Trudeau slams Bell Media layoffs, citing harm to local journalism

Image: Bell

Prime Minister Trudeau blasted BCE Inc.'s layoffs at Bell Media, including cuts to local newscasts and radio stations, calling it a "garbage decision." He expressed his anger at a press conference, citing a $140 million decline in Bell Media's advertising revenue and $40 million in annual news division losses.

Bell Media announced on Thursday it would end multiple television newscasts and other programming following its parent company's job cuts. It also put on sale 45 of its 103 regional radio stations.

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Trudeau says govt. working with Apple, Google to help develop COVID-19 contact-tracing app

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said that the government is "working closely" with Apple and Google when it comes to the development of a COVID-19 contact-tracing app. The two companies have partnered to develop an interoperable Exposure Notification System and API to assist with contact-tracing efforts. Apple and Google have started rolling the system publicly through software updates on May 20. Trudeau claimed the system the companies are working on would serve as an essential base for effective contact tracing or exposure notification app. He said the government is working with different partners to develop the app, suggesting that they are collaborating with other organizations and companies.

"We're working closely with Apple and Google on the update that they will be bringing forward, and it is our expectation that when the time comes for that to be released, we will be able to recommend strongly to Canadians a particular app that will help us manage the spread of COVID-19," he said. The prime minister didn't give a timeline regarding when the app might be released, but we're hoping it will come out sooner.

Source: MobileSyrup

Amazon's new Vancouver office to bring 3,000 jobs, vote of confidence in Canadian talent

Photo from THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jonathan HaywardBy Gadjo Cardenas Sevilla

There was huge news coming out of Vancouver yesterday as Amazon announced it is opening a new office that will employ 3,000 Canadians bringing Amazon's Canadian workforce to over 9,000 by 2020.

This is a huge vote of confidence in Canada and the Vancouver area.  Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau, welcomed Amazon’s announcement that it will create 3,000 new jobs in Vancouver. Combined with the 1,000 new jobs announced by Amazon in November 2017.

Amazon, which is based out of Seattle, Washington, a neighbour to Vancouver with similar climate, is the third most valuable company with a market capitalization to $702.46 billion.

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PM Justin Trudeau joins Canada Learning Code and Code.org for global launch of Hour of Code

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau joinedHadi Partovi of C ode.org and Melissa Sariffodeen of Canada Learning Code for the global launch of the 2016 Computer Science Education Week and the international Hour of Code campaign.

Hour of Code aims to introduce every student in the world to computing and broaden awareness and participation in computer science education. During the December 5th event, over 40 students from DA Moodie and Collège Catholique Samuel Genest, local schools, visited the Shopify offices to learn about technology careers and then took a 1-hour introductory coding workshop alongside Prime Minister Trudeau.

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