U.S. ambassador and Trump's former presidential rival to speak in Ottawa
OTTAWA - Global business leaders and diplomats will converge on Ottawa today in an attempt to chart a path through the United States' tariff war.
The B7 conference in the nation's capital is a partner event to the G7 summit set for next month in Alberta.
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Toronto Sun
3 hours ago
- Toronto Sun
LILLEY: Draft trade deal with U.S. hammered out amid 'intensive discussions'
Deal in principle in the works with Trump administration; now it's all down to finer points Get the latest from Brian Lilley straight to your inbox U.S. President Donald Trump meets with Prime Minister Mark Carney in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, D.C., on May 6, 2025. Photo by JIM WATSON / AFP via Getty Images There is a draft, high-level proposal on a new trade deal between Ottawa and Washington, according to multiple sources. The question now is whether political leaders in both countries can get it over the finish line. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account. Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments. Enjoy additional articles per month. Get email updates from your favourite authors. THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments Enjoy additional articles per month Get email updates from your favourite authors Don't have an account? Create Account The hope, especially in Ottawa, is to have an agreement of some sort in place before the G7 meetings begin in Kananaskis, Alta., on June 15. The proposal would see both countries agree in broad strokes on ways to move forward in the trade relationship. According to sources, highly contentious issues like Canada's supply management system for dairy and the digital services tax that is opposed by all sides in Washington would be put off into the future. Prime Minister Mark Carney was clear in denouncing the increased tariffs on steel and aluminum, calling them illegal and unjustified. But he, like his cabinet ministers on Wednesday, didn't ramp up the rhetoric against the Americans. Carney even spoke about the ongoing discussions on the trade front. Your noon-hour look at what's happening in Toronto and beyond. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. Please try again This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. 'We are in intensive discussions right now with the Americans on the trading relationship,' Carney told reporters ahead of his cabinet meeting. 'Those discussions are progressing.' Read More During question period on Wednesday afternoon, Carney repeated his comments under questioning from the opposition Conservatives. 'We are in intensive negotiations with the Americans and, in parallel, preparing reprisals if those negotiations do not succeed,' Carney said. Let me translate that for you: Carney isn't slapping a 50% counter-tariff on U.S. steel and aluminum imports because a deal is within reach. As Carney noted, the increase in steel and aluminum tariffs from 25% to 50% was applied globally; it wasn't just aimed at Canada, so to respond with counter-tariffs now could jeopardize those talks. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. In response to a question from the Bloc Quebecois, Carney said the talks were at a delicate point. Dominic LeBlanc, Carney's minister of intergovernmental affairs and point man on the talks with the Donald Trump administration, was in Washington Tuesday meeting with his U.S. counterparts. The discussions have been ongoing since Trump was sworn into office and have recently intensified with the hope of announcing a deal within the next week to 10 days. What we can expect is an announcement that Canada will increase its defence spending, including potential participation in the Golden Dome missile defence system. We should expect the government to show that border security will be a priority and there will be action on fentanyl. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. All of those are things that Carney has spoken about to some degree in the past. What will be interesting to see is whether the 'projects of national interest' that he has been speaking to premiers about are part of the deal. Will Ontario's Ring of Fire, a source of critical minerals, work its way into a deal that sees the Americans as a preferred customer? We already know that the Americans are anxious for us to see projects like Grays Bay Port in Nunavut developed. Giving that project a green light as part of a trade negotiation could be part of the package. What we know for sure is this high-level proposal is not a full-scale renegotiation of the Canada-U.S.-Mexico Agreement. That would come at a later date and while the Canadian side is pushing for a deal, the Americans want something short and simple for now with full negotiations to come later. According to multiple sources, that doesn't sit well with Canada's top diplomat in Washington, Kristen Hillman, who is 'getting into the weeds' and trying to solve everything at once. If the Americans are willing to come to an agreement of sorts at a high level and lift the tariffs while a full renegotiation of CUSMA happens, the Carney government should take it. It's true that Trump can be erratic and could change his mind at a later date, but if a deal is on the table, we should take it. Celebrity Columnists Canada Toronto & GTA Canada
Winnipeg Free Press
4 hours ago
- Winnipeg Free Press
Kananaskis golf course getting ready for G7, possible Trump visit
KANANASKIS – Darren Robinson had some very important news to tell U.S. president George Bush and José María Aznar, the prime minister of Spain. The pro shop was open. Aznar had told Robinson, general manager of the Kananaskis Country Golf Club in Alberta's Rocky Mountains, that he wanted to visit the shop. True to his word, Robinson walked over to the two world leaders on a patio and interrupted their conversation. 'What was probably only 10 seconds felt like 10 minutes,' Robinson recalled of the G8 leaders' summit in 2002 in Kananaskis. He said the pair paused their discussion, and Bush waved over British prime minister Tony Blair. The four then talked about golf, running, the mountains, as the other leaders, including Russian President Vladimir Putin, chatted ahead of a dinner at the golf club. 'I'm like, somebody pinch me. It's really happening,' Robinson said. Twenty-three years later, Robinson is again teeing up to possibly host some of the world's most powerful people for the G7 leaders' summit in Kananaskis set for June 15-17. The golf club is included in the tightly controlled perimeter that will be closed to public access during the summit and is one of two primary locations the leaders could use. The summit is being hosted by the Pomeroy Kananaskis Mountain Lodge, a short drive from the course. There's speculation U.S. President Donald Trump, with his known affection for golf, could tee off on the scenic course that sits at the foot of Mount Kidd. Trump even owns Kananaskis Country Golf Club merchandise. Prime Minister Mark Carney gifted the president a hat and gear from the club during his first White House visit in early May. Requests for comment to the White House and the Prime Minister's Office about whether Trump or Carney would get in a golf game at the summit were not returned. The summit's itinerary hasn't been shared publicly. And if history informs Robinson's expectations, any activities involving leaders at the course would be spontaneous. Robinson remembers one afternoon in 2002, when he mentioned to Jean Chrétien, touring the club before an upcoming dinner, that it was a shame the prime minister didn't have time to play. '(Chrétien) says, 'Who says I don't have time?' And he starts taking off his tie and jacket,' said Robinson, mimicking Chrétien's French accent. Chrétien hit two clean shots on his way to the putting green, said Robinson. But on the third shot, a short chip to get on the green, the prime minister accidentally nicked a divot out of the grass before making contact with the ball. 'Before the ball even stops rolling, he reaches into his pocket, drops another one, hits that nicely onto the green,' Robinson said. 'And then he looks at me and says, 'I call that a Clinton.'' Chrétien, after dropping the reference to former U.S. president Bill Clinton, played three more holes before getting back to work, said Robinson. He added that several interactions he had with Bush were personal highlights of the summit. It was a year after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. U.S. staffers asked Robinson to draw up a five-kilometre loop the president could run the next morning. When Bush arrived early the next day in his sneakers, he asked if a woman at the club dressed in athletic gear would jog with him, said Robinson. Monday Mornings The latest local business news and a lookahead to the coming week. 'Now I'm filming the two of them walking up. And president Bush says to me, 'You set me up with an Olympic runner.'' Months later, Robinson received a manila envelope in the mail from the White House with a letter signed by Bush thanking him for the stay and a photo of the two of them talking on the club patio. This year, Robinson said he'll be on the course waiting to help, but isn't expecting a 2002 repeat. 'You hope that there's any opportunity to have some similar and memorable experiences,' he said while standing at a tee box overlooking the 16th hole on the course. 'If they happen, great. That would be wonderful. And if they don't, they don't.' This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 6, 2025.
Global News
11 hours ago
- Global News
Alberta premier says she's invited Prime Minister Carney to Oilers playoff game
Alberta Premier Danielle Smith says she has invited Prime Minister Mark Carney to watch an Edmonton Oilers Stanley Cup final game. Speaking to The Canadian Press in Washington, D.C., on Wednesday, Smith said she's waiting to see if Carney will join her for Game 5, which could take place next weekend ahead of the G7 conference in Kananaskis, Alta. Carney, who grew up in Edmonton, made his allegiance to the home team clear when he stopped at Rogers Place to skate with the Oilers in March. That was his first visit to the city after being sworn in as Liberal leader, replacing Justin Trudeau. 0:25 PM Carney practices with Edmonton Oilers 'I am pleased to see that we at least have a prime minister who knows what team to root for,' Smith said. Story continues below advertisement 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 The Prime Minister's Office did not immediately respond to a request for comment Wednesday. In response to a request for further details, Smith's press secretary Sam Blackett offered a brief statement. 'Let's see if the series goes to five games first,' he said. It would be the first game Smith has publicly acknowledged planning to attend during this year's Oilers NHL playoff run. Last year, the premier and some of her cabinet members faced criticism for accepting free luxury box tickets to playoff games. View image in full screen Alberta Premier Danielle Smith, front second left, and B.C. Premier David Eby, front right, watch the Vancouver Canucks and Edmonton Oilers play Game 2 of an NHL hockey Stanley Cup second-round playoff series in Vancouver on May 10, 2024. Darryl Dyck/ The Canadian Press At the time, Smith defended their attendance, saying Albertans expect their elected representatives to support the team. Story continues below advertisement While Smith said the tickets she accepted were courtesy of a provincial Crown corporation, a few ministers were given tickets by a private businessman whose contracts with the Alberta government are now part of multiple broader investigations into government health-care contracts. The premier has said that she and her ministers' moves were above board, and broke no ethics rules. Subsequent allegations of bloated sweetheart deals from the former head of Alberta Health Services sparked investigations from the RCMP, Alberta's auditor general and a former Manitoba judge hired by the government. Peter Guthrie ultimately resigned from cabinet as infrastructure minister over the government's handling of the contract scandal, and he was later booted from the United Conservative caucus altogether over his criticism. Smith has denied any wrongdoing, insisting her government is fully co-operating with all investigations. — with files from Kelly Geraldine Malone in Washington, D.C.
