Federal government: 1)Federal government moving to ban kids under 16 from social media as Digital Safety Act heads to Parliament; 2)Carney says opening of Gordie Howe Bridge an important symbol of Canada-U.S. ties; 3)Carney announces national food security strategy meant to expand choice, lower prices

Courtesy Barrie360.com

By Logan Miller, June 9, 2026

The federal government is expected to bar children under 16 from social media platforms when it introduces new legislation as early as Wednesday.

The government gave notice Tuesday that it will introduce a bill “to enact the Digital Safety Act and the Digital Safety Commission of Canada Act.” Culture Minister Marc Miller is leading the file.

“It’s obvious why it’s a priority. Kids are dying,” Miller told reporters on Parliament Hill.

What the Digital Safety Act is expected to include

Federal ministers declined to share details before the bill’s formal introduction, citing parliamentary rules. But according to reporting from The Globe and Mail and National Post, the legislation will include a ban on social media for children under 16, with an exemption process available to platforms that meet defined safety standards.

Ottawa’s AI strategy, released last week, also signalled that separate legislation addressing the safety of AI chatbots is coming.

The bill arrives as other countries are moving toward similar restrictions, and amid growing scrutiny over the online activity of the Tumbler Ridge, B.C. mass shooter, who is reported to have had interactions with ChatGPT.

A second attempt at online safety legislation

This is not the government’s first push on this issue. A 2024 online harms bill introduced by the Liberals would have created a digital safety commission to oversee and enforce the rules. That bill never became law before the 2025 election was called.

Government House leader Steven MacKinnon said the conditions are different this time.

“There’s a great realization in society that there are negative effects from social media use, maybe particularly among our youth, and this bill, when it’s tabled, will seek to address that,” he said.

Justice Minister Sean Fraser echoed the government’s framing, saying the goal is to “ensure that we are being responsible when it comes to protecting kids in particular.”

MacKinnon called online safety legislation a priority for the current government.

*This report includes information from The Canadian Press, first published June 9, 2026.

2)Carney says opening of Gordie Howe Bridge an important symbol of Canada-U.S. ties

Courtesy Barrie369.com and Canadian Press

By David Baxter, June 9, 2026

Prime Minister Mark Carney says it’s good news that the Gordie Howe Bridge between Windsor, Ont., and Detroit will be opened at the end of the week.

Carney says the bridge is an important symbol of the enduring strength of the bilateral relationship, which has been strained by the ongoing trade war.

A ribbon-cutting ceremony for the bridge, jointly owned by the governments of Canada and Michigan, is expected to take place Friday.

The immediate future of the bridge was cast in doubt when U.S. President Donald Trump insisted in a social media post in February that the United States would have to be compensated before he would allow it to open.

Carney did not say this morning whether Canada offered any concessions to get the bridge opened.

The project has long faced pushback from members of the Moroun family, who own the competing Ambassador Bridge.

— With files from Kelly Geraldine Malone in Washington.

3)Carney announces national food security strategy meant to expand choice, lower prices

Courtesy Barrie360.com and Canadian Press

By Jim Bronskill, June 11, 2026

Prime Minister Mark Carney arrives at the Ontario Food Terminal in Toronto before announcing a national food security strategy aimed at lowering grocery prices and increasing Canadian food production.

The Liberal government has announced a national food security strategy aimed at giving Canadians more access to locally produced fruit, vegetables and other fresh items at lower prices.

The plan outlined Thursday is intended to change the way food is bought, sold, transported and distributed in Canada to better support farmers, small independent players and consumers.

The government says the strategy is backed by more than $3 billion in investments over 10 years.

It includes $1 billion for infrastructure — including food terminals and hubs — to help independent grocers compete with large retailers by making it easier for them to buy from farmers and food processors.

The government promises initiatives to help small- and medium-sized processors modernize and increase productivity so they can compete in the global marketplace while attracting investment from major manufacturers.

Ottawa also has earmarked $750 million for greenhouses and hydroponics to expand year-round Canadian production of fruits and vegetables, including in rural and northern communities.

The government also plans to speed up approvals for seeds, feed, fertilizers and veterinary products, and to reduce backlogs that slow down the system.

Canada is one of the world’s largest exporters of agri-food products and its farmers, ranchers and producers send $100 billion worth of goods abroad every year, Prime Minister Mark Carney said Thursday.

“We are an agricultural superpower. Yet for most Canadians, it doesn’t feel like that at the checkout counter,” Carney said at a food terminal in the Toronto suburb of Etobicoke.

Grocery prices have gone up by nearly 35 per cent since 2019, he said.

“And today, the average Canadian family spends about $10,000 a year on groceries — more than $800 a month. There are multiple reasons,” he added.

“One of them is that while Canadian farmers, ranchers and producers are producing enormous amounts of food, we’re relying on other countries to process a lot of it.

“At the same time, we all know our growing seasons are too short to keep up with year-round demand.”

Carney said Canada relies on other countries for essential foods, meaning it imports nearly 90 per cent of its supply of fresh fruit and nuts and more than 70 per cent of its vegetables.

“We’re going to grow more at home, process more at home, and feed more Canadians with Canadian food,” he said.

“Our national food strategy will help create a strong, stable food system in Canada, from the farm to the grocery store to your dinner table.”

The government says five large retailers dominate 75 per cent of Canada’s grocery market, along with much of the system for distributing food.

It says independent grocers can’t compete because they often depend on competitors for supply and may also face restrictions on where they can operate.

The strategy says farmers need more places to sell their products and smaller, independent grocers need more places to find product for their stores so they can compete with large retailers.

“Consumers need more affordable choices when they shop, and people in rural, remote and northern communities need better access to fresh produce at reasonable prices,” the strategy document says.

“We need to reduce our dependence on other countries by processing more of the food we grow and use new technologies to grow the foods we cannot currently grow at scale year-round.”

Restaurants Canada welcomed the strategy, calling it an important step toward strengthening the country’s food system.

“We were encouraged to see several of the priorities Restaurants Canada advanced during consultations reflected in the final strategy,” said Kelly Higginson, president and CEO of the industry group.

“Food security depends on strong domestic production and processing capacity, efficient distribution networks, competitive markets and reliable access to food. The strategy recognizes the importance of strengthening each of those elements.”