Bombardier gets federal exemption from sanctions on Russian titanium

Bombardier is now the second large Canadian corporation known to have been granted an exemption from federal government sanctions on Russian titanium. The Montreal-based aircraft manufacturer, along with its European partner Airbus, can continue to use parts containing titanium produced by Russia’s VSMPO-AVISMA, based in Verkhnyaya Salda. During a conference call Thursday with reporters following the release of Bombardier’s quarterly results, CEO … Read more

Quebec employers group worried ‘political’ immigration debate will hurt jobs

The latest spat between Quebec and Ottawa over immigration is based on politics and not the reality of the labour market, says the head of a major employers group. “In some ways, it’s deplorable,” said Karl Blackburn, president and CEO of the Conseil du patronat du Québec. His comments come as Quebec Premier François Legault … Read more

Apartment construction surged last year but demand still outpacing supply, says CMHC

A surge in new apartment construction drove housing start increases in some major Canadian cities last year, but demand continues to outweigh supply, according to a report released Wednesday by the federal housing agency. The report from Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation focuses on six major cities: Toronto, Montreal, Vancouver, Calgary, Edmonton and Ottawa. Their combined housing … Read more

An Oscar changed everything for this public school instrument repair shop 

As It Happens6:21An Oscar changed everything for this public school instrument repair shop Steve Bagmanyan is putting retirement on hold — and he couldn’t be more thrilled about it. Bagmanyan is the supervisor at a warehouse in Los Angeles, where a small, but mighty, team of music lovers repair musical instruments for thousands of public … Read more

Scientist fired from Winnipeg disease lab intentionally worked to benefit China: CSIS report

One of the scientists who was fired from Canada’s top infectious disease laboratory “intentionally” shared scientific information with China — potentially putting people’s health in jeopardy — says an assessment by the Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS).   The intelligence assessment was released late Wednesday afternoon by the federal government, along with hundreds of other documents about the mysterious dismissal of Dr. Xiangguo Qiu and her … Read more

The Russians are spending big on infrastructure to absorb occupied Ukraine

Armies rarely measure their success by the roads they’ve paved or the rail lines they’ve laid down — but that may be the metric Russia is using in occupied portions of Ukraine, where major infrastructure projects are underway or are being planned. Over the last few months, Moscow-based media have reported on the construction of a new railway line between Rostov-on-Don … Read more

Trudeau goes into 2024 in dire need of a better story to tell

The memo sent to staff in the Prime Minister’s Office to announce the hiring of Max Valiquette as the government’s new executive director of communications said the former marketing executive would be focused on, among other things, “aligning the entire team under a clear narrative.” In politics, a clear narrative isn’t everything, but it’s a … Read more

Meet Oscar, the Canadian-built, AI-driven recycling system helping governments go green

Standing in the middle of a cafeteria at Global Affairs, Soren Antosz was testing Oscar, a new, high-tech tool popping up in federal government buildings. Antosz holds up a paper napkin. That’s compostable, flashes the message on Oscar’s screen. Next is a plastic bottle. Oscar tells him to empty the liquid then drop it into … Read more