Justin Trudeau stopped by the Rogers Centre to "wish" Diljit Dosanjh, a singer, "good luck before his show."

Canada is a great country — one where a guy from Punjab can make history and sell out stadiums. Diversity isn’t just our strength. It’s a super power.

The lengths he'll go to get a few votes.

#Trudeau
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Thousands evacuated as ‘extremely aggressive’ wildfire burns in eastern Canada

A wildfire burning in eastern Canada has scorched more than 24,000 acres and forced thousands to flee the Town of Labrador City, where at least one hospital has been closed, officials said Saturday.

The “extremely aggressive inferno” was deemed fully under control earlier this week, but weather conditions shifted Friday, setting the stage for rapid fire spread, Premier of Newfoundland and Labrador Andrew Furey said.

The wildfire exploded 22,000 acres in size, moving about 13 miles in just four hours, Furey said. Around 9,500 people have been evacuated from Labrador City.

#wildfires
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🏠Housing on track to become the most concerning issue for surveyed Canadians

The latest survey by Nanos Research found that housing and the concern around the cost of housing is quickly overtaking jobs, the economy and the environment as the issue of top national concern.

Over the last month, the poll found that concern about housing increased from 8.8 per cent to 12.5 per cent as concerns around inflation being the top national issue dropped from 13.7 per cent to 12.9 per cent.

Can someone please tell Trudeau that Canadians are not worried about the climate emergency?

#housing
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🇨🇦🇨🇳Freeland hints at broader trade action against China

Canada’s finance minister said she’ll hold talks next week with business and labor groups about erecting trade barriers against Chinese-made vehicles — and suggested the government may even go beyond autos.

The government last month announced a public consultation on how to respond to “unfair Chinese trade practices” of electric vehicles. But “the consultation actually could be broader than that,” Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland said in an interview.

#China
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Legault wants premiers to discuss reduction in number of asylum seekers

Quebec Premier François Legault wants to use a meeting this week of the Council of the Federation in Halifax as an opportunity to discuss the issue of asylum seekers with this fellow premiers. Legault arrived in Halifax on Sunday for the three-day meeting.

Legault told reporters he will raise the issue of asylum seekers in an effort to have the other provinces pressure Ottawa to reduce their number by half.

Clearly, we would like some to move to other provinces. Some provinces are open, others are not. But basically we have to reduce the number of people who are accepted.

#immigration
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🐎Almost 1.5M people attended this year's Calgary Stampede

The organization said 1,477,953 people visited the grounds during the last 10 days, an all-time record for the event.

#Alberta
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Fort William First Nation declares state of emergency over drug epidemic

Fort William First Nation in northwestern Ontario has declared a state of emergency as the community struggles with an ongoing drug epidemic.

The state of emergency was announced Friday by Chief Michele Solomon and formally passed by council on Monday.

#Ontario
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🎓University of Saskatchewan implements first-of-its-kind anti-fraud system to prevent Inuit pretenders

A new anti-fraud system, which has been under development for two years, breaks with the previous practice of trusting the students blindly.

Now proof of ancestry from specific indigenous groups are required to access some of the university's scholarship programs.

This measure is long overdue.

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🎓'Not a back-door entry to citizenship' Marc Miller stresses importance of caps on international students

The era of uncapped intake of international students is over, federal immigration minister Marc Miller said during a visit to Calgary.

We have to make this a system that is more quality-oriented. We have to make sure that we have more diversity, more qualified, more talented bunch of people coming into the country, and to make sure that they know exactly what they’re getting into — Canada is not a cheap place to live in.

Miller gave an interview on Saturday following a ceremony at Stampede where 25 people were granted Canadian citizenship.

In other words: liberals are still fine with mass immigration, as long as it gives them diversity points and future votes.

#immigration
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💰❌'I can’t wait to defund the CBC': Pierre Poilievre

Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre has renewed his pledge to “defund the CBC” after the board of directors for CBC and Radio-Canada has approved bonuses for some staff for work they did in the most recent fiscal year.

The move, which was confirmed Monday, came amid outcry that 1,194 eligible employees working for the public broadcaster would receive bonuses in a year when 141 employees were laid off and 205 vacant positions were eliminated.

I can’t wait to defund the CBC and sell off the headquarters for housing.

Poilievre wrote in a post shared to X along with a link inviting his followers to a website calling on the Liberals to end subsidies to the state broadcaster.

#Poilievre
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📊Canadians think Quebec gets more than it gives to federation: poll

A new poll indicated that many Canadians think Quebec is the federation’s biggest beneficiary.

Angus Reid, a non-profit opinion research institute, asked 2,021 Canadians if they think any provinces “get an extra advantage — that is, they get more than they give being part of Canada.”

🔹Forty-two per cent of Canadians polled said Quebec garners an extra advantage.

🔹Majorities in every region other than Ontario and Quebec said Quebec gets more than it gives.

🔹Alberta was the top choice when Angus Reid asked which provinces give more than they receive.

#Quebec #Alberta
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💰Canada's economy appears to have achieved soft landing, says IMF

Canada's economy appears to have achieved a soft landing, the IMF said on Tuesday, essentially referring to a scenario where interest rates are high enough to bring inflation down to the central bank's target without causing a recession.

Canada's economy has been posting positive growth this year, although economists say it is lackluster, and the rate of inflation has consistently stayed in the bank's target range of 1% to 3%, albeit hovering at the upper end.

On Tuesday, Statistics Canada data showed that consumer prices cooled more than expected to 2.7%, bolstering to an almost certainty of a second rate cut by the Bank of Canada next week.

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Fewer immigrants are deciding to become Canadian citizens

The 2021 and 2016 Census reported fewer immigrants are choosing to become Canadian citizens.

According to new data released by the Institute for Canadian Citizenship (ICC), the proportion of people becoming citizens within 10 years of their arrival in Canada has dropped by 40 per cent.

The numbers indicate citizenship uptake is the lowest among highly educated economic immigrants, and the ICC’s CEO said it’s because they are weighing their options before taking the oath.

Trudeau is willing to sell his soul to bring in as many migrants as possible and they don't even want citizenship. Maybe it's time for us to become less inviting?

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'Diverted safe supply is being resold into our community': London police confirm drug diversion a growing concern

For the first time, London police are speaking out about the diversion of safe supply drugs happening in the city.

Diverted safe supply is being resold into our community – its being trafficked into other communities, and it is being used as currency in exchange for fentanyl, fueling the drug trade.

said Chief Thai Truong.

It was clear from the beginning that it would come to this.

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Trudeau cabinet to meet Friday as speculation around a shuffle swirls

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's cabinet is expected to meet on Friday. The agenda sets aside 30 minutes for ministers to meet virtually Friday morning, to talk about "appointments."

The meeting comes amid speculation around the prime minister shaking up his inner circle.

#Trudeau
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💸Toronto’s ‘after’ math: Total damage from flash flood could surpass $1 billion

The total cost of Tuesday’s flash flood in Toronto could easily surpass $1 billion — and the government and homeowners will be paying for most of it.

According to the Insurance Bureau of Canada, Tuesday’s storm is comparable to the historic 2013 flood in Toronto, which resulted in $1 billion in insured residential and commercial damage (adjusted for inflation in 2021) and was among the 10 most expensive natural disasters in Canada.

#Ontatio
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🚙Auto theft decreased by 14% in Ontario while Quebec dropped 36%

An insurance fraud prevention group says auto thefts were down 17 per cent during the first six months of 2024, compared to the same period last year.
In Ontario, auto theft decreased by 14 per cent while Quebec saw a 36 per cent decline in stolen vehicles.

Équité Association says the drop can be attributed to multiple factors, including increased border patrol and police collaboration, government action and better public awareness.

Hot take: no more cars to steal?

#Ontario #Quebec
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💉Edmonton leading Alberta in opioid deaths despite recent improvements

Edmonton remains Alberta’s municipality with the most opioid-related deaths, according to recently released provincial data.

While Edmonton tops the list, both the city and the province as a whole have seen a decrease in opioid-related deaths when compared to the same period last year.

Opioid-related deaths in Alberta fell from 436 between Oct. and Dec. 2023 to 355 between Jan. and Mar. 2024, an 18.6% decrease. During the same three-month period in 2023, Alberta saw 442 opioid-related deaths, decreasing 19.7%.

#Alberta
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Should these people be allowed “safe” access to drugs?

#BritishColumbia
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High-profile Liberal minister quitting cabinet, not running in next election

Labour Minister Seamus O'Regan has announced he will not run in the next federal election, and will be quitting his cabinet position Friday.

O’Regan made the announcement in a social media post Thursday.

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🇨🇦🇨🇳Mélanie Joly's surprise visit to China is first by Canadian foreign minister in 7 years

Canada's Foreign Affairs Minister Mélanie Joly is making a surprise visit to China in an effort to thaw relations between the two countries — the first face-to-face talks in Beijing involving a Canadian foreign minister in nearly seven years.

Love–hate relationship.

#China
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