Statistics Canada survey shows pandemic’s impact on internet use, INDU committee tables recommendations on affordable internet
The
2020 Canadian Internet Use Survey, which was released by Statistics Canada last week, sheds light on how Canadians’ internet use changed over the course of the pandemic. In 2020:
- 43 percent of Canadians used the internet to work from home more often, while 15 percent used the internet to work from home for the first time
- 82 percent of Canadians shopped online, up from 73 percent in 2018, while online spending rose from $57.4 to $84.4 billion
Also last week, the House of Commons INDU committee tabled
its report on the affordability and accessibility of telecommunications services in Canada, including 16 policy recommendations towards more affordable high-speed internet.
Canada speeds up zero-emissions light-duty vehicle target following International Energy Association net-zero report
The federal government is
speeding up its zero-emissions light-duty vehicle target by five years following the release of the International Energy Association (IEA)’s
net-zero roadmap. According to the new target, all new light-duty vehicle sales should be zero emissions by 2035. Transportation is the second-largest contributor to greenhouse gas emissions in Canada, and light-duty passenger vehicles account for the largest portion of transportation emissions.
From June 1st to July 9th, Invest in Canada and Electric Autonomy Canada are holding a
series of webinar discussions on Canada’s role across the electric vehicle battery value chain, from battery research and development to reuse and recycling.
New report estimates clean energy’s labour market impact from now until 2030
According to a
recent report by Clean Energy Canada, Canada’s clean energy sector currently employs approximately 430,500 people and, under the federal government’s new climate plan, will employ approximately 639,200 by 2030. Clean Energy Canada is a climate and clean energy program based out of Simon Fraser University in British Columbia.
Toronto-based hyperloop company completes feasibility study on Calgary-Edmonton hyperloop
Canadian hyperloop company TransPod
has completed the feasibility study for its proposed hyperloop between Calgary and Edmonton.
A hyperloop is a mode of high-speed transport whereby “vehicles travel autonomously through a network of low-pressure tubes,” “guided and propelled electromagnetically.”
According to the study, the project would cost $29.1 billion, while creating an average of 15,556 jobs/year for nine years and reducing the province’s carbon emissions by 636,000 tonnes/year.
Standards Council of Canada publishes roadmap for data governance standardization
The Canadian Data Governance Standardization Collaborative (CDGS) published
its roadmap for data governance standardization this week. The roadmap “builds on the recommendations of the Digital Charter and puts standardization into action,” including 35 recommendations towards data standardization. The CDGS is a group of 220 Canadians from government, industry, civil society, Indigenous organizations, academia, and standards development organizations. -
Mairead Matthews