News for residents of the “11th province”: Canadians abroad.
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U.S. Border Agents Can Search Your Phone Without Cause
A U.S. appeals court has confirmed that border agents do not even need any suspicion before searching your cellphone at the frontier.
Canada's official travel advisory already informs visitors to expect scrutiny of electronic devices. It says that an officer is allowed to request a password, fingerprint or face scan and has the power to look through photos, documents and messages. A refusal can mean being denied entry into the United States, getting detained while you wait to be deported, or the seizure of your device presumably while they really go through it. The official Canadian advise is to put devices in airplane mode before crossing so files in the cloud aren't downloaded during a search.
The U.S. border is one of the few places where warrant rules are dramatically loosened, and the regs apply whether you're flying in from Canada, arriving from another country or using U.S. preclearance while still in Canada at a Canadian airport. You might argue that your phone is an extension of your brain, but at the border, it’ll be treated as property.
Read more: Vancouver Is Awesome / Government of Canada
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A photo from the old country:
Canada Wants IN On Erasmus
PM Mark Carney wants Canada to join Erasmus+, the European Union program that helps people study, train, teach and work abroad. Canada already participates in some of the program’s activities as a non-associated country, but a proper membership would open up many more opportunities.
The idea goes further than simple university exchanges; Erasmus+ also funds adult education, youth programs, professional development and institutional partnerships. Canada's five-year Global Skills Opportunity pilot ended in March 2025 after supporting nearly 15,000 post-secondary students and in its last year, 71 per cent of participants came from groups that are frequently underrepresented in study-abroad programs.
No deal has been agreed to yet, so Canada and the EU still need to settle the cost, tuition rules and figure out how Canadian schools might recognize credits that would be earned in Europe. Given how fragmented Canadian higher education is (to say nothing about provincial fifedoms), that last piece could take some real time and effort.
Read more: The Conversation Canada / CBC News
Tax Code at 3,827 Pages
Canada’s first Income Tax Act was about the size of a handy pamphlet. The current one runs to 3,827 pages. The Globe and Mail asked 11 business and tax figures how they would rebuild it.
Their ideas ran the gamut from practical to politically spicy. One would put an expiry date on every new tax break and renew only those that prove their worth. Another would cap the tax-free gain on a principal residence at $750,000 per head and cut capital gains tax on early investments in Canadian businesses. TMX Group’s CEO wants a lower capital gains inclusion rate for Canadian public companies and a TFSA that tips the deck toward Canadian investments.
There is also a proposal to give taxpayers a single clear online view of everything they have filed with the CRA, in addition to faster assessments and password resets that should take minutes rather than a minor archaeological expedition that sometimes involves (*shudder*) a phone call.
Read more: The Globe and Mail
Canada Retires at 65
Canada’s normal retirement age for CPP, QPP and Old Age Security remains at the age of 65. That’s where it's been since the 1960s, and the feds have no (known) plan to change it.
Its worthy of note, given how many of Canada’s peers have moved on. Norway and Australia are already above 65. Sweden, Denmark, Italy, Portugal and the Netherlands have connected future increases to a shifting life expectancy. Denmark’s age is on the way to eventually reaching 74. The U.S. will finish phasing in 67 this November, a change that was first set in motion during the ‘80s.
For Canadians who have pension rights in another country, retirement can therefore turn into a two-clock problem. Canadian benefits still use Canada’s timetable while a host country’s full pension may arrive years later. CPP and QPP can be taken before 65 at a lower rate or delayed for a higher one, but 65 is the baseline.
Read more: The Globe and Mail