Canada
Step in to stop looming rail shutdown, Western municipalities urge feds
Labour Minister Steve MacKinnon is heading to Montreal and Calgary, as industry groups call on the federal government to use binding arbitration to avoid a looming rail shutdown.
Inflation cools to 2.5% in July, slowest pace in more than 3 years
July consumer price index data from Statistics Canada will be the central bank’s last look at the latest inflation trends before its upcoming rate decision slated for Sept. 4. A day after StatsCanada reported a significant drop in household income because of inflation, the agency has much better economic news for the governing Liberals.
Bureaucrats have questions about Poilievre’s housing plan
The Conservative leader’s marquee plan to address Canada’s housing crisis uses targets that would set municipalities up for failure, argues an analysis of the policy drawn up by federal civil servants.
Trudeau to hold cabinet retreat in Halifax next week
The federal cabinet is set to gather in Halifax from Sunday through Aug. 27. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced that the retreat will focus on the the “government’s work to strengthen the middle class, grow the economy and deliver fairness for every generation.” Lots of cabinet shuffle speculation this week in anticipation of this event. If you've got a rumour, e-mail or text me! I'll take them all! But I'm not passing anything on unless I'm sure of and, to be honest, I'm not even sure there will be a shuffle this week - at least not until Pablo Rodriguez decides whether or not he wants to run for the leadership of the Quebec Liberal Party.
The Provinces
Ontario parties spend summer preparing for possibility of an early election
Ontario's major political parties have been spending the summer nominating candidates, running "campaign schools," and canvassing.
B.C. Conservatives pull ahead of NDP in new poll as election looms
Mainstreet Research poll gives B.C. Conservatives 39 per cent of decided vote compared to 36 per cent for the NDP.
Obby Khan announces he intends to run in the PC’s leadership race
MLA Obby Khan has announced over social media he intends to run in the party's leadership race. He has represented the Fort Whyte riding since winning in a byelection in 2022.
Quebec to limit temporary foreign workers in Montreal with six-month freeze
The construction and food processing sectors will be exempt from the cap. The freeze won't apply to workers whose salary is higher than $57,000, the median salary in Quebec.
Elsewhere
Michelle Obama tells Trump the presidency just may be a 'Black job'
Michelle Obama tore into Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump on Tuesday at the Democratic National Convention, criticizing his character and racist attacks that have targeted her and her husband Barack in the past.
Media
What do we know about the rise of alternative voices and news influencers in social and video networks?
In recent years large social and video networks, offering powerful creator tools and free global distribution, have provided a platform for an increasingly wide range of voices and perspectives. Most of this content has nothing to do with news. Much of it generates very little attention, but some accounts and individuals have become increasingly influential around politics, and a range of other subjects.
How to Steer an Interview So You Get What You Need
Conducting interviews that provide everything you need for an article, eliciting details from experts for color and juicy quotes, and building rapport with sources are essential skills for any journalist. By mastering the nuts and bolts of interviewing, you can limit the number of follow-up questions you have to ask in an email or second call and set yourself up to write engaging, fully fleshed out stories. Some good advice for journos young and old. If I could my 2¢: In this day of easy Zoom/Facetime etc. interviews, do everything you can to do an interview in-person. Especially when it's someone you are talking to for the first time. Deadlines, geographical separation, etc. mean it can't always be that way but, if you can swing it, it will make the world of difference when it comes to the quality of the interview and the relationship you hope to form with your interview subject for future stories.
Streaming hit multiple new viewership records in July, Nielsen reports
Streaming posted another banner month in July, reaching multiple new milestones in the latest issue of The Gauge report from Nielsen.
Reader Notes
You can help keep this newsletter going with a monthly pledge -- Just $5 would do it -- via Patreon or, if you want to make a one-time donation, send an e-transfer to jda@davidakin.com. Thanks for all your help!
Science and tech
How to Unblur an Image: The 5 Easiest Methods
Whether you’re an aspiring photographer, Instagrammer, or just someone who hoards photos in their gallery, knowing how to fix blurry pictures is a skill you’ll be thankful to have. Realistically, if a photo is blurred to the point where it’s hard to make out the details, you won’t be able to fully recover it, and even AI might not be able to save it. If a picture simply needs a little touch-up, a simple unblurring tool should do the trick.
The Calendar
- Outaouais, QC - PM Trudeau meets with seniors about federal dental care plans.
- 0930 ET: London, ON - LPC MP Bryan May , Peter Fragiskatos and Arielle Kayabaga make a funding announcement.
- 1030 ET: Montreal - CEDQR Min Soraya Martinez Ferrada makes a funding announcement.
- 1055 ET: Edmonton - Deputy PM and Fin Min Chrystia Freeland meets with energy workers and speaks to reporters.
- 1100 ET: 035B West Block - Government Operations and Estimates (OGGO) | Meeting 135 - Purchase of the Official Residence of the Consul General in New York
- 1100 ET: Whitehorse - LPC MP Brendan Hanley makes an infrastructure funding announcement.
- 1200 ET: Mary's Harbour, NL - LPC MP Yvonne Jones makes a funding announcement.
- 1300 ET: Thunder Bay - Indigenous Services Min Patty Hajdu marks the opening of a new facility.
- 1315 ET: Lunenburg, NS - ACOA Min Gudie Hutchings makes a funding announcement.
- 1330 ET: Bright, ON - LPC MP Bryan May makes a funding announcement.
- 1400 ET: 225A West Block - International Trade (CIIT) | Meeting 113 - Meeting Requested Pursuant to Standing Order 106(4) to Discuss a Request to Undertake a Study on the Protection of Canada’s Manufacturing Sector from Chinese Imports, Including Electric Vehicles
- 1430 ET: Thorne, QC - LPC MP Sophie Chatel makes a funding announcement.
- 1515 ET: Whitehorse - LPC MP Brendan Hanley makes a funding announcement.
- 1600 ET: Montreal - Environment Min Steven Guilbeault participates in a COP 16 ceremony.
- ET: -
Yesterday
- Quebec City - Opposition Leader Pierre Poilievre visits the Labatt Brewery
Issued this day ...
… in 2015: Scott #2857A: UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Canada. Desig: Lara Minja.
This stamp corrects a major error Canada Post made when it first issued this series on July 3, 2015. The month earlier, it printed some hoodoos on the stamp which do not exist within Dinosaur Provincial Park in Alberta. Alerted to the error, Canada Post recalled the stamp and issued this new one.
This stamp has a catalogue value, mint, of $3.50. The mint copy of the “mistake” — 140,000 copies of the stamp were sold before Canada Post recalled them — has a catalogue value, mint, of $150.