• Feds announce $4.7B for new VIA Rail cars to be built in Ontario, Quebec

  Source: CBC Politics
  Date: 2026-09-03 18:05:42.0
  Tags: [National, Ontario, Quebec, Transportation, Infrastructure, Economy]

  Prime Minister Mark Carney announced a federal investment of more than $4.7 billion for Via Rail to acquire and maintain 313 new passenger rail cars from Alstom Canada under the Buy Canadian Policy. The contract marks the first time in four decades that Via Rail passenger cars will be built entirely in Canada, replacing existing cars that are roughly 70 years old. The manufacturing and assembly will take place at facilities in Thunder Bay, Ontario, and La Pocatière, Quebec, with design and engineering conducted in Saint-Bruno-de-Montarville, Quebec. The project is projected to generate over $1.6 billion in economic benefits and support nearly 700 jobs across Ontario and Quebec.

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• Will auto tariffs be a permanent roadblock for a Canada-U.S. trade deal?

  Source: CBC Politics
  Date: 2026-08-27 21:22:28.0
  Tags: [National, Ontario, Quebec, Trade, Industry, Economy]

  Canada-U.S. trade negotiations broke down following disputes over American tariffs on finished vehicles and auto parts, with U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer confirming that the Trump administration aims to re-industrialize and shift auto manufacturing jobs to states like Michigan, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin. Canadian officials, including Ambassador to the U.S. Mark Wiseman and Industry Minister Mélanie Joly, maintain that preserving assembly and parts capabilities in Ontario and Quebec is critical, specifically protecting plants operated by Ford and General Motors employing roughly 20,000 workers. U.S. President Donald Trump threatened to double tariffs on Canadian-made vehicles and non-CUSMA-compliant auto parts in the new year as trade talks remain stalled.

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• Trump signs order to rename Lake Ontario as 'Lake America'

  Source: CBC Politics
  Date: 2026-08-27 17:35:10.0
  Tags: [National, Ontario, Trade, Economy, Governance]

  U.S. President Donald Trump signed an executive order directing Interior Secretary Doug Burgum to rename Lake Ontario to "Lake America" amidst escalating trade tensions and failed trade negotiations between Canada and the United States. Prime Minister Mark Carney and provincial leaders rejected the move, stating the lake will remain Lake Ontario while the federal government prepares retaliatory measures set to take effect on September 8, 2026. The body of water's name is more than 400 years old, derived from the Huron Indigenous word "oniatarí:io," and predates both Canada and the United States.

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