Latest news with #Robertson
Daily Record
13 hours ago
- Sport
- Daily Record
East Kilbride YM boss relishing 'momentous day', as club set for West of Scotland League debut
The former amatuer side will make their bow this weekend at Kirktonholme East Kilbride YM boss Graeme Robertson is hoping the town comes out to back his side on a 'momentous' day for the team this Saturday. The town's oldest football club make their debut in the West of Scotland Football League when they host Irvine Vics at Kirktonholme for a Fourth Division clash. YM have made the leap from amateur football to the WOSFL after being voted into the bottom tier of the Scottish football pyramid at the end of last season. And everyone at the Village outfit is brimming with anticipation for their big bow at this level. Gaffer Robertson, who led the team to the Caledonian Premier Division title last season, said: 'It will be a momentous day for the club and everyone is looking forward to it. 'All the volunteers will be out in force and planning is well ahead of schedule for Saturday's game. 'Hopefully the weather is good for us and we get a good support behind us. 'We've been absolutely flabbergasted by the response to season tickets - we've sold just over 100 so far - and there have been a lot of people in the town coming up to us to speak about it, so there is a lot of interest. 'Every game we've had in pre-season we've seen a really good crowd and we are really impressed with the response in our first season.' Irvine Vics will be one of the favourites for the title this term, having been relegated from the Third Division last term, and Robertson added: 'I think Irvine Vics could be our toughest game of the season. 'They just got relegated but they have been playing really good teams in pre-season and winning comfortably. It should be a good game.' YM have managed to hold on to most of their squad from last season's title-winning campaign, while also pinching players from near neighbours and Division Four rivals East Kilbride Thistle, who they host on August 2. 'We've kept most of the boys who won the Caledonian Premier Division last season and we've added a few experienced players who have played at this level so we hope that will stand us in good stead,' said Robertson. 'We've brought in three players from EK Thistle - Adam Edgar, Ryan Anderson and Lewis Gray - so they have made the move across the Village. 'We are also delighted to get Greg Miller from Kello Rovers. He was being chased by the likes of Port Glasgow, but he opted to join us because he can see what our plans here are. 'We are just trying to consolidate. It is a big step up from amateur to semi-professional so we need to try and find our feet in the first season, try to be as solid and hard to beat as possible. 'Our ambition is to do well within the West of Scotland League and see what happens.' Saturday's clash is a 2pm kick-off at Kirktonholme, with tickets priced £5 for adults, £3 for concessions and kids under-12 go free.
The Advertiser
2 days ago
- Business
- The Advertiser
Activists protest bank's fossil fuel investments at AGM
Activists are urging shareholders in Australia's largest investment bank to vote in favour of a resolution calling on the firm to disclose the full extent of its stakes in coal, oil and gas. Environmental group Market Forces gathered outside the Macquarie Bank annual general meeting in Sydney's CBD on Thursday alongside a four-metre-tall mock gas flare. The bank is funding one of the biggest gas fracking developments in Australia, Market Forces researcher Kyle Robertson said, referring to the $100 million Beetaloo Basin gas project in the Northern Territory. "A safe climate is the most financially beneficial option for the whole community," he told AAP on Thursday. "A scenario where we warm by catastrophic levels, which is what projects like this will ensure, is going to be disastrous for the community. "So frankly, we're here with all these people today to hold Macquarie to account." At the meeting, shareholders will vote on Macquarie's first climate-focused shareholder resolution, calling on the $86 billion company to show how financing of fossil fuel projects aligns with its net-zero commitments. Mr Robertson was joined at the protest by 19-year-old activist Owen Magee, who said the investment bank's actions had a huge impact on the climate's future. "I am really concerned about how we're destroying the lands of First Nations people who have been here for over 60,000 years," he told AAP on Thursday. "So for me, it's really important to stand up for my future, but also stand up for communities around the world and across the country." Macquarie has more than doubled its financing for oil and gas in the past two years, Market Forces said. In late 2024, the bank provided the funding for two of the gas companies most active in the Basin, Beetaloo Energy Australia and Tamboran Resources. Australia's Department of Industry, Science and Resources says Beetaloo has the potential to rival the world's best gas projects, and developing it could create thousands of jobs and drive significant economic growth in the territory. Macquarie board chair Glenn Stevens recommended shareholders reject the climate resolution during Thursday's meeting. The company has been consistent in its response to climate change over many years, and accepts the best available science, he said. "We think that simply shutting down oil and gas today is not viable," Mr Stevens said. "We recognise the reality that even as Net Zero is pursued, the world will need carbon-based energy for quite some time." Market Forces says four global investors have backed the shareholder resolution: the pension funds of New York City, the UK's Church of England and the largest private pension fund in Norway, as well as Melbourne-based fund manager ELM Responsible Investments. Activists are urging shareholders in Australia's largest investment bank to vote in favour of a resolution calling on the firm to disclose the full extent of its stakes in coal, oil and gas. Environmental group Market Forces gathered outside the Macquarie Bank annual general meeting in Sydney's CBD on Thursday alongside a four-metre-tall mock gas flare. The bank is funding one of the biggest gas fracking developments in Australia, Market Forces researcher Kyle Robertson said, referring to the $100 million Beetaloo Basin gas project in the Northern Territory. "A safe climate is the most financially beneficial option for the whole community," he told AAP on Thursday. "A scenario where we warm by catastrophic levels, which is what projects like this will ensure, is going to be disastrous for the community. "So frankly, we're here with all these people today to hold Macquarie to account." At the meeting, shareholders will vote on Macquarie's first climate-focused shareholder resolution, calling on the $86 billion company to show how financing of fossil fuel projects aligns with its net-zero commitments. Mr Robertson was joined at the protest by 19-year-old activist Owen Magee, who said the investment bank's actions had a huge impact on the climate's future. "I am really concerned about how we're destroying the lands of First Nations people who have been here for over 60,000 years," he told AAP on Thursday. "So for me, it's really important to stand up for my future, but also stand up for communities around the world and across the country." Macquarie has more than doubled its financing for oil and gas in the past two years, Market Forces said. In late 2024, the bank provided the funding for two of the gas companies most active in the Basin, Beetaloo Energy Australia and Tamboran Resources. Australia's Department of Industry, Science and Resources says Beetaloo has the potential to rival the world's best gas projects, and developing it could create thousands of jobs and drive significant economic growth in the territory. Macquarie board chair Glenn Stevens recommended shareholders reject the climate resolution during Thursday's meeting. The company has been consistent in its response to climate change over many years, and accepts the best available science, he said. "We think that simply shutting down oil and gas today is not viable," Mr Stevens said. "We recognise the reality that even as Net Zero is pursued, the world will need carbon-based energy for quite some time." Market Forces says four global investors have backed the shareholder resolution: the pension funds of New York City, the UK's Church of England and the largest private pension fund in Norway, as well as Melbourne-based fund manager ELM Responsible Investments. Activists are urging shareholders in Australia's largest investment bank to vote in favour of a resolution calling on the firm to disclose the full extent of its stakes in coal, oil and gas. Environmental group Market Forces gathered outside the Macquarie Bank annual general meeting in Sydney's CBD on Thursday alongside a four-metre-tall mock gas flare. The bank is funding one of the biggest gas fracking developments in Australia, Market Forces researcher Kyle Robertson said, referring to the $100 million Beetaloo Basin gas project in the Northern Territory. "A safe climate is the most financially beneficial option for the whole community," he told AAP on Thursday. "A scenario where we warm by catastrophic levels, which is what projects like this will ensure, is going to be disastrous for the community. "So frankly, we're here with all these people today to hold Macquarie to account." At the meeting, shareholders will vote on Macquarie's first climate-focused shareholder resolution, calling on the $86 billion company to show how financing of fossil fuel projects aligns with its net-zero commitments. Mr Robertson was joined at the protest by 19-year-old activist Owen Magee, who said the investment bank's actions had a huge impact on the climate's future. "I am really concerned about how we're destroying the lands of First Nations people who have been here for over 60,000 years," he told AAP on Thursday. "So for me, it's really important to stand up for my future, but also stand up for communities around the world and across the country." Macquarie has more than doubled its financing for oil and gas in the past two years, Market Forces said. In late 2024, the bank provided the funding for two of the gas companies most active in the Basin, Beetaloo Energy Australia and Tamboran Resources. Australia's Department of Industry, Science and Resources says Beetaloo has the potential to rival the world's best gas projects, and developing it could create thousands of jobs and drive significant economic growth in the territory. Macquarie board chair Glenn Stevens recommended shareholders reject the climate resolution during Thursday's meeting. The company has been consistent in its response to climate change over many years, and accepts the best available science, he said. "We think that simply shutting down oil and gas today is not viable," Mr Stevens said. "We recognise the reality that even as Net Zero is pursued, the world will need carbon-based energy for quite some time." Market Forces says four global investors have backed the shareholder resolution: the pension funds of New York City, the UK's Church of England and the largest private pension fund in Norway, as well as Melbourne-based fund manager ELM Responsible Investments. Activists are urging shareholders in Australia's largest investment bank to vote in favour of a resolution calling on the firm to disclose the full extent of its stakes in coal, oil and gas. Environmental group Market Forces gathered outside the Macquarie Bank annual general meeting in Sydney's CBD on Thursday alongside a four-metre-tall mock gas flare. The bank is funding one of the biggest gas fracking developments in Australia, Market Forces researcher Kyle Robertson said, referring to the $100 million Beetaloo Basin gas project in the Northern Territory. "A safe climate is the most financially beneficial option for the whole community," he told AAP on Thursday. "A scenario where we warm by catastrophic levels, which is what projects like this will ensure, is going to be disastrous for the community. "So frankly, we're here with all these people today to hold Macquarie to account." At the meeting, shareholders will vote on Macquarie's first climate-focused shareholder resolution, calling on the $86 billion company to show how financing of fossil fuel projects aligns with its net-zero commitments. Mr Robertson was joined at the protest by 19-year-old activist Owen Magee, who said the investment bank's actions had a huge impact on the climate's future. "I am really concerned about how we're destroying the lands of First Nations people who have been here for over 60,000 years," he told AAP on Thursday. "So for me, it's really important to stand up for my future, but also stand up for communities around the world and across the country." Macquarie has more than doubled its financing for oil and gas in the past two years, Market Forces said. In late 2024, the bank provided the funding for two of the gas companies most active in the Basin, Beetaloo Energy Australia and Tamboran Resources. Australia's Department of Industry, Science and Resources says Beetaloo has the potential to rival the world's best gas projects, and developing it could create thousands of jobs and drive significant economic growth in the territory. Macquarie board chair Glenn Stevens recommended shareholders reject the climate resolution during Thursday's meeting. The company has been consistent in its response to climate change over many years, and accepts the best available science, he said. "We think that simply shutting down oil and gas today is not viable," Mr Stevens said. "We recognise the reality that even as Net Zero is pursued, the world will need carbon-based energy for quite some time." Market Forces says four global investors have backed the shareholder resolution: the pension funds of New York City, the UK's Church of England and the largest private pension fund in Norway, as well as Melbourne-based fund manager ELM Responsible Investments.
Toronto Sun
2 days ago
- Politics
- Toronto Sun
Ottawa threatens to pull Toronto's housing funding over sixplex decision
Published Jul 23, 2025 • 2 minute read High-rise buildings under construction near Lake Ontario in Toronto. Photo by Getty Images/iStockphoto OTTAWA — Claiming the city is falling short on its promise to ramp up density, federal Housing Minister Gregor Robertson is threatening to pull some of Toronto's housing funding. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account. Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments. Enjoy additional articles per month. Get email updates from your favourite authors. THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments Enjoy additional articles per month Get email updates from your favourite authors Don't have an account? Create Account In a letter to Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow dated Monday, Robertson wrote that he's disappointed by a recent decision to limit where builders can put up to six housing units on a lot. Last month, Toronto city council compromised with a plan that would see some city wards sign up to the sixplex framework, while others would have the choice to opt in later. Robertson argued that decision went against Toronto's agreement with the federal government under the Housing Accelerator Fund — a tool Ottawa uses to encourage cities to rapidly build more housing. 'I encourage the City of Toronto to revisit the measures they could implement to address the housing crisis and to restore the ambitious scope of this agreement,' Robertson wrote in the letter, now a part of submissions to the city council's upcoming meeting agenda. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Toronto signed a deal with the feds in late 2023 that would see the city build nearly 12,000 new units over three years and receive $471 million in federal funding. The deal calls on city staff to report back to council 'on opportunities to permit more low-rise, multi-unit housing development through as-of-right zoning bylaws in neighbourhoods across Toronto, including … permissions for residential buildings with up to six dwelling units.' In his letter, Robertson warned Toronto could lose some of its housing funding if the city fails to meet the goals of the original agreement. He said he wants to find a solution to the impasse by Dec. 20. 'As previous stated, I will underscore the possibility of reduced funding if the City of Toronto does not present solutions that ensures the spirit of the agreement is met,' Robertson wrote. In a previous letter to Chow dated March 11, then-housing minister Nate Erskine-Smith warned Toronto could lose up to 25% of its funding if the city falls behind on boosting housing density. Sports Golf Canada Columnists Canada
Hamilton Spectator
2 days ago
- Business
- Hamilton Spectator
‘No compromises': Ottawa issues warning to Toronto about housing funding over sixplex vote
The stalemate between Toronto and the federal government over the city's housing policy looks no closer to being resolved this week, as Ottawa asked the municipality to 'revisit' its plans or risk funding cuts, and Mayor Olivia Chow responded by saying the city's strategy is already exceeding targets. In a letter to Chow dated Monday, Housing Minister Gregor Robertson reiterated his 'disappointment' with council's decision last month to not allow sixplexes — which are detached residential buildings with six units — citywide. Instead, council approved them in just nine of the city's 25 wards , eight of them in old Toronto and East York, after suburban councillors opposed the wider proposal over concerns denser housing would cause traffic and parking problems in their neighbourhoods. In Robertson's letter, which was added to the agenda of this week's council meeting , the minister wrote that the sixplex vote 'goes against the level of ambition' Toronto committed to in its $471-million Housing Accelerator Fund (HAF) agreement with the federal government. Although he noted that allowing sixplexes as-of-right across Toronto was just one of 35 milestones in that agreement, the measure was anticipated to allow the city to issue almost 12,000 additional housing permits over three years. 'I encourage the City of Toronto to revisit the measures they could implement to address the housing crisis and to restore the ambitious scope of this agreement,' Robertson wrote, warning that he would 'make no compromises … on the level of ambition' of the HAF deals the federal Liberals have reached with Toronto and 240 other municipalities. While the minister didn't specifically demand council revisit its decision on sixplexes, he emphasized 'the possibility of reduced funding if the City of Toronto does not present solutions that (ensure) the spirit of this agreement is met.' He suggested the federal government work with the city in the coming months 'to implement an appropriate response.' An annual report on the agreement is scheduled for Dec. 20, 2025, and Robertson told CBC Radio on Wednesday that Ottawa will review the agreement with Toronto in January. The two sides have 'six months ahead of us to sort this all out,' he said. Robertson's letter didn't say how much funding Toronto stands to lose if it doesn't improve its housing strategy. But in March, then housing minister Nate Erskine-Smith warned in a letter to Chow that if Toronto didn't 'fully implement' its HAF commitments, the city could lose 25 per cent of its annual payout through the agreement . The municipality estimated that as a cut of about $30 million. In a written response to Robertson on Wednesday, the mayor made no promises to reconsider the sixplex decision. Instead, she asserted that Toronto 'has been the leading municipal partner in getting housing built,' and was on track to exceed the HAF target of building almost 61,000 net new homes over the next three years. She wrote that the city is speeding up development approvals, kick-starting construction on thousands of rental units by offering builders incentives and tax breaks, and allowing more density by expanding permissions for housing types such as mid-rises, fourplexes and garden suites. 'We are making progress on multiple fronts: zoning, building, cutting red tape, and protecting existing homes. This is transformational change that will see more housing built in our city,' Chow wrote. The push for sixplexes citywide is tied to $471 million in federal funding. The push for sixplexes citywide is tied to $471 million in federal funding. The mayor supports allowing sixplexes across the city, but has faced criticism from housing advocates for not doing more to get the proposal through council. Her housing chair introduced the nine-ward compromise at the June 25 council meeting, arguing it was the best way to advance the sixplex plan given that citywide permissions didn't have majority support. Speaking to reporters ahead of Wednesday's council meeting, Chow suggested it would be up to members who have opposed sixplexes in their wards to decide whether permissions for them would be expanded. 'We just examined it last council and already nine councillors have said yes. If tomorrow or even today another councillor said, 'Yes we will buy in on it' — great,' she said. Error! Sorry, there was an error processing your request. There was a problem with the recaptcha. Please try again. You may unsubscribe at any time. By signing up, you agree to our terms of use and privacy policy . This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google privacy policy and terms of service apply. Want more of the latest from us? Sign up for more at our newsletter page .
Hamilton Spectator
2 days ago
- Business
- Hamilton Spectator
Ottawa threatens to pull Toronto's housing funding over sixplex decision
OTTAWA - Claiming the city is falling short on its promise to ramp up density, Federal Housing Minister Gregor Robertson is threatening to pull some of Toronto's housing funding. In a letter to Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow earlier this week, Robertson wrote that he's disappointed by a recent decision to limit where builders can put up to six housing units on a lot. Last month, Toronto city council compromised with a plan that would see some wards sign up to the sixplex framework, while others would have the choice to opt in later. Robertson argues that decision went against Toronto's agreement with the federal government under the Housing Accelerator Fund — a tool Ottawa uses to encourage cities to rapidly build more housing. Toronto signed a deal with the feds in late 2023 that would see the city build nearly 12,000 new units over three years and receive $471 million in federal funding. In his letter, Robertson encourages Chow to revisit the sixplex decision over the next five months and warns Toronto could lose some of its housing funding if the city fails to meet the goals of the original agreement. This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 23, 2025.
