WATCH: Flooding in Western Manitoba after more heavy rainfall
The City of Brandon has declared a state of emergency over provincial forecasts predicting water levels in the Assiniboine and Shellmouth river basins will rise this week, peaking at levels near those seen during historic flooding in 2014.
Brandon Mayor Jeff Fawcett said the declaration allows the city to take “necessary actions” to protect the community as it prepares for rising water.
“While there are currently no evacuation orders in place, we are taking a proactive approach to ensure the safety of residents and to maintain essential municipal services,” Fawcett said in a media release.
The city says its emergency operations centre remains fully activated and flood response is being coordinated across municipal departments with assistance from provincial agencies, emergency services and local partners.
On Friday, the city announced a temporary dike closure at Grand Valley Road and 18th Street to aid in flood mitigation. The city said minor site cleanup may occur Monday as crews continue to monitor conditions.
Heavy rain and thunderstorms ripped though western parts of Manitoba last week, with Brandon recording over 50 mm of rain on Monday alone. At times, more than 60 highways were closed across the province.
But the city is still faring better than other communities a little further north.
The Town of Swan River evacuated 150 residents Wednesday after heavy rainfalls that Environment Canada said reached 107 mm in just a few days. The typical amount of rainfall in the region for the entire month of June is 80 mm, the agency said.
That storm came before the municipality could recover from a devastating flood in early June.
“Everywhere that we had flooding three weeks ago, we have the same flooding, except more,” said Bill Gade, Swan River’s reeve. “(The flooding) was so bad, and now it’s just so much worse. It’s hard to even imagine it.”
Swan River Mayor Lance Jacobson said Friday that water levels appeared to have dropped approximately 30 cm, but they remain elevated by a couple of metres in some places.
The town says it is stuck waiting for water levels to recede before it can begin cleanup efforts. Gade said he believes repair costs will begin around $10 million.
Eleanor Olszewki, the federal minister for emergency management, confirmed Friday that the federal government had approved assistance for flood-ravaged regions in western Manitoba. That support will include the deployment of a small team from the Canadian Armed Forces to help with logistics and resource co-ordination.
Rain is expected to continue throughout western Manitoba on Sunday before Monday brings some relief.
It's that time of year when you might be thinking about sitting down with family and friends to share a farm fresh salad. Devan Ghieuw of Bali Bites Food Truck joins Jennifer Palma to make Gado Gado Salad.
Indonesian Gado Gado Salad
(“Gado Gado” means mix mix in Indonesian)
Recipe (Serves 3-4 ppl)
For the vegetables:
4 large eggs
1/4 medium green cabbage, 1/4 medium purple cabbage
1 medium carrot (shredded)
1/2 cup green beans
2 cups of bean sprouts
1 cup of drained firm tofu (cut into 1 inch cubes)
1 cup tempeh (fermented soya bean cake) from Tempea
1 handful of cherry or grape tomatoes
1 cucumber (sliced or cubed)
1 medium lime
2 tablespoons neutral oil, such as vegetable or canola, divided
Fried shrimp chips (cooked according to package directions if needed) can be found in any Asian stores (optional)
Fried shallots, for garnish ( optional)
Make the vegetables:
Place 4 large eggs in a large saucepan and add enough cold water to fill the saucepan about three-quarters full. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Remove the saucepan from the heat. Cover and let the eggs sit for 10 minutes.
Meanwhile, make an ice water bath by filling a medium bowl halfway full with ice and cold water. Core and slice 1/4 medium green and purple cabbage into 1/2-inch wide shreds (about 5 cups). Trim the stem ends from the green beans.
When the eggs are ready, use a slotted spoon to transfer the eggs to the ice water bath.
Return the water in the saucepan to a boil. Blanch the vegetables one at a time in the boiling water in the following order, transferring each one with a slotted spoon to the baking sheet when cooked and returning the water to a boil in between each:
Cook the cabbage until tender, about 2 minutes.
Cook the green beans until crisp tender and bright green, 1 to 2 minutes.
Cook bean sprouts until tender, about 45 seconds.
Cut the tempeh and firm tofu into 1-inch cubes.
Shred the carrot and put aside
Heat 1 tablespoon of the neutral oil in a large nonstick frying pan over medium-high heat and cook the tempeh until golden brown and crisp. Transfer to a plate.
Add the remaining 1 tablespoon of neutral oil to the pan. Pat dry the tofu as much as possible and then cook until golden brown and crisp. Transfer to the plate with the tempeh.
Cut cucumbers crosswise into 1/2-inch thick rounds or into cubes. Cut 1 medium lime into wedges. Remove the eggs from the ice water bath, peel, and halve lengthwise. Wash cherry or grape tomatoes.
Arrange all the vegetables, eggs, tempeh, and tofu on a platter or wide shallow bowl. Drizzle with about 1/4 cup of the sauce. Garnish with fried shallots. Serve with the lime wedges, fried shrimp chips, and the remaining sauce.
Recipe Notes:
Make ahead: The vegetables and sauce can be made up to 1 day ahead and refrigerated in separate airtight containers. Cook the tofu and tempeh when ready to serve to keep the crisp texture in adding to salad.
Storage: Leftovers can be refrigerated for up to 5 days.
For the Peanut Sauce:
Introducing Bali Bites Authentic Mild traditional peanut sauce; Available in vegan style (contains soya bean and seaweed)
Spice levels – mild, medium and hot in the traditional style ( contains fermented shrimp paste)
WATCH: CUSMA enters annual review process after the U.S. fails to renew the free trade agreement
Days after the Trump administration decided to require annual reviews of the Canada-United States-Mexico Agreement instead of renewing it in its current form until 2042, the Canadian government says significant uncertainty remains over the next steps in trade negotiations.
“We don’t have any more predictability about the annual review process because this is somewhat uncharted territory. It’s not typical for this kind of agreement,” Canada-U.S. Trade Minister Dominic LeBlanc said in a telephone interview Friday.
LeBlanc said he asked U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer how he intended to structure discussions as part of the annual review. He said the request was made jointly with Mexican Economy Secretary Marcelo Ebrard.
“There wasn’t an answer at the meeting. … It was agreed that we would continue the conversation over the coming weeks,” the minister said of the July 1 meeting, when the United States confirmed it would pursue annual reviews of CUSMA.
Canada and Mexico had hoped the agreement, in its current form, would remain in place for another 16 years. Instead, Washington wants changes, saying the current version has run its course.
The U.S. decision set in motion a renewable annual review process that could last up to 10 years. At the end of that period, the agreement would expire if no path forward is found to extend it beyond its 2036 expiry date.
“At the conclusion of the (July 1) conversation, we suggested bringing some structure and rigour to the review process the Americans have proposed,” said LeBlanc.
Exactly how those annual reviews will be conducted has yet to be determined.
Ebrard said in a video posted to X on July 1 that the road map outlining what the annual review will include has yet to be defined.
“We’re not in a hurry, but we’re also not interested in having uncertainty,” he said in Spanish.
So far, CUSMA has largely shielded Canada and Mexico from most of the tariffs imposed by U.S. President Donald Trump because a broad exemption remains in place for goods that comply with the agreement.
That protection is not complete, however, and Canada and Mexico are each pursuing bilateral agreements with the United States alongside the three-country negotiations.
From Canada’s perspective, the bilateral talks could help reduce U.S. tariffs that fall outside CUSMA’s protections, including those on steel, aluminum and softwood lumber.
Asked Friday how Canada would distinguish between issues to be addressed through the annual CUSMA review and those that would be handled in bilateral talks, LeBlanc acknowledged he did not yet have all the answers.
“One of the difficulties since Mr. Trump arrived is precisely these uncertainties,” he said. “The goal of our conversations with the Americans is, obviously, to reduce the sectoral tariffs that are hurting the economies of all three countries and, at the same time, to try to bring some predictability or some rigour to the conversations on the CUSMA review.”
Mexico expects to host a U.S. delegation during the week of July 20 as part of its own bilateral negotiations with the U.S.
Canada has not yet announced a date for a similar meeting.
On that point, LeBlanc said he was encouraged that on the same day as the July 1 meeting, Deputy U.S. Trade Representative Jeffrey Goettman contacted Canada’s chief negotiator, Janice Charette, “to discuss the agenda for the next bilateral discussions.”
“It was to discuss their next meeting in Washington in the coming weeks,” the minister said.
He also said he and Greer agreed to “resume bilateral discussions soon.”
“Over the course of — I would say — the next few weeks,” he added.
“I remain confident that we’ll reach a bilateral agreement and that we’ll reduce the uncertainty surrounding the CUSMA review, but we’ll do the work over the summer to put ourselves in that position,” LeBlanc said.
Asked whether Ottawa is concerned the Trump administration could use bilateral talks to weaken a common front between Canada and Mexico during the trilateral discussions, LeBlanc said he was not particularly worried.
“My conversation on July 1 was encouraging in the sense that all three countries recognized the importance of having a North American economy that will be competitive with other economic blocs in other parts of the world,” he said. “One of the common points we discussed, for example, is how to have a North American economy with integrated supply chains that could compete with other regions of the world that are competing with us.”
LeBlanc said he had heard that, several years ago, the idea of weakening a united front “was a scenario that came up in discussions.” At the time, CUSMA was being negotiated to replace the North American Free Trade Agreement after the first Trump administration threatened to withdraw from the pact while pushing to renegotiate it.
“That didn’t happen,” he said. “We have issues in common with Mexico, just as there are bilateral issues that are different.”
An out-of-control wildfire near Boston Bar, B.C. has grown to approximately 100 hectares in size, forcing evacuations.
B.C. Wildfire Service
Residents of North Bend, B.C. are being ordered to evacuate as an out of control wildfire continues to grow in the Fraser Valley.
The fire, just outside the community of Boston Bar, has reached 100 hectares in size, the B.C. Wildfire Service said in an alert issued early Sunday morning. The fire has been steadily growing since it was first discovered on Thursday.
Officials say they believe the fire was caused by human activity.
The Fraser Valley Regional District declared a state of emergency on Saturday, as residents were advised to leave the area. In an update Sunday morning, the Wildfire Service said approximately 60 residences along Chaumox Road must evacuate immediately.
An evacuation alert has also been put in place for the entire community of Boston Bar. Residents are being advised to gather family members, pets, and essential items such as government ID and be ready to leave at a moment’s notice.
The Fraser Valley Regional District says the conference centre at the Hope Recreation Centre will open at 10:30 a.m. Sunday as a temporary reception centre for residents under the evacuation order.
“Multiple aviation resources, initial attack and unit crews, as well as heavy equipment are responding,” the Wildfire Service said in a post on social media Saturday evening. “Crews and aviation resources are also responding to spot fires in the area, located north of the Brunswick Creek wildfire.”
The fire is currently burning on the west side of the Fraser River. The Wildfire Service says it expects the blaze will continue to grow, though it adds that growth is happening upslope and away from infrastructure and communities.
Hot and dry conditions could hinder efforts to extinguish the blaze. According to Environment Canada, temperatures will hover around the 30 C mark until Tuesday, with a near zero chance of rain. Smoke from the fire could be seen as far away as the Okanagan.
According to the Wildfire Service, five other wildfires are currently burning out of control across the province. Fires in the Fraser Valley are blowing smoke east through Okanagan.
On Saturday afternoon, crews from the West Kelowna Fire Rescue responded to a growing grass fire along Highway 97 and Seema Road.
Crews say the fire grew to approximately 0.2 hectares before it was extinguished.
The cause of that fire remains under investigation.
Smoke from fires in the Northwest Territories is also drifting throughout northeastern B.C. According to the Northwest Territories government, there are currently 149 active wildfires in the region, burning a total area of 223,425 hectares. Of the active fires, 140 are considered to be out of control.
WATCH: Although Canada is now out of the tournament, it's clear that Saskatchewan has caught World Cup fever.
Ashley Beherns was down at the Saskatoon Watch Party to take in the atmosphere.
There was a sea of red in Saskatoon for Canada’s round of 16 World Cup matchup with Morocco.
The weather was beautiful for those attending the party, to support Canada making it further than they ever have in the tournament.
Fans were cheering hard, saying it’s exciting to have everybody together as a community to watch the game.
And there was even a bit of a rivalry with Moroccan fans waving their flags.
Even though Canada lost and is now eliminated from the World Cup Tournament, Canadian fans are still proud they have come this far and made history.
Watch the video above for more on what people at the watch party were saying about the game.
Singer Dara, winner of the 2026 Eurovision Song Contest with the song Bangaranga, is seen during a celebration in central Sofia. The singer became the first Bulgarian entrant to win the Eurovision contest.
(Credit: Igor Lenkin/TASS via ZUMA Press)
Ever since its creation by the European Broadcasting Union in 1956, the Eurovision Song Contest has delighted, befuddled and outraged music fans not just in Europe but throughout the world. And now that the CBC is a full-fledged member of the EBU, Canada is eligible to send an entry to the 71st competition set for somewhere in Bulgaria in 2027. Time to bone up on what we’re in for.
What is Eurovision?
Eurovision is the world’s biggest talent show. EBU member countries (there are 57, along with 28 associate members, operating close to 2,000 TV and radio channels that collectively reach about a billion people) hold national competitions. This year, the live TV audience numbered about 135 million across 35 broadcasting markets. Millions more watched on YouTube in areas beyond the EBU (that’s how I watch it). There were more than a billion views on Instagram in 2026.
So yeah, it’s a big deal. Canada stands to potentially gain a lot of European attention. And given the problems we’re having with the neighbours, that’s a good thing, no?
When and where is Eurovision held?
The finale of Eurovision takes place during the third Saturday in May, which nicely co-ordinates with our annual long weekend. The location moves pretty much every year. National winners are sent to the finals, which are held in the country of the previous year’s winner. The 2027 edition is in Bulgaria thanks to Dara winning with the song Bangaranga. At this point, we’re not sure if the gala will be in Sofia, Plovdiv, Varna or Burgas. We’ll know for sure by the end of the month.
Wait. If it’s Eurovision, why are there non-European participants?
If you’re a member of the EBU, you’re eligible. That means the Eurovision region extends to Iceland and Norway in the north to North Africa (Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Libya, Egypt) to the Middle East (Israel, Syria, Jordan, Lebanon, Iraq), plus Georgia, Armenia and Azerbaijan in Central Asia. Australia is also part of the EBU (they joined in 2015), so like Canada, they get to compete despite their distance from Europe.
How many countries compete?
It depends. A couple dozen countries, such as the U.K., France, Germany and Italy, are perennial competitors. Others drop in and out. For example, North Macedonia will be back in the hunt after a four-year absence. Bosnia-Herzegovina may be back, but they’ve had financial issues recently, a problem also shared by Slovakia and a few other nations. Politics can interfere, too. In 2026, Ireland, Spain, the Netherlands, Slovenia and Iceland all boycotted the competition over Israel’s continued participation amid the situation in Gaza. And of course, there’s no Russia. By the time things shake out for the 2027 edition, we should see 37 countries involved at some level.
How does an act end up in the Eurovision finals?
Each country holds an internal competition. National winners head to the semi-final playdowns in the host country. The top 10 from each advance. The only exceptions are the so-called Big Five (the U.K., France, Germany, Spain, and Italy), which automatically participate in the grand finale, giving us a total of 26 finalists. With each performer getting their three minutes (that’s the maximum song length allowed), it makes for a long night.
How is a winner determined?
Everyone performs their three-minute song, a track that has not been commercially available before the competition. Backing tracks are rampant. Stage props, costumes and various effects are encouraged. There is no limit when it comes to outrageousness and weirdness.
Once everyone has done their thing, juries vote for their favourites on a scale of one to 12 (with the exceptions of nine and 11; no one gets nine or 11 points). Juries cannot vote for their own country. There’s also a massive phone-in vote, which really determines the winner. It’s also the most unpredictable part of the process. Naming a winner usually comes down to the last announcement of vote allocations. And yes, there are always allegations about vote-trading backroom deals as well as attempts to boost audience voting for a particular entry. It just adds to the intrigue.
Does Canada have any history at all with Eurovision?
Actually, yes. Celine Dion won as the representative for Switzerland in 1988. In 2001, Natasha St-Pier, who was born and raised in New Brunswick, placed fourth for France in 2001. Most recently, La La Zarra, originally from Montreal, was the rep for France in 2023.
So who will represent Canada in 2027?
We don’t know. We have to start from scratch when it comes to a Eurovision group and jury. Then we’ll need to establish local rules, solicit entries and conduct a national selection process. Expect to hear more details within the next few months. Whoever we choose will have to compete in the semifinals, so participation in the finale next May is not secure.
What else do I need to know?
In addition to attracting attention to Dion back in the ’80s, ABBA’s big introduction to the world was when they won for the song Waterloo in 1974. More recently, Italy’s Måneskin pulled off a rare victory for rock ‘n’ roll when they won in 2021 for the song Zitti e buoni. The subsequent fame helped them sell 40 million records worldwide. They even picked up a Grammy nomination for best new artist in 2023.
What does our prime minister have to do with all this?
Mark Carney is a fan. He started floating the idea of Canada’s participation in Eurovision shortly after he took office. He’s thrilled.
WATCH: US-Iran war: Ayatollah Khamenei funeral ceremonies begin after months-long delay
TEHRAN, Iran (AP) — Iran’s top officials and brothers of the country’s new supreme leader emerged into public view Sunday to attend the funeral prayers for the late Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, signaling a new confidence in their safety as calls grew for the killing of U.S. President Donald Trump.
Their presence before hundreds of thousands of people in the capital Tehran would have been unthinkable during the Iran war, which saw airstrikes in its opening moments on Feb. 28 kill the 86-year-old Khamenei, his family members and other officials.
Israel also targeted others who appeared publicly during the war, in at least one case likely using their public appearance to fix their position for a strike.
But still unseen was Iran’s new supreme leader, Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei. He is believed to be in hiding after reportedly being wounded in the airstrike that killed his father. Israel has threatened to kill him as well as he leads a theocracy now negotiating with the United States over a permanent end to the war and over Iran strangling traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, disrupting global energy supplies.
Ziba Naderi, a 42-year-old nurse attending the funeral Sunday, said Iran needed to follow whatever Mojtaba Khamenei commands in regards to the nation.
“I heard the call for revenge, but our leader should say what we need to do,” she said. “And we must listen to him.”
Funeral includes prayers and calls for revenge
Ayatollah Jafar Sobhani, a 97-year-old Shiite cleric, led the prayers at Tehran’s Grand Mosalla for Khamenei and his late family members.
On hand were Khamenei’s sons Masoud, Meysam and Mostafa, who haven’t been seen since the war. Revolutionary Guard head Gen. Ahmad Vahidi, who only had been photographed for the first time since the war on Thursday, could be seen in the crowd by Associated Press journalists, flanked by plainclothes security forces as he wore a black baseball cap.
Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian, Parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf and Esmail Qaani, who leads the Guard’s expeditionary Quds Force, also attended.
Their appearances came as posters and graffiti at the Grand Mosalla called for the killing of Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Mohammad Rasouli, a poet who emceed the event prior to the prayers, drew calls of “Death to America!” and “Death to Israel!”
Speaking to the crowd over loudspeakers at the funeral, Rasouli asked, referring to Trump, “Why is the most bastard man in the world still alive?”
The question drew cheers from the crowd, and again when Rasouli said “the world is no longer a good place for” Trump. It marked the first, direct threat to Trump’s life by an official during the funeral.
Trump threats grow at funeral
The American president was giving a speech at the same time across the world in Washington, D.C., for the 250th anniversary of America’s founding.
“We’ve had tremendous success,” Trump said about the U.S. military. “You look at Venezuela, you look at Iran. We wiped it out, wiped out their military.”
A far-larger crowd for the funeral than the day before attended Sunday. Mourners dressed in black walked to the site, carrying banners and flags honoring Khamenei and also calling for Trump’s killing.
“I came here to shout and seek revenge,” said Gholamreza Sabooni, 29-year-old man who works in a grocery. “They killed our imam, we should kill their leader, Trump.”
U.S. federal authorities have been tracking Iranian threats against Trump and other administration officials for years. That stems from Trump ordering the 2020 killing of Gen. Qassem Soleimani, who had led the Quds Force. Iran repeatedly has denied plotting to kill Trump, though hard-line propaganda footage long has suggested Trump was in Tehran’s crosshairs.
Trump meanwhile promised to destroy Iran’s very civilization during the war among a variety of other threats.
Funeral postpones talks with US
Khamenei’s body will be transported to cities in Iran and neighboring Iraq, with authorities planning to drive his casket and others through the streets of Tehran on Monday. Authorities have shut down streets, airspace and daily life for the mourning, which will end Thursday as he is buried at the Imam Reza shrine in Mashhad, Khamenei’s place of birth.
Authorities offered no attendance count for the event Saturday and Sunday. Other cities across Iran also held mourning ceremonies.
For now, talks over reaching a permanent end to the war are on hold until the end of the funeral. Having a major turnout could prove important as Iran tries to leverage its hold on the Strait of Hormuz in negotiations as concern lingers that Israel could attack again.
“Our foreign policy should not be shaped in a way that allows our martyred leader’s blood to be dishonored and other countries can afford to do such things, without any serious response from our government and diplomatic system,” mourner Mohammad Reza Sharifi said.
In this image taken from video provided by Russian Presidential Press Service on Friday, July 3, 2026, Russian President Vladimir Putin while visiting one of the command posts of the Joint Group of the Russian Forces, in an undisclosed location.
Russian Presidential Press Service via AP
One person was killed in a Ukrainian attack on Russian-occupied Crimea, Moscow-installed officials said in the early hours of Sunday, as Russian and Ukrainian leaders held separate calls with U.S. President Donald Trump on ending the war, now in its fifth year.
Two others were injured in the attack on northern Crimea, including one in a serious condition, the Russia-installed regional Gov. Sergei Aksyonov wrote on Telegram. He did not give details of the attack.
In recent weeks Ukraine has stepped up its attacks on key infrastructure targets in Crimea as Kyiv’s military seeks to isolate the vital Russian-held peninsula in the latest stage of the war.
The peninsula was seized by force and illegally annexed by Moscow in 2014. Ukraine’s increasing use of long-range strikes has highlighted its ability to inflict painful damage on Russia and put added pressure on the Kremlin while Moscow’s advances recently have ground to a near halt, Western analysts and officials say.
The latest attacks came after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Russian President Vladimir Putin spoke with Trump on ending the war.
Writing on X, Zelenskyy said he called to congratulate Trump to mark the 250th anniversary of American independence and that the two leaders discussed the situation along the front line.
“There is a real prospect of ending this war, and America’s determination will be crucial. We agreed to continue the conversation in person during the NATO summit in Ankara,” he said late Saturday.
The Kremlin said that Putin and Trump discussed the conflict in Ukraine in a “constructive” phone call on Saturday.
Kremlin foreign affairs adviser Yuri Ushakov said that Putin congratulated Trump and the American people on the 250th anniversary of America’s independence during the call that lasted nearly an hour and half, their fourth conversation so far this year.
Ushakov said that Trump reaffirmed his “readiness to help achieve a quick cessation of hostilities and search for peaceful solutions to settle the crisis” in Ukraine, while Trump’s envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner will continue mediation efforts and stand ready to visit Moscow.
The Kremlin adviser said Putin once again emphasized Russia’s “preference for a diplomatic settlement of the conflict, provided that Russia’s well-known, fundamental positions are taken into account.”
At the same time, Putin charged that Kyiv and its European allies are “betting on prolonging, and even escalating the conflict,” arguing that “the European ‘party of war’ proceeds from a flawed perception of the overall situation and the state of things along the line of contact,” Ushakov said.
He added that Putin told Trump about the “real situation on the battlefield, where Russian armed forces are confidently advancing, liberating one settlement after another.”
The Russian leader specifically mentioned the capture of the Ukrainian stronghold of Kostyantynivka, describing it as a key step toward the “liberation” of the entire Donetsk region.
Kyiv has denied the Russian claim of capturing Kostyantynivka. Ukraine’s General Staff reiterated that the embattled city remains under Ukrainian control in a statement on Telegram on Sunday, a day after Zelenskyy said that Russia’s claim to have taken control was “just another Russian lie.”
WATCH: Taxes may rise as Canada pledges to increase defence spending; feds resist calls to detail spending
Prime Minister Mark Carney is scheduled to leave for Ankara on Monday to attend the annual NATO summit — the first visit by a Canadian prime minister to Turkey since 2015.
Turkey’s capital will make up the first leg of Carney’s week-long sojourn to the Middle East, which will conclude with a short stay in Saudi Arabia aimed at deepening trade and investment ties.
The July 7 and 8 NATO summit has been reduced in scale from the typical annual alliance gathering. What used to be two full days of meetings is now down to a dinner and one session where representatives of all member states will huddle.
Kerry Buck, Canada’s former ambassador to NATO, said this year’s gathering has been described as a “short, sweet summit to try avoid any drama,” given U.S. President Donald Trump’s propensity for disruption and insulting allies.
“This year’s meeting is, once again, primarily about managing the U.S. and keeping President Trump committed to the alliance,” she said.
“Because he likes, almost, autocrats better than allies, the fact that it’s being hosted by Turkey is not a bad thing. He’s got less of an incentive to explode the thing.”
President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen, front left to right, Prime Minister Mark Carney, Secretary General of NATO Mark Rutte and President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy talk prior to a meeting on the situation in Ukraine during the 8th European Political Community Summit in Yerevan, Armenia, on Monday, May 4, 2026.
Sean Kilpatrick/The Canadian Press
This NATO summit is taking place shortly after the recent G7 summit in France, which went smoothly. Allies will hope for the same this week as they discuss their ambitions for higher military spending.
NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte has said member states must present “credible” plans to meet the new alliance commitment of spending five per cent of national GDP on defence by 2035.
Canadian government officials told reporters in a background briefing on Friday that Carney will take part in a discussion on financing the defence sector and talk up Canada’s progress on boosting defence spending at the summit.
Carney’s schedule of bilateral meetings had yet to be finalized, the officials said.
The first part of Carney’s trip will also shine a spotlight on Canada’s ties with the host country, a NATO ally.
Hakan Fidan, Turkey’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, speaks during a joint press conference with Anita Anand, Minister of Foreign Affairs at Global Affairs Canada in Ottawa, on Friday, June 26, 2026. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Chris Tanouye
Chris Tanouye/The Canadian Press
Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan has echoed the Canadian government’s argument that Europe should complement the military alliance without duplicating the work of NATO.
Chris Kilford, a former senior Canadian military attaché in Turkey, said Ottawa can work on securing trade benefits from Turkey but progress could stall over geopolitical issues.
“There are many things that can test this relationship. But for now, we seem to be on a very positive track, and I think it’s to the benefit of both countries,” he said.
Kilford, who leads the Victoria branch of the Canadian International Council, said Canada and Turkey are both trying to diversify their trading partnerships to prevent supply chain shocks.
Turkey, for example, recently expressed interest in Canadian nuclear technology to reduce its dependence on nuclear projects involving Russia.
The Carney government has set out four pillars of its relationship with Turkey: energy exports, economic opportunities and trade, defence and security, and people-to-people ties.
Global Affairs Canada views Turkey as an emerging market of broad interest to Canada, with opportunities for Canadian companies in agriculture, life sciences, mining and infrastructure.
Turkey has helped Ottawa evacuate Canadians from various Middle East crises and bring home activists detained by Israel for joining flotillas that sought to bring aid to Palestinians in Gaza.
Canada and Turkey have had a tricky relationship in recent years, particularly over matters concerning Canada’s large Armenian diaspora.
Canada has long held that Turkey committed a genocide against Armenians a century ago, a claim that Ankara has repeatedly denied.
Ottawa also suspended arms sales to Turkey seven years ago over reports Turkey was diverting Canadian military components to Azerbaijan for use against Armenia and ethnic Armenians. Canada tightened those rules two years later, before dropping them.
Kilford said that resulted in Turkey’s “very lucrative” arms industry being cut off from Ontario-made surveillance and targeting sensors that had been installed in Turkish-made Bayraktar drones.
Instead, countries like Ukraine started buying the Canadian sensors and installing them in the Turkish drones.
Turkey has criticized Canada for granting asylum to many Turkish political dissidents — an uncommon move for countries that are military allies.
“As far as Turkey is concerned, though, we’re granting political asylum to terrorists. They don’t like it,” Kilford said, calling the country a flawed democracy.
Turkey has cancelled multiple LGBTQ+ events and the Committee to Protect Journalists says Turkey is among the top jailers of journalists.
Kilford said the vast majority of Turkish media outlets are “either directly or indirectly owned by the government or government supporters.”
Ahead of the summit, Turkey has erected “miles and miles of barricades” across Ankara, Kilford said, which allows motorcades to cross the city with ease and makes street protests more difficult.
FILE - Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan listens as Somalia's President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud speaks during a joint news conference in Istanbul, Turkey, on Dec. 30, 2025.
Khalil Harma/AP Photo
The country is currently gripped by high inflation, he said. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has intervened in the country’s central bank, while many of his opponents have been jailed.
Kilford describes Turkey as an increasingly important state since it has maintained relative stability in a region experiencing great upheaval — from Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the collapse of Syria’s dictatorship and the war Washington launched against Iran.
The country is touched by many major conflicts and by migration from Afghanistan and Syria.
Turkish Airlines, which Canada recently allowed to operate more flights, flies to hotspots most carriers won’t or can’t service, such as Kabul, Caracas and Mogadishu.
But Kilford said the Turkish government has long felt pushed to the periphery of geopolitical alliances like NATO and the European Union — which it has been trying to join for years.
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Summer weather is coming fast and furious this year, and while we happily accept the picnics and ball games, we thoroughly reject the sweating. Especially while indoors.
If you’re looking for a way to cool down specific areas of your home—like a stuffy upstairs bedroom or a living space busy with warm bodies—we’ve got the top options from brands like De’Longhi, GE Appliances, Black+Decker and more. They range from portable ACs you can wheel from room to room to window units perfect for small bedrooms. We’ve even found a battery-powered model that you can take pretty much anywhere.
Best all-around portable AC
De’Longhi’s portable AC combines powerful cooling with premium comfort-focused features. It can efficiently cool extra-large rooms up to 700 sq. ft., while maintaining quiet operation for everyday use in bedrooms or living spaces. It includes a remote control and intuitive onboard controls, along with advanced climate-sensing technology that automatically adjusts temperature and humidity for more consistent comfort and improved energy efficiency.[/product_listing]
Best budget portable AC
Need relief from the heat but don’t want to spend half your paycheque to get it? Black+Decker has you covered. This portable AC isn’t as powerful, quiet, or compact as some of the other options on our list, but if you just need to cool an average-sized living room it’ll get the job done. Plus, it comes with some nice quality-of-life features, including a remote and castor wheels for easier mobility.[/product_listing]
Best basic portable AC
Tried-and-true technology plus straightforward operation at a reasonable price. GE’s 14,000 BTU portable AC will quickly cool and dehumidify a nice sized living area, and it can be controlled with either the included remote or a mobile app—useful if you want a cool space waiting for you when you return home without wasting energy. Bonus: There should be little need to worry about water drainage, thanks to an auto-evaporation feature.[/product_listing]
Best window AC for bedrooms
Just need to cool down a bedroom for a better sleep? Frigidaire’s entry-level window AC will do the trick. It mounts easily in most windows (though you may need to buy a mounting bracket and/or side panel, both sold separately) and is designed to cool a 150 square-foot space. It doesn’t have a remote or WiFi features, but the onboard automatic temperature control will keep the room at the temperature you choose.[/product_listing]
Any portable air conditioner will help cool you off when you’re overheated, but how many can also warm you up when the weather turns cold? This pricey but useful unit does just that, delivering a frigid blast on hot summer days and supplying supplemental heat for rooms that feel a tad too chilly in the winter. And it’s packed with conveniences, including a remote and support for Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant.[/product_listing]
Best all-around window AC
This is basically the Cadillac of window air conditioners. It’s powerful enough to cool a 350 square-foot space, has precision temperature settings, comes with a remote control, and is surprisingly quiet for a window unit. All that, and it has a supplemental heating mode to boot, making it a great way to comfortably weather an unexpectedly chilly summer or fall evening.[/product_listing]
Best portable AC for large spaces
De’Longhi’s mid-range portable AC unit is kind of a monster. It packs a whopping 14,000 BTU, making it ideal for cooling large rooms (up to 700 square feet) or even an entire one-bedroom apartment. More than that, it senses where you are (via the stylishly designed remote), measures the temperature and humidity around you, and adjusts flow to deliver cool air right to you. [/product_listing]
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