Here’s a look at news events in May 2026

A look at news events in May 2026:

1 – A spokesperson for a flotilla to Gaza said two Canadians intercepted by Israel had been released. Global Sumud Canada’s organizer on the ground in Greece said both Canadians were in hospital for medical checkups. A third Canadian was rescued by Greenpeace and Spanish NGO Open Arms after her boat was destroyed and she was left adrift in the sea. The boats were intercepted this week by the Israeli navy in international waters off the coast of Greece, hundreds of kilometres from Gaza.

1 – Increased demand and the need to diversify had the prime minister calling a new Alberta oil pipeline “more likely than not.” Prime Minister Mark Carney said the war in Iran had countries looking for secure new sources of energy. He also pointed to Canada’s need to diversify its energy sales to Asian markets. But Carney said none of that meant a new pipeline was certain and a lot of work remained to be done.

2 – New numbers showed Canada’s poverty rate appeared to be holding steady at 11 per cent in 2024. Statistics Canada said Nunavut recorded the highest poverty rate at 31.7 per cent due to the high cost of living in much of the North. The territory was followed by British Columbia at 13 per cent, with Quebec notching the lowest rate at seven per cent.

2 – U.S. ultra-low-cost carrier Spirit Airlines abruptly shut down, leaving customers stranded and scrambling. The budget airline faced rising costs and debt, forcing it to cancel all flights and immediately suspend customer service. The day before, lawyers for the airline told a U.S. Bankruptcy Court that Spirit was in advanced talks with the government over financing that could allow it to exit Chapter 11 protection. Addressing Spirit’s collapse at Newark Airport on Saturday, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said talks with the federal government over a $500-million rescue deal stalled.

3 – U.S. Central Command said guided-missile destroyers, more than 100 aircraft and 15,000 service members would be part of an effort to guide stranded ships through the Strait of Hormuz. Iran effectively closed the Strait after the U.S. and Israel launched the war in late February. President Donald Trump said he expected his “Project Freedom” would help hundreds of vessels and some 20,000 seafarers “freely and ably get on with their business.” Meanwhile, the British military said projectiles struck a tanker off the east coast of the United Arab Emirates, the second such attack in hours.

3 – Prime Minister Mark Carney met with his Polish counterpart Donald Tusk to discuss defence, trade and co-operation on Ukraine. He was in Armenia to take part in the European Political Community summit — a gathering touching on strategic co-operation in politics, security and infrastructure. The PM was set to hold bilateral discussions with numerous world leaders during the summit, which included Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Carney also joined a trilateral meeting between European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and Antonio Costa, the president of the European Council.

4 – Prime Minister Mark Carney announced an additional $1.5 billion in tariff relief for Canadians. The additional funds came in response to the United States widening its tariff criteria last month. Industry Minister Melanie Joly said while the government had to act to provide businesses with liquidity in the short term, it was also pursuing a broader medium-term strategy to help exporters adapt and move into new markets.

4 – Alberta separatists said they had submitted nearly 302,000 signatures to trigger a referendum on leaving Canada, well above the required threshold. Premier Danielle Smith said a vote would proceed if the petition was verified. The signatures were delivered to Elections Alberta by Stay Free Alberta leader Mitch Sylvestre and accompanied by supporters in Edmonton. The effort faced a legal challenge from First Nations groups arguing separation would violate treaty rights.

5 – Quebec’s new premier forced the opposition Liberals to take a position on the notwithstanding clause before the fall provincial election. Legislation to renew the notwithstanding clause was the first bill Frechette’s party introduced since she was sworn into office last month. This use of the Charter’s override clause aimed to protect a French-language law from court challenges. Frechette marked the day’s opening of the Quebec legislature by promising to lead a “nationalist” government with five months to go before Quebecers headed to the polls.

5 – The Toronto Maple Leafs won the lottery for the first pick in the NHL draft. The victory came at a critical time for Toronto in the aftermath of hiring John Chayka as general manager and bringing back franchise legend Mats Sundin to serve as a hockey operations adviser. It was the first time the Maple Leafs had won the lottery since taking Auston Matthews with the No. 1 pick in 2016. They had the fifth-highest odds of winning it at 8.5 per cent. Vancouver had the highest at 18.5 per cent and had never had the first pick in the draft. The San Jose Sharks won the lottery for the second pick, while the Canucks fell to third.

6 – A new Statistics Canada analysis showed more millennials lived with their parents than baby boomers did at the same age. The agency says the proportion of millennials living with their parents was highest in Toronto and Vancouver. Those are also the two most expensive housing markets in the country. For millennials who’ve been able to afford a home, the share of those owning a single detached home is also lower than previous generations.

6 – German submarine maker TKMS said it had a plan to build an undersea Arctic research centre in Canada. It was part of the company’s bid to supply the Navy with a fleet of new submarines. TKMS said it had partnered on the research and development centre with General Dynamics Canada, which made sonar and undersea sensor systems. A key aspect of Ottawa’s new submarine procurement was that it intended to use the new subs in Arctic environments.

7 – Canadian consular officials headed to the Canary Islands to support four Canadians who were still on board a hantavirus-stricken cruise ship. The outbreak had killed three people so far, and the ship operator revealed more than two dozen people left the ship after the first death. Those included two Canadians who were then isolating at home in Ontario. A third Canadian on the same returning flight was also isolating at home in Quebec, but none of the three were showing any symptoms.

7 – The British Columbia school at the site of a deadly mass shooting earlier that year was to be torn down. B.C. Premier David Eby announced Tumbler Ridge Secondary School would be rebuilt in a new location. The school was one of two sites where a shooter killed eight people before taking her own life in February. Police said 18-year-old Jesse Van Rootselaar killed her mother and half-brother at home before going to the school.

8 – Three more Canadians might have been exposed to hantavirus while returning home on a flight. Two of them were from Alberta while the third was from Ontario. Canada’s chief public health officer said all three had been told to isolate at home but none of them had symptoms. Dr. Joss Reimer said there was no evidence asymptomatic individuals could spread hantavirus to others.

8 – Alberta Premier Danielle Smith said she felt much more confident about the prospects for a new pipeline after meeting Prime Minister Mark Carney in Ottawa. She said she went from saying “if” a deal got signed at the start of the meeting to saying “when” by the end of their get-together. Smith said the progress came at a crucial time as activists in her province pushed for a referendum on separation from Canada.

9 – Prime Minister Mark Carney touted Canadian values in a closing speech at the 2026 Global Progress Action Summit in Toronto. He addressed current and former U.S. and European politicians, among others, saying Canada needed to build new institutions and reimagine old ones as an antidote to anxieties in the modern age. Carney believed the loss of control people feel over the affordability crisis, immigration and artificial intelligence has fed a “politics of grievance” that was dividing people worldwide. The prime minister also touched on themes he discussed at the World Economic Forum in Davos, arguing that the international rules-based order no longer worked.

9 – Russian President Vladimir Putin said Saturday that the conflict in Ukraine was nearing its end after he oversaw a military parade on Red Square commemorating the defeat of Nazi Germany in the Second World War. The show did not include heavy weapons — like tanks, missiles and other equipment — for the first time in nearly two decades. A U.S.-brokered three-day ceasefire had eased concerns about possible Ukrainian attempts to disrupt the festivities. Speaking at the parade, Putin hailed Russian troops fighting in Ukraine, declaring that they faced an aggressive force that was armed and supported by the entire bloc of NATO.

10 – Team Canada was off to a good start in pre-tournament action ahead of the 2026 world hockey championship. Macklin Celebrini had a goal and three assists as Canada captured a 6-1 exhibition win over France. The San Jose Sharks star was earlier named the Canadian team captain. The tournament was set to get underway Friday in Switzerland.

10 – Four Canadians previously stuck on the cruise ship at the centre of a hantavirus outbreak arrived in British Columbia to quarantine after returning home on a chartered flight via Tenerife, off the West African coast. Provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry said B.C. had a biocontainment unit ready for use if needed to treat the virus. She also assured local residents that there was no risk of hantavirus spread after their arrival. Health authorities in B.C. said they would monitor the four Canadians throughout their isolation, which could be extended up to 42 days depending on risk assessment and World Health Organization guidance.

11 – The two Albertans who had been aboard an Antarctic cruise ship at the centre of the hantavirus outbreak were told to isolate after possibly being exposed on a flight. Health officials said no one in Canada had tested positive and all known contacts of the virus were not showing symptoms. B.C. health officials said they were monitoring four passengers isolating on Vancouver Island after they returned from the MV Hondius. The World Health Organization said the outbreak had resulted in three deaths and seven confirmed cases internationally.

11 – B.C. Forests Minister Ravi Parmar said the province was looking to expand lumber exports to emerging markets, including the Middle East, to reduce reliance on the United States. The province announced an additional $12 million for Forestry Innovation Investment to help develop new international markets for B.C. wood products. Potential target markets included Saudi Arabia, Dubai and other parts of Asia, as well as the United Kingdom, North Africa and Mexico. The push came as B.C. continued to seek federal support for the softwood lumber industry amid ongoing U.S. trade pressures.

12 – Sixteen people in three provinces were in isolation after being linked to a global hantavirus outbreak. Health officials in Ontario, Alberta and British Columbia said the group was voluntarily doing so — even though they were not reporting any symptoms. B.C.’s top doctor admitted the science was unclear whether testing asymptomatic people exposed to hantavirus was useful. She said little was known about how effective hantavirus testing was at detecting the virus before symptoms appeared.

12 – Members of British Columbia’s nurses union voted overwhelmingly to strike. Union president Adriane Gearis said the prospect of a dispute should be alarming, as she said the whole world would be watching when the FIFA World Cup begins next month. The talks between the government and the B.C. Nurses’ Union reached an impasse in April over issues including benefits, pay and staffing shortages. Gear said the results of the strike vote followed six months of “super frustrating” negotiations.

13 – No consultations with First Nations and a misstep by Alberta’s chief electoral officer were the reasons behind a judge’s decision to throw out a separatist group’s 300,000-signature petition. Allan Adam, chief of Athabasca Chipewyan First Nation, said the decision recognized the serious impact such a petition would have on his community and many others. But Premier Danielle Smith was quick to push back on the ruling, saying it was incorrect in law and anti-democratic. She said her government would appeal.

13 – China’s president warned his guest, U.S. President Donald Trump, against getting involved with Beijing’s ambitions for Taiwan, the self-governed island it claimed as its own territory. In a closed-door meeting, Xi Jinping reportedly told Trump that if Taiwan was handled well, U.S.-China relations “would enjoy overall stability.” If not, however, he suggested the two countries would risk “clashes and even conflicts, putting the entire relationship in great jeopardy.”

14 – Sex workers in Montreal called for a general strike during Grand Prix weekend to push for stronger labour protections and workplace rights. The Sex Work Autonomous Committee said dancers wanted an end to nightly club fees and recognition as employees rather than self-employed workers. One dancer, identified as Kit, said performers faced workplace safety risks but lacked protections under Quebec regulations because of their employment status. The strike was planned for May 23, during one of Montreal’s busiest tourism weekends surrounding the Canadian Grand Prix.

14 – Prime Minister Mark Carney said Alberta’s place was in Canada. A judge threw out a separatist petition a day prior, ruling the province failed to consult First Nations. Alberta Premier Danielle Smith called the ruling “anti-democratic” and said her government would appeal, while the separatist group Stay Free Alberta, which gathered signatures, also planned to do so. Carney said any separation referendum would have to respect Indigenous rights and comply with the federal Clarity Act. The dispute came as Carney and Smith prepared to announce the next phase of their energy agreement, including a proposed industrial carbon pricing plan tied to a future bitumen pipeline.

15 – Prime Minister Mark Carney and Alberta Premier Danielle Smith said they were targeting fall 2027 to begin construction on a new bitumen pipeline to Canada’s West Coast. The agreement also included a new industrial carbon pricing plan that would raise Alberta’s effective carbon price to $130 per tonne by 2040. Carney said the pipeline remained tied to the proposed Pathways carbon-capture project and would require consultation with First Nations and British Columbia. Environmental groups criticized the deal as too weak on emissions, while Smith called the higher carbon price a concession from Alberta.

15 – The National Hockey League fined John Tortorella $100,000 and stripped the Vegas Golden Knights of a second-round draft pick for violating media access rules. The penalties came after Tortorella refused to speak to reporters and the team failed to open its locker room following Vegas’s Game 6 win over the Anaheim Ducks. The NHL called the actions “flagrant violations” and said the team had previously been warned. Vegas said it was aware of the punishment and declined further comment while retaining the option to appeal.

16 – A Canadian tested “presumptive positive” for hantavirus after travelling on a cruise ship that saw a deadly outbreak of the virus. B.C.’s provincial health officer Doctor Bonnie Henry said samples had been sent to a national microbiology lab in Winnipeg for the tests to be confirmed. She said the Yukon resident developed mild symptoms after returning to B.C. last weekend. Henry said protocols were followed and that three of the four people who were isolating in the province had been brought to hospitals in Victoria while a fourth person remained in isolation at home.

16 – Réseau express métropolitain opened its long-awaited West Island branch for free preview rides over the weekend ahead of its official launch on May 18. The new extension served four stations in Montreal’s West Island and was expected to improve commuting between the suburbs and downtown. Riders explored the new line while collecting passport-style stamps at each station, with many describing the experience as both symbolic and exciting. The REM’s final phase, connecting downtown Montreal to Montréal-Trudeau International Airport, was expected to open before the end of 2027.

17 – Conservative MP Michael Chong said he would be travelling to Taiwan in what he called a show of Canadian sovereignty and solidarity. He said the visit was also a response to comments from China’s ambassador warning Canadian MPs against travelling to Taiwan. Chong said Canadians did not take direction from foreign governments on where parliamentarians could travel internationally. Global Affairs Canada said Taiwan was the country’s 15th-largest trading partner in 2024 and sixth-largest in Asia.

17 – Ella Langley dominated the 61st Academy of Country Music Awards on Sunday, where she won best song, single and music event of the year, along with best female artist. Langley earned multiple honours for her country heartbreaker track “Choosin’ Texas” and her dreamy, romantic duet with Riley Green, “Don’t Mind if I Do.” Canadian country star Shania Twain hosted the ceremony in Las Vegas, where performances included Lainey Wilson, Miranda Lambert and Kacey Musgraves. Other major winners included Cody Johnson for best male artist and Brooks & Dunn for duo of the year.

18 – Global Sumud Canada said 11 Canadians were detained after Israeli forces intercepted a Gaza-bound flotilla carrying activists attempting to challenge Israel’s naval blockade. Organizers said 319 people aboard multiple boats were detained nearly 500 kilometres from Gaza, while one Canadian activist remained on a vessel that had not been intercepted yet. The activists said the mission was intended to draw attention to humanitarian conditions in Gaza during the ongoing conflict. Some Canadian participants had pledged to begin a hunger strike if detained to protest the treatment of Palestinians in Israeli custody.

18 – Alex Newhook scored 11:22 into overtime to lift the Montreal Canadiens to a 3-2 Game 7 win over the Buffalo Sabres on Monday night. Newhook also scored the Game 7 winner in Montreal’s first-round series against Tampa Bay earlier in the playoffs. Phillip Danault and Zachary Bolduc also scored for Montreal, while goaltender Jakub Dobes made 37 saves. The Canadiens advanced to the Eastern Conference final against the Carolina Hurricanes, who entered the series after an NHL-record 11-day playoff break.

19 – Canada’s Snowbirds aerobatic team will stop flying after the 2026 season while the military replaces its aging aircraft fleet. Defence Minister David McGuinty said the long-serving CT-114 Tutor jets would be replaced with the newer CT-157 Siskin II. The Snowbirds have flown the Tutor aircraft since 1971 and have performed more than 2,700 shows across North America, including Canada Day celebrations and Grey Cup festivities. Officials said the Snowbirds would remain based in Moose Jaw, although a timeline for the new fleet was still unclear.

19 – Netflix said its first live MMA card delivered the largest television audience the sport had seen in the U.S. Ronda Rousey returned to competition after nearly 10 years away and finished Gina Carano in 17 seconds. The event drew up to 17 million viewers worldwide and reached a U.S. peak audience of 11.6 million. That broke the previous MMA record of 8.8 million viewers from a UFC broadcast in 2011.

20 – Global Affairs Canada said consular officials were ready to assist Canadians in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda amid a growing outbreak of Ebola. Ontario health officials said one person who recently travelled to East Africa was being tested in hospital for Ebola out of an abundance of caution. The World Health Organization said there were nearly 600 suspected cases and 139 suspected deaths linked to the outbreak, though officials believed the true scale was larger. Foreign Affairs Minister Anita Anand said Canada had advised against travel to affected regions in eastern Congo, where there were no approved vaccines or treatments for the Bundibugyo strain.

20 – The European Parliament approved Canada’s participation in the Security Action for Europe agreement, making Canada the first non-European country to join the pact. The SAFE program gave participating countries access to low-interest loans for military equipment purchases and was valued at roughly $240 billion. Foreign Affairs Minister Anita Anand said the move would allow Canadian companies to compete for defence procurement contracts that were usually restricted to European firms. The initiative was part of Europe’s broader ReArm Europe strategy to reduce dependence on the U.S. for defence.

21 – Pierre Poilievre said the Conservatives would actively campaign against Alberta leaving Canada if a separation vote were held. The Conservative leader said Alberta belonged in a united country and pledged the same approach toward any future Quebec referendum. He said Ottawa could ease western frustration by expanding resource development and reducing barriers for businesses. Poilievre also argued that separatist sentiment had grown during the years of Liberal leadership in Ottawa. His remarks came ahead of Danielle Smith’s announcement on Alberta’s Oct. 19 referendum question.

21 – Premier David Eby said B.C. needed clarity after the Supreme Court of Canada agreed to hear a case on Indigenous rights and mining claims. The dispute centred on whether B.C.’s Indigenous rights law immediately gave legal force to the UN declaration on Indigenous rights. The Gitxaala Nation said the province should have accepted the lower-court ruling instead of appealing it. The government said uncertainty around resource development and reconciliation needed to be resolved.

22 – There was widespread outcry after Israel’s National Security Minister published video of him taunting detained activists, while they were kneeling, faces to the ground, with their hands bound. Canadian Safa Chebbi was one of them who spent four days in Israeli captivity after being taken in international waters while en route to Gaza. All activists were taken to hospital for treatment after arriving in Turkey and Chebbi said while most had been released, two Canadians with more serious injuries were still being treated in hospital. Chebbi said she and other Canadians were waiting for their flights back home. Canada joined several other countries, including France, Italy and Netherlands in condemning the Israeli minister’s actions and summoning ambassadors.

22 – Alberta Premier Danielle Smith said a question on the province’s Oct. 19 referendum would ask Albertans if they wanted to remain in Canada or start the process to hold a binding referendum on separation. Smith said she would respect the results of the referendum and hoped the separatists would too. Prime Minister Mark Carney did not directly address Alberta’s separatist movement when speaking to reporters that morning, saying the province was central to the country’s future. Meanwhile, separatist leaders dismissed the referendum question as cowardly.

23 – Foosball players Angus Chen and Lindsay Liu said winning a Guinness World Record for the world’s largest game of human foosball had been a dream come true. They were part of 254 players who locked themselves into position on a custom-built arena at an Ontario school campus. It was organized by the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corp. as part of the buildup to the 2026 FIFA World Cup. 

23 – A senior Pentagon official said the United States had provided Canada with a classified document outlining expectations for North American defence co-operation, but viewed Ottawa’s response as lacking a credible long-term plan. The official, speaking on background, cited frustrations with Canada’s defence planning, including delays related to Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II procurement and uncertainty over how Canada would meet future continental defence and NATO commitments. Defence Minister David McGuinty’s office defended Canada’s record, saying the country spent $63.4 billion on defence in 2025 and planned to invest more than $82 billion over five years in military capabilities and Arctic security.

24 – A union for hundreds of Metro Vancouver workers announced a ban on overtime work. The Greater Vancouver Regional District Employees’ Union said the overtime ban would have the most impact on water and sewer operations, and maintenance and construction teams. It was part of a dispute with the regional district. The previous week, the union issued a 72-hour strike notice with the B.C. Labour Relations Board.

24 – It was a wild Canadian Grand Prix. Formula One leader Kimi Antonelli charged to victory in Montreal to claim his fourth-straight race win after teammate George Russell exited due to engine failure. The title-chasing Mercedes drivers put on a show in a thrilling battle through 30 laps. They traded the lead several times and came dangerously close to making contact.

25 – Prime Minister Mark Carney said the Alberta referendum was a “dangerous bluff” if people thought it could be used as leverage to strengthen their position in future negotiations. Carney said he saw the effects of that first-hand when he was governor of the Bank of England after the Brexit vote. He added that people were still trying to undo damage from that decision a decade later.

25 – An activist whose Gaza-bound aid flotilla was intercepted in international waters by Israeli forces claimed he was dragged aboard a prison ship and beaten. Sebastian Tow was one of three Canadians greeted a day prior by hundreds of supporters, family and friends welcoming them back to Vancouver. Tow said torture left him with several stun gun burns and bruises on his body, but added that many people suffered worse. The Canadians were among 420 people on 41 boats intercepted by Israel as they attempted to bring a symbolic amount of aid to Gaza amid Israel’s restrictions.

26 – U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer said tariffs on Canada and Mexico would remain despite the CUSMA trade pact. Greer said Canada had resisted U.S. tariffs more than most countries, making negotiations more difficult as formal talks with Ottawa had yet to begin. The Trump administration had already started official CUSMA negotiations with Mexico ahead of a key review of the trade deal this summer. Canadian Trade Minister Dominic LeBlanc met provincial and territorial counterparts that week to discuss the evolving North American trade environment and the upcoming review.

26 – Canada imposed a mandatory 21-day self-isolation period for travellers arriving from Ebola-affected regions and paused immigration application decisions from the Congo, South Sudan and Uganda. Health Minister Marjorie Michel said the measures were precautionary ahead of increased summer travel and the FIFA World Cup, despite the low risk in Canada. The temporary restrictions included visa, study permit and work permit applications, while foreign nationals with approved travel documents were also barred from entering Canada during the period. The World Health Organization said the Ebola outbreak had surpassed 900 suspected cases and 220 deaths, though Canada had never recorded an imported Ebola case.

27 – Canada’s biggest arms expo drew record crowds as the Carney government ramped up military spending and pushed a stronger domestic defence industry. Organizers said Cansec had 20,000 registered attendees, with packed floors and expanded space in Ottawa. Defence officials said decisions on replacing Griffon helicopters and buying up to 12 submarines could come within weeks. Industry Minister Melanie Joly also announced changes to defence contracting rules to favour companies investing and producing in Canada.

27 – One of the most prominent environmental voices in the Liberal caucus said he would resign in the summer. Former environment minister Steven Guilbeault said it was time for him to pursue his fight for environmental protection in a different way. His announcement came less than two weeks after Ottawa and Alberta signed an energy pact pledging federal support for a new pipeline and slowed the pace of industrial carbon pricing. Guilbeault told Parliament that day he would leave the job with a sense of pride in what he had accomplished.

28 – Swedish defence firm Saab said if Ottawa chose to buy its Gripen E fighter jets, Canada could end up building some of the aircraft destined for Ukraine’s air force. A company executive said Canada could become a production and export site that could help deliver jets to Ukraine. The remarks were made at the Cansec trade show in Ottawa as Canada continued reviewing its fighter jet options. Ottawa was still weighing a possible F-35 purchase while also negotiating for Saab’s GlobalEye surveillance aircraft.

28 – The Supreme Court of Canada refused to hear an appeal in a New Brunswick Aboriginal title case. The decision left in place a ruling that Aboriginal title could not be declared over privately owned land. B.C. officials said the outcome strengthened their position in the Cowichan Tribes’ appeal currently before the courts. Some leaders said the ruling might reassure property owners, while others warned against over-interpreting the decision.

29 – Foreign Affairs Minister Anita Anand welcomed her Chinese counterpart Wang Yi to Canada and said the nations had set out a clear and ambitious vision for a “recalibrated relationship.” Alongside Wang and his delegation at the Global Affairs Canada headquarters, Anand added that included elevated engagement and co-operation on trade and investment, energy, finance, public security and safety. The Ottawa visit by Wang was the first for a Chinese Foreign Minister in a decade, and came just days after a Canadian warship passed through the Taiwan Strait. Beijing had warned that such transits undermined the bilateral relationship.

29 – An expert from one of the world’s big four accounting firms suggested Canada was “probably not” in a recession, but admitted GDP numbers for the first quarter of the year were not good. KPMG chief economist Ali Jaffery said in a note that the two-quarter-contraction rule was a “crude” bar for measuring a recession that failed to take into account income and labour market conditions. He added that slowing population growth had meant fewer new households were entering the economy, weighing down overall activity. StatCan mainly blamed weakness in Canada’s resource extraction industries and in construction activity for a 0.1 per cent decline in real GDP in March.

30 – British Columbia Conservatives chose a new leader. Former federal cabinet minister Kerry-Lynne Findlay defeated commentator Caroline Elliott on the fourth ballot, winning 51 per cent of the vote. Findlay takes over from John Rustad and is promising what she calls fundamental change for the province. She says a Conservative government would cut taxes and red tape, return the budget to surplus and revive economic growth. Findlay also says her party will focus on faith, family, and freedom while expanding job opportunities and resource development.

30 – Canada’s Federal Court faced a surge in immigration cases. More than 28,000 immigration files were brought to the court last year, up from about 6,400 in 2020. Some immigration lawyers say increased use of automation and artificial intelligence at Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada is contributing to more questionable refusals and more court challenges. The department rejects that claim, saying AI tools help process applications, but trained officers still make all final decisions.

31 – “Heated Rivalry” set a Canadian Screen Awards record with 16 wins, including best drama and best lead performer for its star Hudson Williams. The Crave series added three televised awards to the 13 trophies it won Saturday. Williams said he wished he could share the honour with co-star Connor Storrie, who was not eligible for the awards because he’s American. “North of North” won best comedy series, while Anna Lambe took best lead performer in a comedy. “Nirvanna the Band the Show the Movie” won best film, and Mike Myers received the Academy Icon Award.

31 – Health organizations wanted Ottawa to reduce nicotine use to less than five per cent of Canadians by 2045. They say rising vaping rates among young people threaten the progress made in curbing tobacco use. Data from Statistics Canada shows 27 per cent of Grade 12 students reported vaping in a recent 30-day period. Advocates are calling for flavour restrictions, stronger warning labels and a ban on online sales. Health Canada says while vaping may help some people quit smoking, it is still harmful — especially for youth.