Trade War


Doug Ford dumps bottle of Crown Royal, lashing out at brand over moving jobs to U.S.

By Joshua Freeman
September 02, 2025 at 4:22PM EDT


Ontario Premier Doug Ford spared no words during a fiery rant against Crown Royal for ‘hurting the people’ who worked at the plant.

Ontario Premier Doug Ford poured scorn on the makers of Crown Royal whisky Tuesday, dumping out a bottle before reporters in protest over the company’s decision to shutter an Ontario bottling plant and move the jobs south of the border.

“You know something, I always say smart people aren’t too smart, and you guys are about as dumb as a bag of hammers for doing this,” Ford said toward the end of an unrelated news conference in Kitchener, Ont.

Rummaging for a bottle he said he found at home, he proceeded to empty the contents out on the ground.

“This is what I think about Crown Royal. That’s what they could do. And I think everyone else should do the same thing,” Ford said as the amber liquid slowly emptied out of the bottle. “Start supporting companies that make whisky here in Ontario, people. That’s what we need to do, is support each other.”

In a news release last week, Crown Royal maker Diageo plc announced that it would be shutting down its bottling facility in Amherstburg, Ont. by February in order to move the work closer to some of its consumers in the U.S.

Ontario Premier Doug Ford empties a Crown Royal bottle of whisky at a press conference in Kitchener, Ont., on Tuesday, Sept. 2, 2025. Ford criticized the popular whisky's parent company, Diageo, for their plan to close one of their Ontario bottling plants in the coming months. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Sammy Kogan

“We appreciate our dedicated Amherstburg employees for their contributions to Diageo and the Crown Royal brand. This was a difficult decision, but one that is crucial to improving the efficiency and resiliency of our supply chain network,” Diageo’s North American president, Marsha McIntosh, said in the release.

The product itself will still be mashed, distilled, and aged in Canada, the company said.

U.S. President Donald Trump has been implementing aggressive tariffs to try force companies to relocate jobs to the U.S. Ford has said Ontario and the rest of Canada should on-shore as much manufacturing as possible in the face of the threats.

Diageo has maintained that the move is not because of Trump’s tariffs, but rather to “increase the efficiency and resiliency of its manufacturing footprint” in North America.

The company did not immediately respond to a request for comment Tuesday.

Ontario Premier Doug Ford empties a Crown Royal bottle of whisky at a press conference in Kitchener, Ont., on Tuesday, Sept. 2, 2025. Ford criticized the popular whisky's parent company, Diageo, for their plan to close one of their Ontario bottling plants in the coming months. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Sammy Kogan

‘Who targets their largest customer?’

Diageo, a U.K.-headquartered multinational, owns dozens of other-well-known brands, including Johnnie Walker, Guiness, Baileys, Smirnoff and Captain Morgan.

Ford said Ontario does around $740 million worth of business with Diageo each year, making the province their largest North American customer.

“Who targets their largest customer?” Ford said, appearing incensed, before he dumped the whiskey. “The people of Ontario support this company, and their payroll is 16, maybe $17 million. So you’re jeopardizing $740 million worth of business for what, $17 million? And you’re going to hurt a community, you’re going to make these people struggle?”

Ford called the company’s executives “smug as they come” and said “I think they’re probably a few fries short of a Happy Meal.”

He told Newstalk 1010 Tuesday that he’d consider pulling Crown Royal from LCBO shelves, but not before February.

“I’m not gonna roll over and sit back while they attack the people of Ontario and these small towns.” Ford said. “We need to stick together.”

Ontario Premier Doug Ford dumps out a bottle of Crown Royal whisky during a news conference in Kitchener, Ont. Tuesday, Sept. 2, 2025.

A statement provided to CP24 on behalf of Diageo said the company will maintain its footprint across Canada, including at their Canadian headquarters and warehouse operations in the Greater Toronto Area, and other bottling and distillation facilities in Gimli, Man., and Valleyfield, Que.

It added that Diageo directly employs more than 500 people across Canada, including more than 100 in Ontario—outside of those currently working at the Amherstburg site. About 200 jobs will be affected there.


Joshua Freeman
Journalist, CP24.com

 

AI-driven drug discovery picks up as FDA pushes to reduce animal testing

By Reuters
September 02, 2025 

Drug development software maker Certara, and biotechs such as Schrodinger and Recursion Pharmaceuticals are already using AI to predict how experimental drugs might be absorbed, distributed, or trigger toxic side effects. .

Drug developers are increasing adoption of artificial intelligence (AI) technologies for discovery and safety testing to get faster and cheaper results, in line with an FDA push to reduce animal testing in the near future.

Within the next three to five years, using AI and cutting back on animal testing could reduce timelines and costs by at least half, according to 11 different experts from across contract research firms, biotech companies and brokerages.

Drug development software maker Certara, and biotechs such as Schrodinger and Recursion Pharmaceuticals are already using AI to predict how experimental drugs might be absorbed, distributed, or trigger toxic side effects.

“We are getting to the point where we don’t actually need to do that (animal testing) anymore,” said Patrick Smith, president of drug development solutions at Certara, which works with companies developing infectious diseases drugs such as monoclonal antibodies for hepatitis B.

Recursion said its AI-based drug discovery platform took just 18 months to move a molecule into clinical testing as a cancer drug candidate, far faster than the industry average of 42 months.


Analysts at TD Cowen and Jefferies expect these AI-driven approaches to cut costs and timelines by more than half, from current estimates of up to 15 years and US$2 billion needed to bring a drug to market.

The shift also aligns with the FDA’s vision of approaches such as AI-driven technologies, human cell models and computational models becoming the new standard, as the agency plans to make animal studies the exception for pre-clinical safety and toxicity testing in three to five years.

The new approaches are expected to ultimately lead to lower drug prices as well, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration had said in its April statement that outlined a road map for companies to reduce reliance on animal testing, especially for monoclonal antibody drugs.

Still, industry experts have said the new methods are unlikely to fully replace animal testing.

Under current FDA requirements for monoclonal antibodies, companies conduct studies in animals to test for any harmful effects of a drug. These studies typically take between one to six months, and require about 144 non-human primates on average, at a cost of $50,000 each, according to the agency.
New approach

Charles River, one of the world’s largest research contractors, is among the industry mainstays investing in AI and the so-called “new approach methodologies.”

These NAMs use AI, computer-based modeling and machine learning as well as human-based models such as organs-on-chips to predict how a drug might work in the body. An organ-on-a-chip is a small device lined with living human cells that replicate key functions of an organ.

Charles River’s NAM portfolio already generates about $200 million in annual revenue.
Smaller players stepping in

InSphero is testing safety and efficacy in 3D liver models - where lab-grown liver microtissues help replicate the functions of the organ.


New York-based Schrodinger combines physics-based simulations with AI to predict drug toxicology.

But industry experts say in the near future, companies will use a hybrid approach, reducing animal testing and supplementing with data from these new methods.

“I don’t think we’ll get to a point immediately, in the near term where all of a sudden, animal testing is gone entirely,” said Brendan Smith, a life sciences and biotech analyst at TD Cowen.

(Reporting by Sneha S K and Puyaan Singh in Bengaluru; Editing by Devika Syamnath)

Artificial Intelligence

Quebec AI institute Mila names Hugo Larochelle as scientific director

By The Canadian Press
September 02, 2025 

A person walks past signage at MILA-Quebec Artificial Intelligence Institute in Montreal on Tuesday, Nov. 12, 2024. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Christinne Muschi

Quebec artificial intelligence institute Mila has a new scientific director.

Hugo Larochelle started in the job today. He is the former head of Google’s AI research lab in Montreal and an adjunct professor at the Université de Montréal.

Mila framed Larochelle as ideal for the job because he has made significant contributions to the advancement of AI, while remaining committed to rigorous, open and socially beneficial science.Latest updates on company news here

Larochelle says he will steer Mila to contribute to major scientific breakthroughs while ensuring its work contributes positively to society.

He takes over from Laurent Charlin, who had been in the job since Mila founder and AI pioneer Yoshua Bengio transitioned to the scientific adviser role in March.


Larochelle trained under Bengio at the Université de Montréal and later was a postdoctoral fellow at the University of Toronto under AI godfather Geoffrey Hinton.

Tara Deschamps, The Canadian Press

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 2, 2025.

Trade War

Artificial Intelligence

AI chatbots changing online threat landscape as Ottawa reviews legislation

By The Canadian Press
September 03, 2025 

The Chat GPT app icon is seen on a smartphone screen on Monday, Aug. 4, 2025, in Chicago. 

(AP Photo/Kiichiro Sato)

OTTAWA — Wrongful death lawsuits citing the activities of artificial intelligence chatbots are underway in the United States, as reports emerge of mental health issues and delusions induced by AI systems.

These incidents are drawing attention to the changing nature of the online threat landscape — just weeks after the Liberal government said it would review its online harms bill before reintroducing it in Parliament.

“Since the legislation was introduced, I think it’s become all the more clear that tremendous harm can be facilitated by AI, and we’re seeing that in particular in the space of chatbots and some of the tragedies,” said Emily Laidlaw, Canada research chair in cybersecurity law at the University of Calgary.

The Online Harms Act, which died on the order paper when the election was called, would have required social media companies to outline how they plan to reduce the risks their platforms pose to users, and would have imposed on them a duty to protect children.

The legislation would have required those companies to take down two types of content within 24 hours — content that sexually victimizes a child or revictimizes a survivor, or intimate content that’s shared without consent, including deepfakes.


Helen Hayes, a senior fellow at the Centre for Media, Technology, and Democracy at McGill University, conducts research on youth, social media and online harms. She said a big source of concern is some users’ “developmental reliance on chatbots or (generative) AI systems for relationship building, which we’ve seen has caused really unfortunate outcomes” — including suicides.

She also flagged the increasing use of generative AI systems for therapy and warned that relying on them may be “propelling people’s mental health issues instead of supporting them.”

In late August in California, the parents of a teenage boy launched a wrongful-death lawsuit against OpenAI, the maker of ChatGPT. The parents of 16-year-old Adam Raine allege ChatGPT encouraged their son in his plans to die by suicide.

The case followed another wrongful death lawsuit launched last year in Florida against Character.AI by a woman whose 14-year-old son died by suicide.

Reuters reported last month on the death of a man, cognitively impaired after a stroke, who became infatuated with a Meta chatbot. After the chatbot invited him to visit it in New York and gave him a fake address, the man attempted to do so — only to fall on the way and later die in hospital.

Experts are also warning about the threat of AI chatbots fuelling delusions — so-called “AI psychosis.” In one case reported by The New York Times last month, a Canadian man who had no history of mental illness became convinced he had invented a revolutionary new mathematical framework after engaging with ChatGPT.

A spokesperson for OpenAI said the company is “deeply saddened by Mr. Raine’s passing, and our thoughts are with his family.”

The spokesperson said ChatGPT includes safeguards and directs users to crisis helplines.

“While these safeguards work best in common, short exchanges, we’ve learned over time that they can sometimes become less reliable in long interactions where parts of the model’s safety training may degrade,” the spokesperson said. “Safeguards are strongest when every element works as intended, and we will continually improve on them, guided by experts.”

The company announced Tuesday that it plans to soon launch a feature which will give parents the ability to receive notifications if a teen is “in a moment of acute distress.”

A spokesperson for Meta declined additional comment beyond what was already included in the Reuters story. The company did not answer Reuters’ questions when asked why its chatbots can say they are real people and start romantic conversations.


Character.AI declined to comment on pending litigation, though a spokesperson said the company posts “prominent disclaimers in every chat to remind users that a character is not a real person and that everything a character says should be treated as fiction.”

Experts are calling for extensive safeguards to make it clear that chatbots are not real. Laidlaw said that can’t just be a notice at the beginning when a user signs up.

“It has to be something that is prompted by the nature of the conversation. There basically needs to be constant attention to how to ensure that this is, it’s not going to be perfectly safe, but it’s as safe as possible,” she said.

Hayes said generative AI systems, particularly those marketed at children, need to be clearly labelled as AI.

“I would go so far as to say that that labeling should happen every time there is some interaction between a user and the platform, so that there’s a constant reminder that the conversation is AI-generated,” she said.

The previous version of the online harms bill was aimed at social media platforms. Laidlaw, who was one of the experts consulted by the previous Liberal government on that legislation, said the basic structure of the bill is sound.

“But I think what we have to revisit is, precisely who do we want to be regulated by this?” she asked.

“I think that it doesn’t make sense to just narrowly focus on traditional social media, and that the different types of kind of platforms for discourse and the different type of AI-enabled harms should be captured by this.”

Hayes said she would agree with using the previous version of the legislation as a foundation, then including generative AI systems under its scope through transparency or labelling provisions.

Laidlaw said that if AI is going to be included in the legislation, the government needs to make it clear that is the goal.

Hayes said stand-alone generative AI systems like ChatGPT wouldn’t fall under the previous bill and would need to be added as a separate category.

Whether the government plans to do so is not clear. Justice Minister Sean Fraser told The Canadian Press earlier this summer that he would be taking a fresh look at the bill, and AI would be one of the factors under consideration.

A statement from the minister’s office did not directly state whether the minister plans to include any provisions in the legislation to address AI harms, either targeted specifically at chatbots or at AI more broadly.

A spokesperson for Fraser said the government is “moving forward with legislation to protect children from online sexual exploitation and extortion, tighten child-luring laws, and increase penalties for the distribution of intimate images without consent.”

It will also make non-consensual distribution of sexual deepfakes a criminal offence, Jeremy Bellefeuille said.

“This is a priority for us, and the work is ongoing as we continue consultations to get it right.”

While the landscape around online harms has changed since the previous version of the bill was introduced, so too have global attitudes on AI regulation as countries prioritize AI adoption and economic opportunity over governance.

Evan Solomon, Canada’s AI minister, has said Canada will move away from “over-indexing on warnings and regulation.”

Under the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump, the U.S. State Department recently took aim at Canada’s Online News Act, which requires Meta and Google to compensate news publishers for the use of their content.

A group of U.S. Republicans has also urged the Trump administration to push Canada to eliminate the Online Streaming Act, under which large streaming companies like Netflix and Amazon are required to make financial contributions to Canadian content and news.

Prime Minister Mark Carney killed a digital services tax on big tech companies in order to restart trade talks with Trump.

Chris Tenove, assistant director at the Centre for the Study of Democratic Institutions at the University of British Columbia, said that while there has been momentum in the United Kingdom and European Union on regulating online harms, “the Trump administration is a major counterforce.”

He said in an email that if Canada moves forward with online harms regulation, it’s clear “we will face a U.S. backlash.”

But Tenove said that beyond the American reaction, there is no good reason to eliminate or water down the bill.

“So, we’re left with the question of whether Canada can make its own laws to protect its own citizens, or has to comply with Trump administration wishes,” he said.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 3, 2025.

Anja Karadeglija, The Canadian Press

Trade War

Artificial Intelligence

AI minister insists there’s ‘zero capitulation’ in U.S. trade talks after Canada drops some counter-tariffs

By Spencer Van Dyk

Published: September 02, 2025

Minister of Artificial Intelligence and Digital Innovation Evan Solomon rises during Question Period in the House of Commons on Parliament Hill in Ottawa on Wednesday, June 18, 2025. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Justin Tang

Artificial Intelligence and Digital Innovation Minister Evan Solomon says Canada’s decision to remove the bulk of its counter-tariffs on U.S. goods — amid the protracted trade war between the two countries — was not a capitulation.

Solomon’s comments come less than two weeks after Prime Minister Mark Carney announced Canada will be dropping many of its counter-measures by exempting goods covered by the Canada-U.S.-Mexico Agreement (CUSMA).

“First of all, there’s no capitulation,” Solomon said in an interview on CTV Power Play with Vassy Kapelos on Tuesday, when asked if there’s a point at which Canada will walk away from negotiations entirely, rather than make further concessions. “Let’s be clear, zero, never, never. That’s not happening.”

“We have had counter-tariffs on steel and aluminum, but we’re trying to match exactly what the Americans have done,” Solomon added. “But look, this is an important trading relationship. Most of our goods are traded freely, and we are going to make sure that we establish fair ground rules with the U.S.”

In addition to the counter-tariff carve-out, Canada has made other concessions, including scrapping the controversial digital services tax (DST) to which U.S. President Donald Trump was vehemently opposed.


Canada has also made policy decisions in response to Trump’s concerns, namely by introducing a $1.3-billion border plan, naming a “fentanyl czar” and by speeding up the date by which it’ll meet its defence-spending commitments to NATO.

Canada and the U.S. have been in an ongoing trade war since February, when Trump imposed sweeping tariffs on Canadian goods, claiming they were related to border security. Those were later scaled back to apply only to goods not covered by CUSMA.

But, in the months since, the U.S. president has stacked additional sectoral tariffs on steel and aluminum, copper and autos.

Speaking to reporters on Aug. 22, Carney insisted the move to drop some counter-tariffs is meant to “match” U.S. levies, by implementing a carve-out for goods covered by CUSMA. But, while the American administration has imposed 50 per cent tariffs on steel and aluminum, Canada’s counter-tariffs on those industries remain at 25 per cent.

“Canadians appreciate this is complicated,” Solomon said. “Canadians appreciate that this is ongoing, but they also appreciate that Canadians are not going to settle for a bad deal. They’re going to g et a good deal, and that’s what these negotiations are all about.”

Solomon’s comments are in line with those made by Carney and Canada-U.S. Trade Minister Dominic LeBlanc in recent weeks, that the federal government in its negotiations is prioritizing getting the “best deal” over a timely one.

“These are complicated negotiations, and we’re making sure that Canada and the U.S. have a matched playing field in terms of tariffs to allow for these negotiations to stay on track,” Solomon insisted, when pressed on whether Canadians might perceive the move to scrap most counter-tariffs as “elbows down,” and in opposition of the posture the Liberals campaigned on.

“Getting these tariffs on steel, auto, aluminum and other things negotiated is what is going on right now,” he added. “I don’t want to simplify it with elbows up or elbows down. It’s a complicated negotiation. And the good news is it’s going on.”

Solomon is also the minister responsible for the Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario.
Old AI legislation will be partially reintroduced

Solomon — who is Canada’s first AI minister in the newly created portfolio — said some legislation from the previous Liberal government aimed at protecting Canadians’ digital privacy may be reintroduced.

Bill C-27, dubbed the Digital Charter Implementation Act, was introduced in 2022 but never made it to second reading in the House of Commons.

Solomon said while the prime minister hasn’t yet finalized the legislative agenda for the fall, part of the plan is likely to include reintroducing the portions of C-27 related to digital data privacy.

“That will build trust in order for them to adopt AI and use those tools, absolutely key,” Solomon said.

“We need the right legislation on privacy and data, and then we are going to be, obviously, working closely with the Canadian AI Safety Institute and other experts … to make sure that Canadians are protected from any downside risk of this,” he also said. “On the other hand, we’ve got to embrace building the economy of the future on one hand, and do it safely and protect Canadians on the other. Those things co-exist, and that’s part of my mission.”

Solomon made the comments in response to a question from Kapelos around any legislative framework the government may consider to mitigate the risks of artificial intelligence, which several pioneers in the field have warned could pose an existential threat.

You can watch Evan Solomon’s full interview on CTV Power Play with Vassy Kapelos at 5 p.m. ET.

Spencer Van Dyk
Writer & Producer, Ottawa News Bureau, CTV News

Trade War

Some Indigenous businesses halt exports to U.S. despite long-standing free-trade ties

By The Canadian Press
Published: August 31, 2025 

Canada's Prime Minister Mark Carney walks with President Donald Trump after a group photo at the G7 Summit, Monday, June 16, 2025, in Kananaskis, Canada. 

THE CANADIAN PRESS/AP-Mark Schiefelbein

OTTAWA — Some small Indigenous businesses are halting shipments to the U.S. in the wake of U.S. President Donald Trump’s tariff regime, even though trade ties exist that predate the founding of both Canada and the United States.

“There needs to be a resolution to allow Indigenous Peoples to continue to undergo the trade routes that they have established and practised, and the treaties that have been signed in the past have suggested that these would be honoured,” said Matthew Foss, who serves as the vice president of research and public policy at the Canadian Council for Indigenous Businesses.

“It’s up to the federal governments in Canada and the United States to figure out how to honour those.”

Trump announced last month his government was going to suspend duty-free de minimus imports from all countries, with the new rules set to come into effect last Friday — part of his government’s larger push to promote domestic business development.

Purchases that previously entered the U.S. valued under $800 without needing to clear customs will require vetting and be subject to their origin country’s applicable tariff rate, which can range from 10 to 50 per cent. For the next six months, carriers handling orders sent through the global mail network also can choose a flat duty of $80 to $200 per package instead of the value-based rate.


Foss said Indigenous craftworks are exempt from tariffs under the current Canada-U.S.-Mexico trade agreement, but the documentation needed to secure that exemption may be too cumbersome for a small business to handle. He is lobbying the federal government to address those administrative burdens, but “it’s not moving quickly.”

Stevi Riley, who lives in Walpole Island First Nation and operates The Beaded Hero, said around half of her orders come from the U.S. She made the decision to stop all sales in that country due to the new import rules, but worries about the impact that cutting her business off from that market will have.

“I just felt discouraged,” Riley said of the changes that could see a 35-per-cent increase in the cost to ship across the border.

“If you (the U.S.) don’t want Canadian products going over, I don’t want to deal with it. I don’t want things getting destroyed or things getting sent back, and I feel like that’s going to happen.”

Tribal Spirit Drums and Music, based in Ivry-sur-le-Lac, Que., posted on social media they would be halting U.S.-based sales as of Aug. 27, citing the de minimus changes, as did Dominique O’Bonsawin, who runs Cedarlilie Beads.

“It definitely means less reach, which is a bummer because the U.S. would be a huge opportunity for growth,” said O’Bonsawin.

“Not being able to trade freely creates more distance and barriers for rebuilding relationships with communities in the U.S. We are related and connected, and this is frustrating.”

The Trump administration says the exemption has become a loophole that foreign businesses exploit to evade tariffs and criminals use to get drugs, counterfeit products and other contraband into the U.S.

Former U.S. President Joe Biden and members of Congress also discussed the issue.

Jack Royal, who serves as the chairman and CEO of the Indigenous Businesses Corporation, said in an interview there is a lot of uncertainty in the U.S.-Canada relationship, and that it’s causing instability for Indigenous businesses and Canadians alike.

“Like other small businesses, what First Nations are looking for is some certainty and to look for support on how we can maximize our other options,” he said.


Twenty-five countries have already suspended postal services to the U.S., according to the Universal Postal Union.

“These suspensions will remain in place pending further information on how U.S. authorities will operationalize these measures as well as actual implementation of the required operational changes,” the UN agency said in a news release last week.

Canada Post has not suspended exports, but has informed some business owners it is working to “understand the order, assess options, and secure solutions that will ensure we can maintain continuity for your business.”

Foss said the Canadian Council for Indigenous Businesses has been regularly engaging with the Canada Trade Commissioner Service to work on solutions to cross-border trade with Indigenous businesses, and is encouraging Indigenous leaders to advocate for the re-establishment of rights.

The Assembly of First Nations annual general meeting in Winnipeg this week has a series of resolutions up for debate, including on cross-border trade.

One resolution, brought forward by Chief Roger Redman of Standing Buffalo First Nation, is calling for the advocacy body to help fund a legal opinion on Aboriginal and treaty rights to cross-border trade, and for the AFN to urge the federal government to include First Nations in all negotiations related to tariffs and trade policies.

O’Bonsawin said the U.S. and Canada have historically had strong trade agreements, and hopes things can “go back to normal” soon.

“I don’t see anything being done in the near future unfortunately, but I’m hopeful the next U.S. administration will do better for Canada and the U.S.”

Alessia Passafiume, The Canadian Press

With files from The Associated Press

Trade War

The majority of Canadians that own property in the U.S. plan to sell, survey finds

By Joshua Santos
 August 27, 2025


Royal LePage broker Shawn Zigelstein discusses a new report which found 54 per cent of Canadians with U.S. property are planning to sell.

Trade tensions between Canada and the United States have many Canadians that own U.S. property weighing a sale of their home south of the border due to the economic policies of U.S. President Donald Trump‘s administration.

More than half of Canadians with U.S. real estate holdings (54 per cent) say they are planning to sell their American homes within the next year, according to a recent Royal LePage survey conducted by Brunson.

“Those are big numbers, particularly when you consider that we have about 1 million snowbird Canadians travel the United States each year, particularly during the six months of fall through spring, so the wintertime, and about over 60 per cent of those own property,” Phil Soper, president and CEO of Royal LePage, told BNNBloomberg.ca in a Wednesday interview.

Nearly two-thirds (62 per cent) of respondents surveyed, who are considering a sale, point to concerns with Trump and the White House. Meanwhile, 33 per cent are motivated by personal and financial reasons and five per cent are worried about extreme weather conditions such as hurricanes, floods and forest fires.

“My belief is, most Canadians believe this current era in American politics is extreme, and the pendulum will swing back towards something more normal or moderate,” said Soper. “But four years is a long time. He’s only six months into his term. There’s a lot of runway left, and a lot of uncertainty in terms of the direction America will take after the Trump presidency.”


Of those who went through a sale and sold their U.S. property within the last year, 44 per cent say it was because of the political climate, while 27 per cent say it was for personal reasons, and 22 per cent because of increasingly extreme weather conditions.
‘Buy Canadian’ sentiment resonating with residents

Canadians have been among the top two largest contributors of foreign investment in U.S. real estate for the last two decades, although transactions have been significantly lower the last five years compared to the majority of the 2010s, according to the National Association of Realtors.

Almost one third (32 per cent) of respondents who have recently sold or are planning to sell within the next year say they plan to reinvest the proceeds of sales into the Canadian market.

Real estate professionals in the U.S. have reported more than twice as many residential property sales by international clients over the last year, the largest group being Canadian.

“We only have between (450,000) and 500,000 overall real estate transactions in a year in all of Canada,” said Soper. “When you’re talking about potentially hundreds of thousands of Canadians selling property, that’s a big deal. It’s a real material change in attitude. Now we often investigate intent, and intent doesn’t always translate to action, but it’s clear that there has been a change in attitude, and that will be a seismic shift in Canadians investment in American property.”

The exodus from the American market follows a trend of residents travelling and spending less in the United States. Royal LePage points out, for example, Canadians made 6.1 million trips to the U.S. during the first quarter of 2025, a 10.8 per cent decline compared to the same period last year, according to Statistics Canada.

At the same time, spending during those visits fell 7.9 per cent year over year, totalling $5.7 billion. Soper said Canadians are bringing back money to Canada.

“We’re talking billions of dollars of Canadians’ money being spent in these regions in the United States, where they own properties, and bringing those billions back to Canada,” said Soper. “That will both have a material impact on the areas in which they live in Canada, the regions, but also on the regions in which they’re leaving”.
Methodology

Burson used the Leger Opinion online panel to survey some 2,500 adult residents across Canada. The survey was conducted between Aug. 4 and 9, 2025 encompassing a variety of ages, genders, and other representations in line with the 2021 census figures.


No margin of error can be associated with a non-probability sample. For comparison purposes, a probabilistic sample of 2,500 respondents would have a margin of error of ±2 per cent, 19 times out of 20, and results from smaller subsamples should be interpreted with the understanding that their associated margin of error increases.


Joshua Santos
Journalist, BNNBloomberg.ca

Trade War

A downturn in international travel to the U.S. may last beyond summer, experts warn

By The Associated Press
September 01, 2025 

People walk through Harry Reid International Airport, Friday, Aug. 29, 2025, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/John Locher)

LAS VEGAS — For a few hopeful weeks this summer, a bright billboard on the major highway linking Toronto to New York greeted Canadian drivers with a simple message: “Buffalo Loves Canada.”

The marketing campaign, which included a US$500 gift card giveaway, was meant to show Buffalo’s northern neighbors they were welcome, wanted and missed.

At first, it seemed like it might work, said Patrick Kaler, CEO of the local tourism organization Visit Buffalo Niagara. More than 1,000 people entered the giveaway. But by the end of July, it was clear the city’s reliable summer wave of Canadian visitors would not arrive this year.

Buffalo’s struggle reflects a broader downturn in international tourism to the U.S. that travel analysts warn could persist well into the future. From northern border towns to major hot spots like Las Vegas and Los Angeles, popular travel destinations reported hosting fewer foreign visitors this summer.

Experts and some local officials attribute the trend that first emerged in February to President Donald Trump’s return to the White House. They say his tariffs, immigration crackdown and repeated jabs about the U.S. acquiring Canada and Greenland alienated travelers from other parts of the world.

“To see the traffic drop off so significantly, especially because of rhetoric that can be changed, is so disheartening,” Kaler said.

Forecasts show U.S. losing foreign travelers

The World Travel & Tourism Council projected ahead of Memorial Day that the U.S. would be the only country among the 184 it studied where foreign visitor spending would fall in 2025. The finding was “a clear indicator that the global appeal of the U.S. is slipping,” the global industry association said.

“The world’s biggest travel and tourism economy is heading in the wrong direction,” Julia Simpson, the council’s president and CEO, said. “While other nations are rolling out the welcome mat, the U.S. government is putting up the ‘closed’ sign.”

Travel research firm Tourism Economics, meanwhile, predicted this month that the U.S. would see 8.2 per cent fewer international arrivals in 2025, an improvement from its earlier forecast of a 9.4 per cent decline but well below the numbers of foreign visitors to the country before the COVID-19 pandemic.

“The sentiment drag has proven to be severe,” the firm said, noting that airline bookings indicate “the sharp inbound travel slowdown” of May, June and July would likely persist in the months ahead.

Deborah Friedland, managing director at the financial services firm Eisner Advisory Group, said he U.S. travel industry faced multiple headwinds — rising travel costs, political uncertainty and ongoing geopolitical tensions.

Since returning to office, Trump has doubled down on some of the hard-line policies that defined his first term, reviving a travel ban targeting mainly African and Middle Eastern countries, tightening rules around visa approvals and ramping up mass immigration raids. At the same time, the push for tariffs on foreign goods that quickly became a defining feature of his second term gave some citizens elsewhere a sense they were unwanted.

“Perception is reality,” Friedland said.

International arrivals down from Western Europe, Asia and Africa

Organizers of an international swing dancing said an impression of America’s hostility to foreigners led them to postpone the event, which had been scheduled to take place this month in the Harlem area of New York City.

About three months into Trump’s second term, international competitors began pulling out of the world finals of the International Lindy Hop Championships, saying they felt unwelcome, event co-producer Tena Morales said. About half of attendees each year come from outside the U.S., primarily from Canada and France, she said.

Contest organizers are considering whether to host the annual competition in another country until Trump’s presidency ends, Morales said.

“The climate is still the same and what we’re hearing is still the same, that (dancers) don’t want to come here,” she said.

The nation’s capital, where the Trump administration in recent weeks deployed U.S. National Guard members and took over management of Union Station, also has noticed an impact.

Local tourism officials have projected a 5.1 per cent dip in international visitors for the year. Marketing organization Destination DC said last week it planned to “counter negative rhetoric” about the city with a campaign that would feature residents and highlight the “more personal side” of Washington.

U.S. government data confirms an overall drop-off in international arrivals during the first seven months of the year. The number of overseas visitors, a category that doesn’t include travelers from Mexico or Canada, declined by more than three million, or 1.6 per cent, compared to the same period a year earlier, according to preliminary figures from the National Travel and Tourism Office.

As a tourist generator, Western Europe was down 2.3 per cent, with visitors from Denmark dropping by 19 per cent, from Germany by 10 per cent, and from France by 6.6 per cent. A similar pattern surfaced in Asia, where the U.S. data showed double-digit decreases in arrivals from Hong Kong, Indonesia and the Philippines. Fewer residents of countries throughout Africa also had traveled to the U.S. as of July.

However, visitors from some countries, among them Argentina, Brazil, Italy and Japan, have arrived in greater numbers.

Filling a void left by Canadian tourists

Neither did all U.S. destinations report sluggish summers for tourism.

On eastern Wisconsin’s Door Peninsula, which straddles Lake Michigan and Green Bay, a steady stream of loyal Midwest visitors helped deliver a strong summer for local businesses, according to Jon Jarosh, a spokesperson for Destination Door County.

Many business owners reported a noticeable uptick in foot traffic after a quieter start to the season, Jarosh said, and sidewalks were bustling and restaurants were packed by midsummer.

Executives from the major U.S. airlines said last month that American passengers booking premium airfares helped fill their international flights and that demand for domestic flights was picking up after a weaker than expected showing in the first half of 2025.

The Federal Aviation Administration said it was gearing up for what is expected to be the busiest Labor Day weekend in 15 years. Bookings for U.S. airlines were up about 2 per cent compared to 2024 for the long holiday weekend that started Thursday, aviation analytics firm Cirium said.

As the summer winds down, though, the absence of foreign visitors in Buffalo was still visible, according to Kaler, the head of Visit Buffalo Niagara.

Canada sent over 20.2 million visitors to the U.S. last year, more than any other country, U.S. government data showed. But this year, residents of Canada have been among the most reluctant to visit.

In a major U-turn, more U.S. residents drove into Canada in June and July than Canadians making the reverse trip, according to Canada’s national statistical agency. Statistics Canada said it was the first time that happened in nearly two decades with the exception of two months during the pandemic.

In July alone, the number of Canadian residents returning from the U.S. by car was down 37 per cent from the year before, and return trips by plane fell 26 per cent, the agency said.

As a result, Visit Buffalo Niagara shifted its marketing efforts this summer to cities like Boston, Philadelphia and Chicago. Amateur children’s sporting events also helped fill the void left by Canadian tourists.

“We will always welcome Canadians back when the time is right,” Kaler said. “I don’t want Canadians to feel like we see them as just dollar signs or a transaction at our cash registers. They mean more to us that that.”

Rio Yamat, The Associated Press

Trade War

Carney cabinet meets to prepare for Parliament’s return, debate trade war strategy

By The Canadian Press
 September 03, 2025 

Prime Minister Mark Carney delivers remarks in Ottawa on Thursday, Aug. 7, 2025. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Spencer Colby

TORONTO — American tariffs and an upcoming review of the continental trade pact will headline discussions today as Prime Minister Mark Carney’s cabinet begins its two-day retreat in Toronto.

While previous governments referred to these sorts of gatherings as cabinet “retreats,” Carney’s office is rebranding the event as a “cabinet planning forum.”

The meetings come two weeks before the House of Commons is to return for the fall sitting and about a month or so before Carney’s new government presents its first federal budget.

Ministers are expected to spend most of their time discussing U.S. President Donald Trump’s tariff war.

Just over a week ago cabinet approved a decision to tamp down Canada’s tariff retaliation, aligning most tariffs with the U.S. by exempting goods covered under the Canada-U.S.-Mexico Agreement.

That trade deal will also be on the agenda as cabinet preps for the review of the pact that could begin as early as this fall.

Canada’s quest to build up Canada’s domestic defence industry, building more affordable housing and tackling crime will also highlight the discussions.

While the discussions will happen behind closed doors, ministers typically use these meetings to make announcements on the margins and position themselves for Parliament.

The Liberal caucus will also hold planning meetings in Edmonton next week before Parliament returns on Sept. 15.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 3, 2025

Kyle Duggan, The Canadian Press

Trade War


‘Mercy of politics’: Canadian farmers weigh plans as Chinese tariff hits canola price

By The Associated Press
 September 01, 2025 

Canola plants bloom in a pasture on a farm near Cremona, Alta., Friday, July 18, 2025. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jeff McIntosh

As Chinese tariffs on Canadian canola products continue to hamper the cash price of one of the country’s most valuable crops, farming experts say producers have big decisions ahead of them.

Market analyst Chuck Penner with LeftField Commodity Research said while future prices are down slightly, the cash price farmers receive for their canola, also known as the basis, is much lower.

He said the drop has resulted in farmers losing at least $140 million on their canola in the last two weeks. But compared with March, when China imposed a 100 per cent tariff on canola oil and meal, losses amount to $800 million, he said.

“There’s other factors going on in the market as well, but that’s just a quick and dirty look at it,” Penner said.

“(Farmers) don’t like it, and they feel like they’re being sacrificed to support eastern Canadian industries, whether that’s true or not.”


The hit to Canada’s canola industry comes more than two weeks after China hit Canadian canola seed with a 75.8 per cent tariff.

Beijing’s duty on canola seed was seen as a response to Canada’s 100 per cent tariff on Chinese electric vehicles.

Penner said farmers plan on growing canola next year, but just how much will depend on market forces and their land management practices, known as crop rotations.

Producers change out the crops they plant each year to manage soil nutrients and limit diseases. Prairie farmers tend to cycle their fields with oilseeds, cereals and pulses over a three-year period.

“You can’t just stop growing one of those crops wholesale because it’s a complex system,” Penner said. “Farmers have been through low price environments before, but usually they’re related to supply and demand, rather than these abrupt trade decisions.

“If we didn’t have this China situation, farmers would be able to plan and look ahead more effectively.”

Canola is considered a high source of farm revenue for Canadian producers, but it’s also among the most expensive to grow.

Chris Davison with the Canola Council of Canada says canola has historically been a productive and profitable crop.

“We’re certainly going to do everything we can to help support and create the conditions that enable that to continue,” Davison said.

“A big part of that is working to make sure that we’ve got our export markets and demand for Canadian canola seed, oil and meal functioning optimally.”

China is Canada’s second-largest importer of canola products, behind only the United States.


Davison said this year’s canola crop is shaping up to be more bountiful than last, which could create additional pressures should China’s tariffs persist.

“If harvest is larger than what is estimated, then we lose the demand signal for Canadian canola. That certainly has the real potential to make things more challenging,” he said.

Alberta Premier Danielle Smith and Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe have said Ottawa should drop its 100 per cent electric vehicle tariff on Beijing.

Davison said doing so should be part of discussions between China and Canada.

“They are political issues that require a political solution,” he said. “It’s really important that we understand what it’s going to take to resolve the issue before determining which levers we can pull.”

The canola industry contributed $43 billion to Canada’s economy last year and employs roughly 200,000 people.

The canola seed tariff came into force nearly a year after Beijing launched an anti-dumping probe into the crop.

China’s Ministry of Commerce has argued Canadian canola companies were dumping the product into the Chinese market, hurting its domestic canola oil market.

Ottawa and farmers have denied dumping, saying exporters are following rules-based trade.

Ottawa has said China has until September, when the anti-dumping investigation formally ends, to make a final decision on the duty. China can extend the deadline by six months.

In 2019, China restricted canola imports from two grain companies after Canada detained Meng Wanzhou, a Chinese business executive.

Canadians Michael Spavor and Michael Kovrig were also detained in China days after Meng’s arrest.

Meng and the two Canadians were released to their countries in 2021 and China lifted its ban on canola the next year.

Penner said the issue this time is different, as 2019 didn’t involve broad tariffs.

“What we can take from it is farmers and industry are at the mercy of politics,” he said. “There is precious little they can do about it.”

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 1, 2025.

Jeremy Simes, The Canadian Press