Ottawa Observations: Thursday-Friday, July 6-7, 2023

Our compilation of some of the stories of note from the day, reviewing the political developments from the Federal scene for Thursday-Friday, July 6-7,  2023

British Columbia Port Workers Strike

Archive of notes on the labour dispute available here.

Canadian Wildfires 

Canada's wildfire season continues to break records. Here's why more will fall

Most of BC under campfire ban as heat, lightning likely to ramp up wildfire risk 

Crews battling 38 hectare out of control wildfire north of Abbotsford 

Ukraine/Russia War

US to supply Ukraine with cluster munitions despite allies; weapons ban

NATO leaders set to offer Ukraine major support package, but membership off the table for now 

Ukraine says it is advancing near eastern city of Bakhmut 

Belarus says Wagner chief Prigozhin is in Russia

US decision to send cluster munitions to Ukraine could put Canada, others on the spot 

Russia, Ukraine tensions over Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant highlights disaster dangers 

Wagner chief who defied Putin is currently in Russia, according to Belarus president 

Turkey's Recep Tayyip Erdogan hosts Volodymyr Zelenskyy, says Ukraine deserves membership in NATO

US makes 'difficult decision' to give Ukraine cluster bombs. - weapons banned by more than two thirds of NATO members

Globe and Mail

Liberals and Conservatives report fruitful talks on public inquiry into foreign interference 

Small town Ontario ER's temporarily closing on busy summer weekends 

Ontario looks to go ahead with three more small modular nuclear reactors 

Why Khalistan independence protests are being held this weekend in Vancouver and Toronto 

Olivia Chow isn't the mayor Bay Street wanted. She might be the mayor Bay Street needs

Rule by the second-place: the coming crisis of legitimacy in federal politics 

The CRA needs to call in the police over CERB class by its employees 

Mi'kmaq lawyers from Nova Scotia, Newfoundland appointed to Senate seats 

Ministers from Canada, US and Mexico gather in Cancun to talk North American trade irritants 

Quebec only outlier on Ottawa health deal as Nunavut, Yukon and NWT sign on

Trudeau holds brief meeting with Alberta Premier Danielle Smith

Two Canadian women and three children on way home from detention camps in Syria 

Bill  96 is an attempt to scrub English from the mouths of Quebeckers 

NATO Allies agree to spend  ' at least 2%' of their GDP on defence

CBC

Liberals, opposition House leaders meet to discuss foreign interference inquiry 

Who pays the price for the news media's essential political role?

Ousted AFN head seeks feedback on attending annual meeting 

5 Canadians returning from Syria after missing initial repatriation flight 

'Massively expensive': Canadian Taxpayers Federation takes aim at $15B deal for Windsor battery plant 

Charges against alleged Ottawa neo-Nazi linked to offences in 2018-19, court documents allege 

Governor General appoints Newfoundland and Labrador's Judy White to Senate  

Beware of grocery rebate scams, CRA warns 

Searching landfill for remains of Indigenous women too complex for police: RCMP

Families of Flight PS752 victims breath a sigh of relief as case goes to international court 

Trudeau is leading an activist government - does Poilievre want to do the same?

Stephen Harper seeks closer conservative ties with controversial Hungarian government 

National Inuit leader skipping premiers' meeting over matter of respect 

Ontario covering one-third of incentives for both Sellantis and Volkswagen plants 

Quebec the last holdout on Ottawa health deal as Nunavut, Yukon and NWT sign on

Prime Minister Trudeau holds brief meeting with Alberta Premier Danielle Smith  

RCMP charge Ottawa man tied to 'violent far right ideology' with terrorism offences 

Toronto/Vancouver Star

BC RCMP announce corruption, drug trafficking charges against former constable 

Family of Jared Lowndes sue RCMP over 2021 shooting death in Campbell River 

Airbnb wins Vancouver privacy ruling, as court quashes order to release host data

BC mass-stabbing killer apologizes to victims, cites 'enormous' drug use 

Lack of staff  forces Saanich hospital to close ER overnight for two months  

Tree planter airlifted to hospital after bear attack near Tumbler Ridge

Conservatives say parties reach agreement on terms for foreign interference inquiry 

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau holds brief meeting with Alberta Premier Danielle Smith 

Community, Indigenous drug rehab programs across West get $20M in federal funds 

Francophone ministers stress collaboration on official languages action plan 

Gap between Canada's rich and poor increasing at record speed, new StatCan data shows 

Air passengers in for another turbulent summer, experts fear, following thousands of cancellations and delays

One Canadian grocer is already putting metal security tags on steaks to prevent theft - will others follow?

'We had no choice': The inside story of how Doug Ford finally blinked and spent billions of dollars to save an EV battery plant in Ontario

Bank of Canada rate hikes 'at best unnecessary at worst a mistake,' leading economist says ahead of rate announcement next Wednesday 

Doug Ford's patronage controversy builds on a pattern of poor decision-making

Justin Trudeau has come out swinging against social media. For a government that's come to rely on it, now what?

Ontario Power Generation and province plan 3 more small modular reactors 

Ex-PM Stephen Harper seeks closer ties with Hungary's far-right leader Viktor Orbán

Toronto Sun

Police name suspect in TTC subway stabbing at Eglinton Station

Trudeau's grocery rebate proof that his government is failing 

Man attacked with suspected hammer near TTC's Donlands Station

Ontario Power Generation, province plan 3 more small modular reactors 

PM now pretends he wants interference inquiry 

Carbon taxes hit Alberta and Saskatchewan hardest 

Trudeau totes wants Taylor to tour Canada 

Trudeau blames opposition for him not being able to do his job

Justin Trudeau playing political games 

COVID Overpayments?  It's only money: Feds seem uninterested in getting it back

Poll shows only a small minority back tech giants in news fight 

Taxpayers get thrown under the bus - again 

National Post

Danielle Smith, Justin Trudeau talk carbon emissions and BC Port workers strike during Calgary meeting 

There's nothing like a Trudeau to help Alberta Conservatives win

CBC's damning retraction of an unsubstantiated non-scandal in Alberta  

Ontario can't handle Trudeau's immigration influx 

Foreign interference public inquiry agreement reached by all parties, Conservatives say

Two Trudeau ministers seem awfully uncomfortable with euthanizing the mentally ill

Postmedia joins ad boycott of Facebook, Instagram over news blocking 

Antisemitic flyers linked to US based hate group raise concerns in Peterborough  

Ousted AFN national chief calls for investigation into possible federal government 'meddling'

Trudeau is 'lying' about Conservatives stalling public inquiry discussions, Poiilevre says

Jason Kenney hired as senior adviser for Calgary tech company 

Global          

BC library stabbing: Killer's apology cites 'enormous' drug use, but silent on motive

BC man with terminal cancer paying out of pocket for treatment to extend his life 

BC tree planter was injured in ''defensive attack' by bear

'It's going to last': BC marks Coquihalla bridge repair milestone after 2021 disaster 

Heat warnings in place for much of. BC Central Interior, parts of North 

Ex-Surrey Mountie facing 13 charges after anti-corruption probe

Former Surrey co-op residents face eviction or steep rent hikes after land sold 

BC's new shelter rate a good start, but doesn't go nearly far enough: advocates

Treatment of Kelowna reporter focus of third day of COVID-19 protester trial

Vancouver Police release video, photo for information in nightclub robbery

Lack of staff forces Saanich hospital to close ER overnight for rest of summer 

Victoria votes down councillor's bid for city money to beef up security 

Trudeau holds brief meeting with Alberta Premier Danielle Smith 

Harper says right-leaning parties should have closer ties with Hungary 

Ontario to pay 1.3 of incentives for both Stellantis, VW battery plants 

Yukon, NWT sign agreement in principle with Ottawa on health funding 

'Three Amigas' meet in Cancun to discuss Canada-US-Mexico trade deal 

NATO allies commit to spend 'at least' 2% of GDP on defence: diplomats 

Canada's jobs market shows signs of 'fraying'. What it means for Bank of Canada 

Miscellaneous            

The Feds Stopped, but BC will keep buying ads on Meta

Canada's cornerstone environmental law gets an update  

Its getting harder for fish in the sea to breathe 

Why we need gender studies more than ever 

Canada will start regulating 'forever chemicals' What to know

A rising call for one big change in championing workers 

A crucial test for Canadian News Media 

Meet three of the 70 people who clean up Vancouver's garbage