Assistance captured in the Agreement on Security Cooperation between Canada and Ukraine
Financial and military support Funding: $3.02 billion for 2024 Canada will provide critical financial and military support to Ukraine in 2024, including new financial support for Ukraine to meet its balance of payments and budgetary needs and stabilize its economy. This also includes the first year of a new multi-year military assistance commitment that will enable enhanced contributions to the Ukraine Defence Contact Group (UDCG) Armoured Coalition and Air Force Coalition, as well as military assistance previously committed to Ukraine that will be delivered in 2024.
New peace and security assistance
Demining assistance and cyber resilience Funding: $45 million This funding will support and help expedite demining efforts in Ukraine, including by supporting Ukrainian government and civilian demining agencies with demining equipment, training, and technical expertise to clear communities and agricultural fields from unexploded ordnance. In addition, in close coordination with likeminded partners, this funding will provide targeted capacity-building support to strengthen the ability of Ukrainian institutions to deter and counter cyber-enabled threats from Russia and Russian-affiliated non-state actors.
Support for Ukraine from the Canadian Security Intelligence Service Funding: $30 million This funding will support ongoing engagement by the Canadian Security Intelligence Service with the Ukrainian Intelligence Service, including for intelligence collection, and enable the provision of material support.
New preservation assistance
Support to complete the National Museum of the Holodomor-Genocide Funding: $15 million This project funding will support the completion of the National Museum of the Holodomor-Genocide in Kyiv, helping preserve the memory of victims and survivors of the Holodomor, a systemic and heinous campaign of deliberate starvation by the Soviet regime that killed millions across Ukraine in 1932 and 1933.
Allocation of development funding
Canada-International Finance Corporation Facility for Resilient Food Systems Funding: $15 million The Facility mobilizes private capital to address critical financing needs and disruptions to agricultural production and agri-food supply chains with the goal to enhance people’s food security, food system resilience, and well-being through improved food availability and food affordability. It provides advisory and technical services to local financial service providers, agri-businesses, and farmers along the food value chain to improve their long-term financial sustainability, gender responsiveness, and resilience to climate risks so they can continue to deliver much-needed food to communities experiencing poverty. Through Canada’s contribution of $100 million announced in May 2023, the Facility is providing funding to ensure financial continuity for MHP, a leading Ukrainian agribusiness group that produces and exports poultry, produces grain, and processes meat for domestic and international markets. This new investment has already played an essential role in mobilizing a total of $480 million in financing from other investors and donors.
Reinforcing essential mental health services Funding: $10 million Russia’s war on Ukraine will have long-lasting negative impacts on the mental health of Ukrainians. Men, women, and children experience mental health trauma in different ways, and require targeted and tailored initiatives. This project from the World Health Organization will contribute to strengthening the systems for and delivery of mental health and psychosocial support in Ukraine. Specifically, Canada’s contribution is supporting three key strategic priorities: strengthening mental health and psychosocial support; advancing Ukraine’s capacity to provide comprehensive and human rights-oriented mental health and social care services; and responding to the mental health needs of vulnerable populations during emergencies.
Supporting local development and reconstruction efforts in Ukraine’s hromadas Funding: $10 million This project from the International Organization for Migration will build on previous efforts to support decentralized recovery programming in Ukraine’s municipalities (or hromadas). Canada’s contribution will help establish a small grants and technical assistance mechanism to empower community-based and civil society organizations to lead in the identification and implementation of local, community-level activities for recovery, reconstruction, and development. Up to five hromadas will be supported to implement inclusive, gender-responsive, and durable community priorities, through grant support and capacity-building training.
Support to Ukraine’s Reforms in Governance (SURGe) Project Funding: Up to $4 million Recovery must be developed in close consultation with local communities and take into consideration the needs of vulnerable populations. This new funding will support the SURGe Project’s Community-Led Inclusive Recovery component to help the Government of Ukraine develop a national approach for community-led recovery initiatives and roll out a national digital planning and monitoring platform. Technical experts will be deployed to provide expertise to 19 selected communities across seven provinces (or oblasts) in order to build inclusive recovery plans that are aligned with national frameworks and priorities and respond to the specific needs of women and girls, returning veterans, marginalized groups, and those displaced by the war.
Allocation of humanitarian funding
Two years into the conflict, the toll on Ukraine’s population remains staggering. An estimated 14.6 million people (approximately 40 per cent of Ukraine’s population) are expected to require humanitarian assistance this year. Canada remains committed to supporting the lifesaving needs of those affected and is providing new funding to support trusted United Nations and Red Cross partners in delivering critical assistance, including emergency health interventions, protection services, shelter, water, sanitation, and food, as well as the promotion of respect for international humanitarian law. Today’s announcement includes the following new contributions, for a total of $22.5 million from our commitment of $352.5 million:
$10 million for the World Food Programme to support immediate food needs through in-kind food assistance, multi-purpose cash assistance, and humanitarian logistics.
$5 million for the United Nations Refugee Agency to assist internally displaced persons and other persons of concern in meeting their basic needs through shelter, water and sanitation, and health services, in addition to education and protection services.
$4 million for the Ukraine Humanitarian Fund coordinated through the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, which channels resources to humanitarian partners, including local partners, in order to respond to the critical needs of conflict-affected populations.
$3.5 million for the International Committee of the Red Cross to provide protection, emergency relief, and other essential services, and to promote international humanitarian law.
Allocation of peace, security, and stabilization funding
Building counter-nuclear smuggling capabilities in Ukraine Funding: $4 million This project from the United States Department of Energy seeks to reduce the threat to the Ukrainian population from stolen or illicitly trafficked nuclear or radiological materials. It will prioritize areas facing imminent threats and security vulnerabilities, including near sensitive nuclear facilities and Ukraine’s larger, most populous cities. Canada’s contribution will help provide radiation detection, communication, patrol equipment, and mobile detection vehicles to the State Emergency Service of Ukraine, as well as related training on equipment operation and maintenance.
Gender-inclusive demining for sustainable futures in Ukraine Funding: $4 million This project from the HALO Trust aims to safeguard the lives and livelihoods of Ukrainians, including women and internally displaced persons, by addressing the threat of explosive ordnance present across vast areas of the country. Project activities include conducting non-technical surveys and subsequent manual clearance in targeted communities; providing capacity building to key national stakeholders; and establishing a gender and diversity working group to promote gender-transformative mine action in Ukraine.
Community-based protection and effective civil-military engagement in Ukraine Funding: $2.5 million This project from the Center for Civilians in Conflict helps prevent, mitigate, and respond to harm caused by armed conflict to Ukrainian civilians, who are often vulnerable and at risk during military operations. It advances sustainable protection solutions that better ensure the safety and security of Ukrainians by strengthening coordination and collaboration between military and non-military actors – including community leaders, local authorities, military administrations, non-governmental organizations, and security and defence partners – to address immediate and future threats resulting from military operations. Project activities include: capacity building on civilian protection strategies and tools for communities and protection actors; training for security and defence actors on how to improve the protection of civilians through co-operation and coordination; and analysis and policy development to track, mitigate, and respond to civilian harm.
Demining sustainability support to Ukraine Funding: $2.4 million This new funding, provided through the Canadian Commercial Corporation, will help ensure the ongoing operation and effectiveness of a fleet of 12 remote-controlled demining systems provided by Canada to the State Emergency Service of Ukraine in 2023. It will support the provision of 12 months of on-site technical support, training, and mentorship and of a robust supply of additional spare parts for demining systems.
Rescue and resilience for Ukrainian civil society Funding: $2 million Two years ago, the German Marshall Fund (GMF) established a multi-donor emergency assistance program to provide support to Ukrainian civil society organizations to enable them to respond to emerging needs across the country. This new funding will enable GMF to expand support to Ukrainian civil society and local media actors, particularly in newly liberated and frontline areas where needs are high. To date, GMF has distributed over 240 sub-grants to local civil society organizations to strengthen their immediate physical and cyber-security as well as the security of community members, counter local disinformation, reintegrate displaced people, and support rebuilding and recovery efforts.
Geneva International Centre for Humanitarian Demining’s Support Programme for Ukraine Funding: $1.5 million Canada recognizes the critical importance of decontaminating Ukraine’s territory as quickly and effectively as possible to allow for recovery and reconstruction and to protect people and communities. This funding will support the efforts of the Geneva International Centre for Humanitarian Demining to enhance the capacity of Ukrainian mine action institutions to implement effective and gender-responsive mine action operations, develop country-appropriate information management solutions, and lead efficient mine action donor coordination platforms.
Strengthening truth, transparency, and democracy to counter disinformation Funding: $930,000 Canada is providing funding to Internews Ukraine to help enhance the literacy and fact-checking capabilities of Ukraine’s media in order to better counter disinformation in the country. This project includes a comprehensive skills-transfer program to enhance the capacity of Ukrainian journalists and civil society organizations to carry out fact-checking and verification; a new network of media literacy clubs across Ukraine to empower citizens to critically assess media content and identify disinformation; and a public awareness campaign on media literacy and fact-checking to help Ukrainians critically evaluate and verify information. This initiative will also address gender disparity issues in the Ukrainian media.
Support for the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons’ (OPCW) Ukraine Assistance Programme Funding: $750,000 This OPCW project aims to enhance the capacity of first responders in Ukraine to prevent, detect, and respond to all manner of chemical-weapons-related threats. Project activities include the acquisition and delivery to the State Security Service of Ukraine of detection, identification, and monitoring equipment for first responders as well as the provision of capacity building training on the delivered equipment.
EDMONTON – RCMP say a second suspect has been arrested in the killing of an Alberta county worker.
Mounties say 28-year-old Elijah Strawberry was taken into custody Friday at a house on O’Chiese First Nation.
Colin Hough, a worker with Rocky View County, was shot and killed while on the job on a rural road east of Calgary on Aug. 6.
Another man who worked for Fortis Alberta was shot and wounded, and RCMP said the suspects fled in a Rocky View County work truck.
Police later arrested Arthur Wayne Penner, 35, and charged him with first-degree murder and attempted murder, and a warrant was issued for Strawberry’s arrest.
RCMP also said there was a $10,000 reward for information leading to the arrest of Strawberry, describing him as armed and dangerous.
Chief Supt. Roberta McKale, told a news conference in Edmonton that officers had received tips and information over the last few weeks.
“I don’t know of many members that when were stopped, fuelling up our vehicles, we weren’t keeping an eye out, looking for him,” she said.
But officers had been investigating other cases when they found Strawberry.
“Our investigators were in O’Chiese First Nation at a residence on another matter and the major crimes unit was there working another file and ended up locating him hiding in the residence,” McKale said.
While an investigation is still underway, RCMP say they’re confident both suspects in the case are in police custody.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 13, 2024.
RICHMOND, B.C. – The Integrated Homicide Investigation Team says the 26-year-old son of a man found dead on British Columbia’s Sunshine Coast has been charged with his murder.
Police say 58-year-old Henry Doyle was found badly injured on a forest service road in Egmont last September and died of his injuries.
The homicide team took over when the BC Coroners Service said the man’s death was suspicious.
It says in a statement that the BC Prosecution Service has approved one count of first-degree murder against the man’s son, Jackson Doyle.
Police say the accused will remain in custody until at least his next court appearance.
The homicide team says investigators remained committed to solving the case with the help of the community of Egmont, the RCMP on the Sunshine Coast and in Richmond, and the Vancouver Police Department.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 13, 2024.
VANCOUVER – Mediated talks between the union representing HandyDART workers in Metro Vancouver and its employer, Transdev, have broken off without an agreement following 15 hours of talks.
Joe McCann, president of Amalgamated Transit Union Local 1724, says they stayed at the bargaining table with help from a mediator until 2 a.m. Friday and made “some progress.”
However, he says the union negotiators didn’t get an offer that they could recommend to the membership.
McCann says that in some ways they are close to an agreement, but in other areas they are “miles apart.”
About 600 employees of the door-to-door transit service for people who can’t navigate the conventional transit system have been on strike since last week, pausing service for all but essential medical trips.
McCann asks HandyDART users to be “patient,” since they are trying to get not only a fair contract for workers but also a better service for customers.
He says it’s unclear when the talks will resume, but he hopes next week at the latest.
The employer, Transdev, didn’t reply to an interview request before publication.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 13, 2024.
