The Hatchet

• Will Reconciliation Survive the Trade War?

  There’s been a surge of Canadian nationalism over the last month, and understandably so. I’ve been feeling it too, I think it’d be hard not to. You really couldn’t grow a better villain in a lab than Donald Trump to actually rally Canadians in this way.And with that has come a good amount of talk of both Canadian history and the need for modern-day nation-building. That’s a good impulse. This is not the first time that the United States has presented itself as an existential threat to our country and there’s so much we can learn from the past.And I don’t think anyone would argue against the need for more infrastructure, for us to build a more resilient economy that can withstand the trade war that we’re now in the middle of.But there’s a funny thing that seems to happens whenever Canadian nationalism surges. Indigenous people get left behind.Ten years ago, the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, led by the honourable Murray Sinclair, released its findings. And that reckoning helped usher in a real shift in the attitudes of many Canadians towards Indigenous peoples and their rights. But things appear to be changing. Companies that just a year ago were eager to tell anyone about their commitment to reconciliation are quietly shutting down anti-discrimination programs. Governments across the country are promising to fast-track resource projects, heavily implying that they won’t let pesky things like Indigenous land rights get in the way.And it’s First Nations that will be impacted the most by conflict between the US and Canada. The Jay Treaty, which was signed in 1794, gives First Nations the right to live and work on both sides of the border, without visas.And so those are some of the many reasons why I wanted to talk to Niigaan Sinclair. Niigaan is, amongst many other things, the city columnist for the Winnipeg Free Press, and in my opinion one of the best in the country. He’s also the author of Winipek: Visions of Canada from an Indigenous Centre, which makes the case that many of the solutions to violence and injustice against Indigenous peoples can be found in Winnipeg.Our conversation covers a lot of ground. From the ongoing trade war, to the death of DEI and Canadian’s changing relationship with reconciliation to the rise of Wab Kinew. You’re not going to want to miss it.Featured in this episode: Niigaan Sinclair (Winnipeg Free Press)To learn moreWînipêk: Visions of Canada from an Indigenous Centre by Niigaan Sinclair “History shows trade war would hurt Indigenous people the most” by Niigaan Sinclair in The Winnipeg Free Press “Native Americans under threat in Trump’s U.S.” Niigaan Sinclair in The Winnipeg Free PressSupport us at hatchetmedia.substack.comThe Hatchet is a podcast and newsletter dedicated to exposing power and money in Canada. We deliver important, original and fascinating journalism about how this country actually works.Music: I dunno by grapes (c) copyright 2008 Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution (3.0) license. Ft: J Lang, Morusque This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit hatchetmedia.substack.com/subscribe

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• The Man Behind Trump's War on Canada

  This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit hatchetmedia.substack.comWe all knew that if Donald Trump got reelected, things would get chaotic pretty fast. But what I don’t think anyone anticipated was just how much Canada would be in the new administration’s cross-hairs.And there’s been one question no one really seems to be able to give a definitive answer to — why us?During the election campaign, Trump would rant and rave about Mexico and China and even Europe, but Canada barely ever came up. And now, all of a sudden, we’re being targeted for more aggressive tariffs than China. And Trump is threatening us with annexation on a weekly basis. Frankly, I haven’t heard many good explanations as to what the hell is actually going on. The best theory I’ve come across is from journalist Justin Ling. He says that the best way to understand the current administration’s obsession with Canada is to look at one man — Peter Navarro. Navarro serves as Trump’s senior counselor for trade and manufacturing and has the direct ear of the president.And according to Ling, he has it in for Canada.Featured in this episode: Justin LingTo learn more“Beggar Thy Neighbor, Beggar Thyself” by Justin Ling in Bug-eyed and Shameless“Canada Tries to Break the Ice with Trump” by Justin Ling in Foreign Policy“Want Free Trade? May I Introduce You to the Tariff” by Robert Lighthizer in The New York Times“Trump’s plan for ‘hemispheric control’: Steve Bannon on why tariffs may only be the start” by Ashleigh Stewart in Global NewsSupport us at hatchetmedia.substack.com

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  30:23
• The 51st State of Emergency

  It’s been a weird month.When we first launched The Hatchet, we spent a lot of time talking about the kinds of stories that we wanted to cover and the kind of work that we wanted to do here. Something we did not anticipate was having to seriously entertain the notion of American annexation. But here we are. And so on today’s episode of The Hatchet, we’re going to talk about the tarrifs, the history of Canada-U.S. integration, the future of continentalism and whether or not we can survive Trump’s attacks on our sovereignty. Support us at hatchetmedia.substack.com This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit hatchetmedia.substack.com/subscribe

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  32:16
• The Hundred Years' War between Newfoundland and Quebec

  In 1969, Quebec and Newfoundland worked together to build a hydroelectric generating station in Labrador at a place called Churchill Falls. It would go on to produce an enormous amount of energy.But the deal they struck has haunted Newfoundland ever since.Because Quebec gets to buy electricity at an absolutely rock bottom price, which hasn’t changed in more than fifty years. And they then turn around and sell that same electricity to the US for as much as fifty times more than what they paid.Quebec has made tens of billions of dollars off selling Newfoundland’s energy, while Newfoundland has been left with relative peanuts.The injustice of it all has been a source of immense frustration, anger and shame in Newfoundland.But Churchill Falls is just the most stubborn knot in the long, tangled history between Quebec and Newfoundland. Both are nations within the nation. Quebec because of its unique culture and language and Newfoundland because it was in fact an independent country until it joined Canada. And Quebec has always claimed that much of Labrador rightfully belongs to them — to the point that some government maps still label it as contested territory.But it’s the bitter fight over hydroelectricity that continues to act as an open wound between these two provinces.Over the last few weeks, as the Americans have threatened to rain down economic hellfire on Canada, there’s been a lot of talk about opening up interprovincial trade. About the need for east-west pipelines, and whether or not we can use energy exports as leverage against the US.And so this deal over Churchill Falls has become about more than just righting some historical wrong. It’s another test case for the ideas underlying Confederation. Can the provinces still work together to accomplish big things? Or will we be stuck in cycles of recrimination and resentment that will ultimately be our doom?Because even a month after the new Churchill Falls deal was announced, things aren’t adding up.Featured in this episode: Edward Hollett (The Bond Papers)To learn more“Hundreds of billions at stake as N.L., Quebec draft new Churchill Falls deal” by Elizabeth Whitten & John Gushue in CBC News ·“The Ghosts of Shag-Ups Past” by Edward Hollett in The Bond Papers“1969 Redux” by Edward Hollett in The Bond Papers“After decades of rancour, can Quebec and Newfoundland finally become friends?” by Konrad Yakabuski in The Globe and MailSupport us at hatchetmedia.substack.comThe Hatchet is a podcast and newsletter dedicated to exposing power and money in Canada. We deliver important, original and fascinating journalism about how this country actually works.Music: I dunno by grapes (c) copyright 2008 Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution (3.0) license. Ft: J Lang, Morusque This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit hatchetmedia.substack.com/subscribe

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  39:17
• The Last of the Pirates

  When Paul Watson was arrested in July of last year, it made headlines around the world. The presidents of France and Brazil called for his immediate release.But here in Canada — Watson’s birthplace and where much of his activism has centred — the reaction was strangely muted.Prime Minister Justin Trudeau never said a word about his case. While there was some news coverage of his case, it was nothing like the attention his arrest received in other countries.Which is surprising. Not only is Watson a founder of Greenpeace and one of the most famous environmental activists in the world, he’s also one of the most controversial. Many have labelled him as an eco-terrorist because of his willingness to use almost any means necessary to achieve his goals.Nowhere is this more obvious than his decades-long campaign against Japanese whaling in the Southern Ocean. On a rickety ship, with a neophyte crew, Watson went to war against the illegal Japanese whale hunt, ramming their ships in the open seas.He’s been called a pirate, and it’s a label he accepts willingly.This is a story about more than just whales. It’s about a planet on the brink of ecological collapse. And the lengths that one man is willing to go to try to stop it.Featured in this episode: Peter HellerTo learn moreThe Whale Warriors: The Battle at the Bottom of the World to Save the Planet’s Largest Mammals by Peter HellerWatson (2019) by Lesley Chilcott“‘They want revenge’: Canadian co-founder of Greenpeace, Paul Watson, awaits extradition hearing in Greenland jail” by Linsday Jones in The Globe and MailSupport us at hatchetmedia.substack.comThe Hatchet is a podcast and newsletter dedicated to exposing power and money in Canada. Every week, we’re going to deliver important, original and fascinating journalism about how this country actually works, and we’re going to do it in a way that no one else can.Music: I dunno by grapes (c) copyright 2008 Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution (3.0) license. Ft: J Lang, Morusque This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit hatchetmedia.substack.com/subscribe

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  49:20

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