Voyageur 34
News for residents of the "11th province": Canadians abroad.
Please don't forget to share, subscribe or send feedback.
Harper to Canadians: It's Time to Reduce Our Dependence on the U.S.
Former prime minister Stephen Harper - the man who once called himself "probably the most pro-American prime minister in Canadian history" - now says Canada needs to pivot away from the U.S. market.
Speaking at an Ottawa gala on Wednesday to mark the 20th anniversary of forming his government, Harper broke his self-imposed silence on Canada-U.S. relations. He said President Trump's threats, tariffs, and open questioning of Canadian sovereignty pose "an existential threat" that demands a muscular response.
Harper's prescription is to levy tariffs on American goods (something PM Mark Carney rolled back last summer), build a pipeline to the B.C. coast "not someday, but right now," and protect Canada's right to sell critical resources to non-U.S. buyers. Canada must not become "a captive resource colony of the U.S.," he warned.
Harper also invoked Confederation-era history - when U.S. politicians floated Canadian annexation and tore up a free trade deal. He emphasized how Canadian leaders didn't shrink from that fight, they instead came together and formed a country.
Read more: CBC News
Advertisement:
A photo from the old country:
Grocery Prices Up 22% Since 2022 - And Still Climbing
If you've been back to Canada recently and noticed your grocery bill felt heavier, you weren't imagining it. A new Bank of Canada report confirms food prices have risen 22% since 2022 - nearly double the 13% increase in other consumer goods.
Food inflation hit 5% in December, the highest since late 2023. The culprits are mostly imported goods, tariffs, and drought. Coffee is up 31% year-over-year. Chocolate and candy up 14%. Beef is chugging higher by 17%, mostly because of drought and soaring feed costs.
Senior BoC economist Olga Bilyk says cost pressures take six to nine months to work their way through the supply chain and hit the checkout. The good news is that import-related inflation might ease, but the bad news is that meat prices are "still going to pinch."
For those comparing cost-of-living between Canada and wherever you've landed, keep this in mind. And for anyone planning a move back - budget accordingly.
Read more: National Post


I agree with Harper - and it's really the only rational policy response to antagonization by the Americans - if we diversify our exports even a little bit, it will improve our negotiating position. This can be pursued without mutual exclusivity and in fact supports diplomacy as well.
So it sounds profound when Carney and Harper talk about it but it's really just the only possible response - as evidenced by politicians from both sides saying it.