Good day,

It is Wednesday morning, and hopefully the rain has started to ease up a little.

Today, Donald Trump is questioning the future of Canada’s biggest trade agreement, Ottawa and Ontario are fighting over Billy Bishop Airport and Canadians can finally renew some passports online.

Donald Trump says he does not care about preserving CUSMA in its current form and believes the United States would be better off becoming more economically independent from Canada and Mexico.

CUSMA allows most qualifying goods to move across North America without tariffs and sets common rules for industries such as automotive manufacturing, agriculture, energy and digital trade.

Canada and Mexico wanted to extend the agreement for another 16 years, but the United States declined during this year’s review.

That does not immediately cancel CUSMA. The agreement now moves into annual reviews and could technically remain in place until 2036.

The bigger risk is uncertainty.

Trump can weaken the agreement without formally ending it by imposing separate tariffs, demanding yearly negotiations and making companies question whether future Canadian production will still have reliable access to the American market.

The United States is not truly independent from Canada. American factories rely on Canadian oil, electricity, steel, aluminum and automotive parts.

But that does not mean Trump will not test how far he can push Canada before American businesses begin pushing back.

Side Note: CUSMA is still in place, but refusing a long term extension gives Washington repeated opportunities to demand new concessions.

The federal government has rejected Ontario’s plan to expand Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport so that larger jet aircraft could use it.

The current agreement governing the airport restricts jet operations and runway extensions.

Ontario argued that larger aircraft would create more routes, improve business travel and increase competition with Pearson Airport.

Opponents warned that expansion would bring more noise, pollution and traffic to Toronto’s waterfront.

Ottawa says approximately 87 per cent of 87,000 consultation responses opposed the expansion, although an online consultation is not the same as a scientific public opinion poll.

Ontario is now suggesting it could reconsider its support for Alto, Ottawa’s proposed high speed rail system between Toronto, Ottawa, Montreal and Quebec City.

The airport and rail projects are not directly connected. The threat appears to be political pressure on the federal government.

Side Note: Ontario cannot approve jets on its own because Ottawa is part of the agreement controlling the airport.

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Eligible Canadian adults can now renew their passports online instead of mailing an application or visiting a Service Canada location.

Applicants can submit the form, upload a digital photo and pay through the federal portal.

The service is available only for standard adult renewals.

Generally, the previous passport must have been issued when the applicant was at least 16, been valid for five or 10 years and have been issued within the past 15 years.

Child passports, most first time applications and major personal information changes still require the regular application process.

The online option should be especially useful for people who live far from a passport office or cannot easily visit during business hours.

Applicants should still apply well before travelling because the old passport is cancelled during the renewal process.

Side Note: Canadians should use the official government portal and avoid passport renewal links sent through unexpected emails or text messages.

Canadian residents spent $18.8 billion during visits to the United States in 2025.

That was a decline of $3.3 billion, or approximately 15 per cent, compared with 2024.

The number of Canadian trips involving the United States also fell 23.5 per cent.

Canadians did not stop travelling altogether.

Leisure spending outside North America increased by $3.6 billion, suggesting many people chose Europe, the Caribbean, Mexico or other destinations instead.

Trade tensions, Trump’s comments about Canada, border concerns, higher costs and the Canadian dollar likely all played a role.

It would be too strong to say every cancelled trip was part of an organized boycott.

The impact is also larger for individual tourism communities than for the entire American economy. Hotels, restaurants, casinos and shopping centres near the border feel the loss more directly.

Side Note: Canadian spending in the United States fell sharply from 2024 but still remained slightly above its 2019 level.

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The British Columbia government has exempted FortisBC’s Tilbury LNG expansion from one major review by the B.C. Utilities Commission.

The commission would normally examine whether a large utility investment is necessary, reasonably priced and in the public interest.

The exemption allows FortisBC to move faster on the project, which is valued at approximately $2 billion.

The province says the expansion could create construction jobs, increase economic activity and support a possible ownership stake for the Musqueam Indian Band.

The main concern is who carries the financial risk.

If costs increase or demand for LNG is weaker than expected, the government needs to explain whether FortisBC shareholders, industrial customers or ordinary gas customers could eventually pay for it.

This decision does not remove every environmental or construction approval.

But it does replace part of an independent regulatory review with a cabinet decision.

Side Note: Supporting the project may make economic sense, but skipping a regulator means the government should be especially clear about costs and risks.