Quebec launches new program to mobilize for climate action

A new budget will be dedicated to citizen initiatives in the fight against climate change in Quebec. Benoit Charette, Environment Minister, made the announcement during a meeting with the Quebec delegation at COP27 in Egypt.

Quebec wants to encourage civil society to get involved through its Mobilization Strategy for Climate Action, which is an extension of other programs that have funded mobilization actions in the past.

The $46.4 million is in response to a frequent request from groups consulted by the ministry, according to Charette. It is an increased amount, he adds, compared to previous programs.

As examples, he cites the specialized climate action media Unpointcinq and the Climate Action Barometer, among others, which have benefited from government financial support.

#Quebec

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Canadian Military Buys 39 GDLS Armoured Combat Support Vehicle

The Canadian military has ordered 39 additional Armored Combat Support Vehicles from General Dynamics for $165 million to replace equipment it donated to Ukraine earlier this year.

The country also has plans to buy Carl Gustaf’s new generation anti-tank systems to replace older weapons that were shipped to Ukraine. The procurement effort follows a pledge by Canada’s Liberal Party government that military equipment sent to Ukraine this year will be replenished.

The vehicles had just been built and rolled off the assembly line at the General Dynamics Land Systems facility in London, Ontario. In July, Canada announced it was rerouting to Ukraine 39 armored vehicles originally ordered for the Canadian Army.

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🇳🇬Canada and Nigeria target oil and gas methane emissions

Oil and gas producers Canada and Nigeria have become the latest countries to tackle the potent greenhouse gas methane with laws to rein in emissions in the fossil fuel energy sector.

The announcements came as the United States on Friday said it would expand its own rules to require oil and gas drillers to find and fix leaks of methane at all of the country's well sites.

Canada said its new rules would target a 75% cut in methane emissions from the oil and gas sector by 2030, including through a proposed monthly requirement for oil and gas companies to find and fix methane leaks in their infrastructure.

Nigeria, among the world's top 10 methane emitters, announced new rules for how to reduce emissions in its oil and gas industry. They include requirements for leak detection and repair, limits to flaring and controls on venting equipment.

#Nigeria

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Québec Solidaire calls for the regularization of non-status immigrants

Two Québec Solidaire (QS) MPs today joined forces with the Immigrant Workers Centre (IWC) to call on the Quebec government to implement a regularization program for non-status immigrants.

Andrés Fontecilla, MP for Laurier-Dorion, and Alejandra Zaga Mendez, MP for Verdun, expressed their support for undocumented migrants by participating this afternoon in a rally in an Indian restaurant in the Villeray-Saint-Michel-Parc-Extension borough of Montreal.

This event follows a series of demonstrations in recent weeks.

#Quebec

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“Natural immunity” strategy divides Quebec and Ottawa

Health authorities in Quebec City and Ottawa are not on the same page when it comes to the concept of "natural immunity", which is at the heart of Quebec's economic recovery strategy.

In Quebec, the Legault government wanted to prepare the ground for the reopening of schools and some businesses by promoting the principle of "natural immunity" in the population. But the chief executive officer of the Public Health Agency of Canada, Dr. Theresa Tam, doesn't buy it. Before, Prime Minister Trudeau said that "there is no one who is basing immunity as part of the way forward for the next few months," and that there is "still a lot of work to be done on this.

#Quebec

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Federal government throws away millions of COVID vaccines due to lack of demand

The number of expired Moderna shots has risen to 7.7 million and the government has also now disposed of 3.1 million doses of the Novavax vaccine "due to drying-up demand in Canada and around the world."

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Ontario to release 2022 economic outlook as province faces possible recession

Ontario is set to deliver its updated 2022 economic outlook Monday, as the province faces an uncertain fiscal environment in the months ahead. Minister of Finance Peter Bethlenfalvy is slated to table the document in the legislature.

In September, the government revealed it ended the last fiscal year with a $2.1-billion surplus, despite projecting a $13.5-billion deficit.

The outlook comes as governments around the world deal with economic headwinds like sticky inflation, rising interest rates and the increasing likelihood of a recession next year.

#Ontario

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Report: Food banks recorded 1.66 million visits between April 2021 and March 2022

Toronto food banks recorded 1.66 million visits between April 2021 and March 2021, up from 1.45 million visits the year before, according to the Who's Hungry report from the Daily Bread and North York Harvest food banks.

More people who have jobs as their primary source of income are now turning to food banks as cost of living continues to climb and put pressure on food support programs, a new report finds.

As food banks saw another record year of visits and new users, the strain on their resources is also at record levels with no signs of slowing, according to this year's Who's Hungry report from the Daily Bread and North York Harvest food banks.

Not only are food banks seeing existing clients more often, but there is also a growing number of people turning to food banks for support for the first time. The increased need is "straining food banks' resources and capacity to keep pace with demand," the report notes.

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🇨🇳China has links to dozens of Canadian miners tied to critical minerals

China has built up stakes in more than two dozen Canadian mining companies, including some of the industry’s biggest names. Canada’s latest crackdown on foreign investments in critical minerals is about to put a chill on such activity.

At least 27 public companies including Teck Resources, Ivanhoe Mines and First Quantum Minerals have shareholders with ties to China, according to data compiled by Bloomberg. Attracting such investors -- or encouraging them to increase their holdings -- will now be much harder given Canada’s latest efforts to protect its minerals wealth.

Chinese firms have been involved in 89 announced acquisitions and investments in Canadian metals and mining companies in the past decade, according to data compiled by Bloomberg. The value of those transactions is $14-billion. Many deals involve companies tied to the 31 critical minerals identified by Canada.

#China

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Earthquake strikes north of Montreal

An earthquake of magnitude 3.0 was recorded at 9:23 p.m. Monday night, north of Montreal.

According to the U.S. Geological Survey, the epicenter of the earthquake was located 5 kilometers northeast of Bois-des-Fillions.

No damage has been reported at this time, in Montreal or closer to the epicenter.

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Canada implements UN Security Council sanctions against Haitian gang leader

Mélanie Joly, Minister of Foreign Affairs, announced that Canada implemented a recent UN Security Council (UNSC) sanctions resolution into Canadian law under the United Nations Act. The measures are in response to the egregious conduct of armed criminal gangs in Haiti.

The sanctions under UNSC resolution 2653 impose a dealings prohibition against Jimmy Chérizier, the leader of the so-called G9, an alliance of Haitian gangs. This effectively freezes any assets he may hold in Canada and imposes a travel ban and arms embargo.

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Federal government rejects returning Canadians from ISIS camps in Syria

According to the Canadian government, it would be “unprecedented and unprincipled” to help Canadian ISIS suspects detained in Syria.

The families want the Federal Court to order Ottawa to bring the detainees back to Canada from prisons and camps run by U.S.-backed Kurdish fighters.

But federal lawyers argued the case should be dismissed, since accepting the families’ claims would improperly extend the Charter of Rights beyond Canada’s borders.

Lawrence Greenspon, the Ottawa lawyer representing many of the families, declined to comment.

#Syria

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🇨🇳Trudeau complained to Xi Jinping about China's meddling in Canadian internal affairs

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau expressed "grave concern" about alleged Chinese interference in domestic affairs in his first meeting in more than three years with Chinese President Xi Jinping on the sidelines of the G20 summit in Bali, Indonesia.

The mentioned "interference" is probably a reference to a November 7 Canadian media report that quoted Canadian intelligence officials as saying that they suspected China had interfered in the Canadian election. Also last Monday, Canadian police arrested and charged an employee of the largest local power producer on charges of trying to steal trade secrets for the benefit of China.

#China

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🇨🇳 ❌️ 🇨🇦 Xi Jinping scolding Canadian Prime Minister Trudeau during the G20 conference: "Everything we discussed has leaked to the newspaper, that's not appropriate. That's not how we do things."

🇺🇦Canada provides Ukraine with $500 million in military aid

Justin Trudeau has announced a $500 million military aid package for Ukraine. According to the prime minister's website, the funds will be used to purchase surveillance and communications equipment, fuel and medical supplies.

In addition, Canada will impose sanctions on 23 more Russian citizens for human rights abuses.

#Ukraine #Russia

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Death threat against Trudeau sent to Canada Border Services Agency

The Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) received a death threat against Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and inquiries about how to import bullets during last winter's convoy protests.

CBSA said two threats from the same client were sent online through the CBSA's "contact us" form.

One message sent to CBSA on Feb 7 reads: "We would like to come to Ottawa to support the protest and if you want a war on your people we are prepared to die to stop you. No border of yours will hold us back! Liberty or death. You Choose!"

A second email, sent to CBSA on Feb. 12., said that if the Canadian government continued on its "destructive path," the writers were prepared to come to Canada “to oppose government tyranny.”

@maplechronicles

🇭🇹 Canada police lay charges in alleged Haiti coup plot

Canadian federal police said they have charged a man in Quebec province for allegedly plotting to sow violence in Haiti and overthrow its government.

Gerald Nicolas, a 51-year-old resident of Levis, Quebec, is alleged to have “planned a terrorist act to overthrow the Haitian government of Jovenel Moise,” the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) said in a statement.

The RCMP said an investigation started in July 2021 revealed that Nicolas actively planned “to stage an armed revolution in Haiti and ultimately seize power.”

Those “concrete actions,” it said, included traveling to Haiti to coordinate a group that was to take part in the coup.

#Haiti

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