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Will a softwood lumber deal be part of Canada-U.S. trade negotiations?

Will a softwood lumber deal be part of Canada-U.S. trade negotiations?

CBC21-07-2025
As premiers meet ahead of a briefing from the prime minister on the state of Canada-U.S. trade negotiations on Tuesday, B.C. Premier David Eby tells Power & Politics there may be 'an opportunity' for Canada to strike a deal on long-standing softwood lumber disputes with the Americans.
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Letters to the editor, Aug. 10: ‘Canada should now take all concessions off the table … it is time to be tough against a tyrant'
Letters to the editor, Aug. 10: ‘Canada should now take all concessions off the table … it is time to be tough against a tyrant'

Globe and Mail

timea few seconds ago

  • Globe and Mail

Letters to the editor, Aug. 10: ‘Canada should now take all concessions off the table … it is time to be tough against a tyrant'

Re 'Poilievre says Carney has failed with Trump, urges narrow countertariffs' (Aug. 8): I worry that Canada might capitulate to bullying from Washington like so many other countries have done. From my perspective, Canada should now take all concessions off the table, including elimination of the digital services tax. Canada should also impose tariffs on non-USMCA-compliant vehicles and other goods from the United States. Hit back on any other items that can generate revenue to compensate our people from the impact of tariffs, including energy and oil and gas. Perhaps Canada and Britain can reach a deal on steel. Both countries export to the U.S; if what each country makes complements the loss of U.S. trade, it could be win-win. It is time to be tough against a tyrant. Bullies are encouraged by acquiescence. Fawning is disgusting and encourages him. Janet Henley St. John's Re 'Carney announces $1.2-billion in lumber industry supports' (Report on Business, Aug. 6): Get around U.S. softwood tariffs by going metric. Years ago, we went metric for weights and measurements at great expense, for little payback. There would certainly be costs involved, but if we went metric on softwood manufacturing, then the world would be our market and not just the United States. We would lose the U.S. market, but then, as Donald Trump said, they 'don't need anything Canada has.' Frank Best Collingwood, Ont. Re 'Trump's firing of economic data collector raises alarm' (Aug. 4): Examples from Greece, China, and Argentina of the disastrous results of political interference in non-political institutions are helpful. But we don't have to look far to see similar examples much closer to home. Not long ago, the Harper government didn't seem to like the policy implications of demographic information, so the long-form census was cancelled; for similar reasons, scientific input into public discourse was silenced. And there are more current provincial examples of attacks on public institutions and processes. Institutional interference that serves only political purposes is always corrosive. It is well and good to be reminded of this by observing the international experience. However, that does not obviate the need to be aware of the same phenomena, past and present, occurring right here. Kent Sargeant Calgary Re 'How Norway cracked the electric-vehicle code' (Aug. 1): Here's one way to shift to more electric vehicles. Fully charged EV batteries should be modular and available for exchange at gas stations. It should take less than one minute when all EVs are designed for quick battery replacement. The removed batteries should then be sent to large central facilities that refurbish and recharge them, then send them back to services stations. Motorists don't own the batteries; the cost could be added to monthly electricity bills. This method would require little new infrastructure and no need for motorists to replace expensive long-term batteries. 'Refuelling' times would be faster than filling a tank with gasoline. Frank Foulkes Professor emeritus, department of chemical engineering and applied chemistry, University of Toronto Re 'What's in a number?' (Letters, Aug. 2): Several correspondents have argued strongly for lowering the voting age to 16. That, by lowering the voting age, democracy is strengthened. That, in particular, it is our youth who will have to live with the downstream results of today's political decisions. And, at present, the future has no vote. So why stop at 16? Since those under 16 have even more riding on the future, their votes should be cast by their mothers, acting on their behalves. I guarantee child poverty and related issues would be cleared up within a couple of election cycles. Just look at what the senior vote did for my demographic. Here is an opportunity for Canada to show the world we take the future of our youngsters very seriously. Allan Portis Toronto Re 'A long ballot satire within satire' (July 30): So the Longest Ballot Committee believes that election laws would be better made by a citizens' assembly. Why stop there? Given the issues with electoral politics on every file, why not turn Parliament itself into a citizens' assembly – that is, appoint members by random lottery? (The modern term for this is sortition.) If they want real democracy, regardless of leaning left or right, return democracy to its roots: This is how officials were appointed in ancient Athens, where elections were deprecated by Aristotle as a recipe for oligarchy. People on juries act seriously. It can work in Parliament, too. Mark Tilley Middlesex County, Ont. Re 'Vancouver mourns the loss of its iconic Kitsilano Beach log' (Aug. 2): While I understand the city's concern for safety, the removal of the beloved giant driftwood from Kitsilano Beach without thought for the community has truly left us saddened. For generations, this magnificent piece served as a play area for children, a sunset gathering spot for friends and families and no less a peaceful place for meditation for many of us. It wasn't just a piece of wood, it was a keeper of memories and a symbol of community connection. It's not too late to commemorate this driftwood's profound impact. I urge Vancouver officials to work with residents to create a meaningful legacy, be it through an art installation, a memorial plaque, poetry embedded nearby or ultimately a safe, remodelled structure that pays tribute to the original. Beryl Woodrow Vancouver Re 'Cleaning after my mother's death taught me about what can't be replaced' (First Person, Aug. 1): I, too, despaired at the task of cleaning out my mother's home after she died almost two years ago. My mom was also an organized 'keeper.' When I would gently chastise her for the multiple accumulated notepads, or stacks of balls of wool we'd come across while valiantly searching for some other crucial item, she'd smile and say, 'I will use them one day!' I'm now ashamed that this occasionally annoyed me. (I did, surreptitiously, do away with my childhood Encyclopedia Britannica set. I'm sure she noticed, but didn't say a word.) The smallest things made my heart skip a beat when I came across them after her death: her favourite lipstick tucked in the back of a drawer, a delicate and frayed silk scarf not worn for years, a copy of a note to a dear friend. I carry one of her many handwritten shopping lists-bookmarks in my wallet. Andrea Cooper Murphy Toronto Letters to the Editor should be exclusive to The Globe and Mail. Include your name, address and daytime phone number. Keep letters to 150 words or fewer. Letters may be edited for length and clarity. To submit a letter by e-mail, click here: letters@

Scrapping youth transit pass 'shameful,' says group behind email campaign
Scrapping youth transit pass 'shameful,' says group behind email campaign

CBC

timea minute ago

  • CBC

Scrapping youth transit pass 'shameful,' says group behind email campaign

Social Sharing Nearly 800 people have sent emails calling on OC Transpo to rescind a decision to scrap the youth monthly transit pass, according to a progressive advocacy group that's launched a campaign against the decision. In a memo late last month, the city announced that — as of Sept. 1 — the pass would be eliminated, part of cost-cutting measures to reduce the $120-million deficit in the 2025 budget. It currently costs $104 a month, compared to $135 for an adult pass. Horizon Ottawa launched its campaign on Thursday, saying the decision would result in Ottawa's youth paying some of the highest fares in the country and would diverge from policies of other big Canadian cities where youth discounts are common. "It's shameful that now youth are having to pay as much as an adult," Horizon Ottawa board member Sam Hersh told Radio-Canada. "The fact that close to 800 people have already sent emails signifies that people aren't just frustrated with this particular policy, but they're frustrated in general with the transit system." The root cause of the deficit, Hersh said, is "decades of cuts" to transit funding. "We need to start investing in our transit system, not cutting it." In a statement to Radio-Canada, the city said provincially funded school boards purchase about 92 per cent of all monthly youth passes, an average of 19,100 a month. Those students would continue receiving a monthly pass from their school at no cost, the city said. About 1,700 customers who purchased the youth pass themselves would no longer be able to do so, the statement said. But student transit passes purchased by school boards aren't available in the summer months or for students who live too close to their school, said Laura Shantz, a public transport advocate. "That would be the situation for my family," she told Radio-Canada. "We'll start to rethink whether my child needs a bus pass the entire school year or only the months where it's not pleasant to walk or bike or get to school in other ways." The additional $30 a month for an adult monthly pass is a lot for some families, she added. Pass likely won't be saved, says councillor "We acknowledge that this change may result in increased costs for some families who are ineligible to receive a student transit pass from their school," said David Jones, the team lead for transit media relations, in the city's statement. Other options remain available, he said, including the EquiPass, a discounted monthly transit pass and single-ride fare option for low income families. Horizon Ottawa's campaign is unlikely to cause the city to reverse its decision, according to Alta Vista Coun. Marty Carr. "I haven't had the chance to speak to my colleagues or to OC Transport staff to see if there's any opportunity to change it before September, I would suspect no," said Carr, who sits on the transit committee. "But it is something that I think many people around the council table want to make sure that we look after in our upcoming discussions of budget 2026."

Should Humber Bay Park ban motorized boats? For safety, this Toronto resident group says yes
Should Humber Bay Park ban motorized boats? For safety, this Toronto resident group says yes

CBC

timea minute ago

  • CBC

Should Humber Bay Park ban motorized boats? For safety, this Toronto resident group says yes

Social Sharing A group of Etobicoke residents living on Toronto's waterfront is pushing for the Humber Park shoreline to be the latest in the city where motorized watercrafts are banned, saying reckless boating is endangering swimmers and wildlife in the area. The Friends of Humber Bay Park group wants the city to implement a motorized watercraft exclusionary zone for the park's shoreline, similar to a 200-metre bubble zone that was recently put in place at Hanlan's Point Beach on the Toronto Islands. The group's president, Mike Janetakes, says dangerous boating is common near the Humber Bay Park shore, especially from Jet Ski renters. "Our biggest concern is inexperienced boaters," he told CBC Radio's Metro Morning earlier this week, saying Jet Ski rentals don't require licences, training or insurance. Just last week, two Jet Skis collided in the water near Humber Bay Park, according to Toronto police, sending one man to hospital with a leg injury. Police did not say whether the Jet Skis were rented. It's incidents like that that have Friends of Humber Bay Park concerned for wildlife, swimmers, canoers and kayakers close to shore, said Janetakes. But he said he's hopeful the city will take action. WATCH | Motorized watercraft barred from Hanlan's Point Beach shoreline: Hanlan's Point Beach gets safety 'bubble zone' to keep away boats, watercrafts 2 months ago Toronto council passed a motion last month requesting that PortsToronto ban boats and personal watercrafts within at least 150 metres of the shoreline at Woodbine Beach in the city's east end by June 2026. The motion also condemns "illegal" rental business practices at the beach and nearby Ashbridges Bay, such as using and storing watercrafts without proper boating permits and operating them unsafely. Coun. Amber Morley, who represents Etobicoke-Lakeshore where Humber Bay is located, added an amendment to the motion, asking city staff to "explore opportunities" of applying the motorized watercraft exclusion zone at Hanlan's Point to similar areas, including Humber Bay Park West and East. Inexperienced operators a problem, police say Toronto police's marine unit ran a four-day initiative last month targeting unsafe boating practices and unlicensed personal watercraft rentals on the city's waterfront. Between July 9 and 12, police issued over 60 tickets — adding up to over $12,000 in fines — primarily for safety equipment violations and licensing issues, according to a police news release. Over 20 bylaw charges were also laid during the initiative, including for illegal mooring and unauthorized business operations, and 14 Sea-Doos were towed. "Each summer, the Marine Unit responds to as many as 10 complaints a day related to [personal watercrafts] — most often involving speeding, operating too close to shorelines, entering designated swim zones, and generally unsafe behaviour," police said in the release. "Many of these complaints involve inexperienced operators who have received little or no training prior to getting on the water." Jet Ski rental operator wants more regulation Janetakes says Friends of Humber Bay would also like to see "legislation for Jet Skiers to have training, proper training, and proper insurance." Raj Mehta, co-founder of Jetti, a Toronto-based Jet Ski rental company, says his company is also pushing for more regulation. But he says most reckless Jet Ski behaviour comes from people riding their own watercrafts or renting from unauthorized operators. His company's watercrafts have built-in control modules that sense when the Jet Ski is too close to shore and automatically slow it down, he said. But renters aren't required to have safeguards, or to train clients. "It's cash for keys with some companies," he said. "We've been trying to work with the city to get some sort of licensing framework in place … like mandate insurance, mandate control modules, mandate training."

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