U.S. firm looking to buy Burnaby refinery
A union representing nearly 200 workers is worried about the future of a Burnaby refinery that's set to be sold to a U.S. firm.
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Globe and Mail
17 minutes ago
- Globe and Mail
Canada plans to hit NATO spending target early and reduce reliance on US defense, Carney says
TORONTO (AP) — Canada will meet NATO's military spending guideline by early next year and diversify defense spending away from the United States, Prime Minister Mark Carney said Monday, asserting that Washington no longer plays a predominant role on the world stage. The announcement means Canada will achieve NATO's spending target of 2% of gross domestic product five years earlier than previously planned. 'Our military infrastructure and equipment have aged, hindering our military preparedness," Carney said. 'Only one of our four submarines is seaworthy. Less than half of our maritime fleet and land vehicles are operational. More broadly, we are too reliant on the United States.' According to NATO figures, Canada was estimated to be spending 1.33% of GDP on its military budget in 2023, below the 2% target that NATO countries have set for themselves. Canada previously said it was on track to meet NATO's target by the end of the decade. 'Our goal is to protect Canadians, not to satisfy NATO accountants,' Carney said. Canada is about to host U.S. President Donald Trump and other leaders at a summit of the Group of Seven leading industrialized nations in Alberta on June 15-17, and before the NATO summit in Europe. NATO allies are poised to increase the commitment well beyond the 2% target. NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte said last week that most U.S. allies at NATO endorse Trump's demand that they invest 5% of gross domestic product on their defense needs and are ready to ramp up security spending even more. Carney has said he intends to diversify Canada's procurement and enhance the country's relationship with the EU. 'We should no longer send three-quarters of our defense capital spending to America,' Carney said in a speech at the University of Toronto. 'We will invest in new submarines, aircraft, ships, armed vehicles and artillery, as well as new radar, drones and sensors to monitor the seafloor and the Arctic.' Canada has been in discussions with the European Union to join an EU drive to break its security dependency on the United States, with a focus on buying more defense equipment, including fighter jets, in Europe. Carney's government is reviewing the purchase of U.S. F-35 fighter jets to see if there are other options. 'We stood shoulder to shoulder with the Americans throughout the Cold War and in the decades that followed, as the United States played a predominant role on the world stage. Today, that predominance is a thing of the past,' Carney said in French, one of Canada's official languages. He added that with the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989, the United States became the global hegemon, noting that its strong gravitational pull became virtually irresistible and made the U.S. 'our closest ally and dominant trading partner.' 'Now the United States is beginning to monetize its hegemony: charging for access to its markets and reducing its relative contributions to our collective security,' Carney said. Trump's calls to make Canada the 51st U.S. state have infuriated Canadians, and Carney won the job of prime minister after promising to confront the increased aggression shown by Trump. The prime minister said "a new imperialism threatens.' 'Middle powers compete for interests and attention, knowing that if they are not at the table, they will be on the menu," Carney said. Carney said the long-held view that Canada's geographic location will protect Canadians is increasingly archaic. European allies and Canada have already been investing heavily in their armed forces, as well as on weapons and ammunition, since Russia launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine on Feb. 24, 2022.
CTV News
38 minutes ago
- CTV News
Elbows-up tourism surge could see sector ‘eke out' a gain even as Americans stay away
From the front desk of Hotel Bedford in Goderich, Ont., Lynda Cross welcomes guests from regions ranging from southern Ontario to the South Pacific. 'A lot of them come from Toronto,' said the manager, standing just inside the Romanesque arches of the 129-year-old establishment. 'Just lately, we've had a few groups come from Australia' — a first, she said. But one crop of tourists has been conspicuously absent this year: Americans. 'May and June have been slow.' A groundswell of economic patriotism has stoked curiosity in Canadian destinations, fuelling a domestic bookings surge as travellers turn away from cross-border trips. But a drop in American visitors north of the border and fears that many Canadians will simply stay home to save money has many wondering whether homegrown and overseas tourism can make up for the stateside decline. Canadian vacationers' boycotting the U.S. could net this country's tourism sector up to $8.8 billion in extra business this year as travellers explore spots closer to home, according to a report from the Conference Board of Canada. An April survey on travel intentions prompted the group to predict a windfall despite fewer border crossings this year by American tourists — Canada's largest source of inbound travellers by far. The number of Americans who visited Canada by car fell nearly 11 per cent in April compared with the same month last year, the third straight month of year-over-year decreases, according to Statistics Canada. While trip numbers for Canadians heading to the U.S. have fallen off far more steeply as part of a backlash against U.S. President Donald Trump's tariffs and '51st state' threats, Americans' more moderate pullback owes to factors ranging from pinched pocketbooks to fears of feeling unwelcome to angst over the border crossing on the drive home. The American retreat could hit communities that hug the border especially hard. 'Border towns that have tended to experience the shorter, more frequent back-and-forth visits — those are going to be communities that are going to be more heavily affected,' said Andrew Siegwart, who heads the Tourism Industry Association of Ontario. Duty-free stores have seen their revenue drop by 60 to 80 per cent in the last few months, according to an association representing 32 of the mostly mom-and-pop shops. Whether overseas travellers can make up for much of the lower American traffic across the country is questionable. Visitor volume from China, previously a key source of tourists, sat at 40 per cent of 2019 levels last year amid ongoing restrictions on group travel to Canada, according to Destination Canada. The federal government imposed new visa requirements on Mexican visitors last year, making it harder for tourists from that country to come. 'Travel from India has also been down for a number of reasons. So it's going to take some time,' said Siegwart. However, many America-averse Canadians are spending their travel budget in their own backyards. More than half of respondents to a survey released Monday by Ontario's travel regulator said they were more likely to make excursions closer to home, with the trend holding across all age groups. 'It could be a year where we manage to stay on par with last year, or maybe even eke out a little bit of a gain,' said Siegwart. But he acknowledged the hurdle of consumer anxiety over the economy. 'I'm cautiously optimistic,' he said, 'but it's too early to tell.' Summer bookings were either the same or higher than last year at two out of three businesses surveyed by the association in a poll released last month. John Steele, who owns seven hotels in Newfoundland and Labrador and one in Fredericton, said visitor levels look 'pretty good' at most of his properties but softer in Gander. New direct flights to St. John's from London and Paris have made it easier for international travellers to come from away. 'Air access seems to be improving for us. That's a big thing for us,' Steele said. At Okanagan Wine Country Tours in British Columbia, bookings from Europe and the United Kingdom have risen about 20 per cent year-over-year, said partner and manager Marsha Morrish. 'The traffic from Quebec is up substantially,' she added. Americans are more tepid — even those who do head north. 'They did email me to do a bit of a temperature check on how Canadians were feeling about Americans visiting,' Morrish said, referring to a Colorado couple coming up to sample Pinot Gris. While there's a chance American tourist numbers could surge, it's unlikely to happen this year, Siegwart suggested — including for corporate gatherings. 'Some convention centres, both in Ontario and across the country, have seen some drops in American conference bookings.' Much of it has to do with personal safety and security, as some workers worry about how they'll be treated at the border. 'Depending on your immigration status, depending on if you're a member of an LGBTQIA community, if your gender markers or identities on your passports are different than your gender expression — all sorts of things like that are really coming into play,' Siegwart said. 'My colleagues south of the border are a little more cautious in how they plan things because of the unpredictable way in which their administration is conducting business.' On the flip side, there's more interest from corporate event planners in Europe 'who still want to come to North America but see Canada as a safer bet.' Some Americans remain undeterred though. 'I've seen way more people from the States this year,' said Wendy Mooney, owner of Country Hideaway RV Campground, which sits barely a kilometre from the border in the B.C.'s West Kootenay region. 'Some people just fly by the seat of their pants.' This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 9, 2025. Christopher Reynolds, The Canadian Press
CTV News
38 minutes ago
- CTV News
Average rent for 1-bedroom apartment in Ottawa drops below $2,000 in May
A for-rent and a for-sale sign are displayed on a house in a new housing development in Ottawa on Friday, Oct. 14, 2022. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Sean Kilpatrick The average cost to rent a one-bedroom apartment in Ottawa dropped below $2,000 a month in May for the first time since last summer, as renters found some relief on the market. The monthly rental report from and Urbanation shows the average rent for a one-bedroom apartment in Ottawa was $1,994 in May, down from $2,016 in April and $2,024 in March. A one-bedroom apartment rented for $1,989 a month last July. The cost to rent a two-bedroom apartment was $2,559 in May, down from $2,589 in April. According to the report, the average rent for an apartment or condominium in Ottawa was $2,239 in May, up from $2,220 in April and $2,219 in March. Ottawa was the only major Canadian city to see an annual increase in rental rates. In May 2024, the average rent across all apartment types in Ottawa was $2,149, and a one-bedroom apartment rented for an average of $1,982. Across Canada, the average asking rent for all residential properties was $2,129 in May, down 3.3 per cent from May 2024. 'The easing in rents this year across most parts of the country is a positive for housing affordability in Canada following a period of extremely strong rent inflation lasting from 2022 to 2024,' Shaun Hildebrand, President of Urbanation, said in a statement. 'Rents have recently been impacted by the combination of a surge in supply from new apartment completions, as well as a slowdown in population growth and a heightened level of economic uncertainty.' Vancouver has the highest average rent in Canada at $2,839 a month. A one-bedroom apartment rented for $2,544 a month in May. Toronto has the second highest asking rent in Canada at $2,606 a month, with a one-bedroom costing $2,302 a month. The average rent in Kingston was $2,076 a month in May, with a one-bedroom apartment costing an average of $2,025 a month. In Gatineau, the average rent in May was $1,973 a month. Kanata and Gloucester The cost to rent an apartment in Ottawa's suburbs dropped in May. According to the report, the average asking rent was $2,439 a month in Kanata. That's down from $2,478 a month in April. The average asking rent in Gloucester dropped from $2,286 in April to $2,218 in May. Kanata and Gloucester have the most expensive rental rates for areas outside of the Greater Toronto Area.
