Both Canada and the European Union are closing their airspace to Russian aircraft operators.
Transport Minister Omar Alghabra announced Canada’s move, which is effective immediately, in a tweet Sunday morning, in Ottawa’s latest response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine earlier this week.
Also on Sunday, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen announced the 27-country bloc will close its airspace, formalizing for the entire group of states what many member nations had already implemented.
Von der Leyen also said the EU would, for the first time, provide direct military aid to a country under attack, as it plans to finance the purchase and delivery of weapons to Ukraine. It also said it would ban some pro-Russian media outlets.
As late as Friday, Alghabra told The Canadian Press this country’s airspace remained open to Russian carriers, but the Transport Department was considering options and working with allies.
Effective immediately, Canada’s airspace is closed to all Russian aircraft operators. We will hold Russia accountable for its unprovoked attacks against Ukraine.
Russia’s flagship carrier Aeroflot operates multiple flights per day through Canadian airspace en route to the U.S. and beyond.
An Aeroflot flight from Miami to Moscow passed through Canadian airspace on Sunday after the ban was announced, according to flight tracking website FlightRadar24.
A spokesperson for Alghabra said air traffic control manager NAV Canada had mistakenly permitted a banned aircraft into Canadian airspace and steps were being taken to ensure it did not happen again.
The decision announced Sunday will add hours to some flights and make others “impossible,” said aerospace consultant Ross Aimer.
Russia has responded by banning commercial flights from the U.K., Poland, Bulgaria and the Czech Republic.
Canada also levied what Prime Minister Justin Trudeau described as “severe, co-ordinated sanctions” on Russian President Vladimir Putin and his inner circle.
On Saturday, North American and European countries, in a move backed by Canada, said they would cut some Russian banks off from the crucial SWIFT financial communications system.
Ukraine has sought no-fly zone
The decision announced Sunday applies to Canada’s own airspace. It’s distinct from a Ukrainian request to establish a military no-fly zone over its airspace, aimed at stopping Russian airstrikes. Speaking to Canadian media Friday, Ukrainian MPs appealed for direct action.
“We need assistance to be able to wake up on Monday morning in an independent and free Ukraine,” said Lesia Vasylenko. Ukraine has closed its airspace to commercial flights.
A Western-backed no-fly zone is “not going to happen,” retired Canadian Forces lieutenant-general Andrew Leslie, a former Liberal MP, told CBC’s Power & Politicson Friday.
Leslie said a no-fly zone would need to be enforced by Western militaries and bring American pilots directly into conflict with Russian forces, risking intense escalation and possible nuclear conflict.
“I’ve never thought that we were closer to nuclear war, world war three, now than any other time in my previous 35 years in the army.”
Defence Minister Anita Anand told CBC’s The House onFriday that a no-fly zone was “not on the table at the current time.”
OTTAWA – Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says the NDP is caving to political pressure from Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre when it comes to their stance on the consumer carbon price.
Trudeau says he believes Jagmeet Singh and the NDP care about the environment, but it’s “increasingly obvious” that they have “no idea” what to do about climate change.
On Thursday, Singh said the NDP is working on a plan that wouldn’t put the burden of fighting climate change on the backs of workers, but wouldn’t say if that plan would include a consumer carbon price.
Singh’s noncommittal position comes as the NDP tries to frame itself as a credible alternative to the Conservatives in the next federal election.
Poilievre responded to that by releasing a video, pointing out that the NDP has voted time and again in favour of the Liberals’ carbon price.
British Columbia Premier David Eby also changed his tune on Thursday, promising that a re-elected NDP government would scrap the long-standing carbon tax and shift the burden to “big polluters,” if the federal government dropped its requirements.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 13, 2024.
Simon Jolin-Barrette, minister responsible for consumer protection, has tabled a bill to force merchants to calculate tips based on the price before tax.
That means on a restaurant bill of $100, suggested tips would be calculated based on $100, not on $114.98 after provincial and federal sales taxes are added.
The bill would also increase the rebate offered to consumers when the price of an item at the cash register is higher than the shelf price, to $15 from $10.
And it would force grocery stores offering a discounted price for several items to clearly list the unit price as well.
Businesses would also have to indicate whether taxes will be added to the price of food products.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 12, 2024.
Quebec legislature member Youri Chassin has announced he’s leaving the Coalition Avenir Québec government to sit as an Independent.
He announced the decision shortly after writing an open letter criticizing Premier François Legault’s government for abandoning its principles of smaller government.
In the letter published in Le Journal de Montréal and Le Journal de Québec, Chassin accused the party of falling back on what he called the old formula of throwing money at problems instead of looking to do things differently.
Chassin says public services are more fragile than ever, despite rising spending that pushed the province to a record $11-billion deficit projected in the last budget.
He is the second CAQ member to leave the party in a little more than one week, after economy and energy minister Pierre Fitzgibbon announced Sept. 4 he would leave because he lost motivation to do his job.
Chassin says he has no intention of joining another party and will instead sit as an Independent until the end of his term.
He has represented the Saint-Jérôme riding since the CAQ rose to power in 2018, but has not served in cabinet.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 12, 2024.
