In today’s Peak Daily: Canada hits NATO’s 2% defence spending target for the first time, committing $84B over five years as Ottawa rethinks reliance on the U.S. Then, a blistering new report finds major gaps in the federal Indigenous procurement strategy, raising concerns about oversight and shell companies. Plus, quantum computing standout Xanadu goes public, the Liberals table election-law reforms to curb foreign interference and deepfakes, and Canada’s competition watchdog reviews a potential Paramount–Warner Bros. merger.

The Peak Daily is produced in partnership with reframevid.com

Canada is getting its first mainstream prediction markets, with Wealthsimple clearing a key regulatory hurdle and raising fresh questions about oversight and insider trading. Plus, OpenAI shuts down Sora and its splashy Disney partnership, underscoring the steep costs and shaky demand for AI-generated video. In the big picture: Ontario expands its new-home tax rebate, YouTube and Meta are found guilty in a social media addiction trial, and Iran rejects a U.S. ceasefire proposal.

In today's episode, we explore how AI companies are facing mounting legal pressure following tragic incidents linked to their chatbots. The family of a Tumbler Ridge shooting victim has filed a lawsuit against OpenAI, alleging the company failed to report the shooter's violent ChatGPT conversations to authorities despite internal warnings. We also cover Ontario Premier Doug Ford's plan to take control of Toronto's Billy Bishop airport to push through a controversial expansion that would allow jet landings. Plus, the latest on the Iran conflict, TikTok's return to Canada after agreeing to new privacy concessions, and the shooting at the U.S. consulate in Toronto being investigated as a potential national security incident.

The Peak Daily is produced in partnership with reframevid.com

Just a week after Stellantis announced it was halting Jeep production in Brampton, another southern Ontario EV auto plant is on the outs.

It appears that even one of the biggest newspapers in the world has given up on getting people to read.

The ripple effects of the longest trial in Canadian history are starting to rattle some B.C. landowners.

Ottawa is overhauling how it combats financial fraud.

The U.S. wants to turn the North American auto industry into just the American auto industry — but it might cripple the whole sector in the process.

Like the plot of a confusing time travel movie, some of the most expensive brands in the world are struggling to deal with a fierce competitor: themselves, from the past.

Canada’s largest city is building its reputation as the Silicon Valley of the North. Who knows, maybe it’ll even get its own HBO sitcom.

A cozy piece of Canadiana is getting a second shot at retail life.

Canada’s auto industry just got rear-ended by one of the world’s biggest carmakers.

Netflix signed a deal with Spotify to bring a slate of 16 podcasts, including The Bill Simmons Podcast, to the streaming platform.

The French tire company that accidentally became the authority on the world’s best food is setting its sights beyond the dining room.

A top Canadian jeweller is betting that abandoned gold mines are an untapped, well, gold mine.

Canada isn’t content just being an energy superpower on Earth. It wants to run the show in space, too.

Soon, sharing your latest jog on Strava won’t just be a good way to show off your physical health, it will also serve a far more noble purpose: creating shareholder value for the masses.

Vancouver seems to have solved part of the puzzle for one of the world’s great frustrations: rush hour traffic.

The running community is staring down the barrel of a problem that’s even worse than shin splints or nipple chafing.

Just as we’ve started thinking about all of the autumnal looks we’d like to show off, Google released a tool to ensure that any sweaters or corduroy pants we buy online will fit.

The feds have added some serious teeth to their temporary foreign labour rules.

Being a wingman for domestic companies looking to woo the Canadian government is an emerging field.

And as promised, the "6 7" song...

In today's episode, we explore how remote workers are transforming Canada's cafe culture—and not always for the better. Coffee shops are grappling with laptop-toting customers who camp out all day on a single purchase, forcing owners to get creative with policies like purchase-per-hour requirements and designated work zones. Then, we head north to the Yukon, where the government is streamlining mining regulations to attract investment in critical minerals like tungsten—a move that could give Canada leverage in upcoming trade negotiations with the U.S. Plus Trump declares the Iran conflict nearly over, Canada commits nearly $1 billion to domestic defence innovation, and Live Nation settles its antitrust case with major concessions.

The Peak Daily is produced in partnership with reframevid.com

Spies aren’t all suave operators wearing bespoke suits and driving invisible cars (excuse us, we just rewatched Die Another Day). Sometimes they’re just Canadian utility employees.

You might need to pony up a couple thousand bucks just to have a shot at buying tickets to the World Cup next year.

The impact of the energy-hungry facilities on electricity bills could soon turn them into a political lightning rod.

The five million Timmies coffees sold every day just got a little pricier.

Remember a few months ago when virtually all of Canada’s political leaders voiced support for big infrastructure projects in the face of U.S. trade threats?

Space, the final frontier… of powering your scrolling.

Canada’s iconic milk bag could soon face more competition from the American carton.  

To the surprise of absolutely no one, Meta will soon use your conversations with its AI chatbots to serve you even more hyper-targeted ads.

After hitting 10 stops over three months, Alberta’s travelling roadshow of participative democracy is wrapping up.

Telus just turned a Québec fishing hub into one of Canada’s AI hotspots.

Canada’s film industry could be the next sector to face tariff disruptions.

Telus just turned a Québec fishing hub into one of Canada’s AI hotspots.

As the Toronto Blue Jays clinched their division yesterday, their owner was plotting how they’re gonna create one of the largest sports empires in the world.

Bring up the stock market and Nvidia is sure to be mentioned, but the hottest companies of the year are actually a lot more old-school: 1970s-era hard-drive makers.

Peak Pals! We're re-airing some of our favourite episode of the Free Lunch podcast. today we're talking about productivity with William Huggins, a lecturer on corporate finance, economics, and statistics at the DeGroote School of Business, about:

• What productivity is and how we measure it.
• Why productivity matters for the economy.
• Why wages have become disconnected from productivity.
• Why Canada's productivity is lagging behind other developed countries.
• How some countries without many natural economic advantages have supercharged their productivity.
• What Canada can do to boost our productivity, and what it would mean for our economy.

 Hey Peak Pals , we've decided to start dropping old episodes of Free Lunch into the feed on weekend. We don't air that podcast anymore, but there are still some really relevant conversations that were had and we want to give you a chance to listen to them again or maybe for the first time.

If you’ve got a dog that loves barking at the mailman, it’s time to sit them down and deliver some difficult news.

The U.S.’s creep towards state-owned companies is now encroaching on a Canadian firm.

In today's episode, we explore how Canadians are cutting back on alcohol consumption amid rising costs and wellness trends—and what that means for restaurants that depend on booze sales. We also break down why gas prices are surging as oil nears $100 a barrel, driven by Middle East tensions and supply disruptions. Plus Prime Minister Carney calls crucial byelections that could secure a Liberal majority, Iran prepares to name a new Supreme Leader as the war escalates, and OpenAI's robotics chief resigns over the company's Pentagon deal.

The Peak Daily is produced in partnership with reframevid.com

The visa program that’s brought some of Silicon Valley’s best and brightest to the U.S. just got a ~1,900% price increase.

Worried about job security in a shaky economy? More Canadians are considering the one surefire way to make sure you don’t get laid off: hiring yourself.

Peak Pals, stick around to the end of this episode for a conversation with Alex Howell, AirBnB's policy lead for Canada where we talk about the company's impact on housing.

Canada’s (legal) mushroom industry is booming, and the U.S. is starting to get a little jealous.

The U.S.’s creep towards state-owned companies is now encroaching on a Canadian firm.

No doubt some Canadian investors were happily eyeing their portfolios yesterday.

Truck stops should swap potato chips for microchips to appease their future customers: robot drivers.

A Toronto startup studio has some new ideas on how to build the next Shopify.

Say what you will about the Trump administration, they’re there when a desperate friend needs a bail out.

Big Tech companies will spend the next week arguing why they shouldn’t have to bankroll Canada’s music industry.

A new report confirms what we already kinda knew about the feds’ carbon cutting goals: they bit off more than they could chew.

Canada’s negotiating team is going to need to brush up on The Art of the Deal.

Canadian miners need more money to cash in on the critical mineral rush. With Chinese investments out of the question, the Middle East is stepping right up.

Québec’s favourite constitutional escape hatch could be sealed shut.

The metaverse might be dead, but Meta’s still betting that people want to strap computers to their faces.

Call it financial climate change: we could one day see fewer earnings seasons.

The federal government might be quietly sitting on an AI gold mine, and the tech industry is politely asking it to stand up.

The feds are giving Canada’s housing sector a $13 billion shot in the arm.

Investing with purpose? You might need to watch what you say.

Telus has accused Rogers of playing dirty and wants Canada’s telecoms regulator to send it to the penalty box.

It’s gonna take more than a new line of yoga pants to fix Lulu’s balance sh

In today's episode, we explore how Canadian AI legaltech company Spellbook secured a $54.7 million line of credit from RBC to fuel an acquisition spree, positioning itself as a leader in Canada's thriving legaltech sector. Then, we examine troubling failures in AI-powered healthcare systems, including a Utah prescription tool that was easily manipulated into dangerous recommendations. Plus,OpenAI's upcoming "extreme reasoning" mode, a historic Canada-Australia pension investment deal, Ottawa's AI-powered immigrant settlement tool, and more updates from the world of business and tech.

The Peak Daily is produced in partnership with reframevid.com

A Swedish fintech has managed to build a US$20 billion business by letting people procrastinate their buyer's remorse.

It’s not a rare mineral, but the humble wiring in your home is about to become a lot more important.

Some of Canada’s biggest companies are building the Avengers equivalent of a fraud-fighting team.

At this rate, the 2027 iPhone lineup will be able to fit in your wallet.

We could soon have a new loonie that can’t get lost in the couch cushions. 

If you’ve been hoarding a brilliant idea for a new sports league, now’s the time to pitch it. 

Hollywood wants to give video games a big screen update.

Hook up that IV and get out Tylenol because Canada’s EV mandate isn’t looking all that healthy.

All those fitness influencers telling everyone to eat protein may have more influence than you think.

Sometimes even small things can feel like big victories…

If you thought Canada’s economy couldn’t get any worse, then you haven’t seen the latest labour productivity numbers.

The NFL season kicks off today with the defending Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles taking on the Dallas Cowboys.

After 10 years together, the marriage of two snack food giants has gone bad, like a bottle of expired mayo, or a moldy bowl of KD.

Having trouble reaching someone at the CRA? The good (and bad) news is you’re not alone.

The channel you likely watched High School Musical on for the first time will soon be gone.

Like Halloween’s Michael Myers, no matter what you do, coal just won’t go away.

ChatGPT is being trained to get better at handling delicate mental health situations.

Some say summer is the best season. Others, winter. For Canadian bankers? This year, it’s earnings season

With the U.S. playing hard to get, Canada is laying the foundation to have a lot more Europe in its life.

The key to securing better pay might no longer be cavorting with LinkedIn headhunters, but hanging on to your current role for dear life instead.

In today's Peak Daily, we explore Roots' strategic review as the iconic Canadian brand considers a potential sale amid challenging retail conditions. Then, we dive into the booming market for dinosaur fossils, where billionaires are paying millions for prehistoric treasures. Plus, Canada's new critical minerals funding, Middle East evacuation plans, Wealthsimple's SWIFT entrance, and more.

The Peak Daily is produced in partnership with reframevid.com

On the bloody retail battlefield, one of Canada's oldest family-owned businesses is fighting to be the last department store standing.

A new Reuters investigation has confirmed troubling details about how Meta has designed its AI chatbots to behave, particularly with minors.

Skiing costs an arm and a leg, but after a season of slumping sales, Vail is willing to let customers keep at least one limb.

In a troubling sign for the remote work revolution, briefcase-carrying Manhattanites have fully returned to their natural habitat.

In a bid to take over dresser drawers across North America, one of Canada’s largest clothing brands is ready to cut a big cheque.

If you know a canola farmer, give them a hug today. They could really use it.