In the news: Carney says Canada entering ‘new era of relations’ with China

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

Carney: Canada entering ‘new era’ of relations with Beijing

Prime Minister Mark Carney says Canada is entering a “new era of relations” with China and that his visit to Beijing sets the stage for talks on areas where the two can be “strategic partners.”

The prime minister made the comments as he was welcomed in Beijing by the second- and third-most-powerful figures in China’s political system.

China’s Premier Li Qiang hailed the “turnaround” in bilateral relations with Canada and said Carney’s meeting with President Xi Jinping on Friday will pave the way for “upward growth” in the relationship.

Carney was also in and out of a marathon of closed-door meetings with businesses throughout Thursday. He met with top officials from firms such as Alibaba, China National Petroleum, the EV battery company Contemporary Amperex Technology and China’s largest state-owned commercial bank, ICBC.

Earlier, Foreign Affairs Minister Anita Anand met with her Chinese counterpart, Wang Yi, who expressed similar sentiments.

Premier François Legault’s party plans next steps

Quebec Premier François Legault’s party is beginning the search for a successor with only months to go before the next provincial election.

Legault announced Wednesday he would resign in the coming months after the Coalition Avenir Québec chooses a new leader.

The party’s executive team was expected to meet Wednesday evening to work out details of the leadership race, including debates and a timeline.

Legault has served as the party’s only leader since he co-founded the CAQ in 2011, with back-to-back majority mandates in 2018 and 2022.

MP Leah Gazan backs Lewis for leadership

Manitoba NDP MP Leah Gazan is formally endorsing documentarian Avi Lewis for the party’s leadership, making her the first sitting MP to officially back a candidate.

Gazan says she is supporting Lewis because she sees him as someone who can rebuild the party and offer solutions to the high cost of living and climate crisis.

High-profile environmentalist David Suzuki endorsed Lewis on Tuesday.

Other NDP leadership candidates have secured high-profile endorsements in the weeks leading up to the Jan. 28 membership cutoff date.

More snow set to blanket Southern Ontario

Wintry weather is set to add another layer of the white stuff across most of Southern Ontario and into Quebec.

From the Chatham-area sideroads in the south to the street corners of Montreal, Environment Canada is calling for 10 to 25 centimetres of accumulation.

Squalls off Lake Huron could add another 20 centimetres in the Sarnia to Strathroy area.

The weather agency also says the low-pressure system will trigger whipping winds, blowing snow and possible whiteout conditions.

B.C. ending drug decriminalization pilot project

British Columbia won’t be renewing its agreement with Health Canada that allowed for the decriminalization of small amounts of drugs for personal possession, officially ending a three-year program that was hailed as a groundbreaking experiment before critics blamed it for fuelling public disorder and failing to rein in the overdose crisis.

Health Minister Josie Osborne said Wednesday that the goal of the pilot project slated to end Jan. 31 was to make it easier for people to come forward and seek help during a complex public health emergency.

“From the beginning, this pilot was designed as a time-limited trial, with ongoing monitoring built in so we could understand what was working, what wasn’t, and where changes were needed,” she said.

“However, the pilot hasn’t delivered the results that we hoped for.”

Miller says ‘Heated Rivalry’ is a Cancon success

The Canadian TV show “Heated Rivalry” is winning fans all around the world — including Culture Minister Marc Miller, who calls the show a Cancon triumph.

The Crave original series — a love story about pro hockey players on rival teams — is based on a series of romance novels by Nova Scotia’s Rachel Reid.

Miller told The Canadian Press he has watched the first episode and is keen to watch more. He said “Heated Rivalry” has a “great plot” and is breaking down lot of stereotypes.

The Crave series, which airs on HBO Max in the U.S., features a lot of Canadian talent, including writer-director Jacob Tierney and actors Hudson Williams, François Arnaud and Sophie Nélisse.

—

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 15, 2026

The Canadian Press