🇺🇸 U.S. slaps 20.56% anti-dumping duties on Canadian softwood lumber

The U.S. Commerce Department has decided to hike anti-dumping duties on Canadian softwood to 20.56 per cent, with B.C. lumber organizations calling them unjustified, punitive and protectionist.

B.C. Forests Minister Ravi Parmar described the long-awaited rate hike as a "gut punch" for B.C.'s forestry industry which has seen thousands of workers laid off over the last few years.
#US
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🗳Over 200 candidates sign up for Poilievre's byelection — doubling previous record

More than 200 candidates, mostly associated with a group of electoral reform advocates, have signed up to run in an upcoming federal byelection next month. The number more than doubles the previous record on a single ballot.

Former Alberta MP Damien Kurek vacated his seat in Battle River-Crowfoot to give Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre a chance to rejoin the House of Commons. Poilievre lost his longtime Carleton riding in April's general election.
#Poilievre #Alberta #election
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❌💰Federal government to stop funding hotel rooms for asylum seekers, IRCC says

Asylum seekers staying in federally-funded hotels will soon have to check out as Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) says that funding will end in September.

A spokesperson for IRCC said that as of Thursday, the federal government was housing 485 asylum seekers in five hotels in Ontario and Quebec, noting it has spent approximately $1.1 billion on temporary hotel housing for asylum seekers since 2020.
#immigration
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Canada slashes Confederation Bridge toll to $20 starting Friday

Starting Friday, the federal government will cut Confederation Bridge tolls from just over $50 to $20 for all vehicles. Fares on ferry routes connecting Prince Edward Island, Nova Scotia and New Brunswick will also be reduced by 50 per cent, with fuel surcharges eliminated.

Additionally, Ottawa is funding Marine Atlantic Inc. to halve fares between Nova Scotia and Newfoundland and Labrador, and to freeze freight rates.

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Ford walks back vow to have province issue asylum seekers work permits

Ontario Premier Doug Ford is retracting a vow he made last week to have his province issue its own work permits to asylum seekers in the face of what he said were federal government delays that have left refugee applicants in limbo for two years.

Last Wednesday, Mr. Ford had told reporters after a conference with his fellow premiers that his province would step into the federal government’s purview and issue its own work permits to ensure that refugee applicants could enter the labour force more quickly. But on Monday, he called a press conference and reversed himself.

I don’t want to take the responsibility off the federal government.

#Ontario
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🏠 Alberta could topple Ontario in new housing construction

For the first time in more than 40 years, Alberta is on track to potentially build more homes than Ontario this year.

Based on data for the first six months of the year, the province is on pace to build 58,900 homes by the end of 2025. If it hit that mark, it would shatter the previous record and put the province within striking distance of Ontario, which has more than triple the population.
#housing #Alberta #Ontario
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💰📈 Alberta's Heritage Fund hits $30B after $2.8B injection from surplus

Alberta's rainy-day Heritage Fund is getting an extra $2.8 billion, hitting a record high of $30 billion, which is almost double what it was five years ago.

Alberta Premier Danielle Smith's government wants it to hit $250 billion by 2050, so future governments can spend investment returns without draining the fund. Smith says it's still on track to hit that benchmark in 25 years.

The aim is to shield Alberta's budget from the resource-revenue roller-coaster that has plagued past budgets.
#Alberta
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B.C. man attacked by cougar has minor injuries after he says he punched it

A British Columbia man suffered minor injuries after fending off a cougar attack by punching the animal in the face in the province’s northern Interior.

The province’s Conservation Officer Service says man was working near Lake Kathlyn when the animal approached and swiped his upper body.

The man told officers that he punched the cougar in the face and the animal then disengaged. The service says the man suffered non-life-threatening injuries and did not need to be hospitalized.
#BritishColumbia
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Stephen Harper says he advised Mark Carney's government to move away from the U.S.

Former prime minister Stephen Harper said the ongoing trade war with the U.S. is a "wake-up call" for Canada to diversify its trade and export markets.

Harper called the trade war unfortunate, but said Canada has become "grossly" overly reliant on the U.S. — "independent of the current disputes" — and there is no reason for that.

Just because we have that geographical proximity does not justify the degree of dependence that we have on a single market.

#US
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🗺 Canadian passport ranked more powerful than the U.S.

Canadians have one of the most powerful passports in the world, ranking ahead of the United States in a global index. The index is based on mobility, meaning where in the world the holder of the passport can travel to without a visa.

Canada came in 8th place in the 2025 list, tied with Estonia and the United Arab Emirates. This is ahead of the American passport, which came in 10th place this year. Historically, according to the firm’s list, Canada has maintained a high ranking. Since 2006, it has not fallen below 9th place. At its peak, the Canadian passport came in second place in 2014.
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🇨🇦🇵🇸 Canada plans to recognize Palestinian state in September

Prime Minister Mark Carney says Canada will recognize a Palestinian state in September if the West Bank's governing body agrees to make certain commitments.

The prime minister said the Palestinian Authority must hold an election in 2026 and commit to other democratic reforms.

Preserving a two-state solution means standing with all people who choose peace over violence or terrorism, and honouring their innate desire for the peaceful co-existence of Israeli and Palestinian states as the only roadmap for a secure and prosperous future.

#Palestine
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🏦 Bank of Canada signals possible cuts ahead, but holds key policy rate steady for now at 2.75%

The Bank of Canada (BoC) held its overnight interest rate steady at 2.75 per cent on Wednesday.
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🔫 Border officers seize 12 firearms from U.S. residents trying to enter Canada

The Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) says it recently seized 12 firearms from U.S. residents who were trying to enter the country with loaded guns.

Authorities say the offences happened at multiple ports of entry throughout Southern Ontario over a three-day period.

In addition to the 12 firearms, border officers also seized 18 magazines and 254 rounds of ammunition.
#US
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❌ Ontario officially cancels $100M Starlink contract, won't say cost to taxpayers

Ontario has officially cancelled its $100-million contract with Starlink, but the province refuses to say how much it cost taxpayers to get out of the deal.

Energy and Mines Minister Stephen Lecce did not answer numerous questions Wednesday about the kill fee the province will have to pay Elon Musk's SpaceX.

I can confirm we've cancelled the contract at this point, and we look forward to bringing forth alternatives to the people of Ontario so we can get people connected.

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Almost 600 foreign nationals with criminal records due to be deported are missing

Canadian border agents are trying to track down almost 600 foreigners with criminal records who are due to be deported but have gone missing – 431 of whom have been found guilty of serious crimes such as sexual assault.

Figures from the Canada Border Services Agency show that 1,635 foreign nationals guilty of committing crimes in Canada are currently facing deportation, but 599 of them have failed to attend deportation proceedings and have been placed on the agency’s “wanted” list.

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🇺🇸💥U.S. President Donald Trump raises tariffs on Canadian goods to 35%💥

U.S. President Donald Trump signed an executive order raising tariffs on Canadian goods from 25% to 35%, effective midnight on Friday, citing Canada’s failure to cooperate in stopping the flow of fentanyl and illicit drugs across the border.

The higher tariff excludes goods traded under the USMCA free trade agreement but targets other imports, with additional measures against goods transshipped via third countries.
#US
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🩺 Canadians' health data at risk of being handed over to U.S. authorities, experts warn

Canadians' electronic health records need more protections to prevent foreign entities from accessing patient data, according to commentary in the Canadian Medical Association Journal.

Electronic medical records systems from clinics and hospitals — containing patients' personal health information — are often controlled by U.S. companies. The data is encrypted and primarily stored on cloud servers in Canada, but because those are owned by American companies, they are subject to American laws.
#healthcare #US
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Canadian job vacancies fell to a near 8-year low amid hiring freezes

The Canadian job market showed more signs that it may be cooling off as companies slow or freeze hiring plans, with Statistics Canada reporting that job vacancies are at the lowest point in almost eight years.

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💸Defence Department fined $10K for destroying nest of threatened hawk species

The Department of National Defence was fined $10,000 earlier this month for destroying an active ferruginous hawk nest in southern Alberta last year.

Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC) announced the fine on Wednesday after the Department of National Defence pleaded guilty to two charges under the Species at Risk Act.
#Alberta
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🇺🇸 Viable trade deal wasn't on the table ahead of deadline, Canada-U.S. trade minister says

The federal minister responsible for Canada-U.S. trade says Canada won't accept a bad deal from the U.S. President Donald Trump's administration and that there had been no viable deal on the table this week.

Minister Dominic LeBlanc said that he was encouraged because the United States is still open to trade talks but said the negotiations are "complex."

We have always said that we would not accept just any agreement. We would accept an agreement that was in the interests of workers in the Canadian economy. And at the end of the day, yesterday, that agreement was not yet in sight.

#US
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🏳️‍🌈Prime Minister Mark Carney attends Vancouver Pride parade

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#BritishColumbia
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