Good morning. A growing rift between Europe and the U.S. is on display as international politics heat up in Greenland. More on that below, along with concepts for a peace initiative and a proposal for an auto strategy. Let’s get to it.
The Danish Navy's HDMS Vaedderen ship sails off Nuuk, Greenland, on Sunday.Mads Claus Rasmussen/Reuters
TOP STORY
Canada weighs sending soldiers to Greenland
The latest: Two senior government officials told The Globe that Canada has drawn up plans to send a small contingent of soldiers to Greenland for military exercises with other NATO allies in the face of threats from U.S. President Donald Trump to acquire the semi-autonomous island that is a territory of Denmark’s. The officials said the military is awaiting approval from Prime Minister Mark Carney.
The comments: While speaking to reporters during a visit to Qatar to boost trade and investment, Carney called Trump’s talk of using economic coercion to acquire Greenland a worrisome escalation. He plans to tell the U.S. President the security of the Arctic island can be safeguarded by NATO.
On the ground: In Greenland’s coastal capital, Trump’s threats have the city on edge. Nuuk residents are fearful for the future.
What’s next: Trump’s threat to slap a 10-per-cent tariff on imports from countries that don’t go along with his plan to overtake Greenland has struck a nerve in Europe. EU foreign ministers held an emergency meeting yesterday and plan to retaliate if necessary with counter-tariffs.
Opinion: Greenland may be our first, best and last chance to stand up to Donald Trump.
Sign up for Morning Update:
Reading this online? Start your morning with context and insight on the day's biggest stories, in your inbox every weekday.
Subscribe now
Displaced Palestinians gather outside a tent at a temporary camp in Deir al-Balah, central Gaza Strip, on Saturday.Abdel Kareem Hana/The Associated Press
World
Trump’s ‘Board of Peace’ gets cautious response
The latest: Trump’s “Board of Peace” is aimed at resolving conflicts globally, but concerns are being raised it could undermine the work of the United Nations. Invitations have been sent to about 60 countries, according to diplomats. The board would start by addressing the Gaza conflict, however, Israel has already said the board was not co-ordinated with it and runs counter to government policy.
What’s next: Carney said he has agreed in principle to join the initiative because he wants to support the reconstruction of Gaza, but many details still need to be worked out. For example, Trump has reportedly said countries will need to pay US$1-billion to have a permanent seat on the board. Carney also said that unrestricted aid flows to Gaza are a precondition for Canada’s participation.
For artists such as Melaw Nakehk’o, an arts centre would be a way for her work to be appreciated, studied and researched in the way that other art forms across the country are.PAT KANE/The Globe and Mail
How We Live
Bringing a public visual arts centre to the Northwest Territories
The latest: Unlike every other provincial or territorial capital city, Yellowknife doesn’t have an arts centre. But the NWT Art Centre Initiative hopes to change that. The organization is aiming to create a non-commercial art gallery that, along with displaying the territory’s Northern and Indigenous art, will build community, diversify the economy and provide a path for young artists.
What’s next: If funding is successful, construction could begin as soon as 2028. Nunavut is also looking to better support its artists – a planned heritage centre in Iqaluit, with an opening slated for 2031, will house Inuit artwork.
Law
How to access Canadian court records
The latest: Our court system is increasingly becoming a global outlier, without using digital technology to ensure transparency. In many major cities across Canada, it is impossible for the public to access even basic court records without physically travelling to a courthouse. About half of the provinces and territories have no online search capability at all. Advocates say the absence of an open-source data repository of legal judgment is undermining the open court principle, a tenet of our democracy.
What’s next: Some legal tech entrepreneurs, researchers and academics are warning that advances in artificial intelligence are adding new urgency to solving Canada’s transparency problem – but first, they will need to figure out copyright questions.
For you: We are expanding our Secret Canada project, now offering a comprehensive guide on how to access court records in different jurisdictions across the country.
Auto
Canadian auto sector’s terrible, no-good, very bad year
The latest: In a new essay from The Globe’s Prosperity’s Path series, Andrei Sulzenko shows us that history can offer some clues for the future of the $17-billion industry. Sulzenko was a principal negotiator of the Canada-U.S. Free Trade Agreement, and joins the series this week, which features a rotating cast of writers discussing how Canada can get back on the road to prosperity.
What’s next: Canada is planning to reserve preferential access to its domestic auto market for foreign automakers who build vehicles in this country under a new auto policy to be released in February.
Opinion: In seeking to deepen trade with China, Canada is hedging its bets.
Bookmarked
- At home: Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre and a team of loyalists are working to ensure party members are on side ahead of a leadership vote later this month.
- Abroad: Iran’s President warned the U.S. against retaliatory strikes after an official reported at least 5,000 killed in protests.
- For your finances: Imagine 40 per cent of your life savings vanishing into thin air. Here’s how to brace for the stock market crash everyone’s talking about.
- For your health: Skepticism around Blue Zones doesn’t mean their longevity wisdom isn’t real.
- Conversation starter: In an age of AI, what’s the point of high school English?
The Quote
I don’t worry as much any more about whether my kids use swear words. I worry more about how they use language when they’re hurt, or angry, or scared.
— David Robertson, two-time Governor-General’s Literary Award winner and recipient of the TD Canadian Children’s Literature Award
As a writer, David Robertson often thinks about the use of profanity, especially in parenting. His advice? Go ahead moms, dads and teens – swear if you need to. Just be mindful of how you do it.
The Shot
Imran Ahmad, left, and Neil Williamson, right, are coached by Pharrell Shaymar at a boxing class for individuals who are blind or living with sight loss, at United Boxing Club in Toronto on Nov. 21, 2025.Laura Proctor/The Globe and Mail
Healthy living reporter Graham Isador was invited to write about boxing with the blind. The session was a reminder that providing accessibility doesn’t necessarily mean rebuilding from the ground up.