September 1, 2022 | Local, C4ISR
The report was completed in April by the Leadership Lab at Toronto Metropolitan University at the request of the Parliamentary Protective Service, which funded the research.
https://globalnews.ca/news/9092371/parliament-hill-facial-recognition-security-analysis/
February 29, 2024 | Local, Land
The Department of National Defence will reallocate $810 million in the coming budget as part of the Liberal government’s overall austerity drive, according to Federal Treasury Board documents tabled in the House of Commons on Thursday. Some of those savings are to be redirected into major equipment purchases.
September 9, 2019 | Local, Aerospace
Marc Garneau, minister of Transport, on behalf of Navdeep Bains, minister of Innovation, Science and Economic Development and minister responsible for FedDev Ontario, announced a Government of Canada investment of up to $4.9 million over three years for the First Nations Technical Institute (FNTI). The FNTI is an Indigenous-owned post-secondary institute offering unique educational opportunities for Indigenous peoples. The First Peoples' Aviation Technology program at FNTI is the only Indigenous aviation post-secondary program of its kind in Canada. With this investment, the FNTI will strengthen its aviation training program. It will double the number of Indigenous students training to become commercial pilots, enabling more Indigenous peoples to take advantage of growing economic opportunities in the aviation sector. The Government of Canada investment will support Indigenous students through the purchase of five new training aircraft; hiring additional aircraft maintenance engineers, flight instructors, dispatch staff, academic faculty and student support facilitators; and acquiring innovative safety maintenance software. “The Government of Canada is pleased to support the First Nations Technical Institute in increasing its capacity while helping to break down some of the barriers currently facing Indigenous peoples in pursuing careers in aviation. This is an excellent time to help enable more candidates to enter this high demand field,” said Garneau. “FedDev Ontario's support for the expansion of this vital training program is so important. With new and more specialized capabilities, FNTI will be able to offer more Indigenous pilots the chance to join a dynamic and growing sector of the Canadian economy. This will not only bring benefits to communities right across the country, it will also help create good quality jobs for many years to come,” added Bains. “Today's investment in the First Peoples' Aviation Technology program is a game changer, and I share the excitement our friends and neighbours at FNTI as this program continues to grow. Programs like this are critical for the sustainability of Indigenous communities, particularly rural and northern ones, across Canada. The pilots and aviation experts trained by FNTI will have an incredible impact in helping deliver supplies to families, provide emergency support in times of need, and keep the communities reliant on aviation open and accessible when other forms of travel are unfeasible. With FNTI recently experiencing unprecedented student enrolment, particularly among women in the Aviation Technology Program, they are continuing to set themselves apart as leaders across Canada, and I am so proud that they are a fixture of our area,” said Mike Bossio, member of Parliament for Hastings-Lennox and Addington. “Through this support FNTI will be able to create more educational opportunities for Indigenous learners, reduce our waiting list, and ensure pathways for Indigenous graduates into the aviation industry. More students and more graduates will assist with creating sustainability in remote communities across Canada and help increase role models for the next generation of Indigenous pilots in the aviation industry,” explained Suzanne Brant, president, First Nations Technical Institute, Tyendinaga Mohawk Territory. ‎ “We greatly appreciate the financial support of the Government of Canada for this project. The Government of Canada's investment in the First Nations Technical Institute shows that our communities succeed when we work together. Our partnership with ministers Bains and Garneau is a strong one, and this initiative with FNTI will help increase labour force participation of the Mohawks of the Bay of Quinte community on and off the territory, and help Indigenous students across Canada, find good, well-paying jobs,” concluded Chief R. Donald Maracle, Tyendinaga Mohawk Council. https://www.skiesmag.com/press-releases/government-of-canada-invests-in-pilot-training-at-the-first-nations-technical-institute
December 16, 2019 | Local, Aerospace, Naval, Land, C4ISR, Security
OTTAWA — Defence Minister Harjit Sajjan has come out in support of Canada's top military general, saying the country is "very fortunate" to have someone like Gen. Jonathan Vance leading the Canadian Armed Forces. The comments come amid questions over whether the newly re-elected Liberal government plans to replace Vance, who was first appointed chief of the defence staff by Stephen Harper and is now in his fifth year in the position. "When it comes to the chief of defence staff, this is a decision for the prime minister and so we'll reflect on that and make a decision accordingly," Sajjan told The Canadian Press during a wide-ranging interview last week. However, he added, "Canada has been very fortunate to have somebody like Gen. Vance in this role at a very important time." Vance is already one of the longest-serving defence chiefs in Canadian history, and his lengthy tenure has coincided with a number of significant decisions and developments for the Armed Forces - both positive and negative. Those include significant new investments in the military through a new defence policy, the deployment of troops to Iraq, Mali and Latvia as well as efforts to crackdown on sexual misconduct and recruit more women. Yet he has also faced his share of criticism over the years, including over his decision to suspend Mark Norman in 2017, more than a year before the now-retired vice-admiral was charged with breach of trust. The case was eventually dropped. Vance also found himself under fire for the way he handled replacing Norman as the military's second-in-command last year, which saw significant upheaval and instability in the Armed Forces' senior ranks. The defence chief has also been accused of being too supportive of controversial decisions by the Liberal government such as its plan to buy interim fighter jets while some in the Forces have grumbled about a domineering style. While he wouldn't say whether the government planned to replace Vance any time soon, Sajjan said the general has brought important qualities and attributes to the high-profile and difficult position over the past four-plus years. Those include Vance's experience having served in Afghanistan and elsewhere and the work that he put into helping the government develop its defence policy, which was released in June 2017. "I'm very happy with the service that Gen. Vance has given," Sajjan said. "There's only one four-star general in our Canadian Armed Forces. You don't get there easily and every single one brings a unique experience. And Gen. Vance has brought very important experience during a very important time." Speculation about Vance's future has been mounting if for no other reason than the amount of time he has spent as Canada's top military general, said defence analyst David Perry of the Canadian Global Affairs Institute. Exactly who would replace him is an open question, however. Norman's suspension and subsequent retirement contributed to a wider series of changes within the top ranks that have left many senior commanders relatively new in their positions. The reality is that Vance and Sajjan, who has served as defence minister since the Liberals were first elected to power in fall 2015, have emerged as the "constants" at the Department of National Defence and Canadian Armed Forces, said Perry. Given that and indications the Liberals do not have big plans to dramatically switch directions or roll out new initiatives for the military, "I think there's going to be a lot of continuity," he added. Which on the surface would suggest no immediate changes at the top. "Certainly the signals the government has sent to this point of time look a lot more like continuity and continuing to implement the policy and the framework that they set in place during the last Parliament." This report by The Canadian Press was first published on Dec. 15, 2019. https://www.nsnews.com/defence-minister-says-canada-very-fortunate-to-have-vance-as-defence-chief-1.24035658