McCarthy Tétrault, one of the biggest law firms in Canada, notified affected clients on Oct. 25 and alerted law enforcement about a third party accessing its files in a cybersecurity breach and “co-ordinated social engineering campaign” it discovered on Oct. 22. Other white-shoe firms, including Bennett Jones, Borden Ladner Gervais, and Davies, said some of their files or accounts were also compromised. (The Logic, The Globe and Mail)
Greg Zeschuk said he suspected BioWare was in trouble in August when he learned of the leveraged buyout of Electronic Arts, led by Saudi Arabia’s sovereign wealth fund. On the heels of EA's announcement last week that it was shuttering the Edmonton-based studio behind iconic game franchises Mass Effect and Dragon Age, Zeschuk suggested the new owners weren’t interested in BioWare’s “unusual” and complex games, which take years to develop. “It’s easier just to pump out sports games every year,” he said. (80 Level)
Eight industries are critical to protecting Canada’s sovereignty, says a declaration from Prime Minister Mark Carney, including defence, food, energy, finance and “emerging technologies” like quantum and artificial intelligence. The newly released security policy promises further specific plans for promoting them through foreign policy, military policy, domestic security and intelligence. (The Logic)
The Saskatchewan uranium company runs Canada’s nuclear supply chain, and that includes the reactors made by U.S.-based Westinghouse, Cameco CEO Tim Gitzel told a parliamentary committee examining the Canadian nuclear sector. Westinghouse’s Canadian ownership under Cameco and Brookfield should mean that the government treats it equally to the Candu technology stewarded by AtkinsRéalis, Gitzel said Wednesday afternoon. (The Logic)
The investment in the Ottawa firm is being led by Toronto’s Vertu Capital and includes participation from an arm of Goldman Sachs, Golub Growth and Comcast Ventures. Solink’s core “vision intelligence” products use AI-based monitoring of video cameras for security, but it also has uses like managing inventory, tracking customer traffic in stores and spotting safety hazards. Solink plans to invest further in AI development and accelerate growth. (The Logic)
At a House of Commons committee meeting Tuesday, Dawn Farrell addressed concerns about rushed consultations with Indigenous groups over the designation of the Pacific Link pipeline as a project of national interest. She said her office has yet to earn the trust of First Nations communities, and that it’s up to the MPO to “show them what our intentions are.” (The Canadian Press)
TD spokesperson Ada Rampersaud said in a statement the lender will be blocking AI agents from direct access to its clients’ banking information “where authentication is required.” BMO spokesperson Jeff Roman said the bank made the decision last week not to let agents access its digital properties or execute transactions in order to protect its clients. CIBC spokesperson Deborah Rowe also confirmed the bank “[does] not support” AI agents directly opening or accessing accounts. RBC, which also blocked third-party agents, said they represent an “unacceptable customer risk,” according to an internal memo obtained by Bloomberg. (The Logic, Bloomberg)
The province is calling its version of the policy the Ontario Competitiveness Tax Cut and expects it to reduce revenue by $8 billion over five years—but to add $6 billion to the province’s gross domestic product as a result of higher capital investment. (The Logic)
The aerospace companies will look for ways Bombardier might contribute to BAE’s work on the Global Combat Air Programme, a British-Italian-Japanese effort to design and build “sixth-generation” fighter jets. Those could include everything from early research and development to maintenance of finished planes. (The Logic)
Dictating such decisions would be an “overcorrect” and a step too far, Superintendent Peter Routledge told reporters Tuesday at Toronto’s Tech Festival, saying they are best left to individual financial institutions, even as Canadian banks weigh restricting the technology. (The Logic)