Blacklock's Reporter

A former president of Dairy Farmers of Québec, Daniel Gobeil, last night claimed an upset Liberal win in Chicoutimi on unusually high turnout in a federal byelection, 41.5 percent. Liberals easily held two other safe seats to retain a narrow majority in the Commons: 'We produce less milk than the state of Wisconsin and without supply management, dairy producers would see their farm gate price drop.'

Indigenous Canadians under forest fire evacuation orders have been mistreated by federal and local authorities, says Federal Housing Advocate Marie-Josée Houle. Complaints ranged from being denied access to hotel swimming pools to falling prey to local gangs: 'Some of them were leaving their communities for the first time experienced trauma and uncertainty.'

Canadians are divided over billions in new military spending, says in-house Privy Council research. “Reactions were mixed,” said a federal focus group report: "A number expressed concern about the scale of the investment, $81.8 billion."

Dominic Barton, former managing director of the consulting firm McKinsey & Company, yesterday was named chair of the federal agency Invest in Canada. The appointment came two years after investigators said McKinsey benefited from favouritism in winning $200 million worth of federal contracts: "I have no interest in making money."

The typical postsecondary student in Canada will spend $31,700 getting an education this school year including tuition and expenses, the nation’s Chief Actuary said yesterday. Student loans this year will average $8,285: "More students have a need that exceeds the loan limit."

Prime Minister Mark Carney’s abrupt reversal on electric car mandates followed in-house federal polling that showed only a third of Canadians supported sales quotas, according to records. Opposition ran hottest west of Ontario including a majority of drivers in British Columbia, where Liberals held 20 seats: "We are making strategic decisions."

The Senate must open special committee hearings to hear from business, labour and local authorities on impacts of rolling tariffs, says the Opposition Leader in the Senate. Existing trade committees in the Senate and Commons have not met in months: 'Thousands of Canadian jobs hang in the balance.'

CBC News publicly cancelled an editorial order 30 minutes after learning of cabinet’s disapproval, records show. The TV network has repeatedly denied following Liberal “political winds or influences,” according to former CEO Catherine Tait: "Independence is critical to the trust Canadians place in us."

Canada Post has removed 600 city sidewalk mailboxes this year as a cost-cutting measure. Removal of what management called “street furniture” came as the corporation ran up $482 million in pre-tax losses for the first six months of the year: "Changes are critical."

Federal judges have upheld a $20,000 cap on compensation for pain and suffering under the Canadian Human Rights Act. Legal commentators including now-Governor General Louise Arbour had criticized the limit set a generation ago by Parliament: "Removing the cap on damages would go a long way to increase access to justice."

Poet Shai Ben-Shalom writes: “You envision a world of perfect harmony…”

Poverty is called a trap, though millions of Canadians have escaped it using subtle methods. The Department of Employment, an anti-poverty agency, is not good at this. “The welfare state, which imposes order from above and requires specific outcomes, fails on many levels,” write Joe and Stephanie Mancini. “Access to basic necessities of life is often denied because someone does not fit into bureaucratic categories, or because they cannot navigate complex rule-based systems.”

The Mancinis’ Transition To Common Work is a crisp critique of the welfare state written by a devoutly Catholic husband and wife committed to aiding the poor. This is not a rant about the dole. It is an eloquent account of the subtle, human remedies for despair.

An international agency, the Great Lakes Commission, yesterday had no comment after U.S. President Donald Trump ordered the renaming of Lake Ontario as “Lake America.” The purported change takes effect in 30 days: "This is official."

The Department of Health paid a pollster nearly $100,000 to ask Canadians what environmental steps they took to get fresh air in the home. The most popular response: “Open a window.”

Cabinet yesterday abruptly revised its list of American imports subject to retaliatory tariffs to remove 25 percent duties on fish and seafood products. Finance Minister François-Philippe Champagne gave no reason when asked by reporters: "What message does it send to Americans?"