Hour 1 of Ottawa Now for Fri. August 15th, 2025

Ontario Premier Doug Ford wants to make it easier for shoppers to identify which products are Canadian. One idea he is floating: A country flag on every single label. If a product originates from China, you will see a Chinese flag. If it’s from America, a star-spangled flag will appear. This comes amid growing calls from Premier Ford himself, as he encourages all Canadians to shop on a Canada-first basis. But on Thursday, he suggested that some ‘sneaky companies’ are trying to pass off their products as Canadian, even though they were not actually made in Canada. Should we implement flags on products, or are you of the mind that Ford’s idea will change absolutely nothing? David Ian Gray, a retail advisor, delivers his two cents. Later in Hour 1, we continue to put a bow on Kristy’s Summer Hit List for 2025, as we assemble Part 2 of this year’s final debriefing. You’ll hear a last call of sizzling Summer recommendations just before the 3 o’clock newscast. But first, we bring you up to speed on today’s top headlines.