Trudeau's warning about Trump's objective ‘prudent,' economic summit member says
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau told business leaders at the Canada-U.S. Economic Summit in Toronto that U.S. President Donald Trump's threat to annex Canada 'is a real thing.' Arlene Dickinson, member of the Council on Canada-U.S. Relations and founder of District Ventures Capital, attended the summit and says that Trump's objective is to 'take over' Canada's resources. Dickinson adds that Trudeau's comments were not confidential.
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Globe and Mail
26 minutes ago
- Globe and Mail
BC Ferries says state-owned Chinese builder clear choice for new vessels despite trade war
BC Ferries is buying four massive ferries from a Chinese state-owned shipyard to run routes to and from Vancouver Island, saying that bidder was the clear choice despite China being locked in a trade war with Canada. The publicly owned ferry operator announced this week that China Merchants Industry Weihai Shipyards had won the right to build these vessels and that no Canadian companies stepped up, mostly because they are too busy fulfilling federal military contracts. BC Ferries – one of the largest and most complex ferry systems in the world – would not disclose the value of the shipbuilding contract, stating the need to protect its ability negotiate on future deals to build three more boats in the coming decade. British Columbia's Transportation Minister Mike Farnworth was disappointed the contract bypassed local shipyards, but acknowledged BC Ferries 'made a business decision.' Still, he called on BC Ferries to be transparent about the costs of the overhaul of its aging fleet, but noted he had no power to compel the company, since it was privatized 20 years ago. The company has one single voting share held by the B.C. Ferry Authority, which is owned by the province. 'At the end of the day, people will want to know how much you're spending and that would be regardless of where they were built, whether they're built here or whether they were built elsewhere,' Mr. Farnworth said in an interview Wednesday. 'So I expect that will come up.' An aging fleet, growing demand, spiralling costs: Rough seas for BC Ferries When The Globe and Mail reported earlier this year on BC Ferries applying to its provincial regulator to approve its bid for five new vessels, officials confirmed those ships would total more than $1-billion. The regulator ultimately approved only four of the five ships being built and BC Ferries CEO Nicolas Jimenez said this week the new contract fits within its approved budget. Mr. Jimenez also said the current bilateral tensions played no role in the shipbuilding decision, adding his primary focus was getting the province a good deal. 'Customers expect us to go source the best possible deal, the highest quality, a yard that provides safety, a yard that provides the highest in standards when it comes to oversight and labour, and to get the best cost,' he said at a news conference Tuesday. 'When it comes to things like trade policy, industrial policy, geopolitics, we would really defer that to the federal and provincial governments and expect them to manage and work those issues.' BC Ferries has said its fleet is already running at capacity at peak travel times, and with population growth, the service is only going to get worse for users, including for commercial traffic that is integral to the province's supply chains. It said Weihai Shipyards has built vessels for Canada's Marine Atlantic ferry company and other operators such as Corsica Linea and Brittany Ferries of France. Mr. Jimenez added China's tariffs don't affect the import of these types of ships into Canada. Bruce Williams, CEO of the Greater Victoria Chamber of Commerce, said BC Ferries did its due diligence during its years-long procurement process. BC Ferries pushes for swift approval of $1-billion shipbuilding contract amid tariff threats Mr. Farnworth said he had no national security concerns with a state-owned Chinese shipyard constructing these vessels and noted Ottawa recently committed to high-level talks with China to thaw the trade dispute. B.C.'s and Canada's second largest international trading partners are both China, yet B.C. Premier David Eby's recent 10-day trade mission included Japan, South Korea and Malaysia while excluding Asia's biggest economy. The Opposition B.C. Conservatives have called on Mr. Eby's government to cancel the contract that was announced on Tuesday, while accusing him of abandoning Canadian workers. When the request for proposals was issued last fall, B.C. shipbuilder Seaspan said in a statement that 'Canadian shipyards and their supply chains cannot compete with low-wage countries that have lower employment standards, lower environmental standards and lower safety standards than Canada and B.C.' Seaspan said in a statement Tuesday that it was currently building ships for the Royal Canadian Navy and the Canadian Coast Guard at its North Vancouver shipyard. The B.C. Federation of Labour, which represents roughly half a million union members in the province, issued a strong rebuke of a contract it labelled a 'colossal mistake.' 'According to media reports, BC Ferries defended itself by saying 60% of major ships in the world are built in China,' the organization posted on social media. 'Wrong-headed decisions like this are the reason why.' With a report from The Canadian Press
Globe and Mail
26 minutes ago
- Globe and Mail
World Cup 2026 organizers prepare for wrinkles created by U.S. travel restrictions
The head of Toronto's World Cup 2026 host committee says the executive order issued by the White House last week restricting travel to the U.S. from 19 countries is more of the same uncertainty that organizers have had to adjust to as partners in the event with the U.S. under President Donald Trump. 'Things have been changing with some of these [presidential] orders back and forth, as we all know in the tariff situation,' said Sharon Bollenbach, the executive director of FIFA World Cup 2026 Toronto. When the new edict came down, 'I think there's a bit of, like: 'OK, that's what we're dealing with today.'' Her assessment echoed comments by some of her U.S. counterparts at a gathering of the 11 U.S. host city leaders this week. 'There are going to be geopolitical issues that we don't even know right now that are going to affect the tournament next year, so we recognize that we're planning within uncertainty,' Meg Kane, the head of Philadelphia's local organizing committee, told reporters. 'One of the things that I think we all recognize is that we have to be really good at operating within that uncertainty.' Last week's executive order bans citizens of 12 countries from travelling to the U.S., including Iran, ranked 18th in the world by FIFA, which qualified for the World Cup in March. Other nations with promising teams such as Haiti and Sudan also fall under the ban. The U.S. also partially restricted travel to the U.S. of citizens of an additional seven countries, including Venezuela, Cuba, and Sierra Leone. World Cup 2026 will be Canada's chance to show the world how much fight we have in us The order contains exemptions for players, staff and family members of sports teams competing in major events such as the World Cup or the Olympics. But it caught organizers off guard and represents a significant impediment for fans hoping to travel between the three host nations. It also casts a shadow over the spirit of unity that those countries – Canada, the United States and Mexico – had hoped to strike when they signed on to the tournament in 2018. In a statement to The Globe and Mail, Jessie Adcock, FIFA World Cup 26 Vancouver host committee lead, said the organization is 'actively reviewing the recent Executive Order issued by the White House and are in ongoing discussions with our partners to assess any potential implications for tournament planning and operations.' Bollenbach noted that the schedule for the first round of the tournament – which kicks off in Canada at Toronto's BMO Field on June 12, 2026, followed by a match at BC Place in Vancouver the next day – won't be known until FIFA conducts its draw in December. That is when fans will learn where their teams are playing their three group stage matches, prior to the knockout round. Toronto will host one of the round-of-32 knockout games. Vancouver will host one round-of-32 match and one round-of-16 match. 'Until we know the countries that are specifically coming to our cities, there's not a lot we can do,' said Bollenbach. 'When the draw happens and we know what countries are playing here, that will unlock and cascade a lot of things for us in terms of planning, and part of that will be the travel plans and the marketing plan that we want to do to the countries that are playing here. We'll have to figure out if they're on that travel ban list.' She pointed out that fans from the 19 countries named in the executive order will still be free to travel to Canada. Iran is the only country in that group whose team has already qualified for the tournament. Portugal wins Nations League with thrilling penalty shootout win over Spain Last month, U.S. Vice President J.D. Vance said foreigners are welcome to attend the tournament, but warned: 'When the time is up, they'll have to go home, otherwise, they'll have to talk to Secretary Noem,' referring to Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem. Bollenbach spoke ahead of an event scheduled for Thursday evening at Toronto's Nathan Phillips Square marking one year from kickoff, at which dignitaries will unveil an official FIFA World Cup 26 Toronto Countdown Clock. Toronto mayor Olivia Chow proclaimed Thursday 'Soccer Day,' and encouraged Torontonians to turn out to the event wearing jerseys of their favourite teams. Chow has been critical of the agreement the city signed with FIFA as well as the escalating cost of hosting the event, which is now pegged at $380-million. In recent weeks she has warned that tariffs could add to the costs, and she has said the city, which is already on the hook for almost $179-million, might need to ask the province and federal government for more money than they have already committed. She has also alleged that the Ontario government is putting too high a value on the services included in the calculations of its $97-million pledge, leaving the city to make up a $39-million shortfall. The city and province are currently in negotiations over the dispute.
CTV News
28 minutes ago
- CTV News
Windsor Assembly returning to regular production ahead of schedule
Windsor Assembly Plant seen in Windsor, Ont. on April 3, 2025. (Chris Campbell/CTV News Windsor) Two shift production is set to return to Windsor Assembly sooner than expected, according to the union representing workers at the Stellantis plant. On Wednesday, Unifor Local 444 updated its members through its social media pages full two shift operation would return on June 23. The automaker had put the workforce on alternating layoffs, in part, pointing to the economic uncertainty created by new U.S. tariffs brought in by the White House. All workers weren't set to return to full production until June 30, according to a union schedule. CTV News has reached out to Stellantis for comment.
