Start your day off right with five things you need to know this morning.
Five things you need to know
The Liberal government has finally classified an Alberta-BC oil pipeline to be a "project in the national interest" under the new Building Canada Act, with Prime Minister Mark Carney announcing plans to conclude consultation, assessment and financing by September 2027. Both Carney and Alberta Premier Danielle Smith have hailed the project, but it also has many opponents, including NDP Leader Avi Lewis, who said it "leaves Canadians bearing all the risks of a bad investment without any of the rewards." Union of BC Indian Chiefs Grand Chief Stewart Phillip, meanwhile, was more combative, saying the project will be "hard-fought" either in court or, "if necessary, with boots on the ground."
The Union of B.C. Indian Chiefs has joined a growing chorus of First Nations voices in denouncing the 'Pacific Link' pipeline-Grand Chief Stewart Phillip is promising a legal fight and possible 'boots on the ground.' https://t.co/x5ZMcimFae
— APTN News (@APTNNews) October 1, 2026
Canada and the US still have disagreements that are "quite difficult to resolve," Donald Trump's trade representative has said, explaining that "there are a handful of outstanding issues." Jamieson Greer, who met with Canada's International Trade Minister Maninder Sidhu in Milwaukee on Thursday, also dismissed the idea that Canada could replace American customers with European ones, adding: " I mean, these are very low growth jurisdictions. And low growth plus low growth is still low growth ... we are actually totally fine with countries trying to find other people to take their surplus production. Like, that’s fine with us. We’re actually trying to increase domestic production.” The US, he said, is "not inclined to go to zero tariffs" in its trade relationship with Canada.
Jamieson Greer, asked by Katie Simpson whether the January 1 auto-tariff threat is real and why Canada is cutting deals with the EU and India on U.S. soil:
— cbcwatcher (@cbcwatcher) October 1, 2026
Please stop calling it a threat. That’s just “domestic economic policy.” Canada already has a trade surplus of $45–60… pic.twitter.com/rE7GPErJ0p
Canada's housing crisis won't be solved anytime soon, according to the Bank of Canada's senior deputy governor, Carolyn Rogers. The central banker said in a speech in Victoria on Thursday that expensive housing is leaving families with less cash to spend on more productive sectors of the economy, weighing on growth, but added that lower house prices – while bringing relief to buyers – would also reduce household wealth and weaken spending. “This is the heart of the housing affordability dilemma and why it’s so hard to fix," she explained. "Housing and housing prices have become about far more than just the cost of shelter. They are now deeply intertwined with household wealth, the stability of our financial system and the strength of our economy.”
Housing affordability won’t be solved anytime soon, said Carolyn Rogers, the Bank of Canada’s senior deputy governor. Find out more here https://t.co/Q9t2Hf8rWS
— Financial Post (@financialpost) October 1, 2026
BC NDP Leader David Eby has promised to temporarily reduce provincial motor fuel tax by 10 cents a litre on both gas and diesel if his party wins re-election this month, claiming the policy would save the average two-vehicle family as much as $100 every month. Eby also said that, if British Columbians choose to retain his services as premier, he will ask the BC Utilities Commission to set a maximum price that gas stations can charge for fuel. In response, Opposition Leader Lorne Doerkson said: "Just two years ago, there were promises made for a thousand dollars of relief to families ... and he failed to deliver that, and I think he needs to answer that."
Since the war in Iran started, refiners have added 20 cents a litre to what British Columbians pay at the pump. No apparent reason why, other than to fatten profits that just doubled.
— David Eby (@Dave_Eby) October 1, 2026
British Columbians can't afford to subsidize big oil like that. My plan gives the BC Utilities… https://t.co/9XqB94S1NT pic.twitter.com/PQL14p2JrT
Another prominent figure in BC society whose high-profile job required political neutrality has signed up to run for a left-wing party in this month's election. This time former chief coroner Lisa Lapointe has revealed her political ambitions, announcing she will run for the BC Green Party in the Saanich South riding. She will go head-to-head with another prominent figure who was supposed to be neutral, the BC NDP's Richard Zussman, a former Global News journalist who once helped manage media access to the BC Legislative Assembly as president of the BC Legislature Press Gallery.
Former chief coroner Lisa Lapointe to run for B.C. Greens in provincial vote https://t.co/0S5coGI9ne
— CTV News Vancouver (@CTVVancouver) October 1, 2026
