Author: Quinn Patrick

Calgary Police have charged a man with one count each of sexual assault and forcible confinement, which took place while “on-duty” as a security guard in a parking lot this summer.

Muhammad Hussain, 34, of Calgary, will appear in court next month after the Sexual Assault Investigative Unit identified and located the victim following a review of the vehicle’s in-car camera.

“On Wednesday, June 10, 2026, at approx. 3 a.m., an on-duty security guard approached a woman in the neighbourhood of Forest Lawn. It is alleged the security guard drove the woman to an industrial area in the city’s southeast where he sexually assaulted her inside his company vehicle,” wrote CPS in a release on Wednesday.

On Sept. 1, police spoke with the victim and collected additional evidence before arresting Hussain.

He is slated to make his first appearance in court on Oct. 14, 2026.

Anyone with information is asked to call 403‑266‑1234 or contact Crime Stoppers anonymously.

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Author: Alex Dhaliwal

An Alberta independence group has unveiled a sweeping blueprint for life after Canada, as a new analysis estimates separation could cost more than $200 billion.

The Alberta Transition Council released a 214-page transition plan outlining how an independent Alberta could handle everything from currency and banking to defence, policing, immigration, pensions, trade and oil and gas.

Lawyer Keith Wilson, who spearheaded the report, said Alberta already has much of the infrastructure needed for independence.

“We’re not starting from scratch,” Wilson said. “The people, the resources, the skills, the organizational structures are already in place.”

“We’re simply changing the top of the organization. Instead of having their ultimate boss be in Ottawa, their ultimate boss would be in Edmonton or Calgary.”

The plan would temporarily mirror Canada’s immigration system, with Alberta sheriffs enforcing immigration decisions and potentially recruiting federal border and immigration workers.

The council also argues Canada could not automatically strip Albertans of their Canadian citizenship or passports following independence, while acknowledging Parliament could change Canadian citizenship laws.

The council also argues Albertans could keep their Canadian citizenship and passports after independence, unless Parliament changed the law.

Wilson said independence would be less about upending daily life than transferring political authority from Ottawa to Alberta.

“Alberta Independence is about keeping life the same, the economy the same, but changing how political decisions are made,” he said.

The plan also contemplates negotiations over federal assets located in Alberta and potentially hiring RCMP members into a provincial police service.

But one major figure is missing from the transition plan: the cost.

Wilson said a costed analysis will follow later this month, with Alberta’s government releasing its own before the Oct. 19 vote.

Meanwhile, the Canada West Foundation released a non-partisan analysis estimating Alberta independence could cost more than $200 billion.

Former Alberta Treasury Board and Finance senior manager Lennie Kaplan estimates separation could cost more than $200 billion upfront and $57 billion annually, while shrinking Alberta’s economy by about $39 billion and hurting investment and jobs.

CWF president and CEO Gary Mar acknowledged that grievances driving Alberta separatism are legitimate, including concerns over equalization, market access, federal energy policy and Alberta’s representation in Ottawa.

“Some of these grievances have accumulated over decades,” Mar said.

But he argued independence would create a host of new complications.

“There is no unilateral path to independence,” Mar said, noting separation would require a negotiated constitutional process.

The foundation also warned an independent Alberta could lose Canada’s visa-free travel privileges and health-care coverage elsewhere in the country.

International trade could also become more complicated, with a new international border potentially creating additional barriers for companies moving goods into and out of Alberta.

The assessments come ahead of Alberta’s Oct. 19 vote on whether to remain in Canada or pursue a future binding referendum on independence.

“This is a referendum that’s about much more than a referendum,” Mar said. “This is about Alberta’s future relationship with Canada, and I think that Albertans need to have a clear understanding of what’s at stake before they make that decision.”

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Author: Quinn Patrick

The Department of Crown-Indigenous Relations found no “theft or ill-intent” by any of its managers involved in $14.4 million worth of Indigenous art that were found missing in the wake of a routine audit last year.

According to an Indigenous Art Collection briefing note obtained by Blacklock’s Reporter, “Efforts are underway in an attempt to locate the remaining unaccounted-for artwork and the department is proceeding with another review of its regional offices.”

The police were never informed of the stolen paintings, jewelry, sculptures, or other works that vanished from the collection, which was once used to decorate the department’s regional offices.

“There was no finding of theft or ill-intent,” it said.

The collection had a total of 5,176 pieces, including six-figure artworks purchased at taxpayers’ expense and then stored in an unsecured warehouse or sent to regional offices for display. The collection dates back to 1965.

The 2025 audit identified 132 missing pieces last fall.

“The department places great importance on its responsibility to safeguard the artworks in the collection and to honour the artists behind them,” reads the note. “That is why the department is reaching out to artists and estates to inform them that artwork they or their family member had created is currently unaccounted for. Contact has been made with 32 artists or estates connected to 47 of the artworks. We are continuing to verify the contact information.”

“Regardless of what the number is, there are pieces missing, worth money, worth value to people who created that art,” Conservative MP Jamie Schmale told a hearing of the Commons heritage committee in November. “This doesn’t happen in the National Gallery.”

Heritage Minister Marc Miller pledged to have the art restored during testimony in February, calling it a “moral obligation.”

“Do you feel there should be a moral obligation over this missing Indigenous art?” asked Conservative MP Kevin Waugh.

“I do believe there is a moral obligation,” Miller responded. “Any time you receive art or sacred items from Indigenous people, it is something that has to be treated with extra care.”

“I need confirmation here,” said Waugh. “Are there going to be ongoing efforts to actually locate the missing Indigenous art, or are we going to call this case closed?”

Crown-Indigenous Relations has refused to identify the titles or creators of any of the missing pieces.

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Author: Quinn Patrick

Canada’s economy lost 42,000 jobs last month, while the unemployment rate remained unchanged at 6.4 per cent. The August level stabilized after it declined by a total of 0.5 percentage points in May, June and July.

Statistics Canada released its latest data on the employment market on Friday, which recorded job losses among several sectors, such as natural resources, utilities and business, building and other support services.

The only area to experience a significant increase in employment gains was manufacturing, which added roughly 22,000 jobs, or a 1.2 per cent increase month to month in August.

However, on an annual basis the sector didn’t change much following decreases earlier this year.

On a year-over-year basis, the economy added about 217,000 jobs in August, marking a one per cent increase. The bulk of that growth was concentrated across health care and social assistance, information, culture and recreation, and transportation and warehousing.

The results fell short of economists’ expectations for August, which projected a gain of 15,000 positions.

Meanwhile, the annual increase in average hourly wages cooled to two per cent last month, down from 2.8 per cent in July and 3.3 per cent in June. The last time the annual wage increase dropped that low was in 2017.

Regionally, Quebec was hardest hit, losing 19,000 jobs, followed by Ontario, with a loss of 18,000.

Statistics Canada noted that industries dependent on U.S. demand for exports continue to face “an uncertain economic context.”

“Mark Carney’s Liberals are destroying jobs with high taxes, red tape, and more bureaucracy,” wrote Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre in response to the news.

“It’s time to adopt a Conservative Economic Action Plan that saves you money and gets you better paychecks by cutting taxes and red tape on work, investment, housing construction, and energy.”

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Author: Quinn Patrick

Alberta Premier Danielle Smith is cracking down on the growing problem of people illegally dumping waste, with $10,000 fines and potentially up to two years in jail for those caught committing the act.

“We take it quite seriously, and we’re consulting on that now. Anyone who wants to give us feedback should let us know,” Smith told reporters on Wednesday. “Right now, we’re taking active consultation and feedback on how you think we should address that to the general public, but we need to do something in the fall.”

Smith went on to say that she was affected by a ‘do not litter’ campaign when she was younger, and the province would consider relaunching something similar to get the message across.

A number of municipalities have recorded a surge in illegal dumping incidents over the last several years. The problem has become so widespread that activists and concerned citizens have recorded several incidents and have been driven to confront the perpetrators.

In Brampton, reports of illegal dumping incidents have more than doubled in four years, rising by 163 per cent from the 2,117 reported in 2020 to 5,568 incidents reported in 2024.

In Surrey, British Columbia, the city reported that staff cleaned up illegal dumping from 7,459 sites in 2020.

Many illicit dumpers will drive out to the countryside to get rid of their refuse in the hopes of not being seen.

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Author: Alex Dhaliwal

The federal government has acknowledged that two transgender inmates in women’s prisons faced sexual-assault charges following complaints from female inmates, while defending its gender-based prison policy.

Ottawa disclosed the cases in a statement of defence filed Monday in a constitutional challenge against Correctional Service Canada’s policy governing “gender diverse” offenders.

According to the filing, one inmate was charged with one count of sexual assault and one count of criminal harassment in May 2020 after a female inmate filed a complaint.

A second inmate was charged with two counts of sexual assault following a complaint from a female inmate in October 2024.

The filing does not establish that either inmate was convicted of those charges, as first reported by the National Post.

The lawsuit was launched in 2025 by Canadian Women’s Sex-Based Rights (CAWSBAR), with lawyers funded by the Justice Centre for Constitutional Freedoms.

CAWSBAR is challenging Commissioner’s Directive 100, arguing that allowing transgender inmates to be housed in women’s institutions exposes female inmates to physical and psychological harm and violates their Charter rights.

CSC’s directive permits offenders who prefer it to be placed in an institution according to their gender identity or expression, regardless of sex, unless overriding health or safety concerns cannot be resolved.

Transfers are assessed individually, with the Deputy Commissioner for Women serving as the final decision-maker for transfers to women’s institutions.

CSC introduced its current directive in May 2022, replacing an interim policy adopted in 2017 after Parliament added gender identity and expression as prohibited grounds of discrimination under the Canadian Human Rights Act.

The government denies that the policy violates female inmates’ Charter rights.

Ottawa denies that alleged harm in women’s prisons resulted from CD 100, arguing transfers are individually assessed for inmate and institutional safety.

CAWSBAR alleges 45 female inmates were impacted in 59 incidents of harm.

Ottawa said the plaintiffs provided insufficient details for it to respond to 45 of those 59 alleged incidents.

Of the remaining 14, 10 allegedly occurred at Grand Valley Institution for Women in Kitchener, Ont., three at Fraser Valley Institution in Abbotsford, B.C., and one at Okimaw Ohci Healing Lodge in Saskatchewan.

The allegations include a 2018 complaint that resulted in a police investigation but no charges, a 2019 report of sexual assault and a 2021 complaint alleging sexual and physical assault.

The government disputed several other allegations.

The inmate charged in 2020 was also alleged to have instigated five additional incidents involving three female inmates. Ottawa said the inmate was not involved in four of them, while a female inmate was also found to be an instigator in the fifth.

The inmate charged following the 2024 complaint was identified in another alleged incident, which the government said was a false allegation.

Constitutional lawyer Chris Fleury, whose organization is funding the challenge, said Ottawa’s own defence demonstrates that female inmates have raised serious safety complaints.

“The government’s own Defence shows that female inmates have made serious complaints about what has happened to them in women’s prisons, including complaints that resulted in sexual-assault charges,” Fleury said.

“Female inmates are being exposed to real risks and real harm,” he added. “This case is about protecting their safety, dignity and constitutional rights.”

Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre has vowed that a Conservative government would bar biological males from women’s prisons.

“Another reason Conservatives will ban biological men from women’s prisons. Period, full stop,” Poilievre said in response to reporting on the government’s filing.

Poilievre previously criticized CSC’s policy in December 2024 after convicted triple murderer Mohamad Al Ballouz, who identifies as a woman and goes by Levana, sought to serve a life sentence in a women’s institution.

“Surreal: A man who killed his wife and two kids now claims he is a woman to go to a female prison,” Poilievre said at the time.

“I can’t believe I have to say this: but when I’m PM, there will be no male prisoners in female jails. Period.”

Al Ballouz was convicted of second-degree murder in the killing of his wife, Synthia Bussières, and first-degree murder in the deaths of their two sons, five-year-old Eliam and two-year-old Zac.

Data previously obtained by the Investigative Journalism Bureau found that 57 transgender women made 129 requests to transfer to women’s prisons between 2017 and 2025.

Thirty-five requests were approved, while more than 70 were denied.

As of October 2025, 90 transgender women were incarcerated in federal prisons, including 17 housed in women’s institutions and 73 in men’s institutions. Eight of the 17 housed in women’s institutions had undergone gender-affirming surgery.

Ottawa also responded to allegations involving 13 gender-diverse inmates whom CAWSBAR accuses of taking advantage of the policy. For four, the government said no specific incidents were alleged beyond their presence in women’s prisons.

The Federal Court rejected Ottawa’s bid to strike the lawsuit in May, granting CAWSBAR standing to proceed with its constitutional challenge without ruling on the underlying allegations.

Ottawa is now asking the court to dismiss the lawsuit with costs.

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Author: Quinn Patrick

A variety of food products imported from India with fake nutrition labels and expiry dates has prompted an investigation by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency as to whether the country poses a risk to the Canadian market.

Last week, Indian authorities raided a warehouse in Mumbai and seized more than $110,000 worth of products, chemicals and printing machines designed for the purpose of making fake nutrition labels and replacing old expiry dates on products from companies such as PepsiCo, Nestle, Coca-Cola and Unilever.

The scheme was intended to make the products suitable for export. While the companies themselves have not been accused of any wrongdoing, the illicit exporting group remains under investigation.

Meanwhile, the CFIA “is monitoring the situation to determine whether it presents any risk to imports into Canada. At this time, the CFIA has no information indicating that products associated with this operation entered Canada.”

“The Canadian Food Inspection Agency takes food fraud, including false date markings, inaccurate nutrition information, and misleading origin claims seriously,” it added in a statement to Reuters on Thursday.

The agency is the first foreign regulatory authority to respond to the incident.

The Mumbai raid was part of a broader food safety campaign across India conducted by both federal and state authorities to assess poor hygiene standards and target breaches of food safety laws.

The drive has resulted in a number of companies being issued instant suspension orders.

Among the labels uncovered in the warehouse raid was a packet of PepsiCo’s Indian brand Kurkure puffed chips that bore a fake label with nutrition information in both English and French, which looked eerily akin to the format prescribed in Canada.

The warehouse owners carried out the label changes and exported with the aid of 19 little-known exporters.

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Author: Alex Dhaliwal

A majority of Albertans back Premier Danielle Smith’s push for tougher immigration rules, with a new poll showing all five of the province’s immigration referendum proposals have majority support.

The five Oct. 19 questions ask whether Alberta should cut immigration and prioritize economic migrants; restrict taxpayer-funded services by immigration status; impose a one-year wait for social supports; charge non-permanent residents for health care and education; and require proof of citizenship to vote.

A Research Co. poll conducted between Aug. 24 and 26 found 66 per cent support requiring proof of Canadian citizenship to vote in provincial elections — the highest of the five proposals.

Another 65 per cent back Alberta taking greater control over immigration to reduce immigration to more sustainable levels, prioritize economic migrants and give Albertans first priority for new employment opportunities.

Every immigration proposal drew at least 58 per cent support, prompting Research Co. president Mario Canseco to predict they are on track to pass.

“This is quite remarkable … unless something changes drastically, we’re going to see those pass,” Canseco said.

“There is definitely a sense that the notion immigration is having a negative impact in the lives of Albertans is resonating with the public.”

The remaining proposals also drew majority support. Fifty-eight per cent backed restricting provincially funded services based on immigration status, while 60 per cent supported charging non-permanent residents fees for health care and education.

Another 60 per cent backed requiring people with non-permanent legal immigration status to live in Alberta for at least a year before qualifying for provincially funded social supports.

The results come ahead of Alberta’s Oct. 19 provincial referendum, which will feature 10 questions in total, including five on immigration.

On Feb. 19, Smith pitched the immigration questions as a mandate for a “significant departure from the status quo.”

“The changes we need to make to immigration are a significant departure from the status quo, and therefore, I am seeking a referendum mandate from Albertans to implement them,” Smith said when announcing the vote.

Smith has blamed federal immigration policy for straining Alberta’s housing, health care, education and social services as the province absorbed nearly 600,000 additional residents over five years.

“Although sustainable immigration has always been an important part of our provincial growth model, throwing the doors wide open to anyone and everyone across the globe has flooded out classrooms, emergency rooms and social support systems with far too many people, far too quickly,” Smith said.

Prime Minister Mark Carney has pushed back on criticism of Ottawa’s current immigration policy, saying asylum seeker numbers have fallen by a third, temporary foreign workers by half and foreign student numbers by two-thirds since his government was elected.

He has blamed the previous Trudeau government for lax immigration policies.

The appetite for separation, however, was far weaker.

Only 22 per cent backed beginning the legal process required to hold a future binding referendum on Alberta separating from Canada, while 74 per cent supported remaining in Canada.

The poll also found turnout could play a major role in how Albertans view the referendum’s legitimacy. Eighty per cent said turnout of at least 70 per cent would validate the result, while 70 per cent said turnout of just 30 per cent would undermine it.

Research Co. surveyed 750 Albertans who said they were likely to vote in the referendum. The results were statistically weighted by age, gender and region according to census figures.

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Author: Alex Dhaliwal

Donald Trump’s Republican Party has booted CBC/Radio-Canada from its upcoming convention as outrage explodes over the broadcaster’s refusal to call 9/11 terrorism without attribution.

The Republican National Committee revoked press credentials for both CBC and Radio-Canada for its Sept. 9-10 gathering in Dallas, ahead of the U.S. midterm elections.

The move follows cross-border backlash over leaked CBC guidance instructing journalists not to independently describe the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks as terrorism.

“Do not refer to the Sept. 11 attacks as terrorist attacks,” the memo read.

Instead, journalists were told to describe the hijackings and crashes without independently calling them terrorism.

Radio-Canada did not have the same editorial policy.

CBC eventually backed down Friday, announcing that reporters would no longer need to attribute the term “terrorism” when describing 9/11.

“After reviewing our current language guidance, we have decided to adjust it to clarify that direct attribution is not required for describing the historic events of 9/11 as terrorism,” said Basem Boshra, CBC’s senior director of journalistic standards and public trust.

But Republicans had already moved against CBC, revoking its credentials and calling its attendance an “insult” to 9/11 victims.

Nearly 3,000 people were killed by 19 al-Qaeda terrorists on Sept. 11, 2001, including 24 Canadians.

Members of Prime Minister Mark Carney’s cabinet also weighed in on the controversy.

Public Safety Minister Gary Anandasangaree declared that Ottawa has “always recognized 9/11 as the deadliest terrorist attack in history” and “unequivocally” condemns terrorism.

Anandasangaree stressed that Canada has legally treated 9/11 as terrorism for nearly 25 years, describing it as a “deliberate, ideologically motivated terrorist attack on civilians.”

Canadian Identity and Culture Minister Marc Miller was more blunt after CBC reversed course.

Miller called the change “welcome” and blasted the previous policy as “pedantic and foolish guidance that caused legitimate anger.”

The backlash also crossed the border.

FBI Director Kash Patel threatened consequences for Canadian agencies that refused to reject CBC’s policy.

“Any agency in Canada that doesn’t publicly reject this bastardization of history … will no longer have [a] friend in this FBI,” Patel wrote.

“WE WILL NEVER FORGET 9-11.”

Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre also unloaded on CBC, calling 9/11 the “deadliest terrorist attack in American history.”

“Nearly 3,000 innocent people were murdered that day, including 24 Canadians, in an act of monstrous evil,” Poilievre said.

He later branded describing 9/11 as anything other than a terrorist attack an “appalling distortion of history” and demanded CBC apologize and retract its directive.

CBC acknowledged its guidance caused “significant concern, anger and hurt,” but insisted it had never denied that 9/11 was terrorism.

“But to be clear, CBC News has never said what happened on Sept. 11, 2001, was not terrorism,” Boshra said.

CBC said it is reviewing the Republicans’ decision to revoke its credentials.

“It is a disappointing development; we hope it will be reconsidered,” CBC head of public affairs Chuck Thompson told the National Post.

The controversy echoes CBC’s Oct. 7 policy, which discouraged calling Hamas attackers terrorists. Its ombudsman later said describing the attack as terrorism would have been more accurate.

CBC’s reversal applies only to 9/11, with its broader attribution policy remaining in place for new acts of politically motivated violence.

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The activist who went viral after yelling “F*ck your fascist pancakes” at Alberta Premier Danielle Smith was removed from an Alberta independence rally Saturday after confronting attendees and repeatedly calling them “traitors.”

Video from the Aug. 29 rally at the Alberta Legislature shows the woman being physically escorted away by law enforcement as she continues shouting at people gathered for the event.

“You are traitors,” she can be heard saying as she is taken away. “You should arrest them all,” she repeatedly tells those removing her, referring to the people attending the rally.

In a video posted afterward, the activist said she had allegedly received a 90-day ban from the Legislature “for causing two disruptions.”

During the removal, the person escorting her away can also be heard telling her, “You’re banned, though,” before saying she was not allowed back for 24 hours.

The incident occurred as Alberta separatists gathered at the Legislature Saturday afternoon for an independence rally organized by the Alberta Prosperity Project.

A large crowd of supporters gathered outside carrying Alberta flags and listening to speeches, prayers and sermons in support of the independence movement.

Mitch Sylvestre, head of the Alberta Prosperity Project, addressed the crowd and called on Albertans to stand up to Ottawa.

“Ottawa is putting its elbows up to protect themselves from us. We think that’s backwards.” Sylvestre said.

Two pastors also spent a significant portion of the event praying for the independence movement and delivering sermons.

The rally came as Alberta’s separation debate continues to intensify ahead of the province-wide referendum scheduled for Oct. 19.

The referendum’s 10th question asks Albertans whether Alberta should remain a province of Canada or whether the provincial government should begin the legal process required to hold a future binding referendum on whether Alberta should separate from Canada.

Elections Alberta confirms that the Oct. 19 vote is not itself a vote on separation.

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An organizer involved in Alberta protests over international students’ post-graduation work permit troubles says he is now looking at opening a college of his own in Canada.

The organizer posted an Instagram story this week asking followers to connect him with anyone involved with a Canadian college.

“Please contact me,” he wrote, saying “we” are thinking about opening a college and need “some help or data.”

“We can also do partnership with him/her,” the post continued, according to a translation.

International students have been protesting in Alberta after their applications for post-graduation work permits were refused. The students argued they enrolled believing their studies would qualify them for the permits and have demanded Ottawa reconsider their cases.

Immigration Minister Lena Metlege Diab has rejected claims that Ottawa changed the eligibility rules, saying non-credit programs were never eligible for post-graduation work permits.

The protests have so far failed to secure the permits students sought. Alberta Premier Danielle Smith told Juno News in July that former students whose visas have expired and who do not have permanent residency “need to go home.”

The dispute escalated earlier this month when Canada Border Services Agency officers attended the Calgary protest. The border agency later told Juno that 20 people had their immigration status checked and 12 were identified as potentially inadmissible to Canada.

Juno News did not receive a response when we reached out to the organizer to ask for clarification on his stated interest in starting a private college.

The organizer did not specify where the proposed college would be located, what programs it would offer or whether it would cater to international students.

He has been among those involved in protests by international students in Alberta who say they came to Canada expecting their studies would make them eligible for post-graduation work permits, only to encounter refusals.

In a July social media post about the dispute, the organizer highlighted that students received refusals from Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada and accused their college of refusing to help.

His Instagram posts do not say whether the plans for a new college have gained any traction, nor do they establish any kind of financing or regulatory approval.

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Smith pushed back after Alberta NDP Leader Naheed Nenshi and other federalists warned that holding the vote during an escalating Canada-U.S. trade war could undermine national unity.

“Well, it’s a separate process,” Smith said when asked whether the referendum could expose a weak link that the Trump administration could exploit.

“We have citizen initiative law,” she added, arguing the government must respect petitions that receive enough public support to put a question to voters.

Albertans are scheduled to vote Oct. 19 on whether Alberta should remain in Canada or whether the government should begin the legal process required to hold a future binding referendum on separation.

Smith pointed to competing petition campaigns as justification for holding the vote.

“400,000 people asked for a vote to remain, 300,000 people asked for a vote to leave,” she said.

Despite defending the referendum, Smith left no ambiguity about where she stands.

“I think this is an important time for us to be looking at the benefits that come from being a part of Canada,” she said.

“That’s what I’ve been advocating. That’s why I’m voting to remain.”

Smith acknowledged Alberta still has disputes with Ottawa but said she believes there is growing momentum for provinces and the federal government to work together.

“I hope to persuade as many people as possible to vote with me,” she said.

Nenshi has demanded Smith cancel or at least postpone the referendum, arguing the vote sends the wrong message as Canada battles the United States over trade.

“It’s time to call off the referendum,” Nenshi said.

“The premier’s pandering to separatists just shows weakness; it shows that Canada is not united.”

His criticism follows a similar warning from Parti Québécois Leader Paul St-Pierre Plamondon.

St-Pierre Plamondon said that if his party takes power in Quebec’s October election, he would postpone a promised independence referendum until after U.S. President Donald Trump leaves office, arguing the administration’s unpredictability could interfere with the process.

Nenshi seized on the comparison to attack Smith.

“If real separatists [in Quebec] understand the danger of doing this, how come a separatist of convenience, like Danielle Smith, doesn’t understand that danger?” he said.

Smith, however, maintains holding the referendum is about respecting Albertans rather than promoting separation.

“Citizens signed one of two petitions saying they wanted to have this question now, and that’s what the vote is going to be on Oct. 19,” she previously said.

“I think we need to make sure that we are clear about what Albertans want us to do.”

The Oct. 19 vote would not itself separate Alberta from Canada.

Instead, choosing the separation option would direct the government to begin the legal process required to hold a future binding referendum on independence.

Prime Minister Mark Carney has called the upcoming referendum a “question on the question,” saying the federal Clarity Act would only come into play for an actual secession vote.

Carney has also argued a future independence referendum would require a “clear majority” recognized by Parliament, rather than automatically being settled by 50 per cent plus one.

For Smith, defending Albertans’ right to hold the referendum and supporting independence are two separate questions.

Her answer to the latter remains straightforward: “I’m voting to remain.”

Alberta’s fiscal fortunes have taken a dramatic turn.

The province’s first-quarter fiscal update projects a surplus of more than $2 billion, a stunning reversal from the $9.4 billion deficit forecast in Budget 2026.

Surging oil revenues are driving the turnaround.

Natural resource revenue is up $9.7 billion, helping push total revenue $11.7 billion above budget.

“This is good news for Alberta and for Alberta’s future,” Finance Minister Jason Nixon said Thursday.

“It means we’re on the path to the province’s sixth consecutive surplus year.”

However, Nixon warned the government won’t treat the oil-fuelled windfall as permanent.

“We know energy prices are volatile, and we cannot budget on the expectations that high oil prices will last,” he said.

Alberta now assumes WTI will average US$65 per barrel, after averaging roughly US$88 from April to August.

Every US$1 change in oil prices swings provincial revenue by about $680 million.

Nixon attributed much of the turnaround to higher oil prices driven by the war in Iran.

“The $11.4-billion shift from Budget 2026 is primarily driven by non-renewable resource revenues fuelled by the Iran war, pushing oil prices significantly higher,” he said.

Despite the windfall, Alberta isn’t planning to pour the projected surplus into new programs, debt repayment or the Heritage Savings Trust Fund.

Nixon instead repeatedly preached caution, warning against repeating past governments’ mistakes during energy booms.

“Let’s take the success that we’re seeing, but let’s make sure that we don’t create structural challenges across our budget that, in the long term, are going to create bigger deficits and will hurt Albertans,” he said.

A weaker loonie is also helping, with every one-cent drop adding roughly $440 million in provincial revenue.

However, the projected $2 billion budget surplus doesn’t mean Alberta is swimming in cash.

Despite the projected surplus, Alberta remains $4.3 billion short of a cash surplus due largely to the timing of royalty payments, capital spending and accounting adjustments.

Nixon warned against mistaking the oil windfall for a permanent trend.

“Despite this projected surplus, Alberta is not yet in a cash-surplus position,” he said, adding fiscal responsibility remains a top priority.

Oil isn’t the only bright spot.

Income tax revenue is also up $1 billion on stronger corporate profits and population growth, while manufacturing has recovered to pre-2025 levels.

Alberta’s population is forecast to grow 1.2 per cent through 2026 and 1.4 per cent in 2027.

Manufacturing has also recovered to pre-2025 levels, while reduced Chinese duties have helped boost canola exports.

Alberta raised its inflation forecast from two per cent to 2.6 per cent, with higher oil prices and potential Canada-U.S. counter-tariffs adding pressure.

Nixon warned counter-tariffs “could create significant inflation,” though Alberta remains relatively insulated as energy exports have largely avoided U.S. tariffs.

Alberta remains relatively insulated from the trade dispute because energy exports have so far avoided the brunt of U.S. tariffs.

Meanwhile, producers are capitalizing on higher crude prices by delaying maintenance and scheduled slowdowns.

Conventional natural resource production is now expected to grow 4.5 per cent, up from the 3.7 per cent forecast in Budget 2026.

For now, Alberta’s oil-fuelled fiscal turnaround has put the province back in the black — but Nixon isn’t betting the budget on crude staying there.

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Author: Alex Dhaliwal

Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre is taking aim at the industrial carbon tax as a job-killing “cash grab,” putting him on a collision course with Alberta Premier Danielle Smith, who has agreed to keep the levy alive under her deal with Ottawa.

“The industrial carbon tax has nothing to do with the environment,” Poilievre said. “It is a cash grab that kills jobs for our people and drives up the costs for our consumers.”

Poilievre said the levy puts Canadian steel, aluminum, auto and other major industries at a disadvantage against foreign competitors.

“The Americans don’t have that tax. The Europeans are exempting heavy industry from that tax. The Chinese economy doesn’t pay that tax,” he said, arguing Canada is pushing production and jobs into foreign economies by increasing costs at home.

Smith, however, has defended keeping Alberta’s industrial carbon tax as a compromise with Carney’s Liberals, conceding Poilievre’s election could have changed course.

“Pierre Poilievre did not get elected,” Smith said. “If he had gotten elected, we might have had a different approach.”

“We have a Liberal government where their carbon tax objectives are a much higher priority,” she added. “And so if we’re going to try to get to a deal, there’s a compromise that we have to make.”

Smith has defended the broader Ottawa agreement as an improvement over the Trudeau era, praising relations with Prime Minister Mark Carney as “a lot better” after Alberta secured concessions on the emissions cap and net-zero electricity regulations.

“It’s a lot better than under Trudeau, who wanted a $170 carbon price, wanted an emissions cap [that] would have shut in 2.5M barrels of Alberta oil, and a net-zero power grid where... [noncompliant] executives would go to jail,” Smith said May 8.

Under a subsequent agreement, Alberta accepted higher TIER carbon prices beginning in 2030 in exchange for federal support for a new West Coast pipeline, a deal Smith called a “win.”

The floor rises from $60 per tonne in 2030 to $110 by 2040, with the headline price reaching $140 and an effective target of $130.

However, Smith also warned the tax could hurt Alberta’s competitiveness and raise costs.

Earlier, Alberta froze its TIER industrial carbon price at $95 per tonne, rather than allowing it to rise to $110, citing U.S. tariffs, economic uncertainty and industry competitiveness concerns.

Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe, by contrast, scrapped both carbon taxes, citing lower costs and stronger competitiveness.

Meanwhile, Poilievre has pledged to go further federally by eliminating the industrial carbon tax, repealing the federal carbon-pricing law and ending provincial backstops.

A Fraser Institute study warns Alberta’s $140 carbon tax and carbon capture rules will raise energy costs and hurt competitiveness.

By 2040, the policies are projected to raise production costs by 19.6% to 39.1% across Alberta’s oil, natural gas and electricity sectors, while U.S. competitors in Texas and New Mexico face no comparable costs.

Author Jack Mintz warned the higher costs could push investment to U.S. jurisdictions offering better returns while also raising electricity costs for Alberta businesses.

Similarly, a Leger poll commissioned by the Canadian Taxpayers Federation found 70 per cent of Canadians believe businesses pass most or some industrial carbon-tax costs on to consumers.

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Author: Clayton DeMaine

As trade relations between Canada and the U.S. break down again, former premiers, United Conservative Party Premier Jason Kenney and NDP Premier Rachel Notley have joined forces on a campaign against the Alberta independence movement.

After U.S. President Donald Trump announced his plans to impose a 50 per cent tariff on the Canadian automotive and steel industries, the Canadian Chamber of Commerce announced Tuesday that Notley and Kenney would co-chair its Alberta and Canada: Stronger Together campaign.

According to the Canadian Chamber of Commerce, the campaign will bring business and community leaders together around a “shared commitment to Alberta’s prosperity and Canada’s economic future.

The chamber said in a statement the campaign comes at a “consequential moment for Alberta and the country,” and will make the economic case for a “strong Alberta within a strong and united Canada.” The group said the campaign will also focus on “advancing practical solutions” to challenges facing Alberta.

In the 2019 Alberta provincial election, Kenney’s United Conservative Party defeated Notley’s incumbent NDP government with 54.9 per cent of the popular vote against her 32.7 per cent.

Albertans are set to head to the polls on October 19 to vote on a variety of referendum questions, one of them being whether Alberta should secede from Canadian Confederation.

“Alberta and Canada are stronger together — and a more competitive, prosperous Alberta makes for a more competitive, prosperous Canada. The national business community represented by the Canadian Chamber is an integrated network of hundreds of thousands of businesses of all sizes who know Alberta’s interests, and theirs go hand in hand,” Kenney said in a statement released by the chamber of commerce.

“We’re ready to rally with facts and to make the case for a strong Alberta and a united Canada.”

Notley emphasized the “critical moment” Alberta and Canada find themselves in amidst trade threats and tariffs from Trump.

“We need to be focused on building this province, growing job opportunities across the board, strengthening our healthcare system and vital programs that keep Alberta strong,” Notley said. “Any distraction that takes us away from that focus is a missed opportunity for all of us.”

The Canadian Chamber of Commerce president Candace Laing said both Kenney and Notley “understand what’s at stake” and celebrated the two putting aside their differences to fight for Alberta to remain in Canada.

Liang added that uncertainty about Alberta’s future within Canada deters potential investment into the province.

“Prolonged uncertainty around constitutional or political separation brings real risks for investor confidence, economic growth and Canada’s competitiveness, at exactly the wrong time,” he said. “With geopolitical and economic uncertainty reshaping global trade and investment, Canada will be only better off with greater economic cooperation – not less.”

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Author: Alex Dhaliwal

Premier Danielle Smith is warning Ottawa that escalating its trade war with retaliatory tariffs risks making Canadians pay the price for punishing Washington.

“I know, emotionally, it feels good to retaliate. I get that,” Smith said during her Saturday radio show. “But let’s remember what happens when we retaliate.”

Prime Minister Mark Carney announced that Canada is prepared to impose dollar-for-dollar tariffs on American imports after his government walked away from trade negotiations with Washington on Friday.

The counter-tariffs are expected to take effect after Labour Day unless the two countries reach an agreement.

Smith backed Carney’s decision to abandon the negotiations, saying some U.S. demands were too damaging for Canada to accept.

“There were just a couple of key demands from the United States that made it really untenable for us to sign off,” she said. “It would have been too painful.”

But Smith warned that retaliatory tariffs of up to 50% on U.S. goods could significantly raise costs for Canadian consumers and businesses.

“We shouldn’t be cheering if our farmers have to pay 50 per cent more for all the equipment that they need to produce our food,” Smith said. “That is not a success.”

Smith has consistently opposed counter-tariffs and using Canadian energy as leverage, warning Alberta would bear the brunt of the economic fallout.

Her chief of staff, Rob Anderson, went further Friday, describing retaliatory tariffs as a “knee-jerk” response.

“Why would we punch our own Canadian businesses, workers and consumers in the face just because the U.S. is doing so to their own businesses, workers and consumers,” Anderson wrote on social media.

“We need to be smarter, not more tough guy-er.”

Smith nevertheless praised Carney for delaying the counter-tariffs until after Labour Day, suggesting the government is leaving Washington an opportunity to return to negotiations.

“That’s the Prime Minister saying: ‘Come on, guys, let’s see if we can figure this out over the next two weeks.’”

Alberta remains heavily dependent on the American market. The province exported $151.5 billion in goods to the U.S. in 2025, including $110.8 billion in crude petroleum.

U.S. President Donald Trump has so far spared Canadian oil and gas from the tariffs hitting other sectors.

Smith said only around 3% of Alberta’s U.S. exports are currently exposed, while the province estimates the latest measures could affect roughly $1.5 billion in Alberta trade.

“I worry about the viability of some of those furniture companies and honeymakers,” Smith said, adding that she welcomed Ottawa’s promise of financial assistance for affected industries.

Despite longstanding tensions between Alberta and Ottawa over the treatment of the energy sector, Smith also defended Ontario’s auto industry as “vitally important” to Canada’s economy.

“I hope that they can get back to the table to negotiate something that’s more fair,” she said. “But we have to understand how important that is to Ontario, as an engine of their economy.”

Smith’s cabinet is expected to meet Tuesday as Alberta weighs its response to the escalating trade dispute.

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Author: Melanie Bennet

A trans-identified man in Courtenay, B.C., has admitted on Instagram to smacking a teenager “upside the head” at Lewis Park after a group of youths called him a “tranny,” later telling Juno News he would “do it all over again” and warning that anyone who questions his existence will be treated as a threat.

Leanne Lawson said he was “minding [his] own business” in Lewis Park when a “group of kids” directed the slur at him and “used words they weren’t supposed to.” In a series of videos posted to Instagram, Lawson said he responded by smacking one of the youths upside the head.

Lawson continued filming as he followed the teens, trading insults with them. After one teen told him to stop following, another person can be heard telling the group they would “all get [their] a*ses kicked.”

When the mother of one of the youths approached and apologized, Lawson admitted to the assault and warned that her “son better not talk crazy like that, or he’s going to get his head knocked off.”

In a subsequent video, Lawson said he is “not ok” and “terrified.” He stated that the youths’ status as minors did not matter: “anyone who talks to [him] like that… [he’s] going to react like that.”

Juno News contacted Lawson seeking comment on the park incident. He replied with another Instagram video in which he said he would “do it all over again.”

“A lot of you seem to think violence isn’t the answer,” Lawson said. “The truth is, the violence has already started.” He claimed “there’s literally a trans genocide going on” and added that if anyone approaches him to “explain [his] existence,” he will “interpret it as a threat” and “act accordingly.”

Lawson justified the assault by saying the youths used the “n-word” and are “repeat offenders.” He blamed the community for failing to “giv[e] them a bit of wisdom since their parents can’t seem to give them any,” and said it was his responsibility to discipline them. The teens were lucky, he claimed, that he “only smacked them upside the head.”

Had the youths been adults, Lawson said, he would have “drop-kicked them” and “made sure they can’t eat solid food for a while.” Looking into the camera, he added: “Just think about that next time you’re transphobic to a tranny.”

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Author: Alex Dhaliwal

Former prime minister Justin Trudeau continues to receive regular RCMP protection, including during personal travel, media sources have revealed.

However, the RCMP would neither confirm nor deny whether Trudeau, 54, currently receives protection. They also would not disclose its cost, staffing or deployment details.

“Protective decisions are based strictly on assessed security needs, not personal preferences or activities,” the RCMP told the National Post.

Some Trudeau trips could require as many as four officers, with concerts potentially requiring advance scouting and threat assessments, according to media reports.

Since leaving politics, Trudeau has travelled the world, including extravagant junkets to Switzerland, Italy, Chicago and Davos.

His relationship with Katy Perry has also taken him from Paris and Japan to Coachella and European festivals, with the couple seen most recently in southern France on vacation.

It remains unclear which of those trips, if any, involved RCMP protection.

Former RCMP deputy commissioner Pierre-Yves Bourduas said Trudeau’s high-profile relationship could complicate his protection, while Perry’s private security cannot replace the RCMP.

“We must take full responsibility for the protection of the former prime minister,” Bourduas said.

Sitting prime ministers receive 24/7 RCMP protection through its VIP Protection Detail, while former prime ministers are offered security they can decline. Any RCMP salaries, overtime, and travel costs are taxpayer-funded.

CBC reported in 2023 that protecting Trudeau and his family cost more than $30 million annually — over twice the inflation-adjusted cost for Jean Chrétien and Paul Martin.

Former prime ministers have been offered RCMP protection since Trudeau’s father, Pierre Trudeau, left office. Protection is determined according to assessed threats and security requirements.

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Author: Clayton DeMaine

Over two-thirds of Albertans believe drivers in the province should have a full Alberta driving licence for at least two years before being able to operate commercial vehicles like tractor-trailers, according to a Scope Research poll.

According to Scope Research, 806 respondents aged 18 or older completed the survey via SMS. The results were weighted by age and gender using data from the 2021 Canadian census to ensure the sample reflects Alberta’s demographic makeup.

For a comparable probability-based sample, the margin of error would be three per cent 19 times out of 20.

The poll was conducted from July 30th to August 4th.

Respondents were asked to rate their level of agreement with the statement “drivers should have an Alberta driver’s licence (Class 5) for at least two years before being able to operate commercial vehicles like tractor-trailers.

Nearly 70 per cent of respondents said they agreed with the proposed restrictions on commercial drivers in the province. Only 15 percent said they disagreed, while the remainder either “didn’t know” or had no opinion.

When those without an opinion one way or the other were removed from the results of the study, about 82 per cent agreed on the proposed restrictions for commercial driving.

The survey comes as Alberta cracked down on dangerous commercial drivers. Transportation Minister Devin Dreeshen, just days after the survey concluded, announced the province had removed 20 unsafe carriers since October, including 13 “chameleon carriers accused of changing names or operations to evade regulators.

The move is part of a wider initiative to ensure the roads are safe from rogue truck drivers and fraudulent instructors.

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Author: Quinn Patrick

An Alberta couple says that the government allegedly violated their privacy rights after they were forced to complete a long-form census, which required them to answer questions about their sexual orientation, physical and mental disability, and history of homelessness, among other things.

Bradley and Linda Osborne of Foothills County launched a Charter challenge in June after being mandated to complete the long-form census, and were forced to divulge the information or face a potential $500 fine.

According to their statement of claim, the questions tended to “reveal intimate details of their lifestyles and personal choices.”

“Canada’s census serves an important constitutional function, including ensuring fair democratic representation,” said Constitutional lawyer Hatim Kheir, who is representing the couple.

“But a constitutional requirement to count people does not automatically authorize the state to compel disclosure of intimate details about health, personal identity, daily routines, and private life.”

While roughly 75 per cent of Canadians receive the short form census, there is a cohort of people who receive the long form version, which has been a bone of contention for decades.

The controversy is rooted in the questionnaire, which requires people to fill out a host of detailed answers on a range of topics.

In 2010, former prime minister Stephen Harper pledged not to use the long-form census the following year. Ottawa refrained from distributing the long-form census for six years until the decision was reversed under the Trudeau government.

The controversy is rooted in the questionnaire, which requires people to fill out a host of detailed answers on a range of topics.

The 2026 long-form census included questions about a person’s ethnic background, religion, language, sexual orientation and gender expression, disability and experiences of homelessness.

The Osborne’s lawsuit alleges several of those questions violate Charter rights to life, liberty and the security of the person, as well as the right to be free from unreasonable search and seizure.

Representation for their legal challenge is being funded by the Justice Centre for Constitutional Freedoms.

The court application seeks declarations that portions of the questionnaire were prescribed beyond the authority granted under the Statistics Act.

The JCCF noted that requiring Canadians to answer certain questions infringes sections 7 and 8 of the Charter, protecting liberty and privacy against unreasonable state intrusion.

“Privacy is not a minor administrative concern. The Charter recognizes that personal information goes to individual dignity and liberty. When government compels disclosure of sensitive information under threat of penalty, courts must ask whether that intrusion is actually necessary and proportionate.”

The applicants are not seeking damages or costs but rather clarification from the Federal Court on the “constitutional limits of mandatory census collection and the protection of personal privacy in an age of growing digital data retention.”

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