Hello, welcome to Politics Insider. Let’s look at what happened today.
Prime Minister Mark Carney says police will work to catch whoever fired multiple shots at the U.S. consulate in downtown Toronto today, in what the RCMP are describing as a national-security incident.
“We’ll use the full weight of resources and ensure that the perpetrators feel the full weight of justice,” Carney told journalists as he arrived for Question Period on Parliament Hill.
In an earlier posting on X, Carney called the incident involving the U.S. consulate – one of seven in Canada – a “reprehensible act of violence and attempt at intimidation.”
The RCMP said police will be stepping up patrols and security around the consulate, the U.S. embassy in Ottawa and the Israeli consulate in Toronto.
Meanwhile, Ariel Pollock, a spokesperson for the U.S. embassy in Ottawa, thanked the Toronto police for their quick action to protect the facility in that city, as well as its staff and visitors.
In a statement, Pollock said there would be no comment on security protocols for the embassy and consulate.
In other news, more than 4,300 Canadians, permanent residents and their family members have fled to Canada from the Middle East, with hundreds using transportation booked by Ottawa to get out of the war-torn region, Global Affairs said today.
They made the journey between March 4 and March 8, and many had to travel through several countries to get to Canada.
Marie Woolf reports that since March 4, the federal government has facilitated the departure of 871 Canadians and permanent residents and their families to a safe third country, including on buses, a charter flight and prebooked seats on commercial airlines.
More than 110,700 Canadians are registered with the government in the region and are receiving updates on possible transport options.
But friends and family members of Canadians in Iran have told The Globe and Mail they are having problems accessing the updates because of a lack of internet and other communications difficulties.
Police survey the scene after shots were fired at the U.S. consulate in Toronto on Tuesday.Sammy Kogan/The Globe and Mail
What else is going on
Family of girl injured in Tumbler Ridge shooting sues OpenAI: The notice was filed this week in B.C. Supreme Court by Cia Edmonds, on behalf of herself and her two daughters.
Ontario budget set for March 26, Finance Minister says: Peter Bethlenfalvy announced the date today, signalling a focus on mitigating economic risks by spending on innovation, competitiveness and infrastructure.
Nova Scotia reverses some budget cuts after public backlash: Premier Tim Houston apologized today as he reversed a portion of $130-million in cuts to government grants amid a public outcry over his latest budget.
The Assembly of First Nations holds ceremony to mark repatriation of items from Vatican Museums: The smell of smudge filled the Canadian Museum of History’s Grand Hall today, while those gathered remained silent before five items belonging to First Nations were unveiled.
Ontario’s beloved groundhog Wiarton Willie dies: The famous rodent who fictitiously predicted the arrival of spring passed away peacefully while sleeping, according to a statement from the Town of South Bruce Peninsula.
On our radar
Prime Minister’s Day: In Ottawa, Mark Carney attended Question Period. He also spoke with Omani Prime Minister Haitham bin Tariq Al Said about the conflict in the Middle East. Carney also spoke with French President Emmanuel Macron about the escalating situation in the Middle East. Topics in the discussion, according to a readout from the Prime Minister’s Office, included Macron convening a G7 leaders’ discussion on Wednesday.
Party Leaders: Bloc Québécois Leader Yves-François Blanchet held a news conference at the House of Commons. In Gatineau, Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre held a news conference and later attended Question Period. Interim NDP leader Don Davies met with senior leaders and researchers from the University of Victoria to discuss Arctic defence and economic priorities. No schedule released for Green Party Leader Elizabeth May.
Quote of the Day
“I’ll be offering a drink to the journalists depending on the quality of their journalism today. So, the headlines will dictate whether you get any of this beautiful Canadian wine or gin. As for me, my staff has told me I am not allowed to drink any of this until after Question Period. They are no fun at all.” - Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre, at a news conference in Gatineau today, on lowering interprovincial trade barriers that complicate the sale of alcohol products across jurisdictions.
Question period
Ontario Premier Doug Ford today announced plans for a major shift in the operations of Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport. When did the first flight at the airport land? Bonus point: Who was aboard the first commercial passenger flight that landed at the airport?
Scroll to the bottom of this newsletter for the answer.
Perspectives
In the MAID debates, the patient’s voice must take precedence
There are two principal types of stories about medical assistance in dying routinely published in the Canadian media.
— André Picard, health reporter and columnist for The Globe and Mail
Prime Minister: It’s time to address all Canadians on antisemitism
A special address to the country on antisemitism won’t prevent the next violent incident. But it will tell Canadian Jews that their leaders appreciate the gravity of the current situation, and that the implicit tolerance for the open bigotry we’ve seen in schools, at universities, and on the streets is over.
— Robyn Urback, columnist
Words are not enough to counter relentless antisemitism in Canada
With too many of our leaders looking the other way on antisemitic threats and excusing vandalism, it shouldn’t surprise us that things have escalated here in Canada. It is long past time to back unequivocal condemnation of antisemitism with real action.
— Michael Geist, Canada Research Chair in Internet and E-commerce Law at the University of Ottawa, Faculty of Law
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: The first flight landed at the airport on Feb. 4, 1939. On Sept. 8, 1939, the first commercial passenger flight arrived carrying noted conductor Tommy Dorsey and his swing band for an engagement at the Canadian National Exhibition.