Canada Rising

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Canada, facing U.S. tariffs that threaten its auto industry, announced on Thursday an agreement with South Korea to explore establishing a Korean automotive footprint in the country.

Though scant on details, the accord was another move by Prime Minister Mark Carney to diversify Canada’s trade away from the United States in response to Mr. Trump’s volley of tariffs.

The agreement also fits with Mr. Carney’s widely hailed call at the World Economic Forum last week for middle power nations to band together after what he characterized as an irreversible “rupture” to the world order by Mr. Trump’s aggressive economic and diplomatic policies.

Former Minnesota Governor Jesse Ventura says the people of his state should consider leaving the United States. In an interview on the SpinSisters podcast that premiered Saturday, Ventura pitched his plan by saying that it’s clear President Donald Trump doesn’t want the state.

“How about since Trump dislikes Minnesota so bad and we’re so out of control, let’s join Canada. Instead of Canada becoming the 51st state of America and lose their healthcare.... I’d like to see Minnesota, all of us become Canadians,” Ventura said. Make this part of Canada, because it’s obvious Donald Trump don’t want us. It’s obviously he’s ready to fracture the whole country for his own folly."

https://archive.ph/1cdXC

The Port of Montreal saw an increase in container shipping volumes last year, a signal that Canada’s efforts to cement overseas trade relationships and find export markets beyond the United States are yielding early results.

Container traffic rose 3.6 per cent as the port moved 1.51 million 20-foot equivalent units – an industry measure representing a standard shipping box – while shipments of bulk cargo fell, hurt by droughts in Western Canada. Over all, the port handled 34.3 million tonnes of merchandise in 2025, a 3-per-cent decline from the year before.

“We had prepared for a more significant downturn” as U.S. protectionism and uncertainty over tariffs bit into business activity, Montreal Port Authority chief executive Julie Gascon said in an interview this week. “Diversification has mitigated the effect on the country’s economy, which is reflected in container volumes. … All of those strategies to diversify our markets are working.”

Canadian dollar gains 0.5% against the greenback

Touches its strongest since January 2 at 1.3705

Retail sales rise 1.3% in November

Bond yields increase across the curve

So, it is worth starting the conversation and asking ourselves what a continued escalation of this domestic unrest would this look like. Could widespread instability in the US spill across our borders? Yes, almost certainly; with a major humanitarian crisis unspooling to the south, Canada could expect potentially millions of American migrants fleeing the conflict zones. These numbers could exceed the current Canadian population. The US currently numbers some 340 million, so this is not out of the realm of possibility given the population discrepancy between our two nations.

What provinces would be most impacted? Likely Quebec, Ontario, Manitoba, and British Columbia would bear the brunt, but the rest of the country would not be untouched.

The largest automotive employer in southwestern Ontario doubled down on its commitment to its Canadian workforce on Friday, despite uncertainty across other parts of the auto industry.

Toyota Canada reaffirmed that commitment at a factory tour of its Woodstock, Ont. plant where the production of the sixth generation of RAV4 SUVs is underway.

“This is a significant demonstration of Toyota’s confidence in our people, our plants, and our manufacturing ecosystem,“ Tim Hollander, the president of Toyota Motor Manufacturing Canada (TMMC), said.

"It also reflects our long-term commitment to Canada and the communities where we operate."