Weekly Roundup - July 24, 2026
Top Federal Stories
This week President Donald Trump announced he will impose new 50 per cent tariffs on a range of Canadian goods from hockey sticks to wine to cement. These new duties are to take effect August 19, and unlike earlier rounds, carry no exemption for goods that qualify under CUSMA. They will however spare energy, potash, critical minerals and products already subject to 232 duties, including steel, aluminum, and autos. U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer said Washington was responding to provincial bans on American liquor, Canada's supply-managed dairy system and quotas on certain U.S. vehicles. Prime Minister Mark Carney called the tariffs a violation of CUSMA and said "everything's on the table" as Canada weighs its response.
The United States also announced it is slapping additional 10 per cent tariffs on over 60 countries, for what the Whitehouse is says is a failure to enforce a prohibition on the importation of goods produced with forced labour.
The round of new tariffs coincided with the premiers' annual summer meeting in Charlottetown. Carney briefed them by phone on Tuesday and joined them in person on Thursday. Sources on the call said he told the premiers Ottawa is seeking optionality from the provinces, which may include retaliatory tariffs, in the event Canada and the United States can’t come to an agreement. The Premiers attempted to present a united front, though there is disagreement between them on how Canada should approach tactics like provincial prohibitions on U.S. alcohol purchases, and surcharges on energy and potash exports.
Canada held a Canada-only ribbon cutting in Windsor on Friday to mark the opening of the Gordie Howe Intarnational Bridge, after calling off a joint ceremony with the United States. Ottawa said a shared celebration would be inappropriate given the new duties announced this week.
Carney has come under fire and says he should have been clearer about how he described the new deal to open the Gordie Howe bridge, after the text of the agreement was made public and appears to contradict how the Prime Minister described the new revenue-splitting deal with the United States.
Hundreds of elected officials, policymakers and business leaders from across Western Canada and the U.S. gathered in Edmonton this week for the Pacific Northwest Economic Region (PNWER) Annual Summit. Speaking Monday, Premier Danielle Smith highlighted Alberta's recent economic momentum, pointing to major developments such as the proposed West Coast pipeline and Meta's AI data centre as signs the province is attracting significant investment. Later that day, United States Ambassador to Canada, Pete Hoekstra, participated in a fireside chat where he emphasized the importance of preserving the Canada-U.S. trade relationship, encouraging delegates to promote the economic and securityhighlighted benefits of cross-border cooperation.
A New Angus Reid Institute poll found Premier Danielle Smith’s approval rating climbed seven points since June to 46 per cent, with gains among both past UCP and Alberta NDP voters following the announcement of a proposed pipeline to the B.C. coast. Even with the bump, a majority of Albertans continue to disapprove of her performance, and the province's October 19 referendum could prove to be the next major test of public opinion.
This week, Elections Alberta opened applications for mail-in ballots, allowing eligible voters to cast their ballots ahead of the vote. At the same time, the referendum's price tag became a political flashpoint, with the Alberta NDP citing freedom of information records showing at least $365,000 has been spent on government advertising related to the referendum, adding to a previously announced $1.5-million separation analysis and more than $300,000 for the province's referendum information website.
Top Ontario Stories
Ontario’s 2026 wildfire season is shaping up to be one of the worst on record. Roughly 177 fires are still burning across the province as of Friday, with more than 1,800 people displaced from thirteen communities, twelve of which are First Nations.
At a press conference in Thunder Bay on Tuesday, a coalition of northern First Nations chiefs called for a public inquiry into Ontario’s handling of the emergency. Led by Gull Bay First Nation Chief Wilfred King, with Nishnawbe Aski Nation Grand Chief Alvin Fiddler and Ontario Regional Chief Abram Benedict, the group wants an examination of operational decision-making, evacuation planning, and communication with First Nations. It also demanded the removal of two senior Ministry of Natural Resources officials and that wildfire coordination move to the Ministry of Emergency Preparedness and Response.
Behind the demands, Whitesand Chief Lawrence Wanakamik said his community received conflicting information on July 13 as fire approached from mid-afternoon, but no evacuation order came until later that night — too long, he argued, to act in the face of clear danger.
The Ontario government’s expense scandal continues to deepen. Global News reported that beyond the roughly $16,000 in taxpayer-funded Toronto hotel claims that prompted the resignation of former cabinet minister Stan Cho, the Willowdale MPP had billed his riding association nearly $100,000 for food and beverages since 2023, with a further $12,700 in hotel rooms, $6,100 in airfares and a $1,500 limousine tab on top.
Three byelections will test whether Ontarians’ patience with the Ford government is running thin. The Premier is expected to call all three on August 5, with an expected voting day of September 3rd. The government’s majority is not at stake, but both main opposition parties believe the expenses controversy and the private-jet reversal could cost the Tories at the ballot box.
The New West Team is ready to guide clients through this uncertain time in Canadian politics.
