, that will run all summer long. Ola-Daniels was referred by Aide aux Immigrants à Montréal, an organization that helps immigrants and refugees in the city. WATCH | This Montreal public market is using its services to support those in need: This Montreal public market is using its services to support those in need 17 minutes ago Duration 2:07 The Pointe-aux-Trembles Public Market, in partnership with community organizations, has started a program that will give nearly 100 households vouchers to use at the market for fresh produce. The voucher program allows those living in precarious situations to buy fresh food and produce without worrying about the cost using a prepaid, rechargeable card. Kate Johansson, the executive director of the Pointe-aux-Trembles Public Market, explained that the amount on the card varies according to household size, with single people getting $50 a month, a couple $75, and $100 for a family of three. Any household with more than four people gets $125 worth of goods per month. Ola-Daniels said he and his wife were astonished to be given a "credit card." "She was so happy," Ola-Daniels said of his wife, when he explained they could buy anything they wanted. For Johansson, that's what the food voucher program is about. She says giving people a choice of what they buy helps foster a sense of agency and dignity. "Most of the people that are coming here with the coupon program are from the food bank," Johansson said. "So they typically don't have the choice of their produce or any product that they have." Program expands to include 210 people from 95 different households The program started as a pilot project last year and served 50 households. Building on that success, it has now been expanded to include 210 people from 95 different households. The need for food assistance programs in the city, however, continues to grow as people struggle to make ends meet amid the rising cost of living and a housing crisis. In its 2024 Hunger Count, Moisson Montreal said community agencies in Montreal fulfilled close to one million requests for food assistance every month, in what it called an "alarming record." Food banks in the city have been vocal about feeling the strain and in many cases have had to turn people away. The food voucher program is seen locally as another alternative. "It's obviously not solving all the problems and the amount on the card is not enough to do a full grocery," Johansson said. "It's really just to complement the offer of the food bank." The summer program started last week and Ola-Daniels said he's bought some vegetables, bread and was even able to treat his children to some pizza from the market. "The pizza is, wow, good," he exclaimed, adding his kids were very appreciative. Ola-Daniels agreed with Johansson that the card helps with additional needs the family might have. "Without the voucher card maybe things we have at home are finished, then we have to use our own money to go and buy it back, but we are using the voucher card to get it," he said. "So it's an advantage for us." Organizers are hoping that one day there will be a universal food coupon program that can be used all year round at any farmers market in Quebec. Johansson said the initiative doesn't just help those facing food insecurity, but the community as a whole. It helps strengthen community ties by bringing together people in one place who wouldn't necessarily meet otherwise, she said.
Toronto Sun
18 hours ago
- Toronto Sun
DROVER: BUSTED! CBC caught trying to keep Canadians in the dark
The CBC/Radio Canada sign on the Canadian Broadcasting Corporations building in Vancouver is pictured on May 28, 2013. Photo by Gerry Kahrmann / Postmedia Network files The CBC just got caught trying to shut the courtroom doors on Canadians. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account. Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments. Enjoy additional articles per month. Get email updates from your favourite authors. THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments Enjoy additional articles per month Get email updates from your favourite authors Don't have an account? Create Account Yes, the same CBC that spent years preaching about transparency and the public's right to know. Now, when it suits them, they're the ones trying to keep journalists out of courtrooms. Last month, the state broadcaster lost a court battle to impose a publication ban on a misconduct hearing involving one of its own managers, as first reported by Blacklock's Reporter. The facts are simple: An independent workplace investigation found that a CBC producer harassed a colleague. He was suspended for a month without pay and his union filed a grievance. In return, the CBC tried to keep the whole thing secret. Thankfully, the Québec Superior Court was having none of it. 'The publicity of the proceedings is strongly presumed,' ruled Justice Ian Demers. 'The consequences of disclosure must outweigh any inconvenience, annoyance or embarrassment.' Your noon-hour look at what's happening in Toronto and beyond. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. Please try again This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Let's be clear: The CBC wanted to block rival reporters from covering a case that made the CBC look bad. That's not protecting privacy, that's protecting reputations. But the CBC's hypocrisy is staggering. This is the same broadcaster that fought to televise Supreme Court proceedings. The same broadcaster that once argued the open court principle is a cornerstone of democracy. But, when its own misconduct is on the line, the CBC suddenly wants a media blackout. Canadian taxpayers shouldn't have to put up with this. Taxpayers are forced to shell out more than $1 billion a year to the CBC — a media outlet that fewer and fewer Canadians actually watch. And instead of using that money to build trust with taxpayers, the CBC is doing the opposite. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Here at the Canadian Taxpayers Federation, we've spent years trying to figure out where your money is going. We've filed access to information requests asking basic questions: How much is the CBC spending on executive bonuses? How much money are they wasting on advertising? How much is being poured into public polling and so-called research? The results are almost always the same — pages and pages of redactions and black ink. The lack of transparency is offensive. It shouldn't take legal action to find out how a taxpayer-funded broadcaster spends taxpayer money. But that's exactly what we've had to do. Right now, the CTF is in federal court because the CBC refuses to release even the total amount it spends on advertising. Not detailed invoices or confidential contracts, but just the total amount they spend. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. That's how little respect the CBC has for the people who pay the bills. Instead of justifying its funding with real transparency and real accountability, the CBC is doubling down on secrecy. That's not how a responsible, taxpayer-funded organization behaves. That's how an entitled government bureaucracy acts when it thinks it's above scrutiny. Looking at the ratings, the CBC knows it's losing relevance. According to its latest quarterly report, only 1.7% of English-speaking Canadians are tuning in to its flagship prime-time news program. That means more than 98% of viewers are choosing something else. Yet taxpayers are still forced to pay the freight. At this point, it's not just about waste, but about principle. No organization that feeds off taxpayer funds should be allowed to operate in the shadows. And it's about setting a precedent. Too many federal agencies and Crown corporations think they can keep taxpayers in the dark. If the CBC gets away with this kind of secrecy, it sets a dangerous principle for the entire federal bureaucracy. Canadians deserve better. They deserve to know how their money is being spent. They deserve real transparency. And they deserve a government that doesn't treat accountability like a threat. Enough is enough. Devin Drover is general counsel for the Canadian Taxpayers Federation World Columnists Editorial Cartoons Relationships Toronto & GTA
