While National Newswatch does not keep an archive of external articles for longer than 6 months, we do keep all articles written by contributors who post directly to our site. Here you will find all of the contributed and linked external articles from Ian Bickis.
WINNIPEG -- Manitoba's trade representative says Wednesday's surprise tariff announcement underscores the challenge of navigating the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump.
WINNIPEG -- The Manitoba legislature wrapped on Monday its spring sitting, which had the government pass a tax cut on some food items and saw accusations of racist comments and other unruly behaviour.
TORONTO -- Urgency on trade certainty and diversification was a key message economic experts emphasized at a Public Policy Forum conference Thursday.
TORONTO -- Canada's seventh-largest bank has secured its final regulatory approval to buy PC Financial from Loblaw Cos. Ltd., clearing the way for the transformative deal.
TORONTO -- The federal government's plan to spend billions of dollars to increase the number of skilled trades workers is being welcomed by labour groups who say it will help bridge gaps in the system.
Business groups say the federal government's decision to establish Canada's first sovereign wealth fund could be helpful to get projects going, but is not a singular fix. Prime Minister Mark Carney announced the Canada Strong Fund on Monday, saying it will invest in major Canadian industrial projects in areas such as energy, infrastructure, mining, agriculture and technology with an initial...
TORONTO -- The federal government has announced Canada's first sovereign wealth fund to help get major projects going, but business groups say it's not a singular fix.
TORONTO -- Canada's Big Six banks have all put their support behind the proposed international Defence, Security and Resilience Bank (DSRB).
TORONTO -- BMO Financial Group says it's joined the rest of the big Canadian banks in backing the proposed Defence, Security and Resilience Bank (DSRB) being set up by democratic countries.
TORONTO -- The federal government has outlined key measures it plans to use to protect Canadian automotive manufacturing, but industry insiders say success will depend on the details.
TORONTO -- The federal government has outlined a suite of measures it hopes to use to boost investment in Canadian auto manufacturing.
The trade deal between Canada and China has experts saying it could lead to Chinese electric vehicle firms producing vehicles in Canada, but much depends on the trade talks ahead with the United States. Critics including Ontario Premier Doug Ford and Unifor leader Lana Payne panned the deal as an attack on workers and Canadian manufacturing, while Prime Minister Mark...
TORONTO -- The trade deal between Canada and China has experts saying it could lead to Chinese electric vehicle firms producing vehicles in Canada, but much depends on the trade talks ahead with the United States.
TORONTO -- Ontario politicians and Canada's largest private sector union are slamming Canada's new trade agreement with China, saying it puts domestic auto jobs at risk with no guarantee of investments.
TORONTO -- A new report says the Canadian office vacancy rate dipped last year for the first time since the pandemic as the return-to-office trend accelerated.
The gap between average worker wages and Canada's top-paid CEOs widened to a record in 2024, according to a new report that pushes for higher taxes on the wealthiest.
TORONTO -- Canadians who watched the World Series this year might have caught a second high-stakes clash going on between plays.
TORONTO -- There's been a lot to keep up with this year, so it's easy to have missed new developments on the personal finance front even if they might mean more money in your pocket.
Toronto -- The Bank of Canada left its key interest rate unchanged on Wednesday as the economy continues to show resilience in the face of tariff pressures.
The federal government says in Tuesday's budget that it will move ahead to regulate stablecoins, following on a move this past summer by the United States to do so.
Toronto -- Prime Minister Mark Carney said the global head of Stellantis told him the automaker is looking at finding a new model to fill the idled Brampton, Ont., plant, but that a decision would require more trade certainty.
TORONTO -- Canada has an opportunity to leap ahead and reap the economic gains of climate action as the U.S. retreats, said several speakers at the launch of the first Toronto Climate Week on Wednesday.
Government lifelines announced Monday could help Algoma Steel Group Inc. navigate through the effective loss of the U.S. market as it looks to focus on supplying Canadian buyers.
Canada Post says it will be sending new offers to the Canadian Union of Postal Workers in an effort to move negotiations forward. The Crown corporation said the new terms will allow the two sides to return to the bargaining table next week, with work already underway to make that happen. The move comes after the union representing 55,000 postal...
Canada Post says it will be sending new offers to the Canadian Union of Postal Workers in an effort to move negotiations forward.
TORONTO -- As many young Canadians head off to college and university, some will be fortunate enough to be able to tap into a registered education savings plan.
TORONTO -- Air Canada says its flight attendants need to return to work before the airline can push on with negotiations, even as the union says it won't end its now unlawful strike until a deal is reached at the bargaining table.
Air Canada says its flight attendants need to return to work before the airline can push on with negotiations, even as the union says it won't end its now unlawful strike until a deal is reached at the bargaining table. "We're available and ready to work on an industry leading deal for our flight attendants, making them the best compensated...
TORONTO -- Air Canada says its flight attendants need to return to work before the airline can push on with negotiations, even as the union says it won't end its now unlawful strike until a deal is reached at the bargaining table.
Air Canada says all flights of Air Canada and Air Canada Rouge remain suspended through 4 p.m. ET on Tuesday as members of the union representing its flight attendants continue strike action. It says customers whose flights are cancelled will notified.
TORONTO -- Air Canada says all flights of Air Canada and Air Canada Rouge remain suspended through 4 p.m. ET on Tuesday as members of the union representing its flight attendants continue strike action.
TORONTO -- A shutdown of Air Canada by flight attendants over wages and unpaid work has rapidly escalated into a fight for the right to strike as union leaders said Monday they'll push despite orders to stop, while the airline said it hoped workers will soon comply.
TORONTO -- A shutdown of Air Canada by flight attendants over wages and unpaid work has rapidly escalated into a fight for the right to strike as union leaders said Monday they'll push despite orders to stop, while the airline said it hoped workers will soon comply.
A shutdown of Air Canada by flight attendants over wages and unpaid work has rapidly escalated into a fight for the right to strike as union leaders said Monday they'll push despite orders to stop, while the airline said it hoped workers will soon comply. The rising stakes of the impasse have left hundreds of thousands of travellers in limbo...
TORONTO -- It's still not clear when Air Canada might start flying again as the flight attendants union resolved Monday to push on with a strike but the airline expressed hope that it could get planes off the ground Tuesday.
TORONTO -- Barrick Mining Corp. took a US$1.04-billion charge in its second quarter related to its loss of control of a gold mine in Mali, but still reported a rise in profit thanks to higher gold prices and an asset sale.
The head of Enbridge Inc. says he's encouraged by conversations in both Canada and the U.S. on building more energy infrastructure, but that it remains to be seen what concrete action will result at home. "I'm optimistic about our ongoing conversations and the alignment we're seeing today on both sides of the border to advance projects and legislation," said Greg...
The head of Enbridge Inc. says he's encouraged by conversations in both Canada and the U.S. on building more energy infrastructure, but that it remains to be seen what concrete action will result at home.
Prime Minister Mark Carney announced Wednesday that the government was tightening rules around steel imports. The move is an effort to protect Canada's domestic industry from dumping as the global trade of the metal undergoes major shifts because of government actions out of the United States and China.
TORONTO -- A regulator-led survey of Ontario mutual fund dealers based out of big banks finds a sizable minority are not always acting in the interests of clients.
As the U.S. government takes big steps to usher cryptocurrency into mainstream finance, one of the world's biggest crypto exchanges is urging the Canadian government to match and exceed those efforts, even as concerns mount. Coinbase Global Inc. is pushing hard to educate Canadian politicians about the moment in the hope of seeing someone in government champion the cause, said...
TORONTO -- As the U.S. government takes big steps to usher cryptocurrency into mainstream finance, one of the world's biggest crypto exchanges is urging the Canadian government to match and exceed those efforts, even as concerns mount.
TORONTO -- Canada's steel industry needs the federal government to take swift action as it faces an existential threat from steeply increased U.S. tariff, said Catherine Cobden, head of the Canadian Steel Producers Association.
TORONTO -- The head of Canada's steel industry association says time is of the essence for the federal government to step in and help the industry as it faces existential threats from U.S. tariffs.
TORONTO -- In the future, seeing the carbon emissions of a company may not be much harder than finding out how many calories are in a chocolate bar, but that day looks further out than it did just a few months ago.
Canadian snowbirds could stay longer in the United States without a visa if a bill recently proposed in the U.S. House of Representatives becomes law.
Canada now knows who will lead the country as it confronts this nation-defining economic moment, but uncertainty is still the word of the year.
TORONTO -- The head of BMO defended the bank's climate efforts as it faced shareholder resolutions at its annual general meeting that called for more clarity on its plans.
TORONTO -- When Canada's big banks left the Net Zero Banking Alliance earlier this year, they assured they could push on reducing emissions without the help of the international climate coalition launched in 2021 by Mark Carney, now Canada's prime minister.
If U.S. President Donald Trump imposes tariffs on Canadian goods as he's repeatedly threated to do, experts say Canada has a strong case to challenge it under the Canada-U.S.-Mexico free trade agreement. The question, though, is how quickly any decision may come through the process -- and more importantly, whether the U.S. would respect any decisions from the outcome. "A...
If U.S. President Donald Trump imposes tariffs on Canadian goods as he's repeatedly threated to do, experts say Canada has a strong case to challenge it under the Canada-U.S.-Mexico free trade agreement.
U.S. President Donald Trump's threat to impose sweeping metals tariffs is creating worry and opportunity in can manufacturing and packaging, an industry that relies heavily on the raw materials. The 25 per cent tax on aluminum and steel coming into the United States starting March 12, and the possibility of retaliation tariffs, is expected to have cost ripples for buyers...
TORONTO -- U.S. President Donald Trump's threat to impose sweeping metals tariffs is creating worry and opportunity in can manufacturing and packaging, an industry that relies heavily on the raw materials.
TORONTO -- The heads of Canada's biggest banks are finally seeing risks around mortgage renewals easing, only for worries about tariffs and political uncertainty to take their place.
TORONTO -- Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's plan to step down has business experts warning about the heightened uncertainty it has created and the need for a unified front to face the challenges ahead.
TORONTO -- The trillion-dollar question these days is where the huge sums of money needed to address climate change are going to come from, especially for developing countries.
TORONTO -- Housing experts who have long promoted moving new home construction from suburbs to urban centres are calling for a similar approach to policy, saying several ideas currently percolating on the fringes of society in Canada have proven successful elsewhere and deserve a more central place in the national conversation.
TORONTO -- Statistics Canada's latest financial security survey shows a stark disparity between the wealth of homeowners and renters, even as it fails to capture the true scale what's owned by Canada's richest families.
TORONTO -- Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland said Wednesday that the federal government is moving ahead with guidelines around sustainable investing and corporate climate disclosures, but details on the plans are scarce.
TORONTO -- Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland says the federal government is moving ahead with guidelines around sustainable investing and corporate climate disclosures, but details on the plans are scarce.