Latest news with #DavidStaples
Edmonton Journal
19 hours ago
- Politics
- Edmonton Journal
Maine state senator's pitch for western provinces to join U.S. is ‘nonsense,' says ‘enraged' B.C. MLA
The State Capitol building in Augusta, Maine. Photo by Getty Images VICTORIA — A British Columbia legislator said he went from 'disappointed' to 'enraged' after receiving a pitch from a Republican state senator for Canada's four western provinces to join the United States. THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Exclusive articles by David Staples, Keith Gerein and others, Oilers news from Cult of Hockey, Ask EJ Anything features, the Noon News Roundup and Under the Dome newsletters. Unlimited online access to Edmonton Journal and 15 news sites with one account. Edmonton Journal ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on. Daily puzzles, including the New York Times Crossword. Support local journalism. SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Exclusive articles by David Staples, Keith Gerein and others, Oilers news from Cult of Hockey, Ask EJ Anything features, the Noon News Roundup and Under the Dome newsletters. Unlimited online access to Edmonton Journal and 15 news sites with one account. Edmonton Journal ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on. Daily puzzles, including the New York Times Crossword. Support local journalism. 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 Brennan Day, with the Opposition B.C. Conservative Party, said his office had to first confirm the authenticity of the 'nonsense' letter from Maine Sen. Joseph Martin after receiving it last week. Martin's three-page pitch said if B.C., Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba were to seek admission to the United States after referendum votes, it would have to be as full American states. Get the latest headlines, breaking news and columns. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. Please try again 'This would not be annexation. It would be adoption — welcoming home kindred spirits, who were born under a different flag but who desire to live under our Constitution and accept our responsibilities, customs, and traditions,' he wrote in the letter shared by Day. Martin said in the letter that his appeal is not a 'fantasy of empire' but a 'vision deeply rooted in American tradition' that would give the four provinces a chance to 'leave behind failing ideologies.' 'For too long, Canadian citizens have been subjected to an illusion of freedom administered through bureaucratic means,' he wrote, adding that the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, 'while lofty in rhetoric, provides no absolute protection.' He said this was in contrast to the U.S. Bill of Rights. Martin said 'millions of people currently frustrated by central authority, moral decay, and bureaucratic suffocation' would be rewarded by 'liberty' if the four provinces were to join the United States. 'The welcome mat is out,' he concluded. Day said the most shocking part of the letter was its attack on Canadian institutions, like the Charter of Rights, parliamentary government, monarchism, bilingualism, multiculturalism, and the dismissal of those cornerstones as 'political baggage.' Day said in an interview that Martin needed to look at 'how heavy his luggage' is. He said Martin's party was 'hauling around wheeled trunks' of baggage in the United States where the Constitution was 'being torn up by Republicans.' Day said it was not clear why Martin wrote to him, but suspected it might be due to 'rhetoric' coming out of Alberta that led Martin to believe British Columbians would be interested.
Edmonton Journal
a day ago
- Edmonton Journal
Wife's ADHD cited by Federal Court in reasons for delaying deportation of man from India
This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. 'There is evidence that L.B. suffers from ADHD which impairs her ability to manage time, stress, focus ... and that the Applicant provides her with support' Last updated 14 minutes ago The front doors to the Federal Court of Canada in Ottawa in 2023. Photo by Sean Kilpatrick / The Canadian Press A Federal Court judge has temporarily stopped the deportation of a man from India over Ottawa's handling of health concerns by his Canadian wife who has ADHD, and financial problems his departure would cause his sister. THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Exclusive articles by David Staples, Keith Gerein and others, Oilers news from Cult of Hockey, Ask EJ Anything features, the Noon News Roundup and Under the Dome newsletters. Unlimited online access to Edmonton Journal and 15 news sites with one account. Edmonton Journal ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on. Daily puzzles, including the New York Times Crossword. Support local journalism. SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Exclusive articles by David Staples, Keith Gerein and others, Oilers news from Cult of Hockey, Ask EJ Anything features, the Noon News Roundup and Under the Dome newsletters. Unlimited online access to Edmonton Journal and 15 news sites with one account. Edmonton Journal ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on. Daily puzzles, including the New York Times Crossword. Support local journalism. 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 Jagjit Singh, a citizen of India, came to Canada in 2021 on a temporary resident visa and made a refugee claim for asylum. While that claim was being processed, he met a Canadian woman, in November 2024, and married her the following January. The woman, identified only by the initials L.B., in the court decision, submitted a spousal sponsorship for her new husband to become a permanent resident of Canada a couple of weeks later, after which he withdrew his refugee claim. Get the latest headlines, breaking news and columns. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. Please try again While one arm of the immigration system was processing the spousal sponsorship, another arm was dealing with a man who was no longer seeking refugee protection and so had overstayed his original visa. In May his wife was notified she met the eligibility requirements to sponsor Singh and, in July, Singh was given a removal date for August. He asked Canada Border Services Agency officials to delay his deportation until after his wife's application was adjudicated. CBSA refused his request. Singh then sought intervention from the Federal Court to delay his removal. His case was heard by Federal Court Justice Avvy Yao-Yao Go on Tuesday and her decision was released the same day. Lawyers for Singh claimed five grounds for a delay, including various ways that the CBSA mishandled and misapplied evidence in the case to a degree suggesting they had not reviewed the submission Singh had made. The judge said not all of Singh's grounds were persuasive, but only one serious issue was needed for a stay to be granted, and she saw one. 'There is at least one serious issue with respect to the Officer's assessment of the evidence the Applicant submitted in support of his deferral request, and the Officer's interpretation of the scope of their discretion,' Go wrote in her decision. She found the border officer did not properly consider the issue of irreparable harm. 'Irreparable harm refers to harm which cannot be compensated in money; it is the nature rather than the magnitude of the harm,' her judgment says. It doesn't have to be the person being deported that is harmed, it can be 'specific harm that is demonstrated in regard to any persons directly affected by the removal, and who will be remaining in Canada.' This advertisement has not loaded yet. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. In this case, Go found that there was evidence of harm to Singh's wife, who has ADHD, and to Singh's sister, who will suffer financially because the couple pay to live in her house. The CBSA officer's dismissal of the concerns was not based on evidence before the court, Go said. 'In the case before me, there is evidence that L.B. suffers from ADHD which impairs her ability to manage time, stress, focus and everyday responsibilities and that the Applicant provides her with support by, among other things, helping her maintain daily structure and reminders for medications and appointments, and providing her with emotional stability and mental health support. The evidence before the Court also indicates L.B. cannot rely on other family members to support her. 'The evidence before the Court further indicates that the Applicant's sister has put her house on sale in light of the Decision denying the Applicant's request to defer his removal.' In court, the government argued the couple's spousal sponsorship application faces further investigation due to 'possible bona fide concerns,' suggesting CBSA wants to see whether their marriage is a sham for immigration purposes. Singh's lawyers responded that the couple has not been asked for any information in that probe, so the delay is the government's fault, not Singh's. 'In the end,' Go wrote, 'taking into consideration the irreparable harm to the Applicant's spouse on the one hand, and the inconvenience to the Respondent caused by delay in removal on the other, I find that granting the stay until the underlying (application for judicial review) is determined would be just and equitable in all the circumstances of the case.' Go said Singh could stay in Canada until that review happens. Our website is the place for the latest breaking news, exclusive scoops, longreads and provocative commentary. Please bookmark and sign up for our newsletters here.
Edmonton Journal
a day ago
- Business
- Edmonton Journal
Telus strikes back at Cogeco and defends Joly's decision to uphold CRTC's wholesale internet rules
This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. A pedestrian walks past the Telus Harbour building in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Photo by Brent Lewin / Bloomberg OTTAWA — Days after Cogeco's CEO blasted Industry Minister Melanie Joly for authorizing Canada's three major telecommunications companies to resell fibre optics to internet service providers on their respective networks, the only member of the big three telecoms in favour of the measure came to the minister's rescue. THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Exclusive articles by David Staples, Keith Gerein and others, Oilers news from Cult of Hockey, Ask EJ Anything features, the Noon News Roundup and Under the Dome newsletters. Unlimited online access to Edmonton Journal and 15 news sites with one account. Edmonton Journal ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on. Daily puzzles, including the New York Times Crossword. Support local journalism. SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Exclusive articles by David Staples, Keith Gerein and others, Oilers news from Cult of Hockey, Ask EJ Anything features, the Noon News Roundup and Under the Dome newsletters. Unlimited online access to Edmonton Journal and 15 news sites with one account. Edmonton Journal ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on. Daily puzzles, including the New York Times Crossword. Support local journalism. 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 'We have a government that's actually very committed to truly bringing competition and better choice for Canadians, I think, and not interested into political interference with their own administrative process,' said Telus chief technology officer Nazim Benhadid. Last week, Joly sided with the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) after it decided to allow for greater competition on existing networks for high-speed Internet services across the country. Get the latest headlines, breaking news and columns. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. Please try again 'By immediately increasing competition and consumer choice, the CRTC's decision aims to reduce the cost of high-speed Internet for Canadians and will contribute toward our broader mandate to bring down costs across the board,' Joly said in a statement. The decision means, for example, that Telus can use other providers' networks to attract thousands of customers in Ontario and Quebec instead of building its own infrastructure. It has angered major players in the sector, such as Bell, Rogers, Eastlink, and Cogeco, who said it would harm them, and the investments needed to improve their networks. They also questioned the potential for cost reduction. In an interview with the National Post, Benhadid cited Statistics Canada to claim that costs in some regions of the country had fallen by 13.5 per cent since the CRTC released the new framework a year ago. He also challenged his competitors to invest in Western Canada, where Telus has a strong presence. 'It's symmetrical. (All these companies) can come and compete in Calgary, Edmonton, Vancouver. Everywhere we serve, our fibre is available. So it's hard to understand this argument that it's not good. They don't want to come and compete in the west. It doesn't work for their strategy,' he said. Most of the sector's key players are based in Ontario and Quebec, with Montreal housing three headquarters. Telus is based in Vancouver, British Columbia. But Benhadid was quick to point out that when he joined Telus in 2000, fresh out of school, the company was a small amalgamation of regional players from Western Canada. This Montreal engineer, a graduate of the École Polytechnique at the Université de Montréal, recalls that the company he joined had only four employees in Quebec's largest city. Today, Telus has more than 6,000 employees in Montreal. This advertisement has not loaded yet. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. 'So it's always been in our DNA to compete and be present across the country,' said Benhadid. During the interview, he often highlighted Cogeco's business model, which includes investments abroad, notably its failed attempt to conquer the Portuguese market two decades ago. 'Cogeco's strategy is to compete in the U.S., outside of Canada,' said Benhadid. The Telus executive's comments came a few days after the CEO for Cogeco told National Post he wanted to 'ring the alarm bell' because he never thought that 'such a damaging, dangerous decision' as the one Joly made on Aug. 6 'would or could be made.' 'We had high hopes that this new government would make better decisions for business and the Canadian economy,' Frédéric Perron said. 'And what we saw last week, by the minister's decision, is more reminiscent of old Trudeau era, superficial policies.' Many key industry players expected Minister Joly to announce her rejection of the CRTC's decision. But for Telus's CTO, these comments came as a surprise. 'I am surprised, because objectively they don't stand in front of the economic theories test,' Benhadid said. At a time when Prime Minister Mark Carney wants to see Canadian companies invest in Canada, several players in the telecommunications industry say that Joly's decision will not encourage them to do so. Financial analyses they're citing, including from Bank of America and National Bank, predict that such decision would lead to 'a decline in future investments in telecommunications infrastructure.' This file has also become a political melodrama in some corners of Parliament Hill. Since Joly announced her decision on a hot and dry summer evening last week, she has remained silent and did not offer any other comments than the statement she released. On Thursday afternoon, the Bloc Québécois asked the minister to review the decision. 'Maintaining this status quo makes no sense, especially since even two of the three major telecommunications players opposed it. By doing so, Minister Joly will prevent smaller telecommunications players from becoming competitive and growing, and it is the citizens who will pay the price,' said the Bloc's Industry critic Gabriel Ste-Marie. But for Telus, the regulatory issue is settled, and its leadership team is ready to move forward. The company recently announced it will expand broadband services in Ontario and Quebec with $2-billion investment in areas that don't already have fibre. 'So the areas that companies are saying they're not going to invest in we will. And after five years, they will have access to this fibre,' he said. 'So, their strategy is to not compete in Canada. Their strategy is to do something else. And now they're trying to justify their strategic choices.' National Post atrepanier@ Our website is the place for the latest breaking news, exclusive scoops, longreads and provocative commentary. Please bookmark and sign up for our politics newsletter, First Reading, here.
Edmonton Journal
a day ago
- Business
- Edmonton Journal
Proposed national class action filed against Amazon for breaching privacy of Alexa users
This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Lawsuit from Charney Lawyers alleges Alexa products have collected more personal data from Canadian users than Amazon has disclosed An Amazon Echo, a compact smart speaker with Alexa that can play music, retrieve news and weather and control smart home devices. Photo by Luke MacGregor / Bloomberg A proposed class action lawsuit has been filed in the B.C. Supreme Court against Amazon over its Alexa technology. THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Exclusive articles by David Staples, Keith Gerein and others, Oilers news from Cult of Hockey, Ask EJ Anything features, the Noon News Roundup and Under the Dome newsletters. Unlimited online access to Edmonton Journal and 15 news sites with one account. Edmonton Journal ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on. Daily puzzles, including the New York Times Crossword. Support local journalism. SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Exclusive articles by David Staples, Keith Gerein and others, Oilers news from Cult of Hockey, Ask EJ Anything features, the Noon News Roundup and Under the Dome newsletters. Unlimited online access to Edmonton Journal and 15 news sites with one account. Edmonton Journal ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on. Daily puzzles, including the New York Times Crossword. Support local journalism. 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 The lawsuit, submitted by B.C. law firm Charney Lawyers, alleges that Alexa products have collected more personal data from Canadian users than Amazon has disclosed. It also alleges that the tech giant retained the information, even when users tried to delete it, using it for business purposes such as training artificial intelligence and developing targeted advertising. The class action was filed in B.C., on behalf of representative plaintiff, Joseph Stoney, but its aim is to be national in scope. If the class action is certified by the court, it would cover all Canadian residents who had an Amazon Alexa account between 2014 and July 19, 2023. Get the latest headlines, breaking news and columns. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. Please try again 'Had they learned about this after signing up for Alexa, users would have discontinued their accounts,' the statement of claim asserts. The essence of the lawsuit is the allegation that Amazon failed to obtain meaningful, informed consent for retention and use of this data. As a result, the alleged data collection and use breached both privacy and consumer protection laws in Canada. 'In its terms of service Amazon made explicit commitments to Alexa users regarding their privacy. However, rather than protecting users privacy, Amazon: (1) kept the data it took from Alexa indefinitely; (2) used that data to train its algorithms, machine learning programs and AI; and (3) failed to fully delete the data when customers asked it to.' The suit sets out that since 2014, Amazon has been developing and selling Amazon 'Echo' devices, which are controlled by its cloud-based voice assistant, Alexa. Alexa can activate intentionally or accidentally, the claim says. Once Alexa begins streaming audio to the cloud, the audio interaction is transcribed to text, the lawsuit states. Then it is processed by an algorithm that instructs the Alexa how to respond to the user. If a request has been processed, a copy of the audio file, the transcription, the resulting instructions to Alexa, and any associated metadata is stored in an Amazon database, the claim alleges. Prior to 2020, users had no way to delete Alexa interaction-related data, and it was stored indefinitely, says the claim. And even though Amazon introduced a deletion function in 2020, it adds, Amazon only deleted the audio file, while retaining a transcription, the instructions, and associated metadata. This advertisement has not loaded yet. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. 'When a user chose to delete the data on one or more of their interactions with Alexa, Amazon changed what was visible to the user so that it appeared that the interactions had been completely deleted even though Amazon was actually retaining everything except the audio file,' the claim says. Charney Lawyers also argues that some of this data may have been collected accidentally when Alexa mistook regular sounds for its 'wake word.' This means conversations users never intended for the device might have been picked up, transcribed and saved. The claim notes that in May 2023, the U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC) filed a complaint against Amazon, alleging the company falsely represented that Alexa app users could delete voice recordings, transcripts and metadata. And instead, Amazon allegedly only deleted voice recordings, keeping transcripts and associated metadata. In July 2023, Amazon agreed to pay a US$25-million fine and 'effectively admitted to a number of instances of unlawful data misuse.' The suit seeks damages, repayment of any profits Amazon gained from the use of the data, as well as repayment of the amount users paid for Alexa products and services. For potential participants in the suit, there is a registration page set up by Charney Lawyers for people who want updates or to potentially take part in the action. Our website is the place for the latest breaking news, exclusive scoops, longreads and provocative commentary. Please bookmark and sign up for our daily newsletter, Posted, here.
Edmonton Journal
2 days ago
- Edmonton Journal
Judge overstepped his authority in ruling against Quebec's language law: appeal court
A courthouse in Montreal. Photo by Christinne Muschi/The Canadian Press/File MONTREAL — Quebec's Court of Appeal says a provincial court judge overstepped his jurisdiction when he ruled that part of the province's language law is unconstitutional. THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Exclusive articles by David Staples, Keith Gerein and others, Oilers news from Cult of Hockey, Ask EJ Anything features, the Noon News Roundup and Under the Dome newsletters. Unlimited online access to Edmonton Journal and 15 news sites with one account. Edmonton Journal ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on. Daily puzzles, including the New York Times Crossword. Support local journalism. SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Exclusive articles by David Staples, Keith Gerein and others, Oilers news from Cult of Hockey, Ask EJ Anything features, the Noon News Roundup and Under the Dome newsletters. Unlimited online access to Edmonton Journal and 15 news sites with one account. Edmonton Journal ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on. Daily puzzles, including the New York Times Crossword. Support local journalism. 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 In May 2024, Quebec court Judge Denis Galiatsatos raised a legal question on his own initiative while overseeing a case involving a woman charged with criminal negligence causing the death of a cyclist. The woman had sought a trial in English. Galiatsatos took issue with a section of Quebec's language law that was scheduled to enter into effect in June of that year, a few days before the start of the trial. The law requires that a French translation of court decisions be made available 'immediately and without delay.' Get the latest headlines, breaking news and columns. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. Please try again The judge said at the time that the law would systematically delay English verdicts because of the French translation requirement. In a procedural ruling ahead of the trial, he declared the provision inoperable. His ruling was overturned by the Court of Appeal in late May. In a written ruling dated Aug. 8 outlining its reasons, a three-justice panel unanimously agreed that Galiatsatos's actions in initiating the debate went beyond his jurisdiction. 'Perhaps there was room here for a proper constitutional debate on the applicability of the (law) in criminal matters. One can legitimately ask this,' the high court ruled. 'But initiating, conducting and resolving this debate, unilaterally and in anticipation, as the judge attempted to do here, went far beyond the limits of his jurisdiction.' Following Galiatsatos's initial ruling, Quebec's attorney general took the matter before Superior Court for a judicial review, which was dismissed due to the absence of 'harm to the public interest in the judge's ruling.' Quebec's attorney general then brought the matter before the Court of Appeal, which said, 'the procedure followed here left too much to be desired' and that a judge alone cannot take it upon themselves to decide a matter in this way, using 'pure hypotheses,' a 'deficient procedural framework' and absent the 'illumination of a well-documented context.' If anyone chooses to challenge the constitutionality of the article in the future, it will have to be redone correctly, the court ruled.
