Start your day off right with five things you need to know this morning.
Five things you need to know
Canada and Mexico have signed an agreement intended to deepen economic and defence ties between the two countries. Ottawa said the deal will prioritize infrastructure, a "security dialogue" to fight organized crime, nature protection and migrants. Mexico's president, Claudia Sheinbaum, emphasized that the deal will not be a rival to the US-Mexico-Canada agreement, but rather "complement" it.
Canada and Mexico agree to deepen ties amid Trump trade war https://t.co/Fm8F83CcWN
— BBC News (World) (@BBCWorld) September 19, 2025
The Liberal government has decided to block Northern Irish rap group Kneecap from entering Canada. Vince Gasparro, the parliamentary secretary for combating crime, said: "Our government will not tolerate the advocating of political violence, terrorism or Anti-Semitism [sic] and hate more broadly." Kneecap have become infamous in recent years for their comments about terrorists from the IRA, Hezbollah and Hamas.
On behalf of the Government of Canada I am announcing that on the advice of our officials, we have deemed the group Kneecap ineligible to enter our country.
— Vince Gasparro (@vgasparro) September 19, 2025
Our government will not tolerate the advocating of political violence, terrorism or Anti-Semitism and hate more broadly. pic.twitter.com/3KOf84G3bZ
The US ambassador to Canada has been piping up again, this time complaining about the Liberals' "anti-American" election campaign and rejecting the idea that President Donald Trump's economic policies represent a "trade war." Pete Hoekstra said the "elbows up" campaign led by Mark Carney "has continued," which he finds "disappointing." He also censured Finance Minister François-Philippe Champagne, though not by name: "A cabinet minister came out and said it's a trade war with the United States. We're at war with the United States. I think that's a dangerous place to go."
U.S. ambassador to Canada disappointed by ‘anti-American’ rhetoric, ‘elbows up’ https://t.co/frIpC8bR2j
— CP24 (@CP24) September 19, 2025
Chrystia Freeland might have thought she'd seen the last of House of Commons committees, but no such luck for the former cabinet minister, who's once again been summoned by MPs to explain herself. It comes after the publication of emails suggesting Transport Canada, which she ran, was given six weeks of notice that BC Ferries was buying four ships from China; Freeland, however, claimed she was "dismayed" by the news of the purchase when it became public.
Former transport minister Chrystia Freeland is being called back to a committee to testify after emails suggested the ministry was given weeks of notice that BC Ferries was buying four new vessels from a Chinese shipyard. https://t.co/goVbxo13Ha
— CityNews Vancouver (@CityNewsVAN) September 19, 2025
It seems Canadians prefer canola to cars, if a new survey is to be believed. The Angus Reid Institute's latest study reckons 57 per cent of Canadians would rather lower tariffs on Chinese EVs to secure lower Chinese tariffs on Canadian canola, even though doing so could threaten Canada's auto industry.
Source: Angus Reid Institute https://t.co/kmtH9WxVTm
— Ben (@SaskBenjamin) September 18, 2025
