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Montreal Gazette
22-05-2025
- Climate
- Montreal Gazette
Nunavik village faces ‘complete crisis' amid chronic water shortage
By Nellie Iqiquq Powell has had no choice but to use snow to help clean and feed her family of six due to a persistent and severe water shortage in Puvirnituq, a village in Quebec's Far North. Water has been delivered twice in the past two months but it isn't enough for her four young children, all under the age of nine. After her shift as a midwife, the 46-year-old comes home to gather snow outside. 'It's a lot of work to do that,' she said in an interview Wednesday with The Gazette. 'I work nine to five and I come home to do work with melting snow; take care of the toilets and do the dishes. And I have to cook food. But it's hard to boil food to eat.' Iqiquq Powell is among 2,100 residents in the Inuit community near Hudson Bay, which has been without consistent water deliveries since mid-March after a blizzard froze a water main. Extreme weather compounded the situation, with the village forced to bring in water by truck on roads coated in snow and ice. But the crisis worsened last weekend after a fire broke out Saturday afternoon and crews struggled to contain the flames. The municipal council of Puvirnituq declared a state of emergency after two homes were lost in the fire. In a Facebook post, Mayor Lucy Qalingo called on the federal and provincial governments to 'stop ignoring' the needs of northern communities she described as 'forgotten Canadians.' Quebec has delivered at least 100,000 litres of water in two rounds of shipments, a spokesperson for the government's Ministère du Conseil exécutif confirmed in an email Thursday. A third round 'with similar quantities, between 50,000 and 60,000 (litres), depending on the capacity of the vessels' is being prepared and expected to be shipped Friday morning. The province also requested assistance from the Canadian Rangers. Federal Emergency Management Minister Eleanor Olszewski approved the request Tuesday, saying 'the safety of Canadians is our top priority and we will always be there to help when asked.' I have approved a Request for Federal Assistance from Quebec. @CanadianForces Rangers will assist the residents of Puvirnituq w/ distribution of drinking water & provide technical support. The safety of Canadians is our top priority & we will always be there to help when asked. — Eleanor Olszewski (@Eleanor4Centre) May 21, 2025 The evolving situation also forced the gradual closure of two Puvirnituq schools this week. The academic year usually ends at the beginning of June. Kativik Ilisarniliriniq, the school board for the Nunavik region, said on its website the current context meant it 'cannot ensure the continuity of educational services.' Students will still be able to write end-of-year exams. Jeannie Dupuis, assistant director general at the school board, said 'at the beginning of last week, the situation didn't seem as urgent as it became.' Both schools were partially open, she said, but the weather was among the factors making it 'difficult to keep the schools open, with having no running water for the students to be able to go use the washrooms, wash their hands.' 'The decision was difficult to take,' she told The Gazette. The school board has also implemented measures to help out, including using a school gym as a community dispensary for water, Dupuis said. About half of the teachers and staff were able to leave the community over the weekend. Alyssia Bray, who teaches seventh and eighth grades, was among those on her way home to Montreal on Wednesday after packing up her belongings. She hopes that by having fewer homes in need of water deliveries, it will alleviate the ongoing shortage. 'I just wanted to be able to leave the community, as quickly as possible, to try and give some more water to people,' she said. The scarcity of water has been 'extremely rough' for her students, who she characterized as 'brilliant and kind individuals.' At times, some of them were not able to shower for a week or more. Municipal truck and sewage crews, she said, have been working around the clock just to get the situation under control. 'We still have quite a bit of snow here,' Bray said. 'And with it starting to melt and the slush and trucks getting stuck ... it's just situation on top of situation that has made this a complete crisis and an emergency for the community members.' Hospitals and health services are also bearing the brunt of the water shortage. The provincial government has said the health centre has reported an increase in people seeking treatment for gastroenteritis. As a midwife, Iqiquq Powell said a lack of water means some patients had to be transferred as far as Montreal. 'We have to let our patients go elsewhere to give birth,' she said. The Inuulitsivik Health Centre said in a post on Facebook that nine long-term care patients and some staff were temporarily relocated to CISSS de Lanaudière. In another, it said the collective response from its teams have also helped deliver water and provide health services during the crisis.
Ottawa Citizen
20-05-2025
- Politics
- Ottawa Citizen
Stocks on new Canadian Ranger rifles are cracking and need to be replaced
Article content Stocks on the new rifles issued to Canadian Rangers for use in the far north are cracking and have to be replaced because they can't withstand excessive moisture. Article content Article content In addition, the lamination on the C-19 rifle wood stocks is peeling off, the Department of National Defence acknowledged. Article content Soldiers tipped off the Ottawa Citizen about the problems with the relatively new rifles and raised concerns about the effectiveness of the weapons. Article content Article content One hundred and fifty-six of the rifles were initially deemed as unusable but the majority of the guns are still being used despite the problems, according to the DND. Article content The Canadian Forces ordered more than 6,800 of the rifles from Colt Canada in Kitchener, Ont., with deliveries beginning in March 2018. The contract was for $32.8 million. Article content The .308 C-19 replaced the Lee Enfield .303 rifle that had been used by Canadian Rangers since 1947. The Lee Enfield had a wooden stock. The C19 is lighter, shorter and more precise, according to the Canadian Forces. Article content Canadian Rangers noticed the problems with the rifles shortly after the first ones were delivered. Additional concerns were raised in 2019 about 'premature C-19 Ranger Rifle stock cracking,' DND spokesperson Kened Sadiku said in an email. Article content 'Testing concluded that the wood used for these C-19 stock lacked sufficient protective finish to properly seal and protect the wood from extreme environmental exposure, resulting in the wood being susceptible to moisture absorption and shrinkage,' said Sadiku. 'The test also indicated that the glue used in some of the C-19 stock exhibited early and unexpected laminate separation.' Article content Under the contract, the rifles were required to withstand extremely cold temperatures in the Arctic as well as moderate-to-high humidity in the coastal and forested regions of the country. Article content Article content 'Based on the initial C19 Ranger Rifle procurement, the performance requirements were met,' Sadiku stated. 'The current issue with the C19 Ranger Rifle stock became apparent after and therefore, DND intends to cover the cost for the replacement.'
Yahoo
25-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Promise tracker: What the parties are pitching in the federal election campaign
OTTAWA — The party leaders are on the campaign trail making promises to Canadian voters, who will go to the polls on April 28. Here is a running list of the promises announced by the Conservatives, Liberals and NDP ahead of election day. Conservatives April 24: Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre says that a government led by him would end Canada's electric vehicle sales mandate. A Conservative government would honour all the agreements that have been signed for the construction of EV and battery plants in Canada, Poilievre said. April 23: Poilievre says he would give police more power to dismantle tent cities, which he said are making public spaces unsafe. The Conservatives are promising to amend the Criminal Code to allow police to arrest people who are blocking public spaces with tents or temporary shelters. Poilievre said police would have the power to criminally charge the occupants of tent encampments. He added that judges also would have the ability to sentence people charged with illegally occupying a public place and simple possession of illegal drugs to mandatory drug treatment instead of harsher penalties. April 22: Poilievre releases his party's election platform, which forecasts $100 billion in deficits over the next four years, along with billions of dollars in tax cuts and new revenues. The platform predicts $20 billion in revenue coming from counter-tariffs on the United States this fiscal year — a figure Poilievre said he borrowed from the Liberal government's own projections. Poilievre says his plan would cut bureaucracy, government consulting and some foreign aid and "unleash a half-trillion dollars of economic growth" in the resource development and housing sectors. April 21: Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre promises a government led by him would build 2.3 million homes over the next five years. He also promises to "reward" cities that allow 15 per cent more homebuilding each year and to sell off federal land for building new homes. April 20: Poilievre says a government led by him would cut the amount of money it spends on consultants by $10 billion annually. April 19: Poilievre says he would give judges the ability to "mandate treatment" for people with addictions, and impose life sentences on people who traffic fentanyl. April 18: Poilievre pledges to reverse the ban on plastic straws and grocery bags, and to overturn the former Liberal government's plan to phase out certain single-use plastic products by 2030. Poilievre says that will save Canadians money and help restaurants and grocers do business. He also says he would provide $22 billion in Russian assets to Ukraine to help fund its defence against Russia. April 17: Poilievre promises a "First Arctic Defence Plan" that would procure a fleet of aircraft to increase radar surveillance, build a 600 km road from Yellowknife to Gray's Bay, and construct a new naval base at Churchill, Man. He also promises to double the size of the Canadian Rangers from 2,000 to 4,000, purchase two new icebreakers and build a permanent military base in Iqaluit. April 14: Poilievre promises to protect older voters from fraud by punishing banks and telecoms that don't do enough to prevent it. The Conservative plan calls on banks and telecoms to implement real-time scam detection on seniors' accounts. Poilievre promises to fine companies up to $5 million if they don't implement the "latest technology to stop scams" and to impose mandatory penalties and jail time on those committing the crimes. April 14: Poilievre says he would use the notwithstanding clause, which allows the government to override some Charter rights for a limited time, to impose consecutive life sentences on multiple murders. He says a Conservative government would give judges the power to sentence people who've been convicted of multiple murders to consecutive life sentences. Under his plan, a court could impose periods of parole ineligibility of 50, 75 or even 100 years, instead of the current limit of 25 years. April 13: Poilievre promises to introduce new legislation that would tighten transparency rules for elected officials. He says that if his party forms government, he'll ban what he calls "shadow lobbying." Poilievre says he also would require that cabinet ministers "divest fully from tax havens" and disclose their assets. April 12: Poilievre promises to cut red tape and step up support for veterans. Poilievre says his party would ensure military veterans' disability applications are automatically approved if they're not processed within four months. Poilievre also says his party would give veterans control over their medical records, let military doctors assess injuries using a standardized system and ensure people are able to get service dogs for post-traumatic stress disorder. The party is pledging to make the educational and training benefit available to Armed Forces members as soon as they get their release date. April 12: Poilievre says if his party forms government, it will keep Canada's medical assistance in dying regime intact but won't expand it. Poilievre says a Conservative government would ensure Canadians have the right to choose a medically assisted death but will not expand the law to include advance directives. April 11: Poilievre promises that he would require that banks recognize all skilled trades and apprenticeship programs as eligible for Registered Education Savings Plans. April 10: Poilievre proposes a plan to reimburse cities for half of every dollar they cut in development charges. He says the Conservatives' plan would make it easier to build housing and make those homes cheaper for would-be buyers. According to a party backgrounder document, the Conservatives promise to reimburse municipalities 50 per cent of the amount they cut from development fees, up to a maximum of $25,000 per home. The Conservatives claim that, combined with their plan to lift the GST from purchases of new homes under $1.3 million, the total benefit for homebuyers would be up to $115,000 per home. April 9: Poilievre promises to ban bail, parole and house arrest for repeat serious offenders. He says his "three-strikes" law wouldn't run afoul of the Constitution, even though several justice experts have said some of his crime policies are likely to get struck down by the courts. He says a government led by him would make those convicted three times of "serious" offences ineligible for bail, probation, parole or house arrest. Those offenders would also be sentenced to a minimum prison term of 10 years and could get a life sentence. They could not "be released until they have proven that they are no longer a danger to society," he says. April 8: The Conservatives say that if they form government, they will crack down on offshore tax loopholes by appointing a "bring it home tax task force." In a press release, the party says the task force would make the rules simpler and more fair and ensure large companies can't "stash their money in offshore tax havens." The Conservatives say they would set up a website to name wealthy companies that are dodging taxes and instruct the Canada Revenue Agency to redirect its staff away from auditing small businesses and charities and toward cracking down on tax havens. They're also calling for an expansion of the offshore tax informant program to offer whistleblowers up to one-fifth of the money recovered from illegal tax schemes. April 7: Poilievre promises a "one-and-done" approach to approving resource projects if he becomes prime minister. He says his plan is to create a one-stop shop that sees one application and one environmental review for each project. Poilievre says he'd work with the provinces to create a single office that would coordinate project approvals across all levels of government, and would also impose a one-year cap on wait times for approvals to give businesses the certainty they need to start building. Poilievre is also promising to rapidly approve 10 projects he says are stuck in limbo, including the second phase of a liquefied natural gas project in northern B.C. April 6: Poilievre announces a Conservative plan to fund recovery treatment for 50,000 people facing addiction. He says a Conservative government would provide treatment centres with a set amount of funding based on the number of months they keep their clients drug-free. Poilievre says more funding would be provided for more complex cases, such as those facing homelessness. The Conservatives estimated the cost of the addiction recovery program at $250 million per year for four years and said the party would fund the program by making cuts to the federal government's existing safer supply programs and suing opioid manufacturers. April 5: Poilievre promises to cut bureaucratic red tape by 25 per cent in two years. The plan for what he calls a "two-for-one" law would mandate that two regulations be repealed for every new one that is brought in. It would also require that for every dollar in new administrative costs, two dollars must be cut elsewhere to ease the burden. April 4: Poilievre says he would create a new criminal offence for assaulting an intimate partner, and pass a law to require the strictest possible bail conditions for anyone accused of intimate partner violence. That would include GPS ankle bracelet monitoring for those who are allowed out on bail. The Conservatives are also promising that the murder of an intimate partner or a child would be treated as first-degree murder. April 3: Poilievre announces a plan to cut federal sales tax from Canadian-made vehicles to support an auto industry reeling from U.S. President Donald Trump's tariffs. A list of eligible new vehicles provided to media by the Conservative party include the Toyota RAV4, the Honda Civic and CRV, the Chevrolet Silverado and others from automakers with plants in Ontario. The tax cut would be temporary and would last for as long as U.S. tariffs on vehicles are in place. Poilievre also pledged to set up a $3-billion fund to loan money to businesses hit by American tariffs to keep workers employed throughout the cross-border trade dispute. April 2: Poilievre rolls out his plan to address the trade war. Poilievre says that if he becomes prime minister, he will propose an early renegotiation of the Canada-United States-Mexico Agreement ahead of its planned revision in 2026. He says Canada would seek a pause on all tariffs during those negotiations. Poilievre says that if U.S. President Donald Trump moves forward with tariffs, he would support retaliatory tariffs targeting U.S. goods that Canada produces or can source elsewhere. The Conservatives are also promising a temporary loan program for businesses affected by tariffs to keep their employees working during the trade dispute. April 1: Poilievre announces he would eliminate automatic annual tax increases on alcohol. Conservatives say they will bring the tax rate back down to 2017 levels. April 1: Poilievre promises to enact a set of five demands from the country's energy sector in the face of U.S. tariffs if his party forms government. They include streamlined regulation of projects, six-month deadlines for project approvals, an end to both the emissions cap and the industrial carbon price and the provision of Indigenous loan guarantees "at scale." March 31: Poilievre promises to create a pre-approved national energy corridor to speed up infrastructure projects. He says that if his party forms government, it will fast-track approvals for projects such as transmission lines, railways, pipelines and other critical infrastructure. March 30: Poilievre pitches a new tax measure he says would act like "rocket fuel" for the Canadian economy — a deferral of tax on capital gains. Poilievre says a government led by him would allow Canadians to defer capital gains tax if they reinvest those earnings in Canada. The promised tax deferral window would be open for 18 months beginning in July. The deferred tax would be recouped by the federal government once investors cash out or move the money outside of Canada. March 29: Poilievre promises to expand the tax writeoff that trade workers can declare for work travel. Trade workers can currently claim up to $4,000 in travel expenses for work tasks; Poilievre says he would expand that to include "the full cost of food, transportation and accommodation." The change would apply to people required to travel more than 120 kilometres from their home for work — instead of the current 150 kilometres — and would no longer require an overnight stay. The Conservatives also say they would stop businesses from writing off luxury corporate jets; they say companies could instead write off the equivalent cost in commercial flights, unless work trips require charter transportation. March 28: Poilievre repeats an earlier promise to pass a law to impose mandatory life sentences on people found guilty of trafficking fentanyl on a large scale. He also says people who are convicted of five or more counts of human trafficking and exporting 10 or more illegal firearms would get the same life sentences to "ensure these monsters rot in jail forever." March 27: Poilievre says a Tory government would allow Canadians to contribute another $5,000 — for a total of $12,000 a year — into tax-free savings accounts, provided they invest that extra money in Canadian companies. March 26: Poilievre says a Conservative government would keep the retirement age at 65. He says Conservatives would also allow working seniors to earn up to $34,000 tax-free, and allow seniors to keep their savings in an RRSP until age 73, up from 71. March 25: Poilievre promises a government led by him would maintain existing federal dental-care, pharmacare and child-care programs. March 25: Poilievre pledges to eliminate the GST on purchases of new homes for up to $1.3 million if he wins the federal election. The announcement expands on a plan the Conservatives proposed in October to eliminate the GST on new homes sold for under $1 million. The Tories also say they would help make it more attractive for municipalities to free up land, speed up permits and cut development charges to build more homes. March 24: Poilievre promises a 2.25-percentage-point income tax cut that he says would save a dual-income family $1,800 per year. Poilievre says he would drop the lowest income tax bracket from 15 to 12.75 per cent and fund the cut by trimming federal government bureaucracy. March 21: Poilievre announces a plan to boost training and employment for workers in the skilled trades. Speaking at a news conference in Ottawa, Poilievre says his plan for "more boots, less suits" would expand training halls and provide direct grants and faster access to employment insurance for apprentices in licensed trades. March 20: Poilievre says he wants to create what he calls "shovel-ready zones" with pre-approved permits for major resource or energy projects. He says the goal is to get permits in place early for a mine, liquefied natural gas plant, pipeline or other major project. March 19: Poilievre says he'd "set a deadline" to approve all federal permits for mining in northwestern Ontario's Ring of Fire region within six months. He says that a Conservative government would also commit $1 billion over three years to building a road network to link the mining sites to Ontario's highway network and First Nations communities in the area. March 17: Poilievre says a Conservative government would repeal the entire carbon pricing law for consumers and big industry. To reduce emissions, Poilievre says his government would "expand eligibility" for the clean technology and clean manufacturing tax credits. He adds his government would "reward" businesses that make products with emissions lower than the world average. Liberals April 21: Liberal Leader Mark Carney promises to shore up the health-care system by adding thousands of new doctors, building hospitals and clinics and modernizing the system at large. He also promises to improve mental health care and address the overdose crisis, and invest in women's health through IVF treatments and by protecting women's rights. Carney also promises to lower the cost of bridge tolls in Atlantic Canada. April 19: Carney unveils his party's platform, which promises $35.2 billion in new spending over the next year, and $129 billion over the next four years. The spending is heavily focused on the construction of defence, housing and trade infrastructure such as ports and highways. April 14: Carney promises a new worker skills training benefit of up to $15,000 for mid-career workers in manufacturing, health care, construction and other "priority" sectors. April 14: Carney says he would change the way the government purchases military equipment. He promises to create a separate defence procurement agency tasked solely with streamlining military purchases that tend to get tangled in red tape. He also pledges to create a new defence research bureau for domestic AI, quantum computing and cybersecurity technology. April 12: Carney promises to make visiting national parks and museums more affordable for Canadian families. The Liberals issue a news release announcing a "Canada strong" pass, which the party says would help Canadians take advantage of domestic attractions if they opt not to travel to the United States. The pass, which would be available from June to August if the Liberals form government, would give those under 18 free access to national galleries and museums, as well as free seats on Via Rail trains when travelling with their parents. Discounted access would also be available for those between 18 and 24, the news release says. The party also says it would make it cheaper for all Canadians to go camping in national parks in the summer but did not indicate how much it plans to slash prices. The overall cost of the pass was not immediately available. April 10: Carney announces a series of public safety measures. They include improvements to the Liberal gun buyback policy, which compensates gun owners who are being forced to give up assault-style weapons the government has banned. He also promises legislation that would make it a criminal offence to "intentionally and wilfully obstruct" access to places of worship, schools and community centres. The legislation would also make it a criminal offence to intimidate or threaten people in those locations. Carney says a government led by him would revoke gun licences from people convicted of violent offences and toughen oversight on firearms licensing. He also pledges to recruit 1,000 more RCMP personnel to combat drug and human trafficking and organized criminal groups. April 9: Carney says he wants to speed up major natural resource project approvals and make Canada an "energy superpower." Carney promises that he would sign agreements within six months of taking office with willing provinces and Indigenous governments that would recognize energy project assessments from their jurisdictions. Carney also vows to speed up approvals for such projects by establishing a single office for major federal project assessments that would render a decision after just one review. Carney says he will look to displace energy imported from the United States as it becomes an unreliable partner under President Trump. April 7: Carney promises a number of conservation measures, including the creation of at least 10 new national parks and marine conservation areas, as well as 15 new urban parks. He also pledges to invest $100 million in a "strategic water security technology fund" to advance Canadian research and development, artificial intelligence, monitoring and data tools. April 7: Carney promises temporary supports to help retirees cope with U.S. tariffs that are punishing markets around the globe. He says he would lower the minimum amount that must be withdrawn from a Registered Retirement Income Fund by 25 per cent. Carney also pledges to boost the Guaranteed Income Supplement by five per cent to help low-income seniors. The Liberal party says that measure would provide those seniors with up to $652. Both the GIS and investment measures would last for only a year. April 5: Carney promises support for the skilled trades through a new apprenticeship grant, increased access to union-led training initiatives and a new $20 million capital funding stream for colleges to support new training spaces for apprenticeships. The Liberal plan also would increase labour mobility between provinces and territories. April 4: Carney pledges to boost CBC/Radio-Canada's funding by $150 million a year and enshrine its funding structure in law so that Parliament would have to pass legislation to change it. April 2: The federal Liberals promise to strengthen Canada's agri-food sector and maintain production quotas that have caused friction in trade talks with the U.S. Carney says supply management is "off the table in any negotiations" with the U.S. The party says its plan to protect farmers involves cutting regulations and earmarking $200 million for domestic food processing. The Liberals say they also would make permanent the recent doubling of the AgriStability payment cap to $6 million. March 31: Carney says his government would double Canada's rate of residential housing construction over the next decade to nearly 500,000 new homes per year. The plan, announced at a trades college in Vaughan, Ont., would create a new federal housing entity that the Liberals say would speed up affordable housing construction and provide financing to homebuilders. March 28: Carney announces a plan to diversify Canadian trade. He says his government would invest $5 billion in a new Trade Diversification Corridor Fund to build the infrastructure that would help diversify Canada's trade and create jobs. Carney also says his government would authorize Canadian ports to co-operate instead of compete and strengthen the security at ports to stop the flow of drugs, illegal guns and stolen cars. March 26: Carney announces a plan to protect the Canadian auto industry and fight back against tariffs after Trump said he would impose 25 per cent tariffs on vehicles made outside America. Carney pledges a $2-billion strategic response fund for the auto sector and a Canadian auto manufacturing network, and vows to "leverage government funding" to prioritize Canadian-built vehicles. March 25: Carney promises to modernize the recruitment process for the Canadian Armed Forces and address a shortage of CAF members. He says he will do that by increasing salaries an unspecified amount, building more on-base housing and improving health and child-care services. Carney also says he will accelerate defence spending to get to the NATO target of two per cent of GDP "by or before" 2030. March 23: Carney starts his campaign with a promise of a one-point cut to the middle class tax rate. He says that would benefit a dual income family by up to $825 a year. The Liberals say more than 22 million Canadians would benefit from the tax cut and middle- and low-income Canadians would stand to benefit the most. March 21: Carney makes several announcements after meeting with Canada's premiers. They include waiving the one-week waiting period for employment insurance for those who lose their jobs to U.S. tariffs and temporarily allowing Canadian businesses to defer income tax and GST and HST payments to help boost their liquidity. March 21: Carney confirms that a plan to hike the inclusion rate on capital gains — first pitched in the federal budget last year — will not move forward. The proposal was set to take effect on June 25 of last year and would have seen all businesses and individuals reporting more than $250,000 in capital gains in a year pay more tax on those proceeds. March 20: In Edmonton, Carney announces a $187-million investment to repair and rebuild critical infrastructure in Jasper National Park. March 20: Carney announces that his government will eliminate GST for first-time homebuyers on homes sold at or under $1 million. March 18: Carney says his government will expand the Canadian Armed Forces' presence in the Arctic and turn to Australia's over-the-horizon radar tech to monitor threats from adversaries like China and Russia. Carney also pledges $253 million in new funding for Indigenous reconciliation initiatives in the North. NDP April 21: NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh promises to build a national east-west electricity grid to connect the country and give Hydro-Quebec "better access to the Canadian market." April 19: Singh releases his party's platform, which forecasts a net increase to the federal deficit of $48 billion over four years, a tally that includes large offsets from a new tax on the "super rich." Singh's wealth tax would apply to people with holdings over $10 million and the party says it would generate more than $22 billion a year. April 15: Singh says he would bring back the proposed increase to the capital gains tax that the Liberals introduced last year and then scrapped before the election. He says he would use the extra revenue to fund universal pharmacare, bring in national rent control and a grocery price cap, and build homes. April 14: NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh promises to hire 35,000 nurses by 2030 and tie new federal health transfer money to hiring and recruitment. He also promises to ensure safe working conditions for nurses and an appropriate ratio between nurses and patients. Singh says he would streamline the process for allowing internationally-trained nurses to work in Canada, and focus on recruiting nurses from the United States. April 13: Singh talks about his plan for northern Ontario. The party says it wants to boost the number of doctors in the region through local training and "fair wages." It's also promising to address high grocery prices and repair ailing infrastructure in the region. April 9: Singh says an NDP government would establish a complete public pharmacare system within four years of being elected. Singh says the NDP would start the expansion with "100 of the most prescribed medications," including pain medications and antibiotics, which he argues would cover about half of all prescriptions in Canada at a cost to taxpayers of roughly $3.5 billion. April 8: Singh says he wants to ban foreign buyers from purchasing homes in Canada. Singh says a government led by him would close loopholes in the existing rules by barring numbered companies and corporate proxies from purchasing homes. This prohibition would not apply to recreational properties like cottages and cabins. Singh also says an NDP government would tax as income profits from the sale of a home sold within five years of the seller purchasing the home unless it is someone's principle residence. April 7: Singh promises that an NDP government would spend $16 billion over four years to build three million homes by 2030. The funds would be split evenly between two programs. The party says the Canadian Homes Transfer would 'reward' cities that build more multi-unit homes in all neighbourhoods, build more homes near transit hubs and speed up permitting. Singh compared this to the current Housing Accelerator Fund but said it would be a permanent program. The Communities First Fund would be an $8 billion fund that provinces could access to help expand the water and sewage infrastructure needed to support housing. April 6: Singh pledges to implement national rent control to protect tenants from unfair rent increases. Singh says a government led by him would make rent control policies a condition for getting federal housing money. The NDP says rent control could take various forms, including rent increase guidelines or vacancy regulation. The party says it would pass a renter's bill of rights to enshrine in law the obligation to tie federal housing funds to tenant-protection measures. Singh says an NDP government would also push provinces to ban so-called renovictions and fixed-term leases. April 5: Singh promises to ensure all Canadians have access to a family doctor by 2030. He says an NDP government would offer an additional one per cent in Canada Health Transfer funding to provinces that guarantee access to a family doctor. The NDP also wants to make it easier for American doctors to come to Canada, especially those working in women's health and reproductive health, and to reduce the paperwork that eats up doctors' time. April 4: Singh pledges to close loopholes that allow corporations to put money in offshore accounts, saying companies would have to provide a "genuine business reason" for having such accounts. The party would also end tax agreements with countries like Bermuda, review the tax code to find and close loopholes on corporate taxes and introduce public, country-by-country financial reporting. April 3: Singh proposes tax-free savings bonds to shore up the economy against Trump's tariffs. The NDP says the "Canada Victory Bonds" would be available in five year and 10-year terms and pay a compounding interest rate of 3.5 per cent. The interest earned on the bonds would be tax-free if held to maturity, with bonds to be available via payroll deduction or over the counter. April 2: Singh discusses his party's plan to safeguard Canada from Trump's trade war. The NDP's plan includes previously announced affordability promises such as removing the GST from "essentials" like internet and phone bills, home heating, premade grocery store meals and children's' clothes, capping grocery prices on staples and expanding health programs like dental care. The party is also promising to protect essential Canadian industries like public hydro, critical minerals and the cultural sector, and ban American companies from federal procurement contracts if Canadian workers can do the job. April 1: Singh promises to crack down on "cash-for-care" clinics that charge Canadians for basic services, and to ban American firms from buying up Canadian health-care assets. He says provinces that want federal funding would have to fully enforce public health-care standards under an NDP government. March 31: The NDP promises to retrofit 3.3 million homes in Canada and pay for it by cutting supports for big oil and gas companies. Singh says 2.3 million low-income households would get free energy-saving retrofits like heat pumps, air sealing and fresh insulation under the NDP plan. The party says it would spend $1.5 billion annually over 10 years to complete the upgrades. The NDP says another $300 million per year to expand the Canada Green Homes Initiative would allow an additional one million households to finance similar retrofits with low-cost loans. March 30: Singh says a federal government led by him would offer first-time homebuyers access to low interest loans. Singh says the federal government extends loans to "wealthy developers" but not to "everyday families," and an NDP government would offer low interest loans to those who qualify for a mortgage but may not be able to afford bank rates. March 29: Singh says he would introduce emergency price caps on basic food items, similar to measures introduced in France and Greece. The proposed caps would cover foods like pasta, frozen vegetables and infant formula. He also says he would enforce a mandatory grocery code of conduct to regulate prices, empower the Competition Bureau to act as a watchdog and tax profits from the country's biggest grocery chains. Singh says he would also reform the Nutrition North subsidy program. March 28: Singh says the New Democrats would ban corporations from buying affordable rental buildings and stop corporate landlords "who gouge their tenants" from getting things like low-interest federal loans, preferential tax treatment and mortgage loan insurance. He also says the NDP would boost the rental protection fund to help non-profits buy affordable apartments. March 27: Singh announces a plan to protect jobs in the Canadian auto sector that includes a pledge to boost employment insurance, give all money collected from counter-tariffs to workers and communities hit the hardest by the trade war, and require that federal departments and agencies buy vehicles made in Canada. He also says an NDP government would "use every legal tool available" to stop companies that have received public money from taking auto plants, machinery and tools out of the country. March 26: Singh says his party would cut taxes by increasing the basic personal amount of income exempted from taxation to $19,500, and would cut the GST from things like diapers, grocery store meals and bills for cellphones, internet and heating. He also pledges to raise the guaranteed income supplement for seniors. March 24: Singh says a government led by him would use federal Crown land to build more than 100,000 rent-controlled homes over the next 10 years. He is also promising $1 billion over five years to acquire more public land for rent-controlled home construction. The housing pledge also includes a promise to train 100,000 more people in skilled trades. March 20: In Hamilton, Ont., Singh promises to improve employment insurance, create jobs by investing in infrastructure and using Canadian resources, and expand trade beyond the United States. March 16: Singh says an NDP government would cancel Canada's F-35 contract and build fighter jets in Canada instead. He also commits to bolstering Canada's Arctic with new defence spending, building marine search and research stations, increasing pay for soldiers and building northern community infrastructure. This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 25, 2025. The Canadian Press
CBC
01-04-2025
- Politics
- CBC
Green Party co-leader in Yukon to pitch national civil defence corps
Federal Green Party co-leader Jonathan Pedneault was in Whitehorse on Monday, pitching a plan to build a 120,000-person civil defence corps, and expand Canada's reserve forces. Pedneault called it a "whole-of-society effort to build resilience, defend our democracy and strengthen our communities." Referring to wildfires, a changing climate, "new geopolitical fault lines" and that mysterious balloon that was shot down over Yukon a couple of years ago, Pedneault said it's clear that Canada is "no longer safe in the ways that it used to be." Speaking at a news conference alongside the party's local candidate Gabrielle Dupont, Pedneault described a national civil defence corps of "well-paid jobs" and priority hiring for former oil and gas sector workers displaced by a move toward a greener economy. "We want to have a a big force of workers that is spread all across the country that can operate as independently as possible with good-paying jobs and salaries from the federal government, and a clear responsibility to look after the community and be stewards of emergency preparedness," he said. He also proposed free civil defence training for any Canadian who wants it. "Every Canadian, young or old, will have access if they want to basic emergency preparedness skills, first aid, cyber security, crisis response — so that no one should be left behind in case of a blackout, a wildfire or a digital breach," he said. He also promised optional defence skills training for "tens of thousands" of Canadians, such as firearms training, survival techniques, and tactical first aid. "These are tools not just for conflict — and that's important to strike and emphasize — but they are tools for resilience, for helping neighbours, and for leading in times of crisis," he said. "Canada lags behind its democratic allies in terms of civilian readiness." Pedneault also promised to expand Canada's reserve forces by 20,000 people, to fund the expansion of the Canadian Rangers, overhaul the Canadian Service Corps. for youth, and to "place Inuit, Dene, Gwich'in, and other Indigenous nations at the heart of our Arctic Indigenous strategy." Pedneault argued that the party's plan is "not a call for militarization," but about community readiness. He also acknowledged that the ambitious plan will cost "tens of billions" of dollars, at a time when other parties are calling for fiscal restraint. Pedneault argues that now is not the time to cut federal spending, but rather to collect more tax from big business. "It is important to realize the crisis that we're in," said Pedneault. "We need Canadians to know that the state is there to help them get through these hard times, so that Canadians are willing and ready to serve when Canada needs them. And that time may come very soon." 'On the front lines' Dupont, the party's Yukon candidate, argued that the North is "on the front lines." "We're on the front lines of climate change, we're on the front lines of energy self-sufficiency, and we're on the front lines of Arctic geopolitics. Let's be ready for these challenges," she said. The Green Party has struggled to gain a significant foothold in the Yukon, finishing fifth in the riding in the 2021 election with just four per cent of the vote. The party's best-ever showing in the territory was in 2011, when candidate John Streicker — now a cabinet minister in the territory's Liberal government — finished third with 18 per cent of the vote. Pedneault is the first federal party leader to visit the Yukon, or any of the territories, during this federal campaign. Liberal Leader Mark Carney visited Iqaluit as prime minister earlier this month, before the election call, to announce plans for a new early-warning radar system for the Arctic, along with other infrastructure investments. NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh and Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre also visited Iqaluit before the election call. Singh announced during his visit earlier this month that his party would cancel Canada's contract to buy U.S.-built F-35s and look for companies to build fighter jets in Canada. Poilievre, during his visit in February
Yahoo
20-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Experts welcome news of Arctic early-warning radar project, want more detail on other North promises
Canada's plan to build an early warning system to better protect the Arctic is being welcomed by some who work in and study the North. Prime Minister Mark Carney announced in Iqaluit on Tuesday that Canada would be working with Australia to build the Arctic Over-The-Horizon Radar System, which he said would detect and respond to air and maritime threats faster and from further away. The system will be based in Ontario. Whitney Lackenbauer, the Canada Research Chair in the Study of the Canadian North at Trent University in Ontario, said it's a partnership he's "really excited about." The North is already served by a warning system, but he said it only covers a bit of the North — the mainland coastline and some of the lower Arctic islands. He said the new system will cover all of the Canadian Arctic and eventually the Arctic Ocean as well. He also characterized the partnership with Australia as "incredible" — in part because that country has certain things in common with Canada, such as having a sparsely populated northern region. Given its proximity to China on its northwestern edge, Lackenbauer said Australia is also "very interested in detecting, deterring and defending against threats." Canada's $6-billion investment into the warning system was already announced as part of the plan to modernize the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD), in 2022. Tom Henheffer, CEO of the Arctic Research Foundation, also said the investment is an important one — though he was surprised the new system would be based out of southern Ontario. "As nice as it would be to have it as an infrastructure project in the Arctic, I'm sure they're putting it in the right place," he said. Infrastructure investments Henheffer was also pleased by Carney's investments into Nunavut infrastructure, also announced Tuesday, but was skeptical about whether they'd go far enough. One of the investments, for example, is $20 million for a planned hydroelectric facility outside of Iqaluit that is expected to cost $500 million overall. "That's a good example of how the Arctic is often treated," he said. "Fairly frequently there's, you know, ribbon-cutting or big announcements that sound really positive but when you drill down to the actual numbers … it's a very small percentage of the funds that are actually needed for this." Raymond Ruben Sr., the mayor of Paulatuk, N.W.T., said that right now, security isn't tight in his community. He said there are ways to report what comes in along the coast, but he'd like to see a more "formal" process that yields a faster response. He said his community also has roughly 20 to 25 Canadian Rangers and an active Junior Canadian Ranger program — but he'd like to see more investments into that part of the military as well. Carney did announce Tuesday that the federal government was investing $420 million so that the Canadian Armed Forces could have a greater presence in the Arctic and could expand its training and deployment. That part of the announcement, however, left Lackenbauer "craving" more detail. Ruben, meanwhile, said Canada has to "step up a bit" in the North, and he supports the investments that were announced. "It's about time," he said.
