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☆ Canadian energy infrastructure unharmed after cyberattack, says Trudeau
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-11 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

OTTAWA, April 11 (Reuters) - Canadian energy infrastructure did not suffer any physical damage from a cyberattack that was mentioned in leaked U.S. intelligence documents, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said on Monday. A pro-Russian hacking group may have targeted Canada's energy infrastructure in February, the New York Times has reported citing the leaked Pentagon documents. "In regards to the reports of cyber attacks against Canadian energy infrastructure, I can confirm that there was no physical damage to any Canadian energy infrastructure following cyber attacks," Trudeau told reporters in Toronto, in response to a question about the leaked intel. Reporting by Ismail Shakil in OttawaOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Alberta's ethics commissioner probes premier's alleged meddling in COVID prosecution
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-10 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

OTTAWA, April 10 (Reuters) - Alberta's ethics commissioner is investigating whether Premier Danielle Smith interfered with the judicial process tied to the prosecution of an offence related to the COVID-19 pandemic, according to a statement from the premier's office on Monday. "The premier welcomes this investigation, is fully cooperating with the commissioner, and is confident this examination will confirm there has been no such interference," the statement said. The office of Alberta's ethics commissioner did not respond to a request for comment. Pawlowski is facing charges related to COVID-19 protests in Canada last year, which included a weeks-long blockade of the Coutts border crossing into the United States from southern Alberta. Smith became UCP leader and premier last October, replacing Jason Kenney, by appealing to grassroots UCP members in the traditionally conservative province.

☆ NHL roundup: Connor McDavid hits 150 points in Oilers' win
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-09 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +12 min

Tomas Hertl scored, and James Reimer made 29 saves for the Sharks, who have lost seven straight against the Oilers. McDavid notched his 150th point when he scored with 1:44 left in the opening period for a 2-1 lead. Jesper Bratt scored the lone goal and MacKenzie Blackwood made 38 stops for the Devils, who had won back-to-back games. Avalanche 4, Kings 3Denis Malgin scored two goals for visiting Colorado in a win against Los Angeles. Alex Nylander, Danton Heinen and Evgeni Malkin each scored a goal and Tristan Jarry made 19 saves for the Penguins.

☆ Freezing rain in Canada leaves more than a million without power
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-06 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Tony Salador via REUTERSOTTAWA, April 6 (Reuters) - More than 1.2 million people were without power in Canada's two most populated provinces, Ontario and Quebec, on Thursday morning a day after freezing rain and strong winds hit the southeast of the country, toppling trees onto power lines. "We are confident that we can restore power to some of the affected customers today," Hydro-Quebec said in a statement. In Ottawa, crews were expected to restore power for a large portion of some 65,000 affected customers by noon, mayor Mark Sutcliffe said. Some areas in the national capital "remain hazardous due to fallen debris and power outages affecting traffic signals," he said. Montreal is among the worst affected by the power outages after Wednesday's ice storm, according to Hydro-Quebec.

The economy gained a net 34,700 jobs, almost entirely in the private sector, and the unemployment rate held steady at 5.0%, Statistics Canada reported. Analysts surveyed by Reuters had forecast that a net 12,000 jobs would be gained in March and the unemployment rate would edge up to 5.1%. Since December, the jobless rate has stayed just a notch above the record low of 4.9% observed in mid-2022. Thursday's jobs figures as well as robust GDP data released last week are likely to complicate the central bank's plans to avoid further rate moves. There were 18,800 full-time jobs added in the month, and 15,900 part-time jobs.

☆ Canadian PM urges Israel to change its approach after raid, clashes
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-05 | by ( Ismail Shakil | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

REUTERS/Ammar AwadOTTAWA, April 5 (Reuters) - Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Wednesday criticised the Israeli government's "inflamed rhetoric" and urged it to change its approach to the Palestinians amid an upsurge in violence. He also condemned the rocket attacks by Palestinian militants from Gaza. "We're extremely concerned with the inflamed rhetoric coming out of the Israeli government, we're concerned about the judicial reforms ... we're concerned by the violence around the al-Aqsa mosque," Trudeau said. "We absolutely, unequivocally condemn the rocket attacks from militants in Gaza. We need to see a de-escalation of violence," Trudeau added.

☆ Canada unveils revised C$23 bln compensation deal for Indigenous children
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-05 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

The tribunal ruled in 2016 that the federal government allocated fewer funds for child and family services of Indigenous people than for others, pushing more Indigenous children into foster care. The federal government is responsible for funding child welfare services for children on First Nations reserves. Individual provinces fund child welfare services for non-native children and native children who do not live on reserves, creating a two-tiered system. Canada's Indigenous people have higher levels of poverty and a lower life expectancy than other Canadians, and are more often the victims of violent crime, addiction and incarceration. "This agreement represents real work towards Canada's commitment to First Nations children past, present and future," Canada's Justice Minister David Lametti said in the statement.

☆ Factbox: What can Finland's armed forces and arsenal offer NATO?
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-04 | by ( Anne Kauranen | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

HELSINKI, April 4 (Reuters) - Finland joined NATO on Tuesday, bringing the Western defence alliance significant military capabilities developed over the years. Finland's ground, naval and air forces are all trained and equipped with one primary aim - to repel any Russian invasion. Its most important anti-aircraft system is the NATO-compatible Norwegian-American NASAMS 2. AIR FORCEThe Finnish Air Force has a fleet of 61 McDonnell Douglas F/A-18 Hornet fighter jets, which are being replaced by 64 Lockheed Martin F-35A Lightning II jets, the delivery of which will begin in 2026. In addition to the jet fleet, the Air Force has dozens of training aircraft and surveillance radars, including ones that have a range of almost 500 km (300 miles).

☆ Former fighter pilot to be first Canadian to fly to the moon
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-03 | by ( Ismail Shakil | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

OTTAWA, April 3 (Reuters) - NASA on Monday said Canadian astronaut Jeremy Hansen will join a lunar flyby mission expected to take off for the moon in 2024 as part of an expedition that will make the former fighter pilot the first Canadian to explore beyond earth's orbit. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, speaking to reporters in Quebec, said he was extraordinarily excited for Hansen. The mission, Artemis II, will also include the first woman, Christina Koch, and the first African American, Victor Glover, ever assigned as astronauts to a lunar mission. He served as a fighter pilot with the Royal Canadian Air Force between 2004 and 2009, before being picked for an astronaut recruitment program by the Canadian Space Agency. The crew members were announced by NASA and the Canadian Space Agency at an event near NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston.

☆ NHL roundup: Bruins top Blues, reach historic 60-win mark
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-03 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

[1/5] Apr 2, 2023; St. Louis, Missouri, USA; Boston Bruins center Trent Frederic (11) takes the face-off against St. Louis Blues right wing Kasperi Kapanen (42) during the first period at Enterprise Center. St. Louis (35-35-7, 77 points) was eliminated from playoff contention with the result. The Blues received two goals from Jordan Kyrou, the second of which made it a 3-3 game with 25 seconds remaining in regulation. Brayden Schenn assisted on all three St. Louis goals. St. Louis native Trent Frederic collected two assists and Linus Ullmark recorded 35 saves.

☆ Rough week for Alberta's ruling UCP casts shadow ahead of May election
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-02 | by ( Nia Williams | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Polls show Alberta's election, scheduled to take place no later than May 29, will be a tight two-way race between the UCP and left-leaning New Democratic Party, led by Rachel Notley. "I think it will make a difference (to voters), it's going to keep coming up," Bratt said of the recording. "It's going to be reluctant conservatives in Calgary who are concerned about the judgment and trustworthiness of Premier Smith and this adds to questions about that." Smith became UCP leader and premier last October, replacing Jason Kenney, by appealing to grassroots UCP members in the traditionally conservative province. read moreLast week's controversies come just days after two senior Alberta government minister, Finance Minister Travis Toews and Environment Minister Sonya Savage, said they would not seek re-election.

[1/2] Ethernet cables are seen in front of Rogers and Shaw Communications logos in this illustration taken, July 8, 2022. Rogers' deal for Shaw was politically sensitive due to the sky-high wireless bills Canadians pay, which are among the highest in the world. Yet, the competition bureau failed to block the merger, losing their protracted battle when a federal court dismissed the case. Now, dealmakers worry the government could intervene in other politically sensitive M&A. "There are not a lot of things people in competition law disagree on.

☆ NHL roundup: Carter Verhaeghe nets career-best 4 goals in Panthers' win
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-02 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +9 min

Sabers 6, Flyers 3Alex Tuch scored his second career hat trick to help Buffalo to a win against host Philadelphia. Morgan Frost scored twice and Felix Sandstrom made 23 saves for the Flyers, who had their seven-game point streak snapped. Avalanche 5, Stars 2Nathan MacKinnon had two goals, Mikko Rantanen had a goal and three assists, and host Colorado beat Dallas. Ben Hutton, Zach Whitecloud and Brett Howden also notched goals for Vegas, which is 5-1-1 in its past seven games. J.J. Moser and Milos Kelemen scored for the Coyotes (27-37-13, 67 points), who have dropped seven straight games (0-5-2).

☆ Canada clears C$20 billion Rogers-Shaw deal with tough conditions
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-31 | by ( Aditya Soni | Chavi Mehta | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

The deal was opposed by consumer advocates and politicians on worries it could lead to higher prices due to an overlap between Rogers and Shaw’s wireless divisions. Rogers made 21 conditions, including setting up a western headquarters in Calgary, creating 3,000 new jobs in Western Canada and investing C$5.5 billion to expand 5G coverage and services. If it breaches the commitments, Rogers will have to pay a fine of as much as C$1 billion, Champagne said at a news conference in Ottawa. And it’s subject to arbitration.”Champagne said if wireless prices do not go lower, he would seek further legislative and regulatory powers. The combined company will benefit from Rogers’ strong presence in urban Ontario and Shaw’s dominance in the sparsely populated regions of Western Canada.

Police recovered six bodies on Thursday and believe the tragedy may have occurred on Wednesday night. The Akwesasne reserve straddles both sides of the St. Lawrence River, with land in Ontario and Quebec on the Canadian side, and New York. To fight smuggling of people and goods, local police monitor the river full-time with funds from Quebec. On Wednesday night, when the families likely sought to cross the river, the weather was poor. Reporting by Christinne Muschi in Akwesasne and Steve Scherer in Ottawa; Editing by Josie KaoOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Canada set to approve Rogers takeover of Shaw with transfer -Globe and Mail
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-31 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

March 31 (Reuters) - Canada is set to approve on Friday a transfer of wireless licenses that will finally settle Rogers Communications Inc's (RCIb.TO) C$20 billion ($15 billion) bid for Shaw Communications Inc (SJRb.TO), the Globe and Mail reported. Rogers and Shaw agreed to sell Freedom Mobile to Quebecor for C$2.85 billion to win government approval for the merger. The minister will approve the transfer of Shaw's licenses to Quebecor's Videotron Ltd with a number of conditions attached, as well as financial penalties associated with breaking those conditions, the Globe and Mail said. The sale of Freedom Mobile to Quebecor is expected to close by March 31. Rogers in February extended the deadline for the deal to March 31 for the fourth time, as the companies awaited the final nod from Champagne.

OTTAWA, March 31 (Reuters) - The Canadian economy grew more than expected in January and is seen expanding further in February, data showed on Friday, results that are likely to fuel concern by the central bank that inflation has yet to be fully tamed. The economy gained by 0.5% in January, ahead of analysts' forecasts of a 0.3% rise, after contracting 0.1% in December, Statistics Canada said. The Bank of Canada became the first major central bank to pause interest rate hikes in March after increasing them at eight consecutive previous meetings. With the key overnight rate now at 4.5%, the bank said it would not raise rates again if inflation came down as forecast. While inflation has eased, falling to 5.2% in February from a high of 8.1% last year, the economy is expanding faster than the central bank had forecast in January.

The deal was opposed by consumer advocates and politicians on worries it could lead to higher prices due to an overlap between Rogers and Shaw's wireless divisions. Rogers reaffirmed its conditions, including setting up a western headquarters in Calgary, creating 3,000 new jobs in Western Canada and investing C$6.5 billion to upgrade connectivity. If it breaches the commitments, Rogers (RCIb.TO) will have to pay a fine of as much as C$1 billion, Champagne said at a news conference in Ottawa. Champagne said if wireless prices do not go lower, he would seek further legislative and regulatory powers. Rosa Addario, a spokesperson for internet advocacy group OpenMedia, said the concessions sought by the government were unlikely to result in lower prices.

"Police believe one infant from the Romanian family has not been located and we'll continue searching. All are believed to have been attempting illegal entry into the U.S. from Canada," O'Brien added. Both the deceased and the missing children "were associated with the Romanian family" and had Canadian passports, which were found, O'Brien said. On Wednesday night, when the families likely sought to cross the river, the weather was poor. Reporting by Christinne Muschi in Akwesasne and Steve Scherer in Ottawa; Editing by Josie KaoOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ NHL roundup: Bruins clinch league's best record
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-31 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +7 min

Pastrnak took Hampus Lindholm's feed into the offensive zone and finished with the backhand for his 53rd goal of the season. Tyler Bertuzzi scored the lone Bruins goal of regulation, tying the game in the second period. Mario Ferraro had a goal and an assist and Oskar Lindblom and Tomas Hertl also scored for San Jose. Defenseman Henry Thrun, making his NHL debut after starring at Harvard, added two assists, and James Reimer finished with 23 saves. Blues 5, Blackhawks 3Brandon Saad scored one goal and set up another as St. Louis handed host Chicago its seventh straight loss.

OTTAWA, March 30 (Reuters) - Canada's province of Alberta - the heart of the country's oil and gas industry - is expected to offer more support for carbon capture utilization and storage (CCUS) projects now that the federal government has its incentives in place, the federal natural resources minister told Reuters on Thursday. This week, Canada's federal budget expanded eligibility for CCUS investment tax credits over the next five years, by adding C$520 million to the C$2.6 billion program laid out in last year's budget. Natural Resources Minister Jonathan Wilkinson said he has had many conversations with the Alberta government on CCUS, including one earlier this week, and he hopes to see some of the major CCUS projects launched by end-year. In an interview with Reuters in January, Trudeau urged Alberta to contribute to CCUS. ($1 = 1.3526 Canadian dollars)Reporting by Steve Scherer and Nia Williams Editing by Marguerita ChoyOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Fact Check-‘15-minute city’ is an urban planning concept that promotes easy access to essential amenities
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-30 | by ( Reuters Fact Check | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

A “15-minute city” is an urban planning model that envisions an environment where people can access amenities within a 15-minute walk, bike ride, or public transport journey from their homes. However, multiple experts who spoke to Reuters said the urban planning idea has been widely misinterpreted online. WHAT IS A 15-MINUTE CITY? Versions of a 15-minute city have been implemented in Paris and Melbourne, while other areas like Ottawa (here) and Scotland (bit.ly/3Hil13x) (page 61) have proposals in place. The 15-minute city is an urban planning concept that envisions a living environment with easily accessible essentials.

☆ Inquiry into Canada's worst mass shooting calls for police reforms, gun regulation
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-30 | by ( Ismail Shakil | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

OTTAWA, March 30 (Reuters) - Officials reviewing Canada's worst mass shooting called for police reforms, stricter gun safety regulations and better public communication on Thursday after an investigation found many shortcomings in authorities' response to the incident in 2020. The commission recommended increasing transparency and accountability for RCMP oversight, improving critical incident response capabilities, and focusing more on everyday policing practices. It is influenced by the United States discourse centred on a right to bear arms which does not exist in our constitutional and legal structure," the commission said. Canada has stricter gun laws than the United States, but Canadians can own firearms with a license. The commission recommended that federal and regional governments should adopt "legislation affirming that gun ownership is a conditional privilege."

☆ Exclusive: Canada's ATCO gives Mexico troubled pipeline after damage award -sources
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-30 | by ( Dave Graham | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Lopez Obrador afterward met representatives from Canadian energy companies, including ATCO, and details of the transfer were concluded in late February, one of the sources said. Neither ATCO, CFE, the Canadian government or Lopez Obrador's office immediately replied to requests for comment. Arguing that past governments skewed Mexico's energy market in favor of private capital, Lopez Obrador has taken a series of steps to bolster state control of the sector. Last July the U.S. and Canadian governments launched formal dispute resolution talks with Mexico over energy. The company argued Mexico had not done enough to enable the pipeline's completion, and the London Court of International Arbitration agreed, Reuters reported.

☆ Bank of Canada 'ready to act' in event of extreme market stress
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-29 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

The failures of U.S. lenders Silicon Valley Bank and Signature Bank, followed by Credit Suisse's rescue, is prompting central bankers to closely monitor the potential for banking stress to trigger a credit crunch. "The Bank's mandate to promote the stability of the financial system means that we're ready to act in the event of severe market-wide stress and provide liquidity support to the financial system," Gravelle said. This is the first time the Bank of Canada has commented on the banking turmoil in the U.S. and Europe. For now, the banking stress in the United States appears under control. At its peak, the central bank had C$440 billion in government bonds, and it now has about $C200 billion.

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