Ottawa police gets intelligence data from… newspapers

To determine the motivations of the protesters against COVID-19 vaccine mandates, Canadian police officers were apparently using Rex Murphy columns in National Post.

Obviously, his analysis cannot be considered intelligence: the author has never been in contact with any of the demonstrators and his columns only express his own point of view on the topic which was quite significant for Canadians at those days.

Besides, the Ottawa Police hasn’t managed to avoid misquotes in their intelligence report. Any information that wasn’t present in the original source may soundly be regarded as officer’s tales.

@maplechronicles

🇨🇳 China established ‘overseas police stations’ in foreign countries – including Canada

Activists fear that Chinese ‘police stations’ could be used to track PRC dissidents around the world. At least three police stations were discovered in Canada. The three addresses in Toronto are registered as “service stations” operated by the Fuzhou Public Security Bureau, a police force active in the Chinese metropolis of Fuzhou.

Chinese Foreign Ministry states that these offices were created to help people from China who were not able to come back home due to COVID restrictions.

#China

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🇺🇸 🇨🇦 🇭🇹 High-level Canadian delegation visits Haiti as U.S. seeks to convince Canada to lead force

As U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken arrived in Ottawa Thursday hoping to convince Canada to take the lead in helping Haiti confront criminal gangs blocking the flow of fuel and food from its seaports, Canadian officials announced that they were conducting an assessment mission in the Caribbean country.

Canada’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Mélanie Joly said a high-level Canadian delegation is currently in Port-au-Prince to consult with Haitians and others in the international community on how Canada can help restore access to essential goods and services amid escalating gang violence and a deepening humanitarian crisis.

“Canada and the international community are concerned about the violence in Haiti, in particular against women and girls,” Joly said. “Canada will not remain idle while gangs and those who support them terrorize Haiti’s citizens and we will continue to support law-abiding Haitians to put an end to the crisis in their country.”

Earlier this month, Haiti’s interim government launched an international appeal for help and requested the deployment of a specialized armed force to help the police take back control of the ports and access roads from the gangs. The issue is a sensitive one in Haiti, where many Haitians are asking when will help arrive and others are opposed to the idea of foreign troops.

https://www.miamiherald.com/news/nation-world/world/americas/haiti/article267930542.html

🇬🇧🇺🇦Canada and Britain to continue supporting Ukraine

The new British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau have agreed to continue supporting Ukraine. The politicians agreed on this during their first telephone conversation.

In addition, Sunak and Trudeau talked "about deepening cooperation on trade and energy security." They also discussed a face-to-face meeting on the margins of the G20 summit in Indonesia.

#Britain #Ukraine

@maplechronicles

🇺🇸🇭🇹U.S. and Canada discussed creation of military mission in Haiti

The United States and Canada have turned to several countries concerning participation in an international mission to help Haiti deal with the humanitarian and security crisis, U.S. Secretary of State Anthony Blinken said.

Blinken and Canada's foreign minister, Melanie Joly, indicated at a joint news conference that the goal is to support the Haitian National Police.

The United States is looking for an allied country to lead an assistance mission, but no one has yet volunteered to. Blinken confirmed that the international mission would not be directly linked to the United Nations.

The Haitian government earlier made a request for military assistance in order to free the Varreux fuel terminal from armed gangs. The appeal has been sharply resented by opposition forces, who believe that the entry of foreign forces will violate Haiti's sovereignty.

#USA #Haiti

@maplechronicles

Canada added another 35 Russian citizens to the sanctions list, including the heads of Gazprom, and six energy sector companies, Trudeau said.

#Russia

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🇭🇳Canada and Honduras discussed bilateral cooperation

Honduran Secretary of State Cindy Rodriguez received Canada's representative to Honduras Jacqueline Delima to discuss bilateral cooperation between the two countries.

Cindy Rodriguez expressed gratitude for Canada's support for Honduras through pro bono joint projects aimed at job creation, human rights, women's rights, including those related to health and reproductive health.

In addition, she stated that Honduras wants to strengthen cooperation on the environment, climate change and migration, which are also high on the government's agenda.

#Honduras

@maplechronicles

Trudeau says clear action plan needed to address Haiti crisis

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said it is necessary to work out a clear plan of action before any mission to help Haiti goes forward.

At the same time, he hasn’t said anything specific on whether Canada is going to deploy its armed forces in Haiti.

#Haiti

@maplechronicles

Liberals accuse Facebook of ‘robber baron tactics’

Canadian Liberals have accused Facebook of “modern-day robber baron tactics” after its administration claimed it could block access to news sites in Canada unless Ottawa makes changes to a proposed law that would require it to compensate media outlets for their work.

Last week Meta published a post that says Canada’s proposed Online News Act falsely presumes that it “unfairly benefits from its relationship with publishers.”

The Online News Act compels online platforms like Facebook and Google to share revenue with the publishers they aggregate their news from. The goal of the bill is to ensure news outlets are fairly compensated for their work.

@maplechronicles

🇺🇸Canadian activists foiled Blinken-Joly meeting

Protesters gave a broadside at the US Secretary of State Antony Blinken who arrived to Montreal to meet Foreign Minister Mélanie Joly. While Blinking was getting by, activists accused him of supporting state terrorism in Ukraine and of dragging the US into nuclear war.

#USA

@maplechronicles

🇷🇺Canada imposed sanctions against Russian energy companies

Canada has imposed sanctions against six Russian companies and 35 Russian citizens. Among the legal entities on the list are Lukoil, Transoil and Sogaz.

In total, more than a thousand individuals and 250 legal entities from Russia are under Canadian sanctions.

#Russia

@maplechronicles

🇺🇦Canada launches new program ‘to support ukrainian scientists’

Minister of Natural Resources, Jonathan Wilkinson, has announced a new initiative ‘to help Ukraine preserve and restore its natural resources science and research capacity’.

Under the Canada-Ukraine Science Partnership, scientists from Ukraine wishing to come to Canada can now submit their CVs through a newly created website. This program will provide temporary employment for Ukrainian scientists, utilizing the regional network of laboratories, links to academia and existing relationships with Ukrainian scientific institutes.

The ministry is willing to connect scientists with temporary research positions in Canada where they can bring their expertise to natural resource sectors, including but not limited to oil and gas, critical minerals, forestry, marine geoscience and earth observation.

#Ukraine

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Canada to formalize euthanasia for the mentally ill

In March 2023, Canada will expand medical assistance in dying (MAID) and extend its eligibility to those with a mental illness. Charles Camosy, Creighton School of Medicine professor, said the bill C-7 would allow "mature minors" to be euthanized by state doctors without the consent of their parents.

Previously, MAID eligibility was based on having a "grievous and irremediable medical condition".

The upcoming amendment has already become a source of anger for many Canadians who don’t want minors to have an opportunity to ask for euthanasia ‘just because they’re depressed’.

@maplechronicles

🇺🇦Canadian ACSV for Ukraine arrive in Europe

According to the official statement, the 39 armoured combat support vehicles (ACSVs) Canada announced for Ukraine in June have started to arrive in Europe. The supply is expected to be fulfilled by the end of November.

At the moment, Ukrainian forces are being trained to operate new equipment. Since February 2022, Canada has allocated over $600 million in military assistance to Ukraine.

#Ukraine

@maplechronicles

Canada ran a $90.2 billion deficit last year

It's one of the largest peacetime deficits in Canadian history. The $90.2 billion was contained in the latest edition of the Public Accounts of Canada, the final version of which was just tabled to the House of Commons last week.

From April 1, 2021, to March 31, 2022, the Government of Canada took in $413.3 billion in revenue and spent $493.3 billion. This worked out to a total shortfall of $90,212,000,000.

@maplechronicles

Filipino-owned agency wins $1B contract to supply workers to Ontario hospitals

Premium Healthcare Providers won the bid to supply healthcare workers to 19 hospitals across the province with an estimated contract value close to a billion dollars. With thousands of job vacancies to fill, the company is relying on international students and internationally educated workers.

@maplechronicles

🇮🇷Canada expanded the Iran sanctions list

The Canadian government expanded the Iran sanctions lists, adding four more individuals and two more organizations, according to a document published on October 31 on the website of the Canadian Foreign Ministry. Particularly, the sanctions will now affect Al-Mustafa International University.

#Iran

@maplechronicles

‼️Shooting in school in Toronto

Shots were fired outside a school in Toronto, Canada. Casualties reported.

According to the local police, one person, a man, died in hospital. The injured teenager was taken to a trauma centre.

The suspect managed to flee the scene. Police are investigating the circumstances of the incident, "the school has been isolated," law enforcement officials noted.

@maplechronicles

Poll: Canadians’ attitude towards the increase of immigration levels

The Environics Institute has released data from a survey on Canadians' views on immigration.

The survey found that Canadians support increased immigration levels more than ever. Nearly 70 per cent of Canadians say that this indicator is not ‘too high’ at all. This is the highest level of support for immigration in the 45-year history of the poll.

In all responses, as in previous years, support for immigration and immigrants is often linked to a person's political views. Since 2021, overall support for immigration has increased among supporters of the federal Liberal Party (79%, up 4), the NDP (85%, up 4) and the Green Party (84%, up 19). Conversely, 43% of Conservative supporters think immigration is too high, but that's still 1% less than in 2021.

Besides, more than 50% of Canadians polled believe Canada needs more immigrants to increase its population.

@maplechronicles

Canada to bring 1.45 million immigrants by 2025

Canada is planning to bring in 1.45 million permanent residents in the next three years. The main reasons for such decision are labor shortages and population ageing.

Justin Trudeau’s government aims to welcome 465,000 permanent residents next year, 485,000 in 2024 and 500,000 in 2025, according to Immigration Minister Sean Fraser.

Over the past several years, Canada’s open-door immigration policy has helped its population grow at the fastest rate among G7 countries. But some immigrants have accused the government for using them as a form of “cheap labor” and many still face challenges finding jobs that match their skills and qualifications.

@maplechronicles

Bill 21 offends the constitutional provision of neutrality to religion

The next chapter in the court battle over Quebec’s Bill 21 – a law that forbids a range of professionals and public servants in that province from wearing religious symbols at work – will unfold in November when Quebec’s highest court considers its constitutionality.

The government of Quebec says that Bill 21 is immune from claims rooted in Charter rights such as freedom of religion. Many commentators agree with this position, even if they believe the law to be disturbingly discriminatory.

However, some believe that Bill 21 is unconstitutional. As groups challenging the law have argued, no government in Canada, federal or provincial, is empowered to enact legislation that mandates religion or irreligion as a precondition for participation in public life.

@maplechronicles