The Crown corporation says the union informed it that employees plan to hit the picket line starting Friday morning at midnight.

A work stoppage would affect millions of residents and businesses who typically receive more than two billion letters and roughly 300 million parcels a year via the service.

Canada Post says the disruption would deepen the company’s grave financial situation and both sides should focus on hammering out a deal.

Earlier on Monday, the Canadian Union of Postal Workers said in an email it was “still in the process of trying to negotiate collective agreements” for its members, including nearly 23,000 mail carriers.

On Friday, a report on Canada Post highlighted its flagging business model and recommended foundational changes, including phasing out daily door-to-door letter mail delivery for individual residences.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 19, 2025.

Christopher Reynolds, The Canadian Press

Despite tariff pause, uncertainty hangs over Canadian economy

Uncertainty still hangs over the Canadian economy despite U.S. President Donald Trump announcing a 30-day pause in tariffs that were to take effect today. The temporary reprieve halts — at least for now — a continental trade war that economists on both sides of the border warned would raise prices. Trump’s decision meant Canada and the provinces also halted their moves to retaliate including with tariffs and bans on U.S. alcohol sales north of the border. Unifor, the country’s largest private sector union, insists that Trump’s threat of tariffs remains in effect, threatening Canadian jobs. Trump on Saturday signed an order to impose 25 per cent across-the-board tariffs on Mexican and Canadian imports, with a lower 10 per cent tariff on Canadian energy.

Truckers say tariffs would cause industry layoffs

Truckers say the tariffs threatened by U.S. President Donald Trump would wreak havoc on their industry as trade between Canada and the United States would take a hit. The across-the-board taxes of 25 per cent on Canadian imports to the U.S. — now delayed for at least a month until early March — would mark the biggest trade shock north of the border in nearly a century. Canadian Trucking Alliance president Stephen Laskowski says the fallout could be the final nail in the coffin for many of his group’s 5,000 transport companies, already struggling because of weaker consumer demand.

Here’s what else we’re watching…

Ontario votes: Leaders to stop in Ottawa, Brampton

Two of Ontario’s main party leaders are set to make stops in the national capital after Canada got a 30-day reprieve from U.S. tariff threats that dominated campaign promises at the start of the week. Progressive Conservative Leader Doug Ford and NDP Leader Marit Stiles are both making announcements in Ottawa this morning, with Stiles heading to Kingston, Ont., in the afternoon. Liberal Leader Bonnie Crombie is set to make an announcement about tax cuts in Brampton, Ont., and then hold an event at Toronto Metropolitan University. The snap election that Ford triggered last week will be held Feb. 27.

More video expected today at teens’ murder trial

The trial of two teen girls accused in the death of a homeless Toronto man is expected to continue today with more security video of the night of the incident. The two girls are among eight charged in the death of Kenneth Lee, who court heard died on Dec. 18, 2022, after he was beaten and stabbed at a downtown Toronto parkette. The girls, who were 14 and 16 at the time, have pleaded not guilty to second-degree murder. The younger girl pleaded guilty through her lawyer to the lesser charge of manslaughter as the trial began Monday, but the plea was rejected by the Crown.

From Musk to mushrooms, Canadian buyers let money do the talking amid tariff turmoil

Some Canadian consumers are letting their money do the talking when it comes to policies and politics south of the border. Vancouver finance worker Michael Atkinson says the threat of U.S. tariffs from President Donald Trump was the final straw that saw him return his Tesla to the dealer with two months left on the lease. Other Canadian consumers are making their feelings felt at the grocery store by rejecting American products in favour of Canadian alternatives. Shopper Andrea Mitchell says she was proud of finding Canadian-grown mushrooms, and buying domestic products is a way to demonstrate Canadian sovereignty and think about the country’s future.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Feb. 4, 2025.

The Canadian Press

On Monday, Trump said he’ll implement a 25 per cent tariff on all Canadian imports until the country stops drugs and illegal immigrants from crossing the U.S. border.

The move could potentially have a devastating impact on the Canadian economy, but Red Deer and District Chamber CEO, Scott Robinson, said it’s important to see if the U.S. government actually goes through with it.

“History with Mr. Trump has shown that there’s a lot of rhetoric upfront and obviously there’s going to be some hard negotiations behind the scenes,” he opined.

“The bigger issue is the Mexico-U.S. border, not the Canada-U.S. border, although I know there’s some concerns there. I’m not convinced it’s going to happen, at least at that level.”

If it does happen, Robinson said it would have wide-reaching impacts on any goods and services that are exported to the U.S., such as beef, grain products, and oil and gas.

According to the Canadian Press, more than 77 per cent of Canadian exports go to the U.S.

“It would have a very wide-reaching chilling effect on the economy here. There certainly would be a negative impact likely in the equity markets as well, just because of the uncertainty of it all,” he said.

“It could be a very damaging thing in the short term, and in the longer term not likely to last. It would be something I think where every business involved in exporting goods to the U.S. would be concerned about.”

Robinson said Red Deer would also be impacted and he’s not sure if there would be a region in Canada that wouldn’t be.

Red Deer’s biggest industries are likely the energy and agricultural sectors, which would be impacted by the tariffs.

Any businesses in central Alberta who are in the industry of production in oil and gas, such as Nova Chemicals, would be affected. The farming and lumber industries across the west would also be impacted.

Meanwhile, the premiers have asked for an urgent meeting on Wednesday with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to prepare for the new U.S. administration before the tariff threat.

Robinson is unsure if the U.S. will even go through with the tariffs because of the damage it could do to itself.

“These tariffs would have a significant impact on prices in the U.S., and if we’ve seen anything, it’s when inflation jacks up and prices go up, the consumer is never happy. The government will take a lot of heat from that,” he said.

“What’s already happening is the Canadian government is bringing together all the provinces, they’re going to talk, and build sort of a one size fits all strategy that will be communicated to the U.S.

“The strategy is to have a common voice, work with them, and help them understand what impacts it would have on the U.S. and obviously reassure them that the issues they’re worried about such as border security, Canada may have to demonstrate beefing up its border… if we deal with that, things would be better.”

In a letter responding to the Liberals’ budget, the premiers say they worry new federal programs are eventually going to be downloaded onto provinces and territories. 

They also say the housing crisis cannot be solved by the federal government working with municipalities alone. 

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said he would go directly to mayors to provide housing funding after Ontario Premier Doug Ford refused to accept the money with conditions. 

The premiers say they need to have a key role in developing federal housing programs and are calling for more flexibility.

The government’s new housing plan includes billions in spending aimed at building nearly 3.9 million homes by 2031.

In the letter, Council of the Federation president and Nova Scotia Premier Tim Houston touches on everything from defence spending and disaster assistance to housing. He says the premiers were expecting updated Disaster Financial Assistance Arrangements this year to provide adequate support for emergencies.

The premiers want to see even more spending on Arctic security and investments to equip and staff the Canadian Armed Forces. 

Houston and his fellow premiers also say they expected the federal budget to include flexible and predictable infrastructure funding, “but this did not happen.” 

“Budget 2024 may lead to positive impacts for Canadians if actioned properly and collaboratively with provincial and territorial partners,” Houston wrote.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 19, 2024. 

The Canadian Press

<!– Photo: 2024041913040-6622a322af6c533321575e26jpeg.jpg, Caption:

Canada’s premiers say they want a return to a co-operative approach with the federal government that respects their jurisdiction. Canada’s provincial and territorial leaders look on during a press conference at the meeting of the Council of the Federation, in Halifax, Monday, Nov. 6, 2023. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Kelly Clark

–>

Who pays the carbon price?

Canada has two different carbon pricing programs — one for big industry where companies pay the price on a share of their actual emissions, and a consumer carbon levy which is applied to fossil fuel purchases. The consumer levy affects individuals, small and medium-sized businesses, First Nations, as well as public-sector operations such as hospitals, universities, schools and municipalities.

The price change on April 1 affects the consumer levy, which applies in every province and territory except British Columbia, Quebec and Northwest Territories.

B.C. and Northwest Territories both have their own, very similar carbon charge for consumers. Quebec has a cap-and-trade system that is quite different, but is considered equivalent by Ottawa to what the federal price both costs and cuts in terms of emissions.

What is the consumer carbon levy applied to?

The fuel charge is added to the price of more than 20 different fuel sources that produce greenhouse gas emissions when burned for energy, including gasoline, propane, diesel and natural gas. The additional cost to each fuel depends on how many greenhouse gases are produced when that fuel is burned to make energy.

A litre of diesel produces more carbon dioxide than a litre of gasoline, for example, so the carbon price is higher on a litre of diesel than it is on gasoline.

What is this increase going to do to the price of fuel?

The impact will be similar in all provinces but Quebec.

Gasoline: Going from $65 per tonne to $80, means the carbon price on a litre of gasoline will now be 17.6 cents per litre, up 3.3 cents per litre from before. That means filling a 50 litre tank from empty will cost about $8.80 in carbon price, about $1.65 more than before. 

Diesel: As of today the price for a litre of diesel will include 21.39 cents in carbon price, up from 17.38 cents.

Propane: The price for propane will now include 12.38 cents a litre in carbon price, up from 10.08 cents. A standard 20-pound barbecue propane tank will cost about $2.20 in carbon price to fill, compared with $1.78 over the last year.

Natural gas: On average in Canada, households use about 2,280 cubic metres of natural gas in a year, mostly for heat. At $80 per tonne, the carbon price will add 15.3 cents to a cubic metre of natural gas, up from 12.4 cents previously. That amounts to an annual carbon price bill for natural gas of about $347 on average, compared with $282 over the last year.

Food and clothing and other goods: There are indirect costs of carbon pricing, as companies that pay the price themselves increase the cost of their goods and services to keep pace. The amounts vary by industry, but Statistics Canada estimated that carbon pricing increased the price of food by about 0.3 per cent and the price of clothes by two per cent since its inception. The effect of the latest increase has yet to be determined.

How much will the Canada Carbon Rebate help? 

The provinces that pay the federal carbon price also receive the federal rebate. B.C. and Northwest Territories in turn provide their own rebates that are slightly different. 

B.C.’s rebate, for example, is income based, and about one-third of all households in the province don’t qualify for it.

The federal rebate, which is deposited or mailed out four times a year, is divided among households based on family size, not by income. Each year Environment and Climate Change Canada calculates the expected revenues from carbon pricing in each province, and by law has to return 90 per cent of those revenues in rebates. Part of the remaining 10 per cent goes to increase rural resident rebates by 20 per cent. Some of the rest is earmarked to help businesses become more fuel efficient, but those programs have been very slow to roll out. Most businesses haven’t received anything in the five years since carbon pricing began.

The rebates increase as the price increases, however this year many households in the Atlantic provinces won’t see an increase. That’s because almost one-third of households in those provinces use heating oil and since October have been exempted from paying the carbon price. That reduction is reflected in the rebate amounts.

The rebates vary because carbon pricing totals vary based on things like heating use and driving distances. Alberta and Saskatchewan, for example, typically use more natural gas for heat per households than in Ontario or Manitoba.

The next rebate payment is due on April 15. Here are the quarterly amounts, by province, for an individual, a couple, and a family of four. In a single parent households, the first child is treated the same as a spouse for the rebate amount.

Rural residents, who tend to drive longer distance, are to receive 20 per cent more.

Yukon and Nunavut pay the federal carbon price but have their own unique rebate programs.

Alberta: 

Single: $225 Couple: $337.50 Family of four: $450

Saskatchewan: 

Single: $188 Couple: $282 Family of four: $376

Manitoba; Single: $150 Couple: $225 Family of four: $300

Ontario:

Single: $140 Couple: $210 Family of four: $280

New Brunswick:

Single: $95 Couple: $142.50 Family of four: $190

Nova Scotia:

Single: $103 Couple: $154.50 Family of four: $206

Prince Edward Island:

Single: $110 Couple: $165 Family of four: $220*

*All households in P.E.I. are considered rural and the rebates for all include the 20 per cent top up.

Newfoundland and Labrador:

Single: $149 Couple: $223.50 Family of four: $298

 This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 1, 2024.

Mia Rabson, The Canadian Press

Quebec prohibits edibles — cannabis-infused food — sold in the province from appealing to young people, forcing consumers to choose from a selection of products such as dried figs to get high. Industry insiders say the tough regulations are helping the black market thrive.

Fabrice Giguère, spokesman for Quebec’s marijuana authority, says the cannabis-infused gummies, candies and chocolates available in other provinces are non-starters in Quebec.

“This is why our edible offer is more oriented toward products such as blackcurrant bites with cinnamon, apples and matcha or blueberries and lavender, dehydrated beets, dried figs and dried cauliflower,” Giguère, with Société québécoise du cannabis, said in a recent interview.

“This offer allows us to respond to market demand while respecting the legal framework in force as well as our mission to protect public health.”

Ottawa allowed provinces to sell edibles in 2020, two years after it passed the Cannabis Act, which made cannabis legal in the country. Provinces such as Ontario, British Columbia and Alberta were among the first to sell cannabis-infused food. Quebec, meanwhile, only started selling edibles in 2022 — and the government remains the only legal marijuana retailer in the province.

Quebec’s unique array of products has garnered plenty of headlines, but industry experts like Pierre Leclerc, CEO of the Quebec Cannabis Industry Association, say the rules do little to stamp out illegal sales.

“The one piece of good news is a year ago, we didn’t have any products and now we do, so it’s one step in the right direction,” Leclerc said. “But these are products that don’t respond to the consumers in the illicit market to bring them over to the (legal) market.”

The vast majority of edibles available in Canada are illicit, mainly because the black market offers easily accessible products at lower prices and with stronger levels of tetrahydrocannabinol — the high-inducing compound known as THC — than the edibles found in legal stores. The THC levels in legal edibles in Canada cannot exceed 10 milligrams per package.

“It’s a coast-to-coast problem but it’s more pronounced in Quebec because we have fewer products available,” Leclerc said.

Leclerc said he agrees with Quebec public health officials who want to protect minors. But he said the province has to decide whether it truly wants to abandon clients to the black market.

“We totally agree that it shouldn’t be child-appealing, but there’s some space between dried cauliflower … and, say, a chocolate bar,” Leclerc said.

George Smitherman, president and CEO of the Cannabis Council of Canada, said that even in provinces that have a wide choice of edibles, the restrictions on THC levels are leading customers to look elsewhere.

“A consumer going into one of the numerous legal cannabis stores in Ontario (for example) would find quite an interesting array of edibles, but the limitation … of 10 milligrams within any individual package … is for the regular consumer of cannabis a fairly low offering,” said Smitherman, whose organization represents Canada’s licensed cannabis producers.

“It feels like the edibles category has been really basically sacrificed to the illicit markets … we really feel there’s a significant dominance there because of the 10-milligram limit.”

Michael Armstrong, a business professor at Brock University who researches the cannabis industry, said the marijuana sector often argues that higher THC levels would make the legal industry more competitive with the black market.

But edibles are difficult for regulators, who have concerns about accidental ingestion, Armstrong said, adding that the duration of the high from edibles varies from person to person.

“On the one hand, yes, that would probably drive out a lot of the illicit production. On the other hand, then you have a lot more high-potency edibles floating around that kids might get into.”

A study by Toronto’s Hospital for Sick Children and The Ottawa Hospital found that since 2018, there has been a more than sixfold increase in hospitalizations across Canada for cannabis poisoning among children under the age of 10.

The study, called “Edible Cannabis Legalization and Unintentional Poisonings in Children,” was published in the New England Journal of Medicine in August and reviewed a period between January 2015 to September 2021. It found that “when edibles were permitted in Ontario, British Columbia and Alberta, hospitalization rates in those provinces increased a further 2.9 times compared to the initial period following legalization, but remained unchanged in Quebec.”

Giguère said that so far, edibles are selling well in Quebec. As for whether the province could expand its offerings down the road, he said that’s up to the government.

But Giguère said the province-owned stores are regularly adding new products, with more edibles to come in the new year.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 30, 2022.

Sidhartha Banerjee, The Canadian Press

“We piled 11 people into three cars with 11 pieces of luggage and travelled through the night and arrived home,” said Patrick Gobeil, who said his group rented vehicles on New Year’s Eve to get home to Prince Albert, Sask., after Sunwing left them in Calgary.

Sunwing has been scrambling to bring hundreds of passengers home from destinations such as Mexico after winter storms disrupted its operations over the holidays.

On Friday, Sunwing Vacations announced it was suspending its flights from the Saskatoon and Regina airports for a month due to extenuating circumstances.

Gobeil said his group of 11 people flew to Mazatlan, Mexico, on Dec. 9 and were supposed to fly back to Saskatoon on Dec. 23, but Sunwing kept delaying their return until Dec. 30, when they finally got a flight.

He said he didn’t know he wouldn’t be returning to Saskatoon until he noticed a Calgary tag had been attached to his luggage. He said Sunwing staff on the plane promised hotel and meal vouchers in the city and assured his party they would get transport to Saskatchewan.

Gobeil said they eventually had to book their own rooms after waiting in Calgary for hours. When they returned to the airport the next morning, Sunwing staff promised a manager was coming to help them.

“All of a sudden, they left out the back and we were left there by ourselves,” Gobeil said.

Traci Goertzen of Griffin, Sask., said Sunwing flew her to Regina on New Year’s Eve after her return from the Mexican city of Puerto Vallarta was delayed by nearly a week, but she estimated there were about 50 empty seats on the plane.

Goertzen said she had met another family in the terminal that was trying to get to Saskatoon. She said they would have flown to Regina, but were told they couldn’t be on the flight.

“That family from Saskatoon, they were literally crying in the airport because they wanted to go home so bad,” said Goertzen.

Other Saskatchewan residents in a Facebook group formed by Sunwing passengers who have been trying to get home said they were flown to Winnipeg.

Sunwing did not respond to questions from The Canadian Press on Monday about the vacant seats or what has been happening to Saskatchewan passengers.

It said last week that it had planned 43 recovery flights. The airline apologized, saying despite its best efforts, it has failed to deliver on its customers’ expectations.

Gobeil said the Sunwing crew on his flight to Canada seemed to believe there were only 19 Saskatchewan passengers on the plane when, in fact, there were about 100.

He said despite daily, repeated attempts to contact the airline, he’s not sure they knew that his group were still in Mexico.

“I completed a survey about my completed vacation with Sunwing and got a $50 voucher, eight days before I got home. And it wasn’t the nicest review,” said Gobeil.

Goertzen said she was supposed to have flown back on one of the rescue flights several days earlier, but they were told the plane had a broken antenna. Then they were told the wrong part was shipped and another would have to be ordered from China. Then they heard nothing.

“It was just mentally frustrating. I don’t even know how to put it into words because it was that much of a fiasco,” Goertzen said when summing up the ordeal.

Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe said last week that while airlines and air travel are regulated by the federal government, his transportation minister has been in contact with Sunwing and with federal transport minister asking for a detailed plan of how and when passengers who travelled from Saskatchewan will get back.

“In the days ahead, we expect Sunwing to appropriately compensate everyone who did not receive the service they purchased,” Moe said Friday.

Sunwing said in a statement Friday that it had planned to supplement seasonal demand for travel from Saskatoon and Regina with the assistance of temporary foreign pilots for the winter months.

It said it brought in sub-services to sustain its operations, buy After that plan failed to materialize, Sunwing eventually concluded “the conditions and schedule have proven too significant” to continue with regular operations. 

The airline said last week that “most, if not all, delayed customers should return home by Jan. 2.” 

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 2, 2023.

—By Rob Drinkwater in Edmonton

The Canadian Press

The industry lobby group says Canadian dairy farmers are grappling with never-before-seen price increases on goods and services they need to produce milk.

Yet industry observers say people can’t afford another price hike.

They warn that dairy processors will likely tack on extra increases if the request is approved, pushing retail costs to untenable levels and increasing food insecurity.

“The companies piggyback on top of those increases so it becomes a double hit,” Gary Sands, senior vice-president of public policy with the Canadian Federation of Independent Grocers, said Saturday.

“Canadians are facing very significant affordability pressures. They’ve lost sight of the impact on the consumer.”

The Canadian Dairy Commission said Thursday it received a request from Dairy Farmers of Canada in late May to trigger the “exceptional circumstances process” and allow a mid-year milk price hike.

The request comes after farm gate milk prices rose six cents per litre, or roughly 8.4 per cent, on Feb. 1. Dairy prices are usually reviewed once a year.

The commission said it will hold consultations later this month and issue its decision around June 17.

The federal body, which oversees Canada’s dairy industry and supply management system, said the milk price increase would be effective Sept. 1.

Dairy Farmers of Canada declined to share how much of an increase it’s seeking.

“The lack of transparency is a problem,” Sylvain Charlebois, Dalhousie University professor of food distribution and policy, said Saturday.

“They just assessed the cost to produce milk in Canada and pushed through a record increase. Now out of the blue, they need more and they’re giving stakeholders only a couple weeks to prepare for consultations, which are not going to be public.”

Dairy Farmers of Canada said in a statement Thursday that the farm gate price of milk is adjusted in an entirely open process.

“This transparency is one of the many benefits Canadians get from our supply management system,” the group said.

The usual price review once a year creates a gap between the true cost of producing milk today and the annual adjustment, Dairy Farmers of Canada said.

“The exceptional circumstances require a mid-year adjustment to alleviate this gap,” the group said.

In less than a year, fertilizer costs have risen 44 per cent, fuel is up 32 per cent and animal feed has increased eight per cent, Dairy Farmers of Canada said.

Sands questioned whether the price of milk would be lowered should those input costs ease.

“If those supply chain challenges pushing up costs start to recede in the coming months, will they be reducing prices?”

—

Some analysts saw hints of a potentially tougher approach in what appeared to be a throwaway line in a congratulatory note that Prime Minister Justin Trudeau sent to his new Japanese counterpart, Fumio Kishida, this past week. 

Trudeau twice used the label “Indo-Pacific” to stress the importance of co-operating with Japan on shared regional interests. 

For some observers, that was a signal that Canada was moving toward a tougher posture toward future relations with China.

Paul Evans, a China expert at the University of British Columbia, said the use of that label — Indo-Pacific — denoted a subtle but distinct shift in how Canada traditionally viewed the region. 

Canada has traditionally referred to the vast geopolitical entity on the other side of the Pacific Ocean as the “Asia-Pacific,” a label that Evans said clearly included China as well as its many regional neighbours, while “Indo-Pacific” is a shorthand that is meant to exclude China. 

“This may sound just like words, but there’s a very serious difference,” said Evans.

“The phrase Indo-Pacific draws us into this strategic moment of great power rivalry. Indo-Pacific is fundamentally about China’s rise and responses to it.”

Moving forward, Evans expects to see Canada adopt a “softer version” of the label, one that means “sometimes countering China, often co-operating with China on economic and other matters. So, it’s a softer, more inclusive version.”

The quote Trudeau’s office released in his statement on Kishida’s swearing-in appeared to reflect that. 

“Together, we will advance our shared vision for a free and open Indo-Pacific and take ambitious action in the fight against climate change,” Trudeau said in the written statement. “As we continue to address the global impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, we will work to promote greater prosperity for people in Canada and Japan and throughout the Indo-Pacific region.”

Others say the time has come to Canada to hit back harder at China now that Kovrig and Spavor are safe. 

Lawrence Herman, an international trade lawyer and former Canadian diplomat, said Canada needs a “strong and realistic” trade policy more in line with the Americans and Australians. That should start with Canada immediately banning the Chinese firm Huawei from supplying equipment for its next generation 5G internet service. All of Canada’s allies in the Five Eyes intelligence sharing network — the U.S., Australia, Britain and New Zealand — have banned Huawei.

“With that, the government should move on to articulate other areas where business and trade can continue — but under defined terms and conditions that meet Canadian policies, including China acting fairly and responsibly and respecting Canadian commercial interests, human rights and other issues,” said Herman.

Guy Saint-Jacques, a former Canadian ambassador to China, said that while Beijing has now entrenched “hostage diplomacy” as a foreign policy tool, its use of “trade as a weapon” needs to be countered in a co-ordinated way by Canada and its allies. 

China imposed punitive tariffs after Australia called for an international investigation into the root cause of the COVID-19 pandemic. Beijing’s economic retaliation was similar to the bans it imposed on Canadian Canola and meat exports while it was holding Kovrig and Spavor and pushing Ottawa to free Chinese high-tech executive Meng Wanzhou after her arrest by the RCMP on an American extradition warrant.

Australia has also fended off Chinese interference in its political affairs. Last month, Australia formed a new three-country security alliance with the U.S. and Britain that will see it acquire a fleet of nuclear-powered submarines.

Saint-Jacques said it was “a good first step” that Canada spearheaded the international declaration against arbitrary detention earlier this year by getting the support of more than 60 countries.

“Canada should work with our allies to take this one step further and develop criteria that would trigger common responses by the signatory countries, including sanctions on the weaponization of trade,” said Saint-Jacques.  

“If Australia, Canada and the U.S. were to agree that if one of the three is subject to sanctions by China, then the two others would agree not to increase their exports to China beyond their historical share of the market there. That would prevent China from playing one country against the other.”

Last month, Politico reported that the Biden administration’s nominee for ambassadorship to Canada wants to see the Trudeau government release its “framework for its overall China policy.” David Cohen told his nomination hearing before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee that he wanted to see greater American and Canadian co-operation to counter the “existential threat that is China.” 

In Canada, the Conservative opposition has called for the Liberals to release such a document as well. 

A senior federal official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the issue, said there are no plans to publish a specific new document on China any time soon. The official described the government’s approach as more of an evolving strategy and rooted in tougher statements from former foreign affairs minister Francois-Philippe Champagne and by Foreign Affairs Minister Marc Garneau more recently.

Last year, Champagne supported Taiwan’s bid to take part in World Health Organization meetings on COVID-19 over the strident objections of China. Earlier this year, Garneau said China had committed “egregious human rights violations” in a “systematic campaign of repression” against its Muslim Uyghur population when he announced Canada was joining Britain, the U.S. and the European Union in imposing sanctions on four Chinese officials. 

Saint-Jacques said Canada and its allies should aim higher, targeting President Xi Jinping. That can take the form of Western leaders boycotting the opening of the February 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics, which would be seen as an embarrassment by the Chinese leader. 

“There is grumbling inside the Communist Party about the direction that Xi Jinping has given to the country and people have been saying, ‘why have we made enemies of Australia and Canada?’ “

Next fall, Xi will be seeking a third term as head of the Communist party, said Saint-Jacques.

“So, the more pressure we can put, the more that will force a discussion inside the party about those issues.”

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 11, 2021

Mike Blanchfield, The Canadian Press

The company says the warehouse will create more than 1,000 full- and part-time jobs.

The warehouse is to be built in Parkland County, west of Edmonton, and is expected to open next year.

Amazon says the robotic smart systems will help employees in their tasks at the warehouse.

Last week, Amazon said it will purchase power from a massive new solar farm in Alberta, marking the e-commerce giant’s second renewable energy investment in Canada.

Amazon signed a deal to buy up to 400 MW of electricity from Travers Solar, a $700-million, 465-MW project southeast of Calgary.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 28, 2021.

The Canadian Press