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Business Insider
3 days ago
- Business
- Business Insider
I felt attacked by Trump's tariffs so I made an AI-powered app to help Canadians fight back
This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Sasha Ivanov, founder of Maple Scan. Ivanov, based in Alberta, Canada, has a master's degree in computer science and is an app developer who studies human-technology interactions. It all came from a really personal moment. Back in February, I was at home watching the news when I saw Trump's announcement about tariffs being imposed on Canadian goods — and I felt attacked. I remember thinking, "I'm going to try to start buying Canadian, to support the economy here and the country," but I quickly realized how hard it is to really know what you're buying. I was going through my pantry, grabbing my ketchup, and trying to look up if it was Canadian or not. I had to look through all its ingredients, then I had to search online for a substitute. It was slow, annoying, and just not scalable. With my background in app development and human-computer interaction research, I quickly decided to build an app that could help solve this conundrum. That weekend, I spent a few days building the first prototype. And a week later, I launched Maple Scan. Maple Scan focuses on informed decisions When people first hear about the app, they think it will just tell them whether something is Canadian or not and recommend an alternative. But our approach is different because that question is nuanced. Please help BI improve our Business, Tech, and Innovation coverage by sharing a bit about your role — it will help us tailor content that matters most to people like you. Continue By providing this information, you agree that Business Insider may use this data to improve your site experience and for targeted advertising. By continuing you agree that you accept the Terms of Service and Privacy Policy . Once you download the free app, you can take a photo of any product with the in-app camera. The AI-powered image recognition in the app will then read the label and search for information online and in our database, but it won't make a final judgment on whether a product is Canadian. Instead, it will tell you about the ingredients, ownership, where it's manufactured, and how many people are employed there. The app surfaces all those different pieces of information so you can make a decision on your own. We don't want to make that judgment for you — we just want people to be informed. For example, the app can distinguish between " Made in Canada" and "Product of Canada," which are two different things based on how many of the ingredients come from here. It also includes ownership information, like whether it's a Canadian-owned brand or a subsidiary of a foreign company. It's about giving context, not just a label. Honestly, one of my favorite parts of this whole journey has been the community that's grown around it. Maple Scan started as a solo project, but the support that came in almost immediately was beautiful. University colleagues, people across Canada, and even total strangers reached out and said they wanted to help with this project. Now, we have a group of volunteers with expertise in everything from social media marketing to food industry regulations, as well as mentorship, engineering support, and networking help. All the support has been absolutely crucial to the app's growth. For example, people in the food industry have helped explain how long it takes for packaging to reflect a product's sourcing, sometimes months. So, when a company might not have a "Made in Canada" label yet but actually does source from Canada, Maple Scan can help bridge that gap and surface that information sooner. We've had over 110,000 downloads in just a few months, and there've been over 550,000 individual scans to date. When it first launched, it made it to number 6 on the Canadian App Store. And with the recent announcements of more tariffs potentially coming, it's trending again. Maple Scan is constantly adding new features When we launched, we also saw Maple Scan downloads in Mexico in parts of Europe. It turns out that people around the world want to understand who owns the products they buy and where they're made. Though our focus remains on Canada for now, we're working on new features. One of our goals is to help people buy things in line with their values and save money while doing it. We know it's a privilege to shop based on principle, and local products can cost more. So we want to help people make those choices without it costing them extra. We are constantly evolving. One of the coolest things we added later on was hyper-local recommendations. So if there's a soda company in your own city, it might say, "Hey, look, there's this soda company here. Just get that." Another feature we added is fun messages that pop up while the app scans products, like "Checking if it can survive a Canadian winter" or "Scanning for hidden maple syrup." Many people have told me that's their favorite part of the app. The tariffs are definitely a wake-up call for Canada that we can't be overly dependent on one trading partner. But it sends a powerful message when we see people try new products and form new economic relationships. People tell me they have found such great Canadian alternatives that they're happy to stick with them. Once those habits shift, they can be hard to undo even if tariffs go away.
Business Recorder
11-07-2025
- Business
- Business Recorder
AFP news agency to reduce headcount, foreign network costs
PARIS: The chairman of Agence France-Presse (AFP) outlined his plans Friday to cut costs at the news agency with a retirement incentive scheme and a reduction in spending on expatriate journalists. Fabrice Fries warned last month that the group needed to save 12-14 million euros ($13.8-16.1 million) by the end of 2026 due to a fall in revenues. Speaking to employee representatives on Friday, he said he hoped to save 4-5 million euros a year with a retirement incentive plan in which 50-70 employees would leave and not be replaced. Costs linked to AFP's foreign network of journalists would also be cut by around 3.0 million euros a year, or around 10 percent of the total, he said. This would be achieved by reducing the number of jobs with expatriate conditions, which typically include housing benefits and school fees. 'AFP is committed to expatriation,' Fries said – but 'not at any price'. An experienced journalist working in Germany on expatriate conditions costs the same as four locally employed early-career reporters, he added. Funding the cost-saving measures would require 'external financing', he said. That could mean taking a loan from the French state, rescheduling existing debt payments or a bank loan. AFP, one of the world's biggest news agencies with 2,600 staff worldwide, has been affected by an ongoing global downturn for the media industry as well as several short-term factors. Fears about a global recession has led many clients to enter 'wait-and-see mode' and either delay investment decisions or reduce their budgets, Fries explained last month. Funding cuts from the US government under President Donald Trump have also hit AFP clients. Some of them, such as Voice of America, have been forced to cancel their subscriptions. Social network giant Facebook has also terminated its fact-checking programme in the United States, for which AFP was an important paid partner. After seven years of growth, AFP's revenues are set to fall this year to around eight million euros less than forecast in the budget, according to management. AFP is one of the world's three major general news agencies, alongside US-based Associated Press and Canadian-owned Reuters. It produces news stories, photos, videos and graphics for media companies around the world in six languages. Alongside its commercial income, the agency also receives funding from the French state, which amounted to 118.9 million euros in 2024.
Cision Canada
10-07-2025
- Business
- Cision Canada
Micrologic recognized as a Representative Vendor on the 2025 Gartner® Market Guide for Digital Sovereignty Solutions Français
QUEBEC CITY, July 10, 2025 /CNW/ - Micrologic, a 100% Canadian-owned company who has built a sovereign cloud, is proud to announce that Gartner has recognized Micrologic as a Representative Vendor on the 2025 Gartner® Market Guide for Digital Sovereignty Solutions. We believe that this acknowledgment underscores Micrologic's commitment to providing secure, true sovereign cloud solutions that meet the highest standards of data sovereignty. As digital sovereignty becomes increasingly critical for organizations in the current geopolitical context, Micrologic continues to lead the way in delivering trusted and compliant cloud services tailored to the unique needs of large public and private organizations in the country. "As a leader in digital sovereignty solutions in Canada, we are excited to be acknowledged by Gartner. This recognition reflects our unwavering dedication to providing large public and private organizations with secure, sovereign cloud infrastructure that empowers them to innovate and grow with confidence. As the only Canadian provider in this category, we are proud to support the digital transformation of businesses across Canada while ensuring their data is subject exclusively to Canadian laws ‒ a major advantage in the face of growing threats of foreign interference", said Stephane Garneau, President & CEO of Micrologic. Gartner, Market Guide for Digital Sovereignty Solutions, By Dennis Smith, Rene Buest, Alessandro Galimberti, 5 May 2025 GARTNER is a registered trademark and service mark of Gartner, Inc. and/or its affiliates in the U.S. and internationally and is used herein with permission. All rights reserved. Gartner does not endorse any vendor, product or service depicted in its research publications, and does not advise technology users to select only those vendors with the highest ratings or other designation. Gartner research publications consist of the opinions of Gartner's research organization and should not be construed as statements of fact. Gartner disclaims all warranties, expressed or implied, with respect to this research, including any warranties of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose. About Micrologic Micrologic is a Canadian company that has been driving the digital transformation large private and public organizations for over 40 years. They have developed a Canadian sovereign cloud, which is powered by sustainable energy and is equipped with strict certifications. With a pan-Canadian expansion plan involving $150 million in investments, the company has increased its revenue tenfold over the past decade, generating over $1.5 billion in revenue. The company's president, Stéphane Garneau, has been recognized as CEO of the Year by Les Affaires and the Association québécoise des technologies, and was a finalist in the EY Entrepreneur of the Year Award.
Winnipeg Free Press
09-07-2025
- Business
- Winnipeg Free Press
E-school budgets $200K a year to combat cheats in AI age
Manitoba's largest online high school is budgeting $200,000 annually to proctor tests — $12 per student assessment — to discourage cheating. InformNet registers more than 3,000 students annually in Grade 9 to 12 independent-study courses. Combining fall, winter and summer intakes, enrolment has more than doubled since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. Academic integrity issues have also surged, so much so that InformNet hired a technology company to start monitoring test-takers in November, principal Tom Tarrant told the Free Press. 'We proctor every test. It's really levelled the playing field again,' said Tarrant, who's been at the helm of the e-school for the last 10 years. He said that ChatGPT, along with other artificial intelligence chatbots and online resources, have tempted some students to cut corners in recent years. InformNet, based out of Jameswood Alternative School in Winipeg, is operated jointly by the St. James-Assiniboia and Pembina Trails school divisions. The administrative team has allocated $150,000 throughout the school year and $50,000 for summer school, which runs until July 30, for Integrity Advocate services. Tarrant said they chose the firm founded in St. Albert, Alta., because it's Canadian-owned and offers 'passive' proctoring. Integrity Advocate does not require students to install anything on their computers and allows teachers to review content that is flagged prior to making any hard determinations, he noted. Students require a microphone, video camera and internet connection to participate. A human reviewer watches the footage after a test is submitted. InformNet's academic integrity guidelines warn that all teachers are aware of and have access to sites including Chegg, Brainly and Quora. 'Honesty will determine the consequences applied,' states an excerpt of the nine-page document. Disciplinary action happens on a case-by-case basis, but students are generally given a zero on an assignment if they are found to have engaged in academic misconduct. Repeat offenders are typically removed from a course, as per the e-school's internal policies. InformNet's flexible, independent-study model is generally what attracts students. Students often enrol if a course is unavailable at their community school or it conflicts with their in-person schedule. The Pine Creek School Division has run Manitoba's other online high school — known as the Teacher Mediated Option or TMO — since 2014. Operations leader Tammy Kruse said the e-school's size is advantageous when it comes to promoting academic integrity because teachers get to know their students really well. There were only 272 registrants, all of whom engage in live instruction, in 2024-25. That's a significant increase from 80 in 2019-20, albeit a fraction of the InformNet community. 'Being smaller, we have more of an opportunity to have relationships with those students. We know where they're coming from,' Kruse said during a phone interview. 'If it's a homeschool situation, I've been to their home.' At the same time, she indicated that teachers need to be proactive to promote positive study habits and vigilant when reviewing student submissions. She is in frequent communication with Tarrant and principals at in-person schools across Manitoba to network and discuss referrals. Manitoba Education has not endorsed a proctoring program of any kind. A provincial spokesperson said that schools and school divisions make decisions on software and technology use 'based on their local needs.' A team of teachers from the Louis Riel School Division is working on guidelines to leverage and regulate AI in classrooms in southeast Winnipeg. The Manitoba Association of Education Technology Leaders published a list of general tips on AI, such as the importance of reviewing a program's privacy policy before using it, in 2023. Maggie MacintoshEducation reporter Maggie Macintosh reports on education for the Free Press. Originally from Hamilton, Ont., she first reported for the Free Press in 2017. Read more about Maggie. Funding for the Free Press education reporter comes from the Government of Canada through the Local Journalism Initiative. Every piece of reporting Maggie produces is reviewed by an editing team before it is posted online or published in print — part of the Free Press's tradition, since 1872, of producing reliable independent journalism. Read more about Free Press's history and mandate, and learn how our newsroom operates. 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.
Cision Canada
09-07-2025
- Business
- Cision Canada
Mary Brown's Chicken Celebrates Canadian Farming Roots Through Local Partnerships
TORONTO, July 9, 2025 /CNW/ - Mary Brown's Chicken, Canada's largest Canadian-owned and operated quick-service chicken restaurant franchise, is deepening its celebration of Canadian heritage by shining a spotlight on the local farmers who grow the ingredients that define the brand's beloved comfort food. From the rich soil of Prince Edward Island to the expansive fields of the Prairies, Mary Brown's Chicken is proud to partner with Canadian farmers who provide the core ingredients behind its famous meals, namely 100% Canadian-raised chicken and farm-fresh potatoes. "For me, it's not just about growing potatoes. It's about feeding Canadians with food that's grown right here at home," says Jamie Thompson, a potato farmer in Victoria, PEI who has worked with Mary Brown's Chicken for over 17 years. "Knowing our crops end up on the plates of Canadians across the country means a lot." The commitment to Canadian-sourced ingredients goes beyond potatoes. Chicken served at Mary Brown's Chicken locations is sourced from free-range chickens raised by the Chicken Farmers of Canada. "We take pride in the standards we uphold," says Marvin Patience, a chicken farmer based in Oxford County, Ontario. "We follow rigorous guidelines prioritizing animal welfare, sustainability, and quality. It's reassuring to know that Mary Brown's Chicken values that too." Founded in Newfoundland and proudly 100% Canadian-owned, Mary Brown's Chicken has built its reputation on quality, community, and staying true to its roots. By working directly with Canadian farmers, the brand ensures its food tastes great and supports local economies and farming traditions across the country. "We've always taken great pride in our Canadian roots and the strong relationships we've built with farmers across the country," says Greg Roberts, Owner of Mary Brown's Chicken. "We're excited to shine a light on these connections and share the stories of the incredible families who help bring Mary Brown's Chicken's 'Made Fresh From Scratch' promise to life. These conversations were honest, heartfelt and deeply inspiring. We are looking forward to continuing to share more stories like these." Through its ongoing partnerships with Canadian farmers, Mary Brown's Chicken continues to prioritize freshness, quality, and Canadian pride in every meal it serves. About Mary Brown's Chicken: Mary Brown's Chicken has over 280 locations across Canada and is growing. The brand is 100 per cent Canadian-owned, being first established in St. John's Newfoundland in 1969. Mary Brown's is renowned for its Big Mary®, named Canada's Best Chicken Sandwich, and made-fresh methodology including hand cutting and hand breading its Signature Chicken and Taters from farm-fresh Canadian ingredients. Mary Brown's Chicken has achieved 19 consecutive years of same-store sales growth, earned the Canadian Franchise Association's Franchisees' Choice Designation for 15 straight years, and holds a Platinum designation with Canada's Best Managed Companies. The company's first international locations opened in 2024, and outside of Canada, Mary Brown's Chicken operates in Mexico, the UK, and India. Connect with Mary Brown's Chicken on social YouTube: @marybrownsofficial Instagram: @marybrownsofficial Facebook: @marybrowns TikTok: @marybrownschicken SOURCE Mary Brown's Chicken
