Good day,

Friday is here, and the next big Canada-U.S. trade deadline is getting close.

Carney says he does not want a quick deal that fixes one problem only to leave another tariff fight around the corner. We’re also looking at what WestJet flight attendants actually won from their strike, new consumer rules in B.C. and another delay to Europe’s ETIAS travel requirement.

Canada and the United States are still negotiating as selected Canadian products face new 50 per cent U.S. tariffs beginning August 19.

Prime Minister Mark Carney says Canada is not interested in solving only one or two American complaints. Ottawa wants a broader agreement that deals with the overall trade relationship, including CUSMA, autos, dairy, alcohol and existing tariffs.

Why not take a smaller deal? Carney’s concern is that Canada could make a concession today only to face another tariff threat a few months from now.

That concern is more serious because some of the new duties can apply even to products that would normally receive preferential treatment under CUSMA. The White House is using a rarely used trade power to impose the new duties.

The risk is obvious. Canada could hold out for a better long-term agreement and still reach August 19 without one.

Ottawa can retaliate, but counter-tariffs are paid first by Canadian importers, meaning some of the cost comes back to Canadian businesses and consumers.

Canada does have leverage through oil, uranium, potash, aluminum and critical minerals, but the U.S. economy is much larger and Canada remains far more dependent on American customers.

WestJet and the union representing roughly 4,400 flight attendants have reached a tentative agreement after a strike disrupted travel across the country.

The strike affected about 250,000 passengers, with WestJet cancelling hundreds of flights before gradually rebuilding its network. (Reuters)

The biggest issue was not simply wages.

Flight attendants argued they were performing required work before takeoff and after landing without being properly compensated. That includes boarding, safety checks, helping passengers and preparing the cabin.

The tentative agreement changes how those duty hours are recognized and improves overall compensation. Members still need to ratify the deal.

WestJet had argued that cabin-crew compensation also includes monthly guarantees, benefits, vacation and scheduling protections, and that any deal had to keep the airline competitive.

Passengers took the immediate hit. Many were left paying for hotels, replacement flights and missed connections while the two sides negotiated.

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British Columbia has brought in new consumer rules targeting automatic renewals, difficult cancellations and some high-pressure door-to-door sales.

Businesses offering subscriptions that renew for longer than 60 days must now warn customers 30 to 60 days before renewal.

Customers must also be allowed to cancel the renewal without an extra cancellation penalty.

That could affect everything from streaming and food-delivery services to phone, internet and other recurring contracts.

B.C. is also banning certain door-to-door sales involving expensive household products such as furnaces and air conditioners, including arrangements where financing is offered on the spot.

The goal is to reduce situations where someone gets pressured into a long-term contract or debt before they have time to properly review it.

A second round of reforms is coming in 2027, including free credit freezes and additional protections against identity fraud.

Prime Minister Mark Carney is rejecting calls to reduce Canadian energy exports as leverage in the trade dispute with the United States.

Canada supplies the U.S. with large amounts of crude oil, natural gas and electricity. That makes energy look like one of the strongest tools Ottawa could use.

But Canadian producers also rely heavily on American customers and infrastructure.

Restricting exports could hurt U.S. refineries, but it could also reduce Canadian jobs, company revenue and provincial royalties.

Carney’s argument is Canada’s reputation as a dependable supplier is valuable, especially as the country tries to attract investment and sell more energy to Europe and Asia.

The counterargument is that reliability can become a weakness when Washington knows Canada will never use its most valuable exports as leverage.

Other options could include export taxes, restrictions on selected critical minerals or using future infrastructure access as a negotiating tool. Every option would carry economic and political risks.

Alberta and Saskatchewan strongly oppose using oil as a weapon, making this a national-unity issue as well as a trade issue.

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A wildfire in Belcarra Regional Park near Port Moody and Anmore forced two homes to evacuate and placed about 35 properties on alert.

The fire grew to roughly 1.5 hectares, but crews were able to contain it enough for officials to lift the evacuation measures.

It has now been classified as being held, meaning it is not expected to spread beyond existing control lines under current conditions.

No homes were reported damaged.

The fire was small compared with the massive Interior fires, but its location made it concerning. Homes, power infrastructure, park visitors and limited roads were all nearby.

Officials have not confirmed what caused the fire, so its location near power lines should not be treated as proof that electrical equipment started it.