Latest news with #JustinTrudeau
Toronto Star
an hour ago
- Automotive
- Toronto Star
Canada's EV market was already in trouble. Tariffs made it worse, Ontario workers say
INGERSOLL - Bob Pulham recalls the optimism in the air when General Motors began producing electric vans in Ingersoll, Ont., in late 2022. As the first BrightDrop commercial van rolled off the line at the CAMI Assembly plant, GM executives, union leaders and former prime minister Justin Trudeau touted it as a major milestone for electric vehicle production in Canada.
Hamilton Spectator
8 hours ago
- Politics
- Hamilton Spectator
What is National Indigenous Peoples Day and is it a stat holiday?
Saturday, June 21 is National Indigenous Peoples Day. It's a date to recognize and celebrate the history, heritage, resilience and diversity of First Nations, Inuit and Métis peoples. For generations, many Indigenous groups and communities have celebrated their culture and heritage on or around June 21, according to the Canadian government's description of the day , as this time of year is significant due to the summer solstice being the longest day of the year. In 1982, the National Indian Brotherhood, now the Assembly of First Nations, called for the creation of National Aboriginal Solidarity Day. In 1995, the Sacred Assembly called for a national holiday to celebrate the contributions of Indigenous peoples. June 21 was proclaimed as National Aboriginal Day in 1996 by then-Gov.-Gen. Roméo LeBlanc. In 2017, then-prime minister Justin Trudeau announced the federal government's intention to rename the day as National Indigenous Peoples Day. The government has been referring to it as such since. The day is now part of the Celebrate Canada program, which includes various cultural summer programs across the country. You can learn more about National Indigenous Peoples Day and look up a list of events across Canada on the government's website . National Indigenous Peoples Day is observed as a statutory holiday in the Northwest Territories and Yukon, but not anywhere else in Canada.
Globe and Mail
10 hours ago
- Politics
- Globe and Mail
Letters to the editor, June 20: ‘On whom influences the U.S. President: depends on who he spoke with last'
Re 'Plus-minus' (Letters, June 19): A letter-writer wishes Mark Carney 'would show more sympathy for his fellow Canadians' while dealing with 'this walking nightmare' who once again 'leads' our southern neighbour. It's unlikely any global leader could have done a more impressive job of deftly dealing with, arguably, the most dangerous person alive today. While he clearly had to treat him with kid gloves, Mr. Carney rose to the occasion by nimbly stepping in to regain control of a press conference that the U.S. President was hijacking with more of his bluster and lies. He also provided some sort of signal of his true feelings while delivering a deliciously subtle wink to Emmanuel Macron during a pivotal moment at the G7 summit. Apparently 'a nod is as good as a wink' … to a blind President. Jeffrey Peckitt Oakville, Ont. Re 'PMO won't say if Carney spoke with Modi about India's alleged role in killing of Canadian Sikh leader' (June 19): Inviting Narendra Modi to the G7 summit, despite India not being a member, could be seen as a good diplomatic gesture. However, we should not forget the treatment the Modi administration extended to Justin Trudeau. Without delving into the complexities of Canada-India relations during Mr. Trudeau's tenure, it was evident to me that how he was treated did not align with diplomatic protocols. The Modi administration has every right to disagree with the Canadian government's positions, but diplomatic protocols should never be compromised under any circumstances. Moving forward, Canada should navigate its relationship with India with a renewed focus on mutual respect and strategic co-operation. While historical grievances should not be ignored, diplomacy should be exercised with a forward-looking approach that prioritizes national interests and global partnerships. Mr. Modi's invitation should be seen as an opportunity to ensure that diplomatic missteps do not hinder future collaborations between the two nations. Anas Khan Beaumont, Alta. Re 'On Iran, Donald Trump has a legacy-defining choice to make' (June 19): On whom influences the U.S. President: depends on who he spoke with last. If it is the hardcore isolationist 'make America great again' types, then Iran will likely face Israel alone. If it is the hardcore Republican hawks, then the United States will likely attack Iran. Difficult to say which is better or worse given the current situation. Perhaps it will be a bit of both, with a light dusting of bunker busters on Iranian nuclear facilities and then leaving the remainder of fighting to the two combatants. Clay Atcheson North Vancouver Re 'At risk' (Letters, June 18): 'If a free society cannot help the many who are poor, it cannot save the few who are rich.' With apologies to John F. Kennedy, I offer the following amendments to his quote: If a free society cannot encourage the investment and growth endeavours of the few who are rich, it cannot save the many who are poor. I believe the contrary is valid and, in our slow-growth and low-productivity economy, necessary. Ted Brough Woolwich, Ont. Re 'Housing remedy' (Letters, June 17): I live in a historic downtown neighbourhood. Dotted through it are multiplex buildings, typically two storeys tall, built in the 1920s and 1930s that often have eight apartments with balconies. These apartment buildings sit on land equivalent to two single-family homes. Usually these buildings have humanely sized units, making them desirable to both renters and owners. If we can build units similar to what already exists in these neighbourhoods, wouldn't that be easier to sell to neighbours and planning departments? Almost every historic city centre I visit has examples of this kind of dense urban planning from 80 to 100 years ago. How can NIMBY residents and planners deny such an application for similar development? Maybe give developers a partial break on development charges when they commit to historically appropriate infill. There will always be pushback when proposed infill housing sticks out like a sore thumb. Why reinvent the wheel? Mary Peirson-Cabena Guelph, Ont. Re 'Canada's population growth slows to a crawl after moves to curb immigration' (June 19): For the first time in a long time, it feels like our government is finally getting a handle on this matter, reining in reckless policies that flooded the country with too many people too quickly. It's no coincidence there are now more houses for sale for longer periods of time, and not being snapped up within hours of being listed. In fact, our daughter and her partner managed to buy a house for under asking recently. Still a lot more work to do on this file, but it's a start. Graham Farrell Toronto Re 'AI adoption is upending the job market for entry-level workers' (June 18): The tech industry is rotten. I worked in software development for 33 years and I am so glad to be retired. When I look back and ask whether my industry has been a net benefit to humanity, I have to conclude that the answer is no. All these corporate types with stars in their eyes can forget that artificial intelligence is trained on human-generated input. That means AI companies steal the hard work and intellectual property of human beings, with no compensation. AI is also consuming ever more energy. AI data centres will likely consume more electricity than everything else, meaning higher prices for everyone else. AI-generated output is increasingly displacing human-generated output. If there are no good entry-level jobs, how do companies expect to train workers to move up? Who do companies expect to sell their products and services to if there are legions of unemployed or underemployed people? Dianne Skoll Ottawa Re 'Oilers can't keep up in Stanley Cup rat race' (Sports, June 18): More telling than the 32-year drought for a Canadian Stanley Cup champion is the fact that eight Canadian teams have made the finals in that time, and are now 0 for 8. The reason to me is obvious: too much pressure. A little indifference from Canadian fans would help. My dream is to see a purely Canadian league with a mix of international players and a more international outlook. Players would be paid well, but not exorbitantly. Media and fan pressure on players would be less because it would be one league among others. Don't assume a Canadian league wouldn't be competitive. A 'champions league' can determine the best team. Don't assume that National Hockey League clubs would dominate – we have plenty of evidence for the strength of international hockey. The NHL is a U.S. business; let them have it. Ed Janicki Victoria Letters to the Editor should be exclusive to The Globe and Mail. Include your name, address and daytime phone number. Keep letters to 150 words or fewer. Letters may be edited for length and clarity. To submit a letter by e-mail, click here: letters@
Hindustan Times
20 hours ago
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
Pro-Khalistan extremism a threat to Canada, says spy agency in report
Canada's spy agency has said that India's alleged foreign interference activities have been driven by concerns of pro-Khalistan extremism emerging from Canada, acknowledging that some extremists use Canada as a base for planning violence in India. The admission is in the section on Politically Motivated Religious Extremism or PMVE in the Canadian Security Intelligence Service or CSIS' annual report to Parliament for 2024, which was tabled in the House of Commons on Friday but only published publicly on Wednesday. 'Since the mid-1980s, the PMVE threat in Canada has manifested primarily through Canada-based Khalistani extremists (CBKEs) seeking to use and support violent means to create an independent nation state called Khalistan, largely within Punjab, India,' the report said. 'While there were no CBKE-related attacks in Canada in 2024, ongoing involvement in violent activities by CBKEs continues to pose a national security threat to Canada and Canadian interests. In particular, real and perceived Khalistani extremism emerging from Canada continues to drive Indian foreign interference activities in Canada,' the report noted. 'Some Canadians participate in legitimate and peaceful campaigning to support the Khalistan movement. Non-violent advocacy for an independent state of Khalistan is not considered extremism. Only a small group of individuals are considered Khalistani extremists because they continue to use Canada as a base for the promotion, fundraising or planning of violence primarily in India,' it added, in a significant official acceptance by Canada of its territory being used to potentially foment terrorism in India. Such a reference to Khalistani extremism was missing from the report for 2023. The report also made the allegations of Indian interference in Canada, though, for the first time, it also underlined what motivates such alleged activity. 'These activities attempt to steer Canada's positions into alignment with India's interests on key issues, particularly with respect to how the Indian government perceives Canada-based supporters of an independent homeland that they call Khalistan,' the report stated. 'The main perpetrators of foreign interference and espionage against Canada include the PRC (People's Republic of China) , India, the Russian Federation, the Islamic Republic of Iran,' it said. The recognition that violence targeting India may be funded and planned from Canada was not the first this year as the tenor of official reports has changed since Justin Trudeau's announcement in January that he was going to resign as Prime Minister. The final report of the Public Inquiry into Foreign Interference in Federal Electoral Processes and Democratic Institutions, which is headed by Justice Marie-Josee Hogue, and released on January 28, stated that according to CSIS 'India has some legitimate basis for concerns about the security threat posed by Khalistani extremism in Canada. Some extremists have engaged in threat-related activities directed at India from within Canada, notably by coordinating and funding terrorist activities in India.' It added, as per CSIS, 'the vast majority of Khalistan supporters are peaceful.' India-Canada ties nose-dived when former Canadian prime minister Justin Trudeau alleged in September 2023 that Indian agents were linked to the murder of Khalistani separatist Hardeep Singh Nijjar. India dismissed the charge as 'absurd' and subsequently accused the Canadian government of giving space to separatists and radical elements that pose a threat to Indian diplomats and interests. As bilateral ties hit an all-time low over the past year, both sides expelled diplomats and downgraded ties. Following Mark Carney's appointment as Canadian PM on March 14, the two sides have been in touch at the level of leaders and senior officials. There have also been meetings between senior security officials, including the National Investigation Agency (NIA) on the Indian side and the National Security Intelligence Advisor, Royal Canadian Mounted Police, and Canadian Security Intelligence Services on the Canadian side.
Yahoo
a day ago
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Canada's EV market was already in trouble. Tariffs made it worse, Ontario workers say
INGERSOLL — Bob Pulham recalls the optimism in the air when General Motors began producing electric vans in Ingersoll, Ont., in late 2022. As the first BrightDrop commercial van rolled off the line at the CAMI Assembly plant, GM executives, union leaders and former prime minister Justin Trudeau touted it as a major milestone for electric vehicle production in Canada. Pulham, a Unifor representative at the plant, remembers talk of increasing shifts and hiring more people to produce 50,000 such delivery vans annually by 2025. But the sales never picked up, the plant kept slowing down the production line amid sluggish demand and the optimism slowly faded. This April, GM announced it would idle the plant for several months and resume production in October with just one shift. Union members say about half of 1,200 workers at the plant will be gone as a result. "I feel bad for all 600 that are being laid off. It's a horrible position to be put in," Pulham said in an interview. "It's a crazy amount of uncertainty and I think that hurts people." The announcement came shortly after U.S. President Donald Trump imposed tariffs on Canadian-made vehicles, but a GM Canada spokesperson said the halt was directly related to lower-than-expected demand for the BrightDrop vans. Pulham, who began working at the CAMI plant more than three decades ago, said his wife has also been laid off and is now pondering whether to go back to school or search for a new job. Several other companies, including Honda, Stellantis, Umicore and Ford have also delayed or scrapped their EV projects amid the slow sales growth and the ongoing trade war. GM Canada said reducing production in Ingersoll was necessary to adjust to market demand and balance inventory. But workers at the CAMI plant say Trump's tariffs made things even worse. They've experienced the industry's ups and downs over the decades, but say this challenge is especially difficult at a time of great economic uncertainty. "There's a push to build (vehicles) in the U.S., and that has caused a lot of issues over here," Pulham said. "So, it's not a good situation." Mike Van Boekel, the Unifor Local 88 CAMI plant chairperson, said even though workers knew layoffs were on the horizon, the news was still shocking for many. "It was terrible," he said. "I thought we were going to lose a shift. I was worried in the back of my mind … and now it has come true." GM's ambitious plan to be at the "forefront of a big wave" of electric delivery van production didn't materialize because the timing was not right, Boekel said. He felt the company was gaining some momentum before the imposition of 25 per cent tariffs on Canadian-made vehicles. GM had just received an order of a thousand delivery vans from the U.S. grocery chain giant Kroger, he said. "So, it looked like we were just getting to go and all of a sudden, the tariffs came on," he said, adding that CAMI workers will still produce Kroger's vans when they return to the factory this fall. Workers aren't the only ones feeling the pain. The ripple effects of layoffs are a source of concern for Ingersoll Mayor Brian Petrie. The CAMI plant, which spans two million square feet, is the largest employer in the southwestern Ontario town of about 14,000 people. Petrie said Ingersoll expects to receive $1.8 million in municipal taxes from the company this year, which is around 10 per cent of the total levies the town is expected to collect. "It is devastating because we're not talking about new employees here, either, these are long serving employees and ... they've had a tough road going up to that point," Petrie said in a recent interview at his office. The federal government under Trudeau set a target of 100 per cent zero-emission sales of light duty vehicles by 2035. Environment Minister Julie Dabrusin indicated this week that mandate won't be changing. But that goal seems hard to achieve, Petrie said. "It's honest to say that I think everybody may have misunderstood the scale of the problem that we're facing to do the EV switch," he said. "I think all of them will admit that it's been a bigger problem than they once thought." Still, he thinks the more than $50 billion in investments that Canada has pledged since 2020 to incentivize the EV supply chain will pay off in the long term. Some provinces, including Manitoba and Quebec, are offering rebates for electric vehicle purchases. B.C.'s rebate program, which was the longest running in the country, was paused last month. Ontario scrapped its rebate program after Premier Doug Ford's Progressive Conservatives won the election in 2018. The federal government also halted in January its Incentives for Zero-Emission Vehicles program, which offered up to $5,000 off the cost of a new electric vehicle. Dabrusin said Ottawa intends to bring back consumer rebates for EVs, but doesn't yet know what they'll look like. Zero-emissions vehicles represented only 8.7 per cent of all new vehicle sales in Canada in the first quarter of 2025 — a drop from 16.5 per cent in the fourth quarter of 2024, according to data from Statistics Canada. The sales of EVs and plug-in hybrids had steadily increased from below one per cent in 2017 to 14.6 in 2024, but experts say the growth hasn't been nearly as fast as many expected. Dan Park, CEO of online used car retailer Clutch, said EV adoption has been slower in Canada because people normally drive long distances in colder temperatures, which reduces battery life by 20 to 40 per cent and slows down the charging speed. "Canada is just a fundamentally harder market to have," he said. "Until technology and battery life is improved to be able to handle colder conditions, I think Canadians will just shy away from it." Park said EVs make up only five per cent of Clutch's inventory, which is tied to consumer demand. He said consumer rebates and production subsidies "artificially propped up the market," and provincial and federal governments should instead invest in a stronger charging infrastructure to encourage more Canadians to adopt EVs. A recent survey by consumer insights firm J.D. Power shows that only 28 per cent of nearly 4,000 respondents said they were "very likely" or "somewhat likely" to consider an EV for their next vehicle purchase, down from 29 per cent last year and 34 per cent in 2023. The survey also found that 75 per cent of new vehicle purchasers aren't confident Canada can reach its 2035 zero-emission vehicle sales goal. Manufacturers took note of the lacklustre interest. Honda Canada announced in May that it's postponing a $15-billion EV project in Ontario, citing the "unexpected slowdown" in the market. Stellantis is postponing the production of an EV model of 2026 Dodge Charger Daytona R/T at its Windsor, Ont., plant as it assesses the effects of U.S. tariffs. And Ford Motor Co. said it will assemble F-Series Super Duty pickup trucks at its Oakville, Ont., plant beginning in 2026 instead of planned electric vehicle production at the site. Despite the setbacks, Environment and Climate Change Canada said it will continue to support investments and innovations in the EV supply chain. Canada's zero-emissions vehicle sales mandates ensure "Canadians have access to electric vehicles, which offer long-term savings for consumers," department spokesperson Hermine Landry said in a statement. "Transportation emissions have declined to levels not seen in decades, demonstrating that we can grow our economy while also fighting climate change," Landry said. "It is important to remain focused on the fact that the real threat to the Canadian auto industry right now are the unjustified tariffs from the United States." Overall, Canadians buy around two million new vehicles annually and the country produces approximately 1.5 million of them, according to Unifor. Autoworkers say the federal government should push for more vehicle production in Canada from manufacturers such as Kia, Hyundai, Mitsubishi and others that don't have any production footprint in the country, to offset the impact of U.S. tariffs. "It'd be nice, (if) the government stands up for us and you know says to these big companies, 'If you want to sell here, then you need to build here as well,'" said Paul Harvey, who works as a framing team leader at CAMI. Harvey said that although he and his wife will keep their jobs at the CAMI plant in Ingersoll, they will both have to work the same hours when production resumes on one shift. With four children at home, that means the couple will need a new child-care plan and increased costs will come with it. Harvey, who has been an autoworker for 20 years, said it would be "kind of silly" to think that the transition to electric vehicles would happen at the flick of a switch. He said he and his wife remain optimistic about the EV market and that's why they purchased a Chevy Blazer EV just a few weeks ago. "We're committed to moving into the future with the electrified vehicles," he said. "I do believe it will get there eventually." This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 19, 2025. Sharif Hassan, The Canadian Press Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
