Sponsored by ESGold Corp

Ford Government Moves to Shield Cabinet

Premier Doug Ford’s government is preparing one of the most consequential access-to-information rollbacks in Ontario politics by carving the premier’s office, cabinet ministers, parliamentary assistants and their offices out of the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act.

The change was announced Friday by Public and Business Service Delivery and Procurement Minister Stephen Crawford as part of a broader package the government framed as a modernization of privacy, cyber security and access rules.

The legislation is to be introduced when the legislature resumes on March 23, 2026.

You can read more on the matter here.

What’s going on?

• Musk Commits to April for X Money — Again — as SpaceX IPO Looms (theDeepDive)

• Trump insists US can fight ‘forever’ despite rapid depletion of munitions (FT)

• Iran Sports Minister Says Team Cannot Play at World Cup (theDeepDive)

• Trump says he thinks Putin is helping Iran (CNBC)

• U.S. Treasury Eases Russian Oil Sanctions to Stabilize Global Energy Markets (theDeepDive)

• New York City’s $30 Minimum-Wage Proposal Rattles Small Businesses (WSJ)

• Canada Pledges $35 Billion to Bolster Arctic Defence and Northern Infrastructure (theDeepDive)

• Canada sheds 83,900 jobs in February, unemployment rate rises to 6.7% (Globe)

• Global LNG Market in Crisis as Half of Available Tankers Trapped in Persian Gulf (theDeepDive)

• Cuban president confirms talks with Trump officials amid US blockade (TG)

What’s the latest?

• Epstein Files: The House Oversight Committee is seeking testimony from prison guard Tova Noel about Jeffrey Epstein’s 2019 jail death, scheduling a March 26 deposition after reports she searched Epstein online minutes before his body was found and allegedly skipped routine checks. The investigation also examines Ghislaine Maxwell, potential co-conspirators, and DOJ handling of the Epstein files, after millions of documents were released but the DOJ missed a legal deadline and faced criticism over heavy redactions.

• Commodities: Brent crude rose to $101.83 (+1.36%) and WTI to $96.26 (+0.55%) as the Strait of Hormuz remains closed amid the U.S.–Israel war with Iran, with tanker attacks and reported mines raising supply fears. Oil had already surged over 9% the prior day, while governments moved to stabilize markets by releasing 400M barrels from strategic reserves (172M from the U.S.) and allowing trade of ~100M barrels of stranded Russian oil.

• Manufacturing Sales: Canada’s manufacturing sales fell 3% to $68.7B in January, driven by an 18.2% drop in transportation equipment, including motor vehicles −38.9% (lowest since Sept. 2021) and auto parts −7.7% due to extended Ontario plant shutdowns for model retooling. Sales declined in 11 of 21 subsectors, with machinery −5.6%, while miscellaneous manufacturing rose 16.8% to a record $1.5B. In constant dollars, total manufacturing sales fell 3.9%.

• Markets: Canada’s S&P/TSX fell 54.73 points to 32,785.87, pressured by base metals losses, while U.S. markets were mixed (Dow +119.39 to 46,797.24; S&P 500 −4.10 to 6,668.52; Nasdaq −54.76 to 22,257.22). The Canadian dollar weakened to 72.86¢ USD (from 73.44¢), oil rose to $96.01/barrel (+$0.28), and gold fell $66.80 to $5,059/oz.

• Unemployment: Canada lost 84,000 jobs in February, far worse than forecasts of +10,000, pushing unemployment to 6.7% (+0.2pp). Full-time jobs fell by 100,000+, private sector employment dropped 73,000, and youth employment (15–24) declined 47,000, with Quebec alone losing 57,000 jobs. The drop follows −25,000 jobs in January, raising concerns ahead of the Bank of Canada’s rate decision (current rate: 2.25%), though markets still assign ~90% odds of a hold.

We’ll Need More Copper in 20 Years Than the Last 10,000

The stock market and stuff

• Adobe To Settle Subscription Lawsuit For $150M In Cash And Credits (theDeepDive)

• Rio Tinto slows pace of construction on Quebec lithium processing plant (Globe)

• Helium Prices Spike as Qatar LNG Halt Exposes Supply Chain Vulnerabilities (theDeepDive)

• China’s BYD Open to Building Cars in Canada, Buying Out Rivals (Bloomberg)

• Wheaton Posts Record 2025 Results As Antamina Deal Resets Growth (theDeepDive)

In the juniors

• Ottawa Backs First Phosphate Battery Grade Validation Push With $16.7M Boost (theDeepDive)

• Amex Exploration Expands Footprint In Ontario (theDeepDive)

• Founders Metals Drills 1.16 g/t Gold Over 65.9 Metres At Lower Antino (theDeepDive)

FULL DISCLOSURE: ESGold Corp. is a client of Canacom Group, the parent company of The Deep Dive. Canacom Group is currently long the equity of ESGold Corp. The author has been compensated to cover ESGold Corp. on The Deep Dive, with The Deep Dive having full editorial control. Not a recommendation to buy or sell. Always do additional research and consult a professional before purchasing a security.