The Canadian women\’s soccer and hockey teams are facing off in big games this Wednesday. In soccer, Canada needs to beat Japan and have Brazil defeat the U.S. in order to have a chance to win the SheBelieves Cup. Meanwhile, the Canadian and U.S. women\’s hockey teams are playing the final game of the Rivalry Series. The series is currently tied at 3-3, with the deciding game in Laval, Quebec. Canada has a chance to win the SheBelieves Cup and the Rivalry Series, so be sure to follow my Facebook group to stay up to date on the results!
The Canadian women\’s soccer and hockey teams are facing off in big games this Wednesday. In soccer, Canada needs to beat Japan and have Brazil defeat the U.S. in order to have a chance to win the SheBelieves Cup. Meanwhile, the Canadian and U.S. women\’s hockey teams are playing the final game of the Rivalry Series. The series is currently tied at 3-3, with the deciding game in Laval, Quebec. Canada has a chance to win the SheBelieves Cup and the Rivalry Series, so be sure to follow my Facebook group to stay up to date on the results!
Fort Erie, Ontario Mayor Wayne Redekop has issued a warning that the federal government\’s Underused Housing Tax will have a negative impact on the local economy and its relationships with seasonal residents. The tax, which applies to foreign-owned property, is meant to cool down Canada\’s housing market and stop foreign investors from parking their money in residential real estate that ends up sitting empty. Redekop has argued that the exemptions are inadequate and unfairly applied, and has called for an additional exemption based on time spent at the property. U.S. Representative Brian Higgins has expressed openness to solutions that leave his constituents exempt, and is discussing the issue with stakeholders, the U.S. embassy in Canada, and members of Parliament. Redekop has also raised concerns about foreign property owners not understanding their obligations under the tax.
The Underused Housing Tax has caused concern in Fort Erie, Ontario, where Mayor Wayne Redekop has warned of its negative impacts on the local economy and relationships with seasonal residents. Redekop has argued that the exemptions are inadequate and unfairly applied, and has called for an additional exemption based on time spent at the property. U.S. Representative Brian Higgins is discussing the issue with stakeholders, the U.S. embassy in Canada, and members of Parliament. He is open to solutions that leave his constituents exempt. Redekop has also raised concerns about foreign property owners not understanding their obligations under the tax. Join my Facebook group to stay updated on the latest developments in this story.
This year\’s Canadian Screen Awards feature a number of Black-led and diverse productions, including The Porter, a CBC and BET Plus series set in Montreal, Detroit and Chicago, and Brother, a coming-of-age film set in Scarborough. The Porter is the leading nominee with 19 nods, while Brother is the leading film nominee with 14 nods. Other major contenders include Viking, Crimes of the Future, and Riceboy Sleeps. Television nominees include the CBC comedy Sort Of, and the kids’ series Detention Adventure, with 15 nominations each. The awards will be handed out at seven galas between April 11 and 14, and the pre-taped telecast will air April 16 on CBC and CBC Gem. Follow the Canadian Screen Awards to stay up to date on the nominees, winners, and special honourees.
Clement Virgo\’s Brother, a coming of age drama set in Scarborough, Ont., in the 1990s, leads all films with 14 nominations at the Canadian Screen Awards, followed by Stephane Lafleur\’s science-fiction comedy Viking, which picked up 13 nods on Wednesday when the Academy of Canadian Cinema & Television announced its contenders for this year\’s awards.
On the broadcast side, the CBC and BET+ series The Porter picked up 19 nominations, while last year\’s most nominated show, Sort Of,had another strong showing with 15, the same as the CBC Gem series Detention Adventure.
Brother, which premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival last September, is an adaptation of David Chariandy\’s novel of the same name, while Viking is about a B-team of volunteers tasked with simulating a manned mission to Mars, in order to work out the social issues that the real astronauts will face.
David Cronenberg\’s science-fiction body horror Crimes Of The Future received 11 nominations.
This is the first year that the awards will feature gender neutral performance categories, with eight nominees in each category, including Lamar Johnson (Brother), Steve Laplante (Viking) and Seung-Yoon Choi (Riceboy Sleeps).
Mouna Traoré as Marlene and Aml Ameen as Junior in The Porter. Both were nominated for best lead performer in a drama series, along with their co-star Ronnie Rowe Jr. (CBC)
The CTV series Transplant, last year\’s winner for best drama series, is again nominated in that category, alongside CBC\’s The Porter, Moonshine and SkyMed. Global\’s Departure rounds out the nominees.
The best comedy series category also sees a returning champion among its nominees in CBC\’s Sort Of. Also nominated are Crave\’s Letterkenny, CTV-Sci-Fi\’s Astrid & Lilly Save the World, CBC Gem\’s Fakes and CTV\’s Children Ruin Everything.
This will be the 11th edition of the awards, which celebrate achievement in Canadian broadcasting and film. They will be broadcast on Sunday, April 16 on CBC and CBC Gem, in a pre-taped format that some actors have expressed concerns about. This year\’s nominees include:
Bilal Baig, star and co-creator of Sort Of, which was again nominated for best comedy series, which it won at last year’s CSAs. (CBC)
Best Motion Picture
Babysitter.
Brother.
Falcon Lake.
Riceboy Sleeps.
Summer with Hope.
Viking.
Achievement in Direction
Clement Virgo – Brother.
David Cronenberg – Crimes of the Future.
Charlotte Le Bon – Falcon Lake.
Anthony Shim – Riceboy Sleeps.
Stéphane Lafleur – Viking.
Performance in a Leading Role
Monia Chokri – Babysitter.
Lamar Johnson – Brother.
Joseph Engel – Falcon Lake.
Kelly Depeault – Noémie dit oui.
Seung-Yoon Choi – Riceboy Sleeps.
Maxime Le Flaguais – Rodéo.
Larissa Corriveau – That Kind of Summer | Un été comme ça.
Steve Laplante – Viking.
Ted Rogers Best Feature Length Documentary
Best Drama Series
Departure.
Moonshine.
The Porter.
SkyMed.
Transplant.
Best Comedy Series
WATCH | CSAs switch to gender-neutral performance categories:
Gender-neutral categories coming to Canadian Screen Awards
The Canadian Screen Awards will be switching to gender-neutral performance categories in 2023 rather than having separate prizes for best actor and actress. Organizers say it\’s an effort toward making the industry more equitable.
Clement Virgo\’s Brother, a coming of age drama set in Scarborough, Ont., in the 1990s, leads all films with 14 nominations at the Canadian Screen Awards, followed by Stephane Lafleur\’s science-fiction comedy Viking, which picked up 13 nods on Wednesday when the Academy of Canadian Cinema & Television announced its contenders for this year\’s awards.
On the broadcast side, the CBC and BET+ series The Porter picked up 19 nominations, while last year\’s most nominated show, Sort Of,had another strong showing with 15, the same as the CBC Gem series Detention Adventure.
Brother, which premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival last September, is an adaptation of David Chariandy\’s novel of the same name, while Viking is about a B-team of volunteers tasked with simulating a manned mission to Mars, in order to work out the social issues that the real astronauts will face.
David Cronenberg\’s science-fiction body horror Crimes Of The Future received 11 nominations.
This is the first year that the awards will feature gender neutral performance categories, with eight nominees in each category, including Lamar Johnson (Brother), Steve Laplante (Viking) and Seung-Yoon Choi (Riceboy Sleeps).
Mouna Traoré as Marlene and Aml Ameen as Junior in The Porter. Both were nominated for best lead performer in a drama series, along with their co-star Ronnie Rowe Jr. (CBC)
The CTV series Transplant, last year\’s winner for best drama series, is again nominated in that category, alongside CBC\’s The Porter, Moonshine and SkyMed. Global\’s Departure rounds out the nominees.
The best comedy series category also sees a returning champion among its nominees in CBC\’s Sort Of. Also nominated are Crave\’s Letterkenny, CTV-Sci-Fi\’s Astrid & Lilly Save the World, CBC Gem\’s Fakes and CTV\’s Children Ruin Everything.
This will be the 11th edition of the awards, which celebrate achievement in Canadian broadcasting and film. They will be broadcast on Sunday, April 16 on CBC and CBC Gem, in a pre-taped format that some actors have expressed concerns about. This year\’s nominees include:
Bilal Baig, star and co-creator of Sort Of, which was again nominated for best comedy series, which it won at last year’s CSAs. (CBC)
Best Motion Picture
Babysitter.
Brother.
Falcon Lake.
Riceboy Sleeps.
Summer with Hope.
Viking.
Achievement in Direction
Clement Virgo – Brother.
David Cronenberg – Crimes of the Future.
Charlotte Le Bon – Falcon Lake.
Anthony Shim – Riceboy Sleeps.
Stéphane Lafleur – Viking.
Performance in a Leading Role
Monia Chokri – Babysitter.
Lamar Johnson – Brother.
Joseph Engel – Falcon Lake.
Kelly Depeault – Noémie dit oui.
Seung-Yoon Choi – Riceboy Sleeps.
Maxime Le Flaguais – Rodéo.
Larissa Corriveau – That Kind of Summer | Un été comme ça.
Steve Laplante – Viking.
Ted Rogers Best Feature Length Documentary
Best Drama Series
Departure.
Moonshine.
The Porter.
SkyMed.
Transplant.
Best Comedy Series
WATCH | CSAs switch to gender-neutral performance categories:
Gender-neutral categories coming to Canadian Screen Awards
The Canadian Screen Awards will be switching to gender-neutral performance categories in 2023 rather than having separate prizes for best actor and actress. Organizers say it\’s an effort toward making the industry more equitable.
Clement Virgo\’s Brother, a coming of age drama set in Scarborough, Ont., in the 1990s, leads all films with 14 nominations at the Canadian Screen Awards, followed by Stephane Lafleur\’s science-fiction comedy Viking, which picked up 13 nods on Wednesday when the Academy of Canadian Cinema & Television announced its contenders for this year\’s awards.
On the broadcast side, the CBC and BET+ series The Porter picked up 19 nominations, while last year\’s most nominated show, Sort Of,had another strong showing with 15, the same as the CBC Gem series Detention Adventure.
Brother, which premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival last September, is an adaptation of David Chariandy\’s novel of the same name, while Viking is about a B-team of volunteers tasked with simulating a manned mission to Mars, in order to work out the social issues that the real astronauts will face.
David Cronenberg\’s science-fiction body horror Crimes Of The Future received 11 nominations.
This is the first year that the awards will feature gender neutral performance categories, with eight nominees in each category, including Lamar Johnson (Brother), Steve Laplante (Viking) and Seung-Yoon Choi (Riceboy Sleeps).
Mouna Traoré as Marlene and Aml Ameen as Junior in The Porter. Both were nominated for best lead performer in a drama series, along with their co-star Ronnie Rowe Jr. (CBC)
The CTV series Transplant, last year\’s winner for best drama series, is again nominated in that category, alongside CBC\’s The Porter, Moonshine and SkyMed. Global\’s Departure rounds out the nominees.
The best comedy series category also sees a returning champion among its nominees in CBC\’s Sort Of. Also nominated are Crave\’s Letterkenny, CTV-Sci-Fi\’s Astrid & Lilly Save the World, CBC Gem\’s Fakes and CTV\’s Children Ruin Everything.
This will be the 11th edition of the awards, which celebrate achievement in Canadian broadcasting and film. They will be broadcast on Sunday, April 16 on CBC and CBC Gem, in a pre-taped format that some actors have expressed concerns about. This year\’s nominees include:
Bilal Baig, star and co-creator of Sort Of, which was again nominated for best comedy series, which it won at last year’s CSAs. (CBC)
Best Motion Picture
Babysitter.
Brother.
Falcon Lake.
Riceboy Sleeps.
Summer with Hope.
Viking.
Achievement in Direction
Clement Virgo – Brother.
David Cronenberg – Crimes of the Future.
Charlotte Le Bon – Falcon Lake.
Anthony Shim – Riceboy Sleeps.
Stéphane Lafleur – Viking.
Performance in a Leading Role
Monia Chokri – Babysitter.
Lamar Johnson – Brother.
Joseph Engel – Falcon Lake.
Kelly Depeault – Noémie dit oui.
Seung-Yoon Choi – Riceboy Sleeps.
Maxime Le Flaguais – Rodéo.
Larissa Corriveau – That Kind of Summer | Un été comme ça.
Steve Laplante – Viking.
Ted Rogers Best Feature Length Documentary
Best Drama Series
Departure.
Moonshine.
The Porter.
SkyMed.
Transplant.
Best Comedy Series
WATCH | CSAs switch to gender-neutral performance categories:
Gender-neutral categories coming to Canadian Screen Awards
The Canadian Screen Awards will be switching to gender-neutral performance categories in 2023 rather than having separate prizes for best actor and actress. Organizers say it\’s an effort toward making the industry more equitable.
Clement Virgo\’s Brother, a coming of age drama set in Scarborough, Ont., in the 1990s, leads all films with 14 nominations at the Canadian Screen Awards, followed by Stephane Lafleur\’s science-fiction comedy Viking, which picked up 13 nods on Wednesday when the Academy of Canadian Cinema & Television announced its contenders for this year\’s awards.
On the broadcast side, the CBC and BET+ series The Porter picked up 19 nominations, while last year\’s most nominated show, Sort Of,had another strong showing with 15, the same as the CBC Gem series Detention Adventure.
Brother, which premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival last September, is an adaptation of David Chariandy\’s novel of the same name, while Viking is about a B-team of volunteers tasked with simulating a manned mission to Mars, in order to work out the social issues that the real astronauts will face.
David Cronenberg\’s science-fiction body horror Crimes Of The Future received 11 nominations.
This is the first year that the awards will feature gender neutral performance categories, with eight nominees in each category, including Lamar Johnson (Brother), Steve Laplante (Viking) and Seung-Yoon Choi (Riceboy Sleeps).
Mouna Traoré as Marlene and Aml Ameen as Junior in The Porter. Both were nominated for best lead performer in a drama series, along with their co-star Ronnie Rowe Jr. (CBC)
The CTV series Transplant, last year\’s winner for best drama series, is again nominated in that category, alongside CBC\’s The Porter, Moonshine and SkyMed. Global\’s Departure rounds out the nominees.
The best comedy series category also sees a returning champion among its nominees in CBC\’s Sort Of. Also nominated are Crave\’s Letterkenny, CTV-Sci-Fi\’s Astrid & Lilly Save the World, CBC Gem\’s Fakes and CTV\’s Children Ruin Everything.
This will be the 11th edition of the awards, which celebrate achievement in Canadian broadcasting and film. They will be broadcast on Sunday, April 16 on CBC and CBC Gem, in a pre-taped format that some actors have expressed concerns about. This year\’s nominees include:
Bilal Baig, star and co-creator of Sort Of, which was again nominated for best comedy series, which it won at last year’s CSAs. (CBC)
Best Motion Picture
Babysitter.
Brother.
Falcon Lake.
Riceboy Sleeps.
Summer with Hope.
Viking.
Achievement in Direction
Clement Virgo – Brother.
David Cronenberg – Crimes of the Future.
Charlotte Le Bon – Falcon Lake.
Anthony Shim – Riceboy Sleeps.
Stéphane Lafleur – Viking.
Performance in a Leading Role
Monia Chokri – Babysitter.
Lamar Johnson – Brother.
Joseph Engel – Falcon Lake.
Kelly Depeault – Noémie dit oui.
Seung-Yoon Choi – Riceboy Sleeps.
Maxime Le Flaguais – Rodéo.
Larissa Corriveau – That Kind of Summer | Un été comme ça.
Steve Laplante – Viking.
Ted Rogers Best Feature Length Documentary
Best Drama Series
Departure.
Moonshine.
The Porter.
SkyMed.
Transplant.
Best Comedy Series
WATCH | CSAs switch to gender-neutral performance categories:
Gender-neutral categories coming to Canadian Screen Awards
The Canadian Screen Awards will be switching to gender-neutral performance categories in 2023 rather than having separate prizes for best actor and actress. Organizers say it\’s an effort toward making the industry more equitable.
Canadian bank stocks have been riding a wave of investor optimism so far this year, but analysts say the first-quarter results that start arriving later this week will be a reminder of the mixed economic picture ahead.
On the positive side are the signs of easing inflation and job reports that keep surprising to the upside; on the other side is the growing amount of money banks are having to set aside for the expected slowdown ahead.
Investor concerns about capital requirements are starting to edge into the question of how well banks are profiting off higher interest rates, said Scotiabank analyst Meny Grauman, which has been the main focus in recent quarters.
“There is no doubt that the market’s almost singular focus on margins has already begun to weaken as capital concerns have taken some of that spotlight away,” he said in a note.
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“A more challenging capital and regulatory environment for banks … is something that we are very concerned about.”
The higher capital requirements come after the banking regulator increased the amount of capital that banks have to set aside, while the two taxation measures the federal government introduced in last year’s budget will also be reflected in the results.
Banks had until Feb. 1 to get their capital ratio to the new level of 11.5 per cent set by the Office of the Superintendent of Financial Institutions, which raised it by half a percentage point over concerns of higher risk from high household debt and rising interest rates.
Bank of Canada raises key interest rate again, will pause further hikes
With the economy looking strong despite a wave of interest rate hikes, concerns the Bank of Canada won’t be able to lower rates any time soon could add to the risks. The regulator could also raise the rate further, leading all of Canada’s big banks to target a capital ratio of 12 per cent, said Grauman, which is putting strains on the amount of capital available for other uses such as share buybacks.
“Given the upward pressure on (bank capital) ratios, share buybacks are about as fashionable as top hats,” said Grauman.
Along with higher capital requirements, banks are having to increase provisions for credit losses, though they are still rising to more historic norms from unusually low levels.
“With the possibility of a recession still likely on the horizon, we anticipate the credit normalization will continue, underscored by higher non-performing loan provisions,” said Barclays analyst John Aiken in a note.
Is Canada headed toward recession? Experts have ‘no consensus’ on future of inflation
While banks are having to prepare for the potential fallout from higher central bank interest rates, they also still stand to benefit as their net interest margins improve as overall loan activity is still going strong, noted Aiken.
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“Despite the slowdown in Canada’s housing market, for now, overall loan growth continues to hold steady. On the capital markets front, investment banking league table data is showcasing a relatively positive quarter.”
The positive indicators, and easing fears, have helped push up shares of the Big Six banks by 10.7 per cent as of Feb. 16, compared with 7.2 per cent for the TSX Composite Index as a whole, noted Canaccord Genuity analyst Scott Chan.
The share growth however came after banks relatively underperformed in 2022, while he said that soft capital markets and lowering credit expectations led him to decrease his earnings expectations for the quarter.
The potential need for elevated rates to stick around longer to get the inflation job done is also a rising concern, he said.
“Recent discussion of ‘higher rates for longer’ in Canada and the U.S. adds to potential credit concerns,” he said in a note.
CIBC kicks off the earnings season Friday, while BMO and Scotiabank report Feb. 28 and RBC, TD and National Bank release results March 1.
Kate McKenna starts her days much like the other parents on her street. She drives her kids to school and returns to her bungalow on a cul-de-sac south of Vancouver.
But once she sits at her kitchen counter, pours coffee and opens her laptop, she becomes a global weapons supplier, helping the Ukrainian military fight off the Russian invasion.
A volunteer with United24, a non-profit organization established by President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, McKenna is one of many supporters around the world helping arm Ukraine.
She has tracked down armoured vehicles, missile defence systems and drones – whatever Ukraine needs to repel President Vladimir Putin’s forces.
Kate McKenna, a volunteer with Ukrainian support charity United 24, at her home in B.C.
Stewart Bell/Global News
“Kate is doing an incredible job for Ukraine,” said an advisor to Ukraine’s deputy prime minister. Global News is not naming the advisor, who was not authorized to speak.
“She is an ambassador, helper, supporter and contributor.”
Her neighbours have no idea.
“It is very weird,” McKenna said in an interview at her home in North Delta, B.C. “I’m a suburban mom, and I’m planning Russian death. I do have moments like that.”
Since Russia launched its invasion one year ago this week, a global network has come together to make sure Ukraine is properly outfitted for victory.
They are not all like McKenna. Many are veterans with military expertise and contacts. But as civilians, they have proven able to get things done, and fast.
Aerorozvidka members test Ukrainian armed forces drones near Kyiv, Jan. 25, 2023.
Stewart Bell/Global News
While Western governments have walked a fine line, supporting Ukraine’s armed forces without becoming directly involved, volunteers have no such constraints.
Arming Ukraine Through Donations and Bargain Hunting
A former drone-company employee, McKenna focuses on filling the gaps governments aren’t, like finding the parts to develop the drones that have become a central weapon in the war.
McKenna was born in Zimbabwe and came to Canada in 2008 after working as a banking executive in Tokyo and Singapore.
She was employed at a Vancouver-area drone firm, and raising two children, when Russian troops launched their full-scale invasion.
“I was born in Africa during civil war so I really understand what it’s like to lose your home and to live, as a child, scared,” McKenna told Global News.
“So it really resonated with me.”
Wooden ‘bombs’ used to test Ukrainian attack drones, near Kyiv, Jan. 25, 2023.
Stewart Bell/Global News
She started out by helping Ukraine with commercial drones, something she knew well. Easy to use, they require little training and have become invaluable observation tools and weapons for Ukrainian forces.
She also looks for mothballed military equipment. One of her successes was locating hundreds of armoured vehicles that were sitting unused in an Alabama warehouse after they proved ineffective for their intended mission in Alaska.
Another challenge was finding drones that could work in the Black Sea, where the Russian navy launches its ship-based missiles at Ukraine. The solution was to fit a jet ski engine onto a kayak, she said.
The result was a fleet of makeshift marine surface drones that can target Russian ships. McKenna called it “a beautiful Ukraine story,” and typical of the way the country is defending itself.
“A lot of what we do is a lot of duct tape and putting things together and finding unique ways to achieve the mission,” she said.
“They’re fighting a war against Russia by donation and bargain-basement hunting. It’s ridiculous, but they’re succeeding.”
Aerorozvidka member tests drone near Kyiv, Ukraine, Jan. 25, 2023.
Stewart Bell/Global News
In August, she left her job and began to devote her full attention to the cause.
Recently, she learned that Canada had a cache of counter-rocket, artillery and mortar systems, known as C-RAMs, that had been put in storage during a naval refit, and she began trying to get them to Ukraine.
Since she has no military background, she relies on a network of veterans for their advice. They talk on messaging applications like Signal. Working with contacts in Ukraine, she tries to locate the parts and gear they need, reaching out to manufacturers.
Now that Russia has begun launching swarms of Iranian-made Shahid attack drones at Kyiv, she has shifted to finding equipment that can detect them and shoot them down.
“Right now we’re focused on counter-UAVs,” she said, referring to technology that allows Ukrainians to destroy Russia’s unmanned aerial vehicles.
Team testing drones that have been pivotal in Ukraine’s war against the Russian invasion.
Stewart Bell/Global News
The advantage of the non-profit sector is that it can move more speedily than the bureaucracy, said Ruslana Velychko, who works with the Ukrainian Veteran Fund and Come Back Alive, which equips the country’s armed forces.
“We can work faster than government and we are more dynamic,” she said. As an example, she said her group had imported armoured vehicles that Ukraine’s ministry of defence had been unable to buy.
While immediately following the invasion volunteers were searching for helmets and body armour, now they are in pursuit of drones, radio gear and de-mining equipment, Velychko said in an interview.
“We need to be creative all the time.”
“Our creativeness gives us results and impact.”
On a farm northeast of Kyiv, a white van followed frozen ruts before coming to a stop in a pasture. Three men got out and unloaded hard black cases like the kind roadies haul around when bands tour.
A member of Aerorozvidka tests an armed forces drone near Kyiv, Ukraine, Jan. 25, 2023.
Stewart Bell/Global News
The patches on their uniforms said they were with Aerorozvidka, a non-profit developing attack drones for the Ukrainian armed forces, and one of the groups that McKenna works with from Canada.
They had come to the remote spot to test the “night hunter,” an eight-rotor octocopter they have been building at a nearby workshop, using money and parts provided by foreign supporters.
After attaching three wooden dummies that looked like bombs to a drone, they flew it up above their mock target. The operator sat in their van, staring at a screen. “Let’s go,” he said. He flipped a switch and the bombs plunged into the brown grass.
The AR18 drones they were testing will allow the Ukrainian armed forces to attack Russian tanks and armoured vehicles — a relatively low-tech method of self-defence.
“They are very important in this war,” said Oleh, who is in charge of drone testing. Global News is not publishing his full name for security reasons.
“The person who dominates in the air is winning the war.”
Oleh, a member of Aerorozvidka, testing military drones near Kyiv, Ukraine, Jan. 25, 2023.
Stewart Bell/Global News
Before the war, Oleh was a sales manager at a car-parts company. Now he is one of a team of civilians working on the AR18 drone, modifying it “on a constant basis” amid the urgency of Russia’s invasion.
Each kit costs about $45,000, and they get shot down so have to be replaced, he said. But Oleh believes Ukraine is winning the drone war, thanks partly to money and parts coming from abroad.
McKenna’s said she got to know Aerorozvidka when the non-profit was looking for drones. Working through United24, she helped them find parts and “test all the new technologies,” she said.
“Generally, once a drone, antenna or electronic warfare gun is delivered to United 24 in Kyiv, it’s sent to them to test. If it’s complex, I set up a group chat on Signal,” she explained.
“They share any issues with the manufacturer’s engineering team, and I monitor the conversations to make sure each team is understanding the other.”
Drones fitted with bombs are used to attack Russian tanks and armoured vehicles in Ukraine.
Stewart Bell/Global News
When the military jargon goes over her head, McKenna consults her network, which includes a retired U.S. general, she said. “He explains a lot of things.”
She is confident Ukraine will win, and when the war is over, she hopes to help the country rebuild. Until then, she is approaching companies and asking if they have anything to offer.
In May, she will give a presentation at a conference in Washington, D.C. on counter-drone technology. In the audience will be senior members of the military and industry.
McKenna’s speech begins: “Hi, I’m a Canadian mom with internet access.”
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