The Canadian government will begin airlifting citizens and their families out of Israel by Thursday or Friday, while pledging no stone will go unturned as officials continue to seek confirmation of how many Canadians have been killed or remain missing, while providing new details about plans to send hostage negotiators.
Foreign Affairs Minister Melanie Joly confirmed Wednesday that two Canadians are confirmed dead, and a third is presumed dead in Israel.
Joly said the government is following reports that another three Canadians remain missing and officials are in contact with these individuals’ families to offer support, and with local authorities as well as allied countries to gather additional information and intelligence.
She would not confirm if there are any Canadians among the hundreds of hostages, saying she didn’t want to “increase the value and put their lives in danger.”
However the minister indicated Canada has been in contact with the chief negotiator of hostages in Israel, and will be sending “a team of experts,” to support the officials on the ground in Israel that are engaged in hostage negotiations, as officials noted that not all cases of missing Canadians would necessarily be hostages.
Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson Lior Haiat told reporters Wednesday he does not believe Israel asked Canada for negotiators, because it is “not the time” for that as they are still “counting our bodies” and “fighting terrorists.” Though, he said the hostages are believed to include many dual-nationals, including Canadians.
Later Wednesday, the Canadian government issued a statement, urging “restraint when communicating about reported incidents of hostage-taking situations, noting “public communications relating to hostages could potentially prolong the ordeal and further endanger lives,” and be “extremely distressing for family and friends of the victims.”
The latest federal figures are that 4,227 Canadians are registered in Israel and an additional 475 Canadians are registered in Gaza and the West Bank. Global Affairs Canada says it has responded to 1,990 enquiries since the beginning of the conflict.
Condemning Hamas’ attacks and calling for the violence to end and for hostages to be released, the minister was joined by Chief of Defence Staff Wayne Eyre to provide the latest on the Israel-Hamas war.
Now into its fifth day, the fighting sparked by Canadian-designated terrorist group Hamas’ incursion into Israel and Israeli reprisal strikes has killed, injured, displaced and stranded thousands, including Canadian citizens.
However, by mid-afternoon, the Jewish Foundation of Ottawa held a press conference where they said 33-year-old Adi Vital-Kaploun(opens in a new tab) was killed by Hamas in Israel.
After initially indicating that three Canadians were confirmed killed, Joly and Global Affairs Canada’s assistant deputy minister for consular security and emergency management, Julie Sunday, clarified that the third death is presumed, as Israeli authorities have not provided confirmation.
“Often families or friends will call us when they suspect someone has been injured or killed,” Sunday said, adding that Canadian officials then work with officials to confirm, through identification.
“That can be quite complex given the scale of some of the attacks, so we’re working with Israeli authorities to confirm all of what we suspect are deaths,” Sunday said. “In this case, they’ve been quite overwhelmed, so it’s taken some time.”
Joly said she spoke with Look’s family on Tuesday, and that it was one of the most difficult calls she has ever had to make.
“As we continue to watch the horrors unfold… I extend my condolences to all of those who have lost loved ones following the terrorist attacks in Israel. The pain and suffering that we continue to bear witness to cannot be measured,” Joly said.
“Young lives have been cut short, families have been ripped apart, and it is absolutely heartbreaking. It is being felt in homes and communities across Canada.”
EVERYTHING WE KNOW ABOUT AIRLIFTS
Joly announced Wednesday that Canadian Armed Forces aircraft will shuttle those looking to leave the region from the Ben Gurion Airport in Tel Aviv to Athens starting later this week. From Greece—a safe third country—an Air Canada plane and crew will bring Canadians back to Toronto or Montreal.
Two CC-150 Airbus Polaris military aircraft will be used for these flights, Eyre said, one from Europe and one from CFB Trenton, with the first plane expected to land in Athens late Wednesday. The top military general said that “tabletop” planning exercises taking place in the coming hours, will work out “the most effective and efficient” plan to determine the number of flights per day.
“It will be demand-driven” by how many Canadians are asking to get out, Eyre said. But the offer will be time-limited, given the current issues accessing flights to North America aren’t expected to be long-lasting.
The Canadian government first announced Tuesday night that it will assist Canadians departing “in the coming days,” and that the flights will be open Canadian citizens, their spouses, and their children; as well as Canadian permanent residents, their spouses and their children.
“Let me be clear, this includes dual nationals,” Joly said.
Canadian travellers in Israel have told CTV News(opens in a new tab) that so far, they have been unable to find a way home amid airline cancellations and challenges receiving assistance from the embassy despite consular capacity increasing. This prompted calls from the federal opposition parties for immediate emergency airlifts.
“I haven’t been able to get a hold of actually anyone…I don’t really know what to do… I’m praying that Canada will be able to get me and other families that are desperately trying to get out of here,” said Alva Yaffe, a Canadian and a single mother who’s trying to get home to Canada who spoke with CTV News’ Adrian Ghobrial north of Tel Aviv on Wednesday.
“This is actual war… and we don’t feel safe here, we feel safe in Canada.”
Defending the amount of time it is taking to mobilize military airlifts, Eyre said once the conflict started, troops “immediately” started planning options for what support Canada could provide, but considerations around the security situation, resources, flight and landing clearances had to be worked out first.
Sunday said the rather rare pivot to evacuation flights came after an influx of calls came in to consular officials from citizens unable to access commercial options.
While noting that other major allies such as the U.S. have yet to embark on assisted departures, Joly also said she is working on additional options for those who cannot reach the airport in Tel Aviv.
A technical briefing held by federal foreign affairs, immigration and defence officials speaking on a not-for-attribution basis provided further details on Wednesday afternoon, including that the current estimate is flights will begin late Thursday evening, or on Friday.
The tentative plan is likely three flights per day, 150 personnel per flight, officials said.
Canada will prioritize documented and travel-ready passengers, stranded tourists and the most vulnerable, and will be able to facilitate transport to the airport for some, as well as provide medical services on-board, as needed.
Immigration officials are working with embassy staff on any instances where those looking to board planes to Canada do not have their passport or necessary travel authorization documentation with them, to validate identification.
And, while Canadians will not be charged for the assisted departure flights from Israel to Athens, onward travel and accommodation will be at individuals’ expense.
Should there be room on the last flight or flights, federal officials indicated Canada was open to allowing citizens from allied nations who aren’t offering airlifts, to board.
While Conservative deputy leader Melissa Lantsman said she was glad to see airlifts confirmed, the Official Opposition remains unsatisfied with the information provided, saying “too many Canadians are left without answers to key questions as they are planning to leave.”
“By the time the government’s first flights leave, almost a week will have passed since the attack,” Lantsman said. “The minister should have instructed officials on Saturday morning to begin preparations for evacuation flights for Canadians. There should be flights already departing and bringing Canadians home.”
CONSULAR AID OFFERED 24/7: OFFICIALS
The government is imploring any Canadians in the region who have not yet registered to do so, so that embassy officials can share more information about these upcoming flights and any other key security and safety information directly with them.
Officials are also going back to all who have called so far, to inquire about interest in assisted departure.
Noting that it is “a time of great uncertainty and of great anxiety,” Joly said the missions in Tel Aviv and Ramallah remain open and officials in Ottawa, Jordan, Egypt and Lebanon are offering emergency surge support 24/7, with minimal delays for those calling to get through.
Additional consular staff is being deployed to various locations in the region.
During the technical briefing, officials said the government has activated the emergency watch and response centre in Ottawa, where 20 people were staffing the phones overnight, responding to more than 1,000 inquiries since Oct. 7. The Canadian government wants anyone looking for the most up-to-date information to visit their online crisis webpage(opens in a new tab), which will include travel advisory guidance.
“We will work to provide consular assistance to all Canadians, whether they are in Gaza, the West Bank, or in Israel,” said one official during Wednesday’s briefing.
WHAT ABOUT GAZA EVACUATIONS?
As for the nearly 500 Canadians that have registered from Gaza or the West Bank, the best estimate that officials could provide is of the 250 people in these areas that have asked for federal help, 70 are in Gaza specifically.
So far Canada has no concrete plans to evacuate given there is no humanitarian corridor, but Joly said they are looking at the potential of moving people through Jordan to access commercial flights.
“What I can tell you also is that should the United Nations work on an evacuation, we would be working with them. We’ve done so in the past, but at this point, there has been no information coming from the UN regarding evacuation as we speak, but we keep our options open,” Joly said.
The government confirmed on Tuesday that it will continue to send humanitarian aid to Gaza and the West Bank, where federal officials say roughly 264,000 Palestinians have been internally displaced, but insists it will ensure none of the funds will end up in the hands of designated terrorist organization Hamas.
“The humanitarian situation in Gaza was dire before this weekend, and this will only deteriorate the situation further,” Joly said, noting she is anxious about “what will happen next.”
“We urge all parties to respect international humanitarian law, and to provide humanitarian access to Gaza,” Joly said.
WINNIPEG – Some 250 coloured tacks pepper a large-scale world map among bookshelves at Whodunit Mystery Bookstore.
Estonia, Finland, Japan and even Fenwick, Ont., have pins representing places outside Winnipeg where someone has ordered a page-turner from the independent bookstore that specializes in mystery and crime fiction novels.
For 30 years, the store has been offering fans of Agatha Christie’s Hercule Poirot or Arthur Conan Doyle’s Sherlock Holmes a place to get lost in whodunits both old and new.
Jack and Wendy Bumsted bought the shop in the Crescentwood neighbourhood in 2007 from another pair of mystery lovers.
The married couple had been longtime customers of the store. Wendy Bumsted grew up reading Perry Mason novels while her husband was a historian with vast knowledge of the crime fiction genre.
At the time, Jack Bumsted was retiring from teaching at the University of Manitoba when he was looking for his next venture.
“The bookstore came up and we bought it, I think, within a week,” Wendy Bumsted said in an interview.
“It never didn’t seem like a good idea.”
In the years since the Bumsteds took ownership, the family has witnessed the decline in mail-order books, the introduction of online retailers, a relocation to a new space next to the original, a pandemic and the death of beloved co-owner Jack Bumsted in 2020.
But with all the changes that come with owning a small business, customers continue to trust their next mystery fix will come from one of the shelves at Whodunit.
Many still request to be called about books from specific authors, or want to be notified if a new book follows their favourite format. Some arrive at the shop like clockwork each week hoping to get suggestions from Wendy Bumsted or her son on the next big hit.
“She has really excellent instincts on what we should be getting and what we should be promoting,” Micheal Bumsted said of his mother.
Wendy Bumsted suggested the store stock “Thursday Murder Club,” the debut novel from British television host Richard Osman, before it became a bestseller. They ordered more copies than other bookstores in Canada knowing it had the potential to be a hit, said Michael Bumsted.
The store houses more than 18,000 new and used novels. That’s not including the boxes of books that sit in Wendy Bumsted’s tiny office, or the packages that take up space on some of the only available seating there, waiting to be added to the inventory.
Just as the genre has evolved, so has the Bumsteds’ willingness to welcome other subjects on their shelves — despite some pushback from loyal customers and initially the Bumsted patriarch.
For years, Jack Bumsted refused to sell anything outside the crime fiction genre, including his own published books. Instead, he would send potential buyers to another store, but would offer to sign the books if they came back with them.
Wendy Bumsted said that eventually changed in his later years.
Now, about 15 per cent of the store’s stock is of other genres, such as romance or children’s books.
The COVID-19 pandemic forced them to look at expanding their selection, as some customers turned to buying books through the store’s website, which is set up to allow purchasers to get anything from the publishers the Bumsteds have contracts with.
In 2019, the store sold fewer than 100 books online. That number jumped to more than 3,000 in 2020, as retailers had to deal with pandemic lockdowns.
After years of running a successful mail-order business, the store was able to quickly adapt when it had to temporarily shut its doors, said Michael Bumsted.
“We were not a store…that had to figure out how to get books to people when they weren’t here.”
He added being a community bookstore with a niche has helped the family stay in business when other retailers have struggled. Part of that has included building lasting relationships.
“Some people have put it in their wills that their books will come to us,” said Wendy Bumsted.
Some of those collections have included tips on traveling through Asia in the early 2000s or the history of Australian cricket.
Micheal Bumsted said they’ve had to learn to be patient with selling some of these more obscure titles, but eventually the time comes for them to find a new home.
“One of the great things about physical books is that they can be there for you when you are ready for them.”
This report by The Canadian Press was first published on Sept. 15, 2024.
MONTREAL – Canada’s labour minister is praising both Air Canada and the union representing about 5,200 of its pilots for averting a work stoppage that would have disrupted travel for hundreds of thousands of passengers.
Steven MacKinnon’s comments came in a statement shared to social media shortly after Canada’s largest air carrier announced it had reached a tentative labour deal with the Air Line Pilots Association.
MacKinnon thanked both sides and federal mediators, saying the airline and its pilots approached negotiations with “seriousness and a resolve to get a deal.”
The tentative agreement averts a strike or lockout that could have begun as early as Wednesday for Air Canada and Air Canada Rouge, with flight cancellations expected before then.
The airline now says flights will continue as normal while union members vote on the tentative four-year contract.
Air Canada had called on the federal government to intervene in the dispute, but Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said Friday that would only happen if it became clear no negotiated agreement was possible.
This report from The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 15, 2024.
When it comes to plant-based alternatives, Canadians have never had so many options — and nowhere is that choice more abundantly clear than in the milk section of the dairy aisle.
To meet growing demand, companies are investing in new products and technology to keep up with consumer tastes and differentiate themselves from all the other players on the shelf.
“The product mix has just expanded so fast,” said Liza Amlani, co-founder of the Retail Strategy Group.
She said younger generations in particular are driving growth in the plant-based market as they are consuming less dairy and meat.
Commercial sales of dairy milk have been weakening for years, according to research firm Mintel, likely in part because of the rise of plant-based alternatives — even though many Canadians still drink dairy.
The No. 1 reason people opt for plant-based milk is because they see it as healthier than dairy, said Joel Gregoire, Mintel’s associate director for food and drink.
“Plant-based milk, the one thing about it — it’s not new. It’s been around for quite some time. It’s pretty established,” said Gregoire.
Because of that, it serves as an “entry point” for many consumers interested in plant-based alternatives to animal products, he said.
Plant-based milk consumption is expected to continue growing in the coming years, according to Mintel research, with more options available than ever and more consumers opting for a diet that includes both dairy and non-dairy milk.
A 2023 report by Ernst & Young for Protein Industries Canada projected that the plant-based dairy market will reach US$51.3 billion in 2035, at a compound annual growth rate of 9.5 per cent.
Because of this growth opportunity, even well-established dairy or plant-based companies are stepping up their game.
It’s been more than three decades since Saint-Hyacinthe, Que.-based Natura first launched a line of soy beverages. Over the years, the company has rolled out new products to meet rising demand, and earlier this year launched a line of oat beverages that it says are the only ones with a stamp of approval from Celiac Canada.
Competition is tough, said owner and founder Nick Feldman — especially from large American brands, which have the money to ensure their products hit shelves across the country.
Natura has kept growing, though, with a focus on using organic ingredients and localized production from raw materials.
“We’re maybe not appealing to the mass market, but we’re appealing to the natural consumer, to the organic consumer,” Feldman said.
Amlani said brands are increasingly advertising the simplicity of their ingredient lists. She’s also noticing more companies offering different kinds of products, such as coffee creamers.
Companies are also looking to stand out through eye-catching packaging and marketing, added Amlani, and by competing on price.
Besides all the companies competing for shelf space, there are many different kinds of plant-based milk consumers can choose from, such as almond, soy, oat, rice, hazelnut, macadamia, pea, coconut and hemp.
However, one alternative in particular has enjoyed a recent, rapid ascendance in popularity.
“I would say oat is the big up-and-coming product,” said Feldman.
Mintel’s report found the share of Canadians who say they buy oat milk has quadrupled between 2019 and 2023 (though almond is still the most popular).
“There seems to be a very nice marriage of coffee and oat milk,” said Feldman. “The flavour combination is excellent, better than any other non-dairy alternative.”
The beverage’s surge in popularity in cafés is a big part of why it’s ascending so quickly, said Gregoire — its texture and ability to froth makes it a good alternative for lattes and cappuccinos.
It’s also a good example of companies making a strong “use case” for yet another new entrant in a competitive market, he said.
Amid the long-standing brands and new entrants, there’s another — perhaps unexpected — group of players that has been increasingly investing in plant-based milk alternatives: dairy companies.
For example, Danone has owned the Silk and So Delicious brands since an acquisition in 2014, and long-standing U.S. dairy company HP Hood LLC launched Planet Oat in 2018.
Lactalis Canada also recently converted its facility in Sudbury, Ont., to manufacture its new plant-based Enjoy! brand, with beverages made from oats, almonds and hazelnuts.
“As an organization, we obviously follow consumer trends, and have seen the amount of interest in plant-based products, particularly fluid beverages,” said Mark Taylor, president and CEO of Lactalis Canada, whose parent company Lactalis is the largest dairy products company in the world.
The facility was a milk processing plant for six decades, until Lactalis Canada began renovating it in 2022. It now manufactures not only the new brand, but also the company’s existing Sensational Soy brand, and is the company’s first dedicated plant-based facility.
“We’re predominantly a dairy company, and we’ll always predominantly be a dairy company, but we see these products as complementary,” said Taylor.
It makes sense that major dairy companies want to get in on plant-based milk, said Gregoire. The dairy business is large — a “cash cow,” if you will — but not really growing, while plant-based products are seeing a boom.
“If I’m looking for avenues of growth, I don’t want to be left behind,” he said.
Gregoire said there’s a potential for consumers to get confused with so many options, which is why it’s so important for brands to find a way to differentiate themselves, whether it’s with taste, health, or how well the drink froths for a latte.
Competition in a more crowded market is challenging, but Taylor believes it results in better products for consumers.
“It keeps you sharp, and it forces you to be really good at what you’re doing. It drives innovation,” he said.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 15, 2024.
