Canada

Alberta Premier Danielle Smith speaks during the announcement of the 2028 World Cup of Hockey being hosted in Alberta, in Edmonton on Monday, March 16, 2026. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jason Franson

Alberta legislature committee eyes separation vote as meeting hits bizarre roadblock

Jack Farrell, The Canadian Press 6 minute read Updated: 6:58 PM CDT

EDMONTON, ALBERTA, CANADA - Alberta’s journey toward holding a fall referendum on separation took a bizarre turn Wednesday — straight into another roadblock.

It occurred when the governing United Conservative members on a bipartisan legislature committee introduced a motion to formally ask Premier Danielle Smith and her cabinet to initiate a provincewide vote on Alberta's status in Confederation this October.

The motion was expected to pass, given the UCP members on the committee outnumber the Opposition NDP members on it three to two.

But while the motion was still being debated, the UCP caucus published a news release announcing the vote had taken place and that the motion had passed.

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Soccer

PBO says Canadian governments set to spend $1 billion to host World Cup

Anja Karadeglija, The Canadian Press 3 minute read Preview

PBO says Canadian governments set to spend $1 billion to host World Cup

Anja Karadeglija, The Canadian Press 3 minute read Updated: 6:55 PM CDT

OTTAWA - Canada will spend just over $1 billion to host the World Cup this summer, the federal budget watchdog said Wednesday.

That sum includes money from all levels of government. The federal government's contribution is expected to be $473 million.

The $1.066 billion total averages to $82 million per game for the 13 games that will be played in Toronto and Vancouver.

The parliamentary budget officer says that's roughly in line with what previous host countries spent.

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Updated: 6:55 PM CDT

Canada

Alberta Premier Danielle Smith and Finance Minister Nate Horner speaks before delivering the 2024 budget in Edmonton on Thursday, Feb. 29, 2024. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jason Franson.

Alberta’s finance, hospital ministers stepping down, won’t seek re-election

Jack Farrell, The Canadian Press 4 minute read Preview

Alberta’s finance, hospital ministers stepping down, won’t seek re-election

Jack Farrell, The Canadian Press 4 minute read Updated: 4:25 PM CDT

EDMONTON - Two of Alberta Premier Danielle Smith's longtime cabinet ministers are stepping down.

In letters posted on social media Wednesday, Finance Minister Nate Horner and Hospitals Minister Matt Jones both said they are leaving their posts after deciding not to seek re-election in the October 2027 general election.

"When the premier offered me this cabinet role, I told her it was likely that my second term would be my last," Horner said in his letter.

"In discussing my plans with the premier, we both felt it was important for the election-year budget to be built by a member of cabinet who will be running for re-election."

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Updated: 4:25 PM CDT

Canada

Prime Minister Mark Carney greets B.C. Premier David Eby outside his residence at Rideau Cottage in Ottawa for a working dinner, on Wednesday, Sept. 17, 2025. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Justin Tang

Carney lays out pipeline conditions before talks with Eby on B.C.’s priorities

Chuck Chiang and Brieanna Charlebois, The Canadian Press 4 minute read Preview

Carney lays out pipeline conditions before talks with Eby on B.C.’s priorities

Chuck Chiang and Brieanna Charlebois, The Canadian Press 4 minute read Updated: 2:38 PM CDT

VANCOUVER - Prime Minister Mark Carney and British Columbia Premier David Eby have agreed to enter negotiations on B.C.'s economic priorities and Ottawa's role in national development projects.

Carney met with Eby in a closed-door meeting in Vancouver Wednesday, shortly after the prime minister spoke to B.C. business leaders at a separate event where he outlined prerequisites for a possible pipeline championed by Alberta.

At the event hosted by the Greater Vancouver Board of Trade, Carney noted that the pipeline would only go ahead with the creation of the Pathways carbon capture project as well as substantial economic benefits for B.C. and "non-negotiable" consultation with First Nations.

"One of the benefits of actually sitting down and talking about these things, as opposed to litigating about these things across federal government and provinces, is that it develops a shared understanding, a recognition of what needs to be done, an understanding of why this is the right thing to do," Carney told the Board of Trade before entering talks with Eby.

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Updated: 2:38 PM CDT

Business

Two men drive past steel coils at the thyssenkrupp steel mill in Duisburg, Germany, Wednesday, Nov. 5, 2025. (AP Photo/Martin Meissner)

Canadian steel companies pay millions after U.S says they didn’t pay proper tariffs

Kelly Geraldine Malone, The Canadian Press 2 minute read Preview

Canadian steel companies pay millions after U.S says they didn’t pay proper tariffs

Kelly Geraldine Malone, The Canadian Press 2 minute read Updated: 2:50 PM CDT

WASHINGTON - Two Canadian steel companies have agreed to pay $19 million to resolve allegations they knowingly failed to pay proper duties on flat-rolled steel manufactured in Europe and Asia, the U.S. Justice Department said Wednesday.

From May 2019 through January 2025, Farjess Inc. and Royal Canadian Steel Inc., along with part-owner and president Feroz Jessani, misrepresented the origin of the steel as Canadian and American, the department said in a news release.

The companies knew the steel was from China, Indonesia, Italy, Turkey or Vietnam, the department said.

A whistleblower broker flagged the two Canadian companies through a provision in the False Claims Act that allows private parties to file lawsuits on behalf of the United States for false claims.

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Updated: 2:50 PM CDT

Canada

Three Toronto officers charged in Spain back in Canada, suspended with pay: police

The Canadian Press 2 minute read Preview

Three Toronto officers charged in Spain back in Canada, suspended with pay: police

The Canadian Press 2 minute read Updated: 1:24 PM CDT

TORONTO - Toronto police say three of their officers facing charges in Spain have returned to Canada and have been suspended with pay.

The Mossos d’Esquadra police force in Barcelona confirmed Tuesday that three men were arrested for sexual assault and injuries after an incident in a taxi last week.

Several Spanish media sites had reported that three Canadian police officers on vacation had been arrested in the alleged sexual assault and assault of a sex worker in Barcelona.

Toronto police spokesperson Stephanie Sayer said Monday that three officers were charged in Barcelona while on vacation, without specifying the charges or confirming the Spanish media reports.

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Updated: 1:24 PM CDT

Canada

Ontario Premier Doug Ford shakes hands with Toronto Port Authority President and CEO RJ Steenstra at an event at Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport on Monday March 23, 2026. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Frank Gunn

Island airport expansion will cost up to $5 billion, Toronto Port Authority says

Liam Casey, The Canadian Press 4 minute read Preview

Island airport expansion will cost up to $5 billion, Toronto Port Authority says

Liam Casey, The Canadian Press 4 minute read Updated: 3:08 PM CDT

TORONTO - The Toronto Port Authority says the proposed island airport expansion will cost up to $5 billion.

Port authority CEO RJ Steenstra told a committee at Queen's Park this week that the proposed expansion of Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport will cost between $4 and $5 billion over 25 years.

"This is not an overnight investment," Steenstra said. "This will take time to ensure that we're meeting the needs. It's a phased-in approach."

There will be little, if any, public money involved, Steenstra said, though he said the federal government has yet to indicate whether it will pony up taxpayer dollars.

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Updated: 3:08 PM CDT

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Business

Foreign Minister Anita Anand arrives for a media conference at the European Council building in Brussels on Monday, May 11, 2026. (AP Photo/Omar Havana)

Anand says joining SAFE defence borrowing pact will help Canadian firms compete

Canadian Press Staff, The Canadian Press 3 minute read Preview

Anand says joining SAFE defence borrowing pact will help Canadian firms compete

Canadian Press Staff, The Canadian Press 3 minute read Updated: 4:36 PM CDT

OTTAWA - The European Parliament formally welcomed Canada into the defence borrowing and procurement agreement known as SAFE on Wednesday — making it the only non-European country to join.

The European Parliament passed a final vote Wednesday to greenlight Canada's participation in the Security Action for Europe agreement, which is worth the equivalent of C$240 billion.

The program, which allows member countries to access low-interest loans for military hardware, is part of a broader initiative called ReArm Europe aimed at reducing the continent's military reliance on the United States.

Foreign Affairs Minister Anita Anand hailed it as an important step, saying Canadian companies will now be able to participate in procurement competitions typically open only to European firms.

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Updated: 4:36 PM CDT

Canada

Conservative MP Michael Chong rises during question period on Parliament Hill in Ottawa, Tuesday, April 14, 2026. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Adrian Wyld

Conservative MP Michael Chong meets with Taiwan president as China dials up pressure

Sarah Ritchie, The Canadian Press 5 minute read Preview

Conservative MP Michael Chong meets with Taiwan president as China dials up pressure

Sarah Ritchie, The Canadian Press 5 minute read Updated: 3:57 PM CDT

OTTAWA - Conservative MP Michael Chong said his meeting with Taiwan's President Lai Ching-te on Wednesday was meant to assert Canadian sovereignty in the face of Beijing's warnings to Canadian lawmakers that such visits are inappropriate.

"I thought it was important to make it clear that we are not going to take direction from a foreign government about where Canadian MPs can travel internationally," Chong said in an interview from Taipei.

Beijing's envoy told The Globe and Mail that he was optimistic about warming relations between Canada and China but said official visits by Canadian lawmakers to Taiwan risk setting back that progress.

Chong, the Conservative foreign affairs critic, said he and Lai spoke about "Taiwan's importance as a democracy at the front lines of threats from an authoritarian state" and its participation in international bodies like the World Health Organization.

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Updated: 3:57 PM CDT

Canada

The Palais de justice, Quebec Superior Court, is seen in Montreal, on Monday, Aug. 18, 2025. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Christinne Muschi

Quebec jail guards protest expired contract, growing use of drones to move contraband

Lia Lévesque, The Canadian Press 1 minute read Preview

Quebec jail guards protest expired contract, growing use of drones to move contraband

Lia Lévesque, The Canadian Press 1 minute read 10:28 AM CDT

MONTREAL - Quebec's corrections officers protested across the province today to bring attention to their expired collective agreement.

Union members affiliated with the CSN federation gathered outside buildings related to public security, including courthouses.

Their union says its 2,900 members working in 17 provincial detention centres face difficult working conditions linked to street gangs, tensions inside jails, and the growing use of drones to deliver contraband to inmates.

In response to the protest, the Quebec government says it filed an application with the province's labour tribunal to ensure the union complies with laws during contract negotiations.

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10:28 AM CDT

Canada

Foreign Affairs Minister Anita Anand speaks at the Calgary Chamber of Commerce on Wednesday, April 8, 2026. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Dave Chidley

Carney calls Israel’s treatment of flotilla ‘abominable,’ as Ottawa summons envoy

Canadian Press Staff, The Canadian Press 4 minute read Preview

Carney calls Israel’s treatment of flotilla ‘abominable,’ as Ottawa summons envoy

Canadian Press Staff, The Canadian Press 4 minute read Updated: 2:00 PM CDT

OTTAWA - Prime Minister Mark Carney called Israel's treatment of people aboard an intercepted flotilla "abominable" and "unacceptable," on Wednesday, adding Ottawa is seeking assurances about the safety of Canadians involved.

The prime minister made the comments on social media Wednesday, after Foreign Affairs Minister Anita Anand told reporters she directed officials to summon Israeli Ambassador Iddo Moed over the "mistreatment of civilians" aboard the Gaza-bound flotilla.

Activists say 12 Canadians were among those detained when Israel's navy intercepted hundreds of people on 41 boats involved in the Global Sumud Flotilla in international waters near Cyprus on Monday.

Anand said video shared by Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir is "deeply troubling and absolutely unacceptable."

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Updated: 2:00 PM CDT

Canada

People off-load a shipment of more than 15 tons of supplies donated by UNICEF as part of the response to the Ebola virus outbreak at Bunia National Airport in Bunia, Congo, Tuesday, May 19, 2026. (AP Photo/Moses Sawasawa)

One person in Ontario who recently travelled to East Africa tested for Ebola virus: ministry

Hannah Alberga, The Canadian Press 3 minute read Preview

One person in Ontario who recently travelled to East Africa tested for Ebola virus: ministry

Hannah Alberga, The Canadian Press 3 minute read Updated: 5:25 PM CDT

TORONTO - One person in Ontario was being tested for Ebola, the province's health ministry said on Wednesday, as a deadly outbreak of a rare type of the virus in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda had officials around the globe on alert, including in Canada where Global Affairs said consular services were ready to help Canadians in the region if they need it.

Ontario's Ministry of Health spokesperson Jackson Jacobs said in an email the patient was in hospital and being tested for a range of infectious diseases, including the Ebola virus, "out of an abundance of caution," given the person's recent travel history.

Currently there's an outbreak of a rare type of Ebola, called Bundibugyo, in the Congo and neighbouring Uganda.

The World Health Organization said there are almost 600 suspected cases and 139 suspected deaths, though officials believe the scale of the spread is much larger.

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Updated: 5:25 PM CDT

Business

A CN locomotive sits idle at the CN Stuart Yard in Hamilton, Ont., Thursday, Aug. 22, 2024. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Peter Power

CN Rail pledges $100 million to fight homelessness across its North American network

Charlotte Glorieux, The Canadian Press 3 minute read Preview

CN Rail pledges $100 million to fight homelessness across its North American network

Charlotte Glorieux, The Canadian Press 3 minute read Updated: 5:32 PM CDT

MONTREAL - Canadian National Railway says homelessness is a growing problem along its North American rail network and has pledged $100 million over ten years to fund community groups and shelters that offer services to the unhoused.

Non-profits in Canada and the United States, including groups running research projects on homelessness, will be able to apply online for funding, Olivier Chouc, CN senior vice-president and chief legal officer, said in an interview Tuesday.

He said CN officials are increasingly witnessing homelessness across the railway system. ''We have large areas, vacant land, and they tend to be attractive to homeless people and all these encampments,'' Chouc said.

For Montreal, where CN is headquartered, the company is donating $1 million to four organizations that help the unhoused: Le Chaînon womens shelter; Dans la rue, which works with youth experiencing homelessness; Mission Old Brewery, one of the largest shelter networks in Montreal; and Projets Autochtones du Québec, which offers services to Indigenous people. Each will receive $250,000.

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Updated: 5:32 PM CDT

Canada

Chief of the Defence Staff Gen. Jennie Carignan speaks at the Ottawa Conference on Security and Defence in Ottawa, on Thursday, March 5, 2026. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Spencer Colby

Top military commander Gen. Carignan nominated for senior advisory role in NATO

Kyle Duggan, The Canadian Press 4 minute read Preview

Top military commander Gen. Carignan nominated for senior advisory role in NATO

Kyle Duggan, The Canadian Press 4 minute read Updated: 3:54 PM CDT

OTTAWA - The federal government is nominating Gen. Jennie Carignan, the head of Canada's military, as a candidate for a top role in NATO.

Defence Minister David McGuinty announced Wednesday her candidacy for chair of the NATO Military Committee, the main military adviser to NATO's Secretary-General Mark Rutte.

An election is set for September to choose a successor for outgoing chair Admiral Giuseppe Cavo Dragone of Italy, whose term ends next summer.

Carignan would have to step down as chief of the defence staff before taking on the new position. It's also not a foregone conclusion she'll get the job.

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Updated: 3:54 PM CDT

Canada

The Peace Tower on Parliament Hill is framed by a bed of tulips outside the Office of the Prime Minister and Privy Council in Ottawa on Friday, May 8, 2026. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Sean Kilpatrick

Government looking to give boost to high-wage workers in express entry system

David Baxter, The Canadian Press 6 minute read Preview

Government looking to give boost to high-wage workers in express entry system

David Baxter, The Canadian Press 6 minute read Updated: 1:57 PM CDT

OTTAWA - Ottawa is looking at overhauling the express entry system to make it easier for people with high-paying job offers to apply for permanent residency.

A public consultation survey and discussion paper outline the proposed changes to the express entry system.

Express entry evaluates economic immigration applicants based on a point system that takes factors like age, education and Canadian work experience into account.

Applicants in the express entry pool with the most points are invited to apply for permanent residency. People who score the highest tend to be younger and highly educated, to possess specialized skills and to be fluent in one or both of Canada's official languages.

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Updated: 1:57 PM CDT

Canada

Environment and Climate Change Minister Julie Dabrusin, left, and Prime Minister Mark Carney take part in an announcement in Wakefield, Que., Tuesday, March 31, 2026. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Sean Kilpatrick

In the news today: Carbon price backstop, Federal overseas staff cuts, FIFA hotels

The Canadian Press 4 minute read Preview

In the news today: Carbon price backstop, Federal overseas staff cuts, FIFA hotels

The Canadian Press 4 minute read 3:15 AM CDT

Here is a roundup of stories from The Canadian Press designed to bring you up to speed …

Feds didn't push carbon price backstop in Alberta in show of co-operation: Dabrusin

Federal Environment Minister Julie Dabrusin says Ottawa didn't enforce the federal backstop on Alberta's industrial carbon price as a gesture of co-operation with the province.

Dabrusin tells The Canadian Press that fighting with provinces in court is not a path to co-operative federalism.

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3:15 AM CDT

May 20, 2026

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