Year in review: A look at events in June 2025

By Canadian Press on December 15, 2025.

A look at news events in June 2025:

1 – Prime Minister Mark Carney named Marc-Andre Blanchard as his permanent chief of staff. Blanchard was Canada’s former ambassador to the United Nations between 2016 and 2020 and most recently served as the executive vice-president for a Quebec-based investment firm. Blanchard will start in July once former cabinet minister Marco Mendicino’s time as interim chief of staff comes to an end.

1 – Canada Post rejected the Canadian Union of Postal Workers request for binding arbitration to end its labour dispute. The union representing 55,000 Canada Post workers had invited the Crown corporation to a fair, final and binding arbitration process to resolve negotiations that have dragged on for months without producing a new collective agreement. Canada Post dismissed the proposal saying it wants to “restore stability” to the postal service and arguing the union’s request for binding arbitration would do the opposite. The postal service says arbitration would be long and complicated and would likely last more than a year, adding to what it described as its significant financial challenges.

1 – Alberta and Saskatchewan signed agreements with Ontario to remove trade barriers before meeting with Prime Minister Mark Carney to discuss plans to supercharge Canada’s economy. The memorandum of understanding between Saskatchewan and Ontario sees both provinces mutually recognize each other’s goods, workers and investment. Alberta’s government said its MOU with Ontario not only seeks to improve the free flow of goods and services but also simplifies requirements for regulated professions such as skilled trades. Both deals were signed in Saskatoon ahead of a first ministers meeting in the city.

1 – New rules took effect in Quebec requiring French to be the dominant language on store signs, also imposing stricter guidelines for product packaging. French must now take up twice as much space as other languages on store signs in Quebec. The Quebec vice-president of the Canadian Federation of Independent Business said with rule violations costing companies up to $30,000 per day, fines can add up. The changes are part of Quebec’s 2022 overhaul of its French-language law, known as Bill 96.

2 – Hudson’s Bay stores were officially closed. The 355-year-old company declared bankruptcy earlier this year and moved to liquidate merchandise at all 80 of its stores nationwide. The closure comes as the company is set to return to court tomorrow to ask a judge to approve a $30-million deal it signed with Canadian Tire Corporation to buy the rights to HBC’s intellectual property.

2 – Manitoba politicians struck a last-minute deal to fast-track a bill that loosens up interprovincial trade before the summer break. The NDP pushed for quick passage of the bill to meet a July 1 deadline, despite skipping normal public hearings. The bill aims to keep in line with the national push to cut trade barriers and respond to U.S. tariffs. Tory Leader Obby Khan backed down on proposed amendments to the bill, but called for unity against American protectionism. Over 30 other bills also passed, including protections for gender expression and expanded school nutrition programs.

3 – The federal government tabled a wide-ranging bill that further tightened the Canada-U.S. border. The Liberals said the legislation would give authorities new powers to search mail and allow officials to pause or cancel immigration applications more easily. It said the aim is to keep borders secure, combat transnational organized crime and stop the flow of illegal fentanyl. It’s part of Canada’s effort to persuade the U.S. that Canada is doing enough to stop the southbound flow of drugs and migrants. President Donald Trump blamed fentanyl and irregular migration to justify tariffs on Canadian imports.

3 – Canadian Tire’s historic $30-million purchase of Hudson’s Bay trademarks will go ahead. An Ontario judge granted permission for the deal. This gave Canadian Tire the rights to the Bay’s intellectual property, including its name and iconic stripes. Court documents showed the agreement also included the Bay’s Distinctly Home brand, trademarks like “Bay Days” and the Zellers catchphrase “lowest price is the law.”

3 – Outspoken liberal leader Lee Jae-myung was elected South Korea’s new president. The vote capped off one of the most turbulent chapters in the nation’s young democracy. Lee succeeds Yoon Suk Yeol, a conservative who was felled over his stunning yet brief imposition of martial law in December. The toughest external challenges facing South Korea’s new president include U.S. tariff policy and North Korea’s advancing nuclear program.

4 – Tariffs on Canadian steel and aluminum heading into the U.S. have doubled to 50 per cent. U.S. President Donald Trump signed the order while calling it a “national security” move. Prime Minister Mark Carney says the tariff increase is unjustified.

4 – Marc Garneau, the first Canadian in space, who then went on to become a high-profile federal politician, died. He was 76 years old. Garneau was an author and a pioneer in Canada’s space program, serving as president of the Canadian Space Agency before serving as a Liberal member of Parliament between 2008 and 2023.

5 – Nova Scotia Premier Tim Houston floated the idea of dramatically ramping up his province’s offshore wind energy industry. Houston’s plan is called “Wind West” and calls for building enough offshore wind turbines to supply 27 per cent of Canada’s total demand for electricity.

6 – Vancouver police said a man has been arrested after driving a vehicle into the Pacific Coliseum arena. The incident happened just after 8 p.m. local time while a Cirque du Soleil show was taking place. Police said nobody was injured and a 30-year-old man from Vancouver was taken into custody under the Mental Health Act. The crash comes 40 days after a ramming attack on the Lapu Lapu Day festival in Vancouver that killed 11 people and injured dozens.

6 – Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi accepted an invitation from Prime Minister Mark Carney to attend the G7 summit in Alberta this month. Modi said India and Canada will work together with “renewed vigour.” Tensions between both nations have been high ever since former prime minister Justin Trudeau alleged agents of the Indian government were involved in the killing of a Sikh activist on Canadian soil two years ago.

6 – British Columbia launched a $5-million ad campaign to lure U.S. doctors and nurses north. B.C.’s Ministry of Health says the six-week campaign launched in Washington, Oregon and California.

7 – The governor of the Bank of Canada said the central bank’s mandate needs to evolve in a more shock-prone world. The central bank is attempting to keep inflation under control in the face of U.S. tariffs, but Tiff Macklem said that’s not the only thing he’s focused on. Macklem is defending the bank sticking to its 2 per cent inflation target, saying the target worked well through the pandemic and it’s not time to change it now.

8 – Canadian Armed Forces were to be deployed to help evacuate a northwestern Ontario First Nation confronted by wildfires rapidly spreading in the region. Prime Minister Mark Carney said in a social media post that Ottawa is responding to an urgent request in and around Sandy Lake First Nation. A blaze near Deer Lake First Nation is out of control and more than 1,500 square kilometres in size.

9 – Carlos Alcaraz won his second straight French Open title in a dramatic, five-set thriller. The Spaniard rallied from two sets down and saved three match points to beat top-ranked Jannik Sinner at Roland Garros yesterday for his fifth major title in as many finals. It was one of the greatest comebacks in the history of the clay-court tournament. It was also the longest final in French Open history at five hours, 29 minutes.

10 – Montreal Canadiens defenceman Lane Hutson was named the NHL rookie of the year. The 21-year-old was surprised with this season’s Calder trophy at a dinner among his friends and family. He led rookies in scoring with six goals and 60 assists in his inaugural NHL season as the Canadiens made a surprise return to the playoffs this season. Members of the Professional Hockey Writers Association voted to give him the award.

10 – A Quebec Superior Court judge said Montreal billionaire Robert Miller is too sick to stand trial on 24 sex-related charges. The judge stayed the criminal charges against the founder of global electronics distributor Future Electronics. The 81-year-old is suffering from Parkinson’s disease. He was arrested last year on almost two dozen charges involving 10 complainants, many of whom were minors at the time of the alleged offences between 1994 and 2016.

11 – Some of the biggest names in music were grieving the loss of Beach Boys co-founder Brian Wilson. Rolling Stones guitarist Ronnie Wood writes on social media that the death of Wilson and Sly Stone in one week has left his world in mourning. Nancy Sinatra has posted that singing “California Girls” with Wilson was one of the biggest thrills of her life. Wilson’s family says he died at age 82.

11 – Saskatchewan’s premier promised an extra $500 for each of his province’s wildfire evacuees. Premier Scott Moe announced the cash after a scathing ombudsman’s report on delays in help for some of the 10,000 people forced from their homes.

12 – The husband of a Canadian said he believed his wife was on board the London-bound flight that crashed in northwestern India today, killing about 270 people. The spouse of Mississauga dentist Nirali Sureshkumar Patel said she was on the aircraft that smashed into a medical college hostel in Ahmedabad — a city located in northwestern India. Among the dead were at least five students staying at the hostel. A local hospital is reporting it has received 186 bodies with at least one survivor who walked away from the disaster with multiple injuries but is out of life-threatening danger.

12 – Winnipeg Jets goaltender Connor Hellebuyck won the Hart Trophy as the NHL’s most valuable player and the Vézina Trophy as the league’s top netminder. Hellebuyck is the first goalie to claim the Hart since Montreal’s Carey Price a decade ago. The 32-year-old from Commerce, Mich., topped the stats page this season with a 47-12-3 record and a point 925 save percentage.

13 – Israel and Iran continued to exchange fire across the Middle East, with the latest strikes in Jerusalem. Warning sirens could be heard across Israeli cities as the country’s military confirms attacks from Iran have been taking place. Iran’s ambassador to the UN said ongoing attacks by Israel on nuclear sites, top generals and scientists killed 78 people and wounded more than 320 over the past 24 hours. Israel’s paramedic service said at least 34 people were wounded in Iranian retaliatory strikes in Tel Aviv. Canada is condemning Iran’s attack on Israel and is calling for de-escalation by both countries in the region. Iran also reported that two more of its high-ranking generals have been confirmed killed during earlier Israeli strikes.

13 – Alberta announced it will soon make most residents pay if they want a COVID-19 shot, starting this fall. The provincial government said residents who are not immunocompromised or on social programs will have to pay for the vaccine. Alberta said about 54 per cent of its COVID-19 vaccine supply for the 2023-24 respiratory virus season wasn’t used. The province said each vaccine dose costs $110 and it wants to cut down on waste.

14 – Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz said former state House Speaker Melissa Hortman and her husband were fatally shot in a politically motivated assassination. Walz said Sen. John Hoffman and his wife were also shot and wounded at their home just 15 kilometres away as authorities actively search for a suspect hours after the targeted killings. Officials said the suspect was posing as a law enforcement officer. The suspect was identified as a former political appointee who served on the same state workforce development board as Hoffman. The FBI was offering a $50,000 reward for information leading to an arrest.

14 – U.S. President Donald Trump and members of his cabinet saluted tanks, troops and marching bands at a $45-million military parade in Washington commemorating the 250th anniversary of the U.S. army. Thousands of Americans around the country today are countering the military pageantry by displaying another kind of power: peaceful protest. It’s estimated there were 2,000 protests of all sizes in every state. The rallies began hours before the Washington parade and put people out into the streets and parks around the nation to decry the Republican president as a dictator or would-be king.

14 – The Quebec Liberals chose Pablo Rodriguez to lead the party into the October 2026 provincial election. The former federal cabinet minister won the party’s leadership contest after two rounds of voting, beating Charles Milliard, former head of the Federation of Quebec Chambers of Commerce, with just over 52 per cent of votes cast.

14 – Director Shawn Levy, rock band Our Lady Peace, and golf star Mike Weir were among the famous Canadians honoured with a star on Canada’s Walk of Fame. The induction gala also celebrated the accomplishments of guitarist Liona Boyd, actress Tonya Williams, cardiovascular surgeon Doctor Tirone David, War Child Canada founder Doctor Samantha Nutt and hotelier Isadore Sharp. The Toronto International Film Festival also received a star while celebrating 50 years of shaping Canada’s film industry.

15 – Canadian fighter jets were deployed to intercept a private, civilian plane that violated restricted airspace above Kananaskis, where G7 leaders gather for meetings. RCMP said in a news release that a fixed-wing Canadian aircraft entered the restricted area, alerting Norad’s Canadian region. The release said steps were taken to gain the pilot’s attention, and “final warning measures” were used to contact the pilot and have them safely land under their power. A spokesperson said the jets fired warning flares before the plane was met on the ground by police.

16 – Canada-U.S. Trade Minister Dominic LeBlanc said a meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump was productive. He said Trump and Prime Minister Mark Carney spoke about several issues, including the situation in the Middle East and tariffs. Canada’s Ambassador to the U.S. Kirsten Hillman said Trump is “very convinced” tariffs are the best way to achieve his policy goals.

16 – Hockey Canada named the first six players to its preliminary men’s hockey roster for the Milan Olympics next year. The players are Connor McDavid, Sidney Crosby, Nathan MacKinnon, Cale Makar, Brayden Point and Sam Reinhart. The rest of the roster will be finalized later. The tournament begins Feb. 11.

17 – Prime Minister Mark Carney outlined more than $4 billion in new support for Ukraine’s defence. About half of the money is for weapons like drones and ammunition while the rest Canada is lending Ukraine to help the country rebuild its infrastructure. The announcement came as Carney met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on the sidelines of the G7 summit in Alberta. Canada also announced a new sanctions package targeting Russia’s shadow fleet and energy revenues.

17 – The Florida Panthers extended Canada’s three-decade-long Cup drought – and once again, at the expense of the Edmonton Oilers. Sam Reinhart of North Vancouver scored four goals, including two empty netters, as the Panthers won their second straight championship with a 5-1, home-ice win over Edmonton to take the series in six games. Oilers captain Connor McDavid says his crew was simply outplayed. The Panthers’ Sam Bennett won the Conn Smythe Trophy as playoff MVP, scoring 15 times to lead all playoff scorers this season.

18 – Iran’s supreme leader rejected U.S. calls for surrender in the face of blistering Israeli strikes and warned that any military involvement by the Americans would cause “irreparable damage” to them. A state TV anchor read the remarks from Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who has only been seen once since the strikes began. They came a day after President Donald Trump warned Khamenei in a social media post that America knows where he is hiding but has no plans to kill him “at least not for now.” Trump initially distanced himself from Israel’s surprise attack but in recent days has hinted at greater American involvement.

18 – Canada’s population rose to nearly 41,550,000 in the first quarter. Statistics Canada says it rose by a little over 20,000 people from January to April. It’s the smallest increase since the third quarter of 2020 when it contracted by about 1,200 people. It was the sixth consecutive quarter of slower population growth after the federal government’s decision last year to lower the levels of both temporary and permanent immigration.

19 – Mike Pemberton was named the new leader of the Yukon Liberal Party and will be the territory’s 11th premier. Pemberton won the leadership race by 13 votes against Doris Bill. A leadership convention was convened after Premier Ranj Pillai announced earlier this year that he would not seek re-election and would step down after his successor was chosen. The Liberals hold a minority government in Yukon with eight of the 19 available legislative seats.

20 – A flock of nearly 400 British Columbia ostriches that gained international fame after they were ordered killed due to an avian flu outbreak was given a stay of execution. The Federal Court of Appeal paused a cull at Universal Ostrich Farm in Edgewood, B.C., ordered by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency in December. Supporters on the farm could be seen hugging and celebrating the news. The farm’s owners said the stay would be another month during the appeal process. The CFIA has said the type of avian flu infection at the farm is a mutation not seen elsewhere in Canada and remains firm about the need to cull the herd.

21 – Police said a man from Mississauga was charged with sexually assaulting multiple girls under the age of 16. Peel Regional Police say the 28-year-old suspect is accused of communicating with the victims over social media using the screen name “-PoloPapi-“. It is alleged he “engaged in sexual relations” with them, with the incidents taking place between last September and this month. He is facing two counts each of sexual assault and sexual interference, and was also charged with assault and a breach of probation.

21 – The U.S. has struck three Iranian nuclear sites, joining an Israeli air campaign. President Donald Trump confirmed the American military strike on social media, directly joining Israel’s effort to decapitate Iran’s nuclear program, which could spark a wider regional conflict. Trump claimed it was a “very successful attack” on sites at Fordow, Natanz, and Esfahan. The president said B2 stealth bombers were used, but did not specify which types of bombs were dropped.

21 – A Quebec man was sentenced to life in prison after being found guilty of first-degree murder on all charges in a 2023 truck attack that killed three and injured nine others. Forty-year-old Steeve Gagnon learned his fate following two days of deliberations by the jury, which returned with unanimous verdicts. The Crown argued Gagnon intentionally ran down pedestrians, accelerating his truck onto the sidewalk in Amqui, about 350 km northeast of Quebec City. The accused argued the deaths were an accident in a moment of inattention when he picked up an e-cigarette from the cab of his truck.

21 – Canadian political veteran John McCallum died at age 75. A mainstay of 21st-century Canadian politics, the former cabinet minister served for three different Liberal prime ministers. McCallum’s career spanned decades of public service and private sector achievements, earning him respect from politicians on both sides of the aisle. The former chief economist at the Royal Bank of Canada and dean of arts at McGill University was first elected to the House of Commons to represent the GTA riding of Markham in 2000.

22 – Fred Smith, the founder of FedEx, died at the age of 80. FedEx started operating in 1973, delivering small parcels and documents more quickly than the postal service. Over the next half-century, Smith, a Marine Corps veteran, oversaw the growth of a company that became something of an economic bellwether because so many other companies rely on it.

22 – The debut novel from a Calgary-based author of Iranian and British descent won this year’s Stephen Leacock Memorial Medal for Humour. Natalie Sue’s “I Hope This Finds You Well” follows the story of an office worker in her early 30s who stumbles upon all of her colleagues’ private emails one day and decides to use their gossip to help save her job.

22 – A suicide bomber in Syria killed 13 people and injured at least 53 others after detonating himself inside a church filled with people. Syrian state media reported the explosion in the outskirts of Damascus took place as people were praying inside the church. The attack was the first of its kind in Syria in years. No group immediately claimed responsibility for the attack. The Syrian Interior Ministry says an extremist from the Islamic State group entered the church, fired at the people there before detonating himself with an explosives vest, echoing some witness testimonies.

22 – Canadian Shai Gilgeous-Alexander of Hamilton, Ont., and the Oklahoma City Thunder became NBA Champions. Alexander finished off his MVP season with 29 points and 12 assists in Game 7, and was also named NBA Finals MVP as the Thunder took down the Indiana Pacers 103-91. It is the second championship for the franchise, as the Seattle SuperSonics won the title back in 1979 before the team moved to Oklahoma City in 2008. The Thunder became the seventh champion in the last seven seasons.

23 – A Ukrainian journalist was released from Russian custody after four years in captivity. Ukrainian Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty said Vladyslav Yesypenko was released a day prior, after being arrested in Crimea in 2021. He was accused of gathering intelligence for Ukraine and convicted of espionage charges and was ultimately sentenced to five years in prison. During his trial, Yesypenko testified he was tortured with electric shocks to extract a false confession.

23 – Kirsty Coventry was inaugurated as president of the International Olympic Committee. She’s the first female and first African president of the IOC, and her inauguration falls on the organization’s 131st birthday. The two-time Olympic swimming gold medallist for Zimbabwe decisively won a seven-candidate election to succeed Thomas Bach as IOC president in March. Her term will last for eight years, which includes the 2028 Summer Games in Los Angeles.

23 – U.S. President Donald Trump said Iran and Israel have agreed to what he calls a “complete and total” ceasefire. He posted on social media the ceasefire would start with Iran and then be joined by Israel 12 hours later. The announcement follows Iran retaliating for the U.S. bombing its nuclear sites by launching an assault on a major U.S. military installation in Qatar. Witnesses reported seeing missiles in the skies and hearing explosions but there have been no reports of any damages.

24 – Global Affairs Canada said dozens of Canadians left the Middle East on a flight Ottawa chartered. The department said the flight from Jordan to Athens had 95 passengers, whom consular staff helped to book commercial travel back to Canada. Foreign Affairs Minister Anita Anand says Canada is also helping allied nations get their citizens out of the Middle East but the request for assistance from foreign nationals is “minimal.” The department said it has helped more than 600 Canadians, permanent residents and eligible family members leave Israel, Iran and the West Bank in the past week.

25 – Canada committed to spending five per cent of annual GDP on defence by 2035. Prime Minister Mark Carney said the new agreement made at the NATO summit in The Hague will amount to Canada’s annual defence budget ballooning to some $150 billion. Canada and 31 NATO allies also expressed their “ironclad commitment” to come to each other’s aid if attacked. But Carney said the country can no longer rely on its geography to protect it as new weapons and threats emerge on the world stage.

25 – Senate debate on the federal government’s major projects bill was briefly suspended after a senator collapsed on the floor of the chamber. Paramedics responded when Quebec Senator Patrick Brazeau collapsed sideways onto the floor after rising to speak to the bill. Bill C-5 would grant Ottawa sweeping new powers to fast-track project permits in response to the trade war with the U.S. The legislation was fast-tracked through the House of Commons and has angered Indigenous and environmental groups.

26 – The Senate passed the Liberal government’s controversial major projects bill despite the possibility of protests. Indigenous leaders have warned Bill C5 could lead to widespread demonstrations and legal challenges if Ottawa doesn’t respect their rights and title. The legislation gives Ottawa the power to sidestep environmental protections and other laws to fast-track projects meant to boost the national economy. A handful of senators tried to convince their colleagues to further strengthen protections for Indigenous Peoples in the bill, but their efforts failed.

26 – Alberta Premier Danielle Smith said her residents’ desire for leaving Canada has never been higher. Smith said a recent byelection saw a separatist candidate garner almost 18 per cent of the vote. She said that shows Albertans are deeply frustrated and angry with Ottawa. The premier says quelling Alberta separatist desire is in the prime minister’s hands, which she argues could be done by scrapping laws she says stifle energy production.

27 – U.S. President Donald Trump announced he was “terminating” trade talks with Canada and threatening new tariffs over Ottawa’s plans to implement a digital services tax at the end of the month. Trump said Washington will notify Canada about new tariff rates within the next week. The president urged Ottawa not to proceed with the tax that would apply to services like Amazon, Uber, and Airbnb. Prime Minister Mark Carney briefly responded this afternoon, saying Ottawa will continue complex U.S. trade negotiations in the best interests of Canadians.

28 – Bloc Québécois Leader Yves-Francois Blanchet blamed Prime Minister Mark Carney for Canada’s failure to get U.S. tariffs lifted. Blanchet suggested in a social media post a day prior that Carney has been distracted by legislation to fast-track the approval of major projects like oil pipelines. His post comes after U.S. President Donald Trump said all trade discussions with Canada were over because of the country’s digital sales tax. The tax is a three per cent levy on revenue from Canadian users of digital services like Amazon, Google, Meta, Uber and Airbnb.

29 – Dozens of firefighters in Surrey, B.C., battled a tough blaze after an e-bike store went up in flames on Saturday. Crews fought back thick, black smoke from outside the store for about six hours. Officials say e-bike batteries can often cause intense fires that are hard to put out. The Surrey Fire Department says it is publishing safety tips to prevent battery fires, such as avoiding cheap charging units. They remind people to keep e-bikes out of hot places to reduce fire risks.

30 – Canada rescinded its controversial digital services tax. The federal government announced a day prior that it will resume trade negotiations with the U.S., just hours before the first payment under the tax was going to come due for major tech companies like Amazon and Google. The tax would have left these companies with a US$2-billion bill. But Trump said last week he was terminating all discussions on trade with Canada over the tax and also threatened to raise tariffs in retaliation.

The Canadian Press