Where's the goodwill? Boycott companies withdrawing sponsorship from Pride celebrations
Pride Toronto loses two more corporate sponsors just weeks before festival launch, June 1
Reading about corporate withdrawals or reductions from Pride celebrations is a teachable moment.
So much for corporate citizenship. When the cultural winds shifted toward inclusion, many companies like Home Depot, Google, Nissan Canada, and Adidas eagerly waved Pride flags and cut sponsorship cheques. Good PR, better profits. Now, with Trumpism and the CPC emboldening cultural repression, some of these brands are quietly backing away — slashing Pride contributions or dropping out entirely. Tim Hortons, Merck, and Estée Lauder's Abnormal Beauty Company have all reduced their support.
Their so-called endorsement was never about values. It was goodwill marketing — virtue-signalling . So be it. Consumers are savvy. We should respond in kind. Boycott the dropouts and the back peddlers.
Don't let their cynicism corrupt you. Stay proactive. Acknowledge the good corporations — TD Bank, OLG, Air Canada, Rogers Communications, and Smirnoff — companies that have remained committed to building a tolerant, inclusive community for the LGBT+.
Tony D'Andrea, Toronto
A made-in-Canada metric for setting targets and measuring progress
Mark Carney signals welcome new approach to governing, June 1
Jamie Watt reports favourably that all cabinet ministers are tasked with 'building a set of key metrics for progress to be tracked and reported against.'
We urge cabinet ministers to consider reporting on Canada's 'ecological footprint' and the 'biocapacity' of Canada's lands and waters.
Ecological footprint measures the demands placed by the economy on the regenerative 'biocapacity' of lands and waters in Canada and abroad. For example, it relates net imports of softwood lumber by the USA to the harvest of Canadian forests equivalent in area of about 350 times the city of Toronto.
The ecological footprint was invented in Canada. Annual measurements are produced by our research team at York University. Statistics are published for all countries and their international trade from 1961 to 2024 at out Ecological Footprint Initiative. Our team has also generated accounts for all cities in Ontario, and for the province of Ontario.
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In his mandate letter, Prime Minister Mark Carney calls on his ministers to identify 'the key goals and measures of success on which to evaluate the results you will achieve for Canadians.' The opportunity to use a made-in-Canada metric for measuring broad environmental success, including the fight against climate change, should be grasped enthusiastically by all concerned with building a better country and a better world.
Eric Miller, director ecological footprint initiative, York University
Peter A. Victor, professor emeritus and senior scholar, York University, Toronto
Here's a nation building project — upgrade the electrical grid so Quebec can deliver its hydroelectricity to other provinces
Canada needs an upgraded east/west high-tension electrical grid to allow Hydro-Québec to send hydroelectricity to the Maritime provinces so their communities can stop relying on dirty coal fired power production. What a great way to boost Canada's climate change initiative!
If we can only stop Quebec from sending its cheap, clean hydroelectricity to the U.S. where they don't charge proper royalties!
Our federal government needs to amend the Equalization Transfer Program by stating that Quebec will only receive these federal monies once they start exporting more hydroelectricity to our Maritime provinces. There are times where British Columbia's water reservoirs are too low to operate their hydroelectricity plants and this province will also benefit from an upgraded east/west electrical grid.
Having Quebec deliver its hydroelectricity to other provinces must be a priority of the Carney government.
Jim McEwen, Bowmanville
Carney is just what Canada needs
It's so refreshing to read and hear the positive things that Prime Minister Mark Carney is behind i.e. meeting the premiers to fast-track nation building projects and eliminate interprovincial trade barriers to strengthen our economy under attack by U.S. President Donald Trump, meeting with energy executives in Calgary and more as the loss grows.
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Carney is just what Canada needed to move us along this positive road bringing the provinces together to put our resources together in a manner that will continue this new positive Canadian growth movement and protection against the Trump's efforts the mess up Canada.
Chris Andrews, Vaughan, ON
The gun didn't walk, the state got caught
Judge tosses seized gun over racial profiling of Black driver, cites 'systemic' problem inside Peel police, June 1
A Peel cop stopped a Black man, cuffed him, and tore apart his Jeep. No threat, no warrant — just bias. The court tossed the rifle — not to 'let him off,' but because the cops broke the law first. Superior Court Justice Renu Mandhane upheld the Charter. That's her job. If the state violates your rights, nothing they find counts. Period.
This wasn't policing. It was profiling. Peel's got a history of it, and this was déjà vu with a badge. Rights aren't optional. If they only apply when convenient, they're not rights at all.
Bryan Moir, Maple, ON
Let's not hire more traffic agents. Do this instead
The traffic jam solution is clear. Hire more agents, June 2 letters
Mike Faye suggested hiring more traffic agents to relieve Toronto's traffic congestion. Another, more cost-effective program, was employed by London, Ont., many years ago. Police officers were periodically assigned to problem intersections. When the light changed, they stepped out and gave a traffic ticket to any driver blocking the intersection. The word quickly spread and driver behaviour changed to not entering an intersection until there was a space on the other side. Problem solved, and the fines covered the cost.
David Churchill, Guelph, ON
Poilievre's future success rests in collaborating with the current government
Trudeau was done, Carney was new, but Poilievre made a critical mistake. Here's how the Conservatives set themselves up to fail, May 29
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It seems incumbent upon all Canadians to pull his or her weight when it comes to reasserting our sovereignty. Even Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre has a role to play. He could start by having some serious conversations with Alberta Premier Danielle Smith and reigning in her somewhat insincere position on a separatism referendum. A positive gesture like this would certainly elevate the popularity of a guy who was unable to secure his own seat.
Of course, greater collaboration with the current government wouldn't hurt either. Poilievre's petty comments regarding the throne speech for the sake of showing that he is still in charge were totally in character. There is opportunity for Poilievre, but he needs to see beyond his own ambition and change his stripes.
Carol Victor, Burlington
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Cision Canada
22 minutes ago
- Cision Canada
The Government of Canada introduces citizenship by descent legislation for Canadians Français
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CTV News
29 minutes ago
- CTV News
‘A luxury item': Canadians may need to budget for barbecue season as meat prices soar
Since the beginning of the year, beef prices in Canada have surged by more than 30 per cent. As summer approaches, Canadians will be wanting to fire up the barbecue, but the reality of rising meat prices might mean fewer backyard cookouts this year. The 'shockingly high prices' are a case study in supply-side economics and market dysfunction, said Sylvain Charlebois, the director of the Agri-Food Analytics Lab at Dalhousie University, in a news release. 'In Canada, beef is no longer just food—it's a financial decision,' Charlebois said. 'What was once a staple of the summer grill is now a luxury item, priced out of reach for many families.' Statistics Canada said meat prices have risen by the following amounts since January: striploin is up 34.2 per cent top sirloin 33.7 per cent rib cuts nearly 12 per cent pork rib cuts and chicken breasts have each risen 5.9 per cent The 6.8 per cent increase in the price of meatless burger patties suggests the trend extends into other grocery aisles. Charlebois said there are several factors causing the surge. Canada's beef cow inventory decreased by 1.2 per cent from last year to 3.38 million head – the lowest number since 1989. This signals more than just a cyclical decline, Charlebois said. Cattle producers are leaving the industry while prices are good and investing in less volatile sectors or changing to crop production. 'In short, the Canadian beef industry is retreating and becoming increasingly risk-averse,' said the release. The U.S. is experiencing a similar but less severe trend. Their beef herd declined by 0.5 per cent to 27.9 million head and their prices rose but not like in Canada. Boneless sirloin rose 5.7 per cent in the U.S. compared to 22 per cent in Canada. Ground beef rose by 10.8 per cent in the U.S. compared with 23 per cent. Canada's expansive geography, transportation costs, limited number of federally licensed producers, carbon pricing and higher labour costs all contribute to the problem, but Charlebois said we cannot rule out industry collusion. The Canadian Competition Bureau has been less active in quelling anti-competitive behaviour than the U.S., where a 2022 investigation led to several large payouts from major meat packers. Beef consumption fell by 7.1 per cent per capita in 2023 and 2.1 per cent in 2024 in Canada. Charlebois said this is a 'structural shift in consumer behaviour.' 'Beef is increasingly seen as a luxury item, with ground beef becoming the primary choice for budget-conscious households still committed to red meat,' he said. Charlebois said the trend is unfortunate since beef is one of the most natural and sustainable sources of protein that's available to Canadians. 'Canadian ranchers and processors have made significant strides in improving environmental stewardship and animal welfare, often without fanfare,' he said. 'As a whole, beef delivers exceptional nutritional value, supports rural economies, and offers a level of traceability and food safety few protein alternatives can match.'
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41 minutes ago
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Freeing up trade and keeping workers safe
Opinion Over the last few months, we have heard a lot about the need to remove so-called interprovincial trade barriers, driven by political responses to the impacts of Donald Trump's trade threats and tariffs on the Canadian economy. Prime Minister Mark Carney has said he wants interprovincial trade barriers taken down by Canada Day. Here in Manitoba, the NDP government recently passed Bill 47, legislation that the government claims will free up interprovincial trade. While interprovincial trade barriers are clearly something that politicians of all political stripes are currently focused on, the actual evidence of barriers that exist is a bit murkier. When I talk with my business counterparts, I find they are often hard pressed to name many examples of specific interprovincial trade barriers that are interfering with trade between provinces. About a month ago, I had the opportunity to discuss the topic of interprovincial trade barriers with Loren Remillard, president and CEO of the Winnipeg Chamber of Commerce, on a local radio station. The only example of an interprovincial trade barrier that he offered was that each province has individual rules for fall protection. We have all heard the lofty claims that removing interprovincial trade barriers will unleash billions in economic activity. But I fail to see how taking away a province's ability to set strong protections to keep workers from falling from roofs will unleash billions of dollars in economic activity. Removing interprovincial trade barriers should not be used as code for things that are not barriers at all, but important protections that keep workers safe — like setting high workplace health and safety standards. A healthy workforce is a more productive workforce, and governments should be doing all they can to keep workers safe and healthy on the job. Here in Manitoba, workers continue to suffer over 25,000 workplace-related injuries a year, demonstrating that there is a lot more work to do on workplace health and safety. When it comes to having common standards across the country, we should be striving to have the best standards, not the lowest. For example, look at Red Seal certification, something that unions have been major supporters of through training and apprenticeship programs. When someone is Red Seal certified, you know they are well trained, and you can trust the work they do. For trades workers, that Red Seal is a ticket to a good paying, family-supporting job, and it is recognized throughout our country, meaning you can work anywhere in Canada. Having Red Seal certification demonstrates that a worker has completed the highest standards of training. And the highest standards are something that we should all aspire to when it comes to our economy and our workforce. Our province's interprovincial trade legislation will enable Manitoba to identify jurisdictions in Canada as reciprocating jurisdictions, in effect treating that jurisdiction's standards as equal to Manitoba's when it comes to the sale of goods and services. It closely copies legislation that Ontario and Nova Scotia have introduced on the subject, and Premier Wab Kinew also signed an interprovincial trade MOU with Ontario a few weeks ago. But other recent action by Ontario Premier Doug Ford's government should give us pause on going full steam ahead with treating it as a reciprocating jurisdiction, no questions asked. Premier Ford is currently fast-tracking a controversial law to allow cabinet to identify 'special economic zones,' which could exempt any company or project in the zone from having to comply with whichever provincial laws, provincial regulations or municipal bylaws the government chooses. This would open the door for the Ontario government to declare that such things as Ontario's minimum wage rules or its environmental protections no longer apply within the designated zone, an extreme measure that exists nowhere else in Canada. As is often the case with vague notions like interprovincial trade barriers, the devil will be in the details of the Manitoba NDP government's interprovincial trade plans. And these details will only be addressed when the government makes untold numbers of regulatory changes now that Bill 47 has become law. But Manitoba's unions will do all that we can to ensure that Manitoba strikes the right balance regarding common sense trade reforms and the best interests of Manitoba workers. Kevin Rebeck is the president of the Manitoba Federation of Labour.
