Canada News | June 12, 2026 Carney Meets Macron in Paris as G7 Summit Looms Amid Israel-Iran Crisis

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📰 PM Carney in Paris to Meet Macron Ahead of G7 Summit

Prime Minister Mark Carney departed for Europe on Thursday evening and landed in Paris today (June 12) for a meeting with French President Emmanuel Macron, laying the groundwork for next week's G7 leaders' summit in Évian-les-Bains, France. This marks Carney's ninth visit to Europe since being elected prime minister.

The summit takes place against an extraordinarily complex backdrop: the joint U.S.-Israeli military offensive in Iran continues to escalate, and world leaders will gather for the first time since the conflict began. Canadian officials say the government's priorities include advancing the critical minerals action plan established at last year's summit, addressing global macroeconomic imbalances, and establishing safeguards on artificial intelligence. Carney told reporters last week that protecting children's information from AI exploitation is a personal priority for him at the G7.

During the Paris meeting, Carney will formally pass the G7 presidency torch to France. He will then visit Dublin, Ireland, before attending the June 15-17 G7 summit.

— CityNews Toronto

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📰 Toronto Police Officer Killed Executing Search Warrant; 19-Year-Old Faces First-Degree Murder Charge

Toronto Police Service Emergency Task Force (ETF) veteran Constable Marc Pinizzotto, 43, was shot and killed in the line of duty early Thursday morning while executing a search warrant at a residential building near Black Creek Drive and Trethewey Drive in North York. He is the second Canadian police officer to die on duty in less than a week.

The operation was linked to several firearms-related investigations across the Greater Toronto Area, including a shooting incident at the U.S. Consulate in Toronto in March. Pinizzotto was an 18-year veteran of the force who spent his last five years on the ETF. "Marc was a hero in life, not death," said Chief Myron Demkiw through tears, adding that Pinizzotto leaves behind a wife and children.

Ontario's Special Investigations Unit (SIU) is probing the circumstances of the shooting. On Thursday afternoon, hundreds of officers lined the streets for a solemn procession escorting Pinizzotto's body from Sunnybrook Hospital to the Chief Coroner's office. The CN Tower dimmed its lights in tribute Thursday night.

— CBC News

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📰 Toronto Hosts First World Cup Match: Canada Takes on Bosnia-Herzegovina at 3 PM

The wait is finally over — Toronto hosts its first-ever FIFA World Cup match today (June 12) at 3 p.m. as Canada faces Bosnia-Herzegovina at BMO Field. This is Canada's opening match of the 2026 World Cup and the first of six matches Toronto will host as a co-host city.

The pre-match ceremony promises star power: Canadian rock icon Alanis Morissette will sing the national anthem, with performances by Michael Bublé, Alessia Cara, Jessie Reyez, William Prince, and Sanjoy. Multiple downtown roads have been closed and the TTC has boosted service to handle the massive crowds. The FIFA Fan Festival, which opened Thursday, will operate over 22 non-consecutive days alongside all Toronto match days.

Canada competes in Group B alongside Bosnia-Herzegovina and other opponents. Also on Friday, the United States takes on Paraguay in Los Angeles.

— CBC News

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📰 Carney Unveils $3.2 Billion National Food Security Strategy to Boost Local Food Access

Prime Minister Mark Carney announced a $3.2 billion National Food Security Strategy at the Ontario Food Terminal in Toronto on Thursday, committing to produce more food domestically and make it more affordable over the next decade. This is the first federal strategy of its kind.

The centrepiece is a $1 billion Food Link Fund to support wholesale marketplaces and food hubs, enabling independent grocers to buy food at competitive prices by bypassing supply chains dominated by large retailers. Carney noted that small grocers often buy from their vastly larger competitors, sometimes paying the same prices as ordinary families.

The strategy sets concrete targets, including expanding the Ontario Food Terminal by year's end and opening two new food hubs across the country. The government aims to increase competition, lower consumer prices, and address the root causes behind the spike in food costs.

— CBC News

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📰 CRTC Ban on Cellphone Activation, Modification, and Cancellation Fees Takes Effect Today

New CRTC rules prohibiting telecom companies from charging fees for activating, modifying, or cancelling cellphone and internet plans officially took effect today (June 12). The ban is part of a broader series of consumer protection measures the CRTC is rolling out through 2026 and 2027.

However, just before the ban came into force, Telus announced it would replace its $80 connection fee with a mandatory $15 "SIM card purchase fee" for all new in-store activations. CRTC Vice-President Scott Hutton promptly sent a warning letter to Telus, stating that the charge "may be considered to be an activation fee" prohibited under the new rules. Earlier, Bell faced similar scrutiny after attempting to replace its connection fee with a $40 "device handling charge."

Analysts view the CRTC's new rules as one of the strongest federal consumer protection moves in recent Canadian telecom history, making it easier and more transparent for Canadians to switch plans and providers.

— Daily Hive

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📰 Carney Government Eliminates Watchdog Overseeing Canadian Companies Abroad

Prime Minister Mark Carney announced Thursday that the federal government is eliminating the Canadian Ombudsperson for Responsible Enterprise (CORE), a watchdog position created under former prime minister Justin Trudeau in 2019 to investigate human rights allegations against Canadian companies operating abroad.

Carney said the role "hadn't been effective" and the decision was made "a few months ago," though it had not been publicly announced. The ombud position has been vacant for over a year, yet its website remains online. International Trade Minister Maninder Sidhu told Parliament the government would "make a decision in due course" just hours before Carney's announcement.

The CORE vacancy gained attention recently as Canada lifted some restrictions on importing Chinese-made electric vehicles. Finance Minister François-Philippe Champagne pointed to CORE as evidence Canada takes forced labour seriously when questioned about Chinese EVs ahead of his March trip to China.

— CBC News

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📰 India Eyes Canada as Potential Crude Oil Supplier

At the Global Energy Show Canada 2026 in Calgary, India's High Commissioner to Canada Dinesh Patnaik indicated that India is considering Canada as a potential crude oil supplier. Patnaik noted that India's newer refineries are designed to process heavy crude, making Canadian grades a viable option.

" How can we take advantage of the fact that you're the fourth largest resource holder in the world, you have a democratic system which is free, fair, which we can rely upon," Patnaik said, emphasizing Canada's role as a trusted global energy partner.

This marks a significant step in India-Canada energy cooperation. With global energy markets experiencing heightened volatility due to geopolitical turmoil, Canada is actively seeking to diversify its energy exports away from over-reliance on a single market. India, as the world's third-largest oil consumer and importer, represents a strategically important market for Canadian energy exports.

— BOE Report

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📰 Canada's AI Strategy to Fund $100 Million National Health Data Project

The federal government announced Tuesday that its "AI for All" national artificial intelligence strategy will allocate up to $100 million to expand an Ontario-based health data project called "Vital" into a nationwide platform. The project aims to integrate health data across provinces and territories, leveraging AI to improve clinical decision-making and patient care.

The health minister said a unified national health data platform will accelerate medical research, attract healthcare investment, and address the long-standing problem of incompatible data systems across provinces. The initiative is part of the $2 billion "AI for All" strategy launched by Prime Minister Carney on June 4.

The broader AI strategy also includes building a public supercomputer and a "sovereign cloud" infrastructure, with a target of tripling AI adoption across the Canadian economy by 2034. Experts consider the health data project to be among the strategy's most tangible and citizen-facing components.

— T-Net News

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📰 First-in-Canada PET/MRI Scanner Unveiled in London, Ontario, Promises Earlier Disease Detection

St. Joseph's Health Care London unveiled Canada's first Siemens Biograph One PET/MRI scanner at the Lawson Research Institute on Wednesday. The $8 million advanced imaging system combines positron emission tomography (PET) with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to simultaneously capture both structural and functional information about the human body.

Compared to conventional imaging equipment, PET/MRI enables earlier detection of cancers, neurological disorders, and cardiovascular diseases while delivering lower radiation doses. London researchers say the device will bring revolutionary advances in cancer staging, early Alzheimer's diagnosis, and cardiac assessment.

This scanner represents a major upgrade to Canada's medical imaging infrastructure and places the country at the forefront of precision medicine globally. It will serve patients across southwestern Ontario while providing a world-class research platform for medical researchers nationwide.

— CTV News

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📰 Climate Change Pushes Ticks Into New Habitats Across Southern Canada

New research shows climate change is driving disease-carrying ticks northward from the United States at a rate of 35 to 55 kilometres per year, with the vast majority of Canada's population now living in areas climatically suitable for tick populations. Experts warn that the invasion will continue filling the ecological niche over the coming decade.

Ticks can transmit Lyme disease, Powassan virus, and other serious illnesses. Blacklegged ticks (deer ticks), first detected in southern Ontario in 1989, have since spread to every Canadian province. Canada now hosts more than 40 tick species. Researchers are particularly concerned about the northward expansion of the lone star tick, which can cause a severe red meat allergy in humans.

"Where the vast majority of the Canadian population lives are all in areas that are already climatically suitable for tick populations," said Katie Clow, assistant professor at the University of Guelph. With milder winters driven by climate change, tick season starts earlier and lasts longer. Health Canada urges the public to take protective measures during outdoor activities.

— CBC News

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