America 'not at war' with Canada, insists U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent

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Source: CBC Politics
Date: 2026-08-31 18:00:16.0
Tags: [National, Trade, Economy, Finance, Defence]

United States Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent dismissed claims of a trade war with Canada during an interview with CNBC, criticizing Prime Minister Mark Carney for walking away from a trade deal and imposing 50 percent retaliatory tariffs on roughly $28 billion worth of Canadian exports. The U.S. previously imposed these tariffs after trade negotiations collapsed due to disputes over auto industry terms, restrictions on foreign trade deals, and protections for French-language media and bilingual product labelling. Finance Minister François-Philippe Champagne is scheduled to meet with Bessent and G20 counterparts in Asheville, North Carolina, while provincial leaders including Alberta Premier Danielle Smith have voiced concerns that the ongoing tariff escalations will harm small businesses and regional economies.

Canada adds more U.S. goods to list of planned counter-tariffs

Source: Global News Politics
Date: 2026-08-28 15:35:30.0
Tags: [National, Trade, Economy, Finance, Industry]

Finance Canada announced adjustments to its planned counter-tariffs targeting U.S. goods, following feedback from Canadian industry stakeholders. The retaliatory measures, matching U.S. tariffs dollar for dollar and rate for rate up to 50 per cent, now encompass over 700 American goods valued at $27.6 billion, with the countermeasures set to take effect on Tuesday, September 8, 2026. Specific additions subject to the 50 per cent tariff rate include wood charcoal, American copper wire, printed materials, articles of plaster, and various glass containers such as carboys, bottles, jars, and preserving jars. Meanwhile, American seafood and fish products were removed from the initial tariff list following consultations deemed to be in Canada's best interests.

Ontario and Canada Making Homes More Affordable in Bradford West Gwillimbury

Source: Ontario - Premier's Office
Date: 2026-08-28 15:30:00.0
Tags: [Ontario, Municipal, Housing, Infrastructure, Affordability, Finance]

The Governments of Ontario and Canada have announced up to $94.8 million for the Town of Bradford West Gwillimbury through the Development Charge Reduction Program (DCRP) and the Build Communities Strong Fund (BCSF). In exchange, the Town will reduce development charges by up to 76 per cent from March 30, 2026, to March 31, 2029, saving homebuyers up to $36,500 per home. The federal and provincial funding, combined with a cost-matched $8.8 billion 10-year infrastructure agreement and expanded HST relief saving up to $130,000, aims to unlock over 29,000 new homes. Specific infrastructure projects funded include upgrading Plant D at the Bradford Water Pollution Control Plant, increasing water storage at the John Fennell Reservoir, widening and reconstructing the Line 8 corridor from Sideroad 10 to Barrie Street, and building new Church Well infrastructure.

Government of Saskatchewan Releases 2026-27 First Quarter Report

Source: Saskatchewan - Government News
Date: 2026-08-27 22:00:00.0
Tags: [Saskatchewan, Finance, Economy, Taxation]

The Government of Saskatchewan released its 2026-27 First Quarter Report, forecasting an $825 million deficit with total revenue of $21.7 billion and total expenses of $22.6 billion, compared to the initially projected $819 million deficit. Total revenue is $331 million higher than budget due to non-renewable resource revenues increasing by $320 million, driven by West Texas Intermediate oil prices rising to US $75.00 per barrel. Conversely, total expenses increased by $337 million over budget due to healthcare service demand pressures, compensation costs, flood-related response efforts, and higher Crop Insurance claims from unseeded acres. The province's net debt-to-GDP ratio is projected to improve to 14.9 per cent by March 31, 2027, with real GDP growth expected to rank third-highest among provinces in 2026 and second-highest in 2027.

Conservatives want the Liberals to release the rejected U.S. trade deal. Should they?

Source: CBC Politics
Date: 2026-08-27 15:10:27.0
Tags: [National, Trade, Economy, Finance, Governance]

Following the collapse of trade negotiations that led the United States to impose 50 per cent tariffs on hundreds of Canadian imports, Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre and Bloc Québécois Leader Yves-François Blanchet called on Prime Minister Mark Carney's federal government to release the rejected draft text of the trade agreement. Finance Minister François-Philippe Champagne defended the government's approach by noting that key details had been publicly reported and that the negotiations were extensively advertised. Meanwhile, trade and policy experts offered contrasting views, with Lawrence Herman of the C.D. Howe Institute arguing that releasing the text would compromise future negotiation positions, while Carlo Dade of the University of Calgary contended that transparency is necessary to preserve national unity against potential U.S. divide-and-conquer tactics under Section 338 of the U.S. Tariff Act.

Ontario and Canada Making Homes More Affordable in Hamilton

Source: Ontario - Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing
Date: 2026-08-26 20:17:00.0
Tags: [Ontario, Municipal, Housing, Affordability, Infrastructure, Finance]

The governments of Ontario and Canada announced a $572 million investment for the City of Hamilton through the Development Charge Reduction Program (DCRP) and the Build Communities Strong Fund (BCSF) in exchange for the city eliminating development charges on all residential developments from March 30, 2026, to March 31, 2029. The funding will support key municipal infrastructure projects, including the expansion of the Woodward water and wastewater treatment plant, upgrading the Greenhill Water Pumping Station, and widening or reconstructing major corridors such as Barton Street, Lewis Road, Rymal Road, and Garner Road. The removal of development charges is estimated to reduce construction costs by up to $100,442 per home, which, when combined with expanded HST relief, could save homebuyers over $230,000 and unlock over 31,000 new housing units across Hamilton.

Ontario and Canada Making Homes More Affordable in Vaughan

Source: Ontario - Premier's Office
Date: 2026-08-26 15:30:00.0
Tags: [Ontario, Municipal, Housing, Affordability, Infrastructure, Finance]

The governments of Ontario and Canada announced that the City of Vaughan is receiving up to $697.2 million through the Development Charge Reduction Program (DCRP) in exchange for reducing development charges by 50 per cent for residential developments from March 30, 2026, to March 31, 2029, and eliminating them for qualifying projects meeting construction milestones from February 25, 2026, to October 31, 2027. Combined with expanded HST relief saving homebuyers up to $130,000, these measures aim to reduce building costs by up to $98,056 per home and unlock over 120,000 new housing units. The federal funding flows through the Build Communities Strong Fund (BCSF) under a 10-year cost-matched structure, while municipal contributions require a minimum of 10 per cent of project costs to support housing-enabling infrastructure such as watermains, road widenings on Huntington, Kirby, and Teston roads, bridge replacements, and fire stations.