Blizzard Bites Buffalo

Southwestern New York hit by ‘wall of snow’ in early winter storm that took many off guard.

Buffalo is dealing with an intense snow storm that’s set to continue until the weekend. Image via Anthony Quintano. Flickr.

By Casey Taylor

Buffalo and much of southwestern New York is in crisis mode today. The National Guard has been called in to help deal with the blanket of snow that has killed at least eight people and brought the region to a standstill.

The devastating impacts of the storm were felt state-wide.

One incident involved a 46-year-old man who died in his car, buried under 3.5 to 4.5 metres (12 to 15 feet) of snow.

Another man died after being pinned between two cars. He was attempting to push one of the vehicles through the snow.

Other deaths have been contributed to cardiac arrest believed to have come as a result of shoveling snow.

“It’s very difficult because this is a community that prides itself in dealing with snow emergency situations and they really do have a great plan,” said Eileen Buckley, a senior reporter at WBFO radio in Buffalo.

Buckley said the amount of snow that’s fallen in the past couple of days is unprecedented, and there’s even more on the way.

“When you get more than five feet (1.5 metres) of snow, that’s pretty huge to tackle,” she said.

She said this storm seems to have even carried more snow with it than compared to the blizzard that passed over the city in 1977.

Buckley said that while the ’77 blizzard came with harsh winds that caused high drifts, she said the snow banks in this storm were created simply due to the massive snow dump.

She said Buffalo Mayor Byron Brown unveiled eight new pieces of snow fighting equipment just last week.

“There’s a lot of people that have been stranded in their homes that can’t get out because they haven’t seen snow plows yet,” she said.

Buckley said the plows are being prioritized in a sense to remove the snow from the most critical areas first.

The storm forced officials to close a 212 km stretch of the New York Thruway, a major point of passage for state-wide transit.

Buckley said emergency crews were going car to car to make sure the people inside were safe, but were unable to remove all of the drivers and passengers and actually transport them to safety.

She said many other vehicles remain abandoned on roads and highways.

Buckley said a man contacted the WBFO newsroom after having been stuck in his car for more than 30 hours. He had been traveling from Washington D.C. to Toronto.

“There’s still some emergency situations,” said Buckley. “There’s many travel bans in the south towns of the city of Buffalo and the suburban areas south of the city and they’re urging many people to just try to stay off the roads and avoid those areas as they try desperately to remove this snow.”

Buckley said she’d spoken with Brown who told her it felt like they hadn’t even made a dent in what he called a “wall of snow.”

She said although the city is normally quick with snow removal, this storm has proven more difficult by the need to remove the snow to outside locations.

Local media have reported Erie County Executive Mark Poloncarz called Cuomo early Tuesday to request assistance from the state’s National Guard.

Cuomo agreed, mobilizing 150 guardsmen, 10 dump trucks, seven Bobcats and five Hummers. He’d already diverted plows from western New York on Monday.

The National Weather Service issued another lake effect snow warning early this morning covering Erie, Genesee and Wyoming counties. Metro Buffalo is once again in the path of the storm.

The warning says the snow is expected to continue through to 6 a.m. accumulating more than two feet throughout the day with another 12 to 25 cm (five to 10 inches) at night.

The NWS says this storm “will result in very difficult or nearly impossible travel at times.”

They also say the snow will be accompanied by thunder and lightning and warn even the roads that have been cleared may likely be made impassable once again.

The seriousness of the situation is even further compounded by warming temperatures this weekend.

As Saturday rolls around, Buffalo is expected to not only break back into the plus side of the thermometer but should actually reach 20 C by Monday.

Strange as it may seem given the current situation on the ground, these temperatures mean a large risk for further damage from flooding as the snow melts.

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From jets and bombs to jobs and security

John Baird is in the United Arab Emirates to talk regional security issues. Image via Wikipedia.

John Baird in UAE to talk economics and regional security efforts

By Casey Taylor

Canada’s Minister of Foreign Affairs has given an update today about security issues in the Middle East.

John Baird spoke with media Friday via a teleconference during his trip to the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

He said officials from both countries have settled on a framework to advance the partnership between the two.

“I could spend the better part of an hour telling you about the accomplishments we’ve made in this relationship to trade, to educational exchanges, to development partnerships, to regional security collaborations,” he said. “At the end of the day, Canada and the UAE are poised to enjoy the fruits of this important friendship.”

Baird said much of the conversation was focussed on security.

“International security was a major focus of our discussion including the situations in Iraq, Egypt and Iran,” he said.

Baird said Canada and the UAE are collaborating in their efforts against the militant group ISIS.

“We both see the threat as something we must address as a united front,” he said.

He also expressed his admiration for the first female UAE fighter pilot and her efforts against ISIS.

“She not only represents her country extraordinarily well but is an example of the kind of open society that they have in the UAE as compared to any other country in the region,” said Baird. “Women have made remarkable progress in the UAE in such a short period of time.”

Baird said it’s still too early to talk about if there will be a need to extend the mission.

“I think we’ve only been flying air missions for two not even three weeks,” he said. “So I think we need to be patient.

“No one said this was going to happen over night but I do believe that, as of this early stage, that we’ve begun to make some modest progress which is positive.”

But Baird made sure to emphasize that the relationship between the two nations doesn’t end with ISIS.

“While Canadian and Emirate fighter jets are partnered in the sky, we have partners in Iraq on a few other fronts too,” he said.

Baird said Canada and the UAE support initiatives to counteract radicalization, deliver humanitarian assistance in Iraq, and work to help Egyptians with democratic transition.

Baird said they also discussed Iran and a looming deadline for nuclear negotiation.

“We are both very clear that a nuclear Iran could change the face of the Middle East as we know it,” he said. “And a nuclear Iran would not only be detrimental to regional security but would have huge global implications.”

Baird said a major goal of the partnership is job creation. He said the UAE “offers tremendous opportunities for Canadian businesses, especially small and medium sized enterprises.”

“And I firmly believe that our engagement in the UAE commercial sector is a strategic investment in Canada’s own prosperity and security.”

Baird’s trip to the Emirates coincides with the 40th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the two countries.

“We’ve no doubt had our ups and downs,” he said. “But this relationship has now been set on a course where friendship and mutual respect are at its core.

“I’m very confident that we can expect great things in the next four years.”

Rosetta successfully touches down Philae Lander on comet

Artistic impression of Rosetta and Philae above Comet 67P. Image via European Space Agency. Flickr.

By Casey Taylor

For the first time in human history, an object made on Earth has touched down on a mid-flight comet.

The European Space Agency announced Wednesday it successfully landed a probe on the surface of Comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko as part of its Rosetta mission.

“After more than 10 years traveling through space, we’re now making the best ever scientific analysis of one of the oldest remnants of our Solar System,” said Alvaro Giménez, ESA’s Director of Science and Robotic Exploration on their web site.

“Our ambitious Rosetta mission has secured a place in the history books,” ESA’s Director General, Jean-Jacques Dordain said. “Not only is it the first to rendezvous with and orbit a comet, but it is now also the first to deliver a lander to a comet’s surface.”

ESA’s Philae Lander (pronounced ‘fee-lay’) spent seven hours making its decent to the surface. A far cry from the 10 years and more than 6 billion kilometres travelled by the Rosetta space craft to get it there.

The agency confirmed Philae’s deployment at 9:03 a.m. GMT (4:03 a.m. EST) when Rosetta was 22.5 kilometres from the comet’s centre. The lander took images and recorded information throughout the seven hour descent.

This video shows a rendering of how the operation was meant to take place.

http://www.esa.int/spaceinvideos/content/view/embedjw/442612

ESA said images taken from Rosetta prior to Philae’s approach showed 67P’s surface as being riddled with boulders, cliffs, precipices and pits as well as jets of gas shooting from within.

Stephan Ulamec, Philae Lander manager at the DLR German space centre, said every bit of information takes around 28 minutes to travel from the Philae to Earth.

It was at this time and from these images that they decided to land on Agilkia, located “on the head of the bizarre double-lobed object.”

Unfortunately for mission command, Philae’s landing didn’t go quite as smooth as ESA had depicted in its video.

Philae, having made the decent without the aid or propulsion or guidance systems, sent back information saying it had bounced twice. ESA said the lander ultimately came to a rest in the shadow of a cliff.

Philae had been meant to land at a speed of around one metre per second with its three legs absorbing much of the initial impact. Each leg was also equipped with an “ice screw” that was meant to fire into the surface upon landing.

The screws failed to fire.

“We bounced two times and then finally stopped in a place where we have not entirely located but we sort of get close to the place where we are, where we think we are, which is not very close to the one we wanted to, but not very far away,” said Jean-Pierre Bibring, ESA’s lead Lander Scientist in today’s press conference.

Ulamec said figuring out its current location is made more difficult by that each bounce took the craft another kilometre further from the target.

He also said that the screws’ failure to fire has also made it more difficult to maneuver Philae into a better setting.

“One of the greatest uncertainties associated with the delivery of the lander was the position of Rosetta at the time of deployment, which was influenced by the activity of the comet at that specific moment, and which in turn could also have affected the lander’s descent trajectory,” said Sylvain Lodiot, ESA Rosetta Spacecraft Operations Manager on the Agency’s site. “Furthermore, we’re performing these operations in an environment that we’ve only just started learning about, 510 million kilometres from Earth.”

This video from ESA shows the sights and sounds as they first began to receive the information themselves as well as the press conference from today.

http://new.livestream.com/accounts/362/events/3544091/videos/67965864/player?autoPlay=false&height=360&mute=false&width=640

Philae is currently silent at the time of publication.

The lander is busy collecting all the data it can during a time window where communication with it is impossible.

Ullamec said the communications link between Philae and Earth should be re-established around 7:22 p.m. GMT (2:22 p.m. EST). It is at this point when much of the first data will be transmitted home.

Philae will conduct its primary science mission over the next few days. If conditions allow, a secondary mission could follow.

“Many of the other instruments have already acquired what they wanted to,” said Bibring.

The secondary mission is hinged on the use of solar panels on board Philae to recharge a secondary battery. Unfortunately, ESA said the lander’s current location could hinder that secondary mission as it appears to be resting in a shadow.

“We are not very illuminated,” Bibring said.

He said that because of the shadows, it’s hard to tell in Philae’s images what is shade and what is the blackness of space.

Bibring said ESA will try to reposition the lander so its panels can soak in more sun.

Much of Rosetta and Philae’s mission therefore remains in the air. But what is known for now, they certainly seem to have accepted they’re in this together.

//storify.com/kctaylor4/rosetta-mission-lands-philae-lander-on-comet/embed?border=false[View the story “Rosetta and Philae: Twitter BFFs” on Storify]

Honda announces $857M investment in Alliston plant

Honda’s manufacturing plant in Alliston, ON. Courtesy: Honda.

By Casey Taylor

It’s a major boost for a region that needs it. After years of industry-related job cuts across Southwestern Ontario, Honda announced it will be investing more than $800 million in its Alliston, Ont., plants.

The company made the announcement Thursday at the three plants that house production of the Civic Sedan, Si and Coupe, as well as the CR-V.

The investment will be made over the next three years and will total $857 million. The money will be used to update technologies and processes at the Alliston plants in order to improve efficiency and put them in a better spot to secure new models.

“We are deeply proud to be the lead plant for the next generation of Honda Civic, a designation that reflects the incredible efforts of Honda associates over the past quarter century to produce products of the highest quality for our customers in Canada and around the world,” said Jerry Chenkin, president and CEO of Honda Canada Inc., in a media release. “This marks the first time a Honda plant outside Japan has been designated as a ‘global lead plant’, which reflects the knowledge and experience of our Canadian associates.” 

“This investment by Honda is a vote of confidence in Ontario’s highly skilled workers,” Ontario Premier Kathleen Wynne said during a tour of the Alliston plants on Thursday. “It’s a vote of confidence in Ontario’s capacity for innovation and leadership.”

The project is also expected to make them the new teaching plant for all of Honda’s other world-wide operations.

“For me this is the really exciting part of this announcement,” said Wynne.

“Honda is a mainstay of Ontario’s auto sector and manufacturing base,” said Brad Duguid, Ontario’s Minister of Economic Development, Employment and Infrastructure, in a press release. “This investment helps to position the Alliston facility as an innovation leader in Honda’s global operations.”

Duguid said the Ontario government will continue to work to attract new investments from global auto companies.

The original plant opened in 1986 making it the first Japanese automaker to establish themselves in Canada. They added two more buildings in 1998 and 2008.

Alliston produces about 400,000 vehicles each year and is home to about 4,300 employees.

Kathleen Wynne said the province will contribute $85.7 million to the project, the 10 per cent that is typically offered, and that it will protect current jobs. It’s unclear if the funding announcement will create any new jobs in Alliston.

“Our government is proud to partner with companies that are making the investments in innovation and skills that help us compete globally,” Wynne said in a media release. “The fact that Ontario successfully competed for this project reinforces our position as a global leader in auto manufacturing, and it is a vote of confidence in our province as a great place to do business, now and in the future.”

No funding has been announced from federal government.

The Ontario government said the investment will bring hundreds of millions of dollars in additional revenue for companies who supply the Alliston plants.

At the time of publication, Honda’s stock price dropped immediately after the announcement, but rebounded into positive territory throughout the day.

//storify.com/kctaylor4/honda-announces/embed?border=false[View the story “Honda announces $857M for Alliston plant” on Storify]

Ottawa shootings: Hero Kevin Vickers honoured in House

MPs stand for a moment of silence to honour fallen soldier Cpl. Nathan Cirilo

By Casey Taylor

O Canada sounded through the halls of Parliament Thursday as t he rituals that kick off each day’s session in the House of Commons took on much greater significance. Wednesday, the nation watched in shock as their capital fell under attack.

The nation’s hero, Sergeant-at-Arms Kevin Vickers, entered the House of Commons at the head of the Speaker’s parade carrying the golden ceremonial mace he is often seen pictured with, struggling at times to maintain his composure as MPs honoured his actions with a thunderous wave of applause, many also banging the lids of their desks.

An equally powerful event came shortly after as MPs stood for a second moment of silence, for another hero, Corporal Nathan Cirillo, the Canadian soldier shot and killed yesterday performing a role eerily meant to honour the fallen who came before him.

Prime Minister Stephen Harper was the first to rise and remark on the previous day’s events, thanking both opposition leaders for their support throughout the night.

“In our system in our country, we are opponents,” said Harper. “But we are never enemies, we are all Canadians.”

He went on to thank the public for their continuing support as well as numerous foreign allies Harper said had reached out to express solidarity.

An air of seriousness could be seen to fall over the House as Harper began to discuss the tragedy that had unfolded the day before. He offered his condolences to the friends and family of both Cpl. Nathan Cirillo, 24, and Warrant Officer Patrice Vincent, 53, who was killed days ago in an unrelated act of domestic terror.

Harper told MPs the gunman’s objectives had failed.

“Canadians will not be intimidated,” he said.

“We will be vigilant but we will not run scared, we will be prudent but we will not panic,” he told the House. “And as for the business of government, here we are in our seats, in our chamber, in the very heart of our democracy.”

Harper made sure to thank the men and women of the RCMP, Canadian Armed Forces, and Ottawa police saying their powers for surveillance, detention and arrest need to be strengthened moving forward.

“And most particularly of course Mr. Speaker I’d be very remiss if I did not conclude by acknowledging specifically the work of the security forces here at Parliament and the great work of our Sergeant-At-Arms,” he said.

Harper ended his remarks by crossing the green carpet to hug Vickers. He would then do the same to both NDP Leader Thomas Mulcair and Liberal Leader Justin Trudeau.

Thomas Mulcair

Mulcair rose next.

“Yesterday, a shooter came here and tried to silence us,” Mulcair said. “He tried to silence the values that our country represents.

“Peace, tolerance and diversity,” he listed. “Mr. Speaker, they failed.”

Mulcair said the gunman’s desire to shake our nation has only succeeded in strengthening our resolve.

Like Harper, Mulcair expressed sympathy for the families of the fallen soldiers saying the country as a whole is behind them.

He would then turn, once again, to yesterday’s heroes.

“We don’t know the names of all the heroes from yesterday,” Mulcair said. ” But we all saw heroic gestures here in this place yesterday.”

“Yesterday we woke up in a country of love, of diversity, of peace — and that has not changed today,” he said.

Mulcair said if we are to ensure the gunman’s failure we must defend these values.

Justin Trudeau

Trudeau rose third.

“It is fitting that we have come together in this place immediately to let the world know that Canada’s values are strong, our institutions are resilient and our people are united together,” he began.

Like Harper and Muclair, Trudeau said his thoughts and prayers go out to the families and victims, thanked first responders, and made a point to single out Vickers for his heroism.

Trudeau called Cirillo a hero and a father, saying we must honour his memory so as not to forget a child has suddenly and tragically been left fatherless.

“The individuals who committed these awful acts are not larger than life,” Trudeau told the House. “They are not giants, they are certainly not martyrs.”

He said to consider them as martyrs only perpetuates fear and gives credibility where none has been earned.

Trudeau would go on to say answers are vital in the immediate aftermath of such tragedies.

Sergeant-At-Arms

Much of the spotlight in the House today was focused on one man, and it wasn’t the gunman.

Kevin Vickers shot and killed a gunman Wednesday in Ottawa inside Parliament’s Centre Block. Numerous reports place the assailant outside caucus rooms where meetings were taking place at the time.

A report from the Calgary Sun quotes Vicker’s niece as saying it was the first time he’s ever had to shoot someone.

Mulcair informed the House Thursday someone from Vicker’s team told MPs to stay down as he stood against a barricaded door acting as a second layer of protection. He said all the while the gunman was on the other side of the door.

All party leaders rose today to express their sincerest gratitude to Vickers. Many MPs have suggested if it were not for him and his team, the attack could have been considerably more deadly.

In that spirit, Vickers led the ceremonial Speaker’s parade through the halls of Parliament and into the House, all the while carrying the golden mace that is meant to symbolize Royal authority.

Vickers first assumed his position on Sept. 1, 2006, after serving 29 years with the RCMP and risen to the rank of chief superintendent.

Canada’s Sergeant-At-Arms is in charge of all services and security for the Commons and is a position that is typically appointed by the Governor General on advice from cabinet.

War Memorial Arrest

Earlier in the day, many MPs made their way to the War Memorial before going to Centre Block to pay their respects to Cpl. Cirillo.

Plans for Harper and his wife to lay a wreath at the base of the cenotaph on their way to Parliament took an uncomfortable turn at one point when five to 10 officers with guns drawn moved in and arrested a man after having been deemed a potential threat by authorities. The Harpers ultimately were able to pay their respects without any further disturbances.

World Food Day draws attention to the globe’s truly hungry

Image Via Ron Mader. Flickr. CC License.

By Casey Taylor

People gathered in many countries around the world Thursday to draw attention to the growing global food crisis.

World Food Day is designed to get people to give real thought to global hunger and consider meaningful ways in which they can help.

It is in that spirit that co-founder and Chief Marketing Officer of the Aspire Food Group, Shobhita Soor stood before guests at a World Food Day Event in Ottawa on Thursday and presented the global hunger-alleviating values of entomophagy.

That’s also known as the human consumption of insects as food.

No she wasn’t talking about turning into the kid at the back of class picking a light snack up off the floor, but maybe that kid was ahead of his time.

Watch the entire video of Soor’s remarks below.

The 2014 Global Hunger Index shows hunger levels in developing countries as having fallen on average by about 39 per cent since 1990.

Despite the numerous achievements in food security over the past 14 years that helped reaching those figures, the GHI still classifies the level of global hunger as “serious”.

The 2014 GHI found, based on figures from the UN and the Food and Agriculture Organization, 805 million people in the world continue to go hungry.

The report also found around 2 billion people suffer from malnourishment as they do not get the necessary vitamins and minerals from the food they consume, what the GHI calls a “hidden hunger”.

Private sector involvement in food crisis management

Soor’s remarks to the audience began by questioning why the private sector should play a role in food security.

She said that because the private sector operates in an inherently competitive environment it is also constrained in certain ways by that competition.

“So that pressure that it operates under gives rise to some unique abilities,” she said.

Soor said the private sector has access to the necessary resources and incentives to innovate and invest in new technologies creating new economies of scale and lowering global food prices.

It was the desires of the private sector for efficiency and stability that lead to the commercial seed, she said.

Soor further argued the common fear among many about the nature and desires of business has dissipated of late following the rise of numerous successful public-private-partnerships.

That said, the threat these partnerships may pose a negative impact does still exist.

Soor said this threat is often born from exactly what she felt offered business the ability to play such an important role in any response to the the global food crisis: competition.

She argued the proof was the irony in the nature of the problem itself. Eighty per cent of the world’s hungry are food producers themselves.

Soor said that when any private company, whether large, medium or small, moves into a developing country and attempts to use its resources to help, it effectively ends up competing with these local farmers.

This is why Soor said one of the main goals in food production for the future should be efficient not just in cost and time to grow but also nutritional efficiency. She said the price must also ensure it remains widely accessible.

Cue the bugs

So what’s inexpensive, readily available almost anywhere, and jammed with nutritional value? Insects.

Entomophagy is a term used to refer to the human consumption of edible bugs.

Soor said increasing population, income, meat consumption and other factors will all lead global demand for protein to double by 2050.

“So how do we feed the world enough protein over the next couple decades is a very important question when we’re operating in a world that is shrinking in terms of resources…but is increasing in terms of population,” said Soor.

Soor said insect protein is among the most efficient in the world.

“Gram for gram…it takes drastically less land, less water and less feed to produce,” she said. “And it’s locally palatable so going into different areas around the world, there are different insects that are native to that region, that are desired, that are delicious, that people really enjoy.”

But there are some problems with entomophagy.

Most insect consumption is done through a simple harvest and eat process. Soor said this has cause the sector to gain attention as one that could become considerably more profitable with the discovery of new farming methods.

“If we can farm it we can definitely bring down the price,” she said.

Create Infographics

ISIS threats to Canada spark responses from MPs and public

RCMP sign. Image via waferboard. Flickr. CC License.

By Casey Taylor

New information released Wednesday shows the RCMP is investigating 90 suspects as part of 63 open cases involving threats spawned from the militant group ISIS.

According to a report published by NBC News, U.S. intelligence is looking into threats against the American embassy in Ottawa as well as an unconfirmed shopping centre.

“Intelligence officials tell NBC News that Canadian authorities have heard would-be terrorists discussing potential ISIS-inspired ‘knife and gun’ attacks against U.S. and Canadian targets inside Canada,” said the network.

Canada’s Public Safety Minister Steven Blaney told a House of Commons committee looking into sympathizers joining terror organizations abroad earlier in the day the nation’s security strategy needs adjusting in order to stay effective.

Director of the Canadian Security Intelligence Service Michel Coulombe told the same committee, “(ISIS) does pose a real threat, but like I mentioned, we have no information indicating an imminent attack,” CBC News reported Wednesday.

“We don’t want to sound alarmist. We’re telling people that they should go about their daily life, but we have to be vigilant,” he said.

Coulombe also told the House committee about an August report in which it was revealed more than 130 Canadians had travelled abroad for terrorism related purposes with 80 of them having already returned to the country.

“I don’t want people to believe that we have 80 returnees who were hard fighters in Iraq and Syria, because that is not the picture we have at the moment, although we have some of them,” he said to committee members.

RCMP Commissioner Bob Paulson, also present at the hearing, assured MPs in attendance Canadians shouldn’t be worried.

Only one day before, Canadian MPs voted to send CF-18 combat fighters, among other military assets, to join coalition efforts against ISIS in Iraq.

In the run up to Tuesday’s vote to send Canadian military personnel into battle, Harper addressed the House on the threat ISIS posed to Canada.

“ISIL has established a self-proclaimed Caliphate, at present stretching over a vast territory roughly from Aleppo to near Baghdad, from which it intends to launch a terrorist jihad not merely against the region, but on a global basis,” he told MPs.

“Indeed it has specifically targeted Canada and Canadians, urging supporters to attack, quote, ‘disbelieving Canadians in any manner,’ vowing that we should not feel secure even in our home,” Harper said.

Research Fellow in Global Security from the Centre for International Governance Innovation, Eric Jardine told Humber News last week the domestic threat posed by ISIS in Canada is low compared to other coalition nations.

“They don’t have a large organizational presence in Canada and any organization they do have is more oriented towards recruitment than it is at actually launching attacks at this stage,” Jardine said.

Jardine said the number of ISIS sympathizers in Canada may be higher than thought but there remains a low level of ‘active’ support.

He compared an estimated 60 Australians fighting with Islamist groups in Syria with an estimated 30 Canadians despite a population size 10 million people larger saying, “In that sense, I think the level of active support in Canada is low.”

Reaction in the House of Commons

Public Reaction

Reaction to the news began to hit social media quickly following the NBC report.

Some of those reacting initially via Twitter didn’t express much concern.

US fearmongering: #ISIS planning a ‘terror attack’ in Ottawa, #Canada. Could u be more obvious?

— Bint Filasteen (@NotOccupying) October 9, 2014

But many expressed more concern for the threat than official remarks.

I disagree. Canadians need to be in alert. Authorities need to stop promoting false sense of security. #ldnont http://t.co/i6OgYj8mkU — Lisa (@serpentina66) October 9, 2014

Some tweeting their reaction were left wanting to know where exactly in Canada was targeted.

They should name the city in Canada this thwarted terrorist attack was to take place. http://t.co/jpAtGj07wc #ldnont #onpoli #cdnpoli — Elaine Murray (@emlaughsallot88) October 9, 2014

International ISIS-inspired attacks

Four men were arrested in the United Kingdom Wednesday as police conducted armed raids across London to foil what would have been the first alleged ISIS-inspired terror attack in the U.K. The men were allegedly beginning to plan a “significant” attack on British soil, according to a report in The Telegraph.

Police in London arrest 4 #ISIS sympathisers with “plans to acquire weapons to attack individuals” – ie: behead them! http://t.co/As19b2vKeG — Jon Williams (@WilliamsJon) October 8, 2014

In Australia, six people were arrested in what authorities identified as another ISIS-inspired plot to behead civilians, and another man was killed by police during an attempt to behead an officer.

Harper announces Canada to join U.S.-led airstrikes in Iraq

CF-18 Missile Strike. Image via Leo Fung. CC License.

By Casey Taylor

Prime Minister Stephen Harper has announced he’s ordering Canada’s air force into battle in Iraq.

Harper announced the military deployment after Question Period today in the House of Commons, saying the international community is unanimous in its indignation of the militant group ISIS.

CC-130 Hercules refueling a CF-18. Image via Matt Clare. CC License.

He said ISIS poses a direct threat to national security as they continue to advocate jihad on a regional and global basis, previously urging supporters to attack Canadians specifically saying Canadian homes are not safe.

Harper told the House of ISIS tactics: rape, torture, slavery, etc.

“Today we are bringing forward a motion asking this House to confirm its confidence for a government decision to join our allies and partners … in launching airstrikes against ISIL,” Harper said, referring to ISIS by one of its many acronyms.

The Royal Canadian Air Force will send up to six McDonnell Douglas CF-18 Hornets, a CC-130 Hercules for air-to-air refueling and two CP-140 Aurora surveillance aircraft on a mission lasting up to six months.

Harper also said the government will extend the 30-day mission of the up to 69 soldiers already serving in advisory roles in Iraq.

He said the operation is meant to stop the spread of ISIS in the region as well as degrade their capacity to conduct terrorist acts.

Harper admitted that planes and bombs alone won’t be enough to destroy the threat posed by ISIS, but said their ability to strike would be significantly reduced.

The final decision on the deployment won’t be made until after debate and a vote in the House on Monday.

Simon Palamer, a researcher with the Center for International Governance Innovation’s Global Security and Politics program, told Humber News that Parliament is not required to vote on military deployments, but the Conservative government has regularly brought combat proposals for a non-binding vote.

Click here to read unedited text of the government’s ISIS motion.

Palamer said even though the vote in Parliament isn’t required, it is important that it occurs.

“We don’t know who our next Prime Minister is going to be,” said Palamer.

He said the upcoming 2015 federal election in Canada means the conflict could fall to someone else should Harper be defeated.

The decision to send air support to combat ISIS militants comes as no surprise after days of speculation following reports the United States had asked the Conservatives for support in the coalition.

U.S. forces have been carrying out an air campaign against ISIS with the help of international allies since August.

In his address, Harper did not rule out the expansion of Canada’s role outside of Iraq.

“We will strike ISIL where, and only where, Canada has the clear support of the government in that country,” he said. “At present, that is only true in Iraq.”

“If it were to become the case in Syria, then we would participate in airstrikes in that country also,” Harper said.

Canada already has 26 soldiers serving advisory roles in Iraq. The new commitment comes as those troops were set to return home Saturday.

Mission creep to mission leap

Former Canadian prime minister Jean Chrétien has said previously Harper has put the military ‘all-in’ on the conflict in Iraq. Palamer said although any viable plan he’s seen involves boots on the ground, there’s zero appetite in the West for sending ground troops.

“You can’t win a war or fight a conflict or hold territory with air planes,” Eric Jardine, a Research Fellow in Global Security from the Center for International Governance Innovation, told Humber News this week.

He said that if things got worse, the nation that would be forced into a combat role would be the U.S. while other nations would likely be able to continue to provide mentoring, supervision and logistical support.

But New Democratic Party Leader Thomas Mulcair was quick to pounce after Harper exited the chamber, criticizing the operation with the comment “mission creep to mission leap.”

Mulcair told the House there’s no more sacred an act for a Prime Minister than sending men and women to fight and potentially die.

“The U.S. has been in this conflict for over ten years,” said Mulcair.

He compared the Conservative’s proposal to the ‘wrongheaded’ 2003 decision to invade Iraq and said all the horrors unfolding today stem from that decision.

Mulcair also questioned why military action is the only choice in Iraq when the option was never on the table for conflicts like those in the Congo and Darfur.

Liberal leader Justin Trudeau said his party supported the limited 30-day non-combat mandate in good faith but would be unable to support the Conservatives on this motion.

Trudeau said Canada could make a more helpful humanitarian contribution to coalition efforts than the aging CF-18s.

Trudeau also said there was zero effort made to brief MPs on what Canada’s response to the ISIS threat would be and the Canadian public was left in the dark.

He said that once in the conflict, the government has given Canadians little reason to believe our role would stay restricted.

“We know the Iraq fiasco haunts the choices we have to make today,” he said.

Opposition leaders have attacked the level of secrecy around our mission in Iraq and claim our country is being sent to war from behind a curtain.

Compared to the United Kingdom where the Leader of the Opposition was able to stand in the British House and tell MPs the government’s plan was just , proportional, and carried a reasonable chance of success, parliamentarians in Canada were not offered the same level of openness.

 

Australian air force joined the U.S.-led coalition Today

Breaking: Australia’s cabinet approves air strikes in Iraq, prime minister says http://t.co/WBY9zau5Ku

— Wall Street Journal (@WSJ) October 3, 2014

Canada’s commitment comes following remarks by Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott saying they had begun flying support missions in the region. Abbott said the Australian Cabinet had also authorized their force for air strikes in Iraq.

Similarly to what Harper has announced, Australia’s commitment includes four Royal Australian Air Force F/A-18F Super Hornets and a KC-30A Multi-Role Taker Transport to refuel the planes. An Australian E-7A Wedgetail Early Warning and Control Aircraft had already left Thursday.

Reaction from Twitter

Reactionary tweets started to hit the web immediately following the announcement. Many Twitter users approved of Harper’s decision to join the fight

This is not 2003. This is 2014 and Canada has been threatened, specifically. #ISIS has bragged they’re coming. What isn’t understood? — Alberta Girl (@AlbertaGrl) October 3, 2014

You may not like #Harper, but world powers, including Canada, cannot remain silent when little children are beheaded. #ISIS #Iraq #Syria

— David Kemper (@dkemper) October 3, 2014

Others weren’t as on board with another military excursion in Iraq.

Watching the news on ISIS and Canada’s plans is making me very angry and uncomfortable. — molls. (@mollywalkerr) October 3, 2014

“ISIS has targeted Canada and Canadians.” PLEASE. Please. Give me a break.

— Mary-Catherine (@mce_croshaw) October 3, 2014

Serious question: In what sense is ISIS a direct threat to Canada? — James McLeod (@TelegramJames) October 3, 2014

Others went for humour and sarcasm.

You know ish is getting real when Australia and CANADA get involved #ISIS

— Arleigh J. Aldrich (@GnarleighJen) October 3, 2014

Yay, Canada decided to join the fight against #ISIS! This is going to go swimmingly #cdnpoli #ISIL — Aden (@Aden401) October 3, 2014

Even CANADA will join air strikes against ISIS? Sheesh.

— ECO Martinez (@LizOlveda) October 3, 2014

Canada’s CF-18 Fighter are an aging fleet

Trudeau struck a cord with many when, in response to the Conservative motion, he labeled the CF-18s as ‘aging’.

In 2010, the Canadian government announced the F-35 Lightning II fighter would replace the CF-18s. The first deliveries were to begin in 2016.

Rising costs forced the government to abandon the plan in 2012.

The F-35 is still being considered as a replacement for the CF-18s which have been granted extended life through 2025.

Palamer said the age of the fighters shouldn’t be an issue in Iraq.

“CF-18s were used in the no-fly zone in Libya,” he said.

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Timeline by Hannah Hollingsworth

Harper set to announce Canada’s ISIS combat role

Royal Canadian Air Force CF-18 Hornet at the Canadian International Air Show at the Canadian National Exhibition Centre, Toronto. The Canadian Government is expected to announce Friday it will be sending fighter jets to Iraq to aid in US-led coalition airstrikes. Photo via Wikimedia Commons. CC license.

By Casey Taylor and Hannah Hollingsworth

Prime Minister Stephen Harper is expected to announce Friday what Canada’s combat role in the US-led coalition against the militant group ISIS will be.

Harper is expected to make the case for the deployment of Canadian CF-18 fighter jets to join in coalition airstrikes already underway.

The Prime Minister spoke with his caucus Wednesday on the nature of the announcement and heard no objections, reports say. In fact, there are reports that some MPs were overheard wondering if Canada will be contributing enough to the efforts.

Harper is also expected to send CC-150 refueling jets along side the fighters.

Canada is getting 2 CC-150 refuelling jets ready as part of combat mission against #ISIS. Jets provide refuelling for CF-18 Hornets.

— CBC News Alerts (@CBCAlerts) October 2, 2014

 

Friday’s announcement is set to come following days of speculation after it was reported Canadian officials had been in contact with American counterparts to ask how they could contribute to the operation.

Harper has since denied that Canada had made first contact and revealed the U.S. had been the one to ask for support in a question and answer session last week in New York. Canada already has 26 soldiers serving on a 30-day mission as military advisors in Iraq. That mission is set to end Saturday.

The Conservatives have been under pressure from the opposition lately in the House of Commons to let Canadians know what their role will be past that date. Harper has said that any military role in Iraq would be proposed to the House for a debate and vote.

Simon Palamer, a researcher with the Center for International Governance Innovation’s Global Security and Politics program, told Humber News that Parliament is not required to vote on military deployments, but the Conservative government has regularly brought combat proposals for a non-binding vote.

The Prime Minister’s rhetoric in the House in the lead up to Friday’s announcement has been hinting a decision was soon coming.

“We have at the present time the establishment of a quasi-state, an Islamic caliphate stretching from Aleppo almost to Baghdad, Mr. Speaker, up until very recently operating entirely in the open, planning attacks – not just genocide in the region, but planning attacks in this country,” Harper said in the House on Tuesday.

“We will work with our allies on a counterterrorism operation to get us to the point where this organization does not have the capacity to launch those kinds of attacks.”

Palamer said whatever commitment Canada makes to the coalition “would be a small contingency.”

He said if Canada sends CF-18s to Iraq it would likely be less than five. “It would be a show of political support,” he said.

“It wouldn’t change the course of the conflict, but it would have an important effect.” Palamer said that Canada’s air force would be there for more than offensive airstrikes.

“We’re materially constrained,” Eric Jardine, a Research Fellow in Global Security from the Center for International Governance Innovation, told Humber News this week.

“We’re not a big country when it comes to foreign policy so we can’t throw too much military might around.”

He said the conflict in Iraq could turn into a protracted one.

Former Canadian prime minister Jean Chrétien has said previously that the actions the Canadian government has already taken have put the military ‘all-in’ on the conflict. Palamer said although any viable plan he’s seen involves boots on the ground, there’s zero appetite in the West for sending ground troops.

That being said, Palamer said there’s still risk to soldiers sent to participate in airstrikes.

“There’s always a risk for the loss of life in any military involvement,” he said.

But Palamer said the risk in Iraq is much lower than if the mission was in Syria.

“You can’t win a war or fight a conflict or hold territory with air planes,” said Jardine.

He said that if things got worse, the nation that would be forced into a combat role would be the US while other nations would likely be able to continue to provide mentoring, supervision and logistical support. 

In an older video posted on YouTube shows a Canadian CF-18 prep, take off, refuel mid-air, and test fire.

Canadian CF-18s in need of repair

The Canadian CF-18s that are to be sent to Iraq are part of an aging fleet of aircraft and have been subject to some ridicule.

Canadian CF-18 jets set to get upgrades. Nothing major, just putting in bluetooth stereos in place of the old 8-Track players. — ThisHourHas22Minutes (@22_Minutes) October 1, 2014

Canadian Forces CF-18s first took to the skies in 1982. The fighters have been used in NORAD patrols and saw combat in the Gulf War, the Kosovo War and in contribution to the Libyan no-fly zone.

The Canadian Government announced in 2010 that they would be replacing the aging fleet with F-35 Lightning II fighters with the first of the deliveries to begin in 2016. The Conservatives abandoned to plan in 2012, however, because of rising costs. The F-35 is still being considered as a replacement for the CF-18s which have been granted extended life through 2025.

#RCAF extends life of CF18 fleet to 2025. They will be nearly 50 years old then. http://t.co/9VHJZ8t8l8 h/t @Mark3Ds #cdnpoli

— Kyle Frese (@HKFrese) October 1, 2014

Palamer said the age of the fighters shouldn’t be an issue in Iraq.

“CF-18s were used in the no-fly zone in Lybia,” he said.

Palamer said the mission in Lybia was different in that the no-fly zone allowed them the security of having good intelligence on all surface-to-air missile sites. He said the mission in Iraq would not offer that same security because ISIS could be in control of much the same hardware as what was used in the downing of a commercial commuter plane over eastern Ukraine.

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ISIS threat in Canada

In a video released earlier, ISIS militant Abu Muhammad Al-Adnani called on supporters to attack civilians in coalition countries. The video made specific mention to the United States, Australia and Canada.

Since then, Australian authorities arrested six people in what they identified as an ISIS-inspired plot to behead civilians. Another man was killed in an attempt to behead an Australian police officer.

Jardine said the threat posed by ISIS has two components, foreign and domestic.

He said the regional threat in Iraq and Syria is very real but the domestic one, at least in Canada, is fairly minimal.

“They don’t have a large organizational presence in Canada and any organization they do have is more oriented towards recruitment than it is at actually launching attacks at this stage,” Jardine said.

The number of people who may be sympatheic to the cause may be higher in Canada than many realize, he said. But the amount of active support is still proportionately small.

“There’s an estimated 60 Australians currently fighting with Islamist groups in Syria,” said Jardine. “There’s an estimated 30 Canadians.”

Jardine said there are half as many Canadians fighting than Australians despite a population size 10 million people larger.

“In that sense, I think the level of active support in Canada is low,” he said.

Mike Holmes’ visit to Humber puts focus on trades

Mike Holmes filming PSA at Humber College

By Aabida Dhanji and Casey Taylor

Celebrity handyman Mike Holmes was filming public service announcements at the Humber College Centre for Trades and Technology on Thursday.

Humber News reporters Aabida Dhanji and Casey Taylor talked with Holmes about his presence on campus.

Holmes is the well known television host of construction and renovation shows such as Holmes on Homes, Holmes Inspection and more.

Holmes said he is trying to push people, specifically women in the right direction and help them get in the trades.

“This is not a man’s world, it’s a man and a woman’s world,” he said.

He said he chose Humber as the location for shooting the announcements because he wanted to be able to show skilled trades in the background.

Holmes is the ambassador of World Skills and Skills Canada.