The World This Hour - The World This Hour for 2025/02/28 at 09:00 EST

Episode Date: February 28, 2025

The World This Hour for 2025/02/28 at 09:00 EST

It's been really awesome to see people have never been more interested in our show, Frontburner, than they are today. I'm Jamie Puezo and Frontburner is the daily news podcast that I host. We cover Canadian news and politics in, I think, a really clear way. What topics? Oh, you know, Trump's threats to annihilate our economy with tariffs, make us the 51st state, the chaos of a teetering federal government, a looming election, that kind of thing. So if you want to get a good sense of what's going on and why, please follow Frontburner

wherever you get your podcasts. From CBC News, it's the world this hour. I'm Joe Cummings. Statistics Canada says the economy ended last year on a stronger note than expected. The real gross domestic product rose by 2.6 percent, which is well ahead of what most analysts were predicting. Peter Armstrong has more. It's been a while since the Canadian economy expanded on a per capita basis, but the fourth quarter saw that measure finally turn around growth overall came in much stronger than expected.

And statistics, Canada actually revised up the third quarter numbers as well. And it's flash estimates. It's preliminary estimates for January show that strength continued into January. Now, a lot of that will be due to the drop in interest rates. And it's important to remember these numbers came before we saw the real weight of uncertainty that comes with the threat of tariffs and a looming trade war with the United States. This news has pushed the Canadian dollar slightly higher and it's all just a

sense that there's a little bit of cushion, not a lot to be sure, but strength is better than weakness and the picture we got this morning is stronger than most people had been expecting. Peter Armstrong, CBC News, Toronto. The Ontario Progressive Conservatives under leader Doug Ford are returning to the legislature with a third straight majority. The PCs cruise to a comfortable win in yesterday's provincial election, with Ford setting himself up as the province's defender against the Trump administration.

Jamie Strashan reports. Oh, thank you so much. Ontario voters have handed Doug Ford the fresh mandate he was looking for. Ford called his winter snap election against the backdrop of looming US tariff threats, portraying himself as the only leader capable of standing up to Donald Trump. We ask the people for a mandate, a strong mandate that outlives and outlasts

the Trump administration. The NDP will remain the official opposition at Queens Park. For the liberals, it was a night of mixed results. The party gained seats and regained official party status, but leader Bonnie Crombie failed to win in Mississauga where she was once mayor. The Greens held the two seats they had coming into the election. Poll analyst Eric Grenier says the looming tariff issue defined this election.

Even when we weren't actually talking about the Ontario election, we were talking about the issue that Doug Ford wanted to run this campaign on. Ford will now get his wish, a chance to outlive and outlast the Trump administration. Jamie Strash in CBC News, Toronto. Health officials in Ontario say the province is in the midst of a measles outbreak. 78 measles cases have been confirmed over the last two weeks, bringing the total number this year to more than 140. Public Health Ontario is calling it by far the largest outbreak the province has seen since measles were considered eliminated in Canada in 1998.

Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky is in Washington for talks today with US President Donald Trump. The White House is saying Zelensky will sign an agreement that will give the United States access to Ukraine's rare mineral deposits. It's not clear what Ukraine gets in return, but Ukrainian officials are concerned, considering the Trump administration's warming relationship with Moscow. Cam McIntosh has more. Not only is Trump appearing to cozy up to Russia, starting peace negotiations without Ukraine at the table?

He's implied Ukraine started the war. It didn't. Just days ago, called Zelensky a dictator. Asked about that, Trump was pretty dismissive. What do you think Mr. Zelensky is a dictator? Did I say that? I can't believe I said that. Next question.

Now, Zelensky was initially reluctant to sign a minerals deal without firm U.S. military guarantees, even suggesting Ukraine join NATO. That's not on the table. We'll find out more about what's in this for Ukraine later today. And of course, this all hinges on a peace deal with Russia that hasn't been reached yet. Cameron McIntosh, CBC News, Washington. And that is The World This Hour. For news anytime go to our website cbcnews.ca.

For CBC News, I'm Joe Cummings.