In this edition

• Canada responds to Trump tariffs

• New prime minister coming soon

• Measles are making a comeback

• Anora wins big at the Oscars

• Wonderland cookies

A Word From The Editor
NEWS MADE EASY

Welcome to KNOW THIS, your new monthly guide to staying informed in a fast-paced world. As busy parents and grandparents, we know how challenging it can be to keep up with the news while juggling family, work and life responsibilities. This newsletter gives you the highlights so you feel informed without feeling overwhelmed. 

What KNOW THIS offers:

• Curated stories: We sift through the noise to bring you the most important news affecting Canadian families.

• An easy-to-digest format: Complex issues are broken down into small, easily understood chunks.

• Reliable information: Our content is written and vetted by the trusted team at ParentsCanada, which is more important than ever in this era of misinformation.

KNOW THIS is more than just a newsletter—it's a monthly companion for navigating the complex world of news by reporting on topics that are top of mind and especially important to families. We couldn’t find anything quite like this, so we decided to create it—and we couldn’t be more excited.

We hope you enjoy this inaugural issue. We’re so glad you’re here.

Kali Pearson
Current affairs editor, ParentsCanada

THE BIG STORY

💣 It’s game on for tariffs (or is it?)

What’s happening: 

After two months (how has it only been two months?!) of threats and uncertainty, President Donald Trump imposed 25% tariffs on all Canadian goods on Tuesday, with the exception of energy exports like natural gas, oil and electricity. Canada hit back, and by late Wednesday, Trump had paused tariffs on cars. By late in the day yesterday, he’d put most of the tariffs on hold for 30 days. So…it seems we are back to threats and uncertainty.

A tariff is basically a fancy name for a tax. Canadian businesses exporting to the United States will need to pay these additional costs when selling their goods and raw materials to the U.S., which may lead to increased prices for American consumers and reduced profit margins for Canadian exporters. The hope is that, by making Canadian products more expensive, people south of the border will buy American instead.

Let's use Canadian maple syrup as an example:

• A bottle of maple syrup costs $20 in Canada.

• With the 25% tariff, an extra $5 is added when it enters the U.S, which is paid to the U.S. government.

• Now, the same bottle costs $25 in the U.S.

This makes Canadian maple syrup more expensive for people in the U.S, so they might choose U.S. maple syrup instead (though we bet some people will just pay more for the good stuff!).

When the tariffs went into effect, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau fired back with 25% tariffs on $30 billion of American goods, with another $125 billion by the beginning of April if U.S. tariffs were still in place (no one pushes Canada around!). This means American companies would have to add 25% to their goods sold in Canada. This first round went after products that Republican states are known for, like Florida orange juice and Kentucky bourbon, in hopes that their Republican senators (who do a similar job to Canadian premiers) will pressure Trump into making a deal. 

We honestly have no idea how this will turn out (sorry!). As of Thursday afternoon, Trudeau was waiting to read the text of Trump’s executive order before hitting pause on our counter-tariffs.

What you need to know: 

The first thing to know is that you are going to be okay, even if tariffs return for longer than 48 hours come April. It’s scary and things are changing daily, but we’ve been through economic crises before and we will get through this. 

The second is that, while this will eventually get better, much damage has already been done. We have seen companies rein in spending, cut jobs and cancel projects. The trust between our countries has been shattered. 

The third is that our government will help if required (even if we don’t all agree on how they help). Details are unclear, but we know that the federal government plans to support individuals and businesses in ways similar to those implemented in the COVID era, if need be.

Why it’s important to Canadian families:   

While we don’t know exactly how this potential trade war will impact Canadians, we do know that the price of goods will go up (for both Canadians and Americans), and there will be job losses. 

The good news (silver linings!) is that, as a nation, we are fighting back. While you and I can’t directly participate in the “war,” many Canadians are supporting the battle by boycotting American products and choosing to buy Canadian (there’s a reason #elbowsup is trending!). There’s even an app for that. 

THE EXPLAINER

🇨🇦 Canada is getting a new prime minister

What’s happening:

By the time you tuck your kids in on Sunday, Canada will have a new prime minister. The Liberal Party of Canada is voting on their next leader on March 9, and the winner will take over leadership from Justin Trudeau until the next federal election. Jealous they get to be prime minister and deal with Trump? Me neither. 

What you need to know: 

The front-runners are Mark Carney, former leader of the Bank of Canada and the Bank of England, and Chrystia Freeland, former deputy prime minister and finance minister. Liberal House Leader Karina Gould, who is also a former Liberal member of parliament, and businessman Frank Baylis are also on the ballot, but their chances of winning are slim. 

With relations with the U.S. at an all-time low, Trudeau has confirmed he will stay in office as long as his successor needs him to, to make a smooth(ish) transition. 

Why it matters to Canadian families: 

Whoever wins the race will be in for an unprecedented challenge—namely Donald Trump. The new prime minister will also inherit the challenge of bringing down the cost of living (yes, please!).

Canadians will be heading to the polls by October 2025 at the latest to vote for who will be prime minister for the next four years.

THE HOT BUTTON

💉 Measles are making a comeback

What’s happening: 

Measles, which Canada declared to be gone for good in 1998, is making a very unfortunate comeback. There have been more than 200 cases confirmed in 2025 so far—most are in Ontario, but cases are also rising in Quebec and British Columbia. This is part of a global rise, fuelled by a drop in vaccination rates and a return to normal levels of international travel. Measles is a potentially serious virus—one child in the U.S. has died this year, and the very young and the very old are most at risk. We’ll be covering this story in-depth on parentscanada.com later this week, and you’ll see a full rundown in next week’s regular newsletter.

THE CHATTER

🎥 Anora wins big at the Oscars

The indie film about a sex worker who marries the son of a Russian oligarch (definitely not family friendly) won five Oscars. In director Sean Baker’s acceptance speech, he made a strong case for returning to theatres. "Watching a film in a theatre with an audience is an experience. We can laugh together, cry together. And in a time when our world can feel very divided, this is more important than ever: It's a communal experience you simply don't get at home." Sounds pretty wise to me.

And, finally…cookies!

THE TREAT

🍪 Wonderland cookies

These babies are fun, delicious and so simple even your kid can make them. You’re welcome!

This newsletter was written by Kali Pearson, edited by Katie Dupuis and Jane Bradley and designed by Tinker Solution.