True North Compass

09/07/2026

09/06/2026

💥🇨🇦🇺🇸 TRUMP NOW SAYS CANADA’S DOLLAR EXCHANGE RATE IS “UNACCEPTABLE”

The Canada-U.S. trade fight just took another unexpected turn.

U.S. President Donald Trump says the Canadian dollar’s exchange rate with the U.S. dollar is “unacceptable”, and claims it has been that way for years.

He offered no explanation for what exactly he wants to see changed.

💵 Right now, according to CTV News, *US$1 is worth roughly C$1.38*, meaning C$1 is worth about 72 U.S. cents.

But here’s the bigger issue:

Trump’s comments come *just two days before Canada’s retaliatory tariffs on roughly 700 U.S. products are scheduled to take effect.*

🇨🇦 Canada says its tariffs are a response to the U.S. tariffs on Canadian exports.

🇺🇸 Trump has repeatedly accused Canada of taking advantage of the United States and says his tariffs are intended to change that relationship.

Now the currency is entering the argument too.

🤔 But can a government simply demand that another country’s currency become stronger?*

And what would a significantly stronger Canadian dollar actually mean for Canadians, Canadian exporters and businesses that trade with the United States?

🔥Is Trump putting pressure on Canada, or is this another escalation that could make a trade deal even harder to reach?

💬What do YOU think? Is Canada’s exchange rate really “unacceptable,” or is Trump looking for another target in the trade fight?

👇 Drop your opinion below.
🔄 Share this and let’s hear what Canadians think!

Source: CTV News: “Donald Trump calls Canada’s exchange rate with the U.S. ‘unacceptable’,” Sept. 6, 2026

09/06/2026

What comes to mind, first, when you hear Alberta?

Alberta is known for oil, hockey, cowboy culture, and its beautiful prairie sunsets. ☺️

The wild rose is Alberta’s provincial flower and a common symbol, while the bighorn sheep is the official mammal of Alberta.

The flag of Alberta shows wheat fields, foothills, and mountains (the provincial shield of arms) on a blue background.

09/06/2026

This has a strong cost-of-living angle. I’d keep the emotional punch, but avoid implying that a grocery benefit itself proves Canada is in crisis.

🛒🇨🇦 WHEN DID CANADA GET TO THE POINT WHERE WE NEEDED A “GROCERY BENEFIT”?

How did a prosperous G7 country get to a point where grocery affordability has become a major political issue?

There's an example shown about someone receiving just $2.05 in grocery assistance.

At first glance, that number is almost laughable. What can $2.05 buy at the grocery store anymore? 🤔

But the bigger issue isn’t the $2.05.

It’s the fact that grocery assistance is becoming part of the conversation at all.

Food prices surged during the early 2020s, and while inflation has cooled, that doesn't mean grocery prices have returned to where they were before. Meanwhile, housing, transportation and other everyday costs continue competing for the same household dollars.

And increasingly, the financial squeeze isn't limited to people without jobs.

Some working Canadians are also finding that having a job doesn't necessarily mean having enough money left over after the bills are paid.

That should make us stop and think.

The goal shouldn't simply be to create more benefits to help Canadians cope with rising costs.

🎯 Shouldn't the bigger goal be creating an economy where fewer Canadians NEED those benefits in the first place?

Is grocery affordability now one of Canada's biggest economic challenges?

Or are housing costs, wages, taxes or overall purchasing power an even bigger problem?

💬 What is putting the most pressure on YOUR household budget right now?

👇 Tell us what you think.
🔄 Share this because the cost of living affects all of us.

Source: CRA's Upcoming GST/HST Credit payment

Canada First

09/06/2026

CALGARY AS CANADA’S “NASHVILLE NORTH”? THE NUMBERS ARE ALREADY BIG! 🇨🇦

Premier Danielle Smith wants Calgary to become “Nashville North”, and according to Calgary music and city officials, the building blocks may already be here.

Could Calgary attract more concerts, tourists, artists and investment, while giving local musicians more opportunities to build careers at home?

Or is comparing Calgary to Nashville simply too ambitious?

💬 What do YOU think, should Calgary seriously chase the title of “Nashville North”?

👇 Comment your take.
🔄 Share this with a Calgarian who loves live music!

Source: Calgary Sun l: “'Conditions are set': Calgary poised to become the Nashville of the north,” Sept. 4, 2026

09/05/2026

🇨🇦 **AN INDIGENOUS LAWYER JUST STEPPED INTO ALBERTA’S INDEPENDENCE DEBATE, AND HE’S TURNING HEADS**

Does Grey’s perspective challenge the assumption that Indigenous people are uniformly opposed to Alberta independence?**

And if Alberta ever seriously pursued independence, **what role should First Nations and Indigenous communities have in deciding what that future looks like?**

👇 **What do YOU think?**
💬 Join the conversation, respectfully.
🔄 **Share this post** and let’s hear different perspectives on Alberta’s future.

**Source:** National Post, Rahim Mohamed, September 4, 2026

09/05/2026

🏫🇨🇦 ALBERTA’S CLASSROOMS ARE UNDER PRESSURE: BUT IS THIS ENOUGH?

Almost 90,000 new students have entered Alberta schools over the past four years.

That’s a massive increase, and the Alberta government says it’s responding with record investment:

💰 $10.8 BILLION in education funding this year
👩‍🏫 2,127 new teachers
🧑‍🏫 1,044 new educational assistants
🏫 699 complexity teams supporting teachers in challenging classrooms
🚧 173 school projects completed or underway since 2024

The government says these investments will help students reach “new heights” and give teachers more support as classrooms become increasingly complex.

But here’s the question 👇

Is Alberta finally putting enough resources into education — or are these numbers still not enough to keep up with the rapid growth in students?

If you’re a parent, student, teacher, or education worker, what are you seeing on the ground?

💬 Tell us what YOU think. Is the situation improving? What still needs to change?

🔄 Share this post and let’s get Alberta talking about our schools.

Source: Government of Alberta

09/05/2026

🇨🇦🎓 STUDENT VISA OR PATHWAY TO PERMANENT RESIDENCE?

“A student visa is a temporary document to study in Canada. That was always understood.”

Should a student visa remain strictly temporary, with graduates expected to leave Canada, or should Canada continue offering qualified international graduates a pathway to stay?

👇 Where do YOU stand? Is this about restoring fairness and respecting the rules, or would ending post-graduation pathways hurt Canada’s economy and workforce?

💬 Comment your view, and share this post to get the conversation going.

Source: Statement provided by Premier Danielle Smith