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Polar Max Steel Cutting Signals a New Era in Canadian Arctic Shipbuilding

Lévis, Québec — Canada’s Arctic ambitions are about to get a massive boost. On August 20, Davie officially launched construction of the Polar Max icebreaker , a vessel destined to redefine the nation’s capabilities in polar waters. When delivered by 2030, Polar Max will not just be a ship—it will be a statement of Canadian ingenuity, industrial collaboration, and Arctic leadership. “Today’s construction launch marks a major step in Canada’s commitment to reinforcing Arctic sovereignty. The Polar Max project will deliver advanced vessels for the Canadian Coast Guard while boosting domestic shipbuilding expertise and strengthening economic and security ties with Finland and Europe,” affirmed the Honourable Mélanie Joly, Minister of Industry and Minister responsible for Canada Economic Development for Quebec Regions. A Hybrid Build for Speed and Expertise The construction of Polar Max marks an unprecedented transatlantic collaboration between Canadian-controlled facilities in Helsin...
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Snowflake Achieves Protected B Milestone, Unlocking Secure AI Data Innovation for Canada’s Public Sector

Toronto, ON – August 19, 2025 – Snowflake , the AI Data Cloud company, has reached a significant milestone in its Canadian journey: the completion of the Canadian Centre for Cyber Security (CCCS) Protected B Assessment. Meeting the CCCS Medium Cloud Security profile requirements across both the AWS Canada (Central) and Microsoft Azure Canada (Central) regions, Snowflake now empowers Canadian government departments, partners, and highly regulated industries to securely unlock the potential of their data. The assessment is more than a certification—it’s a gateway for Canada’s public sector to accelerate data-driven initiatives and trusted AI applications on a fully secure, compliant platform. For organizations that manage sensitive information, Snowflake’s Protected B status ensures robust governance and security while enabling seamless collaboration, all without the traditional complications of duplicating data or creating complex integrations. “Across Canada’s public sector, there i...
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OVA and Canadian Space Agency Advance AI-Powered Training for Space Missions

Quebec City, Quebec – April 7, 2025 – OVA , a Quebec-based leader in immersive enterprise technologies, has been awarded an $849,000 contract by the Canadian Space Agency (CSA) to advance Artificial Intelligence (AI) Agent technology for space training. This collaboration marks a significant step toward modernizing how astronauts and mission operators prepare for increasingly complex space operations. “We aim to research and develop an agentic AI solution to deliver training on high-stakes operations involved in, but not limited to a space exploration context. This will open up new possibilities to improve how human and artificial intelligences can collaborate to perform complex tasks in a wide range of domains,” remarked Pierre-Luc Lapointe, Head of R&D. The Canadian Space Agency has long been a leader in advancing space research and exploration, fostering innovation across Canada’s space sector. As missions grow more sophisticated—spanning operations with Canadarm2 on the In...
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Breaking Silence Season 4 Episode 1: Maureen

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Breaking Silence | Online series Maureen shares her lived experience of childhood sexual abuse, domestic violence within her marriage, and her eventual rise above adversity. Her journey is told through a Pacific lens, offering insights that Pacific communities may identify with, understand, and draw strength from. Maureen’s story is one of inspiration, resilience, and hope. She has recently submitted her PhD thesis and now teaches in the Bachelor of Applied Counselling programme at MIT. HELPLINES If you have an emergency, dial 111 Family Action – Whānau Toa: 0800 326 327 or 09 836 1987 Women’s Refuge: 0800 REFUGE or 0800 733 843
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“What will happen will happen” – Fiame Naomi Mata’afa, caretaker Prime Minister

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Neueli Mauafu | Reporter All eyes are set on Samoa ahead of its snap election. From the moment you arrive at Faleolo airport and drive towards Apia in Samoa, the signs and billboards of political candidates from various parties can be seen almost everywhere. There are mainly three colours which stand out – green (SUP Party), red (FAST Party) and blue (HRPP Party) – the three main parties battling it out for Samoa’s government. It’s been quite a turn-around for Samoa in regards to its political landscape. In 2021, the swearing in of Fiame Naomi Mataafa as Prime Minister and leader of the FAST Party was a historic moment. The first ever female leader for Samoa, and for the first time in many decades, a new government to end the 39-year rule of HRPP and its leader Tuilaepa Sailele Malielegaoi. Yet only a few years later, that historic run has been cut short, with Samoans again heading to the polls in a snap election, with more than half a year left in the government’s te...
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Talanoa: Opetaia Foa’i Honoured with Lifetime Achievement

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Marama T-Pole | Presenter This week the 21st Pacific Music Awards held in Manukau. The Ministry for Pacific Peoples Lifetime Achievement was awarded to the legendary Tokelau-Tuvaluan music maestro Opetaia Foa’i, who also won the PMN Best Pacific Language award. He joins Marama along with his equally talented daughter Olivia Foa’i for our talanoa.
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Aisle be Back: What a weekend that was. What a weekend it will be.

By Kevin McCarthy  What a weekend that was. What a weekend it will be. In typical introspective fashion, we’ve been looking for things to dissect for the All Blacks. Chief is the rush to dump Billy Proctor and reinstate Reiko Ioane. Given how long we’ve invested in making Ioane a  world class centre – which...
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