nationalobserver--2020-04-26--Canada will learn Covid-19 lessons from U.S.

Canada will be watching the United States closely for teachable moments in the coming weeks , Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said Thursday as regional leaders in both countries began taking tentative steps along the road to recovery in an unfamiliar new post-pandemic era .
The best way forward will be informed by what works — and also what does n't — as the U.S. and the rest of the world emerges from the crisis , Trudeau said during his daily briefing outside the front door of his Rideau Cottage residence .
But with the severity of the COVID-19 pandemic beginning @ @ @ @ @ @ @ talking about easing restrictions and reopening businesses , the limits on travel between Canada and the U.S. will remain in place for as long as is necessary , he added .
`` We have strong border measures in place to ensure that we 're doing what we need to do to protect Canada , '' Trudeau said .
`` As provinces look at their own situation and how we can move forward on beginning to reopen our economy , I know their decisions and our decisions will be informed by what is working @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as well , elsewhere the world . ''
• 1 in 5 people in NYC may have been infected with COVID-19 , antibody study finds In both countries , the process of restarting the economic engine is taking place on a state-by-state and province-by-province basis .
Prince Edward Island is eyeing a gradual process beginning next week , while Saskatchewan 's new five-phase plan begins May 4 with certain medical services resuming .
Golf courses and selected retail shops could open their doors the following week .
But the U.S. , where a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sent residents and supporters of President Donald Trump into the streets to demand their freedom back , some states are already moving at a speed others can only dream about .
Georgia is planning to start throwing open its doors on Friday , a timeline that even the otherwise gung-ho Trump conceded Wednesday may be premature , given the state has not reached the Phase 1 criteria of the multi-stage White House framework for lifting restrictions .
Trump , who has for weeks made it clear he wants the country back to work @ @ @ @ @ @ @ decision is Gov .
Brian Kemp 's to make .
But the patchwork approach in both countries wo n't impact the mutual restrictions on cross-border traffic , at least not yet , said Kirsten Hillman , Canada 's ambassador to the U.S. and a central player in negotiating the bilateral ban on non-essential travel .
Because the flow of trade and commerce was never stopped , the current agreement is already well-equipped to deal with a staggered , staged approach to restarting state and provincial economies , Hillman said in an interview Thursday @ @ @ @ @ @ @ learn from U.S. reopening efforts , PM suggests `` The commerce aspect of our border — the supply chain , the movement of goods , the essential workers — that 's all happening very , very smoothly , '' she said .
`` That responds to , in my view , the view on both sides of the border that we should be trying to be sure that our economies , when the time 's right , starts to ramp up again .
The border agreement as it stands now is in support @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tone of the narrative that emerged at the height of the crisis , the border negotiations have been co-operative and productive throughout , said Richard Mills , the acting U.S. ambassador to Canada .
Mills rejected the idea that the two countries had been at odds , particularly over Canadian imports of U.S.-made personal protective equipment , and denied media reports that U.S. authorities at the border had intercepted an Ontario-bound shipment of all-important medical face masks .
And like Hillman , he cited the specific Canadian exemption that the Federal Emergency Management @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the export of such equipment to demonstrate that relations between the two countries are healthy .
`` This exemption was considered necessary in recognition of the importance of our close relationship to Canada , the role Canada plays in our national defence as well as the fact we have such integrated economies and supply chains , '' Mills said .
`` The U.S. government ... has always recognized the importance of collective international supply chains to our collective security .
We are committed still to work with Canada … to ensure that our @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to how the agreement is likely to evolve as restrictions on personal mobility continue to lift , it 's impossible to say , Hillman said .
`` It 's not possible at this stage to speculate as to would it be staged , how it would go down , '' she said .
`` The science will dictate that and we 're just not there yet . ''
Despite growing evidence that infection rates in the U.S. are slowing , public health officials have been urging a go-slow approach to ensure COVID-19 does @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the progress made so far .
That , Trudeau said , is precisely Canada 's plan , working from a uniform set of guidelines and principles to help inform provincial decision-making .
`` Everyone wants to know when this is going to be over , when we 're going to be able to get back to normal life , '' he said .
`` What we 're doing at the federal level is pulling together and attempting to co-ordinate all different provinces , so that we are working from a similar set of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ right across the country are being kept safe as we look to those next steps . ''
This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 23 , 2020 .
— With files from Mike Blanchfield in Ottawa

Canada will be watching the United States closely for teachable moments in the coming weeks, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said Thursday as regional leaders in both countries began taking tentative steps along the road to recovery in an unfamiliar new post-pandemic era. The best way forward will be informed by what works — and also what doesn't — as the U.S. and the rest of the world emerges from the crisis, Trudeau said during his daily briefing outside the front door of his Rideau Cottage residence. But with the severity of the COVID-19 pandemic beginning to recede, and states and provinces talking about easing restrictions and reopening businesses, the limits on travel between Canada and the U.S. will remain in place for as long as is necessary, he added. "We have strong border measures in place to ensure that we're doing what we need to do to protect Canada," Trudeau said. "As provinces look at their own situation and how we can move forward on beginning to reopen our economy, I know their decisions and our decisions will be informed by what is working, and what is perhaps not working as well, elsewhere the world."
In both countries, the process of restarting the economic engine is taking place on a state-by-state and province-by-province basis. Prince Edward Island is eyeing a gradual process beginning next week, while Saskatchewan's new five-phase plan begins May 4 with certain medical services resuming. Golf courses and selected retail shops could open their doors the following week. But the U.S., where a partisan spasm of frustration and desperation has sent residents and supporters of President Donald Trump into the streets to demand their freedom back, some states are already moving at a speed others can only dream about. Billion-dollar land deals in Ontario raise corruption suspicions Georgia is planning to start throwing open its doors on Friday, a timeline that even the otherwise gung-ho Trump conceded Wednesday may be premature, given the state has not reached the Phase 1 criteria of the multi-stage White House framework for lifting restrictions.
Trump, who has for weeks made it clear he wants the country back to work sooner rather than later, insisted the decision is Gov. Brian Kemp's to make. Provinces, feds will watch and learn from U.S. reopening efforts, PM suggests But the patchwork approach in both countries won't impact the mutual restrictions on cross-border traffic, at least not yet, said Kirsten Hillman, Canada's ambassador to the U.S. and a central player in negotiating the bilateral ban on non-essential travel. Because the flow of trade and commerce was never stopped, the current agreement is already well-equipped to deal with a staggered, staged approach to restarting state and provincial economies, Hillman said in an interview Thursday. "The commerce aspect of our border — the supply chain, the movement of goods, the essential workers — that's all happening very, very smoothly," she said. "That responds to, in my view, the view on both sides of the border that we should be trying to be sure that our economies, when the time's right, starts to ramp up again. The border agreement as it stands now is in support of that."
Contrary to the tone of the narrative that emerged at the height of the crisis, the border negotiations have been co-operative and productive throughout, said Richard Mills, the acting U.S. ambassador to Canada. Mills rejected the idea that the two countries had been at odds, particularly over Canadian imports of U.S.-made personal protective equipment, and denied media reports that U.S. authorities at the border had intercepted an Ontario-bound shipment of all-important medical face masks. And like Hillman, he cited the specific Canadian exemption that the Federal Emergency Management Agency has added to its rules governing the export of such equipment to demonstrate that relations between the two countries are healthy.


nationalobserver--2020-04-27--Dozens more COVID-19 nursing home deaths and emergency payouts top $22.4B

Dozens more deaths in long-term care homes were reported Friday as new figures indicated the extent of the economic dislocation caused by isolation measures aimed at mitigating the spread of the highly contagious COVID-19 virus .
The latest government figures showed more than seven million people had applied for the $ 2,000-a-month Canada Emergency Response Benefit , with the federal government having paid out $ 22.4 billion — close to the amount budgeted .
The emergency program is but one of several the Liberals have unveiled in recent weeks to cushion the financial fallout from fighting the spread of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ deadly for frail seniors in nursing homes .
The disease has killed 2,300 people across Canada , more than half those in care .
Quebec reported 97 more deaths — with a total of 1,340 — with Premier Francois Legault pointing to the dire situation in the province 's hard-hit long-term care homes and the more stable situation in the rest of the province .
Ontario reported 57 more deaths at long-term care facilities as it said its overall COVID caseload had grown by five per cent even with a single-day record jump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ than 13,500 cases have been reported in the province , with at least 763 of them fatal .
• Canada will learn Covid-19 lessons from U.S. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau spoke with provincial and territorial premiers Friday and was expected to discuss the `` extremely troubling '' situation unfolding at understaffed long-term care homes , particularly in Ontario , Quebec and British Columbia .
Calling the situation `` unacceptable , '' Trudeau promised a top-up of wages paid to front-line workers in seniors facilities but said it would be done in consultation with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have asked the military to help care for residents in nursing homes and Trudeau said the requests had been approved .
`` We 're identifying what needs to be done and mapping out next steps , '' Trudeau said .
`` ( But ) this is not a long-term solution . ''
Trudeau said it will be important to take a look at the long-term care situation once the immediate crisis has passed .
At his daily news conference , Trudeau also announced rent relief for businesses that were forced to close because @ @ @ @ @ @ @ n't afford to pay their landlords .
Rent for April , May and June will be cut by 75 per cent for those paying under $ 50,000 a month , Trudeau said .
Federal and provincial governments will cover 50 per cent , with landlords picking up the remaining 25 per cent .
Non-profits and smaller organizations are also eligible for the help , the prime minister said .
Small- and medium-sized businesses , most of them shuttered due to the pandemic , have been clamouring for relief .
The Canadian Federation of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ its 30,000 members reported being unable to come up with their May rent .
Calling it one of the worst health and financial crises of our lifetimes , Trudeau said discussions will be ongoing in the coming weeks about getting the economy moving again — as long as it 's safe to do so .
`` It wo n't happen overnight , '' Trudeau said .
`` It wo n't be as easy as flipping a switch . ''
On Friday , with a total of confirmed cases at 118 for a sixth @ @ @ @ @ @ @ first of a four-phase reopening plan .
Certain low risk contacts were now allowed , such as two family units interacting as part of a `` two family bubble , '' Premier Blaine Higgs said .
Limited outdoor activities , such as golf and fishing , were also allowed .
Ontario Premier Doug Ford said his province would outline its plans to reopen the economy next week .
Newfoundland and Labrador reported one full week of no new positive cases of COVID-19 but said employers bringing workers into the province will need a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland said there will have to be some shared standards when it comes to reopening the economy but that could mean different approaches .
`` Inevitably , and quite rightly , we will be seeing a different timing , a different pace , of the restart across the country , '' Freeland said .

Dozens more deaths in long-term care homes were reported Friday as new figures indicated the extent of the economic dislocation caused by isolation measures aimed at mitigating the spread of the highly contagious COVID-19 virus. The latest government figures showed more than seven million people had applied for the $2,000-a-month Canada Emergency Response Benefit, with the federal government having paid out $22.4 billion — close to the amount budgeted. The emergency program is but one of several the Liberals have unveiled in recent weeks to cushion the financial fallout from fighting the spread of the new coronavirus, which has been particularly deadly for frail seniors in nursing homes. The disease has killed 2,300 people across Canada, more than half those in care. Quebec reported 97 more deaths — with a total of 1,340 — with Premier Francois Legault pointing to the dire situation in the province's hard-hit long-term care homes and the more stable situation in the rest of the province. Ontario reported 57 more deaths at long-term care facilities as it said its overall COVID caseload had grown by five per cent even with a single-day record jump of 640. In all, more than 13,500 cases have been reported in the province, with at least 763 of them fatal.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau spoke with provincial and territorial premiers Friday and was expected to discuss the "extremely troubling" situation unfolding at understaffed long-term care homes, particularly in Ontario, Quebec and British Columbia. Calling the situation "unacceptable," Trudeau promised a top-up of wages paid to front-line workers in seniors facilities but said it would be done in consultation with the provinces. Billion-dollar land deals in Ontario raise corruption suspicions Both Quebec and Ontario have asked the military to help care for residents in nursing homes and Trudeau said the requests had been approved.
"We're identifying what needs to be done and mapping out next steps," Trudeau said. "(But) this is not a long-term solution." COVID-19 kills dozens more nursing home residents; emergency payouts top $22.4B Trudeau said it will be important to take a look at the long-term care situation once the immediate crisis has passed. At his daily news conference, Trudeau also announced rent relief for businesses that were forced to close because of anti-pandemic measures in mid-March and can't afford to pay their landlords. Rent for April, May and June will be cut by 75 per cent for those paying under $50,000 a month, Trudeau said. Federal and provincial governments will cover 50 per cent, with landlords picking up the remaining 25 per cent. Non-profits and smaller organizations are also eligible for the help, the prime minister said. Small- and medium-sized businesses, most of them shuttered due to the pandemic, have been clamouring for relief. The Canadian Federation of Independent Business has said more than half its 30,000 members reported being unable to come up with their May rent.
Calling it one of the worst health and financial crises of our lifetimes, Trudeau said discussions will be ongoing in the coming weeks about getting the economy moving again — as long as it's safe to do so. "It won't happen overnight," Trudeau said. "It won't be as easy as flipping a switch." On Friday, with a total of confirmed cases at 118 for a sixth straight day, New Brunswick announced the first of a four-phase reopening plan. Certain low risk contacts were now allowed, such as two family units interacting as part of a "two family bubble," Premier Blaine Higgs said. Limited outdoor activities, such as golf and fishing, were also allowed.


nationalobserver--2020-04-27--Study of Canada's Arctic Ocean shows top of the world changing

The top of the world is turning upside down , says the first overall assessment of Canada 's Arctic Ocean .
The work of dozens of federal scientists and Inuit observers , it describes a vast ecosystem in unprecedented flux : from ocean currents to the habits and types of animals that swim in it .
The Arctic Ocean , where climate change has bitten deepest , may be changing faster than any other water body on Earth , said lead scientist Andrea Niemi of the Department of Fisheries and Oceans .
`` As the Arctic changes , the rest @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with those changes , '' she said .
`` There is n't going to be a delay . ''
Changes are coming so fast scientists have n't even had a chance to understand what 's there .
• Canada will learn Covid-19 lessons from U.S. Sixty per cent of the species in the Canada Basin — like the worms found living in undersea mud volcanoes and living off expelled methane — are yet to be discovered , the report suggests `` Who knows what else is down there ? ''
Niemi asked .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ we 're still at step one . ''
The first assessment of fish species in the Beaufort Sea was n't done until 2014 , she said .
Still , changes are hard to miss , right down to the makeup of the water .
It 's 33 per cent less salty than in 2003 and about 30 per cent more acidic — enough to dissolve the shells of some small molluscs .
The Beaufort Gyre , a vast circular current that has alternated direction every decade , has n't switched in 19 years @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is n't getting mixed in as it used to , which affects the plankton blooms that anchor the Arctic food web .
Sea ice is shrinking and thinning to the point where Inuit communities ca n't get to formerly dependable hunting grounds .
Frozen North gone forever : Study of Arctic Ocean shows top of the world changing Shorelines are on the move .
Erosion has more than doubled in the last few decades .
The mix of species is changing .
Killer whales are becoming so frequent they 're altering the behaviour @ @ @ @ @ @ @ beluga that Inuit depend on .
Pacific salmon , capelin and harp seals are moving up from the south .
`` In some cases , the communities are putting out their nets and they 're just catching salmon , '' Niemi said .
The effect of the salmon on other species is unknown .
Coastal fish species are being found much further offshore .
Ringed seals ca n't finish moulting before the ice breaks up and accompanying high ocean temperatures seem to be making them sluggish and more prone to polar bear predation @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , too .
Increased Arctic shipping is making the ocean noisier and masking the sounds animals from seals to whales use to communicate .
The report 's conclusions are hamstrung by a lack of long-term data all over the North .
Niemi said it 's hard to measure changes when you do n't know what was there in the first place .
Even when the changes can be measured , it 's difficult to know what 's causing them .
Inuit communities want to know what 's going on in their home , @ @ @

The top of the world is turning upside down, says the first overall assessment of Canada's Arctic Ocean. The work of dozens of federal scientists and Inuit observers, it describes a vast ecosystem in unprecedented flux: from ocean currents to the habits and types of animals that swim in it. The Arctic Ocean, where climate change has bitten deepest, may be changing faster than any other water body on Earth, said lead scientist Andrea Niemi of the Department of Fisheries and Oceans. "As the Arctic changes, the rest of the ecosystem is going to track with those changes," she said. "There isn't going to be a delay." Changes are coming so fast scientists haven't even had a chance to understand what's there.
Sixty per cent of the species in the Canada Basin — like the worms found living in undersea mud volcanoes and living off expelled methane — are yet to be discovered, the report suggests "Who knows what else is down there?" Niemi asked. "So much in the Arctic, we're still at step one." Billion-dollar land deals in Ontario raise corruption suspicions The first assessment of fish species in the Beaufort Sea wasn't done until 2014, she said.
Still, changes are hard to miss, right down to the makeup of the water. Frozen North gone forever: Study of Arctic Ocean shows top of the world changing It's 33 per cent less salty than in 2003 and about 30 per cent more acidic — enough to dissolve the shells of some small molluscs. The Beaufort Gyre, a vast circular current that has alternated direction every decade, hasn't switched in 19 years. Nutrient-rich water from the Pacific Ocean isn't getting mixed in as it used to, which affects the plankton blooms that anchor the Arctic food web. Sea ice is shrinking and thinning to the point where Inuit communities can't get to formerly dependable hunting grounds. Shorelines are on the move. Erosion has more than doubled in the last few decades. The mix of species is changing.
Killer whales are becoming so frequent they're altering the behaviour of other species such as narwhal and beluga that Inuit depend on. Pacific salmon, capelin and harp seals are moving up from the south. "In some cases, the communities are putting out their nets and they're just catching salmon," Niemi said. The effect of the salmon on other species is unknown.


nationalobserver--2020-04-27--Farmers say it takes more than two Quebecers to replace one migrant worker

Melina Plante has found that , on her five-hectare fruit and vegetable farm south of Montreal by the U.S. border , one experienced Guatemalan farmhand can produce more than two Quebecers .
She and her husband , Francois D ’ Aoust , have hired the same four Guatemalan seasonal workers year after year .
They typically clock up to 70 hours per week on the farm in Havelock , Que.
, and though the pay is relatively low , the workers value it .
But this year , Plante said , the farmhands are stuck in Guatemala due to travel @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the spread of COVID-19 .
They are among the roughly 5,000 seasonal and temporary workers that Quebec 's farmers ' union estimates will be missing on the province 's farms this year because of the pandemic , leaving Plante , D'Aoust and scores of other farmers with a tough choice : They can either reduce this year 's food production or take a chance on inexperienced but eager Quebecers thrown out of work by the pandemic .
In response to the foreign labour shortage , the provincial government on April 17 announced a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ $ 100 a week above regular wages as an incentive to work on a farm .
About 2,800 Quebecers have so far responded to Premier Francois Legault 's call .
• Canada will learn Covid-19 lessons from U.S .
But it is still unclear if there are enough unemployed Quebecers able and willing to do the work — and whether those who do will stick around if the economy picks up and their old jobs return .
Plante said bluntly that in the past , Quebecers have proven unreliable farmhands .
`` That @ @ @ @ @ @ @ we turned to foreign labour ... .
We estimate that one Guatemalan worker can be replaced by 2.5 Quebecers , '' she said by phone from her farm .
The provincial program pays minimum wage , plus the $ 100 per week top-up and requires that applicants be available to work at least 25 hours per week .
But Marcel Groleau , president of Union des producteurs agricoles , which represents about 42,000 Quebec farmers , says those kind of schedules simply wo n't cut it .
`` It will take farms — @ @ @ @ @ @ @ week , per employee , to replace the foreign labour , '' he said in a recent interview .
The Canadian border remains open to seasonal farm workers , he explained , but many of them are having difficulty obtaining travel permits in their home countries .
Quebecers answer call to work on farms , but are they up to the task ?
`` The pandemic made us realize how much we rely on foreign labour — but it 's been hard to attract local labour in the fields for many years now @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is hoping she 'll qualify for the extra $ 100 per week .
She had already agreed to work on Plante 's farm to help replace the Guatemalan farmhands before the province created the recruiting program .
The 19-year-old visual arts student from Montreal met Plante and D'Aoust through family .
Lachapelle said she got involved in environmental activism at her junior college but since the pandemic does n't know what to do with her energy .
`` I think the key to fighting climate change is through agricultural self-sufficiency and knowing how @ @ @ @ @ @ @ way , '' she said in a recent interview .
`` I really want to learn how it works . ''
And while people such as Lachapelle may be helping to fill a critical gap created by the pandemic , there are other fragile links in the agricultural supply chain exposed by the pandemic .
COVID-19 has highlighted the problems associated with industry concentration , particularly within the food-processing sector , Groleau said .
`` There are fewer and fewer ( processing plants ) , and the ones that are left are bigger @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` When there is an issue at one of them , there are serious impacts for the rest of the supply chain . ''
For example , the closure of a single meat packing plant in Alberta last week forced Canada to curtail beef exports to meet domestic demand .
The Cargill-operated factory in Alberta has seen an outbreak linked to at least 484 cases of COVID-19s , including one death .
`` We are not , at this point , anticipating shortages of beef , '' Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said earlier @ @ @ @ @ @ @ might go up . ''
Aside from higher prices , Plante said she and other farmers in her network expect food shortages this fall .
She and her husband have already estimated they will have to cut production this year by about a third .
Pascal Theriault , a lecturer at McGill University 's farm management and technology program and vice-president of Quebec 's order of agronomists , said he hopes this crisis forces Canadians to rethink their relationship with food .
`` We worked on producing food at the lowest possible cost @ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' he said in a recent interview .
But over the years , international supply chains controlled by a handful of big players have contributed to Canadians ' alienation from the food they eat .
`` I think the crisis will build awareness to eat more locally , '' he said .
`` It 's not that we were n't doing it before , but now we are really paying attention to it . ''
Buying local could mean higher grocery bills for Canadian consumers used to seeing stores stocked with imported produce @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Canadians spend about 10 per cent of their budgets on food — one of the lowest proportions in the world , Theriault said .
So there is room to pay a little more for local products — but not that much more , he said .
Lachapelle started her new job Thursday .
She 'll live in a trailer on Plante 's farm and keep mostly to herself for two weeks to ensure she is not carrying the virus .
Then when she starts what she expects will be gruelling work in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ distancing guidelines .
`` I am very hard-working , '' she said .
`` I 'm 19 , and I think I am ready , physically and mentally .
I know it 's going to be a challenge .
But I think it 'll be will super fun ! ''
This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 26 , 2020 .

Melina Plante has found that, on her five-hectare fruit and vegetable farm south of Montreal by the U.S. border, one experienced Guatemalan farmhand can produce more than two Quebecers. She and her husband, Francois D’Aoust, have hired the same four Guatemalan seasonal workers year after year. They typically clock up to 70 hours per week on the farm in Havelock, Que., and though the pay is relatively low, the workers value it. But this year, Plante said, the farmhands are stuck in Guatemala due to travel restrictions their country has imposed to limit the spread of COVID-19. They are among the roughly 5,000 seasonal and temporary workers that Quebec's farmers' union estimates will be missing on the province's farms this year because of the pandemic, leaving Plante, D'Aoust and scores of other farmers with a tough choice: They can either reduce this year's food production or take a chance on inexperienced but eager Quebecers thrown out of work by the pandemic. In response to the foreign labour shortage, the provincial government on April 17 announced a $45-million program to pay an extra $100 a week above regular wages as an incentive to work on a farm. About 2,800 Quebecers have so far responded to Premier Francois Legault's call.
But it is still unclear if there are enough unemployed Quebecers able and willing to do the work — and whether those who do will stick around if the economy picks up and their old jobs return. Plante said bluntly that in the past, Quebecers have proven unreliable farmhands. Billion-dollar land deals in Ontario raise corruption suspicions "That's been our experience — and why we turned to foreign labour .... We estimate that one Guatemalan worker can be replaced by 2.5 Quebecers," she said by phone from her farm.
The provincial program pays minimum wage, plus the $100 per week top-up and requires that applicants be available to work at least 25 hours per week. But Marcel Groleau, president of Union des producteurs agricoles, which represents about 42,000 Quebec farmers, says those kind of schedules simply won't cut it. Quebecers answer call to work on farms, but are they up to the task? "It will take farms — at a minimum — 40 hours per week, per employee, to replace the foreign labour," he said in a recent interview. The Canadian border remains open to seasonal farm workers, he explained, but many of them are having difficulty obtaining travel permits in their home countries. "The pandemic made us realize how much we rely on foreign labour — but it's been hard to attract local labour in the fields for many years now," Groleau said. Florence Lachapelle is hoping she'll qualify for the extra $100 per week.
She had already agreed to work on Plante's farm to help replace the Guatemalan farmhands before the province created the recruiting program. The 19-year-old visual arts student from Montreal met Plante and D'Aoust through family. Lachapelle said she got involved in environmental activism at her junior college but since the pandemic doesn't know what to do with her energy. "I think the key to fighting climate change is through agricultural self-sufficiency and knowing how to work the earth in a respectful way," she said in a recent interview. "I really want to learn how it works."


nationalobserver--2020-04-27--Evacuation orders issued in Fort McMurray as rivers rise

The spring ice breakup on rivers in northern Alberta is forcing some residents of Fort McMurray neighbourhoods from their homes , and people in the city 's downtown have been warned to be ready to react in case the evolving situation changes .
`` Every year the ice breaks and we have some sort of event .
Usually the ice flows on by .
Once approximately every 20 years we have something different happen , '' said Don Scott , mayor of the Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo , in a phone interview Sunday .
`` This happens to be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ declared a secondary state of local emergency , which comes on top of an initial state of local emergency declared last month because of the COVID-19 pandemic .
Scott said that for several days , officials were monitoring an ice jam about 10 kilometres upstream .
Early Sunday morning , he said , it let loose .
• Canada will learn Covid-19 lessons from U.S .
Mandatory evacuation orders were issued for Draper , a rural community of 187 residents just outside of Fort McMurray , as well as for Longboat Landing , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and for the Tiaga Nova industrial park which also has a hotel .
Late Sunday afternoon , a voluntary evacuation order was made mandatory for the Waterways neighbourhood including the Ptarmigan Court Trailer Park , while the rest of the city 's downtown residents have been told to pay attention to information from the city and take action if necessary .
Meanwhile , due to reports of discolouration in tap water in Fort McMurray neighbourhoods north of the Athabasca River bridges , Alberta Health Services has directed the Regional Municipality of Wood @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The municipality also noted in a post on its Facebook page early Monday morning that areas south of the Athabasca River bridges are not affected at this time .
Christina MacKay of Wood Buffalo Housing , which manages assisted and independent living facilities for seniors in downtown Fort McMurray , said some families were coming by on Sunday to pick residents up .
`` We have buses ready , '' MacKay said .
`` Just in case . ''
Phil Meagher , a municipal councillor who surveyed the situation by bicycle , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that was almost completely submerged at an area of town called the Snye where the Snye River meets the Clearwater River .
`` Everything else in the Snye is totally under water .
Even our skateboard park looks like a brand-new swimming pool , '' Meagher said , speaking by cellphone from the bank of the Clearwater .
Evacuees were being directed to a drive-thru reception centre that has been set up at the Oil Sands Discovery Centre in Fort McMurray .
Scott said social distancing requirements are being followed , and that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that the municipality pre-booked .
Rumours that the city 's water treatment facility was threatened or that the water would be contaminated were n't true , he said .
He noted the municipality , which is at the confluence of three rivers , prepares every year for the possibility of flooding when the ice breaks up .
Over a month ago , when officials issued public health orders related to COVID-19 , he said they knew they 'd have to incorporate the pandemic into their flood planning .
Scott noted Fort McMurray 's @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as the wildfire in 2016 that forced the entire city to evacuate and destroyed 2,400 homes and buildings .

The spring ice breakup on rivers in northern Alberta is forcing some residents of Fort McMurray neighbourhoods from their homes, and people in the city's downtown have been warned to be ready to react in case the evolving situation changes. "Every year the ice breaks and we have some sort of event. Usually the ice flows on by. Once approximately every 20 years we have something different happen," said Don Scott, mayor of the Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo, in a phone interview Sunday. "This happens to be that year." The municipality has declared a secondary state of local emergency, which comes on top of an initial state of local emergency declared last month because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Scott said that for several days, officials were monitoring an ice jam about 10 kilometres upstream. Early Sunday morning, he said, it let loose.
Mandatory evacuation orders were issued for Draper, a rural community of 187 residents just outside of Fort McMurray, as well as for Longboat Landing, an area near the city's downtown, and for the Tiaga Nova industrial park which also has a hotel. Late Sunday afternoon, a voluntary evacuation order was made mandatory for the Waterways neighbourhood including the Ptarmigan Court Trailer Park, while the rest of the city's downtown residents have been told to pay attention to information from the city and take action if necessary. Billion-dollar land deals in Ontario raise corruption suspicions Meanwhile, due to reports of discolouration in tap water in Fort McMurray neighbourhoods north of the Athabasca River bridges, Alberta Health Services has directed the Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo to issue a boil water advisory.
The municipality also noted in a post on its Facebook page early Monday morning that areas south of the Athabasca River bridges are not affected at this time. Evacuation orders issued as rising rivers threaten Fort McMurray Christina MacKay of Wood Buffalo Housing, which manages assisted and independent living facilities for seniors in downtown Fort McMurray, said some families were coming by on Sunday to pick residents up. "We have buses ready," MacKay said. "Just in case." Phil Meagher, a municipal councillor who surveyed the situation by bicycle, said he could see a gravel truck that was almost completely submerged at an area of town called the Snye where the Snye River meets the Clearwater River. "Everything else in the Snye is totally under water. Even our skateboard park looks like a brand-new swimming pool," Meagher said, speaking by cellphone from the bank of the Clearwater.
Evacuees were being directed to a drive-thru reception centre that has been set up at the Oil Sands Discovery Centre in Fort McMurray. Scott said social distancing requirements are being followed, and that evacuees are being housed in hotel rooms that the municipality pre-booked. Rumours that the city's water treatment facility was threatened or that the water would be contaminated weren't true, he said. He noted the municipality, which is at the confluence of three rivers, prepares every year for the possibility of flooding when the ice breaks up. Over a month ago, when officials issued public health orders related to COVID-19, he said they knew they'd have to incorporate the pandemic into their flood planning.


nationalobserver--2020-04-27--Trans Mountain, LNG Canada on track despite pandemic and price crash

Energy projects like an LNG Canada export terminal and the Trans Mountain pipeline expansion may face short-term setbacks but the pandemic and oil price crash should n't threaten their long-term viability , economists say .
Andrew Leach , an energy economist at the University of Alberta , said the long-term forecast for both natural gas and oil remains steady , even as some companies scale back workforces to meet safety protocols .
`` I think the consensus amongst most people is that there is n't a big impact of what we 're seeing right now beyond the timeline of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said .
Global oil prices recently plunged amid oversupply concerns as storage tanks near capacity while refineries are reducing output as economic activity slows during the pandemic .
The low prices have forced some producers to cut production in Canada 's oilpatch .
Werner Antweiler , an energy economist at the University of British Columbia , said the oil industry is facing a `` double whammy '' of a global decrease in demand coupled with a Saudi Arabia-Russia price war .
A recent agreement by OPEC and other countries to reduce production does @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with falling demand , he said .
• Canada will learn Covid-19 lessons from U.S .
But pipelines face slightly different market forces than the producers who fill them .
There may be increased pressure on pipelines as Canadian producers seek to get oil to markets at the best price possible , while the spectre of American protectionism could also increase the pressure to get Canadian oil to Asian refineries if U.S. ones becomes unavailable , Antweiler said .
Trans Mountain said in a statement that construction on the expansion project is progressing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ right-of-way in B.C .
and Alberta with COVID-19 safety measures in place .
Current oil prices do n't have a direct impact on the project , the company said .
Its customers have made 15- and 20-year commitments for roughly 80 per cent of the capacity in the expanded pipeline .
It 's still due to come into service in late 2022 , the statement said .
The existing Trans Mountain pipeline operated at its maximum capacity for the first quarter of 2020 , the company said .
LNG Canada has reduced its @ @ @ @ @ @ @ COVID-19 , director of corporate affairs Susannah Pierce said in a statement .
But the company and its engineering procurement and construction contractor , JGC Fluor JV , continue to hit `` critical construction milestones , '' she said .
Antweiler said liquefied natural gas has a good long-term outlook because of the ongoing switch from coal to gas globally and the increase in demand for energy in Asia .
Trans Mountain , LNG Canada say they are on track despite pandemic `` These two things , they will continue once the economy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ case of Coastal GasLink , the 670-kilometre natural gas pipeline that would feed LNG Canada 's export terminal on the B.C .
coast , the pandemic may never rival the disruption earlier this year by its opponents , Leach said .
Construction on most projects that are underway could be vulnerable to disruptions caused by outbreaks but otherwise appear to be continuing at status quo .
Leach biked through a Trans Mountain construction zone in Edmonton on Thursday and it seemed unchanged , he said .
`` It feels like it 's going @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
A pipeline like Trans Mountain , which is regulated by the Canadian Energy Regulator , is not a commercial venture in the sense that it does n't take full merchant risk and has bounds on the tolls it can charge .
It 's also largely able to pass any extra costs on to producers , Leach said .
`` They ca n't charge whatever the market will bear at any point of time and as a consequence of that they also have some protection for their capital investments , '' Leach said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for several reasons , including that it does n't have all its permits and is not materially under construction , he said .
`` It 's relatively early in the process and the cross-border nature of it , the length of it , all these sorts of things make it more challenging in the current market .
So that 's probably one of the projects that is most likely to be affected , '' Leach said .
TC Energy , which owns the project , did not respond to a request for comment @ @ @ @ @ @ @ oil price plunge signalled the beginning of the end for oil , Leach and Antweiler do n't buy it .
It would take broad public policy shifts or an energy technology revolution to stimulate a mass shift away from oil dependency .
If anything , Leach said physical distancing habits could discourage drivers from making the switch to public transit , for example .
`` I 'd love to see the oil industry fade away more quickly than it will , but as an energy economist I still know we depend on oil @ @ @ @ @ @ @ He said he expects demand for oil to remain stable for the next few years and it will be up to countries around the world to curb demand through policy until cleaner options become more cost effective .
`` There will be potentially a reduction in demand for oil but it wo n't be as fast as some hope , '' he said .
This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 26 , 2020 .

Energy projects like an LNG Canada export terminal and the Trans Mountain pipeline expansion may face short-term setbacks but the pandemic and oil price crash shouldn't threaten their long-term viability, economists say. Andrew Leach, an energy economist at the University of Alberta, said the long-term forecast for both natural gas and oil remains steady, even as some companies scale back workforces to meet safety protocols. "I think the consensus amongst most people is that there isn't a big impact of what we're seeing right now beyond the timeline of the pandemic and the recovery," he said. Global oil prices recently plunged amid oversupply concerns as storage tanks near capacity while refineries are reducing output as economic activity slows during the pandemic. The low prices have forced some producers to cut production in Canada's oilpatch. Werner Antweiler, an energy economist at the University of British Columbia, said the oil industry is facing a "double whammy" of a global decrease in demand coupled with a Saudi Arabia-Russia price war. A recent agreement by OPEC and other countries to reduce production doesn't go far enough to balance supply with falling demand, he said.
But pipelines face slightly different market forces than the producers who fill them. There may be increased pressure on pipelines as Canadian producers seek to get oil to markets at the best price possible, while the spectre of American protectionism could also increase the pressure to get Canadian oil to Asian refineries if U.S. ones becomes unavailable, Antweiler said. Trans Mountain said in a statement that construction on the expansion project is progressing well at its terminals and along the right-of-way in B.C. and Alberta with COVID-19 safety measures in place. Billion-dollar land deals in Ontario raise corruption suspicions Current oil prices don't have a direct impact on the project, the company said. Its customers have made 15- and 20-year commitments for roughly 80 per cent of the capacity in the expanded pipeline. It's still due to come into service in late 2022, the statement said.
The existing Trans Mountain pipeline operated at its maximum capacity for the first quarter of 2020, the company said. Trans Mountain, LNG Canada say they are on track despite pandemic LNG Canada has reduced its workforce to manage the risk of spreading COVID-19, director of corporate affairs Susannah Pierce said in a statement. But the company and its engineering procurement and construction contractor, JGC Fluor JV, continue to hit "critical construction milestones," she said. Antweiler said liquefied natural gas has a good long-term outlook because of the ongoing switch from coal to gas globally and the increase in demand for energy in Asia. "These two things, they will continue once the economy returns to normal." In the case of Coastal GasLink, the 670-kilometre natural gas pipeline that would feed LNG Canada's export terminal on the B.C. coast, the pandemic may never rival the disruption earlier this year by its opponents, Leach said.
Construction on most projects that are underway could be vulnerable to disruptions caused by outbreaks but otherwise appear to be continuing at status quo. Leach biked through a Trans Mountain construction zone in Edmonton on Thursday and it seemed unchanged, he said. "It feels like it's going full speed ahead," he said. A pipeline like Trans Mountain, which is regulated by the Canadian Energy Regulator, is not a commercial venture in the sense that it doesn't take full merchant risk and has bounds on the tolls it can charge. It's also largely able to pass any extra costs on to producers, Leach said.


nationalobserver--2020-04-27--No 'immunity passports' for people recovered from COVID

It 's premature to talk about `` immunity passports '' for Canadians who have been infected with COVID-19 , Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said Saturday , because the science is unclear about whether those who have recovered from the virus are protected from catching it again .
As provinces begin opening up their economies from COVID-19 lockdowns , Trudeau said none of those recovery plans hinge on people being immune to catching COVID-19 twice .
Trudeau said he spoke to premiers Friday and they discussed a basic framework that provinces will use as they reopen businesses , schools and other @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , is on preventing the spread of the virus through physical distancing and personal protective equipment .
`` It is very clear that the science is not decided on whether or not having had COVID once prevents you from having it again , '' he told reporters .
`` It 's something we need to get clearer answers to and until we get those clearer answers , we need to err on the side of more caution . ''
Trudeau was responding to a recent World Health Organization brief stating there is no @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the virus have antibodies that protect them from getting infected again .
• Canada will learn Covid-19 lessons from U.S .
The WHO issued the brief after some countries announced the possibility of providing so-called `` immunity passports '' or `` risk-free certificates '' to citizens who have already been infected .
But on Saturday , the international body walked that back some .
`` We expect that most people who are infected with COVID-19 will develop an antibody response that will provide some level of protection , '' the organization wrote on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ yet know is the level of protection or how long it will last . ''
The WHO said scientists around the world are working to answer that key question .
In Canada , the provinces have varying approaches to relaxing public health orders that were put in place to limit the spread of the novel coronavirus .
Newfoundland and Labrador and Nova Scotia , for instance , continue to urge citizens to stay home as much as possible , while New Brunswick announced Friday low-risk outdoor activities such as golf , hunting and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ says too early to discuss 'immunity passports ' for people recovered from COVID Ontario and Quebec announced they would present their recovery plans in the coming week , with Quebec Premier Francois Legault saying his government would detail separate plans for schools and then for businesses .
Legault and the province 's director of public health , Dr. Horacio Arruda , have been pushing the idea of `` herd immunity '' as an approach to re-opening schools .
That strategy involves exposing a large proportion of Quebecers to the novel coronavirus in a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ them develop a natural immunity .
That theory follows the logic of a vaccination program .
When people receive a vaccine , they are given a weakened form of the virus , allowing their immune system to build antibodies to kill it .
`` The idea is to go very gradually so that people who are less at risk can develop antibodies to be able to become immune , '' Legault told reporters earlier in the week .
But Dr. Theresa Tam , Canada 's chief public health officer , warned against that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ government has put in place an immunity task force that will investigate how people 's immune systems are responding to COVID-19 .
She said that since many Canadians have followed physical distancing orders , the percentage of the immunized population is `` quite low . ''
And despite evidence that the virus is particularly dangerous to older people and those with underlying health conditions , younger people are still at risk .
`` So the idea of generating natural immunity is actually not something that I think should be undertaken , '' she @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as medical officers , we would be extremely cautious about that kind of approach . ''
The case count in Canada topped 45,000 on Saturday .
The global death toll , meanwhile , climbed above 200,000 .
Many of the deaths in Canada have been people in seniors ' homes and long-term care facilities , which have struggled to manage outbreaks among residents and staff .
Five of the six deaths connected to COVID-19 that were reported Saturday in Nova Scotia , for example , occurred at the Northwood long-term care home in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ licensed long-term care homes and unlicensed seniors ' facilities in Nova Scotia with cases of COVID-19 , involving 191 residents and 90 staff .
The situation is far worse in Quebec , where 65 per cent of the province 's 1,446 COVID deaths have occurred at long-term care facilities , many of which are severely understaffed .
Another 15 per cent of the province 's death total comes from senior homes .
In Ontario , frontline workers in facilities such as long-term care homes , will receive a raise of $ 4 per @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Premier Doug Ford announced Saturday .
Aside from the long-term care homes , the premier said the bonus will be available for workers in seniors ' residences , emergency shelters , supportive housing , social services congregate care settings , corrections institutions and youth justice facilities , home and community care providers and some staff in hospitals .
The premier made the announcement as dozens of protesters took to the provincial legislature to defy physical distancing measures set by the province .
`` It just burns me up , '' said Ford , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and `` selfish . ''
`` We have health-care people working tirelessly , but then we have a bunch of yahoos sitting there protesting as they 're breaking the law and putting workers in jeopardy . ''
This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 25 , 2020 .

It's premature to talk about "immunity passports" for Canadians who have been infected with COVID-19, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said Saturday, because the science is unclear about whether those who have recovered from the virus are protected from catching it again. As provinces begin opening up their economies from COVID-19 lockdowns, Trudeau said none of those recovery plans hinge on people being immune to catching COVID-19 twice. Trudeau said he spoke to premiers Friday and they discussed a basic framework that provinces will use as they reopen businesses, schools and other institutions. The focus, he said, is on preventing the spread of the virus through physical distancing and personal protective equipment. "It is very clear that the science is not decided on whether or not having had COVID once prevents you from having it again," he told reporters. "It's something we need to get clearer answers to and until we get those clearer answers, we need to err on the side of more caution." Trudeau was responding to a recent World Health Organization brief stating there is no evidence that people who have recovered from the virus have antibodies that protect them from getting infected again.
The WHO issued the brief after some countries announced the possibility of providing so-called "immunity passports" or "risk-free certificates" to citizens who have already been infected. But on Saturday, the international body walked that back some. Billion-dollar land deals in Ontario raise corruption suspicions "We expect that most people who are infected with COVID-19 will develop an antibody response that will provide some level of protection," the organization wrote on Twitter. "What we don't yet know is the level of protection or how long it will last."
The WHO said scientists around the world are working to answer that key question. Trudeau says too early to discuss 'immunity passports' for people recovered from COVID In Canada, the provinces have varying approaches to relaxing public health orders that were put in place to limit the spread of the novel coronavirus. Newfoundland and Labrador and Nova Scotia, for instance, continue to urge citizens to stay home as much as possible, while New Brunswick announced Friday low-risk outdoor activities such as golf, hunting and fishing were permitted to resume. Ontario and Quebec announced they would present their recovery plans in the coming week, with Quebec Premier Francois Legault saying his government would detail separate plans for schools and then for businesses. Legault and the province's director of public health, Dr. Horacio Arruda, have been pushing the idea of "herd immunity" as an approach to re-opening schools. That strategy involves exposing a large proportion of Quebecers to the novel coronavirus in a measured, gradual way, to help them develop a natural immunity.
That theory follows the logic of a vaccination program. When people receive a vaccine, they are given a weakened form of the virus, allowing their immune system to build antibodies to kill it. "The idea is to go very gradually so that people who are less at risk can develop antibodies to be able to become immune,'' Legault told reporters earlier in the week. But Dr. Theresa Tam, Canada's chief public health officer, warned against that approach Saturday. She said the federal government has put in place an immunity task force that will investigate how people's immune systems are responding to COVID-19.


nationalobserver--2020-04-27--EU rallies Canada to join in funding help for WHO

The European Union is planning a major pledging conference early next month to help fill the World Health Organization 's funding gaps , and it expects Canada to play a key role .
Brice de Schietere , the EU 's acting ambassador to Canada , says the event was being planned before U.S. President Donald Trump announced last week he would pause WHO funding because of concerns that it mismanaged the early outbreak of the novel coronavirus .
De Schietere told The Canadian Press that no one wants to politicize the May 4 event , but the effort to find @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to end the global pandemic means raising money to help the UN agency is more important than ever .
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau confirmed Canada will participate in the conference on Saturday , saying the country will `` always be there to support science and the work that is done internationally on keeping our planet and our citizens safe . ''
De Schietere , the charge d'affaires at the EU delegation 's Ottawa office , said the Canada-EU trade deal will play a key role in helping the post-pandemic economic recovery , as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ open .
• Canada will learn Covid-19 lessons from U.S. And he said Canada and the EU are co-operating closely to control the spread of misinformation about the pandemic , which he said has resulted in more than 120 fake news stories that are aimed at undermining the European response to the crisis .
De Schietere steered clear of mentioning Trump directly , but he emphasized that Canada is the EU 's closest partner in the world right now , and that their transatlantic alliance is focused on bolstering the multilateral trade , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pandemic .
Trump has regularly derided or otherwise targeted a host of international organizations , from the G7 , NATO , the World Trade Organization to , most recently , the WHO , which he has accused of going soft on China and allowing it to cover up the early impact of the pandemic .
When asked Saturday if Canada would attach conditions to any funding that it might pledge to the WHO at this conference in light of concerns that have been raised about the organization 's handling of the novel coronavirus @ @ @ @ @ @ @ saying only that Canada is among many countries with unanswered questions .
`` I think , like many countries , there are questions around how to ensure that we learn from this situation and we get better at dealing with these things with a level of transparnecy and rigor that I think citizens expect , '' Trudeau said .
The pledging conference will also include the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation , the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations , the Wellcome Trust , the World Bank , Unitaid — a Swiss-based non-profit health @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Alliance .
EU rallies Canada , allies to help WHO after Trump temporarily withdraws funding `` It is precisely in times like these that we need to have more solidarity .
Global co-operation is more critical than ever — and the responses we have had , notably from Canada , have always been very positive in this direction , '' said de Schietere .
`` At the present time , we are not in that state of mind of making any kind of finger-pointing or politicization of the issue .
We have regretted @ @ @ @ @ @ @ several occasions by EU leaders , the decision coming from the United States to suspend the funding to the WHO , '' he added .
`` For us , what 's important is to have global co-operation and solidarity and we need the multilateral institutions to do it .
It is the only effective and viable option we can take to win this battle . ''
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said in a video announcement on Friday that she hoped world leaders would come together to take part in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ $ 11.4 billion .
International Development Minister Karina Gould said in a statement that Canada would continue to work with international partners , including the WHO .
`` Global health is the largest area of investment for Canada 's aid program .
We are one of the recognized leaders in this space , '' she said .
`` Canada is part of the global response to tackle COVID 19 . ''
On Thursday , European leaders revised their long-term budget to pay for the continent 's massive post-pandemic recovery , which could cost @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it the most ambitious financial assistance package since the 1948 Marshall Plan to rebuild the continent after the Second World War .
As the world battles the economic devastation caused by the pandemic , de Schietere said the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement , or CETA , has left Canada and Europe well-positioned to weather the current downtown and navigate a recovery .
`` We are very much relying on such agreements and open trade to guarantee the future of supply chains .
It is particularly important that as we want to strengthen @ @ @ @ @ @ @ those chains open , and have them open to the best extent possible . ''
He said there is lots of co-ordination between Canada and Europe on keeping ship traffic and allowing supplies to reach harbour so `` we do n't have administrative measures that would impede the correct flow of goods . ''
Canada and the EU are also active in their joint NATO partnership in the Helsinki-based European Centre of Excellence for Countering Hybrid Threats and co-operate closely in the G7 's rapid-response mechanism to counter online threats , he said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ very intense , and so it 's very positive .
It 's only together we can be effective in fighting such threats . ''
This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 25 , 2020 .

The European Union is planning a major pledging conference early next month to help fill the World Health Organization's funding gaps, and it expects Canada to play a key role. Brice de Schietere, the EU's acting ambassador to Canada, says the event was being planned before U.S. President Donald Trump announced last week he would pause WHO funding because of concerns that it mismanaged the early outbreak of the novel coronavirus. De Schietere told The Canadian Press that no one wants to politicize the May 4 event, but the effort to find a vaccine and fund the research needed to end the global pandemic means raising money to help the UN agency is more important than ever. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau confirmed Canada will participate in the conference on Saturday, saying the country will "always be there to support science and the work that is done internationally on keeping our planet and our citizens safe." De Schietere, the charge d'affaires at the EU delegation's Ottawa office, said the Canada-EU trade deal will play a key role in helping the post-pandemic economic recovery, as well as keeping essential medical supply chains open.
And he said Canada and the EU are co-operating closely to control the spread of misinformation about the pandemic, which he said has resulted in more than 120 fake news stories that are aimed at undermining the European response to the crisis. De Schietere steered clear of mentioning Trump directly, but he emphasized that Canada is the EU's closest partner in the world right now, and that their transatlantic alliance is focused on bolstering the multilateral trade, health and political organizations to battle the pandemic. Billion-dollar land deals in Ontario raise corruption suspicions Trump has regularly derided or otherwise targeted a host of international organizations, from the G7, NATO, the World Trade Organization to, most recently, the WHO, which he has accused of going soft on China and allowing it to cover up the early impact of the pandemic.
When asked Saturday if Canada would attach conditions to any funding that it might pledge to the WHO at this conference in light of concerns that have been raised about the organization's handling of the novel coronavirus, Trudeau did not directly answer, saying only that Canada is among many countries with unanswered questions. EU rallies Canada, allies to help WHO after Trump temporarily withdraws funding "I think, like many countries, there are questions around how to ensure that we learn from this situation and we get better at dealing with these things with a level of transparnecy and rigor that I think citizens expect," Trudeau said. The pledging conference will also include the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations, the Wellcome Trust, the World Bank, Unitaid — a Swiss-based non-profit health organization — and Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance. "It is precisely in times like these that we need to have more solidarity. Global co-operation is more critical than ever — and the responses we have had, notably from Canada, have always been very positive in this direction," said de Schietere. "At the present time, we are not in that state of mind of making any kind of finger-pointing or politicization of the issue. We have regretted, and this has been expressed on several occasions by EU leaders, the decision coming from the United States to suspend the funding to the WHO," he added.
"For us, what's important is to have global co-operation and solidarity and we need the multilateral institutions to do it. It is the only effective and viable option we can take to win this battle." European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said in a video announcement on Friday that she hoped world leaders would come together to take part in the effort to raise the equivalent of C$11.4 billion. International Development Minister Karina Gould said in a statement that Canada would continue to work with international partners, including the WHO.


nationalobserver--2020-04-27--Ottawa giving $62.5 million for fish and seafood sector to battle COVID-19

Ottawa will provide a $ 62.5-million aid package to help the country 's fish and seafood processors protect workers from COVID-19 and ensure they can continue to keep the seafood market alive .
The money is earmarked for personal protective equipment and to help fish and seafood companies adapt their plants to comply with health directives , Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said during his daily press conference in front of his home on Saturday .
Processing companies can also use the money to help pay for equipment such as freezers , so they can store food products while they adapt @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a safe distance from one another , Trudeau added .
`` As we fight COVID-19 , people who work in fish and seafood processing plants across the country are playing a crucial role when it comes to putting food on our tables , '' he said .
`` This funding will help ensure that they can continue their important work . ''
• Canada will learn Covid-19 lessons from U.S .
Fish and seafood are among the country 's top food exports and the industry employs roughly 72,000 people .
Industry representatives in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ loss of key markets for their processed seafood , notably cruise ships and restaurants , and the need to increase storage capacity so they can continue to buy from fishers and hold onto their processed products until the markets reopen .
Fisheries Minister Bernadette Jordan says she has heard these concerns from fishers and seafood processors , which is why a priority was placed on fish processing needs in advance of more direct help for fishers , which she promised would be coming .
`` Without the ability to move goods efficiently and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from our harvesters , and in turn , they ca n't supply Canadians with seafood , '' she said .
`` We know that there has been some challenges ( among harvesters ) actually accessing the funds that have already been announced .
We 're continuing to look at all these things that need to be done and will be continuing to follow up with new measures as we go forward . ''
The Fisheries Council of Canada and the Canadian Aquaculture Industry Alliance welcomed the assistance Saturday , saying it is critical @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sector as it adjusts to the latest public health guidance during the COVID-19 pandemic .
`` It has been the top priority of our members to ensure the health and safety of our frontline employees while we continue to provide the essential service of supporting the food supply chain , '' Fisheries Council president Paul Lansbergen said in a statement .
`` Many additional measures have been put in place to respond to social distancing mandates and market disruptions , which have come with significant costs . ''
Jordan says the money announced @ @ @ @ @ @ @ processing industry to increase cold storage and inventory capacity , but will also allow them to re-tool their technologies and marketing efforts to meet the shifts in consumer demands and create value-added products .
It will also help processing companies put in place enhanced health and safety measures to minimize the risks to workers .
COVID-19 infections are disrupting other parts of the country 's food sector , including the meat processing industry .
Cargill shut down its plant just north of High River , Alta.
, earlier this week after an outbreak @ @ @ @ @ @ @ employee .

Ottawa will provide a $62.5-million aid package to help the country's fish and seafood processors protect workers from COVID-19 and ensure they can continue to keep the seafood market alive. The money is earmarked for personal protective equipment and to help fish and seafood companies adapt their plants to comply with health directives, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said during his daily press conference in front of his home on Saturday. Processing companies can also use the money to help pay for equipment such as freezers, so they can store food products while they adapt their factories to ensure workers can maintain a safe distance from one another, Trudeau added. "As we fight COVID-19, people who work in fish and seafood processing plants across the country are playing a crucial role when it comes to putting food on our tables," he said. "This funding will help ensure that they can continue their important work."
Fish and seafood are among the country's top food exports and the industry employs roughly 72,000 people. Industry representatives in the Maritimes have raised concerns about the loss of key markets for their processed seafood, notably cruise ships and restaurants, and the need to increase storage capacity so they can continue to buy from fishers and hold onto their processed products until the markets reopen. Billion-dollar land deals in Ontario raise corruption suspicions Fisheries Minister Bernadette Jordan says she has heard these concerns from fishers and seafood processors, which is why a priority was placed on fish processing needs in advance of more direct help for fishers, which she promised would be coming.
"Without the ability to move goods efficiently and effectively, processors can't buy more from our harvesters, and in turn, they can't supply Canadians with seafood," she said. COVID-19: Ottawa announces $62.5 million for country's fish and seafood sector "We know that there has been some challenges (among harvesters) actually accessing the funds that have already been announced. We're continuing to look at all these things that need to be done and will be continuing to follow up with new measures as we go forward." The Fisheries Council of Canada and the Canadian Aquaculture Industry Alliance welcomed the assistance Saturday, saying it is critical to ensuring the continued operations of the sector as it adjusts to the latest public health guidance during the COVID-19 pandemic. "It has been the top priority of our members to ensure the health and safety of our frontline employees while we continue to provide the essential service of supporting the food supply chain," Fisheries Council president Paul Lansbergen said in a statement. "Many additional measures have been put in place to respond to social distancing mandates and market disruptions, which have come with significant costs."
Jordan says the money announced Saturday will not only support the seafood processing industry to increase cold storage and inventory capacity, but will also allow them to re-tool their technologies and marketing efforts to meet the shifts in consumer demands and create value-added products. It will also help processing companies put in place enhanced health and safety measures to minimize the risks to workers. COVID-19 infections are disrupting other parts of the country's food sector, including the meat processing industry.


nationalobserver--2020-04-27--Canada should invest in electric vehicle transition post COVID-19

Canada does have a significant electric vehicle sector , primarily lin Quebec , and the beginnings of an EV segment in the Ontario auto industry .
The current Canadian EV sector covers the entire ecosystem , such as EV school buses , trucks , urban transit buses , powertrains , batteries and raw materials , and charging infrastructure .
This is backed up by world-class research capabilities .
And what better time for the federal government to develop an electric vehicle ( EV ) national strategy ?
Following the COVID-19 pandemic , governments around the globe will be massively investing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ economic recovery .
With all fossil fuel sectors in decline , what better time to make the transition to a green economy ?
To be a part of this global EV transition , Canada must look east and west , rather than habitually south .
The Canadian EV sector already has ties with China and Europe .
Traditionally , Canada has cloned U.S. initiatives to address vehicle fuel consumption .
The rationale for this has been Canada is part of an integrated North American market .
Yet , if there is anything we @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it is that Canada must become more self-reliant .
Among the opportunities for Canada are legislative measures taken by China and the European Union , the largest and third- largest vehicle markets , requiring a transition to electric vehicles within a few years .
And once global automakers bite the bullet , despite the years to amortize their investments for the most radical change in the industry in a century , the EV technologies wrapped in newly designed vehicle platforms will be available anywhere in the world .
But the piecemeal , one @ @ @ @ @ @ @ any sense when we are up against 400 electric vehicle technology manufacturers in China .
In Quebec , there are 147 EV firms , which collectively employ 6,000 people .
Winnipeg ’ s New Flyer is a Canadian-owned maker of electric buses , however , there is a caveat .
New Flyer ’ s Xcelsior electric buses are manufactured in Alabama at its Vehicle Innovation Center .
In Ontario , the BYD Newmarket plant announced the delivery of its first two zero-emission , battery-electric buses to the Toronto Transit Commission , part of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 10 of its 40-foot K9M buses .
Supporting the plans of the Montreal , Laval ( STL ) and Longueuil ( RTL ) transit authorities , the Quebec government plan originally called for all urban bus purchases to be electric by 2025 .
But the government of Québec is accelerating the timeline by supporting 95 per cent of the initiativeterminating subsidies for buses running on diesel or gasoline only .
Manufacturers of electric urban transit buses in Canada are Nova Bus , owned by Volvo , and China ’ s BYD facility , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Lion Electric is now on the verge of introducing an electric truck , the Lion8 , expected sometime in 2020 .
In March 2019 , the Québec government injected $ 8.6 million in the firm .
The first order is for one pilot vehicle for the Société des alcools du Québec ( liquor board ) , with an option to buy more later on .
In the works for the immediate future are Lion8 garbage/recycling trucks in collaboration with Boivin Évolution , fire trucks , tool trucks , giraffe crane models and ambulances @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and Posi-+ Technologies of Victoriaville , the second-largest giraffe crane truck manufacturer in North America .
Lion is also collaborating with Fourgons TRANSIT , Systèmes PRAN et MAXIMETAL .
As of early 2020 , 300 Lion school buses were on the roads .
In July 2019 , Lion won a California contract for 200 electric school buses to be delivered by 2021 .
And other big contracts appear to be on the horizon .
A user of TM4 electric direct drive technology is Lion of St-Jérôme , Que.
, one of the pioneers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Its buses come with options for ranges of 90 , 120 and 150 kilometres .
Lion has about 600 suppliers , 25 per cent from Quebec .
A core player in the Quebec EV sector is Dana TM4 .
Hydro-Québec holds a 45 per cent stake in the joint venture with Ohio-based Dana .
The firm has electric and hybrid drivetrain manufacturing capabilities in Boucherville , where it produces 5,000 EV motors a year , mainly for export to China .
It also has a 50/50 joint venture facility in China with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ trucks and buses for China and other members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations .
One converter is the Quebec startup Nordresa .
The company had the potential to attract truck manufacturers with its turn-key solutions , but could not get any financial support from the Québec or federal governments .
The result was that Nordresawas sold in August 2019 to the U.S. firm Dana .
The electric passenger vehicle potential in Canada may lie with Ontario ’ s Magna International .
Magna has entered a joint venture with China ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Co. Ltd. , a subsidiary of BAIC .
Quebec ’ s EcoTuned recently won a contract with Vidéotron to convert 200 trucks .
Vidéotron is expected to eventually purchase 700 new electric trucks .
A look at the EV-charging infrastructure in Canada The largest concentration of charging stations in North America is the Circuit électrique ADDÉnergie stations funded by Hydro-Québec — 2,300 units as of early 2020 .
Of this number , there are 225 fast-charging stations .
ADDÉnergie of Quebec City manufactures charging stations under the brand name Flo and has its @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an extensive Flo network in Quebec , Flo Canadian stations can be found in New Brunswick and British Columbia .
In the U.S. , Flo will install 100 stations in New York and recently purchased 125 stations in Los Angeles .
As of February , Flo operates more than 5,500 commercial stations , including 225 fast-chargers .
Flo ’ s private chargers sales in 2019 amounted to about 25,000 units .
Elmec of Shawinigan , Que.
, is a competitor in electric vehicle-charging infrastructure .
It also offers a fullyelectric agriculture robot vehicle @ @ @ @ @ @ @ many of the already mentioned stakeholders is the Institut de véhicule innovant ( IVI ) .
IVI was involved in the development of the first Lion electric school buses , the Exprolink-Madvac vacuum vehicle , and the Elmec electric robot agriculture vehicle .
The ABB 's Excellence in e-mobility centre , a $ 90-million world headquarters in Montreal , is focused on tailor-made EV infrastructure solutions .
The Hydro-Québec Centre d'excellence en électrification des transports et en stockage d ’ énergie d ’ Hydro-Québec has proven to be a global forerunner in battery @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an agreement with Mercedes to develop solid-state batteries to offer greater range and address battery overheating .
The team for this project is made up of 25 researchers in Quebec and Germany .
Quebec has a battery manufacturing division of a company from France , Bolloré Blue Solutions .
Completing the battery package , Quebec has all the raw materials for battery manufacturing , lithium , graphite , cobalt and aluminium .
But there has yet to be a financially successful firm to exploit the opportunities .
Nemaska Lithium is under creditor protection @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Quebec investment of $ 130 million for 13 per cent equity .
Nouveau Monde Graphite of Saint-Michel-des-Saints has yet to get to the starting point .
The current Canadian “ voluntary targets ” for zero emission vehicles is an oxymoron .
In the absence of legislation , there is no process in place to verify compliance .
A pillar of existing Canadian EV policy is the Canadian corporate average fuel economy standards ( CAFE ) , which is a copy-and-paste version of the U.S. CAFE .
On this , there are several @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , rather than the U.S .
It is not just a matter that the Trump administration intends to weaken the U.S. CAFE standards conceived under the Obama reign .
Nor is it the years of certain legal battles by U.S. states to contest Trump ’ s proposals .
The reality is , relative to the requirements of China and the EU vehicle legislation , the existing U.S. CAFE is just too weak .
The Obama CAFE formula undermines its target for an average fuel economy of 4.2L/100 km by 2025 by having different @ @ @ @ @ @ @ footprints based on the distance between the front and rear wheels , with less stringent CAFEs for larger vehicles .
With over 70 per cent of U.S. sales being SUVs and light duty trucks , this latter CAFE feature may be regarded as a loophole .
Also dreadful , Trump ’ s CAFE ambitions include reverting back to the previous testing formula , which overestimated “ real world ” fuel economy , skewing the numbers on fuel economy in favour of the automakers .
In Canada , SUVs and light duty trucks represented @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The remaining major component of existing EV initiatives pertains to rebates : the $ 5,000 federal rebate on vehicles under $ 55,000 , provided the base model is under $ 45,000 ; the Quebec rebate of up to $ 8,000 for an EV and $ 600 for the installation and purchase of a wall connector ( charging unit ) for vehicles having a retail price limit of $ 60,000 ; and B.C.
’ s EV rebate of $ 3,000 for vehicles not over $ 55,000 and up to $ 350 for a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and provincial rebate programs , half of the amounts described above apply to plug-in hybrid electric vehicles .
Since EVs are expected to reach purchase price parity around 2022 , the rebates are temporary .
Subsequently , an EV will be less expensive than a comparably equipped legacy vehicle due to lower maintenance and energy costs .
With road transportation representing approximately 60 per cent of petroleum consumption , it is clear aCanadian national holistic vision is required .
This entails the federal government shedding its addictions to fossil fuel industry subsidies and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on the electrification of transport , in collaboration with both the Quebec and Ontario governments plus the EU and China public and private sectors .
On developing the local EV market , one could start with either the quota concept of China or the strict emission standards of the EU .
But the former is probably easier to implement .
From there , there is a whole host of prospects to explore .
Possibilities for collaboration with electric vehicle manufacturers encompass several EV manufacturers in China with ambitions for North America .
This @ @ @ @ @ @ @ which there appears to be considerable distance between announced plans and actions .
BYD is already present with electric bus and truck manufacturing in California and electric buses in Ontario .
The next BYD North American entry phases comprise the BYD e-6 taxis , beginning with Montreal E-Taxi , with a goal of 2,000 units for Quebec by 2022 , and eventually the BYD Qin electric passenger vehicle .
China ’ s NIO is another company that wants in on the North American market .
Presently on the Chinese market , the company @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the ES8 , and a crossover coupe in the Tesla Model Y category , the ES6 .
While there are other Chinese EV manufacturers that will go for the North American market , many Chinese automakers will start their foreign activities on the Old Continent because of the existing strict legislation there .
They include Chery and Geely , the latter the owner of Volvo .
Canada should also be seizing the moment with European manufacturers .
By way of example , the Volkswagen Group has intentions to spend tens of billions to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ globally .
Combined with the above , the Canadian government could look at what China and the EU are doing for ways to strengthen Canada ’ s battery , raw material , manufacturing and recycling sectors .
In China , all electric vehicle batteries for their market must be manufactured domestically .
This has positioned Contemporary Amperex Technology Ltd. , or CATL , to be among the select few global players .
A German CATL plant will start operations in 2022 and , in line with global expansion plans , CATL has set @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and France .
In Germany , government support is anticipated for battery manufacturing .
Completing circular economy considerations , since 95 per cent to 99 per cent of an electric vehicle battery can be recycled , China has issued rules that all battery-powered vehicle manufacturers must be responsible for battery recycling .
China is also experimenting with a battery recycling framework .
Finally , there is the option of a timeline for bans on internal combustion vehicles .
For Norway , the ban comes into effect in 2025 , while for the Netherlands @ @ @ @ @ @ @ apply in 2030 .
Canada has many paths to choose from to change its trajectory , simultaneously developing the EV sector in the country , while lowering emissions from road transportation .

Among the opportunities for Canada are legislative measures taken by China and the European Union, the largest and third- largest vehicle markets, requiring a transition to electric vehicles within a few years. And once global automakers bite the bullet, despite the years to amortize their investments for the most radical change in the industry in a century, the EV technologies wrapped in newly designed vehicle platforms will be available anywhere in the world.
But the piecemeal, one project at-a-time approach doesn’t make any sense when we are up against 400 electric vehicle technology manufacturers in China. In Quebec, there are 147 EV firms, which collectively employ 6,000 people .
Canada does have a significant electric vehicle sector, primarily lin Quebec, and the beginnings of an EV segment in the Ontario auto industry. The current Canadian EV sector covers the entire ecosystem, such as EV school buses, trucks, urban transit buses, powertrains, batteries and raw materials, and charging infrastructure. This is backed up by world-class research capabilities.
And what better time for the federal government to develop an electric vehicle (EV) national strategy?
Following the COVID-19 pandemic, governments around the globe will be massively investing in, and defining policies for, economic recovery. With all fossil fuel sectors in decline, what better time to make the transition to a green economy?
To be a part of this global EV transition, Canada must look east and west, rather than habitually south. The Canadian EV sector already has ties with China and Europe.
Traditionally, Canada has cloned U.S. initiatives to address vehicle fuel consumption. The rationale for this has been Canada is part of an integrated North American market. Yet, if there is anything we have learned from the COVID-19 crisis, it is that Canada must become more self-reliant.
Manufacturers of electric urban transit buses in Canada are Nova Bus , owned by Volvo, and China’s BYD facility, which is in Newmarket, Ont.
Lion Electric is now on the verge of introducing an electric truck, the Lion8 , expected sometime in 2020 . In March 2019, the Québec government injected $8.6 million in the firm. The first order is for one pilot vehicle for the Société des alcools du Québec (liquor board), with an option to buy more later on. In the works for the immediate future are Lion8 garbage/recycling trucks in collaboration with Boivin Évolution , fire trucks, tool trucks, giraffe crane models and ambulances . Partners include Demers for the ambulances and Posi-+ Technologies of Victoriaville, the second-largest giraffe crane truck manufacturer in North America. Lion is also collaborating with Fourgons TRANSIT, Systèmes PRAN et MAXIMETAL .
As of early 2020, 300 Lion school buses were on the roads. In July 2019, Lion won a California contract for 200 electric school buses to be delivered by 2021. And other big contracts appear to be on the horizon.
A user of TM4 electric direct drive technology is Lion of St-Jérôme, Que., one of the pioneers in the manufacturings of electric school buse. Its buses come with options for ranges of 90, 120 and 150 kilometres. Lion has about 600 suppliers, 25 per cent from Quebec .
A core player in the Quebec EV sector is Dana TM4. Hydro-Québec holds a 45 per cent stake in the joint venture with Ohio-based Dana . The firm has electric and hybrid drivetrain manufacturing capabilities in Boucherville, where it produces 5,000 EV motors a year , mainly for export to China. It also has a 50/50 joint venture facility in China with Prestolite E-Propulsion Systems , a supplier for trucks and buses for China and members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations.
In Ontario, the BYD Newmarket plant announced the delivery of its first two zero-emission, battery-electric buses to the Toronto Transit Commission, part of a total order by the TTC for 10 of its 40-foot K9M buses.
Supporting the plans of the Montreal, Laval (STL) and Longueuil (RTL) transit authorities, the Quebec government plan originally called for all urban bus purchases to be electric by 2025 . But the government of Québec is accelerating the timeline by supporting 95 per cent of the initiativeterminating subsidies for buses running on diesel or gasoline only.
Winnipeg’s New Flyer is a Canadian-owned maker of electric buses, however, there is a caveat. New Flyer’s Xcelsior electric buses are manufactured in Alabama at its Vehicle Innovation Center.
The electric passenger vehicle potential in Canada may lie with Ontario’s Magna International. Magna has entered a joint venture with China’s BAIC to take over Beijing Electric Vehicle Co. Ltd., a subsidiary of BAIC.
The in-between Canadian EV manufacturers are the converters of fossil fuel-powered trucks.
One converter is the Quebec startup Nordresa. The company had the potential to attract truck manufacturers with its turn-key solutions, but could not get any financial support from the Québec or federal governments. The result was that Nordresawas sold in August 2019 to the U.S. firm Dana.
Quebec’s EcoTuned recently won a contract with Vidéotron to convert 200 trucks. Vidéotron is expected to eventually purchase 700 new electric trucks.
A look at the EV-charging infrastructure in Canada
The largest concentration of charging stations in North America is the Circuit électrique ADDÉnergie stations funded by Hydro-Québec — 2,300 units as of early 2020. Of this number, there are 225 fast-charging stations.
ADDÉnergie of Quebec City manufactures charging stations under the brand name Flo and has its own Flo network. In addition to an extensive Flo network in Quebec, Flo Canadian stations can be found in New Brunswick and British Columbia. In the U.S., Flo will install 100 stations in New York and recently purchased 125 stations in Los Angeles. As of February, Flo operates more than 5,500 commercial stations, including 225 fast-chargers.
Flo’s private chargers sales in 2019 amounted to about 25,000 units.
Elmec of Shawinigan, Que., is a competitor in electric vehicle-charging infrastructure. It also offers a fullyelectric agriculture robot vehicle.
What’s happening here in EV research
The research and development pillar behind many of the already mentioned stakeholders is the Institut de véhicule innovant (IVI). IVI was involved in the development of the first Lion electric school buses, the Exprolink-Madvac vacuum vehicle, and the Elmec electric robot agriculture vehicle.
The ABB's Excellence in e-mobility centre, a $90-million world headquarters in Montreal, is focused on tailor-made EV infrastructure solutions.
The Hydro-Québec Centre d'excellence en électrification des transports et en stockage d’énergie d’Hydro-Québec has proven to be a global forerunner in battery patents. In February, it signed an agreement with Mercedes to develop solid-state batteries to offer greater range and address battery overheating. The team for this project is made up of 25 researchers in Quebec and Germany.
Battery manufacturing and raw materials
Quebec has a battery manufacturing division of a company from France, Bolloré Blue Solutions.
Completing the battery package, Quebec has all the raw materials for battery manufacturing, lithium, graphite, cobalt and aluminium. But there has yet to be a financially successful firm to exploit the opportunities. Nemaska Lithium is under creditor protection and is restructuring, despite a government of Quebec investment of $130 million for 13 per cent equity. Nouveau Monde Graphite of Saint-Michel-des-Saints has yet to get to the starting point.
A look at Canadian government initiatives
The current Canadian “voluntary targets” for zero emission vehicles is an oxymoron. In the absence of legislation, there is no process in place to verify compliance.
A pillar of existing Canadian EV policy is the Canadian corporate average fuel economy standards (CAFE), which is a copy-and-paste version of the U.S. CAFE. On this, there are several reasons for emulating the EU and China, rather than the U.S.
It is not just a matter that the Trump administration intends to weaken the U.S. CAFE standards conceived under the Obama reign. Nor is it the years of certain legal battles by U.S. states to contest Trump’s proposals. The reality is, relative to the requirements of China and the EU vehicle legislation, the existing U.S. CAFE is just too weak.
The Obama CAFE formula undermines its target for an average fuel economy of 4.2L/100 km by 2025 by having different CAFE targets for each footprint category, footprints based on the distance between the front and rear wheels, with less stringent CAFEs for larger vehicles. With over 70 per cent of U.S. sales being SUVs and light duty trucks, this latter CAFE feature may be regarded as a loophole. Also dreadful, Trump’s CAFE ambitions include reverting back to the previous testing formula, which overestimated “real world” fuel economy, skewing the numbers on fuel economy in favour of the automakers.
In Canada, SUVs and light duty trucks represented 71 per cent of 2019 vehicle sales.
The remaining major component of existing EV initiatives pertains to rebates: the $5,000 federal rebate on vehicles under $55,000, provided the base model is under $45,000; the Quebec rebate of up to $8,000 for an EV and $600 for the installation and purchase of a wall connector (charging unit) for vehicles having a retail price limit of $60,000; and B.C.’s EV rebate of $3,000 for vehicles not over $55,000 and up to $350 for a home wall connector.
For the national and provincial rebate programs, half of the amounts described above apply to plug-in hybrid electric vehicles.
Since EVs are expected to reach purchase price parity around 2022, the rebates are temporary. Subsequently, an EV will be less expensive than a comparably equipped legacy vehicle due to lower maintenance and energy costs.
National Electric Vehicle Strategy: Addressing Recovery and Climate Challenges Concurrently
With road transportation representing approximately 60 per cent of petroleum consumption, it is clear aCanadian national holistic vision is required. This entails the federal government shedding its addictions to fossil fuel industry subsidies and pipelines to serve dead-end markets and focusing on the electrification of transport, in collaboration with both the Quebec and Ontario governments plus the EU and China public and private sectors.
On developing the local EV market, one could start with either the quota concept of China or the strict emission standards of the EU. But the former is probably easier to implement.
From there, there is a whole host of prospects to explore.
Possibilities for collaboration with electric vehicle manufacturers encompass several EV manufacturers in China with ambitions for North America. This contrasts with the U.S. Big 3 for which there appears to be considerable distance between announced plans and actions.
BYD is already present with electric bus and truck manufacturing in California and electric buses in Ontario. The next BYD North American entry phases comprise the BYD e-6 taxis, beginning with Montreal E-Taxi, with a goal of 2,000 units for Quebec by 2022, and eventually the BYD Qin electric passenger vehicle.
China’s NIO is another company that wants in on the North American market. Presently on the Chinese market, the company currently has a seven-passenger electric SUV, the ES8, and a crossover coupe in the Tesla Model Y category, the ES6.
While there are other Chinese EV manufacturers that will go for the North American market, many Chinese automakers will start their foreign activities on the Old Continent because of the existing strict legislation there. They include Chery and Geely, the latter the owner of Volvo.
Canada should also be seizing the moment with European manufacturers. By way of example, the Volkswagen Group has intentions to spend tens of billions to become the No. 1 EV manufacturer globally.
Combined with the above, the Canadian government could look at what China and the EU are doing for ways to strengthen Canada’s battery, raw material, manufacturing and recycling sectors.
In China, all electric vehicle batteries for their market must be manufactured domestically. This has positioned Contemporary Amperex Technology Ltd., or CATL, to be among the select few global players. A German CATL plant will start operations in 2022 and, in line with global expansion plans, CATL has set up subsidiaries in the U.S., Japan and France.
In Germany, government support is anticipated for battery manufacturing.
Completing circular economy considerations, since 95 per cent to 99 per cent of an electric vehicle battery can be recycled, China has issued rules that all battery-powered vehicle manufacturers must be responsible for battery recycling. China is also experimenting with a battery recycling framework.
The European Union has similar requirements.
Finally, there is the option of a timeline for bans on internal combustion vehicles. For Norway, the ban comes into effect in 2025, while for the Netherlands, Denmark and India, the bans apply in 2030.
Canada has many paths to choose from to change its trajectory, simultaneously developing the EV sector in the country, while lowering emissions from road transportation.