Carney to Host Meeting with Premiers Today
Prime Minister Mark Carney is set to convene Canada's premiers today in Ottawa, addressing the challenges posed by tariffs from China and the United States. This gathering occurs just days before Carney is anticipated to initiate a federal election campaign, potentially leading to an election as soon as April 28. The meeting will take place this afternoon at the Canadian War Museum in Ottawa. Audrey Champoux, a spokesperson for Carney, indicated that the session aims to discuss the concept of establishing a single Canadian economy, rather than maintaining 13 separate provincial economies.
Liberals Revoke Arya's Nomination After Leadership Race Removal
Liberal Member of Parliament Chandra Arya has had his nomination to represent the party reinstated in his Ottawa riding revoked. The 62-year-old has held the Nepean seat since 2015. This decision follows nearly two months after the party informed Arya that he would not be accepted as a candidate for its leadership contest. National campaign director Andrew Bevan communicated the decision to Arya in a letter today, mere days before an expected election announcement.
Hudson's Bay Back in Court Today for Liquidation Approval
Hudson's Bay Company is scheduled to return to court today as it seeks permission to liquidate all of its stores amidst its ongoing creditor protection proceedings. Since Monday, the department store chain, recognized as Canada’s oldest company, has been requesting Ontario Superior Court judge Peter Osborne to permit the sale of merchandise from its 80 stores, three Saks Fifth Avenue locations, and 13 Saks Off 5th outlets across Canada. The company’s legal representatives argue that this liquidation request is essential due to a lack of necessary funding to sustain the stores, although they will continue to seek financial backing with the hope of reversing liquidation plans.
Concerns Rise Among Hudson's Bay Staff Over Potential Unemployment
Kevin Grell, an employee at Hudson’s Bay’s east Toronto fulfillment center, is feeling an overwhelming sense of anxiety as the uncertainty surrounding the company's future mounts. He and his colleagues, who assemble online orders for the retailer, have been on edge for months. The situation escalated after Hudson's Bay filed for creditor protection on March 7 and subsequently requested permission to liquidate its stores. “You can feel the difference. Everybody's concerned. Everybody's scared. Everybody's uncertain about the future,” Grell expressed, highlighting the emotional burden the employees are carrying as they grapple with job insecurity.
Canadian Startups Shift Focus to Domestic Funding
Tatiana Estevez, the founder of the fog water collection company Permalution, recently celebrated securing funding for a drinking water project. However, her optimism was short-lived due to funding delays caused by U.S. President Donald Trump halting expenditures from the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID). The hold-up directly impacts Permalution and its related projects, leaving Estevez disheartened. “It was very heartbreaking to see how everything was unfolding,” she remarked, reflecting on the precarious nature of securing funding for essential initiatives.
B.C. Landslides Linked to Logging and Wildfire According to Study
A recent study has identified that nearly half of the landslides, debris flows, and washouts that occurred during the atmospheric river disaster in British Columbia in November 2021 originated from areas affected by logging or wildfires. The catastrophic rains triggered a landslide that claimed five lives on Highway 99 east of Pemberton, while extensive damage to roads and bridges isolated coastal B.C. from the rest of Canada. An estimated 18,000 people were evacuated from their homes in southwestern B.C. as continuous storms battered the region, flooding farms and residences. The study, published in the journal Earth Surface Processes and Landforms, analyzed approximately 70,000 square kilometers, scrutinizing 1,360 incidents of debris flows, landslides, and bank erosion caused by the storms.
