In the latest escalation to the Canada-U.S. trade war, Donald Trump has signed a presidential memorandum to identify and remove Canadian-origin goods in U.S. federal civil government procurement. Meanwhile Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre called out Prime Minister Mark Carney for “secretly negotiating with the EU and said Canada must remain “independent” amid talk of deepening ties with Europe. Earlier today, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said she wants Canada to become the bloc’s first associate member. But Canada’s ambassador designate says Ottawa is “not there” yet. Von der Leyen made the remark during her State of the Union address to the EU Parliament Wednesday. Carney will address members tomorrow following a whirlwind trip around Europe. Key updates: Follow for live coverage: Trump signs memorandum to remove Canadian goods from U.S. procurement U.S. President Donald Trump signed a presidential memorandum to identify and remove Canadian items from the U.S. federal procurement system, the White House announced Wednesday. Kayla Thompson, CTVNews.ca journalist Trump threatened move earlier this month The move comes one week after Trump posted on Truth Social that he was directing U.S. federal agencies that oversee government procurement to remove all Canadian-origin products from its “awards schedules,” one of many announcements the U.S. president made after Canada imposed its latest set of retaliatory tariffs. Trump claimed the Canadian items within the award schedules account to “more than 50 BILLION DOLLARS a year.” “The Canadian Government, including Canadian Provinces, have banned American Small Businesses and Companies from selling into their Government Procurement Markets,” Trump wrote. “That is not reciprocity, it is a Canadian Trade Scam,” Trump posted. “From now on, NO RECIPROCITY — NO ACCESS!” Hunter Crowther, CTVNews.ca producer ‘Conservatives say no EU taxes’: Poilievre Poilievre says although the Conservative party will continue to support co-operation with European allies, they are unhappy with Carney’s ambiguity about a potential alliance. “We have the longest history of supporting the NATO alliance, which includes 30 European countries. That’s not new,” the party leader told a room full of Conservatives in Penticton, B.C. “The Prime Minister, however. needs to get his story straight.” As Poilievre called out Carney for “secretly negotiating” a possible associate membership or a unique alliance with the EU, he added that the Conservatives are clear on one thing. “Conservatives say no EU taxes, no EU laws, and no EU open-border rules on immigration in Canada.” Kayla Thompson, CTVNews.ca journalist Poilievre criticizes Carney during caucus remarks Poilievre says although he refrained from criticizing Carney during his trip to the United States, he joked that now that he’s on home soil, he’s prepared to “make up for lost time.” Speaking after the first day of the Conservative caucus retreat in Penticton, B.C., Poilievre told colleagues that “our job is to unite to fight for Canada abroad, at the same time as doing our duty of holding the government accountable here at home. That is what it means to be a loyal Opposition.” Poilievre went on to criticize Carney for what he described as a failure to deliver results for Canadians at the gas pump, the grocery store and on rent, while planning “summits and speeches and symbolic signing ceremonies.” Kayla Thompson, CTVNews.ca journalist Poilievre: Canada must be independent Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre says Carney “can’t seem to get his story straight” about the nature of the deal between Canada and the EU. Poilievre appears to be poking at the different terminology used by Canadians and Europeans in recent days. He referenced the “associate membership” – as von der Leyen put it today – and “unique alliance” – as Carney said yesterday. “Conservatives are clear: we support the decades-old free trade & NATO defence alliance with Europe,” wrote the party leader on X. “But no EU taxes, no EU laws, and no EU open-border immigration policies should be imposed on Canadians. Canada must be independent and sovereign. Period.” Earlier today, reporters pressed Canada’s ambassador designate to the EU Jonathan Wilkinson on what exactly leaders were negotiating. He said that details of a new relationship between Canada and the EU were still in flux, and that once terms are solidified, they’ll decide what to call it. Luca Caruso-Moro, CTVNews.ca journalist Canada seeks full membership in U.K.-led military coalition Carney says Canada has formally applied to join the U.K.-led Joint Expeditionary Force as a full-time member, a bid that London is supporting. The joint force is a military coalition made up of 10 NATO allies which was struck in 2014 to create a quick-response force. Canada’s military has worked with the force in multinational drills but has not been a permanent member of the group. On Wednesday, Carney met for the first time with British Prime Minister Andy Burnham, who took office after Keir Starmer resigned over the summer. The Canadian Press Read the full story here PM Carney, U.K. PM take in soccer match Carney has arrived in Liverpool where he’ll attend an Everton FC match alongside new U.K. Prime Minister Andy Burnham. Both men are fans of the club. Appearing together before the match, Burnham called Carney a “great progressive leader.” Luca Caruso-Moro, CTVNews.ca journalist You can read The Associated Press’ full story here Carney, von der Leyen meet Carney and von der Leyen discussed “deep co-operation” between Canada and the EU during their meeting today. That’s according to a readout from the Prime Minister’s Office, which did not include mention of the so-called “associate member” status for Canada. However, the leaders discussed moving “beyond” their existing trade deal to a “far stronger, more ambitious alliance in the future.” Areas to expand co-operation include critical minerals, defence, AI, energy, space and “financial services and payments.” Luca Caruso-Moro, CTVNews.ca journalist Trump criticizes Canada over drugs U.S. President Donald Trump is again accusing Canada of not doing enough to clamp down on drugs but did not include it in a list of major drug-producing countries released today. The list, which is published each year, cites Afghanistan, China, Colombia, Guatemala, Haiti, Mexico and other nations deemed major drug producers. In a declaration submitted to Congress, Trump praised the efforts of Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum’s administration to stop the flow of drugs and shut down labs but said Mexico and Canada still need to do more. Trump alleged that fentanyl is being made in clandestine Canadian labs and transported south into the United States, and claimed Chinese gangs are operating along the border. U.S. government data shows a minuscule volume of drugs is seized at the northern border compared to the boundary with Mexico. Trump used fentanyl as a reason to hit Canada with tariffs last year before the U.S. Supreme Court struck down those duties. Kelly Geraldine Malone, The Canadian Press Canada must ‘stand on our two feet’ Hours before departing for Chicago to meet Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker, Industry Minister Melanie Joly said Canada is still engaging with U.S. counterparts. “That being said, we need to stand on our two feet,” she added, speaking alongside Ontario Premier Doug Ford and Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow in Toronto. She said she’s looking to align policies with the EU to protect Canada’s aluminum and steel sectors. Luca Caruso-Moro, CTVNews.ca journalist EU group supports Canadian inclusion Renew Europe, which holds 77 of the 720 seats in the European Parliament, says it supports making Canada an associate member. “Let’s take our partnership to the next level!” the party wrote on social media. Luca Caruso-Moro, CTVNews.ca journalist 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.” “I think we’ve actually got to get to the point where we know what we’re describing,” he also said. Luca Caruso-Moro, CTVNews.ca journalist Ford welcomes airport investment plan Ontario Premier Doug Ford is voicing his support for a proposal to seek private investors for four Canadian airports, noting that it “should have been done years ago.” Ford made the comment during a news conference on Wednesday, one day after Prime Minister Mark Carney unveiled his plans during a keynote address in Toronto. In addition to Toronto’s Pearson airport, the federal government is also opening airports in Montreal, Calgary, and Vancouver to private investment. “I think it’s fabulous. You know, I have to give credit where credit’s due. The PM’s on fire. He’s moving. He’s lowering taxes like we’ve done for years. He’s privatizing airports that should have been done years ago,” Ford said. Ford told reporters that he would also like to see Toronto’s Billy Bishop Airport opened to private investment. In July, a proposal to expand the airport with billions in private investments was blocked by the federal government. Chris Fox, CTVNewsToronto.ca journalist Canada already has agreements with EU: Poilievre Speaking to reporters before the prime minister’s trip to Europe, Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre said Canada already has trade and defence agreements with the EU, in the form of CETA and NATO. “We want Canada to have free trade with Europe, co-operation with Europe, but we will never surrender our independence and sovereignty over our laws, our tax money, and our immigration policies,” Poilievre said. He added the Conservatives want to see “an economic action plan” to support Canadians struggling with the cost of living, rather than an unclear goal of potentially conforming to European systems and policies. Spencer Van Dyk, CTV News writer & producer 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. 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 ‘Buy Ontario’ is the law: Ford Ontario municipalities could face cuts to provincial funding if they fail to comply with “Buy Ontario” procurement rules, warned Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing Rob Flack Wednesday. In a letter to municipalities, the minister said local governments must maximize the use of Ontario and Canadian goods and services as the province responds to U.S. tariffs and other trade measures. In practice, municipalities spend more than $22 billion each year on goods and services, and the province says those purchases should prioritize Ontario and Canadian products. “Failure to comply with Buy Ontario requirements will force us to reconsider provincial funding made available to municipalities, in addition to other consequences under the Buy Ontario Act,” the minister wrote. Ontario’s Premier Doug Ford also shared the letter to social media Wednesday morning, writing “Buy Ontario. Buy Canadian. For governments across Ontario, it’s not an option. It’s the law.” Municipalities have been directed to review their supply chains, procurement practices and upcoming purchases to determine whether products and services currently sourced outside Canada can be replaced with domestic alternatives. Jermaine Wilson, CTVNews.ca & CP24.com journalist 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.
