‘We want a good deal, not a fast deal,' says N.B. premier
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CBC
10 minutes ago
- CBC
'C-5 fully respects modern treaty,' Carney says ahead of meetings with Inuit leaders
Prime Minister Mark Carney was asked by reporters in Inuvik, N.W.T., Thursday about concerns from some Inuit leaders that his government's major projects bill does not respect their modern treaty.
CBC
31 minutes ago
- CBC
Several local lawmakers told of alleged NextStar EV battery project issues months ago
Social Sharing Several local lawmakers were told about allegations of unpaid bills and contract disputes at the publicly subsidized NextStar EV battery plant in Windsor months before they were publicized last week, according to interviews and emails. It's unclear what, if anything, some of those elected officials did in response. On July 17, CBC News published a story detailing multiple lawsuits involving Canadian contractors who claim they haven't been paid for millions of dollars worth of work on the sprawling east-end facility. One of the lawsuits also alleges a company NextStar hired to oversee parts of the project performed unlicensed engineering and compromised on-site safety. NextStar, a joint venture between automotive multinational Stellantis and Seoul-based battery maker LG Energy Solution, declined to comment on the cases. It did say, however, that it is "extremely proud of the progress made on the construction of the 4.23 million-square-foot facility." Both the federal and provincial governments have pledged billions of dollars towards the plant, which has been billed as the first of its kind in the country and promises to bring 2,500 new jobs to Canada's automotive capital. The City of Windsor also provided the land for the project, which broke ground in 2022. Email to MP went unanswered, contracting executive says On May 26, a local contracting executive emailed Kathy Borrelli, the recently elected Conservative MP for Windsor—Tecumseh—Lakeshore, to fill her in on "some significant commercial issues that involve many of the Canadian firms" working on the NextStar plant. "I would be pleased to characterize what I can for you at your convenience," wrote Eric Farron, VP of operations at Sylvan Canada, according to a copy seen by CBC News. "There has been significant federal and provincial funding for this project, as you are aware, and Canadian contractors are being financially injured." Neither Borrelli, whose win was confirmed in a judicial recount three days prior, nor her staff ever responded to the email, Farron said. Borrelli did not respond to a request for comment. The month before, Farron had reached out to Windsor Mayor Drew Dilkens to give him a heads-up about "contract challenges [they were] having with NextStar that are heating up." Farron, in an April 14 email, said the debt was in the tens of millions and growing, and that "there appear to be other local contractors in similar positions." He also wrote that he was "providing the same guidance to relevant" MPPs and would be "engaging" federal officials as well. Farron said the email did generate "initial dialogue" with Dilkens's office, but that he never heard anything more after that. An attorney for another contractor who's suing for unpaid work on the project says they've also "raised the concerns of nonpayment" with the city. Andrew Colautti, an attorney for RVR Concrete, said the city "denies all responsibility" for the construction lien that his client placed on the municipally owned land where the facility is being built. Court records show that lien has been vacated and the city has been dropped as a defendant in the case. In a statement Tuesday, Dilkens did not address the question of whether he knew about the allegations prior to last week's reporting. A spokesperson said Dilkens and the city "do not comment on matters as they are being litigated." Still, Dilkens said they hope "that all matters between the parties can be resolved as quickly as possible," adding that the city's "unprecedented growth and development are supported, in large part, by investments like we are seeing at NextStar." Sylvan Canada has since launched a $45 million lawsuit seeking unreimbursed costs and damages as a result of its removal from the project last month. The company doesn't take aim directly at NextStar, instead targeting a South Korean firm and its CEO, who Sylvan claims were ultimately responsible for the alleged issues. MPP Dowie: 'All along I've been inquiring and making phone calls' One local provincial representative indicated he was previously aware of the issues — and has been working to get answers. "I've read the story, and ultimately, I remain engaged with NextStar and officials at the province," said Andrew Dowie, the Progressive Conservative MPP for Windsor—Tecumseh. Dowie, reached at a public event Friday, said those officials include Vic Fedeli, Ontario's minister of economic development. "Ultimately, we have a system in place where you do work, you should get paid for it," he said, adding that "it's important that regulations in the province of Ontario be followed." Asked if he was aware of the issues before the story was published, Dowie said: "I always have conversations with people in industry, and so all along I've been inquiring and making phone calls and trying to understand the issues as best as I can. And certainly I'm here to support as much as I can our local companies in their efforts to just [...] be paid fairly." Dowie's PC colleague in the neighbouring riding of Essex declined to say whether he was previously aware of the disputes. "It is highly inappropriate for an elected official to comment on proceedings that are before the courts," MPP Anthony Leardi said in a statement Tuesday. "In general, and without commenting on legal issues, this is obviously a highly complex project," Leardi said. "I hope that any disagreements can be settled expeditiously. We welcome the enormous, multi-billion dollar financial investments made in Ontario by auto-makers." Other lawmakers keeping quiet The region's other representatives in the Ontario and Canadian legislatures are keeping mum. Harb Gill, the freshman Conservative MP for Windsor West, did not respond to an interview request. Neither did the NDP's Lisa Gretzky, the MPP for the same riding. Chris Lewis, the Conservative MP for nearby Essex, did not respond either. Lewis previously criticized the Liberal government for refusing to release all the details of its deal with NextStar. The federal government initially pledged up to $500 million toward the plant, $268 million of which NextStar had already received by the end of last year, according to the Public Accounts of Canada. The Ontario government made the same commitment, bringing the total to $1 billion. But in 2023, both pledged a combined $15 billion more in incentives after Stellantis and LG halted construction on the facility. The U.S. had started offering tax credits to companies that set up EV battery plants south of the border. The federal government, in response to questions CBC News sent on July 11 about the NextStar project funding and legal issues, responded ten days later, largely declining to comment. "For questions regarding these legal proceedings, please contact the parties directly," a spokesperson for Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada wrote Tuesday. But the Ontario NDP critic for economic development questioned the "normalization of legal action on a massive project like this." "15 Billion of taxpayer dollars warrants our interest," Catherine Fife, the MPP for Waterloo, wrote on social media.
Global News
39 minutes ago
- Global News
Saskatchewan's premier optimistic after talks at Council of Federation
See more sharing options Send this page to someone via email Share this item on Twitter Share this item via WhatsApp Share this item on Facebook New partnerships were made during the Council of Federation meeting, with Saskatchewan signing multiple memorandums of understanding with other provinces advocating for cross-Canada trade. Provincial affairs reporter Katherine Ludwig sat down with Premier Scott Moe in the video above to get his thoughts.
