Hour 4 of Ottawa Now for Wed. March 25th, 2026

Canada’s sovereignty call-to-arms has largely been expressed through what we buy. Shoppers fiercely scrutinize labels and corporate ownership to determine whether a product is truly “Canadian.” But while we’re paying closer attention to the origin and composition of the products we’re purchasing, we’re not really thinking about how we pay for them. That needs to change. Key points In 2025, American-owned Visa and Mastercard controlled 96 percent of Canada’s credit card market These networks can be weaponized, shutting countries out of global commerce Canada must build its own digital...