Canada's National Observer
@nationalobserver.com
Canada's National Observer (CNO) delivers vital reporting on the defining crisis of our time: climate change. Through rigorous investigation and compelling storytelling, we expose the forces shaping Canada's climate future.
“Mulroney, for all his faults, really was an environmentalist — even if much of that impetus was cottagers in Ontario and Quebec,” said Dimitry Anastakis, a professor at the University of Toronto.
Carney could take a page from Mulroney to drive auto sector change
We don’t have to look too far back in our history to find excellent examples of Canadian politicians forcing industry to adopt new technology primarily out of concern for the environment. Who made tho...
www.nationalobserver.com
February 9, 2026 at 6:39 PM
“Mulroney, for all his faults, really was an environmentalist — even if much of that impetus was cottagers in Ontario and Quebec,” said Dimitry Anastakis, a professor at the University of Toronto.
Reposted by Canada's National Observer
As the Region of Waterloo struggles with a growing water shortage, recent council meetings have been dominated by debate over provincial water-taking permits in the region. for @nationalobserver.com www.nationalobserver.com/2026/02/06/n...
Waterloo councillors push Ford government over water permits
The Ford government is under pressure from municipalities, political opposition and local advocates to pause commercial water-taking permits after the Region of Waterloo hit a water capacity limit so ...
www.nationalobserver.com
February 9, 2026 at 5:49 PM
As the Region of Waterloo struggles with a growing water shortage, recent council meetings have been dominated by debate over provincial water-taking permits in the region. for @nationalobserver.com www.nationalobserver.com/2026/02/06/n...
The first-ever offshore wind power supply deal between Canada and the US has been agreed by leaders of Nova Scotia and Massachusetts, potentially opening a key route to market for future electricity production from projects in the Canadian Maritimes.
Nova Scotia and Massachusetts reach trailblazing agreement on offshore wind supply
A memorandum of understanding between the province and state covers cross-border market coordination, grid integration and collaboration on ports, supply chains and employment and aims to boost invest...
www.nationalobserver.com
February 6, 2026 at 6:35 PM
The first-ever offshore wind power supply deal between Canada and the US has been agreed by leaders of Nova Scotia and Massachusetts, potentially opening a key route to market for future electricity production from projects in the Canadian Maritimes.
Another year, another record high for Canadian oil and gas production. At some point, the oil and gas industry and its various proxies might want to face up to the fact that Liberal governments are actually good for their business, @maxfawcett.bsky.social writes.
Justin Trudeau never killed the oil and gas industry
The former prime minister's supposed hostility towards Alberta's defining industry is an article of faith among Canadian Conservatives. The facts tell a much different story.
www.nationalobserver.com
February 6, 2026 at 6:34 PM
Another year, another record high for Canadian oil and gas production. At some point, the oil and gas industry and its various proxies might want to face up to the fact that Liberal governments are actually good for their business, @maxfawcett.bsky.social writes.
In a statement to Canada’s National Observer, an ICE spokesperson said the vehicles will be used “to keep officers and the public safe” during what the agency described as “high-risk lawful immigration enforcement activities.”
This is the first time the agency has confirmed the contract.
This is the first time the agency has confirmed the contract.
ICE confirms armoured vehicle contract with Ontario company as Ford seeks distance
US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has confirmed it will buy armoured vehicles made by a Brampton-based defence manufacturer to support its enforcement operations, as pressure mounts on Prem...
www.nationalobserver.com
February 6, 2026 at 12:06 AM
In a statement to Canada’s National Observer, an ICE spokesperson said the vehicles will be used “to keep officers and the public safe” during what the agency described as “high-risk lawful immigration enforcement activities.”
This is the first time the agency has confirmed the contract.
This is the first time the agency has confirmed the contract.
PM Carney's new auto strategy dropped Feb. 5.
Out: the EV availability standard (which would have required 100% EV sales by 2035)
In: a $2.3B EV rebate program and more stringent tailpipe emissions regs (aiming for 75 percent EV adoption rate by 2035)
Out: the EV availability standard (which would have required 100% EV sales by 2035)
In: a $2.3B EV rebate program and more stringent tailpipe emissions regs (aiming for 75 percent EV adoption rate by 2035)
Carney replaces EV sales mandate with rebates
Prime Minister Mark Carney is doing away with the EV availability standard, promising to replace it with more stringent tailpipe regulations and rebates to encourage Canadians to buy EVs.
www.nationalobserver.com
February 5, 2026 at 5:55 PM
PM Carney's new auto strategy dropped Feb. 5.
Out: the EV availability standard (which would have required 100% EV sales by 2035)
In: a $2.3B EV rebate program and more stringent tailpipe emissions regs (aiming for 75 percent EV adoption rate by 2035)
Out: the EV availability standard (which would have required 100% EV sales by 2035)
In: a $2.3B EV rebate program and more stringent tailpipe emissions regs (aiming for 75 percent EV adoption rate by 2035)
Reposted by Canada's National Observer
Alberta Premier Danielle Smith is zeroing in on one horrific court case to demand Canada give her a say in the way Canada appoints higher court judges. This is cheap politicking that risks undermining trust in Canadian courts. www.nationalobserver.com/2026/02/05/o...
Hands off the judiciary, Premier Smith
Zeroing in on one horrific court case to demand Canada make a wholesale change in the way it appoints higher court judges is cheap politicking that ignores reforms to the bail system already in the wo...
www.nationalobserver.com
February 5, 2026 at 2:00 PM
Alberta Premier Danielle Smith is zeroing in on one horrific court case to demand Canada give her a say in the way Canada appoints higher court judges. This is cheap politicking that risks undermining trust in Canadian courts. www.nationalobserver.com/2026/02/05/o...
NEW: Five months out from Vancouver's first FIFA World Cup game, two progressive city councillors want the city to pre-emptively boot US Immigration and Customs Enforcement — ICE — off the pitch.
Vancouver councillors push for World Cup to ban ICE agents
Five months out from Vancouver's first FIFA World Cup game — and as the presence of the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency at the upcoming Olympics has stirred protests in Italy — two progr...
www.nationalobserver.com
February 4, 2026 at 12:38 AM
NEW: Five months out from Vancouver's first FIFA World Cup game, two progressive city councillors want the city to pre-emptively boot US Immigration and Customs Enforcement — ICE — off the pitch.
A survey by the Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment (CAPE) shows Canadians overwhelmingly love winter sports and many want fossil fuel companies removed from Olympic sponsorship because of climate change concerns.
Canadian athletes and fans want fossil fuel sponsors out of the Olympics, poll finds
As Canada’s teams, sponsored in part by Petro-Canada, prepare to head to Italy for the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan–Cortina, Podborski is among thousands of Canadians surveyed who argue the Games sho...
www.nationalobserver.com
February 3, 2026 at 5:56 PM
A survey by the Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment (CAPE) shows Canadians overwhelmingly love winter sports and many want fossil fuel companies removed from Olympic sponsorship because of climate change concerns.
In @arnokopecky.bsky.social's final dispatch from the Conservative convention, he looks forward at what the party's wholehearted embrace means for its future, and that of our democracy.
Where do the Conservatives go from here?
It’s a problem for Canadians that the Conservatives are going all-in on a candidate with no appeal to a majority of the country, writes Arno Kopecky — one-party rule is anathema to democracy, and not ...
www.nationalobserver.com
February 3, 2026 at 5:56 PM
In @arnokopecky.bsky.social's final dispatch from the Conservative convention, he looks forward at what the party's wholehearted embrace means for its future, and that of our democracy.
"’Backwards’ was my first thought," said Cathy Holtslander, director of research and policy at the National Farmers Union. "Obviously, they made these cuts without knowing what they were doing."
Feds slashed farm research. An internal email suggests they don't know what Canada's losing
Senior officials at Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC) did not know how their decision to close three research stations on the Prairies would impact the department's research program when they an...
www.nationalobserver.com
February 2, 2026 at 5:31 PM
"’Backwards’ was my first thought," said Cathy Holtslander, director of research and policy at the National Farmers Union. "Obviously, they made these cuts without knowing what they were doing."
On their Facebook page, the organizers of Building Caledon Together claim, “We’ve got regular jobs, one goes to school full-time, families, and a shared love for Caledon. We’ve chosen to stay anonymous for now. Not because there’s anything shady.”
Anonymous 'grassroots' community group in Ontario traced back to political operative
Building Caledon Together is framed to boost public support for development projects — but it appears to be part of a much larger operation, a Canada's National Observer investigation reveals.
www.nationalobserver.com
February 2, 2026 at 5:29 PM
On their Facebook page, the organizers of Building Caledon Together claim, “We’ve got regular jobs, one goes to school full-time, families, and a shared love for Caledon. We’ve chosen to stay anonymous for now. Not because there’s anything shady.”
Reposted by Canada's National Observer
My latest investigation is out. In the town of Caledon, Ont., political operatives thought they could create an anonymous, untraceable "citizen-led grassroots" campaign. But they forgot to scrub the image metadata.
www.nationalobserver.com/2026/02/02/i...
www.nationalobserver.com/2026/02/02/i...
Anonymous 'grassroots' community group in Ontario traced back to political operative
Building Caledon Together is framed to boost public support for development projects — but it appears to be part of a much larger operation, a Canada's National Observer investigation reveals.
www.nationalobserver.com
February 2, 2026 at 2:55 PM
My latest investigation is out. In the town of Caledon, Ont., political operatives thought they could create an anonymous, untraceable "citizen-led grassroots" campaign. But they forgot to scrub the image metadata.
www.nationalobserver.com/2026/02/02/i...
www.nationalobserver.com/2026/02/02/i...
Reposted by Canada's National Observer
Beautifully, catastrophically absurd.
CNO's @arnokopecky.bsky.social is on the ground at the Conservative Party convention in Calgary. And although he was barred from entering, he has been hanging out with the delegates and influencers crowding outside. They have had a lot to say — and a lot more than what's been happening onstage.
The sad predictability of the CPC Convention
None of what Arno Kopecky saw from Conservatives speaking on the first night of the party's Calgary convention was any more surprising than the strange disconnect from reality he encountered among att...
www.nationalobserver.com
January 30, 2026 at 10:36 PM
Beautifully, catastrophically absurd.
CNO's @arnokopecky.bsky.social is on the ground at the Conservative Party convention in Calgary. And although he was barred from entering, he has been hanging out with the delegates and influencers crowding outside. They have had a lot to say — and a lot more than what's been happening onstage.
The sad predictability of the CPC Convention
None of what Arno Kopecky saw from Conservatives speaking on the first night of the party's Calgary convention was any more surprising than the strange disconnect from reality he encountered among att...
www.nationalobserver.com
January 30, 2026 at 9:44 PM
CNO's @arnokopecky.bsky.social is on the ground at the Conservative Party convention in Calgary. And although he was barred from entering, he has been hanging out with the delegates and influencers crowding outside. They have had a lot to say — and a lot more than what's been happening onstage.
The National Post, The Rebel and Juno News attacked Coastal First Nations earlier this month after Mark Carney met with them over his pipeline deal. Now, after a BC Conservative leadership hopeful echoed those talking points, they've hit back.
Coastal First Nations hit back after pundits and politicians challenge its legitimacy in pipeline debate
Coastal First Nations push back against claims questioning their legitimacy, accusing political critics of spreading disinformation as disagreements escalate over the proposed BC coast pipeline.
www.nationalobserver.com
January 30, 2026 at 12:52 AM
The National Post, The Rebel and Juno News attacked Coastal First Nations earlier this month after Mark Carney met with them over his pipeline deal. Now, after a BC Conservative leadership hopeful echoed those talking points, they've hit back.
Reposted by Canada's National Observer
This is who the separatists are. Huge thanks to my colleague @arnokopecky.bsky.social for getting that on the record. #abpoli
www.nationalobserver.com/2026/01/29/n...
www.nationalobserver.com/2026/01/29/n...
'They're trying to replace us': the conspiracy theories driving the man behind Alberta separatism
Mitch Sylvestre says the Canadian government is criminal, he has fears of a communist takeover and he's 'cured of federalism.' Arno Kopecky spoke with him about the allegations of coordination with US...
www.nationalobserver.com
January 30, 2026 at 12:45 AM
This is who the separatists are. Huge thanks to my colleague @arnokopecky.bsky.social for getting that on the record. #abpoli
www.nationalobserver.com/2026/01/29/n...
www.nationalobserver.com/2026/01/29/n...
The ideas animating the man behind Alberta's separatism petition range from the pedestrian — "attacks" on Alberta's oil sector from Ottawa — to the fringe and beyond. Speaking with him this morning, @arnokopecky.bsky.social drew out several startling admissions.
'They're trying to replace us': the conspiracy theories driving the man behind Alberta separatism
Mitch Sylvestre says the Canadian government is criminal, he has fears of a communist takeover and he's 'cured of federalism.' Arno Kopecky spoke with him about the allegations of coordination with US...
www.nationalobserver.com
January 30, 2026 at 12:18 AM
The ideas animating the man behind Alberta's separatism petition range from the pedestrian — "attacks" on Alberta's oil sector from Ottawa — to the fringe and beyond. Speaking with him this morning, @arnokopecky.bsky.social drew out several startling admissions.
Reposted by Canada's National Observer
One of the more surreal conversations I’ve ever had.
"Pick three random people from your hometown. And imagine them — like the Beverly Hillbillies going to the US, and talking to these guys, as if there could be any consequence come out of that. It makes me laugh. It literally makes me laugh." @arnokopecky.bsky.social speaks with Mitch Sylvestre.
The world according to the man behind Alberta's separatism petition
Mitch Sylvestre says the Canadian government is criminal, he has fears of a communist takeover and he's 'cured of federalism.' Arno Kopecky spoke with him about the allegations of coordination with US...
www.nationalobserver.com
January 29, 2026 at 9:53 PM
One of the more surreal conversations I’ve ever had.
"Pick three random people from your hometown. And imagine them — like the Beverly Hillbillies going to the US, and talking to these guys, as if there could be any consequence come out of that. It makes me laugh. It literally makes me laugh." @arnokopecky.bsky.social speaks with Mitch Sylvestre.
The world according to the man behind Alberta's separatism petition
Mitch Sylvestre says the Canadian government is criminal, he has fears of a communist takeover and he's 'cured of federalism.' Arno Kopecky spoke with him about the allegations of coordination with US...
www.nationalobserver.com
January 29, 2026 at 8:52 PM
"Pick three random people from your hometown. And imagine them — like the Beverly Hillbillies going to the US, and talking to these guys, as if there could be any consequence come out of that. It makes me laugh. It literally makes me laugh." @arnokopecky.bsky.social speaks with Mitch Sylvestre.
Reposted by Canada's National Observer
I was able to sort through municipal meetings and check which ones were talking about Bill 212 and 60 using @nationalobserver.com's Civic Searchlight tool, which transcribes and indexes local government meetings across Canada.
CivicSearchlight - by Canada's National Observer
Search transcripts of municipal meetings across Canada. Find discussions about topics that matter to your community with Canada's National Observer's search tool.
civicsearchlight.nationalobserver.com
January 28, 2026 at 3:35 PM
I was able to sort through municipal meetings and check which ones were talking about Bill 212 and 60 using @nationalobserver.com's Civic Searchlight tool, which transcribes and indexes local government meetings across Canada.
Reposted by Canada's National Observer
I am in court this morning, covering the latest on the court battle between the Ford government and cycling advocates. The province is challenging a decision that ruled taking out major bike lanes to reduce traffic congestion is unconstitutional. Here's a primer for @nationalobserver.com
Ford’s war on bike lanes heads back to court
This week, the province will return to court to challenge a decision that ruled that taking out bike lanes on Bloor Street, Yonge Street and University Avenue in an effort to reduce traffic congestion...
www.nationalobserver.com
January 28, 2026 at 3:19 PM
I am in court this morning, covering the latest on the court battle between the Ford government and cycling advocates. The province is challenging a decision that ruled taking out major bike lanes to reduce traffic congestion is unconstitutional. Here's a primer for @nationalobserver.com
Reposted by Canada's National Observer
The Winter Olympics are running out of winter. For @nationalobserver.com www.nationalobserver.com/2026/01/27/n...
The Winter Olympics are running out of winter
Warming winters are reducing the number of places that can host the Winter Olympics and Paralympics and could soon force the games to be held earlier in the winter, a new Canadian-led study finds.
www.nationalobserver.com
January 27, 2026 at 6:23 PM
The Winter Olympics are running out of winter. For @nationalobserver.com www.nationalobserver.com/2026/01/27/n...
Activists are urging BC billionaire Jim Pattison — Canada's fifth-richest person — not to sell a warehouse his company owns in Virginia to US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) for use as a detention centre.
BC billionaire urged not to sell US building to ICE for use as detention centre
Activists are urging BC billionaire Jim Pattison — Canada's fifth-richest person — not to sell a warehouse his company owns in Virginia to US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) for use as a det...
www.nationalobserver.com
January 27, 2026 at 1:29 AM
Activists are urging BC billionaire Jim Pattison — Canada's fifth-richest person — not to sell a warehouse his company owns in Virginia to US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) for use as a detention centre.
“The Pleb Reporter” confirmed that he’s received a content creator pass. Several other high-profile conservative influencers, like Marc Nixon, Mario Zelaya, and "Berta Proud Dad," will also be in attendance, though it isn't clear how many have received "content creator" passes.
Federal Conservatives trade journalists for partisan cheerleaders
When Conservatives gather in Calgary at their convention next weekend, right-wing “content creators” will be welcomed as journalists. This publication, not so much.
www.nationalobserver.com
January 26, 2026 at 11:15 PM
“The Pleb Reporter” confirmed that he’s received a content creator pass. Several other high-profile conservative influencers, like Marc Nixon, Mario Zelaya, and "Berta Proud Dad," will also be in attendance, though it isn't clear how many have received "content creator" passes.