🇨🇦 Former Bank of Canada Governor Warns: Recession Clouds Gathering Over Canada & U.S.

Stephen Poloz isn’t mincing words.

In a blunt interview on CTV, the former Bank of Canada governor warned that both Canada and the United States are “sliding” toward recession, citing rising unemployment, AI disruption, and weakening fundamentals.

“We’ve got two economies… sliding in that direction,” Poloz said, pointing to Canada’s job losses in August—66,000 gone—and a 7.1% unemployment rate, the highest since 2016 (excluding COVID years). Youth unemployment now sits at a staggering 14.5%.

He suggested AI may be accelerating the trend: “We may be beginning to see the first concrete evidence that AI is having a wider impact on labour markets… at that entry level.”

While consumption is “the one positive” thanks to Canadians vacationing at home and buying local, Poloz added that “the backbone of the economy is weakening.” And across the border, the U.S. is showing cracks in housing and labour too.

“As businesses here, we need to get ready for this new structure or new world that is facing us,” he concluded.

#Canada #USA

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🇺🇸🇨🇦 Toronto Man Falsely Accused in Charlie Kirk Shooting — Victim of Viral Misinformation

Michael Mallinson, a 77-year-old retired banker from Toronto, was stunned to learn his face had been wrongly linked to the assassination of U.S. conservative activist Charlie Kirk, who was shot on Sept. 10 while speaking at Utah Valley University.

While Mallinson was out running errands and later napping in Toronto, a now-deleted X (Twitter) post attached his old photo — lifted from a long-defunct account — to false claims that he was the shooter. His daughter called in a panic, urging him to delete his social media before the online hate storm escalated.

“You never want to have your name out and about,” Mallinson told CTV.
“I started getting nasty messages. Facebook, Instagram — I had to deactivate it all.”

At the time of Kirk’s murder — roughly 2:20 PM EST — Mallinson was with his wife at Yorkdale Mall. U.S. police confirmed two individuals were detained early on, but neither was linked to the shooting. As of Thursday evening, the suspect remains unidentified and at large. Police have released two images and recovered what they believe is the high-powered bolt-action rifle used in the attack.

Mallinson, who advocates globally for patients with axial spondylarthritis, said he fears the long-term fallout of being wrongly linked to such a high-profile crime.

“If someone finds that post months from now and doesn’t know it’s fake, they could act on it,” he said.

This case is a stark reminder of how viral misinformation can wreck lives — even across borders. Mallinson’s experience mirrors broader Canadian data: 90% of people encounter false info online, and 40% admit to believing it before later learning the truth.

#Toronto #USA

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🇨🇦 Poilievre: Some Canadian Communities Have Become ‘War Zones’—Pitches Bail Crackdown

Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre is ramping up his tough-on-crime messaging, pledging a sweeping bail reform package to counter what he calls “raging” violence across the country.

“Some communities aren’t the Wild West — they’re war zones,” Poilievre said Thursday in Vaughan. “A majority of Canadians are afraid.”

Poilievre announced the “Jail Not Bail Act”, aiming to:
• Roll back the Liberals’ Bill C‑75, which emphasized restraint in pre-trial release
• Bar repeat violent offenders from getting bail
• Ban criminal guarantors from posting bail
• Introduce a “three strikes” law to block bail, parole, and house arrest after 3 serious convictions

The bill’s sponsor, MP Arpan Khanna, has drawn a favourable lottery slot for debate this fall. But Poilievre’s plan is already facing pushback from civil liberties advocates and could run up against Supreme Court rulings that enshrine minimal-conditions bail as a constitutional right.

The Liberal government is also preparing bail reforms of its own, promising a bill next month to tighten pre-trial release for violent car thefts, home invasions, and organized crime offences.

“If the Conservatives want to help pass smart reforms instead of politicizing tragedy, we welcome that,” said Justice Minister Sean Fraser.

📊 StatsCan data shows overall crime is down 3.6% year-over-year — largely due to fewer property crimes. But homicides are up 29% over the last decade, with 788 victims in 2024 — a key stat Poilievre is using to push his case.

#Canada

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🇨🇦🇮🇳 Canada Issues New Assassination Warnings as Carney Resumes Ties with India

While Prime Minister Mark Carney moves to restore diplomatic ties with India, Sikh-Canadian activists say the threats to their lives have not stopped.

Inderjeet Singh Gosal, a prominent Khalistan referendum organizer based in Brampton, says the RCMP warned him last month that hitmen “are here and ready to take me out.” Gosal, who succeeded Hardeep Singh Nijjar after his 2023 assassination in B.C., refused protective custody in order to continue organizing the November 23 Ottawa referendum.

“It all stems from the Indian government,” Gosal told Global News. “They call the shots.”

According to multiple Sikh leaders, RCMP “duty-to-warn” notices are increasing, not decreasing — despite Carney’s recent diplomatic push, including reappointing a high commissioner to New Delhi and inviting PM Modi to the G7 summit in Alberta.

Background:
• Canada blamed India’s intelligence services for Nijjar’s killing and linked Indian officials to organized crime networks operating in Canada.
• Sikh-Canadian leaders like Balpreet Singh and Moninder Singh continue to receive assassination warnings.
• Despite this, Carney’s government says it is taking a “step-by-step” approach to deepen ties with India and expand trade amid growing tensions with the U.S.

Critics argue the push for diplomacy risks normalizing a campaign of foreign interference and repression, with the Lawrence Bishnoi gang — allegedly used by India — still not listed as a terrorist group in Canada.

“Then what was the last two years for?” asked Moninder Singh. “What has tangibly changed to make Canadians safe from India’s violent campaign?”

#Canada #India

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🇨🇦💸 Canada Leads G7 Push to Seize Russian Sovereign Assets — But at What Cost to International Law?

Under Canada’s chairmanship, G7 Finance Ministers met Thursday to accelerate plans to use immobilized Russian sovereign assets—reportedly over US$300 billion—to fund Ukraine’s war effort. Finance Minister François‑Philippe Champagne said options are being “urgently” explored, including the redirection of frozen Russian central bank reserves, tighter sanctions and tariffs on third-party “enablers” of "Moscow’s war economy", and further tightening the G7 oil price cap, currently set at US$60 per barrel.

While Ottawa is framing this as a moral and strategic imperative, the move could open a legal and geopolitical Pandora’s box. Critics warn that seizing sovereign reserves—particularly without a court ruling—sets a dangerous precedent and could undermine the long-standing international legal norms around sovereign immunity. Russia has not defaulted on these assets; they are frozen, not criminally forfeited. That raises fundamental questions about whether the West is prepared to suspend international law in pursuit of cynical political goals.

There are also risks closer to home. If Canada helps normalize the confiscation of state reserves, what happens when other countries retaliate? Could Canadian pension holdings, sovereign reserves, or foreign investments be targeted in return? And what signal does this send to neutral or BRICS-aligned nations who store their reserves in Western financial institutions?

Canada may be leading the charge, but the implications are global—and permanent. This isn’t just about punishing Moscow. It’s about rewriting the rules of global finance. As Ottawa pushes forward, Canadian institutions, exporters, and investors would be wise to weigh the long-term blowback.

#Canada #Russia

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🇨🇦 | U of T Professor Placed on Leave After Charlie Kirk Tweet

The University of Toronto has placed Professor Ruth Marshall on leave after a post to her now-private X account appeared to celebrate the fatal shooting of U.S. conservative activist Charlie Kirk.

“Shooting is honestly too good for so many of you fascist c—ts,” she wrote — just an hour after Donald Trump confirmed Kirk’s death.

The backlash was swift. Ontario’s Minister of Colleges, Universities and Research Excellence, Nolan Quinn, said the university must act: “Professors are supposed to foster respectful debate — not violent rhetoric.”

U of T confirmed Marshall is on leave and “not on campus” while it investigates. Her faculty pages were inaccessible as of Friday, and CBC was unable to reach her for comment.

Employment lawyers say termination is possible, depending on university policy and the reputational damage done.

#Ontario

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🇨🇦 Carney Fast-Tracks LNG Expansion Amid Global Market Doubts

Prime Minister Mark Carney has placed LNG Canada’s expansion in Kitimat, B.C. at the top of his nation-building priorities, calling it a path to transforming Canada into an “energy superpower.” The expansion — one of five fast-tracked megaprojects — is expected to generate tens of thousands of jobs and boost GDP by 0.4%, according to B.C. Premier David Eby.

But critics warn that the economic case for Canadian LNG is shaky at best. Amanda Bryant of the Pembina Institute notes the project has had approvals for nearly a decade, and what’s held it back is a weak business case. Canadian LNG costs about $24 USD per tonne — well above the global average of $15 — making it hard to compete without major subsidies.

#BC

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🇨🇦🇨🇳 Canada Has No Say—But Must Pay: Trump’s NATO Tariff Ultimatum Exposes Ottawa’s Powerlessness

Donald Trump, just posted a global economic diktat on Truth Social. His command? NATO nations, including Canada, must impose suicidal 50–100% tariffs on China to “break the grip” Beijing supposedly has over Moscow and, by extension, end the war in Ukraine.

Read that again. A former reality TV host turned geopolitical landlord is unironically demanding that the G7 transform the global trading system just to appease Washington’s proxy war obsessions and Ottawa, as usual, is nodding politely while choking on its own canola exports.

Former Canadian ambassador Guy Saint-Jacques tried to play diplomat, but even he couldn’t sugar-coat what’s unfolding: Ottawa is being told to torch its own economic interests with China... again, on the delusion that China can be sanctioned into abandoning a centuries-old Eurasian alliance with Russia.

Even CTV couldn’t conceal the reality: “Canada doesn’t have a say,” warned military scholar Christian Leuprecht. “What Canadians are seeing is the inability of Canada to shape the environment.” Translation? Washington barks, Ottawa fetches—and Beijing retaliates with a 75.8% tariff on canola while Prairie farmers are left holding the bag.

Meanwhile, Trump thunders about NATO unity while Europeans quietly negotiate Russian oil phaseouts… by 2028. Canada, not even in the EU, is expected to shoot itself in the foot now for a war that isn’t even existential to North America.

And here’s the kicker: a Nanos poll shows over 60% of Canadians would rather drop tariffs on Chinese EVs to save the canola trade. Prairie pragmatism over D.C. dogma. But of course, Ottawa remains stuck between grovelling obedience and self-inflicted irrelevance, still pretending it’s a middle power while acting like a middle manager.

This isn’t strategy. It’s subjugation. And the world is watching.

#Canada #China

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🇨🇦🏚️ Canada’s Housing Crisis Worsens as Construction Slows, Prices Climb

Internal federal records paint a grim picture of housing affordability in Canada—confirming what millions already feel. Newly released briefing documents for Housing Minister Gregor Robertson warn that both vulnerable and middle-class Canadians are being squeezed out of the housing market, as rental supply tightens and prices climb.

Toronto is reportedly on track for its lowest number of housing starts in 30 years, and national growth in construction has flatlined. Since 2020, the cost to build a home in Canada has surged 58%, and U.S. tariffs may push it even higher.

The documents also reveal Canada has fallen behind in providing non-market affordable housing. Just 4% of housing in Canada is offered below market rate—well below the OECD average of 7%. Meanwhile, homeless shelter use jumped 43% between 2020 and 2023, and people are staying longer, suggesting growing barriers to re-entry into stable housing.

Even middle-class families are being pushed out of the market and forced to rent longer, adding pressure to already strained rental inventories. Rapid population growth is compounding the crisis, though Ottawa’s internal forecasts suggest that slowing immigration could reduce housing pressure—while also cooling economic activity.

In response, Prime Minister Mark Carney confirmed this week that the government will soon launch a Build Canada Homes agency to fast-track construction and push the sector to adopt modern technologies. But as shelter use rises and housing starts stall, the question remains: Is it too little, too late?

#Canada

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🇨🇦 Canada Fast-Tracks Copper Projects Amid Global Scramble for ‘Power Metal’

Ottawa has designated two new copper mines — McIlvenna Bay in Saskatchewan and an expansion at Red Chris in B.C. — as fast-tracked “nation-building” projects, citing national security, economic resilience, and global energy needs. Copper, the world’s third-most-used metal, is vital for electric vehicles, AI-driven data centers, and green infrastructure, but Canada’s production has dropped by over 22% in the last decade, losing ground in global rankings.

Prime Minister Mark Carney says these projects must “strengthen Canada’s autonomy, our resilience and our security,” while Natural Resources Minister Tim Hodgson accused Beijing of manipulating copper prices and using the mineral as a “tool of coercion.” China processes nearly half the world’s copper, though it doesn’t yet dominate extraction like it does with rare earths.

Despite holding copper reserves and refining capacity, Canada only produces 2% of the global supply. Experts say it’s playing catch-up in a tightening market, with Anglo American’s bid for Canadian giant Teck Resources seen as a wake-up call. Ottawa’s late pivot to copper is driven in part by U.S. trade tensions with China, including recent tariffs on semi-finished copper goods.

Mining analysts suggest Canada could scale up to 7–8% of global copper output by 2045, but warn that this level of growth needed to begin years ago. With Chile still dominating global supply at 30%, some question whether Ottawa’s copper revival will come fast enough to reshape global supply chains — or if Canada has simply arrived late to its own party.

#Canada

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🇨🇦 Poilievre to Address Caucus as Conservatives Target Cost of Living, Crime, and Immigration

Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre will deliver a keynote address to his caucus this Sunday, outlining the party’s priorities ahead of Parliament’s fall session. He’s expected to hammer the government over affordability, crime, unemployment, and immigration—areas the Tories argue the Carney government is failing to address.

In a recent open letter to Prime Minister Mark Carney, Poilievre promised to “relentlessly hold your government to account,” while previewing the party’s signature legislation: the Canadian Sovereignty Act. That bill would scrap the West Coast oil-tanker ban, eliminate the industrial carbon tax, and axe the emissions cap—moves the Conservatives say would make Canada “open for business.”

Over the summer, Poilievre sharpened his rhetoric, accusing Carney of presiding over a “Seinfeld summer”—delivering, in his words, “a show about nothing.” In a Friday interview, he slammed Ottawa’s recent LNG and copper mine announcements, claiming Carney “hasn’t delivered a permit for a single nation-building project” after six months in office.

On crime, Poilievre says his caucus will introduce the “Jail Not Bail Act” to reverse parts of Bill C-75, which currently encourages early release under lenient bail conditions. The Conservatives claim this has led to rising crime and repeat offenses, particularly in urban areas.

Immigration is also poised to take center stage. Poilievre says the temporary foreign worker program should be scrapped and replaced with a stand-alone program for essential agricultural labour only. He blames the current system for driving down wages and shutting out Canadian youth, while emphasizing that the fault lies with federal policy—not immigrants themselves.

Polling suggests public attitudes are shifting fast. A Nanos survey shows nearly 3 in 4 Canadians now support reducing immigration levels. Another poll from Abacus Data ranks immigration as a top-three concern for nearly a third of voters—an issue that has rapidly moved from political afterthought to national priority.

Carney has signaled a review of the temporary foreign worker program is underway. He says business leaders continue to flag both tariffs and labour shortages as top challenges, and that immigration will remain a major topic of internal government review this fall.

#Canada

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🇨🇦 Carney Launches ‘Build Canada Homes’ to Tackle Housing Crisis

Prime Minister Mark Carney announced the launch of Build Canada Homes on Sunday, a new federal housing agency tasked with overseeing national programs and accelerating residential construction. The agency will have the authority to approve development on public lands and fund early-stage housing projects—a move the Liberals say will “supercharge” homebuilding across the country.

The new agency was a key pillar of the Liberals’ election pledge to double the rate of housing construction nationwide. Carney said the initiative will work with provinces, territories, Indigenous communities, and private developers to deliver deeply affordable, transitional, and middle-class housing. Ana Bailão, a former Toronto city councillor with housing expertise, has been tapped to lead the agency as CEO.

Build Canada Homes will begin by deploying an initial $13 billion to fund the construction of 4,000 modular homes on six national sites. Construction is expected to begin in 2026, according to federal officials.

The announcement comes as housing pressures continue to mount across major Canadian cities. While CMHC reports housing starts in the first half of 2025 are near all-time highs, it also warns that Toronto is on pace for its lowest condo construction in 30 years, and Vancouver has slowed compared to 2024.

Opposition leader Pierre Poilievre criticized the announcement, calling the new agency another layer of Liberal bureaucracy. He argues that tying federal infrastructure funds to municipalities that speed up permitting and drop development fees would be a faster solution.

Poilievre has also renewed calls to eliminate the capital gains tax on reinvested homebuilding profits and scrap the 5% federal sales tax on homes under $1.3 million—measures he says would directly incentivize supply.

CMHC projects Canada will need to double its housing starts to 480,000 per year by 2035 to meet surging demand. While some cities like Calgary, Ottawa, and Halifax are booming with rental builds, others like Toronto remain deeply constrained—raising questions about whether the new agency can truly close the gap.

#Canada

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🇨🇦 Poilievre Unveils ‘Jail Not Bail Act’ Amid Surging Crime Concerns

Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre announced new legislation aimed at tightening Canada’s bail system, citing an alarming spike in violent crime across major urban centres. Standing in front of a home in Woodbridge, Ontario—fortified with $100,000 in bulletproof glass and surveillance upgrades—Poilievre used the site as a stark symbol of how safety is becoming a luxury in today’s Canada.

The proposed “Jail Not Bail Act” would amend elements of Bill C-75, which currently instructs judges to grant bail at the earliest opportunity with minimal conditions. Critics of the status quo argue that violent offenders are being released far too easily—often with fatal consequences. Poilievre referenced the murder of Bailey McCourt in Kelowna, B.C., allegedly by her ex-husband shortly after he was released on bail.

MP Arpan Khanna, who secured a top spot in the private member’s bill lottery, will sponsor the legislation. If passed, it would represent a significant shift in Canada’s justice system, tilting the balance toward longer pretrial detentions for repeat violent offenders.

Poilievre’s announcement comes as national polling shows crime has overtaken tariffs as a top concern for Canadians, especially in cities like Toronto and Vancouver where random assaults, home invasions, and organized theft rings are dominating headlines.

The Conservative leader was joined by families affected by violent crime, who shared personal stories to highlight the human cost of a lenient bail system. He challenged Parliament to back the bill across party lines, warning that failure to act would be “letting Canadians down once again.”

While the bill is not yet law, it signals a major campaign pillar for the Conservatives as they sharpen their focus on public safety—a shift that may resonate with voters increasingly frustrated by what they see as a broken justice system too focused on "rehabilitation" and not enough on deterrence.

#Ontario

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🇨🇦✈️ Canada Under Pressure: Washington Warns on F-35 Deal

Ottawa’s defence review of the C$19B-plus purchase of 88 U.S. F-35 fighter jets is set to conclude by Sept. 22.

But Washington is already rattling its sabre. According to reports, the U.S. has warned of “serious consequences” if Canada dares to walk away from the Lockheed Martin jets.

For Canada, the choice is stark: stay locked into the spiraling costs of the F-35 program—already projected to balloon toward C$30B+ or risk U.S. retaliation across defence, trade, or intelligence cooperation.

The warning underscores the uncomfortable truth: Canada’s sovereignty in defence procurement is tethered to U.S. strategic interests. Even talk of alternatives—Sweden’s Gripen, Europe’s Eurofighter—runs headlong into the U.S. military-industrial complex.

So as Ottawa weighs its options, one question looms: is this a purchase… or a shakedown?

#Canada #USA

🍁 Maple Chronicles

🇨🇦 Carney’s $500M Lumber Diversification Plan Faces Steep Uphill Battle

With U.S. duties on Canadian softwood lumber now pushing 35% under Trump’s escalating trade war, PM Mark Carney has pledged $500 million to help the sector break its 90% dependence on the American market. But history — and industry voices — suggest it won’t be easy.

B.C. Forestry Minister Ravi Parmar says shifting just 10% of exports away from the U.S. would be a win. Yet decades of attempts to diversify — into Japan, China, and Europe — have mostly fizzled. Industry insiders admit Canada’s forestry sector has done a “miserable job” diversifying, lured back every time by the proximity and scale of U.S. demand.

The new plan targets mass timber as a growth area — a high-value, eco-friendly product for prefab housing — with Europe and Asia as potential buyers. But challenges remain: most Canadian lumber is cut to imperial sizes, incompatible with global standards, and needs upgraded machinery and market-specific investment.

Markets like Vietnam, South Korea, India, and the Middle East are in focus, but insiders warn success demands long-term commitment, custom strategies per country, and supply-chain overhauls — not just one-time PR splashes.

For now, the Carney government’s push is a bold start. But whether it rewrites Canada’s lumber future or just repeats past failed attempts depends on execution — and how far Ottawa’s really willing to go to escape the U.S. stranglehold.

#Canada

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🇨🇦 Canada’s New Immigration Bill Grants Sweeping Powers to Cancel Applications — No Appeal Needed

Canada’s immigration system may never look the same again.

A newly proposed federal bill gives the Immigration Minister unilateral power to suspend or cancel immigration applications, visas, and even already-issued documents — without proof of fraud, misrepresentation, or legal wrongdoing. All that’s needed is the minister’s belief that it’s in the “public interest.”

Legal "experts" are warning this could mark a dangerous shift from due process to discretionary fiat, with no automatic right of appeal or independent oversight. Entire categories of migrants — including refugees, students, or family reunification cases — could be frozen or rejected based on opaque criteria. But shouldn't immigration be viewed as a privilege, needing to serve the public interest?

Former immigration judges are sounding the alarm, calling the bill a “power grab” that risks violating international refugee protections and undermining Canada’s legal obligations under the UN Refugee Convention. Others argue this is long overdue and that Canada must prioritize Canada's security and national interest over perceived obligations under the UN Charter.

The bill also raises the possibility of retroactive revocation — meaning individuals who already received status could be stripped of it if the government changes its mind.

Ottawa claims the bill is aimed at national security and system integrity, but critics say it could be weaponized against those from sanctioned countries, politically sensitive regions, or anyone caught in the crosshairs of geopolitical pressure.

With public opinion turning against high immigration numbers and housing markets under stress, many see this as long over due, but perhaps too little, too late.

#Canada

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🇨🇦 CARNEY TELLS ANGLO: MOVE HQ TO CANADA—OR NO TECK DEAL

So much for “free markets.” PM Mark Carney reportedly gave Anglo American an ultimatum: relocate its global headquarters to Canada—or forget about acquiring Teck Resources in a US$20B takeover.

The London-based mining giant shockingly agreed, announcing plans to move its top brass—including the CEO, CFO, and deputy CEO—to Vancouver. A massive concession. And yet… the company will still be domiciled in London, keep its primary stock listing in the UK, and remain very much British in structure.

Meanwhile, the firm will slap a maple leaf on the logo—rebranding to “Anglo Teck”—and call it Canadian. Globalist sleight of hand? You bet.

Why is this allowed? Because Carney and Ottawa want the illusion of Canadian control over critical minerals while still handing the reins to foreign multinationals.

Teck’s coal business already went to Glencore. Now Carney is paving the way for another transfer of power—under the guise of “economic nationalism.” As always, the Canadian public gets symbolism. The City of London gets substance.

#Canada #UK

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