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Canada’s trade minister, U.S. ambassador vow closer trade ties, despite differences

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WASHINGTON — In the grand scheme of a volatile and unpredictable world, the Canada-U.S. trade relationship is healthy and only growing stronger, its two senior curators insisted Thursday during a rare joint appearance in Ottawa.

U.S. Trade Representative Katherine Tai was in the national capital for a two-day visit, her first to Canada since President Joe Biden appointed her as his principal international trade emissary last March.

Appearing alongside Trade Minister Mary Ng, Tai acknowledged the various and long-standing irritants that exist between the two countries, but said they pale in comparison to the global challenges looming over the continent.

“If you zoom out, and you look at the fact that the United States and Canada exist in the larger world, then you start to see the real strength and durability of this relationship,” Tai said.

She cited their united front in helping Ukraine in its war with Russia and the U.S.-Canada-Mexico Agreement as “foundational pillars” of their collective effort to work together for each other’s mutual benefit.

“In the context of North America, it is very clear that the success of your economy, your workers, means success for our economy and our workers, and vice versa,” Tai said.

“Policies that erode your industries are the same policies that erode our industries.”

Tai also mentioned the specific issue of solar panels — a dispute resolution panel ruled in February that Trump-era tariffs on Canadian-made solar products were a violation of the USMCA, known in Canada as CUSMA.

The Biden administration has been maintaining the previous president’s tariffs on imports of certain solar components, albeit at lower levels, in an effort to help U.S. manufacturers catch up to competitors like China.

The panel’s final report found that by keeping Canadian exports — a relatively tiny segment of the total — subject to its so-called “safeguard measures,” the U.S. was in violation of its obligations under the deal.

“That is another example where if you zoom in close, you see that as a dispute between the two of us,” Tai said.

“Zoom out, and you realize that we are in this together in terms of competing within a world where we’ve got competitors that are really fierce and we need to work together to meet those challenges.”

She turned taciturn on the subject of Buy American and Buy America, a longtime protectionist doctrine in the U.S. that Biden has embraced enthusiastically when it comes to financing federal infrastructure projects.

Business leaders in Canada fear the chilling effect that Biden’s protectionist rhetoric is having on the ability of contractors and suppliers north of the border to win contracts in the U.S., both in the private sector as well as at lower levels of government.

“Let’s just be very, very clear: those are federal procurement policies, and Canada has federal procurement policies as well,” Tai said.

“I wouldn’t characterize that championship by President Biden as a barrier that the administration is throwing into the U.S.-Canadian trade relationship.”

Dennis Darby, chief executive of Canadian Manufacturers and Exporters, happened to be testifying Thursday before the House of Commons transport committee on the subject of supply chain vulnerabilities.

“We know our government and our diplomatic corps are hard at work mitigating the protectionist tendencies of the current administration in the U.S., (but) we have to keep up the pressure,” Darby told the committee.

“We need to approach this as Buy North America, not Buy America — it’s one way for us to continue to be part of their supply chain, and to shorten their supply chain.”

Ng said she’s looking forward to showing her counterpart a GM facility Friday in Markham, Ont., where they expect to see integrated Canada-U.S. supply chains in action.

With the industry shifting rapidly and dramatically towards electric vehicles, the Canada and U.S. auto sectors are about to become even more closely intertwined, she predicted.

“We’ve been building autos for over 100 years — and for the last 50 years, very deliberately so, through deliberate policies that have integrated our auto supply chains, and the future is electric,” Ng said.

“We are going to invest in, of course, critical minerals, which is the beginning of that value chain, but from critical minerals to electric batteries that will go into those electric vehicles … we’re going to be working with the United States on this.”

The pair were scheduled to meet with union leaders later Thursday, as well as the owners of small and medium-sized businesses Friday in Toronto.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 5, 2022.

 

James McCarten, The Canadian Press

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CP NewsAlert: Two people confirmed killed when Vancouver Island road washed out

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PORT ALBERNI, B.C. – RCMP say the body of a second person has been found inside their vehicle after a road washed away amid pouring rain on the west coast of Vancouver Island.

Police say two vehicles went into the Sarita River when Bamfield Road washed out on Saturday as an atmospheric river hammered southern B.C.

The body of the other driver was found Sunday.

More coming.

The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.



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Sonia Furstenau staying on as B.C. Greens leader in wake of indecisive election

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The B.C. Greens say Sonia Furstenau will be staying on as party leader, despite losing her seat in the legislature in Saturday’s provincial election.

The party says in a statement that its two newly elected MLAs, Jeremy Valeriote and Rob Botterell, support Furstenau’s leadership as they “navigate the prospect of having the balance of power in the legislature.”

Neither the NDP led by Premier David Eby nor the B.C. Conservatives led by John Rustad secured a majority in the election, with two recounts set to take place from Oct. 26 to 28.

Eby says in a news conference that while the election outcome is uncertain, it’s “very likely” that the NDP would need the support of others to pass legislation.

He says he reached out to Furstenau on election night to congratulate her on the Greens’ showing.

But he says the Green party has told the NDP they are “not ready yet” for a conversation about a minority government deal.

The Conservatives went from taking less than two per cent of the vote in 2020 to being elected or leading in 45 ridings, two short of a majority and only one behind the NDP.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 22, 2024.

The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.



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Toronto FC captain Jonathan Osorio making a difference off the pitch as well as on it

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Toronto FC captain Jonathan Osorio is making a difference, 4,175 kilometres away from home.

The 32-year-old Canadian international midfielder, whose parents hail from Colombia, has been working with the Canadian Colombian Children’s Organization, a charity whose goal is to help disadvantaged youth in the South American country.

Osorio has worked behind the scenes, with no fanfare.

Until now, with his benevolence resulting in becoming Toronto FC’s nominee for the Audi Goals Drive Progress Impact Award, which honours an MLS player “who showed outstanding dedication to charitable efforts and serving the community” during the 2024 season.”

Other nominees include Vancouver Whitecaps midfielder Sebastian Berhalter and CF Montreal goalkeeper Jonathan Sirois.

The winner will be announced in late November.

The Canadian Colombian Children’s Organization (CCCO) is run entirely by volunteers like Monica Figueredo and Claudia Soler. Founded in 1991, it received charitable status in 2005.

The charity currently has four projects on the go: two in Medellin and one each in Armenia and Barranquilla.

They include a school, a home for young girls whose parents are addicted to drugs, after-school and weekend programs for children in a disadvantaged neighbourhood, and nutrition and education help for underprivileged youth.

The organization heard about Osorio and was put in contact with him via an intermediary, which led to a lunch meeting. Osorio did his due diligence and soon got back to the charity with his decision.

“It was something that I wanted to be a part of right away,” said Osorio, whose lone regret is that he didn’t get involved sooner.

“I’m fortunate now that to help more now that I could have back then,” he added. “The timing actually worked out for everybody. For the last three years I have donated to their cause and we’ve built a couple of (football) fields in different cities over there in the schools.”

His father visited one of the sites in Armenia close to his hometown.

“He said it was amazing, the kids, how grateful they are to be able to play on any pitch, really,” said Osorio. “But to be playing on a new pitch, they’re just so grateful and so humble.

“It really makes it worth it being part of this organization.”

The collaboration has also made Osorio take stock.

“We’re very fortunate here in Canada, I think, for the most part. Kids get to go to school and have a roof over their head and things like that. In Colombia, it’s not really the same case. My father and his family grew up in tough conditions, so giving back is like giving back to my father.”

Osorio’s help has been a godsend to the charity.

“We were so surprised with how willing he was,” said Soler.

The TFC skipper has helped pay for a football field in Armenia as well as an ambitious sports complex under construction in Barranquilla.

“It’s been great for them,” Figueredo said of the pitch in Armenia. “Because when they go to school, now they have a proper place to train.”

Osorio has also sent videos encouraging the kids to stay active — as well as shipping soccer balls and signed jerseys their way.

“They know more about Jonathan than the other players in Colombia,” Figueredo said. “That’s the funny part. Even though he’s far away, they’ve connected with him.”

“They feel that they have a future, that they can do more,” she added. “Seeing that was really, really great.”

The kids also followed Osorio through the 2022 World Cup and this summer’s Copa America.

Back home, Osorio has also attended the charity’s annual golf tournament, helping raise funds.

A Toronto native, he has long donated four tickets for every TFC home game to the Hospital for Sick Children.

Vancouver’s Berhalter was nominated for his involvement in the Whitecaps’ partnership with B.C. Children’s Hospital while Montreal’s Sirois was chosen for his work with the Montreal Impact Foundation.

Follow @NeilMDavidson on X platform, formerly known as Twitter

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 21, 2024.



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