Hour 2 of Ottawa Now for Thurs. May 1st, 2025

The Ford government is examining involuntarily treatments for drug users, according to a pair of unnamed senior government sources. These mandatory drug treatments, per reports, would be available to addicts on probation, on parole, or in jail. The province has entered the costing process of this idea, and will start talking to the feds about how these measures could be enacted. When asked about her assessment of Premier Ford’s gameplan, NDP Leader Marit Styles says there needs to be more funding for the provincial courts, a must-have measure to keep violent offenders behind bars. We dig deeper with Ian Culbert, the Executive Director of the Canadian Public Health Association. In other news, it might not be curtains for Hudson’s Bay after all. According to the Canadian Press, the legendary Canadian retailer has attracted multiple bids since the company’s liquidation sales took off. One of the bidders is Weihong Liu, a billionaire based in British Columbia. She has placed a bid for 25 Hudson’s Bay outlets, per the Toronto Star. And then, you have Canadian Tire, who has reportedly made offers for some of the department store’s intellectual property. Chiming in with his two cents is David Soberman, a Professor of Marketing at the University of Toronto's Rotman School of Management.