National

Anand can't say if balloon gathered Canadian intel

Darpan News Desk The Canadian Press, 10 Feb, 2023 11:55 AM

WASHINGTON - Canada's defence minister says the United States is still trying to determine whether a Chinese surveillance balloon collected any intelligence from either country when it flew over North America last week.

Anita Anand says Canada opted against shooting it down over Canadian airspace because it was deemed not to pose a threat to public safety.

And she says Norad, the Canada-U.S. continental defence system, tracked the balloon throughout its flight, but she won't say precisely where it was when it was first detected.

Anand met today with U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin at the Pentagon as she wrapped up a two-day visit to Washington, D.C. with Innovation Minister François-Philippe Champagne.

✳️ Watch live in 15 minutes as @FP_Champagne and I discuss why national security and economic prosperity go hand in hand.

✳️ Regardez en direct dans 15 minutes alors que @FP_Champagne et moi discutons pourquoi la sécurité nationale et la prospérité économique vont de pair. https://t.co/Ej60KmNRSk
— Anita Anand (@AnitaAnandMP) February 10, 2023

Austin acknowledged the role that Canada and Norad played in helping to track and monitor the balloon as it traversed the continent, before the U.S. shot it down over the Atlantic last weekend.

Both Anand and Austin say the incident illustrates the importance of their ongoing efforts to modernize Norad, which military analysts and commanders have been warning for years is badly out of date.

Prev Next

MORE National ARTICLES

Surrey RCMP investigate shots fired in Whalley area

Via release, police say they found a 25-year-old man suffering from gunshot wounds. He was transported to hospital where he is in stable condition. According to Mounties, initial indications are that this is an isolated incident and involves parties known to each other.

Surrey RCMP investigate shots fired in Whalley area

Health spending growth to slow down in 2022: CIHI

The total health spending in Canada is still expected to rise by 0.8 per cent this year, however that's much lower than the 7.6 per cent increase seen in 2021, and the 13.2 per cent surge in 2020. The annual report released Thursday said the country's health spending, including public and private expenditure.

Health spending growth to slow down in 2022: CIHI

Rain, wind, snow hit large parts of B.C.

Environment Canada says downpours over the inner south coast, including eastern Vancouver Island, Sunshine Coast and Metro Vancouver will deliver between 30 and 70 millimetres of rain. But it says chilly conditions could mean the rain falls as wet snow at slightly higher elevations across Metro Vancouver before conditions warm up on Friday.

Rain, wind, snow hit large parts of B.C.

Hootsuite to lay off five per cent of staff

When restructuring at the Vancouver-based company was announced in August, CEO Tom Keiser said Hootsuite needed to refocus its business so it could drive efficiency, growth, and financial sustainability.

Hootsuite to lay off five per cent of staff

Trudeau skips COP27 for Tunisia, Asia visits

The Prime Minister's Office says Trudeau will attend the Association of Southeast Asian Nations summit on Nov. 12 in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, before heading to the the G20 Summit in Bali, Indonesia.

Trudeau skips COP27 for Tunisia, Asia visits

Foot injury may not result in fractures: witness

Dennis Chimich, an expert in the biomechanics of bone fractures, testified for Doug McCallum's defence team, which is presenting evidence to suggest their client was not lying when he told police a woman ran over his foot in a grocery store parking lot.