CSIS – Winnipeg Free Press

Here's a collection of stories from The Canadian Press designed to bring you up to speed on what you need to know today…

Escalation of “violent rhetoric” since October 7: CSIS

Canada's security intelligence service warns that the Israel-Hamas war has led to an increase in “violent rhetoric” from “extremist actors” that could incite some people to violence.

The statement comes as newly released documents shed light on discussions between the intelligence agency, public safety officials and Muslim and Jewish leaders last fall about how to respond to a surge in reported hate crimes.

A CSIS spokesperson says that while the long-term consequences of the crisis are difficult to predict, it is clear that the conflict has created tensions in society.

Documents released to The Canadian Press under the Access to Information Act show Public Safety officials heard concerns from Jewish leaders that police were not doing enough to stop “hateful rhetoric” from some protesters at pro-Palestinian rallies.

Muslim and Arab leaders also expressed concern that activists were being “scrutinized” by the police and were being falsely accused of anti-Semitism.

Here's what else we're seeing…

The name of the baby who died in the car accident has been revealed

The father of a three-month-old boy who died along with his grandparents in a car accident last week says he is deeply saddened.

Gokulnath Manivannan says the loss of his son Aditya Vivaan and his parents is far worse than the injuries he suffered when he collided with a police van on Highway 401 east of Toronto.

In a statement released by the Ontario police inspector, Manivannan said his parents, Manivannan Srinivasapillai and Mahalakshmi Ananthakrishnan, had come to Canada from India to visit their grandson two days before the collision.

Manivannan, who lives in Ajax, says her 60-year-old father is retiring and she's looking forward to what she calls her “grandparents' year of fun.”

He said the 55-year-old mother had been looking forward to the trip, planning to make everything about her new grandchild.

Manivannan said he and his wife could not re-enter the family home after the crash because it was full of toys and other mementos of their infant son.

Manivannan said his wife Ashvita Jawahar was also injured and returned to the accident time and again as she recovered from surgery.

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WestJet, mechanics union avoids strike under contract

A potential strike between WestJet and its mechanics union appears to have been averted.

The Calgary-based airline said in a statement Sunday night that a preliminary agreement had been reached between it and the Fraternal Association of Aircraft Mechanics.

If the contract is ratified by both parties, it will mark the first binding collective bargaining agreement between WestJet and AMFA.

Terms of the deal were not released Sunday night.

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Hundreds of people went on strike at the Nestle factory in Toronto

Hundreds of Nestle workers walked off the job in Toronto on Sunday, rejecting a collective bargaining agreement with the chocolate maker.

Unifor said in a statement that its 461 members, who work at the Nestlé Toronto plant as machine operators, bar packers, shippers and receivers, general laborers and skilled trades, chose to go on strike Sunday evening.

The factory makes Kit Kat, Aero and Coffee Crisp chocolate bars, as well as Smarties, and Nestle says it does not expect the strike to immediately affect the availability of the products in stores.

Unifor says its members want better pension plans and rejected a two-year cost-of-living freeze.

Nestle Canada says it is disappointed that workers have rejected the proposed agreement and plans to work with the union to get the workers back on the job.

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How Canadian companies are developing their AI policies

As artificial intelligence spreads through Canadian workplaces, companies are trying to guide employees through policies on how they can and cannot use the technology.

Kitchener-based recruiting software company Plum developed its policy last summer by asking its AI chatbot Chat-GPT what to include and finalizing it with advice from other startups.

Plum's final policy advises employees not to enter customer and proprietary information into AI systems, to review anything around the technology for accuracy, and to attribute any content it creates.

The company's CEO, Caitlin McGregor, says the goal of the four-page document is to not scare employees away from using AI, but to teach them how to use it safely and effectively.

Sun Life Financial tried to take a similar approach to AI and encouraged employees to complete a self-guided online course that taught them the principles and implications of AI.

This Canadian Press report was first published on May 6, 2024.