Latest news with #CanadianGovernment
CTV News
5 hours ago
- Business
- CTV News
Electra takes the next step in opening North America's only cobalt refinery
Electra Battery Materials Corp. says it has launched what it calls 'an early works program' at its cobalt refinery near Cobalt, Ont. (File) Electra Battery Materials Corp. says it has launched what it calls 'an early works program' at its cobalt refinery near Cobalt, Ont. The $750,000 program is the next step in Electra's preparations to restart full-scale production at the northern Ontario facility. Located near the border of Temiskaming Shores and Cobalt, it will be North America's only producer of battery-grade cobalt once the refinery is in operation. Interior view of Electra Ontario Refinery An undated image of an interior view of Electra Battery Materials' Ontario refinery in Cobalt, Ont. (Supplied/Electra Battery Materials) Once fully commissioned, the facility will produce 6,500 tonnes of cobalt annually, which would support the production of up to 1.5 million electric vehicles each year. The Electra facility has received funding from the Canadian and U.S. governments, as well as the private sector, with the goal of reducing reliance on China, where the vast majority of the world's cobalt is currently refined. 'The early works program encompasses targeted site-level activities designed to prepare for the restart of full-scale construction,' the company said in a news release. 'The initiative reflects growing momentum around the project, supported by strategic funding from both the U.S. and Canadian governments.' 'The early works program represents a critical step in transitioning the refinery site back to construction mode,' Mark Trevisiol, Electra's vice-president of projects, said in the release. Electra Battery Materials in North Cobalt, Ontario Electra Battery Materials in North Cobalt, Ontario 'By focusing on key infrastructure, particularly in the SX area, we are ensuring the site is ready for a seamless ramp-up as soon as full funding is in place.' Work scheduled over the summer will focus on advancing high-priority activities in the solvent extraction (SX) area, which is a key component of Electra's hydrometallurgical refining circuit. 'Crews will relocate and install SX processing equipment previously delivered to site, pour reinforced concrete bases for the SX tanks, and complete structural roofing work on the SX building,' the release said. 'In parallel, tender preparation and engineering support activities will proceed to facilitate the transition to full construction. These works follow a $200,000 investment earlier this year into the septic, power and lighting systems, as well as the recent delivery and placement of the site's prefabricated electrical house, all further enhancing construction readiness.' Critical infrastructure Electra CFO Marty Rendall said the early works program allows the company to build 'critical infrastructure and maintain project momentum while we work to finalize the remaining elements of our funding package.' The program is partially supported by US$20 million from the U.S. Department of Defense under the Defense Production Act, announced in August 2024. The project has also received support from Canada's Strategic Innovation Fund. 'Our early works program is a clear signal: Electra is not standing still,' Trent Mell, CEO of Electra, said in the news release. 'The early works program lays the physical and operational groundwork to accelerate into full construction. We are confident in our project and its strategic importance. Preparing for the final leg of construction is a reaffirmation of our commitment to delivering North America's only battery-grade cobalt refinery.' Battery-grade cobalt Electra's refinery is the only project in North America designed to produce battery-grade cobalt sulfate at scale. With funding support from the Canadian and U.S. governments already in place, Electra said it is working on making 'strategic progress toward completing the remaining financing needed to bring the cobalt sulfate refinery into full commercial operation.' 'Backed by strong government endorsements and the refinery already significantly advanced, Electra expects it will be able to finalize the balance of the financing required to move the refinery into production.' In addition to the cobalt sulfate refinery, Electra said its strategy includes nickel refining and battery recycling. For more information, click here.
National Post
13 hours ago
- National Post
Adam Zivo: Canadians stuck in Israel abandoned by embassy that closes at 4:30 p.m.
Article content After Israel closed its airspace last Friday due to the threat of Iranian missile attacks, about 40,000 tourists — including over 6,600 Canadians — were left unable to return home on their own. While many countries are scrambling to evacuate their citizens by land and sea, some Canadians say that they have been abandoned by their government and left to fend for themselves. Article content Article content With passenger flights indefinitely cancelled, options for leaving Israel are limited. It is impossible to escape northward, into Lebanon or Syria, as the border areas of these countries are infested with violent militias, including the remnants of Hezbollah and ISIS. The risk of being kidnapped, injured, tortured or murdered there is not insignificant. Article content Article content Article content Article content Meanwhile, in the east, tourists are evacuating to Jordan, a relatively stable country by regional standards. While some terrorist groups operate on Jordanian territory, they are concentrated along the Syrian and Iraqi borders, far from Israel, and attacks in major cities are rare. Article content Still, the Canadian government advises that citizens avoid non-essential travel to Jordan, and individuals I spoke with in Israel considered the Jordanian routes to be somewhat unsafe. Article content They worried about being struck by the debris of intercepted missiles, and argued that the country's political volatility, particularly in the context of this new war, means that the threat of violence is never truly far away. Individuals who are visibly Jewish face additional risks, including potential harassment from antisemitic border officials. Article content There are three crossings into Jordan: a north, central and southern route. Incidentally, the most popular and direct of these options (central) passes through the West Bank, where violence is commonplace. The Palestinian Authority, which administers the area, lacks the capacity to guarantee visitors' safety, but there have apparently been no reports of attacks against fleeing tourists yet.
CBC
a day ago
- Business
- CBC
Carney curbs steel imports to prop up industry hard hit by Trump's tariffs
Prime Minister Mark Carney announced Thursday new measures to help stabilize Canada's steel and aluminum sectors that have been hard hit by U.S. President Donald Trump's tariffs — with exports down and job losses up. The new federal program includes a quota on foreign steel and a proposed tax hike on U.S. imports if Canada and the U.S. can't reach a trade deal in a month's time. Carney said Canada's counter-tariffs on U.S. steel and aluminum products would go up — or down, depending on the negotiations with Trump — on July 21. Trump hiked the U.S. tariff rate on steel and aluminum from 25 per cent to 50 per cent earlier this month and Carney, at the time, withheld matching that rate spike given talks are ongoing to get Canada out from under Trump's tariffs. Now, Carney is signalling he's willing to go higher with Canada's retaliatory response, if necessary. Carney also said he's establishing a new "tariff rate quota," as it's called in trade parlance, which means some foreign steel imports will be allowed but anything above that limit will be hit with a high tariff, making them more expensive. The purpose of this measure is to make Canadian steel more competitive and prop up an industry that has lost a lot of business amid Trump's punishing tariffs.
CTV News
a day ago
- Politics
- CTV News
Canada facilitating flights home for citizens leaving Israel, Iran
Rescue workers and military personnel inspect the site of a direct hit from an Iranian missile strike in Ramat Gan, Israel, Thursday, June 19, 2025. (AP Photo/Oded Balilty) OTTAWA — Foreign Affairs Minister Anita Anand says Ottawa is helping Canadians leave the Middle East once they reach countries bordering Israel and Iran. With airports closed across the region, Ottawa has stationed consular officials on the other side of certain crossings on the Israeli and Iranian borders to help those fleeing either country to get home. Anand tells The Canadian Press that she is looking at further options beyond commercial means, including help from Canada's allies. She is urging Canadians in the region to register with Global Affairs Canada so that they can get the latest details. Anand says she is 'extremely concerned' about the quickly evolving conflict between Israel and Iran and adds anyone who wants to get home should do so. Ottawa used commercial flights to get Canadians out of Lebanon last year, avoiding a military evacuation that officials had been planning for months. Dylan Robertson, The Canadian Press
United News of India
3 days ago
- Business
- United News of India
India, Canada to reinstate High Commissioners after Modi-Carney meeting; resume FTA negotiations
Kananaskis (Canada)/New Delhi, June 18 (UNI) In a major step towards mending their strained ties, India and Canada have agreed to reinstate High Commissioners in their respective countries, following the meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Canadian counterpart Mark Carney, on the sidelines off the G7 Summit in Kananaskis, Canada. The two leaders also underscored the importance of 'restarting senior ministerial as well as working-level engagements across various domains to rebuild trust and bring momentum to the relationship'. They also discussed the importance of restarting the stalled trade negotiations. Prime Minister Modi in a post on X, termed their meeting as an excellent one and added that the two prime ministers look forward to working closely to add momentum to the bilateral friendship. 'Had an excellent meeting with Prime Minister Mark Carney. Complimented him and the Canadian Government for successfully hosting the G7 Summit. 'India and Canada are connected by a strong belief in democracy, freedom and rule of law. 'PM Carney and I look forward to working closely to add momentum to the India-Canada friendship. Areas like trade, energy, space, clean energy, critical minerals, fertilisers and more offer immense potential in this regard.' A readout said: 'This was the first in-person interaction between the two leaders since Prime Minister Carney assumed office following Canada's recent general elections. 'The meeting provided an opportunity for both sides to hold frank and forward-looking discussions on the state of India-Canada relations and the way ahead. 'The leaders reaffirmed the importance of India-Canada ties, based on shared democratic values, respect for the rule of law. and commitment to upholding the principles of sovereignty and territorial integrity. 'They underlined the need to pursue a constructive and balanced partnership grounded in mutual respect for concerns and sensitivities, strong people-to-people ties, and growing economic complementarities. In this regard, both sides agreed to take calibrated and constructive steps to restore stability in the relationship, beginning with the early return of High Commissioners to each other's capitals. 'The leaders underscored the importance of restarting senior ministerial as well as working-level engagements across various domains to rebuild trust and bring momentum to the relationship. 'The leaders discussed opportunities for future collaboration in areas such as clean energy, digital transformation, artificial intelligence, LNG, food security, critical minerals, higher education, mobility, and supply chain resilience. 'They reaffirmed their shared interest in promoting a free and open Indo-Pacific. The leaders also discussed the importance of restarting the stalled negotiations on the Early Progress Trade Agreement (EPTA), with a view to paving the way for a Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA). They agreed to task their respective officials to engage further in this regard. 'Both leaders acknowledged the important progress made at the G7 Summit and the shared willingness to work constructively together on global priorities such as climate action, inclusive growth, and sustainable development. 'The leaders underlined the deep people-to-people connections between the two countries and agreed to leverage this living bridge to the benefit of both countries. 'The leaders agreed to stay in touch and looked forward to meeting each other again at the earliest opportunity.' The Canadian PM in a post on X said of the meeting: 'I met with Prime Minister Modi today at the @G7 Summit. 'We reaffirmed the importance of Canada-India ties, based upon mutual respect and the rule of law, and discussed opportunities to partner for economic growth.' The Canadian readout said: 'Prime Minister Carney and Prime Minister Modi reaffirmed the importance of Canada-India ties, based upon mutual respect, the rule of law, and a commitment to the principle of sovereignty and territorial integrity. 'The leaders agreed to designate new high commissioners, with a view to returning to regular services to citizens and businesses in both countries. 'They discussed strong and historic ties between our peoples, partnerships in the Indo-Pacific, and significant commercial links between Canada and India – including partnerships in economic growth, supply chains, and the energy transformation. 'Prime Minister Carney raised priorities on the G7 agenda, including transnational crime and repression, security, and the rules-based order. 'The leaders also discussed opportunities to deepen engagement in areas such as technology, the digital transition, food security, and critical minerals.' UNI RN
