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☆ Police bust major US-Canada firearms smuggling operation with 42 arrests
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-11 | by ( Ismail Shakil | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Authorities allege that the individuals were involved in illicit firearms sales in Toronto and surrounding areas. Canada's gun homicide rate is a fraction of the United States' rate, 2020 data showed, but is still higher than other wealthy countries and has been rising. Most of the handguns used in crimes in Ontario, the most populous province, are smuggled from the United States. Of the 173 seized firearms, most were handguns, the Toronto Police Service said. The majority of the firearms were being smuggled into Canada from the United States, and some were domestically sourced, it said.

TORONTO, April 9 (Reuters) - Canada's move to expand the investment tax credit for mining companies to align it with policies in the United States is accelerating funding talks for critical miners, company executives told Reuters. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's government proposed a 30% investment tax credit for expenses related to the exploration of critical minerals in the latest budget announced last month. This incentive also covers investors planning to buy shares in certain critical mining companies such as those in the exploration of lithium brine. Several junior mining companies in western Canada are optimistic about the fund raising prospects and are in talks with banks for financing, Doornbos added. "These measures do level the playing and put us in a stronger position," said Pierre Gratton, CEO of the Mining Association of Canada.

☆ Bank of Canada seen on hold even as economy accelerates
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-09 | by ( Fergal Smith | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Last month, the Bank of Canada became the first major global central bank to pause its rate-hiking campaign, after lifting its benchmark rate to a 15-year high of 4.50%. This will carry through to higher economic growth." That is welcome news for most, but not for Bank of Canada (BoC) Governor Tiff Macklem, as it could call into question his decision to announce a conditional rate pause in January. "We suspect that the Bank of Canada will view the apparent strength in Q1 GDP similarly, and increase its estimate of potential growth." Canada's economy faces headwinds from higher borrowing costs and financial stability concerns, while inflation has cooled more than in the United States, said Nathan Janzen, assistant chief economist at Royal Bank of Canada.

☆ Ukraine PM to visit Canada in coming weeks
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-07 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

April 7 (Reuters) - Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal is planning to visit Canada in the coming weeks, a spokesperson for the Canadian Prime Minister told Reuters on Friday. Ukraine is expected to launch a counter-offensive to seize back land in the south and east of the country from Russian forces in the coming weeks or months. The Ukrainian premier was quoted by the Globe as saying Ukraine would also like Canada to offer war risk insurance to Canadian companies investing in Ukraine to support reconstruction and foreign investment. "So if a Canadian company will decide to invest money into Ukraine, we will ask the Canadian government to create some mechanism to support Canadian investments," he said. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's Liberal government has been one of Ukraine's most vocal international supporters and provided Kyiv with more than C$5 billion ($3.70 billion) in financial, military and other aid.

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.

☆ Biden to have brief meeting with Trudeau political rival on Canada visit
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-23 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

March 22 (Reuters) - President Joe Biden plans to have a brief meeting with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's biggest political rival during an official visit to Canada that begins on Thursday, a senior administration official said. It's not uncommon for a U.S. president to meet with the opposition leader during visits to Canada. Biden is also expected to meet and say hello to all the opposition leaders as part of the welcoming ceremony on Thursday. Biden will be in Ottawa, the capital, on Thursday and Friday to address Parliament and meet with Trudeau. He did hold his first bilateral meeting as president with Trudeau, albeit virtually.

☆ Record international migration spurs historic rise in Canadian population
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-22 | by ( Ismail Shakil | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Total population grew by a record 1.05 million people to 39.57 million in the twelve months to Jan. 1, 2023, and about 96% of the rise was due to international migration, the statistics agency said. In 2022, Canada welcomed 437,180 immigrants and the number of non-permanent residents increased by a net 607,782 people. The agency counts both permanent and non-permanent residents in addition to net new births in calculating population figures. Canada has been experiencing an upward trend in total employment since September, and the statistics agency has previously said that non-permanent residents are a notable contributor to that gain. Immigration accounts for almost 100% of Canada's labor force growth and by 2036 immigrants are projected to be about 30% of Canada's population, up from 20.7% in 2011, according to Canada's immigration ministry.

☆ Canada's B.C. province sets high emissions bar for new LNG projects
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-17 | by ( Nia Williams | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

[1/2] The entrance to Shell's LNG Canada project site is shown in Kitimat in northwestern British Columbia on April 12, 2014. While the tougher regulation will not impact the huge Shell-led (SHEL.L) LNG Canada project already under construction, a proposed export terminal adjoining the small-scale Tilbury LNG facility and the early-stage Ksi Lisims LNG project in northern B.C will fall under the new rule. The province will start exporting 14 million tonnes per annum (MTPA) when LNG Canada enters service in 2025. "That (net-zero requirement) is a very high bar and a high hurdle to pass," said Mark Zacharias, executive director of think-tank Clean Energy Canada, adding the new framework rounds out B.C. 's new regulations also include an oil and gas emissions cap and plans to accelerate the electrification of the economy.

☆ Canada should support startups after SVB collapse, says lobby group
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-16 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

TORONTO, March 16 (Reuters) - A lobby group for Canada's venture capital and private equity funds is asking Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's government to provide emergency financing to help startups hit by the collapse of Silicon Valley Bank (SVB), according to a letter seen by Reuters on Thursday. Spokespeople for Ng and Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland's office could not immediately be reached for comment. Reuters reported on Monday that the sudden collapse of SVB could choke funding for Canada's technology start-ups and place them in the hands of domestic lenders who may be more selective. The letter also asked the government to instruct the Business Development Bank of Canada to deploy a bridge financing program similar to the one used at the outset of the COVID-19 pandemic. ($1 = 1.3755 Canadian dollars)Reporting by Maiya Keidan, additional reporting by David Ljunggren; Editing by Josie KaoOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Trudeau's TikTok ban to curb social media reach of opposition leaders
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-02 | by ( Jenna Zucker | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

The leaders of the two biggest opposition parties - Conservative party leader Pierre Poilievre and New Democratic party leader Jagmeet Singh - are among politicians who actively used TikTok to reach constituents. That prompted lawmakers from both the ruling Liberals and opposition Conservatives to go even further by suspending their accounts on TikTok. "Any limitation on social media is a problem for any opposition politician," Nik Nanos of Nanos Research told Reuters, saying they do not have the incumbent advantage of being featured regularly on more traditional media outlets. Singh also told reporters that taking a pause to assess how to safely use the social media platform is "something that I feel very comfortable doing and I have no hesitation to do." Poilievre - who has styled himself as an anti-establishment figure - has relied on a strategy of directly reaching voters through social media platforms such as TikTok, where he frequently attacks opponents and makes parody videos.

☆ Google tests blocking news content for some Canadians
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-23 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Feb 22 (Reuters) - Alphabet Inc's (GOOGL.O) Google is rolling out tests that block access to news content for some Canadian users, the company confirmed on Wednesday, in what it says is a test run of a potential response to the government's online news bill. "We're briefly testing potential product responses to Bill C-18 that impact a very small percentage of Canadian users. We run thousands of tests each year to assess any potential changes to Search," a Google spokesperson said in an emailed statement to Reuters. A spokeswoman for Canadian Heritage Minister Pablo Rodriguez said Canadians will not be intimidated and called it disappointing that Google is borrowing from Meta's playbook. Tech giants need to be more transparent and accountable to Canadians," the spokeswoman said.

The movement of asylum-seekers into Canada from the United States has picked up since Canada lifted COVID-19 pandemic restrictions in late 2021, a trend mirroring global displacement. More than 39,000 refugees entered Canada last year via unofficial crossings, the vast majority via Roxham Road linking Quebec and New York State. Canada is a signatory to the international Refugee Convention under which Canada must adjudicate most refugee claims with limited exceptions. Speaking to reporters on Wednesday, Trudeau said his government had been trying to "close" Roxham Road for years by rewriting the STCA. Poilievre referenced a COVID-19 policy under which Canada turned back asylum-seekers crossing between ports of entry, a policy that was being challenged in court when it was rescinded.

☆ Canada withdraws proposed measures banning certain rifles, shotguns
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-03 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Feb 3 (Reuters) - Canada has withdrawn proposed amendments to gun legislation that would have banned certain types of rifles and shotguns, the government said on Friday, after opponents alleged the prohibitions unfairly targeted farmers and hunters. The package includes a ban on the sale of handguns and prohibitions on the sale of large-capacity magazines. "(It's) about certain guns that are too dangerous in other contexts." Trudeau enacted the handgun freeze in October under executive order, and in November, his government amended the package to ban certain rifles and shotguns that hold more than five rounds, among other changes. Some firearms must also be registered, though not most long guns: rifles and shotguns.

☆ Canadian lawmakers back resettlement of 10,000 Uyghur Muslims
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-01 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/3] Canada’s Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Sean Fraser attends a press conference with United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada April 6, 2022. REUTERS/Blair GableOTTAWA, Feb 1 (Reuters) - The Canadian parliament on Wednesday unanimously voted in favor of a non-binding proposal for the resettlement of 10,000 Uyghur Muslim refugees from China's Xinjiang region into Canada over two years. "Canada will always do its part in helping those in need of protection," Immigration Minister Sean Fraser said in a statement. In 2021, Canada became one of the first countries to label China's treatment of the Uyghurs genocide. Reporting by Ismail Shakil in Ottawa; Editing by Sandra MalerOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Canadian province tries decriminalizing drugs to fight overdose crisis
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-31 | by ( Jennifer Gauthier | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

The province declared drug overdose a public health emergency that year. By not prosecuting people carrying small amounts of drugs, the B.C. government hopes to tackle the issue as a health problem rather than through the criminal justice system. Robert Schwartz, a professor at the University of Toronto, said the measure was commendable as a first step, but that more needed to be done to tackle the drug problem. They also face a rise in drug overdose deaths.

☆ Canada to buy U.S.-built surface-to-air missiles for Ukraine
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-10 | by ( Steve Scherer | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

OTTAWA, Jan 10 (Reuters) - Canada will buy a U.S.-made National Advanced Surface-to-Air Missile System (NASAMS) for Ukraine, a statement from Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's office said after a meeting with U.S. President Joe Biden in Mexico City on Tuesday. "This is the first Canadian donation of an air defense system to Ukraine," Defense Minister Anita Anand said on Twitter after the announcement. Air defense systems are Ukraine's top priority, she said her Ukrainian counterpart, Oleksii Reznikov, told her in a phone conversation held earlier on Tuesday. The NASAMS is a short- to medium-range ground-based air defense system that protects against drone, missile, and aircraft attack, Anand said. The donation has a value of about C$406 million ($302.6 million), and is in addition to the C$500 million Canada promised to Ukraine in November, according to a defense ministry statement.

[1/3] U.S. Air Force F-35 Lightning IIs fly side by side with Republic of Korea Air Force F-35s as part of a bilateral exercise over the Yellow Sea, Republic of Korea, July 12, 2022. OTTAWA, Jan 9 (Reuters) - Canada finalized a deal to buy 88 F-35 fighter jets from U.S. defense company Lockheed Martin Corp (LMT.N) on Monday in a C$19 billion ($14.2 billion) project to replace its aging fleet of fighter aircraft. Anand said it was the largest investment in the Royal Canadian Air Force in 30 years. The F-35 fighter announcement coincides with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's trip to Mexico on Monday for the North American leaders' summit where he will meet U.S. President Joe Biden. Canada is part of a consortium that helped develop Lockheed Martin's F-35 and Ottawa will pay the same amount for the aircraft as the other participants, including the United States.

☆ Canada finalizes deal for Lockheed's F-35 fighter jets in C$19 bln project
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-09 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/3] U.S. Air Force F-35 Lightning IIs fly side by side with Republic of Korea Air Force F-35s as part of a bilateral exercise over the Yellow Sea, Republic of Korea, July 12, 2022. OTTAWA, Jan 9 (Reuters) - Canada has finalized a deal to buy 88 F-35 fighter jets from U.S. defense company Lockheed Martin Corp (LMT.N) in a C$19 billion ($14.2 billion) project to replace its aging fleet of fighter aircraft, the Canadian government said on Monday. The purchase of F-35 stealth fighters would mark the largest investment in the Canadian Air Force in more than 30 years. The F-35 fighter deal announcement coincides with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's trip to Mexico on Monday for the North American leaders' summit where he will meet U.S. President Joe Biden. The C$19 billion project includes cost of infrastructure set-up, weapons and other related expenses in addition to the price of planes.

☆ Canada has banned non-Canadians from buying houses to try to fix the country's wildly expensive housing crisis
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-04 | by ( Grace Eliza Goodwin | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

There are some exceptions to the rule, including for refugees and temporary work permit holders. It's intended to ease the housing crisis, as Canadian homes are some of the most expensive in the world. "The desirability of Canadian homes is attracting profiteers, wealthy corporations, and foreign investors," Trudeau's campaign website said last year, according to CNN Business. But some critics are skeptical that the ban will have any real effect on easing the housing crisis. "The potential benefits of the ban are likely to be modest," The Canadian Real Estate Association said in a statement, according to CNN Business.

☆ Canada grants record permanent residency permits in 2022
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-03 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

OTTAWA, Jan 3 (Reuters) - Canada set an immigration record last year by granting more than 437,000 foreigners permanent residency, the government said on Tuesday, as it ramps up immigration to fight a tight labor market. The government had set a target to welcome 431,645 new permanent residents in 2022, and the immigration ministry said Canada has reached that target to make it the largest annual intake of people in Canadian history. The tally for last year is about 9% higher than 2021, when Canada surpassed the previous record set in 1913, and comes as Canada seeks to bring in 1.45 million new permanent residents by 2025-end. Immigration is a key part of the solution as Canada focuses on addressing an acute labor market shortages, the ministry said. People with permanent residency permits can typically apply for citizenship after five years.

☆ Canada police suspends contract with China-linked company
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-08 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Radio-Canada reported on Wednesday that Ottawa had awarded a contract worth about C$550,000 ($404,950) for a radio frequency filtering system to Ontario-based Sinclair Technologies in 2021. The equipment's uses include protecting the RCMP's land-based radio communications from eavesdropping, according to the report. Sinclair Technologies is a unit of British Columbia-based Norsat International, which was bought by Hytera Communications (002583.SZ) in 2017. The U.S. Federal Communications Commission has Hytera on its list of foreign communications equipment and service providers deemed threats to U.S. national security. Mendicino's spokesperson said the contract had been suspended, but declined to provide details.

☆ Alberta Premier Danielle Smith seeks more autonomy from Canada in new bill
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-29 | by ( Nia Williams | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Nov 29 (Reuters) - The government of Canada's main oil-producing province Alberta introduced proposed legislation on Tuesday to resist federal laws it deems harmful to Alberta, fulfilling a controversial promise from new Premier Danielle Smith. If passed, the bill, known as the Alberta Sovereignty Within a United Canada Act, would give the province a legislative framework to defend its jurisdiction in areas such as natural resources, gun control, and health and education. Trudeau avoided commenting directly on the Sovereignty Act when asked by reporters on Tuesday. Smith became premier in early October and promised to introduce the Sovereignty Act as her first piece of legislation. read moreThe government said nothing in the proposed act undermines any existing treaties with First Nations.

OTTAWA, Nov 27 (Reuters) - Canada launched a new Indo-Pacific strategy on Sunday, vowing more resources to deal with a "disruptive" China while working with the world's second-biggest economy on climate change and trade issues. But the focus is on China, at a time when bilateral ties are frosty. "China is an increasingly disruptive global power," said the strategy. Canada belongs to the Group of Seven major industrialized nations, which wants significant measures in response to North Korean missile launches. Official data for September show bilateral trade with China accounted for under 7% of the total, compared to 68% for the United States.

☆ Analysis: Trump lesson on U.S. protectionism guides Canadian foreign policy
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-23 | by ( Steve Scherer | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

OTTAWA, Nov 23 (Reuters) - Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's government learned a lesson when former U.S. President Donald Trump forced the renegotiation of the North American trade pact five years ago: never underestimate U.S. protectionism. The next U.S. presidential election is less than two years away and Trump last week said he would run again, suggesting the "America first" trade policy could again be on the ballot. Even without Trump, the United States has shown signs of becoming increasingly leery of free trade in recent years. When America goes America first, they forget Canada's right next door," said a senior source familiar with the Canadian government's thinking on foreign policy. "I don't want to undermine the Indo-Pacific strategy by saying it's entirely about the United States, because it's not, but having a strong Indo-Pacific strategy is also important in our bilateral relationship with the United States," the senior source said.

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