Weekly Roundup - August 22, 2025
Prime Minister Mark Carney is dialing back Canada’s trade fight with Washington, announcing that as of Sept. 1, Canada will scrap all retaliatory tariffs on U.S. goods covered by the Canada-U.S.-Mexico Agreement (CUSMA). While counter-tariffs on steel, aluminum, and autos remain protected as negotiations continue, Carney said easing tariffs will preserve Canada’s “unique advantage” of keeping 85 per cent of cross-border trade tariff-free. He also hinted at bigger moves ahead, promising the first “nation-building project” under new fast-track legislation soon. The opposition pounced, with Pierre Poilievre accusing Carney of “capitulating” to Donald Trump without securing concessions in return.
Here are the other stories that made waves this week.
Top Federal Stories
Pierre Poilievre's decisive victory in Battle River-Crowfoot with 80.4 per cent of the vote on August 18 gives the Conservative Leader a seat in Parliament when the House of Commons returns next month. While the outcome of the race was a foregone conclusion, Poilievre’s victory margin puts to bed any grumblings about his appeal to Conservative voters in the post-Trudeau era.
When MPs get back to Ottawa on September 15, Melissa Lantsman, Deputy Leader of the Conservative Party, says the official opposition will, “hold the government to account on the things they said they’re going to do and are not getting done.” She added that the Conservatives will also propose solutions.
Pierre Poilievre announced plans to introduce a comprehensive Canadian Sovereignty Act, promising pipeline construction, LNG projects, and Ring of Fire road access by March 2026. The legislation would repeal Bill C-69, eliminate industrial carbon taxes, and reverse electric vehicle mandates. At his first press conference since the byelection, Poilievre took Prime Minister Mark Carney to task over his handling of Canada’s trade relationships with the United States and China. He says, despite making concessions, such as the Digital Sales Tax, U.S. tariffs on Canada have still increased. When it comes to China, Poilievre has been vocal about the damage Chinese tariffs are having on the Canola industry.
The Conservative Leader will face a leadership review vote in January at the Conservative convention in Calgary. The vote is a mandatory requirement under the party’s constitution following the party's failure to form government in April's federal election. Don’t expect party faithful to shake things up; a new poll by Angus Reid shows those who voted Conservative in the last election overwhelmingly want Poilievre to lead the party into the next election.
Prime Minister Carney had his first conversation with President Trump since the August 1 tariff deadline passed. The call produced cautious optimism, with both sides describing the call as "productive." The “wide-ranging conversation” covered a new economic and security relationship between Canada and the United States, as well as a path towards long-term peace and security for Ukraine and Europe. The leaders agreed to speak again "shortly.”
Also, this week, Foreign Affairs Minister Anita Anand met with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio. The Washington meeting focused on Haiti security, Ukraine negotiations, and China's coercive activities in the hemisphere, with Anand extending an invitation for Rubio to attend the G7 Foreign Ministers' Meeting in Ontario this autumn.
Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe announced he plans to lead a trade mission to China and wants Prime Minister Carney to join him. China's 75.8 per cent anti-dumping duties on Canadian canola have effectively closed a $5 billion market to Canadian famers. Combined with earlier tariffs on canola oil, meal, seafood and pork, China has now imposed duties on nearly all major Canadian agricultural exports as part of a trade dispute that includes Canadian tariffs on Chinese electric vehicles, steel and aluminum.
The federal government announced a memorandum of understanding for “early-state collaboration” with Toronto-based AI firm Cohere, in a step toward AI deployment across government operations. Minister of Artificial Intelligence and Digital Innovation, Evan Solomon, and Minister of Government Transformation, Public Works and Procurement, Joël Lightbound, framed the agreement as supporting both operational efficiency and Canadian AI sovereignty.
Industry Minister Mélanie Joly's visit to Sweden included meetings with Saab officials and a visit to the defence manufacturer’s facilities to see Gripen-E fighter jets. The visit comes while the federal government is reviewing Canada’s procurement of F-35 fighter jets, manufactured by U.S. based Lockheed Martin.
Meanwhile, following President Trump’s Alaska summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin, Carney praised Trump's "leadership" in creating opportunities to end Russia's war in Ukraine.
Top Ontario Stories
Ontario Premier Doug Ford was in Ottawa for the Association of Municipalities of Ontario conference, but he kicked off the week meeting with Prime Minister Mark Carney. The meeting focused on strengthening Canada’s economy and “creat[ing] the environment and the conditions for companies to come here and invest.” Speaking with reporters, Ford characterized Trump as "so unpredictable" he could "come out with some cockamamie thing tomorrow.”
Speaking at the AMO conference, Premier Ford announced $1.6 billion in additional funding for the Municipal Housing Infrastructure Program, bringing total MHIP investment to $4 billion. The funding targets roads, bridges, and water systems enabling new housing construction, with Ford positioning infrastructure as both economic stimulus and housing policy. The announcement comes at a time when housing starts in Ontario are lagging the rest of the country. According to a report by RBC, Ontario’s six-month average of residential construction starts was near the lowest level in a decade last month, in contrast to the rest of the country where housing starts are at an all-time high.
Ford also used his time at AMO to advocate for municipalities ending remote work arrangements, praising Brampton Mayor Patrick Brown for implementing full office returns. This comes a week after Ontario announced plans to bring workers back to the office five days a week in 2026.
Separately in Hamilton, Premier Ford and Labour Minister David Piccini announced $70 million in expanded training and employment services for tariff-impacted workers through enhanced POWER Centres and Better Jobs Ontario programming. POWER centres are a rebrand of the Province’s "action centres" and the government intends to add a proactive component to their role, which previously had been to offer temporary transition assistance to workers after mass layoffs.
Ford also celebrated progress on the St. Thomas Volkswagen gigafactory project. PowerCo Canada awarded major contracts to Steelcon Group and Magil Construction, deploying more than 500 Canadian workers and adding to the facility's existing 200-person workforce. Ford emphasized the project's resilience, despite trade uncertainty, calling it "absolutely critical" for Ontario and that he’s happy they’re using local companies and creating thousands of jobs across the province.
Premier Ford didn’t hold back when speaking to Stelco workers in Hamilton, telling them that their American owner, Cleveland-Cliffs, "doesn't give two hoots” about them. Ford said he looks forward to getting a phone call from Cleveland-Cliffs president and CEO Lourenco Goncalves, who has publicly thanked President Trump for tariff "certainty" that protects American domestic markets.
Ford also took time this week to offer advice for Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre ahead of his byelection victory. "It's Team Canada," Ford emphasized, urging Poilievre to “put political stripes aside” and "work with the Prime Minister" to advance major infrastructure projects and on other areas where he can cooperate with the government.
Top Alberta Stories
Premier Danielle Smith is warning Albertans to brace for fiscal turbulence as falling oil prices threaten to blow a hole in the province’s budget. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude, Alberta’s key benchmark, now sits just under US $64 a barrel.
With non-renewable resource revenues making up nearly a quarter of all provincial income, every $1 decline in WTI reduces government revenues by about $750 million. Budget 2026 already projected a $5.2 billion deficit at US $68 a barrel, meaning the province is on track for an even deeper shortfall if prices remain weak.
Adding to the concern is the U.S. Energy Information Administration’s forecast that crude will average just US $54 later this year and fall further in 2026 as OPEC+ ramps up supply and global inventories grow. Alberta’s reliance on royalties makes it particularly vulnerable to these swings despite a recent narrowing of the WTI-WCS differential.
The Premier’s comments come a week before the province releases its first-quarter financial results, setting expectations low as the government provides a more fulsome picture of the impact lower commodity are having on its bottom line.
Although the outlook appears grim, Premier Smith highlighted signs of diversification in Alberta’s economy, noting that last year more Albertans worked in the digital technology sector than in oil and gas.
The Government of Alberta further highlighted areas of economic diversification and investment this week announcing Saputo Dairy Products Canada as the first partnership to qualify for the Agri-Processing Investment Tax Credit, receiving conditional approval worth an estimated $4.5 million. The company is investing more than $38 million in its Edmonton facility to modernize equipment, improve food safety, and expand production in an industry that saw $2 billion in sales last year.
Similarly, the Province is putting $10 million from the Technology Innovation and Emissions Reduction (TIER) program into pilots in Cardston and Peace River. Cardston will test a wastewater treatment system using bacteria to cut energy consumption by half, while Peace River Waste Management Company will expand its landfill-to-energy technology, aiming to reduce waste by 85 per cent and methane emissions by more than 22 million tonnes.
The government has also rolled out a series of social investments this week. A new $3.3-million Early Childhood Educator Bursary program will provide up to 300 students with $10,000 each to pursue training in early learning and childcare, supporting efforts to expand Alberta’s workforce of more than 31,000 educators. At the same time, funding for child and youth advocacy centres is increasing by 10 per cent to $3.7 million, helping eight centres across the province deliver integrated supports for more than 4,000 young people who experience abuse or neglect each year. Addiction recovery services also expanded this month with the official opening of the Calgary Recovery Community, Alberta’s fourth such facility. The new site adds 74 long-term treatment beds and will serve up to 300 clients annually as part of the province’s Alberta Recovery Model, which emphasizes holistic treatment, community reintegration, and long-term recovery.
The Alberta Government officially reversed changes to its expense disclosure rules this week. The policy, quietly introduced August 1, removed a requirement for the premier, ministers, deputy ministers and senior staff to publicly disclose receipts for expenses over $100. The change was brought up during a town hall the Alberta Next panel held in west Edmonton last week with the Premier saying she was confused by the policy, adding that the original intent was to address safety concerns by hiding the names of hotels used by elected officials and staff. This week Cabinet voted to scrap the changes and restore the old system, with the addition of hotel addresses being redacted.
Another controversial policy was also revised this week. An earlier announcement from the province excluded health care workers from receiving a government funded vaccine during the 2025-25 respiratory virus season. The Premier consistently defended the decision pointing to changes to the federal COVID-19 vaccine procurement process and number of vaccines wasted. However, this week the Alberta Government said it would cover the cost of vaccinations for health care workers. On Thursday, Premier Smith credited the Health Science Association of Alberta for the change saying, “in consultation with other unions, they wanted to be able to offer it to their members.”
Upcoming Events Calendar
August 18, 2025: Battle River-Crowfoot federal by
August 26, 2025: Alberta Next panel Fort McMurray town hall
August 27, 2025: Alberta Next panel Lloydminster town hall
September 12-14, 2025: Ontario Liberal Party AGM
September 15, 2025: House of Commons returns
October 20, 2025: Ontario Legislature returns
October 27, 2025: Alberta Legislature returns
January 29-31, 2026: Conservative Party of Canada National Convention
March 29, 2026: NDP Leadership Race Results Announcement
