Suriname's president vows to make oil wealth 'available to all'
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Lawmakers backed Jennifer Geerlings-Simons and her vice president, Gregory Rusland, on Sunday in the Surinamese capital of Paramaribo after the incumbent party opted against putting forward a challenger.
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Geerlings-Simons, a 71-year-old former parliamentary speaker who campaigned on a more socially inclusive strategy, is set to be inaugurated on July 16. 'I come into this position to serve and I will use all my knowledge, strength and dedication to make our wealth available to all our people, but with special attention to our youth,' she told the National Assembly.
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Her National Democratic Party government is taking office as TotalEnergies SE begins development of the offshore GranMorgu project, which is expected to produce 220,000 barrels per day in 2028. The French energy giant and Malaysia's Petronas are searching for more oil in the Guyana-Suriname basin.
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Suriname's reserves are estimated at 760 million barrels and its $4.5 billion economy is forecast to grow 3.2% this year. Growth is on track to slowly edge up to near 4% by 2027 before a more than ten-fold surge once crude starts flowing.
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Sunday's unopposed victory by Geerlings-Simons caps a lengthy electoral process in which her NDP won 18 seats in the May 25 national vote. It later negotiated at coalition with five other parties to form a 34-seat majority in the 51-member legislature. The Progressive Reform Party of outgoing President Chandrikapersad Santokhi holds the remaining 17 seats.
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Cision Canada
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Government of Canada improves access to health services for Francophone minority communities in Ontario Français
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Quotes "Everyone in Canada should have access to health services in their official language of choice, regardless of where they live. When it comes to health care, a language barrier can lead to a life-or-death situation. This is why the Government of Canada is supporting projects that will improve access to health services for Francophones and Anglophones living in minority communities in Canada." The Honourable Marjorie Michel Minister of Health "As a proud Franco-Ontarian, I know how important it is for Francophones in minority communities to receive health services in the language of their choice. Our investment will improve access to more inclusive and effective care and make sure official languages are supported within our health care system." The Honourable Mona Fortier Member of Parliament for Ottawa-Vanier-Gloucester "Our two official languages are at the heart of our identity, uniting us from coast to coast to coast and making us stronger together. As a government, we are taking concrete action to ensure that Canadians—no matter where they live—can access health services in the official language of their choice. I am pleased that this funding will support projects that strengthen our bilingual identity, not only in Ontario but right across Canada." The Honourable Steven Guilbeault Minister of Canadian Identity and Culture and Minister responsible for Official Languages "The importance of preparing the next generation of French-speaking health care workers, from recruitment to professional integration in Francophone minority communities, cannot be overstated. Health Canada's contribution will leverage the Association des collèges et universités de la francophonie canadienne's (ACUFC) ability to support postsecondary institutions that are members of the Consortium national de formation en santé in their efforts to increase the number of health professionals providing French-language services. It will also allow our network to continue to overcome existing barriers and ensure that Canadians have access to equitable health services in the language of their choice." Martin Normand President and Chief Executive Officer, Association des collèges et universités de la francophonie canadienne - Consortium national de formation en santé "The University of Ottawa is a leader in training the researchers, physicians, nurses, and other health professionals who provide health care for francophone patients in Francophone minority communities in Ontario and across Canada. The excellence and the stability of the health care system depends on developing the next generation of professionals, and this investment promises to support quality care for patients in Francophone minority communities in Ontario. The University of Ottawa is committed to promoting the Francophonie in all its research and learning activities in the health field, and we recognize the important role of the federal government as a key partner." Marie-Eve Sylvestre, President and Vice-chancellor of the University of Ottawa Quick Facts This funding is in addition to the $15.4 million announced by the Government of Canada in May 2023, to three academic institutions and a community health network to improve access to health services for Francophones living in a minority setting in Northern Ontario. The OLHP was launched in 2003 and receives funding through the Government of Canada's Action Plan for Official Languages. The Program supports non-profit organizations, post-secondary institutions and provincial and territorial governments that aim to improve access to health services for official language minority communities (OLMC) - Francophones living outside Quebec and English-speaking communities in Quebec. The " Action Plan for Official Languages 2023–2028: Protection-Promotion-Collaboration" announced that, in addition to existing funding of $192.2 million over five years, Health Canada's OLHP will also receive $14.5 million over five years (for a total of $206.7 million over five years). This additional funding will support non-profit organizations, provincial and territorial governments and post-secondary institutions that serve OLMCs to train and retain bilingual health professionals, support health networking initiatives as well as innovative projects. Budget 2023 outlined the Government's plan to invest close to $200 billion over 10 years, including $46.2 billion in new funding to provinces and territories to strengthen Canada's public health care system. This includes $25 billion of funding through tailored bilateral agreements to meet the specific needs of each province and territory.
Toronto Sun
2 hours ago
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China seeks to reopen Australia canola trade as Canada ties sour
Published Aug 18, 2025 • 1 minute read Canola plants in a field near Balliang, Victoria, Australia. Photo by Carla Gottgens / Bloomberg China is working to reopen rapeseed trade with Australia after a five-year pause, seeking to secure supplies of a key animal feed ingredient as ties with top supplier Canada sour. 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 Chinese agriculture trader Cofco actively made inquiries last week with major exporters in Australia on prices and to settle specific terms to book the new rapeseed crop — known locally as canola — that is expected after October, people familiar with the matter said. The state-owned trading giant has accelerated moves to secure supplies from Australia, the world's second largest exporter, following Beijing's decision last week to impose a temporary duty of 75.8% on shipments from Canada following an anti-dumping probe, said the people, who asked not to be named because they're not authorized to talk to the media. China has typically relied on Canada for the bulk of its imports of rapeseed and the meal that's derived from crushing the crop into a product that's easily fed to livestock and fish. That trade was already under fire when Beijing slapped hefty tariffs earlier this year on cargoes of rapeseed meal in a tit-for-tat response to Canadian duties on Chinese goods. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Cofco Group and its global trading arm Cofco International didn't immediately reply to emails seeking comment. While the two countries are yet to reach an official agreement on phytosanitary issues, over which China shut Australian canola out of its market since 2020, Beijing has in principle agreed to get some trial cargoes from Australia, the people said. Still, final details need to be ironed out, they said. 'This is an active and ongoing government to government discussion and details have not yet been finalized,' a spokesperson for the Australian Department of Agriculture said. Last year, China purchased 6.39 million tons of rapeseed, worth over $3 billion, almost all of it from Canada, according to Chinese customs data. Columnists Sunshine Girls Toronto & GTA Columnists Relationships
Cision Canada
4 hours ago
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New Executive Director at Impact ON to support economic recovery Français
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