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Flying objects raise concerns about Arctic security

Published

2 years ago

February 16, 2023

Some politicians and researchers say four flying objects that were discovered, tracked and shot down over U.S. and Canadian airspace in recent weeks highlight the need to improve security in Canada’s Arctic.

“It should be a wake-up call for Canadians in general of the woefully inadequate capacity we have in the North in terms of our military capacity,” said Opposition Yukon Party Leader Currie Dixon.

“The fact that we rely on the American military to a huge degree is simply a fact of life in the North and that’s something I don’t think a lot of other Canadians would find acceptable.”

A high-altitude surveillance balloon of Chinese origin was taken down by an American fighter jet off the coast of South Carolina on Feb. 4 after it flew over Alaska and Canada. China has claimed it was a “civilian airship” conducting meteorological research.

The following week, three unidentified high-altitude airborne objects were subsequently shot down over Alaska, Yukon and Lake Huron in Michigan. Little information has been released about their capabilities, purpose or origins. Recovery efforts are ongoing.

U.S. and Canadian officials have said they don’t believe the objects posed a direct threat to people on the ground, but could have interfered with commercial air traffic.

Dixon said major players other than Canada have increased their military presence in the Arctic, while China has economic interests in the region.

He said Canada also needs to improve its terrestrial, maritime and aerospace security capacity in the North, which should include establishing a permanent military base, a deep water port in the western Arctic and improving ice breaking capacity.

Yukon Premier Ranj Pillai said that last week he discussed Arctic security issues, including modernizing early warning detection, with other premiers, Defence Department officials and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. Investing in communities is also important for Arctic security, he said, pointing to ongoing work in Yukon to construct a fibre optic line and improvements to roadways and the airport in Whitehorse.

“I think it’s time for us to, again as a country, think past election cycles and think about bigger plans so that our country has the appropriate infrastructure in place,” he said.

Pierre Leblanc, a retired colonel and a former commander of Canadian Forces Northern Area, now Joint Task Force North, said successive federal governments have not sufficiently invested in Canada’s defence.

He said has not met the NATO defence spending target of a minimum two per cent of its gross domestic product.

“Canada is recognized as a freeloader on the defence side,” he said.

“There’s an emergency to reverse the trend. We need to invest in the security of Canada.”

Leblanc said there has been increased interest in the Arctic as shipping routes have opened due to melting sea ice and the region has valuable resources, including oil, gas and rare earth metals. He’s also concerned about increasing aggression from China and Russia.

Arctic security has improved, he said, with the deployment of the RADARSAT Constellation — a fleet of Earth observation satellites — and Arctic offshore patrol ships. However, there is no deep sea port in the High Arctic, Canada’s coast guard vessels and naval fleet are aging. A November auditor general report found Ottawa had not addressed long-standing gaps with surveillance of Arctic waters.

“The Arctic is our backyard, if you wish. It’s a beautiful fragile environment and we have a duty to be the stewards of that area,” he said. “We need to understand what’s going on.”

Andrea Charron, director of the Centre for Defence and Security Studies and an associate professor in political studies at the University of Manitoba, said response to the flying objects shows Norad, the North American Aerospace Defence Command, is working but that North America is vulnerable.

“The silver lining to all of this is that Canadians, Americans are waking up to the fact that they have this Norad command,” she said. “I think they’re starting to realize it’s actually the first line of defence for North America.”

Charron said Norad needs to be modernized by updating the North Warning System. There are other gaps in Arctic security beyond defence, such as the lack of housing and reliable internet, and limited transportation infrastructure, she added.

“The Arctic football tends to get kicked down the field often because we’re talking about quite eye-watering amounts of funding,” she said.

Adam Lajeunesse, Irving Shipbuilding Chair in Canadian Arctic Marine Security Policy and assistant professor at St. Francis Xavier University, said the Canadian Arctic is not directly at risk, but threats could travel through the region to strategic targets elsewhere in North America.

Greater safety and security concerns in the region, he said, include illegal fishing, trespassing and environmental damage, which have been the focus of the Canadian Armed Forces. He said that’s a more appropriate allocation of resources than defence spending.

The Canadian government has made several funding commitments to improve security in the North. In June, the national defence minister announced $4.9 billion over six years to modernize Norad and long-term plans to invest $38.6 billion over 20 years.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Feb. 16, 2023.

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This story was produced with the financial assistance of the Meta and Canadian Press News Fellowship.

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Peter Nygard sentenced to 11 years for sexual assault convictions

Published

2 hours ago

September 9, 2024

Anne Joseph

TORONTO – Former fashion mogul Peter Nygard is a “sexual predator” who showed no empathy for his victims, an Ontario judge said Monday as he sentenced the disgraced tycoon to 11 years in prison for his crimes in Toronto.

The 83-year-old’s time behind bars will work out to a little less than seven years after accounting for credit he received for time already spent in custody, and Nygard will be eligible to apply for parole in two years.

Justice Robert Goldstein, who presided over the case, called Nygard “a Canadian success story gone very wrong.”

“Peter Nygard is a sexual predator,” Goldstein told the court in issuing his sentence.

Nygard, who arrived in court in a wheelchair, did not address the courtroom when given the opportunity.

He was convicted of four counts of sexual assault last November but acquitted of a fifth count as well as one of forcible confinement.

The charges stemmed from allegations dating from the 1980s until the mid-2000s, as multiple women accused Nygard of sexually assaulting them at his company’s headquarters in Toronto.

Nygard’s lawyer had argued for a six-year sentence, citing her client’s age and poor health, while the Crown sought a sentence of 15 years.

The judge dismissed the argument for a shorter sentencing, noting that Nygard has been receiving special treatment in custody due to his various health issues and that his advanced age is not reason enough to limit the sentence. Goldstein also suggested Nygard had been exaggerating his health issues in his submissions to the court.

The judge further said one of several aggravating factors in the case was the fact that one of the victims was just 16 years old.

Nygard’s lawyer previously argued in court that a lengthy sentence would be “crushing” for her client, who has Type 2 diabetes and deteriorating vision, among other health issues.

Nygard founded a fashion company in Winnipeg in 1967 that ultimately became Nygard International.

His company produced women’s clothing under several brand names and had corporate facilities in both Canada and the U.S. His stores throughout Winnipeg were once draped in his photos.

Aside from his Toronto case, Nygard is also facing charges in Quebec, Manitoba and the United States.

He was first arrested in Winnipeg in 2020 under the Extradition Act after he was charged with nine counts in New York, including sex trafficking and racketeering charges.

In May, Manitoba’s highest court dismissed Nygard’s application for a judicial review of his extradition order, finding there was no reason to interfere with the order issued by then-justice minister David Lametti.

None of the criminal charges against Nygard in Quebec, Manitoba or the U.S. have been tested in court, and he has denied all allegations against him.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 9, 2024.

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Former fashion tycoon Peter Nygard’s long-delayed sentencing expected today

Published

5 hours ago

September 9, 2024

Anne Joseph

TORONTO – Former fashion mogul Peter Nygard is expected to be sentenced for his sexual assault convictions today, after multiple delays in the case that have stretched for months.

The 83-year-old was convicted on four charges last November but the sentencing process has dragged on for several reasons, including Nygard’s difficulties in retaining legal counsel.

The sentencing was postponed once again last month because one of the Crown attorneys was out of the country.

Nygard’s latest lawyer is seeking a six-year sentence, citing her client’s age and health issues, while prosecutors have asked for a sentence of 15 years.

Nygard, who once helmed a successful women’s fashion company, was accused of sexually assaulting multiple women at his firm’s Toronto headquarters from the 1980s until the mid-2000s.

He was ultimately convicted of four counts of sexual assault but acquitted of a fifth count as well as one of forcible confinement.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 9, 2024.

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CanadaNewsMedia news September 9, 2024: Liberal caucus gathers for retreat in Nanaimo

Published

7 hours ago

September 9, 2024

Anne Joseph

Here is a roundup of stories from CanadaNewsMedia designed to bring you up to speed…

Liberal caucus gathers for retreat in Nanaimo

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau may be bracing for an earful from his caucus when Liberal MPs gather in Nanaimo, B.C. today to plot their strategy for the coming election year.

It will be the first time he faces them as a group since MPs departed Ottawa in the spring.

Still stinging from a devastating byelection loss earlier this summer, the caucus is now also reeling from news that their national campaign director has resigned and the party can no longer count on the NDP to stave off an early election.

The governing Liberals found themselves in political freefall last summer and despite efforts to refocus on key issues like housing and affordability, the polls have not moved back in their favour.

Simmering calls for a new leader reached a new intensity earlier this summer when the Conservatives won over a longtime Liberal stronghold in a major byelection upset in Toronto-St. Paul’s.

Here’s what else we’re watching…

Sentencing expected for Coutts protesters

A judge is expected to hand down sentences today for two men convicted for their roles in the 2022 Coutts, Alta., border blockade.

Anthony Olienick and Chris Carbert were convicted last month of public mischief over $5,000 and possessing a firearm dangerous to the public peace. Olienick was also convicted of possessing a pipe bomb.

A jury found them not guilty of the most serious charge they faced: conspiracy to murder police officers.

The men were charged after RCMP found guns, ammunition and body armour in trailers near the blockade at the key Canada-U.S. border crossing.

The blockade was one of several held across the country to protest COVID-19 rules and vaccine mandates.

Group calls for more tracking of health care funds

The Canadian Medical Association says there should be better tracking of health care spending, following health care agreements the federal government has signed with the provinces and territories.

The doctors’ group has released a new report calling for a greater commitment to tracking improvements in delivery and patient outcomes, citing the complexity of the deals.

It says the report outlines gaps in the agreements, such as that no province or territory has set targets for eliminating emergency room closures.

The medical association wants to establish a national health accountability officer, who would be focused on tracking progress and reporting on the efficiency of health care spending.

Last year, Ottawa announced $196 billion in funding over 10 years to improve access to health care, of which about $45 billion was new money.

Unions face battle organizing Amazon in Canada

Unions trying to organize at Amazon workplaces across Canada are facing a series of hurdles, including legal challenges and alleged anti-union tactics from the e-commerce giant.

Labour laws in Canada are generally stronger than those south of the border, where unions also face an uphill battle, experts say.

Amazon has challenged multiple steps of the certification process at several warehouses in Canada. It has been accused by unions of employing tactics to prevent workers from organizing, such as workplace messages and hiring sprees, which the company denies.

“Our employees have the right to choose to join a union or not to do so. They always have,” Amazon spokeswoman Barbara Agrait said in a statement, responding to characterizations of Amazon as anti-union.

She added that Amazon doesn’t think unions are the best option for its employees.

Peter Nygard’s sentencing expected today

Former fashion mogul Peter Nygard is expected to be sentenced for his sexual assault convictions today, after multiple delays in the case that have stretched for months.

The 83-year-old was convicted on four charges last November but the sentencing process has dragged on for several reasons, including Nygard’s difficulties in retaining legal counsel.

The sentencing was postponed once again last month because one of the Crown attorneys was out of the country.

Nygard’s latest lawyer is seeking a six-year sentence, citing her client’s age and health issues, while prosecutors have asked for a sentence of 15 years.

Nygard, who once helmed a successful women’s fashion company, was accused of sexually assaulting multiple women at his firm’s Toronto headquarters from the 1980s until the mid-2000s.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 9, 2024.

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