Mark Carney, Pierre Poilievre to partake in competing Calgary Stampede events
Carney, who strolled the Stampede grounds on Friday night, is scheduled to attend a pancake breakfast this morning and host a party fundraiser later in the day.
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Toronto Sun
an hour ago
- Toronto Sun
More soldiers, more money. Canada's top soldier extols benefits of spending boost
Published Jul 06, 2025 • 3 minute read Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney walks alongside Chief of the Defense Staff Gen. Jennie Carignan, and Minister of National Defense, David McGuinty, as they attend a tour of the Fort York Armoury in Toronto on June 9, 2025 in Toronto, Canada. Photo by Cole Burston / Getty Images CALGARY — Canada's top soldier is looking forward to a boost in military spending that includes a pay raise for military personnel at a time when uncertainty on the world stage is high. 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 NATO leaders — including Canada — have approved a plan to dramatically increase defence spending across the Western alliance to five per cent of gross domestic product over the next decade. Prime Minister Mark Carney said the move to five per cent of GDP — 3.5 per cent for core military spending and 1.5 per cent for defence-related infrastructure — will take place over the next 10 years. In an interview with The Canadian Press Saturday, Chief of the Defence Staff Gen. Jennie Carignan said work is underway to figure out how to distribute the almost 20 per cent pay hikes promised by Defence Minister David McGuinty. 'It's an envelope that will be adapting to what we need. Some of it will be a pay increase, some of it will be for benefit allowances for specific trades or specific functions,' Carignan said. 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. 'Yes there will be a raise this year. Yes that's the aim so we want everything to be ready for the fall and winter time.' Carignan said the amount of the pay hike will depend on a soldier's rank and allowances will be allocated to specific trades where the CAF needs more people. 'For example recruiting and training is a priority. We want to make sure we encourage instructors in our schools so they're going to be additional benefits as an example,' she said. Chief Warrant Officer Bob McCann said the extra pay and benefits will be a morale booster for military personnel. 'We're in a great space right now where there's a lot of attention on defence. For the troops this is outstanding because this is why we joined. We want to serve. We want to be part of Canada's defence,' McCann said. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. 'We want to have equipment to train so everything that's coming is truly positive and we do have 107 trades that are highly competitive with the civilian industry so getting folks in, getting them trained, takes the pressure off the troops that are already there.' Carignan said it's been a good year for recruiting, with the CAF surpassing its objective by 2,000 for the first time in 10 years. She said fewer people are leaving the service as well. About 18 per cent of the new recruits are women. 'A very good retention rate and a lot more people coming in which means we are growing at CAF at the moment and very positive.' Carignan said plans are in place to boost the number of military personnel. 'We are focusing on going back to our full complement of regular Canadian Armed Forces members and reserve force so it's 30,000 reserves we are aiming for and 71,500 regular forces,' she said. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. 'We have additional positions that are also approved and as time goes by and we are close to our ceiling we will add additional forces.' Carignan said the extra funding will help keep Canada safe. 'Our geography does not protect us as well as it used to. We need to have more investment to actually exercise our own sovereignty here in Canada and of course this implies the Arctic,' she said. 'It is getting more contested, more traffic, more people interested in this area so of course we have to invest more in the Arctic to make sure our sovereignty is respected.' Carignan wants to see more radar bases be able to scramble jets or ships if required. 'We have to have the sensors in place — once you have seen you have to have the ability to intercept or actually act,' she said. 'This is all building blocks that goes to our providing that defensive posture we need to have in the Arctic.' Toronto & GTA Toronto Maple Leafs World Sunshine Girls World
Edmonton Journal
2 hours ago
- Edmonton Journal
Seatless Poilievre rustles up leadership support among Stampede faithful
Article content He may have been rejected by voters in his own Ottawa riding but a Saturday evening Stampede week audience seemed ready to put Pierre Poilievre back in the Conservative leadership saddle. Article content The sold-out barbecue crowd courted by Poilievre at Heritage Park ended a day of political glad-handing among urban cowpokes by all the federal leaders and their provincial counterparts. Article content Article content Article content Article content In a campaign-style speech not unlike those he delivered last April ahead of the federal election lost by his Conservatives, Poilievre made his argument that he remains his party's best hope at the helm — and the 1,200 who gathered for beef and politics seemed receptive. Article content 'We don't back down and we don't run away when things get hard — we dust ourselves and get back in the saddle,' he told his supporters who delivered two standing ovations. Article content Poilievre wasted little time in taking shots at his nemesis, Prime Minister Mark Carney, by noting his shakiness earlier in the day flipping pancakes at a Stampede breakfast. Article content 'He couldn't figure out whether his elbows were up or down,' said Poilievre, digging on accusations Carney's decision to honour a demand by U.S. President Donald Trump that Canada drop a digital service tax. 'With his great talks with Trump, he's had much experience flip-flopping.' Article content Article content Poilievre avoided any words directly sympathetic to a separatist movement in Alberta but did suggest Albertans disillusioned with Ottawa have reason to be. Article content 'I'll use the platform of leader of the opposition to amplify the legitimate demands of western Canada to end the unfair treatment,' he said. Article content 'The era of Ottawa telling Alberta to pay up and shut up must end once and for all.' Article content Poilievre is bidding for a return to Parliament as he campaigns in a byelection in the solidly Tory seat of Battle River-Crowfoot, which will be held Aug. 18. Article content While he's expected to easily prevail there, his standing in the rest of the country is far less certain. Article content A Nanos Research poll conducted in late June suggests the ruling Liberals under new PM Carney lead the Conservatives by 14 percentage points. Article content The knives among party operatives aren't yet out publicly for Poilievre but that could change if he continues to badly trail Carney in the fall, said Mount Royal University political scientist Duane Bratt. Article content And the Alberta byelection widely considered a shoo-in to return Poilievre to the House of Commons promises to be a political minefield in a national context, he said. Article content The one-time Tory leader will be walking a tightrope where the path he navigates could alienate party supporters with separatist leanings in Alberta and elsewhere, said Bratt. Article content 'What matters is not so much the election result, it's going to be his campaign that's happening during a debate about Alberta's place in Canada,' he said. Article content 'How does he not hurt himself in the rest of the country, what's his views on greater taxation powers for Alberta, on immigration in Alberta and on constitutional change?' Article content Article content In effect Poilievre, he said, will be spending much of his summer campaigning for both a seat in Parliament and his own job as Conservative leader. Article content And his running in one of the safest Conservative seats in the country — won last April with 83 per cent of the vote by Tory Damien Kurek, who's since signed on with a government relations and lobbying firm — produce optics of weakness, said Bratt. Article content But some of those who attended the Conservative party barbecue fundraiser said they don't foresee Poilievre being replaced by anyone else. Article content 'I can't see the party dumping him — he's been successful in a strange political environment,' said former conservative radio talk-show host Dave Rutherford. Article content He noted that despite the electoral loss the party under Poilievre increased its vote count by 2.5 million and added 25 seats to its caucus. Article content But he agreed Poilievre will have to balance his required support for a united Canada with an often separatist-leaning Conservative base in Alberta. Article content Article content 'It's part of the whole UCP culture,' said Rutherford, referring to the provincial conservative party largely allied to their federal cousins. Article content In introducing Poilievre at the barbecue, Kurek – who also received a standing ovation – said he gladly relinquished his seat to advance the Conservative movement 'as quickly as possible.' Article content Article content On Saturday morning, Carney flipped flapjacks at a Stampede breakfast in the city's northeast and admitted his skills were rusty. Article content 'I'm here all day until I get it right,' said Carney. Article content Premier Danielle Smith also attended the breakfast and playfully chided Carney on his pancake-handling technique. Article content She also told him she would soon be signing a memo of understanding with Ontario Premier Doug Ford on energy, priorities and trade. Article content 'It'd be so great if we didn't have (carbon) net-zero rules,' she told the prime minister, who walked the Stampede grounds Friday evening.
Toronto Sun
4 hours ago
- Toronto Sun
SPLAT!: Prime Minister Carney struggles to flip perfect pancake at Calgary Stampede
Published Jul 06, 2025 • 3 minute read Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney flips pancakes during a stampede breakfast at the United Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners of America in Calgary on Friday, July 4, 2025. Photo by Darren Makowichuk / DARREN MAKOWICHUK/Postmedia CALGARY — Prime Minister Mark Carney may be a deft hand when it comes to handling finances, but he proved Saturday that his flapjack flipping could use some work. 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 Carney attended a pancake breakfast Saturday hosted by the United Brotherhood of Carpenters, which attracted a crowd of about 200 people. 'The grill's hot,' Carney told onlookers. 'You guys ready?' Sizzling on a black, flat-top griddle, Carney slid his spatula under the first hotcake and flipped it, landing with a splat. In an attempt to redeem himself, he tossed a second into the air, but it, too, landed lopsided and sent batter splatters into the crowd. 'I was better in Ottawa,' Carney joked. 'I got a little cocky there. I'll take responsibility.' Sliding the two pancake mishaps to the side, Carney said: 'These are mine. I'm not making anyone eat these.' The prime minister asked if anyone had watched 'The Galloping Gourmet,' a cooking show that aired from the late 1960s and the early '70s. 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. 'He'd be like, 'Here's one I made earlier,'' said Carney, taking a perfectly-made pancake and placing it on the griddle. One onlooker told the prime minister, 'You're even worse at (flipping pancakes) than Trudeau.' 'There are certain things at my job I'm better at,' Carney quipped. 'I'm better at eating pancakes … I'm better at Eggo waffles.' RECOMMENDED VIDEO The prime minister shook hands and took photos with many people attending the breakfast. He also ran into Alberta Premier Danielle Smith, who took part in some pancake flipping earlier this week with Calgary Mayor Jyoti Gondek. 'The premier's here. I love your blue hat. It looks like you've got a whole collection,' Carney said. 'I do and I can't wear the same colour all the time,' Smith said. 'But I hear you have a little work to do on your flipping skills.' This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. 'I do,' Carney replied. 'There's video evidence. I'm not going to deny it.' Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre was also attending the breakfast, but waited in his vehicle until Carney left. Smith told Carney that she and Ontario Premier Doug Ford were going to sign a memorandum of understanding on energy, priorities and trade. 'It would be so great if we didn't have net-zero (carbon) rules,' Smith said. Fresh off door knocking in rural Alberta, Poilievre hosted his own barbecue at Heritage Park in southeast Calgary Saturday evening and addressed a tent full of several hundred party supporters. The Conservative leader is seeking to regain his spot in the House of Commons after losing his long-held seat in Ottawa in the recent federal election. Poilievre was introduced by Damien Kurek, the former member of Parliament who stepped aside so he could run for the seat. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Poilievre, wearing a cream-coloured cowboy hat, blue jeans and a belt buckle, started his remarks by chirping Carney's earlier performance on the griddle. 'He thought he would be great at it because in his talks with Donald Trump, he's had so much experience flip-flopping,' Poilievre said. 'A careful review of a slow motion replay demonstrated exactly what the problem was. He couldn't figure out whether to keep his elbows up.' The party is still licking its wounds after its recent loss in the federal election, which appeared to be Poilievre's to lose at this time last year. Poilievre argued that in spite of the loss, his party has been responsible for many of the current federal government's policies, such as the decision to end the consumer price on carbon. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Poilievre will be back in Calgary this coming January for the Conservative national convention, where he will have his leadership tested in a party vote. 'To be honest, I wanted to return here today with an election victory. Though we didn't win, we made extraordinary gains,' he said. Closing out a speech that railed on the federal government's immigration, fiscal and environment policies, the Calgary-born leader leaned on a Western-themed metaphor. 'When things get hard, we dust ourselves off, we get back in the saddle, and we gallop forward to the fight,' he said. Party members lined up shortly after to take photos with him onstage. Toronto Maple Leafs Sunshine Girls Toronto & GTA Crime Toronto Blue Jays
