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Saturday, May 10, 2025

Alberta’s 2025 budget will address economic pressures from population surge

By
Isaac Lamoureux, True North Wire
-
Source: Facebook

The upcoming budget in Alberta is set to address record-breaking population growth and manage the strain on provincial services while planning for the future.

The provincial government announced Tuesday that the budget will be unveiled on Feb. 27.

“Alberta is facing headwinds from every direction right now: cross-border trade issues, volatile oil prices and pressure on our public services as more people move here to make Alberta their home,” said Alberta Finance Minister Nate Horner. “I am working with my colleagues to build a budget that builds Alberta and meets the challenge head-on.”

The provincial government said it will have to make prudent decisions to deal with uncertainty in global politics and energy markets. 

“The government remains committed to fast-tracking school construction, fair and competitive taxes, and supporting high-quality health care, education and other public services,” reads the release.

Alberta’s 2024 budget forecasted a technical $2.6-billion surplus by 2027, a surplus that was initially overshadowed by the borrowing required.

However, the budget was later updated to show that Alberta would have to borrow just one-fourth of the initially expected funds due to a sevenfold increase in its projected surplus from $367 million to $2.9 billion for 2024-25.

Alberta’s subsequent update revealed the surplus for 2024-25 would actually be $4.6 billion, a staggering 1,150% increase from the initially forecasted value.

The province saw various credit rating updates in 2024 while other provinces, like B.C., saw decreases.

Another way the province has worked to combat the unprecedented population growth was by shattering its housing starts record, which was previously set in 1977. The housing starts contributed to Alberta seeing the cost of renting decelerate the most nationwide.

The province also allocated additional education funding, which it said was necessary due to the population boom.

Between Oct. 1, 2023, and Oct. 1, 2024, Alberta’s population grew by 3.9%, slightly below the 4.1% growth recorded between 2022 and 2023. 

The province said that it led the country in population growth as a percentage for five quarters in a row. It also saw nine consecutive quarters of Canada’s highest net interprovincial migration.

However, international migration remained the largest driver of population growth. 

True North is planning to attend Alberta’s budget lockup and will report on the 2025 budget.

Brampton mayor demands apology from Ontario Liberal leader Bonnie Crombie

By
Clayton DeMaine, True North Wire
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Source: X

An Ontario Progressive Conservative attack ad against Premier Doug Ford’s competitor, Ontario Liberal leader Bonnie Crombie, has sparked outrage from Brampton’s mayor, Patrick Brown.

The election ad captioned “Bonnie doesn’t care about Brampton” features a three-second clip of the now-Ontario Liberal leader saying, “I don’t go to anything in Brampton; it’s not my city. I don’t care.”

The ad did not provide any additional information or context to the statement and did not note the date Crombie said it. It’s possible that the audio clip was taken from when she was the mayor of Mississauga. 

As mayor, she was often at odds with Brown.

Crombie did not respond to True North’s requests to comment.

Brown, a former Ontario PC leader, released a statement on X condemning Crombie’s comments.

“For the Ontario Liberal leader to say she doesn’t care about Brampton is outrageous and wrong,” Brown said. “For someone seeking the highest office in Ontario, it’s appalling.”

Brown lauded the size of his city, the third largest in Ontario, and the “good people” who live there.

“Those people deserve to be recognized – not ignored. Not dismissed,” he said. 

“Bonnie Crombie, this is not the way someone who aspires to be Premier should be talking about her own people. I hope you will withdraw those comments now and apologize.”

Also worth noting is that Brown’s mother-in-law, Silvia Gulatiari, is Ontario’s Conservative candidate for Mississauga East-Cooksville.

The social media comments responding to the attack ad largely criticized the ad. Many of its critics identified themselves as conservatives.

“Never thought I’d have anything in common with Bonnie, but here we are,” one X user said.

Jordan Freeman, another X user, said, “For the first time in a long time, I agreed with a Liberal on something.”

Another sarcastically questioned if the clip was meant to be an attack ad or an ad to make Crombie more likeable.

“A three-second quote taken out of context?  If that’s the best Doug Ford can do, he’s in trouble,” another said.

Much of the ire for Brampton in the comments to the ad lay in its rising crime rate and its notoriety as a destination for individuals coming to Canada, via Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s mass immigration policies.

Canadian pride rebounds following Trump’s tariff threat and brief reprieve 

By
Isaac Lamoureux, True North Wire
-
Source: Unsplash

The threat of tariffs by U.S. President Donald Trump has sparked a surge in national pride among Canadians.

A survey conducted by the Angus Reid Institute found that the percentage of Canadians who say they are “very proud” to be Canadian has risen from 34% in December to 44% in February. The proportion of those who express a “deep emotional attachment” to the country has also climbed by 10%. 

“The population has received a boost in patriotic sentiment but remains concerned about what the future holds,” reads the report.

Canada received a month-long reprieve from the U.S. imposing a 25% tariff on all Canadian imports after Prime Minister Justin Trudeau pledged to implement his $1.3 billion border plan. The enhancements are said to include nearly 10,000 frontline personnel and a new “Fentanyl Czar,” alongside an additional $200 million to address organized crime and fentanyl trafficking. 

The previous version of the national pride survey in Dec. showed that pandemic and economic woes resulted in plummeting pride and attachment to Canada over the last several years. 

In 1985, 78% of Canadians said they were “very proud” to be Canadian, but this number steadily declined over the following decades, dropping to 68% by 2003. The downward trend continued, falling to 52% in 2016, a year after Prime Minister Justin Trudeau took office. By 2024, national pride hit a record low of 34%, marking the steepest decline in recent history. The Trump tariff dispute has sparked the first significant rebound in decades.

“Trump bringing the U.S. to the brink of a trade war with Canada appears to have reversed some of the losses in pride seen over the past 30 years,” reads the report.

Canadians said they were following the Trump tariffs more closely than they followed the Israel-Hamas conflict, Russia invading Ukraine, the SNC-Lavalin scandal, and more.

The only recent international event that drew Canadians’ attention more than the tariffs was the emergence of Covid-19, which 90% of Canadians followed closely or very closely. Comparatively, 89% of Canadians followed the Trump tariffs very closely or closely. 

The percentage of Canadians who said that they have a “deep emotional attachment” to Canada and are “very proud” or “proud” to be Canadian increased in every single province except Manitoba, where it decreased in both categories. 

Interestingly, the premier from every province issued a response to the tariff pause except Manitoba Premier Wab Kinew.

The issues and challenges that were top of mind for Canadians also took a notable shift between the Dec. and Feb. surveys.

U.S. tariffs and relations with the U.S. both emerged as new categories, with 28% and 20% of Canadians, respectively, saying that this was a top three issue for them. The other top concerns remained the cost of living/inflation, healthcare, and housing affordability.

Almost every Canadian, 95%, said that the country should focus on eliminating interprovincial trade barriers, which would help the country become less reliant on the U.S. and others. Even 99% of the separatist party Bloc Québecois supporters felt this way.

Aligning with that sentiment, 91% of Canadians felt it was vital for Canada to reduce its reliance on the U.S. as a trading partner.

One way to reduce reliance on U.S. trade is to expand Canada’s oil and gas infrastructure. Almost eight in ten said the country should increase its pipeline capacity by having oil and gas pipelines running from sea to sea across the country.

However, 59% of Canadians also support repairing relations with the U.S. to restore pre-tariff trade stability.

Despite feeling so strongly about the tariffs, very few Canadians thought it would result in losing their jobs, at 3%. However, three in ten are less certain but worry about what might happen.

Feds back in court to defend use of Emergencies Act

By
Alex Zoltan, True North Wire
-
Source: X

Lawyers for the Trudeau government were back in the Federal Court of Appeal this week to challenge the Mosley Decision, which declared the invocation of the Emergencies Act in 2022 unlawful and unjustified.

The consequences of the Trudeau government’s appeal are significant.

If upheld, Mosley’s decision that the use of the Emergencies Act was unjustified would establish a clear precedent regarding the conditions under which the act could be invoked in the future.

Perhaps more importantly, those who were victims of search and seizure—and perhaps even arbitrary detention—could seek personal damages stemming from the unconstitutional nature of invoking the act..

Michael Feder, defence counsel representing the government, contended that Mosley erred in his decision-making by approaching the Act’s lawfulness with “20/20 hindsight.”

“Who, outside of a courtroom,” Feder rhetorically asked the Court of Appeal, “would seriously suggest the situation was going to get better in the absence of emergency measures?”

Feder cited two hospital bomb threats in Vancouver, the “conspiracy to commit murder” charges in Coutts, and someone “throwing rocks at an ambulance in Ontario” as specific examples of “violence” and “threat to public safety” justifying the invocation of the Emergencies Act. 

Sujit Choudhry of the Canadian Constitution Federation rejected the government’s argument. 

“If taken to its absurd conclusion,” Choudhry explained, “you could use the [Emergencies] Act anytime, just by having understaffed policing resources.”

The freezing of bank accounts was another theme running through the proceedings.

Government defence counsel asserted the freezing of bank accounts during the Emergencies Act did not qualify as “unwarranted search and seizure” as the funds in the bank accounts were never held in the government’s control for the purposes of a criminal investigation.

Appeals judge Yves de Montigny pushed back: “If someone can no longer use their funds, how is that not a seizure?”

The Daily Brief | Mark Carney’s “Values”

By
Cosmin Dzsurdzsa
-
Source: X

True North has launched the first part of a new investigative series exposing the agenda laid out by Liberal leadership candidate Mark Carney in his 2021 book “Values” including his plans for a carbon tax.  

Plus, the Canadian dollar hit its lowest value point in over two decades as it dipped below 68 cents USD before bouncing back to 69 cents. 

And the BC Supreme Court ruled against the shipping company Purolator after it sought to overturn a prior decision which required compensation for fired employees who refused to get the Covid-19 vaccine.

Tune into The Daily Brief with Cosmin Dzsurdzsa and Clayton DeMaine!

The Candice Malcolm Show | Poilievre wants LIFE SENTENCES for big drug dealers (with Brian Lilley)

By
Candice Malcolm
-
Source: Facebook

We’re live today on the Candice Malcolm Show, talking about Pierre Poilievre’s announcement calling for life sentences for fentanyl kingpins. While the legacy media downplay Canada’s role in the fentanyl crisis, Candice breaks down the stats to show how Trudeau’s policies allowed this deadly problem to grow.

Candice and Brian will also discuss the latest on tariffs, Mark Carney’s coronation as Canada’s first unelected WEF Prime Minister, Trump’s pivot from trade to foreign policy and his BIG announcement on Gaza, Doug Ford’s hot mic moment and much more.

Trudeau announces economic summit in Toronto to boost economy, domestic trade

By
Quinn Patrick, True North Wire
-
Source: Instagram

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced plans to host an economic summit in Toronto attended by members of the Council on Canada-U.S. Relations to “galvanize business and investment” across the country.

“The Canada-U.S. Economic Summit is Team Canada at its best,” wrote Trudeau in a statement released Wednesday. “We are bringing together partners across business, civil society, and organized labour to find ways to galvanize our economy, create more jobs and bigger paycheques, make it easier to build and trade within our borders, and diversify export markets.”

The Toronto summit takes place on Friday, hosting members of the council along with trade leaders, business executives and public policy experts to offer “their sectoral expertise” on how to expand Canada’s economy.

“We want businesses, investors, and workers to choose Canada,” said Trudeau. 

Additionally, the summit will seek to find easier means to create “trade within the country, diversify export markets, and rejuvenate productivity.” 

Over $530 billion worth of goods and services moved across provincial and territorial borders last year, accounting for almost 20 per cent of Canada’s gross domestic product.

However, those numbers pale in comparison to the nearly  $3.6 billion worth of goods and services crossed between the Canada-U.S. border daily in 2023 as the two nations are each other’s largest trading partner. 

Both the federal and provincial governments are working to stave off U.S. President Donald Trump’s 25-per-cent tariffs on all Canadian imports, which many economists say could cripple the country’s economy. 

Canada was granted a one-month reprieve from the tariffs after a series of negotiations Monday between Trump and Trudeau.

“While the tariffs proposed by the United States have been paused for 30 days, this is an important opportunity to build a long-term prosperity agenda for Canada. One that is resilient, that breaks down barriers between provinces and territories, and that is diversified in global trade,” reads the statement. 

Following Monday’s negotiations, Ottawa pledged to implement a $1.3-billion border plan which could offer “enhanced coordination with our American partners, and increased resources to stop the flow of fentanyl.”

Lax border security that permitted people as well illicit drugs to enter the U.S. from Canada were the primary reasons for Trump’s punitive tariffs. 

Trudeau acknowledged Trumps’ concerns regarding the flow of fentanyl by announcing the appointment of a new “Fentanyl Czar” to tackle drug cartels and cross-border smuggling.  

“Nearly 10,000 frontline personnel are and will be working on protecting the border,”  said Trudeau on Monday. 

The prime minister confirmed that the tariff pause period of at least 30 days will allow the two governments to work together.

“Canada is the ninth-largest economy in the world. We have world-class talent, critical minerals, natural resources, a dynamic tech ecosystem, and an ambition to grow. The Canada-U.S. Economic Summit is our ambition in action – the next stride in fully unlocking our economic growth,” reads the prime minister’s statement.

Pierre Polievre promises life sentences for large fentanyl dealers

By
Noah Jarvis, True North Wire
-
Source: rcmp-grc.gc.ca

Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre is promising to ratchet up penalties for criminals trafficking fentanyl if his party forms government.

Poilievre pledged to introduce mandatory minimum sentences for fentanyl dealers, including a life sentence for those producing or exporting over 40 milligrams of the opioid. Those caught with 20 to 40 milligrams would be slapped with a 15 year mandatory minimum sentence. 

“Let’s call mass fentanyl trafficking what it is – mass murder,” said Poilievre.

“Selling 40 milligrams of this poison is enough to kill 20 people. It’s like spraying bullets into a crowd; you might not know who you are killing, but statistically, it’s certain that someone will die. 

Poilievre emphasized that his plan will target traffickers and “drug kingpins” rather than ordinary fentanyl users who he claims are victims of the opioid crisis. 

Poilievre’s plan to crackdown on fentanyl traffickers comes after U.S. President Donald Trump has been threatening Canada with a 25 per cent tariff. Among other concerns, Trump has demanded Canada address its problem of illegal fentanyl crossing the border into the United States.

“There is also a growing presence of Mexican cartels operating fentanyl and nitazene synthesis labs in Canada,” the White House said. 

“A recent study recognized Canada’s heightened domestic production of fentanyl, and its growing footprint within international narcotics distribution.”

In his most recent video, Poilievre recognized that domestic fentanyl manufacturing and export has become a growing illicit industry among criminals, and that Canada should be getting serious about the opioid crisis regardless of Trump.

“Whether we agree with him or not, we shouldn’t be taking action to stop drugs just to please him. We should do it so that not one more mother has to bury her face in her hands in agony after her son overdosed and died in a back alley,” said Poilieve. “We must stop the drugs to save our people and put Canada first.”

In Canada, the most severe penalty is life sentence with possibility of parole after 25 years. Poilievre did not clarify in the video how his government would like to make the parole ineligibility period, and whether or not parole ineligibility periods would be served consecutively.

True North reached out to Poilievre’s office for comment, though no response was given. 

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced this week that Canada would be appointing a fentanyl czar, a concession that came after Trudeau spoke with Trump Monday in a call before the U.S. put a 30-day pause on its tariffs on Canada.

Canadian entrepreneurs form policy incubator to “Build Canada” and its future

By
Clayton DeMaine, True North Wire
-
Source: Unsplash

A new advocacy group composed of Canadian entrepreneurs aims to address some of Canada’s most pressing issues by recommending actionable policies informed by input from fellow innovators and business leaders.  

“Build Canada” is a platform designed to launch Canada into a more productive era of development and prosperity.

The group made its public debut after just weeks of pulling together resources, David Debow, the former VP of Shopify and the Board director of Loblaws, told True North in an interview.

Debow said the group was entirely volunteer-led and is expected to only run as a “very specific time-delineated option” as both Ontario and Canada’s general elections are ongoing or imminent.

He said his role is one of a “cheerleader and ringmaster” as he helps to organize the many entrepreneurial minds with their ideas on what direction Canada should head.

“It’s super simple,” he said. “We’re building a website that takes ideas from Canadian builders and entrepreneurs about how to grow Canada, and we translate those ideas into specific, detailed and actionable policy papers that can be consumed and read both by people in government and the policy world and by the general public.”

The group released four “policy memos” since its launch so far, with policy plans ranging from transportation to healthcare and retying immigration to the economic needs of Canada.

Debow said Build Canada was not a lobby group, so the memo written by one entrepreneur isn’t indicative of what all of the other various supporters of the group think.

“We’re trying to take people who have individual ideas, and allow them to get that idea out there,” he said. “We solicit ideas.”

He said entrepreneurs will put forward an idea that they are passionate about, Build Canada will assemble a team of “both technologists and policy experts” and use “technology” to research the idea and translate the business leader’s concerns into a readable memo.

Without providing his suggestions personally, Debow identified several issues Canada faces that he feels need to be addressed by those hoping to lead Canada after Trudeau leaves office.

“Canada is in a crisis. It’s in a crisis of growth and productivity at its core,” he said. “If we grow the economy, if we make our healthcare more efficient, figure out how to get the right talents in the country, figure out how to get people housed – that’s how you grow a productive, high growth country.”

He said there are too many barriers to selling products, including exporting natural resources and interprovincial trade barriers. He also said the immigration system needs to be used to drive economic growth and productivity.

According to Debow limiting government inefficiency and raising awareness of the impact of AI in the world were some “high-level themes” the coalition of industry drivers is passionate about.

Debow said the team is comprised of Canadians who’ve built products, shipped them, and worked in developing technology and also those who have worked in policy roles for various parties across the political spectrum and in Canada’s various levels of government.

“It’s a pretty good cross-section of folks who are focused on not blue or orange or green or red but focused on red and white.  That’s what they should focus on,” he said. “If you want to talk about growth, you should talk to people who do growth.”

He said growth has been the main focus of many entrepreneurs who want their voices heard in the projects they have made their careers out of.

“The folks that we’re talking to are people who have built from scratch companies that employ thousands and thousands of Canadians. They export high-quality products inside and outside Canada, and they’ve raised billions in capital,” Debow said. “They know how to grow stuff, and they often know about particular industries or areas. They have ideas.”

Debow said he hopes Canadians engage with the policy suggestions coming from Build Canada, and welcomes criticism if anyone has better ideas.

Tobi Lutke, the co-founder and CEO of Shopify, Harley Finkelstein, Shopify’s president, and Michael Katchen, the co-founder and CEO of Wealthsimple, are just some of the notable supporters of the initiative.

Edmonton bans knife sales in convenience stores to enhance public safety

By
Isaac Lamoureux, True North Wire
-
Source: Unsplash

As knife-related crimes have increased in Edmonton while other weapon-related offences have declined, the city has passed a bylaw prohibiting the sale of knives in convenience stores, an idea previously floated in the spring.

Edmonton City Council announced on Tuesday that it had passed a bylaw prohibiting the sale of knives in convenience stores to bolster community safety and respond to the concerns of local business owners. 

The bylaw establishes a new distinction for convenience stores and a category and definition of knives that cannot be sold there. A knife is defined as any item with a blade affixed to a handle.

“The creation of a separate category for convenience stores will help limit convenient or impulsive access to knives,” reads the report.

The City of Edmonton’s website has a lengthy definition of convenience stores, where they are defined as businesses generally 350 square metres or less that sell a limited selection of fast-moving consumer goods.

The city confirmed that the everyday purchase of cutlery will remain unaffected.

Sporting goods and kitchen supply retailers will not be subject to the bylaw.

“Incidents involving edged weapons, in particular knives, continue to be an ongoing issue in Edmonton,” said Keith Johnson, Superintendent, EPS Crime Suppression and Community Operations Division. “We’re pleased with the City’s decision to proceed with this bylaw and are hopeful it will have positive impacts on community safety citywide.”

The Edmonton Police Service released 2024 crime statistics on Jan. 30, 2025.

The data show that while firearm and pepper spray incidents declined between 2023 and 2024, knife-related violent crimes rose from 949 to 979.

Businesses must comply with the new bylaws when they apply for a new business licence or renew their existing one. The city has encouraged businesses to voluntarily comply before their licences are up for renewal.

The city said that the bylaw cannot be enforced retroactively and can only be applied when licences are renewed.

As for enforcement, when the bylaw is applied, the city said that it will be primarily complaint-based. The city added that it would focus on education, but enforcement would follow where necessary.

“EPS will have the authority to enforce the new operating requirements and seize weapons when required,” reads the release. 

When the bylaw was initially proposed, local councillors heard from children who described how common knives, brass knuckles, and bear spray had become. Many of the lethal knives were revealed to have been bought in convenience stores.

“Convenient and quick access to knives makes our community less safe,” said Edmonton Mayor Amarjeet Sohi. “Building a city that’s safer for everyone is our top priority, and by removing these easily accessible potential weapons from convenience stores, all Edmontonians will feel more safe.”

The city said that full implementation of the bylaw will take up to two years to implement because that’s how long business licences last.

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