Indigenous leaders push for meeting with first ministers as Ford takes softer tone on development
The request came as Premier Doug Ford struck a softer tone over Ontario's Bill 5, which empowers the province to bypass environmental and other laws to create 'special economic zones' to speed development and offset an expected economic slowdown because of U.S. President Donald Trump's levies.
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Opinion: Visitors to Jasper can be part of renewal in real time
Article content When the 2024 forest fires reached the town of Jasper, almost exactly a year ago, the impacts were felt deeply. Not just across the landscape, but in the lives of the community members and Canadians across the country. Article content What made these fires different from others in the area was that they reached the townsite, directly impacting homes, businesses, and critical infrastructure. For many community members, the loss was total. Article content Article content Article content I remember the anxiety that came with it, not just from the fires, but from the weight of the unknown. Like so many others, I was worried for our team and the people who make this town feel like home. We didn't know what the next day would bring, but what I saw was neighbours checking in on each other, businesses stepping up, and a community choosing to show up through the uncertainty. Article content Article content Forest fires are a natural part of ecological cycles, necessary for instigating regeneration — a process that Indigenous peoples have long used through prescribed burns. This fire wasn't planned, nor welcome, but it sparked reflection. While the impact was significant, it also revealed something unexpected: a new lens through which to experience Jasper. Article content Jasper is a tourism town. The economy is built by people who care deeply about where they live and what they do. It's the guides, the small business owners, the chefs, the hotel staff — folks who have built a life here sharing the beauty of this place with the world. When the fires passed and recovery efforts began, local leaders, non-profit organizations, and businesses came together to ask: How can we ensure that Jasper doesn't just rebuild, but thrives long into the future? Article content Article content That question sparked the launch of the Jasper Tourism Recovery and Prosperity Fund, a three-year, $5.5-million commitment to support both the immediate needs and long-term community well-being. Pursuit, Fairmont Jasper Park Lodge, Rocky Mountaineer, Jasper Brewing Co. and Maligne Range Distilling came together to establish this fund, driven by a love for this place and united through tourism. It is independently managed by the Jasper Community Team Society to ensure resources go where they are needed most. Article content It was a meaningful step, but for me, it was also personal. As a fellow mountain town resident and part of the broader tourism industry, I saw firsthand the importance of a community-led approach. Article content In times of crisis, it's easy for businesses to speak. But leadership begins with listening and acting with humility and care. These aren't transactional relationships. They are the ones built over time and ultimately strengthened in moments like these.
Globe and Mail
an hour ago
- Globe and Mail
Politics Insider: A week of dampening expectations on trade deal with U.S.
Hello, welcome to Politics Insider. Let's look at what happened this week. President Donald Trump said Friday that the United States may not reach a new trade deal with Canada, suggesting he might instead impose more tariffs on the country unilaterally. As Adrian Morrow reports from Washington, Trump told reporters: 'We haven't really had a lot of luck with Canada. I think Canada could be one where there's just a tariff, not really a negotiation.' 'We don't have a deal with Canada.' His comments bookended a week where Prime Minister Mark Carney, his minister responsible for Canada-U.S. trade and the country's 13 provincial and territorial premiers all signalled that trade talks aren't going smoothly. Carney dampened expectations of a deal by the stated deadline of Aug. 1, saying at a meeting with premiers on Tuesday that Canada 'will not accept a bad deal' just to meet the deadline. The premiers joined that chorus, with Ontario Premier Doug Ford adding 'Donald Trump is very, very hard to deal with.' And Dominic LeBlanc, Carney's point person in trade talks, said Thursday during a visit to Washington for talks with Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick: 'We've made progress, but we have a lot of work in front of us.' With the trade deadline just one week away, the rhetoric has become less reassuring. Prime Minister Mark Carney called on Israel to give up control of aid delivery to Gaza as reports grow of mass starvation, saying, 'Canada condemns the Israeli government's failure to prevent the rapidly deteriorating humanitarian disaster in Gaza.' Provinces push for more power over immigration, work permits The country's 13 premiers said at this week's meeting that they wanted to take more control over immigration, stressing that they plan to use powers under the Constitution to issue work permits. The key legal issues at the heart of the Hockey Canada verdict All five former members of Canada's world junior hockey team who were accused of sexually assaulting a woman after a 2018 Hockey Canada gala were acquitted Thursday in a courtroom in London, Ont. Lawyers explain how the judge arrived at her ruling. Virginia Mearns tapped as Arctic ambassador for Canada Inuk leader Virginia Mearns has been named Canada's Arctic ambassador, with the Prime Minister asking her to represent Canadian interests in a region that's become a strategic frontier as climate change opens new shipping routes through waters rich with natural resources. Algoma Steel seeks up to $600-million in trade-war relief Algoma Steel Group Inc. chief executive Michael Garcia says the Canadian steel maker is in discussions with Ottawa to try to secure a financing package worth more than half a billion dollars as financial pressures mount during a trade war with the United States. One of Algoma's shareholders, Barry Zekelman, said Ottawa is acting 'like a loan shark' in the negotiations. The Huntsville, Ont., resort of Deerhurst played host to the Council of the Federation meeting this week and the first ministers' meeting. Fifteen years ago, that same resort made news when it was the setting for another major meeting. What was it? Scroll to the bottom of this newsletter for the answer. #MeToo changed our culture, but it couldn't change our courts The last thing Canada needs is premiers mucking up immigration even more Lower the voting age? There are better arguments for raising it Got a news tip that you'd like us to look into? E-mail us at tips@ Need to share documents securely? Reach out via SecureDrop. The answer to today's question: The Deerhurst Resort was also the setting for the 2010 Group of Eight summit, hosted by then-prime minister Stephen Harper.
Global News
2 hours ago
- Global News
Ford acknowledges water bomber pilot shortage, launches request for national fire plan
Premier Doug Ford has acknowledged that his province has a shortage of pilots trained in the difficult task of flying water bombers over forest fires, as blazes continue to rage across northern Ontario. Earlier in the season, the union representing front-line firefighters said planes in the province were grounded because Ontario didn't have enough pilots to fly the water bombers it currently owns. It's a claim the Ministry of Natural Resources confirmed to Global News, although it did not say exactly how many planes are grounded or how often. On Tuesday, at a meeting of the nation's leaders in Muskoka, Ont., Ford said there were pilots in the province, but suggested they don't have the training to fight fires. 'We have lots of pilots, but you have to also understand you can't just have any pilot with these water bombers,' he said. Story continues below advertisement 'And then we have the helicopters, too, that carry an enormous amount of water as well. So I think it's all hands on deck as well.' The Ford government has said it is ordering new water bombers, but the premier complained they take up to four years to build. Ford, as the chair of the Council of the Federation, is leading a push from the country's premiers to have the federal government take on a bigger role in fighting fires. 'What happens every single year, and we know what's going to happen, there's wildfires right across the country,' Ford added on Tuesday. 'We need a national program that we can call on for resources.' Get breaking National news For news impacting Canada and around the world, sign up for breaking news alerts delivered directly to you when they happen. Sign up for breaking National newsletter Sign Up By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy That request is being floated for the first time this year during a potentially record-breaking summer for the country, where more than five million hectares of land have already burned. Story continues below advertisement At the close of the second day of a leaders' summit in Huntsville, Ont., this week, Canada's premiers agreed to a joint statement requesting that the federal government provide 'adequate and flexible federal funding' for emergencies. The request was also made for help in creating national standards and co-ordinating during emergencies. The plan is one that New Brunswick Premier Susan Holt said was talked about for the first time this week. 'That's a new one that we started discussing in light of the fires that are being experienced across a lot of provinces,' she said on Tuesday. 'So we started the conversation on what provinces need to be able to respond as quickly as possible and what level of communication is helpful, and what level isn't.' Wildfires have devastated the northern reaches of provinces across Canada this year. Figures last week showed more than 5.5 million hectares had burned since January, more than double the 10-year average of 2.12 million. In Manitoba, roughly 5,000 residents were evacuated from Flin Flon because of wildfires earlier this year. Twelve months ago, in Alberta's Jasper, 25,000 people were forced to flee two massive fires that ripped through the heart of the mountain community. Story continues below advertisement Ontario has evacuated at least 650 people from its northern communities in July alone. Exactly what federal support would look like remains to be seen. British Columbia Premier David Eby said he was a 'cautious supporter' of the idea and would be supportive if the federal government could help to standardize systems to make it easier for different fire services to come together. 'The caution that we have is the closer you get to the ground, the more effective the fire service is, in my experience,' he said. 'There is a potential role for the federal government, but I want to make sure it adds and doesn't create bureaucracy or delay.' View image in full screen Ontario Premier Doug Ford, left, and Quebec Premier Francois Legault listen to questions from the media during the 2025 summer meetings of Canada's Premiers at Deerhurst Resort in Huntsville, Ont., on Wednesday, July 23, 2025. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Nathan Denette Back in Ontario, however, opponents of the Ford government say it has failed to invest in the program and stress federal support is no substitute for a well-run local program. Story continues below advertisement 'Every part of the country, every part of the world has different kinds of fires, depending on what kind of wood is there,' NDP MPP Lise Vaugeois said. 'Whether we're talking about bogs or peatlands or boreal forests or old-growth forests in British Columbia, they all burn differently.' — with files from Global News' Ari Rabinovitch
