Latest news with #Charlevoix
CTV News
17-07-2025
- Business
- CTV News
SÉPAQ workers approve tentative agreement
Hikers enjoy the view from a lookout point during a hike in Hautes-Gorges-de-la-Rivière-Malbaie National Park, a park in the SÉPAQ network located in the Charlevoix region, on Sunday, June 10, 2018. (The Canadian Press/Justin Tang) Unionized employees of Quebec's Société des établissements de plein air (SÉPAQ) have voted in favour of tentative agreements to renew their collective agreement. The Syndicat de la fonction publique et parapublique du Québec (SFPQ) announced the result in a news release late Thursday. The union said 75 per cent of members who took part in an electronic vote over the past few days supported the deal. Voter turnout was 73.2 per cent. The roughly 2,500 workers had been threatening an unlimited general strike starting at midnight Saturday if the agreement had been rejected. 'We're pleased with this positive outcome for all parties, as well as for Quebec vacationers who will continue to enjoy SÉPAQ's facilities and the services provided by our passionate and professional members,' said SFPQ president Christian Daigle in the statement. The new contract runs until 2028 and includes pay adjustments and wage increases totalling more than 25 per cent, the union said. 'On top of that are significant bonuses for part of the staff, as well as other monetary and non-monetary gains related to working conditions,' said Patrick Audy, SFPQ vice-president and lead negotiator. The workers' previous contract expired on Dec. 31, 2023. This report by The Canadian Press was first published in French July 17, 2025.
Yahoo
10-07-2025
- General
- Yahoo
EPA begins long-awaited demolition of contaminated sites in Charlevoix
CHARLEVOIX — After decades of testing, cleanup attempts and unanswered questions — including the drastic step of relocating the city's entire water supply — the long-anticipated demolition of several contaminated buildings in Charlevoix is finally underway. The work marks the most visible phase yet in a slow-moving federal response to widespread industrial pollution that has impacted homes, businesses and city infrastructure in Charlevoix for more than 40 years. The properties slated for demolition include 207 W. Garfield Ave., 230 Antrim St., and 207 and 208 W. Lincoln St. According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), asbestos abatement and demolition are scheduled throughout July, following the June teardown of 207 W. Garfield. Excavation is expected to begin in August at multiple locations, including 205 and 209 Garfield and 208 Lincoln, with work at 230 Antrim planned for September. Full site restoration is expected to continue through October. The contamination at these sites stems from former dry cleaning and manufacturing operations dating back to the 1930s. Historical records show Art's Dry Cleaners operated at 230 Antrim from 1934 to 1979, while 207 W. Garfield was home to Michigan Cleaners from 1948 to 1952, followed by Hooker's Cleaners from 1954 to 1969. Cleanup at the former Hooker's Cleaners site near Bridge Street was completed earlier this year, with excavation in May and restoration finalized in June. More: Toxic land: one family's story The effort to address Charlevoix's underground contamination has been a long, winding process marked by shifting strategies and technical hurdles. The first alarm sounded in 1981, when the Michigan Department of Public Health notified Charlevoix officials that volatile organic compounds had been detected in the city's water supply. By 1984, the city received approval to abandon its groundwater wells and switch to a new Lake Michigan intake system, which was constructed by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Over time, the EPA identified multiple sources of contamination beneath Charlevoix, including dry cleaning solvents from sites like Art's and Hooker's Cleaners and trichloroethylene (TCE) from a tool and die shop on Lincoln Avenue. More: Some answers from the EPA The city was added to the EPA's National Priorities List, and in 2011, the agency officially acknowledged that its initial strategy — relying on natural attenuation to clean the groundwater — had failed. Beginning in the early 1990s, federal and state agencies had already introduced more aggressive remediation methods, including air sparging, which converts pollutants into vapor, and soil vapor extraction, which pulls and treats those vapors from the soil. While these technologies reduced some contamination, pollutant levels remained higher than expected. In 2013, EPA testing confirmed that toxic vapors were migrating through the soil and seeping into buildings — a phenomenon known as vapor intrusion. By 2014, the agency had installed sub-slab depressurization systems at 17 properties to vent harmful gases. A deeper investigation in 2016 revealed that the remaining contamination couldn't be resolved without excavating the affected soil beneath buildings. That finding ultimately led to this year's demolition of structures at several key locations. More: Work planned to remove contaminants from Charlevoix soil, groundwater Resident Barbara Godwin-Chulick raised her two children in the former dry-cleaning building at 230 Antrim St. 'I feel like I am at the mercy of the EPA,' she told the Charlevoix Courier in a 2021 interview, after the agency installed vacuum-like systems that vent chemical vapors through pipes running along the outside of her home. 'They drilled down under my basement.' Godwin-Chulick purchased the property in 1980 with plans to open a pottery studio and start a family, unaware it had once housed a dry-cleaning operation that left toxic chemicals behind. A year later, the local health department notified her of the contamination. Despite the risks, she and her husband stayed and raised their children in the home. More: Plan for Charlevoix's pollution clean-up As of 2021, city officials estimated that 16 properties in Charlevoix had been equipped with similar mitigation systems, including the former Northwest Academy — then the Charlevoix Montessori Academy — on Hurlbut Street. Still, the problems beneath the surface persisted. In 2021, the Courier reported that the site at 207 W. Garfield Ave. had been flagged by the EPA as one of the city's most hazardous. Perchloroethylene (PCE) and TCE levels were so elevated that no future development would be permitted there without full HAZMAT protection during excavation. Scott Kelly, director of BASES, formerly operated the city's teen center from a building at 208 W. Lincoln St. That property — along with the adjacent 207 W. Lincoln — was one of the handful acquired by the federal government for demolition cleanup. Kelly said the building at 208 Lincoln had a long community history. 'It was built in 1946. Originally Max Power's Dairy, and I think it was the dairy for quite a while. Hoskins Manufacturing was in there in the '70s. Then Club 77 came in in the early '90s,' Kelly said. Though environmental concerns at the site had long been acknowledged, demolition wasn't initially on the table. 'They tried all kinds of things with underground piping and pushing air into it and pulling air out, and all kinds of other remediations over the years,' Kelly said. 'We became aware that they were probably likely going to demolish the buildings or around the buildings — first heard of that seven years ago.' Ultimately, Kelly said, the EPA determined that the only way to eliminate the risk was to dig out the source. 'Oh, just pulling everything out and replacing it — yeah, or replacing the dirt. I think that's probably the last-ditch resort,' he said. 'They seem to have exhausted (the other options).' More: EPA and Army Corps to start soil and groundwater clean-up July 29 in Charlevoix Kelly added that the sale price was fair. 'They gave (us) the price for the land that you felt like — if the contamination situation wasn't happening — correctly.' Although Kelly and his BASES team didn't observe any direct health impacts during their years in the building, they did their research. 'We looked up a lot Like, 'Wait a minute, we've been in here for a long time,'' he said. 'But it was all focused on the water and the soil, right? So, you know, as long as nobody was eating dirt…' Demolition on Lincoln Street and the former dry cleaners location at 230 Antrim will follow later this year. According to the EPA, all contaminated material will be excavated and transported to a licensed hazardous waste facility. Air monitors have been installed on site to ensure safety for nearby residents. Subscribe: Check out our offers and access the local news that matters to you The public is asked to steer clear of all active construction zones, which will be marked with fencing, signage and traffic controls. These closures are in place to ensure safety while contaminated materials are hauled from the sites, according to the U.S. Army Corps. The cleanup is being carried out by Plexus-Avuda Joint Venture, LLC, under a contract funded through an EPA Superfund award. As part of the work, Grant Street will be closed between Newman Street and West Antrim Street when needed from July through September while crews are active at 230 W. Antrim. Construction will take place on weekdays from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m., with breaks on federal holidays and during the Venetian and Apple festivals. — Contact reporter Annie Doyle at 231-675-0099 and adoyle@ This article originally appeared on The Petoskey News-Review: Environmental Protection Agency begins long-awaited demolition of contaminated sites in Charlevoix
Forbes
21-06-2025
- Business
- Forbes
Leadership Falters As Climate Costs Soar And Time To Act Runs Out
CHARLEVOIX, CANADA - JUNE 9: In this photo provided by the German Government Press Office (BPA), ... More German Chancellor Angela Merkel deliberates with US president Donald Trump on the sidelines of the official agenda on the second day of the G7 summit on June 9, 2018 in Charlevoix, Canada. Also pictured are (L-R) Larry Kudlow, director of the US National Economic Council, Theresa May, UK prime minister, Emmanuel Macron, French president, Angela Merkel, Yasutoshi Nishimura, Japanese deputy chief cabinet secretary, Shinzo Abe, Japan prime minister, Kazuyuki Yamazaki, Japanese senior deputy minister for foreign affairs, John Bolton, US national security adviser, and Donald Trump. Canada are hosting the leaders of the UK, Italy, the US, France, Germany and Japan for the two day summit. (Photo by Jesco Denzel /Bundesregierung via Getty Images) London Climate Action Week is set to start, showcasing what urgent, inclusive climate action looks like when cities, financiers, and citizens unite. But the energy and innovation on display in London are being overshadowed by growing inaction from global leaders. Just days after the G7 failed to deliver any meaningful policy progress, and as the EU backpedals on its green regulation agenda, a troubling gap is emerging between local ambition and failures of international leadership. This retreat is happening at the worst possible moment. Climate damage costs are skyrocketing, climate science is sounding red alerts, and economic evidence points to a clear win: green investment can grow economies, create jobs, and protect communities. The world's most powerful leaders are not just missing an opportunity, they are magnifying a crisis. To grasp its scale, we need to look at the growing economic cost of inaction. The Price Of Delay And The Need For Leadership Bloomberg Intelligence has estimated that in the year to May 2025, the U.S. incurred close to $1 trillion (or around 3% of GDP) in direct climate-related costs from floods, wildfires, infrastructure damage, and insurance losses. Globally, heatwaves, droughts, and extreme weather are disrupting supply chains, inflating food prices, and undermining financial stability. Insurers have seen annual catastrophe losses surge tenfold since the 1980s. Premiums have skyrocketed, and coverage has shrunk, especially in wildfire and storm prone regions, exacerbating economic disruption and housing unaffordability. At the same time, the European Union appears to be shelving the Green Claims Directive, retreating under political pressure precisely when markets are demanding clear, consistent regulation to guide sustainable investment. This uncertainty discourages capital and undermines momentum. These setbacks comes as the OECD's 2025 Green Growth report shows that climate action could unlock $7.4 trillion per year in investment and job creation if scaled by 2030. Yet rather than harnessing this opportunity, many leaders are hesitating. Nowhere is this hesitancy more evident than in the recent action, or inaction, of the G7, whose decisions ripple far beyond their border G7 Paralysis And The Global Ripple Effect The G7's latest Chair's Summary reaffirms familiar goals, like limiting warming to 1.5°C but offered no timelines, targets, or tools to achieve it. 'Once again, the G7 chose safe, business-as-usual declarations over the bold, future-proof action we urgently need,' said Daniela Fernandez, CEO of Sustainable Ocean Alliance. 'The G7's latest climate commitments reflect a deeper issue,' added Ibrahim AlHusseini, managing partner of climate investor FullCycle. 'Global leaders are increasingly distracted by immediate geopolitical crises, and climate, still perceived as a medium to long-term risk, has slipped down the agenda. But this is a dangerous miscalculation.' He added: 'Delay is not neutral, it's an accelerant of future instability,' with direct consequences for supply chains, migration, and global financial systems. And it's not just experts calling for change. According to the 2024 People's Climate Vote, 80% of people globally want their countries to strengthen climate commitments, and over two-thirds support a fast transition from fossil fuels. Other surveys echoes this: 89% of people across 125 countries support stronger government action, yet many mistakenly believe they are in the minority. This public mandate for bold climate action stands in sharp contrast to the political hesitancy now on display. As political will may be stalling, another sector is responding. What was once viewed as an environmental issue is now a pressing financial risk. Climate Risk Becomes Financial Risk Inaction is not just costly, it is destabilizing. The financial consequences are already unfolding across insurance markets and beyond. "We have already seen residential and commercial insurance premiums rise and availability drop in recent years, in response to growing insurer losses," warns Tom Sabetelli-Goodyer, vice-president of climate risk at FIS. They are early signs of a broader, systemic threat. As climate impacts intensify, they are cascading through the financial system, affecting asset valuations, credit risk, and the stability of entire markets. Regulators around the world have begun to integrate climate risk into their frameworks, but last week, the Basel Committee on Banking Supervision, the global standard-setter for financial regulation, added its voice with a new framework for the voluntary disclosure of climate-related financial risks. While non-binding, the guidance marks a significant step and reinforces a clear message: climate risk is no longer just environmental, it's financial. As Julia Symon, head of research and advocacy at Finance Watch put it: 'Without clear, consistent data, supervisors are flying blind, unaware of the real risks building up on balance sheets.' The Climate Clock Is Ticking Scientific indicators confirm the urgency and the danger of delay. The 2024 Indicators of Global Climate Change report shows that the average global temperature from 2015 to 2024 reached 1.24°C above pre-industrial levels, with human activity responsible for nearly all of it. In 2024 alone, global temperatures spiked to 1.52°C, temporarily crossing the critical 1.5°C threshold. More troubling still, human-induced warming is accelerating at an unprecedented rate of 0.27°C per decade, the fastest rate ever recorded. At current emissions levels, the remaining carbon budget for staying below 1.5°C could be fully exhausted within just two to five years, depending on assumptions. Scientists also point to a growing Earth energy imbalance and early signs of amplifying climate feedback loops, such as ocean heat uptake and ice melt, which could further lock in extreme changes. The window for keeping global heating within safe limits is narrowing quickly. Yet even as time runs short, the economic case for prompt action continues to strengthen. Green growth offers a rare convergence of climate responsibility and financial return. Green Growth: A Trillion-Dollar Opportunity The OECD Green Growth report emphasizes that investing in clean energy and green infrastructure is not just responsible, its smart economics. Clean energy investment now outpaces fossil fuels, and 90% of global GDP is covered by net-zero targets. The report outlines how aligning financial systems with climate goals could unlock $7.4 trillion annually in investment by 2030. 'Green growth is an approach that seeks to harmonize economic growth with environmental sustainability and helps to deliver broader development benefits,' explains Jennifer Baumwoll, head of climate strategies and policy at UNDP. Far from hindering development, the green transition can generate resilient jobs, improve productivity, and enhance long-term competitiveness. In short, the report argues that climate action is not a cost but a catalyst for growth. Countries like Mongolia and Lao PDR are already demonstrating what this looks like in practice. In Mongolia, a green finance strategy, backed by the Central Bank and a new SDG-aligned taxonomy, has mobilized $120 million in climate-aligned investment, including the country's first green bond. Green lending is targeted to grow from 2% to 10% of all bank lending by 2030. Meanwhile, Lao PDR is advancing a national circular economy roadmap to reduce waste and resource use while unlocking economic opportunity. If fully implemented, it could create 1.6 million jobs and add $16 billion to GDP by 2050. These pragmatic, investment-ready models of climate action deliver real development gains. Their progress underscores a growing global divide: while emerging economies embrace opportunity, many developed nations are falling behind, precisely when their leadership is most needed. A Shrinking Window And Defining Test Of Leadership 2025 marks a critical juncture. Countries are expected to submit new national climate plans (NDCs 3.0) ahead of COP30 in Belém this November. Yet as of late June 2025, four months after the February deadline, only a small fraction had done so. Intended to reflect increased ambition following the Global Stocktake, most submissions remain overdue, and the ambition gap continues to widen. The UN expects a surge of last-minute filings, but tardiness isn't the only concern. Most existing plans fall short of aligning with the 1.5°C target, and the policy frameworks to deliver them at scale are still lacking. The challenge is not technical though but political. Instead of advancing, many major economies are retreating, weakening targets, delaying regulations, and rolling back commitments just as the case for bold action becomes stronger. Evidence shows that a well-managed transition can boost growth, reduce inequality, and build resilience. Yet that potential is being squandered. What's needed now is not just political courage, but real leadership, capable of driving structural reform and aligning finance with planetary boundaries. Decisive action today isn't only about avoiding catastrophe, it's about exercising leadership that can shape a more stable, equitable, and liveable world. The responsibility lies with those in power to act—not later, but now.
Globe and Mail
18-06-2025
- Politics
- Globe and Mail
The G7 is dead – time to move on to the G6
The summit of the Group of Seven is over, but really it was over long before its official ending. It was over before Donald Trump walked out part way through. If you want to know the truth, it was over before it began. It was over because the Group of Seven is over, at least in the sense in which it was originally envisaged: as a club of like-minded democracies, large enough and wealthy enough to be able, collectively, to set the global economic agenda. They're still large and wealthy, albeit not so much in relative terms: where the G7 countries accounted for roughly 70 per cent of world GDP in 1976, the year Canada joined, they now add up to just 45 per cent. What's really changed, however, is that they are no longer so like-minded – or, in one case, democratic. What's changed is that the United States elected Donald Trump. Again. It was possible, just, to pretend there was still a G7, and not a G6 plus one, during Mr. Trump's first term, when he was still, barely, reined in by his advisers. Even then it was somewhat farcical, as at the Charlevoix conference in 2018, when Mr. Trump first signed on to the closing communiqué, then unsigned it – via Twitter, naturally – after Justin Trudeau said something that offended him. Opinion: At the G7, Canada's globalist ambitions put our domestic problems in stark contrast But long before this year's conference, the first since Mr. Trump's re-election, it was evident how difficult it would be to sustain the pretense. Indeed, it was hard to see how Mr. Trump could even be invited. Never mind that, as a convicted felon, he would ordinarily be legally inadmissible to Canada. Never mind, too, that he had spent most of the time since his re-election menacing Canada in various ways, from the imposition (and removal, and re-imposition) of a variety of economy-destroying tariffs to his overt and repeated threats to coercively annex the country. Never mind, last, that he is at this moment attempting, via methods of escalating extremity, to turn the United States into a fascist dictatorship: not normally a ticket into the councils of democratic nations. What the G7 statements released by world leaders say and don't say No, what made this year's meeting of the G7 utterly absurd was that Mr. Trump shares none of the G7's declared aims. It is not merely that he disagrees with the consensus on this or that item on the agenda, or that he prefers a different route to a broadly shared aim. He is fundamentally opposed to everything the G7 stands for, including the G7: the very idea of independent nations attempting to work together for the common good – as opposed to major powers doing whatever they like – is anathema to him. The rest of the G7 are for liberal trade; Mr. Trump is against trade, or at least imports. They are for macroeconomic stability; Mr. Trump is for deficits without limit. They are for the collective defence of the democracies, and in particular for the defence of Ukraine. Mr. Trump is on the side of Russia, and the autocracies. And yet the only thing that the hosts of this year's G7 – Canada, as it happens – could think to do was to carry on as if nothing had changed. To be sure, it was decided in advance that there would be no closing communiqué, to avert another Charlevoix. But otherwise it was to be the same round of meetings, the same list of agenda items. Certainly there was good reason for the G6 to meet – mostly to consider how to deal with Mr. Trump. But the presence of Mr. Trump obliged them to genuflect publicly in his direction, as if he were still an ally and not an adversary; to praise him for his 'leadership,' even as they were privately plotting how to get around the obstacle he presented to their every ambition. It was as if a football team were to huddle with the other team's quarterback. Mr. Trump, for his part, did everything possible to advertise his disdain for the proceedings, and everyone involved. His first act on arriving was to lament that Vladimir Putin was not there, and to suggest that it might be nice in future to include China. He met privately with Prime Minister Mark Carney to discuss those tariffs of his, a meeting so unproductive – Mr. Trump made no commitment to even lower them – that the most it was even claimed to have yielded was an agreement to seek an agreement, which is no agreement at all. And then he left, ostensibly because he had pressing business to attend to re Iran. More likely he was just bored by the sheer pointlessness of it all. I can't say I blame him.
Politico
18-06-2025
- Business
- Politico
Mission accomplished-ish
Presented by The Canadian Medical Association Send tips | Subscribe here | Email Canada Playbook | Follow Politico Canada Thanks for reading Canada Playbook. In today's edition: → MARK CARNEY steers clear of a Rocky Mountain meltdown. → Liberals try to stick the landing on their first big bill. → The latest Canadian connection on K Street. Trade war COULDA BEEN WORSE — MARK CARNEY avoided a Charlevoix repeat. Sure, DONALD TRUMP choppered away from the G7 leaders' summit one day early, lashing out at French President EMMANUEL MACRON on social media, unloading bombastic posts that threatened violence in Iran, and casually telling reporters on Air Force One that Canadians would avoid tariffs if only they chose statehood. And: Carney, whose penchant for punctuality is already the stuff of legend in Ottawa, opened his closing press conference two hours behind schedule. And: Even with Ukrainian President VOLODYMYR ZELENSKYY on the Kananaskis guest list, G7 leaders never did publish a stand-alone joint statement on the war in Ukraine. Carney did include language on Ukraine in his formal summary of the summit, where leaders applauded Trump's 'efforts to achieve a just and lasting peace in Ukraine' and agreed to 'maximize pressure on Russia' to commit to an unconditional ceasefire. The sticking point preventing a joint declaration was unclear for much of Tuesday. But Carney insisted during his closing press conference that all sides did agree on the Ukraine language in his statement. — In related reading: CHRISTOPHER NARDI of the Post reports on a 'remarkable about-face.' — Hey, look at the bright side: The U.S. president didn't attack Carney on the way out the door. The prime minister launched the first stage of a Canada-India diplomatic reset — even if his diplomacy won't mollify a rattled Sikh diaspora. And he saw through joint statements on AI, quantum technologies, migrant smuggling, transnational repression and critical minerals — as well as a wildfire charter that makes no mention of climate change. — Safe to say: No American official is likely reserving a 'special place in hell' for their Kananaskis host. There are worse outcomes. — Read the wrap: From POLITICO's crew in Alberta: G7 embraces 'realpolitik' to work around disruptive Trump. — Fly away home: Carney's run of summitry isn't nearly finished. He's in Brussels on June 23 for a Canada-EU confab before a high-stakes NATO summit a day later in The Hague. — But before his next Eurotrip: The prime minister is poised to claim his first major legislative victory before the House of Commons and Senate rise for the summer. Assuming all goes well on the homefront. ON THE HILL NEW MAN IN CHARGE — MPs are privately wondering whether the PM is trying to run the House of Commons like a corporate boardroom. Carney's push to fast-track his signature Bill C-5 through Parliament has angered Indigenous leaders, environmental groups — and even some Liberal MPs. 'I am personally under the impression that he doesn't fully understand what's the difference between the CEO and a prime minister,' said Bloc Québécois MP JEAN-DENIS GARON. 'And if he thinks he's a CEO, he doesn't understand that he's not a majority shareholder' — which is to say, the Liberals don't command a majority of seats in the House. — Taking a stand: Hundreds of Indigenous people denounced the bill at a Tuesday rally on the Hill alongside the Chiefs of Ontario. Ontario Regional Chief ABRAM BENEDICT said the government's attempt to 'ram through' the legislation is undermining First Nations' rights. He insisted he doesn't oppose development — but that First Nations weren't consulted on the drafting of the bill. Spotted: Liberal MP GREG FERGUS and former Crown–Indigenous Relations Minister MARC MILLER, engaging with protesters. And LEAH GAZAN, walking into the House transport committee as it studied C-5. The NDP MP told Playbook she whispered in Conservative MP PHILIP LAWRENCE's ear to tell him that dozens of chiefs oppose the bill. — In related reading: From KARYN PUGLIESE of APTN News: Indigenous leaders tell the prime minister to start again with Bill C-5. — And ICYMI: CP's ALESSIA PASSAFIUME reports Assembly of First Nations National Chief CINDY WOODHOUSE NEPINAK lobbied for a 'last minute' slot to appeal to the committee. — Behind the scenes: Multiple Liberal MPs acknowledged to Playbook that the prime minister's desire to expedite the bill is creating political headaches. They believe their law will hold up in court, but worry the process disrespects First Nations — and harms the relationship the Liberal government has forged with Indigenous communities. — Bottom line: Carney wants a win by July 1. — Seeing red: Even though the bill is likely to pass with Conservative support, the movement of the bill is raising flags for lawmakers. During the questioning of Intergovernmental Affairs Minister DOMINIC LEBLANC on Tuesday, Sen. PAMELA WALLIN called out the government's attempted fast-tracking. 'Why would you not give this the proper scrutiny that it needs?' she asked. LeBlanc defended his boss: 'Every day on the election campaign, the prime minister spoke about building big projects in the national interest,' he said. 'None of this should surprise Canadians.' — What's next: MPs on the transport committee will comb through the bill clause by clause today. They're scheduled to sit until midnight, if needed. The Liberals are pushing to get it passed by Friday. THE ROOMS THAT MATTER — It's caucus day on Parliament Hill. — Environmental groups including Greenpeace Canada and Climate Action Network Canada are holding a press conference in front of the Senate at 10 a.m. to protest Bill C-5. — Bloc Québécois Leader YVES-FRANÇOIS BLANCHET will hold a press conference at 11:30 a.m. outside the party's caucus room. For your radar BELTWAY TO BUBBLE — The Vogel Group is the latest K Street firm to team up with one of its Canadian counterparts, our colleague CAITLIN OPRYSKO reports from Washington. — In the loop: Vogel Group has struck up a strategic partnership with Bolero Strategies, a government relations and PR firm based in Montreal. Vogel Group CEO Alex Vogel told POLITICO the alliance provides greater access and visibility to the Canadian marketplace 'and vice versa' — a response to demand for cross-border insight on trade issues and beyond. — All the rage: In March, Ballard Partners partnered with Quebec-based communications and public affairs firm TACT. And just before Trump took office, Capitol Counsel announced its own partnership with the Canadian firm Rubicon Strategy Inc. to provide 'a seamless solution' to cross-border advocacy issues. Want more POLITICO? Download our mobile app to save stories, get notifications on U.S.-Canada relations, and more. In iOS or Android . MORNING MUST-CLICKS — 'Having a form of deadline is helpful to concentrate the mind,' the PM said Tuesday of his 30-day target for an economic and security deal with the U.S. The Globe's STEVEN CHASE and NATHAN VANDERKLIPPE also note that scrapping the DST is among U.S. demands in trade talks. — From the Star's TONDA MACCHARLES and ALEX BALLINGALL: Trump says Canada will get a 'much better deal' if it becomes the 51st American state. — In The Walrus, JUSTIN LING explains how Canada became a cautionary tale in building government software. — 'Prime Minister Mark Carney of Canada began by wishing President Trump a happy birthday.' The NYT writes on the fine balance between flattery and discipline when dealing with POTUS. — Over on Maclean's, STEPHEN MAHER considers Canada's 'new nationalism.' — And top of the Edmonton Journal this morning: Game over: Edmonton Oilers Stanley Cup dreams die again in Florida. PROZONE Our latest Pro PM Canada subscriber newsletter by MIKE BLANCHFIELD: Zelenskyy takes G7 stage as bombs pound Kyiv Other headlines for Pro subscribers: — Inside Carney's private courting of Trump. — China's rare earth chokehold is just the beginning. — Trump blasts EU over 'unfair' trade offer. — UK automakers to secure US tariff relief by the end of June. — Trump backs AUKUS defense pact after Starmer talks. PLAYBOOKERS Birthdays: HBD to Crestview Strategy founding partner CHAD ROGERS. Greetings also to former Conservative MP ED FAST, Conservative Sen. DENISE BATTERS and NDP MP ALEXANDRE BOULERICE. Movers and shakers: Longtime Queen's Park and Hill staffer MATHEW CLANCY is joining LARYSSA WALER's Henley Strategies as managing partner … ELLIOTT LOCKINGTON is chief of staff to Treasury Board President SHAFQAT ALI. — MPs elected another volley of standing committee chairs: MARC MILLER at justice; AHMED HUSSEN at foreign affairs and international development; MARIE-FRANCE LALONDE at veterans affairs; JULIE DZEROWICZ at citizenship and immigration; CHARLES SOUSA at national defense; YVAN BAKER at official languages; HEDY FRY at health; and PATRICK WEILER at fisheries and oceans. → Watch out today for chair elections at Indigenous and northern affairs; science and research; agriculture; and human resources. Noted: Conservative MP DAMIEN KUREK resigned his seat in the House of Commons Tuesday, paving the way for Conservative Leader PIERRE POILIEVRE to run in Kurek's rural Alberta riding in an upcoming byelection. The Senate National Finance Committee passed a motion calling for the renewal of Parliamentary Budget Officer YVES GIROUX's mandate. Giroux's current term is up in September. Information Commissioner CAROLINE MAYNARD just filed her 8th annual report to Parliament. Official Languages Commissioner Canada RAYMOND THÉBERGE introduced his 2024–2025 annual report to Parliament on Tuesday. And from the House of Commons, here's 'Report to Canadians 2025' — signed off on by former Speaker GREG FERGUS. Spotted: Intergovernmental Affairs Minister DOMINIC LEBLANC, bringing a strawberry shortcake to the Senate for Sen. MARC GOLD, who ages out of the chamber on June 30. Former Minister SEAMUS O'REGAN, visiting his old stomping grounds: West Block. Edmonton NDP MP HEATHER MCPHERSON, wearing an Oilers jersey as she arrived for question period. Lobby watch: Imperial Oil posted a May 22 meeting with Energy Minister TIM HODGSON and Deputy Minister MICHAEL VANDERGRIFT … The Business Council of Canada logged a May 23 meeting with Foreign Minister ANITA ANAND and Canadian ambo KIRSTEN HILLMAN. Sandstone's MEILI FAILLE registered to lobby on behalf of TikTok Canada … Former Liberal MP JIM KARYGIANNIS registered for Royal Canadian Legion Kennebecasis Branch 58 in Rothesay, New Brunswick. The branch is looking for funding for a housing project. In memoriam: Conservative MP JOHN NATER paid tribute in the House to the life and legacy of JOHN HOLTBY, who died earlier this year. 'To new MPs, he was always there with a kind word of advice, a mischievous idea and, when needed, a gentle word of caution.' Calgary MP STEPHANIE KUSIE used her SO31 in the House this week to recognize the passing of former Cabmin CHARLES JAMES MAYER, who died in April. Kusie said she first met Mayer in 2017 when she was preparing to moderate the Conservative leadership debate. 'He said that I could use his cattle prod if I needed to — that it would keep them in line.' TRIVIA Tuesday's answer: Aside from the G7 nations, Canada invited 12 other nations to the G7 Leaders' Summit in Charlevoix in 2018. Props to ELIZABETH BURN, ROBERT MCDOUGALL, RAY DEL BIANCO, MARCEL MARCOTTE, JOHN PEPPER, NANCI WAUGH, DARRYL DAMUDE, SHAUGHN MCARTHUR. Wednesday's question: Who said: 'The acquisition of Canada this year, as far as the neighborhood of Quebec, will be a mere matter of marching.' For bonus marks, how does your answer connect to this date in history? Answers to canadaplaybook@ Canada Playbook would not happen without: Canada Editor Sue Allan, editor Willa Plank and POLITICO's Grace Maalouf.
