Latest news with #Sparrow
Hamilton Spectator
a day ago
- Sport
- Hamilton Spectator
B.C., Vancouver, First Nations sign deal to partner in planning, hosting World Cup
VANCOUVER - British Columbia's government, the City of Vancouver and three First Nations have signed an agreement to co-operate on hosting the seven World Cup games being played in the city next year. In a ceremony on Friday, Premier David Eby, Mayor Ken Sim, Musqueam Chief Wayne Sparrow, Squamish Nation councillor Wilson Williams and Tsleil-Waututh councillor Deanna George signed a memorandum of understanding to ensure 'interests of the nations are reflected throughout' the planning and hosting of the games. Sparrow said the location of the ceremony — a facility on Musqueam land used during the 2010 Winter Olympic Games — is symbolic of how local communities can benefit from events such as the World Cup. The B.C. government said the agreement is a framework on how the five parties will work together in planning, staging and hosting the World Cup games, as well as developing approaches to shared opportunities. Organizers are expecting the seven World Cup games in Vancouver to draw about 350,000 spectators to BC Place Stadium and to add more than a million out-of-province visitors between 2026 and 2031. They say that will generate direct and indirect provincial tax revenues of up to $224 million. The B.C. government issued a release this week saying the net core provincial cost of hosting the games is in the range of $85 million to $145 million. Organizers announced last year that the estimated cost of hosting the seven games more than doubled to between $483 million and $581 million, which includes costs for the city, the province and stadium upgrades. Eby said the agreement gives the province a unique opportunity to not only demonstrate the co-operation between governments and First Nations, but to also showcase Indigenous culture to the world. 'In this time of global turmoil and strife, it is a chance to demonstrate how we do things in British Columbia, how we work together to create something amazing,' Eby said. 'It is a huge opportunity for us culturally, economically, and yet another chance to demonstrate the British Columbia way of doing business.' Sparrow said the Musqueam community had relied on 'a small piece of grass' for its soccer needs before the 2010 Olympics, but the Games brought about the construction of the current facility, featuring a turf field, a grass field and a clubhouse. 'Where we stand today was how we came together in the 2010 Olympics and put our differences aside and came together as family and worked together,' Sparrow said at the ceremony site on Friday. 'Now that we have a place for our kids to play. And that shows how when we come together and our sport brings us together, that we have the opportunity now for our kids to have a place.' Williams, the Squamish chief, said the World Cup — with the First Nations acting as host partners — presents B.C. with an even greater opportunity to draw more major international sporting events. 'The experience when people come off those planes, come ashore, come and visit, the retention of the experience they're going to have is going to be so memorable and so strong, there's no way they're going to turn down a request that we're hosting the World Cup in the future — and any world international event for that matter.' This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 27, 2025.
Winnipeg Free Press
a day ago
- Sport
- Winnipeg Free Press
B.C., Vancouver, First Nations sign deal to partner in planning, hosting World Cup
VANCOUVER – British Columbia's government, the City of Vancouver and three First Nations have signed an agreement to co-operate on hosting the seven World Cup games being played in the city next year. In a ceremony on Friday, Premier David Eby, Mayor Ken Sim, Musqueam Chief Wayne Sparrow, Squamish Nation councillor Wilson Williams and Tsleil-Waututh councillor Deanna George signed a memorandum of understanding to ensure 'interests of the nations are reflected throughout' the planning and hosting of the games. Sparrow said the location of the ceremony — a facility on Musqueam land used during the 2010 Winter Olympic Games — is symbolic of how local communities can benefit from events such as the World Cup. The B.C. government said the agreement is a framework on how the five parties will work together in planning, staging and hosting the World Cup games, as well as developing approaches to shared opportunities. Organizers are expecting the seven World Cup games in Vancouver to draw about 350,000 spectators to BC Place Stadium and to add more than a million out-of-province visitors between 2026 and 2031. They say that will generate direct and indirect provincial tax revenues of up to $224 million. The B.C. government issued a release this week saying the net core provincial cost of hosting the games is in the range of $85 million to $145 million. Organizers announced last year that the estimated cost of hosting the seven games more than doubled to between $483 million and $581 million, which includes costs for the city, the province and stadium upgrades. Eby said the agreement gives the province a unique opportunity to not only demonstrate the co-operation between governments and First Nations, but to also showcase Indigenous culture to the world. 'In this time of global turmoil and strife, it is a chance to demonstrate how we do things in British Columbia, how we work together to create something amazing,' Eby said. 'It is a huge opportunity for us culturally, economically, and yet another chance to demonstrate the British Columbia way of doing business.' Sparrow said the Musqueam community had relied on 'a small piece of grass' for its soccer needs before the 2010 Olympics, but the Games brought about the construction of the current facility, featuring a turf field, a grass field and a clubhouse. 'Where we stand today was how we came together in the 2010 Olympics and put our differences aside and came together as family and worked together,' Sparrow said at the ceremony site on Friday. 'Now that we have a place for our kids to play. And that shows how when we come together and our sport brings us together, that we have the opportunity now for our kids to have a place.' Williams, the Squamish chief, said the World Cup — with the First Nations acting as host partners — presents B.C. with an even greater opportunity to draw more major international sporting events. 'The experience when people come off those planes, come ashore, come and visit, the retention of the experience they're going to have is going to be so memorable and so strong, there's no way they're going to turn down a request that we're hosting the World Cup in the future — and any world international event for that matter.' This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 27, 2025.
Yahoo
20-06-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Amazon Robot Army Could Crush Tesla in the AI Race
June 20 - Amazon (NASDAQ:AMZN) has the potential to become one of the most prominent competitors in the robotics and AI industry, and it could become an attractive alternative investment to Tesla (NASDAQ:TSLA) due to its lower volatility. Warning! GuruFocus has detected 2 Warning Sign with AMZN. Tesla used to be priced highly, and some investors might be reluctant to do it due to its expensive pricing as well as difficulties with the car business. According to the analysts, the company that has entered the political stage and competes with Chinese EV car manufacturers also contributes to the risk picture. Amazon, on the other hand, is already utilizing the large-scale use of robotics in its logistics and facilities network. The company has installed more than 750,000 robots on its premises that consist of autonomous systems like Proteus and robotic arms like Sparrow and Cardinal, designed to increase the efficiency of operations in the company. In the mean time, Amazon is continuing to expand AI with its AWS cloud services and also with the development of custom chips through Annapurna Labs. Its Zoox unit also plans to roll out the robotaxi service in Las Vegas and expand it to San Francisco. Valuation may also favor Amazon. Forecasts from analysts suggest the stock trades at about 35 times 2025 earnings estimates, dropping to roughly 14 times by 2030 as profits grow. Tesla's forward price-to-earnings multiple, meanwhile, sits significantly higher, estimated at 172 times for 2025. Morgan Stanley (NYSE:MS) has projected the humanoid robotics market could expand to $5 trillion by 2050, while Goldman Sachs (NYSE:GS) sees potential for $38 billion by 2035. Both Amazon and Tesla are identified as potential leaders in this space. Bank of America (NYSE:BAC) estimates Amazon could save $7.1 billion annually by 2032 through expanded use of robots and AI. Shares of Amazon recently bounced back to around $215 after falling near $160 in April. The 50-day moving average is near $196, and the 200-day sits around $203. The analyst views pullbacks below $200 as potential buying opportunities for long-term investors. This article first appeared on GuruFocus. Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Yahoo
07-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Thousands of new homes being built in SW Florida. What's happening in Naples, Collier?
New home construction continues across Southwest Florida, and in Collier County coincides with two major I-75 interchange updates: at U.S./SR 951 (Exit 101) and the county's first diverging diamond under construction at Pine Ridge Road (exit 107). Thousands of homes, single-family and multi-family, have been approved, are in the planning stages or are under construction in the largest county in the state of Florida with 1,997 square miles of land. Most available land is in the north and east, and growth is pushing that way. Golden Gate Estates, a vast residential area in eastern Collier County, is still under construction, offering large acreage lots ranging from 1 to over 10 acres. The Golden Gate community is estimated to have a population of about 30,000, according to World Population Review. It has an expected build out of more than 54,000 residents, with a density of about 1 person per acre. A community called Bellmar made up of three villages, including a whole new town, is proposed and has been approved at the county level for as many as 8,350 homes in east Collier County near Golden Gate Estates. Collier Enterprises has obtained some of the required local and state permits for the rural village east of Golden Gate Estates, the developer still needs what's known as a Section 404, or wetlands permit, under the Clean Water Act to begin construction. As many as 2,111 luxury single-family homes and villas may be built along the 951/Collier Boulevard corridor in the communities of Caymas, Seven Shores, Tamarindo and Summerlit – all on the northbound side of Collier Boulevard. Fiori, Sparrow's Amberlin South, Savoy, Allegro and Cadenza, Hammock Park, Azalea Park and Ekos will add 2,228 apartments and townhomes to Collier Boulevard. Ekos on Collier, is a proposed rental community that would be "100% affordable" and target essential workers, such as teachers, police officers, firefighters, and other "civil servants," including county employees, as well as seniors and veterans. An assisted-living facility with a memory care unit and an independent living community will add 339 units to the area through Marquies and Watercrest independent living. Both will be located at 951 and Rattlesnake Hammock. A 92-unit assisted living and memory care center – The Watermark Marco Island opened on Marco Island in April. Minto Communities has started sales in its final phase of Isles of Collier Preserve, which eventually will have 1,825 homes at buildout. Located at 5445 Caribe Ave., just off of U.S. 41/Tamiami Trail East, the Isles is in its 17th phase, one that will add 229 homesites. On Corkscrew Road and State Road 82, at the intersection of Collier, Lee, and Hendry counties, Alico Inc. is getting out of the citrus business and into development. The publicly traded company based in Fort Myers is planning two villages in what ultimately will be a 3,000-acre master-planned community with about 9,000 homes. Greenway Fritchey is two proposed communities on two different tracts of a 229.1-acre property at the northeastern intersection of Greenway and Fritchey Roads, about a half mile north of Tamiami Trail East. The communities if approved would build 5.72 dwelling units per acre for a total of 1,300 homes. The planned residential development includes a partnership with Habitat for Humanity to create affordable workforce housing. Naples-based Gulf Bay Group of Cos., the developer of Fiddler's Creek, has proposed a four-story, 750-unit apartment complex on land many neighbors believed would remain untouched by residential or commercial development forever. The project includes 225 rent-restricted units, set aside for affordable and workforce housing. A new residential subdistrict on what's now agriculturally-zoned land — at 341 Sabal Palm Road – if approved would allow for development of up to 423 single-family and townhomes, at a density of 2.5 units an acre on a roughly 169-acre site, near the Picayune Strand State Forest. The property has been the site of a citrus grove for decades. This article originally appeared on Naples Daily News: Naples, Collier County, FL: What new communities being built, planned?
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Business Standard
05-06-2025
- Business
- Business Standard
Amazon testing humanoid delivery robots in San Francisco 'humanoid park'
Amazon is working on artificial intelligence (AI) software to power humanoid robots that could eventually replace human delivery workers, according to a report by The Information. The tech giant is also said to be building a dedicated testing facility, dubbed a 'humanoid park', in San Francisco to trial these robots in indoor obstacle environments. While Amazon has not publicly confirmed the report, the move would mark a significant leap in its automation efforts, which already include a growing roster of robotic systems in its warehouses. What is Amazon's goal for humanoid delivery robots? Amazon's AI-powered humanoid robots are still in the early stages, with the company reportedly using third-party hardware during initial testing. The goal, The Information report suggests, is to eventually create a robot workforce capable of navigating complex delivery routes, a job traditionally done by human drivers and gig workers. What robots are already part of Amazon's automation network? Amazon has already deployed or is testing several advanced robots in its fulfilment network: Digit: A humanoid robot developed to handle empty totes in warehouses. Designed for mobility and flexibility, Digit is being tested for repetitive manual tasks. Robin & Cardinal: Robotic arms that can lift packages up to 50 pounds. Sparrow: A robotic arm designed to pick individual items from bins and redistribute them. Proteus: An autonomous mobile robot that moves carts across warehouse floors. Sequoia: A storage system that delivers totes to employees ergonomically, minimising bending and reaching. Robin is already operational in dozens of warehouses, while others remain in pilot phases. The company claims these robots improve efficiency, speed up order fulfilment, and reduce employee injuries. ALSO READ | How will humanoid robots affect Amazon's workforce? While Amazon touts the benefits of its robots, the increasing reliance on automation raises concerns about the future of human jobs. Amazon has previously stated that automation enhances worker safety and productivity, but critics argue that it also threatens job stability in the long term. While automation may reduce the need for human labour in certain tasks, the complete replacement of human delivery personnel is speculative at this stage.
