Innovation Minister Navdeep Bains isn’t saying whether Canada will look to follow the U.K.’s decision to allow Huawei into non-core parts of its 5G networks.
Officials in the U.K. announced on Tuesday morning that they will allow the Chinese telecom giant to build some parts of their new spectrum but would bar it from working on “sensitive parts” of the infrastructure network. That comes despite warnings from the U.S. that the Chinese firm poses a spying risk and that it might not share intelligence with countries that decide to use its equipment in their development of 5G networks.
Canada is now the only member of the Five Eyes intelligence alliance that has not made up its mind on whether to use Huawei in 5G development and Bains offered no insight when pressed by reporters on Tuesday as to when that decision — in the works for more than a year — could come.
“We have not made a determination at this moment,” said Bains, who was then asked why it was taking so long to make the decision.
“We’re just being very thoughtful and very deliberate. We want to do our appropriate due diligence to make a decision that is in the best interests of Canadians, and we want to make sure that we go about it in the appropriate manner.”
But it has repeatedly delayed its timeline for announcing the results of that review, initially saying in May of last year it would come before the fall election but then in July 2019 saying the decision would not be made until after the election.
Since October though, there has been no indication of where the government is at and when a decision will come.
Bains said on Tuesday that the government is continuing to talk with its allies to understand the positions they are taking but would not say whether the U.K.’s path was one the Liberal government is considering.
“They’re an ally, and we’re engaged with them. We’re speaking with them, so of course we’re looking at what decisions they’ve made and how they plan to implement those decisions,” he said.
“But we’re not going to make a decision based on one particular jurisdiction, we’re going to look at what’s in Canadians interests.”
Until Tuesday, the U.K. was the last member of the Five Eyes apart from Canada that had not yet formally announced a decision on Huawei.
The U.S. has urged allies not to use parts from the company, citing Chinese laws requiring Chinese companies to spy for the government if asked to do so.
Huawei Canada has insisted it would refuse such a request and that its technology does not pose a threat.
Still, the U.S., Australia and New Zealand have all implemented bans on the use of Huawei in their 5G development.
New Zealand’s national security agency warned last year that it had identified “significant national security risks” associated with using the company’s technology.
Ward Elcock, former director of the Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS), says he does not think that Canada should look to the U.K. as an example of a path forward and suggested the decision to bar Huawei from core parts of its network makes it clear the U.K. sees concerns.
“The British have clearly said the Chinese are a problem, Huawei is a potential problem, we’ll try and risk manage the system. That’s essentially what they’re doing,” he said in an interview with Global News.
“Risk management is by definition admission that there’s a problem and that even if you are managing the risk, there may still be problems. It doesn’t seem to me that it’s in our interests to accept that risk.”
He added that the U.K. is in a different situation than Canada for several reasons: first, because its networks are not as closely tied to the American networks as Canada’s are; and second, that a British government facing down the market-roiling impact of a hard Brexit is likely looking to limit financial shocks as much as possible.
“We’re a relatively small player so they probably can push the envelope more than we can. They have a communications system that is connected, we have a communications system which is integrated with the American system. I think that makes our problem harder than it is for the U.K.,” he said.
“They’ve just had Brexit. They would like to keep the London financial market as vibrant as it has been over past years. They hardly want to irritate the Chinese.”
“Unless it is going to be a pro-Chinese decision — that could come sooner — but if it’s going to be a no, my guess is it won’t come soon because of the case of the Canadians detained in China,” he said, referring to the arbitrary detentions of Michael Kovrig and Michael Spavor by China.
The detentions came in apparent retaliation for the arrest of Huawei CFO Meng Wanzhou by Canadian authorities in December 2018 in response to an extradition request from the U.S., with which Canada has a longstanding extradition treaty.
The U.S. has since charged Meng and her company with 23 counts of skirting sanctions on Iran and corporate fraud.
Elcock says he thinks it’s clear what could happen to them if Canada were to issue a decision on Huawei that the Chinese government doesn’t like.
“I don’t think there’s not much doubt that, were we to allow Huawei not to compete in the 5G system, the reaction from China would not be positive.”
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.
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.
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.
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This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 21, 2024.
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