ÐÇ¿Õ´«Ã½

Politics

    • Canada asking weapons-makers for plans to ramp up ammunition production

    Share
    OTTAWA -

    Canada is giving two weapons manufacturers millions of dollars to come up with a plan to make more 155 mm ammunition as the war in Ukraine drags on.

    Defence Minister Bill Blair made the announcement in a speech to the Conference of Defence Associations Institute in Ottawa on Thursday.

    He said $4.4 million will go to IMT Defence and General Dynamics to develop detailed proposals to increase production.

    "We've donated tens of thousands of rounds of NATO-standard, 155 mm artillery ammunition to Ukraine. But Ukraine needs much more ammunition -- and quite frankly, so does Canada and the (Canadian Armed Forces)," Blair said.

    Several of Canada's allies have already signed deals to increase their own production.

    NATO signed a US$1.2-billion deal in late January through its Support and Procurement Agency to produce around 220,000 rounds, bringing its total spend on 155 mm ammunition to more than US$4 billion.

    Contributing nations to those agreements will either shore up their own supplies or provide the ammunition to Ukraine.

    Canada is not one of those contributing nations.

    In a statement on Jan. 25, Defence Department spokesman Alex Tetreault said, "We continue to sustain the stocks of ammunition necessary to meet the long-term training and operational commitments of the CAF."

    Canadian manufacturers produce a variant of the 155 mm shell known as the M107, which is shorter-range and considered less desirable than the M795.

    Blair said Canada's production capacity is now up to 5,000 shells per month from 3,000, thanks to a $4.8-million dollar spend last year -- the first increase in production capacity since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.

    But cost estimates for building domestic production capacity of the M795 rounds are nearly 100 times that.

    A senior Defence Department official told a House of Commons committee in November that General Dynamics and IMT Defence provided initial cost estimates of $200 million in late 2022, and later revised them to $400 million.

    That price tag doesn't include any actual ammunition.

    Troy Crosby, the assistant deputy minister of materiel, also told MPs on the defence committee that industry estimates suggest it could take three years to get a production line up and running.

    The deal announced Thursday is aimed at developing production of M795 rounds.

    General Dynamics will "demonstrate the capability to manufacture a combustible cartridge case," the Defence Department said, work that will take two years to compete.

    It's also agreed to look into automating some areas of production by the fall of 2025.

    IMT Defence is tasked with developing a production line concept within the next couple of months.

    Christyn Cianfarani, president of the Canadian Association of Defence and Security Industries, said she is encouraged that talks continue about ramping up production.

    "We continue to call for urgency," she said in an email.

    During his address to the conference, Blair was also asked about the military's recruitment efforts and he noted that more members have left the Armed Forces in the last three years than have entered.

    "Frankly, it's a death spiral for the Canadian Armed Forces, we cannot afford to continue on that pace."

    In December 2022, the Defence Department announced it would allow permanent residents to apply to join the military for the first time. CBC News reported recently that 21,000 people applied but only 77 actually joined the ranks in the first year.

    Recruitment processes are too slow, Blair said, and potential recruits are finding other jobs while waiting on the military to call them back.

    "One of the things that I was told by the military is, 'If we hire them, we're stuck with them forever, like we own them forever.' And that's why they're so cautious," Blair said.

    He suggested creating a probationary period that could help get people in the door more quickly. The department said planning on that began in the fall.

    Late last year, officials said the military was short around 16,500 regular and reserve force members. Its authorized strength is 101,500 troops. 

    This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 7, 2024.

    IN DEPTH

    Opinion

    opinion

    opinion Don Martin: Gusher of Liberal spending won't put out the fire in this dumpster

    A Hail Mary rehash of the greatest hits from the Trudeau government’s three-week travelling pony-show, the 2024 federal budget takes aim at reversing the party’s popularity plunge in the under-40 set, writes political columnist Don Martin. But will it work before the next election?

    opinion

    opinion Don Martin: How a beer break may have doomed the carbon tax hike

    When the Liberal government chopped a planned beer excise tax hike to two per cent from 4.5 per cent and froze future increases until after the next election, says political columnist Don Martin, it almost guaranteed a similar carbon tax move in the offing.

    CTVNews.ca ÐÇ¿Õ´«Ã½

    Shamattawa RCMP are searching for a missing six-year-old boy who hasn’t been seen since Wednesday morning.

    BREAKING

    BREAKING

    B.C.'s police watchdog is investigating the death of a woman who was shot by the RCMP after allegedly barricading herself in a room with a toddler early Thursday morning.

    The province's public security minister said he was "shocked" Thursday amid reports that a body believed to be that of a 14-year-old boy was found this week near a Hells Angels hideout near Quebec City.

    Quebec Premier Francois Legault is calling on the Bloc Quebecois to topple the Trudeau government next Wednesday and trigger a federal election.

    Canada

    • BREAKING

      BREAKING

      B.C.'s police watchdog is investigating the death of a woman who was shot by the RCMP after allegedly barricading herself in a room with a toddler early Thursday morning.

    • Shamattawa RCMP are searching for a missing six-year-old boy who hasn’t been seen since Wednesday morning.

    • Friends and strangers have set up a makeshift memorial outside the home of a five-year-old boy who was found dead yesterday in Coteau-du-lac.

    • The lawyer for a B.C. RCMP officer convicted of obstruction for telling a witness to delete cellphone video following the violent 2017 arrest of Dale Culver has requested a stay of proceedings.

    • The province's public security minister said he was "shocked" Thursday amid reports that a body believed to be that of a 14-year-old boy was found this week near a Hells Angels hideout near Quebec City.

    World

    Politics

    Health

    Sci-Tech

    Entertainment

    • Lawyers representing the producers of 'Russians at War' say they may pursue legal action against Ontario's public broadcaster for pulling support for the controversial documentary amid outcry from the Ukrainian community and some Canadian politicians.

    • Viewers of Jeopardy got a chance to test their knowledge of trivia about B.C.'s biggest city Wednesday night.

    Business

    Lifestyle

    • Only one Toronto restaurant earned a Michelin star this year, but it is not a first for the chef who brought the establishment to stardom.

    • They say a dog is a man’s best friend. In the case of Darren Cropper, from Bonfield, Ont., his three-year-old Siberian husky and golden retriever mix named Bear literally saved his life.

    Sports

    • Vancouver Canucks goalie Thatcher Demko says he's been working his way back from a rare lower-body muscle injury since being sidelined in last season's playoffs.

    • Toronto Blue Jays shortstop Bo Bichette returned to the 10-day injured list Thursday due to a right middle finger fracture.

    Autos

    • Video of a brazen daylight auto theft which shows a suspect running over a victim in a stolen luxury SUV has been released by police west of Toronto.

    • The plant was expected to produce batteries for a million electric vehicles a year. Once up and running, it was supposed to create hundreds of permanent jobs in a small southeastern Ontario municipality. But two years later, spending on the construction of the Umicore plant has been delayed in what the company calls a "significant worsening of the EV market context."

    • A Winnipeg man is asking for help after a classic car that has been a part of his family since the 1950s was stolen from his garage.

    Local Spotlight

    They say a dog is a man’s best friend. In the case of Darren Cropper, from Bonfield, Ont., his three-year-old Siberian husky and golden retriever mix named Bear literally saved his life.

    Paleontologists from the Royal B.C. Museum have uncovered "a trove of extraordinary fossils" high in the mountains of northern B.C., the museum announced Thursday.

    The search for a missing ancient 28-year-old chocolate donkey ended with a tragic discovery Wednesday.

    The Royal Canadian Mounted Police is celebrating an important milestone in the organization's history: 50 years since the first women joined the force.

    It's been a whirlwind of joyful events for a northern Ontario couple who just welcomed a baby into their family and won the $70 million Lotto Max jackpot last month.

    A Good Samaritan in New Brunswick has replaced a man's stolen bottle cart so he can continue to collect cans and bottles in his Moncton neighbourhood.

    David Krumholtz, known for roles like Bernard the Elf in The Santa Clause and physicist Isidor Rabi in Oppenheimer, has spent the latter part of his summer filming horror flick Altar in Winnipeg. He says Winnipeg is the most movie-savvy town he's ever been in.

    Edmontonians can count themselves lucky to ever see one tiger salamander, let alone the thousands one local woman says recently descended on her childhood home.

    A daytrip to the backcountry turned into a frightening experience for a Vancouver couple this weekend.

    • BREAKING

      BREAKING

      B.C.'s police watchdog is investigating the death of a woman who was shot by the RCMP after allegedly barricading herself in a room with a toddler early Thursday morning.

    • Since she was a young girl growing up in Vancouver, Ginny Lam says her mom Yat Hei Law made it very clear she favoured her son William, because he was her male heir.

    • A pair of runaway pigs are in the custody of an animal sanctuary in the Okanagan after evading police and volunteers for hours earlier this week.

    • Toronto police are asking for the public's help in identifying one of the suspected shooters in Tuesday's fatal double shooting in North York.

    • Students across York Region will once again see uniformed officers at school, however police and board officials say they will only be stopping by for the occasional safety presentation.

    • Police have identified the two men killed in an early Wednesday morning shooting at a park north of Toronto. York Regional Police (YRP) say officers were called to Bayview Park, near Bayview and Lowndes avenues in Keswick, Ont., just before 7:30 a.m. for a report of shots fired.

    • We've produced a special webcast edition of CTV News Calgary for Thursday, Sept. 19, 2024.

    • The Parole Board of Canada says a man who assaulted a young pregnant woman and left her for dead remains too dangerous to be released into the community.

    • An animated short about a cat named Thumper that’s narrated in Blackfoot is hitting the festival circuit this fall, including a Monday screening at the Calgary International Film Festival.

    • Customers are in the dark about the sudden closure of the Upper Room Furniture stores. The company has filed papers under the Bankruptcy and Insolvency Act. It’s not known whether orders placed and paid for will be honoured.

    • The daughter of a man accused of killing her mother and of trying to kill her in a stabbing attack in Ottawa's west end in June 2021 took the stand at his trial Thursday.

    • The University of Ottawa's special advisor on antisemitism says he has resigned following posts he made on social media celebrating the pager explosions in Lebanon this week.

    • Quebec Premier Francois Legault is calling on the Bloc Quebecois to topple the Trudeau government next Wednesday and trigger a federal election.

    • A harrowing video has been presented to a jury at the trial of three men facing first-degree murder charges.

    • The province's public security minister said he was "shocked" Thursday amid reports that a body believed to be that of a 14-year-old boy was found this week near a Hells Angels hideout near Quebec City.

    • An Edmonton man who is charged with sexually assaulting a teen boy is a member of the Alberta sheriffs, CTV News Edmonton has confirmed.

    • The mayor of Fort Saskatchewan apologized on Thursday for comments she made earlier this week about killing feral cats.

    • New forwards Jeff Skinner and Viktor Arvidsson, who both signed Oilers contracts in July as free agents, skated on a line at training camp Thursday with stalwart star Leon Draisaitl, who inked a contract extension last month.

    • New Brunswick Premier Blaine Higgs has called for a provincial election. Voters will go to the polls on Oct. 21, as prescribed by the province's fixed-date election law.

    • Police are asking people to avoid the Dartmouth Commons area in Dartmouth, N.S., as they assist with a wildlife call for a bear.

    • An 83-year-old man is facing sexual interference charges following a Nova Scotia RCMP investigation.

    • Manitobans are continuing to mop up after a deluge of rain hit southern Manitoba earlier in the week.

    • Shamattawa RCMP are searching for a missing six-year-old boy who hasn’t been seen since Wednesday morning.

    • A Winnipeg pet rescue is putting out a warning to dog owners across the city about a possible parvovirus in the province.

    • A case involving stolen funds from a Saskatchewan business being used to purchase cryptocurrency will be heading back to the courts, thanks to a new decision by Saskatchewan's Court of Appeal.

    • Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC) has confirmed a tornado touched down Wednesday evening near Langbank, Sask.

    • SaskTel has expanded their 5G service that reaches around 50 rural and Indigenous communities throughout the province, along with highway corridor cell sites.

    • New details have been shared about a missing family that was last seen on Sept. 1 in Kitchener, Ont.

    • Wilfrid Laurier University’s football team has an undefeated record this season and the Waterloo, Ont. team is now ranked number one in the country.

    • A celebration of life was held Thursday for a little girl who never got to see her seventh birthday.

    • A gym teacher at a private Christian school in Saskatoon has been charged. Terra MacEwan, 44, is charged with assault with a weapon. A Saskatoon mother who spoke with CTV News says her autistic son was MacEwan's victim.

    • Thomas Hamp says he believed secret police were out to kidnap, torture, and kill him when he fatally stabbed his girlfriend Emily Sanche in February of 2022.

    • A case involving stolen funds from a Saskatchewan business being used to purchase cryptocurrency will be heading back to the courts, thanks to a new decision by Saskatchewan's Court of Appeal.

    • They say a dog is a man’s best friend. In the case of Darren Cropper, from Bonfield, Ont., his three-year-old Siberian husky and golden retriever mix named Bear literally saved his life.

    • As northern Ontario gets ready to welcome autumn this weekend, it’s still feeling a lot like summer as provincial forest fire crews continue to battle blazes.

    • James Bay Ontario Provincial Police have charged four commercial vehicle drivers with impaired, including one who was hauling 36,000 kilograms of ammonia hydrate.

    • A Woodstock homeowner says she’s at her wit’s end over a homeless encampment situated alongside her backyard. She’s calling on the city to do more to help those living rough, so she can live in peace.

    • Police were focusing their attention on the northeast corner of Richmond and Horton, with members of the emergency response unit taking up positions at the scene.

    • A union representative says someone driving a pick-up truck with heavily tinted windows rammed a member on Western Road, near Elborn College.

    • Two men from Barrie have been charged after a deadly shooting at a park in Keswick on Wednesday.

    • A growing group of brides and wedding photographers from across the province say they have been taken for tens of thousands of dollars by a Barrie, Ont. wedding photographer.

    • A 32-year-old man is facing charges after police say his vehicle struck a child in an Owen Sound intersection.

    • The Windsor Police Service (WPS) has seized over $56,000 in drugs and have arrested one suspect.

    • SERVEONE Canada, a global procurement solution company, has begun Canadian operations in Tecumseh.

    • Enrolment may be down at St. Clair College, but President Mike Silvaggi isn’t bothered.

    • In a rare move, the Greater Victoria School District Board of Education has been slapped with a ministerial order from the province requiring it to update a student safety plan – drawing concern around political posturing leading up to an election.

    • The Union of B.C. Municipalities is asking the provincial government to make transit free for teenagers.

    • To appreciate why Mimi Vandermolen is so pleased to notice one particular vehicle she’s walking past, you need to know that seeing this many cars in one place would have been unimaginable when she was growing-up in the post-war Netherlands.

    • A pair of runaway pigs are in the custody of an animal sanctuary in the Okanagan after evading police and volunteers for hours earlier this week.

    • The Red Bridge, a historic landmark in Kamloops, B.C., was completely destroyed by fire early Thursday morning.

    • Animal protection officers in British Columbia have rescued three pit bulls – including one that gave birth to 10 puppies – from a rat-infested home in Kelowna.

    • A Lethbridge couple got a good reminder as to why you should keep your vehicle doors locked at all times.

    • Lethbridge residents who live near the police range can expect to hear plenty of shots fired Wednesday and Thursday.

    • The City of Lethbridge's encampment response team continues to see a rise in the number of people experiencing homelessness throughout the summer months.

    • A new community health profile in the Algoma District shows the area is significantly below provincial averages in a number of health metrics.

    • North Bay Police Service says one person has died following an industrial accident at the Ontario Northland Transportation Commission Rail Yard on Tuesday.

    • Three northern Ontario residents are charged with drug trafficking after the vehicle they were in got stuck along a bush road off Highway 17 on Monday.

    N.L.

    Stay Connected
    Follow CTV News