“The U.S. wants to achieve energy dominance. We support you in that view,” Hodgson said. “We will win this race.”

Hodgson told POLITICO that energy dominance could be achieved if the U.S. and Canada work together as “Fortress North America.”

(apologies for the paywall - I figured the quote was shareworthy enough on its own, but if anyone is able to share the article's full text please lmk and I'll add it to this section)

Provincial sales taxes will be removed from more grocery store items under Manitoba's next budget, and one researcher says the province may be the first to do so.

Currently, Manitobans pay provincial sales tax (PST) on prepared food and drinks sold for immediate consumption.

That includes "rotisserie chickens, salads, a case of Bubly — all the stuff that you're grabbing on the way home when you're in a rush and you gotta try and put a meal on the table for the family," Premier Wab Kinew announced in a post on social media Tuesday.

"After our budget passes — assuming it passes by July 1 — that will all be tax free," Kinew said.

It's a "bold move" that will relieve some pressure on Manitobans at the grocery store, says Sylvain Charlebois, director of Dalhousie University's Agri-Food Analytics Lab in Nova Scotia.

Manitoba may be the first Canadian province to eliminate the tax at the grocery store, he said.

"I think it should be welcome news for the rest of Canada, as far as I'm concerned, [and] I think perhaps other provinces should follow suit," Charlebois told CBC News.

Canada can protect rules-based international trade and resist pressure from superpowers by working more with the Americas, shoring up supply chains and strengthening economic ties, Costa Rica’s trade minister said on a recent visit to Ottawa.

“We share the same vision of the type of world that we would like to live in,” Manuel Tovar Rivera said in an interview with The Canadian Press. “Canada has enormous opportunities in our hemisphere.”

Costa Rica is on track to become the first Central American state to join the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership, or CPTPP, a trading bloc of 12 countries across the Pacific Rim, North and South America that will soon include the U.K.

...

Costa Rica, a country of just five million roughly the size of Nova Scotia, is an important partner for Ottawa on initiatives like feminist approaches to economic growth and promoting anticorruption practices.

In 2021, with Canada’s support, Costa Rica became the first Central American country to join the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development, or OECD, a group of 38 rich democracies. The country is powered almost entirely by renewables and hydroelectricity.

Costa Rica’s move to join the CPTPP bloc might expand trade with Canada in services, investment and government procurement, which were not part of the bilateral agreement both countries signed in 2002.

That could mean more Canadian exports of wheat and sugar to Costa Rica, according to an industry consultation led by Ottawa. It could also lead to a boost in Canadian tourism.

But joining the bloc is also about trying to uphold global rules-based systems, Tovar Rivera said.

...

The Canadian Council for the Americas made the same point last November in a report that urged Ottawa to seize on the economic and diplomatic potential of South and Central America, largely by using existing relationships and trade deals.

The report said that requires a shift beyond thinking of Latin America as a group of commodity markets, and demands instead a focus on building processing capacity for agricultural goods, selling Canadian expertise in cybersecurity and beefing up policing at Canadian ports used to traffic narcotics.

...

Justice Minister Sean Fraser says he has no plans to change how judges are appointed in Canada despite four premiers (Ford, Legault, Moe and Smith) writing to Prime Minister Mark Carney to ask for more of a say in the process.

"We haven't changed our point of view that we believe that the judicial appointments process is functioning," Fraser said Tuesday on his way into a cabinet meeting.

Fraser said there is already a mechanism by which the provinces can consult with the federal government over judicial appointments, and that process is working.

"If provinces want a greater role, we welcome them to take part in that consultation process when we reach out," he said.

Archived link

Hong Kong Watch’s Advocacy Officer Landson Chan testified before the Subcommittee on International Human Rights of the Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs and International Development (SDIR) at a hearing titled “Global Impact of Transnational Repression”. This follows Hong Kong Watch’s ongoing advocacy with Canadian parliamentarians on transnational repression targeting the Hong Kong diaspora.

Mr Chan opened his testimony by stating that Hong Kong Watch has documented cases revealing how transnational repression is affecting the Hong Kong diaspora in Canada, including harassment, intimidation, and surveillance. He then detailed select cases, including individuals receiving anonymous threats linked to pro-democracy activities, doxxing of personal and workplace information, and intimidation involving family members. Community leaders and organizers have been targeted with surveillance and threats of physical harm, while even non-activists have faced workplace harassment simply for attending community events.

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Notably, Joe Tay was targeted during Canada’s 2025 election with online “wanted-style” campaigns and safety threats, while Anna Kwok’s case highlights how repression extends to family members, with her father prosecuted and sentenced in Hong Kong after attempting to cancel her insurance policy following her departure. ...

Despite Canada’s robust legislative response to foreign interference in 2024, including by passing Bill C-70 into law, gaps remain in enforcement and protection, contributing to ongoing concerns about safety, accountability, and foreign interference. Hong Kong Watch urges the Canadian Parliament to adopt a comprehensive approach to transnational repression focused on prevention, protection, and accountability. This includes expediting the foreign influence transparency registry, strengthening protections for high-risk individuals, and implementing diplomatic measures and targeted sanctions against responsible foreign actors.

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You can watch the full hearing here.

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As an addition: If you happen to be in Vancouver on Sunday, April 19, 2026, there is public forum examining foreign interference, Canada–China relations, and the future of Hong Kong.

Canada’s largest AI data centre starts construction this spring in Saskatchewan. It’s one of many being built or proposed across the country. Today, a look at these centres’ controversial track record.

Canada is trying to clamp down on the number of temporary residents living in the country. As part of that effort, the government has slashed the number of study permits it issues each year.

But there’s a catch, according to Auditor General Karen Hogan. The government lacks the controls to verify whether foreign students are complying with their visa terms — and it isn’t even sure whether students are leaving Canada after their permits expire, according to her latest report.

Hogan found that while about 150,000 students were flagged in 2023 and 2024 for potential non-compliance, immigration officials only had the resources to investigate about 4,000 cases. Of those cases, 41% couldn’t be closed because students didn’t respond to the department’s inquiries.

...

Hogan highlighted some of the risks the government still faces, even as it shrinks the international student program.

Her office discovered that the government has failed to take action in cases where applicants used fraudulent documents or misrepresented information to get their permits. The majority of those students then went on to apply for other immigration permits — often with no note left in their files to alert public servants to their history of giving bad information.

...

Bell Canada and the Government of Saskatchewan move to expand domestic AI compute capacity, signaling a shift toward sovereign infrastructure as demand for AI power accelerates across education, research, and enterprise.

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The project is expected to generate up to $12 billion in economic value for Saskatchewan, including construction, long-term employment, and indirect job creation. Bell estimates at least 800 roles during construction and around 80 permanent positions once operational, with additional community employment projected.

Premier Scott Moe says the investment reflects both economic and research priorities: “The announcement of this facility is great news for Saskatchewan's economy. This investment by Bell will create jobs, strengthen provincial research capacity, and facilitate the creation of new businesses built on advanced capabilities.”

The agreement with the George Gordon First Nation includes provisions for procurement participation and workforce development. Chief Shawn R. Longman says the partnership is structured to deliver long-term outcomes: “On behalf of George Gordon Developments, the business arm of George Gordon First Nation, we are excited to partner with Bell AI Fabric on this major economic project. George Gordon First Nation has a history of working with industry leaders to ensure long-term mutual benefits that lead to measurable community outcomes while respecting our treaty rights, cultural protocols and environmental stewardship.

“George Gordon First Nation will support and collaborate directly with Bell Canada to ensure the success of this project for the members of George Gordon First Nation and the Province of Saskatchewan.”

...

Ontario Premier Doug Ford's cellphone records took centre stage as the provincial legislature resumed sitting Monday for the first time since December, with the opposition accusing the premier of having something to hide.

One of the many pieces of legislation the government has signalled it will introduce during the spring sitting is a bill to exempt records of the premier, cabinet ministers, their staff and parliamentary assistants from disclosure under freedom-of-information laws.

Ford, who has often boasted about his government's transparency, said it just follows what other provinces have already done.

"We should have moved a lot quicker on this," Ford said during question period.

"There are two groups that are concerned about it. The opposition — they should talk to their federal partners — and the media. Everyone else is focused on something else. They're focused on the economy, about jobs, fighting President Trump."

Cardiac services are set to expand at a Winnipeg hospital once regarded as one of the best in Canada for heart care.

The 2026 provincial budget includes $22.1 million to enhance cardiac care at St. Boniface Hospital, a ministerial spokesperson said in advance of the budget's release Tuesday.

New Democrats promised during the 2023 election campaign that they would create a cardiac centre of excellence, saying the cardiac-care program faltered under the Progressive Conservative government.

Funding for the enhanced unit, called Heart Care Manitoba, will add 18 beds and create a cardiac assessment unit, the government said. The funding will also be used to place a cardiologist in the emergency room to provide quick consultations to patients experiencing chest pain and other symptoms.

Dr. Anita Soni, who leads cardiac sciences at St. Boniface, said rebuilding cardiac capacity is vital, with cardiovascular issues accounting for one-quarter of deaths in Manitoba.

Thunder Bay, Ont., is a health-care hub for members of dozens of surrounding First Nations who travel to the city for medical appointments that aren’t available at home.

For years, community members relied on the city’s Wequedong Lodge for accommodation and transportation — but a lack of secure, stable funding from Indigenous Services Canada (ISC) resulted in a significant cutback in its services in April 2024.

That’s when the Sioux Lookout First Nations Health Authority (SLFNHA) stepped up to help fill the gap by launching its own medical transportation program in town.

SLFNHA supports 33 First Nations, 28 of which are remote. Since April 2024, it’s provided about 38,000 rides to patients and their family members in Thunder Bay.

But the program is ending as of April 1.

“It's been very upsetting for us because we know this program is good. We know that it's working. We know that we're transporting people in the way that they need to be transported,” said Monica Hemeon, SLFNHA’s vice president of regional services.

“It’s impossible to get a single right answer that is consistent throughout each support agent,” said Sloot, who lives in Toronto.

Sloot is one of more than a dozen customers with whom Marketplace has spoken who say they are frustrated with the poor customer service they received from Canada’s big three telecoms: Rogers, Bell and Telus. Complaints include long hold times, multiple transfers and escalations, dropped calls and overall poor communication, which can make seemingly simple issues take days or weeks to get sorted.

Employees at two of the largest telecom companies, Rogers and Telus, told Marketplace that frontline customer service representatives have less incentive to help issue credits or lower bills, and said they’re measured on their abilities to increase customers’ bills.

It comes as complaints against telecoms reached an all-time high last year, with more than 23,000 complaints filed with the Commission for Complaints for Telecom-television Services (CCTS), the majority of them relating to billing issues like incorrect monthly charges and missing credits. Meanwhile, in Spain, a new law is looking to cap how long customers have to wait when addressing similar issues — and some say Canada should take note.

'The system is designed to frustrate as many people as possible'

Tenumah believes Bell is following a pattern he has seen many times before. “The system is designed to frustrate as many people as possible,” he said. “Part of the design is that people will give up so that [companies] don't have to incur that expense.”

Reps encouraged to increase customer’s bills: insiders

It’s not just consumers who are frustrated — some telecom employees are, too. Marketplace has spoken confidentially to several current employees of Telus and Rogers, whose identities we are concealing because they fear professional repercussions.

Marketplace spoke to a Rogers worker who takes escalation calls and supports frontline agents. He said those employees' ability to help customers, including by issuing credits, is "decreasing constantly."

A longtime customer service representative with Telus said similarly.

“When I first started, we listened to customers, we appreciated them. I never had any hesitation reducing someone’s bill.”

Now, she says she’s monitored on the number of credits she issues. She says credits of a certain level have to be approved by a manager, and her scorecard is affected negatively if she lowers a customer’s bill.

Another Telus employee, a technician, said he has high sales targets to meet and he’s expected to upsell customers when he arrives at their home to install or fix equipment.

Spanish law limits wait times to three minutes or face fines

In late December 2025, Spain passed a law introducing mandatory customer service standards for telecoms and other large companies with more than 250 employees. It stipulates that customer calls must be answered within three minutes, 95 per cent of the time.

“This will be a revolution, in that it's a small thing, but will change the everyday life of millions of consumers,” said Pablo Bustinduy, the Spanish consumer affairs minister.

Under the new law, which goes into effect within the next year, customer complaints must also be resolved within 15 days, or five if it involves “improper charges.” Non-compliant companies could be fined up to 100,000 euros.

Josée Bidal Thibault, commissioner and CEO of the CCTS encourages Canadians to file a complaint if they can’t get resolution through their telecom.

I've added this image-based direct link to help folks here have an easier line send a 🖕 to your service provider if they've been screwing you over.

When the CRTC, Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission, allowed the Rogers Shaw acquisition to go though on March 24, 2022, I knew that enshitification was inevitable at that point.

I'm hoping that enough folks are tired and frustrated with the frankly shit service that we get, enough so to bring this to Mark Carney to do something about it.

It really doesn't make sense for Canada, a first world country, to have such shit internet service.
As a Canadian Korean, I often look at South Korea and wonder just why fellow Canadians here have to deal with this hostile system when really it doesn't have to be like this. I'm tired of this and I'm hoping others feel the same.

Newly declassified documents obtained by CBC Indigenous confirm that the RCMP infiltrated and sought to disrupt legitimate political Indigenous organizations in the 1970s, in an extensive program of covert surveillance, informants and countersubversion.