Morning Rush: Tipping backlash in Canada
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CBC
an hour ago
- CBC
Toronto still struggling to track snow plows with GPS, auditor finds
Social Sharing The city's plan to use GPS and field checks to track the work of snow-clearing contractors is still ineffective, Toronto's auditor general found in a new report. The key finding is part of a follow-up review of the city's snow-clearing service, which has been plagued with questions about effectiveness and efficiency, especially after it inked a controversial deal in 2021. Those questions grew louder after Torontonians filed tens of thousands of complaints to 311 in the wake of back-to-back-to-back storms that paralyzed streets this winter. Mayor Olivia Chow, who called last winter's storm response a "failure," is looking forward to reviewing the auditor's latest report, her office said in an emailed statement. "Ultimately, Torontonians expect snow to be cleared — we are going to get it fixed so this doesn't happen again," said Zeus Eden, Chow's press secretary. Auditor Tara Anderson first looked at snow clearing with a damning probe of the service in 2023, which showed the contractors struggled to get equipment on time and hire enough staff. In this follow-up, she found city staff still haven't implemented nine recommendations her office made, despite officials claiming all 30 had been completed. The GPS matter is especially key, her report notes, because it's the primary way the city tracks what work is getting done during a storm and whether it should be applying penalties to the contractors for not getting their plows out on time. "Ongoing GPS dashboard reliability issues hinder the Division's ability to monitor contractor performance," Anderson said in one document. Further, she said, "significant effort is spent manually comparing expected routes with GPS information, which is labour-intensive and time consuming." The auditor's review also shows, for the first time, how much money the city has sought from contractors stemming from performance issues. Anderson found staff are using an "inefficient, unsustainable, and unreliable method" to penalize the companies for non-compliance. Councillors voted in March for a full review of how the city handles its winter operations, which Chow's office said should be released this month. Councillors will first get a chance to ask the auditor questions about this report next Friday. CBC Toronto sent several questions to the transportation services division but did not receive answers by publication time. This story will be updated. New details about how city monitors contractors Some 70 per cent of snow-clearing in Toronto is handled by private companies. In 2021, the city inked a deal that saw two companies and their joint venture win the rights to handle almost all of that work, the only exceptions being the Willowdale area and the Gardiner Expressway and Don Valley Parkway. Three years in, Anderson found there are still issues with tracking the contractors' performance via GPS. Specifically, her new report states the "GPS dashboard used to monitor route completion is still not effective," noting it also suffers from "reliability issues." Multiple city councillors voiced frustration during the March meeting, recounting times where they were told by staff that streets had been plowed when they could see with their own eyes that wasn't the case. In response, transportation staff noted field audits — when staff go out to check on conditions — also take place. However, Anderson's report shows how little ground is covered by those audits and recommended the city use longer street segments to figure out where things are going wrong. The city's field audits, Anderson found, range in length from 60 metres to 1.36 kilometres. In total, she found the city was reviewing just two per cent of the contract area per storm. Worse, about half of those audits were missing "one or more" pieces of information. Penalties far lower than staff had suggested The auditor has previously flagged major changes to how the city penalizes companies, and this report has some final dollar figures. In 2023-2024, the city charged $43,000 in liquidated damages, Anderson found (liquidated damages are an amount of money, agreed to by both sides during a contract negotiation, to be paid out by one of the parties if a provision of that contract is breached). It also charged $381,000 in disincentives. In 2024-2025 (as of January) the city charged $63,000 in liquidated damages and $195,000 in disincentives.
CBC
an hour ago
- CBC
Canada wants new trade partners. But markets like India and China come with major obstacles
International Trade Minister Maninder Sidhu says Canada has a chance to build new partnerships as U.S. tariffs continue to pummel world economies. But landing deeper ties with major markets like the U.K., India and China means overcoming irritants and fraught diplomatic relationships. "There's an appetite with partners and allies all around the world to do more with Canada," Sidhu said in an interview with CBC's The House. "There is an opportune window that we have to jump on." Sidhu told guest host Janyce McGregor that success to him is "getting businesses more comfortable dealing with overseas markets." He said Canada "should be screaming at the top of our lungs" about what it can offer the world. Since becoming minister of international trade, Sidhu has helped Canada deepen its trade relationship with countries like Ecuador and the United Arab Emirates. But larger markets like the United Kingdom, India and China that could play a big role in easing Canada's reliance on the U.S. are much more complicated. Canada has tried to deepen its economic ties with these countries before, but trade discussions either fizzled out or diplomatic tensions stymied discussions. In January 2024, the British government walked away from trade negotiations. A major sticking point was how much tariff-free access U.K. producers should have to the Canadian cheese market. Sidhu said the U.K. "is an important partner for Canada" and he met with his counterpart, British Secretary for Businesses and Trade Jonathan Reynolds, to discuss how to build up Canada-U.K. relations. When asked whether Canada's new law to protect supply management is blocking the U.K. from returning to trade discussions, Sidhu said Canada "has always remained at the negotiating table," the Liberal government will "never dismantle supply management" and that he wants to focus on trade "opportunities." There are signs of progress. In May, British High Commissioner Rob Tinline said the U.K. wants Canada to put forward a bill ratifying its accession to the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership. Weeks later, Ottawa announced plans to do so this fall, allowing the British to enjoy trade with Canada under the terms of that agreement. Deepening ties with India, China During the G7 summit, Carney and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi agreed to designate new high commissioners. Both countries expelled top diplomats after the RCMP accused agents of the Indian government of playing a role in "widespread violence" in Canada, including homicides. When asked whether he sees a path for trade talks to resume between Canada and India, Sidhu said his constituents and Canadians at large are asking for "more connectivity between Canada and India." Sidhu also said trade and other business-to-business dealings have "been continuing over the last number of years on an upward trajectory." He said the government is taking a "step-by-step approach," and that restoring diplomats is an important step. Canada has also been making trade moves with China. Sidhu said the two countries have agreed to convene the Joint Economic and Trade Commission "to work through some of these issues and problems." In March, China announced it would apply tariffs on Canadian agricultural and food products as retaliation against levies Ottawa introduced last year on Chinese-made electric vehicles, steel and aluminum. China applied a 100 per cent tariff on Canadian canola oil, oil cakes and pea imports, and a 25 per cent duty on Canadian aquatic products and pork. Sidhu said he sees an openness to addressing Canada-China trade issues "and so we'll continue building on that. But the first part is to have those conversations being started… "Diplomacy can do wonders and we need to make sure that we're able to have those conversations with countries around the world. And that's exactly what I'll be doing."
CBC
an hour ago
- CBC
More and more influencers are offering financial advice on TikTok and YouTube. Should you take it?
If you've ever wondered how to navigate the stock market, build a budget or plan for retirement, your first stop might've once been a parent, a trusted friend or an advisor at the bank. But, increasingly, Canadians are tapping into a different source: "finfluencers," or online creators who make engaging, easy-to-understand videos about budgeting, investing and even cryptocurrency. A recent survey by the Ontario Securities Commission surveying 655 Canadian retail investors — people who manage their own investments — found that 91 per cent use social media. Furthermore, 35 per cent say they've acted on financial advice from a finfluencer. People who follow these influencers say they offer a fresh and relatable way to become financially literate — but the trend has financial experts concerned, leading to regulatory efforts around the world. Financial education that's not too serious Joyee Yang, a 26-year-old finfluencer from Toronto, has amassed a combined following of more than 300,000 across TikTok, Instagram and YouTube. Since she first started posting two and a half years ago, Yang has found an audience by making financial knowledge more accessible to young people. "I think a lot of people crave financial education in a way where it's not too serious — like, I can't imagine 18-year-old me or 19-year old me walking in to see a financial advisor," Yang told Cost of Living. "But I will scroll on TikTok, on Instagram or I will just log into YouTube, pause whenever I need to, take notes whenever I need to and Google questions on the side if I need to — I think it's the future of learning for Gen Zs." Yang is upfront with her followers about her lack of formal training in finance. Instead of credentials, she says she leans on lived experience. According to a 2024 survey by the Canadian Securities Administrators, more Canadians are investing on their own. Forty-five per cent of investors have self-directed accounts and 30 per cent of those were opened within the preceding two years. Access to knowledge Al Zhang, a high school math teacher based in Fort McMurray, Alta., began following finfluencers to grow his income shortly after landing his first job in 2022. "I was like, 'OK, I saved some money in my bank account, but how can I make that money work for myself?'" he said. "You usually hear about investing, but no one really tells you how you should do it." For many young Canadians like Zhang, rising living costs have sparked a hunger for financial autonomy. "Like most young adults like myself, they don't really see a good certainty in their future — some of us are like, 'OK we're only getting paid this much, how can we build a future for ourselves?'" said Zhang. WATCH | How young Canadians are coping with the high cost of living: Three ways young Canadians are trying to save money in a tough economy 9 months ago Duration 4:45 Getting personalized support Still, some financial experts warn that professional advice shouldn't be replaced by social media clips. Alex Williams, senior vice-president of strategy, innovation and stakeholder protection at the Canadian Investment Regulatory Organization, stresses that professional advisors continue to play a crucial role. Licensed advisers can tailor strategies to an individual's unique financial goals, risk tolerance and life circumstances, she said. Finfluencers, says Williams, don't operate under the same standards. "Really approach with caution, and think about what they say … always be thinking about your own situation when you're actually making the investment yourself." Sam Lichtman, a certified financial planner and founder of Millen Wealth Advisors, also warns that unlike certified advisers, finfluencers aren't legally accountable for their advice, which can lead to exaggerated pitches promising the "best stocks" and unrealistic returns. "Those type of comments, which are so casually flipped through on the finfluencer side, are completely offside for people who are registered and licensed," said Lichtman. Have a critical lens Errol Osecki, an assistant accounting professor at the University of Ottawa's Telfer School of Management, is researching finfluencers and their impact. He says their influence often stems from a parasocial relationship, or a one-way connection where viewers feel like they know an influencer personally. "These are developed over social media … you can build a lot of trust," said Osecki. But he says it's also important to remember that influencers make money from views — so their content is designed to grab attention and often includes sponsored posts. Even if they feel like a friend, he says, it's important to remember they have a financial incentive, so you should take their advice "with a grain of salt." Unlike advice from family or close friends — whose motivations and background you can typically understand — it's harder to gauge the credibility of an online figure. "Treat this the same way you should be treating any online information. Use the same tools that you would try to protect yourself against misinformation in all social media." Creating co-existence In June, regulators from six jurisdictions including Canada launched a co-ordinated campaign to crack down on illegal financial promotions from rogue influencers. Their actions ranged from issuing in-person warnings alongside law enforcement to launching consumer awareness campaigns. But with the sheer volume of content being produced, enforcement is a challenge. "It's thousands of hours each week, so how do you police that? How do you regulate that as a government on an individual level?" Osecki said. He believes platforms like TikTok and Instagram should shoulder more responsibility, whether that's requiring them to prevent scam content or show that they remove it when detected. For Yang, she hopes the financial world can embrace both influencers and traditional professionals. "I think the bigger the finfluencers grow, the more tight the restrictions will get," she said. "Hopefully, we can both just kind of exist, right? There are people who fundamentally just do not trust advice online at all, and there are people who will not invest because they just won't walk into a corporation to get a financial advisor. "So, hopefully, both sides are being serviced."
