The next edition of the Ottawa Report is scheduled to be sent at the end of December.
Latest News
Canada Water Agency Invites Applications for Freshwater Projects
Strong freshwater stewardship is essential to the country’s environment, economy, and communities, and fostering healthy ecosystems starts locally. Minister of Environment and Climate Change, the Hon. Julie Dabrusin, announced multiple new calls for applications for federal funding to support partner-led environmental protection, restoration, and conservation projects. Five funding streams are part of the Freshwater Action Plan’s regional initiatives for key waterbodies, including the St. Lawrence River, Great Lakes, Fraser River, Wolastoq/Saint John River, and Lake Winnipeg. Funded projects will focus on improving water quality, restoring aquatic habitats, engaging Indigenous partners, and strengthening long-term freshwater management. Applications open in November–December 2025, with deadlines in December 2025–January 2026.
British Columbia to Host National Wildfire Symposium
British Columbia is hosting a national wildfire symposium in Vancouver on December 5 to bring together government representatives, Indigenous partners, industry stakeholders, and experts from across Canada and internationally. The event aims to review the 2025 wildfire season, share lessons learned, explore wildfire technology, discuss active forest management, and strengthen national readiness for future wildfire seasons. A key goal is advancing a national leadership strategy and fostering collaboration to enhance Canada’s wildfire resilience framework.
Canada Announces New Weather Alert System
Environment and Climate Change Canada is updating its national weather alert system to make it easier for Canadians to understand the severity and impact of extreme weather. The new system uses a colour-coded scale of yellow, orange, and red for Warnings, Advisories, and Watches, indicating increasing levels of risk and potential damage. Meteorologists will apply an alert colour matrix that combines weather data and impact guides to provide more precise, impact-based alerts. This modernization is part of ongoing efforts to improve forecasts, severe weather alerts, and public safety information.
Emergency Management Ministers Meeting
Federal, provincial, and territorial emergency management ministers met in Toronto to strengthen cooperation amid worsening climate-linked disasters. Wildfires were a major focus, with ministers noting lessons from the 2024–25 season and the lasting impacts of Canada’s record 2023 wildfire season. With fire seasons starting earlier and lasting longer, ministers agreed to renew the Emergency Management Strategy for Canada to better address interconnected hazards and improve preparedness, response, and evacuations. They also committed to enhancing volunteer and community readiness and continued strong engagement with Indigenous partners, who are disproportionately affected by natural disasters, including wildfires.
Second Round of Major Projects Announced
The second round of major projects was announced as part of Canada’s broader push to boost competitiveness in strategic areas such as energy, trade, and critical minerals. A fourth strategic area, data sovereignty, was included in Carney’s latest announcement, but with no project directly related to it in this round. To date, none of the 12 projects announced have received an official designation under Bill C-5’s special powers to designate a project as one of national interest. The six new projects announced on November 13 include two in the West: the North Coast Transmission Line and Ksi Lisims LNG projects in British Columbia. Three were in the East, including Canada Nickel’s Crawford Project in Ontario, Nouveau Monde Graphite’s Matawinie Mine in Quebec, and Northcliff Resources’ Sisson Mine in New Brunswick. The sixth project, in Nunavut, is the Iqaluit Nukkiksautiit Hydro Project.
COP 30 Highlights Wildfire Management
While participating in COP 30 in Brazil, Canada reinforced its message that climate action and economic competitiveness must advance together. Canada promoted its new Climate Competitiveness Strategy, highlighting efforts to expand high-integrity carbon markets, strengthen methane measurement and regulations, and accelerate the global transition away from coal. A key outcome was a new Memorandum of Understanding on Integrated Fire Management signed between Canada and Brazil. This agreement will support the exchange of wildfire personnel and resources when national capacity is exceeded, and deepen cooperation on wildfire prevention, preparedness, response, and recovery. The partnership signals Canada’s commitment to strengthening international wildfire resilience as climate-driven fire risks increase.
G7 Ministers Establish Water Coalition Workplan
Under Italy’s 2024 G7 Presidency, members launched the G7 Water Coalition to align global ambitions on the water crisis and elevate water issues across international forums. Italy and Canada have since convened the Coalition to advance its mandate. During Canada’s 2025 G7 presidency, technical and senior officials focused on strengthening G7 cooperation on freshwater, emphasizing the importance of both blue and green water; the economic value of water; links between the hydrological cycle and extreme weather; the need for integrated water management and nature-based solutions; growing global momentum for coordinated action on water; and the importance of engaging partners including Indigenous peoples, industry, civil society, and local communities.
Parliamentary Business
Budget 2025: the Carney Government’s Second Chance
Budget 2025 is the first presented under Prime Minister Mark Carney’s leadership and by new Finance Minister François-Philippe Champagne. It is guided by two fiscal anchors: balancing day-to-day operating spending with revenues by 2028–29 while shifting spending toward investments that grow the economy; and maintaining a declining deficit-to-GDP ratio “to ensure disciplined fiscal management for future generations.” It projects a 2025–26 deficit of $78 billion, significantly higher than the $48.3 billion deficit for 2024–25 in the Fall Economic Statement 2024. This budget includes the long-awaited comprehensive expenditure review totalling $60 billion in government operational savings and revenues over five years. At the same time, it makes significant new investments in housing, infrastructure, and defence, all while aiming to increase productivity and competitiveness.
Mark Carney’s first budget comes to us in a difficult context. Amid a weakened economy from the US-initiated trade war, Carney signalled for several months that he would be making “tough choices” in this budget, even using the electorally ill-fated word “austerity.” Yet, his communications have followed a delicate balancing act: the austerity will be one that his government endures, while Canadians will see the opposite: investment. Effectively delivering this complex message aims to counter the perception of Trudeau-era government misspending that the Conservatives under Pierre Poilievre have been exploiting. The message is timely, since voters are as eager for the government to reduce its own spending as they are for it to catalyze economic growth and spend more on Canadians themselves.
While Carney focuses so much of his attention on the threat from President Trump and growing the domestic economy, his minority government entered budget week without parliamentary support. The brief honeymoon that saw unanimous support for Carney’s One Canadian Economy Act in June is now over. Canadians can rightly question how much this “elbows up” trade-war Prime Minister has been able to accomplish to date, with no trade deal in sight and Trump having called off negotiations. Many expected this government to be performing better by this point.
Despite starting budget week unsure of how it would pass, the Liberals managed to push the budget through thanks to key political maneuvering. MP Chris d’Entremont’s floor-crossing from the Conservatives strengthened their ranks, while two NDP MPs and two Conservative MPs abstained, reducing opposition numbers. The final tally stood at 170–168.
Key Pillars of Budget 2025 for CPWA
- Budget 2025 announces the government’s intention to launch a new Build Communities Strong Fund, to be administered by Housing, Infrastructure and Communities Canada to support a wide range of infrastructure projects and help local communities build Canada strong. The program would be comprised of three streams:
- A Provincial and Territorial Stream for health-related infrastructure (e.g., hospitals), and infrastructure at colleges and universities. To access funds, provinces and territories must agree to cost-match federal funding and to substantially reduce development charges and not levy other taxes that hinder the housing supply.
- A Direct Delivery Stream, delivered by Housing, Infrastructure and Communities Canada to support regionally significant projects, large building retrofits, climate adaptation, and community infrastructure.
- Canada Community-Building Fund will be rebranded as the initiative’s Community Stream to support ongoing local infrastructure projects.
- Uncommitted funding from the Canada Public Transit Fund will be reallocated to the Build Communities Strong Fund, where transit projects will continue to be eligible.
- Budget 2025 includes funding to Public Safety Canada to support a new National Public Alerting System model, ensuring Canadians continue to receive amber alerts and warnings of imminent natural disasters, extreme weather events, and security threats so they can take action to protect themselves and their communities.
- Budget 2025 proposes to provide funding to Transport Canada to create the Arctic Infrastructure Fund, which will invest in major transportation projects in the North with dual-use applications for civilian and military use, including airports, seaports, all-season roads, and highways.
- Budget 2025 announces the government’s intention to amend the Canada Infrastructure Bank Act to increase the Canada Infrastructure Bank’s statutory capital envelope from $35 billion to $45 billion and to enable the Canada Infrastructure Bank to make investments in any nation-building projects that have been referred to the Major Projects Office.
- Budget 2025 proposes to provide funding to Employment and Social Development Canada to establish the Foreign Credential Recognition Action Fund to work with the provinces and territories to improve the fairness, transparency, timeliness, and consistency of foreign credential recognition, with a focus on health and construction sectors.
Federal Funding Awarded
Canada Invests in British Columbia Transportation Projects
The federal government is investing more than $6.3 million to support active transportation projects across British Columbia. Funding will build or upgrade sidewalks, multi-use paths, bridges, and traffic-calming features in communities including Abbotsford, Duncan, and North Cowichan, improving safety and accessibility. Several First Nations will receive support for new infrastructure or the development of active transportation plans, strengthening connections within their communities and promoting safer, all-ages mobility options.
Canada Invests in Quebec Public Transportation
Prime Minister Mark Carney has marked the launch of the next phase of the REM, a 30 km, 14 station electric transit extension connecting downtown to Deux-Montagnes. When complete, the REM will span 67 km and 26 stations, cut emissions by 100,000 tonnes each year, and serve up to 170,000 riders per day. The project is also creating tens of thousands of jobs and significant economic activity. Further extensions to Anse-à-l’Orme and Montréal-Trudeau Airport are planned for 2026 and 2027, supported by a $1 billion Canada Infrastructure Bank loan. Together, the REM and airport expansion show Canada’s push to build modern infrastructure at the scale needed to support growth, productivity, and resilient communities.
Canada Invests in Public Transportation in New Brunswick
The federal government is investing more than $704,000 to enhance public transit in northwest New Brunswick. The funding will allow the Northwest Regional Services Commission (NRSC) to purchase new vans, including a wheelchair-accessible vehicle, install bus shelters, and upgrade software for Flexgo transit services in Vallée-des-Rivières, Grand Falls, Saint-Quentin, and Kedgwick. These improvements aim to provide reliable transportation, improve residents’ quality of life, and support regional economic growth.
Canada Invests in Public Transportation in Simcoe County
The federal government and the County of Simcoe are investing more than $4.8 million to improve rural public transit through the Rural Transit Solutions Fund. The funding will allow Simcoe to purchase four new buses and install solar-powered lights and supporting infrastructure for its LINX transit system, enhancing safety, accessibility, and the overall rider experience across the county.
