Internal government briefing notes warn Prime Minister Justin Trudeau that economic-based national security threats — from espionage to cyberattacks — pose “significant risks” to Canada’s post-pandemic recovery, long-term prosperity and competitiveness.
The notes, obtained by The Canadian Press through the Access to Information Act, say Canada’s ability to rebound from COVID-19, and its future economic growth, lie in the development of updated legislative and regulatory regimes, new tools, technologies and business models.
The blunt assessment is included in material prepared for Trudeau immediately after the Liberal re-election victory last September and now released under the access law.
The Trudeau government served notice early last year that it was pressing ahead with efforts to counter economic-based threats to national security, such as theft of valuable intellectual property and damage to critical energy and information networks.
The internal notes point out that foreign investment and global trade are critical drivers of the Canadian economy and those of allies.
Given Canada’s population, geography, highly skilled workforce, world-leading scientific and academic institutions, and advanced economy, access to international markets and capital are critical for economic growth and recovery, the notes add.
“Ensuring Canada has a modern and comprehensive framework to counter efforts by hostile actors to exploit Canada’s economy is essential to ensuring Canada’s long-term economic prosperity and national security, including rebuilding after COVID-19.”
Hostile tactics range from foreign direct investment in sensitive sectors, including critical infrastructure and emerging technology, to the theft of advanced research, the briefing notes say.
Pilfering can occur through the hacking corporate networks or the transfer of sensitive technology with military and intelligence applications.
National security concerns extend to the purchase of goods and services by all levels of government, the notes warn. For example, procurement activities can provide adversaries with access to sensitive sites or data, and products or services procured for critical infrastructure can open the door to espionage and disruption.
Canadian academic and research institutions are targeted by hostile states who leverage their nationals, including students and visiting faculty, as well as foreign talent recruitment programs and research partnerships to gain access to sensitive knowledge and research, the briefing notes add.
National security agencies have made efforts in recent years to raise awareness among potential target organizations and to provide advice on easing these threats.
The government has also issued national security guidelines for research partnerships, and the Investment Canada Act national security review guidelines were updated with the aim of increasing transparency about the kind of investments that might prompt a security review.
Public Safety Canada is examining “gaps in legislation, regulation and governance,” the notes say.
The federal department is also completing a review of Canada’s cybersecurity strategy.
The committee of MPs and senators that oversees federal security policy recently highlighted blind spots in Canada’s cyberdefences that could leave many agencies vulnerable to state-sponsored hackers from China and Russia.
The National Security and Intelligence Committee of Parliamentarians said while nation states are the most highly developed threats, any player with malicious intent and sophisticated capabilities puts the government’s data and the integrity of its electronic infrastructure at risk.
The notes prepared for the prime minister warn that the cyberthreat landscape is rapidly evolving, often outpacing governments’ ability to adjust regulatory and policy frameworks.
As a result, governments are “increasingly being challenged” to both secure their networks and information holdings, manage the most pressing threats and help victims of cyberincidents.
Cybersecurity “can no longer be seen as the sole responsibility of governments,” the notes caution.
Canada, in consultation with its like-minded partners, will need to continue to emphasize the need for international norms and the prevention of safe havens where cybercriminals “can operate without consequence.”
“Crime facilitated by the internet is the most significant risk to economic recovery, as it can impact everyone from individual Canadians to small and large enterprises, through to municipalities and critical infrastructure systems.”
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Feb. 26, 2022.
VANCOUVER – Contract negotiations resume today in Vancouver in a labour dispute that has paralyzed container cargo shipping at British Columbia’s ports since Monday.
The BC Maritime Employers Association and International Longshore and Warehouse Union Local 514 are scheduled to meet for the next three days in mediated talks to try to break a deadlock in negotiations.
The union, which represents more than 700 longshore supervisors at ports, including Vancouver, Prince Rupert and Nanaimo, has been without a contract since March last year.
The latest talks come after employers locked out workers in response to what it said was “strike activity” by union members.
The start of the lockout was then followed by several days of no engagement between the two parties, prompting federal Labour Minister Steven MacKinnon to speak with leaders on both sides, asking them to restart talks.
MacKinnon had said that the talks were “progressing at an insufficient pace, indicating a concerning absence of urgency from the parties involved” — a sentiment echoed by several business groups across Canada.
In a joint letter, more than 100 organizations, including the Canadian Chamber of Commerce, Business Council of Canada and associations representing industries from automotive and fertilizer to retail and mining, urged the government to do whatever it takes to end the work stoppage.
“While we acknowledge efforts to continue with mediation, parties have not been able to come to a negotiated agreement,” the letter says. “So, the federal government must take decisive action, using every tool at its disposal to resolve this dispute and limit the damage caused by this disruption.
“We simply cannot afford to once again put Canadian businesses at risk, which in turn puts Canadian livelihoods at risk.”
In the meantime, the union says it has filed a complaint to the Canada Industrial Relations Board against the employers, alleging the association threatened to pull existing conditions out of the last contract in direct contact with its members.
“The BCMEA is trying to undermine the union by attempting to turn members against its democratically elected leadership and bargaining committee — despite the fact that the BCMEA knows full well we received a 96 per cent mandate to take job action if needed,” union president Frank Morena said in a statement.
The employers have responded by calling the complaint “another meritless claim,” adding the final offer to the union that includes a 19.2 per cent wage increase over a four-year term remains on the table.
“The final offer has been on the table for over a week and represents a fair and balanced proposal for employees, and if accepted would end this dispute,” the employers’ statement says. “The offer does not require any concessions from the union.”
The union says the offer does not address the key issue of staffing requirement at the terminals as the port introduces more automation to cargo loading and unloading, which could potentially require fewer workers to operate than older systems.
The Port of Vancouver is the largest in Canada and has seen a number of labour disruptions, including two instances involving the rail and grain storage sectors earlier this year.
A 13-day strike by another group of workers at the port last year resulted in the disruption of a significant amount of shipping and trade.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 9, 2024.
The Royal Canadian Legion says a new partnership with e-commerce giant Amazon is helping boost its veterans’ fund, and will hopefully expand its donor base in the digital world.
Since the Oct. 25 launch of its Amazon.ca storefront, the legion says it has received nearly 10,000 orders for poppies.
Online shoppers can order lapel poppies on Amazon in exchange for donations or buy items such as “We Remember” lawn signs, Remembrance Day pins and other accessories, with all proceeds going to the legion’s Poppy Trust Fund for Canadian veterans and their families.
Nujma Bond, the legion’s national spokesperson, said the organization sees this move as keeping up with modern purchasing habits.
“As the world around us evolves we have been looking at different ways to distribute poppies and to make it easier for people to access them,” she said in an interview.
“This is definitely a way to reach a wider number of Canadians of all ages. And certainly younger Canadians are much more active on the web, on social media in general, so we’re also engaging in that way.”
Al Plume, a member of a legion branch in Trenton, Ont., said the online store can also help with outreach to veterans who are far from home.
“For veterans that are overseas and are away, (or) can’t get to a store they can order them online, it’s Amazon.” Plume said.
Plume spent 35 years in the military with the Royal Engineers, and retired eight years ago. He said making sure veterans are looked after is his passion.
“I’ve seen the struggles that our veterans have had with Veterans Affairs … and that’s why I got involved, with making sure that the people get to them and help the veterans with their paperwork.”
But the message about the Amazon storefront didn’t appear to reach all of the legion’s locations, with volunteers at Branch 179 on Vancouver’s Commercial Drive saying they hadn’t heard about the online push.
Holly Paddon, the branch’s poppy campaign co-ordinator and bartender, said the Amazon partnership never came up in meetings with other legion volunteers and officials.
“I work at the legion, I work with the Vancouver poppy office and I go to the meetings for the Vancouver poppy campaign — which includes all the legions in Vancouver — and not once has this been mentioned,” she said.
Paddon said the initiative is a great idea, but she would like to have known more about it.
The legion also sells a larger collection of items at poppystore.ca.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 9, 2024.
