Liberal government defence policy boosts military spending, commits to new purchases of helicopters, missiles, aircraft

On the same subject

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  February 14, 2023 | Local, Aerospace

  Personnel shortage challenging Air Force’s plan to introduce F-35, other equipment - Trail Daily Times

  ‘The Air Force of 2035 is going to look completely different than the Air Force in 2023’

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  January 16, 2019 | Local, Naval

  Business group wants National Shipbuilding Strategy reopened for Quebec shipyard

  Murray Brewster · CBC News Association puts pressure on Liberals to direct new projects to Davie yard A Quebec-based business association claiming to represent over 1,000 companies inside and outside the province is launching a high-profile campaign to convince the Liberal government to reopen the oft-maligned National Shipbuilding Strategy. The group is demanding the federal government include the Davie shipyard, in Levis, Que., in the policy and plans to make it a major issue in the October federal election. The Association of Davie Shipbuilding Suppliers, which has been around for about a year, represents companies that do business with the shipyard. It plans an online campaign, beginning Thursday, and will lobby chambers of commerce as well as federal and provincial politicians. It is hoping to use its extensive membership and thousands of associated jobs to put pressure on the government in an election year to direct the building of additional coast guard ships exclusively to the Quebec yard, one of the oldest in the country. The shipbuilding strategy, conceived under the previous Conservative government but embraced by the Liberals, has turned into a giant sinkhole for federal cash with little to show for it, Simon Maltais, the association's vice-president, told CBC News. "We can call it a boondoggle," he said. "It has been seven years in the making. At the moment, there is absolutely no operational ship afloat and working for Canada." The Conservatives under former prime minister Stephen Harper chose two shipyards — Irving Shipbuilding of Halifax and Seaspan in Vancouver — as the government's go-to companies for the construction of new warships and civilian vessels. The Davie shipyard was, at the time, emerging from bankruptcy, and under the strategy it only became eligible for repair and refit work on existing vessels and perhaps the construction of smaller vessels. Delays and cost overruns Irving and Seaspan have invested hundreds of millions of dollars in modernizing their yards and have just begun to produce new vessels. The first Arctic offshore patrol ship for the navy is being outfitted in Halifax and others are in various stages of construction. Three offshore fisheries science vessels, constructed in Vancouver for the coast guard, are undergoing repairs after defective welds were discovered last year. The entire program has been beset with delays and rising cost estimates. Last year, Public Services and Procurement Canada refused to release a revised timeline for the delivery of ships from Seaspan, including construction of a heavy icebreaker and the navy's two joint support ships. Politics and shipbuilding Maltais said it makes no sense to keep excluding Davie from full-fledged ship construction work when much of the coast fleet is over three decades old and in dire need of replacement. Refreshing the strategy would insure the federal government gets the ships it needs and Quebec companies "get their fair share" of the program. "We know it's an electoral year and, yes, we want the federal government and the people in the election to talk about it," he said. Maltais clams members of his association have been talking to federal politicians on both sides of the aisle in the province and they support the idea. "They seem to be on the same page as us," he said. Defence analyst Dave Perry, an expert in procurement and the shipbuilding program, said the political campaign has the potential to make the federal government uncomfortable, but he doubts it will achieve the objective of reopening the strategy to add a third shipyard. "That would certainly be a major change in the strategy," he said. "There had been a view of doing something less than that." The proposal being put forward by the association would not take any work from Halifax or Vancouver, but instead direct all new work, on additional icebreakers for example, to the Quebec yard. Just recently, Davie was awarded a contract to convert three civilian icebreakers for coast guard use, but the association argues the need is greater. The federal government did debate an overhaul of the strategy, according to documents obtained and published by CBC News last summer. The size and scope of the "policy refresh" was not made clear in a heavily redacted memo, dated Jan. 23, 2018. So far, nothing has taken place and government officials have insisted they were still committed to the two-yard strategy. During the last election campaign, the Liberals pledged to fix the "broken" procurement system and invest heavily in the navy. https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/business-group-wants-national-shipbuilding-strategy-reopened-for-quebec-shipyard-1.4979592

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  June 9, 2023 | Local, Other Defence

  Government of Canada invests in responsible artificial intelligence research at the Université de Montréal

  The investment strengthens Canada’s position as a world leader in artificial intelligence research and innovation June 9, 2023 – Montréal, Québec Artificial intelligence (AI) is one of the greatest technological advances of our generation and already has a significant impact on the daily lives of Canadians. The Government of Canada is also fully aware that we need to promote the responsible development and use of AI and continues to consult with leading AI experts from Canadian industry, civil society and academia through the Advisory Council on AI. We are doubling down on responsible AI to drive economic growth, ensure Canadians are protected in the digital age and preserve Canada’s leadership at the forefront of tomorrow’s economy. The government is actively working with international partners on the responsible development and use of AI. Canada has gained a strong international reputation as a leader in responsible and ethical AI and continues to collaborate with its international partners, in particular through the G7 and the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, to promote prudent and interoperable regulatory approaches to AI. Canada was closely involved in the launch of the Global Partnership on Artificial Intelligence, through which the 29 member governments work collectively to orient AI technologies toward shared values. Further, the government is directly engaging with leaders from like-minded countries in discussions on the future of global AI regulation. The government takes seriously concerns about the potential risks associated with rapid, large-scale deployment of advanced generative AI systems, and it is committed to addressing them effectively. That is why the government is proposing a new Artificial Intelligence and Data Act (AIDA) to address the potential risks of AI, build trust in Canada’s AI industry and protect Canadians from a range of harms. AIDA will ensure that Canada is home to the most responsible and trusted AI in the world. Today, Rachel Bendayan, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Tourism and Associate Minister of Finance, on behalf of the Honourable François-Philippe Champagne, Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry, highlighted an investment of more than $124 million at the Université de Montréal for the R3AI: Shifting Paradigms for a Robust, Reasoning, and Responsible Artificial Intelligence and its Adoption initiative through the Canada First Research Excellence Fund (CFREF). This funding is part of a $1.4 billion investment in support of 11 large-scale research initiatives. This investment will allow researchers at Canadian universities to capitalize on the strengths of their research areas and attract capital and world-class talent. The R3AI initiative will implement new responsible AI design and adoption strategies in areas of importance for Canada, including molecule discovery, health systems improvements and climate change mitigation. By supporting initiatives focused on, among other things, treating and preventing brain and heart diseases, cutting carbon emissions in our communities, and making discoveries through responsible AI use, robotics and advanced computing, CFREF is helping Canadian researchers pioneer global insights and strengthen Canada’s social and technological innovation ecosystems. Quotes “Today's research is tomorrow's innovation. In the case of artificial intelligence, Canada is home to some of the world’s leading AI researchers and the world’s first fully funded AI strategy. Through the Canada First Research Excellence Fund, our government is proud to move even further ahead by investing $124 million into responsible artificial intelligence research. Canada will continue to lead on AI research, governance and innovation, including in drug discovery, health technology and climate change mitigation.” – The Honourable François-Philippe Champagne, Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry "The Université de Montréal is home to ground-breaking research that is key to transforming the responsible adoption of artificial intelligence. The federal government is proud to support our researchers and our local universities with projects that lead to important social and economic benefits for all Canadians” – Rachel Bendayan, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Tourism and Associate Minister of Finance “Canada’s post-secondary institutions are rich in talent and ideas and are committed to building healthier, more sustainable, more inclusive and more prosperous communities. With support from the federal government’s Canada First Research Excellence Fund, they are able to build on these foundations to develop advanced research programs that showcase Canadian talent and lead the world in developing solutions to the critical challenges facing our planet, including environmental sustainability, advanced biotherapeutics, child health and population migration.” – Ted Hewitt, Chair, Tri-agency Institutional Programs Secretariat Steering Committee; President, Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada; and Chair, Canada Research Coordinating Committee “Our R3AI project takes us down a necessary path: using a strongly interdisciplinary approach to develop reasoned, robust, resolutely responsible artificial intelligence that serves the common good. Thanks to the Canada First Research Excellence Fund grant, the Université de Montréal and its partners will be able to strengthen the leadership we have built up over the years.” – Daniel Jutras, Rector of the Université de Montréal Quick facts Created in 2014, the Canada First Research Excellence Fund (CFREF) supports Canadian post-secondary institutions in their efforts to become global research leaders. The program helps Canadian universities, colleges and polytechnics compete with the best in the world for talent and partnership opportunities. It also supports them in making breakthrough discoveries; seizing emerging opportunities and strategically advancing their greatest strengths on the global stage; and implementing large-scale, transformational and forward-thinking institutional strategies. CFREF invests approximately $200 million per year through a highly competitive peer review process, held every seven years, to support selected Canadian post-secondary institutions in turning their key strengths into world-leading capabilities. CFREF is a tri-agency institutional program administered by the Tri-agency Institutional Programs Secretariat, housed at the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC), on behalf of the three federal research funding agencies: the Canadian Institutes of Health Research, the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada and SSHRC. Initiatives funded by CFREF are selected through an independent, multidisciplinary and international competitive peer review process.  The first phase of the Pan-Canadian Artificial Intelligence Strategy (PCAIS) was launched in 2017, in partnership with the Canadian Institute for Advanced Research (CIFAR), with a $125 million investment to build a strong Canadian talent pipeline and ecosystem, including the establishment of centres of research, innovation and training at the national AI institutes. Budget 2021 invested more than $443 million in a second phase of the strategy to support AI commercialization, standards, talent and research. Since 2017, over 125 top researchers, half of whom are international researchers drawn to Canada by the strategy and its investments, have been recruited as Canada CIFAR AI Chairs. Moreover, the national AI institutes have trained over 1,600 graduate students and post-doctoral fellows. Many of these are international students who have come to Canada because of the recognized strengths of each institute. Associated links About CFREF 2022 CFREF competition results 2016 CFREF Competition 2 results 2015 CFREF Competition 1 results https://www.canada.ca/en/innovation-science-economic-development/news/2023/06/government-of-canada-invests-in-responsible-artificial-intelligence-research-at-the-universite-de-montreal.html