Start your day off right with five things you need to know this morning.
Five things you need to know
Immigration, AI and the rise of gig work are wrecking the job market for young Canadian workers, according to a report from Desjardins Economics. The study claims the unemployment rate among youth is more typical of recessions, with one of its authors, LJ Valencia, explaining: "Job opportunities are declining because the economy can't keep up with this state of population growth we've seen over the past few years." Canada's extraordinary population growth in recent years has been almost entirely due to immigration.
Teenage workers hit hard by tech disruption, population growth: Desjardins https://t.co/FFZBJefKXY pic.twitter.com/oqvoOwMsoN
— Toronto Sun (@TheTorontoSun) September 4, 2025
Prime Minister Mark Carney and Finance Minister Francois-Philippe Champagne have both said the Liberal government is looking at ways to cut spending as Ottawa's fiscal woes continue. In a press conference today, Champagne said he'd spoken with his mother, who told him: "After so many years, you need to look at your spending."
Carney says his ministers are looking for ways to cut spending at cabinet retreat https://t.co/9eoFr24Yd4
— CTV News (@CTVNews) September 4, 2025
McDonald's is launching its latest sandwich, the McVeggie, but not everyone's impressed. Nobody should be "under the illusion," health sciences academic Dana Olstad said, that the McVeggie is "actually a healthier choice or that they’re actually going to get any meaningful amount of vegetables." She added: “I would rather people eat a hamburger, to be honest.”
‘I would rather people eat a hamburger’: Experts caution as McDonald’s rolls out McVeggie https://t.co/A7qTY4nDXk
— CTV National News (@CTVNationalNews) September 4, 2025
Some bookstores have noticed an uptick in sales since the Alberta government announced its intention to keep sexually explicit content out of the hands of children. Kelly Dyer from Audreys Books in Edmonton said there has "definitely" been a spike in sales, while Julie King-Yerex, co-owner of Magpie Books in Edmonton, said: "Censorship of any kind is a step towards fascism," adding that "people want to read what they're being told they're not allowed to."
An Alberta government order banning some books from school libraries doesn’t appear to be deterring people from reading them, say managers at several bookstores. https://t.co/0UD6xgrN8t
— CityNews Calgary (@citynewscalgary) September 4, 2025
This year's fall colours could be underwhelming, according to a biology professor, as large stretches of Canada endure drought. Susan Dudley at McMaster University said the leaves of stressed trees might simply die off rather than turn orange and red.
What could drought-stricken forests mean for Canada’s fall foliage? https://t.co/7zjWFV6y2t
— insauga (@insauga) September 4, 2025
