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CBC’s Marketplace rounds up the consumer and health news you need from the week.
Consumer and health news you need from the week
Dexter McMillan · CBC News
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B.C. economies ‘less exposed’ to potential U.S. tariffs: Canadian Chamber of Commerce
B.C. cities, in general, would be among the least vulnerable in Canada if U.S. President Donald Trump follows through on tariff threats, according to new data from the Canadian Chamber of Commerce.
That isn’t to say that British Columbia wouldn’t suffer: the chamber’s chief economist, Stephen Tapp, says those tariffs would be recessionary for the whole country.
“I don’t think anybody’s really fully insulated from Trump’s tariff threats,” he told CBC’s Daybreak Kamloops guest host Doug Herbert. “But I think that the B.C. economies in our numbers come out a lot less exposed than some of the other places in the country.”
The chamber’s Business Data Lab looked at Statistics Canada information from 41 cities across Canada with populations of more than 100,000 people. This means the data is lacking when it comes to rural Canadians, who also have a vested interest in Canada’s trade relationship with the United States.
From there, they assess how much each city exports to the U.S.
Kamloops, located 253 kilometres northeast of Vancouver, ranked 40th out of 41 cities and would be the second-most resilient in the event the U.S. does impose tariffs on Canadian goods, according to the chamber’s calculations. Read more
Health Canada is again warning people to stop using unauthorized sexual enhancement products
Health Canada is warning people that unauthorized sexual enhancement products sold in at least three provinces may pose serious health risks.
In a public advisory published on Wednesday, the agency told people to stop using the 372 different products they’d identified — with names like Spanish Fly 22,000, Rhino 69 and Magnum Gold — and consult a health-care professional if they have any concerns.
Health Canada says it has seized the products from stores in New Brunswick, Quebec and Ontario because they have been found to contain “dangerous ingredients.”
“Unauthorized health products have not been approved by Health Canada, which means that they have not been assessed for safety, effectiveness and quality,” the agency said.
Last year, Health Canada issued four other warnings about sexual enhancement products, including counterfeit erectile dysfunction drugs seized at Toronto convenience stores. In a similar warning last May, Health Canada identified 421 unauthorized sexual enhancement products sold mostly in Ontario, but also in Quebec, Alberta and B.C. Read more
Regulation would encourage AI innovation, U of Ottawa prof argues after Paris summit
Regulation of artificial intelligence would encourage — not stifle — innovation, says a University of Ottawa professor who presented at last week’s global AI summit.
Florian Martin-Bariteau, who is also the university’s chair of technology and society, flew across the Atlantic to address world leaders in Paris at a summit meant to set a global agenda for the rapidly developing technology.
Such international summits have been held annually since 2023 and bring together world leaders, researchers and AI companies.
“Not any kind of innovation is good for society,” Martin-Bariteau said in an interview with CBC’s Ottawa Morning.
“Regulation is not always bad. It can help provide a playbook for innovators, know what they can do, not do, and innovate in a safe environment.”
Martin-Bariteau said he was hopeful the summit would allow leaders to develop concrete plans to handle AI, but instead faced a reality that was like “a cold shower.”
Conversations at the summit were “light toward commitment” and “lacking big actions,” he said. “A lot of people think regulation will stifle innovation.”
That was certainly the tone set by U.S. Vice-President JD Vance, who told the summit “excessive regulation of the AI sector could kill a transformative industry just as it’s taking off.”
Despite the uphill battle, Martin-Bariteau said it’s necessary for tech experts to keep pushing for regulation, as artificial intelligence is already being used to interfere in democracies around the world. Read more
What else is going on?
These charts reveal a Canada-U.S. bond forged in steel and aluminum
As Canada braces for new tariffs on March 12, these graphics put the trade relationship in perspective.
From Coca-Cola to local Canadian brewers, the prebiotic soda industry is booming. Here’s why
Canadian brands out of Toronto, Montreal and Halifax also brewing ‘functional’ sodas.
What to do if there’s a moose at your door? This B.C. woman had to figure it out
Surprise visitor trapped Chelsea Coles outside of her house in –30 C weather.
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Dexter McMillan is an investigative journalist with CBC Marketplace based in Toronto who specializes in telling stories about data. Previously, he was with the investigative unit and digital graphics. Got a tip? Email him at de*************@*bc.ca