Forwarded from ASIANOMICS
🇵🇭🇬🇧🇨🇦🇯🇵🇺🇸 Philippines, allies kick off naval drills amid Asia-Pacific tension
Forces from Manila, Britain, Canada, Japan and the United States kicked off two weeks of joint naval exercises in Philippine waters as a "show of force", amid flaring regional tension.
This year's "Sama Sama" drills are being held in the southern part of the island of Luzon, featuring naval exercises in areas such as anti-submarine warfare, air defense and search and rescue, the Philippine navy said.
Five vessels, two from the United States, and one each from Britain, Canada and Japan, joined the Philippine-hosted drills that will run until October 13.
#ThePhilippines #UK #Canada #Japan #USA
@asianomics
Forces from Manila, Britain, Canada, Japan and the United States kicked off two weeks of joint naval exercises in Philippine waters as a "show of force", amid flaring regional tension.
This year's "Sama Sama" drills are being held in the southern part of the island of Luzon, featuring naval exercises in areas such as anti-submarine warfare, air defense and search and rescue, the Philippine navy said.
Five vessels, two from the United States, and one each from Britain, Canada and Japan, joined the Philippine-hosted drills that will run until October 13.
#ThePhilippines #UK #Canada #Japan #USA
@asianomics
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🇨🇦🇮🇳 Trudeau says he's 'not looking to escalate' tensions as India tells 41 Canadian diplomats to leave
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said his government is "not looking to escalate" a diplomatic row with New Delhi, but declined to say whether Canada would match India's decision to ask for the removal 41 Canadian diplomats.
Trudeau made the comments on his way into the Liberal caucus meeting in Ottawa on Tuesday, hours after India told Canada that it must repatriate 41 diplomats by Oct. 10. India has allegedly threatened to revoke the diplomatic immunity of those diplomats told to leave who remained after Oct. 10.
Asked if his government would retaliate by asking India to remove diplomats based in Canada, Trudeau insisted his government would try to keep working with New Delhi.
"We're not looking to escalate, as I've said, we're going to be doing the work that matters in continuing to have constructive relations with India through this extremely difficult time," Trudeau said.
#India #Trudeau
🍁 Maple Chronicles
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said his government is "not looking to escalate" a diplomatic row with New Delhi, but declined to say whether Canada would match India's decision to ask for the removal 41 Canadian diplomats.
Trudeau made the comments on his way into the Liberal caucus meeting in Ottawa on Tuesday, hours after India told Canada that it must repatriate 41 diplomats by Oct. 10. India has allegedly threatened to revoke the diplomatic immunity of those diplomats told to leave who remained after Oct. 10.
Asked if his government would retaliate by asking India to remove diplomats based in Canada, Trudeau insisted his government would try to keep working with New Delhi.
"We're not looking to escalate, as I've said, we're going to be doing the work that matters in continuing to have constructive relations with India through this extremely difficult time," Trudeau said.
#India #Trudeau
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Liberal MP Greg Fergus elected Speaker of the House of Commons
Liberal MP Greg Fergus has been elected as the new Speaker of the House of Commons following a secret ranked ballot election on Tuesday.
Fergus, who represents the Quebec riding of Hull-Aylmer near Ottawa, is the first Black Speaker of the Commons.
🍁 Maple Chronicles
Liberal MP Greg Fergus has been elected as the new Speaker of the House of Commons following a secret ranked ballot election on Tuesday.
Fergus, who represents the Quebec riding of Hull-Aylmer near Ottawa, is the first Black Speaker of the Commons.
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Transparency report on Global Affairs staff misconduct details bid-rigging, harassment, drunk driving and more
Bid rigging, crashing a government car while intoxicated and sexually harassing co-workers are just some of the reasons Global Affairs Canada employees were fired or resigned last year, as the department works to tackle misconduct and better protect whistleblowers.
The information is contained in the first annual report noscriptd “Addressing Misconduct and Wrongdoing at Global Affairs Canada.”
The number of cases is likely underestimated largely because many GAC employees fear reprisal if they blow the whistle on wrongdoing, the report noted.
The department determined that 56 cases of misconduct and wrongdoing were found to have basis between April 1, 2022 and March 30, 2023.
Of that number, three were for harassment and violence, 23 were for administrative misconduct, four were related to issues with security clearance and one was for fraud and financial misconduct. Over a dozen involved individuals were fired or resigned, whereas the rest were either suspended, written up or had notes added to their security files.
🍁 Maple Chronicles
Bid rigging, crashing a government car while intoxicated and sexually harassing co-workers are just some of the reasons Global Affairs Canada employees were fired or resigned last year, as the department works to tackle misconduct and better protect whistleblowers.
The information is contained in the first annual report noscriptd “Addressing Misconduct and Wrongdoing at Global Affairs Canada.”
The number of cases is likely underestimated largely because many GAC employees fear reprisal if they blow the whistle on wrongdoing, the report noted.
The department determined that 56 cases of misconduct and wrongdoing were found to have basis between April 1, 2022 and March 30, 2023.
Of that number, three were for harassment and violence, 23 were for administrative misconduct, four were related to issues with security clearance and one was for fraud and financial misconduct. Over a dozen involved individuals were fired or resigned, whereas the rest were either suspended, written up or had notes added to their security files.
🍁 Maple Chronicles
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Ottawa bid to bring Google onside over Bill C-18 falls short
Ottawa’s attempts to use proposed regulations to bring Google onside with the Online News Act have failed to satisfy the tech giant, which has warned that it could stop Canadians from searching for news on its platforms unless the government makes further changes.
A month ago, the federal Heritage Department published proposed regulations intended to clarify how the law would work in practice, and to end a tense standoff over the law with Google and fellow tech giant Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram.
The proposed regulations set a $230-million cap on the amount Google and Facebook would together have to inject into Canada’s news sector. Google would have to pay $172-million of that.
But in an e-mailed statement on Monday, the final day of a month-long public consultation period on the draft regulations, Google said the government’s proposals have not fixed what it sees as fundamental flaws with the legislation. It warned that making wholesale changes to the text of the Online News Act may be the only way to address its concerns. This would require bringing the bill back to Parliament.
🍁 Maple Chronicles
Ottawa’s attempts to use proposed regulations to bring Google onside with the Online News Act have failed to satisfy the tech giant, which has warned that it could stop Canadians from searching for news on its platforms unless the government makes further changes.
A month ago, the federal Heritage Department published proposed regulations intended to clarify how the law would work in practice, and to end a tense standoff over the law with Google and fellow tech giant Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram.
The proposed regulations set a $230-million cap on the amount Google and Facebook would together have to inject into Canada’s news sector. Google would have to pay $172-million of that.
But in an e-mailed statement on Monday, the final day of a month-long public consultation period on the draft regulations, Google said the government’s proposals have not fixed what it sees as fundamental flaws with the legislation. It warned that making wholesale changes to the text of the Online News Act may be the only way to address its concerns. This would require bringing the bill back to Parliament.
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🗳NDP wins majority government in Manitoba
The NDP sailed to victory Tuesday night with a solid win that cements leader Wab Kinew as Manitoba's first First Nations premier and also nets the party enough seats to form a majority government.
The PC leader will step down as party leader, she said as she conceded her party's defeat to the NDP.
After the Kirkfield Park byelection last year, the PCs held 36 seats to the NDP's 18, and the Liberals had three — one seat short of official party status.
On Wednesday morning, the NDP had won 30 seats, the PCs 19 and the Liberals one, with seven races still too tight to call.
#Manitoba #election
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The NDP sailed to victory Tuesday night with a solid win that cements leader Wab Kinew as Manitoba's first First Nations premier and also nets the party enough seats to form a majority government.
The PC leader will step down as party leader, she said as she conceded her party's defeat to the NDP.
After the Kirkfield Park byelection last year, the PCs held 36 seats to the NDP's 18, and the Liberals had three — one seat short of official party status.
On Wednesday morning, the NDP had won 30 seats, the PCs 19 and the Liberals one, with seven races still too tight to call.
#Manitoba #election
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Defence minister insists $1B spending reduction is not a budget cut
Deputy minister Bill Matthews told MPs on the House of Commons defence committee that the department is identifying "proposals for spending reductions" that total more than $900 million over four years, while trying to minimize the impact on military readiness.
The chief of the defence staff, Gen. Wayne Eyre, said top military leaders were meeting to discuss what that will mean.
"There's no way that you can take almost a billion dollars out of the defence budget and not have an impact," Eyre said
Yet in a statement on Friday, Defence Minister Bill Blair's spokesman Daniel Minden said: "Any claim that Canada is 'cutting' defence spending is not accurate, because overall defence spending has increased and will continue to increase."
The most recent federal budget projects that the department's budget will be $39.7 billion in 2026-27, up from $26.5 billion in the current fiscal year.
🍁 Maple Chronicles
Deputy minister Bill Matthews told MPs on the House of Commons defence committee that the department is identifying "proposals for spending reductions" that total more than $900 million over four years, while trying to minimize the impact on military readiness.
The chief of the defence staff, Gen. Wayne Eyre, said top military leaders were meeting to discuss what that will mean.
"There's no way that you can take almost a billion dollars out of the defence budget and not have an impact," Eyre said
Yet in a statement on Friday, Defence Minister Bill Blair's spokesman Daniel Minden said: "Any claim that Canada is 'cutting' defence spending is not accurate, because overall defence spending has increased and will continue to increase."
The most recent federal budget projects that the department's budget will be $39.7 billion in 2026-27, up from $26.5 billion in the current fiscal year.
🍁 Maple Chronicles
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🇨🇦🌐 Canada's move to control the online space (and make some money from it)
Canada has long tried to promote local content. There are rules requiring Canadian radio and television to play a certain amount of Canadian-made content. For radio, 30-40% of the music played should be Canadian. But more recently, the government has decided to expand its initiative to impact the rapidly changing online space.
After years of debate, controversial bills C-11 and C-18 were signed into law this year. How will they affect the content Canadians consume?
🔹Online Streaming Act (Bill C-11)
The bill empowers the CRTC to require broadcast platforms to "prioritize the needs and interests" of Canadians by supporting Canadian content and increasing its discoverability.
The law will affect online streaming services that operate in Canada and generate annual revenues of $10 million or more. It will also oblige these services to register with the CRTC and provide information about their content and subscribers.
🔹Online News Act (Bill C-18)
The bill will oblige search engines and social network platforms to compensate Canadian online news publishers for reproducing their work or providing links to their content.
Profits will go towards funding Canadian news organizations and the creation of new content. Large media outlets, such as CBC, will benefit the most from the law.
🔹What is expected of online platforms?
The original stated goal is to preserve Canadian culture, support Canadian content (including in French), Indigenous content. While it is feasible to impose such rules domestically, it seems almost impossible to implement them on global platforms.
To comply with the rules, YouTube will have to change its algorithms to push Canadian and Indigenous content to users based in Canada. Broadcasting platforms will have to follow the CRTC's guidelines on how to support and promote Canadian content, which sounds pretty vague and can be very binding on companies.
Tech giants like Google and Meta, if they follow the new rules, will have to give Canada preferential treatment and start paying for simply posting news links. This could set a dangerous precedent that other countries could take advantage of. Therefore, the tech giants are not willing to go along with these demands and have already started limiting content for Canadian users.
🔹Financial gain
The Online Streaming Act would result in at least $830 million in additional funding.
The government, trying to negotiate with the tech giants, is proposing a $230 million cap on the amount Google and Facebook would together have to inject into Canada’s news sector to comply with the Online News Act. Google would have to pay $172 million of that. The CBC would likely receive the largest amount of money from the bill.
🔹Liberals vs. Conservatives
The new broadcasting laws were initiated and supported primarily by the Liberal government. Conservative Party leader Pierre Poilievre is using the outrage surrounding the new laws as another chance to smear Justin Trudeau. Poilievre says his Conservative government would repeal the law if given the chance. And with growing support for the Conservative Party, those threats may be very real.
Is this a war against free speech? Depends on how far the government is willing to go.
🍁 Maple Chronicles
Canada has long tried to promote local content. There are rules requiring Canadian radio and television to play a certain amount of Canadian-made content. For radio, 30-40% of the music played should be Canadian. But more recently, the government has decided to expand its initiative to impact the rapidly changing online space.
After years of debate, controversial bills C-11 and C-18 were signed into law this year. How will they affect the content Canadians consume?
🔹Online Streaming Act (Bill C-11)
The bill empowers the CRTC to require broadcast platforms to "prioritize the needs and interests" of Canadians by supporting Canadian content and increasing its discoverability.
The law will affect online streaming services that operate in Canada and generate annual revenues of $10 million or more. It will also oblige these services to register with the CRTC and provide information about their content and subscribers.
🔹Online News Act (Bill C-18)
The bill will oblige search engines and social network platforms to compensate Canadian online news publishers for reproducing their work or providing links to their content.
Profits will go towards funding Canadian news organizations and the creation of new content. Large media outlets, such as CBC, will benefit the most from the law.
🔹What is expected of online platforms?
The original stated goal is to preserve Canadian culture, support Canadian content (including in French), Indigenous content. While it is feasible to impose such rules domestically, it seems almost impossible to implement them on global platforms.
To comply with the rules, YouTube will have to change its algorithms to push Canadian and Indigenous content to users based in Canada. Broadcasting platforms will have to follow the CRTC's guidelines on how to support and promote Canadian content, which sounds pretty vague and can be very binding on companies.
Tech giants like Google and Meta, if they follow the new rules, will have to give Canada preferential treatment and start paying for simply posting news links. This could set a dangerous precedent that other countries could take advantage of. Therefore, the tech giants are not willing to go along with these demands and have already started limiting content for Canadian users.
🔹Financial gain
The Online Streaming Act would result in at least $830 million in additional funding.
The government, trying to negotiate with the tech giants, is proposing a $230 million cap on the amount Google and Facebook would together have to inject into Canada’s news sector to comply with the Online News Act. Google would have to pay $172 million of that. The CBC would likely receive the largest amount of money from the bill.
🔹Liberals vs. Conservatives
The new broadcasting laws were initiated and supported primarily by the Liberal government. Conservative Party leader Pierre Poilievre is using the outrage surrounding the new laws as another chance to smear Justin Trudeau. Poilievre says his Conservative government would repeal the law if given the chance. And with growing support for the Conservative Party, those threats may be very real.
Is this a war against free speech? Depends on how far the government is willing to go.
🍁 Maple Chronicles
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Governor General spends $117,000 on dry cleaning
Canada’s Governor General and Rideau Hall have racked up a six-figure dry cleaning tab in recent years, according to records obtained by the Canadian Taxpayers Federation.
The Office of the Secretary to the Governor General dropped $117,566 on professional dry-cleaning services since 2018, despite having in-house staff on the payroll responsible for doing the laundry.
Rideau Hall’s dry cleaning tab costs taxpayers an average of more than $1,800 a month.
It’s enough money to dry clean 13,831 blouses, 6,204 dresses or 3,918 duvets, according to the prices at Majestic Cleanersin Ottawa.
Details of dry-cleaning expenditures at Rideau Hall were released in response to an order paper question from Conservative MP Kelly McCauley.
🍁 Maple Chronicles
Canada’s Governor General and Rideau Hall have racked up a six-figure dry cleaning tab in recent years, according to records obtained by the Canadian Taxpayers Federation.
The Office of the Secretary to the Governor General dropped $117,566 on professional dry-cleaning services since 2018, despite having in-house staff on the payroll responsible for doing the laundry.
Rideau Hall’s dry cleaning tab costs taxpayers an average of more than $1,800 a month.
It’s enough money to dry clean 13,831 blouses, 6,204 dresses or 3,918 duvets, according to the prices at Majestic Cleanersin Ottawa.
Details of dry-cleaning expenditures at Rideau Hall were released in response to an order paper question from Conservative MP Kelly McCauley.
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🇨🇦🇮🇳 Joly urges talks after India reportedly orders dozens of Canadian diplomats to leave
Foreign Affairs Minister Mélanie Joly urged India on Tuesday to thaw frosty bilateral relations through private diplomatic talks, after New Delhi reportedly ordered two-thirds of Canadian diplomats out of the country.
“In moments of tension, because these are tensions between both our governments, it is more than ever important that diplomats be on the ground,” she told reporters on her way into a cabinet meeting. “That is why we believe in the importance of having a strong diplomatic footprint in India.”
But Ms. Joly said she does not want to get into a public discussion over the expulsion of Canadian diplomats.
“We will continue to engage privately because we think that diplomatic conversations are best when they remain private.”
#India
🍁 Maple Chronicles
Foreign Affairs Minister Mélanie Joly urged India on Tuesday to thaw frosty bilateral relations through private diplomatic talks, after New Delhi reportedly ordered two-thirds of Canadian diplomats out of the country.
“In moments of tension, because these are tensions between both our governments, it is more than ever important that diplomats be on the ground,” she told reporters on her way into a cabinet meeting. “That is why we believe in the importance of having a strong diplomatic footprint in India.”
But Ms. Joly said she does not want to get into a public discussion over the expulsion of Canadian diplomats.
“We will continue to engage privately because we think that diplomatic conversations are best when they remain private.”
#India
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Trudeau sticks his tongue out and winks at newly elected Speaker of the House of Commons
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🥬 Montreal food depot forced to turn people away amid increasing demand
The demand for services at the Depot Community Food Centre in NDG has gotten so high that, for the first time since it opened, the organization has had to start turning people away.
Staff say a busy day would include around 200 prepared meals, but nowadays, that feels like a regular shift.
The Depot offers meals and access to an affordable marché to the community. The cost of living is rising among clients, management says, and it means the amount of people needing their services is climbing, too.
A rise in demand means The Depot can’t serve everyone, despite increasing its budget by half a million dollars this year.
To compensate, the centre has had to cut the market basket sizes by a third, and those who used to come twice a month, can now only come once.
#Quebec
🍁 Maple Chronicles
The demand for services at the Depot Community Food Centre in NDG has gotten so high that, for the first time since it opened, the organization has had to start turning people away.
Staff say a busy day would include around 200 prepared meals, but nowadays, that feels like a regular shift.
The Depot offers meals and access to an affordable marché to the community. The cost of living is rising among clients, management says, and it means the amount of people needing their services is climbing, too.
A rise in demand means The Depot can’t serve everyone, despite increasing its budget by half a million dollars this year.
To compensate, the centre has had to cut the market basket sizes by a third, and those who used to come twice a month, can now only come once.
#Quebec
🍁 Maple Chronicles
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🌱Ottawa suspends $1B green fund after receiving whistleblower complaint
Ottawa has frozen the activities of a federal foundation that finances the development of green technologies after receiving a report that criticized its management of public funds.
Sustainable Development Technologies Canada (SDTC) is in the middle of a five-year agreement with the federal government to distribute $1 billion to small and medium businesses in the clean tech sector.
The move came after a group of whistleblowers brought a complaint against SDTC to the government earlier this year over concerns about the foundation's management of its federal funding and human resources.
In a report just released by the government, investigators raised questions about SDTC's decision to distribute $38 million in emergency "relief payments" in 2020 and 2021, during the COVID-19 pandemic, to companies with which it had previous funding agreements.
In another portion of the report, investigators found that two streams of funding created by SDTC, worth over $20 million, appear to "contravene" or "not meet the main goal" of its agreement with the government.
🍁 Maple Chronicles
Ottawa has frozen the activities of a federal foundation that finances the development of green technologies after receiving a report that criticized its management of public funds.
Sustainable Development Technologies Canada (SDTC) is in the middle of a five-year agreement with the federal government to distribute $1 billion to small and medium businesses in the clean tech sector.
The move came after a group of whistleblowers brought a complaint against SDTC to the government earlier this year over concerns about the foundation's management of its federal funding and human resources.
In a report just released by the government, investigators raised questions about SDTC's decision to distribute $38 million in emergency "relief payments" in 2020 and 2021, during the COVID-19 pandemic, to companies with which it had previous funding agreements.
In another portion of the report, investigators found that two streams of funding created by SDTC, worth over $20 million, appear to "contravene" or "not meet the main goal" of its agreement with the government.
🍁 Maple Chronicles
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🏠 At least $1 trillion needed to achieve housing affordability
At least $1 trillion in investment is needed to achieve housing affordability in Canada, and the private sector has a key role to play, according to a new study by Canada Mortgage and Housing Corp.
That amount of investment is needed to meet the estimated cost of building the millions of homes necessary to address the affordability crisis, the national housing agency said on Oct. 3. It said last month that Canada still needs 3.5 million more homes to close the affordability gap by 2030.
CMHC said more than 95 per cent of the housing stock is privately owned in some form or another. Thus, the private sector will be a big part of the solution.
The agency said that while helpful, social housing, which is estimated to only be around four per cent of the overall housing stock, will not address the challenges within the housing system.
Both a range of government policies and investments and increased participation from the private sector are imperative.
#housing
🍁 Maple Chronicles
At least $1 trillion in investment is needed to achieve housing affordability in Canada, and the private sector has a key role to play, according to a new study by Canada Mortgage and Housing Corp.
That amount of investment is needed to meet the estimated cost of building the millions of homes necessary to address the affordability crisis, the national housing agency said on Oct. 3. It said last month that Canada still needs 3.5 million more homes to close the affordability gap by 2030.
CMHC said more than 95 per cent of the housing stock is privately owned in some form or another. Thus, the private sector will be a big part of the solution.
The agency said that while helpful, social housing, which is estimated to only be around four per cent of the overall housing stock, will not address the challenges within the housing system.
Both a range of government policies and investments and increased participation from the private sector are imperative.
#housing
🍁 Maple Chronicles
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Government 'looking carefully' at releasing names of ex-Nazis in Canada
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said Wednesday senior bureaucrats are reviewing the Deschenes Commission report — a 1980s-era independent inquiry that looked at alleged Nazi war criminals in Canada — with an eye to making more of it public.
Struck by former prime minister Brian Mulroney, the Deschenes Commission's final report was released in 1986 and is composed of two parts.
The first, which included recommendations to make it easier to extradite war criminals, was released publicly. The second was marked secret and the names of alleged Nazis in Canada were never released.
Reports suggest as many as 2,000 Ukrainian members of Hitler's Waffen-SS were admitted to Canada after the war — after some British prodding. The commission said the number is likely lower than that.
🍁 Maple Chronicles
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said Wednesday senior bureaucrats are reviewing the Deschenes Commission report — a 1980s-era independent inquiry that looked at alleged Nazi war criminals in Canada — with an eye to making more of it public.
Struck by former prime minister Brian Mulroney, the Deschenes Commission's final report was released in 1986 and is composed of two parts.
The first, which included recommendations to make it easier to extradite war criminals, was released publicly. The second was marked secret and the names of alleged Nazis in Canada were never released.
Reports suggest as many as 2,000 Ukrainian members of Hitler's Waffen-SS were admitted to Canada after the war — after some British prodding. The commission said the number is likely lower than that.
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Not everyone wants to shake Trudeau's hand.
“I’m not shaking your hand. You’re a piece of shit,” he's told right to his face.
#Trudeau
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“I’m not shaking your hand. You’re a piece of shit,” he's told right to his face.
#Trudeau
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🥬 Price freezes, discounts on pantry items among grocery stabilization efforts coming 'soon': minister
Canadians will "soon" start to see the big grocers taking action to address prices, including price freezes and price-matching campaigns, Industry Minister Francois-Philippe Champagne announced Thursday.
Providing an update on what he is calling the "initial commitments" from Loblaw, Metro, Empire, Walmart and Costco, Champagne said all five have agreed to begin rolling out various actions at each of their stores that will result in lower grocery prices for Canadians "in the coming days and weeks."
The government is promising that grocers will implement "aggressive discounts across a basket of key food products that represent the most important purchases for most households," a step the minister said is just the beginning "of a number of actions" being taken.
The minister said these examples are just some of the measures pitched to him by the big grocers, suggesting that the government's pressure on them to get prices under control, has spurred a more competitive dynamic between the big five.
🍁 Maple Chronicles
Canadians will "soon" start to see the big grocers taking action to address prices, including price freezes and price-matching campaigns, Industry Minister Francois-Philippe Champagne announced Thursday.
Providing an update on what he is calling the "initial commitments" from Loblaw, Metro, Empire, Walmart and Costco, Champagne said all five have agreed to begin rolling out various actions at each of their stores that will result in lower grocery prices for Canadians "in the coming days and weeks."
The government is promising that grocers will implement "aggressive discounts across a basket of key food products that represent the most important purchases for most households," a step the minister said is just the beginning "of a number of actions" being taken.
The minister said these examples are just some of the measures pitched to him by the big grocers, suggesting that the government's pressure on them to get prices under control, has spurred a more competitive dynamic between the big five.
🍁 Maple Chronicles
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Canada added 64,000 jobs in September, led by seasonal surge in education workers
Canada's economy added 64,000 new workers as a surge in hiring in Quebec and B.C. was enough to offset a loss of 38,000 jobs in Alberta.
Statistics Canada reported Friday that despite the new jobs, the jobless rate held steady at 5.5 per cent as more people join the work force, too.
Canada's adult population increased by just over 82,000 people during the month, of which almost 72,000 are considered to be in the labour force — meaning they are of working age, and actively looking for employment.
The job gain was about twice as many as economists were expecting for the month, but most of them — 48,000 — were of the part-time variety.
🍁 Maple Chronicles
Canada's economy added 64,000 new workers as a surge in hiring in Quebec and B.C. was enough to offset a loss of 38,000 jobs in Alberta.
Statistics Canada reported Friday that despite the new jobs, the jobless rate held steady at 5.5 per cent as more people join the work force, too.
Canada's adult population increased by just over 82,000 people during the month, of which almost 72,000 are considered to be in the labour force — meaning they are of working age, and actively looking for employment.
The job gain was about twice as many as economists were expecting for the month, but most of them — 48,000 — were of the part-time variety.
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💉Proposed B.C. law would make drug use illegal in almost all public spaces
New legislation introduced Thursday in B.C. makes it illegal to use drugs in almost all public spaces, a move that some say effectively kills the NDP’s decriminalization policy just eight months into the experiment.
🔹If passed, the law would ban drug use within 15 metres of a playground, splash pool, skate park, sports field, beach or park and within six metres of the doorways of businesses, residences, recreation centres or any public space.
“Decriminalization was never about the ability to use hard drugs wherever you wanted and this law makes that very clear,” Premier David Eby said at a news conference Thursday morning. Instead, Eby said, people will be directed to supervised consumption sites where they’re able to access addiction and health services.
It’s a significant walk-back of the government’s three-year decriminalization pilot project, launched in January.
#BritishColumbia
🍁 Maple Chronicles
New legislation introduced Thursday in B.C. makes it illegal to use drugs in almost all public spaces, a move that some say effectively kills the NDP’s decriminalization policy just eight months into the experiment.
🔹If passed, the law would ban drug use within 15 metres of a playground, splash pool, skate park, sports field, beach or park and within six metres of the doorways of businesses, residences, recreation centres or any public space.
“Decriminalization was never about the ability to use hard drugs wherever you wanted and this law makes that very clear,” Premier David Eby said at a news conference Thursday morning. Instead, Eby said, people will be directed to supervised consumption sites where they’re able to access addiction and health services.
It’s a significant walk-back of the government’s three-year decriminalization pilot project, launched in January.
#BritishColumbia
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🇵🇸🇮🇱Pro-Palestine rally held in downtown Ottawa as mayor condemns Hamas attack on Israel
A pro-Palestine rally was held in downtown Ottawa Sunday, one day after Hamas launched an attack against Israel.
More than 100 people attended, saying Palestinians have the right to resist occupation. Demonstrators waved Palestinian flags and held signs with slogans such as "End Zionist colonization of Palestine now" and "respect existence or expect resistance."
A small number of people with Israeli flags held a counter-demonstration nearby.
After rallying at the Human Rights Monument, demonstrators marched through downtown streets with police following slowly behind.
Ottawa Mayor Mark Sutcliffe has spoken out against the attacks by Hamas in Israel this weekend.
The mayor posted to social media to say he's spoken with leaders on Ottawa's Jewish community to offer support and express his "shock and condemnation" of the attack.
#Ontario #Israel
🍁 Maple Chronicles
A pro-Palestine rally was held in downtown Ottawa Sunday, one day after Hamas launched an attack against Israel.
More than 100 people attended, saying Palestinians have the right to resist occupation. Demonstrators waved Palestinian flags and held signs with slogans such as "End Zionist colonization of Palestine now" and "respect existence or expect resistance."
A small number of people with Israeli flags held a counter-demonstration nearby.
After rallying at the Human Rights Monument, demonstrators marched through downtown streets with police following slowly behind.
Ottawa Mayor Mark Sutcliffe has spoken out against the attacks by Hamas in Israel this weekend.
The mayor posted to social media to say he's spoken with leaders on Ottawa's Jewish community to offer support and express his "shock and condemnation" of the attack.
#Ontario #Israel
🍁 Maple Chronicles
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🇨🇦🇮🇱🇵🇸1 Canadian killed, 2 missing amid attack on Israel by Palestinian militants
Global Affairs Canada says it is aware of reports that one Canadian has died and two others are missing in the wake of an attack on Israel by Hamas forces, marking the latest escalation in the decades-long conflict.
In an update shared Sunday afternoon, the agency said Canadian officials in Israel are in contact with local authorities in an effort to confirm those reports and gather more information.
Global Affairs Canada says there are currently 1,419 registered Canadians in Israel and 492 in the Palestinian territories of the West Bank and Gaza Strip, but cautioned that such registration is voluntary and provides an incomplete picture of Canadians abroad.
The agency did not specify whether the reported death and the two Canadians believed to be missing had been registered in Israel or the Palestinian territories.
#Israel
🍁 Maple Chronicles
Global Affairs Canada says it is aware of reports that one Canadian has died and two others are missing in the wake of an attack on Israel by Hamas forces, marking the latest escalation in the decades-long conflict.
In an update shared Sunday afternoon, the agency said Canadian officials in Israel are in contact with local authorities in an effort to confirm those reports and gather more information.
Global Affairs Canada says there are currently 1,419 registered Canadians in Israel and 492 in the Palestinian territories of the West Bank and Gaza Strip, but cautioned that such registration is voluntary and provides an incomplete picture of Canadians abroad.
The agency did not specify whether the reported death and the two Canadians believed to be missing had been registered in Israel or the Palestinian territories.
#Israel
🍁 Maple Chronicles
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