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Rob Tinline, British High Commissioner to Canada, kindly hosted a garden party for Canadian alumni of UK universities. I was glad to attend with other members of the @Ox.ac.uk Society in Ottawa. The overcast skies and mild drizzle were ideal, and kindled our nostalgia for our student days.

Alumni of UK universities gathering at the British High Commission in Ottawa

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Akaash Maharaj @maharaj.org · 01/10/2026

The federal government says its own environmental protection processes are slow, inefficient, and incoherent. Yet, the government has no plans to reform those processes. Instead, it wants to lower environmental standards, and to allow favoured corporations to evade protections altogether.

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Akaash Maharaj @maharaj.org · 30/09/2026

I had an impassioned conversation with Ellis Ross MP, on the federal government’s Bill C-39. Ellis is the Conservative Shadow Environment Minister, and a former Chief Councillor of the Haisla Nation.

Ellis Ross MP, Conservative Shadow Environment Minister, and Akaash Maharaj, Nature Canada Director of Policy, discussing Bill C-39 on Parliament Hill

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Akaash Maharaj @maharaj.org · 28/09/2026

I enjoyed spending time with members of Nature Saskatchewan at their autumn gathering. Meadow Lake is nestled in the boreal forest, and we explored the woods between our formal meetings. I was impressed by everyone’s passion for preserving the natural world for future generations. 🌾 naturesask.ca

A panoramic view of the St Cyr Trails, where I spent time with members of Nature Saskatchewan

The members of Nature Saskatchewan, learning about which mushrooms we should put in our pots, and which would put us in our graves

The Pietenpol Air Camper at Saskatoon’s airport is a homebuilt aeroplane, popular with air enthusiasts.

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Akaash Maharaj @maharaj.org · 25/09/2026

The Mahatma Gandhi Peace Council of Ottawa will hold its annual Peace Walk to Parliament, tomorrow. Many people in that walk disagree profoundly on the path to peace. But they will join hands in a shared conviction that peace must be our common destination, and that we can only get there together.

The Mahatma Gandhi Peace Council of Ottawa Peace Walk, on Saturday 26 September 2026, beginning at 10h00 EDT. Registration at gandhiji.ca/peace-walk-2026

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QUOI Media 🇨🇦 @quoimedia.bsky.social · 17/09/2026

Why is nature being sold off by Ottawa? Liberal Cabinet Ministers are expected to table legislation with major environmental consequences after a summer of consultation on the proposed “Extinction Papers” -- says @naturecanada.bsky.social Read more: #nature #environment #majorprojects #cdnpoli

quoimedia.com

Why is nature being sold off by Ottawa?

Liberal Cabinet Ministers are expected to table legislation with major environmental consequences after a summer of consultation

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Akaash Maharaj @maharaj.org · 16/09/2026

Parliament has been impoverished by the departure of @StevenGuilbeault.bsky.social He was one of the most forceful Environment Ministers of all time, and as one would expect in politics, he drew both admiration and vilification commensurately.

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Akaash Maharaj @maharaj.org · 15/09/2026

Potash is indispensable to American agriculture. The US government has declared the humble fertiliser as critical to national security. And the US imports 90% of its potash from Canada. I spoke with CKNW Radio, about whether potash could be Canada’s nuclear option in the American tariff war.

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Akaash Maharaj @maharaj.org · 14/09/2026

Trump’s pretext for launching his tariff war, is that the US runs a consistent trade imbalance with Canada. Last year, the US imported $48.3 billion more in goods and services from Canada, than Canada imported from the US.

Yahoo News’ Joy Joshi interviews Akaash Maharaj of the Munk School of Global Affairs, about why Americans may lose more in the trade war than Canadians.

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Akaash Maharaj @maharaj.org · 11/09/2026

The Freemen of the City of London held our annual garden party in August, under glorious summer skies in Toronto. Freedom of the City dates back to the thirteenth century. Today, it is a ceremonial distinction, binding together people who share a connection to London’s civic life and trade guilds.

The Honourable Company of Freemen of the City of London garden party in Toronto

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Akaash Maharaj @maharaj.org · 11/09/2026

Canadians and Americans share many superficial similarities, which belie our profound differences. Trump believed that access to US markets is so tantalising, that he could coerce Canada into agreeing to grinding concessions and abject submission.

AOL News article, on the collapse of the Canada-US trade negotiations, by Joy Joshi, speaking with Akaash Maharaj

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Akaash Maharaj @maharaj.org · 10/09/2026

The Iran-US war is devastating the Iranian economy, and depleting American munitions. Yet, both states continue to grapple, stab, and spit their dwindling breaths at one another. I spoke with @GlobalNews.ca’s Miranda Anthistle, on whether the war is likely to end through negotiation or exhaustion.

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Nature Canada @naturecanada.bsky.social · 08/09/2026

Nature Canada Director of Policy @akaashmaharaj.bsky.social Appointed to the Canadian Environment Domestic Advisory Group If we make this treaty succeed, we will increase prosperity for all Canadians while systematically lifting environmental standards across our country. bit.ly/4AgzzeW

naturecanada.ca

Nature Canada Director of Policy Appointed to the Canadian Environment Domestic Advisory Group (CEDAG) - Nature Canada

At the invitation of Canada’s Environment Minister, Nature Canada’s Director of Policy, Akaash Maharaj has officially joined the Canadian Environment Domestic Advisory Group (CEDAG).

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Akaash Maharaj @maharaj.org · 08/09/2026

I enjoyed speaking with UK High Commissioner to Canada, Rob Tinline, and First Secretary, Giorgia Racis, on public diplomacy. Our countries hold a responsibility to prove that pluralism can succeed: that our societies are better places when we recognise that we all share a common human dignity. 🇨🇦🇬🇧

From left to right: Rob Tinline, UK High Commissioner; Akaash Maharaj, GOPAC Ambassador-at-Large and Nature Canada Director of Policy; Giorgia Racis, UK High Commission First Secretary

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Akaash Maharaj @maharaj.org · 31/08/2026

Potash could be Canada’s single most devastating countermeasure in the US tariff war. American agriculture is critically dependent on potash to fertilise its fields. Up to 90% comes from Canada; no other country can readily meet that demand.

The National Post’s Ellie Hutchings interviews Akaash Maharaj on the role of potash in the US tariff war against Canada.

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Akaash Maharaj @maharaj.org · 28/08/2026

Diplomacy has always involved bravado and political actors playing to the crowd. It has rarely involved such a steady torrent of juvenile insults. I spoke with @YahooNews.com about why the battle of words has become the most active front in the US tariff war against Canada. 📰 per.maharaj.org/wrd

Joy Joshi of Yahoo! News speaks with Akaash Maharaj, about the escalating war of words in the broader US trade war against Canada.

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Akaash Maharaj @maharaj.org · 27/08/2026

I spoke with the @CalgaryHerald.com, about Danielle Smith’s hesitant response to the Canada-US trade war. As a provincial premier, she has a right to be cautious about any retaliatory measures that would affect her province. However, she has a responsibility to say what measures she would accept.

An excerpt from an article in the Calgary Herald, written by Hiren Mansukhian, quoting Akaash Maharaj

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Akaash Maharaj @maharaj.org · 26/08/2026

Climate wars are no longer dystopian prophecies. In Nigeria and Sudan, millions are fleeing extreme weather, and colliding with other populations. The wars have killed hundreds of thousands. But we can stop climate wars. I thank @SeniorsFCan.bsky.social for inviting me to speak at this webinar.

youtube.com

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Akaash Maharaj @maharaj.org · 24/08/2026

Flags fly over Parliament Hill for only a few days, before being retired and distributed to Canadians. The waiting list is utterly vast, and I joined it on a lark. But thirteen years later, my flag has arrived. It now flutters over my farm, a less august but no less patriotic home for it. 🇨🇦

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Akaash Maharaj @maharaj.org · 20/08/2026

I worry that too many members of Canada’s political class are rushing towards the wide gate and the broad road, to strike easy trade deals with authoritarian states that covet our resources, but scorn our ideals. I made the case for a better path forward, in The Hill Times. 📰 per.maharaj.org/trade

per.maharaj.org

Hill Times: Where should Canada turn, in turning away from Trump?

Canadians owe Donald Trump a debt of gratitude, for stripping us of any delusion that diversifying trade can wait for another day.

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Akaash Maharaj @maharaj.org · 19/08/2026

Canada needs to preferentially expand trade with states that share our broad national aspirations: respecting the rule of law; defending human rights and freedoms; and caring for our natural environment. My article in the @HillTimes.com, as Head of Policy at @NatureCanada.bsky.social

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Akaash Maharaj @maharaj.org · 19/08/2026

Is the Iran-US war spreading too broadly to be contained? Iran has bombed US allies in Jordan, Kuwait, and Saudi Arabia. Saudi Arabia and the US have bombed Iranian proxies in Iraq. I spoke with Chris Glover on @CBCradioCanada.bsky.social, on whether Iran and the US can step back from the abyss.

youtube.com

Can Iran and the United States step back from the abyss?

YouTube video by Akaash Maharaj

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Akaash Maharaj @maharaj.org · 18/08/2026

Is a secular state one that is indifferent to the beliefs of its citizens, and treats no faith with favour or disfavour? Or is it one that expunges all overt forms of religious expression from the public sphere? What should societies do if “freedom of religion” and “freedom from religion” collide?

Left to Right: Ani Ghazaryan Drissi of the World Council of Churches; me; Nazila Isgandarova of Emmanuel College; Bruce Clemenger of the Evangelical Fellowship of Canada

Attendees at the North America-Turtle Island Regional Ecumenical Theological Institute, co-hosted by the Canadian Council of Churches and the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the USA

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Akaash Maharaj @maharaj.org · 17/08/2026

Some 90% of the construction costs for the West Coast Oil Pipeline are to be met by taxpayers, and not by the oil companies that will profit from it. It is set to become the single largest act of corporate welfare in Canadian history.

Article in the Calgary Herald by Akaash Maharaj and Emily McMillan, on practical ways of ensuring that major projects in Canada are both economically and ecologically sustainable

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Akaash Maharaj @maharaj.org · 31/07/2026

Wildfires in Canada are becoming more intense, more expansive, and more frequent, because of climate change. The Trump administration’s attempt to blame Canadian forestry practices is nonsense. That claim is a poor pretext to justify otherwise-impermissible presidential tariffs against Canada.

Akaash Maharaj, Director of Policy at Nature Canada, quoted in a Hill Times article, written by Riddhi Kachhela, about Canada’s wildfires

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Akaash Maharaj @maharaj.org · 29/07/2026

I spoke with @GlobalNews.ca’s Jaden Lee-Lincoln, about Mark Carney’s decision to embrace closer ties with Saudi Arabia. Canadians need to ask not only what we might obtain from Saudi Arabia, but also, what Saudi Arabia hopes to obtain from us.

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Akaash Maharaj @maharaj.org · 27/07/2026

My colleagues Jamie Hagar and Priscilla Santos and I enjoyed speaking with Ombeline Lecuyer and Quentin Gautier from France’s embassy to Canada. We met at @NatureCanada.bsky.social’s offices. We discussed cooperation between our countries on protection of nature, the environment, and biodiversity.

From left to right:
Ombeline Lecuyer, Ottawa Regional Economic Service, France’s Embassy to Canada;
Quentin Gautier, Sustainable Development Adviser, France’s Embassy to Canada;
Akaash Maharaj, Director of Policy, Nature Canada;
Priscilla Costa dos Santos, Policy and Campaigns Officer, Nature Canada;
(photographer) Jamie Hagar, Intern, Nature Canada.

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Akaash Maharaj @maharaj.org · 24/07/2026

In my experience, ministers @JulieDabrusin.bsky.social and @NathalieProvost.bsky.social have worked enthusiastically with citizen groups to advance the cause of nature. But most power to set national policy has long been drained away from parliament and cabinet, into the Prime Minister’s Office.

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Akaash Maharaj @maharaj.org · 23/07/2026

I spoke with Chris Glover on @CBCradioCanada.bsky.social Metro Morning, about why the Iran-US interim ceasefire agreement collapsed. The agreement was built on wilfully ambiguous terms, to enable both governments to proclaim victory at home, and buy a pause for their diplomats to try to negotiate.

youtube.com

Why did the Iran-US Interim Ceasefire Agreement Collapse? 📻 CBC Radio’s Metro Morning

YouTube video by Akaash Maharaj

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Akaash Maharaj @maharaj.org · 21/07/2026

In its darkest days, the French Revolution infamously “devoured its children”. But in Ottawa, the descendants of the Revolution fed their guests bountifully.

Ambassador Michel Miraillet and Madame Geneviève Quenum-Miraillet, leading the Bastille Day celebrations at the French embassy in Ottawa

In the gardens at the French embassy in Ottawa

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Akaash Maharaj @maharaj.org · 20/07/2026

I spoke with @WHilderbrandt.bsky.social on @en.France24.com, about the wildfires in Canada, for @NatureCanada.bsky.social The situation is dire. If a fire exceeds 10 MW/m, conventional firefighting techniques fail: water from water bombers vaporises in the air. The Jasper fire reached 386 MW/m.

youtube.com

Canada wildfires affect air quality before World Cup final • FRANCE 24 English

YouTube video by FRANCE 24 English

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Akaash Maharaj @maharaj.org · 16/07/2026

I was delighted to represent the Royal Canadian Geographical Society (@rcgssgrc.bsky.social) at the Spanish Embassy (@embespcanada.bsky.social) dinner to honour Antonio de la Rosa. Antonio is an ultra-endurance athlete, and a former Captain of the Red Bull Adventure Racing Team.

Spain’s embassy to Canada hosts a dinner in honour of ultra-endurance athlete Antonio de la Rosa.

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Akaash Maharaj @maharaj.org · 16/07/2026

I spoke with @CTVYourMorning.bsky.social, on Mark Carney’s trip to Saudi Arabia. His embrace of the Saudis breaks with Trudeau’s rhetoric, but continues its substance. Carney deserves credit for being candid about his policies, but whether Canadians find his policies creditable remains to be seen.

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Akaash Maharaj @maharaj.org · 14/07/2026

#EveryoneOutdoorsTogether is a new movement, to strengthen our connection to the natural world and one another. On Saturday 18 July, my @NatureCanada.bsky.social colleagues and I will participate in #EOT’s moment, when people across Canada will pause, step outside, and experience nature together.

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Akaash Maharaj @maharaj.org · 13/07/2026

It is no surprise that Mark Carney is trying to charm Saudi Arabia into pouring its wealth into Canada. But the Saudi government expects recipient states to bite their tongues when it commits human rights atrocities. I spoke with @CHCHnews.bsky.social on the cost of doing business with dictators.

chch.com

PM Mark Carney is visiting Saudi Arabia. Why now?

Mark Carney is in Saudi Arabia, the first Canadian prime minister to visit the kingdom in 26 years.

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Akaash Maharaj @maharaj.org · 10/07/2026

All these years later, Harry Forbes’ theme song has lost none of its power. Hearing it washes away the decades, and I see a childhood version of myself watching @weareTVO.bsky.social’s Magic Shadows with my grandfather. Elwy Yost’s love of cinema was joyous, infectious, and untouched by cynicism.

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Akaash Maharaj @maharaj.org · 08/07/2026

I have accepted an invitation from Canada's Environment Minister @JulieDabrusin.bsky.social, to join the CEDAG advisory council, on the Canada-EU trade agreement. If we can make this treaty succeed, it will increase prosperity for all Canadians and lift environmental standards across our country.

youtube.com

Joining the CEDAG Advisory Council on the Canada-EU Trade Agreement

YouTube video by Akaash Maharaj

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Akaash Maharaj @maharaj.org · 06/07/2026

Climate wars are upon us. Already, desperate people are fleeing areas rendered uninhabitable by extreme heat or drought, and colliding with neighbouring populations. Can we push back an age of climate conflicts? 📆 Wed, 08 July 2026 ⏰ 17h00 EDT (21h00 UTC) 🎟️ per.maharaj.org/scan

per.maharaj.org

Webinar: Climate change and the protection of the international order, security, and human welfare. | Seniors for Climate Action Now

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Toronto Star @thestar.com · 10/06/2026

We're asking Torontonians what they'd do if they were mayor. Akaash Maharaj, senior fellow at the Munk School, would change zoning and land use rules to give all Torontonians fair access to parks and green spaces. 🌳🌲🌸 What would you do? Tell us here: ifiweremayor@thestar.ca More: trib.al/KAFF2pK

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The Rundown @therundowntvo.bsky.social · 30/06/2026

Meet Oronhyatekha—the Mohawk chief, physician, and entrepreneur once described by the Evening Telegram as "perhaps the greatest Canadian of his time." www.tvo.org/article/perhaps-the-gre…

tvo.org

‘Perhaps the greatest Canadian of his time’: How ‘Doctor O’ captivated the country | TVO Today

Oronhyatekha was a scholar, physician, and Mohawk chief.

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QUOI Media 🇨🇦 @quoimedia.bsky.social · 16/06/2026

Six key questions the feds have side-stepped in bid to fast-track major projects "The fedgov's recent historic #nature investment does not buy it a free pass on #environmental reviews," says Emily McMillan, Akaash Maharaj @naturecanada.bsky.social Read our client oped: #cdnpoli #environment

hilltimes.com

Six key questions the feds have side-stepped in bid to fast-track major projects - The Hill Times

The federal government's recent historic nature investment does not buy it a free pass on environmental reviews.

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Akaash Maharaj @maharaj.org · 30/06/2026

I have been speaking with my colleagues at the @coe.int, about the prospects of Canada signing the “Convention on the Protection of the Environment through Criminal Law”. It criminalises ecocide: wanton acts that inflict long-term destruction across large areas of nature. 🌱 per.maharaj.org/ecocide

The oil fields of Kuwait burn, after being intentionally set alight by retreating Iraqi forces, during the First Gulf War.

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Akaash Maharaj @maharaj.org · 26/06/2026

Canada has never been defined by a single language, ethnicity, or faith. We are bound together by shared values and mutual responsibilities. The escalating incidents of antisemitism in Canada are attacks not only against every Canadian Jew, but also against all Canadians and against Canada itself.

Statement from the Canadian Interfaith Conversation against antisemitism in Canada

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Akaash Maharaj @maharaj.org · 24/06/2026

The interim peace agreement between Iran and the US is astonishingly brittle. It declares an end to combat in Lebanon, where Hezbollah and Israel are locked in a pitiless war. Yet, neither Hezbollah nor Israel has signed the agreement. I spoke with Chris Glover on @CBCradioCanada.bsky.social.

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Akaash Maharaj @maharaj.org · 22/06/2026

Anita Anand (@anitaoakvilleeast.bsky.social) joined us at the Munk School, to discuss her objectives as Canada’s Minister of Foreign Affairs. She focussed on expanding our web of trade partners, especially as Canada, Mexico, and the US continue renegotiation of the #CUSMA free trade agreement.

Anita Anand, Minister of Foreign Affairs, and Janice Gross Stein, Director of the Munk School of Global Affairs and Public Policy at the University of Toronto

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Akaash Maharaj @maharaj.org · 18/06/2026

I thank Space Canada for inviting me to their evening with the crew of the Artemis II. The Canadian Museum of History was an apt venue: the crew had travelled further from Earth than any other human beings. They project a sense of personal humility and public pride. 🚀 per.maharaj.org/artemisii

Left to Right: Space Canada CEO Brian Gallant; Commander Reid Wiseman; Pilot Victor Glover; Mission Specialist Christina Koch; Mission Specialist Jeremy Hansen; Artemis Capcom Jenni Gibbons

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Akaash Maharaj @maharaj.org · 16/06/2026

I created a @bsky.app Starter Pack: Fellows of the Royal Canadian Geographical Society. I serve as a @rcgssgrc.bsky.social Governor, and am in constant awe of my colleagues’ achievements in exploration, research, education, and reconciliation. They are well worth following. 🦋 go.bsky.app/SoLdURJ

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Akaash Maharaj @maharaj.org · 15/06/2026

I enjoyed speaking with Nathalie Seddon of @biology.ox.ac.uk, on her role leading the People’s Assembly for Nature in the UK. I am considering whether a Canadian assembly could generate the momentum to sweep Canada’s political leaders into acting on the wisdom of Canada’s people. 🌱 bit.ly/4vcXZTJ

A video call between Nathalie Seddon, Professor of Biodiversity at Oxford University, and Akaash Maharaj, Director of Policy at Nature Canada

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Akaash Maharaj @maharaj.org · 12/06/2026

There may come a day when I will be able to drive past the Big Apple in Colborne, without stopping for an apple pie or to visit the animals. That day is not today. Tomorrow seems unlikely as well. As do all the succeeding days. 🍎 thebigapple.ca

The Big Apple pie shop in Colborne, Ontario, off Highway 401

Llamas and sheep at the Big Apple petting zoo

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Akaash Maharaj @maharaj.org · 10/06/2026

The US tariff wars make it imperative that Canada diversify our trade partnerships. Negotiating new agreements is important, but they will take years to come fully into force. The Canada-EU Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement is in place now. We must realise its full potential, urgently.

Representatives from the Canadian and European Domestic Advisory Groups and our respective secretariats

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