Provincial and Territorial Update – August 1, 2025
Provincial and Territorial Update: An overview of the Provincial Legislative and Territories Legislative Updates for the week of August 1, 2025. Written by Wes McLean.
New Brunswick
- The New Brunswick government is putting an additional $9.2 million into efforts to prevent gender-based violence. Lyne Chantal Boudreau, the minister responsible for women’s equality, made the announcement Monday in Maple Hills, northwest of Moncton, saying some of the money will improve access to shelter and other help.
- The Saint John Fire Department says it is looking into a more specialized response to encampment fires in the city after a sharp increase in such fires last year. In 2024, firefighters were dispatched to 466 fires at homeless encampments — 31 per cent more than in 2023. “And we’re starting to see a similar trend in 2025,” Fire Chief Rob Nichol said in a recent interview.
- Ministers Island is the only tourist attraction in New Brunswick where visitors can drive across the ocean floor, but the tides of change threaten to overtake the historic site in Saint Andrews. The board of the charity that runs Ministers Island says it is unable to keep the popular attraction going with the $100,000 it receives from the province for its operations budget. “We’ve tried everything and we’ve tried everything for 17 years,” said John Kershaw, chair of the board of the Van Horne Estate on Ministers Island. “We’ve decided as a board that unless we get additional investment from the province, we are going to, in August, give six months’ notice that we will not operate next year.”
- As the council in Strait Shores publicly teetered on the edge before falling apart this past spring, there was just as much chaos behind the scenes. Documents CBC News obtained through a right-to-information request show confusion at the provincial level, as officials tried to interpret their own rules after a slew of council resignations and a code of conduct investigation. Initially, the minister of local government couldn’t even get help from the Local Governance Commission, which considered the matter outside its mandate, the documents show.
Nova Scotia
- Cape Breton Regional Municipality ended its last fiscal year with a big surplus, and council has decided to spend about two-thirds of it on some big-ticket items, infrastructure repairs and multiple celebrations of CBRM’s 30th anniversary. During a special meeting on Tuesday, the council was told the surplus as of March 31 was $4.1 million. Councillors agreed to put $1.4 million into reserve accounts for the future and made plans to spend the rest on a wide range of items.
- An independent monitor says Nova Scotia is making gradual progress in some aspects of its five-year plan to move people with disabilities out of institutions and off waitlists for community housing. However, Michael Prince also notes in his second annual report that the government is “heading in the wrong direction” on other portions of its response to a legally binding human rights decision.
- Digby’s deputy mayor says the town is thrilled by the federal government’s decision to slash fares for passengers and commercial traffic on the ferry between Digby, N.S., and Saint John by 50 per cent. In an interview with CBC News on Monday, Paul Saulnier said the news spells only good things for tourists, private citizens and Digby’s seafood industry. “I’m hoping it’s going to be an increase in the economy, where we’re trying to get seafood to market as fast as we can,” he said.
- Nova Scotia Premier Tim Houston says his government “will not hesitate to implement retaliatory measures” if they are needed as the United States raises its tariffs on Canadian exports. On Friday, President Donald Trump signed an executive order raising tariffs to 35 per cent on products not covered under the Canada-U.S.-Mexico trade agreement. Trump had earlier issued an Aug. 1 deadline for Canada to reach a new trade deal. In a written statement, Houston said it has been a “long and difficult road” to navigate the trade dispute.
Prince Edward Island
- Some developers say Charlottetown’s newly adopted official plan will make it more difficult for them to build in the city’s downtown core. Last week, council approved a long-awaited update to the plan. Among other things, the document dictates how land can be used in the city. The last time the official plan was updated was back in 1999. Tim Banks, CEO of the construction and property development company APM MacLean, said he has several concerns with the plan. P.E.I. Housing, Land and Communities Minister Steven Myers has to approve Charlottetown’s new official plan. Banks said he wants to meet with Myers before he signs off on it.
- The province announced Thursday the location of a new hospital in eastern P.E.I. — but it’s still unclear how long the project will take or what it will cost. In a news release, the province said it had purchased a 34-hectare plot of land in Three Rivers, on the outskirts of Montague off of Route 4, the A.A. MacDonald Highway. The province paid $900,000 for the land.
- The federal government is slashing tolls on the Confederation Bridge and lowering ferry fares in Eastern Canada, Prime Minister Mark Carney announced while in P.E.I. on Monday. “It’s always a good day when you wake up on Prince Edward Island, and today is an especially good day. It’s a big day,” Carney said at the announcement on Prince Edward Island’s South Shore, with the Confederation Bridge visible behind him.
- The business community on Prince Edward Island is welcoming the news of a reduction in the rates they’ll pay to cross the Northumberland Strait to mainland Canada, but some owners are cautious about the changes. Prime Minister Mark Carney made an appearance in P.E.I. on Monday to announce that the cost of crossing the Confederation Bridge, which connects P.E.I. with New Brunswick, will fall to $20 from $50.25 as of Aug. 1. On the same date, fares to use the ferry service from the eastern end of this province to Nova Scotia will go down by 50 per cent. Blair Aitken, president of the Eastern P.E.I. Chamber of Commerce, said he wants to make sure the reductions don’t compromise maintenance costs for the ferries.
Newfoundland and Labrador
- A former hospital on Newfoundland’s west coast is being repurposed to help ease the burden on the province’s health-care system, says the health minister. The province recently announced that the former Western Memorial Regional Hospital is being turned into the Corner Brook Community Health Centre, and will house a new family care team, a transitional care unit and long-term care beds.
- More affordable fares for passengers using Marine Atlantic ferries are a win for Newfoundland and Labrador, according to Hospitality Newfoundland and Labrador chair John Deveraux. “With lower fares, we’re definitely going to see an increase in more visitors to explore our province, [and] ease of cost for residents, visitors and businesses alike,” he told CBC. On Monday, Prime Minister Mark Carney announced that he’s cutting Marine Atlantic passenger and vehicle fares in half by increasing funding to the ferry service that operates between Nova Scotia and Newfoundland and Labrador.
- Newfoundland and Labrador has not joined a federal program that could provide the province with millions of dollars to make diabetes medication and contraceptives free for all residents. The universal Pharmacare Act was passed by the Trudeau Liberals last year and received royal assent on Oct. 10, 2024. But only British Columbia, Manitoba, Prince Edward Island and the Yukon have joined the program.
- Newfoundland and Labrador’s auditor general says she expected the Royal Newfoundland Constabulary to do a better job managing its inventories and employee training, which she found deficient in a recent report. Denise Hanrahan delivered on Tuesday a performance audit of the police force, which looked at the period of April 1, 2022, to March 31, 2024. “I think the challenge for me is that the RNC, from my point of view, is a rules-based organization. They pride themselves on procedure, on evidence gathering, on process,” she told reporters.
Quebec
- Quebec Premier François Legault reacted on social media to the increase in tariffs for Canada from 25 per cent to 35 per cent on Canadian products not covered by a pre-existing trade agreement. In a social media post, Legault said the tariffs are “damaging to our workers, our businesses. These tariffs also hurt American citizens who need our products and resources.” Legault reiterated the need for Quebec and Canada to diversify their markets and increase their economic autonomy. He also made a promise to support Quebec workers and businesses.
- Quebec credit card holders will have to pay at least five per cent of their monthly balance starting on Friday. The new payment minimum, up from 4.5 per cent, will apply to all contracts entered into before August 2019. The increase is slated at 0.5 per cent. For purchases of $1,000, this new increase represents $50. Quebec’s Office of Consumer Protection wrote in a press release in July that “this latter percentage already applied following a credit card application in the last six years.”
- Quebec’s statistical institute estimates the province’s population will decline by 80,000 by 2030. The institute says the population will decrease due to a number of factors, including recent government policies to reduce the number of temporary immigrants. The agency also said its estimates were based on trends related to fertility rates and international migration patterns. The agency says Quebec’s population in 2024 was close to 9.1 million. It is projected that this number will stabilize at around 9.2 million in the coming decades.
- English school boards are threatening to sue the Quebec government over “astronomical” cuts to the education network that they argue are unconstitutional. The controversial cuts were announced at the end of the school year when the Ministry of Education said it would have to slash spending by more than half a billion dollars by fall 2025. English school boards and French-language service centres were asked to cut $510.8 million from the 2025-2026 fiscal year, and an additional $56.9 million from the private schools, for a total of $567.7 million. The Quebec English School Boards Association (QESBA) intends to file the lawsuit in the coming weeks.
Ontario
- Ontario alcohol producers are pressuring the Ford government not to allow supermarket chains to sell their own private-label wine and beer, saying it would hurt local businesses. In a letter to the premier obtained by CBC Toronto, several industry groups asked that the province “conclude its current consultation” and “shelve this concept.” Should private-label booze products be allowed, the group — which said it represents “nearly all small-and medium-sized independent alcohol producers and retailers operating in Ontario” — argues it will be put at an unfair disadvantage.
- Ontario Premier Doug Ford says he is reiterating his call to “not roll over” in the face of U.S. President Donald Trump officially increasing tariffs on Canadian goods to 35 per cent. In a post on social media Thursday evening, Ford said Canada “shouldn’t settle for anything less than the right deal. Now is not the time to roll over. We need to stand our ground.” “The increase in U.S. tariffs to 35 per cent is concerning, especially with tariffs still in place on steel, aluminum, autos, forestry and now copper,” the premier continued. He also called for Prime Minister Mark Carney to enact a 50 per cent tariff on U.S. steel and aluminum.
- A judge has ruled that the Ontario government’s plan to remove bike lanes along three major streets in Toronto is unconstitutional and violates the Charter of Rights and Freedoms by putting people at “increased risk of harm and death.” The Ontario government passed legislation last fall giving itself the power to remove existing bike lanes along Yonge Street, Bloor Street and University Avenue, while also preventing municipalities from creating new bike lanes that replace traffic lanes. At the time, Premier Doug Ford complained about bike lanes creating gridlock.
- Ontario has officially cancelled its $100-million contract with Elon Musk-owned satellite internet company Starlink, following through on Premier Doug Ford’s threat when the United States (US) proposed tariffs on Canadian goods back in February. Starlink, a subsidiary of Musk’s SpaceX, entered into an agreement with the province in November 2024 to provide high-speed internet to 15,000 homes and businesses in rural, remote, and northern communities by June 2025. Global News reported today that Ontario has since paid an undisclosed break fee to Starlink, executing on Ford’s promise to kill the deal when the US instituted tariffs on Canadian goods in March.
Manitoba
- A former chief administrative officer has admitted to stealing more than half a million dollars from a western Manitoba municipality’s bank account, then trying to cover it up by fabricating a story about a cyberattack and altering documents. Amber Fisher, 41, stood in the middle of a Winnipeg courtroom and pleaded guilty to theft over $5,000 on Friday afternoon. In 2022, she was fired as chief administrative officer for the Municipality of Gilbert Plains, about 350 kilometres northwest of Winnipeg. A forensic accounting report found she had transferred about $532,000 of the municipality’s money to her bank account while in office.
- Brokenhead Ojibway Nation is holding a referendum on a prospective partnership with Alberta mining company Sio Silica, which wants to drill thousands of wells in southeastern Manitoba to extract silica sand. Brokenhead announced Thursday it will hold an online referendum on the prospective partnership from Aug. 1 to Aug. 8, as well as an in-person vote at Private Tom Chief Memorial Hall at the community northeast of Winnipeg on Aug. 8.
- A conservative Canadian think-tank says Manitoba is less attractive to mining companies than it was a year before, despite the provincial government’s characterization of the province as a “Costco for critical minerals.” The Fraser Institute, a charitable organization that promotes free-market economics, ranks Manitoba 26th among 82 jurisdictions around the world in its 2024 survey of mining companies’ opinions of the most attractive places to invest.
- The number of Manitobans concerned about crime and public safety has risen steadily, an opinion poll done for the Manitoba government suggests. The Benchmark poll by Leger is commissioned by the province and conducted every few months to gauge public concerns. The latest available survey, done in October and obtained by The Canadian Press under Manitoba’s freedom of information law, suggests affordability and health care remained the most popular concerns.
Saskatchewan
- The Canadian Taxpayers Federation (CTF) is calling on the Saskatchewan government to eliminate what it describes as “wasteful spending” on public arts funding, but artists say the federation is ignoring what art provides for the province and its people. A CTF news release said the province allocates about $7 million in grants to be administered for SK Arts annually. Gage Haubrich, prairie director for the CTF, said taxpayers should not be subsidizing what he calls “artist passion projects” during a time of growing provincial debt.
- The Safe Public Spaces Act, also known as the Street Weapons Act, is coming into effect in Saskatchewan on Aug. 1. The act gives police the power to seize street weapons, which include large knives, hatchets, and bear spray. Municipalities and First Nations must first opt in to the act, meaning that each jurisdiction has a say. Sask. Justice Minister and Attorney General Tim McLeod announced the coming into force on Thursday at Moose Jaw Police Service Headquarters.
- The firing of Regina city manager Niki Anderson remains cloaked in mystery. Niki Anderson is the second person to be terminated from the role in three years. Mayor Chad Bachynski repeatedly said the council had decided to go in a “new direction” in voting 10 -1 to approve the firing of city manager Niki Anderson without cause. “We’re going to be looking to get someone in place to align with our strategic direction and our direction as this new council,” said Bachynski. Council spent less than five minutes introducing and debating the topic. The report provided no explanation for the city staff’s recommendation to terminate Anderson’s contract, and the recommendation was not made public before Wednesday’s meeting.
- Saskatchewan’s Opposition NDP says it plans to introduce a rent control bill in the legislature this fall. At a news conference in Saskatoon on Thursday, Opposition housing critic April ChiefCalf said the party has started a public consultation process, inviting people to share their experiences and suggestions at rentcontrolnow.ca, a website the NDP has set up. ChiefCalf said feedback will shape the private member’s legislation she intends to introduce.
Alberta
- Premier Danielle Smith and one of her ministers are calling on Alberta’s electoral officer to reverse course and sign off on a proposed referendum question on separation, saying it shouldn’t be held back by red tape. Their call is in response to Chief Electoral Officer Gordon McClure announcing Monday he referred the proposed question to the courts so a judge could decide if it contravenes Canada’s Constitution.
- Alberta Premier Danielle Smith issued a statement on Friday morning responding to the increased tariffs announced by U.S. President Donald Trump on Canadian goods. The president announced Thursday that tariffs on non-CUSMA compliant Canadian goods would be increased to 35 per cent. “We are pleased to see that CUSMA-compliant goods remain tariff-free, including the vast majority of goods Alberta sells to the U.S., such as all oil and gas and agricultural products,” Smith wrote. “That said, it’s also disappointing to see tariffs on other Canadian goods increase to 35 per cent. These tariffs hurt both Canadian and American businesses and workers, and they weaken one of the most important trade and security alliances in the world.”
- Alberta and the union representing thousands of provincial government employees say they have agreed to a new round of mediated bargaining. Alberta Union of Provincial Employees president Guy Smith said the renewed talks are considered the final opportunity for getting a new deal for some 23,000 government workers after 18 months of bargaining. Smith credits Finance Minister Nate Horner for stepping in to restart talks and recognizing the importance of continuing negotiations.
- Alberta’s transportation minister says the province plans to learn from an Ontario court ruling that found a law seeking to remove some Toronto bike lanes unconstitutional. Devin Dreeshen says Alberta will be watching the case with interest, especially since Ontario’s government plans to appeal the ruling. Dreeshen says being the second province to go down the same path is helpful, as it gives Alberta the opportunity to analyze the “good and bad” parts of Ontario’s legislation. The minister met earlier in the day with Calgary Mayor Jyoti Gondek to discuss bike infrastructure in her city.
British Columbia
- Premier David Eby says Canadian values will help the country “win this race” to deliver liquefied natural gas to Asian markets, even as U.S. President Donald Trump sets his sights on developing the industry in Alaska. Eby told a news conference on Tuesday in Kitamaat Village that Canada is a reliable partner that can deliver the fuel to Asia in a direct, affordable way, while Trump has been “insulting and demeaning” other countries and insists his only concern is America.
- B.C. Premier David Eby has rebuffed calls by property developers for the federal and provincial governments to loosen restrictions on foreign investment in the housing sector, saying he doesn’t want to return to the old system that allowed rampant and uncontrolled foreign investment in Canadian housing. The Premier was responding to an open letter from B.C. developers this week that was also sent to Prime Minister Mark Carney and federal Housing Minister Gregor Robertson. The letter noted that without the loosening of the rules, the construction of new housing will become more difficult at a time when the country is grappling with a housing shortage.
- After two city council motions requesting the closure of two different Overdose Prevention Sites (OPS) in Nanaimo and Victoria were deferred, B.C. Premier David Eby says that those sites keep people alive. On Monday, Nanaimo’s City Council decided to postpone a motion that would have requested Island Health to close an overdose prevention site located next to City Hall. Earlier this month, Victoria’s City Council deferred a similar request. In both cases, the councillors claim the OPS facilities have caused disorder and crime to increase in their cities. Eby says he understands certain facilities have raised concerns for residents of cities like Nanaimo and Victoria, as their locations are simply wrong for the community.
- British Columbia Premier David Eby says an incoming 50 per cent United States tariff on some copper products highlights the need for diversified markets. He says the tariffs will affect provinces differently, pointing out that most of B.C.’s copper goes to Asia, keeping the province “insulated” from tariff impact. But he says Ontario and Quebec are “not in a similar” position. Natural Resources Canada says B.C. accounts for almost 46 per cent of mined copper production in Canada.
Northwest Territories
- The N.W.T.’s premier says an eventual trade zone between Canada’s three territories will ideally make sure northerners benefit from economic activity in the North. The three territorial premiers announced Tuesday that they had signed a memorandum of understanding to create a territorial trade zone. In a joint news release, Yukon Premier Mike Pemberton, N.W.T. Premier R.J. Simpson and Nunavut Premier P.J. Akeeagok said the memorandum — which is non-binding — would help improve both the economy across the North and labour mobility, and would include a shared credential registry so workers can move more freely between the territories. It was signed in Huntsville, Ont., last week when the premiers were attending a three-day meeting of the Council of the Federation.
Yukon
- The Yukon government’s efforts to develop new mining legislation are coming under fire, from both a First Nation and the territory’s chamber of mines. In a statement on Wednesday, the First Nation of Na-Cho Nyäk Dun, based in Mayo, Yukon, said it “rejects” the government’s framework for new legislation, because it’s ignored the First Nation’s concerns and doesn’t go far enough to fix how mining is done in the territory. “It is at best a modest improvement on the status quo,” said Na-Cho Nyäk Dun Chief Dawna Hope in a statement.
Nunavut
- The Nunavut Court of Appeal has rejected an application from a group of Inuit hunters who mounted a legal challenge claiming their Charter rights were breached. The case comes from four Inuit hunters who were each charged and convicted of impaired driving. In Canada, first-time impaired driving convictions come with a mandatory driving ban for at least a year. That mandatory minimum prohibition increases to two years after a second offence, then three years after a third.