Canada – Winnipeg Free Press

Peter Nygard arrives to a courthouse in Toronto on Tuesday, October 3, 2023. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Cole Burston

Ontario’s top court set to hear Nygard’s appeal of sex assault conviction, sentence

The Canadian Press 3 minute read Updated: 9:03 AM CDT

TORONTO - The Ontario Court of Appeal is set to hear Peter Nygard's appeal of his sexual assault convictions and prison sentence today, with his lawyers arguing the Toronto trial judge made errors including admitting the testimony of an expert on trauma.

The former fashion mogul was convicted of four counts of sexual assault in 2023 and sentenced to 11 years behind bars after multiple women came forward with allegations dating from the 1980s until the mid-2000s.

His prison sentence amounts to a little less than seven years, after credit for the time he already spent in custody before and during trial.

Nygard's lawyers filed a notice of appeal in 2024, arguing his sentence was "excessive" and that the judge erred in admitting the testimony of clinical psychologist Lori Haskell on the effects of trauma.

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Canada commits $270M to Ukraine as Carney addresses European summit in Armenia

Alessia Passafiume, The Canadian Press 3 minute read Preview

Canada commits $270M to Ukraine as Carney addresses European summit in Armenia

Alessia Passafiume, The Canadian Press 3 minute read Updated: 8:22 AM CDT

YEREVAN - Prime Minister Mark Carney says his government will contribute $270 million to help Ukraine secure critical military capabilities in its defence against Russia’s full-scale invasion.

Carney made the announcement in Armenia on Monday, where he is meeting with world leaders at the European Political Community summit, a gathering focused on strategic co-operation in politics, security and infrastructure.

The money will go toward buying items from a NATO list and brings Canada’s total monetary support for Ukraine to $25.8 billion.

"It's part of a bigger puzzle in a conflict where Ukraine is gaining some advantage," Carney told reporters.

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Updated: 8:22 AM CDT

Prime Minister Mark Carney meets with the President of the European Parliament Roberta Metsola, not shown, in Yerevan, Armenia, on Sunday, May 3, 2026. Carney is in Armenia to attend the 8th European Political Community Summit. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Sean Kilpatrick

In the news today: Carney in Armenia, Peter Nygard appeal, ‘May the 4th be with you’

The Canadian Press 4 minute read Preview

In the news today: Carney in Armenia, Peter Nygard appeal, ‘May the 4th be with you’

The Canadian Press 4 minute read 3:16 AM CDT

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

Carney set to meet world leaders at European summit in Armenia

Prime Minister Mark Carney is in Armenia today to meet with world leaders during the European Political Community summit, a gathering touching on strategic co-operation in politics, security and infrastructure.

Canada is the first non-European country to attend these meetings, which include EU countries and others, such as Iceland, Turkey and Ukraine.

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3:16 AM CDT

Federal government rolling out $1.5 billion in tariff relief

Kyle Duggan, The Canadian Press 1 minute read Preview

Federal government rolling out $1.5 billion in tariff relief

Kyle Duggan, The Canadian Press 1 minute read Updated: 8:59 AM CDT

OTTAWA - The federal government is announcing $1.5 billion in tariff relief in response to the United States widening its tariff criteria last month.

The announcement includes the creation of a new $1 billion program under the Business Development Bank of Canada to bolster the manufacturing sector, and a $500 million top-up to the regional tariff response fund.

The new development bank programming is meant to shore up factories hit by U.S. tariffs affecting exports of products containing steel, aluminum and cooper.

It will make available three-year, low-interest loans of up to $50 million to tariff-hit businesses.

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Updated: 8:59 AM CDT

Minister of Industry Mélanie Joly rises during question period in the House of Commons on Parliament Hill in Ottawa on Wednesday, April 29, 2026. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Justin Tang

Alberta separatists set to deliver thousands of signatures on petition for referendum

The Canadian Press 1 minute read Preview

Alberta separatists set to deliver thousands of signatures on petition for referendum

The Canadian Press 1 minute read 3:00 AM CDT

EDMONTON - A group of Alberta separatists gathering signatures to trigger a referendum on pulling the province out of Confederation is set to hand in its petition sheets today.

Mitch Sylvestre, the head of Stay Free Alberta, says it plans to deliver the thousands of names to Elections Alberta's head office in Edmonton.

More than a month ago, Sylvestre said the group had already collected much more than the approximate 178,000 signatures required since it started in January.

The question of separation could go on a provincewide ballot as early as October, as Premier Danielle Smith has said she would move forward if enough names are gathered and verified.

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3:00 AM CDT

A person wears an Alberta First hat while taking part in signing a petition that seeks to have a referendum on Alberta separation in Stony Plain, Alta., Thursday, Jan. 22, 2026. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jason Franson

Executive public servants returning to the office on a full-time basis today

Catherine Morrison, The Canadian Press 1 minute read Preview

Executive public servants returning to the office on a full-time basis today

Catherine Morrison, The Canadian Press 1 minute read 3:00 AM CDT

OTTAWA - Starting today, executives in the federal public service are expected to work on-site in the office five days a week.

The Treasury Board announced the change to remote work rules in February and said all other employees will have to be in the office four days a week as of July 6.

The new directive applies only to public servants working in the core departments and agencies under Treasury Board, though some separate agencies, like the Canada Revenue Agency and the National Research Council, have said they intend to follow the same approach.

Most public servants were told to work remotely when the COVID-19 pandemic began in March 2020, and core federal employees have been working three days in-office since September 2024, after the standard increased from two days.

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3:00 AM CDT

People make their way across Wellington Street in downtown Ottawa on Thursday, April 16, 2026. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Sean Kilpatrick

Mark Carney calls alleged privacy breach in Alberta deeply concerning

The Canadian Press 3 minute read Preview

Mark Carney calls alleged privacy breach in Alberta deeply concerning

The Canadian Press 3 minute read Updated: Yesterday at 9:34 PM CDT

EDMONTON - An Edmonton city councillor says he and his team are helping a woman facing intimate partner violence relocate with her children after her address was leaked in an alleged privacy breach by a separatist group.

The councillor says he is also hearing from others whose safety and lives have been affected after the group, called The Centurion Project, publicly distributed a list naming nearly three million electors in Alberta and their addresses. Elections Alberta is probing the matter.

"(I feel) deep, deep concern, and anger," said Aaron Paquette, who represents the Dene ward in Edmonton's northeast, in a Sunday phone interview.

"There are so many other people whose stories match this (woman's) and people need to know that they're not alone, and other people who are not experiencing this need to know how devastating it is."

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Updated: Yesterday at 9:34 PM CDT

Prime Minister Mark Carney, left, meets with Alberta Premier Danielle Smith in Calgary, Alta., Thursday, Nov. 27, 2025. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jeff McIntosh

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Montreal fans brace for decisive playoff clash as Canadiens face winner-take-all game

Charlotte Glorieux, The Canadian Press 4 minute read Preview

Montreal fans brace for decisive playoff clash as Canadiens face winner-take-all game

Charlotte Glorieux, The Canadian Press 4 minute read Yesterday at 12:14 PM CDT

MONTREAL - Montreal is bracing for a defining night of hockey, and for many fans, Game 7 of the Canadiens’ playoff series is as much about ritual and memory as it is about the score.

Hours before puck drop, the energy is already building across the city, from fully booked sports bars to families making their way downtown for the winner-take-all playoff game between the Montreal Canadiens and the Tampa Bay Lightning. The Bell Centre, home of the Canadiens, will open its doors for a public viewing of the game on the big screen, with tickets priced at $12 — an offer that sold out quickly, with 21,000 people snapping up the chance to be part of the atmosphere.

For Mélissa Parisé, a 46-year-old from Montreal’s South Shore, the evening will turn into a multi-generational celebration.

“It’s actually a triple birthday celebration,” Parisé said. “My sister-in-law Julie’s birthday was April 28, mine is today, May 3, and my daughter Noémie’s is tomorrow, May 4.”

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Yesterday at 12:14 PM CDT

Melissa Parise and members of her family, wearing Montreal Canadiens jerseys, prepare to watch game 7 of the playoff series at the Bell Centre in downtown Montreal as the Canadiens take on the Tampa Bay Lightning in Tampa. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Handout-Melissa Parise (Mandatory credit)

Audit finds flood hazard mapping behind schedule, doesn’t account for climate change

Sarah Ritchie, The Canadian Press 2 minute read Preview

Audit finds flood hazard mapping behind schedule, doesn’t account for climate change

Sarah Ritchie, The Canadian Press 2 minute read Updated: 10:47 AM CDT

OTTAWA - Federal efforts to map parts of the country facing the highest risk of flooding are not on track to finish by the 2028 target date and don't account for the effects of climate change, Canada's environment watchdog said in a new report.

It was one of five reports issued by environment commissioner Jerry DeMarco and auditor general Karen Hogan on Monday — which also included probes of Canada's avian flu response, First Nations funding, the climate resilience of federal assets, and how well the government accommodates accessibility needs in the public service.

The flood mapping report found the flood risk awareness portal under development at the Public Safety department does not consider how climate change is affecting flood patterns.

"Flood hazard maps must integrate climate change projections; otherwise, the data are not accurate enough to guide long-term decisions, such as where to build homes or develop infrastructure," the report said.

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Updated: 10:47 AM CDT

Auditor General Karen Hogan is seen during a news conference in Ottawa, Monday, March 23, 2026. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Adrian Wyld

B.C. bats ‘do not know the border’ — and Trump funding cuts may put them in peril

Nono Shen, The Canadian Press 5 minute read Preview

B.C. bats ‘do not know the border’ — and Trump funding cuts may put them in peril

Nono Shen, The Canadian Press 5 minute read 3:00 AM CDT

Scientists battling a deadly infection that has killed millions of bats in North America say the tiny creatures don't care about borders, as they flit between British Columbia and Washington state.

But geopolitical realities now pose a potential threat to the winged mammals, since the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump cut off funding for B.C. researchers who had been working on both sides of the border in the fight against white-nose syndrome.

Biologist Cori Lausen, the director of bat conservation at Wildlife Conservation Society Canada, helped develop a probiotic cocktail to protect bats from the fungal infection, and in 2023, it was sprayed into bat roosts in Washington state, yielding promising results.

The U.S. provided about a quarter of the funding for the project through the federal government and Washington state organizations.

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3:00 AM CDT

Canadian biologists swab a bat wing for their research in this undated handout photo. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Handout — Ian Routley (Mandatory Credit)

Credit agency says surging global oil prices will help N.L.’s bottom line

The Canadian Press 2 minute read Preview

Credit agency says surging global oil prices will help N.L.’s bottom line

The Canadian Press 2 minute read Yesterday at 11:33 AM CDT

ST. JOHN'S - One of the world’s largest credit rating agencies says surging global energy prices related to the Iran war could help tackle the deficit in Newfoundland and Labrador.

DBRS Morningstar says the province’s recent budget — with a deficit of $688 million — is based on an oil price of US$79 per barrel.

The price has been hovering around US$110 for weeks and the government estimates that every extra dollar is worth about C$33 million in revenue for the province.

Regulators say Newfoundland and Labrador produced nine million barrels of oil in March, about 14 per cent more than the same time last year.

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Yesterday at 11:33 AM CDT

The Hebron Platform, anchored in Trinity Bay, N.L., is shown on Tuesday, April 18, 2017. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Paul Daly

Poilievre: Carney should state what ‘leverage’ Canada has in trade talks

The Canadian Press, The Canadian Press 4 minute read Preview

Poilievre: Carney should state what ‘leverage’ Canada has in trade talks

The Canadian Press, The Canadian Press 4 minute read Updated: Yesterday at 4:25 PM CDT

TORONTO - Prime Minister Mark Carney should spell out to Canadians what leverage the country has over the United States in coming trade negotiations, Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre asserted on Sunday.

That comes after Carney rejected characterizing energy and critical minerals as "leverage" in talks to renew the Canada-United States-Mexico Agreement, also known as CUSMA.

Poilievre said Carney should explain how he intends to secure an end to sectoral tariffs and a renewal of the free-trade pact.

"If energy and minerals are not going to be leveraged for Canada in these negotiations, what leverage does Mr. Carney claim to have?" Poilievre said while speaking with reporters at a press conference in Toronto.

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Updated: Yesterday at 4:25 PM CDT

File photo -- Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre participates in a media availability outside West Block on Parliament Hill in Ottawa, on Wednesday, April 29, 2026. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Justin Tang

Non-profit, union wary of federal plan to amend food inspection, pest control acts

Catherine Morrison, The Canadian Press 3 minute read Preview

Non-profit, union wary of federal plan to amend food inspection, pest control acts

Catherine Morrison, The Canadian Press 3 minute read Yesterday at 5:00 AM CDT

OTTAWA - A non-profit says it's concerned about the government's plan to amend food safety laws to take food security and affordability into account, and is arguing Ottawa is prioritizing trade over the health of Canadians.

The government's spring economic update outlined plans to amend the Canadian Food Inspection Agency Act and the Pest Control Products Act to "include consideration of food security and cost of food."

A Department of Finance official said the government remains committed to safeguarding the environment and protecting the health and safety of Canadians.

"Further details will be provided as legislative changes are introduced, with timing still to be announced," said the official in an email.

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Yesterday at 5:00 AM CDT

An aerial view of carrots being harvested on Friday, Oct. 24, 2025. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Christinne Muschi

Senator says growing list of vacancies signals ‘the end of an era’ for independence

Catherine Morrison, The Canadian Press 3 minute read Preview

Senator says growing list of vacancies signals ‘the end of an era’ for independence

Catherine Morrison, The Canadian Press 3 minute read Yesterday at 5:00 AM CDT

OTTAWA - Senators say they're concerned about the growing list of vacancies in the upper chamber, as the appointment process for new members remains unclear.

There are currently nine vacant seats in the Senate, with six more senators due to retire by the end of 2026. Prime Minister Mark Carney has not appointed any senators since taking office last spring.

The federal government's website says there are also 24 vacancies on the independent advisory board for Senate appointments, the body that provides non-binding, merit-based recommendations to the prime minister.

New applications and nominations for Senate appointments through the Independent Advisory Board for Senate Appointments website aren't currently being accepted.

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Yesterday at 5:00 AM CDT

Senators sit in the Senate of Canada Building in Ottawa, on Wednesday, Sept. 23, 2020. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Justin Tang

Prime Minister arrives in Armenia for European Political Community summit

Alessia Passafiume, The Canadian Press 4 minute read Preview

Prime Minister arrives in Armenia for European Political Community summit

Alessia Passafiume, The Canadian Press 4 minute read Updated: Yesterday at 1:49 PM CDT

YEREVAN - Prime Minister Mark Carney met Sunday with Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan in his nation's capital ahead of the European Political Community summit, a gathering touching on strategic co-operation in politics, security and infrastructure.

Canada is the first non-European country to attend these meetings, which have taken place twice a year since they began after Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. The meetings include EU countries and others, such as Iceland, Turkey and Ukraine itself.

Carney thanked Pashinyan for the invitation to attend the summit during their meeting, saying it comes at a "crucial time" for Europe and European values.

The Prime Minister's Office said the trip will focus on Ukraine's defence and drumming up more trade and investment across the continent.

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Updated: Yesterday at 1:49 PM CDT

Prime Minister Mark Carney departs Ottawa on Saturday, May 2, 2026. Carney will arrive in Yerevan, Armenia, to attend the 8th European Political Community Summit. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Sean Kilpatrick

Peter Gabriel recounts 1983 rescue as plan to reduce Vancouver lifeguards is reversed

The Canadian Press 3 minute read Preview

Peter Gabriel recounts 1983 rescue as plan to reduce Vancouver lifeguards is reversed

The Canadian Press 3 minute read Saturday, May. 2, 2026

VANCOUVER - A plan to cut lifeguards at Vancouver beaches has been reversed but not before it drew a response from musician Peter Gabriel, who recounted his own rescue from waters off a city beach ahead of a tour stop with David Bowie in 1983.

The Vancouver Park Board issued a statement Friday saying it has directed staff to continue providing lifeguards at nine beaches this summer, scrapping a plan to reduce the service to five locations that see the most visitors and interventions.

Park Board chair Tom Digby says it was a "difficult decision in the current fiscal environment," but officials needed to make sure Vancouver's beaches are safe.

Former Vancouver lifeguard Andrea Nicholson says the plan to cut lifeguards prompted her to send an email that reached Gabriel's executive assistant, and the former Genesis frontman issued a response saying he was "alarmed."

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Saturday, May. 2, 2026

May 4, 2026

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