• Canada has leverage in this trade fight, but economists warn it comes with a cost

  Source: CBC Politics
  Date: 2026-08-30 08:00:00.0
  Tags: [National, Trade, Economy, Energy, Resources, Defence]

  In response to the Trump administration imposing 50 per cent tariffs on approximately $27 billion worth of Canadian goods, Canadian federal officials and economists are weighing various economic levers, including export taxes and quotas on energy and potash, where Canadian commodities account for 63 per cent of U.S. oil imports and 80 per cent of potash imports. Additional retaliatory options discussed include restricting American access, altering defense procurement such as the F-35 fighter jet program, divesting from U.S. treasury bonds held by Canadian entities valued at $459.6 billion USD, and implementing non-tariff measures like the Digital Services Tax. While Prime Minister Mark Carney and industry minister Mélanie Joly have enacted $28 billion in retaliatory tariffs and paused negotiations over trade disputes, economists warn that aggressive retaliatory measures could inflict greater short- and long-term economic damage on Canada than on the United States.

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• New Brunswick gives green light for 500 MW gas plant, subject to conditions

  Source: New Brunswick - Regional News
  Date: 2026-08-28 15:29:11.0
  Tags: [New Brunswick, Energy, Environment, Infrastructure]

  The New Brunswick government has granted conditional approval for the 500-megawatt Renewables Integration Grid Security natural gas plant in Tantramar, N.B., built by U.S.-based ProEnergy. NB Power has secured a 25-year contract to utilize the facility—which features 10 refurbished jet turbines running on the Maritimes and Northeast pipeline—to prevent rolling blackouts and backstop weather-dependent renewables. Environment Minister Gilles LePage stated that ProEnergy must comply with 45 strict conditions covering air and water quality monitoring, emergency management, and wildlife tracking, with the plant restricted to burning natural gas no more than 17 per cent of the time. Additionally, Nova Scotia's energy operator has entered into a 10-year agreement to purchase 100 megawatts of power from the facility, which is scheduled to begin operations by 2028.

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• Saskatchewan Prioritizes Canadian Ownership and Sovereignty in New Data Centre Framework

  Source: Saskatchewan - Government News
  Date: 2026-08-27 21:00:00.0
  Tags: [Saskatchewan, Technology, Energy, Economy, Infrastructure, Governance]

  The Government of Saskatchewan has released a new Data Centre Framework establishing six key principles to guide future digital infrastructure investments, prioritize Canadian ownership, and protect data sovereignty. The framework mandates that project proponents supply their own power generation to avoid placing pressure on the provincial electricity grid or displacing export capacity. It follows Bell Canada's ongoing construction of a 300-megawatt data centre in the Rural Municipality of Sherwood, representing up to $12 billion in economic activity, 1,600 jobs, and $720 million in provincial revenues, alongside an Indigenous partnership agreement signed with George Gordon First Nation. Currently, Saskatchewan has over 30 data centre project applications in the evaluation queue under this new centralized intake and assessment process.

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• Ontario Marks First Access to Nickel Ore at the Craig Mine Onaping Depth Expansion

  Source: Ontario - Premier's Office
  Date: 2026-08-27 16:30:00.0
  Tags: [Ontario, Mining, Resources, Energy, Economy, Industry]

  Glencore Canada has achieved first access to nickel ore at its nearly $2 billion Onaping Depth Project in Greater Sudbury, a 2,600-metre-deep extension of the previously shut down Craig Mine. The project is projected to produce one million tonnes of ore per year at scale, yielding approximately 280 kilotonnes of nickel and 145 kilotonnes of copper beyond 2040, while supporting 400 full-time jobs at full production in 2027. The operation utilizes an all-electric fleet of 66 vehicles to reduce emissions and energy use, with ore being processed at Glencore's Strathcona Mill and Sudbury Smelter.

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• Alberta’s Smith takes questions at less rowdy AI town hall, NDP calls for freeze

  Source: Alberta - Provincial Politics
  Date: 2026-08-27 12:31:14.0
  Tags: [Alberta, Technology, Energy, Infrastructure, Economy]

  Alberta Premier Danielle Smith and her ministers held a virtual town hall with over 12,500 participants to address public concerns regarding the rapid development of artificial intelligence data centres, such as the proposed $13-billion Meta campus north of Edmonton. Amid criticisms regarding heavy water consumption, power grid reliability, and residential proximity setbacks—which recently prompted a provincial regulator to reject a project in the town of Olds—the provincial government is evaluating regulatory frameworks and setback guidelines. Meanwhile, Opposition NDP Leader Naheed Nenshi called for a province-wide moratorium on new artificial intelligence data centres until stricter rules, impact assessments, and life-cycle reclamation plans are established.

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• Danielle Smith rejects taxing oil exports, pushes increased diplomacy efforts with U.S.

  Source: Global News Politics
  Date: 2026-08-27 00:36:23.0
  Tags: [Alberta, National, Trade, Energy, Economy]

  Alberta Premier Danielle Smith publicly rejected proposals to tax oil exports to the United States amidst escalating trade tensions, advocating instead for increased diplomatic engagement. Smith emphasized that the United States possesses the economic leverage to severely impact Canada's energy sector and warned that retaliatory trade measures could disrupt critical energy supply chains and harm national economic stability.

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• Innovation Saskatchewan Supports Critical Upgrade at Canadian Light Source

  Source: Saskatchewan - Government News
  Date: 2026-08-26 22:00:00.0
  Tags: [Saskatchewan, Technology, Infrastructure, Economy, Agriculture, Energy]

  Innovation Saskatchewan is committing $3 million through the Innovation & Science Fund (ISF) to the Canadian Light Source (CLS) located at the University of Saskatchewan. The funding will finance the installation of a state-of-the-art solid-state amplifier (SSA) to power all 22 synchrotron beamlines, enhancing the facility's performance, reliability, and energy efficiency. Since 2018, the Government of Saskatchewan has invested nearly $40 million in the Canadian Light Source to support advanced research in sectors including agriculture, mining, energy, and health.

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• New Brunswick to review lifting natural gas moratorium

  Source: New Brunswick - Regional News
  Date: 2026-08-26 19:06:44.0
  Tags: [New Brunswick, Energy, Resources, Economy, Trade, Indigenous]

  New Brunswick Premier Susan Holt announced a five-month public review of the province's resource development to evaluate lifting the decade-old moratorium on hydraulic fracking for natural gas. Prompted by rising cost-of-living pressures, increased energy demand, and 50 percent U.S. tariffs implemented by the United States, the government aims to assess safety, environmental standards, and economic opportunities. Natural Resource Minister John Herron and Indigenous Affairs Minister Keith Chiasson noted that the process will feature extensive consultations with First Nations communities. The comprehensive review findings are scheduled to be announced in January 2027, with monthly progress reports issued by the provincial government.

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• Ontario Doubles Down on Made-in-Canada Energy

  Source: Ontario - Ministry of Energy and Mines
  Date: 2026-08-25 21:00:00.0
  Tags: [Ontario, Energy, Infrastructure, Economy, Industry]

  The Ontario government and Ontario Power Generation (OPG) are investing $500,000 in growth readiness funding to St. Clair Township to explore new electricity generation, including potential natural gas and nuclear power, at the 1,200-acre OPG Lambton site in Courtright. The site, which previously housed the coal-powered Lambton Generating Station that closed in 2013, is already zoned to host up to 900 megawatts (MW) of new generation to support Ontario's projected 90 percent increase in electricity demand by 2050. St. Clair Township Council passed a motion endorsing continued engagement with OPG and the Ministry of Energy and Mines, paving the way for a formal memorandum of understanding (MOU) to advance site planning.

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• Ontario and Aroland First Nation Break Ground on Ring of Fire Road

  Source: Ontario - Ministry of Indigenous Affairs and First Nations Economic Reconciliation
  Date: 2026-08-24 21:15:00.0
  Tags: [Ontario, Infrastructure, Transportation, Mining, Energy, Indigenous]

  The Government of Ontario and Aroland First Nation commenced major reconstruction and expansion work on the Anaconda and Painter Lake roads as of June 30, 2026, two years ahead of schedule, with completion slated for November 2030. The $22 billion economic initiative upgrades 97 kilometres of roadway, replaces 62 culverts, and bridges Highway 643 to the proposed Ring of Fire all-season roads corridor (including the Webequie Supply Road, Marten Falls Community Access Road, and Northern Road Link). This infrastructure project builds on the Shared Prosperity Agreement signed by Ontario and Aroland First Nation in January 2025 to support critical mineral development and regional connectivity.

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