Worth the Wait⏰

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Wildfires have taken hold across the country, including northern Manitoba and Saskatchewan, northwestern Ontario and northern Quebec. Last Wednesday, as wildfire smoke from northern Ontario blanketed Toronto, the city’s air quality was the worst in the world. The smoke has also drifted across the border, prompting U.S. President Donald Trump to threaten higher import tariffs on Canadian goods. Trump even raised the issue directly with Prime Minister Mark Carney (when the two leaders appeared together to watch the World Cup Final in New Jersey). Meanwhile, evacuation orders are forcing people to flee from their homes, including many in First Nations communities. Chiefs at the Assembly of First Nations meeting in Ottawa recently said the provincial and federal governments are failing northern Ontario First Nations that are self-evacuating, but federal minister of emergency management Eleanor Olszewski says nothing went wrong with Ottawa’s response.

There’s a new opening date set for the Gordie Howe International Bridge: July 27. Quick rewind, this is the bridge connecting Windsor, Ontario and Detroit, Michigan. It was supposed to open last month, but the ribbon-cutting ceremony was abruptly cancelled after U.S. President Donald Trump refused to open the American side. Now the federal gov has struck a new deal, which reportedly involves Canada getting about 50 per cent of the toll profits, after operational expenses. PM Carney also clarified Canada will not share any tolls collected from the bridge until the bridge’s debt is repaid, with Canada fronting the entire $6.4 billion construction bill. Listen to this pod for more on the political back-and-forth surrounding this bridge — and why it matters so much to Canada. Talk about a delayed crossing.

Left Turn: What exactly is democratic socialism? And how is it different from socialism, communism or social democracy? This pod breaks it all down, looking at the wave of self-described democratic socialists running for and winning elected office in the U.S., including New York City mayor Zohran Mamdani, along with Canadian figures like NDP leader Avi Lewis. Consider it your political vocabulary refresh.

AI Pushback: Data centres are popping up across Canada, but not everyone is rolling out the welcome mat. The federal gov is generally supportive, wanting to increase Canada’s data sovereignty by storing our data within our borders. But in communities where these centres are proposed, many residents are raising concerns, including about water use, power use and environmental impacts. Listen to this pod for a closer look at the growing pushback.

Career Pivot: Rollie Pemberton — who performs as Cadence Weapon — takes a deep look here at the growing trend of rappers becoming politicians. He writes that his years as a rapper have unexpectedly turned him into an attractive potential political candidate, and he points to other rappers who have already made the jump, including former and current Manitoba Premier, Wab Kinew. From mixtapes to mandates, apparently.

The Liberal government is — once again — trying to reassure Canadians about its plan to fast-track major projects. Quick refresher: Ottawa wants to speed up approvals through measures like red tape reduction, adopting a “one project, one review” approach with provinces, and the Building Canada Act. But at last week’s Assembly of First Nations (AFN) meeting in Ottawa, chiefs unanimously resolved to oppose the proposed major projects reforms, if they weaken environment protections or sidestep Indigenous rights. Energy and Natural Resources Minister Tim Hodgson spoke to delegates, saying “There is no good way to build major projects without First Nations partnership and leadership. Full stop.” Plus, the expansion project at Canada’s largest port, the Port of Vancouver, has been referred to the Major Projects Office. Stay tuned... the big projects conversation isn’t getting any smaller.

And now it’s time for dessert...your weekly crossword! A little hint for you: make sure you review last week’s edition to complete the crossword:

IT'S SWEET TREAT TIME

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