In the news today: Public servants losing confidence, major agribusiness merger

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 03/07/2025 (266 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Here is a roundup of stories from The Canadian Press designed to bring you up to speed…

Public servants’ confidence in their bosses drops

Confidence federal public servants have in their senior managers has fallen in recent years, a new survey suggests.

The 2024 Public Service Employee Survey said 55 per cent of public servants have confidence in senior management at their department or agency, down from 64 per cent in 2022 and 68 per cent in 2020.

Almost two-thirds of respondents in the new survey said senior managers in their department or agency model ethical behaviour.

Almost half said they make effective and timely decisions, and that essential information flows effectively from senior management to staff.

Supply management bill may not save it from Trump

A new law meant to protect supply management might not be enough to shield the system in trade talks with a Trump administration bent on eliminating it, trade experts say.

“It’s certainly more difficult to strike a deal with the United States now with the passage of this bill that basically forces Canada to negotiate with one hand tied behind its back,” said William Pellerin, a trade lawyer and partner at the firm McMillan LLP.

“Now that we’ve removed the digital service tax, dairy and supply management is probably the number 1 trade irritant that we have with the United States. That remains very much unresolved.”

When Trump briefly paused trade talks with Canada on June 27 over the digital services tax — shortly before Ottawa capitulated by dropping the tax — he zeroed in on Canada’s system of supply management.

Canada urged to deter exits from landmine treaty

Canadian advocates are urging Ottawa to protect the 1997 treaty Canada brokered to stop the use of landmines, as six countries on Europe’s eastern flank move toward using the explosive weapons.

“I’m deeply concerned about this,” said Sen. Marilou McPhedran. “Thousands and thousands of lives have been saved because of this treaty.”

Global Affairs Canada says it’s in talks with countries moving away from the Anti-Personnel Mine Ban Convention, often referred to as the Ottawa Treaty, which since 1999 has banned the use, production, stockpiling and transfer of anti-personnel landmines.

Since then, Canada has spent millions of dollars to help rid the world of landmines that overwhelmingly injure and maim civilians and children, including in Ukraine.

Viterra, Bunge $8.2B merger officially completed

Bunge announced its successful merger with Viterra Limited, forming what they anticipate will be a leading global agribusiness company specializing in food, feed, and fuel. 

This US$8.2-billion deal was finalized nearly six months after the Canadian government approved the merger, having included specific terms and conditions to address competition concerns. 

According to a media release, Bunge’s CEO, Greg Heckman, stated that this union creates a more robust organization with enhanced capabilities and expertise. 

Viterra, a grain-handling business formerly known as the Saskatchewan Wheat Pool, operates over 80 facilities across Canada.

Quebec language office gives all-clear on ‘go’

Quebec’s language watchdog has changed its tune on whether it’s acceptable to use the word “go” to cheer on sports teams.

In a new guideline posted in its online dictionary, the Office québécois de la langue française says that while “allez” is the preferred term, it’s now “partially legitimized” to use the English word to show encouragement.

The flip-flop comes after the office took a hard line with Montreal’s transit agency, pressing it for months in 2024 to scrub the word “go” from the electronic signs on more than 1,000 city buses.

The watchdog confirmed it had changed its position after The Canadian Press obtained a series of emails through access to information legislation, revealing it gave the transit agency a green light to use “go” in June.

Exotic pet warning after second B.C. boa search

Inspector Drew Milne of the British Columbia Conservation Officer Service likened it to finding a needle in a haystack — the haystack being a 137-hectare park on Vancouver Island, and the needle being a 1.5-metre-long boa constrictor.

But searchers for the snake had a reliable witness, and cool conditions last week in the area suggested it was unlikely the cold-blooded reptile could have slithered far from where it was seen in Miracle Beach Provincial Park, about 250 kilometres northwest of Victoria.

“We narrowed down a location where we felt it probably would have been based upon our understanding of the snake, its behaviour, and the location,” said Milne, describing how the snake was found last Thursday.

“We found it within seconds. I had just grabbed that snake and was pulling it out of the bush.”

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This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 3, 2025