In the news: BoC interest rate decision. Iran war poll, P. E. I Health Minister dead

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

Bank of Canada to make interest rate announcement

The Bank of Canada is expected to make an interest rate announcement this morning as it weighs the effects of the conflict in the Middle East, trade uncertainty and recent economic data.

The central bank’s key lending rate stands at 2.25 per cent after a hold in January, but the economic landscape has shifted since that decision.

A Reuters poll shows economists widely expect the bank to maintain its current policy rate.

Economists say the central bank faces choppy waters in setting monetary policy this year amid ongoing inflation risks from a global oil price shock due to the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran and uncertainties stemming from the upcoming review of the North American trade deal.

Two in three people say Canada should remain neutral in Iran war: poll

As war rages on in the Middle East, a new Leger poll suggests most Canadians believe the government of Canada should remain neutral, while one in four say Canada should support the United States and Israel in their attacks on Iran.

The poll, which was conducted online and can’t be assigned a margin of error, surveyed 1,608 Canadians between March 13 and March 16.

Respondents were asked to indicate their level of agreement with several statements about what the Canadian government’s position should be on the Iran war.

Sixty-seven per cent of Canadians said Ottawa should remain neutral and not support either side, while a quarter of respondents said the government of Canada should support the United States and Israel.

P. E. I Health Minister Mark McLane has died

Mark McLane, the Progressive Conservative MLA for Cornwall-Meadowbank, died Tuesday following an unspecified medical condition.

He was first elected in a 2021 byelection and re-elected in 2023, quickly becoming a senior voice in government.

He served as minister of finance and chair of Treasury Board before being appointed minister of health and wellness, where he oversaw key files including system pressure and workforce challenges.

Premier Rob Lantz said in a statement McLane served Islanders with dedication, integrity and a deep commitment to his community, adding he brought compassion and practical leadership to every role he held.

Former Snowbird pilot’s career ‘destroyed’ by cancelled passport over work in China.

A former captain with Canada’s Snowbirds claims his passport was wrongfully cancelled after working for a pilot training company that has been targeted by the U.S. government as a “significant enabler of the Chinese air and naval forces.”

Jayson Miles-Ingram says in a notice of appeal filed in the Federal Court that he “proudly and honourably” served as a pilot with the Canadian Armed Forces for nearly 21 years.

Miles-Ingram says he worked in Dubai as a flight instructor for more than a decade after retiring from the Forces, and moved to China in 2022 to work as an instructor for the parent company of the Test Flying Academy of South Africa.

The appeal notice says the flight company offers pilot training and other services, but he began looking for work elsewhere in 2024.

Brian Stewart memoir among books shortlisted for Shaughnessy Cohen Prize.

Broadcast journalist Brian Stewart’s memoir is one of five books in the running for this year’s Shaughnessy Cohen Prize for Political Writing.

The Writers’ Trust of Canada released its short list on Wednesday, with jurors saying “On the Ground: My Life as a Foreign Correspondent” features Stewart’s “extraordinary perspective on our times and on Canada’s place in the world.”

Other books up for the award include Don Gillmor’s “On Oil,” which explores the petroleum industry’s role in the fabric of Canada; and “Encampment: Resistance, Grace, and an Unhoused Community” by Maggie Helwig, which jurors call a “necessary, on-the-ground view of Canada’s homelessness crisis.”

David Suzuki is turning 90. Environmentalists may have ‘lost, big time,’ but he still has hope

David Suzuki admits defeat — at least in some respects.

The geneticist-turned-environmentalist, who is days away from his 90th birthday, reflected on his legacy as he prepared to release his latest book, “Lessons from a Lifetime,” which compiles photos and stories from his life, as well as testimonials written by those he inspired.

“To me, the important legacy that I want to tell my grandchildren is, look, I tried. I love you. I did the best I could for you. And I tried,” he said on a video call last month.

“The measure of a person is not whether they succeeded “because we’ve lost, environmentalists have lost, big time — but that we tried.”

This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 18, 2026

The Canadian Press