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Today’s Round-up plus some Canada good news

Anonymous — Sat, 06 Jun 2026 08:47:03 +0000

Hey, I'm feeling not to spunky tonight so this won't be lengthy.
But here are some interesting comments and posts I saw today:
A substacker named Linda T is not impressed with the "He Yells" critique of Prime Minister Carney:
There’s a new story...

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Today’s News: Canada now has an AI strategy. And not a moment too soon.

Anonymous — Fri, 05 Jun 2026 08:59:47 +0000

Prime Minister Carney announced Canada's AI for All strategy on Thursday, as part of our Artificial Intelligence Ecosystem. The announcement says:....Over the next five years, this strategy will introduce new legislation, investments, a...

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Today’s News: Carney leadership and Alberta separatism and tariffs and Trump and Hunter Biden. Plus today’s Pride Update

Anonymous — Thu, 04 Jun 2026 08:35:57 +0000

Today in Carney leadership
I'm shocked SHOCKED! that Carney gets pissed sometimes at Liberal MPs. Lack of focus and meandering response killed Trudeau's leadership and I can understand why Carney now says "my way or the highway" - the country, an...

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Canada needs some more Forward Guidance now. Plus, today’s Pride Update

Anonymous — Wed, 03 Jun 2026 08:19:14 +0000

It feels like we're in a tangled ball of string right now, doesn't it.
While the CUSMA trade discussions are getting underway, we're also hearing about the "recession" data figures plus a revival of Trump's "51st State!" talk while the US economy is li...

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Just another day – some short takes on Canada’s so-called recession, Poilievre, Pride Month, Alberta “rednexit”, and so on

Anonymous — Tue, 02 Jun 2026 08:11:40 +0000

I'm not an economist, thank god, but I think I understand what the Financial Post writer Pamela Heaven is saying here:

Posthaste: Recession, what recession? Canada's economy is doing better than it has in years by this measure
GDP per person is once...

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Sunday Funday: This week’s good posts and funny posts. Plus- Everybody hates AI, Getting Old(er), Carney Hat-trick, TrumpWatch, Animal Crackers

Anonymous — Sun, 31 May 2026 08:29:59 +0000

It was quite the week, wasn't it. Here's hoping June will be better....In the meantime, enjoy!Good posts
Industrial-scale farming is mesmerizing:
View on Threads

View on Threads

Hmmm - would you open the envelope?
The Clock Inside You

T...

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Today’s News: “Next Year Country” , the Alberta story behind the story, and Trump’s no good very bad day

Anonymous — Sat, 30 May 2026 08:31:27 +0000

"Next Year Country" Thanks for the memories. Canada will have to wait another year to build a team for the 2027 Stanley Cup -- which could well be the Canadiens again. I think all of Canada is grateful that the Canadiens worked so hard and go...

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Carney to America: Canada doesn’t need to lose just so you can win

Anonymous — Fri, 29 May 2026 08:49:33 +0000

Carney told New York on Thursday that “Canada strong will help make America great again”
Impressive speech by PM Carney 🇨🇦

https://youtu.be/-Wa2kZIV26s?si=eYDIlUzrtu3jOT5h - Kier Atkinson 🇨🇦Read on Substack

So I'm seeing "why is Carney talking MAGA?"...

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Well, damn! Habs lose. Plus, we need “Elbows Up for Canada” to counteract “shotgun federalism” and horserace journalism

Anonymous — Thu, 28 May 2026 08:33:49 +0000

Habs lose

Oh dear.
Maybe it just isn't meant to be this year for the Canadiens. But you're still a hell of a team.
#Habs Lane Hutson: "it seemed like the only guy who showed up was Doby [Jakub Dobeš]. We were just not good enough, didn't answer the b...

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Today’s News: Canadian politics, plus fake news and good news, Pope Leo on AI, and a few funny bits

Anonymous — Wed, 27 May 2026 07:43:43 +0000

More about that damned Referendum Lite
On Monday, Carney said this:

and also this:

In the Toronto Star, Susan Delacourt writes

Outside Alberta, a political consensus is emerging — not just on how the Alberta referendum should turn out, but on wheth...

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Rhymes with Duck! Plus other sports updates, and some Canada good news

Anonymous — Tue, 26 May 2026 08:04:39 +0000

Damn!
Of all the posts I saw about the Monday night game, this says it best:

View on Threads

Once more into the breach, my friends...And in other sports
The New York Knicks are going to the ...

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Hey, Habs – please do that voodoo that you do so well! Plus its Sunday Funday: Riders win, Knicks win, good posts, funny posts, Getting Old(er), Carney hat-trick, TrumpWatch, Animal Crackers

Anonymous — Sun, 24 May 2026 08:03:44 +0000

But damn!
The Habs voodoo wasn't quite strong enough on Saturday night.
#Habs 2 - 3 #Hurricanes (F/OT)

MTL stats
🚨Goals: Anderson (4,5)
🏒PP: 0-for-2
🏒Guhle: 3-game point streak (3A)
🏒Danault: 3-game point streak (2G 3A)
🏒Carrier: 3-game poin...

The post Hey, Habs – please do that voodoo that you do so well! Plus its Sunday Funday: Riders win, Knicks win, good posts, funny posts, Getting Old(er), Carney hat-trick, TrumpWatch, Animal Crackers appeared first on BlogsCanada.ca.

Referendum Lite Roundup: The more we see it, the more we hate it

Anonymous — Sat, 23 May 2026 07:28:38 +0000

The more Canada is learning today about Danielle Smith's Alberta Referendum Lite, the more we hate it. Not only will it screw up the international and national investments Canada needs to maintain Elbows Up, it also makes us a target for American ...

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A great beginning for the Habs! Plus Smith’s goofy Referendum Lite – does Alberta actually WANT to delay new resource investments until 2027? And a farewell to Stephen Colbert

Anonymous — Fri, 22 May 2026 08:31:57 +0000

Habs win!

At least there was one good news story today -- after the Canes scored at 30 seconds, Montreal came back and scored at a minute.

Then they put the pedal to the metal for the rest of the game.

View on Threads

Referendum Lite

Moving on to less happy news, Alberta Premier Smith announced today she will have a referendum in October about having a referendum.

I'm calling it Referendum Lite.

And yes, its just as dumb as it sounds.
It also means Canada won't be able to move forward, get investors, fund or even approve any Alberta resource development projects until the issue of Alberta separatism is dealt with. I expect its all delayed now until spring of 2027.
I hope that's what Alberta wanted because that's what they're going to get.
I guess they can just blame it all on Trudeau somehow...

CBC At Issue panel:

TL, DW (too long, didn't watch) The panel discusses Smith's referendum for a referendum idea and called it "convoluted" "messy" "chaotic" "hokum" "bogus arithmetic" and "insincere threat". They go on to discuss Carney's meeting with Eby and hope that negotiations behind the scenes are more collegial than some of the public comments have been.

Here are some other comments about Referendum Lite.
Paul Wells thinks its basically a nothingburger. I'm not so sure, but here's his argument:

...The referendum question she proposed adding to the previous nine is a kind of exquisite annoyance. Here it is:

“Should Alberta remain a province of Canada or should the Government of Alberta commence the legal process required under the Canadian Constitution to hold a binding provincial referendum on whether or not Alberta should separate from Canada?”

...Let’s look at how well Smith’s proposed question satisfies the interests of various Albertans.
Federalists: Probably dissatisfied. If you want Alberta to remain a province, you know this goal is best addressed by letting Alberta remain a province. No referendum is needed, certainly not from a premier who didn’t run on holding a referendum.
Separatists: Probably dissatisfied. If you want Alberta to separate from Canada, you’d like to get started. We will see whether the purported leaders of this movement seek revenge on Smith for thwarting them, and whether they have the cards, but I’m pretty sure they feel thwarted.
People who want to help Danielle Smith last longer as UCP leader than Jason Kenney: Probably OK with all this.

I’m just not sure the third group is as large as the first two. In fact I’m quite sure I ranked them correctly here, [federalists]>[separatists]>[fans of preserving Smith’s political hide.]

I can’t work up too much anger over all this. Even if it somehow led to a Yes vote to secession on some distant day… look, at some point, a country that could manage to step on that many rakes is one whose descent into bickering would be hard to mourn. But it’s a bit pathetic, isn’t it? This behaviour of Danielle Smith’s, I mean. All this stalling and hedging. A leader could have said, “I want no part of this pointless adventure. You want to take Alberta out of Canada and deliver it to the United States, you’re going to have to go through me.” A leader of a very different kind could have said, “To hell with this country, we’re out, let’s go.” The person who says, “Please just let me hang on for a few more months” is… not leading.

Regardless of Smith's motivations, her actions are damaging Alberta. Her contempt for reconciliation is profound:

We also spoke with Treaty Six Grand Chief Joey Pete tonight. He says while the premier says this approach to a referendum may not violate Justice Leonard's ruling, the Alberta government is still showing a "total disregard to First Nations."
#Ableg

— Janet French (@jantafrench.bsky.social) May 21, 2026 at 8:33 PM

“Albertans are now seeing Danielle Smith's government for what it is: undemocratic, authoritarian, and willing to bend to the whims of a loud, angry minority.”

Sturgeon Lake Cree Nation would also like a word.

#abpoli #ableg #cdnpoli

[image or embed]

— The Breakdown AB (@thebreakdownab.bsky.social) May 21, 2026 at 7:59 PM

“Now, all Albertans know what we have always known: you can't trust Danielle Smith. She's a traitor and a separatist.”

Mikisew Cree First Nation responds.

#abpoli #ableg #cdnpoli

[image or embed]

— The Breakdown AB (@thebreakdownab.bsky.social) May 21, 2026 at 7:55 PM

MAGA and the Trump administration will be delighted

Jordan Leichnitz on Danielle Smith's irresponsible push for a sovereignty question: "This whole conversation is happening in a context where we have a southern neighbour who's expressed very keen interest in what's happening in Alberta, in what's happening with sovereignty sentiment in Alberta, in Alberta's energy and that has had no compunction interfering in other countries when it comes to things like elections and leadership."

- Scott Robertson

Read on Substack

On her What Now!?! An Alberta Politics Newsletter, Lisa Young asks

...So who wants this sad orphan referendum? Possibly Donald Trump, who can use it to poke at Canada on days when he loses interest in Greenland, Cuba, and Iran. Some bot farmers in Moscow, perhaps.

But Premier Smith has backed herself into a corner, so she will go on TV tonight to tell Albertans that 700,000 of them have signed petitions calling for a referendum (glossing over the fact that you wouldn’t want to put a random subset of that 700K in a room together, because it could get ugly).

And so it is that we are going to spend the next five months going through the motions of an orphan referendum, because it’s consequential enough that it can’t be ignored, but not truly consequential.

People are dying in Alberta waiting rooms. One in three kids are going to school hungry. Homelessness has doubled in many parts of the province. Teachers, nurses, and doctors are leaving Alberta in record numbers. Disabled Albertans are being pushed further below the poverty line.

And tonight, the Premier chose to give a televised address on the taxpayers’ dime to attack judges and announce a referendum aimed at appeasing a fringe group of separatists who will never be satisfied anyway.

What a disgrace.

- Cole Bennett

Read on Substack

In Fly Straight, John Ivison writes

...Most polls show support for Alberta independence at between 27 and 30 percent. But when pressed, only about half of those people are committed secessionists - the other half are upset because they feel the province has been mistreated within Canada. Those people can be won back.

A sustained, patriotic Unity Rally, such as the one that attracted tens of thousands to Montreal in the days before the 1995 independence referendum in Quebec, would be the perfect antidote to the toxic cycle of negativity and half-truths that is already emanating from useful idiots like Jeffrey Rath, and his inciters in Russian military intelligence. Canadians from out of province should flock to this year’s Calgary Stampede and hug an Albertan.
I’m convinced, the Remain side will be lifted by its love of country, which is quite different from the narrow nationalism of the Leavers, who rely on hatred of shadowy enemies to motivate their voters.

But Canada is not Alberta’s enemy, no matter how much some Russian intelligence officer and his network of paid influencers try to make it so. Long may it live strong and free, within Canada.

A referendum on Canadian unity is divisive enough. Holding a referendum to have another referendum will divide us and will kill our economy. It is now more important than ever that all supporters of #ForeverCanadian sign up at Forever-Canadian.ca so we can stop this insanity.

[image or embed]

— Hon. Thomas A. Lukaszuk (@lukaszukab.bsky.social) May 21, 2026 at 8:30 PM

Edmonton mayor Andrew Knack has issued a statement on the referendum referendum (no, that's not a typo), calling it "reckless" by the provincial government. Excerpt:

"Premier Smith and the UCP Government's separatist agenda is catastrophic for Edmontonians, Albertans, and all Canadians... " #AbLeg

— Janet French (@jantafrench.bsky.social) May 21, 2026 at 8:16 PM

Farwell to Stephen Colbert

Tonight was Colbert's last show, watched by millions

Watch Stephen Colbert's show and then never watch CBS again.

Make em feel it.

— Wajahat Ali (@wajali.bsky.social) May 21, 2026 at 9:40 PM

View on Threads

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Waiting for the game: Watching “The Sweater” and gathering a batch of news updates

Anonymous — Thu, 21 May 2026 06:51:18 +0000

While we wait for the game on Thursday night, enjoy my favourite NFB video in all time, The Sweater, plus a batch of news updates.

The maybe pipeline
PM Carney: "The pipeline will only be advanced with the following prerequisites being met....

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Wars and rumours of war, plus some Canada news, and predictions of a sad World Cup

Anonymous — Wed, 20 May 2026 08:10:13 +0000

It seems like its been a while since I've updated on today's wars, so here are a few recent posts and comments that I found illuminating:

Iran War update

Tonight the New York Times is reporting that the US and Israel thought back in February that they could end the war in a few days by replacing Iran's leadership with a cooperative stooge, easy peasy.
What were they smoking?

...It turns out that the United States and Israel [gift link] went into the conflict with a particular and very surprising someone in mind: Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, the former Iranian president known for his hard-line, anti-Israel and anti-American views.

But the audacious plan, developed by the Israelis and which Mr. Ahmadinejad had been consulted about, quickly went awry, according to the U.S. officials who were briefed on it.

Mr. Ahmadinejad was injured on the war’s first day by an Israeli strike at his home in Tehran that had been designed to free him from house arrest, the American officials and an associate of Mr. Ahmadinejad said. He survived the strike, they said, but after the near miss he became disillusioned with the regime change plan.
He has not been seen publicly since then and his current whereabouts and condition are unknown....
... Israel envisioned the war unfolding in several phases, starting with air assaults by the United States and Israel plus the killing of Iran’s supreme leaders and the mobilization of Kurds to fight Iranian forces, according to two Israeli defense officials familiar with the operational planning.

Then, the Israeli plan foresaw a combination of influence campaigns carried out by Israel and the Kurdish invasion creating political instability in Iran and a sense that the regime was losing control. In a third stage, the regime, under intense political pressure and the weight of damage to key infrastructure like electricity, would collapse, allowing for what the Israelis referred to as an “alternative government” to be established.

Other than the air campaign and the killing of the supreme leader, little of the plan played out as the Israelis had hoped, and much of it appears in retrospect to have profoundly misjudged Iran’s resilience and the capacity of the United States and Israel to exert their will...

The Iran War "strategy" looks even crazier: The @nytimes reports that the US plan was to put Mahmoud Ahmadinejad in as leader -- yes, the same Ahmadinejad who was both extremist and a bit crazy. I interviewed Ahmadinejad when he was Iran's president and can't imagine the why the…

— Nicholas Kristof (@NickKristof) May 19, 2026

In his Rest of the World Report, Rudy Martinez writes:

...Trump planned a major military strike on Iran for Tuesday and called it off Monday evening without having previously disclosed it was planned. The Gulf allies who intervened say they are close to a deal. The Pakistani mediator says both sides keep changing the goalposts. Brent crude is at $111.00. The next two to three days will determine whether this was a turning point or another delay.

And this happened on Tuesday:

BREAKING: It took eight tries, but the Senate has finally voted to advance a resolution to limit Donald Trump’s war on Iran.
The measure passed 50-47 after Senator Bill Cassidy flipped and joined Democrats just days after losing his primary.

[image or embed]

— Jerry Whitney (@theharpoonman.bsky.social) May 19, 2026 at 10:53 PM

I think Trump wants to get out of Iran but he doesn't know how to just declare victory and leave.

“If Trump really wants to destroy Iran, he should just be their president for a few months.”

—Internet Meme

- Don Knight

Read on Substack

Ukraine War update

In his weekend newsletter about Ukraine, Phillips O'Brien writes about recent war events:

...I still argue as I have for a while that the Ukrainian attacks will be more important in shaping the course of the war. Russian civilian crime attacks do not seem to be cracking Ukrainian resistance, indeed they might be strengthening it. However, Ukrainian attacks on Russian strategic industries continue to reduce Russian fuel exports—which is doubly important now as the US has made sure oil prices are abnormally high.

I am sure there are those in Ukraine who feel so angry with the Russians deliberately killing civilians that they would believe it justified if Ukraine struck back similarly. And at this point, if the Ukrainians did, they might receive little condemnation. However, the Ukrainians are still refusing to make criminal attacks in favor of effective strategic ones.

This contrast helps explain why the war has developed as it has and why Ukraine is starting to take the initiative.

Fighting smart is usually better than fighting brutally.

There’s nothing to do against these drones when they have you and it’s extra dark bc of just how deep Russia has gone into their aging male population to keep fighting this thing

https://en.zona.media/article/2026/05/09/casualties_eng-trl

- Cameron Russell Armstrong

Read on Substack

After treating Ukraine as expendable, Trump wants access to the crown jewels of its defense industry.

According to Bloomberg, the United States is seeking technology transfers and potentially intellectual property rights to Ukraine’s battle-tested drone and electronic warfare systems.

Let that sink in.

After cutting military aid to Ukraine, curtailing intelligence sharing, parroting Kremlin talking points from the Oval Office, and praising Putin while blaming Ukraine for defending itself, Trump now appears ready to demand access to the very technologies Ukrainians developed while fighting for their survival.

He promised to end the war in 24 hours. Instead, he handed the Kremlin a blank check.

Since Trump’s return, russian missile and drone attacks on Ukrainian cities have intensified dramatically. Ukraine has been left critically short of air defense systems. Civilians who once had some protection are now exposed to nightly barrages.

More missiles. More drones. More murdered children.

Trump did not stop the war. He made it easier for Putin to wage it. He weakened Ukraine’s defenses. He reduced intelligence sharing.

He eased pressure on the russian economy, allowing billions of dollars to flow back into the Kremlin’s war machine. That money is being turned into ballistic missiles, Shahed drones, tanks, and bombs.

And now, after helping russia continue its war of terror, Trump wants access to Ukraine’s most valuable wartime innovation.

Ukraine built this technology with blood.

It was forged in trenches, tested under bombardment, and refined while defending cities that russia tried to erase from the map.

Thousands of Ukrainian engineers and soldiers risked their lives to create some of the most advanced drone warfare capabilities in the world.

These are not just inventions. They are the product of sacrifice, ingenuity, and national survival.

Giving away these technologies without ironclad protections would be an extraordinary mistake.

Almost as catastrophic as surrendering the world’s third-largest nuclear arsenal in 1994 in exchange for security assurances that proved worthless when russia invaded.

Trump promised peace.

What he delivered was a lifeline to Putin.

And now he appears ready to demand the intellectual property that Ukrainians developed with their own ingenuity, sacrifice, and blood.

- Roman Sheremeta

Read on Substack

I thought this remark from Carney is also worthwhile to note, that Ukraine will win and that Canada will be on the right side of history.

Canada should always be grateful to Chrystia Freeland for leading Canada's (and the West's) patriotic and vigorous sanctions response to the Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022, when she was Finance minister.

PM Carney: "There's lots of cooperation [with the US]. But we will also be cooperating with other partners and diversifying our defence cooperation as a member of NATO and in critical areas such as Ukraine ... Ukraine is going to triumph and we're going to be on the right side of history for that."

[image or embed]

— Scott Robertson (@sarobertson.bsky.social) May 19, 2026 at 11:16 AM

Rumours of War
Here are some more updates on the disputes Trump is having here and there and everywhere

With Canada
About that "Board of Defense"

PM Carney on the last time the Permanent Joint Board on Defence met: "The last time, to my knowledge, is the end of 2024. It's supposed to meet biannually, but it hasn't met since then. It has a long heritage, but I wouldn't overplay the importance of this."

- Scott Robertson

Read on Substack

With Greenland
About that "special envoy"

View on Threads

With Cuba
This story may or may not be true, and it may or may not matter.

🇨🇺🇺🇸 Axios: Cuba has acquired 300+ military drones from Russia and Iran and has discussed using them to attack Guantanamo Bay, US naval vessels, and Key West.

CIA Director Ratcliffe flew to Havana to personally warn Cuba against hostilities.

[image or embed]

— Savchenko Volodymyr (@savchenkoua.bsky.social) May 17, 2026 at 9:07 AM

HMMMMMMMM

[image or embed]

— bryptid (cryptid evolving) (@bradicality.bsky.social) May 17, 2026 at 9:16 PM

Genuinely fascinated by latest phenomenon of Marc Caputo being the outlet for INTELLIGENCE leaks, as with his Cuba drone story. Note it is effectively single-sourced--to a senior US official sharing classified intel.

www.axios.com/2026/05/17/u...

[image or embed]

— emptywheel (@emptywheel.bsky.social) May 18, 2026 at 6:38 AM

Since there is news about a possible drone threat from Cuba, with Havana allegedly acquiring 300 military drones from Russia and Iran, re-upping my post from a Russian Telegram blogger from 4 months ago outlining such a scenario. t.me/rybar/77101

[image or embed]

— Samuel Bendett (@sambendett.bsky.social) May 17, 2026 at 10:19 AM

With South America
Bolivia isn't working out so well

Bolivia Is Boiling Over and the U.S. is Trying to Keep the Lid On: Fuel crisis, land‑rights backlash, and a collapsing economy collide as Washington scrambles to protect its “democratic partner”

Bolivia is in meltdown. A general strike, mass protests, and nationwide blockades have choked off major cities, leaving food, fuel, and medicine in short supply. President Rodrigo Paz is still in the capital, but protesters want him out… and the U.S. is backing him hard, calling the unrest an attack on democratic order.

The crisis didn’t come out of nowhere. Paz cut decades‑old fuel subsidies during an economic freefall, sending prices soaring. Then he pushed land‑rights legislation that Indigenous and peasant groups say threatens their territories. Add inflation, a diesel shortage, and demands for a 20% wage hike, and the streets erupted.

Miners, farmers, and unions have barricaded highways into La Paz, Cochabamba, and El Alto. Clashes with police and the military are constant. The economic damage is already in the hundreds of millions.

From a geopolitical angle, the U.S. sees Paz as a crucial centrist ally after years of tense relations under the MAS party. Washington wants to keep Bolivia from drifting back toward authoritarian partners like Venezuela, Cuba, and Iran… especially with Bolivia sitting on some of the world’s largest lithium reserves. A collapse could hand China even more control over the global green‑tech supply chain.

Critics argue the U.S. is propping up a government cracking down on protesters, arresting blockade leaders, and escalating tensions. Latin America is split: some countries back Paz, others call for mediation.

Bolivia’s crisis isn’t just domestic turmoil… it’s a regional fault line with global consequences. And the pressure is only rising.

- Caffeine Fueled Confessions

Read on Substack

View on Threads

With Everyone Else
This is the least surprising thing I read about Trump's visit to China:

You know all those times Trump compared himself to Al Capone and tweeted images of himself as a fedora-wearing gangster? He was, in his twisted way, being honest about who he is and what he desires for the world.

- Dan Gardner

Read on Substack

And some Canada news

BC is rightly concerned about Carney making deals with Alberta, without prior consultation with BC.
It seems to me this is how a separatist movement gets born - when a group of people feel ignored, unappreciated, unrewarded. British Columbia makes an extraordinary contribution to Canada, but it seems to be too easy for central and eastern Canada to take them for granted.
I remember when I was visiting Toronto and I realized that when I talked about "the coast" people always thought I meant the Atlantic provinces. That I was talking about BC never occurred to them at all, I guess because everything after Lake Superior is just "out west".
Anyway, Carney is set to meet with Eby on Wednesday, so we'll see what happens, keeping the following comments in mind:

David Eby: "This country cannot work if separatists, separatist premiers, others get all of the attention of the federal government. And those provinces where we're standing squarely behind Canada, where we're fighting for Canada -- we're left out of the discussion."

- Scott Robertson

Read on Substack

Nathan Cullen: "For those that have somehow this equation that a single project is a determination of whether our country is functioning or not, that's insane. And you can't negotiate with someone who puts a gun to your head and expect good outcomes."

[image or embed]

— Scott Robertson (@sarobertson.bsky.social) May 19, 2026 at 6:17 PM

Some investment good news

View on Threads

Here's a good one - the Mayor of Montreal gave a Habs jersey to Macron

View on Threads

Its sad news for Saskatchewan that the Snowbirds will be grounded at the end of this year:

Canada’s Snowbirds jets grounded until 2030s as replacement aircraft identified – CTV News

https://www.newsbeep.com/547572/

Canada’s Snowbirds jets grounded until 2030s as replacement aircraft identified CTV NewsHere is where you can see the final…

[image or embed]

— newsbeep.bsky.social (@newsbeep.bsky.social) May 19, 2026 at 5:05 PM

One of the great things about going to Riders games was that the jets from Moose Jaw would do a flyover of the stadium.
Here's an airshow the Snowbirds did in 2016:

And here is their 2026 schedule.

Finally, just three weeks until the World Cup starts, and Toronto Star Europe reporter Allan Woods is reporting on its "ugly face" now:

Iran wants guarantees of beefed-up protection [gift link] behind enemy lines and no political questions from prying journalists.

Senegal wants visas for a handful of officials from its national sporting federation who have been denied entry to the U.S.

Ghana wants fans of its national squad, the Black Stars, to promise they’ll return home, keeping the country in Donald Trump’s good graces.
And a vast number of Canadians want nothing at all to do with their southern neighbours — not their travel hot spots, not their bourbon and wine, and certainly not their World Cup matches, even if they will feature the best soccer players on the planet.

Welcome to the ugly face of the beautiful game’s marquee event — World Cup 2026 — set to open in Canada, Mexico and the United States on June 11.

It’s a far cry from what the co-hosts, under the banner of United 2026 and the slogan of “Unity. Certainty. Opportunity,” promised when their bid was picked by FIFA, soccer’s governing body, in 2018.

The anticipated kumbaya ambience has turned into something of a dark cloud.

“I think it’s going to be a fairly sad World Cup,” said Ronan Evain, the French head of Football Supporters Europe....

Maybe it will turn out to be a good thing that people in Toronto can drink in the bars until 4 am from June 11 to July 19, while the World Cup is on.

The post Wars and rumours of war, plus some Canada news, and predictions of a sad World Cup appeared first on BlogsCanada.ca.

Olé Olé Olé! Habs win it in overtime. Plus, more about the Alberta voter ID app scandal

Anonymous — Tue, 19 May 2026 08:16:01 +0000

What an outstanding win

Carrier’s side switch grants Newhook a cushion on entry, and the forward makes no mistake to send the Habs to the ECF. The second replay gives us a closer look at the game-winning knuckler:

- Vinh Cao

Read on Substack

Alex Newhook is from St. John's, NFLD, by the way, and he scored the game-winner against Tampa in Game 7 of that series too.
Great interview here with Dobeš - the interviewer notes they have already played 14 tough games and Dobeš says "I could play 14 more!"

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The fans in Montreal:

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The Sabres are a great team - I was touched to find out they play the Canadian national anthem at all their games just because so many Canadians come over to watch. And here's another example of respect:

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This old tweet is still true:

❄️ 🏍️ 🚁

[image or embed]

— Rodger Sherman (@rodger.bsky.social) May 18, 2026 at 8:18 PM

Now, on to the Hurricanes.

In other news, while we've been watching hockey, that Alberta voter-data scandal has been widening by the day.
First, we got a major story on Monday in Press Progress by editor Luke LeBrun:

Alberta Separatist Group’s Controversial Voter ID App Has Links to US Ambassador, MAGA Influencers and Wealthy Michigan Republicans
Donald Trump’s top envoy to Canada says he was unaware a voter identification app that he previously endorsed and promoted was used by an Alberta separatist group at the centre of a major Canadian political scandal.

US Ambassador Pete Hoekstra, who is also personally acquainted with both the app’s founder and the founder’s wealthy step-father, denies any knowledge of the app’s use by Alberta separatists to identify the names and addresses of supporters of a potential referendum on the province separating from Canada.

“I was not aware of the relationship,” Ambassador Hoekstra told PressProgress about the apparent collaboration between an Alberta separatist group called the Centurion Project and a Michigan-based right-wing political group called 10xVotes.

David Parker, a far-right separatist organizer, cites 10xVotes as his inspiration for launching the Centurion Project and claims the American group has been quietly working with him behind-the-scenes for over a year.

The issue of foreign support of Alberta separatist groups has been an open question since the US State Department confirmed earlier this year that Trump administration officials have held multiple meetings with Alberta separatist leaders.

The Centurion Project is currently under investigation by Elections Alberta, Alberta’s Information and Privacy Commissioner and the RCMP into how the group obtained private data about nearly three million Albertans allegedly sourced from the province’s official list of electors. The massive data breach is being described as potentially one of the “most significant privacy incidents” in Canadian history.
... In his statement to PressProgress, the US ambassador acknowledged having promoted the 10xVotes app in his earlier role but flatly denied any personal involvement or financial stake in the voter identification tool.

...The app has been publicly endorsed by former Fox News host Tucker Carlson and the conspiracy theorist Alex Jones of the website Infowars. The app was also showcased on an episode of former Trump adviser Steve Bannon’s podcast....

The story has lots of denials on the record, but LeBrun also traces a complex web of relationships from Alberta to Michigan.
And on a side not, apparently David Parker has now left Canada for Texas.
Second, we also got the news on Monday about the Pentagon kiboshing a Canada-US defense panel:

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Tabarnak!!! Plus, Sunday Funday with funny-odd and funny-haha posts, Hating AI, Carney Hat Trick, TrumpWatch, and Animal Crackers

Anonymous — Sun, 17 May 2026 09:06:36 +0000

Oh, tabarnak! The Habs lose tonight - On to Monday!
The video low-lights of Saturday's game are here. I'm not posting the clip because I don't really want to watch it again.

This is a pretty good game review on the Raw NHL website, from Sab...

The post Tabarnak!!! Plus, Sunday Funday with funny-odd and funny-haha posts, Hating AI, Carney Hat Trick, TrumpWatch, and Animal Crackers appeared first on BlogsCanada.ca.

The Carney and Smith announcement, plus a note on Trump’s crazy language

Anonymous — Sat, 16 May 2026 09:44:04 +0000

It was a big announcement today in Alberta:Canada and Alberta Strike Landmark Implementation Agreement on Energy, Emissions, and Export Diversification

By Annie Koshy

Prime Minister Mark Carney and Alberta Premier Danielle Smith announced a landmark ...

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Today’s News: Habs Rule (almost)! Plus a round-up of comments on the Alberta separatist referendum, and a smattering of Trump/China

Anonymous — Fri, 15 May 2026 08:07:06 +0000

Habs Rule (almost)!
Montreal wins 6-3 over Buffalo, and will be going home with hopes to take it all on Saturday night's game 6
Montreal will be rocking!
They stick together don't they
View on Threads

Some additional detail about that ...

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Some good Venn diagrams, plus some good news updates

Anonymous — Thu, 14 May 2026 08:52:13 +0000

Starting with a few Venn diagrams:The Artemis II astronauts met with Carney on Thursday
The group includes Commander Reid Wiseman, pilot Victor Glover, mission specialists Christina Koch and Canadian Jeremy Hansen, together with their Canadian capcom (...

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Today’s News: We just need the next 2 out of 3. Plus Trump leaves for China, and some “Strait of Hormuz Blues”

Anonymous — Wed, 13 May 2026 08:15:45 +0000

Next two out of three
A crazy game and unfortunate loss, Sabres 3 to Canadiens 2:

At Sportsnet, Eric Engels writes:

In a game the Montreal Canadiens lost by one goal, it would be easy to suggest the puck bouncing off the stanchion by the Bel...

The post Today’s News: We just need the next 2 out of 3. Plus Trump leaves for China, and some “Strait of Hormuz Blues” appeared first on BlogsCanada.ca.

It was the best of times, it was the worst of times – from Habs Rule to America Chaos

Anonymous — Tue, 12 May 2026 07:57:06 +0000

For some reason I am seeing a lot of just two kinds of posts. Positive ones about the Habs victory on Sunday, and negative ones about Trump's America causing chaos in the world. So they seem to fall into a sort of oddball "two cities" theme, ...

The post It was the best of times, it was the worst of times – from Habs Rule to America Chaos appeared first on BlogsCanada.ca.

Sunday Funday: Funny posts about Canada, ETTD, sports, academics, and more, plus Carney hat-trick TrumpWatch, Animal Crackers

Anonymous — Sun, 10 May 2026 07:44:00 +0000

First, good items about Canada Todd Maffin does a "heritage minute" about Heritage Minutes

All of the Minutes are saved here: https://www.historicacanada.ca/productions/minutes This is my favourite:

Heaven does exist and it is in Canada ❤...

The post Sunday Funday: Funny posts about Canada, ETTD, sports, academics, and more, plus Carney hat-trick TrumpWatch, Animal Crackers appeared first on BlogsCanada.ca.

Good for the Habs! Plus today’s Canada news – from Obama to a pink Barbie Jeep

Anonymous — Sat, 09 May 2026 08:50:32 +0000

Habs win!So the series is tied as they head to Montreal for the next two games.

When it got to 4-1, that was really the end for Buffalo View on Threads

View on Threads

Some Canada new...

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US Border Expands Facial Recognition for Canadians

Ben — Wed, 12 Nov 2025 18:06:21 +0000

Starting December 26th, Canadians travelling to the United States by air, land, or sea will no longer be able to opt out of having their photo taken at the border. The new rule, announced by the Department of Homeland Security, will make facial biometrics mandatory for all non-US citizens when entering or exiting the country. […]

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Canadian Border Now Fully Open

Ben — Thu, 24 Nov 2022 18:31:48 +0000

On October 1st 2022, the Government of Canada removed all COVID-19 border measures such as required proof of vaccination, random testing, and mandatory isolation for high-risk travelers. For the first time since early 2020, the Canadian border is operating under “normal” conditions. For example: Americans interested in visiting Canada no longer need to download the […]

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Pre-Entry COVID Test No Longer Required at Canadian Border

Ben — Sat, 02 Apr 2022 18:44:10 +0000

As of April 1st 2022, the Canadian border will no longer require a pre-arrival negative COVID-19 test from fully vaccinated travellers entering or returning to the country. Previously, a rapid antigen test or a PCR test indicating a person does not have COVID was required by border authorities. This rule change should encourage Canadians to […]

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US Land Border Opens to Canadians

Ben — Mon, 08 Nov 2021 18:36:56 +0000

After being closed for nearly 19 months due to the COVID-19 pandemic, on November 8th 2021 the United States land border officially opened to all fully vaccinated Canadians. US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has announced they will be staffing their border at pre-pandemic levels, but warns that wait times may be longer than in […]

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When Will USA Border Open to Canadians?

Ben — Wed, 25 Aug 2021 13:46:23 +0000

On August 9th 2021, Canada opened its border to all fully vaccinated Americans allowing tourists from the United States to visit the country once again. The US border remains closed to Canadians, however, and American authorities recently extended the border closure until September 21st citing COVID-19 transmission rates south of the border as well as […]

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Where Can Vaccinated Canadians Travel?

Ben — Thu, 01 Jul 2021 16:20:02 +0000

Most Canadians are now fully vaccinated against COVID-19. Consequently, Canadians are starting to think about international travel again, and are beginning to research possible vacation destinations. This leads to the question, which countries can a fully vaccinated Canadian visit? As of July 2021, Canadian citizens who have received two doses of the Pfizer, Moderna, or […]

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