ETA Canada News

The federal government and Alberta have committed to building at least 1,460 new affordable housing units within the province. Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney and Premier Danielle Smith announced the above plan on July 29 in Red Deer. The federal government will provide up to CAD 220 million through the federal agency Build Canada Homes, which is responsible for accelerating housing delivery; Alberta will pay up to CAD 165 million. Officials estimate an additional 238 million Canadian dollars from other channels. The press release shows that 21 planning projects will cover supportive and transitional housing. At least 500 of these homes are planned to be constructed in different locations using modern construction methods such as factory prefabrication. Build Canada Homes will also establish a joint collaboration mechanism with Alberta to identify priority projects and coordinate investments.

The Canada-US trade war seems to be entering a vicious spiral upward spiral. On Tuesday, Trump retaliated again against the United States by issuing five executive orders at once, not only completely banning the sale of certain Canadian alcoholic beverages, motorcycles, molasses, and whey products in the U.S., but also imposing a 50% increase on other goods and blacklisted Canadian manufacturers from participating in certain government procurement projects. Both sides engaged in real combat, but U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer consistently refused to admit that the U.S. fired the first shot, instead repeatedly shifting blame onto Canada.

The Office of the U.S. Trade Representative issued a press release on Wednesday, attaching an interview he gave to the Financial Times briefing blog last Saturday, stating that Canadian Prime Minister Carney first used the term ‘trade war,’ implying that the U.S. did not intend to escalate it. For us, this is business, it’s economics. According to his logic, the additional tariffs imposed by the U.S. on Canada in August accounted for only 5% of exports to the U.S. Such a small matter is something Carney has stirred up into such a big incident, calling it a trade war or an economic attack, which is somewhat irrational. “We are simply imposing extra fees on foreign goods manufactured by foreign workers abroad. The tariff is nothing more than that. ” It must be said, the American way of thinking is truly unusual. Moreover, he is not the only senior U.S. official who denies the existence of a trade war between the two countries. At the end of August, Finance Secretary Bessent also publicly stated: We did not go to war with Canada. How could we go to war with Canada? All signs indicate that the U.S. may not have anticipated such fierce resistance from Canada, and the trade war between the two sides is unlikely to end in the short term.

From the government to the people of Canada, it seems they have reached a consensus: rather than accept a bad deal, it’s better to resist to the death. Frank McKenna, Vice Chairman of TD Bank Financial Group and former Canadian Ambassador to the United States, made a representative statement. In an interview with the Financial Post, he said, Canada is capable of continuing to hold firm amid escalating trade disputes with the United States. Although the economic strength of the two countries is not equal, in the long run, time may ultimately be on Canada’s side. The trade war is bad news for investors and consumers, but this wait is just as painful for the United States. The Canadians are very determined.

Paul Beaudry, professor at UBC’s Vancouver School of Economics and former Deputy Governor of the Bank of Canada, also stated that Canada is capable of withstanding a long-term trade dispute. The tariffs imposed by the U.S. did not collapse the economy; rather, it was a difficult adjustment. Although Canada is much more dependent on U.S. trade than the U.S. depends on Canada, it is the right course of action to keep waiting for now. “If someone wants to bully you, sometimes you have to stand up and face it.” Bodry stated that industries such as automotive, steel, and aluminium have been hit hardest by tariffs, but these sectors actually account for a relatively small proportion of Canada’s overall economy. For example, according to Statistics Canada, the automotive and parts manufacturing industry, together with primary metal manufacturing, accounts for only about 1.5% of the Canadian economy.

The share of Canada’s automotive industry also seems to be exaggerated. Cars produced in Canada actually account for only about 9% of North America’s total car production, while Canadian consumers can still buy around 2 million cars annually. In addition, Canada has stronger countermeasures, including imposing export taxes on resources like oil and potash, or restricting exports. These products are crucial to the United States, and Trump has never dared to bring them up as a matter of course. Perhaps these are the true sources of Canada’s confidence.

On September 3, the Richmond RCMP reported that two men had been charged for theft after crashing into a McArthur Glen Designer Outlet store last month. Police said that just after 4 a.m. on August 15, someone reported that a stolen vehicle had crashed through the mall gate and rushed into the front of a store. Two men entered the store, stole goods, and then fled by car. The mounted police said they quickly found a car matching the characteristics of the suspect vehicle and deployed a tire deflation device. The car continued driving and collided with two police cars, finally stopping at No. 3 Road. 3 Road) and Capstan Way. The two suspects reportedly got out of the car and fled on foot, but were later arrested by police, with no further clashes occurring during the process. All stolen goods have been recovered.

Derek Muirhead and Shahbaz Aulakh are currently charged with burglary, criminal damage, dangerous driving, assault on a police officer with an arm, and obstruction of law enforcement. Police also stated that both were detained for unrelated unexecuted arrest warrants and are currently still in custody, awaiting a bail hearing.

The BC Highway Patrol (BCHP) reported that a Tesla driver sleeping on Highway 1 in Langley reappeared, and the driver involved faces a CAD 368 fine. The day before, police had just disclosed a similar incident in North Vancouver. The incident occurred at 7:45 a.m. during the morning rush on August 27, when officers spotted a man in the driver’s seat of a Tesla near 248th Street in Langley, with his eyes tightly shut and hands off the steering wheel, forcing him to stop his priority task. Police stated that both the officer’s observations and body camera footage showed the driver was asleep at the time, but the driver denied it. The video shows that both hands were not on the steering wheel. The BC Highway Patrol stated that this interception consumed police resources for another incident.

BC Highway Patrol Sergeant Michael McLaughlin stated that such severely distracted driving cannot be ignored, as the risk of injury and death is too high; If a driver falls asleep while driving and forces the police to stop them, they will face financial penalties. The driver received a fine for negligent driving. The police added that the original priority task involved a man with extensive police records walking on the highway, which has been handled by other officers.

Mitsubishi Motors has released a teaser image of its future product plans, hinting at a possible return to the mid-size pickup truck market. The highlighted image shows a pickup truck sharing a platform with the Nissan Frontier, but featuring a Mitsubishi-style design. Mitsubishi also updated its “Momentum 2030” plan, proposing to expand its product lineup, promote electrification, and improve its retail model.

The company stated that by 2026, its sales in Canada will exceed 18,000 units for the third consecutive year in the first half of the year, with the Outlander plug-in hybrid performing particularly well. In the teaser image, the pickup truck is positioned in the rear, and its overall shape is closely related to the Nissan Frontier, but the lights and details bear Mitsubishi characteristics. There is anticipation that the vehicle will revert to the “Raider” name, continuing Mitsubishi’s pickup truck tradition. The image also shows the all-electric Eclipse Sportback, derived from the Nissan Leaf, as well as the Outlander plug-in hybrid and gasoline versions. The D-pillar design of the rightmost model is similar to the new Nissan Kicks, potentially making it a replacement for the current Mitsubishi RVR.

The large SUV next to the pickup truck appears to be a Mitsubishi version of the Nissan Armada, potentially bringing the Montero name back to North America. However, some market segments may prefer the Pajero name. Such vehicle sharing between two companies is not uncommon. The Mitsubishi Eclipse Sportback is based on the Nissan Leaf, while the Nissan Rogue PHEV is based on the Outlander plug-in hybrid.

Small businesses affected by the latest U.S. tariffs and retaliatory tariffs from Canada now face a third problem: industry groups say that government relief measures are unlikely to truly benefit them. The federal government announced an aid package totalling up to $7.5 billion on Tuesday, but Dan Kelly, president of the Canadian Federation of Independent Business (CFIB), said that most of the funds come from regional development funds, thus excluding many small businesses from applying. Kelly said, “I suspect at least half of small businesses won’t be able to get any grants at all.” He pointed out that most of the funding will be distributed through economic development agencies located across the country, namely the Regional Tariff Response Initiative.

Kelly also stated that these agencies have different eligibility criteria for business applications, typically requiring a minimum number of employees, revenue, or both. “I’m disappointed. I had hoped they would at least remove these restrictions,” Kelly said. “There’s no indication that they’ve adjusted the RTRI thresholds. It’s unfortunate that the government’s message seems to be: you only deserve support if you have a large number of employees or an annual income of hundreds of thousands or millions.” Tariff relief measures are mostly in the form of loans, increasing the burden on small businesses.

Kelly points out that another major problem is that most of the tariff relief is provided in the form of loans. This is not attractive to businesses that are still repaying debts incurred during the pandemic and are struggling due to the uncertain outlook for tariffs. Kelly said, “Companies facing a 50% tariff simply don’t have the capacity to take on any more debt.” Kelly stated that Trump’s latest round of 50% tariffs targets many Canadian goods, primarily affecting products manufactured or shipped by small businesses. The tariffs took effect at 12:01 AM on Saturday. However, Kelly also holds a somewhat optimistic view, believing that the federal government has acted relatively quickly in introducing tariff relief measures.

“I understand that it’s difficult for the government to achieve perfection immediately. They can’t be perfect from day one, but… they are indeed willing to work with businesses to try to get things done.” A senior official from the Canadian Chamber of Commerce said the government must ensure that businesses that truly need help receive support as quickly as possible. “Their speed of response to tariff reductions and precision will be crucial,” said Matthew Holmes, head of government policy at the Canadian Chamber of Commerce.

Holmes added that while the federal government has said it will provide subsidies flexibly and in a targeted manner, it remains to be seen whether it can actually do so. “This is a government commitment, but in practice we will closely monitor the progress,” Holmes said. Richard Lyall, president of the Ontario Housing and Construction Association (RESCON), said that for businesses in the construction industry, Canada’s retaliatory measures mean further increases in costs, while they are already under pressure from the U.S. tariffs. Lyall said, “Canada’s list includes appliances, drywall, cement powder, structural steel, and electrical equipment, all of which will drive up construction costs.” He estimated that Canada’s retaliatory tariffs could increase the cost of building a house by $5,000 to $10,000. Trump’s tariffs have increased the cost of building a house by tens of thousands of dollars.

Lyall also stated that some estimates suggest that the tariffs imposed by Trump—including the latest 50% tariff—have increased the cost of building a home in Canada by $15,000 to $25,000. However, he pointed out that this pressure will not be immediately apparent because builders have already stocked up during the industry slowdown. Lyall said, “This impact will gradually become apparent. The industry is already quite sluggish. If it were to operate at full capacity as it did in previous years, the problems would be even greater.” Nevertheless, Lyall is optimistic about whether the trade war will continue to escalate. He believes the situation may ease if the Democrats control the House and Senate in the November midterm elections.

Malcolm Brodie, the mayor of Richmond, British Columbia, Canada , will not seek re-election after 25 years in office, ending his political career as the longest-serving mayor of a major city in the Greater Vancouver area. He has been a long-term winner in regional politics, consistently winning over 60% of the vote and maintaining a stable and pragmatic governing style. On the night of his final victory in 2022, Ma Baoding publicly corrected media reports. CBC reporter Karin Larsen claimed he was about to win his seventh consecutive term, mentioning his lead of 11,000 votes. Ma Baoding stated that, strictly speaking, including his victory in the 2001 mayoral by-election, this would be his eighth term.

This detail reflects the public’s impression of Ma Baoding: precise, perhaps a little too meticulous, and consistently victorious in elections. In an era of increasing partisan polarization, he has entered politics as an independent and rarely gets embroiled in political trouble. Two of the most iconic infrastructure projects during Ma Baoding’s tenure, the Canada Line and the Richmond Olympic Oval, were both completed during his first term following Vancouver’s winning bid to host the 2010 Winter Olympics. This provided the basic framework for his later handling of housing issues. On housing issues, Ma Baoding has long followed the “grand compromise” approach among the cities of Greater Vancouver.

This approach, proposed by former Vancouver City Councillor Gordon Price, advocates concentrating development and high density around new rapid transit hubs while allowing most of the city to remain as it is. In his farewell interview, Ma Baoding recalled that he participated in related discussions as a city councillor in the late 1990s. All redevelopment revolved around transportation accessibility, with rapid transit lines being key to the entire plan; for him, the Canada Line and transit-oriented high-density development were of utmost importance.

He opposed the provincial government’s new density and housing start regulations for municipalities, but unlike the mayors of Vancouver or Surrey, he did not politicize the differences or sue higher authorities over the controversy. Ma Baoding stated that while there are disagreements with the provincial and federal governments on many issues, progress must be made realistically and within workable limits. This realism is also reflected in his way of chairing the city council. He often says that he only has one vote, while there are eight city council members, and they need to discuss goals and ways to achieve them together, rather than entering the meeting room with preconceived conclusions. As a result, he occasionally loses in votes.

These setbacks involved several major issues, including Chinese road signs, reducing housing size on agricultural reserves (ALR), and the initial rejection of the Steveston Highway bike lane, the latter of which was later overturned. However, unlike the tensions that have arisen between mayors and councils in some cities, these differences have never escalated into a sustained confrontation, nor have they formed a strong alliance that could truly challenge Ma Baoding in subsequent elections. Two-term city councillor Carol Day commented that Ma Baoding is very capable, having served in city hall for decades and knowing how to chair meetings. She believes Ma Baoding tends to follow established practices and manages strictly; while the two sides may not always reach an agreement, he has never been impolite.

Ma Baoding stated that he would not intervene in the fierce election campaign to succeed him, believing that his successor would inevitably face difficulties. He said the danger lies in the fact that candidates make many promises, but many of these promises cannot be fulfilled. This can be interpreted as either realism or condescension, and it also serves as a final commentary on Ma Baoding’s 25-year governing style.

With just 60 days to go before Alberta’s referendum, both sides are ramping up their final mobilization efforts. The referendum consists of 10 questions; the first nine concern immigration and constitutional reform, while the tenth asks voters whether they want to remain in Canada or call a second binding referendum on secession. This question is expected to be a focal point at rallies and city hall events in the coming weeks. Janet Brown, a long-time pollster, points out that support for secession has remained virtually unchanged over the past eight years, consistently significantly lower than support for remaining in Canada. Currently, undecided voters represent only between 5% and 8%. She believes the focus of this referendum campaign has shifted from persuasion to mobilization, and voter turnout is crucial for both sides.

On the side supporting independence, the third-party advertising agency “Let Alberta Decide” has received over $415,000 in donations, leading similar organizations. The organization plans to hold a large rally at the provincial legislature on October 17, two days before the referendum. The organization’s leader, Keith Wilson, stated that while some supporters are reluctant to publicly state their position, the strategy remains based on the assumption that polls are accurate, acknowledging the significant challenges they face. They said they will gradually increase mobilization, including organizing minibuses to transport voters and tailoring their messaging on social media to different demographics. Because polls show that independent support is stronger in rural areas and weaker in urban areas, the organization is focusing its efforts on smaller cities such as Calgary, Edmonton, Lethbridge, and Lloydminster.

The focus is on reaching young men in their 20s and older adults concerned about their grandchildren’s future. Forever Canadian, a pro-unity organization, said volunteers recently tidied lawn signs at their Edmonton office and plan to continue distributing them throughout the province. The organization has established volunteer teams in almost every municipality, with over 18,000 Albertans signing up. Organizer Thomas Lukaszuk said several large rallies and “Unity Bus” parades will be held over the next two months.

Lukaschuk said the organization’s current focus remains on boosting Canadian pride rather than directly mobilizing voters, but resources are available if needed. He described the election campaign as being like a hockey game in its second period, but overall it has been going on for a year and a month. The Alberta Prosperity Project, which launched a citizen petition to push for a secession referendum, will hold a “Province in Crisis” rally at the provincial legislature on August 29, followed by a city hall event. Project leader Mitch Sylvestre stated that while not entirely in favour of early voting, he will encourage supporters to use it as much as possible.

The organization also encouraged members to create lists of friends, family, and neighbours to ensure they vote on referendum day. Sylvester believes that mobilizing supporters to vote would significantly increase their chances of winning. The pro-federal organization Alberta’s Voice has listed the highest donations among similar campaign groups, exceeding $87,000 CAD. Its leader, Stephen Carter, stated that they hope to purchase radio advertising in Calgary, Edmonton, and rural areas, but funding remains a major challenge, with leading separatist organizations raising four times as much.

The organization will focus on winning over undecided voters, aiming to remain in Canada with a 75-25 vote in the referendum. Carter said that while the number of undecided voters is small, they will determine whether the issue will be faced again in the future. The organization also plans to open a “campaign school” to train volunteers and establish a contact network. Carter stated that he hopes to register 100,000 people through a contact mechanism to change the overall voter turnout, targeting voters who are close to active participants but not yet highly engaged. In addition, Elections Alberta allows residents to vote by mail, but special ballot packages must be received by 5 p.m. on October 16, earlier than the referendum day.

The BC Preservation Police Service reported that a three-year-old girl was attacked by a black bear while playing on her backyard patio on Sunday. A parent intervened and chased the bear away. Maple Ridge RCMP stated that during the day police were present, a bear believed to be the same one returned to the scene multiple times and exhibited aggressive behaviour. Officers fired shots to protect public safety. The bear fled into the woodland after being shot but was later recovered and underwent an autopsy. The Ministry of Environment and Parks confirmed that the autopsy results showed the bear was not the same individual that attacked the girl.

The girl was taken to hospital for treatment; her injuries were not life-threatening or caused permanent damage. The predator attack team from the nature reserve police service is still investigating at the scene, and the public has been asked to stay away from the area. Wildlife veterinarian Ken Macquisten was not surprised by the result. He pointed out that the Royal Canadian Mounted Police are not bear experts, have not received the specialized training of officers in nature reserves, and that police ammunition calibres are usually not enough to kill a bear with a single shot, making it more likely to injure it, and an injured bear is more dangerous than an uninjured one.

Lesley Fox, executive director of the animal protection organization The Fur-Bearers, emphasized that while such emergencies require a swift response, accurate identification is equally crucial. Decisions must be made under pressure based on reliable evidence and scientific methods to ensure that the specific offending animal is dealt with. Both individuals agree that additional positions for nature reserve police officers should be created to allow professionals to directly respond to wildlife grievances.

In a statement, the Maple Ridge RCMP said officers were certain they had located the correct target and made the decision to shoot to prevent further casualties. The statement said that the death of any wild animal is a serious matter, and such decisions are never made lightly. Fortunately, encounters with bears are not routine for officers, but they are more common when working with nature reserve officers during seasonal bear activity. Police also stated they will continue to review their procedures and look for areas for improvement in training or equipment. The Nature Reserve Police Service reiterated that predator attacks are a top priority and that it is working in collaboration with law enforcement partners across the province.

Mark Edward Grant, who was convicted and later acquitted in the 1984 Winnipeg teenage murder case, was sentenced on Monday to 10 years in prison for sexually assaulting and forcibly confining a woman in her 60s in Vancouver. After deducting 215 days of pretrial detention, the 62-year-old Grant has 9 years and 42 days remaining in his sentence.

Vancouver police previously reported that on January 8, a woman was sexually assaulted in a residential building near East Hastings Street and Columbia Street in the Downtown Eastside, and Grant was subsequently arrested. Prosecutors charged Grant with unlawful imprisonment, armed sexual assault, and making threats, with the threats charge being deferred. In addition to imprisonment, the court imposed a lifetime ban on firearms and weapons, required him to submit a DNA sample, and added him to the national sex offenders database under the Sex Offenders Information Registry Act.

Grant was tried in connection with the 1984 murder of Candace Derksen, who disappeared on her way home from school in East Kildonan, Winnipeg. Her body was found on January 17, 1985, in an industrial storage shed not far from her home, her hands and feet bound with rope; the cause of death was hypothermia. More than two decades after the crime, on May 16, 2007, police confirmed that Grant’s DNA matched the DNA found on the rope, and charged him with first-degree murder. This case is one of the most high-profile murder cases in Manitoba, and the trial began in 2011, exactly 26 years after Dexter’s body was found.

A month after the trial began, a jury found Grant guilty of second-degree murder and sentenced him to 25 years in prison. Two years later, the Manitoba Court of Appeal overturned the conviction, finding that the trial judge had erred in failing to allow the defence to submit evidence pointing to another possible perpetrator. In 2015, the Supreme Court of Canada upheld the decision. In October of the same year, the judge acquitted Grant on the grounds that the DNA evidence was “fundamentally flawed.” In 2019, Grant sued the Winnipeg police and prosecutors for wrongful conviction. The civil lawsuit is still pending, and the Dexton case remains unresolved.