Hour 1 of Ottawa Now for Tues. August 18th, 2026

Tick-tock, ladies and gentlemen. We are entering the final minutes to Midnight, and a group of terrifying tariffs awaits Canada if no solution can be achieved between North America’s biggest neighbours. Can the feds strike a deal with Trump? Depending on the circumstances, are they wiser not to? We dig deeper with Fen Hampson, a Professor of International Affairs at Carleton University. Meantime, residents of Riverside South and Findlay Creek are getting fed up with bad cell service. Steve Desroches, the councillor that oversees Ward 22, says he has received frequent complaints about dropped calls and dead zones. And it recently reached a tipping point, as Desroches submitted an inquiry to City Council about this matter last month. He drops by for a visit in Hour 1. But first, we bring you up to speed on today’s top headlines.