The head of the European Commission wants Canada to become the bloc’s first associate member. Ursula von der Leyen made the remark during her State of the Union address to the EU Parliament Wednesday. Prime Minister Mark Carney will address members tomorrow following a whirlwind trip around Europe. Key updates: Follow for live coverage: Canada, EU share ‘one set of values’ With Carney sitting front row, the president of the European Commission declared to her Parliament that she wants to bring the relationship with Canada “to the highest level possible.” In her widely watched State of the Union address to the EU Parliament, von der Leyen stated plainly, with Carney seated to her left: “I would like to work with you on opening the door for Canada to be the first associate member of the EU.” As she said it, many elected officials in the chamber rose from their seats and applauded. Carney got out of his, walked up to her podium, and shook von der Leyen’s hand. She made this declaration after speaking at length about the challenges Europe is facing and her aspirations for the year ahead. Von der Leyen also said that at this moment in geopolitics, the EU needs to “urgently reimagine our partnerships,” and that she sees Canada as an ideal country to do that with. “We share one ocean, one set of values, one way of seeing the world. And we will now build our shared future as well,” she said. Rachel Aiello, CTV News correspondent. Read the full story here. What’s in a name? Ambassador designate to the EU Jonathan Wilkinson says Canada isn’t trying to get ahead of itself when it comes to what to call a Euro-Canuck partnership. “Eventually, we’ll get to the issue of what’s the best way to describe it,” he said. But membership brings sovereignty concerns, and details of just what Canada would share with the EU is still up for negotiation. Referring to von der Leyen’s invitation to reach “associate member” status, Wilkinson said, “We’re not there. “It’s an opportunity for us to talk about that, but we’re really much more focused on getting concrete results.” Luca Caruso-Moro, CTVNews.ca journalist No more ‘love letters’ Since Canada joining the EU as an associate member would be a first, there is no rulebook on how that would work or what it would mean in practice. It is unclear who would need to approve membership, and how long that could take. Currently, all steps toward EU membership must be approved unanimously by the 27 member countries. The idea of associate membership has been floated in the past for Ukraine, or for post-Brexit Britain, but no concrete steps have been taken. The relationship between Canada and the European Union has reached a point where the two sides need to move beyond rhetoric and start building something more substantive, said Tobias Cremer, a German member of the European Parliament. “Now is the time to stop sending each other love letters and put meat on the bone,” said Cremer, from the centre-left Social Democrats. He argued that any new arrangement should be more ambitious than another trade or defence agreement, describing the goal as a more holistic strategic alliance between Canada and the EU. The Associated Press How Canada can appeal to investors Canada’s move to slash its marginal effective tax rate is just one in a series of steps to make it appealing to investors, according to an expert. “It’s a terrific concept,” Jay Kosla, executive director of economic and energy policy at the Public Policy Forum told CTV Your Morning on Wednesday. “We’ll have to see how it plays out in reality.” He said Canada needs to fulfil at least five requirements to entice businesses into bringing in their mega projects. The first is project financing, he said. The second is an “efficient and effective” regulatory system, which provides certainty to investors. He listed Indigenous economic participation as the third requirement, and said the fourth and fifth factors are enabling infrastructure and required labour. “The main point, though, is these projects need a high degree of tactile oversight.” Devika Desai, CTVNews.ca journalist Ontario town removes U.S. flag The decision to remove the American flag in one central Ontario town is sparking discussion about the Canada-U.S. relationship. Meaford council voted on Monday night to remove the American flag that was flying high in Market Square, right beside Town Hall. Mayor Ross Kentner tells CTV News it’s the “pressures against our sovereignty” that has citizens angry. “As President [Donald] Trump continued to use and abuse Canadians, people have got their backs up.” Staff brought the report and recommendation to council, with members voting 5-1 to take down the flag. While it wasn’t unanimous, Coun. Harley Greenfield, the sole member who voted against the recommendation, was in favour of bringing down the American flag to half-mast instead. His reasoning was that it could be a symbol of Canadians grieving the loss of the relationship we had with the U.S. Jocelyn Martin, CTVNewsBarrie.ca journalist. Read the full story here. Poilievre must unite party: sources As he gathers his caucus in B.C. this week, Pierre Poilievre faces a tall order: unite factions and find a way to punch through in Parliament this fall, according to a number of sources who spoke to CTV News. Federal Conservatives from across the country meet in Penticton Wednesday and Thursday, before heading back to Ottawa later this month. Speaking to CTV News on background ahead of the retreat, one caucus source described the group as a “fractured mess,” saying many members view the event as a sort of vacation from their ridings, after working hard at home this summer, worried about losing their seats. The source said up until last fall, caucus largely bought the message that the 2025 election loss and low polling numbers were a “temporary setback.” But consistently lagging polling and internal division make it “increasingly difficult for caucus to believe the narrative that we’ll be back on top one day,” the source said. “This is what it looks like when a leader is starting to really lose the room,” said the University of British Columbia’s Stewart Prest, adding that it appears the party is struggling to “gain traction on any major issue.” Abigail Bimman, CTV News correspondent. Read the full story here. Separation referendum in Alberta Albertans preparing to vote in October’s provincial referendum are being encouraged to read the questions ahead of time, after academics identified several examples of wording that can make voters stop, reread and reconsider what they are being asked. The 10 questions cover issues including immigration, access to provincially funded programs, voting requirements, constitutional reform and Alberta’s relationship with Canada. Nine are yes-or-no questions, while the 10th asks voters to choose between remaining a province of Canada or beginning the legal process required to hold a future binding referendum on separation. Elections Alberta says its staff will not be able to explain what any of the questions mean or what the government intended by them at voting locations. “We’re really encouraging Albertans to read those questions in advance and work to understand those questions in advance before they come into the voting locations,” said Michelle Gurney, a spokesperson for Elections Alberta. Mark Villani, CTV News Calgary journalist. Read the full story here.
