The American embassy in Ottawa issued a statement Thursday morning saying the country does, in fact, value the “service and sacrifice” of Canadians after a top Trump aide appeared to belittle the hundreds of deaths and casualties incurred during the war in Afghanistan.
“The United States deeply values the service and sacrifice of our Canadian allies in support of the defense of freedom and global security,” said Richard Mills, the embassy’s chargé d’affaires.
The chargé d’affaires is the top-ranking official in the embassy at the moment given Aldona Wos, who was nominated in February 2020 by the president to take over the ambassadorship, is not yet confirmed.
The statement also referenced a quote from Vice-President Mike Pence when he visited Canada last year.
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“The United States and Canada have stood shoulder to shoulder in the defense of freedom for generations. Our ancestors fought side by side in the great conflicts of the 20th century,” Pence said.
“And in recent years, our armed forces have fought against the scourge of radical Islamic terrorism across the Middle East. And both of our nations have endured great sacrifice.
“The United States will always honor this alliance — this alliance for freedom. And we will always honor the sacrifice of soldiers of both of our nations.”
Thursday’s statement is an unusual move by the embassy but one that comes after Peter Navarro, trade advisor to U.S. President Donald Trump, was quoted in a new book on the current administration’s foreign policy.
In the interview, he suggested that the reason Canada signed up for the bloody war in Afghanistan was to “curry favour” with the U.S. administration at the time.
“Were they doing us a favour, or were they brought into the idea they needed to do that as part of the global effort against terrorists?” he was quoted as saying.
“I mean, if they were just doing us a favour, maybe their government should have been thrown out of office. I mean, every time that a Canadian shows up in a uniform, it’s doing us a favour? How’s that work?”
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He also added: “What’s good about Canada?”
Over the course of the decade-long war in Afghanistan, 158 Canadian Armed Forces members died.
More than 1,800 others were also injured, and the psychological and physical effects — including stress-related injuries — remain a challenging legacy that both the country and the military continue to work to address.
As well, seven Canadian civilians also died in that conflict: a diplomat, a government contractor, four aid workers and a journalist.
Canadian officials stress ‘sacrifices’, support after 9/11
A senior Canadian government official, speaking on background, described the comments as “disappointing” given the support Canadians offered in the wake of the Sept. 11, 2001, terror attacks.
Kirsten Hillman, Canada’s ambassador to Washington, posted a tweet that highlighted the sacrifices Canadians have made standing by Americans and other allies in conflicts.
“You’ve left behind sons and daughters, husbands and wives, mothers and fathers, to stand by our U.S. partners and allies around the world,” she tweeted.
“Many of your brothers and sisters never returned. We remember your sacrifices. We’re grateful for your service, [Canadian Armed Forces].”
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You’ve left behind sons and daughters, husbands and wives, mothers and fathers, to stand by our U.S. partners and allies around the world.
Many of your brothers and sisters never returned.
We remember your sacrifices. We’re grateful for your service, @CanadianForces.
Defence Minister Harjit Sajjan issued a statement about the comments emphasizing the strong ties and shared sacrifices between Canada and the U.S.
“When our friend and ally was attacked on 9/11, Canada was there for America that day and throughout the entire Afghanistan campaign,” Sajjan said, pointing to the Canadians who made the “ultimate sacrifice in the name of our collective peace and security.”
“Canadians will not forget their sacrifice and having served alongside them, I know the American military and everyday Americans will not forget that Canada was there for them in their time of need.”
He also noted the ongoing military cooperation against ISIS in the Middle East, as well as the Canadians who have fought and died shoulder to shoulder with Americans in Normandy, Korea and other conflicts.
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1:36 Peter Navarro sorry for ‘special place in hell’ comment aimed at Justin Trudeau
Peter Navarro sorry for ‘special place in hell’ comment aimed at Justin Trudeau
It’s not the first time Navarro has launched verbal volleys north of the border.
Following the G7 summit held in Quebec in 2018, Navarro let loose a tirade against Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on television, insisting there was “a special place in hell” for the leader of one of America’s longest-standing allies.
He made the comment after the U.S. imposed steep steel and aluminum tariffs on Canada as part of the renegotiation of the North American Free Trade Agreement, which prompted Trudeau to say in a press conference when asked about the tariffs that Canada “will not be pushed around.”
Navarro later apologized for his tirade, calling it “inappropriate.”
LONGUEUIL, Que. – People in a part of Longueuil, Que., were being asked to stay indoors with their doors and windows closed on Thursday morning after a train derailed, spilling an unknown quantity of hydrogen peroxide.
Police from the city just east of Montreal said it didn’t appear anyone was hurt, although a CN rail official told a news conference that three employees had been taken to hospital as a precautionary measure.
The derailment happened at around 9 a.m. in the LeMoyne area, near the intersection of St-Louis and St-Georges streets. Mathieu Gaudreault, a spokesman for CN rail, said about eight cars derailed at the Southwark rail facility, including four that toppled over.
“As of this morning, the information we have is it’s hydrogen peroxide that was in the rail car and created the fumes we saw,” he said, adding that there was no risk of fire.
François Boucher, a spokesman for the Longueuil police department, said police were asking people in the area, including students at nearby schools, to stay indoors while experts ensure the air is safe to breathe.
“It is as a preventive measure that we encourage people to really avoid exposing themselves unnecessarily,” he told reporters near the scene.
Police and fire officials were on site, as well as CN railworkers, and a large security perimeter was erected.
Officers were asking people to avoid the sector, and the normally busy Highway 116 was closed in the area. The confinement notice includes everyone within 800 metres of the derailment, officials said, who added that it would be lifted once a team with expertise in dangerous materials has given the green light.
In addition to closing doors and windows, people in the area covered by the notice are asked to close heating, ventilation and air exchange systems, and to stay as far from windows as possible.
Gaudreault said it wasn’t yet clear what caused the derailment. The possibilities include a problem with the track, a problem with a manoeuvre, or a mechanical issue, he said.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 14, 2024.
HALIFAX – Nova Scotia’s Liberal party is promising to improve cellphone service and invest in major highways if the party is elected to govern on Nov. 26.
Party leader Zach Churchill says a Liberal government would spend $60 million on building 87 new cellphone towers, which would be in addition to the $66 million the previous Progressive Conservative government committed to similar projects last year.
As well, Churchill confirmed the Liberals want to improve the province’s controlled access highways by adding exits along Highway 104 across the top of the mainland, and building a bypass along Highway 101 near Digby.
Churchill says the Liberals would add $40 million to the province’s $500 million capital budget for highways.
Meanwhile, the leaders of the three major political parties were expected to spend much of today preparing for a televised debate that will be broadcast tonight at 6 p.m. local time.
Churchill will face off against Progressive Conservative Leader Tim Houston and NDP Leader Claudia Chender during a 90-minute debate that will be carried live on CBC TV and streamed online.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 14, 2024.
TORONTO – A group of hotel service workers in Toronto is set to hold a rally today outside the Fairmont Royal York to demand salary increases as hotel costs in the city skyrocket during Taylor Swift’s concerts.
Unite Here Local 75, the union representing 8,000 hospitality workers in the Greater Toronto Area, says Royal York employees have not seen a salary increase since 2021, and have been negotiating a new contract with the hotel since 2022.
The rally comes as the megastar begins her series of six sold-out concerts in Toronto, with the last show scheduled for Nov. 23.
During show weekends, some hotel rooms and short-term rentals in Toronto are priced up to 10 times more than other weekends, with some advertised for as much as $2,000 per night.
The union says hotel workers who will be serving Swifties during her Toronto stops are bargaining for raises to keep up with the rising cost of living.
The union represents hospitality workers including food service employees, room attendants and bell persons.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 14, 2024.
