Today's News: Absolutely excellent Canada Strong announcements, plus World Cup Stories

When July 1 happens on a Wednesday, Canadians usually take the Thursday and Friday off too, so we engineer a five-day weekend to kick off the summer.
This year, that break did not happen for PM Carney. 

Wow!

Canada and British Columbia Sign Cooperative Prosperity Agreement on Energy, Trade, and Infrastructure By Annie Koshy Prime Minister Mark Carney and British Columbia Premier David Eby signed the Canada-British Columbia Cooperative Prosperity Agreement in Vancouver today, one of the most consequential federal-provincial economic deals signed in British Columbia in a generation. On LNG, the federal government committed to accelerating permitting, financing, and construction of LNG Canada Phase 2, Ksi Lisims LNG, Cedar LNG, and Woodfibre LNG. These projects would substantially expand Canada’s export capacity at a moment when allied demand for reliable energy has never been higher. The G7 statement at Évian last month explicitly welcomed Canada’s potential to deliver significant additional energy capacity to global markets. This agreement is the domestic mechanism through which that potential begins to be realized. A $500 million investment will expand the Red Chris Mine, increasing Canada’s annual copper production by more than 15 percent while reducing emissions by over 70 percent once operational. The North Coast Transmission Line receives $3.9 billion, projected to create $10 billion in new economic activity, reduce emissions by up to three million tonnes annually, and serve as the backbone of a clean energy corridor connecting British Columbia, the Yukon, and potentially Alberta. On trade infrastructure, Roberts Bank Terminal upgrades will unlock over $100 billion in new trade capacity and add approximately $3 billion to Canada’s economy annually. The George Massey Tunnel replacement receives up to $3 billion for a modern eight-lane structure replacing the aging four-lane tunnel along Highway 99. The Ports of Prince Rupert and Stewart will be developed as critical minerals trade corridors in partnership with First Nations. The environmental commitments are substantive. A new National Carbon Credit Framework will be established. A $250 million Whales Initiative will reinforce Southern Resident Killer Whale habitat protections along British Columbia’s coast. The federal North Coast tanker ban will be maintained in accordance with the proposed Alberta pipeline route, threading the needle between British Columbia’s environmental priorities and Alberta’s export ambitions. All projects will be built in consultation and partnership with First Nations, with explicit commitments to co-ownership and economic benefits. The Team Canada Strong initiative will train up to 100,000 new Red Seal trades workers to build these projects. Over $630 million in affordable child care funding is also included. The ambition is considerable. Implementation will define whether this agreement delivers on its historic framing. https://www.youtube.com/live/DaJAB7ANkl8?si=Vov88U_HrQpdldVg

- Annie Koshy

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Premier Eby was also asked about the so-called 'condo bail-out' and he pushed back on this framing: "If you buy something at a store's liquidation sale, you're not 'bailing out' the store!"

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Double wow! 

"And we are just getting started"

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Alberta NDP support the southern pipeline route:

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Please someone explain to me why Danielle Smith and the Conservatives are so horny to ram a pipeline through Northern BC? Their persistence is rather obscene. Huzzah for upholding the tanker ban!

- Tara LeBlanc 🇨🇦

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Premier Smith and PM Carney were also asked why they couldn't find private money for the pipeline project right now. "Too much uncertainty" was basically the answer (thanks, Albexit!) and there is truth to this, I think. Nobody mentioned the "s" word - Separatism - but I think there is also some urgency to get this started to undermine separatist anti-Canada smears.

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On his substack, Pierre Ross takes The Globe and Mail to task for a carping, snide article that accuses Carney of performative virtue-signalling. Ross reminds us of the stakes:

...America’s 250-year experiment with democracy is circling the drain. In front of our eyes, it is transforming into a belligerent autocracy. One that praises violent dictators and vomits contempt on allies. One that offers sanctions relief to Russia and punitive tariffs to Canada. And things stand to get worse before they even begin to get better, if they ever do. MAGA will not go down without an ugly fight.
In Canada, I have no doubt that businesses that have done well with the Americans could find a way to do well with the emerging Fourth Reich. And I am aware that, on the other hand, adapting to a radical new reality will impose great costs and take time. But, again, the change didn’t come from our side.
The only question for us is, are we willing to go along with whatever happens? Carney’s mandate from Canadians is clear on this: the answer is no. We do not consent to becoming lapdogs for fascists.
Carney’s speeches, in polite, measured tones, have echoed Churchill’s “blood, sweat, and tears” speech. Our situation is not yet so dire, and Carney’s goal is to ensure that it never gets there. It is a perilous, difficult course that he has mapped out. But Canadians have heard him, and stand ready to fight.

Some CUSMA observations:

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Here's another Lego video from Iran to enjoy (and they even pronounce Saskatchewan correctly!)

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A post shared by VIC "VICeJay" JIMENEZ (@vic.ejay)

World Cup Stories
Well, this is fun! The Athletic has an article about the songs chosen by World Cup teams and here are Canada's choices:

Canada
Signature song: A Boogie Wit Da Hoodie v2 (King of My City); Wonderful (Travis Scott)
Warm-up: Born Winner (AP Dhillon); TRYNA WIN (NorthSideBenji, Boi-1da & Canada Soccer)
Goal music: I Dare You (Tasty)
Post-match: Headlines (Drake); Charger (feat. MC YOSHI, Mauvais djo & Kokosvoice) (TRIANGLE DES BERMUDES)

Here is the Spotify list for all the teams.

A month ago, The Athletic also ran a funny article about The Drake Curse:

....Canadians are among many around the world familiar with what can happen when Drake aligns himself with a team. It’s called the Drake Curse. When the rapper — whose global popularity is surpassed by very few figures — publicly presents himself as a fan of a team or an athlete, stark losses often follow. Take this with tongue planted firmly in cheek but there is mounting evidence to suggest the Drake Curse is real.
Now, we have to ask, speculatively, of course: Having aligned themselves with the world-famous rapper, could Canada fall victim to the Drake Curse at the World Cup?
...“I’m not worried about it,” Canada defender Alistair Johnston said of the curse. “We’re still at that stage where the more people we can get onboard, the more global and international we can make this tournament for us, the better.”...
...you have to appreciate Canada’s bravery here. They’re aware of the Drake Curse. They’re trying to change it. They want to be associated with Canadians who have made them proud.
“The U.S. is such a big community that it’s hard to hone in on what being American is. But being Canadian, there is a lot more pride on certain individuals and celebrities and moments. This is a moment to make the country proud,” Marsch said. “In the end, the way to really electrify the country is to win.” Canada’s World Cup will represent many things to many people.
For players, the World Cup could provide the chance to elevate their careers. With a healthy mix of French and English speakers, players from different economic backgrounds and players of different races, Canada will represent the diversity the country should rightly be known for. With a first World Cup win, Canada could help catapult the sport’s domestic popularity.
...“If the Drake Curse meant that we lost the World Cup final,” Johnston said, grinning, “I’d still be pretty happy.”

 
Sigh! Why do Canadian media keep on letting us all down?

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Toronto was rocking today

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And this was such a great decision here

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The Portugal-Croatia game on Thursday had quite a finish, didn't it.

when the fruit salad is just a bowl of melon chunks

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— darth™️ (@darthbluesky.bsky.social) July 2, 2026 at 7:34 PM

Dave Barry never disappoints and he didn't even write this:

An alert reader named Randy Hunt sent me an excellent suggestion for improving soccer, so I thought I'd pass it along: I’m warming up to this World Cup tournament and have gotten over the whole “the game’s not over until some suspicious and unaccountable guy with a stopwatch says it’s over” thing. Rule Change Suggestion I know it’s illegal to fake an injury, which can result in a yellow card, but in spite of that players are constantly flopping around like shad out of water. Replays consistently show less contact than there is when the buffet line opens. So I’ve come up with the “We Believe You” rule. If they’re writhing around, instead of dialing 9-1-1, just say “We Believe You.” The humanitarian thing to do for anyone who’s in such agony should be to place the crumpled player on the sidelines for no less than 10 minutes to recover from their near death experience. “Are you still seeing the light?” To make it even more interesting, there should be no substitute allowed while the “We Believe You” injured player miraculously recovers like an earthworm regrowing its tail (whatever end that is). Just build some hockey-style penalty boxes on the sidelines decorated like miniature emergency rooms. I’m sure I’ll have some more super helpful rule changes before this World Cup is awarded to France. Go U.S.A. Randy Hunt https://grandpa-randy.blogspot.com/

- Dave Barry

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