16 h. ago U.S. trade war has Ontario business owners' confidence at historic lows

Ontario small business owners are bracing for the worst amid some of the most uncertain economic times the province has ever faced.Canada's most populous province is expected to be one of the hardest hit by a tariff war with the U.S., and confidence among small business owners in Ontario has plummeted to historic lows.The Canadian Federation of Independent Business (CFIB)'s Business Barometer long-term index took a total nosedive in March, with the small business confidence indicator dropping 24.8 index points to an all-time low of 25 nationwide.To put this sharp decline into perspective, this figure represents lower levels of small business owners' confidence than any point recorded during the pandemic years in the early 2020s, the 2008 financial crisis, or even in the wake of the September 11 attacks in 2001.CFIB"Small business owners are feeling pessimistic about their business's perspectives for the next few months or even beyond. It's hard to make critical decisions for the lon...

Economics

57 h. ago We asked grain farmers: What's at stake for you in this trade war?

Ontario grain growers – caught in the crossfire of Canada's trade war – speak about how tariffs will affect their operations

Economics

62 h. ago Tariff uncertainty is affecting Canadian real estate and Ontario is hardest hit

While spring is typically the busiest time of the year to buy a home as more properties become available and competition increases, the housing market this season appears to be in a bit of a decline in Canada —and especially in Ontario — amid the ongoing trade war with the United States. According to a new report from the Canadian Real Estate Association (CREA), home sales in the country fell sharply from January to February, as many prospective home buyers chose to remain on the sidelines due to the threat of U.S. President Donald Trump's tariffs. Sales activity recorded over Canadian MLS Systems dropped 9.8 per cent month over month in February, marking the lowest level for home sales since November 2023, and the largest month-over-month decline in activity since May 2022. "The moment tariffs were first announced on January 20, a gap opened between home sales recorded this year and last. This trend continued to widen throughout February, leadin...

Economics

3 d. ago $6.4B U.S. border crossing project in Ontario may never live up to full potential

The enormous Gordie Howe International Bridge was supposed to be a game changer for cross-border trade, but the $6.4 billion bridge linking Canada and the U.S. is looking more and more like a white elephant amid a worsening trade war and American threats of annexation.Spanning the Detroit River between Michigan and Ontario, the bridge was hailed as a new symbol of cooperation between the two nations and longtime trade partners until cross-border relations fell apart in early 2025.Instead, it has become a symbol of the deteriorating relationship between the two nations, and if tariffs remain long-term, the Gordie Howe International Bridge may never live up to its true potential as a cog in the busy international shipping corridor.The new crossing — which officially became North America's longest cable-stayed bridge in 2024 —was designed to relieve overcrowded crossings linking Detroit and Windsor while filling a missing link in the international trucking corridor between ...

Economics

7 d. ago Simu Liu and Kyle Lowry surprised crowd at Toronto movie theatre

The Toronto Raptors organization might not officially employ Kyle Lowry anymore, but he still seems pretty happy to support them whenever he can.Coming to Toronto this week as a member of the visiting Philadelphia 76ers, the team's all-time assist leader made sure to show some love to the local fans.On Tuesday night, Lowry crashed a screening of We the North: From Prehistoric to Historic taking place at the TIFF Bell Lightbox. The 75-minute documentary, which premiered last month, showcases the 30-year history of the Toronto Raptors."Still feels like yesterday, winning the championship and being around the fans," Lowry told the crowd about the Raptors' historic NBA title in 2019.Turning 39 later this month, Lowry is the fourth-oldest active player in the NBA. He's 41 days older than Toronto's current oldest player, Garrett Temple, and trailing only LeBron James, Chris Paul, and Taj Gibson as the NBA's senior statesmen.    View this post on Instagram  &n...

Culture

9 d. ago ‘Nobody wins a trade war’: Trump escalates tariffs in response to Ontario’s electricity surcharges

Raises total levy to 50 per cent on steel and aluminum, considered an untenable threshold for domestic producers

Economics

1 week ago Ontario's trade war retaliation will drive up U.S. electricity bills by $100 per month

Ontario Premier Doug Ford has just taken another bold step in Canada's counter-attack in the face of the steep tariffs U.S. President Donald Trump enacted on goods imported from the north last week.On Monday, Ford and his minister of energy and electrification formally introduced a new 25 per cent surcharge on all electricity the province sends south of the border, which will add approximately $100 to the monthly power bills of some 1.5 million residents in neighbouring New York, Michigan and Minnesota, effective immediately.It's a measure that the premier has been threatening since Trump started mounting his tariff actions in earnest in recent weeks, turning the blustering prattle the former reality TV star is notorious for into serious, debilitating action against his nation's closest ally.Ford added in his press conference about the new surcharge this morning that he will escalate restrictions on Ontario-produced energy further if...

Economics

1 week ago Ontario officially hits U.S. with 25% electricity tax amid trade war

The Ontario government has officially applied a 25 per cent surcharge on all electricity exports to three U.S. states on Monday.

Economics

2 w. ago Doug Ford says Ontario university should be 'embarrassed' of Elon Musk

In Doug Ford's address to Ontario regarding the Canada and U.S. trade war, the Ontario premier said Queen's University should be "embarrassed" that Elon Musk studied there.Ford made the comment while answering a question about whether Ontario tax dollars would still going to Musk's Starlink because of a "break free" for cancelling the contract. Ford said the following on Tuesday:"This is principle to cancel Starlink to President Trump's right-hand man, Elon Musk. Isn't it ironic that he got educated… part of his education was at Queen's, and he's attacking the country and the province that gave him the opportunity to go to Queen's University.""They should be embarrassed that he went to Queen's. He should be embarrassed to attack the people that took care of him for a number of years with his family," he continued.During the Ford conference, he confirmed his previous threat of ripping up the Starlink deal and said Ontario "won't award contrac...

Society