January 9, 2019 | Local, Aerospace, Security
January 9, 2019 Ottawa Transport Canada
Transport Canada is committed to enhancing aviation and public safety while encouraging innovation and economic growth in the drone sector. Today, the Honourable Marc Garneau, Minister of Transport, announced Canada's new rules for remotely piloted aircraft systems, more commonly known as drones.
The new rules, which will come into force on June 1, 2019, apply to all drone pilots flying drones between 250 grams and 25 kilograms that are operated within the drone pilot's visual-line-of-sight, regardless of whether the drone is flown for fun, work or research.
The new simplified rules reflect significant consultations with Canadians and the industry. The final regulations introduce two main categories of drone operation: basic and advanced. The categories are based on distance from bystanders and airspace rules.
Both categories have their own set of easy-to-follow rules that will require the drone pilot to:
Only drone pilots who need to fly a drone outside the rules for basic or advanced operations will need to apply for a Special Flight Operations Certificate (SFOC) before they fly.
Transport Canada encourages drone pilots to take the necessary time to review and fully understand the new rules for drones in Canada and to follow a course provided by a drone flight school before attempting to take an online exam or flight review.
Drone pilots will need to have their Pilot Certificate and proof of registration readily available when flying their drone as of June 1, 2019. This can mean having an electronic version available on their mobile device or carrying a printed copy.
Transport Canada has developed an improved, user-friendly website with information on the new regulations and helpful tools for all drone pilots available at: Canada.ca/drone-safety.
Transport Canada's new drone services are available on our website. We invite drone pilots to create an account in the Drone Management Portal for easy access to these drone services at all times.
Until the new rules come into force on June 1, 2019, recreational drone pilots must continue to follow the rules of the Interim Order Respecting the Use of Model Aircraft and pilots using their drone for work or research must continue to follow the conditions of their Special Flight Operations Certificate.
All drone pilots are also subject to the Criminal Code as well as all provincial, territorial, and municipal laws governing areas such as privacy and trespassing. Endangering the safety of an aircraft is a serious offence. Anyone who violates the regulations could be subject to additional fines of up to $25,000 and/or prison. This applies to drones of any size used for any purpose.
“We've listened closely to feedback from Canadians and have updated our regulations to balance practicality and the safe use of drones. Drones are part of an important economic sector with significant potential to improve lives and connect communities across the country. Our new regulations will create new opportunities for Canadians by establishing a safe and predictable regulatory environment where the industry can innovate and where recreational and non-recreational drone pilots can safely access Canadian airspace.”
The Honourable Marc Garneau
Minister of Transport
July 3, 2024 | Local, Land
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau told reporters in Montreal Wednesday that naming the new defence chief was an “extraordinarily important choice.”
September 12, 2018 | Local, Naval
On September 10th, Thales Canada celebrated the official opening of its eighth Canadian location in Halifax, Nova Scotia. The office will be home to up to 20 new Thales employees dedicated to the Royal Canadian Navy, the Canadian Coast Guard and our maritime partners and suppliers. Today, the Halifax office will support the Royal Canadian Navy's AJISS Program; the comprehensive, long-term, in-service support contract for the Arctic and Offshore Patrol Ships (AOPS) and the Joint Support Ships (JSS) awarded in 2017. Thales, as the prime contractor for the AJISS program, will oversee the refit, repair and maintenance for these fleets over their operational lifetime; working together with the Royal Canadian Navy and the Fleet Maintenance Facilities to ensure ships are mission-ready, where and when they are needed from coast to coast to coast. Today our team is focused on readiness – ready to support the first ship under the AJISS program. Our newest location in the Maritimes marks an important milestone of our in-service support program which will create jobs for the maritime industry across Canada,” said Mark Halinaty, President & CEO of Thales Canada. “As we move forward, we will continue to work closely with the Royal Canadian Navy, our customers and partners, helping them master every decisive moment along the way. Thales Canada's Halifax office will leverage Thales' deep expertise in project management, systems engineering and integrated logistics support; the foundation of the development of a new Canadian supply chain that will offer comprehensive in-service support for all systems and equipment of the AOPV and JSS fleets over their operational lifetime. The new Halifax location will also support the integration of key digital capabilities in big data and artificial intelligence to support modern in-service support practices. Thales' naval in-service support program solution will create jobs, contribute to important skills development, and invest in important research and development across Canada. Contact Cara Salci, Thales Canada Media Relations +1-613 894 4592 cara.salci@ca.thalesgroup.com https://www.thalesgroup.com/en/canada/press-release/thales-canada-opens-new-maritime-office-support-key-naval-programs
January 8, 2019 | Local, Security
David Pugliese, Ottawa Citizen The Defence Department has cut down on its use of rodents and pigs for research and experiments but says realistic instruction for its medical personnel still requires live animals to be wounded during training and later killed. In 2018 the department used 882 animals, such as mice, rats and pigs, for training and experimentation, down from the 4,000 animals used in 2009, according to figures provided by the Department of National Defence and government records obtained by Postmedia. The animals are used by Defence Research and Development Canada for assessment of emerging chemical and biological threats and by military personnel for what is known as “live tissue training,” according to a 2016 briefing for Chief of the Defence Staff Gen. Jon Vance. In such a scenario the animals are anesthetized and then wounded. Military medical staff treat the wounds in order to gain experience. After the training the animals are killed. “The Department of National Defence currently uses live tissue where necessary to provide advanced military medical training for specific operational requirements,” the department stated in an email to Postmedia. But the DND is trying to reduce the use of animals as much as possible by using different experimental techniques and making use of simulators that can replicate a human patient, according to the 2016 briefing note. That has allowed for the drop to 2,000 animals in 2015 from 4,000 in 2009, the documents noted. “The life-saving experiences, confidence and skills acquired by our young medical technicians using live tissue remain critical components of their curriculum,” Vance was told. Various animal rights groups have been trying over the years to convince the DND and Canadian Forces to stop any kind of testing on animals and to use the simulators instead. The Animal Alliance of Canada has an on-going letter-writing campaign to try to convince Defence Minister Harjit Sajjan to put an end to using animals. The organization noted that Canada is one of the few NATO nations that continues to use animals. Most NATO countries are using high-tech simulators which, unlike animals, accurately mimic human physiology and anatomy. In its response to Postmedia the DND stated that it is “actively working to assess and validate the effectiveness of simulation technologies as part of our objective to find equal or superior alternatives to live tissue training in casualty care training.” It noted that Health Canada regulations stipulate that new drugs or medical techniques can't be used on humans without going through pre-clinical trials “that scientifically test their efficacy and toxicity using non-human models.” The Canadian military has a long history of experimenting on animals, exposing them to various chemical and biological warfare agents and more recently developed weapons. In the 1980s the use of animals became controversial after details of a number of military experiments were made public. Monkeys were used at defence facilities in Suffield, Alta., for experiments involving nerve gas antidotes. In 1983 researchers at the University of Ottawa made headlines after their experiments for the DND on dogs became known. Twenty specifically bred beagles were exposed to high levels of radiation to make them vomit. They were then killed and their organs removed for study. The DND research was aimed at finding a cure for nausea. In 2012, Defence Research and Development Canada subcontracted testing of a new taser projectile to a U.S. university. The projectiles were fired at pigs, according to documents obtained by Postmedia outlining experiments on “conducted energy weapons.” That same year, a study in the journal Military Medicine revealed that Canada was only one of six NATO countries still using animals in its experiments. dpugliese@postmedia.com Twitter.com/davidpugliese https://nationalpost.com/news/defence-department-still-experimenting-on-animals-but-numbers-have-been-reduced