Tit for tat tariffs between Canada and China should be dropped
China is adding a massive tariff to Canadian canola because we have a massive 100 per cent tariff on Chinese electric vehicles. How do we respond? We are going to use tax dollars to subsidize the canola farmers. How about this instead: Get rid of our tariff, which would make the electric vehicles more affordable for Canadian consumers, and would benefit the environment as more of us switched from fossil fuel vehicles; and China would undoubtedly drop the canola tariff, thereby helping our farmers and saving money for Canadian taxpayers. Crazy idea, no?
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Cision Canada
33 minutes ago
- Cision Canada
Canada Invests in Firefighting Training Français
OTTAWA, ON, Aug. 18, 2025 /CNW/ - Wildfire season is in full effect across much of Canada, and the Government of Canada is committed to supporting Canadians and ensuring our wildfire resilience, prevention, mitigation and recovery are best-in-call by strengthening our fire response capacity. Today, Corey Hogan, Parliamentary Secretary to the Honourable Tim Hodgson, Minister of Energy and Natural Resources, announced an investment of $540,300 for two projects through the Government of Canada's Fighting and Managing Wildfires in a Changing Climate Program (FMWCC) – Training Fund. The funding includes: $335,000 to Yorkton Tribal Council in Yorkton, Saskatchewan, to support the training of 35 community members in wildland fire management, integrating traditional knowledge and cultural burning practices to address wildfire risk reduction and mitigation. $204,800 to the Rural Municipality of Piney, Manitoba, to support the training of up to 60 individuals from the Rural Municipality of Piney and Buffalo Point First Nation in basic wildland firefighting training and to strengthen local capacity for wildfire response. Through this investment, community members in Manitoba and Saskatchewan — two provinces that have faced severe wildfire conditions this year — will receive wildland firefighting training to enhance their communities' capacity to prepare and respond to wildfires. These investments will also equip people with the necessary skills and opportunities to pursue employment in wildland firefighting. The addition of these 95 trainees has us on track to train over 2,800 wildland firefighters in Canada, greatly surpassing our original target of training over 1,000 community members. Parliamentary Secretary Hogan also delivered the latest national wildfire forecast. Looking ahead, Environment and Climate Change Canada's weather forecasts point to above-average temperatures across much of Canada through August into September, with dry conditions continuing in the coming weeks, particularly in the west and north. Based on these weather forecasts, Natural Resources Canada's modelling predicts elevated wildfire danger for August across British Columbia, Yukon, the Northwest Territories and the Prairie provinces to Ontario, as well as parts of Atlantic Canada. In September, above normal activity is expected to continue across the west. As Canadians continue to face the impacts of wildfires, which are becoming more frequent and more intense, the Government of Canada remains committed to strengthening wildfire resilience, supporting those on the front lines and equipping communities to stay safe. Quotes "Wildfires pose a serious threat to the safety, health and economic well-being of communities across Canada. Today's announcement reflects our government's continued commitment to train Canadians to fight fire in their communities. This investment helps protect Canadian families, homes and the environment — now and in the future." The Honourable Tim Hodgson Minister of Energy and Natural Resources "As wildfires continue to threaten communities across the country, we're focused on making sure people have the support they need to stay safe. That means investing in firefighter training and helping volunteers build the skills to respond quickly and effectively. It's one part of our plan to build stronger, more-resilient communities across Canada." The Honourable Eleanor Olszewski Minister of Emergency Management and Community Resilience and Minister responsible for Prairies Economic Development Canada "Firefighters across Canada are showing extraordinary courage as they work to protect lives, homes, businesses and communities from devastating wildfires. Their bravery is saving lives and supporting impacted communities across the country. These fires are a direct and growing consequence of climate change — becoming more frequent, more intense and more destructive every year. That's why strengthening local firefighting capacity is essential to protecting the places we call home. Projects like this are critical as we confront the escalating threat of climate change together." The Honourable Julie Dabrusin Minister of Environment and Climate Change "Yorkton Tribal Council's participation in this training initiative marks an important step forward in wildfire planning, response and recovery. First Nation communities are among the most vulnerable to wildfires, especially as the threat of climate change grows stronger. First Nations are the only people who, with the combination of their traditional knowledge and access to specialized wildland firefighting training, will be able to secure and promote resilient communities across their territories." The Honourable Mandy Gull-Masty Minister of Indigenous Services "Canadians are currently on the front lines protecting their communities and neighbours from wildfires across the country. Through today's announcement, we're strengthening local firefighting capacity by investing in the training of new volunteers and community members. By investing in and delivering firefighting training, more people will be equipped to protect lives and respond to the growing threat of wildfires." Corey Hogan Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Energy and Natural Resources "The Rural Municipality of Piney thanks Natural Resources Canada for its generous support, which will greatly enhance our firefighting capabilities and empower our volunteer firefighters through vital training. This funding arrives at a critical time, as our region and province face increasing wildfire risks driven by a changing climate and more-frequent forest fires. In partnership with Buffalo Point First Nation, we are building a stronger, safer and more-resilient community prepared to meet these growing challenges." Martin Van Osch Chief Administrative Officer, the Rural Municipality of Piney, Manitoba "As the Emergency Management Coordinator for Yorkton Tribal Council, I would like to express our extreme gratitude to Natural Resources Canada for the funding to move ahead with the project protecting our lands, especially now during one of the worst fire seasons in Saskatchewan. This funding will allow us to bring back our Indigenous cultures to preserve the landscapes and to mitigate wildfire risks and their impact within our communities." Emergency Management Coordinator, Yorkton Tribal Council Quick Facts Today's announcement is part of the federal government's FMWCC Training Fund, which is a $28-million investment to train more than 1,000 new, community-based wildland firefighters by 2028, focusing on Indigenous communities, to increase local fire management capacities and capabilities across Canada. The FMWCC Training Fund included a two-year pilot phase from 2022–2024 that supported 10 training projects valued at $8.2 million and helped inform the design and launch of the full Training Fund in 2024, which offered over $16 million to new applicants. The pilot supported the training of 294 firefighters and 116 fire guardians. The International Association of Fire Fighters Responding to the Interface program also upskilled 323 existing municipal structural firefighters. The FMWCC Equipment Fund was also launched in 2022 to support provinces and territories to purchase specialized wildfire firefighting equipment including personal protective equipment, vehicles, mobile units, hoses, pumps and enhanced communications equipment, many of which were used to combat wildfires last season. Through the FMWCC Equipment Fund, 12 agreements were signed with eligible jurisdictions, representing a total funding commitment of $254.3 million over five years. Visit for a complete list of links to various federal supports for individuals impacted by wildfires. Associated Links Follow Natural Resources Canada on LinkedIn.
Toronto Star
an hour ago
- Toronto Star
Signs of thaw as the Indian and Chinese foreign ministers meet in New Delhi
NEW DELHI (AP) — The foreign ministers of India and China met in New Delhi on Monday in a renewed effort by the nuclear-armed Asian rivals to ease tensions after a five-year border standoff significantly hurt relations. India's foreign minister, Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, welcomed Wang Yi for talks aimed at stabilizing relations that plunged in 2020 after security forces clashed along the disputed Himalayan border. The violence, the worst in decades, left 20 Indian soldiers and four Chinese soldiers dead, freezing high-level political engagements.
Global News
an hour ago
- Global News
Swatch apologizes, pulls ‘slanted eye' ad campaign amid backlash
The Swiss watch brand Swatch issued an apology and pulled a recent ad campaign after customers in China condemned the imagery, which they say incorporated a racist gesture. In an image for the Swatch Essentials collection, an Asian male model is shown pulling the edges of his eyelids upward and backward with his fingers — an action widely seen as derogatory and racially discriminatory against Asian people. The company pulled the international campaign from all its platforms on Monday, writing on Instagram, 'We sincerely apologize for any distress or misunderstanding this may have caused.' 'We treat this matter with the utmost importance and have immediately removed all related materials worldwide.' Story continues below advertisement The apology was also posted on the Chinese social network Weibo in Chinese and English, according to The Associated Press. Get daily National news Get the day's top news, political, economic, and current affairs headlines, delivered to your inbox once a day. Sign up for daily National newsletter Sign Up By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy Some were left unimpressed by Swatch's efforts to make amends. 'I can't believe that such a large watch company could make such a careless mistake,' an Instagram user commented. 'You should not bring discrimination against Asians into your product posters. This will only cause you to lose more Asian customers and bring no benefit. This cannot be forgiven.' Another person wrote, 'This gesture has been used to discriminate against all Asians (not just Chinese, and therefore not a 'China only' controversy) for decades and it is common knowledge that this is a boundary that should not be crossed.' According to Reuters, Swatch, which also manufactures Omega, Longines and Tissot watches, generates about 27 per cent of its group sales from China, Hong Kong and Macau. Following Monday's events, shares fell as much as 2.7 per cent, but have since levelled out. Story continues below advertisement This is only the latest in a series of challenges for the Swiss watch brand, including a stark drop in share value. Shares have fallen by almost half since 2023, and the situation for the company has been worsened by a recent 39 per cent tariff on exports to the U.S., implemented by President Donald Trump. Revenue for the watchmaker fell 14.6 per cent to 6.74 billion Swiss francs ($8.4 billion) in 2024, due in part to less demand in China, where Swatch said it was seeing 'persistently difficult market conditions and weak demand for consumer goods overall.' Peter Xu, a fashion influencer in China with more than seven million Weibo followers, said he believed the controversy would impact Swatch's business in China, but given the speed of the apology, the fallout was likely to be relatively short-term. 'It was pretty stupid to release images like those ones,' he said. — With files from The Associated Press and Reuters
