The Monocle Minute

In the wake of the assassination attempt on Donald Trump, the Nato summit might already be old news in Washington. In Ottawa however, its after effects continue to be felt. When Canada’s prime minister, Justin Trudeau, visited the White House last week, he left with an agreement to modernise the 60-year-old Columbia River Treaty, which governs a watershed the size of France. With the current deal’s provisions set to expire in September, pressure was mounting in British Columbia to strike a deal with the US. Making this deadline gave Trudeau, whose popularity at home is dwindling, a political boost.

The new agreement grants Canada more control over water flow at three dams that generate hydroelectric power and protect downstream communities in Oregon and Washington state. When reservoirs are drawn down at US demand, the lakes behind the dams become dust bowls, affecting the quality of life in British Columbia’s otherwise pristine interior. Insufficient water also inhibits the life cycle of salmon, a vital interest for indigenous First Nation groups that served on the Canadian negotiating team (Trudeau skipped the annual Assembly of First Nations to be in Washington). Under the new terms, the US will also supply Canada with less hydroelectric power.

After nearly a decade in power, Trudeau’s domestic policies have landed him in troubled waters. His government barely survived a vote of no confidence in March after a recent rise in carbon taxes. As he prepares for Canada’s 2025 federal elections, he can instead rely on his strong suit: foreign policy. Talks over the Columbia River Treaty began six years ago during the Trump administration and successfully concluded with Joe Biden in office. The ability of Trudeau’s negotiating team to stay the course makes a compelling case for the incumbent, showing that he can handle whoever occupies the White House next.

Gregory Scruggs is Monocle’s Seattle correspondent. For more opinion, analysis and insight, subscribeto Monocle today.

The air forces of Germany, France and Spain are in Japan for a series of military drills that will last until next Thursday. It is the first time that European countries have held a trilateral air-force deployment in the Indo-Pacific. The joint exercise is part of a broader two-month programme, entitled “Pacific Skies 2024”, which sees Japan’s Air Self-Defense Force (ASDF) collaborate with regional partners such as Australia and India.

French Rafale jets and ASDF’s F-2 fighters will hold aerial manoeuvres above the Hyakuri Air Base at Ibaraki prefecture today, while German and Spanish Eurofighter Typhoons will join Japanese F-15s above the Chitose Air Base in Hokkaido. While Western powers are polishing up their air defences, China and Russia are conducting joint naval exercises in the South China Sea. Faced with the possible political instability of a Trump re-election in the US, Southeast Asian nations such as Japan are keen to know that they can rely on European partners for defence support instead.

Swedish boat-building company Candela’s “flying” ferry is gearing up for its maiden voyage for paying customers. The boat, which is electric and consumes 80 per cent less energy than a regular vessel, can hover up to a full metre above the water.

Three vertical wings stretching from its underside maintain the ferry’s stability and the drastic drop in friction from the hull’s movement through air, rather than water, means that it can move significantly quicker than a traditional boat, reaching top speeds of 55km/h. As part of an agreement with Sweden’s transport authority, Candela will start by travelling between the island of Ekerö and Stockholm’s mainland using one boat with a maximum of 30 passengers.

There are eight days to go until Paris opens the 2024 Olympics with a ceremony on the Seine. This week all eyes have been on mayor Anne Hidalgo who, alongside former Olympic athletes and her staff, swam in the Seine to prove that it is clean enough to host the event’s outdoor-swimming events. If all goes to plan, Paris will open parts of the river to aquatic-minded and ambitious members of the public after the Games.

We assemble The Urbanist book club for another meeting as we browse titles on cycling, shopkeeping and the 15-minute city.