Canada’s international reputation in question as Cameron Ortis, former head of the RCMP’s National Intelligence Coordination Centre, is again free on bail pending his trial on security violations in late 2023.
On December 6th, a 26-hour long moment of silence will begin. Beginning on Finland's Independence Day, the conflict resolution organization CMI - Martti Ahtisaari Peace Foundation will hold a 26-hour long moment of silence in Helsinki, Finland to honour people who have lost their homes due to a conflict.
CHRIS MacLEAN
Interference is typically an extremely valid and indisputable concern, but in the case of the NS shooting spree, that argument is being used to obfuscate the real issue of communication negligence which resulted in deaths that could have been avoided.
CHRIS MacLEAN
Alberta awarded third prize of “Her Vision Inspires” contest to an essayist who argues that women should pick babies over careers, writing that importing "foreigners to replace ourselves is a sickly mentality that amounts to a drive for cultural suicide.”
CHRIS MacLEAN
Keeping Russia "at bay" is not a solution to the carnage happening in Ukraine. With Russia firing 10 times the amount of ammunition than Ukraine, Putin knows he will win, unless something changes.
Jan 25
(CNN)
Boeing today reported a fourth-quarter 2022 loss of US$650 million, blaming “abnormal production costs” as it tried to deliver a backlog of 737 Max jets, accelerate 787 Dreamliner deliveries and address lagging 787 production. “We continue to face a few too many stoppages in our lines . . . as we run into supply chain shortfalls,” CEO Dave Calhoun said, expecting a first-quarter 2023 loss.
Jan 24
(Ottawa Citizen)
The Public Service Alliance of Canada announced today that strike votes by the 120,000 employees it represents in four bargaining units will begin in February. “We need to hold the line on fair wages that will prevent . . . falling further behind as the cost of living increases,” said PSAC National President Chris Aylward. The monetary goal is annual 4.5 per cent salary increases over three years; the government has offered 8.5 per cent compounded over four years
Jan 12
(Al Jazeera)
Canada delivered three more armoured vehicles to the Haiti National Police via military aircraft. The vehicles are for use against criminal gangs which have caused a humanitarian crisis. Canada supplied an initial batch of AVs last October.
Jan 10
(CP)
Public Safety Minister Marco Mendicino says he is prepared to work with parliamentarians to find ways to “improve” the federal government’s cybersecurity bill, C-26, after civil society groups and opposition MPs expressed concern about transparency and accountability. Mendicino says the draft legislation introduced seven months ago is designed to improve protection against online threats to national security.
 DRDC Valcartier Research |
 EZ Raider |
 Polar Knowledge Canada |
Aug 18 –
Interference is typically an extremely valid and indisputable concern, but in the case of the NS shooting spree, that argument is being used to obfuscate the real issue of communication negligence which resulted in deaths that could have been avoided.
Aug 10 –
Alberta awarded third prize of “Her Vision Inspires” contest to an essayist who argues that women should pick babies over careers, writing that importing "foreigners to replace ourselves is a sickly mentality that amounts to a drive for cultural suicide.”
Jun 27 –
Keeping Russia "at bay" is not a solution to the carnage happening in Ukraine. With Russia firing 10 times the amount of ammunition than Ukraine, Putin knows he will win, unless something changes.
Jun 20 –
It is now 11 years since I served in Afghanistan, and almost a year since those who helped us were abandoned to the increasing brutality of Taliban rule, it's time the govt cut the red tape and made good on its promises.
TBD July/Aug 2023
St John’s, Newfoundland and Labrador
25 January 2023
(Moscow Times)
Today’s announcements that Germany, Poland and the U.S. as well as other NATO members would be sending up to 88 main battle tanks to Ukraine yielded a predictable initial response from Russia. “This extremely dangerous decision takes the conflict to a new level of confrontation,” said its envoy in Germany, Sergei Nechayev, warning that it would lead to “the death of not only Russian soldiers, but also the civilian population.” He also said Ukraine’s allies are “not interested in a diplomatic solution.”
25 January 2023
(NBC)
Meta, the corporate parent of Facebook and Instagram, announced today that it will reinstate Donald Trump’s accounts “in the coming weeks” after shutting him down over his inflammatory posts about the January 2021 assault on Capitol Hill . However, Global Affairs President Nick Clegg said there will be “new guardrails in place to deter repeat offences.” Trump continues to insist he did nothing wrong.
25 January 2023
(BBC)
The Boeing 737 Max crashes in October 2018 off Indonesia and February in Ethiopia killed all 346 crew and passengers and led to a 22-month global fleet grounding as investigators uncovered flaws in the flight control systems. The company avoided a trial by agreeing to pay US$2.5 billion in fines and compensation but now the victims’ families want a Texas court to reopen the settlement.
25 January 2023
(CBC)
Continuing its attempts to curb inflation, the Bank of Canada raised its benchmark interest a quarter-point to 4.5 per cent today, the eighth increase in less than a year. Governor Tiff Macklem said he expected to “pause rate hikes while we assess the impacts of the substantial monetary policy tightening already undertaken” and “if we need to do more to get inflation to the two per cent target, we will.”
25 January 2023
(CP)
A Quebec woman accused of mailing ricin to Donald Trump in 2020 pled guilty in U.S. District Court in Washington today and agreed to a sentence of nearly 22 years. Pascale Ferrier, 55, of Saint-Hubert, who was arrested at a border crossing in 2020, also pled guilty to eight charges related to similar offences against law enforcement and corrections officials in Texas in 2019.
25 January 2023
(CTV)
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said today that he has invited premiers to Ottawa for a February 7 “working meeting” he hopes will address country-wide health care funding problems. The federal government also is looking for a national accord on data and health information as well as long-term deals which would include specific metrics relevant to individual provincial and territorial needs.
25 January 2023
(BBC)
The European Court of Human Rights has agreed to hear a case brought by the government of The Netherlands against Russia over the downing of Malaysian Airlines flight MH17 as it overflew Ukraine in 2014. A missile fired by Moscow-backed Ukrainian separatists was confirmed as the cause and the suit argues that Russian disinformation about its role violated the human rights of victims’ families.
25 January 2023
(CNN)
Boeing today reported a fourth-quarter 2022 loss of US$650 million, blaming “abnormal production costs” as it tried to deliver a backlog of 737 Max jets, accelerate 787 Dreamliner deliveries and address lagging 787 production. “We continue to face a few too many stoppages in our lines . . . as we run into supply chain shortfalls,” CEO Dave Calhoun said, expecting a first-quarter 2023 loss.
25 January 2023
(CP)
Before hearing arguments January 24, Federal Court of Appeal David Stratas dismissed the Competition Bureau's effort to overturn Competition Tribunal approval of Rogers Communications’ $26-billion takeover of Shaw Communications. The takeover now needs only only cabinet approval to proceed.
24 January 2023
(CBC)
The Federal Court of Appeal today heard arguments on whether the proposed Rogers Communications $20-billion bid for Shaw Communications can proceed. The Competition Bureau opposes the deal on grounds that it will mean less competition and potentially increased costs to consumers who already pay some of the highest rates in the world, but that argument was rejected by the Competition Tribunal.
24 January 2023
(AP)
The deaths of eight persons in a California mass-killing January 23 was the state’s third in eight days. Six persons died January 16 in a suspected gang-link shooting at a home and then on January 20, 11 died on a shooting at a dance club. The deaths boosted the U.S. total for the year so far to 39, eliciting what has become a predictable call for tighter firearms controls.
24 January 2023
(National Post)
The legal and safety implications of a Federal Court order to the government to repatriate four alleged Canadian members of ISIS are quickly becoming an issue for debate at home. The Ottawa lawyer who represented the men and other Syrian-held captives says the government can prosecute them if they’re held responsible for terrorist activitities but a former CSIS officer says an effective prosecution needs evidence and witnesses in Syria. Moreover, says Phil Gurski, “the supporters of these men and women have portrayed them as victims that need to be rescued.”
