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Federal officials plan to meet this week with representatives from Japanese automaker Honda about building a potential electric vehicle factory in Canada, part of Ottawa’s multibillion-dollar effort to transform the domestic auto industry ahead of a shift away from fossil fuels. The meeting hasn’t been publicly announced, but a senior government official told The Globe and Mail yesterday that it will take place this week, and that several federal departments will participate. The Globe is not identifying the official, because they were not authorized to comment publicly on the discussions.
Honda’s potential investment could reportedly reach $18.5-billion, according to a report by Japanese news group Nikkei, a figure that would mark by far the biggest investment by an automaker in Canadian electric vehicle production to date.
A Honda facility would mark an effort to catch up in the race to serve a growing electric vehicle market. Honda has previously built its strategy around hybrid electric vehicles, for which its assembly plant in Alliston, Ont., is currently being retooled.
Production along the Honda CRV production line during a tour of a Honda manufacturing plant in Alliston, Ont., on Apr. 5, 2023.Cole Burston/The Canadian Press
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Universities face lawsuits accusing them of failing to protect Jewish students from antisemitism
Canadian universities are facing a string of proposed class-action lawsuits that accuse the schools of failing to protect their Jewish students from antisemitism and discrimination. The class-action claims, which all launched in the past three months by injury law firm Diamond and Diamond, involve McMaster University, Queen’s University, Toronto Metropolitan University, York University, Concordia University and the University of British Columbia. In several cases, the suits also name the university’s student union.
Tensions have persisted on university campuses since the Oct. 7 Hamas attacks in Israel, with university administrators trying to keep the situation from boiling over while maintaining a commitment to free expression and open inquiry.
- Opinion: Israelis and Palestinians are both trapped by the dangerous fantasies of history
Federal Court bans its judges from using AI in decisions for time being
Canada’s Federal Court says it will keep its judges from using artificial intelligence in decision-making before any public consultation takes place, marking a cautious approach that follows controversial judicial uses of machine-learning tools in the United States and other foreign jurisdictions. The court said in a statement posted on its website late last month that while artificial intelligence offers the potential for considerable benefits, it also has risks – to the independence of judges and public confidence in the justice system.
“This is an area that warrants great caution,” Chief Justice Paul Crampton told The Globe and Mail in an interview yesterday. “I would be troubled if I thought the judges were using ChatGPT to write their decisions, or if their decisions were in any way being influenced by AI, by machines. Because we don’t have enough of an understanding of their processes and what underlies their algorithms, and what the nature of the biases is.”
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Also on our radar
Vigil for Flight PS752: Mourners and officials paid tribute yesterday to those who died after Iran shot down Flight PS752 four years ago, as they called for the Iranian regime to be held accountable for what happened. The names of the victims were read out during a ceremony in Richmond Hill, Ont., marking the anniversary, with a moment of silence held for those lost in the crash.
Gaza: An Ontario woman fears her brother’s death in Gaza will disqualify his pregnant wife from a coming program to help extended family escape to safety.
Boeing: United Airlines said yesterday it found loose bolts and other “installation issues” on a part of some Boeing 737 Max 9 jets that were inspected after a midflight blowout on a similar Alaska Airlines jet on Friday. The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration grounded all Max 9s operated by Alaska and United and some flown by foreign airlines after that flight.
- Canadian travellers should check connecting flights after grounding of Boeing Max 9
- Here’s what happened after wall on Boeing jet ripped away mid-flight, leaving Alaska Airlines passengers, crew members unnerved
Papal speech: Pope Francis addressed the conflicts in the Middle East and Ukraine in his annual “state of the world” speech to diplomats, saying yesterday that “indiscriminately striking” civilians is a war crime because it violates international humanitarian law.
Solving a cold case: An alleged killer in a 1982 cold case was identified using DNA testing, according to Toronto police. Investigators said that if William Taylor was still alive, he would be facing a first-degree murder charge in the 1982 death of Kevin McBride.
- Better DNA access would have helped solve 1983 murders of two Toronto women, police say
Hockey: The Toronto Maple Leafs have extended William Nylander’s contract, making him one of the NHL’s highest-paid players. The 27-year-old winger agreed to an eight-year deal with an average annual value (AAV) of US$11.5-million.
Morning markets
Global stocks pause: World shares held their gains on Tuesday after a tech-led rally on Wall Street the day before and lower oil prices had boosted global stocks, while U.S. benchmark treasury yields rose. Around 5:30 a.m. ET, Britain’s FTSE 100 edged up 0.07 per cent. Germany’s DAX slid 0.19 per cent while France’s CAC 40 lost 0.15 per cent. In Asia, Japan’s Nikkei advanced 1.16 per cent. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng fell 0.21 per cent. New York futures were weaker. The Canadian dollar was down at 74.85 US cents.
What everyone’s talking about
People keep making this costly TFSA mistake – and paying penalties averaging almost $1,500
“The system for keeping people updated on their TFSA contribution room could certainly be better, but TFSA holders themselves need to pay more attention to what they’re doing.” - Rob Carrick
Today’s editorial cartoon
David Parkins/The Globe and Mail
Living better
Cats can be trained, and there’s a growing industry of pet professionals who can help
Claudette Nita, owner of Happy Kitty Cat Training in Toronto, can teach a kitty to shake a paw and jump through hoops, but most of her work is focused on problematic behaviours such as counter surfing, aggression, and other common issues.Supplied
You’ve probably seen videos of cats who can high-five and roll over on cue. That could be your cat, according to professionally certified cat trainers. Social media has opened the doors to more cat-training possibilities. As one trainer puts it, it’s less about teaching them tricks and more about building trust between a cat and a human.
Moment in time: Jan. 9, 1941
Maiden flight of the Avro Lancaster
An Avro Lancaster bomber mounted on a plinth in Coronation Park in Toronto, March 1, 1971.John McNeill/The Globe and Mail
The roar of the plane’s four engines in the skies over the Royal Air Force’s Ringway airfield must have been a wonderful sound to the military personnel on the ground. To England’s enemies, it would soon be a harbinger of destruction. The occasion was the first test flight of the Avro Lancaster, a bomber that would become a mainstay of the Allied air fleet during the Second World War. The Lanc, designed by Avro engineer Roy Chadwick, had a mammoth bomb bay, capable of carrying some of the day’s heaviest munitions. But its manoeuvrability and long flying range made it perfect even for tricky missions, including the famous Dambusters Raid of 1943, during which a group of low-flying Lancasters destroyed dams along Germany’s Ruhr Valley in an effort to damage Nazi industrial capacity. Although the Lancaster was first manufactured in Britain, by Avro and other companies, later in the war the plane was also built by Victory Aircraft, a Canadian Crown corporation, in what is now Mississauga. The sound of the Lancaster’s engines is still occasionally heard in Southern Ontario today: The Canadian Warplane Heritage Museum has a working one, and charges $3,900 for a seat on a flight. Steve Kupferman
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