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☆ How African Immigrants Have Revived a Remote Corner of Quebec
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-30 | by ( Norimitsu Onishi | Nasuna Stuart-Ulin | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: 1 min

Not long ago, the handful of African immigrants in Rouyn-Noranda, a remote city in northern Quebec, all knew one another. There was the Nigerian woman long married to a Québécois man. And, of course, the doyen, a Congolese chemist who first made a name for himself driving a Zamboni at hockey games. A couple from Benin has taken over Chez Morasse, a city institution that introduced a greasy spoon favorite, poutine, to this region. And women from several corners of West and Central Africa were chatting at the city’s new African grocery store, Épicerie Interculturelle.

Persons: Chez, Interculturelle Locations: Rouyn, Noranda, Quebec, Nigerian, Cameroon, Ivory Coast, Congolese, Africa, Benin, West, Central Africa

☆ Rio Tinto cuts Canada iron ore production estimate on extended plant outage
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-16 | by ( Rishav Chatterjee | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

REUTERS/Chris Helgren/File PhotoThe world’s biggest iron ore producer expects an iron ore output of 9.3 million to 9.8 million tons (mt) from its Iron Ore Company of Canada (IOC) business, down from 10.0 to 11.0 mt previously projected. Rio reported a 1.2% rise in its third-quarter iron ore shipments, as it ramped up production at the Gudai-Darri mine. It shipped 83.9 mt of iron ore from Pilbara in the September quarter, compared with 82.9 mt a year earlier. The miner, which generates 70% of its profit from its iron ore operations, saw prices of the commodity improve as top consumer China stepped up its stimulus efforts. Rio realised a 5% increase in mined copper output to 169,000 tons, reflecting a ramp-up of high-grade underground Oyu Tolgoi mine and higher feed grades at Escondida.

Persons: Chris Helgren, Rio, ”, Kyle Rodda Organizations: Reuters, Rio Tinto, Developers Association of Canada, REUTERS, Iron Ore Company, Canada, IOC, “, Capital.com Locations: Rio, Toronto , Ontario, Canada, Northern Quebec, Pilbara, China, Escondida

Prices of iron ore, from which Rio Tinto derives around 70% of its profits, eased over the second quarter on concerns over China's debt-ridden property sector, but could improve after Beijing on Tuesday pledged to roll out policies to boost growth. "China's economic recovery has fallen short of initial market expectations, as the property market downturn continues to weigh on the economy and consumers remain cautious despite monetary policy easing," Rio Tinto said in its quarterly report. Rio Q2 Shipments easeRio downgraded its expectations for refined copper production, alumina production, and output at its Canadian iron ore operations and warned of rising costs. "Production downgrades during the quarter highlight that we still have much more to do," Rio Tinto Chief Executive Jakob Stausholm said in the report. Wildfires in Northern Quebec impacted Canadian iron ore production, it said.

Persons: Rio, Glyn Lawcock, Jakob Stausholm, Melanie Burton, Navya Mittal, Rishav Chatterjee, Shounak Dasgupta, Sonali Paul Organizations: Rio Tinto, Alpha, Tinto Chief, Thomson Locations: MELBOURNE, Rio, Beijing, Barrenjoey, Sydney, Utah, Northern Quebec, Rincon, Argentina, Melbourne, Bengaluru

How has the smoke affected air quality in the American Midwest? Image Chicago on Tuesday, where the Air Quality Index reached “very unhealthy” levels. Canada wildfires Burned Hotspots Source: Canadian Wildland Fire Information SystemHow far has Canadian wildfire smoke spread? In Canada, Environment Canada warned Tuesday that air quality would deteriorate overnight in Toronto, Canada’s largest city and financial capital. Poor air quality has also buffeted Montreal, where the sun has appeared in recent days as a lurid red dot.

Persons: Kamil Krzaczynski, Judson Jones Organizations: NASA, Agence France, Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Centre, Environment Locations: Canada, Quebec, American, Europe, Coast, United States, New York City, Washington, Minnesota, Chicago, Detroit, Milwaukee, Swiss, Green Bay, Wis, Grand Rapids, Mich, East, ., Portugal, Spain, France, Toronto, Canada’s, Montreal, Mont Tremblant, Ontario, New York

Rey Steve Mabiala and his wife, Liz Gouari, taking refuge at the Roberval emergency center after being ordered to evacuate Chibougamau, Quebec, as a fire approached. Of the more than 400 fires now burning in Canada, more than one-third are in Quebec, which has already registered its worst wildfire season on record. Credit... Carlos Osorio/Reuters“We are facing some unprecedented events, including droughts, accelerated fires and heat waves, and there will be more over time, especially forest fires,” Ms. Mohsin said. But perhaps most surprised were newcomers to Chibougamau, like Mr. Mabiala, from the Republic of Congo, who came to work in logging. “They were asking, “Oh, is there such a thing in Canada?’ ’’ Ms. Cabrera said.

Persons: Rey Steve Mabiala, Liz Gouari, Gouari, Mabiala, Prince Edward Island, ” Mr, “ It’s, ”, Josée Poitras, Tanzina Mohsin, Carlos Osorio, Ms, Mohsin, Poitras, “ I’ve, I’ve, Francis Côté, “, Chibougamau, Renaud Philippe, Côté, Guy Boisvert, Winters, Boisvert, Shirley, Jonathan Mattson, Mr, Mattson, Ruth Cabrera, Anna Huerte, —, Cabrera, Huerte Organizations: Wildfire, University of Toronto, ., Reuters, The New York Times, “, Credit Locations: Chibougamau, Quebec, Africa, Canada, North America, Republic of Congo, Prince, Nunavut, Fort Nelson, British Columbia, Toronto, Val, Montreal, Roberval, East Coast, United States, Philippines

☆ ‘How Could This Happen?’: Canadian Fires Burning Where They Rarely Have Before
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-09 | by ( Norimitsu Onishi | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

When Liz Gouari was making plans to move from Africa to join her husband in a rural stretch of northern Quebec, he promised her that Canada was a tranquil nation. But on Wednesday, the couple was among dozens of people sitting in stunned disbelief in an evacuation center after the entire city where they lived was forced to flee from a raging wildfire. The blaze tore through the forest and bore down on their city, Chibougamau, one of the countless Canadian communities affected by an extraordinary outbreak of forest fires whose smoke has blotted out skies across swaths of North America and forced millions indoors because of hazardous air quality. Growing up in the Republic of Congo, Ms. Gouari and her husband, Rey Steve Mabiala, said they were familiar with evacuations of all sorts — he had once fled fighting by hiding in a tropical forest — and with how floods and droughts made worse by climate change were causing major displacements on the continent.

Persons: Liz Gouari, Gouari, Rey Steve Mabiala Locations: Africa, Quebec, Canada, Chibougamau, North America, Republic of Congo

☆ Canadian wildfires prompt new evacuations, alarm over air quality
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-07 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

REUTERS/Maye-E WongOTTAWA, June 7 (Reuters) - Firefighters battled hundreds of forest blazes on Wednesday as Canada's worst-ever early season wildfires prompted the evacuation of thousands and a blanket of smoky air wafting over U.S. cities. There are fires in nearly all of Canada's provinces and territories, with the eastern province of Quebec among the worst affected. The province, Canada's second-most populous, has suffered four times its 10-year average of wildfires so far this year. In neighboring Ontario province, Canada's most populous, deteriorating air quality has been forecast this week in cities including Ottawa and Toronto due to smoke plumes. Wildfires are common in Canada's western provinces, but this year flames have mushroomed rapidly in the country's east.

Persons: Wong OTTAWA, Francois Legault, Legault, Ismail Shakil, David Ljunggren, Deepa Babington Organizations: REUTERS, Firefighters, Residents, Thomson Locations: Manhattan, Canada, New York City , New York, U.S, Quebec, Canada's, New York, New Brunswick, France, United States, Portugal, Spain, Mexico, Chibougamau, Ontario, Ottawa, Toronto

REUTERS/Blair GableOTTAWA, June 7 (Reuters) - Hundreds of uncontrolled forest fires blazed across Canada on Wednesday, threatening critical infrastructure, forcing evacuations and sending a blanket of smoky air wafting over U.S. cities. Quebec Premier Francois Legault earlier said the province was able to fight 40 fires at the same time. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said he spoke with U.S. President Joe Biden by phone on Wednesday to thank him for "critical support" in tackling the blazes. These fires are affecting everyday routines, lives and livelihoods, and our air quality," Trudeau said in a statement on Twitter. We will be facing more and more extreme weather events that will cost us a lot more," Prime Minister Justin Trudeau told the briefing.

Persons: Blair Gable OTTAWA, Bill Blair, Blair, Quebec Premier Francois Legault, Justin Trudeau, Joe Biden, Trudeau, Legault, Ismail Shakil, David Ljunggren, Nia Williams, Deepa Babington, Diane Craft Organizations: REUTERS, Quebec Premier, Canadian, U.S, Twitter, Residents, Thomson Locations: Centennial, Township, Greater Madawaska , Ontario, Canada, Quebec, U.S, New Brunswick, France, United States, Portugal, Spain, Mexico, Chibougamau, Ontario, Canada's, Ottawa, Toronto, British Columbia

☆ Thick smoke pouring from Canadian wildfires snarls air travel in and out of NYC
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-07 | by ( Jake Swearingen | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Wildfire smoke has prompted ground stops and delays at Newark and LaGuardia airports in New York. "The FAA has taken steps to manage the flow of traffic into the New York City area due to reduced visibility from wildfire smoke," FAA spokesperson told Insider. The smoke was from huge wildfires encompassing more than 420 fires across Canada, including massive blazes in northern Quebec. Weather conditions carried the smoke hundreds of miles into the U.S., blanketing cities across the northeast from New York to Maryland in a thick haze. According to the National Weather Service, visibility was reduced to 5 miles Queens and a little as 4 miles in Newark.

Persons: John F, CTtVi76QXh — Daniel Susser Organizations: National Weather Service, Morning, FAA, LaGuardia Airport, Newark Liberty International, New, Newark, LaGuardia, Kennedy International Locations: Newark, LaGuardia, New York, Queens, Canada, U.S, New York City, Quebec, Maryland

☆ Canada sends military to help battle blazes in Nova Scotia
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-01 | by ( Steve Scherer | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/2] Smoke from the Tantallon wildfire rises over houses in nearby Bedford, Nova Scotia, Canada, May 28, 2023. Nova Scotia is battling two large fires that are threatening communities on the outskirts of the provincial capital, Halifax. The armed forces would provide equipment and personnel to relieve firefighters "who have been working tirelessly around the clock to protect communities right across Nova Scotia", Blair said. The federal government sent the military to Alberta last month to help battle blazes there and Canada is also getting help from other countries. Some 800 U.S. firefighters have come to battle the blazes, mostly in Alberta, with another 100 are scheduled to arrive in Nova Scotia over coming days, officials said.

Persons: Eric Martyn, Bill Blair, Blair, Justin Trudeau, Steve Scherer, Anirudh Saligrama, Sharon Singleton, Robert Birsel Organizations: REUTERS, OTTAWA, CBC News, CBC, Twitter, Thomson Locations: Bedford , Nova Scotia, Canada, Nova Scotia, Halifax, Alberta, Quebec, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa

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