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Unifor seriously concerned by latest government decision on Canadian cultural policy

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TORONTO, June 3, 2026 /CNW/ – Unifor is deeply concerned by today’s announcement from the Government of Canada ordering the CRTC to review its two decisions announced on May 21, 2026, regarding implementation of regulations related to the Online Streaming Act.

Unifor has advocated for more than 15 years for new legislation that would finally bring foreign streaming services under regulation and require them to meaningfully contribute to the Canadian media ecosystem.

“This latest move by the federal government represents a devastating blow to our cultural sovereignty and to our strong, diverse Canadian media ecosystem, including local news,” said Lana Payne, National President of Unifor, a union representing 9,000 media workers.

“U.S. big tech makes billions in the Canadian market, and they should be required to reinvest some of that money locally, allowing us to tell our stories and grow our talent here in Canada.”

The financial model that previously supported Canadian content creation, including vital local news, is permanently broken and Canadians are experiencing a loss of locally relevant programming and decreased access to locally relevant news. One significant issue has been that U.S. big tech has been essentially given a free ride, having been given access to Canadian markets without requirements to contribute meaningfully to Canada’s broadcast and news systems.

The May decisions by the CRTC would have required large online streaming services (making over $25 million in Canada) to contribute 15% of their annual Canadian revenues to support Canadian and Indigenous content and would have reduced the contribution rates for traditional broadcasters to 25% of annual revenues.

In addition, the recent decisions would have established a new “discoverability” framework intended to make Canadian and Indigenous content easily findable on online platforms.

“This follows on the heels of the Liberals’ concession to Trump and U.S. Big Tech when they backed away from the Digital Services Tax in June 2025,” said Julie Kotsis, Chair of Unifor’s Media Council. 

“This latest move is another two steps back when it comes to protecting and supporting Canada’s media sector, and especially local news.”

Unifor is calling on the federal government to stand up for local news in Canada by rescinding today’s review announcement and moving ahead to implement the May 21 CRTC decisions as quickly as possible.

Unifor represents over 9,000 media workers in Canada, who perform a diverse range of jobs, including: journalists, printers, advertising representatives, newspaper carriers, video editors, camera operators, technicians, writers, producers, editorial researchers, maintenance workers, on-air talent, stage and film crewmembers, production assistants, website developers, editors and publishers.

Unifor is Canada’s largest union in the private sector, representing 320,000 workers in every major area of the economy. The union advocates for all working people and their rights, fights for equality and social justice in Canada and abroad and strives to create progressive change for a better future.

SOURCE Unifor

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GEEKCO GRANTS STOCK OPTIONS AND RESTRICTED SHARE UNITS

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MONTRÉAL, June 3, 2026 /CNW/ – Geekco Technologies Corporation (the “Corporation” or “Geekco”) (TSXV: GKO) is pleased to announce the grants of an aggregate of 3,400,000 options to acquire as much class A shares of the Corporation at an exercise price of $0.08 each, of which 2,400,000 options are granted to certain of its directors and officers. Geekco also grants 2,400,000 restricted share units to acquire as much class A shares of the Corporation to certain of its directors and officers. All said options and restricted share units are valid for 10 years and subject to any applicable regulatory approvals, including the TSX Venture Exchange. Options are vesting in 25% increments per completed three-month period following their issue date. As to the restricted share units, they will all vest at the first anniversary from their issue date.

ABOUT GEEKCO

Geekco is at the forefront of innovative technology solutions that are reshaping modern marketing while driving economic activity across cities and neighborhoods by connecting consumers and businesses like never before. Its TellMe application allows users to discover nearby businesses in real time through an interactive map, access promotions and exclusive offers, and explore employment opportunities. For businesses, it provides a powerful platform to boost visibility, drive foot traffic, gather actionable data and measurable insights, and recruit future employees–all within a single, integrated application.

The TSX Venture Exchange and its regulation services provider (as defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) assume no responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

SOURCE Geekco Technologies inc

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Keycafe Expands Executive Leadership with Appointments of Rudi Airisto and Robert Johnston as Company Enters Next Phase of Global Growth

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VANCOUVER, BC, June 3, 2026 /CNW/ – Keycafe, a leader in cloud-based key management, today announced two senior additions to its executive team: Rudi Airisto as Vice President of Corporate Development, and Robert Johnston as Vice President of Innovation & Operations. The appointments mark a significant step in Keycafe’s next phase of growth, strengthening both the company’s commercial reach and its connected-hardware platform as it expands across European and Asia Pacific markets.

“These appointments reflect where Keycafe is headed,” said Clayton Brown, Founder & CEO of Keycafe. “Rudi and Rob bring complementary strengths, one focused on the partnerships and customer relationships that unlock new markets, the other on the product innovation and operational rigor required to scale connected hardware globally. Together, they give us the leadership depth to take Keycafe into its next chapter.”

Rudi Airisto, Vice President of Corporate Development

Airisto will oversee partnerships and strategic programs that support Keycafe’s expansion across enterprise and public sector customers. He joins with a strong record of scaling technology companies, having held executive roles at Recon Instruments (acquired by Intel), Grow Technologies (acquired by ATB Financial), and Article, following earlier management consulting work at McKinsey & Company. He holds degrees from the University of Cambridge and INSEAD.

“Keycafe has built the most advanced product in its space, trusted by global brands like Amazon, Toyota, Hertz, and Hilton Hotels,” said Airisto. “I’m excited to lead our corporate development efforts and help the company expand into new markets and large-scale partnerships.”

Robert Johnston, Vice President of Innovation & Operations

Johnston will lead product innovation, hardware development, manufacturing strategy, and operational initiatives across Keycafe’s global smart key management platform. He brings more than 20 years of experience bringing connected hardware products from concept to global scale. Prior to Keycafe, Johnston spent two decades as Founder and President of Tanagram Design, a Vancouver-based industrial design consultancy that helped startups and established companies develop award-winning products across consumer electronics, IoT devices, and connected systems, including early-stage work with Keycafe as a client.

“Keycafe sits at the intersection of hardware, cloud, and IoT, exactly where I’ve spent my career,” said Johnston. “The company has a strong technical foundation and real momentum with global customers. I’m looking forward to helping scale the platform and shape the next generation of our products.”

A Platform Built for Global Scale

Keycafe’s platform is deployed by businesses across property management, logistics, automotive, and facilities services, with growing customer bases in Europe and Asia Pacific. The combined appointments position the company to accelerate international expansion while continuing to advance its IoT hardware and cloud infrastructure.

About Keycafe Keycafe is a B2B access management platform helping businesses securely manage and share physical keys across teams and locations. Trusted by global brands including Amazon, Stellantis, Avis, and Marriott Hotels, the platform offers real-time access control, activity tracking, and API integrations through its cloud-based system and IoT electronic key locker SmartBoxes. Keycafe serves customers across North America, Europe, and Asia Pacific.

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/keycafe-expands-executive-leadership-with-appointments-of-rudi-airisto-and-robert-johnston-as-company-enters-next-phase-of-global-growth-302790841.html

SOURCE KeyCafe Inc.

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Safe2core Expands AI-Optimized Subsurface Risk-Management & Construction Knowledge Strategy as AI Search Transforms the Construction Industry

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New AI search visibility research reveals growing demand for utility locating, potholing, concrete scanning, BIM documentation, laser scanning, and underground infrastructure verification workflows

SAN JOSE, Calif., June 3, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Safe2core announced today that the company is expanding its AI-search-optimized subsurface risk-management and construction education strategy as contractors, engineers, architects, facility managers, municipalities, and property owners increasingly use AI systems like Google AI Overviews, ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, and Perplexity to research utility locating, concrete scanning, potholing, hydro excavation, BIM workflows, construction safety practices, and underground infrastructure coordination.

The company recently analyzed AI visibility trends, semantic retrieval behavior, and construction search patterns surrounding:

underground utility locatingconcrete scanningutility verificationpotholing and hydro excavationconcrete cutting and coringBIM and CAD utility documentationrebar scanning3D laser scanningdigital construction workflowsutility strike preventionSubsurface Utility Engineering (SUE)infrastructure risk managementoccupied-facility construction safety

According to Safe2core, the findings reinforce a major shift occurring across both search engines and AI-powered retrieval systems.

Rather than relying only on traditional search rankings, AI systems increasingly prioritize:

educational contentsemantic claritydirect-answer formattingretrieval-friendly documentationchunked information structureFAQs and explainersconsistent technical terminologymachine-readable educational formatting

What Is Subsurface Risk Management?

Subsurface risk management is the process of identifying, verifying, documenting, and safely navigating underground and embedded infrastructure before excavation, trenching, drilling, coring, demolition, or concrete cutting begins.

Subsurface risk management may involve:

utility locatingconcrete scanningpotholinghydro excavationutility verificationdigital utility mappingBIM coordinationconstruction documentation workflows

According to Safe2core, modern construction risk management increasingly depends on three core principles:

visibilityverificationdocumentation

The company says integrated workflows are becoming increasingly important as projects grow more complex and involve multiple contractors, utilities, infrastructure systems, and occupied facilities.

What Is Utility Potholing?

Utility potholing is a non-destructive excavation process used to safely expose underground utilities before excavation, trenching, drilling, or construction begins.

Potholing and hydro excavation are commonly used to:

verify utility depthreduce utility strike riskimprove excavation safetysupport Subsurface Utility Engineering (SUE) workflowsminimize damage to existing infrastructureimprove coordination between contractors and utility owners

According to industry safety research, underground utility strikes can lead to:

costly project delaysinfrastructure damageenvironmental hazardsutility outagesscheduling conflictsexpensive change ordersserious worker safety risks

What Is Concrete Scanning?

Concrete scanning uses ground penetrating radar (GPR) and related non-destructive technologies to identify embedded objects before cutting, coring, drilling, trenching, anchoring, or demolition begins.

Ground penetrating radar (GPR) can help identify:

rebarconduitspost-tension cablesembedded utilitieselectrical linesvoids and anomalies

Concrete scanning helps contractors and facility owners:

reduce structural damageimprove worker safetyprevent utility strikesminimize project downtimereduce costly change ordersavoid unnecessary exploratory demolition

Frequently Asked Questions

Can GPR detect rebar and conduits?

Yes. Ground penetrating radar (GPR) can help identify:

rebarconduitspost-tension cablesembedded utilitiesvoids

before cutting or drilling concrete.

Why do contractors use potholing?

Contractors use potholing and hydro excavation to safely verify underground utility locations before excavation begins.

Why is utility verification important?

Utility verification helps reduce utility strike risk, improve safety, minimize project delays, and improve underground infrastructure coordination.

According to the company’s AI visibility analysis, some of the real-world prompts increasingly being asked across AI systems include:

“utility locator companies near me””gpr concrete scanning services””concrete slab scanning””rebar scanning services””what is potholing in construction?””laser scanning companies””pipe inspection companies””ground penetrating radar survey costs””Can you recommend the top underground utility locating companies in my area?””What are the latest innovations in hydro excavation and vacuum truck technology?””Who offers integrated scan, locate, expose, and cut services?””How do contractors avoid utility strikes before excavation?”

The reports also identified rapidly growing interest surrounding:

BIM-ready utility documentationCAD and DWG utility mappingdigital twin workflows3D laser scanningutility verification processespost-tension slab safetyoccupied-facility renovationshospital and airport infrastructure projectsdata center construction supportunderground infrastructure coordinationdigital construction documentationutility strike prevention strategies

Safe2core says construction search behavior is evolving rapidly as AI-powered search systems become increasingly integrated into contractor research, infrastructure planning, facility management, and project coordination workflows.

The company says hospitals, airports, campuses, manufacturing facilities, municipalities, occupied buildings, and data centers increasingly require higher levels of subsurface visibility, documentation quality, coordination, and infrastructure verification before construction begins.

“As construction projects become more complex, contractors and owners are searching for more than basic locating services,” the company stated. “They’re looking for guidance on risk reduction, utility verification, documentation quality, coordination workflows, and how to avoid costly mistakes before cutting, coring, drilling, excavation, or demolition begins.”

Safe2core says future educational initiatives will continue focusing on its integrated:

Locate → Verify → Expose → Execute

workflow for complex commercial, industrial, infrastructure, and occupied-facility projects.

The company also plans continued expansion of:

AI-friendly educational resourcesretrieval-ready technical explainersdigital utility documentation examplesBIM and CAD workflow contentutility strike prevention guidanceconstruction risk-management resourcesfacility-renovation safety contentindustry-specific guidance for hospitals, airports, campuses, manufacturing facilities, municipalities, and data centers

Safe2core believes educational clarity, semantic consistency, documentation quality, and integrated risk-management workflows will become increasingly important as AI-powered search and retrieval systems continue transforming how construction information is discovered online.

For more information, visit Safe2core.com.

View original content:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/safe2core-expands-ai-optimized-subsurface-risk-management–construction-knowledge-strategy-as-ai-search-transforms-the-construction-industry-302790782.html

SOURCE Safe2Core Inc

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