Latest news with #CanadianIdentity
CBC
27-05-2025
- General
- CBC
Hear remarks from King Charles ahead of full throne speech
King Charles, who opened the new session of Parliament on Tuesday, made some personal remarks ahead of the official speech, saying he has always had 'the greatest admiration for Canada's unique identity.'
CTV News
17-05-2025
- Business
- CTV News
‘Amazing enthusiasm' for MEC's return to Canadian ownership, executive says
A MEC store in Vancouver is seen in this file photo. (CTV News) Five years after it was sold to American investors in a creditor protection proceeding, popular outdoor retailer Mountain Equipment Company is back in Canadian hands. CEO Peter Hlynsky announced in a post on the company's website Friday that a Canadian investment group had become the company's majority owners. Hlynsky is part of that group, as is chief merchandising officer Chris Speyer, who spoke to CTV News via Zoom on Friday night. Speyer said the 'primary investor' of the group is Tim Gu, who is also a major shareholder in Roots, among other Canadian retail companies. 'We all come at this with a deep passion for the outdoors and a long-time connection to MEC,' Speyer said. 'We think that Canadian identity is more important than ever and we also think Canadians can build strategy for Canadians in a way that might be different than how international ownership might think about it.' He said the timing of the takeover is apt, given the current political climate caused by U.S. President Donald Trump's hostility to free trade with Canada and stated desire to annex his northern neighbour. Canadians' response to MEC's announcement has, so far, been 'amazing enthusiasm and pride,' Speyer said. He said the company employs 2,000 Canadians and is 'a Canadian institution.' The new ownership group will be looking to expand the company's made-in-Canada offerings, Speyer added. He also offered a positive assessment of the work the company's American owners have done since acquiring MEC in 2020. Kingswood Capital has done a good job stabilizing the company and maintaining continuity, Speyer said, adding that the company began looking for 'the right buyer' for MEC last August. 'Their business model is not long-term investing, it's relatively short-term investing,' he said. Speyer said the new ownership group is focused on the long term. MEC was founded in Vancouver in 1971 as Mountain Equipment Co-operative.
Calgary Herald
15-05-2025
- Politics
- Calgary Herald
Poilievre says Guilbeault is a threat to national unity after pipeline comments
Article content OTTAWA — Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre said Thursday that Liberal cabinet minister Steven Guilbeault posed an imminent danger to Confederation, one day after Guilbeault's off-the-cuff comments on pipelines set off a firestorm in Alberta. Article content Article content 'Yes he is. Absolutely,' Poilievre said when asked by reporters if Guilbeault was a threat to national unity in his current role as Minister of Canadian Identity and Quebec Lieutenant. Article content Article content 'I just find it astonishing that (Prime Minister Mark) Carney would appoint a man who says that we don't need any pipelines built,' said Poilievre. Article content Article content '(Guilbeault) wants to block road construction, he's against nuclear power, he's against all forms of economic development… for the entire country.' Article content Guilbeault said on Wednesday that Canada should maximize the use of existing pipelines before building new ones, asserting incorrectly that the recently operational Trans Mountain Expansion Project (TMX) was only at 'about 40 per cent capacity.' Article content TMX has been consistently running between 76 per cent and 86 per cent capacity since it opened in May 2024, according to the latest available data from Canada's Energy Regulator. Article content Guilbeault also said that he thought that demand for oil would peak within the next few years, both in Canada and globally. Article content Article content Poilievre said that Guilbeault's pipeline comments fit a pattern of 'antagon(ism) to… resource producing provinces like Saskatchewan and Alberta, who rightly feel like they have been mistreated by (the Liberals).' Article content Article content Poilievre, who grew up in Calgary, will be running in an upcoming byelection in the rural Alberta riding of Battle River—Crowfoot after losing his Ottawa-area seat in last month's federal election. Article content Guilbeault was appointed by Carney as Minister of Canadian Identity and Quebec Lieutenant in March, after serving as environment minister for three years under Justin Trudeau.
Edmonton Journal
15-05-2025
- Politics
- Edmonton Journal
Poilievre says Guilbeault is a threat to national unity after pipeline comments
Breadcrumb Trail Links Article content OTTAWA — Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre said Thursday that Liberal cabinet minister Steven Guilbeault posed an imminent danger to Confederation, one day after Guilbeault's off-the-cuff comments on pipelines set off a firestorm in Alberta. 'Yes he is, absolutely,' Poilievre said when asked by reporters if Guilbeault was a threat to national unity in his current role as Minister of Canadian Identity and Quebec Lieutenant. Article content 'I just find it astonishing that (Prime Minister Mark) Carney would appoint a man who says that we don't need any pipelines built,' said Poilievre. '(Guilbeault) wants to block road construction, he's against nuclear power, he's against all forms of economic development… for the entire country.' Guilbeault said on Wednesday that Canada should maximize the use of existing pipelines before building new ones, asserting incorrectly that the recently operational Trans Mountain Expansion Project (TMX) was only at 'about 40 per cent capacity.' TMX has been consistently running between 76 per cent and 86 per cent capacity since it opened in May 2024, according to the latest available data from Canada's Energy Regulator. Guilbeault also said that he thought that demand for oil would peak within the next few years, both in Canada and globally. Article content Article content Poilievre said that Guilbeault's pipeline comments fit a pattern of 'antagon(ism) to… resource producing provinces like Saskatchewan and Alberta, who rightly feel like they have been mistreated by (the Liberals).' Poilievre, who grew up in Calgary, will be running in an upcoming byelection in the rural Alberta riding of Battle River—Crowfoot after losing his Ottawa-area seat in last month's federal election. Guilbeault was appointed by Carney as Minister of Canadian Identity and Quebec Lieutenant in March, after serving as environment minister for three years under Justin Trudeau. He stayed in this role after a post-election cabinet shuffle earlier this week. Guilbeault was easily re-elected in his Montreal-area riding, beating NDP challenger Nimâ Machouf by a 33-point margin. Alberta Premier Danielle Smith was one of many in her province who were miffed by Guilbeault's off-script pipeline comments. Latest National Stories
National Post
15-05-2025
- Politics
- National Post
'This is about the economy': What motivates Alberta separatists
With dedicated groups of Albertans pushing for the western province to secede from Canada, new polling shows that most of those living in the province reject this idea, while just over one-third support some form of independence from Canada. Article content Article content The Postmedia-Leger poll also found that 44 per cent of Albertans identify as 'primarily Canadian,' while only 21 per cent identify as primarily Albertan. A further 32 per cent say they identify as both equally. Article content Article content Sixty per cent of those who oppose separation say they identify as primarily Canadian; even among those who wish to see an independent Alberta, 23 per cent say they identify as primarily Canadian, while 45 per cent say they are primarily Albertan. Article content Article content When it comes to a future scenario involving an independent Alberta, the most popular idea, which received the support of 35 per cent of Albertans, would be an independent western bloc, from Manitoba to the Pacific Ocean. Thirty per cent support just Alberta and Saskatchewan breaking away and forming their own country, while 29 per cent would support Alberta going it alone. Article content Just 17 per cent of Albertans are interested in joining the United States. Article content 'I don't really see this as something that's been really steamrolling and gaining a ton of momentum. I think it's … probably been festering for a bit,' said Andrew Enns, Leger's executive vice-president, central Canada. 'Probably the re-election of the Liberals didn't help to diminish anything. But I wouldn't suggest also that it's actually added a bunch of fuel to the fire.' Article content Alberta Premier Danielle Smith has been a frequent critic of the federal government's approach to Alberta. When she met with Prime Minister Mark Carney prior to the election, she made a list of nine demands, many of them involving the energy sector, that she said she expected to see met within six months, or there could be an 'unprecedented national unity crisis.' Article content The majority of Albertans (53 per cent) support Smith's approach on those demands, while 34 per cent disagree. Eighty-three per cent of those who support separation also support Smith's approach, compared to 34 per cent of those who do not support separation. Article content Article content 'What she's doing is not completely offside with her voters and the electorate. I mean, her job is to represent Alberta and Albertans, and not necessarily do things that are going to make (Ontario) Premier (Doug) Ford happy,' said Enns. Article content The single largest individual motivation is economic, largely to do with resource management and taxation. Almost one third (30 per cent) of Albertans give economic factors as their primary reason, compared to eight per cent who identify political reasons — such as political underrepresentation — as their main motivation and five per cent who give cultural reasons, such as regional identity or values.
