Canada – Winnipeg Free Press

Police patrol the pyramids after authorities said a gunman opened fire in Teotihuacan, Mexico, Monday, April 20, 2026. (AP Photo/Eduardo Verdugo)

In the news today: Canadian killed in Mexico, High grocery prices, Drone deliveries

The Canadian Press 3 minute read 3:26 AM CDT

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

Canadian tourist killed, another injured after gunman opens fire at Mexico pyramids

An armed man standing atop one of the historic Teotihuacán pyramids north of Mexico’s capital opened fire on tourists Monday, killing a Canadian and injuring another.

The shooter was identified as 27-year-old Julio Cesar Jasso of Mexico, who later died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound.

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‘I live in Vegas’: Canadian ag producers take gamble with high fuel, fertilizer costs

Bill Graveland, The Canadian Press 4 minute read Preview

‘I live in Vegas’: Canadian ag producers take gamble with high fuel, fertilizer costs

Bill Graveland, The Canadian Press 4 minute read 3:00 AM CDT

CREMONA -

A sharp jump in fuel and fertilizer prices has Canada's agriculture producers engaged in a pricey game of chance.

Prices for diesel and fertilizer have nearly doubled since the war involving the U.S, Iran and Israel, as the stalemate has choked vital oil and gas shipments through the Strait of Hormuz.

That's impacting commodities down the line, and a shortage of fertilizer could make this upcoming crop year a gamble for farmers.

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3:00 AM CDT

Farmer Bruce Bird walks past his seeding rig on his farm that has been in the family for over 100 years near Cremona, Alta., Friday, April 17, 2026.THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jeff McIntosh

Provinces on track to allow cross-border alcohol sales by next month, Ottawa says

Catherine Morrison, The Canadian Press 1 minute read Preview

Provinces on track to allow cross-border alcohol sales by next month, Ottawa says

Catherine Morrison, The Canadian Press 1 minute read Updated: Yesterday at 3:12 PM CDT

OTTAWA - The federal government says 10 provinces and the Yukon are on track to allow consumers to buy Canadian alcohol directly from producers by next month.

Pierre-Alain Bujold, a spokesperson for the Privy Council Office, says provinces and territories are continuing to work toward the May 2026 deadline.

He says each participating province and territory will decide how to implement the policy within their jurisdictions.

All 10 provinces and the Yukon signed an agreement last year to allow consumers to order Canadian wine, spirits, beer and other alcoholic beverages for personal consumption directly from producers.

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Updated: Yesterday at 3:12 PM CDT

Bottles of British Columbia wine are displayed at a liquor store in Cremona, Alta., on Feb. 7, 2018. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jeff McIntosh

MPs question delay in Taiwan trade framework as diplomat says ball in cabinet’s court

Dylan Robertson, The Canadian Press 4 minute read Preview

MPs question delay in Taiwan trade framework as diplomat says ball in cabinet’s court

Dylan Robertson, The Canadian Press 4 minute read Yesterday at 11:55 AM CDT

OTTAWA - Conservative and Bloc Québécois MPs are calling on the Liberals to follow through on a trade co-operation framework with Taiwan after the territory's envoy to Canada said Ottawa halted the process suddenly.

A senior Canadian diplomat said last week it's up to cabinet to decide how to move forward on the agreement, which he suggested is almost ready for a signature.

"The government is considering the timing and the nature of moving forward on it," Weldon Epp, the assistant deputy minister at Global Affairs Canada who oversees diplomacy in the Indo-Pacific, told the House foreign affairs committee on Thursday.

"I fully expect there will be decisions taken before too long on moving forward."

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Yesterday at 11:55 AM CDT

Members of Taiwan's main opposition Nationalist Party, or Kuomintang (KMT), wave national flags in front of the party's headquarters in Taipei, Taiwan on Tuesday, April 14, 2026. (AP Photo/Chiang Ying-ying)

High fuel prices driving up shipping costs for northern grocers

Ritika Dubey, The Canadian Press 5 minute read Preview

High fuel prices driving up shipping costs for northern grocers

Ritika Dubey, The Canadian Press 5 minute read 3:00 AM CDT

Whether it's Florida oranges, Colombian coffee or even homegrown items from another province, food has often travelled a long way before it reaches grocery stores in Canada.

The supply chain gets even longer for communities in the Far North.

Typically, groceries are loaded onto a truck and taken to a launch point in cities like Ottawa or Winnipeg. They're then flown, or shipped by sea, to finally reach the shelves of remote northern grocery stores.

It's an expensive journey. By the time groceries reach northern communities, the added transport costs mean items are priced significantly higher than what most Canadians pay at the grocery store — and even more for fresh and perishable produce.

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3:00 AM CDT

An employee carries luggage to an Air North ATR 42 aircraft as cargo, including fresh fruits and vegetables, sits on a truck after being unloaded during a scheduled stop in Old Crow, Yukon, while en route from Whitehorse to Inuvik, N.W.T., on Wednesday, July 23, 2025. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck

Poll suggests more Conservative voters now want to replace Poilievre as leader

Sarah Ritchie, The Canadian Press 5 minute read Preview

Poll suggests more Conservative voters now want to replace Poilievre as leader

Sarah Ritchie, The Canadian Press 5 minute read Updated: Yesterday at 4:12 PM CDT

OTTAWA - A new poll from the Angus Reid Institute suggests a growing number of Conservative voters want to replace Pierre Poilievre as the party's leader, even though he still has the backing of a majority of party supporters.

The poll surveyed 1,646 Canadians, including 590 who voted Conservative in last year's election.

Among the Tory voters polled, 57 per cent said Poilievre should stay on as leader into the next election, down from 68 per cent last August.

Another 30 per cent said Poilievre should be replaced — almost double the 18 per cent who said they believed the party needed a new leader in August, when he was running in a byelection to earn a new seat in the House of Commons after losing his old riding in April's election.

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Updated: Yesterday at 4:12 PM CDT

Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre delivers a speech to the Canadian Club of Toronto in Toronto on Thursday, April 16, 2026. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Nathan Denette

Quebec Premier Christine Fréchette to announce new cabinet today

The Canadian Press 1 minute read Preview

Quebec Premier Christine Fréchette to announce new cabinet today

The Canadian Press 1 minute read 3:00 AM CDT

QUÉBEC - Quebec's new Premier Christine Fréchette is set to announce her cabinet today.

Fréchette has had just over a week to put her team together after winning the Coalition Avenir Québec leadership race April 12.

In a recent appearance on Radio-Canada’s "Tout le monde en parle" television show, she teased her cabinet would be a mix of old and new.

She confirmed her only opponent in the leadership race, Bernard Drainville, will have an important role.

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3:00 AM CDT

Quebec Premier Christine Fréchette is flanked by, from left to right, Quebec Finance Minister Eric Girard, Quebec Minister of International Relations and La Francophonie Christopher Skeete and Valérie Schmaltz, member of the legislature for Vimont, as she makes an announcement in Laval, Que., on Friday, April 17, 2026. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Christinne Muschi

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Kenneth Law to return to court next month, expected to plead guilty to aiding suicide

The Canadian Press 2 minute read Preview

Kenneth Law to return to court next month, expected to plead guilty to aiding suicide

The Canadian Press 2 minute read Yesterday at 4:34 PM CDT

NEWMARKET - An Ontario man accused of selling lethal substances online to people who later used them to take their own lives will return to court on May 29, when murder charges against him are expected to be withdrawn as he pleads guilty to aiding suicide.

A Newmarket, Ont., court heard Monday that the case against Kenneth Law is set to be resolved during that court appearance.

Law's lawyer, Matthew Gourlay, had said over the weekend that murder charges against his client will be dropped and he is set to plead guilty to 14 counts of the lesser charge of aiding suicide.

Law was due to stand trial this month on 14 counts each of first-degree murder and aiding suicide.

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Yesterday at 4:34 PM CDT

A photo of Kenneth Law, an Ontario man accused of selling a deadly substance online, is shown during a press conference, in Mississauga, Ont, on Aug. 29, 2023. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Arlyn McAdorey

Eby ‘moving forward’ with First Nations after latest climbdown on Indigenous law

Wolfgang Depner, The Canadian Press 5 minute read Preview

Eby ‘moving forward’ with First Nations after latest climbdown on Indigenous law

Wolfgang Depner, The Canadian Press 5 minute read Updated: Yesterday at 8:34 PM CDT

VICTORIA - British Columbia Premier David Eby said that "moving forward together" with First Nations leaders is now his top priority, explaining why he withdrew plans to table legislation to suspend key parts of the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act on Monday.

Eby, who previously angered First Nations leaders by saying that changing DRIPA was "non-negotiable," told reporters that he takes "responsibility" for taking the province in "different directions" on the Indigenous law.

"Well, I certainly would have liked to have been right the first time — I was not," he said. "This is challenging work. This is one of the hardest files that I have ever worked on."

Trevor Halford, interim leader of the Conservative Party of B.C., said Monday the premier made an "absolute mess of the situation," and B.C. residents and First Nations are suffering because of it.

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Updated: Yesterday at 8:34 PM CDT

B.C. Premier David Eby, speaks during an announcement for new funding to support victims of crime, in Surrey, B.C. on Friday, Nov. 28, 2025. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Ethan Cairns

Poilievre says Carney ‘pushing fear’ in address to Canadians on U.S. relations

Catherine Morrison, The Canadian Press 5 minute read Preview

Poilievre says Carney ‘pushing fear’ in address to Canadians on U.S. relations

Catherine Morrison, The Canadian Press 5 minute read Updated: Yesterday at 6:51 PM CDT

OTTAWA - Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre accused Prime Minister Mark Carney of "pushing fear" in a recent address to Canadians on the relationship with the U.S.

In a 10-minute video posted to social media on Sunday, Carney said Canada's deep economic ties with the U.S. used to be a major strength, but are now a source of weakness.

The prime minister said it would be wrong to wait for the U.S. to resume the co-operation of decades past and Ottawa must instead push forward with a plan to diversify its trade.

In his own video posted to social media Monday, Poilievre argued Carney's address was "strangely timed" and aimed at distracting Canadians from issues like inflation.

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Updated: Yesterday at 6:51 PM CDT

Conservative Party of Canada leader Pierre Poilievre delivers a speech at the Canadian Club of Toronto in Toronto on Thursday, April 16, 2026. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Nathan Denette

WestJet cuts flight capacity due to jet fuel costs, following Air Canada’s lead

Daniel Johnson, The Canadian Press 2 minute read Preview

WestJet cuts flight capacity due to jet fuel costs, following Air Canada’s lead

Daniel Johnson, The Canadian Press 2 minute read Updated: Yesterday at 5:17 PM CDT

CALGARY - WestJet says it is cutting flight capacity as the war in Iran causes the price of jet fuel to soar.

The Calgary-based airline said it has reduced capacity by about one per cent in April, three per cent in May and nearly six per cent in June. Travellers affected by the changes are being provided alternate flight options, it said.

"As fuel prices continue to rise, WestJet has adjusted some flying to align with demand and best manage associated fuel costs," the airline said in a news release.

WestJet said it hasn’t eliminated any routes so far, but it is “evaluating its summer schedule” with an eye to possible cuts. It said it is in regular communication with its fuel suppliers and continues to monitor the global jet fuel supply situation.

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Updated: Yesterday at 5:17 PM CDT

Drugs, puppies seized from Hamilton business, police say

The Canadian Press 1 minute read Preview

Drugs, puppies seized from Hamilton business, police say

The Canadian Press 1 minute read Updated: Yesterday at 3:12 PM CDT

HAMILTON - Hamilton police say three people have been arrested in an investigation involving the seizure of illegal drugs and weapons, and the discovery of an illegal dog breeding operation.

Police say they received information last month that a business on King Street East was allegedly involved in the illegal sale of cannabis and other substances.

A search warrant led to the seizure of drugs including cocaine and meth, and police say officers also found 10 dogs believed to be part of illegal breeding.

Police say Hamilton Animal Services took custody of eight puppies and two adult dogs.

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Updated: Yesterday at 3:12 PM CDT

Eby called changes to Indigenous law ‘non-negotiable,’ but series of backdowns ensued

Canadian Press Staff, The Canadian Press 3 minute read Preview

Eby called changes to Indigenous law ‘non-negotiable,’ but series of backdowns ensued

Canadian Press Staff, The Canadian Press 3 minute read Yesterday at 1:40 PM CDT

The British Columbia government's efforts to mitigate the impact of the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act has resulted in a series of climbdowns in the face of opposition from First Nations.

Here's how it has played out:

Nov. 28, 2019: The Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act, known as DRIPA, is unanimously adopted by the B.C. legislature. It is intended to reflect the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, which says governments should obtain "free, prior and informed consent" from Indigenous peoples on legislation that affects them.

Nov. 23, 2021: Then-attorney general David Eby introduces changes to the Interpretation Act, which governs how legislation is implemented in B.C. The changes say "every act and regulation must be construed as being consistent with the declaration (DRIPA)."

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Yesterday at 1:40 PM CDT

Premier David Eby is joined by fellow MLAs as he speaks during a press conference following the throne speech in Victoria, B.C., on Thursday, Feb. 12, 2026. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Chad Hipolito

Ex-Mountie, accused of helping China, pleads not guilty to security offence

Brenna Owen, The Canadian Press 6 minute read Preview

Ex-Mountie, accused of helping China, pleads not guilty to security offence

Brenna Owen, The Canadian Press 6 minute read Updated: Yesterday at 8:06 PM CDT

VANCOUVER - The trial of a former RCMP officer got underway in British Columbia Supreme Court Monday, with prosecutors alleging William Majcher prepared to coerce a resident of the province to return to China, where he was wanted for financial crimes.

Majcher stood as he pleaded not guilty to one count of committing "preparatory acts" for an offence under Canada's Security of Information Act.

The prosecution alleges his actions in May and June of 2017 were done for the benefit or at the direction of the Chinese government as he prepared to induce Hongwei Sun, also known as Kevin Sun, by "threat, accusation, menace or violence."

The court also heard testimony that shed light on how RCMP initially tried to assist Chinese authorities as they sought to get in contact with Sun.

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Updated: Yesterday at 8:06 PM CDT

The Law Courts building, which is home to B.C. Supreme Court and the Court of Appeal, is seen in Vancouver, on Monday, January 12, 2026. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Ethan Cairns

Alberta’s government says it will do away with twice-a-year time change

Lisa Johnson, The Canadian Press 4 minute read Preview

Alberta’s government says it will do away with twice-a-year time change

Lisa Johnson, The Canadian Press 4 minute read Updated: Yesterday at 3:59 PM CDT

EDMONTON - Premier Danielle Smith's government says Albertans will soon be ditching twice-a-year clock changes.

Service Alberta Minister Dale Nally confirmed Monday the province plans to stick with daylight time year-round.

"We'll be moving forward with having an extra hour of daylight in the evenings," he told reporters in the legislature.

That means Albertans would stay on the current time and no longer move their timepieces back an hour in the fall or forward in the spring.

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Updated: Yesterday at 3:59 PM CDT

Alberta Premier Danielle Smith, right, and Dale Nally, minister of Service Alberta, announce a voting period for Alberta's new licence plates in Edmonton, on Wednesday, Oct. 15, 2025. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Amber Bracken

Deputy minister says immigration department fixing integrity issues cited by auditor

David Baxter, The Canadian Press 5 minute read Preview

Deputy minister says immigration department fixing integrity issues cited by auditor

David Baxter, The Canadian Press 5 minute read Updated: Yesterday at 2:37 PM CDT

OTTAWA - Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada should not allow budget constraints to limit how many investigations are done when a student visa is flagged for potential violations, the deputy minister told a House of Commons committee on Monday.

Ted Gallivan was at the immigration committee following a March 23 report by the auditor general which found "critical weaknesses" in integrity controls of student visas.

"In our management action plan, we are making a commitment to review all of the cases. Where it's confirmed that it's not a discrepancy but actual fraud, we need to take action and we'll have to sort out the budget implications after the fact," Gallivan said.

Auditor General Karen Hogan's report found thousands of potentially problematic student visas were not being investigated, including more than 150,000 cases between 2023 and 2024 of international students potentially not complying with the terms of their visa. In many cases that means not attending the school they were accepted to, for which the visa was issued.

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Updated: Yesterday at 2:37 PM CDT

April 21, 2026

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