Hello, welcome to Politics Insider. Let’s look at what happened this week.
Prime Minister Mark Carney speaks to journalists as he announces plans regarding Alberta’s proposed West Coast oil pipeline, Calgary, Thursday.Ahmed Zakot/Reuters
The week in politics was dominated by agreements that Ottawa struck with Alberta and British Columbia on the same day, with Prime Minister Mark Carney travelling to both provinces to announce the deals.
On Thursday morning, Carney was in Vancouver alongside Premier David Eby for the announcement of nearly $20-billion in federal commitments to the province.
Mike Hager and Bill Curry report that the projects will “catalyze” more than $200-billion in new investments that will help Canada double its non-U.S. exports over the next decade.
Ottawa also said it would leave in place its ban on tankers loading or unloading oil from B.C.’s North Coast. The key environmental safeguard had been thought to be on the negotiating table as part of the November memorandum of understanding between the federal and Alberta governments that set the stage for the pipeline proposal.
Later Thursday, Carney was on hand in Calgary with Premier Danielle Smith as the Alberta government proposed a southern route for a new oil pipeline to the West Coast. They said it will be planned and built by the federally owned Trans Mountain Corp., working with Pembina Pipeline Corp.
Emma Graney, Jeffrey Jones and Stephanie Levitz report that the announcement represented a stark turnaround for the Alberta Premier, who had previously insisted that a conduit to the Pacific should be routed to B.C.’s northern coast.
Also this week, Steven Chase reported that a prominent group of Canadian trade and foreign policy experts are saying the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement risks being left in a “zombie” state after U.S. President Donald Trump declined to renew the agreement on July 1.
They say the trilateral trade deal has been left in limbo – not extended, not terminated, and not clearly moving toward resolution.
However, the Expert Group on Canada-U.S. Relations warns that fear of prolonged uncertainty should not pressure Canada into a quick deal if one arises, arguing that speed will not guarantee stability.
What else is going on
Carney’s summer spree lacks detail and transparency, economists assert: Carney’s wave of summer spending this week included numerous billion-dollar references to new projects in British Columbia and Alberta, but economists are questioning the lack of detail on where the money will come from.
Canada’s foreign influence registry to come into force in August: The registry is a long-promised, long-delayed tool for tracking the activities of agents of foreign states.
Former Conservative B.C. MLA joins BC NDP: Amelia Boultbee, who left the provincial Conservative caucus to sit as an Independent, says her former party has changed and its big tent is getting smaller by the day.
Canada, the Philippines sign joint agreements: In Vancouver, the leaders of Canada and the Philippines signed agreements on energy, natural resources, labour and tourism, as the countries reinforce their shared priorities and hope for a trade deal.
Canada joins NATO Innovation Fund, pending ally approval, sources say: The move means Canada will finally follow through on a long-held commitment to join the fund, launched in 2022 to invest in technologies being developed by participating NATO allies.
Canadian country star Tommy Hunter dead at 89: Hunter was a fixture in Canadian living rooms for decades with his long-running CBC TV show. He died of natural causes on Thursday in a London, Ont., retirement home, where he had been living for the past few months.
Bryan Adams puts elbows up in new song, 51st State: “Let me give it to you straight, when you’re talking ‘bout my home you better show some respect,” Adams sings in the new tune.
Glenn Joyal introduces himself to legislators: The soon-to-be newest judge on the Supreme Court of Canada told MPs and senators he is a “proud institutionalist,” has a Prairie sensibility that is practical yet creative and, as a long-time Winnipegger, he is reasonably useful in a snowstorm.
Political Lives, Margaret Commodore: Trailblazing a political path in the Yukon, most notably as the first Indigenous justice minister anywhere in Canada, Commodore never let up in anything she set her mind to, breaking numerous barriers along the way.
On our radar
Prime Minister’s Week: On Tuesday, Prime Minister Mark Carney was in the northern Quebec village of Kuujjuaq to attend a meeting of the Inuit-Crown Partnership Committee. Carney also announced the appointment of Glenn Joyal of Manitoba to the Supreme Court of Canada.
On Canada Day, Carney attended celebrations in the Ottawa-area community of Nepean, a riding that he represents. Then, he delivered remarks at the national Canada Day ceremony at LeBreton Flats Park, near Parliament Hill. Former prime minister Justin Trudeau was in the audience. But plans for a Canada Day visit to Edmonton were cancelled because of a severe storm that hit the nation’s capital.
On Thursday, Carney was in Vancouver to announce a series of agreements with Premier David Eby. Carney also met with visiting Philippines President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. there. He then travelled to Calgary for an announcement on energy infrastructure with Premier Danielle Smith. Carney did not have any events today.
Next week, Carney is to visit the Turkish capital of Ankara from July 6 to 8 for the 2026 NATO Summit, and then travel to Saudi Arabia from July 8 to 10. There, his trip includes a meeting with Saudi Arabian Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman. This will be the first visit to Saudi Arabia by a Canadian Prime Minister in 26 years.
Party Leaders: Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre announced a new roster of caucus critics of the government, and celebrated Canada Day in the central Alberta village of Irma. On Thursday, he held a news conference in Camrose, Alta. On Saturday, he was scheduled to speak to the Conservative Party barbecue in Calgary.
On July 1, Green Party Leader Elizabeth May attended the Lions Club pancake breakfast in the Vancouver Island community of Sidney and participated in a Canada Day parade. She also attended a Legion celebration on Salt Spring Island and a barbecue on Saturna Island. She spent Thursday and today in her Saanich–Gulf Islands riding in B.C.
No schedule released for Bloc Québécois Leader Yves-François Blanchet or NDP Leader Avi Lewis.
Ministers on the Road:
In Fredericton, Canada-U.S. Trade Minister Dominic LeBlanc met with New Brunswick Premier Susan Holt. LeBlanc, with Janice Charette, Canada’s chief trade negotiator to the U.S., also met virtually with provincial and territorial ministers responsible for international trade, to discuss Canada-U.S. relations.
In Calgary, Culture Identity and Culture Minister Marc Miller made an infrastructure announcement.
In Lethbridge, Alta., Emergency Management Minister Eleanor Olszewski announced federal funding to help businesses across southern Alberta modernize and adapt to new trade realities.
In Kelowna, B.C., Agriculture Minister Heath MacDonald met with key stakeholders from the agriculture and agri-food sector. MacDonald was set to visit Calgary from July 5 to 9, with stops at the Calgary Stampede.
On Monday, Finance Minister François-Philippe Champagne was scheduled, in Ottawa, to launch the 2026 pre-budget consultations, and hold a roundtable discussion with the Canadian Chamber of Commerce.
New Diplomat: Joanne Minns is Canada’s new ambassador to the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Foreign Affairs Minister Anita Anand also announced that Timothy Edwards is the new ambassador to Latvia, Corry van Gaal is the new high commissioner in Zambia, Judith Gelbman is the new ambassador to Hungary, and Marcel Lebleu is the new ambassador to Turkey. Their bios are here.
Flypast for U.S. ambassadors during Fourth of July celebrations: Amidst trade tensions, the Royal Canadian Air Force is scheduled on Saturday to join aircraft from the United States Air Force to conduct a flypast in Ottawa over the official residence of Pete Hoekstra, the U.S. ambassador to Canada. It’s meant to mark Fourth of July celebrations and the 250th anniversary of the signing of the U.S. Declaration of Independence.
Question period
The residence of America’s ambassador to Canada, located in Ottawa, is named Lornado. Where does the name come from?
Scroll to the bottom of this newsletter for the answer.
Perspectives
Why the proposal for a major new pipeline should be a cause for celebration
Let’s move past the long-tired arguments of the past, the petty regional divisions only politicians benefit from and the ridiculous idea that we don’t build resource projects to the world’s highest environmental standards.
— Kevin Krausert is the chief executive officer and co-founder of Avatar Innovations, Canada’s largest energy technology venture studio.
Will Alberta’s pipeline proposal help tamp down separatist sentiment?
Either way, it seems likely that many Albertans won’t see this as the unambiguous win that politicians are hoping it will be; the costs, and the challenges of getting a major project built in Canada’s fraught regulatory and consultative environment have seen to that.
— Tyler Dawson is an Edmonton-based editor in The Globe and Mail’s Opinion section. He is the author of The Republic of Alberta: An Idea That Won’t Go Away.
There is more bad news coming for separatists in Alberta
Which brings us back to Ms. Smith’s economic panel on separation. It’s inconceivable it will produce a report that portrays separation in a favourable light.
— Gary Mason, national affairs columnist
Restoring 24 Sussex Drive is worthy, but Ottawa shouldn’t be competing for charity dollars to do it
The fundraiser is a smart move politically: it allows Canadians to feel as though they are personally contributing to the renewal of 24 Sussex (even though their tax dollars will do that anyway) and it will lessen the final bill for Ottawa, which will make the project easier to sell to skeptics.
— Robyn Urback, columnist
Go deeper
- Follow along for our stories on Canada-U.S. relations as news develops
- Get the latest insight and analysis from our political opinion writers
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The answer to today’s question: American-born industrialist Warren Soper, who was based in Ottawa, had the home built in 1908 and named it for one of his favorite novels, Lorna Doone. The book is a romance set in 17th-century England, written by R.D. Blackmore and first published in London in 1869. The U.S. government bought the 32-room house in 1935.