Liberal (Minority/Majority) Government 2025 - ???

[daftandbarmy]

You’re proving my point on foreign ownership risk, but the rest of the math simply doesn't hold up.

Reclaiming Stelco won't create demand out of thin air. Without guaranteed high-volume domestic need across all sectors, a Canadian-owned mill faces the exact same structural deficit. Chinese import volumes are fragmented across dozens of specialized product grades, meaning total tonnage still falls well short of the multi-million-tonne threshold needed to justify a dedicated mill to replace them.

As for Europe, targeting their market ignores massive transatlantic ocean freight costs and carbon border taxes that destroy any profit margin. At the end of the day, we can't subsidize or nationalize our way past basic market size. Without seamless access to North American supply chains, isolated Canadian lines will just run under capacity at taxpayer expense.

We've seen this sort of thing before: it starts with a Cape and ends with a Breton. I'm a Maritimer with a long memory.

Turning uncompetitive mills into state-backed heritage projects to preserve jobs or signal industrial pride is how you end up with another Sysco / Sydney Steel: decades of endless taxpayer bailouts, billions spent chasing markets that don't exist, and an eventual collapse that leaves the public holding the bill. You can't nationalize or subsidize your way past basic market reality.

We have always been a net importer of steel. But we're in the hurt locket now that tarriffs have pinched off access to the US markets...

Meanwhile, the (astonishingly complex, multi-faceted, expensive and risky) mitigation plan that was announced last year for wood and steel - the most heavily unionized, capital intensive and hard to adapt quickly to new conditions industries:

Prime Minister announces new measures to protect and transform Canada’s steel and lumber industries​

The world is changing rapidly. The United States, the world’s largest economy, is fundamentally reshaping all its trade relationships, causing major disruption and upheaval for Canadians. It is time to transform our economy from one that is reliant on a single trade partner to one that is stronger, more self-sufficient, and resilient to global shocks. That means working with urgency and determination to transform our strategic industries – including steel and lumber – so they can adapt, compete, and win in this new global environment.

Prime Minister announces new measures to protect and transform Canada’s steel and lumber industries

The world is changing rapidly. The United States, the world’s largest economy, is fundamentally reshaping all its trade relationships, causing major disruption and upheaval for Canadians. It is time to transform our economy from one that is reliant on a single trade partner to one that is...

www.pm.gc.ca

 

[FJAG]

Was that a legal requirement?

Sometimes yes. Frequently in contract law there is a requirement under the contract to give notice to the defaulting side that they are in default and that they need to remedy that and even set up an off ramp to arbitration. In other cases legislation requires that a notice be given. Some claims against the crown legislation requires a notice of intent to sue - in Ontario its 60 days. Claims against municipalities for negligence have very tight notice requirements. Same for libel and slander against newspapers and broadcasters.

There's a general distinction: where legislation requires it the document is usually called a notice of intent to sue and the format set out in court rules. Where no legislation covers it then a demand letter provides the opposing party an opportunity to remedy their action or omission and in many cases is an overture to start settlement discussions.

Laws and procedures vary from province to province.

 

[Jarnhamar]

Sometimes yes. Frequently in contract law there is a requirement under the contract to give notice to the defaulting side that they are in default and that they need to remedy that and even set up an off ramp to arbitration. In other cases legislation requires that a notice be given. Some claims against the crown legislation requires a notice of intent to sue - in Ontario its 60 days. Claims against municipalities for negligence have very tight notice requirements. Same for libel and slander against newspapers and broadcasters.

I missed OGBD's comment saying it was law as well. I'm enlightened, thank you.

 

[MilEME09]

Doubtful, lumping Forestry, Fishing, Mining & O&G together is like saying apples and oranges are the same thing.

Fair point, but it shows that resource gathering industries are not leading the charge.

 

[daftandbarmy]

Meanwhile...

"France is one of 10 European Union countries which have never ratified a trade deal with Canada, even though that deal has been in effective operation for almost a decade. The French Senate voted against ratifying the deal in 2014 in the face of lobbying by the country's politically sensitive agriculture industry."

France's envoy says Carney admired for response to 'extremely radical' U.S.​

France's new ambassador to Canada says her country admires the Carney government's response to "extremely radical" American demands and is calling for swift action to boost Canada's strategic ties with Europe.

"My mission is very clear. It's to work toward making France one of Canada’s closest allies in Europe, in each field, in every sector," French Ambassador Hélène Farnaud-Defromont told The Canadian Press on Friday.

In her first interview since her posting started last month, Farnaud-Defromont said in French her country sees Prime Minister Mark Carney's approach to managing trade negotiations with U.S. President Donald Trump's administration as "exemplary."

The prime minister called a halt to trade talks with Washington in August and accused the Trump administration of bringing fresh demands to the table at the last minute. Carney also has vowed to protect Canada's language sovereignty and ability to regulate big tech firms.

France's envoy says Carney admired for response to 'extremely radical' U.S.

France's new ambassador to Canada says her country admires the Carney government's response to "extremely radical" American demands and is calling for swift action to boost Canada's strategic ties with Europe.

www.castanet.net

 

[Humphrey Bogart]

Fair point, but it shows that resource gathering industries are not leading the charge.

That's because of how heavily O&G, Mining, etc, spend on automation. Workforce spending in the mining industry is predicted to drop 30-40% by 2031 with a 25% reduction in headcount:

Mining 4.0: AI Trends & Workforce Transformation (2026–2031)

AI adoption in mining will cut labour's share of operating costs from 40% to under 22% by 2031, reduce total headcount by up to 25% and lower all-in sustaining costs by 15 to 22%,...

minexforum.com

Forestry is just bleeding jobs, BC alone has lost 15 000 forestry positions since 2022:

https://www.biv.com/news/resources-agriculture/bc-forest-sector-faces-another-tough-year-in-2026-11793817