Good morning. Sources provide more insight into Canada\u2019s trade negotiations with the U.S. More on that below, along with new weather alerts and upcoming celestial events. <\/p>\n
Open this photo in gallery:<\/a><\/p>\n Dominic\u00a0LeBlanc, the Canadian minister responsible for Canada-U.S. relations, and Janice Charette, Canada’s chief trade negotiator to the U.S., depart from a meeting at the USTR’s offices in Washington, D.C., Aug. 11.Kevin Lamarque\/Reuters<\/p>\n TOP STORIESChief trade negotiator said tariffs represent a \u2018cliff\u2019 for Canada <\/p>\n Canada\u2019s top trade negotiator warned her American counterparts last week that if the White House imposes new tariffs on Aug. 19 the move would represent a \u201ccliff\u201d that risks throwing negotiations with the U.S. into a deep chill.<\/p>\n According to five sources briefed on the discussions, Janice Charette delivered the message in a meeting last week with United States Trade Representative Jamieson Greer.<\/p>\n Four of the sources said Charette cautioned the Americans about the public mood in Canada should the tariffs be imposed on Aug. 19. The sources said she warned the officials that Ottawa would not be able to rein in or control the public or premiers\u2019 reactions and that the federal government will have lost the room to negotiate with the Americans.<\/p>\n Three of the sources said Charette also told Greer that if the tariffs are imposed, Canadians would expect the government to retaliate, potentially provoking a chain of counterretaliation between the two countries.<\/p>\n Read more as Ottawa mounts for a full-court press<\/a> on a U.S. trade deal.<\/p>\n Sign up for Morning Update:<\/p>\n Reading this online? Start your morning with context and insight on the day’s biggest stories, in your inbox every weekday.<\/p>\n Open this photo in gallery:<\/a><\/p>\n A helicopter drops water on the Bald Range wildfire near Summerland, B.C., on Monday.BC Wildfire Service\/Reuters<\/p>\n Bald Range wildfire still out of control despite a favourable weather forecast<\/p>\n Mexican reinforcements have arrived<\/a> in British Columbia for the battle against a deadly wildfire<\/a> that has forced some 20,000 people out of their homes along the western shores of Okanagan Lake. More than 13,000 people are receiving emergency support services as the province continues to grapple with multiple destructive wildfires. <\/p>\n Meanwhile: An Indigenous community in Alberta is suing the provincial government<\/a> for damage caused by a 2023 forest fire, alleging officials were ill-prepared despite the extreme fire hazard, and that the province prioritized neighbouring areas while M\u00e9tis land burned. <\/p>\n The lawsuit: East Prairie Metis Settlement alleges the 2023 Grizzly fire torched 54 of its homes and outbuildings and about 30,100 hectares of timber worth about $19.3-million. The settlement also alleges the fire destroyed carbon offsets valued about $12-million, traditional areas and culture and wildlife that serve as a source of both food and income.<\/p>\n China tightens exit-and-entry rules<\/p>\n New rules introduced by Beijing could see people considered a risk to industrial or technological security barred from leaving the country. The new regulations come into effect on Sept. 15<\/a> and are an expansion of exit-and-entry laws that has alarmed both ordinary citizens and foreign businesses.<\/p>\n The details: According to the state-run China Daily, the new rules include imposing exit bans on those suspected of \u201cviolating export control or technology trade rules in ways that may threaten industrial or technological security.\u201d<\/p>\n Open this photo in gallery:<\/a><\/p>\n Members of a foot patrol walk past Manitoba’s first supervised consumption site, surrounded by fencing and corrugated steel, which opened in the parking lot of a former industrial site in downtown Winnipeg on Tuesday.Shannon VanRaes\/The Globe and Mail<\/p>\n Canada\u2019s first Indigenous-led drug-use site <\/p>\n The Manitoba government opened its first supervised drug-use site<\/a> after a lengthy delay and community pushback, charting a path opposite to other Canadian provinces. It is also the first Indigenous-led drug-use site in Canada where people can inject or inhale drugs under medical supervision. <\/p>\n The details: The provincial NDP government partnered with non-profit Aboriginal Health and Wellness Centre to establish the facility, which was originally planned to open in 2025. The site is located in an industrial-commercial area of Winnipeg\u2019s inner-city and will be open during limited hours.<\/p>\n Open this photo in gallery:<\/a><\/p>\n A stargazer waits for the 2017 Perseid meteor shower to begin near Bobcaygeon, Ont.Fred Thornhill\/Reuters<\/p>\n Your celestial event planning<\/p>\n The annual Perseid meteor shower and a solar eclipse<\/a> coincide this week. The two celestial events are set to appear in the skies around much of the world today and it\u2019s worth taking advantage of the rare astronomical double bill.<\/p>\n Best bet: The meteor shower will be more accessible to most Canadians. It\u2019s best seen in a dark, open area with a view of the entire sky. The moon will be in its new moon phase during the Perseids\u2019 peak, making viewing conditions even better. As many as 50 to 100 meteors an hour may be visible under ideal conditions, according to NASA.<\/p>\n Programming note<\/p>\n We’re making some changes to this newsletter and would love to hear what you think. Please send your feedback to morningupdate@globeandmail.com<\/a>.What else we\u2019re following<\/p>\n At home: A man has been charged with public mischief and uttering threats in relation to a bomb threat<\/a> against the U.S. consulate in Halifax. <\/p>\n Abroad: Ousted Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and his brother were sentenced to death in absentia<\/a> for war crimes committed during the country\u2019s 14-year civil war that left about half a million people dead.<\/p>\n At home and abroad: Just days after celebrating the opening of a Canadian embassy in West Africa, Ottawa will not explain why it quietly shut down<\/a> its embassy in South Sudan. <\/p>\n Ouch: The estimated cost of Toronto\u2019s Ontario Line has tripled<\/a>, says Metrolinx president and CEO Michael Lindsay.<\/p>\n Yawn: Environment Canada launched a new storm warning system<\/a> to address \u201calert fatigue.\u201d<\/p>\n Woof: A new study has found that dogs can understand our expressions and distinguish emotions in people\u2019s faces<\/a>.<\/p>\n The Take <\/p>\n This war will end eventually. How it ends depends on which side has more patience and willingness to absorb punishment. <\/p>\n \u2014 Tony Keller, Globe columnist<\/p>\n Trump keeps bidding for the war to end, writes Tony Keller<\/a>. But Iran keeps raising its price. <\/p>\n
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