Steel producers warn of dire consequences of 50% tariff if broader U.S. trade deal isn't reached
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Kate Helmore Agriculture and food policy reporter
Jeffrey Jones ESG and Sustainable Finance Reporter
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CTV News
22 minutes ago
- CTV News
Replacing Mindbender both challenge, opportunity for West Edmonton Mall: analysts
Patience. These things take time. Especially now. But what replaces the Mindbender, West Edmonton Mall's iconic former roller coaster, will be a ride. For those wondering when something else will fill the 15-storey space at the popular destination mall's Galaxyland indoor amusement park, the answer isn't forthcoming. Lori Bethel, the mall's vice-president of parks and attractions, said in a statement Wednesday staff is 'hard at work on an exciting new ride' for the space. 'We encourage everyone to stay tuned for more information as we work towards the unveiling of this new addition,' Bethel told CTV News Edmonton. West Edmonton Mall closed the Mindbender in January 2023 after 37 years of service. At the time, the roller coaster that reached speeds of 96.5 kilometres per hour on its 1,280-metre-long track had been closed for four months for maintenance. Crews finished dismantling the structure by the end of that year. Mindbender West Edmonton Mall's Mindbender roller coaster in September 2022. (CTV News Edmonton) Missing magnet It's 'pretty important' the mall fills the space for the same reason why the Mindbender was added in the first place: to attract even more people to Canada's largest mall, says retail analyst Bruce Winder. 'When the roller coaster's taken out, something's missing,' Winder said. 'It's like they're missing a tooth now, and they've got to fill it. They've got to do something with it because a lot of people like that, maybe newcomers to the area, tourists. (It's) something to see.' Beyond drawing customers to the mall, such attractions help increase the amount of time a shopper spends on the property, says Lisa Hutcheson, managing partner of Toronto-based retail consultancy J.C. Williams Group. 'The longer a shopper stays in a store or in a mall, the more they're likely going to spend,' Hutcheson said, referring to a study conducted by retail analytics firm Path Intelligence that found a 1% increase in 'dwell time' leads to a 1.3-per-cent boost in sales in a retail environment.. 'By increasing that dwell time there, by going to an attraction, they're probably going to eat food. Maybe one of the family members will go off and say, 'I don't want to be part of this; I'm going to go do my thing.' Mindbender Outside the 15-storey space of West Edmonton Mall's Galaxyland indoor amusement park that once housed the Mindbender roller coaster on July 14, 2025. (Craig Ellingson/CTV News Edmonton) What could go in its place Winder said the Mindbender's replacement could simply be another roller coaster given that's for what the space was originally created. There is an opportunity to think beyond the tried-and-true, though, says David Ian Gray, a Vancouver-based retail strategist and an instructor in retail studies at the Capilano School of Business, as 'there's a lot more technology on hand today than there was in the 1980s.' He said in terms of theme parks, one needs to look no further than one of the world's most iconic operators, Disney, and its constant refreshment of attractions, never mind what's happening across the globe and how aware people are of such developments. 'They're always upgrading, integrating with some of the major franchises that are out there,' Gray said of Disney. '(And) there are very interesting modern developments coming out of Asia, in particular. Dubai is so well known for its mega malls with ski hills and such, but I think what's different in 2025 and the last part of this decade compared to the 1980s is just how global not only the ideas are but the exposure that people have is, and the number of people that might have seen Asian malls and that sort of thing.' West Edmonton Mall spring An aerial view of West Edmonton Mall on May 13, 2025. (Cam Wiebe / CTV News Edmonton) When shoppers may see replacement The sheer size of the Mindbender space means it will take more time not only to plan for what goes into it but also to perhaps find the right partner to help take it on. Galaxyland already has a corporate associate in Hasbro, with the amusement park's attractions bearing names of the toy-and-game company's brands such as Mr. Potato Head, My Little Pony, GI Joe and Monopoly. The park itself is officially known as Galaxyland Powered by Hasbro. 'It takes time with that big a footprint, no matter who it is,' Hutcheson said. 'They may be trying to even just find a big partner to come in and take a look at it.' 'Whatever goes in will have a life of many years, and I think most approach that with the idea that we're not going to just look at the economy of today, we're looking at what the future might bring.' — David Ian Gray, retail strategist If that partner isn't Hasbro itself, Gray said it wouldn't surprise him if the mall is talking to global entities to see if there's a fit, not only because of what such a partner would bring in terms of expertise but because of the relatively volatile economic times. 'Especially today, we're in an era with interest rates that are higher than we've seen in some time – a lot of big projects like that take on debt – and the economy right now has dampened sort of the risk interest in promoting big projects,' he said. 'Whatever goes in will have a life of many years, and I think most approach that with the idea that we're not going to just look at the economy of today, we're looking at what the future might bring.' West Edmonton Mall The West Edmonton Mall is seen on Sunday, Feb. 22, 2015. (Ian Jackson / The Canadian Press) Making the right move Whatever may replace the Mindbender, Winder says West Edmonton Mall has to straddle keeping its existing customer base happy while continuing to draw in new ones, not unlike most businesses. That's not to say the mall hasn't been innovative or hasn't changed with the times already. After all, the mega-mall first opened by the Ghermezians in 1981 and rapidly expanded over the 1980s and 1990s was a trailblazer in several respects to become the city's top tourist and shopping destinations. 'One of the reasons it's one of the marquee malls in North America is because it was one of the first to offer experiences, back when no one else was offering experiences, everything from the skating rink to the midway and everything,' Winder said, while adding 'they're kind of like other malls right now.' 'Other malls are all trying to get something, anything to draw people in, knowing that demographics have changed,' he said. 'What drew in Boomers and Gen Xers might not be the same to draw in millennials and Gen Z consumers. There are a lot of folks scratching their heads in mall land right now trying to come up with that formula.' Gray said he doesn't see the Mindbender replacement question as 'an insurmountable challenge,' rather a chance to create something that has staying power, not unlike the Mindbender itself. 'It's a great opportunity for West Edmonton Mall to take all its core good ingredients, make them modern and make them a revamped proposition for the now,' he said.
National Post
an hour ago
- National Post
The Doug Ford Doctrine: 'We really have to flex our muscles'
Ontario Premier Doug Ford is hosting Canada's premiers in Muskoka starting Monday at a Council of the Federation summer gathering. Premiers of the 13 provinces and territories can look forward to enjoying Alberta-bred and Ontario-fed beef on the grill at the Ford family cottage. They will have a special guest: Prime Minister Mark Carney. Article content 'For the first time ever that I can remember,' Ford says, 'the prime minister is invited. That would have never happened with Trudeau, but it's happening under Mark Carney. And he's going to be welcomed with open arms.' Article content Article content Rather than the premiers getting together 'to bitch and complain about the federal government,' Ford chuckles, 'we get to present it right to him (Carney) as he's sitting around the dinner table and we're talking to him.' Article content 'And, he's a very, very great business person,' Ontario's premier enthuses, listing off Carney's credentials (without a mention of potential conflicts of interest). Article content Article content Figuring out how Team Canada will respond to U.S. President Donald Trump's declaration of a blanket 35 per cent tariff on goods imported from Canada as of Aug. 1 — on top of previously implemented tariffs on auto parts, steel, aluminum and copper — will no doubt be the premiers' top priority in cottage country next week. Article content Article content 'Elbows up or elbows down? What's the strategy, now?' I ask Ford in a recent call. Article content Article content 'We have to negotiate through strength,' Ford responds, 'and we really have to flex our muscles and make sure President Trump hears us.' Article content 'Because in closed-door meetings and in our phone calls with governors — and they pull a lot of weight, I heard that from (U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard) Lutnick — Republicans don't want this,' Ford reports Article content 'Democrats obviously don't want this, and Republicans don't want it. But they're terrified to say anything publicly,' he says. Only a few U.S. senators have spoken up, Ford adds, 'and God bless them.' Article content Carney is advancing several strategies — promoting free trade within Canada; negotiating a security and trade pact with America, in good faith; and at the same time, forging strategic partnerships with the EU to beef up security and defence alliances and boost trade and economic security. This week, Carney announced measures to protect the nation's steel industry, including guarding against foreign steel entering Canada to bypass Trump's tariffs.
CTV News
an hour ago
- CTV News
Goodwill opens in south London
Grand opening of the new Goodwill Community Store & Donation Centre at 3245 Wonderland Road South, London, ON. (Source: Goodwill Industries) A new Goodwill has opened in south London on Wonderland Road. The grand opening was July 17, bringing 16,500 square feet of shopping space and a drive-through drop-off donation centre. The store is located at 3245 Wonderland Road South and is creating jobs for people who have been shut out of the labour market, according to the store manager, Danielle Greer. 'At the point of opening, we created 60 new jobs for the community, filling most positions through our partnerships,' said Greer. Their partnerships include multiple local employment services, such as Fanshawe College Community Employment Services and WILL Employment Solutions. The Goodwill store aims to divert up to 3.5 million pounds of waste from the London landfill per year. The store will be open seven days a week.
