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CTV National News: Breaking down what CUSMA protects from tariffs

CTV National News: Breaking down what CUSMA protects from tariffs

CTV News01-08-2025
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CUSMA has been touted as an escape hatch from some of Trump's tariffs but how much will it shield businesses and consumers? Genevieve Beauchemin explains.
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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 minute 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

time2 minutes 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."

Sour news for pickle lovers: Bick's pickles no longer stocked at some Canadian retailers
Sour news for pickle lovers: Bick's pickles no longer stocked at some Canadian retailers

CBC

time2 minutes ago

  • CBC

Sour news for pickle lovers: Bick's pickles no longer stocked at some Canadian retailers

It's kind of a big dill. Popular pickle brand Bick's, which is made only for the Canadian market, is no longer on the shelves of some Canadian retailers, a consequence of the ongoing trade war between Canada and the United States. While it's a jarring change for many shoppers, it may push consumers to buy more homegrown options and there could be other ripple effects that affect Canadian jobs and businesses. At several Safeway grocery stores in Edmonton, a sign on the shelf reads "Bick's pickles are currently unavailable as an unfortunate impact of tariffs. We are pleased to offer a selection of alternatives for your shopping convenience." Parent company Sobeys did not respond to several requests for comment. Pickles caught in tariff war "We're sad to hear that Bick's is embroiled in this tariff dispute," said Steven Oakland, the CEO of TreeHouse Foods Inc., which owns the Bick's brand. After the U.S. slapped tariffs on Canadian goods in March, the Canadian government retaliated with a long list of counter tariffs, among them a 25 per cent tariff on "cucumbers and gherkins." "I think a lot of retailers feel that 25 per cent tariff makes them just too expensive frankly," Oakland said, adding that retailers started reaching out to him with cost concerns at the start of the trade war. "The food business is a low-margin, high-volume business. And so there isn't 25 per cent either on the retailer side or the manufacturing side. So that has, in some cases, really inhibited the retailers' availability to justify carrying them." Oakland estimates that Bick's is still available in 70 per cent of the Canadian retail environment but said the company has been doing outreach to try and change the Canadian counter tariff, including reaching out to the governor of Illinois. 'An intertwined business' Bick's began as a Canadian company, was later acquired by a U.S. company and production was moved south of the border around 2014, Oakland said. However, the ties between the two countries have stayed strong. "We continued to prioritize Canadian cucumbers for that product. [It's] why we went to a Canadian lid supplier… It's just been an intertwined business and now we've got a border dispute that just makes that transfer back and forth across the border expensive," he said. While the pickles are assembled in Green Bay, Wis., Oakland said the company buys 11 million pounds of Ontario cucumbers every year and said all the lids on the jars come from an Ontario manufacturer. Now, the company finds itself in an awkward situation or — some might even say — a pickle. Sales are down about 25 per cent in the last three months, according to Oakland, who said, going forward, the company will buy fewer pickles and lids from its Canadian partners. Buy Canadian sentiment With patriotism surging amid trade tensions, many shoppers are opting to buy Canadian, but there could also be unintended consequences for a company such as Bick's, according to experts. "If buy Canadian means that people aren't buying Bick's, as an example, then Bick's is buying fewer cucumbers from Canadian producers. Then that buy Canadian is sort of coming back to bite, pardon the pun, the Canadian farmers," said food economist Mike von Massow from the University of Guelph. Kwaku Afesorgbor, a professor in the department of food, agriculture and resource economics at the University of Guelph, suggests it is ultimately customers who pay the cost. Afesorgbor said customers often end up absorbing the cost of tariffs or, if the product is no longer available, they face fewer options for what they can buy, which eventually affects their pocketbook. 'It's not great' Crystal Porcher wouldn't be offended if you called her a pickle enthusiast. The Edmonton woman grew up eating pickles and admits to eating the crunchy snack at least twice a week. She even has a pickle tattoo on her hands, one of 10 of her favourite food items. "If you're out in a pub or having a beer or whatever, they're usually on the menu and I am guilty of just asking for a bowl of pickles, even if it's just a side with something else," Porcher said. With several brands in the fridge at any given time, Porcher is still processing that pickles have been caught up in the trade war. "Personally, it's not great. Obviously I'm gonna be paying more for something that I love to eat. I'm not going to stop consuming an entire part of my diet because the prices increase a little bit. Obviously if I can't find them, I'll have to suss out some other options," she said. Food products caught in trade war The issue with Bick's spotlights how food products have been tangled up in the tariff dispute. "There are other products that have somewhat complicated supply chains, and I suppose pickled vegetables are an example of that," said John Cox, executive vice president of Pickle Packers International, a trade association of the pickled vegetable industry. Cox said the organization is advocating for duty-free transportation north and south of food products under the Canada-United States-Mexico Agreement (CUSMA). He argues that it is particularly important for the pickled vegetable industry, which he said is competitive with slim margins. "When you have a 25 per cent import duty added to the cost of production, it makes it impossible to be profitable," he said. "I'm concerned for the long-term prospects for Bick's." For Oakland and TreeHouse Foods Inc., the timing couldn't be worse. "Having lived in Ontario myself for 11 years, I understand how important barbecue season is and I just hate that Bick's is embroiled in this right now," Oakland said.

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