Canada and Sault Ste. Marie react to new U.S. tariff hike
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
National Post
5 minutes ago
- National Post
Ryan Painter: How bureaucrats almost stopped B.C. from saving a child's life
In British Columbia, at least 10 members of the province's expensive drugs for rare diseases (EDRD) committee have resigned, not because the government failed a dying child, but because it finally helped her. Article content This is the kind of sentence that shouldn't exist in a functioning democracy. Article content Article content Charleigh Pollock is a 10-year-old girl living with terminal Batten disease. Until recently, she was receiving Brineura, a drug that doesn't cure the condition but slows its progression and improves quality of life. For Charleigh, it did just that. Her seizures stopped. Her condition stabilized. She went back to school. She played. She laughed. She lived in the way every child should. Article content Article content Then, in June, B.C.'s NDP government ended her treatment. Article content Article content Health Minister Josie Osborne pointed to recommendations from the EDRD committee and Canada's Drug Agency, which, she said, claimed there was 'no clinical evidence (the drug) would provide further benefits.' That term, clinical, bureaucratic and cold, ignored what was visible. Charleigh's family and doctors saw stabilization. Experts in Batten disease, both here and abroad, affirmed the drug was helping her. Article content Still, the province refused to budge. Funding was denied. Appeals were dismissed. Charleigh's parents turned to crowdfunding, launching a GoFundMe campaign to fund her continued care. Article content It was ultimately British Columbians, outraged by what they saw and by the painful pleas for help made by Charleigh's mother Jori Fales, who turned the tide against the government. The public rose up: advocates, physicians, editorial boards and thousands of citizens. Petitions circulated. Columns demanded action. People made clear what the government would not: that compassion should never depend on political expedience or private fundraising. Article content Article content On July 17, after weeks of silence and mounting political pressure, Osborne reversed the decision. Funding resumed. Charleigh's treatment was back on track. Her family could breathe again. Article content Then came the backlash. Article content Ten members of the EDRD committee resigned, claiming the minister's reversal amounted to political interference. To them, it wasn't the denial of a child's care that crossed a line. It was restoring it. Article content Let that settle in. Article content An unelected committee withdrew a terminally ill child's treatment behind closed doors. A minister intervened only when the political cost of inaction became too high. And when she finally did, the loudest protest came from within the system itself. Article content This wasn't just a policy failure. It was a collapse of moral leadership. A failure made worse by how long elected officials remained silent. Article content Osborne only acted under pressure. Premier David Eby, consistent in his absence, waited until the public outcry made it impossible not to respond.
National Post
5 minutes ago
- National Post
VinFast's VF 8 Challenges Assumptions on EV Trade‑Offs
Article content MARKHAM, Ontario — As Canada races toward its all‑electric 2035 goal, the VinFast VF 8 positions itself to win over drivers torn between ambition, affordability and practicality—showing that going green can mean gaining more, not giving up. The clock is ticking toward 2035, when Canada plans to require all new cars to run on electricity. Yet two-thirds of Canadians say this goal is unrealistic 1, with paused rebates and tariff disputes adding to the feeling that drivers shoulder the risks of this transition. Article content Surveys suggest that interest in electric vehicles (EVs) persists, provided affordability and practicality come first. A June survey found that 45 percent of Canadians are considering an EV for their next purchase 2. And J.D. Power's 2025 Canada Electric Vehicle Consideration Study shows a steady 28 percent of new-vehicle shoppers 'very likely' or 'somewhat likely' to consider an EV, down just one point from 2024 despite the suspension of the federal Incentives for Zero Emissions Vehicles program. Article content With early adopters largely accounted for, the next wave of buyers represents the mass market, often driven more by technology than ideology. The trend is prevalent particularly in younger generations: 54 percent of Millennials and 51 percent of Generation Z say their next car will likely be electric 3. Growing up with smartphones, they likely expect vehicles that update overnight, store preferences and integrate features like voice-controlled heated steering wheels. Article content Of course, concerns persist. For drivers without home charging, 74 % say reliable public fast-charging is a deciding factor in any future EV purchase 4. Price is another hurdle: the average EV in Canada costs about C$73,000, compared to C$66,000 for a new ICE vehicle, according to the latest available Canadian Black Book data 5. Article content An Upgrade Without Compromise Article content The VF 8, a mid-size SUV from EV maker VinFast—the top-selling car brand in Vietnam in 2024—offers an alternative. Many Canadians still fear that going electric requires compromise. The VF 8 aims to counter that perception by combining range, performance and everyday usability at a lower price. Article content Starting at C$53,600, roughly C$20,000 below the Canadian EV average, it delivers up to 412 kilometers per charge, 402 horsepower and accelerates from 0 to 100 km/h in 5.5 seconds. Its 15.6-inch touchscreen integrates entertainment, Alexa-powered voice commands and direct Spotify streaming. Owners can pre-condition the cabin or schedule charging via an app. Safety features, including 11 airbags, a head-up display and an automatic emergency alert system, come standard. Article content Charging access is integrated into ownership. VinFast's app connects drivers to more than 100,000 public charging stations across North America and manages service appointments and roadside assistance, a level of coverage the company calls the most comprehensive among EV brands. Article content As policy debates continue, the shift to EVs may be driven less by mandates than by vehicles like the VF 8 that deliver clear value. Many buyers arrive expecting compromises but leave with a car priced below the EV average, equipped with familiar technology and meeting everyday needs for comfort and peace of mind. That change in expectation could matter more than any government deadline. Article content 4 Article content Article content 5 Article content Article content Article content
CBC
6 minutes ago
- CBC
YM Inc. to take over Saks Off 5th lease in Winnipeg outlet mall
Clothing retailer YM Inc. has struck a deal to buy leases of five former Hudson's Bay-owned locations. The deal, valued at $5.03 million, includes the now-empty Saks Off 5th space in Outlet Collection Winnipeg. Following the closure of Hudson's Bay stores in June, along with Saks Fifth Avenue and Saks Off 5th stores, it's still unclear how the other empty spaces left behind within the malls will be filled.
