The City of Vancouver is releasing more details about how soccer fans can watch the FIFA World Cup games from the official fan zone.

“We’re hoping to make it the best place to watch the matches in all of British Columbia and Vancouver, so they can expect to get into the festival for free and experience some of that world-class World Cup atmosphere that you can only experience in an official site, which the Fan Festival will be,” Jessie Adcock, Vancouver host committee lead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup told Global News.

She said the site, which will be at the PNE grounds at Hastings Park, will have multiple screens, food and drink vendors and family events.

“This is going to include the PNE site minus Playland, and so will be also the first large festival to take advantage of the new amphitheatre,” Adcock said.

“It will be transformed from what it is right now, you know, when it’s not activated, to all the parking lots and the various buildings all being used, all the gardens and the various spots across the site will be animated and brought to life.:

1:57
Pedestrian zone coming to Granville Street

Adcock said that the Freedom Mobile Arch Amphitheatre will be ready in time and will be the location of the premium ticket seats to watch the games.

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“One of the things that the amphitheatre affords us is a brand new spot from which to offer different types of premium experiences,” she said.

“So there’ll be options for group hosting, food and drink options, and reserved seating. And so look out for our newsletter, for updates to our website, as well as follow us on socials to get all that information as soon as it gets released.”

The cost for these tickets has not yet been released.

Entry to the site in general will be free, Adcock said.

“The goal with the fan festival is to make it inclusive and accessible and family-friendly and affordable,” Adcock said.

“So we understand that, you know, tickets to the matches are in high demand straight across the 16 cities, not just Vancouver. And so one of the drivers and the goals of the fan festival is to make it a place for everyone to come and watch.”

Adcock said there will be security on site and the city is working with the Vancouver Police Department and its provincial partners so that everyone feels safe.

“For us, it’s really important that our whole community gets an opportunity to participate,” Adcock added.

“We’re excited to put Vancouver on the map, we’re excited to create an environment where families can come in, enjoy the matches that they want to enjoy. Soccer is such a multicultural, global event… and it’s our goal to make sure that everybody has a very, very good experience and creates lifelong memories.”

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Prices at many Edmonton gas stations have jumped to about $1.50 per litre for regular gasoline, as the conflict in the Middle East drives up the price of oil.

Wholesale gasoline has risen roughly 20 cents since Tuesday while diesel is up nearly 40 cents — which energy analyst Dan McTeague said has a much wider impact.

“Those prices are going to be making their way throughout the entire economy,”  said McTeague, who is the president of the advocacy group Canadians for Affordable Energy.

“The reality is, diesel is at the core of the global economy — the global economy’s workhorse — and as we’ve seen an increase of about 20-25 per cent of its value just in the past 96 to 120 hours, it’s likely to have a much longer-lasting impact on affordability and inflation in Canada.

“Diesel prices affects everything.”

The jump at the pump coincides with global oil prices, which have soared in the days following the joint attack by the United States and Israel on Iran.

2:09
How the Iran war is disrupting the Strait of Hormuz, oil and gas prices

Iran responded by closing the Strait of Hormuz at the mouth of the Persian Gulf — one of the busiest and most strategically significant shipping routes in the world and a key oil choke point — going so far as threatening to set ships on fire if they enter the strait.

About 13 million barrels of oil per day normally move through the waters — about 25 per cent of global oil shipments. It’s not just oil: about 20 per cent of the world’s total liquified natural gas (LNG) supply also comes through this route.

The closure has disrupted oil and gas shipments from the region and rattled markets around the world.

On Monday, March 2, Brent Crude — the global benchmark — reached about US$79 per barrel before declining slightly, about eight per cent higher than last week’s prices. By Friday, it had jumped up to nearly $93US a barrel.

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Meanwhile West Texas Intermediate, the North American benchmark, started the week at US$71 per barrel — a six per cent increase over the weekend — before ending the week increasing to $90US a barrel.

It’s the biggest weekly gain since Russia invaded Ukraine, said Richard Masson, an industry analyst and former CEO of the Alberta Petroleum Marketing Commission.

“The global energy market right now is in turmoil, nobody knows what’s going to happen next,” Masson said.

For Canada, the conflict is likely to lead to not just higher prices for gasoline and diesel, but increased prices for imported goods, according to Warren Mabee, director of the Queen’s University Institute for Energy and Environmental Policy.

Although Canada is a net oil exporter, Mabee said domestic fuel prices are tied to global benchmarks and reflect international volatility while at the same time, the Canadian oil patch often benefits from higher global prices. Elevated prices can boost revenues and investment in the sector, even as consumers face higher costs at the pump.

It also boosts the Alberta government’s bottom line.

The price of oil tends to make or break the province’s budget, which is heavily reliant on royalties from oil and gas operations in the province.

Last week, the provincial government projected a $9.4-billion deficit for the coming year, based predominantly on what, at the time, were slagging oil prices of US$60.50 per barrel.

1:52
Alberta projects $9.4B deficit with no plan to balance budget

Masson said this week’s increase, if sustained for a length of time, could mean hundreds of millions — if not billions — more into provincial coffers than what was expected when the budget was announced.

So far, though, there’s no sign of operational changes within the private sector.

“We haven’t seen any indication that investment will grow up or jobs will grow, but it means a higher level of profitability for the companies and that translates into higher royalties and taxes,” Masson said.

Alberta’s finance ministry on Friday said in a statement it’s too early to determine whether recent fluctuations will have an impact on the budget.

“Higher prices can support resource revenues if they are sustained, but it’s important to remember that revenues are driven by monthly average prices over time, not daily trading levels.”

Masson said the disruption to shipping and the prospect of reduced flows through key routes will keep upward pressure on global oil prices until the situation eases.

“Until this conflict resolves in a way that we can view Iran as less hostile, I don’t think there are going to be many ships moving through there, so oil prices globally are going to continue to ratchet up as long as this carries on,” Masson said.

McTeague says that means consumer gas and diesel prices will also continue to increase.

“Next week we might see prices go even higher — another 10 to 12 cents at least on the gasoline side, and probably another 20 cents on the diesel side.”

5:01
Analysts expect energy prices to spike as the war in the Middle East drags on

Canada could have avoided being affected so much if it invested more in getting its own oil and gas resources to the global market, McTeague argues.

“An energy-rich country has become consumer poor and has become totally dependent on unreliable outcomes,” he said.

— with files from Lauren Krugel, The Canadian Press

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Stocks sank on Wall Street Thursday after the price of oil spiked to its highest level since the summer of 2024 because of the war with Iran.

The S&P 500 fell 0.6% and erased what had been a small gain for the year so far. The Dow Jones Industrial Average briefly dropped more than 1,100 points before finishing with a loss of 784, or 1.6%. The Nasdaq composite slipped 0.3%.

The S&P/TSX composite index was down 332.89 points at 33,609.97.

The losses came as financial markets around the world keep following the cue of oil prices. Sharp increases there are raising worries that a long-term surge could grind down the global economy, exhaust households’ ability to spend and push interest rates higher.

The price for a barrel of benchmark U.S. crude shot up 8.5% Thursday to settle at $81.01 per barrel. Brent crude, the international standard, climbed 4.9% to $85.41 per barrel and is likewise near its highest price since 2024.

Oil prices gave back some of those gains later in the day, which helped stocks in the U.S. moderate their losses at the end of trading. But worries nevertheless remain high about how long disruptions will last for oil production because of the escalating war with Iran.

Prices at U.S. gasoline pumps have already leaped because of them. The average price for a gallon is $3.25, up 9% from $2.98 a week ago, according to auto club AAA.

U.S. President Donald Trump said on Thursday that he was not concerned about rising gas prices, telling Reuters in an exclusive interview that the U.S. military operation was his priority.

“I don’t have any concern about it,” he said when asked about the higher prices at the pump. “They’ll drop very rapidly when this is over, and if they rise, they rise, but this is far more important than having gasoline prices go up a little bit.”

Trump later said further action to reduce pressure on oil was imminent.

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“The oil seems to have pretty much stabilized,” he said during an unrelated event at the White House. “We had it very low, but I had to take this little detour,” referring to the decision to strike Iran.

A senior White House official told reporters the U.S. Treasury Department is expected to announce measures as soon as Thursday aimed at combating rising energy prices, including potential action involving the oil futures market.

If oil prices spike further, like to $100 per barrel, and stay there, some analysts and investors say it could be too much for the global economy to withstand. Uncertainty about what will happen has caused frenetic swings across financial markets this week, sometimes hour by hour.

2:00
Oil prices surge as Iran war threatens supply

Much will depend on what happens with the Strait of Hormuz. Roughly a fifth of the world’s oil typically sails through the narrow waterway off Iran’s coast.

To be sure, the U.S. stock market has a history of bouncing back relatively quickly following conflicts in the Middle East and elsewhere, as long as oil prices don’t jump too high for too long. That has many professional investors suggesting patience and riding through the market’s swings.

“While further escalation remains a risk, we think the more likely outcome is an increase in market risk aversion that likely lasts only a short time until investors can see a winding down of hostilities,” according to Scott Wren, senior global market strategist at Wells Fargo Investment Institute.

The S&P 500 is down only 0.7% for the week so far, despite its sharp swings, as gains for Big Tech stocks and oil producers have helped to blunt losses across the rest of the market.

Stocks of airlines fell to some of the U.S. market’s worst losses again on Thursday. Higher oil prices are increasing their already big fuel bills, while the war has left hundreds of thousands of passengers stranded across the Middle East.

American Airlines lost 5.4%, United Airlines fell 5% and Delta Air Lines sank 3.9%.

Stocks of smaller companies, meanwhile, took heavy hits. That’s typical when worries are growing about the strength of the economy and about interest rates rising. The Russell 2000 index of the smallest stocks fell a market-leading 1.9%.

Wall Street’s drop would have been worse if not for Broadcom. The chip company’s stock rose 4.8% after it reported stronger profit and revenue for the latest quarter than analysts expected. It’s one of Wall Street’s most influential stocks because it’s one of the biggest by total value, and CEO Hock Tan said it benefited from a 74% jump in revenue for AI chips.

All told, the S&P 500 fell 38.79 points to 6,830.71. The Dow Jones Industrial Average dropped 784.67 to 47,954.74, and the Nasdaq composite slipped 58.50 to 22,748.99.

In the bond market, Treasury yields climbed as rising oil prices put more upward pressure on inflation, which could keep the Federal Reserve from cutting interest rates.

The yield on the 10-year Treasury rose to 4.13% from 4.09% late Wednesday and from just 3.97% before the war with Iran started.

The Fed could keep interest rates high to keep a lid on inflation. But high interest rates would also keep it more expensive for U.S. households and companies to borrow money, which would grind down on the economy.

The central bank had indicated it planned to resume its cuts to interest rates later this year, in hopes of giving a boost to the job market and economy. Because of the war and higher oil prices, traders have pushed their forecasts further into the summer for when the Fed could begin cutting rates again.

In stock markets abroad, indexes rebounded in Asia following historic losses the day before. South Korea’s Kospi soared 9.6% to recover much of its 12.1% plunge from Wednesday, which was its worst drop ever.

But indexes fell in Europe as oil prices began to accelerate. France’s CAC 40 fell 1.5%, and Germany’s DAX lost 1.6%.

AP Writers Kim Tong-hyung and Elaine Kurtenbach contributed. Additional files from Reuters.

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Washington must avoid any new tariffs with Ottawa during a review of its trilateral trade agreement, mayors of several Canadian and U.S. cities urge.

The Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Cities Initiative, a multinational coalition of municipal and Indigenous government executives representing communities in the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence River region, said Thursday the time is now to rebuild trade relations and invest in local water infrastructure.

That region represents nearly 50 per cent of all Canada-U.S. bilateral trade and forms a $12.98-trillion economy, it said.

“The U.S.-Canada trade relationship has long been a pillar for the economic growth and prosperity of the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence River Region,” said Toronto Deputy Mayor Paul Ainslie in a news release.

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The group is also urging Washington to preserve and strengthen the Canada-United States-Mexico Agreement (CUSMA) and avoid any new tariffs or tariff increases on Canada during its review this year.

The asks come as Canada-U.S. Trade Minister Dominic LeBlanc is set to head to Washington.

LeBlanc will be stateside Friday ahead of the CUSMA review, which is set for this summer.

Prime Minister Mark Carney said during a media availability in Australia Wednesday that Canada’s free trade pact with the United States “effectively has been broken in the short-term by U.S. actions.”

Canada has been feeling the impact of sectoral U.S. tariffs on steel, aluminum, lumber and the auto sector.

Carney said certain protocols under CUSMA weren’t followed when U.S. President Donald Trump ordered tariffs on Canada.

He added Canada is looking to this year’s CUSMA review as a process to “re-establish the trust” individuals, businesses and investors need to guide trade between the nations.

LeBlanc’s trip also comes after a judge with the U.S. Court of International Trade ruled Wednesday that businesses are owed refunds for Trump’s tariffs levied under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act — a set of duties ruled illegal by the Supreme Court last month.

— With files from The Canadian Press

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Sales of alcohol declined for the fourth straight year in 2024-25, according to a Statistics Canada report released Wednesday.

From April 1, 2024 to March 31, 2025, sales dropped by three per cent to 2,898 million litres on a volume basis, marking the fourth consecutive year volume sales have declined.

This was also reported as “the largest annual decrease since Statistics Canada began tracking this series in 2004/2005.”

Liquor authorities and other retail outlets “sold $25.8 billion worth of alcoholic beverages in the fiscal year ending March 31, 2025, down 1.6 per cent from fiscal year 2023/2024.”

This decrease happened despite a 1.6 per cent increase “in the price of alcoholic beverages in stores from March 2024 to March 2025.”

The overall dollar value of beer sales by liquor stores, agencies and other retail outlets dropped 1.6 per cent to $9.1 billion in the 2024-25 fiscal year.

By volume, beer sales declined 3.8 per cent to 1,876 million litres in 2024-25, the ninth consecutive annual drop in beer sales by volume.

However, beer held its position as the top-selling beverage category in 2024-25; its market share went unchanged from a year earlier at just over one-third (35.1 per cent) of total sales.

0:51
Ready-to-drink beverages expand to grocery stores as LCBO strike continues

Following the tariffs imposed by the U.S. on aluminum and steel, Canadian breweries have noted a struggle with producing beer cans in Canada, as the country switched gears from U.S.-reliant supply chains and as consumers double down on the “Buy Canadian” sentiment.

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In addition, American alcohol was removed from the shelves of many provincial liquor stores in response to the first round of tariffs levied by U.S. President Donald Trump on March 4, 2025.

Ontario imported roughly $965 million worth of booze from America before the ban.

As a result, roughly $2 million worth of U.S. products have either expired or will expire in the next few months. Most of those products, according to the government, are beer, ready-to-drink beverages and wine.

Wine sales fell 2.2 per cent to $7.7 billion in 2024-25, which was driven by a decline in imported wine sales (-3.9 per cent). Imported wine accounted for 70 per cent of total wine sales.

The report noted that “this was the first time imported wine sales have decreased since Statistics Canada began tracking alcohol sales by origin in 1992/1993.”

Domestic wine sales were found to be stable, increasing 1.9 per cent to $2.3 billion.

This was the fourth consecutive year of decline for wine sales by volume, equalling 460 million litres.

Ontario (-5.3 per cent) and Quebec (-4.3 per cent) saw the largest declines in imported wine sales in 2024-25.

Total sales of spirits dropped 3.2 per cent to $6.7 billion in 2024-25. Whisky (29.6 per cent), vodka (22.9 per cent) and liqueurs (15.4 per cent) were the top-selling spirits by share of total sales.

Overall, sales of spirits by volume decreased by 4.4 per cent to 177 million litres in 2024-25.

However, spirits were found to be the top seller in the Northwest Territories (44.1 per cent) and British Columbia (30.8 per cent).

For the second straight year, ciders and coolers were the sole alcoholic beverage category with increased sales.

Sales of ciders and coolers rose 4.8 per cent from the previous fiscal year to $2.4 billion in 2024-25, seeing increases in nine provinces and two territories but down in British Columbia (-2.0 per cent) and Yukon (-1.8 per cent).

The volume of ciders and coolers sold also rose by 2.2 per cent to 385 million litres.

Despite the sales of alcohol tanking across the country, cannabis sales are rising.

The report also evaluates the sales of cannabis in Canada, finding that recreational cannabis garnered $2.5 billion in the fiscal year ending March 31, 2025, up 11.5 per cent.

2:37
BIV: Legal cannabis sales continue to soar

Sales of recreational cannabis by provincial cannabis authorities and other retail outlets also increased 6.1 per cent, rising $0.3 billion from the previous fiscal year to $5.5 billion in 2024-25.

Yukon was found to have the highest sales per person with an average of $384, while Quebec had the lowest with $105.

Quebec’s lower sales partly reflect restrictions in effect during the fiscal year, including a ban on cannabis vaping products and topicals, as well as limited edible offerings.

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A study released by the Montreal Economic Institute estimates the federal government’s “Buy Canadian” policy could increase the cost of large infrastructure projects by more than $12 billion per year.

The study states that, among Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) countries, total expenditures on public procurement accounted for 12.9 per cent of gross domestic product in 2021.

In Canada, that number was slightly higher, at 13.4 per cent, highlighting how the Canadian government’s purchases of goods and services are a significant part of the Canadian economy, larger than the OECD average.

The study states that following trade tensions between Canada and the U.S., Canada had only engaged in public procurement “more sparingly.”

Now, with Canada’s new policy, this practice has grown in Canada due to public procurement, which refers to “the purchase by governments and state-owned enterprises of goods, services and works.”

The study states that the “Buy Canadian” policy “creates tighter controls to avoid tariff jumping,” which refers to foreign firms avoiding tariffs by establishing a formal local presence.

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As a result, the study finds that the federal policy “proposes a form of bid preference whereby Canadian suppliers are treated as being cheaper for the purpose of evaluating their bids.”

It is also noted that provincial governments have engaged with “similar types of procurement protectionism.”

2:02
Carney’s new defence strategy aims to reduce reliance on U.S.

The study references a program created in California that offered resident small businesses a five per cent bid preference over non-resident firms. As a result, total procurement costs rose on these projects by 3.6 per cent, while larger firms that were more competitive left the market.

Therefore, it is suggested that Canada could adopt a system similar to California’s for all procurement spending. It is estimated that costs per Canadian would increase between $124 and $320.

In addition, the study suggests that “as governments grow larger, individual accountability weakens, responsibility becomes more diffuse, and coordination among monitors deteriorates, all of which increases the scope for corrupt behaviour.”

“Procurement protectionism exacerbates this problem, as less competition means larger possible rents for winning firms, which can in turn offer to share some of the spoils with politicians and bureaucrats,” the study states.

“Procurement protectionism ends up reducing competition for bids, leading to costlier projects and less efficient results. In the end, taxpayers and service consumers are left worse off.”

Enacted in December 2025, the policy aims to make “Canada its own best customer by strengthening domestic industries, supporting Canadian workers, and building a more resilient and diversified economy in a rapidly changing global trade environment.”

2:19
Business Matters: Why the ‘buy Canadian’ movement could ramp up during trade talks

The policy currently applies to “large, strategic procurements valued at $25 million and over,” and will “expand to contracts valued at $5 million and above by spring 2026.”

With “Buy Canadian” in action, the federal government states that it is “leveraging federal procurement as a strategic economic tool, the Buy Canadian Policy strengthens Canada’s industrial capacity, supports domestic workers and businesses, and positions Canada to compete more effectively in global markets, now and for the long term.”

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A new report says B.C. small businesses suffered the worst sales decline in Canada in the last quarter of 2025.

The report by Xero Small Business Insights says that small business sales fell 8.2 per cent in B.C., which was double the national average of 4.1 per cent.

Business Improvement Areas of British Columbia says that small businesses are facing rising operating costs, declining consumer spending and ongoing public safety challenges.

The organization says that the B.C. government’s recent budget decision to expand the Provincial Sales Tax to cover additional services will further increase the cost of doing business.

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“The role of government is to enable and get out of the way and the challenge we’ve got right now is this government is not listening to businesses in B.C., they’re making their own decisions, and B.C. is inhibiting the expansion and vibrancy of business,” Jeremy Heighton with Business Improvement Areas of British Columbia told Global News.

1:44
BC business community criticizes PST changes

B.C.’s Jobs Minister Ravi Kahlon said he disagrees with the numbers in the Xero report, saying that Stats Canada numbers show that B.C. is leading the country in active businesses and retail sales.

“We always welcome more information,” Kahlon said. “We are leading the ease of doing business right now, we are chairing the national table to cut red tape across the country by allowing interprovincial trade, and we welcome any advice that friends in the business community have.”

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Saskatchewan drivers are in for a unfortunate surprise after further escalation in the Middle East.

According to Devan Mescall, a professor specializing in accounting at the University of Saskatchewan, 30 per cent of the world’s oil makes its way through the Strait of Hormuz.

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With the supply being affected following the tensions in the Middle East, however, gas prices and other goods could be subject to inflation.

With unpredictability around how long the conflict will go on, it’s uncertain what the future effects on gas prices will be.

Sania Ali shares more details in the video above.

The chief executive of Capital Power Corp. is expressing enthusiasm about opportunities to power new data centres in Alberta, as the province prepares to hammer out rules for connecting more projects to the grid without jeopardizing consumer reliability and affordability.

“The market environment is increasingly becoming more attractive for Alberta. The pace at which the announcements are coming out may not be at the pace that the market is expecting,” Avik Dey told analysts on a conference call Wednesday to discuss the company’s fourth-quarter results.

“But I think below the surface, the work that’s being done to facilitate new generation coming in… has been in some ways leading North America.

“We continue to be excited about it, and frankly more excited today than I’ve been at any other point in time.”

Data centres are enormous facilities that house the computing firepower needed for artificial intelligence and other applications. Such operations require massive amounts of energy to run and cool the computer servers.

The Alberta government aims to attract $100 billion in data centre development by the end of this decade, hoping to lure tech behemoths like Meta Platforms Inc.

Some power generators have been looking at opportunities to provide power exclusively to a tech partner, while others have been eyeing options to add more juice to the overall grid.

The province aims to fast track the “bring your own power” proposals through the regulatory process.

1:43
Surging growth continues in Albertas tech sector

The Alberta Electric System Operator is allowing the connection of up to 1,200 megawatts of large-load projects until 2028 — a small fraction of what had been requested — so as not to compromise reliability.

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That capacity has been snapped up by TransAlta and a joint-venture between Pembina Pipeline Ltd. and Kineticor.

The grid operator is consulting industry as it develops a long-term plan to enable more data centre investment without overburdening the province’s power system.

Capital Power has said its Genesee Generating Station west of Edmonton would be an ideal spot for a data centre partner to set up shop.

“I could not be more emphatic about the fact that we think we’ve got a world-class site that can materially increase generation,” Dey said.

He said its access to land, water and transmission infrastructure makes Genesee “probably one of the most attractive generation sites anywhere in North America” with an ability to expand.

In December, Capital Power announced a memorandum of understanding with New York-based Apollo Funds to form a US$3-billion investment partnership to buy U.S. merchant natural gas power assets.

Separately, it said it had entered into a binding MOU to negotiate a 250-megawatt electricity supply agreement with an unidentified investment-grade data centre developer in Alberta with an expected 2028 start date.

1:54
Power grid reliability risks rising as demand outpaces new supply: NERC report

Earlier Wednesday, Capital Power reported a $13-million net loss for the fourth quarter, compared to net earnings attributable to shareholders of $240 million a year earlier.

The loss amounted to 12 cents per share versus a profit of $1.75 per diluted share during the final three months of 2024.

The Edmonton-based utility says its revenues and other income were $1.08 billion, an increase from $853 million in the prior-year quarter

Adjusted funds from operations rose to $244 million from $182 million year-over-year.

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One year after the U.S. sparked a global trade war with repeated rounds of tariffs, more than half of Canada’s small businesses say the U.S. is no longer a reliable trading partner, according to the latest data.

A report released Wednesday by the Canadian Federation of Independent Business (CFIB) shows that 52 per cent of business owners surveyed agreed with this sentiment.

Three-quarters of small businesses that participated, or 75 per cent, said tariffs have strained their relationship with U.S. partners or clients, which is up from 49 per cent a year ago.

U.S. President Donald Trump last year imposed tariffs on goods imported from virtually all countries. The unpredictable nature of Trump’s foreign relations and trade policies has led to uncertainty for consumers, businesses and governments alike.

“Small businesses have faced massive uncertainty since the trade battle began last year,” Dan Kelly, CFIB president, said in the report.

“Small business owners have been dealing with the whiplash of trying to keep up with sudden changes and threats, including many that don’t happen or are revised within hours. With CUSMA coming up for review in the months ahead, the stakes are even higher.”

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The CFIB’s report was based on data from two surveys conducted in December 2025 and February, and featured 1,379 and 1,663 participants, respectively. The organization says Ottawa needs to do more to help small businesses impacted by tariffs.

“Small business owners are telling us they feel abandoned in dealing with tariff costs,” Michelle Auger, CFIB director of trade and marketplace competitiveness, said in the report.

“With fewer people starting businesses, we can’t afford to overlook the ones we have. Ottawa needs to step up and find better ways to help.”

1:06
Carney announces $80M tariff relief for businesses in Atlantic Canada

The manufacturing sector has been most impacted by tariffs in Canada, including steel and aluminum, lumber, automobiles and auto parts.

Most other products and services are exempt from tariffs so long as they conform to the terms of the current Canada-United States-Mexico Agreement (CUSMA), but that’s up for review later this year.

Twenty-seven per cent of businesses are hurt by tariffs on non-CUSMA-compliant goods, according to the CFIB, and 68 per cent of Canadian small business owners participating in the surveys report being negatively affected by U.S. tariffs.

The federal and provincial governments, as well as business owners large and small, have been working to diversify trading partners to avoid immediate tariff impacts and to mitigate future trade shocks.

Prime Minister Mark Carney recently wrapped up trips to China and India and is currently in Australia to help establish these renewed trade relationships.

Tariffs have essentially stunted business growth in Canada, with GDP rising less than two per cent in 2025. Annualized economic growth of two per cent has been the standard in Canada for each of the previous two years.

Multiple rounds of job cuts in Canada’s impacted sectors have also been a direct result of tariffs, with General Motors and Algoma Steel being a couple of the most recent examples.

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