Canada arrives at a pivotal day for free trade with the U.S. and Mexico

Canada arrives at a pivotal day for free trade with the U.S. and Mexico

OTTAWA — Like the cool corner dudes, the three Canada-U.S.-Mexico trading partners are acting nonchalant, urging the rest of us to chill ahead of Wednesday’s deadline that will set one of the world’s largest trading blocs on a new economic path — wherever that may lead.

Nothing to see here, Prime Minister Mark Carney effectively said on Tuesday about a July 1 virtual meeting on the trade deal’s renewal.

“We’re expecting a constructive exchange,” Carney shrugged to reporters in the northern Inuit community of Kuujuaq. “I wouldn’t expect any drama tomorrow,” he added, quipping, “I’m not looking for my pen.”

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Sabrina Maddeaux: Carney using ‘conflicts’ to avoid doing his job

Sabrina Maddeaux: Carney using ‘conflicts’ to avoid doing his job

It will surprise nearly no one that Prime Minister Mark Carney, thanks to his extensive corporate career, has potential conflicts of interest in his new role. His critics can shout “Brookfield!” in assorted accusatory tones until they’re hoarse, but his connections to the asset management firm are baked into his political rise, and doing so won’t meaningfully shift public opinion.

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Don’t bail out developers. Rescue housing

Don’t bail out developers. Rescue housing

The debate over governments purchasing unsold condominiums is asking the wrong question.

Critics are right to warn against governments becoming the buyer of last resort for failed condominium projects. That would socialize private losses, reward speculation and encourage developers and lenders to take greater risks, knowing taxpayers may absorb them.

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Beheaders call for pro-Beheaders education in schools

Beheaders call for pro-Beheaders education in schools

The Canadian Muslim Public Affairs Council has released a new policy handbook calling for “anti-Islamophobia education” to be integrated into Canadian school curriculums, along with at least $40 million in federal funding for security at mosques and Islamic schools.

The handbook was launched on Parliament Hill earlier this month to mark the fifth anniversary of the June 6, 2021, killing of a Muslim family in London, Ontario. NDP House Leader Heather McPherson joined CMPAC executive director Khaled Al-Qazzaz and youth representatives at the event.

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‘Elbows up’ is now part of the Oxford English Dictionary

‘Elbows up’ is now part of the Oxford English Dictionary

A cherished Canadian rallying cry is now in the official lexicon: Oxford University Press on Tuesday added “elbows up” to the Oxford English Dictionary.

The hockey term, popularized by Gordie Howe, became synonymous with the surge of patriotism that fuelled the Buy Canadian movement last year when U.S. President Donald Trump launched a trade war against Canada and threatened to make Canada the 51st American state.

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Old emission plan would have been ‘opportunity’ to ‘pull Canada apart’: Carney

Old emission plan would have been ‘opportunity’ to ‘pull Canada apart’: Carney

OTTAWA – As Prime Minister Mark Carney attempts to make Canada an energy superpower, he is conceding for the first time that the country’s greenhouse gas emissions will be “higher in the next few years” than projected under the previous government’s plan. The admission came in his second “Forward Guidance” video address to Canadians released on Tuesday.

Everything he says is a lie.

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Federal government under pressure to justify billions spent on migrant hotel program

Federal government under pressure to justify billions spent on migrant hotel program

CALGARY — The federal government is preparing to defend billions of dollars in spending on housing and hotel accommodations for illegal immigrants and asylum claimants amid growing media scrutiny and opposition criticism, according to internal documents obtained through Access to Information legislation.

As first reported by Blacklock’s Reporter, officials at the Department of Immigration acknowledged concerns over public attention focused on the cost of shelter programs and whether taxpayer-funded supports are producing measurable results.

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Palestinian exhibit at human rights museum ‘should be rectified’: federal heritage minister

Palestinian exhibit at human rights museum ‘should be rectified’: federal heritage minister

Heritage Minister Marc Miller said Monday the Canadian Museum for Human Rights in Winnipeg has erred in how it curated an exhibit about displaced Palestinians.

The federal cabinet minister said in an interview with The Canadian Press on Monday that the museum should change how it portrays the current conflict between Israel and Palestinians and update the museum’s oversight.

Spoken like a true weasel.

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Will the Germans or South Koreans emerge as Canada’s sub deal winner?

Will the Germans or South Koreans emerge as Canada’s sub deal winner?

Toss in some Korean BBQ and I’m in.[/caption]OTTAWA — Choosing the winning bid for Canada’s next generation submarine fleet is coming down to the wire. Analysts say the race between the two contenders, German-Norwegian consortium ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems (TKMS) and South Korea’s Hanwha, is too close to call.

Prime Minister Mark Carney has previously said that a decision would be made before the end of June, but sources tell CTV News that the announcement will be delayed a few days. It will likely come before Carney leaves for the July 7 NATO leaders’ summit in Ankara, Türkiye.

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Condo prices have crashed. What’s the minimum income you need to buy your own Toronto condo now?

Condo prices have crashed. What’s the minimum income you need to buy your own Toronto condo now?

According to data collected by Ratehub, the average Toronto condo price in March 2022 was $831,351, requiring a household income of $156,320. As of May 2026, the average condo price has dropped by roughly 19 per cent, to $673,841, requiring a household income of $139,000.


BUT … The Star is omitting pertinent facts about income figures.

The average household income in the City of Toronto is approximately $121,200 to $129,000 before taxes, while the median household income is roughly $84,000 to $97,000. The higher average compared to the median is typically skewed by a larger share of upper-income households.

In Ontario, the average household total income is approximately $116,000 before taxes, and the average after-tax income is about $95,300. For median household income (the midpoint), the figure sits at roughly $81,000 before taxes and $79,500 after taxes

 

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Real communism has never been tried in the Condo Market says Star

Real communism has never been tried in the Condo Market says Star

The backlash came fast and furious, and with greater velocity than perhaps at any other moment in Mark Carney‘s tenure as prime minister.

The Liberals’ proposal last week — to put up 10 per cent of roughly $1.45 billion for the acquisition of unsold B.C. condos which in turn would be sold at affordable rates on a rent-to-buy basis — was rapidly condemned by critics as a “bailout” — evidence not only of political perfidy, but also ideological gymnastics on the part of a former central banker who, once upon a time, cautioned against this kind of moral hazard. (Carney himself acknowledged the reveal was a case study in miscommunication)

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A key CUSMA ‘checkpoint’ is coming. Businesses and unions are balancing anxiety and hope

A key CUSMA ‘checkpoint’ is coming. Businesses and unions are balancing anxiety and hope

Businesses and labour groups are watching with a mix of anxiety and hope as a key trade moment arrives on Wednesday, as Premier Doug Ford sets off on his third trip in less than a month to meet with U.S. lawmakers.

The Canada-U.S.-Mexico Agreement on trade officially comes up for review on July 1 after an 18-month trade war sparked by U.S. President Donald Trump’s tariffs.

Groups representing both large and small Canadian businesses and one of the country’s most prominent labour unions say they’ll be watching the official opening of the review on Wednesday.

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Successful immigration depends on ‘shared values,’ not ancestry, says Massive Cockwomble who opened the floodgates to incompatible cultures that have ruined Canada

Successful immigration depends on ‘shared values,’ not ancestry, says Massive Cockwomble who opened the floodgates to incompatible cultures that have ruined Canada

While acknowledging his Liberal government overshot post-pandemic admissions to Canada, Justin Trudeau defended immigration as essential and said successful integration depends not on common ancestry, but “shared values.”

The former prime minister shared his thoughts on immigration during a fireside-style chat with Finnish journalist Jaako Loikanna at the Sumoi Areena, an annual public debate and societal discussion forum in Pori, Finland, last Thursday.


I’ve been waiting to use “cockwomble”.

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