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THE PAIKIN PODCAST: Knives out for Pierre Poilievre?

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When Pierre Poilievre says Justin Trudeau should’ve been jailed, he’s not just channeling Trump—he’s importing the whole MAGA starter pack: baseless accusations, attacks on law enforcement, and a flair for authoritarian cosplay.Let’s be clear: Trudeau’s ethics violations were serious, and Canadians rightly held him accountable through our institutions and elections. But calling for jail time without charges? That’s not justice—it’s political fan fiction with a dangerous twist.In Canada, we don’t jail our political opponents because we lost an argument. We debate them, we vote them out, and we hold them to account through facts—not fantasy. If Poilievre wants to be Prime Minister, he should try acting like one, not auditioning for a reboot of ‘Law & Order: Ottawa.’

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Trump terminates trade talks with Canada because of Ontario anti-tariff ads

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If a single TV ad rattles your trade strategy, maybe you weren’t negotiating in good faith to begin with. This knee-jerk reaction to a provincial ad shows a lack of diplomatic maturity and an inability to separate personal offense from national interest.

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THE PAIKIN PODCAST: Knives out for Pierre Poilievre?

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Poilievre losing his own seat while leading the party is like a quarterback getting benched by his hometown fans mid-Super Bowl. Sure, he found a new team in Battle River—Crowfoot, but you don’t win national leadership by switching jerseys after the buzzer.If Conservatives want to win over Canadians beyond the base, they’ll need more than rage-tweets and podcast rants. They’ll need a leader who can win where it counts—starting with his own backyard.

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Trump announces additional 10-per-cent tariff on Canada over Ontario ad

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Oh, the “Carney’s weak—Poilievre would’ve shown Trump who’s boss” crowd? Please. Let’s not pretend Pierre would’ve marched into the Oval Office with a flamethrower and walked out with duty-free everything and a MAGA hat full of maple syrup.Yes, because nothing says ‘tough negotiator’ like a guy who thinks central banks are a conspiracy and whose idea of diplomacy is yelling ‘Axe the Tax’ into a Tim Hortons drive-thru speaker.”Poilievre wouldn’t have done better—he just would’ve blamed Trudeau, Ford, Carney, and the ghost of John A. Macdonald while livestreaming it from the back of a pickup.”“Sure—he’d stand up to Trump the same way he stands up to facts: by dodging them, then tweeting about it in all caps.”The truth? This wasn’t about policy. It was about Trump’s ego getting bruised by a Reagan quote in a Ford-funded ad. No Canadian PM—Carney, Poilievre, or a hologram of Sir Wilfrid Laurier—was going to stop that tariff with a handshake and a smirk.

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Trump announces additional 10-per-cent tariff on Canada over Ontario ad

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If your idea of toughness is flipping breakers on your allies, maybe stick to Risk and leave geopolitics to the grown-ups.Carney’s job isn’t to cosplay as a Bond villain. It’s to keep Canada credible, calm, and economically strategic. Real toughness is:- Outmaneuvering, not outshouting: Use trade levers that actually hurt, like targeted countermeasures or WTO escalation.- Building alliances: Quietly rally U.S. governors and businesses who hate these tariffs more than we do.- Staying cool: Let Ford play ad wars while Carney plays chess.

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VIDEO: Who is Pete Hoekstra, the Trump diplomat furious with Doug Ford?

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Pete Hoekstra: the only guy who thinks diplomacy means yelling at Canada because Reagan hurt his feelings during the World Series.

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VIDEO: Doug Ford finally gets Donald Trump’s attention

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The ad used Ronald Reagan’s voice to criticize tariffs, airing during the World Series to maximize U.S. viewership. Trump, who had been relatively quiet on Canada, took it as a personal affront. Carney had been making headway with U.S. trade officials, especially around exemptions for Ontario’s EV supply chain. After the ad aired, U.S. negotiators reportedly canceled a scheduled meeting, citing “a hostile media environment.” That’s a direct hit to Canada’s leverage. That shift derailed the narrative Carney had been carefully building: that Canada was the reasonable actor in the room. In short, Ford’s ad may have scored points at home, but it complicated Canada’s position abroad. Trump has a history of conflating regional actions with national ones when it suits his narrative. By poking the bear, Ford gave Trump an excuse to walk away from the table—hurting not just Ontario, but all of Canada’s negotiating position.

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VIDEO: Who is Pete Hoekstra, the Trump diplomat furious with Doug Ford?

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If Pete Hoekstra thinks profanity-laced tirades are how you build trade bridges, maybe he should trade in his ambassador badge for a bouncer’s clipboard. “Hothead Hoekstra” should apologize and if he’s still feeling too ‘triggered’ by Canadian civility, there’s a border just south of here with his name on it.

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VIDEO: Not just snowbirds — all Canadians travelling to U.S. will be photographed

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Of course it feels like ‘no big deal’ when the system was trained on your face and built to trust it. But for people of colour, facial recognition isn’t just a photo—it’s a risk. Under the Trump administration, surveillance tech isn’t neutral. It’s part of a broader pattern of over-policing, racial profiling, and treating non-white travelers like suspects first and citizens never. So yeah, maybe it’s easy to smile for the camera when you’re not the one it’s misidentifying, flagging, or detaining.” If your face isn’t the one being misidentified, over-policed, or flagged by biased tech, maybe sit this one out. Dismissing systemic bias is how privilege protects itself from accountability. And if that makes you uncomfortable, imagine how it feels to live it.

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VIDEO: Not just snowbirds — all Canadians travelling to U.S. will be photographed

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“Paranoia? Cute. If you think questioning mass surveillance is paranoid, you’ve clearly never been misidentified by facial recognition, flagged for ‘looking suspicious,’ or had your biometric data stored for 75 years without consent. That’s not paranoia—it’s pattern recognition. And if you’re still comfy with it, congrats: the system was built to trust your face.

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Ontario to scrap fixed election dates, raise donation limit to $5,000 under new bill

SooToday

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Doug Ford just gave Ontario elections a makeover: no fixed dates, bigger donor cheques, and fewer spending rules. Translation? He can call a snap election whenever the polls look tasty, rake in $5K per donor, and flood the airwaves early—just not at your bus stop. Democracy, but make it flexible… and fundable. “Pay-to-play” politics.

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Trump announces additional 10-per-cent tariff on Canada over Ontario ad

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Carney needs to let Ford wear the fallout for the ad timing. Carney should stay focused on sectoral negotiations and let Trump’s erratic moves speak for themselves. Use the ASEAN summit wisely and quietly build alliances and trade alternatives while Trump isolates himself. Malaysia’s a great place to talk energy, tech, and food security. Carney should calmly remind Canadians that Trump’s tariffs hurt American consumers more than us. Canada should NOT be drawn into retaliatory theatrics and remain committed to fair, fact-based trade.

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Ford government having discussions to ‘better safeguard the use of seclusion rooms’ in schools

SooToday

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Let’s be honest: the Ford government didn’t forget to think this through—they never started. When a student dies alone in a so-called “sensory room,” and the official response is “we’re having discussions,” that’s not leadership. That’s a shrug in a suit.No provincial standards. No data collection. No definition in the Education Act. But hey, at least they’re talking about it—17 months later.It’s classic Ford: announce a policy, ignore the logistics, and hope the fallout doesn’t trend on Twitter. Whether it’s beer beside the bananas or seclusion rooms beside the trauma, the playbook’s the same—govern by vibes, clean up with condolences.So yes, it’s Ford’s fault. Because when you leave vulnerable students in unregulated isolation and call it “support,” you’re not safeguarding anyone. You’re staging a press conference and hoping no one reads the coroner’s report.

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VIDEO: Not just snowbirds — all Canadians travelling to U.S. will be photographed

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“Don’t like it? Don’t visit” is not a solution—it’s a tantrum. It ignores the billions in tourism revenue the U.S. gets from Canadians and others who now face invasive, biased tech at the border. “Their country, their rules” sounds cute until you realize those rules include mandatory biometric collection, no opt-out, and racial bias baked into the system. White tourists standing out abroad is not the same as being flagged by flawed facial recognition software that disproportionately misidentifies people of colour. One is cultural curiosity. The other is algorithmic profiling. Rampant crime and corruption? Surveillance doesn’t fix that—it just gives governments more tools to target the wrong people, especially when the tech fails on racialized faces.

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VIDEO: Deadline looms for grocery stores to start accepting your empties

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“From Buck-a-Beer to Bug-on-a-Baguette: Thanks, Doug.”Let’s be clear—this sticky mess didn’t just crawl out of a beer can. It crawled out of Queen’s Park.Doug Ford wanted to be the guy who brought you beer in grocery stores. Cheers to that. But while he was busy cracking open a cold one for the cameras, he forgot to plan for what happens after the party. Like, say… where the empties go.Now, small grocers are being told to turn their produce aisles into pop-up recycling depots. Because nothing says “fresh Ontario strawberries” like a wasp-covered wine bottle return bin wedged between the spinach and the sourdough.So yes, we can thank Premier Ford for the convenience of buying beer next to our bananas. And we can also thank him for the privilege of returning sticky, leaking cans to the same spot—just in time for flu season.Policy without planning? That’s the Ford special. And this time, it’s served warm, flat, and with a side of fruit flies

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Personal support workers eligible for tax credits

SooToday

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Offering a refundable tax credit for personal support workers is a smart, compassionate move that recognizes the essential role these caregivers play in our healthcare system. Many PSWs earn low wages while providing critical support to seniors, people with disabilities, and vulnerable communities. This credit puts money directly into their pockets, especially in provinces without wage agreements, helping with retention and recruitment. If someone argues it’s just a handout or unfair to other workers, remind them: PSWs aren’t just underpaid—they’re indispensable. This isn’t charity, it’s overdue respect.

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How Toronto celebrated the 1992 Blue Jays World Series win

SooToday

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So as the Jays chase glory again in 2025, we remember:This team isn’t just Toronto’s. It’s Canada’s.And when they win, we all win.Let the flags fly. Let the anthem ring.Let the streets fill once more.Because when the Blue Jays soar, the whole country rises. And even if they fall short, we stand tall — proud of the fight, the heart, and the history.Because being Canadian means showing up, cheering loud, and believing in the next swing.

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Holiday gift and craft show returning to the Bushplane Museum

SooToday

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Love this! The Bushplane Museum already has such a unique charm, and bringing back the holiday gift and craft show just adds to its magic. It’s the perfect way to support local makers, find one-of-a-kind gifts, and soak up some festive spirit in a truly iconic Sault setting.

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VIDEO: What’s next for Canada Post? We’re starting to find out

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Canada Post’s push to “be leaner” through layoffs and service cuts risks undermining its public mandate and hurting the communities that rely on it most. Postal workers aren’t just fighting for wages—they’re defending door-to-door delivery, rural access, and the dignity of essential work. This moment isn’t just about cost-cutting; it’s about whether Canada Post remains a public service or becomes a stripped-down logistics company. The union is drawing a line: don’t balance the books on the backs of workers and vulnerable Canadians.

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BREAKING: Algoma Steel switches leadership, reports $652-million operational loss in quarter

SooToday

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Trump’s tariff hike didn’t just bruise Algoma—it body-slammed them into a $90-million wall this quarter. Sure, the full $652-million loss had other culprits, but Trump’s “Make Steel Expensive Again” stunt was like tossing a lit match into a room full of oily spreadsheets. Algoma didn’t just stumble—they tripped over trade policy, faceplanted into asset write-downs, and woke up swapping CEOs like it was musical chairs at a bankruptcy party

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