Michael Ford steps away from Ontario cabinet duties, citing health

WINNIPEG – Manitoba’s government says it will encourage the development of renewable energy in the province while acknowledging fossil fuels aren’t going away any time soon.

Premier Wab Kinew says his government will provide loan guarantees to help First Nations build up to 600 megawatts of new wind-powered electricity generation.

He says there will also be continued incentives to buy zero-emission vehicles.

Kinew says his New Democrat government will ensure growth of the charging network for those vehicles.

The plan also includes moves to increase energy efficiency in buildings and encourage homebuilders to install devices such as heat pumps in new construction.

Kinew says nearly three-quarters of Manitoba’s energy use is from fossil fuels and those energy sources will remain important.

But he says the government will bring in stronger oversight of the province’s oil and gas sector.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 20, 2024.

The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.

OTTAWA – The NDP is asking the Competition Bureau to investigate whether Canadian corporate landlords are using the same AI software that sparked an antitrust lawsuit in the United States.

The U.S. Justice Department filed the lawsuit last month against real estate software company RealPage Inc., accusing it of an illegal scheme that allows landlords to co-ordinate to hike rental prices.

The lawsuit, filed alongside attorneys general in states including North Carolina and California, alleges the company is violating antitrust laws through its algorithm that landlords use to get recommended rental prices for millions of apartments across the country.

NDP MPs Alexandre Boulerice and Brian Masse sent a letter to commissioner Matthew Boswell asking the bureau to launch a probe into whether Canadian landlords have used the same software, YieldStar.

“Canadians deserve answers to how the use of algorithmic pricing tools is contributing to rent increases and how pervasive this practice is across the Canadian rental market,” the letter dated Sept. 10 said.

Rents in Canada have skyrocketed over the last couple of years, adding to affordability concerns in the country.

According to the latest report from Rentals.ca and Urbanation, average asking rents in August rose 3.3 per cent from last year — the slowest annual pace in almost three years — to $2,187.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 20, 2024.

— With files from The Associated Press.

The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.

OTTAWA – The National Hockey League’s Senators and the National Capital Commission have reached an agreement in principle to build a new arena in downtown Ottawa.

The NCC and the Senators announced at a joint press conference Friday that the arena will be part of a development of the LeBreton Flats site.

The team had entered a memorandum of understanding with the NCC to develop the downtown LeBreton Flats area, with a deadline of Friday to reach a deal.

The Senators will be purchasing a 10-acre site from the NCC, which team president and chief executive officer Cyril Leeder called a significant step forward. He said next steps will include working on the design of a new facility.

The Senators have played at the Canadian Tire Centre in the western suburb of Kanata since 1996.

The 25-kilometre drive from Ottawa’s downtown to the Kanata facility, often made longer due to traffic, has been cited as an obstacle for attracting walk-up crowds — an issue teams with downtown arenas don’t face.

A previous deal to redevelop LeBreton Flats and build an arena under former owner Eugene Melnyk collapsed in 2019 following a fallout between Melnyk and business partner John Ruddy.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 20, 2024

The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.