"I look at some of our former leaders that had to really push and pull just to open these doors, and I wish they could see that today," Woodhouse Nepinak said recently between last-minute meetings with chiefs to prepare for the First Nations-First Ministers meeting in Ottawa on Monday.

"It is historic, but at the same time we don't want it to be one-and-done. We don't want it to fall flat and not offer hope again."

The meeting comes as Prime Minister Mark Carney works to speed up major project approvals and development — efforts some First Nations chiefs say threaten their rights.

Tensions between Ottawa and First Nations spiked soon after Carney was elected in 2025 when his government passed legislation to create a new office tasked with streamlining major project developments and approving projects within one year.

First Nations leaders warned the compressed timelines would interfere with their rights and lead to court challenges. Provincial governments have enacted similar legislation.

But tensions are boiling over for a number of other reasons as well, including the lands claim process in British Columbia, the newly announced Pacific Link pipeline project in Alberta and development of the mineral-rich Ring of Fire in Ontario.

The Assembly of First Nations has been preparing for the meeting for months by holding town halls with chiefs to discuss actions they want to see governments take. Gina Wilson, who recently served as deputy minister at Indigenous Services Canada, helped to advise chiefs as they lined up their priorities for the meeting.

The AFN released a handful of position papers last week on economic development, policing and public safety, employment and health.

One of the main goals for First Nations leaders going into the meeting is a First Nations sovereign wealth fund. The fund, proposed by Chippewas of the Thames First Nation, would pool capital to ensure First Nations can build long-term wealth in their communities and invest in projects.

Chippewas of the Thames First Nation Chief Joe Miskokomon has told The Canadian Press the fund would bypass governments and allow major projects to be developed faster by giving communities more authority over investments.

The Monday meeting will be preceded by a day of ceremony on Sunday hosted by the AFN. Woodhouse Nepinak said such First Nations ceremonies were once prohibited under the Indian Act and it's important for Carney and the premiers to be there.

First Nations will be represented in the closed-door meeting on Monday largely by regional chiefs from the AFN. The Privy Council Office has not said which premiers will attend the gathering.

Woodhouse Nepinak said the meeting ought to be broadcast to the public and she continues pushing the Privy Council Office to do so.

The meeting is the first such gathering since 2005, when premiers and then-prime minister Paul Martin met with Indigenous leaders in Kelowna, B.C., to work out how to close socioeconomic gaps in their communities.

That gathering of some 1,000 individuals, including representatives from the AFN, Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami, the Métis National Council and the Native Women’s Association of Canada, was meant to change policies from prescriptions from Canadian governments to something more collaborative.

The meeting ended with commitments from governments to spend billions of dollars to reduce infant mortality rates, increase education rates and tackle unemployment — the Kelowna Accord. But progress stalled when Martin’s government fell just days after the meetings wrapped.

Stephen Harper succeeded Martin as prime minister and launched an aggressive resource development agenda. That led to more tensions between Ottawa and Indigenous Peoples that culminated in the 2012 Idle No More protest movement.

Jeff Copenance, the chief of Ojibways of Onigaming First Nation, worked in Martin’s office at the time the Kelowna Accord was being drafted. He said while the agreement itself offered a practical approach to improving the Canadian economy by lifting up its fastest-growing population, the meeting in Kelowna showed many Canadians who Indigenous people really are.

Copenace said a smudging ceremony was conducted at the meeting, giving many Canadians their first glimpse of a traditional practice. He added it was also one of the first times he saw Indigenous people portrayed in the news in relation to something positive.

There’s been some progress in the years since, he said, but not all of the goals set at that meeting have been achieved. He fears a heavy focus on economics in the Monday meeting will further delay action on addictions, homelessness and suicide.

“Unless the prime minister, the premiers and the territories are going to look a little bit deeper than resource development or economic reconciliation, I worry that they’re not going to be successful with their agenda,” Copenace said.

His community is dealing with a suicide and mental health crisis that has taken the lives of nearly 70 people in five years — including a 19-year-old relative whose funeral will held on Monday.

“Things aren’t going to improve if you’re only going to focus on economic development … I plan to look the prime minister in the eye and tell him what’s happening in Onigaming and ask for his help desperately,” said Copenace, who is joining Manitoba Premier Wab Kinew’s delegation at the meeting. Kinew is a member of Ojibways of Onigaming First Nation.

Copenance said he thinks the meeting wouldn't be happening if Carney's hadn't realized his development agenda can't move forward without First Nations.

“The only way he’s going to get his agenda successfully passed and not locked up in the courts or protests is by speaking directly with First Nations,” he said.

Woodhouse Nepinak said that, in order to avoid another failed attempt like the Kelowna Accord, Canadian politicians need to demonstrate political will and consistency.

"If there's no political will to work together, then things stay the same," she said.

Mohawk policy analyst Russ Diabo said he's also worried the meeting will focus entirely on economics and avoid tougher conversations about First Nations rights. He has helped to organize a counter-meeting of grassroots leaders and advocates and a protest of the meeting itself, saying he does not trust the AFN to act in the best interest of communities.

Diabo said he fears the AFN — which represents chiefs but is not a rights-holding institution — will make agreements with Carney and the premiers.

"It's totally orchestrated and there's already a predetermined outcome," Diabo said. He has accused the AFN of working too closely with the federal government while Ottawa works to negotiate away First Nations rights through cash settlements.

His counter-meeting on Sunday will hear from hereditary leaders, advocates and youth about their opposition to the country's major projects agenda and what they see as the sidelining of their rights.

"I can't think of a province in this country where Aboriginal and treaty rights aren't being violated by provincial law and policy," Diabo said.

The Truth Before Reconciliation Network is calling on federal and provincial governments to recognize rights-holders as the primary decision makers, to create a First Nation-based decision process that follows traditional governments, and to require community mandates before legislative changes are made.

"No First Nations-related legislation should proceed without documented community engagement and authorization. Consultation should occur before drafting legislation, not after policy decisions have been made," Diabo wrote in a missive about the counter-meeting.

Woodhouse Nepinak said First Nations are at a crossroads and many chiefs see the meeting as a chance to chart a new path forward.

While the meeting itself is seen as a win by some First Nations leaders, others remained concerned about the format and who will be in the room.

The AFN has a rocky relationship with First Nations in Alberta and chiefs in that province do not have a representative on the advocacy body’s executive council.

Treaty 8 First Nations Grand Chief Trevor Mercredi told The Canadian Press it’s inappropriate for a “third-party organization” to be sitting alongside the country’s decision-makers instead of grassroots leadership.

“This is an unacceptable process,” he said.

His message is echoed by the chief of Onion Lake Cree Nation, who reportedly filed a cease-and-desist notice to the Assembly of First Nations ahead of the meeting to “make clear that the AFN does not, and cannot, represent, negotiate for or presume consent on behalf of the nation” at the meeting.

“We respect the choices of nations that participate through the AFN, and we expect equal respect for our decision to follow our own path,” said Chief Pete Chief. “The Oct. 26 gathering is about ensuring that the voices and authority of independent treaty nations are not overlooked.”

Woodhouse Nepinak said all First Nations should be heard and she's thankful First Nations leaders, elders and youth will be in Ottawa to witness it — even those opposed to the meeting.

"I want to move to a point where we can have proper discussions and proper debates on finding the path forward," she said.

"That's all we can do, try our best every day."

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 24, 2026.

Alessia Passafiume, The Canadian Press

In Parkdale-High Park, his usual safe choice in longtime councillor Gord Perks was taken away when the 63-year-old decided to retire. The race for the city’s west-end ward has ballooned to 10 candidates — none of whom Apps is familiar with.

He turned to a system he was familiar with: Claude, Anthropic's artificial intelligence chatbot. Apps asked the bot for the top five polling candidates in his ward and their policies on issues such as bike lanes, housing and property taxes.

"It laid them all out in a very easily digestible format," he said.

Apps is not the only one turning to AI for election information. During Quebec's provincial election earlier this month, an estimated 40 per cent of the province's voters turned to AI chatbots and received false and outdated information about the election, according to McGill University researchers. Many Quebec news outlets don't allow chatbots to access their websites, so their reports cannot be mined for users' queries.

Experts say this marks a troubling shift in the democratic process, where citizen engagement and human judgment is superseded by some algorithms that could be providing false information.

There were a few gaps in Apps' own search, he noted. The chatbot could not provide much information on candidates who weren’t as widely reported on by news outlets or who didn't have very active online presences. He acknowledged that some of the gaps could be related to the parameters of his questions.

“The blind spots are probably in the eyes of the beholders,” Apps said. “If you have your point of view going into it, then it probably is going to be giving back information that is not necessarily going to focus on opening your eyes.”

Alissa Centivany, an associate professor of Information and media studies at Western University, said artificial intelligence bots have replaced traditional search engines, such as Google, and reliable media platforms, such as news organizations' websites.

For some voters, chatbots have become their main method of seeking information.

For AI researchers like Centivany, it remains unclear what an AI chatbot’s "technical process" is as it scrapes the internet for information. Centivany notes that the quality of information AI chatbots can compile is often lower than she would hope for, especially in the context of political elections.

One concerning element, she said, is that the mishmash of information it gathers can include user-generated content from social media sites like Reddit. Centivany said researchers are starting to see evidence of how a bot will compile information based on what they think a user will want to hear, based on past queries, as opposed to objective facts.

“A lot of it is opinion, a lot of it is untrue, a lot of it is inflammatory,” she said. “And it’s being used as a source of information.”


As he asked Claude more questions about candidates in his ward, Apps said he was also keenly aware of its limitations, especially with the influx of content on social media platforms, such as TikTok and Instagram.

"You have to take your AI engine with a grain of salt," he said. "It gave me the basic information and then it puts it back to the viewer."

The accessibility of the AI platforms made political participation easier, Apps said. While he considers himself somewhat politically aware, he said the chatbot acted as an information "refresher."

"You ask it a question and it gives you an answer," he said. "It's not giving you glossy videos with clickbait-ish headlines."


Anthropic said Claude uses web search to find up-to-date information and shows its sourcing so users can "judge their credibility for themselves."



"Claude is trained to note when claims are disputed, when sources conflict, or when a source may be inaccurate or have an agenda," the company said in a statement to The Canadian Press.

Earlier this month, Anthropic announced new updates to its usage policies, which included a "refocusing" of their elections section and political content restrictions.

 


"We’ve further sharpened our section on elections, focusing it specifically on disallowing the use of Claude to deceive voters or disrupt elections (for instance, by spreading false information about candidates or how to vote, impersonating candidates or election officials, or trying to suppress turnout)," the company's news release read.

Alex Marland, a professor of Canadian politics and the Jarislowsky Chair in Trust and Political Leadership at Acadia University, said it makes sense that voters would turn to an accessible tool such as AI for information about candidates in elections.

Typically, people might vote for the political party they most align with, but candidates in Ontario municipal elections are not affiliated with a party.

“What ends up happening is you have to invest a lot more time to try to understand, 'What are my choices and what do these people stand for?'" Marland said.

It’s a positive sign that voters want to get engaged in municipal politics, Marland said, since Ontario’s last municipal election had record-low voter turnout. According to the Association of Municipalities of Ontario, the average voter turnout in the 2022 was almost 33 per cent, compared to roughly 38 per cent in 2018.


But it’s up to users to be vigilant in fact-checking the information they’re receiving, Marland added.

“This is a piece of information that is going in with other pieces of information."


This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 24, 2026.

Sadeen Mohsen, The Canadian Press

"We are confident that Canada will stay with us, as they have done in the past," Cuban Ambassador to Canada Rodrigo Malmierca Diaz told The Canadian Press.

"The blockade and this intensification is, in practice, killing people."

The United Nations is set to vote next week on a motion Cuba has put forward nearly every year since 1992. It calls for the termination of "the economic, commercial and financial embargo imposed by the United States of America against Cuba."

Canada has voted in favour of this motion multiple times.

U.S. President Donald Trump's administration has been trying to overthrow Cuba's Communist government through a de facto oil blockade. Washington cut off Venezuelan shipments in January and has threatened to impose tariffs on countries that sell oil to the island nation.

Washington claims Cuba poses a national security threat to the United States. Malmierca said the Caribbean nation is being collectively punished by an American pressure campaign that is harming the health and education of Cubans.

An economic crisis has gripped Cuba since 2020, triggering critical shortages and severe blackouts that peaked after January's fuel blockade.

Havana insists its economic struggles stem from six decades of American sanctions, but critics point to the inefficiency of its Communist regime. Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International say Cuba's government engages in arbitrary arrests, tortures political prisoners and limits media and political parties.

Cuba produces only 40 per cent of the fuel it needs. Shortages have led to frequent blackouts that have threatened health care systems and crippled the island's economy. Air Canada and other airlines cancelled flights to Cuba in February because of shortages of aviation fuel.

Ottawa has pledged to distribute $13 million in humanitarian aid for Cubans through international organizations — not the Cuban government. Past Canadian development funding has gone to things like solar panels aimed at making the island less reliant on foreign fuel.

"The people are resisting because we are convinced that the most valuable thing we have is the independence, the sovereignty of Cuba. And we are not going to surrender that," Malmierca said.

"We would like to have a normal relationship with the U.S. We are ready for dialogue."

Malmierca said countries that have supported Cuba have told Havana they're being warned by Washington their access to American trade or aid could be curbed if they continue supporting UN motions to end the blockade.

He said Cuba is "not naive" and knows Canada is facing its own economic pressure from the Trump administration.

"This year is a particular moment because of all this aggressivity of the U.S. government against Cuba," he said. "They are in a kind of offensive with other countries, trying to exercise influence for them to change their votes. We know they are using threats."

The Canadian Press asked the U.S. State Department for comment but didn't receive a response.

U.S. Ambassador to the UN Mike Waltz this week urged countries to vote against the motion, dismissing it as a product of "70 years of propaganda" meant to distract from corruption in Havana. He said Washington has been lobbying European countries to vote against the motion.

"Do not let them abuse your vote for their oppression," he said at a Monday event he hosted. "Do not give in to this lie."

In a statement, Global Affairs Canada said it is still pondering how it will vote on the UN motion next week.

"As with all UN resolutions, Canada's voting position is being considered in advance of the vote," wrote spokesperson Thida Ith.

"Canada continues to call for the Cuban government to implement needed reforms to respect the political and economic rights of the Cuban people, and to release all political prisoners."

In July, Havana called for a UN debate on the American embargo in the context of the island's fuel crisis. Washington suggested it was a waste of resources to debate a motion that had already been debated nine months prior, and insisted that the decision to hold a debate be put to a recorded vote.

The vote passed and a debate was held. Canada was among 30 countries that abstained from the motion on holding a debate.

Civil society groups such as the Canadian Network on Cuba said they fear Ottawa may be pulling back from Cuba.

A document The Canadian Press obtained through a freedom-of-information request shows Ottawa had frank exchanges with Cuba about its liquidity crisis before Trump ramped up pressure on the Communist government.

The document — a briefing book prepared by Global Affairs for its deputy minister — shows the deputy minister met with three Canadian firms during a visit to Havana in February 2023 to discuss their Cuban clients' unpaid bills.

The document says the aim of the meeting was to reassure the three firms that Ottawa "has their back … without unduly encouraging new investors and traders who risk not being paid for their goods/services."

The companies mentioned in the document are the National Bank, mining firm Sherritt and hotel chain Blue Diamond, now called Royalton. None of the companies responded to The Canadian Press when asked whether they still have accounts in arrears in Cuba.

Sherritt and Royalton have both ceased operations in Cuba. Havana has blamed their withdrawal on American pressure tactics.

The briefing book for the deputy minister reveals some of the nature of Canada's discussions with Cuba, with Ottawa pushing for details on small and medium-sized enterprises and Havana requesting more aid.

"Canadian firms are facing mounting payment arrears with Cuban buyers. Many Canadian firms in Cuba are SMEs and the situation is threatening their sustainability," reads the February 2023 document for the deputy minister.

"We sought bilateral meetings for you, that would allow you, for example, to engage on human rights and new economic actors (private sector SMEs and entrepreneurs). The Cuban side wanted rather to talk to you about new tourism initiatives and more Canadian international development projects."

The briefing book proposed that Canada "leverage Cuba's desire for increased assistance in our dialogue on other priorities (e.g. human rights)" — but added that the cheapest and most effective things Canada could offer would be technical help with reforming the agriculture sector and rules for smaller businesses.

Malmierca said Cuba is implementing 176 reform measures which came out of parliamentary and public consultations. He said these measures will allow a larger role for the private sector, foreign investment incentives and municipal autonomy.

"In Cuba, we work according to the rule of law," he said. "Cuba is a society that is continuously trying to improve."

He said a trade fair in Havana next month is going largely virtual due to the current electricity shortages, and Cuba will hold an event in Toronto ahead of time to drum up interest from Canadian entrepreneurs.

"We can maintain not only the economic relationship, but we can increase it in better conditions in the near future."

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 24, 2026.

Dylan Robertson, The Canadian Press

The five-week campaign saw the major parties fight over issues from health care to housing, the province's record deficit and the increasing cost of living.

Polls open at 8.a.m. and close at 8 p.m. in the snap election that Eby called two years early, initially saying he needed a new mandate to tackle challenges posed by U.S. President Donald Trump.

But Eby said Friday the election was needed to end the frustrations of a "stalled out" legislature where the NDP held a one-seat majority, and he regretted not making that clearer.

Interim Conservative leader Lorne Doerkson secured his party's top job two days before the election call in September, and managed to woo back legislators who quit the party under the divisive leadership of Kerry-Lynne Findlay.

It's Green Party Leader Emily Lowan's first provincial election and Eby spent the closing days of the campaign urging her party's supporters to consider voting NDP to prevent splitting the vote.

The legislature at dissolution officially consisted of 47 New Democrats, 29 Conservatives, two Greens and 13 Independents, with two vacant seats.

But that does not take into account that most of the nominal Independents were Conservatives who returned to the party after Doerkson became interim leader — they may not all be reflected in the official numbers, but the Conservatives went into the election holding about 37 seats.

Elections BC has said votes cast on election day will be counted by hand, despite electronic tabulators being used for the first time in 2024. The agency cited the tight timelines in the snap election and the technical requirements to get the machines up and running.

Mail-in and absentee ballots won't be counted until about two weeks after election day, with Elections BC saying it needed time to ensure that only eligible voters vote, and only once.

More than 891,000 advance votes were cast, representing about 24 per cent of all registered voters.

The campaign saw the NDP propose a new tax bracket for those making more than $1 million to help fund health care, while pledging price caps on some basic groceries and to create a training program for qualified international medical graduates already living in B.C.

The Conservatives promised no tax increases and to raise B.C.’s basic personal income tax exemption from $13,216 to $32,000, resulting in a $1,000 tax cut for most individual workers.

Doerkson said his top priority was repealing the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act.

The Greens promised to tax household wealth over $50 million, to open a community health centre in every riding, and to reform the province's oil and gas royalty framework.

Other parties contending for votes include CentreBC, led by former Conservative Elenore Sturko, and OneBC, whose interim leader Dallas Brodie is another former Conservative. 



This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 24, 2026

The Canadian Press

A game that featured torrential rain, whipping wind, and a last-minute drive through falling snow before a walk-off field goal with zero time on the clock.

“I don’t think I’ve had one like this,” Amundrud said. “This was all types of crazy weather.”

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It wasn’t just the conditions that made Friday night’s game extra memorable for the University of Saskatchewan Huskies quarterback, who made enough plays to earn the title of the program’s most accomplished passer.

The fifth-year pivot from Lloydminster, Alta. overtook legendary quarterback Brent Schneider for the most passing yards in Huskies history in a 21-19 victory over the Alberta Golden Bears to help the team improve to 6-1 on the season.

“I don’t think it has sat in, no,” Amundrud said. “I think these last couple years have been all types of an experience. So I don’t know if I’ve allowed this to sit in yet.”

Amundrud’s historic pass came midway through the third quarter, as he scrambled out of the pocket and connected with fellow fifth-year star Kayden Miller on a 20-yard catch-and-run.

The pair have spent the last six years growing from high school recruits to becoming key parts of the team’s offence, with the Huskies running back honoured to now be part of program history alongside Amundrud.

“That’s my guy,” Miller said. “Obviously, I’m with him at football, outside of football, playing games, doing whatever we’re doing. It’s a special moment for both of us, especially him and it’s been awesome just to be a part of his journey.”

That play to Miller gave Amundrud 8,299 career passing yards to leapfrog over Schneider into first place on the program’s all-time list by five yards.

Schneider, who won the Vanier Cup in 1996 and was on the Huskies coaching staff between 1998 and 2013, was on hand for Amundrud’s record-setting night.

“I couldn’t be more proud,” Schneider said. “Records are there, they get broken and that’s pretty cool.”

University of Saskatchewan Huskies quarterback Anton Amundrud (left) and former all-time passing yards leader Brent Schneider (right) met pre-game ahead of Amundrud’s record-breaking night on Oct. 23, 2026 (Electric Umbrella / Huskie Athletics)

The pair united on the field before Friday’s game, which allowed Amundrud to connect with the man he’s been chasing all season in the Huskies record books.

“That was super cool,” Amundrud said.

“Him being an all-time great in this program, a Hall of Famer, winning Vanier (Cups), and just being a staple to what this program really is with culture and identity. Being able to talk to him pre-game was really nice.”

Schneider admitted if not for Amundrud’s cancer diagnosis, which wiped out half of his 2025 season, his record would have fallen sooner than Friday.

He added it’s one of the great comebacks in Canadian university football and is impressed with how Amundrud rebuilt his body for his senior season.

“What a great story in terms of just where Anton came from last year,” Schneider said. “I think I saw him back in January and just to see where he is now physically, what a transformation, what a fighter.”

Amundrud will still chase one more of Schneider’s records before the end of the season, his mark of 56 career touchdown passes, with Amundrud only two touchdowns away.

According to Huskies head coach Scott Flory, it’s poetic that Schneider’s 30-year passing yards record fell on a night with blowing wind and rain-soaked turf.

“Brent even lamented before the game that he did it on a crappy day in Edmonton versus Alberta,” Flory said. “Maybe it was just meant to be like that. I’m proud of (Amundrud), proud of everything he’s accomplished to this point.”

Amundrud led a game-winning drive for the Huskies with 30 seconds remaining on the clock in the fourth quarter, to set up kicker James Keane for a 41-yard field goal to secure Saskatchewan’s sixth consecutive victory.

“It was good, it was fun and I enjoyed it. The pressure and the impact it can have is kind of why I enjoy kicking. It’s why I wanted to get into it in the first place, that you can change the game with it. Those kind of moments are exactly what I was dreaming about.”

Saskatchewan’s win streak was in danger late, with Alberta ahead 19-18 and Golden Bears punter Nicholas Dokken able to recover his own punt in the final 98 seconds of play.

The Golden Bears attempted to run out the clock, but were stopped on third down by Saskatchewan’s defence to give the ball back to the Huskies.

Amundrud got the Huskies into scoring range with a 15-yard pass to Aulain Penner with time ticking down, before Penner rushed for another eight yards with Alberta’s Tanner McBride making the tackle.

While the Golden Bears celebrated with the score clock at zero, officials ruled Penner was down with 0.4 seconds remaining, which gave Keane a shot at winning the game.

His kick got just enough to clear the uprights to give the Huskies a 21-18 victory and put the team in charge of their own destiny to clinch top spot in Canada West.

“We put (Keane) on the roster in Week 2 and he has just been lights out ever since,” Flory said. “We needed the play and he came through with the play.”

Saskatchewan’s comeback win Friday has set up a regular season finale next weekend against the UBC Thunderbirds in Vancouver, which will decide who will earn home field advantage throughout the Hardy Cup playoffs.

UBC defeated the Regina Rams 21-17 on the road Friday to improve to 5-2 on the year, which means the Huskies can clinch first place with either a win against the Thunderbirds or a loss by fewer than 10 points.

The weather was a big factor in the win over Alberta, according to Flory, but added that there is plenty to clean up in discipline and decision-making ahead of playoffs.

“We got to go win a football game,” Flory said. “That’s what it comes down to and we approach every game that we got to win. We got a lot of work to do, that’s just what I told the boys.”

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Carney closed out his trip earlier this morning by visiting one of Istanbul's many great cultural landmarks, the Kariye Mosque, accompanied by his wife, Diana Fox Carney.

The mosque was once a Byzantine church and is renowned for its historic architecture and its beautiful frescoes and mosaics. The structure itself has evolved through Roman, Byzantine, Ottoman and modern Turkish history.

A backgrounder document from the prime minister's office said the site was chosen to underscore "Canada's recognition of the importance of cultural heritage as a bridge between peoples and nations."

The solemnity of Carney's visit gave way to an unexpected Canadian moment when a tourist visiting from Canada caught the prime minister on his way out of the mosque.

"Go Oilers!" the man shouted, referring to Carney's love of the Edmonton Oilers. The prime minister replied, "It looks good this year. Wait until the playoffs."

The tour marks the end of the first bilateral visit by a Canadian prime minister to Turkey.

Carney and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan forged a new strategic partnership between Canada and Turkey after meeting in Ankara on Thursday.

That agreement will see the two countries collaborate more closely in areas like defence and energy and set the stage for Canada and Turkey to begin free-trade talks in the coming weeks.

The trip to Turkey came in the context of Carney's broader efforts to diversify Canada's trading relationships and reduce reliance on the United States.

"Our goal is not self-sufficiency; it is collective resilience," Carney said in a joint statement with Erdogan.

"That's why Canada is building deeper partnerships with reliable partners that create new opportunities for us both. And in Turkey, we have an exceptional partner."

Erdogan called Carney a "dear friend" in his own remarks and signalled that he plans to lead a business delegation to Canada in the future.

Canada and Turkey have not always seen eye-to-eye. Human rights have previously been an irritant in the relationship, and Carney's efforts to deepen ties with Turkey come as the country faces international scrutiny over a crackdown on LGBTQ+ rights.

The prime minister told reporters that "engagement is not approval" when it comes to doing business with countries that don't share Canada's values.

Canada raised human rights during its discussions with Turkish officials, Carney said, though he didn't confirm whether he raised the topic directly with Erdogan.

Carney met with a number of business leaders and investment firms in Istanbul, including representatives from Turkish Airlines.

During the trip, Canadian and Turkish officials formalized an expanded air transportation agreement that could eventually nearly double the number of direct flights between the nations.

Carney is expected to touch down in Ottawa early this evening.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 24, 2026.

Craig Lord, The Canadian Press

Shortly before the Milwaukee Brewers and Tampa Bay Rays opened the first World Series in 35 years between small-payroll teams in the bottom half of big league spending, players’ association head Bruce Meyer and Manfred held separate media sessions Friday near the first base dugout at American Family Field.

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Baseball’s labour contract expires Dec. 1, and management is expected to immediately lock out the players. That work stoppage could threaten the start of spring training workouts on Feb. 9 and opening day on March 24.

“It is kind of sad that the league and the owners have once again been focusing not on the greatness of the game, not on the greatness of the players, not on the greatness of the playoffs, but they’ve been focusing on basically telling the consumers of their product that their product is broken,” Meyer said.

Milwaukee ranked 19th in payroll as of Aug. 31 and Tampa Bay 25th. The Brewers, in the Series for the first time since 1982, are seeking their first title, as are the Rays.

“It’s been 40 years since we’re here. Once every 40 years is not enough,” Manfred said. “It’s not that no small market can win, it’s just that it’s pretty rare.”

Three low-payroll teams reached the League Championship Series this year: Tampa Bay eliminated Cleveland, which has the smallest payroll, in the ALCS. Milwaukee eliminated the deep-pocketed, two-time defending champion Los Angeles Dodgers.

Meyer said the success of these teams shows the current economic system works.

“There’s no reason whatsoever that the Pirates can’t do what the Brewers have done or what the Rays have done. None whatsoever, right?” he said.

Milwaukee is ranked 30th among MLB teams in market size and Tampa Bay 15th. While the union points to this as evidence the current system is working, Manfred claimed the matchups showed why change is needed.

“No one ever said that differences in economics are perfectly outcome-determined,” he said.

“If you look at the data, our larger markets have a very statistically significant advantage in terms of making the playoffs and going deeper into the playoffs.”

MLB’s proposal would cap spending in 2027 at US$245.3 million using figures for luxury tax payrolls, and limit a player to 15 per cent of a team’s payroll. Free agents would be capped at US$265 million over six seasons — far under Juan Soto’s record US$765 million, 15-year deal with the New York Mets.

Because all of management’s proposals are tied to a cap, Meyer claimed “the rest of it is a charade.”

Those proposals have included granting some players free agency a year sooner, shortening seasons to 154 games and adding post-season games.

“This would be a tough negotiation even without their demand for the nuclear bomb of the salary cap,” Meyer said.

“This notion that the owners need a cap and that a cap would somehow guarantee this utopia of competitive balance and fan engagement, it’s just not true. It makes no sense at all,” he added.

“We should be appreciating and promoting the things that we have now instead of trying to tear it down.”

MLB proposed a salary cap in 1994, and it led to a 7 1/2-month strike that caused the World Series to be cancelled for the first time in 90 years.

“Number one, we have an unprecedented level of unanimity among ownership that this is something that we need to do, that we need to get ourselves in a position to operate like all the other major professional sports in North America,” Manfred said.

“Secondly, and even more importantly to me, our fan polling, and we do it regularly, has moved hard in the direction of the fact that we have a problem and that our fans see a salary cap as the answer to that problem.”

Meyer dismissed the argument that a cap would benefit competitive balance.

“All of this is really about their desire to make more money in the form of profits and increased franchise values, which they don’t have to share with players,” he said.

“It’s not about competitive balance. It’s not about teams not having hope. It’s about, again, their desire, which they’ve had for decades, to have a system that artificially suppresses player salaries and player freedom of movement, removes player guarantees and limits flexibility in all different areas, guts the amateur entry system. The rest of it is a charade.”

Meyer said it would be complicated to extend the expiring five-year contract for another season.

“I suppose anything’s possible. There’s been no discussion about that,” he said.

“They don’t seem to like the current system, so I’m not sure why they would agree to continue that. Even, theoretically, if the parties agree, let’s continue some version of the status quo, it’s easier said than done. What happens to the minimum salary? What happens to the luxury tax proceeds? What happens for the pre-arb pool?”

Players have proposed expanded free agency and salary arbitration rights along with almost doubling the major league minimum salary and increasing the money high-revenue teams share with the less-wealthy clubs.

“Bruce Meyer’s not prepared to do a status-quo deal and the fact of the matter is he’s made a lot of demands about improvements that they want,” Manfred said.

The sides have been discussing the possibility for big league players to participate in the Los Angeles Olympics in 2028.

“There are certain things that we believe players should be entitled to, things that they expect as the level of athlete that they are,” Meyer said.

“As of now, we’re not getting satisfaction.”

Manfred said work on the 2028 schedule typically would start in January. An extended All-Star break is envisioned to allow big league players to appear in the Olympics.

Manfred said the sport is also paying attention to an investigation into Dodgers owner Mark Walter by the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Manhattan and the Securities and Exchange Commission following a whistleblower complaint regarding alleged misrepresented loans made between companies within his business portfolio.

“As always when we have an investigation, external law enforcement, whatever, we monitor that and that’s where we are right now,” Manfred said.

Dr. Mark Jeschke, director of the Burn Program at Hamilton Health Sciences Centre, talked to Evan Braythid week, and described recovery from serious burns as a long process that could take months or years.

Read more:

• Wainwright base fire highlights long, painful process of burn recovery, specialists say
• Wainwright fire started during grenade range training: officials
• VIDEO: Wainwright community deeply shaken by military base tragedy

Listen to Dr. Mark Jeschke on The Evan Bray Show:

The following interview has been edited for length and clarity.

“A burn patient is the sickest patient in the hospital,” Jeschke said. “All your organs are affected, and that is the challenge we as care providers face.

He said if a “at least 20 per cent” of a patient’s body is burned that is defined as critical and it’s extremely important that victims receive specialized care.

“Burn care has evolved, and it used to be much more rudimentary and not as focused on pain and mental health as we do nowadays.”

Despite modern treatments, he added that burn patients experience significant anxiety and pain.

Acute Care Alberta CEO Dr. Sayeh Zielke has said victims would receive specialist treatment at dedicated burn centres in Edmonton and Calgary.

“Ontario has sent 19 specialized burn nurses and five OR nurses to supplement our own staffing contingent,” Zielke said.

Jeschke pointed out that victims are supported by a team of dedicated professionals.

“They’re phenomenal. They keep the patients alive,” he said.

“It’s physical therapists, nurses and psychologists dedicated completely to the recovery and survival of burn patients, and obviously to try to restore quality of life.”

Donated blood and plasma are also essential to the recovery process, as is skin tissue.

“We get the skin via the tissue bank,” Jeschke explained. “We obtain the skin from people who donated their skin after they passed.”

Ultimately, Jeschke said the process doesn’t end when a victim’s wounds are covered and they leave the hospital.

“Recovery is a long way, but it is not impossible to do. This is where the families are so crucial to support the loved ones along this way,” he said.

“They need them to motivate them to keep their heads up and say, ‘Look, let’s keep going,’ because there is no giving up.”

Read more:

• Wainwright base fire highlights long, painful process of burn recovery, specialists say
• Wainwright fire started during grenade range training: officials
• VIDEO: Wainwright community deeply shaken by military base tragedy

]]> https://www.ckom.com/2026/10/23/burn-victims-from-wainwright-fire-face-long-road-to-recovery-expert/feed/ 0 https://www.ckom.com/2026/10/23/bc-spca-urges-election-candidates-to-commit-to-pet-friendly-housing-laws/ https://www.ckom.com/2026/10/23/bc-spca-urges-election-candidates-to-commit-to-pet-friendly-housing-laws/#respond Fri, 23 Oct 2026 23:14:34 +0000 Syndicated Content 2026-10-23T23:14:34+00:00 http://syndication.thecanadianpress.com/rss/0a09a34d-ae6a-4024-8aee-ad044331f426/1a692080-785b-4fc6-bd15-2dcaa1e8ee25 VANCOUVER — As British Columbia chooses a new provincial government on Saturday, the SPCA has launched its own campaign urging voters to call on election candidates to commit to changing laws so that families with pets will have equal access to housing.

The plea comes after Erin Hayman's family spent months hunting for a place to live with their pets when they lost their home in the Bald Range wildfire, which destroyed about 150 structures in the district of Summerland, B.C. in August.

A statement from the BC SPCA says Hayman's family was determined to keep their whole family together, including their two dogs and four cats, after flames destroyed their home this summer, but housing limitations made it "impossible."

Hayman's four cats, Peaches, Miso, Gauntlett and Calamari, have been staying at the SPCA's emergency boarding program since the fire, and they found temporary housing that accepted their dogs.

But a statement from the SPCA says it has taken the family about three months to find pet-friendly, long-term housing that will allow them to reunite with their cats in November.

Hayman says it has been "incredibly difficult" for his daughters, as they are dealing with the pain of losing everything in the fire, and fearing at one point that they might have to give their cats away.

Sarah Herring with the BC SPCA says they are seeing too many families being forced to surrender or rehome pets they love because they can't find pet-friendly housing.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 23, 2026.

The Canadian Press

On Thursday, it was announced that Belsher made a $5 million contribution toward the Joseph A. Remai Saskatoon Campus.

Read more: 

• Sask. Polytechnic students in ‘complete shock’ over program relocation
• Sask. Polytechnic Students’ Association donates $2 million toward new campus in Saskatoon
• Nuclear training courses coming to Saskatchewan Polytechnic

“The new Joseph A. Remai Saskatoon Campus represents a once-in-a-generation opportunity to consolidate outdated facilities into a modern, technology-rich learning environment. It will expand program capacity and equip students with the skills needed for current and emerging industries,” Saskatchewan Polytechnic said in a media release.

According to the release, programs under the Merlis Belsher School of Business and Entrepreneurship will be offered at the school’s Saskatoon, Regina, Moose Jaw and Prince Albert campuses.

Belsher said it feels “humbling” to have the School of Business and Entrepreneurship named after him.

“I can’t really express any other word,” he said.

Belsher said his advice to future students in Saskatchewan is to “follow what you want to do (and) your heart.”

Belsher said business and entrepreneurship are the future in Saskatchewan.

“Hopefully this school of business and entrepreneurship will train and teach so that people can follow their dream and have their own business,” he said. “Can’t ask for anything more.”

Saskatchewan Polytechnic president and CEO Larry Rosia said Belsher’s investment is a tremendous boost to the school’s capital campaign, which aims to raise $100 million for the Joseph A. Remai Saskatoon Campus. The campus will be located at Innovation Saskatchewan on the University of Saskatchewan campus.

Rosia said the donation is not only beneficial for the campaign, but for Saskatchewan students.

“We’re the work in the workforce, and our whole purpose is to build a better Saskatchewan,” Rosia said. ]]> https://www.ckom.com/2026/10/23/merlis-belsher-donates-5m-to-sask-polytech-saskatoon-campus/feed/ 0