Latest news with #ProjectArrow
Yahoo
23-05-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Terence Corcoran: Is a plan to build an all-Canadian EV the key to our auto industry's future?
With no federal budget in sight there is no way of knowing which of the Liberal government's grand economic platform strategies and major government interventions are still on Prime Minister Mark Carney's must-do list. The only item on the official agenda at the moment is a July 1 reduction in the middle-class tax rate from 15 to 14 per cent, a move that will cost the government about $5 billion this year and raise the 2025-26 deficit closer to $50 billion. The deficit could soar in coming months and years, depending on the trajectory of global economic conditions and on whether Carney appears at his desk in the PMO to sign other pre-budget spending orders. On reflection, maybe it's a good thing that the government has decided to postpone budget delivery until the fall. While it would be useful to have an accurate federal fiscal outlook today, the last thing we need now is one of Ottawa's ritual 500-page tax, borrow and spend extravaganzas. Canadians can be grateful that as the United States charges uncertainly into a probable fiscal mess, Canada can drift through the summer giving careful second thought to some of the Liberal expansions of federal spending. Do we really need and want a $5-billion 'trade diversifications corridors fund' or a $3-billion annual Build Canada Homes plan, or a $2-billion plan to build an 'auto industry strategic response fund' as part of a plan to 'leverage government funding to prioritize and procure Canadian-built vehicles, catalyzing domestic investment to grow the Canadian auto industry.' The Canadian auto industry dreamscape is a big one that should be subjected to careful study before adding new initiatives to a national industrial strategy that is already off the road. As recent announcements from major auto companies (Honda, Stellantis) indicate, the global auto market is in a state of dramatic upheaval and Canada is in no position to be investing the dozens of billions already committed to a market filled with uncertainty. Some say Canada needs a dramatic shift in its national approach to the transitioning global auto industry, one that involves creating a Canadian-owned model to produce new made-in-Canada automobiles. One of the leaders of the make-it-in-Canada movement is Flavio Volpe, head of Canada's Automotive Parts Manufacturers' Association (APMA). For more than half a decade, the APMA under Volpe has been working on Project Arrow, a model of a potential fully Canadian EV designed and manufactured in Canada. Volpe told the National Observer earlier this month that it is time 'for a big rethink of the auto sector canon. We can't continue to think conventionally.' With Project Arrow, he added, 'Canada shows it has the technology and the people to do an 'all-Canadian' car.' Volpe said the Arrow is a 'platform and showcase' that contains 25 Canadian EV technologies, innovative drivetrains, 3D-printed chassis and state-of-the-art navigation systems. Whether the Arrow lives up to all the hype from APMA's 400 parts manufacturers is open to question. Federal Finance Minister François-Philippe Champagne has in the past supported the Arrow. Speaking as innovation minister prior to a 2023 Arrow promo tour to Las Vegas, Champagne said, 'Project Arrow is a shining example of what Canadian talent can accomplish. We have all the technical know-how and people required to do this successfully.' Terence Corcoran: Why BE$$ may not be the best electricity plan Terence Corcoran: Elbows up for a trade deal by anti-free-traders So far, however, the Arrow lacks momentum and faces major competitive realities. The target market price of an Arrow is said to be C$35,000, low by current EV standards in Canada but not by Made-in-China standards, where prices run to C$20,000 or lower. Would Canada continue to need 100 per cent tariffs on Chinese autos? Which is one reason Volpe told the Globe and Mail earlier this week that he would like Ottawa, the provinces and industry to modestly fund a 'feasibility study' into the possibility of getting a Canadian-owned EV manufacturing operation up and running. Such a study, he said, would cost somewhere between $5 million and $20 million. OK. Good idea. Let's do a $20-million study before we bring in a budget with a multibillion-dollar plan to create a new Canadian auto company. We should do that more often.
National Observer
09-05-2025
- Automotive
- National Observer
Arrow reborn: an all-Canadian EV aims to revolutionize industry
Turns out $20 million could be a good price for a new EV. If that car is the Project Arrow prototype — an all-Canadian electric vehicle dreamt up by an auto industry body that has already drummed up $500 million in contracts for the companies which contributed their technologies, that is. The EV concept, named after the avant-garde but controversial Canadian-built Avro Arrow supersonic fighter jet cancelled in 1959, has been logging thousands of air miles of its own since its launch in 2020. The distinctive gun-metal grey design was on display at Canada's pavillion at the COP28 climate conference in Dubai, UAE, and has been in the spotlight at industry exhibitions around the world. International interest in the eye-catching EV model has already translated into half a billion dollars in deals for the 25 home-grown startups that delivered technologies for the prototype, ranging from an innovative electric drive-train through a 3D-printed chassis to a state-of-the-art navigation system. For Flavio Volpe, who as head of Canada's Automotive Parts Manufacturers Association (APMA) spearheaded development of the project, the enthusiasm and deal-making are a vindication of the 'true value for money' of the EV concept, which raised $12 million from the Canadian auto sector and received $8 million in government backing to build the prototype. 'This is not about prototyping a design for mass production. These are designed to be a platform and showcase,' he stated, speaking with Canada's National Observer. 'So $20 million is a lot for a car, but not when you think about it in terms of what it can generate for the Canadian auto sector, for the Canadian economy.' 'Things are changing very rapidly. This is an occasion for a big rethink of the auto sector canon. We can't continue to think conventionally." APMA's Flavio Volpe 'With Project Arrow, Canada shows it has the technology and the people to do an 'all-Canadian' car,' said Volpe. An industrial net-zero call-to-arms The spark of conception for the Arrow came five years ago during the federal throne speech, which included a government call-to-arms to all in industry to imagine what their sectors 'could look like in a net-zero future.' Volpe took the question to representatives from APMA's 400-plus parts-supplier members with the challenge of designing and building a new EV. The car that took shape had 'innovation' as its watchword. The Arrow design came from a team at Carleton University in Ottawa, Ont., and 'every last part' came from one of more than 60 Canadian suppliers. This included power train engineers Narmco, software developers Ettractive and YQG Technologies, injection moulding specialist Papp Plastics, and cybersecurity outfit Vehiqilla. The prototype was assembled by Ontario Tech University, in Oshawa, Ont. 'We are saying: 'If a [car-maker] is interested in the Arrow's navigation system or the power-train — or the steering wheel, seats or door handles, here are the companies to buy from,'' said Volpe, who also sits on the Prime Minister's Council on Canada-US Relations. Progress on the project was given a major boost last November when APMA secured a further $11 million to build the first dozen 'Arrow 2.0s,' demonstrator models that could be used as virtual kit-cars by any automaker looking to start manufacturing an all-Canadian EV. 'Through Project Arrow [the Canadian auto sector] will prove that we can land on the moon. But it is not for APMA to colonize it,' said Volpe, noting he has had many requests to launch a car company off the back of the prototype. Still, the idea is tempting. Particularly given that Canada's vaunted $100 billion EV ecosystem strategy has been misfiring in the last year due to a slow-down in electric car and truck demand growth and the impact of the 'uncertainty shock' to the auto sector from the imposition of US tariffs. An EV designed and built in Canada with exclusively Canadian parts and technology will have a domestic market eventually, Volpe said, whatever US President Donald Trump's 'ambitions' or the industrial vagaries of the transition from internal combustion engines to electric drive-trains. Statista, a data provider, forecast Canada's EV market to reach over $11.5 billion in 2025 and grow almost 10 per cent a year to $17 billion by 2029, by which time almost 250,000 EVs will be on Canadian roads. 'The technologies being delivered by our member companies are going to drive down the cost of vehicles. If we are going to compete with the Chinese, we have to invest in these product innovations and also in the process and technologies to manufacture these EVs,' he added. 'Things are changing very rapidly. This is an occasion for a big rethink of the auto sector canon. We can't continue to think conventionally,' Volpe said of the transition to EVs, adding: 'If I launched a car today, it wouldn't combust anything. It would be electric.' On the road 'for $35,000' By APMA figuring, a compact SUV model Arrow could roll off a Canadian assembly line by 2029 with a sticker price of $35,000, he added, ready to be one of the two million cars sold each year in Canada. Development of the next-generation Arrow is going to test the design for ultra-harsh Canadian winter conditions, with Ontario Tech set to put the car through its paces in the university's climatic aerodynamic wind tunnel, which can simulate Arctic blizzards and 'extreme weather events.' Like the prototype, the Arrow 2.0 is retaining its identity as a 'lighthouse for the sector but a showcase for our suppliers' technologies,' said Volpe. But he feels the spirit of the project needs to continue reflecting its namesake, the Avro Arrow, developed in response to the 'existential threat' of Russian bombers flying over the Arctic Circle to attack Canada and the US. 'We built a Canadian jet from a 'clean sheet' that could fly twice as fast and fly twice as high as anything out there in the '50s. We couldn't think conventionally to do this.' The American economic attack on Canada with tariffs could be seen as comparable, Volpe said, given the damage that might be done to our national security and sovereignty, and provides government and industry with the opportunity to reposition the auto sector 'to play to our existing strengths.' 'We have a world-class auto manufacturing cluster in southwestern Ontario, we have a strong advanced technology cluster — software and hardware — we have steel and aluminum, and we have critical minerals for energy-dense EV batteries. And then there is AI and machine learning, which Canadians pioneered.' Through Project Arrow, Canada now also has its own EV prototype. And Volpe adds APMA is happy to hand over the 'five years of homework done for this project to anybody who wants to take a shot at it.'
Chicago Tribune
07-03-2025
- Politics
- Chicago Tribune
Indian Prairie School District 204 board hopefuls talk safety, diversity and budget priorities at candidate forum
On Thursday, five candidates for the Indian Prairie School District 204 Board of Education presented their platforms as they vie for four four-year spots on the district board in the April 1 election. The candidates at the forum were current board president Laurie Donahue, current board vice president Susan Demming, current secretary Supna Jain, current board member Allison Fosdick and resident Allison Albert. At the virtual event on Thursday, hosted by the League of Women Voters of Naperville and the Indian Prairie Parents' Council, the five candidates answered questions about topics ranging from school safety to block scheduling in the district. The Indian Prairie Parents' Council fielded questions from the school community to create questions for the forum, Shelby Schultz, the president of the Executive Committee of the council, said at the forum Thursday. It was moderated by Jan Dorner from the League of Women Voters of Elmhurst, and did not include debate or comments from the public. Donahue is a retired senior director in the telecom industry, who said at the forum she has subbed at least once at 30 Indian Prairie schools. Demming, the current board vice president, is a public relations, marketing and workforce development consultant, according to past reporting, who has been involved in the district since her children began school there in 2001. Jain works as a senior lecturer for North Central College, and Fosdick is an adjunct professor of English at Aurora University. At Thursday's forum, both Jain and Fosdick also noted having children in the district. Albert, the only non-incumbent, said at Thursday's forum that she is a business owner, former teacher and parent. The first question asked of candidates was about digital literacy and technology use. Donahue noted how technology can allow students to get extra support on lessons, but cautioned that content needs to be moderated on school computers. Fosdick and Jain said they want the district to ensure students know how to differentiate between biased and unbiased information, between accurate news and misinformation. And both Demming and Albert talked about digital literacy as a critical workforce skill. The district's bond sale referendum in November came up in discussions of school safety, with candidates emphasizing improving safety as a top priority and lauding the improvements the referendum is set to pay for – like stronger security at the entrances of school buildings. Jain also noted the district's strong relationship with local police. Possible changes to district programs and operations were also up for discussion – namely, the future of the district's Project Arrow program – a program for academically talented students – and possible changes to the district's school day schedule. In terms of Project Arrow, the current board members emphasized that the district is auditing the plan to determine if it was having a positive impact and whether changes should be made going forward. Albert noted a need for more transparency about the program. 'Educating parents more on Project Arrow and how it is that children are selected for that program … will allow more parents to advocate on behalf of their student for entry into that program, for access to those opportunities,' Albert said at the forum. The group was split, but largely opposed, when asked whether the district should consider a modified block schedule and an altered school start time schedule like the one recently proposed in Naperville District 203. Albert and Fosdick said they were not supportive of a change to block scheduling and shifting start times so high school students started later at this point. Families rely on their older children to get their younger siblings to school, both candidates said, and it could pose transportation issues. Fosdick also said it might not be best for students who struggle to focus for extended periods of time. Jain also noted concerns about transportation, but said that block scheduling might allow classes to dive deeper into subject matter and better prepare students for college classes. She said she would be open to a pilot program. Demming and Donahue said the district would need to do more research on the possible benefits and downsides before trying to implement a similar change. Conversations about diversity and inclusion in the district also factored into candidates' answers about the district's Equity Belief Statement, mental health resources for students and budget and staffing priorities. All of the candidates were supportive of the district's statement, and several of the candidates were involved in its crafting. 'We are one of the first … districts at the state to make sure that that equitable lens was at an administrative level,' Demming said, noting that District 204 presented its statement at the state level to other districts. Albert said the district should do more. 'We've had a persistent, consistent achievement gap that has not … decreased over a long period of time,' Albert said. 'The actions need to match the statement.' In discussing mental health challenges for students and staff, particularly in light of the COVID-19 pandemic, both Jain and Demming noted their interest in maintaining equitable access to mental health resources by removing cost and transportation barriers. The district spent time pursuing grants to offer free counseling sessions for students. Several candidates also pointed to the district's mental health symposium on March 8. As for budget and staffing priorities, Fosdick, Demming and Donahue said staff to assist English Language Learners was a major concern. 'Unfortunately, our infrastructure isn't set up to support that,' Fosdick said at the forum. 'I know that we will need to find a way through probably some creative budgeting as we've done in the past.' She suggested that using the bond sale referendum money for capital projects might free up operating fund dollars to use for staffing needs. Not limited to ELL support, candidates said they hoped to prioritize smaller class sizes and more teaching staff. 'I want teachers and other staff before I want more administrators,' Donahue said, noting that she hoped to encourage the district to pursue outside grants to supplement their budget. The district is currently funded at 85% adequacy based on the state's evidence-based funding model, according to the Illinois State Board of Education. Having a more diverse teaching staff was also a top priority for several candidates. Albert noted the importance of attracting high-quality teachers, and said that as a board member, she would be interested in supporting alternative licensing programs which might allow, for example, community members who do not have traditional educational backgrounds but who want to become educators to do so at a lower cost and in a faster timeline. Indian Prairie is more than 50% minority-identifying students, according to 2024 data from the Illinois State Board of Education, but its teaching staff is nearly 90% white. Jain said students' experiences would be improved by having their identities be represented in the teaching staff. 'I'm a big believer … that, if possible, the staff should reflect the community that they are serving,' Jain said. 'I constantly ask our administrators to look for staff and educators that reflect our students.' A recording of the forum is available at the League of Women Voters of Naperville's YouTube Channel. And the Indian Prairie Education Association and Indian Prairie Classified Association's candidate questionnaires, which discuss the candidates' views on and priorities for the district, can be found at Both DuPage County and Will County have early voting options by mail, and in-person starting March 17. A list of all early voting locations and how to vote can be found on the DuPage County and Will County Clerk's Office websites. The election will be held on April 1.
