Honda to Pour $15 Billion into EV Factory in Ontario–the Largest Auto Investment in Canada's History

Ontario Premier Doug Ford, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, and Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland listen as Toshihiro Mibe, President and CEO of Honda Motor Co., speaks to the crowd at Honda of Canada – released by Honda.In late April, Honda Motor Company announced plans to build a comprehensive electric vehicle (EV) value chain in Canada with an approximate investment of CAD$15 billion (USD$11 billion).Consisting of four manufacturing plants for EVs, EV batteries, and battery components the first will have a production capacity of 240,000 EVs per year when fully operational, while the battery plant will produce around 36 gigawatt-hours per year.Battery recycling and end-of-use concepts are being taken into account in the project.Currently in evaluation phasing, the company hopes to build in Alliston, Ontario. In addition to securing the current employment level of 4,200 associates at its two existing manufacturing facilities in Ontario, Honda estimates it will add a minimum of 1,000 new jobs for the EV and EV battery manufacturing facilities.The investment will also create significant...

Read More........ → May 10, 2024

Canada Agrees 200 Islands Belong to the Indigenous Haida Nation

Islands in the Haida Gwaii – CC 2.0. Province of BCIn a historic “first-of-its-kind” agreement the government of British Colombia has acknowledged the aboriginal ownership of 200 islands off the west coast of Canada.The owners are the Haida nation, and rather than the Canadian government giving something to a First Nation, the agreement admits that the “Xhaaidlagha Gwaayaai” or the “islands at the end of world,” always belonged to them, a subtle yet powerful difference in the wording of First Nations negotiating.BC Premier David Eby called the treaty “long overdue” and once signed, will clear the way for half a million hectares (1.3 million acres) of land to be managed by the Haida.Postal service, shipping lanes, school and community services, private property rights, and local government jurisdiction, will all be unaffected by the agreement, which will essentially outline that the Haida decide what to do with the 200 or so islands and islets.“We could be facing each other in a courtroom, we could have been fighting each other for years and years, but we chose a different path,” said...

Read More........ → April 26, 2024

Canada approves Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine

Canada’s health regulator has approved the Pfizer-BioNTech Covid-19 vaccine on Wednesday and said it hopes to start giving the shots next week. The vaccine made by US drugmaker Pfizer and Germany’s BioNTech vaccine already has been authorized for use by the United Kingdom and Bahrain, and officials have said they expect the US authorization within days. On Tuesday, the UK became the first country in the world to roll it out. Calling the authorisation a "milestone" in the country's fight against coronavirus, the health Canada said the vaccine met its "stringent safety, efficacy and quality requirements". Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said Canada is set to receive up to 249,000 doses of the vaccine this month.In total, the Canadian government has purchased 20 million doses of the vaccine - enough to inoculate 10 million people - with the option to buy 56 million more. US regulators have confirmed the vaccine is 95% effective, paving the way for it to be approved for emergency use there. Advisers to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) are set to meet on Thursday...

Read More........ → December 11, 2020