Carney government tables $486B spending plan

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7 hours ago
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Montreal over Miami: Canadians continue to change their summer holiday plans because of Trump
Canadians are trading their annual holidays south of the border for domestic road trips, exploring Ottawa, the Yukon's midnight sun, Nova Scotia's whale watching, or hiking in Banff. This newfound desire to stay local began earlier this year when U.S. President Donald Trump threatened to annex Canada and imposed tariffs on Canadian goods, spurring a 'Buy Canadian' movement to boycott US businesses and avoid US travel. London, Ontario-based Guess Where Trips, selling curated mystery road trip packages, reported a 75 per cent increase in Canadian trip sales year-on-year. "It is clear that more Canadians are choosing to explore small businesses and hidden gems close to home, rather than crossing the border for their holidays and vacations," operations manager Jessica Bax said. Road trips around Ottawa are among their most popular packages, Bax said, as more Canadians explore their capital city. Prime Minister Mark Carney has also made a pitch for Canadians to take advantage of a new "Canada Strong" pass that grants free or discounted access to several national parks, historic sites and museums this summer. "Canadians are making choices to visit this great country, spend time here with their family, with their friends. They're making choices to buy Canadian products," he said in a press briefing in Huntsville, Ontario on Tuesday. The discount pass contrasts with Trump ordering higher entrance fees at U.S. national parks for visitors from other countries. A Bank of Canada survey this week showed that 55% of Canadians plan to spend less money vacationing in the United States this year while 35% said they would spend more on traveling within Canada. A survey by TD Bank showed 64% of Canadians polled planned to travel within the country, mirroring an increase in domestic flight bookings. Canadian domestic tourism spending rose 4% in the first quarter this year from a year earlier, said Destination Canada, a government agency that promotes Canadian tourism. The number of flight return trips from the United States made by Canadians fell 17% in May from a year earlier, while the number of such trips made by car fell by 37% that month, according to Statistics Canada. Walter Flower, who operates whale watching tours in Lunenburg, Nova Scotia, said he has been busier this year as more people exploring the UNESCO World Heritage town booked a 45-minute ocean adventure hoping to spot whales off the east coast. Divya Mohan, a communications specialist in Toronto, says she had initially planned to go to Texas this year but instead opted to explore the city of Winnipeg in Manitoba. "It just felt like the timing wasn't right... may be in the future," Mohan, 39, said of her trip in April. "Winnipeg is just one more destination in Canada to explore," Mohan said, coming away impressed with the Canadian Museum for Human Rights. On the west coast in British Columbia, RVs have gained popularity, said Storm Jespersen, a regional manager at family-owned tourism firm Evergreen Hospitality Group. "This year is going to be the busiest year in our company's history across our 26 properties... it's so busy, I don't think you can even rent one (RV) very easily right now," said Jespersen. Traveling in Canada can be expensive as domestic flights to remote locations often cost more than traveling to the United States or even Europe. But travelers have found ways to do it cheaper - through road trips or by hunting for discounts. "Doing road trips or just weekend trips to a cabin nearby is a great way to switch things up without spending thousands of dollars to fly a family of four across the country and back," said Vancouver-based marketing executive Kramer Solinsky. On his list this year, Solinsky plans to visit Montreal and the east coast for the first time and is traveling to Mexico City and Osaka in Japan instead of other sun-soaked options like Florida and California. To make some remote regions in northern Canada more accessible, Air North - the airline for the northern regions of Yukon and Northwest Territories - added more capacity and non-stop routes for the summer, betting on higher demand from what it said was "clear and growing interest among Canadians in exploring more of their own country" Air North said arrivals to Yukon rose 7.6% from January to June this year and the airline continues to see growth in demand for flights to northern Canada. Other Canadian carriers have reported similar trends: Porter Airlines increased its summer network capacity to domestic travel to 80% from 75%, while peer WestJet in May suspended nine routes between Canada and the United States citing lower demand.
Yahoo
19 hours ago
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Trump says he hasn't 'had a lot of luck' with Canada ahead of latest tariff deadline
WASHINGTON — U.S. President Donald Trump said Friday his administration hasn't "had a lot of luck with Canada" in its trade negotiations, tempering expectations of a deal ahead of next week's deadline to avert tariffs. "I think Canada could be one where they just pay tariffs – not really a negotiation," Trump told reporters before departing on Marine One from the South Lawn of the White House. Discussing the prospects for a deal with the European Union, Trump said there's a "50-50" chance but the Europeans would have to first "buy down" their tariffs. He also boasted about the recent announcement of an agreement with Japan. But Trump said "we don't have a deal with Canada, we haven't been focused on it." Trump sent a letter to Prime Minister Mark Carney threatening to impose 35 per cent tariffs if Canada doesn't make a trade deal by Aug. 1. The White House has said those duties would apply only to goods not compliant with the Canada-U.S.-Mexico Agreement on trade. Canada is also being slapped with Trump's tariffs on steel, aluminum and automobiles, and will be hit by copper tariffs next month. Trump said Friday there's very little room to negotiate lower sectoral tariffs on steel and aluminum. Those duties are a critical target for Canadian trade negotiators, as Canada is a major supplier of steel and aluminum to the United States. Canadian officials also have been working to lower expectations of a new economic and security agreement with the U.S. ahead of Trump's Aug. 1 deadline. On Tuesday, Carney said "we'll use all the time that's necessary" and Ottawa will only agree to a deal "if there's one on the table that is in the best interests of Canadians." Canada-U.S. Trade Minister Dominic LeBlanc was in Washington this week and said Thursday he was feeling encouraged after a meeting with U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick and Republican senators in Washington. LeBlanc said he would be returning to the United States capital next week for further meetings but indicated that getting to a deal will require additional time. The minister's office said it would not be commenting on Trump's Friday statements about negotiations with Canada. Kirsten Hillman, Canada's ambassador to the U.S., said Thursday that "there is a time when the deal is the right deal." "It's important for us to be in a position to continue negotiating until we get to that point," she said. There can be a lot of heated rhetoric during trade talks, said Candace Laing, president and CEO of the Canadian Chamber of Commerce. She said businesses must continue to build resilience and diversify their trade. "Instead of reacting to what's being said minute-by-minute, we should focus on the long-term goal — getting a good deal for Canada, whether by (Aug. 1) or not," Laing said in a media statement. "So long as our countries keep talking trade, there's hope for a positive outcome." This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 25, 2025. Kelly Geraldine Malone, The Canadian Press Sign in to access your portfolio
Yahoo
20 hours ago
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U.S. imposing 20.56% anti-dumping duties on Canadian softwood
VANCOUVER — British Columbia lumber organizations are condemning the decision by the U.S. Commerce Department to raise anti-dumping duties on Canadian softwood to 20.56 per cent, calling them unjustified, punitive and protectionist. The B.C. Council of Forest Industries issued a statement Friday saying the trade action will harm workers, families and communities across the province and Canada. The council is calling on the Canadian government to make finding a resolution to the softwood dispute a top national priority, saying the latest escalation from the Commerce Department shows they can't wait for the United States to act. The B.C. Lumber Trade Council says in a separate statement that if the U.S. department's pending review on countervailing duties is in line with its preliminary results, the combined rate against Canadian softwood shipped to the United States will be well over 30 per cent. Prime Minister Mark Carney said earlier this month that a future trade agreement with the United States could include quotas on softwood lumber, an area that has caused friction between two countries for years before the latest trade war. The American department had issued a preliminary anti-dumping rate in March of 20.07 per cent, up from 7.66 per cent set three years before, which is in addition to the countervailing duties of 6.74 per cent. "This decision represents yet another example of ongoing U.S. protectionism at a time when cross-border co-operation should be a shared priority," the statement from the B.C. Lumber Trade Council said. The B.C. Council of Forest Industries said the provincial government could make a number of changes that would help the industry keep mills operating. By activating timber sales, fast-tracking permits and cutting through regulatory gridlock, it said B.C. could send a signal that it is serious about rebuilding a sustainable forest sector. "These unjustified and punitive trade actions continue to harm workers, families, and communities across British Columbia and Canada — and have gone unresolved for far too long," the statement from the council said. This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 25, 2025. The Canadian Press Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data