Canada

An international organization that often finds itself at the centre of human rights conflicts in developing countries has turned its attention to a small town in southwest Nova Scotia.

Amnesty International has joined a long-standing community fight to bring clean water to a settlement of African Nova Scotians whose properties have wells and are next to an old garbage dump that operated for 70 years in Shelburne.

There are concerns the dump has contaminated well water and caused high rates of cancer among the approximately 50 Black residents who live close by.

Members of Amnesty’s Canadian office toured the area in late October to hear first-hand stories of historical and ongoing concerns.

“It was eye-opening to see what’s happening, it was also a shock,” David Matsinhe, the group’s director of research, policy and advocacy, said in an interview from Ottawa.

For weeks, CBC Ottawa and Radio-Canada exchanged messages with nearly a dozen people who have been buying these drugs online. Eventually one came forward, offering to talk about their experience.

"The first time I was like, OK, it’s not true, it’s a scam," John said. CBC has agreed to withhold his real name because he fears the impact of his drug use on his family and his job.

"You go on the website and it’s very easy."

Prime Minister Mark Carney says he's not worried about the prospect of increased oil production from Venezuela challenging Canada's energy exports because Canadian oil is cheaper, cleaner and lower-risk.

Carney made the comments at a press conference in Paris on Tuesday after being asked if he was concerned that U.S. President Donald Trump's play for Venezuelan oil this week increased the need to speed up the construction of another bitumen pipeline from Alberta to the B.C. coast.

"Canadian oil will be competitive because it is low-risk, clearly low-risk, low cost — the marginal costs, there's been huge progress on getting down the costs, and low carbon, which is what the Pathways project carbon capture will bring," Carney said.

"That makes Canadian oil competitive for the medium and long term," he added.

By Senator Paula Simons

So I’m calling on us to do something un-Canadian: to put aside our habitual self-deprecation and stand up for the country we love—and reject the idea of a sovereign Alberta whose founding principles seem to be miserliness, xenophobia and transphobia. We need to raise our voices to denounce the dark fantasy of a landlocked, petulant petrostate dedicated to hoarding wealth, denouncing immigrants, denying climate change, spurning vaccines, protecting patriarchy and endangering queer kids. Because Alberta’s current crop of separatists don’t just want to leave Canada. They seem to want to opt out of the 21st century entirely.

Great read

It can be easy to believe that all this pressure is a product of the way Trump’s return to office emboldened U.S. tech companies, but it’s simply brought a longstanding process out into the open. The U.S. government has long recognized how much it benefits from ensuring other countries are dependent on products and services made by companies in its jurisdiction. For years, it used trade negotiations to insert clauses in agreements that limit foreign governments’ ability to regulate its tech companies and has used its diplomats to apply pressure in other ways.

For example, CUSMA contains measures that constrain the authority of the Canadian government to regulate the tech industry. The agreement limits the ability to regulate cross-border data flows, to force companies to reveal their source code, to discriminate between foreign and domestic tech firms, or to expect them to store data on Canadians within our borders. On top of that, U.S. officials under the Biden administration regularly pressured the government when it moved forward with tech regulations, including with the streaming bill and digital services tax. The Online News Act is the latest to find itself in U.S. crosshairs.

~

As U.S. tech companies fought to roll back workers’ rights in the gig economy and beyond, allowed false information to spread across social media platforms, decimated the funding model for journalism, and had countless other negative social impacts, the Canadian government was limited in its ability to respond. All the while, as more Canadians—both individuals and companies—became dependent on U.S. digital services, the profits were siphoned back to the United States, fueling a growing economic divide that has prompted economists to start sounding the alarm.

~

There is one thing we can say for Trump’s attacks on Canada: they have finally given us the space to speak openly and honestly about many of the ways the U.S.-Canada relationship has not been working for us for a very long time—and the digital dimension of our lopsided economic integration is a massive part of that. If Canada is to regain greater autonomy over its affairs and build a better society, we must get serious about reclaiming our digital sovereignty.

Since Trump’s return to office, governments have been ramping up defence spending to ensure they can defend themselves in a world where the United States is no longer a security guarantor and possibly even a security threat. That same seriousness should be given to digital technology.

Former Winnipeg police officer Elston Bostock has pleaded guilty to trafficking drugs over a period of years — both to civilians and other police officers.

Bostock, who worked with the Winnipeg Police Service for more than two decades before being removed from the force, admitted to selling drugs including cocaine and psilocybin between 2016 and 2024 in a Winnipeg courtroom Monday.

Bostock admitted he trafficked drugs while on duty as a uniformed police officer, in the parking lots of police stations and from his police vehicle, federal Crown attorney Janna Hyman read from an agreed statement of facts.

Calgary Mayor Jeromy Farkas says there's a "ticking time bomb" under the city's streets, and that means a new reality for residents moving forward.

"This Bearspaw feeder main served Calgarians for many years, but right now, it is at end-of-life," Farkas told CBC Radio's Calgary Eyeopener on Monday.

"No amount of short-term fixes, no amount of patchwork will be able to get this back into a reliable condition."

Last Tuesday, Calgary saw its second "catastrophic" water main break in the northwest in less than two years. That led to water restrictions and a boil-water advisory for several northwest communities, which were lifted late on Sunday.

cross-posted from: https://lemmy.today/post/45007926

Canadian readers, from the prime minister on down, may be inclined to take comfort in the US NSS on the grounds that Canada gets no real mention. Silence is golden? No talk of annexation, border security laxity, trade relations, access to critical minerals, defence spending, or the Arctic. But to take comfort would be a serious mistake.

There are two reasons for this. One is that Prime Minister Mark Carney has described Canada as the most European of non-European countries, and he means it. It is illustrated in his ongoing support for Ukraine, his commitment to NATO, his emphasis on the Euro-Atlantic security zone, his search of new defence development opportunities with Europe, and his drive to expand economic partnerships as part of a major commitment to diversify Canadian trade beyond the US. London and Paris were the first trips he made overseas after becoming prime minister. In the meantime, Carney’s pursuit of what he once called a new comprehensive economic and security relationship with the US is going nowhere.

Canada could easily become a Europe-like problem in the hairline of Trumpian policies: elite-governed rather than populist, moderate centrist rather than far right in political orientation. Canada could be in the same sights as European countries, whose politics need a “course correction” with help from the US. Think of how the Liberal government treated the poor, well-meaning populists of the so-called “Freedom Convoy” protests, whose coffers were filled with US dollars, whose ideas were supported by American MAGA commentators, whom Trump himself backed. A little memory jog might be in order. Here is what Trump said in support of the “Freedom Convoy” protest back in February 2022: “The Freedom Convoy is peacefully protesting the harsh policies of the far left lunatic Justin Trudeau who has destroyed Canada with insane COVID mandates.”

Archived link

An increasingly aggressive Russia coupled with China’s growing influence have renewed Canada’s focus on Arctic defence and sovereignty — and how to assert control over its remote northern geography.

The focus is on both increased surveillance — knowing what and who is poking around up there — and having military assets in place to deter any aggressor before they consider operating in Canada’s North.

The conversation is being driven by the climate crisis, opening up new areas of the Arctic for resource extraction and shipping lanes, and has expanded beyond Canada, asserting its sovereignty to both defence and national security concerns.

But despite melting ice and opening shipping lanes, Canada’s North remains a difficult place to operate in, which is why ensuring adversaries think twice before operating in the region is preferable to having to defend it, according to retired Maj.-Gen. Denis Thompson.

“Clearly deterrence is preferable to having to go up and defend it. And that means having credible assets at hand, not necessarily based in the Arctic, but able to operate out of the Arctic,” said Thompson.

...

“That can include aircraft, it can include ships, obviously, submarines and a limited army capability since the Rangers are already in place. I think the big thing from a military perspective is we need to know what’s up there and that speaks to this concept of surveillance from the seabed to space all across our country, including importantly in the Arctic.”

...

Prime Minister Mark Carney’s inaugural budget last month included a $1 billion, four-year fund to improve “dual-use” infrastructure projects for both civilians and the military, such as airports, seaports and all-season roads.

But aside from military preparedness and infrastructure, the discussion around Arctic intelligence — and counter-espionage — has become more prominent in recent years.

Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS) Director Daniel Rogers said the agency is aware of both cybersecurity and traditional espionage threats targeting governments and the private sector operating in Canada’s Arctic.

“Canada is a proud Arctic nation, and the global Arctic has become a theatre of increased interest due to its economic and strategic potential. Non-Arctic states, including the People’s Republic of China, seek to gain a strategic and economic foothold in the region. Russia, an Arctic state with a significant military presence in the region, remains unpredictable and aggressive,” Rogers said in a speech about national security threats in November.

...

It’s noteworthy that Rogers namechecked both China and Russia, according to University of Calgary Prof. Rob Huebert.

Huebert said defending Canada’s Arctic includes paying attention to “information” warfare — hostile countries spreading narratives or misinformation aimed at dividing Canadians or Canada from its allies. There are three levels to that “battle” in the North, Huebert said: creating distrust among elements of Canadian society to distract them from outside threats, dividing “political elites” from each other, and dividing Canada from the United States.

In those efforts, countries hostile to Canada have an advantage: U.S. President Donald Trump.

The fact that Trump’s new national security strategy, released earlier this month, makes clear the administration views itself as having a free hand to act militarily in the Western hemisphere is unlikely to diminish those concerns.

“For any of these to work, there has to be a grain of truth within it … You have to look at where the differences exist, and then you have the amplification element … Our adversaries are focusing on how (to) divide Canada from the United States. Now, the United States is taking a whole host of actions under the Trump administration that, of course, makes that job easy,” Hubert said.

“(They) create the circumstances within Canada where you have an individual saying, ‘Well, you know what, we have to really defend ourselves against the threats of the Americans much more than we do on the threats of the Chinese or the Russians.’”

...

Huebert counselled urgency for the Canadian government to improve its defences in the North, particularly because large-scale military procurement takes a long time between an announcement and the assets being put in service.

...

Opinion piece by Bob rae, Fellow of Massey College, the Munk School at the University of Toronto, the Forum of Federations and Queen’s University. He served as Ontario’s 21st Premier, interim leader of the Liberal Party of Canada, and Canada’s Ambassador to the UN.

Archived link

In coming to the defence of Ukraine’s, Denmark’s Greenland’s and yes, Venezuela’s, sovereignty, we are defending our own. Imperial habits die hard. And Canada must be at the centre of these battles because our existence as a nation at stake.

...

The decision by the Trump administration to launch an arrest operation in Caracas, Venezuela, capturing Nicolás Maduro and his spouse Cilia Flores, has profound consequences for all of us.

...

The revelation that the United States would be “running Venezuela”, taking over the oil industry, replacing “free and fair elections” with a “judicious…very judicious transition”, ... outlined in the recent U.S. National Security Strategy was the most expansive expression of American hegemony in the Western Hemisphere and beyond in decades.

...

The meetings in Paris this week of the Coalition of the Willing supporting Ukraine take on a whole new meaning and significance. The U.S. release of the National Security Strategy one month ago, the subsequent military buildup and invasion of Caracas, the collateral rhetoric about Cuba, Colombia, Mexico, Greenland, Canada — all point a revival of Great Power unilateralism at the expense of everyone else.

...

In the time leading up to the Russian invasion of Ukraine, [Russian] President Putin released speeches and documents explaining the Russian grievance.

The Putin Doctrine is fundamentally this: Greater Russia has included Ukraine for centuries ... Ukrainian nationalism is a fake concept promoted by Russia’s enemies ... The decision to grant Ukraine independence in 1991 was a betrayal, aggravated by NATO “aggression” ... Putin further claimed that Ukraine was committing a “genocide” against Russian speakers in Ukraine, and that therefore Russia’s invasion in February 2022 was fully justified as self-defence.

It is worth noting that these arguments were all heard, considered, and dismissed as having no merit by the International Court of Justice.

...

The third member of the P3, China, has its own narrative and explanation to justify its treatment of Tibetans and Uyghurs, among other minorities, its claim to Taiwan, and its status as a “Great Civilization”, giving it power and status above and beyond others.

...

Ukraine’s fate is ours. If the Coalition of the Willing cannot find the means and the will to defend Ukraine’s interests, the message to Russia, China, the United States and others would be clear: your region is your playground, and any casus belli — no matter how ludicrous — will do.

As Canadians, our interests, values, and nationhood are directly at stake. This is not an exaggeration. Prime Minister Mark Carney’s plan for greater national solidarity, aggressive search for new markets, and a sustained effort to reach a new CUSMA agreement all make good sense, but all of us need to recognize the costs and consequences of the lawless world we are now in.

It can’t be business or politics as usual.

...

The federal government has proposed fining people and organizations up to $1 million for failing to comply with the requirements of its planned foreign influence transparency registry.

Newly published draft regulations are another step toward establishing the registry, which was set out in legislation passed in 2024 as part of a package of measures to counter foreign interference.

The proposed regulations define key terms and describe the information individuals and entities would have to provide when entering into arrangements with foreign principals, which are entities owned or directed by foreign governments, to influence Canadian political or government activities.

Ottawa says the registry is needed because countries engaging in foreign interference to advance political goals might employ people to act on their behalf without disclosing those ties.

Individuals, businesses, non-profit organizations and educational institutions would be among those expected to register with the federal government to help guard against such activity.

...

The federal government expects about 1,767 registrants would submit information annually, with an additional 54 new registrants each year, the notice says.

Canada has fallen behind key allies, such as the United States, the United Kingdom and Australia, on implementing dedicated legislation and regulations to address covert and non-transparent foreign influence, the notice adds.

"The proposed regulations would help close this gap by establishing a strong transparency framework aligned with the best international practices," it says. "This alignment would also strengthen Canada's credibility as a trusted partner in advancing global security and protecting democratic institutions."

...

Members of the public have 30 days to comment on the proposed regulations, which appear in the Canada Gazette.

At the time, she announced she was stepping down from cabinet and would not run as an MP in the next federal election, whenever that may occur.

A few months later, she was named the incoming CEO of the Rhodes Trust, an Oxford, England-based educational charity. Freeland's office confirmed she would move to the United Kingdom for the gig, which starts July 1.

She still represents the Toronto riding of University—Rosedale and has not formally announced any plan to resign as a member of Parliament.

Airlines in Canada could soon be under pressure from customers to improve their services as the federal government opens its skies to more competition from the Middle East.

Ottawa is loosening restrictions on the number of flights coming from Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates after past diplomatic spats had limited flights.

Aviation expert John Gradek said airlines from the Middle East are considered the "envy of the world" because of the services they offer, which will force Canadian airlines to do more if they want to go head-to-head with these foreign carriers.

"Canadian carriers are going to have to up the ante and up their game to be able to compete," said Gradek, who is a lecturer of aviation management at McGill University.

We have a separatist movement in Alberta, that is fueled by a sycophantic and borderline treasonous Premier and UCP, multiple NGOs and special interest groups some of whom have already been fined for hiding their funding, and a think tank that gets more than 10% of their reported and direct funding from the US (ignoring funding that comes from the US but goes through one hop in Canada, thus legitimizing it).

Is it too much to ask that someone do some fucking investigation? Dig in and make sure the funding is all legitimate before we give up our whole country to a demonstrated enemy whose main mode of attack is division, propaganda and disinformation??

The federal government has proposed fining people and organizations up to $1 million for failing to comply with the requirements of its planned foreign influence transparency registry.

Newly published draft regulations are another step toward establishing the registry, which was set out in legislation passed in 2024 as part of a package of measures to counter foreign interference.

The proposed regulations define key terms and describe the information individuals and entities would have to provide when entering into arrangements with foreign principals, which are entities owned or directed by foreign governments, to influence Canadian political or government activities.

Ottawa says the registry is needed because countries engaging in foreign interference to advance political goals might employ people to act on their behalf without disclosing those ties.

The chief of Pimicikamak Cree Nation says hundreds of homes have been "severely compromised" in the aftermath of a days-long power outage that damaged a water treatment plant and plumbing systems, and about 4,000 people have been evacuated from the northern Manitoba First Nation.

Residents in Pimicikamak, about 530 kilometres north of Winnipeg, started reporting burst pipes, leaks and sewer backups after power restoration began on Thursday. All power was back on as of Friday afternoon, Manitoba Hydro said.

The power to the First Nation, which has an on-reserve population of around 7,000, went out last Sunday night after a power line that crosses the Nelson River snapped, and pipes froze in the extreme cold, as temperatures dropped well below the –20 C mark.

About 200 homes have been damaged by leaking pipes, Chief David Monias said during a news conference on Saturday. Those homes are no longer safe to live in, he said.