💰Canada invests millions to build chip network

Canada will invest $120 million over five years to build a national chip network, as calls intensify for the government to do more to bolster its lagging semiconductor sector.

Industry Minister François-Philippe Champagne announced the outlay from the federal Strategic Innovation Fund on Thursday. The investment supports a $220 million project led by the nonprofit research accelerator CMC Microsystems to help Canadian startups commercialize new technologies.

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Hundreds of people charged with murder while on bail

In 2022, there were 256 people charged with homicide while on some kind of release, including house arrest and parole. With 874 homicides in 2022, the 256 people charged while on release would equate to 29% of all homicides.

Thoughts?

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🇨🇦🇺🇸Trudeau praises Biden's world leadership

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau told reporters Thursday that NATO and the G7 are "lucky" to have Biden leading "in some extraordinarily consequential times."

When asked by reporters whether Biden could lead on the world stage, Trudeau said "it has been, as always, a privilege and a pleasure to work alongside [Biden] on big issues."

At this point, praising Biden is like putting a nail in your coffin.

#US
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Trudeau says he still has 'full confidence' in Freeland, but has been talking to Carney

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says he continues to have "full confidence" in Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance Chrystia Freeland, but he's also been talking to Mark Carney about entering federal politics.

Amid reports suggesting Freeland's role in cabinet could be on the table, Trudeau told reporters in Washington, D.C. on Thursday that Freeland "has been a close friend, an ally, and partner in doing really big things for Canada, and will continue to be."

#Trudeau #Freeland
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🇨🇦🇺🇦Canada to help train Ukrainians on F-16 fighter jets due to be flying by summer

Canada will help lead the training of Ukrainian fighter jet pilots on F-16s being delivered by NATO allies, which the U.S. expects will be flying by the summer.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says the federal government will commit up to $389 million over the coming year to “enhance” the training, along with $500 million in additional military aid as part of NATO’s long-term pledge for Ukraine.

The show must go on.

#Ukraine
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Tear gas used as pro-Palestinian protesters, Montreal police clash

Several hundred pro-Palestinian protesters gathered in downtown Montreal, clashing with police on Thursday night.

This comes one day after McGill University hired a private security firm to take down the encampment on its lower field.

Videos posted to social media show several physical altercations as police used tear gas and pepper spray to disperse the crowd.

#Quebec #Palestine
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Mad Max: Fury Road. Montreal edition.

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❌Poilievre won't commit to NATO 2% target

Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre says he won't commit to meeting the two per cent NATO defence spending target if he becomes prime minister.

I make promises that I can keep and right now we are, our country, is broke. I'm inheriting a dumpster fire when it comes to the budget. Every time I make a financial commitment, I'm going to make sure I've pulled out my calculator and done all the math. People are sick and tired of politicians just announcing that they're going to spend money without figuring out how they're going to pay for it.

#Poilievre #NATO
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🏠📈Banks are expecting a wave of mortgage defaults

Mortgage delinquencies and defaults are expected to continue trending upwards as homeowners face mortgage renewals in 2025 and 2026. Canada’s banking regulator recently named mortgage renewal as one of the top financial risks facing the country.

And the six major banks are bracing for more defaults, setting aside $4.36 billion in provisions for credit losses in the second quarter of 2024 — an increase of $1.6 billion from the same time last year.

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🇨🇦🇺🇸Trudeau speaks with Trump following assassination attempt on former president

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau spoke with former U.S. president Donald Trump on Sunday, a day after the Republican candidate survived an assassination attempt.

According to a summary of the call provided by the Prime Minister's Office, "Trudeau condemned yesterday's appalling assassination attempt and reiterated there's no place for political violence."

The readout does not indicate what Trump said to the prime minister.

Does talking to the voices in your head count as talking to someone?

#Trudeau #US
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Justin Trudeau stopped by the Rogers Centre to "wish" Diljit Dosanjh, a singer, "good luck before his show."

Canada is a great country — one where a guy from Punjab can make history and sell out stadiums. Diversity isn’t just our strength. It’s a super power.

The lengths he'll go to get a few votes.

#Trudeau
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Thousands evacuated as ‘extremely aggressive’ wildfire burns in eastern Canada

A wildfire burning in eastern Canada has scorched more than 24,000 acres and forced thousands to flee the Town of Labrador City, where at least one hospital has been closed, officials said Saturday.

The “extremely aggressive inferno” was deemed fully under control earlier this week, but weather conditions shifted Friday, setting the stage for rapid fire spread, Premier of Newfoundland and Labrador Andrew Furey said.

The wildfire exploded 22,000 acres in size, moving about 13 miles in just four hours, Furey said. Around 9,500 people have been evacuated from Labrador City.

#wildfires
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🏠Housing on track to become the most concerning issue for surveyed Canadians

The latest survey by Nanos Research found that housing and the concern around the cost of housing is quickly overtaking jobs, the economy and the environment as the issue of top national concern.

Over the last month, the poll found that concern about housing increased from 8.8 per cent to 12.5 per cent as concerns around inflation being the top national issue dropped from 13.7 per cent to 12.9 per cent.

Can someone please tell Trudeau that Canadians are not worried about the climate emergency?

#housing
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🇨🇦🇨🇳Freeland hints at broader trade action against China

Canada’s finance minister said she’ll hold talks next week with business and labor groups about erecting trade barriers against Chinese-made vehicles — and suggested the government may even go beyond autos.

The government last month announced a public consultation on how to respond to “unfair Chinese trade practices” of electric vehicles. But “the consultation actually could be broader than that,” Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland said in an interview.

#China
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Legault wants premiers to discuss reduction in number of asylum seekers

Quebec Premier François Legault wants to use a meeting this week of the Council of the Federation in Halifax as an opportunity to discuss the issue of asylum seekers with this fellow premiers. Legault arrived in Halifax on Sunday for the three-day meeting.

Legault told reporters he will raise the issue of asylum seekers in an effort to have the other provinces pressure Ottawa to reduce their number by half.

Clearly, we would like some to move to other provinces. Some provinces are open, others are not. But basically we have to reduce the number of people who are accepted.

#immigration
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🐎Almost 1.5M people attended this year's Calgary Stampede

The organization said 1,477,953 people visited the grounds during the last 10 days, an all-time record for the event.

#Alberta
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Fort William First Nation declares state of emergency over drug epidemic

Fort William First Nation in northwestern Ontario has declared a state of emergency as the community struggles with an ongoing drug epidemic.

The state of emergency was announced Friday by Chief Michele Solomon and formally passed by council on Monday.

#Ontario
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🎓University of Saskatchewan implements first-of-its-kind anti-fraud system to prevent Inuit pretenders

A new anti-fraud system, which has been under development for two years, breaks with the previous practice of trusting the students blindly.

Now proof of ancestry from specific indigenous groups are required to access some of the university's scholarship programs.

This measure is long overdue.

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🎓'Not a back-door entry to citizenship' Marc Miller stresses importance of caps on international students

The era of uncapped intake of international students is over, federal immigration minister Marc Miller said during a visit to Calgary.

We have to make this a system that is more quality-oriented. We have to make sure that we have more diversity, more qualified, more talented bunch of people coming into the country, and to make sure that they know exactly what they’re getting into — Canada is not a cheap place to live in.

Miller gave an interview on Saturday following a ceremony at Stampede where 25 people were granted Canadian citizenship.

In other words: liberals are still fine with mass immigration, as long as it gives them diversity points and future votes.

#immigration
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💰❌'I can’t wait to defund the CBC': Pierre Poilievre

Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre has renewed his pledge to “defund the CBC” after the board of directors for CBC and Radio-Canada has approved bonuses for some staff for work they did in the most recent fiscal year.

The move, which was confirmed Monday, came amid outcry that 1,194 eligible employees working for the public broadcaster would receive bonuses in a year when 141 employees were laid off and 205 vacant positions were eliminated.

I can’t wait to defund the CBC and sell off the headquarters for housing.

Poilievre wrote in a post shared to X along with a link inviting his followers to a website calling on the Liberals to end subsidies to the state broadcaster.

#Poilievre
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📊Canadians think Quebec gets more than it gives to federation: poll

A new poll indicated that many Canadians think Quebec is the federation’s biggest beneficiary.

Angus Reid, a non-profit opinion research institute, asked 2,021 Canadians if they think any provinces “get an extra advantage — that is, they get more than they give being part of Canada.”

🔹Forty-two per cent of Canadians polled said Quebec garners an extra advantage.

🔹Majorities in every region other than Ontario and Quebec said Quebec gets more than it gives.

🔹Alberta was the top choice when Angus Reid asked which provinces give more than they receive.

#Quebec #Alberta
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