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Morning Update: How to move a river
Good morning. A new park that will be unveiled tomorrow in Toronto is an ambitious example of moving rivers to bring civic imagination to public spaces. More on that below, plus catching up on First Nation leaders meeting with Prime Minister Mark Carney on Bill C-5 and Ukraine’s cabinet shuffle. But first:
Today’s headlines
- Documents used to assess asylum and deportation cases omit Trump’s edicts on gender, deportations and detention
- Hedge funds sort out winners and losers as Couche-Tard’s bid to buy 7-Eleven owner collapses
- The British government has announced plans to lower voting age to 16 in national elections
© Sammy Kogan
Why First Nations are clashing with Ontario and Ottawa over bills aimed at speeding up megaprojects
First Nations leaders have opposed both the federal government’s Bill C-5 and Ontario’s Bill 5, pieces of legislation that would allow the two governments extraordinary powers to ignore existing laws – including environmental regulations – to fast-track megaprojects such as mines or pipelines.
They say the two bills run roughshod over the constitutional requirement that governments consult First Nations about development on their traditional territories. A group of nine First Nations in Ontario launched a constitutional challenge this week of both Ontario’s and Canada’s bills.
After 18 years of work, Toronto’s Port Lands opens to the public
On a sunny July afternoon, the Don River flowed into Toronto Harbour. Its banks were lined with lake sedge, switchgrass and Canada anemone. Paths and bridges laced through the landscape, which looked as if they had always been there.
In fact, this stretch of river and its surrounding lands − now known as Biidaasige Park − are entirely manufactured. They are not a work of nature but a feat of civic imagination.
They are the product of a $1.5-billion effort known as the Port Lands Flood Protection Project, which has redrawn the mouth of the Don and conjured vast new public spaces from what had long been a civic afterthought.
© Sammy Kogan
Minister restores drug funding for B.C. girl with rare disease

Funding for a nine-year-old girl who has an extremely rare neurodegenerative disease has been restored by the British Columbia government.
Health Minister Josie Osborne said Thursday that she has reinstated the funding for Charleigh Pollock for the drug Brineura, which costs about $1 million a year.
Army removes commanding officer after alleged racist, sexual social-media posts by soldiers

The commanding officer of the Cameron Highlanders, an Ottawa reservist unit, has been temporarily removed from his position in the aftermath of a controversy involving soldiers who are alleged to have posted racist comments and sexual images in a private Facebook group.
Army commander Lieutenant-General Michael Wright said in a statement released to media Thursday that he was taking steps to address the “inappropriate behaviour” of Canadian Army members involved in the “Blue Hackle Mafia” Facebook group.
Alberta government complicated Jasper fire response, report says

A report into a wildfire that devastated the Rocky Mountain resort town of Jasper last summer says crews did their best but command and control was hampered by the Alberta government.
The report was commissioned by the town and surveyed participants and firefighters who battled the wind-whipped blaze that destroyed a third of buildings in the community located in Jasper National Park.
Alberta Auditor-General says province failing to ensure daycares use funds to cut fees for parents
Alberta’s Auditor-General says the provincial government has not done the work to ensure daycares getting public funds use them to lower fees for parents or top up staff wages.
Doug Wylie, in a report released Thursday, says without proper verification, Alberta could be overcompensating operators with federal and provincial funds meant to lower the average cost of daycare to $10 per day.
“There is a risk that public funds may not be used as intended – leading to parents overpaying for child-care and educators being under-compensated,” the report says.
© JASON FRANSON
Canada and New Zealand reach resolution in dairy trade dispute, Ottawa says
Canada and New Zealand have reached a “mutually satisfactory” resolution to a long-running dispute over access for dairy products, the federal government said in a statement on Thursday.
“This agreement, negotiated in close consultation with Canadian dairy stakeholders, will result in certain minor policy changes to Canada’s TRQ (tariff rate quotas) administration, and does not amend Canada’s market access commitments,” International Trade Minister Maninder Sidhu and Agriculture Minister Heath MacDonald said in a statement.
Via Rail says three-year collective agreement with union workers has been ratified

Via Rail says new collective agreements have been ratified with about 2,500 unionized workers.
The agreements with Unifor’s council 4000 and Local 100 cover the period from the start of this year through to the end of 2027.
No grounds to charge officer in death of Thunder Bay woman, Ontario police watchdog says

Ontario’s police watchdog says it found no grounds to lay a criminal charge against a Thunder Bay officer who approved the cancellation of a domestic disturbance call hours before a woman was found dead in a home.
The Special Investigations Unit has released a report on its investigation into the death of 21-year-old Jenna Ostberg, who the agency said was found without vital signs in a closet in her boyfriend’s bedroom on Dec. 30, 2023.
New Brunswick reaches 13 measles cases, more than double previous count
The number of confirmed measles cases in New Brunswick’s south-central region has more than doubled over the past 24 hours.
Public health officials say there are 13 confirmed cases of the contagious infection in Sussex, N.B., up from five on Wednesday.
Dr. Kimberley Barker, regional medical officer of health for Sussex, said earlier in the week she suspected there could be more cases because some infected people could simply stay home and not seek medical attention.
© Christian Chavez
Canada's Olivia Smith signed by Arsenal for world record women's soccer fee
Accused in Quadeville alleged sexual assault appears in Pembroke court
The 17-year-old accused of the attack in Quadeville, Ont., of an eight-year-old girl, whose injuries were initially believed to have been caused by an animal, made a brief appearance in a Pembroke court on Thursday.
The accused, whose identity is protected under Ontario’s Youth Criminal Justice Act, has been charged with attempted murder and sexual assault with a weapon on a person under 16 years old.
Search for more remains of slain Indigenous women in Manitoba landfill concludes

The search of a Winnipeg-area landfill for the remains of two slain First Nations women has concluded with a new search soon set to begin at a different site for another victim.
The Manitoba government announced Thursday that crews finished looking last week through the Prairie Green landfill, just north of Winnipeg, for remains of Morgan Harris and Marcedes Myran. They were among four First Nations women murdered by serial killer Jeremy Skibicki in 2022.
Under new Quebec rules now in effect, restaurants can charge up to $10 for no-shows
Quebec restaurant owners can now charge a fee to people who make a reservation but don’t show up.
Under new rules in effect on Thursday, restaurants can charge up to $10 for each no-show.
An association representing Quebec restaurant owners has estimated that no-shows cost the average eatery about $49,000 per year.
© Graham Hughes
Bank of Canada, Crown corporations to trim budgets to align with Liberals’ cost-cutting plans

The Bank of Canada and most other federal Crown corporations will be looking to trim their budgets over the coming years alongside a wider government effort to cut costs.
A spokesperson said in a statement on Thursday that the central bank “intends to align with the spirit and objectives” of the Liberal government’s cost-cutting plans.
Alleged plane hijacker called himself ‘messiah’ day before Vancouver airport security scare
The day before the suspected hijacking of a light aircraft triggered a security scare at Vancouver’s airport this week, former commercial pilot Shaheer Cassim posted on social media that he was a “messenger of Allah” sent to save humanity from climate change.
A 39-year-old man with the same name has now been charged with hijacking, constituting terrorism, over the incident on Tuesday that saw Norad scramble F-15 fighter jets before the light plane safely landed.
© DARRYL DYCK
B.C. Premier David Eby shakes up cabinet with a focus on economy, jobs

British Columbia’s cabinet has been reworked in what Premier David Eby says is a strategic shift in order to focus on jobs and the economy.
Former housing minister Ravi Kahlon takes over as minister responsible for jobs from Diana Gibson, who moves into the citizens’ services role previously held by George Chow.
Removing interprovincial trade barriers would add 30,000 annual housing starts: CMHC

A new analysis by the national housing agency estimates Canada could add 30,000 more housing starts annually by eliminating interprovincial trade barriers.
That would push the total number of annual housing starts close to 280,000 over time, which would represent a “meaningful step towards fixing Canada’s housing supply gap,” Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation said in a report Thursday.
First Nations leaders split on progress made after meeting with Carney
A landmark meeting between Mark Carney and First Nations leaders ended the way it began Thursday, with a divergence of views on display that signalled a long road ahead for the Prime Minister’s plan to fast-track major projects.
Some leaders emerged with a sense that Mr. Carney had listened thoughtfully to their points of view.
Man dead after morning shooting at Toronto mall parking lot

Police say a man is dead after a morning shooting at a Toronto mall parking lot.
Toronto police say they responded to a call just after 6 a.m. in the area of Highway 401 and Dufferin Street near Yorkdale Shopping Centre.
Morning Update: The condo market has cratered
Good morning. Canada built a boatload of new condos that nobody wants to buy now – more on that below, along with Mark Carney’s hopes for a deal on softwood lumber and Genie Bouchard’s last tennis match. But first:
Today’s headlines
- Carney cracks down further on cheap steel imports in a bid to protect domestic mills
- A federal judge halts the deportation of a non-binary American because of Trump’s gender edicts
- 7-Eleven’s owner staves off a Canadian takeover, but its struggles remain as its shares fall
© Sammy Kogan
Danielle Smith faces criticism, anger at Edmonton town hall

After receiving a warm welcome and widespread support just 24 hours earlier, Alberta Premier Danielle Smith faced a more vocally critical and frustrated crowd as she and her hand-picked panel members assembled in Edmonton for the second of a series of summer town halls.
“We sound like bratty children,” said Roberta Stasyk, a resident of Fort Saskatchewan, Alta., who was one of many speakers who showed up to voice their frustration.
Former commercial pilot charged with hijacking and terrorism over Vancouver flight
A man charged with hijacking a light plane at Victoria International Airport and flying it to Vancouver had an “ideological motive to disrupt airspace” and seized control of the aircraft after threatening a flight instructor, RCMP said Wednesday.
A spokeswoman for the Public Prosecution Service of Canada said a charge of hijacking had been filed in Richmond, B.C., constituting a “terrorist activity” and a “terrorist offence” under two sections of the Criminal Code.
© DARRYL DYCK
Police examining blanket, other items found during search for missing Nova Scotia children

Mounties say a pink blanket, found on a gravel road near the home of Jack and Lilly Sullivan on day one of the search for the missing Nova Scotia children, is one of a variety of seized items that is being forensically examined as part of an “intensive” and “deliberate” major crime investigation.
In an update Wednesday, the Northeast Nova RCMP Major Crime Unit said family confirmed the pink blanket belonged to Lilly, 6, who mysteriously disappeared along with her brother Jack, 4, from their home in Lansdowne more than two months ago.
New Knives Out mystery and Clement Virgo thriller to premiere at TIFF
Unionized Canada Post workers to vote on new offer starting on Monday

Unionized Canada Post workers will get a chance to vote directly on the employer’s offers for a new collective agreement starting on Monday.
The Canada Industrial Relations Board will run the vote between July 21 and Aug. 1.
Teen girl to be tried by judge after student set on fire at Saskatoon school
A teen girl accused of lighting a fellow high school student on fire last year will be tried by judge alone, a Saskatoon court heard Wednesday.
Saskatchewan Court of King’s Bench Justice Mona Dovell made the decision after it was requested by the girl’s lawyer.
Court also heard the girl plans to be assessed by a psychiatrist before a trial date is set.
© Liam Richards
Montreal’s Trudeau airport to undergo $10-billion renovation over next decade

The Montreal-Trudeau International Airport and surrounding area is set to undergo a $10-billion transformation over the next decade.
The airport authority for the greater Montreal area says it has negotiated a $1-billion loan from the Canada Infrastructure Bank to support its plan for the city’s main air hub.
Tennis star Eugenie Bouchard announces retirement
Hamilton Labour Council wants NHL to apologize for suspending players 100 years ago
The Hamilton and District Labour Council is hoping to right a century-old grievance between the city it represents and the NHL.
The labour council demanded the NHL apologize on Wednesday for its treatment of players on the now-defunct Hamilton Tigers when they tried to engage in collective action during the 1924-25 season. Anthony Marco, the council’s president, said that when the Tigers went on strike to get better pay, they were engaging in a struggle that resonates to this day.
“We’ve got labour strife happening at a provincial level, at a federal level, at an international level, and this is a good reminder of the fact that 100 years ago, some of the basic things that these players were fighting for still exist today,” said Marco. “It’s a reflection, in my mind, on how gig work is going these days, that people are being expected to work without pay, our people are being expected to work with very little pay.”
Income gap hit record high in first quarter, Statscan says

The income gap between the country’s highest and lowest income households reached a record high in the first quarter of 2025, Statistics Canada said Wednesday.
The agency said the difference in the share of disposable income between households in the top 40 per cent of the income distribution and the bottom 40 per cent grew to 49 percentage points in the first three months of the year.
Vandalized Pablo Picasso painting back on display at Montreal Museum of Fine Arts

The Montreal Museum of Fine Arts says a Pablo Picasso painting that was vandalized last month by climate activists is back on display.
An environmental activist with Last Generation Canada smeared washable paint on the 1901 painting The Hetaera on June 19.
CRA call centre employees vulnerable to job cuts under Carney’s cost-savings plan, union says
The union representing Canada Revenue Agency employees is warning that Ottawa’s push for cost savings will disproportionately affect the employment of call centre workers, resulting in poorer service for Canadian taxpayers.
Since May, 2024, the CRA has reduced its work force by more than 10 per cent, shedding more than 8,000 jobs, many of which were contract workers at call centres across the country.
Forensic tests being done on blanket found in missing Nova Scotia children case
RCMP say they are running forensic analysis on items, including a pink blanket, found during their search for two children who went missing in northeastern Nova Scotia.
Six-year-old Lilly Sullivan and four-year-old Jack Sullivan disappeared on May 2 from their home in Lansdowne Station.
Softwood deal a top priority in trade talks, Carney says

Prime Minister Mark Carney says securing a truce in the long-running Canada-U.S. softwood-lumber dispute is a top priority as Canadian producers brace for even heftier U.S. levies as early as September.
Mr. Carney said he hopes this could be part of an overall agreement to end the trade war with the United States – a deal he conceded earlier this week would likely not remove all of President Donald Trump’s tariffs from Canadian goods.
Wildfires among reasons CBC needs a public safety mandate, McGill research centre says

The wildfires that are flaring up across Canada again are one of the reasons public safety should be added to CBC/Radio-Canada’s mandate, a new report from a research centre at McGill University argues.
The report says other public media around the world are incorporating national emergency preparedness and crisis response into their role, and recommends that aspect of the CBC’s mandate be formalized and strengthened.
Carney cracks down further on cheap steel imports in bid to protect domestic mills
Ottawa is cracking down further on imports of foreign steel into Canada to help Canadian mills that have effectively been shut out of the U.S. market by President Donald Trump’s tariffs.
Less than a month ago, the federal government announced that steelmakers from countries such as China and Turkey that don’t have free-trade agreements with Canada will face tariffs of 50 per cent if they ship volumes into Canada that go above 100 per cent of 2024 levels.
Jays stars soak up MLB All-Star Game history
Giller Prize says it will be forced to cease operations without federal funding

The Giller Prize will be forced to shut down at the end of this year without federal funding, according to the Giller Foundation.
The annual $100,000 award for fiction, the richest in Canada, is in dire financial straits after its decades-long partnership with Bank of Nova Scotia ended prematurely earlier this year. The Globe and Mail has learned the Giller Foundation is in the process of appealing to the federal government for funds.
Three dead, two seriously injured in head-on collision in Pickering, Ont.

Three people were killed and two others seriously injured in a two-vehicle crash Tuesday evening in Pickering, Ont.
Ontario Provincial Police said Wednesday the head-on collision involving two SUVs occurred on Highway 7 at Concession Road 6 around 7 p.m.
Statistics Canada says income gap hit record high in first quarter

The income gap between the country’s highest and lowest income households reached a record high in the first quarter of 2025, Statistics Canada said Wednesday.
The agency said the difference in the share of disposable income between households in the top 40 per cent of the income distribution and the bottom 40 per cent grew to 49 percentage points in the first three months of the year.
Arrest, charges laid after alleged threats against Brampton Mayor Patrick Brown, police say
The mayor of Brampton, Ont., says a threat against him and his family that prompted police protection and triggered an arrest was allegedly sent in an e-mail from an international server.
“They just said, ‘We’re going to come and kill you and your wife and your son,’” Mayor Patrick Brown told The Globe and Mail.
Annual pace of housing starts in June up 0.4 per cent from May: CMHC

Canada Mortgage and Housing Corp. says the annual pace of housing starts in June edged up 0.4 per cent compared to May.
The national housing agency says the seasonally adjusted annual rate of housing starts amounted to 283,734 units in June, up from 282,705 in May.
Cogeco launches Canadian wireless service, plans to cover 12 markets in coming weeks

Cogeco Inc. CCA-T says its Canadian wireless launch is underway with the first group of customers already on the service.
The company says it plans to cover 12 Canadian markets in parts of Ontario and Quebec over the coming weeks.
Alberta Next’s first town hall hears support for independence, calls for separation vote

Alberta Premier Danielle Smith and her hand-picked panel heard from several Albertans Tuesday who argued the only way to get the province a fair deal from Ottawa is to leave confederation.
The event in Red Deer was the first in a series of town halls to address public concerns with the federal government.
Starting your back-to-school shopping before more tariffs hit? You may not save by going early

Mila Olumogba has fine-tuned her back-to-school shopping routine over the years. The mother of three from Gatineau scours off-season bargains to spread out costs, buys clothes one size up to fit in August and always checks her cupboards first.
This year, she’s also been trying to shop more locally in light of Canada’s trade war with the United States and President Donald Trump’s tariff threats, including sweeping levies as high as 35 per cent on Canadian imports starting in August.
Morning Update: Weak spots in Canada’s Strong Borders Act
Good morning. Privacy experts, refugee groups and legal scholars are all sounding the alarm about the Strong Borders Act – more on that below, along with the 2025 Emmy nominations and the uproar over the Epstein files. But first:
Today’s headlines
- Nine First Nations in Ontario launch a constitutional challenge against Bill 5 and Bill C-5
- A Calgary police officer is charged with two counts of murder in a 2023 shooting
- Steel producers warn of dire consequences of a 50-per-cent tariff if a broader U.S. trade deal isn’t reached
© DARRYL DYCK
In rural B.C., frequent ER closings show how ‘fragile’ the health care system has become
Don Glasgow is lucky he had a heart attack on April 24.
Had his organ faltered after 7 p.m. a day earlier or a day later, he would have found the doors locked at his nearest emergency department in Lillooet, a mountain town about two hours from Kamloops.
© Melissa Tait
June 6. 2022
(Melissa Tait / The Globe and Mail)
‘Big relief’: Evacuation alerts lifted on multiple B.C. wildfires
British Columbia’s Regional District of Okanagan-Similkameen has rescinded multiple evacuation alerts as the threat from a series of wildfires appears to have passed.
The August Lake wildfire near Princeton, B.C., is listed as “being held” and the alert for residents that was in place since Saturday has been lifted.
Seth Rogen, Catherine O'Hara among Canadians earning multiple Emmy nominations
Universal Ostrich Farms case heads to Federal Court of Appeal
RCMP arrest alleged hijacker at Vancouver airport after airspace shut down

RCMP say they’ve arrested the pilot of a small aircraft that was allegedly hijacked from Victoria and flown to Vancouver International Airport, where other flights had to be temporarily halted.
RCMP in Richmond, B.C., say in a statement that a report came in just after 1 p.m. Tuesday about a Cessna that “had been hijacked” and was on its way to Vancouver.
Contingency plans unclear for 2026 World Cup wildfire smoke risks

While some organizations have published clear air quality thresholds or contingency protocols for wildfire smoke, FIFA’s plans remain unclear less than a year out from the 2026 World Cup.
A day after Toronto’s air quality was among the worst in the world, the organizing committee for the World Cup in Canada declined to reveal guidelines for postponement or air-quality-related contingencies with FIFA. No policies are posted publicly.
Alia Hogben was a powerful advocate for Muslim women, in Canada and abroad
Alia Hogben, a trailblazing Muslim social worker, championed the welfare of children and women for over half a century in Canada and abroad.
As an early member of the Canadian Council of Muslim Women (CCMW) in 1982, and later as its executive director, Ms. Hogben advocated for an inclusive, egalitarian vision of Islam in which gender equality and interfaith dialogue were paramount. She received many accolades for her tireless work, including being named one of Canada’s 50 most powerful people by Maclean’s Magazine in 2014.
Calgary police officer charged with two counts of murder in 2023 shooting
A Calgary police officer has been charged with two counts of second-degree murder after Alberta’s oversight agency investigated a 2023 shooting that killed two men.
Constable Craig Stothard appeared in court Tuesday and was released, according to the Alberta Serious Incident Response Team, or ASIRT, in a statement published later in the day. His bail was set for $1,000, and he must remain in the province under a curfew from 11 p.m. to 6 a.m., with his passport surrendered.
The officer has been placed on leave, Calgary Police Service Chief Katie McLellan said in a separate statement. She declined to say whether his leave was with or without pay. He is a 15-year member of the service.
© Jeff McIntosh
Calgary police officer charged with two counts of second-degree murder
A Calgary police officer has been charged with two counts of second-degree murder after the occupants of a van were shot dead following a slow-speed pursuit in 2023.
The Alberta Serious Incident Response Team, also known as ASIRT, announced the charges in a news release Tuesday.
Calgary police, in a statement, said the officer charged is on leave from the service.
© Jeff McIntosh
More frequent trains, expanded storage touted at Port of Churchill in northern Manitoba
The company that owns a rail line and port in northern Manitoba has increased its capacity to transport goods, as governments eye potential growth in trade through Hudson Bay to overseas markets.
Officials with Arctic Gateway Group said Tuesday a new dedicated critical mineral storage facility has been built at the Port of Churchill, tripling the port’s storage capacity for critical minerals.
Cull order on B.C. ostriches a ‘one-size-fits-all’ approach, federal appeals court hears
A fight to save nearly 400 ostriches earmarked for slaughter in British Columbia that have received global notoriety and support of the biggest players in U.S. health landed in an Ottawa courtroom on Tuesday.
A lawyer representing Universal Ostrich Farms, Umar Sheikh, argued at a hearing held by the Federal Court of Appeal that the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) plans to apply a “one-size-fits-all” approach to execute its “stamping out policy” on the flock. The policy sees birds exposed to avian influenza killed. The virus is a public-health concern that scientists fear could develop into a pandemic.
Hudson's Bay hearing on Ruby Liu lease deal adjourned
New Brunswick declares measles outbreak in south-central region
New Brunswick health officials say there are three confirmed and five probable cases of measles in the south-central region of the province.
Dr. Kimberley Barker, regional medical officer of health for Sussex, N.B., said the situation is evolving and there could be more cases of measles, including people with symptoms who are staying home and not seeking medical care.
She did not give the ages of those infected with measles, citing privacy.
© Geoff Robins
Inflation rises to 1.9% in June, cementing expectations that rates will hold steady
Porter signs sale-leaseback deal for four Embraer jets with Fortress and GOAL

Porter Airlines ULNV has signed a sale-and-leaseback agreement for four Embraer E195-E2 aircraft.
Under the deal, funds managed by affiliates of Fortress Investment Group and Goal Aircraft Leasing have acquired the aircraft, which will be operated by Porter under a long-term lease agreement.
Nine First Nations in Ontario launch constitutional challenge against Bill 5 and Bill C-5
A group of First Nations in Ontario has filed a constitutional challenge of two bills passed by both the province and the federal government aimed at speeding up the construction of mines, pipelines and other projects.
Lawyers acting for nine First Nations filed the application in Ontario Superior Court this week, claiming the provincial and federal laws allow development to be rammed through without proper consultation with Indigenous people.
Several provinces still under air quality advisories from wildfire smoke

Much of Central Canada, Manitoba and Saskatchewan were placed under special air quality statements or warnings on Monday due to smoke from wildfires, as Environment Canada advised residents to limit time outdoors and watch for smoke exposure symptoms.
The weather agency said air quality was poor across swaths of Ontario and Quebec as westerly winds brought in smoke from forest fires in the Prairies and northern Ontario.
Carney to meet with cabinet to discuss response to Trump’s 35% tariff threat
Prime Minister Mark Carney will meet with his cabinet today for the first time since U.S. President Donald Trump threatened to impose steep new tariffs on Canada.
Trump said in a letter to Carney last week that the United States will put a 35-per-cent tariff on Canadian goods starting Aug. 1.
Wildfire smoke challenges Canada’s food growers in complex and unexpected ways

The smoky air that has become an all-too-common feature of Canadian summers poses yet another challenge for agricultural producers already contending with chronic drought in some areas and excess moisture in others.
A thick haze blanketed much of the Prairies and Central Canada on Monday as wildfires burned in northern Saskatchewan, Manitoba and Ontario.
Manufacturers report less tariff impact in May compared with April: Statscan

Statistics Canada says fewer manufacturers report being affected by tariffs in May than in April.
The agency says total manufacturing sales were down 0.9 per cent to $68.7-billion in May, marking the lowest level since January, 2022.
Nanaimo, B.C., considers building fence at City Hall to protect staff from overdose prevention site
The City of Nanaimo, B.C., is considering building a 1.8-metre-high fence to protect its staff from “congregations” of people, violence and disorder associated with an overdose prevention site next to city hall.
Staff proposing the $412,000 fence cite “intimidation and harassment” of employees, particularly those working early or late, as well as damage to staff vehicles, fires near doorways and building perimeters, human waste, and a general deterioration of the site.
Canadian inflation ticks up to 1.9% in June, meeting estimates

Canada’s annual inflation rate rose to 1.9 per cent in June, meeting analysts’ expectations, as increases in the price of automobiles and clothing and footwear pushed the index higher, data showed on Tuesday.
The consumer price index was at 1.7 per cent in the prior month.
Morning Update: Trump softens on Ukraine
Good morning. Vladimir Putin ticks off Donald Trump and Ukraine gets some of the weapons it needs – more on that below, along with the latest on Canada’s wildfires and early ticket pricing on next year’s World Cup. But first:
Today’s headlines
- The soldiers accused in an alleged Quebec militia plot had limited access to army bases and equipment
- Poilievre says that everyone will need to compromise to advance major infrastructure projects
- Israeli strikes kill at least 31 in Gaza as UN agencies warn of a fuel crisis
© Evan Vucci
Canadians prefer more debt over higher taxes to finance increased military spending, poll finds
Canadians would rather have an increase to the national debt than personal income tax hikes to pay for more ambitious military commitments made by the federal government, new polling says.
The Nanos Research survey conducted for The Globe and Mail found nearly half of Canadians surveyed support the debt option, with 49 per cent either supporting or somewhat supporting it.
Wildfire smoke forces summer camps to move activities indoors, adjust programs
Wildfire smoke in several parts of the country is forcing summer camp providers whose communities are under air quality warnings to shift activities indoors or make other changes to keep campers safe.
Environment Canada issued special air quality statements or warnings on Monday for much of Central Canada, Manitoba and Saskatchewan owing to smoke from wildfires in northern Ontario and the Prairies, while smoke also drifted into Quebec and Atlantic Canada.
How to read Environment Canada's air quality index
Day parole revoked for woman who killed Victoria teen Reena Virk in 1997

Day parole has been revoked for the woman who drowned Victoria teenager Reena Virk 28 years ago.
A Parole Board of Canada decision released Monday says Kerry Sim, known as Kelly Ellard when she was convicted, breached her conditions to abstain from drugs.
‘Obscene brutality’: Baseball-bat killer gets life term despite constitutional ruling
The B.C. Supreme Court has sentenced a man to life in prison without parole eligibility for 25 years for beating his ex-girlfriend to death with a baseball bat as she slept beside her young daughter in 2021.
The court ruling posted Monday says Luciano Mariani’s killing of Caroline Bernard in her home in Bowser, B.C., was a crime of “obscene brutality” that was planned in advance for months.
Mariani had pleaded guilty to first-degree murder, but filed a successful constitutional challenge against a provision in Canada’s Criminal Code preventing those convicted of the crime from applying for parole for 25 years.
© DARRYL DYCK
Opposition NDP Leader Naheed Nenshi sworn in as member of Alberta legislature

Opposition NDP Leader Naheed Nenshi is officially a member of the Alberta legislature.
The former Calgary mayor was one of three new MLAs to be sworn in following last month’s byelections.
Poilievre wants Carney to cash out blind trust, says ethics screens insufficient

The Conservatives want Prime Minister Mark Carney to sell all the assets in his blind trust to avoid any possible conflicts of interest.
Carney set up the blind trust after he was sworn in as Prime Minister in March and the details of how it works were made public on Friday.
What are the health risks of wildfire smoke? How to protect your lungs from poor air quality
Raging wildfires in Western Canada have blanketed skies with acrid smoke, prompting air quality statements or warnings in Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Ontario and Quebec.
Residents in these provinces were advised on Monday to limit time outdoors to avoid health effects. In the morning, Toronto’s Air Quality Health Index rating was more than 10, which is considered “very high risk.”
Toronto’s CN Tower workers ratify new agreement with employer, ending two-week lockout

The union representing hospitality workers at Toronto’s CN Tower says members have voted to ratify a tentative agreement with the employer, ending a two-week lockout.
Unifor Local 4271 members voted in favour of the new agreement with Canada Lands Company, the federal Crown corporation that owns and operates the iconic tourist attraction.
Wildfire smoke prompts air-quality warnings for much of Central Canada and Manitoba
Heavy smoke and thick fumes have triggered air-quality alerts in vast swaths of the country, as some areas in Western and Central Canada are experiencing one of the most destructive wildfire seasons in recent decades.
With winds pushing plumes from Prairie wildfires toward Ontario and Quebec, causing reduced visibility in multiple regions, Environment and Climate Change Canada is now warning people to be prepared for smoke exposure thousands of kilometres away from fire zones. Residents have been advised to keep windows and doors closed, limit their time outside, and reschedule or cancel summer sports, events and activities.
© Christinne Muschi
Immigration minister won’t say if Canada considering barring British, Irish artists over festival performances

A prominent Jewish organization is pushing for Canada to deny entry to two bands being investigated in the U.K. after their appearance at a popular British music festival last month.
In late June the Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs asked the ministers of public safety and immigration to bar Irish rap group Kneecap and English punk rap duo Bob Vylan.
Alberta surpasses U.S. in confirmed measles cases with more than 1,300
Alberta has surpassed the United States in confirmed measles cases, after 30 new cases were diagnosed over the weekend.
The province reported Monday that it has seen 1,314 cases since the beginning of March.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has reported 1,288 cases so far this year across 39 states, though case numbers are updated weekly with the next update expected on Wednesday.
© Jeff McIntosh
Man with al-Qaeda ties may plead guilty to terror offence in Montreal, lawyer says
A man with ties to al-Qaeda who allegedly threatened to bomb public transit will likely plead guilty, his lawyer said Monday at the Montreal courthouse.
Mohamed Abdullah Warsame, 51, appeared in court by video conference from Montreal’s Rivière-des-Prairies detention centre, where he waived his right to a bail hearing.
Warsame was arrested June 5 and later charged with uttering threats after allegedly telling an employee at a Montreal homeless shelter he wanted to build bombs and detonate them on public transit.
© Christinne Muschi
Globe Climate: In the fires, after the floods
If you’re reading this on the web or someone forwarded this e-mail newsletter to you, you can sign up for Globe Climate and all Globe newsletters here.
Good afternoon, and welcome to Globe Climate, a newsletter about climate change, environment and resources in Canada.
Although in this newsletter today we will look back at the aftermath of the floods down south, readers should be looking ahead to wildfires in the Prairies.
© Eric Gay
Diplomats’ union, former ambassadors concerned about Ottawa’s planned cuts to foreign service
The diplomats’ union and former ambassadors are raising concerns about Prime Minister Mark Carney’s planned cuts to the foreign service, just as Global Affairs Canada is looking to expand its presence abroad.
“It’s going to be painful,” said Pam Isfeld, president of the Professional Association of Foreign Service Officers.
Air Canada, ITA Airways sign codeshare deal, increasing options for travel to Italy

Air Canada AC-T and Italian airline ITA Airways have signed a new codeshare agreement, increasing travel options between Canada and Italy.
Under the agreement, Air Canada will place its AC code on select routes operated by ITA Airways from Rome’s Fiumicino airport.
Porter Airlines cabin crew files application to certify union, CUPE says

The Canadian Union of Public Employees says cabin crew at Porter Airlines ULNV have filed a union certification application with the Canada Industrial Relations Board.
The union would represent about 1,200 cabin crew at the airline.
Wildfire smoke prompts air quality warnings for much of Central Canada, Manitoba
Much of Central Canada, Manitoba and Saskatchewan were placed under special air quality statements or warnings on Monday due to smoke from wildfires, as Environment Canada advised residents to limit time outdoors and watch for smoke exposure symptoms.
The weather agency said air quality was poor across swaths of Ontario and Quebec as westerly winds bring in smoke from forest fires in the Prairies and northern Ontario.
Soldiers accused in alleged Quebec militia plot had limited access to army bases, equipment

The soldiers charged in connection with an alleged terrorist conspiracy had been under restrictions that limited their access to army bases and equipment, and none of the weapons, ammunition or explosives in their alleged arsenal originated from the Canadian military, the Department of National Defence says.
The statement from the DND on Monday morning did not say where those items, which were seized as part of the RCMP-led investigation that led to four arrests last week, came from.
New report says Canada’s obesity rates rose during the pandemic
Statistics Canada reports wholesale sales up 0.1 per cent at $84.2-billion in May

Statistics Canada says wholesale sales, excluding petroleum, petroleum products, and other hydrocarbons and excluding oilseed and grain, edged up 0.1 per cent to $84.2-billion in May.
The agency says the increase came as the personal and household goods subsector rose 3.5 per cent to boost sales.
Child dead after being hit by vehicle in Surrey, B.C.
Police in Surrey, B.C., are investigating a collision that claimed the life of a child Sunday night.
Officers with the Surrey Police Service responded to reports of a crash between a vehicle and a young pedestrian in the 13800 block of 64 Avenue.
TikTok CEO asks to meet with Mélanie Joly over shutdown order

The CEO of TikTok is asking Industry Minister Mélanie Joly for an urgent meeting about the federal government’s order directing the company to shut down its Canadian operations.
Shou Chew wrote to Joly on July 2 asking for an in-person meeting within two weeks, according to a letter obtained by The Canadian Press.
Morning Update: An early, intense wildfire season
Good morning. Manitoba is experiencing its most devastating wildfire in decades, but there’s hope that some help and humidity could slow down the fires. More on that below, plus a couple of tariffs updates and one Wimbledon winner. Let’s get to it.
TOP STORY
Wildfire concern differs widely across Canada, poll shows
Canadians who live in the West are much more likely than those in the rest of the country to have taken action to reduce wildfire risk and mitigate the impacts of wildfire smoke, according to new polling.
The national survey, conducted for The Globe and Mail by Nanos Research, asked Canadians what steps, if any, they had taken in their households in the past two years to address concerns about the intense wildfires that have swept the country, selecting all options that applied.
Obesity rates increased after start of COVID-19 pandemic, new study shows
Years after the COVID-19 pandemic began, Kate Laird, who runs the Ottawa-based gym Love Your Body Fitness, still hears daily from women clients who describe how they gained weight during that stressful time. Many share that they haven’t felt like themselves since.
Most of the time they end up in tears while talking about how difficult it was to maintain fitness routines and prioritize their health and nutrition.
Manitoba officials hopeful rain, international support will slow raging wildfires
Officials in Manitoba are hopeful that an influx of international firefighters paired with cooler, wetter weather will slow the raging wildfires that have triggered the province’s second state of emergency this year.
As of Sunday, there were 122 active fires burning in the province, which is experiencing its most destructive wildfire season in three decades, according to the Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Centre. Premier Wab Kinew cited the need for more shelter spaces for evacuees when he made the rare declaration of a second state of emergency on Thursday.
Hamilton police say 17-year-old wanted for ‘brazen’ daytime shooting

Hamilton police say they’ve identified a suspect in what they’ve described as a brazen daytime shooting in the city’s downtown core.
Police say a 17-year-old boy is wanted for charges of second-degree murder and two counts of attempted murder.