Five things to watch for in the Canadian business world in the coming week
Five things to watch for in the Canadian business world in the coming week: Tariffs Businesses and investors will be watching for the latest developments in Canada’s trade dispute with the U.S. and the possibility of crippling tariffs being imposed starting next month. Efforts by Canadian politicians to lobby U.S. President Donald Trump to back off on his threats, which would raise prices and hurt both Canada and the U.S., are expected to continue this week. Real estate data Two key data points for the Canadian housing market are expected this week. Canada Mortgage and Housing Corp. is scheduled to release January housing starts figures on Monday. Meanwhile, the Canadian Real Estate Association is expected to release home sales figures for January on Tuesday. Home sales in December were up...
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Canadian LGBTQ+ advocacy group won’t visit UN forum over concerns about U.S. border
By Dylan Robertson -CP-Canada’s leading LGBTQ+ advocacy organization is boycotting travel to the U.S. — and won’t attend an upcoming United Nations event — in response to concerns about how their members might be treated at the border under the Trump administration. “I don’t think there’s anything more important than safeguarding my staff and our community members, and also sending a strong message to the U.S.,” said Egale Canada head Helen Kennedy. “It was a culmination and an accumulation of legislative changes, rhetoric and discriminatory policies specifically targeting gender-diverse folks that made us make this decision.” U.S. President Donald Trump has signed an executive order that states the U.S. only recognizes two genders, male and female, and the U.S. State Department has replaced the acronym LGBTQI with the more limited...
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Awaiting sentencing, Tiny House Warriors tell court they acted for Secwépemc rights: ‘We’re not criminals’
By Aaron Hemens, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter Four members of the Tiny House Warriors are rejecting a Crown characterization of them as “criminals,” despite facing a possible six to 12 months in jail over a 2021 confrontation at a Trans Mountain work camp. Prosecutors want the members of the Secwépemc-led resistance group put behind bars with sentences ranging from 187 to 374 days for their actions opposing the federally owned pipeline expansion in Secwépemcúl’ecw. During a sentencing hearing in Tkʼemlúps (Kamloops) on Feb. 3 and 4, Crown prosecutor Anthony Varesi said the defendants “hide behind a mantle of protest in an attempt to legitimize their illicit acts.” “Violence, intimidation, and destruction of property are not forms of lawful protest,” Varesi said during his opening submissions. “The accused before this court...
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Big shift in Canadian policy needed for new energy export projects: Enbridge
By Ian Bickis -CP-As concerns rise about Canada’s reliance on the U.S. for energy exports, Enbridge Inc. chief executive Greg Ebel says getting a big new energy export project off the ground in this country would require drastic shifts in government policy. Speaking on an earnings call, he laid out numerous criteria such as legal guarantees for a pipeline, the removal of various environmental policies, more funding for Indigenous participation and better indications of costs and financial returns before the company would consider reviving something like the Northern Gateway pipeline or other export projects. “For us to be willing to seriously consider reinvesting in a project like that, whether it’s east or west or just west, we need to see real change on numerous fronts,” said Ebel. He said he’d...
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Ontario party leaders spar over housing in first election debate
By Allison Jones and Liam Casey -CP-The leaders of Ontario’s New Democratic, Liberal and Green parties went on the offensive Friday against Progressive Conservative Leader Doug Ford, who polls suggest is cruising to another majority government, in the first debate of the provincial election campaign. The debate in North Bay, Ont., was held specifically to discuss northern issues. The leaders talked about road safety and infrastructure in the north, as well as the addictions crisis that has hit many northern communities hard, but the three party leaders also saw an opportunity to zero in on housing and Ford’s record across the province. “Where are the homes that Doug Ford said he was going to build?” NDP Leader Marit Stiles said. “Where are the homes, Doug? Because they’re not in our...
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Urban deer a target as B.C. government, cities try to curb wasting disease
-CP-The B.C. government along with the southeastern cities of Cranbrook and Kimberley say they’ll try to limit the spread of chronic wasting disease with a targeted removal and testing of urban deer. Five cases have been confirmed in southeast B.C. in the last year for the disease that is fatal and affects species in the deer family, including mule deer, white-tailed deer, elk, moose and caribou. A statement from the Ministry of Water, Land and Resource Stewardship says the risk of spread is higher in urban deer because of population density, and two cities are of special concern because of their proximity to the areas where the infected deer were found. It says the work will be done as safely and humanely as possible, with the removal of the deer...
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Recent B.C. earthquakes linked to fracking as regulator tightens oversight
By Brenna Owen -CP-The British Columbia Energy Regulator has toughened its oversight of what it calls “induced” seismic activity after a series of earthquakes linked to hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, in the northeastern corner of the province. John Cassidy, a seismologist with Natural Resources Canada, said the regulator had confirmed that four quakes recorded between last Saturday and Wednesday were related to the gas industry practice. The quakes ranged in magnitude from 3.1 to 4.7, with the most powerful felt in Fort St. John, B.C., about 105 kilometres southeast of the epicentre. Cassidy said earthquakes triggered by fracking in B.C. typically result from the injection of material into shallow wells to open up fractures and release gas for extraction, and almost all of the induced quakes are “tiny.” “There have...
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Urban deer a target as B.C. government, cities try to curb wasting disease
-CP-The B.C. government along with the southeastern cities of Cranbrook and Kimberley say they’ll try to limit the spread of chronic wasting disease with a targeted cull and testing of urban deer. Five cases have been confirmed in southeast B.C. in the last year for the disease that is fatal and affects species in the deer family, including mule deer, white-tailed deer, elk, moose and caribou. A statement from the Ministry of Water, Land and Resource Stewardship says the risk of spread is higher in urban deer because of population density, and two cities are of special concern because of their proximity to the areas where the infected deer were found. It says the cull will be conducted as safely and humanely as possible, with the removal of the deer...
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81 more days in jail for dangerous offender who ignored supervision order
By Bob Mackin, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter A provincial court judge in Prince George sentenced a dangerous offender to 15 months for breaching a long-term supervision order plus three years of probation. Kevin Roy Grunerud, 48, however, qualified for 375 days enhanced credit for time served in jail since last March, meaning he has 81 days remaining. Judge Robert Brown said Grunerud’s risk to re-offend remains significant and he requires monitoring. “There remains a real risk to public safety,” Brown said. Grunerud pleaded guilty last August to breaching his 10-year, long-term supervision order by possessing alcohol in Prince George in January 2022 and failing to travel directly to his residence and report directly to his parole supervisor in Chilliwack in September 2023. The 15 month sentence is for the Chilliwack...
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Bridging Truth and Action: Grandmother’s Voice Conference Returns to Oakville
By Kezia Royer-Burkett , Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Burlington Local-News.ca The Grandmother’s Voice conference, Truth with Reconciliation: Respect, Restore, Relearn, returns on February 25–26 at the Meeting House in Oakville, bringing together Indigenous leaders, Knowledge Keepers, and allies for crucial discussions on reconciliation. “This event is not just another conference — it’s a call to action,” says Jody Harbour, founder of Grandmother’s Voice. “It’s an opportunity for organizations and individuals to engage in meaningful change.” Last year’s conference sparked powerful conversations, but Grandmothers and Elders Renee Thomas Hill, Gail Whitlow, and Allen Sutherland felt the work was far from over. Moved by the impact of the gathering, they decided to bring the event back, aligning it with the Bear Moon — a time of deep reflection and setting intentions. “Feedback...
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Poilievre pledges to restore ‘promise of Canada’ in campaign-style speech
By Sarah Ritchie -CP-Pierre Poilievre began a speech on Saturday with a quote from the country’s first prime minister, Sir John A. Macdonald, pledging to create a united, rich nation “instead of making us a tributary to American laws, to American railways, to American bondage, to American tolls.” The Conservative leader, who appeared at a rally in a room at a downtown Ottawa convention centre, went on to address Americans directly, laying out the consequences of “an unprovoked attack” on Canada’s economy via tariffs. “If Canada is not your friend, who is?” Poilievre asked. U.S. President Donald Trump’s shifting threats to impose sweeping tariffs on Canadian goods and his repeated claims that he wants to annex Canada have prompted a sudden rise in Canadian patriotism. Poilievre reiterated that if his...
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Trump administration tries to bring back fired nuclear weapons workers in DOGE reversal
By Tara Copp And Anthony Izaguirre WASHINGTON (AP) — The Trump administration has halted the firings of hundreds of federal employees who were tasked with working on the nation’s nuclear weapons programs, in an about-face that has left workers confused and experts cautioning that DOGE’s blind cost cutting will put communities at risk. Three U.S. officials who spoke to The Associated Press said up to 350 employees at the National Nuclear Security Administration were abruptly laid off late Thursday, with some losing access to email before they’d learned they were fired, only to try to enter their offices on Friday morning to find they were locked out. The officials spoke on the condition of anonymity for fear of retaliation. One of the hardest hit offices was the Pantex Plant near...
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Canada recognizes Aboriginal title over Haida Gwaii off B.C. in historic agreement
-CP-The federal government will recognize Aboriginal title over the archipelago of Haida Gwaii off British Columbia’s northern coast in a historic agreement with the Haida First Nation. Crown-Indigenous Relations Minister Gary Anandasangaree says this is the first time the federal government has recognized Aboriginal title through negotiations. He says in an interview that it’s a “hugely significant” achievement that will reset the relationship in a “very meaningful way.” The Big Tide Haida Title Lands Agreement affirms that the Haida have Aboriginal title over all of the islands’ lands, beds of freshwater bodies, and foreshores to the low-tide mark. The agreement transitions the Crown-title land to the Haida people, granting them an inherent legal right to the land. The transfer of the underlying title would affect how courts interpret issues involving...
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Chiefs examine child welfare and housing at special assembly
By Aastha Sethi, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Cabin Radio Chiefs gathered in Délı̨nę last week for a Dene Nation special assembly to discuss topics like child and family services and housing. Dene leaders have been advocating for Northwest Territories residents’ inclusion in a historic draft $47.8-billion settlement agreement on long-term reform of the federal First Nations Child and Family Services Program. However, after chiefs from across Canada voted against that agreement and called for fresh negotiations, Canada announced it was pursuing a carve-out deal with Chiefs of Ontario and Nishnawbe Aski Nation – and nobody else. That leaves the territory once again on the outside of the agreement, looking in. Danny Gaudet, Ɂek’wahtı̨dǝ́ or leader of the Délįnę Got’įnę Government, told the special assembly the N.W.T.’s exclusion from the agreement...
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Brantford man charged with attempted murder in Intimate Partner Violence
BRANTFORD- The Brantford Police Service (BPS) has charged a 37-year-old city man with attempted murder after a woman was treated at a local hosptial for stab wounds. Brantford Police were dispatched to an English Lane residence Friday, February 14, 2025, at about 12:30 a.m., after receiving a report from a local hospital that a woman was being treated for life threatening stab wounds. Police responded to the residence and took a man into custody without incident. The accused and the victim were known to each other. BPS said the incident has been classified as an Intimate Partner Violence (IPV) related homicide and no threat to public safety exists. As a result, a 37-year-old Brantford man has been charged with one count of attempted murder, one count of possession of a...
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TIFF CEO worried about ‘nationalistic’ shift in TV, film amid Canada-US trade tension
By Alex Nino Gheciu -CP-The CEO of the Toronto International Film Festival is warning against an overly nationalistic approach to screen content in Canada, as U.S. President Donald Trump’s looming tariffs have led some to shun American exports. The Canada-first approach to film could ultimately harm the industry, Cameron Bailey said on a virtual call from Toronto on Thursday. He noted TIFF has been closely watching the trade tensions and their potential impact on the economy. But beyond tariffs, which could increase costs for both filmmakers and festival organizers, TIFF is concerned about a potential “sentiment shift” among viewers and creators. “That’s what we’re really keeping a close eye on: that difference between pride in Canadian screen stories and a kind of closing down and a purely nationalistic approach to...
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Earthquake felt on southern Vancouver Island is latest B.C. tremor
Residents across southern Vancouver Island reported feeling a 3.8 magnitude earthquake that struck off the southern coast, the latest in a string of tremors in British Columbia this week. Earthquakes Canada says it happened around 10 p.m. on Thursday. It was lightly felt in Victoria, Sidney and across southern Vancouver Island. The agency says nearly 300 people reported feeling the quake, but no one said any damage had occurred. It follows three other earthquakes earlier this week in northeastern B.C. Those tremors up to 4.4 magnitude struck the Fort St. John area and did not result in any damage. This report by The Canadian Press was first published Feb. 14, 2025...
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Singh says NDP expects snap election call if Carney wins Liberal leadership
By David Baxter NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh says he doesn’t think he’ll have to chose between voting on tariff relief or bringing down the government because he expects a snap election call if Mark Carney wins the Liberal leadership. Singh says that if the government was serious about introducing a relief package for workers who might lose their jobs due to U.S. tariffs, it would have recalled Parliament by now. At a news conference in Vancouver yesterday, Carney would not rule out calling a snap election if he becomes Liberal leader. Jennifer Howard, the NDP’s national campaign director, sent a memo to candidates and staff earlier this week saying they should be prepared for an election call as soon as March 10, one day after the Liberal leadership vote. The...
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Oscar-nominated documentary exposes horrifying truths about Indigenous residential schools in Canada
By Lindsey Bahr The discovery of hundreds of unmarked graves at an Indian residential school in Canada in 2021 was just the catalyst for “Sugarcane.” Julian Brave NoiseCat and Emily Kassie, the filmmakers behind the Oscar-nominated documentary, spent years investigating the truth behind just one of the institutions. “Sugarcane,” now streaming on Hulu, paints a horrifying picture of the systemic abuses inflicted by the state-funded school and exposes for the first time a pattern of infanticide and babies born to Indigenous girls and fathered by priests. In the year since it debuted at the Sundance Film Festival, “Sugarcane” has screened at the White House, for Canadian Parliament and for over a dozen indigenous communities in North America, sparking a grassroots movement and reckoning to find the truth about the other...
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Ottawa provides $1.5M for sports initiatives across Nunavik and Nunavut
By Cedric Gallant, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Nunatsiaq News The federal government has announced $1.5 million to fund nine sports-related initiatives in Nunavut and Nunavik. The money is part of $24.2 million distributed between 119 Indigenous-led projects across the country, the Department of Canadian Heritage announced Feb. 7 in a news release. It comes from the department’s Sport for Social Development in Indigenous Communities program. The Government of Nunavut will receive more than $800,000 for its Nunavut Youth Ambassador Program, which sends volunteers to the Canada and Arctic Winter Games. Approximately $157,000 is earmarked for the City of Iqaluit for the Qaumaniq Summer Day Camp, which engages youths in Inuit cultural traditions, environmental stewardship and creative expression. Recreation and Parks Association Nunavut is set to receive $115,000 for its youth...
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