As you near the end of your school year(!), we’ll soon be wrapping up this weekly Nature Labs feature. But before we sign-off, let’s get you caught up on an eventful news cycle.
Carney Goes to Washington
As you probably heard, our newly-minted prime minister visited US President Donald Trump on Tuesday, attempting to re-set the battered Canada-US relationship. How did it go?
Carney tells Trump that Canada is ‘never for sale’ in White House meeting
Carney and Trump are only at the beginning of redefining the Canada-U.S. relationship
Mark Carney goes to the Oval Office and learns a new skill from Donald Trump
‘Not for Sale’ vs. ‘Never say Never’: Mark Carney’s Clean Getaway
In other words, it appears Prime Minister Carney didn’t lose the meeting, but there’s still a long way to go if the goal is safeguarding the Canadian economy and protecting our sovereignty. For further proof, check out this recent interview with President Trump:
Read the Full Transcript of Donald Trump’s ‘100 Days’ Interview With TIME
If that’s not scary enough, this most certainly is:
Trump says ‘highly unlikely’ U.S. ever uses military force to annex Canada
What does this mean? Well, we recommend these articles in order to better understand the path ahead:
Three ways this Canada-U.S. dispute will end
What’s the price we’re willing to pay for Canada?
Election Re-Cap
By now you know what happened in one of the most consequential elections in recent memory, but maybe you want to better understand how ideology in Canada has morphed, and where our major political parties stand post-election. We have you covered! Check out our latest video, a revamped and updated version of your social studies ideology lesson:
Social Studies Lesson Two: Ideology
If you’re interested in more election coverage and analysis, we recommend these articles:
How Canada went from preachy to pragmatic
6 key takeaways from Monday’s historic vote
A tale of two elections: Trump vs. change made for an uncertain mandate
Pierre Poilievre was the right man for the moment. Then the moment changed – and he failed to adapt
Trump knows exactly what he just triggered in Canada
Sean Speer: Mark Carney’s win will add more uncertainty
What Carney’s win means for environment and climate issues in Canada
Oh, and in case you were wondering why the election results took forever to be finalized, here’s why:
Why a minority Liberal government took so long to call
After all, in some ridings, races were determined by just a handful of votes:
Three ridings were won by less than 50 votes in Canada’s federal election
See? Every vote matters. Always.
Now, before we move on from the 2025 federal election, here’s a quick recap of where our political parties stand in the aftermath of the vote.
Liberals:
The Liberal victory – even if they only won a minority government – is one of the most remarkable comeback stories in Canadian history:
Carney’s win caps a remarkable turn of events — and sets up the immense challenges ahead
The Liberal victory, according to The Logic’s Kevin Carmichael, also demonstrates the limits of anti-elitism in Canadian politics:
Carmichael: Mark Carney’s win shows anti-elitism has its limits
But to the winner of our recent election goes anything but the spoils. Here’s a look at Prime Minister Carney’s to-do list:
Daunting! Which is why this essay is worth a read:
How Carney can use policy to unite the country
How will the government navigate this moment? Well, for starters, this minority government has stated it won’t be making deals with the opposition NDP to stay in power:
Carney says he won’t make a pact with NDP, confirms King Charles to launch Parliament
That part about King Charles delivering the Throne Speech to open the next sitting of Parliament? It is big news, as the BBC reports:
Carney explains rare step of asking Charles to open parliament
Conservatives:
The Conservatives were supposed to form government. They didn’t. And their leader – Pierre Poilievre – lost his seat as well. But the good news for the Tories? The future appears to be bright for the party, thanks to many of you: the next generation of voters.
Young Canadians favor Conservatives in election despite Trump threat
Students in Canada elected the Conservatives in a mock federal election
The bad news?
Chris Selley: Pierre Poilievre lost the election to Donald Trump
The new Conservative coalition – and why it didn’t win
What does this mean for the Conservatives moving forward?
As Canada moves to a two-party system, the Conservatives need new strategies
And what’s next for the seatless leader of the Conservative Party of Canada?
Alberta MP Damien Kurek stepping down for Poilievre to run in byelection
Meanwhile, in the House of Commons, the acting leader of the opposition will be the former leader of the Conservatives, Andrew Sheer:
Conservatives choose Andrew Scheer as interim Opposition leader in Parliament
NDP:
The NDP got blown out in the 2025 election, and their leader also lost his seat, leading to Jagmeet Singh’s resignation. Whereto from here for the NDP?
The federal NDP had its worst election ever. Now what?
While the party prepares for a leadership race, the NDP will be led on an interim basis by Vancouver MP Don Davies:
Who is Don Davies, the newly appointed interim leader of the federal NDP?
Bloc Quebecois:
Though the Bloc lost ground in this past election, they still hold sway in the House of Commons.
Bloc’s fortunes slip as Liberals make gains in Quebec
In case you missed it, the Bloc’s leader offered these thoughts in the dying days of the campaign:
Blanchet calls Canada ‘an artificial country with very little meaning’
In other words, the Bloc isn’t interested in ceding the national unity debate to Alberta and the prairie nationalist west. Speaking of which…
Forget Spring, Separatism is in the Air
A referendum on Alberta separatism? Support is growing:
Albertans ‘crushed’ by Liberal election win rally to separate from Canada
And now a separatism vote will be easier than ever:
Alberta overhauls election laws to allow corporate donations, change referendum thresholds
What does this mean?
Danielle Smith’s reform is nudging Alberta separation vote from ‘if’ toward ‘when’
But don’t just take the word of a journalist. The premier of Alberta has been incredibly clear on the subject:
Alberta premier promises separation referendum in 2026 if petition signatures warrant
Don’t forget about Saskatchewan in all of this either:
Moe says he’s Canadian but wouldn’t stop vote on Saskatchewan separating from Canada
Meanwhile in BC…
Independent MLAs Talk BC Separatism After Liberal Win
We’ve been warning of this reality long before it was in vogue, but the threat to national unity is now more pressing than ever. That’s in part because the demands outlined by Premier Smith require the rest of the country to walk away from many of their values, particularly on the environment. Is this simply a negotiation tactic, or the consequence of being pushed too far? And if there is no room for balance – no room for compromise – how can the two sides possibly reconcile? These are the questions.
To better understand the many sides of this issue, start here:
Stephen Maher: Separatism is in the Alberta air, as Liberal victory looms
On Western alienation, Preston Manning is not backing down
Braid: A first for any province outside Quebec — premier welcomes a vote on separation
Canada is not as divided as some claim – or as its electoral system makes it appear
Alberta separation referendum? Bring it on. Let’s have it out right now, Premier Smith
Perhaps it’s time Alberta does go it alone and says goodbye to Canada
Obviously, an issue as contentious as this one will create divisions, even amongst the provinces:
Danielle Smith dismisses Doug Ford’s warning against separatist threats from Alberta
Lorne Gunter: Time for Doug Ford to get out of bed with Mark Carney and back Danielle Smith
‘Tired trope’ of western separation ‘needs to stop,’ B.C. premier says
Just remember that independence isn’t as simple as a provincial referendum:
Indigenous leaders warn that Alberta separation would violate treaty rights
The Roundabout
The connective tissue between all of the issues we’ve highlighted here today? The environment-economy debate. And on that front, around and around and around we go on the policy roundabout.
What’s next for carbon tax and why is Canadian industry worried?
LNG could help break Canada’s dependence on the U.S. energy economy — but there are no guarantees
Ontario’s new mining bill is a ‘vendetta’ against species at risk: environmentalists
Final Thoughts
Section One is a new, non-partisan charity focused on democratic literacy. Never has this subject been more important than today. We urge you to watch this speech by Section One founder Peter Biro:
Liberal Democracy in the Rearview Mirror?: Morning Keynote – Peter Biro
To underscore Peter’s words, read this essay by journalist Justin Ling:
Even if you don’t share Justin’s political worldview, his points are both important and valid, requiring reflection.
To that end, reflection is best accomplished away from our devices and in nature. And if that’s on your agenda this summer, we encourage you to visit your classroom: Mount Robson Provincial Park! If you go, consider staying in the nearby community of Valemount:
B.C. village struggling to survive following economic impact of Jasper wildfire
If you find yourself in Valemount this summer, you might find us at Vale Coffee chatting with your teacher – co-owner of the café and Area Supervisor for Mount Robson Provincial Parks – Elliott Ingles. Come say hello!