Latest news with #Walters'
Hamilton Spectator
6 days ago
- Business
- Hamilton Spectator
On a Hamilton factory floor, Carney pitches new steel plan — but ‘we need more,' says executive
A Hamilton steel fabricator says Ottawa still isn't going far enough to shore up Canada's battered steel sector — even after the prime minister showed up on the shop's floor to make the pitch. Walt Koppelaar, executive vice-president of Walters Group Inc., welcomed the multipronged federal package announced by Prime Minister Mark Carney on Wednesday, but said the government needs to go further and shut the door on fabricated steel imports from 'bad actors.' Prime Minister Mark Carney speaks to reporters at Walters Group Inc. on Wednesday morning. Carney announced a multi-prong package to support the Canadian steel industry at the East Mountain facility. Carney unveiled the plan at Walters' Rymal Road East facility, using the family-run fabricator as a backdrop while flanked by federal ministers, steel industry leaders and Walters employees. The package includes caps on imported steel, stiff tariffs if those caps are exceeded, prioritizing the use of Canadian steel in government procurement and $70 million in new funding over three years to help steel workers get retrained. 'Steel is the very foundation of Canada. We will need much more of it to launch the projects of national interest that will unfold over the coming decades,' Carney said in French, speaking at a steel fabricator on the East Mountain. But the prime minister said that Canada needs to overcome 'immediate challenges' in the industry, including 'foreign competition that unfairly benefits from nonmarket policies and practices.' 'And now, the trade actions of the United States are further transforming global steel market dynamics and supply chains. Let's be clear: Canada will be one of the countries most impacted by these developments,' Carney said. The import caps are based on the levels other non-U.S. countries exported to Canada in 2024. For countries that have an existing free trade agreement with Canada, the cap is 100 per cent of 2024 imports, with a 50 per cent tariff applied on steel above that cap. For countries which don't have a free-trade agreement with Canada, the cap drops to 50 per cent. A 50 per cent tariff will also be applied to all imports surpassing those levels. The new tariff rate quotas are expected to kick in by the end of July, after the Carney government signalled last month that changes were on the way. A 25 per cent tariff will also be applied to all steel imported from non-U.S. countries that was melted and poured in China. Walt Koppelaar, executive vice-president of Walters Group Inc., speaks Wednesday morning at the East Mountain facility. Back in March, Trump imposed 25 per cent tariffs on Canadian steel and aluminum, increasing those tariffs to 50 per cent in June. Koppelaar told reporters that he is hopeful that additional measures will come down the pipeline to help support Canadian steel fabricators. 'We need more,' said Koppelaar. 'What we're looking for is to stop the imports from bad actors.' Koppelaar noted that in the years prior to the trade war with the United States, roughly 70 per cent of the steel fabricated by the company was exported to the country — those exports have since nosedived to 'near zero.' 'It's tough,' said Koppelaar, who noted that the company has not laid off any workers as a result of the trade war. 'We are focused on the Canadian market, and we're going to do everything we can to keep the folks busy here.' Koppelaar noted that if the federal government were to shut out those imports, there would be 'enough work' in Canada to keep domestic steelmakers and fabricators — including Walters Group — afloat. The Spectator reached out to local steelmakers Stelco and ArcelorMittal Dofasco for comment on the announcement made by Carney on Wednesday, but did not receive comment from either company before deadline. Keanin Loomis, president and CEO of the Canadian Institute of Steel Construction, called the package a 'huge improvement' over measures announced by the federal government just a few weeks ago. That announcement included the creation of a steel task force to directly engage industry members in coming up with policy improvements, noted Loomis, adding that the group has met with the government several times since. 'It's clear that they are listening and refining our approach to how we deal with this moment,' said Loomis, who noted in a separate statement that there is 'still work to be done' to support the industry. Still, Loomis praised the government for their move to prioritize the use of Canadian steel in the construction of major, taxpayer-funded infrastructure projects. 'We can meet all of the needs of the domestic infrastructure needs that we have here in Canada,' said Loomis. 'We have enough fabrication capacity in this country from coast to coast.' Loomis added that ensuring Canadian steel is used in national infrastructure projects will also benefit local communities, such as Hamilton, which has already felt the impact of steel tariffs — echoing comments made by Carney during the press conference. Carney told reporters that prioritizing Canadian-made steel in 'nation-building projects' will have an 'enormous multiplier effect' across the country, with those benefits feeding back into the sector as well as the communities 'as a consequence of that strength.' —With files from the Toronto Star
West Australian
11-07-2025
- Entertainment
- West Australian
Retiring Fremantle Docker Michael Walters amazed by Midland mural as he prepares to say farewell to fans
Fremantle star Michael Walters has been overwhelmed by the outpouring of love since he announced his retirement last week and was blown away on Friday after seeing a giant mural painted in his honour in Midland. Walters' illustrious career came to an end after 239 games as injuries took their toll on his body. He will be farewelled by fans at half-time of Saturday night's game against Hawthorn at Optus Stadium when he walks a lap of honour. Dockers fans will be given 'Fremantle's Favourite Son-Son' placards when they arrive at the ground. But while that farewell will emotional, Walters was stunned when he saw the mural which had been painted by local artists Hope Perth and Jade Dolman at Midland Gate Shopping Centre, which includes the M hand signal he used to celebrate goals 'It's unbelievable,' Walters said. 'At the back end of my career I really made it a Midland-themed focus for myself because that's where it all started. Hope and Jade did an amazing job. They nailed a lot. They're really good artists. They did an amazing job. I'm proud of it. 'Thanks to Midland Gate as well because I used to always come here on a Thursday night with friends and walk around. It's funny how the world works. You hang out at one place and then all of a sudden you have an impact at that place as well.' Walters' popularity among Fremantle fans has always been clear, but he said it had been hard for him to understand how he was perceived while playing. He said the love he'd received since retiring will make his lap of honour a moment to savour. 'I reckon i'll be pretty emotional,' he said. 'Purely because I love playing the game and my whole childhood has been based around playing football and trying to make it to the AFL. Now that that is officially over, there's no more AFL and there's no more dream to be had in that sport, it will definitely be emotional. 'I didn't realise the impact I'd had on people. I didn't realise the respect I had in the community. You do lose that when you do play. A lot of different things on social media get in the way of what you really are as a person. 'Most of the feedback I've been getting has been based around what I'm like off the field, not the stuff I do on the field. It's more so we taking time out to have photos. It's the small things you don't realise at the time that essentially add up.'
West Australian
03-07-2025
- Sport
- West Australian
Michael Walters: Five moments to remember as Fremantle Dockers small forward retires
There is little doubt Michael Walters will be remembered as one of the greats of Fremantle. From his freakish ability to find the big sticks from impossible angles to sheer displays of football brilliance and determination. The small forward is the Dockers' Indigenous games record holder with 239 across 17 seasons in purple before the veteran called time on his illustrious career on Thursday. The West Australian reflects on five of Walters' most unforgettable moments and achievements. There's no proving ground quite like finals footy: the tension, the aggression and the deafening noise of fans. Getting to an AFL grand final is no mean feat, and Walters would not be denied in the 2013 preliminary final against Sydney. Fremantle were on song from the start, leading at every change as the forward line worked as a pack. Walters' scintillating efforts resulted in three majors across the day, but he could have had a bag of five, missing two shots to go with 14 touches. If you asked Dockers fans who they wanted kicking for a match-winning or sealing goal across the last 15 years, almost all of them would have called for Walters to don his cape. And in 2022, with a top-four berth on the line in the final game of the home-and-away season, as well as in his 200th just to add a cherry, he showed exactly why. Tackling a potent GWS at Manuka Oval in Canberra, the Dockers held a tenours two-goal lead with five minutes to play. As the action ramped up, the Dockers escaped pressure and linked up through the middle before a handball found Walters in the forward 50. The only problem? He was facing the wrong direction. However, his fleet feet quickly turned him back to goal, gave him three steps to steady, and the veteran made no mistake, icing victory and top four in his milestone match. Walters reached six goals in a game twice, but it was the second of those efforts that left lasting scars on Port Adelaide and impressions on the purple army. Trailing by a point at the final change of the round 13 clash in 2019, the Dockers needed one of their stars to stand up, and the small forward answered the call. Fremantle kicked three goals to nothing in the final term as Walters ran rampant, collecting 25 disposals, four tackles, five clearances and 11 contested possessions to go with his majors, helping the Dockers to victory. Walters kicked plenty of special goals in his bag of 365. But one in 2023 was very unlucky not to be named goal of the year. Tackling Brisbane at the Gabba, the play looked dead as Walters was wrapped up by Harris Andrews. However, the Lions stopper made the fatal error of slinging the Dockers forward away. Despite landing on his stomach, Walters bounced to his feet, sidestepped onto his left and dribbled the ball through the goals from the acutest of pocket angles - all while a second tackle was laid. Walters arguably reached the peak of his powers in 2019. He kicked 40 goals to earn his fifth leading goal kicker award at Fremantle, and he earned life membership. However, the sure sign of his value and remarkable efforts was his All-Australian call-up. The livewire forward was finally recognised by the league for his outstanding achievements, donning his blazer alongside the rest of the game's elite, including teammate Nat Fyfe.
23-06-2025
- Entertainment
Barbara Walters documentary gives raw, candid look at her groundbreaking career
David Muir reports on Walters' groundbreaking career as the first woman to co-anchor the evening news, creator of "The View" and her memorable interviews in "Barbara Walters Tell Me Everything."
20-06-2025
- Entertainment
Barbara Walters biggest interviews revisited, from Monica Lewinsky to the Menendez brothers
Barbara Walters had a trailblazing, decades-long broadcast journalism career that was most defined by the interviews she did with newsmakers and celebrities alike. Over her 50-year television career, Walters, who died in 2022 at the age of 93, interviewed thousands of people, including everyone from Fidel Castro and Barbra Streisand to the Kardashian sisters, Vladimir Putin, Lady Gaga, Saddam Hussein, Monica Lewinsky, Robin Givens and Mike Tyson, Bashar Al-Assad and the Menendez brothers. A new documentary looks at Walters' life and career and shows the impact those interviews had on the world. "She asked the question that nobody else had asked, and asked it in a way that always hit a nerve," Oprah Winfrey says of Walters in the documentary, "Barbara Walters Tell Me Everything," streaming June 23 on Hulu and Hulu on Disney+. "No one ever got out totally unscathed," journalist and friend Cynthia McFadden says in the documentary of Walters' interviews. Bette Midler, herself the subject of Walters' interviews over the years, says of Walters' style, "She was fearless, and sometimes she got under people's skin." In the documentary, Victor Neufeld, a senior executive producer who worked with Walters for years on ABC News' "20/20," details how diligently Walters prepared for each interview. "When she prepared for an interview, the whole world stopped when you were in this session with her. Nothing could interrupt," Neufeld said. "She went through hundreds of questions and then she, in a moment, said, 'That's enough. We're ready.'" Take a look back at some of the most memorable interviews of Walters' career. Fidel Castro In 1977, Walters traveled to Cuba to interview Fidel Castro, then the country's Communist leader. The nearly five-hour session became one of the most memorable moments in Walters' career, and in broadcast journalism history. "It took us many years to actually get it," Walters told ABC News' Byron Pitts in 2016 of the interview. "For a man who likes to talk, he does very few interviews. When he finally sat down, it was, for me, memorable, and to a large degree because we crossed the Bay of Pigs together." Nearly 30 years later, in 2002, Walters interviewed Castro for a second time. "It wasn't as important an interview, I didn't think, or as exciting an interview because a lot had happened and we'd learned a great about him that we hadn't known," Walters told Pitts of the second interview. Monica Lewinsky In 1998, Walters sat down for an hours-long interview with Monica Lewinsky about her relationship with then-President Bill Clinton while she was a White House intern. After Walters' death in 2022, Lewinsky posted a tribute on social media, writing, in part, "I remarked that this was the first time I'd ever been in serious trouble. I'd basically been a good kid – got good grades, didn't do drugs, never shoplifted etc. Without missing a beat, Barbara said: Monica, next time shoplift." Katharine Hepburn Walters' interview with actress Katharine Hepburn in 1981 became famous for a single question. After Hepburn told Walters she felt like a strong tree at her age, Walters replied, "What kind of tree are you?' The question became fodder for late-night show jokes for years. In 2006, Walters herself described it as one of her biggest mistakes in the special, "The Barbara Walters Special: 30 Mistakes in 30 Years." "Starting out at number 30 in our countdown, and it's a big one, never ask anyone what kind of tree they want to be," Walters said in the special, which aired on ABC News to mark the 30th anniversary of Walters' career. Erik and Lyle Menendez Walters traveled to California in 1996 for the biggest interview get at the time, an exclusive jailhouse interview with Erik and Lyle Menendez after they were found guilty of murdering their parents. In the interview, the brothers discussed with Walters the closeness of their relationship, and how that may have played a role in their parents' murder. Lyle Menendez said the killing of his parents 'happened, in part, because Erik Menendez wanted, needed my help' and blames himself 'for not protecting him earlier.' In another moment, Walters pressed Erik Menendez when he described himself as "just a normal kid." "I'm just a normal - I'm just a normal kid," he said, to which Walters replied, "Oh Eric, you're a normal kid who killed your parents." "I know," Erik Menendez said. Clint Eastwood In 1982, Walters interviewed actor Clint Eastwood. The two shared a flirtatious moment that caused Walters to jokingly call for a break in the interview. After Eastwood told Walters he is not one to share emotions easily, Walters responded to the Hollywood superstar by saying, "You would drive me nuts and I would drive you crazy because I would be saying, 'But, you know.'" Eastwood, sitting close to Walters at a picnic table in a field of wild flowers, then told her, "Well we could try it and see if it worked out." After a quick laugh and a second of silence, Walters looked off-camera and said, "I think we'll stop and reload." Discussing the interview clip on " Good Morning America" in May, co-anchor George Stephanopoulos noted, "That's the only time I've ever seen Barbara Walters blush." Bashar al-Assad In 2011, at the age of 82, Walters traveled to Syria to interview Bashar al-Assad, the then-president of Syria. The interview took place during an escalating civil war in Syria and al-Assad's first American interview. Walters pressed al-Assad on the uprising and whether he felt "guilty" for the deaths in his country. "You don't feel guilty when you don't kill people," he told Walters.
