We’re starting off the newsletter with an update on nuclear waste.

Treaty 3’s grand chief is warning Ottawa it cannot “legislate itself out of its constitutional duties” after the federal government moved to designate the proposed nuclear waste repository in northwestern Ontario as a national interest project last week.

In a letter to Prime Minister Mark Carney published Monday, Ogichidaa Francis Kavanaugh says he is “very committed” to working with the Major Projects Office on this project, but warned against designation.

The Building Canada Act (BCA) designation would allow the Carney government to expedite parts of the review process, though the act cannot influence the independent Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission assessment.

“The [deep geological repository, DGR] is imposing an enormous ask on the Nation and Treaty 3 First Nations… Canada is now imposing even more by initiating the BCA process,” reads part of the letter.

Kavanaugh said designating the project would create regulatory uncertainty, increase the risk of errors and could lead to poor outcomes.

Aya Dufour has more.

Also, low to median-income households across four provinces may soon see a cheaper electricity bill, thanks to the Canada Greener Homes Affordability Program.

Energy Minister Tim Hodgson and Environment Minister Julie Dabrusin announced Monday the program’s expansion to Quebec, British Columbia, Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island — as well as Manitoba, which builds on an existing partnership.

“When we use energy more wisely, we reduce pressures on supplies, we make our systems more reliable, we protect people and businesses from volatility and disruption,” Hodgson said at the International Energy Agency conference in Montreal.

Under the Canada Greener Homes Affordability Program (CGHAP), over $500 million in funding —  $300 million of which is federal — will be directed to help over 35,000 low and median-income households to install heat pumps, better insulation, improved air sealing and other upgrades.

The program is a rebrand from its previous version launched in 2021, which focused on granting loans to homeowners, targeting moderate or middle income families and households.

Read more from Sydney Ko. 

Two days away from the CUSMA review deadline, Canada’s former chief trade negotiator said Monday he doesn’t expect Ottawa to reach a tariff deal with Washington before the U.S. midterm elections.

Steve Verheul told an online business audience Monday that there could be a window when U.S. President Donald Trump and his administration are looking for a political win before American voters head to the polls in the fall.

“If that happens, there’s a possibility for it to come together,” Verheul said.

“But I think it’s more likely that the discussions will continue beyond the midterms and possibly even into next year.”

Verheul led talks for Canada during the renegotiation of the North American free trade pact during U.S. President Donald Trump’s first term. He’s now principal at the public affairs agency GT & Co.

He was speaking Monday at an event for Bank of Montreal clients charting the trade outlook ahead of July 1, when the review of the Canada-U.S.-Mexico agreement on trade, or CUSMA, formally kicks off.

Read more from the Canadian Press. 

In Other Headlines

Internationally

Elsewhere, a strong aftershock has rattled northern Venezuela, sending terrified residents racing on to the streets five days after the twin earthquakes that killed 1,719 people, left tens of thousands missing and triggered a growing humanitarian emergency.

The aftershock early on Monday – which the US Geological Survey measured at a magnitude of 4.6 – shook the capital, Caracas, and the devastated port city of La Guaira, where rescue crews are still hoping to pull as many survivors as possible from the rubble. Colombia’s geological survey put the aftershock’s magnitude at 5.1.

Although Jorge Rodríguez, the leader of the Venezuelan national assembly, said there were no immediate reports of new damage, the trembling earth and sounding of quake sirens brought fresh panic to Caracas and La Guaira.

“I was asleep when the shaking woke me up. It felt almost as strong as Wednesday’s earthquake, even though I hadn’t felt the other aftershocks,” said Amarelis Mendoza, a resident of El Hatillo in Caracas.

The Guardian has more. 

Meanwhile, President Trump said talks with Iran would resume Tuesday in Qatar, despite the two sides trading attacks in the Gulf over the weekend. Iran did not confirm whether it will participate in the next round of meetings to advance an interim peace deal.

The latest exchange of strikes began when Iran attacked a cargo ship on Thursday near Oman, just outside the Strait of Hormuz, setting off attacks by the U.S. in response and counterstrikes by Iran at U.S. military and naval bases in Kuwait and Bahrain, respectively.

Despite the attacks, Trump wrote on social media Monday that Iran had requested a meeting, and said it will take place in Doha, Qatar, on Tuesday.

Qatar and Pakistan mediated the high-level talks between U.S. and Iranian officials in Switzerland two weeks ago, which paved the way for more negotiations on the terms of the deal.

Read more from NPR. 

In Other International Headlines

The Kicker

Good news for Studio Ghibli fans: Toronto has officially been Spirited Away.

The stage adaptation of “Spirited Away” will premiere in Toronto’s Princess of Wales Theatre from May 6 to Aug. 15, 2027.

Still a while away, but fans will get to see Hayao Miyazaki’s Oscar-winning animated film about a girl drawn into a magical world ruled by spirits, in real life.

The Canadian Press has more.