In the news today: Tariffs mean pain for U.S. and Canada, leaders say

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

Tariffs mean pain for U.S. and Canada, leaders say

Business and political leaders in Canada say there will be pain if Donald Trump follows through on his pledge to impose a 25-per cent tariff on all Canadian goods, but they note the hurt will happen in his country as well.

The president-elect posted to Truth Social on Monday he will sign an executive order imposing a 25-per-cent tariff on all products coming in to the United States from Canada and Mexico.

He said the tariff will remain in place until both countries stop drugs, in particular fentanyl, and people from illegally crossing the borders.

Canadian American Business Council CEO Beth Burke said in a statement last night that Trump’s proposal would harm businesses on both sides of the border and would “erode the economic and geopolitical strength of North America.”

Ontario Premier Doug Ford posted on social media that a 25-per-cent tariff would be devastating to workers and jobs in both Canada and the U.S.

Here’s what else we’re watching…

Canada Post strike enters 12th day, talks continue

Canada Post says it’s missed out on delivering an estimated 10 million parcels as a strike by more than 55,000 workers across the country continues ahead of Black Friday.

Company spokeswoman Lisa Liu said in a statement Monday that talks with the union over the weekend resulted in limited progress, with Canada Post trying to “move forward with urgency” on discussing changes to its delivery model.

Meanwhile, a union spokesperson said talks were focused on protecting jobs, saying the Crown corporation wants to claw back rights and benefits achieved over decades.

A key issue in bargaining has been a push to expand parcel deliveries into the weekend, but the union and Canada Post are at odds over how to make it work.

Canada Post has been struggling to compete with other delivery providers and posted a $315-million loss before tax in its third quarter. It has pitched weekend deliveries as a way to boost revenue.

Alberta community favours new coal mine

Heavy snow didn’t stop a steady stream of voters in Crowsnest Pass from casting ballots Monday in favour of bringing King Coal back to this scenic rocky patch of Alberta’s southwest.

The issue has polarized debate, but signs visible on the way to voting in the community hall were clear: I (love) Crowsnest Coal, said one. We are a Coal Town, said another.

A third was more succinct: Vote Yes to Grassy Mountain.

In the end 72 per cent of the vote was in favour of the new project. There was a 53.6 per cent turnout of eligible voters compared to just 38.5 per cent in the last civic election.

More than 40 years after coal mining ended in the Crowsnest Pass, the municipality is asking the 6,000 residents to say yes or no to a straightforward question: “Do you support the development and operations of the metallurgical coal mine at Grassy Mountain?”

“The Crowsnest Pass has made a decisive decision and as mayor and council we will take your position forward to the upper levels of government and through the regulatory process,” Crowsnest Pass Mayor Blair Painter told The Canadian Press late Monday evening.

Paul Bernardo’s parole hearing set for today

Notorious killer Paul Bernardo is scheduled to appear before the Parole Board of Canada today for a hearing.

Bernardo, who was denied parole twice in the past, is serving an indeterminate life sentence for the kidnapping, sexual assault and murder of 15-year-old Kristen French and 14-year-old Leslie Mahaffy in the early 1990s near St. Catharines, Ont.

He was also convicted of manslaughter in the December 1990 death of his then-wife Karla Homolka’s 15-year-old sister, Tammy.

Bernardo’s hearing is set to take place at the medium-security La Macaza Institution in Quebec, after his transfer there from a maximum-security Ontario prison caused public outcry last year.

Tim Danson, a lawyer representing the French and Mahaffy families, said the parole board initially denied his clients the right to deliver their victim impact statements in person at the hearing.

After the board reversed its decision, Danson said the lack of time to make appropriate travel arrangements means only Mahaffy’s mother will be present, while others will deliver their statements remotely.

Why Via wants a revamp of terms for CN track use

Documents supporting Via Rail’s ongoing attempt to secure better access to tracks owned by Canadian National Railway Co. shed new light on an increasingly strained relationship between the carriers.

The Crown corporation has been trying to overhaul its contract with CN for years, finally asking the country’s transportation regulator in 2023 to impose a new track-access agreement that sets their relationship on a fair footing.

In a submission to the Canadian Transportation Agency, Via proposed changes that would help boost the number of trains on its key Quebec City-to-Windsor corridor, improve its poor on-time performance and pay more “reasonable” rates to CN.

The request has borne no fruit since it was filed 18 months ago, in part because of a procedural delay related to CN’s response. A request for confidentiality on some documents is still being considered, so CN’s submission is not publicly available.

The vast majority of Via trains run on CN-owned tracks, which the Crown corporation pays to access. Via warns that its “captive client” status and CN’s “quasi-monopolistic position” mean the country’s largest railway can prioritize its own locomotives over passenger trains.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 25, 2024.

The Canadian Press