Here are five developments shaping Ottawa and the National Capital Region today, with context on why they matter.
Ottawa youth found guilty in terrorism case tied to plan to kill Jewish people
An Ontario Superior Court judge on Friday found a youth guilty of two terrorism-related charges tied to a 2023 plan to kill Jewish people in Ottawa, The Canadian Press reports. Justice Kerry McVey convicted him of conspiracy to commit murder for a terrorist group and of facilitating terrorist activity by trying to get a prohibited firearm, but acquitted him of a third charge involving sharing instructional and propaganda material. The Crown said the youth and a co-accused, who was found guilty on four charges earlier, had a concrete plan for a mass-casualty attack by late October 2023; neither can be named under the Youth Criminal Justice Act. The judge told him, “You are not being found guilty because of what you believed.” The Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs responded by urging governments to act on radicalization and give security agencies the resources to disrupt threats. The verdict is a sobering reminder of how online extremism can target communities here in the capital. Sources: The Canadian Press via Yahoo News and National Post via Yahoo News.
Carney wraps Alberta tour as more than a million vote ahead of Monday referendum
Prime Minister Mark Carney ended a two-day pro-Canada tour of Alberta with a rally of thousands at Edmonton’s Expo Centre on Friday night, The Canadian Press reports. He called a vote to leave “a dangerous bluff” that would bring years of uncertainty, and CTV News reports he said a decisive result would settle the question. Elections Alberta said more than one million people had already voted through mail-in ballots and advance polls as of Thursday night. Monday’s October 19 ballot has 10 questions: one on leaving Canada, which would trigger a second, binding referendum, and nine others on issues such as provincial control over immigration, which Premier Danielle Smith supports and Carney opposes. Polls suggest a strong majority will vote to stay, though leaders warn low turnout could change the outcome. The result will shape the federal-provincial relationship and the national unity debate long after Monday. Sources: The Canadian Press via Global News and CTV News.
Modi to visit Ottawa and Toronto in December as Canada-India trade talks advance
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi is expected to visit Canada on December 11 and 12, with stops in Toronto and Ottawa, Prime Minister Mark Carney confirmed, CTV News reports. Carney said more stops are possible, saying “We’ll see if we can broaden it out.” Both countries aim to finalize a trade pact by the end of 2026, with a goal of doubling two-way trade to $70 billion a year by 2030. Business Today reports the leaders plan to seek results in trade, energy, technology and security. Relations were badly strained after the 2023 killing of Sikh activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar, which former prime minister Justin Trudeau linked to Indian agents; India has denied involvement. The visit would bring a major state-level meeting to the capital and test how far Ottawa’s push to diversify trade away from the U.S. has come. Sources: CTV News via BNN Bloomberg and Business Today.
Ottawa commits $258.6 million to close skills gaps in critical sectors
Jobs Minister Patty Hajdu announced in Thunder Bay that the federal government will spend up to $258.6 million over five years, and $50 million a year after that, to train workers in critical sectors, The Canadian Press reports. The money flows through the Sectoral Workforce Innovation Fund, which targets mismatches between workers’ skills and industry needs in areas such as energy and critical minerals, and can pay for projects that speed up training or certification. Applications opened in August. The announcement came a day after Ottawa pledged $430 million to help unions and other organizations pay for new skilled-trades training facilities and equipment. The Liberals have said they want to train up to 100,000 new skilled workers over five years to support their infrastructure agenda. Whether the money translates into enough tradespeople will determine how quickly major building projects can move. Source: The Canadian Press via BNN Bloomberg.
China proposes curbs on exports of 40 technologies, including AI
China’s commerce and science ministries on Friday published a draft proposal to restrict or ban exports of 40 technologies, including 23 in artificial intelligence, 12 in solar power and five in biomedicine, the Associated Press reports. The draft would prohibit exporting core technologies for large AI models trained on sensitive national data, and could restrict models with two trillion or more parameters. The commerce ministry called the move necessary for national security. It comes as U.S.-led restrictions continue to block China from the most advanced AI chips and chipmaking equipment. One analyst told the AP the world is becoming more fragmented in access to technology. For Canada, which is working to build its own AI and clean-tech capacity while diversifying trade partners, a widening tech divide between the two largest economies raises the stakes of where it sources critical technology. Sources: Associated Press via PBS NewsHour and Associated Press via CTV News.
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