In the news today: Trump and Trudeau to talk amid pending trade war

Here is a roundup of stories from The Canadian Press designed to bring you up to speed…

Trump and Trudeau to talk as Canada braces for trade war with its southern neighbour

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is expected to speak with President Donald Trump today as Canada’s leaders scramble to prepare for a trade war with the United States. Trump mentioned the planned conversation after returning to Washington from Florida on Sunday night and Trudeau’s office confirmed a call is scheduled. Ottawa is imposing 25 per cent tariffs on $30 billion in goods originating in the U.S. — hitting hundreds of items, from meat and milk to carpets and curtains — in response to steep new American levies against Canada. Trump signed executive orders Saturday evening to hit Canada with damaging duties of 10 per cent on energy and 25 per cent on everything else.

Companies embrace ‘buy Canadian’ sentiment

Canadian businesses preparing for Tuesday’s imposition of tariffs are leaning into the “buy Canadian” sentiment. Grocery chain Loblaw Companies Ltd. has committed to securing more food grown and made in Canada, after U.S. President Donald Trump announced sweeping tariffs to be enacted Tuesday. Shopify CEO Tobi Lütke promised to bring features aimed at encouraging people to buy local in Canada, the U.S. and Mexico to his company’s Shop app. The push to buy domestically ramped up over the weekend, after Trump announced he would apply 25 per cent tariffs to Canadian goods, with a lower 10 per cent duty on energy. Canada has $30 billion worth of retaliatory tariffs on American products set to take effect the same day and will boost the package to $125 billion in 21 days if the U.S. doesn’t back off.

Here’s what else we’re watching…

Sanction hearing for former justice minister

Alberta’s law society is to hold a hearing to sanction former provincial justice minister Kaycee Madu. Madu was found guilty of misconduct last year when, as justice minister in 2021, he phoned Edmonton’s police chief after receiving a traffic ticket. Madu told a hearing last year he didn’t call Chief Dale McFee about the ticket, but was looking for reassurance that he wasn’t being racially profiled or illegally surveilled. A panel of law society members determined that while Madu didn’t ask McFee to do anything about the ticket, he did try to use his position of power to influence a personal issue. Madu has been working as a lawyer in a private practice since leaving government and he could be facing a suspended licence or disbarment.

Seven Toronto daycares rescind $10-a-day opt-out

Seven Toronto daycares that told parents they would be opting out of the national $10-a-day program as of Jan. 1 – raising some fees to more than $2,500 a month – have now decided to stay in the subsidized system. A letter to parents at Sunnyside Day Care says that as a result of staying within the $10-a-day system, the fee for all spots will now be about $478 per month. The seven daycares with various ties to two businessmen made up half of the 14 centres in the city that planned to withdraw at the start of this year. Sunnyside said in a letter to parents that since then, it has had further conversations with government representatives, the city and other daycare operators.

Wintry blast to continue in Metro Vancouver

The first snowy blast of winter in Metro Vancouver is expected to continue with up to 25 centimetres of snow predicted in some areas before it’s done today. Environment Canada says to expect bands of snowfall and “localized heavy flurries” across the South Coast of British Columbia this morning after Sunday’s dump that blanketed much of the Lower Mainland in white. It says the snow is expected to taper off this morning but agency meteorologist Alyssa Charbonneau says a plunging mercury could mean icy conditions on roads today. Temperatures are expected to be five to eight degrees Celsius below seasonal in Metro Vancouver this week.

Cups make comeback in Tims’ Roll up to Win contest

Tim Hortons is bringing its famed Roll up to Win contest back to its roots. The café chain says this year’s promotion will come with the return of hot beverage cups that can be rolled up, along with the digital game it’s been using for the last five years. Tim Hortons moved the promotion to a completely digital format in 2020 to keep staff from having to handle rims that had been gripped and sipped by customers during the COVID-19 pandemic. Tims’ chief marketing officer Hope Bagozzi says customers have since told the company they miss being able to roll up their rims when the promotion is running. While Tims has only committed to bringing the rollable beverage cups back for a limited time during the contest’s February 24 to March 23 run, Bagozzi says the company will consider reviving them again in the future.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Feb. 3, 2025.

The Canadian Press