In the news today: Liberals sweep byelections, Canadians buy local, auto talks begin

Here is a roundup of stories from The Canadian Press designed to bring you up to speed …

‘A great time to be a Liberal’: Carney government sweeps trio of byelections

Prime Minister Mark Carney’s Liberals swept a trio of federal byelections Monday, including picking up a seat from the Conservatives in Quebec to add one more member to the ranks of their majority government

Daniel Gobeil, a dairy farmer, will be the next MP for Chicoutimi-Le Fjord, replacing Conservative representative Richard Martel, who stepped aside after being appointed to the Senate.

Meanwhile, longtime Liberal staffer Braeden Caley will return to Ottawa this fall as the MP for the British Columbia riding of North Vancouver-Capilano.

Liberal candidate Tanveer Shahnawaz will be the next member of Parliament for Beaches-East York in Toronto.

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Local demand surges for Canadian-made food and household goods, but retailers lag

Food and household goods companies in Canada say they’re seeing a surge in demand as Canadians go out of their way to shop local amid the ongoing trade dispute with the United States.

Kathleen Chapman, president of aVenco Ltd., says the Bowmanville, Ont., supplier of parchment paper has been slammed by U.S. tariffs.

She says Canadians have reached out to offer support and order directly from the company, sending its direct-to-consumer orders from about 20 in the last two years to hundreds since new U.S. tariffs came into effect.

Chapman says consumers are moving faster than retailers, with many stores slow to respond to shifting demand by adding more shelf space for Canadian items.

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Schwartz’s Deli swaps black cherry soda for local alternative as U.S. tariffs bite

An iconic Montreal deli has swapped its staple drink for a local alternative as trade-and-tariff tensions with the United States heat up.

Patrons of Schwartz’s Deli would normally enjoy a can of Cott’s Black Cherry Soda with their smoked-meat sandwiches, but multinational beverage company Refresco has stopped producing the drink in Canada.

So after the supply ran out, Schwartz’s general manager Frank Silva said he was happy to find a made-in-Quebec alternative in Fleischer’s Original Black Cherry Soda.

He says customers are happy with the switch, and that while it costs around twice as much, its bigger size means many share it.

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Stellantis, Unifor begin contract negotiations in final round of auto sector talks

The union representing nearly 19,000 Canadian auto workers is set to open contract talks with Stellantis today, marking the final round of its bargaining with the Detroit Three.

Unifor has already ratified new collective agreements with Ford Motor Co. and General Motors this summer, with current deals set to expire Sept. 20.

Last month, the union said it received notice that Stellantis was considering the closure and sale of its Brampton, Ont., assembly plant, which has been idled since 2023.

The talks come against the backdrop of U.S. tariffs battering local automakers, and as U.S. President Donald Trump threatens to hike tariffs on all vehicles, auto parts and steel from Canada.

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‘Evolving global context’: School boards across Canada cancel, tweak field trips

Zoe Cogger says two trips to the United States were going to be the highlight of her senior year in high school.

The 16-year-old was set to go with fellow Edmonton students to the National High School Dance Festival in Pittsburgh and to Washington state for an annual youth run.

Cogger is among thousands of students across Canada whose school trip plans have been cancelled or tweaked for various reasons, including global conflicts and uncertainty.

The Edmonton public board says global uncertainty is behind its decision, while the Vancouver School Board and the Calgary Catholic School District said they’re approving field trips on a case-by-case basis.

Maren Aukerman, an education professor at the University of Calgary, says the changes are a huge loss but understandable.

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This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 1, 2026.

The Canadian Press