Justin Trudeau

West Island renovator acts against US tariff threat

Local Journalism Initiative / / / , , ,

By Dan Laxer
The Suburban

There are two big Canadian flags, and a big Quebec flag, flying on the roof of Renovco Renovation and Restauration in Dorval. They’ve been up for a little over a month, since before U.S. President Trump put his threatened trade tariffs into effect (and then pulled back on them, again, until April 2). In fact, Renovco had already stopped buying American products as soon as Trump started with the “51st state” line and calling Trudeau “Governor.”

Renovco is now working either with Canadian and Quebec suppliers and distributors, or those from Europe and other parts of the world.

“We take it personally,” said Walter Assi, president of Renovco. It’s not about standing with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, he says. “We feel it’s a patriotic thing to be angry.” The company’s headquarters is on Côte-de-Liesse Rd, a stone’s throw from the airport. Assi says that was part of the reason for the big flags; he’s hoping travellers see them from passing planes, or on their way to and from the airport.

Cutting off his American suppliers comes with challenges, Assi admits, like cost and logistics. But it’s what his clients have all asked for, and what the situation calls for.

It was a difficult decision, he says, having worked with many of his American suppliers for 25 years, and developed strong business and personal friendships with them. For some of them it was a shock, but they understood. Even those who are Trump supporters would apologize for the situation, telling Assi “this is not what we signed up for.”

There are some products, like drying machines, dehumidifiers, and negative air machines used in post-flood restauration, that are dominated by American supply. Assi says it is a challenge sourcing out similar products in the Canadian market, but that’s part of the costs of doing business in this new era.

The lesson to be learned from this trade fiasco, Assi says, is a lesson taken from investing, to not put all of one’s eggs in one basket. Even if this trade war ends tomorrow, even if Canada signs a new agreement with the U.S., things are not the same anymore, Assi says. The U.S. may be our closest trading partner, he says, but they’re not our only trading partner.

Assi is calling on other individuals and businesses to take the same tack. He says it shouldn’t be a question of who is prime minister. “This isn’t a job for one person, it’s a job for 41 million Canadians that have to all speak in once voice.”

Assi distinguishes Canadian patriotism from American-style nationalism. “We now appreciate being Canadian more than ever,” he says. “We’re different.” n

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“It’s the prices that decide things…” says Montreal shopper

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By Dan Laxer
The Suburban

Since President Trump’s inauguration, he has threatened tariffs, pulled back on those threats, offered a month’s reprieve, then finally threw down the gauntlet – at one minute after midnight last Tuesday, March 4 – putting them into effect: 25 percent on Canadian goods, and 10 percent on energy exports.

Meanwhile, Canadian consumers have been turning against American products and companies.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau directly addressed Trump in a press conference, calling his actions “dumb,” promising retaliatory tariffs, and warning Canadians about what was to come. “I won’t sugarcoat it,” he said, “this is going to get tough.”

But after an allegedly tense, profanity-laced phone call between Trudeau and Trump on the following morning, Canada is off the hook until April 2.

How have Canadian consumers been responding? It depends.

Sara McQuaid of NDG says even if and when the tariffs end she won’t be buying American. She’s cancelled trips south, even swallowing hefty cancellation fees, and cancelled Amazon, Netflix, and Disney+. “It will take me an extra 10-15 minutes at a store to shop,” she says, “but to me it is worth every second because I will not allow my money to fund an oppressive regime.”

Tom Zalatnai, also of NDG, is between jobs with four mouths to feed. He says budget constraints will be the deciding factor, rather than political considerations. “A lot of the time people have to buy stuff that they’re not necessarily ethically cool with because it’s the thing they can afford that’s going to be the most nutritious for their family.” He says he will try to be more discerning at the grocery store, “but ultimately, it’s going to be the prices that decide things for me. If I buy Canadian more than American, it’ll just be because the Canadian stuff is cheaper.”

Grocery stores are finding ways to respond to customers’ worries. Loblaws and Supermarché PA have both come out with measures to weather the tariff storm, buying and highlighting products from Canada or sources other than American.

The Supermarché PA website already has a banner that says “Buy Canadian,” with a link to all Canadian-made products available in store. Operations Director Joanna Erimos says that 80 percent of their in-store products are already either Canadian or European. There are some challenges when it comes to products that are made here using local ingredients, but are American-owned (Habitant soup, as an example, is now manufactured in the U.S., and owned by Campbell’s). She says the PA team is keeping a close eye on the day-to-day changes. Kosher food is of particular concern, as most of it comes from the U.S. Rabbi Yisroel Bernath of Chabad NDG said that the tariffs have “put kosher food and wine in the crosshairs” a month ahead of Passover. It’s created “a modern-day crisis for Jewish families who rely on American imports to keep their traditions alive.” Retaliatory tariffs, if they’re implemented, would affect about 3,000 kosher products. Prices could skyrocket by up to 60 percent.

Kosher importers have been scrambling to bring in as much as possible before tariffs come into effect. Some grocery stores are already stocked with Passover products like matzah (unleavened bread), grape juice, and canned goods. But the SAQ has already removed American products from its shelves, including kosher wine. Bernath is suggesting that Jewish families stock up early, support local kosher suppliers, and make their voices heard, reaching out to their MPs to ask for exemptions. n

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Jean-Yves Duclos backs Mark Carney for federal Liberal leader

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Jean-Yves Duclos backs Mark Carney for federal Liberal leader

Peter Black, Local Journalism Initiative reporter

peterblack@qctonline.com

Federal Liberal leadership hopeful Mark Carney has landed the support of Jean-Yves Duclos, a key Quebec minister in the government of departing prime minister Justin Trudeau.

Duclos declared his support for Carney on Feb. 7 and hosted him for a series of events in Quebec City, including a meeting with Bonhomme Carnaval. Carney also met with Quebec City Mayor Bruno Marchand. Duclos, the minister of public services and procurement and MP for Québec, offered his support via an open letter, the same forum he used two weeks ago to invite all candidates to submit platforms.

Duclos applauded Carney’s response to his letter, and noted his experience in dealing with financial crises “has clearly demonstrated your leadership and partnership capabilities.”

The minister also praised Carney’s “commitment to the protection of the French lan- guage, the arts and culture, and promoting a strong voice for Quebec [which] will help strengthen our country in these turbulent times.”

Duclos also noted that both he and Carney “are economists, not politicians.”

As of this writing, five candidates remain in the leadership race: Carney, former finance minister and deputy prime minister Chrystia Freeland, for- mer minister and House leader Karina Gould, former Montreal MP Frank Baylis and former Toronto-area MP Ruby Dhalla.

The Liberal Party of Canada has set the dates for candidate debates, on Feb. 24 in French and Feb. 25 in English, both to take place in Montreal. Carney, Duclos and Louis-Hébert MP Joël Lightbound – who was one of Carney’s earliest caucus supporters – met with local Liberals at a pub in Place Ste-Foy on Friday evening. Innovation and Industry Minister François-Philippe Champagne, who gave Carney a tour of Shawinigan the week before, was also in attendance.

In a scrum with reporters beforehand, Carney said he had been meeting with local chambers of commerce to learn firsthand about local concerns. He said he supported the city’s tramway project as an example of investing in the future. In local interviews the next day, the former governor of the Bank of Canada and the Bank of England said he found the “third link” project championed by the Quebec government “interesting” but would not commit to a federal contribution without knowing more about the details of the plan or its cost.

Carney said in the face of American threats to Canada’s economy, “what we need to do is work as a team with all levels of government across Canada.

“I am very encouraged by the resolve Canadians are showing. They want to be positive, they want to be united, they want to move forward, they don’t want division. They’ve had enough of insults. And what we’re offering is that positivity, that sense of action.”

Carney said, “We’re in a crisis, but it’s a massive opportunity.” Picking up a slogan from the Quebec Liberals of the 1960s, Carney said Canadians are “masters of their own house.”

The QCT asked Carney to update his comment on Jon Stewart’s The Daily Show on Jan. 13, prior to jumping into the race, that the Liberals “have a chance” of winning the next election.

Carney said, “We have a very good chance. Given the stakes, given the team we have, given the capabilities of the Liberal Party in addressing this crisis, in building our economy and as well, above all, given the values of the Liberal Party and the importance we place on solidarity, in helping the vulnerable in our society, on building a sustainable economy. We not just can win, we must win and we will win.”

The new leader of the Liberal Party is to be chosen on March 9 by a vote of registered members. Whoever wins automatically succeeds Trudeau as prime minister.

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Trudeau’s departure draws mixed reaction from local politicos

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Trudeau’s departure draws mixed reaction from local politicos

Peter Black, Local Journalism Initiative reporter

peterblack@qctonline.com

He won’t be gone from the scene until some time in March, but Justin Trudeau’s resignation instantly threw Canadian politics into a whirlwind of change amid the looming threats against Canada from incoming U.S. president Donald Trump.

On Jan. 6, the same day the U.S. Senate certified Trump’s election, Trudeau announced his decision to step down as Liberal Party leader and prime minister once a new leader is chosen.

The Liberal Party executive has picked March 9 as the date members will choose a suc- cessor to the man who revived the party and led it to three election victories but resisted stepping down as his popular- ity plunged and his caucus urged him to exit.

The opposition parties in Parliament have vowed to defeat the Liberal minority government at the earliest opportunity. That could come anytime after March 24, the date Parliament returns after the governor general granted Trudeau’s request to send the House of Commons into recess.

When – not if – that happens, Canadians likely will go to the polls in May.

In the wake of Trudeau’s not-unexpected announcement, reaction was swift and in most cases predictable.

One of Trudeau’s most dependable ministers and his Quebec lieutenant, Jean-Yves Duclos, the MP for the downtown Québec riding, said in a statement that the prime minister “will leave a lasting positive legacy for Canadians.” Duclos lauded Trudeau’s efforts to reduce child poverty and tackle the housing crisis, and on the local level, commit funding to the city’s tram- way project and buy back the Quebec Bridge.

Duclos told reporters at a scrum on Parliament Hill that Trudeau ultimately succumbed to Conservative Party and Official Opposition Leader Pierre Poilievre’s “policy of lies, insults and contempt.”

Duclos’ Conservative counterpart, Charlesbourg–Haute- St-Charles MP Pierre Paul-Hus, replied to the QCT’s request for comment with a statement replicating Poilievre’s comments. “Justin Trudeau’s resignation changes nothing, because the next leader of the Liberal Party of Canada will come from the same team that supported Mr. Trudeau over the past nine years, marked by disastrous economic policies.

“A federal election must be organized quickly to allow Quebecers and Canadians to choose a new government with a strong mandate, capable of negotiating effectively with the Trump administration.”

Louis-Hébert MP Joël Lightbound, the only other elected Liberal in the Quebec City region, said Trudeau’s exit as leader under pressure from the party caucus is of his own doing.

In several media interviews, Lightbound said “you reap what you sow” with regards to the simmering caucus revolt that prompted the prime min- ister’s resignation. “Loyalty is a two-way street.”

Lightbound said on CBC Radio, “I am grateful for what he has accomplished,” including the acquisition of the Quebec Bridge in his riding, but “the style of Mr. Trudeau became a distraction to what we are trying to achieve as a party and a government.”

Lightbound’s office did not reply to a QCT request for an interview by press time.

As for hopes for the party in the looming election, Lightbound said, “I am still of the opinion the Liberal brand is strong.”

Quebec City Mayor Bruno Marchand, with whom Trudeau has worked closely on the tramway project, had a low-key and ambiguous response to the prime minister’s resignation.

In a statement, he said, “It is important to highlight the dedication that is required to be elected for more than 16 years in the Canadian Parliament. Time will allow us to recognize the progress Canada has made during Mr. Trudeau’s nine years as prime minister.” Premier François Legault, who has had a hot and cold relationship with Trudeau over the years, said in a statement, “Although our opinions have often differed, today I want to salute Justin Trudeau’s public service and his commitment to Canada. We have significant challenges ahead of us, particularly with the arrival of Donald Trump on Jan. 20. I will continue to work with Mr. Trudeau, his successor and the current government to avoid these tariffs.”

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The race is on to replace Justin Trudeau as Liberal leader and PM

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The race is on to replace Justin Trudeau as Liberal leader and PM

Peter Black, Local Journalism Initiative reporter

peterblack@qctonline.com

Want to be prime minister, if only for possibly just two months?

The job is open and several candidates are already testing the waters and getting the lay of the land.

Last week, the Liberal Party of Canada released the rules for the contest to replace Justin Trudeau as party leader and prime minister. The basic requirements to get into the contest are a $350,000 deposit and the willingness to hustle membership votes for a race to be decided on March 9.

Interested contestants have until Jan. 23 to officially toss their name in the hat.

After a meeting on Jan. 9, the party executive decided to restrict the criteria for party membership to avoid the prospect of foreign interference. To be eligible to be a voting member, a person needs to be at least 14 years old, support the purposes of the party, be a Canadian citizen or permanent resident, not be a member of another federal party in Canada, and not have publicly declared the intention to run as a candidate for another federal party.

The deadline to register as a Liberal, through the party’s website, is Jan. 27. There is no fee to become a member.

Party president Sachit Mehra said in a release, “This is a time for Liberals across the country to exchange ideas and engage in thoughtful debate to shape the future of our party and our country – and I encourage all Liberals to get involved in this exciting moment for our party.”

Whoever wins the race faces the task of forming a cabinet, preparing a throne speech to outline new directions for the government, and then leading the party in the next election, which would come quickly. Op- position parties have declared they will defeat the Liberal minority government at the earliest opportunity once Parliament returns from prorogation on March 24.

As of this writing, only two fringe candidates have official- ly said they want to run: former Montreal-area MP Frank Baylis and Ottawa-area MP Chandra Arya. Some potential heavy- weights have ruled themselves out, including Finance Minister Dominic LeBlanc, Foreign Affairs Minister Mélanie Joly and Transport Minister Anita Anand.

Those seriously considering a bid are former Bank of Canada head Mark Carney, former finance minister Chrystia Freeland, former British Columbia premier Christy Clark, Natural Resources Minister Jonathan Wilkinson, Employment Minister Steven MacKinnon and Innovation Minister François- Philippe Champagne.

This scenario matches the one predicted by veteran local Liberal and former MP and senator Dennis Dawson. “We will start with six or seven candidates and will have bor- ing debates where everyone gets two or three minutes to convince Liberal supporters he or she is the best to challenge both [incoming U.S. president Donald] Trump as well as [Conservative Leader Pierre] Poilievre.”

Dawson said Quebec ministers interested in running will argue the Liberal Party’s traditional “alternance” between leaders from Quebec and the rest of Canada “is a myth while the others will say it is sacred.”

Dawson, who won the Louis- Hébert riding in three elections under Pierre Trudeau, said, “Rules and timing of the convention and debate schedules will also play in favour of some candidates such as Freeland, who will be front runner, but, depending on the rules, coalition strategies will weigh heavily on the final result.”

He said outsider candidates such as Carney and Clark “might have stronger support than predicted, but I think both are looking at a long-term strategy. In the last 50 years the person who lost came back to win the next one.”

He noted that “[John] Turner lost to Trudeau, [Jean] Chrétien to Turner, [Paul] Martin to Chrétien, and all three came back to win the [leadership] next time.”

Dawson, appointed to the Senate by then-prime minister Paul Martin in 2005, said he is “not at this time convinced by any of the prospective candidates.”

The last time the Liberal Party of Canada held a leadership race was in April 2013, when Trudeau won with 80 per cent of the vote. His most serious rival, former astronaut and MP Marc Garneau, dropped out of the race, clearing the way for Trudeau’s easy win.

The race is on to replace Justin Trudeau as Liberal leader and PM Read More »

Park-Extension Gears Up for a Historic 2024 Greek Independence Day Parade with VIP Attendees!

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Park-Extension Gears Up for a Historic 2024 Greek Independence Day Parade with VIP Attendees!

Dimitris Ilias-LJI Journalist

On the bustling streets of Park-Extension, anticipation is building for a celebration unlike any other. This March 24th, Jean-Talon Street will transform into a vibrant artery of freedom and heroism as it hosts the 2024 Greek Independence Day Parade. What sets this year’s parade apart is the expected presence of two of the world’s notable leaders: the Prime Minister of Greece, Kyriakos Mitsotakis, and Canada’s own Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau.

For the residents of Park-Extension, this occasion is not just a parade; it’s a historic event right on their doorstep. Imagine the pride of seeing Jean-Talon Street, a familiar daily backdrop, being honored with the footsteps of esteemed international and national leaders. The air will be thick with an immense amount of security, ensuring the safety of the Prime Ministers and spectators alike, adding a layer of solemnity and importance to the festivities.

The Greek Independence Day Parade is a time-honored tradition in Montreal, bringing together the Hellenic Community of Greater Montreal and supportive Canadians to honor the resilience and courage that symbolize the Greek fight for independence. This year, the event promises an exceptional blend of cultural heritage and political significance.

As the clock strikes 1 p.m. on Sunday, Jean-Talon Street will come alive with the colors of Canada, Quebec, and Greece. The parade is a testament to the enduring spirit of the Greek nation and the unity within the multicultural fabric of Montreal. Participants and onlookers will experience a procession filled with patriotic fervor, encapsulating the rich cultural heritage of the Greek community.

The weekend’s festivities will draw to a close with a reception at the Hellenic Community Centre Adrian Maris, offering a final opportunity for reflection and celebration. With Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis as the honorary guest and the backing of the Embassy of Greece to Canada, this event promises to be a memorable conclusion to a weekend of patriotic pride and community spirit.

For the residents of Park-Extension, this parade is more than a celebration; it’s an opportunity to be part of a living history, to witness the embodiment of freedom and heroism on their streets. As we come together to celebrate Greek Independence Day, we are reminded of the enduring values of democracy, unity, and the relentless pursuit of liberty. Join us in making history on Jean-Talon Street and reaffirm our collective commitment to the ideals that shape our communities and our world.

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