| Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario
| backgrounders
Today, the Honourable Ruby Sahota, Minister of Democratic Institutions and Minister responsible for the Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario (FedDev Ontario), along with the Honourable Mona Fortier, Member of Parliament for Ottawa–Vanier, announced a combined investment of nearly $4.2 million to support five women-led organizations to scale-up, modernize their ventures, and grow.
YELLOWKNIFE — Michael V. McLeod, Member of Parliament for the Northwest Territories, on behalf of the Minister of Energy and Natural Resources, will make a funding announcement to support wildfire prevention and mitigation in the Northwest Territories. A media availability will follow.
| Public Services and Procurement Canada
| statements
Today, the Government of Canada is announcing its intention to exercise provisions under the Canada Post Corporation Act that will allow Canada Post access of up to $1.034 billion in the 2025-26 fiscal year to maintain its solvency and ensure it can continue its operations as it faces ongoing financial challenges. Any cash provided will be on an as-needed basis to pay non-discretionary obligations. Canada Post is an essential service that connects Canadians from coast to coast to coast. It is often a lifeline for Canadians in rural, remote, and northern communities, and is vital to ensuring that these communities, that often have limited access to alternative mail and parcel delivery services, are not left behind. In addition, many small and medium-sized enterprises rely on Canada Post for parcel and letter delivery, which are essential to maintaining and growing their businesses.
Today, MP Wayne Long, Member of Parliament for Saint John-Rothesay, on behalf of the Honourable Ya’ara Saks, Minister of Mental Health and Addictions and Associate Minister of Health, announced more than $900,000 to Sophia Recovery Centre for their project aimed at expanding and strengthening the peer substance use health workforce through co-designed mentorship and wellness training for women.
Robin Wettlaufer (BA [International Relations], University of British Columbia, 1998; MA [Political Science], York University, 2000) joined the Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade in 1998. At Headquarters, she has worked as desk officer for Iraq and as conflict prevention adviser for the G8 foreign ministers’ process, and she has also served in Regional Security and Peacekeeping and in the Japan Division. She was senior adviser to the Darfur peace process, from 2010 to 2011, and deputy director for the Sudan and South Sudan Task Force from 2011 to 2013. Overseas, she served in Ramallah from 2005 to 2008; in Islamabad from 2008 to 2010; in Istanbul, as Canada’s special representative for Syria, from 2014 to 2019; and again in Ramallah, as representative to the Palestinian Authority, from 2019 to 2022. Most recently, she was director of the Centre for International Digital Policy and the Rapid Response Mechanism (2022 to 2024).
The Honourable Mélanie Joly, Minister of Foreign Affairs, today announced the following diplomatic appointment:
Robin Wettlaufer becomes Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to the People’s Democratic Republic of Algeria. Ms. Wettlaufer replaces Michael Callan.
| Office of the National Defence and Canadian Armed Forces Ombudsman
| news releases
The Department of National Defence (DND) and Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) Ombud has released a report titled "Standing together: Ensuring fair treatment for Canadian Language and Cultural Advisors who served in Afghanistan", a final call for the fair treatment of those who served alongside CAF members in Afghanistan.
