In the news today: Tariffs and Canadian border towns, Ottawa to apologize to Inuit

Here is a roundup of stories from The Canadian Press designed to bring you up to speed…

Small-town mayors keep it friendly on border

Big municipal governments in B.C. have been talking of boycotts and reciprocal action against the threat of American tariffs on Canadian exports, with Vancouver’s council voting to direct procurement contracts to Canadian businesses instead of American ones, and suburban New Westminster asking staff to halt non-essential work trips to the United States.

However, Osoyoos Mayor Sue McKortoff and mayors of some other small border communities say they can’t afford to antagonize American customers and friends or have no interest in doing so.

Tom Morphet, mayor of Haines Borough, Alaska, recently wrote to Diane Strand, mayor of nearby Haines Junction, Yukon, to reaffirm a friendship the communities have shared for years.

Morphet said residents in Haines Borough feel more connected to Canada than to the “lower 48.”

Tariffs, tax cuts top of mind for Alberta budget

The looming threat of U.S. tariffs along with a potential tax cut are expected to dominate Alberta’s budget today.

Finance Minister Nate Horner says addressing affordability is a prime concern, but the uncertainty surrounding tariffs makes the budget more challenging.

By legislation, the province can’t run a budget deficit unless revenue drops by $1 billion or more — something Horner warns could happen in the case of tariffs.

He says the United Conservative Party government is planning for a set of scenarios assuming tariffs in some way are coming soon from U.S. President Donald Trump.

Ontario voters head to polls after snap campaign

Ontario’s political party leaders have criss-crossed the province, released their platforms and made their pitches over the past month — now it’s decision day for voters.

It has been an unusual election, with candidates battling icy stairs, brutal snow storms and frigid temperatures while canvassing in the first winter campaign since 1981.

Most Ontario elections also haven’t included a party leader leaving the province during the campaign, but Progressive Conservative Leader Doug Ford made two trips to Washington, D.C. — as premier — to push back against threatened American tariffs.

The other three major party leaders say this election was unnecessary, in part because Ford already had a large majority government with well over a year left in its mandate.

B.C. government survives non-confidence vote

The British Columbia government has survived a non-confidence vote late Wednesday after the Opposition Conservative party wasted no time in trying to overthrow the NDP.

In a vote that split along party lines, a motion brought forward by Opposition leader John Rustad was narrowly defeated, with every Conservative member voting for while both BC Green Party representatives voted against alongside NDP members.

Rustad’s motion was to amend the throne speech to declare that the legislature does not have confidence in the government.

Prior to presenting the motion, Rustad made his party’s case for dissolving government, saying the province “has never been more vulnerable.”

First Manitoba encampment resident into home

Manitoba’s latest plan to reduce homelessness has seen the project’s first person moved from an encampment into housing, says an adviser.

Tessa Blaikie Whitecloud, the former head of the charity organization Siloam Mission, says the move happened last week after community agencies built a relationship with the person and found an appropriate housing unit.

The province has promised to eliminate chronic homelessness — people who are unhoused for several months or more — in the next seven years. A major part of its plan is to remove the estimated 700 people living in encampments.

Part of the plan, announced last month, includes buying apartment buildings so people living in encampments have immediate access to secure housing.

Minister to apologize for Inuit relocations

Crown-Indigenous Relations Minister Gary Anandasangaree will apologize on behalf of the federal government Thursday for its role in the Dundas Harbour relocations between 1934 and 1948.

The relocations were part of Canada’s strategy to maintain a national security presence in the Arctic. More than 50 people were removed by the federal government from their ancestral homes, leaving impacts on Inuit communities that linger to this day.

The Qikiqtani Truth Commission, which studied the impact of federal policies on Inuit, said the federal government moved Inuit around because it believed they could live anywhere in the Arctic.

It said Ottawa ignored unique Inuit regional identities, linguistic distinctions, food preferences and survival strategies in an effort to claim ownership over the region.

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This report by The Canadian Press was first published Feb. 27, 2025

The Canadian Press