TOP CLICKS: The week that was in viral stories

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The Toronto Sun takes you straight to the heart of the action.

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Whether it’s local news, provincial and national politics, or the worlds of celebrity and sports, we have you covered.

Some stories set the world on fire. And these ones are the most popular online stories from the past seven days, clicked on by Sun readers like you.

Here are our top stories:

Dina Pugliese, Jann Arden and ‘Breakfast Television’ fans react to Meredith Shaw and Sid Seixeiro exit

It appears many of Toronto Sun’s readers are also avid Breakfast Television viewers as the news that co-hosts Sid Seixeiro and Meredith Shaw were out were our Top 2 stories of the week.

Big Canadian names including singer Jann Arden, former Fashion Television host Jeanne Beker, host of since-cancelled Cityline Tracy Moore and ex-BT host Dina Pugliese, all weighed in on the shocking news and showed their love and support for the talented ousted duo, while sad and disappointed fans expressed their dismay following Devo Brown breaking the news on the air.

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A Rogers spokesperson told the Sun’s Mark Daniell that the company is “invested in Breakfast Television’s success and leadership in Canadian morning television,” and will have “exciting new plans” to announce in the coming weeks.

Unfortunately, part of that evolution meant parting ways with Seixeiro and Shaw.

LILLEY: We’re all for free-trade with the U.S. as long as it’s a one-way street

The best outcome for Canada’s premiers’ trade talks with Americans last week would obviously be that there are no tariffs, according to Quebec Premier Francois Legault — which, yes, we can all agree.

But given that’s not happening, there must be some (okay, a lot of) cooperation at play given the unpredictability of the man behind the threats.

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Legault, however, isn’t exactly being a team player, particularly when it comes to Quebec’s dairy.

Dairy has been a major irritant for the Americans for decades under successive administrations, and it remains an issue today, Brian Lilley wrote.

They aren’t asking or demanding that we as a country dismantle our supply management system, but they do want greater access.

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If Canada wants to get, then Canada needs to give, and that might mean being less restrictive on dairy — not giving up supply management, but allowing Wisconsin dairy farmers to sell their milk to Canadian cheese producers — because that’s where it goes, not into a carton in your fridge, but into cheese.

An entire trade deal shouldn’t be sacrificed to protect what Lilley called “an ever-shrinking number of dairy farmers to the degree they are protected.”

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Canadians can’t complain about Trump or Americans in general being protectionists while we defend our own protectionist policies.

KINSELLA: Liberals surge in polls as hate for Donald Trump rises in Canada

It’s a much different political landscape than the one Conservative MPs left at the holiday break. At the start of 2025, Justin Trudeau was still in charge and polls reported Pierre Poilievre’s Tories were at 45% support nationally while the Liberals were down to an extraordinary 16%.

Since Trudeau announced he was stepping down as Liberal leader and prime minister, the effectively leaderless Liberal Party has been narrowing the once-massive Conservative lead. How?

According to Warren Kinsella, there are a few reasons.

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1) It was more about hating Trudeau than loving Poilievre.

2) The Liberal leadership candidates generated some surprisingly respectable candidates who have stolen the Tories’ media coverage.

3) Since Donald Trump has threatened Canada’s sovereignty and with tariffs, Canadians have someone new to hate — someone who they liken to Poilievre, who they believe secretly wants to be just like the American president.

KINSELLA: Trump anchor dragging down Poilievre’s Conservatives fast

The Conservative Party of Canada has dropped nearly 30 percentage points in six weeks — something that has never really happened before, if the polls are accurate, Kinsella noted.

From being 30 points ahead of the Liberal Party at the start of the year to now, several pollsters suggest the Tories and Grits are nearly tied — or the latter is actually ahead of the former.

Kinsella predicted a Trump victory was always going to hurt Conservatives, mostly because of the hatred for Trump, who some believe Poilievre strives to be like.

Once Trump was re-installed in power, things have gotten worse and as Trump has threatened and belittled Canada, Poilievre’s predicament has become dire.

To change things, the Conservative Leader needs to stop copying Trump’s policies. Otherwise the Liberals could take away all the Tories’ hard work.

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